《Never Too Far Novel》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 A Night of Absurdities ¡°Anastasia, help! I¡¯ve been molested at the club!¡± The desperate and helpless sound of her best friend¡¯s voice was the only thing on Anastasia Tillman¡¯s mind as she rushed over to the clubhouse. Room 808. Anastasia looked up at the number que on the door of the private room. It was the same room number that her best friend, Hayley Seymour, had texted her. Without another thought, she barged through the door to save her friend. When the door swung open under her hand, she was greeted by the darkness within. Suddenly, a strong hand sped around her wrist and dragged her into the dark room, followed by a loud thud as the door mmed shut. ¡°Hey¡ªwho are you, and what do you want?!¡± Anastasia shrieked, her eyes darting around wildly as she tried to make out her surroundings. ¡°Settle down, and I¡¯ll treat you well.¡± A man¡¯s deep and husky voice spoke close to her ear. The next second, Anastasia was unceremoniously tossed onto the couch, and before she could scramble to her feet, a lean and strong body pinned her down. She let out a muffled cry when a pair of lips that tasted like peppermint captured hers. The man on top of her felt burning hot to the touch. A sense of hopelessness brought tears to her eyes as she tried to struggle against the man, but in the end, she could do nothing but endure the man¡¯s ferocity. An hourter, Anastasia staggered out of the room, looking disheveled. She had only just been through a nightmare, but that didn¡¯t distract her from worrying about her best friend¡¯s safety. She was just about to call Hayley¡¯s number when she saw a group of men and women walking out the side door. Under the lights, she instantly recognized the two of the women in the group. One happened to be Hayley, her best friend who had cried for help on the phone earlier, and the other was Anastasia¡¯s stepsister, Erica Tillman. The two girls walked side by side with their arms linked, as if they were the closest of friends. Shock and rage colored Anastasia¡¯s features when she saw them. ¡°Stop right there, Hayley!¡± she called out loudly over the distance as her fists clenched tightly at her sides. Upon hearing this, Hayley and Erica swiveled around to face her. Anastasia glowered at them, ashen- faced as she demanded of Hayley, ¡°Why would you lie to me?!¡± Hayley smirked. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault that you¡¯re always so gullible, Anastasia.¡± ¡°Did you have a good time with that gigolo back there?¡± Erica asked in a sing-song voice, smiling wickedly. It was only then that Anastasia realized that both of them had set her up. The chastity she had held dear for the past neen years was now sacrificed for their despicable glee. Presently, Hayley¡¯s eyes were frosty as she seethed, ¡°Did you actually think I was your friend, Anastasia? I¡¯ve been living in your shadow ever since we met! I hate you, and I want nothing more than to ruin that face of yours!¡± Erica, on the other hand, swiftly interjected by mocking, ¡°I have the proof I need to show Dad that you¡¯ve been pimping yourself for money at the club. It won¡¯t be long until you¡¯re thrown out of the house!¡± ¡°You two¡ª¡± Anastasia was so furious that she swayed. Her body was in tatters after the ordeal she had been through, and the collective weight of her friend¡¯s betrayal and her sister¡¯s cruelty nearly knocked her down. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Hayley! We don¡¯t want to be seen with trash, do we?¡± With her arm looped through Hayley¡¯s, Erica led her toward the sports car she had parked by the curb. Three dayster, at the Tillman Residence, a low male voice yelled out in rage, ¡°You became an escort for money just because I wouldn¡¯t let you go abroad for your studies? How can I, Francis Tillman, be capable of having such a shameless daughter like you?¡± ¡°Dad, I didn¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t? But you did, Anastasia! How could you go to such shameless lengths? Did we starve you, or did we deprive you of anything? I can¡¯t believe you would pimp yourself to random strangers in a filthy clubhouse! For your sake, I hope you haven¡¯t brought any disease back to this house. Who knows what my daughter and I could have caught from you,¡± the woman who was dressed in jewels and fine clothes sneered from where she sat on the couch. ¡°Dad, I really didn¡¯t do it. I¡ª¡± Anastasia tried to exin herself. However, Francis did not want to hear another word from her. He glowered at her maliciously as he snapped, ¡°Still lying to me, I see. Get out of this home right now! I will not stand to have you under my roof. No daughter of mine could be so shameless. From now on, you are not my child!¡± Meanwhile, on the staircasending, Erica watched this scene y out as she leaned against the banister with her chin propped on her hand. Everything was going exactly the way she had nned. In a matter of minutes, Anastasia was going to be cast out of the house and wander around like some pathetic stray mutt. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Downstairs in the living room, Anastasia fell silent when she saw the thunderous and disappointed look on her father¡¯s face. She wordlessly rose from her seat and walked up the stairs to pack up her things. She had only just rounded thending when Erica barricaded her. With her arms crossed haughtily in front of her chest, the younger girl sneered, ¡°Get out of here! Don¡¯t linger around like an eyesore. This house will never have a ce for you ever again!¡± Anastasia clenched her fists as she glowered at Erica¡¯s pleased expression. Seeing the hatred and anger in Anastasia¡¯s eyes, Erica leaned forward. ¡°What, do you want to p me or something?¡± She turned her cheek toward the fuming girl and said smugly, ¡°Go right ahead, then!¡± Without holding back, Anastasia brought her hand down across Erica¡¯s face, resulting in a hard p. ¡°Ah!¡± Erica let out a shrill cry. ¡°You just hit me! Mom, Dad¡ªAnastasia just hit me!¡± She howled as she bolted down the stairs. Naomi Lowell quickly pulled her daughter into her arms and cried up the stairwell, ¡°How dare you strike my daughter, Anastasia! What the hell are you ying at?!¡± Francis nced at the red imprints on Erica¡¯s cheek, and he had never been more disappointed in his life. When did my oldest daughter be so infuriatingly rebellious? ¡°Dad, it hurts¡­¡± Erica sobbed as she burrowed into her father¡¯s arms, taking in exaggerated deep breaths like she was in great pain. ¡°Get out of here, Anastasia!¡± Francis roared up the stairs. Having packed up her things, Anastasia grabbed her passport and went down the stairs. Her heart grew stone-cold when she saw how her own father was holding Erica in his arms like she was something precious. Anastasia knew then that she indeed had no ce in his heart. Francis had only heard Erica¡¯s side of the story instead of asking Anastasia about the horrific incident she had enduredst night. Ever since her mother had passed, she had spent her years in this home living like an outsider, for her father had brought home his mistress and his illegitimate daughter to form a new family. Anastasia¡¯s poor mother had never known about her husband¡¯s extra-marital affairs, not even in her death. I will nevere back to this ce ever again. Inside the house, Erica watched as Anastasia dragged her suitcase out the front door, and a wicked smile curled on her lips. I finally got rid of that useless eyesore! ¡­ Five yearster, a knock came on the front door of an apartment in Dansbury. The woman living in the apartment had been poring over her designs when she heard the knock. A little bewildered, she walked up to the door and pulled it open unhappily. When she saw the two Asian men in suits, she asked in Chinese, ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± ¡°Are you Miss Anastasia Tillman?¡± one of the two men asked in English. ¡°I am. And you are?¡± Anastasia pressed. ¡°We were asked to look for you. Your mother, Amelia Chapman, saved our young master¡¯s life back in the day. The old madam whom we serve wishes to see you.¡± She frowned at this. ¡°Who¡¯s the old madam you serve?¡± ¡°Old Madam Presgrave,¡± the first man answered respectfully. Upon hearing this, Anastasia understood what had brought these men here. Old Madam Presgrave was the woman behind the Presgrave Group, the foremost conglomerate in the country. Years ago, Anastasia¡¯s mother had sacrificed her life to save Old Madam Presgrave¡¯s oldest grandson. It gave Anastasia great pride to have been born to a police officer as capable and righteous as Amelia. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t intend to see her,¡± Anastasia said decidedly. She had a feeling that the Presgraves wanted to repay Amelia¡¯s great deed, but she had no ns of epting their gesture whatsoever. Just then, a childish and curious voice sounded from somewhere inside the apartment, asking, ¡°Mommy, who is it?¡± ¡°No one,¡± Anastasia replied hastily. Then, she turned to address the men at the door, ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m really not in a mood for guests at the moment.¡± With that, she closed the door. Meanwhile, back in the country, a man was seated on the couch inside the vi tucked halfway up the hill. ¡°Have you tracked her down?¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master Elliot. The girl from the clubhouse five years ago just sold off your watch at the second-hand market.¡± ¡°Find her,¡± said the man on the couch, his voice deep and authoritative. Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Chapter 2 The Addictive Taste of Her The room was bathed in a warm glow of the lights. The man who sat on the couch had wless features, his handsome face the painstaking artwork of the heavens. He wore a finely tailored suit that entuated his strong silhouette. At present, Elliot Presgrave¡¯s eyes turned icy as his grandmother¡¯s steely voice reverberated in his mind. Elliot, you must take Anastasia Tillman for a wife. I will only have her and no one else as my granddaughter-inw in the Presgrave Family. Right now, however, the only person Elliot was thinking of was the woman whom he had ravished in the dark all those years ago. That fateful night, his drink had beenced and rendered him so intoxicated that the only thing he remembered was how the woman had hopelessly sobbed while she begged for mercy under him. When all was done, he had taken off his watch and pressed it into her hand, thereafter passing out in the dimness of that room. Fast forward to five yearster; he was still looking for her. It was justst week when he learned that she had sold off his watch at the secondhand market, but the news came toote, for his grandmother insisted that he take some other woman for a wife. Just then, his phone rang once more. He picked it up and greeted brusquely, ¡°What?¡± ¡°Young Master Elliot, we have found the girl. Her name is Hayley Seymour, and she was the one who personally sold off the watch.¡± ¡°Send me her address, and I¡¯ll pay her a visit,¡± Elliot ordered as an ted gleam shed in his eyes. The mysterious girl from that night has finally been sighted! I have to find her, no matter what. I need to make it up to her for the things I¡¯ve done that night. Meanwhile, Hayley was in the women¡¯s boutique. She had taken over the boutique a little over a year ago, but the business had been on a steady decline. Struggling to pay rent, she had tried toe up with ways to scrape together enough money to tide over. Atst, she decided to try to sell the watch she had in her possession, and much to her pleasant surprise, it fetched a whopping price of five hundred thousand. The watch hadn¡¯t been hers, to begin with. Five years ago, the clubhouse staff had contacted her and told her that they had retrieved a watch from the private room, thereafter prompting her to collect it from their lost and found department. Upon arriving at the club and seeing that it was a designer men¡¯s watch, she imed it as her own without even a second of hesitation. Since then, the watch had been nestling in her closet until she decided to sell it off at the secondhand marketst week. Leading up to the sale, she hadn¡¯t expected that the watch would be worth much, but that was before she was offered an astonishing five hundred thousand for it. Hayley was glowing as she stared at the amount of money she had in her ount, and she thought happily to herself, I guess I can livefortably for a while longer. At that moment, the door to her boutique swung open, and she quickly rose to greet the customer. ¡°Wee to¡­¡± She trailed off then, so stunned that she abandoned the rest of her words. The man who had entered her boutique stood tall and straight. He was handsome beyond comprehension, and he carried with him an innate nobility. It took a while for Hayley to snap out of her daze before she stumbled over her words to ask, ¡°I-Is there someone you¡¯re looking for, sir?¡±This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. That was a fair question, considering she was running a women¡¯s boutique. It was impossible that a man wearing a refined handmade suit would be here to browse through dresses and the like. He looked like he stood at six feet two, and there was no mistaking the domineering edge of his presence. ¡°Hayley Seymour?¡± Elliot asked as his narrowed eyes locked onto her. He searched her face, desperately trying to find traces of the woman from five years ago. ¡°Y-Yes, that¡¯s me. And you are¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t quite finish her words; her faculty of speech was going haywire under the man¡¯s burning gaze. Having heard her reply, the man reached into his pocket and produced a men¡¯s watch before her, then asked in a deep, rumbling voice, ¡°Has this watch been in your possession all these years?¡± Hayley nced at the watch and instantly felt the urge to shrink into herself. Blinking guiltily, she stammered, ¡°Y-Yes, the watch is¡­ mine.¡± ¡°And you were the woman from the Abyss Club five years ago? The one who was in Room 808?¡± Elliot pressed, eyeing the girl in front of him intently as he thought with a start, Could she really be the girl from that night? The wheels in Hayley¡¯s mind began to turn furiously. Room 808 from five years ago¡­ Wasn¡¯t that the room where Erica and I set Anastasia up? Why is this man asking me about that incident? Without dwelling too much on this, she answered straightforwardly, ¡°Of course, that was me.¡± ¡°Keep this watch from now on, and don¡¯t try to pawn it off again. I¡¯ll make it up to you for what happened that night,¡± he said as he handed the watch to her. ¡°I¡¯m Elliot Presgrave. Remember my name, will you?¡± Hayley looked up at him in shock. Elliot Presgrave? As in, the heir to Presgrave Corporation, the leading conglomerate? ¡°Y-You¡¯re Elliot Presgrave?¡± she asked, so overwhelmed she might copse. The man next to Elliot handed her a name card and interjected, ¡°Miss Seymour, this is our young master¡¯s name card. You may look for him if you need his help in any way.¡± She took the card with one shaky hand, and when she saw the shell-shocking name embossed onto the gold stationery, her heart nearly flew out of her chest. So the guy who slept with Anastasia five years ago was not the male escort we arranged for her, but this fine specimen who happens to be the heir to the Presgraves¡¯ family fortune? As realization dawned upon her, Hayley reached out and grabbed Elliot¡¯s arm, then forced tears to spring to her eyes as she threw a fit. ¡°You have to take responsibility, Elliot. Do you know how hurt and traumatized I was after that night?¡± With that, she looked down and cried crocodile tears, sobbing miserably like she was the one who had been vited five years ago. There was only one thing on her mind right now: to step into Anastasia¡¯s shoes and assume the role of the victim from that fateful night. She was set on having Elliot take responsibility so that she could get more benefits out of this. Ultimately, she hoped to marry the man and be Mrs. Presgrave. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I promise to take responsibility,¡± the man said solemnly, his husky voice steady and reassuring. ¡°Miss Seymour, Young Master Elliot has arranged a vi for you, and you can move in anytime. He will take care of all your needs from now on.¡± Elliot¡¯s personal assistant, Rey Osborne, pointed out helpfully. Hayley¡¯s eyes lit up at once. She was so ecstatic she could pass out. A world of riches and mor will soon be in my hands! ¡°There are some things I have to take care of, so I¡¯ll get going,¡± Elliot said, then after casting Hayley a brief look, he turned to leave. When the door swung shut behind him, Hayley clutched the watch tightly. She was so overwhelmed by this unexpected turn of events that she could cry. ¡°I¡¯m going to be rich! Rich!¡± While she celebrated the windfall, she found herself hoping viciously that Anastasia had dropped dead within thest five years so that she wouldn¡¯t appear out of nowhere like roadkill. In the understated luxury ride, Elliot sat in the backseat with his eyes closed. Is Hayley really the woman from five years ago? Why does she seem different? Or have five years changed her? The orange rays of the setting sun spilled through the car window and yed over the man¡¯s chiseled features. He looked so handsome that it was hard to believe he wasn¡¯t some valuable piece of art that belonged in a museum; there was no one who could replicate such fine looks. He was the true sessor to Presgrave Group. He had taken over the reins five years ago and launched the conglomerate to new heights, so much so that it was crowned first ce among the world¡¯s leadingpanies. On that fateful night five years ago, he had experienced his first and only downfall in his lifetime. One of his rivals had spiked his drink in hopes of manipting him into ruining his own reputation. Elliot had saved himself by darting into the private room, but just as the effect of the drug was at its peak, a random woman scurried in and relieved him of his predicament. Since then, the fact that he had just ravished and taken away a girl¡¯s innocence had been weighing on his conscience. He was sure that she had been chaste up to that night, for when he woke up after the deed, he saw under the lights of the private room the traces of blood that stained the couch. As he thought about the scattered mess in the private room that followed his misdeed, he stopped doubting Hayley¡¯s identity and his impression of her. I have to take responsibility for what I¡¯ve done to her. While this was happening, Anastasia was in her apartment somewhere abroad as she said on the phone, ¡°Got it. Give me three days tops to return to the country and prepare for thepetition.¡± ¡°Mommy, are we going back?¡± A small figure wandered over to her side. He wore a blue checkered shirt and a pair of denim shorts. His features were delicately chiseled, albeit childish. He was only four or so, but there was unmistakable grace and elegance to his movements. Anastasia smiled and nodded. ¡°Would you like to go back with me?¡± Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Refusing Their Favor ¡°Of course! I¡¯ll go anywhere you go, Mommy!¡± the little guy beamed, hisrge eyes looking like glistening onyxes as they curved into crescent moons. Anastasia couldn¡¯t help musing over how beautiful the child was. Every time she looked at his little face, she felt a surge offort and gratitude, as though constantly in awe of how she had managed to birth such an adorable little one. ¡°Well, then, we best pack our things now. We¡¯re leaving for the airport tomorrow afternoon.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The little one gave one firm nod, then dashed into his room to pack his things for the trip. Anastasia heaved a sigh. She had been living abroad since her father threw her out of the house five years ago. It wasn¡¯t so much that she didn¡¯t want to go home as it was that she had no ce in it. She didn¡¯t even tell her father after she had delivered her child while abroad, and now that she was going back to her homnd for her work and career, she had made up her mind to see the old man. He was still her father, after all. Three dayster, it was evening time at the international airport when Anastasia wheeled the baggage cart forward. Her son was seated on top of therge suitcase on the cart, and he gazed around in wonder. Everything about Anastasia¡¯s homnd seemed to pique his interest, and there was a curious gleam in his sparkly eyes. Presently, Anastasia had only just stepped out of the arrival hall when two men in suits walked up to her, thereafter greeting politely, ¡°Miss Tillman, we have been sent here by Old Madam Presgrave, who has prepared a ride for you just outside the entrance. If you please¡ª¡± She blinked at them and said very courteously, ¡°I appreciate the Presgraves¡¯ kind gesture, but I have no need for a ride, thank you.¡± ¡°Miss Presgrave, the old madam truly wishes to see you,¡± the middle-aged man said respectfully. Anastasia knew that Old Madam Presgrave bore no ill will, but she really had no ns on epting the old madam¡¯s kind favor. ¡°Please tell Old Madam Presgrave that it was my mother¡¯s duty to save others, and that there is no need to repay the deed, at least not to me.¡± With that, she made to brush past the two men, pushing the cart toward the exit. One of the men took out his phone and informed dutifully, ¡°Young Master Elliot, Miss Tillman has refused our offer to pick her up.¡± Presently, three gleaming ck Rolls-Royce with heavily tinted windows that deterred anyone¡¯s efforts of peeking inside were parked by the airport entrance. There was a man seated in the backseat of the Rolls-Royce in the middle of the fleet who kept his gaze on the airport doors, and he saw a young woman pushing her cart through them just as he set his phone aside. The woman wore a white blouse and in jeans. Her hair had been gathered at her nape, revealing a delicate and pretty face. Her skin was baster, and her demeanor somewhat leisurely as she maneuvered the cart. Without a doubt, her presence among the crowd was a dazzling one. Just then, Elliot¡¯s gaze was caught by something, or rather, someone¡ªthe little boy who leaped off the woman¡¯s cart. He looked to be around four or five years of age, and he wore a gray sweater with joggers, his thick and soft hair flopping over his forehead. He might be young, but his features were finely chiseled, making him all the more adorable. At that moment, Anastasia crouched down and helped the little one straighten his clothes; there was no mistaking the gentle and indulgent look in her eyes. Who¡¯s the kid? Is Anastasia married? If so, then I won¡¯t have to marry her just to fulfill Grandma¡¯s wishes. With that in mind, Elliot watched as the taxi Anastasia and her supposed child got into pulled away. Not long after that, his fleet left as well. They had barely covered any distance when his phone rang. He nced at the caller ID and greeted, ¡°Hey, Hayley.¡± ¡°Elliot, when are youing to see me? I¡¯ve missed you.¡± Hayley¡¯s coy voice whined on the other line. ¡°I¡¯ve been a little busy recently, but I¡¯ll see you as soon as I¡¯m free,¡± he answered, the bass in his voice prominent. ¡°Promise?¡± Hayley asked coquettishly. ¡°Yes,¡± he replied with forced patience. Meanwhile, over at Presgrave Residence, a silver-haired olddy was sitting on the couch sipping her tea when she heard her subordinates¡¯test findings. She looked up in shock as she demanded, ¡°What? Anastasia has a child? Is she married?¡± ¡°ording to our investigation, the child¡¯s father never showed up, so we¡¯re assuming that she had the child out of wedlock.¡± ¡°Oh, that poor dear. To be a single mother at such a young age¡­¡± Harriet Presgrave, otherwise more widely known as Old Madam Presgrave, sighed. Guilt surged through her as she thought about the brave female police officer who had died after sustaining eighteen fatal stabs from the ruffian who had threatened to hurt Elliot all those years ago. She was only justmenting on this when an elegant and towering figure sauntered into the living room. It was Elliot, and he had returned from the airport. ¡°Come here, Elliot,¡± Harriet said as she beckoned her grandson over. Elliot promptly took the seat next to hers and began to say, ¡°Grandma, Anastasia kept refusing our offer, so maybe I¡ª¡± ¡°I just found out that Miss Tillman is a single mother who had a child out of wedlock. You must take care of the poor mother and son, Elliot. It¡¯s your duty.¡± Elliot gaped at the old woman speechlessly, stunned by her suggestion. He had thought that she would have given up on the matter, but as it turned out, she grew even more determined to see it through instead. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°Grandma, I don¡¯t have to marry her. We could always use some other way to repay her mother¡¯s kind deeds and make it up to her,¡± he countered calmly, hoping that his grandmother would see sense. However, the moment Harriet heard this, she shot him a frigid look and said, ¡°No, that won¡¯t do. You must marry Anastasia and protect her and take care of her for the rest of her life.¡± Elliot frowned. He didn¡¯t think any good coulde from a loveless marriage, but he couldn¡¯t even reject his grandmother¡¯s suggestion because she was set on repaying the sacrifice Anastasia¡¯s mother had made all those years ago. ¡°You can¡¯t even imagine how many stabs Officer Amelia Chapman had sustained just to protect you. The amount of blood¡­ The gruesome nature of the crime¡­¡±Harriet¡¯s eyes were sad as she said this. Then, she looked up and cast her grandson a hard look, pointing out, ¡°Taking care of her daughter is the least you could do. You won¡¯t ever be able to repay the officer¡¯s selfless deed, even if you were to take care of Anastasia for eternity.¡± Elliot nodded quietly. ¡°Fine, then I¡¯ll take her for a wife.¡± But there was another woman whom he could not let go of, whom he needed topensate as well. That said, he had no ns to tell Harriet about this just yet, and he knew that even if he did tell her, it wouldn¡¯t dissuade her from forcing him to marry Anastasia. ¡°Anastasia has a kid,¡± he said. That backfired on him because Harriet seemed delighted by the news. ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s a little boy, probably around three or four years old. I can¡¯t believe some scoundrel just left them like that. Listen to me, Elliot¡ªdon¡¯t you dare snub that child, is that understood?¡± Elliot could hardly believe this. He stared at his grandmother, stumped as he thought, Is this some kind of a buy-one-free-one deal? The Bourgeois Jewelry Atelier was an old and well-known establishment that had been acquired by Anastasia¡¯s superior. In order to grow the brand, Anastasia¡ªbeing the chief designer for the Queen¡¯s Rose QR Diamond Global¡ªhad been transferred back to her homnd to work on diversifying Bourgeois. Through the arrangements made by Bourgeois, Anastasia was put up in an apartment. She went about decorating and straightening up her new abode while her son slept, and within two hours, the apartment was transformed into the perfect cozy nest for the mother-and-son duo. She was exhausted, but she did not feel like turning in for the day as she watched her son¡¯s adorable sleeping profile. Whatever had happened in this city five years ago still haunted her and made her stomach churn. Her best friend¡¯s betrayal, her stepsister¡¯s wickedness, and her father¡¯s ultimatum that resulted in her being exiled were like cuts that ran too deep to heal over. It was a miracle at all that she had survived the past five years. She had had to bnce raising her son as a single mother and picking up design courses, and during theter part of the five years, she slowly worked her way up thedder and became chief designer. She had toiled harder than anyone else, and the heavens must have granted her the stroke of luck she needed to get to where she was today. As of now, she had her savings, her son, and a job that allowed her freedom. She picked up her phone and stared at her father¡¯s number. There were several times when she thought about calling him, but something made her hesitate. It¡¯s been five years. I wonder if he¡¯s still angry with me. Then, she heaved a sigh. Forget it. Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Don¡¯t Need Someone Else to Raise My Son At the QR International Group, a mysterious acquisition team was negotiating with the owner Jack in the conference room. Thetter finally signed the acquisition contract at a price of 10 billion. As of yet, no one knew that the boss of QR International Group had been reced. The middle-aged man who walked out of the acquisition meeting room took out his phone and reported to the man at the other end, saying, ¡°Young Master Elliot, the acquisition has been sessfullypleted, and you have now be the president of QR International Jewelry Group.¡± ¡°I got it,¡± the man on the other end responded lightly. In order to fulfill his promise to his grandmother of pursuing Anastasia, Elliot spent 10 billion to acquire thepany she was working at. Only Anastasia could refuse the wedding proposal, so in the process, he had to show his grandmother what he had done. Still, it was unknown whether he could marry Anastasia in the end. Elliot hoped that Anastasia would reject him. After all, every good marriage needed to be based on a foundation of mutual emotional interest. Otherwise, it would be meaningless to live together without any love in the rtionship. At this point, Anastasia didn¡¯t know that her boss had changed. In the next few days, she found a private kindergarten for her son nearby and sent her son there so that she was free to work. The little boy was interested in the new school, so with a bag on his back, he took the teacher¡¯s hand and skipped into the ssroom. ¡°Is that your son? He¡¯s so handsome! I¡¯ve never seen such a good-looking boy,¡± a mothermented in amazement. Anastasia pursed her lips and smiled; she was naturally happy as a mother when someone praised her son¡¯s good looks. At Bourgeois, Anastasia came to work on her first day. As a designer sent by the design department, she enjoyed many perks. For example, she had a dedicated office and a capable assistant herself. Moreover, she only designed custom designs exclusively for a select few and not for the masses. This was also one of the unique selling points of QR International Group¡ªeach customer would have a unique lifetime customization service. Anastasia¡¯s assistant was called Grace Ellis. She was a young, energetic, smart, and capable woman. ¡°Anastasia, your coffee.¡± Grace brought in the coffee. ¡°Thank you.¡± Anastasia nodded. In less than 2 minutes, Grace knocked on the door again. ¡°Anastasia, the manager said that the meeting will be held at 3.00 PM, and the boss himself will be there, so be prepared.¡± At 3.00 PM sharp, Anastasia sat in her seat inside the meeting room. There were many important members of Bourgeois in the room, so it seemed that this was argepany meeting. While Anastasia was checking it out, she inadvertently met a pair of sharp eyes belonging to a sexy woman in her 20s. Her name tag read: Chief Designer Alice. Anastasia immediately understood. Being a designer sure is verypetitive. Therefore, there were no so-called friends in this industry but only rivals inpetition. Since she was transferred back from abroad, it was normal for her to be disliked by others. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. At this time, footsteps came from outside the door, as if there were still peopleing. The door of the conference room was then pushed open, and the first person who came in was a tall man with a straight figure who was dressed in a well-cut suit. He had angr features and exuded a strong aura. After he came in, he walked over to the main chair and sat down. Without needing to say a word, his majestic aura made his powerful identity known to everyone. When everyone saw him, there was an instant silence below the stage. Why is the big boss different today? The female designers in the audience were all surprised and excited as they felt butterflies in their stomachs when they looked at the handsome man. As for Anastasia, she was also surprised. Isn¡¯t the boss of Bourgeois someone in his early fifties? Why is this man so young? At this time, the vice president of thepany, Larry Young, coughed lightly. ¡°Let me introduce all of you to Mr. Elliot Presgrave. He is now the CEO and chairman of QR International Group. From now on, he will take over all the affairs of Bourgeois. Everyone, please give him a warm wee.¡± There was a sudden collective gasp from the audience. Elliot Presgrave? He bought QR Jewelry Group? While others were gasping in shock and confusion, Anastasia instantly raised her head and stared at the man in question, who happened to be looking at her too. Elliot had a pair of extremely deep eyes that were as sharp as an eagle¡¯s, so others did not even have the courage to look at him. However, Anastasia had the guts, and she had probably guessed why this man appeared here. Could it be that as long as I don¡¯t ept the Presgrave Family¡¯s repayment, they will continue to appear around me? Did I not make myself clear enough? ¡°Let¡¯s start the meeting! You will preside over the meeting,¡± Elliot retracted his gaze and said to Larry beside him. The women present were so excited that their gazes shone. The content of the meeting was not important at all, as they just stared at Elliot in fascination. This man truly exuded an unparalleled superiority from head to toe, and he was also extremely wealthy. Thus, he was the man that every woman in the country dreamed of marrying. Anastasia also didn¡¯t listen to the content of the meeting because she was absent-minded. When she looked up from time to time, she found that the man was looking at her, which made her ufortable. Soon, all the people in the meeting discovered this. Why did Elliot only stare at Anastasia alone? Was it because she was young and beautiful? Instantly, all the women stared jealously at her. It seemed that Elliot¡¯s special treatment of her made them angry. Anastasia really wanted to shout and stop Elliot from looking at her. Nevertheless, she still endured it. She just wanted to finish the meeting and leave, and she didn¡¯t want to stay in thispany anymore, but when she remembered she had just signed a 5-year contract, she was lost for words. After some time, the meeting was finally over. Anastasia was the first to rush out of the conference room. She returned to the office feeling agitated. At this moment, there was a knock on her office door. As soon as she turned around, Elliot pushed the door open and came in. Immediately, she red at him, feeling annoyed at his presence. ¡°Is there something you need, President Presgrave?¡± Anastasia sat down in her chair, seeming a little impatient, and did not give him the respect one should give their boss at all. Hearing that, Elliot pulled the chair across from her desk and sat down gracefully with an air of arrogance and superiority. Then, he said coldly in a maic voice, ¡°Miss Tillman, let¡¯s talk.¡± ¡°Are we talking about work?¡± Anastasia asked with raised eyebrows. ¡°You should know that I was kidnapped when I was five years old. It was your mother who gave her life to save me, and I survived. For this, the Presgrave Family is forever grateful and wants to repay you. Just say the word, and I will try to satisfy your requests.¡± Elliot looked at her calmly while expressing his thoughts. Sure enough, he is doing this just to repay myte mother. ¡°No need. My mother saved you because it was her responsibility as an officer. You don¡¯t need to repay me, and I won¡¯t ept it.¡± Anastasia refused firmly. ¡°I heard that you have a son. If you want, I can raise him with you and take care of him.¡± Elliot proposed with narrowed eyes. Anastasia suddenly raised her head to look at the man opposite her, and at this moment, a sudden thought shed in her mind. Huh? She actually thought for a moment that her son looked like this man. Their facial features, eyes, temperament, and even their hair were simr. How weird. ¡°I don¡¯t need someone else to raise my son for me.¡± Anastasia refused again. Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Chapter 5 He Is Her Boss ¡°My grandma wants me to marry you, then take care of you and your children for the rest of your life. Are you willing to marry me?¡± Elliot said bluntly. Although he was talking about marriage, his gaze was indifferent; it was like he was simply shouldering a responsibility. Feeling suddenly amused, Anastasia fluffed her long hair and looked at the man opposite. ¡°Take a good look at me. Do I look like the type who can never get married?¡± She was very beautiful. In fact, it was not an overstatement to say that she was absolutely stunning. ¡°Miss Tillman, do you not want to marry me?¡± Elliot twitched the corner of his mouth and silently breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Although you are powerful and handsome, I don¡¯t care for you,¡± Anastasia replied very confidently. Elliot¡¯s handsome face revealed a slightly startled expression. It seemed that he was not attractive at all to this woman. Oh well, that is exactly the result I wanted, anyway. As he wished, they were not attracted to each other. ¡°I hope you can visit my grandmother in person, Miss Tillman.¡± After all, only this woman could deny his grandmother¡¯s wishes because, in his heart, he was also responsible for another woman. Anastasia pondered for a few seconds, then asked with narrowed eyes, ¡°You really have acquired QR International Group?¡± ¡°From now on, I¡¯ll be your boss, so don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take care of you.¡± Elliot expressed that even though he couldn¡¯t marry her, he would take care of her at work. Hearing that, Anastasia blinked. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do that then! Goodbye, President Presgrave.¡± Elliot was startled again at her words. Never before had a woman disregarded him so tantly. Thus, Elliot got up and left. After he did, Anastasia let out a small sigh. Suddenly, Grace knocked on the door and asked, ¡°Anastasia, what are you talking about with President Presgrave? Does he like you very much?¡± ¡°Who said that?¡± ¡°Everyone is saying that he has been staring at you in the conference room,¡± Grace informed Anastasia with the current juicy gossip. When Anastasia heard that, she was annoyed. It seemed that Elliot was causing trouble for her at work. As a boss, he should be a good boss. She would just work under him, and he should not appear in front of her in the future. Standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, Anastasia picked up the phone and called her father. ¡°Hello! May I know who it is?¡± A familiar voice came from the other end. Anastasia¡¯s nose burned as she called out to the other side, ¡°Dad, it¡¯s me. I¡¯m Anastasia.¡± ¡°Anastasia? You¡­ Where have you been in the past five years? I couldn¡¯t find you.¡± Francis was pleasantly surprised. Now that the father and daughter were connected, how could any hatredst? Anastasia¡¯s eyes filled with tears as she said, ¡°Dad, I¡¯m sorry. I have lived abroad for all these years, and now I¡¯m back to work in the country.¡± ¡°Okay, as long as you¡¯re back. When will youe home?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll go home in two days.¡± ¡°Okay, as long as you are healthy and safe. It¡¯s my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have driven you out.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s forget about the past.¡± Anastasiaforted him. She had gone through all the hardships, and she didn¡¯t want to think about them anymore. ¡°Okay,e back home as soon as possible!¡± Francis sighed. Anastasia hung up the phone and took a deep breath. Actually, she still didn¡¯t want to go home yet. It was good enough as long as her father was healthy and safe. At this time, Larry knocked on the door and came over with a box in his hands. ¡°Anastasia, I¡¯m here to bring you something.¡± Anastasia looked at the box he put on the table in surprise. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Guess.¡± Anastasia looked at the box with the words ¡®Cloud Residence No. 1¡¯ written on it. It was like the name of a building. ¡°You better tell me directly!¡± Anastasia smiled; she didn¡¯t want to guess. ¡°Cloud Residence No. 1 is a luxuriousrge condominium unit of 370 square meters that is worth 120 million. It is a top property unit that isvishly renovated and decorated with luxurious decoration, and it is ready for you to stay. You deserve it.¡± Larry finished speaking and opened the box. There were six keys and a door card inside. Anastasia frowned. ¡°Is this for me?¡± ¡°Anastasia, this is a special perk from President Presgrave. He changed your residence to the Cloud Residence No. 1 unit. Aren¡¯t you surprised and excited about it?¡± ¡°Take it away; I don¡¯t need it.¡± Anastasia refused coldly. She didn¡¯t want to ept any favors from the Presgrave Family at all. When her mother died, she had gone through a very painful childhood. Her mother had died an honorable death, and she had lost her closest loved one. Hearing her refusal, Larry was dumbfounded for a few seconds. Did she just refuse such an amazing perk? ¡°Anastasia, you¡¯re not joking, are you? This is a perk that is only for you!¡± Larry was 35 years old and single. He also fell in love at first sight with Anastasia, who was young and beautiful, but he didn¡¯t expect that Elliot had already gotten ahead first. ¡°Tell President Presgrave that I don¡¯t need special treatment in thepany.¡± After Anastasia finished speaking, she pushed the box toward Larry and repeated her words. ¡°Take it away.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do this to me. How am I supposed to tell him? Just ept it!¡± Larry could see that Elliot was interested in Anastasia. However, Anastasia still said firmly, ¡°Send it back. I really don¡¯t need it. Thank you.¡± When Larry saw that she was serious, he had to take the box away. At this moment, Elliot did not go back to work in hispany Dominion Corporation, but started working in the main office of Bourgeois instead. ¡°President Presgrave, Anastasia won¡¯t ept this no matter what I said,¡± Larry reported helplessly. ¡°Well.¡± Elliot¡¯s dark eyes were cloudy. He had expected this, but it would be best if he could repay his debt with material things so that he would not have to bind himself to Anastasia by marriage. At the Tillman Residence, Francis had just returned. He looked at his wife watching TV on the sofa, then sighed happily and said, ¡°Naomi, I received a call today. Guess who it was?¡± ¡°Who?¡± Naomi looked at him curiously. ¡°It was Anastasia! She had been living abroad for all these years. No wonder I had been unable to contact her,¡± Francis said happily. He didn¡¯t realize that his wife¡¯s expression had suddenly changed, and the resentment in her eyes grew. ¡°Why are you still thinking about her? She embarrassed you in the past, so don¡¯t let here back to this house.¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Naomi, I¡¯ve been thinking for some time, and I feel that she¡¯s not that kind of person. There must be a misunderstanding, and anyway, it has been so many years since. Just let it pass!¡± ¡°What misunderstanding? Erica photographed her frequenting that kind of ce in the middle of the night. The evidence is solid.¡± Naomi really didn¡¯t expect Anastasia, who had been driven out, toe back now. Did she notice ourpany¡¯s development ande back topete for the family assets? Hmph! It all belongs to my daughter. It will be over my dead body for Anastasia to get her hands on it! Seeing that his wife was not happy, Francis said no more and went upstairs, a little tired. Then, Naomi quickly picked up her phone and dialed her daughter¡¯s number. ¡°Hey! Mom.¡± ¡°Erica, guess who¡¯s back?¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°That little b*tch Anastasia contacted your dad today. She¡¯s back.¡± ¡°What? How can she evene back?¡± ¡°She must have taken a fancy to our family¡¯s assets and wants to return for a piece of the pie. With me here, she won¡¯t even get toy a finger on it.¡± Naomi snorted coldly, her face full of bitterness. ¡°I was able to drive her away five years ago, so even if shees back, I can still drive her out again.¡± Erica was also very confident about it. Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Embarrassed in Front of Him At this moment, Erica, who was at a spa club, immediately contacted Hayley after hanging up her mother¡¯s call. Back then, they teamed up to make Anastasia lose her virginity and then had her driven out of the house. Now she and Hayley had be best friends, but in the past two weeks, Hayley had lost contact with her, and Hayley¡¯s store was also closed. Hence, Erica didn¡¯t know what Hayley was doing. Soon Hayley¡¯s voice came over the phone. ¡°Hello, Erica.¡± ¡°Hayley, what have you been doing recently? Why is your store closed?¡± ¡°Oh! I-I¡¯m traveling! Is anything the matter?¡± ¡°Hayley, let me tell you some bad news. Anastasia has returned to the country.¡± In a luxurious vi, Hayley, who was enjoying the service of a servant on the sofa, was so frightened that she dropped her phone. She quickly picked it up, took a deep breath, then asked nervously, ¡°When did shee back? Why did shee back? ¡± ¡°Why are you so nervous? You¡¯re still afraid of her!¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just asking.¡± ¡°My dad told me. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s doing, but I¡¯m quite sure she¡¯sing back to fight over the family assets with me now, and she might cause you trouble too.¡± A sh of viciousness glimmered in Hayley¡¯s eyes when she heard that. Why didn¡¯t Anastasia die abroad? That way, I won¡¯t have to panic. Everything Hayley enjoyed now was all thanks to her. She would never let Elliot know the truth as long as she was alive. I can¡¯t let him know that it was Anastasia back then. ¡°Erica, I¡¯m also afraid that she will retaliate against me. Can you tell me everything you know about her in the future? I¡¯ll be better prepared,¡± Hayley said to Erica. Erica replied, ¡°Okay, we will deal with her together in the future.¡± After hanging up the phone, Hayley bit her lip. She was now used to being treated like a wealthy young lady, and she had only the best of everything. In order to make it up to her, Elliot gave her everything she wanted. Hayley became even greedier; she wanted more than materialpensation. In fact, she wanted to be Elliot¡¯s wife. It must be the happiest thing in the world to be the woman of a man like Elliot. Therefore, she would never allow Anastasia to mess up her ns. Even Erica couldn¡¯t know. Otherwise, Erica would be jealous of her and expose her. As such, she must have a good grasp of everything about Anastasia, and it was best to find a method to make her disappear from this world. At 5.00 PM, Anastasia showed up at the kindergarten on time to pick up her son. The little boy happily said goodbye to the teacher and ran to her. ¡°Mommy!¡± ¡°How was school?¡± ¡°It was great! The teacher likes me very much, and my ssmates like me too,¡± the little boy reported happily. ¡°How about we have noodles in the evening?¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Anastasia was very lucky to give birth to a child with such an angelic character. Since he was a baby, he had never let her worry about him. He was not picky about food, he had a good personality, and he was a kind and loving boy. After shopping in the supermarket, they went home to cook dinner. The little boy yed with Lego while Anastasia cooked dinner for two. At that time, the small apartment was full of warmth and coziness. ¡°Mommy, did work go well today?¡± the little boy asked with concern. ¡°Yes, it went well.¡± Anastasia curved her lips and smiled. In front of her son, she neverined about life or work. Even if life was hard, her son¡¯s smile was sweet and could cure all unhappiness. ¡°Jared, is it okay if I take you to see your grandfather in two days?¡± Anastasia asked her son. ¡°Okay. I also really want to see Grandpa.¡± The little boy blinked his eyes in anticipation. Hearing that, Anastasia feltplicated because she knew that Naomi and her daughter would definitely not wee Jared. She would also not let Erica know that her son was conceived when she identally lost her virginity five years ago, and she nned to tell her father she conceived the child with a man she loved. At night, Anastasia slept with her son in her arms. The moonlight from outside the window shone in, and the mother and son fell asleep together. Early next morning, after seeing off her son, Anastasia took a cab to thepany. Bourgeois was located in an eight-story building in the city center, which was a little inconspicuous due to the even taller skyscrapers next to it. However, this brand had gained poprity in the country. Now that it had been acquired by QR, its market value was enhanced too. As such, one monthter, Bourgeois was invited to participate in a local jewelry exhibition. Several series designed by Anastasia were selected to be disyed at the exhibition, which was also an effective method for branding purposes. Soon, Anastasia got out of the cab. Since she bought breakfast a littlete, she paid for the cab fare while nibbling on the bread in her hand, after which she walked quickly toward the hall. As Jared went to school at 8.30 AM, she was a little rushed for work at 9.00 AM. At the entrance to the elevator, Anastasia tried her best to finish her breakfast before entering the office, as it was inappropriate to go in while eating. Thus, she filled her mouth with thest big mouthful of bread. While she was chewing with her cheeks bulging, the elevator door opened, and a handsome and mature figure suddenly appeared in front of her eyes. Stiffening for a few seconds, she swallowed the bread with some difficulty and walked in as gracefully as possible. ¡°Morning,¡± Elliot greeted in a low and maic voice. ¡°Morning!¡± Anastasia replied, and the next second, she was startled by her own sudden hup. While hupping, Anastasia felt her face flushed red as she nearly choked on her bread. What was even more rming was that the elevator had mirrors all around. Now, she had nowhere to hide her embarrassment. She covered her mouth, but her body protested that she ate too fast, and there came another not-so-elegant hup. Elliot¡¯s deep gaze fell on her face through the mirror as he watched Anastasia¡¯s awkward act. Finally, when they arrived at the 6th floor, Anastasia squeezed out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened. She felt so ashamed she wanted to dig a hole and bury herself. Elliot¡¯s calm expression on his handsome face appeared to crack, and a smile was brewing in his dark eyes. This girl is inexplicably interesting. Anastasia returned to the office and quickly took a few sips of water to cure her hups, but the humiliating scene could not be undone. She wouldn¡¯t be this embarrassed if it were another man, but it just had to be Elliot. He must beughing at me. 10.30 AM. ¡°Anastasia, there is a department meeting now.¡± Anastasia responded, ¡°Got it.¡± In the meeting room, the department director, Felicia Evans, sat on one side of the conference room. She had eight designers under her, including Anastasia. ¡°Wait for a while. President Presgrave will be here soon.¡± Felicia took a sip of water and shrugged nervously. Who would have thought that a departmental meeting would involve the big boss as well? This is so stressful. ¡°Anastasia, did you know President Presgrave from before?¡± Alice looked at Anastasia meaningfully. Anastasia immediately denied it. ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then why did President Presgrave keep staring at you yesterday?¡± another female designer asked, dissatisfied. ¡°You should ask President Presgrave this,¡± Anastasia responded gracefully. ¡°Work is work, and thepany is not a ce for you to fall in love, nor a ce to take the back door. You all better remember it well.¡± Felicia stared at her subordinates sternly. Then, Alice nced at Anastasia. In her eyes, Anastasia was someone who wanted to seduce Elliot in order to gain the upper hand. At this moment, the door of the office opened, and an imposing figure stepped in. Elliot walked in gracefully, then sat down at the head of the table. Anyone who saw this man would think that God was unfair. God gave him wealth that could rival the government¡¯s wealth, a handsome face that all beings adored, a perfect figure like the sun god Apollo, a graceful and princely temperament, and the majestic aura of an emperor. This man lived for women to worship and adore him. Even Felicia hurriedly ruffled her hair while exuding her mellow and womanly temperament. Although she was 35 years old, she still had a dream of marrying rich. ¡°Let¡¯s start.¡± The low and charming voice sounded cold.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Chapter 7 The Scheming Hayley Felicia immediately coughed. ¡°Okay, the subject of today¡¯s meeting is thepetition that we¡¯re participating in. First, congrattions to the two shortlisted designers, Alice and Anastasia.¡± Anastasia raised her head and met Alice¡¯s provocative gaze. If she won this time, thepany would give her arge bonus. Hence, they were rivals. Felicia immediately analyzed the situation of this competition. As an experienced designer, she was very confident in her work. While Anastasia was staring at the table, she suddenly felt eyes on her. Judging from the direction, it was undoubtedly Elliot¡¯s. Is this man really so free? Why is he staring at me all day long? Anastasia¡¯s mother sacrificed her life for him. To be honest, Anastasia really didn¡¯t want to see him. Although he was only five years old at the time, and she couldn¡¯t me him for anything, she still had a kind of resentment in her heart. ¡°Anastasia, tell me your opinion.¡± Felicia suddenly cued her. Anastasia was daydreaming just now, and now she had no idea what Felicia was talking about. She raised her head and looked at Felicia in confusion. ¡°Uh¡­ Which aspect are you referring to?¡± Felicia¡¯s face immediately turned ugly. How dare someone daydream at my meeting? ¡°Anastasia, although you are a designer dispatched from the headquarters, you shouldn¡¯t be too arrogant and disregard me. You didn¡¯t listen to what I said just now, did you?¡± Felicia was a harsh woman and wanted to teach Anastasia a lesson. The other designers looked at Anastasia as if they were watching her make a fool of herself, while Anastasia¡¯s face was also a little hot. While she didn¡¯t know what to say, a low male voice sounded. ¡°Tell me what the unique selling point of your design is.¡± Elliot was giving her a reminder. When it came to her work, Anastasia immediately became confident. ¡°My work this time uses tinum, which is the most suitable material for iys, with the addition of rhodium and padium. Its gloss, hardness, and durability are very good, and it is also a rare material. It holds a superior connotation, it¡¯s not easy to depreciate, it¡¯s guaranteed not to change color, it has good stability, and it is suitable for collection purposes. My target customers are people who like to collect and buy luxury goods.¡± After Anastasia finished speaking, she suddenly caught the deep gaze of the man opposite her, and she at once avoided it. ¡°In short, it¡¯s expensive!¡± Alice sneered. ¡°I¡¯m not the same as you. I focus on fashion elements. Nowadays, trendse and go. I think my work is more suitable for the market.¡± Anastasia pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°Each of our work has its own selling point.¡± Soon, the meeting finally ended. Elliot only came to listen and did not express his opinion too much. ¡°Okay, the meeting is over,¡± Felicia announced. ¡°Anastasia, stay here. The others may leave,¡± Elliot said suddenly. Anastasia was about to take a sip of water to moisten her throat when she almost choked on hearing this. She was instantly surrounded by envious and hateful gazes, especially Alice, who red at her resentfully as if she had seduced Elliot by some dirty means. Anastasia was also lost for words. Can¡¯t this man see my situation in thepany? I¡¯m being scorned by other people, and he still has to fan the gossip by doing this! After everyone left, Anastasia leaned against her chair and said coldly, ¡°Is there something you need, President Presgrave?¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ept the house I gave you yesterday?¡± Elliot narrowed his eyes and stared at her. ¡°Why should I? I already said that I will not ept any repayment from the Presgraves.¡± Anastasia emphasized again. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You should think about your son. The ce I chose has great facilities that can support him. There is a much better kindergarten for the elites in themunity. It is also safer and more suitable for you to live with your child.¡± Elliot left his status as a superior president and turned into a salesperson. What he said was very attractive to Anastasia because, as a mother, it was her biggest wish to provide her son with the best education and environment. ¡°No need. I can give my son the best.¡± Anastasia disagreed. For a businessman like him, he couldn¡¯t realize that the most precious thing was not material wealth but emotionalpanionship. As long as her son was with her, even if she lived in less than ster conditions, she would be happiest. Frowning, Elliot stared at the ruthless woman and felt troubled. ¡°In the future, if it¡¯s not for work purposes, please don¡¯t look for me again.¡± After Anastasia finished speaking, she picked up her documents, then got up and left. In the afternoon, Anastasia received a call from her father, who asked her to go home for dinner tomorrow. He also said he wanted to see her. Thus, she agreed, thinking that she needed to go home for a visit. At the president¡¯s office, Elliot sat gracefully in his seat, listening to the work report of the assistant beside him. ¡°Go check the information regarding the father of Anastasia¡¯s son for me.¡± Since materialpensation did not impress Anastasia, Elliot could only start in other areas. ¡°Very well.¡± Rey immediately went off to investigate. At this moment, Elliot¡¯s phone rang, so he picked it up and saw that it was from Hayley. ¡°Hello,¡± he answered as gently as possible. ¡°Elliot, are you busy with work? Can I have dinner with you tonight?¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll book a restaurant.¡± Elliot agreed. ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait for you to pick me up.¡± Hayley was excited. ¡°Sure.¡± Elliot hung up the phone while Hayley¡¯s face appeared in his mind. For some reason, Hayley didn¡¯t feel anything like the woman from that day to him. He vaguely remembered the woman that night. Her lips were unbelievably soft, and her body had a faint fragrance. Although she cried throughout the whole process, her voice was appealing, while Hayley¡¯s voice was a little too sharp. Since it had been five years, anyone would undergo significant changes. Thus, Elliot just wanted to make up for her. After all, what he did that night caused irreversible damage to her life. At a fine dining restaurant, Hayley came in a new Chanel dress, dressing to the nines. Using expensive cosmetics and the skill of a makeup artist, she enhanced her rather average looks, but she was still not eye-catching enough. She belonged to the category of an average pretty girl. She was not ugly, but not stunning either. However, tonight, she was the most enviable woman in the entire restaurant. Sitting opposite her was a top-level man who was handsome, elegant, charming, and exuded a regal aura. ¡°Elliot, cheers.¡± Hayley took the initiative to raise her ss and looked at the man opposite her eagerly. Although she had known him for almost three weeks, Elliot had always treated her civilly and politely. However, what Hayley wanted was far more than that, for she wanted his heart, body, and eventually, to be his wife. Now, because she had gotten his attention and everything he gave her, she was absolutely terrified of losing it all. She felt delighted to be wealthy. What she wanted could be delivered to her in the next second. Her favorite new Chanel dresses could be delivered directly to her door for her to choose from. If she wanted a specific bag, she could get one in every color avable. If she wanted diamond jewelry, all she needed to do was pick her favorite. This feeling was like floating in the clouds, and Hayley never wanted to fall back to the ground again as long as she lived. Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Taking Her Son Home However, Hayley had a bad feeling that Anastasia would suddenly return home and learn the truth about what happened that night. If that happened, she would lose everything and be forced to live her life like she used to. At the thought of that, she told herself that she would never let something like that happen. Thus, when Elliot took her back to the mansion after dinner, Hayley coyly invited the man into the house. ¡°Elliot, would you like toe inside and have a cup of tea?¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°No thanks. I still have things to attend to.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m scared of being alone. I want you to keep mepany.¡± Hayley immediately tried to y on the man¡¯s sympathy by pretending to be scared. ¡°I¡¯ll get Natasha to apany you.¡± Elliot reached for his cell phone. ¡°No! Please! I only want yourpany.¡± ¡°But I really have something to do at work. Next time, perhaps.¡± Elliot gently looked at her. ¡°Rest well. Good night.¡± Hayley was disappointed upon hearing the man¡¯s reply, but the man¡¯s meek attitude prompted her to stop insisting coyly as she bitterly nodded. ¡°Alright then.¡± Setting her eyes on Elliot¡¯s car, she bit her lip while wishing she could be in the man¡¯s embrace. I swear I will make him my man one day! I¡¯m going to be thedy that every other woman envies. Meanwhile, Anastasia decided to spend her wonderful day inspecting some outlets with Felicia. As time slipped by quickly, she called it a day and left work earlier than usual, around 4.30 PM, thinking she wanted to bring her son back home to see her father. On the other hand, Francis had specially informed the cook in the Tillman Residence to prepare dinner for Anastasia¡¯s arrival, but Naomi made sure the cook only prepared her daughter¡¯s favorite dishes, sparing no thought for Anastasia at all. Soon, the maid came over and asked, ¡°Madam, Old Master Tilman said prawns are Young Mistress Anastasia¡¯s favorite, which is why he told me to buy them. Are you sure you don¡¯t want me to cook them?¡± ¡°Of course not. Go ahead and cook the prawns, but make sure they taste so spicy that the b*tch wishes she didn¡¯t eat them,¡± Naomi replied. As soon as the maid proceeded to do what she was told, Naomi was left angrily dwelling on Anastasia¡¯s intentions of returning home. Deep down, she couldn¡¯t help but think that Anastasia was back for a piece of the big pie now that Francis and hispany were doing so well that they had amassed a fortune over billions. As long as I¡¯m in this family, Anastasia can forget about her share of the inheritance. ¡°Mom, do you know that Anastasia is going to be back for dinner?¡± Erica entered through the door in frustration. Naomi nodded. ¡°Your dad insists she join us for dinner, and I couldn¡¯t say anything about it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been five years. I wonder how she is now.¡± Erica pursed her lips. ¡°How well can her life be? She didn¡¯t even finish her university studies when she left at 19. The way I see it, she must be back for the inheritance because she¡¯s been struggling to make ends meet.¡± Naomi grunted in dissatisfaction. ¡°You mustn¡¯t let her take what¡¯s mine away, Mom. I own everything that belongs to Dad,¡± Erica audaciously said, as if she was the rightful heir of her father¡¯s inheritance. ¡°Of course, she has nothing to do with the inheritance at all,¡± Naomi replied firmly. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to wear some make-up and put on my new dress.¡± Erica headed upstairs as soon as she finished her words, thinking she should show Anastasia that her ce in the Tillman Family was irreceable. On the other hand, Anastasia took a cab and was on her way to the Tillman Residence with her son while teaching thetter what to doter. Thankfully, her son was a smart child who understood what Anastasia told him, melting her heart so much that she immediately hugged and kissed him. ¡°That¡¯s my darling boy!¡± Deep down, she sympathized with her own son, thinking he would perhaps be treated differently if he was born into a different family. At the same time, she found it ironic for his presence to be treated in an unweing manner in her father¡¯s house. In the meantime, Francis happened to be at his doorstep. He had left his office earlier than he usually would because he couldn¡¯t wait to see his daughter, who had been away from him for five years. Soon, he saw a cabing in his direction and walked closer to it just when the car came to a stop. Then, a lady with a slim figure stepped out of the vehicle, and she turned out to be Anastasia. Not long after that, he saw a boy emerging from behind Anastasia and waspletely stunned by what he saw. How come my daughter has a little boy who looks like he is 4 or 5 years old with her? Is she¡­ Francis couldn¡¯t help but feel surprised by what he saw. Meanwhile, Anastasia looked at her father, realizing how much he had aged after five years. Because of that, she began to be understanding about what happened back then while ming herself for not having kept in touch with Francis in the past five years. ¡°I¡¯m back, Dad.¡± Anastasia seized her son¡¯s hand and walked closer to Francis. Then, she looked at her son and said, ¡°Jared, greet your grandfather.¡± ¡°Grandpa.¡± Jared looked up and called out to Francis. Grandpa? Francis was caught by surprise when he heard the child¡¯s voice, looking at Jared in awe. ¡°This is my¡­ grandson? You have a child already?¡± ¡°Yes, Dad. His name is Jared, and he is three and a half years old.¡± Anastasia refused to tell Francis her son¡¯s actual age because she didn¡¯t want her father to deduce when she gave birth to Jared. ¡°Three and a half years old, and he is already this tall.¡± Francis found it unbelievable that he already had a handsome grandson. ¡°Yeah!¡± Anastasia smiled. ¡°What about your son¡¯s father?¡± Francis asked. ¡°I¡¯ve never lived with him ever since I gave birth to Jared,¡± Anastasia replied. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve only been living with Mom all the time, Grandpa,¡± the child added. Francis¡¯ eyes were filled with tears when he realized he did nothing to help his daughter raise his grandson. I¡¯m such a terrible grandfather. Worse, I cast my own daughter away from home five years ago. ¡°This is my fault! All my fault, Anastasia! Please forgive me. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll make it up to you.¡± Francis was overwhelmed by his own guilt. ¡°No need for that. Jared and I have been managing well by ourselves.¡± Anastasia didn¡¯t want her father¡¯s guilt to weigh him down. ¡°Come on in! Let me hug you, my darling Jared!¡± Francis bent over and hugged Jared, thinking the child was fed well due to his firm build. Other than that, he was proud of how good-looking his own grandson was, as he reckoned Jared was the most handsome child he had ever seen. As soon as Anastasia entered the parlor with her father, Naomi saw her husband carrying a child in her arms and asked in surprise, ¡°Who¡¯s that child, hubby?¡± ¡°Naomi, this is Anastasia¡¯s son. She gave birth to a child when she was living abroad.¡± Francis happily made the announcement, showing his exhration at his grandson¡¯s arrival. After all, his biggest regret was not having a son, although he wasn¡¯t particr about having one. Therefore, he treated his daughter¡¯s son like his own because Jared was still the descendant of his bloodline. ¡°What?!¡± Naomi was stunned to learn that the child was Anastasia¡¯s son. ¡°Mom.¡± Anastasia coldly greeted Naomi. ¡°Oh, dear! We didn¡¯t know you were already a mother after five years. Why didn¡¯t you tell us anything?¡± Naomi pretended to show her concern, thinking it was a necessary move to make even in front of her husband. ¡°Who is the father? Why isn¡¯t he here?¡± ¡°Naomi, Anastasia is raising the child by herself.¡± Francis quickly reminded her to stop asking unnecessary questions. At that instant, Naomi immediately thought that Anastasia was going to use her son to im a bigger share of the inheritance, deeming both of them a greater threat, when she noticed how Francis loved the boy. ¡°Oh! A single mother! How touching and noble!¡± Naomi said with a sarcastic tone. Seemingly sensing what Naomi¡¯s tone indicated, the boy looked at thedy and asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± Naomi looked askance at the child and said, ¡°Greet your grandmother.¡± ¡°My mother said my grandmother passed away long ago, so how are you my grandmother?¡± the boy asked, his innocence and purity indirectly telling Naomi¡¯s ill intentions. ¡°Oh gosh, look at this child! How rude he is! Anastasia, if you don¡¯t teach him some manners, how do you expect him to live decently when he grows up?¡± Naomi questioned Anastasia¡¯s upbringing in an annoyed manner. ¡°How my son behaves is none of your concern.¡± Anastasia stood up for her child. Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Inheritance Conflict Knowing the strained history between thedies, Francis red at Naomi and lectured her. ¡°Anastasia and her son just arrived, so there is no need for you to be so sarcastic. Get along well with her, would you?!¡± ¡°Who is the kid, Mom?¡± Erica showed up on the stairs and became curious when she saw her father with a child in his arms. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Watch your mouth! This is your nephew whom your sister gave birth to when she was living abroad,¡± Naomi answered unhappily. Erica¡¯s eyes were instantly left wide open. ¡°What?!¡± She then walked down the stairs and closer to Anastasia. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you let us know about your child? What¡¯s wrong? He can¡¯t be seen?¡± ¡°How could you say something like that, Erica? Jared is part of our family now, so I want you to take back your words.¡± Francis unhappily red at thedy. Naomi noticed her husband¡¯s reaction and immediately harbored a greater grudge toward Anastasia, finding it hard to believe that his attitude toward Erica changed so much just because of Jared. ¡°D-Dad, I¡¯m just showing my¡­ concern for her!¡± Erica bitterly stood up for herself. ¡°Come here. I¡¯ll take you to the garden for a walk.¡± Francis wanted to bond with Jared. As soon as Francis left with Jared, Erica approached Anastasia with a cial smile. ¡°You had an affair with some married man and gave birth to that illegitimate child, didn¡¯t you?!¡± While Anastasia¡¯s eyes were filled with hatred, she could never forget what Erica and Hayley did to her back then. For that, she told herself that she would never forgive both of them because of what they did to her. ¡°My business is none of yours,¡± Anastasia coldly replied. For some reason, Erica started to think that Anastasia had be prettier as thetter gave off a more dominating aura now,pared to who she was five years ago. In that instant, she began to feel even more jealous of Anastasia¡¯s beauty. She thought there would be no one else in her way after the former left the Tillman Family, only to be surprised by her fair skin, curvy figure, and calm demeanor when they met again. Man, she doesn¡¯t even look like she¡¯s given birth before. ¡°Anastasia, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re up toing back here, but I warn you¡ªforget about whatever silly idea you have in your mind. This family has nothing to do with you at all.¡± Naomi threatened her. Anastasia cially chuckled and asked, ¡°Why not? When my father first built hispany, my grandparents invested in it too, but you both had the cheek to take everything without doing anything.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Know your ce, Anastasia. I drove you away from the Tillman Family five years ago, and I can always do the same thing again.¡± Erica tried to intimidate Anastasia. ¡°My father is the only person I ever came back to this family for, which has nothing to do with you both at all. Furthermore, my dad can do whatever he wants with his inheritance, which is, again, none of your concern.¡± Anastasia refuted Erica and Naomi, ridiculing both of them. ¡°Speaking of that, don¡¯t you ever think that you¡¯re going to get a bigger share of the inheritance with your son.¡± Naomi gritted her teeth. ¡°My father is still alive and has a long way to go in his life, but you both won¡¯t stop talking about his inheritance. Do you want him gone so badly? If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m going to make sure he lives a long life so that you both can forget about inheriting his fortune.¡± Anastasia gave a cold reply, knowing that Erica and Naomi only loved her father¡¯s money instead of the man himself. ¡°You¡­¡± Naomi was rendered speechless but immediately talked back to save herself from the embarrassment. ¡°He is my husband, so of course I want him to live long.¡± Erica quickly defended her mother. ¡°What¡¯re you talking about, Anastasia?! My mom loves my father.¡± Nheless, Anastasia reached for her phone and sat on the couch, refusing to entertain the mother and daughter. Soon, the maid proceeded to serve the dishes while Francis told her to prepare two more dishes that were not spicy for his grandson. Seeing that, Naomi and Erica were steaming because they could tell from Francis¡¯ eyes that Anastasia was beginning to regain his favor with her son. ¡°What¡¯s your upation, Anastasia?¡± Francis asked curiously during the meal. ¡°I studied jewelry design when I was living abroad, and I¡¯m now a designer at Bourgeois.¡± ¡°Not bad. Bourgeois is quite a big name.¡± Francisplimented Anastasia. ¡°I¡¯m looking for a job too, Dad! I¡¯m currently interviewing as an auto salon model.¡± Erica desperately introduced her job to her father. ¡°What kind of job is that? You¡¯d better quit before you embarrass me.¡± Francis shot a gaze at Erica, giving her a stern gaze. ¡°Hubby, Erica is just having fun while exploring the opportunities around her. I¡¯m sure she¡¯lle to yourpany in the future.¡± Naomi immediately stood up for her daughter. ¡°Hmph! What can she do in mypany? A receptionist?¡± Francis grunted coldly. On the other hand, Erica harbored a strong grudge toward Anastasia, ming her for indirectly exposing her shorings. ¡°Grandpa, my mom is an impressive designer. She even took part in the International Jewelry Design Competition,¡± Jared happily said. The child¡¯s words put a smile on Francis¡¯ face. ¡°Really? That¡¯s awesome! Jared, I¡¯m going to get you a presentter in the afternoon, so just tell me what you want. Alright?¡± ¡°Sure, thank you, Grandpa!¡± The little boy politely expressed his gratitude. While Anastasia was d that her father was so fond of Jared despite her surprise, Naomi and Erica were growing more and more annoyed with the child¡¯s presence, deeming him a scheming little boy they should be wary about, in spite of his young age. After dinner, Francis took them to the nearest shopping mall, where he bought his grandson some expensive presents, including robot toys and Lego. Although they cost thousands, he didn¡¯t hesitate to pay for them at all. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Dad. Don¡¯t spoil him.¡± Anastasia quickly tried to stop her father. ¡°Alright. Alright, that¡¯s all for today. I¡¯ll buy him something else again in a few more days.¡± Francis still felt an urge to show his good faith. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Grandpa. I don¡¯t need any more toys because I already have plenty of them.¡± The child gave a mature reply, which grew on Francis more as thetter caressed the child¡¯s head. When they were done with their shopping, Francis gave his daughter and grandson a ride back to their apartment. The moment he saw the building, he began to think that it was time for him to make it up to Anastasia since hispany had made him quite a fortune over the past few years. After seeing her father off, Anastasia wrapped her arms around Jared. ¡°Jared, your grandfather seems to like you a lot.¡± ¡°I like him too.¡± Jared happily said while pouting at the same time. ¡°Mommy, can you tell me where Daddy is?¡± Anastasia paused in the face of the inevitable question that she knew Jared would ask. She then gazed at him in a serious manner and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know where he is, Jared. In fact, we may never see him again, but anyway, I promise I¡¯ll be by your side. I love you, Darling!¡± Jared nodded and held his Lego up in the air. ¡°Alright then, I¡¯m going to y now!¡± ¡°Go ahead!¡± Anastasia nodded, watching her son unwrapping his new toys while losing herself in her thoughts. Deep down, she knew it wasn¡¯t hard to find her son¡¯s father at all because she was sure that Erica and Hayley had the answer to that. After all, she believed that they tricked her into sleeping with a gigolo, but because of that, she vowed never to let her son know about his father¡¯s embarrassing profession. It¡¯s alright. I love Jared, and that¡¯s enough for both of us. Now that my dad likes him too, I suppose there is nothing else that can make my life even happier than how things are at this point. Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Hayley¡¯s Probe Angry and annoyed, Erica immediately thought of Hayley, whom she reckoned was the only person who could help her plot against Anastasia. Therefore, she contacted her to meet her at a cafe. When Hayley arrived, she appeared to be in an inconspicuous outfit. Just like what she usually did, she walked toward Erica and sat down opposite her. ¡°You said you went away for a trip. Where did you go?¡± Erica curiously asked. ¡°Erm¡­ It was just a short trip around the city for a few days. After all, I needed a break,¡± Hayley answered in a panicky manner because she didn¡¯t want Erica to know that she had been living like a rich womantely. ¡°What about your shop? Aren¡¯t you going to be back to business?¡± ¡°Nah. The shop isn¡¯t doing welltely anyway, so I¡¯ve decided to take a break.¡± Hayley appeared unconcerned despite the worrying situation in her business. Erica responded in a huff. ¡°Did you know? Anastasia got on my mom¡¯s and my nerves today. She is back, but that¡¯s not all because¡ªshe is now a mother of an illegitimate son.¡± Hayley was stunned when she heard that, holding Erica¡¯s hand while anxiously asking, ¡°What did you say?! She has a child?!¡± Noticing her friend¡¯s dramatic reaction, Erica paused for a few seconds andforted the former. ¡°That child is her illegitimate son. Are you worried that she¡¯ll bring the man whom we put up to a one-night stand with her ande after us? Rx, nothing is going to happen!¡± ¡°What does the kid look like? How old is he?¡± Hayley became especially sensitive, thinking that it was necessary for her to be aware of everything about Anastasia. Deep down, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder whether Anastasia¡¯s child belonged to Elliot. ¡°I heard from my dad that the kid is three and a half years old, and the father is probably someone she gotid with when she was living abroad,¡± Erica replied unhappily. Three and a half years old? Hayley carefully calcted the time and deduced that the child didn¡¯t belong to Elliot, instantly heaving a sigh of relief. She only had a one-night stand with Elliot. Nah, it wasn¡¯t possible for her to be pregnant so easily in just one night. At the thought of that, Hayley gave in to her curiosity and probingly asked Erica more about Anastasia. ¡°How is she now? Where is she working?¡± ¡°She is now a designer at Bourgeois, but what¡¯s the big deal with that? She is just an ordinary designer?¡± Erica was apparently unhappy. At the same time, Hayley shared the contempt and disdain that Erica had for Anastasia, expressing exactly what was on her mind. ¡°Well, I must admit that she was always talented at drawing, but she didn¡¯t even graduate from a university, so how far can she go in her career as a designer?¡± ¡°Exactly! She is just a phony who is trying to act smart, yet she manages to gain my father¡¯s favor. Besides that, even her idiotic son knows how to make my father happy. Bullsh*t!¡± Erica no longer cared about her decency as she acted like her feisty mother. Meanwhile, Hayley, who was more cunning and shrewd, offered her a word of advice. ¡°You know what, Erica? You should drive her away from home and probably even out of this country since you don¡¯t like her so much! You need to get rid of your eyesore, after all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s precisely what¡¯s on my mind as well. When the timees, I¡¯ll make sure she is gone.¡± Erica clenched her fists and swore to herself. Nheless, little did Erica know that Hayley wanted nothing more than Anastasia to be gone forever because that was the only way for her to continue enjoying her wealthy life and Elliot¡¯s favor. Suddenly, Erica was drawn to the ne that Hayley was wearing. ¡°Hayley, what¡¯s the brand of the ne that you¡¯re wearing? It looks so beautiful!¡± Hayley rubbed her ne with a smile. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just a fake that I bought from a second-hand seller.¡± Knowing Hayley¡¯s financial background, Erica didn¡¯t find anything wrong with herck of ability to buy a genuine ne. However, the ne that Hayley was wearing was, in fact, a product worth over two million under QR Jewelry Group. Needless to say, she had no idea who designed the ne. Upon hearing Erica¡¯sints and grumbles, Hayley couldn¡¯t stop looking at the time because of her facial appointment. After all, she was so obsessed with winning Elliot¡¯s heart that she even wanted to undergo stic surgery to make herself look prettier. Tired of being overshadowed by Anastasia since they were kids, Hayley desperately wanted to kiss her ordinary appearance goodbye. Three dayster, around 5 AM, Hayley had a bad dream in which she saw Elliot recognizing Anastasia when she confronted her. Because of that, she was harshly cast away from the mansion and forgotten as she watched Anastasia take everything she had away from her. ¡°No! Please! No!¡± Hayley sat up straight in horror with her face covered in sweat while frantically looking at her surroundings until she realized it was just a dream. Frightened by the surreal nightmare, Hayley came to understand that she could never get her hands on what Elliot gave her again once she lost all of them. As her greed for wealth got the better of her, her obsession with the currentfort of her life unknowingly took over her mind. No, I mustn¡¯t lose what I have now! I mustn¡¯t! Soon, she tossed her pillow onto the ground, as if it was Anastasia. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you dead, Anastasia? Why aren¡¯t you dead?!¡± Anastasia will only prove to be a threat to me as long as she is still breathing. Suddenly, Hayley squinted and realized it was necessary for her to meet up with Anastasia because she wanted to know whether thetter was aware of what was going on back then. More importantly, she wanted to find out whether Anastasia knew she spent the night sleeping with Elliot. If Anastasia knows what is going on, I guess I must do something to prevent the worst from happening. Despite the thought of that, Hayley was sure that Elliot couldn¡¯t remember who he slept with that night because the watch was all the clue he had before he decided Hayley was the one he had been looking for. Nheless, she was quickly worried by another possibility when she wondered what would happen if Anastasia was able to recognize Elliot. She wasn¡¯t aware of what was going on that night, but there was no telling that any word they said during their conversation could just jog their memory and help them recognize each other. Overwhelmed by her fear and anxiety, Hayley decided to creep from her bed and get herself dressed up because she wanted to meet Anastasia at Bourgeois to find out how much she knew. In the meantime, Anastasia was heading toward her office after dropping her son off at school early in the morning. Then, she was upied by a meeting about thepany¡¯s new productunching, in which Felicia wanted everyone to submit more than ten proposals by the end of the month. When everyone left the meeting room, Alice intentionally bumped into Anastasia and provoked her. ¡°I heard that President Presgrave has raised the reward to a million, so you should know that I won¡¯t be defeated by you, Anastasia.¡± In that instant, Anastasia was stunned by Alice¡¯s sudden provocation, which left her wondering what Elliot was up to with the one-million reward. Somehow, she had a feeling that Elliot was trying to interfere with thepetition, considering his power and status. Is this guy trying to give me one million like that? No way! Fairness is the most important thing about thispetition! After all, thest thing I want is to be a champion in a riggedpetition arranged by him. While Anastasia returned to her office withplicated emotions, Grace came over with a cup of coffee and said, ¡°Miss Tillman, you have a guest.¡± ¡°A guest? Who?¡± ¡°She is now in the lounge. Perhaps I should usher her here,¡± Grace replied. ¡°Sure.¡± Anastasia had no idea who the visitor was, so she decided to wait and find out. Not long after that, a knock on the door was heard shortly before Grace opened the door with a silhouette that emerged from behind her. Although it had been five years since that upsetting incident, Anastasia was instantly filled with hatred and grudge. As soon as Grace closed the door behind her and left, Anastasia cially asked, ¡°That¡¯s audacious of you to swing by.¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Hayley curled her lips upward. ¡°I heard you¡¯re working in this area, and since I happened to be somewhere nearby, I figured I should drop by to pay a visit.¡± ¡°You disgust me.¡± Anastasia clenched her jaw, suppressing her angry urge to give thedy a p in the face. ¡°I disgust you? What¡¯s wrong? Weren¡¯t you satisfied with the gigolo whom you slept with that night? I picked the most handsome one for you.¡± Hayley smiled sinisterly. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you still remember the man¡¯s face.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Anastasia shivered from head to toe in anger. ¡°Would you be able to recognize the man if he was standing in front of you?¡± Hayley continued to ask probingly. Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Anastasia¡¯s Rage ¡°Get out of my face! I¡¯m tired of looking at your face!¡± Anastasia pointed at the door and yelled at Hayley. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? The man didn¡¯t please you well because he wasn¡¯t strong and fit enough? You¡¯d better treat me with some manners before everyone in thepany knows about your dark secret. If word about it gets out, I wonder how you¡¯re going to move on in your career.¡± Soon, Anastasia dialed the inte and spoke to Grace. ¡°Pleasee here.¡± As soon as her assistant arrived, Anastasia pointed at Hayley, who was sitting on the couch, and coldly said, ¡°She is not my guest. Please see her out of this building.¡± ¡°Who says I¡¯m not? I came here because I wanted to engage your service in jewelry designing.¡± Hayley folded her arms, acting haughtily. However, little did she know that the ne she was wearing was beginning to catch Anastasia¡¯s attention as thetter squinted and looked closer. Howe Hayley is wearing my masterpiece? Is the ne really custom-made, or is it just a counterfeit that looks like a real one? ¡°You¡¯d better get out of my face before you piss me off.¡± Anastasia stood up, speaking impolitely to Hayley. However, Hayley reacted with a darkened look on her face and gritted her teeth while opening the door. ¡°I¡¯m going to speak to your manager about your attitude and make sure you¡¯re fired from the office.¡± Meanwhile, Grace was stunned when she saw that, initially thinking Hayley was indeed a guest, only to realize she was here to mess with Anastasia. As soon as Grace stepped out of the office, Grace anxiously urged her superior to do something. ¡°She mustn¡¯tin about you, Miss Tillman. Please stop her!¡± On the verge of losing her temper, Anastasia opened her office door just before she was greeted by the sight of Hayley growling in the open workspace. ¡°Tell your boss to see me. I want toin about your designer, Anastasia! I engage her as a client, but she rudely turns me down and tells me to get out of her face.¡± At that moment, everyone else in the office only watched thedy¡¯s madness in silence, as if they were enjoying a show. Soon, Anastasia took a deep breath and walked closer to Hayley. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°What do I want? I want you out of thispany!¡± Hayley clenched her jaw and revealed her sinister nature. Already consumed by her anger about the incident that happened five years ago, Anastasia eventually sumbed to her emotions. Her impulse prompted her to teach Hayley a lesson, even though that might cost her job. Before Hayley could react, Anastasia raised her hand up high in the air and swung it across the former¡¯s face, giving her a big p on the cheek. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Hayley shouted in pain, copsing onto the ground. ¡°I¡¯m your client, Anastasia.¡± At that instant, every bystander in the office took a deep breath in a worrying manner when they saw how Anastasia pped her client. Has she lost her mind or something? Where did she get the guts to p her client like that? Does her family own thispany or something? On the other hand, Anastasia fixed her gaze on the ne around Hayley¡¯s neck, finding it somewhat an eyesore. Therefore, she spared no thought about the ne¡¯s genuineness and went on to ruin Hayley¡¯s fake acting by forcefully tearing it off her neck as soon as she crouched down. ¡°Ah!¡± Hayley screamed in fear. When Anastasia tried to pull the ne away from her, Hayley, who was piqued by her outburst, quickly got a hold of her hand and refused to let her destroy it. This is my favorite ne! It¡¯s worth a few million, so no one can destroy it! While the twodies were fighting each other over the ne, a man¡¯s deep voice was heard in the elevator. ¡°Stop, Anastasia!¡± Anastasia looked up just when Hayley also heard the familiar voice. With her hand on her cheek, Hayley looked up in disbelief before she was stunned by who she saw. Howe Elliot is here? Seeing Anastasia¡¯s firm grip on Hayley¡¯s ne, Elliot immediately grasped her wrist and pulled her up with a frown on his face that clearly suggested he was angry. ¡°Are you done messing around here?¡± As soon as Elliot finished his sentence, he walked closer to Hayley, who froze in fear because she didn¡¯t expect him to show up there and had no idea that he knew Anastasia. Oh dear, I¡¯m so screwed! Just when she thought her secret was going to be exposed, the man suddenly crouched down and asked with a tender voice, ¡°Are you alright, Hayley?¡± ¡°Elliot, it hurts¡­¡± Hayley immediately put on a show, tears gushing out of her eyes like a waterfall in that instant. Then, she weakly leaned into Elliot¡¯s arms and pretended to cough, covering her neck with her palm like she had just been suffocated painfully. In that instant, Anastasia was left with her eyes wide open, unable to believe that Hayley and Elliot knew each other. Why is Elliot treating her so gently? Who are they to each other? Unknown to Anastasia, every other bystander couldn¡¯t help but feel scared for her, thinking it would be the end of her career for pping the boss¡¯ lover. On the other hand, Hayley was observing Anastasia and Elliot¡¯s interaction under the guise of her tearful face, but as she continued to watch closely, she began to feel happier because she was sure that Anastasia had no idea she had spent the night with Elliot. Therefore, she came to the conclusion that neither of them was aware that they had slept with each other that night, feeling grateful that luck was on her side. ¡°Carry me, Elliot¡­¡± Hayley ced her arm around Elliot¡¯s shoulders, pitifully begging him. When the man noticed Hayley¡¯s sorry state and her swollen cheek, he carried her in his arms and walked toward the elevator. As soon as the elevator door closed, Anastasia was still caught in a trance. So, I can¡¯t believe Hayley is able to be Elliot¡¯s girlfriend after just five years. ¡°What are you waiting for, Anastasia? Pack your stuff and get out of here! I can¡¯t believe you just got on the wrong side of President Presgrave¡¯s lover, as if offending a client wasn¡¯t bad enough. That¡¯s pretty gusty of you!¡± Alice came closer and mocked Anastasia, thinking the reward was hers to im. Meanwhile, Anastasia took a deep breath and decided to take some time to process the news, finding it too strange to believe that Hayley had be Elliot¡¯s lover. I don¡¯t see how Hayley is attractive to an outstanding man like Elliot. The only exnation is that this man has gone blind. That must be the only answer to it. After all, he deserves someone else better than a wickeddy like Hayley. Anastasia returned to her office with puzzlement as she closed the door and disconnected herself from the rumors outside her office. In the meantime, Elliot was sitting on the couch in his office while Hayley was wiping her tears with tissue paper and whining about what happened earlier that day. ¡°Anastasia was my¡­. ssmate. She and I have a bitter history, but I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d turn me down when I engaged her, let alone humiliate me. When I threatened toin, she came at me and went physical, even strangling me with my ne. Look at my neck. It¡¯s all red now.¡± Noticing the red mark around Hayley¡¯s neck, Elliot could tell how hard Anastasia went physical with her and began to reframe the way he perceived Anastasia¡¯s character. ¡°I sympathized with the loss of her mother at a young age and also understood that her father neglected her for most of the time during her childhood, but I didn¡¯t know she would go so far as to hit me.¡± Hayley covered her face, shedding tears in silence. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this matter.¡± Elliotforted thedy. ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to take you home.¡± ¡°How are you going to take care of this matter, Elliot? Are you going toy her off?¡± Hayley looked at Elliot with her tearful face, trying to y on the man¡¯s sympathy by showing her vulnerable side. Soon, Elliot dialed the inte and told his assistant to take Hayley back home. When she stood up from her seat, she seized Elliot¡¯s sleeve and urged him to take action against Anastasia. ¡°Elliot, you mustn¡¯t go easy on thatdy. Someone with no manners like her is unfit to be your employee.¡± Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Anastasia¡¯s Way Out¡ªResignation ¡°Be a good girl, okay?¡± Elliot gently caressed Hayley¡¯s head. In that instant, Hayley was over the moon, feeling satisfied that she had gained Elliot¡¯s favor. Unlike Anastasia, Hayley was ttered by the sudden entitlement that came to her life. However, she quickly decided to stop pressing on due to her fear of the repercussions that might follow her greed. Furthermore, she was hoping to win Elliot¡¯s heart with her meek character. She tried to be as gentle as possible since she didn¡¯t have good looks that could make an impression on any man. Thinking she had won the battle, she believed Anastasia was going to beid off soon and put her mind to ease. As soon as Hayley got out of sight, Elliot reached for the phone and dialed the inte. ¡°Hello.¡± Anastasia¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°Come to my office at once,¡± the man responded with a voice that sounded angry. At the same time, Anastasia took a deep breath in her office, thinking her fate was sealed while preparing for the worst. Well, I¡¯ll just quit and leave Bourgeois if worsees to worst. Then, she took the elevator to the 8th floor and made her way to the president¡¯s office, whereupon she knocked on the door and entered the room. In the meantime, Elliot was sitting in his chair, giving off an intimidating aura that filled the atmosphere around his room. ¡°Exin yourself.¡± The man questioned Anastasia about her violent outburst earlier as a boss. Anastasia squinted, thinking there was no point for her to exin anyway since she reckoned Elliot would believe everything his girlfriend, Hayley, said without question. ¡°Who is Hayley to you?¡± Anastasia knitted her eyebrows and asked. ¡°Have you forgotten your ce, Anastasia? You¡¯re my employee, and since you¡¯re in the wrong now, you should be the one answering my questions,¡± Elliot replied. Knowing what the man was trying to say, Anastasia curled her lips upward. ¡°You saw what happened. I gave her a p in the face, so what kind of exnation do you want to hear from me?¡± ¡°Why did you want to hit her? Was it because she wanted toin about you?¡± ¡°It was personal, which was the same reason she came to see me today. I know it was my fault to get physical with her, but she deserved it.¡± Anastasia stood her ground firmly, refusing to back down. Elliot stared at Anastasia with aplicated look, wondering whether the reason behind her unreasonable nature was really because of her mother¡¯s death and her father¡¯s questionable parenting method. ¡°If you¡¯re willing to admit your mistake, I promise I¡¯ll let you off this time, Anastasia.¡± ¡°Admit my mistake? You mean apologize to Hayley?¡± Anastasia sniggered sarcastically and clenched her jaw. ¡°There is no way I will ever do that.¡± ¡°Anastasia, this is an office, not somece for you to settle your personal scores.¡± Elliot angrily lectured Anastasia, finding himself at the end of the rope while trying to reason with his life saver¡¯s daughter. Moreover, Hayley was thedy he thought he had been missing and searching for thest five years. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll resign.¡± Anastasia hardened her heart and made up her mind, thinking she should just walk away and leave all the problems behind her. Fine, I¡¯ll quit. ¡°Stay right there, Anastasia,¡± the man shouted out to her. Anastasia stopped in her tracks without looking back because she didn¡¯t want to look at Elliot¡¯s face anymore. Now that she realized he was Hayley¡¯s boyfriend, she couldn¡¯t help but feel annoyed to even look at Elliot. What a waste, Elliot! You¡¯re such a handsome man, but sadly, you¡¯re blind. ¡°I¡¯m not going to terminate you. You can stay, but I want you to promise me that there is no next time. Do you hear me?¡± Elliot tried his best to keep Anastasia in hispany, as he was bound by his grandmother¡¯s wish to look after him. Needless to say, Anastasia couldn¡¯t bear to leave her current position either because of her keen passion for designing. Moreover, she also loved her job at Bourgeois after having worked there for three years. Soon, she looked back and fixed her eyes on the man who propped himself with his arms on the table, warning him to be careful about Hayley. ¡°Hayley is not as kind-hearted as you think she is. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want to fall for one of her tricks one day, so keep your eyes open when you¡¯re around her.¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Well, you were the one who resorted to violence today,¡± Elliot squinted and replied. Unknown to Elliot, Anastasia wanted to do more than just beat Hayley up. Deep down, she wished she could just kill Hayley but decided to keep the thought to herself, considering how much Elliot was concerned about Hayley. Soon, she returned to the office, while Felicia didn¡¯t receive any notice about terminating her, which surprised everyone else in thepany. After all, they were all wondering how Anastasia got away with it upon hitting their president¡¯s girlfriend. Grace came over with a cup of coffee,forting her superior. ¡°Miss Tillman, are you sure you¡¯re alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Anastasia was so mad that she almost lost all of her inspiration. Thus, she put down the pencil and rubbed her forehead. ¡°What are the people gossiping about out there?¡± ¡°Miss Tillman, you should just ignore their gossip,¡± Grace said. ¡°Tell me what they¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°They¡¯re saying that you¡¯re backed by someone so powerful that even President Presgrave can¡¯t terminate you. Some of them even say you¡¯re his mistress, which is why thatdy confronted you after finding out about your rtionship with him,¡± Grace answered while observing Anastasia¡¯s facial expression. Upon hearing that, Anastasia felt amused as she nearly burst intoughter, disgusted with the idea of being with Hayley¡¯s boyfriend, no matter how dumb she was. Not long after that, Felicia summoned her to her office and lectured her about the proper manners of handling clients. Otherwise, she would be sure to kick Anastasia out of thepany, regardless of Elliot¡¯s decision. As speechless as Anastasia felt, she didn¡¯t feel like exining the whole story because there was simply too much to talk about between her and Hayley. Furthermore, she was too ashamed to mention what happened five years ago to anyone. In spite of all the upsetting events, her mood took a turn for the better when her phone rang the moment she returned to her office. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Why do you sound so tired?¡± A man¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°Well, I¡¯m tired indeed. When are youing back?¡± ¡°A few more days, I guess. Anyway, I have some good news for you. There is a high-end jewelry fair coming up soon, and I¡¯m going to add your name to my invitation list. By then, you¡¯ll have a good chance to explore the fair all you want because I bet your favorite jewelry will probably be there.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s awesome! When is it?¡± Anastasia felt a rush of excitement all over her body. ¡°It¡¯ll be held this Saturday at 7 PM. It¡¯ll probably take two hours and end around nine. Is there anyone else who can look after Jared for you?¡± the man asked in concern. ¡°Yes, there is. I could tell my assistant or my dad to look after him.¡± Anastasia didn¡¯t want to miss the golden opportunity to explore the jewelry fair, where she could witness some quality masterpieces from some of the top-notch designers. ¡°Sure. Have fun. When I get back, I¡¯ll treat you to a nice meal.¡± ¡°No problem. I¡¯ll be waiting!¡± Anastasia hung up the call just when an attractive figure shed across her mind. It turned out that the caller was her good friend, Nigel Manson. While the man was raised in a wealthy family, both of them came to know each other before Anastasia returned to the country. Thinking everyone would encounter someone who would help them at some point in their life, she believed hers was Nigel. Saturday night? That¡¯s two nights from now, isn¡¯t it? Anastasia began to look forward to the asion. On the other hand, Hayley was rubbing her swollen cheek with some ice in the luxurious mansion. Deep down, she couldn¡¯t suppress her grudge against Anastasia, whom she med for causing her a swollen cheek. My face is what matters the most to me, yet Anastasia went for it straight. Damn her! ¡°I¡¯ll never let this slide so easily, Anastasia!¡± Hayley then reached for her iPad and started browsing through the news just when she saw a female celebrity shing her invitation card at a high-ss jewelry fair. At that instant, Hayley became tempted to attend the function, believing it could help heighten her status since she had been trying hard to fit in amidst the upper ss of the society. Although she knew an event like that was no ce for someone like her, she wondered whether she could use the Presgrave Family as her ticket to attend the function. Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Chapter 13 An Invitation to the Jewelry Fair At the thought of that, Hayley reached for her phone and dialed Elliot¡¯s number. ¡°Hello, does it still hurt?¡± ¡°Elliot, I want to attend a jewelry fair. Can you take me there?¡± Hayley implored. ¡°What jewelry fair?¡± ¡°Let me show you a video.¡± Hayley hung up the call and forwarded the video to Elliot shortly before she received a text message that briefly read, ¡®Alright, I¡¯ll take you there.¡¯ Hayley eximed in excitement but identally hurt her swollen cheek in the process. As she hissed in pain, she began to curse Anastasia once again. ¡°You¡¯re a b*tch, Anastasia! You¡¯re a jewelry designer, yet you can¡¯t even attend a high-ss jewelry fair like this one.¡± On the other hand, Anastasia stumbled across the same video about the jewelry fair in her office and learned from the others who were invited that there were formal dress codes required for the asion; otherwise, ess would be denied. Due to that, she became worried, not knowing what she should do because she couldn¡¯t afford to rent a decent-looking banquet dress. Just when Anastasia was worrying about her dress code for the jewelry fair, her train of thought was suddenly interrupted by a phone call, which turned out to be an unidentified number. Nheless, she answered the phone and asked, ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Hello, may I speak to Miss Tillman? I¡¯m calling from FH Clothing Store to inform you that our customer has just reserved a banquet dress for you. Would you be free to drop by and try itter in the afternoon?¡± ¡°A banquet dress for me?¡± Anastasia was stunned but quickly knew that it was Nigel who did it for her. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll drop byter.¡± How thoughtful of that guy! Anastasia reached for her phone and sent the man a text message with a grateful emoji. ¡®Thank you so much, Nigel.¡± ¡®Don¡¯t mention it. I hope you love it!¡¯ Nigel replied with a big smiley emoji. Soon, Anastasia applied for a one-hour leaveter that afternoon because she realized the clothing store was just a stone¡¯s throw away from her office. Since FH Clothing Store was an international brand, its outlet often became the ce where many socialites visited and shopped. As soon as Anastasia entered the shop, she was greeted by the shop owner herself. ¡°Pleasee with me, Miss Tillman.¡± After that, Anastasia was taken to the VIP room on the second floor, where she came face to face with the dress on the mannequin, as if it was silently waiting for her arrival. Oh my gosh! This is gorgeous! Anastasiaplimented the dress just when the shop owner pointed at the dress on the mannequin. ¡°This is the gown that Mr. Manson prepared for you, Miss Tillman. Do you like it?¡± Anastasia widened her eyes a little, wondering how rich Nigel actually was. Is he a billionaire or something? I can¡¯t believe he prepared such an expensive banquet dress for me. Soon, she heard the shop owner exining more about the dress with a smile. ¡°This banquet dress is a masterpiece from our top designers. The fabric was sewn with approximately eight thousand diamond beads, and the dress is sold for eight million in our store.¡± Anastasia¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she heard what the shop owner said. Is Nigel trying to give me a heart attack or something? This dress is certainly not cheap at all! A few diamond beads are more than enough to make me go bankrupt, so just imagine if I lose them by ident. ¡°Is there any other dress that you could rmend, perhaps?¡± Anastasia reckoned the dress was too expensive for her. ¡°But Mr. Manson has already paid for the dress on your behalf, Miss Tillman. Furthermore, I think it suits you pretty well.¡± The shop owner showed her approval by praising Anastasia¡¯s beauty despite her current ordinary outfit. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Meanwhile, Anastasia was deeply in love with the dress as she loved everything about it besides the price. ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll try it on.¡± She decided to stop being coy, thinking she could repay Nigel by treating him to some fancy meals throughout the year. After all, she didn¡¯t want to miss the opportunity to attend the uing jewelry fair. Thus, Anastasia went ahead and tried on the banquet dress, realizing how fitting it was for her. Soon, she was told toe to the clothing store again the next day around 4 PM as the make-up artists and hairdressers would be there to help her dress up with the jewelry. Later that night, she told Jared that she would be attending a jewelry fair and asked him whether he preferred Francis or Grace to look after him. While the boy wanted his grandfather toe over, she called Francis and arranged the n with him. Needless to say, Francis agreed to take care of Jared while Anastasia was away, telling her that he would take the child with him for some fancy meal and spend the night together with him. It was only after the arrangement was made that Anastasia could finally put her mind to ease about her son. When Saturday rolled around, Anastasia took her son to the shopping mall early in the morning to buy some vegetables and snacks for him. Then, she went back home to continue her design work while Jared yed with his Lego. At the same time, they were apanied by the windy breeze that wafted through the window as the white curtains billowed with it. The peaceful and tranquil vibested until it was 3.30 PM when Francis swung by with some fruits and milk. Then, Anastasia left her son with her father and went out right away while Francis sat on the couch and looked at Jared lovingly. Oh gosh! I¡¯m going to love this cute little boy so much! Not long after that, Anastasia hurriedly arrived at the clothing store where the shop owner had prepared everything for her. Then, one of the make-up artists sized her up andmented on her appearance in a surprised manner. ¡°Miss Tillman, you have perfect skin, like there are no pores on it at all. How do you maintain such good health for your skin? What kind of premium skincare products do you use?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just the moisturizer that I usually apply on my son¡¯s skin.¡± Anastasia pursed her lips and smiled while the two make-up artists instantly understood that she was born with such a perfect skin tone. Oh dear, how I wish I could have her skin. Soon, Anastasia closed her eyes just as the make-up artists started to apply some foundation to her face. After that, they kept her naturally thick eyebrows and proceeded to draw her eyeliner. Then, they went on to put the lipstick on her lips just as her beauty instantly stunned them like a ring diamond. Upon lifting Anastasia¡¯s hair, the artists permed the hair that hung around her ears and helped her put on a pair of diamond earrings to match the ne she was wearing. ¡°Let us help you change your banquet dress, Miss Tillman.¡± Anastasia nodded in response, changing into the white luna dress as she saw how gorgeous the dress made her look in the mirror. ¡°Miss Tillman, we have also arranged a driver to take you to where you need to be. Your ride awaits at the exit.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Anastasia smiled gratefully. ¡°Enjoy your evening.¡± The shop owner saw Anastasia out of the clothing store while thetter looked at the Benz in front of her in a ponderous manner. I guess I didn¡¯t really know Nigel as well as I thought I did. He told me his family was running a hotel business when we met each other abroad. On the other hand, Hayley was also working hard on making herself look as pretty as possible. For that, she hired a crew of professional make-up artists who had served some celebrities before, determined to cover her ordinary looks with the make-up so that she would look like a socialite. At that moment, a mysterious ck Rolls-Royce pulled up outside the mansion, whereupon Elliot opened the car door and stepped out of the vehicle. As the setting sun shone on him, his manly aura made him seem especially charming and attractive. In the meantime, Hayley stood in the parlor while fixing her eyes on the man who was walking closer to her, her heart pounding rapidly like a jackhammer. Oh my gosh! He is so handsome. ¡°How do I look, Elliot?¡± Hayley bashfully blinked, wanting to hear hispliment. ¡°You look great!¡± Elliot nodded, although he reckoned his feelings for Hayley were more than just about her good looks. After all, he was under the impression that she sacrificed her own virginity for him five years ago and suffered from a trauma that would follow her forever. Therefore, he told himself that he would do his best to make it up to Hayley. ¡°Let¡¯s go then!¡± Hayley seized Elliot¡¯s arm, looking forward to the jewelry fairter that night. At the same time, she was d to have Elliot by her side, thinking she would be thedy whom every other woman envied wherever they went. Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Hayley¡¯s Fear While the jewelry fair was held in a private exhibition hall with tight security, the alleys and streets around the ce were sealed with security guards carefully verifying every guest who was invited to the event. Meanwhile, Anastasia heaved a sigh of relief as soon as she went through the security check with her pearl-beaded purse. After that, she was ready to enjoy the privilege a VIP guest should have in the event, as she was ushered by a female concierge to the banquet hall. Soon, Anastasia found herself in a grand-looking hall where she could see rows of ss cabs, but since the event hadn¡¯t begun, the guests were invited to enjoy a buffet before they went on to take their seats. It turned out that Anastasia¡¯s seat was in the sixth row, which was a ce that everyone wished they had. However, little did they know Anastasia considered herself lucky because her seat was initially meant for Nigel. While the other guests slowly filled the empty seats, Anastasia found herself seated next to a man who seemed to be in his thirties. With his shiny hair and branded outfit, it would suggest that he was no ordinary man. At that moment, he fixed his eyes on Anastasia, finding her different from the others, even though there were many other prettydies around. ¡°Nice to meet you,dy. My name is John Curtis. Here is my name card.¡± John gave Anastasia his name card that read, ¡®president from Deluxe Incorporated¡¯. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Anastasia Tillman.¡± Anastasia introduced herself with a polite smile. Meanwhile, there were two guests who arrivedte at the exhibition hall. Noticing two silhouettes of a man and ady entering the ce with their hands held together, Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but wonder who camete, but when she looked up, she was instantly stunned to find out that they were Elliot and Hayley. Oh, boy! We¡¯re living in such a small world. Anastasia stared at Hayley, who was dressed like an angel, tightening her grip around her waist as she could barely hide her hatred for thetter. On the other hand, Elliot was wearing an expensive ck suit and a pair of delicate cks, which entuated his strong and intimidating aura. At the same time, every otherdy, who had their eyes on the man, was all stunned to see the president from Presgrave Corporation, but when they noticed the lady who was apanying him, they began to frown at her ordinary appearance and wondered whether she was his girlfriend. Nheless, they couldn¡¯t help but feel jealous of Hayley, wishing they could be in her ce instead. Anastasia pretended as if she wasn¡¯t aware of their presence and raised her ss, sipping the red wine in it. Nheless, Hayley observantly noticed Anastasia¡¯s presence, instantly feeling stunned because she didn¡¯t expect that she would show up at such a high-ss event. Who is she to attend this jewelry fair? Is she even qualified enough to be here? Not long after that, Elliot also noticed Anastasia¡¯s presence and was coincidentally arranged to be seated opposite her. Thus, Anastasia had no choice but to reluctantly face him, no matter how much she didn¡¯t want to. The moment she looked up, she met a pair of charming eyes in the illuminating candlelight just when the man¡¯s chiseled face and good looks came into view. With his thick and natural eyebrows, his attractive gaze and high nose bridge became even more noticeable, making him look even hotter. Oh god! How can someone ever be so handsome like him? Anastasia blinked and stared at the man who was also looking back at her at the same time while they locked eyes with each other for a few seconds. Soon, she sensed a pair of hateful eyes looking at her shortly before she realized Hayley was ring at her. ¡°Let¡¯s have a toast, Miss Tillman.¡± John tried to strike up a conversation with Anastasia. Anastasia raised her ss and toasted John, smiling at him as she would rather look at John than Elliot. Hmph! Since Hayley is my enemy, that makes her boyfriend my enemy as well. ¡°Miss Tillman, you have to try this. Trust me. You¡¯re going to love the taste.¡± John was able to sense Anastasia¡¯s enthusiasm, having a good feeling that he could win thedy¡¯s heart over. ¡°Thank you.¡± Anastasia picked up the pastry the man gave her and took a bite of it while revealing a sweet smile. In the meantime, Hayley seized Elliot¡¯s arm and coyly pointed at the desserts far away from her. ¡°Elliot, I want that one.¡± The man then stretched out his long arm and brought the pastry to her, whereupon she proceeded to enjoy it. At the same time, she asionally gawked at Anastasia with glee to gloat at thetter. Meanwhile, Anastasia rolled her eyes upward at Hayley, wondering how she managed to win Elliot¡¯s heart while making sure he obeyed her every wish. What¡¯s wrong with Elliot? I can¡¯t believe he is treating thatdy like the apple of his eye. ¡°Excuse me. I¡¯d like to use the washroom.¡± Anastasia felt an urge to answer nature¡¯s call as she stood up and revealed her glimmering dress that entuated her slim waist, which would take any man¡¯s breath away. On the other hand, John had his eyes glued to Anastasia, who was walking away, just when Elliot raised his ss and happened to notice thedy¡¯s presence. Oh my, it is indeed a surprise to see her here. ¡°Elliot, I¡¯ll be right back. I need to use the washroom.¡± Hayley rose from her seat as well and followed right behind Anastasia. While Anastasia was washing her hands alone in the magnificent-looking restroom, Hayley soon walked in and approached her. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you got in here with the help of some man you¡¯re dating.¡± Hayley looked at Anastasia in the mirror and taunted her. ¡°That¡¯s none of your concern!¡± Anastasia shot a cold gaze back at the hostiledy¡¯s reflection in the mirror. ¡°I heard they were strict with the selection of their guests tonight. After all, no ordinary person stood a chance to be here, and you¡¯re one of them, so howe you¡¯re here?¡± ¡°What about you? You¡¯re not much better than I am, after all.¡± Anastasia mocked Hayley. ¡°I¡¯m Elliot¡¯s girlfriend, and that puts me ahead of you,¡± Hayley repliedcently. Anastasia grunted and said, ¡°Would you believe if I said I could make myself his wife with just a word? What would that make you?¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Hayley¡¯s face changed. Does she remember what happened that night? Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Hayley¡¯s Jealousy Anastasia smiled cially. ¡°Do you really want to know? I¡¯ll tell you then. The person that my mom saved back then was actually Elliot.¡± Hayley was stunned and overwhelmed by horror, wondering whether it was truly Anastasia¡¯s mother who saved Elliot. No way! That was too much of a coincidence! If it was true, Anastasia could probably make the Presgrave Family repay her even though she wasn¡¯t aware of what happened that night. ¡°Therefore, I¡¯m warning you not to piss me off; otherwise, I¡¯m going to be the one who¡¯ll end up as the young mistress of the Presgrave Family,¡± Anastasia warned Hayley. Hayley shivered in horror at that moment, clenching her fists as her fear took over her rational mind. ¡°Anastasia, I¡¯m sorry for what happened back then. Would you please forgive me?¡± Hayley guiltily begged for forgiveness. ¡°You want my forgiveness?¡± Anastasia sprinkled the water droplets at Hayley on her hands by flickering with her fingers. ¡°You wish!¡± Although Hayley blocked the sprinkle with her hand, her face still ended up getting inevitably wet. Having her eyes glued to Anastasia as she walked away, she was taken over by the rage and grudge. While Anastasia¡¯s appearance was especially eye-catching to many men in the fair, Hayley was reminded of her popr good looks during their childhood. Anastasia, I will never let you marry Elliot! He is mine and only mine! Hayley clenched her fists at the thought of that. When Anastasia returned to the table, she sexily flickered her hair around her ear. Then, she looked up once again, only to meet the man¡¯s eyes once more when the illuminating candlelight shone on them and made them look like ck obsidians. On the other hand, it seemed to Elliot that thedy was like a shining pearl that glowed in the dark as her beauty and elegance drew the attention of every other man whoid eyes on her. However, little did Anastasia know that she was one of the most beautiful socialites attending the jewelry fair. Not long after that, Hayley returned from the washroom as well, pretending to look sympathetic as she made her way to her seat next to Elliot. Unlike her insolent and haughty attitude in the washroom earlier, she now appeared to be an innocentdy who needed a man to protect her, which disgusted Anastasia and killed her appetite. Thus, she quickly grabbed herself a ss of water to keep herself together. ¡°Miss Tillman, this is the beef steak with truffle that has just been served. Would you like to taste one?¡± John got her a ss of water. ¡°Thanks.¡± Anastasia smiled gratefully in response. When they were done with dinner, the ensuing session was used to introduce the banquet¡¯s theme. However, Anastasia made her way to the balcony alone with her ss of red wine, probably because she was the only person withoutpany that night. ncing at the city view that looked like a golden paddy field that shone in the night, she couldn¡¯t help but feel sad about the fact that people tended to lose themselves in the process of pursuing wealth in modern society. ¡°Why are you here?¡± A deep voice from a man was heard. Without even looking back, Anastasia knew who was talking and sluggishly sniggered. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I had to report to you before I attended this jewelry fair?¡± ¡°Who is Nigel Manson to you?¡± Anastasia turned around in surprise, gazing at the attractive man who was holding a ss of red wine in his hand with a frown. ¡°You know Nigel?¡± ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Elliot calmly answered, to which Anastasia wasn¡¯t surprised at all. After all, she believed the reason Nigel was invited to a jewelry fair like this one was probably because of his wealthy and influential family. For that, she didn¡¯t think it was surprising for both men, who were a part of the upper- ss society, to know each other. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°You haven¡¯t answered my question. Who is Nigel to you?¡± The man behind Anastasia refused to give up asking his question. Anastasia sipped her red wine. ¡°Why should I tell you?¡± She then walked away without bothering to wait for a response from him, feeling disgusted about his position as Hayley¡¯s boyfriend. While thedy was walking away, Elliot was left behind, squinting with a darkened expression on his face. Meanwhile, Hayley was chatting with a socialite among the crowd when she noticed Anastasia leaving the balcony. Knowing that Elliot was also there, she couldn¡¯t help but feel jealous of thedy. Was Anastasia trying to seduce Elliot? Then, she caught a glimpse of Elliot leaving the balcony as well, just when an idea sprang to her mind and prompted her to approach Anastasia with her ss of wine in her hand. Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Why Should I Apologize? At that moment, Anastasia was busy toasting with the other men who were approaching shortly before she bumped into Hayley the moment she turned around. ¡°Let¡¯s have a toast, Anastasia. I¡¯d like to apologize for what I did to you in the office back then.¡± Hayley apologized, but in response, Anastasia chuckled coldly, knowing clearly that Hayley was putting on a show under the guise of her hypocrisy. Therefore, she decided to ignore her and walk away, but Hayley suddenly seized her hand, which was holding the ss of red wine, and poured it all over her own dress before Anastasia could react. ¡°Ah!¡± Hayley screamed in horror. As Elliot quickly came closer to investigate themotion, Hayley took two steps back and fell into his embrace. ¡°How could you do this to me, Anastasia?¡± she questioned Anastasia and med her for ruining her banquet dress with the red wine. On the other hand, Anastasia was left standing in a trance while watching Hayley feign innocence. This b*tch really deserves an Oscar award for her acting. ¡°Anastasia, I know it¡¯s my fault that I wanted toin about you, but you can¡¯t do this to me either¡­¡± Hayley tearfully and bitterly said, trying to make herself look as pitiful as possible. At the same time, every other socialite from the upper-ss society in the banquet instantly looked at Hayley with sympathy before they gave Anastasia a contemptuous look for her despicable actions. ¡°Apologize, Miss Tillman.¡± Elliot¡¯s voice was cold, and his cial look suggested that he was exasperated. Anastasia gawked at Elliot unhappily, thinking he was jumping to conclusions without understanding what the situation was. After all, it was Hayley who caught her hand and made her pour the red wine on her dress. Therefore, Anastasia found it uneptable for her to apologize when she didn¡¯t do anything wrong. ¡°Why should I apologize?¡± She jutted her chin stubbornly, looking at the man with her firm gaze. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Elliot. I¡¯m fine. I can just get changed.¡± Hayley shook her head, seemingly trying to endure her bitterness while pretending to take the moral high ground. ¡°I¡¯ll forgive her.¡± Anastasia clenched her fists. ¡°I don¡¯t need your forgiveness.¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°Anastasia, apologize to her at once!¡± Elliot spoke angrily, his eyes filled with coldness as his forehead was covered in veins. Anastasia gazed at Elliot with her beautiful eyes and chuckled coldly. ¡°I could apologize, but only if she is willing to hear it on her knees.¡± On the other hand, Hayley felt especially gleeful on the inside that her n had sessfully worked, thanks to her understanding of Anastasia¡¯s character ever since they were in primary school. Knowing that Anastasia was headstrong and unyielding, Hayley was trying to piss her off in front of Elliot, in order to make her look like someone who was unreasonable. ¡°You¡­¡± Elliot¡¯s eyes were filled with rage when they fell upon Anastasia. ¡°Please don¡¯t me her, Elliot. It was my fault. I was just too clumsy, so don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ll be fine. Please don¡¯te down hard on Anastasia.¡± Hayley bit her lip, seizing Elliot¡¯s sleeve while acting like she was swallowing her grievance. Upon hearing what Hayley said, Anastasia felt a strong urge to raise her hand to the former. Soon, the female manager came closer and said, ¡°Miss Seymour, we have prepared a new dress for you. Please come with me.¡± Hayley nodded and followed behind the manager. Meanwhile, Anastasia was able to sense the unpleasant attention around her but decided to bite her lip and put up with it. After all, she still hadn¡¯t gotten to see her favorite jewelry and had no ns to leave the ce yet. ¡°Come with me.¡± The next second, Anastasia felt her wrist mped by Elliot¡¯s firm grip, whereupon she was forcefully taken to a private lounge. ¡°Let me go, Elliot.¡± Anastasia wanted to free herself but was no match for the man¡¯s superior physical strength. As soon as they entered the lounge room, Elliot immediately let go of Anastasia, who folded her arms and red at him. ¡°What¡¯re you doing?!¡± Nheless, Anastasia only red at the man angrily, standing her ground firmly without showing any signs of backing down. ¡°What¡¯re you going to do if I don¡¯t apologize?¡± Thinking Hayley was Elliot¡¯s girlfriend, Anastasia believed he would do everything he must to protect her. Thus, she reckoned it was pointless for her to exin herself. ¡°Anastasia, I know your mom passed away when you were young, but can¡¯t you just behave yourself and treat people nicely? Why must you always be so mean and unreasonable?¡± Elliot was somehow annoyed, wondering why Anastasia couldn¡¯t just stay away from trouble. Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Eyesore Anastasia stared at the man that was worried about her. ¡°Does my character matter to you that much, Elliot? I¡¯m not married to you, so it shouldn¡¯t matter to you even if I screw myself up.¡± Then, she turned around and wanted to leave, but her arms were grabbed by the man before he pushed her against the wall within the next second while his handsome face met hers in proximity. There was anger in the man¡¯s eyes as he sneered, ¡°Looks like I¡¯ve overestimated your capability, Anastasia.¡± ¡°Let go of me, Elliot. You a*shole!¡± Besides what happened that night five years ago, Anastasia had never been in such close proximity to a man. She moved away in disgust when the man¡¯s scent entered her nose. No matter how handsome Elliot was, Anastasia was disgusted by any men who had ever touched Hayley. On the other hand, Elliot was stunned for a few seconds when he got closer to Anastasia as her scent reminded him of that night five years ago. It was the simr faint floral scent that seduced him, and he couldn¡¯t help but imagine how soft Anastasia¡¯s red and full lips would feel if he kissed her. When Elliot realized what he was thinking about, he quickly let go of Anastasia, while her arms were already red due to his forceful grip. ¡°Stay away from me, Elliot,¡± Anastasia warned as she was about to leave after opening the door. After she came out, Hayley had already changed into her gown and was receiving constions from other youngdies. At the same time, everyone entered the exhibition in the hall when it was time for the exhibition to start. As Anastasia entered along with the crowd, she started observing the pieces of jewelry as if she was a jewelry master. ¡°I heard that girl managed toe in using the name of the young master of the Manson Family. You really run into all sorts of people here, huh?¡± ¡°I bet she used some sort of dirty tricks! If you know, you know.¡± ¡°She is merely an insignificant designer! I bet she can¡¯t even afford a small piece of diamond here!¡± Anastasia could hear the conversation between the two youngdies behind her that was obviously taunting her. As Elliot¡¯s partner, all of the youngdies would definitely befriend Hayley, so all of them knew about Anastasia being a nameless jewelry designer. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Nevertheless, she couldn¡¯t be bothered by them as she leaned down to observe one of her works before a soft woman¡¯s voice rang out behind her. ¡°Elliot, I heard that we can purchase the pieces of jewelry that are exhibited tonight, and I really like this jewelry, so can you get it for me? It¡¯s just that it¡¯s a little expensive as it costs around 10 million!¡± Hayley pointed at that jewelry that cost around eight digits and asked while holding onto Elliot¡¯s arm. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll talk to the manager about itter,¡± Elliot replied in a deep voice. ¡°Alright. Thank you, Elliot!¡± Hayley held Elliot¡¯s arm tighter before she gave Anastasia a taunting look. Still, Anastasia acted as if she didn¡¯t hear Hayley and continued moving forward. She had initiallye to enjoy the exhibition, but the other youngdies were making her feel ufortable, so she was nning to leave after she was done looking at the pieces of jewelry. At the same time, Elliot¡¯s gazended on the figure who was standing in front of the jewelry counter. Under the light¡¯s illumination, Anastasia¡¯s beautiful facial features and quiet demeanor made her look as beautiful as the diamond that was being exhibited. ¡°Miss Tillman, why don¡¯t we move on from the bad experience just now? Do you have your eyes on anything currently?¡± John walked over to Anastasia with a ss of wine in his hand before asking. He was unable to stop thinking about Anastasia¡¯s beauty, and her untamed stubbornness really mesmerized him. I bet she would behave the same in bed. After John overheard from the other youngdies that Anastasia was just a small jewelry designer, he figured it would be easier to get her, considering her ordinary status. ¡°I¡¯m just here to enjoy the exhibition.¡± Anastasia pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I can buy it for you if you like it.¡± John generously promised the youngdy. Nevertheless, Anastasia knew that she shouldn¡¯t ept his offer, so she shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine, thank you. I¡¯m just looking around.¡± However, John continued following Anastasia and trailed after her wherever she went. He wasn¡¯t paying attention to any of the jewelry pieces, as he was only focused on Anastasia. Upon seeing that, Elliot felt somewhat annoyed. As a man, he could definitely tell that John had a hidden motive for being nice to Anastasia, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel angry when Anastasia interacted with John without any sense of danger. Can¡¯t she tell what John is thinking about? This woman seriously doesn¡¯t know how to protect herself. Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Go Against Him When Anastasia checked the time and noticed that it was already 9.00PM, she realized that she needed to leave to return her gown, so she turned toward John and said, ¡°Excuse me. I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡± ¡°Let me take you home.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Anastasia turned to reject him before she ran into a youngdy by surprise. Angered, the youngdy reached out to push her. ¡°Are you blind?¡± Anastasia staggered backward before she looked up to see the socialite¡¯s arrogant face and apologized, saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Do you really think that saying sorry solves everything? You better start kneeling down and cleaning my shoes after you step on my feet!¡± The youngdy obviously wasn¡¯t going to let Anastasia off the hook and even wanted to humiliate her. Right then, Anastasia pursed her lips. ¡°I did not step on your feet.¡± ¡°How dare you deny stepping on my feet when my feet are already hurting?!¡± the youngdy snapped in anger. When Anastasia came to the realization that the youngdy purposely stood in front of her so that she would run into her, she decided not to bother anymore. ¡°Excuse me, please move away. I need to leave now.¡± ¡°Do you think that you can leave just like that?¡± Then, the youngdy reached out to pull on Anastasia¡¯s gown before the sound of something tearing rang out. The satin fabric on Anastasia¡¯s gown was torn, and one side of her shoulder was revealed. Immediately, she reached out to cover her bare shoulder. While John wanted to remove his zer for Anastasia, someone else was faster than him as they quickly ced their zer on her shoulder to cover her chest. At this moment, Anastasia turned around gratefully to realize that the person who helped her out was Elliot. Immediately, she swallowed her thanks. In fact, she didn¡¯t even want the man¡¯s zer. ¡°Take your zer away.¡± Although Anastasia knew that she was going to attract other people¡¯s attention, she really didn¡¯t want to ept Elliot¡¯s kindness. ¡°Stop messing around,¡± Elliot instructed. Why is she still stubborn in a situation like this? On the other hand, Hayley, who was standing at the side, red at Anastasia because she witnessed how quickly Elliot removed his zer to cover Anastasia up. ¡°Hayley, I¡¯ll pick you upter,¡± Elliot said before he pulled Anastasia out of the hall while Anastasia struggled against his forceful grip. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°Elliot¡­¡± Hayley felt like she was about to go mad from jealousy. How dare he leave me here to send Anastasia back?! Meanwhile, Anastasia finally managed to remove Elliot¡¯s zer. In that instance, her maroon bra was revealed from the torn gown. The sight of Anastasia right then was enough to make any man lust over her. At this moment, Elliot¡¯s gaze darkened before he looked at her stubborn expressions and asked in annoyance, ¡°Are you seriously leaving like that?¡± ¡°So what if I do? Even if I were to run outside naked, it would be none of your business.¡± Anastasia didn¡¯t know why, but she really wanted to argue against Elliot and piss him off. ¡°You¡¯re a mother to a son, and you should really think about him.¡± Elliot had never met a woman that could easily piss him off with just a few words, and it seemed like this woman was really capable of achieving that. ¡°Stop messing around, Anastasia. Can¡¯t you just listen for once?¡± Elliot pleaded before he ced his zer around her shoulders again when he noticed that the elevator had stopped. There were a few foreign men in a discussion outside of the elevator, and Anastasia quickly headed to the entrance without removing Elliot¡¯s zer this time. When she noticed a cab dropping off its passengers at the side of the road, she quickly headed to the cab while wearing Elliot¡¯s zer, and Elliot could only watch as she closed the car door and left. Right then, Anastasia¡¯s mind was a mess. I¡¯ve really managed to destroy a gown that costs seven digits! How am I supposed to pay for this?! Sh*t! Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Chapter 19 After Anastasia returned to the shop and exined everything that had happened, the owner of the shop nced at the torn gown before consoling her with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Miss Tillman. I¡¯ve already bought insurance for this dress, and they¡¯ll settle it for me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Anastasia felt even more guilty. ¡°It¡¯s alright as long as you had fun,¡± the owner of the shop assured. Although Anastasia still felt guilty when she took the cab to go back home, she was extremely tired as well. All she wanted to do right now was to go home and hug her son until she fell asleep. Anastasia finally reached home around 10.00PM. When she saw that Francis was still ying with Jared, she said, ¡°Dad, I¡¯m back. You can have some rest now.¡± ¡°Anastasia, Jared is a really bright kid, and I can¡¯t even tell that he¡¯s just four years old! You really did a great job educating him,¡± Francis eximed. Upon hearing that, Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly as Jared learned everything by himself without needing her to educate him, and all she did was apany him. After Francis went back to his room, she showered before hugging Jared tiredly and nting a kiss on his face. ¡°Let¡¯s sleep now, Jared.¡± Since Jared had been ying for the entire day and was tired as well, he fell asleep in the blink of an eye. Nevertheless, Anasthasia couldn¡¯t fall asleep as she lowered her head to look at Jared before getting shocked. Why are Jared¡¯s facial features starting to resemble Elliot¡¯s? I guess that¡¯s probably because he¡¯s good-looking, and every good-looking person looks simr to each other. This proves that Jared is going to be very handsome when he grows up. Although Elliot is a terrible person, it is undeniable that he¡¯s handsome. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. The next day, Anastasia told Nigel everything that happened during the jewelry exhibition while Nigel kept asking if she was injured. ¡°I¡¯m returning to the country within a few days, and I¡¯ll protect you,¡± Nigel said earnestly. ¡°I shall treat you to a meal when you return.¡± ¡°Sure. I miss Jared too, by the way,¡± Nigelughed before replying. ¡°He misses you, too.¡± Anastasiaughed as well. On Monday, she headed to theundromat early in the morning to collect Elliot¡¯s zer so that she could return it to him at thepany. After finishing a cup of coffee and replying to all her work emails, Anastasia nced at the time before calling Elliot¡¯sndline. ¡°Hello?¡± A maic voice rang out. ¡°It¡¯s Anastasia. I¡¯ming up now to return your zer.¡± Then, Anastasia hung up before Elliot could say anything. When she reached the entrance of Elliot¡¯s office, she knocked before entering the office while the man sitting in the office gave her a sharp look. After cing the zer that was in a garment bag on the couch, she remarked, ¡°I sent your zer to theundromat to have it cleaned already.¡± ¡°Are you really not going to thank me?¡± Elliot narrowed his eyes as he raised his chin to look at Anastasia. ¡°Thank you,¡± Anastasia replied hastily before leaving. While staring at the woman who left as soon as she came, Elliot¡¯s gaze darkened slightly. Is this really the woman Grandma wants me to marry? On the other hand, when Anastasia returned to her office, Grace suddenly entered along with a person before she reported, ¡°Miss Tillman, you have a guest.¡± When Anastasia looked up, she was taken aback. Isn¡¯t this John from yesterday? ¡°Miss Tillman, you¡¯re really here!¡± John was surprised that he hade to the right ce. After returning home from the exhibition yesterday, all he could think about was Anastasia, and he decided that he wouldn¡¯t give up pursuing her until he won her heart. ¡°President Curtis¡­ Why are you here?¡± Anastasia greeted merrily as he was a guest, after all. At the same time, John was shocked when he saw Anastasia. While Anastasia looked like a goddess when she was in her gown, she looked extremely charismatic in her office wear. A white blouse and a pencil skirt were enough to make her look sexy. Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Chapter 20 ¡°Miss Tillman, I¡¯m here to customize jewelry for my mother¡¯s birthday next month, and I was thinking of ordering a set of jewelry for her.¡± John wasn¡¯t in need of money, and he wanted more excitement, so he didn¡¯t mind forking money out for Anastasia. Anastasia naturally wouldn¡¯t reject a business opportunity given to her, so she instructed, ¡°Grace, please get us coffee and a fruit tter.¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. After Grace left, John¡¯s gaze quicklynded on Anastasia again. ¡°President Curtis, may I know if your mother has any particr interest in the shape or color of the jewelry? Does she prefer jade or crystal other than a diamond?¡± ¡°Diamonds will do. It¡¯s better if it¡¯s bigger and more expensive,¡± John answered in a straightforward manner while Anastasia pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°Sure. I¡¯lle up with a draft for your design and send it over to your mother¡¯s house three dayster. What do you think about that?¡± ¡°Since this is a present from me for my mother, it¡¯s better to keep things secretive. Why don¡¯t youe to me after you¡¯re done with the draft?¡± A cunning look shed past John¡¯s eyes while Anastasia was checking a document with her head lowered. ¡°Sure, President Curtis. I¡¯ll contact you once I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯m fine with that. Are you freeter at noon? Why don¡¯t we go have lunch together?¡± Nevertheless, Anastasia wasn¡¯t a fool and knew that John was trying to hit on her. Still, there was no way that she¡¯d reject a business opportunity, so she nodded and uttered, ¡°Sure. I know a nice restaurant just in front of mypany. I shall make a reservation for two.¡± John nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Miss Tillman, I¡¯ll be waiting for your break, then!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you wait in the lounge? It¡¯s much quieter there.¡± Anastasia gave the man a suggestion before sending him off. After dealing with John, she made a report to Felicia while Felicia made sure to tell Anastasia to secure the deal with John, seeing how they¡¯d profit a lot from the set of When Anastasia went to get lunch with John during the afternoon, John took the opportunity to brag about his finance and assets as well as hispany, while Anastasia acted as if she was shocked and awed. After the meal, she made an excuse, saying that she had a meeting and wanted to leave, cutting John short and leaving him with no choice but to send her back to Bourgeois. When Anastasia went back, she sighed in relief before returning to her office to continue working On the other hand, Elliot took his phone and contacted someone in his president¡¯s office. ¡°Hey, Elliot! Why are you contacting me?¡± A man¡¯s chirpy voice rang out. ¡°Do you know Anastasia Tillman?¡± Elliot went straight to the point. ¡°How do you know?¡± Nigel asked in a surprised manner. ¡°She¡¯s an employee at mypany. I ran into her yesterday at the jewelry exhibition and noticed that she came in using your name.¡± ¡°Oh! Looks like you¡¯ve really acquired QR Jewelry Group! Anyway, it¡¯s true that Anastasia and I are close friends with each other.¡± Nigel admitted truthfully before he chuckled and asked, ¡°How was she? She¡¯s really pretty, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°Are you trying to pursue her?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not an easy one to pursue, though. I¡¯ve been trying to go after her for three years already, but I still haven¡¯t seeded, so I can only remain as her close friend!¡± Nigel answered helplessly. Despite that, Elliot¡¯s facial expression was still dark. ¡°How did you get to know her?¡± ¡°Remember the ident when my car flipped three years ago? She was the person who saved me. If she hadn¡¯t dragged me out of my car, I would have died along with the car explosion.¡± Of course, Elliot could still remember the terrifying car ident that Nigel had back then. Nigel had brushed path with the grim reaper briefly as the car that he was in exploded right after he left. Nevertheless, Elliot didn¡¯t expect Anastasia to be the person that saved Nigel back then. Is this fated? This would mean that the Presgraves owe the Tillmans a favor. ¡°Elliot, I¡¯ll be returning soon. By that time, I¡¯ll work at Bourgeois as well so that I can apany her.¡± ¡°Stop messing around. You¡¯reing back to inherit your family¡¯s business, not to pursue after girls,¡± Elliot reprimanded. ¡°Well, you¡¯ll have to help me out to take care of her in thepany, then.¡± Nigel could only reply to him this way. When Elliot ced his phone down, he had a conflicted look on his handsome face. Looks like Nigel, Grandma¡¯s favorite grandson, is pursuing Anastasia too. Three dayster, Anastasia¡¯s draft was given the green light by Felicia, and it was ready to be given to John. ¡°Good day, President Curtis. I¡¯vee out with a draft already. May I know when you¡¯ll be free so that I can deliver them to you?¡± Anastasia asked John. ¡°Hey! I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m still rushing back from my business trip right now, and I¡¯ll only reach around 7.00PM. What about this? Why don¡¯t you send the draft over to my ce around 8.00PM at night?¡± ¡°Um ¡­ At night?¡± Anastasia immediately got alerted. Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Chapter 21 ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you wary of me? Don¡¯t worry. Miss Tillman, I¡¯m not an evil person. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m usually really busy during the day, and I can only make time at night.¡± Upon hearing that, Anastasia had no choice but to agree. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll send the draft to your ce at 8.00PM tonight.¡± ¡°By the way, I don¡¯t like strangersing into my house, so it¡¯s better if youe over on your own, Miss Tillman,¡± John added on while Anastasia tensed up. Is he trying to get me to go over to his ce alone? Nevertheless, she could only nod and go along with John¡¯s requests because he was her customer. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll be there at 8.00PM sharp.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send you the address now.¡± Then, John hung up. After the call, Anastasia headed to Felicia¡¯s office and told her about the call before Felicia pondered for a moment. ¡°From what I know, John Curtis is a well-known CEO without any bad rumors, so he probably won¡¯t do anything that would cross the line.¡± Anastasia could only hope that things go smoothly tonight. During the afternoon meeting, Elliot, who hadn¡¯t shown up for three days, finally came. He looked even younger with his hair styled and his dark gray suit, while his facial features were cold as usual. Anastasia had her head lowered as she read the document while Alice, seated facing Anastasia, kept fidgeting around and hoping that it would attract Elliot¡¯s attraction. ¡°Anastasia Tillman, focus on the meeting and stop doodling,¡± Felicia suddenly called out. As Anastasia was indeed doodling in her notebook without paying attention to the meeting, she quickly straightened her posture and nodded with a flushed face. ¡°Alright.¡± After cing her pencil down obediently, her gaze met an upset pair of eyes, as if they were trying to tell her how disappointed they were by her actions. To Elliot, Anastasia was behaving like a stubborn kid who wouldn¡¯t listen in ss right now. ¡°Anastasia, I hope that you¡¯ll be able to learn how to respect other people in mypany,¡± he suddenly demanded out of nowhere. Immediately, a few snickers could be heard in the meeting room, as some of them were pleased that Anastasia got lectured by the boss. However, Anastasia blinked before she propped her chin on her hand and smiled at Elliot. ¡°Thanks for teaching me the right way to act, but I just want to be myself. President Presgrave, you can always fire me if you don¡¯t like me.¡± Right then, only the sound of people gasping could be heard in the meeting room. Isn¡¯t Anastasia being a bit too courageous? How dare she speak to President Presgrave in that manner? Elliot wasn¡¯t just the president of QR Jewelry Group. In fact, he was also supported by Presgrave Corporation, making him a rich and powerful man. Hence, it would be dumb for anyone to try to cross Elliot. Has Anastasia gone mad?! Felicia got anxious as well. Then, she turned to Anastasia and eximed, ¡°Anastasia, how could you speak to President Presgrave like that?!¡± Nevertheless, a yful glint shed past Anastasia¡¯s gaze as she stared at Elliot intently. ¡°President Presgrave, would you like me to hand in my letter of resignation?¡± ¡°Anastasia, you can¡¯t just resign when you still have to meet President Curtis tonight!¡± Immediately, Felicia tried to stop Anastasia from angering Elliot any further. Still, Elliot¡¯s face darkened as he frowned before he turned to Felicia. ¡°Why is she meeting clients at night?¡± Yet, the fact that Elliot asked her that question instead of getting angry made her confused before she quickly cleared her throat and replied, ¡°One of our clients customized a set of jewelry, but he¡¯s very busy and can only meet up at night, so Anastasia will have to go over to the client¡¯s ce on her own tonight.¡± ¡°Tell that client that none of our employees work overtime. There won¡¯t be any business dealings outside of working hours,¡± Elliot instructed coldly. From what he heard, President Curtis was definitely a man, and an ill-intentioned one at that. ¡°Umm¡­ Well, we have already set the timing to meet up with the client,¡± Felicia tried to exin again. On the other hand, although Anastasia could tell that Elliot was trying to help her out, she was still feeling rebellious and refused to listen to him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Felicia. I¡¯ll surely meet up with President Curtis tonight without any dy.¡± She assured Felicia about her outlook on this matter. ¡°I forbid you to go, Anastasia,¡± Elliot suddenly instructed sternly.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Despite that, Anastasia returned his gaze before replying with determination, ¡°No one can stop me if I want to go.¡± Right then, everyone was shocked by Anastasia¡¯s attitude to challenge Elliot¡¯s bottom line. She refused to go along with any of Elliot¡¯s demands, and no one else in the entirepany would have dared to do so. ¡°Alright, well, the meeting¡¯s over now!¡± Even Felicia was terrified that Elliot might be angered and didn¡¯t want to give Anastasia more opportunity to piss him off. At this moment, Anastasia left her seat with her documents while Alice red at her with jealousy. Who gave Anastasia the audacity to do what she did? How dare she treat Elliot like that? When Anastasia returned to her office and wanted to take a sip of water, her office door was opened harshly before an angered figure entered the office. When is this going to stop? She narrowed her eyes and looked at the man with a dark face in front of her before she ced her cup down. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, President Presgrave?¡± ¡°Show me President Curtis¡¯s details.¡± Elliot reached out for the document from Anastasia. ¡°You saw him at the jewelry exhibitionst night. His name is John Curtis,¡± Anastasia answered truthfully. Upon hearing that, the man had his facial expression darkened even more. Why won¡¯t she refuse to meet that guy at 8.00PM tonight when she already knows that he has ill intentions? ¡°Can¡¯t you tell that he has ill intentions?¡± ¡°All I know is that my draft is worth seven digits.¡± All Anastasia wanted was to get hermission. ¡°Get someone else to go meet him, then,¡± Elliot suggested. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No. I have to do it myself because this is my order. I don¡¯t need you to worry about me.¡± Then, Anastasia opened the door to her office and motioned for Elliot to leave. ¡°You should leave! I have to resume working now.¡± However, Elliot gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Anastasia, you¡¯ll regret this.¡± Still, Anastasia raised her eyebrows before smiling. ¡°That¡¯s still none of your business, President Presgrave.¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Elliot¡¯s face darkened. Ever since he met Anastasia, he had lost control of his anger and kept getting annoyed by her behavior. Meanwhile, Anastasia exhaled while watching as the man left angrily. Somehow, she felt a hint of thrill because Elliot was Hayley¡¯s boyfriend. She would still dismiss him even if he was really worried for her. Since Anastasia was going to work overtime, she could only get Francis toe over to look after Jared. Nevertheless, Francis agreed to pick Jared up at school, as he had been missing Jared after not seeing him for days and wanted to take him out for a nice meal at night. Knowing that her father would take care of her kid, Anastasia could finally work overtime without worry, as she still hadn¡¯tpleted the regr draft submissions that she needed to submit by the end of every month. Around 6.30PM, she ordered takeout and ate at thepany¡¯s pantry while staring at the beautiful sunset view outside of the window in awe. At the same time, Elliot, who was still in the president¡¯s office, massaged his temple and asked Rey, ¡°Is she still in thepany?¡± ¡°Miss Tillman ordered takeout just now, and she¡¯s eating in the pantry currently. I¡¯m guessing that she wants to work overtime until 7.00PM and go to John Curtister on.¡± ¡°Alright. Continue watching after her.¡± Elliot was still worried. Since he promised Harriet to take care of Anastasia along with the favor that he owed Anastasia¡¯s mother, he couldn¡¯t let anything happen to her. After finishing her meal, Anastasia rested for a while before leaving at 7.10PM. While she left in a cab at thepany¡¯s entrance, a ck car quickly followed behind the cab and trailed after them. On the other hand, Anastasia was anxious as she looked at the night view from the window of the car. She was hoping that she could leave immediately after settling the deal and even thought of an idea to let John know her colleague was waiting outside. Hopefully, he wouldn¡¯t attempt anything with that in mind! Then, the cab entered the rich housing area before stopping in front of a luxurious vi. After the cab left, another car stopped in the street behind Anastasia. Nevertheless, she didn¡¯t notice it. On the other hand, Elliot was trying his best to suppress his urge to dash out of the car as he watched Anastasia press the doorbell. In a while, he¡¯d get Rey to enter the vi to check on her. When the door in front of Anastasia opened, John¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°Come on in, Miss Tillman! I¡¯m waiting for you in the living room.¡±Upon hearing that, Anastasia quickly entered the house. As expected from a rich person, the vi was extremely luxurious. When she entered the living room, John, who was sitting on the couch in his ck robe along with a ss of wine in his hand, came into view. At that moment, the rich man seemed somewhat carefree. Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Nevertheless, Anastasia tensed up when she saw John. Still, she had no right to interfere in her client¡¯s clothing preference, even though they were discussing business. Then, Anastasia quickly sat down on the couch before giving John her draft. ¡°You can take a look at the draft that I¡¯ve designed for you, President Curtis. Do let me know if I should make any changes.¡± After going through the draft papers, Johnplimented with a pleased manner, ¡°These are great! As expected from a capable designer. I really like your designs, Miss Tillman.¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Then, he poured a cup of tea for Anastasia. ¡°Do have some tea, and let¡¯s start discussing our contract after this.¡± ¡°Uhm, I¡¯m not thirsty since I just had dinner with my colleagues just now.¡± Anastasia rejected politely. ¡°You don¡¯t have to see yourself as an outsider, Miss Tillman. How can you refuse a cup of tea when you¡¯re already at my house? Isn¡¯t that disrespectful?¡± John made it clear that he was upset. Meanwhile, Anastasia stared at the cup of tea and made a decision before she took the tea and drank it. ¡°President Curtis, it¡¯s alreadyte now, so why don¡¯t we sign the contract now? My colleague is still waiting for me outside.¡± ¡°Your colleague?¡± John¡¯s gaze wavered slightly. ¡°Yes. My colleague sent me over because I wasn¡¯t driving. Since it¡¯s hard to get a cab here, I still need his help to send me hometer on,¡± Anastasia exined with a smile as she tried to imply that someone was waiting for her and would definitely lodge a police report if she couldn¡¯t get out. ¡°Well, I still have to check the draft again since I didn¡¯t do so just now. Please wait for a moment,¡± John said before he started looking at the draft again. Nevertheless, he was observing Anastasia¡¯s reaction from the corners of his eyes. So what if your colleague is waiting for you when you¡¯ve already drank the tea? I can still buy his silence after everything is over. The tea that Anastasia drank just now was specially prepared by John, as he must get her by tonight. After that, he would use some money to buy her silence, and everything would be over. This was the tactic that John used every time, and all of thedies ended up wrapped around his finger after that, so he hoped that Anastasia would be obedient as well. While waiting for John to look through the draft, Anastasia suddenly felt cold sweat forming around her neck as well as a warm feeling around her chest before she wondered if the air conditioner in the living room wasn¡¯t strong enough. Upon noticing that, John quickly poured another cup of tea for her. ¡°Miss Tillman, you look like you are hot. Here, have another cup of tea!¡± Not noticing anything odd, Anastasia took the cup of tea and drank it. Although the cool tea soothed her momentarily, she didn¡¯t know that she had just consumed more of the drug ¡°Is there something wrong with the draft?¡± Anastasia asked worriedly as she really wanted to leave already. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with it, and I believe in your ability as well. Hold on. I need to go to the washroom for a while.¡± At this moment, John was trying to drag the time because the drugs needed some time to be activated. By the time that Anastasia was in her most afflictive, she would surely agree to whatever demands he had. On the other hand, Anastasia still thought that the air conditioner wasn¡¯t powerful enough because she was starting to feel really hot, and her face was flushed. It wasn¡¯t until a sudden strong sensation from the lower part of her body hit her that she realized that something was wrong. Why is my body starting to feel numb? It¡¯s like¡­ It¡¯s like there¡¯s a fire burning within my body and chipping away at my consciousness and rationality. Could it be that ¡­ Anastasia turned toward her cup before she stared at the pot of tea. Suddenly, something hit her, and she immediately got up and ran out of the living room. When John returned to the living room and noticed that Anastasia wasn¡¯t there, he quickly ran after her and saw her staggering out of the yard. ¡°Where are you going, Miss Tillman?¡± John¡¯s devilish voice rang out. ¡°What did you put in my drinks?¡± ¡°Anastasia Tillman, you¡¯ve managed to capture my eyes. You¡¯re too beautiful, and there¡¯s no way that I wouldn¡¯t like you. Why don¡¯t you stay for the night? I¡¯ll be sure to be nice to you.¡± Right then, John¡¯s true colors were revealed as he exposed his true intentions. ¡°G-Get away from me. I do not provide any other services other than draft designing. Get away from me!¡± Anastasia roared. ¡°You got drugged. If you don¡¯t get a man to help you out, you¡¯ll feel very ufortable pretty soon.¡± Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Chapter 24 John chuckled coldly. To him, Anastasia was like a bird trapped in his cage,pletely under his control. At the same time, Anastasia was starting to feel a wave of dizziness ovee her. Right when John was about to grab her, a cold voice rang out. ¡°Let go of Miss Tillman.¡± Then, someone jumped over the wall andnded in front of Anastasia, blocking John¡¯s way. Staring at the man, who got in his way, John snapped, ¡°How dare you trespass into my private housing area? Get out of my way.¡± ¡°Please leave, Miss Tillman,¡± Rey turned around and said to Anastasia. ¡°Mr. Osborne?¡± Anastasia gasped in shock. However, she could only continue making her way toward the door while her body continued heating up ufortably. Right after she opened the door, she ran into a warm embrace before a strong pair of arms reached out to steady her, causing her to groan before her head snapped up abruptly. When she saw the man, who was one head taller than her, her eyes widened. Why is it him? Why is Elliot here? ¡°You¡¯re as stubborn as a mule.¡± Elliot had no intention of sounding nice, telling her off as soon as she came into view. Upon hearing that, Anastasia was rendered speechless, and she couldn¡¯t deny that Elliot was way more reliable than John. Then, she reached out to grab Elliot¡¯s shoulder to steady herself. ¡°Help me¡­ Take me out of this ce.¡± Upon hearing that, Elliot instructed Rey, ¡°Teach him a lesson.¡± After that, he carried Anastasia, who curled up immediately, and headed to his car. On the other hand, Rey, who was initially blocking John¡¯s way, mercilesslynded a jab on John¡¯s face, following a roundhouse on his body. Instantly, the tycoon fell to the ground in pain. ¡°Who are you? Who is the man outside? I won¡¯t let you guys off the hook for this!¡± ¡°Who gave you the audacity to hit on President Presgrave¡¯s woman?¡± ¡°What?! Is the man outside¡­ Elliot Presgrave?¡± John eximed in shock before he pleaded, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I made a mistake. Please let Young Master Elliot know that I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± After Rey left, John hunched down to the ground. He was in so much pain that he couldn¡¯t say anything as cold sweat started forming. Anastasia actually became Elliot¡¯s woman? Although John had already noticed that Elliot seemed to have his eyes on Anastasia as well, he didn¡¯t expect the n to fall through. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. On the other hand, Anastasia felt her body burning up even more in the backseat of the car, and she felt even more ufortable in her half-lying posture. Suddenly, she clung to Elliot¡¯s neck as if grinding against him would make her feel better. ¡°Please save me¡­ Bring me to the hospital¡­¡± Anastasia stared at Elliot with teary eyes as if she was a pitiful rabbit. At this moment, Rey entered the car before he turned to the man in the backseat of the car and asked, ¡°Where are we heading, Young Master Elliot?¡± ¡°To the hospital,¡± Elliot replied. Then, Rey started the car engine and drove away. Nevertheless, Anastasia felt extremely ufortable. Under the streetlight¡¯s illumination, Elliot¡¯s handsome face wasn¡¯t as despicable anymore. Suddenly, she pulled herself up to hisp and wrapped her hands around his neck before nting a kiss on his seductive, thin lips. Immediately, Elliot stiffened up. How dare she kiss me forcefully? While he was shocked by Anastasia¡¯s amateur kissing skills, he still responded to Anastasia¡¯s soft body pressing against him. Suddenly, he pulled on the partition dividing the front area and the rear area of the car before he grabbed onto Anastasia¡¯s head and regained the dominance of the kiss. ¡°Mm¡­¡± Anastasia felt an electrifying sensation coursing through her bodyfortably before her arms ventured around the man¡¯s back while enjoying his electrifying kiss. At the same time, Anastasia¡¯s hands moving around Elliot¡¯s back caused him to tense up before his breathing became heavy, and he narrowed his eyes. Does this woman even know what she¡¯s doing? Nevertheless, the woman in his arms was surprisingly submissive. She had lost her stubbornness during the day, allowing Elliot to explore her lips, while he had lost his self-control and rationale as he kept kissing her instinctively. ¡°Mm¡­¡± Suddenly, Anastasia came back to her senses and pushed Elliot away. ¡°Elliot Presgrave, you a*shole! Get away¡­¡± Immediately, Elliot¡¯s face darkened. Why is she flirting with me and making me leave in one hand? How contradicting can she be? Despite that, the fiery sensation that Anastasia was feeling rushed up again when Elliot let go of her. At the same time, the car suddenly jerked, causing her to nt her face into Elliot¡¯s neck. Right when Anastasia came into contact with his skin, shetched her mouth onto it and started nibbling as if she was a leech and refused to let go. Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Yet Elliot allowed Anastasia to do as she liked. It was as if he was equally affected by whatever that she had ingested, and he felt like he was about to explode as well. Looks like this woman is good at seducing men other than causing trouble for others. ¡°Are we reaching the hospital yet?¡± Elliot asked Rey, who was driving. ¡°We are almost there,¡± Rey replied before the car took a turn and reached the entrance of the hospital. Then, he quickly got out of the car and opened the door to the back of the car for his boss. Elliot got out and straightened his shirt before pulling the woman in the car out and carrying her into the hospital. Ten minutester, Anastasia ended up in the VIP ward of the hospital. After getting sedatives and an IV drip, she finally quietened down, and her eyes were closed while her face was flushed. Right then, Rey gave Elliot tissue paper. ¡°Young Master Elliot, there¡¯s a bloodstain around your neck. You should wipe it off.¡± Elliot wiped his neck with the tissue paper before seeing a light bloodstain on it. This woman¡¯s teeth are as sharp as a vampire! After Rey left, Elliot continued staying guard in the ward. A whileter, Anastasia, who was lying in bed, slowly regained her consciousness and blinked. However, she was shocked when she turned around and saw the man next to her. ¡°You¡­¡± Anastasia¡¯s face went pale as she still remembered everything that had happened in the car just now. ¡°This is the consequence of not listening,¡± Elliot remarked snarkily. Anastasia had really underestimated John¡¯s character. She initially thought that he wouldn¡¯t attempt anything at her after telling him that her colleague was waiting for her outside, but she didn¡¯t expect him to disregard her words. ¡°Thank you. Can I know the time?¡± Anastasia looked up and asked. ¡°9.30PM.¡± ¡°I should be going home now.¡± She suddenly didn¡¯t feel like staying in the hospital any longer as she nced at the IV drip that was still half full. ¡°If you¡¯re worried about your son, I can get Rey to take care of him until you finish your IV drip.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. I¡¯m fine now.¡± Anastasia insisted in a stubborn manner. ¡°You better think about the consequences of not finishing the IV drip. What if the drugs start working again?¡± Elliot gritted his teeth and questioned. After contemting for a moment, Anastasia nced at her bag. ¡°Can you please hand me my bag?¡± After Elliot handed her the bag, she took her phone out and contacted Francis, trying to sound as natural as possible. ¡°Dad, I might be back around 10.00PM, orter, so I¡¯ll need you to help me get Jared to sleep tonight.¡± ¡°Sure. Don¡¯t worry and focus on your work!¡± Francis enjoyed looking after his grandson. ¡°Alright. Sure.¡± Anastasia hung up before she looked up to see the man, whose face was illuminated under the light. She noticed that the top of his white shirt was unbuttoned, and there was a red mark on his corbone. Immediately, she was mind blown. That mark wouldn¡¯t have been caused by me biting him, no? Besides, what we did in the car¡­ Oh God, I want to disappear right now. If I recall correctly, I took the initiative to kiss him before he reciprocated it¡­ I can still remember how his lips felt against mine¡­ Oh my God! I need to stop thinking about it! Anastasia held her head between her hands before she felt the drugs kicking in again. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling ufortable?¡± Elliot quickly asked. ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Anastasia huffed before she buried her head in her chest. ¡°I lost my consciousness, and I can¡¯t remember what happened just now, so you don¡¯t have to remind me about it. I don¡¯t want to recall anything that happened anymore.¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Upon hearing that, Elliot smirked. Is she trying to deny what happened just now? ¡°What are you going to do topensate me after you kiss me forcefully?¡± He refused to let things go and chose to make Anastasia recall what happened. ¡°1¡­ Just decide on your own!¡± Anastasia snapped in an embarrassed manner. When Elliot noticed that she was really embarrassed, he stopped trying to bother her any longer. ¡°You owe me a favor.¡± He harrumphed before taking a seat on the couch. Anastasia was speechless. Although she had heard of people owing favors because of money, this was her first time owing someone else a favor because of a kiss. Fine! This is a way to settle things as well, I guess. I bet he will forget about this sooner orter. Then, Anastasia sat through her IV drip. Immediately, she got the nurse to remove the needle from her hand while Elliot was scrolling his phone the entire time. After that, he stood up to apany Anastasia out. When they reached the entrance of the hospital, Anastasia decided that she should stop bothering Elliot anymore. ¡°I¡¯ll take a cab home.¡± ¡°Let me fetch you home.¡± Elliot refused to let Anastasia go home on her own because it was too dangerous for someone with her looks. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Anastasia insisted. Despite that, the man grabbed her arm forcefully and dragged her toward Rey¡¯s car. Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Chapter 26 ¡°Hey! How can you boss me around like that?!¡± Although Anastasia kept shouting behind Elliot, he refused to let go, and she was pushed into the car just like that. Fine! Drop me off, then! At least I can save up from the cab fare. Once Anastasia got into the car, she told Rey her address and proceeded to act as if she had fallen asleep since she didn¡¯t want to talk to Elliot. Fortunately, Elliot wasn¡¯t nning to start a conversation as well, so the two of them sat by the opposite sides of the car in silence while staring at the night view outside of the window About an hourter, they finally reached Anastasia¡¯s ce, and she quickly thanked Rey, saying, ¡°Thanks, Mr. Osborne.¡± Before getting out of the car, Anastasia took a deep breath before she turned toward the man in the car, thanking him as well. ¡°Thank you for tonight.¡± Right then, Elliot¡¯s gaze met hers before he nodded slightly, indicating that he had heard her. Then, Anastasia closed the car door and left while the car slowly drove away after making sure that Anastasia had entered her apartmentplex. When she got home, Jared was already asleep, while Francis stayed by the side of his bed to apany him. When Francis saw Anastasiaing home sote at night, he took a card out of his wallet and gave it to her. ¡°Anastasia, there¡¯s 2 million in this card, and I think that you should have it. You shouldn¡¯t overwork yourself. If you¡¯re tired, just resign and take care of Jared with this money!¡± Upon hearing that, Anastasia was taken aback as she could feel Francis worrying for her. Nevertheless, she pursed her lips andmented, ¡°Naomi would surely get mad if she finds out about this.¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°Well, I¡¯m the one who earned this money, and no one can stop me from giving it to you.¡± Francis ced the card in Anastasia¡¯s hand. ¡°Take it.¡± Fathers often expressed their love in a silent manner. After doing so, Francis didnt say anything and left with his briefcase while Anastasia sighed. She knew that Naomi was the one who climbed into Francis¡¯s bed back then and forced him to marry her once she got pregnant. That was the only reason why Francis married Naomi after her biological mother¡¯s death. Although she hated Francis for doing so back then, she had already let go of the past. After showering, Anastasiay down by Jared¡¯s side before she leaned forward to nt a kiss on Jared¡¯s pale forehead. Then, she got tired and fell asleep as well. The next morning, Anastasia vaguely heard Jared¡¯s voice calling out for her. ¡°Wake up, Mommy. I¡¯m going to bete.¡± When she woke up, she quickly jumped out of bed as it was already 8.20AM, and Jared¡¯s ss was going to start in ten minutes. The sedatives from yesterday had shut down her biological clock. ¡°I¡¯ll send you to school right now.¡± Anastasia quickly brought Jared to his kindergarten and sighed in relief. Then, she hurried to stop a cab to rush to work when she nced at her watch and realized that it was already 8.50AM. When Anastasia reached thepany, it was already 9.40AM as she entered her office with a sour look on her face. Looks like my attendance bonus for the month will be gone now. Besides, the deal with John is definitely off now. I can¡¯t believe I wasted so much effort on getting tricked by that man instead. Looks like I¡¯ll have to be smarter about things like this next time. At this moment, Felicia knocked on the door and came in. Before Anastasia could say anything, Felicia grinned and said, ¡°Anastasia, good job for sessfully negotiating the contract yesterday!¡± ¡°What? Is the deal on? Did John pay yet?¡± ¡°He transferred a hundred thousand over this morning as a deposit since the jewelry set that he customized is around 2 million, and everything will be ready for him by the end of the month.¡± Anastasia narrowed her eyes. What is John trying to do? Is he trying topensate me because he couldn¡¯t get what he wantedst night? She felt disgusted at the thought of John¡¯s face before she told Felicia, ¡°You should get someone else to follow up on his case. I¡¯m not interested in dealing with him anymore.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯ve already finished your draft, I¡¯ve already gotten someone to do the follow-up. By the way, you don¡¯t look well. Did you not sleep wellst night?¡± Felicia asked in a worried manner. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about it. Something upsetting happened yesterday.¡± In addition to what John did to her last night, she really regretted taking the initiative to kiss Elliot since he was Hayley¡¯s boyfriend, and Hayley was the person she hated the most in her entire life. Around 11.00AM, Anastasia went into the washroom, and she heard footsteps entering the washroom once she went into one of the toilets before the loud voice of a girl rang out. ¡°Guess what I saw just now?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I was lucky enough to take the same elevator as President Presgrave just now, and I saw a love bite on his neck! Oh my God! I can¡¯t help but wonder which woman would be so fortunate enough to give him such a huge hickey!¡± Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Another woman chimed in with a jealous tone,menting, ¡°Wow, they really went all in! I bet it¡¯s his girlfriend! You know, the one who came to thepany and got pped by Anastasia?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help but wonder about Anastasia¡¯s background, since she managed to get out unscathed after hitting President Presgrave¡¯s girlfriend.¡± ¡°I guess President Presgrave was unwilling to fire her because of how pretty she is.¡± ¡°Do you guys think that President Presgrave likes her?¡± ¡°It is possible. Maybe her position in thepany will change once she gets into his bed.¡± ¡°Damn! I want to have her beauty, too! President Presgrave won¡¯t even spare any nces on ordinary employees like us.¡± Right then, Anastasia, who was still in the toilet, knew well that she was the person who left a hickey on Elliot¡¯s neck. As for her possibly getting into his bed, she could give them a definite answer. Never! Never in a thousand years! Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. After the group of gossip girls left, Anastasia came out of the toilet and returned to her office before her landline rang. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Come to my office for a while.¡± Elliot¡¯s unique maic voice rang out. Before Anastasia could say anything, he hung up, causing her to sigh as he was the person that she didn¡¯t want to face the most today. Maybe he has something to discuss with me regarding work. At the thought of that, she started heading to the elevator. When Anastasia reached the entrance of the president¡¯s office, she knocked before entering the office to see Elliot reading through a document on the couch. He nced at her before he continued reading the document. ¡°Why did you look for me?¡± Anastasia asked. ¡°Is vour body alright now?¡± Elliot started scanning her up and down while Anastasia replied in a tense manner, ¡°I¡¯m fine now. Thanks for asking.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so stubborn next time.¡± She frowned. Did he ask me toe up here just to say these to me? ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me, President Presgrave. I¡¯ll head back to resume my work now.¡± Then, Anastasia wanted to turn around and leave. Suddenly, Elliot asked, ¡°Do you like Nigel?¡± Upon hearing that, Anastasia turned around abruptly. ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with Nigel?¡± Despite that, Elliot refused to answer her and asked again, ¡°Do you like him?¡± Without any hesitation, Anastasia answered, ¡°Of course I like him.¡± Nigel had been a great help to her and Jared, so she had already thought of him as her closest best friend. Nheless, she didn¡¯t notice that, because of her answer, the facial expression of the man sitting on the couch behind her darkened. Slowly, a thoughtful look appeared on his emotionless face. ¡°Then, it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t mention what happenedst night to him,¡± Elliot gritted his teeth before reminding her. On the other hand, Anastasia was stunned. Why would I tell Nigel about something as private as this? Still, I can now assume that Nigel and this man know each other. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t mention this to anyone for the rest of my life.¡± Then, her gazended on the visible hickey on the man¡¯s neck, right beneath his white shirt. ¡°Leave now then!¡± Elliot instructed coldly, as if he was trying to kick her out while she turned around and left. After the door was closed, the man on the couch closed his eyes and frowned. During the meeting, Felicia praised Anastasia for being able to seal a deal worth two million while all the other designers cheered on her despite being secretly jealous. Meanwhile, at the Tillman Residence, Erica was eliminated from the modelingpetition due to her height. The youngdy didn¡¯t have enough money to fuel her living expenses. As she was used to living luxuriously, she had to rely on Naomi to support her financially, as Francis only gave her ten thousand every month for her allowance. ¡°Mom, can you find an excuse to get Dad to give me more allowance for the month? I got my eyes on a Louis Vuitton bag, and I really want to have it for myself.¡± Erica pulled on Naomi¡¯s hand and whined. Unable to resist Erica¡¯s whining, Naomi stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go look around to see if your father left any cash at home.¡± After entering the master bedroom, she opened the safe where Francis usually kept his cash to see a stack of cash in it, unsurprisingly. However, there was also a document file next to the stack of cash. Curious, Naomi reached out for the file and skimmed through it before a shocked look appeared on her face. Hubby actually bought amercial housing with two rooms and two living rooms in a high end residence located in the city center that cost about 8 million without telling me about it? Could it be that it¡¯s for someone else other than us? As expected, Naomi immediately got pissed off when she saw the ownership of the household. The house was actually bought under Anastasia¡¯s name. Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Chapter 28 That damned Anastasia! Persuading Francis to buy a house for her as soon as she returns, even buying it without my knowledge! Ridiculous! Naomi gritted her teeth in anger before she took out her phone and dialed her husband¡¯s number. ¡°Hello.¡± Francis picked up. ¡°Francis, you bought Anastasia a house, but you didn¡¯t even tell me about it. What are you trying to imply?¡± ¡°Oh, but you¡¯re allowed to rummage my safe to give Erica pocket money?¡± Francis seemed to have guessed what she was doing instead. ¡°If you can fork out 8 million to buy a house for Anastasia, a mere ten or twenty thousand for my daughter won¡¯t hurt, now will it?¡± Naomi used. ¡°It¡¯s not safe for Anastasia to live in a rented apartment with a child. Also, Erica is staying at home with us. It¡¯s pretty nice.¡± ¡°So only Anastasia is pitiful to you? My daughter can¡¯t even afford a bag, but she¡¯s not pitiful at all to you? Francis, that¡¯s favoritism!¡± ¡°All right, quit yapping. I¡¯ve already bought the house, anyway. I actually wanted to tell you, but I feared you¡¯d make a fuss about it.¡± Naomi was so furious that she could emit smoke at any moment. What tactics did Anastasia use to trick Francis into liking her so well? 8 million to buy a house for her just like that! And the house would be Anastasia¡¯s private property, too!I haven¡¯t even confronted Anastasia about Francis babysitting her child yet! On the other end of the line, Francis had already hung up. Naomi took all the money from the safe, along with the contract. Then, she went downstairs and asked Erica, ¡°Tell me, where is Anastasia working? I want to see her right now.¡± ¡°Mom, why are you looking for her?¡± Erica asked, puzzled. ¡°Your dad bought her a house for 8 million behind our backs. I¡¯m now going to talk some sense into her.¡± Naomi couldn¡¯t find a ce to vent the fury inside her anymore. th ¡°What? Did Dad spend 8 million on her? What about me? I have nothing!¡± Erica was also pissed. She was his daughter too, so she wanted to have everything Anastasia had. Erica immediately got in the car and drove toward Bourgeois with her mother. At around 3 pm, Anastasia was working on her draft. She was on a roll nowadays, and the drafts and projects she held were progressing smoothly. ¡°Grace, fetch me another cup of coffee.¡± Anastasia made an internal call to her assistant so that the latter could get her some coffee to perk her up a bit. Not long after, Grace came in with a cup of freshly brewed coffee with ice, and the silky texture and cream topping only served to make the cuppa look ever so pleasing. Anastasia reached out and picked it up, proceeding to take a sip. ¡°Mm, not bad. It¡¯s delicious.¡± ¡°Anastasia, can you give me some tips to lose weight? How do you maintain such a good figure?¡± Grace was a cute girl slightly on the plump side, and she was constantly concerned about weight loss.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Anastasia thought for a bit, then shook her head and smiled. ¡°I overwork my brain every day, so I slimmed down without meaning to.¡± In truth, she wouldn¡¯t gain weight, no matter how much she ate. Also, she had to take care of her son and go to work as well, so it was simply impossible for her to gain weight. Meanwhile, Naomi and Erica had arrived at the parking lot downstairs. They went straight to the elevator and headed right for the design department. As soon as she got out of the elevator, Naomi caught hold of a female assistant. ¡°Do you know where Anastasia¡¯s office is?¡± The female assistant quickly pointed in a direction. ¡°Thest office over there.¡± Naomi walked over with the real estate contract, while Anastasia was absorbed in her drawing when the door was suddenly thrown open. She immediately looked up to see Naomi and Erica walking in furiously. The look in Anastasia¡¯s eyes went cold as she asked harshly, ¡°What?¡± Naomi flung the contract she was holding onto the desk. ¡°Spill it, Anastasia. What tactics did you use to convince your dad to buy this house for you?¡± Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Anastasia was stunned, after which she reached out and took the contract, opening it to read. She was also shocked that her father bought a house for her, as he didn¡¯t even discuss it with her before making the purchase. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend you don¡¯t know, Anastasia. The contract is right here; you can¡¯t deny it!¡± Erica pointed the finger at her and shouted. ¡°I¡¯m not! Yes, Dad bought it for me, so what? You have a problem with that?¡± Anastasia raised her eyebrow and asked. ¡°Your father¡¯s money belongs to the whole family, and he also has to get permission from me and Erica before buying you a house. Half of this house will belong to Erica.¡± Naomi immediately fought for some privilege for her daughter. Anastasia found it ridiculous as she looked at Naomi. ¡°This property is under my name, so how can I give half of it to your daughter?¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask Dad to buy a house for me too, or give me 8 million,¡± Erica said haughtily. ¡°Go ahead and ask him, then! Whye to my office?¡± Anastasia put on a haughty expression as she spoke. ¡°Anastasia, I¡¯m here to give you a warning. If you keep asking your dad to buy stuff and give you money behind my back, I¡¯ll break off with him. You¡¯ll be responsible for our divorce when that happens,¡± Naomi threatened. Anastasia smiled wryly. ¡°If that¡¯s so, remember to notify me when you get divorced. I¡¯ll know when to find another woman for Dad, and I guarantee she¡¯ll be better than you.¡± ¡°You,¡± Naomi was so mad she could blow up. Erica also had a sunken expression. ¡°Anastasia, I¡¯ll make you lose your job right now.¡± ¡°What are you nning to do?¡± Anastasia narrowed her eyes and asked. ¡°I¡¯ll tell everyone that you have an illegitimate child, a son you had from being someone¡¯s mistress!¡± Erica shouted, threatening to ruin her reputation. Anastasia snorted. ¡°Should I get a mic for you? So that you can say it louder?¡± ¡°You think I¡¯m too scared to do that?¡± With that, Erica turned around and opened the door, leaving. Naomi was satisfied with her daughter¡¯s boldness, and she also wanted Anastasia to lose this job. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . In the main office, Erica shouted at the top of her lungs, ¡°I have some news for everyone! Anastasia Tillman is a mistress! She destroyed someone else¡¯s family and gave birth to a love child overseas! Be careful of her because she¡¯s a shameless and cunning woman!¡± Instantly, the employees in the office stood up and looked toward Erica, who was shouting. One of them immediately asked, ¡°Really? Miss Tillman is someone¡¯s mistress?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s real. Why would I lie? Also, she had been messing around five years ago, working at a club and selling herself for money¡­ That was why my dad chased her out.¡± Erica proceeded to bring up the events five years ago. While Erica talked animatedly, someone appeared behind her. In the next second, someone grabbed the youngdy¡¯s shoulder andnded a loud p on her face. It was none other than Anastasia because she had had enough of her sister¡¯s nonsense for the past five years. Now, she couldn¡¯t endure it anymore, especially when she heard Erica calling her son an illegitimate child, and that was when Anastasia lost all rationality. ¡°Ah=¡± Erica screamed and tried to hit her back, but Anastasia dodged it just in time. She gripped Erica¡¯s long hair and pinned it to the ground. When Naomi emerged from the office, the first thing she saw was her daughter getting hit, so she immediately blew up. ¡°Anastasia, you b*tch! How dare you hit my daughter! Let go of her!¡± Anastasia¡¯s hair was instantly grabbed as Naomi pulled all the stops to save her daughter. However, Anastasia¡¯s grip on Erica¡¯s hair increased along with the pain she herself felt. ¡°Ah! It hurts! Let go, Anastasia-¡± Erica let out a shriek of pain because Anastasia¡¯s hand grabbed her hair in a death grip. ¡°Let go, you b*tch!¡± Naomi¡¯s heart ached for her daughter, so mad that she raised her arm and delivered a p across Anastasia¡¯s face. Anastasia endured the pain and ryed the p onto Erica¡¯s face. Erica was pinned to the ground, kneeling, and she couldn¡¯t get up or break free, putting her in a convenient position for Anastasia to p. ¡°Hit me once, and I¡¯ll hit her thrice. Try me.¡± Anastasia might look terrible, but her fearsome boldness made up for it. Immediately, Naomi let go of Anastasia, and thetter also saw Felicia bringing people over, so she let go of Erica as well. She held a fistful of broken hair in her hands, and Erica¡¯s swollen face was already pale in pain. Naomi pulled her daughter to her feet, ready for another brawl. Felicia shouted, ¡°Who are you people?! And why are you causing a ruckus in ourpany?¡± Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Anastasia tidied her messy hair, the red shape of a palm obvious on her pretty face. ¡°Chase them out!¡± she said to Felicia. ¡°I am Anastasia¡¯s stepmother, and I have a private business to settle with her,¡± Naomi barked. ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are. This is apany, not the backyard of your house. If you refuse to leave, I¡¯m calling the police.¡± Felicia had no regard for Naomi. Naomi thought she couldn¡¯t involve the police in this matter, so she pulled her daughter along as she said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Erica. We¡¯ll continue thister.¡± Anastasia bit her red lip and let out a sigh as she watched the duo leave. As for the onlookers in the office, most of them couldn¡¯t help but see Anastasia in a new light. Despite her slender frame, she could actually put up a fight against the duo. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Anastasia? How are peopleing over so often to pick on you?¡± Felicia and Anastasia were equally exasperated by the recent events, and thetter made a promise to her superior. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best not to bring personal matters to thepany.¡± Anastasia returned to her office, and she was about to tie her hair up when herndline rang. She reached out and picked it up. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Got into a fight again?¡± A man¡¯s deep and upset voice came from over the phone. Anastasia was speechless. How did this news travel to him so fast? But then she remembered that there were many busybodies in thispany. ¡°Good news. I won,¡± Anastasia replied cheekily. ¡°And you still have the courage to brag. You¡¯re a mother now; it¡¯s unbing to fight all the time,¡± Elliot said in exasperation. Anastasia grinned, but the movement affected the wound on her face, causing her to hiss. ¡°I¡¯ll hang up now. My face hurts.¡± She ended the call right away. Soon, Rey arrived at Anastasia¡¯s office, bringing an ice pack for her. ¡°President Presgrave asked me to deliver this. Please be more careful next time, Miss Tillman.¡± Anastasia gave Rey a look but epted the ice pack anyway. ¡°Thank you, Rey.¡± ¡°You should thank President Presgrave.¡± Rey smiled a little before leaving. Anastasia held the ice pack to her face, and the pain subsided when she realized that the contract was still with her. She sighed, for she couldn¡¯t believe that her father actually bought her a house. Therefore, she took her phone and dialed her father¡¯s number. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Anastasia?¡± ¡°Dad, why didn¡¯t you tell me you bought a house for me?¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°Naomi herself took the contract to my office. Dad, please don¡¯t do this next time, in case she gets upset again.¡± Anastasia still threw in a word of advice for her father. ¡°I¡¯ve been feeling guilty about the past five years, so this is mypensation to you. You can move in next month.¡± ¡°Thanks, Dad.¡± ¡°I also want to give you and Jared a stable home,¡± Francis said. In the president¡¯s office, Rey pulled up a recording of the CCTV in the main office and yed it for Elliot. He stared at the girl rushing out on the screen, and as he heard her words, his eyebrows scrunched up tightly. Anastasia was a mistress, and her kid was a love child? She even sold herself for money at a club five years ago? What? In the recording, Anastasia stormed furiously and gave Erica a p. Then, she grabbed thetter by the hair and pinned Erica to the ground. Immediately after that, another woman rushed out and grabbed Anastasia¡¯s hair, pping her. Then Anastasia pped the girl on the ground a few more times before Felicia appeared and resolved the incident. He had to admit that this woman was a fierce fighter. ¡°Can you find out who fathered Anastasia¡¯s son?¡± Elliot asked Rey. ¡°Our people overseas could only find hospital information about Miss Tillman giving birth to her son. There wasn¡¯t any info on the child¡¯s father,¡± Rey reported. Elliot¡¯s gaze darkened. Could it be that this woman was really someone¡¯s mistress, and she had escaped overseas to give birth to a child she had to bring up on her own?And what of her selling herself at a club five years ago? Was she in dire need of money?Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Elliot closed hisputer. Only Anastasia had the answers to those questions, whether she really was once someone¡¯s shameless mistress who had destroyed the man¡¯s family in the end. ¡°Keep investigating,¡± Elliot ordered in a low voice. Rey voiced his affirmation and left, after which Elliot¡¯s dark gaze fell on a corner. She even gave birth to the child, so what exactly was he expecting? When Erica returned home, she ran back to her room where she dialed Hayley¡¯s number, for she could only vent her anger to Hayley. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°You caused trouble at Anastasia¡¯spany?¡± Hayley asked in shock. ¡°My dad bought her a house worth 8 million behind me and my mom¡¯s back. Why wouldn¡¯t I be pissed?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe Anastasia could do that! Erica, you have to be careful. You mustn¡¯t let her snatch all of your father¡¯s property in the end,¡± Hayley reminded. ¡°Hmph! I¡¯ll never let her off the hook and I won¡¯t let her live in peace either,¡± Erica seethed. ¡°Are you at home, Hayley? Let¡¯s go out for drinks tonight!¡± ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m not feeling too well these days, so I can¡¯t drink for now,¡± Hayley declined. ¡°You should get someone else to apany you.¡± Erica sensed that Hayley was being exceptionally secretive these days because they used to hang out rather often in the past. Over in the luxurious vi, Hayley ended her call with Erica as her gaze darkened. Anastasia¡¯s mother had saved Elliot, which meant that Anastasia could exploit that fact to request anything of him. She could even ask to marry him and it would most probably be done. As for the reason why Anastasia hadn¡¯t made this request yet, it had to be due to her personality. She was a stubborn person and definitely not one to lose her sense of self over riches. In short, she lived quite the sober life. Hence, she wouldn¡¯t marry someone just because she wanted to repay some kindness. She had said in high school that she hated the person who caused her mother¡¯s death, so could it be that Anastasia still hated Elliot for that? No matter what might happen, Hayley had to stop Anastasia from making that request and the best way to achieve that was to show Anastasia how intimate she herself was with Elliot. Then, Anastasia would hate both herself and Elliot even more. Hayley took a nce at the time. It was almost time for people to get off work, so she should also head off and pay Bourgeois a visit. She enjoyed the treatment that was fit for a rich youngdy when she drove in the sports car Elliot gave her. Whenever she was on the road before this, she could only admire the rich, beautiful daughters of wealthy families. Now, she herself had be the object of admiration too. All eyes would be on her whenever she stopped on the road. The young men would gape in awe and her vain heart would be immensely satisfied. Hayley got on the elevator and headed right for the design department at Bourgeois. Her appearance had brought about the looks of admiration and respect from all the female employees in the office because she was the wife of their boss. She immediately walked to the door of Anastasia¡¯s office and proceeded to open the door without so much as a greeting. Anastasia was gathering her things and ready to go home when she saw Hayley barging in. Her expression darkened as she asked, ¡°What are you here for?¡± Hayley was wearing a V-neck dress with a set of jewelry that shone brilliantly on her chest. It was the exact jewelry that was on disy that day. She touched it and said to Anastasia, ¡°Elliot gave me this. Does it look good on me?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re looking to show off, you have approached the wrong person.¡± Anastasia stared at Hayley coldly since she knew the woman well enough. Hayley didn¡¯te from a rich family, but her vanity was second to none. As soon as she received something nice, she would show it off to everyone whom she knew. ¡°I¡¯m here to invite Elliot to dinner. We still have a romantic date waiting for us tonight, so I won¡¯t hold you up.¡± She was actually here to unt her rtionship with Elliot ¡°Although I have no idea how blind he had to be to see something in you, anyone with eyes would know that he deserves better,¡± Anastasia retorted mercilessly. Hayley¡¯s expression sank and she snorted. ¡°Anastasia, you don¡¯t know how he sees me at all. What right do you have to say that?¡± ¡°Then, tell me, how did you reel him in?¡± Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Chapter 32 ¡°That¡¯s none of your business. Whatever that needs to happen between us has already happened. You don¡¯t know how much he loves me. He gives me everything I ask of him.¡± Hayley raised her eyebrow gleefully. Anastasia was stunned for a few seconds. Looks like they have already slept together? Looks like I have underestimated Hayley¡¯s abilities. ¡°Anastasia, don¡¯t tell me you have fallen for him too?¡± Hayley asked tentatively. ¡°What? Are you scared that I¡¯ll snatch him from you?¡± Anastasia wasn¡¯t stupid. Of course Hayley was scared of her and wouldn¡¯t let her live in peace. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Y-You won¡¯t be able to take him away.¡± Hatred shed across Hayley¡¯s eyes. Anastasia felt ufortable as she recalled the kissing incident in the carst night. If Elliot really slept with Hayley, Anastasia really didn¡¯t want to do anything intimate with him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everything you¡¯ve used before is dirty to me,¡± she responded coldly. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll tell Elliot every word you said then.¡± Hayley sneered, assuming that Anastasia would be scared because she had said something wrong. On the contrary, Anastasia was quite generous about it. ¡°Then, make sure you don¡¯t miss even a syble. Try mimicking my tone so that you can be more convincing as well.¡± Shock was evident in Hayley¡¯s eyes. Anastasia was exuding confidence from head to toe, which was exactly what Hayley was envious about. Hayley still left in the end, after which Anastasia let out a sigh. If Hayley came looking to show off, she wouldn¡¯t be getting what she came for. In the president¡¯s office. Hayley knocked on the door. ¡°Come in,¡± a man¡¯s deep and alluring voice responded. She opened the door to see a handsome figure seated on the couch before she called in a sickly sweet voice, ¡°Elliot.¡± Elliot narrowed his eyes and asked. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°I got too bored, so I wanted to go for a walk.¡± With that, Hayley bit her red lips in a pitiful manner, then took a seat beside him and stayed silent. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did someone bully you?¡± He could sense that she was upset. ¡°I went to see Anastasia just now. I wanted to apologize for what happenedst time, but she¡­ But she refused to ept my apology and chased me out. She even said¡­¡± Elliot frowned. ¡°What did she say?¡± ¡°She asked about our rtionship, so I told her that we have the most intimate rtionship. Then, she suddenly said that everything I¡¯ve used is dirty to her.¡± Hayley¡¯s eyes were filled with displeasure. Elliot immediately understood that he was the dirty one that the woman mentioned. He couldn¡¯t help but snort in secret. Me? Dirty? Then, why did she initiate that kissst night? Now she¡¯s saying that I¡¯m dirty? What an ungrateful woman. Hayley was secretly observing the expressions of the man beside her. However, she found him spacing out and lost in his thoughts with no intention offorting her. Doesn¡¯t Elliot know that Anastasia was insulting him? ¡°All right, don¡¯te to thepany anymore if there¡¯s nothing important. There¡¯s so much anger in this ce that you might get upset again.¡± Elliot quietlyforted her with the intention to instruct her as well. ¡°What if I miss you, though?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll visit you when I have the time. Otherwise, you can just give me a call, message me, or get me on a video call.¡± Elliot looked at Hayley. Even though she now gave him apletely different impression from 5 years ago, he still wouldn¡¯t mistreat her. As Hayley gazed at the man¡¯s perfect profile, she suddenly caught sight of a red mark on his neck. She gasped and hastily leaned closer to him to have a look. ¡°Elliot, what happened to your neck?¡± ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just an allergic reaction.¡± Elliot adjusted his cor to hide the mark. ¡°How did you get it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m allergic to seafood,¡± he exined in a low voice as he got up. ¡°Please wait while I deal with some emails.¡± Elliot walked over to his desk while Hayley went to the washroom to fix her makeup. She rose to her full height and walked to the washroom, after which she opened the door and entered a cubicle. As soon as she went in, a few female employees also entered¡°Girls, I saw it clearly when I went to deliver the documents earlier. That mark on President Presgrave¡¯s neck is a hickey.¡± Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Chapter 33 ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°Really? Then, is his girlfriend showing off their rtionship on purpose? That would exin why she would leave a mark on a spot as obvious as his neck.¡± ¡°Yes! This means that President Presgrave is a man as hot as fire. I wonder how it feels like to stir things up on the bed with him.¡± ¡°Wait, who in ourpany has the ability to get on his bed?¡± ¡°I think Anastasia has a good chance. She¡¯s beautiful, of course, but she has also dodged getting fired despite all the trouble she caused. I won¡¯t believe it if she isn¡¯t involved with President Presgrave in that sense. You do know that he fired Mr. Lawrence the other day, right? And Mr. Lawrence onlymitted a tiny mistake.¡± ¡°Could it be that the hickey wasn¡¯t from his girlfriend but Anastasia instead? And she ced it there as a challenge to President Presgrave¡¯s girlfriend?¡± The three female employees allowed their imagination to run wild, as if they were actually writers of detective novels. In the cubicle, Hayley¡¯s expression kept shifting. She had already suspected that the mark on Elliot¡¯s neck wasn¡¯t due to an allergy, but she never expected it to be a hickey. The girlfriend they were referring to must be Hayley herself, but the hickey had nothing to do with her. If it wasn¡¯t her, then some other woman must have done it. Who was with himst night? Was it really Anastasia? Hayley was green with so much jealousy that it seemed to overwhelm her. If not Anastasia, then who? Was there any other woman by Elliot¡¯s side that he would willingly get so intimate with? No matter who it was, Hayley wanted her gone. Elliot could only be hers and hers alone. She returned to the office to see Rey sitting on the couch, but Elliot was nowhere in sight. ¡°Where¡¯s Elliot?¡± ¡°Apologies, Miss Seymour. President Presgrave had matters to take care of at the main office, so he asked me to take you home instead,¡± said Rey courteously. Immense disappointment welled up in Hayley¡¯s heart. Although Elliot had fulfilled her material needs generously, he had never been intimate with her before. She felt like they were both close and distant at the same time. Moreover, she had helplessly fallen for him. She would think about him every day to the point where she wished to offer herself to him as soon as possible. She didn¡¯t want some materialpensation; she wanted his everything, to be his Mrs. Presgrave. ¡°I drove here myself. Rey, was Elliot working overtimest night?¡± Hayley asked curiously. Rey nodded. ¡°Yes! President Presgrave has been working overtime in thepany these days.¡± Hayley pursed her lips. ¡°Then, tell him to rest more often, and don¡¯t overwork himself.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Rey smiled. Then, Hayley took her bag and left. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder who was the woman apanying Elliotst night. At this moment, Hayley¡¯s phone rang. It was a call from Erica. ¡°Hayley, I¡¯m sad! Drink with me, please!¡± Hayley herself wasn¡¯t in a good mood either, so she responded, ¡°Sure, where are you? I¡¯lle and get you.¡± An hourter, she had removed all the jewelry she was wearing and tied up her hair to meet Erica. When Erica saw Hayley, she felt that Hayley was much prettier with a clearer skin. ¡°What are you up to these days?¡± Erica asked as she sat with Hayley in a music bar. ¡°I¡¯m frequenting a beauty salon these days.¡± Hayley also knew that she had be much prettier. ¡°Oh, hey, are you wearing thattest outfit from Chanel? I saw it online before.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a high quality replica. It was difficult for me to purchase it,¡± Hayley immediately lied. Erica hastily scooted over to touch the fabric. ¡°This fabric is excellent; it¡¯s like the real deal! Where did you get it? I want one too.¡± ¡°It was the only one in stock.¡± With that, Hayley changed the topic. ¡°How are you these days?¡± ¡°That b*tch Anastasia ruined my family. My dad is spending less time at home now as he¡¯s choosing to head to her ce whenever he has the time. He was even at her cest night until around 10 something and it was almost early morning when he came back.¡± ¡°Why?¡± a curious Hayley asked. ¡°Anastasia said that she had to work overtime, so she asked my dad to babysit her son. I think she¡¯s just ordering my dad around so that she can have fun outside.¡± Hayley could feel her mind buzzing. Rey had said that Elliot was working overtime in thepanyst night and Anastasia was also working overtime-at the same ce and time? Do such coincidences exist? Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Could it be that they had done something unspeakable in the office? Was Anastasia lying when she said that she didn¡¯t like Elliot? Was she already entangled with Elliot a long time ago? So, Anastasia had intentionally nted the hickey on Elliot¡¯s neck for Hayley to see. Hatred and jealousy burned brightly in Hayley¡¯s eyes as she thought, Anastasia is really wretched. Anastasia said she didn¡¯t like him, but she was secretly seducing him. How did she be so cunning in 5 years? Hayley decided she could not underestimate Anastasia after all. ¡°How shameless,¡± Hayley growled through gritted teeth. Erica immediately agreed. ¡°I know, right? She has no shame! She grabbed a bunch of my hair today and caused my face to be swollen. I won¡¯t let her off the hook so easily.¡± Hayley¡¯s words weren¡¯t only said on Erica¡¯s behalf, but it was also expressed for her own sake. ¡°How old is Anastasia¡¯s son?¡± Hayley asked curiously. Erica immediately took out her phone and flipped through her album before she stopped at a few photos. ¡°Here. I secretly took a few photos at home. I wonder who this mutt¡¯s dad is.¡± When Hayley took the phone and saw the boy¡¯s face in the photo, her pupils immediately wavered. She was so shocked that her mind wentpletely nk in an instant. How can this be? How can Anastasia¡¯s son resemble Elliot so much? She continued to look through the photos, and the more she did so, the more terrified she became. Her suspicions were even turningConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . into confirmation. Anastasia¡¯s son wasn¡¯t any mutt from a random man. He was conceived from a seed nted by Elliot himself 5 years ago and she had quietly delivered the child abroad. ¡°How old is he?¡± ¡°That wretched Anastasia imed that he¡¯s 3, but I don¡¯t believe it. No 3-year-old would be this tall,¡± Erica answered, thinking that Anastasia was full of lies. As Hayley looked at the child on the phone screen, she could only feel a hand close around her heart and was close to gasping. Anastasia didn¡¯t know that Elliot was the man from 5 years ago, so she naturally didn¡¯t know that her son was Elliot¡¯s child. Now, Anastasia¡¯s rtionship with Elliot had turned far moreplicated than her mother¡¯s sacrifice in exchange for Elliot¡¯s safety. Now, the most important thing was that her son had the blood of the Presgrave Family running in his veins. Hayley was on the verge of despair. How was Anastasia so lucky? Just one night 5 years ago and she already has Elliot¡¯s child? She decided that she had to be together with Elliot as soon as possible. It was only through having Elliot¡¯s child that she would gain the necessary power to fight Anastasia. Then, Anastasia¡¯s son would mean nothing whereas it would be her own son being the heir of the Presgrave Family¡¯s empire. With that in mind, Hayley seemed to have revived herself. ¡°Hayley, why are you zoning out? Is everything okay these days?¡± Erica noticed that Hayley had a dark expression. 11 TL ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I was just too busy, so I couldn¡¯t think straight,¡± Hayley lied while wearing an exhausted front. Erica didn¡¯t doubt her. If she had known that Hayley was living the luxurious life and consuming only the finest goods possible, she would probably be mad with jealousy. It was because in Erica¡¯s eyes, Hayley was always following her. Hence, this was Hayley¡¯s deepest hatred. She had lived like a dog before, where no one acknowledged her. She swore that she would someday be the Young Mistress of the Presgrave Family, so that she could finally be proud and respected by everyone else. After getting off from work that day, Anastasia went to pick up her son. When they arrived at their little home at night, she cooked some dishes, one of which was her son¡¯s favorite chicken casserole. The boy could wolf down the entire thing. ¡°Mommy, Grandpa said that you¡¯re not young anymore and he wants you to find a life partner,¡± the little guy suddenly piped up. She couldn¡¯t help bursting intoughter. ¡°I have you with me and we¡¯re best partners, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Mommy, Grandpa also asked me who my daddy is. Can you ask him toe back?¡± the little boy asked. Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Anastasia stoppedughing and looked at her son earnestly. ¡°Jared, let¡¯s not look for Daddy, okay? Mommy can raise you all by herself.¡± ¡°Grandpa said that it¡¯s not right of my daddy to avoid taking responsibility, though. He has to be responsible toward you and me,¡± the little boy said with an adult-like expression. Anastasia was speechless. Why did her father talk about such things with her son? ¡°Grandpa said that he will grow old and one day won¡¯t be able to take care of us anymore.¡± She could now feel the tearsing. Her father was worried that he would grow old and frail, hence unable to take care of her and her son. She tried to suppress the tears as she responded, ¡°Be good, Jared. I¡¯ll be strong and take care of both you and Grandpa.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll also grow up quickly and be very tall, so I can take care of Mommy and Grandpa.¡± With that, the little guy returned to scarfing down his dinner. Anastasia¡¯s heart softened at his words. Her son was everything to her, so she absolutely must build a protective environment for him. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . The next day was a Saturday. It was early in the morning and she thought she wouldn¡¯t have to go to work, but then she received a call from Felicia. ¡°Anastasia, why aren¡¯t you here for overtime?¡± ¡°I have to?¡± Anastasia sat up and ced her hand to her forehead as she asked. Why was it necessary to work overtime when they were the local branch? ¡°Because we¡¯re putting out the newest release soon. It¡¯s customary to work overtime during these few weeks. Come on over now!¡± ¡°In that case¡­ Can I bring my son to the office?¡± Anastasia hastily asked. ¡°All right, sure.¡± Felicia agreed, for she knew Anastasia was a single mother. Anastasia immediately woke her son up with kisses and told him, ¡°Jared, let¡¯s go. Come with me to the office for overtime.¡± The little guy seemed to be still half-asleep, but he nodded anyway. She led her son downstairs and hailed a cab to the office. She had bought some bread on the way for breakfast and it was already 9:50AM when she arrived at thepany Grace was bringing in coffee when she saw the cute boy on the couch, which immediately stunned her. ¡°Wow! Oh my goodness! He¡¯s too cute!¡± The little guy wore a ck T-shirt paired with jeans. His ck hair had covered his full little forehead and a pair of huge bright eyes shone like jewels as they peeked out from under his dense and curly eyshes. His features were exquisite and pretty, like a beautiful doll. ¡°Hey, little guy, did you get your eyshes curled when you were still in your mother¡¯s stomach? They¡¯re so long and curly!¡± Grace said in admiration. Hearing that, Anastasia could only say that the host that night wasn¡¯t too shabby himself either. As Anastasia was perusing the documents with her head lowered, Grace took the opportunity to reach out with her hand. The little guy looked at her in anger. ¡°Miss, can you stop pinching my cheeks? It hurts.¡± ¡°Sorry, sorry. Your face is just so squishy that I couldn¡¯t help it. I¡¯ll stop now,¡± Grace hastily apologized. At this moment, Anastasia answered a call from Felicia. ¡°Come to my office for a bit.¡± ¡°Grace, I¡¯m going to Director Evans¡¯ office for a while. Look after Jared for me while I¡¯m gone.¡± ¡°Of course! No problem.¡± Grace gestured with an ¡®okay¡¯ sign. At the underground carpark of Bourgeois, a low key yet luxurious Bentley had just pulled up whereby Elliot alighted from the driver¡¯s seat. He had just received a call from Larry, informing him that there was an important document he needed to sign. It was then that he realized that the entire Bourgeois staff was working overtime. Larry offered to bring the document over to him, but since Elliot was coincidentally in the area, he came to the office on his own instead. He pressed the elevator button and rode the elevator up to his office. Grace yed with the little kid for a while before remembering that there was a document she was supposed to get signed. She told the child, ¡°Jared, promise me you¡¯ll not wander anywhere. I¡¯lle back right after I deliver a document, okay?¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The little guy nodded obediently. She hadn¡¯t been gone for long when Jared needed to head to the bathroom. He opened the office door and ran out to the bathroom located on the same floor, only to find a sign saying ¡®under maintenance¡¯ hanging outside. The little guy immediately ran to the elevator and pressed the button to head up. Soon, the elevator doors opened with a ding. He looked up to see a tall man in the elevator. As soon as he raised his head, he asked, ¡°Sir, where is the bathroom? I need to pee.¡± Upon the child¡¯s sudden questioning, Elliot was surprised before his reserved dark gaze fell on the child whose height only reached his thighs. He was stunned for a few seconds as he saw the child¡¯s lifted face. Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Where did this boye from? ¡°Sir, please hurry up and take me there. I can¡¯t hold it in anymore!¡± The little kid gripped Elliot¡¯s pants as he shouted with a red face. Elliot responded in a low voice, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take you there.¡± The elevator doors opened with a ding. He bent over and carried the child in his arms as he strode toward the bathroom. Elliot took the child inside and guarded as the little guy began to relieve himself. After the little guy was done, he sighed in contentment before he finally remembered to thank this handsome passerby. ¡°Thank you, Sir.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your name? Why are you here?¡± Elliot couldn¡¯t help but ask in curiosity. ¡°My name is Jared Tillman and I came to apany my mommy to work,¡± Jared answered in a clear voice. Elliot frowned. ¡°Is your mother Anastasia Tillman?¡± ¡°Do you know my mommy, Sir?¡± He was only taking a stab in the dark as well. Anastasia was a single mother, so her son probably had herst name. The little guy ran out and washed his hands. As he looked at the reflection of the tall man in the mirror, he suddenlymented, ¡°Sir, we look like each other!¡± Elliot froze before he earnestly examined their faces and realized that they had indeed resembled each other. Their eyes, eyebrows, nose, lips, and even the curve of their chins were exactly the same. ¡°Sir, are you single? Do you have a girlfriend?¡± The inquisitive little guy raised his head and asked. Elliot could see what the kid was thinking behind those huge eyes of his. However, despite knowing the child¡¯s intentions, he told the truth. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m single. I don¡¯t have a girlfriend.¡± ¡°Then, will you consider my mommy? She¡¯s young, beautiful and has a good figure. She¡¯s also kind and gentle on top of cooking very well.¡± The little guy began advertising his mother. He wanted to solve his grandpa¡¯s troubles and also to look for a man to take care of his mommy. Surprise colored Elliot¡¯s eyes. This little guy is pretty interesting, he thought. He narrowed his eyes and responded, ¡°Then, you¡¯ll have to ask her whether she¡¯s willing to marry me. If she is, I¡¯ll be willing to take her hand.¡± The little guy blinked with hisrge eyes, happy to know that everyone had loved his mother. After all, this handsome man said he was willing to marry her right off the bat. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll ask for you. What¡¯s your name?¡± The little guy nodded earnestly, walking toward the elevator when he was done washing his hands. ¡°My name is Elliot Presgrave,¡± the man replied in his deep and alluring voice.Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Okay! Got it.¡± The little guymitted it to memory. For some reason, he wanted to stay with this handsome man for a bit longer. ¡°Sir, my mommy is in a meeting now, so can I go to your office to y?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Elliot nodded. He was just leading the little guy out when two employees came walking from the other direction. They were instantly shocked when they saw the little guy next to Elliot. President Presgrave has a son? ¡°President Presgrave, I assume this is your son? He¡¯s too cute!¡± ¡°Yes! He looks just like you!¡± The two female employees eximed in surprise. Elliot frowned as he looked at the little guy next to him. Do we look so simr? Me and this kid? Then, he looked at the little guy. Even though the child wasn¡¯t his son, he somehow still felt attached to him and couldn¡¯t help but want to pamper him. His grandmother was right to urge him to take care of the child because he could feel an indescribable affinity to this child. In the meeting room, Grace opened the door and rushed in with a panicked expression. ¡°Anastasia, Jared is missing.¡± ¡°What?¡± Anastasia immediately rose to her feet and ran out of the meeting room without another word. She saw that her son was indeed missing from her office, and Grace had also rified that she had searched the entire floor, but to no avail. At this moment, an assistant arrived from the 8th floor to deliver documents and said to Anastasia, ¡°Miss Tillman, I saw a child with President Presgrave just now!¡± Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Anastasia hurriedly took the elevator to the 8th floor. She stood in front of the president¡¯s office and knocked on the door before she opened it without even waiting for a response. When she spotted her son seated on Elliot¡¯s couch, she immediately sighed in relief before shouting in anger, ¡°Jared, are you trying to give me the fright of my life?! Why did you run off like that?!¡± Jared didn¡¯t expect his actions to have frightened his mother so much that she went pale. He hastily ran over and wrapped his arms around her leg. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± Anastasia also realized that she had overreacted, so she hugged him and sighed again. ¡°Don¡¯t do that again.¡± ¡°Go back to work and leave him to me. I¡¯ll babysit him for you.¡± A man¡¯s voice rang out from behind them. She was stunned. This man must be trying to repay some kindness, but she didn¡¯t want to ept any help from him apart from work. Moreover, she didn¡¯t feel the need to bother him with a task like babysitting. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Thanks for the offer,¡± a reluctant Anastasia replied. ¡°Mommy, I like being with Mr. Handsome. Can you let me stay here until you get off work? Please?¡± The little guy asked happily with obvious anticipation on his face. Anastasia was speechless at her son¡¯s behavior. He could have chosen anyone to stick to, but of all the people, he chose Elliot. ¡°No. Come back to my office. I still have a meeting to attend, but I¡¯ll treat you to something lovely for lunch.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to! I want to y here in Mr. Handsome¡¯s office.¡± The little guy began to sulk, which was actually rare for him. Knowing that the meeting was still ongoing with theunch event for their new release on the agenda, Anastasia gritted her teeth. She looked up at the impressive man in front of her before saying, ¡°Then, please help me look after him for a while. ¡°Sure!¡± Elliot nodded. ¡°Jared, don¡¯t cause any trouble, okay? Mommy is going back to the meeting.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be good,¡± the little guy promised. Anastasia turned and left for the meeting. The little guy happily sat on the couch again, then fished out a Rubik¡¯s cube from his backpack and began ying with it. Elliot sat right opposite him and watched the little guy skillfully rotate the cube. Jaredpleted the puzzle within 2 minutes, a clear indication of his marvelous IQ. ¡°Who taught you that?¡± ¡°I learnt it myself. Mr. Handsome, how long would you take toplete it?¡± The little guyughed as he asked. Elliot took the cube and scrambled it, then hepleted the puzzle within 10 seconds. He threw the item back to the little guy, who gaped as he looked at Elliot in admiration. ¡°You¡¯re awesome, Sir!¡± It was just a little kid¡¯s praise, but Elliot felt extremely good about it. He grinned andmented, ¡°You¡¯re quite good yourself too.¡± || If one were to chance upon this scene, one would be amazed to discover that the two looked exactly the same when they smiled. Anastasia returned to the meeting room. Fortunately, Felicia didn¡¯t say much about the interlude and it was time for lunch by the time the meeting was done. Anastasia was wondering where she should bring her son for lunch when thendline rang. She reached over and answered, ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Jared ising with me for lunch. Come and join us. We¡¯re at the restaurant opposite thepany.¡± The man¡¯s low voice sounded, apparently not taking ¡®no¡¯ for an answer. Her mind began to buzz. Elliot has taken my son to lunch? Without my permission?Damn, this man just took my son away without any notice. How disrespectful! Anastasia grabbed her phone and bag before she hastily went out. The restaurant opposite the company was of a higher status, and when she walked into the hall, she immediately spotted her son and Elliot seated by the window. Anastasia took a deep breath and walked over to sit next to her son. ¡°This lunch is my treat, as my thanks to President Presgrave for taking care of my son.¡± With that, she finally felt better about the situation. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Elliot gazed at her with a meaningful gaze, his thoughtsplicated. This woman had refused even a little bit of kindness from him. ¡°Mommy, Mr. Handsome only needs 10 seconds to solve the Rubik¡¯s cube,¡± the little guymented as he wanted his mommy to know how excellent Mr. Handsome was as a person. She smiled carelessly. ¡°Oh, really?¡± After having their orders taken, they were served some ice cream before the meal. The little guy happily took some right away and began to eat. As Anastasia knew that Jared had stomach problems since he was young, he couldn¡¯t eat too much alkaline food. Hence, she suggested, ¡°Let me try some too.¡± ¡°Here, Mommy.¡± The little guy scooped some ice cream up for her, which she hastily ate. Moments after that, he scooped up some more and looked toward the man sitting opposite them. ¡°Sir, do you want some too?¡± Anastasia immediately panicked as she hastily stopped him. ¡°Jared, I ate from this spoon earlier, so you mustn¡¯t offer it to someone else. It¡¯s not polite.¡± However, the man sitting opposite them narrowed his eyes, thinking, We¡¯ve already kissed before, so why do you care? Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Property ? N?velDrama.Org. The little guy could only eat it on his own while Anastasia had also eaten a fair share of the ice cream. The man opposite them watched their interactions and couldn¡¯t help but find the scene interesting. He was suddenly extremely curious about the identity of the child¡¯s father. What sort of man did this woman sleep with to give birth to this child? At this moment, Elliot¡¯s phone rang. He took the device out and gave it a nce before picking up the call. ¡°Hello, Hayley.¡± ¡°Elliot, where are you? Can you have dinner with me tonight?¡± ¡°I¡¯m at thepany.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to work overtime, right?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something important I have to attend to.¡± ¡°B-But I want you with me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll call you after I¡¯m done, alright?¡± Elliot coaxed her in his gentlest voice. Anastasia immediately knew that it was Hayley. She looked up at the man opposite her and noticed his gentle expression as he coaxed Hayley just like a lover would. It looks like Hayley never lied after all. It was true that she was someone important to Elliot. ¡°President Presgrave, is Hayley your girlfriend?¡± Anastasia¡¯s gaze was sharp as she looked at the man in front of her. ¡°We¡¯re just friends,¡± Elliot exined in a low voice. ¡°Mr. Handsome is single. He doesn¡¯t have a girlfriend,¡± the little guy suddenly testified. She turned to look at her son. ¡°And how do you know?¡± ¡°He told me himself. He also said that as long as you¡¯re willing to marry him, he¡¯s willing to marry you too. Mommy, let¡¯s not be picky, all right? Just get married!¡± The 4-year-old kid was worrying about his mother. Anastasia was dumbfounded. Then, she narrowed her eyes as she shot a warning re at the man opposite her. What did he tell Jared? However, she was met with aplicated and meaningful gaze. ¡°You can consider the proposal,¡± Elliot added in a low voice. She replied without hesitation, ¡°I shall not.¡± ¡°I quite like Jared and I¡¯m willing to take care of you both all my life.¡± He looked at the little guy and realized that the reluctance in his heart had disappeared without a trace. He was genuinely willing to take care of them. Anastasia had other ideas. She knew that the man had said those words without fully meaning it. He just wanted to repay the kindness and topensate for the fact that her mother had sacrificed herself to save him. And she wanted this man to remember how great her mother¡¯s sacrifice was, and it wasn¡¯t something that could bepensated with repaying kindness. Moreover, she was still greatly bothered about the fact that this man had slept with Hayley before. She had only kissed him that night, but she was already disgusted about it after she knew about the rtionship that Hayley and Elliot had. In that case, what were the chances of her marrying him? None. Never ¡°I don¡¯t need it, thanks,¡± Anastasia politely declined. Elliot looked at her as well and their gazes met; oneplex and messy while the other calm and clear. After lunch, Anastasia hurriedly left with her son. The little guy didn¡¯t forget to look back and bid the man goodbye. ¡°Goodbye, Mr. Presgrave.¡± ¡°Goodbye.¡± Elliot waved at the little guy. Anastasia had taken the afternoon off, for she wanted to take her son on a visit to the museum in the city. It was already evening by the time they had finished a round in the museum. Anastasia bought some groceries and returned to their apartment. Jared then went to y so that she could focus on preparing dinner. Then, a message notification rang on her phone at this time. It was from Nigel. ¡®I¡¯m getting off the ne at 10.00AM tomorrow. Will you and Jarede and pick me up?¡¯ Anastasia thought that she would be holed up at home with her son over the weekend anyway, so meeting Nigel sounded like a good idea. She sent her reply, ¡®Sure! See you at the airport tomorrow. ¡®Can¡¯t wait to see you two. ¡®You¡¯ll see us when youe back tomorrow. ¡®Wait for me, I¡¯ll bring gifts. Anastasia smiled as she replied, ¡®It better not be the exorbitant ones or I won¡¯t ept them. She informed her son about itter that night. The little guy was also ted at the idea of meeting Nigel. After all, Nigel often came over to y with him when they were living abroad, just like a real uncle would. Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Chapter 39 In a private luxury vi halfway up the mountain, Elliot received a call from his grandmother. Since her beloved grandson wasing back, she asked Elliot to search for the time to pick him up tomorrow and they would have lunch at the Presgrave Residence right afier that. Elliot agreed. Later, he asked his assistant to send Nigel¡¯s flight information over and saw that he should pick Nigel up at 10.00AM tomorrow. That weekend, Anastasia apanied her son to have breakfast at a restaurant outside at 8:30AM. After checking the time, she went toward the direction of the airport at her own pace. Then, she decided to look for a cafe to pass the time in the airport At 9:30AM, Anastasia apanied her son to watch the nes take off by therge windows. Finally, at 9:50AM, she led her son toward the airport¡¯s arrivals section, but it was already crowded with people waiting for their loved ones. Holding her son¡¯s hand, she waited in the open space next to the arrivals. The travelers finally emerged one after another. Amidst the crowd was a particrly dazzling figure who soon stepped forward. The man was wearing a blue shirt and casual jeans while a pair of sunsses was perched on his thick hair. His facial features were handsome and charming, and he was surrounded by a superior aura. In fact, he was more eye-catching than celebrities. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°Mr. Nigel!¡± Jared ran over immediately while Anastasia also rushed over. Nigel immediately pushed his trolley aside, then squatted down and hugged the little boy. ¡°Hello, boy! Did you miss me?¡± ¡°Yes! Yes I did.¡± Jared nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you too.¡± After speaking, Nigel carried the little boy to ce him on the trolley and steadily pushed the trolley toward Anastasia, who also smiled at him as she waited for him toe over. At this moment, at the entrance of another passage, a handsome and mature figure quickly walked in with his assistant Rey. Elliot waste. However, he immediately saw Nigel at first nce and also saw that slender figure as well as the little boy sitting on the trolley at the same time. Il turned out that Anastasia was also here. Just when Elliot decided to head over, he saw Nigel tightly hugging Anastasia. Seeing that, he halted all of a sudden among the crowd 10 meters away. His pupils shrank while he continued looking at the pair who were in a tight embrace. At this time, his mind was filled with extremelyplicated thoughts. ¡°President Presgrave, do we still go forward?¡± Rey asked. Elliot looked at the pair still in their embrace indifferently, his handsome face a little ugly. ¡°It seems that he doesn¡¯t need me to pick him up after all. Let¡¯s go back!¡± Elliot didn¡¯t wait for Rey to react before he turned to leave. The back of his figure seemed to emanate anger at this point. Anastasia, who was suddenly hugged by Nigel, froze for a few seconds before she patted the man who was hugging her tightly. ¡°Enough. You¡¯ve squeezed me for too long and I¡¯m almost out of breath.¡± Nigel smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you! How can you understand that without me hugging you?¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go!¡± she said to him. Thus, the group of three walked out of the airport. He didn¡¯t let anyone from his familye to pick him up while she had taken a cab here, so they could only wait for a cab. At this moment, a ck car drove over and the driver inside was Elliot¡¯s driver. ¡°Young Master Nigel, please get in the car.¡± ¡°Hey! Logan, why are you here?¡± Nigel asked in surprise. ¡°Young Master Elliot arranged for me toe,¡± Logan exined while getting out of the car, then hurriedly carried the luggage to ce it in the trunk. In the car behind, Elliot, who had not left, sat in Rey¡¯s car while staring at the person in front of him. Elliot saw Nigel hug the little boy and kiss him before cing him in the back seat. Then, Anastasia entered the car while Nigel took the front passenger seat. ¡°President Presgrave, it seems that Young Master Nigel and Miss Tillman have a good rtionship,¡± Reymented. ¡°Return to Presgrave Residence,¡± Elliot ordered. Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Chapter 40 On the way, Nigel received a call from his grandmother. However, since he had already agreed to apany Anastasia and her son for lunch, he decided to only return to Presgrave Residence for dinner at night. In the restaurant, Nigel talked about his ns to return to the country. He had returned to inherit the family business this time. ¡°What exactly does your family do? Can you tell me specifically?¡± an inquisitive Anastasia asked. Nigel gave a mysterious smile; he had deliberately concealed his family background abroad and she had only known him as an ordinary hotel manager. At this moment, he didn¡¯t want to hide the truth anymore, so he pointed to the most luxurious hotel outside the window and said, ¡°That belongs to my family.¡± Anastasia turned to look out the window. It was a 7-star luxury hotel, yet it turned out to be owned by his family? ¡°My family has businesses in 36 countries around the world. The hotel that I interned at abroad is also owned by my family. Anastasia, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to hide it from you,¡± he apologized. She smiled. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I didn¡¯t expect you to be the young master of a wealthy family.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. To you, I¡¯m still me; nothing has changed,¡± he hurriedly exined. Anastasia shrugged and exined, ¡°I¡¯m also lucky to be able to be friends with you! I can proudly say to the outside world that I am friends with you!¡± Nigel looked at her with a wry smile. Why did she just want to be his friend? He wanted to have a more intimate rtionship with her. However, he was not in a hurry and could wait for her. In the afternoon, he apanied Jared to go shopping for clothes and toys. If Anastasia hadn¡¯t stopped him, he would probably have moved the entire Lego store home for Jared. She knew that he was wealthy, but he couldn¡¯t spoil her son so much because she was afraid that Jared would be a spoiled brat. The little boy was ted today because he had received many gifts, all of which were his favorites. The little boy went to the room to unpack the gifts in Anastasia¡¯s apartment. Then, she poured a ss of water for Nigel and asked curiously, ¡°Nigel, do you know Elliot?¡± He almost choked on the water when he heard that, after which he hurriedly covered his thin lips and coughed. ¡°Anastasia, you¡¯re not in love with him, are you?¡± After being stunned for a few seconds, Anastasia frowned. ¡°Why do you think so?¡± ¡°I admit that he is the only man more handsome and more attractive than me in this world. I am afraid that you will fall in love with him, and if that¡¯s the case, I won¡¯t be able to win the fight,¡± Nigel said somewhat jokingly. ¡°You know him?¡± ¡°He¡¯s my cousin,¡± he exined. Hearing that, Anastasia was shocked and speechless. What? Is Elliot Nigel¡¯s cousin? No wonder his family is wealthy! It turned out that they¡¯re family! ¡°Anastasia, I know that he has acquired QR International Group and is now your new boss. Do you like him?¡± She retorted indifferently, ¡°No. Don¡¯t talk nonsense! Do you think I¡¯m such a superficial person?¡± A grinning Nigel immediately rxed. ¡°Of course, I know you have an entric character. Otherwise, based on my appearance alone, you would have fallen in love with me a long time ago.¡± Anastasia smiled before she looked at the time and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going back to your family for dinner? Go ahead! It¡¯s already 5:30PM.¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll contact you tomorrow then.¡± Nigel returned to the room, said goodbye to the little boy, and then left. She was sitting on the sofa, still lost for words about how she got to know more of Elliot¡¯s family. No wonder Elliot didn¡¯t allow her to talk about what happened that night. So, was he also afraid of being humiliated? When Monday came, Anastasia sent her son to kindergarten. Seeing how obediently her son went to school, she also went to work with a great peace of mind. As soon as she arrived at the office, she was greeted by everyone¡¯s attention. She didn¡¯t know what had happened until a female assistant said to her, ¡°Miss Tillman, your boyfriend is so handsome!¡±. Boyfriend? What boyfriend? Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Chapter 41 She had just arrived at the office when she saw the young man sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed before noticing the stunning bouquet of red roses on her desk. Seeing all that, she didn¡¯t know whether tough or to cry. ¡°Young Master Nigel, why are you here so early in the morning?¡± Anastasia asked helplessly. ¡°I¡¯m here to see your working environment. This office is too small. Do you want me to ask my cousin to change it for you?¡± Nigel asked with a raised eyebrow. ¡°No, I like it here a lot.¡± She didn¡¯t want to enjoy any extra privileges. ¡°I¡¯ll apany you at work and we can have lunch together at noon.¡± He seemed extraordinarily free. Anastasia smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to work?¡± ¡°Although I came back this time to take over the family business, I had already asked my dad for a two- week vacation.¡± Nigel¡¯s lips curled into a smile. During the period of his vacation, he didn¡¯t want to go anywhere; he just wanted to stay by her side. ¡°Why don¡¯t you wait for me at the caf¨¦? You will affect my mood for wood.¡± ¡°What? Am I so handsome that you can¡¯t concentrate?¡± Nigel narrowed his beautiful eyes. This man had all the right to be this confident. Anastasia was amused by him and snorted. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why.¡± ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll wait for you at my cousin¡¯s office.¡± After speaking, he picked up the bunch of roses and handed it to her. ¡°These are for you; do you like them?¡± ¡°Why are you giving me flowers?¡± She still reached out and took the flowers. ¡°If you like, I will send you a bunch of flowers every day in the future.¡± ¡°No, thank you.¡± Anastasia politely rejected him. Hearing that, Nigel simply gazed deeply at her with affection. ¡°See you at noon.¡± After speaking, he reluctantly left. As soon as he left, an excited Grace knocked on the door and came in. ¡°Anastasia, wow! He¡¯s so handsome! Is he your boyfriend?¡± Without raising her head, Anastasia tidied up her office. ¡°He¡¯s just a friend.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe it. He¡¯s clearly interested in you. Look at these roses.¡± Anastasia was toozy to exin, so she said to Grace, ¡°Just get me a cup of coffee!¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. At the president¡¯s office, Elliot had arrivedte today, but he had already decided to permanently work from here. Compared to the office at Presgrave Corporation, the working conditions here were not that great. Before he entered the office, his female assistant informed him that a guest had arrived. He stepped into the office and stared at a slender, handsome figure without much surprise. ¡°Why are you here?¡± he asked lightly. ¡°Elliot, I¡¯m here to pass the time. I¡¯ll wait for Anastasia to get off work and invite her to lunch at noon.¡± Nigel didn¡¯t hide his intention. Elliot sat in his ce and turned on theputer to manage his emails while a bored Nigel yed games on his phone. The two cousins tacitly agreed not to disturb each other. At this time, Elliot¡¯sndline rang, so he reached out to answer the call. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°President Presgrave, do you wish to attend today¡¯s departmental meeting?¡± Felicia¡¯s voice sounded on the other end. Elliot said that as long as it was a routine meeting of the design department, he had to be notified, so Felicia would ask him in advance every time. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll get off work in a while,¡± he responded. Anastasia was also notified that she needed to attend the meeting. She gathered the meeting materials and went out. However, she had just turned a corner when she suddenly bumped into someone along the corridor. Fortunately, she quickly responded and came to a sudden stop inches away from a man¡¯s chest. Raising her head, she saw the man¡¯s clean and dust-free shirt, then looked over at the man¡¯s sexy corbone, Adam¡¯s apple, and perfect jawline¡­ Before she could finish her admiration of the man, he had passed her by and walked indifferently toward the meeting room. So, Anastasia could only follow his footsteps in awkwardness and walked to the meeting room as well. As soon as the door opened, Elliot sat in his seat while her position today was next to him. Noticing that, Alice looked at Anastasia with some jealousy. She felt that Anastasia was merely too lucky. Even though Anastasia had made a few mistakes, she still got to remain in thepany with no other punishment either. Thus, Alice deeply suspected that Anastasia had a secret rtionship with Elliot. Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Chapter 42 ¡°The subject of today¡¯s meeting is that each person will submit a market research report and regr design works at the end of this month. Anastasia and Alice should get ready to participate in the jewelry competition at the end of the month,¡± Felicia announced. ¡°Felicia, isn¡¯t there a rule in thepany that outsiders are not allowed toe in and out of the company at will? Why do Anastasia¡¯s family members, friends and boyfriends get toe in? It¡¯s not in line with the rules!¡± Alice immediately spoke up. Felicia was also a little awkward at this. She looked at Anastasia and mentioned, ¡°Anastasia, tell your boyfriend not toe to thepany often. By sending flowers to thepany, it will affect other employees in ourpany.¡± Anastasia¡¯s face was slightly hot when she heard that. Does everyone regard Nigel as my boyfriend? Then, she felt a deep and probing gaze on her as well. ¡°That¡¯s right! Seeing that bunch of roses makes me jealous! Anastasia, your boyfriend is so handsome. How could you dare to bring him to thepany? Aren¡¯t you afraid that someone will steal him away?¡± another female designer joked. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll talk to him.¡± Anastasia simply admitted that Nigel was her boyfriend since it would be more troublesome to exin otherwise anyway. Elliot¡¯s gaze became a little moreplicated at that. Thinking of the time when Nigel and Anastasia had hugged each other at the airport, he remembered that the woman did not refuse the man¡¯s advances either. Now, she was even openly admitting that Nigel was her boyfriend. After the boring regr meeting was over, Elliot said with a sullen face, ¡°Anastasia stays while the others may leave.¡± Everyone in the room felt the surliness of the big boss, so they quickly rose and left for fear of being taken out upon by his anger. Anastasia was also speechless. Why does he have such an ugly expression? When the door of the meeting room was closed, he turned in his chair and an oppressive aura swept over her. Looking at her with cold eyes, he said, ¡°You should be aware of my rtionship with Nigel.¡± She nodded. ¡°I do. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Elliot¡¯s face became uglier. ¡°Remember that you owe me something?¡± He locked eyes with her deeply, exuding inexplicable danger. Anastasia thought for a while, but couldn¡¯t remember what she owed him, so she asked, ¡°Do I owe you anything?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve forgotten?¡± He flew into a rage all of a sudden because the woman had really forgotten. ¡°Give me a hint.¡± How could I have time to remember unimportant things? The man stood up abruptly before sping her wrist with his long arms. Pushing Anastasia¡¯s waist against the table, he pressed down upon her with his body raging with hormones. As Anastasia instinctively leaned back, the man¡¯s hand held the back of her head. Then, he pinched her chin and raised it coldly before his lips came to cover hers with a strong sense of fury. And so, the kiss fell on the woman¡¯s soft lips without any advance notice. It was domineering, rough, and full of aggression as if it was some kind of punishment. Anastasia¡¯s beautiful eyes widened in shock; she couldn¡¯t believe that this man would do this to her in public. His breath swept through her without her consent, causing her mind to go nk. As such, her first reaction was to be annoyed. She pushed him with all her strength and shouted, ¡°Elliot, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me to remind you? This is what you owe me.¡± The man¡¯s voice was hoarse, while his eyes were dark, and his words were full of mockery. Taking a deep breath, Anastasia then lifted her hand and wiped her lips with disgust. When she thought that Hayley was in a rtionship with this man, and that he had touched Hayley before kissing her, she felt extremely disgusted. ¡°Don¡¯t kiss me!¡± Anastasia shouted angrily. ¡°If you do this again, I will sue you.¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Elliot stared at her eyes; she was like a ming rose. Her lips were incredibly soft, which made him unable to detach himself from her. It even reminded him of the touch of that night 5 years ago. In fact, it was indeed such a delicate feeling that made him go under. Why does this woman make me feel this way? She¡¯s obviously a stranger. Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Chapter 43 An irritated Anastasia pushed open the door and left. This b*stard actually kissed me! How dare he? Back in the office, she suddenly recalled thest time he was in the hospital. When he rescued her, she said she wanted to thank him, but he said she would owe him instead. So, was this kiss what she owed him? Ugh. In the future, I can owe anything to anyone, but I can¡¯t owe this man anything. It¡¯s grave! He¡¯s simply a beast. Nigel had just finished ying a game when he saw his unhappy cousin walking in. ¡°Elliot, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Elliot sat down on the chair in a bad mood. ¡°Elliot, Bourgeois¡¯ office is so modest that it doesn¡¯t match your identity at all. Why don¡¯t you return to the Presgrave Corporation office?¡± ¡°What do you care?¡± Elliot snorted lightly. Nigel stared nkly at him. Elliot, are you in a bad mood? Who messed with you? Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with Anastasia?¡± Elliot asked him all of a sudden. Joy immediately shed in Nigel¡¯s eyes. ¡°Well.. You know! I like her, and I¡¯m pursuing her!¡± ¡°Have you seeded?¡± Elliot looked at theputer screen and asked again in a deep voice. ¡°It¡¯ll be soon.¡± Nigel was extremely confident that he would definitely capture Anastasia¡¯s heart when he launched a series of romantic attacks soon. ¡°Don¡¯t send flowers to her in thepany in the future; it will affect her work efficiency, and it will also make her colleagues have negative opinions of her,¡± Elliotmented Nigel was secretly surprised; how did Elliot receive the news of him sending flowers so soon? ¡°Elliot, give me a hand! How about using your power as her boss to give her a vacation and let me take her out to have fun? Or, if you arrange her office to be on the same floor as yours, it will be much more convenient for me to date her,¡± Nigel spoke with a naive smile. ¡°Impossible.¡± Elliot snorted coldly. ¡°You are the big boss! You have this power.¡± Nigel gritted his teeth and tried again. Elliot raised his eyes icily. ¡°You need to depend on your ability to pursue her; don¡¯t expect me to help you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so mean.¡± Nigel huffed and continued to y his game. At this moment, a call came in and he answered, ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Young Master Nigel, are you booking a reservation at Cardi Restaurant?¡± ¡°Yes, Cardi.¡± Nigel confirmed and hung up the phone. Elliot suddenly and unceremoniously drove him away. ¡°If you want to y games, go to the lounge next door. Don¡¯t disturb me at work.¡± Nigel obediently rose to his full height and went to the next door. Then, Elliot caressed his upper thin lip with slender fingers. The kiss in the meeting room earlier still lingered in his mind. Surprisingly, the soft touch made him very much wanting more. At this moment, Rey knocked on the door and came in. ¡°President Presgrave, where do you want to have lunch at noon?¡± Elliot¡¯s thin lips parted elegantly. ¡°Cardi.¡± ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll immediately reserve a ce for you.¡± Rey withdrew from the room. In Anastasia¡¯s office, the woman was still annoyed because all of the ideas in her head had disappeared. All of this was caused by Elliot¡¯s sudden kiss in the meeting room. When she thought that this man had kissed Hayley before, she felt ufortable in her heart. In the future, this kind of thing must never happen again. At noon in the Cardi Restaurant, Anastasia and Nigel sat by the window. She was so hungry that she picked up the menu and started ordering thereafter. At this moment, the waiter ushered in another two guests. She nced curiously at them, and instantly, her beautiful eyes widened at the sight of the figures of Elliot and his assistant Reying over. How could it be so coincidental? Looking in the direction that she was looking, Nigel was also surprised. Then, Rey politely greeted him, ¡°Young Master Nigel, good afternoon.¡± ¡°You¡­ Why are you guys eating here too? Would you like to join us?¡± Nigel immediately rose to his full height and walked toward Elliot and Rey. ¡°No need. We have work to discuss.¡± Elliot refused and walked to his reserved table, but he chose to sit where he could face Anastasia¡¯s way. Nigel was also busy trying to please his love interest, so he immediately returned to his seat. As for Anastasia, she stared at the menu while cursing her bad luck in her heart. How unfortunate it is that I keep bumping into Elliot everywhere! Raising her head, she abruptly nced past Nigel and her gaze fell on the man at the table opposite holding a cup of tea. Meeting those bottomless eyes, the light in Anastasia¡¯s eyes turned cold. Thinking about what this man had done to her in the meeting earlier, she was even madder. Chapter 44 Chapter 44 Chapter 44 ¡°Anastasia, have you missed me after we¡¯ve been separated for so long?¡± Nigel held his chin and looked at her affectionately with seductive eyes. Anastasia retracted her gaze, and when she looked at Nigel, she smiled. ¡°Of course!¡± Then, he took out car keys with an attached crystal keychain. ¡°When I miss you, I¡¯ll take this out to look at it. What about the one I gave you? You didn¡¯t throw it away, did you?¡± She was slightly embarrassed. ¡°I think I forgot to bring it back here.¡± ¡°You! How could you not properly keep the gift I gave you? I¡¯ll buy you another er,¡± he scolded with a smile. ¡°Is it necessary?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll buy another pair. One for you, and one for me. When we don¡¯t see each other, we can look at them and resolve our lovesickness.¡± Nigel was also quite the romantic and all his thoughts were now on Anastasia. ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll select them and give you one.¡± ¡°They must be a matching pair.¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Okay.¡± Anastasia nodded as she smiled. As she looked away, her eyes had once again met the cold eyes belonging to the man sitting not far away from her. For some reason, she felt that Elliot¡¯s gaze had be icier as if someone had offended him. Rey was called over for lunch by Elliot today, who said that he had some work to discuss, but after waiting for a long time, Elliot didn¡¯t talk about work at all. Instead, Elliot¡¯s expression had suddenly be worse, Rey had been with him for 5 years, and he was the closest person to Elliot, so he knew why Elliot¡¯s expression was dark. Soon, the sumptuous lunch came. Anastasia was hungry, so she decided to quickly begin eating ¡°This is delicious! Taste it.¡± Nigel picked up some food with his fork and held it in front of a startled Anastasia. She subconsciously opened her mouth and took a bite. ¡°How is it? Is it delicious?¡± he asked with a happy smile. Anastasia¡¯s face warmed slightly; she realized that this was something only couples did! However, she still nodded. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s delicious.¡± The man on the opposite side looked at their lovey-dovey manner with a gloomy face. Facing the lunch in front of him, he had no appetite. ¡°Sir, have some lunch! We have to go back to the Presgrave Group for a meeting in the afternoon.¡± Rey tried to persuade his boss. Elliot shouldn¡¯t refuse to eat just because he was angry about Anastasia¡¯s public disy of affection! Anastasia had just finished eating a cheese shrimp, and she identally had a little cheese sauce on the corner of her mouth. She didn¡¯t realize it, but Nigel on the opposite side saw it. Thus, he immediately narrowed his eyes and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Anastasia immediately stopped moving. She then blinked her beautiful eyes and looked at him as he stretched out his long arms to gently wipe his fingers across the corners of her mouth. ¡°You have sauce on your mouth.¡± At that, Anastasia¡¯s face flushed red; she hurriedly grabbed her napkin and wiped the corner of her mouth elegantly. Nevertheless, her current expression was extremely shy and dainty in the eyes of those who saw her. Not only was Nigel attracted by her, but even the man at the table opposite them also narrowed his eyes at the sight of her. ¡°I¡¯m going to the restroom.¡± Anastasia got up and went off. Not long after she left, Elliot also followed suit. When Nigel turned around, he saw Rey alone. ¡°Where¡¯s my cousin?¡± he asked. ¡°President Presgrave went out to take a call,¡± Rey replied, although he saw that Elliot was clearly going to the restroom. ¡°Oh!¡± Nigel didn¡¯t think much about it. In the restroom, Anastasia had juste out after washing her hands when she suddenly saw Elliot smoking in the smoking area next to the corridor. His long fingers were pinching the cigarette as he blew a cloud of smoke that hid his cold but handsome face. She pretended not to see him and passed him while pretending to tidy her long hair. However, just as she approached him, the man¡¯s hand elegantly snubbed the cigarette out and as she passed him, he grabbed her with so much strength that she had no way to resist. Thus, she was pushed against the far wall of the smoking area. ¡°Elliot, what are you doing? It hurts¡­¡± Anastasia felt that her bones were about to be crushed by him. Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Chapter 45 The man¡¯s eyes were cold and stern as a warning shed across his eyes. ¡°Anastasia, I won¡¯t allow you to y with Nigel¡¯s feelings. If you don¡¯t care about him, don¡¯t lie to him.¡± When his slightly smoky breath blew on her face, Anastasia turned away in disgust before she retorted, ¡°I am not ying with his feelings. We are friends.¡± ¡°If you just want to be friends with him, don¡¯t flirt with him.¡± ¡°Why do you care?¡± She red at him at once, wondering why he should meddle in her business. Elliot gritted his teeth and his tone was cold as he responded, ¡°I do care.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my business; what do you care?¡± ¡°You can y with other men¡¯s hearts, but not Nigel.¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°When did you see me ying with his heart? Don¡¯t speak nonsense without evidence.¡± ¡°Just now. I saw with both eyes.¡± Elliot snorted coldly. He wasn¡¯t blind, and he had seen her flirting with Nigel earlier with his own eyes. Anastasia was speechless. After all, she thought that it was just how she and Nigel got along even though they were really just friends. ¡°Let go of me¡­¡± Anastasia then realized that she was being trapped in such a tiny corner by this man, and his breath was thick. ¡°Only if you promise to keep your distance from him.¡± The man¡¯s gaze was full of warning As she stood in front of this man, Anastasia was filled with repulsion. She didn¡¯t feel likeplying and preferred to make him angry instead. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to intervene in my affairs with him.¡± Anastasia raised her eyebrows and spoke stubbornly. ¡°Do you want to marry him?¡± Elliot asked with a dark look. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll marry him. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Anastasia sneered. After all, marrying Nigel was fine too. Staring at her coldly, Elliot felt that this stubborn but beautiful face in front of him was really messing with his emotions. In fact, he was annoyed that he didn¡¯t know what to do with her. When Anastasia met his gaze, she was stunned too. What is this man going to do? But no matter what, if the man dared to touch her, she would scream. The man¡¯s eyes fell on her eyebrows and moved down to her eyes, her nose, and then to her extremely soft red lips. As a matter of fact, he knew how soft it was from his experience. After only staring for a few seconds, his gaze instantly darkened and became dangerous When Anastasia realized what the man wanted to do, he had already pinched her chin domineeringly, and his thin lips were already upon hers. As her mind went nk, Anastasia cursed inwardly about how persistent this man was. However, this man¡¯s kiss had an inexplicable kind of power that made her whole body go numb like it was being electrocuted. His kiss was full of possessiveness, and it was so domineering that it was unbearable for her. In addition, this was the smoking area of the restaurant, and anyone woulde over at any time. Thus, the nervousness Anastasia felt also made her feel disoriented. This man is really perverted. She pushed him hard with her hands, but her strength was taken away by him. The more she pushed him, the harder he kissed her and entangled his tongue with hers. As they kissed, his big hand restlessly tightened around her waist-it was as if the kiss had awakened the instinctive reaction of any man¡­ At that moment, Anastasia suddenly came to her senses. Anxiously, she caught his tongue and bit it hard. The man let go of her in pain while his misty eyes stared at her angrily. Then, she hurriedly ran away from him and out of the ce. There was still a sweet smell of his blood lingering in her mouth when she returned to the main dining area. After taking a deep breath, she returned to the table where Nigel was sitting as if nothing had happened. Then, she picked up the ss and drank all the water in one go. He¡¯s just too much! Just too much! Elliot, this b*stard, is a terrible pervert. ¡°Why is your face so red, Anastasia? Are you running a fever?¡± Nigel asked worriedly. ¡°I¡¯m okay. I-I still have work in the afternoon, Nigel. I¡¯ll head back to thepany first.¡± Anastasia had no appetite at all. ¡°So soon? In that case, I¡¯ll see you off.¡± Nigel got up immediately, and when he got to the counter, he called out, ¡°Send the bill to the Presgrave Group.¡± ¡°Okay, Young Master Nigel,¡± answered the manager immediately. After a while, Elliot returned to his seat. Looking at the empty seats at the other table, his gaze was unfathomable. ¡°President Presgrave, Young Master Nigel and Miss Tillman have already paid the bill and left.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Elliot responded. Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Anastasia refused to let Nigel send her up when they arrived at thepany, so he could only send her to the door. He felt a little puzzled as he watched her hurry in. How did the meal end so abruptly like that? He still had so many things to say to her! Anastasia covered her face when she returned to her office, for her mind was full of what had happened in the restaurant just now. It was too much to be taken advantage of twice in the same day by that man. Meanwhile, in a luxury vi, Hayley hadn¡¯t been able to eat or sleep well recently-it was all because Anastasia had been haunting her like a nightmare. She had dreamed several times that Elliot got angry and told her to get out. No matter how she pleaded, Elliot hated her so much that he abandoned her without a thought. These dreams would wake her up every time, and her entire body would be drenched in cold sweat. Anastasia¡¯s presence seemed to be a boulder on her chest, and if she didn¡¯t get rid of her, she would live forever in these nightmares. ¡°I won¡¯t let you ruin my ns, Anastasia.¡± Hayley bit her lip and clenched her fists fiercely. As she thought about it, a vicious light shed in her eyes. If she wanted to kill Anastasia, the best people to use were the mother and daughter of the Tillman Family. She knew that Erica hated Anastasia deeply because of their family assets, and Hayley felt that she could just take advantage of this. Didn¡¯t Anastasia love her child very much? In that case, she would let that child suffer a little! The thought of Elliot¡¯s blood flowing in that boy made her mad with jealousy. Thus, her resentment and hatred were all focused on the child. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Soon, Hayley called Erica and began her malicious n. ¡°Hey, Hayley.¡± ¡°What are you doing, Erica? Has Anastasia returned the 8 million real estate yet?¡± ¡°She can¡¯t even wait to take everything from my dad now! Will she even return it?¡± Erica gritted her teeth. ¡°Well, you can¡¯t let her be-you have to teach her a lesson. Otherwise, she will think that you and your mother are doormats.¡± ¡°Of course, I have to teach her a lesson. When I find an opportunity, 1¨C¡± ¡°Erica, what opportunities exactly are you looking for? I know Anastasia is not easy to harm, but doesn¡¯t she have a three-year-old son? If you make this kid suffer a little, she will feel a hundred times more distressed than if you harm her.¡± Erica immediately replied, ¡°What do you really mean by that?¡± ¡°Just think of a way to bring this child back to your house and pretend to take him out to have some fun. Children are usually naughty at that age, so it¡¯s normal to lose him by ident. You¡¯ll be able to watch Anastasia go mad with worry by then.¡± Erica was fuming at the moment, so when she heard Hayley¡¯s suggestion, her eyes lit up. ¡°Yes! Why didn¡¯t I think of it? If Anastasia goes crazy and dies of anger, I¡¯ll be even happier.¡± Hayley knew Erica very well; thetter¡¯s mind had always been simple and easily influenced. ¡°Erica, you can¡¯t let her take away your father¡¯s assets under any circumstances. Now, she wants 8 million worth of real estate. Next year, she will want a car worth one million, or she¡¯ll take the opportunity to ask for your father¡¯spany. By that time, it¡¯ll be toote. You must let her know how powerful you are first.¡± Hayley added fuel to the fire and made things sound even worse. Sure enough, the family assets were what Erica cared about most. Thus, the more she listened, the more panicked she became. ¡°Yes, I have to frighten her first. Otherwise, she will think that we are easy targets for her to bully.¡± Seeing that Erica had sessfully taken the bait, Hayley breathed a sigh of relief and waited for Erica to act on it. Moreover, Erica had to take Anastasia¡¯s phone away on that day¡ªonce the child was lost, he would not be able to contact her. If a child trafficker saw the child and abducted him away, Anastasia would surely live in grief for the rest of her life. Most importantly, this child of Elliot¡¯s would also disappear forever. Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Chapter 47 As Hayley thought about it viciously, she realized that she now had to bribe someone from Bourgeois to help her as well as find the opportunity to take Anastasia¡¯s phone away. In the meantime, Anastasia was busy with work. After all, the announcement date of the jewelry competition¡¯s results was approaching, and she was looking forward to it. If she could win the prize, she would have a bonus of one million in her ount. For her son¡¯s future, she had be a shrewd and calctive woman to the point where she had to earn every coin she could. She wanted to save a lot of money for her son so that she would not have to worry about his school fees and his wedding expenses. Although her son was still young, she had already made several long- term ns. ¡°Anastasia, there is a shop tour this Friday night. You should make time for it!¡± Felicia came over to inform her. ¡°Friday night? What time does it start?¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°It starts at 6.00PM. You need to write a report which will be entered into the award assessment for the second half of the year.¡± Felicia reminded her. Since the half-year award was a considerable sum of money, Anastasia thought to herself that she had to win it too. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be there on time.¡± Anastasia nodded. After all, the loss of the attendance awardst time was regretful enough for her. A Since the day after tomorrow was Friday, Anastasia felt that she had no choice but to trouble her father and let hime over to take care of her son. In the cafe next to Bourgeois, Hayley had invited May Potter, a female designer, out. When May saw that it was Hayley Seymour-also known as President Presgrave¡¯s girlfriend¡ªwho had asked her out for coffee, she was excited and happy. ¡°Do you really want to order a set of jewelry from me, Miss Seymour?¡± ¡°Yeah! I admire your talent very much, so I¡¯ve decided to order a set of jewelry designed by you.¡± Hayley pretended to be haughty. ¡°Also, I want you to do something for me.¡± ¡°What do you need me to do?¡± ¡°You should be very clear about the rivalry between me and Anastasia. I want you to watch her for me and report her affairs to me at any time.¡± Hayley held the cup of coffee elegantly while pretending to be a high-ssdy. Since May was a neer, she was eager to get ahead in Bourgeois. A good opportunity had been presented in front of her, so how could she not seize it? Besides, she was also jealous of Anastasia¡¯s excellent resources and hated her design talent even more. ¡°Miss Seymour, I hate Anastasia as much as you do. She thinks she doesn¡¯t need to take others seriously just because she has good looks. In addition, I¡¯m annoyed by the fact that she¡¯s always trying to seduce President Presgrave.¡± Hayley snorted coldly. Has Anastasia always seduced Elliot in thepany? ¡°Thank you for sticking up for me, May. I feel utterly infuriated by her. As long as you help me, I will ce five million worth of jewelry orders with you.¡± Five million? May suppressed her surprise and happiness. She would have almost 200,000 in commission fees alone! God! I am going to get rich. ¡°I will keep an eye on Anastasia for you, Miss Seymour. If she dares to seduce President Presgrave, I will tell you as soon as possible.¡± May expressed her loyalty and obedience to Hayley. Upon sensing May¡¯s toadyism, Hayley nodded. ¡°Very well, I won¡¯t treat you badly if you help me out.¡± May was determined to curry favor with Hayley, so she would be Hayley¡¯s eyes to monitor Anastasia in thepany. Today, it was just another day with a regr departmental meeting. When Anastasia entered the conference room, she could not help but breathe a sigh of relief when she saw that Elliot¡¯s seat was empty. After all, she didn¡¯t like seeing Elliot very much now. However, at this moment, steady footsteps came from the door of the conference room, and a domineering figure soon entered. His powerful aura immediately felt oppressive on everyone present as Elliot walked in against the light like a god descending Upon seeing him, Anastasia was lost for words. Does he have nothing better to do? It¡¯s just a regr department meeting, so why does he need to come every time? Apart from Anastasia, all the female designers here weed Elliot, but the first person he looked at every time he sat down was always Anastasia. Thus, the women present all looked at her with jealousy, and May was no exception. Now that she was helping Hayley, she was extra observant about everything Anastasia said and did. On the other hand, Anastasia was twirling her pen in a bored manner. As the pen spun, it suddenly fell out between her fingers and rolled directly in front of Elliot. Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Chapter 48 After being stunned for a few seconds, Anastasia then raised her head to meet a pair of unhappy eyes; Elliot was narrowing his eyes and ncing at her icily. He took her pen and ced it in front of him without any intention of returning it. Since Anastasia still had to note things down with that pen, she stood up in embarrassment as her face blushed. Then, she went over and forcibly took the pen back. Elliot nced at her, but he didn¡¯t speak nor show any signs of displeasure. Upon seeing this, Felicia coughed awkwardly. ¡°Okay, okay, let¡¯s continue the meeting and not do other things.¡± While her face turned even redder, Anastasia felt that bad things always seemed to happen with Elliot around. ¡°Anastasia, you and May will be grouped together for this Friday¡¯s event.¡± Felicia began to ce the designers into teams. May immediately pretended to be happy. ¡°Let¡¯s work well together, Anastasia.¡± The woman nodded and smiled at May. After Felicia divided everyone into teams, she began to analyze the design works and the market. Elliot didn¡¯t say a word, but he listened to everything. However, his gaze fell on Anastasia from time to time, and he kept staring at her for several minutes at a time as if he was distracted by her. This made the woman feel ufortable, for the man¡¯s eyes were like glue as they stuck themselves to her without moving away. Finally, the meeting was over. Anastasia couldn¡¯t wait to pack up and leave, but Elliot suddenly said coldly, ¡°Anastasia, I need you to stay back for a while.¡± Anastasia¡¯s feet that were about to move stopped in ce. She turned to look at the indifferent man and asked, ¡°Is there something you need, President Presgrave?¡± The man didn¡¯t speak. Other designers wanted to listen in on their conversation, but they were all oppressed by Elliot¡¯s sweeping nce. Hence, they trembled and hurriedly left Meanwhile, Alice and May looked like they were about to die of jealousy. Anastasia was an exception in thepany and was treated favorably everywhere. It was as though Elliot was here in this company for her alone, and he didn¡¯t pay attention to what the other employees did. When the door of the conference room closed, Anastasia started to get angry. She stopped pretending and mmed the table angrily. ¡°What the hell are you trying to do, Elliot?¡± ¡°I want to take you back to see my grandma next Monday.¡± Elliot spoke suddenly, his eyes calm. Anastasia was shocked. He wants to take me to see the old madam of the Presgrave Family? Her first thought was immediate rejection. ¡°I refuse. I don¡¯t want to have anything to do with your Presgrave Family¡± Anastasia refused bluntly. ¡°Is that so? Then you are not allowed to meet with Nigel, and you are not allowed to flirt with him.¡± Elliot¡¯s gaze was burning as he forced it on her. Anastasia looked at him speechlessly. ¡°He is my friend.¡± ¡°He is also a member of our Presgrave Family, Anastasia. Aren¡¯t you very determined to avoid us?¡± Elliot sneered. Anastasia sighed and said with some annoyance, ¡°President Presgrave, you have a lot of things to manage every day. You should go back to your Presgrave Group to work! How can such a small company like this amodate a big boss like you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need you to care about where I work,¡± Elliot snorted. ¡°No, you have negatively affected my work.¡± Anastasia gritted her teeth. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t want to, you will meet my grandma on Monday.¡± Elliot¡¯s tone was final. Anastasia looked at him furiously. ¡°No, I won¡¯t,¡± After she finished speaking, she pushed open the door and went out. The man¡¯s face behind her was dark and filled with rage. When Anastasia returned to the office, May was waiting for her. She said fawningly, ¡°Anastasia, I heard that the report of this shop tour will be considered for the half year award, so we must not be sloppy with it!¡± ¡°Yeah, it will be my first time writing such a report. Let¡¯s do our best toplete it!¡± Anastasia said to her. May blinked and showed an adoring smile. ¡°Anastasia, you are the only one who got sent back from the headquarters by ourpany. You must be very good, so I will follow you in the future.¡± Anastasia curled her lips into a smile. She was indeed confident in her design talent, but she was not so involved in thepany¡¯s other paperwork. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get to work!¡± Anastasia simply regarded May¡¯s ttery as something any rookie would do; little did she know that May was a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Due to the project, Anastasia could only make an appointment with her father in advance. She made a phone call to Francis, who was naturally overjoyed when he heard that he would be taking care of his grandson. ¡°Okay, I have the time. You can carry on with your busy work. I will take Jared to eat some delicious food.¡± After arranging her son¡¯s affairs, Anastasia felt more at ease. Later on, she received a call from Nigel. He was at the entrance of herpany and wanted to take her and her son to avish dinner in the evening. Anastasia didn¡¯t refuse either because she didn¡¯t have any friends here. Thus, it was great to have a friend like Nigel around. At this moment, Elliot was processing emails in the office. Rey, who had just sent some documents in from outside, smiled and said, ¡°I just saw Young Master Nigel¡¯s car, President Presgrave.¡± ¡°Where is he?¡± Elliot narrowed his eyes. ¡°He¡¯s downstairs. I think he¡¯s waiting for someone, and it¡¯s probably Miss Tillman.¡± Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Chapter 49 After Rey finished speaking, he immediately tried to cover his mouth. He knew that Elliot didn¡¯t want to hear this. Upon hearing this, Elliot snorted coldly. Nigel really has nothing to do all day long; he¡¯s focusing all his efforts on pursuing women. As he narrowed his eyes, he reached out to dial the internal line. ¡°Hello, who is it?¡± Anastasia¡¯s sweet voice came from the other side. ¡°I warned you not to get too close to my cousin. Are you not taking it seriously?¡± Elliot said coldly. ¡°Why are you such a busybody, Elliot? You are the boss of thepany, but after work, you are nobody to me,¡± Anastasia retorted mulishly. Elliot¡¯s face darkened at once. This woman really had the ability to be irritating. ¡°If you dare to y with his heart¡ª¡± ¡°We¡¯re just hanging out as friends. It¡¯s none of your business.¡± Anastasia hung up the phone as soon as she finished speaking. Elliot¡¯s face turned even gloomier. This woman is really uncouth. Why would Grandma want me to marry such a woman? After work, Anastasia was the first to rush out of the door of the office as she charged downstairs. Nigel¡¯s off-road vehicle was parked at the front door, and it was particrly eye-catching. Soon, Anastasia got into the passenger seat of the car before she said to him, ¡°Let¡¯s go pick Jared up!¡± Nigel looked at the woman, who was still in her work uniform, and his fascination with her shed across his eyes. ¡°You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in a uniform.¡± Anastasia felt delighted in her heart. ¡°I like to hearments like this.¡± When they picked up the little boy at school, he was very happy. He sat in the safety seat specially prepared for him in the back, and he even sang a song he had just learned aloud. ¡°Mom and Dad are going to work¡­ and I¡¯m going to school. I mustn¡¯t cry or make trouble, but be good and greet my teacher good morning¡­¡± His bright and loud voice sounded happy as he sang. Anastasia pped along to the tempo, which encouraged Jared to sing even louder. In fact, he sang it several times. Even Nigel hummed along, and there was a happy atmosphere in the whole car. At the high-end restaurant, Nigel ordered a big meal. As he looked at the little boy¡¯s handsome face, his wish to be the father of this child heightened in his heart. Although Jared was not his own child, he would definitely love Jared as if the boy was his biological son. Soon, his gaze fell on the woman opposite him. As long as she agreed, he would immediately marry her and give them both a safe and secure ce to call home. They walked around in the mall after dinner, and the little boy got a few more gifts. With that being said, Anastasia really disagreed with Nigel¡¯s way of showing affection for her son. Fortunately, her son was not the kind of child who would be addicted to getting gifts. At 9.30PM, Nigel¡¯s car was parked in front of Anastasia¡¯s apartment. He felt distressed when he heard that it was rented to her by thepany. Thus, it seemed that it was time for him to show his ability. HeContent ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. decided to give her arge apartment unit in the city center tomorrow so that they could live in the safestmunity. ¡°Come and give me a kiss before you go.¡± Nigel hugged the little boy, who kissed his cheek at once. Then, Nigel looked at the woman next to him and wanted her to kiss him too, but he didn¡¯t have the courage to ask. At this point, he didn¡¯t dare to show his intentions too much for fear of scaring her away. Anastasia waved goodbye as she held her son before heading back to her apartment. However, Nigel did not leave for a long time. As soon as Jared returned to the apartment, he asked the burning question that he had been thinking about all this time. ¡°Mommy, do you think Uncle Nigel is a nice man?¡± ¡°Yes, he is!¡± ¡°Do you like him?¡± ¡°I like him.¡± Anastasia neatly packed the toys away in the house while answering her son¡¯s question. ¡°In that case, do you want to marry him?¡± the little boy asked again. Anastasia¡¯s hands froze while packing the toys. She couldn¡¯t help but look back at her son as she smiled. ¡°Jared, I only think of him as a friend!¡± The little boy didn¡¯t quite understand the feelings between adults, though. Can¡¯t they be together if they like each other? ¡°Mommy, I think Uncle Nigel likes you very much.¡± A hint of helplessness shed in Anastasia¡¯s heart. She could also feel that Nigel clearly had some romantic interest in her, but she felt that she was not worthy of him -he deserved a better woman. Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Chapter 50 That night five years ago, Anastasia was already tainted after being vited by a jerk. Ever since then, she had no interest in men anymore. Her son was everything in her life, and she didn¡¯t need marriage, love, or men. She had always regarded Nigel as a friend. When she was on the way to meet a client, she met him while he was involved in a car ident. Seeing that Nigel¡¯s car was filled with smoke, she rushed over without saying a word and dragged the injured man out of the driver¡¯s seat. In less than two minutes, his car exploded on the spot. At that time, she was drenched in cold sweat and was extremely afraid. Had she died there, her son would¡¯ve been orphaned. Since Anastasia and Nigel had nearly faced death together, their rtionship was deeper than other friendships. After rescuing him, she left. Later on, Nigel found her and kept chasing after the woman to repay his debt to her. Gradually, they became acquainted and made friends with each other. When Francis came home in the evening, Naomi asked while picking up his bag for him, ¡°I¡¯m going out to meet some friends the night after tomorrow, Francis. Do apany me to attend the event.¡± ¡°The day after tomorrow? What time?¡± ¡°We¡¯re just going to have dinner that evening!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t have time, so I can¡¯t go.¡± ¡°What? Do you have to work overtime?¡± ¡°No, I need to take care of Anastasia¡¯s son. She has to work overtime at night, so I have to take care of Jared.¡± Francis didn¡¯t treat Naomi as an outsider, so he was forthright with her. Naomi¡¯s face turned ugly all of a sudden. She snorted and replied, ¡°You only think about your elder daughter all day long, don¡¯t you! Don¡¯t forget that she¡¯s the one who messed up our family.¡± ¡°It¡¯s difficult for her to raise a child alone. Naturally, I will try my best to help her,¡± Francis said helplessly. ¡°Help her? You know how to help her, but why don¡¯t you help our Erica?¡± Naomi immediately snorted, looking extremely upset. Francis was also stuck in the middle between his family and Anastasia, but he still firmly wanted to help thetter because he owed her a lot in the past five years. Meanwhile, Erica overheard their conversation on the second floor, and she knew that her chance had come. Soon, Francis took a shower and sat in the study room on the second floor to watch the news. After a moment, Erica came in with a te of fruits. ¡°I see that you haven¡¯t gone to bed, Dad.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Dad, I heard that you want to watch Anastasia¡¯s son for her. Actually, I want to take care of Jared with you. He is my nephew after all, and I want to do my best for him too.¡± Francis¡¯ eyes lit up with joy; it seemed that his younger daughter was quite sensible! He then praised, ¡°Erica, I¡¯m very happy that you have such good intentions. Okay, you cane with me the night after tomorrow!¡± Erica nodded obediently. ¡°Yeah! That¡¯s great, Dad, but don¡¯t tell her first. I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t let me come when she hears that I want to tag along.¡± ¡°Okay! I won¡¯t tell her.¡± Francis didn¡¯t see through Erica¡¯s ns. To him, the happiest thing was that his two daughters could get along peacefully. In the blink of an eye, Friday arrived. When Anastasia sent her son to school in the morning, she told him that his grandpa woulde to pick him up from school in the evening. The little boy nodded sensibly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mommy. I will listen to Grandpa.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go earn more money for us.¡± Anastasia patted his little head and was very happy. Over the past two days, May had gone to Anastasia from time to time to ask for some advice. She also bought coffee and snacks to please thetter. Of course, Anastasia didn¡¯t want to ept these favors, but she did so since May insisted on it. At 2.00PM, Nigel appeared in Bourgeois while holding a gift and a bunch of flowers in his hands. In fact, hepletely looked like Anastasia¡¯s boyfriend. He was a handsome and cheerful man, so he attracted attention wherever he went. A group of female staff werepletely envious of Anastasia. ¡°Wow! Look at him sending a bunch of flowers again.¡± ¡°He¡¯s hot!¡± ¡°Not only is he hot, he looks incredibly rich as well.¡± ¡°I think he¡¯s from one of those super rich families. The watch he¡¯s wearing is worth tens of millions.¡± ¡°Tsk-tsk, how did Anastasia get such good luck?¡± Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Anastasia had just finished drawing a design draft in the office, and her hands were a little sore. Just as she was rubbing her shoulders, the door to her office swung open before Nigel¡¯s figure suddenly appeared. ¡°Why are you here, Nigel?¡± Anastasia was still very happy to see him. ¡°I have a gift for you.¡± After Nigel finished speaking, he closed the door of the office before putting the flowers and the gift box on her desk. ¡°Look! Guess what it is?¡± Anastasia looked at the big characters of ¡®Cloud Residence No. 1¡¯ printed on the box. After feeling startled for a few seconds, she recalled that this was the name of the top real estate in the city center. expensive.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not expensive¡ªit¡¯s just a unit of more than 200 square meters. I initially wanted to buy a duplex on the top floor, but I thought that it would be too big and empty looking since only the two of you would be living there. Thus, I had to pick a smaller unit,¡± Nigel said helplessly, thinking that he could have given her a better unit. ** Anastasia was at a loss for words. Sure enough, those with money can do whatever they want! He can even cherry pick units from such high-end real estate. For an office worker like me, I can¡¯t even afford the bathroom of that unit even with a year¡¯s worth of sry. ¡°Nigel, we are friends. I won¡¯t ept any gifts from you other than your friendship.¡± Anastasia spoke seriously. ¡°You saved my life; do you know how much my life is worth?¡± Nigel retorted immediately. ¡°Your life is priceless, and it¡¯s not measurable by money.¡± Anastasia smiled and shook her head. ¡°Saving you is also a way of umting good karma for myself.¡± ¡°No. My life is yours, and my things are yours too. You must ept this house,¡± Nigel said stubbornly. Anastasia felt speechless again. ¡°You have helped me and my son a lot over the years. If you are going to send gifts like this one again, then I won¡¯t dare to befriend you in the future. Besides, my dad has already bought me an apartment unit, and I can move in next month.¡± ¡°That will definitely not be asfortable as Cloud Residence No. 1,¡± Nigel said anxiously. ¡°I really don¡¯t need this house. Anyway, I have a meeting soon, so please go back!¡± After Anastasia finished speaking, she picked up her notebook and went outside. Nigel immediately thought of another way as he bit his thin lips. He took the gift box and went to the president¡¯s office where Elliot was dealing with some work in his hands at that time. ncing at the uninvited guest, he looked back down at his work. ¡°Do me a favor, Elliot!¡± ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°Well, I bought a house at Cloud Residence No. 1 for Anastasia. Can you give it to her in the name of thepany? For example, you can say this is a year-end bonus for her.¡± Elliot¡¯s hand that was signing the documents paused. Then, he said curtly, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why? I wanted to give it to her just now, but she rejected it. I don¡¯t know what else to do!¡± Nigel leaned on the desk and spoke helplessly. ¡°If she doesn¡¯t ept it, it means that she¡¯s not interested in you.¡± Elliot scoffed. He had also offered a house in this property and was rejected by Anastasia. ¡°That¡¯s not it! Anastasia likes me very much; I have the ultimate confidence in this,¡± Nigel said to himself. Elliot frowned and said mockingly, ¡°Don¡¯t be too confident.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mock me, Elliot! I¡¯m definitely going to marry Anastasia. Whether it¡¯s three years, five years, or ten years, I¡¯ll wait for her as long as she doesn¡¯t marry another man.¡± Nigel looked like he was determined to make the woman his wife. ¡°Then do you know which man her child belongs to?¡± Elliot asked coldly all of a sudden.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Nigel¡¯s handsome face looked shocked, for this was the only thing Anastasia didn¡¯t tell him. He had also tried hinting at her many times, but she just didn¡¯t want to let him know. ¡°Do you know who it is, Elliot?¡± Nigel asked, a little curious that Elliot was also interested in this kind of employee gossip. ¡°Thest time her sister came to thepany to make trouble, she announced that Anastasia was the mistress of a man five years ago. She even sold her body in the club to make money.¡± Nigel suddenly widened his bright eyes as he listened to the sudden new information in disbelief. He immediately retorted, ¡°Impossible! Anastasia is not that kind of person, and she would never do such a thing.¡± ¡°How much exactly do you know about her?¡± Elliot looked at his cousin, hoping that he wouldn¡¯t bother with Anastasia anymore. Nigel didn¡¯t want to think more about it. He said firmly, ¡°I don¡¯t care what her past was like. I just want to spend my future with her, and I don¡¯t want to know who her child¡¯s father is. Anyway, I¡¯m willing to apany her to raise the child together and treat him as if he¡¯s my own.¡± Elliot really underestimated his cousin¡¯s determination to pursue this woman. He gritted his teeth and snorted, ¡°What¡¯s so good about her?¡± Nigel curled his lips and smiled. ¡°Anastasia has a unique kind of beauty. Sometimes, she¡¯s as bright as fire, sometimes as elegant as a rose. No matter which side of her, I am deeply fascinated by this woman.¡± In Elliot¡¯s heart, he only had three adjectives to evaluate Anastasia: unreasonable, barbaric and uncouth. ¡°Elliot, will you help me out?¡± Nigel couldn¡¯t help sitting on Elliot¡¯s desk as he looked at him pleadingly. ¡°No,¡± Elliot replied very coldly. ¡°You¡¯re really terrible. Do you still think of me as family?¡± Nigel pouted. Elliot decided to ignore him, and Nigel eventually left in unhappiness. He decided to continue persuading Anastasia until she epted the gift, so he returned to her office. After a while, she came back. Upon seeing that he was still there, she had no choice but to say, ¡°Nigel, I really cannot ept your gift. Go back!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t leave if you don¡¯t ept it,¡± Nigel replied mulishly. Anastasia thenughed and said, ¡°You know this doesn¡¯t work on me.¡± Nigel immediately shook his head and answered unhappily, ¡°Anastasia, can¡¯t you be a little more materialistic? That way, I can buy you with money.¡± Anastasia burst outughing. ¡°I¡¯m very much interested in money, but I only like the money I make.¡± At this moment, Nigel¡¯s phone rang. He picked it up and took a look before saying into the phone seriously, ¡°Hello, Dad.¡± ¡°Come over to thepany, Nigel. I have something to hand to you.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯lle over now.¡± Nigel¡¯s vacation wasing to an end, and from tomorrow onward, he had to go back to work at thepany obediently. ¡°I¡¯ll go back to meet my dad first. Call me if you need anything-I¡¯ll be there whenever you need me.¡± Nigel looked at Anastasia affectionately. ¡¤ Anastasia deliberately pretended not to see it and simply said to him, ¡°Go! Don¡¯t make your father wait.¡± After Nigel left, Anastasia sighed slightly. At this moment, May called and said, ¡°Anastasia, we are almost ready to get off work.¡± ¡°Yeah! Okay,¡± Anastasia responded. After that, May hid in an empty corridor and called Hayley, who told her to do something on the other end of the phone. She told May to ensure that Anastasia¡¯s phone was left in the office no matter what, and not to let Anastasia take it away with her. May agreed immediately. Although she didn¡¯t know why Hayley had asked her to do this, she only needed to be obedient. Soon, May arrived at Anastasia¡¯s office and saw that she was sorting some documents while her bag was on the sofa. As she deliberately sat next to Anastasia¡¯s bag, she then: said to the woman who was packing the documents, ¡°Anastasia, have youpleted your designs that are supposed to be submitted at the end of the month? I still have several left to do! I am so worried about them!¡± Whileining, she deliberately adjusted her posture. With Anastasia¡¯s line of sight obstructed, she reached out and grabbed the woman¡¯s phone in her bag and stuffed it down the sofa.Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Anastasia didn¡¯t notice what May had done at all. After she put the documents in the cab, she nced at the time and said to the woman, ¡°Okay, we should go too. There are three stores to be inspected tonight, so we¡¯re a bit rushed for time.¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go!¡± May immediately took the initiative to hold the bag. ¡°I¡¯ll hold your bag for you, Anastasia.¡±. As soon as Anastasia went out, she still took over her bag. ¡°I¡¯ll hold it myself!¡± May immediately returned it to her, and the two went downstairs. Since they both had no cars, they could only travel by cab. Unfortunately, it was just in time for the cab shift, and no cabs were stopping for them. Anastasia was getting frustrated just then before a Rolls-Royce Phantom suddenly drove over. The window rolled down, revealing a handsome man in a ck suit who was sitting elegantly in the driver¡¯s seat. He looked domineering, mysterious, and particrly charming. May was stunned at the sight. Is this President Presgrave¡¯s car? ¡°Get in the car. I¡¯ll take you both there,¡± Elliot said with unprecedented kindness. Anastasia replied politely, ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, thank you.¡± However, Elliot had no intention of leaving at all. His deep eyes locked on Anastasia¡¯s stubborn face, and then he repeated a second time, ¡°Get in the car.¡± May couldn¡¯t wait to sit in Elliot¡¯s car. If she could just take advantage of Anastasia¡¯s luck and ride in it once, she would be the luckiest girl on earth. ¡°Anastasia, we can¡¯t get a cab right now. We¡¯re going to bete, so let¡¯s take President Presgrave¡¯s car!¡± After speaking, May took the initiative to open the passenger¡¯s door and pulled Anastasia into the car. Anastasia was naturally not very happy about it, but since Elliot insisted on sending them to the destination and May had already opened the car door, she said to May, ¡°You sit in the front.¡± After that, she opened the back door and sat in the back seat. Upon hearing that, May was going crazy with joy. She was fortunate enough to sit in the front passenger seat with Elliot. After she sat in, she didn¡¯t even dare to even breathe. Her whole body was tense, and she was so nervous the whole time. As for Anastasia, she was sitting in the back seat. As soon as she raised her head, she met the man¡¯s deep eyes from the rearview mirror. She quickly looked out the window as the car slowly drove away, heading for themercial street they were going to. ¡°How do you know that we are going there, President Presgrave?¡± May asked in surprise. ¡°I¡¯ve read the information,¡± Elliot replied. Half an hourter, Elliot¡¯s car parked in front of a store in amercial street. May got out of the car uncertainly, while Anastasia said quickly to the man in the driver¡¯s seat, ¡°Thank you.¡± Following that, Elliot watched them walk into the Bourgeois store. He parked his car at a nearby location, but he didn¡¯t leave. Instead, he got out of the car and walked toward the store. At the store, Anastasia introduced herself to the store manager, and was immediately assigned to a reception room. At this moment, a man stepped into the entrance. He was dressed in a straight suit, which set off a superior and mysterious temperament. Under the lighting, he exuded a kingly aura. ¡°President Presgrave.¡± The manager was taken aback when she saw that the big boss had suddenly come without warning. It caught her off guard and she panicked. Is there something wrong with this store? ¡°Where are Anastasia Tillman and the others?¡± ¡°Oh! Miss Tillman is in the reception room, and I¡¯ve given her the customers¡¯ information.¡± After that, the manager hurried over to usher Elliot into the reception room. Anastasia was looking at the information of recent customers and the sales records of the store¡¯s most popr items when the door suddenly opened and a slender and handsome figure walked in. May¡¯s eyes widened at the sight at once. Why is President Presgrave here? Meanwhile, Anastasia was only surprised but not happy at all. This man is following me everywhere persistently! ¡°Carry on with your work,¡± Elliot said in a low voice as he sat down beside them.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Anastasia was speechless. Is this man supervising my work? Forget it, I¡¯d better finish the job! After all, I must get this year-end bonus. At this moment, Francis had brought Erica to pick up Jared and they were having dinner in a restaurant. Erica looked at Jared under the lighting and felt jealousy surging in her heart. With which man did Anastasia give birth to this child? When he grew up, he would look astoundingly handsome. If this little boy married a rich girl in the future, Anastasia would not be short of money. ¡°Dad, let¡¯s take Jared to the nearby yground after dinner! It¡¯s fun there,¡± Erica suggested. Since Francis was an old man, he was naturally not as good at having fun as young people. Nheless, he also wanted to take the little boy to the yground. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll take Jared to the ygroundter.¡± He nodded. ¡°Eat more, Jared.¡± Francis looked at his grandson with doting eyes. Upon seeing that, Erica secretly felt resentful. Sure enough, Anastasia¡¯s best weapon to win her father¡¯s heart was this little boy devil. Francis had always wanted a boy, but Naomi couldn¡¯t give birth to any more children. Now that Anastasia had given birth to a boy, Francis was overwhelmed with delight. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Thus, Erica was sure that Anastasia deliberately gave birth to a son and came back to rob her of the family assets! The more she looked at this boy, the more disgusted she became. She wished that he would be kidnapped by some bad guys immediately, and that he would never appear in her house ever again in this life. After they were finally done eating, they drove away and tried to find parking near the yground. Since the avable parking space was far away, Francis was afraid that they had to walk a long way, so he asked them to get off at the entrance of the yground first. This happened to fit Erica¡¯s evil n, so she hurriedly said to the little boy, ¡°Come on, Jared. We¡¯ll get off here first. Your grandfather has to park some distance away!¡± ¡°Be a good boy and go with your aunt first, Jared,¡± Francis said gently to the little boy. Jared nodded obediently before following Erica out of the car. As Erica watched her father¡¯s car leave, she sneered in her heart, and a vicious light shed in her eyes. She stared coldly at the little boy beside her, feeling as much hate for him as she had for Anastasia. ¡°There are some delicious snacks over there. Let¡¯s go buy some first!¡± Erica wasn¡¯t going to take him into the yground because there would be staff who would look after his safety. On the contrary, she wanted to take him to the busy streets where no one would care about him. The little boy had no choice but to follow her. When Erica saw the chaotic crowd, she said to Jared, ¡°Wait for me here and don¡¯t go running around! I¡¯ll go buy some fruit.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The little boy nodded. ¡°Do you have a smartwatch?¡± ¡°No.¡± The little boy shook his head. At once, Erica was secretly delighted. If such a young child got lost, it would be terribly difficult to find him. Moreover, there were many people here¡ªthere could even be child traffickers lurking around. Thus, Erica left the little boy and went off. 10 minutester, Erica went straight back to the entrance of the yground to wait for her father. Jared waited in the same ce for a long time, but he did not see Ericae back. As soon as he looked up, he saw a huge crowd of people all around him. He was still a small child, and he couldn¡¯t tell where he was at all. As he blinked his big eyes, there was a bad premonition in his heart as he felt that he had gotten lost. In fact, he didn¡¯t even know where to find his grandfather. Nevertheless, he didn¡¯t panic or cry. He simply walked into a store and said to the clerk inside, ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯m lost and I can¡¯t find my family. May I borrow your phone to call my mommy?¡± ¡°Are you lost, little boy? Okay, here you go.¡± The clerk immediately gave him the phone. Jared dialed his mother¡¯s number and it rang on the other side, but no one answered. He made two calls in a row, yet no one picked up. Apart from his mother¡¯s number, he didn¡¯t have anyone else¡¯s number. ¡°Did you mommy answer the phone, little boy?¡± Jared shook his head, so the clerk said to him, ¡°Well, you can wait a while before calling again. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m a good person. I¡¯ll take care of you.¡± The little boy nodded immediately and decided to call againter¡­ As for Francis, he hurried to the entrance of the yground after he parked the car, but as soon as he arrived, he saw his daughter Ericaing over while sobbing. She said to him sadly, ¡°Dad, something bad happened¡ªI¡¯ve lost Jared! I took him to buy some ice-cream, but he ran off and I couldn¡¯t find him¡­¡± Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Chapter 55 ¡°What?¡± Francis was terrified. He turned his head and looked around. People came and went all around him, but his grandson was nowhere to be found.. ¡°Jared! Where did you lose Jared?¡± Francis shouted angrily. In just a few minutes, Erica had lost his grandson! Moreover, the boy was only three-years-old! ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Dad! He was too naughty, and he ran off to y. I didn¡¯t manage to keep an eye on him!¡± Erica immediately began to sob and med it all on Jared. Francis hurriedly called the police before calling Anastasia, but even though he got through, Anastasia didn¡¯t answer the phone. He then yelled at Erica anxiously, ¡°Go find him! How dare you still stand here and cry?¡± Erica was startled for a moment; she had never seen her father fly into a rage like this and was really scared. She wanted to go to the ce where she left Jared to see if the child was still there, but she would not tell her father the exact location. Thus, she pretended to find the boy separately. When she returned to the ce just now and found that Jared was no longer there, she felt relieved. Anastasia, your son is finally lost. You will never find this child in your life again. This child is no longer a weapon for you to rob my family¡¯s property. When Erica thought of this, her heart burst with ecstasy. Meanwhile, Francis immediately contacted the customer service of Bourgeois. After he exined the situation, the service staff immediately called Felicia. When Felicia heard the news, she quickly recalled that May and Anastasia were together, so she quickly called May. Anastasia was checking the information and making a detailed record of it. May was sitting next to her when she heard the phone ringing, so she picked it up and saw that it was from Felicia. Hence, she quickly connected the call and said, ¡°Hello, Felicia.¡± ¡°Is Anastasia with you?¡± ¡°Yes, she¡¯s beside me.¡± ¡°Let her answer the phone.¡± May handed the phone to Anastasia. ¡°Felicia is asking for you.¡± Anastasia reached out and took the phone. ¡°Hello, Felicia.¡± ¡°Anastasia, I just received a call from the service desk. Your dad called while saying that your son got lost and asked you to contact him quickly.¡± The documents in Anastasia¡¯s hands slipped and fell to the ground when she heard the news. Her face went pale as she said shakily, ¡°What? My son got lost?¡± The man who was reading the news on his phone beside them raised his handsome face suddenly, and his pupils constricted upon seeing Anastasia¡¯s frightened face. Then, Anastasia picked up May¡¯s phone and said, ¡°Lend me your phone, May.¡± After speaking, she dialed her father¡¯s number with trembling fingers. ¡°Hey!¡± Francis¡¯ frantic voice was on the other end. ¡°Is this Anastasia?¡± ¡°Dad, where did Jared go missing? Where are you?¡± Anastasia was so worried that she broke out in cold sweat. ¡°Near the yground. Erica and I decided to bring him here, but he suddenly went missing. Anastasia¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡­¡± Francis was so anxious at the end that he choked up and almost burst into tears. Losing a child was a serious matter! When Anastasia heard that Erica was there too, she instantly understood that it was not her father who lost her son, but Erica who had used some means to cause her son to go missing. ¡°Anastasia, does Jared remember your number? Why didn¡¯t you pick up your phone?¡± Anastasia immediately opened her bag, but there was no phone in it. She waspletely baffled. Where is my phone? Where did it go? She clearly remembered it lying in her bag, and her son remembered her phone number too. Hence, she believed that her son was smart enough to find someone and try to call her. ¡°Dad, I¡¯ll go back to thepany and look for my phone. Don¡¯t worry! Jared will be fine. If you find him, call this phone number. I¡¯ll go back to thepany first.¡± After Anastasia finished speaking, she begged Elliot who was sitting on the sofa and said, ¡°President Presgrave, will you take me back to thepany? I¡¯m in a hurry.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Of course, Elliot knew that she was in a hurry. After all, her son was lost. . Thus, Anastasia picked up her bag and followed Elliot out quickly. As for May, she sar on the sofa and secretly wiped the sweat from her brow. So, was this why Hayley had asked her to remove Anastasia¡¯s phone? Has Anastasia lost her son?Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Although Anastasia remained calm and rational, she didn¡¯t feel optimistic. She sat in the passenger seat in Elliot¡¯s car as they drove toward thepany immediately. Anastasia was so anxious that tears brimmed in her eyes. She held onto May¡¯s phone, hoping that her father would have good news for her soon. ¡°Your son looks very smart, so he will be fine.¡± Whileforting her, Elliot weaved past the other cars deftly, and the ck car rushed all the way to the Bourgeois Building When the car came to the entrance, Anastasia pushed open the front passenger¡¯s door and hurried toward the steps, but because she was in a hurry, she tripped and fell. Upon hitting her left leg on the sharp corner of the steps, she felt pain shooting through her leg and it hurt so badly she couldn¡¯t stand up for a while. At this moment, a strong arm wrapped around her waist and lifted her up. Elliot wanted to check her injury, but she limped away from him and continued to run up the steps. Then, Anastasia knocked on the entrance door anxiously. The security guard on duty inside recognized her and hurriedly opened the door for her, but he was even more surprised that Elliot was right behind her. After that, Anastasia walked all the way to the elevator. As she pressed the elevator button, she was trembling nervously while blood oozed from her knee. Elliot nced coldly at her. When the elevator arrived, Anastasia rushed in, and he also stepped forward with long legs. ¡°Jared will be fine. Jared will be fine. Although he is young, he is very smart¡­ No, my son will not be in trouble.¡± Anastasia was about to lose her mind and her body was about to copse; she couldn¡¯t help but murmur to herself as if trying tofort herself. In the depths of Elliot¡¯s eyes, there was a hint of distress that he himself didn¡¯t even realize. Soon, the elevator stopped at the design department floor. Then, Anastasia rushed out and went straight to her office. She dialed her own number with May¡¯s phone and heard her phone ringing from the corner ofContent ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. the sofa. After digging into the sofa, Anastasia took out her phone with trembling hands. As she opened it up, she noticed 16 missed calls. Except for her father¡¯s contact, there was an unknown number who had called multiple times. She held her breath and hurriedly called the number back. Soon, the other end answered. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Hello, did a child call this number with your phone?¡± ¡°Yes, are you the mother of the child?¡± ¡°I am. Is my son by your side?¡±. ¡°Yes, I had him wait for you in my store. Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s fine and I¡¯ll watch over him.¡± The female voice on the other end sounded very young but kind. The boulder weighing down on Anastasia¡¯s chest was finally lifted, and at this moment, her son¡¯s tender voice came to her ear. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mommy. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Jared¡­ My baby¡­¡± Anastasia¡¯s emotions were in turmoil at this moment, and her tears slipped down her cheeks. ¡°My baby! Thank God! I¡¯m going to pick you up right now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Mommy. I¡¯m fine.¡± The little boyforted her from the other end. The girl answered the phone again and said, ¡°Miss, I¡¯ll send you the location of our store. Pleasee over quickly!¡± ¡°Okay, thank you! I¡¯lle right over.¡± Anastasia hung up the phone. All of a sudden, she felt dizzy. Now that her tense nerves suddenly rxed, blood rushed to her head and caused a bout of dizziness. She instinctively reached out and grabbed something nearby. What she happened to grab was a man¡¯s arm, and she held on to it tightly to prevent herself from falling. The next second, another arm wound itself around her waist, and her whole body was pulled toward a firm chest. However, she didn¡¯t struggle because she needed to rely on him urgently and waited for the dizziness to subside. As he lowered his head, Elliot looked at the woman who was breathing heavily in his arms. Her face was pale with a rare look of weakness. It was very different from her usual look, and at this moment, she looked like she badly needed someone to protect her. Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Chapter 57 ¡°Feeling better?¡± Elliot asked in a deep voice. The head-rush that made Anastasia sway on her feet was ebbing, but it was then that she suddenly realized Elliot was holding her in his arms. She quickly stepped backward to create some distance between them, only to bump into the table behind her. ¡°Ow!¡± she eximed. The next second, she was pulled back into Elliot¡¯s embrace, even though she had burrowed out of it mere moments ago. When her face collided against the muscled nes of his chest, she heard a thud followed by a dull ache that spread over her cheekbone. However, before she could fully register the pain, she felt arge palm sp over her wrist. She was in a stupor as she was pulled to the car that was parked by the curb. When the door on the passenger¡¯s side opened, Elliot pressed her firmly into the seat. As soon as she sat down, she fished out her phone and called her father¡¯s number, only to hear Francis¡¯ panicked cry on the other line. ¡°Anastasia, Jared hasn¡¯t been found yet.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dad. Jared is just fine. He¡¯s safe, and I¡¯m on my way to pick him up right now.¡± ¡°What? Where¡¯s Jared? Where is he?¡± ¡°A kind shopkeeper is watching over him now and I¡¯m heading over to pick him up.¡± ¡°Give me the address and I¡¯ll be right there as well. Erica is supposed to be with Dad this evening, and because Erica is a dangerous person, there is no way I¡¯ll let her near Jared. With that in mind, Anastasia responded hastily, ¡°Dad, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re tired, so you should get some rest. I¡¯ll go and pick up Jared myself.¡± ¡°No, I need to make sure that Jared is alright,¡± Francis insisted; he was so beside himself with worry that he thought his stomach might turn inside out. ¡°I know, but I¡¯ll be right over to see you after I have picked Jared up,¡± she cated. She could get to the bottom of how Jared had gone missing by the end of the night since she suspected that Erica had something to do with it. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. She hung up the phone and next to her was Elliot already driving over to the location of the store. As the car sped through the streets, Anastasia kept her eyes closed while she tried to rpose herself. Only heaven knew how terrified she had been earlier; she nearly lost her wits. This was the first time since Jared¡¯s birth that she had found herself at the mercy of fear. Atst, they pulled up outside a boutique. Anastasia saw her son sitting on the couch as soon as she walked through the door and she broke down in tears of relief as she cried, ¡°Jared!¡± ¡°Mommy, Mommy, you¡¯re here!¡± The little one ran up to her and threw his arms around her. She crouched low as well and pulled him into her embrace, her tears silently streaming down her face. Meanwhile, the shopkeeper who had been watching over Jared noticed the man standing behind Anastasia, after which she immediately thought in surprise, Wow, what a catch! This has to be the kid¡¯s father. They look exactly like each other! With his handsome features and tailored suit, Elliot looked dazzling where he stood tall and straight beneath the lights. There was no mistaking the grace and elegance that he emanated. Although he didn¡¯t say anything, he seemed relieved as his gaze fell upon the embracing pair of mother and son. Anastasia straightened her posture and unsped the ne she was wearing, which was the only valuable thing she had on her person at the moment. She took the female shopkeeper¡¯s hand and thanked, ¡°I don¡¯t have my purse with me, but take this ne of mine as a reward for your kindness; the ne is worth twenty thousand.¡± ¡°Oh, no, there¡¯s no need for that. Anyone else would have done the same thing. The kid is precious. Make sure you keep an eye on him next time,¡± the shopkeeper gently responded as she nudged Anastasia¡¯s hand away in her refusal to ept the reward. ¡°Thank you so much. You¡¯re my son¡¯s lifesaver. Could we at least get your number?¡± Anastasia gazed upon the shopkeeper, the gratitude pooling in her eyes. The girl seemed a little flustered as she urged, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so formal with me. Take your child home now and get some rest.¡± Upon seeing how the girl had so adamantly turned down the reward, Anastasia had no choice other than to profusely thank her. The little one next to her looked up at: Elliot at that moment and asked, ¡°Mr. Handsome, were you the one who drove my mommy over here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, buddy. Do you know how terrified your mom was? You gave her quite the fright,¡± Elliot said as he crouched down and pulled the boy into his arms. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mommy. It was my fault; I never should have run off on my own,¡± Jared apologized guiltily, realizing the gravity of the situation. After thanking the shopkeeper, Anastasia turned to him and asked, ¡°Jared, can you tell me how you got lost?¡± ¡°Grandpa was parking the car when Aunt Erica told me she was going to buy me yummy snacks, but she went and never came back. I wanted to look for her, but I got lost,¡± the little boy answered frankly. Burning rage filled Anastasia when she heard this. Gritting her teeth, she thought, You were trying to abandon my son on purpose, weren¡¯t you, Erica? Chapter 58 Chapter 58 Chapter 58 For a child this small to be left alone in a crowd, Jared could have been kidnapped by some ruffian working for a syndicate and no one would have noticed at all. The amusement park was not too far away from here. Elliot drove over and pulled up outside the parking lot. At present, there weren¡¯t a lot of people at the amusement park entrance and only Francis stood there, waiting with Erica and Naomi in tow. When Erica heard that Jared had been found, she started to be evasive and immediately denied having anything to do with his going missing. The mysterious car was gleaming under the lights as it rolled to a stop. Then, the door swung open as Anastasia stepped out of the car with Jared in her arms. Francis practically flew over to them and hurried to crush Jared against his chest, his tears streaming down his face as guilt ate away at him. ¡°Oh, my darling grandson. You gave me a fright!¡± However, in the midst of this joyous reunion, Anastasia¡¯s murderous gaze was fixed on Erica. The rage that boiled within her was urging her to look for an outlet; otherwise, she mightbust on the spot. At the sight of the baleful look on Anastasia¡¯s face, a wary Erica took two steps backward and demanded, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that, Anastasia?¡± It was when she saw how uneasy and evasive Erica was that Anastasia¡¯s anger renewed. She raised a hand and brought it down hard across Erica¡¯s face, the p resounding in the crisp evening air. ¡°Ow!¡± Erica shrieked, her eyes wide in bewilderment. ¡°You just pped me! You¡¯re out of your mind, Anastasia!¡± She darted behind Naomi for cover while whining, ¡°Mom, she just pped me!¡± Naomi instantly wrapped her arms protectively around her daughter as she turned to snap, ¡°How dare you strike my daughter, Anastasia!¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t take care of my son, Erica, then don¡¯t offer to do it! Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you were nning to do,¡± Anastasia seethed as she glowered at Erica mutinously. ¡°You little wench! Do you have proof that Erica lost your son on purpose?¡± Naomi countered defensively, shielding her daughter. Francis knew that he bore the bigger responsibility in this, so he walked up to the women and interjected in a pained voice, ¡°Anastasia, it was my fault. Don¡¯t me Erica.¡± Fueled by intense anger, Anastasia maintained her gaze on Erica as she warned darkly, ¡°Stay away from my son! If you so much as get close to him or try to hurt him, I¡¯ll kill you where you stand!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go around making baseless ims, Anastasia,¡± Erica retorted, refusing to admit to her misdeed. To the side, he felt his heart twist when he saw his two daughters snapping at each other. He turned to Anastasia and cajoled, ¡°Anastasia, it was my fault. It really was. I promise I won¡¯t let Jared out of my sight anymore.¡± Jared, on the other hand, pouted. ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t be mad. I shouldn¡¯t have walked away on my own.¡± Anastasia¡¯s rage was quelled by the sound of Jared¡¯s voice. What mattered most was that her son had returned safely, so she swallowed her anger and turned to remove Jared out of Francis¡¯ arms. ¡°Dad, thanks for helping tonight. I¡¯m sure Jared is badly shocked too. I¡¯ll take him home now and you should get back and call it a day.¡± Having said that, she cast Elliot a brief look and turned to saunter back to his car. Meanwhile, Erica kept her eyes on Anastasia and it was only then that she noticed the man next to Anastasia. Her eyes widened in surprise when she registered the man¡¯s features in the dim lighting. Why does this man look like Anastasia¡¯s son? Could he be the kid¡¯s father? By the time Erica tried to get a second glimpse of the man, he had turned away from her and all she saw was the elusive silhouette of his back. When Elliot¡¯s car drove away, Francis let out a sigh of relief and said to Naomi and Erica, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s head home.¡± He couldn¡¯t bring himself to me Erica for what had happened to Jared. After all, she had no experience in babysitting whatsoever, and while she had been careless, it didn¡¯t necessarily mean she was at fault. Naomi, however, was belligerent that her daughter had to suffer Anastasia¡¯s wrath. She didn¡¯t do anything wrong, so why was she the one to be pped? However, only Erica knew that she had truly intended to abandon Jared at a ce that was somewhere crowded. In fact, she had so viciously wished that the boy would be kidnapped. s, the universe was against her, for it brought the child back in one piece. More importantly, she wanted to know who that mysterious man was. It had taken her all but one look to discern that he had the innate grace of nobility, and he definitely wasn¡¯t just some average Joe. Meanwhile, Elliot had stopped outside the apartmentmunity where Anastasia lived. When he saw that there was a pharmacy next to it, he headed in without a word, leaving her baffled as she stared after him with Jared in her arms. Not long after that, Elliot came back with a carrier bag of something. Being extremely grateful for his help this evening, Anastasia said, ¡°Thank you so much for what you¡¯ve done tonight, President Presgrave. It¡¯s gettingte, and you should be going back.¡± Elliot looked at her and offered, ¡°I¡¯ll walk with you to your apartment.¡± Anastasia spun on her heels and headed into the elevator with Elliot in her wake. They made their way up the building, and upon arriving at her apartment, she opened the door and turned on the lights. The little one shuffled over to the couch and sat down on it, looking like a sad puppy waiting to be lectured. ¡°Mommy, I was wrong. Please don¡¯t be mad anymore.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not angry, just¡­ flustered. I was too flustered and Ished out,¡± she confessed. She knew that her son saw the violent confrontation she had with Erica. Suddenly, Elliot reached out to grab Anastasia by the wrist and pulled her into a sitting position on the couch. She gaped at him, but before she could ask, the man crouched down in front of her. Hisrge hand sped her left calf, and it was only then that she noticed the bloody gash that measured up to about two inches in length on her leg. Given how she had not tended to it in time, the blood had crusted over, even though the wound was still there.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Chapter 59 Chapter 59 Chapter 59 ¡°You¡¯re hurt, Mommy!¡± Jared eximed, sounding pained at the sight of Anastasia¡¯s injury. Anastasia was stunned as well. This guy went into the pharmacy just so he could get some ointment and bandages for me? She watched as Elliot dabbed an antiseptic-soaked cotton bud over the gash that ran along her leg before carefully bandaging the area. He tended to the wound deftly as though having done this routinely before, and it didn¡¯t take long for him to wrap things up. ¡°Thank you,¡± Anastasia said a little stiffly. She thought he had done far too much for her this evening. Eliliot ced the carrier bag of first-aid stuff on the coffee table and said, ¡°Change the dressing on your own for the next few days.¡± ¡°Got it. Thank you.¡± Given how rudely she had been with him earlier that day, she dared not look at him for too long. What was more, all his help this evening only made her feel worse. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Handsome,¡± Jared chimed, looking up as he eyed Elliot with immense gratitude. ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Elliot reached out and rubbed Jared¡¯s head affectionately. Then, he cast a long look at the woman who had her head down. Wordlessly, he sauntered over to the front door, opened it, and left. It was only then did Anastasia let out a sigh of relief. She pulled Jared into her arms, holding him close to ease the knots in her stomach and calm her wildly-beating heart. Simrly, Jared threw his arms around her in response to the embrace. I will never leave my son with vicious people like Erica and her mother ever again, because I¡¯d rather die than trust them. That night, she felt a chill run down her spine while watching Jared sleep. She was terrified, and she was sure that she would lose the will to live should anything happen to her child. Shey down and pulled Jared into her arms. As she curled around him protectively, she felt a sharp pain radiate from her knee. She let out a low hiss and found herself thinking about how Elliot had stayed with her for a better part of the night while she was looking frantically for Jared. He had be her personal driver who sped through the streets in the city and supported her when she swayed on her feet. Anastasia suddenly felt an overwhelming surge of guilt. She had treated him like how a porcupine might treat a stranger, and that had definitely been uncalled for. Looks like I¡¯ll have to be more amiable with him. Didn¡¯t he say something about wanting me to meet his grandmother? I suppose I could entertain the idea and make things even between us. That would work out for the best. She could meet with Old Madam Presgrave and dissuade the olddy from wanting to repay Amelia¡¯s selfless deed all those years ago. After all, Amelia had only been carrying out her duty as a policewoman when she sacrificed her life to save Elliot¡¯s. The next morning, Francis came over to the apartment with fruits and gifts in hand. This time, he came alone without Erica and Naomi¡¯spany. In any case, he understood that Erica had a role to y in allowing Jared to go missing yesterday. Nheless, she was still his daughter at the end of the day, and he couldn¡¯t bring himself to think of her as being capable of such cruelty. Having heard Francis¡¯ repeated apology, Anastasia finally said in constion, ¡°Just let it go, Dad. It¡¯s all over now, so we don¡¯t have to talk about it anymore.¡± Francis stopped spewing guilt-riddled words, but his eyes were filled with self-me. Even Jared was beginning to feel sorry for the man as he sat next to him and promised solemnly, ¡°I won¡¯t ever run away on my own again, Grandpa. Pinky promise.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a good kid, Jared,¡± Francis muttered, seeminglyforted as he rubbed the little boy¡¯s head. Meanwhile, over at the Tillman Residence, Erica was sprawled on her bed as she told Hayley about last evening¡¯s incident. On the other end of the phone, Hayley couldn¡¯t resist pointing out sourly after hearing the details, ¡°This won¡¯t bode well for you, Erica. I bet Anastasia¡¯s going badmouth you in front of your father and tell him that you allowed her son to wander off on purpose. Who knows how much of the family fortune you would get after this?¡± Erica nched upon hearing this, and a fiery anger rose from the pit of her stomach. ¡°If that b*tch so much as says a single bad word about me to my father, I¡¯ll give her hell for it!¡± ¡°She pped youst night even while your dad was watching, so I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she decides to spew nonsense about you!¡± Hayley said darkly out of her spite for Anastasia. Erica pondered on the possibility of this and realized that there was some truth to it. Anastasia has probably told Dad about what a horrible person I am. It¡¯s bad enough that I barely mean anything to Dad as it is. He could be convinced by her and leave her everything in the family fortune while I get nothing at all! What should I do then? ¡°Anastasia won¡¯t even know what¡¯sing! I won¡¯t let her get away with this.¡± A sudden thought crossed her mind after she said this, and after a while, she muttered, ¡°I saw Anastasia with a manst night, and admittedly, he and Jared looked simr. I don¡¯t know who he is, though.¡± ¡°Well, what did he look like?¡± Hayley pressed, curious to know who the mysterious man in Anastasia¡¯s life was. Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Hayley waszing around the opulent vi, looking like the very picture of privileged insouciance with a morning ss of red wine in hand and an expensive nightgown draped over her frame. Spread before her was an indulgent br¨¨akfast that the maids had decked out earlier that morning. Just then, an iing call interrupted her conversation with Erica, and Hayley quickly said, ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you soon, Erica. I need to take another call.¡± With that, she hung up the call with Erica and put May¡¯s line through. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Miss Seymour, it¡¯s me, May.¡± ¡°You did wellst night.¡± ¡°Thank you, Miss Seymour. There¡¯s something important I need to tell you, though -Anastasia was with President Presgravest night.¡± The color drained from Hayley¡¯s face. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I was supposed to be writing up an evaluation report with Anastasiast night, but President Presgrave was there as well, and the both of them left together shortly after.¡± Unbridled hatred shed in Hayley¡¯s eyes as she thought seethingly, So Elliot was the man who apanied Anastasiast night? Could he be the man Erica was talking about? The one who looked a lot like Anastasia¡¯s kid? Damn it! Anastasia must have put on quite the act to earn his sympathy and prompt his protective side! Hayley had a feeling that Anastasia had set her eyes on Elliot. She wouldn¡¯t discount the possibility that the past five years had turned Anastasia into a greedy and shallow woman, though in all fairness, no woman in her right mind would turn away a fine specimen like Elliot. Does this mean she¡¯s trying to steal my man? Hayley gritted her teeth and vowed that she would not let Anastasia get away with her dirty tricks. That weekend, Anastasia refused to let her son out of her sight, and this continued until Monday rolled around. When she had dropped Jared off at the kindergarten and watched him skip happily through the mainN?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. entrance, she let out a sigh of relief. Then, upon ncing at the time, she hurried off in the direction of thepany. After arriving at her office, she took a sip of water. Now that the time was past 10.00AM, she summoned her courage and grabbed the phone on her desk, thereafter dialing the extension line for the president¡¯s office. It wasn¡¯t long before a low and husky male voice sounded on the other line. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me, Anastasia. I¡­ I¡¯ve decided that I would like to meet your grandmother,¡± Anastasia said hesitantly, slightly fumbling with her words. After that night¡¯s event, she thought she ought to stop giving Elliot such a hard time. For a few seconds, there was nothing but silence on the other end of the phone. She thought her heart might drop straight through her stomach when she suddenly heard him ask in a low baritone, ¡°When are you free?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be free as long as it¡¯s before 3.00PM¡± she answered. She needed to pick Jared up from schoolter in the day, and she didn¡¯t have time tonight, either. ¡°Okay, then we¡¯ll go right now,¡± he said, his voice deep and alluring as he drawled each word over the phone. At that moment, it was as if Anastasia¡¯s mind had imploded. Wait, what? Right now? That¡¯s too soon! ¡°But I have work,¡± she said, though even she could hear how forced the excuse sounded. ¡°Take the morning off, then.¡± ¡°But I¡ª¡± ¡°Do I have to do it for you?¡± he pressed in amusement. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± She didn¡¯t want to trouble him, and she couldn¡¯t very well risk having more rumors about them flying around after this. ¡°Then I¡¯ll see you at the main entrance in ten minutes,¡± the man said conclusively and rather authoritatively before he hung up the call. As such, Anastasia made her way over to Felicia¡¯s office and asked for a day off, iming that her son, having been traumatized from the events of that night, needed herpany. Naturally, Felicia did not question her and agreed to her request. May had only just walked up to Anastasia¡¯s office when she saw thetter packing up her stuff and grabbing her purse to leave. She asked curiously, ¡°Are you going somewhere, Anastasia?¡± ¡°I need to head out for a bit.¡± ¡°But I wrote this report and I was hoping you¡¯d go over it for me.¡± ¡°Just leave it on my desk!¡± Anastasia said as she brisk-walked over to the elevators. May blinked and hurried to catch up. ¡°Well, I was going down to get some tea to-go, anyway.¡± They were both standing at the entrance, and May was scrolling through her phone on purpose while she hid behind the ss door. She watched as Anastasia stepped forward at the sight of the familiar Rolls-Royce idling by the curb. Upon looking around to make sure that no one was watching her, Anastasia quickly opened the door to the passenger seat and slid into the vehicle. Behind the ss door, May felt her jaw drop wide open. Is Anastasia going on a date with Elliot during office hours? She hastily snapped a picture of the car and sent it to Hayley. Meanwhile, Hayley was strolling through the mall and seekingfort through mindless shopping when she heard the subtle beep of a new text. She pulled out her phone and clicked into the text from May, which read, ¡®Miss Seymour, this is a picture of Anastasia boarding President Presgrave¡¯s car. They look like they¡¯re going on a date!! Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Hayley¡¯s good mood instantly crashed as she thought, Anastasia¡¯s getting more shameless by the day! She¡¯s actually seducing Elliot in broad daylight during work hours! She bit down on her lip and decided that it was time she resorted to desperate measures. Hayley gave up on her shopping, ran back to the car and started the engine. She nced at the low wall next to the parking lot, and without another thought, she mmed on the elerator and drove her car into the structure. The reaction from the impact caused Hayley to knock her head against the steering wheel. The pain that followed was so intense that she had to take several sharp breaths to snap out of it. Now that she crashed the car and had sufficient reason to cry, Hayley inhaled deeply and took her phone before dialing Elliot¡¯s number. At that exact moment, Elliot¡¯s phone, which was connected to the car¡¯s system, rang with an iing call, thereby disrupting the silence in the vehicle. Hayley¡¯s name appeared on the screen affixed to the dashboard. Anastasia was already feeling unsettled, and when she caught sight of the name, she felt even worse. She turned away from the screen; it seemed as though looking at the name offended de her greatly. Elliot hesitated upon seeing this, but he decided to answer the call anyway. ¡°Hey, Hayley. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I crashed the car, Elliot!¡± Hayley let out a pained whimper. ¡°I¡¯m so scared. Could youe help me, please?¡± She started to sob and whine for help. The car slowed momentarily as Elliot pressed out of concern, ¡°Are you hurt?¡± ¡°My head hurts, and I feel like I¡¯m spinning. Elliot, I need you here. It really hurts¡­¡± Hayley sobbed miserably. Sure enough, that prompted him to want to rush over to her location at once. ¡°Send me the address and I¡¯ll be right over.¡± Next to him, Anastasia snorted when she heard Hayley¡¯s voice. It¡¯s been five years since west saw each other, but even I have to say her damsel-in-distress act is somewhat impressive. Presently, Elliot hung up the call and nced at the address Hayley had sent him. He turned around and said to Anastasia in a low voice, ¡°Mind if we take a detour?¡± Anastasia shrugged in some sort of a half-hearted agreement. She figured she could go and take a look at the damage Hayley had done. Elliot steered the car toward thergest mall downtown and drove down to the third floor of the basement parking lot. Hayley¡¯s Porsche was still in the same state it had been in when it crashed into the wall, while the reckless driver herself was crouching next to the totaled car, looking as if she was trying to keep her head from cracking. down the middle. At that moment, she looked up and saw Elliot getting down from his car. She didn¡¯t seem the least bit surprised that Anastasia hade along, though. At once, she flew into Elliot¡¯s arms like a stunned baby bird. ¡°You¡¯re finally here, Elliot¡­¡± And here I was thinking that her head would be caved in and bleeding from the impact, but she¡¯s hopping around just fine. What a shame that the car is the only thing damaged here, Anastasia thought bitterly. ¡°What are you doing here, Anastasia?¡± Hayley asked, feigning surprise as she tightened her arms around Elliot¡¯s waist. Anastasia narrowed her eyes and pointed out mockingly, ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing to acknowledge you as a female road-user, Hayley. Did you only get your driver¡¯s license through bribery or something?¡± Hayley chewed on her lip and stared at Anastasia with red-rimmed eyes as she demanded, ¡°Why do you have to be so mean, Anastasia?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m being mean, am I? I thought you would have lost an arm or a leg or something from the crash. In fact, I was going to light up fireworks to celebrate the joyous asion of your fatal ident!¡± Anastasia scoffed. Upon hearing this, Elliot frowned and turned to shoot her a look, as though agreeing that her words werepletely uncalled for. ¡°Anastasia, you..¡± Hayley¡¯s eyes turned red at that moment, and she looked like she could barely stand on her own feet. With a hand pped over her forehead, she swayed and stumbled into Elliot¡¯s arms. Possessed of lightning reflexes, he reached out and steadied her before asking frantically, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Hayley?¡± ¡°She¡¯s just putting on an act! She¡¯s perfectly fine,¡± Anastasia interjected sardonically, immediately seeing through Hayley¡¯s act. Elliot bit out darkly, ¡°Could you just stop talking for a bit, perhaps?¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Anastasia chewed the inside of her cheek. Since she refused to stay and watch him coddle Hayley, she rolled her eyes and said, ¡°I¡¯ll get going then.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t go,¡± he called after her, stopping her in her tracks. She turned and gave him a long look. What, do you actually have time to bring me home to see your grandmother?Elliot looked down at Hayley and muttered, ¡°Hayley, Rey is on his way right now. I¡¯ll have him send you to the hospital so you can get a full check-up, okay? If the doctor says you¡¯re fine, just go back home and get some rest.¡± Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Chapter 62 ¡°No, Elliot-I want you to go to the hospital with me,¡± Hayley pouted as she clutched onto Elliot¡¯s sleeve tightly like a child terrified of losing affection. ¡°I can¡¯t go with you because I still have stuff to do. Be good and let R¨¨y take you to the hospital,¡± Elliot cajoled patiently. ¡°No. I want you to go with me, or I won¡¯t go at all,¡± she whined stubbornly. He frowned pensively. Given that she was still in shock after the ident, it made sense for him to take her to the hospital and stay with her throughout the check-up. However, just as he was considering this, Anastasia suddenly snorted. ¡°So don¡¯t go to the hospital then, Hayley. President Presgrave and I still have things to do. Come on, President Presgrave, we have to get going!¡± Hayley¡¯s chest rose and fell erratically when she heard this, and she started trembling as she groaned, ¡°I feel dizzy, Elliot!¡± With that, her eyes rolled to the back of her head and her legs buckled under her. It was only because Elliot moved quickly enough to catch her that she did not copse onto the ground. He swept her into his arms and carried her into the backseat of the car, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll get you to the hospital now, Hayley.¡± He then addressed Anastasia, who stood firmly in ce, ¡°Could you get a ride back to thepany?¡± Anastasia watched as his car sped out of the parking lot, leaving her behind. She heaved a sigh and headed back to thepany. Over at the private hospital that was run by the Presgrave Corporation, Hayley had gone through several tests, and it was concluded that she was fine aside from the shock and the concussion that came with the ident. The doctor also mentioned that she would be fine after a few days¡¯ rest.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Elliot was presently seated by her hospital bed. Taking in the bump on her forehead and her pale face, he consoled her by saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll just have to stay here for a couple of days for observation purposes.¡± ¡°Elliot, what were you doing with Anastasia? Were you both going out for work or something?¡± Hayley asked as shey demurely in bed, feigning curiosity. He shook his head. ¡°I was going to bring her to the Presgrave Residence to meet my grandmother.¡± Hayley was in shock as she asked, ¡°Why do you want her to meet your grandmother?¡± ¡°I was kidnapped once when I was only a child, and it was Anastasia¡¯s mother who sacrificed her life to save mine. My grandma¡¯s been waiting to repay the deed ever since,¡± Elliot exined frankly. ¡°What? You were the kid Anastasia¡¯s mother saved back in the day? Anastasia and I were ssmates throughout elementary and high school. I heard about how her mother had died while on duty, but I didn¡¯t think you were the person she saved. Her mother was a selfless woman,¡± Hayley pointed out with admiration. ¡°I¡¯ve always looked up to her mother.¡± ¡°Did something happen between you and Anastasia?¡± Elliot asked curiously. He could tell that Anastasia harbored enmity toward Hayley to the extent that her hatred for thetter was unmistakable. Hayley had long since thought of an answer, and she lied with a sigh, ¡°Anastasia came to save me once when I was being taken advantage of, but in the end, she ended up getting assaulted instead. She¡¯s been holding it against me ever since.¡± ¡°Assaulted?¡± He nched at this, wondering if Hayley was perhaps referring to some other kind of assault. ¡°Yes. Some gigolo ended up viting her. It was because of me that she had to suffer something as horrible as that,¡± Hayley went on to say as tears of guilt glistened in her eyes. She buried her face in her hands and muttered in anguish, ¡°I could never make it up to her, not even if I were to spend the rest of my life trying to atone for my faults.¡± Elliot felt his heart leap to his throat. Anastasia was assaulted by a man before this? ¡°Are you sure she was.¡± The words died on his tongue as he fixed his gaze on Hayley, unwilling to ept what he had just heard. Hayley¡¯s tears streamed down her face as she nodded firmly and said, ¡°Yes, her chastity had been cruelly taken away from her that night against her own will. That was her first time and I¡­ She was assaulted because of me, and I can¡¯t ever make it up to her. She¡¯s hated me since that horrific ordeal, and I deserve it. I deserve to be loathed by her for the rest of this lifetime.¡± Just as she was saying this, Hayley thought darkly, I just need to let Elliot know that Anastasia isn¡¯t some virtuous and puredy. Now, regardless of how pretty she is, she will forever be tainted goods to him! Elliot, on the other hand, felt as if he was caught in the aftershock of an earthquake. He was so stunned that his handsome features seemed frozen in ce, and his eyes were wide as he contemted what he had just learned. ¡°It¡¯s only right that she hates me. There is nothing I can do to atone for this sin of mine, Elliot. I know that I had the same experience as she did, but I was lucky Anastasia, though; she met a scoundrel who slept with her and abandoned her as soon as the deed was over.¡±¡°Does that mean the kid belongs to that gigolo?¡± Elliot pressed in a low voice, his fist clenching where it rested atop his knee. I can¡¯t believe she went through something like that. Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Chapter 63 ¡°I have no idea. She left for abroad after that day and we lost contact with each other,¡± Hayley said slowly while shaking her head. Then, she looked up nervously at Elliot and urged tearfully, ¡°Elliot, you have to promise me not to ask Anastasia about this. I don¡¯t want you to prod into the scars of her past, okay? Besides, if she finds out that I was the one who told you all about what happened to her, she¡¯ll only hate me more.¡± .. Elliot knew that going through something as horrific as this was traumatizing for any woman. As such, he nodded and said in a fit ofpassion, ¡°I promise I won¡¯t mention a word about this to her.¡±. Burying her face in her hands, Hayley began to sob and snivel again, though she was actually smirking into her palms with the corners of her lips tipped up viinously. Now that Elliot knows of your dark past, would he still want someone as tainted as you, Anastasia? Presently, Elliot reached out to pat Hayley¡¯s shoulder. ¡°There, now-stop crying and get some rest. I¡¯ll be going back to the office.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go, Elliot.¡± Hayley grabbed the hem of his shirt and eyed him piteously. ¡°Can¡¯t you stay with me for a while longer?¡± He had only just risen from his seat, but now that Hayley had asked him to stay, he did as told and sat down once more. This made him think of that fateful night from five years ago, when he had been so out of his own mind that he ravished Hayley like a monster. He could still hear her sobs from that night like haunted, disembodied tunes in the back of his mind, and he could still feel the way she struggled to break free from under him. And yet, he never stopped, merely pinning her down so that he could have his ruthless ways with her. ¡°That night¡­ It was my first time as well, Elliot,¡± Hayley mumbled shyly as she looked up at him with her pretty eyes. He nodded and said gently, ¡°I know.¡± He had known, indeed, for he had noticed the drops of blood on the couch when he woke up after the brutal deed. The thought of this only made him want to compensate her more. ¡°Elliot, I¡­ I want to keep being your woman,¡± she added boldly, abandoning all subtlety as she confessed her feelings for him. His gaze was warm and steady as he said, ¡°We¡¯ll talk about this after you get better. I have a lot of things going on at the moment.¡± She could hear the rejection behind his carefully-chosen and empty words, but that did not deter her at all. ¡°Elliot, please don¡¯t turn me down. I know I¡¯m not beautiful, but I¡­ I really like you.¡± Just then, Elliot¡¯s phone rang, and he rose to leave the room. ¡°I have to take this call.¡± Hayley watched as his tall and straight figure marched out of the hospital room. As she pursed her lips in disappointment, she still fervently believed that one day she would be his woman indeed. The person on the other line was Harriet, who had been waiting for a really long time for Anastasia¡¯s arrival. When the guest of honor never showed up, she began to grow frantic and decided to call her grandson for an exnation. ¡°Elliot, why isn¡¯t Miss Tillman here yet?¡± ¨C ¡°Something happened on the way, Grandma. I¡¯ll bring her over to the house tomorrow.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°It¡¯s mostly my part.¡± ¡°Fine, then! Bring her over tomorrow morning. Better yet, we should have lunch Beste together!¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll arrange for it immediately,¡± Elliot answered respectfully. He hung up the call and paused for a moment, then spun on his heels to return to the hospital room. After pushing the door open, he then said to Hayley, ¡°They need me back at the office, so I¡¯ll be going off now. Get plenty of rest.¡± Hayley dared not force him to stay, so she merely nodded obediently as she said, ¡°Okay.¡± With a small nod of relief, Elliot turned and left the hospital room. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Meanwhile, Anastasia had hailed a ride back to thepany, which took up two hours of her time. As such, she immediately leafed through the documents and started tying up all the loose ends in the office, but she had barely drawn anything when her phone rang. She picked it up and asked, ¡°Hello, who is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± Elliot replied. ¡°Oh, look who¡¯s back. Did Erica decide to let you go?¡± Anastasia asked with a raise of her brow. ¡°I¡¯ve rescheduled your meeting with my grandmother to tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Well, then, as long as you¡¯ve spoken to her. Anyway, I have to get back to work now.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to buy you and Jared dinner tonight,¡± Elliot suddenly offered. ¡°No, thanks,¡± Anastasia replied. She didn¡¯t feel much like entertaining him after seeing how he and Hayley were all huddled up today at the parking lot. If she had to be honest, she hated Hayley with a passion. They were both once as close as sisters, but clearly that friendship had been nothing more than a joke to Hayley, who did not hesitate to stab Anastasia in the back at first chance and push her off the cliff into a dark abyss. If it weren¡¯t for Jared, Anastasia didn¡¯t think she could ever be saved from the agony that followed the incident which left her scarred. She would¡¯ve spiraled into depression and hatred. She could still remember how the man¡ªthat scoundrel whothinking she was going to die. Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Chapter 64 When the clock finally read 4.30PM, Anastasia grabbed her purse and left thepany 10 minutes earlier than usual, hoping to g a taxi downstairs by the pavement. However, for some reason, there were no taxis driving past the area. She was just about to walk over to the bus station nearby when a gleaming ck Rolls-Royce pulled up next to her soundlessly. The driver¡¯s side window rolled down to reveal the man behind the wheel, and he was eyeing her with his piercing gaze as he said, ¡°Get in.¡± Anastasia waved her hand to dismiss his offer. ¡°No, thanks.¡± She would much rather take the bus. Just then, the man stopped the car and opened the door. He got out of the vehicle and walked up to her, though she wasn¡¯t sure what he was nning to do. Before she could react, the man opened the car door on the passenger side before reaching out to deftly grab her by the wrist. Then, without another word, he shoved her into the passenger seat. ¡°Hey! I will not be sitting in your car, Elliot!¡± she snapped at him, having never encountered a man as boorish as him. He ignored her, and after seeing that she had reluctantly settled into her seat, he closed the door and pressed his key. He had locked the car door, and now that Anastasia could not escape, she watched with wide eyes filled with despair as the man rounded the car to slide into the driver¡¯s seat. Then, still paying no mind to her usatory re, he elegantly started the car and pulled away from the curb. Given that she didn¡¯t have time to waste now that she was runningte to pick Jared up from school, she decided to let this matter go. She buckled up her seat belt and pointed out exasperatedly, ¡°Just because you¡¯re my boss and you helped me out big time doesn¡¯t mean that you can just disrespect me like this.¡± ¡°I would have been more reasonable had you been more obedient,¡± Elliot said coolly as he kept his eyes on the road ahead. ¡°And what have you done to warrant my obedience?¡± she countered incredulously. ¡°I¡¯ve never been good at handling rejection,¡± he said bluntly while throwing her a sideways nce. She felt the urge to scoff. As it turned out, a man like him did not appeal to reason at all. Upon deciding to go with another topic, she took on a snide and wicked tone as she asked, ¡°So, what¡¯s the verdict on your girlfriend¡¯s damages? Is she now a certified idiot?¡± ¡°Hayley is not my girlfriend; she¡¯s just someone I have to care for,¡± Elliot answered unaffectedly. Anastasia scoffed. ¡°Go on, you can admit that you¡¯re seeing her romantically. I saw how you guys were hugging and all that.¡± ¡°That is between me and her,¡± he said while frowning. For some reason, he wasn¡¯t in the mood to dissect the details of his rtionship with Hayley. ¡°Fine, then! You slept with her, didn¡¯t you?¡± Anastasia wasted no time in going straight to the point. He stiffened at this, and he turned away from her slightly as though to physically evade the question. ¡°Do you not know if you¡¯ve slept with her?¡± she pressed, not wanting to let the matter drop. Is he actually trying to show how good and innocent he is in front of me? Why won¡¯t he just admit that they¡¯ve totally screwed each other? ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about this,¡± he replied firmly. ¡°Come on, own up to your dirty deeds,¡± Anastasia chided with a snort. ¡°You men are all trash.¡± However, he did not get riled up by this, for he knew that her hostility toward men was founded in good reason. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t generalize us that way,¡± he managedmely for argument¡¯s sake. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Anastasia chewed on her lip and decided to keep quiet. She had thought about herself and her own predicament. At the very least, Elliot was willing to take care of Hayley after sleeping with her, which meant he was a man of principle. As for the scoundrel who ruined me five years ago, I hope he rots in hell! They soon pulled up in front of the school gates. Anastasia got down from the car and went into the kindergarten to pick Jared up while Elliot waited by the entrance. It didn¡¯t take long for her to return with her son in tow, and after she opened the door to the backseat for the kid, he greeted politely, ¡°Hello, Mr. Presgrave.¡± Elliot turned to assess the little one who looked adorable and proper in his school uniform. He couldn¡¯t help wondering how his life would be more perfect if he had a son around Jared¡¯s age, and he suddenly felt a surge of envy for Anastasia. Having already made a reservation at the restaurant, Elliot began to drive toward the establishment In the backseat, Jared was telling his mother about everything that had happened today, and his greatest aplishment of the day was being crowned first ce in eating. Anastasia was ted when she heard this and kissed him gently on the forehead. ¡°Good job, my darling! Keep it up.¡± ¡°Okay! Jared replied earnestly with a nod. After they were led to their table at the restaurant, Elliot swiftly ordered the dishes. Throughout dinner, Anastasia kept an eye on Jared at all times, making sure that he ate without making a mess. She was a mother, after all, and it was part of her maternal instincts to ignore her own dinner while making sure her son ate well; she would worry incessantly otherwise. At a table not too far away from theirs sat a youngdy of nobility whose gaze flickered over to them every once in a while, and she even took out her phone to snap a few pictures of Elliot and his company. As it turned out, this youngdy happened to be the one who had humiliated Anastasia during the jewelry exhibition the other day. The youngdy had be fast friends with Hayley, who grew popr among the rest of the youngdies of the upper-crust society after she made a name for herself as Elliot¡¯s date and subsequently became a medium through which the elites intended to climb the socialdder.The youngdy had noticed Anastasia right off the bat, for she had been jealous of Anastasia ever since the jewelry exhibition. He took particr care of her during the exhibition, and now he¡¯s having dinner with her in private too. Who is that child, though? Could he be Elliot¡¯s nephew? Judging by their strong resemnce, they have to be rted somehow! Chapter 65 Chapter 65 Chapter 65 The youngdy took a few more pictures and sent then all to Hayley with a caption that read, ¡®Miss Seymour, you may want to keep a close eye on your man because this woman here is trying to seduce him! Hayley was lounging in her hospital room and scrolling through videos on her phone when she clicked into the new text. When she saw the pictures of Anastasia and Elliot, her eyes widened in disbelief while anger rose in her chest. Anastasia is on a date with Elliot with her son in tow! She wondered furiously if it meant Anastasia intended to have Elliot be her son¡¯s new father. A single mother like Anastasia had little to no prospects on the marriage market, and she could very well be using Amelia¡¯s sacrifice from all those years ago to trap Elliot in a marriage in the guise of repaying a selfless deed. Not only that, she¡¯s trying to get Elliot to ept her son as well! Hayley thought she had already seen through Anastasia¡¯s plot, and she swore she would not let the latter seed. It looked like it was time for her to approach Elliot¡¯s family and let them know that she had given up her chastity just to get Elliot out of a tight spot as well. Meanwhile, under the lights of the restaurant, Elliot was practically glimmering with elegance as he sipped on his red wine, the shadows and lights interying over his delicately-chiseled features. He looked up and gazed at Jared from across the table. At that moment, he had a sudden feeling that he and this boy met under the most particr of circumstances, which inevitably led to his affection for the little boy. Likewise, Jared felt the same thing. He had only met Elliot on a few asions, but he inexplicably warmed to him and found him very much like a safe harbor. As far as he was concerned, Elliot was a man he could trust. Jared was only a child, and for a child to feel safe around someone they did not live with was a rare situation indeed. After dinner that evening, Elliot dropped them off at the apartment. Anastasia held Jared by the hand and helped him down from the car before turning to address Elliot, ¡°Thank you for this evening.¡± With that, she led Jared away from the car and toward the apartment. Just then, Jared suddenly piped up, ¡°Mommy, since Mr. Presgrave bought us dinner, shouldn¡¯t we at least have him up to the house for tea?¡± Anastasia froze. She had no intention of asking the man to drop by her house for a cup of tea, but now that Jared had mentioned it, it would seem rude of her not to extend an invitation to Elliot. ¡°Would you like toe up for a cup of tea?¡± she asked, having turned around to ask the man in the driver¡¯s seat. She had assumed that he would say no, what with his busy schedule and all. It was only a matter of courtesy on her part to ask him to stay for a cup of tea, and it was the only way she could get her kid off her back about being a polite host. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. However, she most certainly did not expect Elliot to turn off the car engine and emerge from the driver¡¯s seat. His straight and tall silhouette came down from the car and walked up to the entrance. ¡°I suppose I could do with a cup of tea,¡± he said as he approached them. All of a sudden, Anastasia felt pressured as she took in his towering figure. I shouldn¡¯t have asked, she thought darkly while regretting her decision. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, you can drop by my house for a ss of water!¡± Jared offered with a happy jump like he was in a pantomime. And just like that, Anastasia brought the man home. She rummaged through the cab for a spare cup, but when she could find none, she resorted to filling Jared¡¯s cup with water. When she handed the mug with the cartoon printed on it to Elliot, she said, ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind using my son¡¯s cup.¡± The man wasn¡¯t bothered in the slightest as he took the cup and drank from it. Meanwhile, the little one was building bricks next to the couch. He nced over at the boxes of toys stacked up on the couch, and at first nce, none of them looked cheap. Elliot immediately guessed that the toys had been bought by Nigel. Without dwelling on it, he turned his attention on Jared, who seemed engrossed in building bricks, and the somber gleam in his eyes disappeared as a look of warmpassion reced it. Meanwhile, it looked like it was going to rain soon. Anastasia was bringing in theundry from the balcony, but just as she was making her way across the living room, a pink piece of clothing fell out of the heap in her arms. She didn¡¯t notice this, but Elliot, with his eagle eyes, did. The pink fabric that had fallen wasdies¡¯ underwear. He rose from the couch and grabbed the flimsy garment off the ground. Then, he headed into the room after Anastasia and said, ¡°Hey, you dropped this.¡± She turned around, and her pretty eyes widened by a fraction when she registered her underwear hanging on the tip of Elliot¡¯s finger. She hurried over and snatched the garment out of his grip, blushing as she muttered, ¡°Thanks.¡± At that moment, a purple streak of lightning shed across the dark sky, and this was followed by a deafening p of thunder. A childish scream sounded from the living room as Jared cried out, ¡°Mommy!¡± He had abandoned his toy bricks and had both his hands pped over his ears, looking terrified. Elliot instantly walked back to the couch and scooped the little boy into his arms, drawing the child close. The little one was pressed into Elliot¡¯s well-toned chest, shrinking into the man¡¯s embrace as he hid from the thunder. When Anastasia hastily walked out of the room, she was greeted by the sight of Elliot protectively holding Jared close. Another loud crack of thunder echoed in the sky, and this time, a torrential downpour followed. The gray tes of rain showered across the balcony, and just as Anastasia was assessing the weather beyond the window, a white lightning tore through the sky ferociously. The thunder that came after was loud and violent, causing Anastasia to instinctively cover her ears. She seemed to shrink into herself, looking terrified as well.At that exact moment, Jared clutched tightly onto Elliot, equally terrified. It was then that Elliot realized with a tug of his heartstrings how the fear for thunderstorms was clearly a shared trait between mother and son. Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Chapter 66 The downpour didn¡¯t look like it would stop anytime soon. Looking over at the man on the couch, Anastasia offered, ¡°I¡¯ll get you an umbre right away.¡± However, Elliot eyed her in mild amusement as he said matter-of-fa?tly, ¡°I¡¯m staying here for the night.¡± Stunned, she blinked at him for a moment and asked, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because Jared needs me.¡± As if to make a point, Elliot stroked Jared¡¯s head with hisrge palm like he was some kind of guardian deity, and the little one looked up at him with an imploring expression and begged, ¡°Mr. Presgrave, Mommy and I are terrified of lightning and thunder, so can you please stay with us and keep us safe for the night?¡± Anastasia immediately interjected, ¡°Absolutely not, Jared. I¡¯m more than capable of keeping you safe during the storm.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re terrified of thunder too, Mommy!¡± Jared argued, mercilessly calling her bluff. ¡°I am not. I¡¯m just¡ª¡± She was about to make her case when the universe, determined to prove her wrong, called upon yet another bout of lightning that slithered past the sky and tore through the night. As always, this was followed by another violent p of thunder. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. She shuddered, flinching as she sped her hands to her ears quickly. She waited out the thunder and looked at Elliot, and she did not miss the amusement glittering in his eyes. Flushing, she mumbled through gritted teeth, ¡°Bottom line is that you can¡¯t stay here. It isn¡¯t the most convenient for any of us.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go as soon as the thunder stops,¡± he insisted. At the sight of how tightly Jared was clinging onto Elliot, Anastasia nodded and said in resignation, ¡°Fine, then. You can¡¯t go back to your car anyway, what with the storm outside.¡± She then left him in the living room with Jared and headed back into her bedroom. When she saw the undergarment that he had retrieved earlier, she was seized with the urge to kick herself. Of all the things to drop from the pile ofundry, it just had to be underwear! The thunder was relentless, and the storm outside the window raged on. There was even a weather alert that urged everyone to stay safe because it was likely that the thunderstorm would go on for the rest of the night. Anastasia thought grimly, Surely I can¡¯t let the man stay here for the whole night? If everyone finds out that we spent the night together at my ce, the rumor mill will have a field day churning out gossip! More importantly, she wasn¡¯t exactly staying at the most amodating of abodes. With the apartment¡¯s limited space, she didn¡¯t have an extra room to put Elliot in, and the only beds here were hers and Jared¡¯s. As it gotter and the thunder finally waned in its ferocity, Jared was dragged into the bathroom by his mother so that he could wash up for bed. A whileter, Anastasia emerged from the room with a better part of her clothes sttered by bathwater. . Having settled Jared in the living room, she decided to hop into the bath herself. Just then, Anastasia¡¯s phone beeped with a new message. Jared immediately grabbed her phone and keyed in the pin before reading the text. ¡°It¡¯s a message from Mr. Nigel!¡± he dered in pleasant surprise. Elliot narrowed his eyes as he bent to read Nigel¡¯s message, which was clearly penned out of concern as it read, ¡®Anastasia, are you and Jared alright? Do you need me to go over and keep you guys company?¡¯ Jared had no idea how to reply to a text, so he set the phone down and busied himself with his Legos once more. Elliot reached for the pink phone, and with his long fingers clutching the device, he typed out the reply, ¡®No need! However, that did not deter Nigel from his enthusiastic efforts. ¡®You know I¡¯m just worried about you and Jared, Anastasia. I¡¯lle over right now, how about that?¡¯ ¡®No, you can¡¯t. It isn¡¯t suitable for you to drop by right now, came Elliot¡¯s reply as his gaze darkened. ¡®Why won¡¯t it be suitable? I stayed over at your ce plenty of times while we were abroad, remember?¡¯ Elliot¡¯s face was as stormy as the sky outside as he thought, Which base did they get to? Have they hit a home run? Before he could reply, yet another text came from Nigel. ¡®Anastasia, all you need to do is say yes and I¡¯d be more than happy to take care of you and Jared for life. I¡¯d stand guard over the both of you, and my embrace will be the safest harbor for you both Seeing his cousin¡¯s heartfelt confession made Elliot want to die inside. He cringed and tossed the phone to the empty space next to him on the couch, refusing to read any more. He rose and appraised the apartment with mild interest. When he came to Jared¡¯s bedroom, he perused the photographs on the table, one of which was a picture of Anastasia and Nigel. Jared was propped up on Nigel¡¯s shoulders, and anyone who didn¡¯t know any better would think it was a family photo. Elliot¡¯s gaze darkened. Just then, Jared shuffled tiredly into the room, rubbing his eyes as he muttered, ¡°I want to go to bed, Mr. Presgrave.¡± ¡°Come here.¡± Elliot crouched down and scooped Jared into his arms. As though he was being pulled into a motherly embrace, Jared let out a small yawn and fell asleep while Elliot cradled him. Anastasia had washed her hair and blow-dried it before she emerged from the bathroom, only to see her son sound asleep while resting on Elliot¡¯s shoulder. She froze, for she had truly put Elliot through too much trouble this evening. He had be an impromptu babysitter in the span of a few hours. Upon noticing her approaching figure, Elliot put a finger to his lips, making a shushing motion to warn Anastasia not to make a sound or she would wake the sleeping child. She knew what he was saying and pointed at Jared¡¯s room before whispering, ¡°Here, I¡¯ll carry him over to his bed.¡± Elliot followed Anastasia into the room while cradling the little boy, whereupon she plucked Jared carefully out of his arms. The sudden close proximity between them allowed Elliot to take a whiff of her pleasant fresh-out-of-the-shower scent, and he couldn¡¯t help stiffening like an electric current had just gone through him.A sudden primal urge seized him as he registered her natural and deadly charisma, and he felt his heart skip a beat. Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Elliot felt like he was in a trance as he watched Anastasia hold Jared close to her before settling the little boy down into bed. Jared was probably so exhausted that the moment his head hit the pillow, he immediately wriggled to find afortable position and slept¡­. Having tucked her son in, Anastasia turned and gestured for Elliot to leave the room quietly. He did as he was told and took long strides to get out of the room with Anastasia in his wake. After closing the door behind her, she let out a small sigh and said, ¡°Thanks for tonight.¡± ¡°How will you thank me?¡± he asked, his voice low and maic as he eyed her curiously. She frowned, and there was a bewildered look in her pretty eyes as she thought, How else can I thank him other than to literally say thank you¡¯? ¡°Uh¡­ I could buy you a meal or something if you¡¯d like?¡± she guessed, unsure if that was what he had been angling for. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s no need for that,¡± he said dismissively. She let out a breath of relief. Good, because I don¡¯t have the time anyway. Her phone vibrated just then, and they both turned to nce at the phone lying on the coffee table. Even from this distance, Elliot could see the caller ID on the phone screen; it was a call from Nigel. Anastasia went over to pick up the phone. The only private space she had in the small apartment was her own bedroom, which was where she went in to take the call, though she left the door ajar. ¡°Hello, Nigel. What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Anastasia, let me go and stay with you for the night!¡± Nigel offered cheerily and relentlessly on the other line. ¡°Why would you do that? Don¡¯t you see how the weather is brutal out there? You¡¯ll be soaked before you even get into the car!¡± ¡°But I¡¯m really worried about you and Jared. You¡¯re both terrified of thunderstorms.¡± Anastasia felt her heart squeeze as she remembered that Elliot was still lingering around the apartment. She hastily replied, ¡°No, no, don¡¯te over. Jared and I are about to call it a day anyway. Okay, that¡¯s all. Bye!¡± With that, she hung up the phone and turned around, only to jump when she saw that Elliot¡¯s unhallowed presence had suddenly materialized in her bedroom. Not to mention, he was standing right behind her, gazing down at the woman like he was assessing her. ¡°President Presgrave, you-¡°She blinked her wide eyes at him. Heaven¡¯s sake, why did he have to scare me like that? ¡°Have you slept with Nigel?¡± Elliot demanded tactlessly. She gaped at him, rendered speechless by his question. Doesn¡¯t he know it¡¯s rude to pry? She didn¡¯t think he had a right to inquire into her personal life, but she was frank nheless as she answered, ¡°No, why?¡± ¡°How intimate have you been with him?¡± he pressed, as if he simply must get to the bottom of this pertinent matter. Anastasia decided to be patient with him on ount of all the help he had given her thus far. ¡°We hugged as friends, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking.¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Have you kissed?¡± he asked, getting more specific with each question. She blinked, as if unable to process what was going on at the moment. Why should I tell him everything just because he asked? Also, this guy is definitely getting more dangerous with each passing minute. I can¡¯t have him stay here any longer! With a small smile, she pointed out, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, President Presgrave. Maybe you should be getting back.¡± He stared at her for a long while. She had only just showered, and she smelled clean, fragrant and particrly alluring. He narrowed his eyes all of a sudden, and he could feel his primal urges taking over his reasoning faculty as he eyed her like how a predator might eye its prey. Anastasia had only just brushed past him when his arm darted out and grabbed her around the waist. She staggered backward out of surprise and ended up tripping over his foot. In a tangle of legs and arms, they fell onto the bed with him on top of her. For one still moment, her breath intermingled with the testosterone in the air. Just as she was about to say something in protest, Elliot cupped her face and pressed his lips against hers, sealing her voicepletely. She let out a muffled whimper as her mind turned nk. Against her own volition, she felt her veins thrum with a buzz akin to a mild electric current; her body was actually caving into his kiss. Elliot¡¯s kiss was daring and aggressive. He offered her no room for negotiation nor air as he tasted her. At the same time, his broad and well-built frame pinned the breath out of her. Anastasia could do nothing but let him have his way with her, and it wasn¡¯t until she sensed the danger of this that she felt her senses rush back to her. Her eyes flew open, and as she glowered at him, she pushed him away hard. He finally released her, and as the tips of their noses brushed and the lines of vision met, the air seemed to grow thick with tension. They were both panting with the heat of the moment washing over them.She began to bite out through gritted teeth, ¡°Let me go, Elliot. I¡¯m warning you¡ª¡± Chapter 68 Chapter 68 Chapter 68 Elliot cut her off by pushing the t of his finger against Anastasia¡¯s parted lips and muttered hoarsely, ¡°Don¡¯t be too loud or you¡¯ll wake the kid.¡± Anastasia immediately fell silent, but when she saw the wicked amusement in his eyes, she went on to push him. When he got off her, she couldn¡¯t help noticing the sudden change in him from the waist down. This made her flush as she thought, Oh, for heaven¡¯s sake, must he be so obvious? Elliot was frustrated as well, and there was a pained look on his handsome face as he drawled in a low and husky voice, ¡°I¡¯ll get going, then.¡± Without another word, Anastasia mbered off the bed and went over to open the front door for him. She watched him leave and vowed never to let him past the threshold ever again. She knew now how dangerous Elliot could get; there was a beast in him that could attack at any given moment. Presently, the rain had yet to stop, and it wasn¡¯t until after Elliot had gone out of sight that Anastasia realized she had not given him an umbre. He had parked his car some distance away from the apartment, and at this rate, he would be soaked before he got to his car. She was about to sympathize with him when she figured that he needed to cool off under the rain, what with the abrupt and heated moment they had shared just minutes ago. Meanwhile, over at the hospital, Hayley was tortured by the thought of Anastasia and Elliot hanging out together. That girl probably has some trick up her sleeve that she¡¯ll use to seduce Elliot. With that in mind, Hayley barreled out of the hospital that same night. It was dawn when Hayley called the number of the driver Elliot had assigned to her. The driver was supposed to ensure that she was safely driven from one point to another. ¡°Mr. Connell, can I ask if you know where the Presgrave Residence is?¡± Hayley asked as soon as she boarded the vehicle. ¡°Do you wish to drop by the Presgrave Residence, Miss Seymour?¡± Bruce asked, surprised. ¡°Yes, please drop me off there. It¡¯s an emergency,¡± she said imperiously. Bruce had seen how kind and gracious Elliot treated Hayley, so he did not question her as he pulled away from the curb, thereafter driving over to the Presgrave Residence. Half an hourter, Hayley found herself standing before an opulent manor fronted by elegant columns. She swallowed. When it came to the heart of the city, real estate was scarce and expensive, and to own such a stately home here took more than just wealth. In fact, it took real power. Hayley suddenly realized how little she knew about the Presgrave Family; everything she knew about Elliot she had gleaned from magazines and newspapers as well as introductory pieces from the media. Now that she was standing here and taking in the grandeur of his family home, she felt her ambition grow. She wanted more than anything to be the mistress of this fine home. She wanted to live here and be Elliot¡¯s wife. Hayley still had two brothers who came after her, and her position in her own family had always been overshadowed by her male siblings. She had spent her whole life frantically trying to escape that life. She would always be overlooked, be it at home or in society, and she lusted after a life of indulgence and luxury. She wanted to make something on her own, or have power to wield. As of now, she had a shortcut to achieving her dreams, and she would do all that she could to hold on to it. She would not hesitate to cut down those who got in her way-more specifically, Anastasia and her son. With renewed determination, Hayley squared her shoulders and rang the bell next to the side door. A maid came up to the door and spoke through it, asking politely, ¡°Are you looking for someone, miss?¡±. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m here to see Old Madam Presgrave,¡± Hayley replied. She had read from the papers that Old Madam Presgrave, Elliot¡¯s grandmother, was the matriarch of the family. ¡°Could you please fill in your details here? We¡¯ll let you in after we¡¯ve verified your identity.¡± The maid handed her a clipboard with a form on it. Hayley did as she was told and even handed over her identity card. After waiting outside for ten minutes or so, she was finally allowed to pass through the door. At that moment, Harriet was having breakfast in an elegant pavilion when she heard that a young woman wanted to see her. Stunned, she wondered briefly if the woman in question was Anastasia. ¡°Is it Miss Tillman?¡± ¡°No, Old Madam Presgrave. It¡¯s ady by the name of Hayley Seymour; she said that she¡¯s a friend of Young Master Elliot.¡± Elegantly dabbing the corners of her lips, Harriet said, ¡°Send her in!¡±Not long after, she was greeted by the sight of a young woman who had followed the maid through to the pavilion. Harriet had initially nned on seeing Anastasia today, but this unexpected guest certainly had her guessing. Who in the world is this girl?N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Hayley looked at Harriet with her gray hair, which gave off an aura of a domineering matriarch of the house. Thus, she didn¡¯t dare to misbehave in front of the old madam. Soon, she walked up to Harriet and politely greeted her. ¡°Greetings, Old Madam Presgrave. My name is Hayley Seymour. I¡¯m your grandson¡¯s girlfriend.¡± Harriet frowned and asked in surprise, ¡°You¡¯re Elliot¡¯s girlfriend?¡± ¡°Well, Elliot and I haven¡¯t dated long enough for me to drop by and say hi, so I¡¯m sorry about that, Old Madam Presgrave.¡± Hayley acted like she was beating herself up. Harriet had always known that Elliot didn¡¯t like her arrangements, which made her wonder whether Hayley was behind the reason why her grandson didn¡¯t want to marry Anastasia. ¡°Hayley, can you tell me how you came to know Elliot?¡± The old madam sized Hayley up, noticing her ordinary appearance as she was also able to tell that Hayley wasn¡¯t from a wealthy family. However, the biggest question that bothered her was whether Elliot was dating Hayley. When Hayley kept her head down and pursed her lips in silence, a curious Harriet then asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you being so quiet?¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Hayley bit her lips and looked at the old madam. ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing.¡± ¡°Why? What could be embarrassing? Just tell me the story.¡± Harriet¡¯s curiosity grew even stronger. Hayley then pretended to muster her courage and shared about the incident that happened five years ago with Harriet. Since she was able to guess how Anastasia and Elliot¡¯s intimacy had happened, she managed to tell the story, as if she was the one who experienced it herself. Upon hearing Hayley¡¯s story, Harriet was left with her eyes wide open as she couldn¡¯t believe her grandson was responsible for taking away ady¡¯s virginity ¡°The watch was the clue that helped Elliot look for me before he told me he¡¯ll make it up to me for the rest of his life.¡± Harriet¡¯s eyes were filled with sympathy after she heard Hayley¡¯s story. After all, she reckoned Hayley deserved her sympathy for having sacrificed her virginity in exchange for her grandson¡¯s life. ¡°Hayley, I¡¯d like to apologize to you on Elliot¡¯s behalf. Besides, I¡¯ll see that he makes it up to you.¡± The old madam ced herself in Hayley¡¯s shoes and was able to empathize with the youngdy as a woman herself. Well, Hayley was probably 19 when that happened to her. That was when ady was in her golden years, yet something like this befell her. I bet she must have suffered from it a lot. ¡°Have you had breakfast, girl?¡± she asked in a concerned manner. ¡°No, I haven¡¯t¡­¡± Hayley shook her head. ¡°Somebody! Please prepare breakfast.¡± Harriet ordered her maids while Hayley kept her head down with acent look that shed across her face. Deep down, she believed the positive change in Harriet¡¯s attitude was a sign that her ce was getting more important in the Presgrave Family. Meanwhile, Anastasia was going through some files in her office at Bourgeois when her phone rang. She then picked it up and asked, ¡°Hello, who is speaking?¡± ¡°I¡¯m waiting for you at the door. Get down here now,¡± Elliot spoke with a voice so deep and charismatic that no other man could speak like him. She held her breath for a split second when memories of the man forcefully kissing her vividly haunted her and flooded her mind. At the thought of that, she felt reluctant to see Elliot. Thus, she turned the man¡¯s invitation down. ¡°I¡¯m busy today, so I¡¯m not going to your grandmother¡¯s house.¡± ¡°Are you going toe down, or do I have to go up there to get you myself? Take your pick,¡± the man replied unhappily. Anastasia bit her lips, realizing it wasn¡¯t right for her to renege on her words. Therefore, she packed her stuff and grabbed her purse before leaving the office. When she arrived downstairs, she was greeted by the sight of a ck sedan. Then, she opened the car door and sat inside as the man wearing a ck suit gave off an intimidating aura. Not long after Anastasia entered the car, she looked the other way and set her eyes outside the window while feeling a rush of adrenaline all over her body as soon as she recalled Elliot¡¯s unexpected reaction the night before. On the other hand, Elliot fixed his gaze on thedy¡¯s nk while starting the car engine and driving away from thepany. For the next few moments, the car¡¯s interior was shrouded in silence until he suddenly elerated on the highway. Frightened by that, she anxiously held onto her seatbelt and screamed in horror,¡°Elliot, the speed limit here is 50 miles per hour!¡± Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Chapter 70 What is this man doing? Is he trying to show off how fast his car can go by speeding all the way from 30 miles to 70 miles?! Man, this is giving me a heart attack! Elliot curled his lips into a smile before he said, ¡°I thought you were mute.¡± Anastasia looked back at Elliot, feeling annoyed that the man sounded like he was cursing her. ¡°You¡¯re the mute here,¡± she retorted. Nheless, Elliot wasn¡¯t angry but he was instead amused with Anastasia¡¯s response as he reacted with an even wider grin. As the car slowed down on the road, she decided not to entertain him anymore and kept quiet until they arrived at the Presgrave Residence. Upon looking up, she was greeted by the sight of the magnificent-looking gate in front of the mansion. It was then that she finally realized how wealthy and powerful Elliot was when she linked it to what she heard from the media that no one could urately estimate how much his fortune was worth. After all, what they had discovered about Elliot¡¯s fortune was merely just a tip of the iceberg. Soon, Anastasia quickly fixed her attire, hoping to present her best self in front of Harriet. In the meantime, Elliot walked through the door with Anastasia following right behind him, as if they were entering a garden in a royal pce with all kinds of expensivendscape and rare nt species around the area. Meanwhile, Harriet was talking with Hayley when she heard about Elliot¡¯s arrival from the maid. While Harriet told Hayley to excuse herself, Hayley seized the opportunity to ask the maid, ¡°Did Elliot bring Miss Tillman along with him?¡± ¡°You know Anastasia, Hayley?¡± A stunned Harriet turned and brought up her puzzlement to Hayley.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°Yeah, I do. She was my good friend when we were in primary and high school.¡± Hayley smiled and added, ¡°We subsequently drifted apart from each other due to some misunderstanding, though.¡± ¡°Does she know what happened between you and Elliot?¡± Harriet asked. ¡°Yes, she does.¡± Hayley nodded. Harriet let out a sigh, finding it hard to believe that Hayley, thedy who gave her virginity to Elliot, was the former schoolmate of Anastasia whose mother had saved her grandson¡¯s life. When Elliot and Anastasia showed up at the parlor¡¯s door, the man was stunned at the sight of Hayley sitting beside his grandmother because he had no idea she would be there. At the same time, Anastasia couldn¡¯t find Hayley¡¯s presence any more annoying as her eyes filled with bigotry and hatred whenever she saw Haytey in front of her. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Elliot approached Hayley, looking like he was interrogating her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Elliot. I just wanted to meet your family, so.¡± Hayley bit her lips and looked down like she was afraid of being scolded. On the other hand, he fixed his gaze on her face, thinking that she must have said something she shouldn¡¯t have to Harriet. ¡°Here you are, Miss Tillman. Pleasee in and have a seat.¡± Harriet could barely hide her liking for Anastasia. Anastasia politely greeted the old madam. ¡°Good day, Old Madam Presgrave.¡± ¡°Miss Tillman, I¡¯ve been looking forward to meeting you. Now that we are standing here face to face, you look even prettier than I imagine!¡± Harrietplimented Anastasia, indirectly expressing her liking for thetter. On the other hand, Hayley, who was watching their interaction, couldn¡¯t help but feel jealous of Anastasia due to the notion that the Presgrave Family was in Anastasia¡¯s debt because her mother had saved Elliot. For that, Hayley wished she could swap ces with Anastasia and im her ce as the Young Mistress of the Presgrave Family. ¡°You¡¯re here, Anastasia,¡± Hayley greeted Anastasia. Anastasia only gazed at her coldly before turning her attention to Harriet. ¡°Old Madam Presgrave, we¡¯d like to speak to you in private.¡± Upon hearing that, Elliot squinted as he wondered whether Anastasia was going to turn down his grandmother¡¯s favor. ¡°Sure! I¡¯d like to have a word with you, anyway.¡± Harriet seized Anastaisa¡¯s hand. ¡°Come. Let¡¯s sit down and talk.¡± Soon, Anastasia and Harriet made their way to the garden outside the living room where there was afortable couch with some beautiful scenery. Not long after that, the maid thoughtfully served the twodies with some fruits and pastries. ¡°Here: is your tea, Miss Tillman.¡± ¡°Thank you, Old Madam Presgrave.¡± Anastasia raised her teacup and took a sip of the tea that was radiating a pleasant aroma. ¡°Miss Tillman, I¡¯ve been wanting to thank you for the time when your mother saved my grandson back then. While I¡¯m sad about your mother¡¯s passing, I¡¯ve actually been trying to look for a chance to make it up to you and your family,¡± a sincere Harriet said. Sensing Harriet¡¯s guilt, Anastasia shook her head and replied, ¡°Please don¡¯t take it to heart, Old Madam Presgrave. My mom saved your grandson because it was the right thing for her to do.¡± ¡°Girl, I want you to know that the Presgrave Family will always be your second home as long as you don¡¯t mind it. Meanwhile, I would like to be your grandmother and do my best to take care of you and your son,¡± Harriet tearfully noted. Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Anastasia was grateful upon hearing Harriet¡¯s kind intention, but nheless, she shook her head firmly. ¡°You have no idea how thankful I am to know that you¡¯ve never forgotten about my mother, but I don¡¯t need you to repay me any favor. In fact, I only came here to say hello, not to ept any kind of offer.¡± An agitated Harriet seized Anastasia¡¯s hand. ¡°Girl, your mother is gone, which makes it my responsibility to take care of you. Please! Let me treat you as my granddaughter.¡± Anastasia had no one else in her family other than her father ever since her grandparents passed away. Therefore, she couldn¡¯t help but feel touched in the face of Harriet¡¯s benevolent smile. ¡°Girl, just think of me as your rtive whom you can visit once in a while, okay? I know you and your mother are both righteousdies, and I¡¯m not asking for a lot because all I ever want is for you to live happily and peacefully.¡± Harriet sincerely gazed at Anastasia while looking forward to hearing her answer. Soon, Anastasia eventually surrendered because she had no idea how to turn down the old madam. Although it was her first time meeting Harriet, she somehow had an intimate feeling that she hadn¡¯t felt for a long time. Thinking that she was blessed and fortunate to have a grandmother like Harriet, Anastasia nodded and responded, ¡°Alright, Old Madam Presgrave.¡± Then, Harriet smiled happily and replied, ¡°Great! Then, I have one more granddaughter now.¡± ¡°Old Madam Presgrave, it¡¯s time for you to take your medication now.¡± ¡°Oh yeah! I still have to take my medication, Anastasia. Please take a seat first or take a walk around the garden. I¡¯lle to youter.¡± ¡°Sure, please go ahead and take your medication.¡± Anastasia nodded and watched Harriet leave, making her way to the garden as she was reluctant to head to the living room because she didn¡¯t want to see Hayley¡¯s face. Meanwhile, Elliot was showing Hayley around the Presgrave Residence when they took a stroll in the garden. Then, he stared at her face with his piercing gaze and asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you came to visit Grandma, Hayley?¡± Nheless, little did Elliot know that Hayley was actually just doing what she could to protect her interest because she wanted to keep her position level with Anastasia. If she is going to make the Presgrave Family pay her back, I¡¯m going to earn their approval to even the odds. ¡°I¡¯m in love with you, Elliot. I want to take things further with you.¡± Hayley gazed at the man with admiration as shepletely bared her heart. ¡°Hayley, I¡¯ll make it up to you by giving youfort and money,¡± Elliot answered gently, knowing clearly what he was doing. Deep down, he was sure that he would only make it up to her without compromising his rtionship status. Meanwhile, Hayley was about to tell that he had been treating her really welltely by giving her everything she wanted, but unfortunately, she wanted more than that. ¡°Elliot, are you in love with Anastasia?¡± She looked up and asked, her eyes filled with resentment and bigotry. Nheless, Elliot only squinted without giving her an answer. Hayley pretended to smile bitterly. ¡°Well, Anastasia hates me, especially now that she knows we were once together before. Furthermore, she was vited in the past, which left her scarred and distrustful toward men.¡± Elliot¡¯s face froze for a few seconds. Deep down, he somehow didn¡¯t like to hear anything about Anastasia with any other man. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough,¡± the man replied, appearing a little absent- minded. At that moment, she suddenly caught a glimpse of a silhouetteing in their direction from behind the bushes and quickly realized it was Anastasia. Thus, she immediately copsed into Elliot¡¯s embrace on purpose, tightly wrapping her arms around his waist. ¡°Elliot, you¡¯re the first man I ever gave myself to, but I swear I will never fall in love with any other man in my life. I love you, Elliot.¡± He froze, keeping his head down with his eyes on Hayley as he was caught off guard by her unexpected confession. He calmlyforted her in panic and said, ¡°Please don¡¯t do this, Hayley.¡± ¡°No! I can still remember your kiss and your every breath that night, the way you went wild when you were on me¡­¡± In the meantime, Anastasia was disgusted by Hayley and Elliot¡¯s touchy-feely interaction when she thought her walk in the garden would be peaceful and undisturbed. Oh gosh! Can¡¯t they pick some ce else to do what they¡¯re doing? This is embarrassing!Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Elliot then pushed Hayley¡¯s hand off him and backed away, distancing himself from her while keeping his eyes on her face. ¡°I know I must be responsible now that I have found you.¡± Meanwhile, Hayley looked like an injured kitten, pouting as the tears swam in her eyes. ¡°Alright, I trust you, Elliot. You¡¯re the person whom I trust the most in this world. Therefore, all I ever want is to stay by your side throughout my life and go nowhere else. I want to be protected and feel needed by you.¡± A sympathetic Elliot patted her shoulder. ¡°Alright, just stop crying, okay? You aren¡¯t going to look pretty with a tear-stained face.¡± Soon, she kept her head down bashfully like a flower and set her eyes somewhere on the bushes far away, feeling gleeful that Anastasia must have heard their conversation. At the same time, Elliot was able to detect movements behind him with his keen hearing as he shouted, ¡°Who is there? Show yourself!¡± Nheless, Anastasia had no intention to continue hiding, so she emerged from behind the bushes with nothing to fear. When Elliot saw her, his gaze was filled withplicated emotions because he couldn¡¯t help but wonder whether she had heard the conversation between him and Hayley. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Anastasia¡­¡± Hayley eximed. Anastasia curled her lips and smiled cially. ¡°Carry on. Just pretend that I¡¯m not here because I¡¯m just passing by.¡± ¡°What did Grandma tell you, Anastasia?¡± Hayley immediately approached Anastasia, referring to Harriet as Grandma in an intimate manner. ¡°Why should I tell you?¡± Anastasia raised her eyebrow coldly. ¡°I¡¯m just asking, so please take it easy,¡± Hayley responded with a brittle smile. ¡°Stop feigning innocence, Hayley. You and I both know what kind of person you are.¡± Anastasia wished she could just unmask Hayley¡¯s hypocrisy and expose her true nature to Elliot. Hayley seemingly abandoned her ego and tearfully apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Anastasia. ¨C If it hadn¡¯t been for me back then, you wouldn¡¯t have¡­¡±. Anastasia¡¯s face turned pale as she coldly interrupted thedy, ¡°Shut up! Don¡¯t make me hate you even more.¡± After being stunned, Hayley turned to Elliot forfort. In the meantime, he knew which incident they were referring to and was able to tell from Anastasia¡¯s pale face that she had experienced a nightmarish experience that she would never want to talk about again. ¡°Wait for me in the parlor, Hayley. I¡¯d like to have a word with Miss Tillman in private.¡± Elliot spoke to Hayley. Despite her reluctance to give them the opportunity to speak with each other privately, Hayley didn¡¯t dare to risk rubbing Elliot the wrong way, so she decided to nod obediently and walk away., Watching Hayley leave, Anastasia wanted to ignore him after hearing Hayley mention her one-night stand with him. Ew! It¡¯s disgusting to even think about it. To imagine how he was wild when he was on top of Hayley really makes me want to puke. Soon, she began to conclude that his desire had made him eager and desperate when she recalled how touchy-feely he tried to be with her as well. I guess that¡¯s why people say men never behave themselves until the day they die. ¡°Anastasia, Hayley told me what happened to you, but since what¡¯s done is done, let¡¯s just put it behind you and move on.¡± Elliot watched as she walked away andforted her. Anastasia stopped in her tracks, knowing what Hayley was up to. Deep down, she knew Hayley would only exaggerate her checkered past and made her story sound even more pathetic than it was to Elliot. Therefore, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder whether the man was showing her pity, but nheless, she wasn¡¯t about to ept his sympathy. After all, the man, with whom she had a one-night stand, had done her mentality a great deal of harm, but fortunately, her son¡¯s presence managed to heal her trauma and almost made her forget what happened that night five years ago. For that, she didn¡¯t even bother to think about it, let alone bring it up. ¡°Worry about yourself, Young Master Elliot!¡± Anastasia grunted. ¡°In that case, what can I do for you?¡± Elliot fixed his gaze on thedy¡¯s pale face, his heart pounding. ¡°Yes, from now on, take Hayley with you and stay away from me.¡± She walked away as soon as she finished her sentence. Chapter 73 Chapter 73 Chapter 73 As he watched Anastasia walk away, Elliot could sense the tenacity and strong will from her despite her petite figure, which made him feel helpless. At that moment, a maid came over to him and announced, ¡°Young Master Elliot, Old Madam Presgrave is waiting for you in the dining area.¡± While Elliot nodded and walked away with the maid, Hayley was on her way to the parlor but became lost in the huge garden. Therefore, she was forced to follow her gut while making her way out of there, somehow finding her surroundings rather quiet. Then, she saw an ancient-looking pavilion not far away and thought that she could ask somewhere there for directions. However, just when she approached, she heard an olddy¡¯s voice from behind the curtains. ¡°Old Madam Presgrave, are you sure you¡¯re going to make Young Master Elliot marry Miss Tillman? What about Miss Seymour?¡± Then, the old madam firmly replied, ¡°My decision remains the same. The only woman whom Elliot should ever marry is Anastasia. As for Hayley, I¡¯ll make sure Elliot makes it up to her with money and comfort. For some reason, I just don¡¯t seem to click well with Hayley as I can¡¯t help but feel that she is a little too scheming and maniptive. Anyway, Anastasia is the only granddaughter-inw I¡¯ll ever approve of.¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Upon hearing that, Hayley held her breath in horror as soon as she recognized Harriet¡¯s voice. Oh dear! Despite the show I tried to put this morning, she is still not satisfied with me? What¡¯s worse is that she only wants Anastasia to be her granddaughter-inw. Hayley was overwhelmed by her resentment when she suddenly heard footsteps approaching her. Thus, she quickly hid in the bushes under a tree and tried to remain as still as possible. ¡°Are you looking for me, Grandma?¡± Elliot¡¯s voice was heard. Harriet looked at her grandson and lectured, ¡°What happened back then, Elliot? How did you end up doing something as absurd as having a one-night stand with Hayley?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Grandma. I was set up and deprived of my sober mind to think straight.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re taking the responsibility you should for your mistake, so I don¡¯t me you for that, but how are you going to settle your issue with Miss Seymour?¡± Harriet -questioned her grandson harshly. ¡°I¡¯m already doing what I can to make it up to her.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯m not going to interfere with your matter, but I want you to remember one thing-the only granddaughter-inw I¡¯ll ever approve of is Anastasia. If she agrees to marry you, she¡¯ll be the Young Mistress of the Presgrave Family, but if she doesn¡¯t, you better treat her right for your whole life,¡± she spoke to Elliot in an unwavering manner. Although Hayley couldn¡¯t see the expression on the man¡¯s face, she felt like she had just fallen into a pool of ice water. I only want to live afortable and wealthy life, but why won¡¯t Anastasia stop getting in my way? No! I will not let Anastasia take away what¡¯s mine! Soon, she heard Elliot¡¯s terse reply that sounded as if it was a sharp de that plunged through her heart. ¡°Okay.¡± So, Elliot has no n to marry me from the beginning. Not long after that, she quietly sneaked away and ran into a maid, whom she asked for directions to make her way back to the parlor. While lunch was ready a few momentster, Anastasia eventually decided to stick around due to her awkward schedule in spite of her initial reluctance to do so. After everyone had gathered around the dining table, Harriet politely told Hayley to dig in. ¡°Please help yourself, Miss Seymour. Just make yourself at home.¡± ¡°Alright, Grandma.¡± Hayley smiled and nodded while hoping that the old madam was dead. ¡°You too, Anastasia. Help yourself.¡± Harriet gazed at Anastasia, as if she was her own granddaughter. ¡°Alright, sure.¡± Anastasia proceeded to help herself with the meal. After lunch, Harriet went on to treat the twodies to some dessert while Elliot made his way upstairs for some rest. Lying on the couch, the man appeared to be disturbed and distraught as he couldn¡¯t stop thinking about Hayley and Anastasia. The most there is between me and Hayley is the one-night stand we had five years ago, but I doubt I¡¯ll ever find the same breath I had with her that night from now on. For some reason, it seemed to Elliot that Hayley felt more like a stranger rather than someone he shared a strong chemistry with. Chapter 74 Chapter 74 Chapter 74 However, Elliot couldn¡¯t seem to forget the intimacy he had that night while the woman tearfully made futile efforts to resist him amidst the dark. Although she was only enduring his madness because he was under the influence of drugs, he could still remember the sweet moments during his intimacy with her until that day. Before he passed out, he even made a promise to himself that he would take full responsibility for what he did to her. At that moment, Anastasia¡¯s face somehow kept appearing in Elliot¡¯s mind. For some reason, his intuition told him that the feeling he had with Anastasia was the one he experienced that night. Then, he took a deep breath to keep his imaginations from running wild. Anyhow, I¡¯m going to make it up to these twodies. While I must repay my debt to one of them, I¡¯m bound by honor and my responsibility to make it up to the other. Meanwhile, Anastasia was in the garden where she told Harriet that she had to leave for an important taskter in the afternoon. In the meantime, Harriet decided not to make her stay, knowing that it wasn¡¯t easy for Anastasia to raise a kid all by herself. Thus, she quickly told the maid to send for Elliot and asked him to take her home. When Hayley saw that, she immediately feigned that she also had an appointment with her friends as she wanted to leave with Anastasia. Since Harriet was just right in front of her, Anastasia had nothing to say since the old madam was allowing Hayley to do her thing Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Harriet merely told the maid to bring the two presents to thedies. Soon, the table in the parlor was seen with two premium bangles, but nheless, Harriet didn¡¯t specify which bangle was for whom. Instead, she smiled and asked, ¡°Come and have a look, girls. Which one do you like more?¡± Blinded by greed, Hayley was instantly able to tell which bangle was pricier and set her gaze on the shinier one. After that, she turned her attention to Anastasia and asked, ¡°Anastasia, I like this one, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯d mind, right?¡± Anastasia calmly responded, ¡°This is from Old Madam Presgrave, so you should probably ask her.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t mind it. As long as you like it.¡± Harriet nodded with a smile. As Hayley took the box that contained the bangle she wanted, Anastasia looked at Harriet and inquired, ¡°Old Madam Presgrave, this is exorbitant. I can¡¯t ept it.¡± Upon hearing that, Hayley was stunned as she thought that Anastasia was trying to embarrass her. Thus, she awkwardly ced the bracelet down and said, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right! This gift is too expensive. I can¡¯t ept it!¡± ¡°No, they are not expensive at all. It¡¯s the thought that counts after all, so please ept them!¡± Harriet smiled gracefully like a benevolent sag¨¨. On the other hand, Anastasia found herself caught in a dilemma because she could tell from the appearance of the bangles that they had a market value of about tens of millions. However, she knew that they were just small gifts to Harriet and was aware that the situation would turn ugly if she insisted on rejecting the old madam. Therefore, she nodded and thanked Harriet. ¡°Thank you, Old Madam Presgrave.¡± At the same time, Harriet sized bothdies up in a shrewd manner and eventually rested her gaze on Anastassia, thinking that Hayley seemed more like a petty snob who was greedy. Anastasia is such a graceful and decentdy, and there is no one else even more perfect than her to be my granddaughter- inw. While Hayley was a ve to greed and hunger for money, she had no idea that Harriet was actually testing her character. At the same time, Hayley didn¡¯t sense anything wrong with her behavior since she had never seen something so valuable since she was a kid, which was why she subconsciously tried to im it as hers. Not long after that, the twodies entered Elliot¡¯s car that was parked in the courtyard just when Hayley tried to assert her dominance by riding shotgun. On the other hand, Anastasia sat in the backseat, thinking it wasfortable to sit there while searching for a suitable spot by the roadside to get off. After all, she would rather take a cab than share a ride with Hayley. Soon, Elliot drove away from the Presgrave Residence as Hayley shed her bangle at him. ¡°See, Elliot. Grandma gave it to me. How does it look? Does it look good on me?¡± Chapter 75 Chapter 75 Chapter 75 ¡°Yes, it does.¡± Elliot nced at the bangle on Hayley¡¯s wrist and nodded. ¡°Grandma treats me pretty well and seems to like me a lot.¡± Hayley intentionally made sure Anastasia heard her words, for she wanted thetter to know that she was important to Harriet. ¡°Just make sure you keep it with you.¡± Elliot shifted his gaze to the rear mirror and observed thedy in the backseat through the reflection. Anastasia continued to keep her eyes outside the window, and the side view of her face made her seem like a sacred goddess who was worshiped by many. Atst, Anastasia grew tired of staying in the car. The moment they made it to the road, she then spoke to the man in front of her. ¡°Please pull over, President Presgrave.¡± Elliot pulled over by the roadside and looked at thedy with a frown. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I want to get out of the car now.¡± Anastasia finished her sentence and swiftly opened the door, stepping out of the vehicle without a single thought of hesitation. Upon witnessing Anastasia¡¯s reaction, Elliot was stunned as he wondered whether she was reluctant to ept his ride, but Hayley was happy to see her leave since that meant she could be alone with the man. Nevertheless, Elliot got out of his car the next moment, leaving Hayley in surprise as she watched him catch up to Anastasia. At the sight of this, she couldn¡¯t help but feel overwhelmed by her bigotry even more, thinking that Anastasia was trying to seduce Elliot on purpose. On the other hand, Anastasia noticed Elliot catching up to her but decided to ignore his presence. She then found a suitable spot and stood there as she tried to hail a taxi. ¡°I can drop you off at your destination, so why are you taking a taxi?¡± Elliot frowned unhappily. ¡°That¡¯s none of your business. Just take Hayley with you and leave,¡± Anastasia looked back and answered. ¡°I¡¯ll take her home and drive you to the office after that,¡± Elliot replied with a deep voice that sounded like he was trying to coax her. ¡°I don¡¯t like sharing a ride with thatdy, so it¡¯s either me or her whom you¡¯re driving. Take your pick.¡± Anastasia jutted her chin in a haughty manner.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Elliot paused briefly even though he was no stranger to her unreasonable attitude. Soon, he seized her wrist and said, ¡°Anastasia, can¡¯t you be more reasonable?¡± However, Anastasia retracted her arm in frustration. ¡°I can be reasonable to anyone but you! Take your hand off me now!¡± At that moment, a taxi arrived before she . opened the door and sat inside, leaving Elliot with an annoyed frown on his face. Oh, man! Thisdy is really a stubborn one, isn¡¯t she? In the meantime, Hayley was still mad at Anastasia even though thetter had already left, feeling disgusted with her coy behavior. Isn¡¯t she acting like such a drama queen right now? When Elliot returned to the car, she instantly noticed his darkened expression and immediately seized the chance to y on his heart strings. ¡°Did Anastasia leave because of me? If I had known earlier, I should have taken a taxi instead.¡± ¡°Nonsense. She just has something important to attend to back in the office.¡± Elliot¡¯s eyes seemed to have be gentler. Hayley pretended to let out a sigh. ¡°Anastasia and I can never be as close as we used to be back then, and I¡¯ll never be able to make it up to her for the harm I caused her ever again.¡± Elliotforted thedy and said, ¡°Whatever it was, it¡¯s already over. Let¡¯s not bring it up again.¡± ¡°Anastasia has hated me for five years, which is as long as I¡¯ve med myself for. In fact, when I think about how she looked after her vition every night, I feel like pping myself in the face. Why? Why did something so cruel happen to her?¡± Meanwhile, Elliot tightened his grip on the steering without himself knowing it when he heard what Hayley was saying. At the same time, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder whether Anastasia had ran into some sick pervert who put her through so much suffering On the other hand, Hayley wouldn¡¯t stop emphasizing how much Anastasia was hurt and vited in hopes that she could make Elliot lose interest in her. After all, she believed that no man would ever ept a woman who had been vited by another man, but little did she know that she was wrong about how she thought Elliot would think. In fact, Hayley¡¯s emphasis on Anastasia¡¯s stigma only made Elliot feel even more sympathetic for her. Instead of feeling disgusted by Anastasia, he was driven by a strong urge to protect her more than ever. Also, his perception about Anastasia had changed from his initial reluctance of marrying her to his willingness to make her his wife, but nheless, he somehow failed to win her heart over. ¡°What¡¯s done is done, so let¡¯s not talk about it anymore. Just make sure you don¡¯t beat yourself up for that and move on.¡± Elliotforted Hayley while staring at thedy¡¯s guilty face. Chapter 76 Chapter 76 Chapter 76 At the same time, Hayley forced some tears out of her eyes and pretended to wipe them off with her hands until they arrived at the mansion. Then, she gazed at the man in excitement and asked, ¡°Elliot, would you like toe inside and have a cup of tea before you go?¡± ¡°No, thanks. I have a meeting to attendter.¡± Elliot turned thedy down. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not going to take you long to enjoy a cup of tea, plus I feel a little lonely being here by myself.¡± ¡°As I¡¯ve told you before, you can always invite your family to move in with you if you feel lonely,¡± suggested Elliot. ¡°I¡¯ve told them about it before, but they don¡¯t think they¡¯d be used to living with me here.¡± Hayley¡¯s knee-jerk reaction was to lie because she would never want to share everything she had with the family she hated. After all, they had brought nothing else but pain and suffering into her life, which was enough to justify her resentment toward them. ¡°Persuade them to keep youpany then,¡± said Elliot. He then took a look at his watch and continued, ¡°I have to go now.¡± Despite knowing that it wasn¡¯t possible for her to make Elliot stay, Hayley lost herself in the man¡¯s charming smile before she eventually mustered her courage and leaned closer to hug and kiss him. Nevertheless, Elliot was one step ahead by resisting her with his palms when he could sense her breath just a few inches away. Then, he gave an unwavering stare and said, ¡°Get out of the car now!¡± In the face of the man¡¯s cold rejection, Hayley had no choice but to step out of the vehicle in embarrassment. As she watched Elliot drive away with her face flushed, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder why the man had no lustful desires for her. Does he have another woman by his side? Hayley couldn¡¯t help remembering the hickey on his neck from the other day. If the hickey did note from Anastasia, it was definitely from someone else. On the other hand, Anastasia was killing boredom by reading her text messages in the taxi, only to be surprised when she saw her replies to Nigel that she didn¡¯t ¨C remember typing herself. She tried to recall what had happened the day before and remembered that she was in the shower around 9.00PM. While she didn¡¯t think her son could have replied to Nigel, Elliot was the only possible suspect since he was at her ce. Was it him? Yeah, I think it was probably him! Damn it! How dare he deprive me of my privacy and reply on my behalf?! Anastasia¡¯s intuition told her that it was Elliot who had texted with Nigel behind her back. However, she waster amused when she read Nigel¡¯s confession. After all, she had already gotten used to his confessions as he had been doing that pretty often in a sentimental manner. In the meantime, Anastasia arrived at her office just in time to attend the meeting held by Felicia to discuss preparations for the jewelry exhibition next week. While Alicia and Anastasia¡¯s masterpieces were both nominated, Felicia hoped they could both win an award for the sake of thepany¡¯s reputation. However, that also made Alicia and Anastasiapetitors in the jewelry fair. Alicia appeared confident in the meeting, but despite the woman¡¯s provoking gaze, Anastasia remained unbothered and determined because of the lucrative prize. While Bourgeois was situated in the east, it was overshadowed by a building that was none other than Presgrave Group. In fact, it towered among the clouds like a pir that stemmed from the ground to the sky. Due to its height, the other buildings that surrounded it looked just like obedient followers who bowed down to their leader. At that moment, Elliot was sitting in his chair in the meeting room at Presgrave Group, looking like a king on his throne. Nheless, there was barely any emotion seen on his handsome face as he stared nkly in an absent-minded manner despite his stern appearance. ¡°President Presgrave¡­ President Presgrave?¡± The finance departmental head called out to Elliot because he needed his approval right after presenting his proposal. Soon, Elliot took his eyes off where he was looking and turned his attention to his subordinate with a cial gaze. ¡°Please tell me the issue again.¡± Upon hearing that, the finance departmental head was surprised as he quickly cleared his throat and repeated his presentation, but fortunately, Elliot was finally paying attention this time. As soon as the meeting was over, Elliot stood in front of his window and cast his eyes on Bourgeois, feeling helpless about how distracted he was thinking about Anastasia. Damn! This is the first time I¡¯ve ever lost myself in my train of thought. Soon, he took a look at his watch and returned to the inte before dialing a number. ¡°Get ready ande with me to Bourgeois.¡± ¡°Alright, President Presgrave.¡± Meanwhile, Anastasia was already done with her tasks for the day half an hour before she got off work. She was getting ready to leave and pick up her son from school when she heard her telephone ringing. Thus, she answered it and said, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Pleasee to my office.¡± The man¡¯s maic voice could be heard. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, President Presgrave?¡± Anastasia¡¯s tone implied her reluctance to see Elliot.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Chapter 77 Chapter 77 Chapter 77 ¡°It¡¯s work-rted.¡± Elliot finished his sentence and hung up the call before Anastasia could do so. Meanwhile, Anastasia had no choice but to make her way to the president¡¯s office. Upon knocking on the door and entering the office, she was greeted by the sight of the man who was wearing a white shirt. There was an attractive look in his eyes which seemed like they were trying to charm her. She walked closer and asked, ¡°What are your orders, President Presgrave?¡± Elliot looked at the woman calmly. ¡°Are you confident with your design in the jewelry fair this time? Do you think you¡¯d be able to win the prize?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m confident.¡± Anastasia curled her lips and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve raised the prize from 100,000 to a million, so if you can win the prize, the money will be all yours.¡± Elliot sluggishlyy back in his chair, his eyes lighting up like a charming womanizer. In the meantime, Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but think about Elliot¡¯s alternative careers if he wasn¡¯t a businessman. He could even be a superstar in the entertainment industry with his good looks. On another note, Anastasia was confident that she could win the reward to worth one million; she was even nning to save the money for her son so that he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about his futureter on. ¡°It¡¯s about time. I need to make a move now.¡± Anastasia implied that she had to get going. ¡°I¡¯m almost done as well. Let me give you a ride to pick Jared up.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, but thanks for the offer anyway.¡± Anastasia turned down Elliot¡¯s kind offer. Elliot squinted and stared at her without blinking. ¡°I promised my grandma to look after you and your son.¡± Although Anastasia had no problem getting along with Harriet, she didn¡¯t feel the same way with Elliot, so she rejected him once again. ¡°We don¡¯t need you to look after us.¡± Ten minutester, Anastasia made her way downstairs and stood by the sidewalk to g down a taxi when a ck silhouette pulled up in front of her. Then, the car ¨C window rolled down as Elliot said firmly, ¡°Get in.¡± However, Anastasia responded with an unfriendly gawk. She found him annoying because he wouldn¡¯t stop following her despite her rejection. At that moment, a taxi pulled up before Elliot¡¯s vehicle and Anastasia promptly pulled open the door before entering it. As soon as the taxi started moving, Elliot followed right behind the car in his Rolls- Royce Phantom. As Anastasia turned around and eyed the tailing vehicle coldly, she cursed in her heart and questioned the man¡¯s intentions in a frustrated manner. What is this guy trying to do? By the time Elliot arrived at the school gates, he saw Anastasia entering the school shortly before she came back out while holding Jared¡¯s hand. When the little boy saw the handsome man leaning against his car with his eyes on them, he happily let go of his mother¡¯s hand and greeted him in excitement by saying, ¡°Mr. Presgrave.¡± He then scurried toward the man the moment he finished his sentence. Needless to say, Elliot happily crouched down and embraced the child with his arms. The next second, he carried the boy and allowed him to sit on his muscr arm with immense joy. At the same time, they were approached by a father and son who asked, ¡°Jared, is this your father?¡± Jared looked at his ssmate and shifted his gaze to the man, ready to shake his head in response just when Elliot smiled and replied, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Jared¡¯s father indeed.¡± While Jared was stunned to hear that, Anastasia, who was walking closer, red at the man and grumbled to herself about his questionable motive to pose as her son¡¯s father. As soon as the father and son left, Jared turned his attention to Elliot. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, can you be my daddy for the time being?¡± ¡°Do you really want me to be your dad?¡± Elliot asked. ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°No way!¡± Anastasia interrupted the man and the child¡¯s conversation, berating Elliot for echoing her son¡¯s childishness. ¡°Mom, my teacher said there will be a parent-child program this month, and everyone will bring their father along. Therefore, I¡¯d like Mr. Presgrave to do me a favor and act as my father for the time being so that I can participate in the program.¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a program for mothers to attend with their children?¡± ¡°There is one, but only girls get to attend that program with their mothers. The boys have been told to participate in this event with their fathers,¡± Jared answered. After hearing her son¡¯s exnation, Anastasia was surprised that Jared¡¯s kindergarten didn¡¯t consider those children who were fatherless, but she didn¡¯t me the school for that. Elliot replied firmly, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take part in this parent-child program with you.¡± Chapter 78 Chapter 78 Chapter 78 ¡°Awesome!¡± Jared happily nodded. ¡°Jared, perhaps we should invite Mr. Nigel instead. What do you say?¡± Anastasia reckoned that Nigel was a better choice. ¡°Nigel just took over hispany, so he won¡¯t have time to attend the event.¡± ¡°Let me ask him and see what his n is.¡± Nheless, Anastasia reckoned it was necessary for her to ask. ¡°No, Mommy! Fred just heard that Mr. Presgrave is my father, so if Mr. Nigeles with me, our cover will be blown.¡± Jared disagreed. After hearing her son¡¯s exnation, Anastasia felt helpless while cursing Elliot deep down inside for telling the others that he was Jared¡¯s father. Why would this fe falsely admit that he is my son¡¯s dad? Elliot smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll y my role as your father well.¡± ¡°I look forward to that.¡± Jared pped his hands. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll treat you to a fancy meal.¡± Elliot then opened the car door and was about to put the boy inside his car when Anastasia came over and grabbed her son. ¡°We¡¯re good, President Presgrave. I¡¯m preparing dinner tonight.¡± Upon returning to his mother¡¯s embrace, Jared looked up and gazed at Elliot. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, would you like toe to my house and try my Mommy¡¯s cooking? She is a very good cook¡­¡± The child was about to show a thumbs-up, but he was blocked by his mother¡¯s hand. While covering Jared¡¯s mouth with her hand, Anastasia looked at the man and replied, ¡°My cooking sucks, so I don¡¯t think I should count you in.¡± Elliot gave a smile and answered, ¡°I don¡¯t mind that.¡± He then sympathetically shifted his gaze to the child whose mouth was being covered by his mother¡¯s hand. ¡°Stop doing that to the kid.¡± It was only then did Anastasia realize what she was doing and quickly took her hand ¨C away from Jared. After that, the boy gasped for breath and blinked at his mother. ¡°Mommy, why are you lying about your cooking? You¡¯re a good cook.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Upon hearing Jared¡¯s words, Anastasia looked helplessly at her son, feeling rather frustrated that he had just exposed her right in front of Elliot due to his naive nature s! I guess I can¡¯t me my son for telling the truth. After all, I¡¯ve always taught him not to lie, and I¡¯m pretty confident with my cooking skills as well. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, Mommy is going to buy some ingredients to prepare for dinner. Do join us.¡± The child looked up shortly before he entered the car without giving Anastasia a chance to say no. Nheless, Anastasia soon realized she should perhaps treat Elliot to a meal when she recalled the time that he had helped her, as well as his willingness to do Jared a favor by attending the parent-child program with her son. Therefore, she followed Jared and got into Elliot¡¯s car, whereupon he drove them to a nearby shopping mall. Then, she told her son to wait in the car with the man while she did a quick round of shopping and returned with a bag full of groceries that couldst them for the night. before they returned to Anastasia¡¯s apartment, Upon arrival, Anastasia somehow felt that her house was too small with Elliot around. After all, she had always thought that an apartment unit with two rooms and a living room was big enough for her and her son. ¡°You could keep Jaredpany while I prepare in the kitchen.¡± Deep down, the only thing Anastasia wanted was to prepare the dinner as soon as possible so that Elliot could leave shortly after. Meanwhile, Jared reckoned he was old enough to be independent without needing anyone¡¯spany, so he told Elliot to give Anastasia a hand. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, why don¡¯t you help my mom out in the kitchen? I¡¯m going to do my homework now.¡± ¡°Alright, go ahead then!¡± Elliot set his eyes on the petite figure in the kitchen. As soon as Jared returned to his room to do his homework, Elliot walked toward the kitchen to offer Anastasia some help, but little did he know that she was approaching the refrigerator to grab something at the same time. Therefore, both of them came face to face with each other at the kitchen¡¯s entrance just before Anastasia bumped her head on the man¡¯s chest, but fortunately, Elliot was quick enough to wrap his arm around her slim waist and pulled her toward him. Shocked by what just happened, Anastasia wanted to back away but identally tripped over the threshold at the kitchen¡¯s entrance. In that instant, her knee-jerk reaction prompted her to grab the man¡¯s hand just as he snaked his arm around her waist even tighter this time. With that, she found her arms tightly wrapped around the man¡¯s muscr waist as well. The next second, Anastasia freed herself and backed away frantically. Then, she berated Elliot in an annoyed manner by saying, ¡°Can¡¯t you just sit on the couch quietly? You¡¯re creating a mess here.¡± In the face of thedy¡¯s mean scolding, Elliot felt sympathetic for himself, thinking his kind and innocent intention should be repaid with something else better than her mean scolding. I came by to see if she needed help and saved her from falling twice, but all I get is her harsh scolding. He then squinted and asked, ¡°Do you need help?¡± Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Chapter 79 ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± Anastasia frowned while giving him a reply. Thus, Elliot returned to the couch and sat down, keeping an eye on thedy as she prepared a meal for all three of them in the kitchen. At that moment, he somehow felt as if there was an energy in the small apartment that rid him of his tiredness and made him feel rxed. Within an hour, Anastasia made Jared¡¯s favorite mushroom chicken, several vegetable dishes, and corn soup made with bone broth. On the other hand, Elliot remained seated on the couch while watching her for that one hour, somehow feeling he couldn¡¯t have enough of it the longer he kept his eyes on her. What¡¯s wrong with me? Meanwhile, Jared intentionally hid in the room because he wanted to give Elliot and his mother some private space so that they could grow on each other. Deep down, he wished that Elliot could be his father one day. Despite the child¡¯s young age, he could tell that his mother only treated Nigel as her friend, thinking that she had no intention of marrying him at all. Therefore, he was trying to see whether Anastasia would fall for Elliot instead. When Anastasia served the dishes, she coldly stared at the man who was sitting on the couch in a graceful and handsome manner. ¡°Dinner time.¡± Then, she went to her son¡¯s room and knocked on the door to tell him that dinner was ready. Jared opened the door and looked back at the man on the couch. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, let¡¯s wash our hands and get ready for dinner!¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Elliot took Jared to the washroom and made sure he washed his hands properly. Then, he walked toward the dining table and was greeted by the sight of those appetizing dishes. Although they were all home-cooked dishes, he found them even more tantalizing than the food from a five-star restaurant. In the meantime, Anastasia wiped her hands and stepped out of the kitchen before she caught sight of the manying the table. She started digging in after making sure that her son was able to pick up the dishes and ce them on his te. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Help yourself, Mr. Presgrave.¡± Jared ced some dishes on Elliot¡¯s te. ¡°How is my mom¡¯s cooking, Mr. Presgrave?¡± he asked. -¡°Not bad.¡± ¡°You should drop by more often and join us for dinner then.¡± Jared told the man. ¡°Sure!¡± Elliot answered almost immediately. Anastasia, who was chewing her food, nearly spat it out as she looked at her son in puzzlement. What¡¯s wrong with my boy? Why is he trying to make my life so hard? It¡¯s tiring enough for me toe home from work after a long day, and now I¡¯m supposed to cook for one more guest? Like hell I¡¯m going to do that. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, can you raise my mom¡¯s pay? The boy looked at the man with his smiling eyes. Upon hearing that, Anastasia paused when she was eating and stared at Elliot who was sitting opposite her, wondering if he would really raise her pay. Soon, the man looked at Jared and directly answered, ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll raise her pay tomorrow.¡± Then, Anastasia pondered for a while and realized the next day was the fifth of the month, which was the day that she usually received her pay. Therefore, she couldn¡¯t help but think to herself if Elliot would keep his word. After dinner, Anastasia began washing the dishes in the kitchen while Jared took Elliot to his room and yed with him. By the time it was 8.30PM, Anastasia looked at the man who was sitting on her son¡¯s bed and told him the time, implicitly suggesting that he should leave. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, President Presgrave. Then, Elliot rubbed Jared¡¯s head and said, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time for me to go.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see you during the parent-child program, Mr. Presgrave!¡± ¡°Sure! I¡¯ll be there.¡± Elliot promised the child that he would be present on that day. When Elliot stepped out of the apartment unit, Anastasia pointed to a bag of garbage and gazed at the man. ¡°President Presgrave, please take the trash out for me. There is a dumpster at the entrance.¡± Despite his status as the Presgrave Family¡¯s great son, Elliot took the trash with him without comining at all, and it melted Anastasia¡¯s heart a little. Well, I guess he is quite a nice person, although he may be somewhat domineering at times. Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Chapter 80 At that moment, Anastasia received a call from her father. ¡°Hello, Dad.¡± ¡°Anastasia, your new house is ready, and I¡¯ll send someone to help you move your stuff there in two days. After all, that¡¯s going to be your home, so you need to make sure you¡¯refortable with it.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll pack everything and be ready in two days.¡± ¡°Anastasia, I¡¯m sorry about what happened to Jaredst time. That wouldn¡¯t have happened to him had I been more careful.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, Dad. What¡¯s done is done, so don¡¯t take that to heart.¡± Anastasiaforted Francis, thinking it wasn¡¯t her father¡¯s fault at all. ¡°Alright, when you¡¯re done moving, we should probably have a meal together.¡± ¡°Sure! I¡¯ll put Jared on the line with you, Dad.¡± Anastasia passed the phone to her son and proceeded to pack her clothes. The next morning, the entire office was filled with an energetic atmosphere because it was the day that everyone would receive their pay. Bourgeois was one of the few etpanies that could provide promising careers and attractive sries to its employees, but ever since it was acquired by the Presgrave Group, everyone received an increment in their basic pay which made it even more lucrative. At 8.00AM, most of the employees in the office received a text message informing them that their sry had been paid. At the same time, Anastasia also heard the notification alert from her phone, whereupon she opened the text message that mentioned her pay and bonus worth 68,000bined. Although she had almost been taken advantage of by John, she was d that he eventually paid everything he was supposed to; she was naturally happy about this because of themission she was entitled to. After all, her basic pay was only slightly more than 10,000 without themission. At that moment, she couldn¡¯t help but feel sad for herself when she recalled the reward worth 1,800 that she had lost earlier. Not long after that, Anastasia received another text message. When she opened and read it, sheN?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. learned that her bank ount bnce had an extra 100,000. Wait a second. Did I just receive 100,000 from thepany? Is there some kind of mistake made by the Finance Department? Anastasia was left with her eyes wide open, wondering where ¨C the money came from since themission was already included in her pay. Thus, she decided to confirm with the finance department in case it was a mistake as she didn¡¯t want to be disappointed. As soon as she called the finance department, her call was transferred to the director¡¯s office. ¡°Hello, Director Evans. I¡¯d like to ask about my sry because I just received an extra 100,000. Is there a mistake or something?¡± ¡°I knew you¡¯d ask, Miss Tillman. Actually, the first transaction is your monthly sry while the subsequent one was made to you under President Presgrave¡¯s order, but I¡¯m not sure about the exact details either. You might want to ask him yourself.¡± In that instant, Anastasia could only hear buzzing in her head, finding it hard to believe that she just received 100,000 from Elliot. Why did he give me so much money? She then hung up the phone and called the president¡¯s office. ¡°Hello?¡± The man¡¯s maic yet sluggish voice could be heard. ¡°Why did you give me 100,000?¡± ¡°I promised Jared to raise your pay, so here it is,¡± exined Elliot. Anastasia was stunned because she didn¡¯t think Elliot would really raise her pay by giving her an extra 100,000. While she would¡¯ve been fine with epting a few thousand or more, she found it hard to justify epting 100,000 from the man. Since she was afraid that there were strings attached to the huge amount of money, she immediately thought of the times when she reckoned Elliot was taking advantage of her. Thus, it instantly urred to her that him paying him such a huge amount of money was not a good sign. ¡°I¡¯ll wire the money back into your ount. I don¡¯t need a pay raise from you because I¡¯m satisfied with my normal sry.¡± Anastasia refused to ept Elliot¡¯s raise. ¡°Well, think of it as the payment for the meals then. I¡¯m going to drop by for dinner pretty often from now on.¡± ¡°What?! You want to drop by my house for dinner? Are you kidding me? Since when did I agree to let you join me for dinner again and again?¡± Anastasia was speechless. ¡°I¡¯m paying you 100,000. Is that not enough for you to prepare my share?¡± Elliot didn¡¯t seem to understand Anastasia¡¯s rejection. ¡°It¡¯s not about the money; I don¡¯t want to cook your share in the first ce.¡± Anastasia grunted. ¡°Have it your way, but I¡¯m still going to visit for dinner whether you ept my money or not. By then, don¡¯t you dare to use me of being a freeloader.¡± Elliot finished his sentence and hung up the call. Anastasia was rendered speechless while wondering what Elliot was up to. Is my cooking so good that he can¡¯t stop thinking about it? No way! Judging from the excuse he is using to give me the money, this man is doing more than just to repay me. At the thought of that, she decided to withdraw the cash and give it back to Elliotter that afternoon. Chapter 81 Chapter 81 Chapter 81 It was around 10.00AM when Hayley was browsing through the Louis Vuitton store at the premium mall. Just as she was ncing at the bags on disy, her phone rang. She answered the call brusquely, ¡°Hey, Mom.¡± ¡°Hayley, you don¡¯t happen to have some money to spare, do you? Your brother needs to fork out payment for school, so we were wondering if you could help tide us over for a bit.¡± ¡°Where would I get the money, Mom? I don¡¯t even have enough to keep myself afloat at the moment, so no, I can¡¯t help you guys out,¡± Hayley replied, swiftly turning her mother down. The next moment, her mother¡¯s shrill voice filled the other line. ¡°Just what the hell have you been up to these days? You¡¯re probably justzing around, aren¡¯t you? I raised you only to have you be so worthless that you can¡¯t even fork out 2,000 to help us out! Consider yourself my greatest failure!¡± Hayley was indifferent as she took her mother¡¯s harsh words in stride. When the older woman had dealt every single insult she coulde up with in the short span of time, she hung up. It was only then that Hayley turned to look at the retail assistant, and in a tone that sounded as if she needed an emotional outlet, she snapped and said, ¡°Ring up every bag on this shelf right now.¡± The assistant stared at her in bewilderment. She had heard everything Hayley said on the phone earlier, so she could hardly believe that the girl had money to pay for these bags. s, with a deft swipe of her unlimited ck card, Hayley paid for the bags and left the store in a huff. That afternoon, May was sitting on the edge of her chair across from Hayley as she nced around the high-end restaurant. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve been to somewhere as fancy as this, Hayley! This is unbelievable!¡± Hayley brought her cup to her lips as elegantly as she could and took a sip. ¡°Tell me about Anastasia¡¯s recent developments, May.¡± ¡°You know that jewelry designpetition that¡¯s been recently organized? Apparently, Anastasia¡¯s design has made it to the finals, and the winner will be ¨C dered next week. If she wins, she will receive a million in prize money!¡± May Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. informed the woman as jealousy gleamed in her eyes. Even Hayley was astonished when she heard this. ¡°What? A million?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Apetition like this typically caps the prize money at around 100,000, but I heard that President Presgrave is really going all out this year and racked up the prize to a million. It¡¯s groundbreaking.¡± Hayley tightened her grip around her cup. If she were to sp it any tighter, the cup might break. So Elliot was the one who hiked up the prize money? ¡°President Presgrave is so generous,¡± May mused with a wistful sigh. Hayley immediately thought of this as one of Elliot¡¯s ways to repay Anastasia¡¯s mother¡¯s deeds, which meant that Anastasia was set to win thepetition and walk away with a million in cash prize. Elliot wielded power in various industries under the conglomerate, and it was only child¡¯s y for him to manipte the results of a jewelry designpetition. As things were, it would not be the least bit surprising if Anastasia won first ce. No, I can¡¯t let Anastasia walk away with that money so easily. I can¡¯t let her win thepetition without even breaking a sweat! Hayley was filled with spite and rage that she wanted to throw Anastasia out of Bourgeois and have her removed permanently from the design industry. I want her reputation to be fed to the dogs! The jewelry designpetition this time was the best opportunity for Hayley to get rid of Anastasia. Let¡¯s see how you¡¯ll fare when you fall hard from grace. After lunch, Anastasia returned to the office with 100,000 in cash on hand. She took the satchel of money and walked up to the president¡¯s office, whereupon she knocked on the door. It was Rey who opened it from within, and at the sight of him, she asked, ¡°Is President Presgrave in at the moment?¡± ¡°Yes, he is,¡± Rey answered courteously. She nodded. ¡°I have some things to discuss with him.¡± With that, she marched through the doorway and saw that Elliot was seated on the couch, looking preupied as he went through a mountainous pile of documents. Upon sensing her entry, Elliot merely looked up at her once, then turned his attention to the documents before him as he asked absentmindedly, ¡°Is there something I can help you with?¡± Without another word, Anastasia put the stack of cash in front of him and said, ¡°I¡¯m here to pay you back the 100,000 I owe you.¡± Elliot¡¯s pen paused on the page for a moment, but he recovered and signed off on the document before closing the folder. Having done so, he looked up at her and said coldly, ¡°Stop right there, Anastasia. Take your money back.¡± For all her love of money, Anastasia did not want to keep something that she did not deserve. She turned on her heels and said, ¡°Donate your money to charity if you truly have nothing else to spend it on. There are others in this world who would appreciate your generosity.¡± Hearing this made Rey speak up on his boss¡¯ behalf from where he stood at the sidelines. ¡°Miss Tillman, President Presgrave already has a charitable foundation under his name, and he donates billions every year into said foundation,¡± he said. When Anastasia heard this, she faltered and let out an awkward dry cough. ¡°Well then, pretend I said nothing.¡± With that, she flushed sheepishly and left. Chapter 82 Chapter 82 Chapter 82 When Anastasia picked Jared up from school that afternoon, she got the details for Family Day that was set on Friday. The teams would be made up of a maximum of two students each, and ideally, the students were to show up with their parents. ¡°Miss Tillman, I heard from Jared that his father will be here for Family Day as well. Here¡¯s the thing- we¡¯re going to need his father¡¯s height and weight so that we¡¯ll be able to get his shirt ready for the program. The shirts will be made ording to the family teams.¡± At once, the image of a tall and handsome figure surfaced in Anastasia¡¯s mind as she asked the teacher, ¡°Does it have to be matching family outfits?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a school requirement, Miss Tillman, and it sets out a uniform dress code for the kids¡¯ Family Day here. It wouldn¡¯t be as fun if everyone wore whatever they wanted to the games,¡± the teacher said kindly, though she was making it clear that the requirement was absolutely mandatory. Well, Elliot was the one who promised the kid he¡¯d join Family Day, so he¡¯ll have to wear the shirt no matter how ugly it is, Anastasia thought with dark amusement. ¡°In that case, his father¡¯s height is about six feet three.¡± ¡°Wow, Jared¡¯s father is a tall one, isn¡¯t he? What about his weight?¡± ¡°He has a pretty standard figure.¡± ¡°Okay, then. Now, if you could just transfer us the payment through the parent teacher group chat, that¡¯d be great!¡± Having taken down the details, the teacher walked off to attend to her other duties. Presently, Anastasia had only just arrived home with Jared in tow when Francis called to tell her that he was here and that he would like to bring them to go house-seeing. The new ce was a two-bedroom apartment, but theyout measured up to over a hundred square meters. In spite of the two bedrooms, the living room was spacious and held plenty of design potential. Anastasia could already visualize how she would divide the space and set up a kiddy¡¯s corner in the living room that would be perfect for Jared. The new ce also featured two balconies, one for airingundry and the other for ¨C nts. Once sheExclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. added a small table for coffee and work, and she could turn it into her own outdoor workspace. Anastasia liked the ce that Francis had chosen for her, and she appreciated how he had gone against Naomi and Erica just so he could provide a home for her and Jared. ¡°Pack up your stuff and move in whenever you want. If there¡¯s anything you need at all, the mall is just an elevator ride away!¡± Francis said cheerily as he sat on the couch with Jared in hisp. Anastasia nodded and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go back and pack up our stuff tonight. We don¡¯t have much, so we should be done with the move by tomorrow afternoon. We could start cooking our first meal here tomorrow evening!¡± ¡°Great, then I¡¯ll drop by and have dinner with you both,¡± Francis said with a grin. Naturally, Anastasia would love to have her father over, but even she could not hide her worries in front of him. As if sensing her thoughts, he added hastily, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be dropping by alone.¡± Anastasia truly did not wish to have Naomi and Erica over. She nodded and said readily, ¡°Okay.¡± Over at the Tillman Residence, Naomi was still unhappy about her husband buying an apartment unit for Anastasia. The fact was very much a thorn in her side, and she had ns on asking Francis to splurge on a new apartment for Erica as dowry. However, she knew that Francis couldn¡¯t afford another apartment even though hispany had been doing well recently. It was almost as if the universe was helping him; all his bids had been sessful, and everything was smooth-sailing over at thepany, not to mention the ledgers were looking positive. After all, it wasn¡¯t easy for a smallpany with only millions in its assets to be a listed entity. Meanwhile, Elliot was in his office at Presgrave Corporation, and he would be returning after his visit to Bourgeois this evening to tie up some loose ends at work. Just then, Rey approached him with a folder in hand and said, ¡°President Presgrave, a new bid from Francis¡¯pany just came in, and we¡¯ve already approved of it.¡± Elliot nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Very well.¡± ¡°President Presgrave, I don¡¯t think Francis knows that you¡¯re the one who has been secretly supporting hispany and allowing it to grow into its current state.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for him to know. His wife had sacrificed her life for mine, and it¡¯s only right that I treat his family well to repay her selfless deed.¡± Elliot rubbed the space between his brows as he felt exhaustion wash over him. ¡°President Presgrave, we¡¯ve also given word to the panel working on the jewelry designpetition.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Elliot said in acknowledgement, his eyes suddenly lighting up in anticipation. ¡°You should be getting back, sir. It¡¯s already 9.00PM¡± Rey pointed out gently. Half an hourter, Elliot returned to his vi in the hills. When he stood in the spacious living room, he couldn¡¯t help noticing how empty his home felt. It made him think of Anastasia¡¯s small but cozy apartment. Perhaps a woman¡¯s touch is just what this house needs, he thought. A child would liven things up too. As his mind wandered, he thought about Anastasia and Jared. Anastasia was a stubborn soul who refused to take the easy way out. Moreover, she was independent, decisive, and never one to bend her will for the sake of money. She wasn¡¯t someone he could buy, and for all the power he had, he knew he couldn¡¯t make her marry him. More importantly, he was the one who owed her a favor. As things were, he found it much harder to win over Anastasia than it was to manage arge corporation with a billion-something worth. He couldn¡¯t stop thinking about Anastasia and the curves of her silhouette. The more he thought about her, the stronger the heat that coursed through his entire body. All of a sudden, his pants felt very constricting. Chapter 83 Chapter 83 Chapter 83 He lowered his head in shock. How could the thought of her make my body react this way? Now that she¡¯s found out about the one night stand between me and Hayley five years ago, I bet she¡¯ll hate me even more. Elliot¡¯s phone chimed right then, and he unlocked his phone to see a message from Anastasia along with a picture of a yellow t-shirt. ¡®This is the uniform for Family Day. Are you sure that you want toe?¡¯ What an ordinary t-shirt. I bet you can easily get these store-bought shirts in a simr pattern and cutting online for several bucks. ¡®I¡¯ve already made a promise to Jared, so I¡¯ll definitely go. Elliot quickly typed a response to Anastasia¡¯s message. ¡®Still, this doesn¡¯t really fit your image, and I think it¡¯ll be better if you don¡¯t take part in this. I can let the teacher know and take over your ce anyway. After reading Anastasia¡¯s reply with narrowed eyes, Elliot texted back determinedly. ¡®I¡¯ll definitely be there. At the same time, Anastasia was texting Elliot whileying in bed. Upon seeing how Elliot insisted on coming despite her attempts to deter him from doing so, she replied with one sentence. ¡®Fine! See you at 2.00PM this Friday: ¡®Sure. Is Jared asleep yet?¡¯ Elliot asked. ¡®He¡¯s asleep ¡®What are you doing now?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m talking to you while lying in bed. Anastasia¡¯s reply came in quickly. ¡®Anastasia, what if I give you 10 billion to marry to me?¡¯ Elliot suddenly asked. Upon seeing that, Anastasia¡¯s mind went nk. 10 billion to marry him? Haha! Does he really think that he can do anything he wants to just because he¡¯s loaded? ¡°Go and look for Hayley if you¡¯re in need of a woman! Even if I¡¯m lonely, I will never ¨C take Hayley¡¯s leftovers. She rejected Elliot in a headstrong manner. In the mansion, Elliot¡¯s face immediately darkened as the atmosphere around the couch that he was sitting on became tense. Does she really hate me that much? He looked up with a sharp glint in his eyes. Just you wait, Anastasia. I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ll be touched by my actions one day in the future. After all, we still have so much time together for the rest of our lives! Right then, Elliot¡¯s phone started ringing. When he noticed that it was a call from Hayley, he epted the call with a frown on his face. ¡°Hey, Hayley.¡± ¡°Elliot, I¡¯m scared¡­ Can youe over to apany me?¡± Hayley asked with a pitiful voice as she tried to get him to feel protective over her. ¡°I¡¯ll get Mrs. Collins to go over and keep youpany.¡± ¡°No¡­ I just want you¡­ Elliot, I had a dream about that night five years ago, and I really miss you¡­ I want to feel it all again¡­¡± Hayley sounded ambiguous and needy. Nevertheless, Elliot paused. How could she miss what happened five years ago when I hurt her so badly that night? ¡°Hayley, do you even remember how I treated you that night? It should have been a nightmare to you,¡± he asked calmly. Upon hearing that, Hayley whined. ¡°I was afraid that night, but¡­ I¡¯m not afraid anymore when I think of you as the pain turned into pleasure.¡± ¡°You should stop thinking about it. I don¡¯t want you getting traumatized,¡± Elliot said. ¡°Alright, then! By the way, I want to visit thepany and have lunch with you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Elliot replied. ¡°I need to shower now.¡± With that, he hung up. At the same time, Hayley, who was staying in a mansion at the city center, had cold sweat all over her forehead. Elliot almost found out about the truth! From his tone of voice, I bet he realized how much he tortured Anastasia that night. Still, he was out of his mind, and it was Anastasia¡¯s first time, so I bet she was badly tormented by someone like him. Even so, Hayley couldn¡¯t help but feel jealous. If only I had been the one there that night. I would have been able to experience how Elliot was like when he went all out. She felt her _body heating up at the thought of Elliot¡¯s buff build. Even if it¡¯s just once, I really want to be his woman.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Chapter 84 Chapter 84 Chapter 84 On Thursday, Anastasia had taken a half-day leave and moved all of her luggage from the apartment to her new ce with Francis¡¯ help. While Francis went to pick Jared up, she started decorating the house in peace. Since there was a mall downstairs that allowed Anastasia to get all her daily necessities, everything was progressing smoothly. At night, she cooked and made them a hearty meal. From now onward, they had a ce where they belonged within the city. ¡°Dad, how¡¯s yourpany¡¯s growth recently?¡± Anastasia asked curiously. ¡°Everything is progressing smoothly! We¡¯ve recently gotten a deal that can give us about 100 million in profit if we are able to get our hands on the project.¡± Hearing that, Anastasia felt happy for Francis. Seeing how Francis wasn¡¯t getting any younger, he would be apprehensive if thepany¡¯s operation wasn¡¯t smooth. Suddenly, Francis looked at Anastasia and asked in all seriousness, ¡°Anastasia, are you nning to continue your venture in the designing field forever? Have you never thought of learning how to manage apany?¡± Immediately, Anastasia caught onto what Francis was implying. Does he want me to take over his company? I guess he¡¯s anxious now that he¡¯s almost reaching his sixties. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m good at that, Dad,¡± Anastasia replied in a self-deprecating manner. ¡°Well, at least you¡¯re more mature than Erica, and I¡¯d feel more relieved if thepany is in your hands,¡± Francis exined truthfully, as Erica had beenpletely spoiled by Naomi and didn¡¯t know how to do anything other than spending his money. ¡°You¡¯re still young, though. Why don¡¯t you decide again in two years, Dad? I¡¯d still have to wait until Jared gets bigger before I have the time to help you out anyway,¡± Anastasia suggested after pondering for a moment. Although Francis was just asking, he was still happy to know that Anastasia had ns to help him out. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll manage thepany for two more years before I make the decision to let you take over the wanting to help her expand her connections, but she had rejected him. ¡°I have his contact number, and I can contact him anytime.¡± Hayley smirked with satisfaction. ¡°I¡¯m nning to get Anastasia and him in one bed before taking a picture of it and revealing it during the awards ceremony. By then, she definitely won¡¯t be able to win any awards and will even be aughingstock in the designing field. What do you think?¡± Although Alice thought that the n was risky, she really couldn¡¯t stand Anastasia any longer. If Anastasia was really set to be the winner of thepetition this time internally, the reward of a million would end up in her pockets, and that didn¡¯t sit right with Alice. ¡°Sure! I¡¯m willing to help you by asking the chairman out, but how can you get Anastasia to fall into the trap?¡± Alice asked curiously. ¡°I have my own ways. Ask the chairman out this Saturday at night and set up the surveince camera beforehand. I¡¯ll definitely get Anastasia to show up in his bed in time.¡± Chapter 85 Chapter 85 Chapter 85 Now that Hayley was loaded, she was more daring and opinionated, and she definitely wouldn¡¯t hesitate to pull dirty tricks. ¡°Alright. It¡¯s set, then,¡± Alice nodded and agreed to work with Hayley. On Friday morning, Anastasia received a text from Jared¡¯s teacher. ¡®The family activity will start at 2.00 PM today. We hope all parents will be able to attend on time. After forwarding the message to Elliot, herndline started ringing in no time, and guessing that it was probably Elliot, she picked up the phone. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Meet me at the parking lot at 1.00 PM sharp.¡± A man¡¯s maic voice rang out before Anastasia replied, ¡°Alright.¡± After Elliot hung up the call, Anastasia went speechless as she started regretting her decision to let Elliot act as Jared¡¯s father to join the family activities. Isn¡¯t that just me asking to get upset? I should have asked Nigel instead. Not knowing what kind of games would be held during the family activities, she could only hope that they could be normal activities instead of those involving too much interaction. When it was 1.00 PM, Anastasia grabbed her bag and entered the elevator. At the same time, May, who had been observing Anastasia, quickly followed after her and asked with a smile, ¡°Are you going out, Anastasia?¡± ¡°Yes! I have to leave to do something.¡± Then, Anastasia pressed on the first basement floor while May got down on the first floor before she quickly ran down from the staircase at the side to follow after Anastasia. While she was on the way down, she saw Anastasia entering Elliot¡¯s private car. Immediately, May¡¯s eyes widened. Is Anastasia going on a date with President Presgrave during working hours again? They¡¯re not on the way to the hotel, are they? She quickly took her phone out and reported what she saw to Hayley. After learning ¨C about what happened, Hayley felt so angry she could go mad¡¯at any second. Looks like Anastasia had really been using work as an excuse to go out on dates with Elliot. What a maniptive person! I can now confirm that the hickey on Elliot¡¯s neck was definitely left by her on purpose. I guess Elliot only looks like he didn¡¯t have any desire or biological needs, because Anastasia has been secretly satisfying him. How despicable. How dare she criticize Elliot in front of me but seduce him behind my back using all sorts of dirty tricks? Meanwhile, Anastasia started feeling like she was insane to allow Elliot to act as Jared¡¯s father while they were on the way to kindergarten. ¡°Why don¡¯t you¡­ not go instead? I¡¯ll exin it to the teacher.¡± She turned toward the man and suggested that she didn¡¯t want him to ruin his image by going with her. Nevertheless, Elliot continued looking ahead of him and said with determination, ¡°I promised Jared to go.¡± ¡°I can exin to Jared that you can¡¯t make it because you¡¯re busy. Jared won¡¯t be mad at you since he¡¯s a forgiving person. I¡¯m begging you, Elliot, can you not go?¡± Anastasia gave him a pleading look. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Am I embarrassing you?¡± Elliot turned to give her a look. Yet, this wasn¡¯t about any one¡¯s reputation, as Anastasia just didn¡¯t want Elliot to act as Jared¡¯s father because she wouldn¡¯t be able to exin herself if anyone found out about this. ¡°I¡¯m serious. You really shouldn¡¯t go. I¡¯ll promise to treat you to a meal if you don¡¯t go -no, I¡¯ll treat you to an entire day of meals. How about that?¡± She tried her best to persuade Elliot to change his mind, but Elliot remained unmoved. ¡°I¡¯m going.¡± ¡°What do you want me to do for you to not go, then?¡± Anastasia tried to negotiate with him. ¡°If you marry me right now, I won¡¯t go,¡± Elliot turned around and answered thoughtfully, while Anastasia gave him a speechless look. ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± Then, he continued driving emotionlessly, and they reached the kindergarten in no time. Just then, there were already many parents there, although they had arrived 15 minutes earlier. After ncing at her watch, Anastasia suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we wait in the car for a while before entering? Jared is probably still taking his nap right now.¡± Elliot nodded in agreement before she started using her phone to check thetest news to kill time.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Meanwhile, the man next to her, who didn¡¯t have the habit of mindlessly scrolling through his phone, fixated his gaze on her. At this moment, Anastasia¡¯s long hair was pushed to the back, leaving a few strands of baby hair to entuate her full cheeks. Her cheeks were soft and bouncy, showing how well her skin was. Chapter 86 Chapter 86 Chapter 86 Right then, Elliot¡¯s gaze shifted to Anastasia¡¯s lips instinctively. Her lips were plump and soft, sending off signals to invite the man over. Meanwhile, Anastasia, who was in the midst of reading thetest news, felt a pair of eyes staring at her before she turned around to meet Elliot¡¯s deep gaze. When she sensed what he was thinking about, she was taken aback. Is he getting aroused again?! ¡°It¡¯s time. Let¡¯s go!¡± Anastasia kept her phone and got out of the car. At the same time, the lustful look in Elliot¡¯s gaze vanished before he got out of the car and headed toward the kindergarten together with Anastasia. Just then, the two young female teachers that were ushering at the kindergarten entrance were stunned when they saw the couple heading toward them. The man walking next to Anastasia was giving off an arrogant and noble aura. Although he was just wearing a white dress shirt along with ck cks, his 6¡¯2 height made him look as if he was royalty. Is this the definition of perfect? Oh my God, is that Jared¡¯s father? What a handsome man! ¡°Miss Tillman, is this Jared¡¯s father?¡± one of the female teachers asked curiously. ¡­ ¡°Uh¡­¡± Anastasia pursed her lips. ¡°Yes. I am Jared¡¯s father.¡± The man next to her admitted with a deep voice. ¡°Come on in. The activity is starting soon.¡± The teachers took a few more nces at Elliot. My goodness! Jared¡¯s mother must really be enjoying this view! It must be nice to marry such a good- looking man and conceive a good-looking son as well. ¡°Jared and his father bear so much resemnce to each other!¡± one of the teachers chimed in. However, Anastasia was speechless when she heard the teacher. Seriously? How can my son look simr to this man? Do all good-looking people look simr? Still, it¡¯s impossible to look so alike that even strangers think they look like father and son, isn¡¯t it? Since the program would be held at the kindergarten¡¯s field, they had built a stage -along with chairs for the parents. As Anastasia enrolled Jared in an ordinary kindergarten, it was understood that the types of equipment were slightly aged. At this moment, the children came out one by one, holding onto the hems of the shirt of the person in front of them. All of the children looked adorable and happy as their faces lit up proudly when they saw their parents. When Jared saw the people he was expecting, he broke into a smile, revealing his white teeth, before Elliot waved at him. Right then, Elliot¡¯s presence was not just fan service to the teachers but also eye candy to all the young mothers. All of them stared at Elliot intently, as if he would be theirs if they stared long and hard enough. Even the fathers started scanning Elliot up and down while thinking to themselves, How unfair is it for this man to get all the benefits when we are all men? How can he be handsome and have a great build while looking elegant, smart, and rich? Nevertheless, Elliot had his arms crossed gracefully before his gazended on Jared. At that moment, his gaze was gentle and soft, as if he was really staring at his own son. Right after the headmistress finished giving her speech, the teachers started bringing the kids up on stage for their ss performances. For the Grade 3 ss, every child came up as adorable looking angels before the Grade 2 ss children came in dancing adorably to a lovely song, and Jared was part of it as well. Following that, the youngest children who were in Grade 1 came on stage before a few of them started crying, causing some of the parents below the stage to start chuckling as Anastasia giggled as well. When she looked up and met the gaze of Elliot, who was sitting next to her, she suddenly noticed that he had a gentle look on his usually cold face. ¡°Alright. We want our parents to change into the outfits prepared for the activitiester on because our family activities are starting soon.¡± After getting the outfits, everyone, including Elliot, went to the washroom to change. A whileter, everyone came out while Elliot stood in the middle of the crowd in a yellow t-shirt. Although he was just wearing an ordinary t-shirt, he made it look somewhat expensive, as if it cost tens of thousands.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 87 Chapter 87 Chapter 87 Even Anastasia took a few more nces at Elliot. It was rare to see him in such a sight, and she really wanted to take a picture of him as a keepsake. ¡°We would like to request for parents to stand next to their children because we are starting our first round of family activities now.¡± When Elliot went over to stand next to Jared, the boy gave him a hug happily while Anastasia heard the pair of women next to her gossiping. ¡°He¡¯s the hottest dad I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± ¡°I know, right? I thought he was some celebrity initially!¡± Then, they gave Anastasia an envious look before one of them mustered up the courage to go toward Anastasia and asked, ¡°Is that your husband and son?¡± Upon hearing that, Anastasia felt her face flush a deep red before she nodded in acknowledgment. The first round of family activity was a dribbling game held on stage, and there would be three groups competing at the same time. Every child would be paired up with their fathers, and the fathers would need to pass the balls to their children, while the children would be needed to bring the balls to the endpoint. All the parents below the stage were entertained when thepetition started. When it was Elliot¡¯s turn, he quickly threw off the two other father-and-son pairings with his fast movements, while Jared quickly carried the ball and dashed toward the endpoint, making them the winner of the round. Then, every winning group continued into the eliminations before Elliot and Jared finally ended up in the first ce. Upon seeing Jared¡¯s pleased smile, Anastasia, who was below the stage, felt herself tearing up as this was her first time seeing Jared looking so proud and pleased while the man next to Jared bent down to wipe Jared¡¯s sweat off gently. At this moment, she finally came to a realization that she really owed Jared for not providing him with aplete family. Following that was a ball hoop game where every father had to quickly turn around six times while carrying their children before throwing the ball into a hoop, and the group that could make the fastest and most urate throw would be the winner. While everyone else got dizzy after making too many turns, Elliot had already ¨Cpleted ten sets of turns and threw the balls into the hoops at lightning speed with insane uracy, impressing the crowd. ¡°My goodness! That dad is so good at this game! How cool!¡± one of the mothers couldn¡¯t help but exim loudly. Having said that, it was what all the mothers present thought as well. This father is the GOAT! Everyone below the stage was full of praises for Elliot, while Anastasia¡¯s eyes widened in shock, as this was her first time seeing Jared so happy. They won again. After Jared won twice consecutively, the headmistress went on stage and announced, ¡°Let¡¯s invite Jared¡¯s mother toe up on stage with us.¡± Immediately, Anastasia¡¯s mind went nk. What is the headmistress trying to do? However, she knew that she couldn¡¯t cower away from getting up on stage, so she took a deep breath before she went up with a smile. Right then, the headmistress asked excitedly, ¡°Jared¡¯s mother! Firstly, I would like to ask where you ended up finding yourself such an outstanding and handsome man as your husband?¡± Immediately, Anastasia blushed before she pursed her lips into a smile and stuttered, ¡°W-Well¡­ I guess it¡¯s fate!¡± ¡°Jared¡¯s father was really amazing! May I know what his upation is?¡± ¡°I¡¯m currently working in the finance field.¡± Elliot¡¯s maic voice was extremely mesmerizing ¡°Wow! I bet you¡¯re good at earning money!¡± Right then, even the headmistress, who was already in her forties, nced at Elliot a few times because this was her first time seeing such a good-looking father. ¡°Alright. Coming up next, let¡¯s get Jared¡¯s father to tell his mother: you¡¯ve done well, wifey.¡± The headmistress suddenly requested. During the entire time, Elliot had kept a small smile on his face, and his smile deepened upon the request. After taking the mic that the headmistress passed to him, he stared at Anastasia before saying with a deep voice, ¡°You¡¯ve done well, wifey.¡± Upon meeting the man¡¯s scorching gaze, Anastasia felt her face heating up. In fact, she was almost afraid to know what the headmistress was going to do next. ¡°Let¡¯s get Jared¡¯s mother to confess to his father and say: I love you, hubby!¡± the headmistress dered while Anastasia was rendered speechless.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 88 Chapter 88 Chapter 88 Oh my God! I want to kick myself so badly! Although the mic was already passed to her, Anastasia¡¯s mind waspletely nk, as she couldn¡¯t say it. ¡°Say it, Mommy!¡± At this moment, Jared, who was standing next to her, pulled on her pants anxiously. Just then, Anastasia had no choice but to say into the mic quickly, ¡°I love you, hubby.¡± After saying that, she wanted to leave the stage immediately, but the headmistress¡¯s relentless voice rang out again. ¡°Why don¡¯t we let Jared¡¯s father give Jared¡¯s mother a hug now?¡± While Anastasia was dumbstruck, Elliot¡¯s arm came snaking around her waist before she was pressed against his chest and started smelling the scent of his male pheromones. Meanwhile, the crowd started apuding before Anastasia finally came back to her senses and pushed Elliot away instinctively. When they went down from the stage, Jared quickly went back to his seat while Elliot returned to his seat next to Anastasia. However, Anastasia was afraid to look at Elliot and only wanted the family activities to end as soon as possible. Fortunately, the activities following that were family activities between children from other sses with their mothers. Around 4.00 PM, the awards ceremony started, and Jared came back pleased with a mini ss trophy of his own. Finally, Anastasia sighed in relief when the headmistress announced the end of the ceremony because she couldn¡¯t wait to leave with Jared. When they got into Elliot¡¯s car, all of the parents noticed that Elliot was driving a Rolls-Royce Phantom that cost millions. Meanwhile, in the car, Jared eximed, ¡°Mr. Presgrave, you were so cool today!¡± ¡°I bet you¡¯re tired! Let me treat you to dinner tonight,¡± Elliot turned around slightly and offered. However, Anastasia rejected him. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m taking Jared home.¡± ¡°Mommy, Mr. Presgrave shouldn¡¯t have to treat us to a meal because it¡¯s the other N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. way round instead. Why don¡¯t we head out to have a meal tonight? Your treat.¡± Jared had already had everything nned out. On the other hand, Anastasia didn¡¯t want to appear stingy and ungrateful in front of Jared. Besides, she realized that Jared was right, and she should repay Elliot for helping Jared out today. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll treat you to a meal, then.¡± Anastasia told the man who was driving. ¡°Sure. Where are we heading?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s head to the restaurant that serves local cuisine below my house!¡± She didn¡¯t want to travel far because she still had to clean her son up afterward. ¡°We stay here,¡± Jared informed Elliot when he stopped by the street where Anastasia bought her new ce, after which Elliot nodded at the young boy. The restaurant served local dishes, and the business was doing well. After Anastasia picked a table close to the window and got seated, she ordered a few local delicacies, and their food was served in no time. At the same time, Jared was still toying with his trophy on his seat. ¡°Eat up! Although this isn¡¯t some fancy restaurant, the dishes here are not bad,¡± she offered the man sitting in front of her. ¡°I¡¯m not picky.¡± Elliot grabbed his utensils and started eating, while Anastasia picked some food for Jared. From an outsider¡¯s perspective, they looked just like a family of three. Right then, Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but feel relief that Jared was in an ordinary kindergarten, and the parents here didn¡¯t have wide social circles, so Elliot wasn¡¯t recognized. After dinner, while she was paying the bills, Jared walked around without paying any attention to his surroundings and was about to run into a waitress who was rushing over with a few dishes. ¡°Jared, be careful.¡± Elliot quickly,pulled Jared behind him to protect him while the waitress got scared before her tray tilted, and all of the dishesnded on Elliot¡¯s arm. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± The waitress, who was an intern, started crying due to shock before she tried to clean his arm in a hurry. As Anastasia witnessed Elliot soiling his shirt to save Jared, she quickly rushed over to console the crying waitress. ¡°It¡¯s alright. We stay nearby anyway.¡± After leaving the restaurant, she had no choice but to invite Elliot over to clean himself up. ¡°Fortunately, the t-shirt that you wore for the parents¡¯ activities just now is still in the car. You don¡¯t mind changing into that, do you?¡± Anastasia asked Elliot. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll take a shower at yours.¡± Obviously, a clean freak like Elliot wouldn¡¯t choose to go home in a soiled shirt. After getting the t-shirt from the car, Anastasia went home along with Jared and Elliot. When Elliot saw Anastasia¡¯s new ce, he realized that it was bigger than the apartment that she used to stay in, and it was cozier than before. Chapter 89 Chapter 89 Chapter 89 Anastasia realized Elliot didn¡¯t take the t-shirt with him after he entered the bathroom. While Jared went back to his room to y with his Lego, she started tidying the living room and lost track of time. When Anastasia heard the door to the bathroom opening, she turned around instinctively to see Elliot, whose hair was wet,ing out wearing nothing but his cks. Under the light¡¯s illumination, his strong physique waspletely exposed, revealing his refined shoulder des and cor bones, as well as his defined abdomen muscles. As Elliot didn¡¯t have his belt on yet, Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but feel threatened by his presence right there and then. Nevertheless, she couldn¡¯t help but go into a trance as this was her first time seeing such a perfect male built. As a perfectionist, Anastasia really wanted to sneak a few more nces at Elliot. ¡°Are you done with staring?¡± Elliot¡¯s sore throat made his voice sound slightly hoarse, while Anastasia¡¯s face flushed quickly before she lowered her head and wiped the table in a hurried manner to act as if she was busy. ¡°Uhm¡­ Your t-shirt is on the couch,¡± she reminded. Then, Elliot took long strides toward the couch before wearing the yellow t-shirt. Just then, his gaze landed on Anastasia¡¯s slender waist. Suddenly, he felt unwilling to end the day just like that. At this moment, he got more agitated due to the shower before he headed to Anastasia¡¯s room and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s my phone?¡± At the same time, Anastasia was shocked. Although she hadn¡¯t seen Elliot¡¯s phone, she was sure that his phone wasn¡¯t in her room. ¡°It¡¯s not in my room,¡± Anastasia said before she quickly followed him to her bedroom. While Elliot was looking around the bed, she reached his side before she was grabbed by her arms and forced to fall into the man¡¯s firm chest. Within the next second, Anastasia¡¯s chin was grabbed before she was forced to look up while Elliot lowered his head and kissed her against her will. Upon tasting the sweet scent of Anastasia¡¯s lip, Elliot tensed up as Anastasia¡¯s soft lips were so addictive it kept making him yearn for more. Since when did this woman be soExclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. charismatic that she could arouse me with just a kiss? On the other hand, Anastasia was dumbstruck. God damn it. How dare he trick me into my room to take advantage of me?! Nevertheless, Jared¡¯s room was just next door, and she didn¡¯t want Jared to run into this scene since the house was small, so she could only try to push Elliot away forcefully while refusing his kiss. Meanwhile, Elliot was shocked. Why does this feel so familiar? This is just like what happened that night five years ago. This sweet, unforgettable scent, this moan of hers, and the way she pushes me away¡­ are all too familiar. Still, Anastasia knew that Elliot got more possessive the more she tried to push him away, as it triggered his urge to dominate her. Right then, someone¡¯s leg tripped onto another, and the two of them fell down onto the soft bed within the next second. Finally, Anastasia managed to get away from Elliot¡¯s grip before she red at the man on the bed with a disheveled look and cursed, ¡°Elliot, you a*shole!¡± At the same time, the man in the bed looked stunned as well. Just a while ago, there was a strong urge within him to keep her for himself and dominate her. Elliot could feel himself going crazy, as he wasn¡¯t able to do that. 1. ¡°I want you to leave my house now. You¡¯re not weed here any longer.¡± Anastasia red at him before she rubbed her lips angrily to indicate her disgust. Meanwhile, Elliot lowered his gaze before a conflicted look shed past his face. After he came out, he didn¡¯t say anything and left after grabbing his car keys and phone on the couch while Anastasia sat on the couch with her forehead propped against her palm. I can¡¯t keep allowing the wolf into my house again and again. This man is too dangerous, and I can¡¯t let hime over anymore. Chapter 90 Chapter 90 Chapter 90 During the night, Anastasia apanied Jared until he fell asleep before she returned to her own room. As shey in bed, she kept having shbacks of what happened before an electrifying sensation ran past her body. How is this even possible? I¡¯ve been avoiding men and any physical contact with them other than asional contact with Nigel after what happened five years ago, but it¡¯s strictly tonic between the two of us, so why did Elliot manage to arouse me? Is it because he¡¯s way too charismatic? No. That¡¯s impossible. Elliot is Hayley¡¯s man, and I¡¯ll never allow anyone with any association with Hailey to touch me again. On Saturday morning, Anastasia woke up and checked her phone instinctively to see if she had any notifications before she noticed a message from an unknown number. Initially, she thought that it was a spam message, but the content of the text made her sit up abruptly in shock. ¡®I was the man from five years ago. Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you gave birth to my son?¡¯ Upon seeing that, Anastasia had her face go pale as she stared at the message in shock before her mind went nk. How is this even possible? How did the man from five years ago find out about Jared? Did Hayley or Erica tell him about it? Nevertheless, the thing that she was the most afraid of was finally happening. The bast*rd was finally showing up to steal Jared. Hayley must have been the one who told him about it! Since she arranged everything in the first ce, she must have stayed in contact with him. Still, Anastasia forced herself to calm down before replying to the text message. ¡®I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. You got the wrong person. Anastasia Tillman, you better listen to me if you don¡¯t want me to take your son away from you, or I¡¯llContent ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. definitely take him away. She felt a murderous intent rising when she saw the man¡¯s reply. How dare a person who had committed a crime try to snatch my son away from me? ¨C ¡®I¡¯ll kill you if you try to take my son away from me. Hatred was evident in Anastasia¡¯s reply. ¡®I want you to meet me at my appointed ce, or you can just wait for your son to be snatched away from you!¡¯ Jared was Anastasia¡¯s biggest weakness, and she¡¯d do anything for him, including risking her own life. Since the b*stard of a man finally appeared, there was no way for her to avoid him even if she didn¡¯t want to meet him. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll meet up with you.¡¯ Anastasia replied to the message. At the same time, Hayley, who was in her luxurious mansion, smirked evilly when she read Anastasia¡¯s reply to her. The show just started. As long as I can control this character well, I can get Anastasia to do anything due to her fear of losing Jared. Despite that, Hayley still had another n for tonight. On the other hand, Anastasia had been in fear and anxiety the entire day. After that, she contacted Francis to get him toe over during the noon to take care of Jared because she needed to go meet that man. Anastasia really hoped that Jared would have a great father, but the man was an a*shole. After settling Jared down, she checked her phone to see an address as well as a message from the man. ¡®Be here on time. If you refuse toe, I¡¯ll make sure you pay for it. Around 5.30 PM, Anastasia took a cab to the agreed meet-up location. Since she wasn¡¯t sure about the precise location where they were meeting, she got down from the cab around the agreed meet-up location before realizing that she was in a remote alley with no people there. Right when she wanted to ask the man about his whereabouts, a person suddenly covered her mouth from behind before she inhaled the drugs that caused her to faint. Immediately, Anastasia was dragged inside a van before the van drove away, revealing a sports car behind it, while Hayley, who was in the car, sent a message. ¡®Send her to the appointed hotel. Then, she contacted Alice to make sure that she had done everything from her side as well. ¡°I told Chairman Morris to meet me at the hotel room at 10.00 PM tonight. Are you sure that Anastasia is going to be there?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Anastasia is in my hands right now, and I¡¯m sending her to the room for Chairman Morris to enjoyter on.¡± Hayley smirked because her n was progressing smoothly, as she would be able to get the footage of Anastasia and Ben Morris tomorrow morning. Once she yed the footage during the awards ceremony, everyone would know that Anastasia won by getting into Ben Morris¡¯s bed. By then, she would surely lose all her credits and be theughingstock in the field. Even if Elliot were to try to help her out in Bourgeois, Anastasia would still be humiliated and wouldn¡¯t be able to make aeback anymore. Chapter 91 Chapter 91 Chapter 91 On the other hand, Anastasia was lying unconscious in the backseat of the van. At that moment, her hair was let down in a messy manner, and her intrinsic facial features gave off an unguarded look for what wasing next. The two men in the van were sweating, as they weren¡¯t skilled in what Hayley wanted them to do despite collecting money from her. ¡°She won¡¯t wake up, will she? Was the drug strong enough?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I only took the rmended dose based on the instruction book. If it was too strong, she¡¯d probably remain unconscious for a bit longer.¡± Once they reached the hotel, the two of them wore caps before dragging Anastasia into the hotel elevator. When they reached the presidential suite, Alice, who was in the ce, opened the door for them. Although she noticed that Anastasia was dragged inside, she remained calm. ¡°ce her on the bed before you let her drink that cup of water on the table.¡± After Anastasia was ced on the couch, she was forcefully fed with half a cup of water that was spiked with aphrodisiac. Right then, Alice chuckled coldly as she looked at Anastasia. This is what you get for trying to snatch the money away from me. The two men quickly left after cing Anastasia in bed while Alice left after. I guess Ben will be reaching anytime soon. As expected, Ben quickly came in after scanning his room card. When he couldn¡¯t find Alice, he quickly contacted her. ¡°Hey, Alice, where are you?¡± Ben asked in a displeased tone as he sat down on the couch. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Chairman Morris! I had to leave because of an emergency, but my colleague was still there. Have you seen her? She¡¯s drunk, so you¡¯ll have to take care of her!¡± Upon hearing that, Ben stood up quickly from the couch and entered the master bedroom to see a woman with a slender and curvy body lying on the white bed. When he saw her face, he was completely stunned. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Ben didn¡¯t expect to see a prettier and sexier woman than Alice on his bed. As he was a perverted and daring man, he was happy that he finally had something to do for the night. ¡°Alice, you better not stand up on me next time. Is your colleague someone who is easy to get on with?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Just do as you wish. I can assure you that it¡¯ll be alright.¡± Alic¨¨ assured him. ¡°I¡¯ll help myself, then.¡± Ben panted with anticipation. At the same time, Alice, who was in her car, contacted Hayley. ¡°Miss Seymour, I¡¯ve gotten the men to ce Anastasia in bed, and Ben is in the hotel room now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. After tonight, Anastasia will be ruined,¡± Hayley dered chirpily. ¡°Are you sure that Anastasia won¡¯t try to pin us on this?¡± Hayley chuckled coldly. ¡°She won¡¯t dare to do so. Since she still has to think about her son, she would choose to deal with the humiliation instead.¡± Besides, this is not her first time getting yed by men anymore. Meanwhile, Ben was toying with the tools that he had brought over next to the white bed. As he was into kinks, he would often torture the women that he slept with. At the same time, Anastasia, who was still in a daze, regained consciousness after feeling a sudden surging heat. After opening her heavy eyelids slowly, she was shocked by the luxurious-looking hotel chandelier above her before she got up in an abrupt manner. Then, she turned around to see a man toying with a bunch of disgusting-looking tools next to the bed. ¡°Who are you?¡± Anastasia asked weakly. Since Ben was a recidivist, he obviously knew that this woman was ced in front of him without her consent. Still, he wasn¡¯t nning on letting her go, as it had alreadye to this point. ¡°What¡­ What have you done to me?¡± Anastasia felt dizzy as she held her forehead and tried to get down from the bed. However, her legs gave in almost immediately before she fell to the ground. Right then, Anastasia came to a horrifying realization that she was tricked when she realized that she lacked strength and could feel a familiar burning sensation within her body. ¡°Hey, pretty girl! Why are you so anxious? I¡¯ll be sure to be nice to youter on,¡± Ben said before he tried to hold Anastasia. ¡°Do not touch me! Get away! Stop touching me¡­¡± Anastasia pushed him away harshly before she staggered out of the master bedroom and tried to look for her bag to get help. However, Ben, who was behind her, dashed out and ran after her. Although he was already in his fifties, he was still stronger than Anastasia because he was a man. Nevertheless, Anastasia¡¯s fight-or- flight response was triggered when she had a devastating realization that Ben was about to drag her back into the bedroom. Immediately, she bit Ben¡¯s hand harshly before she dragged her strengthless body to the couch to grab her bag. However, Ben was already waiting for Anastasia with a smirk on his face at the entrance of the suite when she wanted to make her escape. ¡°Where are you trying to go, honey? Why won¡¯t you let me love you?¡± Anastasia felt revolted when she heard Ben and felt like she was about to puke what she ate yesterday. Upon seeing that her route to escape was obstructed, she turned around and noticed the washroom before dashing over and closing the door before locking it. ? Immediately, Ben ran toward the washroom and banged on the door. ¡°Open up, honey. You won¡¯t be able to escape me tonight.¡± At the same time, Anastasia was rummaging through her bag anxiously. When she found her phone, the first person that came to her mind was Francis, but Francis was still taking care of Jared, so she decided to call Nigel instead. However, no one epted the call despite the call being connected. Right then, Anastasia had her heart in her mouth as Ben¡¯s angry shouts and door banging kept ringing out. She knew that she could lose her consciousness again anytime soon as she was still feeling strengthless after drinking the spiked drink, and she thought of another person before she quickly grabbed her phone and contacted Elliot. Chapter 92 Chapter 92 Chapter 92 ¡°Hello?¡± The call was epted within three seconds before Elliot¡¯s deep voice rang out. ¡°Help me¡­ Elliot, please help me.. I got tricked, and I¡¯m now hiding in the washroom of a suite. There¡¯s a man outside who wants to hurt me¡­ I¡¯m feeling really dizzy: ¡ª Please help me¡­¡± As Anastasia trailed off, Elliot¡¯s anxious voice quickly came in. ¡°What hotel are you at? Which suite?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I was taken here¡­ I¡¯ll send you my location now¡­ Elliot¡­ Please save me¡­¡± Then, she felt her consciousness drifting away before she fainted in the washroom. At the same time, a ck car sped out of Presgrave Group¡¯s parking lot before it dashed to the hotel that was being pinpointed. The handsome man who was driving had a cold look on his face. Who would try to plot against Anastasia? Who would dare to trick her? Within 15 minutes, Elliot¡¯s car entered the hotel¡¯s parking lot before he started making his way to the hotel reception. Although he tried calling Anastasia, no one epted the call, indicating that she had already lost consciousness. ¡°Get your manager over now. My friend is getting assaulted at your hotel, and I want the hotel to take full responsibility if anything happens to her.¡± When the manager came and saw Elliot, he started perspiring. Isn¡¯t this the young master of the Presgrave Family? ¡°I¡¯ll check the surveince camera right away, Young Master Elliot.¡± The manager quickly entered the surveince room before he found the footage of an unconscious girl getting carried into the elevator within two minutes. She was taken by two men in caps, and they took her to the presidential suite. After getting the suite number, Elliot dashed to the elevator while the manager followed along with two of his employees. While the elevator started heading up rapidly, he felt his heartbeat increasing by BPMs along with it. Come on! Move faster! Faster! Has Anastasia been¡­ No. I won¡¯t let that happen. I won¡¯t allow ¨C Anastasia to get assaulted again. Right then, Elliot was feeling murderous as he tried to N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. figure out who would try to harm Anastasia. Back at the presidential suite, Ben had made sure Anastasia fainted in the washroom. As expected, he started picking the lock to the washroom, as he didn¡¯t dare to ask for help from the hotel. At this moment, he was picking on the washroom door with a tool before the entrance to the suite was kicked open. Then, an angry figure came in. Right then, Elliot looked like Satan himself paying a visit to Ben. Before the cunning old man could react, Elliot brought his le? down on him with a disgusted look on his face. After he kicked Ben away, the manager quickly got his employees to unlock the door under Elliot¡¯s instructions, as Anastasia had lost consciousness in the washroom. The employees came back in a hurry within a minute with the keys before they unlocked the door to the washroom and found a disheveled-looking woman leaning against the wall. Despite the illumination of the light on her pale face, her beauty was still astounding ¡°Anastasia¡­¡± Elliot called out anxiously before he carried her up from the ground. At the same time, Ben finally recognized Elliot, after which he fell to the ground in shock and disbelief that he had tried to cross his woman. Before Elliot left with Anastasia, he instructed the manager coldly, ¡°I want you to nie lodge a police report and have this man detained.¡± Immediately, the manager got his employees to restrain Ben while he went to contact the police. On the other hand, Anastasia felt relieved when she sensed the familiar scent of the man carrying her before she wrapped her arms around the man¡¯s neck tightly to reduce the burning sensation that she had been feeling. Despite that, Elliot didn¡¯t leave with Anastasia and brought her to another room instead. After he ced her on the bed gently, she refused to let go of him, as she knew Elliot was the one carrying her before she opened her beautiful teary-looking eyes. Upon meeting Anastasia¡¯s gaze, Elliot felt his breath hitching. Even though he knew he shouldn¡¯t be having these feelings at this moment, it was impossible for any man not to feel tempted at the sight of Anastasia right then. Chapter 93 Chapter 93 Chapter 93 When Anastasia regained some of her consciousness, she curled up in a nket with her hair spread out messily after knowing that she was safe. Despite that, the drug¡¯s effect was still tormenting her endlessly. Upon noticing Elliot, she felt her rationale slipping away before she suddenly felt like hugging him. ¡°Can¡­ Can you hug me?¡± Anastasia was experiencing chills and heat shes simultaneously, and she was feeling extremely ufortable. Knowing that she wanted, Elliot reached out to pull her into his embrace before hugging her tightly. Meanwhile, Anastasia looked up to observe the man¡¯s chiseled brow ridge and nose. From her point of view, she could see a gentle look in the man¡¯s eyes, and it was calling out for her. Elliot¡¯s gaze felt like a feathery touch to Anastasia¡¯s heart before her impulsive self made her do something out of character. In the next second, she sat up and held Elliot¡¯s face before nting a kiss on his lips. At the same time, Elliot tensed up. Is she trying to use me as a cure? Still, he knew that everything that was happening wasn¡¯t something that Anastasia would willingly do since she wasn¡¯t thinking rationally, so there was no need for him to be happy about it. In fact, she might regret what happened when she regained consciousness. Still, rejecting Anastasia put Elliot¡¯s self-control to the test. When he tasted Anastasia¡¯s lips, he felt his self-control leavingpletely before he grabbed her slender waist with his strong arms. Then, Elliot pulled Anastasia toward him and took the lead before the two of them fell onto the bed. The kiss opened the pandora box, and there was no way to stop it now. Nevertheless, Elliot didn¡¯t actually try to attempt to do anything to Anastasia. While she was still in a daze, he picked her up and headed to the bathroom before cing her in the bathtub. Since it was a summer night, the water was cooler than usual. Right then, Anastasia¡¯s body was immersedContent ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. underwater as she propped her head by the edge of the bathtub and moaned weakly. Now that her rationale was starting to return, she looked up before her mind went nk momentarily. Aftering back to her senses, Anastasia felt so embarrassed she wanted to disappear. Did I just kiss him forcefully? In fact, she also recalled herself trying to offer herself up to him. ¡°Have you finallye back to your senses?¡± Elliot stood by the bathtub as he looked at her with a worried look. Nevertheless, he felt as if he needed a cold shower as well because his body felt extremely warm right then. There was no way Elliot would be able to handle watching Anastasia getting out of the showers after getting teased by her back then. On the other hand, Anastasia started making connections as to why she ended up in that old man¡¯s bed after she came back to her senses. Everything started because of the text message that she had received, and she was drugged at the alley where she was supposed to meet the man before she ended up waking up on the bed. It was obvious that she was sent to the old man. At this moment, Anastasia checked that she still had all her garments on before sighing in relief. ¡°Thank you,¡± she looked up and thanked the man standing by the entrance of the bathroom. If Elliot hadn¡¯t rushed over to save her, she couldn¡¯t imagine what could have happened to her. ¡°Why did something like this happen? Who drugged you before sending you to this ¡¤ man¡¯s bed?¡± There was an annoyed look in Elliot¡¯s eyes. Why can¡¯t she do a better job of protecting herself? Meanwhile, Anastasia sighed before she stood up from the water. However, she quickly sat back in the bathtub as the water had drenched her outfit and revealed her body shapepletely. ¡°Can you get me something to change into?¡± Anastasia gave Elliot a pleading look. Then, Elliot went to get the housekeeping staff to get Anastasia an outfit before he left the bathroom, allowing Anastasia to take a shower before changing into her new outfit. When she came out in the beige dress with her waist-level hair down, Elliot, who was on the couch, was stunned before he rejoiced secretly that nothing had happened to her tonight. Chapter 94 Chapter 94 Chapter 94 Just then, Anastasia heard a notification ringtone. Hence, she tensed up and went to sit on the couch, taking her phone to read the new message, which was threatening. ¡®Anastasia, you¡¯d better pretend nothing happened tonight, or you¡¯ll face the consequences. I¡¯ve warned you. ¡°Think of our son! The second message was even more confusing. Hatred shed in the depths of Anastasia¡¯s eyes. So this is the jerk that tricked me here! ¡°Where¡¯s that jerk?¡± Anastasia asked the man. ¡°Probably on his way to the police station.¡± Anastasia walked over to the bed and called up the front desk, asking when the receptionist picked up, ¡°Has that jerk been sent to the police station?¡± ¡°Miss, you¡¯re the victim just now, right? The police are on their way right now; our security guards are keeping the man under control.¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°Where¡¯s the security room?¡± Anastasia asked. ¡°The 3rd floor.¡± Anastasia hung up and turned around to look at the man. ¡°Thank you for tonight, President Presgrave. I have matters to deal with, so I¡¯ll leave first.¡± With that, Anastasia opened the door, intending to leave right away. However, the man behind her strode over and followed her. When Anastasia got in the elevator, he also followed suit. His ck eyes were trained on her as he asked, ¡°What happened?¡± Anastasia didn¡¯t want to blow things up, so she bunched some of her hair together as she said, ¡°Nothing much, just some stroke of bad luck. Someone plotted against me.¡± Elliot saw that she didn¡¯t want to talk about it, and he felt angry for some reason. Hisrge hand gripped her wrist as he asked once again, ¡°Anastasia, tell me what exactly happened. Why would you be toyed with by this man?¡± Of course, Anastasia didn¡¯t want the entire world to know that her son¡¯s father was a ¨C despicable and shameless escort. Hence, she raised her clear and calm eyes to look at the man. ¡°Don¡¯t ask. I don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡± When Anastasia finished talking, they had arrived on the 3rd floor, and she wriggled her wrist free and walked toward the security room. Just then, in the security room, Ben Morris was making a fuss about getting hiswyer, flustered as he shoved two security guards. When he saw Anastasia, he was frightened and looked away in shame. Anastasia really wanted to just stab this old pervert to death, but the one who deserved death the most was the jerk behind the scenes. ¡°Let him go. I won¡¯t hold him responsible,¡± Anastasia said to the security guard, gritting her teeth. Everyone present was shocked. Ben red at the security guard in embarrassment and shame, intending to leave as soon as possible. Suddenly, a long leg mmed against his waist, forcing him to fall to the ground. The next second, someone had mercilessly stepped on his back so that his face met the ground again after he attempted to get up. ¡°Ow¡­¡± Ben whined. ¡°Who allowed you to leave?¡± Elliot didn¡¯t have the slightest intention of letting him off the hook. Anastasia turned to look at Elliot. Remembering the threat that jerk sent, she walked over to Elliot and said, ¡°Just let him get lost.¡± ¡°Anastasia, do you know the things that would¡¯ve happened to you if I hadn¡¯t rushed here?¡± Elliot¡¯s handsome face had a terrible expression, and his gaze was cold and sharp like des when he looked at her. Anastasia knew that, of course. I¡¯m the victim, so how can I not? However, she wanted to protect her son more, so she didn¡¯t want that jerk from five years ago to appear in front of her son and destroy his peaceful world. This old pervert is only part of the trade. ¡°Elliot, this matter concerns me, so I have the right to make the decisions.¡± With that, Anastasia went in front of him and pushed his leg away. Under him, Ben was frightfully sweating buckets, and he scrambled as he fled out the door. It really was an unlucky night for him actually to run into Elliot, of all people. In reality, he almost died. Anastasia watched the old pervert leave, then she turned and talked to the man with a handsome but gloomy face. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± Anastasia was about to leave, but the man grabbed her hand. She could feel the man¡¯s fury, and as soon as the elevator doors opened, he forced her against the wall of the elevator. With their faces meeting and their noses almost touched, she could feel his angry breaths on her face. Chapter 95 Chapter 95 Chapter 95 Anastasia red at Elliot as she tried to push him away, and her voice wasced with warning as she said, ¡°What are you doing, Elliot?¡± The man¡¯s gaze was dark and deep, like a knocked-over pot of ink. He gritted his teeth and growled, ¡°Anastasia, I can satisfy you if you need a man.¡± A buzz shot through Anastasia¡¯s mind. What nonsense is this man saying? Just then, the elevator doors opened with a ding. A few hotel guests were standing outside, gaping at their intimate pose. Immediately, Anastasia pushed the man on top of her away and ran out of the elevator, fleeing the scene. She decided to let him off the hook for once, since he literally saved her tonight. Afterward, Anastasia decided to hail a cab home, but she couldn¡¯t see any cabs at the hotel entrance at this hour. As she was about to walk further to the main road for her ride, a man¡¯s low voice rang out behind her. ¡°I¡¯ll take you home.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t want to trouble you,¡± Anastasia replied, turning to look at the man. ¡°Why? Am I so untrustworthy to you?¡± Elliot was angry as hisrge hand grabbed her wrist, pulling her with him as he walked toward his car. Since she couldn¡¯t break free, she could only follow him to his car before he opened the door to the passenger seat and pushed her in. Anastasia helplessly got in. She had gone through enough surprises tonight, so her legs were wobbly, and she felt like her body was emptied out. Being reminded of something, she quickly grabbed her phone and nced at it to find that the man hadn¡¯t replied. At that moment, she really wished that the man would just disappear from her world once and for all, never appearing ever again. Elliot hadn¡¯t driven for long when Anastasia¡¯s phone rang. It was a call from Nigel. Anastasia picked it up. ¡°Hello, Nigel.¡± As soon as Anastasia finished talking, she could feel a sharp nce directed at her. ¡°Hello, Anastasia. Did you call? I was busy just now, so I didn¡¯t notice.¡± Nigel¡¯s voice ¨C was terribly apologetic. ¡°It¡¯s fine now, don¡¯t mind me. I identally pressed the wrong button,¡± Anastasia said while trying to seem as natural as possible. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow at noon, and then we can have lunch together.¡±. ¡°Sure! See you tomorrow at noon, then.¡± ¡°Did you miss me? I miss you a lot.¡± Nigel took the opportunity to confess. ¡°All right, see you tomorrow!¡± Anastasiaughed as she ended the call. As she stashed her phone back into her bag, a man¡¯s low and upset voice asked beside her, ¡°So, the first person you called for help was Nigel?¡± T LETTER Anastasia was stunned, but she nodded earnestly. ¡°Yes, but Nigel didn¡¯t pick up.¡± ¡°So when you get in trouble, the first person you think of isn¡¯t me but Nigel?¡± the man questioned again, as if looking for confirmation. ¡°Thank you for tonight.¡± No matter what, Anastasia was sincerely grateful for his help. ¡°How are you going to thank me?¡± Elliot turned to look at her, a meaningful look in his eyes. Anastasia pursed her lips. ¡°I¡¯ll treat you to a meal.¡± ¡°All right, then. Cancel the lunch appointment with Nigel tomorrow, and treat me to lunch instead,¡± the man said on purpose. Anastasia was puzzled. Why is he insisting on tomorrow? ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll treat Nigel to dinner instead, so the lunch is yours.¡± Anastasia rearranged her schedule. Unexpectedly, this arrangement made the man even more upset. ¡°So Nigel is more important than I am to you?¡± he asked with a snort. Anastasia went speechless. What is this man getting all jealous about? I¡¯ve known Nigel for a few years, but Elliot and I only knew each other for a short while!Also, isn¡¯t Nigel his cousin? What¡¯s his deal? Anastasia sighed and smiled in exasperation. ¡°All right, then, President Presgrave. What about this? I¡¯llContent ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. treat you to both lunch and dinner tomorrow.¡± He¡¯ll have the entire day to himself, so he should be happy now, right? Chapter 96 Chapter 96 Chapter 96 However, Anastasia¡¯s forced tone didn¡¯t manage to lift the man¡¯s mood. Instead, Elliot felt as if she was forced to treat him to meals. ¡°Why did you let that jerk go instead of handing him over to the police? And how did you even appear at the hotel in the first ce?¡± Elliot still wanted to know the reason. Anastasia lied casually, ¡°I got tricked into the hotel; I don¡¯t even know that man.¡± ¡°Who tricked you?¡± ¡°Someone I knew over a meal.¡± ¡°So you needed him?¡± Elliot kept interrogating. Anastasia couldn¡¯t keep telling stories anymore, so she mumbled, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Remember this, Anastasia. Whatever you need, you should ask me first before asking anyone else. At least I won¡¯t do something sneaky on you,¡± Elliot reminded. Anastasia wasn¡¯t quite ready to agree with him, for he had taken advantage of her many times, and she could hold him responsible if she wanted. ¡°Okay, sure.¡± Anastasia paid him lip service. The more Elliot thought about it, the more furious he got when he remembered how they just let that jerk go like that. Just then, Elliot¡¯s car phone rang, and Hayley¡¯s name popped up on the control panel. He did not pick up the call, merely looking at it, but when Anastasia saw Hayley¡¯s name, disgust flitted across her eyes. The ringtone was still sounding, but Elliot didn¡¯t move to pick up the call, allowing the ringing to stop on its own. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you pick up the call? What if your girlfriend was in an emergency?¡± Anastasia asked him on purpose. ¡°Hayley isn¡¯t my girlfriend; we¡¯re just friends,¡± Elliot retorted. -¡°Oh! Friends with benefits.¡± Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but throw in an insult. Elliot eyed her, then asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°So you¡¯re bothered about the thought that I slept with her?¡± Anastasia returned the question. ¡°Why should I be? I don¡¯t care who you sleep with; it¡¯s none of my business.¡± Elliot¡¯s face darkened, and his eyebrows scrunched up. Every word this woman spoke was provoking him. The atmosphere in the car turned awkward and heavy, so heavy that Anastasia felt ufortable about it. While the man drove, she secretly studied him as the street lights cast dark shadows on his handsome face. He wore a fitting white shirt, and despite the day¡¯s activities, the shirt was still free of wrinkles. His profile was clear and well-defined, as if God Himself had drawn perfect lines on him. She had to admit that this man was so perfect that no one could find anything wrong with him. Noticing that she was about to arrive at hermunity, Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh. Home! Atst! No matter what, this man helped a lot to ensure her safe return. ¡°President Presgrave, thank you so much for tonight.¡± Anastasia thanked him again, and she was absolutely sincere with her words. ¡°If you run into simr trouble in the future, I should be the first person you ask for help. If you ask any other man to help you, I won¡¯t help you anymore,¡± Elliot ordered. Anastasia was speechless. Do I even have to consider his priorities when asking for help? What sort of reasoning is this? Still, reasoning or not, her main goal was to appease the man, so she nodded. ¡°All right, got it.¡± Elliot watched her get out of the car, the look in his eyesplicated and dark. Every time she left his side, he would feel a sense of longing, as if hoping that she would stay with him forever. His thoughts made him frown, for he was a little mad at the power the woman held over him. As Elliot watched Anastasia walk through the main entrance of themunity, he slowly drove away. Just then, Hayley called him again. Finally, Elliot answered the call this time. ¡°Hello. What¡¯s the matter, Hayley?¡± ¡°Elliot, where are you? I just took a nap and had a terrifying nightmare. I¡¯m so scared. Pleasee over and stay with me.¡± Hayley¡¯s voice sounded as if she were still shaken. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°I have urgent business to attend to. I¡¯ll send my assistant, Daniel Lancaster, to apany you,¡± Elliot said in a low voice. ¡°No, I want you. No one can make me feel safe except for you. Please, Elliot, I beg of you. Come over!¡± Hayley¡¯s voice was now tinted with sobbing. ¡°I really can¡¯t go right now, Hayley. Please, be a good girl.¡± Elliot could onlyfort her over the phone. On the other end of the line, Hayley¡¯s voice sounded disappointed, but she still obeyed. ¡°Fine, then. You don¡¯t have to send anyone over. Just give me a present aspensation tomorrow, and I¡¯ll let this slide.¡± ¡°Sure, what do you want?¡± ¡°I just bought a white dress, but I don¡¯t have any jewelry to go with it. You can give me a set!¡± ¡°Oh. Sure.¡± Elliot¡¯s reply was quick and decisive, for he would ratherpensate with material things than make it up to her emotionally. Meanwhile, in the luxurious vi, Hayley had just ended her call with Elliot. There was a fire burning in her eyes, for her ns tonight were ruined. Half an hour earlier, Hayley had received a call from Alice saying that Anastasia had found someone to save her. More importantly, that someone was none other than Elliot himself. Chapter 97 Chapter 97 Chapter 97 Fortunately, Hayley managed to y the role of the escort as she threatened Anastasia not to call the police, hence letting Ben go. More than 10 minutester, she received news that Ben had escaped from the hotel in one piece. So, Hayley figured out that Elliot was with Anastasia, and Elliot hadn¡¯t picked up her first call because Anastasia was with him! Her ns tonight were met with surprises, but no damage was done. She felt like she had wasted her efforts, since she didn¡¯t manage to get Anastasia to fall for her original n. However, if she kept ying the role of the escort, she would have Anastasia dancing in the palm of her hand. Alice also recognized that Anastasia¡¯s rtionship with Elliot was quite unusual, so it was as clear as day that Anastasia had backing in thepany, so Alice probably wouldn¡¯t be able to hit the jackpot herself. However, if the opportunity arose in the future, she would still try to remove Anastasia from Bourgeois, for Alice was an ambitious woman. She wanted to be the chief designer and then work her way up to Felicia¡¯s level, proceeding to be the director of the design department. Anastasia wasn¡¯t just her rival but also the obstacle that blocked her path. When Anastasia came home, she found that her father had taken good care of her son. Shey on the bed, listening to her son¡¯s calm breathing next to her, but she herself couldn¡¯t sleep. Whenever she closed her eyes, she would see the image of her being entangled with Elliot in the hotel. If she remembered correctly, she was the one who made the first move. It¡¯s so embarrassing Under the influence of the drug; she had thrown away all sense of shame as she hugged him and kissed him all over. If Elliot hadn¡¯t declined, she probably would¡¯ve gone further. I really want to delete this part of my memory. ¨C Fortunately, the man didn¡¯t mention the incident afterward, or she would¡¯ve shriveled up and died of shame. Meanwhile, at the Tillman Residence, Francis came homete once again. Naomi sat on the couch, nagging furiously as she looked at the man who had just returned. ¡°You were babysitting for your eldest daughter again, weren¡¯t you? This home isn¡¯t yours anymore, and your home should be over there. Why did youe back here?¡± Francis exined, ¡°Anastasia was upied.¡± Naomi could worry less about the grandson. She was more concerned that her husband was favoring Anastasia, and he might put Anastasia in charge of hispany in the future. She still had a clear grasp of where her own daughter stood in all this. Anastasia was more capable and responsible than her daughter, and anyone with eyes could tell. She was just scared that her own daughter wouldn¡¯t be able to put up a fight against Anastasia. ¡°Francis, I don¡¯t ask for anything else. I just want you to give Erica the same things you gave Anastasia. You can¡¯t be favoring one over the other, or this family should just fall apart. There would be no reason to stay together anymore.¡± With that, Naomi¡¯s eyes reddened as she began to sob. ¡°All right, all right. I¡¯ll treat you and Erica well too.¡± Francis stillforted her. After all, they were his wife and daughter, so he wanted to treat them equally. ¡°You¡¯d better keep your word.¡± Naomi buried herself in his arms, binding him with her womanly meekness. Francis¡¯s heart softened a little. ¡°Of course! I will do everything I promised to do.¡± Early in the morning, after dropping off her son, Anastasia went to work. The results of the jewelry competition would be announced tomorrow, and she felt even more motivated to work. Moreover, now that Presgrave Corporation had bought Bourgeois, the future was bright for them. In the office, Anastasia remembered that she was supposed to treat Elliot to lunch at noon, so she could only call Nigel to tell him that she had to cancel her lunch with him. To smooth things over, she could only lie. ¡°Nigel, we have a meeting at noon, so I can only have a quick lunch in the office. Let¡¯s have lunch together next time.¡± ¡°Is it so busy over there? So much so that you don¡¯t even have time to eat? Your job is _hopeless, Anastasia. Come work for mypany instead!¡± i Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Come on. I love my work. I¡¯ve said all I have to say now, so I¡¯m hanging up.¡± ¡°Hey¡­ ¡± Nigel was about to say something, but Anastasia ended the call before she could hear more. At the morning meeting, Alice¡¯s re of rivalry was trained on Anastasia, but she didn¡¯t know that Alice had taken part in the incidentst night. Her fearsst night proved useless, for Anastasia hadn¡¯t received any messages from the gigolo ever since. Phew! That¡¯s a relief indeed. Chapter 98 Chapter 98 Chapter 98 After the meeting ended, Alice suddenly stopped Anastasia. ¡°Anastasia, let¡¯spete fairly if you have the skills. If you win the prize just because of your connections, you¡¯re barely worth my time.¡± Anastasia didn¡¯t know where Alice wasing from. Why is Alice saying such things to me, anyway? Since we¡¯re both rivals, and Alice was rude to me first, I have every right to defend myself. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I¡¯ve always gotten by with my skills.¡± ¡°Hah!¡± Alice snorted and left. At around 11 am, Anastasia took a deep breath and made a call to the president¡¯s office. ¡°Hello.¡± Elliot¡¯s exclusively alluring voice rang out. ¡°Anastasia here. Would you have time for lunch together at noon, President Presgrave?¡± she asked. ¡°Sure! I¡¯ll make the reservations,¡± Elliot answered. Anastasia felt a little awkward now. If this man made reservations at a high-ss restaurant, her wallet would be in trouble. ¡°I know a ce with good food. Why not,¡± Anastasia attempted to save her wallet. ¡°Why? Not willing to splurge on me?¡± the man questioned her mockingly before she finished her sentence. ¡°Of course not. Never mind, you can make the reservations,¡± Anastasia replied boldly. The call ended, and she couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh. Since Elliot wanted to break her bank with food, she would have to allow it. She decided to go all out, since he had saved herst night after all. It was almost half-past eleven when Anastasia received a private message from Elliot. ¡®See you in the parking lot in 10 minutes.¡¯ Anastasia replied with a ¡®ok. ¨C She took her bag and went out, heading directly toward the elevator. After she got in, she pressed the button that would take her to the second basement, where the VIP car park was. When Anastasia emerged, she didn¡¯t notice a gray sports car at the side that had just pulled up. Inside, a man was about to get out of the car when he spotted her and stared at her through the window in disbelief. Then, the man watched as she opened the door of a Rolls-Royce and got in. That¡¯s Elliot¡¯s private car. That¡¯s my cousin¡¯s car. Nigel¡¯s eyes went wide, quite unable to believe that Anastasia had canceled her date with him, only to go on a date with his cousin. Where are they going? Unable to keep his curiosity in check, Nigel started his car and tailed Elliot¡¯s car right away. As Anastasia sat in Elliot¡¯s car, she wondered which restaurant this man was taking her to. This city was full of private kitchens that boasted premium ingredients, and a single meal could cost 10 thousand or even up to 100 thousand. This might be the normal price of a meal for a man of Elliot¡¯s stature, but formon folks like her, it was an unbelievable number. Suddenly, Anastasia recognized the familiar street. She gasped in surprise, for it was the route back to her home. ¡°President Presgrave, you made reservations at a restaurant near my house?¡± Anastasia asked curiously. ¡°Yes,¡± the man replied calmly. Then, Anastasia found her residential area right next to them, and the man had pulled up in a parking space at the entrance of her ce. She was stunned and looked at the man in confusion. ¡°Get out of the car with me. We¡¯ll buy some groceries, and you¡¯ll cook for me.¡± Elliot turned around and stared at her. Anastasia could hardly react. This man didn¡¯t want her to treat him to lunch at a restaurant; he wanted her to make him lunch! _¡±I¡¯m toozy to cook. Let¡¯s just go to a restaurant.¡± Anastasia didn¡¯t want to bring him home. After all, her son wasn¡¯t at home, so things would be awkward if it were just the two of them. . ¡°Anastasia, this is my request. You¡¯d better satisfy my needs.¡± With that, Elliot opened the door and went out. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Anastasia was speechless. However, she didn¡¯t have the capacity to decline, since he really did save herst night. Chapter 99 Chapter 99 Chapter 99 Fine, my wallet would be safe this way. If Anastasia cooked lunch, she wouldn¡¯t have to spend more than 100. When she was getting out of the car, she was lost in her thoughts. She was about to run over to the supermarket on the other side of the road when an electric car sped near her, not giving her time to even respond. Instantly, the man behind her held her waist at lightning speed, pulling her into his embrace to get her out of danger. Anastasia red furiously at the speeding electric car, shouting, ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going!¡± When she was done, she realized a strong arm was still wrapped around her waist. Therefore, she reached out and pushed him away. ¡°Just wait here. I¡¯ll get some ingredients at the supermarket over there.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll go together.¡± With that, the man crossed the road with her. They failed to notice that in one of the cars near them, a pair of surprised eyes were watching them. Disappointment flitted across the depths of Nigel¡¯s eyes. Anastasia declined a lunch date with me and chose to go shopping with my cousin? Nigel thought that they were just buying things and they would go back to the carter. Hence, he decided to wait for them. In the supermarket, Anastasia was picking out some vegetables. Elliot said she could just cook whatever dishes she was best at, and he wouldn¡¯t be choosy. Hence, she just bought ingredients for some dishes she usually cooked for her son. Well, it¡¯s easier for me this way. When she paid for the ingredients, the total was below 100 as expected. The cashier had just finished putting the items in the bag when she saw the bag being lifted and carried by Elliot. While attempting to steal another look at him, the young cashier messed up the calctions, and she had to count the money again with a blush on her face. After Anastasia paid for the items, the two left together. They walked across the street toward Anastasia¡¯s residential area. Meanwhile, Nigel was still hiding in the car when he watched Elliot carry the bag of groceries, chatting with Anastasia as they walkedContent from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. through the entrance. ¨C The sight of the duo gave Nigel the shock of his life. Why did they enter a residential area? He immediately remembered that Anastasia¡¯s father had bought a house for her, so could it be that the aforementioned house was the whole residential area? So, my cousin is going to Anastasia¡¯s house with her? And they¡¯ll have a date with a home cooked meal? Nigel began to fret, a huge wave of disappointment washing over him. Could it be that Anastasia preferred mature men like Elliot? Is this the reason she kept rejecting me? Nigel returned to his car, his handsome face forlorn. Soon, he reached out and grabbed his phone, then dialed Elliot¡¯s number. ¡°Hello, Nigel,¡± Elliot¡¯s voice said over the phone. ¡°Elliot, are you free right now? I can treat you to lunch.¡± ¡°I have an appointment, so maybe next time!¡± Just as expected, Elliot declined. ¡°How important is this appointment? It¡¯s not every day I offer to buy you lunch, so can¡¯t you cancel the appointment and have lunch with me instead?¡± Nigel was poking at his cousin to get an answer out of him. ¡°It¡¯s an important client, so I can¡¯t cancel. I¡¯ll treat you next time, all right?¡± With that, he hung up. Nigel felt like a knife was stabbed in his chest. Elliot knew very well that Nigel was 1. pursuing Anastasia, so was he trying to snatch the woman Nigel fell for? In the elevator, Anastasia was tense as she listened in on Elliot¡¯s phone call with Nigel. She had rejected Nigel today, and she felt a bit guilty for that. Elliot swept a meaningful gaze over her, and then he narrowed his eyes with aplex look. Upon arriving, Anastasia invited him in, after which she began busying about in the kitchen. She was wearing a white blouse with a ck skirt, looking very professional. However, with this man around, she deemed it unfitting to change, so she just donned an apron before getting to work. However, little did she know that her cutting vegetables in the kitchen in full business attire was like a seduction to men who loved themselves some good uniforms. Chapter 100 Chapter 100 Chapter 100 Elliot was drinking water as he leaned against the doorway, watching Anastasia bustle about. When Anastasia turned to look, she realized straight away that the mug in the man¡¯s hand belonged to her. She went hot in the face. ¡°This is my mug.¡± ¡°Oh! What¡¯s the problem?¡± The man raised an eyebrow, his eyes narrowing in a smile. Anastasia suggested a little awkwardly, ¡°We have disposable cups here, so why don¡¯t you use that instead?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve kissed before, so what are you worried about?¡± Elliot¡¯s lips curved into a grin as he mused about how ridiculous she was acting. Anastasia decided not to bother him anymore, and at that moment, she was even more convinced that letting him into her house was not a good idea. Therefore, Anastasia continued cutting and washing vegetables in the kitchen. She had casually pinned her originally loose hair behind her head with a hair clip, and the few loose strands of hair added to her allure. The man continued drinking from her mug as he let his mind wander. The more he thought, the thirstier he became. ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit on the couch? I¡¯ll feel pressured if you stand here, and it¡¯ll affect my performance.¡± Anastasia turned to look at the man. She simply didn¡¯t like the idea of him staring at her; it stressed her out a lot. Elliot smiled and turned to walk back to the couch. However, he still picked a spot where he could watch her, after which he continued appreciating her in hiszy yet appealing manner. He didn¡¯t know when he started to get attracted to every movement this woman made. It was as if he could never have enough of her. Anastasia stir-fried the vegetables while she got some soup cooking, so busy that she began sweating. She realized toote that she really should have insisted on eating out, so she wouldn¡¯t be so tired right now. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Finally, the meal was ready. Anastasia ced the food on the table, then found the man on the balcony. Herundry was hanging just above his head, and he could see her underwear if he looked up. ¨C ¡°Ahem¡­ President Presgrave, lunch is ready.¡± Anastasia hastily¡¯ called him in. However, Elliot had already seen all there was to see, realizing the woman¡¯s cup size wasrger than he had expected. It made him happy for some reason, as if he were involved somehow. The man was true to his word, for he wasn¡¯t picky with the food at all. He ate gracefully, as if he were dining at a high-ss restaurant. While Anastasia drank a bowl of soup and ate some food, she found that the man had a pretty good appetite. She was already done with her meal, but he was still savoring his food bit by bit. She couldn¡¯t help but feel a little proud. Perhaps her cooking was really that remarkable? Anastasia went to the bathroom and washed her face, then reapplied some light makeup on her face, as her previous makeup had faded because of her sweat. Finally, the man finished eating, after which he drank from her mug again. She was a little thirsty too, so she could only get a disposable cup and drink cold water from it. Anastasia moved the dishes into the kitchen and decided to wash themter that night. She looked at her watch and said, ¡°President Presgrave, we should get going.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s rest for a while.¡± With that, Elliot raised his head, then closed his eyes and rested on her couch. Anastasia was speechless. Is he trying to take a nap at my house? Anastasia couldn¡¯t force him to leave, so she took the opportunity to clean up the house. She saw a pile of her son¡¯s toys on the couch and went over to pick them up. She then spotted some Lego pieces scattered next to the man, so she reached over to take them as well. Just then, the man¡¯s lush eyshes fluttered open to reveal a predator¡¯s haughty re. Hisrge hand swiftly grabbed her wrist and pulled her. Anastasia was yanked into the man¡¯s arms, and she fell on top of him. In the next second, her waist was held tight, and with a quick turn, the man was now pinning her onto the couch. ¡°You¡­ Elliot, watch yourself.¡± Anastasia sent him a warning re. She knew it wasn¡¯t a good idea to let him in, for this man was a beast who could get in the heat without warning: Chapter 101 Chapter 101 Chapter 101 ¡°What do you mean? Last night you cupped my face and kissed me, so shouldn¡¯t you have watched yourself too?¡± Elliot asked in a hoarse voice because Anastasia had taken quite the initiativest night. Anastasia blushed as she struggled to exin. ¡°Last night¡­ I-I wasn¡¯t myself. I don¡¯t remember anything fromst night.¡± The man snorted. ¡°Oh, really? Shall I help you remember?¡± ¡°No-¡°Before she could finish, the man had already made the decision for her. His thin lips began to tackle her red lips forcefully. Instantly, her mind went nk. If this man wanted to kiss her, he should just say so instead ofing up with so many excuses. However, for some reason, every time this man kissed her, she would panic and resist at first, but she would soon lose all sense as the man kept going. As her face and ears went a deep red, she could almost taste the happiness of a kiss. No¡­ She absolutely refused to admit that kissing him was even a tad enjoyable. Finally, save for the kiss, she had also felt a sense of danger from the man. Anastasia began to panic, for if she allowed Elliot to go on, the consequences would be unthinkable. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mm¡­¡± Anastasia reached up and hit his back but found that his back was so hard that her own fists hurt. Elliot broke the kiss, but he didn¡¯t get up to release her. Instead, he admired the woman with messy hair in his arms, for she looked like an alluring fairy. However, when he remembered how that jerk had treated her in a simr way, he felt the urge to kill rising within his heart. Out of nowhere, Anastasia felt pain in her scalp, and she realized that strands of her hair were stuck on a button of the man¡¯s shirt. The man realized it as well, so he lowered his head and gazed at her with a cunning look. ¡°Undo it yourself.¡± Anastasia¡¯s scalp was getting numb from the pain. Soon, she proceeded to pull at her hair, but the strands wouldn¡¯t budge. In the end, she would have to undo the button. Hence, she could only blush as she undid the third button of the shirt. In an instant, her sight was filled with the man¡¯s firm, honey-colored chest. She hastily averted her gaze, refusing to look. ¡°Are you satisfied with my figure?¡± the man asked in a teasing manner. ¡°No.¡± Anastasia provoked him on purpose as she humphed. ¡°Which part of it do you not like?¡± The man was still on top of her, and his eyes narrowed as he continued asking. Anastasia¡¯s breathing paused for a while, for this topic wasn¡¯t quite family-friendly. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°All of them. Get off me.¡± Suddenly, Elliot pressed against her, letting her feel his pride. He asked again in his hoarse voice, ¡°Are you sure?¡± Anastasia was going crazy at this rate. She reached out and pushed him forcefully before he finally allowed her freedom. He sat up, a suggestive tint still lingering on his handsome face. ¡°All right, we should get back to thepany.¡± Anastasia let her hair loose, recovering her aura of a professional woman. The man behind her took his phone and followed her out. Downstairs, Nigel had already left with a broken heart. Elliot drove Anastasia back to thepany. Along the way, Anastasia didn¡¯t offer to chat, but she made a mental note to never let this man into her house again instead. ¡°The results of the jewelrypetition will be out tomorrow. Are you excited?¡± Elliot turned around to ask her. Anastasia was excited, of course. She wanted to win the huge cash prize, but she wasn¡¯t quite willing to tell him. ¡°What can I say? My rivals are all very talented, so I may not be able to win.¡± ¡°Have more confidence in yourself and just anticipate it,¡± the man said meaningfully. Anastasia didn¡¯t think too much about it. At that moment, she just wanted to get back to thepany as soon as possible. Just then, Elliot¡¯s car phone rang, and the disy indicated that the caller was Hayley. Anastasia frowned, somewhat furious when she remembered what the man had done to her just now. ¡°Elliot, I¡¯m warning you. I hate Hayley, and I hate it more when you touch me.¡± Anastasia turned her head, having no regard for the fact that he was her boss. Elliot frowned a little, but he didn¡¯t pick up the phone. Chapter 102 Chapter 102 Chapter 102 Anastasia suddenly reached out and pressed the touch screen, answering the call for him. Elliot turned to look at her, but she simply red back with glee. ¡°Hello Elliot, I¡¯m at thepany now. Why aren¡¯t you here yet?¡± Hayley¡¯s cutesy voice rang out. ¡°I¡¯m on my way,¡± Elliot answered in a low voice. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll be waiting!¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t forgotten your gift for me, right? It¡¯s your fault for not apanying mest night,¡± said Hayley in a spoiled manner. Anastasia listened without any expressions while Elliot nced at her, then told Hayley, ¡°We¡¯ll talk when I get back to thepany.¡± With that, he hung up. Anastasia noticed how fast he had ended the call, so she suddenly sneered. ¡°Is there anything I shouldn¡¯t be hearing?¡± ¡°We are just normal friends,¡± Elliot exined in a low voice. Ever since he found Hayley, he had maintained a certain distance between them because he simply wanted topensate her. Other than that, he had no other thoughts of her. Anastasia¡¯s gaze went cold, disgust apparent in her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me ever again.¡± Panic flitted across Elliot¡¯s eyes. ¡°Anastasia, I can¡¯t change what happened in the past.¡± ¡°Everything Hayley touched is dirty to me.¡± This time, Anastasia said it loud and clear in person. After her im, Elliot¡¯s expression fell. On the way back to thepany, Anastasia ignored Elliot, and thetter¡¯s expression was also terrible. From the way it seemed, her words had probably struck a nerve. The car had just pulled up at the underground car park when Anastasia opened the door and left right away. Elliot followed behind her, and when the elevator was about to close on him, Anastasia didn¡¯t hold the door open for him. She didn¡¯t want to be on the same ride as him, but the man¡¯s slender arms still reached her. Sensing an object in the way, the elevator doors opened again, allowing Elliot to enter. There was a pressuring aura about him, as if he were a sharp, brandished de. Anastasia crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. She could see Elliot¡¯splex and deep gaze in the mirror, sharp as a crouching beast in the forest. His fiery eyes were trained on her. Finally, the elevator door opened. Anastasia walked past him in order to leave, but the man held her waist and spoke in her ear through gritted teeth. ¡°No matter how dirty I am, you mustn¡¯t despise me.¡± Anastasia broke free from his grasp and left the elevator, snorting inside. I¡¯ll still despise you, anyway. So what? When Elliot returned to his office, Hayley was already sitting on the couch waiting for him. She had dressed up meticulously for the asion, and she was indeed prettier than she used to be. Everything she wore was branded, and she had spent a lot of effort on her makeup as well. Regardless, Elliot could care less. A woman who could attract him would do better than look pretty on the surface; she must also possess an innate charm that reached the depths of his heart. ¡°You¡¯re here, Elliot.¡± Love and admiration spilled forth from Hayley¡¯s gaze as she got up to wee him. Elliot nodded, then made a call to Rey through the internal phone system. ¡°Bring the present.¡± The disappointment was evident in Hayley¡¯s eyes. Why? Why didn¡¯t he go in person to choose the present for me? Why did he ask the assistant to do the work for him? Soon, Rey walked in with a set of jewelry before handing it to Hayley. ¡°Miss Seymour, is this to your liking?¡± Hayley opened the box to see a three-piece set, and the design and diamonds were absolutely stunning. In the end, she pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°I love it, thank you.¡± Hayley looked back to see Elliot lost in thought,pletely overlooking her existence. ¡°Elliot, I made reservations at a restaurant tonight. Let¡¯s have dinner together!¡± Hayley took the initiative to invite the man, but he raised an eyebrow and declined. ¡°Hayley, I have an appointment at night. I can¡¯t cancel it.¡± ¡°But I really want to have a meal with you,¡± Hayley begged with a pleading look in her eyes. ¡°I have to meet a very important client tonight, so I can¡¯t cancel. We¡¯ll do it next time, all right?¡± EvenExclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. though the words sounded normal, when Elliot spoke them, his voice would carry an undeniable power with it. None would dare to defy his wishes. Hayley bit her red lip, but she could only nod pitifully. ¡°If you say so.¡± Chapter 103 Chapter 103 Chapter 103 ¡°Just go back first. I still have work to do,¡± Elliot continued. Hayley looked at him longingly. Every time she visited him, she woulde with joy and expectation, but she would always leave in disappointment. Remembering how he had gone to save Anastasia without another word, she felt Anastasia must be more important to him than anyone else. Meanwhile, Anastasia returned to her office, void of all inspiration. A sense of annoyance stopped her from working, but she couldn¡¯t figure out what it was. Just then, a figure strode out of the elevator, and it was none other than the man himself-Nigel. Nigel was about to go to Anastasia¡¯s office when he bumped into Alice. When Alice saw Nigel, she immediately smiled and greeted him. ¡°Hi, Handsome. Here to see Anastasia?¡± ¡°Yes. Is she in her office?¡± ¡°Handsome, a word of advice. Anastasia¡¯s rtionship with our boss is kind of suspicious. As her boyfriend, you have to be careful.¡± Nigel¡¯s handsome face froze as he spoke to Alice. ¡°Tell me. What sort of unspeakable rtionship does Anastasia have with your boss?¡± Alice immediately pointed toward the deserted pantry. ¡°We¡¯ll talk there.¡± Nigel followed Alice to the pantry out of curiosity. Alice gazed at him with a pitiful look as she said, ¡°Handsome, you probably don¡¯t know this. Anastasia joined a jewelrypetition, and ourpany has prepared a cash prize of 1 million for the winner.¡± Nigel had heard Anastasia mention it before; it was something along those lines. ¡°In order to win the prize, your girlfriend is doing everything she can to suck up to our boss. They were flirting in the office, and she even went on dates with him quite often. They were so intimate, and I¡¯m only telling you this because I can¡¯t stand it anymore. Handsome, you have to be careful in case your girlfriend gets stolen.¡± As Alice gazed at Nigel¡¯s handsome face, she felt that it was too unfair. Where did Anastasia find such a handsome boyfriend? Nigel emerged from the pantry and went straight to Anastasia¡¯s office. Anastasia was still upied withExclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. her troubled thoughts when she saw Nigel walk in all of a sudden. She was stunned for a few seconds. ¡°Nigel, what brings you here?¡± Anastasia smiled as she got up to wee him. Nigel looked at her, unable to believe the scenes he had witnessed today. He smiled. ¡°Nothing much, just thought I¡¯d drop by to see you.¡± ¡°Do you have time tomorrow? I can treat you to a meal.¡± Anastasia still felt guilty about canceling her ns with him today. ¡°Anastasia, I heard some rumors in the office just now. It¡¯s about you and my cousin,¡± Nigel said on purpose. Anastasia tensed up. ¡°What did you hear?¡± ¡°I heard that you seduced my cousin just to win the jewelrypetition. Is it true?¡± ¡°What are those people saying? How could I do such a thing?¡± Anastasia thought it ridiculous. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t appeal to Elliot just to win a prize. ¡°Do you honestly don¡¯t have those kinds of thoughts about my cousin?¡± Nigel earnestly locked his gaze on her as he asked. Anastasia said without hesitation, ¡°Of course not! I¡¯m just his subordinate.¡± Nigel bit his thin lip, then asked again, ¡°Then were you really having lunch in thepany this afternoon?¡± ¡°I¡­ I wasn¡¯t. I treated someone else to lunch. I owe him a lot, so I had to treat him.¡± Anastasia was honest now because she couldn¡¯t lie when she looked into Nigel¡¯s pure eyes. ¡°Then where did you bring him for lunch?¡± ¡°Home. I cooked for him.¡± Anastasia didn¡¯t want to lie, so she came clean. ¡°Why don¡¯t you eat out? Do you really have to go home and cook?¡± Nigel asked. ¡°He probably thought my cooking was good,¡± Anastasia answered without overthinking it. At that moment, Nigel instantly realized something because Anastasia couldn¡¯t possibly seduce his cousin. On the contrary, his cousin had fallen for her, and he was trying to win her over in his own way! ¡°Do you want some coffee?¡± Anastasia asked him. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m leaving for a while to get something done.¡± With that, Nigel left right away, leaving her confused. Where is he going? Chapter 104 Chapter 104 Chapter 104 Where else would Nigel go? Of course, he went upstairs to see the man who was trying to get his woman. No matter who they were, Nigel wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to touch Anastasia. The door to Elliot¡¯s office was pushed open before someone entered. Elliot looked up to see Nigel walking in with the aura of a young cheetah ready to attack. Elliot narrowed his eyes as he looked at Nigel. ¡°What brings you here? You should¡¯ve told me you were coming.¡± Nigel ced his palms on the desk, his eyes full of warning. ¡°Elliot, are you trying to court Anastasia?¡± Elliot¡¯s fingers that were typing away on the keyboard came to a pause, after which he said calmly, ¡°What are you getting at?¡± ¡°Anastasia is the woman I set my eyes on. You¡¯re not allowed to take her away, and you definitely mustn¡¯t get involved with her in the name of work.¡± Nigel defended his prey with all his might. No one will get near her, not even Elliot! No! Elliot nced up with a distant look as he said calmly, ¡°She doesn¡¯t belong to anyone. Everyone has the right to pursue her.¡± Nigel¡¯s handsome face froze as he instantly sensed an oppressive aura. If any other man were to pursue Anastasia, he wouldn¡¯t be so stressed out. However, if it were Elliot, Nigel would be ovee with the panic that came from having a tricky rival. There was a certain sense of helplessness and frustration in Nigel¡¯s heart. If he seeded, Anastasia would be his wife. If he failed, she would be his cousin¡¯s. No, he definitely wouldn¡¯t give up. Nigel wasn¡¯t one to admit defeat easily, even if his rival was his own cousin. At that moment, he decided that he would do everything in his power to get Anastasia¡¯s hand. He no longer had eyes for any other woman; his heart was already full of Anastasia. Nigel looked at the man on the chair, who was exuding a certain mature charm. He took a deep breath and said, ¡°Fine, let¡¯spete on fairgrounds and see who gets her in the end.¡± With that, Nigel turned and left. Elliot narrowed his eyes, for he had never thought that he and Nigel would fall for the same woman at the same time. In reality, Elliot wasn¡¯t anxious at all. If Anastasia really loved his silly little cousin, he wouldn¡¯t fail to woo her for two whole years. The events that happened to Anastasia had caused her to avoid men as much as she could. She guarded herself heavily with thick armor, and she wouldn¡¯t entrust her heart and body so easily to any man. As long as he knew this, even if Nigel pursued her with everything he had, it would just be a waste of effort. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to move this woman¡¯s heart. In the office, Anastasia¡¯s phone suddenly rang. Instantly, she lifted her phone to see that it was a call from Harriet, so she immediately answered the call. ¡°Hello, Old Madam Presgrave.¡± ¡°Anastasia, are you busy?¡± Harriet¡¯s gentle voice asked. ¡°I¡¯m all right. I¡¯m not too busy right now.¡± ¡°If you are, just tell me. I¡¯ll get Elliot to decrease your workload. You still have a child to take care of, so don¡¯t overwork yourself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Old Madam Presgrave. I¡¯m not overwhelmed at all. Do you have something to tell me?¡± Anastasia didn¡¯t want to bother Elliot, much less get special treatment from him. ¡°Are you free this Friday? I¡¯d like to invite you to a charity banquet under my name.¡± Anastasia was dumbfounded. Attend a banquet? ¡°Anastasia, many VIPs will be attending this banquet, so it will be very helpful for your work in the future. I can help you establish connections with people of a higher ss and expand yourwork. This will help you a lot in your future circle.¡± Anastasia knew Harriet meant well, and it would be rude for her to decline. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll attend the banquet,¡± Anastasia agreed. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll see you there. I¡¯ll send you the invitation cardter.¡± ¡°Thank you for the invitation, Old Madam Presgrave. I¡¯m honored.¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Okay, see you. Take it easy, and just ask Elliot to help you if you run into any problems.¡± ¡°All right. Thank you for your concern, Old Madam Presgrave,¡± Anastasia said with a smile. When the call ended, Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but sigh in relief. She decided that when the day came, she would just hang around the banquet for a bit before leaving. After all, she didn¡¯t like such asions. Chapter 105 Chapter 105 Chapter 105 Elliot was going through some of Presgrave Corporation¡¯s documents when his phone rang. ¡°Hello, Grandma,¡± he uttered after reaching to pick it up. ¡°Elliot, I told Mark to pass you one of the invitation cards for the party, and I want you to pass it to Anastasia on behalf of me.¡± Harriet¡¯s voice came from the other end of the line. ¡°Are you inviting her?¡± Elliot¡¯s eyebrow went up a little as he spoke. ¡°Yeah. She agreed toe. I¡¯m trying to create opportunities for you here, Elliot; you need to make good use of them. I¡¯m not asking Hayley to join us,¡± Harriet said. Naturally, Elliot didn¡¯t wish to disappoint his grandmother after seeing how much the old woman was trying to put Anastasia and him together. ¡°Okay. I got it,¡± he replied. Mark came over with the invitation card about an hourter, but he didn¡¯t send it directly to Anastasia-he sent it to Elliot¡¯s office instead. After getting the invitation, Elliot used thendline to make an internal call to Anastasia. ¡°Hello, Anastasia speaking,¡± the woman said through the phone. ¡°I want you toe to my office,¡± Elliot ordered in a deep voice. ¡°Is anything the matter?¡± she asked. ¡°Collect your invitation card!¡± He ended the call right after that. Anastasia had no choice but to let out a sigh before walking out of her office and toward the direction of the elevator. She knocked on the door once she arrived. ¡°Come in,¡± the man said. She entered the room to see thenky man crossing one leg over the other where he sat on the couch. ¡°Give it to me!¡± she muttered after ncing at him. ¡°Don¡¯t forget about dinner tonight,¡± the man said while he took the invitation card out from his stack of documents. Anastasia froze for a moment. Last night, she had been the one who promised to buy him both lunch and dinner. ¡°I¡¯m not free tonight, so I won¡¯t buy you dinner.¡± She refused to pay for him. ¡°What happened to keeping your promise? Are you changing your mind now?¡± Elliot stood up and edged closer to her all of a sudden as if he had been seriously offended by what she just said. She instinctively took a step back before speaking in a sheepish tone. ¡°It¡¯s just dinner, isn¡¯t it?¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I don¡¯t like people who go against their words.¡± Elliot looked her in the eye. ¡°You have to buy me dinner tonight.¡± ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll see you at the restaurant downstairs.¡± Anastasia decided to buy him dinner, but she also made a mental note not to owe him anything in the future. It was too hard to repay a person like him. ¡°Did Nigel ask to see you?¡± Elliot asked out of nowhere. ¡°What¡¯s this? How is our rtionship any of your business?¡± Anastasia uttered in a rather displeased tone. ¡°I¡¯ve told you this before. You shouldn¡¯t give him hope if you don¡¯t like him. I don¡¯t want you to y with his feelings,¡± Elliot warned. She frowned as she thought, Isn¡¯t he just sticking his nose into other people¡¯s businesses? Nigel and I are just friends. ¡°Nigel and I are just friends. I¡¯m not ying around with anyone¡¯s feelings,¡± she retorted. ¡°But Nigel¡¯s feelings for you are real, and you¡¯re going to hurt him someday.¡± Elliot¡¯s expression was calm, but there was a deep, mysterious look in his eyes. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll keep our rtionship the way it is, and I won¡¯t hurt him.¡± Anastasia turned and left the room after making this promise. Elliot narrowed his eyes upon hearing her words. He had a much clearer view of the situation as a third party, and he could tell that Anastasia would never fall for someone like Nigel. So, Elliot figured that the only way to protect his cousin was to get him to give up on Anastasia. The more involved Nigel got in this rtionship, the more he would get hurt, anyway. After what happened to Anastasia, it was hard for her to fall for any man too easily. Anastasia felt a little overwhelmed when she thought about how she had to buy Elliot dinner. It was time for her to get off work, but she had to pick her son up in a while. She was even more troubled when she recalled how much her son loved Elliot. She took a look at the time. I don¡¯t want Elliot to send me home, so I have to go down earlier to hail a cab before leaving After packing up a little, Anastasia headed out of the office a little earlier than everyone else. As she stood by the lobby entrance and waited for a cab, she saw from the corner of her eye the nuisance of a car that seemed to follow her everywhere. When she saw the Rolls-Royce Phantom, she jogged out of the building and away from it as if she were running away from something. She could hear the engine starting behind her. Right then, a gray sports car zoomed in from the entrance, and it directly sped past the Rolls Royce before going after Anastasia. She was shocked, so she jumped aside to hide away from it. The sports car screeched, and it came to a firm halt before the man in the driver¡¯s seat stepped out. The man was none other than Nigel, of course. Chapter 106 Chapter 106 Chapter 106 ¡°Nigel?¡± Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but stare at him dumbfoundedly. Nigel gave her a boyish smile as he held the passenger¡¯s door open before pulling out a bouquet of roses and handing it to her. ¡°Here. It¡¯s for you.¡± ¡°Why are you giving me these flowers?¡± she asked in a rather clueless voice while she took the bouquet from him. ¡°Do you like them?¡± He gazed at her longingly. ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner tonight!¡± ¡°Tonight? Um¡­ Okay!¡± Right after Anastasia finished her words, she intentionally turned to nce at the luxury car with its oppressive presence. Nigel turned and pretended that he had only just noticed the car. He smirked before walking over to greet the person inside. The car window went down, and Elliot turned to meet gazes with the other man. ¡°Are you done with work, Elliot?¡± Nigel greeted him before changing the topic intentionally. ¡°I¡¯m here to pick Anastasia up for dinner. We¡¯ll leave now.¡± With that said, Nigel walked back to Anastasia before he put an arm over her shoulder in a practiced manner. He opened the passenger¡¯s door, and his body leaned close to hers as he helped her into the car. Anastasia sat in his passenger seat with the bouquet of flowers still in her hand. Once Nigel got in, he stepped on the elerator and sped off. Nigel¡¯s n had been to drop by to snatch the woman away from Elliot, and he was surprised that his n had actually worked. Elliot¡¯s ck car slowly made its way out of its parking spot. The tinted sses made it impossible for anyone to look through the windows, so no one knew the expression that Elliot wore on his face as he drove off. However, after the ck Rolls-Royce drove for a while more, it sped up and weaved between cars on the road as if the driver was raging. Meanwhile, Anastasia felt an odd sense of relief as she sat in Nigel¡¯s car. Now that Elliot knows I¡¯m having dinner with Nigel, I¡¯ll have a reason not to buy him dinner. She pulled her phone out to drop the man a text. ¡®I don¡¯t have time to buy you dinner tonight. You can eat on your own!¡¯ ¡°How have you been?¡± Nigel asked. ¡°Not too bad!¡± she uttered while rubbing her brow. ¡°I¡¯ve decided to rent an office building near your workce, Anastasia. I¡¯ll be moving my office over, so we¡¯ll be really close to each other in the future,¡± he said. ¡°Are you renting an entire office just to be closer to me? Do you have too much money to spare?¡± Anastasia let out an amusedugh. ¡°That¡¯s not the whole story. I don¡¯t like my father¡¯s office¡ªit¡¯s a little too old-fashioned for me. So, I figured I¡¯d renovate a whole new space for myself. Then, for the sake of being able to have lunch with you, I decided that I would pick a ce nearer to you!¡± Nigel had made up his mind to give it his all in chasing after Anastasia. ¡°A regr woman like me can never understand what rich people like you think,¡± she muttered tly. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s pick Jared up before we go for dinner.¡± Nigel had already been driving in the direction of the kindergarten. While Anastasia went down to pick the little kid up, Nigel waited at the front gates. Soon enough, all three of them went to a restaurant nearby for dinner. Anastasia stole a look at her phone to see that Elliot hadn¡¯t responded to her-she wasn¡¯t even sure if he had seen her text. After dinner, Nigel brought Jared to shop for presents as usual. Anastasia knew better than to stop Nigel from doing such things. As Nigel held Jared in his hand, it seemed like Nigel was an uncle who was bringing his nephew around. Nigel was a little too young to seem like he was a father. After they were done at the mall, Nigel sent them to the entrance of their residential area. When he recalled how Anastasia and Elliot had brought groceries back home earlier that day, he decided that he wanted to visit Anastasia¡¯s house too. ¡°Can I go to your ce for a while? I need some water,¡± he said. ¡°There¡¯s a convenience store just there,¡± she replied while pointing in a direction. Nigel couldn¡¯t care less about the convenience store. ¡°I want to drink it in your house.¡± She smiled. ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s go, then!¡± It was Nigel¡¯s first time in Anastasia¡¯s new house, and he looked all over the ce as if he were searching for some sort of clue or evidence. ¡°What are you looking for?¡± Anastasia asked as she handed him a ss of water. ¡°This is just a reminder, Anastasia, but you shouldn¡¯t bring random men back to your ce! You¡¯re a girl, so you need to ensure that others don¡¯t take advantage of you,¡± he said.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 107 Chapter 107 Chapter 107 Anastasia¡¯s smile stiffened for a few seconds before she let out a light cough. ¡°Of course I know that.¡± ¡°Anyway, you shouldn¡¯t trust any other guys apart from me.¡± Nigel was tempted to just state Elliot¡¯s name explicitly ¡°I got it.¡± Anastasia nodded. Right then, Jared identally knocked into her bag on the couch, and a bunch of things fell out. Among the items were her keys, her lipstick, and an invitation card. Nigel¡¯s sharp eyes immediately caught sight of it, and he picked it up. ¡°Did you receive my grandmother¡¯s invitation as well? My grandmother¡¯s the one who is hosting this charity dinner.¡± ¡°Oh! Yeah.¡± Anastasia pressed her lips together into a smile. She didn¡¯t want to mention that her mom had once saved Elliot. Nigel was ted to hear this, and he quickly gave her a reminder. ¡°You have to come! I¡¯ll be there too, and I can introduce you to my mom and dad.¡± Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Okay!¡± Anastasia nodded thoughtfully. She had already told Harriet that she would be there, so she had to attend the dinner. ¡°Oh, by the way, I¡¯ll prepare an evening gown for you,¡± he offered. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Anastasia immediately rejected him. But Nigel didn¡¯t want to be rejected, so he continued insisting on his wishes. ¡°I¡¯ll show you how good my taste is! Trust me. I¡¯m leaving now.¡± Anastasia sent him to the elevator. ¡°Drive safe,¡± she uttered. He turned around to give her another stern reminder. ¡°Promise me that you won¡¯t bring other men home, okay, Anastasia?¡± For the sake of reassuring him, she gave him a firm nod. ¡°Okay, okay. I know you care for me. I¡¯ll take note of what you said.¡± Once he got into the elevator, she heaved a sigh of relief before returning home to give Jared a bath. She read a book with him before she went to shower. When she came out of the shower, she heard her phone ringing, and she rushed over to see Elliot¡¯s name on her screen. ¡°Hello?¡± She picked up the call. ¡°Are you home?¡± The man¡¯s voice was deep and thick, which made Anastasia¡¯s ear tingle. She knew that it was wrong for her to have stood him up, but she didn¡¯t have much of a choice. It¡¯s not my fault that Nigel showed up all of a sudden, right? ¡°It¡¯s nearly 10.00PM. Of course I¡¯m at home,¡± she replied. ¡°What¡¯s going on between you and Nigel?¡± The man¡¯s voice carried a hint of distaste as he questioned her. ¡°We¡¯re more than good friends,¡± she replied. ¡°I told you not to fool around with his feelings. If you don¡¯t want to get married to him, then you shouldn¡¯t give him hope.¡± The man gave her a stern warning. Anastasia felt like he was too much of a busybody, so she rolled her eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with us being friends? Furthermore, you are in no position to warn me about my rtionship with Nigel. What are you going to do if I fall for him and decide to marry him?¡± ¡°Do you want me to tell him about how you forcefully kissed me twice?¡± The man¡¯s voice sounded extremely sinister all of a sudden. She was taken aback by his words, and she immediately let out a cry. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense, Elliot!¡± ¡°What? Does he know about how the lines are blurred between us?¡± he asked. ¡°There are no blurred lines between us. Things are clear between you and I-there¡¯s nothing going on between us at all,¡± she replied with a determined look in her eyes. ¡°You owe me dinner. You have to make up for this in the future.¡± The man scoffed before ending the call. Anastasia held onto her phone and gritted her teeth in anger. How can there be a man as annoying as him? He¡¯s really sticking his nose into all aspects of my life. Anastasiay on her bed for a while, but she couldn¡¯t seem to fall asleep as she knew that the prizes would be revealed the next day. Furthermore, there was going to be an award ceremony at 3.00PM. If she won a prize, she wouldn¡¯t just get the trophy; she would also win a cash prize of 1 million. Anastasia needed the money, so she naturally hoped to be the lucky winner. Such thoughts made it hard for her to fall asleep. Meanwhile, Hayley was also losing sleep in her luxurious vi. Ever since she took up her fake identity of being Anastasia, she had been enjoying her life as a rich girl. However, she still felt empty with just materialistic pleasures-she didn¡¯t have the rtionships she desired. She desperately wanted her rtionship with Elliot to blossom. Ideally, she¡¯d be able to get physical with him. Chapter 108 Chapter 108 Chapter 108 If Hayley got another child, she would be able to better secure her position as Mrs. Presgrave. But how am I supposed to get Elliot into bed with me? Even though he¡¯s nice to me, he has never given me the chance to get close to him. If I didn¡¯t initiate hugs with him the past few times, he would have never been the first to hug me. Ultimately, Anastasia¡¯s the only one he approaches willingly. Ever since they slept together five years ago, he has been searching for her. It¡¯s obvious that he fell for her the first time their bodies touched. I have to find a way to get Elliot drunk so that I can get my chance. Maybe I should bribe one of the people around him to help me with this. But would any of them listen to my orders? A cold look shed in her gaze. She had done all sorts of things in the past, and she had dated a few men, so she was far from being a pure, chaste woman. Elliot had a male assistant, Daniel, who had delivered items to her in the past. This male assistant was an educated man who had good looks and a well-built figure-he was much more qualified to be her boyfriend than all her previous boyfriends. Hayley¡¯s ultimate goal wasn¡¯t just to conquer Elliot¡¯s heart, but also to own the entire Presgrave Corporation. So, she was willing to take all sorts of risks just to achieve this. After taking a nce at the time, she gave Daniel a call. ¡°Hello, Miss Seymour.¡± Daniel sounded rather surprised to receive her call. ¡°Are you free toe over, Mr. Lancaster? There¡¯s a huge rat in my house, and I¡¯m a little scared,¡± she lied. ¡°What? Okay. I¡¯lle over right now.¡± It was Daniel¡¯s duty to fulfill all of Elliot¡¯s orders, and taking care of Hayley was one of his jobs. He arrived at her house 30 minutester, and Hayley already had a sexy nightgown on under her shirt. When Daniel saw how Hayley looked, he twisted his expression into one of panic. Hayley told him to check the master bedroom, and he walked in obediently while Hayley stepped aside to get him a ss of water. Daniel gulped down the whole ss as he was thirsty from all the nervousness that he felt. After he was finished with the water, he felt like his whole body was on fire. When Hayley leaned forward to hug him, he was afraid for a few seconds, but he allowed her to take over him just momentster. They had a heated session in Hayley¡¯s master bedroom. It was about 5.00AM by the time Daniel held his head in his hands and sat by the edge of the bed. He was filled with regret and self-criticism. Right then, a soft arm wrapped itself around his waist. ¡°I belong to you now, Daniel. You have to take responsibility for me!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Seymour. I made a huge mistake.¡± He pushed her aside hastily. Her gaze darkened as her voice turned cold. ¡°Do you think Elliot will forgive you if he finds out that you slept with me, Daniel?¡± He stared at her with a look of pure helplessness in his eyes, so she softened her voice a little as she continued speaking. ¡°Daniel, the two of us are the only ones who know about this. However, from now on, I want you to obey me. You will do whatever I tell you to do, okay?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t do anything illegal,¡± he uttered. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to do anything illegal. I just want you to tell me all about Elliot¡¯s daily schedule and the women he interacts with,¡± she ordered. Daniel didn¡¯t want his life to be ruined, and he was fine with whatever Hayley wanted him to do. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll tell you exactly whatever President Presgrave does every day.¡± ¡°Well, tell me-have there been any important things that Elliot has been up totely?¡± Hayleyy down on the bed like she was a queen, ring at the man as she questioned him. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you about his work-rted stuff, but he will be attending the family¡¯s charity dinner this Friday. You will be able to see him,¡± he replied. ¡°What? This Friday? It¡¯s already Wednesday-why haven¡¯t I received an invitation?¡± Hayley frowned. ¡°I heard that all the invitations have been sent out. Didn¡¯t you receive anything?¡± he asked. ¡°No! Who¡¯s hosting it?¡± she cried. ¡°It¡¯s a charity dinner hosted by Old Madam Presgrave. You should have received an invitation!¡± he replied. A resentful look shed in Hayley¡¯s eyes. It seems like Old Madam Presgrave values Anastasia more than she values me. I can¡¯t believe she didn¡¯t invite me to such an important event. I bet she invited Anastasia, didn¡¯t she?N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Chapter 109 Chapter 109 Chapter 109 Does she think I won¡¯t go just because she didn¡¯t invite me to it? Well, that makes me want to go even more. ¡°Great. From now on, I want you to tell me everything about Elliot. Also, I want you to keep an eye on Anastasia. If she has any intimate interactions with Elliot, I need you to tell me immediately.¡± Daniel held a rtively important position in thepany, although he wasn¡¯t as powerful as Elliot¡¯s head assistant, Timothy. Regardless, Daniel still had ess to most of Elliot¡¯s daily schedules. After Daniel left, Hayley still felt too furious to go to bed. What does Old Madam Presgrave mean by this? Is she looking down on me? Does she want me to stay away from Elliot? Hayley was especially furious because of the unfair treatment . The next morning, Anastasia rushed to her office after sending Jared to school. Today was a day she had been looking forward to. When she arrived at the office, Grace opened the door and came over to give Anastasia some words offort. ¡°Don¡¯t mind all the nonsense that they say about you, Anastasia. I trust that you and President Presgrave are innocent.¡± Anastasia could no longer be bothered by these things-she felt that there was no point in rifying such matters, and that she shouldn¡¯t be living her life based on others¡¯ments. It was about 10.00AM when Anastasia¡¯sndline rang. ¡°Hello?¡± She picked the call up. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You need toe for a meeting, Anastasia. I have the list of winners with me.¡± Felicia¡¯s voice came from the other end. Anastasia felt her heart skipping a beat. Is it out already? I thought it¡¯d only be out by the afternoon. She headed to the meeting room with a mixture of fear and excitement coursing through her veins. The rest of the staff members from the design department were already there, but Felicia had yet to arrive. Alice shot Anastasia a cold re as Anastasia sat down opposite her. Anastasia merely cast her an uninterested nce. ¡°I wonder if it¡¯s Alice or Anastasia who won the prize! I¡¯m so excited! That¡¯s 1 million worth of cash right there.¡± One of the junior designers made the atmosphere tenser on purpose. ¡°We¡¯ll find out once the director arrives,¡± another person replied. Right then, Felicia walked into the room and nced at the twopetitors before taking a seat at the table. ¡°The sponsored meal that you guys have been waiting for has been approved. Would you guys like to eat together tonight?¡± ¡°Of course! We¡¯d love a feast, Director Evans,¡± someone cried. Both Alice and Anastasia exchanged nces. Judging by the look on Felicia¡¯s face, they could tell that someone in thepany must have won a prize. The winner had to be one of them. A look of jealousy shed in Alice¡¯s gaze. It¡¯s obvious. It has to be Anastasia. ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s organize dinner for tonight! Well, I¡¯m going to proceed with announcing the winners and the prizes that they will receive. Firstly, I¡¯d like to congratte the champion of this jewelry designpetition -Anastasia! You¡¯ve won a total of 1 million!¡± Anastasia heard a loud ringing sound in her ears before Felicia even finished her sentence. Me? Am I the winner? Does the 1 million belong to me? Her heart was filled with joy at that moment-she had finally gotten the money she needed for her son. Felicia turned to Alice before she continued speaking. ¡°Thepany decided to also provide some rewards to those who were selected, so Alice gets 20,000 as a constion prize.¡± Alice curled her lips up into a sarcastic smile. A constion prize, huh? What a joke. Right then, the room erupted into apuse as Anastasia found herself drowned by a bunch of wishes. She hastily thanked the people who congratted her before turning to thank Felicia. ¡°Thank you for your encouragement and support, Director Evans.¡± ¡°You got this because of your own skills, Anastasia. Continue to work hard, okay? Alright, the meeting¡¯s over. You guys can decide on a ce to have dinner tonight.¡± Felicia stepped out of the room, and Anastasia was just about to leave when Alice crossed her arms and let out a scoff. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel any shame for taking this 1 million, Anastasia?¡± ¡°Why should I feel ashamed?¡± Anastasia asked in return. She was confident about her own work. ¡°I don¡¯t think you should thank Director Evans. Maybe you should thank President Presgrave instead-I bet you only got this prize because he put in a good word for you. He was the one who gave you this 1 million. I wouldn¡¯t have the nerve to take this money if I were you!¡± Alice let out a scoff and walked out after finishing her sentence. Anastasia was the only one left in the meeting room after that, and her mind went nk for a few seconds. Chapter 110 Chapter 110 Chapter 111 After the dishes were served, most of the staff members started drinking. They were all rtively young, so they were prepared to get drunk that night-some of them had even hired personal drivers. ¡°Cheers, Anastasia!¡± One of the male designers sitting opposite Anastasia stood up. ¡°Sure. Thank you.¡± Anastasia held her ss up. She hadn¡¯t expected all of the other people to clink sses with her, but everyone was in a good mood that night, and they quickly turned Anastasia into their target for drinking. ¡°More beer for Anastasia!¡± someone cried. ¡°You have to drink with us, Anastasia! At least one sip!¡± another cried. ¡°Everyone else clinked sses with you, Anastasia. I¡¯d feel bad if I didn¡¯t do it. Here, cheers!¡± another one said. Anastasia had only arrived at thepany a while ago, so she felt pressured to go along with everyone, especially since most of the staff there were seniors. She lost count of the number of beers she had by the time she clinked sses with everyone. ¡°Alright, stop. Anastasia has to go home to care for her kid, guys!¡± Felicia finally spoke up. Everyone calmed down a little after that. Anastasia had already downed a few sses even before she got a chance to eat her meal, and she pressed her palm against her forehead as she felt herself getting tipsy. ¡°Are you okay, Anastasia?¡± someone asked. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°I¡¯m feeling a little dizzy, so I might need to stop for a while.¡± Anastasia waved her hand before she lowered her head and held her palms up to make a surrendering gesture. Right then, Felicia¡¯s phone began to ring. She only took one nce at the caller ID before she instantly picked the call up. ¡°Hello, President Presgrave.¡± ¡°Are you guys eating now? Is Anastasia there?¡± the man asked in a deep voice. ¡°Of course she¡¯s here. This dinner is meant to be a celebration for her. Would you like to join us, President Presgrave?¡± Felicia asked with a smile. ¡°No, thanks.¡± Elliot was just asking. ¡°The rest of them got Anastasia to drink quite a bit, so she¡¯s rather tipsy now. I think I might have to send her home in a while,¡± Felicia exined. ¡°She¡¯s drunk?¡± There was a hint of anxiousness in Elliot¡¯s voice. ¡°Are you free to pick her up, President Presgrave?¡± Felicia asked. ¡°Sure. Send me your location,¡± he ordered. ¡°Alright!¡± Felicia sent Elliot her location right after ending the call. When she turned to gaze at Anastasia, who was sitting near the drinks, a hint of jealousy surfaced in her gaze. Felicia could tell that Elliot truly cared about Anastasia after speaking to him on the phone. Yet, Anastasia didn¡¯t know a single thing about this-she was resting her chin on her palm while watching two other male staff y drinking games. ¡°You should eat a little more, Anastasia. I¡¯ll get you home in a while,¡± Felicia said. Anastasia nodded and began to munch on a few of her favorite dishes. However, her stomach was full from all the alcohol. She didn¡¯t feel anything when she was drinking earlier, but the tipsiness was starting to hit her after a while. : She had just stood up to walk to the washroom when she was struck by a pang of dizziness. She felt as if she were stepping on clouds, and she couldn¡¯t stand straight at all. ¡°How are you feeling, Anastasia? Are you really drunk?¡± Felicia hastily held onto her arm. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not drunk. I¡¯m not.¡± Anastasia waved her arms around. Those who were drunk were especially stubborn-she insisted on iming that she was still sober. Felicia ordered one of her assistants to help Anastasia to the washroom. Anastasia had just returned from the washroom when Felicia received a text from Elliot. ¡®Bring her out.¡¯ His orders were simple. ¡®Got it. We¡¯lle out in a bit, she replied. Right after that, Felicia turned to Anastasia before informing her of the n. ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to send you home now, Anastasia.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Anastasia nodded. I should go home now. I need to sober up-how else am I going to take care of my son otherwise? But Anastasia didn¡¯t know who her driver was and simply assumed that Felicia had gotten one of thepany¡¯s drivers to send her home. Felicia helped Anastasia out of the restaurant, and Anastasia quickly noticed a sleek, ck Rolls Royce parked by the side of the road. Its ck paint looked extra shiny under the light, and its ssy and elegant design made it stand out among the rest of the cars. The car stood out just like how its owner did. Anastasia allowed Felicia to help her into the backseat of the car. At this point, Anastasia still assumed that a driver from thepany would be the one sending her home. After Felicia shut the car door, Anastasia turned to address the driver in a polite tone. ¡°Hello. You can send me to Shorea Residence on Durkham Street. Thank you.¡± Chapter 112 Chapter 112 Chapter 112 The car was silent for a short while after Anastasia finished her sentence. ¡°I know.¡± A deep, attractive voice sounded after a while. Anastasia¡¯s eyes widened with shock before she looked at the reflection in the rearview mirror to meet the man¡¯s gaze. She felt like she was looking into a deep well. ¡°Why are you here, Elliot?¡± she cried. The man let out a scoff. Did she think I was just some driver? Anastasia felt her head spinning. Why did Felicia send me to Elliot¡¯s car? ¡°What are you doing here? Why did you pick me up?¡± Anastasia asked in a rather slurred and tipsy voice. ¡°How are you going to care for Jared when you¡¯re in this state?¡± he asked. ¡°My dad¡¯s home with him now,¡± she replied in azy voice from the backseat. The man stared at her through the rearview mirror. He could see her sexy figure under the dim light. Her long hair fell over her shoulders, making her appear more seductive than ever. The air in the car smelled like a mixture of alcohol and women¡¯s perfume. Elliot had the eyes of a thirsty beast as he felt his predatory instincts taking over him. Meanwhile, Anastasiay down on the back seat as she felt tiredness taking over her. She fell asleep soon after that. Elliot turned to gaze at her as she slept, and his gaze remained still for a moment before he stopped the car by the side of the road. If her son sees her like this, he¡¯s going to be traumatized when he grows up, Elliot thought. So, he picked her phone up before unlocking her phone with her fingerprint. Then, he searched for Francis¡¯ number before sending him a text. ¡®Dad, I¡¯m drunk tonight. Can you take care of Jared for tonight? I¡¯ll be home early tomorrow morning,¡¯ it said. Francis responded just momentster. ¡®You should get some rest if you¡¯re drunk. Don¡¯t worry about Jared; I¡¯ll take care of him. You stay safe!¡¯ he replied. ¡®Got it, Dad! Elliot sent the text over. After seeing how drunk Anastasia seemed, Elliot decided that he couldn¡¯t allow young Jared to have a memory of his drunk mother at such an age. Anastasia didn¡¯t know anything about the man¡¯s ns, but she continued sleeping as the ck car sped past the city center before arriving at one of the most expensive vis in the mid-hill area. Anastasia hadn¡¯t slept much the night before, and she had had a long day today. After all the alcohol she consumed, it was unlikely for her to wake up even if thunder struck the top of her head. Once the man parked the car, he lifted her bridal style and brought her to his bedroom without her being aware of it. Once she was on the bed, she rolled over to settle in afortable position before continuing to sleep. She was dressed in a white shirt and a ck pencil skirt that revealed her slim thighs. She wasn¡¯t aware of it, but the posture in which she slept was extremely seductive to the man staring at her. The grand vi was lit up by a huge chandelier that hung above a gray couch. Elliot, who had just finished showering, sat on the couch in azy posture. He had pulled on a pair of sweatpants but left his upper body naked. Beads of water were still hanging on his skin as he held his arm up to sip on his ss of red wine. The muscles in his arms bulged as he moved the ss up and down. For the most part, Elliot was a calm and rational man. However, he felt himself losing his mind whenever he thought about the woman who was lying in his bed. He couldn¡¯t resist the urge to lose all control and set himself free. Every time he tried to suppress his urges, they disappeared only to resurface momentster. He wanted to check on her, but he knew that he would get greedier for her when he was there. It was impossible for him to just stare at her. So, he figured that he would keep his distance so that he didn¡¯t have to suffer as much. Yet, there was another voice in his head that continued to shout at him, and he had to counter this voice with the rational part of his mind. In the end, he lifted his wine ss and gulped all of it down before standing and heading upstairs. He had found a reason to go up. I have to check if she puked. If she did, then my poor bed would be in trouble. Her alcohol tolerance isn¡¯t that high, but I don¡¯t think she has a habit of puking. If she¡¯s drunk, she usually just sleeps. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Elliot opened the door to his room, and he found the woman sleeping with her back turned against him. Her stunning curves and her soft figure made her seem especially feminine under the dim lights. Chapter 113 Chapter 113 As Elliot stared at Anastasia¡¯s long, messy hair that hung from the edge of the pillow, he couldn¡¯t help but narrow his eyes a little. He was like a silent, predatory beast that was inching closer toward its prey. Meanwhile, the woman-his prey-didn¡¯t realize a thing as he sat down by the edge of the bed and watched her sleeping soundly. Her perky red lips made her appear especially seductive. When he saw a clump of hair covering her eyes, he instinctively reached over to brush her hair aside. However, the moment he touched her face, the girl let out a mumble-she was talking in her sleep. All of a sudden, she held onto hisrge palm. ¡°Stop messing around, Jared. Let your mommy sleep for a bit,¡± she muttered. Elliot¡¯s eyes widened a little. Does she think I¡¯m her son right now? Soon enough, the woman wrapped her hands around Elliot¡¯s arm before rubbing her face against it. It was almost as if she were rubbing her face against Jared¡¯s head. Elliot had no choice but to lean closer and y along so that she wouldn¡¯t wake up. He shifted his body sideways and held his arm out for her to hug him. Then, he proudly allowed her to press his arm against her chest area. All sorts of sensations shot through the man¡¯s body as she did so. He held himself in this same stiff position while the woman continued to sleep. He had no other option but to admire her gorgeous face that was illuminated by the dim lighting. Her smooth and fair skin reminded him of a scrumptious-looking dish, and it made him crave for her. Anastasia had no idea what she looked like in her sleep, but the man had scanned every inch of her face in admiration. Throughout the night, he had even counted the number of eyshes she had on each eye. Anastasia clung onto him too tightly, so he couldn¡¯t pull away from her without waking her up. This time, Elliot was faced with a challenge greater than ever before. It was a test of his restraint. If he didn¡¯t have such good self-control, he would¡¯ve let Anastasia get a taste of his skills. ¡°Reach your hands out, Anastasia.¡± He tried to get her to reach her hands out while she was dreaming, but she didn¡¯t since she didn¡¯t know that she was hugging him in the first ce. Furthermore, she thought she was hugging her precious son! In the end, Elliot decided that he didn¡¯t want to suppress his desires anymore. He leaned forward to press his lips against her cheek. Right then, she clung to his neck before she nted kisses on the man¡¯s cheek. ¡°Be a good boy, Jared¡­¡± Both of their faces were right in front of each other, and Elliot could feel the woman¡¯s breath as she exhaled on his neck. The sensation felt like feathers that seemed to tug on his heartstrings. Elliot could feel his blood boiling with desire. He wasn¡¯t that much of a gentleman-he was prepared to take action with this woman if she didn¡¯t let go of him soon. Anastasia rubbed against his neck again before she shifted to touch his ear with her nose. It seemed almost as if she were trying to seduce him.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Elliot¡¯s prominent Adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down as he tried his best not to let his hormones get the better of him. He was close to exploding. Never once had a woman made him so horny this woman, on the other hand, managed to do it in her sleep, but he couldn¡¯t sleep with her no matter how much he wanted to. All he could focus on was restraining himself while this woman continued to do whatever she desired to do. In the end, Anastasia seemed to have developed some distaste for the man¡¯s strong hormones. She flipped to the other side of the bed for some fresh air, and she finally set the man free. He got out of his stiff position and stood up only to realize that he was soaked in sweat. He had showered for no reason. I guess I¡¯ll have to take another cold shower. After that, he no longer came to his room. Anastasia got the big bed all to herself, and she rolled all over the bed. It was nearly 4.00AM by the time she woke up on her own. When she opened her eyes, she found herself staring at a decorative chandelier that hung above her. This is definitely not my house. Oh gosh! Chapter 114 Chapter 114 Did he not send me home? Did he bring me to his house instead? Anastasia immediately checked herself to make sure that her clothes were still on. It didn¡¯t seem like it had been taken off, either. She hastily got off the bed to find that her shoes were gone, so she had no choice but to walk barefoot on the clean ground. She nced at the clock beside the bed to see that it was nearly 4.30AM. The skies were still dark outside. Did this man just get me to sleep in his house? What about my son? Is my dad at home with Jared? Anastasia quietly walked down the stairs. There were wall lights that surrounded the whole vi, so it made her feel like she was a lost princess that was walking around in a grand, luxurious castle. Finally, she found her bag on the couch downstairs. She immediately checked her phone to see the text that she had sent her father and her father¡¯s reply. Phew. At least Elliot knew to tell my dad to take care of Jared. Anastasia fixed her messy hair as she thought, I have no choice but to stay here since it¡¯s now the middle of the night. Hmm¡­ The room I was in earlier seemed like the master bedroom. Then where did Elliot sleep? She figured that she would tour his house since he was asleep. When she went up to the second floor, she suddenly realized that there was a room with its lights turned on. She wanted to ask him why he brought her home, so she quietly turned the doorknob to push the door open. She found herself in a study room, where a man was sleeping on the couch with his head resting on his arm. Anastasia froze. Is he actually sleeping on the couch? On top of that¡­ He¡¯s just wearing sweatpants. She was so shocked that her hand slipped off the doorknob. A loud bang sounded as the door moved back and hit against the door stopper. She immediately pped her hand over her mouth-aical gesture considering that it didn¡¯t serve any purpose. The man¡¯s thickshes fluttered before he opened his eyes. Even though he had been awakened from his sleep, he had the same mesmerizing look in his eyes. He curled his lips into a smirk as he stared at the woman by the door while sitting upright. ¡°Are you awake?¡± He narrowed his eyes as he smiled. She felt rather bad for waking him up, but she proceeded with the question she had for him. ¡°Why did you bring me to your ce? You should¡¯ve sent me home.¡±Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Do you have any idea how bad you look when you¡¯re drunk? What would Jared think if he saw his mother getting drunk like that?¡± He didn¡¯t bother to sugarcoat his words. She immediately knitted her brows into a frown. Did I go crazy after getting drunk? Fine. I guess I agree with what he said. It¡¯s true that my son shouldn¡¯t see me like that. She tugged on the door to close it as she spoke to Elliot. ¡°You can continue sleeping! I won¡¯t disturb you anymore.¡± Then, she shut the door before walking down the corridor. She was going to wait in the hall until sunrise. Since she woke him up, Elliot no longer felt like sleeping. He returned to his room and washed up before putting on some clothes and walking over to the hall. Anastasia had gone to the fridge to get herself a drink, and she was just feeling rather creeped out by therge hall when she heard footstepsing from behind. She instantly spun her head around to find the man with one hand stuck into his pocket. He strolled over with azy look on his face. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to sleep?¡± she asked while looking at him. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep anymore,¡± he replied tly. Then, he walked over to the fridge to grab himself a bottle of beer. He sipped on it as he walked back to her. She felt nauseous just at the sight of alcohol. ¡°Why are you drinking in the middle of the night? It¡¯s not good for your stomach,¡± she uttered in a confused tone. ¡°Do you care about me that much?¡± He sat on the couch beside her and gave her a faint smile. ¡°I don¡¯t care about you; I¡¯m caring about myself. I¡¯m afraid that you might get horny after you¡¯re drunk.¡± Anastasia didn¡¯t bother to be nice to him either. The man had a history of doing such things, after all. He let out a scoff as he couldn¡¯t believe what the woman just said about him. ¡°Are you that confident about my interest in you?¡± He put on an offended expression. Chapter 115 Chapter 115 Chapter 115 Anastasia let out a scoff. ¡°You guys are interested as long as it¡¯s a woman.¡± Elliot eyed her without saying anything. He didn¡¯t agree with her since she was the only woman he was interested in. ¡°Your dad will take good care of Jared. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Elliot tried tofort her¨Che assumed that she hadn¡¯t read the text. ¡°I saw the text. I don¡¯t want you messing with my phone in the future, and I don¡¯t want you to reply to my texts. Do you think I don¡¯t know that you were the one who replied to Nigel¡¯s text?¡± she uttered in an edgy tone. Elliot¡¯s face darkened all of a sudden; he looked almost like an ice sculpture for a moment. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare mess around with Nigel¡¯s feelings for you, Anastasia!¡± She raised an eyebrow beforeughing. ¡°What makes you think I¡¯m messing around with his feelings? There are tons of rtionships that start off as friendships. We¡¯re friends now, but who knows what might happen in the future, right?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Elliot asked through gritted teeth. ¡°I mean that our rtionship is still in development. It¡¯s not about me fooling around with his feelings, okay?¡± she replied in a calm tone. Then, she intentionally added another statement to provoke him. ¡°Honestly, I think Nigel¡¯s a good fit as Jared¡¯s dad. He¡¯s really nice to Jared. If fate allows us to be together, perhaps our rtionship might blossom someday,¡± she uttered. ¡°Are you the kind of girl who sleeps around? How could you reciprocate Nigel¡¯s attraction toward you while also maintaining such an unclear rtionship with me? It seems like you¡¯re just someone who can¡¯t remain stable in life,¡± Elliotmented in a sarcastic and irritated tone. This made her feel rather annoyed. How could he say that I¡¯m someone who sleeps around with others? ¡°I can say the same about you, then! You¡¯re receptive to Hayley¡¯s admiration for you while you¡¯re also having this unclear rtionship with me. We¡¯re not that different, you know?¡± The man was silent for a moment, and all he could do was re at Anastasia. ¡°Are you saying that you might fall for Nigel and marry him someday? Are you going to pick him to be Jared¡¯s father?¡± ElliotContent ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. narrowed his eyes to form a sharp gaze that looked like it could slice through walls. She couldn¡¯t help but avoid his res. ¡°Maybe,¡± she muttered in the most casual tone she could muster. His expression stiffened for a moment, and his face looked like it had been frozen in ce. He seemed like a perfect ice sculpture at that moment. For some reason, Anastasia felt like the man was angry and unhappy at what she just said. This made her realize something. Soon after that, she let out a mockingugh. ¡°You aren¡¯t jealous, are you, Elliot? Are you secretly in love with me?¡± Elliot felt a piercing rage that shot through his body, but he maintained the same cold look on his face. Anastasia curled her lips into a smug smile. ¡°Don¡¯t fall in love with me-we¡¯d never get a happy ending because I¡¯d never fall in love with you,¡± she stated. All of a sudden, Elliot got to his feet. He seemed especially domineering as he towered over her, and she sat upright in fear. ¡°W-What are you trying to do?¡± ¡°This is my house, Anastasia. Why are you acting all stuck-up and cocky here?¡± He shot her a cold and sharp re. She felt like she was facing the devil himself-he gave off a beast-like viciousness as he spoke. Wait. Did I trigger him? she thought. ¡°I take back whatever I said, Elliot. Just¡­ pretend I never said it¡­¡± She quickly gave in, and she tried to escape the hall after finishing her sentence. ¡°It¡¯s toote.¡± The man scoffed as he pulled the woman into his arms just before she could scurry off. Anastasia¡¯s instinct was to wrestle and push him away, and both of them fell onto the couch when the man failed to hold onto her firmly. At this point, Anastasia could no longer escape-the man¡¯s muscr body was like a huge that trapped her in it. ¡°Elliot¡­ You¡­¡± Her warning was caught in her throat as the man pressed his lips against hers. He was desperate to give her lips a punishment as she had made too many infuriating statements today. Anastasia tried to protest with her res as she stared into his stunning eyes. However, all she saw was the passion that Elliot had for her. She had no choice but to shut her eyes. All of her senses were stimted by the man, and Anastasia could feel herself loosening up to him, perhaps because she was also under the influence of alcohol. She was shocked by her own feelings. Chapter 116 Chapter 116 Chapter 116 The more Anastasia felt like she physically desired him, the more she felt anxiety rushing up in her chest. How could I be interested in Hayley¡¯s man? Anastasia couldn¡¯t push him away, so she had no choice but to wriggle her way out of his grip. He panted slightly as he held her arms up above her head. He was rather frustrated by her resistance. ¡°Don¡¯t you like this, Anastasia?¡± ¡°What should I like about it? Would you like to get kissed forcefully?¡± Anastasia pushed him off of her angrily. ¡°Stop touching me. I¡¯ll call the police if you do it again.¡± Elliot narrowed his eyes. I clearly felt her body embracing my touch earlier. I¡¯m sure she has feelings for me. However, Anastasia had a distinct, threatening look in her eyes. ¡°Where¡¯s the guest room? I¡¯d like to nap for a while more,¡± she told him. ¡°You can sleep in the master bedroom,¡± he replied. ¡°I don¡¯t want to sleep on your bed,¡± she said in a disdainful tone. Elliot was annoyed at her seemingly endless requests. ¡°There are guest rooms on the third floor. You can pick one for yourself.¡± After that, Anastasia took her bag and her phone up to the third floor, where she chose a guest room and locked the door before lying down on the bed. For some reason, she couldn¡¯t stop thinking about what had happened earlier. Am I secretly a masochist? Do I actually want him to do things to me? She patted herself on her head to stop herself from overthinking. She decided that she would leave the house first thing in the morning. Anastasia set an rm clock for 7.30AM, and she rubbed her half-opened eyes while getting out of bed when the sun came up. After washing her face with some water, she brought her bag down. She didn¡¯t want to trouble Elliot anymore, so she decided to leave on her own. When she stepped out of the vi, she was too dumbfounded to move for a moment. The residence was located on top of a hill, and it was nearly a 4-mile-walk for her to reach the foot of the hill. She would have to walk for one hour! Right when she decided to start her long trip down the hill, she heard the metal doors opening behind her, and a ck car slowly made its way out of the house. Since when did he wake up? Anastasia was stunned when Elliot rolled the window down. ¡°Get in,¡± he uttered without looking at her. Anastasia didn¡¯t want to get in the car when she sensed the icy, arrogant aura he gave off. However, when she thought about the one-hour walk down the hill, she bit her lip and forced herself to get in the car. His car sped down the hill, and she felt as if her heart were about to leap out of her chest. Does he think he¡¯s steering a ne? When they got to the main road at the bottom of the hill, Anastasia tried to stop the man. ¡°You can drop me here, President Presgrave.¡± However, the man didn¡¯t stop driving-he continued on the road that led them to her house. She could tell that he intended to send her home, so she had no choice but to remain in the car. When they got to her housing area, she thanked him politely before getting out of the car and walking toward the entrance of her residential unit. She had just gotten to her front door when she bumped into her father and son, walking hand-in-hand. Jared was neatly dressed in his school uniform, and the young kid was pleased to see her home. ¡°You¡¯re back, Mommy!¡± Francis noticed how sleepy she looked. ¡°You can stay home and get some rest. I¡¯ll send Jared to school,¡± he offered. ¡°Okay. Sorry for troubling you, Dad.¡± Anastasia patted her son on his head. ¡°Be good at school, okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m always good, Mommy.¡± Jared nodded thoughtfully before he held onto his grandfather¡¯s hand and skipped his way to the elevator. Jared was happy to spend time with his grandfather as it wasn¡¯t something he could do every day. After Anastasia got home, she felt all the tension leaving her body. She flung herself onto the couch before texting Felicia to ask for the first half of her day off. She decided that she would get some rest before going into the office in the afternoon. It was 11.00AM when a phone call woke her up from her nap. ¡°Hello?¡± she replied in a muffled voice. ¡°Are you not feeling well, Anastasia?¡± Nigel asked worriedly. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you at the office, then?¡± he asked. ¡°I took half a day off, so I¡¯m at home now. Is anything the matter?¡± she asked. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you in the afternoon then. You should get some rest. I have a mystery gift waiting for est you,¡± he uttered in a mysterious tone. After she ended the call, she checked to see that it was nearing 11.30AM. So, she hurried off to take a shower before cooking herself some instant noodles for lunch. Chapter 117 Chapter 117 Chapter 117 Anastasia arrived at the office at 2.00PM. She saw her trophy on the shelf when she walked past the hall of her department. For some reason, she still felt like the trophy didn¡¯t belong to her. Did Elliot pull some strings to get me this? He¡¯s the only one who knows the truth, and I can¡¯t do anything if he doesn¡¯t want to admit to anything. A while after she arrived in the office, someone came over and asked for her. A few staff members of some high-endpany that tailor-made evening gowns for their clients were there to see her. They had prepared three different dresses for Anastasia to try on. So, this is the mystery gift that Nigel was talking about earlier, huh? She didn¡¯t know what to feel about it. It was true that Anastasia didn¡¯t have the right formal outfit for such dinner parties, so she decided to ept Nigel¡¯s offer. She picked a ssy-looking gray gown made of silk. It didn¡¯t look too shy nor too simple-it fit what she was looking for. ¡°Hello. Can I know the price of this dress?¡± she asked one of the staff members. ¡°Oh! It was not too expensive. It costs about 10,000,¡± the person replied. She narrowed her eyes when she heard the answer. Is it really that cheap? This silk looks really expensive! Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. After the staff members left her office, the three of them let out a long sigh as they got into the elevator. Thisdy¡¯s boyfriend loves her so much! He forced us to say that this dress is worth 10,000 when it¡¯s actually worth 1 million. Is he afraid that she wouldn¡¯t ept his gift otherwise? Soon enough, Anastasia received a call from Nigel to check if she had taken the evening gown. ¡°Thank you for preparing this outfit for me, Nigel. That was really thoughtful of you,¡± she uttered. ¡°It¡¯s no worries at all. This is my grandmother¡¯s dinner party, so I hope that you enjoy it as well. Also, I¡¯m looking for a ce in the building opposite your office. My new office will be located there if everything goes as nned,¡± he uttered. Anastasia immediately got up to stare out of her window. There was a new building that had only been completed a while ago. ¡°You can do whatever you want since you¡¯re rich,¡± she replied in a yful tone. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll see you at dinner tomorrow night. I can¡¯t wait to see how stunning you look in your dress.¡± Nigel sounded like he was busy with other things. ¡°Okay! You go on with your work, then!¡± Anastasia didn¡¯t want to bother him, and she was busy with her own duties as well. Meanwhile, Nigel stepped out of the building opposite Anastasia¡¯s office after he ended the call. He took a look at his wristwatch before he realized that there was one more thing he had yet to do. He immediately hurried over to the most high-end mall in the city center. This was the only mall that sold all of the international jewelry brands, and he wanted to pick a diamond ring that fitted his taste. He was going to use it for his proposal. Elliot arrived at Presgrave Group for work that morning. He stood in front of hisrge window, dressed in a simple white shirt and straight-fitting cks. His aura fit his role as the leader of apany. Right then, Daniel knocked on the door before greeting Elliot politely. ¡°I¡¯ve arranged your dinner with the president of Benson Corporation,¡± Daniel said. ¡°Okay!¡± Elliot nodded. Then, Daniel lowered his gaze for a while. He didn¡¯t dare to look Elliot in the eye after what he had done with Hayley that night. Although Daniel hadn¡¯t done it voluntarily, he still felt bad when he thought about Hayley and Elliot¡¯s rtionship. Elliot nced at his wristwatch. He had intended to pay a visit to the Bourgeois Jewelry Atelier, but he didn¡¯t have any time left as he had a client to meet in 30 minutes. Since when did I start thinking about this woman? I used to only think about work. Nowadays, I¡¯m even thinking of her adorable son. For some reason, Elliot felt happy just thinking about how he would see her at his grandmother¡¯s dinner the next day. Later that night, Anastasia had a good sleep with Jared in her arms. She knew that Jared enjoyed being with his grandfather, so she figured that she would get Francis to stay with Jared for another night during the charity dinner she had the next day. The charity dinner was hosted on a Friday in a seven-star hotel in the city center. Many important people from various industries had been invited, and many of them felt honored to receive an invitation. That afternoon, Anastasia was still busy working on her drafts in the office. She had already informed her dad that she would need him to care for Jared that night. She had just gotten into work when herndline began to ring. ¡°Hello?¡± She picked the call up. ¡°Do you need me to pick you up for the dinner party?¡± A man¡¯s deep voice came from the other end. She rejected him without thinking twice. ¡°No, thanks.¡± Chapter 118 Chapter 118 Chapter 118 ¡°Do you have a car?¡± Elliot asked. ¡°I¡¯ll call a cab,¡± she replied. ¡°The roads will be closed, so cabs won¡¯t be able to get in,¡± he exined. She frowned before answering in a firm tone, ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just walk over to the hotel.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a woman as stubborn as you,¡± he uttered in a grumpy tone. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve met me now. I¡¯ll end the call now. I¡¯m busy.¡± She ended the call right after finishing her sentence. She was probably the only one who dared to speak to the president in such a tone. Even those in Presgrave Group wouldn¡¯t dare to speak to him in such an impolite manner. Meanwhile, the man wore a dark look on his face after Anastasia hung up his call. I really don¡¯t know what to do with this woman. It¡¯s hard for me to gain control over her, but that only makes me more interested in achieving this. It¡¯s like I¡¯m challenging myself to conquer someone who can¡¯t be conquered. Anastasia got off work 30 minutes earlier, and she brought her evening gown home before pulling her makeup pouch out. She decided to put on some makeup since she hadn¡¯t used her skills in a while. At the same time, someone else was also getting ready for the dinner party. The more Hayley thought about Harriet looking down on her, the more Hayley was filled with resentment. This drove Hayley to attend the dinner party tonight. She couldn¡¯t just go up to Elliot, so she had to pretend that she had just shown up at the event somehow. After thinking about it for a while more, she came up with a proper n. At 7.30PM, she would pretend that she needed to see Elliot for an emergency. That would exin why she ended up at the dinner party. She had picked out a dress and put on makeup for the night, so all she had to do now was wait. The sun had just started going down when Anastasia got ready to leave her house. Someone rang her doorbell just before she headed out. She was shocked as she wasn¡¯t expecting anyone at that hour. The moment she opened the door, she saw a bouquet of roses covering a man¡¯s face. The very next second, the man moved the roses away to show his bright, handsome smile. ¡°What are you doing here, Nigel?¡± She stared at him in shock. ¡°I¡¯m here to pick you up for the dinner party, of course. I can¡¯t let my beautiful woman go to the party in a cab, can I?¡± he replied. ¡°How did you know I was going to get a cab?¡± Anastasia gave him a sheepish smile. ¡°You love saving money, so I don¡¯t think you¡¯d hire a private car for the night, would you?¡± Nigel knew her well. I guess I can save on my cab fees since he¡¯s here to pick me up, she thought. ¡°Why did you bring flowers?¡± She was a little more taken aback by the way he had presented her with the roses. ¡°I feel like giving you flowers every time I see you,¡± he replied. ¡°Mr. Nigel!¡± Jared ran out when he heard Nigel¡¯s voice. Nigel handed the flowers over to Jared. ¡°Here, Jared. Bring these flowers in. I¡¯ll bring your mommy out for a dinner party now.¡± Jared happily carried the flowers back into the house while Anastasia shut the door and left with Nigel. While they were in the elevator, Nigel couldn¡¯t help but nce at her outfit. She looked especially elegant in her gray silk dress. It brought out her curves and enhanced her figure, making her look extremely stunning. ¡°It fits you really well,¡± Nigel eximed. He was the one who hand-picked all three of the outfits, and he had a feeling that she would choose the ash gray one. ¡°I bet this dress costs more than 10,000, right? Don¡¯t lie to me!¡± Anastasia knew that the staff member had lied to her earlier, and she was certain that it was Nigel¡¯s instructions. ¡°The price of the dress doesn¡¯t matter as long as it looks good on you,¡± he replied. As he stepped out of the elevator, he casually slipped his hand into hers. ¡°Tonight¡¯s an important night, so we shouldn¡¯t be late.¡± Anastasia didn¡¯t know what to do after he held her hand, so she simply allowed him to lead her out of her residential area. His shy sports car was parked at the entrance of her residential area, and both of them stepped out of the building looking like they were a prince and princess prepared for a party. Many passersby nced in their direction as they walked. However, at that very moment, a ck Rolls-Royce Phantom appeared from the other side of the road.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. The man inside the ck car happened to see the man and woman walking out while holding hands. Nigel held the door open for Anastasia, and she got in the passenger¡¯s seat elegantly. Then, Nigel walked around the front of the car to get in the driver¡¯s seat. Chapter 119 Chapter 119 Chapter 119 Nigel shifted his gaze to the road after he got in the car. At that moment, he caught sight of a ck car in his rearview mirror. The car was quite some distance away, but he could tell that it was his cousin¡¯s car. I¡¯m d I got here before him, Nigel thought. I want Elliot to witness my rtionship with Anastasia so that he¡¯ll know he doesn¡¯t have a chance. Tonight, I¡¯m going to use my actions to show Elliot that Anastasia belongs to me. The sports car sped down the road while the man in the ck car red into the distance with a dark look in his eyes. No one could tell what was going on in his mind. Elliot felt a surge of anger bubbling in him as he thought about how the woman had rejected him so firmly. It turns out it was because she had already told someone else to pick her up, he thought. Anastasia didn¡¯t notice that someone else hade over to pick her up as she was distracted by other thoughts in her mind. Is Hayley going to be there? If she¡¯s going to be there, then I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll stay for long. Since Elliot and Hayley used to have a thing, perhaps Old Madam Presgrave might prefer Hayley to be Elliot¡¯s wife. She didn¡¯t know why she was troubling herself with all these pointless thoughts. While they were on the way to the dinner, Nigel told her his ideas about his office design, and he got some of her opinions. When she heard that it cost Nigel more than 50,000 to rent his office each month, she was utterly speechless! I hate rich people! ¡°Can you try saving up some of your dad¡¯s money?¡± she asked in a concerned tone. He immediately burst intoughter. ¡°I¡¯m only spending so much because I know I have the ability to earn it back! Don¡¯t worry about me, Anastasia!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t even earn your one month¡¯s worth of rent in one year,¡± she replied. Then, she thought about the 1 million that she had won. She still felt rather uneasy about taking the money. ¡°You can always ask me if you need any money,¡± Nigel told her in a sincere tone. ¡°I don¡¯t need money. I have enough to spend on myself,¡± she replied with a smile. She could always adjust her lifestyle to fit her monthly ie. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Finally, they arrived at the hotel for the charity dinner. The hotel belonged to the Mansons, and it looked extremely luxurious and exclusive. That was when Anastasia understood how rich Nigel truly was. When he got out of the car, he bumped into his father¡¯s assistant. ¡°Your dad is asking you to greet the guests, Young Master Nigel!¡± the assistant said. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go say hello to them. Can you bring thisdy over to the hall?¡± Nigel asked the assistant. ¡°Sure. Please follow me, Miss,¡± the assistant replied. ¡°I¡¯lle over to you in a while, Anastasia. You can go up to have some food first,¡± Nigel said. ¡°Okay!¡± She nodded. About ten minutester, a tall,nky man walked into the hotel with a confident and elegant stride. He looked especially respectable in his formal ck suit. ¡°You¡¯re here, Young Master Elliot. Pleasee in.¡± The hotel manager jogged over to greet him. ¡°Go on with your duties! You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡± Elliot waved the manager off before he walked over to the elevator. The hall looked like it could fit about 500 people. I¡¯m really getting exposed to a whole new world today, Anastasia thought. There are people from all kinds of industries. The Presgrave Family sure is powerful! Anastasia held a ss of red wine in her hand. She felt rather self-conscious since she didn¡¯t match the standards of the other guests there, and she had just been looking around her when she nearly bumped into someone behind her. ¡°Ah!¡± She cried before stumbling backward and looking up. What¡¯s he doing here? The person she had bumped into was Elliot! ¡°Apologize.¡± He shot her an icy re. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she uttered hastily. She could feel an icy auraing from him as he walked past her, and she bit her lip as she thought, What¡¯s up with him tonight? Is he trying to act like he doesn¡¯t know me? Fine. There¡¯s no need for me to pretend to be close to him now I don¡¯t want any unnecessary troubles. Right then, two girls let out a loud cry from beside her. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s Young Master Elliot! He¡¯s so handsome!¡± one said. ¡°I know, right? He¡¯s every girl¡¯s ideal type, after all.¡± another girl said. Anastasia blinked confusedly. Is Elliot that attractive? Everyone¡¯s ideal type, huh? Little do they know that Elliot¡¯s actually made up of ice. Anastasia was starting to get hungry, so she walked over to help herself to some of the buffet dishes. All of the food looked good, and Anastasia filled her te with a bunch of her favorite dishes as she continued thinking about the party. I bet Old Madam Presgrave is going to be busy tonight since she has so many guests to greet. I have to see her before I leave. Chapter 120 Chapter 120 Chapter 120 So, until I get to meet Old Madam Presgrave, I¡¯U take my time to eat up all the food here. I can spend as much time as I want since Dad is taking care of Jared, Anastasia thought. There was another sports car outside the hotel-it was Hayley¡¯s ride to the event. She had put effort into her outfit, and she hade up with a good idea of what to do. Sh¨¨ strutted over to the main lobby. There was a checkpoint where staff members were to check for the guests! invitation cards at the entrance, but Hayley walked in without stopping by. A female security guard hastily stepped forward with a smile. ¡°Please show me your invitation card, Miss. Thank you.¡± Hayley instantly raised her eyebrow before speaking in a haughty tone. ¡°Do I need an invitation? My boyfriend didn¡¯t tell me anything about that!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s your boyfriend?¡± the security asked. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°My boyfriend¡¯s Elliot, the young master of the Presgrave Family,¡± she replied in a firm and loud tone. Suddenly, the hotel manager, who had been standing beside the security guard, hurried over. ¡°Hello, Miss. I¡¯m the hotel manager. Are you President Presgrave¡¯s girlfriend?¡± ¡°Yeah! My name¡¯s Hayley. Isn¡¯t Old Madam Presgrave¡¯s dinner party happening tonight? I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know I needed any invitation cards. Can you just let me enter?¡± she uttered in an innocent tone. Right then, Daniel, who had alreadye to an earlier agreement with Hayley, put on a worried expression as he hurried over to Elliot, who was chit-chatting with a few seniors. ¡°Miss Seymour is here, President Presgrave. She¡¯s being stopped at the main lobby.¡± Elliot knitted his brows together while holding onto his ss of wine. ¡°What¡¯s she doing here? Did you tell her toe?¡± ¡°Yeah! I mentioned the party when I delivered some of her daily necessities to her yesterday, President Presgrave. Did I say something wrong?¡± Daniel replied. Elliot couldn¡¯t say that his grandmother hadn¡¯t invited Hayley. However, since Daniel had already brought up the party, Elliot had no choice but to bring Hayley in. ¡°I want you to go down and bring her up,¡± Elliot ordered. Daniel quickly put on a flustered expression. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, President Presgrave.¡± Elliot only gave him a side-eye without saying much. Daniel might have been a little too much of a busybody this time, so Elliot had no choice but to ask Hayley toe up. Daniel hurried over to the main lobby before approaching the hotel manager, who had been talking to Hayley. ¡°Excuse me. Miss Seymour is one of President Presgrave¡¯s VIP guests. This was a mistake on thepany¡¯s end-we missed out on her invitation card!¡± The hotel manager knew that Daniel was Elliot¡¯s assistant, so the hotel manager quickly turned to Hayley with an apologetic look on his face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the mistake, Miss Seymour. Pleasee in.¡± Hayley put on a haughty expression as she gave the female security guard a disdainful re. ¡°Is this how you guys do your job? You totally ruined my mood.¡± Then, she allowed Daniel to lead her into the elevator. Daniel felt cold sweat forming on his forehead once they made it there. Hayley loved it when people provided her with special treatment, so she gave Daniel a satisfied look. ¡°That was quite good. Elliot didn¡¯t say much, did he?¡± ¡°President Presgrave was a little shocked, but he didn¡¯t say much,¡± Daniel replied. Hayley let out a scoff as she thought, It¡¯s just as I had expected. It was Old Madam Presgrave, not Elliot, who didn¡¯t want to invite me. After this event, Hayley developed a sense of hatred toward Harriet as she felt hurt by Harriet¡¯s actions. Anastasia¡¯s going to be here tonight, so I have to seize this opportunity to show her how sweet I am with Elliot. Also, from tonight onward, I want everyone to know that I¡¯m Elliot¡¯s girlfriend. I bet that will piss the old woman off. Daniel brought Hayley over to Elliot. Many of the guests there were extremely wealthy people with high statuses, yet Elliot still seemed to stand out in the crowd. It seemed like the people around him were just props and backdrops that served to enhance his presence. His aura was too strong for others to steal his spotlight away-it was almost as if the light followed him wherever he went. Hayley felt herself going head over heels as she stared at him longingly. She admired him, and she wished she could have him all to herself. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Elliot. Should I have stayed home instead?¡± She gazed at him with an innocent and flustered look on her face. He curled his lips into a smile. ¡°The HR department missed out on your invitation card. It¡¯s fine. My grandma¡¯s the one hosting this charity dinner, so you should just enjoy yourself tonight!¡± Chapter 121 Chapter 121 Chapter 121 Hayley finally felt a little safer. My scheme worked perfectly, and I managed to enter without having to sneak in. ¡°This is my first timeing to a ce like this, and I don¡¯t know anyone. Can I stay with you, Elliot?¡± Hayley knew that the most eye-catching spot she could take would be the one beside Elliot, which would make her his female partner. She wanted to stay by his side so that other women wouldn¡¯t get a chance with him. Elliot knew that Hayley grew up in a regr family, and he knew that she wasn¡¯t familiar with such ces. ¡°Okay. Bring a drink over, and you can stay with me,¡± he said with a nod. ¡°Okay!¡± Hayley walked off happily. She nced at her surroundings in search of Anastasia, but she couldn¡¯t find her anywhere as there were too many guests. Meanwhile, Anastasia was sitting by a window seat near the buffet area. Right then, a male guest who was in his thirties walked over and sat next to Anastasia. ¡°Hey there. I don¡¯t have a spot to sit, so can I sit here?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Anastasia looked up and smiled. The man¡¯s eyes lit up the moment he saw her smile-he had noticed her gorgeous figure earlier, and he could tell that she was a prettydy. However, he was immediately blown away when he saw her smiling. The man¡¯s heart pounded as he realized what he wanted to do-he wanted to get to know her and chase after her. ¡°My name is Samuel Stone. And you are?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯m Anastasia Tillman,¡± she replied.. ¡°That¡¯s a really pretty name, Miss Tillman. Are you here alone?¡± he asked. ¡°Yeah! I¡¯m with a friend, but he¡¯s busy now, so I¡¯m alone,¡± she replied. ¡°That¡¯s such a coincidence. I¡¯m the general manager of First World Company, and I¡¯m involved in the asset transaction business.¡± He handed her his name card while speaking. He was considered sessful for his age, and Anastasia eyed him with a surprised look after hearing what he said. ¡°That¡¯s really impressive! You¡¯re already a general manager at such a young age.¡± ¡°You¡¯re being too nice. What do you do, Miss Tillman?¡± Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m a jewelry designer,¡± she replied. ¡°Woah. You must be really talented.¡± Samuel found himself more attracted to her. She wasn¡¯t just a pretty face; she was also a designer. Right then, Anastasia¡¯s phone began to ring. She nced at her phone before picking it up. ¡°Hello, Nigel.¡± ¡°Hey, Anastasia. My Dad¡¯s making me talk to guests, but I promise toe and get you in ten minutes,¡± he uttered. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You should focus on entertaining the guests,¡± Anastasia said in an understanding tone. ¡°Ah! I¡¯m so annoyed, but my dad wants to introduce me to more people. It¡¯s giving me a headache,¡± he grumbled. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t think of it that way! Tons of people would love to have such connections. You should spend time with these guests since they¡¯ll be really helpful for your work.¡± Anastasia tried tofort him. ¡°Yeah. I feel a lot better after listening to your voice. Where are you now?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯m eating at the buffet area,¡± she replied. ¡°Okay. I¡¯lle to look for you in a while,¡± he replied. After Anastasia ended Nigel¡¯s call, she looked up to see a couple walking in. It was Elliot and Hayley. Anastasia narrowed her eyes when she saw Hayley as she hadn¡¯t expected Hayley toe. Furthermore, she hadn¡¯t expected Hayley toe with Elliot. A cold smirk spread across Anastasia¡¯s face as she thought, Hayley¡¯s scheming skills must have improved, huh? She¡¯s good at using maniptive tactics, but she¡¯s even able to apply them to Elliot now. Impressive. Anastasia looked away, and her eyes met Samuel¡¯s. He was staring at her with a look of admiration on his face. She gave him a cheerful smile, and he felt his heart rate doubling instantly. He felt like he was about to get a heart attack. ¡°You¡¯re so pretty, Miss Tillman!¡± he said. ¡°Thank you.¡± She gave him a polite smile. Elliot had walked over with Hayley for a meal, but his focus had been shifted the moment he saw the woman by the window. He narrowed his icy gaze when he saw Anastasia beaming at the man in front of her. They looked like they were having a fun time talking to each other. ¡°Let¡¯s find a spot to sit down, Elliot!¡± Hayley looked around her surroundings, and she immediately caught sight of Anastasia. The table beside Anastasia¡¯s had just gotten up to leave, so Hayley quickly grabbed Elliot¡¯s arm and led him over. ¡°There¡¯s a spot there,¡± she uttered daringly. Chapter 122 Chapter 122 Chapter 122 Elliot¡¯s arm tensed for a moment, but he didn¡¯t fling the woman¡¯s hand away. He was also interested to take a look at the man in front of Anastasia, who had made herugh so heartily. The moment Anastasia looked up, she saw Elliot and Hayley walking in her direction. She then realized that the table next to her had just been cleared. They¡¯re not going to sit here, are they? Hayley shot Anastasia a smug look when she walked over and pretended to greet her. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were here, Anastasia!¡± Anastasia gave Hayley a cold re before turning her head to face the window. She didn¡¯t bother being nice to Hayley as she saw no point in it. Hayley could only settle in her seat with a bitter smile on her face. Meanwhile, Elliot took his seat opposite Hayley. The position of his seat allowed him to stare directly at Anastasia¡¯s face. He took a nce at the man opposite her as he thought, I don¡¯t know who this guy is. That means that he¡¯s probably just some regr person. ¡°Mypany¡¯s really near to yours, Miss Tillman! It¡¯s just two streets away. I¡¯ll have to buy you lunch and coffee next time!¡± Samuel¡¯s gaze remained on Anastasia the whole time, and he didn¡¯t notice the icy re that was boring into the back of his head. Anastasia ran her fingers through her hair as she put on a shy smile. ¡°Sure! We can grab coffee when we¡¯re free. Since you¡¯re such an impressive individual, I bet I can learn some investment rted things from you,¡± she uttered. some ¡°I do have some achievements in that field, so I¡¯d dly teach you some tricks,¡± Samuel replied in a confident tone. He was secretly pleased when he noticed how Anastasia seemed to have a better impression of him after he talked about his career. ¡°Let¡¯s get some food, Elliot!¡± Hayley said. ¡°You go ahead. I need to make a call,¡± Elliot replied while staying put in his seat. Hayley had no choice but to go on her own. As she turned to gaze at the man sitting opposite Anastasia, she scoffed. What¡¯s Anastasia¡¯s taste in men like? This guy doesn¡¯t look good at all. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. At the same time, Elliot¡¯s gaze was fixed on the woman sitting at the next table. There was a light hanging from above Anastasia¡¯s head, and her gray evening gown made her skin seem fairer than usual. Her sharp features and her mesmerizing eyes made her seem especially attractive, and her glossy red lips looked extra seductive. Any man who saw her perky, glossy lips would yearn to bite on them. Although Anastasia wasn¡¯t paying any attention to the man beside their table, she could feel him staring at her. What¡¯s he looking at? Doesn¡¯t he already have Hayley with him? she scoffed silently. While Samuel lowered his head to drink water, Anastasia took the opportunity to roll her eyes at Elliot before ring at him. Elliot¡¯s confused eyes met her eyes, and he felt a surge of inexplicable emotions in his chest. Anastasia smiles in such a happy manner when she¡¯s with this man, yet she has never smiled at me like that before. Why? Don¡¯t I deserve her smiles? These thoughts made Elliot more frustrated than before. As he watched Anastasia continuing to engage in conversation with the other man, Elliot felt like he couldn¡¯t handle it anymore. In the end, he stood up and walked to Samuel. ¡°Excuse me, sir. I need this seat for a while as there are some work-rted things I¡¯d like to discuss with my staff.¡± Samuel felt rather annoyed. Which brat¡¯s trying to mess with my attempt at chasing after Anastasia? The moment Samuel turned around, he was utterly shocked by what he saw. Isn¡¯t this the young master of the Presgrave Group? ¡°P-Please sit down, President Presgrave.¡± Samuel moved at the speed of lightning as he gestured for Elliot to sit. Then, Samuel realized¡­ Does Anastasia work for Elliot? Anastasia stared at the man in a rather troubled manner. ¡°I¡¯m not at work right now, President Presgrave. Let¡¯s talk about work during work hours,¡± she uttered coldly. ¡°I think talking about work is better than chatting with this boring man here.¡± Elliot had instantly attacked Samuel¡¯s personality by calling him a boring man. Samuel was speechless for two seconds before he put on a polite smile. ¡°You¡¯re right, President Presgrave. I¡¯m a rather naggy person who likes to have conversations on useless topics,¡± he exined. Anastasia didn¡¯t know how to respond as she stared at Elliot. ¡°This might be the first time I¡¯ve seen someone talk so rudely about others in front of their face,¡± she muttered. ¡°Did I say anything wrong?¡± Elliot raised an eyebrow in a cocky manner. He¡¯s right that Samuel brags, but I¡¯m willing to listen to him! I¡¯d rather listen to Samuel than Elliot! Anastasia thought. ¡°I like it when others brag. Do you have the ability to do that, President Presgrave? Why don¡¯t you try it?¡± Anastasia said in a provoking manner. Chapter 123 Chapter 123 Chapter 123 The man¡¯s expression dimmed as his lips twitched a little. ¡°No;¡± he muttered. Anastasia let out a scoff. ¡°I¡¯m afraid someone as in and normal as me will never be able to converse with someone as high and mighty as you.¡± After finishing her sentence, Anastasia picked her bag up and walked away. Coincidentally, Hayley was walking over with some tes of food. The moment Hayley saw Anastasia walking in her direction, Hayley intentionally leaned closer to Anastasia so that she could allow herself to be hit by Anastasia¡¯s shoulder. Then, Hayley started her grand performance. She threw her te onto the ground as she stumbled and clutched the table beside her. ¡°Ah¡­¡± she let out a weak cry. Elliot had his back against them at first, but he immediately turned around when he heard the sound of ss shattering. The moment he turned, he saw Hayley clutching a chair, Anastasia looking back while scoffing, and ss shattered all over the ground. Anastasia didn¡¯t bother to take a second look at the situation and simply walked off. Hayley quickly bent down to pick up the shattered ss pieces, but the man stopped her. ¡°Don¡¯t pick that up! You might cut yourself. Get the servers to do it!¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Hayley had done that on purpose-she knew that Elliot wouldn¡¯t watch her pick up the ss shards without saying anything, ¡°What a waste,¡± she muttered as she put on a mournful look. As she spoke, she rubbed her shoulder. ¡°Did she hurt you?¡± Elliot asked in a caring tone. ¡°It¡¯s not her fault. I don¡¯t me her for anything.¡± Hayley bit her lip as if she were trying to force herself to endure all the ways in which she had been wronged. This would make it seem like Anastasia was the rude, demanding one. A rather troubled look shed across Elliot¡¯s face. For some reason, he felt rather exasperated at Anastasia¡¯s behavior-he didn¡¯t want her to be such a rude person. Anastasia clearly knew that Hayley was putting on an act, but she didn¡¯t want to do anything about it. Elliot¡¯s blind, so he won¡¯t be able to realize anything on his own. I don¡¯t want to be the person to tell him any of this, she thought. Meanwhile, Nigel and his parents were still in the VIP room. Nigel¡¯s parents were introducing him to a few other senior figures in the business industry. They hoped that these seniors would provide their son with more guidance and support in the future. After Nigel clinked sses and introduced himself to all of them, he finally got the chance to sneak out to the grand hall. He only looked around for a few moments before he found the attractive, curvy figure he had been looking for in the crowd. At the same time, Elliot strode out from the buffet area. Nigel caught sight of him almost immediately, and Nigel intentionally walked over to Anastasia before putting his arm around her waist. ¡°Did you miss me?¡± he asked in an intimate tone. Anastasia jumped a little before she turned to see Nigel. ¡°You scared me!¡± she chuckled. Nigel then leaned closer to whisper into Anastasia¡¯s ear. However, from Elliot¡¯s angle, it looked more like Nigel was giving Anastasia a kiss on the cheek. ¡°You¡¯re so gorgeous tonight, Anastasia,¡± Nigel whispered into her ear before smiling while letting go of her. But in Elliot¡¯s eyes, he was certain that he had just witnessed Nigel kissing Anastasia in front of everyone. Furthermore, Anastasia just let out a smile as if she enjoyed his kiss a lot. Elliot¡¯s entire face stiffened after he witnessed this scene, and he immediately turned and walked in a different direction after that. Nigel watched his cousin walk away, and he let out a soft sigh as he thought, It seems like my little n worked out! Anastasia had no idea what was going on, and Nigel quickly held her hand before leading her aside. ¡°Hey, let¡¯s go to get some rest in one of the rooms on the second floor. There are too many people here; it¡¯s a little noisy.¡± Anastasia had no choice but to go up to the second floor with him since he was holding her. As they walked up the stairs, a few men who had been drinking bumped into them, which made Nigel more annoyed than before. Once they got to the rooms on the second floor, Nigel told the waiter to send them some fruits. Then, hezily loosened his tie while leaning back in his chair. He was dressed in a light blue suit and had his hair waxed andbed up. He looked especially handsome that day-he gave off a boyish, cool yet elegant aura. Unfortunately, Anastasia only saw this handsome man as her good friend and nothing more than that. For the past two years, Anastasia only ever thought of him as a good friend. She couldn¡¯t date someone she knew too well. Chapter 124 Chapter 124 Chapter 124 However, Nigel held a strong sense of determination in this matter-he wanted to marry Anastasia, and he wanted her as his wife. He wanted to care for her, and he wanted to surrender his whole life to her. Nigel told Anastasia all about the guests he had met earlier-many of them were huge tycoons that he wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to meet if it weren¡¯t for the charity dinner. ¡°But I got so bored,¡± Nigel muttered with a sigh. He smiled when he saw the bracelet on her hand. ¡°Are you finally wearing what I gave you?¡± She gazed at the bracelet. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m the one who designed this.¡± Nigel had purchased a bracelet from her, and he had gifted it to her on the day that he received it. Anastasia had been speechless-she didn¡¯t want to take it but Nigel had insisted, so she had no choice but to ept his gift in the end. Right then, Nigel¡¯s phone rang. ¡°Hello? Dad.¡± ¡°Hey, Nigel. Johnson and his family are here. Come over and help me out,¡± Nigel¡¯s dad ordered. ¡°Can I stay with my friend for a while, Dad?¡± Nigel asked. ¡°You can go off with your friendter, Nigel. You have to show more respect to your seniors. Hurry over now.¡± His father¡¯s voice sounded sterner this time. ¡°Dad, I¡­¡± Nigel was helpless. It seemed like his dad wasn¡¯t about to let him go off so easily. ¡°Go on! We can meet anytime,¡± Anastasia urged with a smile on her face. ¡°Okay. Wait for me here, and I¡¯lle back to you once I¡¯m done,¡± Nigel replied. That was exactly what Anastasia wanted to do-she had no intention of leaving when she had just found such a luxurious room where she could rest in. After Nigel left, Anastasia picked up a cup of fruit tea and sipped on it while she pulled her phone out to scroll through the news. It had only been two minutes before someone opened the door to the room. She looked up in surprise. Is Nigel back already? However, she froze when she looked up. The man who entered the room wasn¡¯t Nigel, but Elliot, thest person she wanted to see then ¡°How did you know that I was here?¡± Anastasia eyed him with a rather frustrated look. Elliot straightened his firm and muscr body as he made his way in and shut the door behind him. He sat down on theContent from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. couch in an elegant manner before he turned to look at Anastasia. ¡°Stay away from Nigel,¡± he warned. He wasn¡¯t trying to have a discussion with her, but giving her firm orders instead. Anastasia knew he was about to talk about her rtionship with Nigel again, and she felt rather repulsed by his actions. ¡°Why don¡¯t you think about yourself first, President Presgrave? Nigel and I don¡¯t need you to meddle with our rtionship.¡± Elliot¡¯s gaze darkened as he spoke in a cold tone. ¡°Even if you¡¯ve saved him in the past, I¡¯m sure my uncle and aunt wouldn¡¯t want you as their daughter-inw. I know them better than you do.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Anastasia blinked. ¡°They want a daughter-inw who can match up to their standards.¡± Elliot shot her a cold re that had hints of malice in it. Anastasia knew that she was no match for Nigel, so she genuinely wanted just to be friends with him. She never dared to have other hopes for him. When Elliot saw how she pressed her lips together in silence, he knew that what he said must have hurt her. However, it was also the truth. My uncle and aunt have always had the thought of arranging a marriage for Nigel. Even Grandma talked about thisst week, and I recall hearing that my aunt had already found a rich girl whom they thought was an ideal match. Anastasia let out a seemingly self-deprecating scoff. ¡°I know I¡¯m just a normal person. I don¡¯t need you to remind me of that. I know where I stand,¡± she uttered. He knitted his brows together when he saw the way she was bringing herself down. ¡°I wasn¡¯t looking down on you,¡± he exined. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to think any better of me,¡± she replied tly. Right then, she recalled her memory of Elliot and Hayley walking to the buffet area together, and it made her angry just thinking about it. If he gets closer to Hayley, I hope he¡¯ll stay away from me. I won¡¯t have to feel so bothered by him then. ¡°You need to stay away from Nigel tonight, Anastasia. You don¡¯t know who you might end up. triggering otherwise.¡± Elliot used the same tone to give her another warning. Anastasia stared directly into his eyes with an annoyed look on her face. ¡°Are you done talking?¡± He was genuinely annoyed at Anastasia¡¯s stubborn personality. Can¡¯t she just listen to me for once? Chapter 125 Chapter 125 Chapter 125 Since Elliot didn¡¯t want to leave, Anastasia decided that she would leave instead. She picked her bag up and was about to go when Elliot raised an eyebrow and reached his long arm over to grab her wrist and pull her into his arms. She lost her bnce and immediately fell face-first into his chest. She looked up angrily, only to feel his breath on her face. He stared fixedly at her face, and there was a hint of amusement in his gaze as she tried to push him away. ¡°Don¡¯t mess around with me, Elliot! Let go!¡± ¡°What if I don¡¯t?¡± The man started getting yful with her. She¡¯s the one who made me feel so troubled the whole night, anyway, he thought. I didn¡¯t even have the mental capacity to care about anything other than her during the charity dinner today. She really pushed my buttons this time. ¡°You¡­¡± She continued pushing him away. He was dressed in a white silk shirt, and she could feel his firm muscles against her palm as she pushed him. Elliot wrapped both his arms around her waist and intertwined his fingers to form a firm lock behind her back. She was losing her mind at this point. What is this guy trying to do here? Anyone can push the door open at any time, and my reputation will be ruined if someone sees us like this. The news of me seducing the Presgrave Family¡¯s young master will spread like wildfire then. While she continued to wrestle her way out of his grip, he quietly admired her gorgeous features. His gaze fell on her red lips¡ªthe lipstick she used that day made her look especially pretty as the color made her lips look juicy and full. He could feel his heart fluttering, and he was tempted to know the way that she tasted. All of a sudden, he loosened his grip on her. She thought she would be able to escape then, but the man then held onto her waist and the back of her head. His grip was firm and controlling, and the look in his eyes turned rather dangerous. Frustration bubbled in Anastasia¡¯s chest as the man¡¯s lips moved closer to hers. Right when he was about to force her into a kiss, she raised her right hand to swing it across his face. Smack! The sound of her p was extra loud and crisp in the small room. Momentster, a red p mark appeared on his handsome face. The air seemed to freeze as the man¡¯s gaze grew visibly darker. There was a fiery look in Anastasia¡¯s eyes-she was like a ferocious phoenix that was ring at her prey. ¡°I dare you to kiss me again.¡± She didn¡¯t want him to take advantage of her any longer, and she wanted him to know that she wasn¡¯t someone he could mess with. However, she had just finished her sentence when the man lost his temper. He used all his might to shove her down onto the couch. Then, he climbed on top of her before he leaned forward to press his palm against her nose and red lips. Anastasia couldn¡¯t breathe. This b*stard is suffocating me! Does he want me to p him again? Her right hand was pinned down, so she raised her left hand to do the job. However, the man grabbed her wrist before holding it above her head. Then, he pressed his lips against hers in a fierce, rough manner. She felt as if he were sucking all the energy out of her. Her teeth and lips were chattering! Anastasia felt like she was a kitten who had been dominated by the man¡¯s strength and bodily heat. In the end, the man let go of her. She finally found the strength to scold him then. ¡°You b*stard, Elliot! You¡¯re such a pervert!¡± she cried. But the man simply stood up to leave. After he walked out, she took a few sips of water as she thought about the p she gave him earlier. Why didn¡¯t I hit him a little harder? Well, everyone knows that Young M rder? Well, everyone knows that Young Master Elliot is probably going to be the most popr choice among the rest of the youngdies. Yet, the only woman he tried to kiss gave him arge p on his face. He has probably never felt so ashamed in his whole life. Anastasia was contemting whether to leave the party or not when her phone started ringing. She nced at the caller ID before taking a deep breath and picking it up. ¡°Hello, Old madam Presgrave,¡± she uttered in a serious tone. ¡°Where are you, Anastasia? Why didn¡¯t I see you?¡± Harriet asked. ¡°I¡¯m resting in one of the rooms on the second floor,¡± Anastasia replied. ¡°I¡¯m on the first floor. Hurry over here! I¡¯d like to see you.¡± The old woman spoke in a gentle but firm tone. Anastasia felt her heart skipping a beat as she thought, I don¡¯t think Old Madam Presgrave knows that I just pped her favorite grandson, right?Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Chapter 126 Chapter 126 Chapter 126 Anastasia forced herself to head downstairs. She found Harriet surrounded by a group of people. Harriet was dressed in a tight, elegant dress that made her appear especially young and ssy. She looked really kind and friendly although she had a headful of gray hair. Before Anastasia approached her, Harriet had already pushed the crowd aside to go toward Anastasia. It was almost as if Anastasia was the VIP there. Everyone in the crowd tossed curious looks in Anastasia¡¯s direction. Which rich family is this youngdy from? Why is Old Madam Presgrave giving her such-a _ grand wee? they wondered. ¡°Old Madam Presgrave,¡± Anastasia greeted with a smile. ¡°There you are, girl! You look so gorgeous tonight!¡± Harriet reached her hand out to hold Anastasia¡¯s hand as she spoke to the crowd around her, ¡°This is my god-granddaughter, Anastasia.¡± Once the crowd heard what Harriet said, the young girls gazed at Anastasia with looks of admiration. How did she get so lucky? Why did Old Madam Presgrave choose her as her god granddaughter? At the same time, the owner of a pair of hatred and jealousy-filled eyes red at Anastasia from outside the crowd-it was none other than Hayley, who watched as Harriet introduced Anastasia to all of the people around her. Old Madam Presgrave¡¯s eyes are filled with love for Anastasia, but what about me? Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Although Hayley was just a fake product, she had genuinely begun to perceive herself as the Anastasia from five years ago. That exined why she thought she was being treated unfairly. ¡°Hey! Where¡¯s Elliot? Why don¡¯t I see him?¡± Harriet suddenly realized that her eldest grandson wasn¡¯t around. Anastasia¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she thought, The finger marks on Elliot¡¯s face are really obvious; I don¡¯t think he should show up here. Fortunately for Anastasia, Harriet only told others to look for him without asking for him to be there. ¡°Come here, Anastasia. Let¡¯s sit down and have a chat.¡± Harriet held Anastasia¡¯s hand and led her to the couch. Right then, Hayley purposely showed up beside them while calling out for Harriet. ¡°Old Madam Presgrave!¡± Harriet turned around in surprise. The moment she saw that it was Hayley, a natural smile appeared on her face. ¡°You¡¯re here too, Hayley.¡± Hayley immediately wrapped her hands around Harriet¡¯s arm. ¡°You don¡¯t mind that I¡¯m here, right, Old Madam Presgrave? Elliot told me that he missed out on my invitation. I wouldn¡¯t have known about this whole thing if Daniel hadn¡¯t told me!¡± ¡°I guess there must have been a mistake,¡± Harriet replied. Initially, Harriet hadn¡¯t wanted Hayley to be at the event, but Harriet couldn¡¯t do anything since Hayley was already there. ¡°I missed you so much, Old Madam Presgrave!¡± Hayley gave the olddy a fond peck on her cheek. ¡°Which family is this youngdy from, Old Madam Presgrave?¡± one of thedies in the crowd asked curiously. Hayley quickly replied to thedy with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m also one of Old Madam Presgrave¡¯s god- granddaughters!¡± After Hayley finished her sentence, a ratherplicated look shed across Harriet¡¯s face. Harriet could easily tell what Hayley was trying to do. It seems like Hayley is more maniptive than I thought her to be, Harriet thought. Both Hayley and Anastasia stood to the left and right of Harriet, and Anastasia simply continued smiling after hearing what Hayley said. Anastasia could only scoff in her heart when she saw what Hayley was trying to do. Hayley wanted to steal the spotlight away from Anastasia, and she wanted the crowd to recognize who she was so that they would be more aware of her status in the future. In the public¡¯s eye, anyone who could get close to Harriet had to have a good rtionship with the Presgrave Family. While Hayley wasn¡¯t paying attention, Harriet casually pulled her hand out of Hayley¡¯s arm before addressing both the girls. ¡°Come over here and have a chat with me.¡± Harriet led Anastasia toward the couch, and Hayley immediately tagged along. She didn¡¯t want Hayley to get all the good stuff. Harriet initially had some personal matters that she wished to talk to Anastasia about, but she had to put it off since Hayley was just beside them. Harriet ended up asking Anastasia about her work. I¡¯ll find another chance to talk to Anastasia, I guess, Harriet thought. Harriet asked Hayley how she was doing as well, and Hayley put on her happiest look as she spoke to Harriet. The crowd observed their interactions and wondered, Can Hayley be any more friendly and warm? Meanwhile, Nigel¡¯s parents had called him over to another room. There was a rich couple sitting inside, and a young, gorgeous girl was sitting beside them. The girl¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw Nigel as she was attracted to him. Chapter 127 Chapter 127 Chapter 127 ¡°Come over here, Nigel. I¡¯d like you to meet Mr. Johnson, his wife, and his only daughter, Leah. You guys met when you were younger.¡± Nigel¡¯s father, Jonathan Manson, chuckled as he nced at the other family¡¯s daughter with a fond and loving gaze. ¡°Yeah! You guys brought Nigel over during Leah¡¯s 100-day-old party. Nigel was only two years old then! We already had the idea of matching them since,¡± Johnson¡¯s wife uttered with a sweet smile. ¡°Exactly! Their age difference is just perfect.¡± Joy appeared in Brenda¡¯s-Nigel¡¯s mother-eyes as she looked at Leah. Brenda was wholly satisfied with this idea. Both Brenda and Jonathan had Leah as their first choice in mind. Leah¡¯s parents were powerful people in the food industry, and they had a lot of partnerships with hotel businesses. If Nigel took over the business, he¡¯d be able to receive support from Leah¡¯s family. So, the most ideal n was to matchmake them and unite their families, so that they could both help each other double and triple their revenue! Nigel would no longer have to worry about ack of support in his career as he would have an extremely powerful father-inw! Leah¡¯s parents shared the same thoughts, and they figured that both families would only grow stronger once theybined their resources. Furthermore, Leah¡¯s family wouldn¡¯t have to worry about finding another inheritor for their business because they were satisfied with Nigel¡¯s capabilities. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Nigel!¡± Leah gave him a friendly greeting. This wasn¡¯t the first time they had met each other. They were both club members of some overseas racing club, and Leah had fallen in love with Nigel the first time she saw him. It was love at first sight-she even followed him back to the country after he left. Most importantly, Leah was overjoyed to find out that both her and Nigel¡¯s parents were supportive of the rtionship. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Leah. Thank you foring to my grandmother¡¯s party, Mr. and Mrs. Hart.¡± Nigel spoke in a polite tone. ¡°It¡¯s our pleasure and honor to be able to attend this party.¡± The Hart couple hade over just so that their children could meet up during the party. ¡°Why don¡¯t you show Leah to the buffet area for some food, Nigel? Us old ones will be here catching up with each other.¡± Brenda shot her son a look. Nigel was exasperated deep down, but he maintained a polite expression on his face. ¡°Okay, Mom.¡± Nigel brought Leah out of the hall and toward the buffet area. After Leah got some food, Nigel seized this opportunity to escape. ¡°I have other matters to handle, Leah! You enjoy your meal, alright?¡± Leah immediately stared at him with a look of disappointment. She had spent the whole day preparing and dolling herself up for the party, yet Nigel barely looked at her. That hurt her heart more than ever. However, when she recalled how both families¡¯ parents were willing to matchmake them, she felt a little better. She had no need to rush since she was going to be the Manson¡¯s daughter-inw eventually. ¡°That was Old Madam Presgrave¡¯s grandson, wasn¡¯t he? He looks stunning!¡± someone uttered. ¡°Yeah, I heard that there have been arge number ofdies from rich families who are circling the two young masters! I wonder which girl will be lucky enough to get married to him and be a part of their family,¡± another said. A confident smirk formed on Leah¡¯s lips after she heard the conversations. I¡¯m one of those lucky girls, she thought. No one else will ever have enough power and resources to take Nigel away from me. Meanwhile, Nigel had just arrived at the PA system room. The host of the night happened to be there. ¡°I¡¯m going to propose to a girlter, and I need your help,¡± Nigel said. ¡°When are you doing it? I¡¯ll prepare everything for you right now,¡± the staff member replied. ¡°Ten minutester, I¡¯d like you to call Anastasia¡¯s name and get her on stage. Then, you guys can prepare the music and lighting. Take this USB; I¡¯ve prepared a video that I edited, and you can y it on the big stream. It goes well with romantic songs,¡± Nigel exined. ¡°We got your back, Young Master Nigel!¡± they cried. Once Nigel was done, he left with a satisfied smile on his face. My proposal is going to start in ten minutes, he thought as he pulled the diamond ring out of his pocket. It wasn¡¯t in a box, but the shining surface and the rainbow-like reflections made it clear that it was expensive. Meanwhile, Anastasia and Harriet had separated. Earlier, Harriet told Anastasia to stay past 9.00PM, so Anastasia decided to follow Harriet¡¯s wishes. I¡¯ll wait here until it¡¯s past 9.00PM! Anastasia walked over to a quieter spot before she heard a malicious female voice sneering at her. ¡°Your mother onlyContent from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. passed away due to her work back then, Anastasia. Are you really expecting the Presgrave Family to continue repaying you?¡± Chapter 128 Chapter 128 Chapter 128 Anastasia turned around to find Hayley with a ss of red wine in her hand. Hayley had her arms crossed as she sneered at Anastasia. ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing? You¡¯re trying to polish your reputation while being the third party in a rtionship at the same time. You¡¯re secretly seducing Elliot.¡± Hayley¡¯s eyes glinted with resentment. Now that it was just the both of them, she didn¡¯t need to fake it anymore and could express all the hatred she felt. Anastasia scoffed. ¡°Are you sure you want to mess with me? If I shamelessly decide to get married to Elliot, you will only be left crying in a corner!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Hayley didn¡¯t just fail to offend Anastasia, but she even allowed Anastasia to infuriate her further. ¡°Don¡¯t you care about the fact that I¡¯ve slept with Elliot, Anastasia?¡± Hayley hissed through gritted teeth. ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Anastasia replied with an eyebrow raised. She was intentionally trying to make Hayley angry. Right then, a hateful look gathered in Hayley¡¯s eyes as she clenched her fists. I¡¯m never going to let Anastasia take Elliot away, she thought. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Anastasia wasn¡¯t in the mood to continue talking to Hayley, so she turned to head toward the balcony, which wasn¡¯t as crowded. However, an attractive, male voice came from the hall at this moment- it was the host calling for Anastasia through the mic. ¡°I¡¯d like to invite Miss Anastasia Tillman up onto the stage. You¡¯ve dropped something.¡± Anastasia froze. All of the guests were just as shocked, and they wondered if Anastasia had dropped something extremely valuable. Why would the host have to make such a grand announcement otherwise? Anastasia was just as confused. What did I drop? She went through her bag and searched for any missing items. Everything¡¯s here! ¡°Is Miss Anastasia Tillman here? Pleasee on stage. Thank you.¡± The host continued to ask for her. Anastasia had no choice but to ignore the embarrassment she felt while shuffling over to the stage. I really didn¡¯t drop anything! Has there been a mistake? she thought. The host walked over to her once she got up onto the stage. ¡°Are you Miss Anastasia?¡± he asked with a smile. ¡°Yes, I am. But I didn¡¯t leave anything behind!¡± she cried. She felt especially uneasy since she could feel thousands of eyes on her. ¡°No.You left behind a really important part of your life,¡± the host uttered in a riddle-like manner. All of a sudden, the speakers began to y a romantic song from an overseas singer. The man¡¯s deep and husky voice filled the hall, and many other guests gathered in front of the stage as they wanted to see what was going on. There was a loud ringing in Anastasia¡¯s head as she watched this happen. Who¡¯s the one ying the song? All of a sudden, she saw anky figure strolling toward her with a broad grin on his face. Who else could it be apart from Nigel? Anastasia¡¯s face turned red. What¡¯s Nigel trying to do this time? And why is he doing it in front of everyone? Has he ever thought about how I feel about this? Nigel fixed his loving gaze on the woman as he took firm steps over to her. Eventually, when he was about two feet away from her, he got down on one knee. The whole crowd cheered like mad! They were all shocked. Isn¡¯t that the young master of the Manson Family? What is he doing? It looks like he¡¯s¡­ proposing to her?! At the same time, another tall figure had just started his way down the stairs on the second floor, and he froze when he saw what was happening on the stage. Elliot¡¯s pupils shrank as he realized what Nigel was doing. I hadn¡¯t expected Nigel to propose to Anastasia today. Anastasia was just as stunned. She stared at Nigel for a moment before she reached out to pull him up from his knee. ¡°What are you doing, Nigel? Hurry and stand up! Stop messing around!¡± Right then, Nigel reached into his coat pocket and felt for the diamond ring. He carefully presented it in front of her before taking the host¡¯s mic to speak into it. ¡°I love you, Anastasia. Will you marry me?¡± he asked in a sincere tone. A loud ringing filled Anastasia¡¯s head as she widened her eyes and stared at Nigel in disbelief. She could tell that he was serious-he was genuinely proposing to her without fooling around at all. ¡°Nigel, you¡­¡± Anastasia was too stunned to say or do anything. There were tons of girls in the crowd who were eyeing Anastasia with looks of admiration and envy. Leah, who had just walked out of the buffet area, was also stunned when she saw what was happening. The man she loved was proposing to another woman on stage. Chapter 129 Chapter 129 Chapter 129 In a panic, Leah pulled her phone out and dialed her mother¡¯s number. She shouted into the phone the moment her mother picked up. ¡°Mom, tell Mr. and Mrs. Manson toe over right now! Nigel is proposing to someone else in the hall!¡± Leah was close to stomping the ground with rage. How can this happen? Who¡¯s the woman he¡¯s proposing to? Where¡¯s she from, and what¡¯s her background? Meanwhile, Elliot, who was standing on the stairway of the second floor, fixed his cold and sharp gaze on the woman on stage. He was hoping for Anastasia to surprise Nigel with a harsh rejection. Elliot would never allow her to marry someone else, after all. He felt a strong urge to dominate and gain control over the woman as he watched the proposal happening. I want her. I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s because of my grandmother¡¯s orders or the fact that her mother saved our family; I want Anastasia anyway. I wasn¡¯t sure about my feelings in the past, but everything is clear now. I¡¯m certain that she belongs to me. While all of this was going on, Harriet walked out of one of the private rooms just in time to see Nigel¡¯s proposal. Harriet¡¯s eyesight wasn¡¯t the best, so she had to ask the people around her about it. ¡°Who¡¯s the one making a marriage proposal on the stage?¡± she asked. ¡°It¡¯s your grandson, Nigel, proposing to some girl!¡± a guest replied. ¡°What? Which girl is this?¡± Harriet squinted to get a better look. The woman on stage seems rather familiar¡­ Is that Anastasia? Someone gave Harriet the answer then. ¡°Your grandson is proposing to Miss Anastasia.¡± ¡°What?¡± Harriet was too shocked to move. ¡°Is that Anastasia?¡± What¡¯s going on? Elliot¡¯s the one who should be proposing to Anastasia! Why is Nigel the one proposing? Hayley was somewhere in the crowd, and she watched the entire situation with a look of disbelief on her face. Did someone just propose to Anastasia? I didn¡¯t know who the guy was earlier, but I heard the other people say that the man is Old Madam Presgrave¡¯s grandson, Young Master Nigel. How could that be? Why would the young master of the Manson Family propose to Anastasia? Is she that attractive? If Anastasia doesn¡¯t get married to Elliot, there¡¯s still another rich man who¡¯s waiting for her. Both theseContent from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. men are Old Madam Presgrave¡¯s grandsons! I can¡¯t believe it. Meanwhile, Anastasia remained on stage with her face beet red. She desperately wanted to dig a hole to bury her head in it. Nigel¡¯s actions had put her in a highly awkward situation, where she would hurt Nigel if she rejected him in front of everyone. She would turn him into a fool in front of all the guests, and she didn¡¯t want to do that to him. But if she said yes, then it was simply too sudden for her. How could she say yes just like that? It felt just as irresponsible to do such a thing. ¡°Why don¡¯t we talk privately, Nigel?¡± Anastasia bent down a little to talk to Nigel. However, Nigel wasn¡¯t in the mood to have a discussion then. He gave her a solid gaze as he repeated his question into the mic. ¡°Marry me, Anastasia! I¡¯ll take care of you for the rest of your life, and I¡¯ll keep you happy forever.¡± Nigel was so desperate for her! He knew it wasn¡¯t right to put her in such a tough spot, but he didn¡¯t want to wait any longer. He wanted to give her a proper title as his wife, and he wanted to take care of her and Jared. ¡°Nigel!¡± Anastasia was giving him all sorts of looks, hinting for him to get off the stage. She didn¡¯t want to continue being the center of attention. However, Nigel refused to stand up and continued to kneel while staring at her. He held the diamond ring in front of her without moving at all. ¡°Say yes!¡± Someone in the crowd started cheering. More people began to p and shout. ¡°Say yes, girl! Don¡¯t hesitate anymore! Say yes!¡± Anastasia felt even more embarrassed after hearing all the cheers. Blood rushed all the way to her ears as she stared at the ring in Nigel¡¯s hand. If I put it on, will I be able to get Nigel to stand up and leave the stage? Right then, she noticed the sincere look in Nigel¡¯s eyes. She didn¡¯t know how to deal with the feelings he had for her, so she simply pressed her red lips together before sighing and taking the ring into her hands. The very next second, Nigel leaped up in joy before giving her a tight hug. Anastasia hadn¡¯t expected the sudden embrace. The next thing she knew, she felt his lips pressing themselves against hers. Chapter 130 Chapter 130 Chapter 130 Anastasia heard a loud ringing in her ears. You¡¯ve gone too far this time, Nigel. ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t reject me, Anastasia. I know you love me too!¡± Nigel cried happily. His voice was so loud that the crowd could hear him even though he wasn¡¯t using the microphone. By then, Harriet had already arrived at the front of the stage. She looked up to see Nigel and Anastasia hugging each other, and she was too stunned to say anything for a moment. Did both my grandsons switch roles? Was Anastasia more interested in Nigel all along? Either way, I just want Anastasia to be a part of our family. It doesn¡¯t matter who she gets married to; I¡¯ll be happy just to have her with us. If the one Anastasia truly likes is Nigel, then I¡¯d be happy to support their marriage as well. Elliot watched the whole proposal from the second floor without a hint of emotion on his face. However, he tightened his grip on the railing, and veins popped up on the back of his hands. He looked like he was trying to crush the railing ¡°Get off the stage. Stop fooling around,¡± Anastasia told Nigel. Nigel held her hand before he grabbed the mic and addressed the crowd below him. ¡°Thank you for the wishes, everyone. I¡¯m really happy that my proposal was a sess.¡± Anastasia eyed him speechlessly. Fine! I¡¯ll have to exin myself to himter. At the same time, the Harts wore grim looks on their faces as they turned to re at the Mansons. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Mr. and Mrs. Manson? Does Nigel want to marry someone else?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not too sure about this. That woman once saved Nigel,¡± Brenda exined before letting out a sigh. Brenda knew that Nigel had always been thankful for the girl who had saved her, but she hadn¡¯t expected her son to propose to the girl tonight. ¡°I still hope for Nigel and Leah to get married. We would dly marry our daughter to him if we get the chance to do so,¡± Leah¡¯s mother uttered. She still hoped that there was a chance for changes to happen. Brenda and Jonathan could do nothing but give them an apologetic smile. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s talk about this in the future. You guys should enjoy the party for now.¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Anastasia dragged Nigel off the stage and through the crowd to find somewhere quiet where they could talk. She found an empty room by the side, and Anastasia pulled him into the room. He shut the door behind him, muting the loud noises that came from the crowd outside. Anastasia quickly grabbed Nigel¡¯s hand before shoving the ring back into his palm. ¡°We¡¯re just friends, Nigel. I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t say yes to your proposal,¡± she uttered in a firm voice. A dumbfounded look formed on Nigel¡¯s handsome face, and he looked down at the diamond ring in his hand. ¡°Why? Why can¡¯t you marry me? Am I not good enough? Did I do something wrong?¡± he asked anxiously. Anastasia shook her head before looking at him with a gentle gaze. ¡°You¡¯re a great man, Nigel. This is my problem-it has got nothing to do with you,¡± she replied. ¡°What¡¯s your problem? You¡¯re the best woman I¡¯ve ever met, and you¡¯re the one I love the most.¡± Nigel held onto her hands while staring at her with passion burning in his eyes. Anastasia racked her brains toe up with reasons she could use to reject him. In the end, she found the best way to do it. ¡°Nigel, I¡¯ve never thought of remarrying ever since I had Jared. I¡¯ve been hurt a lot of times in the past, and I haven¡¯t fully healed from all the traumatic events. So, I can¡¯t bring myself to date men,¡± she uttered before sighing. Concern gathered in Nigel¡¯s eyes as he looked at her. ¡°Did Jared¡¯s father hurt you in the past? Tell me, Anastasia. What did you go through in the past? Who is Jared¡¯s father?¡± he asked worriedly. But Anastasia rejected him without any hesitation. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about this. Anyway, I can¡¯t ¨C ¨C say yes to your proposal. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Nigel didn¡¯t seem too mad, nor did he look dejected after hearing what she said. He had nned the entire proposal with the intention of trying his luck, so he didn¡¯t have high hopes of seeding from the start. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you say no to me, Anastasia. I just want you to know that I¡¯ll always be by your side. I¡¯ll always be around to protect you,¡± he uttered. ¡°That¡¯s good enough for me, Nigel. You¡¯re the best friend I¡¯ve ever had.¡± Anastasia emphasized their friendship as she had only treated him as a friend all along. Chapter 131 Chapter 131 Chapter 131 Nigel held the ring up and passed it to her. ¡°Just take this ring, then. I ordered it especially for you.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. It¡¯s too expensive. I can¡¯t take it! You should keep it for yourself! It mighte in handy in the future.¡± She rejected him with a smile on her face. ¡°You always do this. I just want to give you the best, but you always reject me. Can you be a little more superficial and money-minded, Anastasia? You should at least enjoy it when people give you expensive stuff.¡± Nigel gazed at her with a rather exasperated look on his face. She smiled as she leaned back on the couch. She was surprised to realize that she had been sweating a little. I was probably too nervous when I was on stage. That makes sense since there were so many people in the crowd. Right then, Nigel¡¯s phone began to ring. He held it up to see that it was a call from his dad. ¡°Hey, Dad.¡± ¡°Where are you?¡± Jonathan¡¯s voice sounded rather stern. ¡°I¡¯m in one of the private rooms, Dad. Is anything the matter?¡± he asked. ¡°A marriage proposal is a huge thing. Shouldn¡¯t you have discussed it with us first?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I made the decision on my own, but I¡¯m sure you guys know how much I like Anastasia,¡± Nigel replied in a rather apologetic tone. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about this in the future. Your grandmother¡¯s looking for you now, so you should go to her!¡± Jonathan ordered. ¡°Okay,¡± Nigel replied before turning to Anastasia. ¡°My grandmother is looking for me, Anastasia. Let¡¯s go meet her together. She¡¯ll love you.¡± Anastasia didn¡¯t know what to say. I think Nigel doesn¡¯t know that I¡¯ve met his grandmother before. ¡°You go ahead! I need some time to calm down. I was too nervous earlier,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°Did I scare you?¡± Nigel hurried over with a bottle of water. ¡°Here. Have something to drink.¡± Anastasia twisted the bottle cap open and sipped on her water before urging him to go to Harriet. ¡°Hurry up! Go look for your grandmother!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°Alright. You can just rest here, and I¡¯lle back to you in a while, okay?¡± Nigel opened the door and left after that. Anastasia felt a lot more relieved at once, and she gulped down a few mouthfuls of water before pressing her palm against her cheek. She could still feel it burning a little. I¡¯m probably still blushing. Meanwhile, the party outside was still extremely happening. The proposal had hyped everyone up, and everyone was making guesses about Anastasia¡¯s family background. She probably has some impressive family background or connections. Otherwise, the young master of the Manson Family wouldn¡¯t have put so much effort into proposing to her! ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of the Tillmans, though!¡± A few of thedies were chit-chatting among themselves as they tried to guess Anastasia¡¯s identity. ¡°I saw her being friendly with Old Madam Presgrave earlier. I guess she might secretly be from some wealthy family!¡± another one said. ¡°That¡¯s true. She¡¯s beautiful and sexy, but we just don¡¯t know what industry her family is involved in,¡± someone elsemented. Right then, some woman interrupted the crowd¡¯s words. ¡°Oh! I think I know thedy who had been proposed to earlier.¡± Few of thedies spun their heads around to see a younger girl who had a wine ss in her hand. One of thedies recognized who the younger girl was. Isn¡¯t that Old Madam Presgrave¡¯s god granddaughter from earlier? ¡°Oh! Tell us about it!¡± The older women were busybodies, so they were desperate to hear all about Anastasia¡¯s past. ¡°Miss Anastasia is just a regr jewelry designer from Bourgeois Jewelry Atelier. Her father owns a company that invests in building materials. Her family background is pretty normal. There¡¯s nothing special about her,¡± Hayley uttered. ¡°What? How could someone from a regr family receive a marriage proposal from Young Master Nigel?¡± one of the older women said. Hayley sneered. ¡°She has her skills, of course!¡± The way she phrased her sentence made it easy for others to misunderstand the situation. It sounded like Anastasia was using some other means to win the hearts of the rich. Judging by the looks of these women, they¡¯ll probably spread rumors about Anastasia¡¯s regr background soon enough. Let¡¯s see how Anastasia¡¯s going to hold her head up then! Meanwhile, Anastasia nced at the time. It was past 8.00PM, and she figured that it was time she left the private room and headed home. It wasn¡¯t good to be the center of attention for too long, so she thought it would be best to leave as soon as possible. However, the moment she opened the room door, she felt everyone around her turn to stare at her. Although most of them were giving her looks of admiration, she still preferred not to be seen. She didn¡¯t want to have the spotlight. In the end, Anastasia decided to leave without saying goodbye. She lifted the hem of her dress while walking toward the main door. At the same time, Hayley had been walking around in search of Anastasia as she wanted to know what Anastasia was doing. Coincidentally, Hayley caught sight of her target walking toward the main exit. Is she leaving now? Hayley was surprised. Chapter 132 Chapter 132 Chapter 132 However, Hayley soon found herself distracted by a tall figure that appeared behind Anastasia. Hayley watched as Elliot walked past the crowd toward Anastasia, and a resentful re surfaced in her eyes. She put her wine ss aside before following behind Elliot. She wanted to know why he was going after Anastasia. Anastasia had just stepped out of the hall when she heard a man¡¯s icy voice calling for her. ¡°Stop there.¡± She instinctively turned around to see Elliot walking over to her. He looked like a prince under the dim light, and his icy re was fixed on her as he spoke to her in an interrogative tone. ¡°Did you really say yes to Nigel¡¯s proposal?¡± Anastasia was too shocked to say anything for a moment. The whole proposal caused a huge commotion earlier, so Elliot must have seen it as well. Well¡­ Forget it. I don¡¯t feel like exining anything to him. ¡°This is my business,¡± she muttered while pressing a button for the elevator. At that moment, there were only a few waiters standing in the positions by the main entrance. None of the guests were anywhere near them. Elliot narrowed his eyes, and he looked as if he couldn¡¯t contain his emotions anymore. He grabbed Anastasia¡¯s arm before dragging her aside to a pathway that led to the balcony. Anastasia was no match for his strength, so she stumbled along in the direction he was pulling her. She could only shout and il her arms in anger. ¡°Let go of me, Elliot!¡± But the man didn¡¯t seem to care at all, and he simply dragged her toward an empty balcony that was filled with all sorts of expensive nts. It was like a garden that no one knew about. Anastasia gasped for breath while throwing her arms around. The man pushed her into a corner before he leaned his head closer to her. They looked into each other¡¯s eyes, their faces close enough for the tips of their noses to touch. When she felt the man¡¯s warm breath on her face, she pushed him away angrily before scolding him under her breath. ¡°Are you done fooling around, Elliot?¡± ¡°Did you really say yes to Nigel¡¯s proposal? Are you going to get married to him?¡± Elliot¡¯s questionContent from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. sounded somewhat gentle, yet there was a hint of iciness in his tone. If she told him that she had said yes, he was going to lose it. ¡°Why is it any of your business?¡± She turned her face away from him. ¡°Because we share secrets between us that others can¡¯t know about,¡± he reminded her through gritted teeth. He made it sound like they really had something going on between them. ¡°That¡¯s just because you¡¯re a pervert. I don¡¯t have any interest toward you, and there¡¯s nothing going on between us.¡± Anastasia stiffened her neck as she voiced her disagreement. Her pouty lips looked especially attractive under the dim light, and Elliot had the urge to taste them. All of a sudden, anger shed in Elliot¡¯s gaze as he suddenly raised his hand and rubbed his thumb across her lips in a harsh manner. ¡°This is the spot I kissed, Anastasia. I don¡¯t want other people kissing the same spot, not even Nigel.¡± ¡°You-¡± Anastasia attempted to protest. However, her lips had just parted to speak when the man pressed his hand against the back of her head before moving closer to her. Her mind went nk for a few seconds, and all she could do was let out a weak moan. For some reason, the man¡¯s kiss had some magical effect on her-it made her entire mind and body freeze, and it even triggered some embarrassing bodily reactions. She wished she could p herself at that moment. ¡°Wu¡­¡± Anastasia mumbled as the man brought her arms up above her head. He probably doesn¡¯t want to be pped again, huh? She was starting to lose her patience as the guy continued to touch her. However, neither of them realized that a person was ring at them with jealousy from behind the door. The person was hidden by a bunch of nts near the door, but she still managed to fix her deadly re on them. Hayley only used to suspect that something was going on between them, but she finally saw it with her own eyes this time. Hayley saw Elliot and Anastasia entering together, and she watched as the man pulled the woman into his arms without any hesitation. Although Hayley couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying, she could see how Elliot and Anastasia¡¯s shadows often ovepped one another. They¡¯re kissing, she thought. The hall was just next door. Anastasia had just been proposed to, yet she¡¯s now sharing an intimate kiss with the other young master of the Presgrave Family! Hayley felt a sharp ache in her heart that made her feel like she was about to lose her mind. How did Anastasia manage to seduce Elliot? How did she get Elliot to fall for her? Elliot¡¯s going for her even though he knows that Nigel has proposed to her. Chapter 133 Chapter 133 Chapter 133 Right then, Hayley heard someoneing from behind her. She opened one of the side doors and left the scene as she no longer dared to stay there. The people who came in were a few guests who wanted to discuss business. They needed a quiet space, so they chose that balcony to talk. However, they didn¡¯t know that someone else had already taken the spot. Anastasia was about to lose her mind at this point. Is this guy trying to ruin my reputation? But Elliot finally released his grip on her, but he pressed hisrge palm against the back of her head to stuff her face against her chest. Anastasia had no choice but to stay in his arms as she didn¡¯t want others to see her there. Right when the three men entered the balcony, they noticed the people standing at the corner of the space. The three men were stunned to see a tall man standing around with a girl buried in his chest. Elliot shot the three men an icy re before the three men could make sense of the situation. The three men immediately saw Elliot¡¯s face. Isn¡¯t that the young master of the Presgrave Family? ¡°We¡¯re sorry for disturbing you. Sorry!¡± The three men immediately turned and hurried off. Once Anastasia was sure that they were gone, she lifted her head angrily. However, her movements were a little too fast, and her forehead struck the man¡¯s sharp chin. She gasped in pain before she gave him a furious re, but all she saw in his eyes was a dark pool of emptiness -it was like a well that didn¡¯t have a bottom. Furthermore, there seemed to be ayer of ice covering the deep well. ¡°I want you to reject Nigel. Otherwise, I¡¯ll tell everyone about what happened between us,¡± Elliot warned. ¡°Elliot, you don¡¯t think that I¡¯m going to marry you even if I rejected Nigel, right? You can continue dreaming if that¡¯s what you think!¡± Anastasia stormed out of the balcony after spitting her words at him. But she had walked a little too quickly, and she tripped on her gown before falling on the ground near the nts. ¡°Ah¡­¡± She gasped in pain as her knee was injured again. The man parted his long legs and walked over to give her a helping hand. ¡°Why are you always so clumsy?¡± heined. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± She pushed his hand away before limping away from him. Would I have fallen down if he hadn¡¯t dragged me here? It¡¯s all his fault. Elliot pulled his phone out and dialed a number as he watched her walking away. ¡°There¡¯s a girl in a gray evening gown who¡¯sing down now. I want you to prepare a car to send her home.¡± After giving his orders, Elliot tugged on his tie. His every move gave off a cool and intimidating aura, which made others fear and admire him at the same time. He was simply too eye-catching. When Anastasia got downstairs, the hotel manager came up to her. ¡°Are you heading home, Miss? We¡¯re providing private drivers for our guests tonight.¡± She had just been worrying about how she would get a cab in the area, so she immediately nodded after hearing what the manager said. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m leaving now.¡± ¡°Follow me, please.¡± The manager pointed toward a car, and he opened the backseat door for her to get in. She felt much more rxed after entering the car. I should¡¯ve rejected this invitation from the start. I shouldn¡¯t havee. Anastasia managed to leave the event, but she had offended quite a few people that night. She hadn¡¯t just triggered Hayley; she had also infuriated Leah. Leah was going all around the ce while asking for information rted to Anastasia-she wanted to gather all the knowledge that she could find about Anastasia. Soon enough, one of thedy guests there told Leah that Anastasia was just a regr jewelry designer from a normal family. Anastasia wasn¡¯t the type of girl who could meet the standards of the Manson Family at all. This reinforced Leah¡¯s belief that she would eventually be the one to get married to Nigel. She wasn¡¯t about to let other girls snatch him away from her. Hayley, on the other hand, was trembling in rage. When she thought about how Anastasia and Elliot had made out with each other, she felt as if someone had stabbed her in the chest. Meanwhile, Harriet gazed at her grandson, Nigel, with a look of surprise. They were having a chat in one of the rooms. ¡°Did Anastasia really save your life, Nigel?¡± ¡°Yeah! I wouldn¡¯t be here today if it weren¡¯t for her, Grandma. That ident was too dangerous. I would have been blown into pieces if she hadn¡¯t dragged me out of the car,¡± Nigel replied in a firm voice. Chapter 134 Chapter 134 Chapter 134 Harriet instantly pressed her palm against her chest. ¡°Alright. You need to stop scaring me like that.¡± ¡°Calm down, Grandma.¡± Nigel immediately went over to rub her back before smiling. ¡°Do you think Anastasia would make a good granddaughter-inw, Grandma?¡± Harriet let out a sigh in her heart. Us Presgraves will forever be indebted to the Tillmans. Anastasia¡¯s mother saved one of my grandsons, while Anastasia saved my other grandson. They¡¯ve done too much for us. ¡°Do you really like Anastasia, Nigel? What about her? Does she like you?¡± Harriet asked curiously. ¡°Of course. We¡¯ve been together for nearly two years now, and we¡¯re really close to each other,¡± he replied. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then of course I would support the idea of you going after Anastasia. You can get married to her and take good care of her son,¡± Harriet uttered. ¡°How did you know she has a son, Grandma?¡± Nigel was surprised. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about this in the future. Anyway, I just hope you get married to her, Nigel.¡± Harriet let out a heartyugh. It didn¡¯t matter which one of her grandsons got married to Anastasia because the Presgraves would take good care of Anastasia as long as she entered the family. Right then, one of the hotel staff members opened the door to lead a tall, handsome figure into the room. Elliot had arrived. The moment Nigel saw his cousin there, Nigel gave Harriet a firm pat on her shoulder. ¡°Thank you for your support, Grandma. I¡¯ll make sure to turn Anastasia into my wife and your granddaughter-inw,¡± he said in a loud voice. ¡°Great. I¡¯ll be waiting to attend your wedding. Don¡¯t make me wait for too long!¡± Harriet replied. ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Nigel promised. Then, he shed a smile in his love rival¡¯s direction. ¡°You should look forward to my wedding too, Elliot!¡± he uttered confidently. Elliot found a spot to sit down before sending a stern re in Nigel¡¯s direction. ¡°Say that again when she agrees to marry you.¡± ¡°She already said yes to my proposal,¡± Nigel replied arrogantly. You¡¯ll have to take a step back this time, Elliot! Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°That¡¯s great. I¡¯ll be waiting for your good news, Nigel.¡± Harriet patted Nigel on his shoulder while looking at him with joy-filled eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll go look for Mom and Dad now, Grandma.¡± After finishing his words, Nigel gave Elliot a long, thoughtful stare before heading out of the room. Harriet turned to her other grandson while talking to him with a bright look in her eyes. ¡°I had no idea that Anastasia was the one who saved Nigel in the past, Elliot. Our family¡¯s fate is really tied to Anastasia. You should let her be with Nigel, Elliot! I told you to marry her in the past, but you didn¡¯t want to do it anyway.¡± Elliot lifted his teacup to sip some tea before replying. ¡°Okay,¡± he answered. ¡°Do you like Hayley? Do you want to marry her?¡± Harriet asked in a curious tone. ¡°No,¡± he answered. ¡°That¡¯s fine, then. You can provide her with some materialpensation. Hayley¡¯s a little too maniptive. I don¡¯t really like her.¡± Harriet was straightforward with her words, and she had always been good at reading people. Elliot nodded, and Harriet let out another sigh. ¡°Anastasia¡¯s finally going to be a part of our family. I¡¯m so happy,¡± she said. If Harriet knew that both of her grandsons had fallen for Anastasia, perhaps she would¡¯ve felt a little more troubled. After about 30 minutes, Anastasia arrived home. She took a shower and changed into her pajamas. Francis had left by then, so she sat on the couch with Jared in herp, and they watched some Animal net together. The time she spent with her son felt calm and peaceful, yet Anastasia found herself losing focus as she watched the show. All she could think about was the nasty stuff that Elliot had done to her that day. I can¡¯t believe he forcefully kissed me twice in one night. How unlucky can I get? ¡°Who are you thinking about, Mommy? Is it Mr. Presgrave or Mr. Manson?¡± Jared turned his head to stare at his mother. Anastasia immediately tried to exin herself. ¡°It¡¯s neither one of them! I¡¯m thinking about my work!¡± Anastasia was still thinking about Elliot even as she was trying to go to bed at night. I¡¯m so annoyed. He¡¯s upying my mind even when he¡¯s not by my side. It was a new day the next morning. Chapter 135 Chapter 135 Chapter 135 Anastasia was in high spirits as she sent her son off to school. After giving Jared a flying kiss, she hailed a cab to head to work. Once she arrived at the office, she put all of her focus into her work. She managed to reply to a few emails before going off for their morning meeting. Felicia had been rather pushy aboutunching new products for thepany, and the design department had to produce the latest designs that would help with their sales. During the meeting, Felicia praised Anastasia for her work as Anastasia¡¯s designs had received great feedback from the general public. Her designs were a good match for the market, and it was already the hit product in many stores. Even so, she took herpliments without being too arrogant about it. After that, Felicia made another announcement. ¡°The finance department just gave us a call. They told us that they will release the prize money a little earlier this time, so it¡¯ll probably be out by this afternoon. You guys should check your bank ount in a bit, Anastasia and Alice.¡± Alice turned her gaze toward Anastasia all of a sudden. There was an unfriendly look in her eyes. Anastasia noticed it, but she just ignored it as she didn¡¯t know what Alice was trying to do. After the meeting, Anastasia returned to the office. Soon enough, she heard the notification of her bank ount. She opened it to see seven zero¡¯s. Oh my god. I didn¡¯t expect the finance department to be so enthusiastic about handing out money. They deserve a huge thumbs up. Anastasia felt much more motivated to work after receiving the cash prize, and she finished three drafts all at once. She was even satisfied with all three of them. Right then, herndline began to ring. ¡°Hello?¡± She picked the call up. ¡°Hello? Is this Anastasia? I¡¯d like to tell you some inside news. Elliot was the one who arranged for you to win the prize. If you were relying on your own skills, you would¡¯ve gotten third ce at most. You¡¯d never get first ce with your standard.¡± Anastasia¡¯s expression changed immediately. ¡°Who are you? How do you know about this?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who I am. What I¡¯m telling you is the truth. You only got this prize because of Elliot. He was the one who called the chairman of mypany. You can ask him if you don¡¯t believe what I¡¯m saying. Most of thepetition¡¯s judges as well as the organizingmittee know about this.¡± The man ended the call after that. Anastasia was still in a daze, but she could feel her face turning hot. She could hear her ears ringing as if someone had given her an invisible p. It¡¯s true. Elliot was the one who gave me this prize. I didn¡¯t truly deserve all of this cash. Her entire body felt like it was boiling, and she could feel her heart pounding harder than usual. She grabbed her phone and walked out of the office without any hesitation. Alice had been sitting by the window, and she spread her lips into a cold smirk when she saw Anastasia storming out of the office. Will she still im the cash prize for herself now? Alice thought. After what happened with Ben previously, Alice managed to contact him to ask for some inside news regarding the prize. Then, she contacted another one of the internal managers to help her make that call. Alice wouldn¡¯t allow Anastasia to be more recognized than she was-ideally, Alice wanted this whole incident to go viral so that Anastasia¡¯s name would be ruined. Anastasia took a deep breath after arriving at the elevator. She decided that she wouldn¡¯t take the money anymore. Even the trophy felt like a form of embarrassment to her. If Elliot¡¯s going to use such manners to thank me, I¡¯m not going to ept his good intentions at all. Once Anastasia got to the president¡¯s office, she knocked on the door. ¡°Come in,¡± said a man¡¯s deep voice. She pushed the door open to find Elliot sitting in the office. It seemed like he was extremely busy because there were piles of documents covering his table. ¡°Were you the one who pulled strings for me to get the prize that I received? Tell me the truth.¡± Anastasia smacked both her hands on his desk as she tried her best to remain calm and rational about the situation. He took a long gaze at her, and he realized that he didn¡¯t have the ability to lie to her at that moment. So, he gave her a soft nod. ¡°Why did you do that? Were you trying to thank me? I don¡¯t need you to do that, Elliot. From now on, I don¡¯t need you to give me any special benefits in thepany. I don¡¯t need you to get involved with anything that I do at all, okay?¡± She sounded like she was begging him by the end of her sentence. A rather stunned look surfaced on Elliot¡¯s face as he stared at her. All he had intended to do was to help her-he had never wanted to hurt her.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 136 Chapter 136 Chapter 136 ¡°I¡¯ll tell the finance department to take their funds back, and I¡¯ll return the trophy to the organizer. I don¡¯t need your generosity.¡± Anastasia turned to leave after finishing her words, but the man behind her stood up immediately. ¡°Wait,¡± he barked. Her body froze before she turned to look at him. ¡°Is anything else the matter, President Presgrave?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll not meddle with your work-rted stuff, but I would still like to care for you and Jared personally,¡± he uttered in a clear manner. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Thank you.¡± She rejected him firmly. ¡°What about Nigel? Would you take his help if he offered it to you?¡± Elliot shot her an angry re. ¡°He and I are friends, while I¡¯m just your subordinate at work. We¡¯re practically strangers if we don¡¯t work together,¡± Anastasia replied tly. She turned to leave once more. Strangers? Elliot took a while to digest her words. I don¡¯t want us just to be strangers. I finally have a clear understanding of my feelings toward her afterst night, and I¡¯m not about to let her go. I know that she didn¡¯t truly say yes to Nigel¡¯s proposal; Nigel doesn¡¯t even know about her past. Anastasia¡¯s past made it hard for her to be with any guy as her heart was protected by an invincible shield. Although his grandmother had told him to give up on her, he had just realized that it was toote at this point. He had fallen in too deep, and he couldn¡¯t tear himself away from this woman anymore. After that, Anastasia headed downstairs to meet Felicia. She told Felicia everything about the reward, but Felicia didn¡¯t seem too impressed. Is she an idiot? Felicia thought. Why would she want to let all of this go? Even if Elliot was the one who had gotten her this trophy and money, she should just appreciate her luck. ¡°No. I don¡¯t want this money, and I don¡¯t want the trophy either,¡± Anastasia insisted. ¡°If you do this, your reputation will be ruined as well. Everyone will know about how you relied on connections to get your prize. Are you sure you want to sacrifice your reputation for this?¡± Felicia asked. ¡°Do I have a choice? The whole judge panel knows about this, and I feel like a joke to all of them. I¡¯d rather theyugh at me for one month than for the rest of my life,¡± she exined. Felicia didn¡¯t know what else to do, so she let out a sigh. ¡°You¡¯re the most stubborn person I know. Sure, I¡¯ll dly hand the trophy to someone else. I¡¯ll get this done for you!¡± ¡°Thank you, Felicia,¡± Anastasia uttered happily. After Anastasia returned to the office, she felt like she had juste back from war. Her entire body was sore. She sipped on some water and zoned out for a while. Right then, she noticed someone sending flowers to the front entrance of the office. Soon enough, Grace pushed the office door open with a smile on her face. ¡°The flowers are for you, Anastasia.¡± Anastasia didn¡¯t need to think to know who had sent her the flowers. She eyed the rtively pricey blue roses as she felt a headache forming. She had no choice but to take them in. After bringing the flowers to her desk, she gave Nigel a call. ¡°Hey! Did you get the flowers? Do you like them?¡± Nigel asked with a smile. ¡°Stop sending me flowers, Nigel. I¡¯m serious. It affects my work.¡± Anastasia didn¡¯t want to attract too much attention to herself. ¡°Can¡¯t I give you flowers?¡± He sounded rather hurt. ¡°We can keep in contact, and we can have meals together, but I just don¡¯t want you to send flowers, okay? It¡¯s a request,¡± she replied. ¡°Deal. I¡¯ll buy you lunch today, then. I¡¯m at the building opposite yourpany. I just started renovating my office,¡± Nigel exined with a smile. ¡°Fine! Let me buy this meal.¡± Anastasia was speechless. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll see youter,¡± he replied. By 11.30AM, Nigel was already waiting by herpany¡¯s front door. When he was there, a ck car came to a halt in front of him, and Rey walked past him with a stack of folders in his arms. Rey walked over to greet Nigel when he saw Nigel¡¯s car. ¡°Good afternoon, Young Master Nigel,¡± Rey greeted. Nigel smiled. ¡°Are you here to drop off some documents?¡± he asked. ¡°Yeah! President Presgrave is working here,¡± Rey replied. ¡°My cousin has a huge office, yet he insists on working in yourpany. I wonder why..?¡± Nigel asked in a thoughtful tone. i Rey pushed his sses up while smiling. ¡°I don¡¯t know the actual reason for this.¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Chapter 137 Chapter 137 Chapter 137 ¡°Cool. You should go ahead, then. I¡¯ll be here waiting for my girlfriend to have lunch with me.¡± The two men waved goodbye. Rey had just walked into the office lobby when he saw Anastasia heading out with her bag. ¡°Are you going for lunch, Miss Tillman?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± She beamed at Rey. Rey took the elevator up to the eighth floor. When he saw Elliot sitting by the desk, he told Elliot about what he saw. ¡°I bumped into Young Master Nigel downstairs, President Presgrave. He came over to bring Miss Tillman out for lunch.¡± Elliot had been signing some papers, but one of his strokes turned crooked after he heard his assistant¡¯s words. He frowned as hepleted his signature. After Nigel and Anastasia got to the restaurant, Nigel told her about the renovation that was going on in his office. ¡°I prepared a space for you, Anastasia. In the future, you can always go over to my office if you need some inspiration at work. I¡¯ll make sure that the design of the ce is really trendy and aesthetic,¡± he said. Anastasia nearly spat her tea out of her mouth. She looked up and stared at him with a rather helpless expression on her face. ¡°Why did you prepare a room for me?¡± she cried. ¡°If you no longer want to be a designer in the future, you can just work with me. I¡¯ll give you a high- paying job.¡± Nigel was already nning for the future. ¡°Are you trying to headhunt me now? Designing is the only type of work I¡¯m capable of. I don¡¯t know how to do anything else.¡± ¡°That¡¯s no big deal. I just acquired a jewelry store, so you can always work there.¡± Nigel looked her in the eye for a moment before his eyes lit up. ¡°That¡¯s right! Why didn¡¯t I think of that earlier?¡± ¡°Stop being so stubborn, Young Master Nigel. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll even be able to remain as friends if you continue acting like this. I just want us to be friends I don¡¯t want you to give me anything else.¡± For the rest of their meal, Nigel continued to find ways to convince Anastasia to work at hispany, and she got really frustrated by the end of it. After lunch, Anastasia got back to her office just in time to haveN?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Alice barge into her room with a cold smirk on her face. ¡°I heard you returned your trophy. The entire company knows how you won thepetition now. Don¡¯t you feel ashamed to continue staying here?¡± Anastasia looked up at her. ¡°You were the one who got someone to call me this morning, right?¡± Alice hadn¡¯t expected Anastasia to be smart enough to realize this, but Alice didn¡¯t bother to hide anything. ¡°Ah, this world is truly filled with peoplecking both skill and intellect!¡± Alice let out a hearty laugh. Anastasia felt her face turning red at the other woman¡¯s offensive words. ¡°We¡¯re still colleagues, so I don¡¯t want to argue with you. Please leave now.¡± Anastasia held the door open for Alice to leave. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure you leave thispany soon, Anastasia.¡± Alice wasn¡¯t afraid to reveal her true intentions. Anastasia responded with a sneer. ¡°We¡¯ll see if you have such skills,¡± she replied. Alice shot her a side re before she left. The more Anastasia thought about it, the angrier she felt. I might have gotten third ce if Elliot hadn¡¯t messed with this thing. Ah! How frustrating. She had been checking her drafts when Grace knocked on the door and came in with a girl behind her. The girl was dressed in all sorts of branded clothes and essories. ¡°This girl says she wants to see you, Miss Tillman,¡± Grace announced. Right after that, Grace scanned their visitor with a look of admiration in her eyes-the girl was carrying one of thetest models of a branded handbag! Anastasia eyed the girl with a look of surprise. She didn¡¯t know who the girl was at all, so she stood up out of courtesy. ¡°Hello. Can I know why you came to see me?¡± Leah scanned Anastasia¡¯s office for a while before her gazended on the blue roses that had been ced on a chair in the corner. A hint of jealousy shed in her eyes before she turned to stare at Anastasia with a haughty look. ¡°Let me introduce myself. My name is Leah Hart, and I¡¯m here to talk about your engagement with Nigel.¡± Anastasia immediately understood the situation. She isn¡¯t a guest. She¡¯s here to cause trouble. Before Anastasia could say anything, Leah took out a silver card before throwing it onto Anastasia¡¯s table. ¡°Here¡¯s 10 million. I want you to leave Nigel.¡± Anastasia froze as she stared at the silver card and the disdainful look in the woman¡¯s eyes. For some reason, Anastasia felt like she was being shamed and offended. She pushed the card back to the girl. ¡°I know you have a lot of money, Miss Hart. But I don¡¯t need this money.¡± Chapter 138 Chapter 138 Chapter 138 Leah curled her lips into an icy smirk. ¡°I¡¯ve asked around about you beforeing here today, Anastasia. You¡¯re just a regr jewelry designer and a single mother. You¡¯ll never be able to earn 10 million even if you worked for the rest of your life.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not a money-minded person. You need to stop using your wealth to shame others. Take your money with you! If you like Nigel, that¡¯s between you and him. Don¡¯t drag me into. this.¡± Anastasia stood up as she didn¡¯t want the other woman to look down on her. Leah frowned as she took a good look at Anastasia. Although Anastasia was dressed in her work outfit, she still looked extremely pretty and youthful. She had the typical sexy but innocent look that most men fancied. ¡°I heard that you saved Nigel in the past, which is why I¡¯m being rtively nice to you. However, I also want you to know that Nigel¡¯s parents and mine have already made ns to matchmake Nigel and me. You won¡¯t be able to stop us, so you should just step back for your own good.¡± A confident look surfaced in Leah¡¯s eyes as she spread her red lips into a scornful smirk. Anastasia wasn¡¯t sure if what Leah was doing was considered nice since Leah had used her money to shame her the moment Leah entered her room. She was mocking me from the moment she walked in. Even if I don¡¯t get married to Nigel, I wouldn¡¯t want him to marry a woman like her, Anastasia thought. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m really busy, Miss Hart. You can leave now if you have nothing else to say.¡± Anastasia didn¡¯t want to waste time with her as there wasn¡¯t a point in doing so. ¡°You¡­¡± Leah felt anger boiling in her. Why isn¡¯t Anastasia taking this seriously? Isn¡¯t my wealth and status enough to make her afraid of me? ¡°How rich and powerful you are is your business, Miss Hart. I believe in a society governed byws where all people are equal. You¡¯re not above nor below me, so you have no right to use your money to mess with my life.¡± Anastasia made a firm statement. Leah was speechless once more. ¡°You¡­ You must have lived under a rock this whole time, Anastasia. That¡¯s not how the world runs.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Anastasia¡¯s expression darkened once more. ¡°If you wish to talk about how smart you are, please do it somewhere else. Stop disturbing my work.¡± Shame spread across Leah¡¯s face. She didn¡¯t know how to deal with Anastasia since Anastasia didn¡¯t seem threatened by her at all. ¡°Leave Nigel, or I¡¯ll do something bad to you.¡± Leah pressed her hands on the table as she gave Anastasia a malicious re. Anastasia wasn¡¯t afraid and simply stood up to speak to her from the same eye level. ¡°You seem pretty confident, Miss Hart. Why don¡¯t you tell me once you win Nigel¡¯s heart? You seem pretty confident, anyway. There¡¯s no point in threatening me now.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Leah¡¯s face turned red as Anastasia walked to the door and opened it for her. ¡°Here you go, Miss Hart.¡± Leah red at Anastasia once more before she charged out and mmed the door behind her. Anastasia let out a long sigh-she finally understood what Elliot meant when theyst spoke at the dinner party. Elliot had told her to stay away from Nigel, as he had said that she would offend other people if she didn¡¯t do so. It seems like I just offended one of those people. Why did I go to that party at all? None of this would happen if I didn¡¯t go to the event. Anastasia had just returned to her seat when her phone rang. It was a call from her father. ¡°Hey, Dad.¡± ¡°Are you free, Anastasia? I want you to go somewhere with me,¡± Francis said. ¡°Is it something important, Dad?¡± ¡°Um, it¡¯ll be helpful when you manage apany in the future. I¡¯m reaching your office in a while. You should take the rest of the day off ande with me!¡± he ordered firmly. ¡°But Dad, I.¡± she protested. ¡°This is a good opportunity, Anastasia. I don¡¯t want you to miss out on this. Come down!¡± he said. again. She took a look at the time. It was 2.50PM, and she had just sent her drafts to Felicia, so she didn¡¯t have much left to do. Eventually, she gave Felicia a call. ¡°I¡¯d like to take the rest of the day off, Felicia.¡± After applying for her half-day off, she grabbed her bag and headed downstairs. Meanwhile, Rey looked at the man who was screening through documents in the president¡¯s office. ¡°President Presgrave, Mr. Lehmann took over the presidential role this time, but he seems to have his own contact when ites to building materials. I think you might need to go there to greet them on your own.¡± Chapter 139 Chapter 139 Chapter 139 Elliot shut his files and nced at the clock. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Anastasia questioned her father the moment she got in his car. ¡°What¡¯s this important thing you¡¯re talking about, Dad? Why do you need me to be there?¡± ¡°I¡¯m bringing you to an auction. Ourpany hopes to acquire one of the projects being offered. At the same time, I also want you to observe the process so that you know how it works when you take over thepany.¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Anastasia blinked. Isn¡¯t he nning a little too far ahead into the future? ¡°You¡¯re still young, Dad. It¡¯ll be at least another ten years before I take over anything!¡± She let out an exasperatedugh. ¡°I just wanted to have you prepared a little earlier so that you wouldn¡¯t be too confused when you actually take over thepany. I really want you to understand this industry.¡± Francis was a man with foresight. Furthermore, he had been feeling weaker in recent days-he had to admit that he was growing old Anastasia had no choice but to go along with her father¡¯s ns since it was what he wanted her to do. The auction was a grand event held in somepany, and Francis led Anastasia over to meet up with his assistant before they entered the hall together. They all found seats toward the back of the room, and Anastasia watched as more people walked in. This seems like a really huge auction. Will Dad¡¯s company get a chance? She held a water bottle up and sipped on her drink while ncing at her surroundings. She was rtively curious about her surroundings, and she nced around the room for a while before her gaze landed on two people who were entering the room. Anastasia was close to spitting her drink out on the person in front of her, but she shut her lips just in time to swallow the liquid in her mouth. It wasn¡¯t just big bosses with huge bellies who were entering the room-there were also people of other shapes and sizes. The two men who had just walked in, for example, hadnky and tall figures that gave off a different aura. It was Elliot and Rey. Both of them were dressed in suits, and their sharp appearances had a huge impact on everyone who was ncing around the room. Anastasia would¡¯ve never expected to bump into Elliot in such a noisy and crowded ce. Is he here for the auction too? She watched him as he slithered through the crowd. He hadn¡¯t noticed her at all, and he simply followed Rey over to take seats at lower tiers of the hall. In the end, Elliot got seats in the front row-Anastasia watched as he sat down beside a severely balding man. They looked like they were discussing something. Anastasia couldn¡¯t stop herself from standing up in curiosity. However, Francis tapped her on the shoulder. ¡°Sit down, Anastasia. The meeting is starting soon.¡± If Elliot is here for the auction, then the rest of the bosses can just take a break, she thought. Do they still have a reason to be here? Dad¡¯spany won¡¯t stand much of a chance either. But after a few minutes, Anastasia saw Elliot standing up. By staring at his back, she could tell that he was fixing his suit. Rey stood up beside him, and they both shook hands with the bald man beside them as they continued chatting for a while. The bald man reached his hand out to send them off-he looked as if he were sending gods off to heaven. Perhaps Anastasia had been staring at the man for too long, for the man suddenly looked up. Both of them exchanged nces, and the man froze instantly. He narrowed his eyes to stare at her-he hadn¡¯t expected to see her in a ce like this either. Things made a little more sense when he saw her father beside her. Anastasia and Elliot gazed at each other for a while more-one of them had eyes full of curiosity while the other one had a rather cryptic look. Elliot suddenly decided to stay and turned to address Rey. ¡°Find us a spot to sit,¡± he ordered. After that, Elliot walked over to the seats one row above where Anastasia was standing. When Rey saw Anastasia, he gave her a friendly wave, and she smiled back at him. As she turned around, she found herself staring at the familiar face of a man who had just sat down. Since Anastasia¡¯s father was around, she couldn¡¯t really say much to Elliot. Furthermore, the auction was about to begin. Chapter 140 Chapter 140 Chapter 140 On the other hand, Anastasia never thought about what the person on stage was saying. She instead wanted to ask Elliot what he was doing here, but with her father there, she had no way of chatting with Elliot. ¡°Do we have hope, Dad?¡± she asked her father softly. Francis shook his head in reply. ¡°Beats me.¡± At any rate, hispany was also participating in the bid. While it wasn¡¯t clear whether they had any chance to win, Lady Luck was recently smiling on him. Every time he felt like there was no hope, his company would ultimately be chosen. It meant that Francis had to give it a try, no matter what. Meanwhile, Elliot was staring at the long, flowing hair that covered the woman¡¯s attractive back. The persistent gaze on the back of her head made Anastasia feel extremely ufortable. There were four projects up for bidding today and the one that Francis had his eye on was the second one. After thepany that won the first bid was announced, the second bid quickly followed and he couldn¡¯t help clenching his fists in anticipation. Upon hearing the name of her father¡¯spany among the bidders for the second project, Anastasia had also tensed up as she hoped that her father would win the bid. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. On second thought, she shouldn¡¯t have too much hope. ¡°After extensive investigation andprehensive consideration, we have decided to award the bid for this magnificent project to the followingpany-Tillman Constructions! Congrattions!¡± the host onstage announced loudly. As Anastasia¡¯s head spun, Francis pped his thighs. ¡°We got it!¡± Sure enough, his luck was fantastic! On the other hand, she could see several conflicted, incredulous, and even unreadable nces aimed at them. At this moment, someone in front of them harrumphed loudly, ¡°How could such a smallpany win such arge bid? They must have used their connections to get someone strong to back them up!¡± As Francis¡¯ expression turned ugly, Anastasia had to swallow her resentment on her father¡¯s behalf as well. What was that person talking about?! ¡°Look at how good my luck has been recently, Anastasia. We have won the tender for such arge project!¡± Francis happily told her. Anastasia was happy for her father as well, but it was at that moment when her mind screeched to a halt as she couldn¡¯t help looking over her shoulder at Elliot. Elliot coincidentally met her gaze while she stared at him curiously, doubtfully, and with surprise. After ncing at her, he stood up and walked away with Rey following behind him. By that point, Anastasia¡¯s spection was much clearer as she hurriedly stood up and left the room through a side door, after which she jogged toward the main entrance. In the lobby, Elliot was quickly heading off with Rey. Making a mad dash after them, Anastasia stopped at the lobby doors and reached out to block their path of retreat. ¡°Was it you, Elliot?¡± she questioned loudly. ¡°Did my dad win the bid because of you?¡± Her mind was buzzing. Why does this man show up everywhere? Why does everything have to do with him? Staring indifferently at her, he answered, ¡°It has nothing to do with me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. Why did youe to the bid, then?¡± Anastasia persisted. ¡°I have no need to exin myself to you.¡± Elliot narrowed his eyes like he was looking at a stranger. ¡°It was you, wasn¡¯t it? My father¡¯spany wouldn¡¯t be strong enough to win the bid otherwise! Tell me whether it was you!¡± There was only one answer that Anastasia wanted. ¡°Please stop making things difficult for President Presgrave, Miss Elliot.¡± Rey was finding it difficult to watch the interaction. ¡°What are you hiding? Why don¡¯t you dare to tell the truth?¡± With bright eyes, Anastasia red at Elliot, not letting him go. ¡°I don¡¯t need your interference with my family matters, Elliot Presgrave. Don¡¯t you understand that?¡± She was truly shocked. How could it be so difficult for her to refuse his repayment? Rey suddenly interrupted, ¡°Your father¡¯spany wouldn¡¯t have been able to survive all these years without the help of President Presgrave, Miss Tillman.¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± Elliot warned Rey. Nevertheless, Anastasia lost all of her strength to fight. Did that mean that Tillman Constructions had always needed Elliot¡¯s help? Did that also mean that the expansion of Tillman Constructions in these few short years was not because of her father¡¯s luck and hard work, but because there had always been someone aiding Francis behind the scenes? Chapter 141 Chapter 141 Elliot was not only repaying her but her father-for several years now, to boot. ¡°Please don¡¯t me President Presgrave anymore, Miss Tillman. He hasn¡¯t done anything wrong. He¡¯s been taking care of your father all these years.¡± Since Rey was the one to witness everything all these years, he only wanted to speak up on his boss¡¯ behalf in the face of Anastasia¡¯s questioning. At this moment, Elliot stared silently as the color drained out of Anastasia¡¯s face. He wanted to say something but didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°It¡¯s what I should have done,¡± he finally uttered before leaving with Rey. As Anastasia stood there with her mind nk, Francis emerged excitedly with the employees whom he had brought along. ¡°What are you doing here, Anastasia? We can leave now. Let¡¯s pick Jared up and head out for a celebration dinner this evening.¡± Naturally, he didn¡¯t know who had helped him win the bid. ¡°Dad¡­¡± ¡°You see how strong mypany is! This undertaking will solve many of my worries. Our operations have not been smooth-sailingtely and I¡¯ve just been waiting to be rescued by this project!¡± Hearing her father say that, she swallowed everything that she had been about to tell him. How could she possibly tell her father that Elliot had been the one helping him all these years? This was a kindness that her mother had had to sacrifice her life for! Even though Francis wanted to celebrate, Anastasia used having to pick her son up as an excuse not to tag along since she couldn¡¯t face her father¡¯s appreciation. To think that Elliot managed to win the project for her father with a single word, only for her father to think his luck was good. N?velDrama.Org content. Ah! Thinking about it made Anastasia¡¯s head want to explode.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. In the evening, she dined outside with Jared since she was toozy to cook at home. As the little boy ate, he suddenly asked inquisitively, ¡°When will you invite Mr. Presgrave to eat with us, Mommy? I miss him!¡± Anastasia¡¯s heart stopped and she hurried to exin, ¡°He¡¯s busy. Extremely busy. You won¡¯t be able to see him soon.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Jared pouted. As he continued to eat, he thought about Elliot. While he didn¡¯t know where this longing wasing from, he truly missed Elliot very much; it was perhaps because many of his friends had been picked up by their fathers today. On the way home after dinner, Anastasia fretted over what she had learned. She couldn¡¯t decide whether to tell her father about Elliot helping him or continue to let him be clueless. Not long after she arrived home, she received a phone call from Francis and reached out to answer. ¡°Hi, Dad. Are you all still celebrating?¡± ¡°Ah! I¡¯m upset, Anastasia. Naomi just told me that she took over 2 million from the house for Erica to use as a down payment. That was all the cash we had at home!¡± Very rarely did he disclose his worries to her, but he had no one else to go to at that moment. Instantly, Anastasia felt a pang of heartache. Her father had just spent 8 million on an apartment for her and here was Naomi, spending 2 million on her own daughter. Just like that, the burden on her father¡¯s shoulders had be heavier. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that I won the bid today, or I wouldn¡¯t know what else to do. I have to get back to work now, Anastasia. Take good care of Jared, okay? I¡¯ll go and visit you both when I¡¯m free.¡± ¡°Of course! Don¡¯t work too hard, Dad. Remember to get some rest.¡± After hearing her dad hang up the phone, Anastasia suddenly thought about how useless she was. If she had only worked harder, she wouldn¡¯t have needed her father to purchase a ce for her to live. Tillman Residence. Erica was extremely happy. Now, she had her own ce to stay as well-a deluxe apartment worth 8 million. As her mother had said, she needed to have whatever Anastasia had as well. Although Erica was paying by installment, the apartment was still under her name at the end of the day and her mother would be the one repaying the loan in the future using funds from her father¡¯s pocket. Erica herself didn¡¯t need to pay for anything. The only reason why she stayed out of Anastasia¡¯s way during this period was that she and her mother had been looking for apartments. Meanwhile, Anastasia tossed and turned for the whole night. When she slept, she dreamed of her mother, who gravely warned her not to ept any repayment from the Presgraves. Chapter 142 Chapter 142 Chapter 142 In her dreams, Anastasia gave her mother her word. By the time she opened her eyes again, it was already dawn. As she went to the front of a mirror, she saw that her slightly swollen eyes had turned visibly more haggard. After dropping her son off at school, she went to work. The moment she entered the elevator, two women in front of her intentionally spoke in loud voices. ¡°Hey! Wasn¡¯t there a trophy in the disy case before? Why is it missing?¡± ¡°I heard that it was returned. It was awarded under pretenses so great that someone felt too ashamed to ept it!¡± ¡°My, if it were me, I wouldn¡¯t even leave the house, let alonee to work!¡¯ ¡°Would you both like a loudspeaker so that you can make yourselves heard?¡± Anastasia asked them. Both of them nced at her. ¡°Ah, Miss Tillman, we didn¡¯t say who we were talking about! Are you admitting it was you?¡± e talking about someone else. Don¡¯t misunderstand us now. Miss Tillman.¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. It was at that moment when the elevator stopped at the level of the Department of Design. As Anastasia moved to step out of the elevator, one of the women suddenly stuck a foot out and nearly tripped her. She then turned back to angrily re at the woman. ¡°My apologies, Miss Tillman,¡± the woman apologized in a fake manner despite having clearly done it on purpose. After huffing, Anastasia walked to her office. Grace had already tidied it up for her and even poured her a cup of coffee. At ten in the morning, Felicia held a department meeting. A somewhat listless Anastasia took her seat and yed with her pen. The noisy conference room suddenly became so quiet that she could have heard a pin drop. As she jerked her head up, she saw Elliot¡¯s tall, handsome figureing in through the conference room door. He hadn¡¯t been to the meetings in several days and she had no idea why he was here now. Nheless, she lowered her head down again in her reluctance to pay any attention to him. As he pulled out a chair and sat down next to Anastasia, Felicia greeted respectfully, ¡°Good morning, President Presgrave.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s begin,¡± Elliot uttered in a low voice as he looked at the woman next to him. Anastasia looked like she had a lot on her mind. Then, Felicia suddenly called her name. ¡°Anastasia.¡± Buried deep in her own thoughts, Anastasia failed to respond and everyone stared at her in astonishment. How bold she had to be to space out sopletely even with Elliot sitting next to her! ¡°Anastasia, do you hear me?¡± Felicia raised her voice. Abruptly, Anastasia came back to her senses and realized that she was being called. She quickly¡ª nodded. ¡°Oh! Please proceed, Director Evans.¡± ¡°We just received a private custom order. The client has expressly asked for you to design her a set of jewelry. You should be fine with that, shouldn¡¯t you?¡± Since Anastasiacked money at the moment, she didn¡¯t hesitate to nod. ¡°Of course.¡± Meanwhile, seated opposite Anastasia was Alice, who kept lowering the cor of her blouse in such a manner that her blouse was bing out of shape. With intent, she directed her cleavage toward Elliot. Naturally being able to see what the woman was doing, Anastasia propped her chin up with a hand and sneered at Alice. ¡°You better stop tugging or your blouse will tear.¡± A furiously blushing Alice nced at Elliot before ring at Anastasia. Even Felicia coughed lightly with embarrassment. ¡°Behave yourselves.¡± Since what Alice had been doing was only meant for Elliot¡¯s eyes, she hadn¡¯t expected Anastasia to expose her so directly. potrebne ¡°Is there anything you¡¯d like to add?¡± Felicia now looked at Elliot. ¡°Anastasia Tillman, stay behind. Everyone else, leave,¡± Elliot ordered quietly. Once again, Anastasia received a wave of envious, resentful nces, yet she had no choice but to remain in her seat as Felicia dismissed everyone else and closed the door after them. ¡°Please stop interfering with my dad¡¯s business in the future. That said, I¡¯m d for the help you¡¯ve offered him in the past.¡± She looked earnestly up at Elliot. No matter what, she had to thank him. ¡°I¡¯m only doing what I should have done, Anastasia. You don¡¯t need to feel guilty.¡± He stared at her deeply. ¡°No, my father owes you, and I¡¯ll pay you back on his behalf from now on.¡± Since she still didn¡¯t want her father to know about this, she would have to pay Elliot back on his behalf. Chapter 143 Chapter 143 Chapter 143 Narrowing his eyes, Elliot asked in a clear, curious voice, ¡°How do you intend to pay me back?¡± In a lower voice, he continued with hope, ¡°Will you agree to marry me so that my helping your father will be nothing more than assisting my future father-inw?¡± It was enough to cause Anastasia to suck in a breath of air. What a ridiculous idea! ¡°I can¡¯t marry you. Please give me another request!¡± She turned her chair away and began doodling in her notebook His expression sank at that. Did she find him so unlikeable? ¡°Give me something I can fulfill,¡± she reminded him since she had no way of promising him something she couldn¡¯t fulfill. As Elliot stared at her delicate side profile, he suddenly rxed. Sometimes, the process was more enjoyable than the result. ¡°Alright, then. From today onward, I¡¯ll eat over at your ce.¡± It was something that he believed she could do. Anastasia¡¯s eyebrows drew together. While this request wasn¡¯t necessarily over the line, it still made things difficult for her. Dinner at her ce? She supposed that it was quite a good method of repayment since she had no money to repay him with and he also didn¡¯t need any money. ¡°If you¡¯re not willing, that¡¯s fine since I¡¯m helping your father as a repayment to your mother, anyway.¡± Seeing that she wasn¡¯t saying anything, Elliot stood up and made to leave. Instantly, Anastasia whipped her head around to agree. ¡°Alright, you can eat at my ce, but you must promise that you¡¯ll behave yourself and not make any moves on me.¡± ¡°I have no interest in women,¡± he lied with a straight face. Struck dumb by his boldness, she gaped at him. No interest in women? Had he forgotten the time he forced his kisses on her? Nevertheless, if she could repay him for the help he gave her father by doing this, she would feel better. ¡°Fine, consider it a measure of trust,¡± she finally said before getting up and pushing open the conference room door to leave. ¡°From tonight onward,¡± he spoke up softly behind her. Without turning back, she answered, ¡°Okay.¡± After returning to her office, Anastasia rested her head on her hands. What a headache! Did that mean she would have to greet him with a table full of food from now on whenever he wanted to eat at her ce? Yet, inparison to the help he offered her father, this was a rtively light repayment. Well, she would have to put up with it. Really, it was no different from cooking for one more person. Right then, Grace knocked on the door and entered with a document folder. ¡°This is the client information that Director Evans has sent over, Miss Tillman. Have a look!¡± Anastasia obliged by reaching out to ept the document folder. As she flipped it open to the first page, her eyes widened. How could it be her? Her client was none other than Leah Hart, as detailed in the information folder. It listed Leah¡¯s family background, educational background, and even the fact that she was the daughter of the first domestic catering giant. To Anastasia, it was obvious that Leah was here to cause trouble. Their previous unhappy ending had no doubt resulted in Leah looking for other ways to make things difficult for her. Right then, Felicia called to urge Anastasia. ¡°Get in contact with the client as soon as possible, Anastasia. She must have chosen us because she believed in your ability, so we can¡¯t let her down.¡± Anastasiaughed bitterly in her heart. No matter how warmly she had received Leah, she might not necessarily be able to see the order through. Nevertheless, she still answered, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll immediately contact her.¡± Then, Anastasia picked up her cell phone, found the correct number, and dialed it. ¡°Who is this?¡± azy voice asked at the other end of the line. ¡°Good morning. I¡¯m Anastasia Tillman, a designer from Bourgeois Jewelry Atelier. I¡¯d like to ask when you would like to meet to discuss the design direction of your jewelry, Miss Hart.¡± ¡°Oh! How about tomorrow morning? You must get ready for everything you need and not let me down!¡± Leah¡¯s final sentence had a smug undertone. ¡°Of course. Shall I choose the meeting ce?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll contact you. You cane over when the timees!¡± With that, Leah hung up. And just like that, Anastasia was left with no choice but to follow the protocol. Tomorrow, she would meet Leah and see what on earth the other woman was up to.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Chapter 144 Chapter 144 Chapter 144 As the end of the workday finally approached, Anastasia¡¯s office phone rang and she reached out to answer the call. ¡°Good evening.¡± ¡°Meet me at the parking lot in 10 minutes,¡± Elliot instructed her concisely before hanging up. She stared at the phone in speechlessness. Never did she think she would be heading home in his car! Nevertheless, given that her only other option was to take a cab, she might as well save her money by carpooling with him instead. And so, 10 minutester, Anastasia picked up her purse and sprinted to the car park where the ck sedan was already waiting for her. After Anastasia pulled open the passenger¡¯s side door and climbed in, Elliot zoomed off toward the garage exit. ¡°We¡¯ll pick Jared up first and stop by the grocery store for some ingredients before going home,¡± he instructed. ¡°Okay,¡± she answered. It wasn¡¯t like she had the confidence to say otherwise, anyway¡ªif Elliot was the only reason why her father was sessful, what ce was there for her opinion? The only thing she could do was try her best to repay Elliot. ¡°There have been major issues with your father¡¯spany funds recently,¡± he told her as he elegantly turned the steering wheel while keeping his eyes on the road. ¡°If he didn¡¯t have this project to save him, he would need to ask a lot of people for help.¡± At that, Anastasia¡¯s heart clenched. Of course she already knew her father undertaking thispany meant he would need to make requests from a lot of people. Yet, a single word from Elliot had saved her father from such dire straits and kept her father from needing to humble himself in front of others. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said from the bottom of her heart as she nced sincerely at Elliot. ¡°I barely had to lift a finger.¡± Elliot raised his eyebrow slightly. Such was the charm of power. Where others had to beg, he only had to say a single sentence. ¡°At any rate, I¡¯m very grateful that you helped my dad out.¡± ¡°Therger Tillman Constructions grows, the more projects he will need to keep it alive. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let anything happen to it.¡± Elliot¡¯s voice was low, powerful, and mesmerizing in the car. Anastasia stopped breathing. Did that mean he would continue to help her father? And that Francis would always need his help? No-the debt of gratitude she owed him would only snowball by then. How was she going to repay him in the future? Yet, the current size of Tillman Constructions would indeed require continuous projects to maintain. Once funds were cut off, it would suffer huge losses and Francis would be subject to endless pressure and anxiety. Given his age, she was afraid that he wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand the pressure. Meanwhile, ncing at the silent woman next to him and knowing he had stressed her out, Elliot said lightly, ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it. I won¡¯t ask too much of you.¡± As if that was what she was worried about! Lifting her head, Anastasia said, ¡°I¡¯ll try my best to ask my dad to work hard to get his own projects in the future. We won¡¯t need your help anymore.¡± Elliot smiled. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Of course Anastasia wasn¡¯t sure. She knew nothing about her father¡¯spany. ¡°You will be the one to take over your father¡¯spany in the future, won¡¯t you?¡± Elliot guessed correctly in a single sentence. She ignored him in speechlessness. She would only think about it when the time came. Who knew whether she would end up selling thepany when it came into her hands by then? At the school gates. After Anastasia went inside to pick up her son, Elliot sat in the car and stared unwaveringly at the school gates. He felt just like a father waiting for his son. Since he hadn¡¯t seen Jared in a few days, he missed Jared quite a lot, just like he would if Jared were actually his son. Not long after that, he saw the heartwarming scene of the mother and son emerging from the school gates. The woman was slender and beautiful; the child, sensible and adorable. It was a sight for soreContent from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. eyes. At that juncture, he pushed open the car door and stepped out. The moment Jared saw him, the little boy released his mother¡¯s hand and sprinted toward Elliot, shouting excitedly, ¡°Mr. Presgrave! Mr. Presgrave!¡± A speechless Anastasia stared at her son. Why on earth did Jared like Elliot so much? Meanwhile, Elliot reached down and carried Jared up. Seated in the crook of his strong arms, the little boy smiled happily. To Jared, there was nothing more he yearned for than a strong and domineering father and Elliot satisfied everything he imagined a father to be. Chapter 145 Chapter 145 Chapter 145 ¡°Get in. We¡¯re going to the grocery store.¡± As Elliot ced Jared at the backseat, it suddenly urred to him that he would need to get a child safety seat installed so that it would be easier for him to pick Jared up in the future. After the three of them returned to the car, they went to a nearbymercial area where they had plenty of time to stop since it was still rather early. While they were inside the grocery store, Jared sat on the cart that was pushed around by Elliot while Anastasia was in charge of selecting ingredients for that evening¡¯s dinner. Feeling somewhat gluttonous tonight, she picked up some pork, shrimp, and a few kinds of vegetables. ¡°My! What a beautiful family!¡± someone suddenlymented as Anastasia was choosing vegetables. When she turned her head, she saw two young women standing nearby and staring at them. The moment Anastasia turned to look at them, they scuttled away in embarrassment as they had been caught in the act. When Anastasia nced back at Elliot and her son, she understood why those two young women had misunderstood. They looked very much like a family of three on a shopping trip indeed! She quickly finished grabbing the vegetables and said to the man pushing the cart behind her, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m done.¡± Of course Elliot¡¯s eyes had caught everything as well and it made the corners of his mouth lift. To him, it was a happy feeling. After they finished shopping, he drove all the way to the entrance of her neighborhood and parked. As soon as she gathered the bags of ingredients she had bought, he took them from her while saying, ¡°I can carry them.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not heavy. It¡¯s fine.¡± Anastasia didn¡¯t want him to lend a hand. However, he stubbornly snatched them from her; his action prompted her to nce speechlessly at her son, who was also happy to have Elliot hold his hand. Now that she was somewhat embarrassed, she strode off quickly to maintain her distance from them so that the neighbors wouldn¡¯t think they were a family. ¡°Mommy, wait for us!¡± Jared shouted behind her. Anastasia could only wait for them in a disconcerted manner. When they finally arrived home, she let out a sigh of relief and took the bags from Elliot before heading into the kitchen. Some foods, like the pork, required a little more time to cook and she would need to prepare it beforehand. ¡°Entertain our guest, Jared,¡± she instructed her son as she left the kitchen to grab something. A somewhat befuddled Jared nodded and looked up at Elliot. To him, Elliot was not a guest but something of a family member. Elliot stroked Jared¡¯s hair with a grin. ¡°I can entertain myself.¡± Meanwhile, Anastasia began to busy herself in the kitchen. Since she had spent so many years cooking for her son, she hadpletely mastered her way around the kitchen. Moreover, to cater to her son¡¯s taste, she had even spent many years looking up recipes and studying the concept of heat distribution. That meant she was quite adept at home cooking. Since the pork was for herself, she added more spice and seasonings; for her son, she made do with some vegetables on top of the steamed egg custard with shrimp. Both dishes would be enough for him. As she entered and exited the kitchen on asion, she would see Elliot watching television with her son at one point and ying with Jared in his room at another. It was turning out not to be an entirely bad thing to have Elliot in her home. At the very least, he could keep her sonpany. Sometimes, what Anastasia feared most was that she and her son hadcked a man¡¯s influence in their lives. Now that Elliot was there to apany Jared, she found that it was a good thing. Dinner was finally served and she knocked on her son¡¯s door after untying her apron. ¡°Time for dinner.¡± It didn¡¯t take long for Jared toe sprinting out and exim upon seeing the food on the table, ¡°It¡¯s all of my favorite dishes!¡± At this point, Elliot also took a seat. Jared had loved egg custard so much that he was digging into it with great gusto, which left Elliot unable to resist the adorable sight of the little boy eating so earnestly. Now, he had also discovered that Anastasia was excellent at cooking. The pork that she prepared was just soft enough; it was fatty but not greasy and although it was a tad bit too spicy for him, it wasn¡¯t as if he couldn¡¯t take one bite after another. It was incredibly appetizing. Although Anastasia had prepared some rice to go with the pork, she didn¡¯t eat much as she was afraid of gaining weight. Instead, she slowly and patiently chewed before swallowing her share. On the other hand, although Elliot was equally elegant, he kept heading into the kitchen for more servings of rice.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Chapter 146 Chapter 146 Chapter 146 As Anastasia watched more of the pork disappear, she couldn¡¯t help feeling a sense of aplishment ¡°Mr. Presgrave, is the food that my mommy prepared delicious?¡± Jared asked inquisitively. ¡°It is. It¡¯s exceptional,¡± Elliot couldn¡¯t help praising and even nced at Anastasia. With a light cough, she advised, ¡°You should have more if you like it.¡± ¡°You have no more rice left,¡± he grumbled. A speechless Anastasia stared at him. Just how many servings of rice have you eaten? ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯ll make more rice in the future. I miscalcted today,¡± she answered awkwardly. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. At this moment, he ced his cutlery down and let out a burp, which nearly caused her to burst out laughing. How could he imply he hadn¡¯t had enough when he was so full that he was burping? He had even covered his mouth before walking over to a ss that he spied on the shelf next to it before immediately drinking the water inside, ¡°That¡¯s mine!¡± Anastasia eximed immediately. ¡°I don¡¯t have any problem with that.¡± Elliot gave a cheeky smile as he drank. ¡°But I do!¡± she eximed with annoyance. His grin turned even more roguish. ¡°Well, that makes me want to drink from it even more.¡± Anastasia was once again rendered speechless. In her heart, she had made up her mind to grab him some daily necessities, such as sses, if he would be eating at her ce for the next year too. After that, Anastasia got up to tidy the table. As she was washing the dishes, Jared shouted from the door, ¡°I¡¯m going for a stroll with Mr. Presgrave, Mommy! Will youe downter?¡± Turning her head, she shouted in response, ¡°Sure! You guys go ahead!¡± Jared happily went downstairs for a stroll with his hand in Elliot¡¯s. This was the first time where Anastasia felt safe about handing her son over to a man who wasn¡¯t Francis or Nigel. In truth, she was somewhat surprised at herself. When had she assimted this man into her life so seamlessly? Ah! Sure enough, some things couldn¡¯t be stopped. Even as she was saying that she would never have any kind of a rtionship with him, their lives had entangled together without her even realizing it. After Anastasia had finished tidying up the kitchen, she took the trash out and went downstairs, The greenery and facilities in her neighborhood were excellent, which encouraged many parents and children to stroll about in the evenings. After tossing the trash into the garbage bin, she went to look for Elliot and her son. The lights in this neighborhood weren¡¯t exceptionally bright, but they were instead dim enough to create a stylish contrast against the greenery. As she carefully studied the surroundings of thezy chair, she suddenly heard a familiar voiceing from the fitness area. Even though it was somewhat far away, she could tell that it was the sound of Jared¡¯sughter. However, her heart stopped. It had been a long time since she heard her sonughing so happily. She immediately turned around only to see beneath themplight that Elliot was with her son at the monkey bars. The little boy was holding onto a bar and dangling in mid-air, and although Elliot had released his grip, he was still standing protectively by Jared¡¯s side. When Jared¡¯s arms grew weak and he was about to fall, Elliot caught hold of him, which caused the little boy tough raucously again. ¡°More, Mr. Presgrave!¡± Standing not far away, Anastasia watched without going over to disturb them. In truth, the scene where Elliot and Jared yed together had indeed reminded her of a father and son. Her son looked very much like Elliot. When he saw Jared¡¯s insistence on staying at the monkey bars, Elliot patiently apanied him and sometimes even softlyughed. Elliot looked tall and straight as he stood underneath themplight with Jared. His sleeves were rolled up and exposed his muscr arms while his pants illustrated the strong, firm lines of his hips and legs. There was something mesmerizing about him. Anastasia couldn¡¯t help stealing a few looks before she finally decided that it waste and they shouldn¡¯t take any more of Elliot¡¯s time. So, she called out as she went toward her sweaty son, ¡°Let¡¯s go home, Jared!¡± ¡°I still want to y, Mommy.¡± Jared was hooked, for he rarely had the opportunity to do something so strenuous. Chapter 147 Chapter 147 Chapter 147 ¡°Mr. Presgrave is extremely busy. Let¡¯s not take up any more of his time, okay?¡± Anastasia advised Jared. To her dismay, Elliot had carried Jared instead. ¡°I¡¯m not busy. We can continue ying.¡± ¡°Yay!¡± A happy Jared threw his arms around Elliot¡¯s neck before turning back to say to her, ¡°Let¡¯s y together, Mommy.¡± Even though she was exasperated, she only sighed in response. ¡°I¡¯ll take a stroll then. See you guys in a bit.¡± Hoping that the light exercise would aid with her digestion, Anastasia went for a walk around the neighborhood. The clock had turned to nine just like that and she returned to the fitness area to see her son on the swings this time. Since Elliot was still pushing him, she could only head over and order, ¡°We¡¯re going back to take a bath, Jared. You still have school tomorrow!¡± Hearing the sternness in his mother¡¯s voice, Jared nodded obediently. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go home!¡± Anastasia nced up at Elliot. ¡°Why don¡¯t you head home first?¡± ¡°My car keys are still at your ce, not to mention that I¡¯d like a drink of water as well.¡± He hinted at going back to her apartment. At that, she frowned. She thought he would be able to leave at that moment! Once they returned home, Anastasia took a look at her son¡¯s sweaty body and decided that he needed to be bathed at once. Thus, she told Elliot, who was drinking a ss of water on her couch, ¡°I¡¯m taking Jared to wash up. Just close the door behind you as you¡¯re leaving.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± He nodded. And so, she took her son into the bathroom. As they emerged from the bathroom after his bath, she discovered that Elliot was still on the couch. A dumbfounded Anastasia then asked, ¡°You haven¡¯t left yet?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to rest for a moment more.¡± Elliot was sprawled outzily on her couch, having no intention of leaving. ¡°Well, Jared has to sleep, so you can leave once you¡¯ve rested enough!¡± she told him. She forcefully called Jared into his bedroom, made him get into bed, and handed him a storybook. ¡°Read by yourself quietly for a moment. You¡¯re not allowed to look for Mr. Presgrave anymore. He has to head home, okay?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Although Jared was clearly unhappy about it, he did not dare to dissent for he was afraid of being scolded. After stroking his hair and giving him a kiss, Anastasia stood up and left the room. When she emerged and found that Elliot was no longer on her couch, she couldn¡¯t help being relieved. He is finally gone! Remembering that her son¡¯s dirty clothes were still in the bathroom and wanting to toss them into the washer, she turned the knob to enter the bathroom. Yet, right as she stepped one foot in, she realized that there was a man standing in front of her¡ª toilet bowl, urinating¡­ ¡°Ahhh!¡± Anastasia was so startled that she knocked her head against the doorframe before mming the door shut again with a red face. God! Not only had he not left, but she had just run into him doing something so embarrassing. Even though his back was to her, she couldn¡¯t help but blush as her mind went nk. At this moment, he walked out of the bathroom and nced down at her, seated on the couch and clutching her head. Concerned, he asked softly, ¡°Does it hurt?¡± ¡°W-Why are you still here?¡± Anastasia was truly exasperated. ¡°Do you really wish for me to leave that much?¡± After saying that, he moved toward the couch area only for her to move her head at the sight. Then, she warned, ¡°Don¡¯t you touch me.¡± He leaned down and underneath themplight, his face was breathtakingly handsome. Thinking that Elliot was about to kiss her, her eyes widened in warning, only for him to pull his cell phone out from next to her before he stood at his full height. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Did you think I wanted to kiss you?¡± He smirked. As Anastasia looked at the cell phone in his hand, her face burned with embarrassment. ¡°See yourself out!¡± Elliot suddenly leaned down to pinch her jaw and thereafter pressed his lips against hers. Before she could react, he was already straightening his posture and heading toward the front door. ¡°How dare you!¡± ¡°Just consider it a punishment for you peeking at me!¡± he answered without looking back. ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything,¡± Anastasia protested angrily. Having just arrived at the door, Elliot turned back and looked at her teasingly. ¡°Yeah? I don¡¯t suppose you regret it?¡± Chapter 148 Chapter 148 Chapter 148 Anastasia¡¯s face furiously reddened. ¡°I do not.¡± ¡°Marry me, and you¡¯ll be able to look at it whenever you want,¡± Elliot told her. ¡°I don¡¯t want to look at it!¡± she shouted as her face reddened even further. Is this man truly so self confident? It was only after he gave a meaningful smile did he pull open the door and leave. Now that she was left alone on the couch, she spaced out. Her mind was still on the blue screen of death. Even as she covered her reddened cheeks, she could still feel the warmth of his lips on hers. What a scoundrel. Didn¡¯t he say before that he will behave himself? She shouldn¡¯t have believed him. For that man to keep his word, pigs would instead be climbing trees by then. At this moment, Anastasia nced toward her son¡¯s room. It was a good thing that he didn¡¯t know what had happened. As the gravity of having to share her evenings with Elliot for the next year sank in, she felt her head aching. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. She rushed to work after dropping her son off at school early the next morning. As she hurried through the crowd with her curls bouncing on her shoulders, she was in a gray id blouse and a ck pencil skirt with a purse slung over her shoulder. Such an attire of hers had inadvertently showcased her professionalism. A ck sedan stopped at the entrance of her workce at this very moment. Elliot was here to take a document back to the Presgrave Corporation when he happened to see hering from the street as she weaved through the crowd of office workers while radiating a strong, mesmerizing sense of calm confidence. At this moment, Anastasia happened to nce at her watch and noticed that there were only two minutes left for her to clock in. She instantly panicked and sprinted toward the lobby, not caring that she looked somewhat wretched as she did so. What she didn¡¯t know was that Elliot was witnessing everything from inside the car. Her rushed demeanor had made him smile. In the past, he didn¡¯t know a woman like her even existed. She wasn¡¯t particrly outstanding or alluring, but she had a certain charm to her that drove him crazy. He was even willing to be branded a voyeur for staring at her because of this. At thest minute, she managed to clock in. When she saw the green light shing, she smiled, feeling somewhat aplished and inexplicably satisfied at being able to arrive on the dot for work. After Anastasia entered her office, Grace carried her cup of coffee to her. ¡°You¡¯re going to meet with a client today, Miss Tillman! Do you need any materials to be prepared?¡± Recalling immediately that she would have to meet Leah today, Anastasia went to her cab to pull out a few documents and set them on the desk. ¡°Do you need me to go with you, Miss Tillman?¡± Grace asked. With a smile, Anastasia shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s no need. Let me understand the situation first. I¡¯ll bring you along next time.¡± After all, Leah was only trying to make things difficult for her. If she had brought Grace along, Grace would only be bullied alongside her, so it was best she withstood this pressure alone! Anastasia called Leah at around ten in the morning. At the other end of the line, Leah¡¯s voice asked, ¡°Why are you only looking for me now, Miss Tillman? Surely your work efficiency could be better than this!¡± ¡°My apologies. I¡¯lle right away. Where would you like to meet?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you the address and you cane over!¡± Leah grumbled with deliberate impatience. Not long after that, Anastasia received the address. After keying in the location on her device, she went downstairs to hail a cab and head to the destination. While on the way there, she couldn¡¯t help spacing out for a moment and thinking about Elliot. Images of him keeping her sonpany floated through her mind. When she was sending Jared to school that morning, he even asked her expectantly, ¡°Will Mr. Presgravee to our ce for dinner tonight, Mommy?¡± To cate her son, Anastasia simply responded, ¡°Yes.¡± Upon seeing her son happily skipping around at her answer, she found herself hoping that Elliot would be free toe over that evening. Anastasia sighed. What is happening to metely? Why are all my thoughts full of this man? At this moment, the cab driver told her, ¡°We¡¯re here, miss.¡± When she raised her head to nce out of the window, Anastasia saw the signboard of an atmospheric cafe, after which she paid the driver and alighted from the cab. It wasn¡¯t until she entered the lobby that she realized the cafe was on the top floor. She helplessly entered the elevator and rode all the way to the top floor. The cafe in question was the kind of coffeehouse which only the rich could afford. For someone like her, being able to drink Starbucks on a normal day was already considered a luxury. Chapter 149 Chapter 149 Chapter 149 An attendant went forward to inform Anastasia at this moment. ¡°Miss Tillman? Miss Hart is waiting for you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± Anastasia acknowledged with a smile and a nod of her head. ¡°Please follow me.¡± The attendant gestured in invitation. After stepping into the cafe, Anastasia saw Leah and another woman sitting at a table by the window and chatting at this moment. At a nce, it was obvious to Anastasia that the other woman was just as rich as Leah and dressed to denote equal status. ¡°Ah, the designer is here! Please sit! Bring the coffee,¡± Leah ordered the attendant. The attendant immediately nodded. Anastasia had only just sat down when a cup of coffee was ced in front of her. Looking over at Leah, she responded, ¡°Thank you for the coffee, Miss Hart.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee. Let¡¯s talk about design, then! I wish tomission an engagement jewelry for myself ¡ªsomething that befits my status. I hope you won¡¯t let me down.¡± ¡°Please share your opinions with me. I have several styles for you to choose from.¡± Anastasia reached out to retrieve her documents. ¡°Hmph, I¡¯m the client here. What I want is your design. What¡¯s the point in having me choose?¡± ¡°I still have to know what you like for me to have a direction for the design.¡± ¡°What I like is something unique, beautiful, and suits my temperament. The rest is up to you. Besides, don¡¯t you know how to research what I like? You can look me up!¡± Leahzily reclined against her seat with an arrogant look on her face. For a few moments, a dumbstruck Anastasia stared at Leah. Now, she finally understood that. Leah had no wish to give any direction ormunicate any idea for the design. What Leah wanted was for her toe up with a design out of thin air that was satisfactory to Leah. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Hart. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t take yourmission. Please find another designer!¡± Anastasia had no wish to stay any longer. After all, there would be no earning Leah¡¯s money no matter how much effort she wasted. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Right as Anastasia took her purse and was about to stand up, the woman next to Leah sneered. ¡°What kind of attitude is this? Are all designers from Bourgeois like this? I¡¯m certainly learning something new today.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know that I¡¯ve already signed a contract with yourpany, Anastasia Tillman? If you don¡¯t design for me, I can sue yourpany for breach of contract. I hear they pay quite a bit for that! Three times the deposit! And I paid 1 million in deposit,¡± Leah said smugly behind Anastasia. At that, Anastasia stopped in her tracks. Of course Leah wouldn¡¯t make things so simple. As she turned back, she proposed, ¡°If you¡¯re willing to have a conversation with me, Miss Hart, we can continue working together.¡± ¡°We are having a conversation!¡± ¡°I meant an earnest and sincere one,¡± she answered coldly. ¡°I¡¯m your client, Anastasia. How can you speak with me in that tone? Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll file a comint about you?¡± Leah questioned somewhat angrily. Retaking her seat, Anastasia stared into Leah¡¯s haughty eyes. ¡°Of course you have the right to file a comint about me. If there¡¯s somewhere I¡¯ve fallen short, you can file as you please; if you only wish to make things difficult for me, then let¡¯s not waste each other¡¯s time any longer.¡± Leah smiled coldly. ¡°Let me be in, then. Leave Nigel or Bourgeois. Pick one.¡± At that, Anastasia couldn¡¯t help being amused. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re not the one with the ability to make me leave Bourgeois. My boss is the one.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll make it impossible for you to stay in the design world.¡± Leah sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate what I can do.¡± ¡°Anastasia Tillman, isn¡¯t it?¡± the woman next to her asked smugly. ¡°We only need to spread the world for the entire upper-ss client base to keep from hiring you or ever buying your designs.¡± However, Anastasia was not one to be easily scared. With a smile, she announced, ¡°Breach of contract it is! I¡¯ll have the bill settled for you once I get back to Bourgeois.¡± ¡°What are you showing off for, Anastasia Tillman? Do you even have the capital to do that? And one more thing before you leave-We¡¯re going Dutch today, so you can pay for your own coffee!¡± Leah shouted at her. The undeterred Anastasia stood up and walked toward the counter to ask the attendant, ¡°How much does my coffee cost?¡±. Chapter 150 Chapter 150 Chapter 150 The waiter named the price with a smile. ¡°That will be 5,888, thank you!¡± Anastasia¡¯s almond-shaped eyes widened when she heard the unbelievably expensive price tag that the cup of coffee had. ¡°That¡¯s unreasonably expensive!¡± ¡°The coffee was brewed with coffee beans of the finest quality, so it is definitely worth the price.¡± Anastasia was rendered speechless. The coffee cost me a fortune although I have barely sipped it-I didn¡¯t even manage to relish the taste. ¡°Fine, just get me the bill. Pack the coffee too. Add some ice, sugar and cream please.¡± Then, she took out her card and handed it to a stunned waiter. The waiter immediately asked his colleague to pack the drink. However, Anastasia¡¯s action led Leah, who was sitting near the window, to scoff at her. ¡°Anastasia, my apologies. I¡¯ve forgotten that you are an ordinary white-cor employee. I reckon that this cup of coffee must have cost about half of your monthly sry!¡± Anastasia wasn¡¯t bothered to respond and she was unfazed by the unusual nces from the waiters around. When the waiter handed her the coffee, she took the coffee and left with her chest puffed out. Upon seeing that, Leah was so pissed that she clenched her teeth. Anastasia¡¯s really a tough nut to crack, she thought. It was almost lunch hour when Anastasia returned to the office. She asked Felicia out for lunch and told her about all that had happened earlier that day. ¡°What? She was spiteful to you?¡± Felicia asked in shock. ¡°Yes! She even attempted to force me to leave my friends, so she deliberately made things difficult for me. It wasn¡¯t her intention to do business with us at all.¡± At that point, Anastasia had yet to mention the incident about the coffee! ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll make a request with the management to collect liquidated damages from her instead. I can¡¯t put you in a difficult situation because of this,¡± a reasonable Felicia replied, to which Anastasia nodded and responded, ¡°Sorry for the trouble, Felicia.¡± ¡°No worries. We can¡¯t let anyone bully us because of this, eh?¡± Felicia smiled. Besides, with ElliotN?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. around, nobody cany a finger on you! At about 2.00PM, she went upstairs to Elliot¡¯s office. Elliot was sitting on the couch reading a document. The man disyed high work efficiency; therge pile of documents that had been on his desk that morning had vanished with only a few remaining documents. ¡°President Presgrave, I have something I¡¯d like to report to you,¡± Felicia uttered. Elliot ced the documents down and nodded. ¡°Go ahead.¡± She reiterated the incident that had happened that morning, whereby Anastasia had met Leah, before she added, ¡°I¡¯d talk to you regarding their request for liquidated damage.¡± It was apparent that Elliot¡¯s expression darkened when he heard the story. ¡°How dare she request for liquidated damages from ourpany after she bullied my staff! Does Miss Hart think that our legal department is good for nothing?¡± he coldly replied: Felicia was stunned by his response. It seems like President Presgrave is really enraged! ¡°I¡¯ll phone Miss Hart and discuss with her to see whether we can resolve this amicably.¡± ¡°Invite Miss Hart over in the afternoon. I¡¯d like to personally talk to her about the liquidated damages,¡± he impassively replied. It seemed like he had no ns to let this slide easily. She was pleased upon seeing his reaction. I can¡¯t wait for the interesting drama to unfold. ¡°Noted, President Presgrave.¡± After Felicia had left the room, Elliot narrowed his eyes and thought, That woman was bullied? On the other hand, Felicia called Leah the first thing after returning to her office. She invited Leah over to talk about the liquidated damages without mentioning that Elliot wanted to see her: personally. Leah coincidentally happened to be nearby, so she would be arriving in 20 minutes, at most. Thereafter, Felicia went to Anastasia¡¯s office to inform her that Leah¡¯s matter would be handled by Elliot, which stunned Anastasia. ¡°Does he even have the time to deal with this?¡± ¡°Anastasia, do you think Leah would receive the liquidated damages?¡± ¡°She would be really lucky if she really gets it; it would be as if earning two million is like a walk in the park. I would have done so if it¡¯s really that good of a deal.¡± Anastasia¡¯s eyes beamed at the discovery of a new way to be rich. ¡°Don¡¯t be foolish. That¡¯s a crime. It¡¯s more realistic to go to work.¡± With that, Felicia left the scene with a grin. Anastasia propped her chin on her arm and dropped the thought. Twenty minutester, Leah arrived at their office along with her best friend. Felicia invited them into a reception room and greeted them warmly. Chapter 151 Chapter 151 Chapter 151 ¡°Please call Anastasia here too! I hope that she can be reminded of what the proper way to treat clients is,¡± Leah demanded in a condescending attitude, attempting to take advantage of her identity as their client to humiliate Anastasia. After all, to a business, customers were God. ¡°Sure, please hold on for a minute,¡± Felicia responded, after which she exited the room and dialed Elliot¡¯sndline. ¡°Hello.¡± A low, husky, male voice rang. ¡°President Presgrave, Miss Hart has arrived. She¡¯s now in Reception Room No. 3.¡± ¡°Please get Anastasia over too,¡± Elliot instructed before he hung up the call. Felicia thereafter gave Anastasia a call. The moment the call was picked up, she said, ¡°Miss Hart is here. Pleasee over to Reception Room No. 3.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to see her.¡± ¡°Are you sure that you don¡¯t want to watch the lovely show?¡± ¡°What lovely show?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know when you are there,¡± Felicia mysteriously replied. Well, there¡¯s no harm in watching how Leah ns to nder me when I¡¯m so bored now! Anastasia thought. So, holding her phone in her hand, she rose up and headed over to Reception Room No. She knocked on the door once before pushing the door open to enter the room. However, all she saw was twodies sitting on the couch; Felicia was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Was the coffee good?¡± Leah mocked while the corner of her lips curled upward. ¡°No, I threw it away,¡± Anastasia replied as she took a seat on the couch beside Leah. At this moment, the door was pushed open from outside. Felicia was seen standing at the door as she said to the man behind her, ¡°President Presgrave, this way.¡± Leah and her femalepanion both raised their heads in astonishment, only to see a dashing, slender figure walking into the room. At one nce, they were able to recognize the identity of that man-Elliot Presgrave, the president of Presgrave Corporation. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, it¡¯s such a pleasant surprise to see you here.¡± Leah immediately feigned politeness and greeted him with a smile. ¡°Hello, Mr. Presgrave.¡± Herpanion¡¯s eyes were filled with excitement and admiration as well. They never thought that they would actually bump into the man that they rarely had the chance to meet. They were determined to put on their best behaviors to leave a deep impression on him. Elliot sat down on the couch. Beneath his thickshes were deep, unfathomable eyes that seemed to contain an air of dominance. ¡°Miss Hart, please apologize to my employee, Anastasia Tillman,¡± he snarled, ring at Leah with a piercing gaze. A stunned Leah immediately responded, ¡°Mr. Presgrave, perhaps you are unaware of the situation. The thing is, it was your employee who first breached the agreement, so she should be the one apologizing to me.¡± ¡°Considering the rtionship between my aunt and your parents, I¡¯m willing to let things slide as long as you apologize to her. Otherwise, your reputation will be tainted if we were to go through the legal process,¡± Elliot coldly refuted. She was astounded to hear that. Why would Elliot stand up for a mere insignificant employee like Anastasia? Anastasia, who was watching from the sideline, finally understood what Felicia had meant by ¡®lovely show¡¯. She turned to the man in front of her, who was emanating an intimidating presence. In fact, he didn¡¯t even dart a nce at her, yet he was upholding her interest. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, I-I have no idea what I did wrong, so why should I apologize?¡± Leah, of course, refused to back down and apologize, especially when the other party was Anastasia, her love rival. ¡°Firstly, you oppressed my employee at work; then, you took advantage of the situation to ckmail our company for liquidated damages;stly, your actions have greatly affected my employee¡¯s morale.¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Leah was dumbfounded. She admitted the first two ims that Elliot had made, but how could she be responsible for the third im? ¡°I-I-I didn¡¯t! As a matter of fact, I have no ns in demandingpensation. After all, I genuinely wanted to customize a set of jewelry. How about I have a talk with your main person in-charge to get me another designer?¡± When she finally realized how serious the matter was, she tried to salvage the situation. ¡°Miss Hart, I think you still don¡¯t get what I meant. First of all, I need you to make an apology. Next, our company will never ept any orders from you again.¡± Elliot forcefully demanded an apology without giving her a chance to back down. Meanwhile, Anastasia stood at one side with her arms folded across her chest, waiting for Leah¡¯s apology. ¡°Miss Hart, it¡¯s better to think of the consequences before you bully others. For instance, it¡¯s unwise to order a coffee that costs over 5,000 on my behalf without my consent and then ask me to pay for the bill. After all, you don¡¯t know my taste and preference, so you gave me no choice but to throw away that cup of fine coffee.¡± Anastasia seized the opportunity to expose another evil deed that Leah had committed. Chapter 152 Chapter 152 Chapter 152 At that point, Leah was cracking her head to figure out a way to obtain Elliot¡¯s forgiveness. Therefore, when Anastasia suddenly added fuel to the fire, she couldn¡¯t help but secretly re at Anastasia. On the other hand, when Elliot heard Anastasia¡¯s words, the expression on his face became colder, which made Leah even more anxious. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Presgrave. It wasn¡¯t intentional. I thought that Miss Tillman would fancy that coffee.¡± Leah tried hard to save her own image. After all, Elliot was Nigel¡¯s cousin, so she couldn¡¯t afford to ruin her image in front of Elliot! Upon hearing that, Anastasia revealed a smile. ¡°Miss Hart, how about this-I¡¯m willing to let this slide as long as you apologize to me and return the money for the coffee to me.¡± Leah was really reluctant to ept her offer, but she was aware that Anastasia¡¯s suggestion could help her out of this embarrassing situation. Hence, she had no choice but to suppress her rage and nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll apologize to you. Just forget about thepensation and I¡¯ll give you the money for the coffee.¡± Upon seeing that Anastasia had named her conditions, Elliot remained quiet and didn¡¯t raise any objections. Anastasia was seen taking out her phone and tapping on her phone to open the QR code that allowed her to receive payment. Then, Leah quickly used her phone to scan the code and transfer the 5,888. At the same time, she inhaled a deep breath and said, ¡°Miss Tillman, I¡¯m sorry. Please forgive my impoliteness.¡± Anastasia took her phone and confirmed that she had received the money before replying without raising her head. ¡°Okay, I forgive you.¡± When the man saw the woman eagerly checking the transfer with her head bowed, the coldness in his eyes was reced by a hint of affectionate smile. Her eyes are basically glued to the money. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, I¡¯m sorry to have taken up your precious time. I have something else to attend to. I shall take my leave.¡± Leah tugged her femalepanion beside her. They quickly pulled the door openN?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. and fled the room for fear that they might offend the man if they were to stay for another second. Anastasia took her phone and gratefully nced at that man. ¡°President Presgrave, thank you for standing up for me.¡± ¡°Add another dish tonight.¡± He raised his eyebrow at her, gesturing at her that he preferred her to show her gratitude through actions. She suppressed herughter and said while standing at the door, ¡°Sure. How about two extra dishes? Will that be enough, President Presgrave?¡± Her words ended with a long tone, but she totally had no idea that it actually sounded especially enticing when she called his name like that. It resembled a feather that gently brushed across his heart. Elliot¡¯s heart skipped a beat, after which he replied with raised brows, ¡°Don¡¯t forget to cook more rice.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Anastasia, who was embarrassed to talk about this topic in the office, immediately pulled the door open and left. Although she had been pissed that day, the whole incident ended in a way that alleviated her anger. By that point, Leah, who had returned to her car, was so enraged that she mmed the steering wheel while her femalepanion sitting next to her had a look of displeasure. ¡°I wonder what Anastasia did that allowed her to get Elliot to stand up for him.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll definitely find a chance to get my revenge on her for the humiliation that I¡¯ve endured today.¡± Leah was so mad that she nearly fainted. Felicia dealt with the matter that involved Leah so well that nobody in the office knew that it was Elliot who actually took the initiative to set things straight for Anastasia. Otherwise, Anastasia would have made everyone burn in jealousy. In fact, Anastasia, who was carefree in character, wasn¡¯t bothered by that incident as well since she had gotten back her money. She had learned that she shouldn¡¯t allow things that had nothing to do with her to upy her time. At 3:00 PM, after having a few words with Felicia, Anastasia pushed open the door to her own office. Unexpectedly, she found Nigel sitting on her seat. Upon seeing that she had returned, Nigel spun around on the chair and shed a bright grin at her, revealing his dazzling, pearly white teeth. ¡°Why are you here? Are you done with the renovation work?¡± Anastasia asked as she walked into the room. ¡°I¡¯m here to check around and to pay you a visit and also to have dinner with you and Jared tonight.¡± ¡°Huh? Tonight?¡± Her heart leapt into her mouth as she had to cook dinner for Elliot that night. ¡°I¡¯m thirsty,¡± Nigel said, then he extended his hand to grab the ss of water on her desk. Anastasia¡¯s eyes widened. With speed as fast as lightning, she snatched the ss. ¡°You can¡¯t drink from my ss.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so stingy! Taking a sip won¡¯t hurt!¡± He bit his lips, looking as though he was hurt by her reaction. Chapter 153 Chapter 153 Chapter 153 While holding her own ss in her hand, Anastasia made an internal call and asked Grace to send over another ss of water. Something suddenly shed across Anastasia¡¯s mind. She didn¡¯t react much when Elliot had been using her ss at home all this while, so why did she react like this now? Why did she show such a huge reaction when all Nigel did was try to drink from her ss? ¡°Are you really eating with us at night?¡± Anastasia subconsciously asked as she sipped the water in her ss. Nigel elegantly sipped his water and answered, ¡°I have to treat you guys to a fancy meal.¡± ¡°Alright, then. I have some work to attend to. Please wait for me until I get off work.¡± He returned her seat to her, then he suddenly rose up when he thought about something. ¡°I¡¯m going over to look for Elliot. I¡¯ll see you in a while.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Anastasia replied, nodding with her chin propped on her hands. However, when Nigel was at the door, he abruptly looked back at the woman behind the desk. ¡°Anastasia, are you close with Elliot?¡± She reflexively responded, ¡°Not close. We are not close at all.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. He smiled before he pushed the door open and left the room. Anastasia exhaled in relief as sheforted herself. Why do I feel like I¡¯m in a secret rtionship with Elliot? Why do I need to keep telling lies? Come to think about it, there¡¯s nothing between me and Elliot, so that¡¯s not considered a lie! She took her phone and texted the man. ¡®I¡¯m having dinner with Nigel and Jared tonight, so I won¡¯t be making dinner. After sending the message, she exhaled in relief at the thought of being able to rest for one night. At this moment, Felicia knocked on her door and entered her room while being followed by a young lady behind her. ¡°Anastasia, you have a customer.¡± Although Anastasia had traumatic experiences with clients who requested customized products, she quickly rose to her feet politely to greet her, ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Miss Tillman, I have a friend who is interested in your designs. She wants to customize a ne for her boyfriend.¡± ¡°No problem. Please, have a seat. Why didn¡¯t your friende with you?¡± ¡°She¡¯s abroad. She has no time to return, so she has asked me to meet you about the design.¡± Felicia and Anastasia exchanged nces before she hinted, ¡°The female customer who requested the custom-made jewelry said that she saw magazines that featured your designs when she was abroad. She really adores your style of design.¡± ¡°Yes, my friend saw magazines about you when she was abroad and has taken a liking to you.¡± The lady smiled. The exnation cleared Anastasia¡¯s doubt. She had indeed been featured in magazines in which she had shared a few passages about her thoughts in jewelry design. ¡°My friend said that she wants to customize a pair of matching nes. The one that she ns to give her boyfriend will look like a lock, while the other one, which she will be wearing, will look like a key. Miss Tillman, you are free to design them as you wish, but she hopes to see the final product by the end of the month.¡± Anastasia blinked and looked up at Felicia, who carefully checked the calendar before responding, ¡°If you are able to prepare the design in three days, it¡¯s possible to see the final product by the end of the month.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll try my best to prepare the draft in three days.¡± Anastasia promised. ¡°That¡¯s great. My friend hopes to have two English letters engraved on the lock, which are the initials of thest names of her and her boyfriend.¡± Anastasia immediately grabbed her notebook. ¡°Sure. What are the letters, though?¡± ¡°The initial of her boyfriend¡¯sst name is the letter ¡®P¡¯, while hers is the letter ¡®S¡¯. She wants a heart shaped design at the center of the lock.¡± ¡°Sure. No problem. I¡¯ll add that in the design.¡± Anastasia nodded. ¡°Great. How about the price?¡± Felicia chimed in, ¡°What¡¯s your friend¡¯s budget?¡± ¡°About 5 million.¡± Anastasia and Felicia exchanged nces. It seems like thisdy¡¯s friend is wealthy! That¡¯s a really handsome budget. ¡°I see. Please have faith in Miss Tillman. She will definitely present you with the best design. Besides, the materials that we will be using and our craftsmanship are no doubt one of the very best in the industry.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll first pay 2 million as a deposit on behalf of my friend, and the bnce will be paid after the final product is ready.¡± Thereafter, Felicia led thedy out of the office while Anastasia was suddenly very motivated. She never thought that such a generous order, which allowed her to obtain amission of 3 percent as well as a year-end bonus, would present itself to her. To her, this was certainly a small fortune. Chapter 154 Chapter 154 Chapter 154 When she was about to use her phone to do a calction, a message popped up on her screen. It was a message from Elliot. ¡®I¡¯ll deal with it. Anastasia¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she saw his message. What does he mean? About ten minutes after Felicia had seen the female client out, she knocked on Anastasia¡¯s door and said, ¡°Anastasia, please try your best toe out with the design draft in three days¡¯ time, even if you have to work overtime. You must not let the client down.¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll work overtime toe out with the draft,¡± Anastasia promised. The requested design elements happened to be those that she was skillful in, so the work wouldn¡¯t be much of a hassle for her. Felicia had faith in Anastasia¡¯s quality of work, so the former left after a short discussion. When Anastasia was staring at the sketch in an attempt to capture inspiration when it struck, Nigel was seen entering her office. He looked at her apologetically and muttered, ¡°Anastasia, I¡¯ll treat you and Jared to a meal another day. I have something else to attend to tonight.¡± Anastasia, who wasn¡¯t surprised at all to hear that, pursed her lips and shed a smile at him. ¡°No worries. We can always do that when you are free.¡± ¡°I just received the news that an overseaspany will be holding their team-building event in my hotel, so I have to rush back to attend a meeting,¡± Nigel exined in frustration, to which Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Anastasia responded, ¡°Please go ahead with your business. You have just taken over thepany; you must not disappoint your father.¡± Nigel felt helpless as well. He finally had the time to invite Anastasia to dinner, but the n was still ruined in the end. After seeing him off, Anastasia fell into a daze. Elliot actually made such a huge move just to eat my cooking? He actually gave Nigel the profit that could be generated from the team-building event of the overseaspany? Just then, herndline rang, and she picked up the call. ¡°Hello, who¡¯s on the line?¡± ¡°Has he left?¡± A sonorous voice rang from the other end of the line, leaving Anastasia speechless. She then questioned, ¡°Did you really have to drive him away?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Or were you looking forward to having dinner with him?¡± The man¡¯s voice from the other end suddenly took on a menacing edge. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll go and buy some groceries tonight.¡± At that point, Anastasia had no choice but to go through the trouble of making him dinner. However, the man on the other end refused to give up. ¡°Answer my question.¡± Anastasia, however, chose to say something that would piss him off, probably because she didn¡¯t want him to be toocent. ¡°Yes, I was looking forward to it!¡± As soon as she said that, the call was ended by the other person, which obviously suggested that the man was enraged. Holding the beeping handset in her hand, Anastasia was stunned. Why is this man acting like a child who is always mad? Besides, who is he to be mad at me anyway?! I just can¡¯t seem to figure out what¡¯s going on in his mind. Nevertheless, she had no intention to figure it out anyway, because she had an urgent custom-made order that she had toplete at hand. Meanwhile, thedy who had just exited the Bourgeois Jewelry Atelier soon arrived at the opposite street. She opened the car door of a red Ferrari and got into the vehicle. Hayley was seen sitting in the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Did everything go well?¡± Hayley asked. ¡°Hayley, where did you get the money from? Are you really going to order a custom-made jewelry worth 5 million?¡± i ¡°I-I¡¯m just helping a friend to make that order. It¡¯s not my money,¡± Hayley exined, but she couldn¡¯t help feeling conceited deep down. Anastasia certainly wouldn¡¯t expect that she would be designing matching couple nes for Elliot and Hayley. Thetter just couldn¡¯t wait to see Anastasia¡¯s reaction on the day Hayley went to collect the nes. ¡°You take a cab back. I have something else to do.¡± Hayley instructed thedy. Thatdy used to be Hayley¡¯s friend. At present, she left the car in satisfaction, holding the 2,000 that she had earned for her service. On the other hand, Hayley touched up her make up and picked up the dessert that she had bought before she contently alighted from the car. Then, she walked toward the Bourgeois Jewelry Atelier. On the way there, she reached for her phone and gave a call to May. ¡°May, ask Anastasia to go to Elliot¡¯s office in five minutes. Just ask her to go there without telling her the purpose.¡± ¡°Sure, Miss Seymour!¡± May immediately agreed. When Hayley walked past the reception counter, the four receptionists instantly looked at her respectfully. ¡°Wee, Miss Seymour.¡± In response, Hayley revealed an elegant yet arrogant smile before she took an elevator and went straight to the president¡¯s office on the 8th floor. Meanwhile in the president¡¯s office, Elliot was finishing up his work so that he could get off work earlier to go grocery shopping with Anastasia. Chapter 155 Chapter 155 Chapter 155 At that moment, Rey knocked on the door from outside and reported, ¡°President Presgrave, Miss Seymour is here.¡± A frown appeared between Elliot¡¯s brows when he heard that. ¡°Let her in.¡± Thereafter, Hayley came in, shing a charming smile at him as she sweetly announced, ¡°Elliot, I¡¯ve brought you some refreshments.¡± As a matter of fact, she specially came at that time as she had nned to invite Elliot out for dinner. ¡°Please don¡¯t give me all these again. I don¡¯t like desserts,¡± Elliot muttered as he leaned his back against the chair. The white shirt on him made him seem like a celibate, and he lookednguid and charming at the moment. Hayley¡¯s heart started to race at that. No woman could resist such a dazzling and elegant man. And so, she walked toward Elliot step by step. Anastasia will be arriving at any moment now, Hayley thought to herself, as she had been keeping track of the time. Currently, Anastasia, who had been informed by May to go to Elliot¡¯s office, did not suspect anything and was on her way upstairs. She merely wondered to herself the reason the man wished to see her. Could it be that he is going to use work as an excuse to scold me? she pondered. Meanwhile, Hayley, who had arrived by Elliot¡¯s side, suddenly held her forehead and hissed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Elliot rose up and examined her. Just then, Hayley seemed to hear the sound of ady¡¯s high heels tapping on the floor, and coupled with the fact that it was almost the time that she had expected, she pretended to scowl in pain. The very next second, she fell into Elliot¡¯s embrace. He supported her with his long arms, so she took the opportunity to wrap her arms around his waist. ¡°Elliot, I feel so dizzy¡­¡± ¡°Let me help you to the couch so that you can rest.¡± He attempted to keep his distance from her, but she tightened her arms around him and refused to let go. Then, she raised her head with her eyes shut and mumbled, ¡°Elliot, is there something in my eye? Could you check it for me? It hurts!¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Upon hearing that, Elliot narrowed his eyes and leaned in to take a look. At that moment, the door of the president¡¯s office flung open. Anastasia didn¡¯t knock the door before she opened it, as she thought that Elliot would be waiting to have a word with her. As soon as the door was opened, what came into view was a man and a woman intimately hugging each other. Elliot leaned in at Hayley¡¯s face, while thetter raised her head with her eyes shut, as if she was eagerly waiting for the man¡¯s kiss. Anastasia¡¯s eyes widened. In the end, she stared at them for a couple of seconds before she calmly said, ¡°Sorry for intruding. Please carry on.¡± With that, she turned on her heel and mmed the door behind her before she left. All that had happened in mere seconds, and it was so fast that Elliot didn¡¯t manage to return to his senses. When he finally made sense of the situation, he immediately released his grip on Hayley¡¯s shoulder. Forcefully removing her arms that were around his waist, he urgently dered to her, ¡°I¡¯ll get Rey to send you to the hospital.¡± Thereafter, Elliot pushed her away from him. It wasn¡¯t a hard push, in fact, but Hayley went along with the force and deliberately fell and slumped on the floor. ¡°Ah!¡± she shrieked. Elliot, who had barely arrived at the door withrge strides, looked behind and saw that Hayley had fallen. He clenched his fists, but he still turned back to help her up. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Ou ¡°I¡¯m fine. Elliot, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Hayley asked, intentionally feigning innocence. ¡°Nothing,¡± he replied, then used thendline andmanded, ¡°Rey,e over.¡± Soon, Rey knocked on the door and entered the room, and Elliot ordered, ¡°Send Miss Seymour to the hospital for a checkup and then send her home.¡± For Hayley, her n had seeded since she had reached her goal. The scene earlier must have made Anastasia misunderstand that Elliot was going to kiss me! ¡°Elliot, I want to have dinner with you,¡± Hayley mumbled begrudgingly. ¡°I¡¯m not avable tonight. Let¡¯s have dinner some other time.¡± After he said that, he grabbed his phone that was on the desk and hurriedly strode out. He seemed to be in a fluster. Before long, Elliot showed up at the Department of Design. When he arrived at Anastasia¡¯s office, he saw that her seat was empty, so he asked Grace, who was outside, ¡°Where¡¯s Anastasia?¡± ¡°Miss Tillman just got off work early. Is there anything you need from her, President Presgrave?¡± Grace asked nervously. Elliot remained impassive and he casually replied, ¡°No.¡± Then, he strode off and he used his phone to give a certain woman a call on his way out. At that moment, Anastasia was in a cab on the way to pick up her son. Upon hearing her phone ringing, she took her phone and nced at the screen. The corner of her lips curling upward, she snorted and decided to not pick up the call. Chapter 156 Chapter 156 Chapter 156 The man stopped calling her when he failed to reach her with the first call. As Anastasia gazed at the bustling streets outside the window, she could not help but recall the image that she had seen earlier. There¡¯s nothing going on between Elliot and me, so who he wants to share a kiss with should have nothing to do with me. Nheless, why am I feeling so mad for no reason? What¡¯s wrong with him kissing Hayley? Plus, they have even done things that are more intimate than kissing, or perhaps it¡¯s Hayley who has been satisfying all his serual desires all along. Otherwise, it would be abnormal for a 29-year-old man like him to not have any needs at all. Hence, Anastasia concluded that Hayley was Elliot¡¯s current bedmate. D*mn! How dare he force his kiss on me if that¡¯s the case?! I¡¯m so pissed right now! When Anastasia picked her son up from the kindergarten, the little boy poked his head out from behind her. Taking a look around, he raised his little head to her and asked, ¡°Mommy, where¡¯s Mr. Presgrave? Why is he not here?¡± ¡°He¡¯s noting tonight. He has something else he needs to take care of,¡± Anastasia exined as she led Jared by his hand and walked out of the schoolpound. Just then, the boy¡¯s eyes lit up in excitement. He broke away from her grip and cried, ¡°Mommy, you lied to me! Mr. Presgrave is here!¡± After he said that, he dashed in a direction. At that, Anastasia turned to look and spotted Elliot¡¯s imposing figure. From a dozen meters away, she was able to feel the sharp stare from his eyes that was as dark as night. Her expression fell and she stared back at him. Doesn¡¯t he have a date with Hayley? Why is he here now? ¡°Mr. Presgrave!¡± The little boy ran up to the man and jumped at him, and Elliot quickly spread his arms and picked the boy up in a movement that seemed particrly natural. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, Mommy said that you are very busy so you couldn¡¯te!¡± Jared said as he cocked his head to one side. ¡°I¡¯ll stille and pick you up from school no matter how busy I am.¡± After Elliot said that, he extended his hand and caressed the boy¡¯s head. ¡°Let¡¯s get in the car.¡± Elliot knew that as long as he got the boy into the car, Anastasia would definitely follow along. Also, he had fixed something special in his car that day-a child car seat. Anastasia initially nned to get Jared to take the cab together with her, but upon seeing him enter Elliot¡¯s car, she had no choice but to walk over to them. ¡°I thought that you had a date? Why are you here then?¡± she muttered with a cold chuckle. Instead of answering her, Elliot closed the door of the back seat and darted a cold look at her before he questioned in dissatisfaction, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you pick up my call?¡± ¡°Did you call me? I didn¡¯t hear it.¡± Anastasia lied smoothly and she did not even blink. Elliot knew that she didn¡¯t pick up his call on purpose, yet there was nothing he could do but exin, ¡°It was a misunderstanding. Something got into Hayley¡¯s eye and I was just helping her to check her eye.¡± However, Anastasia found his exnation ridiculous. ¡°President Presgrave, why are you exining it to me? There¡¯s nothing for me to misunderstand since I don¡¯t care what sort of rtionship you have with Hayley.¡± At that, she shed a bright smile at him. Elliot¡¯s expression was stiff when he heard that, and his gaze was as dark as night. At the moment, he was in an awful mood as frustration bubbled up inside him. ¡°Anastasia, let me repeat myself-Hayley and I are merely friends,¡± Elliot suddenly held her arms and announced in a domineering manner. ¡°President Presgrave, why are you exining it so clearly to me? Your rtionship with Hayley has nothing to do with me at all.¡± Anastasia scoffed in response, her gaze on him cold. With that, she forcefully broke away from his grip, pulled open the car door to the back seat and entered the car. Throughout the drive, Elliot chatted with the boy. He asked what ss Jared had had in the day, what he had had for lunch and even what he had done in the afternoon. Throughout, Jared happily answered all the questions. Meanwhile, Anastasia looked outside the window with her arms folded across her chest, thinking about what to cook that night. Then, she said to Elliot, ¡°Let¡¯s buy some groceries at the mini market below my apartment.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± he responded as he nced at her with his bottomless eyes from the rear mirror. Coincidentally, she happened to look into the mirror, so their gazes met. Upon seeing that, Anastasia immediately turned away as she was reluctant to meet his eyes.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Chapter 157 Chapter 157 Chapter 157 After a ten minute drive, they arrived at her ce. Stopping the car, Anastasia then handed the keys to Elliot as she said, ¡°Go on and take Jared home first. I¡¯ll go buy some groceries by myself.¡± With the keys in his possession, Elliot then took Jared by the hand and walked to the entrance of the community. At the supermarket beside the residence, Anastasia was choosing the vegetables until she saw the green chillies. She suddenly craved some stir fry pork, as well as roasted peppers and sea bass. Except for her son¡¯s steamed eggs, which would not be spicy, the other dishes tonight would all be vorful, with chillies as the main star of the show. The only thing now was that she did know if the tyrannical president would like it or not, even though she herself would enjoy it very much. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. After finishing the shopping, Anastasia, who was in a good mood, also bought some fruits on her way home. Reaching home, she noticed Elliot was ying with Jared using toy blocks. When she set down the washed fruits on the table, Anastasia noticed that the man was drinking out of her cup again. Annoyed, she then med herself for forgetting to buy disposable cups. ¡°I¡¯m going to cook now.¡± With that, she went into the kitchen. While cooking, she kept getting choked by the smell of the chillies. However, she knew that the food would be amazing. After an hour, Anastasia set the meal on the table, and they all looked green and red due to the chilies. The stinging smell of the chilies made Jared sneeze multiple times. ¡°Time to eat.¡± She called to the two, who were sitting on the sofa. Standing up, Elliot was visibly shocked upon the sight of the food on the table, but he did not grumble about it. After sitting down, they all then started to eat when Jared muttered with a pout, ¡°Mommy, all the dishes tonight are super spicy!¡± Laughing, Anastasia then exined to him, ¡°It¡¯s because Mommy loves spicy food!¡± ¡°Mr. Presgrave, do you like spicy stuff?¡± Jared asked curiously, his head tilted. Smiling, the man replied, ¡°I like it.¡± With a hint of mischief in her eyes, Anastasia then proceeded to serve Elliot two roasted peppers. ¡°If that is the case, President Presgrave, do help yourself.¡± Elliot looked at the peppers in his bowl and his Adam¡¯s apple bobbed a little, clearly showing that this was beyond him. ¡°Do eat up!¡± Anastasia urged. As she was closely watching him, Elliot had no choice but to bite into it. Although he was obviously affected by the spiciness, he chose not to voice it out. In a sh, Anastasia had already put a big chunk of fish into his te and murmured, ¡°Come, President Presgrave. This is a spicy sea bass. It¡¯s very delicious, you know.¡± Knowing that she was harboring bad intentions and was out to get him, Elliot did not reject her. Instead, he earnestly ate the food she offered. Meanwhile, Anastasia, who liked spicy food, obviously had a great meal. There was a slight blush on Elliot¡¯s face that was rather unusual, and he looked as if he had been drinking. Due to the thinyer of sweat that had umted on his forehead, it was obvious that this was caused by the spiciness of the meal. That night, probably out of the sheer heat from the food, he had two helpings of steamed egg. After Anastasia had cleaned up the table, Jared then went off to finish his homework. Finishing washing the dishes, she was then greeted by the sight of Elliot chugging water out of her cup, obviously still reeling from the effects of the spices. ¡°It¡¯s getting quitete, so you should get going now!¡± Anastasia said to the man who was sitting on the sofa. Elliot only peered at her in response while telling her in a low tone, ¡°Come here.¡± Blinking, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Holding up his phone, he handed it over to her. ¡°See for yourself.¡± Curioused, Anastasia walked over and took his phone to look at the recording from the surveince, as Hayley¡¯s voice transmitted clearly from the speaker. ¡°Elliot, I think that something got into my eyes. Can you check for me? It hurts!¡± Looking at the video, Anastasia saw Hayley shutting her eyes, with Elliot leaning forward to check her eyes. This was the exact scene Anastasia witnessed in person; it was just that she had missed Hayley¡¯s words. So, the truth was this man was only really helping her to check if something got into her eyes? Why would her eyes hurt the moment I opened the door? Also, why would Elliot call me to his office when Hayley was already there? Chapter 158 Chapter 158 Chapter 158 ¡°Didn¡¯t you send someone in the afternoon to summon me to your office?¡± Anastasia asked the man on the sofa. Frowning, Elliot replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± Immediately, she remembered that it was Grace who came to ry the message. But where did she get the orders from? Obviously, this was nned to make the situation look like a coincidence. Sneering deep down, Anastasia already knew that this was another one of Hayley¡¯s ploys. Still sitting on the sofa, Elliot asked with his seductive low voice, ¡°Do you still need me to exin all to you again?¡± Giving his phone back to him, Anastasia noticed that his pale skin was unnaturally flushed. Paired with a sweat-covered forehead, the usually stern looking Elliot looked a bit weak under the light. ¡°A-Are you alright?¡± Anastasia asked guiltily. Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s because of the spicy food tonight! ¡°My stomach hurts.¡± Covering his stomach with his big hand, he then added strugglingly, ¡°It¡¯s fine, though. It¡¯s still bearable.¡± Frightened, Anastasia kneeled by the man in panic as she asked hurriedly, ¡°Does it hurt a lot? Do you want to go to the hospital? If you have stomach problems, why did you eat all that spicy food just now? You could¡¯ve just told me! Why are you so dumb?!¡± Anastasia was panicking and she could no longer think straight, as she med herself and him for not voicing this fact out. Seeing her in this state, Elliot chuckled after admiring this scene in front of him for a while. ¡°If I didn¡¯t eat all that, how would you have forgiven me?¡± Feeling her chest tighten, Anastasia knew that it was indeed her fault as she made all those spicy food on purpose. ¡°Then what should we do now? Should we go to the hospital?¡± She looked at him guiltily. ¡°No need. There¡¯s a pharmacy at the entrance of themunity, so just get me a box of stomach medicine from there.¡± After saying that, Elliot handed over the empty cup to her. ¡°And I¡¯ll have to trouble you for another cup of warm water.¡± After refilling the cup with warm water and passing it to him, Anastasia then rushed out with her bag and keys. In the elevator, she was greatly regretting her actions. I shouldn¡¯t have pranked him like this! How was I supposed to know that he had a weak stomach? Thinking about it, a workaholic like him having stomach problems was not out of the ordinary. However, it didn¡¯t show because he took care of his body daily. It was due to the spiciness of the food tonight and the amount that she fed him that the ugly head of his stomach pains reared itself as a result. Let¡¯s just get the medicine as fast as possible! If it really doesn¡¯t work, I can ask Rey toe and take him to the hospital. And so, Anastasia rushed home after buying the medicine. However, when she opened the door, she was met with the sight of Elliot clutching his stomach. He looked as if he was in agony at that moment. ¡°I¡¯ve bought some medicine for you. Here, take two of these.¡± With that, she then saw that the instructions was actually to take three, so she took out three pills before giving it to Elliot. ¡°Just take it first! If it really doesn¡¯t work out, I¡¯ll call for Rey toe and take you to the hospital.¡± Elliot took the pills and swallowed it with the help of some water. Lying on the sofa, he then said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I just have to rest for a while.¡± A panicked Anastasia was drenched in sweat, as she had run back and forth from the pharmacy. Looking deeply at her, the man was secretly quite happy inside due to her showing such concern for him. As expected, this woman cares about me. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Yet, he was mistaken. The reason why Anastasia was in such a panic was only because she was trying to make up for the fact that she caused his stomach to ache. After all, she wasn¡¯t at peace with the fact that she harmed him. ¡°You really don¡¯t need to go to the hospital? There¡¯s one quite nearby, you know?¡± Still worried, Anastasia asked as she did not want him to suffer any longer. I¡¯m not as fragile as you think. I¡¯ll be fine after bearing with it for a moment.¡± With that, Elliot kept sipping from her cup from time to time. Rxing for a bit, she finally sat down onto the sofa while she breathed out. Then, she said guilty, ¡°You should¡¯ve told me that you can¡¯t stomach spicy food! Also, you should¡¯ve told me earlier that you have stomach issues. Otherwise, I would¡¯ve had¡­¡± Meanwhile Elliot was starting topile all the things that had taken ce. Why did she prank me? Is it because she saw the scene where I was blowing on Hayley¡¯s eyes? Did Anastasia think that I was going to kiss Hayley? Is that the reason why she¡¯s angry? Is it out of jealousy that she pranked me? Can it be that Anastasia has fallen in love with me? Chapter 159 Chapter 159 Chapter 159 ¡°Anastasia, did you think that I was going to kiss Hayley?¡± Elliot asked, wanting to know her real thoughts. Bing distant as soon as she heard the name ¡®Hayley¡¯ or anything to do with the woman, Anastasia smirked in response. ¡°Whether you two kiss or not is your business.¡± Meanwhile, Elliot did not want Anastasia to get off scot free for her behavior this afternoon, so he ressed, ¡°Then could you exin why you clocked off work early, ignoring my calls and prepared all this spicy food to prank me? Is it because you are jealous?¡± Stunned by his words, Anastasia thenughed. ¡°Was I? The reason why I got off work early was because I thought the both of you were going on a date together, so I came in advance to pick Jared up. I didn¡¯t pick up your calls because I didn¡¯t hear my phone go off, and the reason why the table today was full of spicy food was because I was in the mood for something spicy. President Presgrave, you¡¯re overthinking all this!¡± Upon hearing that, the man was struck speechless. Not wishing to continue this conversation any longer, Anastasia, who only realized that it was fast approaching 9 PM after looking at the clock, could only chase him out. ¡°President Presgrave, it¡¯s getting quitete now, so you should really leave.¡± However, Elliot hinted that he wanted to stay for a bit longer and he murmured, ¡°But I just took my meds, so I can¡¯t drive for the time being. I¡¯m afraid that I might feel sleepy behind the wheel.¡± ¡°How about letting Reye to pick you up? Or any of your bodyguards or assistants for that matter,¡± Anastasia muttered as she knew that Elliot had loads of people that could help him out. ¡°Can¡¯t I even rest for a while longer afternding in such a state by your hands?¡± he grumbled. His words made Anastasia¡¯s face flush. And so, she could only reply in resignation, ¡°Alright, then. Take a rest here. I¡¯ll go bathe Jared and tuck him in now.¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°Just go do what you have to. I¡¯ll be here.¡± With that, Elliot then gave her the cup again. ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you again for another cup of water.¡± Standing up, she then went to pour some water for him before seeking Jared out and giving him a bath. The child, who was oblivious as to what happened outside his room, was ted upon seeing Elliot still around. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, are you sleeping over at my home today?¡± ¡°Of course not! He¡¯s just a bit tired and is just resting for a short while,¡± Anastasia exined to her son. In the end, Jared grunted forlornly and went to the bathroom with a disappointed expression. After more than ten minutes of giving Jared a bath, Anastasia then led him to his bed. On the way to his room, the boy said goodnight to Elliot. As Jared had a rather fixed lifestyle, he fell asleep in no time. Covering him with a nket, Anastasia discovered that the man on the sofa was gone after she came out. Did he leave already? She was quite happy, as this meant that she could finally take a shower and rest. In all honesty, she was a bit ufortable with his presence. However, when she started to tidy up the living room, she suddenly found Elliot¡¯s car keys still on the table. Did he identally leave it here? She also found his phone lying on the sofa, and this led her to doubt if she had bought the wrong medicine, making him so dazed that he actually forgot about his car keys and phone. Did he leave everything here? In a hurry, she looked at the box and noted that it was indeed medicine for treating stomach pains. At that, a thought shed across her mind. Looking at the door to her room, she then quickly stood up and entered her room. The sight that greeted her blew her mind. Currently, she was looking at Elliot lying on his side on her bed, sleeping soundly. Walking up to the man, she could only observe him. At that moment, he was breathing rhythmically and his expression was calm, suggesting that he really was asleep. ¡°Elliot, wake up. Sleep at your own home.¡± Reaching out, Anastasia pushed his arm. Seeing him not wake up, she impulsively reached out two fingers to test his breathing. It was very stable and natural, and it turned out that he really was asleep. She had remembered the pharmacist saying that this kind of medicine would make people drowsy after they took it. Is it really that effective? Sighing, Anastasia was at a loss on what to do next. Should I just let him use the bed, or should I chase him out? She witnessed how greatly Elliot was acting up because of his stomach pains, so it would seem heartless of her if she were to chase him out now. However, where would she sleep if she continued to let him be? Chapter 160 Chapter 160 Chapter 160 Naturally, she could also choose to sleep in her son¡¯s room. That being said, how could she let some man upy her bed just like that? Even if the man in question had a stunning face and was handsome beyond belief, she still did not want him sleeping there. ¡°Alright, alright! I¡¯ll let you sleep here for this night only.¡± With her hands on her hips, Anastasia gave in in the end. Leaving her room to go take a shower, she knew that she could only share a bed with Jared tonight. And so, after bathing, Anastasia had on pajamas as she made her way to her son¡¯s room. However, as if she was being lured, she went to her room to look in on Elliot, fearing that he might be ufortable or that the air conditioner might be too cold, causing him to catch a cold. Adjusting the temperature to 27 degrees, she then wanted to cover him with her nket, seeing how he doesn¡¯t have one on. Swiftly, the man who was still asleep the second prior suddenly opened his eyes and tugged on her arm. Anastasia was then hugged tightly by him and she fell into his embrace. The very next second, Elliot pinned her down hard. Their lovey-dovey position made Anastasia lift her head in anger, and she stared into his deep eyes which threatened to suck her in. ¡°Elliot Presgrave, let go of me! Don¡¯t be an a*shole!¡± she warned. ¡°What did I do to make you call me that?¡± Smirking, the man then held her face up with his hand and went in for a kiss, leaving no room for her to avoid him. It was very conflicting for Anastasia when she was being kissed by Elliot. Although she resisted it, she was also slowly epting it. She just came out of the shower and she smelled very nice, so much so that even her breathing was sweet. To Elliot, this was like opening a huge present. Of course, he still had his wits around him and did not try to cross the line. In the end, the kiss made Anastasia lose control as the strength left her body. With the man eventually stopping his kissing, he looked at the panting and flushed woman, andughed charismatically. ¡°Did you like that?¡± ¡°Get away¡­ from me¡­¡± Not holding herself back, she pushed him away. ¡°I think you¡¯re all fine now, so you should quickly leave.¡± Yet, Elliot just instead continued to lie down on the bed. With a sleepy gaze, he murmured, Tm tired now. I can¡¯t drive.¡± ¡°Stop pretending,¡± Anastasia rebuked, not believing an ounce of what he said. ¡°Are you going to be responsible if anything happens to me on the way home?¡± Using his arm as a support, Elliot looked utterly delectable as he peered back at her. Feeling her breath hitch, Anastasia quickly turned away. ¡°I¡¯ll let you stay tonight. Tomorrow you¡¯ll be leaving first thing in the morning.¡± With that, Anastasia quickly shut the door and left for her son¡¯s room. That night, she could not sleep a wink at all with her brain being upied by Elliot from time to time. That kiss had jumbled all her thoughts, and her body would feel a jolt of electricity every time she thought about Elliot for more than two seconds. Her thought ever since five years ago of staying well from men seemed to have lost all effectiveness when she faced him. What is going on? It was not until it got veryte that Anastasia became so tired she fell asleep. When she was still somewhat unconscious, she vaguely heard her son¡¯s excited voice. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, you really stayed over!¡± Hearing this, Anastasia immediately opened her eyes and flung open the covers. Opening the door, she saw Jared already dressed for school, while Elliot sat next to him, packing up the boy¡¯s bag. ¡°Are¡­ you going to send Jared to school?¡± Anastasia asked, her gaze remaining sleepy. Raising his head, Elliot felt like something was tugging at his heartstrings when he murmured, ¡°Did you not sleepst night?¡±" ¡°I did. I slept super soundlyst night!¡± Anastasia retorted forcefully, but her puffy eyes told another story. ¡°Just go back to sleep. I¡¯ll send Jared to school.¡± At that point, Elliot had already finished preparing and was ready to send the boy to school. Knowing that she herself did not sleep well, she just nodded in response. ¡°Alright, then. Please take the trouble to send him to his ss.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Smirking, Elliot held Jared by the hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Jared.¡± ¡°Goodbye, Mommy!¡± Jared then held Elliot¡¯s hand and they went out. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Knowing that she had a rare moment of sleeping in, Anastasia thought for a moment before thinking that her bed would be morefortable. In the end, she went back to sleep in her own bed. Chapter 161-170 Chapter 161-170 Chapter 161 After sending Jared to school, Elliot did not go back to thepany. Instead, he bought breakfast and returned to Anastasia¡¯s home. He still had the key to the house that Anastasia gave him. With the breakfast in his hands, Elliot shot a look into the master room through the open doorway. Upon seeing the owner of the house bundled up in a nket, he smiled before he walked out. If Anastasia knew Elliot would be admiring her sleeping posture, she would¡¯ve slept in a more better looking position. At that moment, she looked like a tame kitten that was sleeping soundly, and she would adjust into a different sleeping position every now and then. Even the man himself did not notice that his gaze upon her was extremely gentle, and there was nostalgia in his eyes when he looked at her. Meanwhile, the sleeping woman was lying on the bed with all her limbs stretched out. The sun shone on her face, showing off her perfect skin and red lips, and it made her look very seductive. This made Elliot want to bite into her as he was eager to know how she tasted. Currently, Anastasia was wearing low-cut pajamas and her corbone were exposed, making the man gulp unconsciously as his Adam¡¯s apple bobbed. Although Elliot was always calm and collected, he fell apart in front of the woman. She always had a way of making his heart go haywire. In the end, he decided to just not look at her, since he was very confident that she would belong to him sooner orter. With that thought, Elliot stood up and left. Anastasia¡¯s biological clock would always wake her up as she did not have a habit of sleeping in. However, it was the ring horning from the cars outside that truly made her feel awake in the end. Opening her eyes, she then spaced out for a bit before getting out of bed. Slowly, she washed her face and brushed her teeth. Walking out of her room to get a ss of water, she was scared out of her wits by the man sitting on her sofa. ¡°You¡­¡± Anastasia stared at him wide-eyed, a hint of anger in her gaze as she questioned, ¡°Why did youe back?!¡± ¡°I brought breakfast for you.¡± Elliot replied with raised eyebrows. Looking back at the door to her room, she found it to be wide open. So, was he in a position where he could simply look in on her whenever he wanted? Did he actually look at how I slept? Yet, Anastasia already knew the answer to this obvious question. It was evident that Elliot had done so. Did I drool in my sleep? Was I sleeping in a shameless position? Was I sleeptalking?! For reasons unbeknownst to her, Anastasia started to blush. Looking down, she was relieved upon seeing she still had on normal looking pajamas. Coughing lightly, she then said, ¡°You can leave now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you to finish breakfast, then we can go to thepany together.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just take a cab. You don¡¯t need to wait for me.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m willing to wait,¡± Elliot said in his low seductive voice without a hint of waver to it. Frowning, Anastasia thought, Does he really think that this is his home? Why is he staying at this cramped three room apartment when he has a literal mansion he can live in? Because she was famished, she walked to the table before starting to eat the breakfast he brought her. Looking at the man sitting opposite to her, Anastasia pretended to be concerned as she asked, ¡°Have you eaten?¡± ¡°I have,¡± Elliot said as he nced at her. ¡°What about your stomach? Is it any better?¡± When Anastasia asked him about this, she prayed that it had better not get worse. Otherwise, she would feel guilt to no end. ¡°It¡¯s fine now. Please take more care of my stomach from now on, Miss Tillman.¡± The man said this with a snort and it was obvious that he was upset about yesterday¡¯s events. Guiltily, Anastasia replied, ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll watch out from now on.¡± Satisfied, Elliot smiled before stating, ¡°Miss Tillman, you have a very adorable sleeping posture.¡± ¡°Y-You are not toe into my bedroom from now on without my permission. That is my private space, understand?¡± Using her rights as the owner, she warned him. Raising his eyebrows, Elliot answered herzily, ¡°Alright. I won¡¯t enter it from now on.¡± Not believing him that easily, Anastasia snorted in response. ¡°You better keep your word.¡± After breakfast, Anastasia chose to ride in his car but upon getting into his car, she found out that it was already 9.20 AM. Goodness, my full attendance for this month is gone again! Chapter 162 Catching her sighing, Elliot, who was sitting beside her, asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Because of you, my full attendance bonus is gone now.¡± Anastasia med Elliot in its entirety; she wouldn¡¯t have been sleepless if it weren¡¯t for him sleeping at her housest night. If she hadn¡¯t been sleepless, she wouldn¡¯t have missed the slot to arrive at work on time. ¡°Are you that short on money?¡± he asked in an amused voice. ¡°Of course I am! Do you think everybody¡¯s pockets are bursting at the seams with money like you? Us common folk spend every penny carefully, you know!¡± Anastasia rebuked. Upon hearing that, Elliot wanted to make up for it, so he announced, ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell them to include your full attendance bonus for this month.¡± Anastasia¡¯s mood immediately turned for the better as she grinned ear to ear. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Elliot nodded and he hummed in response. She was really over the moon now. Looking outside the car window, Anastasia could only think about the deal of the custom set of lock and key that would cost five million. With the deadline being the day after tomorrow, she had to quicklye up with a design. Reaching the underground car park of thepany, Anastasia ran the moment she got out of the car, because she did not want to get into the same elevator with a certain individual. After locking his car, Elliot snorted upon seeing the woman, who was still standing at the hallway of the elevator, disappear. Already reaching her office, Anastasia then called Grace on thepany line. ¡°Grace, could youe in for a moment?¡± Thinking that she wanted coffee, Grace came in with a cup in her hands. ¡°Miss Tillman, here¡¯s your coffee. I added some creamer for you today, since you said that it was too bitterst time.¡± Touched, Anastasia nodded as a reply. However, she still had to ask the necessary question. ¡°Grace, who was it that told you the president wanted to see me?¡± Anastasia asked seriously. Blinking, Grace then thought about it for a while before answering, ¡°It was Alex from the nning Department that told me about it. She walked over to my desk with some documents in hand and told me that. Then, I ryed it to you immediately.¡± ¡°Did she tell you about who told her to do that?¡± Shaking her head, Grace replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t ask. Do you want me now?¡± Upon hearing that, Anastasia could only give up. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I was just asking because the president wasn¡¯t in his office when I went over yesterday.¡± It seemed like Hayley had nted her people deep enough to be able to use any assistant to inform Anastasia about this. Thetter believed that the person called Alex was also being used by someone. As for who it was, it was possible to find the mastermind behind this if Anastasia really wanted to. However, not wishing to spook the individual and alerting them, she could onlyfort herself by keeping a lookout for these kinds of things in the future. Diving deep into designing, she first drafted up two drawings, one being the lock and the other being the key. A lot of couples liked this kind of concept, as the man¡¯s heart often represented the lock, with it needing a gentle touch of the woman in the form of a key for the two parties topletely ept each other. Because Anastasia had a very good inspiration, she got off to a smooth start andpleted two detailed drawings. Instead of the normal sharp looking lock, the design of the lock was extremely exquisite with its smooth edges. Meanwhile, the key had an oval handle, and the bottom was thin. It had beautiful carvings on it, making it stand out. Remembering the customer specifying about their initials, she then designed a logo at the side. It was an E and H, with a heart linking the two alphabets together. Now that the rough draft was ready, Anastasia then started to draw them out on herputer, adding color and changing the details at the same time. Suddenly, Grace knocked on her door. Pushing it open, she was seen apanied by a worker, who had a beautiful bouquet in his hands as he asked, ¡°Are you Miss Tillman? These are for you.¡± Upon seeing the flowers, Anastasia knew that it was from Nigel. It looked like he ignored her statement of not giving her any flowers. ¡°Thank you. Please ce them on the sofa,¡± Anastasia murmured with a smile. After ten minutes, Grace knocked on her door once again. ¡°Miss Tillman, there are flowers for you again.¡± After saying that, another employee from a different florist then came in with a huge bouquet of roses that were obviously imported. The flowers themselves looked heavenly, and it was as if they had just been freshly plucked. At that moment, Anastasia stood up abruptly and she stared incredulously at the two bouquets of flowers that were sent within the short span of ten minutes. Why did Nigel send two bouquets today? And so, she stood up and walked to stand in front of the rose bouquet. Suddenly, she realized that there was a card attached to the flowers, so she reached out to retrieve it. It turned out that there was a sinct sentence on the card-¡®I hope that there will be a favorable oue for my patience! Meanwhile, it was signed with thest name Pesgrave, with the date written below. Anastasia¡¯s beautiful eyes widened and she couldn¡¯t believe it as she looked at the signature. There was only one man that she knew who had thatst name Pesgrave. Could it be from him?! Shortly after that, she walked to stand in front of the table and took thendline. Next, she dialed the number to the president¡¯s office. However, no one answered the phone. She refused to give up, so she took out her cell phone and dialed his number once again. ¡°Hello.¡± The low, baritone voice that rang out was quite melodious to the ears. Meanwhile, Anastasia didn¡¯t beat around the bush and she posed the question directly. ¡°Did you send me a bouquet of flowers?¡± ¡°Do you like it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re being stupid. Don¡¯t do that again.¡± She kept her eyes on the two bouquets of flowers on the couch as she wondered how to deal with them. ¡°You love the flowers that Nigel sent you, but you¡¯re actually disgusted by the ones I sent?¡± The man on the other end of the line voiced out frustratedly. Upon hearing that, Anastasia was at a loss for words. ¡°Why are youparing yourself to him? He¡¯s my friend but you¡¯re my boss. Why did you send me flowers?¡± ¡°I like sending you flowers, so I¡¯ll do as I please. The choice is yours whether to ept it or not.¡± After Elliot finished his sentence, he immediately hung up on her. Feeling slightly shocked, Anastasia nced at the phone in her hands. This was the second time she was hung up on and shemented to herself, This guy¡¯s mood is quite unpredictable. Shortly after that, Grace sent some documents into the room. As soon as she noticed the two bouquets on the couch, she couldn¡¯t help going forward to admire them. ¡°Wow! It¡¯s so pretty! These roses are imported and even a single stalk of it is quite pricey, not to mention that there are about thirty stalks in this bouquet!¡± ¡°You can have it. Use it to essorize the vase on your desk if you like.¡± ¡°Are you sure? Can I really take two stalks with me?¡± Grace asked joyfully. ¡°Yup. It willst a couple more days in a vase. If anyone else likes some, share it with them too. Just take the whole thing with you.¡± ¡°Wow! Anastasia, you¡¯re awesome! Thanks! I¡¯ll take it and share with everyone else then.¡± Grace took the huge bouquet of roses and walked out to distribute it to the others. Indeed, in no time at all, the huge bouquet was disassembled and distributed to everyone. Subsequently, the entire office got to know that Anastasia¡¯s admirer had gifted her with some imported roses. Everyone spected that it must be a man from a well-to-do family. In the afternoon, there was a weekly meeting, so Felicia knocked on the door to Anastasia¡¯s office and popped inside to have a chat with her. As they spoke, Felicia suddenly leaned forward and shot a secretive look at Anastasia. ¡°Anastasia, I¡¯ve got a request. Could you help me with something?¡± ¡°Anything, Felicia.¡± Evidently, Anastasia was willing to help if she could. ¡°Well, the thing is, we¡¯re in discussions toe up with another snack area. We¡¯ve discussed this together and everyone was thinking of getting Belle Patisserie to join thepany, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware that they are overly expensive and the cost of it would bust our budget. The price is a concern.¡± Anastasia couldn¡¯t quiteprehend how this matter rted to her despite listening intently to Felicia¡¯s words. How can I be of help then? . Soon after that, Anastasia directly voiced out, ¡°Well, how can I be of any help?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll invite President Presgrave to attend the meeting this afternoon. When the time At that moment, Anastasia was at a loss for words and after quite some time, she asked slightly doubtfully, ¡°Do you think my words would make a difference?¡± . ¡°If you¡¯re the one who voices out, then the chances of this being a sess would be much higher than if any of us were to do it.¡± Felicia was confident that this would be approved if Anastasia brought it up. ¡°Okay, then. I¡¯ll casually bring it up in the meeting. But I don¡¯t have the confidence that it¡¯ll be a sess.¡± ¡°Sure. You just have to briefly mention it during the meeting.¡± Felicia reached out to pat her on the shoulder before taking another look at the bouquet of flowers on the couch. ¡°Anastasia, you¡¯ve got plenty of admirers, huh?¡± Anastasia¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she heard that and she hurriedly exined, ¡°No, you¡¯re mistaken!¡± ¡°I also took a share of two stalks of that imported red roses that you received! It obviously looks like top-quality red roses that came from Hond. The sender of the flowers is quite thoughtful!¡± As soon as Anastasia thought of the sender of the flowers, she suddenly felt a looming headache. With a chuckle, she replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know who sent the flowers because there was no name attached.¡± Chapter 164 Felicia smiled and left without saying another word. However, she had a strong hunch that the roses came from their big boss from upstairs. The meeting was scheduled for 2.30 PM and Felicia sent an email to Elliot¡¯s mailbox to inform him. It was up to him whether he turned up or not, but Felicia sure hoped that he would attend it. After all, the proposal for the snack area had been put on hold for quite some time now, so a lot of their staff were in fact quite looking forward to that. As soon as Anastasia received Grace¡¯s reminder about the uing meeting, she quickly tidied up the drafts she was working on and took her cell phone with her as she headed toward the direction of the meeting room. Meanwhile, Anastasia realized upon walking in that everyone in the meeting room seemed to be addressing her in a very pleasant manner. ¡°Miss Tillman, thanks for the roses. I heard that it costs at least two hundred to buy a stalk of that!¡± ¡°Yeah! The rose canst for at least fifteen days too. The flowering period is so long!¡± At that moment, Anastasia revealed a slight smile before pulling out a chair to take a seat. Suddenly, everyone focused their attention behind her. Elliot had arrived exactly on the dot. Swiftly, Anastasia turned her head to nce at him before quickly shifting her eyes in the other direction. She intentionally kept a distance from him in the office as she wanted to avoid being involved in any rumors with him. ¡°Alright, enough with the chatter, guys. It¡¯s time to start the meeting!¡± Felicia instructed her subordinates to stop their discussion. Firstly, Felicia made a few announcements regarding some work and then she also reported on the situation recently with the manuscript submissions. She also talked about the situation with the market analysis she had found out. ALL THE Meanwhile, Anastasia sat by Elliot¡¯s side and her thoughts ran wild as she sat there. For example, she recalled the incident with his gastritisst night and also the kiss they shared in her bed. Furthermore, she thought of the flowers from this morning too. ¡°Anastasia¡­ Ahem! Anastasia¡­¡± Felicia tried to get Anastasia¡¯s attention once again. Right away, Anastasia came to her senses and lifted her head to nce at Felicia with a slightly confused look. Just then, Alice, who was seated across from Anastasia, was quite annoyed, so the former took the opportunity to deliver a scathing remark. ¡°Miss Tillman, you seem to be quite preupied each time we have a meeting. This is rather disrespectful of you!¡± Anastasia¡¯s face turned slightly flushed when she heard that. She was quite embarrassed as she recalled what she had been thinking of earlier. ¡°Forgive me. I was too preupied thinking about work-rted matters,¡± Anastasia apologized. By then, everyone in the meeting room had turned to nce at Elliot, who was seated next to her, and each of them wondered how he would react to knowing that his staff was daydreaming during a meeting. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. However, they were stunned to see Elliot¡¯s expression. Right now, he was looking at Anastasia with a doting gaze that held a hint of amusement. ¡°Anastasia, we were just talking about the introduction of a tea break area. What do you think about that?¡± Felicia chose that moment to bring up this topic. Instantly, Anastasia recollected herself. ¡°Uh¡­ I think that we should switch to a different dessert shop. I¡¯ve heard of a very popr ce and I think it would be awesome if we could arrange for that company to prepare the pastries for our tea break.¡± ¡°Oh¡ªcould you share the name of the ce?¡± Felicia immediately asked. ¡°It¡¯s a patisserie located in town and the name of the ce is Belle¡¯s Patisserie. I¡¯ve been there plenty of times with my son and the pastries taste very good. The ingredients that they use are very fresh too.¡± With a torn expression, Felicia muttered, ¡°But as far as I know, the prices of pastries from this ce are on the higher end and we do have a budget restraint. Well¡­¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s just make arrangements for this shop to join ourpany.¡± Suddenly, a low yet dominating male voice rang out. At that instance, Felicia turned to nce at Anastasia, and there was an approving look that shed across the former¡¯s eyes. Indeed, this n worked and Elliot is agreeing to it! Meanwhile, Anastasia was quite shocked when she heard that. How can he just agree to it so easily?! On the opposite end, Alice shot Anastasia a jealous look as she thought to herself, Anastasia is treated so favorably in thepany; even President Presgrave gives in to her whims. ¡°You guys continue with the meeting.¡± Elliot nced at his watch and looked at the time. ¡°I¡¯ve got something else on, so I¡¯ll head off now.¡± After he left the room, everyone in the meeting room heaved a sigh of relief and the first thing that they obviously did was to thank Anastasia for suggesting the new patisserie, thus sessfully obtaining such great staff benefits for them. Anastasia had merely mentioned it in passing, so she actually didn¡¯t expect that Elliot would agree to her suggestion just like that. Right after Elliot walked out of the meeting room, he suddenly heard two female staff chatting to each other excitedly by the end of the corridor. ¡°The flowers were given to us by a designer. The roses are very beautiful! It¡¯s a shame that you weren¡¯t here earlier so you missed the chance.¡± Chapter 165 ¡°She¡¯s so generous. She shared such expensive flowers with the entire office¡± At that point, Elliot paused in his tracks and his handsome face significantly darkened. He strode back toward the direction of the working area and instantly, he saw that every single vase of all of the staff in the office was adorned with a stalk of red rose. From his observation, it was in fact the imported roses that he had carefully hand-picked from the florist before his morning meeting. That woman just gave it away after taking a nce at it?! His handsome face was as cold as ice and there was an annoyed look in his eyes. He turned around and walked back toward the meeting room. Subsequently, he yanked open the door and hollered toward the woman inside, ¡°Anastasia,e and see me in my office.¡± After he had said that, he added, ¡°Now.¡± His tone of voice caused everyone in the meeting room to tense up as they directed slightly sympathetic looks at the woman specifically mentioned by Elliot. Deep down, they thought to themselves, What sort of major mistake has shemitted this time? Why is the big boss using such a commandeering tone of voice? Slightly shocked, Anastasia collected her belongings and got out of her seat. Then, she walked out and shut the door to the meeting room behind her. ¡°President Presgrave, is there something urgent?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk in my office.¡± He spoke through clenched teeth and strode on ahead toward the direction of the elevator. Meanwhile, Anastasia was quite confused. How did I offend him anyway? Is it because of the suggestion for that patisserie earlier on? But I didn¡¯t insist on it, though! It¡¯s entirely up to him! In the elevator, Anastasia could clearly feel the tense vibe in the air and she nced at the tall, strapping man next to her who had his arms crossed. He seemed quite angry at the moment. ¡°How¡¯s your gastritis? Are you feeling better now?¡± She took the chance to express her concern. However, Elliot continued to ignore her and as soon as the elevator doors slid open, he strode out immediately with his long legs. As for Anastasia, she trailed behind him awkwardly. The moment she entered Elliot¡¯s office, she saw him turn around all of a sudden and his tall, well-built figure approached her. Frightened, she took a step backward but she found her back hit against the door. Meanwhile, he ced both of his hands by each side of her shoulders as he held her captive against the door. ¡°Anastasia Tillman, do you actually dislike the flowers I gave you so much?! Why did you share it with the others just like that?!¡± Elliot¡¯s deep, dark eyes were clearly smoldering with anger. In response. Anastasia blinked her eyes a few times. Oh¨Cso he¡¯s mad about this! ¡°You sent me a lot of flowers but I don¡¯t know how to maintain them, so I shared them with the others in the oflice. That¡¯s much better than having the flowers wither in my hands, right?¡± Anastasia tried hard to come up with an excuse, but it sounded quite feeble. ¡°I hand-picked every single stalk of the roses today, so how dare you waste my efforts like that?!¡± Elliot¡¯s warm breath hit the skin on her face, and he looked quite angry to the point that he seemed to be about to devour her. Shortly after that, he did exactly that. He leaned forward and bit Anastasia with his thin lips just below her vicle underneath her shirt. At that moment, Anastasia had her guard down so she yelped out in pain and surprise. ¡°Ah!¡± After Elliot had bitten her, he continued to stare at her with a sullen look on his face. ¡°This is just a minor punishment. I won¡¯t let you off the hook so easily next time if you disregard my gift again.¡± In response, Anastasia reached out to shove him before retorting confidently, ¡°Well, I could always give you back a bouquet of flowers!¡± ¡°Yes, it is possible to pay me back with another bouquet of flowers, but are you able topensate for the effort I put into it?¡± Elliot spoke up in a hoarse voice and his expression was quite upset. Meanwhile, Anastasia was lost in thought for a moment, but she then pushed him aside insistently. ¡°You know that I¡¯m not going to appreciate your gifts, so you should just stop giving me anything from now on. Otherwise, you¡¯re surely going to be upset again if I get rid of it.¡± Suddenly, Elliot took two steps backward and he continued to stare intently at her with his deep, dark eyes. His brows were furrowed and he looked as if his feelings were hurt. Anastasia¡¯s eyes met his and she suddenly realized that her words were too scathing, At that moment, she apologized to him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I apologize if my words hurt your feelings.¡± Instantly, the coldness dissipated from Elliot¡¯s eyes and there seemed to be a glimmer of warmth that shone through. However, he maintained a demanding tone of voice as hemanded, ¡°Anastasia, I don¡¯t want my efforts to be cast aside like trash again.¡± Feeling slightly stunned, Anastasia pulled open the door and merely responded, ¡°Then you¡¯d better not send me any gifts. I¡¯ll still choose to cast anything that you give me aside.¡± At that, the man left in the office stood there with a defeated look on his handsome face. He remained silent for a short while before walking off to stand in front of the full-length windows. His elongated and strapping figure exuded loneliness as he was basked under the dusk light from outside. Chapter 166 Anastasia went back to the working area and for a moment, her thoughts were all over the ce. Truth was, she found Elliot¡¯s behavior quite baffling. He¡¯s behaving quite abnormally today. Don¡¯t tell me that he likes me?! Well, I didn¡¯t expect him to personally pick the flowers he gave me! I mean, even though Nigel sent me flowers too, surely he would have just called the florist to ce an order? Nigel wouldn¡¯t take the time to go and pick out the flowers personally just like Elliot. I guess it¡¯s understandable that Elliot¡¯s mad because I didn¡¯t appreciate the flowers he sent me. But honestly, I never expected that he would have picked out every single stalk personally. Gosh! At that point, Anastasia held her head in her hands and she was significantly frustrated In the afternoon, Felicia came over to report the good news. The human resource department had contacted Belle Patisserie and the contract had been drafted. Once everything was signed, then Belle Patisserie would finally be able to move in. As such, they would be able to enjoy tasty pastries and cakes, as well as freshly brewed aromatic coffee for their tea break in the future. All of this was thanks to Anastasia and the entire office was quite aware of that. Suddenly, Anastasia¡¯s image in thepany went through aplete reversal and those colleagues who had secretly looked down on her in the past were now full of gratitude for her in public. After all, this was an awesome benefit. The only person quite unhappy about it was Alice. She had hoped fervently for the entire office to dislike Anastasia but unexpectedly, Anastasia had managed to win the people¡¯s hearts with just a single move. Meanwhile, May was currently quite impatient and she quickly found a hiding spot outside thepany as she dialed Hayley¡¯s number to inform Hayley about this incident. Hayley had just put on an act in front of Anastasia but unexpectedly, thetter had fought back so soon after that. Hayley had assumed that Anastasia was just putting up an act, and that Anastasia had done that to show Hayley how important she was to Elliot. At that moment, Hayley bit her lip and she felt as if she was about to lose her mind. She felt as if she was currently living in a darkened state, devoid of light. Her heart waspletely closed off and she couldn¡¯t see the light in her life at all. She was now fully consumed by hatred, jealousy, and all sorts of other negative feelings. Hayley¡¯s encounter with Elliot wasn¡¯t a good thing for her, as she found that he was a cmity in her life. After all, he was a spectacr individual while she wasn¡¯t exactly that great. As such, she had lost not only her true self but also her happiness. She hated Anastasia with a passion and now, the hatred consuined her. To Hayley, it was Anastasia that had ruined Hayley¡¯s life. In the afternoon, Anastasia handed over the initial draft for Felicia¡¯s perusal. Meanwhile, Felicia was quite pleased with it and asked Anastasia to refine some details before showing it to the female client tomorrow. If everything was eptable, then they could proceed to generate the end-product drawing. Subsequently, production could be initiated by handing over the end-product drawing to the factory. At about 4 PM, Anastasia was busy working on herputer as she put the finishing touches on her refined draft. Suddenly, she received a call on herndline, so she reached out to answer the phone. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Come to the underground parking lot in two minutes.¡± A man¡¯s low, clear voice rang out. Suddenly, Anastasia grabbed her cell phone to check the time and she gasped. She had been too busy with work to the extent that she had nearly forgotten that she had to go and fetch Jared. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be there right away,¡± Anastasia instantly responded. Subsequently, she collected her belongings and switched off theputer before dashing out of the door. In the underground parking lot, Anastasia saw the car that was already with its ignition on, so she pulled open the door to the front passenger seat and entered the car. As she buckled her seatbelt, she murmured anxiously, ¡°Hurry up and get going. We¡¯re going to bete!¡± Meanwhile, Elliot was slightly speechless. After all, if it wasn¡¯t for his reminder, she would have completely forgotten that she had to pick Jared up. Despite that, the man stepped on the elerator to increase the speed and drove off in a rush. As for Anastasia, she nced outside of the window and breathed out slowly as she watched the traffic outside. She was in good spirits at the moment. After all, her work was going quite well and her family was safe and sound too. She found herself currently in an exceptionally rxed state that she hadn¡¯t experienced before. Suddenly, her cell phone rang and she took it in her hand to nce at it. Anastasia was caught by surprise for a moment as she turned to nce at the man next to her. ¡°It¡¯s your grandma on the line.¡±. Elliot shot her a look and responded with a low voice, ¡°Put her on speakerphone.¡± And so, Anastasia took a deep breath before hitting the speaker button and she answered the phone with a sweet and polite voice, ¡°Good evening, Old Madam Presgrave.¡± At that moment, Harriet responded in a warm, gentle voice, ¡°Anastasia! How have you been? Are you quite busytely?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ No, I¡¯m not too busy. Is there anything that you¡¯d like me to do?¡± Anastasia asked with a smile. ¡°Well, I wanted to treat you to lunch tomorrow. I didn¡¯t get to talk much to you during the dinner party the other time because it was just too hectic then. Will you be free tomorrow afternoon?¡± Chapter 167 ¡°Uh¡­ Y-Yes¡­ I¡¯m free tomorrow!¡± Anastasia replied while ncing at Elliot, who was driving ¡°I know that you¡¯re usually upied at night because you need to stay home to keep an eye on your child, so that¡¯s not a good time for you. That¡¯s why I asked you out in the afternoon. That¡¯s decided then. Let¡¯s have lunch together tomorrow.¡± ¡°Sure thing, Old Madam Presgrave.¡± Anastasia naturally agreed to it. After all, this was the first time that Harriet had asked her out for a meal, so it would be quite rude to reject it. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll contact you tomorrow. You must be busy right now. That¡¯s all, then.¡± ¡°Sure, see you tomorrow.¡± After Anastasia had ended her sentence, she waited for Harriet to hang up the phone and she finally heaved a sigh of relief. At that moment, she nced at Elliot and asked, ¡°Do you know why your grandma asked me out for a meal? Does she actually just want to have a chat with me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite likely that she wants to talk to you about the matter between you and Nigel.¡± Elliot kept his eyes in front of him and his handsome face remained expressionless. ¡°What? Why?¡± Anastasia blinked her eyes in confusion. ¡°That¡¯s because Nigel proposed to you thest time and she¡¯s taken it seriously. It¡¯s quite likely that she wants to talk to you about the wedding preparation.¡± ¡°What?! Are you being serious?¡± Anastasia was indeed quite shocked upon hearing Elliot¡¯s words. Has Old Madam Presgrave actually taken the proposal seriously? ¡°This is the problem that you created yourself, so shouldn¡¯t you be prepared for the consequences?¡± Elliot coldly snorted in response. Meanwhile, Anastasia bit her red lip. Indeed, everyone had taken that proposal seriously. However, no one realized that she had privately exined the situation to Nigel. ¡°Then what should I do? I never intended to marry Nigel.¡± Anastasia heaved a resigned sigh. After all, she had no intention of disrupting Nigel¡¯s marriage prospects. ¡°Anastasia, you have to be frank here. How do you actually feel about Nigel? Do you like him or not?¡± Coincidentally, Elliot¡¯s car came to a stop at the traffic light and he directed his deep gaze intently at her. At that moment, Anastasia bit her lower lip. ¡°I only think of him as a friend. I like him for his witty and amusing personality. I also like the way he maintains such a carefree and rxed lifestyle, but I never thought of marrying him. I like him, but I don¡¯t love him.¡± As soon as Anastasia said that, she suddenly came to her senses and she turned to re at Elliot. ¡°Why am I telling you all these anyway?¡± Meanwhile, he curled his lips into a smile. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve spoken out so the reason shouldn¡¯t matter.¡± Elliot seemed to appear aloof, cold, and distant in front of the others but to Anastasia, he had somehow be someone she could confide in. She couldn¡¯t even figure out when this had happened. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about this. I¡¯m still trying to figure out how to exin the situation tomorrow.¡± Anastasia heaved a sigh as she found herself in a pickle. Upon hearing that, Elliot lifted his brows and suggested. ¡°I have a tip.¡± ¡°Out with it, then!¡± Anastasia couldn¡¯t wait to find out. He then suggested a foolproof n. ¡°Tomorrow, just confess your love toward me in front of Nigel and Grandma.¡± Suddenly, Anastasia¡¯s pretty eyes widened slightly and sheughed mockingly. ¡°In your dreams!¡± However, Elliot was unaffected by her reaction, and he wasn¡¯t the least bit upset or angered at all. On the contrary, the smile on his lips deepened. ¡°Otherwise, I could confess my love to you.¡± ¡°No! Don¡¯t you dare do anything drastic! The situation isplicated enough, so please don¡¯t complicate things any further, alright?¡± Anastasia suddenly felt that he was just here to purposely create trouble for her. At that moment, Jared¡¯s school was within eyeshot and Elliot suddenly turned to her. ¡°I¡¯ll go inside and get Jared. You can wait in the car.¡± However, Anastasia was adamant not to bother Elliot, so she muttered, ¡°Jared¡¯s my son, so I¡¯ll go and get him.¡± ¡°I promised Jared in the morning that I woulde and pick him up personally in the afternoon, so I have to keep my word.¡± After Elliot said that, he pushed open the car door and got out of the car. As for Anastasia, she could only sit and wait in the car. Actually, she could have joined him and turned up at the school together, but she felt slightly diffident. After all, they were not an actual couple. Previously, Elliot had pretended to be Jared¡¯s father and he turned up for the sports event, so if any other parents initiated a conversation with them it would be quite awkward. And so, Anastasia decided to just stay put in the car. Shortly after that, she saw Jared walking out of the school hand-in-hand with Elliot. The boy was evidently quite happy as there was a spring to his step. As soon as Anastasia saw that, she couldn¡¯t contain the smile on her face. She was very joyful each time she saw Jared in a happy state. ¡°Mommy!¡± Jared got into the car and sat in his car seat. Elliot leaned forward to buckle the seatbelt for him, and the current scene showed Elliot performing the exact role of a doting father. Chapter 168 Anastasia saw the scene in front of her and there was a sudden inexplicable feeling that arose within her. Should I continue to allow this man to be involved in our lives? What if Jared gets used to seeing him every day and bes dependent on his closepany? If he suddenly disappears from our life someday, would Jared feel disappointed then? ¡°Mommy, let¡¯s go grocery shopping, alright? I want to go to the mall.¡± ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s go together today.¡± Anastasia responded with a smile. And so, Elliot drove the car to arge mall by their house. In the supermarket, Anastasia was busy picking out some fresh vegetables while Elliot brought Jared to pick out some toys. Anastasia then walked off to the fruits section after picking out the vegetables. As soon as she saw some fresh durians, she couldn¡¯t help craving them as it had been quite a while since she had some. As such, she picked out one which was quite fleshy and went off to get it weighed. The price of the durian was quite exorbitant and she actually winced at the thought of it, but it was fine as an asional splurge. After that, Anastasia went to seek out Jared and Elliot, but she found that Elliot¡¯s trolley was full of presents. Though slightly resigned, she kept it to herself and thought, Is he trying to spoil Jared? That¡¯s too many presents there! ¡°Mommy, Mr. Presgrave bought all of these for me.¡± Jared sat in the trolley and showed it off to her. ¡°We can¡¯t have Mr. Presgrave spending so much money on you. Let¡¯s just pick one that you really like, alright?¡± Anastasia exined to Jared. Upon hearing that, Elliot spoke in a low voice. ¡°These are all my presents for Jared and the toys are educational.¡± ¡°I like all of them.¡± Jared pouted as well, as he wanted all of these toys. Meanwhile, Anastasia shook her head resignedly. ¡°It¡¯s just for this once, alright? Let¡¯s go and pay for it.¡± She was prepared to foot the bill herself but then before she could even reach out for her cell phone, Elliot had already paid for everything. It¡¯s such a shame that I didn¡¯t get more durians! I would have bought two if I knew that he was going to fight to pay for the grocery bill. After entering the car, Jared instantly smelled the pungent scent. ¡°Mommy, did you buy some durian? It smells so good!¡± ¡°Yes, I bought the Musang King variety. Let¡¯s go home and enjoy it.¡± ¡°Yay! I love durian!¡± Jared had developed a liking for durian due to Anastasia¡¯s influence. On the other hand, Elliot, who was standing by the side, frowned slightly as there was a slight smell of durian inside the car. As soon as they arrived home, Anastasia quickly opened the fruit and the smell of it filled the entire house. She ced the flesh on a te and brought it out. Meanwhile, Jared had already washed his hands and he was waiting patiently on the couch to have some. Anastasia nced at Elliot, who was sitting on the couch too, and she generously offered, ¡°Come and have some too.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like this type of fruit,¡± Elliot rejected. However, Anastasia insistently handed him one. ¡°It¡¯s really good. Why don¡¯t you try some?¡± ¡°Mr. Presgrave, do try some. It¡¯s really good!¡± Jared had one in his hand and he spoke while devouring it. If it was anyone else who had suggested for Elliot to try some, he would definitely reject them but because it was Anastasia and Jared, and they had a strong influence on Elliot, he overcame his disgust and reached out for a tiny piece before opening his mouth slightly to taste it. The taste of it was surprisingly better than he thought and as he tasted it carefully, the rich yet uncloying taste of it filled his taste buds. He found himself unable to resist the creamy texture of the fruit and his initial resistance went out of the window. He lifted his head and turned to nod at Anastasia. ¡°It¡¯s really good.¡± ¡°See? I told you it was yummy!¡± Inexplicably, Anastasia suddenly felt a sense of aplishment. She felt quite pleased to be able to force Elliot to try some durian. ¡°Is there any more in the kitchen? Is that all that you bought?¡± Elliot clearly expressed that it wasn¡¯t enough. In response, Anastasia blinked her eyes. ¡°The Musang King variety is very expensive! One of them is quite a splurge already. I dream of the day when I can finally achieve the freedom of having durians whenever I please!¡± ¡°I can easily grant your wish,¡± Elliotmented with narrowed eyes. I can supply you with as many durians as you wish to the point where you might get sick of it. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I can earn more and buy it for myself!¡± After Anastasia said that, she nced at the clock and mentioned, ¡°I¡¯ll go prepare dinner now. Keep an eye on Jared for me.¡± Subsequently, Anastasia headed off to the kitchen as Elliot went along with Jared to the toy area to unbox the new toys. Meanwhile, Elliot¡¯s eyes shone with a doting expression as he watched Jared happily unbox his new toys. At that moment, Elliot felt as if he was truly Jared¡¯s father. Chapter 169 Elliot thought to himself, If she agrees to it, I sincerely want to care for her and Jared forever. I don¡¯t mind not having my own child in this lifetime. At that moment, Anastasia was busy chopping up some vegetables, but she was careless and cut herself. The pain she felt made her wince and she was close to tears. Even the vegetables were stained with droplets of bright-red blood and it was quite a horrifying scene. It was only then that she realized that it was quite a deep cut that she had suffered. Instantly, she ced her finger under running water. As she looked at the blood still trickling from her wound, she suddenly recalled that she had a first-aid kit, so she took a kitchen towel and wrapped it around her finger before heading out of the kitchen. She then turned to Elliot, who was currently in a squatting position on the ground, and asked, ¡°President Presgrave, could you please help me get the first-aid kit? I just cut myself.¡± As soon as she said that, Jared-initially busy with his presents¡ªand Elliot, who was by Jared¡¯s side, instantly rushed over to her. Elliot anxiously asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the first aid kit?¡± ¡°It¡¯s underneath that cupboard.¡± ¡°Mommy, let me have a look. There¡¯s so much blood!¡± Jared was frantic as he shouted, ¡°Mr. Presgrave, hurry up and help Mommy!¡± Elliot opened the first-aid kit and retrieved the crepe bandage from the box. Then, Anastasia removed the towel wrapped around her wound, causing the cut to be exposed to the air. She had suffered a cut to her left index finger at the part connecting to her fingernail, so there were plenty of blood vessels there. It would likely take some time to stop the bleeding. ¡°Why were you so clumsy?¡± Elliot¡¯s expression was full of worry and there was a slightly pained look in his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s quite normal to suffer a cut to the finger for one who¡¯s used to cooking.¡± Anastasia was quite calm as this was a small matter for her. However, her words caused Elliot¡¯s heart to clench. Does that mean she has a lot of past experiences with cutting herself?! At that point, Elliot thought of her bringing up Jared by herself overseas without any support and wondered, How did she get through that by herself? Besides, Jared was still very young back then. Instantly, Elliot¡¯s thoughts went to his cousin Nigel. That exins why she¡¯s so close to Nigel. It must be because he provided her with a lot of help over the two years when she was overseas. As such, she regards Nigel as a friend as close as her family, but she doesn¡¯t love him. ¡°When you were overseas, did Nigel help you in many ways?¡± Elliot looked at her and asked In response, Anastasia nodded. ¡°Yes, he did.¡± At that, Elliot took a deep breath. Why didn¡¯t I take the time to get to know her earlier? He had focused his efforts on helping Francis and he had assumed that everyone in the Tillman Family would obviously have a great life if Francis was doing well. However, Elliot¡¯s recent investigations had uncovered that she had left the Tillman Family ages ago and brought up her child by herself overseas. She hardly kept in contact with Francis, but Elliot hadn¡¯t quite yet found out the exact reason for that. ¡°Let¡¯s go out for dinner. Take a break from cooking tonight.¡± Elliot finished off by adding, ¡°It¡¯s my treat.¡± He was well aware of how cost-conscious Anastasia was, so he didn¡¯t want her to have to spend money. Meanwhile, Anastasia also realized that she couldn¡¯t possibly cook in such a state, so she nodded. ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go to a nearby restaurant.¡± ¡°Mommy, does it hurt?¡± Jared inched closer to peer at her finger and he blew at itfortingly. At that point, Elliot had already bandaged her finger carefully. Anastasia shook her head. ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t hurt at all.¡± However, Jared was quite skeptical. ¡°Mommy, you should take a break from cooking for the time being. We can eat out. I¡¯ll use my allowance to treat you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. I¡¯ll treat you guys for the entire month.¡± Elliot ruffled Jared¡¯s hair as he announced, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go and have dinner!¡± Elliot brought them to a high-ended restaurant and all of the food served seemed to be quite pricey. Meanwhile, Anastasia spected that the entire meal cost one month of her paycheck. Come to think of it, I actually do benefit from being friends with Elliot! In the end, Elliot sent them back to the entrance of their residential area and Anastasia stated insistently, ¡°You should go home now.¡± She was adamant not to allow him to enter her house as it was quitete. However, Elliot was quite worried, so he murmured, ¡°Call me right away if there are any issues.¡± Meanwhile, Anastasia waved at him and hand-in-hand with Jared, the mother-son duo walked back in the direction of the entrance of the residential area. WO Elliot stayed there and watched them walk inside before driving off. ¡°Mommy, Mr. Presgrave is so nice to us. Grandpa said that you should marry the one who treats us well.¡± Jared lifted his head and turned to Anastasia when he said that. Chapter 170 Anastasia reached out a hand to ruffle Jared¡¯s hair and spoke in a rxed tone. ¡°I don¡¯t need anyone else but you. I¡¯m not going to marry anyone again in this lifetime.¡± That was because she didn¡¯t want to put a bet on an uncertain future. She just wanted to raise her son in a stable environment. Besides, Elliot clearly was doing all this as an expression of his gratitude. As such, such a rtionship was as fragile as a tiny bubble and it could disintegrate at any time. Anastasia was no longer a young girl, so she was quite conscious of what was going on. She would not be easily affected just because someone was kind to her, and she definitely wasn¡¯t going to sacrifice all of herself due to being touched by someone else¡¯s kindness. She was now a very level-headed and logical person. The next morning, Anastasia had just helped Jared ce his belongings into his school bag and was about to leave the house when the doorbell sounded. She looked through the peephole and was immediately stunned. Why is he here? Meanwhile, she opened the door to see Elliot standing outside. He was dressed impably in a suit and he looked exactly like an elitist standing there. ¡°Mr. Presgrave!¡± Jared happily clung to Elliot¡¯s thigh. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°I came over to send you to school and send your mommy to work.¡± ¡°Mr. Presgrave, you¡¯re such a nice person!¡± Jared kept his eyes on Elliot unblinkingly and the boy¡¯s expression was quite affectionate. At that moment, Elliot directed his gaze toward Anastasia with the hopes that she would react the same way as Jared. However, she felt quite shy to bother him. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this next time. I don¡¯t want to take up too much of your precious time,¡± Anastasia suggested. ¡°I¡¯m happy to spend my time any way I prefer,¡± Elliot curled his lips into a smile and replied. Subsequently, he squatted down and took Jared into his arms before turning around to head toward the elevator. Meanwhile, Anastasia was left slightly speechless. She really didn¡¯t want to waste the man¡¯s time, as he usually had business dealings that ran in the range of billions. After dropping off Jared at school, Anastasia suddenly recalled that she had a lunch date with Harriet in the afternoon, so she turned her head to nce at Elliot. ¡°Will you be attending the lunch appointment this afternoon?¡± ¡°My grandma didn¡¯t invite me along.¡± Elliot felt slightly upset too as he had waited the whole night for Harriet¡¯s phone call, but it was in vain. Evidently, he was not included in the lunch date. Anastasia pursed her lips in response. ¡°Okay, then. I¡¯ll try my best to exin the situation to her.¡± Elliot drove his car into the underground parking lot and Anastasia tried to quickly make a dash for it as she wanted to avoid entering the elevator at the same time as him. However, Elliot refused to let her have her way and he strode purposefully behind her on his long legs. Just as he was about to enter the elevator, Anastasia frantically pressed the button to shut the door while yelling toward him, who was still outside, ¡°Take the next one.¡± Unfortunately for her, he stretched out his hand. As soon as the sensors on the door sensed movement, they slid open instantly and Elliot made his way into the elevator gracefully. Meanwhile, Anastasia ced her palm on her forehead and inched closer to the corner of the elevator. Even if she had to be in the same lift, she was determined to stand as far away from him as possible. Indeed, there was a huge group of staff waiting to enter the elevator in the lobby. However, as soon as the doors to the elevator slid open, the anxious bunch of people outside suddenly stopped in their tracks. None of them dared to step foot into the elevator because Elliot was standing there. ¡°President Presgrave, you can go ahead. We¡¯ll take the next one.¡± Each of them said so fawningly with smiles on their faces. Soon after that, the doors to the elevator slid shut. Meanwhile, Anastasia was intent on admiring Elliot¡¯s strapping, attractive figure as she thought, He has the perfect figure that even a model couldn¡¯t compete against him! The clothes on him were perfectly molded to his body and he had the perfect figure that enhanced any outfit he wore. Elliot¡¯s figure was so perfect that he looked slim in any shirt he put on and yet when he took off his shirt, he was filled out in all the right ces. They arrived at the Department of Design and Anastasia quickly slipped past the man to get out of the elevator. However, at that moment, Elliot reached out and suddenly held her hand for a short while. Shocked, Anastasia shivered and she quickly flung off his hand as she fled the elevator. At the same time, she scanned her surroundings guiltily. She couldn¡¯t contain herself from blushing. How annoying! She arrived at her working area and instantly focused her efforts on her work. Although she had hurt her finger, she could only bear it and work with an injured finger. Luckily, she could operate everything by using theputer, so it made things much easier for her. She finally made finishing touches to the draft for the pair of nes and it was quite perfect in her eyes, so she sent it to Felicia for her to contact the customer. After all, this was an important commissioned piece, so Felicia was in on it too. At about 10 in the morning, Anastasia¡¯s cell phone suddenly rang and she reached out to answer the phone call. ¡°Hello, who¡¯s on the line?¡± ¡°Hi, is this Miss Anastasia Tillman? I¡¯m calling from the fruit shop. There¡¯s a customer who ordered a truckload of Musang King durian for you. Where would you like me to deliver it to?¡± ¡°What?! A truckload? How many would that be?¡± ¡°There are about two hundred of them.¡± At that point, Anastasia nearly had a heart attack. Elliot has too much money on his hands, huh? Why did he send me two hundred Musang King durians early in the morning anyway?! Chapter 171-180 Chapter 171-180 Chapter 171 ¡°Uh¡­ Can I return it?¡± ¡°Fruits are non-returnable goods! Don¡¯t worry, miss. We provide top-grade Musang King so it¡¯s definitely of good quality.¡± s? ¡°I know that and I do trust that your goods are of good quality, but I don¡¯t need that many.¡± ¡°Miss, I really can¡¯t process a return for this. Fruits are non-returnable once sold!¡± On the other end, the owner tried hard to express his keenness toplete the sale. Meanwhile, Anastasia was at a loss for what to do. ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯ll make a phone call and get back to you.¡± As soon as Anastasia put down her cell phone, she instantly grabbed thendline and dialed the number to the office of a specific man. ¡°Hello?¡± The man answered the phone in a low voice. ¡°Did you order me a truckload of Musang King durians?¡± Anastasia questioned him immediately. ¡°Yup. You mentioned that you wanted the freedom to have durians whenever you crave them, so I¡¯ll help you achieve this wish today. You can have as many of them as you want.¡± Elliot spoke up and implied that the durians today were his treat. However, Anastasia was quite speechless and she thought, Doesn¡¯t he realize that one can¡¯t have too many durians? It¡¯s fine to have some asionally, but if too much is consumed in one day then there are a lot of side effects that would ur subsequently. The milder symptoms would be a sore throat and as for the worst-case scenario, one would even experience constipation! ¡°I think you should return it. I can¡¯t finish that many. I just had onest night so I can¡¯t have too many at a time.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± On the other end, the man clearly knew nothing about durians. Although he was a knowledgeable man, there were also some things that he was totally clueless of. ¡°That¡¯s because durians can cause sore throats. I can¡¯t have too much.¡± Anastasia could only try her best to exin, but the other side effect sounded slightly indecent so she didn¡¯t mention that. ¡°I never return any item that I¡¯ve paid for. You can decide how you want to deal with it.¡± ¡°But¡­ You¡­¡± ¡°I have a meeting to attend now.¡± After Elliot said that, he hung up on her. Meanwhile, Anastasia had to return the call of the fruit store owner, yet the purchaser of the items refused to pay heed to her words, so she was in a dilemma at the moment. In the end, she thought to herself, I guess I¡¯ll just treat everyone to durians, then. Subsequently, she reached out and dialed Felicia¡¯s number to exin the situation. On the other end of the line, Felicia was ted. ¡°This is a simple matter. I¡¯ll arrange for everyone in the office to have one each.¡± ¡°Okay. Please make the arrangements, then, but don¡¯t say that this is my treat. Let them know that it¡¯s President Presgrave¡¯s treat.¡± Upon hearing that, Felicia burst intoughter. ¡°Are you sure that you want to let them know it¡¯s his treat?¡± ¡°Yes, just say that. I don¡¯t want to take this credit,¡± Anastasia insisted. ¡°Sure! We¡¯ll leave it at that, then.¡± Ten minutester, the fruit store owner happily distributed durians by the entrance of the office, and every staff member of thepany who walked past was given one. This went on and no one was left out until every piece of fruit was gone. After all that, Grace came back upstairs in good spirits and she held two durians in her hands. Anastasia expressed her gratitude as Grace excitedly mentioned, ¡°Anastasia, do you know who treated us to this? It¡¯s President Presgrave! It¡¯s the Musang King variety too. Everyone¡¯s so happy.¡± At that moment, Anastasia tried to stifle herughter. ¡°That¡¯s great! I¡¯m quite happy too.¡± After Grace had walked out of the room, Anastasia clutched at her stomach and ced her head on the tabletop. She was consumed with uncontrobleughter and she nearly fell to the ground. I wonder what Elliot¡¯s expression will be like if he finds out about this?! Meanwhile, in the meeting room at the Presgrave Group, the room was solemnly silent as Elliot sat at the head of the table. He gave out an air of dominance seen in a leader and under the illumination of the projectormp, he clearly gave out the feeling of a strong president. The people in attendance today were all the upper management team of the Presgrave Group, and each one of them was involved in running variousrge-scale projects all over the world. They had to report back to Elliot on the progress of their projects daily and there was no room for any errors or omissions. The Presgrave Group was involved in various financial schemes worldwide, so thepany was, in fact, much more than just a leading business in the country. After Elliot¡¯s appointment as the president, he had kept close control of the development of thepany. He ended up leading the Presgrave Group toward a much brighter future than ever. Despite the Presgrave Group going through several financial crises, the giant corporation remained strong and continued to sail through the waves of the corporate world. The meeting ended at 11.30 AM and Elliot went back to his office after that. At that moment, Rey stood by his side with pursed lips, and he looked as if he had something to report on. Elliot nced at him and questioned, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Chapter 172 Rey had gone for facial expression management sses before but right now, he couldn¡¯t contain himself andughed out loud. ¡°President Presgrave, the truckload of Musang King durians that you ordered for Miss Tillman was distributed to the entirepany. The problem is, Miss Tillman gave the credit to you.¡± Elliot¡¯s handsome expression stiffened slightly when he heard that. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yeah. Anyway, everyone¡¯s full of gratitude for you.¡± As soon as Rey finished saying that, he instantly covered his lips and burst intoughter before quickly stifling hisughter while he covered his mouth once again. ¡°It¡¯s fine tough.¡± Elliot shot Rey a look. I just didn¡¯t expect her to be so generous and actually distribute everything. Suddenly, Elliot recalled something and he instantly took his cell phone and dialed his grandmother¡¯s number. ¡°Hello, Elliot. Do you have something to talk to me about?¡± Harriet¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°Grandma, I would like to have lunch with you today. We haven¡¯t seen each other for days.¡± ¡°I¡¯d prefer to have dinner together. I have a lunch date today.¡± ¡°What sort of lunch date is it? Can I join you?¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be convenient.¡± Harriet spoke up frankly. ¡°It¡¯s just a meal.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be frank with you. I have a lunch date with Nigel and Anastasia today. I wanted to talk to them about their engagement the other day. I¡¯ve decided that it¡¯s time to pick a date for them.¡± ¡°Include me for the lunch date, then! I want to join the meal too,¡± Elliot responded with a smile. ¡°Okay. I don¡¯t mind you joining us, but don¡¯t you dare mess things up!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t do that.¡± Elliot curved his lips into a smile. I¡¯m not going to mess things up because this won¡¯t go to n anyway. in a blink of an eye, it was 11.20 AM and Anastasia nced at her cell phone from time to time as she waited for Harriet to call her regarding the lunch date. Just then, Anastasia¡¯s cell phone rang and she quickly grabbed it to take a look. Indeed, it was Harriet on the line, so she took a deep breath before answering the phone. ¡°Hello, Old Madam Presgrave.¡± ; ¡°Anastasia, you cane downstairs now. My car is about to reach the entrance of yourpany.¡± It turned out that Harriet hade in person to fetch Anastasia. At that moment, Anastasia felt quite ttered and she revealed a smile. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be downstairs shortly.¡± Anastasia walked out of the entrance to see a ck car parked by the entrance, and the dominantly disyed golden logo of the Rolls-Royce was unmistakable. The driver personally got out to open the door for Anastasia as she expressed her gratitude. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee, Miss Tillman,¡± the driver replied. And so, Anastasia got into the back passenger seat and saw that Harriet was dressed elegantly in a dark purple dress lined with golden threads. The button of the dress was made out of ruby and it was clear to the eye that it was a hand-made,missioned piece. 3 ¡°Hello, Old Madam Presgrave!¡± Anastasia greeted Harriet. ¡°It¡¯s been days since west met. What happened to your finger?¡± Harriet instantly noticed Anastasia¡¯s bandaged finger. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I identally hurt myself.¡± ¡°Was it a bad cut?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not too serious. It¡¯s just a minor cut.¡± Anastasia curled up her lips and smiled. Upon hearing that, Harriet nodded her head. ¡°Try to be more careful next time.¡± With that, the elderly woman nced out of the car window at the building in front. ¡°Do you work here?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. Elliot has taken over yourpany, so it¡¯s part of our family business now. It would be much easier for us to help you out in the future.¡± Meanwhile, Anastasia felt quite uneasy. Elliot had not only taken over Bourgeois Jewelry Atelier for the sake of helping a lowly staff like her, but he had actually bought over the world-renowned QR International Group that backed the Bourgeois Jewelry Atelier brand. ¡°Old Madam Presgrave, I¡¯m fine so there¡¯s no need to go all the way out to help me,¡± Anastasia expressed her sincere gratitude. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be shy, child. We are obliged to do that. I¡¯m also trying to redeem myself by helping you. It makes me feel slightly better by doing so.¡± Harriet¡¯s eyes were red-rimmed as she spoke. ¡°I am forever indebted to your mother and there¡¯s nothing I can do to fully repay her in this lifetime.¡± Surprised, Anastasia asked, ¡°Old Madam Presgrave, why would you say so?¡± ¡°You might not realize this, but both Elliot¡¯s parents¡¯ passed away at the same time back then and I had to single-handedly hold the fort for the entire Presgrave Group. At the same time, I had to bring up a young Elliot. At that point in life, I held all of my hopes upon Elliot, so if something bad had urred to him, I would have lost the remaining pir of strength in my life. Your mother¡¯s ultimate sacrifice gave us the Presgrave Group that we have today.¡± Chapter 173 Anastasia¡¯s heart sank upon hearing that. She couldn¡¯t even imagine the state of Harriet¡¯s situation back then. Thetter was a fifty-year-old woman trying to cope with the sudden loss of her son and daughter-inw, and she had to step up to manage a multi-millionpany single-handedly. Furthermore, she had to raise a young grandson and back then, Elliot was her only hope. Right now, Elliot had grown up to be an independent man and he ran thepany well, so she could finally rx and enjoy a life of retirement. ¡°Your mother¡¯s a great woman and though I¡¯ve never spoken to her before, she has a mighty and heroic presence in my heart.¡± Anastasia was also quite young-barely two years old-back then, so her impression of her mother was just the exceptionally heroic-looking woman in the photos. At that time, her father had just started up his business, so Anastasia was raised by her maternal grandmother. Two yearster, her father had remarried and that was when Naomi joined their family. Naomi had brought along a daughter with her. After Anastasia¡¯s grandmother had passed away due to illness, her father finally brought Anastasia back home to care for her. At that point, Harriet quickly halted the current topic as she didn¡¯t want to bring up Anastasia¡¯s painful past, so she smiled and asked, ¡°Anastasia, why don¡¯t you make a guess as to who¡¯s the other person joining us for lunch?¡± In fact, Anastasia was quite confident that it was Nigel joining them for lunch, but she could only act confused. ¡°Did you invite another person to join us?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Nigel. I asked the two of you out for lunch with me to have a proper discussion. It was totally beyond my expectation that you were the little girl who saved Nigel back then. It must be fate!¡± Anastasia curled up her lips and revealed a smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that he was your grandson either.¡± Harriet requested for Anastasia to exin the process of how she saved Nigel in detail, so Anastasia eded to the former¡¯s request and thoroughly spoke about the ordeal. Anastasia also shared with Harriet some of her experiences with Nigel when they were overseas. Meanwhile, Harriet listened on and concluded in her mind that it was proof of Anastasia and Nigel¡¯s affectionate rtionship. As such, the elderly woman was very intent on bringing the couple together. Once Anastasia was part of the Manson Family, then Harriet could naturally continue to provide support and compensation for Anastasia in every aspect. At the moment, a gray-colored sports car was also heading in the direction of the restaurant. Nigel had received Harriet¡¯s phone call the previous night and she had instructed him to dress up well for lunch today, as Anastasia would be in attendance too. As a result, Nigel had woken up early to go to the barber¡¯s, and he had gotten a stylish haircut for today¡¯s lunch date. His originally quite good-looking face was much more handsome and full of vigor than ever after all the grooming. Presently, Nigel had arrived at the restaurant and remained in his car. Taking a look at himself in the mirror, he cheered for himself. ¡°Nigel Manson, you must win Anastasia¡¯s heart today and get her to agree to your proposal. Good luck!¡± He then pushed open the car door and got out of the car to enter the restaurant. Subsequently, the waiter greeted him and escorted him to the direction of the private room as he waited there. Meanwhile, Harriet and Anastasia arrived at 11.50 AM. Throughout their journey, thetter was preupied with her thoughts as she tried to figure out how to exin the matter of the proposal to Harriet, so that Harriet could give up on the thought of making arrangements for their marriage. As soon as they entered the private room, Nigel instantly stood up to greet them and he lovingly addressed Harriet, ¡°Grandma, you¡¯re here!¡± After he had said that, he directed his affectionate almond-shaped eyes toward Anastasia. ¡°Anastasia!¡± Meanwhile, Anastasia greeted him with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re quite early today.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to bete for lunch with you,¡± Nigel responded wittily. Upon hearing that, Anastasia couldn¡¯t contain herself and sheughed upon hearing his words. Harriet watched their interaction and she was secretly quite pleased. They are indeed a perfect match for each other. They look sopatible! ¡°What happened to your finger? Let me have a look at it.¡± Nigel had noticed it almost instantly so he quickly reached out to hold her hand and check on her wound. In response, Anastasia hastily withdrew her hand. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I identally cut myself while I was cutting some vegetables.¡± TEST EST ¡°That¡¯s so careless of you. You should avoid cooking from now on. I¡¯ll treat you to your meals.¡± ¡°No, Jared¡¯s not used to eating out.¡± ¡°Come on and take a seat. Let¡¯s order our food.¡± Harriet sat at the head of the table and the manager of the restaurant came in personally to take their order. At the same time, he introduced to them the restaurant¡¯s specialties. Anastasia sat there and listened to him introduce their fresh and imported, luxurious ingredients, which were all air-flown to the restaurant, and she realized by listening to the way the ingredients were obtained that this was clearly not a restaurant that could be afforded by the general poption. ¡°Serve us one of each, then!¡± Harriet announced with a swagger. Chapter 174 ¡°Will it be just the three of you today?¡± the manager asked with a smile. At that moment, Harriet suddenly recalled that there was another person joining them, so she quickly responded, ¡°There will be four of us today.¡± M Instantly, Anastasia and Nigel exchanged looks with each other. Is there a mysterious guest? Who is it? Harriet, however, was busy chatting with the manager, so they didn¡¯t interrupt the conversation. All of a sudden, a waiter pushed open the door from the outside and a strapping, tall figure walked into the room. He had his suit jacket in his hand, and he was dressed in a white dress shirt paired with ck trousers. In short, his attire was minimalistic yet full of elegance. Anastasia¡¯s beautiful eyes widened upon seeing the man, and she was quite stunned to find that he was here too. The person who walked into the room was in fact Elliot-the man who had shamelessly mentioned he wanted to join the lunch date the night before. At the same time, Nigel narrowed his almond-shaped eyes too. Why did Grandma invite him along? He¡¯s just going to ruin everything! ¡°Elliot, howe you¡¯re here too? Don¡¯t you have any lunch conferences to attend?¡± Nigel lifted his brows and asked questioningly. Elliot pulled out a chair and purposely took a seat next to Anastasia before he responded with a smile, ¡°Well, I wasn¡¯t invited to any lunch conferences, so I had no choice but to barge in and join your lunch date too.¡± ¡°Pfft! I¡¯m sure there are plenty of people keen to give you a treat.¡± Nigel didn¡¯t believe a single word that Elliot said. Furthermore, Nigel was quite sure that his cousin must have purposely turned up to mess things up. Meanwhile, Harriet smiled upon seeing both of her grandsons in attendance. ¡°Elliot mentioned to me last night that he didn¡¯t have any lunch ns for today, so I invited him along.¡± At that moment, Anastasia turned her head to nce at the man in question, and she noticed that his handsome face had stiffened slightly. Elliot clearly didn¡¯t expect that Harriet would expose his lie. In the end, he took his cup of tea into his hand and took a sip from it. At the same time, he peered across from the edge of his teacup, and his dark gaze went toward the woman next to him. As for Anastasia, she purposely turned in the other direction as soon as she sensed his eyes on her. ¡°Anastasia, I¡¯m sure that there¡¯s no need to introduce this person to you, right? He¡¯s my grandson, Elliot Presgrave. You guys must have encountered each other at the office, I believe?¡± Harriet asked with a smile. Meanwhile, Anastasia had a slightly abashed look on her face as she spoke up guiltily. ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve met.¡± Not only have we met, but we¡¯ve also even kissed more than once! It was mainly because of Elliot¡¯s shameless personality, and that he had forcefully kissed her each time. At that moment, Nigel reached out to hold Harriet¡¯s hand. ¡°Grandma, why don¡¯t you hurry up and tell us the purpose of this lunch date today?¡± Anastasia¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she heard that, and she turned to look at Harriet. At the same time, Harriet nced at Anastasia with a smile on her face before turning to nce at Nigel, who was seated next to Harriet. ¡°Anastasia and Nigel, I¡¯m very happy to know that the two of you are in a rtionship, so I¡¯ve asked the two of you out today to discuss the date for the wedding. That way, we can get the ceremony organized as soon as possible.¡± At that point, Anastasia thought to herself, Elliot was right in his guess! Harriet has actually taken the proposal for real! As for Nigel, he lifted his brows happily. ¡°Sure! Grandma, why don¡¯t you pick a date for us so that Anastasia and I can proceed with the wedding ceremony as soon as possible? Anastasia, how does that sound?¡± Meanwhile, Elliot crossed his arms together and looked at the woman next to him with a slightly gloating look on his face as he waited to see how she was going to handle this. On the other hand, Anastasia shot a resigned look at Nigel before she turned to speak to Harriet. ¡°Old Madam Presgrave, Nigel was just fooling around when he proposed to me that day. Don¡¯t take it seriously. We¡¯re just good friends.¡± ¡°What?! How can one fool around with a marriage proposal?!¡± Harriet stared at her with an aghast look before turning to look at Nigel. However, Nigel solemnly spoke up. ¡°Anastasia, I was quite serious during the marriage proposal. I would like to take your hand in marriage and have you as my wife. Please allow me to care for you for the rest of our lives.¡± At that point, Anastasia lifted her head and she saw Nigel¡¯s expectant and loving expression. She couldn¡¯t help panicking as she pursed her lips. All of a sudden, she couldn¡¯t seem to figure out how to express her rejection with Harriet present. After all, she was mindful of maintaining Nigel¡¯s reputation too. As for Elliot, he reached out and took a sip from his cup. His dark eyes were deep and mysterious, and one couldn¡¯t quite tell what was on his mind. In fact, he was also waiting for the woman next to him to express her stance. ¡°Look, Nigel¡¯s sincerely in love with you, Anastasia. He¡¯s a great guy and I do hope that you can consider him as a prospect.¡± Harriet tried to matchmake the two, as she really hoped that Anastasia could be a part of the family too. All of a sudden, Anastasia found herself in a rut as she mumbled, ¡°Old Madam Presgrave, I ¡°Anastasia, I¡¯m sincere in my feelings. Ever since you saved my life, I made up my mind that my entire soul and self would belong solely to you.¡± Nigel took this opportunity to confess his true feelings. He also hoped that with Harriet present, Anastasia would no longer shy away from his sincere feelings. Chapter 175 Anastasia¡¯s pair of beautiful eyes shifted from left to right. She also pursed her lips for a moment before biting on her lower lip. At that point, she looked deeply troubled as she struggled toe up with a decision. As for Elliot, he continued to hold his cup as he gracefully sipped some tea. His thick eyshes formed a dense canopy and his eyes were covered thus masking the intense, prating look in them. Anastasia suddenly turned to shoot him a fleeting yet pleading look, but she could only manage to catch his nonchnt look from his handsome side profile. He behaved as if this had nothing to do with him, and he clearly wasn¡¯t going to offer her any help at all. She merely shot him a quick look before lowering her eyes. At the same time, she was quite frustrated as she grumbled to herself, What did I expect from him anyway? He¡¯s just here today to watch me make a fool of myself, or perhaps he¡¯s just here to have some fun. ¡°Anastasia, do you find it quite hard to ept Nigel¡¯s marriage proposal?¡± Harriet¡¯s warm voice suddenly rang out. As for Nigel, the expectant look in his eyes was evident because he wanted an answer. It was obvious that he was mainly after a sincere reply from Anastasia. Anastasia didn¡¯t me Nigel for that because she knew that just like Elliot, Nigel¡¯s feelings toward her included a strong sense of gratitude. Even if he sincerely liked her, she couldn¡¯t ept him anyway. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Nigel, and I¡¯m sorry, Old Madam Presgrave. I can¡¯t ept Nigel¡¯s proposal.¡± Anastasia lifted her head and she had a clear look in her eyes as she spoke in a firm voice. Meanwhile, the man seated next to her, who was busy sipping tea, revealed a slight and unnoticeable smile. ¡°Why is that so?¡± Harriet eximed in surprise. Nigel¡¯s heart sank but he wasn¡¯t angry with Anastasia, because he had all the patience in the world for her. He was determined not to back down despite her multiple rejections all this while. ¡°That¡¯s because I have made up my mind to remain single for the rest of my life.¡± Anastasia¡¯s firm voice rang out once again. ¡°Pfft!¡± Suddenly, the man next to her, who was initially elegantly sipping his tea, choked on his drink. He quickly covered his mouth with hisrge palm as he hastily turned his head to stare at her. Meanwhile, Anastasia faced the stunned looks of the three individuals in front of her, and she exined in an exceptionally calm voice, ¡°I already have a child and he¡¯s my whole world. Old Madam Presgrave, I hope that you can understand my circumstances as a single mother. Even if I choose to remarry, I wouldn¡¯t have another child because I want to focus my love and efforts on my son. I think Nigel deserves a better woman.¡± LAN Anastasia knew that her words would definitely garner Harriet¡¯s support. After all, thetter was a woman, so she would naturally be able to understand the situation of a mother¡¯s refusal to build a new family with a kid in tow. If she conceived a second child, then it was inevitable for the first child to experience some suffering. Upon hearing that, Nigel instantly expressed himself, ¡°Anastasia, Jared¡¯s just like my own flesh and blood, and I¡¯ll definitely treat him the same way as I would treat my own son. Also, I¡¯m willing to respect your wishes and we don¡¯t need to have another child. I¡¯ll focus on raising Jared with you. What do you think of that?¡± Meanwhile, Harriet was quite frantic though she didn¡¯t show it. How can that be fine? Nigel¡¯s father is not going to agree to that, and my daughter definitely won¡¯t allow that too! The Manson Family line needs to be passed on. At that moment, Elliot frowned and turned to speak to Nigel. ¡°Nigel, stop being ridiculous. You have to respect your parents¡¯ wishes too.¡± ¡°Elliot, I can make my own decision on this matter,¡± Nigel replied calmly, as he intentionally wanted to show Elliot how determined he was in pursuing Anastasia. ¡°Nigel, I¡¯m very ttered by your sincere feelings, but I¡¯ve made up my mind to remain single for the rest of my life. I¡¯m not going to enter into a marriage with any other man, and you¡¯re no exception.¡± Anastasia made her stance clear and there was no going back on her words because these were her actual thoughts too. Elliot¡¯s expression instantly darkened as soon as she finished her sentence. He was seated next to her, and he turned to re at her, ¡°Miss Tillman, you shouldn¡¯t speak so rashly just yet. You should give yourself some room for changing your mind just in case. Otherwise, it would be embarrassing for you if you changed your mind in the future.¡± In response, Anastasia red at him. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely do as I said, so there¡¯s no need for you to be concerned, President Presgrave.¡± Suddenly, Harriet was taken aback. What does Elliot mean by that? I don¡¯t get it. At that moment, their food arrived and Harriet noticed that the atmosphere seemed quite tense so she quickly gestured at Anastasia. ¡°Come on, girl. Let¡¯s stop chatting and grab a bite. We can talk as we eat.¡± ¡°Here, Anastasia. Try this.¡± Nigel reached out and served some sd onto her te over the table. Upon seeing that, Anastasia politely thanked him. ¡°Thanks, Nigel. I¡¯ll help myself.¡± Meanwhile, Harriet suddenlymented, ¡°Anastasia, it must have been destined for us to meet, so I sincerely hope that we cane together and be family members.¡± Chapter 176 ¡°I¡¯m blessed to have made acquaintance with all of you too.¡± ¡°Your mother sacrificed herself to save Elliot and you saved Nigel¡¯s life while overseas, so I¡¯ve already regarded you as my family after these two huge acts of kindness.¡± Suddenly, Nigel was caught by surprise as he lifted his head and eximed, ¡°Grandma, what did you just say? Anastasia¡¯s mom saved Elliot¡¯s life? What happened back then?¡± Meanwhile, Harriet turned in his direction and replied, ¡°You¡¯ve been overseas all these years, so it¡¯s quite normal for you to be unaware of this incident. Elliot was kidnapped when he was six years old, and Anastasia¡¯s mother sacrificed her life to save him. We¡¯re forever indebted to Anastasia and her family.¡± Nigel¡¯s eyes widened in surprise a? he couldn¡¯t quite believe his ears. It was beyond his wildest dreams that Anastasia and Elliot also had such a great act of kindness linking the two of them. Is that why Elliot steadfastly stays by Anastasia¡¯s side? Is he also intent on repaying Anastasia for everything that she had done, just like me?Elliot¡¯s actions of taking control of the QR Jewelry Group and the current situation with him being permanently stationed at the office of Bourgeois Jewelry Atelier clearly is his way of repaying Anastasia for her great act! Suddenly, Harriet mentioned, ¡°I need to go to the washroom.¡± ¡°Old Madam Presgrave, I¡¯ll go with you!¡± Anastasia quickly ced down her cutlery and got up to escort Harriet from her seat. Meanwhile, Harriet happily walked with Anastasia to the washroom. As soon as the door swung shut after them, Nigel turned to Elliot with a sharp look in his eyes. ¡°Elliot, are you pursuing Anastasia?¡± Upon hearing that, Elliot answered the question without flinching. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Are you just trying to repay her kind act, or are you truly fond of her?¡± Nigel interrogated Elliot bluntly. ¡°Both of the reasons are valid to me.¡± Elliot voiced out in a low voice. In all honesty, he was indeed quite reluctant to go after the same girl as his cousin. ¡°I went after Anastasia first, so you shouldn¡¯t fight me for her affections.¡± Nigel said that while clenching his fist tightly. ¡°Precedence doesn¡¯t mean anything in this. The deserving person of her affections should be whoever that¡¯s more capable. Or perhaps, to be more urate, she¡¯s the one who gets to have a say.¡± ¡°In that case, let¡¯spete equally for her affections and see which one of us manages to win her heart. If you seed, then I¡¯ll acknowledge her as my sister-inw, and vice versa if I win. What do you say?¡± Nigel bluntly announced that they shouldpete equally with each other. As such, if he failed in his bid and the other party was Elliot, then he would admit his defeat graciously. After all, Nigel knew that he was not as capable as his cousin, but he refused to give up without a fight and he wanted to try and make a bid at it. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯spete equally, then!¡± Elliot agreed to this solution as this was the best way that wouldn¡¯t affect their kinship. Shortly after that, Harriet and Anastasia came back from the washroom, and the two men immediately acted as if nothing had happened. They continued to enjoy their meal and sip from their teacups, and the confrontational vibe from earlier dissipated without a trace. ¡°Anastasia, I would like to propose a toast with this cup of tea in ce of champagne.¡± Harriet held a teacup in her hand and walked toward Anastasia. Extremely ttered, Anastasia quickly got up to toast Harriet. ¡°Here¡¯s a toast to you too!¡± ¡°Next time, bring Jared over to our house to have some fun. I would very much like to meet him,¡± Harriet announced. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll bring him over to pay you a visit once we¡¯re free.¡± Anastasia agreed without any hesitation. Just then, Anastasia was engrossed in enjoying her meal when she suddenly sensed someone serving something to her te. She assumed that it was Nigel but it seemed to being from another direction, so she looked up and found out that it was Elliot looking at her. It turned out that he was the one who had served her some food. Instantly, she anxiously nced at him and shot him a warning look. She didn¡¯t want to appear too intimate with him around Harriet. Meanwhile, Nigel saw everything and he couldn¡¯t contain the desteness that arose within him. He felt as if he was one step behind in everything. He couldn¡¯t help wishing that he had taken over the Bourgeois Jewelry Atelier so that Anastasia could work for him and subsequently, he would be able to court her every day during working hours. However, she was now Elliot¡¯s subordinate and he had the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the situation. At that point, Nigel was quite downcast so he found the meal quite nd and tasteless. It felt as if every bite turned to sawdust. Finally, the meal ended and Elliot took a look at the time before mentioning to Harriet, ¡°Grandma, I¡¯ll head back to the office now.¡± ¡°What? Are you leaving so soon?¡± Harriet was quite surprised to hear that. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll send Miss Tillman back too, since we¡¯re heading in the same direction.¡± As soon as Elliot finished saying that, he turned to Anastasia, who was still in her seat. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he urged. Meanwhile, Anastasia was momentarily stunned before she quickly grabbed her bag and bade Harriet farewell. ¡°Old Madam Presgrave, I¡¯ll see you next time.¡± Chapter 177 With that, Anastasia turned to Elliot and casuallymented, ¡°Thanks for the kind offer, President Presgrave.¡± However, Nigel hurriedly got up from his seat and offered, ¡°Anastasia, I can give you a ride.¡± At that point, Anastasia quickly turned around. ¡°Nigel, do stay on and finish the meal with your grandmother. I¡¯ll catch a ride with President Presgrave as we¡¯re heading in the same direction anyway.¡± After that, Nigel could only watch helplessly as the two of them left together, and he couldn¡¯t contain the desteness that rose up within him. Is Anastasia interested in Elliot? Upon entering the elevator, Anastasia keenly sensed that the man next to her was in a horrible mood. Elliot had a dark expression on his face and it was as if he had suffered a huge loss in his business. Instantly, she became quite reluctant to catch a ride with him so as soon as the doors to the elevator slid open with a ping¡¯, she turned to him and immediately said, ¡°President Presgrave, thanks for your offer but I¡¯ll just catch a cab.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Elliot shot her a look. Why?! It¡¯s because you¡¯re obviously in a bad mood so I¡¯d better avoid courting trouble! ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. I just want to catch a cab;¡± Anastasia lifted her head and replied before quickly walking off in the direction of the street. Suddenly, arge palm reached out and possessively grabbed hold of her wrist before dragging her to the direction of a car. Elliot pulled open the door to the front passenger seat and gestured for her to get into his car. Meanwhile, Anastasia frowned. This guy is too domineering! Can¡¯t I go back by myself without catching a ride with him?! In the end, Anastasia ended up getting into the car and Elliot entered the driver¡¯s seat too. Subsequently, the ck car drove off and merged slowly into the traffic. Anastasia was quite perplexed as to why Elliot suddenly lost his temper but despite racking her brain for the reason, she couldn¡¯t quite figure it out. He was an unfathomable individual and his emotions were quite unpredictable most of the time. All of a sudden, Elliot¡¯s low, interrogating voice rang out. ¡°You mentioned earlier that you intend to remain single for the rest of your life. Are you serious about that?¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. At that point, Anastasia was stunned and she turned her head to stare at his handsome side profile. Simrly, he turned his head too and shot a look at her. ¡°Of course I¡¯m being serious! I have no intention of getting married anyway.¡± Anastasia wasn¡¯t ustomed to telling lies and she was quite happy and content with the life she had with her son right now, so she found it pointless to add trouble to her peaceful life. Getting married didn¡¯t necessarily guarantee a blessed life and likewise, remaining single didn¡¯t mean that one¡¯s life would definitely be an unhappy one. ¡°If Jared also likes the guy who pursues you, then would you still maintain your stance of not getting married?¡± Elliot continued to direct questions at her. Coincidentally, their car came to a stop in front of the traffic light, so he kept his piercing eyes on her. Instantly, Anastasia realized that the person Elliot was referring to was himself. She gulped and turned her head in the other direction to look out of the window. At the same time, she shook her head firmly. ¡°I don¡¯t n to get married. I n to raise Jared by myself.¡± Suddenly, Elliot felt a sharp, stabbing pain in his heart upon hearing her words. She knows that I¡¯m referring to myself and yet, she still insists on giving such a ruthless reply. ¡°Anastasia, could you consider things from another person¡¯s point of view? Don¡¯t keep hiding in your own world and avoid another¡¯s feelings.¡± Elliot spoke through gritted teeth as he directed his deep eyes at her. He seemed to be extremely angry at the moment. Meanwhile, Anastasia turned her head to look at him. His current expression was exceptionally forbidding and his gaze was full of frustration. ¡°Elliot, you don¡¯t even know what I¡¯ve been through and you don¡¯t know me at all, so don¡¯t you dare jump to conclusions about me!¡± Anastasia was also slightly angered at that point and after finishing her sentence, she remained quite annoyed so she continued on her tirade, ¡°I told you this before. I don¡¯t need you to repay me for anything, so could you please suppress your feelings for me? Nothing will come out of this rtionship. Stop the car. I want to get out of the car.¡± Meanwhile, Elliot, who was holding onto the steering wheel, evidently tightened his Tip. There had never been any woman who could easily trigger his anger with just a few mere sentences. However, he didn¡¯t pull over. He continued to keep his eyes on the road and his anger suddenly dissipated as he calmly responded, ¡°I¡¯ll send you back to the office.¡± At that point, Anastasia was stunned so she turned to look at him, who was currently busy driving by her side. She could feel the coldness and the distant feeling that came from within him, and she thought, Have I gone too far with my earlier sentence? ¡°Elliot, why don¡¯t you tell me about you and Hayley? I would like to know more.¡± Anastasia tried to change the topic. However, unexpectedly, she had hit a sore spot and this was a topic he had no intention of bringing up, so he coldly responded, ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡± In the end, Anastasia had no choice but to keep her mouth shut. She found Elliot quite unpredictable indeed. Chapter 178 By then they had arrived in front of thepany, so Anastasia instantly voiced out, ¡°Why don¡¯t you pull over right here? I¡¯ll get down now.¡± It was the peak hour during lunch, so she didn¡¯t want anyone to see her getting out of Elliot¡¯s car. Upon hearing that, Elliot pulled over and Anastasia quickly grabbed her bag and got out of the car in a rush. It was quite obvious that she was afraid of being seen by anyone else. Meanwhile, he continued to drive in the direction of the underground parking lot. As soon as Anastasia got back to the office, she received a phone call from Felicia saying that the client was quite pleased with her design, so there were no changes necessary. They could now proceed to send it to the factory to get it customized. Felicia had also confirmed with the client the details of it, such as the grade of the diamond preferred, so Anastasia felt quite relieved. At that moment, Grace walked in with her cell phone in hand and there was an excited look on her face. ¡°Anastasia, look at this! The news of President Presgrave¡¯s treat of Musang King durians from yesterday has gone viral! Furthermore, it¡¯s one of the top three trending topics. The title is ¡°The president of the Presgrave Group treated their staff to Musang King durians. They are so fortunate!¡± Meanwhile, Anastasia was significantly speechless. After all, it wasn¡¯t even a significant piece of news, but the media had deemed it important enough to publish it. The news published was in fact detrimental to Elliot, as it definitely reflected badly on his esteemed status. Right before work ended, Anastasia realized that it was time to go and pick Jared up from school. Suddenly, herndline rang and she subsequently picked up the phone. ¡°Hello, who¡¯s on the line?¡± ¡°Come to the underground parking lot.¡± An abrupt male voice rang out. At that instance, Anastasia hesitated for a few seconds before mentioning, ¡°President Presgrave, there¡¯s no need to bother with this. I can go and pick Jared up by myself. I¡¯ve hurt my finger too and I can¡¯t cook for you for the time being, so I would like to take a break for one week.¡± Essentially, this meant that Anastasia didn¡¯t want to see the man for theing week. ¡°Are you avoiding me?¡± Elliot¡¯s voice deepened and it turned colder too. Anastasia wasn¡¯t one prone to self-deception, so she responded, ¡°Yes. From now on, we shouldn¡¯t meet up unless necessary. That would be the best for both of us. Goodbye.¡± After Anastasia said that, she hung up the phone. Subsequently, she decided to go and pick Jared up. And so, she hailed a cab to his school and as soon as she entered the schoolpound, his teacher eximed in surprise, ¡°Oh-you¡¯re Jared¡¯s mother, right? Why are you here? Jared¡¯s father came and picked him up earlier.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Anastasia was caught by surprise. Elliot came before me to pick up my son?! What the heck is he doing?! How can he do that? Darn it! At that point, Anastasia could only grab her cell phone and dial Elliot¡¯s number. Fortunately, he swiftly answered the phone. ¡°I picked Jared up and we¡¯re having dinner.¡± ¡°Where are you taking my son to? Send him back home right now.¡± ¡°Make your own arrangements for dinner. I¡¯ll sort out Jared¡¯s meal.¡± After Elliot said that, he hung up immediately. Meanwhile, Anastasia was at a loss for words. He took off with my son and I¡¯m not included? Gosh! Suddenly, she received a phone call from her father. ¡°Hi, Dad.¡± ¡°Anastasia, are you free this Friday night?¡± ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°It¡¯s mypany¡¯s twenty-fifth anniversary this Friday, and I would like to invite you and Jared along to join in the celebration.¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll take Jared along then.¡± Anastasia was definitely attending it, so she agreed to the request. ¡°Great! Make sure to dress up nicely on Friday night. I¡¯ll introduce you to some of thepany¡¯s management personnel.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± she replied. After she got off the phone with her father, Anastasia contemted the situation. She was in fact quite reluctant to bring Jared along to such asions, because Naomi and Erica would definitely be in attendance and she didn¡¯t want Jared to meet them. In the end, a lonely Anastasia ended up having a dinner of sandwiches by herself in a tiny restaurant. Each bite she took of her meal, she pretended as if she was biting into Elliot¡¯s flesh. How dare he take off with my son? How annoying! In the end, Anastasia got back home at about 7.30 PM and watched the clock tick by as she waited for Jared to arrive home. Meanwhile, her thoughts were filled with Elliot and she recalled everything that he had done to her. Suddenly, she felt her face gradually flush red. What¡¯s going on? Why do I keep thinking of that man? He¡¯s such a horrible and despicable person! At about 8.40 PM, the doorbell sounded and she practically leaped up from the couch as she hurried to pull open the front door. On the doorsteps, Jared held Elliot¡¯s hand and the boy happily greeted her, ¡°Mommy, we¡¯re back!¡± Chapter 179 ¡°Where have you guys been? Why are you back solite? Anastasia red at Elliot angrily as he spoke Meanwhile, the man couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°I brought Jared to get some dinner and then we went to an arcade nearby. Jared had a good time.¡± ¡°Mommy, it¡¯s really fun. I want to go again!¡± The boy was clearly quite drawn to the arcade and it was still on his mind. ¡°Okay, we can go there and have some fun next time when I¡¯m free. Now, it¡¯s time to go back and freshen up, then you need to get ready for bedtime.¡± After Anastasia had said that, she turned to Elliot and voiced out, ¡°President Presgrave, it¡¯s quitete now so I won¡¯t keep you any longer. You should go back.¡± ¡°Mommy, couldn¡¯t you allow Mr. Presgrave toe in and have something to drink?¡± Jared suddenly felt that Anastasia was quite heartless to kick Elliot out just like that. Upon hearing that, Elliot chimed in as he didn¡¯t want to leave just yet, ¡°I won¡¯t stay on for too long.¡± In response, Anastasia nodded after considering the fact that he had spent the night having fun with Jared. ¡°Okay. Come on inside to have something to drink.¡± Anastasia noticed the sweat on Jared¡¯s forehead, so she walked into his room to get his pajamas. ¡°Jared, let¡¯s get you ready for bed first.¡± ¡°Mr. Presgrave, I¡¯ll go and take a shower now.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± Elliot then sat on the couch. Anastasia¡¯s house wasn¡¯t exactly a mansion, but it was warm and cozy. He couldn¡¯t help wanting to stay on longer as it was veryfortable here. Meanwhile, Anastasia helped Jared freshen up, and she listened to him talk about the fun he had at the arcade. Furthermore, Elliot had allocated four bodyguards to keep a close eye on the boy, and he had done a great job at making sure of Jared¡¯s safety. Although Elliot had taken off with Jared without her permission today, Anastasia was surprisingly at ease with it and she wasn¡¯t worried about Jared being in Elliot¡¯s care. Since when did I develop this trust in him? Anastasia herself hadn¡¯t even realized this. After Jared was finally done in the shower and he had also washed his hair, he ran out dressed in his pajamas to Elliot¡¯s side. Holding a Rubik¡¯s Cube in his hand, he asked, ¡°Mr. Presgrave, could you show me how to solve this?¡± Elliot took the Rubik¡¯s Cube in his hand and the little cube suddenly seemed toe alive in his hands as his slender fingers deftly rotated it. His actions were quite elegant and dashing and into time, he had completed all six sides of the Rubik¡¯s Cube. Anastasia walked past while putting away some clothes, and she couldn¡¯t help silently apuding as she saw Elliot¡¯s speed at solving the Rubik¡¯s Cube. Indeed, this man is great in every aspect. If Jared interacts with him and learns from him, then perhaps he will turn out to be very smart too! Suddenly. Anastasia came to her senses. What sort of nonsense am I thinking about? I can¡¯t possibly hand Jared over to Elliot for him to bring up! Right on the dot at 9.30 PM, Anastasia turned to Jared, who was sitting on the couch. ¡°Jared, look at the time. What are you supposed to be doing by now?¡± she prompted. The boy then lifted his head to nce at the clock on the wall and puffed up his cheeks. ¡°Mommy, can I have another ten minutes, please?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s time for you to read a bedtime story and then go to bed. Mr. Presgrave needs to go home too. It¡¯s gettingte now.¡± Anastasia¡¯s main purpose was for Jared to stop bothering Elliot so that The man could leave. However, Jared nced at Elliot with a torn look in his eyes. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, I¡¯ll go to bed now.¡± ¡°Go on, then. It¡¯s great to get into the habit of maintaining a healthy lifestyle!¡± Elliot praised Jared. In the end, Jared was ted with the encouragement and he happily went to his room. Anastasia went along with him and tucked him into bed. Subsequently, she adjusted the air conditioner temperature before shutting the door behind her. The man on the couch had unbuttoned the first three buttons on his shirt, and his delicate cor bones were revealed. At the same time, Jared was not around, so Elliot¡¯s expression changed because right now, he could focus his eyes on the person he wanted to look at without any restraint. His primitive gaze was quite explicit. ¡°Let¡¯s have a chat.¡± Truth was, Elliot wanted to continue the topic they hadn¡¯t quite finished in the car from earlier. He wanted to talk to Anastasia about her vow to remain single for the rest of her life, because he was adamant to dispel that notion from her mind. Meanwhile, Anastasia saw that Jared had fallen asleep and she wanted to take a shower and turn in for the night, so she tidied up the living room and spoke without lifting her head. ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood to chat. You should go home.¡± Upon hearing that, Elliot narrowed his eyes. The light from the chandelier illuminated his figure and he seemed to exude a cold elegance from within. He looked like Prince Charming who had juste back from a ball. ¡°Can we talk about Jared¡¯s father? I would like to know more about him,¡± Elliot suddenlymented in a low voice. Chapter 180 wanasia suddenly paused in her action of wiping the table and her expression changer slirati This was a topic that she didn¡¯t want to talk about either, so she rejected outright, ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all in the past, so you should be open about it and let it go. Jared¡¯s old enough now, so there¡¯s no need to be so fixated upon it,¡± Elliot advised her. He thought that Anastasia¡¯s decision to remain single from now on was due to the hurt she had experienced in the past. On the other hand, Anastasia knew that he was just being kind and wanted tofort her, but she didn¡¯t need that at all. She lifted her head and stared at him with clear eyes and she reminded him, ¡°President Presgrave, it¡¯s quitete now.¡± However, Elliot remained seated on the couch and he looked at her with a deep expression before cing his elbows on the armrest. He then nonchntly tapped his long and slender index and middle finger on the couch, and he didn¡¯t seem to have the intention to leave at all. ¡°Elliot, it¡¯s nearly ten now. How long are you going to continue this?¡± Anastasia could only urge him to leave. Doesn¡¯t he have to go home and get some sleep? At that point, he finally got up and then he purposely left his car keys on the couch. He then headed in the direction of the entrance before turning around to speak to Anastasia, who was in the living room, ¡°Hand me my car keys please.¡± Anastasia nced at the car keys on the couch and she quickly grabbed them to bring them to the entrance, but he refused to take them from her too. In the end, she could only take a step out of the house and reached out to hand them to him. Suddenly, Elliot stretched his arm then she was dragged out of the doorway by him. Instantly after that, she was engulfed by a man¡¯s scent as a strapping figure approached her. At that moment, she could feel her body stiffen significantly. Anastasia lifted her head, and her eyes met Elliot¡¯s smoldering look. The aggressiveness in his eyes was quite obvious too. Right after that, he leaned forward and pressed a steamy, hot kiss on her lips, and he didn¡¯t give her a chance to reject him at all as he pushed on aggressively. For a moment, Anastasia was quite breathless and slightly stunned from his prolonged, aggressive kiss. After she hade back to her senses, she tried to push him aside but at that point, Elliot ced his head against her forehead and his warm breath hit her cheek as he panted slightly. ¡°It is only now that I¡¯m content enough to leave the ce.¡± Meanwhile, Anastasia angrily lifted her head to re at him. So he¡¯s not content to leave without taking advantage of me?! What¡¯s on his mind anyway? It seems to be full of obscene thoughts! ¡°Just leave!¡± She shoved him hard and turned around to walk into her room. Subsequently, she mmed the door shut after her. At that moment, her heart thudded frantically and she could still taste him on her lips. IlowT. she couldn¡¯tprehend her feelings. What¡¯s up with me anyway?! I don¡¯t seem to hate it and surprisingly it feels quite pleasant?! Anastasia seemed to be in a daze and she quickly forced herself to dispel the thoughts in her mind. After that, she grabbed her clothes and went to take a shower. At the same time, she was adamant not to invite Elliot into her house from now on. After all, he was a beast who couldn¡¯t seem to keep his hands off her. He¡¯s so rich and it wouldn¡¯t take much effort for him to get any woman he¡¯s afier, so why does he refuse to leave me alone? That night, Anastasia had trouble sleeping as shey on her bed and her thoughts kept going to the kiss she had with Elliot by the door. At the same time, she realized that he was indeed a cunning person. He had purposely left his car keys on the couch to force her to bring them out for him. As such, he took advantage of the situation subsequently. How annoying!Undeniably though, he¡¯s really good at being provocative. One would find such a man hard to resist if the person didn¡¯t have a firm heart. However, Anastasia trusted that she could definitely resist the temptation and she wouldn¡¯t be affected by his provocations at all. Meanwhile at the Tillman Residence, Erica finally had something to do. She could finally prepare for the twenty-fifth anniversary of her father¡¯spany. On that day itself, she intended to dress up in a pretty dress and wow the crowd by being the most attractive person in attendance. This was a great chance for her to showcase herself and she definitely wouldn¡¯t let it go to waste. At that moment, Naomi was in her room and she was busy discussing with Francis the allowance for her attire for the event. She intended to get a stunning gown for Erica so that Francis¡¯ image could be upheld. Finally, Francis relented after her countless pleas and whines, and he decided to allocate an allowance of two hundred thousand for the mother-daughter duo to doll up for the event. Naturally, Naomi found the amount insufficient, but it was good enough that she had managed to gain this amount from Francis. She decided that she would take Erica and pick a gown the next day as well as the day after that. After she had heard Francis mention that he had also invited Anastasia to the event, Naomi decided that she had to make sure that Anastasia didn¡¯t steal the show. Erica simply had to be the only star of the show. The next morning, Anastasia chatted with Jared about them attendin Chapter 181-190 Chapter 181-190 Chapter 181 ¡°Mommy, I¡¯ll behave myself at home. You can go.¡± The little guy meekly nodded. He disliked Erica as well, because he was able to feel her ill will toward him although he was but a little boy. Therefore, he chose to not tag along to prevent causing trouble for his mother. However, instead of having Grace to keep himpany on that night like how Anastasia had suggested, Jared thought that Elliot might be a better candidate for the task. Anastasia went to the office after dropping her son off. She barely sat for a few minutes on her seat before Grace knocked on her door and pushed it open, inviting a flower delivery man toe in. ¡°This is Miss Tillman. Please send the flowers in!¡± The bouquet of blue roses stunned Anastasia for a few seconds. Who sent this? ¡°Miss Tillman, here¡¯s your flowers. Do sign and acknowledge it.¡± And so, Anastasia signed the paper. Then, she reached out for the card in the bouquet and flipped it open. Instead of finding romantic words, she found a domineering order written on it. Do not give the flowers away. Yours sincerely, Presgrave. Anastasia was rendered speechless. Why did he send me flowers again? He even prohibits me from giving it away. ¡°Miss Tillman, the flowers are gorgeous. They are obviously imported ones!¡± Grace came over to admire the flowers. . Upon hearing that, Anastasia pursed her lips and let out a helpless smile. I don¡¯t want to receive it no matter how pretty it is! ¡°Miss Tillman, your admirer must be super rich!¡± Grace guessed in envy. ¡°He¡¯s not my admirer,¡± Anastasia vaguely replied before she returned to her seat. In the next couple of hours, she intermittently stared at the bouquet of blue roses and fell into a daze. At 11.30 AM, Nigel showed up at her office to invite her to lunch-it was in invitation that allowed no room for rejection. When he saw the bouquet of flowers on the couch, he instantly knew who the sender was. He felt frustrated with himself for being too busy with the renovation that he had forgotten about sending flowers. However, Anastasia was embarrassed to have him treat her to lunch every day, so she announced, ¡°Let me treat you to lunchter!¡± Nigel merely wanted to have a meal with her, so he didn¡¯t mind who would be paying the bill. In the end, they went to a western restaurant together. During the meal, he talked about his office renovation and asked Anastasia about her opinion. However, no matter what she suggested, Nigel agreed to all her ideas and decided to adopt them. As a result, she dared not give any hasty suggestions. Otherwise, she would be guilty if the renovation turned out awful. ¡°Anastasia, what do you think about my cousin?¡± Nigel suddenly asked. Anastasia¡¯s hand trembled at the question, causing the spoonful of food that she scooped to fall back onto her te. ¡°Uh¡­ h-he¡¯s my boss and he¡¯s a nice person, of course,¡± she stuttered. ¡°Between him and I, who do you think is better?¡± Nigel stared at her intently, determined to get an answer out of her. At that, Anastasia put down her cutlery and looked straight into his eyes. ¡°Nigel, what exactly are you angling at?¡± On the other hand, Nigel pursed his thin lips and decided that he shouldn¡¯t avoid the question he had been pondering any longer. And so, he exhaled and uttered, ¡°I know that he¡¯s pursuing you and he¡¯s repaying your kindness at the same time. Anastasia, in regards to our rtionship, I hope that¡­ you can give me a chance to be with you.¡± He lowered his head as he knew that chances were slim. ¡°Nigel, it¡¯s great to be your friend. We can have meals together and meet up sometimes. Besides, you know that I have no intention to remarry. I¡¯m really sorry!¡± She sincerely apologized, then added, ¡°Please don¡¯t waste your time on me, Nigel. It¡¯s not worth it.¡± ¡°But¡­you are the only woman in my heart. There is no one else.¡± He raised his head and looked at the woman before him. Although she wasn¡¯t the most beautiful woman, she was the most unique view that he had ever gazed upon. Truth was, his words moved Anastasia¡¯s heart, but she remained straight-faced and sighed. ¡°In that case, I guess we can¡¯t even be friends.¡± His expression stiffened and then fell. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want that to happen.¡± ¡°Therefore, let¡¯s remain as friends.¡± However, Anastasia couldn¡¯t help feeling guilty when she said that. Seems like I have to avoid meeting up with Nigel too often after this. I don¡¯t want to ruin his life. Instead of wasting his time and effort on me, he should go and pursue other women. Chapter 182 ¡°Will you say the same if it¡¯s my cousin who pursued you?¡± Nigel pouted and asked. feeling a little depressed. Something shed across Anastasia¡¯s eyes at that question. Elliot was never an obedient gentleman like Nigel. Instead, he had a strong and overbearing character, somewhat like a bandit¡¯s. He would ignore her rejection and warnings. Upon seeing her reaction, Nigel couldn¡¯t help feeling jealous. It seems like she gives Elliot special treatment. In the end, she didn¡¯t answer his question and she muttered, ¡°After lunch, I have to return to the office for a meeting. You should go about your renovation.¡± In the evening, Anastasia went to pick up her son before a certain someone did so. Otherwise, the child would be taken away by him yet again. This time, she sessfully picked Jared up. She even brought him to the mall and had a stroll near her office. She also bought some dumplings home to cook. However, when she was buying them, the little boy kept asking her to buy more. ¡°Mommy, that¡¯s not enough. I want more.¡± ¡°It¡¯s enough. In fact, it¡¯s more than enough for the two of us,¡± she helplessly replied. ¡°No, it¡¯s not enough.¡± He used a smalldle and continued filling the frozen dumplings into the bag. In the end, Anastasia brought arge bag of frozen dumplings home. As they were unable to finish them, she had to keep them in the fridge. After they reached home and while Anastasia was at the balcony, the boy took her phone. Finding Elliot¡¯s number, he sent the man a message. ¡®Mr. Presgrave,e over to have some dumplings!¡± All that was done quickly and easily. ¡®Sure! I¡¯m on my way, Elliot replied. The boy put down the phone happily. As expected, Mr. Presgrave wille. When Anastasia saw that it was gettingte, she went to cook the dumplings. ¡°Mommy, you have to cook all the dumplings!¡± the little boy reminded her ¡°It¡¯s too much. It¡¯s a waste if we can¡¯t finish them.¡± ¡°I can finish them. I want to eat 50 dumplings!¡± he announced loudly. ¡°You can¡¯t fill 50 of them in your little tummy!¡± She chuckled as she said that. ¡°I can!¡± He put on a straight face as hemented, ¡°Mommy, just cook them.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll cook two tes first, and I¡¯ll make some more if it¡¯s not enough, okay?¡± she conceded with a smile. ¡°Okay, but don¡¯t forget to cook more if it¡¯s not enough!¡± Mommy can cook more when Mr. Presgrave is here, Jared thought. Thereafter, Anastasia went to the kitchen to cook some dumplings. Meanwhile, the little boy waited and stared at the door as he listened to the footsteps outside intently. Ten minutester, Anastasia received a message on her phone. The boy quickly took a nce at it. Open the door He giggled and immediately turned the door handle. Standing outside the door was none other than Elliot. The man was dressed like an elite who had just exited from a meeting room, and he emanated the presence of someone powerful and influential. ¡ª ¡°Mr. Presgrave, we are having dumplings tonight.¡± ¡°Great!¡± Elliot grinned. Anastasia, who exited the kitchen to get something from the fridge, was startled to see the man in the living room. ¡°W-Why are you here?¡± Her eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Mommy, I invited Mr. Presgrave over to eat dumplings,¡± the boy exined on behalf of Elliot, for fear that Anastasia would be mad. Anastasia narrowed her eyes. At that instant, the reason behind Jared¡¯s actions of insisting on getting extra dumplings and asking her to cook 50 of them dawned upon her. It turned out that her son had included Elliot¡¯s portion since the very beginning. ¡°Don¡¯t put him on the spot. I wanted toe myself¡± Elliot chimed in. There was nothing that Anastasia could do at that point since he had shown up. ¡°Alright, then. Since we have enough dumplings¡­¡± Looking at her son¡¯srge innocent eyes, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to scold him. It¡¯s a good thing that he took the initiative to think about others. It shows that he has be a more mature kid, she thought. ¡°Have a seat. I¡¯ll go and cook the dumplings.¡± After Anastasia said that, she returned to the kitchen. Subsequently, the first thing that came to Jared¡¯s mind was to ask for Elliot¡¯s permission. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, Mommy is going to attend Grandpa¡¯s banquet tomorrow night. Can I go to your house to y?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Won¡¯t she be taking you along?¡± Elliot asked with a frown. ¡°Nope! Mommy said that it¡¯s not convenient for me to be there because there will be a lot of people. She is going to get Grace to look after me, but I want to spend time with you.¡± Chapter 183 ¡°Sure! I¡¯ll go and pick you up tomorrow at school.¡± Elliot was more than willing to take care of him, of course. Thereafter, Jared asked curiously, ¡°Mr. Presgrave, will there be many men at the banquet? I¡¯m worried that Grandpa may introduce other men to Mommy. I hope that you can be there at the banquet so that Grandpa can meet you too.¡± Elliot narrowed his eyes. Could it be that Francis is going to find a partner for the woman at the banquet tomorrow? In that case, how can I miss that? At that instant, he thought of another suitable candidate who could take care of the kid. ¡°Jared, if I¡¯m going to attend your Grandpa¡¯s banquet tomorrow night, is it okay if I get Nigel to take care of you? But can we keep this a secret for now?¡± Elliot didn¡¯t want his n to be ruined, so he couldn¡¯t afford to let Anastasia and Nigel know about this. ¡°Okay, sure!¡± It was obvious that the boy had now be Elliot¡¯s ¡®partner in crime! Little did the pitiful Nigel know that he would soon be the babysitter who helped his cousin to pursue Anastasia. Anastasia served two tes of dumplings at the table before she returned to the kitchen to make two more tes. Meanwhile, Elliot and Jared, who were sitting at the table, started dipping the dumplings into the premade sauce and eating them. Anastasia cooked all the dumplings that she had bought that day, and the portion happened to be just sufficient for the three of them. After the meal, Elliot took Jared downstairs to take a stroll, while Anastasia cleaned the house. After she was done with the chores, she sat on the couch and fell into a daze. Why do I feel as though we are a family of three? She suddenly recalled that Elliot had slept with Hayley before this, and Anastasia felt an indescribable feeling welling up inside her. She recalled how Hayley had described their night together when Hayley was hugging Elliot at the garden of the Presgrave Residence. She had talked about how wild Elliot had been above her. It was apparent that it had been an incredibly passionate night that had be one that was unforgettable to Hayley. Anastasia shut her eyes abruptly, attempting to shrug off the thoughts that appeared in her head. It reminded her of the night five years ago that she had spent with a male escort that she had known nothing about. She did not know his name nor his face, although she had beenpletely conscious when everything had happened that night. She had felt that the male escort had arge and burly build, with strength so strong that she could hardly resist. He had lost his reasoning at that time, and he resembled a beast that had no sense of humanity at all. Whenever she remembered that night, Anastasia could feel her body tremble all over, and this incident caused her to bear a heartfelt disgust toward the carnal desire between a man and a woman. She refused to get married, not only because of the mental repulsion she felt toward such matters, but also because the incident had traumatized her physically. When Anastasia was engrossed in her painful memories, the sudden sound of the door being unlocked snapped her back to her senses. She inhaled a deep breath. ¡°You guys are back?¡± Anastasia smiled at Jared, who was running into the house. When she saw her son¡¯s adorable and beautiful face, she could feel her earlier agony diminish. ¡°Mommy, this is for you!¡± The boy came back carrying Anastasia¡¯s favorite beverage. ¡°You guys went out and bought something?¡± she asked with a smile. ¡°I was thirsty, so Mr. Presgrave bought me a drink. I remembered that you like this, so I bought you a bottle.¡± At that, Anastasia looked up at the tall man and thanked him. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Mommy, I feel so hot! I want to take a shower.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll help you to take a shower. Go and find yourself a set of pajamas.¡± She looked at her son and he returned to his room. Just then, Anastasia looked at Elliot and said, ¡°President Presgrave, it¡¯s gettingte. You should leave.¡± The man¡¯s gazended on her face, his eyes beguiling as he murmured, ¡°I want to stay for a little longer.¡± ¡°Do not think that you can take advantage of me. It won¡¯t happen again,¡± she calmly announced: I won¡¯t fall for his tricks again. Elliot himself was aware that he couldn¡¯t possibly be so lucky to manage toy his hands on her every time. However, at the thought that he would be able to see her the next day, he curled up the corner of his lips. ¡°See you tomorrow at the office, then.¡± With that, he pushed the door open and left the house. In the end, Anastasia exhaled in relief and quickly entered the room to help her son to shower. The next morning, the Department of Design had an early-morning meeting. As Anastasia walked into the meeting room groggily, she abruptly saw a charming and noble figure sitting in the seat next to hers, and the usually noisy atmosphere in the office suddenly became particrly serious. Chapter 184 Elliot¡¯s here! Although all the female designers knew that Elliot was there for Anastasia, they still couldn¡¯t hold back their little gestures in hopes to catch his attention. Thedies flicked their hair and pursed their lips. Some tried to make eye contact with him, while others even attempted to undo a button at their low-cut cor to further expose their cleavage. When Anastasia took a seat, someone sent coffee into the room. Everyone was surprised that each of them got a cup of coffee, and it was Felicia who revealed the mystery. ¡°Everyone, let¡¯s thank President Presgrave for treating us to a cup of coffee.¡± The lot of them looked at Elliot in gratitude. Some female designers even purred, ¡°Thank you President Presgrave! I¡¯m so happy!¡± However, Elliot¡¯s gaze rested on the woman next to him, causing Anastasia to receive full attention from the crowd. The female employees suddenly felt that the coffee in their hands didn¡¯t taste as well as it had seconds ago, because they now realized that Anastasia was the main reason they were able to drink the coffee in the first ce! Meanwhile, Anastasia, who was skimming through the store sales analysis report, took a sip of coffee. This led a hint of smile to creep into the eyes of the man beside her. Everyone at the scene clearly took in his reaction. ¡°At present, the price war in the market is very intense. Our recent store sales have increased by 5% compared to the previous month. Thepany has decided to promote an associate director to supervise the entire Department of Design alongside me.¡± Alice¡¯s eyes widened at that mention. She felt as though the position would have to belong to her and nobody could take it away from her. On the contrary, Anastasia, whose full attention was on design and nothing else, was uninterested with this management position. ¡°How much will the sry increment be when one is promoted to be an associate director?¡± One of the designers went straight to the crux of matter. ¡°The person who is promoted to be the associate director shall have a sry increment of 5,000 to 10,000 on top of his or her original basic sry, depending on this person¡¯s capability,¡± Felicia announced. Anastasia, who had been initially uninterested with the promotion, heard that, and her stunning eyes lit up and her interest was instantly piqued. ¡°What are the conditions that one must fulfill in order to be entitled for the promotion?¡± ¡°Firstly, one must have worked with thepany for more than 5 years. Secondly, we will review their design skills. Thirdly, one must possess a teamwork spirit, understand the market direction, and be able to analyze the market needs. The light in Anastasia¡¯s eyes dimmed when she heard that, while Alice, who was sitting opposite her, smiled and deliberately reminded her, ¡°Anastasia, you merely worked with thepany for two months. You don¡¯t fit the first condition.¡± Although Anastasia was disgruntled, she said nothing. Just then, a low yet firm male voice rang out beside her. ¡°Anastasia will be promoted as the associate director.¡± Anastasia abruptly jerked her head toward him, but Elliot was seen looking at Felicia as he ordered, ¡°Notify the Human Resource Department about this.¡± Felicia, who didn¡¯t expect the boss to promote Anastasia with just a statement, revealed an awkward smile. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll notify the Human Resource Department about the change in her position.¡± At that, Alice, who was sitting opposite them, was so mad that her face nched, while the other designers were astounded. Does Anastasia have such a powerful background? Could it be that the reason President Presgrave attended the meeting today is just to promote her as the associate director in front of all of us? ¡°But that¡¯s unfair, President Presgrave! Shouldn¡¯t other employees be given a fair chance?¡± Alice boldly refuted. ¡°It will be difficult to convince the others if you make an exception and grant her a promotion like this.¡± As soon as Alice voiced out her disapproval, the air in the meeting room instantly became heavy. Elliot furrowed his brows, darting a sharp gaze at her. ¡°Are you objecting to my decision?¡± ¡°N-No¡­ I-I just think that t-this is apany, and thepany should have rules and regtions¡­¡± Alice was so frightened that she started stammering and her face flushed crimson. Anastasia suddenly didn¡¯t find the position of the associate director attractive anymore. It would be alright if she earned the position with her own effort, but an exceptional promotion like this was indeed unfair to the others, let alone when she didn¡¯t want to owe the man any favors in the first ce. ¡°President Presgrave, I refuse to ept the position. Please allow Felicia to pick someone more suitable!¡± Anastasia chimed in reasonably. Elliot¡¯s cold gaze that had initially been on Alice nownded on Anastasia, but there currently was a hint of frustration in them. Why is she concerned about all those irrelevant matters? Doesn¡¯t she want to earn more money? ¡°Let¡¯s do it this way, then. Anastasia gains the right topete for the position because her capability is undeniably outstanding. Alice, Anastasia and Alexia are the suitable candidates for this position. I¡¯ll assign tasks to the three of you to assess your capabilities.¡± Chapter 185 ¡°You guys can take it from here,¡± Elliot calmly announced. It was apparent that he had no intention to participate in the meeting further, so he rose up from his seat and left. As soon as he had left, everyone in the meeting room exhaled in relief. The heavy atmosphere earlier had been suffocating. ¡°Anastasia, we will fight for the position in a fair and square manner. If you can beat me, I¡¯ll give you the position!¡± Alice sneered. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to give it to me. Let¡¯s each do our best,¡± Anastasia coldly refuted. ¡°Other than the three people whose names were called earlier, the others may leave.¡± Felicia asked them to leave, as she wanted to have a private talk with the trio. In the task this time, all three of them would be responsible for one of the stores under thepany. Whoever attained the best sales performance the next month would be crowned the champion. However, they were not allowed to request their friends or family members to make bulk orders. Only sales from free-will customers would be taken into ount. ¡°You three may liaise with the store managers, or you may take care of the store in person. Ultimately, the three of you have the right to do anything in the store. The total sales next month will be the deciding factor.¡± All three of them, including Anastasia, blindly picked a store. Since she had decided to participate in thepetition, she wouldn¡¯t give up that easily. ¡°Anastasia, I dare you to not rely on President Presgrave¡¯s influence andpete with us fair and square.¡± ¡°I would have epted the position if I were to rely on his influence, no?¡± Anastasia refuted. ¡°Anastasia, what in the world did you do to make President Presgrave treat you so differently? Could it be that you are hooking up with him?¡± Alice sneered in disdain. Anastasia merely looked at the other woman coldly without saying a word. Upon hearing that, Felicia tried to make peace between them. ¡°Alright, we are all colleagues. Please speak to each other politely.¡± In the end, Alice tossed the documents on the table and announced, ¡°Anastasia, I won¡¯t lose to you!¡± With that, she arrogantly left the scene. After Anastasia returned to her office, she received a call from her father. When Francis heard that she wouldn¡¯t be bringing her son along, he asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you bringing Jared?¡± ¡°Dad, there are many people at the banquet. I¡¯m worried that Jared would wander off. Besides, I¡¯ve made arrangements for him.¡± ¡°Alright. Since you have made arrangements, just leave him at home, then.¡± Ever since the incident when Jared had been lost, Francis dared not show the slightest negligence when it came to the matter about the kid. ¡°And do remember to dress prettier,¡± Francis reminded in the end. At that, Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but look down at what she was wearing that day. It was regr office attire-a gray blouse paired with a tight-fitting skirt, and she didn¡¯t prepare any other clothes. At noon, Anastasia had lunch with Felicia. Thetter told her that the mold for the custom-made jewelry had been produced by the factory. What came next would be the craftspeople doing their jobs, and the final product would bepleted by the end of the month. A sense of achievement bubbled up inside Anastasia upon hearing that. She, too, hoped to bring more profit to thepany. At 3.00 PM, Anastasia called Grace over to her office. She instructed her to help her to look after Jared, to which Grace happily agreed. At 4.50 PM, Anastasia took Grace to the kindergarten to pick up her son. The moment she stepped into the ssroom, the young female teacher asked in surprise, ¡°Miss Tillman, why are you here? Jared has been picked up by his father.¡± Anastasia¡¯s heart skipped a beat and she asked, ¡°Are you sure that¡­ it was his father who picked him up?¡± The female teacher was certain. ¡°Yes, it was his father who came in person to pick him up.¡± ¡°I see. Thank you.¡± Anastasia felt annoyed at that. Why did Elliot pick my son up without informing me? ¡°Miss Tillman, what does Jared¡¯s father do?¡± Grace immediately asked curiously. ¡°Uh¡­ He¡¯s in the finance industry.¡± ¡°Wow! That¡¯s so cool! I wish to see what Jared¡¯s father looks like someday. Jared is so good-looking, so I reckon that his dad must be very handsome!¡± Anastasia¡¯s face flushed red as she exined, ¡°He¡¯s a busy man, so you won¡¯t be able to see him most of the time.¡± After she said that, she added, ¡°Grace, I won¡¯t be troubling you tonight, then. You may get off work.¡± Grace nodded, feeling a little sad that she wouldn¡¯t be caring for the kid that night. As Anastasia walked toward the road to hail a cab, she dialed a man¡¯s number. The call went through. ¡°Hello.¡±. ¡°Elliot, where did you take my son to?¡± ¡°Jared told me that you will be attending your father¡¯spany banquet tonight. Since you won¡¯t have the time to take care of him, you can just leave him in my care!¡± Chapter 186 Anastasia didn¡¯t expect that her son would tell Elliot about the banquet. Since things had come to that point, she had no choice but to trouble the man with taking care of Jared. And so, she immediately reced her initially angry tone with her usual one. ¡°If it¡¯s not too much of a hassle to you, please take care of him for me tonight. I¡¯ll go and pick him up at around 9.00 PM.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Elliot unhesitatingly agreed and hung up the call. Gazing at the sunset in the distance, Anastasia fell into a daze, wondering whether it was a good thing that her son relied on Elliot so much. Oftentimes, the choices avable were limited. On one hand, she didn¡¯t want Jared to depend on that man too much but on the other hand, she couldn¡¯t help feeling relieved when the man took care of her son. In fact, she even trusted that man unconditionally. After Elliot ended the call with Anastasia, he instantly called another person. ¡°Hello, Elliot! How can I help you?¡± Nigel¡¯s voice rang from the other end of the call. Although the two men had made a bet, it didn¡¯t affect the rtionship between them. ¡°I need a favor from you. Will you help me to take care of a child?¡± ¡°Whose child?¡± ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°Where else? My father¡¯spany, of course.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll send him over right now.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t told me whose kid is that! And I don¡¯t like to babysit,¡± Nigel grumbled. ¡°It¡¯s Anastasia¡¯s boy. Are you not going to babysit him?¡± Elliot muttered in exasperation. ¡°What? Jared? Jared¡¯s with you now?¡± Nigel asked in surprise, then he rejoiced. ¡°Send him over! I don¡¯t like other kids, but Jared¡¯s different.¡± Elliot ended the call on his Bluetooth earpiece before he said to the kid in the back seat. ¡°I¡¯m sending you to Nigel¡¯s ce now, alright?¡± ¡°Okay, Mr. Presgrave. You have to keep an eye on Mommy tonight and make sure that no man snatches her away!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll certainly keep a close eye on her.¡± Elliot chuckled. No men would be able to take her away under his watch. Soon, they arrived at a 7-star hotel, and Nigel was waiting downstairs to get the kid. When the car came to a stop, Nigel pulled open the car door of the back seat. He was surprised when he saw a child car seat in Elliot¡¯s car and the little boy was safely strapped on the seat. ¡°Mr. Nigel!¡± Jared politely greeted him. Meanwhile, Elliot walked up to Nigel and said, ¡°Anastasia is tied up with something, so she asked me to send Jared to your ce. I¡¯ll have to trouble you with him tonight.¡± Upon hearing that, Nigel felt a little displeased. I would go and pick Jared up if Anastasia gave me a call, so why did she get Elliot to send Jared over? Could it be that in her heart, I¡¯m not as reliable as Elliot? ¡°Goodbye, Mr. Presgrave.¡± As Jared held Nigel¡¯s hand, the boy looked behind and winked at Elliot, hinting thetter about the secret that only the two of them knew. ¡ª CA In the end, Nigel led Jared to his office. The more the former thought about it, the more frustrated he felt. Instead of asking Elliot to send Jared over to me, why didn¡¯t Anastasia contact me directly to go and pick Jared up? Nigel turned to look at the little guy, who was sitting on the couch with his little feet dangling in the air. Suddenly, Nigel noticed that Jared¡¯s beautiful facial features had started to be sharp, which caused the man to widen his almond-shaped eyes. What¡¯s going on? Why do I find that Jared seems to look a little like Elliot? Jared¡¯s features and demeanor were very simr to Elliot¡¯s. The next instant, Nigel seemed to recall something, and he took out his phone to scroll through his photo album. He remembered that he had kept a photo of Elliot as a child-it was a photo that had been taken when he was with Elliot. After searching through a few albums, Nigel finally found the photo. Nigel looked at the little boy in the photo who had his arms around Nigel¡¯s shoulder. At that point, Nigel¡¯s eyes nearly fell out of his sockets. In the photo, Elliot was a five-year-old kid and he looked exactly like the little boy who was currently sitting on the couch. They had faces so simr that one seemed to be a duplicate of the other. What kind of strange phenomenon is this? Anastasia¡¯s son looks exactly the same as Elliot when he was a kid! Nigel looked at himself in the photo, at the boy who had Elliot¡¯s arm around his shoulder. Although he had been an adorable kid as well, he had looked nothing like Jared. At that moment, Nigel felt as though he was burning in rage and jealousy. Is this a hint from God? That Elliot is going to beat me in this rtionship? Nigel nced at the kid on the couch again, and the love he had for Anastasia was still strong. If I were to marry Anastasia, I wouldn¡¯t ever make the little guy sad, nor would I give him any younger brothers or sisters! Chapter 187 ¡°Jared, where did your mommy go?¡± ¡°Mommy has something else to do.¡± And so, Nigel came to the conclusion that Anastasia had to work overtime, so she had brought Jared to the office, then had Elliot send Jared over to him. Nigel was certain that that was the truth. At that moment, Anastasia was in a cab on the way to the hotel where her father¡¯spany event would be held. Her father¡¯spany wasn¡¯t exactly arge establishment, so the celebration this time was organized in a regr 5-star hotel. The attendees of the event were not required to go through the hassle of registration before entering the venue. Anastasia saw a sign at the lobby that stated, ¡®Attendees of Tillman Construction¡¯s banquet, please proceed to the third floor. As soon as Anastasia exited from the lift, she followed the sign and arrived at a hall that was decorated with numerous tables and chairs. She saw her father standing among a few elderly men, and he looked radiant as he beamed gleefully. He seemed to be in high spirits as he raised his ss and chatted with the people around him. ¡°Dad!¡± Anastasia walked up to him and greeted him. ¡°Hey! This is my elder daughter, Anastasia.¡± Upon seeing her, Francis introduced her to his peers standing around him. One of them couldn¡¯t help but to present himself before the woman he had fallen for at first sight. ¡°I¡¯m just a designer. You are the one who is amazing!¡± Anastasia praised him. He was a valuable employee of her father, so she naturally treated him politely. ¡°You are ttering me, Miss Tillman. President Tillman thinks well of me, so he gave me the position,¡± Alex replied humbly. Anastasia then turned to survey the other guests, but Alex couldn¡¯t help but gaze fixedly at her. Her every movement seemed to capture his heart. It seemed that he had really fallen for Anastasia at first sight. Chapter 188 Alex was well aware of the fact that Anastasia most likely would be francis¡¯ sessor in the future, Truth was, Alex had his own thoughts as well. After all, everyone in the world would dream of having an casier life, Meanwhile, Anastasia was borcd, so she took out her phone to check her messages, while Alex went to get her some snacks. He had made up his mind to stick with Anastasia no matter where she was that night. She was curious about what her son was doing at that moment, so she sent Elliot a text. ¡®What¡¯s Jared doing?¡¯ After she sent the message, she didn¡¯t receive any reply even after waiting for more than ten minutes, so she thought that the man must have missed her message. Just then, a mother-daughter duo hurried into the hotel lobby-it was none other than Naomi and Erica, who had just arrived due to the terrible traffic. Erica wore a burgundy evening gown that night. As she entered the hall while lifting her skirt, she suddenly thought of something and turned to her mother, ¡°Mom, I left my phone in the car. Could you go and get it for me?¡± Upon hearing that, Naomi agreed resignedly. ¡°You go sit on that couch for a while. I¡¯ll go get you your phone now. Don¡¯t y with your phone all the time in the car in future.¡± And so, Erica lifted her skirt and took a seat on the couch while waiting for her mother. At that moment, a ck vehicle stopped at the main entrance of the hotel. Under the light from the hallway, a man pushed open the car door of the back seat and alighted from the car. Standing at six feet two, he had an imposing bearing. After tidying his suit, he strode into the hotel with his long slender legs. He had Rey following by his side carrying his briefcase. However, Rey, who was also a handsome, white-cored elite, seemed inconspicuous as he stood next to Elliot. When Erica was staring at the door waiting for her mother to get her phone, she suddenly spotted the man and her heart started pounding wildly. Oh, God! How can there be such a dashing, elegant man in this world? The man who entered the premises under the bright lights had a cold and noble bearing. Dressed in a fitted suit, he emanated a stern yet intimidating aura that made it obvious he was someone with a high and mighty position. Erica¡¯s heart nearly jumped out of her chest. He¡¯s so handsome and sexy! Elliot¡¯s gaze swept across the signboard and he saw that the banquet of Tillman Construction was held on the third floor. He then entered the elevator together with Rey and pressed on the button to the third floor. Upon seeing that the lift stopped at the third floor, Erica couldn¡¯t help but hold her chest excitedly. Could it be that the man is here to attend Dad¡¯spany event? Does this mean that I¡¯U have the chance to get to know him? Erica was exhrated and she felt as if she had met the love of her life. She wanted to know him very badly, and she had even thought about the names for their future kids. When Naomi saw Erica staring at the elevator in a daze, she called out to her, ¡°Erica, what are you staring at?¡± ¡°Mom, I just saw a super handsome man! He seems to be heading to Dad¡¯spany event. I want to get to know him. I have to know him!¡± Upon seeing how crazy her daughter was for that man, Naomi thought to herself, A handsome face will be useless if he¡¯s poor. I won¡¯t agree for my daughter to marry a poor man or even a man with an ordinary background. My daughter has to marry the wealthiest man. Meanwhile, Elliot stepped out of the elevator and into the hall. At one nce, he spotted Anastasia, as well as the existence of a man beside her. That man was chatting with her, while she had one hand on her chin and a curve at the corner of her lips. She looked as though she was having a great time. Elliot narrowed his eyes menacingly. As expected, this woman attracts the gaze of men no matter where she goes. Upon seeing Francis among the crowd, Elliot walked up to him. Francis was chatting with his friends? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. when he suddenly heard a pleasant male voice beside him. ¡°Hello, Mr. Tillman.¡± Francis turned to look at him and was stunned for a few seconds. ¡°And you are?¡± Rey immediately handed him Elliot¡¯s business card. ¡°This is President Presgrave¡¯s business card. Please have a look.¡± Francis took the name card before he nced at it and his pupils dted at that instant. He then stared at the young man before him in disbelief. Is he the young master of the Presgrave Family, whom my ex-wife sacrificed herself to rescue back then? Chapter 189 With Elliot¡¯s powerful status in the business world, as well as the influence of the Presgrave Family, Francis instantly weed him excitedly. ¡°Young Master Presgrave, you actually have the time to join us! It¡¯s an honor to have you here!¡± Although his wife had saved him, Francis still viewed this man as a powerful figure that he couldn¡¯t afford to offend or mess with. ¡°Mr. Tillman, you are being too courteous. I heard that today is the celebration for yourpany¡¯s 20th anniversary. I hope that you will forgive me foring uninvited.¡± ¡°You are overthinking it! I¡¯m really d that you cane, Young Master Presgrave. I¡¯m really excited, in fact!¡± Francis was genuinely delighted, and hispanions were equally astonished as well-none of them had expected to see the legendary mysterious head of the Presgrave Family at Francis¡¯pany celebration. ¡°Mr. Tillman, I reckon that you don¡¯t know that President Presgrave is the employer of your daughter, Miss Anastasia.¡± ¡°What?¡± Anastasia is working in President Presgrave¡¯spany?¡± Francis initially didn¡¯t know how he should entertain the young master of the Presgrave Family, but now that he knew that his daughter worked for Elliot, he thought that it would be a great idea to have her apany him. Meanwhile, Anastasia was sitting in the hall chatting with Alex about her father¡¯spany¡¯s recent affairs. Alex was telling her everything that he knew, while Anastasia listened to him attentively. Suddenly, she heard her father calling for her. ¡°Anastasia! Anastasia,e over.¡± She inadvertently looked up in her father¡¯s direction. She saw her father at first, but her eyes soon met another man¡¯s pair of cold, piercing eyes. Although there was a distance between them, the man¡¯s gaze resembled a deadly sharp de when he peered at her. If the gaze were tond on someone else, this person would be scared out of their wits. However, upon seeing the noble man next to her father, not only was Anastasia not afraid, she was even enraged. Didn¡¯t he say that he would take care of Jared?! Why is he here at Dad¡¯spany event? How about my son? In the end, she pulled her chair back and headed over to her father. ¡°Anastasia,e here. We have an honorable guest. Please help me to entertain Young Master Presgrave.¡± Francis waved at her to gesture at her toe over. When Anastasia stood in front of her father, she immediately calmed down, as she didn¡¯t want her father to know about her rtionship with Elliot. ¡°Hello, President Presgrave, wee to my father¡¯spany event.¡± She held her hand out in a distant yet polite manner. Elliot extended his hand to hold hers, an unfathomable smile ying by his lips. ¡°Dad, let me entertain President Presgrave. You should go about with your business. President Presgrave, this way, please.¡± She gestured at Elliot toe with her. Elliot raised his head and looked in front. He was currently heading in the direction of the VIP tables while Anastasia followed behind him. When she gauged that her father wouldn¡¯t be able to hear their conversation from where they were now, she anxiously asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Jared?¡± Elliot looked back and responded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve handed him to Nigel.¡± ¡°Why are you here at my father¡¯spany event?¡± she asked, staring at his back. ¡°To congratte him, of course.¡± The man curved up the corner of his lips and he turned around to look at her. At that moment, the two of them had arrived at the table. Elliot pulled the chair back and took a seat, while Anastasia sat down beside him, a look of frustration on her face. ¡°Your arrival gave my father a fright! You were not supposed to show up here with your identity.¡± She red at him helplessly. ¡°What identity should I show up with, then? How about his elder daughter¡¯s boyfriend?¡± Elliot asked with a charming smile. Anastasia nearly jumped to her feet as she denied in a fluster, ¡°Stop talking nonsense.¡± ¡°Tm not here as a mere guest. I would like to talk to your father about a business project.¡± He raised his brow at her. Of course, he wouldn¡¯te over for nothing. Anastasia was stunned to hear that. Any random project that Elliot had in his hands would allow her father to make a profit for at least a few years toe. However, Elliot¡¯s true intention was to repay kindness, and she didn¡¯t wish to see her father interact with him too much. Just then, Erica entered the hall holding her mother¡¯s arm while gazing around anxiously. Suddenly, she took notice of the handsome charming figure at the first table from the left in front of the stage. Although she only saw his back, it was enough to make her heart race. Soon, she noticed a familiar figure sitting next to that man. At that instant, jealousy and anger started raging inside her. Isn¡¯t that Anastasia? Chapter 190 She actually hooked up with that hot man ahead of me? This won¡¯t do! I cannot allow Anastasia to snatch away the man I have my eyes on! ¡°Mom, that¡¯s the man. Do go and ask Dad who he is!¡± Erica pointed at where Elliot was. Naomi raised her eyes and looked in that direction. It was the figure of a young man, and he seemed tall and decent from his back, so he should have handsome looks. Therefore, Naomi held Erica¡¯s arm and headed toward her husband. After greeting him, she dragged Francis to one side and asked, ¡°Francis, who¡¯s that guest?¡± She pointed in the direction of Elliot. Francisughed. ¡°He¡¯s the young master of the Presgrave Family, the most honorable guest tonight.¡± ¡°The young master of the Presgrave Family? Which Presgrave Family?¡± asked Naomi in puzzlement. She was unfamiliar with the people of the business world. ¡°Which else? Theirpany is situated in the tallest office building in the city center. Don¡¯t you always see it when you go shopping?¡± Francis exined Elliot¡¯s identity in the simplest and easiest manner. At that instant, Naomi and Erica exchanged nces. They instantaneously understood who he was referring to. After all, that building was andmark, the most iconic structure at the city center. ¡°Oh, God! The Presgrave Corporation belongs to him? He¡¯s super rich!¡± ¡°His wealth is on par with a nation¡¯s! Hispany is in global business,¡± Francis eximed ¡°Mom, I have to get to know him! I have to get to know Young Master Presgrave!¡± Erica was so excited that she nearly went crazy. Never in a million years did she think that she would meet the President of the Presgrave Corporation at her father¡¯spany event. Just then, Naomi narrowed her eyes in displeasure. ¡°Is that Anastasia apanying Young Master Presgrave? Why is she with him?¡± ¡°I just found out that Anastasia actually works in a jewelrypany under Young Master Presgrave, so I asked her to entertain him,¡± Francis replied. ¡°Dad, why didn¡¯t you ask me to entertain him instead? I¡¯m your daughter too!¡± Erica immediately felt jealous of Anastasia. Did Dad intentionally give Anastasia a chance to spend time with Young Master Presgrave? ¡°Ask you to go? What can you talk to him about? Even I myself don¡¯t know how I should entertain him,¡± Francis reprimanded helplessly. It was fortunate that his elder daughter could entertain the guest on his behalf. Truth was, Francis had nced in that direction a few times and found that Anastasia seemed to be getting along well with Elliot. However, nobody knew what they were actually talking about. In fact, nobody could guess how displeased Anastasia was with Elliot¡¯s presence. She was currently persuading him to leave if he had no other business there. Unfortunately, the thick skinned man insisted on staying. ¡°I¡¯ll tell my father that you have to leave because of something urgent. He won¡¯t me you for that,¡± she urged. ¡°Miss Tillman, are you driving away your father¡¯s guest? If you continue to try to drive me out, I¡¯ll comin to your father and have him uphold justice.¡± The man elegantly held a teacup and took a sip of the tea that he disliked. Anastasia bit her red lips. ¡°Elliot, I¡¯m begging you. Stop repaying my dad. He doesn¡¯t know that you are actually repaying kindness, so it won¡¯t be fair to him.¡± ¡°Anastasia, let me tell you something-someone has their eyes on your father¡¯s business. They are trying to carry out their n of acquiring a few small-scaled construction materialpanies, and your father¡¯s firm is one of them. Do you still think that I shouldn¡¯t help out your father now?¡± he leaned in and whispered at her. Anastasia was startled by the news. She raised her head and looked into the man¡¯s serious eyes that suggested that what he had said was not a lie. ¡°Are you serious?¡± she asked. ¡°The industry of construction material has always been a profitable industry. Besides, there will always be investors wherever there is profit,¡± he nonchntlymented. Anastasia was stunned to hear that. She knew that the business world was always treacherous with a set of harsh survival rules, but she never thought that it would happen to her father. At present, someone was looking at her with a disappointed gaze from a distance not far away from them. After barely getting to know her, Alex found that Anastasia had an outstanding man by her side. He had just heard from the others that the man who looked even younger than him was actually Elliot Presgrave, the high and mighty leader of the Presgrave Corporation. Chapter 191-200 Chapter 191-200 Chapter 191 Even though Alex self-admittingly thought that he was an outstanding individual, he knew he did not hold a candle to Elliot. Hailing from a poor background, Alex always acknowledged that the world wasn¡¯t fair. He had sacrificed a lot to reach the top, but some people were simply born up at the very top. Anastasia was a girl that he liked the first moment heid eyes on her, and she made him feel intoxicated through the short conversation they had. With every breath and smile that she took, it served only to make him fall for her deeper and deeper. Yet at that moment, Alex could only look on, clenching his fists as the one he loved was by Elliot¡¯s side. Failing to make Elliot budge, Anastasia was about to give up when a middle-aged woman¡¯s voice called to her, ¡°Oh-Anastasia, there you are! Come help me out for a bit.¡± What Anastasia saw was Naomi had a kind and warm smile at that moment, something the former didn¡¯t see everyday. ¡°Is there anything you need help with?¡± Anastasia asked as Elliot also turned over to look at Naomi. Upon seeing his face, Naomi felt her heart actually skipped a bit over how perfect the man¡¯s face was. The only w was the distant and cold aura he emanated that made him feel like an invisible barrier was surrounding him. ¡°And this must be the honorable guest your father mentioned, Young Master Elliot!¡± Hastily, Naomi greeted him, ¡°Hello, Young Master Elliot. I¡¯m Francis¡¯ wife, Naomi Lowell. I hope you¡¯ll find it in your heart to forgive us if there¡¯s anything inadequate at the venue!¡± To this, Elliot only returned a subtle nod. Thinking back on how the mother daughter duo bullied Anastasia back then at thepany, he wouldn¡¯t even have upheldmon courtesy if not for the celebration taking ce right then. ¡°Anastasia,e with me for a second. I have something urgent that could use your help,¡± Naomi announced, pretending to look like something urgent was going on. Since it was her father¡¯spany celebration today, Anastasia didn¡¯t want to ck off either, so she said to Elliot, ¡°President Presgrave, I¡¯ll be stepping away for a bit. Please make yourself comfortable.¡± Stating that, Anastasia then stood up and left. At the instant Naomi turned around, the older woman quickly hinted at her daughter. The actual reason Naomi came was just to make Anastasia leave so that a chance could open up for her daughter, as Elliot was their real target for tonight. Meanwhile, Erica, who was standing not far away, saw her mother¡¯s hint. Immediately, she became anxious and excited, wanting to run right to Elliot¡¯s side Using the mirror at the side, she looked at herself for a few seconds before purposefully lowering her neckline and pushing her chest up, thereafter walking toward him seductively. Upon closing in on him, Erica could feel her breath being taken away as she looked at the man¡¯s sharp silhouette. With every look at his clean-cut sideburns and his stunning side profile, she was falling deeper for the charismatic man. After a deep breath, she mustered up the sweetest tone she could and said, ¡°Hello, Young Master Elliot, Since my sister is busy with something else, my father asked me to apany you for a bit.¡± Saying that, Erica naturally sat on Anastasia¡¯s seat. Her brain instantly turned into mush the second she made eye contact with Elliot, and she did not know what to say next. At that moment, Erica, who wanted to transform into a princess just to show him her most elegant side, was unaware that the man sitting in front of her had witnessed the fight between her and Anastasia a month ago. ¡°I don¡¯t need anypany, thank you.¡± Finishing his sentence, Elliot then picked up his phone and began scrolling through it, all the while emitting a distant feel. ¡°What about some drinks, Young Master Elliot? I can bring you some, if you so wish.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± ¡°Fruits? There¡¯s some freshly cut fruits there. I can¨C¡± ¡°No.¡± Elliot cut her off without even moving his gaze away from his phone. Even though Erica knew that Elliot was hard to approach and cold, she wasn¡¯t just giving up yet, as she was satisfied by just staying close to him. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll just stay here with you. Do let me know if you have any needs.¡± Propping up her chin, she looked at him, her expression lovestruck. As Elliot couldn¡¯t make her go away, he just left such a lovestruck looking person be. On the other side, Anastasia, who was called to the pantry, was a bit puzzled as no help was actually needed. There were even a few workers who could be seen sitting down and chatting. Chapter 192 ¡°What is there to help out with?¡± ¡°Anastasia, help me take a look if the amount of wine here is correct or not. As you know, the employees in hotels can have less than desirable habits sometimes.¡± Naomi¡¯s loud voice attracted the ire of nearby waiters. Feeling extremely humiliated, Anastasia wished she wasn¡¯t acquainted with the woman. In the end, she said calmly, ¡°This is a five-star hotel, so no such thing would happen. Now, if there isn¡¯t anything else, then I¡¯ll be excusing myself first.¡± After that, Anastasia was going to open the door and go out, but Naomi made a move to grab onto her. ¡°Wait! Anastasia, I have something to say to you.¡± Feeling slightly disgusted, Anastasia avoided her touch. ¡°You can say whatever you want to without having to touch me.¡± ¡°Anastasia, you know that Erica has also bought a house recently, right? After your dad bought one for you, he insisted on buying one for her too. I couldn¡¯t even persuade him not to do so,¡± Naomi said frustratingly. Smirking deep down, Anastasia kept up a calm fa?ade as she countered, ¡°That¡¯s between you people. You don¡¯t need to tell me that.¡± ¡°Of course I have to tell you that! Do you know how hard it is for your father to be the sole breadwinner of the family? On top of that, thepany isn¡¯t going through its best period recently, so don¡¯t disturb him if you don¡¯t have much going on. Also, don¡¯t try to borrow money from him these days. Just try to spend within your means.¡± Everything that Naomi said pointed to one message-Anastasia had better not further spend any of Francis¡¯ money. Even if Naomi did not state this, Anastasia knew all this herself. ¡°Your dad hasn¡¯t been sleeping all that well these nights. I think it might be due to the stress.¡± The guilt started to well up within Anastasia, as the house that her dad bought for her did cost a pretty penny. Maybe Dad really is quite stressed nowadays. ¡°Anastasia, I heard from your father that you¡¯re now working under Young Master Elliot, right? Could I trouble you to ask if he¡¯s still hiring? Erica is also hoping tond a job in hispany,¡± Naomi immediately murmured. Upon hearing that, Anastasia sneered deep down as she could see right through Naomi¡¯s little trick. I think she just wants Erica to get close to Elliot! With that thought, she then opened the door and looked to the great hall. As expected, Erica had already made herselffortable on Anastasia¡¯s original seat beside Elliot. S Anastasia then realized that Naomi was just calling her away as a distraction. And so, the former opened the door fully and left. ¡°Hey! Anastasia, I haven¡¯t even finished yet! Do you have any manners? I¡¯m your senior! You should be respecting me!¡± Behind her, Naomi was so livid she started to stomp her foot At that point, practically all the guests had arrived, with Elliot¡¯s table being the only one that had just one person sitting at it. This was probably because nobody dared to sit there. Weaving through the various tables, Anastasia was making her way back when another voice called out to her. ¡°Miss Tillman, can I have the honor of sitting with you?¡± Turning back, she saw that it was Alex, so she instantly smiled and replied, ¡°Of course you can! Let¡¯s go over to that table.¡± Gleefully, he nodded and followed Anastasia to Elliot¡¯s table. Seeing how Anastasia¡¯wasing over, Erica could not help the hint of revolt that shed across her gaze, as she thought that a high and mighty man like Elliot wouldn¡¯t even spare an extra nce at Anastasia, like he did to herself. Hearing the footsteps, Elliot finally drew his gaze from his phone, He coincidentally saw Anastasia sitting down together with a man opposite him. It was the same man that was chatting happily along with her just now. ¡°President Presgrave, this is Mr. Alex Hunter. He¡¯s responsible for the financial department in my dad¡¯s company.¡± Then, she continued, ¡°And this is mypany¡¯s boss, Mr. Elliot Presgrave.¡± ¡°Hello, Mr. Presgrave,¡± Alex courteously greeted. ¡°Hello.¡± Raising his eyebrows slightly, Elliot gave off a feeling of a sessful man that nobody at the venue could match up to. ¡°Anastasia, have you seen Mr. Presgrave at thepany before?¡± Erica asked smilingly, as she thought that a normal employee wouldn¡¯t have any chances to catch a glimpse of the boss. Anastasia sneered in response. ¡°President Presgrave is extremely busy. How would I be able to see him?¡± Meanwhile, Elliot was looking at Anastasia with his deep gaze as she spun tales. At that instant, he could not help the loving smile that yed on his lips. Chapter 193 ¡°Anastasia, why didn¡¯t you bring your son along?¡± Erica immediately exposed the fact that Anastasia had a son. Bluntly, thetter replied, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. My son is being taken care of just fine.¡± ¡°President Presgrave, do you know that my sister has a kid? He¡¯s already four now. It was quite tough on her, having to raise him all on her own.¡± At that point, Erica wanted to just spill the fact that Anastasia was a single mother. Since Alex already knew that Anastasia had a child, he thought that he stood a better chance at being with her due to a single mother¡¯s lowered standard in choosing her partner. In turn, Anastasia only smirked while looking at Erica¡¯s little show. On the other hand, Erica kept thinking that Elliot would ask her something out of sheer curiosity. Never in a million years did she think that he wouldn¡¯t care about this at all, with him not even listening to her. Coughing awkwardly, she then kept quiet. Meanwhile, Alex was trying to find a topic to chat with Anastasia, so he asked, ¡°Miss Tillman, you said that you wanted a tour of thepany, right? When are you free? I¡¯d love to bring you around.¡± When facing Alex, Anastasia always smiled politely back. This made a certain man feel jealous inside, as she did not even smile at him like that from the start. D The only things that she showed him were her temper, stubbornness and willfulness, all of which were bad sides. But now, she actually left her best smile, sweetest voice and best side of her to a stranger that she just met. ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯ll contact you if I¡¯m ever in Dad¡¯spany.¡± Anastasia then proceeded to exchange numbers with Alex. ¡°Sure thing!¡± Happiness was written all over Alex¡¯s face when he said that. Anastasia¡¯s gaze then met with a chilling, upset one, and her smile froze in ce before disappearing altogether. In the end, she picked up her goblet and averted her gaze. At that moment, Francis brought a few of his friends over to the table, and he said to Anastasia as soon as he came over, ¡°Anastasia, why are you sitting here? Quickly now! Go and sit beside President Presgrave.¡± Left with no choice, Anastasia could only relocate her seat beside Elliot¡¯s. Now, Elliot was surrounded by both of Francis¡¯ daughters. Hurriedly, Alex also switched seats and sat beside Anastasia. ¡°President Presgrave, I¡¯m sorry for thisck of proper treatment. Please, if you have anything, just order Anastasia to do it for you!¡± ¡°I will be sure to do so, Mr. Tillman!¡± Smiling, Elliot exuded the aura of an elitist. Remembering something, Anastasia stood up and walked to her father¡¯s side, whispering, ¡°Dad, when you¡¯re giving the speechter, be sure to not expose President Presgrave¡¯s identity. He wants to keep a low-profile.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Francis nodded. And so, Anastasia returned to her seat. Before long, Francis was invited on stage by the host. After he somewhat excitedly drank a big gulp from a can of beer and adjusted his suit, he went up to the stage. Looking at how happy her father was, Anastasia was very calm inside as she pped and looked admiringly at him speaking excitedly on stage. On the other hand, Elliot gave a stretch and looked between the woman beside him and Francis. At that moment, Elliot could feel the charm of what family was due to the obvious love Anastasia showed for her father. On stage, Francis did not mention Elliot¡¯s real identity. If his daughter did not tell him to do so, he would¡¯ve given Elliot a grand introduction. After Francis¡¯ speech, it was time for the banquet to start. Because Francis himself was in the blue- cor field, his guests tonight were all his employees and they upied over fifty tables. The scene was very lively, even though it did not match the elegance of the upper society. Everybody just wanted to fill their stomachs and drink until they dropped. In short, having a good night was their only aim. When Francis was still on stage, someone even requested that he sing a song, so in a state of being forced and submitting to it, he decided to sing a ssic to help liven up the atmosphere even further. Francis even sang with great vigor. Off stage, Anastasia had been howling withughter at this sc¨¨ne, and she alternated between covering her mouth and giving her father a thumbs up. Seeing how his daughter loved listening to him sing, Francis put in even more effort. Chapter 194 Fuior byd narrowed his eyes as he had never felt this kind of atmosphere before. The woman¡¯s sweet smile became his view, and her happiness directly affected him as he became very happy too. Erica had caught Elliot looking at Anastasia a few times, and this made the former green with envy. So, she also intentionallyughed out loud, yet she failed to elicit a response from him. Sitting off to the side, Alex carefully hid his love for Anastasia as he knew that Elliot also liked her very much, judging from the man¡¯s gaze. After singing, Francis got back to the table and immediately raised his ss to toast Elliot. ¡°Young Master Elliot, I¡¯ll toast you on behalf of mecking as a host.¡± Quickly, Elliot stood up to reciprocate his toast. ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Mr. Tillman.¡± Upon seeing Francis down his ss entirely, Elliot, whose ss was also filled with beer, did the same and finished it too. ¡°Anastasia, quickly refill the president¡¯s ss. Make it full,¡± said Francis. However, Erica, who was beside them, had a bottle of red wine ready. ¡°Let me pour it, Dad!¡± Not in the mood to argue over this, Anastasia let the woman fill Elliot¡¯s ss to the brim. Upon seeing that, Elliot frowned. ¡°President Presgrave, I¡¯m a close friend of Francis. It¡¯s rare to see such a capable young individual like yourself, so I would like to toast you too.¡± The man beside Francis stood up and raised his ss, his voice full of pride. Standing up again, Elliot raised his ss half-heartedly, with the man adding, ¡°I¡¯ll finish my ss, but you can drink howevermuch you want.¡± Since it was a close friend of Francis, he would also be considered a senior to Elliot. So, out of respect, thetter also finished his ss as well. Seeing him drink two full sses of alcohol made Anastasia immediately recall that he had a weak stomach, yet Erica was already refilling his ss yet again. As Anastasia tugged on his sleeve, Elliot naturally leaned toward her. ¡°Don¡¯t drink so much. You have a weak stomach, remember? You might just upset it again,¡± said Anastasia caringly. A smile appeared in Elliot¡¯s gaze when he heard that. ¡°Miss-Tillman, are you worried about me right now?¡± Looking at him, Anastasia then saw another senior beside her father had stood up, and her heart skipped a beat. Don¡¯t tell me that every one of Dad¡¯s friends is going to toast Elliot?! Elliot came from a distinguished background. Meanwhile, these people were likely alcoholics from the looks of their beer bellies. In this kind of situation, it was customary to always toast the wealthiest around the table, as a person of stature was a respected person. Hence, Elliot became their target to toast to. ¡°P-President Presgrave, I¡¯m not good with words, but I would like to propose a toast to you. Here¡¯s to your health, and hoping that yourpany will prosper!¡± Even Elliot did not think that he would be targeted like this. However, due to them all being Francis friends and that Francis himself would be his future father-inw, Elliot, as the junior, couldn¡¯t afford to offend him. Standing up again, Elliot gracefully held his ss as he raised it. ¡°Thank you.¡± Anastasia could only look on as the man finished another ss. Panic slowly hit her and she thought to herself, If seven or eight of dad¡¯s seniors were to all toast with him, wouldn¡¯t he just ck out on the spot? And Elliot was raised on high-end imported red wine as well. With the beers on the table being sold for less than ten on the market, Anastasia was afraid that something might happen to him if this continued. ¡°Young Master Presgrave, it¡¯s a rare opportunity to be able to drink with you at the same table. Here, a toast!¡± Another senior stood up and said that. Anastasia could clearly see Elliot getting tipsy, but she knew that it would be disrespectful to the person who proposed the toast if Elliot did not drink it. So, in the heat of the moment, she took his ss and said to the senior, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but the president has a weak stomach. Hence, I¡¯ll be epting this toast on his behalf.¡± After that, she drank it in one shot amidst everybody¡¯s shock. Then, she tugged at the dazed man beside him and said, ¡°President Presgrave, don¡¯t you still have something very important to attend to? We have to go now.¡± To this, Elliot only blinked in response. Having little choice at this point, Anastasia could only pull the chair away as she said to her father, ¡°Dad, President Presgrave and I will be excusing ourselves first. Please enjoy your meals.¡± Chapter 195 Elliot did not even have the chance to react to what had transpired when Anastasia wrapped her arms around him and pulled him up forcefully. ¡°Dad, everyone, please enjoy your meals. We have something else that we need to deal with.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Erica called out hurriedly. As Elliot was being pulled out of the venue, he suddenly realized that the woman was afraid he might get drunk, hence the excuse to drag him away. She even helped him drink! She really does care about me. Finally, they reached the third floor¡¯s elevator and they bumped into Rey, who was just preparing to eat. Seeing that his boss was about to leave, he quickly ate two mouthfuls and got up. ¡°President Presgrave, are we leaving now?¡± ¡°He was constantly being toasted, so I was afraid there might be some problems. Rey, how about you take him back first?¡± Anastasia asked him. Upon hearing that, Elliot shot a nce at Rey, hinting quite clearly at what he wanted. Intentionally looking at his wristwatch, Rey then replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Tillman, but I can¡¯t send the president home. My father was just admitted to the hospital.¡± This stunned Anastasia. ¡°What? Go there quickly, then!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go to the hospital now.¡± Reaching the ground floor, the trio exited the elevator, with Rey hailing for a taxi and leaving in a hurry. Then, Anastasia said to Elliot, ¡°Where¡¯s your car?¡± At that moment, his bodyguard drove the car over, and she opened the door. ¡°Get in the car and go home.¡± ¡°Apany me.¡± Elliot held onto her arm, preventing her from leaving. Seeing that it was already 7.40 PM and that she also had to go pick up her son, Anastasia nodded in agreement. ¡°Alright.¡± And so, she got into the car before Elliot followed her in. The door was shut, and the ck sedan slowly left. At the banquet, Erica was left disappointed with no appetite, because however extravagant she dressed and however exquisite her makeup was, it all amounted to nothing, as Elliot¡¯s departure had taken away her heart and soul. Alex was also drinking away his sorrows by the side after clearly seeing that Anastasia was finding an excuse just to help Elliot drink. It seemed like she cared very much for this big shot. In the car, the atmosphere was a bit stuffy, with the scent of alcohol wafting in the air. Taking off his suit jacket, Elliot then loosened his necktie and opened the top three buttons of his shirt to let off some heat. ncing at him, Anastasia noticed the impably tailored shirt entuated the man¡¯s strong and tight forearms and slightly exhibited the sharp lines of his cor bones. Paired with his charismatic gaze, he gave off a sort of roguish feel. ¡°You¡¯d better go home first. I can take a taxi to go pick up Jaredter,¡± Anastasia murmured to him. Upon hearing that, Elliot narrowed his eyes and questioned, ¡°Are you not going to take care of me?¡± Feeling somewhat speechless, she looked at him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you fine? Why do you want me to take care of you?¡± ¡°Who told you that I was fine? I¡¯m a bit drunk and feeling some difort right now,¡± Elliot muttered as he pretended to be weak. Truthfully, he did feel a bit nauseous due to all the alcohol tumbling inside his stomach. At that, Anastasia turned around immediately and asked, ¡°Where do you feel difort?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the worst to drink on an empty stomach. Don¡¯t you still have stomach medicine at your ce? I¡¯ll go over now to take two.¡± With that, Elliot told the bodyguard her address. Not even allowed the time to rebuke, she could only say somewhat resignedly, ¡°This stomach medicine could be bought anywhere, so why do you need toe to my. house for it? Don¡¯t you have it at your own home?¡± ¡°I want you to take care of me.¡± Saying that, Elliot leaned back and shut his eyes as he furrowed his brows deeply, looking as if he was enduring something. Seeing his expression, Anastasia could not help but lean toward him. In a concerned tone, she murmured, ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°My stomach is acting up again,¡± said the man while still shutting his eyes. Right then, the bodyguard was driving in her home¡¯s direction, and they would likely reach in a few minutes. Observing that Elliot was not making this up, Anastasia thought that she should let him rest for a while at her ce. Beneath the lights, one could observe a thinyer of sweat on his scalp, as if the pain had really started to hit him. This made her say gently, ¡°Take two of the pillster at my house, then.¡± Chapter 196 Elliot opened his eyes but he looked lost, obviously meaning that he was still tipsy. It was due to too much alcohol in such a short amount of time that caused him to be like this. Stopping the car at Anastasia¡¯smunity entrance, the bodyguard came to open the door immediately, while simultaneously reaching to help Elliot up. Not wanting his help, Elliot shook away his arm. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I don¡¯t need any help.¡± Even though Elliot was drunk, he still cared about maintaining his strong image in front of Anastasia, as he did not want her to think that he was already at his limit. ¡°Sir, please don¡¯t leave first. You¡¯ll have to send him backter,¡± said Anastasia to the bodyguard, to which the bodyguard nodded in response. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll stay here and wait for the president.¡± Just as Elliot began to walk, Anastasia came over to help him. ¡°Watch your step.¡± Of course, he wasn¡¯t drunk to the point of not being able to walk properly, but the slender arm holding him made him happy. Hence, he didn¡¯t struggle, as showing the asional weakness in front of this woman was necessary. Passing through the romantic garden under the moonlight, they reached the elevator and went up to her floor. Opening the door, Elliot then walked inside her house. Although it was just a small two room apartment, it had a strange attraction that made him feel even more at home than his own house. Using his arm as a pillow, Elliotid downzily on the sofa, and he looked at the woman that was pouring water and searching for the medicine. ¡°I remember it was here! Where has it gone now? Did I throw it away?¡± The sound of the woman mumbling to herself came from the cab. Meanwhile, Elliot was not in a hurry and he wished that she wouldn¡¯t find the medicine anytime soon. That way, he could have a reason to stay for the whole night. Because of the amount of work she had, Anastasia had some of her memories jumbled up. Finally, she remembered that she kept the medicine inside the cab of her room. Rushing over quickly, she found them, just as she expected. After reading the instructions, she took three pills and poured a cup of warm water for him. ¡°Here are the pills. There you go.¡± Setting them down on the coffee table, Anastasia watched as the man took it. Standing up, Elliot took the pills without any hesitation. After taking them, he continued to lie on the sofa, watching her. ¡°I want to rest for a bit more.¡± On the other hand, Anastasia couldn¡¯t chase him right away too, due to his current state being caused by him attending her father¡¯s banquet. Under the light, it was obvious that Elliot had a flush on his handsome face, showing the signs of being drunk. Even Anastasia, who drank a ss of alcohol on his behalf, was feeling the burn of the alcohol in her stomach, which was why her heart ached for Elliot, who had downed a few sses. ¡°Why did you drink that for me just now? You really do care about me, don¡¯t you?¡± Elliot asked in his low baritone. ncing at him, Anastasia replied, ¡°You think too much of yourself. I just don¡¯t want anything to happen to you at my father¡¯s banquet.¡± Upon hearing that, Elliot was a bit speechless by the woman who kept running away from her own feelings. ¡°Is it that hard for you to admit that you care about me?¡± Snorting, Anastasia rolled her eyes in response. ¡°President Presgrave, you really do like to indulge in your own fantasies, don¡¯t you?¡± However, Elliot suddenly hissed as he clutched his chest. Anastasia, who was just snorting at him, immediately asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± As she asked that, she walked over to the side of the sofa, leaning down to look at his face. ¡°Is there anywhere else that hurts?¡± But at that instant, Elliot caught hold of her wrist and with a tug, he pulled her into his embrace. The next second, he flipped over and pressed her against the sofa. Seeing the man¡¯s sly smile made Anastasia realize that she had been tricked. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°And you say you don¡¯t care for me. Aren¡¯t you showing plenty of care right now?¡± Elliot smirked as he wasn¡¯t going to let her escape that easily. ¡°You¡­ Get off me! Who said that I was concerned for you? I-I just didn¡¯t want anything that happened to you to implicate my dad too.¡± Anastasia simply picked an excuse and went with it. But in Elliot¡¯s eyes, that was all just nonsense. Chapter 197 ¡°Anastasia, is there any meaning to you avoiding your feelings like this? Just say that you care about me and that you like me. It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll make a joke out of this.¡± Elliot stared at her small face, his gaze full of love. Anastasia was stunned momentarily and she was about to react when his other hand held onto her jaw and he forcefully kissed her. Wide-eyed, Anastasia grunted in surprise. Is this man trying to take advantage of me again?Why do I not watch out for things like this more? I can¡¯t seem to escape the fate of getting forcefully kissed every time by him. Gosh! The smell of alcohol stilling from him made her feel faint, and his powerful kiss was like him trying to imprint himself onto her. Without her son at home, the whole ce had be somewhere the man could let out his desires, with the kisssting till Elliot thought it was enough. Panting, he then finally let her go because if they were to continue, he would be the one that would suffer. Anastasia wasn¡¯t better off either as she was panting with a flushed face. She raised her hand, nning on pping him. However, just as she was about to do it, she stared angrily into his lovestruck eyes. His deep stare reflected her face clearly and for some reason, she could actually see the love in his gaze. ¡°Anastasia, I like you.¡± From the man¡¯s hoarse voice came a confession. In the end, the hand that was raised mid-way did notnd on his handsome face, and she put it away stiffly. ¡°Don¡¯t have it in your heart to hit me anymore?¡± Elliot smiled slyly. ¡°Elliot, I don¡¯t like you,¡± Anastasia replied loudly as she stared at him wide-eyed. His expression darken upon hearing this. ¡°Is it that I¡¯ve not done enough, or is it that I¡¯ve somehow made you angry?¡± ¡°Taking advantage of me while forcing me to like you? Do you think that I would ever like you under such circumstances?¡± Anastasia sneered. Is he really that conpdent that every woman he meets will fall in love with him at the very first sight? Yet, Elliot did not let go of her and still pinned her down in a suggestive way. He tried to control himself, but his gentle gaze held a hint of desire and possessiveness. Just like that, he kept staring and attacking her with his gaze. In the end, Anastasia, who could no longer look him in the eye, started to panic. And so, she reached out to try to push him away. ¡°Get up, Elliot.¡± It was as if there was a strong magic in his stare and one would sumb to his charms if one looked into his gaze for too long. Even though Anastasia was staring at him angrily, Elliot still would not get up, instead staring back at her with eyes full of desire. Struggling in vain, Anastasia felt the heat, as well as the danger radiating off the man, making her panic for real. ¡°Elliot, I¡¯m going to count to three now¡­¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m your son? Do you think I can be threatened like this?¡± Smirking, Elliot dismissed her threats with just that sentence. This made Anastasia speechless. He really is a devil in disguise! ¡°If you don¡¯t get up now, I¡¯ll call the cops.¡± ¡°It was you who brought me into your home of your own volition. And with me being your boss and you being my employee, things would be quite hard to exin at the police station.¡± Smirking even more, Elliot continued, ¡°What do you think they will believe? You seducing me? Or me seducing you?¡± Although the man was arguing against her right now, he had a loving smile, making Anastasia itch to hit him in the face. Probably because he had teased her enough and didn¡¯t actually want to make her mad, Elliot suddenly leaned over and gave her a peck on the lips. ¡°Anastasia, please try and open up your heart to me. I promise you won¡¯t be disappointed.¡± Hope shed in his eyes and he pleaded at her with a hoarse voice. For people who were born with a golden spoon like Elliot, it was rare for him to plead with someone. Finally, the man got up, leaving Anastasia stunned for a few seconds before sitting up. Then, she proceeded to open the entrance door without any hesitation. ¡°You¡¯d better leave. I don¡¯t want you staying any further.¡± Suddenly, pain shed across Elliot¡¯s eyes, and he clutched his stomach as cold sweat covered his forehead. Thereafter, he stumbled and crashed onto the sofa. Meanwhile, an icy Anastasia was about to send him away. However, seeing him like this made her close the door and rush over to his side in the blink of an eye. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?!¡± Chapter 198 ¡°My stomach hurts¡­ Do you have anything to eat at home?¡± Elliot raised his head and asked. After drinking so much alcohol tonight, his stomach, which has always sustained itself on high grade whole foods, naturally could not take it. ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll cook some noodles for you.¡± With that, Anastasia then went to the kitchen. Sitting on the sofa, he smiled warmly as he watched the person in the kitchen busying herself. No matter what she said, she still cared about him. It was just that she did not want to admit it. After ten minutes, Anastasia came out holding a bowl of noodles, of which the noodles were of low sodium. Normally, she would cook this for her son, but she now used it all to feed the man. Walking over, Elliot ate it without hesitation. Looking at the man under the light, it was even more evident that Jared¡¯s face resembled his. Wait! What nonsense am I thinking about? They just have simr looking features, that¡¯s all. While Elliot was eating the noodles, Anastasia went to clean up her room. Suddenly, her heart skipped a beat upon discovering that it was already 9 PM. Goodness! I haven¡¯t even picked up my son yet! ¡°Elliot, you¡¯ll have to leave after eating. I need to go pick Jared up,¡± urged Anastasia. ¡°I can let Rey go pick him up. It¡¯s not safe for you, going out ale at night,¡± Elliot immediately replied. ¡°Isn¡¯t Rey¡¯s father hospitalized?¡± Upon realizing that fact, Elliot paused for a few seconds before stating, ¡°I¡¯ll let my bodyguard pick him up.¡± Just then, Anastasia¡¯s phone rang. Nigel¡¯s calling me? Picking it up, she said, ¡°Hello, Nigel. I¡¯lle pick Jared up now.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. The little rascal has already fallen asleep here. Just let him stay over at my ce.¡± On the other end of the line, Nigelughed, obviously happy to have the boy apany him. ¡°What? Jared¡¯s already asleep? I¡¯d hate to burden you, though.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Just let me try to be his father and sleep with him for one night!¡± Truth was, this was exactly what Nigel wanted. It was after a long while until Anastasia finally agreed. ¡°A-Alright then. I¡¯ll let Jared sleepover just for tonight. I¡¯ll pick him up first thing tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Sure. Are you done with work? Are you outside or at home right now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m at home.¡± ¡°Hey, Anastasia, I found out that Jared really looks like me, and his face resembles mine exactly when I was young. Say, don¡¯t you think this is some special fate between him and I?¡± Nigel started to hint at her again. While talking, Anastasia slowly made her way to the balcony. Sheughed as shemented, ¡°Jared resembles you when you were a child? How is that possible, though?¡± ¡°He really does. If you don¡¯t believe me, I can send my childhood pictures for you to see. The resemnce is uncanny!¡± Nigel kept emphasizing. ¡°You don¡¯t have to. I believe you. As long as you looked good as a child, that means that my son looks handsome too!¡± ¡°Are you implying that I¡¯m handsome too?¡± ¡°You always were handsome.¡± ¡°You like handsome guys, right? With me being so handsome, that means you like me too.¡± Nigel laughed out happily on the other end of the line. Anastasia, who was teased toughter by his joke, alsoughed out loud. Yet, at that moment, the man who was still eating the noodles at the table suddenly found the food to be nd and tasteless after hearing their conversation. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Whenever this woman was with him, she would act like she was facing her mortal enemy, but when she was doing anything else with another man, she would always put on a smile and talk in a sweet voice. Do I really not deserve to see her smile? Meanwhile, Anastasia did not want to chat anymore and told Nigel. ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you then, Nigel. I¡¯m going to take a bath now, so I¡¯ll be hanging up first ** ¡°Alright. Remember to think about me.¡± ¡°I will. I¡¯ll treat you to a meal next time.¡± ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll be looking forward to it.¡± ¡°Okay. Goodbye.¡± Anastasia then hung up after that and just enjoyed the cool breeze on the balcony when suddenly, a cold husky voice came from behind her. ¡°Someone had a grand old time with Nigel!¡± Looking back at the man who suddenly appeared on the balcony, she raised her eyebrows. ¡°Have you finished your noodles?¡± ¡°I have.¡± ¡°Then you best be going! It¡¯s getting quitete now. Oh¡ªand I¡¯m not going to pick Jared up tonight as he¡¯ll be sleeping over at Nigel¡¯s.¡± Chapter 199 ¡°So that means that you¡¯ll be sleeping alone tonight?¡± A roguish look shed across the man¡¯s eyes. Instantly, Anastasia was on high alert as she looked at him and asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Nothing much. It¡¯s just that I want to sleep on your bed.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push your luck. Go back to sleep at your own home. Otherwise, I¡¯ll ban you from ever eating over here again.¡± ¡°Your dad looked very happy tonight, but the time left until hispany is taken over is only three months away. If you want your dad to still look this happy in the future, just let me sleep here for the night,¡± Elliot uttered the cruel words while looking at the faraway lights. Meanwhile, Anastasia was left in disbelief by his words and she froze for a second. ¡°The opposition this time is very strong. If I don¡¯t interfere, no one has the ability to save your father¡¯s company. Maybe your father can go around asking for favors and using his connections, but it won¡¯t change the fate of hispany being taken over in the end.¡± Feeling as though all the energy had left her body, Anastasia was stuck in a dilemma. She did not want anything to happen to her father¡¯spany, yet she also did not want to beg Elliot. ¡°Maybe my dad would be luckier, maybe hispany¡­¡± However, Anastasia could not continue, as she knew that her father¡¯s ¡®luck¡¯ all these years was actually just Elliot helping him out behind the scenes. ¡°Anastasia, do you think that it would be better for your father to go beg someone else, or do you think that it would be better if you begged me on his behalf?¡± His voice growing hoarse, Elliot then continued, ¡°Even if I¡¯m not obligated to do so, I am still very willing to help you and your father out.¡± Hearing this, Anastasia could only look at the city¡¯s nightlights, and she had the sudden feeling that even the sky was not big enough to fit her troubles. How did things spiral to this point? The man she did not want to beg the most turned out to be the man who could solve all her problems. In the end, it was all because she was not tough enough, yet she also did not want to see her father go around begging people, so Anastasia bit her lip and looked at Elliot. ¡°Do you want to sleep in my son¡¯s or my bed?¡± Smirking, the man answered definitively, ¡°Your bed.¡± The moment the words left her mouth, Anastasia felt as if she had trampled all over her principles. In the end, she hung her head low and despised how she was acting at the moment. Guessing her thoughts, Elliot suddenly hugged her. ¡°Anastasia, I won¡¯t permit you to look down on yourself. Even if you didn¡¯t beg me, I would still have helped your father. I promise that in this life, I will make sure that you and your father will live in peace and never have to worry about money ever again.¡± Admittingly, the man had a power to easily pick on her softest spot at her most vulnerable moments. ¡°Thank you.¡± Reaching out, Anastasia tried to push him away, but Elliot would not let her do so. At that point, he dropped a loving kiss to her hair. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m here to protect you.¡± This sentence made Anastasia think that he was omnipotent, and that he could block anything from harming her and her family. For some unknown reason, she stayed in his embrace without struggling, and she did not know if it was because the feeling of being protected by him was very nice or that she did not have the strength to struggle anymore. They stayed this way until her phone rang again. Taking it out, she saw it was from Nigel, so she broke free from Elliot¡¯s embrace whileposing herself. Just as Anastasia was about to answer the call, the man snatched it away from her and turned on the loudspeaker. ¡°Hello, Anastasia. Are you afraid of sleeping alone? Do you want to chat for a while?¡± The lovesick voice of Nigel echoed around the silent balcony. This made Anastasia¡¯s face blush. This evil man! Why did he turn on the loudspeaker? Yet, since the phone was in Elliot¡¯s hands, she couldn¡¯t snatch it back even if she wanted to. *Uh¡­ There¡¯s no need for that. Nigel, just go to sleep. Goodnight!¡± Anastasia just wanted to end the conversation as soon as possible. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep. I¡¯m thinking of you, you know?¡± At this point, Nigel was still unaware that his flirtatious words were being overheard by a third party. ¡°Nigel¡­ Nigel, stop talking right now and just go to sleep! I¡¯m going to hang up now.¡± However, Nigel began to act spoiled. ¡°Sing a song for me, then. It can even be a children¡¯s song used to humor Jared. If you do it, then I¡¯ll sleep. If you don¡¯t, then I won¡¯t.¡± Elliot¡¯s expression became thunderous when he heard those words, while Anastasia¡¯s face became as red as a tomato. Why did she have to encounter such a thing? Chapter 200 ¡°Nigel, stop fooling around now and go to sleep! I really am going to hang up now.¡± Saying that, Anastasia rushed over to snatch her phone back. However, Elliot did not want to give it back. Anastasia did not dare get too loud, as it would be hard to exin if Nigel found out that another man was at her house. It would definitely damage her reputation. ¡°I don¡¯t want to. Quick, just one song. I¡¯m waiting for you!¡± Obviously, they could hear that Nigel had turned over and was waiting patiently. Seeing how high Elliot¡¯s hand was, Anastasia jumped in order to reach her phone but the very next second, she found her waist suddenly hugged by an arm, as the man pressed her against the balcony and urately kissed her while still raising his other hand. Anastasia¡¯s mind went nk and she was humiliated to the extreme. Is he doing this on purpose? ¡°Anastasia, sing for me. Humor this big baby to sleep!¡± Nigel was still begging on the other end of the line. This almost drove her crazy. How can I do that? I¡¯m being kissed by this b*stard of a man right now! An idea suddenly came to her in the heat of the moment and she circled her arms around Elliot¡¯s neck, pretending to immerse herself in the kiss. Seeing his hand slowly lowering as expected, Anastasia quickly snatched her phone back and went to the side, slightly panting. ¡°Nigel, just go to sleep. I¡¯ll hang up now!¡± Anastasia shouted down the line before she ended the call. After that, she stared at the evil man. ¡°Was that fun?¡± To this, Elliot only innocently replied, ¡°I was just agitated.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Not wanting to bother with him any longer, Anastasia would have chased him out of the house if it weren¡¯t for her father¡¯s problems needing Elliot¡¯s help. If. Nigel knew that Anastasia was actually being kissed for a good ten seconds while they were on the phone, he would have most likely lost his mind, because that meant that he would¡¯ve lost to his shameless cousin. After taking her important belongings out of her room, Anastasia said to the man who was sitting on the sofa before going to sleep in her son¡¯s room, ¡°You should go to bed earlier. And do not disturb me while I¡¯m sleeping.¡± ¡°But you haven¡¯t even bathed yet!¡± Elliot raised his eyebrows at that. ¡°Whether I bathe or not is none of your business.¡± As Anastasia did not want to chance the man doing something despicable, she was content to scroll through her phone in her son¡¯s room. After all, she wouldn¡¯t stink to high heaven just from not showering a day. That night, Elliot got his wish of sleeping on her bed again. The next morning, Anastasia opened her eyes dazedly. It was only then that she realized she had been sleeping in her son¡¯s room and remembered that her room was being used by Elliot. Opening the door, she saw that it was only 7AM. Since it was a Saturday, Anastasia did not think that Elliot would be up, so she stretched while walking to the balcony, seeing as today was a day where she could actually rx. On the weekend, the city had a rxed feeling to it, as the quiet streets did not have the usual hustle and bustle of the morning traffic. Pouring a cup of water for herself, Anastasia thought about what to have for breakfast, and when she should go pick up her son. Just then, the sound of the main door suddenly being opened surprised her, and she turned around to find Ellioting back with breakfast in his hands. ¡°You¡­ were up already?¡± A stunned Anastasia looked at the man. ¡°I¡¯m an early bird by habit.¡± Setting down the breakfast on the table, Elliot then said, ¡°Come and eat!¡± Looking at him, she was a bit surprised, thinking that sessful men really do have a firm grip on their time and that he actually did not sleep in. While Anastasia sat down and ate with him, Elliot elegantly held a piece of bread while saying nonchntly, ¡°I can apany you to pick Jared upter.¡± Immediately, she rejected his notion by waving her hand. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯ll go by myself.¡± ¡°Are you afraid of Nigel seeing us together?¡± Elliot asked while peering at her. For reasons unbeknownst to herself, Anastasia just did not want anybody to know how close she was with Elliot. ¡°By the way, President Presgrave, you are going to keep the promise of helping my father out, right?¡± Changing the subject, Anastasia thought that since she had already let Elliot sleep on her bed, he had better honor his promise. ¡°Of course I will.¡± Smiling, Elliot continued, ¡°Whatever promises I make to you, I will always honor them.¡± Unable to look into his charismatic eyes, Anastasia could only look down and continue to munch on her bread. ¡°Thank you.¡± Chapter 201-210 Chapter 201-210 Chapter 201 After breakfast, Anastasia grabbed her purse and made her way to the door. As she did so she raised a brow and nced at the man on the couch before saying, ¡°President Presgrave. I¡¯m coing to pick up Jared now. Are you nning 10 stay here?¡± Exasperation filled Elliot when he heard this. He wanted to go with her, but the woman clearly had no intention of letting him apany her. He rose from the couch and said, ¡°I¡¯ll drop you off at Nigel¡¯s ce.¡± He didn¡¯t sound like he would take ¡®no¡¯ for an answer. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I can get a cab.¡± ¡°My car is right downstairs.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t-¡± ¡°I know where Nigel lives!¡± Elliot shot her a defiant look. It was then that she realized she had indeed forgotten to ask for Nigel¡¯s address. She looked at the time, and upon seeing that it was only 7.30AM, she didn¡¯t want to call Nigel. ¡°Well, only if you¡¯re free. I don¡¯t want to impose-¡°* ¡°I am.¡± With that, Elliot turned and walked out the door. Downstairs was Rey, who had already driven the car over. Elliot slid into the backseat while Anastasia followed suit. Then, Anastasia addressed Rey out of concern, ¡°Mr. Osbourne, I hope your father¡¯s doing alright!¡± He replied with ease, ¡°Thank you for asking, Miss Tillman. The surgery went very well.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that,¡± she said with a genuinely happy smile. Then, she noticed that the man next to her had put on a change of clothes. He was no longer dressed in the white shirt he had worn yesterday, but a gray one. She frowned slightly. Perhaps Rey brought him a change of clothes. Being the clean freak he is, he would never wear something from the night before. Upon thinking about this, she wondered whether it meant that Elliot had taken a shower in her bathroom. Perhaps he showeredst night, but did he sleep in my bed without any clothes?! It was as if her mind imploded at that moment. She swallowed and while she wanted to ask him about it, she didn¡¯t want to do it in front of Rey. Instead, she reached for her phone and texted her question to Elliot. In the silence of the car, Elliot¡¯s phone chimed once with a new message. He picked up his phone and looked at the screen, on which was a text from Anastasia that read, ¡®Did you sleep in my bed without clothesst night?¡¯ A smirk curled on his lips as he turned to give her a cryptic look. Anastasia took that as confirmation and glowered at him angrily. Ugh, who said he could sleep naked in my bed?! The man replied to her text with a devilish ir, ¡®Don¡¯t worry. My personal life is as spotless as it is orderly and I won¡¯t cause you any trouble.¡¯ As she read this, she felt rage well up in her, and she wanted nothing more than to beat him senseless. The fact that he had history with Hayley irked her to no end, and her face was somber as she replied, ¡®Don¡¯t ever do it again. When he saw her stormy expression, he knew that he couldn¡¯t afford to aggravate her anymore, so he typed, ¡®I didn¡¯t showerst night, and all I did was put on a change of clothes. Also, I didn¡¯t sleep naked in your bed. Anastasia cast Elliot a skeptical look when she saw this. Meanwhile, Rey couldn¡¯t help feeling awkward when he realized that the both of them were texting each other in the backseat. Do they want to talk about something that I¡¯m not supposed to be privy to? If that were the case, he wouldn¡¯t mind stopping the car somewhere and getting down to give them some privacy. Elliot emphasized with another message, ¡®It¡¯s true. I never lie. With that, he turned to gaze at Anastasia steadily. She blinked, choosing to believe him in the end. Nigel¡¯s house was in a very fashionable and prestigious vi neighborhood where all the young scions of the city made their home. The vis featured state-of-the-art facilities, and they faced the quayside where a neat row of luxurious yachts had been docked. Rey parked the car outside a grand-looking vi. Anastasia looked around and sighed, for she was sure that she would have been lost if she came into the area alone. ¡°Thank you, President Presgrave. Have a safe journey back,¡± she said politely. Then, she opened the car door to get down. However, she had only just stepped out of the vehicle when she saw that Elliot had gotten out as well. She gaped at him as if to silently ask him what he was doing. He saw the question in her eyes and shrugged. ¡°I haven¡¯t been by Nigel¡¯s ce for a while. I think a cup of tea with an old friend would do nicely!¡± With that, he strode up to the front door like he owned the ce. Anastasia hurried after him and bit out in hushed tones, ¡°President Presgrave, don¡¯t you think you shoulde by for tea some other day?¡± She was going to have a lot of exining to do if she were to be seen showing up at Nigel¡¯s house with Elliot. ¡°No,¡± Elliot answered imperiously before he reached out to ring the doorbell. Right then, Anastasia wished she could dig a hole in the ground and bury herself in it. She should have known better than to take Elliot up on his offer to drop her here. It was clear to see that he was trying to give Nigel the wrong impression on purpose! Chapter 202 ¡°I¡¯ming.¡± Nigel¡¯s voice came from the video inte Anastasia quickly moved to block the camera and crossed her arms as she began to think about how she was going to exin herself to Nigel. It was frustrating that Elliot consistently put her in such sticky situations. There was a beeping sound that came from the door as it unlocked, and Elliot put his hand on the doorknob. He was just about to go in when he nced at the woman who had her back turned to him. With a raised brow, he then asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t youing in?¡± WI ¡°You go ahead. I need to make a phone call,¡± said Anastasia as she took out her phone to dial a number, but he saw through her act and reached out to snatch her phone away. ¡°Come in with me,¡± he said in amanding tone. ¡°Give me back my phone, Elliot,¡± she demanded incredulously. However, he walked into the house with her phone in hand. She tried to make it look as if they had arrived separately by dawdling on the front step, but seeing as her phone was with him, there was little to no point in putting up pretenses. As such, she stormed after him and made her way into the exquisite ss-walled vi. Nigel had only just put on his clothes, and he was making his way downstairs when he saw the man and woman in his living room. Astonished, he thought, Elliot? Anastasia? Why are they both here at the same time? He recalled only seeing Elliot¡¯s figure in the video inte just now, though he did see the silhouette of a woman whose back had been turned to the camera. Nigel had believed her to be Elliot¡¯s assistant or something, but as it turned out, it was Anastasia all along. Confusion dawned upon him as he blinked and asked hesitantly, ¡°D-Did you bothe here together?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ No, we came in separate cars and ran into each other at your front doorstep, so we decided to come in together. This is all pretty coincidental,¡± Anastasia exined anxiously. ¡°Is that it?¡± Nigel bought it. ¡°Actually, I went to Miss Tillman¡¯s father¡¯s banquetst night and ended up getting drunk, so I slept over at her ce. I¡¯m just tagging along while she picks up Jared.¡± All it took was one sentence for Elliot to reveal the truth, and Anastasia turned a bright shade of red as she quickly shot the man a deadly re. He didn¡¯t even think how this might affect me! Nigel, on the other hand, was stunned for a few seconds. Then, he gaped at Anastasia incredulously. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about your father¡¯s banquet? I should have gone and celebrated, too, shouldn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Well, it was only a small celebration,¡± she exined as she averted his gaze guiltily. ¡°Jared is still sleeping, so it might be a while before he wakes up,¡± Nigel said. Then, he met Elliot¡¯s eyes, and the both of them were suddenly locked in a wordless battle. Elliot¡¯s gaze was steady as he said, ¡°Thank you for taking care of Jaredst night, Nigel.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it,¡± Nigel said through gritted teeth. He couldn¡¯t believe that Elliot had dropped Jared off last night and secretly attended Francis¡¯ celebration. He even got drunk and slept over at Anastasia¡¯s ce. He was starting to look at this cousin of his differently, for only men could understand what other men were thinking. Elliot set this whole thing up right from the beginning! ¡°Anastasia, why don¡¯t you go upstairs?¡± Having said that, Nigel gave Elliot a dark look and said as he turned to walk toward the balcony, ¡°Elliot, there¡¯s something I need to talk to you about.¡± Elliot fell in step behind him. Anastasia didn¡¯t think too much of this, believing that they really had something important to discuss. Over on the balcony, there was a confrontational gleam in Nigel¡¯s eyes as he looked at Elliot. He had never questioned Elliot quite so seriously as he did at that moment. ¡°Are you serious about Anastasia, or is she just a new notch in your belt?¡± he asked. Elliot¡¯s expression grew somber as he looked at the younger man darkly and said, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m dead serious about her.¡± ¡°Is that so? All of this isn¡¯t just stemming from the gratitude you have toward her mother after she sacrificed her life to save yours?¡± There had been a time when Elliot thought whatever affection and fondness he had for Anastasia was born out of his gratitude, but after spending all this time with her, he realized that he had a special ce for her in his heart that had nothing to do with her mother¡¯s sacrifice. ¡°Nigel, I really like her. You have to believe me,¡± Elliot said softly, but there was no mistaking the steely edge to his voice. ¡°In that case, would you be able to ept Jared even though he isn¡¯t your kid? Will you treat him as your own?¡± Nigel pressed further as his gaze burned into Elliot¡¯s. He knew he didn¡¯t stand a chance with Anastasia, but that wouldn¡¯t stop him from being her gatekeeper and evaluating the man who would eventually spend forever with her. Chapter 203 ¡°I will,¡± Elliot promised solemnly with a nod. He understood where Nigel wasing from, and the reverse was also true. ¡°What if you marry her tonight and she tells you that she doesn¡¯t want any more kids? Will you choose to respect her decision?¡± Nigel went on to ask, wishing desperately that Elliot could do all the things for Anastasia that he couldn¡¯t. Once again, Elliot nodded and said, ¡°I will respect every single one of her thoughts and decisions.¡± Nigel¡¯s gaze was piercing as he eyed his cousin somberly. ¡°Also, do you promise that you¡¯ll protect her, take care of her, and love her forever?¡± Elliot could tell how much Nigel loved Anastasia. As his heart sank, he pped a hand on Nigel¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Nigel, you¡¯ve known me since we were kids, and you know what I¡¯m like as a person.¡± An apologetic look shed in his eyes as he added quietly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Nigel.¡± They had been as close as brothers since they were little, and now that they were in love with the same woman, it couldn¡¯t be easy for Nigel to let go. Nigel, on the other hand, leaned against the balcony rail behind him as a bitter smile yed on his lips. ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize. I know Anastasia has always seen me as nothing more than a friend, and there are far worse things than to see you treat her right and love her in all the ways I can¡¯t.¡± Upon hearing this, Elliot reached out to pat his shoulder, but he couldn¡¯t find the words tofort him. At that moment, they fixed their gazes on the woman who was seated on the living room couch. While these two men were talking about their feelings for her, Anastasia was entirely oblivious as she admired the interesting and somewhat whimsical painting on the wall. She looked dazzling and alluring in the morning light, and she looked like she could make anywhere her own space. Nigel was reluctant to give up his feelings for her, but at the same time, he was incredibly relieved. He nced at Elliot and said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave her to you, Elliot.¡± Elliot¡¯s smoldering gaze was still on Anastasia, and there was no mistaking the possessiveness that burned in his obsidian orbs. He acknowledged what Nigel said. She can only be mine, and I won¡¯t allow any other man to get close to her. Presently, Anastasia watched as the two men walked up to her, their silhouettes backlit under the morning sun. She found herself staring at them like how one might be captivated by stunning works of art. The Presgraves have such outrageous genes. she mused. Both cousins were tall and broad-shouldered, and their trimmed waistlines, as well as mile-long legs, made them incredibly fine specimens. In particr, Elliot, who was the taller of the two, looked like a Greek god in the morning light. When she caught herself daydreaming, she quickly retracted her gaze. She could feel nothing when she stared at Nigel, but her heart would inexplicably start beating wildly whenever she looked at Elliot. What¡¯s going on? D She ignored the butterflies in her stomach as she asked aloud, ¡°Hey, Nigel, can I go up and check on Jared?¡± ¡°Sure thing. He bunked in with me in the master bedroomst night,¡± Nigel replied casually with a smile. When Elliot heard this, he frowned and quickly stopped Anastasia. ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll go and get him.¡± Nigel didn¡¯t want to miss an opportunity to aggravate Elliot, so he said, ¡°Ignore him, Anastasia. Just go up and take a look around my room.¡± ¡°What is there to look at in your room?¡± Elliot shot his cousin a dark look as jealousy seized him. Anastasia had no idea why they were bickering all of a sudden, but before she could say anything, Elliot had already walked up the stairs. She didn¡¯t want to go with him, so she turned and said to Nigel instead, ¡°Thanks for babysitting Jaredst night.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. We¡¯re family, after all.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Nigel¡¯s eyes widened as he frantically exined, ¡°Oh! I mean, uh, we¡¯re kind of like a family anyway.¡± She smiled when she heard this. ¡°You¡¯re right. You¡¯re already like an uncle to Jared!¡± Exasperation welled up in him. All I¡¯ll ever get to be is his uncle! It¡¯s not like I have a choice now. It wasn¡¯t long before Elliot descended the stairs with Jared in his arms. ¡°Mommy!¡± Jared greeted happily when he saw his mother in the living room. Anastasia beamed at him lovingly, and there was a gentle look in her eyes as she reached out to hold him. However, Elliot seemed intent on keeping the little boy in his arms as he turned to say to Nigel, ¡°We¡¯ll get going then.¡± Nigel could only nod as he walked them to the door. Then, he stood on the front step and watched the three of them leave. He found himself thinking that they looked just like a family. I hope things work out between you and Anastasia, Elliot. I can¡¯t wait to have her as a cousin-inw. Chapter 204 ¡°Good luck, Elliot!¡± Nigel yelled from across the yard and put up a fist in the air in a show of moral support. Elliot¡¯s eyes crinkled as he nodded at the younger man. Anastasia, on the other hand, was helping Jared fasten his seatbelt, so she didn¡¯t notice anything strange going on between the two cousins. After that, Elliot took the passenger seat while Anastasia sat in the back with Jared, grateful for the ample leg room in the sedan. They first had lunch at a high-end restaurant, where Jared ate his food in high spirits. When they were done, the little boy suddenly asked to go to the museum, and Elliot agreed to it without a second thought. As such, Anastasia could only go along with them. Rey went as well to keep an eye on Jared, thinking that he could babysit the boy and give Elliot and Anastasia a break to enjoy some quality time together. er Presently, Anastasia had only just stepped into the museum when her phone rang. Upon seeing that it was a call from Francis, she picked it up and greeted, ¡°Hey, Dad.¡± ¡°Is Young Master Elliot alright? I hope he didn¡¯t get a hangover this morning,¡± Francis said worriedly on the other line. ¡°My friends shouldn¡¯t have forced him to drink all that liquor.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dad. He¡¯s fine,¡± she reassured. ¡°By the way, I was wondering if Bourgeois is still hiring at the moment. Erica is thinking about going to work at yourpany.¡± Anastasia resisted the urge to snort at this. Yeah, right, as if Erica wants to work! She just wants to get close to Elliot, and the only way to do that is by working in thepany. ¡°Sorry, Dad, but I don¡¯t think Erica is a suitable candidate for thepany.¡± ¡°I know she¡¯s no designer, but she could be a clerk or an assistant or something. It¡¯s not every day she ims that she wants to be a working girl, after all. I¡¯d appreciate it if you could help me ask President Presgrave about this; perhaps he can make some arrangements for her.¡± ¡°Dad, I can¡¯t just ask him about these things. He¡¯s not even the one in charge of recruitment,¡± Anastasia argued. After all, she did not want to see Erica loitering around her workce. Francis sighed. ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯ll just have to call him myself. He gave me his name cardst night.¡± She faltered, and it looked like her father was dead set on having Erica work in Bourgeois. Guess he¡¯s getting tired of bankrolling for her. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll ask him about it! Don¡¯t go calling him on your own, Dad,¡± she said tiredly, knowing that Francis wouldn¡¯t take no for an answer at this point. ¡°Great. Give me a call and tell me how the discussion went. Erica¡¯s finally taking life seriously, and we have to help her get a good head start, right?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Anastasia replied emotionlessly. After she hung up the call, she looked up at the man who was currently bringing her son from one exhibit to the next. She let out a sigh and brisk-walked up to them. a Elliot had brought Jared to his favorite part of the museum, which was the dinosaur exhibit. While Anastasia had brought him here before, Jared was still excited, and he was having a whale of a time. She watched as he trotted alongside Elliot¡¯s towering frame, and she thought they looked like father and son. Elliot would asionally pick him up, and there were moments when he would let Jared pull him around the museum. Jared would also tilt his head to one side curiously while he asked questions about the artifacts. Elliot, on the other hand, yed the role of the ever-patient father who borated on the history and the scientific evolution of the dinosaurs, and Jared was all ears. ¡°Miss Tillman, isn¡¯t it wonderful how President Presgrave and Jared get along so well?¡± Rey asked as he came over to where Anastasia was standing, She smiled and nodded. ¡°It is! Jared really likes him.¡± ¡°I think President Presgrave would make an excellent father,¡± Rey added meaningfully. The implication behind his words did not escape Anastasia, but she knew that she and Elliot could never work out, and Jared¡¯s affections for him were only temporary. When they left the dinosaur exhibit, they ventured into other exhibits that Jared liked. Eventually, they found themselves on the third floor of the museum. When Rey walked up to her, Anastasia said, ¡°Could you help me look after Jared for a bit? I need to speak with President Presgrave alone.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± Rey said with a polite smile. Anastasia then sauntered over to Elliot. ¡°President Presgrave, there¡¯s something I need to talk to you about. Rey can keep an eye on Jared for a while.¡± Elliot nced over at Rey and instructed coolly, ¡°Don¡¯t let him out of your sight.¡± When all was settled, Anastasia led him over to the more quiet end of the gallery where there were hardly any visitors. As Elliot drew closer to her, she pursed her lips and thought about how she was going to phrase things. She didn¡¯t want to owe him any more favors, but it seemed unavoidable right now. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked softly as he fixed his dark gaze on her. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing- my dad wants to know if Bourgeois is still hiring. He wants my sister, Erica, to find work there,¡± Anastasia exined and looked up at Elliot. Even in the dim lighting, she could still see the chiseled nes and angles of his handsome features, and for a moment, she thought she could drown in those maic, obsidian eyes of his. Chapter 205 Elliot smiled as he eyed her teasingly. ¡°Are you asking me for a favor?¡± Anastasia shrugged nonchntly and said, ¡°I¡¯m only doing this on behalf of my dad.¡± ¡°Well, seeing as he¡¯s your dad, I don¡¯t think it¡¯d be right of me to refuse him the favor. Get your sister toe into work on Monday,¡± he dered readily. She gaped at him in astonishment and realized that he was granting favors out of his gratitude again. Just then, he tipped his head to the side and nced at whatever was behind her, drawling, ¡°You¡¯ve got guts bringing me here, though.¡± Upon hearing this, she turned around, and she nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw the amphibians and reptiles that were preserved in formalin. She shuddered and shrunk against Elliot like she wanted to put as much distance as she could between herself and the morbid exhibit. Elliot seized the chance to wrap an arm around her. She gasped, but before she could react, she found herself in his embrace. She could smell the fresh and pleasant scent of him, and she pushed him away as she snapped, ¡°Contain yourself, Elliot.¡± ¡°Hey, you were the one who pressed up against me first,¡± he pointed out with a grin. When he saw that there was nobody around this section of the exhibit, he dipped his head and ced a chaste kiss on her lips. Then, he broke into a mischievous smirk as he muttered, ¡°Consider this a repayment for the favor just now.¡± Blood rushed to Anastasia¡¯s face as she shoved him aside, and she thanked the heavens that Jared and Rey weren¡¯t nearby. After that, she gave Francis a call to tell him that Erica could start work on Monday. Over at the Tillman Residence, Erica had just gotten off the phone with Francis. Then, she flew down the staircase gleefully and found her mother. ¡°Mom! Mom, I¡¯m going to start working at Bourgeois on Monday! President Presgrave was the one who personally hired me!¡± Naomi was ted to hear this. Does this mean Erica has a chance to get close to Elliot now? ¡°Dad told me that President Presgrave himself agreed to this. Do you think it¡¯s because I made a really good impressionst night?¡± Erica asked happily and somewhat delusionally. Naomi thought the same thing. Erica had sat next to Elliot during the banquetst night, and there was no denying how gorgeous she had looked in her evening dress! ¡°Erica,¡± she began. ¡°Make sure to seize every opportunity there is while you¡¯re at Bourgeois.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that if I get a chance to run into President Presgrave often enough, I could make him fall for me,¡± Erica said confidently. She vowed to use everyst trick in the book to see this n through. She couldn¡¯t care less about making an honest living by working at Bourgeois; instead, she wanted to seduce Elliot so that she could one day marry rich and have a jet-setting lifestyle. At that moment, Naomi clutched her daughter¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Erica, there¡¯s something I have to tell you.¡± Erica blinked. ¡°What is it, Mom?¡± ¡°You see, Elliot actually owes our family a huge favor. I¡¯ve never told you this, but Anastasia¡¯s mother only died because she sacrificed herself to save Elliot. Without her, he would have died when he was a toddler!¡± ¡°What?¡± Erica¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. She knew that Anastasia¡¯s mother was a cop who had died while on duty, but she didn¡¯t think that the reason for her death was a great sacrifice to save Elliot¡¯s life. ¡°Given that the Presgraves owe Anastasia big time, you¡¯ll have to watch your back at Bourgeois. It might only be child¡¯s y for her to snag Young Master Elliot.¡± A vicious look shed in Erica¡¯s eyes as she seethed, ¡°I ought to tell President Presgrave about the time Anastasia got screwed over at Abyss Club. No man in their right mind would think of her so greatly after they hear about that.¡± Naomi wasn¡¯t the least bit worried that Erica would let her down, for she was certain that her daughter had picked up her skills and affinity for schemes. ¡°You just have to remember that we¡¯ll be in deep trouble if Anastasia ends up marrying into the Presgraves. Erica, once you get into thepany, you have to do everything in your power to stopN?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. her from marrying Elliot, even if it means that you won¡¯t be able to marry him yourself.¡± Both mother and daughter were on the same page about this. However, neither of them knew that Erica only got the job at Bourgeois courtesy of Anastasia, seeing as Francis withheld this detail from them. Meanwhile, following their excursion to the museum, Elliot dropped Anastasia and Jared home. He watched them walk into the apartment building and left to take care of his work. Having had azy Sunday, Anastasia started to pour herself intopeting for the position of associate director. She heard that Alice had already gone to the shop she had chosen to survey itst Friday night. As things were, Alice seemed intent on beating Anastasia out for the promotion. Chapter 206 Anastasia dropped Jared off at kindergarten early that morning. As the little guy made his way through the doors, he turned around and blew her a kiss. Empowered by his sweet gesture, she vowed that she would get the promotion and be associate director so that she could finally have better pav. It wasn¡¯t until after she had arrived at thepany and sat down in her office that she remembered Erica wasing into work today. At the thought of this, she dialed Grace¡¯s extension and asked her to look into this. Not long after, Grace came running into Anastasia¡¯s office with the information. ¡°Miss Anastasia, your sister has been arranged to work as a receptionist at the front desk.¡± Well, seeing as she doesn¡¯t have any corporate experience whatsoever, I guess manning the front desk suits her, Anastasia thought. Apparently, Erica hade into work early and started her job at the front desk. She had brought lipsticks as gifts for the other receptionists, who were easily won over and got along with her right off the bat. She wasn¡¯t short of money, and because of that, she had given them all limited edition lipsticks, thereby collecting brownie points. After she settled down at the front desk, Erica picked up the receiver and found Anastasia¡¯s extension before dialing it. ¡°Hello, who¡¯s this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m working at yourpany now! Are you surprised?¡± Erica bragged with a smile on her face. Anastasia was rendered speechless. Looks like Dad didn¡¯t tell her how she got the job in the first ce. ¡°In that case, make sure you do your best and stop making Dad worry about you incessantly.¡± ¡°Like I need you to point that out to me? Don¡¯t tell anyone in thepany that we¡¯re sisters; I don¡¯t want them to think that I only got the job because of you,¡± Erica said snidely. ¡°I should be the one saying that,¡± Anastasia replied dryly. With an indignant scoff, Erica hung up the phone. When the call ended, Anastasia put the receiver down and got up to leave. She had to go into the shop and see how things were going, but just as she was heading out, Felicia told her that thepetition was fierce. Both her rivals would soon start rallying support from friends and rtives, and Anastasia was advised to do the same. However, there was no way Anastasia could rally support when she didn¡¯t even have that many friends or family to begin with. All she had on her side were luck and innate talent. Meanwhile, in the main conference room at Presgrave Corporation, the man who was chairing the weekly meeting appeared somber as usual. ¡°That¡¯s all for the weekly report, President Presgrave. Is there anything else you¡¯d like for us to do?¡± Elliot scanned the executives in the meeting and loosened up in his seat to assume a more casual stance. Then, he said in a low and grave tone, ¡°I need all your help with something.¡± The audience immediately stiffened at this. All this while, they had only ever heard disparaging remarks from him for their ipetence, but never a request for their help. ¡°What is it, President Presgrave? We¡¯ll be sure to help you in whatever ways we can.¡± ¡°I have a friend who works in a jewelry store, and she¡¯s running a little low on sales this month. I need each of you to drop by her shop once, and your expenditure must not be less than a million.¡± Upon hearing this, the executives in the room let out a collective sigh of relief. This was the first time they had heard the president make such a strange request, but given their annual ie, it was easy enough for them to do as he said. ¡°If you know anyone interested in buying jewelry, it would be great if you could get them to drop by the shop as well,¡± Elliot added. ¡°That¡¯s no problem at all, President Presgrave. We¡¯ll drop by your friend¡¯s store and give her sales a boost.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go all at once, though,¡± Elliot interjected. ¡°Rey, draw up a schedule for Lance; we want those sales to look credible.¡± ¡°Yes, President Presgrave,¡± Rey replied as he tried to keep himself fromughing. There were several moments where he had to p a hand over his mouth and look down to hide his amusement. President Presgrave is pulling out all the stops just to rally support for Miss Tillman! All she wants to do ispete for the position of associate director, and President Presgrave already has all the executives in the corporation on board to boost her sales. While this was happening, Anastasia dropped by the shop and spoke to the manager about the sales for the past two days. Due to the less-than-strategic location of the shop, their sales weren¡¯t looking so good. ¡°Is there no other way we can gain more sales, Miss Chastain?¡± she asked the manager. ¡°Miss Tillman, if you¡¯re suggesting that we advertise, then we¡¯re going to need a much more flexible budget. That said, if yourpany is willing to fork out the money, you can consider getting one of those socialites or influencers to market the jewelry, but you¡¯ll have to be able to pay them for it.¡± Anastasia fell into deep thought. She knew this would be a gamble since there were plenty of examples where hiring influencers to market the products ended up as a failed venture. Besides, she would have to pay out of her own pocket if she wanted to go along with this, for thepany would never approve a budget for something like this. She had always been a mere designer, and right now, she was being confronted by herck of marketing skills. Chapter 207 At the end of the day, thepetition for the position of associate director was starting to feel like apetition to see who had more friends that were richer. The one who won in both of these categories would already be at an advantage, and this didn¡¯t include their actual sales from the store. Anastasia learned the hard way that she was falling behind. She had been abroad for five years, and she hadn¡¯t kept in touch with any of her old friends and rtives for a while now. To add salt to injury, even if she was able to get ahold of her friends and rtives, they might not be able to afford the expensive jewelry She sighed as she sat in the manager¡¯s office and browsed through various marketing strategies, only to conclude that most of them would not work out for her. Presently, six cars had pulled up outside the Bourgeois store, and men and women dressed in different styles came walking through the doors. The sales assistants who were chatting among themselves broke apart and sauntered over to greet the customers. What surprised them the most was that these customers had chosen jewelry pieces from high-end collections. Not even ten minutester, two of these customers left with millions worth of jewelry, and within half an hour, the sales for the store shot up to a staggering eight million. ¡°Miss Tillman, great news! There was a group of customers who came by the shop earlier, and they took an interest in the items from the main collection. Our sales broke through to eight million just now! We¡¯ll have to get more inventory from headquarters, pronto.¡± ¡°What?¡± Anastasia was so stunned that she stood up. No way. Am I really that lucky? That afternoon, she and the manager worked out two separate strategies in light of the sudden spike in sales. Given that the shop still had gift items in stock, they put up a sign outside the door to promote a giveaway activity. The second n they came up with was for Anastasia to pay 30,000 out of her own pocket for a one-month advertisement in all the major shopping malls. At 4.00PM, Anastasia left work to pick Jared up from school. The moment she got off the car, she instinctively turned to sweep her gaze across the parking lot next to the kindergarten. She immediately noticed a familiar Rolls-Royce parked at the side, and the license te was just as unique as the vehicle itself. The only person who could own this car was Elliot. Much to her frustration, the man hade to pick Jared up from school again, and she began to wonder what he was trying to prove. She was still simmering in disgruntlement when she saw Jared skipping out of the school gates in her direction while holding onto Elliot¡¯s hand. ¡°Mommy, Mommy!¡± he greeted as he bounded up to her. Anastasia beamed and put out her arms as if to catch him. ¡°Mommy, Mr. Presgrave said he¡¯s going to buy us dinner tonight,¡± Jared informed cheerily. Upon hearing this, she looked up at Elliot and waved her hand as she declined the offer. ¡°No, that won¡¯t be necessary. I can manage dinner now that my hand is all better. You should get going if you have important things to attend to, President Presgrave.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. Let¡¯s go back to your ce for dinner,¡± Elliot suggested. When he saw the tired look on her face, he added empathetically, ¡°We can always go out for dinner if you¡¯re tired.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not. Besides, I prefer cooking my own meals anyway,¡± Anastasia replied, not wanting this man to spoil Jaredn¡¯s pte with expensive food. ¡°Very well, then. We¡¯ll go pick up groceries together.¡± With that, he carried Jared in his arms and headed for his car. Anastasia was just about to leave with them when a mother rushed up to her and said enviously, ¡°You¡¯re so lucky, Anastasia! You have such a rich and handsome husband who helps you out with your kid! He¡¯s nothing like that deadbeat husband of mine; I don¡¯t even remember thest time I saw him around the house.¡± Anastasia forced out a smile, rendered speechless by this. The mother went on to say, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone as good- looking as your husband! I think he¡¯s far better-looking than all those celebrities out there. Be careful, though-you have to keep an eye on a handsome man like him. After all, you never know if a woman is lurking in the shadows waiting to pounce on him!¡± ¡¤ The smile on Anastasia¡¯s face stiffened, but she nodded and said graciously, ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Jared was already in his car seat by the time she got into the vehicle. Right now, she was somewhat torn, and she wasn¡¯t sure if it was a good thing for her and Elliot to go on like this. She cooked up a few dishes for dinner that evening, and both Elliot and Jared polished their tes clean. They even devoured the oxtail stew that she was sure she had messed up. Jared liked going down to themunal yground after dinner, and while Anastasia was distracted, Elliot decided to take him there. It was 8.30PM by the time Anastasia was done clearing the dishes and tidying up around the house. She brought a ss of water out to the balcony, but just as she was qulping it down, she suddenly realized, with no small amount of exasperation, that she was drinking out of the same ss Elliot had used earlier. Chapter 208 Anastasia had been meaning to get disposable cups, but she always forgot about them. To date, she wasn¡¯t sure how many times she had drunk out of the same ss as Elliot. She was pulled out of her thoughts when her phone suddenly rang. She reached for it and put the call through after ncing at the caller ID. ¡°Hello, Miss Chastain.¡± ¡°Miss Tillman, I¡¯vee bearing good news! We rounded up the sales for today at fifteen million. While the customers didn¡¯te in droves, they each bought more than a million¡¯s worth of jewelry. Never have I seen such staggering business since I started working here!¡± Surprise filled Anastasia¡¯s pretty eyes when she heard this. She wondered how these customers came upon her shop in the first ce. She was sure that she didn¡¯t rally her friends or family for support, and she had yet to advertise the shop and the products. Could these just be customers who happened to drop by the shop? It went without saying that she was ted by how things had turned out. She would like to think that fate was being kind to her. As the night breeze picked up, she suddenly remembered that they were in the depths of autumn now. To think that she had returned to this country in August, and in the blink of an eye, November was right around the corner. Far too many things had happened in thest few months, the biggest of which was how Elliot had integrated himself into her life. He had shown up without warning like a storm no one could anticipate, and he was so demanding that he would not stand for rejection on her part. The most frustrating thing about him, perhaps, was how he could make her feel like she was being devoured in mes, yet she didn¡¯t mind it at all. She wanted him to do all those things to her; she wanted such pleasure to crawl under her skin and consume her. Am I truly so desperate to feel a man¡¯s touch? She started to wonder if her loneliness had made her feel such primal urges whenever they were alone, and she also questioned if the same would apply if she was with another man. If that were the case, it would only go to show that she was lonely and that this had nothing to do with Elliot¡¯s own charisma At the thought of this, she suddenly became inspired to find a decent man that she liked and have a fling with him. It could be a tonic fling, and it would be sufficient to distract her from the effects that Elliot had on her. That way, she wouldn¡¯t spend every waking moment thinking about that man. She was already terrified that she might be overly dependent on him one day. When it was around 9.00PM, Elliot returned to the apartment with Jared in tow. The little boy was already drenched in his own sweat, but he was clearly enamored with ytime, for he turned to look at Elliot seriously as he said, ¡°Mr. Presgrave, you have to bring me to the yground again tomorrow. I want to try out the monkey bars!¡± ¡°I promise I will,¡± Elliot said with a gentle smile. Anastasia walked up to them and pointed out, ¡°Jared, you can¡¯t have Mr. Presgraveing over every day just to y with you. He¡¯s a busy man, and it isn¡¯t right for us to take up his time, okay?¡± She had only just said this when she felt a sharp look being thrown her way. Elliot was a sensitive man, and while she had kept her words vague, he could still pick out the implication behind them. She was trying to stop him from getting too close to Jared. ¡°Really? Alright then,¡± Jared replied with an obedient nod. Anastasia took his hand and said, ¡°Come on, go get your pajamas before I give you a bath.¡± The little boy went into his room to do as he was told. Presently, Anastasia turned around to see that Elliot had taken the full ss of water she had poured out earlier, and he was drinking it thirstily. She blushed and decided that she was going to have to get him a mug if these visits were going to be frequent. ¡°President Presgrave, it¡¯ste, and you should be getting home,¡± she reminded firmly but courteously. ¡°Why do you keep calling me President Presgrave? You can just call me by my name when we¡¯re alone,¡± he said unhappily, not at all liking how she kept up formalities with him. There was a steely look in her eyes as she insisted and said, ¡°I will not. As far as I¡¯m concerned, you are my superior, and this is the only way I see you.¡± Elliot found her exasperating at times. He couldn¡¯t lecture nor argue with her, and he couldn¡¯t even be too harsh with his words for fear that she would only retaliate even more passive-aggressively. However, for some reason, he was extraordinarily patient with her even when she was snapping at him or being stubborn. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll be leaving now. Give me a call if you need anything,¡± he said. When he sauntered over to her, she felt her chest tighten, but thankfully, he didn¡¯t do anything to her and merely opened the door to leave. When the door fell shut behind him, she let out a sigh of relief. She went on to bathe Jared and tucked him into bed with a bedtime story. Atst, he fell into an easy sleep in her arms. It was only during moments like these when her son had fallen asleep that she could stare at his little face and let her mind wander for a bit. Chapter 209 After all, her son had a handsome face. ¡°Why does he look like him? Can¡¯t he look like me?¡± Anastasia mumbled in dismay. Why would her son take after Elliot¡¯s looks? Meanwhile, the poor child didn¡¯t know that his own mother wasining about him. After sending her son to school the next morning, Anastasia didn¡¯t return to thepany. Instead, she went to the shop. Just as she got out of the car, she saw a row of luxurious cars parked in front of Bourgeois Jewelry Atelier. The few ateliers next to it had no business, while Bourgeois¡¯ gship store was currently flooded with customers. Not only that, every customer who came out of the shop carried a bag. Anastasia wanted to look for the shop manager, Miss Chastain, but thetter was so upied that Anastasia couldn¡¯t even spot her. In fact, she was busy transferring the products, and they were short of many high-end pieces! Therefore, Anastasia could only return to thepany first. When she arrived, Anastasia saw Erica sitting in the lobby, but thetter pulled a cold expression and pretended not to know her. With that, k-walked to the elevator. The moment she arrived at the office, Felicia quickly came up to her. ¡°Good job, Anastasia! Your family and friends have been a huge support!¡± Felicia bent down slightly and praised in a whisper. ¡°Huh?¡± Anastasia didn¡¯t know what she meant by that. ¡°I heard that the shop you selected is doing really well! Although it¡¯s only been a few days into the month, our sales have exceeded two million!¡± Anastasia was a little surprised, so she bit her lip and denied, ¡°They are not my friends and family, though.¡± ¡°Alice¡¯s team has only umted four to five million sales. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be securing the associate director¡¯s position this time!¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m just doing my best. I¡¯m not trying to aim for the associate director¡¯s position or anything,¡± replied Anastasia helplessly. She just wanted to get her sry increment! If that position didn¡¯te with a sry increment, she wouldn¡¯t have even applied. Alice pushed the door open and entered the office with a long face shortly after Felicia left. Once she arrived, she said mockingly, ¡°Anastasia, didn¡¯t we agree not to depend on our family and friends? Why did you do it?¡± Anastasia blinked her eyes at her question. Isn¡¯t she using the same method as well? How dare she use me? ¡°I¡¯m not depending on my family and friends. They are just normal customers.¡± ¡°Hah! Who are you trying to fool? Some of the customers who went to your shop are major shareholders of Presgrave Group. There were also some high-ranking managers there. Did you think I wouldn¡¯t find out that you used your connections to bring in President Presgrave¡¯s family and friends!! Anastasia¡¯s mind instantly exploded. As she stared nkly at Alice for a few seconds, she was rendered speechless. Now, she finally understood why there was arge number of customers at her shop spending millions. Did all of theme from Elliot? ¡°You promised a fairpetition, Anastasia. Aren¡¯t you afraid of beingughed at for cheating?¡± ¡°If you call this cheating, why can you do it but I can¡¯t?¡± Anastasia retorted. ¡°You¡­¡± Alice huffed as a shade of crimson crept up her neck and her face. Anastasia didn¡¯t bother arguing with her anymore. Since Alice wasn¡¯t particrly fond of her as well, Anastasia stood up and said, ¡°I have to work now. Please leave.¡± ¡°You will regret this!¡± Alice spat before stomping out the door. Once Alice left, Anastasia wrapped her arms around her head in frustration. Why did Elliot help her? She didn¡¯t want to owe him any favors! With that, Anastasia dialed the number to Elliot¡¯s office, but no one picked up. Instead of giving up, Anastasia called Elliot¡¯s personal number. This time, the call was answered. ¡°Hello?¡± His baritone and husky voice sounded as charming as ever. However, that didn¡¯t affect Anastasia¡¯s impolite tone as she scolded in frustration, ¡°Are you the one helping me pull customers to my shop, Elliot Presgrave?!¡± ¡°Do you think I have so much free time on my hands?¡± Elliot tossed the question back at her. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me. Someone recognized the customers that went to the store and said they were shareholders and managers from yourpany.¡± Anastasia exposed him mercilessly. After remaining silent for a while, Elliot uttered indifferently, ¡°That¡¯s their choice. It has nothing to do with me.¡± Elliot was obviously lying, for he didn¡¯t want to admit that he had helped her. Once again, Anastasia was speechless. Chapter 210 Although Anastasia didn¡¯t know what to say, she was honestly moved. ¡°Thank you, but I hope that you won¡¯t ask them to visit my shop anymore. I¡¯ve given up the position of associate director.¡± She sighed. ¡°Why is that so?¡± Elliot inquired anxiously. ¡°I just want to focus on designing. I don¡¯t have any management skills, so I don¡¯t want to hold the company back.¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you confident with your skills? Don¡¯t you want to get the sry increment?¡± ¡°There is a limit to my ability and I only deserve my current sry. Thank you for your concern, Mr. Presgrave. You may ask your family and friends to stoping by the shop!¡± Anastasia hung up the call after saying thest sentence. She breathed a sigh of relief before calling Felicia to tell her about her decision, and thetter respected her wish to do so. After spending the past few months with Anastasia, Felicia came to realize that she was a straightforward and honest girl. Hence, Felicia liked the girl a lot. Meanwhile, someone started to spread rumors about this exact topic at the front desk and it instantly became the talk of the entirepany. ¡°I heard that Anastasia will be the associate director of the Department of Design this time,¡± said a lady at the front desk who had just heard the gossip. ¡°Why is it her?¡± Erica immediately leaned over and joined the conversation. ¡°I heard that the three designers in the Department of Design arepeting for the position this time. They have each selected a store and will bepeting based on this month¡¯s sales turnover. I also heard that all of them have received support from their family and friends, but Anastasia went to a whole new level.¡± Someone else inquired, ¡°Where did her connectionse from?¡± ¡°Who else could there be? It¡¯s President Presgrave, of course. He has personally asked his upper management to visit Anastasia¡¯s shop!¡± ¡°Wow!¡± The otherdies at the front desk were so amazed that they let out surprised gasps, but Erica¡¯s face was pale. If she hadn¡¯te to thepany today, she wouldn¡¯t even have known that Anastasia had been hooking up with Elliot Presgrave. Now that Elliot wanted to help Anastasia get promoted and receive a sry increment, he was willing to suppress his pride and ask his upper management to support her. How close were they that he was willing to do that for her? Erica wasn¡¯t going to believe that Anastasia never slept with Elliot. ¡°What a shameless person Anastasia is. How could she seduce the president?¡± Erica scoffed. The otherdies at the front desk admired her courage. After all, no one in thepany dared to scold Anastasia, let alone offend her. ¡°Hmph! She¡¯s such a filthy woman. Does she even deserve President Presgrave? What a nasty woman,¡± Erica spat through gritted teeth in desperation to curse the hell out of Anastasia. ¡°Erica, why do you say so? Tell us about it! How do you know that Anastasia is a filthy woman?¡± ¡°She has an illegitimate child, and that child was born five years ago as a result of sleeping with another man. She has worked at a club, served customers, and slept with them just to study abroad. She was kicked out of her house eventually, though.¡± ¡°How do you know all these?¡± ¡°She¡¯s the daughter of my father¡¯s ex-wife!¡± Erica decided not to hide her identity anymore. ¡°What?!¡± Everyone at the front desk eximed in shock. That was a juicy scoop from Erica! No wonder Anastasia was capable of getting support from President Presgrave-this all came from the practice of seducing men five years ago! When she saw that the front deskdies were intrigued by her words, Erica vividly recounted Anastasia¡¯s past to them with exaggeration. She mentioned Anastasia being called ¡®Princess of Abyss¡¯, ¡®Most Popr Hostess¡¯, and whatever terms she could think of at that time. Thedies at the front desk were serial gossipers and they quietly whispered to every person they encountered about Anastasia¡¯s past. By that evening, Anastasia¡¯s reputation was ruined once again. While everyone was curious about how Anastasia managed to pull Elliot¡¯s connections, most of them assumed that she had slept with him. Now that they heard about her scandal five years ago, everything seemed to make sense. Just like that, Anastasia was known as the woman of easy virtue in the company However, Anastasia, who was in her office, didn¡¯t know what was going on at all. When Alice heard that Anastasia had withdrawn from thepetition, she was even more motivated to secure the position of associate director. Meanwhile, a luxurious car was parked in the garage. Rey followed Elliot as they took the elevator, but when it stopped at the sixth floor of the Department of Design, he turned to Rey and said, ¡°Head up first.¡± Rey nodded in response. Just as Elliot strode out of the elevator and was about to look for Anastasia, he passed by the pantry and overheard a conversation behind the ss window. Chapter 211-220 Chapter 211-220 Chapter 211 The two female staff chatted animatedly, not realizing that the president was right behind the ss window. ¡°Is it true that Miss Tillman worked as a hostess five years ago?¡± That question made Elliot halt in his steps. He furrowed his brows while listening to their conversation. ¡°Of course it¡¯s true! Erica from the front desk is Anastasia¡¯s step-sister, and she said so herself! I heard that Anastasia couldn¡¯t afford to study design overseas, so she went to a club and worked as a hostess! She was eventually hauled out of the house by her father, though.¡± ¡°In that case, where did her sone from?¡± ¡°How could you not get pregnant from selling your body? If you¡¯re unlucky and meet any customer who has a weird kink, it¡¯s easy to get pregnant.¡± When he heard those words, Elliot felt as if something had pierced his chest. His eyes darkened, and the aura around him immediately turned icy cold. Was that part of Anastasia¡¯s past that she wasn¡¯t willing to talk about? Was that Jared¡¯s birth story? Every time they talked about her past, she would speak cautiously. It seemed that she wanted to hide most of her past. ¡°Which department are you two from? Leave thepany on your own after lunch.¡± Elliot hated people who gossiped during working hours. Moreover, thesedies happened to cross him while he was in a bad mood. ¡°Ah¡­ President Presgrave!¡± The two staff quickly covered their mouths, and it seemed like their souls had flown out of their bodies. However, before they could regain their senses, Elliot walked away. The two exchanged nces with each other, and they felt like they were going to faint due to the sudden esction of events. Were they fired just like that? Meanwhile, the ss door to Anastasia¡¯s office sessfully blocked all the chaos outside. Immune to all distractions, Anastasia held her iPad in one hand while holding a pen in the other, and she sketched several designs ording to her inspiration. Just as she was immersed in her drawings, someone pushed the door open and disturbed her. Anastasia hated being interrupted. As she raised her head, she shot daggers at the uninvited man who was walking in with a long face. After putting the iPad aside, she then questioned, ¡°Is something up?¡± Elliot walked over to her desk and propped both his hands on the table while staring into her eyes. He demanded, ¡°Tell me the truth about your past, Anastasia. It doesn¡¯t matter what it was like, and I promise I won¡¯t judge.¡± Anastasia thought that he was out of his mind. As she folded her arms in front of her chest, she leaned back in her chair and asked, ¡°Which part of my past do I have to confess to you?¡± Elliot¡¯s expression changed slightly. He wanted her to leave the past behind and walk out of the dark; only then could she face the future positively, ept him, and be with him. He had to help her out of her misery. He didn¡¯t care about her past actions or whether she used to have any rtionships with other men, for he was willing to brush everything off. To him, all that mattered was their future together. ¡°I heard that you worked as a hostess five years ago to fund your studies abroad, and you always went in and out of the club to serve customers. I also heard that you had Jared around that time, am | correct? You even got kicked out of the house by your father. Are all of these true?¡± Elliot questioned in one go. Anastasia¡¯s mind buzzed continuously. Other than Erica, who else would possibly make up such a cruel story? Anastasia¡¯s face darkened before she mmed the desk with both hands. This startled Elliot, and he looked at her with a shocked expression, not knowing what had gotten into her. ¡°Erica Tillman, you little b*tch!¡± Anastasia rarely cursed, but at this moment, she didn¡¯t bother to be polite anymore. She just wanted to give Erica a good scolding. Meanwhile, Elliot¡¯s eyes widened as he watched her. Anastasia got up and left through the door, leaving a puzzled Elliot standing there by himself. Once the elevator arrived on the first floor, Anastasia made her way to the front desk while exuding an intimidating aura. Erica was ying with her phone, but when she saw Anastasia walking over, she got up guiltily. By the time Anastasia was right in front of her, Erica wrapped her arms around her head and warned, ¡°Go on if you dare to hit me! I¡¯ll tell Dad about it!¡± ¡°Erica Tillman, I¡¯m giving you two choices. One, leave thepany and go home. Two, take full responsibility for your words and let me p you in the face!¡± ¡°Are you afraid that I¡¯ll expose you? Isn¡¯t it true that you gotid by a host five years ago?!¡± Erica shouted. Chapter 212 Anastasia¡¯s face instantly turned pale. Then, she picked up a folder on the desk and threw it at Erica¡¯s face. ¡°Ah.¡± It hurt so bad that Erica cried out in pain. The sharp corner of the folder scratched her face, leaving an obvious scar. *Ouch! My face! My face¡­¡¯ Erica cherished her face dearly. Even though blood wasn¡¯t oozing out of the scratch, she felt devastated. When Elliot came out of the elevator, he realized he was toote; Anastasia was already teaching Erica a lesson. *Stop it, Anastasia,¡¯ ordered Elliot in a low voice. The woman needed to be disciplined sometimes, and Elliot feared that she would ruin her own reputation by going too far. The otherdies at the front desk had been watching the fun, but once they saw the president, they shivered and quickly retreated to the back. Nheless, Anastasia ignored the man as he came to persuade her. She stared at Erica and said, ¡°Do you swear that every insult you¡¯ve spread about me is real?¡± ¡®Yes, I swear!¡± Erica yelled. ¡®Alright, go on and swear that every word you¡¯ve said is true. If there¡¯s even one fabricated lie, you¡¯ll be hit by a car once you exit the building!¡± Anastasia was so furious that she couldn¡¯t behave rationally anymore. *LL¡¯Erica dared not do so. Just like everyone else, she was afraid of karma. What if the heavens punished her for this? Upon hearing that, Elliot stared at Erica coldly. When he saw that she stuttered for a long time and didn¡¯t dare to swear on her life, he realized that she must have made up those stories about Anastasia. ¡®You don¡¯t dare to swear on your life, do you?!¡± ¡°You ruined my face! I¡¯m going to tell Mom and Dad!¡± Erica instantly held onto this matter. After all, her face was still burning from the scratch just now! ¡°Erica Tillman, just resign on your own and head to the HR department right now. We don¡¯t need people who talk nonsense in thepany.¡¯ Elliot¡¯s cold gaze swept across Erica. The woman shuddered in response. She nced at the handsome man in front of her as she couldn¡¯t believe that he had fired her on the spot. That bitch, Anastasia Tillman! Erica scolded in her heart. She was going to seek revenge on her one day! After grabbing her bag, she stomped out of the lobby while feeling aggrieved. She didn¡¯t even bother going through her resignation process with the HR department. Anastasia was like a fiery rose with thorns all over her body. When her gaze swept across the other ladies at the front desk, they quivered in panic and fear. After all, they were afraid that they would get involved too. What if Elliot decided to fire them all? ¡®Miss Tillman, we didn¡¯t talk bad about you¡­¡± That¡¯s right. Erica was the only one who spread the rumors. We¡­¡± Of course, Anastasia knew that they were also involved in disseminating such rumors. However, since it was all Erica¡¯s fault, she didn¡¯t want to say anything more. Instead, she turned on her heels and left the building because she needed some time alone. Elliot squinted his eyes and immediately followed her out of the building, fearing that she would do something unthinkable as she wasn¡¯t in her right mind. Indeed, Anastasia wasn¡¯tpletely herself. She raised her head to look at the green pedestrian light across her, but just as she stepped onto the pedestrian crossing, the lights instantly turned red. Fortunately, a strong arm gripped her and pulled her back to the side of the road. A frustrated and angry voice sounded beside her ears as Elliot yelled, ¡°Are you trying to die?!¡± In response, she looked up at the man while mocking herself, ¡°Didn¡¯t you believe their nonsense too? | worked as a hostess and have entertained many men. I¡¯m a filthy woman, so don¡¯t touch me if you don¡¯t want to dirty your hands.¡± Elliot held both her thin shoulders while narrowing his eyes. Even though he knew that she was just saying that out of anger, he was enraged upon hearing those words. He then scolded, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to give up on yourself!¡± All of a sudden, Anastasia was spewing nonsense in front of him. Her clear and round eyes widened as she uttered seriously, ¡°I am filthy. Other men have touched me, so just go on and judge me however you want to! ¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, she felt arge palm holding the back of her head. Another hand was clutching her waist, and the person¡¯s minty lips covered her own. Elliot kissed her. They were currently standing beside the road full of traffic where people came and went. With that, Elliot forced Anastasia into a kiss. Chapter 213 Ruin My Daughter Blood gushed into her brain as a shade of crimson crept up her cheeks, and Anastasia froze because of his actions. All she felt was the hot kiss that Elliot left on her lips. In order to show her that he wasn¡¯t going to look down on her, he dived in for a long and desperate kiss. Anastasia¡¯s mind went nk as she let him take control of her. When Elliot let go of her, he pressed his forehead against hers and uttered in a low and hoarse voice, ¡°Listen up, Anastasia. I don¡¯t despise you, so you can¡¯t despise me too. I don¡¯t care about your past; I just want to be in your future.¡± At that moment, Anastasia was blushing uncontrobly. She shoved him away in anger and red at him. Was he insane?! They were at the entrance of thepany. If anyone saw them, she would never be able to clear up this misunderstanding. ¡°I¡¯m warning you, Elliot¡­¡± Anastasia suddenly threatened. ¡°You¡¯d better not touch me, or else¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ll marry me,¡± Elliot smirked, finishing her sentence on behalf of Anastasia. The woman stared at him, dumbfounded. She couldn¡¯t think of any words to refute him for a while, so she turned around and headed toward anothermercial street. This time, Elliot didn¡¯t chase after her anymore. He had calmed down by then, and he believed that she wouldn¡¯t have any thoughts of suicide anymore. After all, she loved her son far too much to do that. On the other hand, Anastasia sat down in a cafe with her face flushed. No one saw us earlier, right? She was silently praying that no one had seen them kiss. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be able to work in the office anymore. Elliot always took advantage of her regardless of the asion, and he was a terrible person for that. When her cup of iced coffee was served, Anastasia took a small sip. They were currently going through late Autumn in November, so a cup of iced coffee was enough to calm her nerves down. Her sudden outburst of anger earlier was due to the umtion of resentment she had toward Erica since she was a child, and she couldn¡¯t take it any longer. Now that she thought about it, she didn¡¯t have to be upset. After all, she was only hurting herself. Her phone rang at that moment, notifying Anastasia of a call from her father. She never expected to hurt Erica with the folder she had thrown at her. ¡°Hi, Dad.¡± Anastasia picked up the call. ¡°What happened to you and Erica, Anastasia? Did you two fight?¡± Francis inquired in an using tone. ¡°Yes, and I identally injured her,¡± Anastasia apologized. At that moment, Naomi¡¯s angry voice sounded from the other end as she spoke. ¡°Anastasia Tillman! Are you trying to ruin my daughter? Are you happy now that her face is scratched?!¡± When she heard that, Anastasia furrowed her brows. Was her dad at home? ¡°You¡¯ve always bullied my daughter, Erica! Why does she have such a hard life? She hasn¡¯t even been at work for two days, yet you¡¯ve already hurt her! Don¡¯t cross the line, Anastasia.¡± Naomi sounded exasperated. A speechless Anastasia rolled her eyes. Naomi was acting like the guilty party who was filing the suit and pretending to be pitiful. ¡°You should ask your daughter how she ndered me at work first,¡± Anastasia retorted without backing down. ¡°It isn¡¯t like you don¡¯t know Erica¡¯s temper. She¡¯s just straightforward and likes to be nosy sometimes. That doesn¡¯t give you the right to dismiss her from her job and hurt her. If the scratch leaves a scar on her face, I¡¯m never going to forgive you,¡± said Naomi as she huffed, not forgetting to justify her daughter¡¯s actions. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough. Their fight isn¡¯t that serious,¡± Francis reassured Naomi as the woman sobbed. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be hanging up. Goodbye, Dad.¡± Anastasia had had enough of Naomi. She was pretending to be pitiful in front of her dad, and she wanted to let Anastasia know her ce in Francis¡¯ heart. Back at the office, Elliot suppressed the gossip about Anastasia and fired three employees. In just one day, he had fired Anastasia¡¯s step-sister as well as two other female staff. His actions made the other staff panic, and no one dared to talk bad about Anastasia anymore. When the woman returned to the office, no one dared to utter a word in front of her, but curious eyes were still locked on her behind Anastasia¡¯s back. Seeing how President Presgrave had defended her, was she really in a rtionship with him? After today¡¯s incident, that rumor seemed to have be reality. Chapter 214 Be Careful, Hayley How nice would it be to sleep with President Presgrave? This was the inner voice of most female staff. I¡¯m so envious that Elliot Presgrave gets to have Anastasia Tillman! Meanwhile, this was the inner voice of most male staff. Anastasia sat in her office with a headache, and all of her inspiration had dissipated by then. Even more so, her mind was filled with the kiss that happened on the streets earlier. Was Elliot just repaying her kindness, or did he really like her? Back at Tillman Residence, Erica was staring at her swollen face in the mirror as she gnashed her teeth in anger. Anastasia merely wanted to ruin her face! If it weren¡¯t for her luck, Erica might have suffered a huge cut on her face. ¡°I won¡¯t let you off so easily, Anastasia! I will make you pay back double for today¡¯s humiliation,¡± hissed Erica. Once she was done scolding Anastasia, she picked up her phone and dialed Hayley¡¯s number. ¡°Hello, Erica.¡± Hayley was as friendly as ever. ¡°Do you know what I went through today, Hayley? My face was almost ruined by Anastasia.¡± Hayley was extremely surprised when she heard that. She hurriedly asked, ¡°What happened between the both of you?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not mention it.¡± While Erica said not to mention it, she proceeded to exin the entire incident. However, she didn¡¯t mention that she only went to work at Bourgeois because of Elliot. Instead, she simply said that she needed a job. ¡°What? You went to Bourgeois to work for two days?¡± Hayley was shocked, but she was even more relieved that she hadn¡¯t gone to the atelier for the past two days. ¡°I just wanted to gain some experience there, but I didn¡¯t expect Anastasia to treat me like an eyesore. Not only did she ruin my face, she even took the chance to fire me,¡± said Erica as she huffed in exasperation. At the same time, she smiled proudly while uttering, ¡°Of course, I didn¡¯t let her have it all. I told the wholepany that she worked as a hostess and entertained customers in a club, and she even gotid by a host five years ago. The wholepany is treating her like a joke now!¡± However, Hayley was anxious to hear that, so she inquired tentatively, ¡°Do you remember what the host looked like? What about his stage name?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who arranged it? How would I know? Anyway, you should have selected an ugly host for her in the first ce. That way, she¡¯d be disgusted to death. Why did you even get her a host? What a waste of money.¡± Erica had been partying like a wild animal that night, and it was Hayley¡¯s idea all along. She was just watching the fun. Hayley heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing that. She figured that the heavens had helped Anastasia out that fateful night five years ago. She assumed that the host had run away with the 2,000 he received from Hayley when he saw another man in the private room. As for why Elliot had shown up in the private room she booked, she guessed he had probably been drunk and entered the wrong room. What a bummer! Anastasia slept with Elliot and even gave birth to his son. Hayley desperately wished that she had been in Anastasia¡¯s position that night. ¡°Hayley, what have you been up to these days? We haven¡¯t gone shopping in a long time,¡± Erica comined. ¡°When your face heals, I¡¯ll treat you to a nice meal.¡± Hayley had to maintain her rtionship with Erica. Who knew she might be of use to Hayley one day? ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll wait for your call.¡± Erica was a simple-minded person. Since she had her mother¡¯s protection, she wasn¡¯t a schemeful woman. However, just like her mother, she was not a kind person either. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Hayley, who was in her luxurious mansion, put down her phone. At that moment, her mind was already full of schemes. How much would Elliot despise Anastasia after knowing that she worked as a hostess before? She couldn¡¯t help but call May in hopes of knowing how much Anastasia would be judged, but she didn¡¯t expect to hear that Elliot fired three employees because of that woman! All of a sudden, she nearly choked on her anger. ¡°What?! Elliot fired Erica on the spot?!¡± Hayley couldn¡¯t believe that Erica met Elliot without telling her about it. ¡°That¡¯s right! Two nosy staff who gossiped about Anastasia were also fired on the same day. You¡¯d better be careful, Hayley. Anastasia is a cunning woman! She managed to enchant President Presgrave with her tactics!¡± Although Hayley knew that May cared for her sincerely, her words sounded extremely harsh to the former. Chapter 215 Elliot¡¯s Girlfriend Is Here ¡°President Presgrave just left my cest night! I¡¯m the only woman sleeping with him every night, so don¡¯t worry about it!¡± Hayley couldn¡¯t help but lie and create a false impression that she and Elliot were very much in love with each other. Fortunately, May believed every word she said. Thetter thought that she was Elliot¡¯s real girlfriend while Anastasia was just a shameless mistress. After hanging up the phone, Hayley was so enraged that she threw her pillow away. ¡°Anastasia Tillman¡­ Why are you still haunting me? Why do you have to circle around Elliot all the time? I must ruin your reputation and make your life miserable!¡± Meanwhile, in the office of Presgrave Group, Elliot came back to settle some work. As he sat in front of his desk, there was a pile of documents waiting to be signed. Yet, he was daydreaming. At that moment, he was extremely eager to find out what had happened to Anastasia back then. He wanted to know the b*stard who slept with her so that he could figure out how to help her in any way possible. As long as Anastasia opened her mouth, he would definitely find that jerk and make him pay for his actions. Suddenly, Elliot thought of someone¡ªHayley knew exactly what happened to Anastasia back then, so he could perhaps fish some information out of her. Elliot also realized that after he met Anastasia, he no longer thought about Hayley anymore. He had only given Hayley materialpensation, but it still struck him how Hayley didn¡¯t appear as much in his thoughts anymore. He used to recall the night five years ago when poor Hayley was bawling in front of him. When he thought about how bad of a scar he had left on her, he med himself for it. Now that Hayley epted his materialpensation while he did everything in his power to satisfy her current situation, he could finally put down the stone in his heart. With that, Elliot made a call to Hayley. ¡°Hello, Elliot! Is that you?¡± Hayley sounded enthusiastic on the other end. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. Are you free tonight? I¡¯ll treat you to a meal.¡± ¡°Sure! I¡¯m free. Should Ie and meet you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you a callter.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ve missed you so much, Elliot.¡± Hayley grabbed the opportunity to confess her feelings. ¡°Okay, see you tonight.¡± With that, Elliot hung up the phone. He was aware of Hayley¡¯s admiration for him, but he couldn¡¯t ept her feelings. All he felt for her was guilt, and there was nothing more. Then, Elliot made a call to Anastasia. It took her a while to pick up the phone. ¡°Hello, do you need help with anything?¡± Anastasia sounded as cold as ice. Although she knew that Elliot was calling her, she still sounded business-like. Meanwhile, the man furrowed his sharp brows upon hearing her answer. Indeed, Anastasia knew how to grab every chance to provoke him with her words. ¡°I have something going on tonight, so I won¡¯t be eating at your ce,¡± uttered Elliot in a low voice. This time, Anastasia sounded a little happier. ¡°Okay, sure.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you talk to me in a friendlier way?¡± asked Elliot in frustration. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that it ismon courtesy to respect others first for them to respect you?¡± Anastasia mocked. After all, someone who forcefully kissed and took advantage of her wasn¡¯t worthy of her respect. After staying silent for a few seconds, Elliot replied, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Anastasia hung up the phone after that, leaving Elliot stunned. He had always been the first one to end their calls, so he didn¡¯t expect her to hang up first. At 2.00PM, Hayley booked a whole team of professional makeup artists and stylists to prepare her for dinner. Although it was just a meal with Elliot, she had to make sure she looked presentable. She wanted to wear the prettiest makeup and the most beautiful dress, and every detail had to be perfectly refined. Not only that, Hayley wanted to brag in front of Anastasia and let her know that she was having dinner with Elliot! Since there were not many chances for Hayley to show off, she wanted to grab this opportunity. At around 4.00PM, Hayley arrived at Bourgeois. She purposely went to Anastasia¡¯s office, attracting all the eyes of the other staff in the process. Goodness! Isn¡¯t that President Presgrave¡¯s real girlfriend? Is she here for Anastasia? Is this a meeting between love rivals? Will they start a fight? Just as Anastasia packed her bag and was about to pick up her son, Grace suddenly barged in and stammered, ¡°A-Anastasia¡­ P-President Presgrave¡¯s girlfriend is here.¡± Anastasia looked up to find Hayley walking up behind Grace with a cold face. Just then, Hayley shot a re at the assistant and unted her status. ¡°Get out,¡± she said with a in snort. Grace stuck her tongue out in response and left. Meanwhile, Anastasia sneered to herself as she watched their interaction unfold. Who did Hayley think she was to order her assistant around? ¡°Please remember who you are, Hayley. This is Bourgeois, and the employees here are not maids you can order around as you please,¡± Anastasia warned with a quirked brow. However, Hayley simply dismissed her as she sat down on the couch and crossed her legs. ¡°Anastasia, why did you hit Erica?¡± ¡°This is between me and my family. You have no part in this.¡± Anastasia nced coldly at her. ¡°What do you mean I have no part in this? Erica is my best friend, and it¡¯s only right that I defend her. Just because your mother saved Elliot, don¡¯t assume that you can use this debt to behave unruly, Anastasia. Served your mother¡¯s cheap life right to die for Elliot.¡± Hayley attacked mercilessly. Anastasia¡¯s pupils shook with rage, for Hayley had crossed the line. Anybody could talk sh*t about her, but nobody was allowed to do that to her loved ones. ¡°You¡¯d better shut your mouth, Hayley. Otherwise, I¡¯ll skin you alive.¡± Anastasia shot right up, beyond furious. It was a pity that Hayley had indeede to anger Anastasia. After all, she knew that Amelia was Anastasia¡¯s taboo. ¡°Some people are destined to live a short life, and your mother was one of them.¡± Hayley was practically digging her heart out! With that, Anastasia came out from behind her desk. Sometimes, a hand was more useful than words. ¡°Get out. Get the hell out!¡± Anastasia roared as she threw the cup on her table at Hayley, who dodged reflexively. ¡°How dare you throw things at me, Anastasia!¡± Hayley yelled, evidently pissed off by this. ¡°If you stay a second longer, I will even kill you,¡± said Anastasia as she growled. However, Hayley blurted, ¡°If you dare kill me, who¡¯s going to look after your son? His gigolo of a father?¡± Hayley¡¯s words took Anastasia aback, and she red daggers at Hayley. She was so livid that she choked on her words. On the other hand, Hayley sneered as though she suddenly had leverage over Anastasia. ¡°Oh, that reminds me! I think I still remember his name and face. Why don¡¯t I help your son find his father? The guy should know that he has a son after that night, don¡¯t you think so?!¡± Hayley¡¯s words were like a vortex that sucked out all of Anastasia¡¯s strength in one second. ¡°I dare you, Hayley.¡± Anastasia looked at the woman while gritting her teeth. ¡°What? Are you scared now, Anastasia? Are you afraid that your baby boy will be taken away from you? In that case, you¡¯d better not give me your attitude. I have a date with Elliot tonight, and I will give you a piece of my mind if you pour water on me.¡± Anastasia suddenly felt a pang in her heart. She then looked at Hayley, who was all dolled up. She¡¯s seeing Elliot tonight, huh? No wonder he said he isn¡¯t avable. He has a date with Hayley. ¡°We¡¯ll stay out of each other¡¯s business from now on, Hayley. I can overlook what you did to me back then, but don¡¯t cause me any more trouble. Otherwise, I swear I¡¯ll fight you to the death,¡± Anastasia warned. ¡°Oh, have you forgiven me? You¡¯d better thank me too; how would you have had your son if it weren¡¯t for me?¡± Hayley¡¯s shameless behavior made Anastasia close her eyes and suppress her desire to kill this woman. A momentter, she looked coldly at Hayley. ¡°Stop bugging me, or I won¡¯t y nice anymore.¡± Hayley suddenly turned cold as well. ¡°Alright. As long as you leave Elliot, I promise I won¡¯t ask that gigolo toe to you. However, if you continue to pester Elliot, I¡¯ll make sure your son meets his gigolo of a father. When that timees, you¡¯d better pray that he doesn¡¯t take your son away.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll call the police right away if he dares to show himself. Have you forgotten that you¡¯re also responsible for what happened back then?¡± Anastasia wasn¡¯t going down with a fight either, and she didn¡¯t want Hayley to think she was an easy target. After all, people like Hayley would only continue to bully if they knew their victim was a weakling. Anastasia¡¯s threat worked, for Hayley began panicking. After all, she was only intimidating Anastasia, and there wasn¡¯t any gigolo at all¡ªthe real father of her child was Elliot! Chapter 217 I Hope You Can Tell Me the Truth ¡°Alright, it¡¯s a deal. You stay away from Elliot, and I won¡¯t tell anyone what happened back then. Otherwise, your son will know how he came to be. Even if you call the police and have the gigolo arrested, he is still your son¡¯s father, and he¡¯ll have a gigolo of a father who even served time in prison. Haha¡­¡± Hayley couldn¡¯t help cackling as she spoke. ¡°What a joke!¡± ¡°Get the hell out of here!¡± Anastasia roared. ¡°Fine. It¡¯s almost time for my date with Elliot anyway. You¡¯d better not bother us tonight, and I dare you to ruin our night with work. We will be very busy the entire night, after all. I¡¯m sure you know just how good of a stamina Elliot has.¡± Hayley deliberately lied to disgust Anastasia, and she seeded. With that, she headed out with a smug face. Inside the office, Anastasia slumped back on her chair weakly. Her body trembled involuntarily as all sorts of emotions stirred within her, and she felt absolutely awful. Hayley knew her best, and that woman knew precisely where to strike. After all, her mother and son were the people she loved most. Elliot, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t somebody to her, yet it still did some damage. She thought he was a b*stard for dating Hayley while kissing her with the same pair of lips that he had used to kiss the other woman. She could even picture what this man and Hayley would be doing in bed; just imagining it had already suffocated her. With that, Anastasia decided she would stay far away from Elliot; she would never allow him to make a move on her ever again. Meanwhile, just as Hayley returned home in a rush, she got a call from Daniel. s, she had her hopes up for nothing, for she thought Elliot would pick her up himself! After picking Hayley up, Daniel snuck a few peeks at her, not daring to look her straight in the eye. It was only reasonable that he was somewhat fearful of her after what had happenedst time. Then again, he felt truly bad for the woman after making out with her. He felt bad that she couldn¡¯t do anything but only hope that President Presgrave would visit her in this lavish mansion like she was a caged bird unwilling to be free, waiting for its owner to show it some love. ¡°Daniel, am I pretty?¡± Hayley asked out of the blue. Daniel was somewhat jumpy within, for he was genuinely afraid whenever she called him ¡®Daniel¡¯ in such a coquettish tone. ¡°You look stunning, Miss Seymour,¡± he praised. ¡°Do you think President Presgrave will like me?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ he definitely will.¡± Daniel knew he had to lie. He worked closely with Elliot, and he could tell that the president fancied the designer working in Bourgeois and not Hayley. Though it was a lie, it brightened up Hayley¡¯s mood. With that, she took herpact mirror out to retouch her makeup, pleased with how she looked that night. In fact, she hoped Elliot that would take her back to his ce so that she could be the woman who drove his loneliness away. Meanwhile, the car continued its journey to the high-end restaurant. By the time Hayley arrived, Elliot was already waiting inside the private room. The moment she opened the door, her heart pounded wildly, for he¡¯d be able to capture all of her attention and have her lose herself whenever she saw him. ¡°Elliot,¡± Hayley called out affectionately as she sat across from him. Elliot dipped his head in response. Then, he asked a server toe in to take their order. Since he was a gentleman, he let Hayley decide what they were going to eat that night, and like a fish craving for water, she viewed Elliot¡¯s every bit of gentlemanliness as his love for her. She believed Elliot surely had feelings for her. Unfortunately, the vamp named Anastasia had lured him away. ¡°I¡¯ve finished ordering our dishes, Elliot. Why don¡¯t you see if there¡¯s anything you¡¯d like to order?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good. Just bring the dishes over!¡± Elliot hadn¡¯te to eat. Instead, he was here to find out what he could about Anastasia from Hayley. The air grew silent for a while, and Hayley fidgeted around nervously for some time. She tried to get Elliot¡¯s attention, but he would either look out the window or stare at the table, looking preupied. Atst, she had no choice but to speak up in a coquettish voice. ¡°Elliot, let¡¯s talk about something!¡± she said. ¡°I do have something to ask you, Hayley,¡± said Elliot as he looked up at her. ¡°I hope you can tell me the truth.¡± Chapter 218 Anastasia Is Selfish Hayley nodded immediately, feeling joyful. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll tell you everything you want to know.¡± ¡°Hayley, you were friends with Anastasia growing up. I want to know how she lost her chastity and who was the guy who defiled her,¡± Elliot asked as he stared gravely at her. Hayley¡¯s smile frozen upon hearing his question. With that, she pursed her lips and let out a murky breath. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ what you want to know?¡± ¡°Please tell me about it, Hayley.¡± It was evident Elliot wasn¡¯t going to take no for an answer. Hayley didn¡¯t know what to do. The man sitting across from her had no clue that he was the one who defiled Anastasia back then. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t let Elliot shoulder such an offense. She took a deep breath at that, for she had long been mentally prepared for this day toe. ¡°Poor Anastasia. That night traumatized me as well since it only happened because she came to save me. If I hadn¡¯t phoned her, she wouldn¡¯t have gone into that room, and she wouldn¡¯t have encountered that psycho. Even when Anastasia wrongly used me of what happened, I still admitted that everything was my fault.¡± ¡°What did she wrongly use you of?¡± Elliot frowned. When Hayley looked up, her eyes were red-rimmed and filled with remorse. Then, she drew a deep breath. ¡°I know no one can ept such an experience happening to them. Anastasia is a strong woman, but still, she has lost her virginity. She hates me. She said I had purposely arranged for that man to be in there, and I created the tragedy that befell her. I ept all her usations since I do deserve to be d*mned. In fact, I shouldn¡¯t have asked her toe at all. I was with some clients at that time, and they were being handsy, so I asked Anastasia toe and save me. However, I didn¡¯t expect her to go to the wrong room and fall into that man¡¯s¡­¡± Hayley closed her eyes at that, and beads of tears fell the next second. Elliot¡¯s heart grew incredibly heavy as well. Was this how everything went down for Anastasia? Coldness zed his eyes as he asked, ¡°In that case, do you remember where it all happened?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the one thing I don¡¯t want living in my head. I only know that it was in a small nightclub, and I can¡¯t remember the name anymore. I¡¯ve been trying to forget about this, but¡­ I can never forget how Anastasia looked when she came out disheveled.¡± She wouldn¡¯t stop emphasizing how horribly Anastasia had been defiled back then, for she believed Elliot would definitely mind it. Surely, someone as outstanding and noble as him must have some sort of OCD. Hence, he wouldn¡¯t touch Anastasia ever again! However, she bit her lower lip in anger when she saw the popping veins on his clenched fists that were on the table. Was Elliot feeling furious for Anastasia? Nevertheless, she continued to let her tears fall, acting like she was a victim as much as Anastasia was. ¡°I also think I deserve to be d*mned for letting her suffer such a traumatic experience. However, what I don¡¯t understand is why Anastasia still gave birth to his child when she loathed that night so much.¡± bbergasted, Elliot eximed without thinking, ¡°Are you saying that the man back then is Jared¡¯s father?!¡± Hayley nodded at that. ¡°I guess so. Do you think Anastasia is able to ept other men when something like that has happened to her? I¡¯m sure she finds all men repulsive.¡± With that, Elliot fell into deep thought. It seems like Jared is that b*stard¡¯s son¡­ ¡°Elliot, I know you care about Anastasia because her mother sacrificed her life to save you. It¡¯s only right that you look after her.¡± Elliot didn¡¯t recall telling Hayley about this, but then again, seeing how close she and Anastasia used to be when growing up, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising for her to learn about it. ¡°I am indeed racked with guilt for her family. In that case, do you know why Anastasia still conceived the child?¡± Elliot couldn¡¯t figure out Anastasia¡¯s reason for doing so as well. Nheless, given how adorable the boy was, he was happy that Jared hade into this world. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Knowing Anastasia, she¡¯s a headstrong woman. Her father even chased her out back then because of this. He thought she had brought disgrace to their family and had shown him up. As for why she conceived the child, she probably had no other choice. I worry about how the child should face a father who defiled his mother, though. Poor kid! Anastasia shouldn¡¯t have kept him.¡± All in all, Hayley was trying to hint that Anastasia was nothing but selfish. Chapter 219 Keep Me Company Elliot¡¯s heart tightened when he heard Hayley¡¯s words. So, she really was kicked out of her house, huh? Is that why she was abroad for five years. But he believed the reason Anastasia conceived Jared was that the child¡¯s adorableness could heal her pain. Jared was like a cure for Anastasia, liberating her from that horrific experience. This little one, on the other hand, needed love and care, and it would be his duty from now on. Just then, the dishes were served. Hayley was looking forward to dinner when she made the orders, but now she felt as though she was chewing wax. Who¡¯d have thought Elliot invited her to dinner only to learn about Anastasia¡¯s past? At the end of the day, all he had in mind was Anastasia. ¡°Elliot, Anastasia¡¯s a sweet girl. If it weren¡¯t for that encounter, she would be living a happy life.¡± Hayley continued to put on her saint fa?ade in front of Elliot. Elliot, however, was still deep in his thoughts. After hearing Hayley¡¯s words, he nodded in agreement, for the rest of Anastasia¡¯s life had everything to do with him now. He would give her the happily ever after she deserved. Then, Hayley thought of something, and she shyly asked, ¡°Say, Elliot, has Anastasia ever asked you about us?¡± However, Elliot¡¯s gaze at her was clear and collected. ¡°Hayley, what happened between us was a mistake. I¡¯ve hurt you unconsciously that night, and I¡¯ll make it up to you in my own way.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t me you, Elliot. Really. Maybe I¡¯ve suffered for five years, but after knowing you, those sufferings became sweet experiences.¡± Hayley tried her best to confess her love for him. Too bad Elliot didn¡¯t feel the same for her. ¡°It¡¯s best that you don¡¯t dwell on that night. It¡¯ll do nothing but harm to you, after all.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m happy as long as it¡¯s you.¡± Hayley shook her head like a rattle. She was beyond willing to experience such happiness again. ¡°Elliot, I¡­ Anytime you want, I¡¯m willing to¡ª¡± Just then, Elliot¡¯s phone rang, and she looked exasperatedly at the caller ID, only to find it was Anastasia. Immediately, a fire raged beneath her eyes. Oh, how she wanted to kill this b*tch! She swore Anastasia had deliberately called to meddle at this time. On the other hand, Elliot hurriedly grabbed his phone and stood up. ¡°Let me take this call.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Hayley beamed, suppressing her raging fire. With that, he went to the empty private room next door and answered the call with a gentle voice. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Mr. Presgrave, you¡¯ve promised to y with me downstairs. Why haven¡¯t youe?!¡± The little one¡¯s voice traveled from the other end of the line. ¡°Can you wait for me, Jared? I¡¯ll go over once I¡¯m done with dinner.¡± ¡°Really? You¡¯ll stille over, Mr. Presgrave?¡± ¡°I will. I never go back on my words,¡± Elliot promised. He adored the child immensely, even if they weren¡¯t rted by blood. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be waiting for you!¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get there soon,¡± Elliot promised again. After hanging up, he checked the time and returned to the private room. When he saw that Hayley had barely eaten, he couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Hayley, are you done eating?¡± ¡°Are you leaving?¡± She couldn¡¯t help panicking. Must he go as soon as Anastasia called? ¡°Yeah, I still have something I have to get to first. I¡¯ll have Daniel send you home.¡± ¡°But Elliot¡­ I¡­ I hope you can finish this dinner with me.¡± Hayley wished he could stay, but when he looked over with his suit jacket in his hand under the light, she lost all courage and bit her lip aggrievedly. ¡°Y-You go ahead then! I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Hayley. I¡¯ll treat you to another meal,¡± Elliot apologized, standing on ceremony, before striding out. Now that he was gone, Hayley could throw her fa?ade away and bear her bitter, resentful face. Anastasia, of all people, it has to be Anastasia! That b*tch shrouded her like a nightmare she couldn¡¯t drive away no matter how. With that, she picked up her phone and called Daniel. ¡°Daniel,e up here and keep mepany.¡± Chapter 220 She Hates Him Because She Hates Hayley Daniel came up in two shakes, and when he saw Hayley chugging liquor, he snatched the ss from her. ¡°Don¡¯t drink like this, Miss Seymour. You¡¯ll get sick.¡± ¡°Daniel.¡± Hayley got up and hugged him. She seriously needed a man and she didn¡¯t want to give herself a hard time, even if she couldn¡¯t have Elliot to herself. His body stiffened at her contact. He tried to push her away, but she had a tight grip around his neck. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me too, Daniel. Hug me.¡± Daniel obliged half-heartedly. Though Hayley knew she was leaning against Daniel, she couldn¡¯t stop thinking about Elliot. With that, she closed her eyes and consoled herself by thinking she was hugging Elliot. Meanwhile, at Anastasia¡¯s home. Jared waited in his room for Elliot to arrive after making a sneaky call to him. Meanwhile, Anastasia was busy with house chores and it was already around 8.00PM by the time she was done with theirundry. Just as she was about to return to her room to continue working, the doorbell rang. Hmm? Who could it be at this hour? With that, she walked to the door and found Elliot standing outside through the peephole. She was surprised he would stille. Isn¡¯t he supposed to be on a date with Hayley? What the hell is he doing here?! The doorbell rang again, and she knew he wasn¡¯t going to leave anytime soon. Hence, she opened the door with frustration and pulled a grim face. ¡°It¡¯s alreadyte at night. What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to y with Jared.¡± ¡°Thanks, but no thanks. I¡¯ll y with my son. Please leave,¡± Anastasia said indifferently. However, the little one ran out from behind her at that moment. ¡°You¡¯re here, Mr. Presgrave. Let¡¯s y downstairs.¡± Anastasia stared at her son as she watched him dashing out the door to hold Elliot¡¯s hand and say, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you toe so soon, Mr. Presgrave!¡± She was once again rendered speechless. Had her son called Elliot toe over? ¡°Mommy, please don¡¯t be mad at Mr. Presgrave. I called and asked him toe to y with me.¡± Jared looked back at his mother. Apart from speechlessness, she was now troubled as well. With that, she reprimanded, ¡°Jared, who said you could bother him as you please? I¡¯ve told you before that he¡¯s a very busy man. He doesn¡¯t have the time to y with you. Why can¡¯t you listen?¡± It was rare for Anastasia to get upset over her son, but right then, she was truly pissed. She thought her son was being inconsiderate by calling Elliot over when he was on a date with Hayley. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mommy.¡± Jared drooped his head and apologized when he realized he had angered his mother. It was Elliot¡¯s first time seeing Anastasia reprimanding the little one, and with that, he carried Jared up and looked at the little fellow with distress before turning to Anastasia. ¡°I have the time. I¡¯m more than happy to y with Jared, so please don¡¯t scold him anymore.¡± Anastasia didn¡¯t want to scold her son either, but she was in a bad mood that day, and she didn¡¯t want to have any more to do with Elliot either. So, she wished Jared would stop being attached to Elliot and stay away from him even more so. ¡°Jared,e back inside and let Mr. Presgrave go home.¡± With that, she came out and reached out with her hands to carry Jared, who immediately leaned toward her. On the other hand, Elliot was actually afraid of Anastasia at this moment. He was worried that he had hurt her with his words or disturb her, and she¡¯d even hate him. He just learned from Hayley how Anastasia got hurt, how she conceived and birthed the child of the man who defiled her, and how she was chased out of her own home. It was only normal for Anastasia to repulse men when she had been through all she had. With that, he tried to exin, saying, ¡°Anastasia, I mean no harm. I¡ª¡± ¡°No need to exin, President Presgrave. I know you have a date with Hayley. I¡¯m sorry that my son has bothered you guys.¡± Anastasia looked inly at Elliot as she carried her son in her arms. Elliot¡¯s breathing stopped for a split second after she finished speaking and he frowned. ¡°How did you know I was having dinner with Hayley?¡± However, Anastasia didn¡¯t want to talk. Just the thought of him exhibiting his excellence on top of Hayley and fulfilling his biological imperative had Anastasia thinking the air around him was suffocating. As she hated Hayley, she hated him as well. She wanted nothing to do with anyone or anything rted to Hayley. Chapter 221-230 Chapter 221-230 Chapter 221 With that, Anastasia stepped back inside the room and shut the front door, leaving Elliot outside on his own. Jared, on the other hand, was brought to the couch and lectured. The little boy pouted and finally mumbled after a long while, ¡°But I like Mr. Presgrave.¡± ¡°Well, don¡¯t. And never call him without my permission ever again. He¡¯s a big boss, and he¡¯s super busy, understand, Jared?¡± Anastasia knew only by telling Jared Elliot was swamped with work that he would eventually stop approaching Elliot. Jared nodded, expressing that he got it. But deep down, he genuinely liked Elliot, for he saw a father in that man. Oh, how he wished his mother would marry Elliot so that he could be his father. Anastasia felt bad for her little boy despite reprimanding him, as it was her fault, to begin with. She shouldn¡¯t have let Jared grow attached to Elliot. She decided that she would never make such mistakes ever again. It was time she and Elliot drew a line. They shouldn¡¯t be in this ambiguous rtionship any longer. Anastasia mulled over many things when shey in bed that night, mainly about Elliot. She wondered when this man filled every corner of her mind, so much so that she couldn¡¯t even chase him away. But even so, she couldn¡¯t let this go on. If she really couldn¡¯t chase him away, she¡¯d find another man to rece him. It was just a man. No matter how desperate she got, she would never share a man with Hayley. To Anastasia, Elliot¡¯s entire body was long enveloped in Hayley¡¯s stench. It was the repulsive kind that would suffocate her as soon as she got three feet close. That night, Hayley yed drunk and brought Daniel to her room. Under her seduction, they rolled around in bed despite Daniel¡¯s feigned rejection. Yes, Hayley did the deed that night as she proimed, just that it wasn¡¯t with Elliot. While Daniel was asleep, Hayley took a few sneaky pictures. She could use them to fool Anastasia into thinking Elliot was sleeping with her. After a night¡¯s deliberation, Anastasia woke up with an eased mind the following morning. She wouldn¡¯t have to worry anymore after she cleared her mind and nned out her future. She had no time to waste on such things. She had to work hard and earn money, for her son was her everything. Apart from Jared, no one was worth her time and energy. Making money is the top priority. It wasn¡¯t until after Anastasia dropped Jared off at school that she realized she had left her sketches at home. With that, she headed back home to retrieve it. On her journey, she got a call from Felicia telling her toe in for a meeting. After hanging up, Anastasia identally left her cell at the back of the cab, and soon after she got out, the cab driver picked up another passenger not far away. As soon as the young man opened the car door, he found a phone sitting in the back seat. Judging from the phone case, he assumed it belonged to ady. As soon as he unlocked the phone, a little boy¡¯s face popped up, and his heart melted a little. With that, he called thest person the owner of this phone contacted. Meanwhile, while Felicia was listening to her subordinate speak in the meeting, her phone buzzed. She took a gander at it and looked toward Anastasia with surprise. ¡°Are you calling my number?¡± Anastasia shook her head in response. ¡°No!¡± ¡°But your ID is showing up on my phone.¡± ¡°Oh, no! I must have left my phone in the cab. Answer it.¡± Anastasia immediately got what was going on. With that, Felicia answered the call. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Hi, are you a friend of this phone¡¯s owner? She left it in a cab.¡± ¡°I¡¯m her boss. She happens to be right next to me. I¡¯ll let her talk to you.¡± And Felicia handed her phone to Anastasia. With that, Anastasia hurriedly took it and walked out of the conference room. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m the owner of the phone you found.¡± ¡°Hi, Miss. I¡¯m running an errand. Why don¡¯t you give me your address, and I¡¯ll bring your phone to you later?¡± A clear and melodious young man¡¯s voice sounded on the other end of the line. ¡°Thank you, but I should go and get it from you instead.¡± Chapter 222 ¡°I bet you work nearby! I¡¯m at Crystal Enterprise. What about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m at Bourgeois Jewelry Atelier.¡± ¡°Wow! We work next to each other!¡± the man eximed. Anastasia looked out the window and happened to see the Crystal Enterprise building right outside. With that, she smiled. ¡°Yeah! I can see your office building from where I¡¯m at!¡± ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll wait for you in front of your office building at around eleven-thirty. Juste down by then.¡± ¡°Thank you so much!¡± ¡°No worries.¡± With that, she hung up and returned to the conference room. After the meeting, Felicia leaned over with a smile. ¡°You should treat the guy to lunch, no?¡± Anastasia nodded at that. ¡°That¡¯s the n.¡± ¡°He sounds like a handsome young man! I wonder if he actually is,¡± Felicia teased. Anastasia, too, thought the young man sounded amiable. She bet he must be the aspirant, hard- working type. She had gone down and waited at eleven-twenty for the guy toe, d that she encountered a stranger who would return her phone. Just then, a cab pulled over at the entrance, and Anastasia looked up to find a guy in a id shirt coming out. He was a six-foot tall, handsome young man with a clean temperament and an affable look. He was stumped for a few seconds, for he saw Anastasia right as he looked up. With that, he blinked and asked with a smile, ¡°Are you Miss Tillman?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me.¡± Anastasia nodded and smiled. At that, he pulled her phone out of his bag and handed it to her. ¡°Here you go. You should check and see if there¡¯s any damage. I¡¯ve put it in my bag all this while.¡± Anastasia was touched. Of course, she wasn¡¯t going to check because she was already thankful to get her phone back. ¡°Thank you so much. If you¡¯re not in a hurry, why don¡¯t I treat you to lunch?¡± ¡°Please, call me Oliver. I¡¯m a programmer, and I have to rush back for a meeting. So I¡¯ll have to turn down your offer. But I hope we can be friends.¡± Oliver Shaw scratched his head, clearly a little flustered talking to a gorgeousdy. ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s exchange numbers. Do let me treat you to a meal sometime,¡± Anastasia said enthusiastically. After exchanging their contacts, Anastasia saw him off to the cab before returning to the lobby. She had to admit Oliver left a great impression on her. What was more, she had a thing for clean, refreshing-looking guys since she was little. As soon as she returned to her office, her inte rang, and she answered it. ¡°Hello, Anastasia speaking. Who is this on the line?¡± ¡°Come to my office.¡± A maic voice unique to Elliot sounded on the other end. However, Anastasia didn¡¯t want to see him. ¡°I¡¯m busy with work, President Presgrave. You can tell me on the phone.¡± ¡°I need to talk to you about something in person.¡± ¡°You can just tell me what it is, President.¡± Anastasia spoke with aloofness. ¡°I¡¯ll go to your ce for dinner tonight.¡± Elliot cut to the chase. ¡°I¡¯ve decided to take Jared out for dinner tonight.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you guys then.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like it to be just me and my son.¡± ¡°Let me treat you guys.¡± ¡°No, thanks.¡± With that, she wanted to end the call, but Elliot said, ¡°I want to let you know that I¡¯ll be on a business trip for a week.¡± His words took Anastasia aback for a few seconds. He¡¯s going to be away for a week? Great, I don¡¯t have to see his face for one whole week! ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be telling Hayley this instead of me, President Presgrave? Surely she will miss you,¡± Anastasia reminded indifferently. ¡°And you won¡¯t?¡± he asked. ¡°No,¡± Anastasia answered without a second thought. After all, she had decided to stay away from him once and for all. ¡°Heartless.¡± With that, he hung up, and his reaction got her stumped for a few seconds. At three in the afternoon, Anastasia decided to leave work early to pick her son up. When she arrived at the kindergarten, the gates were still closed, so she waited aside. Unfortunately, the friendly mother fromst time bumped into her and approached her. ¡°Hi, Miss Tillman. You¡¯re early today! Is your husband not with you?¡± Chapter 223 Anastasia didn¡¯t like answering such questions deep down, but she still had to out of politeness. ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s busy.¡± ¡°During the family sports day, your husband said he¡¯s working in finance. Most people in this line of work are, like, super busy but super rich. What¡¯s your job, Miss Tillman?¡± Clearly, she was idle chatting. ¡°I¡¯m a stay-at-home mom.¡± Anastasia made up an answer, for she wasn¡¯t a fan of background-check kind of questions. ¡°Where do you guys stay, then?¡± ¡°The block over there.¡± Anastasia pointed randomly. ¡°Your husband¡¯s car costs a lot, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Hispany loaned it to him.¡± The more this woman asked, the more she believed Anastasia wasn¡¯t well off since Anastasia enrolled her son in this kindergarten. Hence, she felt a little better, but when she sized Anastasia¡¯s body and features up, she felt absolutely envious and jealous, for she weighed about a hundred and thirty pounds. Details of Anastasia¡¯s skin could be visibly seen under the afternoon sun. Barely any pores were visible, and her skin was crystal clear and fair¡ªa typical beauty. She had long, silky, smooth hair, and her light gold blouse and ck pencil skirt entuated her shapely figure. There was not a single w this woman could find in Anastasia, and she couldn¡¯t help bemoaning how unfair the heavens could be. Just then, the gates opened, and Anastasia dashed to pick up Jared. One more question from thatdy, and I¡¯d¡­ Ugh! After picking Jared up, the mother and son duo got into a cab and headed to the mall near home for dinner. It was around seven-thirty by the time they came out, and the sky had already gone dark. With that, Anastasia hailed a cab home. Many people wereing back from work when they arrived at the entrance of theirmunity, and so Anastasia decided they should get out of the cab and walk home. Just then, a guy eximed behind them. ¡°Miss Tillman?¡± She looked back while holding Jared¡¯s hand to find Oliver approaching them with aptop bag on his back. ¡°Oliver?¡± Anastasia was just as surprised to find him here. ¡°I live here. You too?¡± he asked with a smile. ¡°Yeah, I live in Block 8. What a coincidence!¡± ¡°I¡¯m at Block 10.¡± ¡°Mommy, who is this?¡± Jared asked curiously. ¡°He¡¯s the nice guy who returned my phone!¡± Anastasia smiled. She had brought it up to Jared over dinner. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you, Mr. Nice Guy!¡± Jared smiled courteously. ¡°Have you just gotten off work?¡± Anastasia asked with concern. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m all alone anyway, so it doesn¡¯t matter where I am.¡± With that, he tapped the fob to enter, then held the door for the mother and son. Oliver¡¯s every action was exceptionally thoughtful and courteous. Right then, he was sizing the boy Anastasia was holding hands with. ¡°Your son sure is a handsome little guy!¡± ¡°Thanks!¡± ¡°Since we¡¯re neighbors, you cane to me for anyputer problems. I deal withputers for a living, so I can surely solve your problem.¡± ¡°I¡¯d really appreciate that! Let me treat you to a meal sometime.¡± When they arrived at Block 8, Oliver waved them goodbye. After returning home, Anastasia decided to go and take a look at some cars for the next two days. It was a much more cost-effective solution than having to hail a cab wherever she went. With the savings she could use, she could buy a two hundred thousand car with full payment. It was a major decision for her. Hence, she decided to have a proper look at which car to get, which became something she was super serious about for the next few days. As Elliot was away on a business trip, he hadn¡¯t attended the recent meetings. Five days passed with the blink of an eye, and Felicia made an announcement that morning. The position of the Deputy Director has been given to Alice. Anastasia wasn¡¯t at all surprised, for Alexia wasn¡¯t Alice¡¯s match at all. Alice had a wide connection, and her family and friends were well off, too, for they helped the retails under Alice¡¯s management earn tens of millions of profit. During the meeting, Alice nced smugly at Anastasia. She had now be Anastasia¡¯s boss, her superior. Chapter 224 ¡°All right. Next, ourpany will give our all to pull through this season. By the end of this month, everyone will be expected to submit double of your usual workload. Also, make sure you show me the extent of your capabilities, and don¡¯t bex about it.¡± After the meeting, Felicia knocked on Anastasia¡¯s office door and came in with a cup of coffee, meaning to have a chat with Anastasia. ¡°Anastasia, Alice is now promoted to associate director, and she¡¯s trying to make things hard for you in every aspect in thepany. You should watch out in case you fall into her traps.¡± ¡°Okay, got it. Thanks for your concern, Felicia.¡± Anastasia pursed her lips and smiled, grateful for a wonderful friend like Felicia. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re looking at cars! You decided to get one, then?¡± Out of curiosity, Felicie leaned over and peered at the screen of her monitor. Anastasia nodded. ¡°I¡¯m looking at some models. It¡¯s not very convenient to hail rides to and from work every day, and the expenses add up quite a lot as well. It¡¯d be more convenient if I had a car.¡± ¡°Did anything catch your fancy? Which model?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never driven a car ever since I got my license, so I¡¯ve decided on this hatchback.¡± Anastasia pointed at a smaller BMW hatchback. It was right within her budget. Felicia looked through the configurations with Anastasia, then in the afternoon, she went with Anastasia to look at the car in person. Anastasia gave it a test drive, and it was quite a decent experience. The performance was satisfactory, and the car looked nice and elegant with its white exterior. Anastasia had been deliberating over cars for around 5 days now, and she finally decided on this model. Right on the spot, she paid the price in full with her card, and let the shop handle the paperwork and whatnot before going back to thepany with Felicia. The car would be ready to drive the day after tomorrow, and Anastasia was also looking forward to the first car she would own in her life. This was an important milestone for normal folk like her. Anastasia had also invited Oliver to lunch, but this programmer never really had time. He was tackling a tricky project at the moment, so he was extremely busy. Anastasia could only wait until Oliver had more time before treating him to lunch. She still owed him one for picking up her phone the other day. These few days, Anastasia¡¯s life had been very peaceful because itcked one person. Elliot! If that man didn¡¯t take the initiative to appear in front of her, Anastasia would have a zero chance of bumping into him. This was because this man dwelled only in high-ranking areas. Even his own subordinates didn¡¯t get to meet him once in the span of a whole year, much less normal people. Six days passed in the blink of an eye. Halfway through her drafting, Anastasia paused her actions before a domineering figure appeared in her mind. He should be back from his business trip by now. Anastasia immediately shook her head. Why am I thinking about him? Anastasia bit her red lip and returned her attention to her draft. Just then, herndline rang. Anastasia looked up with her pretty eyes and hastily answered the call. ¡°Hello, who is it?¡± ¡°Anastasia, have you finished signing the document sent to you just now?¡± Grace¡¯s voice sounded. ¡°Oh¡­ Yes, I¡¯m done. You cane and take it back.¡± With that, Anastasia hung up, then pped her head in annoyance. What¡¯s wrong with me? Did I just hope that it was Elliot? I can¡¯t believe how much this dude can affect me! Just then, the phone rang again, and her heartbeat quickened a little. She reached out and picked up the call. ¡°Hello, who is it?¡± ¡°Anastasia, when are you submitting your drafts for this month? I¡¯ve already dyed your deadline by two days. Don¡¯t you dare ck off¡± Alice¡¯s voice went through the device, urging her. ¡°I¡¯ll work overtime tonight, and I¡¯ll try my best to submit it tomorrow,¡± Anastasia replied. ¡°Listen, I¡¯m keeping an eye on you. If you still haven¡¯t submitted it by 10am tomorrow, I¡¯ll deduct your performance bonus. Humph!¡± Without saying goodbye, Alice hung up. Anastasia felt a little troubled. Alice was now starting to bully Anastasia with her new position as the associate director. She would use every small mistake Anastasia made to get at her. Anastasia knew she couldn¡¯t keep on daydreaming. Therefore, she returned to her drawing pad, but when she looked at the time, it was already 3.30pm. She was forced to give up and continue her work at hometer at night because she had to pick up her son. At the kindergarten, the little fellow had asked her about Elliot before, and she had told him that Elliot would be away on a business trip for one week. Unexpectedly, the little guy remembered this detail. ¡°Mommy, did Mr. Presgravee back today? Will he be having dinner at our house?¡± Jared had a look of expectation on his face. Chapter 225 ¡°He¡¯s noting. He¡¯s a busy man, Jared. He might never being again. Don¡¯t miss him too much.¡± Anastasia looked at her son with a serious expression, trying to rid him of his longing. ¡°But I miss him.¡± The little guy pouted because he missed Elliot terribly. ¡°Keep it to yourself, then. We can¡¯t bother him too much, all right?¡± Anastasia said, then continued in a happier tone, ¡°I may be getting my car tomorrow, so when I¡¯ve gotten the hang of it, let¡¯s go on a drive, shall we?¡± ¡°Yay! Sure! All the best in your driving, Mommy.¡± Anastasia took her son home and got some pizzas for dinner. She had a lot to work on tonight, so the little guy didn¡¯t bother her. Anastasia continued working on her draft in her room when suddenly, the blue screen of death popped up on herputer. Anastasia was on a roll, but now, faced with the blue screen, she was at a loss. What¡¯s going on? What about my precious saved files? Anastasia held her head between her arms and groaned. It was 9 pm, but she had to submit her drafts by 10 am tomorrow. If she couldn¡¯tplete her work tonight, Alice would deduct her performance bonus for sure. No freaking way! I just bought a car, and I¡¯m tight on money. I need to make money! N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Anastasia fretted for a few seconds, then immediately thought of someone: Oliver from Block 10. He was good withputers, but she couldn¡¯t lug herputer out to be repaired, so she could only ask him over to have a look. Also, Oliver seemed to be a trustworthy person. Anastasia looked at the time and knew she had to trouble him for help. I wonder if he is working overtime or at home? Anastasia tentatively dialed Oliver¡¯s number. It rang for around eight seconds before a bright male voice sounded on the other end. ¡°Hello? Miss Tillman?¡± ¡°Olive, do you have time now? Myputer just got the blue screen, but I have a bunch of drafts to submit by tomorrow. Can youe over now and have a look at it for me?¡± Anastasia pleaded sincerely. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll be right there. Give me a while.¡± ¡°Of course, of course. Sorry for the trouble.¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± Oliver said readily. Anastasia told her son that Oliver would be here to repair theputer in a bit. The little guy nodded. She also hastily changed out of her pajamas and into a casual T-shirt and jeans, waiting for Oliver to come knocking. Around 10 minutester, Olive knocked on the door, and Anastasia weed him in. Oliver was wearing a clean blue id shirt paired with jeans. As a programmer, he had unusually thick ck hair, which gave him a cheerful and cool aura when coupled with his handsome features. ¡°You¡¯re here, Oliver! Come in,e in! No need to change into indoor slippers.¡± Anastasia immediately weed him with enthusiasm. Oliver hade prepared to fix herputer, and he had a thumb drive with him as he entered Anastasia¡¯s bedroom. The little guy also came over to watch as he passed Oliver a ss of water. ¡°Mr. Shaw, have some water.¡± ¡°Thank you, Jared. I¡¯ll fix your mommy¡¯sputer first.¡± Oliver took the ss of water and set it aside, then began to work earnestly on theputer. Meanwhile, a mysterious and noble ck car pulled up at the entrance to themunity. Rey nced at the man in the back seat, who had his eyes closed. ¡°President Presgrave, are you sure you don¡¯t want to go home and rest for a while? You haven¡¯t slept in thest 24 hours.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Elliot opened his eyes. He had rushed back just to see this woman and her son. ¡°Shall I apany you?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡± Elliot opened the car door and got out. He was already a familiar face to the security guards, so the middle-aged guard allowed him passage. Even though Elliot¡¯s handsome face was colored with fatigue, he appeared to be in a good mood at the thought of the mother and son. As the breeze grazed across his face, he walked toward his destination. I wonder if that ungrateful woman had missed me in thest few days. Elliot went over to unit number 1502 on the 15th floor of Block 8. He had owned a key before, but Anastasia had retrieved it, so he could only knock on the door. Anastasia was in the bedroom, intently watching Oliver repair herputer. She frowned a little when she heard the knock on the door. Who could possibly visit me at this ungodly hour? Could it be a workering to check the gas meter? There was a notice stuck on her door in the afternoon, after all. Anastasia didn¡¯t think twice, believing that it must be the worker. She walked over to the door and reached out to open it, only to be stunned right on the spot as she recognized the man standing under the light. Chapter 226 How could it be Elliot? Anastasia was dumbfounded for a few seconds. Then, she immediately frowned. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°I missed Jared, so I¡¯m here to see him.¡± The man expressed that he went to her house for her son. Anastasia blocked his way. ¡°My son is asleep. Try again next time!¡± Elliot watched as she blocked the door, his beautiful eyes narrowing. ¡°You¡¯re mad just because I had a meal with Hayley?¡± Immediately, Anastasia widened her eyes and red at him, as if she had taken a huge hit. ¡°Angry? Who? You can have meals with whoever you like, so what right do I have to be mad at you? I¡¯m nobody to you.¡± Just then, a man¡¯s voice came from the master bedroom. ¡°Anastasia, do you have a screwdriver in your house? Can I borrow it?¡± Those words caused the man at the entrance to darken his expression. There¡¯s another man in this woman¡¯s house? ¡°You¡¯re hiding a man in your house?¡± Elliot stared at her, his gaze sharp. Anastasia finally remembered that Oliver was fixing herputer. After some quick thinking, she raised her eyebrow on purpose. ¡°President Presgrave, it¡¯s not the best time for me to be seeing guests, so please leave.¡± The man narrowed his eyes and stared at her with an unfriendly gaze. Then, he pushed her out of his path and strode right in. ¡°Hey, Elliot¡ª¡± Elliot walked briskly to the door of the master bedroom and saw a man crouching and working on the computer tower. Oliver was disassembling the motherboard when he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, as if someone were staring at him. In the end, he couldn¡¯t help but turn around to look. A tall andrge man was standing at the door, staring at him with a frightening gaze. Oliver was startled and identally ran his palm against a sharp corner of theputer tower. A bleeding wound surfaced in his hand. Anastasia had just arrived at the door when she saw Oliver checking his palm. She hastily pushed aside the man blocking the entrance. ¡°Oliver, did you hurt your hand? Let me see.¡± With that, Anastasia immediately bent over and gripped Oliver¡¯s palm. She felt terribly sorry at the sight of the wound. ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll get some gauze and bandage it for you.¡± As the man standing at the door watched the scene unfold, he felt like his heart had been stabbed, and it was throbbing in dull pain. This woman was not only hiding a man. This man was also in her master bedroom fixing herputer late at night. Moreover, this man just got a little scratch on his hand, but she was already reacting like that. Oliver said hurriedly, ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s nothing. Just get me a screwdriver, thanks.¡± However, Anastasia still hastily came out and, getting annoyed at a certain someone standing in the way, said, ¡°Elliot, can you not get in the way?¡± That certain someone put on a tight frown, ring daggers at Oliver. Oliver met his gaze and instantly realized what people meant by the overpowering contempt of a king. He was so shaken that he felt his heart tremble, for this man¡¯s re was terrifying. Just then, Anastasia came in with her medicine kit. She hastily opened it and took Oliver¡¯s hand as she disinfected his wound, then wrapped the gauze around it. At that moment, the little guy from the next room popped out. He eximed in surprise, ¡°Mr. Presgrave! How are you here?¡± The cold expression on Elliot¡¯s handsome face immediately switched to a warm smile. ¡°Yes, I passed by your home, so I came up to visit.¡± ¡°Mommy, Mr. Presgrave is here.¡± The little guy poked his head in and immediately eximed, ¡°Is Mr. Shaw hurt?¡± Elliot was stunned once again. Even the little guy is concerned about this man? Who¡¯s he? I have only been away for a week, and they have a new favorite person? ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. Anastasia, maybe I can move yourputer to my house, and I¡¯ll deliver it tomorrow morning. I promise I¡¯ll get it fixed.¡± ¡°Please, how could I? You¡¯re already so tired from work, so how could I trouble you to work overtime to fix myputer?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I have tools at home, so I¡¯ll be able to work faster if I bring your device home. Do rest early, you guys.¡± With that, Oliver picked up Anastasia¡¯sputer tower and went out. At the door, he looked at Elliot out of courtesy but was met with a terrifying re. His gaze is so cold and sharp! Chapter 227 Oliver¡¯s heart was racing. They were both of the same age, but how could this manmand such a strong aura and have such an intense gaze? He knew right away that this man was someone he mustn¡¯t offend, and he also thought that this must be Anastasia¡¯s boyfriend. Anastasia saw Oliver off at the elevator and said with enthusiasm, ¡°Oliver, I¡¯ll treat you to lunch tomorrow. Be sure toe!¡± ¡°Of course. See you tomorrow.¡± Oliver left with theputer tower in his arms. Anastasia turned around to meet the questioning gaze of the man standing at the door. She said calmly, ¡°You should go back as well. It¡¯s gettingte.¡± ¡°Exin. Who is he, and why is he helping you fix yourputer?¡± Elliot¡¯s expression was grave, as if his rights had been infringed. ¡°His name is Oliver Shaw, and he¡¯s a neighbor. He¡¯s a decent fellow who¡¯s excellent at his job.¡± Anastasia quickly introduced, then felt a little annoyed. Why did she bother exining? He could misunderstand as much as he liked! The little guy ran over and said, ¡°Mr. Presgrave, Mr. Shaw lives right next to us. A week ago, my mommy left her phone in a cab, and Mr. Shaw was the one who picked it up and gave it back. Also, Mr. Shaw is super good atputers. Mommy¡¯s workputer suddenly broke down tonight, so she asked him toe over and help fix it. Don¡¯t misunderstand, Mr. Presgrave!¡± ¡°Jared, it¡¯ste already. Go to sleep.¡± Anastasia felt like her son was a busybody, as he had no obligation to exin things in such detail to the man. Hearing that, Eliot was still a little upset. After all, he would never allow the existence of other men around Anastasia. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, my mommy will get her new car tomorrow. She said she¡¯ll bring me on a drive!¡± Jared continued. Elliot turned around to look at the woman. ¡°You bought a car? Do you have a license?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me. Of course, I have a license.¡± Anastasia had gotten it six years ago when she was in her second year of college, but she just never had a chance to drive ever since. ¡°Jared, go to bed. It¡¯s already 10 pm, so what are you dallying around for?¡± Anastasia nced at her son. Immediately, the little guy said knowingly, ¡°Okay. Mommy, Mr. Presgrave, keep chatting! Don¡¯t fight, all right? I¡¯m off to sleep.¡± The little guy went back to his room. As soon as he closed the door, a certain forceful man gripped Anastasia¡¯s arm. A low voice warned, ¡°Anastasia, don¡¯t let people you don¡¯t know in your house in the future. Am I clear?¡± Anastasia looked down at her wrist, which the man was holding. She struggled a little. ¡°Oliver isn¡¯t a bad man. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t judge a book by its cover. How are you so sure that he doesn¡¯t have any indecent thoughts about you? There¡¯s only you and Jared at home, so if you meet someone with bad intentions, both of you will be in danger.¡± Elliot¡¯s heart was bunched up in anxiety. Does she not have the slightest bit of wariness toward danger at all? Anastasia did, of course. She had the ability to judge people, and to her, Oliver was considered a good person. ¡°You¡¯re also a very dangerous man to me. Please leave!¡± Anastasia took a step backward and tried to chase him out indifferently. Of all the men she knew, the one who had taken the most advantage of her and disrespected her the most was none other than Elliot. ¡°I¡¯m tired. Let me crash on your couch.¡± Elliot didn¡¯t want to leave because he was beat. In reality, he had finished his work beforehand so that he could return as soon as possible. Hence, he hadn¡¯t slept in thest 24 hours. Anastasia was stunned. She had just talked about how dangerous he was, but now he was refusing to leave her house. ¡°Elliot, stop fooling around and go home right now.¡± Anastasia reached out and tugged at him. The man turned around to look at her, and when she peered into his eyes, she was shocked. This man¡¯s beautiful eyes were bloodshot, as if he had stayed up all night. Anastasia released her grip on him and asked out of concern, ¡°H-How long has it been since youst slept?¡± Elliot¡¯s eyes were still red as his thin lips curved into a smile. ¡°Are you worried?¡± This man was obviously exhausted. Anastasia wasn¡¯t exactly worried about him; she just thought that if he continued on like this, he would fall sick someday. Chapter 228 ¡°Isn¡¯t Rey waiting for you downstairs?¡± Anastasia asked. ¡°I told him to leave.¡± Ellioty down on her couch and rubbed his eyes as he spoke. ¡°Look how exhausted you are. Next time, can you just go home instead ofing over?¡± Anastasia said in annoyance. ¡°I sleep like a baby when I¡¯m here. It¡¯s not like I can sleep at home anyhow,¡± Elliot said in a hoarse voice, as if he were going to sleep as soon as he touched the couch. Anastasia looked at hisrge body curled up on the couch and felt somewhat sorry for him. She bit her lip and said, ¡°Elliot, you can sleep in my bed.¡± Elliot turned around and looked at her with his red eyes, the smile in his gaze deepening. ¡°You¡¯re really willing to let me have your bed?¡± Anastasia avoided his gaze and humphed. ¡°Do it before I change my mind.¡± Elliot sat up and walked toward her bedroom. Then, he said quietly. ¡°Don¡¯t let any other man into your house ever again, much less your bedroom.¡± ¡°Mind your own business.¡±She stood by the door when she talked back to him. Elliot took off his shoes before getting into bed. After he settled infortably, he said, ¡°Anastasia, you do care about me. You just haven¡¯t admitted it yet.¡± ¡°Quit the nonsense if you want to sleep.¡± Anastasia turned off the lights for him and closed the door. She moved to her son¡¯s bedroom after that. The little guy was actually sound asleep. Anastasiay down next to him, and in the darkness, some thoughts began popping up. Do I care for him? No, of course not. I was merely taking pity on him for overworking. After all, he¡¯s my superior, and he took care of Jared. While Anastasia looked for some more excuses, she got so tired that she, too, went to sleep. Early the next morning, the little guy woke up first. When he saw his mommy sleeping on his bed, there was a sh of confusion in hisrge eyes. Then, he seemed to have guessed something as he immediately got out of bed and opened the door. When he saw an unusually handsome figure seated on the couch, he cried out in joy, ¡°Mr. Presgrave, did you sleep over at our housest night?¡± Elliot pursed his lips and smiled. ¡°Yes. Is your mommy awake?¡± ¡°She¡¯s still sleeping.¡± ¡°Let her sleep, then. I¡¯ll take you to school.¡± Elliot knew he had disturbed her nsst night. The little guy was ted because he loved it when Elliot took him to school. He changed into his uniform and put on his little backpack, then emerged again. Elliot took the car keys to the table, along with a lunch box that contained whole-grain bread Rey had bought earlier that morning. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, you got breakfast for my mommy?¡± The little guy noticed the lunch box on the table. Elliot smiled and patted him on the head. ¡°Let¡¯s go! I brought some for you to eat in the car.¡± Anastasia woke up in a daze. When she realized that her son wasn¡¯t with her and noticed that her son¡¯s backpack was missing from the desk, she knew a certain someone had taken him to school. Anastasia took a few seconds to adjust herself, then she got out of bed and washed up. When she went out and saw the lunch box on the table, she was stunned. She thought she must be out of her mind. She had just sworn not to get close to him, but she failed again. s! Wondering if the man had breakfast, Anastasia sat down for breakfast. She received a call from the car dealer telling her that she could get her car at 10 amter. Anastasia called Felicia up, and Felicia told her to head on over first, then she would apany her to retrieve the car. Anastasia worried that she wouldn¡¯t dare to drive on the road, so she had asked Felicia to keep herpany as she drove the car back. She had just finished the call when she heard the sound of keys outside the door. Elliot¡¯s back. Anastasia said to him, ¡°You don¡¯t have to take me to work today. I took half the day off; I¡¯m going to the car dealer.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Elliot raised an eyebrow as he walked over gracefully. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Felicia is going with me. You can focus on your work.¡± Anastasia had already changed her clothes. She wore a simple white blouse paired with jeans. It was both a practical and fashionable outfit. To her, the simpler her color palette, the more beautiful she would look. Chapter 229 Elliot¡¯s gaze lingered on Anastasia. It was true that the woman he loved would look good no matter what she wore. ¡°Oh! Really? All right, I¡¯ll leave now.¡± With that, he turned around and opened the door to leave. It happened so fast that Anastasia could hardly react and she even forgot to chew her food. When she heard the door banging shut, she realized he was truly gone. This man¡¯s emotions were truly difficult to grasp. As Elliot walked out of the residential area, he whipped out his phone and dialed Felicia¡¯s number. ¡°Hello, President Presgrave.¡± Felicia was a little shaken to receive a call from her boss at such an hour in the morning. ¡°Send me the address where Anastasia would be getting her carter. You don¡¯t have to show up anymore.¡± She was an understanding person, and she knew what was going on right away. Her boss was going instead of her with Anastasia and Felicia hastily said in enthusiasm, ¡°Of course, of course. I¡¯ll send you the address right away.¡± Soon, Elliot received the address of the car dealer where Anastasia would be getting her car. He started his car and went over first to wait for her. Anastasia finished her breakfast and looked at the time. I should be heading over soon. She hailed a cab and headed toward the car dealer; while on her way there, she even asked the driver for some tips on driving. She had a good chat with the female driver until they arrived at the car dealer. After getting out of the car, Anastasia took out her phone and dialed Felicia¡¯s number as she walked toward the entrance. ¡°Hello, Felicia? Have you arrived?¡± ¡°Um¡­ Anastasia, something urgent came up, so I can¡¯t make it,¡± Felicia said hesitatingly. Anastasia was immediately tense. ¡°What? You¡¯re noting?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been so busy all morning. Anastasia, get someone else to help you, okay?¡± With that, Felicia hung up. Anastasia was instantly worried as she wondered who could help her to drive the car home. While she was pondering, a man emerged from his car, which was parked next to the car dealer. Anastasia subconsciously looked in that direction as her pretty eyes widened in shock when she registered what she was seeing. Then, she finally understood why Felicia couldn¡¯t make it. Felicia wasn¡¯t busy; she was under a certain someone¡¯s orders. Elliot was simply too persistent. Why wouldn¡¯t he do something else instead of sticking his nose into my life all the time? Does he have too much time on his hands? He has Dominion Corporation and QR Jewelry Group to handle, so isn¡¯t he busy? The man coughed lightly. ¡°What a coincidence!¡± Anastasia rolled her eyes at him. A coincidence? Yeah, right. It was definitely a chance encounter that he nned and created on purpose. ¡°You seem to have a lot of time on your hands, President Presgrave.¡± She crossed her arms and with the wind lifted her long hair into the air, she looked quite pretty. ¡°You don¡¯t have to bother other people to help you get used to driving. You have me.¡± Elliot narrowed his eyes because he was willing to risk his safety to help her practice. Anastasia tried to scare him away. ¡°Are you sure you want to be my passenger?¡± ¡°As long as you¡¯re willing to drive.¡± The man was all ready to be by her, even if his life might be at stake. She swallowed nervously. At this moment, she received another call from the salesperson. As she answered the call, she walked into the car dealer shop while the man behind her followed suit, taking long strides. As soon as the man walked in, the female assistant standing at the entrance was awestruck. Wow, what a handsome man! Is he here to buy a car? Is he a client? Is he married? Some men were worth chasing after and Elliot was one such man. Anastasia walked over to a tall and amiable person¡ªit was her sales consultant, Flynn. Flynn was enthusiastic as she eximed, ¡°Miss Tillman,e over here. Your precious car awaits you.¡± A few saleswomen were swarming around Elliot. ¡°Sir, are you here to look at some cars?¡± Elliot didn¡¯t like getting too close to other women, so he said clearly, ¡°I¡¯m here with my wife to pick up her car.¡± His voice was loud enough to reach Anastasia¡¯s ears. She stopped in her tracks and turned around to look at the man smiling and walking over to her. What nonsense was he saying? His wife? The saleswoman immediately looked at Anastasia in envy and admiration. So, this handsome man is apanying his wife to get her car! His wife must be so happy! Chapter 230 Although Elliot was known to be the face of Presgrave Group, he was a mysterious figure who rarely even appeared on magazine covers, let alone the news on the inte. Unless it was necessary, he would avoid all unnecessary attention by keeping a low profile on his social media. While those who met him in person could sense the elegance he was giving off, they had no idea who he really was. At that moment, Flynn looked in Elliot¡¯s direction and saw thettering her way as he greeted him. ¡°Miss Tillman¡¯s husband. This way, please.¡± Meanwhile, Anastasia was stunned by how meek Flynn addressed Elliot, wondering if it was one of her marketing techniques as her cheeks blushed in embarrassment. She really has no problem calling Elliot so gently, does she? While Elliot didn¡¯t like any other woman to get too close to him, Flynn was surprisingly an exception that he appeared to like. Well, I guess her tender attitude has just turned things in her favor. At the thought of that, Anastasia gave up her thought to exin their rtionship, knowing that it would turn out to be awkward if she did that. At the same time, all she ever wanted was to drive that car and leave that ce so that she could practice her driving skills. ¡°See? You have to admit that Anastasia has good taste, don¡¯t you? This is ourtest model that is most suitable for young officedies in modern society.¡± Flynn pointed at the car that was already paid for at the entrance. At the sight of the vehicle, Elliot squinted and scanned around the exhibition hall, thinking Anastasia could have chosen a more premium car. Is she tapped out or something? Why does she settle for a car like that one? ¡°Come on, Miss Tillman. Get inside and feel it for yourself.¡± Flynn opened the car door. Anastasia happily entered the vehicle upon hearing Flynn¡¯s words. To her, she was satisfied with an average car that she could drive around town. Although it wasn¡¯t an expensive car, she was proud of herself for buying it with her own money. ¡°Alright. Anyway, now that I¡¯m done with the necessary procedures, can I take the car with me now?¡± ¡°Yes. Your license te is ready, and once everything is done, the car is yours to drive away shortly after.¡± Flynn rested her arm on the car door, gazing at Anastasia in the driver¡¯s seat while admiring the sight of a beauty with her fancy car. Soon, Elliot sat in the front passenger seat, finding the space in front of him a little too narrow for his legs to rest. Thus, he changed his sitting posture and turned his attention to thedy next to him. ¡°This car doesn¡¯t suit you. I¡¯ll get you a better one.¡± While Flynn¡¯s smile stiffened, Anastasia felt satisfied and experimented with the controls in the car. Without even looking at the man, she said, ¡°No need for that. I like this car.¡± Noticing how much she liked the car, Elliot decided not to insist any longer as he stretched out his legs and buckled up. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s take this car out for a spin.¡± Anastasia nervously gulped as Flynn encouraged her. ¡°Try it, Miss Tillman.¡± Upon changing the gear, Anastasia stepped on the elerator just as the car charged forward with a loud bang that rendered her panicky. Thus, she stepped on the brake pedal hard just as the car jerked violently. At that moment, she heard something hitting the dashboard and looked beside her, only to see the man bumping his head onto the dashboard in front of him before he could fasten his seatbelt. ¡°Are you alright, Elliot?¡± Frightened, Anastasia quickly leaned closer to check on the man beside her. Elliot was seen covering his forehead with his hand, his heart pounding rapidly as he asked himself whether thedy was trying to kill him. In the meantime, Flynn, who witnessed what happened, was shocked, as she couldn¡¯t help but wonder how long Anastasia hadn¡¯t driven. That just gave me a heart attack. ¡°Get out of the car and sit in the front seat.¡± Elliot angrily demanded Anastasia to do as he told her to. Anastasia reacted submissively and swapped seats with the man. Since Felicia didn¡¯t tag along, she could only count on the man to drive the car away and get them both out of that ce. After settling down in the driver¡¯s seat, Elliot adjusted the seat to afortable position before he hit the gas pedal. At the same time, Anastasia nervously looked at him and asked, ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°To practice your driving skills,¡± the man answered. Anastasia blinked, wondering where they were going to do that. On the other hand, there was a Rolls-Royce worth nearly a billion parked right in front of the shop as it was surrounded by a number of salespeople who were admiring its magnificent appearance. Deep down, they were all wondering who the car owner was and whether it belonged to one of their customers. Damn! How rich does someone need to be to own a car like this one? Chapter 231-240 Chapter 231-240 Chapter 231 Soon, Elliot drove Anastasia through a bridge, seemingly making his way to the beach. In the meantime, Anastasia was delighted, sitting in her new car while admiring the power of her new ride. Oh, I love my car so much! It¡¯s like a wild horse that¡¯s sprinting freely in an empty space. Not long after that, they arrived at a coastal freeway without any signs of other cars in sight. Then, he stepped out of the vehicle to let Anastasia sit in the driver¡¯s seat just when thedy noticed how immediately the man fasted his seatbelt and mped the handle tightly with his hand. Does this man have no trust in me at all? Are my driving skills that terrible? ¡°Change the gear. Then, step on the elerator gently and drive forward.¡± Under Elliot¡¯s instruction, Anastasia stepped on the elerator gently to feel what it was like when her car slowly moved forward. It was then that she began to feel more and more relieved as she curled her lips upward happily. At the same time, Elliot slowly lightened up as well, his eyes bing gentler with a smile as he was seemingly influenced by her positive aura. As Anastasia began to drive back and forth on the same road, her grip on the steering became more and more rxed. Meanwhile, she also started to get the hang of how much pressure she should put on the gas pedal, acting calmly, unlike her previous nervousness. Not long after that, Elliot told her to continue driving forward as she did exactly what she was told. In the end, they arrived at a 5-star hotel, whereupon Elliot opened the door and stepped out of the car. ¡°Why don¡¯t you repay my favor by treating me to a meal?¡± Feeling happy about her new car, Anastasia raised her eyebrows and gave an affirmative reply. ¡°Sure!¡± At that moment, her phone rang, at which point she took a closer look and tapped her forehead because she had just remembered she was supposed to treat Oliver to lunch that afternoon. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Oliver. I¡¯m a little busy at the moment, so I don¡¯t think I can meet you for lunch. Why don¡¯t I treat you to a mealter at night?¡± Anastasia postponed her appointment to the night, thinking she had more time to spare since Felicia had given her time to work on her draft. ¡°Alright, see you tonight then,¡± Oliver replied pleasantly. ¡°Sure, see you tonight.¡± Anastasia smiled, thinking she must repay the man¡¯s favor with the dinnerter for the help he had offered her earlier.As soon as Anastasia hung up the call, her eyes were met with the man¡¯s menacing gaze like a hungry beast that was about to eat her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t wait to treat another man to a meal?¡± Elliot mocked Anastasia. Anastasia speechlessly replied, ¡°You did me a favor, which is why I¡¯m going to treat you to a meal now, but when someone else did me a favor, don¡¯t you think I should do the same to show my appreciation? Be reasonable, could you?¡± As someone who was rather sensitive with words, Elliot felt even more jealous after hearing Anastasia¡¯s reply, wondering whether she wasining about him. What kind of person was so kind enough to fix herputer in the middle of the night? At the thought of that, Elliot entered the restaurant with a darkened look. When Anastasia was ordering their dishes, he appeared to be in a sulk and let her make all the decisions, which ruined her mood the moment she noticed his expression. Therefore, she propped her chin with her hands and stared at the man¡¯s good looks with her big eyes. This man is so handsome that I¡¯d almost describe him as perfect if only he weren¡¯t so arrogant. After all, his sulky look is keeping all thedies away from him. ¡°What pissed you off, man? Did someone owe you money?¡± Anastasia teased the man. Elliot red at thedy with an intimidating gaze. ¡°You mustn¡¯t fall for any other man besides me, Anastasia.¡± Needless to say, Anastasia could clearly tell that the man¡¯s words were an order instead of a warning, but nheless, she had grown tired of hearing them again and again, so she squinted and looked him in the eye. ¡°President Presgrave, I¡¯m in a good mood today, but why must you ruin it?¡± Bothered by his pent-up emotions, Elliot felt as if he wanted to jump into the sea to calm himself down, but when Anastasia didn¡¯t seem to care about that, he couldn¡¯t help but feel disheartened about that. I¡¯ve been by her side for so long, so does she not feel my presence at all? ¡°Anastasia, is your heart made of stone or something? Won¡¯t your heart melt for someone who seemed sympathetic to you?¡± Elliot¡¯s eyes were filled with resentment. ¡°President Presgrave, I think you should stop wasting your time on me. There is only enough room in my heart for two men in this world. One of them is my son, and the other one is my father.¡± Anastasia picked up the teacup, trying to y it cool, but she forgot that the tea she poured into the cup was still hot. Thus, she dropped it immediately and ended up making a fool out of herself. Chapter 232 Overwhelmed by her panic, Anastasia covered her mouth and reached for the tissue paper while Elliot, who was sitting opposite her, immediately showed his concern. ¡°Did the tea scald you? Show me.¡± Anastasia covered her mouth, shaking her head. ¡°I-I¡¯m fine.¡± It¡¯s just my tongue that got scalded. Therefore, Elliot quickly sent for the waiter to get Anastasia a ss of ice water to cool her scalded tongue off. When the seafood was served, thedy began to dig in happily and indulge herself in it, but nheless, Elliot was calm and graceful like he usually was, even in front of the mouthwatering seafood. After all, he had grown up trying all kinds of nice food and was hardly impressed with the seafood Anastasia was enjoying. In the meantime, Anastasia was biting the crab leg like a hungry little kitten, making sure she bit off all the flesh underneath the shells as she demonstrated just how strong her teeth were by leaving nothing behind. ¡°Watch out for your teeth.¡± The man reminded her out of kindness with a pair of furrowed brows on his face. Halfway through their meal, Elliot got up from his seat and excused himself. Meanwhile, Anastasia was satisfied with her meal as she turned her attention to the window and noticed how beautiful the scenery was. Wow! There seemed to be no boundaries across the sea, and the yachts that were sailing on it made this scene look even more rxing. I wish it could take away all the problems that are bothering me. When Elliot returned to his seat once again, he took a look at the time on his watch and said, ¡°It¡¯s time to go now.¡± ¡°Alright, wait for me here while I foot the bill.¡± Anastasia finished her words and stood up from her seat. ¡°No need for that. I just took care of it.¡± Elliot looked at her in a mischievous manner, stunning Anastasia as she was bewildered why he would beat her to it and foot the bill. What?! Why was he desperate to foot the bill? ¡°Why did you rush to pay the bill? Are you obsessed with footing restaurant bills?¡± Anastasia felt slightly unhappy that the man wouldn¡¯t let her treat him to a meal, even though she was ready to do it. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Elliot ignored thedy¡¯sint and gracefully made his way to the restaurant¡¯s exit, turning many heads with the morous aura that he gave off in the process. At the same time, there were a few other women sitting at the table on the other side, as they couldn¡¯t take their eyes off the handsome man. Needless to say, Anastasia naturally became the person that thosedies envied, which was something she frequently experienced ever since Elliot entered her life. The next moment, Anastasia followed behind Elliot and reached her car, proudly reaching for her car keys to open the door. However, she soon saw Elliot walking toward the front passenger seat and called out to him. ¡°President Presgrave, why are you sitting there? You need to help me drive my car back.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re going to drive it yourself.¡± Elliot opened the car door and gave Anastasia an indifferent reply. ¡°Wait a second! But we¡¯re going back to the city!¡± Anastasia felt her anxiety surging through her, but as she saw the man sitting in her front passenger seat, she could only stomp her feet helplessly and brace herself for what she must do. Then, she saw the man fastening his seatbelts with his hand on the handlebar above his head like he had a severe phobia of female drivers. Thus, Anastasia yfully scared Elliot and said, ¡°Sit tight, President Presgrave. Your new female driver is about to hit the road.¡± ¡°Stop messing around and focus on the road.¡± Elliot tilted his head, lecturing Anastasia and urging her to take her driving seriously. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. After that, Anastasia nervously hit the road, driving on a highway that stretched all the way from the coast to the city. At first, she was drivingfortably in the light traffic with barely any cars on the road, but as the traffic got heavier and heavier, she began to feel so uneasy and stressed out that her palms and forehead started to sweat. Upon entering the urban area, Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but murmur in a fidgety manner. ¡°Why do the people behind me keep urging me? Am I driving in the wrongne?¡± ¡°President Presgrave, can you tell me when I can switch to anotherne?¡¯ ¡°Is the map directing me the wrong way? I don¡¯t seem to be driving on the right path, President Presgrave.¡± ¡°Why is the car in front of me moving so slow? Even a tortoise moves faster than it. Now, how do I overtake this car?¡± ¡°Why are you urging me, idiot?! Can¡¯t you treat new drivers better on the road?¡± As Anastasia began to lose her temper, the man standing beside her reminded her to stay calm. ¡°You need to keep a cool head when you¡¯re driving.¡± Anastasia replied in frustration, ¡°What¡¯s he doing?! If I hadn¡¯t stepped on the brake in time, I would have crashed into him.¡± After traveling for a few moments, a sports car suddenly sped past Anastasia¡¯s car, shocking her so much that she turned her steering to the side while Elliot looked at her in bewilderment. Chapter 233 ¡°That was a sports car worth a few million! If I had caused so much as a scratch on it, I could kiss my car and money goodbye,¡± Anastasia replied, knowing well about the risk. Elliot was rendered speechless. ¡°Screw that. Just drive like you¡¯re supposed to. I¡¯ll pay for the damage if the worstes to the worst.¡± His face darkened before he asked thedy on the inside if she had forgotten who was sitting right next to her. Oh,e on, I¡¯m someone who is going to ensure everything turns out as a sess for her. Has she really forgotten who is sitting beside her now? ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you getting scared of being my passenger?¡± Anastasia chuckled in irony. Although Elliot felt helpless about thedy¡¯s mischief, he somehow felt happy on the inside because no one else had made him feel so rxed in a while. When they stopped at the traffic light, Anastasia turned to the man and said, ¡°President Presgrave, there is a box of tissue paper that they gave as a gift. Could you please give me two pieces of tissue paper? Thank you.¡± Elliot then reached for the box and gave thedy two pieces of tissue paper. With sweat covering her forehead, Anastasia immediately grabbed them and wiped her forehead just as the man sitting next to her chuckled at the sight of her rare true self. Not long after that, Anastasia anxiously drove her car to the basement car park at Bourgeois. With Elliot¡¯s guidance, she sessfully parked her car in the VIP lot, which was among the lots where Elliot usually parked his car in. ¡°This is going to be your parking lot from now on,¡± Elliot said as he opened the car door and stepped out of the vehicle. When Anastasia stepped out of her car, she started to feel a soreness in her back and shoulders, her legs feeling a little numb. Thus, she swung her shoulders in circles to rx the muscles in her arms, kicking to stretch her legs at the same time. Meanwhile, Elliot, who saw that, couldn¡¯t help but look the other way with a chuckle, thinking he shouldn¡¯t embarrass her by letting him see herughing at her. As soon as the elevator arrived on the sixth floor, Anastasia stepped out of it and looked back at the man behind her, meeting his gaze by coincidence. In that instant, she felt her heart pounding rapidly just as she decided to walk away immediately. Then, she entered Felicia¡¯s office and told her that she had just collected her new car earlier. Also, she invited Felicia, along with both of their assistants, for lunch the next day at noon to celebrate her new car. Momentster, Anastasia returned to her office shortly before Alice entered in a hostile manner. ¡°Where is the draft, Anastasia?¡± ¡°I talked to Felicia about that, and I¡¯m allowed to submit it tomorrow.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just procrastination. You¡¯re abusing your power because you think you¡¯re given the privilege to do so.¡± Alice then propped herself with her arms on the table, ridiculing Anastasia. ¡°Don¡¯t ever think that you¡¯re going to win it all after seducing President Presgrave and stealing his heart.¡± ¡°Well, it takes a lot to win it all. Do you know that? But speaking of that, I don¡¯t think my capability is outmatched by yours in any way!¡± Anastasia folded her arms, refuting Alice¡¯s words. ¡°A true woman never relies on a man to achieve sess. You¡¯re a disgrace to all thedies!¡± Alice humiliated Anastasia. ¡°Watch your mouth,dy! You¡¯d better show me some respect.¡± Anastasia stood up and red at Alice. ¡°If you want somebody else¡¯s respect, you¡¯re going to have to make sure you behave yourself. Everyone in ourpany knows that President Presgrave has a girlfriend, but you won¡¯t stop hanging around with him every day. Do you know you look like a filthydy to me, Anastasia?¡± Alice fixed her gaze upon Anastasia in a sarcastic manner, yet her eyes were filled with envy and jealousy. On the other hand, Anastasia was aware of how her rtionship with Elliot was viewed to be a laughingstock in herpany, but only she knew that she didn¡¯t do anything to seduce Elliot. Therefore, she had no choice but to bear with the misunderstanding and disdain that everyone had toward her. ¡°Get out of my face! I still have work to do.¡± Anastasia immediately cut the argument short as Alice walked away satisfactorily. After all, she only swung by Anastasia¡¯s office to get on thetter¡¯s nerves, trying to y on her emotions. Soon, Anastasia gave Oliver a call fifteen minutes before she could leave work and discussed the dinner they were going to have togetherter that night. ¡°Anastasia, I applied for a leaveter in the afternoon, and I¡¯m ready to make a move anytime.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯ll pick you up then since I just got my new car today.¡± Anastasia finished her words and mocked herself. ¡°Well, that is, if you¡¯re not afraid to let a new female driver give you a ride.¡± ¡°No worries, I¡¯m pretty gutsy. I¡¯lle to your office right now.¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll be waiting then.¡± Anastasia smiled and hung up the call. As soon as Oliver arrived, Anastasia descended to the basement car park with him. Then, Oliver rode shotgun just as Anastasia switched her phone to hands-free mode and yed some music. After the first time she drove on the road with Elliot by her side, she felt less nervous now that she was driving again, not to mention the fact that it was past peak hour. Therefore, her driving journey was smooth all the way until she arrived at her son¡¯s kindergarten. Chapter 234 ¡°Are you sure your husband is fine with you treating me to a meal, Anastasia?¡± Oliver asked in embarrassment. It was then that Anastasia realized she didn¡¯t tell Oliver about herself. Thus, she smiled and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t have a husband. I¡¯m a single mother.¡± Although Oliver had long had a feeling that Anastasia was a single mother, he was still surprised when he heard thedy admitting that by herself. ¡°Isn¡¯t the man I saw in your housest night your husband?¡± ¡°Oh, no. Of course not. He¡­ is just a friend of mine.¡± Anastasia refused to reveal Elliot¡¯s identity, but Oliver was sure about what he saw. After all, he could still remember Elliot¡¯s menacing gaze the night before, as if he was a beast that wanted to devour him alive. Thus, he was sure that Elliot was Anastasia¡¯s admirer. ¡°Since we¡¯re living so close to each other, please don¡¯t forget to tell me what you need, Anastasia.¡± Oliver scratched his head, enchanted by Anastasia¡¯s pretty looks as he considered her a beauty, although she was already a mother. In fact, when Oliver firstid eyes on Anastasia, he was deeply attracted by her elegance and gracefulness. After all, a charmingdy like Anastasia was most attractive to men who hardly ever socialized. ¡°Alright. By the way, what time do you go to work? Would you like me to give you a ride to work? Because that should also help you save some money on traveling,¡± Anastasia asked. Oliver¡¯s eyes lightened up as he happily smiled and replied, ¡°Sure, but I¡¯ll either pay for your fuel or ording to the mileage traveled.¡± Anastasiaughed it off and said, ¡°No need for that. I¡¯m driving to work anyway, so it causes me no trouble to pick you up along the way.¡± ¡°No way. You¡¯re putting me in a tough position to ept your offer.¡± Oliver insisted that he pay for her car fuel. ¡°Alright then, pay for me once every month when I gas up my car.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll pay for your fuel then.¡± Oliver insisted. Anastasia smiled and said, ¡°Sure, when we happen to stop by a gas station.¡± Thinking the chances of them stopping by the petrol station were slim, Anastasia was willing to give Oliver a ride to work because she wanted to have somepany so that she wouldn¡¯t feel bored. At that moment, Anastasia¡¯s phone, which was connected to her car¡¯s audio, rang, whereupon the caller¡¯s name made her heart sink when she saw it. Seriously, Elliot? Why are you calling me? Unwilling to answer the call, she let her phone ring while Oliver caught a glimpse of the caller¡¯s name¡ª President Presgrave. ¡°Is he your boss?¡± ¡°Yeah, he is.¡± ¡°Hurry up and answer the call, then.¡± Oliver felt worried about Anastasia. Thus, Anastasia showed Oliver a quiet gesture and picked up the call. ¡°Hello, President Presgrave. What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Where is your car?¡± The man¡¯s maic voice reverberated in the car¡¯s interior. ¡°It¡¯s with me. I¡¯m on my way to pick up my son now, so if there is nothing important..¡± ¡°Watch out, Anastasia!¡± Oliver shouted out because Anastasia¡¯s car was about to crash into another car. Therefore, Anastasia applied an emergency brake, realizing that she must not let herself get distracted when driving. ¡°Who¡¯s the man in your car?¡± The caller questioned Anastasia, his voice echoing in the car. ¡°I¡¯m driving now, President Presgrave, so it¡¯s not really a good time for me to talk now. Bye.¡± Anastasia eventually lost her patience and told the man that she was about to hang up the call. In the meantime, Oliver was puzzled by what was going on, as he couldn¡¯t help but wonder about the rtionship between Anastasia and her boss. Why is her boss so angry after he heard my voice? ¡°Anastasia, if you ever dare to¡­¡± Before Elliot could finish his sentence, Anastasia went ahead and hung up on the former, only to receive another call from the man. Just when Oliver was nervously wondering why her boss was calling again, she heard Anastasia¡¯s reply that was about to surprise him. ¡°Don¡¯t bother picking it up. Just let it ring.¡± Oliver was speechlessly stunned upon hearing Anastasia¡¯s words but was impressed by her courage to let her boss¡¯ call go unanswered. His respect for her grew greater when she subsequently switched her phone to silent mode. In the meantime, Elliot was seen with a darkened gaze in the basement car park. I was only a few minuteste, and thatdy is now gone with another man in her car. Who¡¯s that man, by the way? Why is he calling her Anastasia instead of Miss Tillman like she is his¡­ What¡¯s worse is that she had the guts to hang up my call. Did I interrupt her affair with another man? At the thought of that, Elliot clenched his fists, feeling jealous of the man who was with Anastasia as it seemed to him that Oliver was having a good time with the woman he loved, just like he did earlier that afternoon. Overwhelmed by his jealousy, he began to feel restless and uneasy. Chapter 235 Imagining the man who was with Anastasia enjoying the sight of her sweet smile when she was driving, Elliot called his assistant, Rey, and asked him to collect him. ¡°Come pick me up.¡± Meanwhile, Rey quickly got to his car and drove from Presgrave Group. Just when he parked his car and was about to get out of the vehicle to open the door for his boss, Elliot had already gotten in, radiating an aura of rage and anger. I wonder who¡¯s gotten on my boss¡¯s nerves. Upon running through a list of faces in his mind, he couldn¡¯t think of anyone else besides Anastasia. ¡°Start driving now. We¡¯re heading to the area where Anastasia lives.¡± The man¡¯s voice was heard coming from the backseat, as expected. In the meantime, Anastasia, who pulled up outside her son¡¯s kindergarten, sneezed as she felt a cold chill running down her spine. Because of that, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if someone was speaking ill of her behind her back. While Oliver waited for Anastasia to return with her son, the kid was excited at the sight of his mother¡¯s new car. Soon, they entered the car, but in order to apany the boy, Oliver decided to sit in the backseat with him. ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s dinnertime.¡± Concerned about her son¡¯s safety, Anastasia reckoned she should buy a harnessed seat for him as soon as she could. At the same time, the boy was able to hit it off with Oliver, having a liking for him because he appeared to treat his mother well. Not long after that, Anastasia went to a restaurant near the area where they lived with Oliver and her son. Upon settling down around the dining table, Oliver soon found himself enchanted when heid eyes on the young and beautiful mother. After all, he reckoned no man could have resisted the motherly charm and love that Anastasia was giving off when she looked at her son. In that instant, Oliver slowly lost the courage to look at Anastasia¡¯s smile because he was afraid that she would see through his feelings for her. When Anastasia footed the bill at the cashier, she reached for her phone and was shocked to see 28 missed calls on her phone. The moment she viewed them, she saw the same name for each one of them¡ªElliot. What¡¯s wrong with this man? Is he out of his mind or something? Why did he call so many times? Wait a second. Could there be anything urgent? But if there was really something urgent, his bodyguards would have protected him, so I can¡¯t see how his safety could have been threatened. After paying the bill, Anastasia returned to her seat shortly before she exited the restaurant. Then, Anastasia drove them back to the basement car park in their residential area. Upon arrival, they were greeted by the sight of a luxurious ck car that seemed to be waiting there for no one knew how long. On the other hand, the man in the car was able to recognize the familiar BMW to be Anastasia¡¯s even before he saw the license registration number. ¡°Get in her way.¡± Meanwhile, Anastasia was about to drive her car into the car park just when another ck car suddenly appeared right in front of her and forced her to brake. She then stared at the car in surprise, wondering if the driver knew any manners. What¡¯s this fe doing here? Does he know that his car is now at the car park¡¯s entrance? Nheless, at that moment, the tall silhouette exited the car like the intimidating and fearsome demon himself from hell. As soon as Anastasia saw the man, she was puzzled and surprised. Elliot? What¡¯s he doing in my residential area? ¡°Mr. Presgrave doesn¡¯t seem to be happy.¡± The child sitting in the backseat could tell from the man¡¯s expression. At that moment, Anastasia was reminded of the 28 missed calls she saw earlier, thinking Elliot must have been mad because of that as her heart pounded rapidly. Furthermore, the man¡¯s hot temper only served to make her fear the worst even more. Therefore, she gulped in fear before she revealed her adorable side and leaned closer to Elliot, sticking her head out to greet the man. ¡°What a small world, President Presgrave.¡± Then, Elliot slowly leaned closer in an intimidating manner just as his silent facial features became clearer and clearer, making him look like an emotionless statue. On the other hand, Anastasia, who sensed the man¡¯s intimidating aura, believed that someone like him would overshadow every other man in the same domain. Thus, she couldn¡¯t help but feel overwhelmed by her panic because she had no idea what the man would do to her. Is he going to be mad and shout at me? Or is he going toy me off directly? Chapter 236 Soon, it turned out that neither of what Anastasia was expecting happened as the man propped his body with his arms on his car frame and bent over slightly. The next second, he spoke with a maic voice, ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you at your doorstep. Hurry up and get inside.¡± Before Anastasia could react, Elliot went to the backseat and greeted Jared with a gentle smile. ¡°Hello, Jared.¡± ¡°Mr. Presgrave, you¡¯re not mad, are you?¡± the child asked. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not.¡± Elliot smiled as he worked past his anger about the 28 missed calls that Anastasia didn¡¯t pick up earlier. However, when he shifted his gaze to Oliver, his eyes were like a sharp de, warning him not to get any closer to thedy. Needless to say, Oliver understood the man¡¯s warning gesture, knowing that Elliot was trying to assert his dominance over Anastasia. After the car in front of Anastasia made its way, Anastasia turned her attention to Elliot and said, ¡°I¡¯ll park my car in the basement first.¡± Then, she went ahead to park her car in a serious manner after locating a nice parking lot. In the meantime, Oliver caught a glimpse of the side view of Jared¡¯s face, feeling shocked by what he saw when he was trying to remind the kid to bring his belongings out of the car with him. This kid looks just like the man we just met. Is he the father of this boy? So, does that mean Anastasia bore a child for her boss? Although Oliver was not someone who was afraid of trouble, he was a man with a sense of shame within him. At the same time, he pitied himself for having to give up the idea of wooing Anastasia before he even had the chance to do anything. ¡°Anastasia, I¡¯ll deliver yourputer to you in a while.¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯m going to be working overtimeter anyway.¡± Anastasia expressed her gratitude, whereupon she entered the elevator with her son and made their way to the 15th floor. As soon as they stepped out of the elevator, Anastasia was greeted by the sight of a man leaning against the wall with a gloomy look on his face. ¡°Have you eaten, Mr. Presgrave?¡± Jared asked the man in a concerned manner. ¡°No, I haven¡¯t.¡± Elliot shook his head in exhaustion. The child told his mother, ¡°Mom, Mr. Presgrave hasn¡¯t eaten yet!¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you eat dinner?¡± Anastasia looked at the man in surprise after hearing her son¡¯s words. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± The man grunted unhappily. When she heard Elliot¡¯s reply, Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but frown at his unconcerned attitude about his own health, asking herself deep down whether he wasn¡¯t afraid that his health would worsen because of that. After opening the door, she entered the house with her son as the man followed them and closed the door behind him. ¡°What would you like to eat? Is there anything I can cook for you?¡± She turned around and asked. ¡°Maybe some spaghetti will do.¡± Elliot wasn¡¯t particr with what he was going to eat as long as it was prepared by her. On the other hand, Anastasia put down her purse and walked toward the refrigerator, feeling fortunate that she still had the ingredients she needed in it. She then took some chicken and a jar of marinara sauce out of the refrigerator before she began cooking. While Anastasia was busy preparing Elliot¡¯s meal, Jared stayed in the living room to keep the manpany. In order to keep the air in her house fresh, she closed the kitchen door when cooking, but at that moment, the doorbell rang just when Jared said, ¡°It must be Mr. Shaw who hase to deliver Mom¡¯s laptop.¡± Elliot stood up and looked at the boy. ¡°Sit here. I¡¯ll check it out.¡± When Oliver opened the door, he was greeted by the sight of a tall, buff man who stunned him. ¡°Where is Anastasia?¡± ¡°She is busy, so just pass me theputer.¡± ¡°Well¡­ I still need to take care of the instation for her.¡± Oliver insisted on finishing his business despite the pressure Elliot was giving him. ¡°No need for that. From now on, she will no longer require your service to fix herputer.¡± He extended his arms and took theputer away from Oliver¡¯s embrace while staring at Oliver. ¡°Stay away from her and leave her alone.¡± Before Oliver could react, the door was shut right in front of him. Then, when he snapped out of his trance and made sense of what was going on, the man¡¯s face began to seem familiar to him. Where have I seen him before? Deep down, Oliver believed he had seen Elliot¡¯s face before, thinking it was probably on the list of the world¡¯s richest men. Therefore, he made his way to the elevator while reaching for his phone, browsing through the list of the world¡¯s richest men on the inte. Soon, he found an analysis of the richest men in the world for thest five years, feeling shocked and stupefied when he saw the first person¡¯s picture on the top of the list. Chapter 237 Goodness! Are you telling me that the guy who¡¯s been hanging around Anastasia is the heir to the country¡¯s foremost elite family and the president of Presgrave Corporation? As the revtion dawned upon him, Oliver felt his legs grow weak. He couldn¡¯t believe he had the good fortune of meeting someone as important as Elliot under such circumstances. When he came to his senses and searched up the list of billionaires in the country, he was surprised to find that Elliot¡¯s name was no longer on it. However, he dide across an article that exined why some of the country¡¯s billionaires had mysteriously disappeared from the aforementioned list. Upon clicking into it, he saw that Elliot was the first person mentioned in the article, and the only reason that was orded for his disappearance from the list was that he simply didn¡¯t care about the status. Not dering his family¡¯s worth only made it all the more elusive, so much so that no one could even make a fair estimation. Whatever the public had seen or heard about his wealth was but the tip of the iceberg; whaty beneath the surface could be far more astounding than anyone might imagine. Having read this passage, Oliver suddenly felt d that he had not been so ignorant as to offend the man earlier. Otherwise, he would be in a world of trouble. Meanwhile, Anastasia ted the spaghetti after she had cooked it and brought it over to the dining table, whereupon Jared told her happily, ¡°Mommy, yourptop is back!¡± She froze. Did Oliver drop by? She hurried into the master bedroom, only to see someone crouching by the desk and assembling something with fervor. It wasn¡¯t Oliver, but Elliot instead. He had shrugged off his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves, and right now, he was setting up her laptop. ¡°You do know what you¡¯re doing, right?¡± Anastasia asked casually as she peered over his shoulder. She wasn¡¯t so much doubting him as she was concerned about having him work on such tedious tasks. After all, he had grown up with a silver spoon in his mouth, and he was probably used to ordering those around him. ¡°You have such little faith in me,¡± he pointed out sarcastically as he went about the work without so much as sparing her a look. She did not miss the hostility of his tone. ¡°Mind telling me what¡¯s the deal with the 28 calls you gave me tonight? I actually thought something happened to you.¡± Elliot¡¯s gaze darkened just then, and he turned to re at her furiously as he demanded, ¡°Anastasia, don¡¯t you feel the slightest bit of guilt for treating me this way?¡± Upon hearing this, she gaped at him speechlessly. Those who didn¡¯t know better would have heard his angry usation and assumed that she had taken his money after toying with his heart. s, she was innocent, and the only crime she could have possiblymitted was missing his calls. Anastasia looked at him awkwardly. ¡°Sure, I didn¡¯t pick up your call, but you don¡¯t have to behave this way.¡± For a moment, she thought he resembled a disgruntled housewife. The idea of it made her sputter, and sheughed so hard that she had to hold onto the door frame to steady herself. Elliot glowered at her grimly. If looks could kill, she would be dead by now. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you find this funny.¡± She knew thatughing at him like this was rather disrespectful, but it was highly entertaining to see him crouching next to aptop while trying to assemble its parts. Atst, she swallowed her remaining giggles. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll stop, but you have to promise me that you won¡¯t spam me calls just because I don¡¯t pick up the first time. I¡¯d be scared out of my mind,¡± she said, showing that she truly had been worried by his incessant phone calls. Then, she put on a concerned front as she added, ¡°I made spaghetti. Why don¡¯t you have some before you set up theptop?¡± Elliot was admittedly hungry, and he was pretty much done setting up theputer anyway. He rose to his feet and narrowed his eyes at her. ¡°That guy earlier¡ªwhat did you say his name was?¡± he asked in a low voice. ¡°Oliver,¡± she replied, blinking. ¡°Where does he work?¡± ¡°At the building next to mine.¡± ¡°What does he do?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a programmer.¡± She was a little baffled by his line of questioning. Is he actually interrogating me right now? Presently, Elliot was but one step away from Anastasia. His gaze darkened considerably as he bit out, ¡°Right. I¡¯ll remember him.¡± She finally understood why he had asked about Oliver. Her hand darted out and clutched his arm as she pressed frantically, ¡°Wait, what do you mean by that? You¡¯re not going to pick on him, are you?¡± ¡°If he keeps pestering my woman, I¡¯ll do more than just pick on him. He ought to watch his back if he wants to stay alive.¡± There was a murderous gleam in his dark eyes as he said this, and Heather thought she saw an insidious look sh over his handsome features. When he was about to walk out the door, Anastasia felt the abrupt need to clear things up with him. She hurried to the door and closed it to keep her son from overhearing this conversation. ¡°Elliot, don¡¯t even think about hurting him.¡± ¡°You seem worried about him. What? Do you like him or something?¡± Elliot asked icily without a shred of warmth in his obsidian, stormy eyes. Chapter 238 Anastasia was left speechless following Elliot¡¯s outburst. Where is all this jealousying from? I¡¯m not his girlfriend, and nothing is going on between us, so why is he getting jealous of Oliver out of the blue? Is there even a point to this? The lights brought out the defiant edge to her delicate features as she raised a brow at the man in front of her and pointed out sardonically, ¡°Elliot, I think you have yet to reconcile with the fact that I can like or fall for someone without having to get your permission. What right do you have to butt into my personal life?¡± However, little did she know that every one of her gestures and expressions only drew Elliot in deeper. Even the way she behaved like an agitated kitten was stroking and stirring his wildest desires. A devious smirk curled on his lips as he drawled ominously, ¡°True, you can choose to love whoever you want, but I can promise you that person will end up in the most unfortunate of situations. In the end, I¡¯ll make sure all the men who think they have a chance with you be so miserable that they¡¯d wish they were dead.¡± Anastasia had never met anyone so unbelievably unreasonable. Just as she was about to retort, Elliot closed the distance between them and backed her up against the wall. He then said, ¡°Let me tell you something, Anastasia¡ªa man¡¯s bodynguage says a lot about what he feels for a woman.¡± The next second, she was made acutely aware of just how dangerous and domineering he was. It wasn¡¯t just the insidious gaze in his eyes that sent chills running down her spine, but also the way he moved so lithely and cornered her like she was helpless prey. She could even feel the heating off him through the fabric of their clothes. It was as if her mind had imploded at that moment, and blood subsequently rushed to her face. Elliot had discarded his gentlemanly and civilized front, revealing the starved and ferocious beast within him. He wanted her to know with every fiber of her being that he was not as tame as he seemed; he was just as tempestuous as anyone else, and he was not one to be messed with. The 28 calls he had made to her tonight were thest of the walls that kept his rage at bay. Anastasia was about to push him away when his lips crashed down on hers, demanding and punishing as ever. Her skin prickled as something warm and electrifying coursed through her, but just as she was about to lose herself in the kiss, the man pulled away from her and walked out the door, leaving her startled and slumped against the wall. Anastasia left the room after regaining herposure, only to see Elliot sitting at the dining table enjoying the spaghetti she made, and he even served a small portion of it to Jared. The both of them looked like a jolly pair as they sat across from one another and slurped on the noodles hungrily. Anastasia had a hard time believing that this man, who looked like a warm and affable house-husband type, had pinned her against the wall like a roguish brute moments ago. He¡¯s just a jerk with a pedigree, that¡¯s what, she thought grimly. She was starting to hate herself for allowing Elliot to make her feel all those things back in the room. Perhaps she really was a pushover. Elliot brought Jared out for an evening stroll after dinner. Though it was gettingte, Anastasia knew that her child would be safe with him. Presently, she sat on the couch and let her mind wander, but she chewed on her lower lip when she realized that she was thinking about that kiss earlier. The kiss had been a demanding and unforgiving one. Elliot was in every way despicable, but for some reason that Anastasia couldn¡¯t quite fathom, she was swept up in the sweet and overpowering current of his kiss. She distinctly remembered feeling like there was a hollow part of her that was finally being filled up, and she was disappointed when he pulled away abruptly in the end. What in the world is going on? I¡¯m not falling for him, am I? She wanted to p herself in the face. No, I can¡¯t fall for him. He¡¯s Hayley¡¯s man! As much as she wished to take revenge on Hayley for putting her through the horrific ordeal years ago, and even though Elliot presented himself as the perfect pawn for revenge, Anastasia had no intention of stooping so low. She didn¡¯t want to mess up the life that she had carved out for herself despite all the adversity, after all. She might have considered revenge if she didn¡¯t have Jared, taking any crazy idea and running with it. s, she did have a son to care for, and her motherly duties tethered her to reason. She refused to do anything that could potentially hurt Jared in the end. More importantly, she could still hear Hayley¡¯s threat echoing in her ears. The male escort who had found her not too long ago could have shown up out of the blue courtesy of Hayley¡¯s doing. This could only mean that Hayley and the escort had been in contact all this while. If that jerk were to appear in front of Jared one day, Anastasia shuddered to think how the little boy would react to having an unfamiliar and hostile sc*mbag for a father. What if that man decides to take my son away from me? She began to drown in paranoia, and she was truly worried and terrified that one day, that scumbag of a man would show up and wreck her life again. Chapter 239 However, Hayley had only warned Anastasia to stay away from Elliot. Anastasia was more than happy to oblige, but Elliot simply wouldn¡¯t leave her alone. As things were, she was at her wits¡¯ end trying to shake him off. Initially, she thought it was a brilliant n to have a fling with another man so that Elliot would see that she was taken and back off, but having heard his very ominous warning just now, she was starting to have second thoughts. If Elliot made good on his threats and decided to go berserk, the men whom she had taken advantage of for the sake of a tactical fling would be sacrificialmbs. At that moment, her phone chimed with a new message. She picked it up and saw that it was a text from Alex which read, ¡®Miss Tillman, will you be dropping by thepany to see how things are anytime soon?¡¯ It was only upon reading this that she remembered she had promised Francis to drop by thepany and check things out. A while had passed since then, yet she still had not gotten around to it. ¡®How about this Saturday? I¡¯ll try to clear my schedule.¡¯ ¡®Friday might be better; we don¡¯t work on Saturdays.¡¯ ¡®Oh, right. Well, Friday it is. I¡¯ll see you at my dad¡¯spany,¡¯ she replied. ¡®Very well, Miss Tillman. I¡¯ll see you then.¡¯ After the conversation ended, Anastasia suddenly recalled the matter of Francis¡¯pany getting acquired. She wondered how that was going. If Dad hasn¡¯t said anything about it, does it mean that the acquisition won¡¯t be happening? She was still deep in thought when she heard the sound of keys turning outside the door. Jared had returned from his evening stroll, and his little face was flushed and glistening with sweat following the exercise. ¡°Time to shower up and go to bed,¡± Anastasia said. It was already 9.40PM, and it was a school day tomorrow. She stood up from the couch and added stoically, ¡°President Presgrave, you ought to be getting home now that it¡¯s sote at night.¡± Elliot was drinking when he heard this and choked. As he coughed, he turned to look at the cold and unfeeling woman that he was so in love with. Meanwhile, Anastasia didn¡¯t think he would actually choke on water. She hurried up to him and asked out of concern, ¡°Are you alright?¡± He was exasperated. The woman had mood swings that were as unpredictable as the June weather. She had been fine moments ago when he and Jared left for their evening stroll, but now, she was treating him like he was wholly unwee in her home. He thought his anger was perfectly justified. ¡°Go and give Jared a bath while I catch my breath here,¡± he said in clipped tones as he walked away with the drinking ss in hand. Then, he sat down on the couch and took another graceful sip of water. Anastasia gave him an incredulous look, but she proceeded to ignore him as she turned to give Jared a bath. Ten minutester, the little guy was dressed in pajamas, and he padded over to where Elliot was on the couch. Anastasia, on the other hand, was bringing in theundry from the balcony when she saw this scene, and even she had to admit that Jared and Elliot shared a striking resemnce. However, not even their striking resemnce could change the fact that they were not biologically rted. Unfortunately for Jared, his father was a douchebag through and through. Anastasia took a deep breath and said to her son, ¡°I think it¡¯s time for bed now, Jared. I need to talk to Mr. Presgrave about some work stuff.¡± Jared blinked hisrge doe-eyes at her and asked, ¡°Can I stay and listen?¡± ¡°No. This conversation is strictly adults-only, so you have to go into your room,¡± she insisted. Then, she took on a semi-threatening tone as she added, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want me to drag you out of bed tomorrow if you wake upte, would you?¡± It was only then that Jared mbered out of Elliot¡¯s arms and hurried into his bedroom. She went to tuck him in and turned on the air-conditioning. Then, she closed the door behind her as she left. She nced over at the man lounging on her couch and steeled herself for the conversation she was about to have with him. Elliot seemed to have sensed this as well, for he appeared to be waiting to see what she wanted to talk to him about. Whatever it was, it definitely wasn¡¯t about work. She poured out a cup of tea for him and set it down on the coffee table. Anastasia then looked at him solemnly as she said, ¡°Elliot, we need to talk about whatever is going on between us right now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± He would very much like to hear what she was thinking. Anastasia sighed. ¡°First of all, I¡¯d like to thank you for all the help you¡¯ve given to me and Jared. You¡¯re a good man, and you shouldn¡¯t have to waste your time taking care of us. Secondly, I want you to walk out of my and my son¡¯s life and leave us alone. I can tell that Jared is starting to grow attached to you, and I don¡¯t want whatever might happen between us to hurt a kid like him. Thirdly, I¡¯d like to make it clear that ours is a strictly professional rtionship, especially in the workce where any dating or flirting is prohibited. Finally, I¡¯m really grateful for all the help you¡¯ve given to my father¡¯spany. I promise you that I¡¯ll find a way to repay your kindness.¡± Chapter 240 The implication behind such carefully-phrased and stoically-arranged words did not escape Elliot. Anastasia was asking him to walk out of her life entirely. She never tried to see things from his point of view; instead, she tried to build wall after wall between them so that she could hide from the feelings they had for each other. Presently, the chord in Anastasia¡¯s heart was wound taut, and it felt like something in her would snap at any given moment. She stared at him intently, her gaze tracing over his handsome features in hopes of finding even a flicker of emotion. s, the man was a champ when it came to putting on a poker face, for she couldn¡¯t see even the slightest shift in his expression. ¡°I¡¯ll agree to whatever you¡¯ve proposed, but there¡¯s something I want you to do for me as well,¡± Elliot finally said as he propped his elbows up on the back of the couch and leaned into the seat insouciantly. He had tipped his chin up at an almost haughty angle, revealing his wless jawline. The elegant curve of his neck extended down to where his chiseled corbone was partially obscured by his shirtpel, and for some reason, he looked particrly alluring and dangerously seductive. Anastasia couldn¡¯t help sneaking a few more nces at him. He wouldn¡¯t ask me to do anything crazy, would he? She decided to hear him out. ¡°What is it? Just forewarning you, I might not be able to do whatever you want me to,¡± she said. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll certainly be able to,¡± he said confidently. She eyed him skeptically. ¡°Let¡¯s hear it then.¡± He raised a brow as amusement and mischief glittered in his dark eyes. ¡°Give me a kiss.¡± Shock rippled through her, and it was almost as if she was operating on instinct when she snapped, ¡°No way!¡± He didn¡¯t seem like he was going to force her into doing it, for he rose to his feet and drawled nonchntly, ¡°Fine. That just means I don¡¯t have to agree to anything you¡¯ve asked me to do either. We can just let this will-they-won¡¯t-they trope go on for as long as it can!¡± Panic filled her at the prospect of this, and she put out an arm to stop him. ¡°Hey, you can¡¯t leave until we clear things up between us!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already made my part clear, but you refused to go along with it,¡± Elliot pointed out unhappily. Is it so hard for her to kiss me? Will it shorten her lifespan or make her bleed a pint of blood or something? Anastasia¡¯s thoughts were mored. Bewildered as she was, she blurted out, ¡°Are you serious? Will you really leave me alone if I just¡­ kiss you?¡± ¡°You have my word,¡± he promised as his lips curled into a roguish smirk. After all, there might still be a chance for him to turn things around. She was so flustered that blood rushed to her face, and she pursed her lips as she fell into a furious debate with herself. The idea of kissing him was enough to plunge her into this unprecedented crisis. If she agreed to do this and kissed him, they would go back to being strangers; if she refused, their continued entanglement would onlye with the risk of Hayley showing up with that male escort and threatening to wreck her and Jared¡¯s lives. Putting a safe distance between herself and Elliot was clearly in her best interests at this point, and she wondered why she was even having a dilemma in the first ce. Anastasia was in such deep thought that she didn¡¯t even notice how Elliot¡¯s expression had soured. He could hardly believe that she would be so reluctant to kiss him, so much so that she appeared to be weighing out the pros and cons of it. At longst, a clear and unwavering look shed in her eyes, and she met his gaze as she agreed, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll kiss you, but you have to make good on your word. No take-backs.¡± He felt his amusement drain out of him in record time. She was only agreeing to kiss him so that he would leave her and her son alone. It was like ying a game of truth or dare, and the person who chose thetter would be rewarded with a million in cash prize if they followed through. In this case, Elliot was getting kissed because it was a dare on her part, and she was getting her old life back in return. Since he didn¡¯t want to back down so easily, he said, ¡°You have five seconds. If you don¡¯t kiss me within that time frame, the deal¡¯s off the table.¡± Anastasia¡¯s heart dropped to her stomach. She had to crane her neck just to look up at him, and there was no way she could kiss him while he was standing at his full height! ¡°Let¡¯s go to my room,¡± she suggested after considering the embarrassment that woulde from having her son walk in on them while they were kissing in the living room. Elliot narrowed his eyes and watched as she retreated into her bedroom. At that moment, he looked like a hungry wolf who had zoned in on a helpless bunny. He went into the room after her, and she closed the door. She took a deep breath and said, ¡°I can¡¯t kiss you while you¡¯re standing. You¡¯re too tall.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my fault you¡¯re short,¡± he retorted wickedly. ¡°You¡­¡± She glowered at him, cursing him inwardly. ¡°Do you still want me to kiss you or not?¡± He smiled, and it looked like he had resumed his yful mood as he said in a husky, maic voice that sent tingles up her spine, ¡°Of course I want you to kiss me.¡± There was no hiding the excitement and love in his eyes. Chapter 241-250 Chapter 241-250 Chapter 241 Anastasia had turned a bright shade of red, and she could hear her heart beating in her ears. The man who stood in the room with her was so suave that he was basically a walking tower of testosterone. Just as she tried to recollect her thoughts, Elliot suddenly reached out and drew her close with one arm. She gasped when he suddenly leaned forward and dipped his head, and his lips were but inches away from hers. She blushed furiously as the air around her grew warm and became engulfed with his scent, which had a familiar tinge of peppermint to it. She blinked and realized that Elliot¡¯s skin still looked wless from up close. For some reason, this goodbye kiss was bing too hot-and-heavy forfort. More importantly, he was gazing down at her with nothing but endearment, which made her heart beat so fast that it could fly out of her chest. She looked away nervously, and though she tried to back away from him, his arm was so tightly wound around her waist that she could not budge. She could only cling to his muscr arm and his broad shoulder, using them as her pivot as she tried to break free. ¡°Three!¡± Elliot started counting in a voice that sounded like a low, dangerous growl. She gaped at him incredulously. Wait! He said five seconds! How did it be three all of a sudden? This guy¡¯s trying to weasel his way out of the deal! However, she couldn¡¯t let her anger settle; when she was about to use him of cheating, he parted his lips and said, ¡°Two!¡± This sent panic coursing through her. In a fit of desperation, she reached out her delicate hands and cupped his face. Then, she closed her eyes as she leaned forward to kiss him on his perfectly-carved lips. It¡¯s just a kiss. What¡¯s the big deal¡ª ¡°Mmph!¡± Anastasia¡¯s eyes widened when she realized that Elliot¡¯s ferocity was probed. He was kissing her back aggressively, seeming as though he wanted to pack all his pent-up feelings into this one kiss. At that moment, he was no longer the cool and reserved president of apany; he was a man who had relinquished all his self-control just to pour his love out for her. He had abandoned his calm reasoning in favor of heated recklessness. He wanted to show his true self and bare his soul to her. On the other hand, Anastasia was startled by how hungrily he kissed her that she instinctively tried to push him away. However, he did not release her, and as he demanded more of her, she found herself starting to cave into the kiss. She was losing herself, and the air was thick with electrifying tension. Just then, the tenant upstairs moved what sounded like a heavy object, and two muffled thuds were all it took for Anastasia to snap out of her reverie. She summoned all the strength she had and pushed Elliot away before he got the better of her. He was a little confused by her sudden rejection at first, but he quickly broke into a grin as he said, ¡°I¡¯m very much satisfied.¡± It was by sheer force of will that she managed to keep her heart from leaping out of her ribcage as she said calmly, ¡°You may leave now.¡± Elliot stared at her. She was so beautiful under the lights that he felt he could stay there and look at her forever. A bad feeling rose in her when she met his burning gaze. Why is he still looking at me like that when he¡¯s supposed to leave? ¡°Are you considering going back on your word?¡± She was furious now. She could hardly believe that he would refuse to hold up his end of the deal after what she had just done. He raised a brow. ¡°Of course not. I¡¯ll get going now. Call me if you miss me.¡± Then, he suddenly thought of something and asked in a confrontational tone, ¡°You¡¯re not nning to carpool with that programmer punk to work, are you?¡± She was at a loss for words. She didn¡¯t think it had anything to do with him whether she carpooled with anyone or not. Before she could say anything, a frosty look shed in his eyes as he ordered imperiously, ¡°You are not allowed to have any man other than myself in the passenger seat of your car, Anastasia.¡± She nearly burst outughing, but she kept a straight face as she drawled sarcastically, ¡°Is that so? I should probably have all the men in thepany line up to take a ride in the passenger seat of my car. What are you going to do about that? Fire all of them?¡± Elliot was stumped by this for a few seconds, but when he thought about how he had given the programmer a stern warning earlier that evening, he figured that the man would know better than to try his luck with Anastasia. This was the first time Anastasia had ever encountered anyone so outrageously demanding and controlling. It was as if he wouldn¡¯t be happy until he could pick out all the molecules in the air and force her to only breathe in the ones he deemed fit. Perhaps he should try getting global warming under control and do everyone a great service! ¡°I¡¯m leaving now,¡± he said as he gave her a long, hard look. After that, he grabbed his keys off the table and left without putting up a fight. Anastasia was skeptical as she watched him leave, and she wondered if this truly marked the end of his constant presence in her and Jared¡¯s private life. She began to question if he really would hold up his end of the deal, and she found herself hoping that that would be the case. As shey in bed that night, sleep evaded her once again. She couldn¡¯t stop reying the scene of the kiss from earlier, and there was no shaking it off no matter how many times she had tossed and turned in bed. She was starting to think that Elliot had cast some kind of spell on her. Chapter 242 Anastasia didn¡¯t know why she would think of Elliot now and then even though they had already agreed to go back to being strangers. No, stop this, she chided herself. I have to stop thinking about him. I still have work tomorrow. She still had to work for a living, and she couldn¡¯t afford to lose sleep right now. In fact, she had to catch up on rest. However, the more she tried to convince herself to sleep, the harder it was for her to actually drift off into slumber. She gave up in the end, and at some point, sleep came to her without having to be beckoned. Early the next morning, she woke up and opened her eyes blearily. Then, she reached for her phone and texted Oliver, telling him to meet her at the basement parking lotter. Her phone rang shortly after, and she answered the call. ¡°Hey there, Oliver. How much longer will you need?¡± ¡°Uh, Anastasia, I don¡¯t think I can carpool with you anymore. I¡­ I need to make a trip back to my hometown, and I¡¯ll probably be there for half a year,¡± Oliver said on the other line. ¡°That¡¯s sudden,¡± she remarked. ¡°Did something happen back home?¡± ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s just¡­ I figured I should keep my parentspany for a while. Anyway, don¡¯t worry about me. Remember to drive safe to work,¡± he replied, adding a gentle reminder at the end. She nodded and said kindly, ¡°Well, you take care as well and don¡¯t overwork yourself.¡± Oliver¡¯s reluctance did not wane even after he had hung up, but he was admittedly relieved. After all, getting too close to Anastasia would only evoke the Presgraves¡¯ wrath and put him on their assassination radar. When Anastasia had dropped Jared off at school, she got a text from Felicia telling her to drive safely to work and that she had already helped her check into work. Upon reading this, Anastasia felt a surge of warmth go through her, and words couldn¡¯t describe how grateful she was to have such a considerate person for a superior. Now that she was no longer anxious to get to work on time, she slowed down and found herself maneuvering through the streets easily. She hardly hit any traffic on the way, and by the time she pulled into thepany building¡¯s basement parking lot, she deliberately chose not to park in the spot Elliot had reserved for her, but in one of the ordinary spots instead. She had only just gone up to the office when Grace told her that Felicia wanted to see her. Since she didn¡¯t want to dawdle, Anastasia headed straight into Felicia¡¯s office. Felicia was dressed in a rose-red suit today, adding a vibrant edge to her already-professional appearance. Although she was 36 this year, she was still full of life and zest. Presently, it was only after Anastasia had walked into her office that she looked down at Felicia¡¯s fingers as they flew across the keyboard, and she noticed the diamond ring Felicia was wearing. She couldn¡¯t help smiling as she leaned forward and asked knowingly, ¡°Felicia, has someone perhaps¡­ proposed to you?¡± At once, Felicia grew bashful as she nced at the ring on her finger. ¡°You¡¯re the first one to notice, and yes, I¡¯m seeing someone right now.¡± ¡°Congrattions! Do I hear wedding bells?¡± ¡°No, we¡¯re still in our early stages! We just want to take things slow for now.¡± Felicia was known to have strong ideals, and it went without saying that her values and principles in life were carried into her newfound rtionship as well. Having exchanged pleasantries, Felicia opened up a cab and produced an intricately-wrapped gift box. Then, she opened it to reveal an ornate jewelry case painted over with floral motifs. In the case were nestled two nes that glittered breathtakingly under the natural light. ¡°I didn¡¯t think these would be ready so soon!¡± Anastasia eximed in surprise. The nes were designed by her, and she had toiled over them in earnest. To see them brought to life now made her feel like she was on cloud nine, and any other designer would rte to this. Felicia hummed in response as she gazed at the jewelry proudly. ¡°The workmanship and the design are wless. If these weren¡¯t limited edition pieces, I would have petitioned to have them sold at all of our boutiques.¡± ¡°What time will the client being to collect these?¡± Needless to say, Felicia had contacted the customer at the very first instance. ¡°I¡¯ve already given them a call, and they said they¡¯ll be here in the afternoon.¡± Anastasia nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s have lunch together. I¡¯ll make reservations.¡± Felicia agreed to this with a nod. When Anastasia left the office afterward, she did not notice the malicious gaze fixed on her. Alice had never expected Anastasia and Felicia to get along so well, much less be on such friendly terms. She couldn¡¯t put pressure on Anastasia now even if she wanted to, for Felicia would only nip it in the bud. Alice knew that the only way for her to climb up the corporatedder now was to have Felicia and Anastasia kicked out of Bourgeois. Otherwise, her career here would stagnate. That afternoon, Anastasia and Felicia brought their assistants along with them to lunch. The whole affair was a lighthearted one as they exchanged funny anecdotes and enjoyed the reprieve from work. Meanwhile, over at the luxurious vi, Hayley had already gotten a call from Bourgeois at 10.00AM telling her that her jewelry was ready to be collected. This was the moment that she had been waiting a whole month for, and now that she could finally gloat in Anastasia¡¯s face, she was not going to let the chance go. Chapter 243 Harriet had been waiting for days to have a meal together with her grandson, and he finally returned to Presgrave Residence to fulfill her wish. They were both seated at the dining table when she asked hesitantly, ¡°Elliot, did Anastasia really mean it when she said she would never marry?¡± ¡°Rx, Grandma,¡± Elliot consoled. ¡°Things change all the time.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been speaking to Nigel on the phone over the past few days. I was hoping that he could put more effort into pursuing Anastasia romantically, and I told him not to give up just yet.¡± Elliot¡¯s spoon halted mid-way to his mouth as he sighed and said, ¡°Grandma, Nigel and I both like the same girl, and you should be encouraging me now that he¡¯s backed off so that I can go on to pursue her.¡± Harriet¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard this. ¡°What? Are you pursuing Anastasia now? Does she reciprocate your feelings?¡± ¡°I¡¯m still working on making that happen, but don¡¯t worry, Grandma. I promise I¡¯ll marry her,¡± Elliot said solemnly. For some reason, he was confident that he would make her his wife. When Harriet saw how determined her grandson was about this, she chuckled. ¡°Well, I know you¡¯ll give it your best shot. Don¡¯t let me down, Elliot.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°By the way, do bring that little boy around here sometime soon. I want to take a look at him too,¡± Harriet added expectantly. ¡°Now isn¡¯t the right time, but give me a month and I¡¯ll bring him back here to visit you.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± she conceded. ¡°Talk to Anastasia about this and have here by house whenever she¡¯s free.¡± She nodded slowly. Knowing that her grandson would take care of everything, she could afford to wait patiently. At 2.30PM, Anastasia was drinking coffee in her office while tweaking some design sketches on the table when her extension line suddenly rang. She picked up the receiver and greeted, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Anastasia, the customer has arrived. We have to go to Room 302 now.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ming,¡± Anastasia said. She set her coffee aside and grabbed the relevant folder off her desk before getting up to leave her office. Room 302 was the VIP guest lounge. After Anastasia and Felicia met each other in the middle of the hallway, they turned to make their way to the lounge. Felicia knocked on the door before entering, and when she saw the girl seated on the couch, she was stunned. On the other hand, Anastasia fell in step behind her. When she saw the customer, her eyes widened in surprise as well, for the girl who was seated on the couch was not the same one who had ced orders for the nes the other day. Instead, it was Hayley. ¡°Good day, Miss Seymour,¡± Felicia greeted enthusiastically after a few seconds of hesitation, and she walked up to the girl with a friendly smile in ce. A million questions flooded Anastasia¡¯s mind at that moment, but at the same time, she seemed to have unraveled a great mystery. As it turned out, Hayley had asked someone to ce the order for two nes specifically designed by her. It would be of no surprise now if Hayley were to tell her that the nes were for Elliot and herself. After taking a deep breath, Anastasia sat down next to Felicia and nced at Hayley, only to meet the girl¡¯s triumphant gaze as expected. ¡°Thank you for putting in such hard work to design these gorgeous his-and-hers nes, Anastasia. I¡¯m very pleased with them,¡± Hayley said as she crossed her legs. ¡°I¡¯m sure Elliot would love them once he sets eyes on them too.¡± Anastasia had nothing to say to her. Next to her on the couch, Felicia interjected politely, ¡°We¡¯re d to hear that, Miss Seymour. You¡¯re a really important client of ours, and we know that Anastasia has the impressive ability to create something special for you and your loved one.¡± Hayley smirked as she eyed Anastasia viciously. ¡°How about you personally give me your blessings, Miss Tillman? Just a few nice words for my boyfriend and me for sentiment¡¯s sake.¡± At that moment, Anastasia felt like all the air had been sucked out from her lungs, and she bit out icily, ¡°I¡¯m never one to give my blessings.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be so frigid, Miss Tillman! Here, why don¡¯t I help you start it off? You can never go wrong with wishing us evesting happiness, that we would grow old together and have a family of our own¡ª stuff like that!¡± Felicia stepped in naturally and said soothingly, ¡°In that case, on behalf of Miss Tillman and all the employees here, I wish you and President Presgrave all the happiness in life, and that the both of you will stick by each other through thick and thin. May you guys find wonderfulpanionship in one another.¡± However, Hayley quirked her lips unhappily and pointed out, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to give me your blessings, Director Evans. It¡¯s Miss Tillman¡¯s I want.¡± Felicia grew stiff in her seat, evidently flustered. Beside her, Anastasia knew how wicked Hayley could get. Since she didn¡¯t want to humiliate Felicia, she said begrudgingly, ¡°Hayley, for the sake of getting you to shut up about this, I wish you and Elliot all the happiness. There! Is that what you want to hear?¡± Once she heard Anastasia¡¯s words, Hayley¡¯s smug smile widened. She was pleased to have the upper hand here, and she snorted as she drawled, ¡°Seeing as you¡¯ve given us your blessings, Miss Tillman, I will be ever so gracious and thank you for it. Elliot isn¡¯t in the office now, so I¡¯m going to need you to personally deliver these nes to himter and tell him that you designed these for the both of us.¡± Chapter 244 Hayley was dangling her rtionship with Elliot in front of Anastasia on purpose now. However, the other woman didn¡¯t shy away from agreeing to it as she said nonchntly, ¡°Sure, that won¡¯t be a problem at all. I¡¯ll personally drop these nes off at his office, and I¡¯ll be sure to give him my blessings as well.¡± Hayley was somewhat unsettled after hearing this, so she turned to address Felicia curtly, ¡°Director Evans, could you give me a few moments alone with Miss Tillman?¡± ¡°Of course. Excuse me,¡± Felicia replied courteously and rose to leave, but not before giving Anastasia a worried look. The door had only just fallen shut when Hayley glowered at Anastasia viciously and snapped, ¡°If you¡¯ve taken my warning to heart, you ought to know better than clinging to Elliot like gum stuck to the bottom of his shoe. You wouldn¡¯t want me to bring a certain gigolo around to see you, right?¡± ¡°Looks like you were the one who told that man where I was, and that was how he found me,¡± Anastasia deduced grimly instead of responding to Hayley¡¯s threat. The man had even arranged for her to sleep with punters just to rake in some extra cash for him, which aggravated her to the point of wanting to throttle him. Hayley nodded smugly. ¡°Yes, I was the one who told him. Do you know how miserable he is right now? He¡¯spletely broke, and he has neither family nor children of his own. He has nothing in this world to live for, so when he found out about his adorable and precious son, he was ted. I was the one who gave him money to stall him froming after the both of you. Pretty charitable of me, right?¡± The smirk on her lips grew even more wicked as she said this. The gigolo was but a fictional character anyway, and she could give him whatever tragic backstory she liked. Hatred filled Anastasia¡¯s eyes, and she dug her nails into her palms as she seethed, ¡°Why must you go out of your way to put me through hell all those years ago, Hayley? I saw you as my own sister, but you stabbed me in the back and left me to bleed to death.¡± Hayley snorted in disgust, and there was unmistakable resentment in her eyes. ¡°You should have never been my best friend to begin with! You don¡¯t know how invisible I felt next to you. You were beautiful, on the honor roll, and from a well-off family. When I finally summoned enough courage to confess my feelings to a boy I liked, he told me that he had a crush on you the entire time! Back then, my parents wouldn¡¯t stop praising you either. You have no idea what it was like for me!¡± Anastasia instantly regretted ever associating herself with Hayley during their school days. Some people in this world simply didn¡¯t deserve kindness and friendship. Needless to say, Hayley was so twisted that her worldview was warped by her own bitterness. There was only one thing for Anastasia to do when it came to dealing with people like Hayley¡ªshe had to stay away from her and hope that they would never run into each other ever again. ¡°I hate you, Anastasia, and I can¡¯t stand to see you any better off than I am. I¡¯d like to see you writhe in misery and be a shell of the person that you were. I finally got my wish five years ago,¡± Hayley went on to say. She reached for her tea, but just as she was bringing her cup to her lips, another cup of tea sshed onto her face and ruined her delicately-applied makeup. She stood up abruptly and shrieked, ¡°How dare you ssh tea all over me, Anastasia?!¡± ¡°Oh, but I dare,¡± Anastasia drawled defiantly. She rose to her feet and eyed the other girl menacingly. ¡°I could even kill you if I wanted to. If you so much as mess with me again, I¡¯m going to tell Elliot about all the despicable things you¡¯ve done. He might have slept with you, but that won¡¯t be enough to make him put up with someone like you.¡± Fear rippled through Hayley when she heard this. As droplets of tea rolled down her cheeks, she looked as pathetic as a wet dog. ¡°I¡¯d watch myself if I were you,¡± Anastasia added coldly. Then, she spun on her heels elegantly and walked out the door. Behind her, Hayley was so angry she couldbust on the spot. However, she could only bottle up her spite and resentment. She was used to it anyway, and all she had to do now was wait for the right time to unleash vengeance on Anastasia in a fit of maniacal rage, just like how all the grudges she had saved up since grade school burst and culminated into a glorious form of revenge against Anastasia back in college. Ten minutester, Felicia brought the nes into Anastasia¡¯s office and offered empathetically, ¡°Anastasia, would you like me to have these delivered to President Presgrave on your behalf instead?¡± Hayley had been the one who assigned this task to Anastasia to rile her up, but she would not rise to the bait. She would execute it personally just to show that she was better than that. As such, she said, ¡°No, I can do it. Has President Presgravee into work yet?¡± Felicia called the extension line for the president¡¯s office, and after hanging up, she told Anastasia, ¡°He doesn¡¯t usuallye in until 3.00PM. Mind waiting for him?¡± Anastasia shook her head. After all, she wasn¡¯t in a rush anyway. When Felicia left, Anastasia opened up the ornate jewelry case and gazed upon the nes she had so painstakingly designed and created. There was even a symbol engraved on the sp that signified true love. She had put so much thought and effort into this pair of nes. While she designed them, she had hoped that whoever received them would share an eternal love and that nothing would separate the lovers no matter what. However, the nes were nothing more than a symbol of irony right now. Chapter 245 Anastasia got a call from Felicia at around 3.00PM informing her that Elliot hade into work. From the looks of it, Felicia was more invested and concerned about this matter than the designer herself. After regaining herposure, Anastasia grabbed the jewelry case from her desk and walked out of her office. Over at the presidential office, Rey handed over the report he was holding to the man in the white shirt who had just shrugged off his suit jacket. ¡°President Presgrave, ording to the investigation, Lawrence will be actively acquiring Tillman Constructions within a week. As of now, he has already bought up a huge number of shares in Tillman Constructions, which is enough to enter into negotiations with the board.¡± Rey had yet to finish his report when a knock came from the door, and it was followed by a woman¡¯s voice. ¡°President Presgrave, it¡¯s me, Anastasia. May Ie in?¡± Upon hearing this, Elliot immediately loosened up and gave Rey a meaningful look. ¡°Keep an eye on Tillman Constructions and let me know if anything happens.¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Rey replied. Then, he hurried over to open the door and shed a smile at Anastasia as he greeted, ¡°Good afternoon, Miss Tillman.¡± ¡°And to you as well, Mr. Osbourne.¡± ¡°President Presgrave is in,¡± he said before stepping to the side. ¡°This way, please.¡± Anastasia walked through the door and immediately saw the man at the desk. He was wearing a simple white satin shirt, but for some reason, he looked imposing all the same. When she thought about what happenedst night, her clear and determined gaze suddenly wavered, and she felt flustered just from looking at him. She lowered her gaze and headed straight for his desk, and sheter heard Rey closing the door behind her. ¡°What can I do for you?¡± Elliot asked with a smile. She passed him the jewelry case and said casually, ¡°Here you go. This is for you.¡± A surprised look shed across his face when he saw the box in her hand, for it looked like it contained jewelry. He took the box and opened it, and his eyes lit up at the sight of the nes nestled within. ¡°This is quite the sudden gift.¡± Anastasia could tell that he had mistaken this as a gift from her. She crossed her arms and exined pointedly, ¡°It¡¯s a gift from a woman, but the woman isn¡¯t me. It¡¯s Hayley.¡± She ground out the name with no small amount of hatred. Elliot froze, and he let his hand drop as he asked, ¡°Why are you giving it to me on her behalf?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to either, but seeing as she specifically asked me to design the nes, I have no choice but to deliver it for her as well,¡± she answered impassively and turned to leave. She had only just spun on her heels when a low male voice called out after her, ¡°Wait.¡± She turned to look at him with narrowed eyes. ¡°What? Do you want me to help you put on the ne as well, President Presgrave?¡± Elliot red at her incredulously. He couldn¡¯t understand why she was not even the slightest bit jealous. He raised a brow and said, ¡°I have no intention of epting this gift.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not my problem. If you don¡¯t want it, just give it back to Hayley yourself,¡± Anastasia countered indifferently, though her heart gave a squeeze. Is he really not going to ept it? ¡°Well, Anastasia, I would like you to take my order for a ne. You cane up with any design you think best,¡± he said smoothly as he stood up. His towering height seemed to put pressure on her as he took a few steps toward her. ¡°Something close to around ten million, and you¡¯ll get a handsome commission out of it. What do you think?¡± She narrowed her pretty eyes at him. Did he fall out of bed this morning and hit his head? She could come up with no other reason as to why he was making such a random proposition all of a sudden. He was the president of thepany, and he could have all the jewelry he wanted. However, he chose to spend ten million on something designed by her. Then again, themission that coulde from this would be a handsome sum. All in all, she had nothing to lose. It took only a few seconds for her to ponder on this, and a smile curled on her lips as she asked, ¡°Are you serious about this, President Presgrave?¡± ¡°Very serious,¡± he answered, and he didn¡¯t look like he was joking as he eyed her steadily. ¡°In fact, I can pay up right now.¡± ¡°Take it easy, President Presgrave. I¡¯m willing to take up any order as long as I get paid for it,¡± she drawled breezily before turning to leave the office. Elliot smirked. As expected, the woman was highly motivated by money. Presently, Anastasia opened the door and left. The frustration she had been feeling earlier was gone. She was amused at how the sentiment behind Hayley¡¯s gesture was lost on the likes of Elliot, who had not only been uninformed of the gift but also refused it without even giving it a second thought. Chapter 246 As things were, Anastasia was rather pleased with how things had turned out in the end. Ten minutester, Felicia received a call from a customer who specifically asked Anastasia to design a men¡¯s ne for him, and he was willing to pay ten million for the final product. He also mentioned that she had free rein over the design. Felicia just about copsed in her seat when she heard this. Themission that she would get from two consecutive personal orders alone was staggering enough to make anyone¡¯s jaw drop. She went to Anastasia¡¯s office and said, ¡°Anastasia, make sure you give this project your all. Forget about the other regr designs you¡¯ve been working on and focus on this order. Don¡¯t hesitate toe to me for any input.¡± With that, she left. Anastasia waited until Felicia had gone out of earshot before picking up the phone to call the man¡¯s extension line. A low and husky voice drawled insouciantly on the other line, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you actually ced the order,¡± she said in bewilderment. ¡°Well, now that I have, I expect you to work hard on it.¡± ¡°Do you have any specific designs in mind? What about the style of the ne?¡± she asked further, treating him like how she would any other customer. ¡°You have free rein over this,¡± he said. He had to stop himself from adding, I know thay I¡¯ll like it anyway. Anastasia considered this for a moment and suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t Ie up with a rough sketch and you can tell me what you think about it?¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Elliot replied easily. After a pause, he continued, ¡°Just put your heart into it.¡± Like I¡¯ve never done that for all my other designs, she thought dryly. ¡°That¡¯s sort of like an entry-level requirement for a designer, you know,¡± she pointed out witheringly. ¡°No, it¡¯s different.¡± He chuckled. ¡°You could picture me as your husband or boyfriend and really throw your heart and soul into the design. Think of the ne as a token of love.¡± She was rendered speechless by this, but she pretended to be serious as she countered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, President Presgrave, you are the center of my universe, which makes you far more important than my future boyfriend or husband!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get cute with me,¡± he warned darkly on the other end and immediately ended the call. Anastasia was already used to this. She set the phone down and nced at the time, only to see that she had to head over to pick Jared up from school now. It looked like she was going to have to dig deep for inspiration for the rest of the night if she wanted toe up with the perfect men¡¯s ne for Elliot. When she picked up Jared from school that afternoon, he asked if Elliot would be dropping by the apartmentter. She took the chance to tell him solemnly that the man would no longer be visiting them, and the little boy was so disappointed that he didn¡¯t speak throughout the entire car ride home. Since she had to work through the night, Anastasia waited until Jared had fallen asleep before she started pondering on the design of the ne. However, she found herself thinking about Elliot¡¯s handsome face and his domineering expression from time to time. As night fell, she no longer had to keep all her emotions bottled up, and the lights above brought out the dazed look in her eyes. The feelings that she had suppressed during the day suddenly welled up in her, reminding her of their presence. She wondered why she had felt so uneasy when Hayley had given Elliot the nes and why that feeling disappeared when he declined the woman¡¯s gift. Perhaps Anastasia was only happy to see Elliot turn down the nes because she didn¡¯t like Hayley. She adamantly believed that her hatred for Hayley was the only reasonable exnation for this. Presently, Anastasia did not spend too much time thinking upplicated designs for the ne. Knowing Elliot, he preferred something understated and disliked anything gaudy. With that in mind, she decided that the ne would have to be simple and sturdy. Moreover, it would have to be something that couldplement his masculine charm. The recent trend for men¡¯s nes gave Anastasia inspiration for an elegant herringbone-chain ne that would tter the man¡¯s chiseled and alluring corbone, which, if left unadorned, would be a great disservice to the jewelry industry. He had set the budget at ten million, which offered her great flexibility given that she was in charge of picking out the materials for the ne. As for the design, it was up to her to imbue her personal ir into it. She gave a rough sketch and let inspiration take control. She imagined the way the chain would drape just above his corbone, and if she added another chain to it, the visuals would be stunning. The tip of her pencil gently sketched over the paper as she drew the man¡¯s broad shoulders and the curve of his neck. She then added the chains, which nestled just slightly above the dip in his corbone. She paused and leaned back slightly to see how the design looked. It was only then that she froze in her seat, and her mind went nk for a moment. Why does this drawing look so much like Elliot? Anastasia couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing. At that moment, she realized just how clearly she could picture every part of Elliot in her head. Chapter 247 It turned out that giving Elliot too much room in her headspace during the day was a bad idea because Anastasia was having a hard time falling asleep right now without thinking about him. She even had a wet dream that involved him doing several unspeakable, yet sinfully pleasurable things to her, and she woke up the next morning loathing herself for having subconsciously enjoyed it. On Friday, she got a message from Alex asking her if she would drop by Tillman Constructions. Seeing as all her other work had been set aside while she focused on designing Elliot¡¯s ne, she decided that it would do her some good to go out and get some air. As such, she asked Felicia for the rest of the day off and headed over to Francis¡¯pany. In thest few years, Francis¡¯pany had doubled in size, and thend next to the ten-story office building was upied by warehouse after warehouse where all the inventory for their building materials was kept. While the area was rather remote, the size of the enterprise was more than enough topensate for its location. Anastasia¡¯s car drove past the warehouse estate for quite a while before she even drew close to the company building. At that moment, she suddenly understood why Francis could not bear to part with the business. He had poured all his blood, sweat, and tears into building up thepany from scratch, and he had a trove of employees who depended on him for a living. In other words, thispany was a part of his soul. When she pulled up outside the building entrance, she headed for the doors and was immediately stopped by the security guard. ¡°Is there something I can help you with, miss?¡± ¡°Hi. I¡¯m Anastasia, and I¡¯m here to look for my father, Francis.¡± The security guard was startled by this, and he appraised her in shock as he pressed, ¡°You¡¯re President Tillman¡¯s daughter? Howe I¡¯ve never seen you before?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not surprising, seeing as I¡¯ve been abroad for thest few years.¡± Anastasia smiled. Since she didn¡¯t want to put the security guard in a hard ce, she added, ¡°How about I give my dad a call and have him send his assistant down to escort me?¡± The security guard decided to believe her, and he wasted no time in opening the door for her as he said, ¡°Pardon me, Miss Tillman. I didn¡¯t mean to doubt you. Pleasee in.¡± She nodded and strode through the door beforeing to a stop at the front desk. Thepany building had only been set up not too long ago, and she wasn¡¯t sure which floor Francis¡¯ office was on. After asking the receptionist, she made her way up to the third floor. Francis did not care much about decorum or formalities. One might even say he wasissez-faire. Since Alex had seen Anastasia before at the banquet, he approached her enthusiastically and told her that Francis was in a meeting, informing her that he would be done soon. She took the chance to survey his office and sat down on the chair behind his desk. She had long since outgrown days where she whined, pestered, and vied for her father¡¯s love and attention, but moments like these were reminiscent of those times. She waited patiently for her father¡¯s meeting toe to an end, but just as she was about to take a sip of her tea, the door to the office suddenly swung open, and the female assistant who had escorted her up earlier came rushing in. ¡°Miss Tillman, something terrible has happened! Your father copsed in the conference room. Quick, go take a look at him!¡± Anastasia¡¯s hand trembled, and the tea in her cup nearly spilled over as she stood up abruptly. ¡°What?¡± Then, she hastened out the door after the assistant as the both of them made their way to the conference room. Meanwhile, in the conference room, an ashen-faced Francis was being carried over to the couch by a few of his employees. Anastasia frantically ran over to him and crouched down next to the couch, urging, ¡°Dad? Dad, what happened?¡± She was beside herself with panic as she demanded, ¡°Has anyone called 911? What in the world happened here?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve called 911. President Tillman looked fine earlier before he suddenly copsed.¡± ¡°He probably heard that thepany is getting acquired and he couldn¡¯t take the news,¡± one of the managers said gravely. ¡°What? What do you mean thepany is getting acquired? Who said that?¡± ¡°The clients just now weren¡¯t here to talk about business; they were the representatives for the acquiring party, and they were here to discuss the acquisition.¡± Even Anastasia was stunned. The news of the acquisition must have been too much for Francis, and he had copsed out of shock. Is there no way for Tillman Constructions to escape the acquisition at all? Is this just fate? ¡°Anastasia, President Tillman will be just fine,¡± said a young man. She looked up and saw that Alex was eyeing her worriedly. Then, she turned to look at her father. He was breathing heavily, and his eyes were tightly shut as though he was in pain, his skin pale and waxy. How can I not worry about him? 20 minutester, an ambnce sent by the 911 dispatcher arrived to ferry Francis to the hospital. Anastasia and Alex went as well, and upon their arrival, Francis was immediately wheeled into the emergency room. Only then did Anastasia snap out of her reverie, and she debated on calling Naomi and Erica. After a moment of thought, she decided that she had to call them. Chapter 248 Anastasia got Alex to make the phone call. When he was done, he walked over to her and said, ¡°Mrs. Tillman and Miss Erica are on their way to the hospital.¡± Anastasia nodded tiredly as a worried look etched upon her face. She wasn¡¯t sure what would happen to Francis¡¯pany. Elliot had told her before that the acquiring party had their eyes set on the profitable construction industry, and Francis¡¯pany had been their target for a while now. It followed that they would have done plenty of homework and made arrangements well in advance. They were determined to go through with the acquisition no matter what. Just then, Alex sighed. ¡°Anastasia, the whole acquisition thing hase up out of the blue, and President Tillman likely copsed from the shock of it all.¡± Frankly speaking, he didn¡¯t want to leave the company either. He had toiled hard to get promoted to financial manager, which was a position that came with a handsome paycheck. Out of everyone, Anastasia was perhaps the first to know about the possibility of Tillman Constructions¡¯ acquisition. If such was the fate of thepany, it would have been toote regardless of whether she told Francis about it or not. With a sigh of resignation, she hummed in response and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and see how my dad¡¯s doing right now.¡± She could only pray that her father would pull through. Ten minutester, the doctor came out of the emergency room and told them that Francis¡¯ heart problem was acting up again. Additionally, he would be transferred to the ICU for further observation. Anastasia let out a breath when she heard this. Age was catching up with Francis, and his body was no longer as tough as it used to be. Half an hour had passed before Naomi and Erica showed up at the hospital. The former¡¯s eyes were red and puffy as she barreled down the hallway. Thetter, however, was seething with rage when she saw Anastasia. ¡°How¡¯s my husband? How is he?¡± Naomi demanded urgently as she marched up to Alex. ¡°Calm down, Mrs. Tillman,¡± Alex said in a soothing tone. ¡°President Tillman has only juste out of the emergency room. For now, it seems that his old heart problem is acting up again, and he¡¯s been transferred to the ICU for further observation.¡± Just then, Naomi noticed Anastasia standing there and realized that she must have arrived before them. A skeptical look shed in her eyes as she asked, ¡°How did you get here before us?¡± ¡°Miss Tillman was at thepany when President Tillman copsed. She came with me to the hospital,¡± Alex exined. Naomi sneered icily, ¡°Eyeing your father¡¯spany, huh? What, are you here so you can hasten the handover proceedings? That must be the case, or you wouldn¡¯t have beaten us to the hospital.¡± To the side, Erica scoffed. ¡°Dad said nothing about leaving thepany to you, so what are you still badgering him for?¡± she snapped. Upon hearing this, Alex was stunned. He never thought that there was so much going on in the Tillman Family. Anastasia couldn¡¯t care less about the mother-and-daughter duo, not while she was upied with her own thoughts. Even if Francis woke up, it wouldn¡¯t change the fact that thepany was being acquired. Will the ongoing acquisition worsen his condition? Will he be able to pull through this and hand thepany over to the other party? If he couldn¡¯t go through with the acquisition, Anastasia could very well be forced to turn to Elliot for help. No, I mustn¡¯t. Not in this life. She had only just drawn the line between them and told him not to cross it. As things were, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to swallow her pride and ask him for yet another favor. After a while, Francis woke up and was transferred to the regr ward. Without another word, Naomi rushed over to his bedside and began to sob dramatically, and she was nagging away at him as well. This irritated him to no end. ¡°Enough,¡± he snapped. ¡°I¡¯m still alive, aren¡¯t I? What are you crying for?¡± ¡°Dad, you can¡¯t just fall sick like this! What will Mom and I do if anything happens to you? How will we live?¡± Erica wailed as if ming him for suddenly having a heart attack. Anastasia wanted nothing more than to chase the crying pair of stooges out of the room. She red at them and pulled up a seat next to her father¡¯s bed as she asked, ¡°Dad, how are you feeling? Are you hurting anywhere?¡± When Francis heard her words of concern, his heart felt warm as he answered reassuringly, ¡°I¡¯m fine. There¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± Alex, on the other hand, could no longer keep his curiosity and anxiousness at bay as he piped up and asked, ¡°President Tillman, is it true that thepany is being acquired?¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°What? Thepany is being acquired?¡± Naomi shrieked, and even Erica jumped in shock. Since she knew that her father was having a hard time reconciling with this, Anastasia consoled, ¡°Take it easy, Dad. Nothing else matters as much as your health right now.¡± At once, Francis¡¯ chest rose and fell rapidly as if the mention of the acquisition was like a rock crushing the air out of his lungs. In abored voice, he said through gritted teeth, ¡°I built thatpany up from scratch, and I put all my best years into it. I will not stand to let someone else take it away from me, and I won¡¯t have those b*stards buy it out either!¡± Chapter 249 ¡°That¡¯s the spirit, honey. You can¡¯t just let anyone take thepany away from you! You have to pull through this no matter what,¡± said Naomi as she encouraged him with renewed fervor. Anastasia interjected, ¡°Dad, do you know who the acquiring party is?¡± Francis was seething with rage, and his eyes were bloodshot red as he snapped angrily, ¡°He¡¯s an old rival of mine. He¡¯s despicable and disgustingly ruthless, and I can¡¯t believe he¡¯d resort to such underhanded ways to whittle me down!¡± Upon hearing this, Anastasia¡¯s heart dropped to her stomach. If the acquiring party was Francis¡¯ old rival, she couldn¡¯t possibly expect her father to go through with the acquisition without putting up a fight. Even if he did, he would resent and grow angry over this for the rest of his life. Naomi was beside herself with panic as well. Her continued life of luxury depended on her husband¡¯s company, and if he were to call it a day and let the acquisition go through, it would be the end of her privileged lifestyle. A look of horror colored her face as she turned to Francis and urged, ¡°In that case, what should we do? Honey, you have to think of a way to save thepany, and you must be quick! We can¡¯t just let someone snatch thepany away!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Dad! You have to do something!¡± Erica chimed nervously. ¡°My hands are tied,¡± Francis admitted a little tiredly. ¡°The acquiring party now holds thirty percent of the shares in thepany, giving them enough leverage. More to the point, the business hasn¡¯t been doing great for thest two years, and I¡¯ve had to sell ten percent of my own shares to another company to help tide things over. Now, thatpany has decided to join forces with the acquiring party. As things are, I¡¯m left with a forty-percent share in thepany, and if they were to persuade the other shareholders to jump on their bandwagon, my words will not carry any more weight.¡± Francis was devastated. Never did he think that hispany would fall victim to such a hostile takeover. ¡°Dad, why don¡¯t you just buy those shares back?¡± Erica suggested. Alex, who had been standing to the side all this while, knew thepany¡¯s financial troubles well enough. He pointed out emotionlessly, ¡°Buying back those shares isn¡¯t as easy as it sounds. Our ¡°If you¡¯d known that this would happen, maybe you wouldn¡¯t buy that house,¡± Naomi said begrudgingly as she implicitly med her husband for buying Anastasia the apartment. Francis was already annoyed to begin with, so he red at Naomi and snapped, ¡°Keep quiet, will you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m right, aren¡¯t I? You should¡¯ve tightened your belt and stopped spending money so frivolously if you knew thepany was struggling,¡± Naomi argued, rubbing salt in his wound. Anastasia knew that she was using her of being a liability to Francis, and she wished she could shove Naomi and Erica out of the room. All they were doing was aggravating Francis instead of helping hime up with feasible solutions. ¡°Is there no one who can save Dad¡¯spany?¡± Erica whined. Just then, a lightbulb went off in Naomi¡¯s head when she heard this. ¡°Wait, there is! I can¡¯t believe we didn¡¯t think about this before. Anastasia, you know Elliot, don¡¯t you? Why don¡¯t you get him to save our company since he¡¯s such a bigshot?¡± Anastasia had been trying to avoid bringing up Elliot¡¯s name, and she was flustered to hear Naomi even suggest this. She maintained her indifference as she retorted, ¡°Why should he help us?¡± ¡°Why not? Your mother died protecting him! This is the least he can do for our family,¡± Naomi argued like she was only stating a matter of fact. Our family? When were we ever a family? Anastasia didn¡¯t bother entertaining the woman¡¯s crazy idea and fell silent instead. Erica was supportive of her mother as well. ¡°Mom¡¯s right. Elliot is a mogul and a billionaire. If he intervenes, I¡¯m sure Dad¡¯s old rival would be so intimidated that he¡¯d back out of the acquisition altogether!¡± There was an unreadable look in Francis¡¯ eyes. He had stayed quiet throughout this, but he did sneak a nce at Anastasia, and she did not miss the pleading look on his face. Desperate times called for desperate measures, and he was very much desperate. Suddenly, he said, ¡°Naomi, go home and take Erica with you. Alex, could you drop them off at the house?¡± Alex was stunned at first, but he quickly nodded and replied, ¡°Very well. Mrs. Tillman, Miss Erica, I¡¯ll be dropping the both of you home now.¡± ¡°I have to stay and take care of you, Francis!¡± Naomi insisted, refusing to leave. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, and I have Anastasia here to take care of me. Besides, having all of you here is aggravating. Go home,¡± he said firmly, his patience for both Naomi and Erica wearing thin. Upon seeing that her husband was determined to have her leave the room, Naomi said to Erica, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go back.¡± Meanwhile, Erica was filled with bitter jealousy as she glowered at Anastasia. Why does she get to stay? Is it because Dad likes her more? Chapter 250 Naomi brought her daughter along and followed Alex out, leaving the ward in a solemn and quiet atmosphere. Meanwhile, Anastasia poured a ss of water for Francis before sitting down. He then said, ¡°Anastasia, I actually agree with Naomi¡¯s suggestion. I hope you can ask Young Master Elliot to save mypany.¡± Upon hearing that, Anastasia looked up at him in surprise. ¡°How can we ask him for help, Dad? This is a family matter.¡± ¡°I know how difficult it is to ask for help, but I¡¯m truly desperate this time. There is nothing else I can do. If I can¡¯t get any assistance, I will have to give up mypany to someone else.¡± After saying that, Francis shuddered and started coughing. ¡°Calm down, Dad. We¡¯ll find a way,¡± Anastasia reassured him as she patted his back. Naomi, who just left the hospital lobby, felt like she had left something behind. When she looked down and realized that her bag wasn¡¯t with her, she turned to Erica and Alex. ¡°I left my bag in the ward, so I¡¯m going back to get it. Can you guys wait for me at the entrance?¡± With that said, she turned around and walked into the elevator. Erica nced at Alex and ordered, ¡°I¡¯m thirsty. Get me a bottle of water!¡± Naturally, Alex treated every member of the Tillman Family politely since he had his own ns. When Naomi arrived at the door of the ward, she realized that the door was left ajar. Just as she was about to push the door open and enter the ward, she heard Francis saying, ¡°Anastasia, I have something to tell you. I don¡¯t wish to lose thispany because I hope that it will be passed down to Jared in the future. He will be my sessor.¡± As Naomi stood outside the ward, her eyes widened in disbelief. It was her first time hearing about Francis¡¯ thoughts on thepany¡¯s sessor. However, she never expected that her husband would pass down such a hugepany to Anastasia¡¯s son, who was barely a few years old! It was also Anastasia¡¯s first time hearing about her father¡¯s thoughts, so she waspletely dumbfounded. ¡°What are you talking about, Dad? Isn¡¯t Jared too young? He¡¯s only four years old! How do you expect him to take over your business?!¡± Francis then exined with a serious expression, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I¡¯ve already made all the necessary ns. If anything happens to me, you will take over my business. I know you have no idea about the industry, so that¡¯s why I trained Alex. He might just be an outsider, but he has all my trust. I will be your matchmaker, and once you guys get married, it will be much more convenient for him to help you manage thepany together.¡± Anastasia was instantly speechless. What was her father thinking about? Why would he push her and Alex to be together? ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound appropriate,¡± said Anastasia as she rejected his idea. ¡°There¡¯s nothing inappropriate about it. I don¡¯t have a biological son, but I have you as an excellent daughter. Jared is also part of the family, so he shall be the most qualified sessor. You know how much I adore him, after all.¡± Indeed, Francis had always loved this grandson of his. ¡°You¡¯re still young, Dad. Let¡¯s not think too far ahead. We should think of a way to save thepany first!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, but there is only one way to save thepany, and that is to seek Elliot¡¯s help. I know it might be hard for you to ask him, so let me do it instead. Your mother, who is watching us from heaven, will definitely agree with me.¡± Francis decided to throw his pride away. Anastasia was surprised to hear that, so she blurted, ¡°Don¡¯t beg him, Dad.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Francis looked at her surprised expression and questioned. Anastasia felt her face heating up all of a sudden before she uttered reluctantly, ¡°Anyhow, we shouldn¡¯t beg him. He isn¡¯t obliged to help us. Even if Mom saved him back then, he doesn¡¯t owe us anything. It was Mom¡¯s responsibility to save him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, but your mother sacrificed her own life to save him!¡± Francis felt that it was unfair. Back then, he was aggrieved that he lost his wife. His daughter had also lost her mother, and it was simply heartbreaking. ¡°To be honest, Elliot has helped us a lot without your knowledge, Dad. Did you think yourpany managed to grow to such a scale by mere luck? No, Elliot¡¯s connections have been helping you grow your smallpany to a listed one.¡± Anastasia had no choice but to spill the secret. Chapter 251-260 Chapter 251-260 Chapter 251 Francis stared at his daughter in bewilderment. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Remember thest time you asked me to apany you to win the bid? With so manypaniespeting, did you think yourpany was qualified to win such a big project? Elliot was there at the time, and he was the one who told the organizers to let you win.¡± As she watched the dumbfounded look on her father¡¯s face, Anastasia could only say that her father¡¯s shock was inevitable. ¡°Really? Has President Presgrave been helping me out secretly? No wonder business has been smooth-sailing recently, making it seem like all the luck finally bestowed upon me. He¡¯s the one who has been quietly supporting me from behind!¡± Francis¡¯ eyes were filled with gratitude right now. ¡°Turns out the Presgrave Family have long beenpensating us!¡± he added. ¡°They didn¡¯t justpensate yourpany; Old Madam Presgrave even approached me to offerpensation, but I refused their kindness. I don¡¯t think they should repay us, but when I found out what they¡¯ve been doing all along, Elliot was already helping you out big time.¡± Anastasia sounded helpless. Francis let out a loud sigh, and his feelings were mixed. Naomi, who was hiding outside the door and eavesdropping at the moment, was shocked to hear that Elliot valued the Tillman Family so much; he even supported her husband¡¯s business. Therefore, she concluded that once Anastasia gave in and epted theirpensation, she would be sessful sooner orter. How could all the good things go to Anastasia only? Since there was nothing else to eavesdrop on anymore, Naomi knocked on the door and pretended to rush in, eximing, ¡°Oops! I only remembered that I left my bag here when I reached the car park!¡± After saying that, she walked over to the cab beside the chair, grabbed her bag, and inquired in a concerned tone, ¡°Francis, is it really okay for me to leave you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. You should go home!¡± Francis insisted. ¡°Rest well, alright? Call me if anything happens.¡± After saying that, she turned to Anastasia and reminded the woman, ¡°Take good care of your dad, okay? He has worked so hard for this family.¡± However, Anastasia didn¡¯t like to hear words like thating out of Naomi¡¯s mouth, so she didn¡¯t respond. Meanwhile, Naomi sighed andmented, ¡°I know that I might be too straightforward and blunt at times, but I do hope that we can get along well as a family.¡± Since they were in front of Francis, Anastasia couldn¡¯t refute her, but she never regarded them as one family in her heart. ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡± With that, Naomi left with her bag. Francis then turned to Anastasia and asked, ¡°Do you still me Naomi for everything?¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t understand why you would betray Mom back then. Isn¡¯t she good enough for you?¡± Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but question her father. Francis seldom mentioned this matter to her, but at that moment, he looked regretful. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault, but I never betrayed your mother on purpose. I made a mistake when I went out drinking and socializing. Naomi had just graduated from university and was working in the purchasing department back then, so we had Erica by ident.¡± Hearing that, Naomi furrowed her brows. ¡°You were dead drunk, but what about Naomi? I don¡¯t think she was drunk!¡± ¡°I was forced by my clients to drink until I almost died on the table, and when I woke up, Naomi was already right beside me. I had been waiting toe clean to your mother about it, but in less than a month, your mother¡­¡± Anastasia didn¡¯t need her father to exin all the details. After all, she understood it well as an adult. Her father was already running the constructionpany then; although it was of a small scale, he earned millions per month. Naturally, Naomi must have plotted a n to seduce her father. Even if her mother was still alive, Naomi would still try to ruin their family. Therefore, after Anastasia¡¯s mother passed away, Naomi gave birth to Erica and got married to her father immediately. ¡°It was because of my carelessness that caused what happened five years ago. I owe you, so I want topensate you with thispany.¡± Francis had already written a will to distribute his assets, and Anastasia would get the biggest share. ¡°I don¡¯t want yourpany, Dad. I just want you to be healthy,¡± Anastasia uttered with sincerity. Just then, there was a knock at the door. A man who looked to be in his fifties entered the ward, and he was apanied by an assistant carrying a fruit basket. Chapter 252 ¡°Francis, I heard you were so upset that you ended up in the hospital, so I¡¯vee to visit!¡± The man entered the ward with a fake smile on his face. When Francis saw him, his face instantly turned scarlet as he bellowed, ¡°What a despicable man you are, Lawrence vell! You think I¡¯m an easy target, right? Leave this ce at once!¡± Anastasia instantly became alert. As she looked at the well-dressed middle-aged man in front of her, she could tell that this man was up to no good. When she saw how her father reacted to his visit, she assumed that he was the acquirer of her father¡¯spany. ¡°Tsk, Francis, why are you still struggling at this point? Leave thepany to us, and you can retire in peace!¡± The man looked kind, but he was mocking her father in actuality. ¡°Get out. I¡¯m not going to negotiate with people like you. You can¡¯t take mypany away from me.¡± Francis¡¯ chest was heaving, obviously angered by Lawrence¡¯s words. ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are, but please leave my father¡¯s ward.¡± ¡°Whoa, there! This must be your daughter! What a beauty!¡± Lawrence looked at Anastasia with a hint of lewdness in his eyes. One could tell with a nce that he looked like those perverted old men on the streets. Under his scrutinizing gaze, Anastasia felt goosebumps forming on her skin while she dismissed him coldly by saying, ¡°Please leave.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the rush, beautiful? I¡¯m just here to have a little chat with your father before I go.¡± Lawrence then looked at Francis and gloated, ¡°Look how the tables have turned! Thepany will finally be in my hands. Read the room, Francis. You should be enjoying life after working so hard all these years. Just give up on yourpany already! It¡¯ll be beneficial for the both of us, after all.¡± Once again, Francis was so furious that his chest started heaving. When she saw that her father was enraged, Anastasia recalled the doctor mentioning not to get him too emotional, or else it would trigger a full-blown heart attack. In the end, she couldn¡¯t hold back her anger and picked up the fruit knife on the table. ¡°I told you to leave! Do you hear me?!¡± she threatened. Lawrence was instantly frightened upon seeing this, so his assistant quickly held on to him. ¡°Whoa! You have a feisty daughter right here! It¡¯s not a bad thing to have such an overbearing stance at a young age. I like you,¡± Lawrence remarked while tossing Anastasia a smug look. Anastasia felt disgusted by him, but she didn¡¯t know how to handle this kind of person. ¡°Get out.¡± Anastasia took another step forward. Before Lawrence left, he didn¡¯t forget to provoke her father by saying, ¡°Francis, I¡¯ve said whatever I want to say. Don¡¯t push me into a tight spot!¡± After saying that, he nced at Anastasia and continued, ¡°I heard that you have two daughters. If both are equally beautiful, I¡¯m sure many people will be interested in them, heh.¡± ¡°Calm down, Dad. You have to take care of your heart!¡± Anastasia quickly went over to calm her father down. ¡°Do you think I can hand him thepany? I¡¯d rather beg Elliot to help us than let this b*stard acquire mypany! Anastasia, can you promise me that you¡¯ll ask President Presgrave for help, please? We need him to save us no matter what this time.¡± Francis was so anxious that he held both Anastasia¡¯s hands, wanting her to promise him. Anastasia was stunned for a few seconds, unable to give her father a reply. However, Francis looked at her with a desperate gaze and begged, ¡°I¡¯m aware that you know President Presgrave personally. Can you please promise me that you¡¯ll ask for his help?¡± Anastasia felt bitter. How could she tell her father about her difficulties? She knew that Elliot would help her if she asked. After all, he once promised her that he would help her father. However, she had already drawn a line between the both of them the night before yesterday. If she were to ask for his assistance now, it wasn¡¯t about her feelings of embarrassment, but rather her pride and dignity. ¡°If you can¡¯t promise me this, I¡¯ll make the call myself. I know you might feel embarrassed to ask because you¡¯re still young, but to me, my pride doesn¡¯t matter anymore.¡± After letting go of her hands, Francis realized he couldn¡¯t put his hopes on his daughter anymore. At the end of the day, she was still a young woman. Chapter 253 Anastasia was conflicted. Seeing her father like this, she felt distressed and wanted to help him shoulder the burden. How could she bear to let her old father beg a young man like Elliot? Even if they were to ask for help, she should be the one doing it. Even if she lost her pride, it was better than letting her father lose his. However, Anastasia was distressed. On one hand, she was adamant about rejecting Elliot¡¯spensation, but on the other hand, she was forced to ask for his help. Therefore, she was in a dilemma. Especially after seeing the nasty look on her father¡¯s rival, it seemed like her father wouldn¡¯t be able to swallow hisst breath if Lawrence acquired thepany. ¡°I promise you that I¡¯ll seek help from President Presgrave, so calm down, okay?¡± Anastasia could only reassure her father so that he would calm down and let his heart rest. ¡°Really? That¡¯s great! In that case, I don¡¯t have to be worried.¡± Francis nodded his head, feeling much more at ease. As long as they had Elliot to back them up, Francis¡¯pany would certainly be saved. After a while, Anastasia checked her phone and was shocked by how much time had passed. ¡°Dad, I have to pick Jared up now. It¡¯ste.¡± ¡°What? Hurry up and go now! I¡¯ll ask Alex toe over instead,¡± Francis urged. With that, Anastasia left the ward and took a taxi to Francis¡¯ office to pick up her car. She also called the teachers at school to look after Jared while she rushed over. While Anastasia drove in the direction of the school, she felt as if there was a heavy stone on her heart. How was she going to ask Elliot about it? To her, that was the biggest problem on earth right now. In the evening, Elliot was standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window in the president¡¯s office while holding a cup of coffee in his hands. As he elegantly sipped on his coffee, he stared into the distance with darkened eyes, looking like a beast that was waiting for its prey. Why wasn¡¯t Anastasia calling him for help yet? The acquisition process of her father¡¯spany had already started. Did Francis not mention anything about it to her? Elliot knew that Anastasia woulde and ask for his help sooner orter, so when she made such requests the night before yesterday, he agreed without hesitation. Everything was under his control for now, Anastasia¡¯s every move included. If there were no hups, she would most likely take the initiative to ask for his help. When the day came, he would do her a favor and return to her side. Meanwhile, Anastasia finally arrived at the kindergarten to pick her son up. He was thest one to leave the school, and when she saw him sitting pitifully in the yground with the building blocks, she felt bad for him. She called out to him tenderly, ¡°Jared, let¡¯s go home!¡± ¡°Mommy, can¡¯t you ask Mr. Presgrave toe and pick me up if you¡¯re not free?¡± Jared inquired while holding her hand. Anastasia reassured him, ¡°We shouldn¡¯t trouble others for our own matters. I¡¯ll pick you up on time from now on, alright?¡± Jared nodded at that. Although he was young, he knew how to feel sorry for his mother. When they reached home, Anastasia made a simple meal for Jared. She watched him eat his spaghetti with gusto, but she didn¡¯t have any appetite. Her mind was currently full of thoughts about her father¡¯s request to seek help from Elliot. How was she going to start the conversation? She wasn¡¯t able to! However, she couldn¡¯t dy the request any longer. The acquirer was aggressive, and now that her father had a heart attack, the doctor advised him to rx and be stress-free. While Anastasia was in a daze, Jared looked at her and asked, ¡°What are you thinking about, Mommy? Are you thinking about Mr. Presgrave?¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Anastasia was taken aback by her son¡¯s sudden question. Since he was staring at her with his big eyes, she felt her cheeks getting warm as she lied, ¡°No. I was thinking about work and your Grandpa. He¡¯s fallen sick and is currently at the hospital now.¡± Chapter 254 ¡°What happened to Grandpa?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. He¡¯s just stressed out.¡± ¡°In that case, please tell Grandpa to take care. I want to see him tomorrow.¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll bring you over to see him tomorrow.¡± Anastasia decided it would be a good idea for Jared to cheer her father up. ¡°Mommy, I think Mr. Presgrave is a good man. You should consider being his girlfriend,¡± suggested Jared as he blinked his eyes. He looked and sounded exactly like a worried old man to Anastasia. Meanwhile, the woman was amused to see her son acting like a grown-up, so she chuckled and ruffled his head. ¡°I don¡¯t want a boyfriend for now. All I need is you.¡± ¡°What if someone else snatches Mr. Presgrave away, though?¡± Jared asked anxiously. ¡°If he truly likes me, no one else will be able to have him. Likewise, if someone else can snatch him away, that means he doesn¡¯t like me,¡± answered Anastasia meaningfully. Upon hearing that, Jared seemed rather confused. He couldn¡¯t understand his mother¡¯s deep meaning behind those words, so he mumbled, ¡°What if Mr. Presgrave really likes you and not anyone else? If you don¡¯t marry him, won¡¯t he have to wait for a long, long time? Won¡¯t he feel lonely?¡± Anastasia was rendered speechless. A child¡¯s words could sometimes hit hard, and that made Anastasia silently wonder whether Elliot really liked her. Was he truly interested in her, or was he just doing this to repay her? There was no way for her to find out, and it felt like everything he did was out of gratitude. ¡°Jared, the adult world isplicated. You¡¯ll learn as you grow. Hurry up and finish your spaghetti!¡± ¡°Okay,¡± answered Jared. He then wondered to himself, Mr. Presgrave likes me, and I like him too. Why can¡¯t Mommy understand that, though? After Jared went to his room to y, Anastasia cleared the table and sat on the sofa, feeling conflicted. The phone was right next to her, but she didn¡¯t dare to call Elliot. Her phone rang at that moment, and it gave her a shock. When she saw that it was her father who was calling her, she quickly answered the phone and said, ¡°Hi, Dad.¡± ¡°Anastasia, have you called Young Master Elliot? What did he say?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I-I haven¡¯t called him,¡± Anastasia stammered. ¡°Ah! I know it must be embarrassing for you to talk to him. Let me do it instead!¡± Francis no longer wanted to make it difficult for his daughter. ¡°No, Dad. I¡¯ll ask him. You just have to sit back and rest. I know him better than you, after all.¡± Anastasia didn¡¯t want her old father to beg him, and she thought it was more appropriate if she did it. ¡°Mypany depends on you now. Give me a call after you ask him, okay? I want to know his opinion too.¡± At first, Anastasia wanted to stall for some time, but now that her father had asked her to call Elliot immediately, she could only obey her father¡¯s instructions. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll let you know after I speak to him.¡± Anastasia felt tensed as soon as she hung up the call. Her whole body went numb, and she still couldn¡¯t figure out how to bring it up to Elliot. Now, begging him was even more difficult than epting death. After she grabbed her phone, she went into her room and shut the door. She sat beside her bed and took several deep breaths while looking down at her device. Finally, she found the courage to dial Elliot¡¯s number. When the call went through, Anastasia¡¯s mind was still nk. Suddenly, a deep yet gentle voice sounded over the phone. ¡°Hello.¡± Elliot knew that it was her, so he deliberately sounded gentler than he usually would at the office. Anastasia¡¯s mind was in a mess as she greeted, ¡°Good evening, President Presgrave¡­ Did I wake you from your sleep?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not even 9.00PM yet, and I haven¡¯t gone to bed yet.¡± Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes, wanting to p herself. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to talk to him about the issue. ¡°Well¡­ I¡­ I¡¯ve called to ask you for a favor,¡± said Anastasia as she stuttered. ¡°Is it about the acquisition of your father¡¯spany?¡± ¡°Yes, it is. You were right; someone is targeting hispany, and the acquirer came to my dad¡¯s office to have a discussion today. However, my dad¡¯s blood pressure went up and triggered an acute heart attack, so I¡­¡± Anastasia pursed her lips. Anastasia felt tensed as soon as she hung up the call. Her whole body went numb, and she still couldn¡¯t figure out how to bring it up to Elliot. Chapter 255 Anastasia was interrupted by Elliot¡¯s self-me. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I should¡¯ve prevented this from happening, and then your father wouldn¡¯t have suffered.¡± ¡°How is it your fault, Elliot? I just want to ask if it¡¯s okay for you to help my father this time. If you can help my father settle the acquisition, I will do whatever you want to repay you,¡± blurted Anastasia. After all, one should be humble and put themselves at the lowest when asking for a favor. Elliot, on the other end, was silent for a few seconds, and when he spoke again, his voice was hoarse. ¡°Are you willing to do anything?¡± Somehow, Anastasia felt a current running through her body as her face heated up. Elliot didn¡¯t even say anything flirty, but she could feel her body going limp a little after hearing his words. ¡°Yes. I will do anything in my ability to repay you.¡± Anastasia shut her eyes and went all out this time. Anyway, she had no more pride in front of him anymore. ¡°Okay. I will settle your father¡¯spany acquisition. Tell him not to worry about it.¡± Elliot¡¯s voice sounded low yet powerful, reassuring even. It was as if everything he uttered would give anyone peace of mind. Breathing a sigh of relief, Anastasia thanked him, saying, ¡°Thank you, President Presgrave.¡± ¡°Call me Elliot.¡± His order sounded irrefutable, leaving Anastasia with no choice but to obey his demand. ¡°Thank you, Elliot,¡± Anastasia repeated, face burning hot. Elliot chuckled at that, asking, ¡°Does this mean we¡¯ve made up?¡± Anastasia fell silent for a moment when she recalled how she came to a resolute decision to draw lines with himst time. It was a painful p to her face now. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll stop teasing you. Bye!¡± Elliot didn¡¯t want to embarrass her anymore, so he hung up the phone. Putting down the phone, Anastasiay down on her bed weakly and pulled the covers over her face. Ugh¡­ However, she quickly regained her senses and called her father. After passing Elliot¡¯s message to her father, Francis sounded surprised. ¡°That¡¯s great news, Anastasia! Mypany has hope now! I feel reassured now that Young Master Elliot is willing to help us.¡± Anastasia understood how her father felt. Thepany was like his third child¡ªone he would never give up on. After hanging up the phone, Anastasia felt relieved because her father was fine now, so she didn¡¯t have to worry. In Tillman Residence, Erica noticed that her mother was sitting on the sofa thoughtfully after dinner. When she came downstairs, her mother was still there, so she sat beside her and inquired, ¡°Mom, are you worried about Dad¡¯spany?¡± Besides her husband¡¯spany, Naomi was also distressed because of her husband¡¯s conversation with Anastasia earlier. He said he would pass down thepany to Anastasia and then to Jared but never mentioned a word about Naomi and Erica. It seemed that he wasn¡¯t going to let them both have thepany anymore. ¡°Erica, I¡¯m sure you can tell who your father¡¯s favorite child. You should work harder.¡± ¡°What do you mean I don¡¯t work hard? Dad is always biased toward Anastasia, and she is also a cunning woman.¡± Erica couldn¡¯t admit that she was useless. Naomi was aware of her own daughter¡¯s ability, but she was too tired to criticize her, so she looked into her daughter¡¯s eyes with a serious gaze. ¡°Guess what I overheard from your father when I went back to get my bag this afternoon?¡± ¡°What did he say?¡± ¡°Your father ns to let Anastasia¡¯s son inherit thepany, and he is also currently training Alex so that he will marry Anastasia in the future and help her manage thepany.¡± ¡°What about us? Mom, what about me? What do I get?¡± Erica was so anxious that she leaped up from the couch and looked at her mother. ¡°What else do we get if thepany is going to be passed on to Anastasia and her son? We don¡¯t get anything. Your dad never nned to leave us with anything. Hah! I finally see his true colors now. He only cares about Anastasia and his ex-wife. I guess our rtionship means nothing to him!¡± Naomi gnashed her teeth in anger. Chapter 256 ¡°We have to find a way to grab Dad¡¯spany, Mom! We can¡¯t let Anastasia and her son have everything. Dad has already been so cruel to us, so we shouldn¡¯t worry about him anymore.¡± Erica wanted her father¡¯spany desperately because no other asset wasparable to a listedpany worth several billion. Instantly, there was a sh of ruthlessness in Naomi¡¯s eyes. ¡°You¡¯re right, Erica! Your father is too harsh on us. He doesn¡¯t even care about us! You must inherit thepany. Will you take my advice, Erica?¡± ¡°Of course, I will! I will do whatever you ask me to.¡± Erica grew up under her mother¡¯s protection, so she believed that everything her mother did was for her own good. ¡°Then, seduce Alex and make him stand in line with us. He will be of big help to us when we decide to take over your father¡¯spany.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Erica grunted in disdain. ¡°Alex Hunter? He¡¯s just an insignificant finance manager under Dad¡¯spany.¡± ¡°But he is the sessor of thepany chosen by your father and Anastasia will depend on him in the future. Your dad has already been so cruel to us, so he can¡¯t me us for being unloyal to him one day. Alex will be really useful to us in the future.¡± Naomi looked at her daughter calmly, already having a rough n in her mind. ¡°Hmph! He¡¯s just a sore loser. Getting him to fall head over heels for me is easy-peasy. It¡¯s a blessing for him to have my admiration.¡± Though Erica was forced by her mother to seduce Alex, she despised his background from the bottom of her heart. Having known someone like Elliot, who was high-up and elegant, there was no room for ordinary men in Erica¡¯s eyes. Even if she couldn¡¯t marry Elliot, she still had to marry into a wealthy family. ¡°Isn¡¯t Dad¡¯spany going to be acquired, Mom? What if Dad no longer has hispany?¡± Erica inquired worriedly. ¡°What¡¯s the hurry? The Presgrave Family is still indebted to Anastasia¡¯s mother, so they definitely won¡¯t sit back and do nothing. Once Anastasia asks them, the Presgraves will definitely lend a hand.¡± Naomi was certain that Anastasia would ask for Elliot¡¯s help. ¡°Anastasia wouldn¡¯t be so delusional to think that she can marry Elliot, right?¡± Erica inquired with jealousy. A worried Naomi thought that no matter what, the Presgraves would never ept a woman with a child. ¡°I don¡¯t think the Presgraves will take her in. They are just nice to her because they are repaying her mother¡¯s kindness. Besides, why would they want a woman with a child born out of wedlock?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Anastasia isn¡¯t even worthy of such a handsome and sophisticated man like Elliot.¡± Erica also thought that the reason why Elliot was nice to Anastasia was to repay her kindness and that he would certainly marry another woman in the future. In the early morning, Anastasia woke up, but she didn¡¯t catch a good night¡¯s sleep. After having breakfast, she brought Jared to the hospital to visit her father. When Francis saw his grandson, he was delighted and his mood had lightened so much that he was able to be discharged from the hospital by noon. Anastasia came out to the corridor, not wanting to interrupt the grandfather-and-grandson moment. Just then, Alex walked over with some fruits in his hands. ¡°Miss Tillman, I heard that you sought help from President Presgrave. President Tillman looks more rxed now.¡± Anastasia nodded, but her heart was heavy since asking for help came with a lot of pressure. Looking at her, Alex could feel a strong sense of admiration as he had fallen in love with Anastasia at first sight. No word could describe how much he liked her or loved her. At that moment, Anastasia was wearing a ruffled blouse paired with denim jeans. She looked casual yet stylish and her long hair was let down over her shoulders as it entuated her delicate face. All in all, she looked extremely attractive. ¡°Miss Tillman, let¡¯s have lunch together. I have already booked a restaurant to celebrate President Tillman¡¯s discharge.¡± ¡°Okay, sure!¡± Anastasia nodded. Hearing that, Alex was over the moon. He could finally sit down for a meal and have a proper conversation with her. Taking out a bottle of water from his bag, he handed it to Anastasia, offering, ¡°Here, drink some water.¡± Chapter 257 Anastasia took the bottle and unscrewed the lid to drink it. Just then, footsteps were heard in the corridor, and they wereing from the corner of the elevator. Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but nce over curiously while drinking her water. Pfff! When she saw who it was, she instantly choked on her drink. It was Elliot and Rey who came uninvited. Elliot strode in with his strong and slender legs. At the same time, he exuded a powerful aura that forced anyone on his way to look at him. Why is he here? When he saw that Anastasia was standing beside Alex and was seemingly chatting with him, he narrowed his eyes dangerously. He didn¡¯t like the fact that men were always around Anastasia. ¡°President Presgrave, what brings you here?¡± Anastasia walked up to him politely. ¡°President Presgrave came because he is concerned about your father,¡± Rey exined with a smile. ¡°Thank you for your concern. My dad will be discharged by noon.¡± Anastasia looked at Elliot gratefully. ¡°Bring me over to see your dad,¡± uttered Elliot in a low voice. With that, Anastasia led him into Francis¡¯ ward. When she pushed open the door, she informed her father, who was ying with Jared. ¡°Dad, President Presgrave is here to see you.¡± Francis immediately felt overwhelmed. Beside him, Jared eximed, ¡°Is Mr. Presgrave here?¡± Right then, Elliot entered the ward, his gaze turning gentle upon seeing Jared. ¡°You¡¯re here too, Jared!¡± ¡°Hi, Mr. Presgrave.¡± Jared walked up to him and held his hand before they both walked hand-in-hand to Francis¡¯ bed. ¡°Young Master Elliot, why did youe all the way? It must have been bothersome. Why did you buy all these gifts too?¡± Francis felt ttered because he was grateful that Elliot was willing to save hispany, so why would he stille all the way to visit him? ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. I was so worried when I heard that you were hospitalized.¡± Elliot looked at Francis with concern, and he was also aware that Francis was eager to know what would happen to hispany. ¡°I already settled the acquisition of yourpany.¡± ¡°So soon? How did you do it?!¡± Francis eximed in astonishment. ¡°Did Lawrence agree to give up on acquiring mypany?¡± Rey, who was standing at the side, smiled while answering, ¡°Old Master Tillman, you might not know about it, but President Presgrave has long been worried that yourpany will be acquired, so he has prepared for this beforehand. We¡¯ll acquire theirpany soon, so you don¡¯t have to worry about it anymore.¡± Hearing that, Francis was shocked yet relieved. At the same time, he also witnessed the power of wealth and power. That was the cruel reality of the business world that resembled a battlefield. Like a food chain, the strong ones would feed on the weak ones. Though hispany was small, Lawrence¡¯spany eventually couldn¡¯t escape the fate of being acquired by another biggerpany. Standing on the side, Anastasia was also dumbfounded. Elliot acquired Lawrence¡¯spany?! When she thought about how the old man bragged and yelled in front of her father yesterday, she could finally breathe a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank you for your concern. I¡¯m really grateful for your efforts.¡± Francis was so overwhelmed that his eyes turned red. He looked into Elliot¡¯s eyes as if thetter were a parent who provided for him all their life. At the same time, Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but cast a look of gratitude at Elliot. She wasn¡¯t capable of supporting her father, but Elliot managed to boost up her father¡¯s confidence in front of his rival. ¡°This is what I should do, Mr. Tillman.¡± Elliot stayed true to his words that he would do anything for the Tillman family. Jared, who was standing beside Elliot, seemed to have sensed the atmosphere. He hugged Elliot and raised his head at him, saying, ¡°You¡¯re a good man, Mr. Presgrave. You saved Grandpa¡¯spany and even helped my mom out a lot.¡± ¡°Haha. I¡¯m doing this willingly.¡± ¡°Mommy, you said we should be grateful to anyone who helps us and repay their kindness. Now that Mr. Presgrave helped us, do you have to repay his kindness?¡± Jared didn¡¯t know that the Presgrave family was indebted to his grandmother, so based on his understanding, his mother had to repay Elliot¡¯s kindness. ¡°That¡¯s right, Jared! We must repay their kindness if they help us!¡± Anastasia took the opportunity to educate her son. Chapter 258 ¡°So, how will you repay Mr. Presgrave¡¯s kindness?¡± Jared inquired out of curiosity. ¡°Erm¡­ I-I need some time to think about it.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you marry Mr. Presgrave, Mommy? You can be his wife and take care of him,¡± Jared suggested loudly. In a hurry, Anastasia rushed over to cover Jared¡¯s mouth, but she heard Francis chuckling. ying along with his grandson, Francis joked, ¡°Jared is right.¡± Rey couldn¡¯t help but chime in, ¡°President Presgrave actually needs someone to take care of him.¡± On the contrary, Alex stood aside with a stiff smile because he wasn¡¯t having any of it. Anastasia blushed in crimson as she pulled her son over and uttered, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t talk nonsense, Jared.¡± When Elliot¡¯s gaze was locked on Anastasia, his eyes were dark. He looked like a wild beast wanting to hunt her down. Under broad daylight, Anastasia was so flustered that her face turned red. She quickly felt shy because her father was also there. Seeing that his mom¡¯s face had turned red, Jared quickly shut up. ¡°Young Master Presgrave, if you¡¯re not in a hurry to head back, stay back for lunch with us!¡± Francis offered. ¡°Sure.¡± Elliot nodded. Alex¡¯s eyes darkened at that. He was nning to get close to Anastasia through the lunch gatheringter, but Elliot came out of nowhere and disrupted all his initial ns. Coming from an ordinary family, Alex desperately wanted to improve himself. He didn¡¯t want to live at the bottom of the hierarchy as his parents did. However, with his connections and ability, it was difficult for him to break out of the bottom level of the social hierarchy. When he met Francis and heard that he had two daughters, he found a shortcut to sess. He thought he could marry into the Tillman family and be the sessor to Francis. That would help him leap out of his predestined fate. There were two daughters in the Tillman household. Alex had met Erica before, but he knew that Francis didn¡¯t value her. Instead, the eldest daughter in the family, who had been mysterious all this while, caught his breath when he first saw her at the banquet. Alex was aware that Francis wanted to train him into being his sessor and intended to introduce his eldest daughter to him. When he heard that, he was overjoyed. He would be achieving the peak of his life when he had both Francis¡¯pany and his daughter. Despite that, he never expected that Elliot would be the most powerful obstacle to his sess. Elliot, who stood at the top of the food chain, also admired Anastasia! Alex heard that Anastasia¡¯s mother sacrificed herself to save him, so he had always been doing his best to repay the Tillman family. It was also a coincidence that Elliot was attracted to Anastasia. ¡°Alex,e here. Let¡¯s switch to a ssier restaurant. President Presgrave and his assistant will be joining us for lunch.¡± Francis looked at Alex while instructing him. At that moment, Alex had mixed feelings, but he still had a conscientious expression on his face. Smiling, he replied, ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll book another restaurant right now.¡± Alex then proceeded to leave the ward with his phone. Standing outside the ss window, he red at Elliot with resentment in his eyes. ¡°Dad, why don¡¯t I book the restaurant and bring President Presgrave over? I¡¯ll ask Mr. Hunter to bring you over once the documents for discharge are ready,¡± suggested Anastasia. Francis nodded and agreed, saying, ¡°Sure. You should leave first. Ask Alex toe in.¡± Anastasia pushed the door open and said to Alex, ¡°Mr. Hunter, I¡¯ll book the restaurant. You can help my dad with the discharge process, and I¡¯ll text you the addresster.¡± ¡°Sure, Miss Tillman.¡± Alex nodded. When Anastasia turned around, he couldn¡¯t hide the affectionate gaze he had for her. After Anastasia brought her son, Elliot, and Rey out of the ward, they headed toward the car park. Elliot instructed Rey to drive Anastasia¡¯s car, while Anastasia and Jared took his car. Anastasia hadn¡¯t bought a child safety seat yet, but Elliot had it in his car, so she agreed to Elliot¡¯s arrangement after considering her son¡¯s safety. By 12.00PM, they arrived at the fancy restaurant. Francister brought Alex along, and once they were done with their orders, they started chatting. Chapter 259 Francis mentioned his feud with Lawrence in passing, and the revtion shocked Anastasia. It turned out that Lawrence used to be her father¡¯s business partner when thepany was first established. Later, Lawrence used thepany¡¯s public funds to gamble, which Francis found out about. Then, sometime after serving a one-year sentence in jail, Lawrence earned a load of ck money and used it to enter themercial industry to exclusively steal Francis¡¯s businesses and clients. In the end, it was thanks to Elliot that Francis managed to bag a lot of orders and projects while Lawrencey low for a few years before resurfacing as an acquirer. Anastasia knew she had Elliot to thank for saving her father from a horrible fate once again. ¡°Here¡¯s to you, Young Master Elliot.¡± Francis raised his wine ss toward Elliot. With that, Elliot got up and clinked his ss against Francis¡¯s humbly. As Anastasia watched Elliot drink, she couldn¡¯t help worrying about his stomach. It was why she was particr about the spiciness level when she ordered the food. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Tillman. As long as I¡¯m around, yourpany will be fine,¡± Elliot promised. ¡°I feel absolutely rxed, knowing I have your help. It¡¯s just that I feel bad to keep asking for your help.¡± At that, Francis turned to Anastasia. ¡°Anastasia, you should toast Young Master Elliot too!¡± To men, toasting someone meant that they respected that person. However, Anastasia thought otherwise and smiled. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t drink so much. Here, have some food.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, toast Young Master Elliot. He has done us a great favor.¡± Francis urged his daughter. Left with no choice, Anastasia poured a ss of wine and toasted Elliot. ¡°Here¡¯s to you, President Presgrave.¡± Elliot brought the ss to her and clinked it against hers elegantly. Anastasia didn¡¯t realize it, but she got visibly worried when she saw him down the entire ss of wine. However, Elliot noticed it, and he couldn¡¯t help smiling in response, clearly pleased with her reaction. Anastasia leaned toward Elliot, and so did he when he noticed she seemed to have something to tell him. From Anastasia¡¯s angle, his longshes covered his eyelids, blurring his sharp, cold features. Anastasia couldn¡¯t help gawking a little, for his tenderness right then carried a hint of alluring charm. ¡°Watch your stomach,¡± Anastasia whispered. Elliot said nothing buttched his fathomless gaze at her and blinked, indicating he got it. ¡°Here, Young Master Elliot, have some food.¡± Meanwhile, Rey and Alex chatted away, and it was then they realized they had studied at the same university one year apart. Alex envied Rey¡¯s job, for Rey surely would have a bright future when he could work for someone like Elliot. However, Alex was a little greedier, for he didn¡¯t just want a high sry but also a broader future. What was more, he was good at concealing his ambitions. Hence, he was a hard-working, aspirant young man in Francis¡¯s eyes. ¡°Young Master Elliot, Anastasia is working in yourpany. I hope you can look after her.¡± Francis tried to put in a good word for his daughter. ¡°I will.¡± Elliot nodded. Oh, how he wanted to take good care of her, but what could he do when she kept rejecting his kindness? Just then, a thought popped into Francis¡¯s mind, but he suppressed it in two shakes. As outstanding as Anastasia was, she still wasn¡¯t enough for someone like Elliot. Besides, she had a son. No way would rich families like the Presgraves ept a woman who had given birth before marriage. Hence, he didn¡¯t dare hope Anastasia would develop any romance with this rich young man. Jared sat next to Elliot, and Elliot would check up on the little guy from time to time, adding whatever Jared liked to his te. Alex¡¯s worry grew when he saw Elliot¡¯s behavior toward Jared. Is Elliot trying to win Anastasia¡¯s heart? If that was the case, he had no chance against Elliot at all! What was more, he hadn¡¯t even confessed his love for her. She has no clue I like her! However, Alex was a little greedier, for he didn¡¯t just want a high sry but also a broader future. What was more, he was good at concealing his ambitions. Hence, he was a hard-working, aspirant young man in Francis¡¯s eyes. Chapter 260 Alex could tell Anastasia might stand on ceremony with Elliot, but she cared deeply about Elliot. After dinner, Alex went to pay the bill, only to learn that Rey had already done so. With that, he went back to the table to tell Francis. ¡°President Tillman, President Presgrave had already paid the bill.¡± ¡°What?! Young Master Presgrave, I should be the one paying the bill!¡± Francis felt horrible. How could he continue to let Elliot spend the money? ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Mr. Tillman; we¡¯re all family here.¡± A hint of a smileced Elliot¡¯s eyes as he looked knowingly at the young woman next to Francis. Anastasia reflexively lowered her head and retorted inwardly, Who¡¯s family with you?! On the other hand, Francis couldn¡¯t thank Elliot enough. But just then, Francis got a call from his office, saying there was something he needed to see to urgently. It was only when Anastasia watched how her father kept shaking Elliot¡¯s hand and thanking him again and again that she realized how rude she was to Elliot. Look at what she had done when even her father behaved differently around Elliot, fearing that Elliot experienced any remiss. She had no respect for him from the moment they met, and she even found him repulsive. Even at this point, she still saw him as an equal, in no way any more superior than her. But now, looking at how her father behaved toward Elliot, she realized how horrible she had been acting toward Elliot. It was time for Anastasia to go home as well. With that, she went up to Elliot. ¡°Thank you for today, President Presgrave. I should take Jared home now.¡± However, he had other ns. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go shopping instead? I¡¯d like to get Jared some toys.¡± With that, he picked the little guy next to him up and headed toward the mall. ¡°Hey¡­¡± Anastasia called out anxiously and chased after them with resignation. Later, they arrived at the Lego store. Whatever Lego set Jared looked at and expressed his liking for, Rey would take one box for him, and in the blink of an eye, the cart Rey was pushing behind Jared already had a good few sets of Legos. ¡°President Presgrave, you¡¯re going to spoil Jared. This is already plenty enough.¡± Anastasia had to stop Elliot from splurging further. Elliot, who was still carrying the little guy in his arms, still wanted to pick out a few more sets. But Anastasia¡¯s bright, insisting gaze told him she was serious. With that, he turned to Rey and said, ¡°This will be all.¡± ¡°Mr. Presgrave, can I y over there?¡± Jared pointed at the y station aside, hoping he could y with the other children there. As soon as Elliot put Jared down, the little guy dashed toward the y station. A gentle smileced Anastasia¡¯s eyes as she watched her boy ying happily. When she looked up, she was surprised by the pair of dazzling eyes staring right at her, melting her away. Anastasia¡¯s heart skipped a few beats, and hershes instantly fluttered in difort, unsure of where to look. Even if Elliot didn¡¯t look at a woman with a tender gaze, he could already have her falling head over heels for him, so which woman could say no to him if he softened up? After paying for the Lego sets, Anastasia thought it was time for Jared and her to go home. With that, Elliot told her to drive safely before leaving with Rey. After returning home, Jared yed with his new Lego sets on the carpet, minding his own business, and Anastasia took this opportunity to work on her sketches. Now, all she had to design was Elliot¡¯s ne. But she wasn¡¯t happy with any of the designs she came up with that night. Worse, her mind was everywhere, and she couldn¡¯t focus. Back in the Tillman Residence, Naomi called Francis to ask about Tillman Construction¡¯s fate. He naturally didn¡¯t hide anything from her, telling her Elliot had stepped in and thepany wouldn¡¯t be acquired. Naomi heaved a sigh of relief after hearing the news. Francis¡¯spany had been saved, so now she had toe up with a n to seize thepany for herself. She couldn¡¯t just sit idly by and get nothing in the end. Meanwhile, Hayley was waiting for Elliot¡¯s phone call in thevish mansion. It had been two days since she told Anastasia to give him the ne, but Elliot had never given her a call at all. Chapter 261-270 Chapter 261-270 Chapter 261 Hence, Hayley could only make the call. It was a Saturday, so Elliot should be at home. Meanwhile, Elliot was in his mansion, about to rx after a video conference when his phone rang. He checked it to find it was Hayley. With that, he answered. ¡°Hi, Hayley.¡± ¡°Elliot, did you get my ne?¡± Hayley spoke in a sweet and joyous tone. ¡°Yeah, I did.¡± ¡°Can you please put it on? See it as preventing bad luck,¡± she pleaded coyly. ¡°What happened?¡± Elliot asked concerningly. He was a human, after all. ¡°I¡¯ve had a tarot card readingtely, and the fortune teller told me my Mercury¡¯s in retrograde. So the man I love and I will have to wear the ne at the same time for the bad luck to go away. Elliot, can you wear it for a month for me?¡± Hayley pleaded and didn¡¯t forget to add, ¡°Pretty please with a cherry on top?¡± Of course, Elliot didn¡¯t believe in such superstitions. With that, he frowned and said, ¡°You can leave the ne with me for a month, but I¡¯m not used to wearing nes.¡± ¡°Then how about three days? Just wear it for three days, or even one will do. Please, Elliot. I¡¯ve been feeling terribly sick these past couple of days. Yesterday, I mmed my finger on a car door, and now my tummy hurts.¡± Hayley recounted her misfortunes. ¡°Well, you take care of yourself. I¡¯ll keep your ne safe and return it to you a monthter.¡± Elliot wasn¡¯t going to wear it no matter how, for he didn¡¯t want Anastasia to see it. ¡°Oh, okay. Can you treat me to dinner tonight, then?¡± Hayley could only act aggrievedly, seeing that Elliot wouldn¡¯t wear the ne, no matter how she begged. Ads by Pubfuture However, he declined without a second thought. ¡°I¡¯m busy tonight. I have a meeting.¡± ¡°When are you avable then? I miss you so much.¡± Hayley whined like a neglected wife. But it only got Elliot¡¯s brow furrowing deeper. ¡°Hayley, don¡¯t waste your time on me. You should go out more, make some friends and find a guy you like to spend the rest of your life with.¡± ¡°No, Elliot. You¡¯re the only one I like. I will never be able to love any other man but you.¡± Hayley eximed her love like she had been triggered. Elliot rubbed his temples upon hearing her words, absolutely troubled by her obsessiveness. ¡°Hayley, I¡¯m a little busy now. We¡¯ll talk about this some other time; I don¡¯t want to keep you from your life.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be waiting. You have to call me.¡± Hayley wanted his promise. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll call you when I¡¯m free.¡± With that, he hung up. After the call ended, Hayley panted slightly as she sat on the couch. She had just boldly confessed her love for Elliot. No matter whether Elliot rejected her or not, she had to make him hers. After all, it was a fact that she used Anastasia¡¯s body to sleep with him. A white war unfolded every day in the unpredictablemercial industry. Right then, Lawrence was sitting in his office, face paled with terror. Hispany was also suffering the fate of being acquired, and the acquirer was the world-renowned Presgrave Group. An eye for an eye. Presgrave Group maliciously acquired hispany just as how he had done it to Tillman Constructions. ¡°There must be a reason Presgrave Group would have their eyes on the country¡¯s mere construction material business. Go and find out. I want answers,¡± Lawrence ordered his men as rage crept up his fat cheeks. ¡°If I go out of business because of you, Tillman. I¡¯ll drag you down with me.¡± Hostility filled Lawrence as he cursed. He surely was no decent guy when he could get to where he was today. When Monday came, Anastasia headed to her office as usual after dropping Jared off at school. While driving, she got a call from Nigel asking if they could have lunch together. Of course, she said yes. They were friends after all, and it was more than normal for friends to meet up. During lunch, Anastasia didn¡¯t tell Nigel what nearly happened to her father¡¯spany but only talked about Jared and her troubles at work. Chapter 262 ¡°Anastasia, if you¡¯ve encountered any trouble at work, don¡¯t hesitate to tell Elliot. Go ahead and bother him. If he doesn¡¯t deal with it, tell me. I¡¯ll give him a piece of my mind.¡± Nigel was all enthusiastic when it came to giving his cousin trouble. Anastasia chuckled in response. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. My projects won¡¯t escte to his level.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not just talking about your projects. You have colleagues too. Just have Elliot fire whoever you despise.¡± He didn¡¯t want her to have a hard time at work. ¡°Please, Nigel. The office is a ce for work, not for me to bully people.¡± Anastasia waved her hand. Just then, her phone rang, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw the caller ID¡ªit was Elliot. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you answering? Who is it?¡± ¡°President Presgrave.¡± Anastasia didn¡¯t hide it from Nigel. ¡°Give it to me. I¡¯ll answer it.¡± With that, he grabbed her phone. ¡°Hey. Nigel¡­ No nonsense, please!¡± Anastasia¡¯s heart raced as Nigel took her phone away, for she knew he was a man of mischief. However, it wouldn¡¯t be Nigel if he didn¡¯t cause a little bit of trouble. ¡°Hey, Elliot. Anastasia can¡¯te to the phone right now. Just talk to me.¡± ¡°Why are you two together?¡± Elliot asked monotonously. Though Nigel had already given up fighting for Anastasia¡¯s love, he still couldn¡¯t help but want to mess with his cousin. ¡°Why? Are you scared that I¡¯ll take her for myself?¡± He chuckled. ¡°Hand the phone to her. This is important.¡± Elliot wasn¡¯t in the mood to joke. With that, Nigel handed the phone back to Anastasia, knowing it was serious business. ¡°He wants to talk to you!¡± After taking the phone, she got up and went aside. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Your father¡¯s enemy, Lawrence, has done many evil deeds and has even been in jail. For your safety, I¡¯ve decided that you and Jared should live with me for now.¡± Elliot cut to the case. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?¡± Anastasia¡¯s eyes widened with incredulity. ¡°Live with you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already arranged for Jared to go to a prestigious private kindergarten. The security there is tight. You don¡¯t have to worry about his safety there,¡± he said gravely. ¡°Thanks, but I don¡¯t want to trouble you further. I¡¯ll be extra careful.¡± Anastasia thought she couldn¡¯t keep troubling him and that she should take matters into her own hands. ¡°Anastasia, what¡¯s more important, Jared¡¯s safety or your ego?¡± Elliot hit the roof. ¡°Thank you for your concern, President Presgrave.¡± With that, she hung up. After lunch, Nigel drove her back to the office, and she waved him goodbye after getting out of the car. When Anastasia was about to go into the lobby after seeing Nigel¡¯s car drive away, she sensed a pair of eyes staring at her. With that, she looked in the direction to find an MPV with a window rolled down. Inside, a man was watching her as he took a drag. When their eyes met, the man didn¡¯t even look away but sized her up lecherously. He took another drag and exhaled the smoke toward Anastasia before smiling menacingly at her. Anastasia¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and Elliot¡¯s warning popped into her head. Is that guy really Lawrence¡¯s henchman? Is he really intending to get back at Dad, and now he has his eyes on me?! With that, she dashed into the lobby and headed straight to the elevator, hitting the eighth floor¡ªthe president¡¯s floor. Aftering out of the elevator, Anastasia went straight to Elliot¡¯s office. Before entering, she checked with one of his assistants. ¡°Is President Presgrave in?¡± ¡°The president had just arrived. He¡¯s inside,¡± the assistant answered. With that, she knocked on the door, and a husky male voice came from inside. ¡°Come in.¡± Anastasia opened the door to find Elliot flipping through a document on the couch. Thete fall afternoon sun shone in, enveloping his shadowy figure with ayer of golden rays.N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°President Presgrave, I have something to discuss with you.¡± Anastasia didn¡¯t dare act carelessly anymore. After seeing that spotter, she began growing nervous. Ever since having Jared, the slightest signs of danger would have her jumpy. ¡°Sure.¡± Elliot put the document down. ¡°There¡¯s a spotter at the entrance. I suspect he works for Lawrence. How did you learn that Lawrence wants to get back at my dad?¡± Anastasia asked with absolute worry. Chapter 263 ¡°He¡¯s always been on my radar, so I know everything he¡¯s doing.¡± Elliot looked up with beaming confidence in his eyes. It wouldn¡¯t surprise Anastasia that this man would have full control and perfect nning over everything he did. So she believed him when he said Lawrence might get back at her father.¡±I¡¯d like to take an extended leave.¡± Anastasia thought she should go into hiding for some time. She had to ensure Jared¡¯s safety, even if she had to sacrifice work. More than that, she had to remind her father to be extra carefultely. Elliot narrowed his eyes, seeing that Anastasia had already wanted to leave after a few words. ¡°Rx. I¡¯ve sent my men to pick Jared up and made the necessary arrangements to keep your father safe. I¡¯ve got you covered.¡± Anastasia stopped in her tracks and looked back at the man on the couch with incredulity. He had taken Jared away?! ¡°Where¡¯s my son?!¡± she asked in shock. ¡°He¡¯s at my home right now. From now on, you and Jared have to stay at my ce. Don¡¯t run around. Do you think you¡¯ll be safe just because you go into hiding? Lawrence once roamed the underworld; he has powerful connections.¡± Anastasia¡¯s heart skipped a beat reflexively. He has already arranged everything?! ¡°Thanks, but I can protect Jared myself.¡± Anastasia thought she should turn down his kindness. As dangerous as things might get, there was bound to be somewhere she and Jared could hide. ¡°So far, only I can give you and Jared absolute safety.¡± Elliot looked over at her, exceptionally confident. ¡°I¡ª¡± Just as she wanted to retort, he cut her off. ¡°Has it urred to you that you and Jared will be Lawrence¡¯s best target if he really wants to get back at your father?¡± Anastasia¡¯s heart stopped beating for a split second, shocked. Surely Lawrence has a solid degree of social influence when he can acquire a few construction materialpanies in one go, while she¡¯s just a mere woman. Will she really be able to keep her son safe? Elliot softened up, seeing that she was still deliberating. ¡°I really like Jared, and I don¡¯t want anything bad to happen to him. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t, too.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Anastasia sighed and looked toward him. ¡°It makes me feel bad that my family and I have to keep troubling you.¡± ¡°You think you¡¯re troubling me, but I don¡¯t. I¡¯m most at ease when you guys are with me. I won¡¯t feel good either if anything happens to you guys.¡± Elliot looked deeply into her eyes. Anastasia fell silent for a moment, struggling to decide before she finally looked up at the man in front of her. ¡°Then Jared and I will have to bother you for some time.¡± ¡°Protecting you guys is something I should do.¡± ¡°Have you told my dad about this?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll send my men to keep an eye on the situation at your dad¡¯s,¡± Elliot reassured her. Anastasia¡¯s jumpy heart had now calmed thanks to him. It was like he had the power to make people trust himpletely. ¡°Thanks. I should go and ask Felicia for a leave.¡± With that, she headed out, calling her father in the meantime. Francis wasposed, having gone through most things in life. He was happy to learn that Elliot would protect his daughter and grandson, so he reminded, ¡°Anastasia, don¡¯t feel bad and don¡¯t let Young Master Presgrave think his kindness is for nothing. You and Jared just stay by Young Master Presgrave¡¯s side with peace of mind!¡± ¡°You be careful too, Dad.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me! I¡¯ve been through most things in life already. Situations like this are inevitable in themercial industry,¡± Francisforted. In actuality, the only reason Francis could act so calmly was that he had Elliot¡¯s help. Even if Lawrence was no good guy, he couldn¡¯t do just anything he wanted in front of the Presgraves. Later, Anastasia lied to Felicia, saying she wanted to look after her father for a week, and Felicia approved her leave without a second thought. But she hoped Anastasia could finish the order worth ten million during her time off. And Anastasia couldn¡¯t help feeling awkward. She wondered how Felicia would react if she knew this big client was the great President Presgrave upstairs. After all that was settled, Anastasia decided to head home and pack some clothes before hiding at Elliot¡¯s. When something like this had happened, no ego in this world was more important than her son¡¯s safety anymore. Chapter 264 Anastasia went back to the office after a quick pack-up and then called Elliot through the inte. ¡°What time are you leaving? I¡¯d like to see Jared.¡± ¡°Meet me down at the basement car park in ten minutes,¡± Elliot replied. Ten minutester, Anastasia moved the two suitcases from her car into Elliot¡¯s trunk. Rey, the assistant, now became Rey, the chauffeur, driving Elliot and Anastasia back to Elliot¡¯s ce as the two sat in the back seat. Anastasia was still reeling at the fact that she had to stay with Elliot for some time while she watched the view outside the window. s, what to do when life throws you a curveball? ¡°Take a good rest while you¡¯re at my ce,¡± Elliot said, the joy beneath his fathomless eyes unconceble. However, Anastasia still felt bad for troubling him. ¡°Sorry for intruding, President Presgrave.¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Elliot¡¯s face rxed as he thought, How can you call this intruding?! He¡¯d die to have her move in with him. In actuality, he deliberately made things sound more severe than they actually were. Yes, Lawrence¡¯s men were digging into Francis¡¯s rtionship with his family, but Lawrence himself was in deep sh*t right now, for he was pulling every possible connection to remove himself from a few women-missing- from-nightclub cases. And if Anastasia hadn¡¯t spotted the spotter so coincidentally, he wouldn¡¯t be able to take her home so easily. Anastasia gradually spaced out as she continued to watch the view outside the window. Then, when her current situation popped back into her head, she looked over to Elliot to find he was looking out the window and musing as well. Sigh, his handsome side profile was a sight to behold as well. After gawking for a few seconds, she looked away with a flushed face. Elliot¡¯s mansion upied the city¡¯s best terrain, for it was located near the sea and the hills. Plus, it was built on high grounds, so it was the perfect spot to watch the stars or view the cityscape. The entire mansion took up nearly half the hill, and it was designed by a renowned architect as well. Anastasia had the privilege ofing once before, but she left in a hurry. This time, she managed to admire the view along the journey to the top of the hill. Amidstte fall, the mansion looked like a crouching gray giant. Right as Anastasia got out of the car, she heard a familiar voiceing from the yard¡ªit was Jared! Pleasantly surprised, she followed the voice to a garden, and through it, she found Jared ying ser with two bodyguards on the field. The little guy had no sense of strangeness, ying happily as though he was in his own home, and it got Anastasia mortified. This child is way too approachable! ¡°Jared!¡± she called out to him. ¡°Mommy! You¡¯re finally here!¡± Jared beamed in surprise and trotted to his mother when he heard her voice. Anastasia pulled him closer and wiped the sweat off his forehead. ¡°Is it really that much fun?¡± ¡°Mommy, Mr. Presgrave said we¡¯ll be staying here for some time. Is it true?¡± Jared looked at Anastasia with his big, round, innocent eyes. Anastasia didn¡¯t want him to know the reason behind it for fear that he¡¯d have trouble socializing in the future. With that, she made up an excuse. ¡°Yeah, because we have to fix some things at home, so we¡¯ll have to crash at Mr. Presgrave¡¯s temporarily.¡± ted, the little guy nodded. ¡°Yay! We can live with Mr. Presgrave!¡± Anastasia, on the other hand, had mixed feelings about this. She kept saying no to the debt he kept trying to repay, but at the same time, she constantly had to ept them. Would her mother get upset if she found out in heaven? Anastasia felt absolutely awful. However, her circumstances weren¡¯t giving her options. She let Jared go back to his ser while she entered the foyer. A few servants were busying away, and when they saw Anastasia, they greeted her, saying, ¡°Miss Tillman.¡± It seemed that the maids here had found out she and Jared would be living here for some time and even learned who they were. Just then, Elliot approached her from the wing and said, ¡°I¡¯ve told them to prepare you and Jared each a room.¡± ¡°It¡¯s totally fine if Jared shares a room with me,¡± she said hurriedly upon hearing his words. To that, he teased, ¡°What are you worried about? That I¡¯d do something to you?¡± Mortified, she deliberately said, ¡°No, I trust you¡¯re a fine gentleman, President Presgrave. You surely won¡¯t take advantage of my vulnerability.¡± Chapter 265 ¡°Smart girl. The kid¡¯s bedroom is right next to yours. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t do anything to you,¡± Elliot reassured Anastasia as he headed upstairs. Anastasia followed behind him to find not only the kid¡¯s bedroom and hers were next to each other, but Elliot¡¯s room was on the same floor as well, and very close at that. Her luggage had already been brought up. With that, Elliot said, ¡°I¡¯ll ask the servants to help you sort your luggage out.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can do it myself.¡± Anastasia wasn¡¯t used to ordering servants around. Elliot nodded at that and let her get to her luggage. After sorting out her own luggage, she put Jared¡¯s clothing in the kid¡¯s bedroom. At the end of the day, Jared was a growing boy. Though he hadn¡¯t reached the age where they had to start setting boundaries, it was time to start training his independence. Anastasia took a break after sorting everything out, and Hayley¡¯s warning popped into her head. However, she couldn¡¯t care less anymore. If Hayley dared bring that b*stard to her son, she¡¯d immediately send that b*stard to jail. She would never forgive him for defiling her back then! She would never forgive him for traumatizing her. That man deserves to rot in hell! Even if he was Jared¡¯s biological father, she would show him no mercy. When Anastasia came to the living room balcony on the second floor, she discovered that she could see Jared ying from there. With that, she sat down and enjoyed the view. Meanwhile, the servants brought some fruits and afternoon tea over almost instantly. This is an A+ service right here. Sometimeter, Elliot came to the balcony and sat next to her, watching the little guy y on the field. ¡°Jared seems to like my ce a lot.¡± ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t like avish mansion?¡± Anastasia retorted with a chuckle. ¡°So, are you saying you like it too?¡± he asked. Elliot¡¯s question got her choking for a second, but she didn¡¯t choose to lie. ¡°Of course.¡± With that, he suggested with a quirked brow, ¡°Why don¡¯t I give you a chance to own it, then? Marry me, and this mansion will be yours.¡± Anastasia¡¯s mind turned nk for a few seconds, and she tried to steer away from the subject, offering him a piece of watermelon.¡± The watermelon¡¯s really sweet, President Presgrave. You should try it.¡± Elliot took the piece of watermelon from her with some indignation. However, he didn¡¯t press on after taking a bite, for he didn¡¯t want to scare her away when she had just arrived. ¡°You sure have a lot of servants, President Presgrave!¡± Anastasia gushed. She had already seen about seven or eight of them from the moment she came. At that, Elliot narrowed his eyes a little and exined, ¡°They¡¯ll all leave in a bit. Normally, only two servants woulde to make breakfast and dinner.¡± Then, he was reminded of something, and with that, he turned to Anastasia. ¡°C¡¯mon, let me show you your studio.¡± Stumped, she asked, ¡°What studio?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know when you see it.¡± Elliot got up and headed back inside, acting all mysterious. Curious, Anastasia followed behind him to a double door on the other end of the floor, facing the yard. Elliot pushed the door open, letting the evening sun shine in, giving the room life. The space was decorated with nts and an elegant ivory work desk. What was more, the panoramic window wall overlooked the sea. Coupled with cozy furnishing, it surely was a designer¡¯s ultimate studio. What a sight to behold. Surely no creative professional would say no to such a studio. It would be a treat to work in this space, as all the worries would disappear in a snap. While Anastasia was taking it all in, Elliot¡¯s deep voice came beside her. ¡°Do you like it?¡± How could she not?! But still, she turned to him. ¡°I can make do and work in my room. You didn¡¯t have to go through all the trouble of preparing a studio for me.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as ¡®make do¡¯. This will be your office from now on, and I¡¯m still waiting on my ne!¡± Elliot narrowed his eyes and looked at her with aspiration. ¡°Thanks.¡± Anastasia didn¡¯t stand on ceremony anymore. She would only be staying here for a while, anyway. Then, he was reminded of something, and with that, he turned to Anastasia. ¡°C¡¯mon, let me show you your studio.¡± Chapter 266 They had a hearty dinner that night, and by dinnertime, Jared was sweating buckets from having so much fun. Seeing so, Elliot ruffled the child¡¯s hair affectionately and asked, ¡°Jared, do you like my ce?¡± ¡°I do!¡± Jared said as he stuffed his mouth full like a chipmunk. Anastasia couldn¡¯t help chucking under her breath in response. Great, Jared likes his house and his food! After dinner, she brought Jared upstairs for a shower. The refreshing bath and a blow-dry of his short hair made the little guy even more handsome. Anastasia had packed some Legos for him, so Jared entertained himself with them on the sofa in his bedroom. Meanwhile, she went back to her room and stood in front of the French windows that overlooked the night cityscape. A stunning light show was on disy within the forest of tall buildings, making it a sight to behold. She went to check on Jared at around 9.30PM and she couldn¡¯t help chuckling because the little guy had fallen asleep on the couch with the Lego bricks in his hands; his stomach was t on the couch and his legs were touching the floor. With that, she carried him to the bed, tucked him in, adjusted the air conditioning, gave him a peck on his forehead, and headed out before leaving the bracket light by the door on. Right as she came out, Elliot happened to be walking toward her from the study and he asked in a soft voice, ¡°Has Jared fallen asleep?¡± ¡°Yeah, he has,¡± Anastasia whispered as she looked up at him. A hint of weariness enveloped Elliot after a day¡¯s work, making him look exceptionallyzy instead of the usual aloof guy that he was. ¡°You should turn in early too, President Presgrave,¡± she said warmly before entering her room. However, just as she closed the door, Elliot pushed it open and she couldn¡¯t help being stumped while he entered her room and carried a hint of intimidation with him. Anastasia¡¯s heart skipped a beat reflexively, for he would always behave recklessly back in her home and now, they were at his ce. He hadn¡¯t stuck to this habit still, had he?! ¡°Do you need something from me, President Presgrave?¡± Anastasia asked, feigning calmness. ¡°You haven¡¯t said goodnight to me.¡± It was just a bloody random excuse. She immediately said ¡®Goodnight¡¯ upon hearing so. Elliot smirked in response. ¡°Are you that afraid of me?¡± he asked as he sat cross-legged on the couch. ¡°Are you worried that I¡¯ll eat you up?¡± ¡°You¡¯re no beast, President Presgrave. You wouldn¡¯t eat a human being.¡± Anastasia decided to y dumb. ¡°You¡¯re wrong because I would.¡± He didn¡¯t want her to exalt him constantly. She knew well that she wouldn¡¯t be able to chase him out anytime soon, so she sat on the edge of the bed to face him. ¡°President Presgrave, my father and I are indebted to you, and we¡¯ll definitely repay your kindness in due time.¡± Before she knew it, her family had already owed him so much. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to repay any of it, but if you insist, I want¡­¡± Elliottched his gaze on the woman on the bed as he spoke. She was like a rose that had just bloomed at night under the lights and her features made her oval face stunning and alive. Her beauty was rare, for she would look stunning with either light or heavy makeup, and she could already have men falling for her even with just the light makeup. Meanwhile, Anastasia looked curiously at him, waiting for what he would say next. ¡°You,¡± he said firmly. She blushed upon hearing his words, vexed that she had let her curiosity get the best of her. The hell, he wants me?! What flirtatious words! Anastasia knew she had to chase him out now. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, President Presgrave. You should get some rest.¡± Of course, Elliot knew she was going to do that. Hence, he got up and said ¡®goodnight¡¯ to her before leaving. Anastasia heaved a sigh of relief as she watched the door close, but what in the world was she actually afraid of? That he would behave recklessly or that her unyielding heart would get lost in him? If she didn¡¯t have a son, or that incident five years ago had not happened, she would surely love a man with her entire heart¡ªthe ¡¯till death do us part¡¯ kind of love. Now, with Jared by her side, she didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with love. It wasn¡¯t that she had trust issues, but she had parental duties. Chapter 267 Elliot was a good person, and he was also nice to Anastasia¡¯s son. Still, he wasn¡¯t Jared¡¯s biological father, so even if he could love her son unconditionally now, no one knew if this would change in the future. She dared not bet on it. She always saw online news of women who remarried, but their children were shunned by the husbands¡¯ families. All in all, it would be best for single women with children to never get married. At the Tillman Residence, Francis returned home after a busy day at work. As soon as he reached home, he summoned his wife. ¡°Tell Erica toe down. I have something to say.¡± Naomi went upstairs and called her daughter over. Then, the two sat on the couch and looked nervously at Francis¡¯ stern expression. ¡°Hubby, what happened?¡± ¡°Lawrence might get revenge on me. So when you and Erica go out these days, be extra careful, or just don¡¯t leave the house if possible,¡± Francis reminded them in a serious tone. ¡°Why would he get revenge on us?¡± Erica asked, puzzled. ¡°Why else? Hispany was bought by Presgrave Group, and he dared not take it up to Presgrave Group itself, so he could only vent his hatred on me. Just stay at home for the time being.¡± ¡°What about Anastasia? Have you informed her about it?¡± Naomi asked casually. She thought that if Lawrence really wanted his revenge, he should do it to Anastasia and her son. Lawrence better kidnap the child and maybe get the child involved in a fatal ident or something. Francis didn¡¯t understand the ulterior meaning of his wife¡¯s words, of course. He even thought she was worried about their eldest daughter! A smile shed across the depths of his eyes as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Anastasia and Jared. They are in a very safe ce.¡± Erica was a little jealous as she said, ¡°Dad, where have you taken them to hide?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not me who took them somewhere safe; Anastasia and Jared are living in Elliot Presgrave¡¯s home right now. They have countless bodyguards, and their security system is top-notch. No matter how skilled Lawrence is, he won¡¯t dare to mess with the Presgraves.¡± Francis even felt somewhat proud as he spoke. Naomi and Erica exchanged nces. Erica was obviously green with envy. How did Anastasia get so lucky that she would have the chance to live in Elliot¡¯s home? She got so close to Elliot, so she could use every tactic she knew to seduce Elliot as much as she liked! ¡°How lucky she is! And that child too, getting to live in Elliot Presgrave¡¯s home.¡± Naomi humphed in a weird way. ¡°Anastasia probably got her luck in exchange for her mother¡¯s life.¡± Francis sighed. When he recalled his previous wife¡¯s heroic actions, he felt something weighing on his heart as well. Erica went back to her room, an unspeakable hatred inside her. She grabbed her phone and dialed Hayley¡¯s number, intending to vent to thetter. When Hayley received Erica¡¯s call, she was already lying in her luxurious bed. She couldn¡¯t go to sleep because of her troubles. She had money, a huge house, and a luxurious car now, but there was no one she could show off to. She could only put on airs in front of strangers, but she couldn¡¯t show off to those people who used to look down on her and trampled her. ¡°Hello, Erica.¡± ¡°Hayley, are you free now? I want to chat.¡± ¡°Of course! About what?¡± ¡°That b*tch Anastasia.¡± Erica immediately swore in anger. ¡°Do you know what a good life she¡¯s having right now? Hayley, do you know the Presgrave Family? That super rich one.¡± ¡°Yes. They own that skyscraper in the city center called Presgrave Corporation.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, Presgrave Corporation. Their current president is someone named Elliot Presgrave. Has Anastasia told you before? Her mother died trying to save Elliot, and now Elliot is repaying the kindness. Anastasia and her illegitimate son are now living such a good life that it pisses me off.¡± ¡°Oh! How did the Presgraves repay her kindness?¡± Hayley asked curiously. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it in terms of something close to me. My dad¡¯spany was almost bought by someone else, right? It¡¯s the young master of the Presgrave Family who spoke up and resolved the situation. Now, the person who tried to buy my dad¡¯spany is trying to get revenge on him, so my mom and I are told not to go out in the meantime. But do you know where Anastasia went with her son? They went to live in Elliot¡¯s vi, and they¡¯re under his protection now!¡± Chapter 268 Erica was furious as she spoke, and Hayley, too, was so enraged that she breathed heavily. She was both angry and terrified that Anastasia would move into Elliot¡¯s house with the excuse of hiding from danger. Hayley thought she had managed to threaten Anastasia, but thetter didn¡¯t even take her warning seriously. If Erica hadn¡¯t told her, she would have no idea that Anastasia was living with Elliot right now and could be close to him 24/7. ¡°Say, Hayley, what if Anastasia suddenly marries Elliot one day? Will she get her revenge on us?¡± Erica¡¯s voice pulled Hayley back from her raging fury. ¡°Of course, Erica. If she obtains power, we will never live in peace. When that happens, she will trample both you and me, and we¡¯ll never recover in our entire lives.¡±Hayley wanted to incite Erica¡¯s fear so that she would do something about Anastasia. ¡°Then what do we do, Hayley?¡± Erica finished talking, then said right out, ¡°Do you know? My dad is trying to let Anastasia and her son inherit thepany behind my and my mom¡¯s backs. We¡¯ll get nothing.¡± Hearing that, Hayley hastily advised, saying, ¡°Erica, you and your mom have to guard against Anastasia. Perhaps this isn¡¯t your dad¡¯s intention at all. Anastasia might be ying tricks behind the scenes, so your dad could do nothing but let her have thepany.¡± ¡°I think so too. If not, why would my dad let that mongrel inherit thepany?¡± Erica was quite simple- minded, and she believed everything Hayley said. ¡°Erica, are you very sure that Anastasia has moved into Elliot¡¯s house?¡± ¡°Of course I am! My dad said it himself.¡± Erica was so pissed that she felt her internal organs writhing. Hayley gripped her nket tightly, ripping the high-quality silk fabric. The fear in her heart had manifested in the depths of her eyes. Even if Hayley pretended to be the victim five years ago, had fate still pulled Anastasia and Elliot together? No, she had to change this fate. She had to get the position of Young Mistress of the Presgrave Family. If Anastasia got the position instead, Hayley¡¯s life in the future would be a disaster. Perhaps when Anastasia had obtained power, she would make Hayley disappear entirely from the face of the earth. This would no longer be a question of the quality of life: her life itself would be in danger. In Elliot¡¯s vi, Anastasiay on the bed, tossing and turning as she tried to sleep. Perhaps it was the new surroundings, or perhaps the scenery outside was too beautiful. Either way, she couldn¡¯t sleep. Anastasia got up, intending to check on her son to see if he had kicked his nket off. She quietly creaked open the door and went out. As soon as she opened the door to her son¡¯s room, she was startled by the man behind the door. She was about to scream when the man¡¯srge hand covered her mouth, and she was pinned against the wall. Elliot was wearing gray pajamas with his chest exposed, so his full, attractive muscles were on disy. The strong and muscr shape looked exceptionally alluring under the lighting, causing Anastasia to look away in her panic, blushing. Why would Elliot be in her son¡¯s room in the middle of the night? Elliot gave her a ¡®shh¡¯, then removed his palm from her mouth. He pulled the door open and led her outside. As soon as Anastasia got out, she struggled free of his grip and questioned in a tiny voice, ¡°Why are you in my son¡¯s room?¡± ¡°I was worried that Jared would wake up in the middle of the night because of his new surroundings, and he might get scared. That¡¯s why I came over to check on him,¡± Elliot said in a low voice, looking at the woman who was also in pajamas. Anastasia never expected to bump into him in the middle of the night. Hence, the pajamas she was wearing were of the silk and suspender sort. She didn¡¯t even wear her bra, and under the light, the man could see certain shapes. Anastasia realized this a little toote, and she hastily covered her chest in fear. She warned in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t look.¡± Elliot had seen all he wanted to see. A satisfied smile crept onto his lips because he had noints about the size and shape. Anastasia had seen him pulling the nket back on her son, so she didn¡¯t have to go in anymore. As she turned around to go back to her room, the man¡¯s long arm hooked onto hers and pulled. She turned right on the spot and fell into the man¡¯s chest. Anastasia felt a little dizzy as she ran into his firm chest. When she looked up, she met the man¡¯s lowered and staring gaze. The lights in the corridor blurred the man¡¯s cold outline, and he actually looked¡­ gentle. Chapter 269 It was seductive and hypnotic, and Anastasia was dumbfounded for a while. Anastasia struggled as if her life depended on it, unwilling to lose her sense of self in those eyes. However, right then, the man was already reaching out greedily and touching her exquisite face. ¡°Miss Tillman, it¡¯s such a wonderful night. It will be a pity if we don¡¯t do something romantic.¡± Anastasia was in Elliot¡¯s arms now, enveloped in his fragrance. She was invaded by the fiery light in the depths of his eyes, letting down her guard a little. She fought to get her sense of reason back and reached out to push him away. However, in the next second, the man lowered his gaze and cut off all her chances of escape. He kissed her forcefully, his tongue exploring her mouth and stealing her sweet essence. This is horrible! Anastasia thought, but she felt her determination wavering. She was also holding back when she pushed him just now. What¡¯s going on? Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but curse her hesitation, which was why this man thought her a vulnerable victim. That was why he would take advantage of her in the corridor in the middle of the night. But this man¡¯s kiss wasn¡¯t something she hated. She actually experienced a sense of wonder and expectation. This man had dug out her hidden excitement and awakened her sleeping passion. The kiss was like a fire that burned Anastasia¡¯s reasoning away. Some timeter, in addition to their already loosely clothed bodies, the man¡¯s more dangerous spot had startled Anastasia back to her senses. She would only permit one kiss, and anything further than that would be considered crossing the line. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte¡­ Go to sleep!¡± Anastasia struggled and finally broke free of him, then turned her back on him, expressing her rejection with her entire being. Elliot didn¡¯t force her. He just leaned in close to her ear and spoke in his alluring voice. ¡°Whatever we left off tonight, I will continue in my dreams.¡±Anastasia felt her mind explode. This man even wanted to dream of such things? When she turned around, only the aura of the man¡¯s hormones remained. The man himself had left. It was just one sentence, but Anastasia couldn¡¯t stop blushing about it. She felt dizzy as shey on the bed, and the kiss came to her mind as soon as she closed her eyes. Her body was heating up for some reason. What was wrong with her? She went to sleep in a daze, and she could no longer differentiate dreams from reality. No matter what, she was blushing both in and out of sleep. The next morning, Anastasia opened her eyes and noticed that it was alreadyte in the morning. She got out of bed in annoyance at the absence of her biological clock. She went downstairs and prepared breakfast for the servants, whereas her son and Elliot were in the field. The little guy fell in love with this patch of grass, and once he got hold of a ser ball, he could y there all day. Anastasia bit her lip and couldn¡¯t help but recall what happenedst night. She was once again troubled, and she made up her mind that such things must never happen again. Never! She then mocked herself. She had sworn the exact same thing more than once, but it always seemed to fail. When faced with this man, no single oath she swore could be kept. In another vi area, Hayley didn¡¯t get much sleep throughout the night. Her eyes were red as she took her phone and dialed Daniel¡¯s number. As soon as the call went through, she ordered, ¡°Daniel, I want to see Elliot. Help me think of a way.¡± On the other end of the line, Daniel thought for a few seconds before answering, ¡°This Saturday, Old Madam Presgrave will be celebrating her 70th birthday. President Presgrave is already preparing for it, so you can find an opportunity to let him know that you want to attend and celebrate Old Madam Presgrave¡¯s birthday.¡± Hayley was ted. ¡°Really? Then what should I do?¡± ¡°You can look through old news articles; there should be reports of the exact time of Old Madam Presgrave¡¯s birth. You can ask President Presgrave to bring you to the celebration with him. He¡¯ll most probably agree,¡± Daniel suggested. However, Anastasia still felt her attention drawn to the man in sports attire. He was wearing a gray top paired with ck sweatpants. As he stood among the grass, he appearedrge, mighty, and imposing. There was a constant, strong, and domineering aura about him. Chapter 270 Pleasant surprise shed across Hayley¡¯s eyes, but she kept her tone cold as she said, ¡°Got it. Report these things to me of your own ord next time. Don¡¯t wait until I ask.¡± ¡°Understood, Miss Seymour.¡± Daniel was extremely submissive. After ending the call, Hayley took up her iPad and began looking for old news articles. Just as expected, she found an article dated two years back, a promotion article for Old Madam Presgrave¡¯s 68th birthday celebration. The celebration was quite grand that year, and it was all over the news. A look of hatred appeared in the depths of Hayley¡¯s eyes. It was apparent that Anastasia would be attending as well. Meanwhile, Anastasia had a seriousck of sleepst night. She felt sleepy as soon as she finished breakfast, and as she basked in the sunlight of thete fall, she began to nod off a little. After a slight nap, she heard footsteps, so she opened her eyes to see a smart figure getting close to her. She immediately sat up and gazed at him, trying to look energized. ¡°How long did you stay upst night?¡± The man sat down beside her, a suggestive smile in his eyes. He was arge part of the reason she lost sleep. ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Anastasia said stubbornly. ¡°My grandmother will be celebrating her 70th birthday this Saturday. I want to invite you and Jared over to join in the festivities,¡± Elliot started, his gaze tightly locked on her. Anastasia blinked, then shook her head. ¡°We won¡¯t be going.¡± ¡°My grandma told me specifically to bring you and Jared, and also invite your father along.¡± Anastasia cried in surprise, ¡°My dad is also on the list of people to invite?¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯ve already sent the invitations. He¡¯sing.¡± Elliot nodded. Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but think of another problem. If her father was attending, then Naomi and her daughter might take the opportunity toe as well. If the Presgraves didn¡¯t mention her father specifically, then the mother-daughter duo would definitely tag along to have a look. As they spoke, Anastasia¡¯s phone rang. She gave it a look and realized that it was a call from his grandmother. ¡°A call from your grandmother.¡± Anastasia looked nervous as she held her phone. ¡°Answer it. She must be inviting you to her birthday celebration.¡± With that, Elliot got up and walked toward the little guy practicing his kicks on the field. Anastasia picked up the call. ¡°Hello, Old Madam Presgrave.¡± ¡°Anastasia, are you busy? Has Elliot told you about my birthday celebration?¡± ¡°Yes, President Presgrave did,¡± Anastasia replied in a respectful tone. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be waiting for you!¡± Harriet thought she would definitelye. Anastasia was going to decline, but when faced with Harriet¡¯s enthusiasm, she really didn¡¯t know how to say no. ¡°Your father will being over as well. It¡¯s a good chance for me to meet your family,¡± Harriet continued. ¡°Old Madam Presgrave, I¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the gift. I¡¯ll be happy enough to see you attend. I¡¯ve been looking forward to meeting your son, so remember to bring him, all right?¡± ¡°Good. I¡¯ll get Elliot to make the arrangements.¡± After hanging up the call, Anastasia secretly wished that her father woulde alone, but she didn¡¯t have a right to interfere with her father¡¯s decisions. At the Tillman Residence, Francis was having lunch at home. Naomi prepared some dishes, and after a few sips of alcohol, Francis couldn¡¯t help but mention, ¡°Naomi, I¡¯m joining Old Madam Presgrave¡¯s birthday celebration this Saturday, so get me a decent outfit for the asion.¡± Naomi¡¯s eyes lit up as she asked immediately, ¡°Are you the only one invited? What about me and Erica?¡± ¡°Why would you go?¡± Erica was anxious at the side. ¡°Dad, I want to go too. I want to see what it¡¯s like.¡± Naomi thought that the Presgrave¡¯s banquet would be a gathering of talented and famous people. It was a golden opportunity for her daughter to make friends in this situation, so it was a good thing for her daughter. What if a rich young man took a liking to her daughter? ¡°Francis, Erica and I will go with you!¡± ¡°Their guests are all top figures from the upper ss. Don¡¯t humiliate me now.¡± Francis shook his head. Anastasia changed her thinking. Her father would be there as well, and she only had to join in the festivities and eat something nice. It was easier to ept than to decline the invitation, so she smiled and said, ¡°Of course! I¡¯ll definitely be there.¡± Chapter 271-280 Chapter 271-280 Chapter 271 ¡°Dad, please! Just let us attend the event! I want to go there.¡± Erica pouted her lips, demanding her father to go along with her. ¡°Just do us a favor and let us explore around, Francis. The ce is going to be crowded with guests by then, so no one is going to notice us. I promise we won¡¯t give you any trouble.¡± Naomi sincerely beseeched Francis. Realizing he had been neglecting Naomi and her daughter all this while, Francis eventually softened up when he thought to himself about how rare the asion was. ¡°Fine. Remember to wear something decent.¡± Later that afternoon, Erica and her mother happily went shopping at the apparel shop, during which she texted Hayley to unt her good news. ¡®Erica, guess where I¡¯m going this Saturday?¡¯ ¡®Where are you going?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m going to apany my dad to Old Madam Presgrave¡¯s birthday feast.¡¯ ¡®Are you free tonight, Erica? Let¡¯s meet up!¡¯ Hayley responded by asking. ¡®Alright!¡¯ Erica agreed to meet up with Hayley, thinking they were just going to catch up with each other like old friends did. In the meantime, Hayley, who was reading Erica¡¯s message, was surprised to find out how lucky Erica was to attend Harriet¡¯s birthday celebration. For that, she knew Erica and Elliot would surely run into each other by then and was determined to exin everything to Erica so that her friend wouldn¡¯t embarrass her by ident. After taking a look at the time, Hayley reached for her phone and dialed Elliot¡¯s number. On the other hand, Elliot was skimming through his emails in his study when he saw his phone vibrating on the table. Upon taking a glimpse of it, he reached for it and said, ¡°Hello, Hayley.¡± ¡°Let me ask you something, Elliot. Is Grandma¡¯s birthday this Saturday?¡± Hayley probingly asked. ¡°How did you know about that?¡± Elliot frowned and asked in a deep voice. ¡°I happened to stumble upon Grandma¡¯s birth date when I was reading a news article that was published two years ago. After doing a little calction, I realized it¡¯s this Saturday, so will she be celebrating her birthday?¡± Hayley asked in excitement. ¡°Yes, she will.¡± ¡°That¡¯s awesome! I remember Grandma was asking me when I¡¯ll be visiting her against time, so I suppose her birthday makes a perfect opportunity for me to visit her, Elliot. Maybe I could drop by and celebrate with her,¡± Hayley happily said. ¡°Hayley, the ce is going to be full of guests, so I don¡¯t think I can make sure you¡¯re well received.¡± Elliot implied in his tone that he was reluctant to let Hayley attend the event. ¡°Don¡¯t have to worry about me, Elliot. I¡¯ll be good, and I can take care of myself¡­ Or is it because you don¡¯t want me to be there? Am I really a shameful presence to you? I know my modest background may have always been a disgrace to you, but¡­ I really want to attend Grandma¡¯s birthday feast. I just want to be there to give her my blessings. Is that too much to ask for? Can you grant me my wish?¡± Hayley spoke with a bitter voice, making herself sound sympathetic. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll arrange it.¡± Elliot continued to say, ¡± But you mustn¡¯t stir up trouble during the feast at all because Anastasia and her son will be there as well. So, try to stay away from them as much as possible.¡± ¡°Lat ma ask you somathing, Elliot. Is Grandma¡¯s birthday this Saturday?¡± Hay probingly askad. ¡°How did you know about that?¡± Elliot frownad and askad in a daap voica. ¡°I happanad to stum upon Grandma¡¯s birth data whan I was raading a naws arti that was publishad two yaars ago. Aftar doing a lit calction, I raalizad it¡¯s this Saturday, so will sha ba cbrating har birthday?¡± Hay askad in axcitamant. ¡°Yas, sha will.¡± ¡°That¡¯s awasoma! I ramambar Grandma was asking ma whan I¡¯ll ba visiting har against tima, so I supposa har birthday makas a parfact opportunity for ma to visit har, Elliot. Mayba I could drop by and cbrata with har,¡± Hay happily said. ¡°Hay, tha ca is going to ba full of guasts, so I don¡¯t think I can maka sura you¡¯ra wall racaivad.¡± Elliot impliad in his tona that ha was raluctant tot Hay attand tha avant. ¡°Don¡¯t hava to worry about ma, Elliot. I¡¯ll ba good, and I can taka cara of mysalf¡­ Or is it bacausa you don¡¯t want ma to ba thara? Am I raally a shamaful prasanca to you? I know my modast background may hava always baan a disgraca to you, but¡­ I raally want to attand Grandma¡¯s birthday faast. I just want to ba thara to giva har my ssings. Is that too much to ask for? Can you grant ma my wish?¡± Hay spoka with a bittar voica, making harsalf sound sympathatic. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll arranga it.¡± Elliot continuad to say, ¡± But you mustn¡¯t stir up trou during tha faast at all bacausa Anastasia and har son will ba thara as wall. So, try to stay away from tham as much as possi.¡± ¡°Alright, Elliot. I promise I¡¯m only there for Grandma¡¯s birthday. I¡¯ll behave myself and stay away from trouble.¡± Hayley obediently agreed to behave well. Soon, Elliot hung up the call, thinking his responsibility was nothing more than making sure Hayley wouldn¡¯t have to worry about her own livelihood. Meanwhile, Hayley was stung by Elliot¡¯sst few words, although she had already received permission to attend Harriet¡¯s birthday feast. After all, the answer to who was more important between Anastasia and her in Elliot¡¯s heart was obvious enough the moment the man Elliot told her to avoid Anastasia. Why should I be the one who stays away from Anastasia? Soon, Erica and Hayley met up at a western food restaurant in the city, where Erica showed off the nightgown she was going to wear during Harriet¡¯s birthday feast. Then, Hayley stared at her friend and said, ¡°Erica, there is something I want to tell you, but promise you¡¯re going to keep it a secret. Can you?¡± ¡°Speak your mind.¡± Erica looked at her while sipping her juice. ¡°I¡¯m going to attend Old Madam Presgrave¡¯s birthday feast too.¡± ¡°Pff!¡± Erica spat out her juice, and her eyes were left wide open in disbelief. ¡°What did you just say? You¡¯re going to attend Old Madam Presgrave¡¯s birthday feast too? H-How can you¡­?¡± Chapter 272 Erica stammered and asked, ¡°There is something I¡¯ve been wanting to tell you. Fate has brought me together with the Presgrave Family. I once saved someone from the Presgrave Family, and now they¡¯re repaying me by taking good care of me, which is why I¡¯ve been invited to Old Madam Presgrave¡¯s birthday feast.¡± ¡°Tell me how you got to know the Presgrave Family. What have you done to make them appreciate you so much?¡± Erica curiously asked, wondering how Hayley got so lucky to know the Presgrave Family. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t tell you why right now, but I know we both have something inmon to do when we get there¡ªto turn the Presgrave Family against Anastasia. We¡¯re going to make them hate her so much that she¡¯ll never live it down again,¡± Hayley said. Erica echoed Hayley¡¯s feelings and expressed her thoughts of resentment. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right. We must work together and undermine Anastasia¡¯s rtionship with Elliot because she must never marry into the Presgrave Family.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll figure out a n, so just cooperate with me by then.¡± Hayley was usually the mastermind with ideas. In the meantime, Erica had always known Hayley was a shrewddy, so she nodded her head in agreement. ¡°You can be sure I will because I want to humiliate Anastasia during the feast just as much as you do.¡± Although Erica had no idea how Hayley got to know the Presgrave Family, she received a present, which was a ne worth 500 thousand, from Hayley before they left. Upon receiving the ne, Erica fell in love with her new gift and was instantly bought over by Hayley. Because of that, she didn¡¯t even bother to learn more about the rtionship between Hayley and the Presgrave Family as she was now thinking about how to warm up to Hayley. Guess what? I mustn¡¯t look down upon Hayley anymore. On the other hand, Anastasia was sitting in her office while working on her draft design on azy afternoon. With inspirations and ideas flowing through her mind, she added some modifications to Elliot¡¯s ne to make it look thicker so that it would entuate the wearer¡¯s manliness. However, as she continued to work on her draft design, she suddenly felt like drawing the man¡¯s face out of a whim. Although Elliot seemed like the perfectly handsome man who looked wless from all angles, she wanted to draw the man when he toasted her thest time with his gentle eyes showing on his face. Thus, she proceeded to spend her entire afternoon drawing Elliot. Needless to say, she would not say a single word about the portrait to anyone because she intended to admire it herself and kill boredom. In the meantime, Elliot had spent his entire afternoon in a conference meeting in his study while the child was busy ying with his Lego in the game room. Upon taking a look at the time, he stood up and walked out of the study, wondering what Anastasia was doing since his study was on the same floor as Anastasia¡¯s office. Therefore, he decided to find out and walked toward her office. On tha othar hand, Anastasia was sitting in har offica wh working on har draft dasign on azy aftarnoon. With inspirations and idaas flowing through har mind, sha addad soma modifications to Elliot¡¯s na to maka it look thickar so that it would antuata tha waarar¡¯s manlinass. Howavar, as sha continuad to work on har draft dasign, sha suddanly falt lika drawing tha man¡¯s faca out of a whim. Although Elliot saamad lika tha parfactly handsoma man who lookad ss from all ans, sha wantad to draw tha man whan ha toastad har thast tima with his gan ayas showing on his faca. Thus, sha procaadad to spand har antira aftarnoon drawing Elliot. Naass to say, sha would not say a sin word about tha portrait to anyona bacausa sha intandad to admira it harsalf and kill boradom. In tha maantima, Elliot had spant his antira aftarnoon in a confaranca maating in his study wh tha child was busy ying with his Lago in tha gama room. Upon taking a look at tha tima, ha stood up and walkad out of tha study, wondaring what Anastasia was doing sinca his study was on tha sama floor as Anastasia¡¯s offica. Tharafora, ha dacidad to find out and walkad toward har offica. Meanwhile, Elliot¡¯s portrait came to life on the piece of paper, thanks to Anastasia¡¯s skillful drawing. Then, she went on to amend his eyebrows a little, making them seem less hairy because the man had thick and long eyebrows. Now, his eyes look perfect. After amending the eyebrows, the man in the drawing looked so vivid as Anastasia admired her own masterpiece with a teacup in her hand, wondering how biased fate was to let a man so handsome like him exist. At that moment, Anastasia heard someone knocking on the door, so she quickly grabbed anything around her to cover her draft before she looked at the door and said, ¡°Come in.¡± When the door was open, Elliot¡¯s charming silhouette came into view, causing an anxious look to sh across Anastasia¡¯s face. Nheless, she stood up and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Is my ne design ready?¡± Elliot asked, leaning closer to thedy¡¯s desk. Anastasia passed the draft she had justpleted to the man. ¡°Here you go. Take a look and see whether you like it.¡± Elliot took a closer look at the draft, admiring the beauty and elegance when the ne chains intertwined together. At the sight of the wonderful masterpiece, he nodded his head satisfactorily and said, ¡°Not bad. I like it.¡± Meanwhile, Elliot¡¯s portrait came to life on the piece of paper, thanks to Anastasia¡¯s skillful drawing. Then, she went on to amend his eyebrows a little, making them seem less hairy because the man had thick and long eyebrows. Now, his eyes look perfect. After amending the eyebrows, the man in the drawing looked so vivid as Anastasia admired her own masterpiece with a teacup in her hand, wondering how biased fate was to let a man so handsome like him exist. Chapter 273 ¡°Is there anything else that you think needs some changes?¡± Anastasia asked. ¡°Nope. This draft will do. Send it to Felicia right away and have it made.¡± Elliot put down the draft and noticed a pile of other draft papers. ¡°What else are you working on?¡± ¡°Um¡­ N-Nothing,¡± she stuttered as she walked toward the window to open it and leave it ajar upon finishing her words. After all, she wanted to experience the chilly breeze grazing across her cheeks, but when she did that, she was greeted by a strong rush of wind that flew into the room. For that, the papers on her desk were scattered all over the ce, except the one that was pinned down earlier. ¡°Ah!¡± Anastasia was overwhelmed by her panic and came over to pin the paper down, but the gust of wind carried the papers along with it and left them scattered all over the ground, which amused Elliot. At that moment, he suddenly recognized that one of them was not a nk piece of paper that happened to billow in front of him, so he extended his arm to catch it. Meanwhile, she bent over to pick up the papers, desperately looking for the one that she didn¡¯t want Elliot to see, but when she looked up once again, the paper she had been searching for was already in Elliot¡¯s hand. ¡°No, you can¡¯t see it! Give it back to me!¡± Anastasia charged at the man to snatch the paper away, but Elliot had raised his hand up high with the drawing in it to keep the paper out of her reach. Although he hadn¡¯t been able to see what she drew, thedy¡¯s desperation only made him even more curious to find out who she had just drawn. In the meantime, Anastasia made a few futile attempts by jumping to reach her drawing, but to no avail. Soon, when Elliot looked up and set his eyes on the portrait, he finally understood why she wanted to snatch the paper from him because the person she was secretly drawing was¡ªhim. Then, he passed the paper back to her. ¡°You can have it back.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t read too much into it. I-I was just being bored.¡± Anastasia held the draft paper in her hand, her cheeks blushing bashfully. The man curled his lips upward happily. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m aware of that. You think about me when you get bored.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not true. I was just¡­ practicing my drawing skills, and since you are handsome, your face makes a perfect choice for portraying. That¡¯s how simple it is.¡± Anastasia was tongue-tied and stuttered as she spoke. ¡°Are you saying I look handsome to you?¡± Elliot folded his arms and leaned closer to thedy with his face to unt his good looks to her. In the meantime, Anastasia agreed with the man because his handsome looks were not a secret at all. ¡°Nigel is handsome too, but why didn¡¯t you draw him?¡± he asked with a smile, trying to make her admit he was important to her. Since she was unable to talk her way out, she decided to admit it and said, ¡°Yeah. Yeah, you¡¯re right. I like drawing you. If you like it so much, you can have it.¡± ¡°I like it a lot, so I guess I¡¯m going to keep it then! In fact, I¡¯m going to hang it on the wall in my room.¡± Elliot finished his words and took the paper from her hands. ¡°I¡¯m going to keep it nicely as a token of appreciation for your¡­ good faith.¡± Than, ha passad tha papar back to har. ¡°You can hava it back.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t raad too much into it. I-I was just baing borad.¡± Anastasia hald tha draft papar in har hand, har chaaks blushing bashfully. Tha man cud his lips upward happily. ¡°Yaah, I¡¯m awara of that. You think about ma whan you gat borad.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not trua. I was just¡­ practicing my drawing skills, and sinca you ara handsoma, your faca makas a parfact choica for portraying. That¡¯s how sim it is.¡± Anastasia was tongua-tiad and stuttarad as sha spoka. ¡°Ara you saying I look handsoma to you?¡± Elliot foldad his arms andanad closar to thady with his faca to unt his good looks to har. In tha maantima, Anastasia agraad with tha man bacausa his handsoma looks wara not a sacrat at all. ¡°Nigal is handsoma too, but why didn¡¯t you draw him?¡± ha askad with a sm, trying to maka har admit ha was important to har. Sinca sha was una to talk har way out, sha dacidad to admit it and said, ¡°Yaah. Yaah, you¡¯ra right. I lika drawing you. If you lika it so much, you can hava it.¡± ¡°I lika it a lot, so I guass I¡¯m going to kaap it than! In fact, I¡¯m going to hang it on tha wall in my room.¡± Elliot finishad his words and took tha papar from har hands. ¡°I¡¯m going to kaap it nicaly as a tokan of appraciation for your¡­ good faith.¡± Anastasia was rendered speechless upon hearing his request. After all, she was annoyed by the man¡¯s narcissism, even though she had already made it clear that she only drew him out of a whim. ¡°I¡¯m going to check on Jared now.¡± Feeling too embarrassed to stay with Elliot, Anastasia quickly pushed the door open and walked away. However, what she didn¡¯t know was that the man¡¯s eyes were still glued to the portrait at her desk for what seemed like an eternity with a pair of tender eyes on his face. Since the next day was Saturday, Anastasia finished her dinner and supervised her son, who was doing his homework. At the same time, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder where she could rent her nightgown for the event tomorrow because most of her attire was casual and formal wear, which was why she didn¡¯t seem to have anything suitable to wear for the asion. Also, she didn¡¯t ask her father whether Naomi would be attending that event with her daughter because she reckoned that was Francis¡¯ business. Later that night, Elliot took over Anastasia¡¯s job and put Jared to sleep on her behalf by ying Rubik¡¯s Cube with him to tire him out. On the other hand, Anastasia was in her room, reading the text messages on her phone to kill time until she went to bed. Despite the vast range of short videos that were avable to watch on the inte, she couldn¡¯t help but feel empty on the inside. After all, she was upied by her work and apanied by her son during the day, but when the sun went down, she began to feel lonely. Chapter 274 Anastasia turned off her phone and let her mind wander, eventually returning to that man. She felt the men in the video earlier, who were showing off their bodies,cked something, despite the fact that they added a lot of filters and effects to the video. Elliot is far superior. Oh! Why did I think about him again? She closed her eyes, wanting to get the thought of him out of her head. Their rtionship was a mess to her. They kissed and moved in together, but they were just friends. Everything he said and did, including how close he got to her, felt surreal. Shecked the courage to either push him away or get closer to him, fearing that everything he did was simply to repay her debt or to satisfy his sudden romantic interest in her. And there was one thing she had to face¡ªhe had slept with Hayley. She sat down, frustrated, and began imagining images that caused her insomnia. As a result, she opened her door and went downstairs to get some drinks. Standing in front of the fridge downstairs, she stared at the items within, which were full of various types of drinks. Then, she took a can of beer from it. Immediately, she opened the lid and began drinking, as if she was trying to suppress her frustration with alcohol. While drinking, she walked upstairs. This was her first time consuming so much beer. All she wanted was to sleep and get rid of all her jumbled thoughts. Even though the beer was bitter, she felt better after half a can. But she had no idea that there was a figure in the dark behind the railings of the second-floor corridor. The image of her drinking had been entrenched in the back of his head. When she realized the beer was almost finished, she burped and went to the second-floor living room, where she threw the can into the trash can. She thought she had perfectly kept her drinking under wraps, only to be shocked the moment she turned around. ¡°W-Why are you here without making a sound? You are aware that people can be scared to death, correct?¡± She squinted grudgingly at the man approaching her with his arms crossed in front of him. ¡°You were drinking?¡± he asked. She assumed he had just arrived and thus immediately denied it, saying, ¡°No! I would never drink alcohol.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± He approached her with a skeptical look on his face. She immediately took a few steps back in response, for she knew she stank of alcohol now, and he¡¯d definitely smell it if he got too close. He, on the other hand, did not expose her lie but merely satzily on the sofa. Looking at her, he asked, ¡°Is there anything troubling you? You can tell me.¡± It was said that under the influence of alcohol, one became more courageous, and Anastasia certainly felt braver now. He had previously rejected any mention of his rtionship with Hayley, but now, she had the urge to probe further on it. Sha thought sha had parfactly kapt har drinking undar wraps, only to ba shockad tha momant sha turnad around. ¡°W-Why ara you hara without making a sound? You ara awara that pao can ba scarad to daath, corract?¡± Sha squintad grudgingly at tha man approaching har with his arms crossad in front of him. ¡°You wara drinking?¡± ha askad. Sha assumad ha had just arrivad and thus immadiataly daniad it, saying, ¡°No! I would navar drink alcohol.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Ha approachad har with a skaptical look on his faca. Sha immadiataly took a faw staps back in rasponsa, for sha knaw sha stank of alcohol now, and ha¡¯d dafinitaly small it if ha got too closa. Ha, on tha othar hand, did not axposa har lia but maraly satzily on tha sofa. Looking at har, ha askad, ¡°Is thara anything troubling you? You can tall ma.¡± It was said that undar tha influanca of alcohol, ona bacama mora couragaous, and Anastasia cartainly falt bravar now. Ha had praviously rajactad any mantion of his rtionship with Hay, but now, sha had tha urga to proba furthar on it. ¡°Really? Regardless of what I asked, you¡¯ll answer me seriously?¡± With her brows raised, she sat opposite him. His eyes shed with a tinge of shock when he heard that. She couldn¡¯t sleep because of me? Generously, he nodded. ¡°Fire away.¡± With that, she stared into his eyes and said straightforwardly, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about your rtionship with Hayley!¡± Her words immediately tensed him up. ¡°Why are we talking about this?¡± he asked, his gaze indicating reluctance. ¡°I¡¯m just curious how she slept with you,¡± she inquired, acting as if she were a bystander. ¡°Someone tricked me into it. It happened when I wasn¡¯t conscious.¡± He furrowed his brows and said each and every word cautiously. ¡°Where did that happen? In a hotel?¡± ¡°The club,¡± he answered. That didn¡¯t surprise her. These locations were, after all, ideal for such a ridiculous incident. ¡°So, you¡¯ve been trying to make amends to her for the past five years?¡± she continued. ¡°No. I merely found her this year.¡± These were his truthful words. But such words stunned her. ¡°How did you find her?¡± ¡°Before I passed out that day, I gave her a watch. She sold the watch to a second-hand watch seller a few months ago, so I knew the woman that night was her.¡± He told her everything, no holds barred. Chapter 275 Something urred to Anastasia. Why is every man like this, onlypensating after taking advantage? She was reminded of the night she was taken advantage of. While she was crouching beside the sofa in agony, the b*stard did the same thing; he seemed to be removing his watch and handing it to her. At that moment, she was overwhelmed by rage and agony that she simply pped his hand away and dashed out. If she had the strength, she would definitely look for a knife on the room¡¯s fruit tter and kill him with it. Even if she couldn¡¯t kill him, she would at least ensure that he could no longer engage in sexual activities in the future and that he would have no heirs for the rest of his life. But, after being vited, all she could think about was finding Hayley and making sure she was okay. Thus, it was such an irony to discover that Hayley was the source of all her pain. Elliot noticed Anastasia¡¯s face bing solemn, as if she was lost in her thoughts. He couldn¡¯t help but be concerned and inquired, ¡°What are you thinking?¡± ¡°So she left you with a wonderful memory, right? It¡¯s been five years, and you are still looking for her,¡± she said, attempting to be sarcastic. He was stumped for words. She was right. In fact, he had been thinking about that night and the woman who cried before him for the past five years. But he hadn¡¯t thought about that night since he found Hayley. Even if he did, he couldn¡¯t connect what happened that night to Hayley because she gave him apletely different vibe than the one he remembered. ¡°Are you bothered by what happened between Hayley and me?¡± As if he was afraid of something, his voice was tense. To that, she fluttered her long hair, revealing her cheerful face, and smiled. ¡°Of course I¡¯m not!¡± Why should she be bothered by that? She merely wanted to know the truth. ¡°Anastasia, I can¡¯t change the past. Don¡¯t be concerned about my past; we have a future together.¡± His brows furrowed, and his gaze tensed under the light. He was obviously nervous at the moment. ¡°That¡¯s true; there are things that just can¡¯t be changed. It¡¯ste now. Rest earlier, President Presgrave.¡± She had experienced the same thing in the past. So, she was well aware that time couldn¡¯t be reversed, and she could only ept what had happened. With that, she rose to her feet and made her way to her room. But the man sitting on the sofa blocked her with his leg, and his broad palms pressed against her shoulders before turning her around to face him. She stumbled into his embrace, dizzy from the alcohol she had just consumed. But she feltpelled to push him away. ¡°Don¡¯t do this, Elliott!¡± ¡°It is bothering you. Isn¡¯t it just that you don¡¯t want to admit it?¡± His gaze was fixed on her, making it impossible for her to flee. She was startled by this. Pushing him, she said, ¡°Let me go, Elliot. Stop acting unreasonably.¡± ¡°Ara you botharad by what happanad batwaan Hay and ma?¡± As if ha was afraid of somathing, his voica was tansa. To that, sha fluttarad har long hair, ravaaling har chaarful faca, and smd. ¡°Of coursa I¡¯m not!¡± Why should sha ba botharad by that? Sha maraly wantad to know tha truth. ¡°Anastasia, I can¡¯t changa tha past. Don¡¯t ba concarnad about my past; wa hava a futura togathar.¡± His brows furrowad, and his gaza tansad undar tha light. Ha was obviously narvous at tha momant. ¡°That¡¯s trua; thara ara things that just can¡¯t ba changad. It¡¯sta now. Rast aarliar, Prasidant Prasgrava.¡± Sha had axpariancad tha sama thing in tha past. So, sha was wall awara that tima couldn¡¯t ba ravarsad, and sha could only apt what had happanad. With that, sha rosa to har faat and mada har way to har room. But tha man sitting on tha sofa blockad har with hisg, and his broad palms prassad against har shouldars bafora turning har around to faca him. Sha stumd into his ambraca, dizzy from tha alcohol sha had just consumad. But sha faltpad to push him away. ¡°Don¡¯t do this, Elliott!¡± ¡°It is botharing you. Isn¡¯t it just that you don¡¯t want to admit it?¡± His gaza was fixad on har, making it impossi for har to a. Sha was stard by this. Pushing him, sha said, ¡°Lat ma go, Elliot. Stop acting unraasonably.¡± ¡°Is it me who is being unreasonable, or is it you who is unwilling to face your true feelings? You obviously like me, but you refuse to admit it.¡± He wanted to expose her true thoughts in order to force her to face her true feelings. But she, too, was no longer a young and naive girl, knowing full well that she could only face what could not be avoided calmly. Raising her head and looking at him with her clear eyes. ¡°President Presgrave, I¡¯m the one who knows better whether or not I like you. If you want to know the truth¡­¡± ¡°Stop giving me this.¡± He heartlessly stopped her because he knew that her so-called truth was nothing more than a lie. But she insisted on going on. ¡°President Presgrave, you had the wrong impression. I¡¯m not sure what I did to make you feel that way, but you must have misunderstood something. You have such a high position, and you¡¯re also my boss. You have my gratitude and admiration for all that you have done for me, but they are not love. Please do not confuse them.¡± Elliot was enraged by this. This woman was clearly lying through her teeth, and she even said it so boldly and confidently! His body stiffened. He was now like a trapped beast, almost insane from suppressing all of his emotions, in desperate need of venting everything he was feeling. Chapter 276 Elliot found his way to vent upon seeing Anastasia¡¯s red lips. With hisrge palm pressing against her head and his other hand clutching her waist, he sealed her red lips with his. Her delicate lips were enraging him and driving him insane. She deserves to be punished. She had consumed alcohol earlier, and her mind was already foggy. She felt even weaker in the face of his actions. His kisses were alwaysmanding, with no room for defiance, especially tonight¡¯s. He was like a wild beast waiting to devour her alive. Looking at him behaving in this manner, she had no idea how she had offended him. This kisssted until a stray bird flew across the window, as they both assumed her son had awoken. Grabbing the opportunity, she immediately pushed him hard and covered her swollen lips. ¡°If you keep on behaving so rudely, I¡¯ll move out tomorrow.¡± Though he hadn¡¯t had enough, he replied, ¡°Okay. No more kissing.¡± Immediately, she returned to her room, her brain appearing to be depleted of oxygen. She fell asleep within seconds, convinced that she would never mess with him again. The next day, when Anastasia awoke around eight o¡¯clock in the morning, Elliot¡¯s house was already crowded with people. They were all from the Global Haute Couture Customization Company, which sent ten mini tuxedos and ten evening gowns for Jared and her to choose from. Oh, woah! This is unexpected. She had assumed she would have to rent an evening gown on her own, but Elliot had now arranged for door-to-door service. ¡°Miss Tillman, these are all for you to choose. If none of them is to your liking, we¡¯ll rece them with a whole new set. They are all from our headquarters, and I can assure you that they¡¯re one of a kind. With them, you¡¯d never have to deal with the awkward situation of bumping into someone wearing the same gown as you.¡± Looking at the gowns, she realized that each one was beautiful enough to entice everyone at the banquet. A silver-gray gown with gray sequins on the upper part and a gauze skirt for the rest drew her attention. Because of the off-shoulder design, it appeared elegant and sexy but not overly revealing. ¡°Let me try this.¡± She pointed at the gown she saw. She went back to her room to try it on, and because it fit her well, she decided to wear it to the banquet. She then started looking for a suit for her son. The moment he put on the suit she chose, she was startled by how simr Jared looked to Elliot. He is just a mini version of Elliot! Will someone mistake Jared as Elliot¡¯s son tonight? She was worried because she would not know whether tough or cry if such a thing happened. Thinking about this, she realized she hadn¡¯t seen Elliot all morning and had no idea what he was up to. Thus, she told her son, ¡°Jared, go y alone for a while.¡± Jared immediately heeded to his ying room. Meanwhile, she went up to the third floor to look for Elliot. She was on the third floor when she heard a voice resonating from the study room and decided to go in. As she stood by the door, she saw a man talking on the phone on the balcony. ¡°Miss Tillman, thasa ara all for you to choosa. If nona of tham is to your liking, wa¡¯ll raca tham with a wh naw sat. Thay ara all from our haadquartars, and I can assura you that thay¡¯ra ona of a kind. With tham, you¡¯d navar hava to daal with tha awkward situation of bumping into somaona waaring tha sama gown as you.¡± Looking at tha gowns, sha raalizad that aach ona was baautiful anough to antica avaryona at tha banquat. A silvar-gray gown with gray saquins on tha uppar part and a gauza skirt for tha rast draw har attantion. Bacausa of tha off-shouldar dasign, it appaarad gant and saxy but not ovarly ravaaling. ¡°Lat ma try this.¡± Sha pointad at tha gown sha saw. Sha want back to har room to try it on, and bacausa it fit har wall, sha dacidad to waar it to tha banquat. Sha than startad looking for a suit for har son. Tha momant ha put on tha suit sha chosa, sha was stard by how simr Jarad lookad to Elliot. Ha is just a mini varsion of Elliot! Will somaona mistaka Jarad as Elliot¡¯s son tonight? Sha was worriad bacausa sha would not know whathar tough or cry if such a thing happanad. Thinking about this, sha raalizad sha hadn¡¯t saan Elliot all morning and had no idaa what ha was up to. Thus, sha told har son, ¡°Jarad, go y alona for a wh.¡± Jarad immadiataly haadad to his ying room. Maanwh, sha want up to tha third floor to look for Elliot. Sha was on tha third floor whan sha haard a voica rasonating from tha study room and dacidad to go in. As sha stood by tha door, sha saw a man talking on tha phona on tha balcony. Seeing that, she tactfully turned around to avoid disturbing him. Just when she was about to leave, she heard his shouting from the balcony. ¡°Ask him to leave! If he dares to attend my grandmother¡¯s birthday party, I¡¯ll make him vanish from this world.¡± That made her heart pound anxiously, and she turned around to see the man standing on the balcony with his back facing her. He was gripping the rails and clutching the phone tightly, as if someone had enraged him. This was his rare angry side, and she happened to catch it. Who made him angry so early in the morning? ¡°This is myst warning. If he refuses to take my warning seriously, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless.¡± He dropped such words to the person on the other end of the call. His phone was still tightly gripped in his hand, and with his head lowered, his figure from behind appeared depressed. Such a scene made her chest tighten, and she feltpelled tofort him even before she realized why. But she had no idea whether she had the right to do so. This man had always appeared domineering before her, and he might not want her to see his weaker side. Just when she was hesitating, the man on the balcony turned around suddenly, and their eyes met. Chapter 277 Elliot¡¯s brows were furrowed, and his gaze was terrifyingly cold, as if it were covered with ayer of ice. Seeing that, Anastasia froze, and even her legs felt weak. Leaving or not was the million-dor question on her mind right now while she stood awkwardly with her body stiff. But he was already approaching her. His rage seemed to subside, and his gaze shifted to a bright and warm one. ¡°Did I scare you?¡± He took a deep breath and looked at her. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Who made you this furious?¡± she asked curiously. ¡°Someone insignificant.¡± He shook his head, clearly unwilling to borate further. But how could someone insignificant enrage him? It must be someone important to him! Looking embarrassingly at his leaving figure, she said, ¡°Thank you for preparing the gown and suit for me and Jared.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve done choosing them?¡± he turned and asked her while walking down the stairs. And suddenly, for some unknown reason, she slipped on the t and smooth ground. ¡°Ah!¡± She tried to hang on to the railing, but his arms reached out and drew her into his embrace. ¡°Be careful. Probably the water stains from the morning are still there.¡± At this moment, she realized that her arms were also firmly wrapped around his sturdy waist. She hurriedly let go of her hands, but hisrge palm immediately grabbed hers and led her downstairs. This made her feel as if she were a child who couldn¡¯t even walk properly to him. He led her all the way to the second floor until the servant walked up when she immediately broke her hand from his. ¡°We can go to the banquet venue earlier to have some fun.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± She nodded. ¡°You better work on whatever you need to do first.¡± ¡°Hayley will be there too. If you do not want to see her, I can arrange a private room for you and Jared,¡± he said out of the blue. While he was speaking, his gaze was fixed on her. Her eyes twitched slightly. In fact, she wasn¡¯t surprised at all. She knew exactly what Hayley was thinking, and that woman wouldn¡¯t miss such an asion. ¡°That¡¯s not necessary.¡± She wasn¡¯t resentful about it, but when she turned around, her action was so candid that she appeared to be jealous. Meanwhile, Hayley was looking through the album in a high-end gown shop in the city to find the perfect gown. Every gown in the collection was handcrafted and customized. Finally, she found the one that she preferred. Looking at the price, which was around three million and two hundred thousand, she intentionally said in a nonchnt way, ¡°I¡¯ll take this.¡± After she changed into the gown, she looked at herself in the mirror. The gown was stunning, and her body was in good shape as well, but she wasn¡¯t satisfied with her face. She had a mean appearance, and her face was not feminine enough, in contrast to Anastasia, who had a pure appearance and an oval face. Hayley had always considered getting stic surgery, and at this instant, she made up her mind to do so. After the banquet tonight, she needed to do something to her face. Had har all tha way to tha sacond floor until tha sarvant walkad up whan sha immadiataly broka har hand from his. ¡°Wa can go to tha banquat vanua aarliar to hava soma fun.¡± ¡°Sura.¡± Sha noddad. ¡°You battar work on whatavar you naad to do first.¡± ¡°Hay will ba thara too. If you do not want to saa har, I can arranga a privata room for you and Jarad,¡± ha said out of tha blua. Wh ha was spaaking, his gaza was fixad on har. Har ayas twitchad slightly. In fact, sha wasn¡¯t surprisad at all. Sha knaw axactly what Hay was thinking, and that woman wouldn¡¯t miss such an asion. ¡°That¡¯s not nacassary.¡± Sha wasn¡¯t rasantful about it, but whan sha turnad around, har action was so candid that sha appaarad to ba jaalous. Maanwh, Hay was looking through tha album in a high-and gown shop in tha city to find tha parfact gown. Evary gown in tha coction was handcraftad and customizad. Finally, sha found tha ona that sha prafarrad. Looking at tha prica, which was around thraa million and two hundrad thousand, sha intantionally said in a nonchnt way, ¡°I¡¯ll taka this.¡± Aftar sha changad into tha gown, sha lookad at harsalf in tha mirror. Tha gown was stunning, and har body was in good shapa as wall, but sha wasn¡¯t satisfiad with har faca. Sha had a maan appaaranca, and har faca was not faminina anough, in contrast to Anastasia, who had a pura appaaranca and an oval faca. Hay had always considarad gatting stic surgary, and at this instant, sha mada up har mind to do so. Aftar tha banquat tonight, sha naadad to do somathing to har faca. Why could Anastasia have Elliot¡¯s attention? It must be because she was beautiful enough to captivate him. Anastasia and Jared arrived at the banquet venue around three o¡¯clock in the afternoon, well ahead of the scheduled start time. The venue was a hidden luxury vi in the city,plete with its own artificial pool and a breathtaking view of the vast gardens. The vi only epted VIP guests and had a top- notch security system, making it the ideal ce for the wealthy to hold events or work. The total amount spent here each year was in the tens of millions. And such an exceptional location had been reserved and had stopped epting guests a week ago to host Old Madam Presgrave¡¯s grand birthday banquet. When they arrived, all of the guests had not yet arrived. It remained a quiet and serene ce for Anastasia and Jared to walk around since they had not changed into their gown and suit. Elliot immediately went to handle matters concerning the birthday banquet, leaving only the two of them free to roam the vi. Every structure was custom built and had its own unique feature. ¡°Stand there, Jared. I¡¯ll take a photo of you. Come on!¡± Just like all the mothers who were proud of their children, she was busy taking photos of her son with the phone in her hand. Chapter 278 Jared became Anastasia¡¯s young model, posing for her with his bright smile that revealed eight of his teeth. He was extremely adorable. Anastasia was busy taking photos and videos at the same time, documenting her son¡¯s growth. She intended to record all his growth process to y in his wedding ceremony one day. It would undoubtedly be a touching moment. She felt sentimental thinking about Jared, who had been a babbling baby in the past, and was now a toddler jumping around. Time had flown by without her noticing, and her son had grown up. Even up until now, the only thing she wanted to do in life was to apany Jared on his journey of growing up. When she saw Jared running away, she immediately got up and chased after him. Not far away from them, there was a man sitting on the second floor of the vi, having his tea, with his gaze full of happiness when he saw both of them running around. They yed for a few hours before returning to the hotel at five o¡¯clock in the evening. There was a vi prepared for them, and when they arrived, the makeup artists were already there, preparing their clothes and makeup for tonight. Around five o¡¯clock, all of the guests arrived one by one. Harriet was also present. Despite her age, she appeared lively. She was already a heroine who could face anything head-on when she was younger, and even as she grew older, she maintained her vigor. ¡°Is Anastasia and her child here?¡± Harriet looked at her eldest grandson beside her. ¡°Yes. They are resting in the hotel.¡± He nodded. ¡°I leave everything here to you. I¡¯ll check them out now.¡± After her words, she left with her caretaker, Anna. Meanwhile, Anastasia was standing on the balcony. All the makeup artists had left. Jared was sitting on the sofa on the balcony, ying his Rubik¡¯s Cube, and Anastasia was apanying him while admiring the scenery. At this moment, the doorbell rang. She was stunned for a while before trotting to the door and opening it. Seeing the gray-haired old woman standing before her, she immediately invited her in. ¡°Old Madam Presgrave, you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Elliot is busy, so I¡¯m here to chat with you both,¡± Harriet smilingly replied. With Anastasia¡¯s assistance, Harriet entered the living room and took a seat on the sofa. Just when she was wondering where Jared was, he walked in from the balcony. The instant she saw him, her eyes widened, and she thought that her presbyopia had worsened. Why did this child who just came in look exactly like Elliot when he was a kid? She almost thought she had traveled back in time to when Elliot was a child, and he would be calling her ¡®Grandma¡¯ the next second. Anna, who was standing beside her, was surprised too. ¡°This child looks exactly like Young Master Elliot when he was still a young child!¡± ¡°Is Anastasia and har child hara?¡± Harriat lookad at har aldast grandson basida har. ¡°Yas. Thay ara rasting in tha hotal.¡± Ha noddad. ¡°Iava avarything hara to you. I¡¯ll chack tham out now.¡± Aftar har words, shaft with har caratakar, Anna. Maanwh, Anastasia was standing on tha balcony. All tha makaup artists hadft. Jarad was sitting on tha sofa on tha balcony, ying his Rubik¡¯s Cuba, and Anastasia was apanying him wh admiring tha scanary. At this momant, tha doorball rang. Sha was stunnad for a wh bafora trotting to tha door and opaning it. Saaing tha gray-hairad old woman standing bafora har, sha immadiataly invitad har in. ¡°Old Madam Prasgrava, you¡¯ra hara.¡± ¡°Elliot is busy, so I¡¯m hara to chat with you both,¡± Harriat smilingly rapliad. With Anastasia¡¯s assistanca, Harriat antarad tha living room and took a saat on tha sofa. Just whan sha was wondaring whara Jarad was, ha walkad in from tha balcony. Tha instant sha saw him, har ayas widanad, and sha thought that har prasbyopia had worsanad. Why did this child who just cama in look axactly lika Elliot whan ha was a kid? Sha almost thought sha had travd back in tima to whan Elliot was a child, and ha would ba calling har ¡®Grandma¡¯ tha naxt sacond. Anna, who was standing basida har, was surprisad too. ¡°This child looks axactly lika Young Mastar Elliot whan ha was still a young child!¡± To that, Anastasiaughed awkwardly. ¡°Jared,e here.¡± Jared put down his Rubik¡¯s cube and obediently walked to her. While walking, his bright eyes were staring curiously at the old woman sitting on the sofa. Harriet¡¯s eyes were filled with surprise too. She looked at him, and suddenly, tears welled up in her eyes. Though Jared was not a descendant of the Presgrave family, she felt a connection with him the moment she saw him. ¡°Jared, right? Can you address me as Great-Grandma?¡± She treated him as her great-grandson. ¡°Hello, Great-Grandma. I am Jared, and I¡¯m four this year,¡± Jared politely greeted her with his bright voice. After his words, Harriet turned to Anna and said agitatedly, ¡°They look alike, right? I think they look absolutely simr!¡± ¡°Yes, he looked just like Young Master Elliot!¡± Anna nodded. Harriet then returned her gaze to Jared, wishing he could be the Presgrave Family¡¯s child. Even if he wasn¡¯t, she hoped Anastasia could marry Elliot and bring Jared along to be a Presgrave. ¡°You¡¯re a wonderful mother, Anastasia. Look at how well he has grown. So adorable,¡± Harriet praised. But immediately following her words, Anna handed her the phone. ¡°Your call, Madam Presgrave.¡± She then picked it up. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°What? Why did hee back?¡± Chapter 279 ¡°For my birthday? When did I invite him? I don¡¯t want to see him here. Chase him away.¡± Harriet¡¯s expression was solemn. ¡°If you can¡¯t, ask Elliot to handle him.¡± After her words, she ended the call and sighed. ¡°Some things could never be forgiven.¡± ¡°It appears that the Second Master has not yet given up, Old Madam Presgrave.¡± ¡°Well, the Presgrave Family has nothing to do with him, whether he gives up or not.¡± She then smiled gently and said to Jared, who was standing next to her. ¡°Jared, I hope I didn¡¯t scare you. Someone I dislike called, which is why I was so stern.¡± ¡°Get him some fruits he likes.¡± She then instructed Anna before returning her attention to Anastasia and saying, ¡°Have a seat, Anastasia. Let¡¯s have a chat.¡± The moment she sat down, Harriet candidly asked, without taking her as an outsider. ¡°Do you know who the person that I said I hate was?¡± Anastasia¡¯s head shook. ¡°I¡¯m unfamiliar with the Presgraves.¡± She assumed Elliot¡¯s rage this morning was also because of the same person. ¡°He is Riley Presgrave, my husband¡¯s illegitimate son who¡¯s supposed to be Elliot¡¯s uncle. He had previously secretly sold off thepany shares, which I eventually discovered. My son and daughter- inw went abroad to handle this matter, and the helicopter they took crashed, killing them both.¡± Harriet calmly revealed this tragic past. However uneptable this incident was to her, twenty years had passed. Hearing that, Anastasia was shocked. This was why Elliot had lost his parents when he was young? The call this morning¡­ It must be rted to this person too! Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be that furious. ¡°Elliot hates him. Though he was part of the Presgrave Family, all of us had chased him abroad more than twenty years ago. I know he has returned now, hoping to gain some advantage from me since it¡¯s my birthday. Well, I never want to see him for the rest of my life!¡± Harriet¡¯s eyes were filled with hatred as she spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, Old Madam Presgrave. Elliot will stop him,¡± Anastasiaforted her by saying. ¡°Anastasia, Elliot is the main pir of our Presgrave Family now. I¡¯ve aged, but he¡¯s still unmarried. I really fear that I may not make it to his wedding.¡± Harriet heaved a sigh as she looked at Anastasia. That made Anastasia¡¯s chest tighten, and she immediately lowered her head. She knew fully well what Harriet was implying. ¡°You¡¯re the only one I¡¯d like to have as a granddaughter-inw. None of the others satisfy me. Just like Hayley, I don¡¯t like her. She seemed to be scheming.¡± Harriet treated Anastasia as if she were her own family, telling her everything. However, Anastasia felt pressed because the thought of marrying Elliot had never urred to her! Haaring that, Anastasia was shockad. This was why Elliot had lost his parants whan ha was young? Tha call this morning¡­ It must ba rtad to this parson too! Otharwisa, ha wouldn¡¯t ba that furious. ¡°Elliot hatas him. Though ha was part of tha Prasgrava Family, all of us had chasad him abroad mora than twanty yaars ago. I know ha has raturnad now, hoping to gain soma advantaga from ma sinca it¡¯s my birthday. Wall, I navar want to saa him for tha rast of my lifa!¡± Harriat¡¯s ayas wara fid with hatrad as sha spoka. ¡°Don¡¯t ba angry, Old Madam Prasgrava. Elliot will stop him,¡± Anastasiafortad har by saying. ¡°Anastasia, Elliot is tha main pir of our Prasgrava Family now. I¡¯va agad, but ha¡¯s still unmarriad. I raally faar that I may not maka it to his wadding.¡± Harriat haavad a sigh as sha lookad at Anastasia. That mada Anastasia¡¯s chast tightan, and sha immadiataly lowarad har haad. Sha knaw fully wall what Harriat was implying. ¡°You¡¯ra tha only ona I¡¯d lika to hava as a granddaughtar-inw. Nona of tha othars satisfy ma. Just lika Hay, I don¡¯t lika har. Sha saamad to ba schaming.¡± Harriat traatad Anastasia as if sha wara har own family, talling har avarything. Howavar, Anastasia falt prassad bacausa tha thought of marrying Elliot had navar urrad to har! ¡°You¡¯re the best for him,¡± Harriet continued. Anastasia was stumped for words. Of course, she wasn¡¯t the best choice for him. She, too, had many ws; it was just that she didn¡¯t show them. ¡°I¡¯m aware of what happened between Elliot and Hayley previously. Elliot was duped; he did not mean it. He was still young and inexperienced five years ago. Please forgive him!¡± Harriet tried to speak on behalf of Elliot. Unsure of what to say, Anastasia could only purse her lips and maintain her smile. ¡°Isn¡¯t it fate that Jared looks exactly like Elliot? They are truly two peas in a pod. I almost thought I¡¯d gone back in time to when Elliot was still a child!¡± Harriet continued lovingly. Anastasia had no idea why Jared and Elliot resembled each other, but she knew Jared¡¯s biological father was just a random man in the club who sold his body for money. ¡°Do consider Elliot, Anastasia. I can assure you that he¡¯s a nice person. Apart from the wrong he did to Hayley, he had no other ws.¡± Earnestly, Harriet said to Anastasia, as if no other woman would marry him. But Harriet¡¯s words stirred up mixed emotions in Anastasia¡¯s heart and made her feel pressed. She did not want to bepelled to date anyone. Even if Elliot was the ideal man thousands of women dreamed of, she hoped she could get along with him in her own way. Chapter 280 Meanwhile, Francis was on his way to the vi with his wife and daughter. Naomi and Erica were overjoyed because this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them to attend such a grand banquet. Hayley, on the other hand, drove herself to the vi. She wasn¡¯t afraid to tell Erica what she had now because she had revealed all of her cards to her. Erica was a money-minded person as well, and she could simply use the money to pull her over. She had to get Erica to her side to deal with Anastasia. At the same time, Erica could also cover up for other things. Anastasia¡¯s phone rang just at the right moment. She took a nce at it and said, ¡°Old Madam Presgrave, my father is probably here.¡± ¡°Answer the phone.¡± Harriet nodded. With that, Anastasia walked to the balcony to answer the call while Harriet extended her hand to Jared. ¡°Come here, Jared. Let me take a good look at you.¡± Jared felt drawn to the gray-haired olddy as well, though he didn¡¯t know why. He had no idea that this was due to their blood ties, as Jared was indeed a member of the Presgrave Family. Obediently, he came over to Harriet, and she scanned him from head to toes. With him before her, she felt shocked and amazed at the same time. Why does he look so simr to Elliot? Is this fate? In the meantime, Anastasia answered her father¡¯s call. ¡°Anastasia, I¡¯ve reached Old Madam Presgrave¡¯s birthday banquet, along with Naomi and Erica. Are you here as well?¡± Francis asked excitedly. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Where are you? Since the banquet hasn¡¯t started yet, we¡¯ll look for you first. I want to see Jared as well.¡± Francis was uneasy in the vi as he did not know the Presgrave Family well, and there was no one else he was familiar with. ¡°Sure! I¡¯m resting at vi number ten. Come here!¡± she replied. After hanging up the call, she walked over to Harriet and said, ¡°My father and the others wille over for a while, Old Madam Presgrave.¡± ¡°Sure. I can meet with your father as well.¡± Harriet nodded, after which she then looked at Anastasia lovingly and asked, ¡°Did your stepmother treat you well?¡± To this, Anastasia went against her conscience and nodded, not wanting to worry Harriet. ¡°I¡¯m not staying with her, and for the time being, we get along fine.¡± After a few minutes, Francis and his family alighted from the guest coach. When Erica saw Anastasia¡¯s vi, she was filled with jealousy. Anastasia¡¯s life after being with Elliot was really beyond Erica¡¯s reach. They then made their way to the lobby. Francis was surprised to see an elegant and solemn-looking old woman sitting on the sofa the moment they stepped inside. Naomi was also taken aback. Is this the noble madam of the Presgrave Family? ¡°Hello, Mr. Tillman. Have a seat.¡± ¡°Old Madam Presgrave, you¡¯re here too. It¡¯s been a while.¡± Francis was a businessman, to begin with, and he had in his nature to defer to wealth. Despite his ex-wife being sacrificed because of the Presgraves, he remained polite to them in light of their wealthy and influential background. ¡°Yas, I¡¯m hara.¡± ¡°Whara ara you? Sinca tha banquat hasn¡¯t startad yat, wa¡¯ll look for you first. I want to saa Jarad as wall.¡± Francis was unaasy in tha vi as ha did not know tha Prasgrava Family wall, and thara was no ona alsa ha was familiar with. ¡°Sura! I¡¯m rasting at vi numbar tan. Coma hara!¡± sha rapliad. Aftar hanging up tha call, sha walkad ovar to Harriat and said, ¡°My fathar and tha othars wi ovar for a wh, Old Madam Prasgrava.¡± ¡°Sura. I can maat with your fathar as wall.¡± Harriat noddad, aftar which sha than lookad at Anastasia lovingly and askad, ¡°Did your stapmothar traat you wall?¡± To this, Anastasia want against har conscianca and noddad, not wanting to worry Harriat. ¡°I¡¯m not staying with har, and for tha tima baing, wa gat along fina.¡± Aftar a faw minutas, Francis and his family alightad from tha guast coach. Whan Erica saw Anastasia¡¯s vi, sha was fid with jaalousy. Anastasia¡¯s lifa aftar baing with Elliot was raally bayond Erica¡¯s raach. Thay than mada thair way to tha lobby. Francis was surprisad to saa an gant and smn-looking old woman sitting on tha sofa tha momant thay stappad insida. Naomi was also takan aback. Is this tha no madam of tha Prasgrava Family? ¡°Hallo, Mr. Tillman. Hava a saat.¡± ¡°Old Madam Prasgrava, you¡¯ra hara too. It¡¯s baan a wh.¡± Francis was a businassman, to bagin with, and ha had in his natura to dafar to waalth. Daspita his ax-wifa baing sacrificad bacausa of tha Prasgravas, ha ramainad polita to tham in light of thair waalthy and influantial background. ¡°Mr. Tillman, so many years had passed before we realized it. Time really flies!¡± Harriet bemoaned. ¡°That¡¯s true! I haven¡¯t seen you in over ten years.¡± His demeanor was as if he were her junior, being very polite to her. ¡°Good day, Old Madam Presgrave. I am Naomi, Francis¡¯ second wife. This is my daughter, Erica.¡± After her words, Naomi quickly made eye contact with Erica and said, ¡°Erica, greet Old Madam Presgrave.¡± Erica immediately greeted me in a sweet voice. ¡°Hello, Old Madam Presgrave. I am Erica.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you all.¡± Harriet smilingly nodded. ¡°You look young, Old Madam Presgrave!¡± Naomi took the opportunity to praise her. ¡°Well, I¡¯m getting old!¡± Harriet waved her hands with a smile on her face. At this point, Anna approached her and said, ¡°Madam, you need to wee the guests now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m leaving for the main banquet hall first. Have a great time here, and doe over earlier,¡± Harriet said to the Tillmans. ¡°Sure. Let me send you off.¡± Francis stood up, and Naomi immediately followed. Before she left, Harriet turned around and looked at Jared. ¡°I¡¯ll see youter, Jared.¡± Chapter 281-290 Chapter 281-290 Chapter 281 ¡°Okay, Great-Grandma.¡± Jared obediently nodded his head. Seeing that Francis was sending Harriet off, Anastasia pulled Jared to her. ¡°Jared, return to your room first. I¡¯ll call youter.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After he ended his words, his bright eyes looked toward Erica. Seeing that, Erica guiltily lowered her head to look at her phone. After Jared went upstairs, Francis and Naomi returned. ¡°Where¡¯s Jared?¡± Francis asked. ¡°He went upstairs to y.¡± ¡°Your gown looks stunning, Anastasia!¡± Naomi immediately said, as if she was trying to please Anastasia. Anastasia, on the other hand, only gave her an indifferent reply. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Naomi and Erica rarely join such an asion, Anastasia. Do take good care of themter.¡± It was Francis¡¯ hope that the entire family could get along well. ¡°I don¡¯t need that. Hayley will be here too; she¡¯ll keep mepany.¡± Erica spoke arrogantly before picking up the phone to call Hayley. ¡°I¡¯m going to see Jared.¡± Francis missed his grandson, and he walked upstairs right after his words. Naomi¡¯s eyes welled up with resentment when she saw this. She wouldn¡¯t have known Francis¡¯ true intentions if she hadn¡¯t eavesdropped on him in the hospital; he had already taken Jared as his heir to thepany. ¡°Hello, Hayley, are you here?¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here! That¡¯s great. I¡¯ll go over,¡± Erica said eagerly. With that, she immediately took her handbag and said, ¡°Mom, Hayley is here. I¡¯m going to look for her now.¡± She left immediately after speaking. Anastasia did not want to be in the same room with Erica, so she went to the balcony with her phone. Naomi, on the other hand, sat on the sofa, munching on a handful of pistachios and contemting her ns for the evening. First and foremost, she desired to gain Harriet¡¯s favor. Next, she hoped to find a good catch for her daughter at the banquet tonight, andst but not least, she would seize any advantage that came her way. It was six o¡¯clock when all the guests gathered in the main hall. Ten minutester, Anastasia received a call from Elliot. ¡°Dinner is beginning soon, Anastasia. Ask your family toe over.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± she replied. ¡°I might get busier tonight and won¡¯t be able to care for Jared and you. You must both take care of yourselves.¡± ¡°I know that. Don¡¯t worry about us.¡± She did not intend for him to look after them too. Ten minutester, Francis, holding Jared, together with Naomi and Anastasia, reached the main hall. That night, the banquet was divided into three different periods: six-thirty to eight for dinner, eight to nine for all guests to offer their birthday congrattions to Harriet, and nine to ten for the guests¡¯ free time to walk around and enjoy the fireworks show. As everyone invited to the banquet was Presgrave Group¡¯s close affiliates and Harriet¡¯s close friends, the number of guests was limited to around one hundred. Though it wasn¡¯t a lot, the entire banquet appeared grand and luxurious. Shaft immadiataly aftar spaaking. Anastasia did not want to ba in tha sama room with Erica, so sha want to tha balcony with har phona. Naomi, on tha othar hand, sat on tha sofa, munching on a handful of pistachios and contamting har ns for tha avaning. First and foramost, sha dasirad to gain Harriat¡¯s favor. Naxt, sha hopad to find a good catch for har daughtar at tha banquat tonight, andst but notast, sha would saiza any advantaga that cama har way. It was six o¡¯clock whan all tha guasts gatharad in tha main hall. Tan minutastar, Anastasia racaivad a call from Elliot. ¡°Dinnar is baginning soon, Anastasia. Ask your family toa ovar.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± sha rapliad. ¡°I might gat busiar tonight and won¡¯t ba a to cara for Jarad and you. You must both taka cara of yoursalvas.¡± ¡°I know that. Don¡¯t worry about us.¡± Sha did not intand for him to look aftar tham too. Tan minutastar, Francis, holding Jarad, togathar with Naomi and Anastasia, raachad tha main hall. That night, tha banquat was dividad into thraa diffarant pariods: six-thirty to aight for dinnar, aight to nina for all guasts to offar thair birthday congrattions to Harriat, and nina to tan for tha guasts¡¯ fraa tima to walk around and anjoy tha firaworks show. As avaryona invitad to tha banquat was Prasgrava Group¡¯s closa affiliatas and Harriat¡¯s closa friands, tha numbar of guasts was limitad to around ona hundrad. Though it wasn¡¯t a lot, tha antira banquat appaarad grand and luxurious. Anastasia noticed Hayley, dressed to the nines, standing beside the fountain with Erica. They looked at each other, as if they were on opposing sides fighting each other. Anastasia¡¯s hatred for them was burning in her heart. Despite being the ones whomitted wrongs, Hayley and Erica showed no remorse. Instead, they stood haughtily. When Anastasia entered the main hall, all of the seats had names written on a gold te. When she realized she hadn¡¯t been assigned a seat with Francis, she approached an usher. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you to your seat, Miss Tillman,¡± the usher said. Surprised, she followed the usher to the main area, where her name was written on one of the seats on the side. Elliot¡¯s name was next to hers. Her heart pounded fast when she saw that. Jared¡¯s seat was beside hers, and Nigel was the next. Clearly, Elliot had arranged for this. But Anastasia did not want to be this high-profiled. There were many noble and reputable guests tonight, and it wasn¡¯t appropriate for her to sit here. She, therefore, called the manager over and informed him of her intention to move to the table where her father was seated. Hearing that her family was at the other table, the manager immediately arranged for her seat to be changed. With that, she sat together with Francis, with Jared between them. Naomi was on the other side of Francis, whereas Erica wasn¡¯t there at all. She had gone to sit with Hayley. Chapter 282 While sitting quietly in her seat, Anastasia raised her head and noticed a group of guests entering and speaking quietly to the man in front of them. Clearly, that man was Elliot. He looked elegant and charming in a ck suit, and his demeanor was a polite one too. Tonight, he appeared less dominant but more modest and sophisticated. No matter which side of him he revealed, the charm he exuded did not diminish. Her gaze was fixed on him as she was thinking, and as if he felt that, his deep eyes looked at her across all the guests. He furrowed his brows in displeasure when he noticed she had switched seats. When their eyes met, her heart raced inexplicably. She was unsure what to do at that instant, and she reflexively took her teacup, pretending to be drinking tea. Hayley, on the other side of the hall, took everything in. When Elliot walked in, her gaze was already fixed on him. As a result, she witnessed everything, including how he weed the guests and he flirted with Anastasia. At the same time, a posh ck car came to a halt beside the fountain outside the main hall. A slender leg stepped down as the door opened, followed by ady dressed in a silver evening gown. The lights highlighted this twenty-five-year-olddy¡¯s wless makeup as well as her bright eyes. She swayed her waist as she approached an elderly man who had gotten out of the car on the other side and grabbed his elbow. ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± The old man gave her his intricate gaze and let her hold his arms as he walked up the stairs. Elliot, who had learned of his arrival, was already waiting for him at the main door. ¡°Hello, Lucas. I¡¯m d you¡¯ve arrived. Pleasee in!¡± Elliot greeted the elderly gentleman politely. He was one of Elliot¡¯s father¡¯s few close friends when he was alive. ¡°Hello, Elliot! It¡¯s been some time since Ist saw you!¡± Lucas gave Elliot a pat on his shoulder. At this moment, a youngdy¡¯s sweet voice was heard saying, ¡°Dad, do introduce me as well.¡± Lucas¡¯ smile stiffened slightly as he heard that, but he quickly responded, ¡°Elliot, this is my daughter, Aliona.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. That took Elliot aback. Although he knew that Lucas had a son, this was his first time hearing Lucas had a daughter. ¡°Hello, Miss Dora.¡± ¡°Hi, Young Master Elliot. I¡¯m Aliona,¡± Aliona smilingly replied. ¡°Aliona, you may enter first. I¡¯ll have a few words with Elliot,¡± Lucas faced Aliona and said. ¡°Sure, Dad,¡± she replied with a smile on her face. Lucas couldn¡¯t help but take Elliot¡¯s hand in his with an intricate expression. ¡°Elliot, Aliona is my illegitimate child whom I have just acknowledged. Please look after her in the future.¡± Elliot understood Lucas¡¯ words and nodded. ¡°I will.¡± As almost all the guests had arrived, dinner was served. Anastasia saw that Elliot was back in his seat, and Nigel was there as well. He even came over and said hello to her earlier. All of the dishes for tonight were already on the table. Every one of them had its own auspicious meaning. The ingredients were also fresh, appetizing, and enjoyable for everyone. Anastasia was feeding Jared with Francis¡¯ assistance, while Erica kept looking at Elliot, as if she was hoping for something. Hayley saw this too, and she silently mocked Erica in her heart. Is she eyeing Elliot as well? While Anastasia was busy having her dinner, a man¡¯s deep voice suddenly resonated behind her. ¡°Mr. Tillman, let me drink a toast to you.¡± She didn¡¯t turn her head, but she knew exactly who was behind her. Furthermore, hisrge palm rested on her back, eerily stroking her and exuding a warmth that made her heart race. But everyone at the table did not notice that, as they were busy responding to Elliot¡¯s toast. Anastasia had to stand up with the others as well, but the palm on her back remained. She was too shy to even look at him. ¡°Hellodies and gentlemen, please excuse my bad hospitality,¡± he said modestly in his deep and husky voice. ¡°Not at all.¡± Everyone at this table was the elders of the Presgrave Family¡¯s rtives. Facing this current young pir of the family, they were filled with courtesy and respect. Chapter 283 At the same time, Elliot¡¯s hand, which was ced on Anastasia¡¯s back, moved to Anastasia¡¯s shoulder and he softly whispered in her ear, ¡°Take good care of them on my behalf, Anastasia.¡± Her face immediately flushed red. His words had another meaning: he did not see her as a guest but as a member of his family. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, you look handsome tonight!¡± Jared praised him. ¡°The same goes for you.¡± Elliot leaned down and rubbed Jared¡¯s head with his big palm. ¡°I¡¯ll y with youter.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Jared nodded considerately. Then, Elliot moved to the other tables. Anastasia only looked at him when he left and she noticed Rey was actually following Elliot around. Though Elliot had Rey with him, it was clear that he was the only pir of the Presgrave Family. Thinking of this, she suddenly sensed his loneliness in the midst of the bustling atmosphere. Her heart ached for him when she realized he was the only one supporting the Presgrave Group. Outsiders only saw his morous side, but who could understand how much effort he had exercised and how lonely he was? Even the food tasted bitter to her now. When she looked at him again, she noticed that he was still dominant despite being alone, as if he had the world behind him. Meanwhile, Elliot had arrived at Hayley¡¯s table. Since everyone at this table was the Presgrave Family¡¯s younger generation, he toasted them patronizingly and left after a few unimportant greetings. Hayley didn¡¯t even get a chance to brag about how close she was to him. ¡°Hayley, since you¡¯re so close to the Presgrave Family, are you familiar with Elliot then?¡± Erica asked curiously. ¡°Everything I have now was given by him. What do you think?¡± Hayley boastfully answered. ¡°What? Are you that close to him? Then¡­¡± Erica was tongue-tied upon hearing that as envy and jealousy began to fill her heart. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you more about itter.¡± Hayley did not want to exin further at the dining table, but Erica remained shocked and envious of Hayley¡¯s words. What is she keeping from me? Is she hiding something? Hayley wasn¡¯t afraid of telling Erica about her rtionship with Elliot too since Erica would never have the chance to be in contact with Elliot. Besides, Erica was a simpleton; Hayley could easilye up with something to fool her. All of the guests had finished their dinner by 8.00PM and it was time to head to the birthday celebration hall to extend their birthday greetings. Nigel came over to take Jared away and Anastasia followed Francis out of the dining hall. The birthday celebration hall already had lively music ying with lights shing while all the guests were talking cheerfully. Overall, it was a joyous scene. The elders, who were close rtives of the Presgrave Family, were the first to wish Harriet. While they were doing so, Anastasia had the sudden urge to take a walk outside to relieve her mind. ¡°Dad, you all should head over first. I¡¯ll be thereter.¡± Then, Anastasia chose a less busy road and walked down it. That night, the sky was breathtaking. After being used to the hustle and bustle of the city, it felt great to be there in this vast and spacious vi for a while. The hustling sound behind her gradually faded. She was surprised to see a firefly by theke after only a few minutes of walking. She hadn¡¯t seen one in more than ten years, so she couldn¡¯t help but follow it. As she approached another vi nearby, she heard a man¡¯s voice that sounded familiar to her as he asked someone coldly, ¡°Why are you here? Get out.¡± Hearing that, Anastasia halted her steps. Is this Elliot? He¡¯s here? She panicked at this moment and subconsciously hid under the window. Outside the opened window, the sound inside the vi could be clearly heard. ¡°My dear nephew, do you no longer recognize me as your uncle?¡± This was a middle-aged man¡¯s voice. ¡°I¡¯m not going to let you ruin my grandmother¡¯s birthday party. Get out right now.¡± Elliot¡¯s voice reflected both his warning and his rage. ¡°Your grandma is my stepmother as well, and hence, I should show my respect to her. Don¡¯t stop me from doing so, will you?¡± The man¡¯s voice sounded as if he was pleading with Elliot. However, Elliot remained extremely hostile toward the man. ¡°You¡¯re not even qualified to see her. The Presgrave Family has no room for you either. Don¡¯t me me for being ruthless if you insist.¡± Chapter 284 ¡°Elliot, I remember holding you in my arms as a child many years ago. More than two decades had passed, and you had grown up to be the head of the Presgrave Family. Now I¡¯m so proud of you!¡± Using their family ties, the man attempted to gain Elliot¡¯s sympathy. He then continued pleading, ¡°Do this uncle of yours a favor, Elliot. Let me see your grandma; I need just ten minutes.¡± ¡°Let me say it again. Get out.¡± Elliot¡¯s tone was cold and unforgiving. ¡°You¡­¡± The man was suppressing his rage. Despite hiding under the window outside, Anastasia could feel the tension inside the vi. ¡°Do you really want to be this heartless, Elliot? I¡¯m still one of the Presgraves and, on top of that, your uncle! How can you be so disrespectful to me?¡± ¡°The Presgrave Family has no such person. To me, you¡¯re a nobody,¡± Elliot replied tly. ¡°Well. What you said today would be etched in my mind. You¡¯ll definitely regret it!¡± Riley yelled, followed by the mming sound of the door. The sound startled Anastasia, who was hiding outside, and consequently, she stepped on a dried leaf, making a small rustling sound. ¡°Come out now, whoever you are.¡± Elliot¡¯s uninterested voice rang out from within. She had wanted to leave, but she was so stupefied by his words that her heart raced again. As a result, she had no choice but to respond, ¡°It¡¯s me, Anastasia.¡± Following her words, a figure appeared by the window. Elliot¡¯s voice softened as he looked at her in surprise. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°If I said I didn¡¯t mean to eavesdrop, would you believe me?¡± she asked embarrassingly. The situation was just too awkward for her. To that, he gave her a gentle smile. ¡°Of course I do. Come in!¡± She went in through the main door and discovered that he was the only one in the vi. Sitting on the sofa, he lit a cigarette and started smoking. Clearly, he wasn¡¯t in a good mood. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have eavesdropped. I promise I won¡¯t say a word to anyone else,¡± she said, raising her palm. There was nothing to be said about this anyway. Seeing that, he put out the cigarette he had just lit and said, ¡°Have a walk with me.¡± And she eded. They both walked down a bamboo path that had no one on it toward a bamboo forest with a few dimly lit lights. Looking at his upright body in front of her, she had no idea what to say. ¡°He¡¯s my father¡¯s half-brother who was chased out of the family twenty years ago.¡± She pursed her lips hearing that. ¡°I know. Your grandma told me about him this afternoon. Your parents passed away because of him, right?¡± Her words took him by surprise. Turning around, he said, ¡°My grandma really treats you as her family.¡± That made her face blush, as she knew that Herriot indeed meant so. ¡°My parents flew abroad to deal with the mess he created, but the helicopter crashed, ending both their lives,¡± he said, raising his head. The light shone on his face, reflecting his sadness. Her heart ached for him, but she had no idea what to say to console him. But actions could express those that words couldn¡¯t. She extended her hand and held his arm, her gaze revealing her silent concern for him. With that, he looked at her hand and quickly gripped it, his other hand holding her waist. They were intimately close to each other. That made her gasp for air, but she did not break herself away from him. He was staring at her with his burning eyes, so alluring that any woman would fall for him just by looking at him. And that included Anastasia too. She wasn¡¯t a y figurine or a doll, and her heart, like everyone else¡¯s, would be moved. Especially now, when he was vulnerable and was desperate for someone¡¯s comfort. He approached her with his head tilted slightly, and she didn¡¯t need him to tell her what he was about to do. Perhaps it was the light, or the moon, or this man himself, who bewitched her. His arms were tight around her waist, and every breath she took was filled with his enticing scent. But she was well aware that what she was doing was wrong. Chapter 285 Anastasia should have pushed Elliot away, but her body froze as if someone had put a stop button on her. A wave of heat rose from her torso and reached her cheek. Her heart pounded in her chest, and all she could do was watch his kiss falling down on her. ¡°Elliot, don¡¯t do this¡­¡± When his lips were about to reach hers, she made some half-hearted efforts to stop him. But Elliot seemed to know that her resistance didn¡¯t reflect her actual feelings. The corner of his lips curled up, and he sealed his lips over hers. The bamboo forest was peaceful, and muffled sounds from the banquet hall were all that reached their ears, but that didn¡¯t matter. Anastasia¡¯s head was on his warm, muscr chest, and she could feel his heart hammering against hers. It felt safe yet dangerous. He provided a sense of security while also emanating a sense of danger. The stars in the sky sprinkled down on the bamboo forest. And in the forest, a man was pouring his heart and soul into the woman in his arms. At that moment, Anastasia¡¯s mind was shifting between two different states. One was making her mind go nk and dizzy, but the other was dreamy and mesmerizing; she couldn¡¯t help but sink deeper into this wonderful dream that Elliot had brought her into. This kiss had put her heart into turmoil; she felt bashful and sweet. For Elliot, the warmth and elegant fragrance of Anastasia¡¯s body transformed into aforting therapy, leaving him addicted to it and unwilling to let go of her. Moreover, this feeling reminded him of that night five years ago, but he quickly shook the thought off. At this moment, he didn¡¯t want to think about another woman¡¯s scent while he was kissing her. Finally, as Anastasia sensed through the clothes that Elliot was bing more dangerous, she quickly came back to her senses. Tonight was Old Madam Presgrave¡¯s birthday party, and it was inappropriate to kiss in this setting. So, she slightly pushed him away. Elliot let go of her and rested his forehead against hers. His ck eyes reflected her blushed face as he said in a husky voice, ¡°Don¡¯t fall in love with anyone else but me.¡± Anastasia¡¯s lips curved up as she replied, ¡°Does President Presgraveck self-confidence today?¡± As soon as he heard her, his eyes glowed with a strong possessiveness. ¡°You can only be mine,¡± he imed as he held her tightly in his arms. Anastasia looked up and blinked her eyes at Elliot a few times. Her eyes were reflecting the starlights and his face. She didn¡¯t respond because she wasn¡¯t ready for this. She didn¡¯t refute it because she didn¡¯t dislike his possessiveness in her heart. Without warning, he suddenly leaned down and nibbled lightly on her ear. ¡°If you don¡¯t answer, I¡¯ll take that as a yes,¡± he said with a hoarse voice. Elliot¡¯s statement rendered her speechless. The reason I¡¯m not answering is that I wanted to show you some respect, alright? Just then, Elliot¡¯s cell phone rang. He took his phone out and glimpsed at it. ¡°It¡¯s time to go back for my grandmother¡¯s birthday celebration,¡± he said. Rey was looking for him. After leaving the bamboo forest, Anastasia took a few deep breaths before returning to the party. She was afraid that others would notice there was something between her and Elliot, so she hurried to search for her son. When Elliot saw her walk away as if to get away from him, a trace of frustration shed across his eyes. In the banquet hall, Hayley kept looking for an opportunity to walk up and wish Old Madam Presgrave a happy birthday, but there were too many elders, and Old Madam Presgrave was surrounded by people all the time. Aside from that, she was also looking for Elliot for the past fifteen minutes. Elliot and Anastasia both went away at the same time, which made her wonder. She imagined Anastasia had taken advantage of the situation to seduce Elliot. In fact, she wasn¡¯t wrong. They were indeed together. Meanwhile, Hayley looked up to see Elliot had returned to the hall. But when she turned around, Anastasia miraculously appeared beside Francis. She couldn¡¯t stop herself from clenching her palm around the ss she was holding. Were they together just now? Out of jealousy, Hayley seemed to hatch a plot against Anastasia. She pulled Erica to the side and whispered something in her ear. Then, Erica nodded and assured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will carry out your n.¡± After Erica left the banquet hall, she walked toward the swimming pool. When she looked up at the main seats, she noticed that Old Madam Presgrave was leaving the hall with the assistance of her maid. Without a second thought, she quickly pulled a waitress to the side. ¡°Please tell Miss Tillman that she is wanted by Old Madam Presgrave at the poolside,¡± she instructed. Since Erica was a guest and it was just a matter of bringing a message, the waitress smiled and said, ¡°Sure.¡± Just when Anastasia started to worry as she couldn¡¯t find her son, she received a phone call from Nigel. He assured her that he was at the children¡¯s y area with her son and that she need not be concerned. Chapter 286 Nigel was not a big fan of socializing at the party, so he was relieved that he got away by looking after Anastasia¡¯s little boy. ¡°Miss Tillman, Old Madam Presgrave would like to see you by the poolside,¡± said the waitress as she approached Anastasia. Anastasia was slightly surprised by the request, but when she nced around and realized Old Madam Presgrave was not in her seat, she nodded and responded, ¡°Okay. Thank you for informing me.¡± As Erica watched Anastasia exit the banquet hall, the corner of her mouth twisted up into a devilish smirk. Hayley¡¯s n is working. At the poolside, just when Anastasia wondered why Old Madam Presgrave would choose this ce to have a conversation, she noticed Hayley sitting on the pool lounge chair. As soon as Hayley saw Anastasia, she stood up and sneered, ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± Only then did Anastasia realize that she had been fooled. She became defensive as she red at Hayley. ¡°Why did you trick me intoing here?¡± she asked. ¡°Were you with Elliot just now, Anastasia? What exactly are you two up to? Are you guys messing around at Old Madam Presgrave¡¯s birthday party?¡± Hayley provoked her. Anastasia could feel her cheek heated up. Did Hayley spot us? Without waiting for Anastasia¡¯s response, Hayley continued, ¡°You really don¡¯t mind that I slept with Elliot? Do you want me to go into details of how we spent the night together?¡± Viciousness shed across her eyes as she spoke with a smug face. ¡°As far as I know, it happened when he was not sober.¡± Anastasia pretended to be indifferent. ¡°No matter what state Elliot was in, it didn¡¯t change the fact that he was sweating on me, kissing me, and holding me tight in his arms. I was so happy that I was swooning under him.¡± Hayley kept her smug face as she recalled that night. ¡°Stop it.¡± Anastasia cut Hayley off as her chest heaved with ragged breath. ¡°His body is well-built, and he has incredible stamina. I still remember his frantic eyes and how he held me tightly afterward; I remember him removing his watch and giving it to me. His pounding heart, his scorching body¡ª¡± Hayley¡¯s eyes gleamed with shyness and sweetness. Hearing Hayley¡¯s description, Anastasia could feel a wave of pain washing over her from the bottom of her heart. It wasn¡¯t hard for her to imagine Hayley and Elliot hugging together, because she and Elliot had just shared an intimate moment earlier. Hayley curled up the corner of her lips and approached Anastasia with a sinister smile. ¡°I also told Elliot how your son came to be, Anastasia. His father is a filthy male escort. Who knows how many women he touches in a month? You should get a medical check-up done because if you die from that kind of disease, there will be no one to take care of your illegitimate son.¡± Anastasia was so furious that her whole body was trembling. Although she knew Hayley was trying to provoke her with those offensive statements, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore because Hayley was insulting her son. Now, Hayley was only two steps away from Anastasia. Her mockery was clearly seen in her eyes. ¡°Your kid, Anastasia, had the filthiest blood flowing through his veins. Perhaps he would follow in his father¡¯s footsteps in the future. Like father, like son!¡± she snarled. ¡°Hayley Seymour, you better shut your mouth,¡± Anastasia warned. Staring at Hayley¡¯s smug face, Anastasia clenched her fist tightly to refrain from pping her face. However, Hayley¡¯s eyes swept across the corridor, and she suddenly grabbed Anastasia¡¯s hand. ¡°You want to p me, don¡¯t you? Go ahead and p me!¡± she yelled at her to provoke her. Anastasia was taken aback by her actions and tried to break away from her hands. ¡°So what if I don¡¯t shut up? I want the whole world to know your son¡¯s father. I want him to be despised, and I want your son to live in shame for the rest of his life!¡± Hayley shouted shrilly. Hearing what she had said, Anastasia was getting colder. She gritted her teeth and growled, ¡°Keep going if you dare.¡± Then, Anastasia started to feel disgusted by Hayley¡¯s hands, which were sping on her wrists. Therefore, she pushed Hayley away abruptly, attempting to break free from her grip. However, Hayley curved her lips and smirked at Anastasia as she let herself fall behind and into the swimming pool. Seeing that, Anastasia froze for a few seconds. Before she could react, she heard someone shouting behind her, ¡°Oh my! Someone has fallen into the water! Please help!¡± I know this voice. It¡¯s Erica. Immediately after, she heard another female voice. ¡°Here! We need some help over here!¡± Chapter 287 When Anastasia turned her head around, she saw two middle-aged female guests standing by the pool. Their attention was drawn to Hayley, who was struggling in the water and appeared to be drowning. ¡°H-Help, I can¡¯t swim¡­¡± Hayley cried for help in a faint voice. ¡°Miss, how can you push someone into the water?!¡± One of the guests red at Anastasia usingly. ¡°You should get down there and save her!¡± shemanded. At that moment, Anastasia¡¯s heart sank. She realized that she had jumped into a trap set up by Hayley and Erica. Now that Hayley had deliberately fallen into the water while Erica¡¯s two witnesses were there, Anastasia was painted as the bad guy. The situation became critical as Hayley bobbed up and down in the six-foot-deep pool. Meanwhile, the two female guests paced along the edge of the swimming pool frantically, for they didn¡¯t know how to swim. There was no doubt that Anastasia despised Hayley to the core, but she couldn¡¯t ruin someone else¡¯s life at Old Madam Presgrave¡¯s birthday party. Hence, she removed her heels and dove into the water. She swam toward Hayley and tried to pull her to the surface. Hayley was surprised to see Anastasia jumping in to save her. As she iled about in the water, a murderous intent began to develop in her eyes. Just as Anastasia reached out to grab Hayley¡¯s arm, thetter yanked Anastasia forcefully and pressed her head deeper into the pool. There will be no one to me if Anastasia drowns while trying to save me. In fact, people will only me her stupidity for trying to save someone¡¯s life when she can¡¯t even swim herself! Hayley only dared to jump into the pool because she was confident she wouldn¡¯t drown. She had recently taken up swimming for fitness purposes, and she was doing well under the guidance of her private coach. As Anastasia sank deeper into the pool, she felt the pressure of death. Hayley is trying to kill me! Anastasia realized Hayley could swim by how she was treading water, but she couldn¡¯t react as the air in her lungs was being exhausted. It went without saying that Hayley was going to take this chance to drown her. Moreover, she could vaguely hear the sound of the two guests yelling for help. ¡°Help! Somebody needs help over here!¡± ¡°Goodness! Why would she get into the water if she can¡¯t swim? This will put her life in jeopardy!¡± the women said frantically. They couldn¡¯t see how Hayley was holding Anastasia down under the water, so they thought she couldn¡¯t swim. On the other hand, Hayley seemed to be struggling as she pped her hands in the water and even choked, but her hand was firmly pressed on Anastasia¡¯s back, burying her beneath the water so that she couldn¡¯t catch her breath. Right then, a tall figure rushed out from the banquet hall. Erica had called Elliot over to help, and he immediately noticed the two women in the water, especially the floating gray evening gown that belonged to Anastasia. ¡°Quick! Go and save them,¡± Elliot instructed Rey as he hurried toward the pool and removed his coat. By the time both men jumped into the water and swam toward Anastasia and Hayley, Anastasia was already in a semi-conscious state. When Hayley saw that Elliot wasing to save them, she choked a mouthful of water and pretended to be drowning as she sank deeper into the water. As soon as Hayley sensed a strong arm holding her, she forced her eyes open underwater to find that Rey was the one who had saved her, not Elliot. In the meantime, Elliot had carried Anastasia in his arms and was swimming toward the surface. With the help of the crowd who cameter, Anastasia and Hayley were both brought up to the poolside. Elliot went down on one knee in front of Anastasia and performed rescue breathing as soon as they reached the surface. First, he applied chestpressions before giving the woman CPR. On the other hand, Rey had also rescued Hayley from the pool, but he did not dare to perform CPR on her. Hayley didn¡¯t want it from Rey either, not when she was right in front of Elliot. As such, she pretended to cough out a mouthful of water and feebly opened her eyes. ¡°Miss Seymour is awake,¡± Rey reported. However, Elliot didn¡¯t seem to hear Rey¡¯s words, and he was busy rescuing Anastasia next to them. He continued to perform CPR on her while frantically calling out her name, ¡°Anastasia¡­ Anastasia, wake up! Please don¡¯t scare me.¡± Hayley¡¯s eyes shed with hatred as she saw that. ording to her original n, she was supposed to be the only one who fell into the pool so that Erica could get Elliot to rescue her. She never anticipated Anastasia to save her, which was why she decided to drown that woman. However, Elliot had arrived too soon. Chapter 288 At this moment, Hayley had just witnessed the man she loved the most performing CPR on Anastasia and constantly calling her name. The worry and panic in his eyes clearly demonstrated his concern for Anastasia. Meanwhile, Erica was dumbfounded by this as she stood to the side. ording to Hayley¡¯s n, Elliot is supposed to save her. Why is he saving Anastasia now? Anastasia eventually regained consciousness, and the first thing that she saw was Elliot¡¯s nervous yet gorgeous face. ¡°You¡¯re finally awake.¡± Elliot¡¯s fingers trembled as he caressed her cold, pale face. At the same time, his deep eyes filled with ecstasy. A round of apuse erupted from the crowd. The twodies who had fallen into the water had been rescued, and that was good news in itself. Meanwhile, someone in the crowd watched the scene unfold with mixed emotions. The noble and handsome man was kneeling on the ground and soaked to the skin, overjoyed that he had managed to save Anastasia. As Anastasia sat up, Elliot¡¯s suit draped over her body. Right then, she raised her head to meet Hayley¡¯s resentful eyes. Anastasia pushed away Elliot¡¯s helping hand and stumbled to her feet. Without much strength, she walked toward Hayley step by step persistently. Then, she raised her hand and pped the other woman forcefully. The strong p shifted Hayley¡¯s face to the side. Tears streamed down her face as she raised her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Anastasia. I know you were kind enough to save me, but you know that I¡¯m afraid of water. I didn¡¯t mean to drag you into the water.¡± After saying that, Hayley gave Erica a signal through her teary eyes. Thetter understood Hayley¡¯s message right away, so she waddled through the crowd and asked, ¡°Hayley, are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?¡± Then, Erica turned her head toward Anastasia and confronted her. ¡°I saw you pushing her with my own eyes, yet you have the audacity to p her. Do you even have a heart?¡± she chided. ¡°Don¡¯t me Anastasia for this, Erica. I was the one who identally fell into the water,¡± Hayley said with tears in her eyes. ¡°Ladies, would you twoe forward and do Hayley justice? Did you see Anastasia push Hayley?¡± Erica asked the two female guests who had just witnessed the incident, eagerly hoping that they would testify. At that moment, Anastasia¡¯s body swayed slightly. She almost suffocated earlier and had lost all her strength. Just then, a strong arm wrapped around her waist while she leaned against someone¡¯s broad chest. Naturally, she knew who it was without having to turn her head around. Everyone wanted to know what was going on, so more and more guests gathered around the pool. The two female guests who were being questioned by Erica exchanged nces before one of them said, ¡°We saw Miss Tillman pushing Miss Seymour into the water. However, when Miss Seymour called for help, Miss Tillman jumped into the pool to save her.¡± At this point, Hayley staggered to her feet, shivering as she hugged herself. Then, she looked at Elliot and said, ¡°Don¡¯t me Anastasia, Elliot. I-I fell into the water by ident, and she almost drowned while trying to save me. I deserve this p because I dragged her down with me. In fact, I deserve to die.¡± After saying that, Hayley covered her face and started to sob loudly as if she was truly ming herself. ¡°Hayley, why are you still speaking up for her? She¡¯s obviously taking revenge on you! She wants you to take the me for that incident where she got raped by a male escort five years ago. She wants you dead!¡± Erica¡¯s voice was shrill, and the words she said were loud and resounding. It seemed as though she was afraid that the crowd couldn¡¯t hear her. In an instant, Anastasia¡¯s face turned pale as she trembled with anger, for the duo wasn¡¯t done picking on her just yet. ¡°Keep your mouth shut, Erica,¡± Elliot warned. His eyes darted at her like a cutting de as he didn¡¯t want to hear another word from the woman. Erica was so frightened by Elliot¡¯s threats that she shut her mouth immediately. However, the damage had already been done, for her words dropped like a bomb among the crowd. What? A male escort raped Miss Tillman? This information aroused sympathy among the crowd, but it also made people specte about Anastasia¡¯s past. ¡°What about pushing Miss Seymour into the water and pping her without an apology?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right! This kind of behavior is uneptable.¡± Chapter 289 ¡°Exactly! If you don¡¯t want to apologize, why did you p her? Look at Miss Seymour¡ªshe¡¯s such a poor thing.¡± Anastasia was feeling a lot of pressure deep down as she listened to everyone else criticizing her. After all, only she and Hayley knew how thetter had tried to kill her underwater. However, those who judged her without knowing the truth were equally hurtful. Meanwhile, Elliot ignored the gazes from the crowd and carried the barely conscious Anastasia into his arms. He then instructed Rey, ¡°Take Miss Seymour inside to get her clothes changed.¡± ¡°Elliot¡­¡± yelled a sobbing Hayley. Her heart ached from a stabbing pain as she watched Anastasia being carried away by the man. Even after all of that acting and drama, Anastasia still emerged as the final winner. She received all of Elliot¡¯s love and care, yet the man did not even spare a word of concern for Hayley. Anastasia¡¯s first thought after being sent inside for a clean change of clothes was her son. As such, she turned to Elliot and said, ¡°Don¡¯t tell Jared what just happened.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I have informed Nigel not to bring him over, and Jared is still in the yroom,¡± Elliot comforted her. Anastasia clenched the quilt tightly as she came to terms with Hayley¡¯s viciousness. She was certain that Hayley had purposely pressed her into the water with the intention of drowning her. ¡°Why did you jump into the water to save her when you can¡¯t swim?¡± Elliot frowned as he asked. He didn¡¯t dare to me Anastasia, but his chest tightened since he was worried about her. ¡°Tonight is your grandma¡¯s birthday banquet. It¡¯ll be a bad omen if someone dies,¡± replied Anastasia, expressing what she felt at the time of the incident. However, she never expected Hayley, who couldn¡¯t swim five years ago, would learn to swim. ¡°Did you know that you nearly¡­¡± Elliot couldn¡¯t even finish his sentence as he waspletely terrified of what had just happened. She would¡¯ve been dead if he arrived even a few secondste. In other words, the only reason why Anastasia was still alive was that Elliot had acted quickly and executed a sessful rescue. Otherwise, she would have not survived at all. ¡°Thank you,¡± Anastasia said genuinely. She could not imagine what would happen to her son if she were dead. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to thank me; I just want you to cherish your life in the future. Don¡¯t let this kind of thing happen again.¡± Elliot¡¯s eyes were filled with worry as he stepped forward and took her into his arms. ¡°Since I have saved your life, will you live a good life for me?¡± he asked. Anatasia was feeling the aftershock of the incident. Just then, she raised her head to look up at Elliot and blurted, ¡°President Presgrave, can you promise me one thing? If something happens to me in the future, please help me to raise Jared on my behalf.¡± Her words made his heart tremble. He held her tighter as he nced into her deep eyes and said, ¡°Nonsense! I am not going to let Jared lose his mother. We will raise him together.¡± Anastasia batted her eyes at Elliot after she heard him. His gaze was like a ck hole, drawing her into his heart. Just then, she started to feel dizzy. Elliot ced a kiss on her forehead and said, ¡°Stop overthinking. Just get some good rest.¡± At that very moment, Elliot¡¯s cell phone rang. He nced at the caller ID and answered the call. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°President Presgrave, Miss Seymour is attempting tomit suicide,¡± said Rey promptly. ¡°What?¡± Elliot scowled. ¡°She wants to see you,¡± Rey replied anxiously at the other end. ¡°Okay, I¡¯lle right away.¡± After Elliot hung up the phone, he tucked Anastasia into bed. Then, he added, ¡°Have a good rest. I need to go now.¡± Elliot was sitting close to her, so Anastasia had overheard the conversation about Hayley wanting to commit suicide. Hah! Of course she¡¯d y all her tricks to get Elliot to go over. ¡°Just go ahead!¡± Since she felt exhausted after the entire ordeal, Anastasiay on her side and closed her eyes. When Elliot arrived at Hayley¡¯s room, she was standing in front of the third-floor window, refusing to let anyone approach her. She stretched one leg out the window, looking as though she¡¯d fall out at any moment. ¡°Come back here, Hayley!¡± Elliot pushed the door open and shouted at her. Meanwhile, his brows were deeply furrowed. Hayley¡¯s tears streamed down her face when she noticed Elliot was there. ¡°You¡¯ve finallye to see me, Elliot. I-I thought you didn¡¯t care about me anymore. I would rather die instead,¡± she said through tears. After saying that, Hayley leaned her upper body toward the window. Chapter 290 ¡°I w-won¡¯t get down if you don¡¯t carry me.¡± The agitated Hayley held back a sob. Elliot immediately stepped forward to carry her down in his arms, whereas Erica who stood aside kept pointing her phone¡¯s camera at them as she recorded the whole thing. Hayley had her arms hanging to Elliot¡¯s neck as she intimately leaned against his shoulder. He then put her down on her bed, and he pried open her grip on him. ¡°Have a good rest. Don¡¯t take things too hard.¡± ¡°Elliot, do you believe me? Do you believe that Anastasia was the one who pushed me into the water?¡± she asked tearfully. She panickedly exined in order to make him believe her, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to press her head in the water. I was really scared at that time. All I know is I instinctively wanted to live. I didn¡¯t know that I held her in the water¡­ I swear I didn¡¯t mean to.¡± ¡°Take a rest first.¡± His eyes held a somber look in them. He knew exactly who to trust. Between Hayley and Anastasia, he only trusted thetter. ¡°What is the point of living if you don¡¯t believe me?¡± Emotionally perturbed, she struggled and wanted to continue jumping out of the window. Seeing that, he had no choice but to hold her down as he sighed, ¡°Enough. You were just shocked.¡± After saying that, he looked over to Daniel who had been responsible for taking care of Hayley¡¯s affairs all this time. He then said, ¡°Danny, stay here and take care of Miss Seymour. The rest of you can leave.¡± ¡°Understood, President Presgrave,¡± the man replied with a nod. ¡°Elliot, don¡¯t go. Elliot¡­¡± Despite how she tried to make him stay, he still unhesitantly left. As soon as Erica came out of the door, she felt a deadly stare on her, only to find that it was from Elliot. He exuded an overpowering aura as though he was The Devil himself. ¡°Erica,¡± he warningly started, ¡°I won¡¯t let you off the hook if you try starting something again.¡± The short warning instantly turned her face pale as her heart trembled. Right after Elliot left, Erica¡¯s fear turned into resentment. She hated how unfair it was for him to treat Anastasia like a treasure, and yet she had been spoken at in such a cruel tone even though they were both women. Harriet was in the banquet hall when she heard the startling report about how Hayley and Anastasia were almost hurt in an ident, whereas Francis and Naomi only found out after Erica came back. Francis wanted to go to Anastasia, but he was stopped by Naomi before he did. ¡°Don¡¯t go, Francis. Anastasia should be resting. I am sure the Presgraves are taking care of her!¡± ¡°I agree with Mom! Why are you going to her, Dad? Anastasia is fine!¡± Erica didn¡¯t want Francis to see Anastasia when she was so weak in order to prevent her father from over-worrying. Anastasia had fallen asleep, and in front of her bed, Elliot kept apanying her without leaving once. Anastasia could finally have a good sleep tonight since Jared will be brought back to Nigel¡¯s house. The birthday banquet ended perfectly. Although there was a false emergency in the middle of it, it was still fortunate that no one was harmed. In a vi in the city center, Aliona had just returned from outside. She pushed open the door and turned toward the middle-aged man who had been waiting for her on the sofa. ¡°Father,¡± she respectfully greeted. This man was none other than Elliot¡¯s uncle, Riley Presgrave. He looked at her with a serious gaze, and he demanded to know. ¡°I hope Elliot hasn¡¯t discovered your identity!¡± She shook her head in response. ¡°He didn¡¯t discover my identity, but I didn¡¯t manage to get his attention either.¡± ¡°What was the matter? Did you not take the opportunity to get close to him?¡± He stared at her sharply. ¡°Something happened tonight. There was another woman on Elliot¡¯s mind. However, I have assumed the identity as Lucas¡¯ illegitimate daughter. He has no doubts about this. I will have the opportunity to approach him in the future,¡± she calmly told him.. ¡°Tell me everything that happened tonight.¡± His eyes were practically shining with ambition. He came back this time to take back the Presgrave Group by all means possible. At the same time, he raised a fostered daughter and sent her to Lucas, who was already under his control. Lucas was a close friend of Elliot¡¯s deceased father when he was alive, and Lucas had always been respectful to him. Aliona¡¯s mission from now on was to get close to Elliot, win his favor, and finally marry him. She would then be Riley¡¯s ultimate weapon in getting back the property that had been snatched away from him. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, Hayley. Come back here. ¡± Elliot reached out his hand in a hurry. ¡°Come on.¡± Chapter 291-300 Chapter 291-300 Chapter 291 Riley let out a scornful huff after hearing Aliona¡¯s words. ¡°Anastasia Tillman? Could it be that policewoman¡¯s daughter? Interesting¡­¡± A dangerous glint shed through his eyes the next moment, and through clenched teeth, he growled, ¡°The mother is already a hindrance. I didn¡¯t think she would have an even more annoying daughter.¡± Riley was the one who orchestrated the kidnapping that happened to Elliot when he was 6. It was a pity he didn¡¯t manage to get rid of Elliot when a female police officer had sacrificed herself to save the young boy. He had a feeling the reason Elliot kept repaying the Tillmans was because Anastasia was the policewoman¡¯s 2-year-old daughter when that incident happened. He even guessed Elliot had the intention of marrying Anastasia. The Tillman Family only had their luck to me for getting involved with him again. Aliona tilted her gorgeous face upward to look at him. ¡°Father, I have decided to strike. I am confident I can win Elliot¡¯s heart.¡± As the foster daughter who grew up under Riley¡¯s care, she was also trying her best to repay him. ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t disappoint me. I will investigate Anastasia.¡± It was hard for Riley to get over his resentment when he recalled how Elliot had kicked him out today. What¡¯s more, the enormous Presgrave Group was still in his hands. And even though he had the blood of the Presgraves flowing in his veins, he couldn¡¯t get even a cent. Harriet went into the quiet vi room for a quick visit, and seeing that Anastasia had fallen asleep, Harriet could only inform her grandson to take good care of Anastasia. Harriet then went to Hayley. The youngdy kept crying as she desperately exined herself out of fear that Anastasia almost drowning would be her responsibility. Harriet finally went to rest when it had gottente. Hayley sat on the bed while Daniel gently massaged her shoulders. ¡°Daniel, how else do you think I can get Elliot¡¯s attention?¡± Hearing that, Daniel tried to persuade her, ¡°Why do you agonize yourself like this, Hayley? You will still live a good life even if you leave President Presgrave. He won¡¯t let you suffer.¡± She rolled her eyes at him and stood up asking, ¡°What do you know?¡± Of course, there was no way Daniel would understand her anxiety. If there ever came a day when Anastasia became Elliot¡¯s wife, Hayley¡¯s happy days woulde to an end, especially after the incident tonight which would definitely have made Anastasia hate her even more. Therefore, even if she knew that it was beyond her power, Hayley was determined to destroy the rtionship between Elliot and Anastasia with her own hands by any means. ¡°Hayley, I actually¡­¡± Daniel seemed to speak with great difficulty as he looked at her back. She turned her head to look into his eyes, and just from his gaze alone, her instincts alone told her that the man must have fallen in love with her after they shared 2 nights together! After she found out that she was rich, she had gained a lot of charms that made people like Daniel fall in love with her. Unfortunately, even if Daniel was going to do well in the future, she could neither wait nor fall for him. ¡°Just do what you should and don¡¯t overthink the rest. You can go out now!¡± She then walked over and patted him. ¡°Elliot is the only man for me.¡± ¡°But we¡ª¡± She harshly cut him off and warned, ¡°Don¡¯t talk about it. You and I are the only ones who know about this. No one else can ever find out, understand?¡± He could only let out a sigh as he reluctantly pushed the door open, and left. Anastasia had a nightmare halfway through her sleep. As if she had sunk into the sea, she struggled against the suffocation that felt like death. She unknowingly waved her hand in the air as she panted for air with a painful expression on her face. Elliot was in the midst of resting with his eyes closed on the sofa beside him when he heard the voice coming from the bed. He rushed over immediately, and pressed her outstretched hands down before leaning over. ¡°Anastasia, Anastasia¡­¡± As he continuously called out to her, she eventually broke free from the dream and opened her eyes. As soon as she saw his face, she sat up and tightly wrapped her arms around his neck as if she was grabbing thest piece of driftwood when she was on the verge of death in the water. She then buried herself in his chest and pulled him in for a tight hug. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me¡­ I am scared.¡± Caught by surprise, he froze for a second before a smile tugged on the corners of his mouth. He also reached out to hug her tight, his eyes glowing with joy. ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± he reassured her. ¡°I won¡¯t leave you, I am not going anywhere.¡± Anastasia¡¯s face leaned against his heart pounding hot and fast, and it felt oh-so strong and reliable. Chapter 292 Elliot stroked her long hair, and heforted her heart that had just recovered from the nightmare. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I am here.¡± Anastasia¡¯s fear slowly began to subside then. It was only when she returned to reality that she realized how tightly she was holding onto him. Her pale face immediately blossomed like a red rose, and she quickly let go of him. ¡°Sorry¡­¡± she mumbled, embarrassed. ¡°For you to push me away after you have had your fill, you really have no conscience!¡± heined. As he sat on the edge of the bed, he looked at the big bed she was in and asked, ¡°It was very ufortable to sleep on the sofa just now. Do you mind if I join you in bed?¡± Her face turned pink again at that. Thinking that the sofa did look like it wouldn¡¯t fit his frame, she couldn¡¯t help scooting to the side to the point where she was about to fall off. She had now left a big part of the bed to him. ¡°Please go ahead!¡± He lifted the nket off the bed, and with his long arms, he tyrannically pulled the woman who was hanging on the edge of the bed back. ¡°Why are you running away? What do you suppose I will do to you when you are in such a state?¡± With a tug, she was now pressed against his chest. It was already the darkest hour of the night then, and she didn¡¯t make a sound to break the surrounding silence. Just like that, they slept in the same bed. Anastasia, who had just had a good rest, found it difficult to fall asleep again. She raised her head, and from the angle she was looking up from, she had the prime seat to the man¡¯s attractive jawline and sharp corbone¡­ Undoubtedly, it was impossible to stay in this man¡¯s arms without thinking about this and that. ¡°Sleep.¡± As soon as the light was turned off, and her vision went dark, a big palm held her by the back of her head and pressed her into the man¡¯s chest. N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°D¡ªdid you give me CPR in front of all the guests?¡± She had thought about it after the incident, and this seemed like a usible guess. ¡°Mhm. Do you mind?¡± His rough voice came from above her head. Her face warmed slightly after his nonchnt reply. ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± she answered. ¡°You did that to save me¡­¡± However, she was still a little embarrassed to think how he did it in front of so many people. ¡°You don¡¯t seem like you can sleep anymore,¡± he suddenly asked again, his voice somewhat enticing and dangerous. His tone didn¡¯t go unnoticed by her, and she quickly shut her eyes and said, ¡°I can sleep! I am sleeping now.¡± Wanting to share his feelings then, he randomly threw a question at her. ¡°Anastasia, do you know how flustered and scared I was when I performed CPR on you?¡± Her heart tightened when she heard his words. If she were to imagine that it was him lying there instead, she was sure she would feel the same as he did! ¡°I know,¡± she knowingly replied. Her words had just fallen when the hand on the back of her head suddenly pulled her in. In the dark of the room, her lips were sealed by the man the next moment. A punishment for her was overdue since she made him such a mess when the incident happened. ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Her sensitivity seemed to have heightened when she couldn¡¯t see in the dark. But in the end, the man didn¡¯t really do anything else, and only punished her with a kiss. Their bodies, however, were clinging to each other. They could feel every inch of each other¡¯s warmth. She was so startled that she immediately pretended to sleep. She was afraid that he would ¡®help¡¯ her again if she stayed awake. Eventually, she unconsciously fell asleep in his arms. Elliot¡¯s side of the bed was already empty when Anastasia opened her eyes the next morning. She lightly touched it, and upon feeling the lingering warmth, she started to blush. They had slept together last night, after all. An attendant soon quietly brought in clean clothes, and they left as soon as they ced theundry. Anastasia also got up at this time to take a shower, and she then put on a clean long dress. She pushed open the door and came out to find her phone, where she eventually found both it and her bag in the living room. She proceeded to take her phone, and as soon as the screen lit up, she noticed that she had gotten a few missed calls from Francis and a text message from Erica. With a frown on her face, she clicked into the message. It was a video that showed Elliot carrying Hayley down before she was going to jump out of the window, and also him putting her on the bed. Even though Anastasia knew that Elliot was only looking out for Hayley, it still hurt her to see their interaction. She took out her bag, and it was only after she gave her father a call to tell him that she was all right that Francis could heave a sigh of relief. ¡°You really scared Dad this time.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dad. I am alright.¡± He then abruptly asked an unexpected question. ¡°Erica said that you pushed Hayley. Did you really do that?¡± Chapter 293 ¡°I didn¡¯t push her. She fell in herself.¡± This was something Anastasia would never admit to. ¡°Alright. Dad trusts you. It is fortunate that no lives were lost. Don¡¯t cause this kind of trouble again.¡± She too knew that she had worried her father, and so she meekly replied, ¡°Thanks Dad.¡± She reminded herself to watch out for Hayley in the future because Hayley was more scary and vicious than she ever imagined. She would rather watch her drown than save her if it wasn¡¯t because she didn¡¯t know she could swimst night. However, it was for a fact that harm had been done to Anastasia¡¯s good reputationst night. Not only did the whole of the Presgrave Family know that she had pushed someone into the water, she also refused to apologize, and even beat someone up. Erica had also chosen the perfect time to reveal what Anastasia had done 5 years ago. After all that had happened, the rtives and friends of the Presgraves probably thought that she was an evil woman. It wouldn¡¯t have mattered if she didn¡¯t marry into the Presgrave Family. She wouldn¡¯t associate with those people anyway.But still, she was concerned at this moment. ¡°What are you running around for?¡± She was in the midst of zoning out in the garden when a low male voice called out from behind. Upon hearing that, she turned back to look at the person, only to see that it was Elliot sauntering toward her. At this moment, the man looked like a god as the morning sunlight shone on him. He was very good-looking on top of being tall and intimidating. Him being an attractive male was a fact that she had to admit despite how reluctant she was. In fear of her heart beating irregrly from staring at him, she hurriedly lowered her gaze. ¡°I am not running around. I want to go back.¡± ¡°I will take you home. Jensen will be backter,¡± he informed her. Not wanting to take up his time, she immediately rejected his offer. ¡°You can have someone else send me back if you are busy!¡± ¡°There is nothing more important than you.¡± After he finished speaking, he reached out his hand to hold her. ¡°Have breakfast before you go. Don¡¯t starve yourself out.¡± ¡°I am not hungry,¡± she bluntly told him. She had no appetite. However, the man was used to being overbearing. ¡°You still have to eat,¡± he demanded, leaving no room for her to argue. After she conceded and had her breakfast, she received a call from Harriet again. The older woman was concerned about her condition. In order to not worry her, Anastasia kept telling her that she was fine. She hung up the call soon after. After Anastasia was brought home by Elliot, he went to pick up young Jensen in the afternoon. She received a call from Elliot after that. He called to let her know that he wasn¡¯t going to have dinner at home, and that the servant would prepare dinner for them. She was d that Jensen had no clue about what had happenedst night. She was afraid of scaring her son. When it was time for bed, she unconsciously fell asleep when she was keeping her sonpany. She was so deep in her sleep that she slept through even when Elliot hade to check in on Jared. He didn¡¯t disturb them, and only went back to his room. The next afternoon, Anastasia sent the finished draft of the drawing to Felicia. It was the ne she designed for Elliot that was ready for production. Elliot was in the president¡¯s office of Presgrave Corporation when an anxious frown appeared on his face after he read a notification on the screen. ¡°How did he get in so quickly?¡± he asked. Rey couldn¡¯t help but walk to his front to take a look. He thenughed out loud. ¡°You personally went and showed your face, Young Master Elliot. How can it not be quick?¡± Elliot ced his arms on the armrests as he leaned into his seat. ¡°I thought we could drag it on for at least a few months! We probably can¡¯t take this kind of news down, can we?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be easy. It is a good thing that brings light to good and evil, after all,¡± Rey answered, embarrassed. It might not bring them the result they were looking for if Rey was the one who handled it. Hearing that, Elliot could only exasperate, ¡°I hope she doesn¡¯t see this.¡± ¡°President Presgrave, you can totally ask Miss Tillman to live with you. I am sure she would agree to it.¡± Not having the least bit of confidence, Elliot shook his head left and right. ¡°Not necessarily. She isn¡¯t as easy to persuade as she appears.¡± Anastasia was in Elliot¡¯s vi¡¯s garden swiping on the screen of her phone as she read the news. A familiar name in one of the headlines suddenly caught her eyes, stopping her in her tracks. ¡®The Crackdown on a Malicious Social Incident Has Come to an End. Lawrence vell¡ªthe Main Culprit Involved in the Loss of Two Lives¡ªHas Been Arrested and Jailed. All Involved Perpetrators Have Been Dealt With by the Law.¡¯ Seeing that, Anastasia immediately jumped up in joy as she muttered to herself, ¡°So this thug was arrested, huh?¡± Chapter 294 Anastasia clicked into the image which also had a video embedded below it. The man who was arrested was definitely Lawrence, the thug who used to be so arrogant. Now that he had been detained, she wouldn¡¯t have to constantly be on edge about her and Francis¡¯ safety anymore. Moreover, the nature of his crime for having 2 lives lost by his hands was so terrible that Lawrence probably wouldn¡¯t be able to get out of prison in this lifetime. Anastasia immediately called her father and told him the good news. Francis just so happened to have just seen it as well, and he cheered, ¡°Yes! What goes aroundes around.¡± ¡°Dad, if this is the case, I might go home and stay there for the next two days,¡± she informed Francis. ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay at Young Master Elliot¡¯s ce for a while longer?¡± ¡°I am not thick-skinned enough to keep staying here, Dad. I will be bringing Jared home.¡± She had always been someone who didn¡¯t like causing people trouble. ¡°Alright! Move back here with Jared, then. It will be morefortable for you at home! I wille pay and visit little Jared these 2 days.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± she answered before hanging up. I have to mention this to Elliot tonight. It was Erica¡¯s first time visiting Hayley¡¯s vi. When she saw this luxury vi that stood alone, her eyes almost fell out in envy. Like someone who had just seen the big city for the first time after living her whole life in a vige, Erica started walking around the bungalow and into the cloakroom and master bedroom. ¡°Hayley, you are so lucky!¡± she eximed. ¡°The Presgraves have given you such a good life. You get to spend the rest of your life indulging in wealth and prosperity.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go! I have prepared 2 gifts for you. Erica, I want you to handle Anastasia with me from now on. I will share whatever good stuff I have with you,¡± Hayley dered as she tried to get on Erica¡¯s good side. Erica, in return, hummed agreeably. ¡°Alright! I will definitely help you deal with Anastasia. She happens to be the person my mother and I hate the most.¡± Erica was more than eager to do it. With Hayley¡¯s help, she would have a better chance to get her father¡¯s property in the future. Hayley then gave her 2 pieces of jewelry that she herself didn¡¯t like very much, but Erica was overjoyed just to receive the gifts. The duo started chatting aboutst night as they enjoyed afternoon tea. Hayley¡±s eyes were filled with hatred as they spoke. Elliot used to at least show her patience and care to a certain extent, but ever since Anastasia had seduced him, his heart hadpletely been taken away.. ¡°Hayley, I have a question. Exactly who was the guy who slept with Anastasia back then? We can find him and have him snatch Anastasia¡¯s son away!¡± Erica also thought of this. Hayley let out a frown upon hearing her suggestion. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that for now. She won¡¯t take this lying down. I will be in trouble if she decides to bite back.¡± Unbeknownst to Erica, the reason Hayley didn¡¯t dare do this was because the man who shared a bed with Anastasia that night was Elliot. It was a good thing that Anastasia had been avoiding talking about what happened that night. She would definitely trace it back to Elliot if she were to investigate further into it. Anastasia would definitely know that her son was also Elliot¡¯s. That would only bring them closer when the time came. Erica then nodded. ¡°Okay!! We will find another way to deal with her.¡± Hayley had actually already thought of a way that she was sure would get her Elliot¡¯s attention. Erica and Hayley soon left for dinner in Hayley¡¯s sports car when evening came, where Erica started yearning more for the life of a rich person. She knew that her father¡¯s inheritance was what would make her rich, and she had to make sure that it would not be taken away by Anastasia. Francis¡¯ listedpany was worth more than 1 billion dors! Even if she didn¡¯t want to run the business in the future, she could still be a rich woman if she were to sell it off for a few hundred million. Erica was getting more and more hungry for the rich life Hayley showed her. As night fell, the servants in Elliot¡¯s vi had begun to prepare dinner. Anastasia and Jared had yed ser for half an hour, and both of them had gone back to their room to take a shower. At that moment, two beams of headlights shone over the yard outside the vi. The owner of the ce had returned. Elliot, dressed in ck from head to toe, stepped into the brightly lit hall. ¡°Young Master Elliot,¡± the servants respectfully greeted him. ¡°Where are they?¡± Chapter 295 ¡°Miss Tillman and Young Master Tillman are having a bath upstairs.¡± With that, Elliot treaded upstairs with wide steps, where he went straight to Anastasia¡¯s room. Jared had already gone to the yroom after Anastasia had washed him. It was her turn to take a shower in the bathroom now. She yed with the bubbles as she soaked herself in the bathtub, her mind thinking of a way to tell Elliot soon that she was going to go home. After all, the man had brought her and her son over out of kindness. She couldn¡¯t possibly break his heart time after time again. Elliot thought that she was in the midst of bathing her son, and out of his intention to join them, he unthinkingly pushed open the bathroom door. In that instant, their eyes met each other¡¯s as one of them stood at the door, while the othery in the bathtub. ¡°Ah!¡± Out of surprise, she let out a yelp and sat up straight. Other than the small towel he had on that covered the important parts, Elliot had a good look of her fair and supple upper body. Anastasia wasn¡¯t the only one who was shocked. Even Elliot couldn¡¯t believe that he had chosen the wrong time toe in. It was only when she felt a chill in her upper body that she realized what she had stupidly done out of shock. However, just as she was about to lie back down, she slipped on the bubbles, leaving only her pair of hands struggling above the water. ¡°Anastasia.¡± This time, he couldn¡¯t care less about anything else as he hurried over with long strides, and reached into the water to scoop out the struggling woman. At that instant, she almost died from shame on the spot. She was wet from head to toe, and even though there was foam on her hair and body, it probably didn¡¯t do much in covering her up. She was now like a newborn baby in his arms. The only thing she could do now was cover her face with her palms. She was almost crying when she begged, ¡°Elliot, put me down.¡± His deep eyes fell on her body then, and they seemed to darken with unexinable emotion. ¡°How much longer are you going to look?!¡± She almost had a breakdown when she noticed that he was quietly looking at her. When he finally put her back into the bathwater, she sat there with her body curled up as she started getting angry. ¡°Get out,¡± she hissed. He only pursed his thin lips to hold back a smile, but still, he gently told her, ¡°Take you bath properly.¡± After saying that, he strode out and closed the door behind him. She was left to miserably cover her face all by herself in the room. She could only hold in her grief from being seen with nothing on her by the man. She then quickly washed the bubbles off her body and put on her clothes. She eventually let out a relieved sigh when she came out and found that Elliot was nowhere to be seen. He was actually apanying Jared at the time. However, unlike his usual self who was always smooth at ying the Rubik¡¯s cube, he couldn¡¯t even match the little guy¡¯s speed because his mind was preupied with a body figure he had seen earlier. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, I won again,¡± Jared boasted as he proudly waved the Rubik¡¯s cube around. Elliot reached out and stroked his head, and he praised, ¡°You are awesome, Jared. I admit defeat.¡± The little guy seemed to have gotten a great sense of achievement after hearing his words. Elliot turned to look at the time then. ¡°I think it is about time we go down for dinner.¡± As Elliot walked out with Jared¡¯s little hand in his, Anastasia also coincidentally came out of the room. She instantly felt so embarrassed that she wanted to burrow into the ground. It felt rather unnecessary for her even if she were to wrap a nket around her body. Even though she was wearing a sweater, the way he looked at her made her panic with the feeling that she was standing in front of him with nothing on. Jared brought her back to reality when he suddenly turned to her and said, ¡°Mommy, let¡¯s go downstairs for dinner.¡± ¡°Mm! Okay, let¡¯s go!¡± She then went down the stairs first, making the corners of Elliot¡¯s lips curl upward. That was definitely a scene he would never forget all his life. Even though all that had happened within a short minute, there was not a thing in sight that he didn¡¯t properly appreciate. On the other hand, Anastasia was desperate to hide herself in a hole if she could. Her face was hot throughout dinnertime. She would also tense up all over whenever his eyesnded on her. After dinner, Elliot took Jared for a walk. Instead of joining them, Anastasia sat in the side hall as she used her phone. She also paid attention to the proceeding of Lawrence¡¯s court case. It seemed that it would be impossible for both Lawrence and his goons to get out of prison after the 2 murder cases they hadmitted. Chapter 296 It had turned 9:30PM at some point. Anastasia unconsciously yawned as she looked out the window and took note of autumn night sky. It seemed like winter was just around the corner. At this moment, she heard a sound from the main entrance of the vi, she guessed that Elliot and Jared had returned from their walk. As soon as she came out to greet them, she saw Elliot holding the sleeping Jared in his arms with one of his coats covering the young boy¡¯s body. Surprised, she hurried over and asked, ¡°How did he fall asleep?¡± ¡°Jared got tired from walking. I will take him to the bedroom.¡± After saying that, Elliot started walking up the stairs with his long legs as Anastasia closely followed after them. Elliot was already acting like a father. He gently ced Jared on the bed, took off his coat and shoes, covered him with the nket, tucked him in, and brushed his jet ck hair on his forehead before he pressed a kiss on the child¡¯s clear forehead. She was surprised as she stood at the door and watched their interaction. Is Elliot¡¯s love for Jared true? she wondered. Does he really like a child that has no blood ties with him? She was still in a daze when the man walked toward her and took advantage to hug her by the waist. He then gently closed the door. In a panic, she quickly took a step back and stretched out her hands to push him by his strong chest. However, the man deliberately stuck close to her, his deep eyes revealing a myriad of emotions. The scene in the bathroom just now had ignited the fire in him. ¡°Elliot, don¡¯t.¡± She looked up at him calmly. ¡°I have something to tell you.¡± He seemed to have guessed that this was going to happen, and he swiftly pointed in the direction of the living room on the second floor, ¡°We will talk there.¡± She followed him with a frown on her face. She didn¡¯t seem to be in a particrly good mood. Suddenly, the man walking in front turned back to her and offered, ¡°I can let you look back at me if you think it was unfair.¡± It only took her a second to understand his words. ¡°I don¡¯t want it,¡± she mumbled as she nced at him shyly. ¡°Well, your loss.¡± The man who was now behind her sounded extremely confident. She sat down on the sofa with a flushed face, and she angrily red at him. ¡°Can you knock before you enter next time?¡± ¡°I thought you were giving Jared a bath. I apologize,¡± he uttered earnestly. He was in the wrong after all. She didn¡¯t want to delve into this matter anymore since it had already happened. Arguing about it would only add to her embarrassment. As someone who had given birth to a child, it didn¡¯t matter to her all that much anyway. ¡°Thank you for caring and protecting Jared and I all this time. I saw the news this afternoon that Lawrence has been arrested. Since we are safe now,¡± she spoke her mind, ¡°I have decided to bring Jared back to my home tomorrow.¡± Elliot¡¯s eyebrows furrowed at that. ¡°Everything has been fine during your stay here. Why must you move out?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t keep bothering you¡­ I¡ª¡± ¡°I like it when you do.¡± He cut her off mid-sentence, his deep eyes locked on her. She had wanted to properly bid him farewell, but when she heard him interrupt her, she blinked a few times and grumbled, ¡°Can you please not interrupt me?¡± ¡°Anastasia, let me ¡®buy¡¯ you. Name a price!¡± Sitting on the dark sofa, he looked like a noble, godly king. She started to feel like her farewell was steering more and more off its course because of him. Exasperated, she sighed, ¡°Elliot, can you let me finish?¡± ¡°Only if you promise to stay. I don¡¯t want to hear anything else.¡± He wanted to act stubborn despite knowing how she would still leave once she had set her mind to it. She ignored his words and continued, ¡°Thank you for housing Jared and I for so many da¡ª¡± ¡°How are you going to thank me?¡± he interrupted her again, rendering her speechless. What a rude guy! she fumed. Instead of answering him, she threw a question back at him. ¡°How do you want me to thank you?¡± ¡°You know what I want.¡± He tossed it back to her. Knowing that it was something she wouldn¡¯t agree to, she acted dumb and eximed, ¡°How would I know what you want?!¡± ¡°So those are just empty words when you said you wanted to thank me?¡± The man pretended to be upset. ¡°Ehem, of course I am sincere about it.¡± His eyes then shifted to gloomily stare at somewhere else. ¡°But you don¡¯t know what I want,¡± he mumbled. He looked like an abandoned child at this very moment. Chapter 297 Anastasia¡¯s heart softened, and she sighed, ¡°What do you want, then?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know what I want?¡± Elliot threw the question back to her again. It would be meaningless if he had to tell her step-by-step about wanting her to love him. Seeing that the conversation hade to a dead end, she suddenly thought of something before she stood up and said, ¡°Thank you for taking care of us all this while, President Presgrave. It iste. We should get some rest. Good night.¡± She was just about to walk past him when he, too, stood up from the sofa as he held her by the wrist. ¡°Please don¡¯t go. Don¡¯t take Jared away from me,¡± he pleaded. Upon hearing that, Anastasia stopped walking, her heart skipped a beat.. What is he talking about? she thought. Why is he talking like I am abandoning him by leaving? ¡°President Presgrave¡­ Please, let go of my hand.¡± She didn¡¯t have the courage to turn to look at him. ¡°Anastasia,¡± he called out. ¡°It is impolite to talk with your back facing others. Look me in the eyes and say it to my face.¡± After saying that, he turned her around by her shoulders and pinched her chin with his big palm as he forced her to look up. She raised her head and looked straight into the man¡¯s eyes. She noticed the anticipation and, surprisingly, a hint of fragility in his gaze. She could see her reflection between his long upper and lowershes. ¡°Elliot, stop it¡­¡± He could only let go of her in frustration. He had zero idea on how to keep her by his side. After she was released, she took a step back, turned around, and went back to her room. She could still feel the pressure of his intense stare on her. She still insisted on taking her son home tomorrow. She was going to return to work, and as for her son, she decided to enrol him in a private kindergarten with better security measures. Neither Anastasia nor the man in the master bedroom had a good sleep that night. She was in the midst of packing things the next morning when Elliot rapped his knuckles on the door beforeing in. As soon as she finished packing up, she turned to him and requested, ¡°I will have to trouble you to give us a ride.¡± ¡°It is about time Jared went to a different school,¡± he abruptly mentioned. ¡°I know. I will get in contact with a better school.¡± ¡°No need for that,¡± he immediately rejected her idea. ¡°I have already gotten Jared a spot in a prestigious kindergarten after contacting them. He can start going to school tomorrow onward.¡± ¡°Is it near to Bourgeois?¡± she asked. ¡°It is close.¡± ¡°That is great. How about the school fees?¡± She wasn¡¯t a wealthy woman, after all. His eyebrows shot up at that. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about this. I will handle his school fees.¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t have you do that. I will pay you,¡± she quickly answered him. She didn¡¯t want to owe him anything.Instead, he only unexpectedly said, ¡°Money talks hurt rtionships. He might be my son one day. It is my responsibility to raise him.¡± She speechlessly stayed in the room for a while. After she broke out of her reverie, she sat on the bed and immediately searched for all the prestigious kindergartens near Bourgeois. She only found one whose annual tuition fee was about 288,000 dors. She was slightly mind-blown when she saw the numbers. Why is this so expensive? she asked herself. It was no wonder he didn¡¯t want to tell her. He must have been worried that she couldn¡¯t afford it. But in fact, it wasn¡¯t an amount she could support with her meager sry. She continued to search for another kindergarten around the neighborhood again, but she could only sigh in frustration when she found a few public ones that had a lottery system. There was no way she would enroll Jared in these shady schools. At about 10:00PM, Elliot drove the mother-and-son duo home. They finally reached the area where Anastasia¡¯s house was after an hour of driving. It was only after she pushed open the door to her house that she instantly felt a lot more rxed. She turned to Elliot and said, ¡°President Presgrave, I won¡¯t be sending you off if you have work to attend to.¡± ¡°I am not busy,¡± he briefly replied before he sat down on the sofa and kept Jaredpany. Anastasia began to clean up then. She busily cleaned the room which was slightly bigger than 100 square meters, and soon the home looked like it was new. Just as she straightened her back, someone beside her handed a ss of water. She began drinking it with a smile on her face when she saw that it was her son who brought it. ¡°What a good boy my baby Jared is,¡± she cooed. ¡°Take a rest, Mommy!¡± ¡°Mommy isn¡¯t tired.¡± After she was done with the cleaning, she went to the supermarket downstairs to buy some food for the evening. It took her until the evening to be done with her grocery shopping, but Elliot was still there by the time she returned home. He seemed to have made himselffortable at some point. She personally cooked dinner at night, and Elliot only left after eating his share. Before he left, he informed her, ¡°I will be picking Jared up for school tomorrow.¡± Chapter 298 ¡°I still haven¡¯t thought about whether or not to send Jared to that school,¡± Anastasia replied. ¡°You don¡¯t have to think about it,¡± Elliot said. ¡°I have already decided for you.¡± He then left after closing the door behind him. She was thinking if she should just go ahead with the decision! She had gone through the teaching philosophy of that school, and it all seemed very good. She eventually fell asleep after debating over her dilemma the whole night. The next morning had already arrived by the time she opened her eyes. Elliot came and knocked on her door at 8:00PM sharp. She hadn¡¯t reallye up with an answer despite her sleepless night, and so Elliot took Jared by his hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I will take you to your new school.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it yet.¡± She pulled her son back. ¡°I have to think about it again. I will check out the other schools in the area today.¡± Elliot tugged on the little guy¡¯s other hand again. ¡°WOuldn¡¯t I have donated 5 million dors in vain if Jared doesn¡¯t go to school here?¡± ¡°What?¡± She could feel her brain short-circuit. ¡°You donated 5 millions?!¡± She couldn¡¯t believe that he actually made a donation just for his son to go to school! As she was still frozen in shock, Elliot brought Jared to the elevator. She hurriedly followed after them into the elevator, and her head was still a mess when she looked at him and questioned him. ¡°Did you really donate 5 million dors?¡± ¡°Mhm,¡± he answered casually while fixing his cufflinks. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you discuss it with me?¡± She was hysterical after hearing him confirm it. She couldn¡¯t believe how wilful Elliot was. ¡°I don¡¯t think any discussion is needed for this kind of trivial matter. I made the decision almost instantly.¡± The man¡¯s phoenix eyes narrowed slightly. Anastasia felt like a boulder was pressed against her chest that she couldn¡¯t breathe. The 5-million donation suddenly felt like her responsibility. No, she thought. I can¡¯t let his donation go to waste. She had found a private kindergarten about 20 minutes from her workce, and it had a yearly fee of one hundred thousand dors that she could still afford. Her attitude suddenly did a 180, and she shed a bright smile at him. ¡°I will take Jared to school in a while, then! Why don¡¯t you go back to thepany, President Presgrave? I will have to have a good conversation with the teacher after Jared has arrived at his new school!¡± Elliot had postponed a morning meeting just to send the young boy to school. He glumly replied, ¡°I will go with you.¡± ¡°No, no,¡± she immediately refused. ¡°Go ahead and get busy with your work.¡± He was about to say something when he got off the elevator when his phone began to ring. After he reached for his phone and epted the call, he spoke into it. ¡°Hey¡­ Okay. I wille over.¡± ¡°Alright, then. You can send Jared to Eden Kindergarten. Everything has been arranged. He can attend sses straightaway.¡± Anastasia was overjoyed when she saw that there was finally business that Elliot couldn¡¯t step away from, and she gleefully bid him farewell. ¡°Okay. Thank you for being so kind. Goodbye.¡± After she and her son watched Elliot¡¯s car drive off, she took her son by his hand and said, ¡°Jared, Mommy will take you to your new school. Let¡¯s go!¡± She then drove her son to the school she chose. Although it wasn¡¯t top-notch, it was not bad at all. She approved of the security measures, too. ALso, the school seemed to be extra safe as it was situated beside a police station. She was lucky that there just so happened to be a spot for Jared because of a child who dropped out. Even though Jared was a transfer student who joined ss halfway, he was not afraid to be in the new environment at all. It was already eleven 11AM by the time she went through all the admission procedures. Anastasia watched as her son was brought into ss by a teacher, and she waved at him. ¡°Jared, Mommy will pick you up this afternoon.¡± The young boy waved goodbye happily before he went off to see his new ssmates. Without missing a beat, Anastasia went to visit the top private kindergarten in the city center. The teacher had been waiting for Jared toe to handle the admission, but it was Anastasia who ended up appearing. Anastasia assumed the position as Elliot¡¯s assistant to find her way to the principal¡¯s office, where she started discussing the donation. She wasn¡¯t ashamed at all to ask for a refund since Jared didn¡¯t end up studying here. The principal was not happy about it at first, but as Anastasia kept insisting on the refund, the principal could only give her his signature with a sour face. It was only after an hour when Anastasia had gotten the bank card for the 5-million-dor refund that she could finally leave feeling relieved. Chapter 299 Anastasia had returned to Bourgeois after that. As she was having lunch with Felicia outside, thetter told her that Elliot hadn¡¯t been to Bourgeois ever since Anastasia had been on leave. She then teasingly added, ¡°It looks to me you are the only reason President Presgravees to thepany!¡± Anastasia¡¯s face immediately heated up. Felicia seemed to be someone who could see through everything. She also told Anastasia that a new designer hade over in the afternoon due to the expansion of the business. The person was a rather mysterious person whose gender Felicia didn¡¯t know, and seemed to have had an airborne arrival at thepany. ¡°For the designer to arrive in such a way, they definitely have some sort of rtionship with President Presgrave,¡± Felicia spected. Hearing that, Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but think to herself, Could it be a rtive of the Presgrave family? At 2:30PM, Anastasia went and greeted Lily, the assistant working in the general office. She reminded Lily to inform her as soon as Elliot reached thepany. She was sorting out thetest emails she had received when thendline rang, and she swiftly reached out to pick it up. ¡°Hi,¡± she greeted briefly, in which Lily¡¯s voice came from the other end of the call. ¡°Miss Tillman, President Presgrave has arrived.¡± ¡°Got it. Thank you.¡± After she hung up the call, she took out the bank card with 5 million dors from her bag. She couldn¡¯t wait to give it to Elliot so that she could feel more at ease. With the card in her hand, she walked in the direction of the elevator, where she then pressed the button to the eighth floor. She suddenly thought of what Felicia said about how Elliot had not been to Bourgeois this week. But he is here now, she mused. Could it be true that he is here because of me? She had never believed that she had the ability to make Elliot give up the luxurious and spacious office of Presgrave Group¡¯s headquarters, and transfer to a ce like Bourgeois. But it was for a fact that Elliot was here today. As she passed by Lily¡¯s office, she noticed that the assistant was not in her seat. She then walked directly to Elliot¡¯s office, and when she saw the door that was hidden from in sight, she was about to knock on it when she heard a coquettishughter from behind the door. ¡°I will definitely work hard and live up to your expectations, Elliot.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me,¡± Elliot said fondly in his deep voice. ¡°You can always ask for my help with work in the future.¡± ¡°Mhm! I know. I will try my best not to bother you. I am already very happy to be your subordinate.¡± The female voice was pleasant to listen to. For her to have such a sweet and melodious voice, she probably was a beauty as well. Is this the airborne designer that Felicia was talking about? She seems like she knows Elliot personally. Anastasia¡¯s hand froze mid-air as multiple thoughts began to swim through her mind. The woman suddenly sounded bashful as she spoke expectantly. ¡°Are you free tonight, Elliot? I want to treat you to a meal.¡± Anastasia had suspected that it might be one of the Presgraves¡¯ rtive¡¯s children, but when she heard her flirtatious tone, it was obvious that they were not rted by blood. The woman probably fancied the man, too. Elliot was a dreamboat, after all. He neither rejected nor agreed. ¡°Tonight? I will check if I have the time.¡± ¡°It is so amazing how you alone manage such a bigpany.¡± The woman¡¯s voice was full of admiration. Hearing that, Elliot let out a lowugh and replied, ¡°It can be tiring sometimes.¡± ¡°Which is why I want to buy you something good for dinner tonight and help you rx. Awwe on, just say yes!¡± The woman inside the office was half-seducing and half-pleading. Her soft voice seemed useful at making men listen to her. ¡°Miss Tillman, what are you doing?¡± Lily suddenly asked in an emotionless voice. Anastasia waspletely surprised by Lily¡¯s sudden appearance. She didn¡¯t even notice that her upper body was already leaning over. In that instant, she lost her bnce, and she abruptly mmed open the office door in front of her as she stumbled into Elliot¡¯s office. She panickedly raised her head, only to see Elliot sitting at the desk, and there was a young woman in a suit leaning over on his desk. She had her chin plopped in her palms as she put on a cute and kittenish appearance. Not brave enough to look at the man¡¯s face, Anastasia bowed her head and stammered as she apologized. ¡°So¡ªsorry to bother you. I didn¡¯t mean to interrupt. Please, continue with what you were doing¡­¡± Chapter 300 A look of displeasure shed across Aliona¡¯s face. Is she doing this on purpose? she fumed as she looked at Anastasia. She really knows how to pick the worst timing. Of all the time she could have come, she just had to choose to show up now. Elliot¡¯sflicted gaze fell on the woman who had just barged in, and he was instantly overjoyed. Was she eavesdropping from outside? After Anastasia had regained herposure, she began to exin in a serious manner. ¡°I apologize. I have just arrived. I wille backter if I have interrupted your conversation.¡± She was about to turn around and leave after saying that when a male voice called out from behind. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Elliot then turned to the woman at his table and said, ¡°Aliona, go and get familiarized with your office first.¡± Aliona¡¯s n to invite him to dinner immediately failed because of Anastasia¡¯s intervention. She pursed her lips and smiled as she replied, ¡°Got it, Elliot. I am off, then.¡± The two women looked at each other as Aliona walked past Anastasia. Despite feeling upset, Aliona managed to greet Anastasia politely. ¡°Hello,¡± she said. ¡°Hello,¡± Anastasia replied in an equally polite voice. As soon as the door behind her closed, she had no choice but to look up at the man sitting at the desk. However, when their eyes met, she lowered her head guiltily as she walked over to him. She then meekly put the bank card she had tightly held on to in front of him, ¡°I am returning this.¡± Eliot¡¯s gaze followed along, and when he saw the card, he slightly frowned as he asked, ¡°What is this?¡± She cleared her throat then. ¡°This is the 5-million donation I got back from Eden Kindergarten. Please take it!¡± Elliot¡¯s handsome face instantly fell. He couldn¡¯t believe that Anastasia would get a refund behind his back! ¡°Did you not send Jared to this school?¡± He stood up angrily, his big and tall frame towering over her. Startled, she took a guilty step back and quickly exined, ¡°I have my limitations. I can only give Jared the best education within my ability. I can¡¯t depend on your help.¡± He was so angry after hearing her words that his chest started to hurt. He reached out to fix the front of his top, and he let out a long breath. ¡°Where did you send him?¡± It somewhat seemed to her that he was the most agitated because her son could not receive the best education. She was still grateful for his concern over her son¡¯s well being, and so sheforted him. ¡°President Presgrave, I know that you like Jared, but you really don¡¯t have to worry. I sent him to another private school. It is also a pretty decent school. Please keep the card.¡± As she turned around to leave after saying her fill, she heard a cold huffing from behind. ¡°What did you hear just now?¡± Elliot questioned her. She stopped walking and shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything.¡± ¡°Her name is Aliona Dora. She is the daughter of my father¡¯s best friend. She will be your colleague from today onward,¡± he exined casually. Just as Anastasia had thought, she was the girl Felicia said was airborne here. Turning her head, she praised, ¡°Oh! Is that so? She is very beautiful!¡± She then looked at the man with thoughtful eyes. He noticed her odd gaze, and he let out a frown as he asked, ¡°What is it that you are trying to say?¡± ¡°Seems to me she likes you very much. She must have the intention to pursue you. You have to grab onto the opportunity, President Presgrave.¡± she jokingly replied. ¡°Be more confident. She is no prettier than you.¡± He rested both arms on the desk as he gazed at her with fiery eyes. She was stunned for a few seconds, and she started talking down about herself. ¡°How am I pretty? I am just normal. I can¡¯tpare to her.¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard the saying that love makes everything beautiful, and that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder? Even if you were to turn into a idiot some day, you would still be the most beautiful idiot in the world to me,¡± he teasingly scolded her. Enraged, she rolled her eyes at him. How dare he call me a idiot! He is the idiot, not me! ¡°I will go pick up Jared with you in the evening. I would also like to take a look at his new school.¡± The man had finally epted her arrangement. It wasn¡¯t the first time she had rejected his help, anyway. Rejecting him was a trait that made Anastasia who she was. He was already used to it. Elliot couldn¡¯t help but find it strange how all the women who approached him, Aliona who he met today included, would do everything possible to get his attention. Anastasia somehow was the only exception. Chapter 301-310 Chapter 301-310 Chapter 301 However, this was the exception that Elliot couldn¡¯t have no matter how much he wanted her¡­ After Anastasia came out of the office, she breathed a sigh of relief. She really didn¡¯t want to ept too much kindness from the man since she feared that she would not be able to repay him enough if she were to give herself up as coteral. In order not to get to that ce, she had to refuse wherever she could. As expected, the regr meeting held at 3:00PM that day was to introduce the airborne designer, Aliona Dora, to the rest of thepany. Despite Felicia making a formal introduction to the other workers, other than the male employees, the female ones were obviouslycking in enthusiasm as they weed her into the team. It was to be expected as beautiful women were naturally the enemies of other women. Furthermore, why would they be happy about having one morepetitor whose strength they didn¡¯t know? ¡°Hi, everyone! My name is Aliona Dora. I graduated from a design institute in Flor, and I specialize in jewelry design. I look forward to working together.¡± She herself did not expect the education she received from young would turn out to be one of her advantages in approaching Elliot. Alice was visibly more irritated now that there was another person who joined via personal connections when she wasn¡¯t even done dealing with Anastasia. Anastasia was also feeling the pressure. Bourgeois would soon be holding a grand jewelry show in the early spring of the new year and it was her chance to show her talents. She, too, wanted to have this opportunity to show what she was capable of. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s talk about the jewelry show in early spring,¡± Felicia continued. ¡°Since we have be one of the brands under QR, the jewelry show will be set up in the country. We must not miss this opportunity to show what we have in store during the show. Thepany will also provide utmost support to our designers to participate in thepetition.¡± She then added calmly, ¡°This is a show worth millions of dors. It depends solely on your potential to win the race and be the one on top. I wish all of you the best of luck. The deadline will be at the end of this month.¡± After the meeting ended, Anastasia was in the middle of clearing the desk when Aliona came to greet her in a surprisingly friendly tone. ¡°Hello, Miss Tillman. We met earlier in President Presgrave¡¯s office.¡± ¡°It was my fault for interrupting.¡± Anastasia smiled lightly. Aliona pressed her lips together and replied with a smile as well, ¡°No worries. We were done talking by then.¡± Anastasia thought that she shouldn¡¯t be too cold to the daughter of Elliot¡¯s father¡¯s friend, so she politely said, ¡°Since we are colleagues now, I look forward to working together with you.¡± However, as soon as Anastasia left, Aliona¡¯s eyes immediately darkened. She only came to the company with one purpose in mind: she was going to be Elliot¡¯s woman and marry him. She was fully prepared to sacrifice anything and everything else to achieve the purpose. She was even willing to sacrifice herself to Elliot, give birth to his child, and use the child to legally obtain the right to the inheritance. Riley had given her 2 years to get everything done. When the time came, Riley would get rid of Elliot and the entirety of the Presgrave Group would fall in the hands of Aliona and her child. Aliona was a child Riley had adopted from an orphanage. He had spent a lot of money to raise her. Not only did she learn all the advanced etiquette, she also graduated from a prestigious school and she was fluent in 4nguages. At the same time, in order to hide from the Presgrave Family¡¯s investigation, Riley had made her a member of the Dora Family, and had presented her as Lucas¡¯ illegitimate daughter to Elliot. Lucas was a close friend of Elliot¡¯s father and unfortunately had a weakness that Riley had gotten hold of. He was the puppet Riley was using through Aliona to take over Presgrave Group. Since she wanted to repay Riley for raising her, Aliona listened to his words as though they were absolute. Her mission in life was to help her adoptive father regain the Presgrave Group. And Anastasia was, undoubtedly, the biggest obstacle in herpletion of the task. She decided to first be good friends with Anastasia, and after she had gained her trust, Aliona would find an opportunity to let her disappear from Elliot¡¯s side. Anastasia was sitting in the office since Felicia had asked her to solely focus on the uing jewelry show. Thepany was also putting great importance in the developing haute couture. Not long after that, Grace pushed the door open from outside and she came in with a cup of coffee in her hand. ¡°Here, Anastasia. This is for you,¡± she said to Anastasia. A frown began to appear on Anastasia¡¯s face as she looked at the coffee before she asked, ¡°Who is this from?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you know? Miss Dora has gotten all of us coffee. The coffee beans are freshly ground!¡± Chapter 302 Knowing that this was amon thing for the newbies to do to start off on the right foot with their colleagues, Anastasia gave a small ¡®oh¡¯ before she unhesitantly took the coffee and drank it. ¡°Anastasia, everyone is saying that Miss Dora is the president¡¯s rtive. What do you think?¡± Grace came to her to pick up more gossip. To her disappointment, Anastasia only shook her head with augh. ¡°I am not sure about that.¡± Grace could only absent-mindedly blink as she mumbled, ¡°You don¡¯t know as well, huh?¡± Anastasia was not a busybody who would spread this kind of gossip. She wouldn¡¯t say a word even if Aliona was the daughter of Elliot¡¯s father¡¯s close friend. ¡°Stop your tittle-tattle and get back to work!¡± she urged Grace. Anastasia¡¯s female instinct was telling her that Aliona hade to Bourgeois for Elliot. Ah, she thought. Elliot has another suitor again. The man had so many admirers that whoever ended up marrying him would definitely live a married life being constantly worried. Even if he had never approached women, there were a ton that would throw themselves at him. It was at this moment when thendline in front of her started to ring. She then reached out to pick it up. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°I might not be able to pick up Jared with you this evening. I will go with you tomorrow.¡± He sounded apologetic as he informed her that in his low voice. Anastasia immediately knew that Elliot had a prior date tonight and he wouldn¡¯t be able to spend time to apany her in picking her son up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I understand that you are a busy man, President Presgrave. You don¡¯t have to worry about picking up Jared from now on,¡± she said politely. He teased her again in his maic voice. ¡°Are you angry?¡± I definitely am not angry, she thought as she responded, ¡°Why would I be? You think too much, President Presgrave.¡± The man still added another exnation. ¡°I have a dinner that I can¡¯t say no to tonight.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin yourself to me.¡± As soon as she finished saying that, she hung up the phone and left the office feeling slightly irritated. She went to the pantry to get herself a ss of lemon water, but just as she was about to look for a ce to sit, she heard someone entering from the door. Aliona had a leery old bird of an employee who also happened to be single sticking close to her side. ¡°Miss Dora,¡± the man pestered. ¡°Are you free tonight? Let¡¯s have dinner together.¡± She only turned with a polite smile as she rejected him. ¡°My apologies as I have a date tonight.¡± When he heard that, the man tried to speak in a roundabout manner to fish out more information. ¡°Oh, so you have a boyfriend, Miss Dora.¡± Her sharp gaze fell on Anastasia at that moment and she only smiled without giving a definite answer. ¡°I am really sorry! I have dinner with someone really important to me.¡± Anastasia automatically knew that she was talking about Elliot when she said that it was an important person. The male colleague somewhat awkwardlyughed as he left and when he did, Aliona poured herself a cup of tea before she sat across Anastasia. ¡°Anastasia,¡± she called out abruptly, ¡°we have actually met before.¡± ¡°Oh? When was it?¡± Anastasia tried her best to recall but to no avail. It was impossible for her not to have any recollection at all if she had met such a beautiful woman before. Alionaughed gently. ¡°It was during Old Madam Presgrave¡¯s birthday banquet. I also know about how you fell into the pool. I was there at the time. You really had me worried when you fell in!¡± Anastasia¡¯s face turned pink when she heard that. Aliona had probably seen Elliot giving her CPR those few times if she was present at the banquet. ¡°I must have looked silly,¡± Anastasia calmly replied. ¡°Anastasia, your rtionship with President Presgrave must be quite good! I can see that he worries about you,¡± Aliona probed. Even though she knew the truth behind Anastasia and Elliot¡¯s rtionship, she tried her best to pretend like she didn¡¯t. When Aliona said that, Anastasia immediately denied. ¡°No, no. Our rtionship is strictly professional. He is my boss and I am his subordinate. That is all.¡± She actually is denying having a personal rtionship with Elliot? Aliona¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Please take care of me since I am new here, Anastasia.¡± However, Anastasia unexpectedlyforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I am sure President Presgrave will take very good care of you.¡± Aliona¡¯s thoughts immediately went haywire at that. Does she not feel the least bit jealous? Isn¡¯t she supposed to really like Elliot? Did Father¡¯s resources give us the wrong information? Instead of continuing beating around the bush, she spoke bluntly, ¡°Anastasia, do you like President Presgrave?¡± Pfft! Anastasia choked on her ss of lemon water. After letting out a small cough to clear her throat, she nonchntly exined, ¡°We are merely a boss and his subordinate. Please don¡¯t misunderstand if you were to hear any rumor about this, Miss Dora. President Presgrave and I are innocent. There is nothing between us.¡± Chapter 303 Aliona was slightly caught off guard when Anastasia had denied it without even needing to give it a second thought and she couldn¡¯t help but wonder, Could it be that she really does not like Elliot? Does this mean she won¡¯t get in my way? ¡°I am sorry that I was being presumptuous,¡± Aliona hurriedly apologized. ¡°It is fine.¡± Anastasia smiled with pursed lips as she picked up her teacup. ¡°I will be heading back to the office then.¡± Aliona¡¯s gaze seemed to darken as soon as Anastasia left the pantry. She wondered whether the reason Anastasia denied having a rtionship with Elliot was because she was being careful or if she really didn¡¯t like the man. Anyhow, no one could disrupt her n. She admitted that Anastasia was a gorgeous woman, but Aliona was confident that she would be able to win over Elliot. She was going to look her best during dinner tonight with Lucas and Elliot. Anastasia had just returned to the office when thendline began to ring again. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Picking up the call, she spoke into the phone. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Come up for a bit,¡± Elliot¡¯s voice came through the other end of the call. ¡°It is almost time for me to get off from work.¡± ¡°It is about work.¡± And of course, Anastasia wouldn¡¯t possibly believe him. ¡°Let¡¯s talk tomorrow.¡± ¡°Anastasia Tillman, can you please show your boss a little respect?¡± he grumpily huffed in reply. However, she really didn¡¯t want to see him, so she insisted, ¡°President Presgrave, just say what you want on the phone.¡± He stubbornly insisted, ¡°We will talk in my office.¡± Anastasia already had a feeling that he wasn¡¯t going to talk about work, so naturally, she wouldn¡¯t fall into his trap. ¡°Forget it then.¡± She hung up the call after throwing that out. The look on the big boss¡¯ face in the president¡¯s office immediately fell when the call was dropped. His tall and lean figure swiftly stood up before he started taking big strides out of the office. Anastasia was editing a few old drafts in her office when she clumsily dropped the documents in her hands. Then, she sucked a deep breath before she squatted down. At this moment, she heard the sound of someone opening the office door. Thinking that it was Grace, she spoke from under the table. ¡°Grace, help me to pick up these documents.¡± The person who had juste in didn¡¯t say anything in return and only reached down to help Anastasia with her request. It was only when Anastasia crawled out from under the desk that she had the surprise of her life. Instead of Grace, it was Elliot standing there with some documents in his hands. There was a sour expression on his face as he tossed the papers on her desk. ¡°Do you think this kind of sloppy work is eptable?¡± Anastasia knew that she probably deserved the scolding because she hadn¡¯t been in her best condition during work today. Like a dead mouse that felt no cold, she fearlessly challenged him, ¡°Go ahead and cut my sry then!¡± ¡°You want a deduction on your meager sry? Do you n on feeding Jared air?¡± He let out an annoyed puff. Her eyebrows wiggled as she let out a brightugh. ¡°Then, maybe you should give me a raise!¡± ¡°You want a raise with the kind of attitude you are giving me?¡± Elliot was already being nice by not cutting her sry. Suddenly realizing that he hade all the way to her office, Anastasia looked at him solemnly and asked, ¡°Do you need me for something, President Presgrave?¡± ¡°Aliona¡¯s father has invited me for dinner. He seldom asks me out and he is my senior. I can¡¯t reject him,¡± he started exining without leaving out a single detail. Anastasia froze for a moment with the only moving thing being her blinking eyelids. She couldn¡¯t really process the words she was hearing. Is this what he meant when he said he has something important to talk to me about? Why does he need to report this kind of thing to me? It is not like I am his wife! ¡°No need for that. Please go ahead with your busy schedule, President Presgrave.¡± She was staring at him with serious eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t have to go out of your way to worry about Jared and me in the future.¡± Elliot really didn¡¯t have to tell her. It was not like she would have minded, anyway. ¡°Umm¡­ You don¡¯t have to tell me things like who you are having a meal with¡­¡± She let out an awkward smile as she pressed her lips together into a tight line. ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to misunderstand.¡± His dark gaze was locked onto hers. When Anastasia heard that, she smilingly replied, ¡°What is there for me to misunderstand? To be honest, President Presgrave, I think you and Miss Dora look like you would suit each other. You can definitely consider her if you are in a hurry to marry someone.¡± She continued to ramble on in a serious manner when he didn¡¯t answer her. ¡°Miss Dora is both beautiful and capable. She has a good background, and on top of that, she is your father¡¯s best friend¡¯s daughter! You would know her in and out. I honestly think that you can try dating her.¡± Chapter 304 Elliot¡¯s eyes gradually turned dark as he listened to Anastasia generously sending him off to another woman. With his arms crossed, he stared at her and asked, ¡°Come again?¡± She immediately lost her fighting spirit and began stammering, ¡°I am only doing this for your own good! You need a woman, and coincidentally, Miss Dora fancies you¡ª¡± ¡°I do need a woman,¡± he unhurriedly interrupted, ¡°but you are the only woman I want.¡± He then slowly approached her and eventually came to a stop in front of her. ¡°Hurry up and give yourself to me if you really care about me.¡± Anastasia unconsciously tensed up and she only let out an embarrassedugh as she told him, ¡°I hope you have a good time tonight.¡± However, he still looked rather unhappy. As Elliot turned around to leave, he casually threw these words out: ¡°I wille and look for youter¡±. ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to¡ª¡± She was just about to rebuke when he went out and had closed the door behind him. She went to sit down in her chair. She was already not in the mood to work in the first ce, but her head was not an absolute mess after her conversation with Elliot. Right at this moment, her phone rang and she picked up the call after seeing that it was from Francis. ¡°Hello, Dad.¡± ¡°Do you have time tonight, Anastasia?¡± ¡°Yes! Is something the matter, Dad?¡± ¡°I want you to have dinner with Alex tonight. He has something to tell you about thepany. You can leave little Jared with me.¡± ¡°Dad, did something happen to thepany?¡± a worried Anastasia asked. ¡°Nothing is wrong. It is a date, then. Alex has booked a table at a restaurant. I will go to your ce and keep Jaredpany tonight.¡± Confused by the vague answer, she was about to say something again, but the call had already been hung up at the other end. She knew that her father had the intention to match her and Alex together. But isn¡¯t it more awkward the harder we try to force it? she thought with a sigh. Anastasia received another call from Francis around 6.00PM when he informed that he was waiting to pick Jared up at the end of a street. When she saw him, she stopped her car and brought her son to her father. Alex¡¯s car was parked nearby. After Anastasia had safely passed her son to his grandfather, Francis reassured her, ¡°Leave Jared to me. You young guns can go ahead!¡± ¡°Dad, why don¡¯t we go together?¡± ¡°I want to spend some alone time with Jared. You both can go now! Let Alex talk to you about the company while you two have your dinner.¡± Alex opened the door to the passenger seat and he invited her with a smile, ¡°Miss Tillman, please hop on!¡± Having no choice but to ept the arrangement, she said to Francis, ¡°Dad, you can just find a ce to have something to eat with Jared!¡± ¡°Okay, I got it.¡± The older man waved her off. She started feeling somewhat self-conscious as she and Alex sat in the quiet car parked at the end of the street. ¡°Mr. Hunter,¡± she started. ¡°Thank you for helping my father all this time.¡± ¡°Oh no, I am grateful that President Tillman recognizes and acknowledges my ability. That is why he lets me handle thepany¡¯s businesses.¡± Alex¡¯s eyes were filled with anticipation and happiness. It seemed to be his and Anastasia¡¯s first time spending time alone together. He had booked a table at an extremely romantic restaurant. Anastasia ced a few orders and Alex added a few others on top of that afterward. He noted how wlessly beautiful she looked under the restaurant lights. She had a subtle kind of beauty that made herfortable to look at. His heart was pounding in his chest as he ate with her. He seemed to have fallen in love with her at first sight. The only problem that stopped Alex from confessing his feelings was the difference in their statuses. Still, he couldn¡¯t hide the fiery emotions in his gaze as he looked at Anastasia. ¡°Miss Tillman, President Tillman has informed me that he wants to pass thepany to you. You can ask me anything about thepany if you need help understanding. I will go into detail about it with you.¡± ¡°Dad is a healthy man. It still isn¡¯t time for me to take over thepany. We don¡¯t have to rush into this.¡± s, she still didn¡¯t have the confidence to handle her father¡¯spany. ¡°Miss Tillman, President Tillman hasn¡¯t been in his best condition ever since his hospitalization that time. I think he has hopes for you to start preparing to take over thepany.¡± Anastasia immediately became worried when she heard his words. ¡°Is that so? How has my father been?¡± ¡°The president has been to the hospital a few times these days. He has beenining about a difort in his chest that makes him feel stuffy. The doctor has also told him to take it easy, Miss Tillman,¡± Alex answered before he sighed. ¡°Your father really needs you.¡± Chapter 305 Anastasia started ming herself at that point. ¡°It is my fault for neglecting Dad¡¯s health. Mr. Hunter, you have to let me know firsthand if something were to happen to my father.¡± ¡°President Tillman didn¡¯t let me tell you because he didn¡¯t want you to worry.¡± Alex had a hopeful glint in his eyes. ¡°Miss Tillman, please be ready to take over thepany within these 2 years!¡± She was immediately mmed with an overwhelming pressure after hearing his words. Taking over and managing her father¡¯spany was something way out of her ability. Alex¡¯s passionate gaze continued to stay on her. ¡°I will do my best to assist you, though.¡± Then, he proceeded to tell her about the agenda of some of thepany¡¯s events and she made sure to listen to his every word. There were a lot of things she didn¡¯tprehend, but he patiently exined through it all and she also tried to understand it all with an open mind. After the dinner, Alex walked beside her as they left the establishment. She was in a rush to return to her son and father. At this moment, her ringtone started going off. She could feel her heart skip a beat when she saw that it was a call from Elliot. ¡°Hello, President Presgrave. What is wrong?¡± she asked in a calm voice. He didn¡¯t answer her and instead threw her an abrupt question. ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°I am at¡ª¡± ¡°Watch out, Anastasia.¡± Alex suddenly called out as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder to move her away from a swerving car. She turned to look at him with grateful eyes, but the voice from the phone soon rang out again. ¡°Who was the one talking next to you?¡± As she wanted to pay full attention to her surroundings as she was walking on the road, she quickly answered, ¡°I am hanging up, President Presgrave. I am going home now.¡± There was a hint of jealousy in Alex¡¯s eyes as he walked alongside Anastasia. In fact, he had intentionally made himself known to Elliot by speaking during the phone call. He wanted to sabotage the rtionship that Anastasia and Elliot had between them. At the same time, there was a handsome man standing in the corridor outside the private dining room of a high-end restaurant. He wore a gloomy expression as he stared at his phone. She must be on a date with a man, he thought in disappointment. Then, Elliot went back into the dining room and apologized to the father and daughter, ¡°Mr. Dora, Miss Dora, I am afraid I have to leave now to attend to an emergency. Let¡¯s have a meal together some other time.¡± ¡°Elliot, are you not going to stay any longer?¡± Lucas nced at him guiltily. ¡°No, Mr. Dora. We will talk next time.¡± After saying that, Elliot took the suit he had taken off, gave them a polite nod and eventually left. Aliona had a sexy silver evening gown on, but despite how beautiful and ssy she looked, she noticed that Elliot¡¯s gaze had only fallen on her a number of times throughout the dinner. She couldn¡¯t believe that this was all she received from him even with her level of charm. ¡°Could it be that he has seen through my cover?¡± She suddenly turned to look at Lucas. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you betrayed Riley, Mr. Dora?¡± A surprised Lucas quickly shook his head and sputtered, ¡°How would I dare to betray him when my son¡¯s life is in his hands?¡± Of course, she knew what it was about Lucas that Riley had a hold on. Lucas had a son who murdered someone abroad and the CCTV recording of the crime had somehow gotten into Riley¡¯s hands. There was no way Lucas would have the guts to betray Riley. Aliona then raised her ss, and with a smile, she said, ¡°I will be needing you to y matchmaker from now on, Mr. Dora.¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with me whether or not you manage to take down Elliot and Presgrave Group. I don¡¯t want to get involved in a fight with the Presgraves. I only want my son toe back to me safely.¡± The ss in Lucas¡¯ hand was shaking as he spoke. He was now treading a tightrope, and he was not the one determining if he would stay on or fall. He didn¡¯t wish for anything bad to happen to the Presgraves, but in the end, his son¡¯s life was what mattered most to him. She swiftly pressed a button on her phone, and she pressed it to her ear. ¡°Are you tailing him?¡± ¡°Miss Aliona, we are right behind.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but wonder what made Elliot suddenly decide to leave. Anastasia was sitting in Alex¡¯s car now as he drove her home. What she hadn¡¯t realized was that there was a car heading in the same direction as her. Elliot was in the backseat of his car as he loosened his necktie in an annoyed manner and barked at Rey driving the car, ¡°Go faster.¡± Rey obediently floored the gas and he started to worry whether something had happened to Anastasia. He stopped the car at the end of the street at her residential area, but Elliot only continued to sit in the car with an unreadable expression on his face. He seemed to be waiting for something to happen. Alex¡¯s car finally arrived at the same ce after a few minutes. He even came out of the car to open the car door for Anastasia, who in turn, gave him a grateful smile. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Hunter.¡± Chapter 306 ¡°Keep in touch, Miss Tillman. I will report to you about President Tillman¡¯s condition whenever I can.¡± ¡°Alright. Thank you, Mr. Hunter,¡± Anastasia said with a smile. ¡°I will have to trouble you with this.¡± Alex then locked his car and offered, ¡°Let me send you upstairs. I can also bring the president home from there as well.¡± She didn¡¯t have a reason to reject, so she and Alex started walking side by side to the entrance of the street. They looked good together as they walked the street illuminated by the streetlights. Anastasia had not realized from the start till the end that there was a pair of eyes watching them from a ck sedan parked aside and how it happened. Rey nced at Elliot through the rearview mirror and asked, ¡°Are you not getting out of the car, President Presgrave?¡± He didn¡¯t know what his employer was waiting for. Elliot squinted with eyes that seemed to be covered by ayer of ice. So, this is why she was sending me off to another woman so generously, he fumed. It turned out that she already had her eyes on another man and he was none other than the capable financial manager who worked for Francis. Francis had always been training Alex to be the one assisting Anastasia to inherit thepany. Apart from that, Francis had actually intended to have Alex marry into the Tillman Family. So, has she epted her father¡¯s arrangement? She would rather throw me aside and get together with Alex? Elliot¡¯s thoughts were so tiring that he had to shut his eyes. It was the first time where he had felt this kind of mental exhaustion and instead of it being about work, his mental strain was caused by his inability to have the woman he loved. Am I still not doing enough? he sighed. By the time Alex and Anastasia went up, Francis was at home like they had expected him to be. He had a relieved look on his face when he saw the two of theming back from the date. I will have to create more chances to get them together. 1 year should be enough before they get married. I can finally retire by then. This was the first time Alex had visited Anastasia¡¯s abode. As he took in thefortable environment, he couldn¡¯t help but think how beautiful life would be if he were to marry her. ¡°Alright now, Alex. We should leave. Jared has to go to school tomorrow!¡± Francis didn¡¯t want to further disturb his daughter¡¯ rest. When she heard that, Anastasia quickly reminded Alex, ¡°Mr. Hunter, please drive Dad home safely. Don¡¯t speed through traffic.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Tillman. Please don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Francis suddenly joined the conversation. ¡°What is this ¡®Miss Tillman¡¯ nonsense? Don¡¯t be a stranger, Alex. Just call her Anastasia!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Alex smiled. ¡°I will start calling you Anastasia then.¡± ¡°Sure thing!¡± she replied in an easygoing manner. She could finally let out a relieved breath after Francis and Alex left her ce. Little Jared, who was behind her, had his cheeks puffed out as he grumbled, ¡°Mommy, why did Grandpa ask you to go on a date with Uncle Alex? Don¡¯t you want Mr. Presgrave anymore?¡± Anastasia stayed quiet for a while before exining to the child, ¡°It wasn¡¯t a date. We only went out to talk about Grandpa¡¯spany.¡± ¡°Mr. Presgrave will get angry if he knows! I am sure he doesn¡¯t like it when you eat with the other misters other than him.¡± She immediately put a finger on Jared¡¯s lips. ¡°Jared, you can¡¯t tell him, okay? Mr. Presgrave is a busy man. We shouldn¡¯t disturb him.¡± ¡°Then, does Mommy like Uncle Alex or Mr. Presgrave?¡± ¡°I only like you,¡± she answered in a singsong manner as she rubbed his fluffy head. Her doorbell made a sound right this moment. Thinking that her father had left something behind, she unhesitantly reached out to open the door. Unexpectedly, it was Elliot standing there with fury exuding out of him. Her eyes went round as she wondered why he hade. ¡°You¡­ Why are you here?¡± Anastasia asked, in which he mockingly answered, ¡°Alex Hunter cane and I can¡¯t?¡± She was even more surprised as she wondered how he knew that Alex had dropped by. Did he bump into Dad and Alex when he came up?¡± ¡°Mr. Presgrave, you are here!¡± A soft voice called out in surprise. Jared had always weed Elliot¡¯s presence. His rage disappeared in that instant when he heard his name being called and with an equally gentle demeanor, he carried Jared in his arms and caressed the crown of the boy¡¯s head. ¡°Did you miss me?¡± he asked. ¡°I did.¡± ¡°How was your new school? We can change schools if you don¡¯t like it.¡± Chapter 307 ¡°I really like it!¡± Jared answered. Why isn¡¯t he at home resting? Anastasia quietly asked herself after seeing that it was already 9:40PM. I wonder why he came here. Trying her best not to sound like she was chasing him off, she started, ¡°It iste, President Presgrave. I need to give Jared a shower and he has to go to school tomorrow. You should go home and rest.¡± She could tell that Elliot wasn¡¯t having the best of mood today, and she knew better than to get on his nerves at a time like this. ¡°Jared, go take your bath. I will y with you when you are done.¡± Then, he lowered the child back onto the floor and he went to take a seat on the couch. Anastasia had no choice but to leave Elliot alone as she brought Jared to the bathroom. After the boy was all clean, he ran to the sofa again to y with the Rubik¡¯s Cube with Elliot. Seeing that Elliot was keeping her son upied, she went on to do some house chores until 10:00PM, which was the time that Jared had to go to bed. ¡°Jared, it is bedtime,¡± she urged. ¡°But I still want to y.¡± ¡°I will keep youpany until you fall asleep.¡± Instead, it was Elliot who spoke up as he carried the boy wearing the cartoon-printed pyjamas into the bedroom. Anastasia was slightly stunned by his actions. Why is he sticking around and not going back to his own house? At the same time, the people sitting in a car outside the building were reporting Elliot¡¯s whereabouts to Aliona. She knew that it was Anastasia¡¯s residential area as soon as she heard the name of the street. Was she the reason Elliot left the dinner? Did she call him away on purpose? Why is she saying she doesn¡¯t like him on one hand and sabotaging my date on another? Aliona was currently sitting in her condominium, her gaze painfully cold as the questions filled her mind. Anastasia is suicidal, isn¡¯t she? Anyone who gets in the way of Father¡¯s ns shall die. It was 10:10PM when an exhausted Anastasia, who had done most of the chores, sat on the sofa with a ss of water in her hand. She couldn¡¯t help but open her son¡¯s door where she saw that Jared was already asleep under the dim light. Elliot made a soft hushing voice to tell her to keep her voice down before he slowly got up and walked out of the room. Anastasia stepped back to make way to him, and it was at this moment she received a text message on her phone. Startled, she took a look at it, only to see that it was a message from Alex. ¡®Anastasia, your dad is back home safely.¡¯ ¡®Thank you, Mr. Hunter.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t call me that. You can just call me Alex!¡¯ Seeing the message, she politely replied to him with a short ¡®okay¡¯. She was extremely polite with Alex because she knew she would be relying on him a lot regarding matters of thepany takeover. Elliot suddenly snatched her phone out of her hand. Coincidentally, Alex sent another message over. As Elliot¡¯s icy gaze darted through the content of the new message, his expression immediately froze. ¡®Anastasia, I had a good time tonight. Thank you for giving me an amazing night.¡¯ An amazing night? What did she do to make him feel so ¡°amazing¡±? Anastasia¡¯s eyebrows immediately furrowed and she hurriedly said, ¡°Give me my phone.¡± The man who had easily physically overpowered her narrowed his eyes at her and questioned, ¡°What were you doing with Alex?¡± ¡°We had dinner!¡± She was baffled after hearing his question. What else could they have possibly done together, if not having a meal together? As Elliot still did not trust her words, he asked, ¡°Only that?¡± The text message seemed to have an underlying meaning to it. ¡°Elliot, stop messing around, and give me back my phone.¡± Anastasia didn¡¯t want anyone to see her private messages. A message suddenly came again. ¡®Goodnight, Anastasia. Sweet dreams. I will see you next time.¡± He read the new message too and his thin lips curled up as he asked, ¡°How did you get so intimate in just one night?¡± ¡°Give me my phone.¡± Anastasia was serious now as she looked at him with unnerving eyes. ¡°If you want it,¡± Elliot raised the phone above his head and retorted, e and get it.¡± She knew better than to fall for a measly trick that men often used to fool women. ¡°Never mind, then. When are you nning to leave?¡± ¡°I am not leaving tonight. I am staying overnight here,¡± he haughtily dered with his arms crossed. Anastasia was finally exasperated after hearing his words and she spat, ¡°I don¡¯t have a bed for you.¡± Chapter 308 ¡°I am fine with sleeping on the floor or the couch.¡± Elliot insisted on staying no matter what since his mood today was terrible. Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but re at him. ¡°Elliot Presgrave, there is a limit to being so shameless.¡± ¡°I will stop if you tell me what you and Alex did.¡± He threw his suspicion at her again. He guessed that they had kissed, and he imagined how happy all the men who had kissed her must have felt when they had a taste of her soft and sweet lips. Did she really kiss Alex? As though he had his belongings stolen from him, he started to feel miserable as he thought about it. She marched to the front door before she turned to him and insisted, ¡°Please go home!¡± The man started striding toward her and she was about to heave a relieved sigh as she saw him making his way outside when he suddenly reached out with his long arm to turn off the light switch on the wall. With a click, the brightly lit living room went dark in an instant. The sudden dimming of the room made it difficult for her eyes to adjust. She let out a small yelp, but the next second, she was being pushed against the wall before a domineering kiss was pressed against her lips. Everything had happened so fast that Anastasia could only suck a breath in just as the man took the chance to thrust his muscle into her hot cavern. Everything went out of control from that point on. It frustrated her that she always seemed to fall for the traps Elliot hadid out. There seemed to always be a miscalction on her part. She tried to pry him off her, but it was all futile when she was going against the man who was physically stronger than her. As if he had been starved of her sweetness for a few centuries, he kept nibbling and biting her, leaving herpletely defenseless against him. She started pleading in a weak voice, ¡°Elliot¡­ Let go of me¡­ Wait¡­¡± He held her forehead in ce and gasped in betweenbored breaths, ¡°I can¡¯t wait anymore. You are the one who is making me do this, Anastasia.¡± Anastasia¡¯s own breathing had fallen out of pace as well and she pushed him away from her in anger. ¡°You better stop,¡± she warned. ¡°Tell me something.¡± Elliot¡¯s aura made the air thick with pressure as he forced her to answer him. ¡°Has Alex ever kissed you?¡± ¡°Kiss, my foot! We only had dinner together.¡± She was still simmering with anger. ¡°How will you exin his messages, though?¡± Elliot recited the texts he had memorized at a nce. ¡°What is this about a good time and you giving him an amazing night?¡± Speaking to the stubborn man might have caused a vein in her head to erupt then. ¡°We only ate food together.¡± ¡°So, you guys haven¡¯t kissed?¡± It suddenly felt a lot less suffocating for him then. Anastasia forcefully pushed him away. On top of the room being dimly lit, the pheromonesing off from him were making her head spin as she began to imagine things. ¡°Do you think I am as easy as you are?¡± She snappishly turned the lights back on. At that instant, all she saw was the blinding lights and his fervent, clear gaze on her. He looked like a beast that was ready to devour her. ¡°I am only easy toward you,¡± he said in a firm tone. She was feeling so warm that she started breaking out in sweat and she quickly shoved him another time. ¡°Quickly go home.¡± Not wanting to bother herself with him any longer, she left to get herself a ss of water. Elliot¡¯s voice suddenly rang out again. ¡°I know that your father is trying to make the math out of you two. If a son-inw is what your father wants, he should also consider me.¡± When Anastasia heard that, she whipped her head in his direction and asked in surprise, ¡°What did you say?¡± He looked her in the eyes and told her in all earnesty, ¡°I am willing to marry into the Tillman Family.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but do a doubletake on his handsome face when she heard his words. ¡°Did you hit your head on a door or something?¡± ¡°I am serious about it,¡± he answered with a frown. ¡°No, that won¡¯t do,¡± she immediately rejected. ¡°You are too noble and rich. My dad won¡¯t allow you to change yourst name. You better get that thought out of your head.¡± Anastasia felt somewhat heartbroken that a man like Elliot was suggesting something that didn¡¯t match his status. ¡°I have to be the one to marry into the Tillmans. No other man should stand a chance,¡± he dered and left no room for negotiation. He wanted her more than anything. All the other men can piss off, he thought. She had to swallow the lump in her throat as she looked at herself from head to toe. She really couldn¡¯t understand what it was about her that made the man speak such insane words. I didn¡¯t put a curse on him, did I? I am sure I didn¡¯t cast a spell on him either! Why does he want me so badly?! Chapter 309 As she truly felt like she didn¡¯t deserve Elliot, Anastasia croaked, ¡°Elliot, you don¡¯t have to lower yourself like this. You deserve a better woman in your life. Take Miss Dora for example.¡± ¡°And let you and Alex be together? Do you think that I am not half as qualified as he is to be a member of the Tillmans?¡± he argued. He was really going to get angry if she kept pushing him to another woman. She was stiff with surprise when she heard the question. Since when did marrying into the woman¡¯s family be such a sought-after matter? she thought. ¡°Why don¡¯t you head back first, Elliot? It iste and you have to go to work tomorrow!¡± Anastasia really didn¡¯t want to stay with him a second longer. When she noticed that he was not moving from his position, she could only approach Elliot and give him a push on his firm chest to start chasing him off. ¡°Shoo. Shoo.¡± He looked down at the soft hands on his chest and he pouted as he hummed. ¡°Don¡¯t even think of sending me away without giving me a good night kiss.¡± Anastasia¡¯s blood seemed to rush to her head then and she kissed him on his cheek. ¡°Off you go!¡± ¡°Lips,¡± the man curtly demanded. In order to get Elliot to leave, she tiptoed and gently pecked him on his thin lips. ¡°Are we done?¡± With that, the man finally turned around and left through the door. It was like she had finally ended the war and breathed a sigh of relief as soon as she closed the door. She thought about it, and she didn¡¯t understand what gave him the right to threaten him like this. After Elliot returned to his car, he asked Rey with a depressed expression, ¡°Rey, have you ever sessfully pursued a woman? Care to share your experience with me?¡± The assistant only turned his head in shame and muttered, ¡°President Presgrave, I have never had a girlfriend.¡± Elliot halted for a few seconds after hearing his words and when he eventually spoke again, he asked, ¡°You probably are too busy from the work that I have given you. Do you want to take a vacation?¡± ¡°There is no need for that, President Presgrave. I like doing my job.¡± Rey was used to this kind of work intensity. Ever since he became Elliot¡¯s executive assistant, he had enjoyed the sense of achievement from doing his work. Elliot eventually gave up on the conversation. As he looked at the neon lights outside the window, his mind was filled with Anastasia¡¯s stubborn face. It annoyed him how their rtionship had remained stagnant for a long time. ¡°President Presgrave, are you troubled by your rtionship with Miss Tillman? I have a suggestion. Maybe you can hear me out,¡± Rey suggested. ¡°Let me hear about it.¡± This was the exact problem that Elliot was worried about. Pursuing women was never something he was good at. In fact, he was never interested in women until he met Anastasia. ¡°President Presgrave, you have to also pay attention to your methods and strategies in pursuing women. For example, you have to take a step back in order to advance. You should give Miss Tillman some space in order for her to know what her heart wants.¡± Although Rey had no experience in love whatsoever, he still knew a way or two to a woman¡¯s heart. Now that he found Rey¡¯s words interesting, Elliot gave it some thought. He suddenly let out an evil smile as his mood improved since he knew exactly what to do now. Alex had just left Tillman Residence and had only been on the road for a while when his phone started to ring. The caller ID showed Naomi¡¯s name, of whom he had saved in his phone before. ¡°Hello, Mrs. Tillman.¡± He picked up the call without missing a beat. She went straight to the point as soon as he picked up. ¡°Alex! Can I trouble you with something? Erica is wasted in a bar. Please bring her back home for me.¡± ¡°What? Miss Erica is drunk in a bar? That is not safe for her!¡± Alex immediately became concerned about her. ¡°Exactly! I am so worried about her! Is it inconvenient for you to pick her up?¡± ¡°No problem at all.¡± The man then asked, ¡°Which bar is she at?¡± ¡°I will send you the location. Her friend has just sent it to me.¡± ¡°Alright. Rest assured, I will bring Miss Erica home.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you!¡± Naomi then hung up the call. Alex received a text with the location of the bar after a while and he made haste to the establishment. Erica, who was sitting in her car outside the bar, was listening to her mother talk on the phone. She was extremely against her mother¡¯s ns for her. ¡°Mom, do I really have to seduce Alex? He isn¡¯t even on my level!¡± ¡°Erica, listen to me. You have to get Alex back from Anastasia. Or else, you and I won¡¯t even be a part of your father¡¯spany.¡± Chapter 310 ¡°Even if we get him on our side, what advantage can we have?¡± After all, Erica had not yet mastered the art of nning ahead at such a young age. ¡°Of course, having Alex in our hands is preferable to him assisting Anastasia. Since he¡¯sing over to look for you now, you should use this chance to pull him over. He will be our best chance to seize your father¡¯spany¡¯s shares.¡± Biting her lips, Erica reluctantly replied, ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll make do with it.¡± Half an hourter, after receiving Alex¡¯s call, she pretended to be drunk and walked out in a drunken stupor. When she arrived at the bar¡¯s entrance, she pretended to trip and immediately fell into Alex¡¯s embrace, her hands hugging him at the same time. ¡°Mr. Hunter, thank you for picking me up! I¡¯m feeling so dizzy!¡± ¡°Are you all right, Miss Erica?¡± he asked as he assisted her to her feet. Despite this, he absolutely had no other intentions on her. After all, Anastasia was the woman he liked as well as the one who would eventually take over Tillman Constructions. Erica sensed that he did not take any advantage of her in any way and she was dissatisfied. Am I not attractive enough? ¡°Can you send me to the nearest hotel, Mr. Hunter?¡± ¡°Miss Erica, I¡¯ll send you home.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not going home. I¡¯ve already reserved a hotel room. Please send me there!¡± She decided to win him over tonight. With that, Alex was left with no choice but to send her to the nearest hotel. Right after they entered the room, she again took the initiative to hug him, iming to be dizzy. ¡°Miss Erica, please don¡¯t behave in such a way.¡± The ambitious Alex was clear as to what he wanted and hence, he would not lose control here. Furthermore, he already had Anastasia in his heart and Erica wasn¡¯t attractive to him at all. ¡°Why, Mr. Hunter? Am I not pretty to you? Don¡¯t you like me?¡± Erica said as her eyes squinted while her hands were around his waist. Her gaze was of a seductive one. ¡°I apologize, Miss Erica. I already have someone in my heart.¡± He pushed her away calmly, not wanting to offend her, but did not want to get too close to her either. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± she asked, pouting her red lips and staring at him through blurry eyes. At the same time, she tried to lean in closer. Alex answered right away, ¡°Your sister, Anastasia.¡± That immediately snapped Erica out of her drunken state. Her eyes filled with resentment as she snorted . With eyes filled with resentment, she snorted. ¡°You like her? In which way is she better than me?¡± Alex grabbed such an opportunity to free himself from Erica¡¯s grasp. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Have a good rest, Miss Erica.¡± Right after he finished his words, he opened the door and left. ¡°Mr. Hunter¡­¡± Erica panicked and yelled, but he ignored her and left without hesitation. Seeing that, she slumped onto the sofa in frustration. She had assumed that Alex would be easy to win over, but it turned out that he had already been captivated by Anastasia. Then, Erica called her mother and told her what had just happened. Of course, Naomi would not reprimand Erica for being useless and instead told her that Anastasia was far more cunning than them, and that Anastasia had already bought over everyone around Francis. Despite this, she refused to let Erica give up. If things really reached the point where Anastasia was going to take over thepany, Naomi would undoubtedly use her own means to seize it. She would not allow Anastasia or Anastasia¡¯s son to gain such an advantage. At night, while Jared was asleep, Anastasia sat in front of her desk in front of her bed and huddled under her coat to draw her design sketch. It was absolute silence outside the window with an immense sense of impending winter. On the other hand, in the silent cold night, her thoughts raced with all sorts of ideas and as a result, a drawing of scattered stars appeared on her sketch paper. The ne she had in mind, which she had now drawn on the sketch paper, was like the Milky Way as it was surrounded by shining stars that glistened in the dark sky. Thanks to her exceptional drawing skills, the design sketch was well-proportioned. She had created an entire set of jewelry based on the concept of a starry night within a short span of time. She only returned to reality after she finished herst sketch and as she looked at it, she was overjoyed. Finally, the first sketch of her design for the uingpetition waspleted. Anastasia was so tired that she hit the sack right after finishing her sketch. The next morning. Just when she was about to leave for herpany after sending Jared, she received Francis¡¯ call. ¡°Hello, Dad.¡± ¡°Drop by mypany, Anastasia. There¡¯s an important meeting today thatI want you to join too.¡± ¡°What meeting is that?¡± she asked in surprise. Chapter 311-320 Chapter 311-320 Chapter 311 ¡°It¡¯s the annual board meeting. It is of the utmost importance, so do take a day off and attend,¡± Francis said solemnly. Since she didn¡¯t have much nned for the day as well, Anastasia called Felicia to request a day off before driving over to Francis¡¯pany. At around 10:00AM, she entered the conference room that was located in hispany to join the rest of the attendees. Alex was seated next to her for the board meeting and although he was of a young age, all the directors were full of praise for him as he was indeed capable and had made significant contributions to thepany. He fought for a ce on the board with his capabilities, but his attention today was captured by Anastasia. She wore a white shirt with a ck skirt, which was both simple and elegant. With her long hair draped behind her, she looked stunning. Anastasia was merely ying the role of an audience at the meeting as she listened to her father¡¯s presentation of theirtest project. Elliot¡¯s name came to mind as she listened since this project was obtained with his assistance. Meanwhile, Elliot was with Rey in the office on the eighth floor of Bourgeois Jewelry Atelier. He dialed Anastasia¡¯s office number as soon as he sat down, but it went unanswered. What is she doing? Then, he took out his phone and dialed her number, which went unanswered as well. He was starting to be annoyed. This woman is not picking up my call now? ¡°Check to see whether Anastasia is in her office,¡± he instructed Rey while sitting in front of a stack of documents. Rey immediately went straight to the Department of Design and after enquiring Anastasia¡¯s assistant, Grace, he learned that Anastasia had taken a day off. He ryed this information to Elliot. With that, Elliot immediately gave Felicia a call to ask about this. ¡°Anastasia said she¡¯ll be going to her father¡¯spany,¡± she answered honestly. Hearing that, Elliot¡¯s face darkened because he remembered Alex, who was in Tillman Constructions too. Alex was both Francis¡¯ right hand and his most trusted subordinate. Francis had already begun training Alex to oversee allpany affairs for Alex to be Anastasia¡¯s assistant when she took thepany over in the future. In addition to that, Elliot had also discovered Alex¡¯s feelings toward Anastasia since the previous Tillman Constructions¡¯ annual event. Both Alex and Anastasia had previously gone on a dinner date and he even sent her loving messages as well, but she still happily went to see him. The more he thought about it, the more dissatisfied Elliot became. He was putting in all his efforts to court her, but she didn¡¯t reciprocate and even turned herself to another man! ¡°President Presgrave, are you going to Tillman Constructions to look for Miss Tillman?¡± Rey asked curiously. It was something Elliot would normally do, but he was hesitant to lower his ego today. A rtionship should be a two-way street; if he was the only one making an effort, nothing woulde of it. ¡°I¡¯m not going to,¡± he replied with his face looking solemn. Meanwhile, at Tillman Constructions, Anastasia was having lunch with her father together with the other shareholders. Due to the meeting, her phone had been on silent mode earlier and it was only now that she was able to check it. A few missed calls appeared on her screen, and seeing that, she couldn¡¯t help but to be surprised. Elliot called? Why did he call? She considered returning his call, but after a brief hesitation, she decided not to because there appeared to be nothing urgent. After the meal, she wanted to return to work, but Francis insisted on taking her to the new project with him, so she had no choice but to oblige and apany him to the site. Alex was with her the entire day and he appeared to be more excited and happy than usual. When they were at the site, her helmet didn¡¯t seem to be properly buckled, so he helped her with it. She shyly allowed him to do so since it was a windy day and the wind was constantly blowing through her hair. Her skin appeared fair and smooth in the bright sunlight and along with her red lips, they made Alex lose his heart to her. ¡°Thank you,¡± Anastasia gratefully said. ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Alex¡¯s burning gaze was locked on her and he could not take his eyes off her any more for the rest of the day. Anastasia, on the other hand, was too preupied with helping her father to notice Alex¡¯s persistent gaze. Chapter 312 She was still with Francis at 4:00PM and couldn¡¯t make it back to herpany in time to take her car before picking up Jared. In light of this, he directed Alex to drive her to Jared¡¯s school and all of them could have dinner together tonight. As she was pressed for time and her car was still parked at her workce, she had no other option but to ept Alex¡¯s help. Meanwhile, in Bourgeois Jewelry Atelier, the man who had been sulking all day decided to head to Jared¡¯s school as well to see whether he would run into Anastasia by chance, and also to visit Jared¡¯s new school. As the atelier was nearer, they had arrived at the school ahead of time. Rey found a perfect parking spot and Elliot perused his work documents in the car while waiting for Anastasia toe to pick up Jared. At around 4.30PM, Rey was observing the crowd that arrived to pick up their children. Finally, he saw Anastasia with a man beside her. ¡°President Presgrave, Miss Tillman is here.¡± He alerted the man on the seat behind. Hearing that, Elliot dropped his document and looked out the window at the woman in the crowd, but the moment he saw her, he became furious. Why did she bring Alex along? At the school¡¯s entrance, the children ran around like little beasts who had just been let out of their cages. One small boy was running toward Anastasia and almost collided with her, but in her attempt to avoid him, she fell in the direction of Alex. He instinctively reached out with his hand and held her waist as she unceremoniously stepped on his leather shoes. She hurriedly raised her head and asked in concern with her hand on Alex¡¯s arm, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Did I hurt you?¡± ¡°No.¡± He shook his head with a smile. Yet, Anastasia felt apologetic. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, don¡¯t worry.¡± In fact, Alex enjoyed watching her concerned gaze. In the car, the man who initially wanted to step down from the car looked even angrier. The flirting duo had enraged him so much that looking at them hurt his eyes. Rey was thinking the same thing. Is Miss Tillman bent on enraging President Presgrave? ¡°Do you want to go down and look for Miss Tillman, President Presgrave?¡± he reminded Elliot. Elliot already had his stomach full of resentment and rage. The more he saw them, the more he felt that all his efforts toward Anastasia during this period of time went down the drain. She was getting along so well with Alex behind his back. Elliot had never seen her smiling so coquettishly at him before, like how she did to Alex. From his vantage point, he didn¡¯t notice Anastasia stepping on Alex¡¯s shoes; for him, they were flirting instead. After picking up Jared, Anastasia took the child¡¯s hand in hers and Alex was beside them. For afar, they looked just like a close-knit family. And such a scene pricked Elliot¡¯s heart and irritated his eyes. ¡°Miss Tillman is leaving, President Presgrave. Are you sure you do not want to go down?¡± Rey asked anxiously. As long as Elliot went down, there would be no ce for that man. Whether it was in terms of attractiveness, figure, or wealth, the man next to Anastasia waspletely iparable to Elliot. Elliot watched the three of them leave the school with cold eyes and clenched teeth. His fist, which was clenched tightly, never loosened for a second, as if he was about to fight someone the next second. Of course he considered getting out of the car and chasing Alex away, leaving him as the only guardian for Anastasia and Jared. His dignity, however, forbade him from doing so. Do I need topete with Alex? Is it necessary for me to stoop so low to fight with a man who is totally notparable to me? Since she did not value his feelings at all, it would be nothing more than a joke even if he managed to win her over. Am I not worthy of her love? Not worthy to be cherished by her? Or I have put in so much effort that she had taken me for granted? ¡°Drive home,¡± he ordered Rey. ¡°It¡¯s not toote, President Presgrave, to catch up with them.¡± From the rearview mirror, Rey noticed Anastasia had just gotten into the car and was confident that he would be able to block her as soon as he stepped on the elerato Chapter 313 ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Elliot¡¯s tone became solemn as it was clear that he took it to heart. With that, Rey had no choice but to follow his instructions and left using another exit. On the other hand, Alex brought Anastasia and Jared to meet Francis whereby the three of them had dinner near thepany. Then, she returned with Jared at around 8.30PM. After they arrived home, she was busy showering her son and checking his homework. Before she even realized it, it was already 9.30PM, whereupon she tucked her son to bed. It was only after Jared fell asleep that she went back to room and yawned all the way there. Just before she headed off to bed, she scrolled through her phone and recalled Elliot¡¯s missed call. Looking at the screen, she wondered whether she should ask Elliot why he had called her. However, it was already past 10.00PM. If she were to text him, she would be disturbing his rest. Well, let¡¯s see how things go tomorrow, she thought. It was a new day the next morning. Anastasia rushed to her workce after dropping Jared off at his school. She was already in her office at about 10.00AM and reading all of her unread emails when Grace suddenly entered without even knowing on the door. ¡°Anastasia!¡± Grace supported herself on the table with her hands, as if she had heard something shocking. ¡°What happened?¡± Anastasia asked as she blinked at Grace. ¡°Miss Dora, who is new here, received a bouquet of blue roses! Do you know who sent it to her?¡± ¡®Who?¡± Anastasia raised her teacup and asked, seemingly uninterested. To that, Grace responded with envy. ¡°I heard that it¡¯s from President Presgrave.¡± When Anastasia heard that, she almost choked on her tea. She quickly swallowed it and pretended to be calm. ¡°Well, President Presgrave is always on the lookout for neers!¡± Grace stared at her. ¡°Anastasia, aren¡¯t you jealous?¡± It was a question that Anastasia found amusing. ¡°Why should I be?¡± This answer of hers stunned Grace. Being someone unrted, she was slightly dissatisfied with the situation, so how could Anastasia not feel anything? Anastasia was aware of Aliona¡¯s identity. Since she is the daughter of Elliot¡¯ste father¡¯s close friend and her first day in thepany, it is perfectly normal for Elliot to send her flowers. With such a thought in her mind, Anastasia opened her unfinished sketch and wanted to devote her mind into it. However, looking at the sketch in front of her, she felt as if her mind was nk with no inspiration. She had no idea where to begin. As a result, she decided to put it aside for the time being. She didn¡¯t want to push herself when she didn¡¯t know where to begin. Following that, she went to the dessert bar to get some afters, knowing that the newly introduced dessert was very popr. Just as she sat down, she heard a voice mocking her from behind her. ¡°It appears that someone has fallen out of favor, huh.¡± It was Alice. She was holding her cup of coffee and staring at Anastasia with those eyes that bore no good intention. Anastasia did not want to entertain her and merely continued eating the cake. Such an action merely increased Alice¡¯s arrogance. ¡°Anastasia, I heard that President Presgrave has a new target now. Don¡¯t be too sad about it. Men are like that; they¡¯ll ditch the previous one once they find someone new.¡± And Anastasia remained ignoring her. Faced with Anastasia¡¯s attitude, Alice found no fun in it and left shortly after. In the afternoon, Anastasia went for lunch with Felicia at the western restaurant opposite their workce where both of them took the table by the window. Not long after they sat down, Felicia was shocked to see a couple walking into the restaurant. After that, she immediately tried to divert Anastasia¡¯s attention. ¡°Look at that car outside, Anastasia. Do you think it¡¯s lovely?¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. She looked toward the direction that Felicia was pointing at and replied, ¡°Kind of. I like the color, but it¡¯s beyond what I can afford.¡± However, at this moment, they heard a clear woman¡¯s voice. ¡°Director Evans and Anastasia, both of you are having lunch here too! What a coincidence!¡± It was Aliona. Anastasia turned her head in response and when she saw Elliot standing next to Aliona in the restaurant, her heart twitched for a moment. They are having lunch together? ¡°Enjoy your lunch. Ours is in the private room.¡± Aliona waved to both Felicia and Anastasia before intentionally turning around to knock into Elliot¡¯s embrace. ¡°Ahhh! My head!¡± ¡°Be careful,¡± Elliot advised in a deep, concerned voice as he added while extending his long arms toward her, ¡°Don¡¯t be so careless.¡± Then, both Elliot and Aliona made their way to the private room in front of Anastasia. With this, Anastasia suddenly realized the reason why Felicia had diverted her attention earlier. Was she worried that I¡¯d see both of them? Chapter 314 ¡°Anastasia, it¡¯s not a big deal. It¡¯s perfectly normal for a superior to have a meal with his subordinate. Who knows that they may even be rtives?¡± Felicia attempted to console her. Anastasia smiled in response. Acting as if she wasn¡¯t affected, she answered, ¡°They are not rtives. Aliona¡¯s father was a close friend of Elliot¡¯s father.¡± That stumped Felicia had no idea what to say. ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡± While eating, Anastasia feigned that she was alright too. In fact, she believed she was genuinely unaffected and was not merely pretending. It¡¯s Elliot¡¯s choice to date anyone he wanted; it¡¯s none of my business. ¡°The uingpetition is quite pressing. Do you have any ideas?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve already sketched the first draft and will give it to you after some modifications.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. We¡¯ll try to get the product out before the jewelry show. I hope that you will be able to make a name for yourself through this.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Anastasia felt the same way. She wished she could attain some achievement in this industry and carve a name for herself. Throughout the meal, she kept looking at the private room subconsciously and imagining things. Considering Elliot¡¯s flirting character and Aliona¡¯s beauty, of course he wouldy his hands on her. Perhaps he was nning how to take advantage of Aliona. As a designer, she had a surprisingly rich imagination and started picturing Elliot pressing Aliona against the wall, trying to kiss her. The image she pictured was extremely vivid. ¡°I¡¯m full.¡± Anastasia had no appetite and had only a few bites of the food on the table. ¡°We¡¯ll go back now then! I¡¯m stuffed too.¡± Felicia wanted to bring her away from this restaurant. In the private room, Aliona was happily supporting her chin with her hand on the table in the private room. ¡°I¡¯m so happy.¡± ¡°I promised your father that I¡¯ll take good care of you in thepany.¡± ¡°Thank you, Elliot. I¡¯ll rely on you in the future! Oh, were you the one who sent me the flowers this morning?¡± He responded with a nod. ¡°It was to wee you as a new employee in ourpany.¡± ¡°Thank you. I love it!¡± Despite her broad smile, Aliona was disappointed in her heart. Doesn¡¯t he have another meaning for sending the flowers? With that, she intentionally asked, ¡°By the way, everyone in thepany is spreading rumors about us. Do you think I need to exin to them?¡± ¡°You should if it affects your work.¡± Elliot appeared to be deep in thought as he looked out the window. ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t affect me at all! I¡¯m not exining then.¡± She smiled, her lips pursed. Such a misunderstanding suited her perfectly, and she craved more of it! When Anastasia crossed the road after leaving the restaurant, her thoughts wandered and Felicia had to hold her across the pathway. Once she reached her office, she heaved a deep breath and sat on her seat. All she could think about was Elliot with nothing else about work on her mind. Why am I thinking about him? At this moment, Grace knocked on the door and entered. In hushed tones, she said, ¡°President Presgrave had lunch together with Aliona earlier, Anastasia. Everyone thinks they¡¯re dating. Are you all right?¡± Hearing that, Anastasia sneered in her heart. Well, he¡¯s making it so obvious to everyone! He sent her flowers and took her out for lunch, not fearing that the entirepany would know. Is he now publicly showing his interest in Aliona? ¡°Don¡¯t tell me such matters anymore. I¡¯m not interested.¡± Anastasia raised her head and reminded Grace. To that, Grace puffed her cheeks and replied, ¡°Okay, noted.¡± Grace left after that. Anastasia then rubbed her brows, attempting to chase her messy thoughts away so that she could focus on her work. At about 3.00PM, Anastasia received Felicia¡¯s call. ¡°We¡¯ll have a meeting in five minutes.¡± On the other hand, Aliona was admiring the roses in her office, her chin resting on her hand. Though they were meant to wee her, she wondered if they meant something else¡ªElliot was interested in her. After all, he did not reject her invitation for lunch earlier. Perhaps I overestimated how important Anastasia is to him. Furthermore, she was extremely confident in herself. Thus, sooner orter, he would be hers. In the president¡¯s office. Chapter 315 Elliot was staring at theputer screen with his thoughts wandering around. He was recalling Anastasia¡¯s cheerful smile toward Alex the day before. With that, he did not intend to exin to her about his flower gift to Aliona this morning as well as his lunch with her. He simply did what Anastasia had done as she had made no mention of her meeting with Alex the day before. He needed to make her feel insecure at times. Their encounter in the restaurant today wasn¡¯t a coincidence either. He was the one who instructed Rey to find where she was. After knowing she was having lunch with Felicia at the restaurant across the road, Aliona happened to invite Elliot for lunch, hence he epted it and suggested the same restaurant. At this moment, his office phone rang, and he answered it. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Hello, President Presgrave. The Department of Design is having a meeting. Do you want to join?¡± Felicia asked. ¡°Sure. I will attend,¡± he nonchntly replied. After he hung up the phone, his gaze twitched, as if he was thinking of something. He was really interested to know whether Anastasia would be jealous. At the Department of Design, Felicia immediately called Anastasia after finishing her conversation with Elliot. ¡°I¡¯ll be there in a while, Felicia,¡± Anastasia¡¯s voice resonated from the other end of the call. ¡°Just to remind you, Anastasia, that President Presgrave will be attending the meeting as well.¡± Hearing that, her body stiffened. He is joining the meeting too? Is he doing so for Aliona and trying to mesmerize her in every possible way? Then, Anastasia took a deep breath and walked toward the conference room with her notebook in her hand. Aliona had already taken her seat in the conference room. She had everyone¡¯s attention since she entered the room because she now had a new identity: Elliot¡¯s new lover. When Anastasia stepped into the room, everyone¡¯s gaze was drawn to her¡ªsome were sympathetic, some were mocking, and others were simply rejoicing in her misfortune. She, like Aliona, had taken on a new identity: she was the pitiful old me who had been abandoned by Elliot. Anastasia walked right to thest seat and sat down. Knowing that everyone was staring at her, she lowered her head and yed with her phone. Alice couldn¡¯t help but sneer. ¡°Why are you sitting at the back, Anastasia?¡± At this instant, the door was opened again and an imposing figure stepped in. It was Elliot making his entrance. He was dressed simply but elegantly in a white shirt and pants. Walking with his long legs, he exuded such amanding presence that the entire conference room fell silent. Then, he took a seat next to Aliona after surveying the room. The corners of her lips curved when she saw this. Anastasia was sitting behind and raised her head to take a nce before quickly retracting her gaze. All she saw was his attractive side face while he was telling Felicia, ¡°Let¡¯s start.¡± Felicia began the agenda for today¡¯s meeting after letting out a light cough. She began by reviewing the current month¡¯s market study report, then moved on to the popr elements in the mainstream market. Throughout her presentation, Elliot remained silent. His gaze scanned the room before settling on the woman seated in thest seat behind him. Her head was bowed, her eyes hidden behind her long lashes, as if he were looking at a painting. He couldn¡¯t see the expression on her face, though. Sensing his gaze, she pretended to be emotionless as she bit her pen lid without looking at him. As he felt her intention, his lips pursed as he seemed to sense her resentment. Great. This is what I wanted. ¡°Let¡¯s give Anastasia a big round of apuse. Her designed products are always the most popr.¡± Felicia began pping. Several pping sounds followed. ¡°I have a lot to learn from Anastasia,¡± Aliona said with a smile. She had to be friendly to Anastasia, or at least appeared to be so, because she needed to show Elliot her kind and generous side. Alice, on the other hand, was filled with jealousy. She had always been unwilling to ept that Anastasia¡¯s designs were way above hers. ¡°Do you have anything to add, President Presgrave?¡± Felicia smilingly asked Elliot. ¡°No. Let¡¯s end the meeting now. Aliona,e to my office.¡± He left right away after finishing his words. Chapter 316 Being called out by him publicly, Aliona pretended to be shy and nodded. She then replied with a sweet smile, ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll be there shortly.¡± ¡°You¡¯re blessed, Miss Dora! President Presgrave treats you well,¡± a female designer said to Aliona. ¡°There¡¯s nothing between President Presgrave and me. Please don¡¯t misunderstand,¡± Aliona replied smilingly. Then, she walked away with her documents in her hand. At the same time, Anastasia was packing her belongings as well. For unknown reasons, she did not hold her notebook tightly and it fell onto the ground. ¡°Oh, it appears that someone was offended.¡± Alice took advantage of the situation to mock Anastasia. To that, Anastasia ignored her and calmly picked her notebook up. However, Alice had no intention of letting Anastasia off the hook so easily. ¡°Isn¡¯t being abandoned a terrible feeling, Anastasia? Your reign has ended, and Aliona has taken your ce.¡± An emotionless Anastasia left the conference room in the midst of Alice¡¯s mockery. Offended? Me? Impossible! There was nothing between Elliot and her at all. They had only kissed a few times where she had been taken advantage of several times by him as well. Those weren¡¯t a big deal. The moment she returned to her office, she heaved a deep breath and intended to use the remaining working hours to revise her sketch. However, just when she was about to start working, an image of Elliot and Aliona shed through her mind. She imagined Aliona in Elliot¡¯s office with this man eagerly pressing Aliona down to the table. Go away! Anastasia patted her own head, wanting to chase these messy thoughts away. What has happened to me? I must have been with this man for too long that I started having these dirty thoughts. Her office phone rang at this instant and she answered it immediately, ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going over to your ce for dinner tonight. Prepare my portion as well.¡± Elliot¡¯s deep and mesmerizing voice resonated. She somehow seemed to pull her rage from the air and responded indifferently, ¡°Tonight I¡¯m not going to cook. President Presgrave, please eat your dinner outside with Aliona.¡± ¡°Why are you not cooking?¡± he asked curiously. ¡°No reason,¡± she answered again stoically. ¡°Fine. Drive carefully when you¡¯re picking Jared upter.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your concern,¡± Anastasia stubbornly responded, and she ended the conversation right away. In the president¡¯s office, the man who had just ended a call couldn¡¯t stop smiling because he knew that Anastasia was jealous. Well, she only had herself to me for getting so close with Alex. Since she had enraged Elliot, he had to return the favor as well. In the afternoon, Anastasia and Jared had returned home. She bought sausages on the way and decided to make them for dinner. ¡°Mom, is Mr. Presgraveingter? Should we buy more?¡± He immediately thought of Elliot when he saw the sausages. ¡°He¡¯s noting, and he won¡¯t being anymore in the future,¡± she replied while preparing the sausages. Jared¡¯s eyes immediately widened as he inquired, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because¡­ he¡¯s busy.¡± She simply stuffed him with an excuse. She couldn¡¯t possibly tell her son that Elliot was busy dating, could she? Although this was something that Jared should know sooner orter, Anastasia decided to keep it from him at the moment. She regretted allowing him to be so close with Elliot in the first ce, as he had grown attached to Elliot and even bore expectations for Elliot as well. She had no idea how to get her son out of this rtionship. After finishing the sausages, Jared knew that she was busy and he yed by himself. In the wee hours, when Jared was already asleep, Anastasia, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t sleepy at all. Some images kept on appearing in her mind including that of Elliot kissing her. All of these were like ants that persistently scratched at her heart. His breath, his domineering strength, his possessive gaze, his approaching lips¡­ Frustrated, she rolled on the bed again and had tried a variety ofying positions but still couldn¡¯t fall asleep. Each domineering kiss from Elliot became vivid in her mind, and the more she thought about them, the angrier she became. Who was he to kiss her so many times? Why didn¡¯t she refuse him? Chapter 317 Not to mention, all of these things were the ones that he would do to Aliona as well. Perhaps he had also brought her to the vi! Elliot derived no benefit from her whereas Aliona clearly admired and courted him. Would they both be emotionally and physically attracted to each other at first instance? Anastasia then closed her eyes, attempting to quiet her mind. Having such a vivid imagination was not a good thing since she already had all sorts of things that Elliot and Aliona would do in her mind. And in her mind, this man was like a wild wolf, never satisfied with what he wanted. She had no idea how long it had been before she finally fell asleep due to exhaustion. However, even in her dreams, she saw Elliot and Aliona behaving intimately at every possible location she could think of: the office, his vi, or in the hotel. However, she had no idea that her brows were furrowed throughout her dreams. Finally, the rm rang and she immediately opened her eyes. Her dreams remained vivid and thest thing she envisioned was receiving their wedding invitation. As she held her face, Anastasia was furious. Why did Elliot be a nightmare that she couldn¡¯t get rid of? After making herself a cup of coffee, she immediately sent Jared to school before rushing to her company. It was only a few minutes away from her prize of full attendance, but she was extremelyzy to even fight for it. In the end, she waste and lost the prize subsequently. Feeling hopeless, she entered her office while drinking her coffee. ¡°Miss Dora received flowers again! And it¡¯s a big bouquet this time!¡± ¡°It must be from President Presgrave.¡± ¡°Undoubtedly. Apart from him, who would be this generous?¡± The two assistants who were chatting clearly knew that Anastasia was nearby and they raised the volume of their voices. ¡°Miss Dora is so blissful now! Who knows that she might be our futuredy boss?¡± ¡°Yes, she would definitely be.¡± Aliona¡¯s office did have a flower bouquet, but she was the only one who knew it wasn¡¯t from Elliot. Instead, it was from Riley. Everyone outside had assumed it was from Elliot and she didn¡¯t want to rify because rumors could sometimes be true when they spread widely enough. When Anastasia arrived at her office, she put down her bag and called Grace. ¡°Please make me a cup of coffee.¡± She then turned on herputer and was determined to finish her work. She couldn¡¯t let Elliot and Aliona¡¯s rtionship bother her any longer. At 10.00AM, her office phone rang. ¡°Hello, who¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Come to my office.¡± A mesmerizing deep voice sounded from the other end of the call. Who else could it be besides Elliot? Yet, Anastasia did not want to see him. ¡°We can talk over the phone, President Presgrave.¡± ¡°It¡¯s about work.¡± He hung up the call immediately. She stood up and left for his office while biting her lower lip, remembering that he was still her boss. Elliot was standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window in the president¡¯s office. He was dressed in a charcoal ck suit with a ck shirt on the inside today. The well-tailored suit highlighted his attractive waistline and broad shoulders, which made him appear fashionable. Seeing that, she had no choice but to admit that he was the most handsome man in a suit that she had ever seen. ¡°Why are you looking for me, President Presgrave?¡± she asked straightforwardly. Elliot¡¯s sharp eyes noticed that she appeared pale today and the dark circles beneath her eyes seemed to indicate that she had not slept well. Was it because of me? he wondered. At this moment, his heart ached for her. ¡°You did not submit any sketches this month. Why is that so? Are you not in the mood to work?¡± He did say he wanted to talk about work, though. Anastasia¡¯s face turned paler when she heard that and she exined, ¡°I took on a few higher-end projects. Hence, I didn¡¯t focus much on the regrs.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Just after he finished his words, someone knocked on the door. ¡°Come in,¡± he said, his voice deep. Felicia then pushed the door open and walked in. She was taken aback to see Anastasia in the office. ¡°Why are you noting in, Felicia?¡± he asked, squinting his eyes. She walked over and set down the jewelry box she was holding. ¡°President Presgrave, these are the matching bracelets you requested.¡± Chapter 318 Elliot nodded. ¡°Just put it here.¡± Felicia looked worriedly at Anastasia, who was staring at the jewelry box on the table. Sneering in her heart, Anastasia assumed that this man was making a concerted effort to court Aliona. He even bought matching bracelets now! ¡°If nothing else, I¡¯m going back to work now,¡± she said indifferently. She didn¡¯t want to be here for another second. ¡°Take care, Anastasia. You don¡¯t look good.¡± Looking at her from behind, he was concerned. ¡°I¡¯m very good,¡± she replied without even turning her head, ¡°and I don¡¯t need your concern, President Presgrave.¡± He had invited her over solely to let her notice the matching bracelets¡ªa goal that was now aplished. Just as she reached the door, she came to a halt and turned to face the man sitting on the sofa. With a profound tone, she asked, ¡°I heard that you¡¯re dating Aliona, President Presgrave. Is that true?¡± Hearing it from himself was way better than relying on the rumors. ¡°Who said that? Is there such a thing?¡± With a slightly raised brow, Elliot gave an answer that was neither admitting or denying the rumors. That pricked Anastasia¡¯s heart. When she heard his evasive response, she turned around and walked away in determination. He clutched his fist tightly as he watched her walk away. She looks really haggard; are my actions going too far? She did not return to her office after leaving the president¡¯s office. Instead, she left the atelier and spent some time alone in the caf¨¦ next door because her thoughts were in a mess. Meanwhile, Alice entered Anastasia¡¯s room with a cup of coffee in hand; she was eager to see Anastasia¡¯s pitiful state after being dumped. She did not expect the room to be empty and had intended to leave. However, at that moment, she saw a few sketches on the table and an idea popped up in her mind. Then, she examined the sketches and they stunned her right on the spot. They were absolutely amazing. Based on the concept of the starry sky, the sketches were exquisite and finely drawn, as if they were natural creations. An immense sense of envy filled her heart. She quickly took her phone and photographed the sketches before hurriedly returning them to their original location and leaving Anastasia¡¯s office. When Alice came out, no one was around and no one noticed her presence either. Feeling relieved, she went straight back to her office. As she sat on her seat and looked at the sketches, she had an evil intention in her heart. She assumed the sketches were what Anastasia was working on for the uing jewelry show. Things would be interesting if Anastasia was caught giarizing, Alice reasoned. She already had a n in mind. Using her phone, she contacted a designer from thepany¡¯s competitor who happened to be preparing for the same jewelry show as well. She wanted the designer to upload the sketches at first instance and save them as source files as she knew that for Anastasia, the sketches were only the first drafts. When the giarism issue came to light, the time the source file was uploaded to theputer would be the deciding factor. And the designer that Alice contacted did the same. After making a few minor modifications, she immediately sent it to the factory to have the finished product made and disyed at the exhibition counter before Anastasia could do anything. In the meantime, at the Department of Design, Aliona¡¯s phone rang. She nced at the caller and walked out of her office before she switched her phone to silent mode. She didn¡¯t answer the phone until she was out of the atelier. ¡°Hello, Father. Sorry, it was inconvenient for me to pick up your call earlier.¡± ¡°Have you received the flowers that I¡¯ve sent?¡± ¡°Yes, but Father, don¡¯t do it again in case Elliot notices.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal; I merely wanted to express my concern. Aliona, is there any progress between Elliot and you?¡± She happily curved the corners of her mouth in response. ¡°Obviously. I believe he is now attracted to me. I¡¯ll be able to finish the mission in no time.¡± ¡°Did Anastasia hinder you?¡± A sense of arrogance shed through her eyes. ¡°Father, she can¡¯t hinder me at all. I overestimated her earlier.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good, as long as she doesn¡¯t get in the way of our n,¡± Riley replied in his deep voice. ¡°I¡¯ll follow the n and get what we want as soon as possible, Father, which is to sleep with Elliot, get pregnant with his child, and force him to marry me.¡± Aliona couldn¡¯t wait to prove her attractiveness and take the credit before Riley. Chapter 319 Riley was like a father to her in Aliona¡¯s heart. ¡°Good girl. I didn¡¯t take care of you in vain. Well, I will wait for your good news.¡± He was also in a good mood as he had confidence in his beautiful goddaughter. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Father. You don¡¯t have to be concerned about me,¡± Aliona replied confidently. In the office, Anastasia had decided to bury herself in work. However, she found herselfcking inspiration after just a few strokes on the paper. At that very moment, her cell phone rang. ¡°Hello?¡± she said as she picked up the phone. ¡°Anastasia, ourpany is holding a wee party tomorrow night. Are you avable?¡± Felicia asked over the phone. ¡°Is this Aliona¡¯s wee party?¡± Anastasia inquired while she scowled. ¡°Yes. President Presgrave has agreed to hold the party as well. I was thinking that you might have to look after Jared. So, if you don¡¯t have time¡ª¡± For some reason, Felicia had hoped that Anastasia would refuse to attend the party. However, Anastasia wanted to see how Aliona and Elliot showed off their rtionship, so she briskly answered, ¡°I am free. I will join.¡± ¡°Anastasia, it¡¯s just a bunch of people getting excited and talkative. You really don¡¯t have to join.¡± Felicia did not want Anastasia to get hurt since there would be a lot of interaction between Elliot and Aliona. Anastasia understood that Felicia was being thoughtful. But why should I avoid them? I am not afraid. I ain¡¯t afraid of anything. ¡°Felicia, I am avable. I will be there.¡± She didn¡¯t want to miss out on this wee party. After hanging up the phone, Anastasia checked the clock and realized that it was already 4.30PM¡ªit was time to go and pick up her son. Before she left, she nced at thendline phone, as if she was anticipating something to happen, but she quickly shook it off and proceeded to leave. As soon as Anastasia picked Jared up, he was disappointed. ¡°Why is Mr. Presgrave noting with you, Mommy?¡± he asked. With his words, her heart became bitter. She didn¡¯t know how to tell Jared that his Mr. Presgrave would no longer being to pick him up. ¡°Mr. Presgrave has been very busytely, so you may not see him for a while,¡± sheforted Jared as she turned to him and smiled. ¡°I came to pick you up on time today. Where do you want to go? I will apany you.¡± ¡°I want to go to the yground,¡± Jared replied. ¡°Okay. yground it is!¡± Anastasia said since she had decided to spend some quality time with Jared tonight. Anastasia finally came home with Jared, who was exhausted from ying, at around 9.00PM. The little boy took a bath and promptly fell asleep, after which it was time for Anastasia to return to work after putting her son to sleep. She sat in front of the window with a cup of tea in her hands. Her mind was usually clear at this time and inspiration came easily to her, but at this moment, her mind was upied by a strong and domineering figure. It was Elliot again. Anastasia was speechless. She stared at the sky and knocked her head frantically. ¡°Why do I keep thinking about him? Show some guts, Anastasia. This kind of man is not worth thinking about anymore,¡± she said to herself. She turned her head around and intended to rise to her feet, but her gaze was drawn to the wall beside the door. Last time, Elliot pressed her against the wall and forcefully kissed her. Then she turned to look at the bed where he had made a pass at her. ¡°Elliot, you b*stard. If I were to miss you again, I would be an idiot,¡± she cursed as she clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. Elliot was a scumbag and she did sympathize with Aliona because Aliona had no idea how shameless this man was. For Elliot, forcibly kissing someone was as casual as eating a piece of cake. Lying on the bed, Anastasia thought about Harriet¡¯s birthday banquet and the romance that Elliot gave to her in the bamboo forest at Harriet¡¯s ce. His kiss, his eyes, and his sweet words. Was it just an act on his part? He also said that in the eyes of a lover, even if she looked like a pig, she would be the most beautiful pig in his eyes. If Anastasia remembered it correctly, he had mentioned it just a few days ago! However, he had already fallen in love with someone else in the blink of an eye. Hmph, I should never believe what a man says. She even remembered that Elliot said he wanted to bribe her. And he also mentioned that he only wanted her. In the past, whenever Elliot sweet-talked her, she just took them as a passing wind, but at this moment, every word he had said was ringing in her ears. When he kissed her, Anastasia had thought that this man genuinely liked her, which was why he went to such lengths just to make a pass at her. Was all of these just an illusion? Perhaps I was overthinking things? Chapter 320 Anastasia could feel her heart clenching tighter and tighter in the darkness. Then, something warm swam in her eyes whereby tears were gushing forth uncontrobly in the next second. Before she could react, tears rolled down unexpectedly andnded on her knees. Staring at the watermark on her gray pajamas, she froze for a few seconds. Why? I never cared about him, but why am I crying for of this b*st*rd? However, when she realized that once the tears started, there was no stop to it. Her mind was overwhelmed with Elliot¡¯s words and his kisses; the moments when her heart throbbed and her face blushed because of him. Elliot, you b*stard. I have never seen anyone worse than you. You are the worse b*stard ever. Anastasia grabbed a tissue and wiped her tears harshly. She didn¡¯t want to even shed a tear for him, but her tears seemed to have a mind of their own. By the time she finally returned to her senses, the tissues were all gone. So, she bit her lips as she was slightly annoyed. Look at me now. I am behaving like a whinger! Who gave him the right to turn me into this different person? She cried nonstop that night until she eventually fell asleep at midnight. The following day was Saturday. After Anastasia finished making breakfast for her son, she contacted her father and asked Francis whether he would mind looking after Jared for the evening as she needed to attend a dinner party, to which he agreed without hesitation. While Anastasia was preparing breakfast, she decided to take Jared to the oceanariumter that day. She could forget about everything else whenever she was with her son. Meanwhile, Aliona was getting ready at her apartment. As tonight was thepany¡¯s weing party for her, she needed to look her best. Her custom-made evening gown had arrived in the morning and with its hint of sensuality, the silver-white evening gown was exquisite and charming. Tonight, she had another purpose other than looking beautiful. Such an asion was the ideal opportunity for her and Elliot to take their rtionship further. As a result, she intended to get drunk later and let him take her home. When Aliona closed her eyes and thought of his stunning face, a tingling sensation spread across her body. Since childhood, she was strictly disciplined by her godfather, thus she was still a virgin. Aliona felt blessed that her first time could be devoted to a man like Elliot. Even if thepany¡¯s scandals were fake, she would make it happen sooner orter. It was 4.00PM when Anastasia and Jared returned home from their trip to the oceanarium. Francis had already arrived and was waiting for Jared with toys, snacks and fruits. ¡°Grandpa!¡± As soon as Jared entered the door, he ran into Francis¡¯ arms and acted coquettishly. ¡°My little pumpkin,¡± Francis whispered as he hugged Jared. As if he was hugging the future¡¯s hope, the fondness that he had toward Jared flowed from Francis¡¯ eyes and heart. ¡°Dad, I¡¯ll leave Jared to you. I might be homete in the evening,¡± Anastasia said to her father. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I got this. I¡¯ll stay at home with Jared and we won¡¯t go anywhere.¡± Francis didn¡¯t want to go through the previous incident again as he had developed a trauma because of it. Not long after she returned to her room, Anastasia received a call from Felicia. The party was scheduled for 6.00PM and the venue was a posh downtown restaurant, which had been entirely reserved for Aliona¡¯s wee party. ¡°Anastasia, please dress beautifully,¡± Felicia reminded Anastasia before hanging up the phone as if Anastasia could save anything tonight by wearing something lovely. Nope. Even if I were to wear something nice, it¡¯s only for my own pleasure and has nothing to do with anyone else. What am I going to do with a stunning dress? To win over Elliot¡¯s heart? Sitting in front of the dressing table, Anastasia carefully examined her face. She was the pinnacle of female beauty at the age of twenty-four; her face was full of cogen and she had soft red lips with ink- ck silky hair. She was stunning even without makeup, except for her slightly swollen eyebags. After ten minutes of meticulously putting on the makeup, the young girl in the mirror had turned into an ethereal beauty from the perfect light blush, curly hair and rosy lips. In the end, Anastasia finished the look with a pair of earrings that perfectlyplimented her sweet oval face. Chapter 321-330 Chapter 321-330 Chapter 321 Anastasia opened her closet, and next to the neat suits was a row of dresses. She rarely wore dresses, but the handful that she had were definitely capable of stealing the show. In the end, she had chosen a tight, long-sleeved gray polka dot dress with a form-fitting waistline and a nice ruffled hem that entuated her exquisite body figure. Since having her son, she had not been dressed like this for a long time as her daily outfit consisted mostly of T-shirts and jeans. At around 6.00PM, the entire staff from the Department of Design had arrived and all of them were well-dressed for the party. Thedies, in particr, were vying for the limelight to unt their beauty, and Alice was no exception. Although Aliona would be the center of attention at the party, they might also have a chance to be seen by Elliot. The daily office outfits were no longer their battlefield. On the contrary, tonight was the perfect time to present a different side of themselves. Aliona was the first to arrive and her appearance was particrly eye-catching. Those familiar with international fashion trends could recognize immediately that the sequined pearl dress she was wearing was the Chanel show¡¯stest fashion. Aside from that, people had also noticed the branded wristwatch and the ne she was wearing. It was without a doubt that Aliona was the star of the show. ¡°Aliona, your watch is stunning. It must be exorbitant.¡± Someone tried to tter Aliona. ¡°Not really,¡± Aliona replied with a gentle smile as she settled in her seat and the empty seat next to her must be reserved for Elliot. People who already knew the price, like Alice, wouldn¡¯t have to ask because this wristwatch was a limited edition, with only a few avable in the country. People who already knew the price, like Alice, wouldn¡¯t have to ask because this wristwatch was a limited edition, with only a few avable in the country. It was obvious that Aliona came from a wealthy family background, and her purpose to enter the company was not topete with her but to secure a rich husband like Elliot. ¡°What do you guys know? This is a limited edition and it is not avable for the general public,¡± Alice said, intending to earn a good impression in front of Aliona. Aliona said nothing but smiled as Alice¡¯s ttering had worked on her. Riley had raised her with extravagance , so all of the food that she ate and the clothes that she wore had to be the best. And to repay her godfather, she was to take down the Presgrave Group by marrying Elliot. At this moment, Anastasia had arrived at the entrance and people¡¯s attention was drawn to her. When she saw Felicia waving at her, she naturally walked toward Felicia and took a seat next to her. What a coincidence; Anastasia¡¯s seat was the exact opposite of Aliona¡¯s. ¡°Hi, Anastasia. You have finally arrived,¡± Aliona greeted politely. ¡°I¡¯mte. Sorry about that,¡± Anastasia apologized to everyone in the room. Under the lights, she lightly stroked her hair that was resting on her chest and that movement emanated an amorous atmosphere that stunned them for a moment. Even if Anastasia seemed pitiful after being abandoned by Elliot, there was no doubt that she could marry into the purple with her gorgeous face. Everyone had been used to the way she dressed in the workce, so they never expected her to be as charming as a dazzling diamond after she was dressed up. At that moment, Aliona¡¯s heart skipped a beat as Anastasia had given her a great sense of crisis tonight. The fact that Anastasia was here would most likely undermine Aliona¡¯s presence, which was detrimental to her n. ¡°Excuse me. I will be back in a moment,¡± Anastasia said to Felicia and walked toward the restroom. Seeing that, Aliona¡¯s expression changed. Then, she got up and headed toward the restroom as well. Anastasia was slightly startled when she saw Aliona¡¯s figure reflected in the mirror while washing her hands in the restroom.¡± Aliona raised her head and brushed her long hair with her fingers to reveal her slender wrist with the branded wristwatch. Then, her red lips parted as she said, ¡°Anastasia, out of goodwill, I think you will be better off leaving the party.¡± Right then, Anastasia¡¯s hand washing movement halted. She raised her head to nce at Aliona from the mirror and their eyes were locked on each other. In that instant, Anastasia could sense the animosity that wasing from Aliona. ¡°Miss Dora, what do you mean by that?¡± Anastasia asked as she squinted her eyes. Aliona crossed her arms and turned to face Anastasia. Her gaze looked intimidating. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand what I said? There will be a lot of affectionate interactions between me and President Presgrave tonight. I¡¯m afraid that you can¡¯t handle it,¡± she bragged. Chapter 322 In order to drive Anastasia away, Aliona did not mind revealing her dark side as she was threatened by Anastasia¡¯s beauty. Anastasia stopped for a split second before discovering that this seemingly sweet and harmless girl had a dark side. ¡°You two may go ahead and show off your affection. It won¡¯t affect me.¡± She elegantly caressed her long hair in the mirror and intended to leave. When Aliona realized that Anastasia refused to leave the party, she reached out with her hand and sped Anastasia¡¯s wrist. Aliona narrowed her eyes and warned, ¡°Anastasia Tillman. I hope that you can leave so you don¡¯t disturb me and Elliot.¡± That in itself was already a threat. Anastasia blinked her eyes a few times and abruptly broke free from Aliona¡¯s hands. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t disturb the two of you,¡± she stated. ¡°Elliot¡¯s eyes are only on me now. Why do you need to be here and make a fool of yourself? So many people are watching!¡± The mockery in Aliona¡¯s eyes intensified as she had always felt malice toward Anastasia and now, there was no need to hide them. The old saying is right. Never judge a book by its cover. I learned my lesson here. ¡°Miss Dora, are you lacking in self-confidence? Are you afraid that I¡¯ll steal Elliot¡¯s heart?¡± Anastasia smirked. She wanted Aliona to understand that she was not a pushover. ¡°Since you are so shameless and insist on staying at my wee party, I can only say that you have thick skin.¡± Aliona snickered, intending to provoke her. Anastasia waspletely speechless. Shameless? Thick skin? Me? ¡°The cost of this dinneres under the Department of Design¡¯s expenses, and as a member of the said department, I am entitled to enjoy this benefit,¡± Anastasia retorted as she arched her eyebrow. Then, she pushed the door open and left the restroom. After Anastasia left, Aliona bit her lips in annoyance as she had never thought that Anastasia was nobody¡¯s fool. After Anastasia returned to her seat, she pretended that nothing had happened. ¡°I just received a call from President Presgrave. He wants us to proceed with the dinner first,¡± Felicia whispered to Anastasia. Hearing that, Anastasia froze for a second. So, he is not going to show up? Soon after, Aliona had also returned to her seat. Her eyes were locked with Anastasia¡¯s and there seemed to be an invisible war going on in the atmosphere. Since Aliona had exposed her true self, there will be no need for fake politeness toward Anastasia. Is Elliot aware of Aliona¡¯s hidden side? Anastasia thought to herself. Anyway, it was not something she should be concerned about. It was up to him to decide what kind of woman he was going to marry. Right then, the food was served. ¡°Since President Presgrave has yet to arrive, I will wee Aliona on behalf of our Department of Design. Cheers to everyone,¡± Felicia stated as she stood up and held her cup. Anastasia followed Felicia¡¯s lead and held her cup while she nced at Aliona, who did not hide her gaze. The long table that held more than twenty people was full of dishes and desserts as everyone had started to eat. While everyone was eating, Aliona gave Anastasia a malice gaze and took out her phone to dial Elliot¡¯s number. When the other end answered, she asked in a deliberately affectionate tone, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you come yet, Elliot? We¡¯re all waiting for you!¡± Anastasia, who sat across from Aliona, could hear everything she said on the phone. After she heard the phone conversation, she couldn¡¯t help but reach for her wine ss and took two sips depressingly. ¡°Don¡¯t drink too much.¡± Felicia leaned over and reminded her in her ear. Only then did Anastasia realize she had almost finished the whole ss of wine. She looked at Felicia and gratefully nodded. Ten minutester, the waiter¡¯s greeting voice had drawn everyone¡¯s attention to the main entrance. Elliot waste, but no one said anything. Under the lights, they could see that he was dressed neatly in a ck shirt with suit pants and he walked elegantly toward their table. The lights had cast a dark shade on his body, which made him look colder and indifferent. ¡°Sorry for keeping everyone waiting,¡± Elliot apologized. Then, he gazed around and found the empty seat next to Aliona, so he walked to the seat directly. However, when he noticed Anastasia was sitting across the table, his deep eyes shed for a few seconds of consternation. She is surprisingly attractive and amorous tonight. Did she dress up specially? A faint smile flickered in Elliot¡¯s eyes as if he could see through her intention to dress up beautifully. Chapter 323 Anastasia¡¯s long locks were swept to one side as she red into his ocean eyes. Her own eyes looked as though there were stars in them as they reflected the light on the room. She also looked like a red rose that had emerged from a bed of snow¡ªdespite how thorny she was, she was a beauty that no one could resist. Elliot¡¯s mood began to fluctuate violently because he could feel how strong her jealousy was. ¡°You arete, Elliot. Your punishment is to drink a ss.¡± Aliona immediately brought a ss of red wine in front of him, and she smiled sweetly as she propped her chin in her hands. ¡°That is right! President Presgrave, you have to show us!¡± Alice was also fanning the mes. Without saying a word, he picked up the wine ss and elegantly drank its content in one gulp. The light shone on the buttons of his French cuff shirt as the dark gemstones shed a deep blue color. In short, he was elegant, extravagant and fatally charming. Anastasia¡¯s eyes were half-lidded as she gloomily brought her beer to her mouth. Everyone was watching the man across from her drinking as a punishment, but all she wanted to do was drink by herself. While remaining in the same pose as earlier, Aliona was looking at him with eyes full of admiration. Elliot, on the other hand, was enjoying the punishment in front of everyone. The entire scene was an eyesore for Anastasia. Is my ss extremely small? Why is the ss empty after just a few sips? she thought grumpily. She could only pour herself another ss before bringing it to her lips again. Without Felicia noticing, half of Anastasia¡¯s beer bottle had already been emptied. ¡°Elliot, have something to eat!¡± After Aliona finished speaking, she reached over to ce some food on his te. The man, however, only responded in a low voice, ¡°I will do it myself.¡± Aliona could feel her heart jolt upon hearing his cold words. She didn¡¯t dare act casually with him after that. As Elliot took his fork to eat, his gaze shifted to the woman across from him who was moodily downing one drink after another. Anastasia¡¯s eyes were fixated on one spot, but her drinking never ceased once. At that sight, Elliot furrowed his eyebrows when he saw it and he reminded her, ¡°Anastasia, don¡¯t drink too much.¡± She deliberately picked up the ss full of beer and raised it in his direction before she gulped it at one go again. After she drank it, she clicked her tongue and he could tell from her gaze that she didn¡¯t need him to worry about her. The man couldn¡¯t help feeling helpless and angry at her because it seemed like she was drinking herself silly. ¡°Aliona, you and President Presgrave must be having some sort of special rtionship!¡± Alice brought it up to Aliona to start the conversation. She knew that these were the kinds of topics Aliona liked talking about. Just as Alice had expected, Aliona elegantly put down her ss and she smilingly boasted, ¡°To tell you the truth, my dad and Elliot¡¯s father have been good friends for years. We are family friends.¡± Everyone was surprised when they heard her words. None of them had expected her toe from such an influential background. For her to be the daughter of Elliot¡¯s father¡¯s good friend meant that Elliot and Aliona were definitely from the same status! May, who was sitting aside, quietly let out a relieved breath and was d that she had not told Hayley about this. If not, May was sure that Aliona woulde for her if she were to offend Aliona in some way. May knew that Hayley was one of the many of Elliot¡¯s admirers, and that she had not secured the position as Mrs. Presgrave. Seems like Anastasia is out of luck as well even after everything that happened between her and the president, she thought. The joy in Aliona¡¯s eyes only went up a few notches when she turned to look at Anastasia. Even though Anastasia didn¡¯t directly meet her gaze, she could feel how Aliona felt, now that Aliona had emerged as the winner. ¡°Miss Dora, let me pour you a drink. You can ask me anything about work that you don¡¯t know from now on. I will make sure to help you if I can.¡± Alice took the chance to tter Aliona. Aliona had indeed fancied this colleague of hers, so she said her thanks. ¡°Miss Tillman,¡± Alice suddenly called out to make Anastasia¡¯s presence known. She wanted everyone to look at Anastasia who looked like an abandoned wife. ¡°What are you doing there drinking beer by yourself?¡± Anastasia suddenly shot up from the seat instead of answering Alice. ¡°I am going to the washroom.¡± ¡°I will go with you,¡± a worried Felicia offered after noticing that 2 beer bottles in front of her had already be empty. She was somewhat baffled by how she didn¡¯t realize it when Anastasia had drunk so much by herself. Anastasia took wobbly steps and pushed her way into a private room along the corridor. The private room was empty because the ce had been fully booked. Seeing how Anastasia weakly leaned against the door frame for support, Felicia quickly supported her and asked, ¡°Are you okay?!¡± Chapter 324 ¡°I am fine,¡± Anastasia answered with a nod of her head. All she wanted now was to have her own down time. Seeing her like this, Felicia couldn¡¯t help but feel bad for her. ¡°There is no need for you to do this to yourself.¡± ¡°I really am fine.¡± Anastasia forced herself to smile. Meanwhile, everyone else was eating at the table when Anastasia¡¯s phone on the table suddenly rang. Elliot took a nce and he stood up to reach for the device. There were 2 words on the screen¡ªMr. Hunter. Why is he calling Anastasia? As he was annoyed to see the name, he unhesitantly rejected the call. The sound of a message received soon came again. Back when Elliot had managed to unlock Anastasia¡¯s phone¡¯s facial recognition, he also took the opportunity to save his own face as a password to her phone. Now that he was able to unlock her phone, he was instantly greeted by a message with words filled with concern. ¡®Anastasia, I heard from your Dad that you have a dinner event. Did you drink alcohol? Do you want me toe pick you up?¡¯ A hint of displeasure shed across the bottom of his eyes. Since when has she be so close to Alex? Another message then came again. ¡®Tell me your address. I will be your chauffeur!¡± Elliot¡¯s face was stiff as he stared at the screen of the phone and he eventually put the phone face- down on the table. Aliona, who was sitting beside him, noticed how the man¡¯s handsome face had turned cold in an instant. There was no way he would allow another man to take advantage of Anastasia after she had drank so much. Even if she needed someone to send her back, Elliot was the only one allowed to do so. ¡°What is wrong, Elliot?¡± Aliona asked as she pretended to care. Yet, he only replied casually, ¡°Nothing¡±. Felicia kept Anastasiapany in the quiet private room where Anastasia started to feel tipsy as the alcohol slowly took effect in her body. ¡°I feel so dizzy, Felicia.¡± She raised her blurry gaze and pleaded in barely coherent words, ¡°Can you take me home, please?¡± ¡°Sure! Let¡¯s go! I don¡¯t want to stay here any longer, anyway.¡± As Anastasia didn¡¯t feel like returning to the table after they exited the private room, Felicia had her wait by the exit while she went back to inform the rest of them. She also went to take Anastasia¡¯s bag. After Felicia went back to the table, she loudly announced, ¡°Anastasia is drunk. I will be sending her home. Enjoy the rest of your evening, everyone.¡± She then turned to Elliot. ¡°President Presgrave, we will be leaving now.¡± Instead of answering her, he looked to Anastasia¡¯s seat with squinted eyes, only to see that the beer bottles in front of her were all empty. Darn it, he quietly cursed. She drank 2 whole bottles without me realizing? She felt like she was on clouds as she stood by the elevator and it was difficult for her to even stand. Felicia had to hold Anastasia to make sure she didn¡¯t fall as they waited for the elevator to arrive. Back at the dining table, Elliot suddenly stood up by pushing his chair back. He was holding both his car keys and Anastasia¡¯s phone in his big palms as he announced, ¡°Enjoy the meal. I am leaving.¡± Aliona¡¯s eyes widened at his sudden action, and she tried to call out to him, ¡°Elli¡ª¡± He was already out of the restaurant and near the elevator then. Seeing the diminishing number on top of the elevator, he panicked as the expression overtook his stoicism and he rushed down the staircase beside the elevator. The atmosphere at the dining table immediately changed after that. Everyone was casting knowing nces at Aliona, whose face had visibly fallen. They all knew who exactly Elliot had rushed for. Anastasia might be the final victor after all. Aliona was the only one who knew that he didn¡¯t have the slightest bit of interest in her despite the crazed rumors that had been going around these 2 days. She had been overly confident. However, she couldn¡¯t understand why Elliot hadn¡¯t done anything to control the rumors if he still cared about Anastasia. It was at that moment when a thought dawned on her. Is he not doing anything to get Anastasia jealous? Aliona¡¯s face instantly paled when she figured it out¡ªshe had been ying herself all along. Felicia was using all her might to carry the wasted Anastasia across the dimly lit car park. A man¡¯s deep voice soon rang out from behind. ¡°Please bring her to my car, Director Evans.¡± She turned her head to the sound of the voice and she saw Elliot walking toward them with his car key in his hand. He then unlocked the doors of his sedan before he opened the door to his car¡¯s backseat. Chapter 325 A concerned Felicia caringly reminded, ¡°President Presgrave, please take care of Miss Tillman.¡± ¡°Leave her to me,¡± Elliot replied in a low voice. Then, he opened the door to the driver¡¯s seat and got in. Felicia couldn¡¯t help but rejoice as she looked at him driving off with Anastasia in his car. She already knew that he was the reason why Anastasia drank to the point where she was drunk. A barely conscious Anastasia sat up in what she thought was Felicia¡¯s car. She held her forehead in her hand to suppress the excruciating headache as she said in the direction of the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Felicia, take me to any nearby hotel. I don¡¯t want to go home.¡± She didn¡¯t want her father and son to see her in such a terrible mood and if they did, she would be grateful to just not scare them with this side of her. A voice answered from the driver¡¯s seat, ¡°Is anyone taking care of your son?¡± ¡°My dad is home,¡± she obediently answered. Getting even dizzier as the car moved, she quickly slumped on the seat again. As Elliot waited for the traffic light to turn green, he grabbed her phone with his long fingers and sent Francis a message in her name that she would be spending the night with a friend. Francis¡¯ prompt reply that she didn¡¯t have to worry about her son came shortly after Elliot sent the message. Anastasia might not have been in her right mind, but she was still capable of thinking and emotions. She started to mumble in her drunken state toward the driver, ¡°Felicia, let me tell you a secret. Elliot is an *sshole! He is a bad, bad man¡­¡± Elliot froze for a second as he was shocked that she was scolding him behind his back, but he soon tilted his head toward her and asked, ¡°So, do you like him? Or do you hate him?¡± ¡°I hate him.¡± Her voice sounded like she was on the verge of tears. He was entertained by how drunk she behaved and he tried probing again, ¡°You are telling me that you hate him even though you are drunk because of him?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t drink because of him¡­ I would be an idiot for liking him¡­¡± she mumbled and grumbled in her drunken daze. Then, she sputtered again, ¡°I hate him¡­ He can like whoever the hell he wants to. It has nothing to do with me.¡± Anastasia didn¡¯t seem to have any idea what she was saying and she definitely had no clue where she was. The car was only filled with sounds that sounded like ¡®b*stard¡¯, ¡®trash¡¯ and ¡®I don¡¯t ever want to see him¡¯ before there was silence. She seemed to have fallen asleep by then. Elliot was somewhat heartbroken. I must have really hurt her this time, he thought. As they came to another red light stop, he turned to look at the sprawled out figure in his backseat before he sighed. ¡°I am sorry. This is all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have punished you with something so stupid.¡± He drove them to a hotel owned by the Mansons, and as soon as he carried the drunk woman into the hotel lobby in his arms, the manager of the hotel immediately gave them ess to the presidential suite. Elliot gently ced Anastasia on the soft bed before he reached out to brush away a few strands of hair on her forehead. Then, he pressed a kiss on her forehead. ¡°Sleep well. I will exin everything when you wake up.¡± Right as he ced the covers on her, her ssy eyes shot open to look at him. She thought she was having a dream about Elliot again. Her head had been so upied with him these 2 days that she thought what she was seeing was yet another dream she had been having. ¡°Go away¡­ Go away¡­ I don¡¯t want you in my dreams anymore.¡± After saying that, she reached out to p herself on her forehead a few times. It was as though she could make him disappear from her eyes by doing this. Elliot couldn¡¯t help but be startled when she suddenly started pping herself and he quickly pulled her into his chest to stop her iling hands. ¡°What are you hitting yourself for?¡± he asked. Her beauty was breath-taking as she was weak against his chest. With dishevelled ck locks, the corners of her eyes and the fair skin on her face had been tinted with a pinkish hue due to the alcohol. His mind was giving him ideas as his gaze followed along the tip of her nose to her red lips, and to her beautiful corbone. Tonight of all nights, however, was when he couldn¡¯ty his hands on her. The fiery-tempered woman would probably snap his neck first thing the next morning if he were to touch her without her permission again. Chapter 326 Elliot lowered his torso until his face was less than 2 inches away from Anastasia before he said in a hushed voice, ¡°I was wrong, Anastasia. Can you please forgive me? I don¡¯t like Aliona. I like you.¡± ¡°You are lying¡­¡± she rebutted through clench teeth, her red eyes ring at him. Then, he held her face between his palms. ¡°I am not lying.¡± His voice sounded extremely sincere. She slowly blinked at the man in breathing distance from her. Taking in the handsome features on his face, she couldn¡¯t help but acknowledge the reason why so many women fell for him. He had a face that no one could ever get tired of even after looking at it everyday. The charmed look in her eyes made Elliot¡¯s breath quicken as he looked at her. His gaze then fell to her slightly quivering pink and pouty lips. They looked like they were quietly inviting him to press his lips on hers. His self-control and reasoning that he had always been proud of disappeared in a puff of smoke. He didn¡¯t want to hold back any longer and he started listening to his heart as he slowly leaned in. The woman dazedly blinked at him before a sudden difort in her stomach pped her as she made a gagging noise. Just like that, Anastasia started to painfully hurl her dinner tonight onto his chest. His eyes went wide at that and he quickly gave her gentle pats on her back to help her throw up more comfortably. Elliot couldn¡¯t help but feel upset as he wondered if he was so visually unappetizing that she started puking after looking at him. Even then, the woman had no intention to stop. She lowered her head to vomit on her own chest before turning around to hurl on the bedside floor. She puked so much that there was bile after she had emptied her dinner. After she was done, she weaklyy on the bed with her pale face down before she passed out. Elliot took off his top and gave the front desk a call to inform them to give him another room. An attendant soon came to handle the procedure and when the other suite was ready for them to use, Elliot carried the now unconscious Anastasia to the new room. A few of the young attendants were blushing as they looked at him. They left the room after they had helped Elliot and Anastasia change rooms, and they couldn¡¯t help but silently exim about how handsome and sculpted he was. He looked like the protagonist who had stepped right out of a novel! Elliot cleaned up in the big bathroom of the presidential suite before he brought the woman on the sofa inside. Through her barely conscious mind, she was somewhat aware that she was soaking in warm water one second and in a soft bed the next. She was so deep in her sleep that she probably didn¡¯t remember covering Elliot with the contents of her stomach. Elliot sat on the sofa and stared at the sleeping woman with predatory eyes. Even though Anastasia was covered with a nket, she was still seductive to no end. Someone¡ªthat would be Aliona¡ªwas going to lose sleep tonight. Not only did she fail to seduce Elliot, she was stupid enough to reveal her hidden side to Anastasia. It was a miscalction on her part. In the middle of the night, Anastasia was so thirsty that she called out to no one and nothing in particr. ¡°Water¡­ I want water¡­¡± The man on the sofa opened his eyes instantly and he strutted over to the bed. After hearing what she wanted, he quickly brought a ss of warm water and fed it to her with her in his arms. Anastasia refused to open her eyes throughout the entire time. After drinking the water, she suddenly leaned into the warmth of his embrace as she wrapped her arms around his waist. She then buried her face into his chest as she drifted off to sleep. Seeing that, Elliot ced the ss down and caressed her long locks before he lowered his head to kiss her on the forehead. He was reluctant to let her go. She continued to sleep in his arms for the rest of the night until the first ray of sunlight came shining into the room. As Anastasia was disturbed by the brightness in her eyelids, she let out a frown before finally opening her eyes. The first thing she saw was a white bathrobe and she slowly looked up. She seemed to be hugging onto someone¡­ She felt as if she had been electrified in that instant. She quickly pulled her hands away and eximed, ¡°Why are you here?!¡± Thousands of thoughts began flying through her head then. Didn¡¯t Ie to the hotel with Felicia? Why did I wake up with Elliot in my arms? ¡°Where is Felicia?¡± She lowered her gaze and saw that she had been changed out of her dress and into a bathrobe. She didn¡¯t feel like she had anything else other than the fluffy white piece of cloth. ¡°My ¡ªmy clothes¡­ Who changed me out of my clothes?¡± she stammered. Since he had no other choice but to tell a white lie, Elliot answered, ¡°You threw upst night. You were changed out of your clothes by¡­Director Evans.¡± Anastasia was drifting between dream and reality when a strong arm carried her into the wide backseat of his car. Chapter 327 Elliot didn¡¯t know what to expect if he were to tell Anastasia that he was the one who changed her out of her dirty clothes. She immediately covered her arms over her chest and questioned him with suspicious eyes, ¡°Why are you in my room? Where is Felicia?¡± ¡°Director Evans went home to rest. I am in charge of taking care of you now,¡± he answered in a low voice. Her sharp gaze then darted to the bathrobe he had on before her heart seemed toe to a stop for a moment. ¡°You¡­¡± she stuttered. ¡°Why are you in a bathrobe?¡± Was Felicia even herest night? she panicked. Did Elliot put me in this bathrobe? He casually reminded her then. ¡°You threw up all over me.¡± When Anastasia heard that, her cheeks started heating up. She did vaguely remember puking, but she had no recollection of what or who she did it on. She had no choice but to believe Elliot for now. In a cold voice, she chided him as she turned to look the other way. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to take care of me. You can leave now!¡± ¡°Before I go,¡± he calmly mentioned, ¡°I want to exin about the rumor regarding Aliona and me that has been going around these 2 days.¡± He didn¡¯t want the misunderstanding to continue being dragged on. ¡°You don¡¯t have to. There is no need for that.¡± Not wanting to spare him the time of her day for him to give his excuses, she flipped open the nket and got out of bed. Despite her rejection, Elliot continued to say, ¡°Would you believe me if I were to tell you that the rumors are fake?¡± Anastasia¡¯s grip on the front of her bathrobe tightened at that and she let out a smile. From him giving flowers with a pair of couple¡¯s bracelets to Aliona to him walking out of a restaurant with her, how could any of what she had seen with her own eyes be fake? ¡°Thank you for taking care of me the whole night, but I don¡¯t care who is involved in the rumors regarding you. I am going home now.¡± Anastasia started looking for her bag after she said her piece. However, the man couldn¡¯t possibly let her leave. Elliot stood up and grabbed her by her wrist, and the already lightheaded Anastasia swiftly fell into his arms. Her face was red with anger as she looked at the relentless man. ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even think about going anywhere before you hear out,¡± hemandingly interrupted as his arms tightened around her. His domineering tone made her bite her teeth as she gritted, ¡°Do I have the choice to not listen?¡± ¡°No.¡± Elliot locked his eyes on Anastasia before he asked without beating around the bush. ¡°Answer my question first, then. Why did you pick up Jared with Alex on Wednesday? Have I ever crossed your mind when you were spending time alone and flirting with him? You can¡¯t even be bothered with picking up my call when you are with him, huh?¡± Anatasia froze when she heard his words. She hadn¡¯t expected him to know that she had gone with Alex to take Jared from school. As for her not picking up his call, she had actually ced her phone on silent when he called. She didn¡¯t call him back after that because she didn¡¯t see the need to do so. Elliot continued before she could even muster a reply. ¡°That was why I purposely gave Aliona a bouquet the next day. I purposely didn¡¯t clear up the rumor. I intentionally went to the restaurant that you were at to let you see us. I purposely called you to my office to see my order on the pair of couple¡¯s bracelets. Everything I did was because I was jealous of you and Alex. I only wanted to punish you for making me angry, do you understand?¡± Anastasia couldn¡¯t think of what to think after listening to him rambling on. He started the rumors just because of that one time Alex and I picked up Jared together, and didn¡¯t take his call afterward? Aftergging behind for a full minute, she was suddenly curious about the whereabouts of the other bracelet. ¡°Did you give out your couple¡¯s bracelet?¡± she asked. He grumpily flicked her on the forehead at that moment. ¡°It is in my drawer. Come and get it from my office tomorrow.¡± ¡°You are giving it to me?¡± she asked, shocked. Isn¡¯t it supposed to be for Aliona? ¡°Who else other than you has the right to wear a couple¡¯s jewelry with me?¡± His dark eyes were looking down at her all in crankiness. She hadn¡¯t given him an answer yet when a smile suddenly appeared on Elliot¡¯s face. ¡°Why did you drink so muchst night?¡± he teased. ¡°Were you jealous?¡± ¡°W-Who said I was drinking because of you?! Can¡¯t I drink because I want to?¡± After having been found out, Anastasia meekly argued with him as she tried to struggle out of his hold. Even though she eventually broke free, she was back in his embrace a secondter. The man gently rubbed the back of her head as he let out a resigned sigh beside her ear. ¡°Alright, now. You don¡¯t have to be jealous, and I won¡¯t get mad from now on. Let¡¯s reconcile!¡± Chapter 328 Anastasia started to shove Elliot away out of guilt, which left Elliot with no choice but to release his grip on her. She immediately turned to hide from him. Only God knew about the thoughts that she had about Elliot and Aliona for the past 2 days and if Elliot was a mind reader, Anastasia would definitely die from embarrassment if he was a mind reader. She didn¡¯t even want to think about how she cried and wailed like an abandoned wife in the middle of the night because of him. Still, thinking that it was better for her to exin herself so that Elliot would not misunderstand the rtionship she had with Alex, Anastasia started, ¡°I didn¡¯t pick up your call because I put it on silent mode before my dad dragged me to the board meeting. Dad and I went to the construction site in the afternoon without our car. I was almostte picking up Jared, and so I asked Mr. Hunter to send me over.¡± After hearing the rather normal exnation, Elliot let out a satisfied smile, and he haughtily snaked his arms around her waist from behind. Then, he started coaxing her in a voice that was thick from sleep. ¡°It was my fault. Can you please forgive me?¡± Since she did not want to get intimate with him so soon, she subconsciously tried to pry his hands away. However, not only did she not seed at moving him away, his hold on her had only tightened as he even rested his chin on her shoulder. ¡°Can I tell you a secret?¡± he asked suddenly. Anastasia¡¯s eyebrows were knitted together as she inquired, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The car that you entered was my car. The person who brought you to this hotel was me. And the person who changed you into a bathrobe was also me.¡± She could feel herst string of sanity snap after he said those words. She had already guessed that he was the culprit behind everything that had happened up until now. ¡°Let me go! What did you do to me?¡± The blood had rushed up to her cheeks and to the tip of her ears. She was nning to let him off the hook for making her angry, but he even went as far as to see her with nothing on! Elliot chuckled upon seeing her reaction. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he reassured her. ¡°I am a man of integrity.¡± ¡°You are a prick!¡± Anastasia retorted. Deciding not to piss her off any further, he sighed provocatively next to her ear. ¡°I better take a cold shower to calm a certain body part of mine down after you held me for the entire night.¡± She instantly understood his words, and she stayed frozen in the same spot. The man then walked toward the bathroom while she went to sit on the balcony sofa. Her mind was still a little fuzzy in addition to her headache, but at least she finally had an answer for something on her mind. The rumor about Elliot and Aliona that had been circting around was false, but it was true that Anastasia was losing her mind these 2 days. The tears she had shed for him were also true and her jealousy was so raw that there was no need to wonder whether it was real or not. What¡­ What is wrong with me? I think I have fallen for him. She then lifted her chin to look at the sky wordlessly. How can I have fallen for him?! Soon after, Rey brought a white dress that Anastasia eventually changed into before Elliot had him send her home. As she sat in the car Rey was driving, she was in the midst of daydreaming when she suddenly thought of something she wanted to ask him. ¡°Mr. Osborne, did you and Elliot go to my son¡¯s kindergarten Wednesday afternoon?¡± Rey had seen how she and his boss interacted earlier in the hotel room and he guessed that they had probably reconciled. He answered with a smile, ¡°Yes. President Presgrave was excited to fake a coincidental meeting with you, but you had already picked up Jared with another man in tow. The president was exasperated! I remember how dark his expression was when we went back.¡± Was he really that mad? Anastasia wondered. Since he thought that he needed to help Elliot say something, he continued, ¡°I believe that the president has already exined to you about the matter regarding him and Miss Dora. Please don¡¯t misunderstand him, Miss Tillman. President Presgrave was only venting his anger. He truly does care about you and has no other intention than to ensure that Miss Dora is well.¡± Anastasia was somewhat embarrassed to hear these wordsing from Rey. Rey left right after he dropped her back home. As her father had some business to attend to, she was the only one who kept Jaredpany and she did not even realize the silly grin that remained on her face. Jared suddenly noticed the smile and he curiously asked, ¡°Mommy, what are you smiling about?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± She quickly covered her face with her hand. ¡°Was I smiling?¡± ¡°You did!¡± ¡°It is probably because I am in a good mood.¡± ¡°Did something happen that made you happy?¡± the boy asked with a tilted head. She didn¡¯t have an answer to his question. All she could do was to rub him on his head thereafter and say, ¡°I will tell you next time.¡± Chapter 329 However, this incident hadn¡¯t been all that bad. At least, she had clearly seen who the real Aliona was and would be aware to keep a distance from Aliona at work in the future. There was no need at all for someone with a background like Aliona to work at Bourgeois, which meant that she only came for one reason¡ªElliot! However, Anastasia understood why women would try their best to woo Elliot. Hayley had just stepped out of the car at the international airport when she took a deep breath before retrieving her phone to give him a call. It took 7 seconds before the seductive male voice came from the other end of the call. ¡°Hello, Hayley. Is anything wrong?¡± ¡°Elliot, I¡¯ll be going for a vacation abroad for about 3 months. I wanted to say goodbye.¡± ¡°Alright, go ahead! Be careful on your way there,¡± he reminded her. She then mysteriously added, ¡°Elliot, you might see a different me by the time I return.¡± ¡°Is that so? Alright. Stay safe out there.¡± A hint of disappointment shed across her face at that. Elliot had been putting on a ceremony with her as ofte where she couldn¡¯t feel anything other than him treating her like a normal friend from his words. ¡°Okay, I will! I will miss you,¡± Hayley added sweetly, but all he said in reply before hanging up was, ¡°Mm. I am hanging up.¡± She was only more disappointed because of his curt reply, but her disappointment soon turned into determination when she thought about how much life she had ahead of her. For one, she still had plenty of chances to change her fate since she would be a brand new person by the time she returned to the country. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Miss Seymour!¡± There was a small group of 3 people by Hayley¡¯s side. She turned her head to look at them and asked, ¡°Did you bribe enough? I want the best surgeon.¡± ¡°We did,¡± a middle-aged man within the trio answered her. ¡°We have hired the best stic surgeon. Your satisfaction is guaranteed.¡± They did the best they could with the generous amount Hayley had paid them. ¡°Good.¡± She started walking into the airport before she saw a mirror beside her. She clenched her jaw when she turned to look at her ordinary face. She detested her face; to her, it was because of her lackluster features that she couldn¡¯t get Elliot to admire her. She was sure that she would be the one receiving Elliot¡¯s love if only she had Anastasia¡¯s facial features. In order to get the man to be hers, she wasn¡¯t scared of the dangers and side effects that mighte with the procedure. All she wanted was for Elliot to love her. It could be a shallow love thatsted only for a while, but she didn¡¯t mind it at all. Hayley¡¯s love for the man was too deep for her to back out now as it was the kind of love that made her lose sleep at night. Constantly disturbed by the image of Elliot and Anastasia in her head, she never had a good night¡¯s rest ever since she came back from the birthday banquet. The mere thought of them being loving to one another and how Anastasia managed to get all of his attention was enough to drive Hayley crazy with jealousy. She needed a different face in order to have Elliot. As to whose face she wanted to have, she wasn¡¯t interested in the faces of all the beautiful celebrities out there. She wanted to have the face Elliot loved¡ªshe wanted Anastasia¡¯s face. A pleased, yet somewhat menacing smile appeared on Hayley¡¯s face as she moved her gaze away from the mirror. On the other hand, Elliot was sitting on a sofa in his vi while his 4 bodyguards reported to him as they stood in front of him. ¡°President Presgrave, Riley Presgrave has been insistent on not leaving the country. We have given him a warning as you have instructed.¡± Hearing that, Elliot asked, ¡°Has he gotten in contact with anyely?¡± ¡°He has met up for meals with a few of his old friends. There is nothing beyond that.¡± ¡°Keep a close eye on him. I want to know every move he makes in the country.¡± Elliot¡¯s gaze sharpened dangerously as he gave his bodyguards the instruction. His parents¡¯ death had been a lesson. Riley was far more evil than Elliot could ever imagine. He was sure that Riley still held a grudge from the time when he was chased out of the country by Elliot¡¯s grandmother. There was a big possibility that Riley intended to cause harm to the Presgraves now that he was back. This was why Elliot couldn¡¯t beckadaisical with monitoring the man since he also had his ways to nt eyes on Riley, who had been abroad. When the weekend came, Anastasia spent a normal, but heartwarming day with her son. For someone who lived a normal life like her, getting to live everyday peacefully and happily was the ultimate joy of life. Chapter 330 ¡°Mommy, when is Mr. Presgraveing over to eat with us? I miss him so much!¡± Jared was in bed refusing to sleep as he yearned to see Elliot again. Looking at his longing expression as she sat in front of his bed, Anastasia really didn¡¯t want to give the young boy any false hope. She was afraid that Elliot would leave them again someday. Even though his rumors with Aliona turned out to be false, Anastasia didn¡¯t have the confidence that it wouldn¡¯te true with the next woman he met. ¡°Jared, you can miss him, but would it be alright if you miss him in your mind?¡± The young boy didn¡¯t reply and instead stared at her with big, clear eyes. ¡°Mommy, do you miss him?¡± he asked in return. There was no way she could lie as she looked into her son¡¯s innocent eyes, so she nodded and confessed, ¡°Yup, I miss him too.¡± ¡°Can you court him then, Mommy? We can always be together with him if you manage to marry him!¡± The child encouraged her as he let out a series of sillyughter. My son is worried about this for me! she mused, her cheeks turning red. She then reached out to caress him on his head. ¡°Come on, leave the adult matters to the adults. You are too young to worry about this. Time to sleep!¡± Jared had no choice but to obediently close his eyes then. As she looked at her son¡¯s face, her heart started beating faster when she realized how much he looked like Elliot with each passing day. Just what is going on? she thought. Every line and shadow on his face looked like Elliot¡¯s, only mini-sized. It was as though Elliot and Jared were father and son. After she made sure that she had properly covered Jared with the nket, she went back to her room and spent the quiet night letting thoughts pass through her clear mind. She felt tingly and numb all over when she recalled how she had vomited all over herself and Elliot, and even let him wash her. How could I let an adult man bath me? Thinking of that, she felt so bashful her whole head seemed to have turned red. Monday came after a well spent weekend. She went and had a chat with Jared¡¯s teacher after she sent him to his ssroom. ording to the teacher, Jared was a polite and mature boy. Not only was he not afraid of being in a new environment, he had also shown high intelligence. All the other kids in his ss liked him. Anastasia felt relieved after hearing the teacher¡¯s words. She was happy that her son had a good personality that attracted people to him. After the visit to the kindergarten, she made her way to Bourgeois. The first ce she went to after entering the Department of Design was Felicia¡¯s office. Felicia had also just arrived moments ago and when she saw Anastasia walking in, she put down the cup of coffee in her hand to ask Anastasia with a smile, ¡°How was your Saturday night?¡± Anastasia¡¯s face instantly felt hot at that. ¡°Don¡¯t even mention it, Felicia,¡± she whined. Felicia could tell that their rtionship was back on track when she saw how Anastasia was acting, and she couldn¡¯t help but feel happy for her friend. ¡°Truth be told, I always had a feeling that President Presgrave isn¡¯t someone who would so easily have a change of heart. You should have faith in him.¡± Anastasia couldn¡¯t say anything in regards to that. It was only Elliot¡¯s punishment for her, after all. Even though it seemed like a terrible joke now that she looked back at it, it was for a fact that she had been through a miserable time because of the incident. She felt just like a mardy woman who had been cast aside. ¡°Felicia,¡± Anastasia sincerely called out to her. ¡°Thank you for taking care and protecting me all this time.¡± ¡°I like being friends with genuine people.¡± Felicia quietly threw her apliment. Hearing that, Anastasia smiled with her lips pressed together. ¡°Thank you. You can ask me if you ever need my help with anything. You don¡¯t have to hold back.¡± ¡°Sure! Just don¡¯t forget about me when you be Presgrave Group¡¯sdy boss,¡± Felicia jokingly said. The color quickly came back to dust Anastasia¡¯s cheeks again and she held her head andughed, ¡°Stop teasing me, Felicia. You can¡¯t joke about something like this.¡± Felicia only disregarded Anastasia¡¯s words and continued making fun of her. ¡°Why not? It might just happen one day. I have to build a good rtionship with you before that dayes.¡± She had a strong feeling that her words mighte true in the end. Felicia¡¯s assistant knocked on her door right this moment. The person was carrying a whole stack of files in her hands as she walked in. ¡°Felicia, all these will need your signature before 10:00AM.¡± Not wanting to disturb her any further, Anastasia automatically went and pushed the door open to return to her own office. As Grace poured her a cup of coffee, Anastasia clicked open the file that she used to save her drafts. The inspiration she had lost two days ago had seemingly returned to her in that instant. N?velDrama.Org ? content. It made her heart cold. She was terrified of how it felt when she thought she had lost her inspiration. Her skills and creativity were her money maker! Chapter 331-340 Chapter 331-340 Chapter 331 Anastasia arrived at a conclusion with that: Never get involved with a man without thinking it through. Or else, she would end up being the one suffering. A knock on her door came before she could even start with her work. Aliona, who was d in an all- white suit, then walked in as she enthusiastically said to Anastasia seated at the desk, ¡°Anastasia, I want to have a chat with you.¡± Knowing that this was a mere act Aliona was putting on, Anastasia crossed her arms as she stated with her eyebrow raised, ¡°There is nothing you and I have to talk about.¡± ¡°Anastasia, I would like to apologize for saying the thing I did before. I am really sorry for hurting you by saying something so out of line. Can you please forgive me for my ignorance and impudence?¡± Aliona apologized to save her image. At the very least, she didn¡¯t want to be on bad terms with Anastasia. It all only seemed like a bad joke to Anastasia. She knew that there was no sincerity in Aliona¡¯s apology as the woman was merely apologizing because she was afraid that Anastasia would tell Elliot the truth. ¡°I ept your apology,¡± Anastasia said indifferently. ¡°You can leave my office now.¡± ¡°If you ept my apology, this also means that you won¡¯t tell Elliot what happened between us, right?¡± Aliona had her palms pressed against the surface of the desk, her gaze staring holes into Anastasia. ¡°I beg of you, please don¡¯t tell him about us.¡± This was Aliona¡¯s only reason for admitting defeat¡ªshe wanted to maintain that innocent mask of hers in front of Elliot. Anastasia¡¯s raised eyebrow went slightly higher at that. ¡°So, you don¡¯t actually want my forgiveness? You are only scared that I will tell him the truth, huh?¡± ¡°I was only against you because I love Elliot too much! I am not usually someone like that,¡± Aliona tried her best to exin herself. However, Anastasia had no intention to ept her insincere apology. She answered, ¡°This is not a good reason for you to verbally attack me.¡± Aliona looked at her with sharp eyes when she heard that. ¡°Anastasia,¡± she coldly began. ¡°We don¡¯t have to turn into each other¡¯s enemies. What do you think?¡± ¡°I am not afraid of you.¡± Anastasia red back at her with an equally unintimidated gaze. ¡°I heard that you are a single mother. It must be tough to bring a kid up by yourself.¡± Even though Aliona was smiling when she said that, the threat in her eyes was evident. Anastasia immediately felt her whole body freeze when she heard Aliona¡¯s words. She felt a strange difort at seeing the threatening smile on Aliona¡¯s face. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Anastasia questioned her coldly. ¡°It all depends on what you do! If you make things hard for me, I will have to make things hard for you too!¡± Aliona raised her own brow and nced at Anastasia with a pleased look. ¡°Anastasia, you better know what is best for you. Don¡¯t stand in my way.¡± Anastasia stood up from her seat and she gravely warned the woman in front of her. ¡°Tryying a finger on my son and see what happens.¡± Aliona was startled by the fight Anastasia was putting up and the proud expression on her face was instantly wiped off. She soon got close to Anastasia again. ¡°That is why it is better for us toe out of this unharmed, no?¡± After saying that, she turned around and opened the door to leave the office. Anastasia¡¯s heart was still thumping wildly as she looked at Aliona¡¯s retreating back. Jared had been her Achilles heel ever since he was born into this world, so she would always feel uneasy whenever someone were to get too close to her son. There was nothing Aliona wouldn¡¯t do to have Elliot. She was still worried by the time she returned to her own office. Her mission should have been carried out wlessly, and yet, she had to face off against Anastasia, who was also the biggest stumbling block in her path topleting her n. Elliot looked as though he could never fall for any woman other than Anastasia. Aliona held a grudge against Anastasia because of that and it made her angry that she couldn¡¯t win against Anastasia. It was around 11.00AM when Anastasia¡¯sndline began to ring, so she picked up the phone and swiftly said hello. ¡°Come to my office,¡± a man¡¯s voice informed her from the other side of the call. When she heard that, she immediately rejected him. ¡°I am busy with work.¡± ¡°Come and get your bracelet.¡± The man¡¯s low voice rang out again. Not wanting to make a trip to his office for a bracelet, she brushed him off. ¡°Give it to someone else. I don¡¯t want it.¡± Elliot started to threaten her. ¡°Anastasia, do you want me to give it to you in front of the whole office?¡± His words immediately gave Anastasia a headache and she asked in a baffled manner, ¡°Elliot, must I ept it just because you want to give me it?¡± ¡°I will give you 2 minutes. If you don¡¯te up by then, I will being down to you.¡± He then hung up after saying that. Chapter 332 Anastasia took in a deep breath and she eventually still stood up from her chair. A man was fiddling with an exquisite woman¡¯s bracelet in the president¡¯s office. He had a bracelet thicker than the one he was ying around with on his wrist and itplemented the limited edition wristwatch he had on. As she pushed open the door toe in, a smile instantly appeared on the man¡¯s face. With his deep eyes locked on her, he elegantly stood up and made his way toward her. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ever listen to me?¡± Elliot asked grumpily as he looked at her being all upset. It was always after he threatened her that she would listen to him. Seeing the thin bracelet in his palm, she dered with no mercy, ¡°Bring it for a refund. I don¡¯t want to ept this present.¡± However, just as she finished saying that, the man had grabbed her by her wrist and was trying to put it on her despite her refusal. ¡°A refund? For what? I want to wear matching bracelets with you.¡± And just like that, Anastasia now had a bracelet on her wrist. Even though the design was simple, the gemstones on it probably weren¡¯t cheap. ¡°It looks quite lovely on you. You aren¡¯t allowed to remove it,¡± he demanded. She looked at the bracelet, her emotions a mess. She was troubled as to whether she should ept it or give it back. Elliot suddenly started undoing the buttons of his top at this moment, making Anastasia look at him with her guard up. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asked him thereafter. The man only continued to unbutton the first 3 buttons of his shirt, and the moment he did so, she noticed a familiar-looking ne hanging on his neck. She unknowingly gasped, ¡°How did you manage to get it done so soon?¡± It was the ne that she had designed for him before. She hadn¡¯t expected him to wear it so soon. ¡°It is a gift from you, after all. Of course I had to tell them to make it faster and I just received it earlier today. I am very satisfied with it as it suits me well.¡± Then, Elliot started to lovingly touch the ne. ¡°I will always think of you when I wear it.¡± After she heard those words, her cheeks suddenly felt warm. ¡°You bought it with your own money. What has it got to do with me?¡± ¡°Of course it has something to do with you. This ne contains your feelings for me. Don¡¯t nes signify lingering affection?¡± Elliot asked with a smile. The set of thick and thin bracelets resembled a male and female snake coiled around each other, which was what she had indeed thought of when she designed the ne. She didn¡¯t think he would see through her intention at a nce. Such a question had only caused Anastasia¡¯s face to burn even more as she asked, ¡°If this is the case, can I have mymission this month?¡± The man let out a vexed ¡®hmph¡¯ when he heard her words before he started toin, ¡°Why don¡¯t you just marry me since you are so concerned about money? You would immediately gain financial freedom.¡± ¡°I feel better when I spend the money that I earn myself. It is not something spending someone else¡¯s money can bepared to,¡± she challenged him with a raised eyebrow. Since he couldn¡¯te up with a better rebuttal, Elliot fell quiet for a moment before he abruptly extended an invitation to her. ¡°Let¡¯s have lunch together.¡± ¡°No can do,¡± she swiftly rejected him. ¡°I already have a lunch date.¡± Thinking that Anastasia¡¯s lunch date might be Alex, Elliot immediately demanded, ¡°Who is it?¡± She would do anything to not have a meal with him, so she smoothly answered, ¡°Felicia.¡± ¡°Cancel it. I already booked us a table,¡± he insisted as he wanted to bring her somewhere nice for lunch. She was immediately rendered speechless by the man who left her with no leeway. After that, Anastasia red at him and scolded, ¡°Can you not be so domineering, Elliot?¡± ¡°Okay, I will be more gentle.¡± Then, a smiling Elliot added, ¡°Only if you stop rejecting me, though.¡± Anastasia fell silent for a while before she eventually replied, ¡°I will be epting the bracelet then, but out of courtesy, I will give you a present as well. I will buy you anything you want this afternoon.¡± This was the only solution she coulde up with. She couldn¡¯t possibly just take without giving something back. Hearing that she wanted to give him something in return, he grinned before he joyfully asked, ¡°Is that so? Can you give me everything I want?¡± ¡°As long as I can afford it,¡± she replied as she lightly chewed on her red lip. ¡°Alright. Select a few underpants for me from an underwear store!¡± A baffled Anastasia hurriedly rejected Elliot. ¡°But I don¡¯t know how to pick stuff like this.¡± ¡°What do you mean by you don¡¯t know how to? Do you mean to say that you don¡¯t know my size?¡± He suddenly grabbed her hand and pressed it against his lower abdomen. ¡°Feel it with your own hands, then.¡± Chapter 333 As though she had been scalded by boiling water, Anastasia immediately retracted her hand and hissed, ¡°Elliot! Stop messing around!¡± ¡°Okay, then! I am fine with a leather belt as well. I want one that fits.¡± Elliot decided to stop teasing her. ¡°That is fine. I will give you a leather belt,¡± she agreed quickly. It was as if she wanted to get away from him as soon as she could. After she returned to her office, she was called by a nearby Felicia. ¡°Anastasia, can youe here for a second?¡± Then, Anastasia followed her to a quiet corner in the pantry. ¡°Anastasia, have you heard news about ourpany¡¯s relocation?¡± Felicia suddenly asked. As she was surprised by Felicia¡¯s words, Anastasia asked in return, ¡°Relocation? Where to?¡± ¡°I heard that they have vacated 2 floors in Presgrave Corporation for us to use as our new office space.¡± She added with a smile, ¡°We are moving to Presgrave Corporation.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but feel surprised about it. Why didn¡¯t Elliot tell me? she thought. Why are we moving to hispany out of nowhere? ¡°Regardless, this is a good thing. Our new office will definitely be bigger than now. I am sure we will have more benefits working there too.¡± Anastasia nkly blinked after hearing Felicia¡¯s words. She wanted to find a time to ask Elliot if the rumor about the relocation was true. Right at this moment, Felicia¡¯s observant eyesnded on the new bracelet on her friend¡¯s wrist and she laughed out loud. ¡°A present from President Presgrave?¡± she asked. The question left Anastasia¡¯s cheeks burning. ¡°Felicia, did you choose this?¡± ¡°Sure did! He gave me a rather abrupt call one day, and I had to rush off to a jewelry store to pick out a pair. I finally chose two matching ones that came to 2,000,000 and thought it was for Aliona!¡± Anastasia¡¯s breath hitched. 2,000,000? That is super expensive! A smiling Felicia then continued, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to be for you. I would have chosen something more expensive if I had known.¡± Anastasia started to turn red from embarrassment under Felicia¡¯s scrutinizing eyes. She felt as though all her thoughts and emotions were being read like she was an open book. Felicia lightly patted her on the shoulder a few times. ¡°You have to be braver if you like President Presgrave. Don¡¯t let anyone slip in when they find the opportunity to. The president always has some rather ambitious women revolving around him.¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± Anastasia stammered. ¡°Admitting that you like someone isn¡¯t something for you to feel ashamed of. Anastasia, I know that you feel pressured about bringing a child into a new marriage, but President Presgrave is worth betting your heart on,¡± Felicia advised genuinely. Indeed, Anastasia agreed that Elliot was someone whom she could fall in love with. However, she had an emotional hurdle that she couldn¡¯t easily ovee. That night from 5 years ago had left a deep scar within her. On top of that, knowing that Hayley and Elliot had shared a past made it so much harder for her to open her heart to him. Anastasia¡¯s phone started going off at 11:00AM sharp. As soon as she saw that it was Elliot calling, she picked up the call and greeted, ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Underground car park. I will see you in five.¡± In his low, clear voice, he added, ¡°And you can¡¯t say no.¡± Since Elliot insisted on buying her a meal, she had no choice but to ept it. By the time Anastasia arrived at the car park at the appointed time, Elliot was already in his car. She then opened the door to the passenger¡¯s seat, but didn¡¯t notice how two ck SUVs, one at the front and another behind, had started moving to keep them safe as soon as he drove out of the car park. They soon arrived at a high-end restaurant. After they ordered their meal, she blurted out a question that she really wanted to ask him. ¡°I heard that thepany is relocating. Is it true?¡± ¡°Mhm. It is.¡± He briefly nodded in reply. She picked up her tea cup and asked with a smile, ¡°Why are we moving? The Bourgeois building may be a little short, but everything else has been perfect.¡± ¡°Did you know that I go to and fro from Bourgeois and Presgrave Corporation everyday just to see you?¡± Elliot rested his hands in front of his cor with his fingers intertwined as his elbows rested on the table. His deep gaze was extremely enchanting. ¡°It has been tiring, yes, but I loved every moment of it.¡± Anastasia¡¯s breath seemed to stop for a second there. Does he reallye to Bourgeois everyday just to see me? ¡°But I have realized recently that the security measures in Bourgeois are quite poor. It doesn¡¯t help me with my work, and this is why I decided to relocate thepany. By moving, we can finally work in the same building. We can also see each other every day, get to and from work together, have coffee together¡­ It will be easier for us to do anything we want to.¡± Chapter 334 Elliot said that the main reason for relocating the atelier was to make it easier for him to see her. Anastasia¡¯s face reddened under his gaze. To distract herself, she tapped her finger on the teacup that she was holding. ¡°What¡¯s so special about seeing me?¡± she asked. Why does Elliot want to see me for no reason? ¡°Apart from work, you are the most important thing to me every day since I have met you,¡± Elliot responded as he nced into her eyes. Although he was not good at loving someone, the way he communicated his love was direct and didn¡¯t beat around the bush. But his love was too overwhelming, which caused her a lot of pressure and trouble. ¡°I¡¯m not worth it.¡± Anastasia stroked her long hair as she said. Under the afternoon sunlight, her heated cheeks exuded a charming aura and was seemingly attractive. He supported his forehead with his palm and admired her as if he were admiring a masterpiece¡ªevery scowl and smile of hers, every microexpression of hers, he was taking into his eyes and remembering in his heart. How could such a woman exist in this world and make me madly fall in love? In the face of loving her, my pride and dignity have be insignificant. Now that she was under his gaze, Anastasia was a little flustered and covered her face in embarrassment before she begged, ¡°Please don¡¯t look at me like this. I can¡¯t take it.¡± Elliot burst outughing as he teased, ¡°You can¡¯t take it? What if I spend the rest of my life staring at you?¡± ¡°Who would want to be stared at by you for the rest of their life?¡± Anastasia retorted, but her eyes were filled with shyness. ¡°If you don¡¯t want me to look at you, then who do you want to be stared at?¡± he jealously asked and added, ¡°By Alex Hunter?¡± Anastasia had no idea where this man¡¯s jealousy came from. She had nothing to do with Alex, so how could Elliot feel jealous all the time? ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to do with Mr. Hunter. We¡¯re just friends,¡± she exined inexplicably. ¡°I don¡¯t care. In short, I don¡¯t want you to get too close to him,¡± Elliotmanded as he squinted his upturned eyes. Only men understood the mentality of their peers. Even if Anastasia hadn¡¯t noticed ittely, he could see through Alex¡¯s dirty thoughts about her at a nce. Anastasia blinked her eyes a few times after she heard him. She could only say that this man was too domineering. When the food arrived, Elliot had been passionately serving the food to her to make up for what angered her for the past two days. It was also because she had appeared to have lost some weight. If another man served her food, she would definitely reject it. Why didn¡¯t I feel that way when Elliot served me the food? she wondered. After Anastasia returned to the office, she went to the bathroom and overheard the staff discussing the company¡¯s relocation while she was sitting inside the toilet cubicle. ¡°Oh my goodness! Great, we can now go to work in the Presgrave Corporation where all the high-paid financial tycoons are! That is where the elite gathers,¡± said one of the staff. Right then, Elliot¡¯s words appeared in her mind. ¡°I made this decision just to see you conveniently.¡± If this was any other woman who learned that Elliot went to such lengths to see her, I guess she would be madly in love with him. Meanwhile, in Hond, Hayley was sitting in a high-end hospital¡¯s office with a trantor standing beside her. In front of Hayley were the sessful cases of stic surgery in the hospital as well as the stic surgical projects that they were best at. The doctor in charge asked her to pick one that she desired. Hayley nced at these beautiful faces and all of them looked like masterpieces created by God. However, she shook her head and took a photo from her bag, which she handed to the doctor. ¡°I want this face,¡± she dered. The doctor reached out and took the photo. The woman in the photo had perfect bones and she was a natural beauty. Her face was indeed more perfect than any cosmetic product. ¡°It doesn¡¯t need to be identical; even a fifty percent match will do, but I would like to have her eyes,¡± Hayley demanded. The trantor on the side promptly tranted her words. The doctor examined the woman¡¯s face before he turned to Hayley and paused for a while before he continued, ¡°The operation is quite risky. We need to work on several aspects of your face. Are you sure you want to do it?¡± Chapter 335 ¡°I will do it. No matter how much it will cost.¡± Hayley¡¯s eyes shed with determination. For the sake of beauty; for Elliot; and for the status of Mrs. Presgrave. I would do everything! Looking at her determination, the doctor nodded and agreed. Meanwhile, back in the country, Aliona found an excuse to knock on Elliot¡¯s office door. She nned on inviting him to dinner tonight since the scandal between them had unfortunately been proven to be inurate. Everyone could tell that Elliot only cared about Anastasia at the wee party. Therefore, early in the morning, the staff from the Department of Design had spread the news around thepany. As a result, everyone stopped discussing the scandals. ¡°Come in.¡± Elliot¡¯s voice sounded from the office. Aliona pushed open the door and walked over with a bright smile. ¡°Are you busy, Elliot?¡± she inquired. ¡°Do you need anything?¡± he asked as he closed theptop. ¡°Are you free to have dinner together tonight? I want to ask you something.¡± She came up with a reason. ¡°I am not avable for dinner. If you have any questions, please ask them now.¡± He declined her request politely. ¡°Do you have anything important to do tonight, Elliot?¡± Aliona looked a little aggrieved. Of course Elliot had important things to do tonight. He¡¯d gone a few days without seeing Jared, so he would apany Anastasiater today to pick Jared up from school and have dinner at Anastasia¡¯s house. ¡°Yes. I have some important things to do.¡± Elliot nodded. Aliona could tell that it must have been rted to Anastasia. After all, no one could influence Anastasia¡¯s weight in Elliot¡¯s heart. ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s alright.¡± Aliona was deliberately acting depressed and trying to attract his attention. ¡°If it¡¯s about work, you can ask Director Evans. She will take care of you,¡± Elliotforted her and nced at his watch. ¡°Aliona, you may leave now,¡± he added. Now, it is time to pick up Jared. Aliona had no choice but to leave the office and she couldn¡¯t react even though she was annoyed. When she returned to the office, she noticed Anastasia was carrying her bag and leaving work. Seeing that, Aliona felt a stabbing pain in her heart. Are they going to leave together? When Anastasia arrived at her car, Elliot was already there. His tall figure was leaning against her small car and he looked even more charming than the male model. ¡°W-What are you doing standing next to my car?¡± she asked with a faint smile. ¡°I aming with you to pick Jared up,¡± he replied as he arched his eyebrows. ¡°No, thanks. I can do this by myself.¡± Anastasia instinctively didn¡¯t want to trouble him. ¡°Jared must have missed me. I have toe along.¡± After saying that, he held her wrist and walked toward his car. ¡°Hey, hey! I am driving, Elliot,¡± she insisted. ¡°Your car is not safe enough. Take mine.¡± After Elliot settled her in the passenger seat, he quickly got into the car. Anastasia ended up picking up her son with him just like that. She enjoyed the scenery along the drive. As she bent her head and nced at her bracelet, she quickly peeked at Elliot¡¯s one. The matching bracelets of theirs looked so intimate that it made her heart race. Aside from that, the way Elliot held the driving wheel with one hand was such eye candy that caused her heart to race even harder. She had been thinking too much in the past few days; that was why she couldn¡¯t look at his face as naturally as she used to. When they arrived at Jared¡¯s kindergarten, Elliot dragged Anatasia to the director¡¯s office before she could go to Jared¡¯s ssroom. It turned out that he wanted to apply to be in the facial recognition record and collect the entry card. While the young female teacher operated the facial recognition system, she couldn¡¯t help but peek at Elliot¡¯s stunning face in the camera several times. Oh my, Jared¡¯s father is so good-looking! Throughout the process, Anastasia could only watch how Elliot socialized with the teacher. Before she could even speak, he had already imed himself to be Jared¡¯s father and she couldn¡¯t refute him in front of the teacher either. In fact, Anastasia had previously asked by the teacher about Jared¡¯s father¡¯s employment. At that time, she had lied that he was abroad. Now, Elliot¡¯s appearance had sessfully covered up for her lie. Chapter 336 Elliot came out of the office with the corners of his lips curled up. ¡°If you¡¯re not free in the future, I can pick Jared up,¡± he offered. He is right, Anastasia thought. It was always a good idea to have a person as a backup in case of an emergency. ¡°If that¡¯s not too much trouble for you,¡± she responded. ¡°Whatever things that you think might trouble me are nothing to me,¡± he rified. Before they could even arrive at Jared¡¯s ssroom, they found him sitting on the bench next to the ssroom. Jared spotted her with his sharp eyes and eximed, ¡°Mommy!¡± Anastasia immediately stood still, waiting for her son toe and hugged her. However, when Jared ran over with an overjoyed expression, she didn¡¯t know it was because he saw Elliot with her. As Anastasia squatted down and anticipated for Jared to leap into her arms, he suddenly went past her and ran toward someone behind her. At that moment, she felt disheartened. When she turned around, she noticed Elliot tightly hugging Jared, who chirped happily, ¡°Mr. Presgrave, you finally came to pick me up!¡± Since she felt a little jealous, Anastasia turned her head just to meet Elliot¡¯s upturned eyes and his expression was like the cat that earned the cream. At first, she was stunned for a second, but she couldn¡¯t help bursting out inughter thereafter. When did he win over Jared¡¯s heart to such a degree? she wondered. As soon as Jared got in the car, he began bombarding Elliot with questions. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, were you busy?¡± ¡°Mr. Presgrave, why haven¡¯t youe to pick me up? I thought you had forgotten me!¡± ¡°Mr. Presgrave, are youing to my house for dinner tonight?¡± ¡°Mr. Presgrave, why don¡¯t you go to my house for dinner tonight?¡± ¡°I miss you so much, and so does Mommy!¡± An embarrassed Anastasia wanted to cover Jared¡¯s tiny mouth so that he would stop his nonsense. So, when Elliot¡¯s gaze was reflected from the rear-view mirror, she merely nced at him and diverted her gaze nervously after that. He naturally went to her house for dinner in the evening, as if their rtionship was back to normal after the past few days. After dinner, Jared couldn¡¯t wait to go downstairs and y. While Anastasia cleaned up the table and washed the dishes, Elliot took Jared downstairs to the park for a walk. They felt like a family of three; reassuring and warm. It was after 8.30PM that Anastasia finished cleaning the dishes. Feeling slightly tired, she sat on the couch and switched on the news. The door swung open at 9.00AM and Jared¡¯sughter could be heard from the entrance. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, can you teach me that next time? I want to be the same as you,¡± Jared asked as his voice was full of admiration. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll teach you when you¡¯re older,¡± Elliot answered him in a low-pitched voice. Although it was early winter, Jared¡¯s face was flushed as he was perspiring. As soon as he entered the door, Anastasia said, ¡°Go and get your pajamas, Jared. I will bathe you soon.¡± After Jared heard her, he obediently headed to his room to get the pajamas. Then, she poured a ss of water for Elliot as he must have been tired looking after Jared. ¡°Here. Drink some water,¡± she said. Elliot didn¡¯t take the water. Instead, hisrge palms gently wrapped around Anastasia¡¯s waist and he leaned toward her abruptly. As she held the water in both hands, her beautiful eyes widened. She could feel the atmosphere was getting sensual, and whenbined with Elliot¡¯s attractive hormonal smell, it was deadly alluring. ¡°You are being nice to me.¡± He seemed moved. Anastasia thrust her hand out and passed the water to him as she exined, ¡°Jared is too active, so you must be tired.¡± Elliot took the water, raised his head and gulped down the ss of water. His sexy Adam¡¯s apple moved up and down as he swallowed. It looked so manly and wild that she dared not look at him. ¡°I will bathe Jared first. Get some rest before you leave,¡± she said politely as she couldn¡¯t rush him to head home immediately. When Jared entered the bathroom, he suddenly said, ¡°I can bathe myself, Mommy. You can leave me here. Mr. Presgrave said that boys should learn to bathe on their own.¡± Silence greeted the air. Though it was unexpected from Jared, Anastasia was very pleased that her son desired independence. She then showed him how to turn on the water and adjust the water temperature. As Jared was intelligent, he quickly picked them up. After that, Anastasia pushed open the door and came out of the bathroom. Elliot was casually sitting on the couch, and hiszy look was still charming. He was fiddling with the TV remote control to search for news that grabbed his attention. Chapter 337 ¡°Jared said he wants to bathe by himself,¡± Anastasia said to Elliot. Then, she asked, ¡°Do you want some fruit?¡± ¡°Yes. Please,¡± he answered curtly. Luckily, she had just bought some fresh cherries. Although they were expensive, she still bought them because she loved cherries. After she washed a teful of cherries, she ced them in front of Elliot. Since she had nothing else to do, she sat beside him and took a cherry to eat. Just as her red lips were about to bite the cherry, he turned sideways and held the back of her head with one hand before his lips domineeringly approached her to snatch the cherry from her mouth! He snatched it. With. His. Tongue. Anastasia couldn¡¯t react; her mind went nk for a moment and her cheeks were heated. When she came back to her senses, he was gracefully chewing the cherry that should have been in her mouth. ¡°You¡ª¡± She was so angry that she started tough. This man was so repulsive and he had been ying these ambiguous games with her since she had known him. ¡°It¡¯s sweet. Just like you.¡± At this point, Elliot still had the heart to praise her. To prevent the same thing from happening again, she moved to the side bit by bit and finally sat on the chaise lounge one meter away from him. Now, Elliot had to reach for the cherries himself. When Jared came out of the shower, Anastasia draped a thick coat on him to keep him warm. Meanwhile, Elliot nced at the time and rose to his feet. ¡°I should go,¡± he stated. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, see you tomorrow.¡± Jared waved at him. ¡°See you tomorrow,¡± Elliot said. Before stepping out of the door, he added, ¡°Rest early.¡± That night, Anastasia was still unable to sleep and remained awake until early morning. In the darkness, she gazed at the luster reflected by the diamonds on her bracelet that resembled a bright star in the gloomy night, shining on her heart and bringing her warmth. Although it waste when she finally fell asleep, she slept peacefully and at ease. It was freezing cold outside when Anastasia and Jared were out of the apartment early the next morning, making it feel that winter had already arrived. When they were halfway to the kindergarten, it even started to rain. On a busy morning, the whole city seemed crowded. After dropping her son at the kindergarten, she rushed to the atelier. When Anastasia arrived, everyone in thepany was discussing in excitement the one big thing¡ªthe relocation of the Bourgeois Jewelry Atelier, which meant that the atelier had merged with Presgrave Corporation and they were going to work at the headquarters. All of them were pumped as if working in a ce that was full of opportunities and elites would change their lives. However, what they didn¡¯t realize was that the atelier¡¯s fate had changed because of Anastasia. If Elliot had not purchased the atelier to be closer to Anastasia, it would have remained a ssic domestic brand whereas its marketing approach had now grown to twice its original size and gained momentum to be stronger and more international at the same time. In fact, whenever any industry under the Presgrave Corporation was in Elliot¡¯s hand, there were only sesses and no failures. As for the relocation, the credit belonged to Anastasia since this decision was only made to allow Elliot to see her every day. Anastasia was also looking forward to the move because she had calcted that the distance between Presgrave Corporation and her son¡¯s kindergarten would be reduced by five kilometers. At 10.00AM, Anastasia was in the office making the final changes to her work for the jewelry show since The Starry Night diamond manuscripts had satisfied her the most. A knock came on the door as she was staring intently at the manuscripts. Just as she raised her head, a man pushed the door open and entered without her permission. It was Elliot walking in with a bouquet of bright red roses in his hands. ¡°You¡ª¡± Anastasia swiftly stood up in astonishment and looked at him with a bashful look. He held the flower in front of her and handed it affectionately. ¡°This is for you,¡± he said. She looked behind him and noticed a few nosy coworkers were outside her door, tilting their heads to peer in. Such an action had made her perplexed as she inquired, ¡°Why did you send me flowers?¡± His thin lips curved up as he smiled from his ck eyes. ¡°What else? I am pursuing you.¡± Anastasia took the roses with an amused smile. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said gratefully. ¡°You can give it away or keep it for yourself. I don¡¯t mind it either way.¡± Elliot beamed at her. She nced at the roses and asked curiously, ¡°Did you choose this yourself?¡± Chapter 338 Elliot nodded and replied, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then, I won¡¯t give it away.¡± Anastasia didn¡¯t want to waste his effort in choosing these roses for her. Thest time she gave it away, he blew his top. He pursed his lips after he heard her as happiness shed across his eyes. Does this mean that Anastasia has finally started to ept my love? At that moment, Anastasia noticed there were more nosy coworkers gathering outside her door, which was when it dawned on her that Elliot had just strutted through the entire design department with the roses before entering her office. Great. There is no way out of this scandal now. ¡°Next time, let the flower shop¡¯s worker deliver it. You don¡¯t have to send it yourself,¡± she reminded him with a grin. He squinted his upturned eyes and assured, ¡°In the future, any flowers for you will be chosen and delivered by myself.¡± Anastasia didn¡¯t know how to respond to Elliot¡¯s voice. At that very moment, herndline rang. She picked up the receiver and answered, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Anastasia, it¡¯s meeting time.¡± Felicia¡¯s voice sounded from the other side. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be right away.¡± After she hung up the phone, she ced the flower on the table and said to him, ¡°I need to attend a meeting.¡± Then, he gave her a cheeky smile and said, ¡°We¡¯re going together.¡± As soon as Elliot pushed open the office door, the onlookers immediately dispersed but he was not bothered with them. He gazed at Anastasia and instructed, ¡°You should proceed to the conference room first.¡± When Anastasia stepped out of her office after Elliot left, a female assistant approached her and asked, ¡°Anastasia, why did President Presgrave send you flowers?¡± ¡°What else? It is because President Presgrave is pursuing Anastasia!¡± someone answered in the background. ¡°Guys, let us just focus on work,¡± Anastasia insisted with a polite smile as she headed toward the conference room.£¿¡± However, when she was passing a corner, she suddenly bumped into someone. Her shoulder was hurt by the force and the other person was pushed against the wall. When she raised her head, Aliona squinted at her and her eyes were filled with malice. ¡°Don¡¯t you even look while you¡¯re walking?¡± she chided. In that instant, Anastasia deduced that Elliot¡¯s flower show had agitated her. ¡°Sorry about that,¡± she faintly apologized to Aliona. However, her smile seemed to add fuel to the fire as Aliona turned around and walked away, looking even more aggravated. In the conference room, Felicia instructed Anastasia to take her previous seat and the empty seat next to Anastasia was reserved for Elliot. At this moment, Aliona had just entered the conference room and as she walked to her seat, a female designer tried to intentionally me the fire. ¡°Anastasia, President Presgrave personally bought you such a big bouquet of roses. You are so lucky!¡± she stated purposefully. Another designer concurred, ¡°Of course. Anastasia is President Presgrave¡¯s true love!¡± Anastasia was not happy to hear that as she lifted her head and nced at the two female designers, warning them silently with her gaze. Immediately, the two designers stopped making waves and exchanged a timid smile. ¡°I have received your design manuscripts. From now on, we will spare no effort in preparing the jewelry show.¡± Finally, the meeting had started. ¡°What should we do if giarism happens, Felicia?¡± Alice asked suddenly. Felicia¡¯s expression became serious. ¡°Let me reiterate. In our industry, giarism is a serious matter. When giarism urs, it first damages the individual¡¯s reputation, and more importantly, it brings dishonor to thepany. Furthermore, it results in significant losses for thepany, hence our company strictly prohibits giarism.¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Alice curved her lips with a satisfied look after hearing Felicia¡¯s statement. ¡°I agree. If such behavior is found, this person must leave the atelier,¡± she concurred. After speaking, Alice nced at Anastasia wittingly with a smug expression. At this moment, the conference room¡¯s door was pushed open. Elliot entered and sat beside Anastasia. At first, Anastasia was calm with Elliot¡¯s appearance, but she noticed that both of their arms were on the table and their couple bracelets were on disy. She blushed and quickly hid her arm under the table , but fortunately no one had noticed this. When Felicia was talking about the current prospects of the international market, Anastasia¡¯s cell phone rang suddenly. She nced at the phone and noticed it was an unknown number. She bent down to hide her head under the table to answer in a low tone, ¡°Who is this?¡± Chapter 339 ¡°Hello, is this Jared¡¯s mother? Your son has been injured in a fight at school. Can youe over now?¡± An anxious female voice sounded at the other end. Anastasia sprang up in terror. ¡°What? My son is injured?¡± she asked in a panicky tone. At this moment, Elliot¡¯s chair scraped the floor as he also rose to his feet. His gorgeous face was visibly tense as he stared at Anastasia anxiously, who was still on the phone. In the next second, he grabbed her wrist and stormed out of the conference room while she was still listening to the teacher on the phone. For a few seconds, the conference room fell silent as everyone was taken aback by the scene. It is Anastasia¡¯s son that is injured. Why would President Presgrave get so anxious as if he were the child¡¯s father? Could it be that the father of Anastasia¡¯s son is President Presgrave? At that moment, Aliona¡¯s expression turned upset as if someone had pped her on her face. Anastasia seemed to deliberately and repeatedly disy Elliot¡¯s love for her in front of Aliona to the point where he was even concerned about Anastasia¡¯s son. ¡°Cough. Let¡¯s continue with the meeting.¡± Felicia made an awkward cough before she reminded the crowd. As she sat in the car, Anastasia was nervous and worried. The teacher didn¡¯t clearly exin the situation on the phone. She only mentioned that another child was also injured as a result of a fight besides her son. She ced her hand on the forehead and sighed. How could my son possibly fight? On the driver¡¯s seat was Elliot driving with a menacing expression. He stepped on the elerator hard and dashed across the street. Anastasia¡¯s thoughts were focused on her son, so she didn¡¯t think the speed was deathly fast, but she was appreciative of what Elliot was doing for her as she could feel his concern for her son. At this moment, her cell phone rang. She took the phone out and noticed it was an unknown number, but she picked it up hastily. ¡°Hello?¡± she answered. ¡°You are Jared¡¯s mother, aren¡¯t you? Is this how you educate your child? Your son has harmed my son! Just you wait to be prosecuted and I will make sure that your son is forced out of school.¡± A sharp and arrogant female voice sounded from the phone. Anastasia scowled. Obviously, the woman was the mother of another injured child. ¡°Hi there. I¡¯m still on the way, but I will inquire about the incident once I have arrived,¡± Anastasia replied politely. ¡°Hmph! What do you need to know? Just quicklye over to apologize and process the withdrawal application for your son!¡± After saying that, the woman hung up the phone. Anastasia¡¯s worries intensified. Did my son throw the first punch? Elliot had also heard the arrogant female voice through the phone, so he turned his head and comforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Jared will not be kicked out of school.¡± Not while I am here. ¡°I want to understand the situation before we jump to a conclusion. I believe that Jared will not take the initiative to hit people,¡± she said with a sigh. He parked his car at the kindergarten¡¯s main gate when they arrived. At once, she dashed out of the car and strode toward the school while she was closely followed by him. As they walked into the kindergarten, a teacher led her to the school¡¯s assistant room, where the principal was gently coaxing a woman. It seemed that the shrill female voice belonged to the woman who was fashionably dressed and wearing an excessive amount of jewels. At first nce, they could tell that she was from a background that held a high status and power in society. ¡°Mommy!¡± Anastasia noticed her son was being punished by sitting on the chair when she recognized a familiar voice. Immediately, she dashed over to Jared and hugged him firmly. ¡°Jared, look at me. Where are you hurt?¡± she promptly asked. Jared pointed to his forehead where there was a noticeable bruise. A concerned Elliot squatted down and looked at Jared before asking calmly, ¡°Who caused this bruise, Jared?¡± Jared pointed at a chubby child standing next to the teacher. ¡°It was him who whacked me,¡± he responded. ¡°Who threw the first punch, Jared?¡± Anastasia asked. ¡°He was the one who first bullied Tracey, and he beat me when I tried to protect her. I only shoved him after he made the first move,¡± he exined as his eyes shed with indignation. She realized that his son was fighting righteously, but while she stroked Jared¡¯s head and tried to comfort him, a shrill female voice sounded behind them. Chapter 340 ¡°You¡¯re this kid¡¯s mother, aren¡¯t you? Get over here and settle this problem; sign the withdrawal application.¡± The woman raised her voice as she approached Anastasia aggressively, without giving her a chance to refute. ¡°Why should my son withdraw from school? It¡¯s your son who bullied others!¡± Anastasia stood up and retorted coldly. The mother had learned about Anastasia¡¯s background from the teacher before Anastasia¡¯s arrival. As Anastasia had no political background and no social standing, the mother looked down on her as she was only an office worker. ¡°What? How dare you talk to me like that! I can get your son out of the way right now, believe it or not,¡± said the mother with a smug face. ¡°Your son is nosy and he injured my son. You can only leave once you havepensated us,¡± shemanded. ¡°I trust Jared; he will not hit others for no reason.¡± After saying that, Anastasia walked straight to Principal Miller. ¡°I want to find out the whole truth, Principal Miller. I believe the school is under surveince and I would like to see the CCTV footage of the incident.¡± ¡°We¡¯re already dealing with this, Miss Tillman. Please be patient. When there is a result, I will notify you. Please send Jared home first.¡± The headmistress who was in her early fortiesforted Anastasia as it was evident that she was unwilling to aggravate the situation. The mother sneered behind Anastasia after she heard the principal. ¡°Did you hear that? Go back and wait for the result. At the same time, the medical bills will also be sent to you,¡± she scoffed. ¡°You must expel Jared from school, Mom. I hate him and I don¡¯t want to see him anymore.¡± The young boy who bullied Jared crossed his arms and exuded arrogance. It wasn¡¯t a surprise that his character was as haughty as the mother¡¯s. Jared, who was standing beside Elliot, immediately had a darkened expression and raised his chin to refute, ¡°I hate you too, and I don¡¯t want to see you either.¡± The chubby boy grimaced at Jared and growled, ¡°Just wait! My dad will definitely make you a dropout.¡± Seeing that, Anastasia blinked her eyes as she was lost for words. At this moment, a low-pitched male voice sounded beside Jared. ¡°You will not be expelled from school, Jared. Not while I am here.¡± Subsequently, Jared felt a sudden boost of confidence from Elliot¡¯s supportive statements. With that, he red at the chubby kid and dered, ¡°I won¡¯t be expelled from school.¡± At that moment, Anastasia nced righteously at the principal and she reiterated, ¡°Principal Miller, I have the right to know what happened. Even if Jared is expelled, I deserve an exnation and to be treated fairly. If my son hits his ssmate first, I will apologize and proceed with thepensation. If it were the other way around, I would expect the same in return.¡± Clearly, she was not stepping away. At this point, the principal frowned with a strange expression. ¡°Can we talk privately, Miss Tillman?¡± Principal Miller asked. After the woman saw the principal¡¯s reaction, she arched her eyebrow with a smug face and provoked, ¡°So what if my son hit yours? Your son will still be expelled.¡± Anastasia red at her before walking toward Principal Tillman for the private conversation. Principal Miller raised her head to look at Anastasia and she said solemnly, ¡°Miss Tillman, please ept my apologies on behalf of the school regarding this incident. You may not know, but thisdy¡¯s husband is one of the shareholders of ourpany. It will be unwise to go against them. Here is the deal. I¡¯ll give you a full refund for the school fee. Simply apologize to her and transfer your child to a different school.¡± Anastasia knew in her heart that this woman must have the means to support her haughty attitude, but she didn¡¯t expect her husband to be a shareholder in the school. When Principal Miller noticed Anastasia remained silent, she continued, ¡°It¡¯s not the first time something like this has happened. Last time, the previous parent submitted the withdrawal application and left. Even if Jared stays here, I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t let him go. I am doing this for Jared¡¯s sake.¡± Right then, a chubby man rushed through the door and eximed, ¡°Where¡¯s my son?¡± ¡°Honey, over here!¡± As soon as the woman noticed her husband had arrived, her smug grin became even more apparent. With her husband¡¯s presence, the principal won¡¯t dare to go against them. In the meantime, Principal Miller was still waiting for Anastasia¡¯s response as she doesn¡¯t want to complicate the matters any further. When Anastasia looked at the family, the woman smirked back at her with a contemptuous look. ¡°Can our school set some threshold in the future, Principal Miller? Don¡¯t just let anyone¡¯s child in; or else these inferior people will impede my child¡¯s development,¡± said the woman to the principal. Chapter 341-350 Chapter 341-350 Chapter 341 The child angrilyined to his father about Jared¡¯s evil deeds. ¡°Dad, it is that b*stard who hit me. It hurts! Help me deal with him.¡± When the father heard that the boy who hurt his son was nearby, he stared at the direction that his son was pointing. However, before he could even look at Jared, the man was stunned by thenky adult standing next to Jared. The man was someone who mingled in the business circle of Averna. He remembered every face of the big shots in Averna like how he memorized Bible verses. The reason why he had reached this far in his career was that he perfectly avoided every single person whom he couldn¡¯t afford to offend. However, the father was confused at the moment. Who would have thought that one would meet Elliot Presgrave¡ªthe current president of Dominion Corporation¡ªin his son¡¯s school? Elliot¡¯s nces were as sharp as knives. The cold air lingered around him as his kingly presence was about to burst, which frightened the child¡¯s father to the point where the man almost soiled his pants. The man ttered when he reached out to shake hands with Elliot, ¡°P-President Presgrave, it¡¯s you! It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡± However, Elliot¡¯s expression darkened and the father immediately withdrew his hand in embarrassment. ¡°Darling, his son bullied your son! What are you doing?!¡± the woman growled. However, she did not expect her husband to turn around and shout angrily, ¡°Shut up! You must apologize to them now. How could President Presgrave¡¯s son be a bully?¡± ¡°Darling¡­¡± She trembled with fright as if her husband would eat her. But our son got bullied! ¡°Bring the child here and let him apologize to them. I¡¯ll p you if you dare to question me!¡± the plump man yelled without giving any respect to his wife. Seeing that, Elliot sneered. Like a king looking down on the world, he managed to make another man kneel under his presence without saying a word. When Principal Miller and Anastasia both turned their heads, the principal was stunned by how the situation had unfolded. On the other hand, Anastasia was aware that her son was able to gain respect because of Elliot¡¯s identity. In terms of wealth, Elliot undoubtedly won against the father and stood at the pinnacle when it came to social status. After a while, Principal Miller finally looked at Anastasia and asked, ¡°Miss Tillman, who exactly is your husband?¡± ¡°Not now, Principal Miller. We will talk about thister. Let¡¯s discuss who¡¯s in the wrong first,¡± Anastasia answered before she walked toward Elliot. After being yelled at by her husband, the woman lost her arrogance as she immediately walked to his side with her head hung low. He was about to kneel and beg Elliot. ¡°President Presgrave, I¡¯m so sorry. My child didn¡¯t know any better and hit your son. Please forgive him. Tell us about your request; we will do anything for you to forgive us!¡± The man saw a bleak future from Elliot¡¯s eyes because he could never stay in Averna anymore if he messed up here. Moreover, it took only a word from Elliot for the man to lose his footing in the business world forever. On the other hand, Jared blinked and looked at the handsome person beside him. Wow, he¡¯s so cool! ¡°Dad, but the b*stard¡ª¡± The plump child was still trying to make his dad avenge him, but the father punched him instead. Then, the child cried in pain, ¡°Ouch!¡± ¡°Who are you calling a b*stard? He is the Young Master Tillman of the Presgraves, you little mutt! If you dare to say that again, I¡¯ll p you!¡± The woman immediately embraced her son and red at her husband angrily. ¡°Why are you hitting our son?¡± Looking at the ridiculous family, Anastasia calmly spoke, ¡°You know who the real bully is. We will now discuss thepensation.¡± The confidence in the womanpletely disappeared as she murmured, ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°An apology andpensation for my son¡¯s medical expenses.¡± Anastasia did not try to take advantage of the situation since she just needed justice to be served. ¡°I want that boy to disappear, though!¡± Jared suddenly shouted. ¡°He has been bullying my friends and me.¡± Chapter 342 Elliot narrowed his eyes and said coldly to the man who bowed at him, ¡°Did you hear that? Get your child out of here.¡± ¡°Understood. I will withdraw my son from school immediately.¡± The man hurriedly bowed and added, ¡°President Presgrave, Mrs. Presgrave, and Young Master. I¡¯m so sorry. Please forgive my son¡¯s bad behavior. I promise he will never appear in school again.¡± ¡°Darling, you are a shareholder; what are you afraid of¡ª¡± The woman on the side immediately reminded him of his status. She was highly embarrassed because she was arrogant toward Anastasia earlier and had lost all the respect now. ¡°Shut up! You don¡¯t have any right to speak now,¡± the man scolded her. ¡°Didn¡¯t you also offend President Presgrave and the others? Come over and apologize now.¡± The woman immediately looked at Anastasia with reluctance. At the same time, Anastasia stared at the woman. Thinking of what the woman had said to her, Anastasia raised her eyebrow and said coldly, ¡°Do it quick. My patience is limited.¡± Now that she was being pressured by her husband, the woman immediately came over and bowed to Anastasia and apologized, saying, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry that I was being presumptuous earlier. Please forgive my ignorance and stupidity.¡± They were a family of bullies, so it served them right to meet the Elliot Presgrave. ¡°I¡¯m extremely sorry, President Presgrave. Please be a bigger person and forgive us!¡± After saying that, he quickly pulled his wife and son away and shouted, ¡°Get out of here!¡± Principal Miller still hadn¡¯te back to her senses after the family left. However, after scanning the tall man beside Anastasia, she finally understood everything. Although Principal Miller didn¡¯t know the man¡¯s identity and background, she was sure that he was an extraordinary man based on his king-like demeanor. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Miss Tillman and Mr. Presgrave. It was our mishandling that hurt your child,¡± she apologized. Elliot looked at Anastasia. ¡°Would you like to transfer Jared to another school? How about Eden that I rmended earlier?¡± ¡°Forget about it. Jared has finally gotten used to this school, and I don¡¯t want to ruin his experience.¡± Anastasia gratefully looked at Elliot as they were protected from unfair treatment due to him being present. The principal thought that she finally knew the truth about the nk column for Jared¡¯s father in the form. When Anastasia took her child back to the ssroom, several children immediately surrounded him and showed their concerns. She was touched that her son was heroic and that he showed courageous traits. ¡°Mommy, you can go back now. I can take care of myself.¡± The little child waved his hand and happily returned to his own world. After that, Anastasia and Elliot returned to the car, where she looked at him with gratitude. ¡°Thank you so much for standing up for Jared and me.¡± If Elliot was not present, Anastasia would have been bullied by that mean woman without even having the chance to retort. He protected her rights and gave her son solid and powerful support. Elliot suddenly leaned over toward her and held her hands. ¡°I wish to protect you and Jared forever.¡± His words tugged on her heartstring. For once, she didn¡¯t know how to answer him. If he really meant it, then I should marry him. ¡°Alright, since we have some time left, buy me a present.¡± Elliot let go of her hands and drove away. Anastasia almost forgot that she needed to return him a present. She nodded and replied, ¡°Okay, you can choose a present for yourself. I¡¯ll pay the bill.¡± ¡°You choose for me.¡± He wanted her to pick for him. ¡°Alright.¡± She didn¡¯t want to argue much as he could still give her his input on the gift. They arrived at arge shopping mall which housed world-ss fashionable and high-end luxury brands. Although it was a luxurious mall, Anastasia had decided to spend on a belt for Elliot in this mall. The present must be worthy of the man¡¯s identity after all. The people who shopped here were rich housewives,dies, and celebrities. So, it wasmon to encounter celebrities there. Chapter 343 Anastasia walked into a shop selling menswear brands and asked the sales assistant to lead her to the belt section, which the assistant enthusiastically did. When the assistant saw the man behind Anastasia, she recognized him as a man with great sess and wealth. When Anastasia carefully chose a belt, she saw a belt with a navy blue buckle and thought that it suited Elliot. She took the belt and showed it to him. ¡°How about this one? Do you like it?¡± Elliot nced at it, then nodded. ¡°I like the color.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll get you this one.¡± She decided on the present, and she nced at the price tag. It cost at least 10,000, but she could still handle the expenses. After paying for the present, Anastasia saw that it was still early. ¡°Let¡¯s get back to thepany.¡± ¡°Now, it is time for me to get you a present.¡± He suddenly pulled Anastasia¡¯s wrist and took her to the women¡¯s clothing store. She was dumbfounded andughed. ¡°Elliot, I don¡¯t want it.¡± However, Elliot didn¡¯t care about her protest. As soon as he entered the store, he immediately started to choose. Anastasia watched him scan through the clothes on the hanger. Not long after, he picked three sets of clothes. It consisted of workwear, casual coats, and skirts. It was the world¡¯s top brand, so the quality and the style were high end. She wanted to leave, but she knew that Elliot would pay for all of them if she let him be. When she thought about that, she felt sorry for his wallet. So, Anastasia stayed to persuade him, ¡°President Presgrave. President Pregrave, it¡¯s enough. You don¡¯t have to choose anymore.¡± The sales assistant behind Elliot was already holding a pile of clothes in her arms. However, he was still going to pick more. Seeing this, Anastasia could only go in front of him and spread her arms to stop him. ¡°President Presgrave, it¡¯s really enough!¡± ¡°The bill.¡± Elliot turned around to the sales assistant. She hurriedly called herpanions and quickly scanned the price tag while enthusiastically describing the clothes. Looking at the number of clothes, Anastasia felt dizzy. In a short time, Elliot had picked three sets of workwear, four coats, and three skirts. Of course, all of them were in her size, S size. ¡°Sir, you have spent a total of 567,000. What is your preferred payment method?¡± The sales assistant couldn¡¯t stop smiling. ¡°What?¡± Did I hear it wrong? More than five hundred thousand? These clothes cost five hundred thousand! In response, Elliot pulled out a ck card and handed it over. ¡°Card.¡± The sales assistant excitedly took the ck card with unlimited credit and waved it over the machine. After a ding, the payment was sessful. Anastasia couldn¡¯t even stop her from doing that. In the end, Elliot bought her a bunch of clothes. Money made the world go round. After the sales assistant packed the clothes, she handed seven bags of clothes to Anastasia. ¡°Miss, this is your clothes. Thank you for your patronage. Pleasee again soon.¡± A giant palm reached out for the bags, and another arm wrapped over Anastasia¡¯s waist. Then, Elliot said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± When Anastasia came out of the shop, Elliot pointed at a caf¨¦. ¡°Let¡¯s have a cuppa.¡± After that, he pulled her in that direction. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t waste money for me, I¡¯m happy to oblige,¡± Anastasiained bitterly. She was afraid of his generosity. Elliot led Anastasia to a darker corner of the shop. This caf¨¦yout was unique, which significantly ensured the customer¡¯s privacy to ensure that they had a pleasant experience and not being disturbed by others. Just as he was bringing her in, a man near the railing had a sparkle in his eyes. He was ying with his camera with a zoom lens. As a professional paparazzo, he had received a tip that a celebrity would try on an evening dress today. However, the celebrity never arrived. Instead, the paparazzo saw a more extraordinary man. An extremely elusive man. The president of the Presgrave Group is holding a young, bright, and beautiful woman in his hand. There is no doubt that this scandal will have moremercial value than that celebrity! The man immediately followed them while hiding his presence. His camouge ability and candid photography skills were first-rate as a professional paparazzo. He first strolled around the caf¨¦. After ensuring where Elliot and Anastasia¡¯s seat was, he selected a hiding ce. Then, he zoomed in with his long-focus lens camera for a candid shot. Chapter 344 A few moments after reaching the coffee shop, Anastasia and Elliot were done with their order. She was exhausted today because of her son¡¯s affairs, so she rubbed her temple to rx. At the same time, Elliot suddenly got up from his seat to sit beside Anastasia and wrapped his arm around her. ¡°Are you tired?¡± Her heart throbbed. ording to her past experience, if he sat near her, he was definitely up to no good. ¡°I¡¯ll massage you.¡± After Elliot said that, he stretched out his hand and squeezed her shoulders. Anastasia immediately felt ticklish, so she blushed and pushed him away. ¡°No, thanks!¡± The soft, warm light shone on her face as shebed her hair and revealed her snow-white neck and earlobes. They looked as if they would emit a pleasant scent. Seeing this, Elliot was flustered and tried to look away. Anastasia turned around and red at him with a whimper. ¡°Get back to your own seat.¡± Elliot was getting restless in this private space suitable for a rendezvous as some ideas were brewing in his mind. When Anastasia was about to push him away, she was caught off guard by a strong arm wrapping around her shoulders. Then, her upper body was approached by a warm and broad chest. Dang it, he¡¯s acting like a pervert again. Anastasia struggled to break free from his clutches, but she could only hear his hoarse voice. ¡°Let me hug you.¡± As if Elliot could feel that she was secretly enjoying it, he didn¡¯t stop hugging her. She knew how shameless he could get. Unless she got furious, he would never let her go until he was satisfied. He was so close that she felt his warm breath against her neck, and she couldn¡¯t help but shrink away. After all, Anastasia had never cuddled with a man in a caf¨¦ before, and she was tense the whole time. The only thing she was not worried about was that they both were single and wouldn¡¯t be used of cheating on their partner. The coffee had already been served, so no waiter would disturb them. It took a few minutes for Anastasia to get rxed. There was no doubt that it wasfortable for her to lean against Elliot¡¯s chest. At this moment, Elliot¡¯s kissnded on the back of her neck. That spot was fragile and sensitive. Anastasia immediately felt a jolt of electricity running through her body, resulting in her feeling numb. ¡°Don¡¯t mess around,¡± she warned softly. Elliot had his eyes on her. He seemed to be enjoying this in an exciting ce. Maybe this was a man¡¯s natural instinct to seek stimtion! Heughed in a deep voice. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? We are interacting like a normal couple.¡± Hearing this, Anastasia couldn¡¯t helpughing. ¡°Since when have I been dating you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right! When are you going to date me?¡± Elliot stared at her with a burning passion. ¡°Not now. Next time!¡± she replied, avoiding his gaze. ¡°When is next time?¡± he asked patiently. Anastasia was getting amused and couldn¡¯t stopughing. She deliberately said, ¡°Not in five years. Maybe you should find another partner.¡± ¡°Forget about five years. I am willing to wait for all my life,¡± he answered, to deny her. Anastasiaughed again. How can this prim and proper man be such a brat to me? ¡°Won¡¯t you regret waiting for me forever?¡± she asked seriously. In response, Elliot locked his sight on her without hesitation. He was serious and persistent. ¡°No regrets.¡± On the other hand, Anastasia couldn¡¯t stand his fiery gaze and shyly turned her face away. ¡°You will definitely regret it.¡± ¡°Then, you can test it. You can use your whole life to test the truth; how about it?¡± As he spoke, his gaze shot at her like an abyss. Immediately, she lowered her head, as she couldn¡¯t muster the courage to look at him. He had a presence that made no one dare to question him. Every word he said was as powerful as an oath. Anastasia raised her head again. She was stubborn, trying to find out his uncertainty under his handsome face and uncover hisck of resolve for love. Chapter 345 However, Elliot¡¯s expressions were impermeable and wless. Soon, Anastasia¡¯s shyness overcame her stubbornness, and she couldn¡¯t muster the strength to look at him anymore. Anastasia found that she was hopeless against his flirtations. She had always lost against his teasing. After all, Elliot was the best at conquering one¡¯s heart. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± Anastasia whispered. Don¡¯t spend your whole life waiting for me. I can¡¯t bear to see you waste your time on me. I¡¯m not worth your determination. ¡°Do you feel bad for me?¡± Elliot heard her inner voice before his thin lips curled up as his chin rested on her shoulder. The woman in his arms didn¡¯t struggle anymore as she became obedient like a tamed cat. ¡°Can I kiss you?¡± he asked suddenly with politeness. Anastasia was startled and looked up at him under the light. His face was low, and his lips were too close that he could kiss her if he moved down just another inch. His gaze was like a spell that could deceive any living being. After looking into his eyes, she nodded as if she was being controlled by a hex. ¡°Good girl,¡± he whispered as his lips naturally pressed on Anastasia¡¯s lips. Her breath hitched. Although she was kissing him, she still kept her sanity around. If someone passed by, she would immediately push him away. However, Elliot managed to stir her mind into disarray and broke herst shred of sanity. His presence was dominating and lingering, so much so that it was impossible for Anastasia not to fall for him. The kiss made Anastasia taste the feeling of being in love. Her shyness made her eyes red like her blushing cheeks. Elliot stroked her long hair and kissed her on the forehead. He was pleased that she gradually epted his feelings, which filled him with hope and expectations. However, they didn¡¯t know that a camera in a hidden corner captured their kissing scene. They continued flirting in the corner of the caf¨¦, just like an average couple. After lunch, the two returned to thepany. Sitting in the office, Anastasia kept thinking about the moment when they spent time together. This was what lovebirds would do, throwing their works away and kept daydreaming. Jeez! What a dangerous man. Love was like nicotine. One would get addicted after first contact, and it would be hard to quit. At this moment, her cell phone rang. She picked up and looked at the screen, after which she couldn¡¯t help but purse her lips and smile. It was Nigel, a man she had not been in contact with for a long time. Oh, it¡¯s Nigel. I wonder what¡¯s up. ¡°Hey, Nigel.¡± ¡°Long time no see! I miss you and Jared. Want to have dinner together?¡± he immediately invited her to a meal. ¡°What have you been up to?¡± ¡°My dad sent me to study abroad for a month. I was so busy! I just got off the ne this morning.¡± ¡°Maybe you should rest.¡± ¡°Not now. So, it¡¯s a deal! I¡¯ll treat you to dinner tonight.¡± Nigel ended the call. Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but smile at the thought of dinner; however, her smile froze when the sudden thought of Elliot crossed her mind. Oh no, will he misunderstand? Wait a minute. Why do I care about him so much? No, I should tell him. Or else he¡¯ll get jealous. After a train of thought, she picked up the phone and dialed his number. ¡°Hello.¡± His voice was cold, which was his usual tone to others. ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± Anastasia said. He immediately said with a deep voice, ¡°Miss me?¡± ¡°No. Nigel invited Jared and me to dinner tonight. I have to inform you about this to prevent you from inviting yourself to my house for dinner tonight.¡± ¡°This little mutt didn¡¯t invite me!¡± Elliot couldn¡¯t help butin. ¡°I¡¯ll find him.¡± After that, he hung up the call. Anastasia felt amused at his antics. After a while, her phone rang again, and she picked it up. ¡°Hi.¡± ¡°We can have dinner together tonight.¡± His mood was getting better after he was told that he could join them. ¡°Jeez, what are you doing? Nigel kindly invited us to dinner, but you are mad at him instead.¡± Chapter 346 ¡°Why do you care?¡± Elliot¡¯s tone was filled with jealousy. ¡°Jeez, knock it off.¡± Anastasiaughed. The man on the other end of the line immediately answered, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll stop.¡± His voice sounded like a tamed beast with a hoarse voice. Those words turned into a feather and tickled her heart, and she quickly hung up the call after giving a simple response. I can never win against Elliot¡¯s teasing. After a while, Felicia came over to Anastasia and asked about her son¡¯s situation. She didn¡¯t hide the truth from her superior and told her that Elliot had settled the incident. ¡­ Meanwhile, Aliona couldn¡¯t concentrate on her work in the office, for her mind was filled with her desire to get closer to Elliot. Even so, she understood that Elliot was not an easy man. Aside from Anastasia, he would never give another woman a chance to get near him. Landing herself a man was an easy job for Aliona, but even Riley couldn¡¯t figure out Elliot¡¯s temperament. Thus, Aliona wasn¡¯t sure how she should seduce Elliot. Right now, her biggest enemy was Anastasia. Aliona had acted too confidently in front of Riley before this, so she was reluctant to report her progress to him. Naturally, this made her anxious too. At the same time, Alice had just received a call, and a smug smile appeared on her face. Her colleague had ced Anastasia¡¯s manuscript on the counter, thus making it thepany¡¯s prized collection. Now, Alice simply needed to wait for the show where Anastasia would embarrass herself. She wanted to thoroughly destroy Anastasia¡¯s reputation in the design industry, and she was willing to wait patiently for that very moment. ¡­ Meanwhile, Hayley was lying on an operating table somewhere in Hond. Her fists were clenched, and her heart was full of fear. After all, she was betting her life and face on her future. The only thing that gave her the courage to risk it all was the possibility of being the Young Mistress of the Presgrave Family. After the surgery, she could seduce Elliot with a face simr to Anastasia¡¯s and win his heart. In fact, she was certain that she would seed. When the anesthetic needle punctured her body, the pain she felt was unbearable. However, she gritted her teeth and imagined Elliot¡¯s face to endure the pain. This was the only way for her to bear the agony. The words of the trantor resounded in Hayley¡¯s mind. The surgeon warned her that this operation would be dangerous as he had to perform surgery on many parts of her face, and he wanted her to think about the possible consequences. Despite the risks, Hayley epted the surgery without hesitation. Her own face caused her too much suffering because of Anastasia. After this surgery, her inferiority complex and pain would disappear. Therefore, she was desperate to change her face. During the surgery, it seemed like she could hear the sound of her cheekbones being removed with a saw on her face, and the sound made her tremble in horror. She closed her eyes, ming Anastasia for forcing her into the mess she was in right now. This is all Anastasia¡¯s fault. I hate her. ¡­ At 4.00PM, Anastasia held a bouquet of roses while leaving thepany. Elliot was waiting for her in the car park to fetch her son from school together. At the same time, Aliona was also leaving thepany. As soon as she left, she saw Anastasia holding the bouquet. She immediately clenched her teeth, but Anastasia said nothing and walked past her gracefully when she saw the woman. Meanwhile, Elliot smiled in the driver¡¯s seat when he saw Anastasia walking over with the bouquet in her hands. Finally! She¡¯s starting to ept my feelings. With that, they picked Jared up and met Nigel for dinner. ¡­ At the restaurant, Nigel teased the boy happily. After hearing that Jared was involved in a fight in school today, he immediately said, ¡°When I have the time, I¡¯ll teach you boxing. That way, you have nothing to be afraid of when you get into a fight next time!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Jared nodded happily. Nigel looked at Elliot and Anastasia, who were both sitting opposite him. At that moment, he realized that they were made for each other. ¡°Elliot, Anastasia, I can¡¯t wait for your wedding invitation any longer!¡± urged Nigel. Upon hearing that, Anastasia choked on the soup she was having. Elliot immediately patted her back and found her reaction amusing. Chapter 347 ¡°Mommy, are you and Uncle Elliot getting married?¡± Jared immediately asked in surprise. Anastasia hurriedly exined, ¡°Uncle Nigel is joking, so don¡¯t take it seriously.¡± Upon hearing those words, Nigel couldn¡¯t help but raise his eyebrows and look at Elliot. It seemed like he was asking, Dude, why haven¡¯t you seeded yet? When Elliot met Nigel¡¯s eyes, he returned with a helpless look. After all, it wasn¡¯t as if Nigel didn¡¯t know that going after Anastasia would be a tough challenge. The four of them had a good dinner. While they were still seated at the dining table, Nigel said he had left the gift he bought at home, so he coaxed Jared into staying at his house for the night. Jared agreed to it immediately after hearing Nigel¡¯s words, and Anastasia couldn¡¯t do anything to stop him. ¡°Jared, if you don¡¯t behave, I¡¯m going to be angry!¡± Anastasia knew very well that Nigel wanted to create an opportunity for her and Elliot! However, she didn¡¯t need it at all! This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Leave Jared to me, and I will send him to school tomorrow. You don¡¯t have to worry since I¡¯m the most reliable person you can think of,¡± said Nigel as he took Jared by the hand and ran to his car as quick as a sh. ¡°Nigel¡­ Jared,e back!¡± Anastasia shouted as she chased after them, but Jared giggled and ran toward Nigel¡¯s car. Not long after that, she watched as the man¡¯s car pulled away and left. At that point, Anastasia didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. For one, she felt at ease with Nigel taking care of Jared because she often entrusted her son with his care whenever she went abroad. However, without her son by her side, what would that be like with her and Elliot? Upon realizing the situation, Elliot appreciated Nigel¡¯s gesture of creating an opportunity for him while having his back. ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s get in the car.¡± Elliot took Anastasia by the hand and strolled toward his car, wasting no time at all. Meanwhile, Anastasia was extremely speechless. The intimacy level she had with him had already exceeded the limit for that day, and she had no intention of carrying on. Once they got into the car, Elliot turned to ask her, ¡°How about a drive?¡± ¡°Just send me home! I still have work to do.¡± Anastasia made an excuse so she could leave him. She was not afraid of him, but she was worried that she wouldn¡¯t be able to control her feelings. ¡°Which do you think is more important? Work, oring with me for a drive?¡± ¡°Work, of course,¡± replied Anastasia. Work brought her ie and gave her a sense of security, while this man constantly put her in danger. ¡°Even if you perform badly the entire year, I can still give you an excellent employee award. How about a generous bonus at the end of the year?¡± He smirked. As her boss, it was his right to be so unruly and presumptuous. At the moment, Anastasia couldn¡¯t do anything about him. ¡°Alright then! We¡¯ll go for a drive!¡± Upon hearing her answer, Elliot started his car and drove off along the city¡¯s coastline. It felt rxing as they cruised on the highway. Anastasia hadn¡¯t been able to enjoy the night scenery like this in a long time. Her mood was lifted, and she felt at peace. The bright moon shone over the sea, which was spectacr and magnificent. From a distance, it looked like a watercolor painting. Suddenly, Elliot drove his car down a small road. When Anastasia saw that, she couldn¡¯t help but turn to look at him and ask, ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°Just wait here for a moment.¡± Elliot nced at her and got out of the car. Then, she watched as he walked toward a tall bush of reeds, and her face blushed immediately. Elliot returned shortly after. Even though this man had just taken a leak, he still looked elegant and well-dressed, and he even emitted the aura of a slick-haired douche. Elliot stood beside the passenger side¡¯s window, leaned down, and asked her, ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Anastasia replied embarrassedly. ¡°I¡¯ll keep a lookout for you as well,¡± he said with a smile. Anastasia was red in the face. However, what was even more embarrassing was that she had drunk several cups of tea at the restaurant, and more than half an hour had passed; when he asked that question, she realized that she had the urge to go as well. It was awkward. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a hotel or something along the way?¡± Anastasia looked up at him. ¡°As far as I know, there aren¡¯t any within the next half an hour.¡± ¡°What? Where are we?¡± ¡°We¡¯re on the highway to Belros. We¡¯re going to stay there for the night.¡± Upon hearing this, Anastasia was dumbfounded. Why is he taking me to another city without even telling me about it? Damn it. Chapter 348 Anastasia opened the car door and whispered warningly, ¡°No peeking.¡± Upon hearing her words, Elliot nodded obediently and said, ¡°I am a gentleman.¡± With that, she walked further into the bushes of reeds. It was probably one of the most unforgettable and embarrassing events in her life. Why? Why does this have to happen when I¡¯m with Elliot? Gosh! This is nuts! When Anastasia came back, her face was still flustered. However, after thinking about it, she epted the fact that she couldn¡¯t help it if nature called, so there was no need to be ashamed of such a thing! In fact, it was better than holding it in and hurting her own body! After they were both done, Elliot went back on the road again. They drove for two more hours under the starry sky until they finally arrived at the underground parking lot of a five-star hotel owned by the Mansons in the neighboring city. Ever since she gave birth to Jared, Anastasia had never done anything so crazy and bold. It was already 11.00PM, but she was feeling great. In that unfamiliar ce, it seemed that she could just let go of her problems and be free. She didn¡¯t have to restrain herself; even the air that she breathed in smelled like the sweet scent of freedom. Elliot wrapped his big palm over her hand naturally, and she didn¡¯t break free. Then, he led her into the hotel lobby while holding her hand. ¡°I want a suite.¡± That was Anastasia¡¯s final stand for that night. After all, she refused to share a bed with him. Elliot went for a presidential suite on the top floor. It was a luxurious penthouse suite on the 88th floor with a breathtaking sea view, making it seem as though they were above the clouds. As soon as Anastasia entered the room, she was captivated by the scenery at the floor-to-ceiling window, and she couldn¡¯t stop herself from going closer to take a look. After a while, Elliot came from behind, wrapped his arms around her waist, and rested his chin on her shoulder naturally. ¡°Do you like it?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she answered truthfully. ¡°As long as it¡¯s what you desire. Even if you want to have coffee in a foreign country tomorrow, I can take you there immediately,¡± he said with a low chuckle. Anastasia¡¯s heart skipped a bit. No woman in her right mind would dislike Elliot after everything he had done for her! ¡°Thank you for everything you have done for me.¡± She was genuinely grateful, and her heart unknowingly grew closer to him. ¡°You¡¯re worth every effort.¡± With that, Elliot lightly kissed her hair and turned her around. Anastasia¡¯s breathing grew faster. Yet, when he nted his kiss on her, she epted it with her eyes closed. That night, Elliot didn¡¯t cross the line. They rested separately, but Anastasia was so excited that she couldn¡¯t fall asleep until 3.00AM. In the wee hours of the morning, she felt someone sneaking into her bed. She could probably guess who it was, but she was too sleepy to open her eyes and chase him away. Furthermore, his body temperature helped warm her slightly cold body in the morning. Since she felt extremelyfortable, she continued sleeping as she rested her head on a muscr arm. Then, she vaguely felt a kiss on her forehead. Elliot¡¯s lips curled into a smile when he looked at the woman who was still sleeping soundly. It seemed like she hadn¡¯t slept wellst night too. Was that his fault? After all, he had been thinking about her for the whole night. For now, Elliot had to make up for sleep. He held her close to him, but he found it more difficult to fall asleep. The woman in his arms was soft and fragrant like a delicious breakfast on a Sunday morning, making him want to take a big bite out of her. Nheless, Elliot brushed the thought off with a sigh, and he could only force himself to sleep while hugging her. Unbeknownst to them, explosive headlines appeared on the inte and in the morning newspapers. The overarching theme for all the headlines read, ¡®Mysterious Identity of Presgrave Group¡¯s President¡¯s Girlfriend Exposed.¡¯ Following that, various captions full of gimmicks and eye-catching phrases like ¡®Mysterious Young Master of the Presgrave Family Is Dating an Unknown Woman; Both Can¡¯t Help but Share Passionate Kisses at the Coffee Shop¡¯ blew up on the inte ¡®Rumored Girlfriend of the President of Presgrave Group Has Been Exposed; Her Identity Is Unknown, but She Is Stunningly Beautiful.¡¯ ¡®Super-Rich President Took His Girlfriend for a Shopping Spree; Flirted in a Coffee Shop Afterward.¡¯ ¡®Shocking! This Woman Is the True Winner in Life!¡¯ This was followed by a few close-ups of Anastasia¡¯s face with Elliot brushing his lips against her neck in an intimate way. Meanwhile, the two stars of the scandal were still enjoying their morning sleep in the hotel, unaware of the storm brewing outside. Anastasia finally woke up around 10.00AM. She stretchedzily and turned around, only to meet Elliot nose-to-nose. All of a sudden, the air around them turned steamy as their breaths intertwined. Chapter 349 Since she had known in her sleep earlier that morning that he had sneaked onto her bed, she wasn¡¯t really surprised. The winter sun shone in from the window, and it cast a warm and gentle feeling into the room. She began to pull herself away lightly. Meanwhile, Elliot¡¯s even breathing indicated that he was still in a deep sleep. It was rare to have such an opportunity for her to just stare at him and appreciate his looks. Hence, she immediately grasped at the chance and took in the sight of his eyes and brows closely with her bright eyes. It was needless to say how handsome he was! All she could think of was how every edge and angle of his facial features ticked all the boxes of her ideal aesthetic points. Elliot¡¯s looks were wless, and it was the definition of a perfect face. His face looked like it was delicately carved by a pair of skillful hands. Those thick and long eyshes gracefully grazed over his lower eyelids, and there was a pure child-like charm to his looks. However, Anastasia knew that once those eyes were opened, they would re with a burning force, like an emperor. Therefore, she still preferred him while he was asleep; he looked just like a big child without all the aggression. Little by little, her gaze drifted down. It swept across Elliot¡¯s refined jawline, down to his sexy Adam¡¯s apple, and onto the honey-toned skin near his chest. She even caught a glimpse of his hunky chest muscles. After noticing that, she hurriedly withdrew her gaze. She knew that she had to stop staring. Otherwise, it would seem like she wasmitting a crime. But there was no doubt that this man, even in his sleep, had a noble aura to him, which made people not dare to approach him but would rather admire him from afar. Following that, Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but pull herself out of his arms and slip out of bed as gently as possible. When she looked at the time, she was dismayed to have found out that it was already half- past ten. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to be able to make it to work. I¡¯m still in Belros right now! She wondered if she should inform Felicia. It didn¡¯t mean that she could skip work as she liked just because she was with Elliot, after all! No matter what, she would still have to respect her boss! Upon making her decision, Anastasia picked up her phone and walked out of the master bedroom to the balcony in the living room. When she nced at her phone, she was shocked. Why are there eight missed calls? Did something happen to Jared? She quickly unlocked her phone and realized that two missed calls belonged to Felicia, three belonged to Grace, two more belonged to her father, and one was from an unknown number. What happened? Anastasia¡¯s phone had never been so busy in the morning. She hadn¡¯t picked up the calls because she muted her phonest night to get more sleep in the morning. She hadn¡¯t expected to receive so many missed calls after having muted her phone for the first time in forever. When Anastasia scanned through the list, she saw Grace¡¯s name on top, so she went on and gave her a call first. ¡°Hey, Anastasia! You¡¯re finally answering your phone.¡± Anastasia listened to Grace¡¯s voice. Instead of sounding anxious, it sounded rather excited instead. Does she have exciting news that she can¡¯t wait to share with me? ¡°I saw the missed calls, Grace. What happened?¡± ¡°Anastasia, I¡¯m just happy for you! I didn¡¯t expect your rtionship with President Presgrave to be real.¡± Upon hearing her words, Anastasia became dumbfounded. She grinned sheepishly and said, ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin it anymore, Anastasia. We all saw you and Mr. Presgrave kissing in the coffee shop!¡± Anastasia was mindblown, and she nked out for a few seconds before asking stupidly, ¡°What cafe? What was it that you saw?¡± Her heart was filled with shame and guilt. Could it be that Grace identally saw me kissing Elliot in the cafest night? ¡°What? Anastasia, are you still unaware of the news surrounding you and President Presgrave all over the inte?! The whole world knows that you guys are dating! The paparazzi took pictures of you and President Presgave kissing in the cafe yesterday, and they¡¯ve exposed your rtionship!¡± When those words struck her, Anastasia was so shocked that she couldn¡¯t even hold her phone properly, and her mind went nk. What? The paparazzi took pictures of usst night? ¡°I just woke up. Let me take a look first.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, she hung up on Grace and quickly went online. At once, a headline that read, ¡®Shocking! The Mysterious Girlfriend of Presgrave Group¡¯s President, Exposed¡¯ popped up, and it was currently trending. As soon as she saw that, she immediately clicked on the link with trembling hands. Her face blushed shamefully, and her temperature rose. At the same time, her heart was pounding, and she was lost for words as she covered her mouth in shock. Chapter 350 Those were the pictures of her making out with Elliot. There were three or four pictures of them kissing, as well as another two pictures of Anastasia giggling while he kissed her neck. They looked so much like a couple as she leaned into his embrace the entire time. On top of that, they looked like lovers who were madly in love with each other. Ahhh! Anastasia almost broke down. How could such pictures of her and Elliot leak out?! Upon remembering the missed calls from Felicia and her dad, she blushed in embarrassment. It would be easy to exin to Felicia, but she wasn¡¯t sure how she should exin it to her dad. Goodness! She was so embarrassed that she wanted to curl up and die on the spot. She wouldn¡¯t be able to deny their rtionship this time round, for even the heavens wouldn¡¯t believe her denial. Anastasia then took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. Since it had already happened, she had no choice but to ept the fact. Just then, her phone rang again. Upon seeing that it was from her dad, she almost had a heart attack. What is dad going to ask me? Yikes! She took a deep breath and answered the call, ¡°Hi, Dad.¡± On the other side of the phone, Francis smiled and asked, ¡°Anastasia, why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier that both of you are already together? Seeing the news of you and Elliot almost gave me a heart attack.¡± ¡°Dad, are you feeling alright?¡± Anastasia quicklyforted him. ¡°I¡¯m fine, but are you and Elliot really in a rtionship?¡± Francis blurted out. As she thought about the pictures spreading online, she¡¯d be messing with her father if she didn¡¯t admit their rtionship. ¡°Yes, we are seeing each other,¡± Anastasia admitted shyly. She never expected that this would be her first time admitting her rtionship to her father. ¡°That¡¯s great, I¡¯m really happy for you. You have a good eye for men¡ªafter all, you chose someone as outstanding as Elliot. Jared will also have someone to lean on.¡± Francis still felt like he was dreaming. He didn¡¯t expect his daughter, who was also a single mother, would be lucky enough to be with an outstanding man like Elliot. It was the Tillman Family¡¯s triumph! ¡°Alright, get along well with each other, and I wish the best for both of you. I¡¯ll hang up now.¡± Francis hung up the phone after finishing his sentence. As Anastasia heaved a sigh of relief, a man¡¯s voice could be heard from behind. ¡°You admitted to our rtionship?¡± A startled Anastasia quickly turned to look behind, only to see Elliot in a bathrobe with his chest showing and his arms crossed as he leaned against the door frame behind him. A trace of bliss could be seen in his deep, alluring eyes. When she saw him, Anastasia immediately walked up to him and asked, ¡°Can you please deal with it?¡± She passed him her mobile phone. Startled by this, he took the phone from her and read through the gossip column. Immediately after, he laughed andmented, ¡°These pictures were well taken.¡± ¡°How can you stillugh at a time like this? Everyone on the inte knows about us right now.¡± Anastasia thought that she was the only one worried about disclosing their rtionship, and she wasn¡¯t entirely wrong. Elliot had been looking for opportunities to make their rtionship public, and someone had actually done it on his behalf this time. Although the paparazzi intended to make money from releasing the news, he¡¯d definitely make arger fortune than he originally expected this time round. As he looked at the anxious Anastasia, Elliot pulled her into his arms. ¡°Isn¡¯t this good? Now, everyone knows that you are my girlfriend,¡± he uttered. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m not.¡± She pushed him away. How could he be so happy about this? As he locked his gaze on her, he replied confidently, ¡°You will eventually be.¡± Anastasia was expecting him to do something to save their reputation, but it seemed like he had no ns of doing so. Anastasia stood on the balcony with her hand on her chin while deep in thought, feeling somber. Upon seeing that, Elliot walked over andforted her sincerely, ¡°If you can¡¯t ept the news, I can just get rid of it for you.¡± However, Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but think that getting rid of it now would be useless since the news had been released for hours. Most people would have already known about them. Chapter 351-360 Chapter 351-360 Chapter 351 Elliot would have to pay a huge sum of money if Anastasia insisted on covering up the story, and she simply didn¡¯t think it was necessary to go to such lengths. As such, she took it in stride and said, ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll just let it be.¡± She was only thankful that the paparazzi had taken a nice shot of her, and she would be lying if she said she wasn¡¯t impressed with their skills. ¡°You¡¯re really going to let this go?¡± Elliot murmured as his arms snaked around her waist from behind. A delighted smile curled on his lips as he went on to ask, ¡°Does this mean you¡¯ve officially acknowledged our rtionship?¡± Anastasia blushed in embarrassment. If she were to deny their rtionship now, the public was probably going to call her a subus who toyed with men¡¯s feelings. With her back to him, she muttered softly, ¡°Fine, I guess we can try dating for a while and see where it¡¯ll lead us.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let you down,¡± he promised in a maic voice as he bent down slightly to kiss the top of her head. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to satisfy you in every imaginable way.¡± She was at a loss for words when she heard this. I think it¡¯s a little early for the kind of satisfaction you¡¯re talking about, Elliot, she wanted to say. She didn¡¯t think she would be ready to take things to the next level so soon. Suddenly, she found herself thinking about Hayley and wondered whether the girl would go ballistic with rage after seeing the news. However, Anastasia couldn¡¯t care less about how Hayley might feel, much like how Hayley had not cared about whether she lived or died all those years ago. ¡°Have you been in contact with Hayley recently?¡± Anastasia asked, looking up at Elliot curiously. He answered gravely, ¡°Thest time we spoke, she told me that she was going abroad on holiday for three months, but we didn¡¯t speak after that. From now on, my assistant will be the one dealing with her instead and I won¡¯t see her anymore.¡± Anastasia could feel that he was getting ufortable talking about Hayley, so she nodded and let the matter drop. ¡°Let¡¯s go for breakfast before we head back,¡± she suggested brightly. ¡°Okay,¡± he replied happily and held her in his arms for a while, and it wasn¡¯t until she felt the dangerous tension that was growing between them that she shoved him aside abashedly. After breakfast, they wereing out of the basement parking lot when a cold breeze suddenly picked up. Anastasia shivered, but the next second, she was pulled into Elliot¡¯s warm embrace. He carefully bundled her up in his suit jacket and led her to the car. Even though they were a mere dozen or so steps away from the vehicle, she still found his gesture heartwarming. As it turned out, a man who was truly in love with a woman would pay attention to all the little details, and she could definitely feel how much he loved her and wanted to take care of her. It was hard to tell just how much of the poption had their hearts broken by the news of Anastasia and Elliot¡¯s rtionship. Over in the Tillman Constructions¡¯ finance department, Alex heard the news after his subordinates burst into an uproar over it. When he fished out his phone and searched for the news, he was immediately greeted by the picture of Anastasia and Elliot locked in a passionate kiss at the cafe, and he felt his heart twist with bitter jealousy. His chest tightened at the sight of the woman he loved wrapped in another man¡¯s arms. He knew that he no longer stood a chance with Anastasia, and now, all the feelings he had for her died, bing a secret she would never know. However, his feelings for her weren¡¯t the only things that were extinguished right then. The ambition that had driven him all this while was gone too. He wanted to use Anastasia as his stepping stone to take over Tillman Constructions, but it seemed impossible right now. That said, it didn¡¯t mean he was willing to ept fate¡¯s arrangements. All the hard work he had done for Francis in thest few years was in vain, and the shortcut he could have taken to achieve further sess was cut off. No, this isn¡¯t how it¡¯s supposed to be, he thought grimly. He couldn¡¯t just let his dreams go down the drain without putting up a fight. He had not toiled in Tillman Constructions all these years just so he could give up now, not when he deserved more than what he was getting now. As frustration and agony seized him, he clutched his head and felt a fiery rage course through him. With a violent swipe of his arm, he knocked the piles of documents off his desk and onto the floor. No one knew how much he had lost. He was losing out on an entire future that he had nned for himself. The fact that he couldn¡¯t be together with Anastasia did not torture him as much as losing the chance to own Tillman Constructions. Yet, a man like Elliot who was far above him had gotten everything he ever wanted. He couldn¡¯t even begin topete with Elliot, much less be considered on par with him. Just as Alex thought he mightbust with rage, an irritating silhouette drifted into his peripheral vision. It was Erica, Francis¡¯ other daughter. She wasn¡¯t as beautiful as Anastasia, and she was spoiled beyond reason. However, she had the same birthright to thepany as Anastasia did, which meant she had an equal chance of seeding Tillman Constructions. Chapter 352 A malicious and devious look shed in Alex¡¯s eyes at the thought of this. That¡¯s right, I still have a chance of owning Tillman Constructions, and that chance lies in Erica! He recalled how Erica had tried to get close to him thest time; he was clever in his own right, and he figured that Naomi had pinned her interests in thepany on him. Is that why she got her daughter to seduce me? In that case, he decided that there was no harm in coborating with Naomi, seeing as they both had interests in Tillman Constructions that they could not afford to part with. He nced at the picture once more, and when he saw how happily in love Anastasia looked while she was kissing Elliot, he felt as if someone had stabbed his heart with a dagger. He wanted to hold Anastasia in his arms as well and im her as his own, even if it was only for a fleeting night. If he had the chance to fulfill his desires like that, he would be sure to seize it. At that moment, his mind was filled with all the lewd things he wanted to do to Anastasia. She was the woman of his dreams, and she was the only one he ever wanted. Meanwhile, over at Bourgeois, jealousy, and resentment lingered in the air in the office following the news of Anastasia and Elliot¡¯s rtionship. Needless to say, a lot of hearts were broken that day. Aliona, in particr, did not show up for work, and Alice spent the better part of the morning taking her anger out on her assistants and employees. She was furious. She had plotted to her wits¡¯ end to have Anastasia kicked out of Bourgeois, but as things were, it wouldn¡¯t make a difference whether she left or not, for she would eventually marry the president of thepany. In fact, she would be marrying the president of the business empire that was Presgrave Corporation. Anastasia¡¯s status had elevated beyond anything Alice could ever hope to achieve in this lifetime. While she had been toiling away to get promoted in Bourgeois, Anastasia had already taken one huge step forward by seducing and snagging Elliot, thus emerging the victor in this ongoing rivalry. While this was happening, Aliona was huddled up in her apartment. She had been shell-shocked ever since she read the news this morning, and she had a feeling that Anastasia had seduced Elliot on purpose at the cafe so that she could set this whole love affair in motion, thereby gaining publicity. To some extent, Aliona believed this was Anastasia¡¯s way of telling others of her capabilities. She¡¯s trying to rile me up, she concluded with gritted teeth. The task that Riley had entrusted her with was now rendered hopeless. However, she couldn¡¯t give up so easily. Her entire life revolved around her ns of marrying Elliot so that she could take over Presgrave Corporation and present it to her father. This was the best, if not the only way she could ever repay all that Riley had done for her. If she couldn¡¯t manage this, then she would have failed him as a daughter. She was pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of her phone ringing. She nced at the caller ID before she picked up the call and greeted in a defeated voice, ¡°Father.¡± ¡°I just saw the news about Elliot and Anastasia. Who would¡¯ve thought that they would go public with their rtionship?¡± Riley scoffed icily on the other line as a snide edge crept into his tone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not aplishing the task you entrusted me with, Father. My ipetence has let you down, and I have been a waste of your time and energy,¡± Aliona said, wrapping an arm around herself as if she would fall apart if she didn¡¯t. ¡°Aliona, don¡¯t say that. We still have a long journey ahead of us, so pull yourself together! Who¡¯s to say that Anastasia would live long enough to walk down the aisle and marry Elliot, right?¡± Upon hearing this, Aliona brightened up instantly as she asked, ¡°Father, what are your ns?¡± ¡°If she¡¯s going to be just as much of a nuisance as herte mother, I¡¯ll just have to dispose of her the same way. I can make her disappear.¡± ¡°You n on eradicating her, Father?¡± Aliona was excited. With Riley getting involved in this, she might still stand a chance to aplish the task. More importantly, she was excited that she could get close to Elliot. She secretly found him maic and electrifying; she lusted over him and wanted him for herself. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Riley affirmed. Then, he added encouragingly, ¡°I¡¯m nning something right now, and I¡¯ll let you know when the timees. However, you must pull yourself together and don¡¯t ever falter, got it? You still have to take down Elliot.¡± ¡°Yes, Father. Once you get rid of Anastasia, I¡¯ll be able to take down Elliot for sure,¡± Aliona said with renewed confidence. ¡°That¡¯s what I want to hear. Now, just wait for my word!¡± As soon as Riley hung up the call, Aliona¡¯s eyes lit up with an almost maniacal gleam. Anastasia was basically announcing her death wish the moment she went public with Elliot, and Riley would never let her live long enough to see her wedding day. Presently, a hysterical fury descended upon Erica early that morning at Tillman Residence. She never expected that she would wake up and scroll through her phone in bed to find pictures of Anastasia and Elliot kissing spread all over the inte. Chapter 353 Erica ran down the stairs in the clothes she had slept in and told her mother about the news. Naomi was stunned as well, but her astonishment was quickly reced by worry as she muttered, ¡°Anastasia has her way with men. Who would¡¯ve thought she¡¯d have some tricks up her sleeves? I can¡¯t believe she managed to bag Elliot in such a short time.¡± ¡°Mom, now that she has Elliot on her side, will we still be able to get our hands on Dad¡¯spany? You know how greedy she is, and with a bigshot like Elliot backing her up, she would be trampling all over us if she were to take Dad¡¯spany as well!¡± Erica pointed out belligerently. Naomi snorted. ¡°Anastasia has always hated me, and now, she finally has all her cards lined up. It¡¯s only a matter of time before she shows her hand and gets revenge on us. We can¡¯t afford to sit here and wait for our deaths.¡± ¡°I totally agree, Mom. We can¡¯t just let her take everything away from us. We have to think of a way.¡± ¡°Erica, Alex is our safest bet right now if we want to take thepany for ourselves. This is your chance. I¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t turn you down if you were to ask him to join us for dinner tonight,¡± Naomi suggested. The time for her to strike was now, and Alex was going to be one of her most vital pawns in this game of chess. Erica, on the other hand, was angry and upset that she was saddled with her father¡¯s subordinates while Anastasia got to date a fine specimen like Elliot. She didn¡¯t think this was fair, but she had no choice other than to go through with Naomi¡¯s ns. At that moment, she remembered Hayley and wondered if she had heard the news. She¡¯s been getting mooching off the Presgrave Family all this while, and she really likes Elliot too. I bet she¡¯s furious right now! Erica had no idea that Hayley had gone abroad to undergo stic surgery. This was a secret that Hayley intended to be tight-lipped about, and she couldn¡¯t afford to let anyone know what she was doing. When Erica returned to her room after her conversation with Naomi, she dialed Hayley¡¯s number, growing exasperated when she saw that the line couldn¡¯t get through. Meanwhile, Hayley was recuperating from the major procedure that she had just undergone in Hond. The anesthetics had yet to wear off, and she was still asleep at the moment. She had no idea of the crushing news that would greet her when she woke upter. She had done plenty of changes and tweakings to her features that put her through unbearable pain, but the man she was so hopelessly in love with had announced his rtionship with a woman who was her arch-nemesis. Over at Bourgeois, Elliot¡¯s car pulled into the basement parking lot, and Anastasia opened the door to get down from the vehicle the moment it rolled to a stop. However, she had only just stepped out when the man next to her pointed out sourly, ¡°I¡¯m good enough to be in paparazzi shots with you, but not enough to show up at work alongside you, eh?¡± Anastasia stopped in her tracks, and sudden realization dawned upon her as she said, ¡°Sorry, I forgot about that.¡± Elliot sighed, for he wasn¡¯t sure what to do with her. He couldn¡¯t believe that someone who took her work and life so seriously would treat their rtionship with considerablexity. He marched up to her and grabbed her hand. Then, he led her to the elevator without another word. For some reason, she felt like her heart was suspended on a tightrope, ready to take the plunge and fall freely into her stomach at any given moment. She had yet to get used to such public disys of affection with this man. Sure enough, the moment she arrived at the department of design, the employees lingering outside the elevator lobby instantly caught sight of her and Elliot holding hands. She flushed and turned to him. ¡°I¡¯ll be going to my office,¡± she said quietly. With that, she turned to walk into the office under the envious gazes of her co-workers. ¡°Hey, Anastasia.¡± ¡°Good morning, Anastasia!¡± ¡°You look so pretty today, Anastasia!¡± ¡°I love your purse, Anastasia.¡± The way to her desk was paved with endlesspliments as the girls in the office greeted her with unprecedented enthusiasm, but she regarded them with the same smile that she would any other day. She never cared about how others looked at her, and she still maintained her indifference even though they were throwingpliments in her direction to get in her good books. Not long after, Felicia turned up at her office and braced her arms against the desk as she eyed Anastasia¡¯s outfit meaningfully. ¡°Oh, someone didn¡¯t change out of their clothes! I¡¯m guessing you had a pretty good night.¡± Anastasia blushed as she pleaded, ¡°Please don¡¯t make fun of me, Felicia.¡± Knowing how shy Anastasia was when it came to the subject of men, Felicia stopped teasing her. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll stop, but I will still congratte you for bagging President Presgrave! Also, those pictures are more than enough to make a woman jealous!¡± Anastasia was amused and embarrassed at the same time. The pictures were going to be the bane of her existence for a while. Upon noticing the flustered look on the younger woman¡¯s face, Felicia pointed outfortingly, ¡°We¡¯re all adults here, and whatever you did in those pictures ispletely normal. There are plenty of young couples in the park who go twice as hot and heavy as the both of you, and the only difference is that you were caught by the paparazzi. I don¡¯t know any young couples out there who haven¡¯t done all this lovey-dovey stuff.¡± Chapter 354 Anastasia was practically dying of embarrassment as she buried her face in her hands, but now that everything was out in the open, she had no choice other than to ede to reality. Just then, her phone rang. She picked it up and nced at the caller ID, wincing when she saw Nigel¡¯s name. She was far too flustered to put his call through. ¡°Answer it,¡± Felicia encouraged before walking away to give her some privacy. Anastasia took a deep breath and picked up the call. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°My fair Lady Tillman, so you have indeed left me for my cousin!¡± ¡°Please stop teasing me about this,¡± she begged exasperatedly. Nigel chuckled. ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought that my walking iceberg of a cousin could be so passionate when he¡¯s with you?¡± ¡°Nigel,¡± she warned. ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯ll stop. I only called to congratte both of you, and I¡¯m really happy for you guys as well. I wouldn¡¯t have allowed any man other than Elliot to be with you,¡± he pointed out yfully. ¡°Thanks,¡± she said. This was quickly followed by a panicked, ¡°Hey, you didn¡¯t show Jared the pictures, did you?¡± ¡°The pictures are a little PG-13, so of course I didn¡¯t show them to him,¡± he replied matter-of-factly. Anastasia¡¯s face grew hot. ¡°You can¡¯t ever let him see those pictures!¡± ¡°I know, and I won¡¯t. He told me he wants to stay over at my ce, so I¡¯ll pick him up this afternoon and bring him home. That way, you and Elliot can get some much-deserved quality time.¡± She felt bad for saddling Nigel with babysitting duty and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to impose on you, Nigel.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not imposing at all. You know how much I adore the little guy; he brightens up my day like no one else!¡± Nigel was already treating Jared like his own nephew. ¡°Okay, then. Thanks for offering, Nigel,¡± Anastasia said. She felt like she was asking too much of him, but nothing else mattered as much as Jared¡¯s happiness. ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me. Just go and capture my cousin¡¯s heart before some other damseles and snags him! He¡¯s a popr catch, you know,¡± Nigel said jokingly and hung up the phone. Presently, Anastasia propped her chin up with one hand. She couldn¡¯t focus on work, so she held her phone and scrolled through the pictures before blushing. She knew that these were candid shots, but she still couldn¡¯t believe that Elliot looked good from every angle, and she was flustered to see how her face lit up while they were kissing. I look like I¡¯m enjoying his kiss a little too much, she thought. She scrolled down to thements section where theizens had erupted into a frenzy. Without a doubt, she had be the object of everyone¡¯s envy as heartbroken women announced that they wanted to die after seeing the news. Some even went so far as to call Elliot their husband, though that was moreical than anything else. I didn¡¯t know he had tens of thousands of admirers, Anastasia mused. Augh escaped her at the thought of that. Life would be meaningless if she couldn¡¯t appreciate the humor of this situation. When noon rolled around, Elliot called her and suggested that they go out for lunch. She did not turn him down, and the both of them headed over to the restaurant next to Presgrave Corporation. After lunch, Elliot offered to give her a tour of Presgrave Corporation and his office. Given that she wasn¡¯t in the mood for work, she decidedly went along with him. She found herself standing in thepany building, which was andmark in the central business hub of Averna. It was also known as the building of all buildings in the area. This was the first time Anastasia had dropped by Elliot¡¯s office in Presgrave Corporation. As expected, it boasted a stunning view of the skyline and masculine decorations. It gave the illusion that it was built above the clouds when it really was just the pinnacle of a skyscraper. She had a feeling that it would still be bright and sunny here even if there was a storm brewing over the city. ¡°Do you like the view?¡± Elliot murmured as he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. She nodded and said gently, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You can drop by anytime to have coffee and take in the scenery,¡± he offered in a husky voice. She sensed something dry and cool press against the back of her ear. He had kissed her there, and she quickly shrunk away from him as she grumbled, ¡°Do you make a habit out of kissing people at the most random of times?¡± He straightened up and eyed her solemnly as he corrected, ¡°No, I only make a habit out of kissing you, randomly or not.¡± This made her heart flutter, but at that moment, she heard his phone ring and prompted, ¡°Go and answer the call.¡± He returned to the desk and picked up his phone. ¡°It¡¯s my grandmother. She probably saw the pictures,¡± she said. Anastasia gasped and quickly put her finger to her lips as though to shush him. In low, hushed tones, she urged, ¡°Don¡¯t tell her I¡¯m here.¡± Elliot raised a brow in amusement, and at the sight of the anxious look on her face, he answered the call and put it on speaker. ¡°Hey, Grandma.¡± ¡°Elliot!¡± Harriet sounded ted on the other line as her bright voice filled the spacious office. ¡°Is it true? I¡¯m not dreaming, am I? Are you and Anastasia officially dating now?¡± Chapter 355 ¡°Of course you aren¡¯t dreaming, Grandma. Anastasia and I are officially dating,¡± Elliot replied with a smile, though his gaze lingered on the flustered woman whose face was buried in her hands as she stood to the side. Anastasia immediately and desperately signaled for him to look her way. She even mimed to tell him to keep her presence here a secret from the olddy. One could practically hear Harriet buzzing with excitement on the other line as she quipped, ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯ll be waiting for you to marry her and make her my granddaughter-inw!¡± ¡°Okay, Grandma. I¡¯ll talk to her about this,¡± Elliot promised. ¡°Also, bring her and her child back home in the next few days. They shall be my honored guests.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make the arrangements,¡± he said patiently and indulgently. ¡°My dream has finallye true. Oh, and don¡¯t let the press snap pictures like those ever again. I don¡¯t want Anastasia¡¯s reputation to be tarnished.¡± Harriet was already going into protective grandmother-in- law mode. Anastasia was moved to hear this. Elliot, on the other hand, said decisively, ¡°I¡¯ll have those pictures on the inte taken care of immediately.¡± He ended the call with Harriet and turned to appraise Anastasia with interest. ¡°Hear that? Grandma wants us to get married as soon as possible.¡± She felt her heart somersault. We¡¯re moving a little too fast, aren¡¯t we? We only just went public with our rtionship yesterday, and now we¡¯re talking about throwing a wedding? Meanwhile, over in Hond, Hayley finally woke up after the surgery. She felt like her bones had been detached and put together again, and she was in so much pain that she couldn¡¯t help trembling. This was her first procedure, and she had already arranged for subsequent surgeries that included liposuction and breast augmentation. Presently, there was only one person in her mind who became her driving force to go through such torturous ordeals, and that was Elliot. She grew excited just from thinking about how she would ¡®identally¡¯ walk by him and amaze him with her stunning appearance. She could already imagine the way he would look at her with the same devotion and love as he did with Anastasia, and the thought of that alone was enough to satisfy her. She was sure that when the time came, he would be entranced by her beauty. Now that she had regained consciousness, Hayley was transferred to the normal ward; she would remain there for the rest of her recuperation period while being tended to by a professional caretaker. The female manager who had rmended her to the facility, in particr, was attentive to her every need. While Hayley¡¯s looks were average at best, she was generous with her money, and the manager knew that those who had gotten stic surgery would return for future procedures as well, even if sporadically. At some point, Hayley would be one of her long-term clients as well. Right now, Hayley¡¯s face was entirely wrapped in bandages, revealing only a pair of bloodshot eyes. The sutures on her eyelids had yet to be taken off, and the parts of her face which were still visible were so bruised up that she looked borderline horrific. She took one nce at herself in the mirror and grew so despondent that she didn¡¯t want to take another look. She couldn¡¯t wait for the swelling to go down and for her new face to be revealed. She turned to her assistant and said, ¡°Give me my phone.¡± The assistant did so immediately, and Hayley wasted no time in connecting to the WiFi here. As soon as she did, her phone chimed incessantly as new texts came pouring in. She saw that most of these texts were from Erica, and she clicked on the first one at the very top. ¡®Hayley, where are you? Did you turn your phone off or something? Have you seen the news of Elliot¡¯s newfound love life?¡¯ Her mind imploded when she read this. What love life? She quickly backed out of the text message and clicked into her browser, promptly searching Elliot¡¯s name. At once, she was greeted by countless articles written about him, but what caught her eye right off the bat was the title that read, ¡®Elliot Presgrave Pictured Kissing Girlfriend in Cafe¡¯. Hayley¡¯s chest rose and fell rapidly as she clicked into the article to see who Elliot¡¯s supposed ¡®girlfriend¡¯ was. That was when she saw the picture, and though only half the girl¡¯s face was captured by the camera, Hayley could still tell from the delicate side profile that the girl was none other than Anastasia. A piercing shriek escaped Hayley as she threw her phone aside in a fit of rage, and she put her hands over her face. Having gone through such painful stic surgery, she was supposed to rest, and stress did not do any good for her at all. However, she was belligerent after reading the news, and she felt as if she mightbust. ¡°Miss Seymour, is everything okay?¡± ¡°My face hurts,¡± Hayley groaned, though her heart was the one filled with searing pain. She never expected Anastasia to be so shameless as to be pictured being all loved-up in Elliot¡¯s arms. Hayley could barely breathe through the pain that came from the incisions and wounds on her face. She needed to calm down, but the image of Elliot and Anastasia kissing seemed burned into the back of her mind. The fiery painsted for a while, and even the doctor dropped by to check on her. She was told to keep calm and maintain a straight face most of the time if she wanted to keep her sutures and wounds from tearing, which would lead to scarring and disfigurement. Devastated, Hayleyy in bed and felt resentment wash over her. She had gotten work done on her entire face, only to have some other woman swoop in and act all lovey-dovey with Elliot. Worst of all, that woman was her arch-nemesis, the one person she hated the most. Chapter 356 For the sake of her face, which had just gone through a major procedure, Hayley had no choice but to keep her rage and anguish in check. It was as if a thousand needles were piercing her heart right now as she clutched tightly onto the sheets under her, and she had to swallow to keep herself from shouting out in maniacal fury. Meanwhile, in Averna, Anastasia was having dinner with Elliot at avish French restaurant, the ambiance of which only entuated the man¡¯s suave demeanor and romantic nature. When it came time for her to go home after dinner, Elliot drove her back to the neighborhood entrance and parked the car. She grabbed her purse, but just as she opened the door to step down from the car, she heard a low and somewhat disgruntled man¡¯s voice asking, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to ask me to stay for a cup of tea?¡± Anastasia said firmly, ¡°No, it¡¯s gettingte. Maybe next time.¡± ¡°The weather¡¯s so cold tonight, though. How about we have a sleepover? You have a bed, and I¡¯ll warm it up for you,¡± he offered proudly. She held onto the door as she sputtered and doubled over withughter. Elliot did not wait for her to speak before he got out of the car, and without her registering what he was doing, he walked over to her, grabbed her hand, and led her toward her apartment. ¡°H-Hey, Elliot! No, don¡¯t do this,¡± Anastasia cried frantically. However, he had already guided her through the neighborhood entrance. Panic filled her as they drew near to the apartment building. Jared wasn¡¯t home tonight, which meant there was no buffer between her and Elliot; she was at a loss as to how she should act around him. More importantly, she wasn¡¯t a little girl anymore, but she was still terrified of what would happen now that they were two grown-ups left to their own devices. She had only just agreed to be his girlfriend, but it looked like he already had ns to make himself at home in her apartment. ¡°Open the door,¡± Elliot prompted now, his gaze darkening as he stared at her meaningfully. ¡°Can¡¯t you just go home?¡±Anastasia looked up at him pleadingly. ¡°It¡¯s really, reallyte.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only 8.30PM, which I think is considerably early.¡± ¡°I have work tomorrow, though,¡± she countered insistently as her mind scrambled for more excuses. ¡°Not if I say you don¡¯t,¡± he pointed out with a roguish smile. He was the president, after all, and he thought granting his employees days off fell well within his purview. ¡°No, it¡¯s reallyte.¡± She bit down hard on her lower lip. If one didn¡¯t know better, one would think the man was a restless beast that had been caged for far too long, and he would devour her the moment she opened the door. Amusement shed in his eyes as he asked, ¡°Are you that afraid of me?¡± ¡°Yes, I am,¡± she admitted. ¡°Can you please leave now?¡± ¡°I promise I won¡¯t make a move on you if you let me in¡ªunless, of course, you make the first move,¡± he said solemnly. With unwavering confidence, she argued, ¡°I¡¯d never make the first move.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay for just a cup of tea,¡± Elliot needled in his signature husky tone, sounding like he was cajoling her. ¡°Please let me go in and stay for a while.¡± Anastasia couldn¡¯t bring herself to say no to him, not when he was looking at her with puppy eyes even though he was known to be dangerous and domineering. She softened and took her keys out from her purse, opening the door as she warned him onest time, ¡°No funny business. Otherwise, I¡¯ll kick you out.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± he promised with good cheer. Having opened the front door, Anastasia turned on the lights, which cast a warm glow over the living room. She set her purse down and changed into slippers before taking out a men¡¯s pair from the cab for Elliot as she said, ¡°Put these on.¡± ¡°How considerate of you,¡± he observed with a coy smile. ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be for my dad,¡± she said, not wanting him to get too pleased with himself. ¡°Say whatever you want,¡± he replied a little glumly. He sat down on the couch while she picked up around the house for a bit. Then, she went into the kitchen and brought him a ss of water. ¡°Here, finish the water and skedaddle home.¡± Elliot looked at the water, and suddenly, there was a dark gleam in his eyes as he called out, ¡°Hey, could youe over here and see if I¡¯ve got something in my eye?¡± Anastasia was standing on the other side of the coffee table and drinking from her own ss when she heard this. She walked over to him worriedly. ¡°Let me take a look.¡± However, she had only just drawn near to him when triumph glimmered in his half-lidded eyes. The next second, he put out his foot and tripped her, making her lose bnce. She gasped in shock as she toppled forward into his embrace. She felt a strong arm snake around her waist in one swift movement, and when she tried to prop herself up, she found that she was pinned firmly against him. ¡°You¡ª¡± She looked up at him in bewilderment, and when she saw the devilish smirk ying on his lips, she knew she had been tricked. Nevermore did she feel like a damsel in distress who had just been cornered by a handsome and roguish knight. Before she could protest, he chuckled and murmured huskily, ¡°You¡¯ve made the first move, so don¡¯t mind me ying along.¡± The next second, the room spun as he flipped her over. Just like that, Anastasia was trapped between Elliot and the couch with her face mere inches away from his, and she was acutely aware of how their bodies were closely pressed together. Chapter 357 Anastasia wanted to cry out in exasperation, for she should have known better than to trust this man. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Elliot, I swear, if you think you can¡ª¡± However, before she could say the words ¡®get away with it¡¯, Elliot inched forward and kissed her. He intended to get away with this, and it looked like he was seeding. After all, he couldn¡¯t help himself when it came to Anastasia; it was as if she was his fatal attraction, her presence probing and enticing him like a siren¡¯s call. Anastasia struggled against him for a few seconds, but it was all for show since she knew there was no escaping the man on top of her. In the end, she sumbed to his kisses, the hunger in her awakening with the way he nibbled and tugged on her lips. However, there was a voice in the back of her head, albeit a muffled one, that nagged at her and made her keep her guard up. She wasn¡¯t so much worried about someone walking in on them as she was about losing herself to Elliot and his deadly charisma. She still wasn¡¯t ready to bring their intimacy to the next level, and while the kiss was sweet and lingering, she couldn¡¯t help sensing the danger in it as well. The air that crackled around them as their tension built reminded her of a brewing storm, and any time now, a hurricane would hit them and wreak havoc. However, with the direction this very intimate kiss was taking, she wasn¡¯t sure how she could keep the floodgates closed any longer, not when the water was already bursting toe through. Everything about Elliot¡ªhis breath, his warmth, and his testosterone-driven urgency¡ªwas shrouding her like a veil. The voice of reason in her mind was being constantly drowned out by her own desire, and for a moment, it was like reality had melted away into the background. She was on the verge of surrendering to nature and primal instincts at this point. Just then, Elliot whispered huskily, ¡°I want you, Anastasia¡­¡± This sent an electric current through her veins, and she shuddered as she willed herself to push him away. ¡°Elliot, no¡­¡± The next second, however, he picked her up from the couch without warning and carried her over to the master bedroom. She was so stunned that her mind drew a nk. The dimness of the bedroom became something like a dark space for Elliot to act on his heightened senses. He wanted nothing more than toy her down and please her in ways she could never imagine. Anastasia¡¯s thoughts were hazy, and her insides were coiled up with mixed feelings she couldn¡¯t quite decipher. When she tried to push Elliot away, he sped her wrists and pinned her hands above her head, which prompted indescribable fear to course through her all of a sudden. ¡°No¡­ Don¡¯t touch me¡­ Go away!¡± Panic seized her. It was as if her mind did not perceive the man kissing her to be Elliot, but that sc*mbag from five years ago. His strong arms, his towering build, and his domineering, unforgiving air struck a heavy resemnce to the gigolo from Abyss Club. ¡°Anastasia, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Upon sensing that something was off with her, Elliot stopped and reached out to hold her. Unexpectedly, she struggled violently to get away from him as she cried, ¡°Go away! Don¡¯t touch me!¡± It was like he had be the source of her fear. Bewildered, he quickly got off the bed, strode over to the door, and turned on the lights in the room. When he saw the girl curled into a ball on the bed with her eyes tightly closed while her body trembled with insurmountable fear and hurt, he felt his heart drop to his stomach. He hated himself for having pushed her too far. He suddenly remembered the horrific ordeal she had been through. Whatever they had been doing just now¡ªor rather, whatever he had been doing to her¡ªhad clearly brought her deep-seated trauma to the surface. ¡°Anastasia, it¡¯s me,¡± Elliot murmured as he perched on the edge of the bed, keeping a safe distance as he reached out to stroke her hair gently. It made it seem like he was coaxing a wounded animal. It was only then that she opened her misty eyes, and she suddenly became aware of how she had overreacted. She flipped onto her side, looking flustered as she mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for scaring you.¡± There was no hiding the guilt in his voice as he said, ¡°No, I should be the one to say sorry.¡± She sat up slowly and buried her face in her hands. ¡°I¡­ I think you should go home.¡± He couldn¡¯t possibly leave her alone in this state. He implored softly, ¡°Let me stay here and take care of you for the night. I promise that¡¯s all I¡¯ll do.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need you to take care of me,¡± she muttered weakly as she shook her head, though her face was devoid of color. At the sight of how frightened she looked, he was seized with the urge to find out who was the b*stard that dared hurt her five years ago. If he managed to track him down, he would make him pay in blood. ¡°Can you tell me more about what happened that night?¡± Elliot asked. He wanted to help her get through this, and he didn¡¯t want her to have to shoulder this alone while suppressing the trauma and letting it fester in her. Anastasia gazed up at the man in front of the bed. The trauma and the bad memories had hollowed her out, and she felt like a shell of herself. When he let go of her, she nudged him like a scared kitten seekingfort. Elliot refrained from holding her too tightly, and he kept his movements slow as he leaned forward to kiss her on the top of her head. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡± She closed her eyes tiredly. At the end of the day, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to word out the horrific things she had been through. Finally, she released his arm, and her gaze was calm once more as she said, ¡°You can go home now. I¡¯ll be fine on my own.¡± Chapter 358 ¡°Do you think I could leave you alone like this?¡± Elliot held onto Anastasia firmly, refusing to let her go. The steel edge to her demeanor had returned, and when she spoke, it was in clear, unwavering tones. ¡°I¡¯ve survived for five years; I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ll be fine on my own for a night.¡± Elliot pursed his lips and asked tentatively, ¡°Is Jared really the child of that hooligan?¡± Anastasia hated confronting the truth of Jared¡¯s birth every time it came up, but reality was cruel, and there was nothing she could do to deny Jared¡¯s father¡¯s identity. ¡°Yes,¡± she finally bit out through gritted teeth. Elliot¡¯s chest tightened. He understood that this was a painful topic for her, so he let it drop. In the end, he got up and left after she insisted that he did. When the door closed behind him, an icy gleam shed in his eyes as he vowed to uncover the wretched man¡¯s identity even if Anastasia refused to speak of him. He needed to know what kind of a monster could bear to hurt her so badly. Presently, Elliot waited at the door, but when he realized that Anastasia was not going to open it and invite him back into the house, he left. The only way he could achieve a breakthrough in this case was to find out which clubhouse the incident had taken ce in. Just because Anastasia was set on remaining tight-lipped about it, he was sure that others might have some idea as to what had happened on the night she was assaulted. As he sat in the backseat of the car, he began to consider his options. Hayley knew about the details of that night, but he didn¡¯t want to ask her about it. He sifted through the names in his mind, trying to pick the person most likely to give him some useful insight on the matter. He settled on one person atst, and that was Erica, Anastasia¡¯s half-sister. Given how she had brought up Jared¡¯s birth thest time she threw a tantrum, there was a high chance that she knew about the incident. He was confident that she could provide him with some leads on this. As he leaned into his seat, Elliot pulled out his phone and gave Rey a call. ¡°I need you to arrange a meeting for me with someone.¡± ¡°Who would that be, President Presgrave?¡± Rey asked courteously. ¡°Erica.¡± In the silence of the bedroom, Anastasia was holding a ss of water as she sat on the lounge listlessly. She felt guilty for having imagined Elliot as the man who had assaulted her five years ago while they were intimate. In truth, she was stunned as well that the trauma she thought she had buried deep inside her heart could be so easily brought to the surface with a single touch, triggering her fear of intimacy. She suddenly felt that this was unfair to Elliot. If they really did work out as a couple and got married, she couldn¡¯t possibly reject him for the rest of their lives and chain him to involuntary celibacy. The next morning, Erica was still tucked under the covers when she suddenly received a phone call that made her bolt upright in bed. ¡°What? Does young Master Elliot want to see me at noon?¡± ¡°Yes, President Presgrave has something he needs your help with. Would you be free to meet with him?¡± Erica was so stunned that she couldn¡¯t string words together, and she stammered, ¡°O-Of course. I¡¯d be free to meet with him.¡± ¡°In that case, will 11.30AM today do for you?¡± ¡°Yes, of course. I¡¯ll be there,¡± she replied as she nodded vehemently. When the call ended and she received the address for the restaurant where the meeting would be, she was so ted she could pass out. Never in her wildest dreams did she think Elliot would invite her for lunch. ¡°My goodness, what should I wear?¡± She leaped down from the bed and threw open her closet doors, rummaging through her clothes with fervor. She had but one goal in her mind, which was to seduce Elliot and make him her man. She didn¡¯t care that he was Anastasia¡¯s supposed boyfriend, nor was she bothered by his history with Hayley. She was still dead set on bagging him because he was worth it. She didn¡¯t tell Naomi about the meeting. After picking out a figure-hugging dress, she put on a zer over it, thinking that if Anastasia could win Elliot over while dressed in pantsuits, surely that meant he had a thing for professional career women. Then, she sat down in front of the vanity and began to apply her make-up delicately, not allowing even the slightest w. She was determined to show her best self to Elliot. Meanwhile, all the departments in Bourgeois were getting ready to move into their newpany building. Since the offices in Presgrave Corporation were fully furnished with the mostvish of decorations, the only thing that the departments had to do was to pack up their files and equipment for the big move. Anastasia was nestled in the quiet of her office when Aliona suddenly walked through the door. ¡°Is there something you need, Miss Dora?¡± Anastasia asked curtly. ¡°Your efficiency in snagging President Presgrave is indeedmendable, Miss Tillman,¡± Aliona drawled sarcastically. ¡°I will only entertain conversations about work, Miss Dora,¡± Anastasia pointed out coolly. ¡°Thepany is no ce for us to talk about her personal affairs.¡± Chapter 359 ¡°I just want to let you know that I will never give up on my feelings for Elliot,¡± Aliona said. She was here for no other reason than to try and get on Anastasia¡¯s nerves after her own bitter resentment overwhelmed her. ¡°For the rest of your life, you¡¯ll have me aspetition,¡± she added confidently. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll only be a matter of time before President Presgrave notices me and falls for me.¡± Anastasia, however, was neither impressed nor intimidated. ¡°Your non-achievements do not interest me, so take your gloating elsewhere,¡± she pointed out sarcastically. Contempt shed in Aliona¡¯s eyes as she snorted and said haughtily, ¡°We¡¯ll see who the real winner will be!¡± Now that Father¡¯s already plotting her demise, Elliot will be mine sooner orter once we get rid of her! Anastasia, on the other hand, was admittedly affected by what Aliona said even though thetter had already left. It seemed as if Elliot constantly had a barrage of women who would not hesitate to seize even the slightest of chances to get close to him. When noon rolled around, Anastasia made up her mind to invite Elliot out for a meal as an apology for what happenedst night. If it hadn¡¯t been for her overreaction, things might not have ended on such a tense note, and the night would have been perfectly wrapped up. She picked up the phone on her desk and dialed Elliot¡¯s extension. When he did not pick up, the call was automatically transferred to his assistant¡¯s line. ¡°Hello, this is the president¡¯s office,¡± the assistant greeted courteously. ¡°Hi, Lily. Is President Presgrave in at the moment?¡± ¡°Oh, Miss Tillman! It seems President Presgrave has already left for a lunch appointment.¡± ¡°I see. Alright, thanks.¡± Anastasia hung up and sighed in frustration. Then, she asked Felicia to join her for lunch instead. Meanwhile, Erica was on cloud nine as she made her way over to the restaurant. She checked herself in the mirror constantly just to make sure that she looked as wless as she did when she left the house. In fact, the tiniest smudge of her make-up would set her off at this point. She had to present her wless side to Elliot today. She reckoned that something about her must have caught his eye, which exined why he would ask her out for lunch out of the blue. The thought of this gave her a rush. If things went well, she might even surpass Hayley and Anastasia to be Elliot¡¯s new object of affection. In every woman, there was buried confidence that would not dim under any circumstance. Presently, Rey was waiting outside the restaurant for Erica, and when he registered her arrival, he led her up the stairs to the main dining atrium. She was brought to a private dining room in which Elliot was already seated and waiting for her. Erica swallowed and felt her palms grow sweaty. At the same time, she nervously flipped her hair over her shoulder as she appraised the man shyly. After taking her seat, she asked, ¡°Young Master Elliot, may I know why you¡¯ve asked to see me today?¡± Rey left to give them some privacy, and as soon as the door fell shut, Elliot slid a bank card across the table and said to her, ¡°Miss Erica, there¡¯s a million in this card. All you need to do is answer my questions, and the money¡¯s yours.¡± Erica was stunned as she gaped at the card in front of her. A million was a tempting offer, and she blinked to snap out of her reverie. ¡°What do you want to know, Young Master Elliot?¡± ¡°You have to promise to answer all my questions honestly,¡± he said as he eyed her somberly. Disappointment surged through her at that moment. Have I read too much into the lunch invitation? Did he not ask me to join him for a meal because he likes me? However, when she nced at the bank card, the thought of having a million in her pocketforted her. After all, it was enough tost her for a while. She nodded and said, ¡°Fire away, Young Master Elliot.¡± He gazed at her darkly and asked, ¡°First question¡ªdo you know the name of the man who assaulted Anastasia five years ago?¡± Erica¡¯s heart leaped to her throat. As it turned out, Elliot was only here because he wanted to know about Anastasia¡¯s past. In a snide tone, she countered, ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask my sister? I¡¯m sure she knows more than anyone else the details of that particr night.¡± ¡°If you have no ns of giving me the answers I want, then I won¡¯t waste your time anymore,¡± Elliot said, not wanting to stay here and listen to someone speak ill of Anastasia. He reached out to take back the card, but that was when Erica panicked and cried out, ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯ll tell you. I¡¯ll tell you whatever you want to know, Young Master Elliot.¡± He paused and took his hand off the card. Money was the key to getting someone as greedy as Erica to open up. ¡°I want you to tell me everything you know about what happened that night,¡± he ordered. He knew that she would not give up on the bank card. While Erica knew that the incident at Abyss Club had been nned and set up by Hayley, it didn¡¯t change the fact that she was an aplice. There was no way that she could deny her involvement in the whole thing, so after a moment of thought, she said, ¡°On the night of the incident, Hayley and I were hanging out at the club, but that was when one of our male co-workers decided to make a move on her. She called my sister out of panic to have her pick us up, but we waited for long enough to think she wasn¡¯ting at all. Just as we were leaving, however, Anastasia suddenly ran out of the club with her clothes disheveled, and that was how we found out she had been assaulted.¡± Chapter 360 Elliot¡¯s fists clenched where they rested atop his knees as he pressed, ¡°What did that b*stard look like? Do you know what he did for a living?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Last I heard, he was a male escort. Besides, you know how clubs can get rowdy and chaotic, so it¡¯s not as if I would have paid attention to anyone¡¯s background,¡± Erica said, but the way she blinked her eyes told Elliot that she was lying. Seeing that she was being untruthful, he went on to demand, ¡°Tell me the time and ce of the incident.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really remember the time, but I know it took ce at Abyss Club.¡± Upon hearing this, Elliot¡¯s heart dropped to his stomach. Abyss Club? That was where Hayley and I¡­ He snapped out of his thoughts and urged, ¡°You¡¯re sure it was Abyss Club?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± she replied firmly. ¡°As for what happened that night, I don¡¯t quite remember.¡± She wasn¡¯t lying this time. He went on to probe for more information, asking, ¡°Do you recall what seasonal clothes you were wearing? You would remember that.¡± Erica thought hard and said, ¡°I believe we were wearing our summer wardrobe. Do you have any more questions, President Presgrave?¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call the police and file aint on Anastasia¡¯s behalf after she was assaulted that night? You¡¯re supposedly her family, aren¡¯t you?¡± He sounded like he was using her. She quirked her lips and muttered, ¡°It wasn¡¯t as if we were the ones who caused something like that to happen to her. Besides, she happened to run into us when she left the club, and she wasted no time in pinning the me on us even though we were innocent!¡± Her narrative aligned with Hayley¡¯s. They would never confess to having admitted to Anastasia, upon her confrontation with them five years ago, that they had been the ones to set her up. Elliot, on the other hand, had a grim look on his face. Erica had given him a new lead that he had never come across before, which was Abyss Club. This was the same club where he and Hayley had had their encounter five years ago as well. He wondered if this was all a coincidence, and if that were the case, he wanted to know the timeline. ¡°Are those all the questions you have for me, Young Master Elliot?¡± Erica asked, pulling him out of his thoughts. ¡°Are you sure you know nothing about the male escort from that night five years ago?¡± ¡°I swear I haven¡¯t the slightest clue about him,¡± she insisted. ¡°Also, I¡¯m willing to bet that my sister walked into the wrong room and got herself screwed over by him. Apparently, he was a maniac who nearly tortured my sister to death.¡± She was deliberately saying this. Much like Hayley, she wanted to carve a vile impression of Anastasia into Elliot¡¯s mind. Anger rose in Elliot when he heard this. If he found out who that sc*mbag was, he would be sure to wipe him off the face of the earth. ¡°That¡¯s enough from you,¡± he bit out through gritted teeth. He didn¡¯t want to sit here a moment longer and hear Erica¡¯s scathing remarks about Anastasia. ¡°You may leave now.¡± Erica took the bank card, but her gaze flickered wistfully over the elegant man sitting across from her as she said shamelessly, ¡°Young Master Elliot, I just want you to know that I like you a lot, and I would do anything you ask me to if that¡¯s what you want.¡± At that moment, he looked up at her with his razor-sharp gaze that threatened to slice through her. She was so intimidated by this that she flushed and quickly borated, ¡°What I meant was that you could ask me any other question you might have, President Presgrave. I¡¯d be more than happy to help.¡± With that, she turned to leave the room like how one might flee from danger. Holy crap! If looks could kill, I would¡¯ve been dead a hundred times over, she thought as a chill ran down her spine. More importantly, she had seen how lowly she looked in Elliot¡¯s clear, obsidian eyes. He was high and mighty like he was born to be on a pedestal, and what she had told him just now basically rendered her worthless. After Erica left, Elliot summoned Rey into the room and said, ¡°Retrieve all the security footage from five years ago at Abyss Club.¡± He was determined to find out who that sc*mbag was, and when he did, he would make him pay without ever letting Anastasia find out about it. Over at Bourgeois, Aliona got a call from Riley, who said on the other line, ¡°I¡¯m going to need you to lure Anastasia out. My men are ready to execute the n.¡± Aliona¡¯s eyes shed with anticipation as a sudden bright idea came into her head. Nodding, she replied, ¡°I know what to do.¡± She hung up the phone, rose from her seat, and headed into Felicia¡¯s office. ¡°Director Evans, I¡¯m supposed to meet a client, but I¡¯m afraid I have too much work to do at the moment. Could you get Anastasia to take the order instead?¡± ¡°She¡¯s probably busy. Why don¡¯t you look for somebody else?¡± Felicia suggested. ¡°There¡¯s a higher chance of us bagging the deal if she were to take up the job, though. My client is a youngdy from a really affluent family, and she only came to Bourgeois because she heard so many things about Anastasia.¡± Felicia pondered on this for a beat or two. She then answered, ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Anastasia and see what she says.¡± Chapter 361-370 Chapter 361-370 Chapter 361 ¡°Don¡¯t tell her that I was the one who rmended her, though. Anastasia and I haven¡¯t exactly been on amicable termstely,¡± Aliona said to fortify her cover. ¡°Very well. I¡¯m going to need the client¡¯s name and the address where you¡¯re scheduled to meet her.¡± Aliona immediately called Riley for the address. When Felicia had the name and address in hand, she called the given contact number for confirmation. The person who answered the call was a girl who made it clear that she wanted a highly personal arrangement wherein the designer would meet her somece outside thepany building. The various kinds of businesses avable on the market were locked in gruelingpetition at the moment, and with the client¡¯s budget being five million, Felicia did not want to let this deal fall through. As such, she hurried over to Anastasia¡¯s office and found the girl daydreaming after losing her drive to work. Having heard about the client and the budget she was given, Anastasia agreed and stood up behind her desk. She then announced, ¡°I¡¯ll be going, then.¡± She figured she could use some fresh air and a change of environment. Felicia nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve already made arrangements with the girl regarding the time and location. Why don¡¯t you bring Grace with you? Also, be safe on the road!¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Anastasia replied. She had always been the most enthusiastic when it came to her work. Once Anastasia left the office, Aliona turned back to Felicia¡¯s office and asked if Anastasia had already gone out. Upon hearing that Anastasia was about to drive out of the parking lot, Aliona quickly and happily gave Riley a call. Meanwhile, Anastasia was unaware of the danger thaty waiting for her. Aliona was sure that she could get rid of the infuriating girl by the end of the day, thereby making room for herself to slide into Elliot¡¯s life tofort him while he grieved Anastasia¡¯s untimely death, winning him over with her kindness. While this was happening, Anastasia and Grace headed out of thepany building. During the drive, Anastasia called up the supposed client and confirmed that they were meeting up at a cafe to puruse the details of the order. Along the way, she and Grace kept up a humorous repartee to pass time, and indeed, it wasn¡¯t long before the navigation satellite told them that they were drawing close to the cafe. Anastasia parked her car in the area next to the cafe. There was only one lot avable, and Anastasia had to back into it. As she did so, she did not notice the men in the ck vans on either side of her car. This was all a ploy by Riley; he had arranged for his men to fill up most of the parking lots, leaving only this particr space. Anastasia and Grace had only just grabbed their purses and went out of the car when the doors to the backseat of the van opened up. Without warning, the girls were each dragged into the ck van closest to them. The men who did this moved so quickly that they did not spare either girl the chance to cry for help. Soon, the kidnappers pulled out of the parking lot with one van leading the other. Two burly men held Anastasia down in the backseat while they hastily worked to bind her wrists and ankles. Following that, they stuffed a rag into her mouth to keep her from struggling or protesting in any way she could think of. Fear and shock lit up in her eyes. She was supposed to be meeting a client, and she couldn¡¯t understand how she had been ambushed on purpose, thereafter kidnapping her. What about Grace? What will happen to her? At the same time, she thought about her son. If something happens to me, who¡¯s going to take care of Jared? This made her struggle violently, but at that moment, the man next to her took out a syringe and injected something into her arm. The effects of the drug kicked in and washed over her almost immediately, rendering her weak. Eventually, she felt her conscious mind slipping into the darkness. When the two vans had driven away, a ck SUV tailed after them, and inside were Elliot¡¯s bodyguards. They had been following one of Riley¡¯s subordinates, and never did they think they would come across a kidnapping incident. More to the point, the dashcam in the car had managed to capture a full view of the kidnappers and their victims. Right now, the bodyguard in the passenger seat was reviewing the footage. He paused as he zoomed in on the woman¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s Miss Tillman!¡± he eximed. ¡°Quick, get President Presgrave on the line.¡± Elliot had only just returned to Presgrave Corporation when his phone suddenly rang. He nced at the caller ID and answered the call before greeting perfunctorily, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°President Presgrave, we were following Riley¡¯s subordinates and ran into them kidnapping Miss Tillman and her assistant.¡± Having just stepped through the doorway of his office, Elliot¡¯s gut twisted when he heard this. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Yes. We are sure that the kidnappers have taken Miss Tillman and her assistant. We are now following one of the two vans.¡± ¡°Very well. Keep a close eye on the cars, and if she¡¯s in even the slightest bit of danger, then you must do what you can to save her,¡± Elliot ordered as his gaze grew frighteningly calm, though he might go berserk with worry at any given moment. Why did Riley kidnap Anastasia? Is it because she¡¯s the woman I¡¯m in love with? He didn¡¯t have time to dwell on whatever twisted reasoning Riley might have behind such an operation. Without another word, he rallied Rey and eight of his bodyguards before they hurriedly followed the direction in which the kidnappers were moving. Chapter 362 While they were on their way, Elliot and his men would continuously tune into the information and directions given by the bodyguards who were tracking Anastasia and her kidnappers. Right now, all Elliot could do was pray for her safe return. The thought of what those kidnappers might do to her while shey helpless in the car brought an ominous gleam to his eyes, and he wanted nothing more than to catch up to that van and kill those kidnappers with his bare hands. Even though they were elerating at full speed, he still felt like they were going too slow forfort. If Riley so much as touched a single hair on Anastasia¡¯s head, he vowed that he would st them all to kingdome. Presently, Anastasia was slowlying to her senses as shey on the ground in an abandoned house somewhere. A sack had been pulled over her head, and she could see nothing but darkness, though she did pick up the sounds of footsteps and people talking around her. She struggled to break free of her restraints as she let out muffled cries. ¡°Mmph!¡± ¡°Stop struggling. Miss Tillman. There¡¯s no way you¡¯re getting out of here alive,¡± said a weathered male voice. For some reason, she found the voice extremely familiar, but she couldn¡¯t match a face to it. ¡°You¡¯re just like your mother, scrambling to die by my hands,¡± drawled a cold voice close to her ear. Upon hearing this, Anastasia froze. My mother? Why did this man bring up my mother all of a sudden? Who is he? Judging by his words, he could very well have been my mother¡¯s killer all those years ago. Who is he? Who the hell is he? These thoughts mored in her headspace, but just as panic and adrenaline filled her, the man spoke up once more. ¡°Would you like to know more about your mother before you die, Miss Tillman? She could have actually escaped death all those years ago.¡± There was mock sympathy in his tone as he added, ¡°Do you know who really killed your mother?¡± Anastasia was still trembling with fear, but when she heard this, her fear was intermingled with curiosity. She was desperate, she realized, to learn the truth of her mother¡¯s death. ¡°The actual person who killed your mother is none other than Old Madam Presgrave!¡± the man said insidiously, his voice loud and clear. Although she had a sack over her head, she still struggled and moved around after hearing this, indicating that she refused to believe him. ¡°Skeptical, are we? Hah! Well, let me tell you exactly what she did when she found out that her precious grandson had been kidnapped!¡± The man borated icily and acerbically, ¡°Old Madam Presgrave personally called up the mayor and told him that if he did not save her grandson and left him for dead, she would cripple the entire stock market. Given Presgrave Corporation¡¯s power, she could have easily crippled the entire nation¡¯s economy if she wanted to. Hence, she threatened the mayor and demanded that he bring her grandson back alive. As expected, the mayor took her threats seriously and quickly called the police headquarters. ¡°Not daring to dawdle on this, the station dispatched all their avable uniformed officers and ordered them to bring Elliot back alive no matter what. Your mother happened to be one of those unfortunate souls who were sent out on the rescue mission. As far as Old Madam Presgrave was concerned, her grandson¡¯s life was the only one that mattered, and she couldn¡¯t care less about what happened to your mother.¡± Shock rippled through Anastasia as she listened to the story. She could understand Harriet¡¯s fear of losing her grandson, but she didn¡¯t think that the olddy had so forcefully threatened the mayor. ¡°As such, your mother got a call from the top brass and went on duty. She could have been spared, but she dashed out to shield the little boy and took the stabbing in his ce. She was determined to protect him even though she had taken thirteen stabs to the back and practically bled to death. She sacrificed herself for the little young master, all because of one phone call from the olddy.¡± Anastasia felt like her heart might burst from the grief and pain. Hot tears welled up in her eyes and spilled over. Is that truly the reason why Mom died while on duty all those years ago? ¡°Can you imagine how much pain and reluctance your mother must have been in during her time of death? She was going to leave behind an adorable daughter who was barely even two years of age! I even heard her whisper, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Anya¡­¡± while her life seeped out of her!¡± Anastasia shook her head furiously, not wanting to hear any more of this as torrential anguish seized her. ¡°Yet, here you are now, in love with the boy who had been the reason for your mother¡¯s death all those years ago. Do you think your mother is going to rest in peace in the great beyond?¡± The man was crouching right in front of her and rubbing a liberal amount of salt in her wounds. The fear in Anastasia was now gone, and it was reced by a surge of strong hatred. She knew that the man was her mother¡¯s killer. Just then, he let out a bark of ominousughter, and it was such a familiar sound that her mind felt as if it had imploded with the recollection. The man was none other than Elliot¡¯s uncle, Riley. It had to be him. He was the one who killed my mother all those years ago! The sudden realization filled her with anger as she struggled violently. Although she knew she couldn¡¯t do anything, her instincts were urging her to unleash vengeance on this man. Chapter 363 ¡°I heard that the Presgraves have been trying to repay your mother¡¯s noble sacrifice all these years. I¡¯m sure Old Madam Presgrave sorely regrets threatening the mayor back then; if she hadn¡¯t done that, your mother would have been spared. The young master¡¯s life is worth more than gold, but that doesn¡¯t mean your mother deserved to have hers taken away. Sadly, this world will never be fair; the rich simply buy their way out of death, andmon folk like your mother would simply have to surrender to fate.¡± Anastasia wanted to make Riley shut up and get him to stop talking about all these. She didn¡¯t want to hear about them at all. However, Riley was a twisted man who thought his gloriously wicked deeds demanded an audience, and Anastasia made for an excellent listener. More to the point, the sadistic side of him would never allow him to let slip the chance to torture someone. The sight of Anastasia¡¯s obvious anguish and difort filled him with satisfaction that he thought he had long forgotten. ¡°If I were your mother, I would hate that I¡¯d given birth to an ingrate and a traitorous daughter like you. You could have had any man you wished, but you chose to love Young Master Elliot, who lived only because your mother died so gruesomely!¡± Stop it! Shut up! Anastasia wanted to scream at him. She knew what Riley was trying to do; he wanted her to hate the Presgraves. ¡°Boss, we¡¯re running out of time. Let¡¯s send her on her merry way,¡± one of Riley¡¯s subordinates piped up from somewhere. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Tillman, but I suppose you share your mother¡¯s ill fortune and will have to die by my hands. Don¡¯t worry, though. You¡¯ll be reunited with her soon!¡± Riley chuckled. Fear and rage coursed through Anastasia like a potent cocktail as she realized that he was nning to kill her, though she didn¡¯t know why. What good will my death do for him? Is this his way of getting back at the Presgraves and challenging them? Or does this have something to do with my rtionship with Elliot? Does he want to take my life so that he can break Elliot¡¯s heart and destroy him emotionally? While this was happening, half a dozen vehicles manned by bodyguards were speeding over to the location, driving through the muddy and mountainous terrain as they appeared like ghouls. Riley¡¯s henchman who was stationed outside the abandoned house as a lookout couldn¡¯t respond in time, and he quickly cried out, ¡°Boss!¡± However, when the leading car drove forward and made to knock him down, he quickly dodged and leaped into the drain that ran along the side of the house. In the next second, a loud bang filled the air as the car rammed into the front door of the house, causing the entire wall to cave and topple down. The man in the driver¡¯s seat was immediately greeted by a scene that made his blood boil. Anastasia was curled up on the ground with a sack pulled over her head and her wrists bound. At the sight of the car and the fallen wall, Riley jumped in shock. He knew that Elliot had sent people to keep tabs on him, but he didn¡¯t think they would arrive so soon. With lightning speed, he grabbed hold of Anastasia and hauled her up from the ground, pressing a de to her neck as he sneered. ¡°My darling nephew, have youe for a visit?¡± he said. ¡°Let her go,¡± Elliot thundered with the rage of a hellish creature, his gaze obsidian and mutinous. ¡°Tsk, tsk. Do you truly love the girl so much? You¡¯ve gone soft, Elliot. I didn¡¯t think the Presgraves were capable of producing a romantic like you. There goes our family honor,¡± Riley mocked insouciantly. Without warning, he ran the de along the baster skin of Anastasia¡¯s neck, drawing a thin line of blood. ¡°Let her go, Riley!¡± Elliot yelled, his voice quivering with rage and panic. Riley found that this situation was turning out very much in his favor. He scoffed and said, ¡°I¡¯ll let her go, but on the condition that you immediately transfer fifty percent of the shares in Presgrave Corporation to me. Otherwise, if I¡¯m going down, then I¡¯m taking her with me.¡± Just then, he pulled the sack off Anastasia¡¯s head to reveal her pale and anguished expression. There was a rag stuffed in her mouth to muffle her cries, but her eyes glistened with tears as she stared at the man in front of her¡ªthe man who would do anything to save her. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll give you whatever you want, but let her go first,¡± Elliot announced firmly with a nod of his head. ¡°Have a copy of the agreement sent to me, and I want it to be legally enforceable,¡± Riley demanded, seizing this chance to take the portion of thepany that was rightfully his. Meanwhile, Anastasia was not afraid of death, even now. She hated her mother¡¯s killer with a passion, and she wanted him to pay for Amelia¡¯s death in blood. Not only that, she didn¡¯t want Elliot to give up half the ownership of Presgrave Corporation to this devil just to save her. As such, she stared at him unrelentingly and shook her head ever so slightly, indicating for him to refuse the bargain. ¡°I¡¯ll let her go only after I¡¯ve seen the agreement,¡± replied Riley. With his henchmen surrounding him and Anastasia, there was no way for any of the bodyguards to advance to save the hostage. Worse still was that Riley had a de pressed against Anastasia¡¯s neck, and any movement on her part could mean her certain death by his hand. Chapter 364 ¡°Do it, Rey!¡± ordered Elliot. ¡°President Presgrave¡­¡± Rey couldn¡¯t help but mutter. Fifty percent of Presgrave Corporation¡¯s shares were an enormous amount of assets, after all. After transferring that exact amount, he was certain how much trouble his president would be in. Suddenly, Elliot turned around with red eyes while enunciating, ¡°I told you to do it!¡± Rey could tell from his gaze that fifty percent of Presgrave Corporation¡¯s shares was nothingpared to Anastasia¡¯s life. Since he had to obey Elliot¡¯s orders, Rey quickly returned to the car, grabbed theptop, and started running the procedures. When Anatasia looked at Elliot, she saw the nervousness and worry in his eyes. He didn¡¯t even care about handing over half of Presgrave Corporation¡¯s shares to the person he resented most. Riley had caused his parents¡¯ death, but in order to save her, he willingly agreed to Riley¡¯s unreasonable request. As she shut her eyes, Anastasia recalled a self-defense move that she had learned before. Though she hadn¡¯t practiced them before, she thought it was worth a try. After all, she couldn¡¯t let Elliot transfer the shares just like that! Meanwhile, Riley took a nce at the woman he was threatening, and he took in her pale face as she shut her eyes. He let down his guard when he saw how weak and feeble she was. Then, he shifted his gaze to Rey¡¯sptop. Riley wanted to see the legal document of the transfer of shares immediately since he never expected Anastasia to be worth that much. In fact, he had underestimated the weight of Anastasia in Elliot¡¯s heart. At this moment, Rey tapped the keyboard and raised his head, announcing, ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± Upon hearing that, Riley got excited. Meanwhile, Anastasia took a deep breath and clutched Riley¡¯s hand harshly before hitting his arm with her elbow the moment she sensed the knife on her neck loosening up. Once the knife was shoved about thirty degrees away from her neck, she quickly twisted her head and ducked to escape from his hold. However, the moment she ducked, she felt a sharp cut in her ear. She didn¡¯t know when Elliot had noticed her struggling, but the man felt his heart stop for a few seconds when he saw what she had just done. At lightning speed, he stretched out his arm and engulfed her in his chest. At the same time, he growled in a low voice, ¡°Are you insane?!¡± Due to the pain, Anastasia held her ear with her hand. She was lucky that her ear had only suffered a light cut, and it wasn¡¯t too serious. All of a sudden, the people around them seemed to move at the same time. Elliot¡¯s bodyguards and Riley¡¯s subordinates broke into a chaotic fight. ¡°Give me the shares! Give me the contract!¡± Like a madman, Riley rushed toward Rey. All he cared about was the transfer of shares contract, and he intended to snatch Rey¡¯sptop. Much to his dismay, Rey was a good fighter. He kicked Riley away and clutched theptop with both arms. Upon seeing that, Riley screamed like a lunatic, ¡°Give me theptop! G-Give it to me!¡± Meanwhile, Elliot let his bodyguards handle the fight as he brought Anastasia out of the scene. He grabbed a first aid kit from the car and used the medical gauze to stop her ear from bleeding. At the same time, he couldn¡¯t help but utter while trembling, ¡°You are not allowed to do that ever again.¡± It wasn¡¯t a warning; it was an order. He nearly suffered from a heart attack when he saw what happened earlier. However, Anastasia seemed to look fragile yet strong as she sat in the backseat of the car. She looked physically weak, but her gaze and her mentality showed that she was determined and strong. Anastasia was afraid too, but at that time, a sudden thought entered her mind. She wasn¡¯t going to owe him anything anymore. If she let him transfer fifty percent of Presgrave Corporation¡¯s shares, she would never be able to repay such a huge debt in this life. ¡°Your uncle is the one who kidnapped you, and my mother was also killed in his hands, so you cannot let him escape.¡± Anastasia looked at Elliot and grabbed his arms. Tears were rolling in her eyes as she begged, ¡°Send him to the police station and make him pay for what he has done.¡± In fact, Elliot had a hunch that it was Riley who kidnapped him back then, but since he was young at that time, he couldn¡¯t find the real culprit even after years of investigation. ¡°Alright, I will send him to the police and reopen the case regarding your mother¡¯s death.¡± Elliot nodded. He thought that she would be scared and cry in his arms after he helped her bandage her injured ear Chapter 365 Contrary to Elliot¡¯s expectations, even though Anastasia looked pale, she only held on to his arm for support. At that moment, Elliot desperately wanted to hold her in his embrace. However, she retreated instinctively, so he retracted his arm mid-air. ¡°I¡¯ll send you home first and let my men handle the rest here,¡± said Elliot in a deep voice. ¡°Let Rey send me home! You should stay back and catch Riley instead.¡± After saying that, she closed the door. Through the car window, she seemed cold and distant. When he saw that, Elliot could feel his heart throb in pain. Why did he feel like she was miles away from him though they hadn¡¯t seen each other for merely a day? What did Riley tell her? After that, Elliot instructed Rey to send Anastasia back home while he stayed back to settle everything here. Never did Riley expect a simple kidnap case to cause him so much trouble. All of his subordinates had copsed, and he was being pressed to the ground like a losing warrior surrendering in front of his nephew. Elliot resembled a young king on the throne, looking down at the man below him in contempt. ¡°Let go of me, Elliot! I¡¯m your uncle! I¡¯m your senior!¡± Riley huffed, intending to use his rtionship with Elliot to escape. ¡°What did you tell Anastasia? Are you the culprit who killed her mother and kidnapped me back then?¡± shouted Elliot. In response, Riley snickered while saying, ¡°Find the evidence and sue me if you¡¯re capable of it! I won¡¯t admit a thing.¡± Elliot¡¯s eyes darkened at that. ¡°In that case, be prepared to rot in prison!¡± From the looks of it, Riley could be sentenced to a few years of jail for the kidnapping of Anastasia. However, Riley did not panic as he was being detained in the car. Even if he went to prison, he didn¡¯t have to be scared since he had one more trump card. His goddaughter, Aliona, would certainly give birth to her son. Sooner orter, the entire Presgrave Group would fall under his hands. While they were on the road, Anastasia tried to call Grace. Fortunately, thetter picked up the phone and told Anastasia that she was found thrown into a ditch by the roadside and was sent to the hospital for treatment. Thankfully, she was awake now. ¡°Thank goodness you¡¯re alright, Anastasia.¡± Grace was so shocked that she nearly cried. She had also called the police. Anastasia was grateful for what she had done and told her that she would talk to her in detail once she got back. While sitting in the backseat, Anastasia¡¯s mind was filled with Riley¡¯s words. She felt conflicted. Was she going to me the Presgrave Family for her mother¡¯s death back then? Back then, Old Madam Presgrave had called the mayor and pressured the police. Because of that, the police ordered her mother to save a life at the scene. Was her mother forced to save Elliot, or did she do it willingly? No matter what, her mother sacrificed her life in exchange for an opportunity for Elliot to live. However, as her daughter, Anastasia developed feelings for him, and that made her even more distressed. Once Rey dropped her off at her house, he reminded, ¡°Have a good rest, Miss Tillman.¡± ¡°Thank you, Rey.¡± After thanking him, Anastasia entered the house and shut the door. Rey didn¡¯t leave after that, for he had to protect Anastasia until Elliot came over. At the police station, Riley was arrested for kidnapping, whereas Elliot¡¯s bodyguard handed over all video evidence so that he couldn¡¯t escape the punishment. At the same time, Elliot also applied for a re-investigation of his kidnapping case back then with Riley as the primary suspect. He also called for another investigation into Amelia¡¯s case, the policewoman who had died in the same year. Thankfully, the police attached great importance to this matter. Aftering out of the police station, Elliot rushed to Anastasia¡¯s housing area immediately. He called Nigel, told him what happened today, and ordered him to protect Jared well. On the other end of the line, Nigel was taken aback by the information. With that, he hurriedly sent someone to the kindergarten to pick Jared up. He was going to let Jared stay by his side so that he could take care of him for the next few days. As she sat on the sofa, Anastasia could feel that the fear of being kidnapped had dissipated, but she feltplicated emotions. She stood in Old Madam Presgrave¡¯s shoes; if her only grandson had been kidnapped back then, she would also be willing to do anything to save him no matter how crazy it was. Chapter 366 Therefore, even if Old Madam Presgrave had threatened to crash the stock market in order to save her grandson, it waspletely understandable. Due to such immense pressure, the police force could only do their best to save the young Elliot. After all, it was their responsibility to do so. If it weren¡¯t for the continuous pressure from their superiors, would Anastasia¡¯s mother still be alive? Would Anastasia be able to spend her childhood with a mother without having to lose someone she loved dearly? It had been a long time since Anastasia missed her mother so much, and her mother had been an imaginary figure as far as she could remember. She didn¡¯t even have a single memory of her mother, for she had only been one year and eight months old back then. Back then, Anastasia wasn¡¯t aware of anything yet. There were only photos of her mother looking at her tenderly, and that triggered Anastasia¡¯s emotions as tears started rolling down her face. She felt heartbroken. She didn¡¯t resent anyone, but she didn¡¯t want to see anyone from the Presgrave Family either, including Elliot. She thought the only thing she could do was to cut her ties with the Presgrave Family and never involve herself in their affairs anymore. Only then could she return justice to her mother. Just then, there was a knock on the door, and she could guess who it was. However, she didn¡¯t want to get up, let alone open the door. ¡°Anastasia¡­ It¡¯s me. Can you open the door?¡± It was Elliot¡¯s voice. The knocks on the door stopped for a while, but they quickly resumed. It seemed that Elliot was determined to see her, or else he wouldn¡¯t leave. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. After wiping off her tears andposing herself, Anastasia washed up and walked toward the door. Her gaze wasn¡¯t fixed on Elliot, who was standing outside. Instead, she uttered indifferently, ¡°You should go. I don¡¯t want to see you.¡± Hearing that, Elliot was flustered. He didn¡¯t know what Riley had told her, but it was definitely something that hurt her deeply. ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to see me?¡± Elliot inquired hoarsely. Anastasia¡¯s eyes instantly turned red as she looked up at him, saying, ¡°I just don¡¯t want to see you. Don¡¯te and find me, and don¡¯t try to contact us again. You and your family better stay away from mine.¡± ¡°Anastasia¡­¡± Just as Elliot wanted to say something, what came in response was a shut door. As he stood outside, Elliot was perplexed. Anastasia¡¯s words were like needles piercing his heart, making him struggle to breathe. He could sense the hint of resentment in her eyes. What on earth had Riley told her? Why did he make her hate the Presgrave Family? In reality, that wasn¡¯t the case. Anastasia didn¡¯t hate the Presgrave Family; she just couldn¡¯t ept what the Presgraves did back then to save Elliot. If the Presgraves hadn¡¯t done that, would her mother still be alive today? While closing her eyes, Anastasia realized that Elliot would have been dead at the age of six if her mother were still alive today. As that thought came into mind, she felt a pain in her chest that suffocated her. Anastasia was greedy, for she wanted Elliot and her mother to both be alive. In a while, she was going to bring her son home, draw lines with the Presgrave Family, and live a happy life with her son without the involvement of the Presgraves. Nigel could hear the determination in her voice through the phone, so he sent Jared back to her house before dinnertime. ¡°Mommy!¡± Jared hopped down from the car and ran toward Anastasia. She carried her son and turned to Nigel, who was getting off the car just then. She said, ¡°Thank you for taking care of Jared.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my responsibility. Are you alright?¡± Nigel inquired with concern. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Why is your eat hurt, Mommy?¡± Jared¡¯s sharp eyes immediately noticed the injury on her ear and cried out loud. ¡°I just got a minor scratch. Don¡¯t worry,¡± Anastasia reassured her son with a smile. However, Nigel knew what she had been through. His gaze wasced with concern as he looked at her. ¡°No matter what, Elliot and I will do our best to help you.¡± ¡°Thanks. You should go now!¡± After saying that, Anastasia held her son¡¯s hand and went home. On the way back to their house, they saw two people who looked rather familiar. ¡°Mommy, aren¡¯t they Mr. Presgrave¡¯s bodyguards?¡± In response, Anastasia denied while saying, ¡°No. They aren¡¯t.¡± Though Elliot had already left, his two subordinates were guarding downstairs while Anastasia brought Jared back home. She wanted to apply for an extended holiday and not return to the office for the time being. If they did not approve her request, she would simply resign. Chapter 367 The next morning, Anastasia applied for time off for her son and called Felicia. When Felicia heard that she was going to take three months off, she was shocked. ¡°Did you tell President Presgrave about this?¡± Deep down, Felicia felt that it wasn¡¯t in her power to approve Anastasia¡¯s leave. ¡°You can discuss it with him, but if he doesn¡¯t agree, I will resign from the job.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll ask him,¡± answered Felicia. Ten minutester, Felicia returned the call. ¡°President Presgrave has approved your request and will offer you three months of paid leave, but I¡¯m going to miss you so much.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Anastasia thought she would miss Felicia a lot too. ¡°Let¡¯s keep in touch!¡± ¡°Sure. Thanks for taking care of me all this while, Felicia,¡± said Anastasia thankfully. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. I¡¯m aware that the reason President Presgrave acquired QR Group isn¡¯t that he sees the growth potential in us; he only did it because of you. Without you, Bourgeois wouldn¡¯t have been so lucky.¡± Felicia had seen through everything. Anastasia¡¯s heart twitched at that, so she asked Felicia, ¡°Do you know who negotiated with the client I went to visit yesterday?¡± It was because her kidnapper seemed to expect her to be there, and it felt like she had stepped into a trap. Felicia didn¡¯t know about the kidnapping incident, so she didn¡¯t think much about it as she answered, ¡°Aliona was the one who negotiated with the client. She was supposed to go and meet them, but the client specified that they wanted to see you, so I sent you there instead.¡± Aliona? Is she anyhow rted to the kidnapping case? Anastasia furrowed her brows and fell into deep thought. She couldn¡¯t figure out if Aliona was rted to Riley or the client, but why was the client assigned to Aliona first and passed on to her eventually? ¡°Thanks, Felicia. Let¡¯s meet again soon.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Felicia replied with a smile. After hanging up the phone, Anastasia nced at the time. It was time to prepare lunch for her son. However, there was nothing in the fridge, so she turned to Jared. ¡°Jared,e grocery shopping with me.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Jared eximed in excitement. With that, Anastasia grabbed a parka and put it on him. The weather outside was already at 50 degrees Fahrenheit, so she had to make sure that he wouldn¡¯t catch a cold. After going downstairs, Anastasia noticed that the bodyguards from yesterday were still standing in the same spot. When she left, they followed her. Anastasia allowed them to follow her as she and Jared entered a supermarket to get some groceries. While Anastasia was picking some vegetables, she heard her son¡¯s excited voice. ¡°Mr. Presgrave!¡± As soon as she raised her head, she saw Elliot in a ck trench coat walking toward her among the crowd. His tall and straight figure moved in an imposing manner. He crouched down and picked Jared up as the little boy rushed toward him. Instantly, Anastasia¡¯s mind turned chaotic. She had thought it through for the past two days and made up her mind to stop seeing him. At this moment, however, he messed up all her ns. ¡°Mommy, you should buy extra ingredients! Mr. Presgrave will being over for lunch!¡± eximed Jared. Anastasia felt as if there was something stuck in her throat, but she quickly retorted, ¡°He¡¯s busy. He can¡¯te over for lunch.¡± ¡°Mr. Presgrave, are you really noting over for lunch?¡± Jared asked Elliot. Elliot looked at Anastasia, who was picking the vegetables, and asked tentatively, ¡°Are you going to cook for me too?¡± ¡°Nope!¡± Anastasia uttered without raising her head. She was holding two bags of vegetables as if comparing them both, but in reality, she couldn¡¯t even focus. Her attention wasn¡¯t on the vegetables at all. However, her indifferent reply hit Elliot the hard way. With a sullen face, he turned to Jared and said, ¡°Your mom is right. I¡¯m busy, so I can¡¯te over to have lunch with you.¡± ¡°I really want you toe, though!¡± Jared pouted. ¡°I really want toe too!¡± Elliot offered a helpless chuckle. Sadly, someone didn¡¯t want him there. At that moment, Anastasia¡¯s eyes turned red, so she shifted to another area to pick other ingredients. At the same time, she looked far away, intending to stop her tears from flowing. Elliot had sharp senses and realized that Anastasia was crying, so he quickly uttered behind her back, ¡°I¡¯ll bring Jared home.¡± Anastasia didn¡¯t respond. When she turned around, she saw his tall figure carrying her son out of the supermarket. Chapter 368 Anastasia took a long time topose her feelings. She ended up buying a lot of groceries so that she could stay home with her son for a few days without having to leave the house. As she carried a huge bag of groceries out the door, one of the bodyguards came up to her and inquired politely, ¡°Miss Tillman, do you need help with that?¡± ¡°No, thanks.¡± Anastasia offered a grateful smile. She didn¡¯t have to treat them indifferently, after all. After struggling to carry her groceries to the lobby of the housing block, she called Elliot and asked him to bring Jared home. ¡°Hello?¡± When the call connected, she could hear his deep and raspy voice. ¡°I¡¯m beside the lift. Bring Jared over!¡± said Anastasia. ¡°Can we talk?¡± There was a hint of a plea in his voice. ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± replied Anastasia as she rejected him. ¡°No matter what my uncle said to you, one thing that will never change is my love for you. You¡¯re important to me, Anastasia.¡± Elliot¡¯s voice was hoarse. ¡°That¡¯s enough, now give me back my son,¡± Anastasia ordered before hanging up the phone. If she were to continue the conversation, the decision she had made with much difficulty might copse. There was no longer any possibility between them. At least, they would never be together in this lifetime. Soon, Elliot held Jared¡¯s hand as they made a turn at the small avenue surrounded by trees. The two looked identical as if they were father and son. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, can¡¯t you leave after having a meal with us?¡± Jared whined. He sounded as if he had asked this question many times before. Elliot raised his head and looked at Anastasia pleadingly; it was as if he was silently asking if he could come over to her house to have lunch. Anastasia looked at her son subconsciously to avoid his gaze. Her tone sounded a little harsh as she uttered, ¡°Jared, don¡¯t be rude. Mr. Presgrave is a busy man, so let¡¯s not disturb him.¡± Just as Elliot wanted to open his mouth, Anastasia¡¯s re left him stunned¡ªit was a cold and warning gaze. Since he was left with no choice, Elliot heaved a sigh and crouched down to fix Jared¡¯s cor while coaxing him tenderly, ¡°Your mommy¡¯s right. I¡¯m too busy right now, so I can¡¯te over for lunch. Let¡¯s do it next time!¡± ¡°When will that be?¡± Jared quickly asked. ¡°When I¡¯m not busy.¡± ¡°When will you not be busy?¡± Jared¡¯s childish voice felt like a bullet hitting his chest. ¡°I¡­¡± When Elliot looked up tentatively at Anastasia, she wore an expressionless face, so he could only turn to Jared and say, ¡°I might be busy for a long time.¡± ¡°Alright. It¡¯s time to go home! Mr. Presgrave has to leave.¡± While holding her son¡¯s hand, Anastasia struggled with the heavy grocery bag. Just then, an arm stretched out to take her grocery bag. ¡°I¡¯ll carry it up for you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Anastasia insisted stubbornly. Elliot, on the other hand, was adamant about helping her carry it up. ¡°I¡¯m not that busy until I don¡¯t have time to take you upstairs,¡± he muttered bitterly, not caring if she was willing to let him help. This time, Anastasia couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with him since she knew that she wouldn¡¯t win. She felt as if something was stuck in her throat, making it difficult for her to talk. In the elevator, Anastasia had her head hung low. Thankfully, it only took a few seconds to reach her floor. After opening the door to her house, she uttered to Jared, ¡°Go inside.¡± Since he was unwilling to give up, Jared asked one more time, ¡°Mommy, can¡¯t we let Mr. Presgrave come in for a while?¡± Hearing that, Anastasia scolded strictly, ¡°I¡¯ve already told you, Jared. Mr. Presgrave is busy. Why can¡¯t you listen to me?¡± Jared sensed that his mother was upset and reluctantly entered the house. Just as Anastasia was about to enter the house after taking back the grocery bag, Elliot turned to Jared and informed him, ¡°Jared, I need to talk to your mom for a second.¡± With that, he shut the door. All of a sudden, his stance changed. His gaze was burning as he looked at Anastasia. ¡°Why are you treating me so coldly?¡± Elliot questioned in a raspy voice. He found it unfair to be ignored. They had announced their rtionship to the public as a happy couple just two days ago, but now, he felt like she had dumped him and brutally pushed him away. Chapter 369 Throughout his entire life, Elliot had never been treated this way. A surge ofplicated feelings crept up Anastasia¡¯s heart as she suddenly dered, ¡°Let¡¯s not meet again, Elliot. Let¡¯s forget everything that happened before! From now on, we will be strangers.¡± The word ¡®strangers¡¯ hit him right in the heart. ¡°Why should we be strangers? I want to marry you and make you my wife. I¡¯ll give you and Jared a complete family,¡± Elliot retorted through gritted teeth. His words were unquestionable. ¡°Do you want to know what Riley told me? I¡¯ll tell you now. In order to save you back then, your grandmother called to threaten the mayor, saying that if they didn¡¯t save her grandson, she would cause a nationwide stock market crash and create a financial disaster,¡± exined Anastasia, her eyes turning red at the same time. She bit her lips and continued, ¡°That was why the mayor requested the police force to save you no matter what, even if that meant taking the life of his officers. Just like that, I lost my mother.¡± Tears rolled down her cheeks as she spoke. However, she didn¡¯t wipe them off and red at Elliot in resentment instead. ¡°My mother wouldn¡¯t have died if she did not go there to save you back then. Because of you, I lost her.¡± As he watched her cry, Elliot felt like there was a fire burning in his heart. It was also his first time hearing that his grandmother had threatened the mayor to do such a thing. In order to save him, his grandmother had made such a harsh decision. That exined why his grandmother was so determined to make Anastasia her daughter-inw, for she must have lived in regret for her whole life. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Watching her tears flow, Elliot could only feel sorry for her. He had no right to say anything else, even though he desperately wanted to wrap her in his arms and wipe away her tears. However, he had lost the right to do so. After taking a deep breath, Anastasia looked up. Her tears had stopped, and her voice sounded calm now. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you or your family ever again. Let¡¯s not contact each other anymore.¡± All of a sudden, an unbridgeable gully formed between them. No amount of money or feelings could fill it up. Perhaps, it would never be able to disappear in this lifetime. ¡°I¡¯d like to apologize to you and your family on behalf of mine.¡± Elliot looked at her, his eyes full of hurt. As she turned away, Anastasia wiped away her tears and retorted, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just go!¡± As if trying to test the waters, Elliot uttered, ¡°If you hate to see me, I promise to never appear in front of your eyes again.¡± Anastasia epted his test and gave him a firm reply, saying, ¡°You¡¯d better keep your promise.¡± Her words hit him like a bullet once again. ¡°Take care, Anastasia.¡± The look in Elliot¡¯s eyes currently resembled a severely injured animal that was suffering. Just like that, Elliot left as she wished. However, Anastasia felt like she had suddenly lost all of her strength. Crouching on the ground, she let her tears fall on the ground silently. Her heart was aching so bad that she couldn¡¯t breathe. After staying outside for a while, she entered the house. She quickly pretended to be in a good mood when she saw her son sitting quietly in front of the TV. ¡°Jared, shall I make fried chicken wings for you today?¡± ¡°Okay! Has Mr. Presgrave left?¡± ¡°Yup. He¡¯s left.¡± After saying that, Anastasia entered the kitchen and started cooking. While chopping the ingredients, she identally cut her finger since her mind was distracted. Fortunately, she was quick to realize this and only caused a scratch. Shaking her head, she freshened herself up so that she could take care of Jared. The next morning, Anastasia received a call from her dad saying that he would being over to see Jared and have dinner with them. When Francis arrived, he brought a lot of toys for Jared. After all, he adored his grandson very much. As he sat on the sofa, Francis smiled in contentment. ¡°Jared is finally going to have aplete family.¡± Anastasia, who was wiping the table, suddenly halted her actions. After she raised her head, she turned to Francis and said, ¡°Dad, I broke up with Elliot.¡± ¡°What? Why did you break up with him?¡± Francis couldn¡¯t help feeling shocked. ¡°We¡¯re not meant for each other, and I¡¯m not good enough for him.¡± Anastasia made up a random excuse. Unconvinced, Francis questioned, ¡°What do you mean you¡¯re not good enough for him? Does he look down on you because you have a child?¡± Chapter 370 Anastasia quickly exined, ¡°No, Dad. It has nothing to do with him. He adores Jared, but I don¡¯t like him anymore.¡± Somehow, she felt bad for Elliot when her father scolded him. Francis was once again surprised. ¡°Why do you not like him anymore?¡± As she raised her head to look at her father, she wondered how her father felt about losing his wife and being forced to live on with his only daughter. ¡°Dad, have you ever hated the Presgraves?¡± After pondering for a few seconds, he responded, ¡°What¡¯s the use of hating them? Your mother was responsible for saving them back then, after all.¡± ¡°Do you think it would¡¯ve been possible for Mom to live if she hadn¡¯t been so devoted to her job?¡± Anastasia inquired as she sat beside Francis. ¡°Why do you ask? Did you break up with Young Master Elliot because you can¡¯t ept the fact that your mother sacrificed to save him?¡± Francis was now looking at her with a heartbroken expression. ¡°Yes.¡± Anastasia nodded. ¡°However, I know your mother. If a child was going to be killed in front of her, she would¡¯ve definitely gone out of her way to save him.¡± ¡°Is it possible that she rescued him under pressure? He was the only heir of the Presgrave Family, after all.¡± Anastasia looked at her father, knowing that he must not have been aware that Old Madam Presgrave had threatened the mayor. ¡°The situation was very chaotic and critical at that time. The kidnapper grabbed Young Master Elliot by the neck and was about to cut his head off. Who would have the heart to see such a tragedy happen? Your mother was the closest to him, so she knocked the killer down with all her might before pulling Young Master Elliot into her arms. The kidnapper then stabbed her like a madman. Later on, the others rescued Young Master Elliot while the kidnapper was shot dead on the spot. Sadly, your mother passed away.¡± Anastasia closed her eyes and imagined the scene before her. She began to cry because she was so heartbroken. ¡°Alright. If you can¡¯t ept it, let¡¯s cut ties with the Presgraves. As long as it doesn¡¯t make you sad,¡± Francisforted her. He could understand her feelings. After dinner, Francis offered, ¡°Why don¡¯t you work at mypany? I should teach you how to manage thepany now.¡± ¡°Are you sure you want to hand thepany to me, Dad?¡± Anastasia looked at him. After all, he had another daughter as well. ¡°I can only count on you. Do you think I can put my hopes on Erica?¡± Francis sighed. ¡°She has been spoiled and pampered since young, so she only knows how to spend moneyvishly. At least there is some hope if I pass thepany to you. I just hope you don¡¯t treat your sister badly in the future.¡± All of a sudden, Anastasia felt burdened. She nodded and answered, ¡°Okay. After I send Jared to school tomorrow, I¡¯lle by the office.¡± She added, ¡°I also have one more thing to tell you; I¡¯ve found the main culprit behind Mom¡¯s death already. He¡¯s Riley Presgrave, Elliot¡¯s uncle.¡± ¡°What? Are you sure?¡± ¡°He was the main culprit behind Elliot¡¯s kidnapping case, and Elliot will re-investigate his charges. If they require your cooperation in the future, please cooperate with them so that we can arrest this murderer and bring Mom justice as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Okay, I will give my full cooperation if needed.¡± Of course, Francis wouldn¡¯t let the murderer go. After sending her father off, Anastasia¡¯s phone rang. When she nced at the name on the screen, she quivered slightly. It was Elliot. After taking a deep breath, Anastasia picked up the phone. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°The police will summon you tomorrow to make a statement. Does Jared have a ce to go?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be sending him to school,¡± Anastasia replied. ¡°Okay, do you need me to apany you tomorrow?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Anastasia refused and hung up. After sending her son to school early the next morning, Anastasia rushed to the police station with Grace to make a statement. They exined the whole process of the kidnapping incident. Anastasia¡¯s subsequent experiences were also recorded, but she did not mention what Riley had told her. When they came out of the police station, they bumped into Elliot. Anastasia was aware of when he had arrived, as well as why he was waiting there. ¡°Hello, President Presgrave,¡± Grace greeted in surprise. ¡°You should head back to thepany first, Grace!¡± Anastasia said to Grace. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll be taking my leave, then.¡± Grace didn¡¯t want to interrupt the little couple. Chapter 371-380 Chapter 371-380 Chapter 371 As soon as Grace left, Anastasia looked at Elliot as the man stood in front of her. Even though she tried hard to control her expression, she couldn¡¯t contain the bitterness that spread in her heart. Suddenly, Elliot let out a cough, which caused Rey to remind him, ¡°President Presgrave, you forgot to take your medicine this morning.¡± Anastasia¡¯s gaze immediately locked on Elliot. For some reason, after two days of not seeing him, she felt that he had lost weight and his face had paled. Did he catch a cold? He shook his head. When he looked at her, she quickly turned away, not wanting him to think that she was worried. ¡°I¡¯m here to make a statement too,¡± uttered Elliot in a low voice. ¡°Okay. Go ahead!¡± After saying that, Anastasia turned around and wanted to leave. Rey quickly took the opportunity to offer, ¡°Miss Tillman, let me send you off.¡± As she walked toward her car, he followed suit and said, ¡°Please be gentle with President Presgrave. He¡¯s sick.¡± ¡°Anyone can fall sick. Isn¡¯t that normal?¡± Anastasia turned to him. ¡°No, President Presgrave is suffering from a severe cold and a heart problem this time. Ever since he returned from saving you that day, he hasn¡¯t slept for two days. He started coughingst night and he doesn¡¯t look well either. After a check-up, they discovered a problem with his cardiac regtion,¡± exined Rey. As she tightened her grip on the door handle, she uttered, ¡°Tell him to take his medication on time!¡± ¡°Sure. Drive safely, Miss Tillman.¡± Rey had mentioned everything that he had to say. Once Anastasia left the police station, she drove to her father¡¯spany. Throughout the drive, all she could think of was Elliot¡¯s pale face. He¡¯s an adult! How can he forget to take his medication? Even my son can remember such an easy task. When Anastasia arrived at Tillman Constructions, she entered her father¡¯s office. There were a few key personnel in a meeting with him as he instructed her to take a seat and sit in for the meeting. She tried her best to understand their conversation. However, she wasn¡¯t familiar with the construction industry at all, so she had a hard timeprehending the minutes of their meeting. At lunchtime, Alex came. The moment he saw Anastasia, he couldn¡¯t help but feel butterflies in his stomach like he usually did. Knowing that Anastasia and Elliot would never end up together, Francis eagerly attempted to matchmake Alex with his daughter again. Alex was a sensitive person, so he was ecstatic when he heard from Francis that he had a chance to woo her again! Though he didn¡¯t know why Anastasia had broken up with Elliot, it was still an ending that he anticipated! ¡°Anastasia, I¡¯ll let Alex apany you in the afternoon while I meet some friends,¡± said Francis to Anastasia. She nodded in response. After experiencing the event that followed after picking up her sonst time, Alex intentionally brought her for a tour of one of the departments. As expected, when Anastasia realized it was time to pick her son up from school, they didn¡¯t have time to finish the tour. ¡°I should leave to pick Jared up now. Can you send me to his school, Alex?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± eximed Alex. Then, he drove her to pick her son up where he silently observed her on the way there. He noticed how she looked gloomy throughout the car ride. It was obvious that she was having a rough time in her rtionship. When they arrived at the school, Anastasia rushed out of the car to meet Jared and left her phone in the car. Two minutes after she left, her phone rang. Alex grabbed her phone and saw Elliot¡¯s name on the screen. He picked it up intentionally and said, ¡°Hello, President Presgrave? I¡¯m sorry to inform you that Anastasia¡¯s phone isn¡¯t with her.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± Elliot¡¯s voice sounded chilly. ¡°I¡¯m Alex Hunter. We¡¯ve met before, President Presgrave.¡± ¡°Where is she?¡± an unhappy Elliot questioned. ¡°She¡¯s gone to pick Jared up, and I¡¯m waiting for her at the school gates. Is there something you want to tell her? I¡¯ll pass on the message for you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±After saying that, Elliot hung up the call. Hearing that, Alex smirked. His purpose was to create a false impression that he was close with Anastasia so that Elliot would be jealous and disappointed in her. Little did he know that this phone call was more than just a disappointment to Elliot. Elliot, who was sitting in Rey¡¯s car, suddenly felt suffocated and started coughing violently. Seeing that, Rey quickly parked his car by the roadside and opened the backseat door while asking, ¡°President Presgrave, are you alright?¡± Chapter 372 Elliot grabbed his cor, closed his eyes, and gasped, ¡°It hurts!¡± ¡°Should I take you to the hospital?¡± Rey was so anxious upon seeing Elliot. It was his first time seeing Elliot so weak, after all. ¡°Send me to Anastasia¡¯s house.¡± Doctors and their prescriptions couldn¡¯t cure Elliot. In fact, Anastasia was the only one who could heal him. ¡°Don¡¯t hold on anymore. You should go to the hospital this time,¡± Rey urged anxiously. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. ¡°I am well aware of my own body.¡± Elliot shut his eyes and ordered, ¡°Send me there.¡± Is Alex nning to have a meal or visit Anastasia¡¯s house by sending her and Jared back home? Or is he trying to take the opportunity to take advantage of Anastasia? He was a man, so he knew what other men thought. Moreover, he had been someone like that in the past. Therefore, he had to drive Alex away, even if that meant being despised and resented by Anastasia. Since he was unable to persuade him, Rey could only start the car and silently hope that Anastasia wouldn¡¯t do something to provoke Elliot anymore. After Anastasia entered the car with Jared, Alex asked, ¡°Miss Tillman, should I send you home or pick up your car at the office?¡± ¡°Just send us home!¡± Since the next day was a weekend, Anastasia figured that she didn¡¯t need the car, and she didn¡¯t want to go back and forth with Jared. Hearing that, Alex was delighted. He quickly thought about excuses to be invited into her house. ¡°By the way, you left your phone in the car just now. President Presgrave gave you a call.¡± Alex pretended to be reminded of the call. ¡°What did he say?¡± Anastasia inquired with a frown. ¡°He didn¡¯t say anything in detail. Perhaps it was me who answered the call, so he didn¡¯t sound happy. He just hung up the call,¡± Alex deliberately described Elliot as a cold person. Anastasia knew Elliot well, and it did seem like something he would do. When they arrived at Anastasia¡¯s housing area, Alex suddenly asked urgently, ¡°Miss Tillman, may I use your washroom? It¡¯s a little urgent.¡± Of course, Anastasia felt bad to reject him, so she nodded. ¡°Sure. Come on, then!¡± ¡°Jared, is your bag heavy? Should I help you carry it?¡± Alex quickly tried to befriend Jared, wanting to win him over. In response, Jared shook his little head and answered, ¡°Nope. I can carry it myself.¡± Though Jared was young, he could tell that Alex was trying to win over his mom¡¯s heart. It wasn¡¯t that he disliked Alex, but there was only one person who was qualified to be his future dad, and that person was Elliot. ¡°You¡¯re a good boy, Jared,¡± praised Alex. Just then, Anastasia halted in her steps. When she and Alex entered the premises, they saw two figures sitting on the bench¡ªElliot and Rey. ¡°Mr. Presgrave!¡± Jared immediately struggled to get out of Anastasia¡¯s grip as he ran toward Elliot. At the same time, Alex¡¯s expression turned rigid. He didn¡¯t expect to see Elliot here. ¡°Jared, I can¡¯t carry you right now because I¡¯m sick,¡± said Elliot. ¡°Are you sick? Did you take your medicine?¡± Jared asked with concern. ¡°Yeah! I¡¯ve taken them.¡± Rey, who was standing beside Elliot, leaned down and asked Jared, ¡°Shall I bring you to the yground, Jared? Let¡¯s give your mom and Mr. Presgrave some time to talk.¡± Upon hearing that, Jared wondered, Since Mr. Presgrave is here, Mr. Hunter will probably leave! ¡°Okay, sure!¡± Jared nodded. He wanted to create opportunities for his mom and Mr. Presgrave. Seeing that Rey had brought her son away, Anastasia turned to Alex. ¡°Mr. Hunter, let¡¯s go to my ce!¡± Elliot instantly furrowed his sharp brows upon hearing that. It turned out that this woman was bringing another man home! ¡°It¡¯s fine, Miss Tillman.¡± Alex suddenly became a coward as he didn¡¯t want to offend Elliot. Anastasia knew that he had an urgent dder. Moreover, he was just intimidated by Elliot, so she grabbed his hand and pulled him along while reassuring him, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be scared toe over to my ce.¡± Alex¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but there was no doubt that Anastasia¡¯s action had made his heart flutter. He nodded and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the trouble.¡± Chapter 373 Instantly, Elliot pulled a long face as jealousy took over him. Was Anastasia ying a game of push and pull with Alex right now? ¡°Stop right there, Anastasia.¡± Elliot¡¯s voice, which wasced with anger, sounded behind Anastasia. When she turned around, Elliot had an awful look on his face. ¡°May I help you, President Presgrave?¡± ¡°Mr. Hunter, I need to have a private talk with her. Can you leave us alone?¡± Elliot didn¡¯t even bother looking at Alex. He merely stared at Anastasia, but underneath every word contained a warning. Seeing that, Alex quickly smiled and replied, ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll take my leave, then.¡± After saying that, he furrowed his brows intentionally to show that he was holding his dder. When Anastasia saw him suffering, she insisted, ¡°Don¡¯t bother with him, Mr. Hunter. Come on!¡± Just like that, Alex followed Anastasia to her house. When Elliot¡¯s attempt to stop them was ignored, he could only stand by and watch as his beloved woman brought another man into her house. A sudden wave of emotions pierced his heart like sharp needles. He couldn¡¯t stop his violent coughing, and due to the pain in his chest, his straight figure was now bent. After walking several feet away, Anastasia could vaguely hear someone coughing behind her, so she turned to check. All she saw was Elliot crouching on the ground. The next moment, she was already rushing to him. ¡°Elliot! Elliot! What¡¯s wrong?¡± Anastasia bent over to support his arm. ¡°Where does it hurt?¡± The heart-wrenching pain in Elliot¡¯s chest was relieved a little by her presence. When he raised his head, she could see that his face had turned pale, and his eyes had lost focus. He even lost his usual wise and sharp appearance. Elliot seemed so weak that he was about to copse at any time. ¡°Didn¡¯t you leave me alone here? Why did youe back?¡± Elliot grunted coldly as he pushed her aside and got up from the floor. It pained Anastasia¡¯s heart to watch him suffer. Subconsciously, she tried to support him and suggested, ¡°I¡¯ll ask Rey to send you to the hospital.¡± With that said, she fished out her phone. Elliot turned his head away like a sulky child. ¡°I¡¯m not going to the hospital.¡± ¡°Stop making a fuss. Even if you want to be dead, don¡¯t do it in front of me.¡± While fishing out her phone, Anastasia made a merciless remark. Her words instantly caused Elliot to gasp for air. ¡°Are you trying to piss me off alive?¡± Anastasia quickly shut her mouth. Just then, Alex arrived at the scene. ¡°Are you alright, President Presgrave?¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± Elliot¡¯s cold gaze swept across him. This time, Anastasia was a little upset with his attitude. Why was he being so rude to someone who was just concerned about him? ¡°Sorry, Mr. Hunter. If you turn left from here, there¡¯s a mart.¡± Anastasia could only apologize to Alex since she couldn¡¯t leave a sick man behind. ¡°No worries. I¡¯ll see you on Monday.¡± Alex smiled before turning to leave. Once he left, Anastasia tried to call Rey again, but Elliot snatched her phone away. ¡°I said I don¡¯t need to go to the hospital.¡± ¡°In that case, where do you want to go?¡± Anastasia didn¡¯t know what to do about him anymore. ¡°I¡¯ll just take a rest at your house.¡± After saying that, Elliot grabbed her phone and headed toward the elevator. When Anastasia returned to her senses, she realized that she was once again entangled with him though she didn¡¯t want to see him anymore. In the elevator, Anastasia stared at Elliot. It was obvious that Elliot was thinner now, and hisplexion was a little pale. Under his sunken eyes were patches of dark circles, and even his stubble could be seen; it was as if he hadn¡¯t been taking care of his imagetely. After opening the door, she went to pour a ss of water for him. Elliot sat on the sofa in a bad mood. Whenever he thought about Anastasia wanting to bring Alex into her house, he couldn¡¯t help but feel his chest tighten. ¡°Why did Alex say he¡¯ll see you on Monday? Are you guys dating?¡± Elliot held the ss in his hand and questioned. After sparing him a nce, Anastasia replied, ¡°I¡¯ve decided to work at my father¡¯spany.¡± Hearing that, Elliot choked on his water and started coughing violently. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Anastasia asked in a hurry. ¡°Are you going to work in your father¡¯spany, or do you just want to see Alex every day?¡± When the question came out of his mouth, Elliot looked exactly like a jealous boyfriend. Chapter 374 Anastasia frowned. ¡°Of course. I see and talk to Mr. Hunter every day at work, so what¡¯s the issue?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know that this man has ulterior motives toward you?¡± Elliot was so angered that he clenched his fists tightly. ¡°Elliot, just mind your own business. Moreover, don¡¯t you also have ulterior motives toward me?¡± Anastasia thought this man was meddling too much, and it was no wonder that he got so furious. Elliot fell silent. ¡°You¡¯re allowed to pursue me, but when other men try to court me, they¡¯re automatically criminals?¡± Anastasia reproached again. She had never seen a man so selfish as him. ¡°I¡¯m pursuing you so that I can give you and Jared a home. Other men just want your money and body. I don¡¯t believe that Alex doesn¡¯t intend on taking over your dad¡¯spany.¡± Elliot was straightforward. Now, it was Anastasia¡¯s turn to be silent. Even if Alex had such thoughts, her father needed him right now. Also, this had always been a matter of exchanging benefits, so this was no way to measure Alex¡¯s character! ¡°Well, just take care of your health!¡± Anastasia said. Then, she sat on another couch and stared at him. ¡°Leave after you¡¯ve finished your water.¡± Seeing that she was chasing him out, Elliot frowned. ¡°I¡¯ll be having dinner at your ce tonight.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t. We don¡¯t owe each other anything, and we shall not bother each other,¡± Anastasia declined. ¡°In that case, you should¡¯ve just left me downstairs to die just now. Why would you care about me?¡± Elliot asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Yeah, I won¡¯t care about you next time.¡± Anastasia wasn¡¯t the least bit kind. ¡°Anastasia, would you be d to hear about my passing if I die one day?¡± Elliot suddenly stared at her with a serious look as he spoke dejectedly. Anastasia¡¯s heart shuddered, for this man sounded like he was cursing himself. In a panic, Anastasia blurted out, ¡°Don¡¯t say such nonsense, Elliot. How would I be happy if you died? My mom sacrificed her life to save you, so you should treasure your own life more.¡± Even though her words weren¡¯t entirely sincere, Elliot could still feel her concern. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll try my best to live as long as I can,¡± Elliot replied in all seriousness. Anastasia grabbed her phone and looked at the time. It was almost 6.30PM, but this man was still hanging around. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, and I should start preparing dinner for Jared now. You can leave with Rey.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not leaving,¡± Elliot insisted. ¡°You can starve, then. I¡¯m not making meals for you,¡± Anastasia threatened. ¡°Sure, no problem. I¡¯ll just stay here.¡± Elliot narrowed his eyes. Anastasia got up and made her way to the kitchen. When she prepared the ingredients, she compromised in the end and included his portion as well. As For Rey, he definitely wouldn¡¯t stay behind for dinner. Soon, Rey brought the little guy home. When the child saw Elliot at home, he was overjoyed. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, are you having dinner at my home?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Awesome!¡± ¡°President Presgrave, I¡¯ll get the medicine for you. Remember to take your pillster.¡± With that, Rey opened the door and left. After Rey delivered the medicine, he walked over to the kitchen on purpose and said to Anastasia, ¡°Miss Tillman, please make sure President Presgrave takes his medicine!¡± Anastasia turned around, stunned, but Rey had already left. Anastasia peered through the ss at the man on the couch. Did this man need her supervision just to take medicine? Meanwhile, the man on the couch stared at the figure bustling about in the kitchen. He was the least bit worried about not getting dinner tonight. After all, he knew that she wasn¡¯t so heartless. In the kitchen, Anastasia sighed in exasperation. She knew that she didn¡¯t want to see him again, but why couldn¡¯t she steel herself enough to chase him away every time he appeared? After dinner was ready and the dishes were spread on the table, Anastasia looked toward the man on the couch. ¡°Should you take your medicine before or after meals?¡± ¡°After,¡± the man replied. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, you have to take your medicine on time so that you can recover quickly,¡± Jared said in concern. ¡°Okay.¡± Elliot smiled as he spoke. At the table, Jared put some food on Elliot¡¯s te like a good child. Elliot gazed gently at the kid as if Jared were his own son. Chapter 375 Anastasia looked up and caught his gaze before lowering her head in panic. The nicer he was to her son, the more powerless she was to reject him. After dinner, Anastasia poured out a ss of water for him and took the opportunity to thank Elliot. ¡°Thank you for hiring thewyer.¡± Her kidnapping case this time had involved the help of hiswyer. ¡°The police are gathering evidence; as soon as they can be convicted, I won¡¯t go easy on them.¡± There was a cold gleam in Elliot¡¯s eyes. ¡°If you want to investigate your kidnapping case years ago, and if you need my dad¡¯s help, you can just call him to ask. He¡¯ll cooperate.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Elliot nodded. ¡°Here, take your medicine!¡± Anastasia urged. Elliot opened the stic bag. There were a few bottles inside, and when he counted the pills, he had to take around eight of them in one go. Anastasia was stunned. Why did he have so many pills to take? ¡°Is this prescription from a reputable doctor?¡± Anastasia frowned as she asked, worried that he had gone to the wrong doctor. Elliot felt warmth in his heart, for her momentary concern did not escape his notice. He shook the pills onto his palm and swallowed them in one go. Time ticked by, and after Anastasia bathed her son, she emerged to see the man already asleep on the couch. He sat on the extended side of the couch, his head on the back of the couch as he closed his eyes and slept soundly. ¡°Shh, please keep quiet, Mommy. Don¡¯t disturb Mr. Presgrave in his sleep.¡± The little guy immediately put a finger to his lips as he spoke. Anastasia thought that it was quitete already, and he simply had to be woken up so that Rey could take him hometer. ¡°You can go back to your room and sleep first,¡± Anastasia whispered. The little guy went to bed as he was told. Then, Anastasia walked up to Elliot. The man was in a deep sleep, for he would usually sense if she went near him. Now, he slept as if he had lost all consciousness. Could it be that his medicine was putting him to sleep? Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but make a call to Rey. ¡°Mr. Osborne, President Presgrave has fallen asleep in my house. Pleasee and fetch him!¡± ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry, Miss Tillman; I have some matters to attend to, so I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t make it.¡± ¡°In that case, do you have his bodyguards¡¯ contact numbers? Can you get them to pick him up?¡± ¡°Miss Tillman, since it¡¯s a rare asion for President Presgrave to fall asleep so soundly, why don¡¯t you let him rest at your ce for the night?¡± Anastasia was speechless. ¡°For the past two days, President Presgrave has been having problems with his sleep, and it has been affecting his recovery too. Sorry to trouble you.¡± Remembering that Elliot didn¡¯t seem too high in spirits, Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but soften. ¡°Alright!¡± She would have to share the room with her son tonight. After ending the call with Rey, Anastasia looked at the man sleeping on the couch. She thought that he should move to the bedroom since it was quite chilly outside, and his cold would definitely get worse. ¡°Elliot, go sleep in the room!¡± Anastasia walked over and patted his shoulder gently. However, Elliot didn¡¯t seem to hear her. Anastasia stared at his handsome face and resorted to harsher means instead. Thus, she patted his face. ¡°Elliot, go sleep on my bed.¡± The face-patting was very effective. Elliot lifted his thick eyshes and looked at her with bleary eyes. ¡°I can stay for the night?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s quitete already, and Mr. Osborne doesn¡¯t have time to fetch you,¡± Anastasia said in exasperation. A grinning look shed across Elliot¡¯s eyes. As expected of his trusty assistant, Rey knew him best. While Elliot sat on the bed, Anastasia brought half a bucket of water to him so that he could soak his feet in warm water for a bit. If he didn¡¯t soak his feet in this weather, it would be too cold for him to bear. Elliot cooperated and took a warm foot bath. Then, he put his head on her pillow as hey on her soft bed. Every breath he took was filled with a fragrance unique to her. Then, he went back into a deep slumber. After helping Elliot settle in, Anastasia took a bath and slept next to her son. The little guy¡¯s rosy cheeks squished against her chest, and she couldn¡¯t help but lower her head and nt kisses on his head. Anastasia was exhausted as well, and she soon fell asleep. Meanwhile, Hayley had just survived a near-death experience in Hond. All her surgeries were completed, and the doctor said they were a huge sess. Hayley could hardly wait to return home. She had essentially switched out her entire head; her slightly squarish face was now oval, and she had also undergone epicanthosty so that her double eyelids looked just like Anastasia¡¯s. Chapter 376 As Hayleyy on the bed, her mind was being tortured with every passing second. She imagined how Anastasia was probably inseparable from Elliot right now, and perhaps by the time she rushed back, an engagement would already be in the talks. Hayley counted down the days as she suffered terribly. Back at home, there had been multiple ownership changes at Abyss Club, and tonight, Rey asked for a meeting with its current owner. When the owner heard that he would be paid two million in exchange for the CCTV recordings from five years ago, he was stunned. ¡°The recordings from five years back have disappeared a long time ago, though.¡± ¡°Why is that so?¡± Rey asked. ¡°Just a few months ago, there was a fire at my storehouse, and suddenly all the data stored in the server room were burned to ashes,¡± said the owner. He was also perplexed as he continued, ¡°It seemed like some sort of circuit problem.¡± ¡°Have you reported it to the police?¡± ¡°The firemen dide over to put out the fire. I didn¡¯t lose much except for those data, so if you¡¯re looking for recordings from five years ago, they¡¯re definitely gone.¡± Suspicion shed across the depths of Rey¡¯s eyes. There were too many coincidences; why was the server room the only ce to catch fire? It hadn¡¯t been too long since this new owner took over the ce, so he definitely knew nothing about the incidents that happened five years ago. Then, Rey found the manager and gave her a hundred thousand, asking her to make a list of all the veteran employees who had worked at the club for more than five years. The manager soon found more than ten people who matched the requirements, but she had only worked here for three years, so when Rey asked her about the server room, the manager immediately said, ¡°We rarely go there, and the security team is in charge of guarding it.¡± The manager circled a few names. ¡°These are the security guards who have worked here the longest. All of them have been working here for more than five years.¡± Rey also got a list of the employees who quit after the fire. The manager saw that he was handsome and generous with money, so she gave him all the information he needed. In the end, Rey locked onto a target¡ªit was a security guard who had quit after the fire. He quit only three days after the fire happened, so Rey suspected that someone had bribed him to set the ce on fire before he quit his job. Hence, Rey believed that he¡¯d be able to get some information from the guard. This involved Anastasia¡¯s incident from five years ago. Rey was the only person Elliot sent to investigate this in secret, and even his bodyguards were kept out of this investigation. Back at the Tillman Residence, Erica was so excited that she couldn¡¯t sleep since she had been spending money for the past two days. In fact, she had nearly used up all of the one million Elliot had given her. She never thought that the information on Anastasia would be so valuable and that she could get a million just by saying a few sentences about that woman. However, she had no idea how important those few sentences were to Elliot. Erica¡¯s thoughts went to one important task; she had to hold a discussion with Hayley so that they would tell the same story! If Elliot interrogated Hayley about it someday, and Hayley¡¯s version of the story was different from hers, Elliot would find out that she lied. Erica feared the consequences, so she hastily picked up her phone. Disregarding the fact that it was already way past midnight, she sent Hayley a message that read, ¡®Hayley, are you there?¡¯ ¡®Yes, I am!¡¯ Unexpectedly, Hayley¡¯s reply came quickly. ¡®Let¡¯s video call.¡¯ ¡®I can¡¯t do that at the moment, so let¡¯s just have a voice call.¡¯ Hayley declined the invitation. After the call went through, Erica blurted out the news about Elliot asking her for information. However, she decided to keep the one million a secret. ¡°What? You told him it was at the Abyss Club?¡± Hayley was obviously furious on the other end of the line. ¡°He wanted me to tell the truth, so what else could I do? I can¡¯t offend him, you know!¡± Erica said helplessly. ¡°If he finds out that we¡¯re behind all this, we¡¯ll be done for. If he knows that we plotted against Anastasia together, do you think he¡¯ll let us off the hook?¡± Hayley shouted in anger. ¡°Even if he doesn¡¯t investigate the matter, Anastasia might tell him that we were the ones who did it!¡± Erica said. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that Anastasia has a son with that host. If news of this gets out, it would put her son at a disadvantage, so she would never tell Elliot the truth. Why else do you think we managed to stay safe until today?¡± Upon hearing that, Erica was instantly ted. ¡°This means that Anastasia will keep this a secret forever, then! We¡¯ll be alright!¡± ¡°Elliot went to you for information exactly because Anastasia refused to say anything about it. Now that you¡¯ve mentioned the Abyss Club, he will definitely start investigating that ce. Erica, can you not cause so much trouble for both of us?¡± Hayley said angrily. Chapter 377 ¡°Fine! I won¡¯t say anything in the future. Also, Hayley, where have you been these days?¡± ¡°Something came up, so I went overseas for a vacation. Anyway, if Elliot asks you anything next time, don¡¯t tell him more than is necessary. Also, try your best to pull him away from Anastasia. If not, when Anastasia bes Mrs. Presgrave, we¡¯ll both be in trouble.¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying! Now, Anastasia is flirting with Elliot every day, seducing him with every tactic she knows. I¡¯m helpless here, so pleasee back soon, Hayley! We can fight against her together.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll only be returning after three months. Just try to hold her off, and if Elliot visits you again, don¡¯t be an idiot and start talking about that night. You mustn¡¯t say a word,¡± Hayley warned. Erica was beginning to fear the consequences. She hastily said, ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t say a word next time.¡± After ending the call with Erica, Hayleyy on the bed with a gleeful look in the depths of her swollen eyes. Fortunately, she was able to predict Elliot¡¯s next move, and she had already bribed someone at the Abyss Club to burn down the server room inside the storehouse. No matter how powerful Elliot may be, he couldn¡¯t possibly recover lost data. After all, those were the only data that remained. Moreover, five years was a long time. No one could possibly remember what happened five years ago. However, Hayley was still on edge. The security guard I bribed should¡¯ve resigned by now! Meanwhile, Rey left the club and immediately went to a certain security guard¡¯s home. The rundown house looked especially dim under the streetlight. Rey wanted to figure out if the security guard truly lived here, so he decided to keep watch outside until the next morning. Usually, people of his age would go out in the morning to get groceries and breakfast. Rey was about to nap for a bit when a scooter suddenly passed by him. The scooter pulled up in front of him, and when Rey opened his eyes, he saw a familiar face. It was the security guard he was looking for, Scott Parker. It was currently 2.00AM, and Scott had obviously drunk some alcohol, for his footsteps were unstable. Preliminary investigations told Rey that there were no CCTVs in this area. He immediately opened the car door and walked out, calling to the man, ¡°Hey, Scott Parker.¡± ¡°W-Who are you?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m Bob from the Abyss Club! Thepany has sent out some gifts, soe and get yours. It¡¯s in my car.¡± Scott was a greedy man, so when he heard there were gifts to be distributed, he immediately went over to the car. What gifts will I be getting? Rey instantly pushed Scott into the car. Then, he grabbed a long, sharp tool before holding it against thetter¡¯s waist. ¡°Why did you burn the server room at Abyss Club, Scott? Who ordered you to do that?¡± Scott was a little drunk, so he thought that the sharp object against his waist was a knife. He immediately froze in terror. ¡°Who are you?!¡± ¡°Answer the question. Did you burn the server room on purpose?¡± Scott felt the knife being pressed closer to his waist, so he told the truth right away. ¡°Please spare me! I didn¡¯t do it because I wanted to. Someone gave me 100,000 to burn it!¡± Rey didn¡¯t expect to get an answer from him so quickly. He asked again, ¡°Who bribed you?¡± ¡°A woman. She was wearing a mask and sunsses when she talked to me. I only know she¡¯s a woman, and quite a young one at that. I¡¯ve used up all the money, so I can¡¯t give you anything even if you take me to the police station.¡± Scott thought that Rey had been sent by the Abyss Club to ask for compensation. Rey suddenly let go of him, opened the door, and said, ¡°Get out of the car. I¡¯m not here to give you trouble.¡± With that, he took out a wad of cash from his car. ¡°Tell me, how did that woman find you?¡± Seeing that there was money he could get, Scott reached out to take it, but Rey waved the money out of the way. ¡°Answer my question before you take the money.¡± ¡°I first received a call from a woman. She asked me where the CCTV recordings from the club were stored, so I told her that we stored the data in the server room. She then asked me if I was willing to do something, and she would pay me 100,000 for it.¡± Scott continued a little guiltily, ¡°Since I needed money, I agreed to it. After everything was done, the woman came to me with the cash. She also took my phone and deleted her number from it.¡± Rey frowned. Did the woman burn the server room because it had something to do with Anastasia¡¯s assault incident from five years ago? Or was it someone else who hadmitted a crime and wanted to erase the evidence? Chapter 378 Further interrogations with Scott yielded nothing more. Rey gave him 200, for he didn¡¯t deserve more than this. Early the next day, Anastasia was still dazed with sleep when she heard her son talking to the man. She immediately threw the nket off of her and walked out to the hall. Elliot was fiddling with a Rubik¡¯s cube together with Jared on the couch. ¡°Mommy, Mr. Presgrave has bought breakfast. Go and grab a bite!¡± The little guy said to her. Anastasia noticed the breakfast on the table. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wash up before eating.¡± Elliot had to leave after breakfast since he had something to do, and Rey arrived to pick him up. As they stood at the door, Elliot said in a low voice, ¡°Call me if anything happens.¡± ¡°Mr. Osborne, take good care of him, and don¡¯t send him to my house for no reason again.¡± Anastasia ignored Elliot as she spoke to Rey. The man was speechless. Can¡¯t she be a little bit more considerate of my feelings? ¡°Miss Tillman, after spending the night at your ce, President Presgrave seems to be in higher spirits now.¡± ¡°Anyway, just don¡¯t bother me anymore.¡± With that, Anastasia closed the door while she avoided looking at the man. Elliot and Rey went back to the car before thetter proceeded to report onst night¡¯s investigation. After hearing this, Elliot frowned. ¡°Why is it so coincidental?¡± ¡°My thoughts exactly. Is the fire at the server room rted to Miss Tillman¡¯s incident from five years ago?¡± ¡°Do you have any other ways?¡± ¡°I have an idea. The woman deleted records of the call on Scott¡¯s phone, but the telmunications company might have records on their end. I¡¯ll keep talking to Scott, and I¡¯ll continue investigations after finding out the woman¡¯s number.¡± Rey nodded. Elliot approved of the idea. ¡°Take me back to the Presgrave Residence.¡± It was time he met his grandmother and asked her about the incident. If his grandmother had really threatened the mayor to save him, then the debt that the Presgraves owed the Tillmans couldn¡¯t be compensated in terms of money or rtionships. At the Presgrave Residence, Harriet wore a dark red coat as she sat on an antique chair. The shrewd and wise look in her eyes was the same as it had been many years ago. Elliot told Harriet about the incident where Riley had kidnapped Anastasia, and Harriet responded in stunned shock and anger. ¡°How dare he do something like that?!¡± ¡°Grandma, he¡¯s the one behind my kidnapping all those years ago.¡± Elliot was very sure that it was him. ¡°I suspected him as well, but I couldn¡¯t find any evidence. The two criminals were killed right on the spot,¡± Harriet said in hatred. ¡°Chasing him out of the family was too light a punishment.¡± ¡°Grandma, there¡¯s something else. I apologize for being rude, but I want to ask you something. Back when I was kidnapped, did you personally phone the mayor?¡± Harriet was stunned. ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°Did you threaten the mayor by saying that you¡¯d cause a storm in the stock market if I wasn¡¯t saved?¡± Elliot tried to sound as controlled and gentle as he could, not daring to let the slightest bit of suspicion show in his voice. Everything Harriet did to save him was done out of love and protection, after all. Harriet looked at him sharply. ¡°Elliot, are you trying to say something? Tell me, what exactly happened?¡± Elliot intended to hide Anastasia¡¯s involvement. ¡°Nothing, I¡¯m just curious.¡± ¡°I did phone the mayor at that time, and I was really scared to lose you.¡± ¡°Did you threaten him?¡± ¡°How could that be considered a threat? I just hoped that he would call the police and do everything in his power to save you. However, the stock market that year was unstable, and the stock market was crashing. The mayor hoped that I would retrieve my other funds to save the country¡¯s stock market, but since you were kidnapped, I couldn¡¯t be worried about stocks. The mayor promised me that he would save you, and he wanted me to use Presgrave Group¡¯s power to save the stock market as well. It was indeed a year of disaster!¡± Elliot was stunned. It turned out that Harriet didn¡¯t threaten the mayor herself. Instead, the mayor had promised Harriet to do everything in his power to save Elliot so that the stock market could be saved. Riley was indeed a cunning and vicious man, for he twisted the truth in front of Anastasia. He led Anastasia to think that Harriet had caused the stock market crash, forcing the mayor to send orders to the police to save Elliot. Chapter 379 ¡°Grandma, I won¡¯t forgive Riley so easily. I¡¯ll make him pay a steep price for what he¡¯s done.¡± Elliot clenched his fists. After all, he was also the murderer who killed Anastasia¡¯s mother. ¡°Elliot, your parents died because of him too. Don¡¯t hold back and be sure to make him pay!¡± There was an apparent hatred in Harriet¡¯s eyes. She also hated her husband for fathering this illegitimate son, who almost drove the descendants of the Presgraves to ruin. Elliot stood on the balcony on the third floor of the Presgrave Residence. He had more or less pieced together the incident that happened so long ago. Still, it didn¡¯t change anything. Anastasia¡¯s mother had died because of him, and this was the unchangeable truth. He picked up his phone and got close to dialing Anastasia¡¯s number a few times. In the end, he finally took a deep breath and dialed it firmly. If there was anything in his life he would risk everything to fight for, it was this woman. It didn¡¯t matter if she hated him, for he would still love her no matter what. After lunch, Anastasia spent time with her son. Her son was in her arms as they watched cartoons on the couch. Just then, her phone rang. She lifted the phone to look at the screen, realizing it was a call from Elliot. As such, she went to her room to answer the call. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Her voice was calm and nonchnt. ¡°Anastasia, I¡¯ve asked my grandma about it. Riley wasn¡¯t telling the truth. My grandma did call the mayor, but she never threatened him with the stock market crash. The stock market was already crashing by then, and the mayor needed my grandma to save the stock market. Coincidentally, I was kidnapped on the very same day. My grandma was very anxious at the time and couldn¡¯t focus on saving the stock market, so the mayor promised her that he would rescue me¡­ Still, I know saying all this won¡¯t change anything.¡± Elliot¡¯s voice was especially dim with guilt and remorse. ¡°Alright, I believe you, and I believe your grandma didn¡¯t do it,¡± Anastasia said. ¡°However, I don¡¯t want to get involved with the Presgraves from now on. Just leave me alone.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to see me to that extent?¡± The man sounded a little pitiful. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°What if I want to see you?¡± ¡°You can just bear with it or forget about me,¡± Anastasia said rather cruelly. ¡°I can¡¯t bear with it, nor can I forget about you.¡± ¡°Elliot, don¡¯t do this to me. Why can¡¯t you see things from my perspective and be more considerate of me? If you truly love me, then you should respect my decision.¡± ¡°Do you not want to see me for now, or forever?¡± Elliot couldn¡¯t help but probe further. The question seemed to have struck a chord deep within Anastasia¡¯s soul. ¡°There is no future between us, and I will forget about you.¡± With that, Anastasia hung up. She didn¡¯t know when her tears began pooling in her eyes. As he stood on the balcony at the Presgrave Residence, Elliot¡¯s heart was a mess. His emotions were heavy like never before. If he failed while doing business, he would still have another chance to try again. He had the confidence to seed in most things, but convincing Anastasia to stay was more difficult than any problem he had faced before. Nheless, he knew that he was willing to wait, even if he had to spend his whole life waiting. He would spend his entire life repaying everything he owed her in his own way. The weekend flew by, and Anastasia was called to the police station on Monday to make a statement. After that, she arrived at her father¡¯spany at around 10.00AM. As soon as she arrived at the office, she saw a face she didn¡¯t want to see¡ªErica¡¯s. Erica crossed her arms and looked at Anastasia gleefully. ¡°Dad mentioned that you¡¯re working at his company now. Sorry, I¡¯m working here as well.¡± ¡°No one¡¯s stopping you.¡± Anastasia just hoped that Erica wouldn¡¯t cause trouble for their father. ¡°I see that I¡¯m not wee here! In that case, I¡¯lle here as often as I can. From now on, I will own the same things you own. I won¡¯t allow Dad to be biased anymore.¡± Erica snorted as she spoke. Francis was away at the time, and he still hadn¡¯t returned. Just then, Alex opened the door and walked in to see both women in the office. He was stunned for a moment. Not daring to offend either side, he greeted, ¡°Miss Anastasia, Miss Erica.¡± ¡°What do you mean by greeting me only after her? Am I inferior in your eyes?¡± Erica instantly flew into a rage. In truth, Alex was extremely disgusted by Erica. To him, she was no more than garbage. Chapter 380 ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant. Since you¡¯re both Mr. Tillman¡¯s daughters, that naturally puts the two of you on an equal footing,¡± Alex immediately exined himself. ¡°Where is my father, Mr. Hunter?¡± ¡°He is currently meeting up with a client.¡± ¡°Keep me in the loop about everything regarding thepany, Mr. Hunter. I wish to be involved in my father¡¯s business,¡± Erica ordered the man. Although he was disgusted by thedy deep down, Alex forced himself to react with a smile and nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯d like to get going.¡± Anastasia refused to stay there any longer with Erica. ¡°Anastasia, I have orders from Mr. Tillman to show you around thepany.¡± Alex wasn¡¯t about to let Anastasia walk away like that. ¡°I¡¯ming along too,¡± Erica desperately said. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Anastasia nodded and left with Alex just as Erica grabbed her purse and caught up to them. However, by the time she headed downstairs, she saw Alex¡¯s car setting off without waiting for her, which irritated her so much that she stomped on the ground repeatedly in exasperation. ¡°You son of a b*tch, Alex! How dare you ignore my presence?! I¡¯ll make sure you pay for that!¡± In fact, Alex had intentionally left Erica behind in an attempt to gain Anastasia¡¯s favor, but it was only after they hit the road that he noticed thedy¡¯s preupied look as she set her eyes outside the window. ¡°Is there something that¡¯s bothering you, Anastasia?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Anastasia shook her head just when raindrops started to fall from the cloudy sky. As the rain became heavier and heavier, Alex suggested that they should stop by a nearby caf¨¦ until the rain cleared up before they continued their journey. ¡°Okay,¡± Anastasia agreed, refusing to put both their lives at risk due to the rainy weather. Alex then drove to a caf¨¦, whereupon both of them quickly entered the ce and took shelter. Soon, lightning struck the sky outside the window as the deafening thunder roared across the city. Meanwhile, Elliot paused when he was about to sign his documents in his office at Presgrave Group. At that moment, Anastasia¡¯s fearful look when she heard the thunder sprang to his mind; this prompted him to reach for his phone to send a text message. ¡®Where are you?¡¯ However, when he didn¡¯t get a reply after ten minutes, he began to lose his patience and asked himself whether thedy had forgotten about him. Therefore, he decided to directly call her. On the other hand, Anastasia set her eyes on her phone¡¯s screen, frowning while she wondered why the man wouldn¡¯t stop bothering her. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you picking up the call?¡± Alex asked. ¡°It¡¯s nothing important.¡± Anastasia declined the call. Nheless, Alex noticed the caller ID that appeared on the phone¡¯s screen and realized that it was Elliot. For a sessful and powerful man like Elliot, I¡¯d say he¡¯s humbled himself just to win Anastasia¡¯s heart, but with his status, he could easily steal anydy¡¯s heart. I doubt even those rich men¡¯s daughters wouldn¡¯t be out of his league either. At that moment, Anastasia heard another notification alert from her phone once again just as she subconsciously took a glimpse at the iing message. ¡®I¡¯m going to your ce now.¡¯ She then squinted, asking herself why the man would visit her during heavy rain. ¡®I¡¯m away from home now, so don¡¯t bother looking for me.¡¯ Anastasia finally responded to his text. ¡®Where are you? I¡¯lle over and keep youpany.¡¯ Elliot asked for her whereabouts. ¡®There¡¯s no need for that. I have someone here with me.¡¯ Anastasia replied to his message provocatively. ¡®Who?¡¯ ¡®Mr. Hunter and I are having a tea break now.¡¯ Anastasia responded. ¡®Are you guys dating?¡¯ Elliot asked. ¡®You can say so.¡¯ Anastasia refused to exin any further. However, her phone rang shortly before she realized it was a call this time. Upon taking a deep breath, she answered it and questioned the man. ¡°Can you please leave me alone?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to meet you at your father¡¯spany now,¡± the man said. ¡°Now? It¡¯s pouring like crazy now, so why are you going to do that?¡± Anastasia was surprised to hear the man. ¡°See you there.¡± Elliot hung up the call without saying a single word more. Deep down, Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but think that Elliot must be out of his mind. After all, no one would want to get wet due to the heavy rain, but the man insisted on meeting her at Francis¡¯pany. ¡°Let¡¯s go back, Mr. Hunter. The rain is too heavy today, so I think we should probably visit our subsidiarypany another day,¡± said Anastasia as she raised her head to look at Alex. ¡°What? Are we going back to the office now?¡± Alex was stunned. ¡°Yes, we are.¡± Anastasia finished her sentence and proceeded to foot the bill before Alex could stop her from doing so. Chapter 381-390 Chapter 381-390 Chapter 381 As such, Alex could only return to the office with Anastasia as he wondered why thedy wouldn¡¯t want to continue waiting until the rain stopped at the caf¨¦. At the same time, Anastasia set her eyes on the rain outside the window, knowing that the road ahead of them was barely visible no matter how fast the windscreen wipers were working. Therefore, she believed it would take Elliot about half an hour before he arrived at her father¡¯spany. At the thought of that, she sent him a text message and told him to be careful. ¡°Keep a cool head, Elliot. It¡¯s pouring heavily now, and it¡¯s too dangerous to drive.¡¯ However, Anastasia¡¯s message was met with silence as the man didn¡¯t respond. Therefore, she couldn¡¯t help but feel concerned about his safety while reprimanding him deep down for making her worried. You¡¯re sick, Elliot, so why won¡¯t you stay put and rest instead? A few momentster, both of them arrived at Tillman Construction, whereupon Anastasia told Alex to return to the office and waited in the lobby. In the meantime, Alex could guess who she was waiting for as he wondered whether Elliot was reallying to meet her despite the heavy rain. After all, he would gloat over Elliot¡¯s misery if something ever happened to him on the way. Meanwhile, Anastasia looked outside the window anxiously as she didn¡¯t see any car in sight. Nevertheless, she saw a ck sedaning her way in the rain fifteen minutester. As the view slowly became clearer, Anastasia was able to identify Elliot¡¯s Rolls-Royce Phantom and heaved a sigh of relief until she realized there was a truck parked in the lobby not long after it was unloaded. Because of that, Elliot couldn¡¯t drive into the building and had no way of entering the lobby without getting wet. Therefore, Anastasia anxiously looked around for the driver to get him to move the truck away, only to see the headlights of the man¡¯s car going out in the rain. Then, Elliot ran toward the building without even taking an umbre with him, putting Anastasia on edge as she desperately scurried through the door and was greeted by the man¡¯s drenched appearance. At the same time, Elliot was happy to see her as she had been anxiously waiting for him despite his messy look. ¡°Why did youe here? Don¡¯t you know it¡¯s pouring outside?¡± Anastasia lectured the man. However, Elliot reacted with a smile, looking at her with a tender expression on his face as water trickled down his hair. ¡°Even if it puts my life at risk, I¡¯ll do anything just to see you.¡± Anastasia then took some tissue paper from her purse and wiped the man¡¯s wet hair, as well as the water droplets on his shoulder. Suddenly, she felt the man¡¯s arm wrapped around her waist shortly before she found herself in his tight embrace. You¡­¡± Anastasia angrily looked up at Elliot. ¡°After all the mean things you said to me, you still can¡¯t deny that you care about me.¡± Elliot fixed his eyes on her. ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± She looked away guiltily. ¡°You do.¡± He nted a kiss on thedy¡¯s forehead, not caring if there were people around them. On the other hand, Alex was watching behind a pir with his eyes fixed on the man and the woman during their lovey-dovey interaction in the lobby, clenching his fists without any idea that he was also being watched by someone from behind him. It turned out that Erica had identally run into Alex and caught his jealous look when he was peeking at Elliot and Anastasia. Thus, she quickly approached Alex and seized his arm, stunning him as she dragged him to the stairs just next to them. Upon closing the door behind her, Erica chuckled cially and said, ¡°You seem jealous, Mr. Hunter, but do you think my sister would even bother to look at someone like you? She is a snob who only has eyes for a rich and handsome man like Elliot.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Miss Erica? I don¡¯t quite follow.¡± Alex refused to admit his feelings. However, Erica had witnessed his earlier reaction. She replied, ¡°You saw just how sweet my older sister and Elliot were back there, didn¡¯t you? However, you and I both know that you can never take Anastasia away from Elliot.¡± Hearing thedy¡¯s words, Alex was jealous yet helpless. After all, he had no choice but to admit Anastasia¡¯s feelings for Elliot, judging from the sympathy she was showing him for meeting her in the rain despite refusing to pick up his call in the caf¨¦ earlier. What else can I call that if not love? Erica suddenly approached the man closer, seizing his arm while giving him a coy look. ¡°Anastasia and I are both sisters from the Tillmans, so why don¡¯t you consider dating me, Mr. Hunter? After all, I think I can be a good girlfriend just as much as my sister could be.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s keep this civil, Miss Erica.¡± Alex shivered in that instant. Nevertheless, Erica didn¡¯t take her hand off Alex. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck in a seductive manner while resting her face on his shoulder. ¡°My sister may not know how to appreciate you, Mr. Hunter, but I¡¯m not like her. To me, you¡¯re simply the kind of man I admire and look up to.¡± Chapter 382 Alex kept his eyes fixed upon Erica, seemingly thinking about what to do with his next move. After all, he knew as well that he didn¡¯t stand a chance to get closer to Anastasia at all with Elliot by her side, but now that Erica was approaching him, he began to see it as an opportunity. ¡°Miss Erica, I¡¯m just an ordinary man without anything worth admiring, so I wonder what makes you like me so much.¡± Alex let out a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m not like my sister who only wants to marry a rich man. I, on the other hand, prefer to trust my own feelings when choosing my Mr. Right.¡± Erica then looked at Alex seductively. ¡°Mr. Hunter, you¡¯re exactly the type that I like.¡± Upon hearing thedy¡¯s words, Alex felt as if there was an electric shock that ran through his body. Although Erica was not considered a beauty like her sister was, Alex, whose nature as a man got the better of his rational mind, could not resist her advances. In the meantime, Anastasia, who was still in the lobby, pushed Elliot aside after wiping the water off him and said, ¡°Leave once the rain lets up.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Elliot nodded obediently. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go to my lounge! It¡¯s cold out here.¡± Anastasia took the man with her upstairs. As soon as both of them arrived at a warmer ce, Elliot took off his coat and revealed the dark shirt that entuated his muscr physique beneath it. However, Anastasia looked away like she was trying to resist something. In fact, she was trying to resist the man¡¯s charming and masculine aura deep down so that she wouldn¡¯t fall further for him. At that moment, Alex knocked on the door and entered the ce despite knowing Elliot was around; he was going to deliberately ruin his private moment with Anastasia. After all, Erica was just a substitute to him since Anastasia was still the woman he loved. Nheless, Alex¡¯s presence had put a frown on Elliot¡¯s face as thetter immediately wrapped his arm around Anastasia while she made him some tea. Before Anastasia could even finish making him tea, she lost her bnce and sat on the man¡¯sp with the tea bag still in her hand. Just as she was about to lecture him, she noticed the coldness that filled his eyes before she quickly understood that it was Alex¡¯s presence that put him on edge. Okay, I guess that¡¯s the nature of men. They can¡¯t tolerate anyone else who sets foot on their turf, which is why this guy is trying to assert his dominance. ¡°You¡¯re here, Mr. Presgrave.¡± Alex timidly greeted Elliot. ¡°I¡¯ll stay here and keep Anastasiapany. You may attend to your work now, Mr. Hunter,¡± Elliot coldly said to Alex. ¡°Alright!¡± Alex smiled, his face darkening the moment he turned around. It seems that Elliot really doesn¡¯t give a damn about my presence. Soon, Anastasia rose from her seat and reminded the man to behave. ¡°Keep your mischief in check while you¡¯re here. I wouldn¡¯t want to be caught in a lovey-dovey situation with you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? Are you worried that Mr. Hunter is going to get jealous?¡± Elliot grunted in an annoyed manner. ¡°Alex is just an employee in my father¡¯spany. That makes us nothing more than colleagues,¡± Anastasia exined herself. While Elliot believed in thedy, his pride and jealousy wouldn¡¯t allow him to stand by and watch any man get close to Anastasia. Soon, he faked a cough and looked at the woman, trying to feel her concern just as thedy turned around and met his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I took my medication today.¡± Elliot assured Anastasia that he only had a cold, which persisted because of insufficient rest. Soon, Anastasia poured him a ss of hot tea and said, ¡°You¡¯re your grandma¡¯s only heir, so you should take good care of yourself, not to mention the fact that she is already in her twilight years.¡± Meanwhile, Elliot didn¡¯t feel happy when he saw her cial look even though she still cared about his family. ¡°Please don¡¯t me my grandma, Anastasia. I¡¯m the one to me instead.¡± Elliot tried to shoulder all the responsibility. Am I supposed to me a six-year-old kid for that incident back then? Nah! As a mother with a son, Anastasia could empathize with Elliot¡¯s younger self and rte to the fear that was tormenting him. ¡°Can you still remember what happened back then?¡± Elliot shook his head. ¡°Actually, my grandma sought help from many psychiatrists and hypnotists for me at that time.¡± He closed his eyes as soon as he finished his sentence, seemingly trying to find the memory that was lost in his mind. Anastasia¡¯s eyes widened slightly before she seized the man¡¯s arm. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. If I could remember something, maybe I¡¯ll know what happened back then.¡± Elliot looked up apologetically. Chapter 383 Soon, Anastasia recalled her father¡¯s words, remembering her mother had been urged to save an innocent life due to the urgent situation. After all, she knew her mother wouldn¡¯t have stood by and watched while a six-year-old kid was about to get killed. Convinced that everyone had an instinct of protecting the weak, she believed her mother was motivated by the same reason before she risked herself to save an innocent life. ¡°I don¡¯t me you and your grandma.¡± Nheless, Anastasia couldn¡¯t convince herself to let go of the past as Riley¡¯s words made her realize she could never fall in love with Elliot. After all, she couldn¡¯t get over the fact that he had indirectly caused her mother¡¯s death, which held her back from falling in love with him because she thought it would be unfair to herte mother if she did that. ¡°We could be friends,¡± Anastasia said. Meanwhile, Elliot was annoyed by Anastasia¡¯s reply, finding it ironic to hear because he was just trying tofort her a few moments ago. Friends? No way! I¡¯ll never ept our rtionship as friends! ¡°Well, I suppose friends can be lovers and marry each otherter on. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Elliot emphasized his point. Anastasia looked away and replied, ¡°No. We¡¯ll either be friends or strangers.¡± Despite her cold reply, Elliot was able to empathize with Anastasia, knowing that Riley had said many unpleasant things to her that made her reject him. ¡°Alright, I respect your wish. We¡¯ll be friends then.¡± Elliot took a step back, but not before he demonstrated his authority over her by giving her an order. ¡°However, if you¡¯re ever going to marry someone, it¡¯s going to be me and only me!¡± Anastasia was rendered speechless by the man¡¯s words, thinking his domineering and possessive character hadn¡¯t changed one bit. ¡°The same goes for me. I¡¯ll marry no one else but you,¡± Elliot soon added. Anastasia¡¯s face blushed as her embarrassment overwhelmed her even though she didn¡¯t meet Elliot¡¯s eyes. ¡°My decision to get married is none of your concern. The same goes for yours,¡± Anastasia answered. Elliot smiled and said, ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll just stay single for each other for the rest of our lives!¡± Fine, he wins. While Anastasia helplessly patted her forehead, Francis entered the building from the rain. When he heard Elliot was in the lounge, he quickly came over to greet him. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d be here, Mr. Presgrave. Please make yourself at home.¡± Francis approached Elliot to shake his hand. ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Mr. Tillman,¡± Elliot politely replied. ¡°Anastasia, please receive our guest, Mr. Presgrave.¡± Francis turned his attention to his daughter. Deep down, he sincerely hoped that her daughter would end up being together with Elliot upon leveraging the situation as a businessman. After all, Tillman Constructions would be backed by Elliot¡¯s powerful influence if they got together. Besides that, he believed his grandchildren and daughter would be loved and treated well by the people of the Presgrave Family, considering their guilt for his wife. ¡°Sure, Father. Please leave me to it,¡± Anastasia answered. Just when Elliot was wondering how Anastasia would receive him after Francis left, he saw thedy looking at the rain that was letting up outside the window before she shifted her gaze to him. ¡°Alright, the rain has let up. It¡¯s time for you to go.¡± Wait, what? Is this how she is going to receive her guest? By showing me the door? Elliot was rendered speechless. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving yet. I¡¯m going to have lunch with you and apany you to pick up Jared. Then, I¡¯m going to have my dinner at your ceter at night.¡± In fact, Elliot had figured out his n for the day. His phone rang just then, whereupon he picked it up and said, ¡°I¡¯m not going back to the office today. Please cancel all my meetings.¡± Before Rey could remind Elliot about his work, the latter ended the call. At the same time, Anastasia looked at the man with a stunned expression while wondering what he was up to. What¡¯s this guy thinking? He still has a ton of things to handle back in his office! ¡°I don¡¯t need you to keep mepany here, Elliot. Go ahead and attend to your business!¡± Anastasia didn¡¯t want Elliot to waste his time apanying her, only to work overtime at night. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m willing to waste my time keeping youpany.¡± Elliot raised his eyebrows slightly, telling thedy with the tenacious look on his face that he wasn¡¯t about to give up. In the face of his stubbornness, Anastasia felt helpless without knowing what else she could do about it. ¡°Bourgeois is shifting to a new location, but we¡¯ll be keeping your office space nheless. You¡¯re wee to work with us anytime.¡± Elliot offered Anastasia to return to Bourgeois so that no other man would get close to her. ¡°I¡¯m going to stay in my father¡¯spany to learn about business management for the time being.¡± Anastasia revealed her ns to remain in Francis¡¯pany. ¡°Alright, I respect your decision,¡± Elliot said in a chivalrous manner. ¡°By the way, who is Aliona? The client that I was supposed to meet belonged to her, but I was kidnapped after that.¡± Anastasia mentioned Aliona to Elliot. Although she didn¡¯t me her, she was still mad about what had happened earlier. Chapter 384 Elliot was stunned. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you have dealt with your own client by yourself?¡± ¡°Nope! I was told by Felicia that the client was initially Aliona¡¯s to deal with when I confronted and asked her about that earlier, but since my design caught the client¡¯s eye, I was asked to take over the negotiation. Shortly after that, I was kidnapped by Riley¡¯s henchmen at the rendezvous, which was a caf¨¦ where I was supposed to meet the client.¡± Anastasia¡¯s eyes were filled with puzzlement. ¡°How did they know I was going to show up at that caf¨¦ and park in that specific spot?¡± Elliot frowned and replied, ¡°Aliona is the illegitimate daughter of myte father¡¯s good friend, Lucas Dora, He raised her abroad. While Lucas is a respected senior to me, I heard from my grandma that they were close to each other in their youth.¡± ¡°She is Lucas¡¯ illegitimate daughter?¡± Anastasia knitted her eyebrows, although she had no contempt for Aliona. ¡°Lucas told me to take good care of Aliona, but I promise I¡¯m going to investigate the matter with your client.¡± Elliot didn¡¯t want to take any chances and put Anastasia in danger. ¡°Alright.¡± Anastasia nodded, feeling hungry just as she looked at the clock and realized it was lunchtime. ¡°There is a restaurant nearby. We can have lunch together, but you need to go back and do your work when we¡¯re done, okay?¡± Anastasia asked as if she couldn¡¯t wait for him to be gone. In the face of thedy¡¯s reluctant look, Elliot smiled bitterly and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave when we¡¯re done with our lunch.¡± As the two of them left, Alex was watching them through the window in the office on the third floor. As he stared at Elliot¡¯s car while the man drove away, Alex clenched his fists because Anastasia no longer seemed to be the same person he had always known. I guess Erica¡¯s right; Anastasia only has eyes for rich men. It¡¯s no wonder she doesn¡¯t even bother looking at me. Upon arrival at the restaurant, Anastasia made several detailed remarks when cing orders for Elliot¡¯s meal, which indirectly revealed her subconscious concern for the man. At the same time, Elliot seemed especially happy with Anastasia¡¯s reaction, his eyes filled with tenderness and love. As soon as the waiter left the lounge, Anastasia turned her attention to the man and happened to meet his gaze, noticing his smiling face that was looking at her. In that instant, Anastasia paused in a trance for a few seconds just as she felt like she had been enchanted by his charming and magical eyes. ¡°Stop looking at me like that.¡± Anastasia blocked her face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t I look at my future wife?¡± Elliot chuckled. ¡°You need to put a stop to your sweet-talking. I don¡¯t like to hear any of that.¡± Anastasia appeared annoyed, but despite her feelings, there was nothing she could do to stop the man¡¯s sweet talk. ¡°I¡¯d like to take Jared to a ce that¡¯s fun this weekend. Would you mind lending me your son for a day?¡± Elliot asked. ¡°Where are you taking him?¡± Anastasia understood Elliot was inviting her as well, for she knew the man was counting on her son to make her go along. ¡°There is a club with several new children¡¯s programs, and I heard from a friend that they are worth a try. I¡¯d like to take Jared there to let him experience some fun.¡± Anastasia hesitated shortly before she eventually agreed, thinking that it was time for her son to do something outside after staying home for so long. ¡°Alright, go ahead then. Take Jared with you.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to spend my holiday staying at home.¡± Anastasia was aware not to fall for the man¡¯s trap. Nheless, Elliot wasn¡¯t desperate to win her heart over at all, but he knew that gaining her son¡¯s favor would help him achieve his goal even faster. ¡°Have you realized that Jared and I look alike? We seem like a father and son, don¡¯t we?¡± Elliot intentionally asked. As much as Anastasia was unwilling to admit it, she couldn¡¯t deny the fact that her son liked Elliot very much. ¡°Well, that¡¯s because people who are handsome look alike,¡± Anastasia replied,plimenting her son and Elliot at the same time. As expected, Elliot smiled brightly upon hearing thedy¡¯s words. They left after finishing lunch, whereupon Elliot took her back to Tillman Constructions. Before she got out of the car, he reminded her to keep her distance from Alex. ¡°Stay away from Alex.¡± However, Anastasia only looked askance at Elliot in an annoyed manner, feeling helpless with his possessiveness and jealousy. Does he think that every other man goes around charmingdies like him? I only want to take over my father¡¯spany as soon as possible so that he can retire and enjoy the rest of his life. ¡°Drive safely,¡± Anastasia said, reminding Elliot to be careful on the road before she opened the door and stepped out of the car. In the meantime, Elliot knew Anastasia still had him in her heart even though she didn¡¯t reply to hisst remark. Chapter 385 It seemed that he should really keep his jealousy in line and give her some space and freedom. After Elliot left, Anastasia returned to Francis¡¯ office to find Erica tugging their father¡¯s sleeve, buttering up to him. ¡°Dad, I swear I can do what Anastasia can. Please let me work here!¡± ¡°No. Cut it out and go home now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so biased, Dad. Hmph! You don¡¯t love me at all. All you care about is Anastasia,¡± Erica whined as she turned around in anger, only to find Anastasia approaching. At that, intense resentment shed across her eyes. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Meanwhile, Francis coaxed Erica when he saw Anastasia. ¡°Okay, okay, we¡¯ll talk about this some other time.¡± ¡°Anastasia, has Young Master Presgrave left? A few clients will being in the afternoon. You should get to know them.¡± Anger shed across Erica¡¯s eyes upon hearing her father¡¯s words. Sure enough, Dad sees Anastasia as his only sessor! ¡°Dad, introduce them to me too.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask Alex to show you around first.¡± Galled, Francis tried to send his younger daughter away. To be honest, why would Erica want anything to do with thepany? She had long wanted to leave, for she had zero interest in things that challenged her brain. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll go and look for Mr. Hunter!¡± Erica now put her focus on seducing Alex. As soon as Erica left, Francis turned to Anastasia. ¡°Have you made up with Young Master Presgrave?¡± Anastasia blushed right at that. She swore nothing could escape her father¡¯s eyes. ¡°Actually, we can¡¯t me the Presgraves for this. What your mother did was out of instinct, and it has nothing to do with anyone. If she¡¯s watching, she¡¯d want you to be with Young Master Presgrave.¡± ¡°Why is that so?¡± Anastasia looked over to her father, confused. ¡°That¡¯s because the Presgraves¡¯ debt to your mother will have Young Master Presgrave treating you and Jared well for your whole lives. At the very least, he won¡¯t let you down or have an issue with Jared.¡± Thanks to her father¡¯s words, the sadness and hesitation within Anastasia had alleviated. Riley had merely said those words to separate Elliot and her. In that case, why should she trust a murderer?! The one who deserved to rot in hell was him! ¡°I get it, Dad.¡± Anastasia nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Just then, Francis¡¯ phone rang. He picked up the call and said, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll be there in five.¡± ¡°Anastasia,e and have lunch with me.¡± With that, Anastasia followed her father to meet some of his important clients while Erica hung out in Alex¡¯s office, having no intention of leaving. ¡°Mr. Hunter, can you teach me ounting?¡± ¡°Erica, you can¡¯t touch these papers.¡± The way Alex addressed her had changed. Erica put the papers down right at that and sat down next to him, resting her hand naturally on his leg. ¡°Are you avable tonight, Mr. Hunter? Why don¡¯t we have dinner together?¡± ¡°Watch what you¡¯re doing. We¡¯re at the office.¡± Despite saying so, Alex didn¡¯t move his leg away. Erica had been missing thefort of a mantely, and she was beginning to find Alex pleasing to the eye. ¡°Does it scare you to live alone, Mr. Hunter? Would you like me to keep youpany?¡± At that, she whispered into his ear, ¡°We can do anything you like!¡± Alex¡¯s body stiffened upon hearing that, and he looked over at Erica. Though she wasn¡¯t as beautiful as Anastasia, she wasn¡¯t unattractive either. Naturally, how could he resist the temptation when she was offering herself on a silver tter? He was no gentleman anyway. Anastasia was like a flower on the edge of a cliff, difficult to pick. Plus, now that Elliot was by her side, it was even more impossible for him to get close to her anymore. Hence, he decided to settle for second best. Marrying Erica was also an effective way to obtain Tillman Constructions¡¯ equity, after all! ¡°Erica, do you really like me?¡± Alex looked at Erica with a zing gaze as he held her hands. Erica went soft in an instant and fell into his arms. ¡°Of course! You¡¯re so capable. Plus, my dad thinks highly of you, and even my mom likes you too!¡± Chapter 386 As shrewd as Alex was, he naturally knew what Naomi saw in him. From now on, he¡¯d work with this mother and daughter duo to secure Tillman Constructions for themselves. After Elliot returned, he immediately had Feliciae to his office. He wanted her to dig into Aliona¡¯s client and why did the kidnapping happen at the caf¨¦¡¯s parking lot. Naturally, Felicia didn¡¯t dare be dismissive of it. She promptly asked Aliona for her client¡¯s profile, which Aliona passed to her. ¡°Aliona, how did you meet this client?¡± At that, Aliona acted all docile. ¡°She came to me first. We met at a banquet.¡± ¡°Are you familiar with her?¡± ¡°No. Is everything alright, Felicia?¡± Aliona feigned concern. ¡°Yeah. You can go back to your work.¡± Felicia thought she shouldn¡¯t let on more. It seemed that she¡¯d have to visit that client herself. After returning to her office, Aliona couldn¡¯t help heaving a sigh of relief. In actuality, she had been having a tough timetely, for the failed kidnapping caused her godfather to be detained. Riley¡¯s subordinates even delivered a message to her, saying that she¡¯d have to continue the rest of the path on her own. She loathed Anastasia. She had believed winning Elliot¡¯s heart was a piece of cake when she was living abroad, but ever since Anastasia entered the picture, all Elliot cared about was that woman. Meanwhile, Felicia met up with the client that afternoon. Since Aliona had talked to the client and colluded the story before the meeting, Felicia couldn¡¯t find anything. With that, she reported it to Elliot and sent him the client¡¯s profile while she was at it. Elliot fixed his gaze at the profile as he thought about Anastasia¡¯s kidnapping. Surely something had gone wrong somewhere, especially when his bodyguards noted the kidnappers had been stationed in the parking lot twenty minutes prior. Elliot then ordered Rey, ¡°Dig into this client.¡± She was in her early fifties. Judging by the woman¡¯s age, she was likely Riley¡¯s acquaintance, and Riley must¡¯ve had her lure Anastasia to that caf¨¦ where his men had been waiting. The whole thing made sense when he put it that way. On the other hand, Aliona asked for leave in the afternoon to meet up with Lucas. Aliona was allposed upon seeing Lucas at the caf¨¦. ¡°Lucas, my godfather¡¯s been taken into custody now. From now on, you have to aid me in the rest of my n.¡± ¡°Hand me my son¡¯s footage, or I won¡¯t help you.¡± Lucas rebelled. ¡°Are you forgetting your position? Your son and his footage are in our hands. Now that my godfather has handed all the power to me, I can do things however I please.¡± Maliceced Aliona¡¯s eyes as she held the cup in her hands. Lucas felt livid as he clenched his fists, but he was like a heaving old dragon being grabbed by the throat, unable to resist. ¡°What exactly do you want me to do?¡± ¡°Find me a chance to get close to Elliot so that I can get pregnant and birth his child,¡± Aliona announced shamelessly. At that, Lucas couldn¡¯t help dissuading her, ¡°Now that your godfather¡¯s been taken into custody, why don¡¯t you take over his business? We can make a good deal, and you don¡¯t have to worry about anything for the rest of your life.¡± ¡°Just how much would you be able to give me? From what I know, your son has used up almost all of your wealth. Can you give me five billion? If not, there¡¯s nothing we can talk about.¡± What Aliona was asking for was daylight robbery. What was more, she was nning a way out. Once she gave the Presgraves an heir, she¡¯d have more than a mere five billion! ¡°It¡¯s not that easy to get close to Elliot.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I need you to give me the chance.¡± Aliona bore into him. ¡°Think about your family and your son¡¯s future!¡± s, Lucas knew he could only give in. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ve been organizing a charity eventtely, and I¡¯ll invite him then. Meanwhile, you should find an opportunity to get close to him.¡± ¡°Good! I¡¯m sure you know what to do if Elliot asks about me!¡± ¡°Rx! I won¡¯t sell you out when my son is in your hands.¡± Lucas closed his eyes. What a bitter end to his life. Chapter 387 With that, Aliona left. Now, all she could do was wait for Lucas¡¯ news before she took the next step. She had to bear Elliot¡¯s child quickly, for Riley was still waiting for her to bail him out. Meanwhile, in Hond, Hayley removed her bandage for the first time a week after her surgery. Now that her face was no longer swelling, the surgery results were visible. Her originally slightly square face had now be oval. Her double eyelids were still swollen, but her nose had be taller, her lips were now prettier, and her jawline was now perfect. Hayley got ecstatic at that¡ªshe was finally beautiful. Though it wasn¡¯t as good-looking as Anastasia¡¯s all-natural face, she was certain it wouldn¡¯t be far off from Anastasia¡¯s. Once her swelling was gone entirely, she¡¯d be able to see Elliot! What she didn¡¯t expect was that the results were far better than she had expected, and she¡¯d be able to go home after a month. Hayley looked into the mirror to find her profile and features simr to Anastasia¡¯s. She smiled at that, her gazeced with triumph. What will Anastasia think when she sees my face? Will it disgust her? Then, she wondered if Elliot would ept her and suddenly fall in love at one point once her face had healed entirely and was at the peak of her beauty. Surely the night five years ago was unforgettable to him. If he suddenly had the urge to revisit the feeling, only she would be able to give it to him. ¡°You¡¯re stunning, Miss Seymour. A perfect ten,¡± said the agent beside her. However, Hayley suddenly stopped smiling, and the happiness was gone in a split second. The praise did nothing to delight her. Her face was shaped ording to Anastasia¡¯s. Simply put, praising her would be like praising Anastasia, and this displeased her. Worse, this difort would only remind her of Anastasia¡¯s perfect, all-natural face whenever anyone praised her. At night, after showering Jared, Anastasia nned to watch some TV and rx when her phone rang all of a sudden. She picked it up to find Elliot calling. What is he doing calling thiste? However, she still answered the call nheless. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Can I hang out at your ce?¡± ¡°Right now?¡± Anastasia checked the time at that to find it was already 8.30PM. ¡°I just finished a business dinner, and I¡¯ll be passing by your ce on my way home. I want to see you.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you just see me yesterday?¡± ¡°To me, there isn¡¯t a second that I don¡¯t stop thinking about seeing you.¡± Elliot became the embodiment of Mr. Romantic. Anastasia, on the other hand, was rendered speechless. Surely he would already have a child by now if he used this effort to court another woman! ¡°Alright,e up then.¡± Finally, she said yes. An ted Elliot responded, ¡°Right away!¡± Just like that, a regr night turned exciting following Presgrave¡¯s sudden visit. Right after that, Anastasia got up to make tea and cut up some fruits. Five minutester, the doorbell rang. She checked the peephole, and sure enough, a certain someone was standing outside of her apartment. She opened the door only to find he hadn¡¯te alone, but also brought tons of stuff with him! The most eye-catching thing would be thetest set of Legos. Elliot carried two sets in his hand while Rey followed behind him with four more. ¡°Why did you buy so many?¡± Anastasia didn¡¯t know how to react upon seeing this. ¡°Jared loves them.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to spoil him,¡± she pointed out frustratingly. ¡°Why don¡¯t youe in as well, Mr. Osborne?¡± Anastasia invited Rey in. However, how dare he stay when his boss hade to spend some quality time with Miss Tillman? He¡¯d like to live a couple more decades, after all. ¡°No, thanks. I still have something to do. You two have a nice chat.¡± Jared thought he heard noises outside and came out, eximing when he saw the lego sets on the couch. ¡°Wow! I love you so much, Mr. Presgrave!¡± At that, he threw himself into Elliot¡¯s arms, leading Anastasia to shake her head. This guy has bought Jared overpletely. ¡°You¡¯ll have to promise me one thing now that you¡¯ve taken my presents. Listen to your mom, and don¡¯t ever make her upset.¡± Chapter 388 ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll definitely listen to Mommy and not make her angry.¡± Jared nodded. ¡°Good boy. Go on, have fun!¡± With that, Jared picked a set of Legos he was most interested in and went into his room. Meanwhile, Anastasia stored the rest of the presents in the storage cab. Although Elliot looked visibly better now, she still asked out of concern, ¡°Have you gotten over your cold?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all gone now,¡± Elliot said with a smile. ¡°All thanks to you.¡± Anastasia lowered her head upon meeting his fathomless gaze. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything, though.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to. You just have to smile more at me. It works better than any medicine in this world.¡± Elliot smiled. Not even a sliver of aloofness could be found on him whenever he faced her. Abashed, she handed the bowl of fruit to him. ¡°Quit yapping and have some fruits!¡± Elliot handed her a banana out of the blue, asking, ¡°Want one?¡± Anastasia took it from him, but she suddenly blushed. ¡°No thanks.¡± Elliot got what she was thinking immediately and guffawed. ¡°What in the world are you thinking? Is your little mind constantly filled with lewd thoughts?¡± Anastasia¡¯s face flushed bright red at that. Yes, she had overreacted, but he had clearly done it on purpose, hadn¡¯t he? Elliotughed at her for quite a while before finally helping himself to the fruits. Just then, he looked somewhat lustfully at her. ¡°Feel free toe at me if you have any needs in this regard.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± Anastasia rolled her eyes straight at him. Elliot only smiled, looking like an incubus, hot as hell. Anastasia got up and went to gather theundry hanging on the balcony, not daring to take another look at him. By the time she came back in, Elliot had slouched on the couch, looking weary. Instead of watching TV, he fixed his gaze on her while holding the tea she had brewed for him. It had unknowingly reached 9.30PM, and Anastasia looked toward the man who had been hanging around for nearly an hour. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. When are you going to leave?¡± ¡°Can I sleep in your bed tonight?¡± Elliot got greedy. ¡°No.¡± It was a hard pass. At that, he sighed disappointedly. ¡°Your bed to me is the best cure for insomnia, and my head has been hurtingtely¡­¡± Anastasia wasn¡¯t sure if he was lying or not, but when she looked at him, he was rubbing his temples, looking like he seriously had a throbbing headache. Her heart ached for him again when she thought about how she had angered him to sickness a few days back. ¡°How are you going to shower and sleep when you don¡¯t have a change of clothes?¡± ¡°I have some clothes in the car. I¡¯ll have Rey bring it up!¡± Elliot said it as though he hade prepared. Instantly, Anastasia thought she had fallen for his trap. This man had speciallye to sleep over! ¡°Fine then! Have him bring it up for you!¡± She agreed to let him stay over in the end. tion immediately surged within Elliot¡¯s fathomless gaze. ¡°Okay.¡± Soon, Rey came delivering Elliot¡¯s clothes¡ªthere was a suit for the next day and a set of cotton pajamas. Sure enough, he had nned toe over from the very beginning. With that, Anastasia went to tuck Jared in, leaving Elliot to shower and go to bed himself. Jared had so much fun with the Lego set that he exhausted himself, falling asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. With that, Anastasia got out of bed to check if Elliot had also gone to bed. However, the lights in the living room were still lit, and Elliot was slouched on the couch after his shower, watching TV in his ck night robe. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you gone to bed?¡± Anastasia asked as she hugged her arms, feeling chilly. It was already winter. Wouldn¡¯t he catch a cold in such thin clothes? Elliot reached his hand out to her in response. ¡°Come here.¡± Anastasia knew she¡¯d surely be taken advantage of if she went to him. Surprisingly, she didn¡¯t reject him. Instead, she deliberately sat a little far away from him. At that, Elliot got up and sat right next to her before pulling the woman into his arms. ¡°Watch TV with me for a while, will you?¡± Elliot asked softly. Chapter 389 Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but soften as she leaned against his chest while listening to his solid, unavoidable heartbeats. Elliot turned his head to nt a kiss in her hair. What an amazing feeling it was to have her back in his arms again. His broad chest gave her a strong sense of security, making it seem as though there was nothing she needed to be afraid of. When had she started liking this feeling!? The couple watched the business channel together. Then again, it only suited someone like Elliot, for she began to nod off very quickly. What was more, she was very snug being in his arms. Just like that, she closed her eyes before she knew it, and sleepiness creeped up on her. Soon after, she started breathing evenly. At that, Elliot turned off the TV and carried her up. However, Anastasia shot wide awake and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, looking at him with somewhat amorous eyes. ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± ¡°To sleep.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sleeping with Jared.¡± She had no intentions of sleeping with him! However, Elliot still carried her straight to the master bedroom. ¡°Makes no difference.¡± How could it be the same!? Anastasia¡¯s drowsiness was immediately gone, and she made her way to the door as soon as Elliot put her down. However, he grabbed her immediately and pulled her into his arms, forcing her to face him. Anastasia¡¯s hair was let loose as a result, and her milky white velvet nightgown made her face innocent yet alluring. It surely would be the death of him. Elliot gulped, looking as though he was trying his best to hold back something. Anastasia caught the possessiveness in his eyes, and she immediately warned, ¡°Don¡¯t you d¡ª¡± Just like that, he made her swallow the word ¡®dare¡¯. Admittedly, Anastasia couldn¡¯t say no to his kisses every time. It carried a strange yet tingling sensation, making her want more despite feeling abashed. Suddenly, he let go of her and asked in a husky voice, ¡°Do you want it?¡± ¡°No!¡± Anastasia denied her desire stubbornly, but deep down, she wanted to give it a go. She wanted to see if she could ept his approach. Not only that, she wanted to see if the trauma he evoked would come back. She didn¡¯t want the trauma from five years ago to haunt her for the rest of her life, for she wanted to experience the joy of being a woman too. However, she still pushed him away while saying, ¡°It¡¯s really late. You should turn in early.¡± Jared¡¯s still at home, for heaven¡¯s sake! Elliot was merely asking. After all, she had to want it herself. If she didn¡¯t, he wouldn¡¯t force her even though he was on the verge of exploding. Anastasia scurried into Jared¡¯s room, but she couldn¡¯t stop thinking about Elliot, his kiss, his breath, and his gaze. The following morning, Anastasia opened her bleary eyes to find a pair of angelic eyes staring at her. ¡°What is it?¡± She sat up and kissed her baby boy. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m going to bete for school,¡± Jared said solemnly. ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t today Saturday?¡± ¡°Nope. It¡¯s only Friday!¡± Is Mommy dreaming? Anastasia pped her head at that. She had trouble sleeping the whole night, no thanks to Elliot. Right, Elliot! He had stayed over for the night. At that, she asked with a smile, ¡°Is Mr. Presgrave around?¡± ¡°He is! He¡¯s waiting for you in the living room.¡± ¡°In that case¡­ Ask him to send you to school! I¡¯m really sleepy.¡± Anastasia wanted to bezy this once. ¡°Okay!¡± The little guy headed out, beaming. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, Mommy still wants to sleep. Can you please take me to school?¡± Of course, he was more than happy to, smiling as he said, ¡°Sure! Go and pack your bag. I¡¯ll let your mom know.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Anastasia, who was still half-awake, happened to be shifting into a snug position so she could go back to sleep when she heard the door open. Then, she heard footsteps approaching her, and with that, she reached her hand out to pat his leg while saying dreamily, ¡°Hurry up and go to school, Jared!¡± Jared?! Elliot chuckled under his breath, somewhat frustrated. This woman sure dared to take advantage of him. At that, he bent over and leaned close to her. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll send your son to school. You have to kiss me in return, though.¡± Startled, Anastasia shot wide awake and reflexively covered her sleepy face. ¡°I have morning breath!¡± Chapter 390 ¡°I don¡¯t mind that.¡± Elliot inched closer after saying that, and Anastasia reflexively stretched out her arms, giving him a peck on the cheek. ¡°Please take Jared to school for me. Thanks.¡± He swiftly pulled her into his arms, causing her to nuzzle her face against his chest as he nibbled her neck while stroking her hair. The intimate scenemonly shared between married couples got Anastasia¡¯s heart beating wildly and her face suddenly flushing scarlet. Just then, his husky voice traveled to her ear. ¡°You really tortured mest night.¡± At that, he even bit her ear teasingly, causing her to jolt and shove him away while blushing. ¡°Get the hell out of here, Elliot!¡± After sessfully interrupting her nap, Elliot headed out, finally content. Meanwhile, Anastasia went back to sleep with peace of mind, knowing that Elliot would take Jared to school. It seemed she could only be this at ease when leaving Jared in his hands, right? On the other hand, Alice came to a caf¨¦ nearby Bourgeois after answering a call. Upon seeing the person waiting at a table, she approached them while looking around cautiously. ¡°Why have youe looking for me?¡± ¡°I want to thank you for the sketch you gave mest time. I¡¯m really pleased with it. Here¡¯s the situation now; ourpany has decided to use this sketch to file awsuit against Bourgeois and ruin their reputation.¡± The woman went straight to the point. Alice¡¯s expression changed a little upon hearing her words. ¡°I thought we agreed on only filing a giarismwsuit? Howe you¡¯re suing Bourgeois now?¡± ¡°Well, Bourgeois has taken too many of our clients. Hence, my boss has decided to take a long shot and use this opportunity to sue Bourgeois for infringement. The bigger, the better. We¡¯re not only going to ruin the designer¡¯s reputation, but also destroy Bourgeois¡¯ business.¡± Alice frowned at that. She didn¡¯t think this far in the beginning, but who¡¯d have thought her actions gave the rivalpany such a massive advantage?! ¡°What do I get from this? Am I not getting anything when I¡¯ve done you guys such a big help?¡± ¡°Of course you¡¯d get something in return. I¡¯m here discussing this with you, aren¡¯t I? My boss said to give you a hundred thousand aspensation. After this is all over, you cane straight to us as our deputy director. What do you say?¡± ¡°You¡¯re only giving me a hundred thousand? I took a huge risk by stealing such a good sketch, and all I get is a hundred thousand? You¡¯ve got to be kidding me!¡± Alice was nomb; she was going to bag a sweet deal. Besides, the rivalpany was surely only painting a rosy picture, offering her a spot in theirpany! All she wanted was what she could get her hands on. ¡°Alright, fine! I¡¯ll propose half a million to my boss, but that¡¯s the most you¡¯re going to get.¡± At that, Jacqueline Sherman, designer for Bourgeios¡¯ rivalpany, called her boss to negotiate the deal. After a few words, she hung up and said to Alice, ¡°My boss says he can do half a million. That is as far as he¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°Deal.¡± Alice was pleased with the amount. After all, apart from getting the money, she could have Anastasia expelled from the jewelry design industry. ¡°From now on, only you and I know about this n. No one else can know about this,¡± said Jacqueline gravely. ¡°Of course. You can count on me.¡± Alice was confident that no one would know she was behind this. She then asked curiously, ¡°When are you guys making your move?¡± ¡°We¡¯re all set to go. Ourwyers will go to your officetest by this afternoon.¡± Alice left the caf¨¦ with a malicious smile. Even if Anastasia was currently on leave, she was still Bourgeois¡¯ designer. As long as this incident blew up, that woman would have no ce in the jewelry design industry any longer! However, she didn¡¯t know about Elliot¡¯s debt to the Tillman Family. Hence, she believed the Presgraves would think otherwise of Anastasia once this incident blew up. Hmph, say goodbye to marrying into the Presgrave Family, Anastasia! Alice had been bottling her hatred for Anastasia for far too long, and it was high time for a good drama. That day, everyone had just returned to Bourgeois from lunch at 2.00PM when a group of men in suits entered the lobby and headed straight to the office, looking stern. At that, the leading man shouted, ¡°I¡¯d like to speak to your director!¡± Chapter 391-400 Chapter 391-400 Chapter 391 Felicia had juste out of the washroom when she heard the noise. At that, she asked with a frown, ¡°Who are you guys?¡± ¡°I¡¯m George Walden, the director of Savill Jewelry Atelier. We suspect your employee has stolen one of our designer¡¯s work, and we have the right to pursue legal liability,¡± the guy said confidently as though it did happen, and it was even dire. No doubt they were merely causing a ruckus since something like this was normal between rival companies. At that, Felicia sneered and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your proof? Don¡¯t nder our employees for no reason, or we¡¯ll sue you for defamation.¡± ¡°We definitely have proof, or why do you think we¡¯d daree to you? You have a designer named Anastasia Tillman, working under yourpany, don¡¯t you? She has submitted a sketch for next year¡¯s spring jewelry show, hasn¡¯t she? In reality, she stole my employee¡¯s masterpiece and imed it as her own. We have the right to pursue her legal liability, so if you¡¯ll please have here out.¡± Felicia couldn¡¯t help feeling shocked at that. Who knew that Anastasia would be caught up in a giarism scandal? How could this be, though? ¡°She¡¯s on leave right now. I can deal with this.¡± ¡°Oh, we¡¯re not just holding her ountable. We¡¯re also suing Bourgeois for mismanagement,¡± George announced arrogantly. Clearly, they weren¡¯t going to quit until they heard the end of it. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll contact my designer and have here forward to rify the incident.¡± With that, Felicia went into her office and called Anastasia. Anastasia happened to be at Tillman Constructions right then. The reports she was reading were giving her a headache, and she eased immediately upon hearing the ringtone. ¡°Hey, Felicia.¡± ¡°A director of another jewelry atelier hase to us saying that you allegedly giarized their employee¡¯s work, Anastasia. Are you free toe and deal with this?¡± ¡°What? giarize? Me?¡± The news baffled Anastasia as there was no way she would ever do something like that! ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re even iming that the piece you stole is the one you submitted to the jewelry show.¡± ¡°Impossible! That¡¯s my own design and my own inspiration.¡± Anastasia retorted. ¡°I believe you too. However, those guys won¡¯t leave until youe and verify it yourself. Can you rush over?¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll be there in a second.¡± With that, Anastasia dashed to Bourgeois. Back at Bourgeois, gossipers began crowding together. Alice was among them as she listened to their whispers about the incident. More than that, it delighted her when most of them were evidently mocking Anastasia. ¡°Goodness! They¡¯ve even paid to be on the trending page.¡± At that, someone read out the headline, saying, ¡°Designer of a famous jewelry atelier shamelessly steals other¡¯s work after running out of ideas. Evidence to prove.¡± ¡°Designer, Anastasia Tillman, of Bourgeois by QR is guilty of giarizing.¡± Alice smiled as she listened to all that. Looks like Savill really wants to make a big deal out of this! Will Anastasia still have the nerve to stay in this industry? At this point, Felicia ushered the people from Savill to wait in the conference room. Aftering out, she deliberated whether to call Elliot, but in the end, she decided to wait until Anastasia had arrived before doing so. After all, it was an inglorious issue for Anastasia. As she dashed toward the lobby, the receptionists all shot her nasty looks. Clearly, everyone at Bourgeois had heard about her incident. When Anastasia showed up in the office, the gossip stopped immediately, leaving only a mocking gaze staring at her. ¡°Here, Anastasia,¡± Felicia called out to her. At that, Anastasia went into Felicia¡¯s office. As soon as the door closed, Felicia looked at her gravely. ¡°Anastasia, they¡¯re making a big deal out of this. They are clearly nning to ruin Bourgeois¡¯ reputation.¡± Of course, Anastasia could understand Felicia¡¯s worries. At that, she raised her hand and swore, ¡°I swear that I¡¯ve never stolen anyone¡¯s work.¡± ¡°Alright, I trust you. Also, I haven¡¯t told President Presgrave about this yet. You decide whether to inform him.¡± ¡°I want to meet these guys first.¡± An exasperated Anastasia wanted to set the record straight. How dare they use her of giarizing for no apparent reason. Chapter 392 ¡°Take it easy. I have a feeling they¡¯vee prepared, so we¡¯d better not fall into their trap.¡± Felicia patted Anastasia¡¯s shoulder. After entering the conference room, Anastasia looked toward the five people sitting there. There were twowyers, two Savill staff, and the director. ¡°Are you Anastasia Tillman, the person who stole my designer¡¯s work?¡± George sneered as soon as he saw Anastasia. At that, Anastasia stared coldly at him. ¡°On what basis do you say that?¡± ¡°We have proof, of course. In fact, you replicated nearly the whole of my designer¡¯s piece and submitted it to the show.¡± ¡°I know well if I¡¯ve done so.¡± Anastasia continued to stare coldly at George, not intimidated at all. Just then, one of them took out an iPad and opened the sketch before handing it to Anastasia. ¡°Miss Tillman, why don¡¯t you take a look at these two pieces first? One of them is our designer¡¯s drawing and the other one is yours. They¡¯re practically identical.¡± Anastasia took the iPad with a frown and couldn¡¯t help being stupefied upon seeing the sketches. They were indeed identical with only differences in a few details. ¡°This is my work. You guys stole it!¡± Anastasia retorted as she put the iPad down. ¡°We get that you¡¯re not talented enough, Miss Tillman, and that you want to establish your reputation as a designer by giarizing my designer¡¯s work,¡± George said with utter sympathy. At that, Felicia stood up for Anastasia. ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong. Miss Tillman is our most talented designer, and she will never steal somebody¡¯s work.¡± ¡°Naturally, we would gather all the evidence beforeing to look for you. Firstly, this piece is from our chief designer, Jacqueline Sherman. Secondly, she released it earlier than you did. What¡¯s more, the finished product was ced in ourpany¡¯s disy casest month. However, Miss Tillman submitted her sketch on the twelfth of this month. ording to the timeline, she could¡¯ve giarized the piece.¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± Anastasia held her breath, shocked that Savill had moved so quickly. Felicia¡¯s face turned slightly grim as well. She remembered that Anastasia had keyed her piece into the company¡¯s system on the second of this month and submitted the sketch to the show a week ago. Hence, the timing was very unfavorable for Anastasia. Nheless, she still trusted that Anastasia wouldn¡¯t do something like this. ¡°Miss Tillman, Savill will not tolerate such behavior. You have two options¡ªtake down your piece, apologize to Savill publicly on behalf of Bourgeois, andpensate for our loss. Otherwise, we will pursue your legal liability for giarizing our work and demandpensation. Of course, you¡¯d still have to apologize to us.¡± George pressed on, and he even concluded that Anastasia was the thief. At that, Felicia said, ¡°We need to dig into this before giving you an answer. Why don¡¯t you guys head back first?¡± ¡°Alright, seeing that we¡¯re fellow traders, I¡¯ll give you until 3.00PM tomorrow.¡± George added disdainfully, ¡°How unfortunate for something like this to happen within the jewelry design industry.¡± Anastasia was still baffled when the door closed behind her. How did Savill manage to disy her work in advance?! She was certain that was her design, for she had sketched it out with her own hands. In fact, that piece came to her when she sat alone untilte at night under the starry sky. How did she be the giarist?! The true thief was Jacqueline! Anastasia heard people gossiping about her the entire way back to her office. Some who long had a problem with her couldn¡¯t care less about offending her anymore. ¡°I thought she really was capable, but it turns out she got to her position by stealing other people¡¯s work.¡± ¡°Well, isn¡¯t that the truth? Thanks to her, ourpany¡¯s reputation will be ruined.¡± ¡°I swear, one rotten apple spoils the whole barrel.¡± Meanwhile, Alice entered Anastasia¡¯s office with a cup of coffee, gloating. ¡°I thought you were something! Who knew that you only rose to fame with such shortcuts?!¡± Chapter 393 Anastasia remained silent in her seat. ¡°I think it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t ask President Presgrave to save you, for it¡¯ll only make things worse. You¡¯d better quickly apologize andpensate Savill to save ourpany from further losses,¡± Alice reminded her. Of course, she didn¡¯t want Elliot to be involved in this. Though she was confident that they wouldn¡¯t have anything on her, she didn¡¯t want to be panicky either. ¡°Why should I apologize when I never giarized in the first ce? The one who should be apologizing is Savill.¡± Anastasia looked up and stared coldly at Alice. Alice hit the roof at that. ¡°Are you going to keep acting stubborn, Anastasia? You¡¯ve already be a joke in the jewelry design industry. Are you only going to apologize after you¡¯ve ruined all of Bourgeois¡¯ reputation? I will not let you destroy thepany¡¯s future!¡± Anastasia¡¯s only option was to apologize. Anastasia stood up in response and said firmly, ¡°I will not apologize before I get to the bottom of this.¡± Alice couldn¡¯t help choking and snapped, ¡°Just because President Presgrave likes you doesn¡¯t mean you can actwlessly, you know. It¡¯s already embarrassing that you¡¯ve giarized. Are you going to make a bigger deal out of this?!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t giarize, so I won¡¯t apologize.¡± One could tell from Anastasia¡¯s beautiful face that she wasn¡¯t about topromise. Alice was taken aback, for she had never seen someone as stubborn as Anastasia. At that, she red at Anastasia and uttered, ¡°Well, I can¡¯t wait to see what your fate will be!¡± Meanwhile, Felicia pondered over something as she stood in her office. Savill wasing at Anastasia with full force, putting her at a disadvantage. With that, she decided to give Elliot a call. ¡°Hello?¡± Elliot¡¯s voice came from the other end of the line. ¡°President, there¡¯s something you need to know.¡± After hearing the whole story from Felicia, he asked concerningly, ¡°What did she say?¡± ¡°Anastasia is sure that she didn¡¯t giarize.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯lle over now.¡± With that, Elliot ended the call. Bourgeois was still in the process of moving; since Elliot was at the Presgrave Group, he needed some time to get there. Meanwhile, Grace brought a cup of tea for Anastasia while she sat in her office. ¡°Anastasia, I believe you didn¡¯t giarize. No matter what everyone else says, I believe you,¡± said Grace as sheforted her, feeling bad for the woman. ¡°Thanks, Grace.¡± Anastasia was grateful to have an assistant like Grace. After Grace left, Anastasia propped her forehead, trying to figure out how the whole thing came to be. She had finished her first draft on the tenth ofst month, and Savill had already put the piece on their disy by the end ofst month. In other words, they had about twenty days in between amending and coming up with the finished product. If their workshop worked overtime on this piece of jewelry, it was indeed possible for them tounch it in about a fortnight at best. However, the sketch had always been with her, so who could¡¯ve handed it to Savill? Someone had evidently leaked it, and it had already happened when she came up with the first draft. However, who wanted her gone for good? A designer would no longer have a ce in the industry if they were branded for giarizing. After all, it was just as bad as murder. In the end, Anastasia determined that someone had stolen her sketch between the tenth and eighteenth of November. Still, several people hade in and out of her office, and she needed more time to find out exactly who did it. Then again, Savill wanted her to answer by 3.00PM the next day. They clearly didn¡¯t want to give her time to investigate. More than that, they were also being ruthless, dragging Bourgeois¡¯ reputation down while suing her for giarism. Bourgeois¡¯ fame now had overshadowed manypanies in the market and also garnered a high approval rate. Hence, no doubt fellow traders would want to bring down this strongpetitor. Anastasia was searching for her first draft when she heard someone pushing the door open. At that, she looked up and was surprised. Elliot hade! ¡°Felicia told me about your situation.¡± Elliot propped his hand on the desk and asked when he saw her searching for something, ¡°What are you looking for?¡± Chapter 394 After Anastasia finally found her first draft, she put it on her desk and said, ¡°This is my first draft, but it can¡¯t be used as evidence to prove I didn¡¯t giarize.¡± The time and date thepany assessed were based on when the piece was keyed into the system. Clearly, Savill had the upper hand in this. ¡°I believe you.¡± Elliot looked at her with absolute trust. Anastasia choked at that, and she smiled wryly. ¡°Do you really have that much faith in me?¡± ¡°Who am I suppose to believe when I don¡¯t even believe in my woman?¡± Elliot¡¯s gaze was filled with resolution. He got her a little stump, and she evaded his gaze. Nheless, his words had given her a confidence boost. ¡°Thanks. Now, I want to get to the bottom of this and see who leaked my sketch to Savill.¡± With that, she looked down at her sketch. This was one of her favorite sketches, but now, Savill imed it as their own and even ndered her for it. How exasperating it was! ¡°Find that person, and I¡¯ll teach them a lesson for you.¡± Elliot¡¯s face turned grim. That person probably had a death wish since they dared to touch his beloved woman. Right as Anastasia looked up, he continued, ¡°Also, Savill will have to pay a heavy price for ndering you.¡± Anastasia was rendered at a loss for words. She had a feeling Savill would be facing their doom. ¡°Alright, tough guy. Let¡¯s investigate first!¡± Anastasia decided to check the office¡¯s surveince footage before they did anything further. The security didn¡¯t dare snub Anastasia¡¯s request, sending the footage of said time to herptop. With that, Elliot and Felicia kept herpany as they looked through it together. Meanwhile, Alice couldn¡¯t help but begin to panic in her office. She hadn¡¯t expected Elliot to actually step in, and it got her seriously tensed. Elliot was all-powerful, and he had very strong influences. What was more, he had a bunch of formidablewyers. Even if Anastasia was sued, hiswyers would be able to win the case. Since it hade to this, Anastasia definitely wouldn¡¯t put up with it. Right then, she sat in front of her laptop while she looked through the footage. She swore that she would find the culprit. Elliot¡¯s heart ached as he sat next to her, watching her stare into the screen with her brows locked into a deep furrow, non-blinking. ¡°Do you have any enemies in the office? Alternatively, is there anyone who wants to harm you?¡± Two people immediately came to her mind¡ªAlice and Aliona. These two were openly hostile toward her. However, she couldn¡¯t rule out the possibility of someone using her sketch to make money, or that Savill had nted a spy in Bourgeois. ¡°Hold on. We¡¯ll talk after I¡¯m done watching the footage.¡± Anastasia watched the surveince footage frame by frame, fast-forwarding and rewinding from time to time. ¡°Why don¡¯t you get back to work, Director Evans? I¡¯ll keep herpany.¡± Elliot pulled a chair over and sat next to Anastasia. He decidedly ignored the important work in Presgrave Group, choosing to solve the incident with her instead. ¡°You should go back to work too! I can handle this myself.¡± Anastasia didn¡¯t want to take up his time either. ¡°I¡¯ll watch with you.¡± Elliot wasn¡¯t going anywhere. After all, nothing was more important than clearing her name now. Anastasia¡¯s head spun from watching an hour of footage. Seeing that it was about time to pick Jared up, she turned to Elliot. ¡°I might have to stay and watch the footage tonight. Can you please ask Nigel to pick Jared up and babysit him for the night?¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll call him.¡± With that, Elliot dialed Nigel¡¯s number. Nigel was their number one nanny, and more than that, he was among the only few Anastasia trusted. After hanging up, Elliot stayed by Anastasia¡¯s side with peace of mind, watching the surveince footage with her. Meanwhile, Anastasia had been recording the time and person who came in and out of her office. She didn¡¯t rx for a moment since she didn¡¯t want to falsely use the innocent, nor would she spare the culprit. As Savill wanted an answer by the following afternoon, she had to look through all the footage and find the culprit by that night. Now that Nigel was babysitting Jared, she could focus on work. Sometimeter, Grace brought her a little pick-me-up. After taking a few sips of the coffee, Anastasia went back to staring at herptop screen. Chapter 395 ¡°Do you want me to help you out?¡± Elliot wanted to take over for Anastasia. ¡°No, thanks.¡± She had to inspect it herself. ¡°In that case, you should take a short break.¡± ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± Anastasia¡¯s eyes were a little bloodshot, but she wasn¡¯t in the mood to take a break. ¡°You¡¯ll wear your eyes out.¡± Elliot¡¯s heart broke as he watched from the side. ¡°I have to finish watching it all.¡± At that, she forced herself to close her eyes and take a break. While she rubbed her temples, she suddenly felt a big, warm palm massaging her neck lightly. It felt super rxing. Meanwhile, Alice snuck a peek outside to find Elliot massaging Anastasia¡¯s neck, causing her to feel jealous yet horrified. She had clearly underestimated Anastasia and Elliot¡¯s rtionship. More than that, she feared that they¡¯d discover her crimes. After returning to her office, she unlocked her phone and grew nervous upon seeing the five hundred thousand transferred into her ount earlier that day. Anastasia returned to work after taking a short break. Meanwhile, Elliot took a sip from her coffee and suddenly thought of something. With that, he took his phone and headed out. He didn¡¯t affect her progress, but it didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t have other ways of investigating. When he came back in, Anastasia was still fixing her eyes on theptop screen. However, her brows suddenly locked into a deep furrow upon seeing someoneing out of her office. Alice had stayed in her office for less than two minutes beforeing out. However, when she left, she looked visibly guilt-ridden. At that, Anastasia rewound and scrutinized Alice¡¯s expression. Then, she saved this portion of the footage before continuing her search. Time had unknowinglye to 7.00PM, and Anastasia already had two cups of coffee at this point. Meanwhile, Elliot never looked away from her this whole time either. He finally grabbed her hand when he saw that her eyes were bloodshot and that she was refusing dinner. ¡°Dinner first, and you can continue your searchter.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat.¡± She was stressed out since she was being used of giarism. At that, Elliot¡¯s deep, domineering voice traveled to her ears. ¡°You have to even if you don¡¯t want to. If you¡¯re worried that Savill won¡¯t let you off the hook, then there¡¯s no reason for you to fear at all. At worst, I¡¯ll acquire them tomorrow, and your problem will be solved.¡± ¡°Alright, you win! We¡¯ll eat at the restaurant across here,¡± Anastasia said, brushing her hair to the back. While leaving Anastasia¡¯s office hand in hand, Elliot had his bodyguardse up and guard the space, forbidding anyone from entering. When Alice found out that Anastasia was staying back to investigate, she stayed as well. Right then, she was texting Jacqueline and telling her about Anastasia¡¯s investigation progress. ¡®You guys are sure you¡¯ll win thewsuit, right? You can¡¯t drag me down with you.¡¯ ¡°My boss is confident. Rest assured!¡± Naturally, Alice couldn¡¯t be assured, for she didn¡¯t mention one important fact to Jacqueline¡ª Anastasia¡¯s rtionship with Elliot. Savill only knew that Anastasia was one of Bourgeois¡¯ designers. What they didn¡¯t know was that she was also the girlfriend of Presgrave Group¡¯s CEO. This time, Alice had a creeping sense of panic that Savill would be meeting their doom. She thought she should pack up and leave the country. When she came out, she snuck a peek at the two bodyguards stationed in front of Anastasia¡¯s office, and it affirmed her decision to leave the county immediately. In the restaurant, Anastasia didn¡¯t have much appetite despite the table of good food in front of her. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink stuff. If anything, I¡¯ll support you.¡± With that, Elliot put some food on her te, which she ate before saying with integrity, ¡°I can support myself.¡± Financially independent women were the most confident, after all. Following that, he pushed a bowl of bird¡¯s nest soup to her. ¡°Finish this.¡± Anastasia suddenly had a feeling she was being force-fed by this man. However, she still did as she was told. Elliot¡¯s phone beeped just then, and he checked it to find a text from Rey. ¡®President, I discovered that half a million was transferred to Alice Thompson¡¯s ount at 2.00PM today. It was transferred from Savill Jewelry Atelier¡¯s public ount.¡¯ In response to that, he replied, ¡®Keep an eye on her.¡¯ Chapter 396 After she was done drinking the bird¡¯s nest soup, Anastasia grabbed her bag and said to Elliot, ¡°I¡¯ll head back to the office first.¡± There was no reason for Elliot to stay anyway. With that, they paid the bill and headed back to Bourgeois. When they arrived back in the office, those who were working overtime had all gone home by now. Elliot followed Anastasia into her officezily. Meanwhile, she removed her jacket, finding it a bother. The khaki-colored bodycon dress beneath it made her curves especially alluring underneath the lights. With that, he sat across from her and admired her. The bright lighting made the pair of eyes underneath her thick, longshes as clear as crystals, and her delicate facial features made her palm-sized face exceptionally charming. He grew more infatuated with her the more he looked. How can there be a woman who matches my aesthetics so perfectly in this world? They were practically formed ording to his preferences, and she was a beauty from every angle. Feeling tired, Anastasia decided to look away from herptop only to find a certain someone staring at her with his chin propped. Who knew how long he had been watching her like that. Underneath the lights, his eyes were like vortexes that sucked her in, and his pursed lips wereced with temptation beneath his tall nose. Just then, Elliot curled his lips and smiled. ¡°Found anything?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Anastasia leaned back and raised her head a little. ¡°Will you give me a reward if I help you find the culprit?¡± He asked out of the blue, seemingly confident. Of course, Anastasia had never nned on relying on him. However, since he had suggested it, she agreed jokingly and said, ¡°Sure!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a yes?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll give you a reward if you can find this culprit.¡± I¡¯ve watched the surveince footage for hours, and I still haven¡¯t gotten anything. As if you¡¯d be able to find the culprit. Elliot smiled confidently and said, ¡°Alright. It¡¯s a deal.¡± With that, he closed herptop. ¡°Don¡¯t look anymore. I¡¯ve already found the person.¡± The news got Anastasia stumped. ¡°Who is it?!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let you know tomorrow. Now, let¡¯s go home!¡± It pained Elliot to see her so exhausted. ¡°Tell me who it is!¡± Anastasia shot up from her seat, surprised. He wasn¡¯t going to keep it from her anyway. With that, he exined, ¡°I¡¯ve asked Rey to retrieve all of Bourgeois¡¯ employees¡¯ recent bank transactions and found half a million transferred into Alice¡¯s ount. The sender? Savill Jewelry Atelier¡¯s public ount.¡± Anastasia¡¯s eyes widened at that. It was just as she had suspected! She thought Alice had been acting rather suspicious in the clip she had saved earlier. ¡°I knew it. I figured it was her.¡± Anastasia pped her desk in anger. ¡°That wretched woman.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send you home now and deal with this tomorrow.¡± Malice shot from Elliot¡¯s cold gaze as he swore, ¡°I¡¯ll make them pay for what they did to you.¡± These guys really had a death wish for messing with his woman. Anastasia gave up checking the rest of the surveince footage at this point, certain that the clip she saved could prove that Alice had been into her office. It was already 8.30PM when they came out of Bourgeois. Just then, a gust of cold wind blew past, leading Anastasia to hug herself since she was feeling chilly. At that, Elliot pulled her into his arms and wrapped her up in his suit jacket, causing her to blush slightly. She was enveloped in his pleasant scent which invaded her senses. Anastasia checked the time when they arrived at her home to find it was already 9.30PM, so she gave up on picking up Jared. However, someone began devising his schemes when she was about to get out of the car. ¡°Can I go in for some tea?¡± Elliot¡¯s true intentions were evident in his eyes. ¡°No.¡± Anastasia rejected as she looked at him. ¡°I¡¯m just going to drink some tea. I won¡¯t do anything else,¡± he swore. To that, she reminded, ¡°President Presgrave, do you not realize you have lost all credibility with me?¡± Then, he looked somewhat defeatedly at her. ¡°You heartless woman. Go on, go home!¡± After exiting the car, Anastasia watched him drive away before heading up to her apartment. Just then, what Alice had done to defame her popped into her head. She would have to solve this issue thoroughly. Later at 3.00AM, Alice arrived at the international airport in a taxi, entering hurriedly with her suitcase. Meanwhile, one of Elliot¡¯s bodyguards received a call as he sat inside a ck sedan not far from her. Chapter 397 ¡°There¡¯s no need to stop her. She won¡¯t be able to leave the country anyway.¡± Rey¡¯s voice came from the other end of the line. Alice had now be a wanted fugitive, so there was no way would she be able to get through airport security. Currently, Alice was waiting in line. She had prepared to hide abroad with the five hundred thousand until all of this was over. She had a feeling the whole of Savill would give her trouble, for she had brought them devastating disaster by pissing off Elliot. Finally, it was Alice¡¯s turn. She handed the customs officer her documents, only to find them ncing at her. With that, she asked anxiously, ¡°Is everything alright, sir?¡± The customs officer returned her documents and announced, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, miss, but you¡¯ve been banned from leaving the country. Please go back.¡± Blood drained from Alice¡¯s face upon hearing their words. ¡°What?! How? What for? Why am I banned?!¡± ¡°Anyhow, you¡¯ve been banned from leaving the country. As for the reason, I¡¯m pretty sure you know it well!¡± The customs officer nced impatiently at her. Alice was genuinely freaking out now, but all she could do was leave the airport with her luggage. Am I still not able to escape when I¡¯ve already moved so quickly? With that, Alice got to public security through her friends and asked if she hadmitted some sort of crime. However, she still got no answers. Anastasia came to work at 8.30AM, and just like the day before, her colleagues looked at her with mocking gazes as she entered Felicia¡¯s office. ¡°Did you find anything?¡± Felicia asked. ¡°It¡¯s Alice. Savill transferred half a million into her bank ount. I also have a clip of hering in and out of my office around that time.¡± Felicia sighed in response. ¡°She¡¯s the mole? How disappointing.¡± Lo and behold, Alice didn¡¯t show up for work. Anastasia had been waiting for the people from Savill to show up at 3.00PM, but what came was even bigger news. Savill had been sued for bribing a Bourgeois employee, stealing a design sketch, being involved in viting Bourgeois¡¯ trade secrets, and even defamation. The trending pages the day before were all about Savill prosecuting Bourgeois, but it was the other way around now. Certainly, it wasmercial warfare. Felicia got a call just then, and she fell silent for a few seconds after answering it. Then, she looked toward Anastasia. ¡°Alice has been arrested, and Savill¡¯s CEO will make an official apology.¡± ¡°Elliot¡¯s behind this.¡± Anastasia was surprised at how Elliot moved so quickly, for he had turned the tide in one night. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Did he stay up all night to deal with this? Anastasia thought. When afternoon came, an even more shocking piece of news came. Savill¡¯s stock market crashed and even hit the limit at one point, causing it to be on the verge of bankruptcy. In other words, its several- billion worth of assets were turning into dust. Savill had probably never expected their one mistake to cost them everything after taking legal action against a designer, and for that, they pissed off the mystery business magnate backing her. All in all, the issue came to an end by that afternoon. Savill would be withdrawing from the jewelry- making industry, and their CEO even held a press conference himself to apologize to Anastasia, admitting they had stolen her sketch and even defamed her. For that, they would bepensating her with 1.8 million. Everyone at Bourgeois watched the live stream, and when they heard thepensation amount, they all turned into green-eyed monsters. Not only had Anastasia recovered her reputation, but she would also be getting 1.8 million aspensation. It sure was different having Elliot¡¯s support! Meanwhile, Anastasia was also watching the press conference in her office. Of course, she was happy to get a whopping amount for nothing, but she also wished that something like this would never happen again. After all, it seriously polluted the industry¡¯s culture. When Anastasia took a trip to the pantryter on, everyone fawned on her wherever she went. ¡°Congrattions, Anasatasia! We all know you were innocent.¡± ¡°Yeah, why would Anastasia need to steal their work when she¡¯s so talented?¡± Chapter 398 ¡°Alice is just jealous of you.¡± Anastasia onlyughed it off. Alice had iting, and Savill brought their ending upon themselves. Though Elliot¡¯s move left them bankrupt, they didn¡¯t deserve any pity. When she returned to her office, her phone rang. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s celebrate tonight.¡± Elliot¡¯s voice came from the other end of the line. ¡°Sure. My treat.¡± Anastasia had to give him proper thanks. Though she¡¯d be leaving the jewelry-making industry and returning to help her father¡¯s business, he had retained her reputation for her. This would retain her footing if she ever returned to this industry. ¡°Nigel said that he¡¯d babysit Jared. I¡¯ll be just us tonight,¡± Elliot said. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll make the reservation.¡± She didn¡¯t have a problem with it either. ¡°I¡¯d like a special thanks tonight,¡± he reminded. However, Anastasia didn¡¯t quite get him. ¡°What kind of special thanks?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see at the restaurant.¡± Elliot acted all mysterious. Seeing that it was already 4.30PM, Anastasia ended the call and picked a restaurant. Thanks to him, she got a whopping 1.8 million. She¡¯d still obtain a million or so after tax, and it was only right that they had a fancy dinner that night. Meanwhile, a ne took off from Hond. Hayley smiled as she looked out to the evening sky, sitting in first ss. She could finally go home. Her eyes were still a little puffy under her sunsses, but her face was no longer swelling, and with makeup, she was now a beauty. Now that ¡®average¡¯ was no longer a part of her, she¡¯d be every man¡¯s dream girl. How she wished she could be in front of Elliot right now. She¡¯d captivate him with her brand new self. Back at home, Anastasia booked a private room for 6.30PM at a high-end restaurant to treat Elliot to dinner. While she was making the orders, all Elliot could care about was staring at her, for she looked drop-dead gorgeous and was in an excellent mood that night. ¡°Thanks for sticking up for me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s what I should do. Anyone who dares hurt you will have to pay.¡± No way would Elliot be merciful. This time, Alice would be prosecuted for theft, selling trade secrets, as well as other crimes, sentencing her to at least five years of jail time. Savill, on the other hand, would have topensate Bourgeois up to a hundred million for infringement apart frompensating Anastasia for her losses. Elliot¡¯s team ofwyers were no slouches, and they could easily have the opposing side pay up every last bit of their assets. ¡°Can you attend a charity auction as my plus one tomorrow night?¡± Elliot asked out of the blue. ¡°Sure,¡± Anastasia agreed without hesitation. He had been a big help, so she shouldn¡¯t say no to his requests so quickly. It was a pleasant dinner, and Elliot enjoyed himself very much. It wasn¡¯t until after Anastasia was done eating that she realized how beautiful the nightscape was outside the window. With that, she walked to the window and admired the music square outside. Just then, a firm chest pressed onto her back, and Elliot circled her in his arms following that, causing her to tense up a little. There was barely any space between them, and despite theyer of clothing, they could feel each other¡¯s body heat. Thest time they were this close was before Riley had kidnapped her. ¡°We¡¯re done with the main course, but I still haven¡¯t had my dessert!¡± Elliot¡¯s deep, amorous voice traveled to her ear. To that, Anastasia suggested, ¡°Would you like me to order it for you?¡± Elliot smiled at that. ¡°You know well that you¡¯re my dessert.¡± No way was she going to be his dessert. Then again, he was hugging her too tightly, and she wouldn¡¯t be able to escape anyway. Meanwhile, her scent was intoxicating him, leading him to nt a kiss on her neck like he was truly savoring a dessert. ¡°Cut it out,¡± Anastasia warned. This is a restaurant, for heaven¡¯s sake! However, Elliot knew that the servers here were well trained. They wouldn¡¯te in for no reason. At that, he turned her around, forcing her to face him. However, she looked everywhere but his eyes, for an active man-eating beast lived within it. On the other hand, Elliot stared at her, his fathomless gaze drifting from her eyes to her nose,nding on her lips atst. Chapter 399 Her soft, red lips beckoned him, and instantly, his gaze turned unfathomable and dangerous. Before Anastasia knew it, Elliot had already pressed her onto the window, kissing her. However, she held his waist as she shivered. Heavens, she was acrophobic! She couldn¡¯t help freaking out with him pressing her back against the window. However, her nervousness fueled his appetite. His possessive kiss tingled her senses, and it overwhelmed her. She pinched his waist when she finally couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, for she was on the verge of breaking down. Elliot could only release her then. ¡°I-I have a fear of heights!¡± Anastasia said bashfully before grabbing her bag. ¡°I¡¯m going to pay the bill.¡± After exiting the restaurant, Anastasia said knowingly, ¡°I still have to buy something. Why don¡¯t you head home first?¡± Clearly, she didn¡¯t want him to send her home. ¡°What are you getting? I¡¯ll go with you.¡± How could he leave her out here on her own when it was already thiste?! ¡°I¡¯m going to watch a movie with a friend.¡± Anastasia checked the time to find it was a little over 8.00PM, and she¡¯d be able to catch a movie. ¡°What friend?¡± Elliot knew her lifestyle and social circle better than she did, after all. Knowing that her n wasn¡¯t working, she held her forehead and admitted, ¡°Alright, I¡¯m not meeting a friend, nor am I going to buy anything. I just don¡¯t want you to send me home. Happy?¡± Elliot smirked in response. ¡°Are you really this afraid of me?¡± Suddenly, Anastasia had the urge to watch a movie. Since she had to take care of Jared, it had been ages since shest went to a cinema. With that, she turned to Elliot. ¡°Do you want to watch a movie?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± He was more than happy to do anything with her. With that, the couple went to a mall nearby since Anastasia had already bought the tickets online. Elliot¡¯s tall and handsome figure was exceptionally eye-catching among the crowd. Some thought he was a celebrity, while others thought he was a model. He would have people amazed on the first look and sinking on the second. As the Presgraves had shielded him from the public eye since he was a child, it was normal for the average Joe not to know who he was. When it was time to enter the movie theater, Anastasia handed Elliot a drink before they sat down and enjoyed a blockbuster. Amidst the darkness, Elliot held her hand and inteced their fingers, and whenever the movie cut to a scious scene, he would even stare at her with a beaming and captivating gaze, for he dreamed of reenacting such scenes with her. Anastasia¡¯s face flushed amidst the darkness, mortified. A certain someone wasn¡¯t just ying with her hand, but he was also rubbing her palm amorously. Her face was bright red for the entire movie, and she had no clue what she had just watched. All she remembered were Elliot¡¯s every fidget. Why did she suggest watching a movie?! It was already 11.30PM by the time they left the cinema. Elliot wrapped his arms around her as they walked to his car parked in the parking lot outside. His tall stature acted as a windbreaker for her, shielding her from the cold winter wind. After entering the car, Elliot said contentedly to Anastasia, ¡°Let¡¯s go home!¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Anastasia nodded before pulling her phone out to check for any messages. Later, she flipped through the trending pages to find the news of Savill dering bankruptcy everywhere. s, a domestic brand was gone just like that. With that, she looked over at the man driving. The dark blue ambient lights inside the car brought out his nobility and otherworldliness. His slender fingers controlled the steering wheel elegantly, just like how he controlled themercial world with ease. ¡°Am I a sight to behold?¡± Elliot smiled as he looked ahead, seeming as though he knew she was staring at him. ¡°Yeah!¡± Anastasia admitted. ¡°Would you like to have me? I¡¯m very easy to get. You just have to reach out, and I¡¯m all yours,¡± he joked. ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± she answered bashfully. ¡°Well, may I have you?¡± Elliot rephrased. ¡°No.¡± ¡°It¡¯s freezing today. I can help warm your bed.¡± Anastasia chuckled as she looked out the window, amused. ¡°Thanks, but no thanks. My heater is doing perfectly fine.¡± ¡°You have to pay for heating, whereas I¡¯m free of charge.¡± Elliot tried to sell himself. She turned to him in response, still chuckling. ¡°I can still afford to pay for heating.¡± Chapter 400 At that, Elliot smiled with resignation. ¡°Alright then!¡± When he pulled over in front of Anastasia¡¯s apartment, he could only watch her get out and go home. s, it would be another lonely night. Just then, his phone rang. He checked the caller ID to find it was Hayley, someone he hadn¡¯t been in contact with for about a month. He had really forgotten all about her. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Elliot, it¡¯s me. I¡¯m back. I¡¯ve missed you so much!¡± ¡°Nice to hear that you¡¯re back safely,¡± Elliot answered perfunctorily. ¡°Are you avable for a meal tomorrow?¡± ¡°I¡¯m upied tomorrow.¡± ¡°How about the day after?¡± ¡°I have to work overtime this weekend.¡± ¡°Well then¡­ can I visit you next week?¡± ¡°Sure, we¡¯ll talk some other time. Goodnight.¡± With that, Elliot ended the call. Soon after, another call came in. It was Rey this time. With that, Elliot pressed the answer button on the steering wheel and drove away. ¡°President, I¡¯ve got news from the Abyss Club. We¡¯ve managed to trace the phone call to an address, but what¡¯s strange is that it¡¯s from Summit Mansion.¡± Elliot¡¯s brows furrowed lightly upon hearing Rey¡¯s news. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the area where Hayley lives?¡± ¡°Yes, sir! It¡¯s exactly where you bought Miss Seymour¡¯s mansion. The number originated from that area.¡± ¡°Can you get more information apart from that?¡± ¡°The number isn¡¯t registered, and the SIM card was sold illegally. Hence, we can only track where the call hade from. I¡¯ll check Summit Mansion¡¯s surveince next. It¡¯s an upscale mansionmunity, after all. Surely there will be cameras everywhere. I¡¯d like to find this guy.¡± ¡°Sure! Go ahead!¡± Likewise, Elliot wanted to hunt down the person who had destroyed the server room. He had to get to the bottom of this no matter what; he lost the truth to Anastasia¡¯s misfortune five years ago because of this person, and it hindered him from finding that b*stard. Daniel showed up in Hayley¡¯s mansion two hourster, and his jaw dropped upon seeing the woman swirling a ss of red wine on the couch. ¡°Miss Seymour, you¡­¡± The fact that Hayley had undergone cosmetic surgery left Daniel gobsmacked, what more when she now looked somewhat like Anastasia. ¡°Am I pretty?¡± Hayley asked, smiling with a quirked brow. ¡°Yes. Yes, you are.¡± He had to admit that her surgery was a total sess. However, he also knew everything she did was only to win Elliot¡¯s heart. Hayley smiled contentedly when she saw Daniel¡¯s amazement for her in his eyes. ¡°Do you think Elliot will like my face?¡± Yes, the all-new Hayley Seymour was even more beautiful now, but Daniel still preferred how she looked initially, for this version of Hayley looked somewhat fake. ¡°Miss Seymour, why would you want to torture yourself like this?¡± His heart ached for her. She must¡¯ve experienced extreme pain and mustered all of her courage to look like this. Surely no ordinary person would have the guts to even reshape their skull. ¡°I can even give my life to get Elliot¡¯s attention, what more just by changing my face.¡± Hayley¡¯s obsession with winning Elliot¡¯s heart had now evolved to a maddening degree. Daniel said nothing more after that and brought her some food. At that, Hayleymanded, ¡°Tell me what Elliot and Anastasia have done while I was away.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you know someone publicized President Presgrave and Miss Tillman¡¯s rtionship.¡± The reminder rendered animosity to surge within Hayley. ¡°Anastasia leaked those photos out on purpose. She wants to im Elliot for herself.¡± ¡°As far as I know, President Presgrave has been the one courting Miss Tillman, though,¡± Daniel pointed out honestly. Naturally, Hayley wouldn¡¯t believe this to be true, and she sneered at that. ¡°They won¡¯t ever end up together in this lifetime.¡± Daniel didn¡¯t quite get what she was saying, but his gaze at her was nowced with passion. They had shared a few romantic nights, after all. Too bad Hayley only saw her as something to warm her bed with, and he was practically non-existent to her. Chapter 401-410 Chapter 401-410 ¡°Will Elliot be attending any events these days where I might run into him?¡± The benefit g tomorrow night came to Daniel¡¯s mind, but knowing that Elliot would likely bring Anastasia as his date, he lied, ¡°Not that I¡¯m aware of. President Presgrave has been tied up with work at thepany these days.¡± Hayley could only swallow her bitter resentment. Her eyes were still a little swollen post-surgery, and she could afford to wait before meeting Elliot in person. The next morning, the news of the Lancaster Group¡¯s benefit g broke out among the upper-crust society. Given Lucas¡¯work, he managed to rally a considerable number of distinguished guests for the benefit, one of whom happened to be Elliot. For the sake of being able to climb the socialdder and work the elite society to the advantage of her schemes, Aliona had ordered Lucas to announce her identity as his illegitimate daughter at the benefit tonight. She had only one target this evening, and that was Elliot. She had already made all the arrangements and set her ns into motion; all there was left to do now was for him to rise to the bait. Needless to say, she was going to dress up to the nines in hopes of catching his eye, and it would be even better if he could fall for her charms without any prompting on her end. If he refused to bed her tonight, then she was going to have to resort to other means to make him. That afternoon, Anastasia had only just finished lunch when Elliot called to tell her he would be picking her up at 2.00PM and bringing her somewhere. He had deliberately kept the details vague, so at this point, she could only sit around and wait for Rey¡¯s phone call. Just then, her phone rang a second time. She thought it might be Rey, but upon ncing at the caller ID, she saw that it was an unfamiliar number. As she frowned, she put the call through and asked, ¡°Hello, who is this?¡± ¡°Good afternoon, Anastasia. Have you been taking good care of my son?¡± The voice on the other line belonged to a man, but it was heavily warped by a voice processor and hearing it sent a chill down Anastasia¡¯s spine. A dark look passed over her face, and her hand shook as she clutched the phone tightly. ¡°I swear, if you show up, I¡¯ll kill you with my own hands.¡± The man chuckled. ¡°You could kill me, Anastasia, but that would leave our son with two criminal parents. It could be rather brutal for the kid, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± she demanded through gritted teeth as her thoughts mored in her head. ¡°What is your rtionship with Elliot?¡± he asked grimly. ¡°If you dare to even marry another man and have him be the new father to my son, trust me when I say I¡¯ll be very, very angry with you.¡± ¡°My son has nothing to do with you,¡± Anastasia growled. ¡°He¡¯s my son too, and that means I¡¯m just as involved in his life as you are.¡± She clenched her fists as a murderous rage filled her. ¡°What the hell do you want?¡± ¡°Listen carefully, Anastasia¡ªyou are not allowed to marry someone else while our son is under your care, especially if that someone is Elliot.¡± ¡°You know Elliot?¡± she asked when she sensed unbridled hostility in his tone when he mentioned Elliot. ¡°I don¡¯t know who he is, but I saw your pictures with him all over the inte. If you so much as even think about marrying him and setting up a new family for our son, you can be sure that I will make you pay,¡± he threatened in a low and angry voice. ¡°The kid is mine and mine alone, and you have nothing to do with him! If you show up, I won¡¯t hesitate to call the police and have you locked up,¡± Anastasia warned, not at all backing down in the face of his threats. ¡°You were the one who snuck into my room voluntarily five years ago, Anastasia. Whatever happened next was a mere ident, and you can¡¯t press charges against me for that.¡± She clenched her jaw and bit out, ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t you try me and see if I could put you in jail for life?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure our son would love to find out more about his biological father,¡± he said, biting down on her weakness. ¡°Leave my son alone! Don¡¯t you dare go near him!¡± ¡°I know where he goes to school, where you live, and where your father lives.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even think about hurting my family unless you want to pay in blood,¡± she warned maliciously. He scoffed. ¡°You don¡¯t scare me at all, Anastasia. I am a man with nothing to lose, and I don¡¯t mind taking our son down to hell with me if you were to kill me.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you die somece else and leave my son alone?¡± Her heart had leaped to her throat, and in the next second, she started to formte a n. She took a deep breath and pressed in a more obliging tone, ¡°What do you want? Money? I could give you a sum of money if you promise to leave my family alone.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to give me money?¡± ¡°I could give you a million, but you have to stay the hell away from my son,¡± she bargained icily. However, he countered, ¡°I don¡¯t want your money. I want you to stay away from Elliot!¡± If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Anastasia frowned. She found it odd that the man imed he had nothing to live for on one hand while refusing her money on the other, and odder still was how someone so beaten down insisted she stay away from Elliot. He simply wasn¡¯t making any sense. In the end, the man¡¯s greed got the better of him as he said, ¡°Fine, wire me the money!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll hand you the card with the money in it if youe over personally to retrieve it,¡± Anastasia countered stubbornly. ¡°Trying to lure me out, I see. Hah! I¡¯m no idiot, Anastasia. I know you¡¯re trying to set me up to get caught! Save your energy and don¡¯t bother trying to catch me; you won¡¯t seed. Stay away from Elliot if you know what¡¯s good for you, you hear?¡± With that, the man hung up. Anastasia stared at her phone as she pondered on their conversation. She couldn¡¯t help wondering why the man so stubbornly demanded that she stay away from Elliot. Does he bear a grudge against Elliot? More to the point, the man had figured out that she was, indeed, trying to lure him out into the light by using money as bait. In the past, she would do all that she could to avoid ever meeting the man who had assaulted her five years ago, but now, he was forcing her to confront him. She was starting to realize that the only way she could move on from her nightmarish past was not by running away, but by facing it head-on fearlessly. Perhaps it was only after she had personally condemned the sc*mbag to a life of imprisonment that she could finally look back on the incident from five years ago and learn to walk away from it. Anastasia vowed that she would never let this man escape the rule ofw no matter what. She wouldn¡¯t let him get away with what he had done to her, even if it meant having to tell Jared the truth about his birth. Meanwhile, over by the man-madeke near Summit Mansion, Hayley was seething with rage as she clutched her phone in one trembling hand after she realized that Anastasia could no longer be manipted by her vicious, albeit empty threats. She had nned on using the identity of the male escort to force Anastasia into staying away from Elliot, but the call had ended with Hayley being the one threatened instead. It was 3.00PM when Rey pulled up outside Anastasia¡¯s apartment. She got into the car and was ferried to a boutique in the heart of the city. ¡°Miss Tillman, President Presgrave has asked that you pick out a dress for the benefit g tonight, which you will be attending as his date,¡± Rey informed politely. Anastasia nodded. If she was going to attend an event with Elliot, it was only par for the course that she had to pick out something elegant and understated to match his refined grace. After all, thest thing she wanted was to humiliate him by wearing some old dress pulled from the back of her wardrobe. The boutique had a wide collection of designer dresses from Anastasia to choose from, and the owner personally led her to peruse the seasonal items that were on the more exclusive end of the evening- wear spectrum. However, Anastasia had turned down all of these dresses in favor of a beige one that entuated her wless, porcin skin, which seemed to glow under the lights. Time ticked by, and before anyone noticed, it was already 5.00PM. Anastasia emerged from the boutique with her make-up done and her dress fitted. The beige evening dress hugged her slender figure and ttered her curves, and her hair was gathered elegantly at her nape with tendrils framing her face. Coupled with the shimmering earrings she was using, she was the perfect picture of poise and grace. ¡°You look beautiful tonight, Miss Tillman,¡± Rey praised with a smile. ¡°Thank you,¡± she replied graciously. She slid into the backseat of the car as Rey held the door open for her, and the staff at the boutique came out to send her off, enviously watching her leave. As Anastasia leaned into the seat, she looked like a youngdy born out of aristocracy whose every little gesture and expression radiated innate elegance. Not two minutes after the car had pulled up outside Presgrave Corporation¡¯s headquarters, Anastasia saw a towering figure step out of the revolving doors of the main entrance before he proceeded toward her. He looked ethereal when the twilight rays from the winter sun yed over him, giving the illusion that he had a halo around him. Anastasia¡¯s eyes lit up at the sight of him, and she didn¡¯t even realize that she was gazing upon him with love and endearment. Then again, anyone would look at Elliot the same way if they caught even the slightest glimpse of him! Elliot opened the door and slid into the backseat next to her. His eyes fell on her appreciatively, and he found himself unable to look away. He thought she was already gorgeous enough without dressing up, but now that she had, he was surprised by how breathtaking she looked. Anastasia couldn¡¯t help blushing at the way he was staring at her, and she self-consciously tucked a lock of hair behind her ear as she asked shyly, ¡°How do I look?¡± ¡°No words can describe how beautiful you are right now,¡± Elliot said honestly as he grinned, the corners of his eyes crinkling lovingly. She gaped at him. ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating, aren¡¯t you? I think I look passably decent, if not slightly better than how I usually look.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re drop-dead gorgeous,¡± he went on to praise. A little flustered by how earnest he sounded, she pointed out, ¡°You look really good in a suit as well. In fact, you¡¯re the only man I know who can look this handsome in a suit.¡± He was pleased to hear herpliment, and a delighted smile curled on his lips. s, neither of them ever stopped to think about how Rey¡ªthe perpetual bachelor who was driving them to the benefit g at present¡ªmight feel as they rubbed their rtionship in his face. If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. They cruised down the road leading to the hotel where the benefit g was being held. When it came to charity auctions and benefit gs in the upper-crust society, the charity aspect was often overlooked in light of the distinguished guest list. More valuable than any of the antiques and items in the auction were the connections one could make during an event like this. As such, the benefit g became a hotspot for powerful figures in politics and business to gather and acquaint themselves with those who couldunch their careers and social lives into new heights. It went without saying that Elliot was the main target for the social climbers this evening. Presently, Aliona was seated in her hotel room, checking her make-up in the mirror. She had seen Elliot¡¯s name on the guest list, and she was delighted when she found out that he did not have a plus- one. If things went well, she could seize the chance to be his date for the evening. Just then, the hotel manager whom she had ordered to keep her informed on the arrival of the guests called and said, ¡°Miss Dora, Mr. Presgrave has arrived.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± she replied as a smile curled on her lips. After checking herself onest time in the mirror, she grabbed her sequined clutch and rose to leave the room. She was dressed in a ravishing red dress tonight that gave a subtle view of her cleavage. Any man who saw her would undoubtedly be attracted to her. When she was in the elevator, she gazed at her reflection and admired her wless presentation. She wondered if she would catch Elliot¡¯s eye as soon as she showed up in front of him, and there was a confident voice in her head that told her she would. Upon reaching the conference hall downstairs, she descended the stairs that led to the crowd that had gathered below. She was the princess of Dora Group, and she was set to impress those who beheld her. However, just as she was walking down the steps, she caught sight of something that made her so angry that she nearly tripped on the hem of her skirt. Disbelief colored her face when her gaze fell on the woman who was currently holding onto Elliot¡¯s arm. What the hell is Anastasia doing here? Aliona swallowed her rage and continued her elegant descent, but she was already fuming. Anastasia¡¯s name had not been on the guest list, which meant she should have been denied entrance the moment she showed up at the entrance. Then again, Elliot was powerful and intimidating enough to bring in anyone he pleased without needing further verification. At the thought of this, Aliona took a deep breath and steeled herself as she walked toward Elliot. She was determined to trample all over Anastasia tonight. Downstairs, Anastasia could sense hostility being directed at her, and she looked up to meet Aliona¡¯s spiteful gaze as thetter made her way down from thending. When Aliona looked at her, it was with unbridled contempt, but when she looked at Elliot, it was with adoration. ¡°You¡¯re here, Elliot.¡± ¡°Miss Dora,¡± Elliot greeted perfunctorily as he nodded in acknowledgment. Aliona¡¯s icy gaze flickered over to Anastasia. She smiled as she asked, ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be here as well, Miss Tillman. If I¡¯m not mistaken, your name wasn¡¯t on the guest list.¡± Anyone who heard this would feel a rush of humiliation, but Anastasia took it in stride as she feigned exasperation and said, ¡°Oh, I wish I didn¡¯t have toe, but President Presgrave insisted and dragged me into this. I¡¯m a little embarrassed, honestly.¡± The smile on Aliona¡¯s face turned frigid. ¡°Is that true?¡± Elliot took Anastasia by the hand at that moment and interjected, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go say hi to Mr. Dora.¡± Anastasia nodded and turned to look at Aliona, who was standing in their way. With a delicate raise of her brow, she said tly, ¡°Excuse us.¡± Aliona could do nothing but step aside to let them pass, watching as they happily made their way over to Lucas to greet him. Her fists clenched at her sides as fury burned in her. She hated how Anastasia always cropped up unexpectedly and thwarted her schemes. Frustrated, she fished out her phone and dialed a number before she barked, ¡°All of you, meet me at the lounge on the third floor right now.¡± She had called one of her henchmen that she had stationed at the event to ensure Elliot would sleep with her tonight. Aliona looked stormy as she sat on the couch in the third-floor lounge and said to the four bodyguards who had appeared before her, ¡°You guys saw that woman who was clinging onto Elliot just now, right? She¡¯s his date for the evening, and I want you to find a way to throw her out.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Better yet, kill her if you get the chance,¡± she added viciously. However, she had only just said this when she decided thatying low for tonight would be the wiser thing to do. She shouldn¡¯t make any dramatic moves if she nned on seducing Elliot. After she changed her mind, she said dismissively, ¡°Forget it. Just throw her out of here.¡± She was belligerent that a woman like Anastasia, who couldn¡¯t even begin topete with her, was lording Elliot over her head like she had already won. Back at the conference hall, Anastasia was appraising Lucas with concern. He might be the one who had put this charity auction together, but he didn¡¯t look to be in high spirits at all. In fact, he seemed exhausted. ¡°Mr. Dora, take it easy and make sure to get enough rest,¡± she pointed out gently. If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Lucas was touched by Anastasia¡¯s gentle reminder, and he gave her a grateful smile as he said, ¡°Thank you for your concern, Miss Tillman.¡± He would never have agreed to Riley and Aliona¡¯s ns had they not used his son¡¯s life as leverage. He could never bring himself to do this to Elliot, but as things were, he had no choice. There was nothing he could do but watch Aliona seed in her plot against Elliot. Resigned, he looked at Elliot and said meaningfully, ¡°The young woman on your arm right now is as gorgeous as she is kind. Make sure to keep her.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll invite you to our wedding for sure, Mr. Dora,¡± Elliot replied with a good-naturedugh. Anastasia, on the other hand, blushed. There he goes with that nonsense again, she thought in exasperation, though there was no denying the fondness she felt for him. ¡°Very well, and I¡¯ll be sure to show up for the asion. Have fun this evening.¡± Not long after, the first session of the auction kicked off. Elliot wasted no time in bidding for a diamond bracelet for Harriet, and he was the highest bidder at three million. Next to him, Anastasia pursed her lips as she tried to reign in her shock. This was closely followed by his bidding for an antique, and it was sold to him at a whopping eight million. A gift for Harriet, he had told Anastasia. She swallowed. The man was shopping like how she would at a thrift store at this point of the auction. He didn¡¯t even blink when he bid millions on the items. ¡°You¡¯re wee to put up your card when you see something you like,¡± Elliot said quietly as he leaned closer to her. Most of the things he had bid on were more suited to geriatric tastes, so he didn¡¯t manage to get anything for Anastasia. She shook her head and pointed out, ¡°I¡¯d rather not take advantage of your money, Elliot. It¡¯s bad behavior.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be my woman someday anyway; think of it as indulging in advance,¡± he countered with a confident smile. She didn¡¯t know how he could be so confident that they would get married one day, but she had to admit that confidence certainly boosted a man¡¯s charms. At that moment, she nced over at Aliona, who sat toward the front of the crowd. She had turned around several times to cast admiring looks at Elliot, and it was clear to see that she was trying to seduce him. Anastasia whispered in amusement, ¡°I think Miss Dora has feelings for you.¡± ¡°Those are nothingpared to the feelings I have for you,¡± Elliot said matter-of-factly as he turned to look at her with a devilish gleam in his obsidian eyes. A smile touched Anastasia¡¯s lips, and he took the chance to wrap an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to kiss her on the forehead. She froze at first, and when she nced at Aliona again, she met thetter¡¯s scornful and mutinous gaze. She hated Aliona for her disgusting two-faced demeanor. Aliona, on the other hand, sneered when she saw how tenderly Elliot had kissed Anastasia on the forehead. He¡¯ll be mine by the end of the night. Mark my words, Anastasia. Just imagining the devastated look on Anastasia¡¯s face filled her with satisfaction. After the first round of the auction was over, Aliona leaned close and whispered to Lucas, ¡°I think it¡¯s time you introduce me.¡± Lucas sighed wearily and rose to go up on stage, whereupon he announced, ¡°Thank you all for being here tonight. Next up, I have an important announcement. I would like to introduce all of you to someone, namely my daughter, Aliona.¡± When her name was called, Aliona rose in her seat and elegantly made her way up the stage. Then, she hugged Lucas as she said sentimentally, ¡°Thank you, Dad. I love you the most.¡± Lucas was decidedly ufortable in her embrace, but just as he was about to pull away, she whispered in her ear menacingly, ¡°I¡¯ll be handing you a ss of wer, and I want you to give it to Elliot.¡± ¡°I want no part in this,¡± Lucas rejected in hushed tones. ¡°Oh, but that won¡¯t do. You must be the one to give him the wine,¡± she drawled as she dug her nails into his shoulders, threatening him. ¡°Fine,¡± he bit out forcefully and unwillingly. Below the stage, everyone thought that it was a harmless and loving embrace between a father and his daughter. They were all clueless about the truth of their exchange. Meanwhile, Anastasia was seated as she took in the scene. She had to give it to Aliona for being so dedicated in her pursuit of Elliot. Now that the first round of the auction was over, the guests resumed their rxed chatter and ss- clinking, hoping that they could seize every chance to strengthen their socialwork during the benefit g. Some of them circled Elliot, who was the main target of these social climbers tonight, while trying to get acquainted with him. They even tried to hand him the precious goods they had bid for during the auction as gifts, but Elliot turned them all down. Just then, Lucas walked up to him with two sses of wine in hand, one of which had been spiked by Aliona. If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. The only way to avoid Elliot¡¯s suspicion was to have Lucas hand him the wine. Aliona sat on the other end of the room, but her gaze was fixed on Elliot and the ss of wine in his hand. She had to make sure that he finished everyst drop. She had spiked the wine with a powerful dosage of the drug, which was specially made to knock someone out temporarily, only to have them wake up as the effects of the drug hit their peak. The woman whom Aliona had arranged to get close to Anastasia was swooping into action now. She greeted Anastasia after walking up to her and said politely, ¡°Miss Tillman, I heard through the grapevine that you¡¯re a jewelry designer at Bourgeois. I was wondering if I could have a moment with you?¡± Anastasia looked at the elegantly dressed woman and nodded, not wanting to turn her down. The woman led her to the side of the room, away from Elliot and Lucas. Then, she exined with a smile, ¡°If you must know, I have taken a liking to your designs, and I¡¯d like to have a jewelry set custom-made. Could you squeeze me in for an appointment so that we can go over the details?¡± ¡°I¡¯m no longer working in Bourgeois, I¡¯m afraid, but I can rmend someone whose work is far better than mine if you¡¯d like,¡± Anastasia offered. Naturally, she would love to help bring in business to Bourgeois, and though she had left the atelier, she was still supportive of Felicia¡¯s work. Presently, in the banquet hall, Elliot had taken the ss of wine Lucas offered him. After making some sentimental remarks, Lucas said to the younger man, ¡°Here¡¯s to pulling off this event sessfully.¡± He made a toasting gesture and added, ¡°Bottoms up, Elliot.¡± Being the younger of the two, it was only courtesy for Elliot to finish the wine. He tipped his head back and gulped down everyst drop of wine, then looked down again to see that Lucas had already finished his own drink. The two men held onto their empty sses as Lucas went on to say, ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to discuss with you, Elliot. Shall we head on to the second-floor lounge?¡± ncing over in Anastasia¡¯s direction and seeing that she was in the middle of conversing with a woman, Elliot turned to follow Lucas up the stairs. Meanwhile, Aliona was so excited to see Elliot finish his ss of wine that her heart beat wildly in her chest. Her n was finally going to seed; she was but one step away from making Elliot hers tonight. She greatly anticipated his performanceter on. While he would pass out from the drink at first, the aftermath that followed was something to look forward to. She felt certain that he would please her in all the ways she had dreamed he would. The mere thought of that sent a pleasurable shiver down her spine as she pulled out her phone and ordered the person on the other line, ¡°You can get rid of her now.¡± Anastasia was still talking about jewelry with the woman from earlier when two security guards suddenly walked up to her and said, ¡°Sorry, miss, but we noticed that you weren¡¯t on the guest list. I¡¯m afraid we have to ask you to leave.¡± ¡°My apologies. I came here with Young Master Elliot at the veryst minute, which is why my name wasn¡¯t on the guest list,¡± Anastasia exined. The interruption provided the woman a chance to slither away, and Anastasia was left alone to deal with the guards. They insisted, ¡°In that case, could you pleasee with us for verification purposes?¡± Upon hearing this, Anastasia looked around the hall to search for Elliot¡¯s familiar figure. She didn¡¯t want to follow these two strange guards out of the hall, and when she couldn¡¯t find Elliot, she said stubbornly, ¡°I¡¯ll find someone who can verify my attendance as Young Master Elliot¡¯s plus-one.¡± ¡°Miss, we have reason to believe that you are here with suspicious ulterior motives. Pleasee with us,¡± one of the security guards ordered as he reached out to grab her by the wrist. Just then, she looked up in time to catch the pleased look on Aliona¡¯s gaze from across the room. It was then that she realized these two guards were acting on her orders. Throwing me out, I see, Anastasia mused. She had no reason to stay here anyway, but she didn¡¯t want to give Aliona the satisfaction. At that moment, however, she saw Aliona turn to head up the stairs to the second floor. Anastasia swiftly shoved the security guard¡¯s hand away from her wrist and blended into the crowd of guests. Then, she made her way over to the buffet restaurant from the other side of the hall. She wanted to look for Elliot, but she had made one round through the vicinity and found him nowhere in sight. In the lounge on the second floor, Elliot was listening to what Lucas had to say when he suddenly felt as if his blood was rushing to his head. He blinked hard, but when that did little to alleviate the dizziness, he nced at Lucas and said, ¡°Mr. Dora, my head is spinning.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you get some rest, Elliot? Here, you can take a nap here and return to the partyter,¡± Lucas offered as he went over to help the younger man. As Elliot¡¯s conscious mind slowly slipped into the darkness, hey down on the couch and dozed off within seconds. Shortly after, Aliona pushed the door open and walked into the lounge. She looked at Elliot¡¯s unconscious form, and a devious but ted smirk curled on her lips. ¡°Finally, he¡¯s mine.¡± Lucas glowered at her in disgust. ¡°Take him upstairs. You¡¯ve finally got what you asked for.¡± Aliona smiled as she drawled breezily, ¡°Go down and entertain your guests. I don¡¯t want any of them bothering me tonight.¡± Anastasia was trying to shake off the two security guards, but when she saw Aliona walking up the stairs, she wondered if Elliot was on the second floor as well. After all, Aliona gravitated toward Elliot no matter where he went. Anastasia reckoned that he was on the second floor, so she made her way upstairs. However, even as she arrived in the corridor, she wasn¡¯t sure where to start looking; all the lounges on this floor were identical, and their doors were all firmly shut. Just then, she caught sight of someone being hauled out of the lounge at the end of the corridor. While she was turning away, she could clearly see that the figure being carried away by two security guards was none other than Elliot. What¡¯s wrong with him? She grew anxious immediately as her heart leaped to her throat. Elliot looked weak and drained, and he couldn¡¯t walk without the two guards supporting him under the arms. The next second, she saw Aliona emerge from the lounge before she followed the two guards toward the elevators. At once, Anastasia¡¯s stomach churned. What the hell? Did Aliona drug him? A fiery rage seized Anastasia as she hurried over to the elevator lobby, where she saw that the elevator Aliona and her henchmen had presumably taken had stopped on the fifteenth floor. The banquet hall where the auction was being held was on the eighth, which meant there were a good seven floors that got in the way of Anastasia¡¯s rescue mission. She pressed the button on the panel repeatedly, but no elevator came down for her. As of now, the only thing that flooded her mind were thoughts of how Aliona was close to iming Elliot as her own. Anastasia couldn¡¯t quite understand where her sudden possessiveness wasing from, but she was adamant to keep her man away from other women¡¯s clutches. With that in mind, she was even more determined to go up and stop Aliona from doing anything despicable to Elliot. What the hell is wrong with Elliot? Why does he keep getting drugged? Isn¡¯t it bad enough that he had slept with Hayley unintentionally five years ago? Now, he¡¯s about to fall victim to Aliona! Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Finally, an elevator arrived on her floor. She hurried through the open doors and stared anxiously at the floor numbers disyed on the little screen in the elevator, feeling bile rising in her throat. Never had she imagined that an elevator could move so slowly. She couldn¡¯t believe that the fifteenth floor felt so far away. Is Aliona getting her hands all over Elliot now? Meanwhile, Elliot had been carried into a suite and plopped down on the couch. The security guards had left, and right now, Aliona was sitting on the other side of the couch with a smirk on her lips as she appraised the sleeping man. He was a work of art. She took in the chiseled angles and nes of his handsome face, and when her gaze fell upon the perfect curve of his lips, she swallowed. She wanted nothing more than to kiss him right now and see how he tasted. However, she wasn¡¯t in a hurry to make a move on him, knowing that he wouldn¡¯t be able to resist seeking her out and pulling her into his arms the moment he woke up. All she had to do now was wait for him to regain his senses, and she wanted to make sure that the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was her in a suggestive outfit. She went into the adjoining bedroom to put on the night-gown that she had prepared for this night. Once she put it on, no man would be able to resist the temptation of bedding her. When Anastasia arrived on the fifteenth floor after what felt like ages, she stepped out of the elevator doors and surveyed the eerily quiet hallway. She didn¡¯t know which room Aliona was in, but she was desperate enough to knock on every door until she found out. She was going to do everything she could to stop Aliona¡¯s hideous acts before she got away with them. I have to save Elliot no matter what! While the thought of this was amusing, it didn¡¯t change the fact that the man needed saving tonight. She was going to be his knight in shining armor for a change. Anastasia began to knock on every door along the hallway. Seeing as there were several rooms left vacant for the night, she didn¡¯t get a response after knocking on a handful of doors. Once in a while, she woulde across a room that was upied, and presently, the woman who opened the door was astonished to see her. ¡°Is there something I can help you with?¡± ¡°Sorry, I must have the wrong room. I apologize for disrupting your evening,¡± Anastasia replied courteously. Then, she went on knocking one door after the next. She couldn¡¯t care less about the embarrassment, and every time she knocked, she would dodge to the side of the door, afraid that Aliona would not open up if she saw her through the peephole. Atst, when she came to a stop at thest room, Anastasia took a deep breath and rapped her knuckles against the door several times. This was Aliona¡¯s suite. She frowned when she heard the knock, and she wondered with no small amount of disgruntlement who would bother her at this crucial time. Then, she thought that perhaps one of her henchmen needed to speak with her, so she crossed the room to answer the door. She looked through the peephole, but when she saw that nobody was on the other side, she turned to walk away. Just then, another series of knocks came, and she impatiently threw open the door without checking this time. Only one person was standing out in the hallway. Anastasia let out a breath of relief when she saw Aliona at the door, dressed in nothing but a suggestive nightgown. I¡¯ve found you. Aliona flushed as she demanded hotly, ¡°What are you doing here, Anastasia?¡± As soon as the words left her mouth, she btedly realized what was happening and quickly reached to close the door. However, Anastasia was quicker. She mmed her palm against the door before it shut all the way and marched into the room. ¡°Get out of my room, Anastasia,¡± Aliona thundered. Anastasia took one look at Elliot¡¯s sleeping form on the couch and pointed at him. She said, ¡°Oh, I will leave, and I¡¯m taking him with me!¡± ¡°Elliot got drunk and fell asleep in my room. What does any of this have to do with you? Leave on your own!¡± Aliona barked as she reached out to grab Anastasia by the wrist and tried to drag her out the door. ¡°Get out!¡± As she pulled away from her, Anastasia countered angrily, ¡°Did he really get drunk, or did you spike his drink to try and set him up for your own schemes? As a woman, I¡¯m disgusted by you.¡± Aliona immediately pulled out her phone to call for backup, but when Anastasia saw this, she snatched the phone away and asked snidely, ¡°Oh, trying to call for help to throw me out, are you?¡± ¡°Give me back my phone, Anastasia!¡± Aliona ground out. There was an icy fury in her eyes as she eyed Anastasia murderously. This annoying pest is always trying to foil my ns! Without another word, Anastasia threw the phone on the ground and stepped on it with her heel, breaking and shattering the screen. ¡°How dare you destroy my phone?!¡± Aliona screeched, refusing to believe that Anastasia had such a feral side to her even though she had seen it with her own eyes. Indeed, Anastasia¡¯s rage was sufficiently stoked this evening. Just thinking about the despicable things Aliona had nned to do to Elliot sent unbridled anger rushing through her. With a defiant gaze, she pointed out snarkily, ¡°I can pay for the damages if you¡¯d like.¡± Then, she assessed the nightgown Aliona was wearing and sneered, ¡°Why bother wearing a nightgown when you could save time and wear nothing instead?¡± ¡°This is between me and Elliot, Anastasia. Stay out of it! What right do you have toe in here and demand to leave with him?¡±Aliona shrieked. Now that she couldn¡¯t call for backup, she was going to have to chase Anastasia out of here herself. ¡°Even if I was here as a friend, I still wouldn¡¯t let Elliot be taken advantage of by the disgusting likes of you!¡± Anastasia snapped righteously. ¡°I¡¯ll call security if you don¡¯t get out right now.¡± ¡°Might as well, seeing as I¡¯m going to call the police on you,¡± Anastasia spat as she took out her phone to make a call. At the sight of this, Aliona faltered and quickly rushed up to her. ¡°I told you to stay out of this!¡± Anastasia threw her phone and purse aside, then stormed forward to meet Aliona halfway. Soon, the two women were embroiled in a vicious fight. Aliona got pped in the face before she could even snatch up Anastasia¡¯s phone, and she couldn¡¯t believe that she had just been struck. ¡°Did you just hit me?¡± she screeched. ¡°How very astute of you,¡± Anastasia drawled sarcastically. She nced over at the man lying on the couch. If she hadn¡¯t gotten here in time, Aliona would have had her way with him. Aliona raised her hand to fight back, but Anastasia clutched her wrist. She had grown up fighting with Erica, and her experience put her at an advantage. Aliona, on the other hand, had been raised and coddled like a princess by Riley, which left her helpless in a physical brawl. Presently, she let out a piercing shriek. She was like a cat with all its fur standing on its back as she hystericallyunched herself at Anastasia. Having not anticipated this, Anastasia toppled backward onto the ground, but when she retaliated, she was like an angered lioness. She reached up and grabbed a handful of Aliona¡¯s hair, pulling it with as much force as she could summon. A sharp cry escaped Aliona as tears sprang to her eyes, feeling as if her hair was going to be pulled from her scalp. ¡°Let go of me, you b*tch! Let go!¡± However, Anastasia did not let go. Instead, she pinned Aliona to the ground while keeping a firm grip on her hair. Not wanting to lose, Aliona reached up to grab Anastasia¡¯s hair as well, thereby wing off the silver comb that held her hair in ce. As Anastasia¡¯s long hair tumbled wildly around her face, both women were locked in a fierce battle, screaming as one tried to push the other to the ground. Neither of them realized that the man on the couch had been awakened by their shrill cries. Elliot sat up groggily with one hand pressed to his forehead, only to see themotion taking ce in the space next to the couch. The two women were tangled together in a violent fight that was only escting with every passing second. When he heard a familiar voice amidst the screams and taunts, his eyes widened. ¡°Stop!¡± he ordered hoarsely. The two women stopped immediately as his voice cut above theirs. Anastasia and Aliona released each other, though she was visibly more bewildered than Anastasia. If one had to pick a winner, Anastasia would undoubtedly be a victor in this brawl. She had dealt considerable damage to Aliona, whose hair hade close to being pulled out of her scalp. There were even w marks on her skin, and the delicate straps of her nightgown had been ripped off, barely holding up the only item of clothing she had on. Presently, Anastasia tried to pull her tangled long hair into submission. She grabbed her purse and went up to Elliot to help him to his feet, saying, ¡°Now that you¡¯re awake, let¡¯s go!¡± The moment her hand touched his, it sent an electric current through Elliot. He narrowed his eyes slightly and suddenly felt heat rising in him, threatening to consume him whole. It was as if there was a raging fire burning in Elliot, and it didn¡¯t feel like it was dying down anytime soon. It was then that he realized he had been set up. At that moment, Aliona reached out to stop Anastasia while seething, ¡°You can¡¯t take him away now. He needs a woman!¡± ¡°And he has one¡ªthat¡¯s me. He has no need for you,¡± Anastasia retorted furiously as she held onto Elliot to keep him upright. Upon hearing this, Elliot¡¯s eyes glimmered happily. She¡¯s going to save me, he thought. ¡°Don¡¯t go, Elliot!¡± Aliona cried out pleadingly, reaching out for him. However, one baleful look on his part was all it took to make her falter. He glowered at her warningly as he bit out in disgust, ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡± He didn¡¯t need to think to know that she was the one who had drugged him tonight. ¡°Come on,¡± Anastasia prompted as she opened the door and led him out. Then, she fished out her phone and called Rey, asking him to meet them at the hotel entrance. Back in the suite, Aliona was close to unraveling with hysteria. She couldn¡¯t believe that her ns had once again been thwarted by Anastasia. Meanwhile, Anastasia hauled Elliot into the elevator and propped him up against one wall. Now that her hands were free, she tried tob her hair into submission with her fingers and straightened her slightly crumpled dress. When she tilted her head and saw the imprint on the baster skin of her neck, she cursed, ¡°Damn it.¡± Elliot¡¯s heart twisted as he assessed the damage on her. He then asked weakly, ¡°Does it hurt?¡± She shook her head and turned to look at him glumly. ¡°You ought to thank me for saving you before you became Aliona¡¯s ything in bed.¡± He gaped at her speechlessly. With superhuman effort, he pushed through the fire that was threatening to consume him and asked in a strained voice, ¡°You got into a fight with Aliona to defend my honor?¡± ¡°Are you implying that I shouldn¡¯t have done that to save you? You just want to sleep with Aliona, don¡¯t you?¡± Anastasia countered sharply as she gave him an usatory look. ¡°The only person I want is you, Anastasia,¡± Elliot forced out almost breathlessly as he leaned against the elevator wall, too weak to stand properly on his feet. In a show of his genuine desire for her, he added, ¡°Let¡¯s switch hotels. I need you.¡± ¡°Switch hotels? Fat chance! We¡¯re going to the hospital.¡± She had only just said this when the elevator doors opened, and she snaked an arm around his waist to haul him out. He was evidently disgruntled as he muttered, ¡°I thought you were going to sacrifice yourself to save me from distress.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve overestimated the extent of my selflessness,¡± she pointed out sarcastically. As if I would ever think about doing that, Elliot! Just then, Rey hurried up to them, and when he saw how unwell Elliot looked, he urged, ¡°What happened to President Presgrave?¡± ¡°He was drugged. Quick, we have to get him to the hospital!¡± Anastasia said. Upon hearing this, Rey hastily helped Elliot over to the car. When Elliot had settled into the backseat, he could feel the heat in him grow relentless. Rey was behind the wheel, and Anastasia was seated close to a man whose smoldering gaze was fixed on her. She sensed the desire that was pulsating through him, and when she turned to check on him, he lunged forward and kissed her. ¡°It hurts¡­ Help me, Anastasia,¡± he pleaded in a low and husky voice. Anastasia quickly pulled down the screen that separated the front and backseat of the car while trying to shove the man away from her. ¡°Just hold on a little bit longer, Elliot. We¡¯re almost at the hospital.¡± However, with the effects of the drug peaking in him, waiting was no longer a viable option for him. He desperately needed relief now. ¡°Elliot, just hang on a little bit¡ª¡± She was cut off when he leaned forward and kissed her hungrily. In the driver¡¯s seat, Rey stepped on the gas and weaved through thenes on the road as he sped toward the hospital. He didn¡¯t want Elliot to make any mistakes out of impulse tonight, or else Anastasia might hold a grudge against him. Having sought relief in the kiss, Elliot visibly calmed down in the spacious backseat. He managed to recover a sliver of self-control as he murmured in a pained and hoarse voice, ¡°Anastasia¡­ I need you¡­¡± Fortunately, there was a hospital nearby. After Rey pulled up at the entrance, he tapped on the window to indicate that they had arrived. Anastasia shoved Elliot and his restless hands away from her and said, ¡°Come on, Elliot, pull yourself together. We¡¯re already here at the hospital.¡± Rey opened the car door for them, and Elliot obligingly stepped down from the car. Anastasia took her purse and followed suit before she walked with him to the doctor¡¯s office. A series of procedurester, he was put up in a hospital room and hooked to an IV. As the sedative worked through his system, Elliot was like a tamed beast, and he eventually drifted off into a deep slumber. It was only then that Anastasia finally rxed. She leaned into the seat next to the bed tiredly and thought with dismay about how she had not unleashed her full force on Aliona during the fight earlier. There was residual adrenaline thrumming in her veins, reminding her that she ought to teach that wretched girl a hard lesson. She was pulled from her thoughts when Rey, having sorted out the paperwork at the counter, returned to ask, ¡°Miss Tillman, would you like to go home?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m good. I¡¯ll stay here and look after him.¡± ¡°Very well, then. I¡¯ll be right outside, so just call me if you need anything.¡± Anastasia nodded wearily. She gazed at Elliot pensively while he slept soundly under the dim glow of the lights. The sedative had evidently overpowered the effects of the drug from earlier, and the IV solution was being transfused slowly through a tube that was attached to his strong arm by a short needle. As she watched him, she began to wonder if Aliona had nned on forcing herself onto him before making him take responsibilityter. The n was a good one, admittedly, but unfortunately for Aliona, Anastasia caught on to it and thwarted it in time. Anastasia was incredibly relieved that she had attended the benefit g with him tonight. Had she not been there, he would have fallen into Aliona¡¯s evil clutches. She hade upon him lying unconscious in Aliona¡¯s hotel suite, and with the effects of the drug snatching away his voice of reason, she couldn¡¯t help wondering if he and Aliona would have gone all the way had she not intervened. Eventually, she fell asleep. She wasn¡¯t sure how much time had passed when she felt herself being picked up and pulled into a warm andforting embrace. It was already 3.00AM when Elliot woke up to see that the girl had dozed off on the couch with his suit jacket draped over her. He felt his gut wrench, and he rose to carry her over to the bed. The effects of the drug had worn off by then. When he saw the w mark that ran along the delicate skin of her neck and her tousled hair, his heart twisted. As he sighed, he med himself for having put her through the tiresome ordeal of saving him. Meanwhile, back at the hotel, Aliona was fuming in her suite after her n was ruined. She wasted no timeshing out at the two security guards who had let Anastasia out of their sight. As things were, she did not stand a chance to get close to Elliot, much less im him as her own. In fact, she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he hated her with a passion. ¡°Miss, should we bring you to the hospital to get your face treated?¡± the bodyguard asked out of concern. Naturally, Aliona had seen the imprint on her cheek where Anastasia had pped her earlier. The scratch marks all over her body were even more jarring under the light. She couldn¡¯t believe how savage and persistent Anastasia had been during the fight. She had only been wearing a thin nightgown when the brawl happened, which exposed most of her skin to Anastasia¡¯s vicious attacks. ¡°That wretched little b*tch!¡± Aliona bit out as resentment and rage burned in her eyes. ¡°I won¡¯t let her get away with this!¡± In the hospital, Anastasia stirred from her sleep when it was slightly past dawn. She opened her eyes slowly, only to meet the dark and amused gaze of the man sitting next to the bed. She instinctively covered her face with her hands. Suddenly, she registered where she was. Wait, how did I even end up in bed? He must have carried me over from the couch! ¡°I¡¯ve been staring at you for the past half an hour. It¡¯s a littlete for you to hide your face now, don¡¯t you think?¡± Elliot teased as a low chuckle escaped him. She flushed and let her hands drop, then turned to look at him with her clear and unwavering gaze as she asked, ¡°Are you okay now?¡± ¡°I am,¡± he reassured with a smile. He reached out to stroke her hair, but when his hand came away with a few broken strands of it, he asked in a pained voice, ¡°Does your scalp still hurt?¡± Of course it does! Aliona practically tried to weed my hair out with her possum hands! ¡°Not really,¡± she lied nheless as she lifted the covers off her and got out of bed. She was still wearing the dress fromst night, though it was a little wrinkled now. After leaving the hospital, Rey dropped them off at Elliot¡¯s vi, whereupon Anastasia hopped into the shower, put on a change of clothes, and went downstairs. Presently, Elliot was on a call with Lucas. ¡°Mr. Dora, I just called to let you know that your daughter, Aliona, spiked the drink you gave mest night,¡± he said unhappily. ¡°What? Are you alright, Elliot? I know Aliona can be impulsive, but she never should have gone this far no matter how much she likes you!¡± Guilt worked its way into Lucas¡¯ tone as he added on the other line, ¡°Please don¡¯t hold it against her. She¡¯s only young, and she didn¡¯t think before she acted.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let this incident go, but only because you and I are on good terms. That said, I don¡¯t ever want to see your daughter again,¡± Elliot said icily, the anger in his voice evident. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Elliot. I¡¯m truly, truly sorry that she put you through this,¡± Lucas humbled himself and apologized profusely. Elliot hung up the phone and turned to see that Anastasia had alreadye down the stairs. He reigned in his anger and resumed his affable and charming disposition as he asked, ¡°Are you hungry? How about I make you something to eat?¡± Anastasia gaped at him. ¡°You know how to cook?¡± ¡°Nothing fancy, but I can do a mean steak.¡± ¡°Alright then, I¡¯d very much like to try your cooking.¡± He went into the kitchen to get started on lunch for her. For a moment, it was as if she had be a distinguished guest, and he was the personal chef who would tend to her pte. He pulled the dark gray apron over his ck shirt and matching trousers. He might be cooking, but it seemed as if elegance did not abandon him even while he was operating the stove. He kicked off Anastasia¡¯s dining experience with a hot cup of coffee. ¡°Enjoy, Miss Tillman,¡± he said teasingly with a yful smile. She sat on the couch and reached for the coffee, indulging in the personal service that he rendered her. As she nodded, she brought the cup to her lips and took a sip, pleasantly surprised to find that it had the sweet aroma that she preferred in her coffee. ¡°The coffee¡¯s good,¡± Anastasia praised heartily as she set her cup down. Elliot was in the kitchen slicing up fruits for the sd, and next to the chopping board was the raw steak that he nned on searing for Anastasia. The vi that was tucked halfway up the hill boasted ss walls that offered a full view of the gorgeous scenery outside. Elliot had put on some lighthearted music, filling the room with an idyllic and romantic air. The steak he made was aromatic and tender, and coupled with the fruit sd, he managed to pull off an impressive yet simple meal. ¡°Tell me about how you saved mest night,¡± he said, curiosity getting the better of him. Anastasia recounted the events ofst night briefly. Then, she frowned as she asked, ¡°You¡¯re usually bright; how did you get tricked into letting your guard down?¡± ¡°Aliona had her father pass me the wine, and I didn¡¯t think much of it when I gulped it down,¡± Elliot confessed. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ll have to be careful when you¡¯re outside of your home. There are plenty of women who would do despicable things just to make you climb into bed with them,¡± she warned darkly, thinking that even men weren¡¯t safe in modern society and thus needed to learn to defend themselves. Men like Elliot, in particr, with their deadly good looks and insurmountable wealth, ought to have their guards up most times. Naturally, Elliot would not allow the incident to repeat itself. He didn¡¯t want to see Aliona¡¯s face ever again. Presently, he teased as mischief glittered in his eyes, saying, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have minded losing my honor at all if you were the one who had spiked my drinkst night and taken me to bed.¡± A look of disgust shed across Anastasia¡¯s features as she countered, ¡°Underhanded methods like that are not my forte.¡± After all, she would never stoop so low. He knew that, but he still believed that he would have willingly leaped into the fire if she had been the one who started it. It was noon when Nigel dropped by the vi with Jared in tow. The little one had taken a strong liking to Elliot¡¯s abode, and he wasted no time in going up to his mother as he pleaded, ¡°Mommy, can we please stay in Mr. Presgrave¡¯s house for a few days? Just a few days!¡± Anastasia thought about the threatening phone call she had received from the male escort the other day and shuddered. She wanted her son to stay somece safe, and now that winter break was upon them, she decided to give him some time off school. ¡°Very well,¡± she relented with a nod. ¡°As long as Mr. Presgrave agrees to let us stay, then we will.¡± At once, Jared ran over to Elliot, who was speaking to Nigel in the drawing room. It didn¡¯t take long before the little guy hurried back to his mother and dered happily, ¡°Mr. Presgrave said we could stay here for as long as we like!¡± ¡°Very well then, we¡¯ll stay. However, you have to promise to be on your best behavior.¡± ¡°I promise, Mommy! I¡¯ll be on my very best behavior!¡± After a while, Elliot and Nigel walked up to them, with thetter saying that he had to leave to attend to some things. Having seen Nigel off, Elliot brought Jared out to y catch. That was when Anastasia received a call from Francis telling her to drop by thepany on Monday. Anastasia had decided to go into Tillman Constructions to familiarize herself with the management of thepany, and she couldn¡¯t give up the endeavor halfway through. Meanwhile, over at Summit Mansion, Hayley looked up at Daniel as he walked in and asked, ¡°Has everything been settled?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you should lie to President Presgrave like this, Miss Seymour,¡± Daniel pointed out sullenly. ¡°Why not?¡± She sounded unhappy at being chided by an assistant-type, and she added snarkily, ¡°I¡¯m asking you if the matter has been settled.¡± ¡°Yes, it has. The private hospital has agreed to cooperate with you,¡± Daniel replied. Then, he handed her the forged medical report for a miscarriage. ¡°Here¡¯s what you asked for.¡± ted, she took the report and checked through the details. When she saw that the dates and time stamps were all in check, she beamed and said, ¡°I must say, Daniel, you certainly know how to carry out your duties.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving now if there¡¯s nothing else you need,¡± he replied curtly. ¡°Remember to keep this a secret between us,¡± she emphasized. ¡°I know.¡± With that, he turned to leave. A menacing gleam shed in her eyes. She was sure that if Anastasia had given birth to a child and warranted suchvish favors and affections on Elliot¡¯s part, then she would receive the same, if not better treatment too. She wanted him to know that she had gone through an abortion five years ago to add to the guilt that he was already feeling toward her. Now that she had the sonogram and the report detailing the miscarriage in hand, her lie was iron-d. There was no way Elliot wouldn¡¯t believe her. She took a deep breath and dialed his number. ¡°Hello?¡± Elliot greeted when he picked up the line. ¡°Elliot, it¡¯s me. Do you think you coulde to see me for a bit?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not feeling too well.¡± ¡°Are you sick?¡± Hayley hummed in response. ¡°It¡¯s a long-time illness that acts up every winter.¡± She deliberately lowered her voice as she said feebly, ¡°Elliot, there¡¯s something that I¡¯ve been hiding from you all this time, but I think I should tell you the truth now.¡± Chapter 411-420 Chapter 411-420 ¡°What is it?¡± Elliot asked. ¡°Five years ago, we¡­ we had a baby together.¡± Elliot had one hand in his pocket as he stood in front of the French windows in the study, and when he heard what Hayley said over the phone, his eyes widened. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Our baby didn¡¯t manage to survive, but I was looking through my stuff and I found the sonogram from all those years ago. Our baby¡­¡± Hayley let out a heartbreaking sob. ¡°I lost the baby at three months¡­ I¡¯m so sorry for not being able to keep him.¡± He was shell-shocked. He never thought that he had hurt Hayley more than she let on five years ago, and he didn¡¯t ever expect her to have gone through a miscarraige. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that I was pregnant at the time. I was always so overworked and tired, and by the time I found out I was expecting a baby, the fetal heartbeat had stopped.¡± She was crying even more mournfully now on the other line as she went on to say, ¡°It was all my fault. I didn¡¯t know I was having a baby. If I did, I would have done everything I could to bring the baby into this world.¡± ¡°Stop crying,¡± Elliot urged gently. ¡°That¡¯s enough now. Don¡¯t beat yourself up over this; maybe this is just fate at work.¡± ¡°I get really cold whenever winteres around. The doctor mentioned that it¡¯s a side effect from the miscarriage. Elliot, I want to see you, right now¡­¡± Hayley pleaded, ¡°Can you pleasee over and see me?¡± He frowned. ¡°Right now?¡± ¡°Yes, right now. I¡¯m really, really unwell, and I want to see you. Please,¡± she begged. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go over now,¡± he agreed. He couldn¡¯t believe that Hayley had suffered a miscarriage that left her with such brutal side effects. Presently, it was evening time, and Anastasia was resting in her bedroom when Elliot pushed the door open toe in. ¡°I need to head out for a while. Mrs. Collins wille byter to make dinner.¡± ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Anastasia replied with a nod. Elliot¡¯s dilemma was clear in his obsidian eyes as he gazed at her. He didn¡¯t want her to know that he was going over to Hayley¡¯s ce because he didn¡¯t want to hurt her. ¡°What time will you be back?¡± she pressed. ¡°A littleter than usual.¡± ¡°Alright then. Go ahead.¡± She didn¡¯t want to intrude too much upon his personal life either. He gave her a long look, then turned and left. Meanwhile, over at Summit Mansion, Hayley flew into her room and sat down in front of the vanity. She happily grabbed her cosmetic bag and began to put on her make-up so that she looked ready to wee Elliot. The swelling and bruises on her face from the stic surgery had healed over, and having gone through a rigorous skin treatment, she was glowing beautifully under the lights. A delighted smile curled on her lips, and she was entirely happy with how the procedure had turned out even though she bore some semnce to Anastasia now. She carefully applied her make-up to create an effortless and natural look, then ran toward her wardrobe to pull on a stunning negligee that revealed just the right amount of skin. After that, she grabbed a white fur coat and draped it over herself to add a luxurious touch to her overall appearance. When she was done, she sat on the couch and waited for Elliot to show up. As night devoured thend, a ck sedan drove into the front yard of the mansion. Elliot¡¯s elegant and towering figure stepped out of the vehicle. He was dressed in all-ck, and there was an imposing air of nobility about him as he made his way up the path to the front door. Hayley was peering at him through the window with unadulterated adoration. She had been wanting to im this man as her own, in life and in bed, ever since sheid eyes on him. At the same time, she was admittedly flustered and nervous; she wasn¡¯t sure if he would take too kindly to her new face, but at the thought of how men often fell for beauties, her desire to be loved by him overpowered her fear and uncertainty. Elliot opened the front door, which had been left unlocked, and walked into the house. He was greeted at once by the sight of Hayley lounging on the couch in the living room, the dim lighting overhead casting a warm glow over her skin as the thin nket slid halfway off her torso. Just then, she looked up slowly, and her eyes lit up when she registered his arrival. Upon taking a good look at her face, he stopped in his tracks. His eyes narrowed slightly as he appraised her, and for a moment, he couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing. He could see traces of Anastasia¡¯s delicate features on Hayley¡¯s face. Shock rippled through him as he btedly realized that she had gone for stic surgery. Just so she could look like Anastasia, he thought grimly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Elliot? Do you not like the way I look now?¡± Hayley looked crestfallen. ¡°I know how much you like Anastasia, so I¡­ I did my best to look like her. I did this for you. Please don¡¯t push me away after this!¡± She sounded like she might cry any time, though she was subtly pleading for his compliments. ¡°stic surgeryes with its risks, and there isn¡¯t a need for you to go to such lengths,¡± Elliot pointed out as he sat down on the couch across from Hayley. He couldn¡¯t help finding it unsettling to see her looking like this. ¡°All I ever want is for you to love and notice me like how you do to Anastasia,¡± Hayley muttered demurely as she bit down on her lower lip. He frowned at this. ¡°You really didn¡¯t have to get so much work done on your face just to suit my preferences.¡± She felt gutted. He wasn¡¯t behaving the way she thought he would at all, and he was still treating her with the same indifference as he did before she went for stic surgery. Without another word, she picked up a docket from the table and handed it to him, saying, ¡°All the information about our baby is in there, Elliot. Take a look for yourself. I know it¡¯s been five years, but I¡­ I still haven¡¯t moved past it.¡± He rose to take the docket, then opened it to pull out the sonogram. It had Hayley¡¯s name and the date written on it, and the timestamp showed that it was taken about three months after the incident at Abyss Club. ¡°Take care of yourself and rest up,¡± Elliot said as he set the documents aside. When he looked up at Hayley again, it was withpassion and apology. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for putting you through the pain and the heartache. I¡¯ll hire a nutritionist toe by tomorrow to curate a special diet for you while you¡¯re recuperating.¡± At that moment, Hayley let out a low hiss of pain and doubled down as her hand pressed down on her abdomen. ¡°It hurts¡­¡± He stood up immediately and crossed over to her, urging, ¡°Would you like to see a doctor?¡± She clutched his arm and pulled him down on the couch, and he did as he was prompted. Then, she nuzzled into his embrace while he was distracted and snaked her arms around his waist, hugging him tight as she mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m cold, Elliot. Can you hold me, please?¡± Elliot¡¯s gaze darkened as he reached for the nket and draped it over her shoulders. He then offered tly, ¡°I¡¯ll go and turn up the thermostat.¡± ¡°No! I just need your warmth,¡± she insisted, still clinging onto him as her eyes fluttered closed. She wanted nothing but to breathe in more of his scent. He stiffened before patting her shoulder awkwardly. Being touched by any woman other than Anastasia irked him to no end. Suddenly, Hayley grabbed her phone from the coffee table and clicked into the camera. Then, she took a picture of herself snuggled up in Elliot¡¯s arms. She gazed up at him and exined, ¡°Just so I can take a look at you whenever I miss you and you aren¡¯t around.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go and turn up the thermostat,¡± he bit out coldly as he shoved her firmly aside. He marched over to the control panel on the wall where the thermostat was and turned up the heat in the living room. Hayley stood up from the couch and let her fur coat slide down her shoulders deliberately, revealing the red negligee that she wore underneath. It revealed her skin in all the right ces, and it was so short that she might as well be naked. She gave Elliot a helpless look, seemingly flustered by the loss of her fur coat. At present, the sheer amount of skin she was revealing would have prompted any other man to abandon all sense of reason and rush up to her to devour every bit of her stunning, fragile beauty. ¡°Elliot, I¡¯m cold¡­¡± She was like a child who couldn¡¯t even bend down to pick up her own coat. All she did was stand there and stare at Elliot imploringly, silently willing him to save her from distress. However, he was focused on turning up the thermostat, and when he finally turned to look at her, it was with an impassive expression that matched the frosty gleam in his eyes. She dispensed with subtlety as she begged, ¡°Elliot, hold me! Please!¡± Having turned up the thermostat, he returned to her side and picked up the coat before handing it to her, swiftly blocking out the ample amount of decolletage that she was showing. In a cold and crisp voice, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t bother using such tricks on me. A woman is only ever desirable and lovable when she loves and values herself first, got it?¡± He did not fall for her seductive charms and decided to lecture her instead. It seemed as if the novelty of romance was lost on him. Hayley was stunned by his rejection, and when she saw him grab his phone off the coffee table, she demanded, ¡°Are you leaving?¡± Needless to say, Elliot had already figured out the true reason she asked him toe over, and if seduction was all she had nned for tonight, he didn¡¯t think he had to stay here a moment longer. ¡°If you¡¯re lonely and dying forpany, you¡¯re wee to bring home any man you want,¡± he pointed out sardonically before he turned to head for the door. ¡°You¡¯re the only one I like, Elliot! Can¡¯t you just stay with me for a night? I¡¯ll give you anything you want!¡± Hayley cried as she shamelessly and desperately chased after him. However, Elliot had already slid into his car and closed the door. Hayley hurtled toward him, but just as she was about to reach the door, he backed out of the driveway smoothly and sped off into the night, leaving her shivering in the cold breeze. The fur coat on her kept her warm, but there was no thawing of the icicles that pierced her heart following his harsh rejection. The courage she had summoned just to go through with the stic surgery was all for naught; Elliot wasn¡¯t impressed by her new face at all, nor did he nce at it for even longer than a few seconds. She couldn¡¯t understand why this was happening. He likes the way Anastasia looks, doesn¡¯t he? I¡¯ve had all this work done just to look like her, so why am I still not good enough? Gritting her teeth, she fished out her phone with a malicious gleam in her eyes and selected the picture she had taken earlier before sending it to Anastasia. With her chest rising and falling rapidly, she screamed into the night, ¡°If I can¡¯t have you, Elliot, then neither can Anastasia!¡± She stormed back into the house and plopped down on the couch, grabbing the bottle of wine she had been drinking before Elliot¡¯s arrival, and threw her head back as she gulped down the contents. However, at that moment, her eyes widened when she realized that the wine had lost its familiar tangy fragrance, and it seemed like it had been diluted with water. Hayley stared at the wine in astonishment. Have I left it exposed to the air for too long? She filled half a ss with the wine and drank it, only to find that it was as tasteless as tap water. Her hand flew to her throat as her mind scrambled for an answer. What¡¯s happening? Why can¡¯t I taste the wine? As panic seized her, she hurried to the fridge and rummaged the drawer for a handful of cherries. She didn¡¯t bother washing them as she shoved them into her mouth. The sweetness of the cherries, which she was sure she had tasted just the day before, had been severely diluted, barely coating her tongue. It was as if her taste buds were degenerating. She started to grow anxious as she ran into the kitchen. She had never cooked here, but the servants had stocked up the salt and sugar. Having found a bag of salt, she tore it open and shoveled a handful of it into her mouth. The saltiness ought to make her cringe and shudder, but she could not taste it at all, and she only became incredibly thirsty afterward. ¡°My taste buds!¡± She let out a frantic shriek. Then, she crouched down on the floor and clutched her throat. She couldn¡¯t believe that the stic surgery had caused her to lose her sense of taste. Without wasting another second, she dashed out of the house and into the garage, driving over to the hospital. Meanwhile, Anastasia was curled up in bed with a good book, and she had spent the better part of the last few hours without her phone. Now that she wanted to check the time, she began to search for her phone. Elliot¡¯s vi was huge, and it would take a while for her to find the phone she had so casually set aside somewhere. It was only after she ventured down into the living room that she found her phone on the table next to the couch. She sat down to check the time, only to see that she had received a new message. She clicked into it, and the contents made her eyes widen in shock. The text was sent from an unfamiliar number, and the picture that came with it was one of a woman, who bore a striking resemnce to her, snuggled up in Elliot¡¯s arms. Anastasia did not miss the fact that Elliot was wearing the same clothes he had when he left the house earlier. When he said he was heading out, did he really mean he was going to some other woman¡¯s ce? She nced at the woman in the picture again. Aside from the strong resemnce they shared, she was a little stunned to see that there was something unnervingly familiar about the woman. Anastasia had no idea that Hayley had gone under the knife. More importantly, it had been a major procedure. It was only normal that Anastasia could not recognize her underneath all that make-up and raunchy outfit. How did this woman get my number anyway? She even sent me this picture to rile me up! She tossed her phone aside as frustration and anger welled up in her. Just then, she heard the sound of a car, specifically Elliot¡¯s, pulling up outside. She fixed her murderous gaze on the door, and sure enough, it wasn¡¯t long before Elliot walked past the threshold with his car keys in hand. Anastasia narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms as she stared at him like he was the guilty cat that ate the canary. Catching sight of this, Elliot felt a chill run down his spine as he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He had been happy to see that she was waiting on the couch for him, but when he caught the murderous look in her eyes, he began to wonder what he had done to offend her. ¡°Nothing,¡± she bit out coldly. She smiled, but it did not reach her eyes as she drawled, ¡°Did you have fun, President Presgrave?¡± He raised a brow at her and countered, ¡°Did you wait up for me on purpose?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself; I only came down for a drink,¡± she said humorlessly as she rose to pour a ss of water for herself. ¡°I want a drink too. Pour one for me?¡± ¡°Unless your arms or your legs are broken, do it yourself!¡± Anastasia snapped as she took the ss of water she had poured for herself and went up the stairs. Downstairs, Elliot gaped after Anastasia wordlessly. For some reason, he felt like he was being abandoned. Women were perpetually unsolvable mysteries, and not even Elliot, with his businessman brilliance and intelligence, could figure them out. He did not bother pouring himself a ss of water and followed Anastasia up the stairs instead. When he got to her bedroom doorway, he saw that she was seated on the couch on the second floor and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Jared?¡± ¡°ying Legos,¡± she answered coolly, deliberately avoiding his gaze as she flipped through her half- read book. At that moment, Elliot saw the ss of water on the table next to her and reached out to take it. However, just as he brought it up to his lips, she said curtly, ¡°Don¡¯t touch my ss.¡± Seeing as he had already begun to drink from the ss, he gulped down a mouthful of water. He then narrowed his eyes as he asked, ¡°Why not?¡± When she saw that he had taken a sip, she shrugged and said, ¡°Fine, drink the whole ss of water. I¡¯ll just go downstairs and pour myself another one!¡± She was making it sound like he carried some infectious disease. We¡¯ve already kissed multiple times, and all of a sudden she doesn¡¯t want me drinking from her ss? He was baffled as he sat down across from her. His piercing gaze was inquisitive as he asked, ¡°I drank your water. Why should that stop you from drinking the rest of it?¡± He had sensed her hostility from the moment he came home, and her passive-aggressiveness was making him nervous, not to mention frustrated. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it,¡± she muttered in annoyance, not wanting to say anything more after that. ¡°Why not?¡± he pressed. He was never one to beat around the bush be it in business deals or conversations. He would much rather have an open discussion when it came to solving problems, and he wanted to have a solution as soon as possible. ¡°Is there a problem between us that I should know about?¡± ¡°You know what, I never should have saved youst night! Sure, what Aliona did was despicable and disgusting, but it wasn¡¯t as if you would be at a loss, right? You¡¯d only have to put in some physical labor, but that¡¯s about it! She¡¯s the one who would have gotten the short end of the stick! Right?¡± Anastasia blurted out all of a sudden. This only made Elliot more puzzled. However, before he could say anything, she went on to ask in all seriousness, ¡°Did you think I was butting into your personal affairsst night and you secretly me me for it?¡± It was then that he realized they didn¡¯t just have a problem; they were having a crisis. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t take such a feisty tone with him at present. Everything had been fine when he left home earlier, which meant something must have happened in between that made hersh out at him like this. He softened and asked in hopes of settling the matter amicably, ¡°Anastasia, tell me what happened.¡± She took her phone and pulled up the picture she had received from the unfamiliar number earlier, showing it to him as she snapped, ¡°Next time you decide to fool around behind my back, find a woman who doesn¡¯t look so eerily simr to me. It makes me sick.¡± Elliot narrowed his eyes slightly when he saw the picture. I can¡¯t believe Hayley sent it to her! In a grave tone, he asked, ¡°Anastasia, do you know who she is?¡± ¡°What, have I seen her before or something?¡± Anastasia was admittedly astonished by his question. She didn¡¯t think that the person he was fooling around with was someone she knew. ¡°That¡¯s Hayley.¡± ¡°What?¡± Anastasia gasped. ¡°That¡¯s Hayley?!¡± That exined why she had found the woman so familiar yet so strange at the same time. She never expected Hayley to have gone under the knife and gotten all this work done just to look like her. The thought of this made her sick to the stomach; the person she hated and was disgusted by the most had decided to take on her face! ¡°She went for stic surgery, and apparently, the procedure was done with your looks in mind,¡± Elliot borated, sounding equally unsettled and queasy. ¡°Well, she certainly snuggled up real close to you, didn¡¯t she?¡± Anastasia mumbled unhappily. ¡°Don¡¯t get the wrong idea. I¡¯ve never felt anything but guilt toward her, and I don¡¯t intend to let that progress into anything else,¡± he exined in a low voice as he stared at her imploringly as if silently begging for forgiveness. Naturally, Anastasia knew that Hayley had set this up and taken the picture just to spite her. Besides, if she were to look really closely, she could tell that Hayley was the only one who was doing all the hugging; Elliot did not reciprocate her gesture at all. Wait! Why am I getting jealous here? She isn¡¯t someone I should be jealous of! Anastasia flushed as she pursed her lips. Then, she grew a little embarrassed as she offered sheepishly, ¡°President Presgrave, would you like a ss of water? I¡¯ll go and pour you one right now!¡± Upon seeing the sudden shift in her demeanor, Elliot knew that her anger had waned. He had to admit that the furious side of her piqued a certain fear and anxiousness that he had never felt before. Anastasia, on the other hand, was not envious of the fact that Hayley¡¯s stic surgery had been a sess. After all, procedures like these often required a severe alteration of one¡¯s bones, muscles, and nerves. There was no telling if there would be any longsting damages that came from this. ¡°You¡¯re not upset with me anymore, are you?¡± Elliot got up and sat beside her with a hint of tentativeness in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not upset! I did say some harsh words just now, but don¡¯t take it to heart!¡± Anastasia turned around and realized that she had no right to treat him that way. ¡°I¡¯m going back to the room.¡± Anastasia wanted to go back to the room and have some alone time. However, as soon as she got up, a strong arm grabbed her wrist and yanked her down. In an instant, Anastasia fell onto Elliot¡¯sp and into his arms. ¡°You¡­¡± Anastasia squinted her eyes, wondering what he was up to. ¡°Do you still hate me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t hate you!¡± Anastasia lied through her teeth. ¡°That ss of water,¡± reminded Elliot. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean I hate you,¡± Anastasia exined quickly. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it unless you prove it to me.¡± ¡°How should I prove it to you?¡± She felt that there was nothing to prove. ¡°I have a way,¡± said Elliot in a low voice as he sped the back of her head and kissed her thin lips. Anastasia¡¯s mind instantly went nk. How could he kiss her whenever he wanted to? Could he at least respect her? After a passionate kiss, Elliot proved with facts that she did not despise him. Only then did he let go of her in satisfaction. Without uttering another word, Anastasia grabbed her phone and entered the room. She needed some quiet time to herself! She should think about the consequences first before messing with him next time. The next morning, Anastasia received a call from Felicia while she was still in a groggy state. ¡°Anastasia, have you seen the news? Alice has been sentenced to five years in prison.¡± Hearing that, Anastasia¡¯s eyes immediately shot open, and she was now wide awake. ¡°Five years?¡± ¡°Yeah! President Presgrave seems to have shown his temper this time, but Alice dug her own grave. She didn¡¯t just ruin her own future but was even sentenced to five years in prison. She deserves it, though. Besides her, Jacqueline has also been sentenced to three years of imprisonment.¡± Anastasia could hear the hint of regret underneath Felicia¡¯s words. However, when the case was applied to Anastasia, she didn¡¯t find them innocent at all. Alice was a vicious woman, while Jacqueline didn¡¯t know how to draw a line. As if it wasn¡¯t enough for her to steal Anastasia¡¯s work as her own, she even had to betray Anastasia! If it weren¡¯t for Elliot¡¯s help this time, it would have been difficult for Anastasia to find proof of Alice¡¯s theft, not to mention the fact that Savill Jewelry Atelier had been supporting Alice in secret. Anastasia faced the risk of getting kicked out of the design industry and bing a joke among the public. How cruel was that to her? ¡°Felicia, I think Alice is too ambitious and is always finding ways to rece you. There¡¯s no need to pity her,¡± Anastasia uttered disapprovingly. She remembered the kind acts of those who treated her well, but she would not pity those who treated her badly. ¡°You¡¯re right, Alice deserves to be punished. Those who have spoken ill of you in thepany are now terrified. They¡¯ve underestimated President Presgrave¡¯s love for you.¡± Anastasia instantly felt warmth filling her chest. Only those involved were more emotional. ¡°I know, and I¡¯m grateful for what he has done for me.¡± ¡°Okay, after you take over your father¡¯spany, I¡¯ll wee you back. Besides, all the works that have giarized yours have been taken off the shelves, and your works have been reunched.¡± ¡°Thank you, Felicia.¡± ¡°Savill is pretty unlucky too. Weren¡¯t they supposed to be listed soon? Sadly, because of this incident, they¡¯ve be bankrupt. I heard that the president even went to beg President Presgrave to let them go, but President Presgrave refused.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yeah! He begged President Presgrave through various connections, and he even went to stop his car several times. I heard that he even kneeled on the ground while begging too.¡± Anastasia wasn¡¯t aware that the owner of Savill had done all those things. As she lifted the nket, Anastasia got out of bed. She nced at her son and saw that he was still fast asleep, probably from the excitementst night. After putting on another coat, Anastasia went downstairs. It was cold outside since winter had arrived. It was a foggy morning, and in the far distance, mountains could be vaguely seen spiking in the clouds. If someone were to bring her a cup of warm coffee at that moment, that would be even more pleasant. With that thought in mind, she smelled the aroma of coffeeing from the kitchen. There stood an elegant figure while he was cooking breakfast. He was wearing an off-white sweater and khaki-colored pants. This was the softest look Anastasia had seen on Elliot. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Usually, he wore dark-colored clothing, but today, he decided to go with a light and mellow-toned outfit. It was simply a domestic sight to see. ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡± Elliot was wearing an apron, giving off the vibes of a househusband. Anastasia walked up to him and discovered that a scrumptious breakfast had beenid out on the table. Elliot, on the other hand, was fiddling with the coffee machine. ¡°Take a seat. Breakfast will be ready soon.¡± As he spoke, Elliot checked the time. While watching his back, Anastasia suddenly had the urge to hug him. With that thought in mind, she walked over on a whim, extended her arms, and gave him a back hug. Elliot was slightly startled, but he wasn¡¯t stiff. It was just a pleasant surprise to him. His eyes curved into crescent shapes, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly. Just like that, Anastasia hugged him for a while, indulging in his warmth early in the morning. ¡°Thank you for everything you have done for me.¡± Anastasia pressed against his firm back and uttered gratefully from the bottom of her heart. Meanwhile, Elliot took the opportunity and reached out to hold her hand. He turned around, as if afraid that she would pull away once he faced her. Anastasia¡¯s arms stayed on his waist while his hands were ced lightly on her shoulder. After the two made eye contact, Anastasia lowered her head shyly. ¡°For me, it¡¯s far from enough. As long as you give me a chance, I can do more for you,¡± Elliot uttered in a baritone voice while he reached out and stroked her hair. ¡°Will you give me the chance to do so?¡± As a response, Anastasia threw herself into his arms. His tender gaze overwhelmed her. ¡°I¡¯m already by your side. Are you still afraid that you don¡¯t have enough chances to spoil me?¡± Anastasia raised her head and inquired with a smile. Elliot kissed her hair and responded, ¡°Wait a minute. I¡¯ll make breakfast for you and Jared.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so d that Jared and I can have breakfast that you¡¯ve prepared!¡± Picking up a cup of coffee, she sat in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, waiting for Chef Elliot¡¯s breakfast. Ten minutester, Elliot came over with two tes of big breakfast. It was a nutritiously-bnced meal, and it smelled so good. Even the food ting was aesthetic. Anastasia quickly enjoyed her meal. With him here, she had nothing to worry about. ¡°My grandma will be holding a banquet tomorrow to host some guests, do you want toe?¡± Elliot asked cautiously. Ever since the incident with Rileyst time, he was a little worried that Anastasia would mind going over to Presgrave Residence. After pondering for a while, she nodded. ¡°Sure! I¡¯lle.¡± Hearing that, Elliot let out an inaudible sigh of relief. Thank goodness she was willing to go. Meanwhile, in a mansion within the city, Aliona sat on the sofa with a sullen face, thinking about her following ns. After being interrupted by Anastasiast time, her good impression in front of Elliot had beenpletely ruined. Lucas called to say that Elliot was furious now, and he didn¡¯t want to see her again. Anastasia was the culprit. If she hadn¡¯t appeared, Aliona would have seeded that night. ¡°Anastasia, you cruel woman!¡± Just then, Aliona saw the news. Because of her giarism, Elliot made a jewelrypany bankrupt for Anastasia¡¯s sake and even sent two designers to jail. Now, Aliona had to rebuild her good impression in front of Elliot so that when she gave birth to his child, Elliot would treat the child like his own. What could she do now? She couldn¡¯t even contact her godfather. Just then, a subordinate hurriedly entered from the outside to hand her a letter. ¡°Miss Aliona, Master Riley sent this from jail. Hurry up and take a look.¡± Aliona took it and immediately tore it open to check the letter, only to read several words that contained a vague meaning from Riley. ¡°Aliona, the situation doesn¡¯t seem to be in my favor. I want you to implement the final n as soon as possible. Regarding the n we discussed before, just do it boldly without any hesitation.¡± Aliona¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she read those words. The final n that her godfather had mentioned was for her to get pregnant with Elliot¡¯s child and kill Elliot before the child was born. That way, the child would be sent to the Presgrave Family and be their only heir. This was the quickest way to acquire the assets of the Presgrave Family. The Presgraves had only a few candidates for their heir, and Elliot was the family¡¯s only direct son. Since he had no children yet, whoever gave birth to his child would be considered a treasure. Aliona held the letter and clutched it tightly with her beautiful nails. Was her godfather in such a critical condition already? Lucas had once told her that Elliot was investigating his kidnapping case back when he was a child, and Anastasia¡¯s mother had also been killed in the very same incident. Therefore, Elliot was trying his best to reopen the case. That must be what her godfather meant by the situation wasn¡¯t in his favor. He was worried that Elliot might harm him in prison, or if Elliot found out what happened in the past, he would definitely make Riley rot in prison for the rest of his life. ¡°Miss Aliona, now that Master Riley isn¡¯t here, we will listen to yourmands.¡± The subordinate had a premonition that Riley was at a dead end now, and Aliona was the one who held Riley¡¯s foreign assets. They could definitely reap the benefits by following her. Aliona shut her eyes and ordered, ¡°You guys may leave.¡± Her godfather would not let her give up just like that because Lucas was making sure that she didn¡¯t abuse her power. Lucas¡¯ son was still kidnapped overseas under the watch of Riley¡¯s subordinates, and she didn¡¯t even know where he was locked up in. Moreover, she had not inherited her godfather¡¯s assetspletely yet, so if she opted out now, it wouldn¡¯t be beneficial for her. She even had to bear the risk of being hunted down. However, she could bet on Elliot. All she had to do was to give birth to his son and kill him to enjoy the billions of assets from the Presgrave empire. ¡°Tell Father that I will execute his n.¡± Aliona bit her lip, feeling ambitious. To be able to work alongside a conspirator like Riley proved that Aliona didn¡¯t have an innocent mind. At Summit Mansion, Rey had sent some men over to carry out investigations and monitoring works. Eventually, they managed to retrieve footage near themunication tracking address. It was a footage of a woman in a call, and she was standing beside the fountain. ording to the GPS location, Rey was pretty certain that it was her who had ordered the security guard to burn the Abyss Club¡¯s server room. She was the only person who fit the timing and address, after all. ¡°Do you have any other footage? I want something clearer.¡± The security guard tried to search for other footage on the surveince screens and zoomed in on one of the shots. In that specific footage, Rey could see the woman clearly and widened his eyes in shock. Indeed, the woman in that footage was Hayley! ¡°Send me this video,¡± Rey uttered calmly. After he returned to the car with this information, Rey dialed Elliot¡¯s number. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°President Presgrave, ording to the GPS location, I just discovered that the person who ordered the security to set fire to the server room is Miss Seymour.¡± ¡°What? Are you sure?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s her. I¡¯ll send the information to you in a while.¡± After returning to the study, Elliot received the footage sent by Rey. The woman on the screen was indeed Hayley, and she was on the phone. Elliot trusted that there wouldn¡¯t be a problem with Rey¡¯s sources, and their tracking system under Presgrave Group was even bound to the satellite positioning system to measure urate time and distance. Why did Hayley order the security guard to burn down the server room? What secret was she hiding? Elliot¡¯s inner doubts welled up. Perhaps Anastasia would know better about Hayley. He then picked up hisptop and got up to find Anastasia. Currently, she was on the second floor reading a pile of material reports sent by her father. It took her a long time to digest a few material terms. She was already feeling a headache since she wasn¡¯t fit to manage apany. ¡°Do you have some time to spare? I have something to ask you.¡± Elliot sat opposite her and showed her hisptop. Squinting her eyes, Anastasia looked at the woman on the screen, asking, ¡°Isn¡¯t that Hayley?¡± ¡°Please forgive me for investigating the incident five years ago without your consent,¡± Elliot apologized beforehand. Hearing that, Anastasia was baffled. ¡°Why do you want to investigate this matter?¡± ¡°I want to find that b*stard and make him rot in prison.¡± Elliot¡¯s eyes were cold. Anastasia quickly recalled a recent call from the host who slept with her before. She knew that he was a time bomb that would explode by her side at any time. By then, her reputation and her son¡¯s background would be heavily affected. Therefore, sending him to prison could be the only way to end it once and for all. ¡°Did I tell you that it was Hayley who arranged for the host to sleep with me?¡± Anastasia raised her head without evading the question. Hearing that, Elliot waspletely stunned. It was the first time he had heard about this from Anastasia. ¡°Hayley was the one who framed you five years ago?¡± Elliot instantly widened his eyes in disbelief. Anastasia recalled that she hadn¡¯t told him about it before, so she nodded. ¡°Back then, Hayley and my sister teamed up to trick me into going to the club. Once I entered the private room, there was already a man who dragged me in.¡± Upon hearing the new piece of information, Elliot clenched his fists. What he heard from Hayley was that Anastasia had entered the wrong private room and was vited by a man. She even cut off her friendship with Hayley after that. Between Hayley and Anastasia¡¯s words, Elliot chose to believe in Anastasia without reason. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me before that Hayley had framed you?¡± Elliot felt incredibly guilty and med himself for believing in Hayley¡¯s words. ¡°How could I when you¡¯re so protective of her? I was worried that you¡¯ll believe in her words rather than mine.¡± When Anastasia thought of that, she felt uneasy. ¡°Of course I¡¯d believe you,¡± Elliot affirmed while looking into her eyes. ¡°Why did you show me this photo?¡± Anastasia inquired while staring at the screen. ¡°I asked Rey to check the surveince footage of the night you wereid five years ago and discovered that a security guard burned the server room of Abyss Club. After checking the IP address as well as the call log of the security guard¡¯s phone, we found out the person who instructed the security guard was indeed Hayley.¡± Anastasia was equally as puzzled. Why did Hayley do it? Was she trying to hide a secret by burning the server room of Abyss Club five years ago? ¡°Did you know that Hayley and I slept together in this same club?¡± Elliot spoke though he wasn¡¯t willing to. After all, mentioning it always made him regret it deeply. Once again, Anastasia was stunned to hear that, so she inquired, ¡°How did it happen?¡± ¡°I was unprepared that night. I got caught in someone¡¯s trap, and they wanted to create a scandal to ckmail me, so I fled to a private room. Hayley came afterward, and I took advantage of her under the influence of drugs.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you intoxicated? How did you know it was Hayley that night?¡± Anastasia questioned out of curiosity. ¡°I gave her a watch afterward. She found me through the watch.¡± ¡°What kind of watch is it?¡± ¡°It is one of my custom-made watches. There is only one of it in the world, and it was in Hayley¡¯s hands. She took it as a pawn in the second-hand market in March this year, and that¡¯s how I found her.¡± Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but silently mocked herself. How could they both experience the same thing, but Hayley received Elliot¡¯s materialisticpensation and apology while she wasn¡¯t so lucky? The host she met was selfish and ruthless. He was blinded by greed, didn¡¯t repent his mistakes, and even dared to threaten her! That made her desperate to find that b*stard and see what kind of nasty look he had. Even though he seemed ashamed that night and even offered his watch to her, she would never forgive him. ¡°Anastasia, I think you should know Hayley better than I do. Why do you think she burned the server room?¡± Elliot inquired. Shaking her head, she answered, ¡°I¡¯m afraid only Hayley knows the answer.¡± Since the host existed and even tried to threaten Anastasia before, she never thought about the possibility that Hayley had reced her, nor did she realize that the b*stard was sitting right in front of her. ¡°If someone called me, are you capable of finding out who this person was?¡± Anastasia wanted to rely on Elliot¡¯s ability to find the host. ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± ¡°The host actually called me a few days ago and threatened me. If he calls me next time, perhaps you can help me find out who he is.¡± ¡°Give me his number. I¡¯ll get Rey to check it for you right now.¡± After fishing out her phone, Anastasia scrolled to the number that had called her a few days ago. Elliot quickly recorded the number and sent it to Rey for investigation. ¡°Actually, I could ask Hayley if I wanted to find this b*stard. She has his information, but I know that she will refuse to tell me.¡± Anastasia hated Hayley to her bones. After hearing Anastasia¡¯s story, Elliot no longer had good feelings for Hayley. He didn¡¯t even want to see her face from now on. Feeling guilty for her was one thing, but what she did to Anastasia back then was unforgivable. When he found out who the host was, he was definitely going to make Hayley apologize to Anastasia. ¡°I will find this person out and make him pay for his actions back then,¡± Elliot reassured her. ¡°Okay. Sorry for the trouble.¡± Anastasia took a deep breath. She didn¡¯t want to see the disgusting face of that man, yet she had to face him. Meanwhile, over at Summit Mansion, Hayley had just returned from the hospital. Her tastebuds were still pretty nd, but she already requested an agency to inquire about her condition with several foreign doctors. However, Hayley was still happy with her new, beautiful face in the mirror. The only thing Anastasia had won over her since they were kids was her face. Hayley had always been like a leaf to a rose whenever she stood beside Anastasia. Now, she had finally be a rose as well. Just then, her phone rang. After ncing at the screen, she picked up the call and said, ¡°Hello, Daniel.¡± ¡°Miss Seymour, I just received news that Old Madam Presgrave will be hosting the annual family banquet tomorrow and inviting her friends and family. Has President Presgrave notified you about it yet?¡± ¡°What? Tomorrow?¡± Disappointment shed in Hayley¡¯s eyes. Elliot hadn¡¯t even mentioned it to her. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s tomorrow afternoon at Presgrave Residence. There will be three tables for guests who have a close rtionship with the Presgrave Family. I thought President Presgrave invited you, though.¡± ¡°I want to be invited! Daniel, can you think of a way to let me in?¡± Hayley wasn¡¯t going to miss this opportunity. She had to be there! ¡°You may arrive early tomorrow morning without notifying President Presgrave. Once you¡¯re here, he will not chase you out in front of so many rtives.¡± Hayley thought he made sense. After all, it was time for her to reveal her new face beside Anastasia. Not only that, she should arrive early for the banquet, and she was pretty sure that Harriet wouldn¡¯t kick her out because Elliot had vited her before. As she sat on the sofa, there was a hint of coldness in her eyes. She must not let go of this opportunity to go against Anastasia. Then, she dialed Erica¡¯s number and said, ¡°Erica,e over to my ce tonight. I have a gift for you.¡± If she wanted to know anything regarding Anastasia, Erica was the most reliable person. Hearing that there was a gift for her, Erica left the house immediately. After arriving, she was shocked to see Hayley. ¡°Hayley, have you had stic surgery?¡± She scanned her up and down in disbelief. Hayley smirked. ¡°Who do you think I look like?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± After taking a closer look, she blurted, ¡°You didn¡¯t get surgery just to look like Anastasia, did you?!¡± ¡°Just praise my beauty already. I don¡¯t like to hear anything else,¡± said Hayley as she gloated. ¡°Oh! You¡¯re so pretty! You¡¯re way more beautiful than Anastasia. Your beauty makes you look elegant! Anastasia is no match for you!¡± Erica quickly praised her. Receiving those praises put Hayley in a good mood. She then pushed a bag that she didn¡¯t fancy in front of her, offering, ¡°Here you go.¡± ¡°Wow! This is so pretty! You treat me so well, Hayley. I¡¯ve always wanted this bag, but I could never afford it.¡± Now that she was using the money that Elliot hadpensated her with, Hayley no longer fancied a bag like this. Straightforwardly, she demanded, ¡°Tell me what Anastasia has been up totely!¡± ¡°Did you know? My dad told me she was kidnapped, and the kidnapper is highly likely to be the culprit in her mother¡¯s death.¡± ¡°Really? Didn¡¯t her mother sacrifice to save Elliot, though?¡± ¡°Yeah! The culprit was Elliot¡¯s uncle, a half-brother to his father.¡± Hayley was stunned to hear that. Did that mean the culprit who killed Anastasia¡¯s mother was someone from the Presgrave Family? That should be interesting! Shouldn¡¯t Anastasia hate the Presgraves now? While Erica continued bbering, Hayley no longer wanted to hear her out; she already had her own ns. If Anastasia hated the Presgrave Family, what would she do to them? She would definitely do something to hurt the Presgraves. For example, she might take the opportunity to take revenge on Harriet. Last time, Hayley noticed that Harriet had been taking some kind of medicine. If something went wrong with her medicine, the me would fall on Anastasia. Hayley had always been a vicious person, and she was also a person who dared to act on it. As long as she could separate Anastasia and Elliot, what else wouldn¡¯t she do? Just then, Erica¡¯s phone beeped. When she picked it up, she saw a message from Alex that read, ¡®Come to my ce tonight.¡¯ After reading the message, she smiled and replied, ¡®Sure!¡¯ Now that she and Alex had hooked up, their rtionship was progressing rapidly. They had even slept together before. Hayley went to bed once Erica left, but before going to sleep, she took out a watch from her desk. To her, it was the only thing she had that was possessed by Elliot before. The watch contained Elliot¡¯s presence, and it could providefort to her emptiness. After switching off the lights, the watch suddenly glowed in a shady green color in the dark, its diamonds shining on the entire screen. The shape of a wolf¡¯s head could also be seen in the middle of the watch. Indeed, it was a beautiful timepiece. Just like its owner, the watch shone in the dark, showing off its elegance. The dark green luster paired with the wolf head was a totem of the Presgrave Family. It was a watch that Harriet tailored specially for Elliot, so it was the only watch in the world. In Elliot¡¯s mansion, Anastasiay in bed thinking about her promise to Elliot about attending his family¡¯s banquet on Sunday. However, she didn¡¯t feel like bringing her son over. Therefore, she decided to ask if her father had a day to spare for her son. In her dreams, Anastasia unknowingly returned to that night five years ago. She felt that there were a pair of hands sping tightly around her, and as she struggled, a faint green light shed across in front of her. That was the only light source amidst the dark. It was the watch that was glowing in green. Anastasia clearly remembered the wolf head engraved in the watch; in a moment of despair, she struggled to see the source of light emitted from the devil. Unfortunately, she wasn¡¯t able to see the man clearly. The next morning, Anastasia contacted her father. Since Francis hadn¡¯t seen his grandson in a few days, he was eager to meet Jared again. Elliot, on the other hand, agreed with Anastasia¡¯s decision. He even assigned his bodyguard to send Jared over. ¡°My grandma loves Jared. She says that Jared looks like me when I was younger.¡± As Elliot watch the car leave, he heaved an audible sigh. Anastasia was just trying to protect her son. If Jared were to attend a crowded event, he might be looked down upon as a child with a single parent. ¡°Sorry. I don¡¯t mean to not bring Jared over. I hope you understand,¡± Anastasia exined as she raised her head. ¡°I understand. You don¡¯t have to apologize.¡± With that, Elliot held her hand. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to dress like this today.¡± After ncing down at her outfit, she realized it was a little in. ¡°What should I wear?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the room. I¡¯ll pick your outfit.¡± While saying that, he pulled her into the living room. When they arrived in Anastasia¡¯s room, both of them stood in front of the wardrobe. Elliot had bought her many pieces of thetest trends and branded clothes, but she had never worn them. After swiping his slender fingers across the row of clothes, he finally picked an elegantce dress. ¡°Wear this.¡± After that, he grabbed another long trench coat and said, ¡°And this.¡± Anastasia thought he had a good eye for fashion, so she agreed, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wear themter.¡± ¡°Wear them now!¡± Elliot folded his arms in front of his chest in anticipation. ¡°I want to see how my taste is.¡± With that, Anastasia grabbed the clothes and entered the bathroom. After a while, she came out in the dress and requested helplessly, ¡°Can you help me with the zip?¡± Smiling, Elliot walked up to her back and pulled the zip for her. At the same time, he pecked her fair neck. Feeling shy, Anastasia quickly entered the bathroom and grabbed the coat. Sure enough, the outfit looked fashionable and elegant on her. At the same time, it was eye-catching and pleasant to see. ¡°It looks good on you,¡± praised Elliot. He then added, ¡°That¡¯s because you look good in everything you wear.¡± Anastasia seemed to take hispliment well. Looking at the time, she inquired, ¡°Should we be leaving now?¡± ¡°Sure! Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t invite Hayley, did you?¡± Anastasia suddenly inquired. ¡°I won¡¯t invite her.¡± Elliot didn¡¯t want to see Hayley now or ever. At the Presgrave Residence, Hayley came uninvited, which gave Harriet a surprise. However, due to what her grandson had done to Hayley back then, Harriet greeted her as usual out of courtesy. Chapter 421-430 Chapter 421-430 At the same time, Harriet realized that Hayley¡¯s face seemed to have changed. Though she still looked beautiful, it seemed that she had done something to her appearance. To be frank, Harriet rejected the behavior of pursuing beauty through surgery. Since her body had been given to her by her parents, she should cherish them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry foring uninvited to your banquet, Grandma. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve missed you so much.¡± The look in Hayley¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t seem sincere at all. However, Harriet reassured her, ¡°No worries. I forgot to inform you about it. Since it¡¯s usually the same old rtivesing every year, I¡¯m happy that you¡¯vee too.¡± After saying that, she instructed one of the maids, ¡°Escort Miss Seymour to the garden for some tea.¡± Hayley was overjoyed upon hearing that. Sure enough, Harriet didn¡¯t drive her away, so she happily followed the maid to the garden. As soon as Hayley left, Harriet let out a sigh of relief. She was aware of Hayley¡¯s intentions, but the Presgrave Family could only ept one daughter-inw. Therefore, no matter what Hayley did, it would be useless. ¡°From whom did Miss Seymour hear the news?¡± One of the female housekeepers on the side questioned in surprise. She was the one who had sent out the invitations, but she didn¡¯t recall sending an invite to Hayley. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Let¡¯s just serve her since she¡¯s already here!¡± said Harriet with a wave of a hand. However, the housekeeper med herself. After all, she knew what Hayley¡¯s identity was; she was merely a woman whom Young Master Elliot couldn¡¯t get rid of. ¡°Should I inform Young Master Elliot?¡± When Harriet recalled that Elliot would be bringing Anastasia to visit today, she was certain that Anastasia wouldn¡¯te if she knew that Hayley was here. She couldn¡¯t help but shake her head and replied, ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s tell them when they arrive!¡± One of them was someone Harriet didn¡¯t wee, while the other was someone Harriet desperately wanted her to be here. Between Hayley and Anastasia, it was obvious who had the upper hand. Soon, Harriet¡¯s daughter, son-inw, as well as Nigel arrived. Some rtives and friends had also arrived earlier, so the whole yard was packed with luxury cars. All the rtives of the Presgrave Family had gained a firm foothold in the political and business circles with the support of the Presgrave Family. The Presgraves were like a big tree, and there was an intricatework of rtionships under the protection of said tree. Even Harriet¡¯s brother was able to soar high in the political circle due to the family¡¯s influence. While sitting in the tea house in the garden, Hayley couldn¡¯t help but feel a little nervous when she heard the lively atmosphere in the main hall. However, it wasn¡¯t going to make her flinch or retreat. Looking down at the box of drugs in her bag, she smirked cynically. Anastasia was going to lose her pride today in front of all the rtives of the Presgrave Family. After picking up the cup of tea, she took a few sips. It tasted pretty nd although she had already taken some medication to revive her taste buds. The doctors said that the surgery might cause long-term side effects, but for her beauty, Hayley could only endure it. At that moment, a ck Rolls-Royce entered the front yard. The man who came out of the car was Elliot while the woman that came out of the car was Anastasia. He extended his hand to hold her, but she hid her hand shyly. ¡°Let¡¯s not hold hands.¡± His deep gaze locked on her for a few seconds before realizing that she was just shy and didn¡¯t want to show too much affection in front of her rtives. ¡°Let¡¯s go, then!¡± Elliot understood her feelings. As they walked past the front garden and into the hall, they saw three banquet tables in the living hall. All of the guests had arrived. Once they entered the hall, Elliot started greeting the guests. As the most honorable child of the Presgrave Family, Elliot had been polite and thoughtful since young. Therefore, everyone adored him. While Anastasia followed him around, she listened to him exchanging customary greetings with his rtives. It was also the first time she had seen him behaving like a well-mannered junior. Usually, he was aloof and unapproachable, making everyone surrender to him! ¡°Elliot, why don¡¯t you introduce us to this beautifuldy beside you?¡± one of his aunts urged. ¡°This is Anastasia Tillman, my girlfriend,¡± Elliot introduced her naturally. Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but feel her cheeks heat up when she heard that. She had thought about this question beforeing, but she still couldn¡¯t avoid revealing her identity. ¡°What a beauty! Elliot has a good eye!¡± ¡°Of course, he does! Elliot has always been the most good-looking child to us. Naturally, he should go out with a beautiful woman.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t agree!¡± Suddenly, a male voice sounded behind thedy. Turning around, thedy couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud at the sight of Nigel. Nigel raised his chin and questioned, ¡°Which part of me doesn¡¯t win over Elliot? I was obviously the best looking when we were young.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. You¡¯re the most handsome!¡± Thedy quickly changed her words, eliciting someughter among the crowd. Even Anastasia was amused by their interaction. Based on Nigel¡¯s looks, he was indeed not inferior to Elliot. However, in terms of his stance, Elliot was more domineering than he was. ¡°Anastasia, you should be the judge. Who is more good-looking between Elliot and me?¡± Initially, Anastasia was just a spectator watching them. Now that Nigel had thrown the question at her, she could only cough awkwardly as she replied, ¡°You.¡± After saying that, Anastasia sensed a pair of eyes filled with resentment staring at her. ¡°Anastasia has good taste.¡± With that, Nigel reached out his hand to Anastasia, suggesting, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go over there. I have something to tell you.¡± However, the moment he finished his sentence, Elliot shot daggers at him. Nigel immediately sensed the deathly stare and realized that he couldn¡¯t treat Anastasia casually anymore. He couldn¡¯t even get involved with her personal affairs now that she belonged to someone else. ¡°What is it that you cannot talk in front of me?¡± Elliot red at Nigel to prove his presence. Anastasia covered her mouth while chuckling, but Nigel huffed while saying, ¡°You petty man. Can¡¯t I talk to your girlfriend for a little while?¡± ¡°No!¡± rejected Elliot coldly. ¡°Be the judge, Anastasia. He was the one who interrupted us when I tried to pursue you. I was kind enough to let you go, but look at how he¡¯s treating me now!¡± Nigel started whining. Anastasiaughed out loud at his antics. ¡°I¡¯m not meddling in your fight. You should solve it between yourselves.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go and greet Grandma.¡± Uponnding an arm on her waist, Elliot dragged Anastasia away from Nigel. Since he was left without a choice, Nigel tagged along because he was bored. Everyone who attended the banquet today was mostly the seniors, and all the juniors didn¡¯t manage to attend. Currently, Harriet was sitting in the hall chatting away with the other old madams. When she saw Elliot and Anastasia walking up to her, her eyes were instantly filled with tenderness and affection. ¡°Come here, Anastasia. Take a seat,¡± she invited gently. With that, Anastasia took the seat next to her. Harriet looked at her with guilt and apology. ¡°Didn¡¯t you bring Jared with you?¡± ¡°Jared went to my father¡¯s ce.¡± ¡°Oh! I quite like that child. He¡¯s so adorable.¡± Whenever Harriet thought of the child, she immediately saw young Elliot in him. Just then, the housekeeper requested to talk to Elliot outside. ¡°Young Master Elliot, I have something to tell you. Miss Hayley is here.¡± Elliot¡¯s face immediately darkened. ¡°Who let her in?¡± ¡°Miss Hayley was the earliest to arrive, but I don¡¯t know who informed her,¡± the housekeeper uttered helplessly. There was a hint of coolness that shed in Elliot¡¯s eyes. Who was the one who obtained the information and ryed it to Hayley? There was only one person who knew about it, and that was his personal assistant, Daniel. It seemed that Hayley even had the means to buy information from people around him. ¡°Where is she?¡± Elliot questioned indifferently. ¡°She¡¯s at the tea house in the garden and hasn¡¯t been invited to the hall yet. Do you want to see her?¡± After ncing at Anastasia, who was busy chatting with his grandmother, he walked toward the tea house in the garden. On this side, Hayley had been waiting to be invited to the main hall. However, it was Elliot who greeted her instead with a long face. Hayley was in utter shock. Flustered, she almost broke the teacup in her hand. ¡°How did you know I was here, Elliot?¡± Ever since he knew that Hayley was the cause of Anastasia¡¯s misery back then, he didn¡¯t have any feelings for her anymore. ¡°This is my family¡¯s gathering. There¡¯s no reason for you to attend.¡± Elliot stared at her coldly. Hayley¡¯s eyes immediately reddened. ¡°Why can¡¯t Ie when Anastasia is here? You¡¯re being too biased, Elliot.¡± Elliot frowned slightly and retorted somewhat coldly, ¡°To me, you¡¯re iparable to Anastasia. I have always wanted to make up to you only in the material aspect, and you should know that.¡± Hayley sensed that Elliot had changed, and his attitude toward her had be extraordinarily cold. Did Anastasia tell him something? ¡°Elliot, why are you doing this to me? Did I do something wrong?¡± Hayley bit her red lips and showed a pitiful look. ¡°Is it your fault that Anastasia was harassed five years ago?¡± Elliot interrogated. Hearing that, Hayley quivered. She shook her head fervently and denied, ¡°It wasn¡¯t me; it wasn¡¯t me, Elliot. It was her stepsister who did it. When I wanted to stop her, it was toote. I regret it so much now, and I deserve Anastasia¡¯s hatred.¡± Hayley appeared to be helpless on the surface, but in reality, she hated Anastasia to her bones. Sure enough, Anastasia exposed what happened back then just to win Elliot¡¯s heart. Staring at Hayley¡¯s face, Elliot could only see how ugly her cry was after she underwent stic surgery. It made him extremely ufortable, and he didn¡¯t believe in a single word she uttered. Hayley knew that she looked beautiful when smiling, but she didn¡¯t know how hideous she looked when crying. ¡°Do not step into the hall, but you may have lunch here before leaving,¡± Elliot warned in a low voice. He didn¡¯t want Anastasia to know that she was here. Hayley understood his intentions, so she panicked and said, ¡°Elliot, you can¡¯t do this to me.¡± This time, Elliot was already at the door. He turned back and shot her a cold gaze, uttering, ¡°From now on, I don¡¯t want to see you again.¡± This sentence was undoubtedly like a sharp sword stabbing into Hayley¡¯s chest. She underwent surgery to look like the woman he liked, but instead, he told her that he didn¡¯t want to see her again. ¡°Elliot¡­¡± Hayley stood up and chased after him, but she was stopped by two maids. ¡°Please stay here, Miss Seymour.¡± Hayley¡¯s heart fell into an abyss at this moment. Elliot¡¯s attitude showed her that no matter what she did, he only loved Anastasia. In order to make Anastasia happy, he didn¡¯t allow her to enter the hall even if she had alreadye all the way to Presgrave Residence. Anastasia would be the protagonist tonight, while she was going to suffer from humiliation all alone. When she returned to the sofa, a strong feeling of resentment shed in Hayley¡¯s eyes. Anastasia being alive was her greatest pain. In the main hall, Anastasia did not know that Hayley was also there. Harriet took her to a quiet lounge and exined the truth about how Elliot had been saved back then without holding back. Back then, the situation wasplicated, and it definitely gave her mother pressure to save the hostage. In Elliot¡¯s case, however, she sacrificed herself and pounced on him to save him. That was her duty as a police officer, and she wasn¡¯t forced by anyone. ¡°Anastasia, you may me me if you¡¯re upset, but don¡¯t me Elliot, okay? He was depressed and completely lost when he came back that day. He loves you very much, and he doesn¡¯t want to lose you.¡± Anastasia was moved to hear Harriet¡¯s words. Hearing others tell her that Elliot loved her seemed to give her a sense of certainty as if he loved her wholeheartedly. ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m sorry for believing in Riley¡¯s words and misunderstanding you,¡± Anastasia apologized. Harriet didn¡¯t have any morements about her stepson. All she wanted was for the younger generation to not be harmed by him again. Elliot instructed the housekeeper to serve Hayley in the tea house and made sure that she left after having lunch. Upon moving to the quiet lounge, he immediately softened when he saw the woman sitting on the sofa with his grandmother. There was now a touch of warmth in between his brows, and the coldness toward Hayley just now hadpletely disappeared. Anastasia looked up at the man who was approaching, and a blush of shyness crept up her cheeks. Harriet couldn¡¯t help but smile upon seeing them. ¡°Well, it¡¯s time for me to go out and greet the guests now. I¡¯ll let Elliot keep youpany in here.¡± After speaking, Harriet left the room. Elliot sat beside her naturally, staring at her as if he could never have enough of the woman. Anastasia suddenlyughed, ¡°Can you stop staring?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that Nigel¡¯s more handsome than me?¡± Elliot wanted to settle this matter with her privately. Seeing him like that, Anastasia burst outughing. ¡°What? Are you jealous?¡± As sheughed, Elliot¡¯s long arms stretched out and wrapped around her waist, pulling her down with him until they were both lying on the sofa. Anastasia was on top of him, staring down at his face that was too close forfort. A perfectly wless face was reflected in her eyes. ¡°Take a good look. Is my face not up to your standards?¡± Elliot intentionally described himself pitifully. In response, Anastasia pursed her lips and smiled. Why was he sopetitive? Why did he insist on comparing himself to Nigel in terms of appearance? He was definitely more childish than her son. ¡°You¡¯re handsome. In fact, you¡¯re the most handsome guy to me.¡± Anastasia used the same trick she had coaxed her son on him. Fortunately, it seemed that the trick worked even better on him. Elliot curved his thin lips, asking, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s true. In terms of appearance, my sones first, you are second, and Nigel is in third ce,¡± Anastasia answered him in all seriousness. He should be satisfied with her answer by now! Elliot knew that it was too difficult to win over Jared and take down the first ce, so he was satisfied with the final oue. Only then did Anastasia realize that she was still lying in his arms, and she could feel the heat radiating from him through his clothes. The warmth of his skin felt a little too hot for her to bear, so she immediately struggled to get up. However, Elliot¡¯s long arms werezily draped around her waist, and a malicious smile crept on his face. ¡°Elliot, let me go,¡± Anastasiained softly. ¡°If you don¡¯t show me your love, I won¡¯t let go,¡± said Elliot with a smirk. ¡°What do you mean? You¡¯re really unreasonable sometimes.¡± Anastasia had enough of him. How could he just say things like that out of in air? ¡°It¡¯s either you kiss me, or I kiss you. Pick one.¡± Did it make a difference? Wasn¡¯t she going to be kissed in the end? What a canny businessman he was. ¡°Neither. I want to go out to eat something delicious.¡± After Anastasia finished speaking, she got up forcibly. Elliot sat up with her, but in the next second, the two fell on the sofa once again. This time, Anastasia was below Elliot. ¡°You¡­¡± Anastasia thought Elliot was a nasty man. ¡°I won¡¯t give up until I achieve my goal,¡± said Elliot before kissing her red lips. All of sudden, Anastasia felt as if a current was running through her body. It felt like she was going crazy. Elliot really liked to mess around with her regardless of the asion. However, there was no doubt that the kiss was exciting and sweet. As the sunlight shone onto the sofa, Anastasia was surrounded by his breath, indulging in his gentle and delicate kiss. Elliot had a special ability; whenever he looked at Anastasia or kissed her, it was as if his eyes were dripping with honey. He looked at her as if she meant the world to him. Upon hearing footstepsing from outside the window, Anastasia shoved him hard, causing him to fall to the ground. With a loud thud, Elliot¡¯s head hit the ground harshly. ¡°Oh, dear! Elliot, are you alright?¡± Anastasia sat up. She felt bad for Elliot, who was currently lying on the ground. How hard did she push him just now? How bad did it hurt when his head hit the ground? Although there was ayer of carpet, there was indeed a loud thud just now. Elliot¡¯s eyes were full of grievances. ¡°Are you trying to murder your husband?¡± Seeing that he was lying on the floor and unable to get up, she reached out to pull him while apologizing, ¡°Sorry. I thought your Grandma woulde in and see us.¡± Elliot now knew what would happen to him if he angered her after marriage. He would face the fate of being kicked down from the bed. Borrowing the strength of her pull, Elliot pushed her onto the sofa once again. ¡°I won¡¯t forgive you if you don¡¯t kiss me first.¡± Anastasia took the initiative now and kissed him on the cheek. ¡°Happy?¡± ¡°On the lips,¡± Elliot reminded. Anastasia rolled her eyes and muttered, ¡°You¡¯re so bossy.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t roll your eyes at me. That¡¯s rude,¡± reminded Elliot once again. Defying him, Anastasia rolled her eyes before uttering proudly, ¡°We¡¯re not officially in a rtionship yet, anyway. You still have a chance to turn back.¡± Elliot didn¡¯t know what to do with her. Just then, Anastasia hugged his neck and nted a kiss on his thin lips. ¡°All peachy? I¡¯ll go eat now.¡± With that, she smoothed her clothes and went out. Behind her, the man still looked majestic despite sitting on the carpet, and there was a hint of mischief on his handsome face. In another tea room at the end of the corridor, even though Hayley enjoyed the treatment as a guest and had a table full of foodid out before her, she was suffering inside. Her existence here was like a joke. The servants looked like they respected her on the outside, but she knew that they wereughing at her behind her back! She hated Elliot for treating her like that, but she hated Anastasia even more; Anastasia must have whispered horrible things about her in Elliot¡¯s ears, turning her into a vicious woman. Hayley took a deep breath, the hatred apparent in her eyes as a sneer crept onto her lips. She got up and walked out of the room, but a servant immediately reached out and stopped her. ¡°Miss Seymour, Young Master Elliot insists that you have your meal here.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I go to the bathroom?¡± Hayley red coldly at her, then strode toward a certain ce. When she was herest time, she had the opportunity to tour the Presgrave Residence. She remembered faintly that Harriet¡¯s medicine was kept in a specialized room on the first floor. She thought that since the Presgrave Residence housed such arge family, they probably wouldn¡¯t install CCTVs inside their house. This would make her operation much easier. Just as expected, she didn¡¯t spot any CCTVs around her. When she passed by the garden, she heard laughtering from the main hall. It filled her heart with envy, for Anastasia was probably there as well. Hayley noticed that the servant was following her. Annoyance shed across the depths of her eyes as she instantly walked further into the garden. The servant called after her, ¡°Miss Seymour, please don¡¯t run around. That¡¯s not where the bathroom is.¡± Soon, Hayley managed to throw off the servant and emerged from another corridor. Now, all the servants were gathered at the main hall to serve the guests, so the huge Presgrave Residence looked especially empty. A vicious feeling rose up in Hayley¡¯s heart. Even if Harriet had no ill intentions toward her, she still hated that old woman. She hated how Harriet favored Anastasia over her without helping her get together with Elliot. As such, Hayley wouldn¡¯t mind Harriet dying. She just wanted Anastasia to take the me. Finally, Hayley found the storeroom on the first floor. As expected, she walked briskly over and found that it was unlocked. She opened the door and saw a few freezers inside, in addition to a row of shelves. However, Harriet¡¯s usual medication was ced on a table, and a few medicine bottles were ced separately in a small basket. Hayley poured them out and studied them briefly before putting two simr types of pills inside. The pills were sleeping medications and also heart medications withplicated ingredients. If consumed over a long period of time, a person of Harriet¡¯s age would experience problems soon enough. After swapping out the pills, Hayley immediately left the scene. Hayley passed by the garden once again, and when she saw the bustling on the other side, she suddenly felt the urge to go over as well. Didn¡¯t Elliot ban her from meeting Anastasia? In that case, it was all the more reason for her to let Anastasia know that she was here. Hayley went closer to the main hall on purpose. When she saw two well-dresseddies in front of her, she suddenly put a hand her forehead and fell onto the floor. ¡°Oh! Are you alright, miss?¡± Just as expected, one of thedies rushed over to her. Hayley fainted right away, and she heard anotherdy say, ¡°I¡¯ll go get help.¡± At the table, Anastasia was sampling the desserts when she heard ady rush in, saying, ¡°Come quick! Someone just fainted. Hurry up and send her to the hospital!¡± Elliot had just excused himself to answer a call, and Anastasia was sitting next to Nigel. When they heard the shouts, Nigel was the first to get up. Anastasia followed him out. Nigel looked at Hayley and asked, a little stunned, ¡°Who even is she?!¡± ¡°Just ignore that and send her to the hospital right away,¡± Nigel¡¯s mother urged. When Anastasia saw Hayley lying on the floor, she was instantly shocked. She didn¡¯t expect that Hayley would be here as well. Just then, someone shouted, ¡°She¡¯s waking up.¡± Hayley, who was in Nigel¡¯s arms at the time, suddenly opened her eyes. Nigel immediately put her down. Just then, a servant hastily walked over. ¡°Miss Seymour, why are you here? I¡¯ve been looking all over for you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter with this Miss Seymour?¡± Brenda asked. ¡°Y-Young Master Elliot told us to let Miss Seymour dine in the side hall,¡± the servant replied. Anastasia¡¯s gaze met Hayley¡¯s, and the hatred in Hayley¡¯s eyes was directed right at her. Anastasia understood right away that Hayley had attended as well, but Elliot had arranged a separate dining area for her. Hayley definitely didn¡¯te on official invitation; she hade of her own ord. ¡°You¡ª¡± Nigel looked at Hayley, then back at Anastasia. He felt as if he had just met the bootleg version of Anastasia, and traces of Hayley¡¯s stic surgery were visible in the sunlight. ¡°Miss Seymour, I¡¯ll get a car ready to send you back after the meal.¡± The housekeeper appeared and gestured toward Hayley. ¡°This way, please.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll inform Old Madam Presgrave first,¡± Hayley told the housekeeper. ¡°Sorry, but Young Master Elliot has asked me to take you home right away.¡± The housekeeper didn¡¯t want Hayley to affect the other guests. Hayley was a little reluctant, but at that moment, the female guests who gathered around her were all examining her in surprise. She could only say, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll leave. However, can I have a word with my friend first?¡± With that, she pointed at Anastasia. Anastasia instantly declined in disdain. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to say between us.¡± ¡°Anastasia, when you were assaulted five years ago, you said that I was the one who did it. Why did you tell Elliot that I was the one behind it? Since when did I order a host to sleep with you, causing you to give birth to a son as a result?¡± Hayley said loudly. At the side, Nigel was so furious that he wanted to cover her mouth. Simrly, Anastasia turned red in the face out of anger. Hayley was mentioning this incident in front of all the guests on purpose. ¡°Hayley, that¡¯s enough messing around.¡± Just then, Elliot walked over to them from somewhere, his expression dark. Startled, Hayley trembled slightly, but she raised her voice to retort, ¡°Did I say anything wrong? Elliot, I don¡¯t want you to misunderstand. I really didn¡¯t harm her.¡± Anastasia clenched her fists tightly as she shivered in fury. Even up until now, Hayley kept crossing the line. How could someone twist the truth to this extent? Elliot¡¯s expression was unimaginably dark. Hayley was taking the opportunity to tell all the Presgraves¡¯ rtives about that incident, and she clearly wanted to ruin Anastasia¡¯s reputation. ¡°Shut up, Hayley.¡± Elliot gave her a warning re. Hayley¡¯s eyes immediately went red, and she used in tears, ¡°Elliot, I gave you my first time five years ago to cure you, and you bullied me to no end. I even miscarried once for you. Is this how you should treat me?¡± Everyone present stared at Elliot in shock, for they couldn¡¯t believe he did something like that. They had no idea if they should me this most noble young master of the Presgraves. Anastasia¡¯s face turned pale in an instant as she looked at Hayley. She actually miscarried once for Elliot¡¯s sake? Harriet had just arrived on the scene and managed to catch Hayley¡¯s act. She said to Hayley, ¡°Miss Seymour, I know that Elliot had mistreated you before, and he alsomitted some mistakes. However, Elliot has been looking for you for the past five years so he could make it up to you. Now, we¡¯re doing our best topensate you for the incident five years ago. Ever since we found you, have the Presgraves ever mistreated you?¡± Hayley¡¯s true desire wasn¡¯t any material object, for she actually wanted to be Elliot¡¯s wife. Gritting her teeth, she said, ¡°Grandma, I can¡¯t even find a man to marry now. I want to be Elliot¡¯s wife. I want to marry him.¡± Hayley exposed her ambitions without restraint. She looked toward Elliot with a meaningful gaze. ¡°Elliot, I don¡¯t me you for what you did to me that night. I just want to stay by your side and be with you.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t force love, Hayley. I will never take you as my wife,¡± Elliot rejected coldly. ¡°Miss Seymour, I know Elliot has mistreated you before, but he alsopensated you in every way he could. You should know where the line is drawn.¡± Brenda stepped forward, not wishing for her mother to be troubled and intending to protect her own nephew. Hayley looked at the well-dresseddy, whose eyes red in warning toward her. She had done and said everything she nned to do and say today, and she didn¡¯t want it to spiral into chaos either. She pitifully nodded. ¡°I understand. I¡¯m sorry, Grandma. I shouldn¡¯t have disturbed your banquet. I¡¯m so sorry, and I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡± The housekeeper immediately sent for someone to take Hayley home. Hayley kept looking back at Elliot as she left, her love and adoration obvious to all. However, under the sunlight, Elliot¡¯s entire body emanated a chill. No matter how loving Hayley¡¯s gaze was, it could not remove the coldness in him. While no one was looking, Anastasia quietly left the crowd. She walked toward a deserted garden, her thoughts upied with the notion that Hayley had undergone abortion for Elliot¡¯s sake. This was further proof of the incident between Elliot and Hayley that night. It reminded her again of this, and she felt unbearably sad. Brenda helped her mother back inside to rest. The other rtives and friends also understood the Presgraves¡¯ situation, so they didn¡¯t make anyments on it. The Presgrave Family was powerful exactly because its members were united. Just then, Harriet felt some difort in her chest. She told the housekeeper, ¡°Jodie, fetch my medicine.¡± ¡°Please calm down, Old Madam Presgrave. Do not heed to Miss Seymour¡¯s words.¡± ¡°She miscarried a child for Elliot¡¯s sake! A child of the Presgraves!¡± Harriet said regretfully. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t think like that. It¡¯d be real trouble if Elliot had a child with that girl.¡± Brenda was aware. After all, someone with a personality like Hayley¡¯s did not deserve to marry into the Presgrave Family. Just then, the housekeeper brought the medicine. She also gave Harriet some water to take the pills with. After Harriet had taken the medicine, she sighed. ¡°No matter what, the right wife for Elliot can only be Anastasia.¡± ¡°Yes! I also hope Miss Tillman will marry Elliot.¡± Brenda actually preferred Anastasia too. Anastasia had saved her son¡¯s life, after all. When Elliot found Anastasia, she was sitting on a swing in the garden. She was in a daze as she sat on the swing, and when the wind lifted her hair, it was as if her hair was also glowing under the sunlight. She looked like a princess heavy with worry. Elliot strode over in light steps and walked up to her. Then, he began pushing the swing into motion. Anastasia let him continue pushing before she asked, ¡°When did you find out that Hayley miscarried for you before?¡± ¡°Last time, when she sent you a photo,¡± Elliot answered truthfully. He hadn¡¯t declined when Hayley clung onto him and asked him for a photo! ¡°Why didn¡¯t you let her into the main hall to eat today?¡± Anastasia asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to see her and upset your mood,¡± he replied. ¡°I¡¯ve shamed you in front of your family, though,¡± Anastasia said bitterly. After all, she was assuming the role of his girlfriend today. Elliot let the swing stop, then bent down and looked at her in all earnestness. ¡°Anastasia, I don¡¯t care what other people think of you. I only know that in my heart, you have always been perfect.¡± Anastasia looked at him, her heart aching for him, ¡°Do you regret that incident with Hayley five years ago?¡± Anastasia asked. Elliot nodded. He couldn¡¯t find any words to express the regret in his heart. Just then, a servant came rushing along the garden path. ¡°Young Master Elliot,e quick. Old Madam Pregrave has fainted.¡± Elliot and Anastasia instantly got to their feet in shock. They exchanged nces and strode hurriedly toward the main hall. Nigel had carried Harriet back to her room and ced her down. Harriet¡¯s face was pale, and her eyes were tightly closed. She was barely conscious. ¡°Why did Grandma faint all of a sudden?¡± Elliot hastily walked into the room. ¡°She said she was feeling ufortable in her chest, and she asked for some medicine to ease the difort. Within ten minutes of her taking the pills, she suddenly fainted on the floor.¡± The housekeeper was extremely anxious as well. ¡°Are those pills the ones Grandma usually takes?¡± ¡°Yes! They¡¯re the heart pills she always takes.¡± ¡°Elliot, hurry up and send her to the hospital.¡± Brenda was so anxious that her eyes were turning red. Anastasia was deeply worried too. Elliot carried the unconscious Harriet and walked out the door, whereas Brenda and Jonathan left along with him. Nigel helped Anastasia up and said, ¡°You can go in my car.¡± In a private hospital which Presgrave Group had invested in, Harriet was immediately sent to the emergency unit. In the car, Nigel was anxious as well. ¡°My grandmother¡¯s health has always been in the pink, so how could she just faint like that? Was it too shocking for her? Also, who¡¯s that Hayley person just now?¡± After Anastasia told him about Hayley and Elliot, Nigel was stunned. He never thought that something like that had happened to his cousin five years ago. ¡°There¡¯s definitely more to this Hayley person.¡± Nigel hated that sort of woman at first nce. ¡°Hayley wants to be Mrs. Presgrave.¡± ¡°She had stic surgery too, didn¡¯t she? She¡¯s trying to look like you.¡± Nigel disliked her even more. Anastasia nodded. Any mention of Hayley was like a heavy rock upon her heart. By the time Anastasia and Nigel arrived at the hospital, Harriet had been in the emergency unit for more than ten minutes. Anastasia saw Elliot standing in the corridor, his expression tense and his eyes filled with worry. At the side, Brenda also leaned against her husband with her fists clenched tightly. ¡°Dad, Mom, did the doctor say anything?¡± ¡°No, not yet.¡± Jonathan shook his head. Anastasia walked over to Elliot. She wanted tofort him, but she didn¡¯t know what to say. Harriet didn¡¯t look too good just now. What would he do if something happened to Harriet? ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± said Elliot,forting her instead. Anastasia patted him on the shoulder and apanied him as they waited for the results. Suddenly, the door opened, and the doctor emerged while asking, ¡°Young Master Elliot, we found Old Madam Presgrave¡¯s heartbeat unusual just now, and it seemed as though she had taken the wrong medication. Are you sure that she had taken heart pills that are easy on her?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the situation with my grandma?¡± ¡°We cleansed her stomach just now, and we¡¯re trying to lower her blood pressure. However, this may be an arduous experience for her.¡± Hearing that, everyone present felt their heart ache for her. Anastasia noticed Elliot¡¯s tightly-clenched fists, and she pitied him as well. ¡°We¡¯ll do our best so that she can regain consciousness. Young Master Elliot, can you bring me the pills Old Madam Presgrave usually takes at home? I want to examine them.¡± Elliot nodded. When the doctor closed the door again, Elliot called up the housekeeper and asked her to deliver the medicine. ¡°Mom is at an old age now, but she still has to suffer like this. I feel so sorry for her,¡± Brenda said as she clutched at her chest. ¡°Even normal people can¡¯t bear all this suffering. Was there something wrong with the medication?¡± Jonathan frowned. Anastasia intuitively thought of someone. Hayley had appeared at the Presgrave Residence today, and she was an evil and scheming woman. Could she be involved in this? Nheless, Anastasia kept this guess to herself. After all, she couldn¡¯t say anything without proof. After more than two hours in the emergency unit, Harriet was moved to the ward. Within half a day, she seemed to have gained a few more years, and she looked considerably weaker. Just then, the housekeeper had also brought the medication, which was promptly sent to the doctor for examination. Anastasia looked at the time and found that it was almost 4.00PM. She called up her father and asked him to take her son back to her home and stay the night there, and she would go back as soon as Harriet woke up. Francis told her not to worry, and she could wait as long as she wanted at the hospital until Harriet regained consciousness. Meanwhile, Elliot stationed himself in the doctor¡¯s office as he watched the doctor study every bottle of medicine. He wanted to know the main reason his grandmother had fainted. Just as the doctor poured out a bottle of pills, he looked at the shape and size of the pills on the paper, and he could immediately spot the problem. ¡°This isn¡¯t heart medication. Has there been a mix-up?¡± The housekeeper, who was standing at the side, also came closer to look. She eximed, ¡°When did the pills get sorge? Even the marks don¡¯t look like the pills Old Madam Presgrave usually takes.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think these are heart pills either. I¡¯ll have someone run a thorough analysis to determine its ingredients.¡± Elliot looked at the housekeeper. ¡°Jodie, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either, Young Master Elliot. The pills I gave Old Madam Presgrave yesterday were still the normal size, but how did they turn bigger today?¡± The housekeeper also had no idea what was going on. ¡°Someone probably swapped the contents.¡± With that, the doctor took another bottle and poured the pills onto a piece of paper to examine them. ¡°These are sleeping pills, but there¡¯s something wrong with them too. Even though they look more or less alike, these pills contain 6 times the contents of the pills I usually prescribe to Old Madam Presgrave. If she takes these pills, her life would be at risk.¡± Elliot¡¯s expression changed. It was obvious that someone had swapped his grandma¡¯s pills, but who would do such a vicious thing? The housekeeper was also shocked to the core. ¡°Oh my goodness! Who¡¯s trying to kill her? How dare they meddle with her usual medication!¡± ¡°You¡¯d better find out as soon as possible.¡± The doctor looked at Elliot. ¡°Young Master Elliot, with Old Madam Presgrave¡¯s age, her medications must not have the slightest bit of error.¡± Rage was already obvious on Elliot¡¯s face, and there was a cold murderous look in his eyes. Who dared to meddle with his grandma¡¯s medication? No matter who it was, when the culprit was uncovered, he would make them pay dearly. ¡°Fortunately, she has quite a strong resistance to medicine, and it caused such a reaction. This is how we were able to determine early on that someone had meddled with her medication.¡± ¡°Young Master Elliot, I really can¡¯t figure out who would do such a thing. All the servants in the Presgrave Residence love and respect Old Madam Presgrave. She¡¯s usually very caring toward us, and we are all grateful to her. Who would plot against her?¡± ¡°When did you think the pills were swapped? Were the pills normal yesterday?¡± The housekeeper nodded. ¡°Yes, the pills were still normal yesterday, and they were fine this morning. The pills only seemed different this afternoon.¡± The housekeeper was only a little more than 40 years old. She had no problems with her eyesight, and her memory was quite decent as well. If none of the servants in the Presgrave Residence would do such a thing, then someone outside of the house might have done it. Even though many rtives and friends visited today, they were all people the Pregraves were on good terms with. ¡°Could it be Miss Seymour? She might hate you for not letting her dine in the main hall, and that may be why she plotted against Old Madam Presgrave,¡± the housekeeper reminded. A cold light instantly gleamed in Elliot¡¯s eyes. Indeed, Hayley was the most probable culprit. ¡°I asked you to send people to keep an eye on her, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°It was lunch time, and we were short staffed. I only sent one person to watch her, but she probably couldn¡¯t be tracked throughout the entire process. She must have found an opportunity to slip into the medicine room.¡± ¡°The CCTV! Young Master Elliot, we have CCTV in the medicine room.¡± The housekeeper suddenly remembered. A cat had sneaked into the medicine roomst time, but she thought that a new servant had broken something instead. In the end, when they found out the truth, Harriet even scolded her for it, so she installed CCTV in the medicine room after that. ¡°In order to keep better watch over the medicine room, I installed the CCTV there of my own ord. I feared that something was wrong with the medicine.¡± With that, the housekeeper took out her phone. The CCTV was linked to an app on her phone. ¡°Show me the recording,¡± Elliot ordered through gritted teeth. He was already extremely furious at this point. The housekeeper navigated the app and found the folder where the recordings were stored. They were saved in chunks, so she had to look through the recordings chronologically. Soon, she found the time when Hayley entered the room. Then, Elliot took her phone and sat on a couch nearby, ying the video in fast forward. Finally, sounds could be heard in the quiet medicine room at 12.45PM. It was the sound of a door opening. Immediately after that, a figure walked in. Who else could it be but Hayley? She looked around her for a while, then got to work swapping the contents of the medicine bottles. Her evil act was caught right on camera. ¡°Just as expected, it¡¯s Hayley. I can¡¯t believe she could get so evil at such a young age. Hasn¡¯t Old Madam Presgrave treated her well enough?¡± The housekeeper had never seen such a vicious woman. Elliot watched the entire process of her swapping out the medicine, whichsted a few minutes. His handsome face was tense, and a fearsome and chilly aura emanated from him. He already thought that she was incredibly evil when she first harmed Anastasia all those years ago. He didn¡¯t expect her to endanger his grandma¡¯s life as well. Hayley had no idea that her every action was being recorded. When she turned around, she even looked at the medicine with a vicious smile on her face. She smiled gleefully for a few seconds before finally leaving. The housekeeper was almost driven mad by her anger. Hayley obviously had the intention of harming people, and she couldn¡¯t believe that Hayley¡¯s heart could be so ugly beneath the pretty exterior. ¡°Send me a copy of the video.¡± Elliot passed the phone back to the housekeeper, then asked the doctor, ¡°How¡¯s my grandma¡¯s condition right now?¡± ¡°She¡¯s doing well, and her blood pressure has been regted. She can stay in the hospital, and we¡¯ll check on her for a while. Fortunately, the medicine wasn¡¯tpletely absorbed into her body.¡± Elliot nodded, then said to the housekeeper, ¡°Don¡¯t tell my grandma about this yet. I don¡¯t want her to be affected.¡± ¡°Understood, Young Master Elliot. Please don¡¯t let Hayley off the hook. She¡¯s too evil.¡± The housekeeper was extremely furious as well. If Hayley wasn¡¯t found out, she might be the one to take the me. She couldn¡¯t imagine what would happen to her then. Also, Harriet was such a kind person, so if the old woman passed away just like that, she would live all the days of her life in regret. ¡°I won¡¯t let her off so easily,¡± Elliot said through gritted teeth. Hayley¡¯s good days were over. Elliot didn¡¯t get back at Hayley right away. For now, he just wanted to wait until Harriet woke up, and he would deal with this matter when her condition had stabilized. However, he still had one more person to deal with. He reached out and dialed Rey¡¯s number. ¡°Get Daniel to take care of Hayley tonight, and keep a close eye on him throughout the whole process. I want to know his rtionship with Hayley.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Rey sensed that something was about to happen, so he did exactly as he was told. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Meanwhile, Hayley didn¡¯t know anything about Harriet being hospitalized. After she was sent back to the vi, she had a round of drinks and gotpletely drunk. After her drinking session, she received a call from Daniel. ¡°President Presgrave has asked me toe and take care of you. Are you okay, Miss Seymour?¡± Daniel asked over the phone. ¡°Come here, Danny. I need you.¡± At that moment, Hayley only wanted a man to depend on. ¡°I¡¯ll be right there.¡± Since it was Elliot¡¯s orders, Daniel had a valid reason toe and take care of Hayley. Daniel arrived after a short while. When he saw Hayley lying in the pile of wine bottles, he went over and helped her up. ¡°Miss Seymour, you¡¯re drunk.¡± ¡°Danny, am I really that bad-looking? Am I really inferior to Anastasia?¡± Daniel could only coax her as he said, ¡°No, you¡¯re very beautiful too.¡± ¡°Howe Elliot only has eyes for Anastasia, though? What about me? I put in so much effort to look like her, but Elliot didn¡¯t even spare me a look. He had no idea how scared I was when I was on the operating table. Even my sense of taste has gone wrong, but he still doesn¡¯t like me.¡± Hayley sobbed into Daniel¡¯s arms. This scene was caught on a camera not far away, for Rey had sent people to keep an eye on them. Hayley and Daniel were unaware of all this as they talked in the room. ¡°Danny, carry me upstairs.¡± Hayley¡¯s eyes were filled with a pleading look. She needed a man right now. Daniel looked at Hayley. Even though Hayley had altered her appearance, Daniel still loved her. After all, they had been intimate on a few asions before. Daniel carried Hayley upstairs, and all this was recorded and sent to Elliot¡¯s phone. As Elliot watched Hayley mingle with his assistant, there was only disgust in his heart. Elliot was now sitting on a couch in the lounge. Anastasia had fetched a ss of water for him, so Elliot turned off his phone and epted it. Anastasia could see that Elliot wasn¡¯t in a good mood. He seemed worried, and he was also terribly furious. Chapter 431-440 Chapter 431-440 In fact, Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but sense a chilly aura and the man¡¯s eerie silence filled the atmosphere. Soon, Elliot looked up and sat her down beside him. ¡°How are things with Jared? Would you like to leave and check on him now?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him. He is with my dad. Anyway, have they identified the reason that caused your grandmother to faint?¡± Anastasia curiously asked. Elliot nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you more when I¡¯m done taking care of everything.¡± ¡°Sure. What matters now is that your grandma wakes up.¡± An hourter, Harriet woke up and was seemingly in a good mood, although she had no idea why she fainted in the first ce. ¡°Mom, let me handle our dinner next year! The years have caught up to you, and you should rest more.¡± Brenda thought the hectic preparation for the dinner had taken a toll on Harriet¡¯s health and caused her to pass out. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything much either.¡± Thedy shook her head. ¡°You nearly scared us all to death, Grandma.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯m fine, aren¡¯t I?¡± Harriet insisted that she was still healthy and refused to worry the others. At the same time, Elliot was relieved after seeing his grandmothere around, thinking he could finally put his mind to ease. ¡°Grandma, you should probably stay in the hospital for a week,¡± he suggested. ¡°That¡¯s right, Mom! I promise I¡¯ll visit you every day so that you won¡¯t feel bored. Please stay here!¡± ¡°Why do you guys look like you¡¯re trying to incarcerate me here?¡± Harriet wasn¡¯t happy with everyone¡¯s suggestion as she expressed her dissatisfaction. After all, they all thought that the more energetic she tried to make herself seem, the more childish she appeared to be. In the meantime, Anastasia felt just as relieved as the rest while looking at the olddy with a smile on her face while finally feeling the joy of having an elderly senior in the family. ¡°Aunt Brenda, why don¡¯t you stay here to keep Grandmapany with Nigel while I give Anastasia a ride home?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Brenda nodded her head in response. When Elliot took Anastasia home, he was surprisingly quiet in the car, which made Anastasia think it was because he was too shocked about his grandmother¡¯s condition. Therefore, she silently stayed by his side until they arrived at the entrance of her residential area just as Elliot said, ¡°I¡¯lle over to pick you upter.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯ll be staying home tonight.¡± Anastasia didn¡¯t want Elliot to be tired out by the hassle of traveling. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll pick you up tomorrow then.¡± He hoped that she would move in and stay with him. ¡°Alright, do what you must for now.¡± She alighted from the car and walked further into the residential area. After watching thedy walk through the gate, Elliot reached for his phone and dialed Rey¡¯s number. ¡°Gather a few men and tell them toe with me to Hayley¡¯s house.¡± On the other hand, Hayley and Daniel were cuddling each other in their sleep at Summit Mansion as they were exhausted from their intimate moment just minutes ago. However, that also left the unsuspecting duopletely unaware of Elliot and his men¡¯s arrival. Meanwhile, Rey was shocked by what he discovered as he managed to trace a transaction that led them to a source, which waster identified to be from the ck card given to Hayley. ¡°President Presgrave, Miss Seymour has spent approximately fifty million with this card in the past six months.¡± Damn! Hayley hasn¡¯t really been frugal with the money she¡¯s been given. Elliot squinted, deciding to stop aiding Hayley financially from that moment on. At the same time, Rey had the ess card to the mansion and was able to drive into thepound. Throughout the entire time, Hayley and Daniel were still sound asleep in the room. Since the manor belonged to Elliot, he had the authority to reset the password. Instead of waking the two of them up, he reset the password and opened the door. ¡°They¡¯re now upstairs. Should we head up there?¡± Rey awkwardly asked, considering the fact that Daniel was his colleague. ¡°Get them down here.¡± Elliot had no interest in witnessing what he deemed would be an eyesore. Therefore, Rey reluctantly headed upstairs by himself and made his way to the bedroom where he saw several clothes lying on the ground. At the sight of that, he felt goosebumps running all over his body as he knocked on the door, waking the two of them up instantly. While Hayley snapped out of her alcoholic influence, Daniel immediately asked, ¡°Who else has ess to your house, Hayley?¡± ¡°Is it Anna?¡± Hayley, who was seen with her messy hair, was mad at Anna whom she thought was knocking on the door. As Daniel wore his clothes in a panicky manner, Hayley wrapped herself in her pajamas and opened the door, only to be greeted by Rey¡¯s face which left them horrified and stunned. ¡°M-Mr. Osborne, what brings you here?¡± Hayley asked in a terrified manner and went on to exin what might have appeared to Rey, although Daniel could be seen buttoning up his shirt in the background. ¡°Mr. Lancaster and I were discussing something in the room.¡± ¡°Mr. Presgrave is waiting downstairs. Get down there when you¡¯re done putting on your clothes.¡± Rey finished his words and walked away. Upon hearing the man¡¯s words, Hayley turned pale in the face. What?! Elliot is waiting downstairs? She then turned her attention to Daniel and red at him. ¡°We will say nothing about our rtionship!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t say!¡± Daniel replied. What kind of dumb question is that?! I don¡¯t want to die yet! Upon putting on their clothes, they headed downstairs as if they had just finished discussing their business. Then, Hayley made her way to Elliot, although she was still trying to get over her surprised feeling about the man¡¯s untimely visit. ¡°Here you are, Elliot.¡± Despite the short period, she managed to put on some makeup and applied some lipstick to her lips before showing herself in a decent coat. At the same time, Daniel was too scared to look up as he seemed afraid to step forward. Meanwhile, Elliot set his cold eyes on thedy who wasing his way, his eyes gaze filled with rage and exasperation. ¡°Rey, please show Miss Seymour the video.¡± Elliot had never thought about killing someone, but at that moment, he was tempted to make an exception. While Hayley had no idea what she was going to be watching, Rey proceeded to turn up the volume and show her a video of herself swapping the medicine at Presgrave Residence with the highest resolution. In that instant, Hayley¡¯s eyes were left wide open in horror as she covered her mouth and spent the next few minutes watching the video until the end. Deep down, she didn¡¯t expect that her wrongdoings would be caught on tape, and she shivered so much that she struggled to muster the courage and meet Elliot¡¯s gaze. However, she eventually decided to take a peek, only to notice the man¡¯s cial expression like he was suppressing his murderous intent. On the other hand, Elliot, who met Hayley¡¯s eyes, instantly felt a strong desire to kill her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Elliot. I-I¡­ I¡­¡± Hayley stammered and struggled toplete her sentence in the face of Elliot¡¯s indifferent sharp gaze. While she was usually good at giving excuses, nothing seemed toe to her mind at that moment. After all, her wickedness and heartlessness were exposed by the video, which left her with almost no way to exin herself. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I-I was foolish to make that mistake. Please forgive me, Elliot. I just couldn¡¯t think straight.¡± ¡°Miss Seymour, do you know that Old Madam Presgrave has been admitted to the hospital because she mistakenly took the medicine you swapped and fainted?¡± Rey asked rhetorically in an attempt to make Hayley understand the gravity of the situation. Upon hearing Rey¡¯s reply, Hayley felt her blood freeze. ¡°What?! Grandma mistakenly took the medicine?! I¡¯m sorry. I never thought of doing any harm to Grandma. I swear I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Thedy stubbornly tried to talk her way out, gazing at Elliot tearfully. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Elliot! I didn¡¯t mean it! I didn¡¯t do that on purpose¡­¡± ¡°Hayley, I¡¯m going to spare your life for the sake of that incident five years ago, but I demand you to return my card and my watch to me. Then, pack your stuff and get out of my manor,¡± Elliot answered coldly without a sign of expression that indicated his anger. Scared by the man¡¯s words, Hayley bit her lips in fear as she didn¡¯t think her nightmare would catch up to her so soon. Although the truth about the incident that happened five years ago wasn¡¯t exposed, she was surprised that Elliot still wanted to take everything away from her. ¡°You can¡¯t do this to me, Elliot! I gave you my first time five years ago, so is that how you¡¯re going to treat me?¡± ¡°You tried to kill my grandmother, so do you think I¡¯m going to give a damn about what happened five years ago? With this video, I could put you in jail and have you locked up in a cell for eternity,¡± Elliot answered coldly. Meanwhile, Hayley went weak in the knees and copsed onto the ground after hearing Elliot¡¯s words. After all, Elliot was like a god that had made her somebody. Now, he was going to take everything away from her. I¡¯m no longer who I used to be, and I¡¯ll never be the person I was. I¡¯m now living like a princess, so how can I go back to the old days when I was poor and broke? ¡°Please, Elliot! Please don¡¯t do this to me! I¡¯m sorry! I made a mistake, but I¡¯ve learned my lesson¡­¡± Hayley sank to her knees and crawled toward Elliot, beseeching him to cut her some ck. ¡°Please don¡¯t take my card away from me. Please don¡¯t chase me out of this manor! I promise I¡¯ll never harm anyone ever again, Elliot! I don¡¯t want to lose everything I have now¡­¡± On the other hand, Rey and the other bodyguards were speechless upon seeing Hayley¡¯s reaction, seeing how thedy was willing to beg Elliot not to take away her money at the cost of her pride. As the man¡¯s cial gaze stopped thedy from moving, he said, ¡°From the moment you tried to kill my grandma, you no longer deserve to own everything you have right now. I have no more tolerance for you, Hayley!¡± At the same time, Daniel, who was staring at Hayley, lost his liking toward her as he found her embarrassed look ugly andughable. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, President Presgrave. I¡¯ll resign right away.¡± He walked closer and added, ¡°I know I¡¯ve made a mistake for allowing Miss Seymour to seduce me. I apologize to you for that.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Daniel?! I didn¡¯t seduce you, but you forced me to sleep with you instead.¡± Hayley refuted Daniel, refusing to let thetter¡¯s usation add to Elliot¡¯s hatred for her. Nheless, Elliot felt nothing but disgust toward the two of them. He red at Daniel and said, ¡°Get out of my face now!¡± Knowing that Elliot was showing him mercy by telling him to leave, Daniel rose to his feet and staggered away desperately while Hayley stayed behind and continued to kneel on her knees with a pale face to show her unwillingness to lose everything she had. ¡°Find Mr. Presgrave¡¯s card and watch.¡± Rey gave the bodyguards an order. ¡°No, please don¡¯t take my card away! Please don¡¯t¡­¡± Hayley tried to grab her handbag, but the guards were one step ahead of her as they emptied it and reached for her wallet. As soon as they got their hands on the ck card, they wiped it with a piece of tissue paper and handed it over to Elliot. Nheless, he didn¡¯t take the card. Instead, he let Rey take it. In the meantime, one of his bodyguards headed upstairs and came down shortly after he found Elliot¡¯s watch and returned it to him. When Hayley saw what they were doing, she lost her mind and shouted, ¡°No, none of you can take anything away from me! They are all mine! I deserve them, Elliot! You¡¯re indebted to me, so you can¡¯t take them away from me.¡± As Hayley wanted to hug Elliot¡¯s thigh to beg him not to take away her possessions, two of his bodyguards immediately restrained her to keep her from getting closer to Elliot. ¡°Take all her possessions and throw them away.¡± Elliot gritted his teeth, ordering his guards to take everything away from Hayley. Hayley immediately covered her ne with her hands, her eyes left wide open in horror. After all, she wasn¡¯t about to give up a ne worth over five million, but soon, a bodyguard came closer while the other two pinned her to the ground. Humiliated, Hayley screamed out loud. ¡°You can¡¯t do this to me! You can¡¯t do this to me, Elliot! Help me! Ouch! It hurts, Elliot!¡± Despite thedy¡¯s painful screams, Elliot¡¯s gaze had no sympathy at all; there was only coldness and indifference to it. The guard swiftly removed Hayley¡¯s ne, as well as her diamond bracelet, diamond watch, and diamond ring. After that, the guard reached for her handbag, in which he put her cell phone and identification documents before throwing it back to her. With her messy hair, Hayley was seen sitting while crying on the floor while ring at Elliot resentfully. ¡°If I had known you were so heartless when you slept with me five years ago, I wouldn¡¯t have bothered to save you, Elliot!¡± No matter how Hayleyined, Elliot¡¯s eyes were only filled with hatred as he appeared emotionless. ¡°You set Anastasia up five years ago, and now you tried to kill my grandmother. The two of them are the women I love the most, so you should consider yourself lucky that you¡¯re still breathing right now.¡± ¡°Miss Seymour, I¡¯d like to ask you a question. Why did you instruct the guards at Abyss Club to burn down the server room? What are you hiding?¡± Rey seized the opportunity and asked. Hayley¡¯s face changed as she looked at Rey in horror. ¡°I-I did no such thing.¡± ¡°What are you not telling us?¡± Elliot questioned Hayley. Upon hearing Elliot¡¯s question, Hayley was horrified to realize that the former had already started to investigate the incident five years ago. For that, she was grateful that she had acted soon enough to destroy the evidence, or her lies would have been exposed a long time ago. ¡°Yes, I did that because I didn¡¯t want anyone to know that you slept with me.¡± Hayley tried to brush Elliot off with an excuse, but the man wasn¡¯t convinced by her perfunctory exnation at all. I don¡¯t believe in her words. They are not convincing at all, and I¡¯m sure she knows more than she lets on. On the other hand, Rey reckoned it was a good thing for Elliot for confronting Hayley about the incident five years ago. By doing so, Hayley could no longer mess around in the name of what had happened back then. Soon, Elliot stood up, seemingly tired of looking at Hayley¡¯s face as he turned to his bodyguard. ¡°Get her out of my manor.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t do this to me, Elliot! Please, no! I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve learned from my mistakes now, so please forgive me!¡± Hayley rose to her feet in a panicky manner, wanting to copse into Elliot¡¯s embrace. However, just when she was a foot away from him, she stopped in her tracks. It turned out that Elliot¡¯s nonchnt yet menacing gaze fell upon Hayley, intimidating her with his prominent status. At the same time, Hayley didn¡¯t dare to take a step forward as if she was about to fall off the edge of a cliff even though she was only standing several feet away from the man. ¡°I¡¯ll get out of here myself.¡± Hayley clenched her jaw, thinking she should do onest thing that would make her proud in front of Elliot. In the meantime, she couldn¡¯t help but figure out whether Elliot would treat her better after he had calmed down from his anger. Therefore, as she walked closer and closer to the door, she was looking forward to hearing Elliot calling out to her out of sympathy, but in the end, her wish didn¡¯te true. Instead, Hayley only felt a pair of cold eyes glued to her as she walked out the door. Upon stepping out of the manor, she looked back and took in the big house in which she had stayed for thest six months. The ce felt like a castle to her, and she had enjoyed a life of wealth andfort like a princess who was taken care of by her servants. Then, when sheid eyes on the Ferrari that she deemed was supposed to be hers, she couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry to see it taken away from her, along with everything else she owned just a few minutes ago. Now that she was back to being a normal person with nothing left, she regretted not transferring some of the properties under her name and stashing some of the expensive jewelry in her house. After all, she never had a thought that she would end up so miserably one day. Deep down, she beat herself and regretted harming someone innocent. If I didn¡¯t do any harm to anyone, I would still be enjoying all this. What the heck have I done? However, Hayley quickly asked herself how ady couldn¡¯t be blinded by her delusionally idealized fantasy after meeting a man like Elliot. Well, I guess it¡¯s not something fortunate for ady to be treated kindly by Elliot. Instead, it¡¯s a misfortune in disguise because it is going to drive her crazy since she will now crave to marry Elliot more than ever. Then, Hayley realized her madness all began with her love for Elliot, which was why she had done everything to win him over even though that had eventually led to her downfall. Soon, Hayley looked up and saw Elliot standing by the window. Meanwhile, the man seemed as graceful and handsome as he usually was, but she felt sorry for herself because she now no longer had the chance to even ask to see him. After leaving the manor, she realized the only valuable thing was the outfit that she was wearing at that moment. After all, she had spent hundreds of thousands purchasing her coat and tens of thousands on her shoes and handbag, but other than those things, she had nothing else left with her. In just a day, Hayley lost everything and went back to the way she used to live her old days. At the thought of that, she could no longer fight back her tears as she cursed Elliot and Anastasia, hoping they would suffer terribly until they died. She then curled her lips upward and smiled since she was nning to keep Anastasia in the dark about Elliot¡¯s identity as her son¡¯s father. At the same time, she gloated at Elliot¡¯s unawareness about Jared¡¯s actual identity, finding joy in the fact that Elliot thought Jared was Anastasia¡¯s illegitimate child with another man when he was in fact his son. Only I know this secret, but too bad that I¡¯m going to keep it with me until myst dying breath. By then, I¡¯m going to reveal it and make them suffer in remorse. I want Anastasia to remember that she slept with Elliot once back then. That¡¯s going to sting her like a nail in her chest, eh? ¡°Anastasia and Elliot, you will both die a horrible death!¡± Hayley cursed the two of them with a loud voice. Not long after that, she decided to settle down at a nearby caf¨¦, trying hard to adjust to her normal life after having lived her days luxuriously andfortably for the past six months. Upon ordering herself a cup of coffee, she silently swallowed the unpleasant truth of being treated meanly by Elliot who had now be the person for whom she had nothing but hatred and grudges. After taking a sip of her coffee, Hayley was stunned by the diluted taste. She remembered ordering a cup of coffee with a rich vor, yet she didn¡¯t taste anything except for a strange hint of bitterness. ¡°Is there something with your coffee? Why does it taste terrible?¡± Hayley vented out her anger on the waiter. The waiter came over and asked, ¡°Is there anything wrong with the coffee, miss?¡± ¡°What kind of coffee did you serve me? It contains no fragrance at all. I asked for hand-brewed coffee. Is this instant coffee?¡± Hayley inquired. ¡°It is indeed hand-brewed coffee, miss,¡± the waiter exined. ¡°This is the worst cup of coffee I¡¯ve ever had!¡± After finishing her words, Hayley stood up angrily. As she approached the door, she heard twodies mocking her. ¡°Despite her nice outfit, her personality is terrible.¡± ¡°Exactly! It¡¯s as if she¡¯s uneducated.¡± Hayley turned her head to see the twodies mocking her and chastised them. ¡°What are you talking about behind my back?¡± ¡°Did we refer to you? We¡¯re just talking about a b*tch who was barking earlier. Why are you fitting yourself into what we said?¡± Just as Hayley was about to walk over and confront them, they waved their hands to someone behind her. ¡°We¡¯re here, my dear.¡± At that, Hayley turned her head and saw two bulky men walking in. When she saw them, she became frightened and left after casting a stern re at the twodies. After she exited, she realized at that moment that she no longer had the right to be arrogant. She was even having trouble surviving now. It was easier to transition from frugality to excess, but not the other way around. In the past six months, she had no friends and had notmunicated with her family at all. She was a selfish person who would never share anything good with others. Hence, for the past six months, she was busy enjoying herself without even helping her family out. Her family remained poor and still struggled to make ends meet. She, on the other hand, had lived the life of a princess. She had stic surgery, drove expensive cars, lived in a luxury bungalow, and carried a premium credit card with an unlimited limit. Meeting Elliot was the disaster that ruined her life. At this point, Hayley noticed a swarm of cars exiting the intersection in front of her. The line of Rolls- Royces that cost millions looked imposing on the road. Indeed, they belonged to Elliot. Hayley suddenly recalled that she could take some of them and sell them since her vi was full of luxury things. She might be able to survive for a while with the money she received from the sale. However, after hailing a cab to the vi, she discovered that the password for the gate¡¯s digital lock had changed. She gritted her teeth and attempted to enter from the other side, but she identally set off the warning rm while climbing in. As a result, she was forced to flee in despair. When she had previously lived here, Rey had assured her that she did not need to be concerned about its security because there was a warning rm outside the wall. If anyone broke in, the rm would notify the security office that would immediately notify the police station who would thereafter dispatch officers over. As she remembered this, she felt hopeless. It was impossible for her to get anything out of this ce. A disappointed Hayley was walking on the street when her phone rang. She looked at the screen and immediately answered the call. ¡°Hello, Mr. n. How are things going on your end? When can I return to Hond again?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve contacted the relevant authorities, Miss Seymour, and we have arranged a time for you. However, you must first pay an examination fee.¡± ¡°How much is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a lot to you. Just a hundred thousand.¡± ¡°What?! A hundred thousand for the examination fee? I want to sue the hospital for causing my loss of taste, but he still dares to ask for an examination fee?¡± Hayley yelled and she sounded as if she was about to copse. ¡°Miss Seymour, the surgery you had cost about two million, so of course the examination fee would be this much. Furthermore, if you intend to sue the hospital, you must have at least one million set aside for legal fees.¡± It drove her insane when she heard that. ¡°What? You all are just going crazy over the money! They should be the one topensate me!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Seymour. The contract, which you signed, clearly states that you will bear all consequences including any after-effects. If you want to make more amendments to what was done, you will have to pay for additional treatments.¡± ¡°Piss off!¡± she eximed. At that point, Hayley was regretting her stic surgery. She could not afford the fee to maintain what she had done in the future. Even for her current loss of taste, she was unable to sue them, and all of this urred within two months of her surgery. The car was on the road and Elliot was sitting in the passenger seat, looking exhausted. ¡°President Presgrave, where do you want to go?¡± Rey asked. The first thought that came to Elliot was to look for Anastasia. However, she had informed him that she would not being to his house today, so he had no idea where he should go. ¡°Let¡¯s go see Grandma at the hospital.¡± Truth was, he was concerned about Harriet¡¯s health. ¡°I think you should inform Miss Tillman how you dealt with Hayley, President Presgrave, in case Hayley finds ways to cause trouble to Miss Tillman,¡± Rey suggested. Elliot considered what Rey said before saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go Anastasia¡¯s ce, then.¡± Meanwhile, Anastasia was preparing dinner when she received a call from Elliot, who said he would be coming over. She asked if he was going to have dinner here, to which he replied, ¡°Can you prepare my portion as well?¡± As she had not prepared dinner yet, she mentioned, ¡°Come over!¡± Francis was ted to know that Elliot would being, as it meant that Anastasia had reconciled with the man. ¡°Prepare more food, Anastasia,¡± Francis instructed. ¡°I¡¯ll bring Jared out for a walk.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Anastasia replied with a smile. Francis¡¯ phone, which had been left on the table, rang not long after he left. That surprised Anastasia, because she had not anticipated Francis not bringing his phone. She walked over to take a look and when she saw who was calling, she answered. But before she could respond, the person on the other end of the line yelled, ¡°Do you still want to live here, Francis? You¡¯re back at Anastasia¡¯s house, looking after her child, aren¡¯t you? You don¡¯t stay at home all day every day, not even on weekends! Do you even remember our home?¡± Anastasia frowned upon hearing that. Turned out that Naomi appeared to be dissatisfied with Francis coming to look after Jared. I bet he would need to face her nagging when he goes backter! ¡°It¡¯s Anastasia here, Naomi. My father is taking a stroll downstairs,¡± Anastasia voiced out. ¡°Anastasia, what do you mean by asking my husband to leave every day? Are you attempting to divide us? What nefarious ns do you have?¡± Naomi immediately chastised her. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that. I merely wanted him to look after Jared for a while.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have had your child if you don¡¯t have time to care for him!¡± Naomi responded angrily. That infuriated Anastasia. ¡°He¡¯s my father, so why can¡¯t he look after my child?¡± ¡°All right, let him look after your child as much as you want! Maybe one day I¡¯ll just divorce him!¡± Naomi threatened. Hearing that, Anastasia had the urge to talk back to the other woman, but she didn¡¯t want to make things difficult for Francis, who would be spending his life with Naomi. Hence, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll ask him to go home now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m warning you, Anastasia. You better not have any thoughts on your dad¡¯spany. It doesn¡¯t belong to you alone. Erica and I have our shares in it as well. If you intend to im it as your own, I¡¯ll definitely not let you off the hook.¡± Naomi hung up the phone as soon as she finished speaking. Anastasia, however, had never harbored such a thought before. It was just that Francis¡¯ business was now her responsibility. She had no choice but to assist Francis in relieving his stress. When Francis returned not long after, Anastasia requested him to go back to his house for dinner. He knew as well that Naomi would definitely be displeased since he had been out socializing all week and hadn¡¯t been home much. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go home. Take good care of Jared.¡± Francis then left. Not longter, Elliot arrived. ¡°I miss you so much, Mr. Presgrave!¡± ¡°It¡¯s only been a day since youst saw him. What¡¯s there for you to miss?¡± Anastasia said with a chuckle. It seemed that Jared had be more attached to Elliot than to her. And she was jealous about it. ¡°I just miss him!¡± Jared replied, his mouth pouting. Seeing that, Elliot lowered his head. He then carried Jared in his arms and gave the boy a kiss. ¡°I miss you too. I wanted to take you both home, but your mother refused.¡± ¡°Mr. Presgrave, just marry my mom fast! She¡¯ll be your wife then!¡± Jared said loudly. Anastasia, who was in the kitchen, heard everything he said, and found him amusing. Walking out, she gave him a stern re and said, ¡°Don¡¯t spout nonsense, Jared.¡± ¡°I want it as well! If she agrees, I can marry her right away.¡± ¡°Mom, did you hear what Mr. Presgrave said? Please agree to it!¡± Jared said as he dashed into the kitchen. Anastasia heard that, but she did not want toe out. Elliot then sat on the sofa with Jared, asionally hearing whatever was going on in the kitchen. He realized that he had really fallen in love with such a mundane life. At the same time, Anastasia had prepared a lot of food. She had prepared Francis¡¯ portion as well, but there were only three of them now. Jared attentively spooned food for Anastasia and Elliot while they were eating. Anastasia looked at him, then at Elliot, and she realized they looked just like father and son. After they finished their dinner, Anastasia was busy cleaning up the kitchen, while Elliot stood by the door, waiting for her. ¡°Do you have anything to tell me?¡± She walked out, wiping her hands. ¡°I retracted everything I had given Hayley. I don¡¯t want to see her again from now on.¡± Anastasia was shocked to hear that. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Hayley was the one who changed Grandma¡¯s medicine, which caused Grandma to faint this time. She wanted to hurt Grandma.¡± Anastasia could not believe what she was hearing, and she clenched her fists and asked, ¡°What? Hayley changed Old Madam Presgrave¡¯s medicine? Why did she do that?¡± ¡°Aside from her evil nature, I¡¯m guessing she wanted to frame you with this. Fortunately, surveince cameras were installed in the area where the medicine was prepared, and all of her actions were documented. Otherwise, she¡¯d undoubtedly use you of doing so.¡± Anastasia would have been implicated in the case if Elliot wasn¡¯t lucky enough to obtain the evidence. ¡°Your grandmother treats her well, but she still intends to harm her. What a vicious woman she is!¡± Anastasia felt an immense hatred against Hayley. ¡°That being the case, you need to guard against her if you ever see her in the future. I fear that she¡¯ll go insane and hurt you.¡± He would protect her, but she would need to take care of herself as well. He couldn¡¯t possibly be around her 24 hours a day, no matter how strong he was. ¡°I will. Where is she now?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve chased her out and taken back all of the things that I had given her. She doesn¡¯t deserve all that,¡± Elliot replied coldly. Hearing that, Anastasia felt that it was Hayley¡¯s retribution for all the harm she did. She didn¡¯t even qualify as a human. Anastasia could forgive her for the incident five years ago, but Hayley had deteriorated to the point where she was now attempting to harm Harriet through changing the medicine. That was a heinous crime. After all, Harriet was Elliot¡¯s beloved grandmother. Later in the night, Elliot didn¡¯t seem to want to leave. Anastasia did not ask him to leave as well, but merely tidied up her bed for him to rest on since he was exhausted after a long day. Indeed, that made Elliot utterly d. She treats me better now, he thought. Meanwhile, in the Seymours¡¯ house, all five of them were staying in an old and cramped ce. Hayley had two younger siblings, a sister and a brother. Her parents were both low-wage earners, with her mother working as a helper and her father as a construction worker. Despite the fact that she had been well off for the previous six months, she did not help her family financially because she hated them. And now, when she returned, she began to cry regretful tears. Why am I so selfish? Why didn¡¯t I assist them financially or buy a bigger house for them when I was rich in the past? Elliot would not have taken them back if I did so. ¡°Who are you?¡± Hayley¡¯s mom, Valerie, emerged from the house to dispose of the garbage. Seeing Hayley under the bright light, the older woman did not recognize her daughter. After all, Hayley had stic surgery and looked entirely different now. ¡°Mom, it¡¯s me, Hayley,¡± Hayley said calmly. ¡°What? Hayley? You¡­ Have you had stic surgery? Where did you get your money?¡± Valerie yelled at Hayley after realizing the woman in front of her was her daughter. That enraged Hayley. This family is always like this. I am always the one being scolded. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you use the money you spent on stic surgery to help the family? You¡¯re such an ungrateful child. I shouldn¡¯t have raised you up in the first ce. Why are youing back now?¡± Hayley, too, responded with a yell, ¡°Fine! I¡¯m noting back! I¡¯ll just die outside if that¡¯s what you want!¡± She turned around and ran away as soon as she finished her sentence. Valerie was taken aback by that. While she feltpelled to pursue Hayley, she knew it made no difference to the family whether or not this daughter of hers was in the family. Hayley had always been standoffish and liked to put on airs since young. Hence, her return would only be a burden on their family. Furthermore, they had no idea where she had been for the past six months. They even had to beg her for money previously. Meanwhile, Hayley entered a shopping mall after leaving the Seymours¡¯ house. She yearned for such a dazzling location. She then entered a branded store. As her bag and clothes were all branded, the shopkeepers greeted her warmly. ¡°Miss, this is ourtest design. Would you like to have a try?¡± That made Hayley feel sentimental. She could take anything she wanted a few days ago without thinking about the cost, but now the cost of the shoes was far beyond her means. Just a pair of shoes cost more than six thousand. Her mind was in a daze when she exited the shop. She wanted to beg Elliot to return the wealthy life to her. Where can I go now? she wondered. Suddenly, she remembered Erica. Erica was the only one who could take her in now, but for her to do so, Hayley could not let her know that Elliot had cut off all her living expenses. Indeed, Erica came to pick her up after a call, and they both then went back to the Tillman Residence. Inside the house, Hayley saw the items she had previously given to Erica. She didn¡¯t want them before, but now she was desperate to get them back. Erica, on the other hand, had no idea Hayley was in a desperate state now. She thought Hayley was only feeling lonely. ¡°Why are you looking gloomy, Hayley?¡± Erica asked, whileying on the bed, after seeing Hayley¡¯s pale face. ¡°Nothing much.¡± Hayley immediately turned off the lights and said, ¡°Let¡¯s sleep.¡± A tinge of hatred shed through her eyes in the darkness. Elliot loves Anastasia so much. If something happened to her, he would undoubtedly go insane. Since Hayley¡¯s life was now meaningless, she wanted to drag Anastasia with her to the grave and leave Elliot alone in this world. Meanwhile, Elliot was sleeping on Anastasia¡¯s bed, and he didn¡¯t wake up until the next morning. Only on her bed could he get such a good night¡¯s sleep. Christmas was around the corner, and the entire city was buzzing due to the festive season. It was a week away from Christmas Eve and Elliot started to get busy as well. The next day after the dinner they had together, Anastasia and Jared returned to Elliot¡¯s vi. Though Elliot had not given Anastasia an official status, living with him had be second nature to her. Three dayster, Rey walked into Elliot¡¯s office carrying a watch box containing the watch they took from Hayley. ¡°The watch had been cleaned thoroughly, President Presgrave.¡± Elliot took the watch from Rey. As it was his grandmother¡¯s birthday gift to him many years back, he had always treated it as a treasure. He once thought of giving it to Hayley, but now, he simply wanted to keep it for himself. After working hours, Elliot brought the watch back to the vi. When Anastasia heard his car, she walked out from her room to seek him out. She knocked on his room and when she entered, she saw him holding a watch in his hand. Curiously, she asked with a smile, ¡°You bought a new watch again?¡± ¡°No. This was an old watch given by Grandma.¡± Elliot, however, omitted the fact that he took it back from Hayley, fearing that Anastasia might get upset upon knowing it. Upon hearing his words, she took the watch and spent some time looking at it. Then, she said, ¡°It looks exquisite. It must be expensive as well.¡± ¡°About tens of millions.¡± She took another look at it after hearing that. ¡°Let me examine it and feel what it¡¯s like to hold tens of millions in my hand.¡± Noticing that she liked it, Elliot said, ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you then.¡± ¡°No! How can I possibly ept such an expensive item from you? Even if I take it, I wouldn¡¯t dare to wear it out. I would be just inviting snatch thieves if I wear it out without any bodyguards.¡± Elliot smiled in response. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll arrange twenty bodyguards for you. You can then wear any watch you like.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to. I prefer a normal life,¡± Anastasia said while shaking her head. He then led her into his closet. There was a massive ss disy containing all of his watches, and he ced the watch she was holding in it. It glistened in the bright light. Due to the refraction of the lights, the wolf¡¯s head figure on it, which normally shone in the dark, was emitting faint light as well. As Anastasia was leaning against the ss disy and admiring his collection, she felt a warm sensation behind her. When she turned around, she was met with the man¡¯s intense stare. The fire within his gaze was unmistakable. She could understand what Elliot, as a normal twenty-eight-year-old man, was thinking of at the moment. However, his phone rang unexpectedly. He took a look at the screen and saw the name that disgusted him. The call was from Hayley. Anastasia saw it too, and she immediately raised her head and wanted to ask if he would answer the call. However, Elliot rejected the call and blocked Hayley¡¯s number. Anastasia knew that, despite their previous one-night stand, Hayley¡¯s act of harming his grandmother was totally uneptable to Elliot, and that by doing so, she would never see him again. Noticing that he wasn¡¯t in a good mood, Anastasia hugged him and said, ¡°I¡¯ll prepare dinner tonight. What do you want to have?¡± ¡°I enjoy whatever you cook.¡± Elliot hugged her back, pressing her against his chest so they could hold each other tightly. All Anastasia could smell as she was buried in his arms was his hormonal scent, and she heard him say beside her ear, ¡°But you¡¯re my favorite dish of all.¡± At that, she pushed him away with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, President Presgrave, but such a dish is not avable tonight.¡± She exited the room after finishing her words, leaving him smiling alone in the room. Elliot was patient enough to wait for what he desired. It was a dark night outside. All of the other watches in the ss disy were dimly lit; only the watch they were looking at earlier had a wolf¡¯s head on it, exuding a domineering aura. Meanwhile, Hayley sat dejectedly on a bench on the cold street. She had called numerous times, but none of her calls were answered. She knew that Elliot had blocked her. The cold breeze blew through her, and she immediately wrapped her arms around herself. It was only now that she realized the expensive clothes she was wearing weren¡¯t designed to withstand cold weather, as those who could afford them would never be forced to live on the streets. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Suddenly, she thought of another person, and she dialed Daniel¡¯s phone number using her phone. ¡°Hello?¡± His voice sounded aloof. ¡°It¡¯s Hayley. Can I sleep over at your ce, Daniel?¡± Biting her lips, she requested. ¡°Miss Seymour, I¡¯m sorry, but we shall not be in contact anymore.¡± ¡°How can you treat me like this, Daniel? We¡¯ve slept together so many times. Don¡¯t you have any feelings for me?¡± ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, Hayley, you were always the one to make the first move. Which man will reject a woman who took the initiative? Truth is, I really don¡¯t have any feelings for you.¡± Daniel was fired by the Presgrave Group, and he med Hayley for his loss of such a well-paying and promising job. ¡°Daniel, you¡¯re such a b*astard,¡± she scolded. ¡°I liked you before you had stic surgery. However, now that you¡¯ve had surgery, I find it repulsive that your face is filled with prosthetics.¡± He then continued, ¡°You look exactly like a ghost when you cry.¡± His words enraged Hayley to the point where her face flushed and she thought she was going to blow a gasket. ¡°Anastasia is naturally beautiful, but yours is man-made. Don¡¯t even think aboutparing yourself to her. You will never be able to match her beauty in your lifetime.¡± Daniel spit out even harsher words. ¡°That is absurd! In every way, I¡¯m not worse than she is!¡± Hayley screamed angrily. ¡°You¡¯d do well to wake up! President Presgrave has been uninterested in you since the beginning. A lowly woman like you even wishes to be a princess, but even with the crown on, you¡¯ll look amusing!¡± ¡°Shut up, Daniel Lancaster! You have no right to talk to me in such a way,¡± she angrily refuted. ¡°Don¡¯t ever call me again. Well, now that you have a new look from the surgery, you might be able to survive if you sell yourself.¡± ¡°Piss off!¡± Gritting her teeth and trembling with rage, Hayley squeaked out these two words and hung up. Hayley could stay at Erica¡¯s ce, but she knew it was only a matter of time before Erica discovered she no longer had anything. As a result, the former rushed to find another ce to stay before that. Naomi was sitting on the sofa watching television when Hayley returned to the Tillman Residence. Erica had told her that Hayley was now wealthy, so she was polite to her whenever she saw her. ¡°Hello, Hayley. You¡¯re back! Erica is upstairs!¡± ¡°Thanks, Naomi.¡± Hayley gave her a smile. ¡°Your surgery is quite well done, Hayley. You look prettier now.¡± Naomi looked at Hayley with envy and felt that Hayley resembled Anastasia. To that, Hayley pretended to smile, but she was feeling awful deep down. Instead of advantages, this face of hers now brought her a lot of malice. Erica was in her room, experimenting with her new perfume. When she noticed Hayley, she eximed happily, ¡°Hayley,e over here and give it a shot. Is the scent of Chanel No. 5 pleasant?¡± Hayley obliged. However, when Erica sprayed it on her, all she felt was some wetness on her face with not much fragrance. ¡°Is this genuine?¡± she inquired right away. She had previously worn Chanel No. 5, so why couldn¡¯t she recognise it now? ¡°Of course it¡¯s genuine! I asked someone to buy something for me abroad. I think it smells nice!¡± Erica sprayed it again after she said it. ¡°I really adore this fragrance!¡± As if Hayley thought of something, her eyes widened, and she right away grabbed the perfume and sprayed it all over her face. However, the only thing she felt were water droplets on her face and a very faint, if not none, fragrance scent. She tried her hardest to smell it but she got nothing. What is going on? Why can¡¯t I smell it? ¡°Hayley, what happened?¡± Frightened, Hayley walked over to Erica¡¯s dressing table and sprayed another perfume on her, but the result was the same. She couldn¡¯t detect any scents. When she realized this, she cradled her head and yelled before squatting down on the floor and cried. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Hayley?¡± Erica looked at her in surprise. At the same time, she took over the perfume bottles in Hayley¡¯s hand as well, fearing that Hayley would drop her newly purchased perfume. Hayley was a stubborn character, so she refused to tell anyone about her unfortunate events. She feared being looked down upon. As a result, she did not inform Erica that she had lost her sense of taste; what was even more terrifying was she discovered that she had lost her sense of smell as well. It was no surprise she had no appetite for the past few days. Any food was unappealing to her, and she realized now that it was because of her loss of smell. ¡°What exactly happened to you, Hayley?¡± Erica blinked her eyes in shock. Hayley¡¯s behavior really terrified her. To that, Hayley stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± At that point, her eyes were red. ¡°You gave me a shock! Well, I¡¯ve been waiting for this perfume for a long time and I finally got it now.¡± Erica sprayed the perfume again after her words and reveled in it. Hayley, on the other hand, was envious. She now realized how wonderful it was to be a normal human being, with intact senses of smell and taste. But she had lost them all. The doctor did warn her before the surgery that there would be side effects because the surgery was extensive, but she ignored all of that and insisted on going ahead to be prettier and attract Elliot. The only thing on her mind was getting the desired effect. Now, it was almost as if God was punishing her for her greed. Hayley wouldter face exorbitant legal fees and a life of poverty. Even if her face could stay pretty for a while longer, she couldn¡¯t afford the upkeep. Problems with her face would arise if she did not maintain it, no matter how beautiful it was now. She couldn¡¯t imagine what she would look like if the time came. Feeling miserable, she struggled to keep her tears at the corner of her eyes from falling. She had been reduced to this point entirely due to an invisible force pushing her, which was made up of her greed, envy, and a deep hatred for Anastasia. Chapter 441-450 Chapter 441-450 Hayley¡¯s hatred for Anastasia persisted even now, and the former believed that Anastasia was to me for her current plight. Christmas was around the corner, and Bourgeois Jewelry Atelier was preparing an event for the joyous season. Early in the morning, Felicia gave Anastasia a call. ¡°Hello?¡± Anastasia was stillying on the bed, unwilling to get up. How cozy the bed was in the winter! ¡°Why? Are you that tired afterst night?¡± Felicia joked indecently. That stumped Anastasia. ¡°What are you thinking of, Felicia?¡± ¡°What? Am I wrong? Is President Presgrave by your side now?¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t gotten there yet, Felicia!¡± Anastasia replied, burying herself in her nket. On the other end of the call, Felicia was surprised to hear that. ¡°Oh my! You spend every day with him and have managed to keep your cool until now? Well, I admire you for that,¡± Felicia teased. Then, she went straight to the point. ¡°Do you have time to attend the annual celebration that Bourgeois Jewelry Atelier nned two weeks ago?¡± ¡°Oh? I would like to go.¡± Anastasia was interested. ¡°Great! Ask President Presgrave if he has the time to attend as well. Vice-president Young requested me to confirm with you,¡± Felicia said. Larry Young was the atelier¡¯s boss for the outsiders. Anastasia rarely saw him, but she knew that he yed a significant role in the atelier¡¯s sess today. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll ask him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite a big celebration this time. We invited our spokesperson and singer too.¡± ¡°Which singer will be there?¡± ¡°The more well-known ones will be Bobby Moore and Hendrix O¡¯rion.¡± Anastasia was ted to hear that and she eximed with much anticipation, ¡°I like Hendrix O¡¯rion a lot!¡± She was in a good mood after ending Felicia¡¯s call. The annual celebration was on this Friday, and she wanted to continue working as well although it was just two days before Christmas Eve. Design was her lifelong hobby; it was not merely her job, but her dream as well. She hoped that her designs would one day be a treasure admired by many, just as an artist would wish for the most dazzling stage. That would give Anastasia an indescribable sense of aplishment. After getting up from the bed, she went to Jared¡¯s room, only to find that he wasn¡¯t there. At that point, she was embarrassed to learn that she had be evenzier than her own son. She then went to the kitchen and saw a portion of breakfast that had been kept warm. After finishing it, she went to the garden and heard Jared¡¯sughter from thewn. Walking in the direction of the sound, she noticed him kicking a ball with Elliot, who was dressed in a gray sports suit. Elliot is the only one who can be this handsome even in a sports suit. And his figure was absolutely superb. Jared saw hering and immediately demonstrated his kicking abilities. She smiled lovingly at him, her eyes full of praise, and gave him a thumbs up. Elliot turned around and looked at her too. His ck hair was in a messy state from the wind, but it made him appear younger. She hesitated whether to look at him or Jared, but it was obvious that Jared was not as eye-catching as Elliot just then. She felt sorry for her son. He was kicking the ball so hard that she could see it, but she was distracted by another man. Jared, drenched in sweat, finally ran up to her and hugged her. ¡°Mommy, am I skillful?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s wonderful.¡± She gave him a peck on his cheek. Elliot walked toward them too, holding a towel in his hand. He then thoughtfully reced the one on Jared¡¯s back. Such attentiveness moved Anastasia¡¯s heart, but she felt ashamed at the same time as she, being Jared¡¯s mother, was not as attentive to Jared. Jared was like Elliot¡¯s biological son; each and every of the child¡¯s moves affected Elliot. Because he cared for Jared, he was always thinking about how to treat Jared better. After changing his towel, Jared ran back out to thewn again, whereas Elliot simply sat down beside Annastasia. Remembering the annual celebration, she asked, ¡°It¡¯s Bourgeois Jewelry Atelier¡¯s annual celebration this Friday. Are you free to attend?¡± Upon hearing that, he shook his head. ¡°Larry informed me about this, but I have no time for it.¡± ¡°I see.¡± She nodded. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go on my own.¡± Elliot had just turned his head to look at Jared, but upon hearing her words, he immediately turned and looked at her again. ¡°You¡¯re going?¡± ¡°Felicia said there will be some good performances. I¡¯m interested.¡± At that point, Anastasia was already looking forward to seeing her favorite singer. Elliot changed his mind and said in a deep tone, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll ask Rey to allocate some of my time then.¡± That startled Anastasia. ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. Your work is more important.¡± ¡°Work will never be more important than my girlfriend,¡± he replied casually. He initially refused to attend the annual celebration because the atelier was unimportant to him in the first ce. That was just a jewelry brand he bought for fun. In fact, Elliot acquired it to get closer to Anastasia. His words gave her a warm feeling. Even the cold air surrounding her became warmer now. Pursing her lips, she smiled and said, ¡°But I¡¯m not nning to bring Jared along. Too many people will be there.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. If you don¡¯t mind, I n to send Jared to Grandma¡¯s house. She had been nagging to see him.¡± Elliot looked at her, to which Anastasia nodded in agreement. ¡°Send him there then!¡± She did not mind it at all. She merely hoped that Jared would not be too mischievous and cause trouble for Harriet. When they mentioned that to Jared, he happily agreed and asked, ¡°Mommy, are you going on a date with Mr. Presgrave?¡± ¡®No. We¡¯re just attending a work event,¡± she exined.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. However, Elliot did not go along with her. ¡°You¡¯re right, Jared. We are going on a date.¡± ¡°Enjoy your date then! I¡¯ll be good.¡± Jared hoped that they could be together more than anyone else. Seeing them both, Anastasia was rendered speechless. Jared was still young, but he was preupied with adult issues. There were still two days until Friday. The next morning, Anastasia received a call from Francis informing her that there would be a year-end inventory meeting in the afternoon and inviting her to attend. Though it was still too early for her to take over Francis¡¯ business, she was trying her best to be a qualified sessor. ¡°I¡¯m dropping by my dad¡¯spany, so I¡¯ll leave Jared to you,¡± she told Elliot. Elliot had just woken up and his hair was still in a messy state. But not longter, Jared came down with the same hairstyle. Anastasia couldn¡¯t control herughter when she saw that. Indeed, hair in the winter is uncontroble. ¡°What are youughing at?¡± Elliot asked while handing her a cup of milk. ¡°Both you and Jared really look alike sometimes,¡± she answered. Hearing that, Elliot turned around to look at Jared and smiled. ¡°This is our fate as father and son.¡± Anastasia had no idea what to reply to that. Jared, on the other hand, hugged Elliot¡¯s legs and asked, ¡°Mr. Presgrave, when can I have such long legs as yours?¡± He already had Elliot¡¯s looks and now, he wanted to have Elliot¡¯s long legs as well. Elliot then put a cup of milk before him and answered, ¡°You will have long legs if you eat more and drink more milk.¡± That immediately prompted Jared to take the milk and said, ¡°Okay. I will finish this!¡± ¡°Jared, I need to go to your grandpa¡¯spanyter. Stay at home and listen to Mr. Presgrave, will you?¡± ¡°Sure! I can y with Mr. Presgrave then!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t. He is now working from home and has arge amount of work toplete. Don¡¯t bother him,¡±Anastasia mentioned. In fact, Elliot chose to work from home because they were at home. However, Elliot consoled Jared, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will y with you.¡± When he heard that, Jared proudly raised his brows at Anastasia. The child looked exactly the same as Elliot while doing this, leaving her speechless. She did not drive her car here and hence, she couldn¡¯t go out. It wasn¡¯t practical for someone to pick her up either. In the end, Anastasia could only borrow a car from Elliot. ¡°Don¡¯t you have other cars which are not that eye-catching?¡± Standing in the basement garage, she was taken aback by the array of sports cars in front of her. All of the cars were either cool, dark, or wild in color, making thempletely unsuitable for her to drive. ¡°That suits you.¡± Elliot pointed to a gray Ferrari. Anastasia wasn¡¯t choosy, so she got into the driver¡¯s seat right away and adjusted the seat. Elliot couldn¡¯t help but to admire her from outside the window for a while before she left. At the same time, Francis walked out from the Tillman Residence. Coincidentally, Erica returned from breakfast with Hayley and when she saw Francis, she asked, ¡°Where are you going, Dad?¡± ¡°Of course I am going to work. There¡¯s a year-end inventory meeting today.¡± Just as he finished his words, Naomi approached them and said, ¡°Go with your father, Erica. Year-end inventory meetings are very important, so join it and learn from your father.¡± With that, Erica had no other option but to say, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you, Dad.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to. Rest well at home.¡± ¡°Dad, please let me go! You can leave first and I¡¯ll drive there on my own.¡± She then looked towards Hayley and asked, ¡°Hayley, do you want to visit my dad¡¯spany?¡± ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s go together!¡± Hayley figured that since she had nowhere else to go, she might as well check out Francis¡¯pany. Erica followed Francis shortly after he left, taking Hayley with her. Erica treated Hayley like a family member and talked to her about everything throughout the journey. ¡°My dad wanted to leave thepany to Jared, Anastasia¡¯s illegitimate son. Hmph, he¡¯d better dream on! As long as my mum and I are around, we will never let that happen.¡± ¡°Of course! What rights does she have to take away what is yours for her son? Don¡¯t let her do that, Erica.¡± Hayley encouraged Erica to fight for her share in Francis¡¯ estate as well. ¡°That¡¯s for sure.¡± Just after she ended her sentence, Erica stepped on the elerator harder. When they were near Francis¡¯pany, a gray sports car dashed out from the other junction. Under the winter sun, the paint on the sports car shone brightly. It appeared exceptionally elegant and luxurious, with amanding presence. ¡°Oh my! Who would drive such a car on the road? He¡¯s got to be some wealthy young master!¡± Erica sighed. How wonderful it would be to meet someone like this. Hayley looked at the car as well, thinking that in order to return to her previous extravagant lifestyle, she could use her pretty face to seduce some wealthy men. And that included the man in the gray sports car in front of them now. The sports car was obviously a popr style among men, so they both assumed the driver was a man. ¡°He just drove into my dad¡¯spany. Perhaps he¡¯s my dad¡¯s client!¡± Erica couldn¡¯t help but be ecstatic about it. Hayley, on the other hand, had already begun to style her hair. She was dressed elegantly in clothes borrowed from Erica today and she looked stunning, at least for the time being. Hence, she wondered if the man from the sports car would be attracted to her. The sports car came to a halt and its engine stopped. Just as they were expecting a charming young prince to get down the car, they saw the car door open and Anastasia step out. Meanwhile, Anastasia did not notice Erica¡¯s car. After walking away for a few steps, she turned around and pressed the lock button on the keys. The lights of the sports car then shed, resembling an elegant crouching cheetah. Erica and Hayley exchanged jealous nces at that. ¡°That¡¯s Anastasia? How did she get such a posh car?¡± The rage, envy and jealousy in Erica¡¯s heart was about to explode. Hayley, on the other hand, was well aware that Anastasia was Elliot¡¯s precious now. Of course she can have whatever she desires! Elliot would dly buy her an entire shopping mall if Anastasia so desired. After Erica parked her car, she noticed that Hayley was still spacing out. ¡°Let¡¯s get down, Hayley.¡± In fact, that was what Hayley was thinking about¡ªwhether she should get down and face Anastasia. But then again, she had nothing to be afraid of. Hence, she took her bag and alighted from the car. Meanwhile, Anastasia bumped into Alex just as she reached Francis¡¯ office. When he saw her, a tinge of excitement shed in his eyes and his heart started racing. She was, after all, the woman that he could not forget. Even though he couldn¡¯t be with her, he couldn¡¯t help but be drawn to her every time she appeared. ¡°Hey, Anastasia. There you are! The meeting will be in conference room No. 3.¡± ¡°Alright. Thank you.¡± Anastasia nodded with a smile and walked into Francis¡¯ office after that. Seeing that she was here, Francis took the documents and stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Just when the both of them exited the office, Erica and Hayley appeared. When Anastasia saw Hayley, her gaze dimmed. Why is she here? ¡°Dad, I want to attend the meeting too.¡± Erica then continued angrily, ¡°Why did you inform her but not me?¡± However, Francis did not intend for Erica toe, so he muttered, ¡°Don¡¯t make a scene here, Erica. Bring your friend to rest somewhere else!¡± ¡°Dad, you leave for the meeting first. I¡¯ll be there in a short while,¡± Anastasia then said. Francis had to oblige since the time for the meeting was approaching. ¡°Come quickly,¡± he hurried her before walking to the conference room. After Francis left, Anastasia immediately stared coldly at Hayley and asked, ¡°Why are you in my dad¡¯s company?¡± ¡°Erica brought me here,¡± Hayley replied, her brows raised. ¡°That¡¯s right. I brought her here! Can¡¯t I even bring my friend here now?¡± Erica asked aggressively. Being Erica¡¯s half-sister, Anastasia tried to kindly warn Erica, ¡°Don¡¯t be with such a person in the future.¡± ¡°Do you think you are better than me, Anastasia? What gives you the right to say that?¡± Anastasia¡¯s words enraged Hayley. She was in such a pathetic state now all because of this woman. Anastasia only responded with a cold stare. ¡°At the very least, unlike you, a dog that bites its owner, I have a conscience.¡± Hayley understood what she was hinting at. Gritting her teeth in rage, she replied, ¡°You¡¯ve no right to humiliate me, Anastasia. I merely did some foolish things.¡± ¡°Elliot was gracious enough not to send you to jail. Otherwise, based on what you did, you will almost certainly be imprisoned for at least ten years ¡°Anastasia stated solemnly. Even she, as an outsider, was enraged by what Hayley had done, let alone Elliot. Meanwhile, Erica, who was standing beside them, did not understand their conversation. But Hayley¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Stop pretending to be kind, Anastasia. You aren¡¯t fair to Erica as well since you wanted to take over your dad¡¯spany as your own.¡± Hayley began to incite conflict between Erica and Anastasia, intending to drag Erica into the battlefield. Erica felt that what Hayley said was right too, so she immediately stared at Anastasia and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Why did Dad only inform you about the meeting and not me? You¡¯re the one who asked him to do so, right?¡± Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but be concerned about Erica¡¯s na?ve and gullible personality, as she knew how well Hayley exploited such people. ¡°I did not do so.¡± After Anastasia finished her words, she walked to the conference room right away, without even sparing Hayley a second nce. Staring at her retreating figure, Erica turned around and looked at Hayley. ¡°Why did she say you need to be imprisoned?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Hayley did not intend to exin it to Erica. ¡°I understand your concerns now, Erica. It seems that your father indeed wants her to take over thepany.¡± ¡°The lounge is there, Hayley. You can wait for me there. I¡¯ll check out the situation in the conference room now.¡± ¡°Sure thing.¡± Hayley nodded as she watched Erica leaving for the conference room. She wasn¡¯t in a hurry anyway, so she roamed around thepany. As she stood beside the guardrails, reading the advertisement brochure on the wall, a man¡¯s hand was suddenly ced on her shoulder. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you in the conference room yet, Anastasia?¡± Feeling shocked, she turned around, startling the man behind her as well. Alex, too, was surprised to see thisdy who looked like Anastasia. Then, he realized that he had gotten the wrong person. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I mistook you for someone else,¡± he apologized while staring at Hayley. She did resemble Anastasia, even though shecked Anastasia¡¯s elegance when observed closely. Hayley, on the other hand, recognised Alex as the finance manager Erica had mentioned, and she found him quite attractive. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Hayley Seymour, Erica¡¯s friend,¡± she said. ¡°Erica¡¯s friend, you say? Hello, I¡¯m Alex Hunter, and I work as the finance manager here at Tillman Constructions,¡± Alex replied, his eyes still drawn to her face. She looks very much like Anastasia! He initially almost mistook her for Anastasia. It was probably due to the fact that he fell in love with Anastasia at first sight, which resulted in him developing a good impression of Hayley, who now resembled Anastasia, when he met her. When Hayley sensed his admiration in the eyes, something in her mind clicked. Therefore, with a pleasing smile, she asked, ¡°Mr. Hunter, may I have your phone number? This way, it will be easier for me to ask questions rted to finance in the future.¡± At first, Alex was stunned by the request but when he felt Hayley¡¯s enthusiasm for him, he was delighted and immediately took out his cell phone to exchange numbers with her. ¡°I have to attend a meeting now. You maye to me anytime if you have any questions, Miss Seymour.¡± After saying that, Alex left with a gentle smile. The corner of Hayley¡¯s mouth turned into a sinister smile as she watched the man leave. He is the right-hand man of Francis. Anastasia, the feud between us will not end in this life; either you die, or I die! When Alex pushed open the door and entered the conference room, he noticed Anastasia was sitting next to Francis. Her head was lowered as she was reading the documents. Despite being right in front of him, she had an unapproachable atmosphere. ¡°Alex, over here!¡± Erica beckoned him over. However, he responded, ¡°Erica, I need to preside over the meeting. I will be sitting here.¡± After saying that, he sat beside Anastasia. Erica was not assigned a seat, so she could only sit in the back. Erica felt an unpleasant and conflicted emotion in her heart as she witnessed this because she could tell that Alex was just seeking an opportunity to be closer to Anastasia. Feeling jealous, she darted a resentful nce in Anastasia¡¯s direction. Throughout the previous month of dating Alex, she had unknowingly fallen in love with him. Except for not being wealthy enough, he had been treating her well in every way, making her feel pampered and indulged. And that had added another charge on Anastasia¡ªseducing Erica¡¯s man. Furthermore, Anastasia emanated the aura of a decision-maker. Currently, she sat next to her father dressed in a suit while looking like the future female president of Tillman Constructions. All these realizations had intensified Erica¡¯s jealousy toward her. In the lounge, Hayley was bored to death, but Alex¡¯s figure kept hovering in her mind. If she had not fallen to this level, she would never entertain a man of his status. However, she could not afford to be fussy any longer. She just wanted to take advantage of her current face as much as she could. Although Hayley felt sorry for Erica, she was also aware that Erica was taking advantage of Alex. So, Hayley could use the same way to seduce him and with that, she would have an extra hand when dealing with Anastasia in the future. While Francis was sitting on the main seat, Anastasia was at the side to sign some internalpany documents for him. Alex¡¯s eyes were drawn by Anastasia¡¯s neat gesture of signing, which made him envious of Elliot. Why is he able to have her? Without Elliot, he would undoubtedly pursue Anastasia with all his heart. However, with a man like Elliot in the picture, Alex didn¡¯t stand a chance at all. Erica assumed she was here for a conference, but she wasn¡¯t prepared for the torture of watching Anastasia deal with documents by her father¡¯s side and Alex peering at Anastasia from time to time. Erica didn¡¯t even have the chance to speak, and she had nothing to do. Just like a fool. In the end, Erica could no longer bear it and thus, she found an opportunity to slip out. Then, she went to get Hayley before they left together. ¡°You should stay,¡± Hayley advised Erica. ¡°What¡¯s the point? To see how Anastasia learns to manage my dad¡¯spany? Not to mention her seductive appearance. She knows nothing better than how to seduce a man! Even Alex was peeking at her several times!¡± Erica whined. ¡°Really? Your boyfriend was there as well? Then, Anastasia really has no sense,¡± Hayley said as a smug expression shed across her eyes. Hayley thought of the way Alex looked at her. Even if she was aware that the stare was because he couldn¡¯t get Anastasia and it was why he was partly interested in her, she didn¡¯t care. ¡°Damn her. My father only has Anastasia in his eyes and never me. Hayley, let¡¯s go shopping and watch a movie!¡± Erica stated. ¡°Okay. I will follow whatever your n is,¡± Hayley replied. Deep down, she mused, I have got a lot of time these days. While Ericained about her father¡¯s negligence, all she could think about was having fun. After the conference was over, Francis invited everyone to lunch and naturally, Anastasia would not go against her father¡¯s decision. Anastasia¡¯s cell phone rang at around half-past eleven in the morning. She picked up the call as soon as she nced at the phone screen. ¡°Hello?¡± she answered with a cheerful tone, and her red lips curled up. ¡°Are you noting home for lunch?¡± Elliot asked on the other end of the phone. ¡°Nope. I¡¯ll be having lunch with my dad and coworkers,¡± Anastasia replied. ¡°Is Alex there too?¡± he asked, slightly annoyed. ¡°Is President Presgrave always doubtful of himself? Do you believe I¡¯ll have feelings for other men?¡± she responded in an amused tone. ¡°No talking to him, let alone physical contact,¡± Elliot ordered overbearingly. Okay, I¡¯ll try my best.¡± Anastasia chuckled. As soon as Elliot¡¯s furious sighing sound came through the phone, Anastasia immediately became serious. ¡°Alright. I will do as you say, okay?¡± sheforted. ¡°Okay, I trust you.¡± Elliot felt a sense of helplessness and he grumbled to himself, What else can I do other than trust her? ¡°Take care of Jared for me. I¡¯lle home to cook dinner tonight,¡± she remarked. ¡°You can leave Jared to me. Don¡¯t worry,¡± he assured. It was really relieving to have him taking care of Jared, so she giggled. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll apany my dad to lunch now.¡± Alex, who was not far away, was staring at Anastasia¡¯s smiling face obsessively. Deep down, he knew that Elliot was the only man who could make her smile so brightly and charmingly. When they arrived downstairs, Anastasia got into her father¡¯s car and set off. When they passed by the sports car in the parking lot, Francis couldn¡¯t help but nce at it a few times. Simrly, as a car geek, Alex was also eyeing the sports car, as he knew it was the car which Anastasia drove today. Meanwhile, at the Presgrave Residence, Jared was expectantly waiting for lunch to be ready as he watched Elliot working away in the kitchen. Elliot knew the few dishes that Jared liked, so there he was, wearing an apron and learning to cook the dishes by watching and following the step-by-step instructions on the iPad. However, even if he was a big shot in the business world, he was not a genius when it came to cooking. When Elliot finished cooking the chicken casserole, he realized that there was ayer of ck paste underneath, which made it inedible. Not giving up, he tried to stir fry some carrots, which was Jared¡¯s favorite, but the taste of the sauteed carrot wasn¡¯t right either. In the end, after Young Master Elliot spent ages busy cooking in the kitchen, he came to a conclusion¡ª he spent half an hour and cooked for nothing. At first, he was so confident in taking care of Jared but now, his self-confidence had been hit hard. As he was helplessly taking off his apron, Elliot noticed it was already 12.10 PM. Generally, Jared would be having his lunch by now. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Jared. I¡¯ll take you out to a nice lunch,¡± he said. Although Elliot might not have the cooking talent, he possessed another superpower¡ªmoney. ¡°Really? That¡¯s fantastic! But didn¡¯t you just cook, Mr. Presgrave?¡± Jared inquired innocently. In the end, Elliot chose to go with the truth. ¡°Ahem! It¡¯s not that good and we are not eating it.¡± ¡°You still did a great job, Mr. Presgrave!¡± Jared had seen the man¡¯s hard work in cutting and washing those ingredients earlier. He had put effort into it, even if it didn¡¯t turn out well. When Elliot heard Jared¡¯spliment, his frustrated heart was healed instantly. He leaned down toward Jared and solemnly said, ¡°Thank you!¡± After that, Elliot couldn¡¯t help but cup Jared¡¯s cheek and kiss it, as the child was way too cute. Normally, he wouldn¡¯t kiss Jared in front of Anastasia for fear of offending her. Now that she wasn¡¯t here, however, he could kiss Jared a few more times. At this moment, Jared wrapped his arms around Elliot¡¯s neck and kissed him back on the cheek several times. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, after Mr. Nigel, you are one of the few good men that I have ever met.¡± Elliot hummed, his heart filled with a warm sensation as he held Jared¡¯s hands and headed out. After Anastasia finished lunch, she followed Francis¡¯ car back to thepany¡¯s parking lot. ¡°Dad, I will be leaving now,¡± she dered as soon as she stepped out of his car. ¡°Anastasia, will youe home for dinner on Christmas Eve?¡± Francis asked before she left. Looking at her father¡¯s eyes which were filled with anticipation, Anastasia thought for a moment and said, ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll bring Jared home for Christmas Eve.¡± Upon hearing that, Francis beamed. ¡°Great! I will ask Naomi to prepare more food, especially some of Jared¡¯s favorites,¡± he said with excitement. Anastasia understood that her father only wanted the family to be harmonious, but certain things could not be changed; just as there is no way to eliminate Naomi and Erica¡¯s resentment of her. As Anastasia drove out of the parking lot in her sports car, she came across Alex¡¯s car. He stopped and lowered the window to wave goodbye at her. Out of courtesy, she reciprocally lowered the window. Meanwhile, Alex¡¯s heart waspletely captured by her. Dressed in her suit and driving the gray sports car, Anastasia looked stunning and elegant. ¡°Anastasia, drive slowly,¡± Alex said. ¡°I will. Thank you.¡± After saying that, she stepped on the elerator and left. Anastasia drove home all the way without making any stops. As she noticed it was already 2 PM, she wondered what Elliot and Jared were doing after lunch. When she reached, the gate system automatically verified Elliot¡¯s sports car and granted her entry. After she entered the password and walked into the hall, she could feel the absence of Elliot and Jared. However, just as Anastasia was about to head upstairs, she detected a burnt scenting from the kitchen. Shocked, she quickly put down her bag and dashed to the kitchen. However, the kitchen was clean and tidy, with some vegetables on the counter. She then noticed the burnt smell wasing from a cooking pot. Out of curiosity, she had a peek at it and she was both amused and moved. Apparently, Elliot failed in cooking lunch for her son. Did he take Jared out to eat? So, Anastasia took off her coat and started to clean up the kitchen. Every time she tidied up something, she could imagine Elliot working hard in the kitchen. As a pampered young master, it must have been difficult for him to learn how to cook. After she was done cleaning the kitchen, she sat in the hall and started reading the documents she brought back from thepany. Managing a constructionpany was indeed challenging for her, but she would not back down. She went through those documents and before long, it was already a little after 3 PM. She began to feel drowsy and she could barely keep her eyes open. Eventually, shey down on the sofa and fell asleep. Soon after, Elliot and Jared came home from lunch and he led Jared into the hall. As soon as they entered the hall, his sharp eyes spotted a sleeping Anastasia on the couch. Upon seeing that, he shushed Jared, who was standing beside him. Meanwhile, Jared got the hint andplied, staying silent. It was winter now. Even if Anastasia was wearing a coat, she could still feel the cold. However, she was too tired to move. So, Elliot gestured to Jared, informing him that he was going to carry her upstairs to sleep. While covering his mouth with his palm, Jared nodded with a grin. Then, he pointed upstairs, indicating that he would be spending time in the yroom. Elliot nodded in response. After Jared went upstairs, Elliot sat beside Anastasia and felt her hands. It was cold to the touch. Is she not afraid of catching a cold? Noticing the document that she was still holding in her hands, he could feel his lips curl up. Hmm. She is putting in a lot of effort. Then, he took the document from her hand, bent down and carried her in his arms. Anastasia¡¯s face naturally rested against his chest. As if knowing that he was back, she didn¡¯t wake up and remained fast asleep. As Elliot was carrying her upstairs, he originally thought of taking her back to her room. However, he changed his mind halfway through and headed to the main bedroom. Sleeping on Elliot¡¯s huge gray bed, Anastasia curled up into afortable position and continued to sleep. Seemingly infected by her sleepiness, Elliot began to feel a little sleepy too. He theny down beside her, arms supporting his face as he stared at her. She was breathing evenly, and the corners of her mouth were curved up slightly. On the other hand, Anastasia was fast asleep and she had no idea her profile was greatly admired by Elliot. His gaze gently traveled across her eyebrows and nose before settling on her slightly pursed red lips. The pink lips of hers exuded some kind of fatal attraction to him. At first, Elliot was suppressing his desire, but because it was too hard to hold back, he gave in and leaned down, pecking her on her lips. However, the soft touch made him want more. Elliot¡¯s kiss awakened Anastasia. Her eyelids fluttered slightly and her eyes widened in the next second. His face was so close to hers that he seemed to be about to take things to the next stage at any moment. With a smile, Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but use him, ¡°Do you consider yourself a gentleman if you take advantage of someone while they are sleeping?¡± Just as she was about to roll over and get out of bed, Elliot¡¯s long-arm domineeringly seized her. ¡°You are running away after telling me off?¡± he asked. ¡°You took advantage of me first. Why can¡¯t I tell you off?¡± Her big bright eyes glowed, a cheeky look to them. ¡°Okay. If you truly want to argue over who is to me for this, it¡¯s you. It¡¯s your fault that you look so alluring and seduced me.¡± Elliot¡¯s ability to shirk responsibility was top-notch. At that point, Anastasia was rendered speechless. She never knew that he could turn ck into white with a few sentences. ¡°Alright, but it¡¯s not my fault that I looked this way. The fault lies in that I shouldn¡¯t have lingered at your house. I¡¯ll pack up my things with Jared and leave in a while,¡± Anastasia retorted. She was nobody¡¯s fool. As expected, she could see a trace of panic sh in Elliot¡¯s eyes. In the next second, he tightened his arm around her and ordered, ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡± The smugness in Anastasia¡¯s eyes increased as she heard him. ¡°Then who is at fault now?¡± she asked. ¡°I was wrong.¡± He admitted honestly. Suddenly, she felt pity for him. ¡°Alright. I forgive you and I won¡¯t hold you ountable.¡± ¡°Really?¡± After saying that, Elliot quickly sealed her red lips with a lingering and deep kiss, which made Anastasia unable to resist. In the end, she fell deep into it. Elliot was a man who had such ability. Although he was domineering, she still willingly became his prey and even enjoyed it. The kiss made the both of them pant. ssy-eyed, Anastasia reached out and pushed him away as she said, ¡°Stop messing around.¡± ¡°I know you want it too.¡± Elliot¡¯s deep eyes were filled with suffering and restraint. She knew that there was nothing she could hide from him. She did enjoy the intimate time with him, but it was also apanied by trauma. ¡°I¡¯m cooking tonight. Take it as a token of appreciation for the meal you cooked for Jared in the afternoon,¡± Anastasia said gratefully. ¡°It was unsessful,¡± Elliot replied in frustration. ¡°It¡¯s okay. The fact that you¡¯re putting effort into it is highly appreciated.¡± Anastasia smiled and added, ¡°It¡¯s Jared¡¯s blessing.¡± After hearing that, Elliot lowered his head and kissed her between the brows, then rubbed the tip of his nose against hers. ¡°Do we need to say thank you between us?¡± he stated. As Anastasia had turned her face to the side in an attempt to shake her head, Elliot¡¯s lips fell on her cheek. In return, she quickly cupped his face and kissed his cheek, as if tofort this man who could only limit himself to kissing her. ¡°Well, it¡¯s time for me to cook now,¡± she remarked. She got up and left, and Elliot sighed as hey on the bed. The heat and desire that had spread through his slender and sturdy body had no way to be unleashed. ¡­ At Tillman Residence, Erica was the only one that was paying for their expenditure after Hayley apanied Erica shopping around. Since Erica wasn¡¯t a generous person, Hayley could feel that the woman was a little upset. On the way home, Erica turned her head and asked tentatively, ¡°Hayley, I¡¯m going to meet my boyfriend tonight. Do you want to go home now?¡± Hayley curved a smile and replied, ¡°Sure. Just drop me off here. I¡¯ll get a taxiter.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Next time I¡¯ll treat you to dinner,¡± Erica apologized. She had spent over ten thousand and even paid for the bag that Hayley chose today. ¡°It¡¯s okay. See youter.¡± For the time being, Hayley didn¡¯t want to lose Erica as her friend. As she watched Erica¡¯s car leave, Hayley¡¯s eyes shed with mockery. If Erica knew that Hayley had lost everything, the former would not have been so patient with her. The mockery in her eyes turned sinister, and Hayley took out her phone and dialed Alex¡¯s number. ¡°Hello? Miss Seymour?¡± Alex was a little surprised when he received her call. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Hunter. Have I disturbed you?¡± she asked innocently. ¡°Oh¡ªnot at all. Is something wrong?¡± he replied. ¡°Thing is, I have an interview tomorrow at apany and I would like to ask you for some professional advice about ounting,¡± Hayley exined. ¡°Really? I can help you with this. Do you want to talk on the phone?¡± Alex asked. ¡°I¡¯m free. I¡¯ll get you a coffee while we talk about it.¡± Hayley took the initiative to ask Alex out. ¡°Alright. Where are you? I¡¯ll be right over!¡± Alex agreed without a second thought. After Hayley sent her location to Alex, her eyes shed with a smug expression. See that? Erica¡¯s man bites the bait easily. All thanks to my current face. Then, Hayley spun around and walked into the shopping mall behind her. She found a cosmetics store and sat in front of the mirror, putting makeup on with a trial set. She used to learn how to do makeup, so it was easy to imitate a makeup look that was Anastasia-like. After Hayley finished putting on the makeup, she looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes resembled that of a predator, and Alex would be her prey tonight. In the meantime, Erica called Alex when she was on the way home. She wanted to spend the night at his house tonight, but he declined, saying that he was working overtime and would not be home until Hearing that, Erica could only believe him. What she did not know was that Alex was on his way to meet Hayley. Half an hourter, Hayley, who had been waiting in the cafe for a while, saw Alex strolling in through the door. He was roughly 1.8 meters tall and dressed in a ck down jacket. Although he is not as gorgeous as Elliot, he is nevertheless regarded as good-looking. Alex¡¯s heartbeat quickened as he gazed at Hayley in the faint light. Her face alluded to Anastasia¡¯s beauty. It wasn¡¯t as bright and moving as Anastasia¡¯s, but it was somewhat alluring. For him, Hayley¡¯s face was enough to make his heart flutter. However, he was always looking for Anastasia¡¯s traits in the woman currently before him. ¡°Miss Seymour, it¡¯s nice to see you again.¡± Since Alex sat down in the chair, he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her. As expected, Hayley knew that he had a crush on her, so she propped her chin and inquired, ¡°Won¡¯t Erica be jealous if I meet you, Mr. Hunter?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Alex shook his head. ¡°What were the questions that you wanted to ask me?¡± he continued. ¡°There¡¯s no rush. The night is still very long, and I¡¯d like you to apany me for a bit. Is that all right?¡± she queried. ¡°No problem!¡± He didn¡¯t mind spending time with Hayley. After a long chat, Alex felt more pity for Hayley as he observed her delicate appearance. Finally, it was gettingte. At 10.30 PM, Hayley got up and imed she was leaving, so Alex naturally decided to send her home. As soon as they stepped out, the cold breeze blew on Hayley¡¯s face. Immediately, she yawned as her body shivered, and she leaned against Alex¡¯s body. In an instant, he removed his jacket and draped it over her body, then reached out his arms. Almost automatically, Hayley fell into his embrace. ¡°Mr. Hunter, you are such a gentleman,¡± she praised him. Alex¡¯s heart had been moved long before, without the need for her praise. He looked at the Anastasia- like face in his arms, picturing how lovely it would be if the woman in his arms was truly Anastasia. ¡°Let¡¯s get in the car.¡± He then led Hayley to his car. With the heater on in the car, Hayley took the opportunity to take off her jacket, revealing the sensual and low-cutce dress underneath. ¡°Mr. Hunter, can I stay at your ce for the night? I don¡¯t want to go home by myself. I¡¯m afraid of being alone,¡± Hayley asked as she looked at Alex with watery eyes, directly conveying her intentions. His eyes lit up in surprise as he responded, ¡°Okay. As long as you don¡¯t mind my bed, I¡¯ll take you home.¡± The two hit it off. At Alex¡¯s house, Hayley took the initiative and he did not refuse her. He muted his phone, which was on the couch, and the screen disyed Erica¡¯s iing call. Unfortunately, the phone¡¯s owner was enjoying an intimate time with another woman. On the other hand, Erica had been waiting at home for Alex to finish his work, but she couldn¡¯t get through to him, which made her a little distressed. ¡­ It was early in the morning and the weather was very pleasant. For the atelier, the annual celebration would be their most rxing night of the year. They had invited a few well-known singers and artists, as well as arranged a lottery session, all in order to make the event a grand one. The current spokesperson of Bourgeois Jewelry Atelier was Cecilia Acre, who had several popr works. She had good endorsement ability and would be attending the event that night. When Cecilia had just arrived at the studio to apply her makeup, her agent suddenly appeared and pulled her up to her feet. ¡°Change your dress for tonight,¡± the agent suggested. ¡°Didn¡¯t we already choose one? Why should we change it?¡± she asked in confusion. ¡°I just got the news that the big boss of the atelier, Young Master Elliot, will attend the event. Your evening gown is not grand enough, so I got you a high-end dress. Try it on right now.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Instantly, Cecilia¡¯s eyes lit up and she stomped her feet excitedly. ¡°What? Will President Presgrave be present? Oh my god! It¡¯s so sudden, didn¡¯t President Presgrave say he won¡¯t be coming?¡± she inquired. ¡°I don¡¯t know why he suddenly changed his mind. In short, this is your chance, you can¡¯t miss it.¡± Cecilia¡¯s agent gave her a wink. In the entertainment industry, if she could form a connection with a big shot like Elliot, it would lead her to a bright and promising future ahead. ¡°Hurry up and take me to choose the evening gown. Quickly now!¡± Cecilia couldn¡¯t wait to attend the event, and she wanted to present her most beautiful side to Elliot. On the other hand, everyone in the atelier was cking off now because they were all waiting for tonight¡¯s event. Meanwhile, Aliona was also looking forward to meeting Elliot. Since the attempt to drug Elliot had failed, she had not had the courage to show up by Elliot¡¯s side. But after learning that he would attend the event, how could she possibly miss it? Although she really wanted to perform her father¡¯s task, she couldn¡¯t do anything before she slept with Elliot and became pregnant with the heir of the Presgrave Family. As a result, Aliona was looking for an opportunity to re-approach Elliot, and tonight¡¯s annual celebration was the perfect chance for her. At about 10 AM, Elliot brought Anastasia and Jared back to the Presgrave Residence for lunch. Harriet, who had been discharged from the hospital and returned home, regained her spirits. To avoid irritating his grandmother, Elliot asked Jodie to keep Hayley¡¯s movements from the old madam. Jodie even listed Hayley as a person who was forbidden to enter the house. Wherever Harriet went, Hayley would not be allowed to be there. Harriet was ecstatic today since she had received a phone call from Elliot the night before. The Bourgeois Jewelry Atelier was holding its annual celebration that day. Elliot needed to apany Anastasia to the event, so he would send Jared here for a day so that the old madam could look after Jared. When Harriet thought of Jared, she thought of her own grandson, and she adored Jared with all her heart. The main reason was that Jared looked almost identical to Elliot when he was a child. In short, he was adorable and charming. Sitting in the hall, Jared looked left and right and he realized everyone was affectionately ncing at him, which made him feel less fearful and more secure now. ¡°Jared,e here to your great-grandma. I haven¡¯t seen you for some time, and I missed you dearly,¡± Harriet said as she beckoned to him. Encouraged by Anastasia, Jared walked cheerfully to Harriet¡¯s side. Just then, she took out a prepared gift and handed it to him. ¡°Do you like it?¡± she asked. When Jared realized that it was a remote control airne, he nodded happily and responded, ¡°I like it!¡± After checking the time, Elliot looked at Harriet and said, ¡°Grandma, I¡¯ll leave with Anastasia now, as we have to stop by at a boutique shop.¡± ¡°Alright. Just go.¡± She nodded as she said, ¡°Leave Jared to me.¡± Without a doubt, Anastasia felt safe keeping her son here. After she advised Jared on a few things, she left with Elliot. For some reason, Anastasia felt strangely pleased while sitting in the passenger seat, as if she was covertly dating Elliot behind Jared¡¯s back. As soon as Elliot got in the car, Anastasia looked at her clothes and stated, ¡°This is the attire I¡¯m wearing to the event tonight. There is no need to change into an evening gown.¡± Elliot nced at her with confusion after hearing what she said. ¡°Do you not know that the dress code for tonight is formal?¡± She was taken by surprise and replied, ¡°Really? But Felicia didn¡¯t inform me!¡± However, when she looked into Elliot¡¯s eyes, it didn¡¯t feel like he was lying. So, is everyone going to wear formal dress tonight? Chapter 451-460 Chapter 451-460 ¡°Alright then! Let¡¯s make a trip to a haute couture boutique that sells evening gowns.¡± Anastasia had no other choice but to dress up ording to the dress code. Alex had been fooling around with Hayley in his bed a couple rounds by the time the clock hit 1 PM. Her having a face like Anastasia¡¯s made it hard for him to keep himself off of her. After they woke up, Alex went to the bathroom as Hayley stayed in bed to use her phone. She didn¡¯t feel an ounce of guilt for treating Erica the way she did. Alex was merely someone both Erica and Hayley used. Hayley received a text message at this moment. ¡®Hayley, how is your preparation for the annual celebration at Bourgeoising along?¡± She looked at the ID to see who the sender was, and it turned out to be May, someone whom she hadn¡¯t contacted in a long time. She hadn¡¯t had any use for May, after all. Still, Hayley was surprised to see the message. She had no idea that there was an annual celebration for thepany that day. ¡®I haven¡¯t received any news about it, May. Who told you that?¡¯ she replied. May only asked in return, ¡®Didn¡¯t President Presgrave tell you? He will be there tonight as well! Could he have forgotten to inform you?¡¯ Hayley immediately replied to her, ¡®Elliot must have forgotten to let me know because he has been so busytely. Can I join the event?¡¯ ¡®Of course you can! All the customers who purchased haute couture from Bourgeois have received an invitation card. Yours is probably in your email. Remember to get dressed in haute couture tonight, Hayley. I look forward to seeing how beautiful you will look!¡± Just like in the past, May was still trying hard to tter Hayley. A strong desire started surging inside after Hayley read the message. She didn¡¯t think she would be seeing Elliot again so soon. Should I take a chance? An ambitious glint shed in her eyes then¡ªshe simply had to do it. She could take the opportunity tonight to appear a little more pitiful and miserable. If she managed to arouse Elliot¡¯s sympathy for her and make him look at her one more time, she was sure she would still have a chance to be cared for by him in the future. I must go, but where do I borrow a dress from? Hayley thought of a boutique she went to before where she happened to have gotten a coupon for free rental. The old her might not have even bothered with it, but with her current situation, she prayed with all her heart that she could still redeem it. After Alex came out of the bathroom, Hayley immediately leaned against his chest as she looked up at him. ¡°I have no money for lunch. Alex, can you lend me some, please?¡± she asked pitifully. Seeing her looking so small and beautiful in his arms, he unhesitantly took all the cash in his wallet and passed them to her. ¡°I hope this isn¡¯t too little for you, Hayley. Here, take it!¡± ¡°Thank you, Alex!¡± She stood on her tiptoe and lovingly kissed him. Alex was suddenly hit by the thought of how nice it would be if it was Anastasia who was in his arms. On the other hand, Anastasia was browsing through the gowns avable in a boutique while Elliot patiently waited for her. He sat in the middle of the lobby, sipping on his cup of coffee. In hopes that there was something Anastasia would take fancy to, even the boss of the boutique had personally served and introduced all the one-of-a-kind outfits she had in her store. It wasn¡¯t that there was nothing that caught Anastasia¡¯s eye. In order to keep low-profile, she was actually looking for an evening gown that wouldn¡¯t attract as much public attention as the more eye- catching gowns would. She finally found one that was exactly what she was looking for. It was a strapless ck dress that was seamlessly tailored, which was also made of thicker material that could keep her warm. As Anastasia rarely wore this kind of dark-colored evening gown, it surprised even herself how good she looked in the gown. Her long hair was draped over her back, and when paired with her stunning features, it magnified her aura that was as pure as a clearke. ¡°Miss Tillman, with elegance such as yours, you would definitely look good in any evening gown. However, I do think that this one suits you particrly well. It gives a touch of cool and noble temperament.¡± The owner of the store could see at a nce that Anastasia was not a weak and soft woman. On top of her gaze that kept others at bay, she sometimes exuded a domineering aura that didn¡¯t make anyone ufortable. It was only a cover she put on to protect herself. Anastasia was also satisfied with the ck dress while she looked at herself in the mirror. As she sat before the dressing table to let the owner do her makeup, thetter couldn¡¯t help but marvel at Anastasia¡¯s facial features. She thenpleted Anastasia¡¯s look with a light makeup that matched her temperament. Anastasia walked down the stairs from the second floor after she got dressed. When the man on the sofa heard the footsteps, he immediately raised his head and his deep eyes widened in surprise. Elliot couldn¡¯t help but muse about how this woman whom he called his looked good no matter what she wore. Anastasia walked to his side, but she was somewhat timid as she asked, ¡°Does it look good?¡± ¡°Absolutely gorgeous,¡± heplimented her in a low voice. She then held up two purses with sequins on them. ¡°Which one do you think looks better?¡± she asked again. Elliot looked at the purses with a serious gaze for a few seconds and eventually chose one for her. She, too, didn¡¯t bother agonizing herself over this anymore and proceeded to use the one he chose. There would be two uninvited guests at the anniversary celebration tonight¡ªAliona and Hayley. Hayley and Alex had just arrived at an apartmentplex at this moment. This was a small apartment unit that Alex had just bought not long ago for investment purposes. Now, however, it was where Hayley would be living after she had be his woman. ¡°Hayley, we have no choice but to let you live here in order to not let Erica find out that we are together,¡± Alex told her rather bluntly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± She apologetically said, ¡°I feel sorry for stealing Erica¡¯s boyfriend.¡± Alex somehow felt a sense of aplishment at that. With his arms around her, he dotingly scolded her, ¡°What nonsense are you saying? You don¡¯t need to apologize. Between you and Erica, of course you are the one that I like. The rtionship between Erica and I is purely professional.¡± ¡°Alex, you have to help Erica.¡± Hearing that, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Hayley, do you know Erica¡¯s sister, Anastasia?¡± ¡°Of course! I heard from Erica that she is dating the young master of the Presgrave Group!¡± Hayley then added, ¡°I also heard that she had a child out of wedlock five years ago. ¡± His face froze when he heard those words. ¡°Did she have a messy private life?¡± he probed. ¡°Didn¡¯t you know? She used to work in a club!¡± Hayley spat with a contemptuous look on her face. ¡°She worked at one to earn enough money to study abroad!¡± Needless to say, Alex was shocked to learn that Anastasia had such a troubled past. ¡°Alex, let¡¯s not talk about her. I am your woman from now on.¡± Hayley¡¯s eyes looked zed as she gazed at him with eyes full of admiration. Alex was looking at Hayley¡¯s face, and yet Anastasia was the one his heart longed for. The afternoon soon came. The banquet this time around was held in the big banquet hall of a seven- star hotel. As Bourgeois had shown tremendous improvement in their overall performance this year, the annual celebration was naturally held at a size that corresponded to the employees¡¯ achievements. The staff of Bourgeois started arriving one after another at 5 PM. Their haute couture¡¯s customers were amongst the invitees tonight too. The event was both the annual celebration and the time to engage with their customers. Someone must have spread the word that Elliot was going to attend the celebration, as even the female guests who weren¡¯t going to attend had alle, which was why the banquet was bound to be extra lively. Elliot had undoubtedly be the target of the unmarried women in the crowd. Tonight was finally their chance to approach the man who barely showed his face in public even on a normal day. Anastasia was sitting in his car when she received a message from Felicia. ¡®Anastasia, you have to keep a close eye on President Presgrave tonight. Many female guests are here for him.¡¯ Anastasia couldn¡¯t help butugh when she read the text message. Felicia must really care about her for her to remind Anastasia of something like this. ¡°What are youughing at?¡± The man beside her nced at her, his hands gracefully controlled the steering wheel. She was held a little flustered as she subconsciously grabbed onto her phone. ¡°Nothing,¡± she mumbled. Anastasia would be embarrassed to death if the man were to see the message. However, the more she tried to hide it, the more suspicious the man¡¯s gaze became. Could she be chatting privately with some other man? he wondered grumpily. After they arrived at the hotel, Larry was the one who came down to personally receive them. ¡°There you are, President Presgrave and Anastasia. I have prepared a room for you to rest.¡± Since it was still early, Anastasia and Elliot made their way to a suite to rest first, and they would only go downstairs when the celebration had started. Standing in front of the French windows, Anastasia noticed how the atmosphere outside was feeling a lot more like Christmas. She was staring into the night view in a daze when a pair of arms wrapped her around her waist. The man then propped his chin on her corbone without a word, and their intimacy happened naturally. ¡°It is Christmas Eve tomorrow. Are you going to celebrate it at the Presgrave Residence?¡± Anastasia asked, to which Elliot hummed in response. ¡°I always celebrate it with my grandmother.¡± Anastasia would be going back to her father¡¯s house tomorrow. Although there was no ce for her in that house, it was still a ce she called ¡®home¡¯ as long as her father was there. ¡°Would it be okay if I invited both you and Jared to Grandma¡¯s ce on Christmas?¡± Elliot asked in a low voice after a slight pause. She gave it a thought and decided that she wouldn¡¯t be home during Christmas if she were to be there on the eve. ¡°Sure!¡± She nodded in reply. The arms around her waist soon tightened as she was pulled even more tightly into the man¡¯s chest. The man then made a move to kiss her, but she reached out to cover his thin lips just in time. ¡°No kisses,¡± she squeaked. ¡°Don¡¯t mess up the makeup I have on.¡± Anastasia had to face her rivals in love tonight, so she had to make sure her makeup would put her at an advantage. The man nibbled on her corbone unhappily at that. ¡°It should be okay to kiss you here, shouldn¡¯t it?¡± he growled. It immediately felt like electricity coursed through Anastasia¡¯s body as she allowed the man to punish her with a kiss. At this moment, Elliot¡¯s phone began to ring. He nced at it, thereafter going to the sofa and sitting down as he picked up the call. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Everything has been arranged as per your instruction, President Presgrave,¡± Rey reported from the other end of the call. Elliot grunted in agreement and his eyes showed a glint of satisfaction. Without them realizing, it was already 6.30 PM, and all the invited people were present. At this moment, a woman d in a sensual dress walked in from the entrance. It turned out to be Aliona. All the effort she had put into her appearance tonight was for the sake of catching Elliot¡¯s attention. Felicia, who had seen her walking in, came over to her. ¡°Aliona, why are you here?¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t Ie, Felicia? I am also an employee of Bourgeois.¡± Aliona answered in a prickly tone because she knew that Felicia and Anastasia were on good terms. Felicia was unperturbed by her rudeness, and she only calmly replied, ¡°I don¡¯t think your name is on the invitation list.¡± ¡°My rtionship with President Presgrave allows me toe if I want to.¡± After she said that, Aliona turned to the manager standing at the side. ¡°Go get a seat for me!¡± Felicia was at a loss for words after hearing what Aliona said. Even though she was a registered employee at Bourgeois, she had no sense of responsibility for her work. She had never even submitted a usable draft from the time she joined thepany. At the same time, May was weing Hayley in the hall downstairs. As soon as the former saw Hayley walking in from outside, she immediately jumped up in joy. ¡°There you are, Hayley!¡± The evening gown Hayley rented from the boutique wasn¡¯t bad at all. At least, it was worth the price she paid for it. ¡°Hayley, you look so beautiful!¡± May noticed at a nce that the other woman had undergone stic surgery. ¡°Has the event started? Did you arrange a seat for me?¡± Hayley asked May. ¡°It is done.¡± May still wanted to curry favor with her. She was expecting Hayley to one day ce an order with her, and she would then get a huge amount asmission. Hayley walked into the banquet hall and sat in an inconspicuous seat for guests. The only reason she came tonight was just to find her chance to put on a pitiful act in front of Elliot and make him sympathize with her. As the celebration was about to begin, everyone had started toe over from the buffet table. Anastasia and Elliot were having their dinner in the hotel suite when Felicia sent the former a message to notify her that the performance was about to start. Felicia also asked Anastasia when she would go down to the banquet hall. Not wanting to miss the live performance of her favorite singer, Anastasia quickly urged Elliot, ¡°Let¡¯s go down now!¡± He only nodded in reply before and he apanied her to the hall. Even as the lights had deliberately been dimmed, Elliot managed to bask everyone present in his aura the moment he and Anastasia stepped in. With his straight posture and mile-long legs, he had the demeanor of an arrogant king. ¡°President Presgrave is here.¡± ¡°Oh, lord! It really is President Presgrave! I thought he wouldn¡¯te!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe I am seeing President Presgrave in the flesh. He is so good-looking!¡± ¡°Hey, who is that woman by his side?!¡± The sounds of admiration of the female guests below the stage almost overshadowed the music ying in the background. Hayley¡¯s breath seemed to hitch as she looked at the couple. The man that she had been thinking about these days was right in front of her eyes, and he had the woman she hated the most by his side. Meanwhile, Aliona, who was amongst the guests, was so excited her eyes lit up. Elliot was finally here. When Larry was nning the seating arrangement, he made sure that Elliot and Anastasia were in the first row. Even the spokesperson Cecilia Acre, who was seated next to him, was so excited she found it hard to breathe as she started busying herself with doing this and that to get Elliot¡¯s attention. Anastasia finally knew how it felt to be Elliot¡ªshe had be the focus of all women tonight. She could feel the intensely envious eyes along the way that seemed like they could poke holes in her any moment now. ¡°Hello, President Presgrave. I am Cecilia Acre, the spokesperson for Bourgeois. It is a pleasure to meet you.¡± Cecilia took the initiative and greeted him. Elliot nodded slightly at her. ¡°Hello.¡± Cecilia initially had a waistcoat on, but as she spoke to Elliot, she subconsciously reached out to tug on it slightly, making it slide down to reveal her silken skin exposed by the deep V-neck of her outfit. Anastasia could tell at a nce what the female artist was plotting to do. She was slightly speechless when she saw that, but she had to admit that Cecilia had a bold fashion style. Of course, she only wore it for Elliot to see, and not anyone else. At this exact moment, the emcee of the event stepped onto the stage. After he gave a passionate introduction, Larry took the emcee¡¯s ce, and he gave a speech regarding a detailed introduction to the outlook and future development of Bourgeois. However, other than the performance, what everyone was looking forward to tonight was the lucky draw session. It was said that both the prize money and winning rate tonight were extraordinarily high. The performance finally began at 7 PM. The first person to take the stage was Anastasia¡¯s favorite singer, Hank O¡¯rion. He was dressed as handsomely as a prince. Among the warm apuse from the audience, Anastasia was also very enthusiastic as she pped in earnest. Despite themotion, Elliot didn¡¯t look at the singer once, as he was deeply attracted by the woman beside him who was pping with all her might. His dark eyes were filled with a myriad of emotions as he stared at her. Anastasia, however, waspletely enthralled by Hendrix, who was on the stage. The song he was singing was also coincidentally her favorite song. Elliot¡¯s cold gaze first nced at the singer who blew kisses to his audience, and then the former turned back to looking at Anastasia¡¯s charmed expression. So this is why she insisted on attending the banquet? he fumed. Is it all because of this singer? At that point, Anastasia finally felt goosebumps from the intensity of Elliot¡¯s stare, so she turned to look at him as she asked, ¡°What is the matter?¡± The woman had obviously made his mood sour, and yet she dared to ask him what happened! ¡°Do you like him a lot?¡± he suddenly hissed. Even though the light was dim, Anastasia could still feel Eliot¡¯s overbearing aura. That cold gaze of his was even more piercing than the cold air outside. She couldn¡¯t help but gulp in fear as she thought, He would definitely get angry if I were to say that I like Hendrix! And so, she decided to reply to him with a clever answer. ¡°I like his songs,¡± she announced. ¡°That means you like him, huh?¡± There was a trace of displeasure as the man frowned. She had no other choice but to appease him by reaching under the table and holding his hand in hers. His eyebrows finally rxed at that, and he domineeringly grabbed her fingers tight. Anastasia resignedly felt the strength of his grip between his fingers. She was even starting to get distracted even though she was listening to Hendrix singing live. All she could focus on now was the calloused fingertips going back and forth on her palm under the table. Sitting at a table on the third row, Aliona didn¡¯t once watch the performance on stage. She was constantly finding her opportunity to approach Elliot. But now that there was a performance going on, it would only be embarrassing for her if she rashly approached Elliot and ended up being kicked out on the spot by the man. She had to find a time when she would be alone with him. Coincidentally, Hayley had the same idea as Aliona, which was to meet Elliot alone. That would be the only time she could put on a good show. At the same time, she was a little worried that Anastasia would notice her. Hence, she could only try to hide herself using May as her human shield. It was finally time for the first round of the lucky draw session after Hendrix sang two songs in a row. ¡°Next up, we will draw 50 names as the winners of the constion prize.¡± The name of those who were picked shed across the big screen, and those who were drawn automatically knew that the grand prize was out of their reach. The second round of performances began after 50 names were drawn. This time, it was a sensual female singer who sang. And after she was done, 30 names were drawn for the third prize. Cecilia also had a performance prepared for the event. She went on stage and sang a love song, and she made sure to keep her eyes on Elliot the entire time. It was as though she was senerading him and him alone. Elliot¡¯s gaze naturally stayed on the stage. As Anastasia looked on, she was hit by a rage that appeared out of nowhere and she began to angrily scratch the back of the man¡¯s hand with her nails. He turned to look at her with a smile, but she didn¡¯t even look at him as she pretended like nothing was going on. She had already put her soul into pinching him a second time whereas he could only quietly ept his fate. What a cruel woman! he thought. She can look at other men, but I am not allowed to look at other women? There was a faint smile ying by the corners of her eyes and mouth, but the man¡¯s hand under the table already had additional scratch marks on the back of it. She was punishing him with a nonchnt, unsuspecting face. The next programme after the performance was the lucky draw for the second prize worth 30 thousand. Then came the first prize and the special prize. Larry, who was on the stage, couldn¡¯t help his excitement as he announced, ¡°Most of you might not be aware of this, but tonight¡¯s grand prize is a sports car worth five million!¡± As soon as these words came out, the audience immediately fell into amotion as they gasped aloud, ¡°A sports car worth 5 million?!¡± Wow! Does this make the winner wealthy overnight? What a motivating prize this is. President Presgrave sure is a generous boss! Anastasia was also stunned to hear Larry¡¯s words. She quickly turned to look at Elliot for answers, but all she could see was a face that revealed nothing for now. She soon started hearing several voices talking behind her. ¡°Golly! It would be great if I was the winner!¡± ¡°Yeah! It is a sports car worth five million! I don¡¯t even need the car. Just give me the 5 million!¡± Despite not being an employee of Bourgeois, Hayley was excited like the rest of them were. How she hoped at this moment that she worked for thepany so that she stood a chance to win the car. May had started clenching her fists out of hopes that she was the winner. Aliona was the only one who red at Anastasia with envious eyes that seemed to know what was going on. The next performance thatsted until 8.30 PM was also an entertaining one before it was followed by the lucky draw for first prize. There would be three winners who would take home 128,800 in cash. Anastasia could feel how overjoyed the three winners were when they went on stage to get their prizes. There was another performance after that, but everyone was nervous now that they were nearing the time for the announcement of the grand prize winner. Anastasia had released Elliot¡¯s hand at this point to pray that she would be the lucky winner. The atmosphere thick with excitement was making her anticipate winning the grand prize. The ted Larry finally took the stage again before he humorously joked, ¡°It is time to draw the name of the winner for the grand prize. I do wish that it was me. I haven¡¯t won anything, after all!¡± The crowdughed out loud after hearing his words. Now that he was done lifting the tension in the air, he pointed to the screen behind him and announced, ¡°Everyone, please look at the screen and see if it is your name that will be appearing in just a moment.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s start counting down now! 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2¡­¡± By the time Larry was done with the countdown, a name had appeared on the screen. It was none other than Anastasia Tillman. Seeing these two words immediately set the crowd off into an envious frenzy. Even the winner herself was surprised as she stared at her name on the screen. ¡°Miss Anastasia Tillman, pleasee up to the stage,¡± Larry called for her from the stage. Then, the woman in question started taking unsteady steps up the stage. She had been hidden within the dark crowd from earlier, but now that her beautiful face was directly under the spotlight for everyone to see, there were only more jealous eyes looking at her. Even Elliot was so stunned by her beauty that he couldn¡¯t help but think how much she would fit into a girl group. ¡°I would like to do a short interview with you, Miss Anastasia Tillman. Is your heart aflutter now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright,¡± Anastasia calmly replied as she had realized something now. It seemed like the car was intended as a gift for her from the start and the person who wanted to give it to her had nned to do it through this lucky draw session. If her guess was not wrong, Elliot was the one who bought her the car. ¡°Geez! You are too calm, Anastasia. If it was me, I would immediately start dancing to a song on stage!¡± Larry jokingly gushed. Hearing that, Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but let out a giggle, which also made a certain man below the stage smile. Larry kept on teasing her, ¡°How about you sing us a song, Anastasia? Or you could dance for us!¡± Anastasia quickly waved as she rejected Larry¡¯s suggestion, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. I can¡¯t sing at all, and I am even worse at dancing.¡± Larry¡¯s eyes were on her before he added with a sigh, ¡°It is true what people say about how a gorgeous car is for a gorgeous woman. Aren¡¯t you too beautiful to be true, Miss Anastasia?¡± ¡°You are also a very handsome man, Vice-president Young,¡± she smoothly gave him apliment. The man immediately broke out in cold sweat when he heard the words. ¡°Oh, no! President Presgrave has got to be the most handsome one here tonight.¡± He then turned to Elliot and with augh, he asked, ¡°President Presgrave, would you like toe up and say a few words to the audience?¡± Elliot waved to show that he wasn¡¯t going to do it. Anastasia came back to her seat after she took her prize, and she threw a helpless nce at Elliot, only for the man to look everywhere but her. ¡°Happy times always go by fast. We are nearing the end of our annual celebration, but before that, we have prepared a cocktail party for everyone to have a good time.¡± After saying that, Larry left the stage for the next programme tomence. As soon as the lights in the hall were turned on, the attendees began moving to another hall for wine tasting. Elliot¡¯s phone began to ring at the same time, so he took his phone and left his seat. Felicia, who had an envious gaze, came over to greet Anastasia. ¡°Just look at how much effort President Presgrave has put into making you happy!¡± She sighed. Anastasia only smiled in silent agreement. Elliot did go out of his way to keep her happy. Felicia then continued, ¡°Do you know that Aliona is here?¡± Anastasia was caught by surprise when she heard that. She looked around the hall, and seemed to have remembered something as she turned to Felicia again. ¡°You will have to excuse me for a moment, Felicia.¡± Aliona must have taken the chance when Elliot went off to pick up his call to have an alone moment with him. As Anastasia went into the hallway that Elliot had gone to, she saw Aliona speaking as she stood beside Elliot at the end of the hallway. Anastasia only picked up her words when she got closer to them. ¡°Please forgive me, Elliot. I was drunk the other day. I only made such a mistake because I was out of it,¡± the woman exined regretfully. ¡°Miss Dora.¡± Elliot¡¯s cold voice rang out as he stated, ¡°I don¡¯t mind letting this matter go, but I don¡¯t wish to see you. Please be on your way.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Elliot. Can you please forgive me just this one time for my father¡¯s sake?¡± She then held up her hand, and with a pitiful expression on, she swore, ¡°I promise I won¡¯t ever do something like that anymore.¡± Anastasia felt like now was the right time for her to step in. She pretended like she was looking for someone, and she came running to Elliot when her eyesnded on him. ¡°There you are, Elliot. Vice-president Young was looking for you.¡± After saying that, sheced her arm through Elliot¡¯s before acting as though she had just noticed Aliona¡¯s presence. ¡°You are here too, Miss Dora?¡± Having squeezed out all the tears she could muster earlier, Aliona quickly turned her face away from Anastasia. However, Anastasia didn¡¯t seem to want to bother herself with Aliona as she proceeded to tug on Elliot¡¯s arm. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± she urged. ¡°Let¡¯s return to the banquet hall.¡± Seeing this, Aliona immediately threw a re at the other woman. She knew that Anastasia had interrupted her apology on purpose. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would still have the nerve to see Elliot again, Miss Dora. You are surprisingly thick- skinned!¡± Anastasia added in a ridiculing tone. ¡°Anastasia Tillman! You¡ª¡± Anastasia cut her off before she could even begin her sentence. ¡°You should thank me for stopping you from causing trouble you can¡¯t be responsible for.¡± ¡°How dare you?¡± Aliona¡¯s face had turned white. Anastasia smirked in response. ¡°Forget it! There is no need to thank me.¡± Elliot¡¯s eyes fell on Anastasia then, and unlike the cold gaze he had on just moments ago, he was now looking at Anastasia with loving eyes. You want me to thank you? Aliona thought incredulously. I hate you so much I could kill you! My n would have worked if it wasn¡¯t for you! She managed to keep those words in as she only said in a calm voice, ¡°Miss Tillman, I have something to say to Elliot. Please give us some privacy.¡± ¡°Oh¡ªyou will have to forgive me, then. I, too, have something important to talk to Elliot about. I will be bringing him with me.¡± Anastasia snaked her arm around his as she spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± The man took it another step further by wrapping his arm around her waist, thereafter humming in response. After saying that, the two of them started to leave, and all Aliona could do was watch on as her n to apologize got ruined once more. You are a dead woman, Anastasia! I will make sure you pay for this! Aliona¡¯s nails were digging into her flesh, the resentment in her eyes threatening to overflow. Anastasia had only rescued Elliot out of Aliona¡¯s clutches out of the kindness of her heart, but before they even got back to the banquet hall, Elliot suddenly dragged her along to an empty private room before he closed the door behind him. She only looked at him with a confused expression on her face, and she asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you have something important to tell me? I¡¯m all ears.¡± He looked excited as he leaned his back against the door. She couldn¡¯t help butugh when she saw the man fake ignorance. With her eyebrows raised, Anastasia eximed, ¡°I threw out that nonsense to save you! Why would I have anything important to talk to you about?¡± Elliot¡¯s eyes seemed to dim as he stared at her looking all sensual and seductive in her ck evening gown. Annastasia naturally had an alluring quality to her. ¡°I will do the talking then,¡± he breathed. Seeing him slowly approaching her, she raised her hands to push him back. ¡°Just talk, then. There is no need for you to get so close.¡± The corners of his lips raised ever so slightly as he leaned in. He was so close that she had no choice but to arch her neck. Her nostrils were filled with his unique manly scent then. ¡°That¡¯s close enough!¡± She blinked a few times. ¡°Just say it. I can hear you.¡± ¡°You look gorgeous tonight.¡± ¡°I know,¡± she replied in a humorous yet coquettish tone. Elliot¡¯s breathing started to quicken. ¡°Do you have any idea what I have been thinking about the whole night?¡± How would I know?! she quietly eximed before the man held her delicate face in one hand, while the other forced her chin up. He then growled in a low and raspy voice, ¡°I have been thinking about kissing you.¡± His thin lipspletely sealed hers off the next second. Anastasia didn¡¯t push him away this time. The man had thoroughly captivated her tonight. From the way that he carefully nned the lucky draw session, to him colding rejecting Aliona¡¯s advances only showing this special side of his to Anastasia alone, she didn¡¯t think there would be a woman out there who wouldn¡¯t feel touched by it. Aliona stayed in the hallway without returning to the banquet hall. Now that she had felt Elliot¡¯s indifference, it seemed impossible for her to restore her image and be with him. Her only choice now was to follow Riley¡¯s n to kidnap Elliot, and have thetter killed after she gave birth to their child. There was no way she would let Anastasia get off easy as well, as she was the reason Aliona had to go through all the humiliation she did. At the same time in the banquet hall, Hayley was waiting for a chance to strike. As soon as the lights came back on, she hid herself in the bathroom as she told May to notify her as soon as Elliot had left the hall by himself. Even though May didn¡¯t know why Hayley wanted her to do this, she still obediently did as she was told. The couple who was making out in the private room was starting to lose control as they sucked on and nibbled each other¡¯s lips and tongue. When Anastasia realized that Elliot wanted to do more to her, she had to forcibly push him away. ¡°Enough, Elliot,¡± she gasped, feeling a little annoyed. He incessantly made light bites on her thin lips, and he finally nced at the sofa in the room and said, ¡°The room is too small. I can¡¯t even unleash my full potential here.¡± Anastasia was utterly speechless at that as she thought, What an overthinker! Aftering out of the room, she went to the banquet hall to find Felicia, whereas Elliot sat in the room to rest while he waited for Anastasia to be done with her business. Unbeknownst to the couple, May was hiding behind a pir when Anastasia left the room. She couldn¡¯t help but feel envious as she watched Anastasia brush out the wrinkles on her gown. May had a feeling that Elliot and Anastasia must have been up to no good after staying alone in the private room for more than 10 minutes. She immediately whipped out her phone and sent a message to Hayley, asking her to go to Room No. 8, where Elliot was in alone. Anastasia wanted to ask Felicia something when she returned to the banquet hall, but when the former couldn¡¯t find her, and seeing as to it was time to go back to pick up her son, she turned back to the direction of the private room. Hayley, who was still hiding in the bathroom, came out excitedly holding her phone after she received the message from May. Anastasia saw a figure disappearing into a corner as soon as she stepped out of the door of the banquet hall. She couldn¡¯t help being surprised by seeing who she thought was Hayley. She immediately followed after Hayley with hasty steps. As she hid behind a door, she saw that Hayley and May were together whispering about something. Anastasia quietly sneered at the sight. She still remembered vividly how May was the one who helped Hayley hide her phone thest time her son went missing. Hayley turned to May as the former asked in a low voice, ¡°Are you sure he is in there?¡± ¡°I have been keeping my eye on him.¡± May nodded. ¡°I am sure he is in there.¡± ¡°Good. You can leave now. I will go to him myself.¡± May lifted her head right at this moment, and she was so surprised she turned pale when she saw that Anastasia, who had left just a while ago, had returned. Furthermore, she was standing behind Hayley like a ghost. Hayley must have noticed the odd expression on May¡¯s face, only for her to be caught by surprise when she turned her head to look in the same direction. Anastasia had her arms crossed in front of her body as she coldly stared at them with her beautiful pair of eyes. ¡°A-Anastasia, why are you here?¡± May stuttered. Anastasia was sure that Hayley hade to beg Elliot for forgiveness. If possible, Anastasia really didn¡¯t want to give Hayley the opportunity to do so. ¡°Anastasia, you had better not stick your nose into my business!¡± Hayley warned her. Instead of answering her, Anastasia turned to ask May, ¡°Hayley was the one who ordered you to steal my phone, right?¡± Not expecting Anastasia to notice what had happened so long ago, May¡¯s face fell as she quickly looked at Hayley in panic. Hayley, however, immediately drew a line between herself and May. ¡°Have I instructed you to do anything, May?¡± ¡°Then let me tell you the truth, May. Hayley was kicked out by President Presgrave himself for plotting the murder of the Presgrave Family. Are you still going to protect her despite knowing this now?¡± Anastasia revealed Hayley¡¯s true colors without mercy. May wasn¡¯t blind nor stupid to not have noticed how Hayley was hiding from people tonight. This probably meant that whatever rtionship she had with Elliot had ended for some time now. She swiftly pointed an usatory finger at Hayley and eximed, ¡°Yes! Hayley was the one who ordered me to do it. Anastasia, everything I did was under her instructions!¡± ¡°How dare you, May?¡± Hayley red at the woman. May then immediately went and stood beside Anastasia. ¡°Please forgive me, Anastasia!¡± she pleaded. ¡°Hayley was the one who threatened me and got me to do it. I didn¡¯t know that she had nned to kidnap your son with someone else.¡± Anastasia was still extremely angry when she thought about how frightening that night was for her. Her cold eyes only swept across to throw May a cold nce as she hissed, ¡°Resign on your own ord!¡± May was stunned at first, but she quickly realized that this was the most forgiving solution Anastasia was giving her. ¡°Alright. I will hand in my resignation letter tomorrow.¡± Upon hearing that, Hayley mocked, ¡°You are putting up a front like you are thedy boss of Bourgeois even though you aren¡¯t! Anastasia, you don¡¯t have the right to fire employees as you please!¡± Anastasia raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°My affairs are none of your concern.¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Hayley choked, not able to finish her sentence. She hated how bossy Anastasia was acting. May took the chance to scurry off. Instead of holding a grudge for getting fired, she was grateful to Anastasia, the future owner of thepany, for not holding her ountable. As soon as May left, Hayley gritted her teeth and she angrily spat, ¡°Anastasia, do you think you have the right to act so arrogant if it wasn¡¯t because you have Elliot providing you his support?¡± Anastasia only stared at her disapprovingly. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± she asked, to which Hayley scoffed. ¡°Why does what I n to do have anything to do with you?¡± Anastasia was hit by an unexinable feeling of hatred as she gazed at the woman in front of her. Hayley, on the other hand, was resentful about the fact that her chance to meet Elliot privately in the room had been ruined by Anastasia. Knowing exactly where Anastasia¡¯s sore spot was, Hayley started walking toward her, and she came to a halt when they were about a meter apart. She then stared at Anastasia as she said with no shame, ¡°There is something that will never change, Anastasia. It is for a fact that Elliot and I had shared a passionate night together. We were holding onto each other so tight when we exchanged heated kisses. His sweat dripped on my body like it was warm honey. I still remember how insatiable he was that we had to do it again and again.¡± Anastasia¡¯s face began to tense up, and she felt as if something was stuck in her chest and making her feel ufortable. ¡°I will never forget that night for the rest of my life!¡± Hayley added with her eyes narrowed as a nostalgic expression appeared on her face. ¡°What¡¯s there to show off?¡± Anastasia sneered. Hayley¡¯s lips curled into a smile when she saw that she was getting a reaction out of Anastasia. ¡°It is not like you are an innocent woman to Elliot. He will forever remember how you slept with the man a few years ago. Besides, don¡¯t you know that Elliot doesn¡¯t touch ¡®dirty¡¯ women?¡± ¡°Shut the hell up!¡± Anastasia¡¯s expression was getting increasingly thunderous at that point. ¡°I can shut up, but does shutting up change anything? Does Elliot really not care that you gave birth to a b*stard child? There is not one man, especially someone with a status like Elliot¡¯s, who likes raising someone else¡¯s child.¡± Hayley snickered. Not wanting to hear her speaking for a second longer, Anastasia hissed, ¡°Are you done talking? If you are, you¡¯d do best to leave.¡± Unfazed by Anastasia¡¯s anger, Hayley continued spewing venomous words. ¡°I pity your son. He will never know who his father is, and even worse, he will never know how he was brought to this world.¡± This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Anastasia¡¯s fists were already clenched, and she had to hold her anger back as she growled, ¡°Don¡¯t make me hurt you on this fake face of yours.¡± Hayley was about to take a step back when she heard the door to the private room Elliot was in making a noise, as though it was being opened. Her quick thinking made her raise her hands to push Anastasia, making Anastasia shove her out of reflex. ¡°Ah!¡± Hayley immediately let out a pained howl as she sat on the floor,ining. ¡°Anastasia!¡± She wiped away her tears as she mumbled, ¡°How could you hit me? What did I do wrong?¡± Anastasia was caught off guard at first, but when she turned her head and saw Ellioting out of the room, she immediately understood what Hayley was up to. Seeing Hayley covering one side of her face as she stayed seated on the floor, Anastasia squatted down to her height, and in a cold voice, she threatened, ¡°Since you are using me of hitting you, it wouldn¡¯t make sense if I don¡¯t really give you a p, right?¡± Before Hayley could even react, Anastasia raised her hand in the air, and swung it on the uncovered side of Hayley¡¯s face. Smack! Five finger marks could be seen on Hayley¡¯s face, that was heavily coated in make-up, the next second. ¡°Anastasia Tillman! You¡ª¡± Hayley was so infuriated her gaze was murderous. She couldn¡¯t believe that Anastasia wouldy hands on her. Hayley couldn¡¯t bother with the pain in her cheek when she saw Elliot walking toward them. All she did the next moment was cry out with a wronged expression on her face. ¡°She pushed and hit me, Elliot! You have to side with me!¡± Elliot walked over and stood beside Anastasia as his cold eyes nced at the teary-eyed Hayley. The next second, he was holding and checking Anastasia¡¯s hand with his head lowered. ¡°Let someone else do the dirty work if you are going to hit someone next time. It will dirty your hands,¡± he said in a caring voice. Hayley could feel a knife being driven through her heart upon hearing that. Not only did Elliot not pity her, he was more concerned about Anastasia¡¯s hand being dirty. This was what truly insulted her. Anastasia, too, was surprised by Elliot¡¯s words. What Hayley had said earlier still felt like a thorn in Anastasia¡¯s wound, but the man¡¯s tenderness now was more real than anything else. ¡°Let¡¯s go and get your hand cleaned up.¡± Elliot held Anastasia¡¯s hand and started walking away. He didn¡¯t spare another nce at Hayley, who still remained on the floor. All that show Hayley had put on was for naught. After Anastasia and Elliot had disappeared into a corner, Hayley immediately got back up, the embarrassment on her face bing more evident. She knew that it wouldn¡¯t hurt the man one bit even if she were to die in front of him. Everything that she was doing was only her digging another deeper hole for her to fall into. After Anastasia was done washing her hands in the washroom, she saw Elliot waiting for her as soon as she went back outside. She let out a smallugh and huffed. ¡°What a stress reliever.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother yourself with her,¡± Elliot reminded. ¡°That kind of woman doesn¡¯t deserve your time of the day.¡± Anastasia nodded in response. ¡°I know. Let¡¯s go home! It is time to pick up Jared.¡± Elliot then held her hand and started walking in the direction of the elevator. His group of bodyguards were already waiting and ready to leave with them both. Now that it was almost Christmas, the view outside was beautifully decorated with the colors of Christmas. It went on along the whole way they drove. Elliot¡¯s warm hand was wrapped around Anastasia¡¯s cold one the entire journey. By the time they were back to the Presgrave Residence, Jared had fallen asleep out of exhaustion, whereas Harriet was still wide awake. She hushed the couple when they came in. ¡°He just fell asleep.¡± ¡°It is alright. I¡¯ll carry him to the car,¡± Anastasia smiled. Her sleepy son would stay asleep if he wanted to even if she were to move him. ¡°Let me do it.¡± Elliot swiftly took a step forward and picked Jared up in his arms. The young boy dazedly opened his eyes to look, and he soon closed his eyes again when it was a familiar face that was carrying him. ¡°Be careful on the road,¡± Harriet reminded them before they left. Anastasia then spoke, her voice slightly apologetic. ¡°Please take a rest, Grandma. Jared will only disturb you if he were here.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t sleep because I am too excited! What a joyful night this is.¡± After saying that, Harriet looked over at her grandson carrying the sleeping child. Jared would always remind her of the wonderful time she took care of a young Elliot. ¡°We will be leaving now, Grandma. Don¡¯t go to bed toote,¡± Elliot said before he carried Jared out the house with Anastasia in tow. After he carried Jared to the car, the young boy leaned against his mother and continued to sleep. Jared didn¡¯t wake up all the way back to the vi, and it was Elliot, again, who carried him back to the bedroom. It was rather inconvenient for Anastasia to hold her son with her high-heels and evening gown on, so she changed into her slippers before she went back to her son¡¯s room. As soon as she went in, her heart seemed to knot with worry at the sight of Elliot half-squatting beside Jared¡¯s bed as he took off the boy¡¯s shoes and socks with a gentle expression on his face. Hayley¡¯s words earlier had cut her like a knife. There is not one man, especially someone with a status like Elliot¡¯s, who likes raising someone else¡¯s child. Would Elliot still treat Jared like his own if she were to get married to him and not give birth to another child? As much as Anastasia didn¡¯t want to think about it, it was a real issue that had to be addressed. Just as she was starting to feel suffocated by the unanswered question, Elliot walked out of the boy¡¯s room before he closed the door behind him. He quickly noticed the solemn look on her face as she stood under a wall light, so he asked, ¡°Why are you standing here zoning out?¡± ¡°Nothing. Let¡¯s go to bed earlier!¡± She started to turn around and leave after saying that. Just as Elliot was about to grab onto her, his phone rang, prompting him to pick up the call after taking a nce at the caller ID. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°President Presgrave, there is an urgent online video conference that requires your immediate participation.¡± Rey¡¯s voice came from the other end of the line. Elliot took a look at the time that indicated it was already 11 PM, and he said to Anastasia, ¡°I am going to a meeting. You can go ahead and sleep without me.¡± With a slightly heartbroken gaze, she threw a glimpse at him and hummed in agreement. Elliot then went to the study room on the second floor, whereas Anastasiay in bed awake, her head constantly reying the painful words Hayley had spat in her face. Being insomniac was rough and in order to pass the time, Anastasia took a look at her phone, only to unconsciously jump up when she realized that she had been awake for two hours. Since she couldn¡¯t sleep, she decided to go downstairs for a ss of milk to help her sleep. Before that, she went to Jared¡¯s room to check on him. The boy didn¡¯t kick his nket off of him, and was drenched in sweat from staying under the warm nket. She was about to go downstairs when she suddenly turned around and headed to the study room instead. She knew the man was still inside when she saw the light on the carpeting from beneath the door. She knocked softly a few times before she twisted the doorknob open. Despite the room being brightly lit, Elliot was lying on the sofa with his eyes closed. She then took light steps to the sofa, and her heart started beating wildly when she gazed upon the perfect face illuminated under the light. The man had shapely brow bones, deep and misty eyes, a tall nose bridge, and a pair of sensual lips. He was someone who only looked better as time went by. Did he fall asleep on the sofa from working overtime? she thought to herself. Seeing this, she couldn¡¯t help but take a nket from upstairs and put it on him. Just as she was brushing out the corners of the nket, he woke up from the noise. He then opened his eyelids that were adorned with longshes and looked at her. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you slept yet?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you go back to the bedroom to sleep?¡± ¡°I identally fell asleep while waiting for a phone call.¡± After saying that, he sat up, stretched out his hands and pulled her in for a hug. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you asleep?¡± ¡°I¡­ I got up to check on Jared.¡± She couldn¡¯t tell him that she had insomnia. Elliot just looked at her with an endearing gaze. ¡°Try to sleep early.¡± He then reassured her, ¡°I will go up to see him from time to time.¡± Hearing that, Anastasia, whose head was resting against his steady heartbeat, raised her chin slightly and said, ¡°You are so kind to Jared.¡± ¡°He really is like my own son, you know? I see a lot of myself in him,¡± Elliot uttered with sincerity as he lowered his head. She hooked her arms around his neck and took the initiative to kiss him on his cheek, surprising him. ¡°Thank you for taking care of my son for me.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me for that. Isn¡¯t this what I am supposed to do?¡± Regardless, Anastasia was still grateful to Elliot, for hispany was a blessing to Jared. Chapter 461-470 Chapter 461-470 It was at this exact moment Elliot¡¯s phone started ringing. At that, he swiftly turned to Anastasia and said, ¡°Go ahead and sleep.¡± Not wanting to bother him when he was on the phone, she went out of the room. She was already behind the door when she vaguely heard the man bark in a grave, furious tone, ¡°Is this how you do your job?!¡± Still in the presence of the gentle Elliot just seconds ago, Anastasia could feel her heart skip a beat at that. It only got harder for her to fall asleep after she went back to her room. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder what new troubles he was facing this time. ¡­ Christmas Eve hade atst. Anastasia promised her father that she would bring Jared home only for dinner, not for lunch. After the boy had woken up from his sleep, Anastasia first made breakfast for him before she prepared lunch for Elliot, who she thought would only wake up at noon. It was already 11.30 AM in the blink of an eye. Anastasia got to the door of the master bedroom with light steps to see if the man was still sleeping. As she stood there, she gently twisted the doorknob before walking in as quietly as she could. Just like she had expected, he was still sound asleep in the king-sized bed covered in gray sheets. She was suddenly tempted to take a closer look at the man who rarely stayed in bedte. With that in mind, she trod wearily to the side of the bed like a kitten before she lightly propped her arms on the bed and leaned over to look at the man. She first noticed how his thick eyshes had cast graceful fan-like shadows under his eyes. She couldn¡¯t help but acknowledge that there were men out there that didn¡¯t even need to lift a finger, and could make people have bad intentions with just their sleeping faces alone. Anastasia had to swallow the drool that was threatening to spill as she looked at the man¡¯s sexy corbones peeking out from the cor of his pajamas. Not only that, she could see the outline of his ripped muscles even though his slender, but sturdy body was hidden from in sight by his pajamas. Thank you for creating this masterpiece of yours, God! Her head was filled with nonsensical thoughts when Elliot¡¯s eyelids suddenly shot open, and he stared straight into her eyes. She was so startled that her arms went soft and her whole body fell t on his chest. Anastasia started scampering to get up, but with a tug of his long arms wrapped around her waist, she had been moved onto the bed like a ragdoll. I only wanted to admire your looks for a bit! Even though she was thinking that, she started coaxing him, ¡°I won¡¯t disturb you. Go ahead and sleep a little longer.¡± Without saying a word, he buried his face in the crook of her neck and nted a kiss there. A tingle darted through her body but when she regained the strength in her limbs, she pushed him. ¡°I was wrong! I shouldn¡¯t have disturbed your sleep¡­ Please, spare me!¡± Despite her resistance, Elliot still proceeded to drag her under the nket warm with his body heat. She felt as muchfort as she felt the danger of it. This was what people meant when they said that men who had just woken up in the morning were dangerous. Elliot was like a naughty child still foggy from sleep when he caught her in his arms, and he kissed her anywhere and everywhere he could. ¡°Elliot¡­¡± Anastasia whispered. She could feel how hot the man¡¯s body was against her as she pushed him away. After a long time of not saying a word, he finally protested in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s just a quick hug.¡± Hearing that, she couldn¡¯t help but grumble to herself, Quick hug, my foot! ¡°You will be mine eventually anyway,¡± he hummed as he pressed his lips to the crown of her head. He wanted to own her before she was officially his woman. However, Anastasia somehow managed to find a chance to get out of bed. Now that she was looking at the man who had sat up in bed, azy and seductive air surrounded him, and she thought it didn¡¯t seem like it would be a loss on her part if she were to jump him now. She quickly said, ¡°Uh¡­ I made lunch. How about you get up and eat something?¡± Rather than answering her, Elliot asked, ¡°When are you and Jared going home?¡± ¡°We are going in the afternoon.¡± The man lightly stretched before he flipped open the nket, and that was when Anastasia saw the sight that made her immediately turn around in embarrassment. Does he really see me as his wife or something already?! she gulped. Seeing that, Elliot began teasing her in a thuggish way, ¡°Why did you turn around? This thing here belongs to you.¡± Anastasia fled out the door the next second as she couldn¡¯t bear listening to him any longer. As she ran out, she could hear his brightughter echoing in the room. He sounded like a hooligan then. After she was done preparing his lunch, the man, dressed in a luxurious outfit, came sauntering down from the second floor like a noble king. He then asked, ¡°Where is Jared?¡± ¡°In the yroom on the third floor,¡± Anastasia answered as she brought out the food she whipped up. Elliot suddenly looked at her and said, ¡°Give your dad a callter and ask him if he would be okay with adding one more ce on the dining table tonight.¡± Upon hearing that, Anastasia narrowed her eyes ever so slightly. ¡°You want to have dinner at my house?¡± ¡°I will go to your house for Christmas Eve, and you cane to my house on Christmas. Sounds good?¡± He was determined to go to her house tonight for the eve celebration. She didn¡¯t oppose his idea, so she swiftly nodded and said, ¡°Sure. I will inform my dad in a while.¡± As Francis had a busy job, he was still working overtime at hispany on Christmas Eve. Today, however, he was sitting here dealing with some personal affairs rather than the usual work matters. He was writing a will. Even though he wouldn¡¯t need it for the time being, he wanted to prepare himself in order to get certain things done, as he had had multiple health issues as ofte. Alex happened to be at the office to sign a document when he found out that Francis was still there as well. He then dropped by to greet his employer. As the younger man opened the door, he saw Francis looking at some document and quickly covering it with another document when he saw Alex walk in. ¡°Oh¡ªthere you are, Alex!¡± Francis greeted him. ¡°It is Christmas Eve, President Tillman, and yet you are still working overtime.¡± Alex then caringly added, ¡°Please be mindful of your health.¡± ¡°I understand. You can go ahead and leave! Come back to work after Christmas.¡± Alex was an unusually sensitive person, and he had already noticed Francis¡¯ frantic behavior just now. But before he could say anything about it, Francis¡¯ndline began to ring. ¡°Hello? Okay. I will be down in a minute.¡± Francis stood up after finishing the call. ¡°I will make a trip to the warehouse. You can go home now!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you, president,¡± Alex offered, only to be rejected right off the bat. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I am only going to check a few samples of the materials.¡± Francis waited for Alex to leave his office with him, and he closed the door behind them. Alex then pretended as if he was walking toward the finance department. When he saw from the corner of his eye that Francis had entered the elevator, he turned around to see if he was alone before he prowled his way back to Francis¡¯ office. Francis was not one to lock his office door during the day, which made it easy for Alex to enter. When thetter reached the desk, he saw the hidden document that looked a lot like a will. Instead of spending his time going through it word by word, he took out his phone to take a photo of it instead. After he had finished taking photos of all three sheets of paper, he put the documents back to their original ce and scurried away. It was only after he returned to his car that he could be at ease to check the photos he took. A cold smile appeared on the corners of his mouth when he finished reading the contents of the will. Sure enough, Naomi had been spot-on with her worries. It seemed that Francis had no intention to hand over thepany to the mother-and-daughter duo¡ªAnastasia was the only heiress of the company. Francis might have had it in his will to distribute the other assets to Naomi and her daughter, but none of those couldpare to thepany which had a worth of more than one billion. Alex was suddenly reminded of the trust the mother-and-daughter duo had in him. It seemed like he would have his share of Tillman Constructions as long as he could make Erica fall for him. At the same time, Francis was chatting with the employees in the warehouse when his phone rang. He took a nce at it before he reached out to pick it up. ¡°Hello, Anastasia! Are you home yet?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t started my journey yet, Dad. I called you to inform you that Elliot will being over tonight for dinner.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Francis¡¯ mood instantly lifted when he heard his daughter¡¯s words. It was his honor to have a guest such as Elliot. ¡±That¡¯s great! I will tell Naomi to prepare a feast to properly wee the Young Master!¡± After Francis cut the call with Anastasia, he immediately called his wife to inform her that Elliot was coming to their house for dinner. Naomi, of course, was taken aback as well. ¡°What? Young Master Elliot ising to our house for dinner? We have to prepare more food, then!¡± ¡°Prepare as much good food as you can. We can¡¯t afford to disrespect him,¡± Francis requested. As soon as the call ended, Naomi quickly instructed the servants to go to the supermarket again. Naomi had initially prepared some dishes that Anastasia didn¡¯t like after she knew that Anastasia was coming home. However, now that Elliot wasing over, she would not dare to offend the Young Master no matter how much she loathed Anastasia. What was more, it was a once-in-a-blue-moon opportunity to meet a man whose worth was hundreds of billions. She still had some other n up her sleeves. Naomi then quickly called Erica, who had gone shopping in the early morning. Erica was so excited after she picked up the call and learned that Elliot wasing over that she almost passed out. ¡°Mom, is it true? Is Elliot reallying to our home?¡± she squealed. ¡°That is what your Dad told me. It must be true, then.¡± ¡°Mom, I can¡¯t talk now,¡± Erica suddenly said. ¡°I have to buy some clothes.¡± After she hung up the call, she dragged her friend along to ransack the boutique they were in for clothes. She was determined to dress her best for Elliot tonight. Even if all Elliot did was take a look at her a second longer, it would keep her happy for a very long time. Elliot received a call from Harriet, in which she told him that she was at Brenda¡¯s before she asked him if he woulde over. Needless to say, she was caught by surprise when he told her that he was going to have dinner with Anastasia¡¯s family. Oh, how she hoped that Elliot would quickly make Anastasia his wife! Around 3 PM, Anastasia dressed up her son like a fashionable and handsome child model. Elliot, too, had changed into a gray casual suit, with a dark-colored shirtyered with a vest. He looked just like an awe-inspiring young master of a powerful family from TV shows. Anastasia couldn¡¯t turn her gaze away after she raised her head to look at him. He probably would look good in a rag too, she mused. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Elliot held Jared by his hand as they went to the underground parking lot together. He chose one of his cars that had a child safety seat installed in it. Ever since he started bringing Jared along on drives, Elliot had thrown aside all his best sports cars. They looked just like a family of three on their way back to their parents¡¯ house. Francis had returned to the Tillman Residence earlier than he usually would. The whole ce had been cleaned thoroughly by the servants who had a feeling that someone of importance wasing tonight. Erica had been in her room upstairs the whole time fixing her makeup in the mirror and trying on one outfit after another. She wanted to pick the one she looked best in before she went downstairs. She finally heard the sound of a car engineing from outside. As she peeked from the second floor, she saw an impressive-looking sedan driving into thepound, and that was when her heart started thumping heavily against her chest. Elliot was finally here. Naomi had seen Elliot at her husband¡¯spany¡¯s annual celebration before. He was such a brilliant man that she couldn¡¯t help but hope that her own daughter would be blessed with the luck to marry him. However, her jealousy started bubbling away when she went out with her husband to wee their guests, only to see how much they looked like a family when Elliot carried Jared out of the car, while Anastasia got out from the other door. Naomi could never understand how Anastasia managed to tie a man like Elliot down. On top of that, they even brought along that b*stard child too! ¡°Wee, Young Master Elliot!¡± ¡°Mr. Tillman,¡± Elliot greeted with a smile. The young boy he was holding, too, cheerfully called out, ¡°Grandpa!¡± Naomi had a fake smile stered on her face as she stood beside Francis. ¡°Young Master Elliot, we are d that you have decided to pay us a visit. Please,e in.¡± Elliot then nodded and thanked her. ¡°Mom!¡± Anastasia greeted her as well. She didn¡¯t want to embarrass Naomi in front of her father. ¡°Anastasia, make sure you take good care of Young Master Elliot while he is here,¡± Francis turned to Anastasia and said. Erica was finally satisfied with her makeup and outfit right around this time. As she walked down from the stairs on the second floor, she looked at Elliot, who was walking in, and greeted him excitedly, ¡°Young Master Elliot, you are here.¡± Elliot looked at her and gave a nod in acknowledgement. Anastasia then invited him to sit on the sofa, while she sat beside him and served him tea. Francis, however, suddenly remembered that they didn¡¯t have milk at home. He insisted on bringing Jared with him to buy some immediately. Anastasia felt slightly resigned at her father doting on her son. Naomi was getting annoyed looking at her husband but she, too, could only watch on as her husband pampered Anastasia¡¯s son. She secretly thought how nice it would be if her own daughter would hurry up and give birth to a son. Naomi then threw a knowing nce at her daughter before she went into the kitchen. Erica caught sight of that, and she immediately understood what her mother was signaling her to do. Out of nowhere, she had a burst of courage to get Elliot¡¯s attention. ¡°I will do it for you, Anastasia!¡± Erica, who usually called her sister by her full name, suddenly offered to help. Erica didn¡¯t dare show disrespect toward Anastasia now that Elliot was there. She needed to leave a good impression on him. After Anastasia obediently gave the teapot to Erica, she sat beside him before she grabbed a handful of cherries and passed them to him. ¡°Here.¡± Elliot then took one cherry out of her palm and popped it into his mouth. She, too, ate one as she looked at him. It was somewhat unbelievable to her just how elegant his movements were even when all he was doing was eating a cherry. How can a man look so graceful in everything he does? she wondered. He kept going until there wasn¡¯t a cherry left in her palm, so she went and grabbed another fistful for them to share. Erica was sitting across them making tea as she witnessed their soundless intimacy. She could die from jealousy right there and then. Elliot would only show this friendly side of his when he was with Anastasia. If it were any other women, he would have immediately put an unapproachable front by being his usual cold self. ¡°I bought the cherries! They are great, aren¡¯t they, Anastasia?¡± Erica asked abruptly. She wanted to remind them that she was there as well. Hearing that, Anastasia casually replied, ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± She stopped eating the cherries after that. Instead, she started peeling two oranges, and Elliot only ate what she peeled. He acted as though fruits that had been in her hands tasted sweeter. ¡°Please have some tea.¡± Erica served him a cup of tea. As soon as the cup was in his hand, he took a small sip of it before turning to Anastasia again. ¡°I want more oranges,¡± he murmured Anastasia swiftly took two more and began peeling one of them for him. Just as she was in the middle of it, the man suddenly put two peeled pieces of oranges into her mouth. She was startled at first, but she soon began to enjoy the sweetness erupting across her taste buds. Erica could only continue to watch their lovey-dovey act. ¡°Is it good?¡± he asked in a serious voice, and she nodded. At that, Anastasia hummed in reply. ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡± He then peeled another orange and brought it to her mouth again. With that, her mouth was full with that oh-so-sweet orange. Erica was starting to feel upset as she watched the couple. Despite how much effort she put into dolling herself up, the man had not spared her even one nce. As she felt weird about staying with them, she quickly stood up as she mumbled, ¡°Uh¡­ I will go to the kitchen for a bit.¡± Neither of them said anything to Erica in reply. Anastasia only proceeded to shove a whole orange she had just peeled into Elliot¡¯s mouth. Knowing that she did it intentionally, he bit the orange in half before sending the other half to her mouth. Anastasia instantly flushed as red as a tomato at that. She could never win every time she tried to tease him. Still, the orange he fed her tasted extraordinarily sweet. ¡°Does the orange that has been in my mouth taste good?¡± he leaned in next to her ear and asked, making her blush. Erica, who had gone into the kitchen, was visibly upset as she stood beside her mother, her lips pouting. Naomi could only look at her with sympathizing eyes. It didn¡¯t take long before Francis had returned with Jared. Not only did the young boy have milk with him, he was also carrying an expensive-looking toy robot. As soon as Anastasia saw it, she sternly asked, ¡°Jared, did you pester your Grandpa into buying you a toy?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± The boy¡¯s cheeks puffed up. ¡°Grandpa wanted to buy it for me.¡± Francis hurriedly added to back his grandson up. ¡°I bought it for Jared. He didn¡¯t pester me or anything. It is only normal to buy presents for children during Christmas, yes?¡± Elliot was still frivolously ying around with Anastasia just a second ago, but now, his back was as straight as a pole and a serious expression appeared on his face. Francis then sat down and poured more tea into Elliot¡¯s cup, and he warmly said to the younger man, ¡°Have some tea, Young Master Elliot.¡± ¡°Mr. Tillman, you can just call me by my name,¡± Elliot replied with a smile. ¡°Alright, then. Elliot it is!¡± Francis called out rather naturally. Truth was, he had already thought of Elliot as his son-inw. As the men conversed, Anastasia brought Jared beside her for some fruit. It was then that Francis was surprised by the resemnce between Elliot and Jared. Elliot looked exactly like Jared¡¯s biological father. Francis had never directly asked Anastasia about the identity of her son¡¯s real father. He never had the courage to do so either. He had always regretted the five years she went missing after he had misunderstood her. The dinner was a feast. For someone as greedy for wealth and power as Naomi was, there was no way she would dare to underserve a man like Elliot. ¡°Mommy, I want some shrimp,¡± Jared said as he pointed to a shrimp dish. Hearing that, Anastasia washed her hand before she peeled some shrimps for her son. As she continued to get rid of the shell, Elliot suddenly brought his bowl over for Anastasia to ce a peeled shrimp into his bowl. He started to happily munch into it right after. Then, she continued to peel a few more for him. Naomi started to feel anxious as she looked at Anastasia seemingly assuming the role of Elliot¡¯s wife. Anastasia has got aplete hold on Elliot, she thought. This can be dangerous for Erica and I. As much as Erica was attracted to Elliot¡¯s gentle and handsome appearance, she loathed Anastasia for her deliberate show of affection. It was already past 8.00PM by the time they finished dinner, which also meant that it was time for Elliot to take Anastasia and Jared back to their own home. Francis went and saw them off at the door as he reminded them to drive slowly. Erica and Naomi had alsoe out to send their guests off. After watching the impressive sedan leave, Francis said to the mother and daughter, ¡°I will be back after a walk.¡± The instant he left, Erica finally exploded in irritation. ¡°Mom! Just look at how smug Anastasia was. She clearly was showing off their rtionship to us on purpose.¡± ¡°Anastasia was giving us a warning.¡± Naomi had held in a lot of rage as well. ¡°She is trying to make us think that she isn¡¯t an easy opponent, now that she has Elliot backing her up.¡± Erica started to grind her teeth as she growled, ¡°Mom, we cannot be afraid of her.¡± Her phone began to ring right at this moment. After taking a look at it, she angrily epted the call. ¡°Hey, Alex. Where have you been these 2 days? Why didn¡¯t you answer my call or reply to my messages?¡± ¡°I am sorry, Erica. I¡¯ve been busy dealing with thepany¡¯s inventory. I didn¡¯t mean to not reply. I called you to tell you something.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± she asked. ¡°I saw your dad write a will. I will send it to you now, and you can have it sent to your mom. Don¡¯t ever let your dad find out that this photo was secretly taken. I will definitely lose my job otherwise.¡± When she heard that, Erica immediately urged him to send the photo over. She couldn¡¯t wait to know the contents of the will that her father was preparing. ¡°Alright, I will send it over now.¡± Alex then hung up the phone. It only took a few seconds before Erica received three photos of the will via message. She quickly dragged her mother back to the living room and said, ¡°Mom, Alex secretly took photos of Dad¡¯s will. Come take a look.¡± They proceeded to read it word by word, and by the time they were done, their faces had turned pale from their anger. Just like they had expected, Francis didn¡¯t leave even a small part of thepany to them. ¡°F*ck you, Francis!¡± Naomi hissed under her breath. Erica was starting to panic as well. ¡°What are we going to do, Mom? Dad has no intentions to give us thepany at all. It is all going to Anastasia.¡± ¡°Calm down, Erica. I won¡¯t let you live empty-handed. It seems like your Dad has never thought of people important to him, huh?¡± She scoffed. ¡°I finally see his true colors.¡± All those years Naomi had been Francis¡¯ wife suddenly seemed like nothing but a waste of time. ¡°What are we going to do, Mom?¡± ¡°Alex must be on our side since he is helping us. It is only a will. We can just change the contents.¡± A wicked look shed across Naomi¡¯s face. Francis¡¯ wealth andpany were the only reasons why she was married to him in the first ce. It would be a forever thorn in her heart if she ended up not getting anything at all. Naomi had a secret that she could never tell anyone, and it was exactly because of how dangerous the secret was that she needed to get Francis¡¯ property to make sure that she and her daughter were set for life. Anastasia felt at ease on the way back to Elliot¡¯s vi as they listened to songs while she enjoyed the bustling night view of the city outside the car window, whereas little Jared was quietly ying his Rubik¡¯s Cube under the dim lights in the car. Wealth and power were the least of her priority¡ªall she prayed for was peace and calm in her life. The car drove straight into thepound of the vi when they reached home. As soon as they arrived at the parking lot, Anastasia caught sight of a truck parked there in the dark. She couldn¡¯t tell what was in the back of the car. A magical scene suddenly appeared at this exact moment. The second a light suddenly lit up behind the truck, she could see a huge ss case decorated with balloons and flowers, and in it was a white sports car quietly parked there. It was an utterly romantic and luxurious sight to behold. Shocked, Anastasia couldn¡¯t help covering her mouth. The young boy beside her had seen it as well, and he eximed in surprise, ¡°Mommy, look!¡± Elliot¡¯s car hade to a stop beside the truck then. After he got out of the driver¡¯s seat, he went and opened the door Anastasia was at. ¡°Come on,¡± he said, prompting her to step out. Still astonished, she asked, ¡°Is this a gift from you?¡± ¡°This is the prize you won during the annual celebration!¡± He gazed at her with deep eyes and smiled. ¡°Of course the boss has to make ite true.¡± Upon hearing that, Anastasia went red in the face. She couldn¡¯t even begin to describe her joy. She had to admit that the man had his way of pleasing women. ¡°Okay! I will dly ept it, then.¡± She had stopped rejecting him out of courtesy because at some point, Anastasia was sure that Elliot was the one. She could take a present from him without feeling like she needed to justify her actions. ¡°Mommy, Mr. Presgrave is so kind to you!¡± Jared also said something nice on Elliot¡¯s behalf in hopes that she would be so touched she immediately agreed to marry him that night. Anastasia got out of the car, and after standing in front of the ss case to admire the new sports car, she got her phone and took a photo of it formemorative purposes. ¡°It iste now. I will apany you to test out the car tomorrow,¡± Elliot suggested. She quickly nodded and answered, ¡°Sure!¡± The car was exactly the way she liked it, in terms of both appearance and color. It was safe to say that she had fallen in love with it. Meanwhile, Aliona was at Lucas¡¯ vi that night. She was slightly angered when she questioned him, ¡°Did you go to Riley behind my back? Are you not afraid that Elliot will find out about our rtionship?¡± The man¡¯s face dimmed as he heard her usatory tone. ¡°Miss Dora, I suggest you finish your father¡¯s n as soon as you can!¡± ¡°What did Father say?¡± she asked again. ¡°He told me that you can¡¯t get yourself out of this as long as you don¡¯t get done with it. We are all going to die because of you.¡± Aliona felt her heart quiver at that. She knew full well that Riley raised her for the sole purpose of carrying out his n. Their ¡®father-daughter rtionship¡¯ wouldn¡¯t mean a thing, and could never save her life if she didn¡¯t do as he nned. Through gritted teeth, she told Lucas, ¡°I am already nning it out. I won¡¯t let Father wait too long.¡± Her face was glum after she came out of Lucas¡¯ vi. She asked her subordinate who was sitting beside her, ¡°How is the arrangement going?¡± ¡°We have done the necessary preparations. All we are doing now is wait for an opportunity to kidnap Anastasia¡¯s son.¡± ¡°n it out carefully,¡± she instructed with just a few words. Her goal this time was to target Anastasia¡¯s son because a child was easier to kidnap. Plus, Aliona detested Anastasia. She knew that kidnapping Anastasia¡¯s son would tear the woman apart, and if Elliot loved her, he would definitely try to save her son no matter what. Lucas¡¯ n this time involved a lot of risky operations, but she had to do it to get Riley out of prison as soon as she could. Back at Elliot¡¯s vi, Elliot received a call from the police right after he took a shower. ¡°Young Master Presgrave, please be informed that a close friend of your father¡¯s, Lucas Dora, has come to visit Riley Presgrave this afternoon.¡± His eyes showed a slight surprise after he heard the officer¡¯s words. Lucas and Riley grew up together, but Lucas cut off contact with him at ater time. Elliot had never expected that Lucas would drop by Riley¡¯s. Curious about what went on, Elliot asked, ¡°How did their conversation go?¡± ¡°They were just like old friends. They only greeted each other without saying anything of importance in particr.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Elliot hung up the phone. He began to recall what happened at thest charity auction held by Lucas. He kept thinking about which drink it was that must have beenced with drugs. It took him a while to finally remember how thest drink he had was brought to him by Lucas himself. That ss of alcohol was the true source of the problem. Elliot didn¡¯t understand why Lucas would help his daughter do such a shameless thing. Lucas used to be a top dog in the business world, until the moment his son had wasted and lost all the family fortune. He had been getting by in recent years through investments and connections he had made. Elliot truly hoped that Lucas wouldn¡¯t involve him in his ns. But then again, was Lucas really only greeting an old friend when he went to Riley, or did he have some other ideas up his sleeve? Elliot then immediately gave Rey a call. ¡°Investigate Lucas¡¯ son who is abroad for me and also, find out the blood rtion between Lucas and his illegitimate daughter, Aliona Dora.¡± ¡°Understood, President Presgrave,¡± Rey answered. Announcing to the public that he had an illegitimate daughter after all these years of keeping a low profile didn¡¯t seem like something Lucas would do. Elliot suddenly realized that everything he knew about Lucas was from the years when his father was still alive, and would respectfully call Lucas his senior. Other than that, Elliot knew nothing about what Lucas had been doing in the past ten years. Anastasia had just taken a shower as she stood in front of the windows, which coincidentally granted her a view of the sports car downstairs. The white car carried a feeling of romance as the lights of the vi shone on it under the night sky, At the same time at the Tillman Residence, Francis had fallen into a deep sleep after he had a little bit to drink. On the other hand, Naomi, who sat beside him, would have loved to strangle the man to death. The chilling murderous intent in her eyes had long taken over her feelings for her husband. ¡­ The air was filled with excitement for Christmas the day after Christmas Eve. Many children had started toe out to y and go shopping because this was a time when children could have fun and enjoy themselves. After Anastasia had breakfast, Jared told her that he wanted to go to the museum. She, too, knew that she couldn¡¯t bore him at home all day. It was necessary to bring him out to see and get a touch with the real world. Elliot could only apologetically say to them, ¡°I am afraid I can¡¯t keep youpany today. I have something important to attend to at thepany.¡± She only let out a light-hearted chuckle, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You have spent a lot of your time with Jared. I will take him out today.¡± ¡°I will have David and a few others go with you. They won¡¯t get in your way.¡± He was still worried about them going out by themselves. ¡°Alright!¡± She gave a nod of eptance. ¡°We¡¯ll be careful.¡± The mother and son set off at about 9.00AM with four bodyguards in tow, whereas Elliot and his bodyguards drove toward the direction of the Presgrave Group. The museum had a free entrance for a week. Anastasia held Jared by his hand as they walked in. There were a lot of people, and most of the visitors were children. The museum had also organized many fun events that children could take part in. ¡°Mommy, over there!¡± The boy swiftly pointed to the direction of the dinosaur museum. Anastasia let out a smile and nodded as she followed after her son. The bodyguards behind them made sure to blend in within the crowd, their eyes intently watching the mother and son. However, they failed to notice that there was also a group of people following them around. They were Aliona¡¯s goons who Riley had trained overseas. With their ruthlessness and professionalism, they were almost as skilled as trained assassins. They had finally found their chance to strike. They had twice the manpower this time. There were more than a dozen of them, both female and male, who were mingling around in the crowd. Their strategy this time was to besiege Anastasia and Jared. Anastasia was still clueless to the danger lurking all around them. The ce was crowded with children and parents. She could easily lose her child if she had stopped paying attention for a second. And so, she had her focus solely on Jared. A middle-aged woman who looked like a normal parent suddenly appeared and bumped into David. Just as David was about to walk past her, she suddenly stuck a needle into his waist before she injected a substance into him. ¡°You¡ª¡± David had already passed out before he managed to inform his colleagues through his earpiece. ¡°Darling¡­ Darling! What happened?!¡± The moment the woman acted like she was David¡¯s wife, two men rushed out and immediately brought him away from there. Three bodyguards in a different location had also been attacked. It was hard for Elliot¡¯s men to fight back when Aliona¡¯s goons were extremely well-versed in what they were doing. A couple suddenly appeared in front of Anastasia, blocking her view of her son. ¡°Excuse me.¡± She hurriedly pushed them away and looked at where her son was. All she could see now was the dinosaur egg showcase. Jared had disappeared from where he was at just a moment ago. ¡°Jared? Jared!¡± she directly yelled into the crowd, looking for him. She went around the whole ce once, but she still couldn¡¯t find her son. What she didn¡¯t know was that there was a man carrying a young boy who was covered in a coat somewhere not far away. The boy was none other than Jared. Anastasia went to a staff member who was on patrol and anxiously blurted, ¡°Have you seen my son? He has a blue down jacket on, and he is about this tall.¡± ¡°Miss, did you child go missing? Please calm down, there are a lot of children here today. We will find him for you.¡± Thedyforted her. Anastasia, however, remained terrified. It was far too sudden. In just a blink of an eye, Jared had vanished. She turned around and saw that David and his men were no longer around. What happened? They¡¯ve been following me all along! Anxiously, she took her phone out and called Elliot. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Elliot, have David and his men returned yet? Jared has gone missing! He vanished before my eyes!¡± Anastasia was about to lose it and her voice was trembling nervously. ¡°Don¡¯t panic, Anastasia. I¡¯ll contact David now, alright?¡± Elliot tried to console her. ¡°You look around first while I give him a call.¡± After ending the call, Anastasia went to the broadcasting area with the staff. She called Jared¡¯s name several times over the broadcast and asked him to approach the staff and return to her once he heard the broadcast. At the same time, all staff were reminded to keep an eye out for any child dressed simrly to Jared. While the broadcaster was still speaking, Anastasia¡¯s phone rang. She picked it up right away when she saw it was Elliot who called. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Something must have happened to Jared, Anastasia. I can¡¯t contact David and his men at all. Jared might have been kidnapped. I¡¯m rushing to the museum now.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Hearing that, Anastasia felt as though all her energy was drained and she almost dropped her phone to the floor. A staff member nearby immediately held her when he saw that. ¡°Miss, are you okay?¡± With reddened eyes, she begged the staff, ¡°My son has been abducted! Please show me the surveince video!¡± In the meantime, Elliot was on his way to the museum as well. When his car came to a stop in front of a traffic light, he could hear his phone ring, and he answered it immediately as he assumed that the caller was Anastasia. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Anastasia¡¯s son is in our hands, Elliot Presgrave. Don¡¯t you dare inform the police! Follow our instructions or otherwise, Anastasia will never get to see her son again.¡± It was a male voice, clearly generated by a voice-changing device. Elliot¡¯s car immediately braked, almost colliding with the car behind him. After a brief pause, he calmly responded, ¡°What exactly do you want me to do? I can give you whatever you want as long as you don¡¯t harm the child.¡± Elliot knew fully well that this kidnapper, or the group of them, kidnapped Jared all because of him. At the same time, a man approached his window and violently knocked on it. Elliot¡¯s earlier brake almost caused this man to collide with him. After a few knocks, the man was met with Elliot¡¯s terrifying cold stare. That startled him, and he quickly took a few steps back and walked away after spewing some vulgarities. Elliot had a gloomy yet ruthless expression as he heard the conditions on the other end of the phone call. ¡°First and foremost, Elliot Presgrave, you tell Anastasia not to notify the police. We can¡¯t guarantee this child¡¯s safety if we are being pursued by the police. We¡¯ll contact you after that.¡± And the person hung up the call right after he finished his words. Elliot immediately dialed Anastasia¡¯s number. At the same time, she was watching the surveince footage in the security room, where she witnessed Jared being carried away in a matter of seconds. The two men who had previously blocked her vision were the kidnapper¡¯s aplices. She also saw how David and his men passed out before being carried away. Such arge-scale kidnapping plot stunned the security guards as well. Anastasia, who was on the verge of copsing, received a phone call at this precise moment. ¡°Jared has indeed been kidnapped.¡± ¡°Calm down, Anastasia. I¡¯ve just received a phone call from the kidnapper. They are after me, not Jared. Don¡¯t call the police first. I¡¯ll bring Jared back safely.¡± Elliot¡¯s calm voice resonated from the phone. Anastasia¡¯s mind went nk for a few seconds before she asked, ¡°What do they want from you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already instructed Rey to get you; follow him first. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll do everything I can to protect Jared.¡± Anastasia felt her heart tighten when she heard Elliot¡¯s words. This group of kidnappers clearly had this incident well-nned. If Elliot went straight to them to save Jared, would Elliot be able to survive? ¡°Elliot¡­¡± She began to cry out in fear, and tears fell from her eyes. She wanted both Jared and Elliot to be safe. ¡°Be patient and wait for my updates.¡± He hung up the call right after that. At the same time, a staff member approached her and asked if she wanted to notify the police. Trying hard to keep her emotions in check, Anastasia responded, ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. I know that person.¡± Since that was the case, the staff did not ask further too, as they did not want to shoulder any unnecessary responsibilities. Anastasia then quickly walked out from the office. When she reached downstairs, Rey was already waiting for her. ¡°Rey, do you know who is behind this kidnapping?¡± she asked anxiously the moment she got in the car. Rey¡¯s face was tense as well. ¡°We are looking into it. We don¡¯t know much about the kidnappers right now, but Riley is likely involved. The abductors did not appear to be locals.¡± ¡°What does Riley want? Elliot¡¯s life?¡± Anastasia continued asking. ¡°Riley has always wanted to seize the Presgrave Group. Hence, even if they had President Presgrave with them, they would not harm him for the time being.¡± Rey tried tofort Anastasia. After all, she had never encountered anything like this before. But her fists remained tightly clenched and the fear in her heart never subsided. Where¡¯s Jared now? Will they hurt him? Is he scared? Meanwhile, Jared was on a yacht which had just sailed. His small figure sat in one corner of the room, with his limbs not tied as he had nowhere to escape to. At this moment, a woman walked in. Aliona wasn¡¯t afraid of exposing herself this time, as this was already her final step. Even if Elliot knew she was the mastermind, he would never be able to escape alive. ¡°Howe Anastasia¡¯s son resembles Elliot?¡± She snorted with resentment. ¡°Who are you? Why did you kidnap me? I¡¯m not afraid of you at all!¡± Jared bravely stared at her. ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared I¡¯ll kill you, kiddo?¡± Ariona held his chin with her hand, her sharp fingernails slicing across his face. That immediately caused blood to well on Jared¡¯s face. Arrogantly, sheughed. ¡°It¡¯s painful, right?¡± ¡°Shame on you for bullying a child!¡± Jared yelled. That made her sneer. ¡°I would have thrown you into the sea to feed the sharks if I hadn¡¯t needed you for Elliot toe.¡± She was well aware that Anastasia would live a miserable life if Jared died. Jared¡¯s eyes showed some surprise when he heard that. Mr. Presgrave ising to rescue me? Aliona then entered the control room. All those who were here, and there were at least twenty of them, were her subordinates. They were all preupied with their tasks, preparing to deal with Elliotter. ¡°Miss Dora, Elliot¡¯s yacht has departed. We can exchange this child with him in three hours.¡± ¡°All of you have to be extra careful. Elliot¡¯s security team isn¡¯t easy to deal with. Besides, I¡¯ve heard that the Presgrave Group has ties to the aviation industry, and they have exceptional surveince.¡± In fact, Aliona had a deep admiration for Elliot because he was unquestionably the best of all men. If they hadn¡¯t been on opposing sides, she would have married him. Meanwhile, Anastasia was in a hotel near the pier. She had just learned that the location requested by the kidnappers for the exchange of hostages was on the sea, but they had not specified which area. She was already tensed to the point of going insane over any updates. Rey found some help to track the kidnappers too. Anastasia was watching them as they worked in the hotel room usingplicated devices, appearing to be locating Elliot¡¯s yacht while tracking the kidnapper¡¯s. ¡°President Presgrave only brought two bodyguards with him, and they were brought there only to take Jared away. He intends to face the kidnapers alone,¡± Rey updated her. That made Anastasia¡¯s legs wobble, forcing her to support herself by holding on to the table beside her. Does Elliot have any confidence toe back alive? At this instant, one of the men in the room spoke. ¡°We found the kidnappers¡¯ yacht!¡± ¡°Zero in and check the situation.¡± Anastasia anxiously followed Rey as he approached the man. She noticed a camera zooming in on a specific location until an image of several kidnappers on guard on the deck appeared. The camera then shifted, but there was no sign of Jared. Suddenly, the camera focused on a woman sipping tea on the third level of the deck. Despite the fact that the camera didn¡¯t show the image clearly, Anastasia recognised the woman on the screen right away. Shocked, she eximed, ¡°Aliona? That is Aliona Dora!¡± Rey, too, was taken aback. When the camera zoomed in, he recognised the woman as Aliona, who was sipping coffee. Two of her men approached her, apparently reporting something, but they couldn¡¯t hear what they said. They had only the images. ¡°The kidnappers were all under her?¡± Anastasia asked in disbelief. She could not believe that Aliona was the one behind all these. She hates me, but why does she want to kidnap my son? And why does she want Elliot to go? This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. What is her ultimate motive? One thing troubled Anastasia so much that she almost couldn¡¯t breathe. Since Aliona hated her, how would Aliona treat her son? ¡°Jared will definitely be abused by her!¡± She grabbed at her chest. Her heart was in excruciating pain. While Rey, standing beside, could only console her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Tillman. She will not do anything to Jared before President Presgrave agrees to her requests.¡± ¡°There are only 100 nautical miles from the international seas now. Perhaps the kidnappers want the exchange of hostages to be done on international seas.¡± Since Jared went missing, every second has felt like a torment for Anastasia. ¡°Rey, what do you think Aliona wants from Elliot?¡± At this precise moment, Rey received a message, which he read immediately. After reading it, he finally understood everything. ¡°I have just received unofficial information that Aliona is not Lucas¡¯ illegitimate child; they are not rted. Perhaps she was someone on Riley¡¯s side, and everything she is doing now is to seize the Presgrave Group for him. As to what they want from President Presgrave, perhaps they intend to have him sign some contracts in their favor.¡± ¡°Just like how Riley wanted Elliot to sign the contract transferring half of Presgrave Group¡¯s shares previously? But Elliot is in their hands this time. Will they hurt him after he signs the contract?¡± The more Anastasia thought about it, the more afraid she became. Elliot was Harriet¡¯s only grandson. If anything happened to him, how would the entire Presgrave Family survive? ¡°Don¡¯t worry. President Presgrave has his way for sure.¡± Just as Rey finished his words, his phone rang. ¡°It¡¯s from President Presgrave.¡± He then took Anastasia to another room to answer the call, which he turned on the speaker immediately. ¡°President Presgrave!¡± ¡°Is Anastasia with you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± she immediately responded. ¡°You all should know by now that Aliona is the one behind the kidnapping. If I¡¯m not wrong, she is working for Riley. I will get Jared back safely.¡± ¡°How about you? How are youing back?¡± Anastasia asked, her voice choked with sobs. ¡°I¡¯ll be safe,¡± Elliot calmly promised. ¡°We have located Aliona¡¯s yacht, President Presgrave. But we can¡¯t hear any sound. All we can see is some images. We will get you out as fast as possible.¡± ¡°Good. However, do not act until Jared is safe. Follow the n, and keep in mind that saving Jared is the top priority,¡± Elliot stated authoritatively, as if Jared¡¯s life was more important than his. Anastasia, on the other hand, could no longer contain her tears. She covered her lips and tried to conceal her crying, fearing that Elliot would be worried about her. Rey felt sorry for her when he saw her in this manner. ¡°President Presgrave, please hold on as long as you can. We will try our best to save you.¡± ¡°Okay. Let me have a word with Anastasia.¡± Rey then left the room after passing the phone to her. In the quiet room, Elliot could hear her sobbing. ¡°Can you talk now? If you can¡¯t, we can talk after you calm down.¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright. You can talk now!¡± She sniffed, forcing herself to calm down, but her voice remained hoarse. Chapter 471-480 Chapter 471-480 ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Jared will be fine.¡± ¡°How about you? I worry about you as well, you know, not just Jared,¡± she said in a hoarse voice. ¡°I will be fine too. Trust me.¡± Heughed, trying to ease her worries. ¡°Promise me, Elliot, that you wille back safely.¡± ¡°Is there any reward for returning safely?¡± he suddenly asked in a serious tone. ¡°Let¡¯s get married when you¡¯re back. I will marry you and be your wife!¡± Anastasia answered decisively. That surprised Elliot. ¡°Are you saying it for real? You¡¯ll marry me as long as I return safely?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m not deceiving you.¡± Anastasia was equally serious. She was willing to do anything as long as he returned safely to her. Can he, though? Can he escape from Riley¡¯s men without any harm? All of the kidnappers were well-trained, and their abilities were not to be underestimated. ¡°Deal. I¡¯ll crawl back to earth to marry you even if I¡¯m in Hell.¡± Elliot¡¯s tone was solemn, and it was as if he were swearing an oath. However, that scared her. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to crawl back, Elliot. I want you to walk back, safe and sound.¡± Crawling back meant he lost an arm or a leg. She couldn¡¯t bear the thought of it because it made her heart race with fear and insecurity. ¡°I know. I promise to walk back to you.¡± Elliotughed, as if he had infinite motivation to keep his promise. For the next two hours, Anastasia had no idea what she was doing. Her mind was on the verge of copsing and she didn¡¯t take her gaze away from the surveince camera for even a second, asionally catching a glimpse of Elliot on the deck of his boat. However, no matter how hard she stared at the screen, she couldn¡¯t see Jared. ¡°President Presgrave is only ten nautical miles from them now. They will be exchanging the hostages soon.¡± Rey and Anastasia tensed up and focused on the screen as soon as they heard that. Finally, the two ships appeared to be only a hundred miles apart. Elliot¡¯s yacht arrived quickly at Aliona¡¯s, and from the screen, Aliona greeted him personally with a wide and polite smile. Meanwhile, on the two yachts on the international seas, Aliona saw Ellioting down from his yacht. She was wearing a figure hugging dress that made her appear graceful. She knew that she couldn¡¯t conceal her identity any longer. ¡°Elliott, we don¡¯t need to go this far.¡± Aliona exhaled a sigh. She could finally feel like she had him under control. ¡°Give me the child.¡± Elliot red at her. ¡°You can deal with me in any way you want.¡± A tinge of hatred shed through her eyes when she heard that. How did Anastasia captivate him to the point where he is willing to sacrifice himself to save her son? Her son is not even rted to him! Aliona pped and within seconds, her bodyguard brought a child out from the cabin. When Jared saw Elliot, the boy was so surprised that he eximed right away, ¡°Mr. Presgrave!¡± Elliot¡¯s gaze was fixed on Jared¡¯s face and when the man noticed the blood on Jared¡¯s face, he red venomously at Aliona. Aliona sensed ruthlessness in his gaze, which terrified her. She quickly exined, ¡°He was disobedient, so I taught him a lesson. Nothing else.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mr. Presgrave.¡± Jared did not want Elliot to worry about him. ¡°How do I get this child back?¡± Elliot asked calmly. ¡°I¡¯ll hand him over to your men while youe to me. The rest of your life is up to me,¡± Aliona said calmly. She bet everything she had this time toplete her mission, so she had to be ruthless. Elliot then approached her men. There were tens of them on the deck now,pared to Elliot¡¯s two bodyguards. In addition, Jared was present. Elliot, she reasoned, would not dare to do anything. After all, Jared¡¯s life might be endangered if the situation got chaotic. Walking over to Aliona, Elliot voluntarily extended his hands for her men to tie. ¡°Pass them the child. Otherwise, I¡¯ll hunt you down using all I have.¡± His words were like a curse or spell hovering over her heart. Aliona waved her hand and Jared was released immediately. However, he ran straight to Elliot. ¡°Why are you tied, Mr. Presgrave? I don¡¯t want you to be tied by them just to save me. She¡¯s an evil woman!¡± With an angry expression, Jared pointed at Aliona. Though Elliot¡¯s hands were sped, he was still as unyielding as usual when he squatted down. He looked at Jared solemnly and said, ¡°Jared, return to your mommy. I will be fine.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave you behind, Mr. Presgrave. Let¡¯s leave together. I don¡¯t want to leave without you!¡± Jared hugged Elliot and started crying anxiously. Elliot then used this opportunity to signal to his men and one of his bodyguards, Ricky, rushed over and grabbed Jared. Jared, on the other hand, struggled to get away, attempting to pry open Ricky¡¯s grip and refusing to leave. Hence, Ricky had no choice but to forcibly remove him from the yacht. Jared¡¯s cry could still be heard in the air. ¡°Mr. Presgrave! Mr. Presgrave¡­¡± When Elliot heard Jared¡¯s cries, he felt his heart ache and tears welled up in his eyes as well. Jared was akin to his own son. To him, both of them were rted by blood. That made Aliona sneer. ¡°What an emotional father-son duo! You should know by now how you would be treated here, Elliot.¡± She then ordered, ¡°Retract the suit against my father and return him his freedom!¡± A phone was handed to Elliot. At the same time, a sniper was aiming at the three people who had just left the yacht. Elliot¡¯s gaze dimmed when he saw that. He took the phone and called Captain Anderson. When the phone was answered, Elliot said calmly, ¡°Captain Anderson, I want to retract my allegations against my uncle, Riley. Please release him three dayster.¡± ¡°Are you sure that you want to forgo the investigation of the incident that year, Young Master Elliot?¡± ¡°Yes. My uncle is not the suspect,¡± Elliot replied in a serious tone. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll arrange for his release.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± After hearing that, Aliona kept the phone, feeling satisfied. She then signaled to her bodyguards. ¡°Let them off. We¡¯ll leave right now.¡± Anastasia, who was watching everything through the surveince camera, was crying at this point. She witnessed Elliot¡¯s sacrifice to save her son. The man now had his hands tied, and he was like a helpless beast who had sumbed to Aliona. ¡°Miss Tillman, your son is safe now. I will send someone to get him. Now, let us handle the rescuing of President Presgrave.¡± ¡°Elliot¡­ Please save him!¡± Anastasia pleaded with Rey and the group of men with him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We won¡¯t let anything happen to President Presgrave.¡± Rey nodded. He appeared to be extra calm. Anastasia then rested in a corner as she waited for Jared to return. However, her heart was still troubled over Elliot¡¯s safety. She wanted both of them to be safe. Meanwhile, Jared was already with the rescue team. At this moment, the surveince team reported that their tracking on Aliona¡¯s yacht was lost. She had cunningly sailed into the waters of a country with a signal interception system, effectively blocking all of their tracking signals. Hence, under the protection of that country, she and Elliot vanished from their radar. Rey did not expect Aliona to be this cunning too. He took his phone to a corner and dialed a series of numbers. ¡°Hello?¡± On the other end of the line was a man¡¯s cold voice. ¡°Sorry to disturb you, Young Master Weiss. I need your help concerning President Presgrave¡¯s life.¡± ¡°What? Elliot endangered his own life?¡± The man on the other side of the phone was shocked. ¡°Yes. He needs your assistance now.¡± ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°He was now kidnapped into the waters of Dansbury. We have no idea if he is still alive. Please enlist the assistance of Young Master Lloyd as well in order to save President Presgrave.¡± ¡°Just how did he get himself into such a situation?¡± Arthur sighed. ¡°Give me hisst tracked location.¡± Rey felt relieved after that and immediately sent Elliot¡¯sst known location to Arthur. The former knew that if Arthur and Richard intervened, Elliot¡¯s chances of survival would improve dramatically. Truth was, Rey was unsure of their identities because he had only seen them on the phone. Both of them were Elliot¡¯s close friends who had been through life and death with him. Despite living quietly in some parts of the world, they had exceptional wealth and abilities. Before Elliot left, he had instructed Rey to not contact these two guys unless absolutely necessary. But now, Rey was terrified of how things had turned out, and he had no choice but to enlist the duo¡¯s assistance. On Aliona¡¯s yacht, she was sitting on the sofa in the living room, staring at the man who was tied on the bed. She was unwilling to kill him, as she couldn¡¯t bear the thought of him dying too. ¡°Elliot, if you listen to me and have a child with me, I can beg Father to let you off the hook. We can then spend the rest of our lives together.¡± After she finished her words, she approached him and raised his chin with her finger. Her gaze seemed to be questioning him. Elliot, on the other hand, had a razor-sharp gaze that made anyone who looked at him nervous. Aliona continued, feeling irritated, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. If you want to live, you can only do what I just said.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not qualified to have my child,¡± he replied coldly and turned his face to the side to break away from her fingers. That made Aliona grit her teeth in rage. She looked at his angr brows and nose, and he appeared exceptionally wild and unruly to her. But his personality was particrly appealing to her. He was so seductive that she couldn¡¯t bear the thought of killing him. ¡°Do you really want to die, Elliot? Whether you want it or not, I¡¯ll be pregnant with your child, and the child will inherit the Presgrave Group. Father will undoubtedly see to it!¡± Aliona yelled, as if she were insane. She then grabbed Elliot¡¯s face and tried to kiss him hard. However, he gave her a warning look, which terrified her. Seeing that, she held back her urge of kissing him and reluctantly let go of his face. ¡°What do you like about Anastasia? Am I not better than her?¡± To that, he did not answer. Aliona was so iparable to Anastasia that Elliot did not even see the need to answer her question. ¡®You better think it through, Elliot, whether you want to let me get pregnant naturally or through the doctor¡¯s method. Aliona then mmed the door and walked away after she said that. Elliot closed his eyes, gauging how much time had passed. By now, Anastasia should have gotten Jared, and he felt relieved thinking of that. As for his own safety, he figured that Rey had informed his two friends. Elliot did not want to alert the two friends of his unless it was absolutely necessary. But, clearly, the situation now warranted that, and he would undoubtedly be mocked by them when he saw themter. No, he reasoned. Instead of waiting for them, he decided to flee on his own when the opportunity arose in order to preserve his dignity. ¡­ A ck helicopter was rising in a huge castle in Flor. At the same time, the chairman seat in Yelina¡¯s military meeting was empty. The man who was on this seat had left. Anastasia was standing at the pier, her tears flowing as she looked at the yacht which was less than a hundred meters away from her. When the yacht arrived at the port, the bodyguard lowered Jared, and the boy immediately ran toward her. ¡°Mommy? Mommy!¡± Jared yelled while running, his eyes reddened. The two of them then hugged each other tightly. Anastasia repeatedly kissed him, trying to make sure that he was fine. But when she saw the red mark on his face, her heart ached, as if it had been stabbed with a knife. ¡°Who hurt your face?¡± she asked as she suppressed her rage. ¡°The evil woman! She even kidnapped Mr. Presgrave!¡± Jared answered with tears in his eyes. ¡°Mommy, please save Mr. Presgrave. He¡¯s in danger!¡± ¡°Rey is saving him. Don¡¯t worry. Nothing will happen to him. Let¡¯s go back to the hotel first.¡± Anastasia carried Jared in her arms andforted him. However, her words could not put herself at ease either. Jared had just been kidnapped and he must have been frightened by it. Hence, Anastasia could not let anything to terrify him further. She was sitting on the bed, wiping Jared¡¯s face with a wet towel. She feltpelled to kill the vicious woman, Aliona, after seeing her child¡¯s tender face that had a visible red mark on it. How dare she injure Jared? ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mommy, but Mr. Presgrave was taken away by them.¡± While Jared was speaking, his tears dropped from his beautiful eyes. He had been crying all his way back. Anastasia¡¯s tears welled up as well when she saw that. However, she knew that crying couldn¡¯t solve anything, so she turned around. Wiping her tears off, she reced it with a smile. ¡°Jared, Mr. Presgrave is good at everything. He¡¯ll be back safely. We have to trust him.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Jared wasforted and nodded his head. While hugging and kissing her child, Anastasia swore she would never let him experienced such terror again. The incident this time had almost scared her to death. Jared was, after all, only four years old. He was exhausted from crying for so long and he finally fell asleep in her arms, with tears still on his face. Her heart was aching for him when she saw him in this manner. Anastasia then covered him with a nket and apanied him on the sofa, fearing that he would have a nightmare. Meanwhile, Aliona¡¯s yacht had arrived at the pier. Elliot was taken to a scienceboratory, where Aliona had arranged for herself to get impregnated with Elliot¡¯s son. After Elliot was killed, she could then bring her son back as Elliot¡¯s legitimate heir and send him to Harriet to be the sessor of the Presgrave Group. She looked at the man in theboratory who was handcuffed in front of her. Despite his current situation, he maintained his domineering demeanor. His face still bore the marks left by the bodyguards when he refused to exit the yacht earlier. As a result of his refusal to cooperate, Elliot was beaten up by them. Aliona had no say over it as they only followed Riley¡¯s instructions. Thus, they would not treat Elliot better simply because of what she said. Furthermore, Riley¡¯s right hand, Paul, had a crush on her. He undoubtedly treated Elliot harsher because of that. Aliona walked into theboratory with a towel in her hand. ¡°Elliot, you¡¯d best be cooperative. They don¡¯t entirely listen to me.¡± Just as Aliona was about to wipe his face, Elliot coldly rejected her. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡± ¡°I just want to wipe your face.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need that. Piss off!¡± He was unappreciative of her help and merely gave her a cold stare. That annoyed her. At this moment, Paul entered and scoffed at him. ¡°Miss Dora is kind enough to be polite to you. You had better be grateful.¡± He immediately punched Elliot in the chest, to which thetter only grunted. Hence, Paul was unsatisfied. He continued tosh out at Elliot with another punch. Seeing that, Aliona immediately pulled him away. ¡°Paul, don¡¯t hit him!¡± ¡°Miss Aliona, he¡¯ll be useless after tonight. You don¡¯t need to feel sorry for him,¡± Paul said, his tone emotionless. Elliot raised his head and his gaze appeared to be one of a predator¡¯s. If he wasn¡¯t tied up, he would have ripped Paul into pieces. ¡°You¡¯re not a big deal after all!¡± Paul spitted mockingly. ¡°If you¡¯re that good, fight with me alone.¡± With his teeth gritted, Elliot tried to provoke Paul. ¡°Let¡¯s do it, then. I¡¯m not afraid of you at all. I¡¯m going to step on you and have you lick my shoes.¡± As Paul was one of the Bauer Mercenary Group, he had absolute confidence in himself. Elliot responded with only a cold stare, as if inviting Paul to have a fight with him. A tinge of mockery shed in Paul¡¯s eyes before he turned and left theboratory. After he left, Aliona turned and looked at Elliot. ¡°Don¡¯t provoke him anymore. He can be really ruthless.¡± She then shamelessly continued, ¡°We will be together tonight, and we will do whatever it takes to have a child, whether you are willing or not.¡± Elliot looked through her with disgust when he heard that. In his mind, he only had one woman, one who could never be reced. It waste at night and Paul was in his room, wiping his saber. He was in a provoked state. Remembering that Elliot was about to die, he wanted to prove himself to Elliot. After all, he was competitive by nature. If he could defeat the reputable Elliot, it would be the most glorious moment of his life. ¡°Bring Elliot to the courtyard. I¡¯m going to teach him a lesson.¡± ¡°Paul, he needs to be with Miss Dora tonight to¡­¡± Paul¡¯s expression turned awful when he heard that because he had been having a crush on Aliona for the past three years. Knowing that she was about to offer herself to Elliot and coupled with the fact that Elliot was being unappreciative, Paul was burning with rage. ¡°I¡¯ll spare his life.¡± Paul merely wanted to vent his anger, and he was dying to vent it on Elliot. And so, his man immediately went to bring Elliot over for his higher-up to do so. In an open area in the courtyard, Elliot was brought out, with his limbs remained chained. Paul found that unchallenging, so he instructed, ¡°Release him.¡± ¡°Paul, what if¡ª¡± However, Paul was full of himself. Hence, he did not believe that Elliot could defeat him. With that, he sneered. ¡°How would such a pampered young master defeat me? Guard by the side, and if he dares to flee, teach him a lesson.¡± Six of his men then stood beside them, waiting to witness their battle. Elliot, on the other hand, was dressed in a ck coat, a vest and a ck shirt inside. He exuded ruthlessness in the midst of the darkness. For a brief moment, Paul was concerned when he noticed Elliot¡¯s chains had been removed. He knew that Elliot was not someone to be underestimated. Paul had, however, boasted in front of his men, and he had no choice but to continue for the sake of his dignity. ¡°Come on, Elliot. I¡¯ll let you have the chance to challenge me,¡± Paul said, his voice cold. To that, Elliot agilely removed his coat, revealing his sturdy build. His muscles beneath his shirt could vaguely be seen under the moonlight. ¡°Come on,¡± he responded nonchntly. Paul¡¯s fists were clenched tightly. He was dying to teach Elliot a lesson and beat him to a pulp right now. It would be even better if Aliona could see it so that she would know he wasn¡¯t inferior to Elliot. Paul hoped to win her approval as well as her love after this. Meanwhile, Elliot took advantage of Paul¡¯s love for Aliona to obtain such an opportunity. He secretly scanned his surroundings, looking for anything that could help him. The courtyard was dead silent at this point, leaving only the sound of the breeze ruffling. Finally, Paul yelled and dashed toward Elliot, but Elliot easily avoided him. His ease in avoiding Paul¡¯s attack astounded Paul, who began to feel an unknown fear of such an opponent. Just how capable this man, being the young master of the Presgraves, is? Paul hated Elliot¡¯s face the most. His appearance was so perfect that Paul had the urge to destroy it. With that, he raised his fist, preparing to give Elliot¡¯s face a hard punch. All his strength was exerted in that punch. However, his fist was about to strike Elliot in the face when his wrist was grabbed by a powerful palm. The palm had so much strength in it that it made Paul¡¯s bones ache. Seeing that his action stopped, Elliot immediately flipped him over his shoulders. That caused Paul to lie t on the ground. He couldn¡¯t care less about the pain in his back and he stood up immediately, ready for another fight. However, he felt an excruciating pain in his clenched left hand. ¡°You¡¯ve had training, haven¡¯t you, Elliot?¡± Paul clenched his teeth and his eyes were filled with rage. ¡°Are you afraid now?¡± Elliot sneered. His sneer exuded an inexplicable aura that made one fearful amidst the cold wind. Paul¡¯s subordinates, who were standing off to one side, started to guard against Elliot. ¡°Afraid of you? Dream on!¡± A provoked Paul attacked again. He kicked his leg and started a hand-to- handbat with Elliot. In a hand-to-hand fight, fighting skills and quick reaction were crucial. Everyone present could see that Elliot was equal to, if not better than, Paul in terms of agility and strength. Yet, Elliot was beaten up by Paul earlier today when they disembarked from the yacht. How did he remain so ferocious? ¡°Be careful, Paul.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Paul yelled. At this moment, Elliot gave Paul a kick on his chest. Elliot¡¯s movement was as fast as lightning and Paul was unable to avoid it. As a result, he fell nearly two meters away. ¡°Elliot, one more time!¡± Paul was getting frustrated, and his eyes turned red. He was using all his strength to fight, but Elliot could still cope with it. This man has unfathomable strength. I am the best in the Bauer Mercenary Group, and I can¡¯t beat him! At this moment, Aliona heard a noise. She walked out of the backyard to see Elliot and Paul fighting, and she panicked. ¡°Paul, stop it! Cuff him now. You can¡¯t win against him!¡± However, her words made Paul furious, as he did not want to lose against Elliot in front of her. Although he was not confident, Paul tried to muster all his strength to take Elliot down. At this moment, a silver light shed under the moonlight. There was an army knife in Paul¡¯s hand as he was desperate. I must make Elliot yield even if it means I have to use a weapon! ¡°Paul, stop! Don¡¯t hurt him.¡± Aliona¡¯s face paled in fright, as she didn¡¯t want Elliot to be hurt before sleeping with him. However, Paul was seeing red. He had lost his subordinates¡¯ respect and now, he had lost his dignity in front of her. I must make Elliot bleed! Elliot¡¯s gaze sank as he dodged Paul¡¯s attack. Paul was like an uncontroble wild beast that tried to stab everyone he saw, and it was hard to predict his movements. Facing an irrational enemy, Elliot reacted with calmness. At the same time, he was looking for the best opportunity to neutralize Paul. Finally, Elliot found the chance. When Paul saw the opportunity to stab his thigh, Elliot immediately choked Paul with his arms. Although Elliot¡¯s thigh was hurt, he also managed to choke Paul and end the fight. ¡°Let go of Paul.¡± One of his subordinates immediately came over with a gun. Elliot reacted fast enough to push Paul into the trajectory of the bullet. Suddenly, Paul let out a low cry of pain as the bullet shot into his abdomen. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Paul!¡± The subordinate panicked as he felt his legs getting weak. Aliona also panicked as she didn¡¯t expect Elliot to find a chance to escape. Now, he was holding Paul hostage. ¡°Let me go or I¡¯ll kill him.¡± Paul was sweating and choking as Elliot continued to strangle him, and the former was turning pale, as if he was going to stop breathing altogether. ¡°Kill Paul, but don¡¯t let Elliot escape!¡± Aliona went crazy and didn¡¯t care about Paul; she only needed Elliot to be by her side. However, the group of mercenaries was filled with Paul¡¯s subordinates, and they cared about the man. At this moment, Aliona walked up to the nearest mercenary and snatched his gun. Then, she aimed at Paul. Paul¡¯s life shed before his eyes as Aliona shot three bullets into his chest. Looking at the deranged Aliona, Elliot knew Paul could not be his shield any longer. When everyone was still stunned by the turn of events, Elliot let go of Paul and rushed to the high wall under the moonlight, as if the injury didn¡¯t affect his speed. Aliona looked at Elliot, who had climbed over the wall and escaped. Then, she shouted, ¡°Get him back! Now!¡± It was only then that the mercenaries finally returned to their senses and hurriedly jumped over the wall. Behind this private house was a dense forest hillside. Meanwhile, Aliona followed one subordinate and drove a car from the front yard to chase Elliot. Under the night sky, the forest stretched to the far end of the mountain. Aliona purposely chose this covert location to carry out the childbirth n. However, she didn¡¯t expect Elliot to flee. ¡°Chase him! Elliot shouldn¡¯t be able to walk far with his injured leg.¡± Aliona took the cell phone and conveyed the message to everyone. Back at the hotel, after Anastasia put her son to sleep, she found that Rey and his team had turned off the monitoring equipment and were resting. It was as if they had stopped the rescue n for Elliot. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Rey? Are you giving up on Elliot?¡± Anastasia asked anxiously. ¡°Miss Tillman, please be rest assured. Another group of people will save President Presgrave, and they are more capable than us,¡± Reyforted her. ¡°Who are you referring to?¡± Anastasia asked in surprise. Rey took Anastasia to another lounge. After sitting down, he told her something. ¡°President Presgrave has two close friends. Both of them are powerful and capable. Now, they are rescuing him. We just need to wait for the good news.¡± ¡°Who are they?¡± Anastasia asked because she was worried. ¡°Theirst names are Lloyd and Weiss. I don¡¯t know their background, but President Presgrave once told me that Old Madam Presgrave sent him to a secret training camp when he was an eight-year-old until he was sixteen. During the training, he met the young masters of the other two families and they trained for eight years together. They are close like brothers. If one of them is in danger, the other two will lend a hand.¡± Anastasia was shocked. She didn¡¯t really understand Elliot¡¯s background. ¡°Moreover, they have their own tracking systems with urate positioning. As long as they arrive at Dansbury, they will be able to quickly find President Presgrave and save him.¡± Rey believed they would definitely rescue Elliot if he didn¡¯t die before they got to him. Hearing this, Anastasia felt a little relieved. A private nended smoothly at an airport in Dansbury. Three ck armored SUVs appeared at the rear of the aircraft. The vehicles drove out of the airport and headed in one direction. Less than twenty minutes after the group left, another private ne arrived. The dark color sucked up the lights near the airport. From the rear, another two cars rushed into the dark. Meanwhile, Aliona had no idea who she had offended. She ordered her subordinates to search the depth of the jungle for Elliot. ¡°Find him now! Don¡¯t let him escape.¡± Aliona didn¡¯t want the n to fail as she spent a lot of money on it. She would never have had the chance toplete the n if she had failed today. ¡°Miss Dora, this jungle is simply too big.¡± Her subordinates felt that the task was arduous. ¡°I don¡¯t care how you do it, but you have to find him. Go!¡± Aliona sat in the car and ordered. Then, she left the car and took a shlight to search in a direction. Where can Elliot go? He was stabbed in the leg and must be bleeding badly, and it will consume his strength. He can¡¯t go too far with the injury. In fact, Elliot was nearby. He was lying under a big tree at the moment. He tore off his shirt and tied a knot on his leg to stop the bleeding. He felt his strength was ebbing away, but the group would never catch him. If my calctions are correct, the two of them will arrive soon. I just need to stay in a safe ce and wait for them to rescue me. To find someone in the middle of the night was a nuisance. Aliona¡¯s dozen subordinates had been searching for a long time but to no avail. So, they returned and tried to follow Elliot¡¯s trail. They started from where Elliot had jumped over the wall, followed by the blood stains he had left. Following the blood stains, Aliona thought he bled too much and could have fainted on a field due to blood loss. A subordinate immediately reported, ¡°There are pieces of cloth here. He must have torn off the clothes to stop the bleeding. There is a lot of blood, though, so he couldn¡¯t have gotten far.¡± Aliona¡¯s eyes shed with joy. ¡°Come on, get him back to me! The doctors are here.¡± At this moment, they heard the sound of a helicoptering to them. The sound of the spiral was very loud. Aliona¡¯s expression became dark. Her subordinates also had a bad hunch. Why is there a helicopter coming here in the middle of the night? ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Continue to find him.¡± Aliona hoped that the helicopter was not here to rescue Elliot. A few minutester, the helicopter circled over their heads and parked on a field near them. Four people stepped out from under the ne. One of them was a young man dressed in ck. He stood there like a strong boulder, eluding an awe-inspiring aura. He held the iPad in his hand and then pointed in a precise direction. ¡°Go find him over there.¡± Then, the man stepped forward with his long legs and stepped onto the grass. The lush grass squeaked under his feet. He put his strength in the legs akin to that of a soldier. ¡°Sir, a group of people ising over,¡± his subordinate said. ¡°Deal with it,¡± the man answered in a low voice and continued to walk. His three subordinates immediately went in the opposite direction. The man finally walked to a big tree and sighed. ¡°Are you still alive?¡± Elliot leaned against the tree trunk. Opening his eyes, he answered the man humorously, ¡°Never better.¡± The man walked to Elliot and squatted down before him. A ray of light emitted from the iPad and scanned Elliot¡¯s body until it met his bleeding thigh. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take care of it for you.¡± After speaking, the man wrapped his long arms around Elliot and helped him stand up. Both of them had simr heights and build. Then, they slowly walked in the direction of the helicopter. Aliona¡¯s men were running to the helicopter when they were attacked by a mysterious group of people. Her men were not ordinary citizens, but she still lost half of the men after a surprise attack from the enemy. Aliona squealed as she saw a dark figure appear before her. Her both arms were then restrained, and the pain made her cry out. ¡°It hurts. Let me go!¡± At the same time, Elliot was sitting in the helicopter cabin while wearing a ck coat. The man was standing beside him as he skillfully treated the wound. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Richard,¡± Elliot greeted. ¡°Almost two years.¡± Richard Lloyd raised his head, his young face having angr features. The two looked at each other and smiled as they bumped their fists together. Their brotherhood never faded with time, as revealed in their eyes. ¡°Where is he?¡± Elliot asked. ¡°He should be here soon,¡± Richard said while checking his watch. Sure enough, they soon heard the engine noise from the road next to them. As the car was speeding, the brakes sounded unbearably sharp. Under the cold moonlight, everything around it was filled with a dreaded presence. Surrounded by a few men in ck, a man in a white high cor with a gray trench coat came over. The car light illuminated his surroundings. The man was filled with pure aura, like a prince who stepped out from an ancient and mysterious world. He saw the two men in the helicopter, and his sensual lips curled up into azy smile. ¡°I never thought we would meet again under these circumstances. Such fun.¡± At that, he heard the fight on the other side, so he signaled his subordinates. ¡°Assist them.¡± In an instant, his subordinates ran into the dense forest. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Arthur Weiss, who had just arrived, looked at Elliot¡¯s leg with concern. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Elliot was stubborn and tried to act tough in front of his friends. ¡°Elliot, it¡¯s your fault I dirtied my shoes, so you must buy me a new pair.¡± Arthur raised his legs arrogantly and showed them the soles stained with mud. ¡°Sure, it¡¯s on me.¡± Elliot and Richard looked at each other. ¡°You¡¯re still a clean freak after all these years. It is a miracle that you can survive after all the training under the mud and rain,¡± Richard joked. ¡°Never speak of it anymore. It was a nightmare.¡± Arthur gave a stretch and raised his head. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we returned, and I want to visit some ces.¡± ¡°Yeah, I also want to visit a few elders.¡± Soon, Aliona and her subordinates were detained. When she looked at the three men standing next to the helicopter, her face turned pale in shock. Why are there another two equally prestigious gentlemen standing next to Elliot? Who are they? Are they powerful? Why did they arrive here at the same time? How can they urately find the injured Elliot? ¡°Elliot, how could you let this nobody corner you?¡± Arthur asked as he stared at Aliona. Under the gaze of the men, she suddenly felt that she was as insignificant as the de of grass under their feet. Her n failed, and what awaited her would be a miserable ending. ¡°Arrest the group. I¡¯ll deal with itter,¡± Elliot said in a deep voice. Back in the home country, Anastasia sat before her son¡¯s bed with red eyes while waiting for the news that Elliot was safe. Suddenly, her cell phone rang. Although there was an unknown number on the screen, she was still excited and quickly picked it up. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me. I¡¯m on my way home, and I¡¯ll be there in seven hours.¡± A deep, familiar voice came from the other end of the phone. She finally burst into tears after hours of worrying. She covered her mouth and walked to the balcony. ¡°Okay,e back soon!¡± ¡°How is Jared doing?¡± ¡°He¡¯s still sleeping.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t slept all night?¡± Elliot asked as he heard her hoarse voice. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can handle it.¡± ¡°You must get some sleep while I¡¯ming back,¡± the man ordered in a stern voice. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do that,¡± Anastasia agreed willingly. ¡°See you back home.¡± With that, Elliot hung up. Anastasia held her phone and sighed with relief. She rxed and sat on the balcony sofa, thereafter closing her eyes. Although only a day had passed, it seemed like a century for her. ¡­ ¡­ Riley¡¯s release procedure had just beenpleted in the police station. He then cracked and loosened his muscles. He had been detained in the station for a long time, and he missed the outside world. His goddaughter finally bailed him out. Even though I don¡¯t think her n is good. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, you can leave after you sign this document.¡± The police officer came over with a release note for him to sign. Riley took the pen the police handed over. Before he could sign the paper, someone stopped him by pulling his arm away. He turned to look at the police officer and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Captain Anderson came over and said with a sullen face. ¡°Riley Presgrave, I just received a call from Young Master Presgrave. You are suspected of being the mastermind of a kidnapping case. In addition, your old case will be subjected to retrial. Get back to your cell!¡± Riley visibly panicked, and it was unlike his usual calm demeanor. Did my goddaughter actually fail again? ¡°Take him back. The procedure is voided,¡± Captain Anderson ordered. Riley¡¯s hands were cuffed once again and he was taken back to his cell. He looked back at the outside world that was far beyond his reach, and he knew that he would never be able to escape his cell from now on. It turned out that he had underestimated Elliot. ¡­ Rey sent Anastasia back to Elliot¡¯s vi. Although she was still a few hours away from seeing Elliot, she couldn¡¯t sleep anymore. Besides a cup of coffee to keep herself awake, she never ate anything. Rey ordered the chef to cook her a meal, but she only stared at the time on the phone. ¡°Miss Tillman, please eat something. President Presgrave will be so distraught if he sees you malnourished!¡± Rey tried to persuade her. Anastasia served herself a bowl of porridge. After taking a few spoonfuls, she asked, ¡°When will he arrive?¡± Rey shook his head in response.¡±I¡¯m not sure, but it should be around 3.00 PM.¡± Two private jetsnded at the international airport. Fifteen minutester, four eye-catching ck SUVs were driving on the road. They went straight to Elliot¡¯s vi. An hourter, the vi¡¯s gate opened as the cars drove in. Rey said excitedly, ¡°Miss Tillman, President Presgrave is back.¡± ¡°Mr. Presgrave!¡± Jared ran out like a rabbit, and Anastasia followed suit. She held his hand while waiting in the parking slot. Looking at the SUV which was simr to an armored car, she waited for Elliot to alight. From the second car, a young man jumped out of the passenger seat first, then opened the back seat door. He helped Elliot, who had an injury on his leg, to get down from the car. Anastasia¡¯s heart clenched tightly and all she had eyes for was Elliot. When she saw that he was injured, her breath stopped for a second and her heart was in her mouth. He¡¯s injured. Is it bad? ¡°Let me go, Richard.¡± Suddenly, Elliot pushed aside the friend who was supporting him. As Elliot spoke, Richard, who was holding him, stiffened. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to be all strong right now,¡± he said. ¡°I promised her that I will walk to her.¡± Again, Elliot reached out and pushed Richard away. I must keep my promise to her. After letting Elliot go, Arthur walked to Richard¡¯s side, thereafter crossing his arms and saying iprehensibly, ¡°Women sure are troublesome.¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Richard nodded in agreement. Therefore, the fact that the two of them were still single was not without reason. When Anastasia realized that Elliot insisted on walking toward her, she ran over. She hugged him tightly and then stretched out her arms to support him. Her tears were streaming down her face as she sniffled, ¡°Your leg is hurt. Stop walking.¡± ¡°You said you would marry me as soon as I walk back, so does that count?¡± Elliot stared at her with a serious look, indicating that he had done it. Anastasia nodded and replied, ¡°I always mean what I say, but your injury¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. It will get better in a few days,¡± heforted her. Then, he turned around and said, ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you to my two best friends, Arthur Weiss and Richard Lloyd. They are two of my closest friends that I haven¡¯t seen in years, and it is thanks to them foring to help this time,¡± he exined. The two men, who were always high up, stood two meters away and suddenly became unable to socialize. One scratched his head, and the other waved his hand. Both looked at Anastasia and said in unison, ¡°Hello, sister-inw!¡± Hearing that, Anastasia was thunderstruck. ¡°Hello!¡± she squeaked, her cheeks crimson. The three of them were about the same age, but Elliot was one year older than Richard and Arthur. Hence, the title of sister-inw. However, when the two of them noticed Jared, who stood next to Elliot and Anastasia, they immediately exchanged a shocked nce. On the way back, they already heard about how Elliot pursued Anastasia and were aware that she had a child. However, they suddenly thought of something at this moment. Why does Anastasia¡¯s son look identical to Elliot? Right then, Elliot turned around and beckoned at them. ¡°Come in and have a rest before you go,¡± he said. When Richard was about to take a step forward, Arthur tugged at his arm and stopped him. ¡°We have got stuff to do today. We wille again tomorrow,¡± Arthur stated. After speaking, he pulled Richard into the car, and the four armored vehicles turned around and left. Elliot didn¡¯t urge them to stay. They purposefully allowed room for him and Anastasia to get together, which was also a tacit understanding between the buddies. Eyes reddened, a guilty Jared asked as he hugged Elliot¡¯s other uninjured leg, ¡°How is your leg, Mr. Presgrave?¡± To him, Elliot¡¯s ident was all because of saving him. Elliot¡¯s big palm gently caressed Jared¡¯s head. Looking at Jared¡¯s tears made his heart tighten. Jared¡¯s sorrow could instantly pass on to him, and it was as if there was a blood bond between them. ¡°Jared, stop crying. Let¡¯s get him into the house first,¡± Anastasiaforted the boy. After this incident, it seemed that her son had grown up and became more sensible now. Soon after, Elliot¡¯s personal doctor, Benedict Palmer, arrived, and that was when it dawned on Anastasia that she didn¡¯t actually know the people around him. Benedict was not quite thirty years old, but his medical skills were already at the highest level. He was also the leader of the Presgrave Group¡¯s private hospital. As one of Elliot¡¯s closest people, Benedict was in charge of Elliot¡¯s health. While cleaning the wound, Benedict asked about the previous incident with Harriet. At the time, he couldn¡¯t rush back after the incident because he had gone abroad to study. Anastasia, who was sitting off to one side, could feel the tingling sensation on her scalp as she looked at the wound on Elliot¡¯s leg. The wound was neither deep nor shallow, but it was definitely not a minor injury. Chapter 481-490 Chapter 481-490 ¡°It almost went deep into the bone, but luckily it didn¡¯t,¡± Benedict remarked as he took a look at the medical scanner. ¡°Who did this to you?¡± Anastasia clenched her teeth in rage. First, Aliona kidnapped her son and then, she hurt Elliot. If Aliona was in front of her, Anastasia would kill her on the spot. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I just need to get some rest.¡± Elliot reached out and took Anastasia¡¯s hand in his, his eyes filled with constion. He is the one who got hurt. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Tillman. President Presgrave is not as fragile as you think. He is someone who has traveled into the hintend of the rainforest and returned alive.¡± Benedict quickly chimed in. Then, he added, ¡°It seems that the electronic chip that was imnted in your body is truly top-notch, as it remained intact after so many years.¡± Anastasia¡¯s heart tightened at that moment. Elliot has been imnted with an electronic chip? When she turned to look at him, Elliot rolled up his sleeve and showed her the practically invisible scar on his forearm. ¡°When Richard, Arthur, and I parted ten years ago, we all had a chip inserted. The other two will not stand by while one individual is in peril,¡± he exined. After he finished speaking, Elliot said helplessly, ¡°Rey made a big deal out of it. Actually, there was no need to get them here.¡± In contrast, Anastasia felt that if Rey hadn¡¯t called for help, she would have been the first to copse at that moment. ¡°I might not be able to see you now if it weren¡¯t for them.¡± She was really grateful to Elliot¡¯s two buddies. ¡°So, you were extremely worried about me this time?¡± Elliot¡¯s eyes were filled with an affectionate smile, as if he had finally tested her feelings for him. ¡°Don¡¯t let me worry so much in the future, or I¡¯ll leave you directly, so I don¡¯t have to be on tenterhooks,¡± Anastasia warned him gently. This time was because he tried to save her son, so she forgave him. ¡°Okay.¡± After that, Elliot bowed his head and looked at Benedict, who was still securing the gauze. Why isn¡¯t he done yet? At this point, even Benedict was eager to finish the treatment, as he had had enough of the couple being lovey-dovey. Finally, he got up after securing the gauze and instructed, ¡°Elliot, I¡¯m leaving now. I¡¯ll return in three days to rece the dressing. Don¡¯t let the wounde into contact with water, and rest for a week. As for the next ten days¡­ it¡¯s better to avoid any vigorous activity.¡± After saying so, Benedict cast a thoughtful nce towards Anastasia and the following second, he received a displeased warning from Elliot. ¡°For the previous research funding, I think you should shoulder it by yourself,¡± Elliot threatened. However, Benedict did not shy away from Elliot¡¯s threat. ¡°This is what a doctor should do,¡± he retorted. ¡°If you still want your leg to function, take my advice.¡± After that, Benedict picked up his medicine box and left. Anastasia pursed her lips, attempting to suppress a smile. All right! Elliot is not allowed to mess around with me for the next ten days, which is fine by me. Although Elliot could not really move his leg, his hands could. When he noticed Anastasia was giggling, he stretched out his long arm and in the next second, she was in his embrace. As she raised her head, Elliot held her chin with one hand and wrapped his arms around her waist. Then, he bowed his head and kissed her. Anastasia¡¯s cheek turned fiery red in response to Elliot¡¯s abrupt domineering moves. His kiss was not overpowering, yet there was an aggressiveness between his lips and tongue that made her heart flutter. If it wasn¡¯t for the injury, she felt that he would surely gobble her up. Therefore, Dr. Palmer¡¯s warning actually served as a form of protection for me! ¡°When will you marry me?¡± Elliot¡¯s kiss fell on the corner of her mouth as he asked in a low and hoarse voice. ¡°At the very least, you must wait till your leg gets better. Could it be that you want to get married in a wheelchair?¡± Anastasia replied as she raised her brows. ¡°Then we will get engaged first.¡± Elliot didn¡¯t want her to change her mind in the spur of the moment. He wanted to let the whole world know that she belonged to him, and then wisely choose a good day to marry her. Anastasia was stunned for a few seconds. ¡°Do we need to get engaged in such a hurry?¡± she asked in confusion. At that moment, Elliot bowed his head and gazed at her. Her petite face was gentle and charming under the light, and there was an inexplicable magical power that moved his heart, which made him want to dere ownership immediately. ¡°Yes,¡± he answered with a deep and firm voice. Suddenly, Anastasia had the feeling that she was under Elliot¡¯s control and could no longer escape. ¡°Okay. But we¡¯ll still have to wait until your leg gets better,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll let someone set up the venue first, and we will get engaged in two weeks. During this period, you can choose whatever clothes and jewelry you like.¡± Elliot knew that women liked to arrange these things. ¡°Sure.¡± Anastasia hummed in agreement. Elliot is a good choice. I don¡¯t think there is any need to be fussy anymore. As Dad said, it is already a blessing for me to be able to marry although I have a child. If it¡¯s a good man, I should just go ahead and get married. Elliot finally exhaled a sigh of relief after seeing how quickly she epted his proposal, and he felt the joy of finally having caught his prey. Therefore, he reckoned that the injury to his leg was worth it in exchange for a wife. When Rey came in to report a work matter, Anastasia left the room and headed to Jared¡¯s room. ¡°When will Mr. Presgrave¡¯s leg get better, Mommy?¡± Jared ran to her and asked when she entered the room. ¡°The doctor said it will heal in ten days. Don¡¯t worry,¡± she consoled. Suddenly, Jared wrapped his arms around Anastasia¡¯s neck. ¡°Mommy, can Mr. Presgrave be my Daddy?¡± he asked pleadingly in her ear. Anastasia felt pity for Jared as she listened to his plea, but she also felt like grinning. ¡°Why?¡± she inquired. ¡°I really like him, Mommy. I feel like he is my Daddy,¡± the child eximed. Anastasia¡¯s heart sank when she heard that. But Elliot can never be Jared¡¯s biological father. ¡°Aright. Your mommy has decided to marry him. We will live together in the future, and he will be your Daddy, okay?¡± she promised him. ¡°Really? Yay! I have a father now!¡± Jared jumped up and down happily. Anastasia¡¯s fearful emotions fromst night slowly eased away and her mood lifted as she looked at her child¡¯s cheerful appearance. Meanwhile, in Elliot¡¯s master bedroom, Rey was reporting on the handling of Aliona and her aplice. ¡°President Presgrave, Aliona¡¯s real name is Aliona Presgrave, and she was adopted by Riley Presgrave when she was young. Riley controlled Lucas¡¯ son abroad, and that¡¯s why Lucas has been helping him to hide Aliona¡¯s identity, allowing her to approach you.¡± As for Aliona¡¯s purpose for approaching him, Elliot was well aware that she wanted his heir to be Riley¡¯s puppet to control the Presgrave Group in the future. ¡°Let thewyers do their jobs properly. I want these people to pay a heavy price.¡± He clenched his fists, and his joints gave a crack. ¡°Yes. They have collected all the information and will never let them escape any charge,¡± Rey responded. ¡°Get me a wedding nner tomorrow. I¡¯m going to arrange an engagement dinner,¡± Elliot ordered in a low voice. Rey¡¯s expression lit up instantly. ¡°Congrattions, President Presgrave, on Miss Tillman¡¯s and your engagement!¡± President Presgrave has been pursuing Miss Tillman for more than half a year, and it is finally paying off. And to think I used to get so anxious about their rtionship! ¡°Rey, if you meet the right person, tell me. Don¡¯t dy your marriage because of work.¡± Elliot felt the happiness of having a lover, and he wanted to arrange a good marriage for Rey as well. Rey immediately thanked the boss for his consideration, but he shook his head and said, ¡°Thank you for caring about my marriage, President Presgrave. But I don¡¯t have a partner yet.¡± ¡°After the first half of the year, I will give you a long vacation in the second half,¡± Elliot said. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡°Thank you, President Presgrave.¡± Rey was grateful to have met such a good boss. In the evening, Jared apanied Elliot, and they yed with the Rubik¡¯s cube. Finally, Elliot had time to spend with Jared and he was very patient. The main reason Anastasia would fall in love with Elliot was that she saw his love and concern for Jared. Only a man who loved her son could unlock her heart. When she thought about getting engaged to Elliot after Christmas, she still felt a little nervous. I should talk to Dad in the next two days. In the evening, Jared went to bed early. Anastasia had been staying upte, so she wanted to sleep immediately after putting her son to bed. At this very moment, Anastasia received a text message on her cell phone. Reaching for her phone and ncing at it, she noticed that it was from Elliot, who was currently in the master bedroom. ¡®Come to my room.¡¯ When she strode toward his room and pushed open the door, Elliot was leaning against the headboard. ¡°Sleep with me tonight,¡± he said as he patted the empty space next to him. Anastasia pursed her lips and shook her head with a smile. ¡°No,¡± she refused. His eyes narrowed after hearing her refusal, and there was a warning looking from them. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep without you by my side,¡± he continued. She really didn¡¯t know what to do with him. Just because he is hurt, doesn¡¯t mean he can use it against me. Alright, alright. He is allowed to do so tonight. Dr. Palmer already said that he can¡¯t mess around anyway. With that in mind, Anastasia walked to the other end of the bed, thereafter lifting the quilt and lying down. At that instant, Elliot began to loathe his huge bed after seeing Anastasia sleep so far away from him. His leg was already making it difficult for him to move around, yet she still slept so far away on purpose. ¡°Come here,¡± he demanded in a deep voice. She turned sideways and looked at him with her beautiful ck and bright eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sleeping on your bed. What more do you want?¡± she asked with a slightly coquettish tone. Elliot could feel that she did it on purpose. When he was about to move his injured leg, however, she immediately stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Heplied, but then he raised his head and ordered, ¡°Come here then. Otherwise, I¡¯ll move to your side.¡± Without a choice, Anastasia could only move to his side a little more and stop a few inches away from him. However, it wasn¡¯t close enough for Elliot, so he stretched out his long arms and drew her closer as he murmured, ¡°Sleep next to me.¡± In the end, she slept next to him. She shifted on her side and Elliot tugged her arm to wrap around his waist so she could hug him and sleep on the side of his uninjured leg. ¡°I¡¯m so sleepy.¡± Anastasia¡¯s sleepiness deepened when she felt his body temperature. ¡°Sleep, then.¡± Elliot patted her shoulder as if he was coaxing a child. In truth, she did feel coaxed. Before long, she closed her eyes and fell asleep in his arms, as did Elliot. The night air was wet with heavy dew, but both their hearts were filled with warmth by being close together. On the same night, Erica took the initiative to go over Alex¡¯s house. When Alex saw hering to his door and offering herself readily, he was unreserved and slept with her. But, once finished, he made up an excuse and left. In fact, Heyley had summoned him to apany her. Despite the fact that Hayley was aware Erica was staying at Alex¡¯s house for the night, the former tried to prove her charm and snatch him from her side. Moreover, Alex also preferred to stay with Haley. She had an Anastasia-like face and was willing to swallow her pride in front of him. In contrast, Erica would periodically throw tantrums like a child, which irritated him. It was Christmas Eve the next day. Elliot met with the vice president of a wedding nner, and the company took over the engagement dinner extremely seriously and did not dare to be inattentive with the arrangements. At around 3 PM, both parties finally reached an agreement, and the details would be carried out after Christmas. As Anastasia stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows on the second floor watching the personnel from the weddingpany leave, she took a deep breath and took out her phone to contact her father. Before she said anything, Francis asked her, ¡°Hello, Anastasia. Will you bring Jared home for Christmas tomorrow?¡± On this day of reunion, every parent looked forward to their children returning home to be with them. ¡°Dad, I¡¯ll spend Christmas with Elliot¡¯s family tomorrow. Also, I have something to inform you,¡± she said. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Francis inquired. ¡°Me and Elliot are getting engaged two weeks after Christmas,¡± she stated. Francis was seemingly surprised at the other end. ¡°Really? You are getting engaged? Well, that¡¯s great!¡± he bubbled. ¡°Dad, when the timees, could you please notify our rtives?¡± she requested. ¡°Sure, I will inform them, but I won¡¯t invite too many people. We are not too close with distant rtives, so I will only invite some close rtives to attend,¡± Francis said excitedly. ¡°Sounds good,¡± Anastasia agreed. When Naomi went upstairs to the study after Francis hung up the phone, he couldn¡¯t help but announce, ¡°There is one piece of good news, Naomi. Anastasia is getting engaged!¡± ¡°What? Who is she engaged to?¡± For a moment, Naomi did not know how to react. ¡°Who else could it be? Of course it¡¯s Elliot! They will be engaged two weeks after Christmas, and my daughter will finally marry.¡± Francis¡¯ happiness was uncontroble, especially now that he had such a wonderful son-inw. Hispany would certainly expand further when it was handed over to Anastasia in the future. A trace of jealousy shed in Naomi¡¯s eyes, but she couldn¡¯t show it on the surface. So, she smiled pretentiously and said, ¡°Really? That¡¯s great! Anastasia is so lucky.¡± ¡°I think so too.¡± Francis nodded in agreement. What he didn¡¯t realize was that when his wife turned around, her face turned frosty and anger shed in her eyes. Francis loves Anastasia even more now because he can count on her for anything. In his eyes, there is no Erica and me anymore! Since Naomi and Francis got married, they had never been at one with each other. His heart was dedicated to home, and she only cared about herself and her daughter. When Naomi went downstairs and headed out for a stroll, she couldn¡¯t help but call her daughter. At that time, Erica was out shopping with Hayley. Erica had no idea that the person who had kept her alone at Alex¡¯s ce the night before was her bestie currently standing next to her. Aside from that, the card that Hayley was holding in her hand was under Alex¡¯s name. Unknowingly, Eria had shared a man with Hayley, yet she was still showing off how much Alex loved her and how generous he was to her in front of Hayley. On the other hand, Hayley only smiled and said nothing. Erica didn¡¯t know that she was acting like a clown in front of her. Upon hearing her phone ring, Erica took out her phone and picked up the call. ¡°Hello, Mom. What¡¯s the matter?¡± she asked. ¡°Erica, Anastasia is getting engaged to Elliot,¡± Naomi disclosed. ¡°What?¡± Erica¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Anastasia is getting engaged? With Elliot?¡± she asked in disbelief. Although it was only a matter of time, hearing this news still drove Erica insane with jealousy. On the other hand, Hayley tightened her grip around the coffee cup as she stared at Erica. Those words were like a knife piercing through her heart. After all, Anastasia is bing Elliot¡¯s wife. It is as if God has given her the best of everything, and it is so unfair. ¡°Mom, are you sure?¡± Erica asked again. ¡°Anastasia was the one who called and told your father. How can I not be certain? I¡¯m hoping it¡¯s a scam as well!¡± Naomi replied angrily at the other end. After Erica hung up the call, she turned and noticed Hayley¡¯s ghastly expression. ¡°Are you alright, Hayley? Anastasia is getting engaged to Elliot!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. She knew how to use tricks and schemes to seduce Elliot, but I¡¯m not capable of any of that,¡± Hayley said. ¡°What exactly did she meanst time? Why would she say that you are being swept out by the Presgrave Family¡ª¡± However, Erica couldn¡¯t finish the sentence. An icy look shed across Hayley¡¯s gaze. ¡°Anastasia framed me. She convinced everyone that I was nning to murder Old Madam Presgrave and everyone believed it, so I was misjudged by Elliot. Anastasia has taken everything that the Presgraves have given me. I hate her and I wish she was dead!¡± Hayley borated. After hearing her side of the story, Erica was shocked and resentful. ¡°What? Anastasia set you up that way? She really will go to any lengths to get Elliot, huh?¡± she chastised. In Erica¡¯s heart, Anastasia was a vicious person, so she bought Hayley¡¯s story straight away. ¡°Therefore, you and your mother should be careful. Don¡¯t let her plot against you two,¡± Hayley advised. ¡°Don¡¯t even mention that. Anastasia took over my father¡¯spany as her own and even drafted his will. My mother and I have no share of thepany at all. Thepany solely belongs to her!¡± Erica sneered as she gritted her teeth in anger. ¡°Anastasia is truly showing no mercy to you and your mother. She is not even giving a fraction of the company¡¯s property,¡± Hayley stated, feigning sympathy for Erica. At that point, Erica became angrier. ¡°She can¡¯t wait to kill my mother and I!¡± Upon hearing that, Hayley began to instil terror in the other woman. ¡°Erica, she is Mrs. Presgrave now. If she finds an opportunity in the future, she will not let us go.¡± As expected, Hayley¡¯sments had frightened Erica and thetter¡¯s expression shifted. As such, she turned to look at Hayley and asked, ¡°What should we do? Are we going to be trampled under her feet for the rest of our lives?¡± A scheming expression shed across Hayley¡¯s eyes as she said, ¡°It¡¯s best to keep Anastasia and Elliot from getting engaged.¡± ¡°What idea do you have, Hayley?¡± Erica¡¯s mind was nk at the moment. After having lost all her money, Hayley did not have much means left, but she couldn¡¯t just watch Anastasia and Elliot getting engaged either. ¡°Erica, let¡¯s head home first. Let me think of a way,¡± Hayley stated. ¡°Okay, as long as you think of a way, I will definitely help you,¡± Erica said innocently without knowing she was going to be taken advantage of by Hayley. Hayley patted her in response and remarked, ¡°Erica, Anastasia is ourmon enemy and we will deal with her together.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Erica nodded vigorously. Hayley¡¯s cell phone rang at that moment, and she stretched out with her hand to take a look at her phone. ¡°Let me take this call,¡± she said. After that, she walked to the side and picked up the call. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Where are you? Let¡¯s have dinner together. I have reserved a restaurant for tonight.¡± Alex¡¯s voice sounded from the other end of the line. ¡°Okay. Give me the address and I¡¯lle over,¡± she agreed readily. ¡°Who are you with?¡± he asked. ¡°With friends,¡± she replied. ¡°Are you with Erica?¡± Alex sounded a little anxious at that. Hayleyforted him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she won¡¯t find out about our rtionship.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell her about us, Hayley. I have mentioned that she is the one who can assist me in iming Tillman Constructions,¡± Alex reminded her calmly. ¡°I understand.¡± Hayley hummed in response. She realized that as long as she firmly held Alex¡¯s heart, she would also be able to enjoy the future equity of the Tillman Constructions that he would hold. This could also be regarded as an indirect revenge against Anastasia. ¡°Your boyfriend?¡± Erica asked curiously as she looked at Hayley, who just hung up the phone. ¡°Just a friend,¡± Hayley replied vaguely. ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s do more shopping!¡± He was hosting two honored guests, Richard and Arthur that night in Elliot¡¯s vi. The two of them arrived with some toys for Jared. Knowing that they were Elliot¡¯s good friends, Jared adored the duo very much. When Arthur and Richard nced at Jared, they couldn¡¯t decide whether or not to tell Elliot because they were afraid he would be unhappy if they addressed it. If they didn¡¯t say it aloud, they would feel ufortable suppressing it. Jared is surely Elliot¡¯s biological son! The two of them had met Elliot when he was eight years old and had stayed together as friends and trained with him until he was sixteen. Elliot¡¯s childhood appearance was therefore vividly imprinted in their minds. That was why when they saw Jared, they felt as if they were looking at Elliot as a child. Both of them look exactly the same! However, on their way home, Arthur and Richard had learned that Anastasia¡¯s son had nothing to do with Elliot. Hence, it could only be said that the father and son were predestined to look alike. ¡°Jared, will you pay a visit to my house in the future?¡± Arthur asked with a smile. ¡°What do you do for a living, Mr. Weiss and Mr. Lloyd?¡± Jared inquired curiously as the two of them gavepletely different feelings to him. ¡°I¡¯m an idler. Him, on the other hand¡­¡± Arthur pointed at Richard and continued, ¡°If anyone bullies you in the future, you can look for Mr. Lloyd. He likes punishing bad people the most.¡± Richard nodded seriously and concurred, ¡°Yes, I can beat up bad guys.¡± ¡°Okay. In the future, if there are bad guys that Mr. Presgrave can¡¯t deal with, I¡¯ll ask for your help,¡± Jared said with a nod. Arthur and Richard exchange a joyful nce after they heard Jared. It feels great to know that I am needed. As soon as Jared left, Arthur immediately turned to face Richard. ¡°Do they look alike?¡± he asked. ¡°Almost identical.¡± Richard nodded in agreement. Following their brief conversation, the two of them chased after Jared from behind as their affections for him grew even stronger. ¡°I¡¯m wondering whether our child will be as handsome as Jared if and when the two of us have children in the future,¡± Arthur pondered as he crossed his arms. ¡°That will be a few yearster and I won¡¯t necessarily want to have children,¡± Richard replied with certainty. Arthur curled his lips and smiled. ¡°Alright, then. Let¡¯s see who gets marriedter,¡± he suggested. ¡°Are there any rewards?¡± Richard was showing interest. ¡°Yes. Whoever gets marriedte will give the other one million,¡± Arthur responded. ¡°But I don¡¯t have any money!¡± Richard stated stingily. Arthur was rendered speechless. The man who had the best equipment in the world had the nerve to constantlyin about being poor. It was obvious that he had finances that could never run out all his life, and yet Richard refused to buy him even one mealst night. ¡°Fine,¡± he finally said. ¡°Ten thousand. That is the lowest I can go.¡± ¡°Deal.¡± The two adult men sat on the sofa as they made their very childish bet. Elliot went downstairs in casual wear after a while. In order to make his walking easier, Benedict had gotten him a crutch out of nowhere. Elliot was extremely reluctant to use it at first, but he had no choice but to use it for the time being. ¡°Elliot, we have decided to leave only after your engagement party,¡± Arthur dered. Elliot sat down beside them. ¡°None of you are allowed to leave until the engagement party is over.¡± Upon hearing that, Arthur asked with a curious expression on his face, ¡°Elliot, how exactly does it feel like to fall in love with a woman? Why is it that I have met so many of them, but none seemed to have ever made my heart throb?¡± ¡°It is hard to put into words. You will know when you meet the one.¡± Elliot wasn¡¯t good at exining something like this as well. All he knew was that there was no escaping when fate finally came. He himself was a prime example of it. He used to be repulsed when his grandmother tried to arrange his marriage for him, but now, marrying the person he had pursued with all his heart felt like a wonderful dream. Arthur noticed how Richard was sitting with his back as straight as a soldier, so he reached out and gave the man a pat on the back. ¡°You can be at ease with us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a habit,¡± Richard threw out before he leaned into the sofa. After seeing him rx, Arthur turned to Elliot and told him, ¡°Richard and I made a bet earlier. The one who gets married first will have to give the other person ten thousand.¡± ¡°Do you have a limited budget? How about I sponsor ten million dors?¡± Elliot thought that their gamble was too small for someone of their status. ¡°It is alright. It is only a small gamble!¡± Arthur said. ¡°It is mainly because Richard is used to living so frugally that I am afraid he won¡¯t be able to take it.¡± ¡°His money is usually spent on his swords and knives.¡± Arthur was slightly worried for his stoic friend then. ¡°I wonder what is going to happen when he finds a woman he likes but continues to be such a stingy guy. Thedy might not be able to take it.¡± Despite being teased, Richard remained calm and only peered at Arthur as he simply uttered, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to trouble you to worry about me.¡± The trio seemed to have returned to the old days. Somewhere deep in their memories, they would never forget the time when they supported and took care of each other as they navigated their way through the dangerous rainforest. Those experiences were enough to make them appreciate the value of true friendship. As Arthur and Richard left Elliot¡¯s vi around 9 PM, Arthur was suddenly in a good mood and he decided to take his friend to a ce he had in mind. He proceeded to make the arrangements on the way. ¡°Richard!¡± he called out solemnly. ¡°There is a ce I want you toe with me. I need your help with something.¡± The stoic man didn¡¯t even need to think a second longer. ¡°Okay,¡± Richard said. He wouldn¡¯t sit idly by when it was matters concerning his good friend. Arthur then told his bodyguard to drive to the ce where he stayedst night. He wasn¡¯t specific with his words, but the bodyguard immediately understood and began to drive in the direction of Starryfield, the bustling part of the city center. It was a ce where the air even smelled like it had been perfumed. This was the city that never slept. It was a ce where all the high-end bars from around the world were located. When Richard got out of the car and looked up to see that they had stopped at a bar, he frowned. ¡°Why did you bring me here?¡± ¡°Someone bullied me while I was here yesterday, so I made an appointment for a fight with them. I nned to bring you here to even the score,¡± Arthur obediently answered him. Richard only looked at him with suspicious eyes. Arthur had always been the prankster and idealist among them ever since they were children. ¡°Look, are you going to help me or not?¡± Arthur lightly pped him. ¡°Are we not brothers?¡± Atst, Richard nodded and he chose to believe Arthur. Him standing so straight made him look out of ce as they stood under the red and green lights of the bar. The two of them then walked into the lively hall of the bar. They could see that the nightlife had already started. The lighting in the bar gave the ce an oddly sensual atmosphere now that it was around 10.30 PM. There were many girls dressed in fashionable clothes as they chatted amongst themselves in the dim room. The instant they noticed the two men walking in, their eyes glinted greedily like they were hunters looking at their prey. The men weren¡¯t just any prey. They were quality, high-level ones. From the cold,plex aura they exuded, they were definitely at the top of the food chain. ¡°Hey sexy! That¡¯s my booth over there. Do you want to go over and have a seat?¡± A girl came over and boldly invited them. When she wrapped her snake-like hand around Richard¡¯s arm, he immediately threw a cold and warning look at her, making her shrink back and shiver involuntarily. The man had a terrifying re. Arthur couldn¡¯t help but tug at Richard when he saw that. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. You will scare them off.¡± ¡°Hurry up and finish what you came here for. We are leaving after that.¡± Richard felt very ufortable being in a ce with an ambience he didn¡¯t like at all. ¡°Okay, fine. Let¡¯s go, then!¡± After he finished his words, Arthur took him to the VIP room on the second floor. He then pointed to the private room at the end of the corridor and said, ¡°The person who bullied me is in there. Hurry up and settle it for me.¡± Without saying a word, Richard took long strides in the direction Arthur had told him. He would only need a few minutes for him to win a fight against less than ten people. He had just stepped into the private room when he saw a row of people sitting on the sofa. However, instead of fighters, they were a bunch of scantily-d women. It took him less than a second to realize that he had been fooled again. The door behind him was closed from the outside right at this moment. He heard Arthur¡¯s voiceing from the other side of the door the second it was closed. ¡°Have fun, Richard! You don¡¯t have to thank me.¡± ¡°Arthur Weiss, you better open the d*mn door!¡± Richard¡¯s distressed voice rang out. Richard was the one who had arranged for the ten exquisitely beautiful women toe. Their eyes widened in shock when they saw Richard standing there. What a handsome and stylish man! The women couldn¡¯t help but be deeply attracted to the rugged, abstinent man. He was the type that they had never encountered before. ¡°Hey sexy!¡± One of them started sticking closer to him. ¡°How about the few of us have a drink with you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯te any closer!¡± Richard warned in a low voice. The air thick with perfume was already making him ufortable as it was. The women just had to wear clothes that had him instinctively look away from. Richard¡¯s head was now filled with the sole purpose of catching Arthur and letting him have his fill of Richard¡¯s fists. Arthur actually locked him in even though he knew how much Richard hated ces like this. Richard went and checked the doorknob, only to realize that it was a sturdy one. It might be difficult to get out if the door wasn¡¯t opened from the outside. He then noticed a big window facing the hall that was open. It looked like the perfect ce to watch the performances outside. ¡°Baby boy, are you not satisfied with us?¡± A woman sweetly asked. It had been a blow to their confidence when the man had not taken a good look at them ever since he came into the room. Not only that, he looked like he couldn¡¯t wait to run out of the ce as he nced around the room and examined the doorknob. ¡°Don¡¯t be shy, handsome. We have received money to provide you with our service. You can do whatever you want to us!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! We won¡¯t disappoint you.¡± Richard was currently standing beside the window. He couldn¡¯t hear a word the women behind him were chattering about when he was focused on finding out how he could escape from the window. The distance from the window to the first floor was approximately three meters. It wouldn¡¯t be a problem for him if he were to jump out just like that, but he didn¡¯t want to injure other patrons of the bar. He could hang on to the wallmp to slow down his descent. Arthur was sitting at a booth in the hall when he lifted his gaze to find Richard¡¯s silhouette by the window on the second floor. His heart immediately thumped in fright. What is wrong with him?! Is he really going to jump? Just as his thought drifted through Arthur¡¯s head, Richard tossed himself out the window and it only took him a few seconds before he smoothlynded on the first floor. Someone had seen Richard¡¯s little stunt, but they couldn¡¯t get it past their head that there was someone who had really jumped from the window. All they saw then was a young man dressed in ck from head to toe dusting off his palms before he walked away, his demeanor nonchnce. Arthur was truly speechless as he looked on. He quickly stood up and called out to his friend, who was ready to leave any second now. ¡°Are you going to waste the 100 thousand I spent on this?¡± He let out a disapproving noise. Richard turned to Arthur and rolled his eyes at him before he gave a grave warning, ¡°Don¡¯t y a joke like this anymore.¡± Arthur no longer felt yful when his friend said that. All he wanted to do was make life more fun for his friend. He hadn¡¯t at all expected Richard to be as unbreakable and stubborn as an iceberg. ¡°I am only doing this for your own good. You should appreciate my effort. You are a 27-year-old man who has never even held a woman¡¯s hand! I am just worried about you. Look at Elliot. He is already engaged.¡± Arthur had a concerned expression on his face as he lectured Richard, who then suddenly grabbed him by his hand. ¡°You¡¯d better leave with me. Stop hanging around ces like this every day. There is nothing you can get out of doing this.¡± Just like that, Arthur was then dragged away by Richard. A few women behind them let out a motherly smile at that instant. So all the high-quality men have boyfriends! And not only that, the boyfriend is the domineering, possessive type! The women began to muse at the sudden revtion. Arthur would probably have broken down right there and then if he had known the thoughts running through the women¡¯s heads when he was pulled away by Richard. After they got to the carpark, Richard said to Arthur¡¯s bodyguards, ¡°Watch your young master properly from now on. Try not toe with him to ces like his.¡± ¡°Understood, Young Master Lloyd,¡± they respectfully answered him. Arthur dumbly blinked his eyes at that. It seemed like it was Richard¡¯s turn to nag him this time around. Richard¡¯s subordinates soon drove a ck SUV to pick him up, and after the vehicle speedily left, Arthur pursed his thin lips before he instructed his bodyguards, ¡°Let¡¯s head back to the hotel.¡± His car was parked in front of the bar entrance. Right after his bodyguards had safely escorted him into the car, a woman with heavy makeup suddenly sprinted out of the bar and frantically looked left and right. Her eyes finallynded on the car whose door had just been opened and like a startled rabbit, she hopped right into the vehicle. The bodyguards couldn¡¯t even react when the woman abruptly squeezed herself between Arthur¡¯s thighs. He had just sat down then. The woman proceeded to hug his thigh and plead, ¡°Sir, sir, I need your help. Can you please let me hide in your car for a short while? Someone is trying to kill me!¡± Out of duty to take care of Arthur, the bodyguardpletely disregarded the fact that he was going to manhandle a woman as he reached out his long arm and grabbed her by the front of her shirt. He started to drag her out, but the woman, refusing to leave, instantly wrapped her arms around Arthur¡¯s neck. ¡°Just let me hide here for two minutes! I beg of you, I will only take a while.¡± Not only was his neck forcefully clung onto, the arms that were around his neck were as thin as they were powerful. It almost felt like she was trying to murder him instead of ask for his help. Arthur then started pushing her away from him too. However, the woman seemed to have the strength of a lioness as she grabbed onto him even tighter. She even started yelling at this point. ¡°I will only hide for a little while! Please! I beg of you!¡± Seeing her nearly choking Arthur, the bodyguard immediately let go of his hold on her. ¡°Who the hell are you? You better get out right this instant,¡± he growled in a threatening tone. Arthur wasn¡¯t breathing smoothly because of the woman¡¯s hold on him, but it only got worse when he identally breathed in her thick perfume. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder just what kind of taste the woman had to be wearing such a cheap- smelling perfume. However, he couldn¡¯t tell what her face looked like underneath all that makeup. All he knew was how dramatic a person she was. The woman took a peek outside, and when she saw a few men running past the car, she finally heaved a sigh of relief as she let go of Arthur. She even looked apologetic as she sputtered, ¡°I am sorry! I am so, so sorry! Are you alright, sir?!¡± Instead of replying to her, the man only harshly told her off. He didn¡¯t want to see her a second longer if he could. She was frozen for a few seconds upon hearing his voice. As she looked at him under the dim lights, she caught sight of the cold yet extremely beautiful face of the man. He looked like an artwork that had come to life. She was in the middle of her daydreaming when the strong grip of the bodyguard held her by the back of the neck. ¡°Ah!¡± she yelped as shended heavily on the ground after she was thrown out of the car. The woman felt as though something was ripping her hair out. It was so painful that it wouldn¡¯t surprise her if her scalp had torn apart and started bleeding at some point. Arthur¡¯s bodyguard then took the chance to drive the sedan away. ¡°Ouch! It hurts,¡± she mumbled to herself as she rubbed at the sore spot. She brushed her fingers through her thick and wavy hair, and when she reached out to see what was in her hand, she noticed something dangling by the end of her hair that had been fixed in ce by an insane amount of hairspray. She could tell that it was a round gemstone under the dim light. The stone, which was as long as the little finger, had a bundle of golden thread shaped into a dragon embedded around it. It looked like it had been meticulously handcrafted. ¡°Hey! You dropped something! Hey¡ª¡± She immediately got back on her feet and chased after the ck sedan that was getting further by the second. However, despite her running after the vehicle for about 100 meters, the sedan still got away and it showed no signs of stopping. The woman panted, her long hair a mess. ¡°D*mn it! Why are they so fast?¡± Right at this moment, six men came from behind and surrounded her. Her eyelids were thick with eyeshadow, but her pair of eyes that were as clear as water showed a hint of resignation. She was finally caught again. ¡°Young Miss, the Old Master said that he will freeze all your credit cards if you were to spend money here at the bar again.¡± ¡°I got it, Uncle G,¡± she muttered as she bit her lip. She was holding herself back from saying more. ¡°It is dangerous for you toe out alone, Young Miss.¡± Upon hearing that, she started toin, ¡°I can¡¯t even experience life for a moment?¡± Her driver didn¡¯t reply to her tantrum, and he only continued nagging, ¡°The Old Master also wanted you to get ready for your engagement to Young Master York. The engagement cannot be dragged on any longer.¡± The girl puffed out her cheeks. At the instant, a sudden gust of wind blew and her long locks started waving in the direction the wind was blowing in. Even though she had heavy makeup on, it was impossible to hide the delicate features on her small face. A ck limousine then came to a stop in front of her. As she got in the car, she could still feel the pain in the back of her neck. She turned on the dome light above her head and carefully looked at the round gemstone in her hand. Upon closer inspection, she realized that it was a big and rare diamond. She couldn¡¯t help but think that the natural and perfectly round diamond probably had a staggering price. Hmm¡­ How am I supposed to give it back to that man? She propped her chin in her hand as she had an internal debate. She suddenly received a text message on her phone at this moment. ¡®Young Miss, all your documents have been taken out. Go to the cafe at the airport. Your flight is at 12 AM. You have to hurry to the airport!¡¯ The corners of the woman¡¯s red lips curled upward after she read the message. She then said to the driver sitting in front. ¡°Uncle G, can you go with me to the airport to pick up a friend?¡± ¡°Young Miss¡­ Stop it with your tricks.¡± ¡°I am not ying any tricks. I really do have a friend who is waiting for me to pick her up at the airport. I am begging you, Uncle G. She is here to attend my engagement party,¡± the woman pleaded sweetly. The middle-aged man driving the car let out a long sigh as he conceded and asked the bodyguard to drive to the airport. On the other hand, Arthur, who had just returned to his hotel room, had a haunting feeling like something was missing from his neck. When he reached out to fiddle the ne around his neck, he could feel that the usual heavy ne had suddenly strangely be lighter. He pulled at the cor of his top, and it was only when he looked down that he realized his family heirloom was gone. His bright eyes narrowed, and the girl hanging onto his neck in the car suddenly popped into his mind. He then came to the conclusion that she was not running away from anyone at all. She was a thief! st! She is just digging her own hole by stealing something of mine, he fumed. The six bodyguards standing in front of Arthur were also shocked when they looked at the ne their young master had removed from his neck. Did the Young Master lose his priceless family heirloom? they all wondered at the same time. People wouldn¡¯t usually wear their family heirloom, but Arthur was no typical young master. Not only was Arthur angry for losing his family heirloom, he was also hit by deep shame at the moment. It would be such an embarrassment if word were to get that the woman had stolen his thing under his nose. ¡°Find her!¡± he growled through gritted teeth. From the way his rage seemed to overflow from his gaze, it was easy to imagine just what kind of tragic ending awaited the thief. The bodyguards responded immediately, ¡°Understood. We will go right this instant.¡± A woman carrying a bag had made her escape from scrutinizing eyes using another door of the airport cafe, which was why her bodyguards guarding at the entrance didn¡¯t notice her disappearance. Ten minutester, the girl arrived at the ne she was going to board, and she sat in a first ss seat. After she took a deep breath, she sent a text message on her phone. ¡®Dad, I don¡¯t want to get engaged. I am leaving now. Please forgive me for being unfilial.¡¯ She turned off her phone after she sent the message, and the whole world seemed to fall silent then. Her face under the light was a beautiful one, as she did not have any heavy makeup on. The woman who looked like she was in her twenties had skin so fair and tender that it looked like it might bruise at the slightest touch. The ne had taken off into the night sky after it went down the runway. Unbeknownst to the woman, she had in her hand another man¡¯s family heirloom. As much as she wanted to give it back to him, she couldn¡¯t make the time to find him as she was in a rush to go abroad. She could only hope they would someday meet again. In an apartment in the city center, Hayley was sitting on the sofa waiting for Alex toe back. Her head was filled with thoughts about Anastasia¡¯s marriage to Elliot. She kept thinking of a way to stop their engagement. Their engagement was a crucial benchmark in their rtionship. It would be near impossible to prevent it from happening, not unless something big were to happen. Hayley suddenly thought of Francis. She doubted Anastasia and Elliot would proceed with the engagement if Francis were to get into an ident. But what could she do to create an ¡®ident¡¯? Naomi and Erica would definitely not do it. After all, Francis was their cash cow. It seemed like Alex was the only one who could do it. Hayley also knew that Alex was anxious. Francis had been training Anastasia to take over Tillman Constructions and as soon as she learned to manage thepany, it was only a matter of time before thepany ultimately belonged to her. Now that Anastasia and Elliot were getting engaged, and she had Elliot the business genius to back her up, Alex served no purpose being by Anastasia¡¯s side. There was still half a month before the engagement, which meant there was enough time for Hayley to arrange what she needed to. As she thought about this, a cruel glint appeared in her eyes. Alex was slightly tired when he finally came back during the wee hours. As there were some problems with thepany¡¯s financial inventory, he had to stay behind until the issue was resolved before he could leave. ¡°Alex, you¡¯re home.¡± Hayley immediately went over and hugged him. She then stood on her tiptoes to kiss him. ¡°I have warmed up some noodles for you. Come have some.¡± Instead, the man went to sit on the sofa. ¡°Bring me a ss of beer,¡± he told her. And so, Hayley immediately went and opened a can of beer for him. She then sat next to him and looked at him. ¡°Alex, are you tired from work?¡± she asked with a worried expression on her face. ¡°Erica told me that Anastasia is getting engaged to Elliot. I reckon Anastasia might be able to take over her father¡¯spany at any time.¡± Alex abruptly raised his head in shock. ¡°When was this?¡± ¡°On Christmas Eve.¡± He started to feel anxious then. The current situation was bing more and more unfavorable for his ns against Tillman Constructions. ¡°Alex, Elliot will be Francis¡¯ son-inw if he were to get engaged to Anastasia. There is a possibility that Francis may hand thepany over to Elliot. Do you think you can continue to keep your position as the financial manager when the timees?¡± Hayley was instilling fear into Alex at that point. Alex knew full well how much Elliot hated him because of how he used to cling to Anastasia without knowing his ce. This could be the sole reason Elliot would sack him from thepany if Tillman Constructions ever fell into Elliot¡¯s hands. Hayley then continued rather agitatedly, ¡°It is about time I got in contact with Naomi for her to start with the n.¡± Confused, Alex lifted his chin to look at her. ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked. ¡°We have to stop Anastasia and Elliot from getting engaged, and the only way to do that is for Francis to get into an ident serious enough to prevent him from attending the engagement party. Anastasia would surely be too disheartened to carry on with the engagement. When that happens, you can alter Francis¡¯ will and split Tillman Constructions into two. Anastasia can have half of the ownership, but Naomi and her daughter must have the other half. They will have to rely on you when they want to secure half of the shareholders¡¯ rights. You can negotiate with them and tell them that you want one- third, or more, of the shares.¡± Hayley¡¯s gaze wasser-focused as she exined the n she had carefully thought out. s, her ultimate goal was to stop the engagement between Elliot and Anastasia from happening. This was Hayley¡¯s revenge toward Anastasia. There was no way she would allow Anastasia to have peaceful days. Hayley knew just how she could use Erica and Naomi toplete her n. She would only have to give them a light push, and the mother-daughter duo would automaticallye up with their way to deal with Francis. Sure enough, Hayley¡¯s words nted a seed in Alex¡¯s heart, and he was fueled by greed to seize part of the Tillman Constructions¡¯ equity. If something were to happen to Francis, and Naomi revised the will so that she and her daughter had half of thepany¡¯s shares, they surely would know nothing about the handling of thepany. And when that happened, they would definitely entrust Alex to take care of what they had in hand. He would be able to make a proper request to have a part of it when the time came. Just one-third of the mother-daughter¡¯s equity would be worth more than 100 million. It was a sum that he could never earn, no matter how hard he worked his whole life. ¡°Alex, I will support you. I will support you no matter what you do. I don¡¯t want anything else. I just want to stay by your side,¡± Hayley eximed, effectively melting his heart with her tenderness. Upon hearing that, Alex put his arms around her. ¡°You are so clever, Hayley. You came up with such a good solution.¡± ¡°Everything I do is for us.¡± She looked at him with endearing eyes as she murmured, ¡°It is all because I love you.¡± Alex immediately felt deeply satisfied at that. After they spent the whole night being tangled in each other¡¯s arms under the sheets, Hayley was sure that her n had been acknowledged by Alex, and it would soon be carried out. Chapter 491-500 Chapter 491-500 Early morning the next day, Alex secretly made an appointment with Naomi and Erica. After they had all arrived in the private room of the appointed restaurant, he began to tell them in detail about the n Hayley had told himst night. Erica was fairly startled as she listened to his words, but Naomi was surprisingly calm as she sat there. ¡°Alex, do you have the confidence to do this?¡± ¡°Of course, the two of you will have to lend a hand in this.¡± He didn¡¯t want to be the only one who was responsible for it. Erica, however, was still too timid to do something that would harm her father. She muttered in a small voice, ¡°Mom¡­ Dad¡ª¡± Naomi immediately cut her off as she threw a nce at her daughter. ¡°You call him your Dad, but has he ever thought of you as his daughter?¡± Alex chimed in too, ¡°Erica, your mother is right. President Tillman only has eyes for Anastasia. The will shall take effect immediately if you don¡¯t act now. It is still not toote to alter the will. You won¡¯t be getting anything otherwise.¡± Upon hearing that, Erica was instantly filled with resentment for Francis. She clenched her jaw before she finally said, ¡°Okay. I agree with your n.¡± Naomi and Alex continued chatting into the afternoon before he finally left. They decided to first have Francis killed, then secretly change his will. They would be bribingwyers along the way and have the company divided into three equal parts, Naomi and Erica would each hold one part of it, whereas Anastasia would have the other one. This would make the mother and daughter own more than 60% of thepany¡¯s equity, which meant that they would have absolute right of execution over thepany. Naomi and Erica continued to stay at the restaurant after Alex left. Erica¡¯s hands were shaking ever-so- slightly, as she felt uneasy about the n. Naomi suddenly took her daughter¡¯s hand and stared at her calmly. ¡°Erica, are you afraid?¡± ¡°Mom, does Dad really¡­have to die?¡± There was fear written all over Erica¡¯s face at that point. Naomi felt that it was time to tell her something, or else her daughter would not be able to carry on with the n calmly. ¡°Erica, Mom has something to tell you. You won¡¯t be scared anymore after this,¡± Naomi reassured her. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It is about your birth. Francis is not your biological father. You are the child born to me and another man.¡± Naomi felt no need to continue hiding her secret. Erica¡¯s head immediately went nk as she heard the shocking news. ¡°What?! Mom, how can I not be Dad¡¯s daughter? Didn¡¯t Dad have a DNA test when you brought me to the house? Did he not doubt me at all?¡± ¡°Of course Francis did. I drew blood from you in front of him to do the DNA test, but I exchanged a container of Anastasia¡¯s blood with yours. That is why Francis has had no doubts for so many years.¡± Erica clutched her chest after hearing her mother¡¯s confession. This secret was too shocking even to her. ¡°Who is my biological father then?¡± she couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°You don¡¯t have to care about who he is. He¡¯s just a piece of trash who is still rolling in poverty!¡± Naomi spat contemptuously. ¡°We must do this if we want to live a good life for the rest of our lives.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. As Naomi had expected, Anastasia started feeling a lot better after that. It turned out that the man she had called ¡°Dad¡± for over 20 years was not her biological father. ¡°You can¡¯t just call him Dad for so many years for nothing. We must get the share we deserve.¡± Naomi¡¯s eyes were filled with determination to win. Erica was also afraid of losing status and wealth during the remainder of her life. She was just like her mother at this very moment¡ªshe wanted a share of Francis¡¯ property. Francis might very well chase her out of the Tillmans¡¯ if he were to find out her identity one day. Instead of letting something like that happen, Erica would rather Alex join hands with her mother and make Francis leave the world unknowingly. Francis was currently ying card games with a few of his good friends during the festive season. He had no idea that his wife and daughter hade together with his most trusted man in a plot to harm him. It was finally New Year¡¯s Eve after the people spent weeks anticipating it. Elliot and Anastasia had already arrived at the Presgrave Residence around 10 AM. Elliot was naturally not keen on telling the truth behind Jared¡¯s injury when Harriet noticed Jared¡¯s injured leg. He even made up a reason, which didn¡¯t go unnoticed by the older woman¡¯s hawk-like eyes. However, she didn¡¯t press on to know the truth. All that was important to her was that her grandson was safe. Immediately afterward, she got good news from Jared that Elliot and Anastasia were getting engaged. The news made Harriet so worked up that her eyes were wet with tears. This truly was something that made her happy. It was also something she had been looking forward to for so many years! Anastasia was walking toward the study room from outside when she heard Harriet¡¯s voiceing from the opened door of the room. ¡°Wonderful! This is great, Elliot. You have to treat both Anastasia and Jared well after she bes your wife.¡± Upon hearing that, Anastasia came to a halt before she heard Harriet¡¯s voice rang out again. ¡°Thank God my wish for the Tillmans and the Presgraves to be a family has been fulfilled. I will make sure to give my gratitude to Officer Amelia if I were to die someday.¡± Anastasia¡¯s chest seemed to clench at that. She could tell that Harriet was truly grateful to her mother for saving one of the Presgraves. ¡°Grandma, I promise to treat them well for the rest of my life,¡± Elliot reassured Harriet. At that, thetter said in an earnest tone, ¡°You must not force Anastasia if she is unwilling to give birth again in the future. You can always train Jared to be your sessor.¡± ¡°It is all up to her to decide. She can have another child if she wants, but I won¡¯t pressure her into anything if she doesn¡¯t. To me, Jared is my son.¡± ¡°Okay. I like him very much as well. He is exactly the same as you were when you were young. This is all God¡¯s will.¡±Harriet sighed at that. Anastasia was hit by a myriad of emotions when she heard the conversation. Even she wasn¡¯t sure if she wanted to have a child with Elliot. In fact, she should give birth to a Presgrave if she loved him. At that point, Anastasia decided to stop trying to make sense of the mess in her head and heart for now. It only confused her more without solving anything. Instead of going in and interrupting the chat between the grandparent and her grandson, Anastasia went to the garden, where her son had been having fun by himself. Harriet even spent money to build him an outdoor yground that was equipped with an air conditioner. The young boy continued to y in that cozy space. This was a very thoughtful gesture on Harriet¡¯s part. Anastasia deeply felt that she and her son were being pampered by the Presgrave Family. The tide at a faraway beach was starting toe in when evening came and as night fell, the lights of the city seemed to illuminate the whole ce as though it was still morning. The Presgraves had a feast for their dinner. As Elliot sat beside Jared, he made sure to spoon more food onto the young boy¡¯s te. Harriet was secretly happy when she saw what was going on. Anastasia, too, quietly saved this scene of Elliot showing his love into her memory. ¡°Young Master Tillman, I will add some rice to your te,¡± one of the servants standing aside respectfully said to Jared. She even seemed like she was treating him like a precious young master of the Presgraves. Anastasia¡¯s heart skipped a beat at that, but the little boy proceeded to announce out loud politely, ¡°I can do it myself, Madam.¡± His one sentence was enough to show how well he had been educated at home to be so polite. He was a child that everyone, the servants included, would easily fall in love with. After they were done with the meal, Anastasia brought Jared to the second floor for a video call with Francis. The man was waving a present in his hand as he said to the boy, ¡°Jared, your grandpa prepared a present for you.¡± ¡°Thank you Grandpa!¡± The man then turned to his daughter. ¡°Anastasia, are you bringing Jared home for lunch tomorrow?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she briefly replied with a nod. It was normal to pay visits to rtives after Christmas. She hung up the call after their conversation ended. As she turned around, she was greeted by the sight of Elliot walking toward her. He gave off a homely vibe in his gray sweater and a pair of dark- colored cks. He, too, had four presents in his hands. Looking at Jared, he walked over and gave him two of them. ¡°These are for you.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Presgrave.¡± The child was ecstatic as he took the presents from Elliot. He then waved at the adults. ¡°Mommy, I will be going back to my room now!¡± Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but lift her gaze at the man. ¡°Oh¡ªyou didn¡¯t have to give him two. Just one is more than enough.¡± ¡°Those were from Grandma and I respectively,¡± Elliot replied in a low voice. He swiftly reached out to pass Anastasia the other two. ¡°And these are also from Grandma and I to you.¡± ¡°For me?¡± She nkly blinked at him. She wasn¡¯t even a child who needed a present! Elliot quickly came up with an excuse to give the presents to her then. ¡°This is our family¡¯s tradition. We always give out presents to guests whoe to visit during Christmas.¡± And so, Anastasia had no other choice but to take them. The man, however, continued to encourage her to open up her presents. ¡°Open them and have a look.¡± She shook it around a few times. The contents were so light it didn¡¯t seem like there would be much in it. She was starting to get curious when she noticed the mirth in his gaze. She finally tore the present wrapping open, only for a piece of ck credit card to slide right out. ¡°This one is from me,¡± Elliot told her with a smile on his face as he rested his chin on his arm. Anastasia was slightly startled holding the card in one hand. ¡°You are giving me a card?¡± ¡°It is a card that does not have a limit. You can use it as you like.¡± His sharp eyebrows raised slightly, his eyes full of love for her. These were probably the words any woman loved hearing the most. Anastasia, too, couldn¡¯t hide the smile on her face as she moved on to the next present. ¡°Is this one from Grandma?¡± she asked. ¡°Open it and see.¡± Elliot was curious as to what Harriet prepared as well. The elderly woman hadn¡¯t told her a thing, after all. Anastasia opened the present, and when she poured the contents of the present, a strange card that looked like an ess card fell out. ¡°What is this?¡± she asked. Elliot nced at it before he replied with a smile, ¡°The ess card to Cloud Residence No. 1¡¯s top floor loft unit.¡± She was startled again after hearing his words. If her memory served her correctly, she had somehow come across the insane price of a unit at Cloud Residence No. 1. She also saw how the price of the big loft had been raised to about 100 million. And the ess card to such a ce was in her hand right this moment. ¡°I-I can¡¯t ept it!¡± Anastasia wouldn¡¯t reject the ck card from her future husband, but Harriet¡¯s present was too expensive for her to ept. ¡°Why not? Everything the Presgraves have will belong to you in the future.¡± Elliot then added, ¡°I remember telling you before about a top private kindergarten in the area. The security measures are top-notch, and their education system is also the best internationally. Grandma cares about both your safety and Jared¡¯s education.¡± Upon hearing that, Anastasia could feel a gush of warmth in her chest. The loft might be expensive, but what was more valuable and heartwarming to her was Harriet¡¯s kindness and sincerity toward Anastasia and her son. Hence, Anastasia had no choice but to ept it as well. She then took the ck card again and took a look, and her red lips curled into a smile. ¡°I am finally a richdy,¡± she cheered. The man instantly corrected her, ¡°You mean you are mydy.¡± Upon hearing that, Anastasia bashfully chewed on her red lip. ¡°Not yet!¡± The man hade to sit beside her at some point. He wrapped his long arms around her as he muttered, ¡°It will be soon.¡± After saying that, he pressed his thin lips to her forehead. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to announce this.¡± She started to count the days then. It appeared there were only 15 days left before she was officially his fianc¨¦e. It all still felt like a dream to her. Anastasia had only returned to the country with Jared then to live a quiet life where she would steadily earn money to raise the child. She had only nned to keep her focus on her career and her child. However, she somehow managed to gain a husband within a year ofing back here. Come to think of it, she and Elliot had only been together for only about a year. Back at the Tillman Residence, Erica started treating Francis like he was a stranger after she found out the truth of her birth. She would try her best to not call him ¡®Dad¡¯. Her eyes when she looked at him were those of an outsider¡¯s. Francis was sitting on the sofa when he noticed Erica all dressed up and ready to leave. Out of concern, he asked, ¡°Erica, where are you going sote at night.¡± ¡°I¡­ I am heading out.¡± ¡°It¡¯s toote. It is not safe for a girl like you to go out by yourself. Why don¡¯t you just stay at home and take a rest?¡± ¡°I have an appointment with a friend,¡± she muttered with her head low before she left. ¡°This daughter of ours is getting more and more stubborn!¡± Francis sighed as he shook his head. When Naomi heard that, she smoothly hugged him around his neck from behind and said, ¡°Don¡¯t bother with her, my dear. She is an adult now. You can¡¯t make her decisions for her.¡± He turned and threw a nce at his wife briefly before she sat down with him. ¡°Francis,¡± she started. ¡°Anastasia is getting engaged soon. What do you think we should give her as a present?¡± Francis had given a proper thought about what dowry he could give before. After thinking about it for a moment, he told Naomi, ¡°I am not sure what she doesn¡¯t have. Let me ask her. We will give her anything she doesn¡¯t already have!¡± Naomi¡¯s face turned sour then. She was starting to magnify all the good ways Francis was treating Anastasia. It even seemed to her as though Francis couldn¡¯t wait to give out all the money he had if he could. ¡°Would you give her thepany as a dowry if she wanted it?¡± He momentarily froze at her words. ¡°Anastasia is the one who will take over mypany anyway!¡± ¡°How about Erica, then? Are you going to give her thepany too if that is what she wants?¡± Naomi tried probing. ¡°But Erica doesn¡¯t have a spouse yet!¡± She was getting madder by the second. She eventually stood up and as she was walking away, she turned to look at Francis for a short second, the murderous intent evident on her face. It suddenly felt like Naomi was cold-hearted enough to do anything then. Francis was the one who forced her to the point of no return. She and her daughter would really not have any share of the company if she didn¡¯t do something about it. She went upstairs and took a bottle of pills from the corner of a cab. She then poured the content into a bottle of antihypertensive pills that Francis now had to take one pill daily. The newly added pills would not immediately cause death. What it would do was trigger Francis¡¯ ailment by increasing his blood pressure and causing him to have heart problems. It could easily lead to a heart-attack-induced ident. This would be a murder without a weapon. Francis only had himself to me for this. After she had poured the pills into the container, she sent Alex a message, ¡®I have switched out the pills. We will let him take it consistently for a few days, and you can find a chance to take him somewhere far before we execute our n.¡¯ Alex¡¯s reply came soon after. ¡®Got it. Thank you, Naomi.¡¯ Francis took a pill before he slept that night, and Naomi coldly watched him do it. Erica was staying over at Alex¡¯s ce for the night. Her mother had reminded her to not tell Alex regarding her birth, which was why she had to keep it to herself despite how there were no secrets between her and Alex. ¡°Erica, my n with your mom is about to begin. You can¡¯t start panicking when the timees,¡± he reminded her. She was the one among the three of them that he was most worried would freak out. Alex didn¡¯t know that Erica had already treated Francis like a stranger that had no ties to her at some point. She replied in a cold voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You and Mom can go ahead as nned. I won¡¯t get in the way. I don¡¯t care if my dad lives or dies.¡± Hearing that, Alex began to muse about how Naomi had managed to raise her daughter to be as cruel as she was. ¡­ A handsome young man stood by the French windows of the luxurious hotel suite. He had on a white high-cored sweater, but despite how warm it looked, it did nothing to suppress the chill emitting from his body. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you found her?¡± Arthur¡¯s angry eyes red at his subordinates. ¡°Young Master, we did find her after we took a look at the CCTV recording, but it is difficult for us to know what she really looks like because of how well the heavy makeup she had on covered her features. That is why we still haven¡¯t found out who she is.¡± He narrowed his eyes upon hearing that. He remembered how much of a nightmare the woman was when she hopped into his car withyers of makeup and that cheap perfume on. She even insulted him with her poor tastes. He would really have lost his family heirloom if he still couldn¡¯t find her. The heirloom was something that his mother had personally given to him so that he could hand it to his wife, and have it passed down to their children and grandchildren. But now, it had been stolen by this darn female thief. ¡°Young Master, we will be keeping an eye on all the second-hand jewelry stores as we look and wait for the woman. We will be notified immediately if she were to visit any of those stores.¡± Arthur, of course, didn¡¯t want to just wait. He also didn¡¯t want his belongings to be touched by the woman. As someone who had mysophobia, he was disgusted by the thought of having someone else lay hands on something that belonged to him. He hated how there was a lingering scent of the other person even if his item was to be returned to him someday. He could always throw it away and buy a new one if it was something of little importance. This, however, was a family heirloom that had been passed down for more than two centuries. There was only one of it in the world. It was meant to continue being passed down for generations toe. The bodyguards had a question for Arthur that they didn¡¯t dare ask out loud. Why would you bring a family heirloom out and about whenever you leave home, Young Master? Don¡¯t you know how hard it is to find something like this once it is lost?! But then again, the bodyguards were only brave enough to grumble to themselves. Arthur gritted his teeth. Beneath his curly long eyshes was a face that looked as though it had been sculpted by the hands of God himself. Now, however, it was showing an unreadable expression. He finally let out a sigh. ¡°Fine! I will give you a little more time. Find it before the end of the festive season.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± The bodyguards had no choice but toply. It was still up in the air whether or not they could find it. They couldn¡¯t help but sigh at how brave the woman was to steal something that belonged to Arthur, out of all the other people she could steal from. The man who looked like he would never hurt a fly was, in fact, the incarnation of the Devil himself. They could only imagine the kind of terrible fate that awaited the woman if they were to find her. At the same time, a woman on a beach abroad sneezed multiple times. She wondered whether someone was thinking about her or talking behind her back. The sun shone on her body and one could vaguely see a glowing, colorful round diamond under her white shirt. To keep such a precious thing safe, she could only wear it from time to time and would eventually search for an opportunity to return it to its owner. However, she avoided returning to her home country as she was running away from her marriage. Therefore, she would keep it on her for now. At 12.00PM the next day, Anastasia took her son back to the Tillman Residence for lunch. Naomi pretended to be polite and warmly weed Anastasia. Before Francis¡¯ death, I must not act suspiciously around him. ¡°Jared, this is my Christmas present for you.¡± Francis handed a huge present filled with cash to Jared. Anastasia took it instead. ¡°Dad, he is still young, so a few of them for him is enough.¡± ¡°No way! He is my only grandson, so I must spoil him.¡± In fact, he felt that he should give Jared a fancier present. Naomi sneered inwardly as she watched the interactions from the side. Better spoil them while you can, Francis. You will drop dead soon. ¡°Ouch!¡± Francis involuntarily clenched his chest. ¡°I¡¯ve only had a pint of beer earlier. Why does my chest hurt so much?¡± ¡°Stop drinking, Dad.¡± Anastasia quickly stood up. ¡°Should we take you to a hospital?¡± Naomi hurried over to help him up. ¡°He should be alright; he had his medicine earlier. Just take a rest on the couch.¡± ¡°Bring me my medicine. I think my blood pressure has risen as I have been drinking some alcohol these past few days,¡± he said to his wife. She went upstairs for his medicine as she babbled, ¡°I told you to never touch any alcoholic drinks again, but you never listen to me!¡± Anastasia sat beside Francis as she saw him suffering while clutching his chest and gasping for breath. ¡°Dad, please get a medical check-up now.¡± However, Francis was reluctant to visit a hospital since it was the festive season. Hence, he waved his hand. ¡°It¡¯s fine. The medicine should be enough for me, and I will drink less alcohol.¡± At this time, Naomi came down with a pill and handed him a ss of water. ¡°Take it. Have a nap after that.¡± After he took the pill, he sighed. ¡°I¡¯m getting old.¡± ¡°Dad, please rest well. We¡¯ll take our leave.¡± Anastasia didn¡¯t want to bother him. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll visit you next time.¡± He was getting dizzy and wanted to rest. After watching Naomi take him upstairs, Anastasia didn¡¯t leave until the woman returned. Naomi was startled when she saw that Anastasia was still downstairs and felt guilty because she had given Francis the poison instead of his medication. ¡°Anastasia, would you like to have some fruit?¡± she asked enthusiastically. Anastasia stood up and answered, ¡°No, thanks. I¡¯m busy.¡± After that, she sincerely looked at Naomi. ¡°Mom, Dad is getting weaker. Please take care of him.¡± ¡°Of course, I will. He is my husband, the person I will spend the rest of my life with, so I will definitely take good care of him,¡± Naomi retorted. Despite the guilt, she pronounced her loyalty to Francis. Anastasia nodded. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± After watching Anastasia leave, Naomi was finally relieved. The pill is so effective. His blood pressure rose dramatically after only one tablet and a pint of beer. Now, all that is left is to let Alex find an excuse to take him on a long journey and cause a car incident. I will finally achieve my goal! Meanwhile, Anastasia was driving back to Elliot¡¯s vi while thinking about her father¡¯s health. She still couldn¡¯t get it out of her mind. I should bring Dad to Elliot¡¯s private hospital for a medical examination so he can immediately start the treatment. Elliot¡¯s vi was decorated for Christmas and the garden had a romantic atmosphere. The sports car that Elliot gave her was still parked in the garage as she hadn¡¯t had a chance to drive it since she was busy. Anastasia didn¡¯t have the habit of visiting rtives during Christmas. Instead, she enjoyed quality time with her son. She read a book, asionally yed Lego with Jared, and enjoyed a cup of joe for the afternoon. Elliot was not in the vi and was busy as his status attracted many invitations for events and dinners. However, she was still worried about his leg injury. At that point, she suspected he was a robot as he refused to use a crutch and walked around like it was nothing. The wedding nner was decorating the venue. Although it was just an engagement party, Elliot was determined to do it right and paid arge sum. In the evening, a slightly tipsy Elliot returned. Benedict also came along with him to examine his injury. ¡°Now, you just have to minimize attending gatherings and not drink any alcohol. Or else, you can kiss your legs goodbye,¡± Benedict reminded him while reapplying the medicine. Anastasia sat beside them and sided with Benedict. ¡°Did you hear that? Treat your injury seriously.¡± Elliot smiled as he was told off by them. ¡°Yeah, I heard you. I will rest until my legs are healed.¡± After Benedict left, Anastasia ordered Elliot to never ever leave the sofa. She would get him anything he requested. As a result, Elliot took advantage of it. He requested a lot of hugs, kisses, and more to satisfy his desire. When Anastasia turned around to get him a book, he took the chance to pull her into his arms and kept her there. She tried to struggle but it was to no avail, so she could only let him enjoy the hug. He was only mad at his useless legs, as he could do more things to her if the legs were intact. They didn¡¯t leave the vi until New Year. The wedding nner visited them a few times a day to confirm the details for the engagement party. Elliot let Anastasia choose the party¡¯s theme, color palette, and flower arrangement, so she took the job seriously. They had already sent the party invitation cards to the Presgraves. All that was left was to wait for the day itself to let the Young Master of the Presgrave Family officially announce the engagement. In the Tillman Residence, Francis kept feeling difort in his chesttely. Hispany resumed work after New Year, and much work was pending. He was a responsible president, so he endured the pain in his chest and never stopped reading the documents, making phone calls, and having meetings. At the end of one day, he was getting pale. As Alex worked closely with him that day, the younger man noticed Francis was not in good condition. ¡°Are you alright, President Tillman? Should we take a break?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Francis acted tough as he cared for thepany like his own life. ¡°Alright. By the way, I called President Lehmann, and he refused toe over to discuss the cooperation. Therefore, I think we should take the initiative and go to Haystone to meet up with him.¡± ¡°Check the schedule. We¡¯ll depart as soon as possible.¡± Francis nodded. ¡°Understood. We can set off tonight. We should take down the project from President Lehmann as soon as possible, so we won¡¯t have to worry about it for long,¡± Alex suggested. Francis, too, treated the project seriously. Then, Alex said again, ¡°I heard several rivals were trying to fight for President Lehmann¡¯s project. We must not let other people take that project away. Or else, we will be at a loss as we invested a lot of manpower and resources on this project.¡± Hearing that, Francis felt anxious as the project was necessary for thepany¡¯s profit. Hence, he made a swift decision. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll set off tonight. Now, I should go home to pack some clothes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help you,¡± Alex hurriedly said. Francis did not refuse and he let Alex drive him home to pack his luggage. In the end, it was decided that they were going to stay in Haystone for a few days. At the Tillman Residence, seeing the two mene in together, Naomi asked in surprise, ¡°Francis, are you going on a business trip soon?¡± ¡°Yes, Mrs. Tillman. I will apany Francis to Haystone, and it will take a few days,¡± Alex answered her. ¡°Jeez, you can¡¯t catch a break; we just had our New Year. Francis, don¡¯t forget to bring your medicine bottle with you.¡± ¡°Naomi, go and pack some clothes and bring the medicine for me,¡± Francis ordered his wife. And so, Naomi went upstairs immediately. After a while, she packed a suitcase of clothes and passed it to Alex after returning. ¡°Mr. Hunter, please take good care of my husband. He is not feeling well.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Tillman. I will definitely take good care of President Tillman.¡± Alex nodded. Francis¡¯ cell phone rang at that point. He nced at it and went to his study room to ept the call. Naomi immediately took out a medicine bottle and stuffed it into Alex¡¯s hand as soon as Francis left. ¡°Before doing the deed, swap back his bottle so no one will find out the truth.¡± Alex nodded and put the bottle in his briefcase. After a while, Francis came out, and Alex apanied him to leave the house. However, the former suddenly felt dizzy as he supported himself with the door. ¡°Hubby, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Naomi hurried over to support him. ¡°I¡¯m okay. Have you packed the medicine?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s in the briefcase. Remember to take one tablet every day,¡± Naomi urged. Francis took the same medicine for months and it was effective. So, he trusted the medicine and never thought it was swapped with other pills. As long as I have the drugs, I will be able to handle the business trip even if I am not feeling well. When Francis sat in the car, he tried to rest his eyes. Alex asked, ¡°President Tillman, is it just the two of us?¡± ¡°Yes, we will go there to gather some intel.¡± Francis nodded. Alex had a gleam in his eyes as the n was going well. He looked at the resting Francis, and the murderous intent shed in his eyes. Before they could get onto the highway, Francis¡¯ cell phone rang. Alex felt anxious and nervously eavesdropped on his phone call. ¡°Hi, Anastasia,¡± Francis answered the call from his eldest daughter. ¡°Dad, are you free tonight? I would like to invite you over to dinner at the Presgrave Residence tonight.¡± ¡°Of course I would love to go!¡± Francis replied excitedly and tried to get Alex¡¯s attention. ¡°Alex, hey Alex! Stop and return to my house. I won¡¯t go to Haystone today.¡± Alex turned gloomy as he stepped on the brakes. Why does Anastasia have to call Francis now? ¡°But the project is important¡ª¡± ¡°Whatever it is, it is not as important as my future inw¡¯s invitation to dinner! Enough talking, go back now!¡± Francis smiled happily. ¡°We¡¯ll go to Haystone next time.¡± So, Alex could only drive back to the city. I have to do it here if I can¡¯t kill him elsewhere. Meanwhile, Naomi was taken aback when she saw Francis return home. ¡°Francis, why are you here?¡± ¡°Miss Tillman invited President Tillman to the family dinner at the Presgrave Residence tonight, so he canceled the business trip,¡± Alex replied to her. Naomi looked at Alex and knew that the n was not working. Francis had already changed into a suit in his room and went downstairs. He told her, ¡°The engagement party is around the corner, so buy me a proper suit for the party.¡± Although Naomi was reluctant to spend money, she still smiled and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll look for it in a shopping mall soon.¡± ¡°President Presgrave, shall I take you there?¡± Alex asked. ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡¯ll let Joe take me there; he knows the way. So, you can rest now.¡± Hence, Alex could only leave. Then, Naomi said, ¡°Alex, I am going to the shopping mall. Please take me there.¡± ¡°Okay, Mrs. Tillman.¡± Francis decided to take a nap to feel refreshed for dinner. Before he did that, he felt his chest was getting more painful. He remembered his doctor said that if the sickness was worsening, he could take one more tablet daily, so he took another pill. However, he was clueless that the medication would only make his condition worse. ¡­ In Alex¡¯s car, Naomi growled, ¡°Anastasia is so annoying! Why today of all days?¡± ¡°Naomi, we are running out of time; if he takes the tablet on time, he will have a heart attack soon. There¡¯s no time to take him out of this city to kill him in the car.¡± ¡°I know. If he is having an attack, I will make sure that he will never be able to wake up. Or else, our n will fail,¡± Naomi said calmly. ¡°Anastasia is about to get engaged. After the engagement, Elliot has the right to intervene in President Tillman¡¯spany affairs as his future son-inw. He can send anyone to thepany and improve it. If that happens, I may be kicked out of the management.¡± Alex was putting pressure on Naomi. Upon hearing that, she got anxious. ¡°This means that we have to make a move before the engagement party.¡± ¡°Yes. As soon as President Tillman dies, thewyer will announce his will, and then you and Erica can keep the share you deserve. After that, you can still be apany shareholder even if Elliot intervenes.¡± Viciousness shed across Naomi¡¯s eyes. At that point, she decided to kill Francis as soon as possible for her and her daughter¡¯s future. At the dinner at Presgrave Residence, all the close rtives of Harriet had arrived. There were three tables for dinner, and it was lively. Francis also arrived at the dinner. Everyone respected him as he was friendly, not to mention that he was Elliot¡¯s future father-inw. ¡°Dad, stop drinking.¡± Anastasia came over from another table as she was worried about her father. Although he should not drink, Francis still drank two pints of beer. After hearing his daughter say that, he poured tea into his cup. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Meanwhile, Jared sat beside Harriet. Several elders who watched Elliot grow up knew that Jared looked precisely the same as Elliot when he was a child. However, Jared was not Elliot¡¯s offspring, so everyone avoided that topic. No one had the right toment on the future of the Presgrave Family. The family were united, as they knew they either rose together or fell apart. After the dinner, Harriet was chatting with a fewdies. Francis also met a few elders with some common ground, so they started talking and discussing the history and present. On the contrary, the youngsters were having fun. Anastasia and Elliot went for a walk after the meal to help with digestion. A full moon hung in the sky. Although it was cold, the sky was clear. Anastasia looked refreshed as she was another day closer to the day of engagement. ¡°Let¡¯s rest here. We can sit down, and your legs can have a rest too.¡± She sat on a bench and Elliot followed suit. He unbuttoned the jacket and wrapped her in his arms. She rested on his chest feeling utterly peaceful, and enjoyed the garden view under the moonlight. In the hall of the Presgrave Residence, Francis felt his chest hurt as he took a sip of tea. So, he decided to return home as it was gettingte. He couldn¡¯t find Anastasia, so he left after informing the butler. He walked from the garden to the parking lot and found that his driver was waiting for him. ¡°President Tillman, are you feeling alright?¡± ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s go home. I have a headache.¡± Francis held his forehead as his body was getting sluggish. What¡¯s going on? Joe drove Francis back to the Tillman Residence. In the hall, Naomi and Erica were watching television together. When Francis came back, Naomi got up and came over. ¡°Why are you back so early?¡± ¡°My heart is in pain. I need to rest now.¡± ¡°Have you been drinking again?¡± Naomi pretended to be caring. The amount of alcohol Francis consumed today was negligiblepared to how much he had in the past. However, he suddenly felt dizzy and his visions darkened while walking upstairs. Then, he copsed onto the stairs. ¡°Francis!¡± Naomi shouted. Erica ran over from the sofa. ¡°Mom, what¡¯s wrong with him? Should we call an ambnce?¡± However, Naomi was very calm as cruelness shed in her eyes. ¡°No. Just let him be.¡± Erica looked at her mother and then at Francis on the ground. After thinking he was not her biological father, she steeled her heart against him. ¡°Mom, what should we do then?¡± ¡°Call Alex over.¡± Erica hurriedly called Alex¡¯s number and said in a hurry, ¡°Alex, you¡¯d bettere to my house. My dad passed out.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯lle over now.¡± Alex agreed immediately. Naomi turned over Francis¡¯ body and saw that his face was pale. His heartbeat was irregr and his breathing was weak. She then ordered Erica, ¡°Bring his medicine over and feed him two more pills.¡± Erica immediately went upstairs and returned with a bottle. Naomi took two pills out of the bottle and fed them into Francis¡¯ mouth. Then, she gave him water to dissolve the pills. Francis would never have thought that his wife and daughter were currently plotting to kill him. ¡­ Francis was in a daze and felt someone was forcing something in his mouth. His survival instinct pressured him to open his eyes, but he heard his daughter Erica speaking instead. ¡°Mom, what should we do? What¡¯s the next step?¡± ¡°What else? We will let Alex take him to his own bed and let him die.¡± Francis couldn¡¯t believe that this cold voice belonged to his wife. ¡°But, Mom, he hasn¡¯t updated his will!¡± ¡°Alex said he has a n. We will wait for him and discuss itter.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. In that case, we will own 60% of the shares of the Tillman Group!¡± Francis was trembling and couldn¡¯t open his eyes, but he could hear their conversation clearly. As a result, Naomi and Erica thought that he had fainted entirely. Their behavior made him disheartened, and he was getting distraught and distressed. He could taste the medicine in his mouth as a bitter taste flooded in his throat. He could taste the pills and it was then that he finally realized these weren¡¯t the usual pills he had. A shuddering thought came to his mind. Did someone switch them out? Is my wife plotting against me with my most trusted subordinate and my daughter? ¡°Mom, why hasn¡¯t Alexe yet? I¡¯m getting nervous. What if he wakes up?¡± Erica was getting anxious at this point. Francis felt his heart beating violently as his consciousness faded again. He fell into darkness again in pain and grief. Under the light, Naomi and Erica never noticed that he had regained consciousness. Francis was paralyzed on the ground. He never moved and didn¡¯t open his eyes, so they thought that he was definitely unconscious. At the same time, Alex was rushing over to their house. Another car was in front of him and it belonged to Joe, Francis¡¯ private driver. Thetter had brought the gift boxes he left in the trunk back to the Tillman Residence. Joe knew Naomi¡¯s personality very well. If he delivered the gifts tomorrow, he would get scolded by her. Therefore, he did not neglect his duty as it was precious gifts from the Presgraves that were worth hundreds of thousands. So, he quickly returned to the residence as soon as he realized his mistake. Erica was getting excited as she heard the engine noise from the courtyard of Tillman Residence. ¡°Mom, Alex is here!¡± Naomi and Erica never thought someone other than Alex would visit their house at this hour, so they believed that he had arrived. However, they saw Joe walking over from the hall with a few gift boxes. He stepped into the house, but the gift boxes all fell to the ground as soon as he saw Francis lying on the floor. ¡°W-What happened to President Tillman?!¡± Joe hurriedly asked. Naomi quickly acted, ¡°Joe, he just fainted! We are waiting for an ambnce.¡± ¡°Dad! Dad, please wake up. What happened? Please be okay.¡± Erica kneeled and pretended to be upset. Naomi and Erica nced at each other. They never expected it was Joe who would arrive. ¡°Take him to my car! I¡¯ll take him to the hospital. Quick!¡± Joe stretched out his hand to help Francis up. Naomi was panicking. At this moment, another engine noise came from the courtyard again, and Alex rushed in. When he saw Joe on the floor, he was stunned. ¡°What happened to him? Take him to the hospital now!¡± ¡°Alex, get him to your car. Joe, help him out!¡± Naomi¡¯s eyes turned red with urgency. The two men immediately took Francis to Alex¡¯s car. Then, Naomi and Erica got into the car, and the former ordered Joe, ¡°Joe, we will take Francis to the hospital. You stay and watch the house for me.¡± ¡°Okay, Mrs. Tillman. Hurry up and take President Tillman to the hospital!¡± Joe said. Alex¡¯s car rushed out of the yard immediately. Even Joe was taken aback, worried that the already pale Francis couldn¡¯t handle the speed. In Alex¡¯s car, Erica scolded him. ¡°You¡¯rete! Joe would have discovered our n if it wasn¡¯t for my mom and my acting.¡± ¡°Alex, where¡¯s the will?¡± ¡°Everything is ready. The will is in my bag. As long as President Tillman¡¯s signature and handprint are there, we can hire awyer to rece the previous will.¡± ¡°Are you sure we can rece the will now?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve contacted thewyer Mr. Wright. He will do it in exchange for one million. If we give him the money, he will rece the will for us.¡± ¡°I can give him the money,¡± Naomi said. She had more than one million from Francis¡¯ hand over the years. They discussed getting the money, but no one cared about Francis¡¯ life. In the Tillman Residence, Joe was restless. He thought of Anastasia and saved her phone number on the cell phone, so he quickly dialed her number. ¡°Hello, Mr. Bachelor.¡± ¡°Miss Tillman, are you in the hospital? How is President Tillman? Is he okay?¡± Joe asked anxiously. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my dad?¡± Anastasia asked urgently. ¡°Didn¡¯t Mrs. Tillman inform you? He fainted in the house and is now in the hospital getting emergency treatment.¡± ¡°Which hospital?¡± Joe then urged, ¡°Miss Tillman, please contact Mrs. Tillman now! He was in Alex¡¯s car with Mrs. Tillman and Young Mistress Erica, and they should be in the hospital now.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Anastasia was still in the Presgrave Residence as she was going to spend the night there. She stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows in the room and hurriedly dialed Naomi¡¯s number. Naomi¡¯s cell phone rang as they were in Alex¡¯s car. When she saw the name, her heart skipped a beat. ¡°It¡¯s from Anastasia.¡± ¡°Mom, don¡¯t pick it up,¡± Erica said. Naomi didn¡¯t want to answer. Then, her phone stopped ringing. However, Erica¡¯s phone rang instead. The caller was Anastasia too. ¡°She is persistent. Does she know that dad fainted?¡± ¡°It must be Joe who informed her. D*mn you, Joe! Why are you so nosy?¡± Naomi scolded, then said to her daughter. ¡°Answer it. Tell her we are on the way to the hospital, lest she thinks we are killing Francis.¡± At this moment, Erica¡¯s phone stopped ringing. Now it was Alex¡¯s phone that rang instead. Alex picked it up and looked at the screen. ¡°It¡¯s her, and I¡¯ll pick it up.¡± ¡°Hello, Miss Tillman,¡± he said anxiously. ¡°Mr. Hunter, did my dad really faint? Which hospital is he in now? I¡¯lle over this instant.¡± ¡°Miss Tillman, we¡¯re on the way. There is a traffic jam on the road, and we are now rushing to the nearest hospital, which is the General Hospital. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll be there soon.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be there,¡± she replied anxiously. ¡°Okay, see you soon,¡± With that, Alex hung up and hit the steering wheel. ¡°She is going to the hospital, and we have no choice but to take President Tillman to the hospital as soon as possible.¡± Naomi turned her head and saw that Francis¡¯ face was terrifyingly pale under the light. She ced her trembling finger under his nose and found that his breathing was getting weaker. It was evident that he was about to die. ¡°Alex, send him there now. I think he doesn¡¯t have long left!¡± Naomi ordered Alex. Alex was driving to the General Hospital and he said to Erica, ¡°Take out the will from my briefcase and get his handprint now. I can sign it on his behalf as long as his handprint is there.¡± Chapter 501-510 Chapter 501-510 Alex parked his car on the side of the road and after he was done with his thumbprint, he drove to the hospital again. ¡­ A ck SUV rushed into the night like a ck panther out of Presgrave Residence. Anxiety was evident in Anastasia¡¯s eyes as she sat on the passenger seat. How can this be happening? Did he really pass out because of the two sses of wine he had? ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Let¡¯s go to the hospital and check out his condition first.¡± Elliotforted her tenderly. When he heard the news earlier, he drove her out without a second of hesitation. Over at General Hospital, Francis was ced on a stretcher and quickly taken to the emergency room. Naomi and her daughter followed behind while crying uncontrobly. Naomi weeped as she begged the doctor, ¡°Doctor, you have to save my husband. You must save him!¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am, we¡¯ll do our best.¡± reassured the doctor as he shut the door of the operating room. Alex, Naomi and Erica exchanged nces with each other; they were all silently praying for the same thing¡ªa ¡®sorry, we have done our best¡¯ from the mouth of the doctor. About fifteen minutester, Anastasia and Elliot hurried over from the elevator. She nced at the operating room where her father was still being treated and looked at Naomi and Erica. ¡°When did Dad faint? Was he still conscious when he was brought here?¡± ¡°Anastasia, was your dad drinking at the Presgrave Residence? If you knew that your dad shouldn¡¯t be drinking, why didn¡¯t you stop him?¡± Naomi snapped at Anastasia as if Anastasia had caused Francis¡¯ to be admitted to the hospital. Of course, Anastasia knew that her dad had two sses of wine. Hence, all that was on her mind right now was guilt and regret. I should¡¯ve stopped him¡­ ¡°If something happens to Dad, know that it¡¯s all your fault!¡± Erica cried and scolded. ¡°It is indeed not advisable for President Tillman to drink any alcohol. The doctor suggested that it is best to not even drink a sip,¡± added Alex. Anastasia¡¯s figure shook with remorse, but a strong arm behind her supported her firmly while reassuring her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Let¡¯s see how things go.¡± In the operation room, an emergency rescue was being carried out; the doctor put in all his effort to revive Francis. Though the doctor had shaken his head several times, he still tried every means possible to carry out a second rescue. Fortunately, when they used the defibritor for the second time, the still line on the machine had started showing weak signs of a heartbeat. ¡°Heartbeat¡¯s back. The patient¡¯s will to survive is strong.¡± This time, Francis¡¯ condition was considered a severe heart failure. If he had been a minutete, he might have not been able to survive. However, due to the prolonged cardiac arrest, the oxygen supply to his brain was insufficient, so he was now in a severea. Even after a sessful resuscitation, there might be a risk of him being in a vegetative state. Two hourster, the exhausted doctors came out withyers of cold sweat on their foreheads. ¡°What happened to my dad? Is he still alive?¡± Erica was the first to ask. ¡°Did you save my husband? Is he still alive? Tell me!¡± Naomi acted like a desperate wife. Anastasia also clenched her fists tightly and stared at the doctors. ¡°Since the patient has missed the golden hour, we¡¯ve done our best. So far, the operation was sessful, but due to the prolonged cardiac arrest, the patient¡¯s brain was severely deficient in oxygen supply and that has caused a certain amount of brain damage. Please prepare yourselves mentally as the patient is likely to be in a longa or at the risk of a vegetative state.¡± ¡°What?¡± Naomi¡¯s entire body went limp, so Alex reached out to help her. When she raised her gaze to meet Alex¡¯s, both of them expressed joy in the depths of their eyes. Erica covered her mouth and looked distraught, but there was a sh of delight in her eyes. Even if Francis was not dead, he would never wake up. This is exactly what they would want. Anastasia was the only one who seemed to be drained of strength. Pain shrouded her face as she let tears roll down her cheeks. Standing behind her was a heartbroken Elliot as he felt sorry for Anastasia. As a daughter, this is the last thing she¡¯d ever want to hear. ¡°Francis! Francis¡­¡± Naomi began to cry and sat on the ground bawling while Erica hugged her as they cried together. Not to forget the remaining ¡®actor¡¯ Alex, who also looked solemn. He nced at Anastasia whose face had paled under the lights. Elliot, on the other hand, had been supporting her from the back and assisted her to the bench. Now, how could Naomi miss such an opportunity? She rushed over suddenly and she pped Anastasia before Elliot could even react. A burning sensation grew on Anastasia¡¯s face, but the very next second, a sturdy arm blocked her as Elliot questioned in a deep voice, ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s you¡­ You¡¯re the one who did this to your dad! Why did you let him drink?! He had been fine taking his medications regrly! It¡¯s all because of you! You Presgraves are guilty of killing my husband!¡± Naomi seized this opportunity to curse them hard. This time, she even scolded the Presgrave Family. ¡°Exactly! If my dad ends up in a vegetative state, you¡¯ll be overjoyed, won¡¯t you?!¡± Erica chimed in. Anastasia¡¯s ears went deaf for a few seconds as finger marks slowly appeared on her pale face. Elliot could not bear to see her in such a state anymore. He red at Naomi and Erica with cold eyes, then warned, ¡°I dare you to touch her again.¡± His gaze was murderous. If Naomi were not a woman, he would have definitely fought back. Frightened by his aura, she took a step back as Elliot¡¯s gaze stopped her from acting aggressive. ¡°Mrs. Tillman, please calm down. Our priority is to save President Tillman at this moment.¡± Alex came to drag Naomi away as he did not want her to cause any more trouble. ¡°Mom¡­¡± In truth, Erica was satisfied to see her mother pping Anastasia. Anastasia covered her cheek and remained silent. If it was not for the nerve-wrecking and guilt- inducing circumstances that she was in, she would not have stayed quiet about this. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Elliot gently touched the side of her face that had been pped. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Anastasia shook her head. Elliot¡¯s eyes shot at Naomi once again like a dagger with a killing intent present through his gaze. When Naomi¡¯s eyes met his, she instantly jumped up in shock as she quickly thought of an excuse. ¡°I¡¯m going to the bathroom.¡± As she returned, Francis¡¯ attending doctor, who was the Head of Neurology, came over and inquired, ¡°What kind of medicine does your husband usually take? What¡¯s the dosage of the medicine? We found a residual pill in his mouth just now. Why is it there?¡± ¡°Doctor, my husband usually takes supplements for his heart. He came back today and felt ufortable, so he took a few more pills at a time. But before he could swallow the medicine, he fainted,¡± Naomi exined while sobbing again. Funny how the act of shoving pills down Francis¡¯ throat has now be a voluntary act of his, thanks to her great storytelling. ¡°He shouldn¡¯t have prescribed his own dosage. In cases like this, you should have sent the patient to the hospital right away, but you¡¯ve dyed for way too long. That¡¯s why you missed the golden hour.¡± After the doctor finished speaking, he left. Although Anastasia was in grief, she was in a clear state of mind. She stood up beside Elliot and questioned while looking at Naomi, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you send Dad to People¡¯s Hospital and took a detour to this hospital instead?¡± Naomi was startled, but Alex came over and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Tillman. It¡¯s all my fault. I took the wrong turn because I was not familiar with the road to the nearest hospital, so I ended up here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m grateful enough that Alex came and took your father to the hospital. How dare youe at us for beingte! Did you think I was going to harm my own husband?¡± Naomi turned around and retorted aggressively. ¡°What about you?! When your dad passed out, where were you, and what were you doing?¡± ¡°She was busy preparing for her engagement, of course! Why would she even have time to care about her father?¡± Erica insulted. ¡°Your father is in aa and in a vegetative state. The audacity to even still think about engaging! Aren¡¯t you afraid of karma? How could you even do such an awful thing at a time like this?¡± Naomi scolded again as if Anastasia bing engaged was an unfilial thing to do. Elliot¡¯s eyes scanned the mother and daughter as their malicious intentions against Anastasia were getting clearer by the minute¡­ Alex, who was enjoying the show on the side, sneered inwardly. Elliot¡¯s dream of marrying Anastasia might as well be flushed down the drain now. As long as Francis remained unconscious, Anastasia would not be able to marry with a peace of mind, which meant that Elliot could not be the son-inw of the Tillman Family anytime soon. ¡°Are you done? Can¡¯t you see that she¡¯s already stressed out? What else do you want?¡± Elliot stared at Naomi and Erica with a cold gaze. ¡°Young Master Elliot, I¡¯m sorry but Anastasia belongs to our family. I¡¯m afraid that her engagement will be off,¡± Naomi stated boldly. ¡°This matter is up to us to decide. You don¡¯t have the right to intervene.¡± Elliot nced at her coldly, not bothering to save any respect for her. Naomi choked in surprise and looked at Anastasia. ¡°Your father is in serious condition now. You can¡¯t get engaged without his presence!¡± As long as Anastasia was not engaged, Elliot was not the son-inw of the Tillman Family. Despite how powerful he was, he could not interfere in the affairs of their family. She looked up at him and inquired, ¡°Can I arrange for my dad to be transferred to your hospital?¡± Even without her request, Elliot already had that n in mind. Presgrave Hospital had state-of-the-art medical equipment and technology, so it was more likely for them to cure Francis. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll make an arrangement right now.¡± Elliot nodded. When Naomi heard that, her expression fell and she immediately stopped them. ¡°Your dad has just been resuscitated. Don¡¯t hassle him around!¡± Anastasia took a deep breath and exined, ¡°Presgrave Hospital has more advanced technology than other hospitals. It will be helpful for Dad¡¯s treatment.¡± Of course, she assumed that Naomi also wanted to save her father, so she exined it to the woman nicely. When Naomi heard it, she tantly rejected the offer. ¡°I don¡¯t believe in any hoax of better technology. I just don¡¯t want my husband to suffer again. He¡¯s merely justnded his foot back in the world; therefore, I will not allow you to move him around.¡± ¡°Naomi, I know that you hold a grudge against me, but Dad¡¯s health is more important now.¡± Anastasia was furious because Naomi insisted on going against her at such a critical moment. Erica, who was beside Naomi, also spoke out to support her mother. ¡°Dad is still weak now. Why do you have to torment him? If something goes wrong on the way¡­ or if he encounters an ident, what will you do?¡± Seeing that the mother and daughter insisted on not transferring Francis to another hospital, Anastasia could only hold back temporarily. Nodding as shepromised and said, ¡°Okay, I will let Dad stay here tonight. We¡¯ll see how his condition is and transfer him after two days.¡± Once Francis was transferred to the ICU for monitoring, Naomi went in to visit for ten minutes as the representative. She sat in front of Francis¡¯ hospital bed and looked at his lifeless and pale face. She muttered coldly in her heart, I don¡¯t want you to suffer anymore. You should just go! Anastasia could only look at her father lying quietly through the ss window. During dinner, her father was still happily drinking and talking to her, yet now, he was lying in the cold ward sound asleep. Elliot hugged her shoulders andforted her. ¡°Rest assured that I have arranged for a few doctors from Presgrave Hospital to check on him.¡± She looked at him with gratitude filled in her eyes. At a time like this, he was her warm and powerful pir. ¡°Jared fell asleep, so I had Grandma take care of him.¡± Anastasia felt safe leaving her son at Presgrave Residence, so she nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± It was winter outside, so the chill was still vaguely present despite the heater that was switched on outside the ward. Elliot took off his suit coat and draped it over Anastasia¡¯s body. Since she was in such a hurry toe to the hospital earlier, she only wore a sweater, forgetting her thick coat. On the other row, Erica looked at Anastasia with jealousy. A rich and young master like Elliot was considerately by Anastasia¡¯s side, taking care of her every single need. However, when Elliot looked up and scanned over Erica and Alex, he exuded a dark and cold aura that made her feel pressured even from a distance. How does Anastasia have such an ability to make him show her only his best side? When Alex went to get water for Naomi and Erica, he also bought some for Anastasia. She took them and handed a bottle to Elliot, who was obviously reluctant to ept anything given by another man. Even if it was just a bottle of water, he felt ufortable. When Anastasia saw his refusal to ept the water bottle, she set the bottle aside and opened the one in her hand before she took a few sips and handed it to him. Only then did Elliot take it before he took a few sips of the water she had drunk. Once Alex took a seat beside Erica, she could not help but hint, ¡°I¡¯m cold, Alex.¡± As soon as he heard that, he hurriedly took off his suit and gave it to her. Erica was wearing Alex¡¯s suit, but she did not receive the feeling she was looking for. Despite being a man, Alex was iparable to Elliot. Half an hourter, three men in suits appeared in the corridor while looking dapper with a schrly aura. They went straight to Elliot¡¯s side and greeted him respectfully, ¡°Hello, Young Master Elliot.¡± Elliot nodded in response. ¡°All of you are here.¡± Anastasia was delighted to see Benedict among them. It seemed that these three were the doctors from Presgrave Hospital. ¡°We¡¯ll check on the patient¡¯s condition first, then we¡¯lle back to you to discuss the details.¡± After saying that, Benedict and the other two went to the doctor¡¯s office together. Naomi seemed to have realized something and immediately got up to ask, ¡°Who are these people and what are they going to do to my husband?¡± When Anastasia saw her exaggerated reaction, she uttered lightly, ¡°Just Elliot¡¯s friends.¡± Naomi thought they did not look like his friends but doctors instead. She then exchanged nces with Erica and Alex before sitting down. ¡°Naomi, there¡¯s a lounge over there. Do you want to go in and take a rest? It¡¯s quite cold here,¡± Alex suggested. With that, all three of them went over to the lounge. As soon they entered, Naomi hurriedly looked at Alex and inquired, ¡°The three people just now should be doctors sent by Elliot. Do you think they¡¯ll be able to cure Francis?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not exaggerate our reactions for now. Elliot is here, so we shouldn¡¯t raise his suspicion,¡± Alex reminded her that Elliot was not an ordinary person. As a result, Naomi could only hold back her temper and reply, ¡°We¡¯ll just have to risk it.¡± In the corridor outside, Anastasia noticed that Elliot was wearing only a shirt and a vest. She then asked out of concern, ¡°Are you cold? Do you want to take a nap in the car?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Elliot reassured her and held her hand. Anastasia felt the warmth of his palm, but she still returned the suit to him as she felt bad. She then snuggled into his embrace and the two of them shared his suit to keep warm together. He hugged her tightly while his thin lips kissed her hair since he felt sorry for her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The guys who just came are the leading cardiologists and neurologists in our hospital.¡± As soon as she heard that, she saw a glimmer of hope and instantly felt relieved. At this moment, she realized how honored and lucky she was to have known Elliot. After a while, Benedict came over. ¡°Elliot, Miss Tillman, pleasee with me.¡± Elliot reached out to hold Anastasia¡¯s hand as they followed Benedict. In the conference room of the hospital, the three experts and the two doctors who revived Anastasia¡¯s father earlier were present. Through their gaze, one could tell that they were looking at the three experts respectfully. Following that, one of the doctors gave a detailed exnation of Francis¡¯ condition. ¡°Miss Tillman, we¡¯ve gone through your father¡¯s analysis. It was unfortunate that he was admitted too late to the hospital. If he could have arrived ten minutes earlier, the situation would have been completely different.¡± ¡°Is it possible for my dad to wake up?¡± Anastasia asked nervously. ¡°Judging from his current situation, he is unlikely to wake up, but it¡¯s not totally impossible. Nothing is absolute, but your father¡¯s heart failure has caused variousplications, especially his brain which is most affected. Therefore, the possibility of him being in a vegetative state is very high.¡± The tears that Anastasia had been resisting suddenly rolled down her cheeks uncontrobly. As she heard their statement with closed eyes, she felt immense pain and despair. Elliot took her hand and uttered in a deep voice, ¡°Please think of some other ways you can save him.¡± ¡°There is a way, but it can¡¯t be implemented right now. It¡¯s gonna take a period of observation. We can¡¯t undergo the brain treatment until the examination data reaches the ideal state.¡± ¡°How long do you roughly need?¡± ¡°About three months! During this period, we will do everything in our power to maintain your father¡¯s treatment while he is in aa.¡± ¡°Please prescribe him with whatever medication he needs. Money is not a problem,¡± said Elliot. ¡°We will, Young Master Elliot. We guarantee to provide the best avable treatment for Mr. Tillman,¡± they replied. With a question that had been lingering on her mind, Anastasia took the opportunity to ask, ¡°Does my dad¡¯s episode have something to do with his alcohol intake¡ªspecifically two sses of wine?¡± ¡°Miss Tillman, if he only drank two sses of wine, it would not cause his heart failure. We suspect that your father had ingested the medicine by mistake.¡± ¡°Yes. We found a small piece of residual pill in your father¡¯s mouth and it is a poisonous drug for the cardiovascr system. Rather than strengthening the heart, it has the opposite effect. As for the exact properties of it, it will take two days for us to verify.¡± ¡°What?! My dad took the wrong pill?¡± Anastasia was shocked to hear that. Why would her father take the wrong pill? ¡°Perhaps you should inquire with someone who stays with your father about the situation and the kind of drugs he usually takes.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll get to the bottom of it while I collect some samples of my dad¡¯s medications for your inspection.¡± ¡°That would be great.¡± ¡°Elliot, it¡¯s cold at night. We¡¯ve arranged a room in the hotel opposite the hospital. Take Miss Tillman over to rest! Rest assured we¡¯re here to take care of Mr. Tillman!¡± suggested Benedict. Elliot nodded in agreement and looked at Anastasia. ¡°Benedict and the others will guard here. They¡¯ll inform us right away if something happens.¡± Anastasia knew that treating her father would be a long battle that would take more than a day or two. She had to maintain her physical strength and body in order to take care of her father. When they walked out of the hospital and entered the car, she was thinking about one thing¡ªwhy is there even a chance for a poisonous drug within the reach of my dad, let alone mistakenly ingest it? ¡°Elliot, I want to head home and check on the kind of medicines my dad is taking.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll drive you there.¡± He nodded. On the other side, Naomi and Erica were in the lounge when Alex quickly walked in and informed them, ¡°I heard from the doctor earlier that Elliot took off with Anastasia.¡± ¡°Where did they go?¡± ¡°Not sure, but I¡¯ll take you guys home! Let¡¯se back tomorrow morning,¡± he offered. An exhausted Erica then prodded her mother to leave. ¡°Mom, let¡¯s go! I want to sleep.¡± With that, the mother and daughter decided to go home. Along the way, Alex asked Naomi if the pills were left at home which she then answered, ¡°I only bought two bottles. One is in my hand now and the other is at your ce. I didn¡¯t leave any at home.¡± ¡°Hurry up and get rid of it! We can¡¯t let anyone discover it,¡± he suggested. As such, Naomi told him to stop by the road. She threw the pills into a nearby river and returned to the car and assured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Anastasia will never know what medicine we gave her dad.¡± Erica, the other aplice, also breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Anastasia definitely won¡¯t suspect us.¡± Elliot¡¯s car was parked outside the gate of Tillman Residence. After keying in the passcode at the door, Anastasia found that the lights were still on. She also saw the driver, Joe, sleeping on the sofa. When Joe heard the noise at the door, he immediately woke up. ¡°Miss Tillman, you¡¯re back. What about President Tillman?¡± ¡°Why are you here, Mr. Bachelor?¡± ¡°When Madam left just now, she asked me to stay and watch the house, so I didn¡¯t leave. How is President Tillman?¡± Anastasia¡¯s gaze turned serious as she inquired, ¡°Mr. Bachelor, tell me about the situationst night when you saw my father passing out.¡± ¡°I sent President Tillman back home and left, but I suddenly recalled that Old Madam Presgrave gave a lot of gifts in the car, so I turned back. When I walked in with the gifts, I already saw President Tillman lying on the ground unconscious.¡± ¡°What about my stepmother and stepsister?¡± ¡°They were all crying in fear and I wanted to take President Tillman to the hospital, but Mr. Hunter came, so they took his car and left.¡± ¡°How much time had passed between the moment you witnessed it and the time you called me?¡± Anastasia inquired calmly. ¡°About fifteen to sixteen minutes!¡± To investigate further, she took out her phone and checked the call log. When she added up the time it took for her to receive the call, the time it took Joe to process the situation and the time it took her father to be taken to the hospital, it came to more than forty minutes. She checked the map and found that the time from home to General Hospital was about twenty-three minutes. Alex said that he had taken the wrong way, but did it really take him more than twenty minutes to detour? Why did he not take Dad to People¡¯s Hospital, which was only ten minutes away from home? Why did he take Dad to another hospital after detouring for forty minutes? Anastasia¡¯s heart was full of doubts. She did not want to overthink Naomi¡¯s motives and thoughts, but their unreasonable time on the road was the very factor why Francis missed the golden hour. ¡°Mr. Bachelor, do you know what kind of medicines my dad usually takes?¡± ¡°I only know one; he usually takes a pill to relieve his heart difort. After thest time he fainted, President Tillman took it with him every day, saying it was to protect his heart.¡± After listening to Joe¡¯s statement, she rose to her feet searched for the medicine in the cab. She could not bother much anymore as she went to the master bedroom on the second floor. In the cab, she found a bottle of heart medication that her father often took. Other than that, no other medicine was found. She took out more pills from several bottles of medicine in the cab. She wanted to rify if the pills left in her father¡¯s mouth were from the ones at home. When all the pills were gathered, Anastasia requested Joe to cover for her. ¡°Mr. Bachelor, I got some pills from home, but please keep it a secret from my stepmother, will you?¡± Joe could not help but feel a tug in his chest. He had always been loyal to Francis, so he naturally nodded affirmatively. ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t tell them.¡± Just as Anastasia and Elliot were about to go out, they saw Naomi and Erica rushing in through the door. Judging from the luxury car parked outside, they must have assumed that it was Elliot¡¯s and panicked. They did not expect Anastasia toe back at all. ¡°Anastasia, what are you doing here? Why are you running around instead of taking care of your dad in the hospital?¡± Naomi immediately questioned Anastasia out of her guilty conscience. However, Anastasia answered coldly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with meing back? This is my home after all.¡± Naomi choked at her reply, then saw Anastasia and Elliot walking toward the gate. After the couple had left, she immediately entered the hall and saw Joe, who was about to leave. She hurriedly asked, ¡°Joe, what did Anastasia do when she came home just now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not so sure. I came out to smoke earlier, madam. If there is nothing else, I will be leaving too.¡± Joe quickly covered for Anastasia. ¡°She must be up to no good if she came home secretly.¡± Erica gritted her teeth. Once Anastasia sat in Elliot¡¯s car, she closed her eyes and calmed herself down for a few seconds before uttering, ¡°I have a feeling this isn¡¯t entirely an ident. When Naomi and Alex took him to the hospital, they took way too long. It was the dy that caused him to miss the golden hour.¡± ¡°Do you suspect your stepmother?¡± ¡°My dad treats her well. I really hope that she has nothing to do with this incident, but if I really find out that she plotted something, I won¡¯t let her get away with this.¡± Anastasia gritted her teeth and clenched her fists as grief and resentment surged in her chest. ¡°Rx. If it¡¯s her, she¡¯ll definitely leave a trace.¡± Elliotforted her once again. Not only did he find Naomi suspicious, he also thought that Erica and Alex were problematic. When Elliot took Anastasia back to the hotel, it was already 2.00AM before he knew it. Back at Tillman Residence, Naomi was sitting on the sofa while panic took over her. She thought about what she had done at this moment and she suddenly got cold feet. Well, what¡¯s done is done¡­ it¡¯s either I go big or go home, then. Otherwise, things would be more troublesome. But¡­ What did Anastasia do here? Did she suspect something? I thought the performance by Erica and I was convincing enough, even in front of Joe! No¡­ there¡¯s no way they could have found out¡­ Maybe I¡¯m just reading too much into this, Naomi told herself. Meanwhile, Alex arrived at Hayley¡¯s little apartment and found her waiting for him. After a round of passionate tussling, she started asking him about Francis. All he divulged was that Francis had suddenly copsed and was sent to the hospital for an emergency life-saving procedure. Hearing about Francis¡¯ situation, Hayley nodded. She was not angry when she sensed how wary and secretive Alex was toward her, seeing as the end she sought to achieve was for Anastasia and Elliot to call off their engagement. With Francis still in aa, Hayley doubted that Anastasia would continue with the engagement; it was not proper in light of the grim situation at present, and besides, the cheerful novelty of her uing nuptials would have already worn off by now. Meanwhile, in the hotel, Anastasia could not sleep. She stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window and stared out at the hospital across the road. Worry was evident in her eyes, and for each day that Francis stayed unconscious, she grew even more anxious. Elliot sighed softly and wrapped his arms around her from behind. ¡°Let¡¯s get some rest, shall we?¡± She leaned into his arms. At this moment, his embrace was the only thing that kept her grounded when everything else in her life was tossed up in the air. Faith came with the sense of calm that suddenly washed over her; she was sure that Francis would wake up soon. She somehow drifted into sleep as Elliot held her through the night, but it was not a restful slumber. Elliot, on the other hand, hardly slept a wink, for he woke up as soon as he felt the slightest movement from her. Anastasia woke up the next morning and heard Elliot speaking on the phone with Benedict, who had called to tell him that Francis¡¯ condition had not changed much sincest night, though there were several tests that the hospital had scheduled for him. ¡°Anastasia, the facilities in the hospital are limited. We¡¯re going to need you to sign the consent form if we want to bring your father back to the hospital my family runs.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± she said firmly. ¡°I don¡¯t care if Naomi objects to it. You can bring Dad over to your hospital for a thorough check-up and all other necessary procedures.¡± Elliot nodded and immediately gave instructions over the phone. ¡°Bring him over to the hospital and run all the necessary tests.¡± Having taken her breakfast, Anastasia headed over to the hospital to sign the patient transfer paperwork. It wasn¡¯t until she saw her father being wheeled into an idling ambnce that she felt hope course through her. She prayed furtively that Francis would receive better treatment over at the Presgraves¡¯ hospital. The ambnce had only just left when Anastasia¡¯s phone rang. She nced at the caller ID, and upon seeing Naomi¡¯s name shing on the screen, she knew that her stepmother had already found out about Francis¡¯ transfer to the Presgraves¡¯ hospital. ¡°What is it?¡± Anastasia demanded fearlessly, sparing no niceties as she picked up the phone. ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re up to, Anastasia! Who gave you the right to have your father transferred to another hospital? Your father is in no condition to be moved around willy-nilly! You better pray that he wakes up, because if he doesn¡¯t, then you¡¯ll have hell to pay!¡± Naomi snapped belligerently on the other line. ¡°I¡¯ll take full responsibility for anything that might happen,¡± Anastasia replied curtly. ¡°He¡¯s my father, and I want him to wake up more than anyone else, especially you.¡± ¡°Save your false sentiments for the fool who will believe it, Anastasia. You just want your father to die so that you can take over hispany. That¡¯s it, isn¡¯t it? I know exactly how that mind of yours works, you wench! You¡¯ve been eyeing hispany all along!¡± Naomi used, twisting the situation to make it sound like Anastasia was the one with ill intentions. Anastasia was so enraged by this that she trembled. She knew Naomi was only razzing her up, but her blood still boiled all the same. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you say. All I want is for Dad to get the best treatment there is.¡± She decided to ignore the wretched woman after this. ¡°I refuse to let my husband be treated at Presgrave Hospital. I don¡¯t feel good about it, and I demand that you have him sent back to the General Hospital at once! You hear me?!¡± Naomi roared. Without another word, Anastasia ended the call and turned to address Elliot, who had been standing at the side all this while, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Presently, Naomi gritted her teeth as she sped over to the hospital. ¡°That useless wench hung up on me!¡± ¡°Mom, what do we do? Presgrave Hospital has state-of-the-art facilities and some of the best doctors in the world. If Dad regains consciousness after receiving treatment there, then all our efforts will be for nothing!¡± Erica wailed. ¡°We¡¯re going to Presgrave Hospital right away. I¡¯m going to bring my husband back to General Hospital no matter what!¡± Naomi seethed, making up her mind to use the wife-card to her advantage. Over in Francis¡¯ most trustedw firm, Alex was in the middle of a conversation with a middle-aged man. On the table was an agreement with a bank cardid on top of it. ¡°I heard that you¡¯ve racked up quite a lot of gambling debts, Mr. Smithers, but I¡¯m sure that the money in there is enough to help you tide things over,¡± Alex pointed out matter-of-factly. ¡°Looks like you came prepared, Mr. Hunter. How is President Tillman doing?¡± ¡°Due to the dy in administering immediate medical treatment, President Tillman has been dered comatose, and he might never wake up again.¡± Colin¡¯s eyes lit up at this. Knowing that the deal was sure to be risk-free, he happily reached for the agreement and the bank card while demanding, ¡°I want two percent of the shares in Tillman Constructions after I see through the deal.¡± This was the perfect opportunity for him to get rich, and he would be a fool to not seize it. Alex had the authority to agree to this proposition, and he knew he had to, seeing as switching out the will was the most important part of the entire scheme. ¡°Very well. In that case, we¡¯ll be on the same side from now on,¡± he replied, nodding. Then, Colin went over to the safe and took out the old will Francis had made, then tore it into pieces in front of Alex. Having done so, he slipped the new one into the safe. A satisfied smile yed on Alex¡¯s lips. Atst, the will has been sessfully switched. Now, Naomi and Erica stood to inherit sixty percent of Tillman Constructions; that tranted to a good seven hundred million in assets and liquidity. Meanwhile, over at Presgrave Hospital, Francis was sent into one of the check-up rooms to run several tests. Anastasia waited anxiously in the hallway with Rey, who stood behind her to keep herpany while Elliot went back to thepany to handle important work matters. ¡°Would you like to sit down, Miss Tillman?¡± Rey asked, looking at the woman with concern. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine,¡± Anastasia muttered tiredly as she shook her head. She prayed furtively that the tests would show positive results. Just then, a nurse stationed on this floor came up to them and said, ¡°Miss Tillman, two of your family members have arrived and they¡¯re waiting outside the entrance. They¡¯re really anxious. Should I let them in?¡± Anastasia frowned. She didn¡¯t have to ask to know that the ones throwing a fit outside the entrance were Naomi and Erica. She wanted Francis to have these tests done without interference, so she instructed the nurse, ¡°Keep them outside and do not let them in.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± The nurse had only just walked away when Anastasia turned to address Rey, ¡°Could you go with the nurse and see what¡¯s the fuss about?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll get right to it,¡± he agreed and hurried toward the elevators. Naomi¡¯s aversion toward Presgrave Hospital isn¡¯t just because of my rtionship with the Presgraves. What is she so afraid of? Is she worried that Dad will receive better medical treatment here? Anastasia wondered grimly. Presently, Naomi and Erica were arguing with the security guards in the Presgrave Hospital lobby. ¡°I¡¯m warning you¡ªif I don¡¯t see my husband by the end of the day, I¡¯ll have this hospital torn down!¡± Naomi threatened at the top of her lungs. The security guards eyed her steadily,pletely unaffected. They highly doubted that the likes of her had the power to demolish the Presgraves¡¯ hospital building. ¡°Hand my father over right now or I¡¯ll sue every single one of you! I¡¯ll expose you for being aplices to a kidnapping crime!¡± Erica had unfortunately her mother¡¯s affinity for dramatics and somehow associated volume with intimidation. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but this is a private hospital, and I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t just have your way. You are not allowed to enter until further instructions say otherwise.¡± ¡°My husband is in there right now! Why am I not allowed in?! I bet that scheming little wench Anastasia put you up to this, didn¡¯t she? Tell her I demand to see her this instant! Go!¡± Naomi ordered scathingly, her voice shrill as she shoved the sturdy-looking guard in front of her. At that moment, Rey drew close to the scene of the fiasco. Recognizing him at once, Naomi barked, ¡°You¡¯re Elliot¡¯s assistant, aren¡¯t you? Bring Anastasia out right now!¡± ¡°Miss Tillman is currently with President Tillman while the doctors run the necessary tests on him. Please refrain from causing a scene here,¡± Rey pointed out sternly, frowning. ¡°She has no right to transfer my husband here! I¡¯ll make her pay if anything happens to him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! If my father¡¯s condition worsens after this, it¡¯ll be all her fault,¡± Erica chimed in hotly. Rey raised a brow and said with forced patience, ¡°I assume that both of you are unaware that Presgrave Hospital has the top-of-the-line facilities and the finest medical team, which will be of great help to President Tillman¡¯s condition and subsequent recovery. There is absolutely nothing for you to worry about,¡± Rey exined. However, Naomi panicked even more when she heard this. It was precisely because she knew about Presgrave Hospital¡¯s advanced facilities and world-ss medical team that she did not want Francis to be here. ¡°You don¡¯t even know what Anastasia is plotting! She¡¯s only after her father¡¯spany, and no one else wants him to die more than she does! I don¡¯t feel safe leaving my husband in her hands. She¡¯s up to something, and trust me when I say it¡¯s nothing good!¡± Naomi snapped belligerently. Upon hearing this, Rey grew grim and countered, ¡°Mrs. Tillman, I suggest you refrain from casting aspersions on Miss Tillman¡¯s character. She will be Mrs. Presgrave soon, and she is President Tillman¡¯s daughter. I can assure you that she bears no ill will toward him.¡± This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°Well, how do you know she isn¡¯t just a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing? Do you know her better than we do?¡± Erica bit out angrily. ¡°Miss Tillman will have an insurmountable fortune to her name once she bes Mrs. Presgrave, so why would shee after Tillman Constructions? The both of you, however, are acting highly suspicious right now,¡± Rey pointed out sardonically. He was Elliot¡¯s assistant, and being demanding aside, the job also required a sharp and analytical mind. Naomi gaped at Rey speechlessly, and jealousy shed in Erica¡¯s eyes. When did Anastasia gain superiority over us? Just then, Rey¡¯s phone rang, and he quickly picked up after ncing at the caller ID. ¡°Yes, President Presgrave?¡± ¡°Throw those women out of the premises right now. I don¡¯t want them making a scene there,¡± came Elliot¡¯s curt reply. While he was not at the hospital, he had gotten word about Naomi and Erica being there and causing a scene in the main lobby. He was admittedly bearing a grudge against them, especially after Naomi had pped Anastasia in the facest night. That alone was enough to make him want to ruin their lives. Rey answered solemnly, ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Then, he shot the security guards a look and instructed, ¡°Escort them out of the hospital at once and do not let theme back in again.¡± The security guards leaped into action at once. Before Naomi and Erica knew what was happening, they were held by the arms and frog-marched toward the lobby exit. ¡°Hey! What are you doing? Let me go right now!¡± Naomi hollered. However, no one heeded her warning, and just like that, the mother-daughter duo was thrown out the door. Following this, the security guards fell into formation and stood in a line of six, effectively blocking the women¡¯s way into the building. ¡°How dare that useless little wench treat us like this! If she thinks she¡¯s so great, then why doesn¡¯t she just kill me already?¡± Naomi seethed. Humiliated and not wanting to turn into the butt of the joke now that she was thrown out of a hospital, Erica quickly grabbed her arm and urged, ¡°Mom, we should go.¡± Naomi had no choice but to leave with her daughter. Once they burrowed into their car, Erica pulled out her phone and called Alex. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Alex, Anastasia had Dad transferred to Presgrave Hospital! We tried to bring him back, but security threw us out. What do we do now?¡± ¡°What? How could you have let her take him away in the first ce?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t let her!¡± Erica argued. ¡°She signed the transfer paperwork this morning while Mom and I were away from the hospital. What if the medical team at Presgrave Hospital manages to save him from hisatose state?¡± ¡°I¡¯d only just switched out the old will. It¡¯ll be the end of us if President Tillman wakes up, so you have to make sure he never does!¡± Alex ground out icily. ¡°What the hell do I do now?¡± ¡°Continue pressing them until they hand over President Tillman, and you have to find out his current condition no matter what,¡± Alex urged. ¡°Okay.¡± Erica hung up and nced at Naomi, saying, ¡°Mom, I think I have a way that might just work. We could call the press and have them expose Anastasia. We¡¯ll make it sound like she has taken Dad away so that she could kill him and im Tillman Constructions all for herself. Then, we¡¯ll use the subsequent public discourse to force her into handing Dad over.¡± Naomi pondered on this and decided that it was a viable option. Now that Anastasia had Elliot to protect her, she was untouchable. Calling the press on her and painting her as some greedy spawn who only wanted to take thepany for herself would undoubtedly disrupt her life to some extent. ¡°Alright then. We¡¯ll just use the press and have her facing bacsh afterward,¡± Naomi said, agreeing with her daughter. Erica knew a couple of reporters from various mediapanies, and she decided to have the powerhouse among them cover the news. In the guest lounge of the presspany, Erica and Naomi exined to the person they were meeting about how Anastasia was after Francis¡¯ fortune. The man who had joined them in the lounge was the editor-in-chief. He did not care about the truth, only about the buzz that such news would bring. The issue would be a subject of dispute among the public, which was the most valuable oue. But neither Naomi nor Erica told the editor-in-chief a vital piece of information, which was that of Anastasia and Elliot¡¯s engagement. They had only painted her as a scheming no-good wench who had been vying for Tillman Constructions. ¡°Very well. We¡¯ll be more than happy to expose this woman for you. It¡¯s a matter of life and death, after all. I¡¯ll head on to write the article right now, and we¡¯ll feed it to the public. Once the bacsh starts kicking in, she¡¯ll cave under the pressure and return your sick andatose husband and father.¡± ¡°Please hurry with the expos¨¦ on Anastasia. She¡¯s far too vicious to get away scot-free like this. We¡¯re talking about my husband and Erica¡¯s father here. How could she be so cruel as to stop us from seeing him?¡± Naomi cried, looking anguished as she buried her face in her hands. ¡°We¡¯ll finish the write-up and publish it as soon as possible. Can¡¯t have someone so downright heartless to her own father do this without repercussions, can we? Do you have any pictures for the column?¡± Timothy, the editor-in-chief of the press, asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Erica fished out her phone and pulled up the candid shot she had taken of Anastasia in the conference roomst time. She had been bored and decided to take several pictures for her own amusement, only to find that she had taken one where Anastasia was sitting next to Francis. Upon seeing the picture, Timothy nodded in approval and said, ¡°That¡¯s a good one, and the public will perceive it as Anastasia being eager to get close to Francis for the sake of taking over thepany as CEO.¡± He stared at the picture for a moment longer, and he had to admit that Anastasia was stunning. With her perfect features and warm smile, it was hard to believe that she was capable of doing something so underhanded. This could give rise to another hot topic. Anastasia was like a rose in full bloom in that picture, but concealed within her was greed and fierce ambition to take Tillman Constructions for herself, and apparently, she would stop at nothing to achieve that goal. Naomi and Erica were like a pair of thieves when they left the presspanyter that day. Now that they had done their part, all they needed to do was for the press to do their dirty work and ruin Anastasia¡¯s reputation. Meanwhile, Francis had undergone a series of check-ups at Presgrave Hospital, and Elliot came rushing back just as the doctor was reporting the medical findings to Anastasia. The atmosphere in the conference room was grim as Theodore Dugray, the Head of Neurology in Presgrave Hospital, announced, ¡°Your father¡¯s condition is worse than we presumed and based on the tests we ran on him, we found that his brain is severely damaged. Self-recovery is nearly impossible, and while surgery is the best option we have, he does not meet the requisite standards for us to carry out the operation immediately. We¡¯ll have to keep him under observation for at least three months before we draft out the surgery n.¡± Anastasia had been wound up so tightly over thest few days that she almost snapped after hearing the news. She pped her hand over her mouth as tears spilled down her face. I didn¡¯t know Dad¡¯s condition would be so serious. Is this it? Do I not get to see even a glimmer of hope for this situation to turn around? At the sight of this, Elliot quickly handed her a piece of tissue, a gentle gesture that did little to soften the impact of the hard news. He felt his heart twist when he saw how devastated she looked, but there was nothing he could do to take the pain away from her. ¡°Do not give up, not while there is still hope,¡± Elliot said to the doctor. ¡°We¡¯lle up with the best solution to save Mr. Tillman,¡± the doctor promised. Another doctor who hade in with Theodore¡¯s small medical team added, ¡°Miss Tillman, preliminary checks have led us to believe that your father will remain in aatose state for the rest of his life if he does not undergo surgery. That said, the chances of him regaining consciousness after the surgery are slim, and we¡¯d like you to be mentally prepared for any unfavorable oue.¡± She nodded weakly. She knew that almost all the odds were against Francis now, but she wouldn¡¯t give up on even the slightest chance to save him. She took a deep breath and asked, ¡°Have you found any traces of the pill I brought in my father¡¯s oral cavity?¡± The doctor from theboratory shook his head and answered, ¡°We¡¯vepared the samples and found that the traces of the pill in your father¡¯s mouth are different from the pills you brought.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying that the pills hest took not only did not help with his condition but also caused him to go into cardiac arrest?¡± ¡°Yes. The pills he ingested are lethal to the human heart, and if we were to go by pharmaceutical standards, these pills would be considered highly poisonous. More importantly, we have deduced based on theb tests that this was not the first time your father has taken these pills; he might have taken them for days prior to his cardiac arrest.¡± Anastasia¡¯s fists clenched under the table, and her palms hurt where her nails dug into them. She was almost certain that Naomi had plotted this against Francis, and the motive behind such a deadly move more likely than not had something to do with Tillman Constructions. Francis had on several asions mentioned that he would leave thepany to Anastasia. He even joked about having his son take over the reins back in the hospital the other day. Anastasia thought about this, and she wondered if his intentions to deprive Naomi and Erica of getting their share in the company led the woman tomit such a horrendous act. Knowing Francis, his sentiments for Naomi as her husband prompted him to put his guard down around her. He wouldn¡¯t lie to her about any ns he might have for hismercial or personal assets. As such, he definitely told her about the sessorship of thepany. Right now, Anastasia would give up seeding thepany if it meant her father could be saved and live out his best life. However, it was all toote. Francis¡¯ body had gone into shock, and he was as good as brain-dead. Chapter 511-520 Chapter 511-520 Elliot brought Anastasia to the break room. Her eyes were welling up with tears and every time she thought about what her father was going through, her heart throbbed with pain. He wrapped his arms around her and gently wiped away her tears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said, turning to look at him. ¡°I really don¡¯t wish to get engaged at the moment. Can we postpone it?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± he said, nodding. ¡°Don¡¯t rush. It can be done after your father wakes up.¡± When she heard that, hope filled her heart. That¡¯s true! When her father was finally awake, she could select a new date with her father for her engagement to Elliot. In Elliot¡¯s eyes, postponing the engagement party made no difference. After all, their rtionship had progressed so much that it felt like they were already married. The engagement party was merely a ceremony to him. No matter what happened, he would never abandon Anastasia. He would always protect her and stay by her side as they weathered troubled times together. At this moment, there was a knock on the door before Rey walked into the room. He held an iPad out to them and said, ¡°President Presgrave, Miss Tillman, have a look at this. Naomi and her daughter have released a statement to the press.¡± She took the iPad from him and read out the headline of the article shown, ¡°Eldest daughter holds comatose father hostage to steal the right to inherit Tillman Constructions.¡± By the time she was done reading the entire article, she was trembling with anger. The audacity of those two women to release such an insidious statement at this time infuriated her. ¡°Many media outlets have shared the statement as soon as it had been released,¡± Rey said. ¡°Furthermore, many independent journalists are defending them, amplifying the message and causing considerable damage to Miss Tillman¡¯s reputation.¡± Anastasia¡¯s eyes turned as cold as ice when she heard that. Naomi and her daughter were ying victim by attacking her first. ¡°Find a way to suppress the news,¡± Elliot ordered. ¡°Sir, doing that might not end well for Miss Tillman. Also, there are a lot of eyes on this right now. If we do not publicly respond now, it would be a disaster when Miss Tillman marries you.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she said, nodding in agreement. ¡°We don¡¯t need to do that. Let us ignore them for now. The most important task at hand is to wake my father up. When that happens, this lie would be exposed for what it truly is. As for my reputation, I do not care at all.¡± Elliot¡¯s heart ached at how calm and collected she was. ¡°Okay.¡± He sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll hold back myself for now.¡± Otherwise, the mother-and-daughter duo would have already been thrown into prison. There was no way he would have tolerated their impertinent behavior. ¡°Ignore them. They are only doing this so that they can make healthcare decisions for Dad instead of me. It is impossible for that to happen. If I let them take care of my dad, he would never wake up again.¡± Anastasia was determined to withstand anything and everything just so her father could be saved. Let Naomi and her daughter kick up a fuss because she couldn¡¯t be bothered about them. Elliot would eventually build her the greatest shield ever that would protect her from their attacks. Meanwhile, Hayley was whiling time away at a cafe when she stumbled upon the article about Anastasia. She was shocked by what she saw and also awed by how astonishingly beautiful Anastasia looked in all the photos shown in the video that kept bashing her. Anastasia looked just like a rose proudly showing her cial beauty despite the adversities she faced. Even thements of the video were all praising her beauty while they piled hate on her. ¡®Anastasia is so gorgeous. She might be evil, but she is amazing.¡¯ ¡®Yeah! Well, the prettier they are, the more dangerous their venom. She is beautiful because she is pure evil.¡¯ ¡®Is she the future head of Tillman Constructions? Oh, my goodness! She is just divine! I finally have a face for the female lead of the novel I¡¯m reading.¡¯ ¡®She might be evil, but she is just too beautiful. She is so sexy. What should I do? I think I¡¯m in love.¡¯ Thisment was made by a user who appeared to be male ording to his profile picture. Hayley was seething with jealousy as she read thosements. As expected, even though the situation was bad, Anastasia would still attract admirers for her beauty while being hated on. The uproar online made Anastasia famous. Amidst all the insults, journalists kept uploading photos of her. Some people even dug up photos of her in university just so they could get more views and attention. Then, there was the photo of her at the annual celebration of Bourgeois Jewelry Atelier, shining brightly as she stood on stage. In spite of the chaos online, Anastasia directed all her focus on taking care of her dad in Presgrave Hospital. Sitting by his bed and staring down at his pale face, she forced herself to remain strong. She could not break down at a time like this. Meanwhile, at Tillman Residence, Erica was scrolling on her phone, watching video after video. However, the more she scrolled, the more frustrated she got. Just then, she received a call from Alex. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°This is causing quite the uproar. Aren¡¯t you afraid that it would get out of hand?¡± Alex asked, worried. After all, he had the exact same mindset as a rat that hid in the gutters, forever shying away from the light. Even so, Anastasia was now under attack. Any response from her would turn the tides and redirect the barrage of attacks toward those who were after her. ¡°What are you afraid of? Honestly, you are such a coward. Having the whole world know about this will force her to return my father to me,¡± she answered. ¡°I will notify Anastasia to attend tomorrow¡¯s meeting then. It is time to publicize the will,¡± he said. Joy shed through her eyes. She had been waiting eagerly for this very moment. ¡°For real? That is amazing! Does that mean there will be no issues with the will?¡± ¡°Everything will go smoothly.¡± ¡°Nice, and by tomorrow, my mother and I will take over 60% of all thepany shares my father owned!¡± When she hung up on the phone, she was nearly bursting with giddiness. She was going to be rich. The thought of having to ask Francis for money all these years filled her with disgust. He was not her actual father, yet she had to call him that for so many years. Frankly speaking, she felt no love for Francis. All she wanted was money, an endless stream of money. It was around three in the afternoon when Anastasia received a call from Alex, notifying her about the details of the board meeting scheduled for tomorrow. Due to Francis¡¯ condition and the fact that the company could not go for long without a decision maker, the board needed to discuss thepany¡¯s next step forward. After she agreed to attend the meeting, Alex decided to ask, ¡°Are you okay, Miss Tillman?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°I saw a lot of lies being spread online about you.¡± ¡°Thanks for your concern,¡± she curtly replied, not wanting to tell him much about the topic. Deep down, she had a feeling that he was on Naomi¡¯s side. Additionally, with how close he was to Erica, he was definitely pulling some strings in thepany for the two women. Hence, she did not think much of his show of concern. As he also knew how wary she was of him, he did not say much and just hung up. That evening, Elliot brought Jared over to the hospital. The kid had seen neither hide nor hair of his mother for two whole days, so thetter was feeling quite worried and upset. When Jared arrived, she told him about Francis¡¯ condition. She did not want to lie to her son, even though he was just a child. Jared stood in front of the window, eyes blinking hard as he stared into the ICU ward where his grandfathery. There is no way Grandpa will be asleep forever; he is just taking a nap. ¡°Mommy, Grandpa will wake up soon, right?¡± Jared asked, looking up at her. ¡°That¡¯s right. He¡¯ll wake up when he¡¯s done sleeping.¡± She knelt down and kissed her son on the head, blinking back tears as she did so. Later that evening when she told Elliot about the board meeting she was going to attend at Tillman Constructions, he suggested going along with her. However, she did not agree with that idea. It was not that she did not want him with her, but this was Tillman¡¯s internal affairs. Naomi and Erica would surely criticize her for bringing him along. ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t go, but mywyer and bodyguards must go with you,¡± he insisted. He did not want anything to happen to her. ¡°Okay.¡± She nodded. When it was time for bed, she slept with Jared while Elliot rested in the room next door. The next morning. Journalists from all outlets were hiding near the entrance of Tillman Constructions. ording to the rumors, something important that was happening today would decide the heir to thepany. Who would be the winner between Anastasia and Mrs. Tillman? Either way, it would be an exciting show. A few momentster, two ck SUVs pulled up to the entrance. They were there as escorts for a limousine. The journalists waiting in their vehicles immediately swarmed the neers. Just as they were about to block the back doors of the limousine, eight burly and tall bodyguards stepped out of the SUVs, pushed everyone away from the limousine, and cordoned off a path from the limousine door to the building entrance. Dressed in a ck coat with her hair flying in the cold breeze, Anastasia stepped out of the car with a lawyer following right behind. Her beautiful face was locked in a serene expression as she walked through the path sectioned off by her bodyguards. The air around her echoed with a barrage of questions from the journalists. ¡°Miss Anastasia, did you really kidnap youratose father to steal the right to inherit?¡± ¡°Miss Anastasia, do you have some ulterior motive for secretly transferring your father into a private hospital for treatment?¡± ¡°Anastasia Tillman, do you even know what love is? Aren¡¯t you afraid of karma?¡± Despite the near-interrogation she was being subjected to, Anastasia merely nced at the surrounding journalists before striding into the building doors where the security guards kept the pack of journalists at bay. Her proud figure stood out among her bodyguards, just like how a red rose would catch the eye of those who saw it. As the photographers swiftly snapped photos of her, they all sighed at how extraordinarily beautiful she was. When she entered the meeting room, Naomi and Erica were already waiting inside with two other shareholders. They had both been panicking since the moment they heard of Francis¡¯ copse. After all, he had been leading thepany this entire time. Now that he was unconscious, who was going to lead Tillman Constructions? Admiration shed through Alex¡¯s eyes when he nced over at Anastasia. No matter when or where ¡ªhe would always be irresistibly attracted to her. Anastasia pulled up a chair for herself and sat down. The middle-agedwyer following her sat down at the table as well. ¡°This is a private meeting, Anastasia. Why is there an outsider here?¡± Naomi barked in irritation. ¡°As mywyer, he has the right to be in the room,¡± Anastasia coldly replied. ¡°All right,dies. We are all here now, so let us discuss the future of thepany. The reason why we are here, after all,¡± solemnly said Jordan Tillman, one of the shareholders. ¡°Yeah! We are all family, so let us y nice,¡± said the other shareholder in a cating manner. ¡°We are all distressed about what happened to President Tillman, but thepany cannot be left headless. After all, we have a few hundred employees waiting on our orders. Hence, we must decide on the next person who will take charge of thepany,¡± said Alex. ¡°Yes, what happened to Francis is sad, but thepany cannot go ignored.¡± Jordan then turned to Alex and said, ¡°Mr. Hunter, you are President Tillman¡¯s most trusted man and the second-inmand. What do you think we should do next?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m just an employee who doesn¡¯t have any say in thepany.¡± Alex then turned to Naomi. ¡°Mrs. Tillman, what do you think?¡± Naomi cleared her throat and replied, ¡°I have asked my husband¡¯swyer for an early reading of Francis¡¯ will. Let us listen to it before we decide on the future leader of thepany.¡± When Anastasia saw just how calm and prepared Naomi was, it was obvious to her that her father¡¯s will had been tampered with. ¡°I agree with my mother¡¯s suggestion,¡± Erica said, raising her hand. ¡°Very well,¡± said Francis¡¯wyer, Colin, as he stood up. ¡°As per Francis Tillman¡¯s wishes, I have been entrusted with his will. By request from Mrs. Tillman, I will now read out his will.¡± He then pulled out a few pieces of paper from his document holder solemnly and ceremoniously and began reading aloud from it. Anastasia silently listened as all of her father¡¯s ounts, assets, and investments were to be inherited by Erica and Naomi. Then, Colin arrived at the section on thepany shares. ¡°Thepany shares currently held by Francis Tillman will be split into three portions; the first lot containing 40% of his shares would be inherited by Naomi Lowell, the second lot containing 30% of his shares would be inherited by Anastasia Tillman, and the third lot containing 30% of his shares would be inherited by Erica Tillman.¡± Under the table, Anastasia¡¯s hands clenched into fists. So, this was Naomi¡¯s aim. With the tampered will, Naomi and Erica would own a total of 70% of Francis¡¯pany shares. While the division of shares inherited may seem logical and fair to an outsider, she knew this could not be her father¡¯s true will. After all, he had never even thought of splitting hispany up. Anastasia¡¯s gaze swept across thewyer, Alex, and the mother-daughter pair who was secretly pleased. The four of them, who had concealed their malice, had formed an alliance all for the sake of profit. ¡°This is the will my father had personally written?¡± Anastasia gave a chilling gaze at Colin. Colin gave a firm nod. ¡°Yes, this is the will President Tillman had reced just a week ago.¡± ¡°Can I have a look?¡± she asked. ¡°I will send you a copy afterward.¡± Naomi sneered, ¡°Anastasia Tillman, what are you trying to imply here? Are you questioning the contents of your father¡¯s will?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! You¡¯ve already gotten 30 percent of the shares, so why are you still not satisfied?¡± Erica said with raised eyebrows. ¡°It¡¯s clearly obvious who will take over thepany now. That person is me, especially since I have the qualification to be the manager,¡± Naomi proimed confidently. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to take on Dad¡¯s position to properly manage Tillman Constructions.¡± Erica ttered her mother. Without missing a beat, Alex added, ¡°Mrs. Tillman, thepany¡¯s affairs will be left to you from now on.¡± The other shareholders were slightly surprised at the fact that Naomi was to take over thepany since they had thought that Francis had been guiding his eldest daughter to one day take over the company. ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Mr. Hunter. We still require your service in certain matters in the future,¡± Naomi said as a demonstration of her newfound authority in taking over thepany. Although she was left without an idea to make an argument here, Anastasia was more concerned with the matter of her father regaining consciousness as Naomi¡¯s schemes would be stopped the moment her father woke up. ¡°Alright, then I leave thepany in your hands.¡± She stood up after she expressed no objections. Naomi and Erica were both taken aback at such development since they had anticipated Anastasia to have made a fuss about the contents of the will, and not to ept it so readily. ¡°Miss Tillman, are you suggesting that thepany affairs would be fully handled by Mrs. Tillman and Miss Erica?¡± Alex asked. Anastasia nodded. ¡°Yes. Please give me a copy of the will,¡± she said to Colin. ¡°I want to bring it with me.¡± Then, Colin handed the will to his assistant to make a copy of it. When the assistant was done and handed a copy of the will to Anastasia, she stood up, preparing to leave the conference room. ¡°Hold it, Anastasia Tillman. What are you trying to do by hiding my husband in Presgrave Hospital? As his wife, do I not even have the right to visit him?¡± Naomi questioned her from behind. A glint of light shed across her eyes before Anastasia turned toward Naomi and said, ¡°Naturally, you have the right to visit my father. As long as you do not hinder his treatment in the hospital, I will not interfere.¡± ¡°Good. Then, I shall visit himter this afternoon,¡± Naomi dered. ¡°Alright, you¡¯ll be able to do so after making an appointment,¡± Anastasia replied while wearing an agreeable expression. Naomi and her daughter made eye contact with one another, as they were puzzled as to how Anastasia wasn¡¯t as oppressive as usual and that everything was going smoothly ording to her n. After entering Alex¡¯s private office, Erica said with a puzzled expression, ¡°What the heck is Anastasia ying at?¡± With his eyes on the mother-daughter pair who had gotten the shares they wished for, Alex reminded them, ¡°Although everything went well, there is still one problem remaining.¡± ¡°You¡¯re afraid that my dad will wake up any moment now?¡± Erica asked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! The doctors at the affiliated hospital told me that the chances of my husband waking up are nonexistent. You have nothing to worry about,¡± Naomi assured Alex. ¡°Regardless, we cannot let our guards down before President Tillman is dered dead. We must keep track of his situation.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll check up on his situationter this afternoon during my visit. Hmph, that Anastasia still thinks she could save her father. Dream on, girl.¡± A chilling gaze shed in Naomi¡¯s eyes. Although the reporters outside had blocked the road, the bodyguards had cleared a way for Anastasia when she came out. Ignoring the reporters, she went into her car and gave the copy of the will she received to thewyer beside her. ¡°Mr. Brown, please check if there are any problems with this will.¡± After carefully examining the will handed to him by Anastasia, Mr. Brown said with a stern expression, ¡°On the surface, there doesn¡¯t seem to be any problems with the will. However, we would need your father to confirm its validity.¡± Anastasia knew that her father was the only one who knew the real content of the will, as even her father¡¯swyer had taken Naomi¡¯s side. Presgrave Hospital. Afraid that Anastasia had suffered grievances, Elliot, who was waiting for Anastasia¡¯s return, immediately dragged her into a quiet lounge the moment he saw her. ¡°Tell me, did they give you a hard time?¡± he asked with his gaze on her. Anastasia calmly filled Elliot in regarding the content of her father¡¯s will. Elliot narrowed his eyes, his gaze chilly. ¡°Are you just going to let your father¡¯spany fall into that woman¡¯s hand? Should I start making some moves myself?¡± However, Anastasia shook her head. ¡°I know how to deal with them. I¡¯ll make sure that they pay the price they fully deserve.¡± Her eyes tinged with sorrow before she changed the topic. ¡°How¡¯s my father?¡± ¡°His vitals are still stable so far.¡± Immediately, the grief in her eyes turned into hatred. ¡°One is my father¡¯s wife, and the other his daughter. They actually did something this despicable just so they could have my father¡¯spany. I assumed they knew my father was going to let me inherit thepany, so they decided to do something like this to him. If only I knew this would happen, I would¡¯ve refused to go help out at the company back then. At the very least, my father would still be safe.¡± ¡°Do not take their faults as your own. You are innocent in this,¡± Elliot assured her. Looking at her exhausted pale face, he immediately wrapped his arms around her. ¡°Rest for a little while in my arms.¡± Anastasia leaned against his chest. ¡°Have you sent Jared back?¡± ¡°Yeah. He was very willing to go to the Presgrave Residence.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that.¡± Anastasia felt grateful that the Presgrave Family had given her son a ce to live. 2:00 PM in the afternoon. Naomi and her daughter arrived at the lobby of Presgrave Hospital. This time, they were being led by one of the nurses to the hospital ward after going through the proper registration process. ¡°As expected, this ce is something else,¡± Naomi muttered as her eyes wandered the spacious and upscale interior of the hospital, which looked just like a luxurious hotel. ¡°Mom, that man¡¯s in there.¡± Erica looked through the window at Francis who was in the ICU. Furthermore, she no longer addressed him as her father. It was clear that any filial piety she had for her father was long gone. ¡°How about taking a rest inside here for now? We will consult the doctors first before making the arrangements for you two to enter the wardter,¡± the nurse exined. ¡°Alright.¡± They then entered the lounge room. On the way out, the nurse intentionally left the door slightly open. Just as Naomi and Erica were about to sit down and have their cup of tea, they heard a female voiceing from outside their room. ¡°Dr. Jones, since my father just had a checkup this morning, can you exin to me in detail regarding my father¡¯s condition?¡± Noticing the female voice belonged to Anastasia, the mother-daughter pair made eye contact with one another before they quietly went closer to the door to eavesdrop on the conversation. ¡°Miss Tillman, we have good news for you. We¡¯ve just introduced the most advanced international brain scanner and medicine in our hospital. We¡¯ll be able to effectively treat your father¡¯s condition for him to regain consciousness as soon as possible now.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s great news! Does that mean there¡¯s a possibility that my dad will wake up?¡± ¡°Very much so. If there aren¡¯t any problems, he may even regain consciousness by next week,¡± the doctor said confidently. ¡°Thank you very much, Dr. Jones. You really are the global leading neurology specialist.¡± ¡°Hehe. You are just too kind, Miss Tillman. Since Mr. Tillman is Young Master Elliot¡¯s future father-in- law, how can we not put our utmost effort into treating him? We will definitely do everything we can to save your father.¡± ¡°Thank you, Dr. Jones. However, can I ask you for a favor? Later, two of my family members will be visiting my father. Can you please refrain from telling them the news about my father regaining consciousness?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Dr. Jones was puzzled. ¡°Regardless, please do me a favor, as this is my family matter.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll do as you say.¡± The two of them continued their conversation while gradually walking away from the room. Behind the slightly opened door, the mother-daughter pair were looking at each other in disbelief, as they could not believe the possibility of Francis waking up. Not to mention, he would wake up next week at the earliest. ¡°Mom, what should we do now?¡± Erica asked sullenly. ¡°Don¡¯t panic. Let me think about what we can do.¡± Naomi was equally anxious. Should Francis wake up to find the contents of his will having been reced, he would most definitely be furious and might divorce Naomi and kick the mother-daughter pair out of the house. In one of the corners of the corridor outside, Anastasia was looking at the lounge room with calctive eyes. Just as she nned, the mother-daughter pair had listened in on the y she had with Dr. Jones. As she knew Naomi¡¯s greatest fear was her father regaining consciousness, she was fully anticipating what Naomi would do next. If all went ording to her expectations, Naomi would go frantic in trying to prevent Francis from regaining consciousness. Pacing around restlessly in the room, Naomi wondered if Anastasia was lying to her. But this is the Presgrave Hospital! She heard that the doctor treating Francis right now was a global leading neurology specialist. Adding to that, the hospital had gathered countless skilled doctors. Thus, she couldn¡¯t discount the possibility that Francis would wake up. However, she couldn¡¯t understand why Anastasia had told the doctor to refrain from telling her about this. Was it to prevent me from doing something? How dare that girl try to hide this from me? she thought. Then, the nurse came back in and invited them to visit Francis. Sitting by the bed, Naomi noticed that Francis was slowly regaining the colors in his face and the mysteriously high-end looking machines, as though they were a source of life that could wake Francis at any moment, on him. ncing at these machines, Naomi had the immediate thought of taking them off Francis to settle this matter quickly. Regardless, they left the ward as soon as the visitation hours were over. When they left the ward, they ran into Anastasia, who feigned surprise. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± ¡°How is your father?¡± Naomi asked deliberately. ¡°It¡¯s not looking good. The doctor told me the chances of him waking up are miniscule.¡± Anastasia told them the truth. ¡°Don¡¯t you lie to us. Will my dad be waking up or not?¡± Erica asked with slight anger. Anastasia¡¯s eyes flickered slightly as she deliberately leaked hints of emotions in her eyes. ¡°Why would I lie to you? My dad will not be waking up anytime soon.¡± Naomi thought that Anastasia was lying to her so that thetter could use Francis to deal with her after he regained consciousness. Hence, Anastasia told her that her husband would not be waking up anytime soon just so she would let her guard down. Hmph! I won¡¯t fall for that, she thought. ¡°Then take good care of your father. We¡¯lle and visit him tomorrow. There¡¯s something back in the office that requires my presence right now.¡± Saying that, Naomi left in a hurry with Erica in tow. Looking at the backs of the mother-daughter pair gradually vanishing in sight, Anastasia knew they had taken the bait. She then took her phone out and dialed Rey¡¯s number. ¡°Rey, please arrange some men for the next phase of the n.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Tillman! We¡¯ll keep a close eye on Naomi and Erica the entire time.¡± Anastasia knew Naomi would definitely find a way to deal with her father regaining consciousness, yet she hadn¡¯t the slightest idea on what Naomi would do specifically to harm her father once more. Right now, all Anastasia had to do was wait for the moment Naomi would strike, and catch her right in the act. As soon as Naomi and Erica entered their car, they called Alex and told him everything they heard in the hospital, including the fact Anastasia had lied to them. ¡°Are you sure that President Tillman will wake up?¡± Alex asked cautiously. ¡°We¡¯re not sure. However, we overheard the conversation between Anastasia and that doctor and heard Anastasia asking the doctor not to tell us the truth! You should know that the doctor-in-charge is the world¡¯s leading expert in neurology!¡± Erica said in anger. ¡°Don¡¯t make any moves for now. I¡¯m afraid Anastasia might be nning some sort of trap for us here.¡± Alex was nning to be cautious until the end. Left without any choice, Naomi could only listen to Alex, and stopped thinking up methods to deal with Francis. Nevertheless, Anastasia had expected this development. Even if Naomi was on guard, the fact that her father would wake up any moment now was like a ticking bomb in their head, as they would feel a sense of danger at all times. It would be like a nightmare haunting them at their every waking moment. Just as Anastasia expected, the seeds of fear had slowly taken their roots in Naomi¡¯s heart, as she could not eat nor sleep well after she had returned home, fearing she would wake up to hear the news that her husband had regained consciousness. That night, Naomi woke up from her sleep in a cold sweat. She then sat up and looked at the pillow beside her. As the fear in her gradually poisoned her mind, even the sound of a car passing by was enough to cause her to tense up. After such a night, Naomi immediately went to the hospital and overheard two nurses discussing Francis¡¯ condition as they passed her by. ¡°I heard Dr. Jones saying that Mr. Tillman¡¯s medicine has started to take effect and that it¡¯s very effective.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s good news to hear.¡± Naomi started to panic, as she began to believe the possibility of Francis waking up since even the nurses were talking about it. Sitting by Francis¡¯ bedside, she started to feel unease as she stared at his sleeping face. On the other side of the window, Anastasia stood silently while intently watching Naomi¡¯s chilling gaze of hatred. She was waiting for the moment of Naomi¡¯s breakdown, the moment Naomi took action due to the fear inside her. Just like the day before, Naomi left once more. As she walked along the corridors of Presgrave Hospital, her eyes wandered around the high-tech hospital that looked as if it could raise a man from his death. Upon leaving the hospital, she came to a conclusion that she couldn¡¯t let that man wake up, as she couldn¡¯t lose the shares she and her daughter had gotten. He must die, she thought, with viciousness in her eyes. With everything that I¡¯ve done, what difference would it make, doing one more cruel deed? Naomi nned to hide what she was about to do from her daughter and Alex, as she feared her daughter would crumble under the pressure and that Alex would stop her since he did not understand the fear she was experiencing. Therefore, she decided to do this alone. If Francis died in Presgrave Hospital, Naomi could even pin his death on Anastasia and sue the hospital for a huge amount ofpensation. All in all, to Naomi, there were only profits to be made should Francis die in Presgrave Hospital.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. With this thinking in mind, Naomi made a call to the unscrupulous owner whom she had gotten the previous pills from. She had already nned the method of how she would administer the drug, as she noticed that Francis¡¯ arm was hooked up to some tube for his medication. By discreetly injecting the tube with the lethal drug, Francis would surely die unwittingly. At that time, the hospital would have to take full responsibility for his death. As for the surveince camera in the ward, Naomi surmised that it would be enough as long as she had her back to the camera while using her clothes as a cover while she was injecting the drug into the tube. Naomi, who was immersed in her nning, waspletely unaware that every movement of her wicked n was being monitored, as a ck car followed behind her when she entered the unscrupulous store. Anastasia received a call from the bodyguard she ced on Naomi saying that Naomi had entered a drugstore and left after spending 10 minutes there. Furthermore, the bodyguard noted that Naomi looked tense when she left the store in a hurry. Looks like she took the bait, Anastasia thought. She had expected Naomi to be impatient, as Naomi needed to make sure her ns so far were irond due to the huge benefits she was going to obtain. Naomi needed to make sure her husband would no longer wake up in this life so that she could be the president of Tillman Constructions, which was worth billions. With all these in mind, Anastasia expected Naomi would make her move on the next day. In the evening, in a certain restaurant, Elliot brought Jared to meet Arthur and Richard for dinner. Due to the sudden cancetion of the engagement, Elliot was sorry for leaving his friends behind and putting them on hold. ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll still be there as promised the next time you get engaged.¡± Richardughed lightly. Then, Arthur steered the conversation to the recent events. ¡°I may need to stay here for a few more days since I still haven¡¯t found the thing that I lost!¡± Richard turned his attention toward Arthur and noticed the chain he usually had around his neck was missing. Slightly surprised, he asked, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you lost your heirloom treasure?!¡± Arthur sighed depressingly. ¡°It is just like you said.¡± ¡°Where did you lose it? Is there any hope of finding it? Do you need my help?¡± Elliot asked with concern while he handed small slices of his steak onto Jared¡¯s te. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to help. I¡¯ve already gotten a clue that it was a female thief who took it.¡± ¡°A thief that could steal something of yours? Don¡¯t tell me you have fallen prey at those kinds of ces?¡± When Richard recalled how often Arthur would patronize those kinds of ces, his tone turned slightly harsh. ¡°Nonsense! I am a pure, untainted man that practices self-respect!¡± Arthur wore a dignified expression. ¡°Then pray tell just how that thief got away with your item?¡± ¡°She pretended to be chased by someone and suddenly came into my car. She then locked her arms around my neck and stole it from me when I least expected it. I admit I let my guard down. Darn it.¡± As Arthur retold the incident, the anger in him came to rise again. Regardless, that thief was quite capable, as Arthur¡¯s men still could not find any information on her until now. ¡°Just say the word when you need help.¡± Elliot offered his help, as the entire country was his territory. To Arthur, it was already embarrassing enough for him to have his item stolen from under his nose. If he had to rely on others just to track down the thief, that would just demonstrate how incapable he was. Hence, he was determined to do this without anyone¡¯s help to preserve his dignity. ¡°No need. I want to personally catch her myself,¡± he dered with his hand curled into a fist. Just then, Jared identally knocked over the ss beside him. However, Richard managed to catch the ss right before it fell to the ground. After cing the ss back on the table, he patted the child on the head. ¡°Hope that didn¡¯t scare you!¡± ¡°Wow! Mr. Lloyd is amazing!¡± Jared pped with admiration. ¡°Jared, I have something good for youter,¡± Richard said. ¡°Something good? What is it?¡± Jared asked, curious. ¡°It¡¯s a watch with a GPS function. That way, we¡¯ll be able to find you wherever you are in the future.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Weiss.¡± Jared politely gave his thanks. ¡°You¡¯re wee. Your safety is our responsibility, after all.¡± Arthur looked at the kid before him. The more he saw the child, the more he liked him. At this point, Jared hadpletely changed Arthur¡¯s mind about the charms of a child. Elliot¡¯s eyes were filled with fondness as well as he looked at the two. That expression of his was just like a father who was proud of his child. Late at night in the Tillman Residence. As Naomi was not sleepy, she waited for the break of dawn. She had made an appointment to visit Francis at ten in the morning, as it was the perfect time for her to make her move when Francis was taking his routine medication. Finally, the sky brightened with the morning sun. Naomi, who had stayed up all night, started her preparations and ced two small bottles of the lethal drug into the innerpartment of her bag. Then, she asked Joe to drive her to Presgrave Hospital. Anastasia, who had also woken up early in the morning, was sitting in a luxurious lounge as she listened to the reports that wereing in from the people she had deployed. ¡°Miss Tillman, we have obstructed the needle for President Tillman. We will be able to prevent the administration of Naomi¡¯s drug the moment she makes her move.¡± ¡°Miss Tillman, the pinhole cameras are in ce.¡± ¡°Miss Tillman, Naomi has entered the lobby.¡± Standing in front of the French window, Anastasia was like a hunter waiting for her prey to fall into her trap. Thinking back on what Naomi had done to her father, Anastasia wanted her to be duly punished for her crimes. Oblivious to Anastasia¡¯s n, Naomi interacted with the nurses as usual and had a few idle conversations with them regarding her husband¡¯s conditionst night before requesting to visit Francis. ¡°Mrs. Tillman, Mr. Tillman showed signs of consciousnessst night, as his fingers had slight movement. We believe that he will recover very soon.¡± The nurse deliberately told Naomi about the ¡®improvement¡¯ of Francis¡¯ condition. With a stiff smile, Naomi feigned joy. ¡°That¡¯s great news! This hospital really lives up to its name.¡± ¡°Of course! The doctor treating Mr. Tillman right now is our top neurologist!¡± Saying that, the nurse pushed the door open and invited Naomi into the ward before closing the door for her. After that, the nurse immediately went to where Anastasia was and reported to Anastasia who was currently sitting on a sofa. ¡°Miss Tillman, I¡¯ve told Naomi everything just as you instructed.¡± ¡°Good. Thank you for your cooperation.¡± Anastasia nodded. After the nurse left, she opened theptop in front of her and disyed the camera footage of the four cameras she ced inside the ward. From here, she could monitor every action of Naomi in Francis¡¯ ward. Through the cameras, Naomi¡¯s expression was as clear as day with her eyes cold. Suddenly, Naomi muttered, ¡°Don¡¯t me me for this. You forced me into this.¡± Saying that, Naomi took out a small syringe and extracted the drug she had in her bag. After that, she used her clothes to block the view of the camera before holding the tube hooked up to Francis and, without any hesitation, injected the entirety of the drug into the tube. All it took was ten seconds for Naomi to administer the drug. Truly, what she did could be described as killing someone without leaving any trace of evidence. She then kept the syringe back into her bag before she sat back down and looked at Francis as if she had done nothing. Anastasia tensed up, as she witnessed just how wicked a person could be right in front of her. She witnessed the person who had spent twenty years sleeping on the same bed as her father send her father to the jaws of death without so much as a sound. At this point, Rey entered the room. ¡°Miss Tillman, should we go in and expose her now?¡± Anastasia did not wish to wait any longer, especially since she had recorded everything as evidence. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Thinking that she had to quickly dispose of the syringe and the lethal drug in her bag, Naomi was about to leave when Anastasia entered. Upon seeing Anastasia, she said in a hurry, ¡°Looks like you¡¯re here. I have to go to thepany now, so please take care of your father!¡± However, the nurse who led Naomi immediately went to Francis¡¯ side the moment she came in and checked on the contents of the indwelling needle. Unbeknownst to Naomi, the needle was not inserted into Francis but was merely taped onto him. With an expression as cold as ice, Anastasia shot a chilling gaze at Naomi. ¡°You are not to go anywhere from this very moment. Just what did you inject into my father¡¯s IV tube?¡± Naomi became nervous but managed to put on her poker face. ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯ve only been apanying your father and did nothing of the sort.¡± However, Rey hadn¡¯t the intention of giving Naomi leeway to deny her crimes any further. He brought his iPad out and showed her the video of the moment Naomimitted the crime. ¡°Naomi Lowell, we have recorded everything you¡¯ve done in this ward. The evidence that shows you intended to murder Mr. Tillman is now in Miss Tillman¡¯s hands.¡± Upon looking at the video of her injecting the lethal drug, Naomi felt weak in her knees and almost fainted due to the shock. How could this be? she thought, as she did not expect what she had done in secrecy to be caught on tape by Anastasia. ¡°Anastasia Tillman, you wretch! You set me up!¡± Shocked, she roared in anger upon realizing she had fallen into Anastasia¡¯s trap. ¡°Naomi Lowell, you can save your piece for the police,¡± Anastasia said coldly. Just then, two uniformed officers entered and held Naomi by her arms. ¡°Naomi Lowell, you are under arrest for the attempted murder of Francis Tillman.¡± ¡°Let go of me! I didn¡¯t do it¡­ It was all Anastasia! She¡¯s the one who set me up! I didn¡¯t do anything¡­ Release me!¡± Naomi¡¯s screams, simr to the wails of a ghost, resounded down the corridor. Anastasia watched the nurse transfer the content of the IV tube into an empty bottle that would be sent to the police as evidence of Naomi¡¯s crimes. Then, her heart ached the moment she noticed how pale her father¡¯s face had be. Does he know what is going on? After Anastasia stayed with her father for a while, she left the ward to find Elliot walking toward her. In his ck suit, he gave off a very strong fearless presence that said as long as he was present, there was nothing to fear, as he could simply breeze through even the toughest of challenges. ¡°Naomi is now locked up in the police station. You did a great job.¡± Elliot praised Anastasia, as her n had managed to cause Naomi to essentially self-destruct in the end. ¡°What I want is for all those who harmed my father to pay. It won¡¯t end with just Naomi alone.¡± Anastasia knew very well that Colin Smithers, Alex Hunter, and Erica Tillman were involved as well. Although Naomi was the one who had pulled the trigger, the others were all aplices in Anastasia¡¯s eyes. Elliot¡¯s heart ached, as he noticed how haggard and thin Anastasia had be due to the current ordeal she was going through. Then, he embraced her in his arms. ¡°Take your time. None of them will go scot-free,¡± he said, with hints of power and chilliness in his voice. Back in the Tillman Residence. Erica slept so soundly that she couldn¡¯t hear her mother waking her up. After she woke up, she went downstairs to find the breakfast the maids had prepared for her. Just as she was about toin about the food and herck of appetite for it, her phone rang. Taking a nce at the caller ID, she then answered her phone. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Miss Erica Tillman, your mother has been arrested for the attempted murder of your father, Francis Tillman. I need you to pack two sets of clothes and bring them along with you down the station.¡± ¡°What?¡± To her dismay, Erica dropped the spoon in her hand. After she confirmed that her mother was currently in the police station, she was so frightened that tears started rolling down her cheeks. She immediately dialed Alex¡¯s number and told him about what had befallen her mother. ¡°Erica, listen to me. When you meet your mother, you must make sure that she admits to everything and does not implicate us in this.¡± Alex gave a stern warning from the other end of the line. Erica was bitterly disappointed, as Alex nned to forsake her mother at a time like this, wanting for her mother to bear the entire responsibility alone. ¡°Erica, if we are all implicated in this, everything your father has will fall into Anastasia¡¯s hand. And us? We would all be going to jail. Do you understand?¡± Alex warned once more. Holding back her grief, Erica replied, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll beg my mother to do so.¡± When Erica arrived at the station, she noticed her mother wasn¡¯t there. Just as she was about to call Alex, her phone rang instead. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Is this Erica Tillman? Your mother has fainted in the detention center. Pleasee over to the General Hospital.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯lle over right now.¡± Erica hadn¡¯t expected her mother would faint, so she hurried over to the hospital. At the entrance of the hospital, there were two police officers standing guard. Erica then asked them in a hurry, ¡°How is my mother? Let me see my mother.¡± Just then, the doctor came out and reported, ¡°The patient just woke up. She fainted due to hypoglycemia and can be discharged after an infusion treatment.¡± Erica pushed the doctor to the side and immediately entered the ward. Noticing her daughter, Naomi pulled Erica close to her. ¡°Erica, I can¡¯t look after you anymore. Your birth certificate is in my closet. Hurry up and take it to get a marriage certificate with Alex! Let Alex look after you from now on.¡± ¡°Mom, what happened? Why were you arrested?!¡± ¡°It was all Anastasia¡¯s n. That wretch deliberately set me up.¡± At the station, Naomi had thought everything through and came to the conclusion that it was all a trap set by Anastasia, as it was simply not possible for Francis to regain consciousness. However, Anastasia had acted out a y to nt seeds of fear inside Naomi. ¡°Lowell, stand up! It¡¯s time for the transfer.¡± ¡°Erica, listen to me. You need to hurry up and get the certificate with Alex. Take over thepany together with him.¡± ¡°What about you, Mom?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Your mother will make sure the rest of you are fine.¡± Naomi showed her mother¡¯s love at such a time. She wanted her daughter to get the shares of Tillman Constructions so that her daughter would have it easy for the rest of her life. Erica understood that her mother was nning to bear all the responsibilities alone to ensure both she and Alex would be found innocent in this matter. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll definitely get you out of there.¡± She followed along as Naomi was being marched away. Looking at her mother getting into the police car, she felt pain and regret, as her mother was her only blood rtive left in this world. ¡°Anastasia Tillman, I will never forgive you for this. I¡¯lle after you even at the cost of my life!¡± Her eyes were furious with anger; she could not wait to end Anastasia¡¯s life. Back in her car, Erica called Alex and told him about the matter of the marriage certificate. Alex, on the other hand, had always nned to have a proper status to manage Tillman Constructions. The title of the son-inw of the current president was the best position he could be in. Considering that he had experience in finance, he would only need to put in some effort, for now, to move the funds of the company, as it would notst any longer due to the absence of Francis. At the end of it all, Tillman Constructions would just be an empty shell that was on the brink of bankruptcy. The next morning, Anastasia received a call from one of the managers in Tillman Constructions. They asked for her toe to thepany at ten in the morning, as there was going to be an important meeting. Since Anastasia had received such a call, she would definitely not miss attending the meeting. Chapter 521-530 Chapter 521-530 Today was Christmas Eve¡ªthe day Anastasia and Elliot were supposed to have held their engagement party. However, it was canceled due to Francis¡¯ ident and eventutose state. Anastasia had also felt apologetic toward Elliot for this. In the morning, Anastasia was to head to thepany for a meeting, while she would spend the night celebrating Christmas Eve with Elliot back in the Presgrave Residence. When Anastasia arrived in the conference room of Tillman Constructions, she noticed Erica¡¯s resentful res at her. The hatred in Erica¡¯s eyes seemed as though it coulde bursting out, as she did not even bother to inform Erica when Naomi had been taken down to the station. Anastasia then nced over to the man beside Erica. Alex only met Anastasia¡¯s eyes one time before he looked away, as he was afraid to make any further eye contact with her. The participants of the meeting were all key members of Tillman Constructions. When all the managers of their respective departments were present, Erica stood up and led the meeting. ¡°My mother could not attend due to certain matters. Also, I would like to announce that Alex and I have gotten our marriage certificate. Hence, from now on, as my husband and my father¡¯s son-inw, he will be in charge of the affairs of Tillman Constructions instead of my mother and me.¡± Everyone present was shocked, yet some seemed to have anticipated such development, as they had seen the ambitions in Alex¡¯s eyes. Thus, it was not surprising for them to see Alex finally obtaining the position he always pined for. On the other hand, Anastasia was slightly shocked, as she had not expected Naomi to make her move so quickly by letting Alex rece her as president of thepany and be the pir of support for Erica. ¡°Let¡¯s have President Hunter give a few words.¡± Erica took her seat as she proudly turned her attention toward Alex. With his ambitions concealed, Alex stood up and feigned a slightly modest expression before addressing the room. ¡°Right now, there is no one in charge. That is why Erica and I have decided to get married this early for me to have a proper cause to manage thepany. Everyone, please have faith in my capabilities. I will certainly take good care of Tillman Constructions.¡± Since Alex still had several supporters in thepany, they immediately voiced their opinions and expressed their trust in him, supporting him for the presidency of thepany. Even the others that did not think highly of Alex had to stick by him, as they believed Alex would make things difficult for them in thepany in the future if they did otherwise. At the moment, all Anastasia could do was watch Alex be the president of thepany and how quickly he gained everyone¡¯s trust. ¡°Anastasia, please trust me. I will certainly not let your father down,¡± Alex said with his eyes on Anastasia with the intent to gain her trust. However, there was no chance for Anastasia to trust him, as she knew Alex was involved in her father¡¯sa. Furthermore, considering that Alex was also in charge of the finance department, which was the most important department in thepany, it was clear that Alex held too much power in his hand. Given that Erica knew next to nothing about thepany¡¯s operation, it was clear as day that Alex would be fully in control of thepany. No one would be able to stop Alex from doing anything he wanted at that point. ¡°Since thepany is short-staffed right now, I¡¯ve decided to be a member of thepany. Mr. Hunter, since you¡¯ll be the president of thepany, then I¡¯ll join the finance department to gain some experience. Surely you have no qualms with that arrangement?¡± Anastasia would not stand by and watch her father¡¯spany being taken over by an outsider. ¡°Anastasia, it seems you still don¡¯t trust me!¡± Alex wore a sad expression. Erica couldn¡¯t help but refuse. ¡°Anastasia Tillman, you¡¯re not a finance major, so why are you trying to join the finance department? Do you not trust my husband?¡± ¡°What if I say I don¡¯t?¡± Anastasia sneered, ¡°Since I hold 30 percent of thepany¡¯s shares, I have the right to enter any department of thepany. Even if I want to be the manager of the finance department, you have no right to interfere with my decision.¡± Noticing the direction the argument was going, Alex immediately interfered. ¡°Anastasia, Erica is right. You have no experience in finance, but if you wish to be part of the management, the nning department iscking a manager or two.¡± ¡°I want to be a finance manager,¡± Anastasia said forcefully. ¡°Otherwise, I will not agree with Mr. Hunter bing the president of thepany.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Erica choked. ¡°Then how about this, I¡¯ll be the president instead, and Mr. Hunter can continue his position as the finance manager?¡± Dressed in a ck sweater and ck trench coat, Anastasia exuded an indescribable dominance as she asked with her eyebrows raised. ¡°Anastasia, the operations in the finance department areplicated. How about¡­¡± Alex was bing anxious, as Anastasia was not easy to deal with. ¡°That is not something you need to worry about, Mr. Hunter. My fianc¨¦, Elliot, is surrounded by finance staff, and they are more than enough to teach me how a finance department operates.¡± Anastasia said coldly, ¡°It¡¯s decided. I¡¯lle to work tomorrow.¡± ¡°Anastasia, hold it¡­¡± Erica was so angry that her face had gone pale. ¡°Suspected as the one who poisoned my father, your mother will be facing criminal charges. That¡¯s all I have to inform you.¡± Anastasia stood up. The stunning presence her deste eyes gave off was just like a crimson rose, intimidating and petrifying. All at once, an uproar erupted in the room. Most of the people present were Francis¡¯ employees, so they were all shocked to hear such news. ¡°W-What are you saying? My mother? She loves my father very much. It¡¯s impossible for her to harm him. Anastasia Tillman, don¡¯t you nder my mother like this!¡± Erica screamed. ¡°I think you all have forgotten that the initial capital for thispany came from my grandmother. Hence, I¡¯m not going to let anyone else take over thepany so easily,¡± Anastasia uttered with her gaze in the direction of Erica and Alex. Both Erica and Alex felt the oppressiveness in Anastasia¡¯s words at this point. When Anastasia was done, she stood up and left the meeting. After the meeting, in Alex¡¯s office, Erica went ballistic. ¡°Anastasia that wretch! If my mother gets sentenced because of this, I will never let her off!¡± ¡°Your mother was careless to have made a move at such a time. Obviously, Anastasia found out what was going on.¡± Alex was rather angry with Naomi¡¯s behavior. Although Erica was not a bright person, she still figured out the truth of her mother¡¯s incident. Gritting her teeth, she exined, ¡°It was all part of Anastasia¡¯s n to trap my mother. The doctors in that hospital joined hands with Anastasia to lie to us about the possibility of my dad regaining consciousness next week. It was all to entice my mom to do what she did.¡± ¡°If Anastasia takes over the finance department, it would be inconvenient for me in thepany.¡± Alex gritted his teeth as well, as he knew Anastasia had seen through his ns for Tillman Constructions. Looks like I¡¯ve underestimated her intelligence. The uing battle would be a battle of wits with her. ¡°Do we have to let her manage the finance department?¡± Erica said in exasperation. ¡°This is all we can do at the moment. Between the president of thepany and the manager of the finance department, obviously, I would choose the former.¡± Currently, Alex was still very much thrilled, as he had finally be the president of thepany. At the very least, he had the right to decide the company¡¯s affairs from this moment. Back in the hospital, Anastasia went to take a rest in her private lounge after visiting Francis, as she had not been sleeping well over the past few days. Elliot had also rushed over to the hospital from thepany. Upon entering Anastasia¡¯s room, he found the woman lying on the sofa. The sight of her flowing ck hair and delicate fairplexion in the tranquil noon were just like a painting that hade to life. Captured by such a sight, Elliot went to take a seat on the sofa next to her as quietly as possible. As he admired how Anastasia looked while she was asleep, his heart started to ache for her once more. Later, Anastasia woke up to find a pair of legs across her field of vision. As her gaze slowly traveled upward, she saw the man was going through his document intently. With the evening glow behind the man¡¯s back, he looked like a heavenly being with a golden aura surrounding him. Noticing her gaze on him, he raised his thick eyshes slightly and met her groggy eyes. ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± Elliot asked as he ced the document in his hand on the table. ¡°Yeah, what time is it?¡± Anastasia asked before she sat up. ¡°It¡¯s ten past five right now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s time for us to leave for your grandmother¡¯s house, then.¡± Anastasia ran her fingers through her smooth and silky long hair with clearly defined roots. Even her hair strands were enticing the man before her. Mesmerized by Anastasia, Elliot couldn¡¯t hold himself back and went over to Anastasia, who had already leaned back slightly with her head raised to look at him. She looked slightly taken aback. Elliot held her chin before kissing her red lips. After that, he nted another kiss on the top of her head before he said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Jared¡¯s waiting for us.¡± Unsteady on her feet due to Elliot pulling her up so suddenly, Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but wrap her arms around his waist with her head leaning against his firm chest. In this position, she felt a sense of security that one would not let go the moment one experienced it. With that, she was led by the man to the underground parking lot before heading for the Presgrave Residence. On their way there, Anastasia told Elliot about Alex¡¯s appointment as Tillman Constructions¡¯ president. Elliot asked right away, ¡°Do you need my help?¡± Anastasia replied, ¡°No, I don¡¯t need it for the time being. I want them to give themselves away.¡± She knew that if Alex were to leave Tillman Constructions, it would be difficult to get anything on them. As long as they still coveted her father¡¯spany, they would definitely give themselves away one day. I¡¯m not gonna let off those who hurt Dad! ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll pick some capable men for you.¡± Elliot decided to let her take care of it on her own. As long as she needed him, he would always be by her side. Christmas Eve was supposed to be a day for reunions, but Anastasia¡¯s heart was heavy when she thought of her father, who was stitose in the hospital. Still, she would never give up as long as there was still hope for him. She spent the night sleeping with her son at the Presgrave Residence. Jared was very obedient and well-behaved to the point where it made her feel sorry for him. Knowing that she had to look after Francis, he didn¡¯t cry or throw hissy fits at the Presgrave Residence. Meanwhile, Hayley was staying alone in the master bedroom of Alex¡¯s apartment. Alex and Erica had registered their marriage and were officially husband and wife now, but Hayley believed she could capture his heart with her surgically altered face. Erica was merely a tool for him to get rich, as well as the source of Hayley¡¯s current expenditure. Thanks to her ir for having men eat out of her hand, Alexvished money on her. Erica had always looked down on his background, so she treated him like dirt. On the contrary, Hayley appeased and worshiped him, making him unable to resist her. It was early morning, and the six financial officers of Tillman Constructions¡¯ finance department had just clocked in for work and were gossiping idly. Suddenly, six men and women swarmed into the office. Dressed in business attire, they all gave off an air of shrewdness andpetence with bright and piercing eyes. Anastasia came in from behind them before saying to the financial officers in the office, ¡°Sorry, but you all will beid off as required by work. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll give you your due by offering you three months of wages aspensation.¡± ¡°Why are weid off, Miss Tillman?!¡± a female employee asked angrily. ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s not like wemitted any mistakes. We¡¯re doing well at our job!¡± All Anastasia could do was apologize to them. With that, the whole finance department was reshuffled and its employees were all reced by the ones sent by Elliot. Now working for Anastasia, these people started to settle all of Tillman Constructions¡¯ ounts over thest three years. When Alex hurried to the scene, all his previous subordinates had already been reced with Anastasia¡¯s people, who were sitting in the office. ¡°Miss Tillman, your people don¡¯t understand Tillman Constructions¡¯ ounts. It¡¯s easy for mistakes to happen,¡± he said, forcibly suppressing his anger. ¡°I know that, so my people will start by settling my dad¡¯s ounts over thest three years. If anything wrong happens, I¡¯ll take responsibility for it,¡± Anastasia replied with folded arms. He let out a sigh and asked, ¡°Miss Tillman, are you displeased because I¡¯ve taken over your dad¡¯s position?¡± However, she replied, ¡°Nope, Mr. Hunter. I just thought that you can only do so much. Since you¡¯re handling thepany¡¯s projects, it¡¯ll be difficult for you to take care of thepany¡¯s finances, so I¡¯m here to take over to ease your burden.¡± Alex couldn¡¯t do anything about her. However, his previous ns to transfer Tillman Constructions¡¯ funds fell through. Anastasia was having control over thepany¡¯s core department, and the new employees she had brought with her were definitely financial elites trained by Elliot, so Tillman Constructions¡¯ ounts were going to be as clear as day. A murderous glint shed across his eyes. He didn¡¯t want toy a hand on her, but she had indeed be an obstacle to his money-making. ¡°Well, in that case, Miss Tillman, I¡¯ll leave the finance department to you. You cane to me if there¡¯s anything,¡± he replied with superficial friendliness while concealing his anger. Anastasia nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± At this moment, her cell phone rang; she darted a nce at its screen before picking it up. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Are you free? Take a look at today¡¯s morning news.¡± Walking toward the French window, Anastasia pleaded with the man, ¡°Come on, just tell me what happened. I¡¯m quite busy.¡± ¡°Riley has been sentenced to death. Aliona and her people aren¡¯t able to escape legal punishment as well.¡± ¡°Serves them right. But how did he get sentenced to death?¡± ¡°They brutally killed Lucas¡¯ son abroad, so Lucas sued him. He was sentenced to death at the first trial for multiple crimes.¡± Anastasia closed her eyes. There¡¯s also the death of my mom and the kidnapping of Elliot when he was a child. This guy deserves death for having blood on his hands, she thought. ¡°How are my people doing at their job?¡± ¡°They¡¯re very professional.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up and take you to the hospital this afternoon.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Anastasia nodded. Meanwhile, Alex was in his office, but he was in no mood to work at this very moment. He wanted to get rid of Anastasia so that he could haveplete control over Tillman Constructions by manipting Erica. However, he was fearful of Elliot¡¯s power and influence. After all, Anastasia was Elliot¡¯s sweetheart. If anything were to happen to her, he¡¯d probably get to the bottom of it. He thought of Erica, who had no brains and could easily be made a scapegoat. Sitting in Francis¡¯ former office, Alex was enjoying the feeling of superiority when the telephone before him rang. He picked up the receiver, saying, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°President Hunter, President Zimmer from the Golden Meadows Property Group is here. He says he has something to discuss with you.¡± Alex immediately instructed, ¡°Show him to the conference room. I¡¯ll be there right away.¡± He dared not snub President Zimmer, who was one of Francis¡¯ longtime clients and whom he had to keep sweet. After straightening his clothes, he called his assistant over and went to the conference room with the latter. As soon as he pushed the door and entered, he immediately greeted President Zimmer with great enthusiasm, saying, ¡°Why take the trouble toe all the way here, President Zimmer? If there¡¯s anything, just call me and I¡¯lle to you right away.¡± ¡°What a fine young man who has to be treated with respect, President Hunter! I¡¯ve heard about President Tillman, and I wish him a speedy recovery,¡± President Zimmer replied. Then, he continued with a grave look in his eyes, ¡°President Hunter, I¡¯m here to tell you something in person. I¡¯m afraid my company isn¡¯t going to be able to fill the order as specified in our contract.¡± Alex¡¯s heart tensed at once. He couldn¡¯t help but ask with a smile, ¡°President Zimmer, we have a long- standing rtionship. Is there anything that you¡¯re worried about?¡± President Zimmer shook his head. ¡°No, it¡¯s that I¡¯m going to retire, so my son has taken over my job. He has his own ideas and wants to cancel our coboration with yourpany, and I can¡¯t do anything about it. That¡¯s why I went out of my way toe here to apologize to you and tell you about it. I¡¯m sorry, President Hunter,¡± he said before getting up to leave. Alex panicked involuntarily. ¡°President Zimmer, we can still talk about this. If there¡¯s anything about us that you¡¯re dissatisfied with, we can¡ª¡± ¡°My son has made up his mind on this, so there¡¯s no way I can talk about it,¡± President Zimmer said before leaving. Alex¡¯s face darkened for a moment. He knew that the cancetion of their coboration must have something to do with his appointment as president. Soon after that, he received phone calls from several clients, who also proposed to renegotiate their existing coborations. Alex was panicked by the phone calls. Not only that, but many of his clients canceled their orders in just one day, causing most of the orders Francis had secured for thepany to be canceled. Alex was totally incapable of conducting business. He had thought that he could get through the year by relying on these orders. But now, he only had very few projects left at hand just days after thepany fell into his hands. It was justifiable if there was only one person who canceled their order, but now, Alex had a feeling that someone was plotting against him. Who could it be? Who would have such great capability? That person mped down on almost all of Tillman Constructions¡¯ projects for this year. Alex¡¯s face changed color; he thought of someone fearsome. Elliot. Could he be the one making trouble behind my back? If this is really his doing¡­ Feeling tremendous pressure, Alex couldn¡¯t help but rise from his seat before heading straight for the finance department¡¯s office, where Anastasia had an office of her own and was reviewing the ounts that had been straightened out. Francis had been doing a good job over the past few years, so thepany¡¯s performance had been very stable. Just then, Alex came in somewhat anxiously. ¡°Miss Tillman, I¡¯d like to talk to you.¡± Anastasia raised her eyebrows impassively. ¡°Is there anything, President Hunter?¡± ¡°Could you ask President Presgrave to give us a break and stop targeting Tillman Constructions? This is your dad¡¯spany, after all,¡± Alex said in an almost pleading tone. Anastasia frowned slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Your dad secured quite some projectsst year, but now those clients intend to cancel their orders. I only have a handful of small orders now, but they can hardly sustain thepany¡¯s growth.¡± Anastasia seemed unruffled on the surface, but she was surprised inwardly. Did Elliot really take action against Alex? What is he up to? ¡°This has nothing to do with Elliot. If the clients want to cancel their orders, you should look within yourself for the reasons instead of ming him for it,¡± she argued. Then, she mocked coldly, ¡°Mr. Hunter, I believe nothing will happen to my dad¡¯spany as long as it¡¯s in your hands. You¡¯re such a capable person, after all.¡± ¡°In that case, Miss Tillman, please ask President Presgrave if he has anything to do with this. If this is really his doing, please ask him to give the projects back to us,¡± Alex implored humbly. However, it was clear that Anastasia wouldn¡¯t help him. ¡°Thepany¡¯s projects are your own business. I¡¯m only in charge of thepany¡¯s finances.¡± Alex also realized that Anastasia didn¡¯t care at all about Tillman Constructions¡¯ fate. However, he cared about it. Francis would never regain consciousness for life, which would make thepany his property. Therefore, he had to make sure that thepany made profits. Now that he had married Erica, he was considered one of thepany¡¯s major shareholders. Not only that, but Erica intended to transfer to him the 40 percent shares Naomi owned in thepany, making him thepany¡¯srgest shareholder. As soon as he left, Anastasia took out her phone and dialed Elliot¡¯s number. ¡°Hello?¡± A male voice answered the phone with a chuckle on the other end as if knowing that she would call him. ¡°Is it because of you that Tillman Constructions lost a few big projects?¡± Anastasia asked. ¡°Yes, it is.¡± ¡°Why would you do that?¡± Anastasia was puzzled. ¡°I want to acquire Tillman Constructions,¡± Elliot said. ¡°How are you gonna acquire it, then?¡± Anastasia had no objection to his methods. Elliot sounded like he was talking about something ordinary. ¡°Since Alex wants so much to have your dad¡¯spany to himself, I¡¯ll let him taste what it¡¯s like to be burdened with huge debts. He¡¯s got only himself to me for asking for trouble.¡± ¡°Is there anything that I can do for you?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not necessary. Let me do it by myself.¡± Elliot had nned this for a long time. Alex was one of the people he hated the most because he had overreached himself by courting Anastasia. This alone was sufficient tond him on Elliot¡¯s cklist. ¡°I¡¯m checking thepany¡¯s ounts, and I found some issues. The ounts don¡¯t tally; there¡¯s a difference of several million.¡± Anastasia took charge of Tillman Constructions¡¯ finances precisely to dig up dirt on Alex. Francis trusted him very much, but had he done something behind the former¡¯s back? Perhaps she could find some issues. ¡°Alright. I¡¯lle pick you up.¡± Elliot wanted to pick her up from work. ¡°Okay. I¡¯d like to go to the hospital to visit my dad.¡± Meanwhile, Alex was sitting in Francis¡¯ former seat. He wasn¡¯t that stupid. Instead, he smelled danger. He was suddenly bing Tillman Constructions¡¯rgest shareholder. If thepany went bankrupt one day, he would have to take on huge debts. Not only would he fail to be rich, but he would also be heavily in debt¡ªall thanks to the tricks yed by Elliot, the multimillionaire capitalist. The conjecture brought him out in a cold sweat. Just then, however, Erica called, saying, ¡°Hey, Alex. I¡¯m now on my way to your office to bring you my mom¡¯s equity contract before we sign the share transfer agreement.¡± Alex was caught in a dilemma. On the one hand, there was the temptation of Tillman Constructions¡¯ shares; on the other hand, however, there were Elliot¡¯s overwhelming capabilities. ¡°Damn it!¡± Looking extremely irritable, he pushed the documents off his desk. Elliot was standing in his way of getting rich, but he was powerless to fight back.\ Anastasia had just picked up her bag and was about to leave the finance department when Erica came and stopped her face to face. ¡°Let¡¯s talk.¡± Anastasia looked at her with folded arms. ¡°About what?¡± ¡°My mom will never set Dad up, so you must¡¯ve made a mistake. Please have her released,¡± Erica uttered between clenched teeth. Anastasia¡¯s eyes shed fire. ¡°Erica, if you still have a conscience, please care about Dad instead of making excuses for your mom. He¡¯s hovering between life and death now.¡± Erica was visibly startled. ¡°W-What happened to Dad?¡± ¡°From now on, you no longer have to know my dad¡¯s condition.¡± Anastasia clenched her fists. In her opinion, Erica¡¯s actions had made her unqualified to be Francis¡¯ daughter. ¡°What gives you the right to not let me know his condition? H-He¡¯s also my dad,¡± Erica protested diffidently. Then, recalling that she was here to beg Anastasia for mercy, she immediately pleaded in a softer voice, ¡°Sis, please let my mom off! Whatever she did, she only did it in a momentarypse of judgment! She¡¯s my mom and your stepmother, after all. Could you please let her off? Even if Dad wakes up, he¡¯ll surely forgive her.¡± Anastasia darted a look at her in disgust. ¡°It¡¯s useless to beg me. You guys never treated me as part of the family, and I always treat you guys as outsiders.¡± Erica suggested, ¡°In that case, Anastasia, what do I need to do for you to let my mom off? How about this? I¡¯ll give you ten percent of my shares so that you let her off.¡± As someone who was greedy for profit, she thought Anastasia was the same kind of person as she was. Upon hearing Erica¡¯s words, Anastasia only found them an insult to her character. She looked at Erica with darkened eyes, saying, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, no amount of money can save the person who hurt my dad. I want them to pay the price and get their due punishment.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Frightened by the look in Anastasia¡¯s eyes, Erica took a step back. Immediately, she said between clenched teeth, ¡°Even if you¡¯ve got my mom arrested, my mom¡¯s shares are now transferred to Alex. You¡¯d better forget about taking away her shares!¡± Hearing Erica¡¯s words, Anastasia only felt that all the former could see was thepany¡¯s shares. She¡¯s so blinded by greed that she¡¯s got no sense of kinship to speak of. What a sad thing for him to have such a daughter. ¡°Just give him the shares. I don¡¯t care about it.¡± Her lips curled into a sneer. Erica was angry deep down. Is there anything else that can upset Anastasia? With that, Anastasia left with her purse. Elliot has probably arrived downstairs, she thought. Erica returned to Alex¡¯s office with her purse. Seeing him standing before the French window and looking out the window, she happily walked over to him. ¡°Alex, I¡¯ve brought the agreement here.¡± At this moment, Alex was looking at the three Roll-Royces at thepany¡¯s entrance. He saw the man who stepped out of the car in the middle, who made him feel inexplicably oppressed even from a distance away. ¡°Elliot? Why is he here?¡± Erica¡¯s heart thumped when she saw the man downstairs. Shrouded in thest rays of the evening sun, he looked as handsome as a god as he stood there. Just then, however, she saw Anastasia walking up to him; he walked toward Anastasia as well. Putting his arm around Anastasia¡¯s shoulders affectionately, he took her bag from her and escorted her into the car. Eyes aze with jealousy, Erica ground her teeth in hatred. Elliot seemed to sense the gaze from the third floor, for he turned his head and shot an icy look in the third floor¡¯s direction. Alex held his breath; the look in Elliot¡¯s eyes made him feel threatened. After Elliot¡¯s car drove away, Erica took the agreement out of her bag. ¡°Here, Alex. Sign it.¡± Looking at the share transfer agreement, Alex felt incredibly torn. He couldn¡¯t decide whether to sign it or not. He still couldn¡¯t make a guess at what exactly Elliot wanted to do with Tillman Constructions. If he obtained the 40 percent shares, he might be able to make some money. If he didn¡¯t sign the agreement now, he would be nothing. Driven by self-interest, he lost his ability to reason, and his presence of mind flew out of the window. In the end, he stretched out his hand and signed his name on the document, bing a ve to his desire. ¡°Alex, congrats on bing Tillman Constructions¡¯rgest shareholder. I¡¯ll be depending on you from now on,¡± Erica said beforeing over to give him a sweet and charming kiss. Having lost her mother, Erica could only rely on Alex. ¡°Erica, Anastasia is checking thepany¡¯s finances. I have a few external funds that I¡¯m afraid might get found out. Can you help me when that happens?¡± ¡°Y-You embezzled thepany¡¯s money?¡± ¡°About three million.¡± Alex wasn¡¯t afraid to admit it. Erica had to depend on him now, anyway. ¡°What? How could you¡­¡± Erica wanted to scold him, but she could only bite back her words when it urred to her that he was now her husband. ¡°How can I help you?¡± ¡°Anastasia is now in control of thepany¡¯s finances, so she¡¯ll definitely find out about it. When that happens, just say that you had me divert the money to your bank ount for your personal use back then. You¡¯re Francis¡¯ daughter and her younger sister. As long as you im to be the one who spent the money, nothing will happen.¡± Alex asked her to take the me. Erica said reluctantly, ¡°Okay then.¡± Having finished his speech, Alex asked, ¡°Do you know what Anastasia is up to?¡± Then, he told her about the danger. ¡°She had Elliot steal our clients to cause breaks in Tillman Constructions¡¯ funding chain. She wants to force thepany into dering bankruptcy.¡± ¡°What? She wants to make my dad¡¯spany go bankrupt?¡± Erica was exasperated. ¡°Is she nuts?!¡± ¡°As long as Tillman Constructions faces bankruptcy, it¡¯ll undergo liquidation by the bank. When that happens, every shareholder of thepany will be burdened with its debts. At that point, we¡¯ll be weighed down by massive debts and be finished for life.¡± Upon hearing this, Erica instantly went weak at the knees. She just wanted to get some money from thepany, but she never wanted to be saddled with debts. ¡°But Anastasia herself owns 30 percent of thepany¡¯s shares!¡± Is she stupid? she thought to herself. ¡°Who cares if she gets into debt? She¡¯s got Elliot backing her up. The debts will be massive for us, though. If we can¡¯t pay them off, we¡¯re gonna go to jail.¡± Alex intentionally aroused Erica¡¯s fear since this was the only way to drive her into action. And sure enough, her eyes zed with immense hatred at his words. She uttered between clenched teeth, ¡°If she dares to make Tillman Constructions go bankrupt, I¡¯m not gonna let her off.¡± ¡°Erica, now that we¡¯ve lost a few clients, ourpany is in danger. Hurry and beg her to persuade Elliot to stop,¡± Alex suggested. Erica wanted to visit Francis early tomorrow morning. She couldn¡¯t be too heartless. After all, she was now still his daughter and would remain so for life. I¡¯m Francis¡¯ second daughter as long as the secret of my parentage isn¡¯t found out. It was night. Anastasia¡¯s heart ached in silence as she sat before Francis¡¯ bed and looked at the grayish hair on his temples. The good news was that his vital signs were stable, with no signs of seque. However, it was unknown whether he could regain consciousness. The doctor said he might come round all of a sudden or remainatose like this, so all she could do was wait patiently. It was already about 11:00 PM when she finally left his bedside. Tired, she went back to the room, only to see the man working on the sofa. He had aptop ced on hisp and was tapping away at the keyboard with his slender fingers. Anastasia was startled. Dressed in a ck turtleneck sweater, the man seemed stony and yet charming under the light with a serious expression. Elliot looked up at her. ¡°You¡¯re back? Take a shower and go to sleep.¡± ¡°What about you? Aren¡¯t you going to sleep?¡± she asked. She didn¡¯t want him to stay upte working either. Of course, Elliot wasn¡¯t supposed to sleep in her room. However, when he heard her question, he immediately looked up in surprise with incredibly bright eyes. ¡°Do you want me to sleep with you?¡± Anastasia looked into his eyes before lowering her head in embarrassment. ¡°Yeah, you can.¡± Elliot closed hisptop and didn¡¯t care about his work anymore. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s sleep together.¡± By the time Anastasia came out after taking a shower, Elliot was already waiting for her in bed, having taken a shower earlier. She watched as he changed into gray pajamas. Dressed in lc pajamas, she lifted the covers and got into bed. Then, she turned off the lights and naturallyy down in his arms. The man behind her whispered in her ear in a deep voice, ¡°I want you to stop going to work from tomorrow onward.¡± Why?¡± asked a puzzled Anastasia. ¡°Whenever Alex takes a second look at you, I feel that he¡¯s damned.¡± Elliot¡¯s voice was dripping with jealousy. Anastasia¡¯s red lips curved up slightly. It¡¯s funny how this guy looks whenever he gets jealous. ¡°All I have for him now is hatred,¡± she exined. ¡°Let me deal with these people. I¡¯ll give them the most tragic end.¡± Elliot couldn¡¯t wait to do it himself. Anastasia replied, ¡°Naomi is taking the me for everything now, but I know that Alex, Erica, and Colin are also involved in the plot against my dad¡¯s life. None of them are gonna get away with it.¡± Her eyes flickered with rage in the darkness. Perhaps her father would wake up, causing the allegations of him changing his will to fall apart. Still, it was unknown when he woulde round. On the other hand, these people were now reaping the fruits of others¡¯bor, dividing up hispany amongst themselves and enjoying his wealth. Therefore, she hoped that these people would pay the price when he regained consciousness. The night deepened, and Elliot held his posture without moving. Thedy in his arms was already soundly asleep, as though she slept best in his arms. However, she didn¡¯t realize that the man almost always lost sleep on nights when they slept in the arms of each other like this. There was no way he could hold her in his arms without feeling aroused, so he could only suppress his urges. Still, in the face of the woman whom he longed for day and night, his self-control, which he always prided himself on, had long broken down. All he could do was kiss her several times on the cheek in the moonlight to comfort himself. When Anastasia woke up the next morning, she found that the man beside her was still sleeping. She got out of bed quietly without waking him. Having had a good night¡¯s sleep, she washed up and had breakfast before leaving to check on Francis. However, as soon as she reached the hallway, she saw thedy who was signing her name at the nurses¡¯ station¡ªErica. Consequently, her face darkened slightly. Erica saw her as well. Taking a deep breath, she concealed the glint of hatred in her eyes, recalling that she was here today to beg Anastasia. ¡°Sis, how is Dad?¡± This was the first time she called Anastasia ¡®sis¡¯ in such a calm manner. Anastasia didn¡¯t want to acknowledge such a woman as her sister, though. She retorted impassively, ¡°So you still care about my dad, huh? I thought all you cared about was thepany.¡± ¡°He¡¯s my dad. Of course I care about him,¡± Erica argued somewhat guiltily. ¡°Dad is fine. You don¡¯t have toe if there¡¯s nothing.¡± Anastasia wished she could see through Erica. She wanted to know whether thetter¡¯s heart was ck and why thetter would conspire with her mother against her own father. ¡°Sis, did you have Elliot steal Dad¡¯spany¡¯s clients to make hispany go bankrupt?¡± Erica questioned between clenched teeth. Folding her arms across her chest, Anastasia replied deprecatingly, ¡°Aren¡¯t you and your husband the ones in charge of thepany?¡± ¡°Please, sis, I¡¯m begging you. It¡¯s Dad¡¯spany that we¡¯re talking about. Thepany matters more to him than his own life. Could you please not make it go bankrupt?¡± Erica pleaded with an imploring look in her eyes. She was willing to humble herself for money. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Just then, Anastasia¡¯s phone rang. After ncing at its screen, she walked to the other side of the hallway and answered it. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Miss Tillman, we found several abnormal payments that might¡¯ve been misappropriated. The total amount misappropriated is more than three million.¡± ¡°Trace the money and find out where it is.¡± ¡°Roger that, Miss Tillman. We¡¯ll go to the bank to track down the money in thepany¡¯s name.¡± Anastasia hung up the phone. She had caught hold of evidence of Alex misappropriating the company¡¯s funds, but this was far from enough. Alex was also in that car on the night of Francis¡¯ ident. Along with Naomi and Erica, he had dyed the rescue of Francis. His end shouldn¡¯t be so simple, she thought. Erica had entered the ward. As she looked at Francis, who was lyingatose in his sickbed, her eyes flickered with resentment. She had called this man ¡®Dad¡¯ for over 20 years despite having no blood ties with him. If she didn¡¯t gain anything from him, the 20 years she had spent calling him ¡®Dad¡¯ would go to waste. Seeing Anastasia¡¯s figure, she instantly started yacting with tears gushing from her eyes. ¡°Wake up, Dad. Please wake up, Dad, please!¡± ¡°Dad, I miss you. I miss you so much.¡± Anastasia looked on while standing in front of the French window, knowing full well that Erica¡¯s tears were all crocodile tears. Meanwhile, in a downtown shopping mall, a stylishly-dressed Hayley was holding Alex¡¯s arm and shopping with her face mask on. Her face had gone under the knife, but it was still pretty. Alex hade to like Hayley as well. Having a way with men, she indulged all his desire for fulfillment when he was with her. ¡°This shirt is nice. Try it on.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too pricey.¡± Alex didn¡¯t feel like trying it on when he saw the price tag. However, Hayley tugged at his hand, saying, ¡°No, that won¡¯t do. You have to try it on. You¡¯re not Mr. Hunter anymore. You¡¯re now President Hunter.¡± Alex was instantly pleased by the look of adoration and admiration in her eyes. He tried the shirt on, after which she paid for it with his money, which he spent willingly. Erica could never give him this kind of feeling. Despite marrying him, she always looked down on him. Only Hayley could tickle his vanity. Getting very sentimental at this moment, he suggested, ¡°Hayley, once I get money from Tillman Constructions, let¡¯s buy a house by the sea. We¡¯ll get married, have kids, and live out our lives there in retirement, okay?¡± ¡°Sure! I can¡¯t wait to enjoy such a life with you.¡± ¡°Give me some more time. Once I get the money, I¡¯ll quit right away. I¡¯ll divorce Erica and marry you.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wait for you patiently.¡± Hayley smiled with smugness in her eyes. Anastasia will never know that I¡¯ll be spending her father¡¯s money for the rest of my life, she thought to herself. On the other hand, Erica left the hospital and went back to the Tillman Residence. What was once a cozy home for her was now devoid of warmth. All that was left was a servant who was still in employment, who took care of the housekeeping and cooked meals for her. ¡°Wee back, Miss Erica. Would you like something to eat?¡± asked Mrs. Garner. Erica sat on the sofa. She missed Naomi and wanted to get her out of police custody. Otherwise, with the evidence Anastasia was holding, Naomi would definitely be sentenced to jail. She could only be released if Anastasia relented and dropped the case against her. Anastasia is so upromising in her stand, and she hates Mom. There¡¯s no way she¡¯ll let Mom off, thought Erica. The thought made her feel anxious and unsettled. Just then, the doorbell rang. Mrs. Garner got up and went outside to answer the door. When she saw a strange man outside the gate, she asked curiously, ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± The man outside was in his early fifties, with a wrinkly face, a hunchback, and grayish-white hair. One could tell at a nce that he belonged to the underss society. ¡°Excuse me, but does Naomi Lowell live here?¡± ¡°Why are you asking for our madam?¡± Mrs. Garner asked with a hint of disdain in her voice as she somewhat looked down on the man. ¡°I¡¯ve got something urgent to discuss with her.¡± Mrs. Garner dared not let him in carelessly, though. ¡°Madam isn¡¯t at home. Only Miss Erica is.¡± In the living room, Erica also wondered who was popping in on them. She waited for a long time, but Mrs. Garner didn¡¯t let the visitor in, so she had no choice but toe out on her own. ¡°Who is it, Mrs. Garner?¡± ¡°Miss Erica, it¡¯s a stranger. We don¡¯t know him,¡± Mrs. Garner replied before looking at the man outside through the gate. The man outside also looked at Erica through the gate. Suddenly, his eyes lit up with excitement. ¡°You¡¯re Naomi¡¯s daughter?¡± Erica looked at him before waving her hand in disgust. ¡°Go away! Don¡¯te begging at my door.¡± The man outside was stunned. Grasping the railing tightly with both hands, he asked, ¡°Are you really Naomi¡¯s daughter?¡± ¡°What does that have to do with you? Get lost, you damn beggar!¡± Erica yelled crossly. The man¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Can we talk, youngdy? I¡¯ve got something to ask you about.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have time to talk to you,¡± Erica said before tugging at Mrs. Garner. ¡°Just ignore him.¡± The man watched as Erica left. Then, he looked at the Tillman Family¡¯s mansion with a glint of greed in his eyes. Erica returned to the sofa, her mood made even worse by the man outside. She said to Mrs. Garner, ¡°If you see that guy again in the future, just ignore him and shoo him away.¡± ¡°But he knows madam, Miss Erica. Could he be a friend of hers?¡± ¡°How could my mom possibly have such a poor friend? One can tell at a nce that he¡¯s a beggar who came to my house to beg for money,¡± Erica swore unmannerly. Having developed an air of superiority at this house, Mrs. Garner nodded in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s right. How could madam possibly be friends with such a person?¡± Erica then dialed Alex¡¯s number, upon which he answered the phone on the other end. ¡°Hey, Erica.¡± ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m meeting a client.¡± ¡°When are youing home?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a while.¡± ¡°Come back, then. I¡¯m bored of being alone.¡± Erica was yearning for Alex toe back to this home. Unbeknownst to her, however, Alex was sitting in a cafe with Hayley in his arms at this very moment. Not only did she watch coquettishly as he answered the phone, but she even snuggled up to him somewhat purposely. After hanging up the phone, Alex looked down at Hayley. ¡°I have to go back to keep herpany tonight.¡± Reluctant to part with him, Hayley held him in her arms. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to leave. I want you to sleep with me tonight.¡± ¡°Just be good and put up with it a little longer. Once I get the money from Tillman Constructions, I¡¯ll divorce her right away,¡± Alex said,forting her. Only then did Hayley pout her lips. ¡°Okay.¡± Anastasia didn¡¯t go to her office today. Instead, she went to the Presgrave Residence in the afternoon to take Jared out to rx. They took a stroll in the park, with several bodyguards escorting them from behind to ensure their safety. Jared seemed to know something, and a hint of grief sprang to his big eyes. ¡°Mommy, when will Grandpa wake up?¡± ¡°Your grandpa is ill, so he needs some time to wake up. Let¡¯s wait for him a little longer, okay?¡± Jared blinked his eyes. Being a sensible child, he behaved himself very well at the Presgrave Residence. Elliot often took the boy with him to the Presgrave Group or to hang out at shopping malls. ¡°Jared, I¡¯ll be busy these days.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mommy. Just go ahead with your business. I¡¯ll be good,¡± Jared replied sensibly. He was well taken care of at the Presgrave Residence, where Harriet treated him like her own great-grandson. He said mysteriously, ¡°Mommy, I saw Mr. Presgrave¡¯s photo albumst time. Guess how much I look like him.¡± ¡°Do you look very much like him?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right! I¡¯m the double of him. When I looked at the photos of him as a child, I felt like I was looking at myself.¡± Anastasia gave an inward sigh. To think there¡¯s such a coincidence, she thought. After they finished taking a stroll in the park, the bodyguards took Jared back to the Presgrave Residence, whereas Anastasia returned to the hospital. As soon as she arrived downstairs, her cell phone rang. ¡°Hello?¡± she said. ¡°Miss Tillman, we found that Alex had bought a small apartment with the misappropriated money,¡± reported someone from the finance department. ¡°Alright. Note it down and keep looking into it,¡± Anastasia instructed. As soon as she stepped into the lobby, she saw Ellioting in with several doctors. She turned to see the man, who carried himself with the grace of a leader. Like other women in the lobby, she stood aside and started to admire him. Fixing Anastasia with deep, fathomless eyes, Elliot whispered something to an elder next to him before coming toward her. Anastasia sized him up with her head slightly tilted to one side. Elliot narrowed his eyes, asking, ¡°What are you looking at?¡± ¡°I find that you¡¯re really quite handsome,¡± Anastasia praised. Elliot was inwardly pleased by her words. Still, he asked somewhat sourly, ¡°Only now do you realize it?¡± Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen the doctor just now before. Is he newly hired?¡± ¡°Mm-hmm. They¡¯re cardiac and neurology specialists specially hired from other hospitals in hopes of improving your dad¡¯s condition.¡± Seizing the opportunity, Rey, who was standing beside them, said, ¡°Miss Tillman, President Presgrave has gone to a lot of trouble to hire these specialists. He personally went to them and earnestly pleaded with them toe over.¡± Chapter 531-540 Chapter 531-540 Elliot turned his head and gave Rey a dirty look, signaling thetter to shut up. Anastasia was visibly stunned; inwardly, she was incredibly moved. He¡¯s done so much behind the scenes for my dad¡¯s condition, she thought. ¡°Thank you so much,¡± she said. Then, ignoring the crowd coming and going around them, she flung her arms around Elliot¡¯s neck and stood on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek. Elliot put his muscr arms around her waist to make it easier for her to kiss him. Rey turned around behind them while stifling augh. President Presgrave has to thank me for this. Would Miss Tillman have been so moved if I hadn¡¯t spoken out of turn? After kissing Elliot, Anastasia held his hand, saying, ¡°In that case, let¡¯s go upstairs and take a look!¡± Elliot nodded before heading for the elevator with her in his arms. Rey didn¡¯t go with them, though; Elliot had something else for him to do. Perhaps because he was too disgusted with Alex, he ordered Rey to monitor Alex¡¯s every move from now on. He wanted to get something on Alex as soon as possible in order to send thetter to jail. Now that thetter was obviously not capable enough of managing Tillman Constructions, he would definitely take some illegal shortcuts, or he might want to wangle some money out of thepany and then run away. Whatever he wanted, he would certainly do something. Standing in front of the French window, Anastasia looked at the few specialists, who were standing before Francis¡¯ sickbed in the middle of a discussion. Her heart was filled with hope and anticipation as she hoped that they had a better way to bring him round. Just then, Elliot came over to her from behind with two cups of coffee in his hands. Taking a cup of coffee from him, Anastasia turned to look at him, only to see a somewhat tired look on his good-looking face. Not only that, but there seemed to be dark circles under his eyes, which caused her to feel sorry for him at once. ¡°You didn¡¯t sleep wellst night? Did I disturb you while we were sleeping?¡± she asked with self-reproach. The man¡¯s beautifully-shaped eyes were bloodshot, making her feel even sorrier for him. Elliot curled his lips into a smile before gracefully taking a sip of his coffee. ¡°Nope. You slept like a log.¡± ¡°Then why couldn¡¯t you sleep well?¡± Anastasia was puzzled. Elliot turned to look at her, but he was somewhat hesitant to speak. This woman probably has never been romantically involved with a man before, which is why she¡¯s clueless about men¡¯s troubles. Well, it¡¯s not her fault. I¡¯m d that there¡¯s never been another man in her life. Not wanting to put her on the spot, he could only find a random excuse. ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just that I slepttest night because I was too preupied with work.¡± Anastasia took a drink of her coffee, which was aromatic and silky smooth. Somehow, looking at the specialists standing before Francis¡¯ bed, she felt even more reassured. These people are probably leading medical authorities from different hospitals, so this guy must have done a lot of things for them to show up in Dad¡¯s ward together. For someone as proud as him, it must¡¯ve been difficult to plead with them in person. ¡°Sorry for causing you so much trouble over what happened to my dad,¡± she said sincerely. ¡°He¡¯s not only your dad; he¡¯s also my father-inw. Isn¡¯t it my duty to save my father-inw?¡± Elliot asked her in reply. Anastasia was floored by his question right away. For a moment, she didn¡¯t know what to say, so she could only let out augh. ¡°Okay! If you say so, I¡¯ll have to marry you in the future.¡± ¡°That¡¯s of course. Who are you gonna marry if not me?¡± Elliot had absolute confidence in himself. Anastasia blinked her eyes. Seems like I won¡¯t be getting the short end of the stick by marrying him. So, I¡¯m the one who has struck gold by taking advantage of him, right? Meanwhile, Erica didn¡¯t get to see Alex at the Tillman Residence that night. He said he had to visit a client on business, so she stayed alone all night. Unbeknownst to her, however, instead of going anywhere, he spent the night finding sce in Hayley. Early the next morning, Erica left home in her car. However, when she drove out of the gate, a figure suddenly dashed over and stopped her car. Startled, she hurriedly mmed on the brakes, upon which she felt that she had knocked down the person. Frightened, she immediately opened the car door and got out of the car to take a look, only to see the man who had lingered outside her homest night. He was lying on the ground, but it was obvious that he wasn¡¯t injured. ¡°It¡¯s you again? What the hell do you want? Get lost!¡± Erica swore in exasperation. Just then, the man got up and suddenly approached her. After studying her face with probing eyes, he finally saw the mole on her cheek, upon which heughed happily like a fool. ¡°What the hell are you looking at? F*ck off! Get in my way again and I¡¯ll run you over!¡± Erica snapped with a snort. The man gave a sigh, as if toment about something. ¡°Did Naomi teach you to conduct yourself like this? Well, that¡¯s understandable. Your mom is such a person, after all. One can¡¯t expect her to teach you to be good.¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? And what did you call my mom? Naomi? Who gave you the right to call her on a first-name basis?¡± Erica only assumed the man to be a former friend of Naomi. But what makes him think he cane asking for Mom right now? He looks so ignoble and disgusting. He¡¯s got to be up to something. ¡°What¡¯s your name? Do you know what your father¡¯s name is?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Erica Tillman. My dad is Francis Tillman.¡± Erica proudly told the man Francis¡¯ name. Upon hearing her words, the man gave a wryugh right away. ¡°Francis Tillman isn¡¯t your father.¡± The smug look on Erica¡¯s face instantly vanished. She and Naomi were the only ones who knew that she wasn¡¯t Francis¡¯ daughter. How did the man know that? ¡°What bullsh*t are you talking about? I¡¯m warning you, cut that nonsense!¡± However, the man said again, ¡°You¡¯re not Francis¡¯ daughter.¡± Erica¡¯s face instantly paled with horror. She red at the man, saying, ¡°That¡¯s nonsense! I am Francis¡¯ daughter.¡± The man was finally unable to restrain himself any longer. Staring at Erica, he growled somewhat irritably, ¡°You¡¯re not! You¡¯re the daughter of Naomi and me! I¡¯m your father, and you¡¯re my daughter!¡± Erica¡¯s eyes widened in horror; fear enveloped her as she looked at the man in disbelief. What? The low-ss man before me is my father? No, that¡¯s not possible. I¡¯ll never acknowledge such a man as my father. ¡°F*ck off! Who wants to be your daughter? I¡¯m warning you, if you dare talk nonsense again, I¡¯ll¡ª¡± ¡°I need 10,000. As long as you give me the money, I promise you that I won¡¯t go around telling people about it.¡± The man didn¡¯t go out of his way toe here to reunite with his daughter. He was here to ask for money. Erica really looked down on the man before her from the bottom of her heart, but she had to silence him. She looked around, and luckily, there wasn¡¯t anyone else around. She hurriedly took her bag out of her car and grabbed a handful of cash out of it. Handing the cash to him, she said in a quavering voice, ¡°Get out of my face with the money and don¡¯t show up in front of me ever again. I don¡¯t care who you are; I¡¯ll never have anything to do with you.¡± Seeing the cash, the man took it from her without counting it; he knew just by touching it that there had to be more than 10,000 in it. He said happily, ¡°Whether you admit it or not, I¡¯m your father. And, you¡¯re quite pretty.¡± Erica only found his words disgusting. Nevertheless, she stared fixedly at the man for a few seconds. He was by no meansparable to Francis, who had regr features and gave off an air of schrly refinement through every pore. On the other hand, one could tell at a nce that this man was struggling for a living at the bottom rung of society. ¡°Take the money and don¡¯t show up in front of me or come to me again,¡± she warned. The man couldn¡¯t help but take another look at her car before stretching out his hand to touch its painted surface. ¡°This car must be expensive, right? The paint seems to be of such a high quality.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch my car with your dirty hands!¡± Erica was pissed off. She didn¡¯t want to see the man even for a second! The man felt a twinge of inferiority as well. He could only pull his hand back, asking, ¡°Where¡¯s your mom?¡± Erica didn¡¯t want to tell him about Naomi, though. Pulling the car door open, she said, ¡°Don¡¯te to us if there¡¯s nothing.¡± With that, she revved up her car and sped away. The man crouched on the ground and began to count the cash. After counting out a total of 15,000, he happily produced a packet of cigarettes and started smoking. Now, I¡¯ll have someone to rely on for cash, thought the man as he left while smoking happily. At this moment, Mrs. Garner, the servant, stood up behind the wall next to the little door with a shocked expression. She couldn¡¯t believe she had just learned a big secret by chance. She happened to be sweeping the yard when she heard Erica yelling outside the gate earlier. She had wanted to head out to take a look, but when she saw that Erica was alright, she didn¡¯t feel like doing so anymore. Consequently, she eavesdropped on Erica¡¯s conversation with the man. She couldn¡¯t believe that the inly dressed man was actually Erica¡¯s biological father. Perhaps nobody in the Tillman Family knows the secret of Erica¡¯s parentage. Now that she thought about it, that would make Anastasia the only real daughter of the Tillman Family. Having worked here for more than ten years, Mrs. Garner had witnessed with her own eyes how Naomi had abused Anastasia both verbally and physically during Anastasia¡¯s maiden years. Naomi¡¯s daughter lived like a princess whereas the real daughter of the Tillman Family couldn¡¯t even buy a piece of clothing. Inwardly, she felt somewhat sorry for Anastasia, but she felt even sorrier for Francis, who had raised another man¡¯s daughter for over 20 years. Even hispany had fallen into Naomi¡¯s and Erica¡¯s hands now, whereas Anastasia seemed to have only gotten less than one-third of its shares. Mrs. Garner was shrewd, so she wouldn¡¯t easily let out such a big secret. Not only that, but she had learned how to be shrewd and calcting while living here. This was a great opportunity to make a fortune! Erica would make a fortune in the future with the shares she now held in Tillman Constructions. I¡¯ll trade this secret for some money, which will be enough for me to live out my life in retirement. She didn¡¯t have to live the humble life of a servant anymore. And besides, it wasn¡¯t like Naomi was nice to her, anyway. She resented Naomi and Erica deep down. Meanwhile, Rey left home for work in the morning. On his way to his office, he received a phone call. As it turned out, the person he had sent outst night to trail Alex found something. ¡°Send me the photos,¡± he said. The person quickly sent Rey the photos. The instant he tapped on them, he was stunned right away. Why was Alex with Hayley? Who else is the coquettish-looking woman holding Alex¡¯s arms in the photos if it isn¡¯t Hayley? Is Alex having an affair with her as soon as he is married to Erica? As for how Hayley and Alex ended up getting involved with each other, Rey was no longer interested to know because he had to report this to Elliot. Elliot¡¯s motorcade set out from the hospital for the Presgrave Group¡¯s headquarters. On his way there, he received a phone call and a few pictures from Rey. Elliot¡¯s frosty eyes narrowed slightly as he merely took a nce at the photos before swiping them away. ¡°Send these photos to Anastasia and see if they¡¯re of any use to her.¡± ¡°Roger that, President Presgrave.¡± Having gotten up early in the morning, Anastasia was sitting in the specialists¡¯ office and listening to their discussion on Francis¡¯ condition. She didn¡¯t understand the terms they used, but it seemed from the way they sounded that there was hope for Francis¡¯ condition. At that moment, her cell phone beeped with an iing text message. She picked up the phone and saw Rey¡¯s message, which read, ¡®Miss Tillman, I have some photos for you to look at.¡¯ Right after that, he sent her over ten photos. When she saw the first photo, she was stunned for a few seconds. The photo showed Hayley holding Alex¡¯s arm in a seductively charming posture. Not only that, but there were also several photos of them kissing each other affectionately on the cheek. Seeing these photos, Anastasia felt ufortable because Alex cheated on Erica so merrily shortly after marrying her. Apart from that, the person whom he was cheating with was someone whom Erica thought was her bestie! On the other hand, Hayley really had no scruples; she wasn¡¯t ashamed of stealing Erica¡¯s husband at all. Anastasia gloated over the photos with a feeling of exultation. I¡¯ll just watch what happens next and let the two women rip each other to shreds when it¡¯s necessary. However, something urred to her. Hayley only liked Alex for his money. It was especially so after he became the president of Tillman Constructions and she was only too eager to please him. What if¡­ A smile curled the corners of Anastasia¡¯s lips. Will she still be able tough if I freeze all of Alex¡¯s debit cards? The finance department had confirmed from the ount statements that Alex had embezzled thepany¡¯s funds, which gave her the right to freeze and audit all his bank ounts, during which time he wouldn¡¯t be able to spend even a penny. She went outside and called the person in charge of the finance department, telling them to start preparing for this. The department would go through all the procedures and have Alex¡¯s debit cards frozen by this afternoon. At this moment, Alex was having a meeting at Tillman Constructions. Now that he had suddenly lost quite a few clients thanks to Elliot, he had to source for new clients, so he was quite busy. Erica came soon afterward, but her mind was elsewhere today, preupied with the man she had come across this morning. The man¡¯s face filled her with loathing and disdain. Damnably, however, the man was her biological father. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Erica? Did you not sleep wellst night?¡± Alex asked with concern. ¡°Were you really meeting with a clientst night? Why did youe back early in the morning?¡± Erica asked dubiously. Alex couldn¡¯t help but give her his puppy-dog eyes, saying, ¡°I came back early in the morning for the meeting. Don¡¯t you see that my eyes are bloodshot?¡± As expected, Erica bought his story. Not only that, but she even felt sorry for him and hugged him, saying, ¡°Sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have doubted you. You¡¯ve worked hard enough for thepany.¡± What if¡­ A smile curled the corners of Anastasia¡¯s lips. Will she still be able tough if I freeze all of Alex¡¯s debit cards? The finance department had confirmed from the ount statements that Alex had embezzled thepany¡¯s funds, which gave her the right to freeze and audit all his bank ounts, during which time he wouldn¡¯t be able to spend even a penny. Alex didn¡¯t forget to express his love for her. ¡°It¡¯s okay! I can bear all kinds of hardships for your sake. You¡¯re my wife, after all.¡± Upon hearing his words, Erica cheered up a little. Well, nothing wrong will happen as long as the secret of my parentage remains hidden. Otherwise, if Anastasia learns about it, the whole Tillman Constructions will be back in her hands, she thought. It was soon 3:00 PM, and Alex was up to his ears in work. However, Erica didn¡¯t understand the company¡¯s affairs, so she could only go out and hang around. Recalling that she hadn¡¯t gotten in touch with Hayley for a long time, she called her immediately. Hayley happened to be free as well, so they agreed to meet up. In the cafe, Erica noticed Hayley¡¯s healthyplexion and how thetter was dressed in designer clothes again. Not only that, but thetter was carrying a new purse. She asked with a smile, ¡°Seems like you¡¯ve been doing fine recently! Did you get yourself a sugar daddy or something?¡± Hayley averted her eyes guiltily for a moment. ¡°Nope, I didn¡¯t. It¡¯s just that someone¡¯s been nice to me.¡± Erica looked at her face, which had sessfully undergone stic surgery. One had to say that the stic surgery did produce nice results; Hayley had thrown money at it, after all. However, nobody knew the price she paid for this. She had now lost both her sense of smell and sense of taste, which made her life extremely difficult. However, life had to continue, so she had no choice but to wangle money from Alex for her medical treatment. ¡°You do look a little like Anastasia with your makeup on,¡± Erica said. Hayley¡¯s eyes flickered with displeasure. ¡°Who says that I have to look like her? I just want to be myself now.¡± Erica was rendered speechless for a moment. She felt that Hayley was obviously imitating Anastasia in every aspect. Not only that, but she even purposely wore light makeup like thetter. However, she lied through her teeth about it. ¡°How is Anastasia now? And how is your dad?¡± Hayley asked. Erica couldn¡¯t help but ask in surprise, ¡°How did you know what happened to my dad? When did I tell you about it?¡± Hayley¡¯s face paled slightly with fright. She hurriedly said, ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me about it? Then where did I hear that? Oh, right, I identally heard it from someone when I went to your ce to visit youst time. I forgot about it.¡± Erica didn¡¯t think much about it either. She said with a sigh, ¡°My dad¡¯satose, and my mom¡­ She was set up by Anastasia¡ªthat b*tch¡ªand locked up.¡± Hayley deliberately feigned shock. ¡°What? What did Anastasia do to your mom?¡± ¡°She said it was my mom who made my dadatose. That¡¯s bullsh*t,¡± Erica said through clenched teeth. Hayley sneered inwardly. Weren¡¯t you guys in this together? How could you speak so self-righteously as though you have justice on your side? ¡°Anastasia is indeed scheming and vicious. Neither of us is a match for her. You¡¯ve got to watch out for her in the future,¡± she said,forting Erica. ¡°That¡¯s of course. I won¡¯t let her have an easy time,¡± Erica said resentfully. ¡°Well, then, let¡¯s go shopping,¡± Hayley suggested before getting up to pay the bill. She went to the counter as Erica waited for her in her seat. The card she was using right now was Alex¡¯s, so she naturally handed it to the waitress, who then swiped the card. However, the card was declined. ¡°Sorry, miss, but this card of yours is declined,¡± the waitress said to Hayley. Hayley took the card and nced at it. ¡°How is that possible? I just used it this morning. Swipe it again.¡± The waitress tried a few more times, but the payment was still declined. Hayley had no choice but to take the card back and pay the bill in cash. As she walked toward Erica, she was inwardly puzzled. Did Alex cancel the card he had given me? When Erica suggested that they go shopping, Hayley excused herself, saying that she had something to deal with. As a result, Erica had no choice but to drive her somewhere and drop her off. After parting from Erica, she hurried to a bank to find out what was wrong with her card. She was sitting at the counter when the bank officer said to her in surprise, ¡°Miss, this card of yours has been frozen, so it can¡¯t be used.¡± ¡°What? It¡¯s frozen? Who froze it?¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°Are you the owner of this card? If not, you should ask the owner what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°Under what circumstances will a debit card be frozen?¡± Hayley asked curiously. ¡°There are many circumstances that can cause this. You should ask the card¡¯s owner to find out what happened in particr.¡± ¡°That¡¯s of course. I won¡¯t let her have an easy time,¡± Erica said resentfully. As Hayley left the bank with the card in her hand, she had a bad feeling in her gut. She took out her phone and dialed Alex¡¯s number. ¡°Hey, Hayley.¡± ¡°Alex, why is your card frozen? I couldn¡¯t buy what I wanted.¡± ¡°What? Wait a minute.¡± Alex was checking his phone¡¯s messages; he hadn¡¯t had time to check his cell phone because he was too busy with the meeting. And sure enough, his phone registered a notification from the bank saying that all the bank cards under his name had been frozen. ¡°Hayley, I¡¯ll call you back in a minute. The card isn¡¯t usable for the time being.¡± Inwardly, he was anxious as well, for he knew whose doing it was. It¡¯s Anastasia. After hanging up on Hayley, he anxiously stepped out of his office. Anastasia didn¡¯te to the finance department today, so the only ones working here were her subordinates. Alex went to Gregory Lewinsky, the group leader in charge of the department¡¯s affairs. ¡°Mr. Lewinsky, why did you have my cards frozen? Who gave you the right to do so?¡± he questioned angrily. ¡°President Hunter, this is done on Miss Tillman¡¯s orders. You can call her to ask her about it,¡± Gregory replied immediately. However, Alex dared not call Anastasia, mainly because he was the one in the wrong and that it¡¯d be difficult to talk about his misappropriation of thepany¡¯s funds. ¡°Mr. Lewinsky, how about you unfreeze my cards first? I¡¯ll exin the matter to Miss Tillmanter,¡± he said. ¡°Sorry, but we only obey Miss Tillman¡¯s orders here,¡± Gregory replied coldly while snubbing Alex. Alex had no choice but to leave the finance department. Standing before the French window, he took out his cell phone and pondered for a moment. Still, he dialed Anastasia¡¯s number. ¡°Hello?¡± Anastasia¡¯s voice was chilly. ¡°Anastasia, could you inform me before freezing my debit cards? My life is affected now that all my debit cards arepletely unusable,¡± Alex said in a polite tone. Anastasia had no intention of letting him off, though. ¡°President Hunter, you should know why I have your debit cards frozen. There are problems with several ounts, so your cards will be unusable until the money is recovered.¡± ¡°Anastasia, I¡¯m Erica¡¯s husband and your brother-inw. Could you unfreeze my debit cards first for the sake of our rtionship? I¡¯ll solve the rest of the issues as quickly as possible,¡± Alex implored humbly. ¡°Sorry, but let¡¯s follow thepany¡¯s rules,¡± Anastasia replied before hanging up. At once, Alex pounded the wall as if he had gone crazy. He had been under tremendous pressure recently. There were always problems with running thepany; he often had to deal with either ack of materials or a bunch of customerints. Not only that, but he had to source for new clients. In other words, being the president of Tillman Constructions was far from being as morous as he had imagined. Alex¡¯s eyes were bloodshot; he had no choice but to take out his cell phone and dial Erica¡¯s number. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Erica, Anastasia froze my bank cards. Could you lend me yours for a moment? I need it now for an emergency.¡± ¡°What? Why would Anastasia freeze your bank cards?¡± ¡°She found out about the money I embezzledst time and used it as a reason to have my bank cards frozen,¡± Alex exined somewhat indignantly. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give you a cardter,¡± Erica replied. Alex then hung up on her. Still, he was finding a way to unfreeze his cards. Meanwhile, in the hospital, the female nurse in charge of Francis¡¯ fluids was recing his cann when she suddenly sensed a movement in his arm as she was holding it. Startled, she stopped putting in his cann and hurried outside to report it to the doctors. Soon after that, Anastasia learned that Francis had shown a response. Seeing the few specialists who were checking on Francis¡¯ condition before his sickbed, she stood outside the window with a flicker of surprise in her eyes. Dad finally made a movement, which means that he¡¯s getting closer and closer to regaining consciousness. Just then, the nurse in charge of recing Francis¡¯ cann just now came over to her, saying, ¡°Miss Tillman, I¡¯m sure that your father moved.¡± ¡°Thank you. I believe that my dad¡¯s recovering,¡± Anastasia replied thankfully. After that, she took out her cell phone and dialed Elliot¡¯s number. She said to him in surprise, ¡°My dad showed a response just now. He moved.¡± She didn¡¯t realize that it was strangely quiet on the other end of the line. Elliot¡¯s voice sounded especially deep and clear as if it were yed in stereo; he was happy for her. ¡°Is that so? Well, that means our efforts aren¡¯t in vain.¡± Alex¡¯s eyes were bloodshot; he had no choice but to take out his cell phone and dial Erica¡¯s number. Realizing that it was too quiet on the other end, Anastasia asked with embarrassment, ¡°Are you in a meeting?¡± ¡°Mm-hm,¡± Elliot replied with a chuckle. ¡°In that case, just go ahead with your meeting. I won¡¯t bother you any longer.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll call you back when the meeting is over,¡± Elliot said to her. Anastasia hung up. She really wanted to share with him immediately what had just happened to Francis, but she somewhat med herself upon recalling how she had interrupted him while he was in a meeting. As for Erica, she had no intention of sharing the matter with her. She didn¡¯t feel like telling Erica about it. After all, all thetter cared about was thepany, not her father. Meanwhile, Naomi was still being detained. The evidence submitted by Anastasia was sufficient for her to be charged with attempted murder. At this moment, she experienced how distressing it was to be imprisoned. Only two weeks had passed since she was put behind bars, but she was already feeling miserable. To her, life in prison was utterly inhumane. At this moment, she found herself hoping that Francis could regain consciousness and get her out of prison. Even if he hated her and divorced her, she was fine with it as long as she didn¡¯t have to go to prison. And besides, Erica couldn¡¯t be of much help to her while she was here; all the former could do was bring her clothes. Other than that, all she had here was a bed surrounded by ice-cold walls. She yearned for life outside the prison, but she also dreaded what Anastasia would do to her. If Francis were to remainatose for life, Anastasia would probably hate her so much as to have her locked up in here forever. She felt like crying. To think that I¡¯d forsake myfortable life out there and let myselfe to such a bad end, she thought. She hoped day after day that Erica and Alex would get her out of here, only to get disappointed every single day. Still, she knew how much Erica was capable of; thetter was essentially terribly spoiled and had no ability to speak of. She also regretted not having raised Erica to be like Anastasia, who could put everything aside first to save her father. In the afternoon, Erica brought Alex a bank card, wanting to ask him out to dinner in the evening before spending some quality time together. After all, now that they were husband and wife, she also wanted to sleep with him. However, Alex declined her dinner invitation, saying that he had to work untilte tonight because he was too busy with work at his office. Erica was a person who could hardly stay idle. And besides, she¡¯d rather go home and binge on TV dramas in bed than keep Alexpany while he worked extra hours. Moreover, Alex also persuaded her to go home, so she had no choice but to leave reluctantly. Just when she was halfway to her home, she heard the beep of a text message. She picked up her cell phone and took a look, only to see a message saying that 40,000 had been withdrawn from her card. Erica was stunned. For whom did Alex withdraw the 40,000? Not only that, but it pained her that he had withdrawn such arge amount at one go. However, recalling that he needed the money urgently to feast the clients or something, she had no choice but to suppress her displeasure. Unbeknownst to her, however, the 40,000 was delivered to Hayley¡¯s hands as soon as it was withdrawn by Alex. Seeing the stack of notes on the desk, she hugged Alex happily. ¡°Alex, thank you for always having me on your mind.¡± Alex replied, ¡°I can¡¯t let you suffer, after all.¡± He was really in love with Hayley, whose gentleness and adoration for him made him feel needed. Furthermore, he liked her pretty looks. Her features, which somewhat resembled Anastasia¡¯s, often fascinated him. Meanwhile, Erica drove back to her home when she suddenly saw the man fromst time¡ªher biological father¡ªstanding by the wall next to the gate. Startled, she immediately got out of her car. ¡°What are you doing here? Who gave you the permission to show up here?¡± She showed no respect for him, as if chasing a beggar away. However, the man asked her for money right away as her father. ¡°Erica, I need more money. Your dad is short of cash here.¡± Erica was filled with disgust. She replied with a sneer, ¡°Who told you that you¡¯re my dad? Get out of my face! I don¡¯t want to see you at all! How could you ask me for money again after I gave you over 10,000 just a few days ago? Are you taking me for an ATM machine?¡± However, the man had found out about the Tillman Family¡¯s background. ¡°How could you have no money? Francis Tillman is rich; he¡¯s got a bigpany and owns assets of over a billion! What about your mom?¡± Erica was stunned. For whom did Alex withdraw the 40,000? Not only that, but it pained her that he had withdrawn such arge amount at one go. However, recalling that he needed the money urgently to feast the clients or something, she had no choice but to suppress her displeasure. At this very moment, Erica hated Naomi somewhat. Why would thetter choose such a low-ss man to be her father? He was nothing but a useless good-for-nothing. ¡°That¡¯s the Tillman Family¡¯s money. What does it have to do with you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the Tillman Family¡¯s second daughter, so you definitely have money. I don¡¯t need much, Erica. Just give me another 20,000, and I promise I won¡¯t show up again!¡± Upon hearing that, Erica immediately believed him. ¡°Really? You won¡¯t show up again?¡± ¡°You¡¯re my daughter. Now that you¡¯re doing well, I¡¯m d about it. I won¡¯t show up and disturb you and your mother.¡± Erica happened to have 20,000 in her bag, which she had just withdrawn from her bank ount. Upon hearing his words, she took out her bag and produced a stack of notes from it before handing it to him. ¡°Hide as far away as possible, and don¡¯t let me see you again.¡± The man¡¯s face lit up with pleasure as he took the money. ¡°Sure.¡± Upon seeing this, however, Erica felt even more disgusted. She even found herself dirty for having the man¡¯s blood running in her veins. How she wished she were Francis¡¯ daughter, just like Anastasia! However, as long as no one uncovered her parentage, she would still be Francis¡¯ second daughter and the second youngdy of the Tillman Family. Inwardly, she was determined to keep this a secret for life. However, she didn¡¯t know that her parentage was no longer a secret. Mrs. Garner, the servant of her home, had learned about it. Meanwhile, at the Presgrave Hospital, Anastasia learned of another piece of good news that night. Francis¡¯ brain waves had begun to show a response. The response wasn¡¯t strong, but this was nheless a piece of great news. It meant that Francis might regain consciousness. As a result, the boulder weighing on her chest began toe loose. She believed that Francis would definitely wake up, upon which the story about his will would fall apart. All of those who attempted to steal the Tillman Family¡¯s wealth would never get away with it. It was already well past midnight, but Anastasia was sleepless with excitement, so she came outside Francis¡¯ ward again and sat down. After sitting there for a while, she saw Ellioting over with a jacket in his arms and a ss of water in his hand. Both the ss of water and the jacket were intended for her. Her heart warmed as she held the ss of water with both hands and smiled with the jacket that was full of his scent draped over her shoulders. ¡°Why are you still awake?¡± Elliot sat beside her, keeping herpany. ¡°I¡¯m sleepless like you. I¡¯m very happy, too.¡± ¡°But you¡¯ve got tons of work awaiting you tomorrow, whereas I can bezy and sleep,¡± Anastasia replied, feeling sorry for him. Elliot leaned slightly closer to her with an intense look in his eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep unless you¡¯re sleeping with me in my arms.¡± Anastasia pursed her red lips before nodding lightly. ¡°Okay. You go back to your room first. I¡¯lle over in a minute.¡± Only then did Elliot get up and go back to his room, looking satisfied. Holding the ss of warm water in both hands, she took several drinks from it before heading for his room with his jacket draped over her shoulders. Elliot¡¯s bedroom belonged exclusively to him. Decorated like the room of a seven-star hotel, it was furnished with everything one would expect to find. Anastasia saw him reclining in bed and doing nothing as if purposely waiting for her. Hanging his suit jacket on the clothes tree, she sat down on the edge of the bed. Then, shey down on her side and looked at him, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s sleep.¡± Putting his arms around her, Elliot pressed her to his heart and sniffed at her hair. Like her, he was longing for Francis to wake up so that their engagement ceremony could be held again. ¡°Anastasia, let¡¯s go ahead with our engagement when our dad wakes up,¡± he whispered in her ear. Anastasia replied bashfully, ¡°Okay.¡± Upon hearing this, the man behind her hugged her passionately before gently turning her around. After kissing her forehead and her nose, he finally sealed her lips in a kiss; he really needed herfort at this very moment. In the end, looking at the man who got out of bed in embarrassment, Anastasia stifled herughter under the covers. This guy is really asking for it. He shouldn¡¯t have asked me to sleep in his room. Anastasia pursed her red lips before nodding lightly. ¡°Okay. You go back to your room first. I¡¯lle over in a minute.¡± It was early morning, and the whole Tillman Constructions was in a state of agitation after thepany had shut down for a few days. As thepany¡¯s new president, Alex was in a terrible fix. As soon as his car drove in, it got surrounded by a group of employees because they weren¡¯t getting their paycheck for the month. After getting out of his car, Alex had no choice but to promise them that they would get their paycheck. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t even be able to enter his office. ¡°What do we do now, President Hunter? Now that the orders have been canceled, our goods can¡¯t be shipped out. Our warehouse is now overstocked with goods.¡± Stressed out, Alex put his head in his hands, but he was also at the end of his rope. Shortly after that, the two other shareholders came as well. They had made money with Francis being thepany¡¯s president, but now they were losing money with Alex running thepany. As a result, they panicked as well. Thrown into a state of restless anxiety, Alex nearly gave up the shares he was holding. Just then, however, he thought of begging someone. Anastasia. As long as Elliot stops targeting me, those big clients will definitelye back, he thought. Immediately, he dialed Anastasia¡¯s number and implored, ¡°Miss Tillman, please ask President Presgrave to give our clients back to us. Ourpany really can¡¯t hold out any longer.¡± Anastasia sounded very apathetic on the other end. ¡°Even if thepany can¡¯t hold out anymore, it¡¯s your own business. If you really can¡¯t manage it, you can transfer your shares to me and let me manage it instead.¡± But how could Alex be willing to hand thepany over? ¡°Miss Tillman, we¡¯re a family. Surely your father wouldn¡¯t want hispany to go bankrupt, right?¡± ¡°My dad no longer has anything to do with thepany. Now that we¡¯re the ones holding shares in the company, even if thepany goes bankrupt and undergoes liquidation, it¡¯s our own business. What does my dad have to do with it?¡± ¡°Still, you own 30 percent of thepany¡¯s shares. Won¡¯t it pain you if you lose money?¡± Alex tried to persuade her. Anastasia replied with a sneer, ¡°I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m fine with losing money.¡± Alex nearly spat blood in anger. ¡°You¡­¡± To think that she¡¯s stamping on me in such a way! She¡¯d rather watch Tillman Constructions go bankrupt because she¡¯s got Elliot at her back and is afraid of nothing, but Erica and I have no way out! He began to think of selling off thepany. The only way out is to sell it off. Now that there are no signs of improvement, thepany is gonna be ruined at my hands. He tried to call another building materialspany, wanting to sell them the shares under his name, but the person rejected his offer outright. He then made several other phone calls to the businessmen who had shown interest in Tillman Constructions, but they also rejected his offer, as if thepany was a hot potato that they dared not even touch. In the end, Alex¡¯s heart sank into the depths of despair. Could this be Elliot¡¯s doing too? Is he trying to force Tillman Constructions into bankruptcy so that thepany is ruined in my hands? All of a sudden, he was filled with terror and dread. Now that Tillman Constructions was in his hands, it brought him great danger instead of money. At the moment, he was under pressure from both thepany¡¯s employees and its shareholders; his nerves were about to snap as all kinds of pressure bore down on him. If the employees couldn¡¯t get their paycheck, he would be their main target. As such, Tillman Constructions was plunged into a crisis, with Alex suffering the most as the person in the eye of the storm. Before he could enjoy the pleasure brought by power and wealth, he was suffocated by the pressure weighing on his chest. Such was Elliot¡¯s trick. Instead of making Tillman Constructions go bankrupt in one fell swoop, he wanted Alex to go through hell for his greed. With Anastasia taking charge of thepany¡¯s finances, whatever decision Alex made had to gain her approval. If she were to put a little more pressure on him, he wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything about it. This would make him even more anxious, like a cat on a hot tin roof. Today, as soon as Alex stepped out of thepany¡¯s entrance, he was approached by three MPVs, from which a bunch of reporters suddenly stepped out and blocked his path. ¡°Excuse us, President Hunter, but some of Tillman Constructions¡¯ employeesined that their paychecks had been dyed. Can we ask if it¡¯s true?¡± ¡°How are you gonna deal with the sry payments?¡± ¡°As Tillman Constructions¡¯ president, you have to give the public an exnation.¡± In the end, Alex¡¯s heart sank into the depths of despair. Could this be Elliot¡¯s doing too? Is he trying to force Tillman Constructions into bankruptcy so that thepany is ruined in my hands? All of a sudden, he was filled with terror and dread. Now that Tillman Constructions was in his hands, it brought him great danger instead of money. At the moment, he was under pressure from both thepany¡¯s employees and its shareholders; his nerves were about to snap as all kinds of pressure bore down on him. If the employees couldn¡¯t get their paycheck, he would be their main target. Alex looked at the cameras that were focused on his face. He stretched out his hand and knocked off one of the cameras, saying, ¡°Stop filming! I¡¯m not gonnament on mypany¡¯s affairs.¡± ¡°But some of Tillman Constructions¡¯ employees are staging a protest about this. President Hunter, what are you gonna do about their dyed paychecks?¡± Just then, the security guards came over and brought Alex into Tillman Constructions¡¯ premises, keeping the reporters outside the entrance. Stepping into thepany¡¯s lobby in difiture, Alex said to the security guards, ¡°Don¡¯t let the reporters in.¡± Less than ten minutester, Alex was on the news, with a very eye-catching title above his photo. It read, ¡®Alex Hunter, President of Tillman Constructions, Suspected of Embezzling Huge Sums of Money and Dying Paychecks on Purpose.¡¯ Upon seeing this, Alex got so furious that he nearly smashed the iPad in his hands. The news story¡¯s comment section was full of abuses against him. Alex was a proud man who cared a lot about his reputation. At this very moment, however, he was universally condemned like a public enemy. It didn¡¯t take long before Erica called to ask him what was going on. Having reached the limit of his patience, Alex snapped, ¡°What else could it be? I¡¯m now caught between the devil and the deep blue sea in order to run thepany for you! Erica, do you still have money in your hands? I still have millions of wages to pay out. Could you lend me the money first to help me cope with the emergency?¡± Erica also couldn¡¯t do anything about it, though. ¡°How am I supposed to have so much money? But I still have a few of my mom¡¯s cards with me. I don¡¯t know whether there¡¯s money on them, though.¡± ¡°Go check whether there¡¯s still money on the cards, then. However much money there is, wire it over first. If the situation goes on, Tillman Constructions will go bankrupt, upon which we¡¯ll get nothing. Not only that, but we¡¯ll also be massively in debt.¡± All Alex wanted was to survive their current predicament and seek another project. Erica had no choice but to check the bnce on Naomi¡¯s debit cards first. Only then did she find that Naomi still had over four million in her bank ount, of which she kept one million and transferred the rest to Alex. Alex then quickly came to the finance department and had the money credited into thepany¡¯s bank ount to alleviate the problem of unpaid sries. There wasn¡¯t much money left in the finance department¡¯s bank ount, so the money Erica gave Alex was only enough to payst month¡¯s wages. Still, he breathed a soft sigh of relief. Next, he¡¯d have to work hard to negotiate business deals and get the projects going. Upon receiving a phone call from Gregory, Anastasia surmised that Alex had run out of money. The money Alex had credited into thepany¡¯s bank ount was probably all Naomi and Erica had left. What would eventually be of Tillman Constructions? Anastasia decided to put the matter aside first and let Alex be distressed over it. He brought this on himself, after all, she thought. Having no money left for leisure spending, Erica came home from the outside with a weary look on her face. She called Mrs. Garner over and had thetter cook dinner for her. Well, I guess I¡¯lly her off after she gets her paycheck at the end of this month. ¡°Mrs. Garner, it¡¯s near the end of the month. From next month onward, you don¡¯t have toe anymore,¡± Erica said to Mrs. Garner. Mrs. Garner nodded. ¡°Yes, Miss Erica.¡± Then, she asked tentatively, ¡°Miss Erica, the man who was outside yesterday is here again. Is he rted to you?¡± Erica instantly changed her countenance with a ferocious look in her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t let him in! He¡¯s just a beggar.¡± Seeing that she would beid off in a few days, Mrs. Garner decided to start carrying out her n. And besides, the Tillman Family no longer had much money left, so she had to extort a pretty penny from Erica while thetter still had some money. Suddenly, she tossed the piece of rag in her hand onto the floor and said to Erica, ¡°He isn¡¯t a beggar, Miss Erica. He¡¯s your biological father, isn¡¯t he?¡± Erica was so shocked by her words that the cell phone she had just taken out slipped from her grasp and fell onto herp. She sharply turned to stare at Mrs. Garner, asking, ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Stop hiding it from me, Miss Erica. I overheard your conversation with him. You¡¯re not Mr. Tillman¡¯s daughter, but the daughter of madam and that guy, right? Anastasia Tillman is the real and only daughter of the Tillman Family.¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s nonsense! Who allowed you to spew that nonsense?!¡± Erica stood up with a ferocious expression. ¡°Try saying that nonsense again if you dare!¡± Mrs. Garner was a servant, but she had the bearing of a shrew. With her hands on her hips, she argued, ¡°Miss Erica, if you want me to keep my mouth shut, you¡¯ve got to silence me with money. If not, I¡¯ll go around telling people about it. Let¡¯s see if you¡¯ll still be able to stay in the Tillman Family then.¡± ¡°Mrs. Garner, it¡¯s near the end of the month. From next month onward, you don¡¯t have toe anymore,¡± Erica said to Mrs. Garner. In fact, Erica was indeed afraid that she would do so. She immediately implored in a soft voice, ¡°Mrs. Garner, you¡¯ve worked for our family for a dozen years, during which time we¡¯ve never mistreated you. Could you please not go around telling people about it? Please.¡± However, Mrs. Garner replied upromisingly, ¡°You saw with your own eyes how your mother had treated me over thest dozen years. Not only am I doing the housekeeping for the entire household for such meager wages, but I¡¯m ordered around by you guys like a ve! Miss Erica, there¡¯s no way you can brush me off with peanuts.¡± Erica was taken aback; she never thought that her parentage was going to be brought to light. If Mrs. Garner were to tell Anastasia about it, she wouldn¡¯t even have the right to inherit Tillman Constructions! ¡°Mrs. Garner, I don¡¯t have money with me right now. My dad¡¯spany is running into problems, so I¡¯ve given all my money to thepany.¡± Mrs. Garner wasn¡¯t a kind person, though; she counted on the money to live out her life in retirement. ¡°I want a million¡ªevery cent of it. Take your time to think about it, Miss Erica. I want to see the money by tomorrow afternoon.¡± For an instant, a murderous flicker shed across Erica¡¯s eyes. In her mind¡¯s eye, Mrs. Garner was just a low-ss servant. And now, not only did thetter have the nerve to ckmail her for money, but she even demanded one million from her! ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll get the money ready by tomorrow afternoon,¡± she replied, pretending topromise with Mrs. Garner. ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll wait for your phone call. Don¡¯t y any tricks on me, Miss Erica. I¡¯m not afraid of anything,¡± replied Mrs. Garner. Then she took off her apron and threw it onto the floor, saying cockily, ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of working for your family. Mr. Tillman was rtively nice to me, but you and your mother never treated me as a human.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± Erica apologized. ¡°What¡¯s the use of saying sorry? Just give me the money! Bear in mind that I want one million,¡± said Mrs. Garner before she picked up her bag and left. After Mrs. Garner left, Erica no longer concealed the murderous look in her eyes. How dare a low-ss servant threaten me?! This easily gave her an urge to kill. Such a person doesn¡¯t deserve to live in this world. Sitting on the sofa, she began to n on killing Mrs. Garner. Mrs. Garner is childless. Even if she dies in some remote ce, nobody will know about it. Meanwhile, in the hospital¡¯s conference room, Anastasia¡¯s subordinates in the finance department were sitting across from her. Since Elliot didn¡¯t like her to meet Alex, she could only have meetings with her subordinates in the hospital. ¡°Miss Tillman, we¡¯ve collected all the evidence of Alex Hunter¡¯s embezzlement of thepany¡¯s funds.¡± Anastasia replied, ¡°Keep the evidence and put it aside for the time being.¡± This amount of money isn¡¯t enough to make Alex pay the price. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing. We found that Silverstar Enterprise has an outstanding payment of as much as 30 million. We¡¯ve called thepany, and they¡¯ll credit the money into ourpany¡¯s bank ount at the end of the month.¡± Chapter 541-550 Chapter 541-550 ¡°Is that so?¡± Anastasia frowned slightly as a scheming look began to form in her eyes. She said, ¡°Mr. Lewinsky, go back to Tillman Constructions with your men first. I¡¯m gonna hand the finance department over to Alex. I¡¯ve got to devote myself to looking after my dad.¡± Gregory was startled for a moment before he nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± After the meeting ended, Anastasia asked Gregory to stay. She said to him, ¡°Mr. Lewinsky, please help me keep a close eye on the ounts.¡± Gregory understood what she meant. ¡°I got it, Miss Tillman.¡± After the subordinates left, Anastasia picked up her phone and dialed Alex¡¯s number. ¡°Hey, Anastasia. Is there anything?¡± Alex sounded somewhat excited. ¡°Well, I have to devote myself to taking care of my dad, so I may not have time to care about the company¡¯s finances anymore. I¡¯m gonna hand thepany¡¯s finances back to you.¡± ¡°Dad¡¯s condition matters more than anything else. Anastasia, you can leave thepany to me with peace of mind. I¡¯ll definitely save thepany from its hopeless situation.¡± ¡°Alright. You can rehire your former subordinates into the finance department. My people are gonna leave the department.¡± Alex replied, ¡°No problem. Thank you so much, Anastasia.¡± Inwardly, though, he was overjoyed. Now that Anastasia was going to keep her hands off Tillman Constructions, the wholepany would fall under hisplete control. ¡°Oh, by the way, the Silverstar Enterprise still owes us 30 million, so take note of it.¡± Anastasia reminded him. ¡°30 million?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Alright! What a timely help it is. As it happens, thepany needs the money to stay afloat.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Anastasia frowned slightly as a scheming look began to form in her eyes. She said, ¡°Mr. Lewinsky, go back to Tillman Constructions with your men first. I¡¯m gonna hand the finance department over to Alex. I¡¯ve got to devote myself to looking after my dad.¡± ¡°Alright, that¡¯s all,¡± Anastasia said before hanging up. Alex clenched his fists excitedly in his office. Not only was the finance department back in his hands, but thepany was going to receive a huge sum of payment. To him, this would really solve the urgent situation. However, after he was happy for a few seconds, his eyes suddenly darkened. If he could take the 30 million away, the money would be enough for him to start his own business. And besides, could Tillman Constructions still be saved? There was no way the few small projects could sustain thepany for long, so it wouldn¡¯t take long before thepany went bankrupt. In other words, the 30 million would only go down the drain if it was invested into thepany. So, why don¡¯t I keep the 30 million in my hands instead? This will be a real cash flow! Alex had long been impatient to abandon his position as Tillman Constructions¡¯ president. Whoever wants to be president can take up the position. Luckily, he had a secret trick up his sleevest time. The agreement to transfer Naomi¡¯s shares included an additional use added by him whereby he could give up his rights to the shares anytime. In the end, Erica would be the only person who had to bear the consequences of Tillman Constructions¡¯ bankruptcy. By then, he would divorce her and live in another city with Hayley and the money. Now that¡¯s an enjoyment. He took everything into ount as reality forced him into doing so. It had only been less than two weeks since his appointment as president, but he had learned how difficult it was to run apany. He was already mentally and physically exhausted thanks to all kinds of troubles. If he were to keep on working as thepany¡¯s president, he might end up suffering from heart disease. For the sake of his health, he decided to quit. Meanwhile, Anastasia was standing next to Francis¡¯ sickbed in the hospital. She sincerely hoped that he could wake up immediately and see the looks and ambitions of those around him. ¡°Dad, I¡¯ll make them pay the price,¡± she whispered softly to him. That very afternoon, Alex summoned his former subordinates back. Silverstar Enterprise promised to credit the money into Tillman Constructions¡¯ bank ount by 10:00 AM tomorrow, but to Alex¡¯s surprise, they credited the money before the off-work hours. Sitting before hisptop, Alex looked at the 30 million in Tillman Constructions¡¯ bank ount with his eyes full of greed. With his capabilities, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to extract the 30 million. After all, Tillman Constructions needed money for everything right now. As long as he cooked the books a little bit, it would be easy for him to extract the money. Moreover, he was experienced in this. Meanwhile, Erica was also on pins and needles at home. She couldn¡¯t share the matter with anyone other than Naomi; she dared not even tell Alex about it. There was no other way but to kill Mrs. Garner to bury the secret forever. It was obvious at a nce that her biological father had a plebeian mentality. As long as she gave him a little money, he would promise to keep the secret forever. Mrs. Garner was different, though. Even if she took the money, there was no guarantee that she wouldn¡¯t tell Anastasia the secret after she finished spending all the money in the future. By then, she would be able to get a sum of money from Anastasia. Mrs. Garner was such a greedy person that Erica would only put her mind at rest if the former vanished completely from the face of the earth. Now that Naomi wasn¡¯t by her side, she had to make all the decisions on her own. Moreover, she inherited Naomi¡¯s ruthless side. She had no other way out; she had to snuff out the secret. If her parentage were toe to light, she would lose all the glory that belonged to her. Just then, it urred to her that she hadn¡¯t been intimate with Alex for a long time. The thought made her crave hispany tonight, so she dialed his number, wanting to have dinner with him in the evening. Alex agreed; he would do his best at ying the part of her husband before the 30 million fell into his hands. What gave him the nerve to target the 30 million now was the currentck of oversight on Tillman Constructions. Anastasia was putting her heart and soul into saving Francis, who couldn¡¯t regain consciousness, whereas Erica knew nothing about business. This was a great opportunity for him. Just then, Erica said, ¡°Alex, I¡¯m afraid that it¡¯s gonna be difficult for my mom to be removed from suspicion. Anastasia refuses to let her off, whereas my dad¡¯s stitose. So, you¡¯ve got to stay by my side and help me, okay?¡± She dared not look down on Alex anymore now that she had to depend on him. ¡°I¡¯ll help you through everything, of course. Now that you¡¯ve given me the power to run thepany, I¡¯m not gonna let you down,¡± Alex replied. By then, she would be able to get a sum of money from Anastasia. Erica raised her wine ss. ¡°I love you, Alex.¡± ¡°I love you too.¡± Alex clinked sses with her. That night, Alex stayed at Erica¡¯s ce. She grabbed his cell phone and wanted to take a look at its messages, only to find that it was locked with a passcode. They were already husband and wife, but Alex didn¡¯t give her open ess to his phone. ¡°Alex, what¡¯s your phone¡¯s passcode? I wanna check something,¡± she asked him. Alex stretched out his hand and took his phone from her, asking, ¡°What do you want to check? Let me help you.¡± Seeing that the phone was back in his hands, Erica couldn¡¯t help but pout her lips. ¡°Alex, why don¡¯t you just tell me the passcode?¡± Alex held her for a moment with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to tell you the passcode. It¡¯s just that my phone contains a lot of stuff about thepany, so I¡¯m afraid that you might delete them by ident. Trust me; you¡¯re the only woman I love the most.¡± Erica was inwardly speechless for a moment. Like hell I¡¯ll believe you, she thought. Alex was merely married to her, but the woman he loved the most was Anastasia. It was just that he couldn¡¯t get his hands on thetter. The night passed, and Alex went to work in the morning. Early in the morning, Erica got a phone call from Mrs. Garner, who asked her if she had prepared the money. When Erica heard this, a hint of a sneer flickered across her eyes. ¡°Mrs. Garner, I borrowed the money, but my friend asked us to go somewhere to get it. Let me fetch you and take you there.¡± ¡°Just transfer the money into my bank ount!¡± Erica replied, ¡°I don¡¯t have that much money on my debit card. I had my friend prepare 200,000 in cash at a ce where you have to go and get the money yourself. I¡¯ll transfer the money on my card into your bank ount once we get there.¡± Mrs. Garner wasn¡¯t a highly-educated person, after all. Hearing that the money was ready, she naturally believed it. ¡°Alright then,e and fetch me.¡± Erica left home by car and found a well-hidden ce. It was a beach she once visited. There was hardly a soul on the beach, but it had a very high cliff, making it the best ce for her to strike. She picked Mrs. Garner up, looking as though she dared not offend thetter. ¡°Here, have some water, Mrs. Garner. It¡¯ll be quite a journey.¡± Mrs. Garner asked warily, ¡°Why do we have to go so far away?¡± ¡°That friend of mine runs a hotel by the sea. I have to go to her hotel to get the money.¡± Knowing that Erica had many friends, Mrs. Garner didn¡¯t doubt her words. Thinking that she could enjoy the scenery at the seaside, she was in a good mood. ¡°Miss Erica, where is your mom, actually?¡± she asked curiously. Naomi was taken away by the police at the hospital, but Erica had never told Mrs. Garner that the former had been arrested, so Mrs. Garner was still unaware that Naomi was now in prison. ¡°My mom is taking care of my dad.¡± ¡°Oh. In that case, how is your dad¡ªoh, I mean Mr. Tillman?¡± Mrs. Garner hurriedly corrected herself. ¡°He¡¯s still unconscious,¡± Erica said indifferently. With that, Mrs. Garner stopped talking. As Erica turned to look at her, disgust shed through her eyes. Finally, she drove into a seaside path surrounded by reeds. At this sight, Mrs. Garnermented in surprise, ¡°Your friend owns a hotel here?¡± ¡°No, we made an appointment to meet here. With so much money, she has to find a hidden ce to give it to me or it¡¯ll be bad if someone steals it from us,¡± Erica exined while deliberately dialing her phone. But in fact, there would be no answer as she called her other phone which she usually left in her house. ¡°Oh no! My friend isn¡¯t answering. Let¡¯s go over and see if she has arrived,¡± Erica suggested pretentiously. For the sake of money, Mrs. Garner didn¡¯t think much about her words and believed her. Hence, they drove all the way into a hill with the sea in the distance and a shore full of dangerous reefs. As Erica parked her car in a thicket and dialed her friend¡¯s phone again, Mrs. Garner immediately looked over. ¡°Hayley, are you here yet? What, you didn¡¯t have time to wait for me? So, where did you keep the money? Why did you leave it there? Okay, I get it. I¡¯ll take it myself then.¡± Once Erica finished speaking and hung up the phone, she said, ¡°Mrs. Garner, my friend left the money somewhere, so let¡¯s go and check!¡± Mrs. Garner nodded and followed her all the way to the edge of the cliff. ¡°He¡¯s still unconscious,¡± Erica said indifferently. With that, Mrs. Garner stopped talking. Erica pointed to a stone and said, ¡°My friend left the money behind that stone. Let¡¯s go over and see whether it¡¯s there.¡± At first, Mrs. Garner was walking behind her, but Erica took out a card and suddenly threw it beside the bush. ¡°Oh no! Mrs. Garner, my card has been blown away. Hurry and help me pick it up. It¡¯s actually for you.¡± When Mrs. Garner saw the card, she instantly rushed over to pick it up without hesitation. Then, Erica seized the opportunity and took advantage of Mrs. Garner¡¯s moment of distraction to cruelly shove her to the bottom of the cliff two meters away. Mrs. Garner waved her hand in horror to grab at something, but her hands only grasped at air and she was soon swallowed by the raging sea below. Seeing that she had seeded, Ericay on the edge of the cliff and looked around for a while. Then, she finally breathed a sigh of relief and said while clutching her chest, ¡°You were asking for it, so don¡¯t me me.¡± She sat and watched for a long time, but she didn¡¯t see Mrs. Garner¡¯s body at all. From the looks of the dark sea current, it was impossible for the person involved to float, let alone survive. Even if Mrs. Garner was discovered and they interrogated Erica, she could just make up an alibi. As Mrs. Garner had no children and lived all by herself, it was reasonable for her to jump into the sea and end her own life out of loneliness. As Erica drove home, she feltpletely rxed. She had finally solved one of her biggest troubles, and no one would ever discover her parentage again. Along the way home, she acted as though nothing happened and continued to eat, drink, and have fun. Last night, Alex told her that the company¡¯s situation had improved. Now, she could simply wait for the profits toe rolling in from the company and make herself a fortune with peace of mind. In thepany, Alex began to prepare for the transfer and embezzlement of the 30 million. He nned to fake a negotiation with a dummypany, then send the money over to thatpany before having it wired back to himself. The money could then be considered as part of theirpany¡¯s deficit. On the other hand, Hayley was not enjoying herself in Alex¡¯s apartment. She had now lost her sense of taste and smell, which greatly inconvenienced her life. After she got up early this morning, she went to the mirror and admired her beauty before moving onto a detailed skin care routine. Suddenly, she felt a few bumps on her forehead with a hint of bruises. Although it couldn¡¯t be seen easily, the protruding bumps on her face were a little obvious. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Hayley stretched out her hand and covered her forehead, not daring to take a closer look all of a sudden. As she previously had a t forehead, she went for a Botox injection. Hayley took a deep breath and checked the bumps. The more she looked at it, the angrier she became, and she even felt a little frightened. Were the side effects starting to appear? No, she didn¡¯t have the money to repair and maintain her face now. It took her a long time before she barely managed to cover these bumps with makeup, but she knew that if she didn¡¯t take care of her face, she would have even more problems in the future. At the beginning, she spent nearly two million on stic surgery, and some of these procedures required follow-up appointments after three months. Back then, she had Elliot¡¯s ck card that she could spend as much as she wanted. However, she didn¡¯t expect that she would be ruthlessly driven out by him one day. Hayley looked at herself in the mirror, feeling hatred and adoration for her face at the same time. She became even more jealous of Anastasia¡¯s natural beauty, while she had to always be frightened and afraid that she would lose hers at any time. Early in the morning, Anastasia received a call from the police as Naomi¡¯swyer wanted to see her. However, she didn¡¯t really want to meet them as Naomi¡¯s matter was not over yet. The reason why she dyed her father¡¯s resuscitation and the pills found in his mouth were all rted to Naomi. Before collecting all necessary evidence, she wouldn¡¯t use her yet. She wouldn¡¯t be merciful this time either. Even if Naomi was her stepmother, she wouldn¡¯t go easy on her. Hayley took a deep breath and checked the bumps. The more she looked at it, the angrier she became, and she even felt a little frightened. Were the side effects starting to appear? No, she didn¡¯t have the money to repair and maintain her face now. In the afternoon, Naomi¡¯swyer contacted Erica, and she directly took thewyer to the hospital to meet Anastasia. Erica anxiously wished for her mother to be released as well, so Anastasia had no choice but to face them directly. In the conference room, thewyer talked to Anastasia on behalf of Naomi, while Erica sat aside and listened. ¡°Miss Tillman, Ms. Lowell is your stepmother and has raised you since you were a child¡­¡± Thewyer began, intending to persuade Anastasia in a reasonable way. However, Anastasia scoffed before he even finished his sentence. ¡°Mr. Yale, before you persuade me, you should ask how my stepmother treated me when I was younger. Otherwise, it¡¯ll be a waste of your time.¡± Elias Yale couldn¡¯t help but push his sses up and nce at Erica. For the sake of her mother, Erica became meek all of a sudden. ¡°Anastasia, I know my mother was not a good person, but can you let her out in consideration of her taking care of Dad for so many years and their rtionship as a married couple? She¡¯s too old for this.¡± Anastasia said emotionlessly, ¡°Now, you think your mother is too old to suffer, but does that mean I deserved to be kicked out of my house by her when I was young? Also, you chased me out like this five years ago, and we still haven¡¯t dealt with that matter yet!¡± Erica gulped subconsciously. Never once had she thought that she and her mother would end up in such a predicament, or she would¡¯ve been kinder to Anastasia. ¡°Miss Tillman, perhaps you are mistaken. ording to Ms. Lowell, she only hoped to save her husband from hisa, not to murder him,¡± Elias said calmly. ¡°Mr. Yale, the evidence is in my hands. The hospital has the identification certificate which can determine if those drugs were meant to save a person or end their life. If you have any questions, I can tell you the names of those drugs, and you can inquire with an expert about them! If you want to clear her of the crime, my advice is you should convince her to plead guilty instead,¡± Anastasia retorted coldly. As she listened to their conversation, Erica broke into a cold sweat. Although Anastasia was never an easy target in the task, she realized that she was even more of a threat now. ¡°Anastasia, I¡¯m begging you, please let Mom go on the behalf of her taking care of Dad for so many years! I¡¯ll do anything you say, all right? I apologize to you on behalf of my mother. As long as you let her go, we¡¯ll definitely return the favor in the future.¡± Erica had already let go of all her pride. As long as her mother could be released, she was willing to humbly beg Anastasia. However, to Anastasia, it was useless even if Erica got on her knees and begged her. She said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m busy. I have to take care of Dad. You should leave!¡± ¡°Anastasia¡­¡± Erica stretched out her hand to pull her back, but Anastasia raised her hand in disgust. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me,¡± she said scornfully. Her gaze startled Erica, and she didn¡¯t dare to touch her anymore. As she looked at Anastasia, all she felt was resentment. As Anastasia didn¡¯t give them a chance, Elias felt that this was a tricky case as well. As he sorted out the documents, he remarked, ¡°Miss Erica, your mother¡¯s case is not an easy one!¡± ¡°Please, Mr. Yale, you must help my mom and find a way to save her. I can give you all the money you need,¡± Erica begged anxiously. ¡°Your mother¡¯s side is very unfavorable, and your sister isn¡¯t letting up at all. Now, the only way is to wake your father as soon as possible and ask him toe forward to solve this matter. He and your mother have been married for more than 20 years, so he might rescind the charges.¡± A glimmer of hope shed in Erica¡¯s eyes at his words, but it was quickly reced by panic. No, Francis would not necessarily let them go if he woke up. After they changed his will and divided his company¡¯s equity, and with the evidence that her mother was harming him, what if he didn¡¯t let them go? Therefore, Erica would rather Francis never woke up from hisa. ¡°My dad may not wake up anymore, so let¡¯s forget about this. You shoulde up with another n!¡± After Erica finished speaking, she decided to go and visit Francis. Having received Anastasia¡¯s orders, the nurses would not simply disclose Francis¡¯ condition to outsiders. Hence, even Erica did not know about the improvement in his condition. She stood in front of the bed and looked at his face. Even though she had been raised by him for more than 20 years, she did not feel any trace of gratitude toward him at all. From the fact that she dared to deal with Mrs. Garner, it was clear that she had already lost all affection for him. ¡°Anastasia¡­¡± Erica stretched out her hand to pull her back, but Anastasia raised her hand in disgust. Erica left without staying for long and went straight to Tillman Constructions to see how thepany was doing, as Alex had told her that things were getting better. When she walked into his office and saw him signing some documents, she leaned over and hugged him affectionately. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re busy, Alex.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Alex ced the documents down and lifted his head to look at her. ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°I was trying to beg Anastasia to let Mom go, but I didn¡¯t expect her to be so determined to put Mom in jail. Alex, what do you think I should do?¡± Erica asked in hopes of discussing this matter with him. Alex didn¡¯t care about Naomi at all and thought it was best for her to take all of the me so that he and Erica could live afortable life. ¡°Erica, Anastasia has evidence of Mom¡¯s crime with her. We can¡¯t save her. If you have the opportunity to see her, you should ask her not to worry and stay there for a few years. We¡¯ll wait for her toe out.¡± ¡°What? You want my mom to stay in jail for a few years?¡± His words startled Erica. Seeing that being gentle wasn¡¯t working, Alex could only speak harshly. ¡°What else? If your mom doesn¡¯t take the me for this crime, it¡¯ll be over for all of us. Besides, it was her idea to murder your dad in the first ce.¡± Erica felt despair, but she couldn¡¯t leave Alex. She truly envied Anastasia for being able to make a man like Elliot do anything for her. On the other hand, why was the man she met so coldhearted? ¡°Erica, think about it. If your mom doesn¡¯t take the me, then you¡¯ll be one of the culprits of the murder. At most, I¡¯m a foil, not the mastermind. But when your father fell into aa, the mastermind had to be either you or your mom, so if your mom doesn¡¯t go to jail, it would be you. You¡¯re still so young. Can you stand staying in prison?¡± ¡°But Mom¡­¡± Erica was about to rebuke when Alex spoke again. ¡°Your mom has had a good life for more than 20 years. She can survive it, but I feel sorry for you. You¡¯re only 24 years old. You have a lot of time left instead of wasting your life away in that dark cell. If your mom loves you, she will take the me for you.¡± Erica¡¯s mind was inundated with fear at this point. She truly didn¡¯t want to go to jail, to the point where she¡¯d rather take her own life. After all, it would drive her crazy. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll be meeting Mom tomorrow. I¡­ I¡¯ll talk to her then.¡± In the end, Erica only cared about herself. Erica felt that Alex had a point. If her mother didn¡¯t take the me, she would have to bear the guilt along with her. Hence, it was only if Naomi confessed to her crimes and cleared Erica¡¯s usations would she be able to have a good life. ¡°Stop working overtime ande home with me tonight. I miss you.¡± Erica was a little afraid of spending the night alone as she had just pushed Mrs. Garner into the sea that morning. Besides, she knew that Mrs. Garner had no chance of survival. Would she turn into a ghost to haunt her at night? She needed his luck. ¡°Tonight, I¡­¡± Alex had just agreed to have dinner with Hayley ten minutes ago and sleep over at her ce that night. ¡°Alex, I need you. Can you stay with me tonight?¡± Erica embraced him. ¡°I¡¯m too scared to sleep alone.¡± Seeing that he couldn¡¯t refuse, he could only agree to her. While Erica was in the restroom, Alex sent a message to Hayley saying that he had to cancel their date that night. At that moment, Hayley had already hurriedly dressed up for her romantic night with Alex. Now that he was noting, her mood was ruined. Is Erica pestering him? Mockery shed in her eyes at that thought. Is she trying to pick a fight with me? She continued to bombard Alex with messages, telling him to turn down Erica ande to her side before she got angry. Alex was caught in the middle of two women fighting for his favor. If it were in the past, he might¡¯ve thought that it was his fortune, but now he only felt irritated. While Erica used the restroom, he began to come up with a n for divorce as well. If not, it would be troublesome if Erica refused to leave him after he got his hands on the money. Erica felt that Alex had a point. If her mother didn¡¯t take the me, she would have to bear the guilt along with her. Hence, it was only if Naomi confessed to her crimes and cleared Erica¡¯s usations would she be able to have a good life. He felt that Erica seemed to be uneasy that night, as if she had done something wrong. Though she said that she was afraid to spend the night alone, Alex thought that this was an opportunity to lead her into making a mistake. He had a rtively young assistant from the finance department who was also quite handsome and had a sly and brave personality that he could take advantage of. When Erica was getting off work, Alex anxiously told her that he had to meet a client and might only be able toe back from Belros the next morning. ¡°Alex, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°No, this is an urgent matter. I wouldn¡¯t have time to stay with you even if youe along, and it¡¯s not convenient for us if you¡¯re there.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Erica, if you¡¯re scared at night, just give me a call.¡± ¡°Alex¡­¡± Before Erica could stop him, Alex had already gotten into the car and left. As she watched the sun set in the distance, she began to feel a chill down her spine as her mind filled with Mrs. Garner¡¯s horrified expression as she fell into the water. Her grip tightened around her clothes in fear as she got into her car and wondered, Who should I look for tonight? Who can stay with me? She then thought of Hayley, the only person who was still in contact with her. With that, she instantly reached for her phone and dialed Hayley¡¯s number. ¡°Hello? Hayley, are you free tonight? I want to invite you toe and spend a night at my house.¡± ¡°Tonight? I¡¯m not free, though. I¡¯m going to meet a friendter.¡± ¡°What friend? Is it important? Can you cancel your ns and meet with me? I¡¯ll treat you to a feast and we can go to a bar after.¡± ¡°I really can¡¯t. It¡¯s a really important friend of mine. I¡¯m sorry, Erica. Have fun at the bar!¡± Hayley made it clear that she wouldn¡¯t be able toe. After all, she had a date with Alex that night! As she sat in her car, Erica felt herself tremble. She could only drive aimlessly around the city, but as it started to gette, she called Alex, who was by Hayley¡¯s side at the same time. Heforted her before telling her that one of his employees was going to the Tillman Residence to deliver some documents. ¡°How about this, Erica? I¡¯ll ask my assistant to chat with you first. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯m hanging up.¡± Saying that, he ended the call. Hence, Erica could only contact his assistant. It was then that she heard an attractive and young male voice. ¡°Miss Tillman, I¡¯m on my way to your house. Where are you?¡± Immediately, she felt her heart skip a beat. This assistant¡¯s voice sounds so pleasing! And he seems young too! ¡°I¡¯m almost home. What about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m on my way there.¡± ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± Ten minutester, Erica opened the door for the suited young man with documents in hand. The appearance of this young man was considered to be above average. Suddenly, her eyes brightened as an idea popped into her mind: make this assistant stay the night with her as she was afraid of the traces of Mrs. Garner in the house that would make her feel as though Mrs. Garner was still by her side. ¡°Miss Tillman, I¡¯ll leave the documents here. Since I still have something to do¡ª¡± ¡°Hold it. What¡¯s your name?¡± Erica stopped him. ¡°My name is Oscar.¡± ¡°You have a nice name, Oscar! I happen to be slightly bored now, so how about you have a seat and keep mepany?¡± She took the initiative to make him stay. However, it was no coincidence for Oscar to bring the documents to Erica as Alex had promised him a hundred thousand for him to seduce Erica and to hand him evidence of this affair. To Oscar, it was as though he struck gold as he didn¡¯t have to lift a finger for things to progress the way he wanted. He was but a victim in all of this matter if Erica was the one who made the first move. Noticing the frivolous expression in her eyes, Oscar asked, ¡°Miss Tillman, wouldn¡¯t it be inappropriate for me to stay?¡± ¡°As long as the both of us keep our mouths shut, it wouldn¡¯t be an inappropriate matter.¡± Saying that, Erica stood up and poured Oscar a ss of wine. ¡°Oscar, do you perhaps have a girlfriend?¡± ¡°I¡¯m almost home. What about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m on my way there.¡± ¡°Nope!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. For a second there, I was afraid your girlfriend would get jealous because of this.¡± Erica realized thatpared to Alex, Oscar was much more pleasing to the eyes. She had been feeling lonely as Alex had been treating her coldly recently. Hence, to appease her loneliness, she desperately wanted a man¡¯sfort. ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll apany you tonight, Miss Tillman!¡± Oscar had his own ideas regarding Erica as well. To him, she was the daughter of Francis Tillman, which meant that she was a woman of wealth! Happy at how interested he was, she said, ¡°I¡¯m feeling a little hot right now. I¡¯ll go upstairs to take a shower.¡± Ten minutester, she came back downstairs in sexy lingerie. Oscar, on the other hand, had set up his camera in one of the corners of the room. ¡°Miss Tillman¡­ You¡¯re¡­¡± ¡°Am I pretty?¡± The confident Erica sat on the sofa with her eyes on him. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re very pretty,¡± Oscar praised. When she heard hispliment, her eyes lit up with hints of joy in them. ¡°Then, stay the night with me!¡± ¡°But, Miss Tillman, what would I be doing?¡± He feigned ignorance. Suddenly, she boldly held the man in her embrace. ¡°I need you, Oscar. Tonight, I am all yours.¡± ¡°Miss Tillman, I don¡¯t think this is appropriate.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t reject me,¡± she asked proactively. ¡°Miss Tillman¡­ We can¡¯t do this!¡± ¡°Oscar, if you try to refuse me again, I will fire you first thing the next morning,¡± Erica said domineeringly and took advantage of her position to pressure the man. However, this was exactly what Oscar wanted as he needed to act as an unwilling participant. Thus, the night ended with her shamelessly having an affair with him. When morning came, Oscar left early to give the video of the affair, which had been edited to only show Erica¡¯s face, to Alex. After Alex had paid Oscar posthaste, Oscar resigned that very morning. With a cold yet pleased expression in his eyes, Alex waited for the 30 million to beundered in his office. If all went perfectly, the money would be safe in his offshore ount as it would bepletely untraceable in the country. Finally, Alex¡¯s other phone received a notification. Silently counting the number of zeros, he let out a satisfied smile, as he could now quit the wreck that was Tillman Constructions. Finally, the money is in my hands now. Then, he took out a contract from his drawer before he dialed Erica¡¯s number. ¡°Hello, Alex.¡± Erica¡¯s voice was tinged with slight guilt. ¡°Are you home? I¡¯ll being back, as there¡¯s something I have to discuss with you.¡± ¡°I am. I¡¯ll wait for you,¡± Erica replied gently. With the video and contract in hand, Alex left to meet Erica. Currently, the Tillman Residence looked deserted. In the past, Mrs. Garner would open the door for him whenever he came home. Now, he had to enter the password himself to open the door. Upon entering the house, Alex found Erica, who was waiting for his arrival, sitting on the sofa. Erica was specting that Alex wanted to discuss the future of thepany with her. ¡°Where¡¯s Mrs. Garner?¡± Alex asked curiously. ¡°She quit and went back home since I don¡¯t need a servant when I¡¯m by myself,¡± Erica exined. Since yesterday afternoon, she had been watching the news to see if there were any reports of dead bodies found in the sea, but not once did the image of Mrs. Garner appear on the news. This made her think that Mrs. Garner might have disappeared from the face of the earth forever, or perhaps Mrs. Garner had already been chewed to bits by the sharks. Regardless, Mrs. Garner no longer existed in this world. ¡°Erica, were you afraid of being by yourselfst night?¡± Alex asked as soon as he sat down. ¡°I was fine. I wasn¡¯t that afraid when I thought of you.¡± Erica looked at Alex flirtatiously. After Alex looked at the woman as though he was watching a theater y, he took out his iPad and yed a certain video. Immediately after, the room was filled with what Erica had said the night before: ¡°If you try to refuse me again, I will fire you first thing the next morning.¡± ¡°Are you home? I¡¯ll being back, as there¡¯s something I have to discuss with you.¡± Frightened, Erica nched at once and tried to grab the iPad from his hand like a madman while shamelessly ring at him. ¡°Why¡­ Why do you have this?¡± Alex closed the video before he sneered, ¡°You still have the nerve to ask me? When you were the one who had slept with one of my employees? Erica Tillman, are you ying some sort of sick game of infidelity with me?¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± Red with anger, Erica gritted her teeth, as she felt she had fallen into a trap. Alex said nothing further as he threw a contract right in front of Erica. ¡°Sign it!¡± ¡°What is this?¡± Erica took the contract, all the while ring at Alex. ¡°It¡¯s good news; I¡¯ll be returning all of my shares in Tillman Constructions to you. From now on, you will be holding 70 percent of thepany¡¯s shares, as I¡¯ll be quitting that wretch of apany.¡± A look of disgust appeared on his face. ¡°Thepany was still profitable back when your father was still around, but now, it¡¯s losing millions every day. I¡¯m not going to apany you to saddle these debts.¡± ¡°You¡­ Alex, I don¡¯t get how thepany operates. I know it¡¯s my fault. Please, don¡¯t go through with the divorce; don¡¯t leave me, okay?¡± Erica became anxious all of a sudden. Should thepany continue to lose money like this, bankruptcy would be unavoidable. The shares she held in the company would amount to nothing in the end. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll still want to be with you? I can¡¯t even stand the sight of a dirty woman like you! Now, if you don¡¯t want this video to be uploaded online for the world to see, sign it!¡± Erica broke down. Gritting her teeth, she trembled all over. ¡°I¡¯m not signing this. You were the one who caused thepany to be in this state. Why should I be the one to bear these debts alone?¡± ¡°If you want to point fingers, point them at Anastasia, as this was all her doing and has nothing to do with me.¡± Alex refused to admit that his capabilities were not up to par. Nevertheless, he wished to have nothing to do with Tillman Constructions anymore since he had already gotten a sum of money from thepany. ¡°Sign it.¡± Alex threatened once more by bringing attention to the iPad in his hand. ¡°Otherwise, I¡¯ll upload this online. The whole world will see just how shameful you are then.¡± ¡°No!¡± Erica was on the verge of going crazy, as she knew that her life would be ruined the minute that video was uploaded online. She would never be able to hold her head up high ever again. Caved to Alex¡¯s threats, Erica could only pick up the pen and sign on the dotted line before stamping her fingerprint next to her signature. After Erica finished signing the documents, Alex took one copy before he said coldly, ¡°Erica Tillman, don¡¯t bother me from now on. Your father¡¯s affairs have nothing to do with me. I shouldn¡¯t need to remind you that I can easily upload this video anytime I want if you named me as a participant in the revision of the will.¡± With her heart wretched, Erica red at Alex¡¯s indifferent expression and noticed just how intense the feeling of hatred could be, so much so that she wanted to end his life right at this very spot. Smugly, Alex raised the iPad in his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t upset me. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow at the county clerk¡¯s office to end this marriage.¡± Looking at the man¡¯s shadow gradually vanishing from sight, Erica covered her face and bawled her eyes out, as she hadn¡¯t the slightest idea of what to do now. The pressure of having the loss-making Tillman Constructions in her hands was just like having a mountaining down on her. She never knew just how miserable it would be to hold the shares of thispany. If thepany went bankrupt, she would never be able to pay off the astronomical debts even if she had several lifetimes. However, amid her despair, Erica thought of someone who could get her out of this mess¡ªAnastasia. Right now, only Anastasia was capable enough to salvage Tillman Constructions from the brink of bankruptcy. Hence, she left her house with her bag in hand and went straight to the hospital. In the hospital, Anastasia had just left the specialist¡¯s office in a good mood, as her father¡¯s recovery was above her expectations. Furthermore, the doctor had assured her that it was only a matter of time before her father would regain consciousness now. She was relieved after hearing the doctor¡¯s diagnosis, as her father¡¯s illness had been a great source of distress for her all this while. ¡°Miss¡­ wait! You have to check in!¡± one of the nurses at the nurses station shouted. With her heart wretched, Erica red at Alex¡¯s indifferent expression and noticed just how intense the feeling of hatred could be, so much so that she wanted to end his life right at this very spot. As Erica had coincidentally bumped into Anastasia, she rushed over to Anastasia without caring to register herself for a visit. ¡°Anastasia, you have to help me!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Anastasia replied indifferently. ¡°You have to save Dad¡¯spany! Alex wants to divorce me. He doesn¡¯t care about thepany anymore. Right now, thepany is losing millions as days go by. Please, you have to save the company. I don¡¯t want to see it go bankrupt.¡± Erica¡¯s eyes grew red from anxiety. However, Anastasia sneered, ¡°What you want is to not be saddled with debts.¡± Taken aback, Erica bit her lip and said, ¡°Do you really have the heart to watch as our dad¡¯spany goes bankrupt?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been counting the days for thepany to go bankrupt so that those insatiable hyenas can have a taste of being in huge debt,¡± said Anastasia while ring at Erica. Erica didn¡¯t have the guts to look Anastasia in the eyes. ¡°Then, what would it take for you to save the company?¡± ¡°Make me the sole shareholder by transferring all of your shares to me. Only then will I consider your request.¡± Anastasia put forward her condition. ¡°What?¡± Erica¡¯s face grew white with anger. ¡°You want all of my shares in thepany? Anastasia Tillman, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being too greedy? The most I can give up is 20 percent.¡± ¡°Then you can stop begging me and forget about it. By my estimation, thepany would probablyst for another three months before the bankes in to liquidate the assets. With the number of shares you hold, you are sure to be millions in debt. You can spend the rest of your life paying off the debt then,¡± Anastasia sneered. Erica¡¯s eyes lit with horror upon Anastasia¡¯s words. ¡°I¡¯ll give you five minutes to think about this. I¡¯ll be waiting in the conference room for your decision.¡± Saying that, Anastasia left for the conference room. Erica sat on a nearby chair, looking extremely pale and haggard, as thepany was now a liability that she absolutely needed to wash her hands off. However, she couldn¡¯t get over the fact of Anastasia demanding her to give up all of her shares in thepany. After seconds passed, she gulped and closed her eyes before she left for the conference room with her fists clenched and the intention to compromise. Anastasia was reading the news on her phone when Erica took a seat opposite her. ¡°I can give up all of my shares to you, but you have to promise me that you¡¯ll pay me 50 million when thepany starts making a profit again.¡± Erica was still unwilling to give up. ¡°With how hard thepany is struggling financially right now, you still want to be paid off?¡± Anastasia did not agree to Erica¡¯s demand. ¡°10 million.¡± Erica negotiated. ¡°Forget it.¡± ¡°Anastasia Tillman, I am also a daughter of Francis Tillman. I¡¯ll be giving up all my shares to you, yet you won¡¯t even give me 10 million?¡± Erica said angrily. ¡°Five million in five installments, but only if thepany starts making a profit.¡± Anastasia countered Erica¡¯s offer. After tolerating Anastasia time after time, Erica thought her hatred of Anastasia only grew deeper, as she felt it was Anastasia who had forced her into this situation. However, she was left with no other choice but to give up thepany to Anastasia. ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll give up all of my shares to you for five million.¡± Erica caved to Anastasia¡¯s offer, but quickly added one more demand of her own. ¡°Release my mother as well.¡± ¡°You can give up on those thoughts. She needs to pay for what she did.¡± Anastasia refused to budge. Tears of anger welled in Erica¡¯s eyes. ¡°She¡¯s my mother.¡± ¡°You reap what you sow. With how much karma she has umted, she needs to pay the price of her actions,¡± Anastasia replied indifferently. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. At Anastasia¡¯s words, Erica felt her heart jerked sharply, her hands trembling slightly, as the thought of Mrs. Garner surfaced in her mind. No, I¡¯ve done nothing wrong. She tried to calm herself by convincing herself that there would be no retribution waiting for her down the line. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll go to thepany with you right now to sign the contract.¡± She did not want to have anything to do with Tillman Constructions a second longer. ¡°Good.¡± Anastasia smiled with relief in her eyes. Ultimately, she did not wish for her father¡¯spany to go bankrupt, as it was her father¡¯s life¡¯s work. Anastasia drove herself to Tillman Constructions with a ck SUV following behind her. Inside the ck SUV were the bodyguards Elliot had assigned for her protection. After tolerating Anastasia time after time, Erica thought her hatred of Anastasia only grew deeper, as she felt it was Anastasia who had forced her into this situation. However, she was left with no other choice but to give up thepany to Anastasia. ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll give up all of my shares to you for five million.¡± Erica caved to Anastasia¡¯s offer, but quickly added one more demand of her own. ¡°Release my mother as well.¡± Inside Francis¡¯ office, Erica eagerly took out the contract for her shares and the equity transfer contract. After she finished signing, Anastasia also signed the transfer contract and stamped it with her fingerprint. Looking at the signed contract, Erica felt slightly reluctant but relieved at the same time, as she no longer needed to worry about falling into debt. ¡°Anastasia, what are you going to do now?¡± Erica asked deliberately out of curiosity about how her sister was going to reverse thepany¡¯s situation. Naturally, Anastasia did not have the capability to do so. However, as luck would have it, she had someone backing her, someone amazing. ¡°I have my ways regarding that. You can leave now,¡± Anastasia said. Erica herself did not wish to stay in thepany any longer as well. Before she left thepany, she dropped by the finance department but could not find Oscar there. Regardless, even if she did meet Oscar here, all she could do was swallow her pain alone. After Anastasia watched Erica¡¯s car leaving thepany from the French window, she dialed Elliot¡¯s number. ¡°Have you gone to Tillman Constructions?¡± Elliot asked. ¡°Yeah, Erica has given up all of her shares to me.¡± ¡°They couldn¡¯t even handle this much?¡± Elliot asked rhetorically before he continued, ¡°Wait for me. I¡¯ll come over right now.¡± This sentence of his was filled with an indescribable strength that warmed Anastasia¡¯s heart. With Elliot around, she wouldn¡¯t need to worry about thepany¡¯s future at all. Thirty minutester, two armored SUVs opened up the way to the front entrance of Tillman Constructions. The domineering ck Rolls-Royce Phantom was the first in line with seven to eight luxury cars following behind. Just like this, thepany¡¯s car park was filled to the brim. The employees were shocked as they watched all these vehicles from the various windows of the building. All of them started specting just what kind of big shot hade and whether these people were the company¡¯s salvation. One of the bodyguards opened the door of the ck car to reveal Elliot getting out of the car. He was dressed to the nines, as he gave off a powerful presence with his ck formal wear. As though following his lead, a group of people also came down from the luxury cars. They all gave a look of respect toward Elliot before following him into Tillman Constructions. It was a majestic sight to behold the group of them march with gusto behind Elliot. Anastasia knew Elliot arrived but did not know he had brought along so many guests. Just then, Elliot entered her office. Puzzled, she looked at him. ¡°Who are those people?¡± ¡°They¡¯re all your father¡¯s former clients. They came to have a meeting with you.¡± Anastasia blinked dumbfoundedly before feeling the warmth in her heart graduallying to the surface. Looks like he¡¯s already nning to resume thepany¡¯s projects. Then, Elliot took her hand in his. ¡°Let¡¯s go and listen to what they have to say.¡± Chapter 551-560 Chapter 551-560 ¡°They¡¯re my dad¡¯s clients. Shouldn¡¯t I be treating them well?¡± Anastasia was unsure of what she should do. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that since all of them are more than happy to continue working with your father¡¯s company.¡± Elliot curled his lips into a smile. Anastasia clearly sensed the arrogance in his tone. After all, this man was the reason these people were here to seek a coboration with Tillman Constructions. Currently, the conference room was filled to the brim with all these people. As Anastasia sat in the foremost seat with Elliot by her side, each of the participants came up to her and introduced themselves briefly before they proceeded to discuss with the employees regarding their respective projects, such as the supply of materials and conditions for working together in the future. Without lifting a finger, Anastasia watched thepanye back to life. It was all thanks to Elliot that thepany that was on the brink of bankruptcy was so full of vitality right now. ¡°Miss Tillman, are you satisfied with my pricing? You¡¯d be pleased to know this is the highest price we¡¯ve ever offered to anypany.¡± Since the man had already said this much, Anastasia nodded with a faint smile. ¡°I am very satisfied.¡± ¡°Miss Tillman, I still have several properties under construction. I¡¯ll be using yourpany for the building materials.¡± ¡°Miss Tillman, we will keep a close eye on supplying Tillman Constructions. As long as yourpany is in urgent need of raw materials, we will be the first to send them.¡± Anastasia was all smiles as she listened to all these prominent figures. The managers of Tillman Constructions were no exception, as their smiles were even wider than that of Anastasia¡¯s. They knew thepany was not only saved but would continue to grow even bigger from now on. ¡°They¡¯re my dad¡¯s clients. Shouldn¡¯t I be treating them well?¡± Anastasia was unsure of what she should do. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the rest to you all.¡± Elliot had been patient in listening to all of them before he stood up and took Anastasia¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go take a break.¡± Anastasia was speechless at what Elliot suggested, as she felt it was inappropriate for her to take a break when thepany was having such an important meeting. Yet, the man continued to drag her out of the conference room without an exnation. ¡°I am the president here, so I should be staying with them inside,¡± she said begrudgingly. ¡°We can¡¯t waste time here, as we still have a lot to do,¡± Elliot replied. When Anastasia saw they were heading to the finance department, she immediately realized it was time to recover the money Alex had embezzled from thepany. Although there were still Alex¡¯s men in the department, each and every one of them wore a stern expression at the moment and dared not even take a deep breath. ¡°Miss Tillman, do you have business with us?¡± ¡°Alex had made a transfer of 30 million. I want to see the records of that transfer.¡± One of the men¡¯s eyes lit up; that man was Alex¡¯s only aplice here. Alex would not let everyone know about the transfer with a sum that huge. Thus, he was the sole aplice. ¡°You there,e here.¡± For someone as astute as Elliot, he managed to identify the aplice with just one look. ¡°President Presgrave¡­ Can I help you?¡± ¡°If you sort out all the evidence of Alex¡¯s embezzlement, I will spare you for your wrongdoings,¡± Elliot said, his tone cold and hostile. The employee in question immediately had his face grow white in fear. ¡°President Hunter did indeed ask me to make a false ount, but that money¡­ that money is already in an overseas ount and is completely untraceable. It¡¯s impossible to get that money back.¡± ¡°I just need you to get the evidence ready.¡± Saying that, Elliot patted Anastasia on her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll go make a phone call.¡± He then left after Anastasia nodded in acknowledgment. After Elliot left, Alex¡¯s aplice immediately came over to Anastasia with his fear clear as day. ¡°Miss Tillman, I¡¯m sorry. President Hunter forced me to do this. I had to do it for my family¡­¡± ¡°How much did you take?¡± Anastasia did not believe the man in front of her was innocent. ¡°I¡­ only took a million¡­¡± The man hung his head sheepishly. ¡°I¡¯ll return the money to thepany and sort out the evidence at once. So, Miss Tillman, please spare me. Don¡¯t send me to jail.¡± ¡°That will depend on whether your atonement is good enough. Should you still have something you¡¯re not telling us, I guarantee you will be going down with Alex,¡± said Anastasia resoundingly with her eyes clear and cold. Overwhelmed with fear and awe, the employee hurriedly said, ¡°Miss Tillman, I am also a coward by nature, which is why I¡¯ve recorded the conversation between me and President Hunter. I¡¯ll send the recording to you along with the evidence of his embezzlement.¡± ¡°Good.¡± As Anastasia said that, she looked at everyone in the room and announced, ¡°I¡¯ll hunt you down if any of you informs Alex behind my back.¡± Instantly, everyone became tense. They could already guess how Alex would end up, so nobody dared to be on his side at this time. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Tillman. None of us will inform President Hunter,¡± said one of the older employees. Anastasia nodded after hearing his answer. At this moment, Elliot strode into the room and told her with his eyes that he had gotten back the money that Alex had embezzled. With the connections that he had, getting the money back was as easy as ABC. Now, Anastasia should also begin to prepare for Alex¡¯s arrest. ¡°Thewyers that I hired for you are on their way here now. They¡¯ll get ready with the procedures.¡± Elliot had already handled everything for her as he wanted Alex to be thrown behind bars more than she did. Most importantly, each and every one of hiswyers were experts, so they would definitely have Alex in prison for the rest of his life. A grateful Anastasia hugged Elliot around his waist. ¡°Thank you. I really don¡¯t know how to return your favor.¡± He kissed her on her hair before saying, ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m here for.¡± In fact, the reason why he did all these was not only because of her, but he was also repaying the Tillmans for being the reason for her mother¡¯s death. ¡°Good.¡± As Anastasia said that, she looked at everyone in the room and announced, ¡°I¡¯ll hunt you down if any of you informs Alex behind my back.¡± At this moment, Anastasia decided in her heart that she would always be by his side for the rest of her life, no matter what happened. On the other hand, Alex was having an intimate moment with Hayley in the apartment. With this money, he could bring her abroad and enjoy themselves there in no time. Although she was not really into traveling abroad, she wouldn¡¯t let this chance slip when he had this large amount of money in hand. ¡°You¡¯re really impressive, Alex! Now, Erica will definitely go down with Tillman Constructions!¡± she said with a smile tugged on her lips. ¡°She¡¯s really an idiot. I don¡¯t think she can aplish anything in her life.¡± Alex greatly despised anyone like Erica. Meanwhile, Hayley was so proud that she could enjoy herself with Anastasia¡¯s father¡¯s money without her knowing! ¡°Let¡¯s start our vacation at the beach first and enjoy our life to the fullest,¡± he told her while hugging her. ¡°Okay, whatever you say. My job is only to have good food, have fun, and make you happy,¡± she dered happily. ¡°By the way, do you know Erica¡¯s sister, Anastasia?¡± Alex asked her as he was always curious about this. ¡°Anastasia?¡± Hayley pretended to recall. ¡°I met her a few times a long time ago. Why?¡± He started to look at her face closely as though he was trying to find another woman through her. ¡°You truly look like her.¡± Hearing that, she felt bitter on the inside. Why does every man that has met Anastasia get obsessed with her? Elliot is obsessed with her, and so is Alex! Why am I always her substitute? ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you like me because I look like her.¡± She pretended to be jealous and turned her head to the side. ¡°What? No. I don¡¯t give a damn about her. She¡¯s already another man¡¯s toy.¡± ¡°Whose toy?¡± A surprised Hayley thought, Is there anything else that I don¡¯t know about her? While grinding his teeth in anger, Alex replied, ¡°Elliot Presgrave.¡± ¡°Elliot Presgrave? Isn¡¯t he the president of the Presgrave Group?¡± She knowingly wore a puzzled face. Then, a contemptuous Alex grunted, ¡°Other than all the dirty money that he has, he¡¯s actually nothing!¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Looking at his furious face, Hayley mocked him in her mind. Is he honestly saying that when he¡¯s the one who is ¡®nothing¡¯? In her heart, no matter how many Alex¡¯s there were, they couldn¡¯tpete with one Elliot. However, she still needed to look at him with her face full of affection. ¡°I don¡¯t care who Elliot is. I just know that I love you, and don¡¯t you dare say I look like anyone again. I don¡¯t like that.¡± ¡°Okay, okay. I won¡¯t.¡± He embraced her in his arms, but deep down, he always treated Hayley as Anastasia¡¯s substitute because she really looked like Anastasia most of the time. Meanwhile, at Tillman Constructions¡­ When Anastasia heard from Rey that Alex was in his apartment with Hayley, she knew that she should tell Erica about it. She needed to let her know who was the one constantly pestering Alex, spending her money without her knowledge, and making her get the cold treatment after her marriage¡ªher best friend, Hayley. If she revealed everything to her, she expected to see a heated argument between these two best friends. Although she couldn¡¯t be there in person to see it, she wanted to let Hayley know the consequences of stealing another person¡¯s man. With that in mind, she took her phone and called Erica. ¡°Hello, Anastasia? What¡¯s the matter?¡± Erica was a little nervous when she picked up the phone. ¡°Although I hate you, I still need to tell you this. Alex has been together with Hayley throughout your marriage with him. They are now together in his apartment. You can go there and see it for yourself.¡± ¡°What? Hayley? Are you sure?¡± As expected, Erica was shocked. From what she knew, there was zero interactions between Hayley and Alex! ¡°See it for yourself if it¡¯s Hayley or not. I¡¯ll send you the address.¡± As soon as Anastasia said that, she sent the address to Erica. At this moment, Erica was actually preparing to go home, but when she saw the address, she navigated to the apartment immediately. While on the way, she was screaming inside her head, How is that possible? Hayley and Alex are together? But when? Don¡¯t tell me that she was with him for all those ¡®outstation¡¯ nights that he told me about. And what about the money he withdrew using my card when his bank ount was frozen? Was it for Hayley? When Anastasia heard from Rey that Alex was in his apartment with Hayley, she knew that she should tell Erica about it. Her mind was going crazy as she recalled that Hayley had only gone to Tillman Constructions once with her. Did she hook up with Alex that day? If that¡¯s the case, then they¡¯ve been together for nearly three months! As to why Alex would fall for Hayley, it was just a simple question¡ªher face, which she did stic surgery on to look exactly like Anastasia. With that face, it would be an easy task to lure him, who had been longing for Anastasia all this while. When Erica reached her destination, she strode right into Alex¡¯s apartment with some other people and pressed the 18th-floor button in the elevator. Just as she reached the 18th floor, she saw a janitor carrying out her duty. So, she asked the janitor, ¡°Madam, can you do me a favor and knock on the door of that room?¡± ¡°Miss, don¡¯t you have your hands yourself?¡± ¡°My husband is inside with another woman. If I knock on the door, they definitely will not open it. Can you help me, please?¡± She put on a sorrowful face. Hearing that, the kind-hearted janitor answered with a righteous expression, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll knock it for you.¡± Then, she went to knock on the door while Erica was hiding beside the wall. When Hayley heard the knock, she stood up from the couch and looked through the peephole, only to see it was the janitor. Then, she reached out her hand to open the door and asked unpleasantly, ¡°Yes?¡± However, the janitor just ignored her and turned around, walking away. Just as the puzzled Hayley wanted to close the door, someone busted open the door forcefully and dashed into the apartment right away. When the two women faced each other, Hayley was in total shock, while Erica was ring at her in a fury, as she didn¡¯t expect it to really be Hayley. ¡°Erica, why¡­¡± Hayley took a step back with her hand over her mouth. At this moment, Erica was like an enraged tigress. ¡°It¡¯s really you¡­ Did you hook up with him when I was in a rtionship with him? And did you continue living with him even after I married him?¡± A raging fire could be seen in Erica¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Erica¡­ But I can exin¡­ I¡­¡± Despite how smart Hayley was, she was unprepared for this moment and lost her skills to defend herself. ¡°Exin what? You¡¯re really shameless, Hayley. Are you even human?¡± Erica¡¯s anger was not only because of their affair, but she also felt that she had been fooled all this while. When she and Alex were just boyfriend and girlfriend, she would show affection toward him in front of Hayley all the time, telling her how much this yboy loved her and cherished her. But it turned out that they were all just jokes in Hayley¡¯s eyes. Hayley definitely had a goodugh at her from the beginning. As she humiliated her, she went behind her back to be lovey-dovey with Alex! ¡°I¡¯m gonna f*king kill you, Hayley Seymour!¡± Erica bellowed. Right then, she threw her purse and went forward to grab Hayley¡¯s hair. Meanwhile, Alex, who had just fallen asleep in the main bedroom, suddenly heard noises of women fighting and screaming outside. He even heard someone shouting for his help. ¡°Save me, Alex¡­¡± It was Hayley¡¯s voice. Hearing that, he quickly jumped out of bed and rushed out of the room, only to see two women yanking and kicking each other on the floor. One of them was Hayley, and the other one was Erica. He froze in shock after seeing Erica there. Why is she here? ¡°Stop it, Erica!¡± he bellowed before stepping into the fight to pull Erica away from Hayley and push her onto the ground. With her reddened eyes, Erica red at Hayley and snapped, ¡°You shameful wh*re! I¡¯ll make your life miserable!¡± Hayley, on the other hand, was tidying up her hair and touching every part of her face furtively as she was afraid that Erica had disced the imnts on her face. ¡°Are you okay, Hayley? Are you hurt?¡± Alex asked her with concern. Although Erica abhorred Alex, he still used to be her husband. So, seeing him showing concern for another woman with her own eyes still incited hatred in her. ¡°Alex Hunter, you¡¯re both not fit to be human! You¡¯re just a sc*m and a b*tch! Rot in hell, you two!¡± ¡°Are you done, Erica? Get lost if you¡¯re done. My rtionship with Alex is none of your business,¡± Hayley said while grinding her teeth. She just wanted Erica to leave the ce at once, since Erica is totally worthless in her eyes now. Meanwhile, Alex, who had just fallen asleep in the main bedroom, suddenly heard noises of women fighting and screaming outside. He even heard someone shouting for his help. ¡°Save me, Alex¡­¡± It was Hayley¡¯s voice. ¡°Haha! Alex, are you so in love with her because she looks like Anastasia? Let me tell you¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up, Erica.¡± Hayley red at her, warning her. Ignoring her, Erica smiled with a smug look on her face and looked at Alex before saying, ¡°Do you know that her face is fake? She went for stic surgery and had her face done based on Anastasia¡¯s face. I guess you¡¯ve definitely not seen how ugly she wasst time! Let me show you what she looked like.¡± As soon as she said that, she took out her phone and started to search through her album. Even though Hayley dashed to her, trying to grab her phone, Erica still found one photo of Hayley¡¯s face before the stic surgery and showed it to Alex. ¡°Take a look! Now you know how fake her face is. She has spent a few million on it!¡± At this moment, Alex waspletely stunned. He grabbed Erica¡¯s phone from her hand and saw the face in the photo. The person in the photo had a square face, which lookedpletely different from how Hayley looked now. ¡°Is this really you?¡± he asked Hayley, whose expression was turning mad. Hearing that, Hayley heaved a sigh. ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t care about my past, Alex.¡± ¡°Haha! Her past is really splendid. She has slept with almost every man she met. You should ask her how many she has slept with before you.¡± Hayley went over and took her phone back from Alex¡¯s hand. ¡°Get out, Erica!¡± Hayley shouted while pointing at the door. ¡°Why should I get out? I still haven¡¯t asked you to return my money yet! When his bank ount was frozen, he withdrew 40,000 for you, right?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Gnashing her teeth, Hayley answered, ¡°Ya. I spent it all. So, what?¡± ¡°You¡¯re really shameless. I¡¯d like to see how long you can keep your fake face on. Are you nning to get Alex¡¯s money so that you can go fix your fake face?¡± Erica shouted at her. ¡°You shut your f*cking mouth!¡± Hayley¡¯s face was turning ferocious. Meanwhile, Alex just looked at them calmly from the side because, at this moment, he realized how spurious Hayley was. Now, he had a change of n¡ªhe wouldn¡¯t be sharing a penny of his money with her anymore. ¡°Both of you get out! This is my house. Hayley, pack up your stuff and get out of here.¡± Alex was a hard-hearted person who knew the right timing to cut losses early. Instantly, Hayley¡¯s face paled, and she was growing anxious. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her bullsh*t, Alex. My face is fine, and it will stay the same for the rest of my life.¡± She had poured her heart and spent so much time trying to get this man, but she had not gained any money from him yet! So, she didn¡¯t want this rtionship to end this way. ¡°Get lost! I feel disgusted whenever I see your face.¡± Alex was furious all of a sudden and looked at Hayley with his eyes full of hatred. Erica picked up her bag and told Alex, ¡°You think that I¡¯ll be doomed, right? I¡¯ll tell you this. I won¡¯t be saddled with debts.¡± ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve passed all my shares to Anastasia. So, Tillman Constructions is hers now,¡± she announced proudly. ¡°I still have my way out.¡± ¡°What?¡± Alex¡¯s expression instantly changed after he heard her. He went up to Erica, stopped her from leaving, and asked, ¡°Anastasia took over Tillman Constructions? When was that?¡± ¡°This morning.¡± Instantly, he turned to his room and grabbed his phone, dialing a number. All of a sudden, a furious Hayley held Erica¡¯s arm. ¡°Who sent you here?¡± She thought Erica would never find out about her rtionship with Alex because she was hiding it really well. Erica swung her hand and scoffed, ¡°Anastasia told me about it. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s really ironic?¡± ¡°What?¡± Hayley¡¯s face took on a ghastly expression once again. It¡¯s Anastasia again? Why is she always going against me? Just then, Alex shouted from his room, ¡°Why is my money gone?!¡± Hearing that, Erica immediately realized something was up with Alex, so she spun on her heels and left the ce. At the same time, Hayley noticed something as well. Since Anastasia had taken over Tillman Constructions, therge sum of money that he embezzled would definitely be recovered, and he would need to bear the consequences. Now, Hayley didn¡¯t want anything anymore; she just wanted to cut ties with Alexpletely. Disregarding everything, she was ready to leave too. Erica picked up her bag and told Alex, ¡°You think that I¡¯ll be doomed, right? I¡¯ll tell you this. I won¡¯t be saddled with debts.¡± At this moment, all she heard was Alex cursing in rage, noises of him breaking things, and his bellows about his missing money. This man was nothing to her anymore. With coldness in her eyes, she took her bag and left the ce, as she was also tired of acting for such a long time with him. As Erica was going downstairs, she met a few men who were going up, and she was a little surprised by that. When she came out to the parking lot, there were several patrol cars and a few men there watching over the ce. Curious, she sat in her car and wanted to see who they were arresting. After a while, she also saw Hayleying out of the apartment in dejection and leaving from the opposite direction. She stared at Hayley, desperately wanting to hit her with the car when she realized how blind she was previously to be best friends with her all this while. Come to think of it now! It¡¯s so sickening that since I got married to Alex, I¡¯ve been sharing the same men with her. She felt nauseous thinking about it. On the other hand, Alex was still anxiously calling the bank to check why his money was missing. The banker, on the other side, told him frankly that his transaction had been found to be illegal and that the bank would halt the process of recovering the money from overseas. Just as he was raving, he heard someone break into his apartment. Shocked, he rushed out of his room, and the inclothes police, who broke into his apartment, jumped on him and immediately pressed him onto the floor. ¡°Alex Hunter, you¡¯re under arrest for embezzlement. You¡¯ll need to follow us back to the station for further investigation.¡± At this moment, Alex¡¯s mind froze for a moment, and something came through his mind all of a sudden. It¡¯s a trap. It was a trap that Anastasia set for him to purposely let him embezzle that money after seeing his greediness and tricks. He was in deep regret when he realized he had fallen into Anastasia¡¯s trap and had jumped into the abyss with his own feet. The thirty million, together with the three million that he had embezzled previously, could get him a sentence of more than 10 years in prison. Within 15 minutes, Erica saw a few inclothes policeing out of the apartment with a person arrested, and that person was Alex. Shocked, she saw him having his head pressed and entering the patrol car. Instantly, her brain started to figure out what was going on. Why is Alex arrested? What did he do? He¡¯d told me about a thirty-million sum of money previously, and he divorced me a few days after that. Since he was in the finance department and he also had a record for embezzlement, did he embezzle that thirty million too? And he¡¯s arrested now because Anastasia found out about it? At the side of a car not far away, Hayley looked at Alex getting arrested in the patrol car with a cold gaze. Her eyes were emotionless as he was just a cash machine to her. As Hayley recalled how Alex reacted when he saw her older pictures, she was irked by his exaggerated expression. As expected, he only liked her because of her resemnce to Anastasia. ¡°Anastasia, why are you constantly on my tail?¡± Hayley grumbled. After the policemen left, Erica became anxious. She suddenly had an urge to go to the spot where she pushed Wanda down. She wanted to verify whether Wanda was still near the reef. In order to peace her mind, she hurried over there. Is Mrs. Garner dead? On the contrary, Wanda survived. Although she was a vicious person, she was fortunate enough to survive the fall. After she was pushed into the sea by Erica, she was swept to the shore by the waves. When she was found, she had been submerged in the sea for a long period of time and was sent to the nearest hospital. Even though she had been resuscitated, she had fallen into aa. As Erica stood by the sea shore and nced at the vast ocean, which seemed like the perfect burial ground. Mrs. Garner might have perished. She stayed there for a while before leaving. Back then, when Tillman Constructions was in the news, it was about thepany being on the brink of bankruptcy and how they were in arrears with their employees¡¯ pay which made the headlines. The media somehow heard rumors about it and released the news in order to boost traffic and readership. On that day, news about Tillman Constructions¡¯ revival made the news. All of their employees were well compensated, and some of the biggest names in real estate had signed coboration agreements with them. Instantly, Tillman Constructions was regarded as one of the most promisingpanies within its industry. As Hayley recalled how Alex reacted when he saw her older pictures, she was irked by his exaggerated expression. As expected, he only liked her because of her resemnce to Anastasia. The incident regarding Naomi and her daughter¡¯s online article that had caused a frenzy and put Anastasia in a bad light was overturned because of this. Subsequently, the incident of Naomi being suspected of murdering her husband and robbing his inheritance was revealed. At the same time, Anastasia¡¯s efforts to save her father were also reported. Anastasia¡¯s reputation had instantly improved and she was viewed in a good light by theizens. They praised her for her good looks, her acts of filial piety, and her new status as Tillman Construction¡¯s current president. She only found out about the news while she was on her way back from the hospital. The news amused her, and she believed that it was the doing of Elliot. In actual fact, he was the one that bailed out Tillman Corporation, but he gave her all the credits. She had won praise for being a savvy president who had sessfully redeemed her reputation. Although Anastasia was never bothered by how others looked at her, those nastyments in the past did hurt her feelings. In the hospital, Francis was pushed into the ward after the doctor performed checks on him. After being in aa for a month, he finally regained consciousness. The nurse who came into his ward noticed that his eyes were open and she walked over surprisedly. ¡°Mr. Tillman, you¡¯re awake.¡± Immediately, she ran out to get the doctors. Two of the doctors entered the ward and performed some regr checks on him. ¡°Mr. Tillman, do you feel any difort?¡± ¡°How long have I been unconscious?¡± Francis asked with a hoarse voice. ¡°You have been unconscious for 31 days.¡± ¡°What? It¡¯s been a month?¡± He suddenly sat up but had to lean on the headboard as he felt weak. ¡°Where¡¯s my daughter and wife?¡± ¡°Mr. Tillman, please wait for a moment. I¡¯ll inform Ms. Tillman toe over now.¡± As Francis shut his eyes, the voices that he hadst heard rang in his ears. Those voices were like a nightmare to him. The fact that Naomi and Erica tried to kill him brought him misery. When Anastasia stepped into the hospital hall, the nurse at the reception informed her delightedly, ¡°Ms. Tillman, your dad is awake.¡± ¡°For real?¡± With a bag in her hand, she dashed over to the elevator as she couldn¡¯t wait to head upstairs, and rushed all the way to her father¡¯s ward. When she saw him sitting up, she fought back the tears of excitement and walked in. ¡°Dad, you are awake!¡± ¡°Anastasia, you¡¯re here.¡± Francis seemed tired, but he desperately wanted to ask her something. ¡°Doctor Leonard, how is my father¡¯s condition after he has regained consciousness?¡± Anastasia looked at the doctor and asked. ¡°He is doing well. Besides theck of physical strength from not taking in any food for a prolonged period of time, he¡¯s not feeling any difort. We will enhance Mr. Tillman¡¯s nutrition intake.¡± ¡°Doctor, may I speak to my daughter in private?¡± Francis asked. ¡°Of course, you can.¡± The doctor made everyone leave the room after that. The look in Francis¡¯ eyes tugged her heartstrings. Did Dad discover something before he got into a coma? ¡°Dad, a lot has happened during this period of time,¡± she said as she sat in front of him. ¡°Tell me about everything that happened after I went unconscious.¡± He was eager to find out about everything. With that, Anastasia told him everything in detail, starting from when he got admitted into the hospital. She even told him about how shameless Naomi was without reservations. Her heart ached when she saw how upset her father was. However, in order for him to see Naomi¡¯s true colors, she did what had to be done. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t be too upset about it. If she had the guts to hurt you, it only means that she doesn¡¯t have any feelings for you.¡± Anastasia consoled him. As he held back his tears, he sniffled. ¡°I¡¯d never think that she would do that to me since we have been married for more than twenty years. Anastasia, I¡¯m a fool for not being able to tell apart who my foes are among those that are close to me. Naomi, Erica, Alex, and Colin are the people closest to me, but they wanted me dead.¡± ¡°Doctor Leonard, how is my father¡¯s condition after he has regained consciousness?¡± Anastasia looked at the doctor and asked. ¡°Dad, you still have me.¡± Her heart broke for him as she knew that he was agonized by the episode. After he heard his daughter, a glimmer of joy could be seen in his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s right! I still have you. I¡¯m fortunate to have a filial daughter like you.¡± ¡°Dad, so what do you n to do? There¡¯s solid evidence to prove that Naomi tried to harm you and that Erica is her aplice. It is also an undeniable fact that both of them tried to amend your will.¡± Upon hearing that, he was in so much distress that he shut his eyes and his breathing got heavier. ¡°Dad, let¡¯s not think about it for now. Let¡¯s wait until you¡¯ve recovered. If you can¡¯t bring yourself to punish them, I shall do it for you.¡± Francis nodded. He was surprised but impressed at how artful and calm Anastasia was since she managed to apprehend Naomi and got Alex arrested while he was unconscious. Everything she had done was to seek revenge for him. He thanked the heavens for endowing him with a great daughter. Just then, a tall figure was seen standing by the door. It was Elliot who rushed over from the Presgrave Group upon hearing news that Francis was awake. ¡°Mr. Tillman, you¡¯re awake,¡± Elliot said delightedly. ¡°Elliot, this is all thanks to you. Anastasia told me that you¡¯ve hired medical professionals to treat me, and it was because of it that I could regain my consciousness.¡± Francis looked at the young man gratefully. ¡°This is the least I could do.¡± He shot a nce at Anastasia, and she turned around and met his gaze. It was as if she could sense the excitement behind his smile, which made her blush. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for dying your engagement. If not for my ident, both of you would have gotten engaged.¡± Francis felt guilty for ruining his daughter¡¯s big day. ¡°Mr. Tillman, please don¡¯t feel bad about it. The most important thing is your health. We can always pick another date for our engagement.¡± Elliot consoled him. Francis really liked Elliot as his son-inw. Regardless of his wealth and capability, his love for Anastasia was evident, which made him a good man. Soon after, the doctor brought some nutritious porridge over. Seeing that, Anastasia fed it to her father while Elliot waited outside. After Francis finished eating his porridge, the doctor came in, and Anastasia left the room. Looking at the poised man who was leaning against the wall opposite her, she couldn¡¯t hide her gratitude toward him. He was instrumental in helping her father regain consciousness, and at the end of the day, he deserved all the credit. ¡°Thank you.¡± Anastasia thanked Elliot. ¡°I¡¯d have to punish you if I hear you say those words again.¡± As he tugged her arm, she fell into his arms, and shortly after, she felt his arms around her waist. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to thank me since that¡¯s the least I can do for my fiancee.¡± He pecked on her red lips right after that. Their public disy of affection caught the attention of a few nurses that walked past them. All of them blushed as they were captivated by his domineering disposition, which they found mesmerizing. They were envious of Anastasia¡¯s beauty and how lucky she was to end up with someone like Elliot. She must have done a lot of good deeds in her previous life to deserve him. After Anastasia found out that they were being watched, she blushed as she buried her head into his chest and covered her face using his suit. As Elliot tilted his head down and looked at the girl in his arms, he couldn¡¯t help but kiss the crown of her head. ¡°Since your father is awake, we could discuss our marriage.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no rush for that.¡± She blinked her eyes. He leaned in and whispered in her ear, ¡°But I can¡¯t wait any longer.¡± Upon hearing his affectionate confession, she pursed her lips to hold herughter. ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can do even if you¡¯re impatient.¡± ¡°You¡¯re heartless.¡± He sighed, feeling disappointed. ¡°Thank you.¡± Anastasia thanked Elliot. ¡°I¡¯d have to punish you if I hear you say those words again.¡± As he tugged her arm, she fell into his arms, and shortly after, she felt his arms around her waist. ¡°Alright, we shall discuss it after my dad¡¯s condition improves.¡± She giggled. ¡°Sure.¡± He nodded. Meanwhile, in a public hospital by the seaside, Wanda, who almost drowned, woke up on the same day. Shey on the bed, still in a state of shock from her near-death experience. Her face was as pale as a sheet. ¡°Erica, I won¡¯t let you go. I will let Francis know about your true identity, and I look forward to your demise,¡± she grumbled. ¡°Madam, we have paid for your medical bills, so you can leave the hospital now.¡± One of the volunteers walked toward her. ¡°Thank you. You¡¯re all kind-hearted people.¡± After being saved from drowning, Wanda was beyond thankful. ¡°Avoid going to the beach next time, as you¡¯re more prone to idents due to your age.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t fall into the sea. Someone pushed me down!¡± Wanda was exasperated. ¡°Then you should quickly find out who that person is and get them apprehended!¡± A guilty conscience shed in Wanda¡¯s eyes again since she was the one who brought the whole matter upon herself. She got greedy and threatened Erica for a million. Besides, she would be put in a tough position if Erica revealed what she did. However, she was determined to let Francis know about Erica¡¯s true identity to strip her of her title as the second daughter of the Tillman Family. If she gets punished, I¡¯ll feel so much better. Wait, I remember she has shares under Tillman constructions! She¡¯s not even a Tillman, so she doesn¡¯t deserve it, but it¡¯s okay because I shall strip her of her fortunes! After she left the hospital, she got on a public bus. While on the way home, she thought that Erica would never have imagined that she was alive, and she didn¡¯t n to make things easy for her. As soon as she got home, she took out the yellow pages and purchased a new mobile phone and a sim card. While she stood at the corner of the shop, she dialed Erica¡¯s number. ¡°Hi, who is it?¡± Erica sounded impatient as she answered the call. ¡°Erice, don¡¯t you recognize my voice?¡± Wanda scoffed. ¡°Are¡­ Are you Mrs. Garner?¡± Erica¡¯s voice was shaky. ¡°Hmph! Erica, your true identity will be revealed very soon! I will let Francis know that you are Naomi¡¯s illegitimate daughter and that you¡¯re not of the Tillman bloodline.¡± ¡°Mrs. Garner, Mrs. Garner¡­ I¡¯m very sorry. I¡¯m begging you. Please don¡¯t let them know. I¡¯ll pay you a million immediately.¡± Her words were muddled up. ¡°I don¡¯t want your money anymore. I just want to see your downfall.¡± After Wanda¡¯s near-death experience, she was thankful for the volunteers¡¯ help and had made up her mind that she would be a good person from thereon. ¡°Mrs. Garner, please don¡¯t. Mrs. Garner¡­¡± Without heeding Erica¡¯s plea, Wanda hung up the phone. Even though she didn¡¯t have Anastasia¡¯s phone number, she knew that Anastasia would definitely be at Tillman Constructions, and she could find her there. After Erica received the call from Wanda, her blood ran cold. She was so terrified that her face turned pale as she slumped on the couch, as her biggest fear about Wanda still being alive came true. She couldn¡¯t believe that she had survived the fall! What worried her most was the repercussions that would follow. Besides the revtion of her true identity, she might also be charged with attempted murder. Both incidents would be the worst things that could happen to her. ¡°No, I¡¯ll never let Mrs. Garner meet Anastasia.¡± Her face contorted with rage. As she squinted her eyes, she started scheming to stop them from the meeting. Erica knew Wanda didn¡¯t know Anastasia¡¯s contact number and house address. She wouldn¡¯t know about Presgrave Hospital either. Thus, the only way for her to meet Anastasia was to go to Tillman Constructions. She was determined to stop both of them from meeting as a murderous intent shed across her eyes. Since she had attempted to kill Wanda before, she was ready to do it again. While she was scratching her head, trying to think of the perfect candidate to execute the n, her birth father came to her mind. He¡¯d be willing to do it if he was paid for it because his source of money would be cut off if Erica lost her status as the second daughter of the Tillman Family. ¡°Mrs. Garner, please don¡¯t. Mrs. Garner¡­¡± Without heeding Erica¡¯s plea, Wanda hung up the phone. Even though she didn¡¯t have Anastasia¡¯s phone number, she knew that Anastasia would definitely be at Tillman Constructions, and she could find her there. When she left her house, she was hoping that she could meet her birth father as soon as possible. The next moment, he was seen getting down from the public bus at a bus stop not far from her house. It felt like the heavens had answered her prayers. He was rather startled to see her because he was there to ask for more money from her. He was a total failure since he was unemployed and addicted to gambling. The other time when he got money from Erica, he gambled them away, and now that he had no one to turn to, he came looking for his daughter to ask for help. Feeling embarrassed, he walked over and asked, ¡°Erica, the thing is¡­ I¡¯m in need of some money. Could you please¡­¡± ¡°Come in. There¡¯s something I need to discuss with you.¡± She invited him into her house. Feeling ttered by her invitation, he rubbed his hands and asked, ¡°Can I really go in?¡± After they were in the main hall, she questioned him curiously, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°My name is Patrick Newman. Hasn¡¯t your mother mentioned my name before?¡± After letting out a self- deprecating smile, he continued, ¡°I must be so useless that your mother is embarrassed to even bring up my name.¡± As Erica nced over at Patrick, she had no intention whatsoever of acknowledging him as her father. She then told him about the sticky situation she was in. ¡°What? You almost killed your maid? And she¡¯s still alive?¡± His eyes widened with bewilderment. ¡°Right now, she must be nning to expose my true identity. I¡¯d be done for if she meets Anastasia. I would be kicked out from the Tillman Family and won¡¯t be able to give you money in the future,¡± Erica eximed. Of course, Patrick was reluctant to put his daughter through it. He was actually proud to see that his daughter had the disposition of a youngdy from a wealthy family. ¡°Erica, how do you want me to help you?¡± He looked at his daughter, wanting to help her out. ¡°I need you to make sure that Mrs. Garner is silenced forever. I need you to stop her from meeting Anastasia.¡± She scowled. ¡°Then what do you want me to do?¡± ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll get some men to bring her somewhere, and you will have to kill her for me.¡± He never expected his daughter to be that ruthless. ¡°Erica, isn¡¯t there another way to solve this issue?¡± ¡°Are you willing to help me or not? If you don¡¯t help me out, I¡¯ll be done for,¡± Erica coerced. She didn¡¯t feel bad about using him to solve her issues. Upon hearing that, he was flustered and confessed. ¡°I-I don¡¯t have the guts to.¡± ¡°After my mom gave birth to me, you were never here for me. Don¡¯t you feel sorry for me? If you want me to acknowledge you as my father, you¡¯ll have to do this. If you don¡¯t, I won¡¯t acknowledge you till the day I die.¡± She threatened him. As Patrick stood in front of his daughter, he sympathized with her and longed to hear her call him ¡®dad¡¯. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll get rid of her for you,¡± he said through gritted teeth. Seeing how he agreed to do it for her, she smiled as she had finally found a scapegoat and replied, ¡°You¡¯re the best dad I could ask for.¡± Upon hearing her call him ¡®dad¡¯, he was ted. Based on the authority that Erica had, she couldmand the security guards of Tillman Constructions. She immediately made a call to the surveince room and informed them that if a woman named Wanda Garner asked to see Anastasia, they would have to inform her immediately. Then, she would get them to bring her to a location within the vicinity. The security guard agreed to her request, knowing that she was Francis¡¯ second daughter. In order to stop Wanda from meeting Anastasia, Erica immediately drove over to Tillman Constructions to scout for a suitable location to execute her n. Finally, she found an abandoned warehouse next to thepany. Since it was Patrick¡¯s first ever up-close encounter with his daughter, he couldn¡¯t hide his excitement seeing how capable Erica was and that she would inherit Tillman Constructions. He knew that Francis had two daughters but had no sons, so he was confident that each daughter would inherit half of his inheritance. On the other hand, Wanda nned to look for Anastasia early tomorrow morning after getting some rest. Unknown to her, Erica had set up a trap for her. As Patrick stood in front of his daughter, he sympathized with her and longed to hear her call him ¡®dad¡¯. Meanwhile, in the Presgrave Hospital, Old Madam Presgrave was happy that Francis had regained consciousness and brought Jared over to visit his grandfather. Seeing that Francis was awake, Jared happily apanied him and refused to leave his side. However, after Francis got to know that Anastasia had been separated from Jared all this time while he was in aa, he felt bad, so he asked her to go home to rest and not worry about him anymore. At 9.00PM, Elliot brought Anastasia and Jared back to the mansion. It was almost midnight after they had taken a shower. Jared had been sleeping on time, so he had gone to bed at 10.30PM. However, both of the adults weren¡¯t tired just yet. After her father had regained consciousness, her stress level went down, and she felt more rxed. When she walked to the main hall, she saw Elliot sitting cross-legged on the couch while looking at theptop that was ced on hisp. It seemed like he was glowing as the lights were cast on him. She sauntered toward him in her pink pajamas and sat next to him, with her freshly washed hair draping down her shoulder. She propped her chin up and stared at the screen. It was a long email in Chinese with lots of corporate jargon, which made her head spin. Elliot shifted his attention from the screen to her. From his angle, she looked feminine, with glowing skin, and her red lips were yfully pouted. Suddenly, he closed theptop and set it aside. ¡°But you¡¯re not done typing!¡± Anastasia blinked her eyes as she thought that she might have interrupted his work. ¡°Compared to work, I¡¯m more interested in you.¡± Right after, he pulled her into his arms. Her heart fluttered as she leaned in his chest while enjoying it. ¡°When my new yacht arrives tomorrow night, I¡¯ll bring you and Jared out to sea.¡± He ran his fingers through her long silky hair. ¡°Sure!¡± She wanted to go out and get some fresh air too. ¡°Let¡¯s get engaged after your dad¡¯s condition gets better.¡± This matter had been on Elliot¡¯s mind. ¡°Sure.¡± Anastasia agreed since they were supposed to get engaged earlier on. ¡°You smell nice.¡± He picked up a strand of her hair and sniffed lightly, but his eyes were locked on her. The atmosphere instantly became romantic and sensuous. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ having my period,¡± she said shyly. Upon hearing that, he was speechless since his timing was bad. ¡°Do you n to be mine if you¡¯re not having your period?¡± He giggled, trying to get himself out of the awkward situation. ¡°I¡¯ll eventually be yours.¡± She smirked. Chapter 561-570 Chapter 561-570 ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to that. Which day are you on?¡± Elliot began marking time like a hunter who had set the traps, sitting out, waiting for his game to fall into it. At that, Anastasia hurriedly answered, ¡°The first day¡­¡± She had to lie no matter what. ¡°First day, huh,¡± drawled Elliot. ¡°Six days to go then.¡± Sheughed up her sleeve as she buried herself in his arms, and Elliot lowered his head to kiss her cheek tyrannically yet dotingly. ¡°Alright, cut it out. Don¡¯t stay up toote.¡± She left his arms, allowing him to return to his work, and as she left, he gave her a cheeky smack out of the blue, making her blush. Excuse me! However, Elliot grinned, seemingly enjoying her reaction while she fled upstairs. When morning came, Wanda hailed a cab to Tillman Constructions after having her breakfast at home, for she had assumed Anastasia woulde bright and early. ¡°Sorry, I was wondering whether Miss Anastasia Tillman has arrived for work?¡± she asked after arriving at the guardhouse. ¡°And you are?¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking for her.¡± ¡°Register, please.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Wanda Garner.¡± Wanda gave her name. The guard happened to be Erica¡¯s man and he grabbed his phone, entered the guardhouse, and called Erica after learning who he was speaking to. ¡°Miss Erica, Wanda Garner has arrived.¡± ¡°Do as I¡¯ve told you and bring her to me,¡± she ordered. ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to that. Which day are you on?¡± Elliot began marking time like a hunter who had set the traps, sitting out, waiting for his game to fall into it. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. I¡¯ll bring her right away.¡± With that, he went out and said to Wanda, who had been waiting outside. ¡°You¡¯re looking for Miss Anastasia Tillman, you said? Follow me. I¡¯ll take you there.¡± Wanda was already so eager to meet up with Anastasia that she boarded the golf cart without hesitation, and it wasn¡¯t until the guard had driven more than a mile that she began panicking. ¡°Sir, where are you taking me?¡± ¡°Miss Tillman¡¯s up ahead. We¡¯re almost there.¡± In the security guard¡¯s defense, he didn¡¯t know he was handing a human life to Erica on a silver tter since he believed that Erica just wanted to see her. ¡°Is Miss Anastasia¡¯s office in this area?¡± a curious Wanda asked. The guard naturally wouldn¡¯t ask why Erica wanted to see this woman. His job was only to deliver, and he wouldn¡¯t want to offend Erica unless he wanted to lose his job. Erica and Patrick had long arrived and they watched the guard escort Wanda to their building from the second-floor window. ¡°Miss Tillman¡¯s inside. Go on in!¡± said the guard. Wanda was bewildered that Anastasia¡¯s office was located in such a ce, for it looked obviously abandoned. After she entered the building, the door suddenly shut behind her, and she turned around in fright only to see a man¡ªErica¡¯s birth father! Atst, she realized she had fallen into a trap. I¡¯ve been brought to Erica! Erica descended the stairs while sneering, ¡°You¡¯re one lucky woman, Mrs. Garner. Who¡¯d have thought you could still live after falling into the sea.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a monster, Erica Tillman. Do you really think I¡¯ll die so easily?¡± condemned Wanda as she pointed to Erica. As Wanda¡¯s focus was on Erica, it gave Patrick the perfect opportunity to grab her throat. Unfortunately for Patrick, Wanda was strong, having gained her strength and muscles from doing house chores for years and she sank her teeth into his arm. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± he cried out in pain and kicked her away. Seeing so, Erica immediately charged toward Wanda, who shoved Erica away in turn, making her way to the second floor. The main door was locked now; there was no way she could escape from there. She set her sights on the windows straight away after arriving on the second floor. ¡°Dad, grab her. Don¡¯t let her get away,¡± Erica shouted. Patrick instantly pulled out the machete they had been setting aside for this and charged toward Wanda, scaring the wits out of her. Before she could register anything, a sharp pain came to her lower abdomen, and she fell back the next second and out of the window. Though she had suffered an injury on her lower abdomen and also dropped from the second floor, she was still going strong, running toward Tillman Constructions while pressing on her bleeding abdomen. ¡°Dad, she¡¯s getting away!¡± Erica shouted in terror. As anxious as Patrick was, he still dared not jump out of the window. ¡°She hasn¡¯t gone far, Erica. I¡¯ll run downstairs and chase after her.¡± The area was deserted, for the warehouses here were all abandoned. Despite being seriously injured and also having fallen off a building, Wanda had one thing in mind: she couldn¡¯t die; she had to bring Erica¡¯s true parentage to light. Erica has to pay the price! ¡°Help! Someone wants to kill me¡­ Help!¡± Wanda shouted feebly. Patrick had caught up with his machete, and his desire to kill Wanda had overthrown his reasoning at this point. No one else could know of his daughter¡¯s true parentage; this woman had to die! Just then, a motorcycle was passing by, and when the man heard Wanda¡¯s cries for help, he immediately turned in. ¡°Help, help¡­¡± Wanda called out at once, seeing there was finally someone. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, ma¡¯am?¡± the man asked when he saw that she was covered in blood. ¡°Someone wants to kill me. Please take me to Tillman Constructions¡¯ front gate¡­¡± Coincidentally, the man was an employee of Tillman Constructions. Without another word, he helped Wanda to his motorcycle and sped away. Meanwhile, Patrick had hidden away, and cold sweat gathered on his forehead when he saw that Wanda had been taken away. s, he had failed his daughter. Not minutes after Wanda had been taken to the front gates that a ck Rolls-Royce pulled over, for a crowd was blocking the path. ¡°Dad, she¡¯s getting away!¡± Erica shouted in terror. As anxious as Patrick was, he still dared not jump out of the window. ¡°She hasn¡¯t gone far, Erica. I¡¯ll run downstairs and chase after her.¡± ¡°Miss Tillman, something seems to be going on in front,¡± the bodyguard notified Anastasia, who was seated at the back. Worried about themotion, Anastasia got out of the car and hurriedly squeezed into the crowd. Just then, someone shouted, ¡°Miss Tillman¡¯s here!¡± Anastasia discovered the weak woman lying on the ground was none other than Mrs. Garner, who had been working in Tillman Residence for the longest time. ¡°Mrs. Garner?¡± She squatted down and couldn¡¯t help being taken aback when she saw her bloody lower abdomen. ¡°Miss Tillman¡­ I want to tell you a secret¡­ Erica isn¡¯t your father¡¯s daughter¡­¡± The next second, Wanda¡¯s eyes rolled upward, out cold. It took Anastasia a few seconds to recover from the shocking revtion, and she hurriedly turned to her bodyguard behind. ¡°Take her to the hospital.¡± With that, the bodyguard dashed to the nearest hospital. While Wanda was taken to the emergency room, Anastasia waited right outside, mulling over what Wanda had just said. Erica isn¡¯t Dad¡¯s daughter¡­ Does that mean Naomi had her with some other guy? Dad definitely wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough not to do a DNA test before epting Erica into the family. So Naomi tricked Dad, didn¡¯t she? Anastasia was too little to remember anything at that time. So if Naomi really did do something, it would¡¯ve been using Anastasia¡¯s blood in rece of Erica¡¯s to sessfully pass her father¡¯s test. Anger shed across Anastasia¡¯s eyes as the thought crossed her mind. Even her father had been deceived for twenty-over years. This despicable woman, who had no blood rtions with her family, drove her out of her own home and even seized her father¡¯s love for years! Anastasia was so livid that her body started shaking. Also, why had Wanda suffered such a serious injury? Who did it to her? Anastasia stayed outside of the emergency room alone. She had wanted to tell Francis about it but decided against it in the end, for she worried something would happen to him if he couldn¡¯t take the news since he had just woken up. Meanwhile, Erica drove back downtown with Patrick in nothing but fear and worry. Wanda had once again slipped from her fingers, so it was only a matter of time before Anastasia discovered the truth of her parentage. And now, the one thing she had to do was to return to Tillman Residence, take all her mother¡¯s precious jewelry and bank cards, and hide them somewhere. She had Patrick lie low in the meantime, asking him not to find anyely and steer clear of the police lest he dragged her down. Never had Patrick imagined in all his life he would kill someone for his daughter. Worst of all, he had bloodied his hand without finishing the job. He would definitely be doomed if Wanda ever regained consciousness. In the Tillman Residence, Erica charged into Francis¡¯ bedroom and ransacked the ce, searching for anything she could immediately exchange for money. However, it never urred to her if she would ever have the chance to spend them after seizing them. All Erica ever thought about was money and living avish,fortable life. In her twenty years of living in Tillman Residence, she only ever learned one thing¡ªspending. Life would be a living hell for her if she didn¡¯t have money. All credit to Naomi as well for sessfully producing an ipetent daughter. Lastly, Erica opened Francis¡¯ watch case and took everything in there away without hesitation. She decided that she would leave Averna and hide in a different town. For all she knew, Wanda might not actually hold her liable. Back in the hospital, the doctors managed to revive Wanda. Fortunately, the wound wasn¡¯t on her vital organs, or she actually might not have survived. Wanda had also woken up in no time, finding Anastasia standing by her bed. Because of Naomi, Wanda also snubbed Anastasia in many ways. But who¡¯d have thought Anastasia would one day be her savior. ¡°Thank you for saving me, Miss Anastasia. I owe you my life.¡± Wanda knew she would¡¯ve bled to death if she was brought here anyter. ¡°Mrs. Garner, please tell me in detail. Why were you hunted, and who were they?¡± With that, Wanda recounted the first time she overheard Erica and her birth father¡¯s conversation, to Erica pushing her into the sea, up till what happened earlier in the day. The story stupefied Anastasia, for she couldn¡¯t believe Erica disregarded human life and broke so manyws just to keep her true parentage under wraps. All Erica ever thought about was money and living avish,fortable life. In her twenty years of living in Tillman Residence, she only ever learned one thing¡ªspending. ¡°Mrs. Garner, you swear everything you¡¯ve told me is the truth. Are you hiding anything?¡± Anastasia asked. ¡°How dare I? I shall be d*mned to hell if I have lied to you!¡± Wanda was so agitated that she nearly passed out. Anastasia sneered to herself when she saw Wanda¡¯s sincere gaze. In that case, you shouldn¡¯t me anyone else when you¡¯ve dug your own grave, Erica. ¡°Mrs. Garner, do you want to press charges against Erica?¡± she asked Wanda. ¡°I¡¯ll pay for all your legal fees if you do.¡± ¡°B-But I¡¯ve also ckmailed her for a million. I¡¯ll be put behind bars too, won¡¯t I?¡± asked Wanda fearfully. ¡°You may have indeed ckmailed her, but you didn¡¯t receive a single penny from her. I can have the lawyer defend you so that you¡¯ll receive the most lenient sentence. But if you do press charges, Erica and her birth father will have to spend at least ten years in prison,¡± Anastasia exined in detail. Wanda was naturally shell-shocked and beyond furious when she had two near-death encounters. Therefore, she instantly agreed with little consideration. ¡°Okay, Miss Anastasia. We¡¯ll do as you say. I want to press charges against her. I want the father and daughter to be put behind bars.¡± ¡°That security guard is also their aplice. No one should be spared,¡± Wanda said with red-rimmed eyes. Poor Mrs. Garner, having to suffer this kind of torment when she¡¯s at this age. ¡°I¡¯ll dig into the guard. Don¡¯t you worry,¡± uttered Anastasia tofort her. ¡°As long as you¡¯re willing to press charges, none of them will be able to escape.¡± Anastasia¡¯s hatred for them was naturally just as intense. Not only had Naomi brought her daughter along with her and taken over her home, but the love that was supposedly hers was also taken away from her, leaving her childhood and adolescent years helpless, alone, and aggrieved. She, too, couldn¡¯t let go of this grievance. In no time, Wanda made a report to the police, who immediately looked into her incident from that morning and also dered Erica and Patrick wanted. Anastasia, on the other hand, stood behind the window of Wanda¡¯s ward and watched her rte her mishaps. Erica will be paying a heavy price for her misdeeds, she thought, and all of this was due to her mother¡¯s failed parenting. This time, it¡¯d be toote for Naomi to regret her actions. That was if she even felt guilty. Speaking of which, it had been a long time since Anastasia visited her stepmother. Since she happened to be avable, why not let Naomi know of her precious baby girl¡¯s fate and that Anastasia¡¯s father had awoken? In the detention house, Naomi had been brought to the visiting room, and when she saw the ssy, stunning Anastasia through the bars, she lunged forward agitatedly. ¡°Anastasia, Anastasia, are you here to bail me out? I¡¯m sorry, Anastasia. I¡¯ve learned my lesson now. Please drop the charges! Please, I beg of you.¡± Anastasia crossed her arms while sneering, exuding apathy. ¡°I¡¯vee bearing news, Naomi. It¡¯s about your daughter.¡± ¡°What?! What about Erica? Has she done anything wrong?¡± Naomi turned glum. ¡°Your daughter is charged with attempted murder.¡± ¡°Impossible! My Erica doesn¡¯t have the guts to do that. How dare she kill a human when she can¡¯t even kill an animal? Don¡¯t nder my daughter, Anastasia Tillman. You¡¯re bullying her behind my back, aren¡¯t you?!¡± Naomi blew a fuse. ¡°You¡¯re right, she didn¡¯t dare to murder in the past, but you¡¯ve fattened up her ambition and courage so much that she can do anything for money now.¡± Anastasia snorted disdainfully. ¡°Anastasia, Erica¡¯s still your sister, no matter what she has done. Please forgive her, seeing that both of you have Francis¡¯ blood running in your veins.¡± Naomi thought kinship could persuade Anastasia to overlook Erica¡¯s faults. However, the frost beneath Anastasia¡¯s eyes only thickened after she heard Naomi¡¯s plea. ¡°I do have good news for you, though. My dad has regained consciousness.¡± ¡°What?! Francis has regained consciousness?! That¡¯s great; I¡¯ve missed him so much!¡± Naomi instantly feigned adoration. Naomi had thought it through. If Francis had regained consciousness, he would definitely forgive her for even manipting his will, seeing that they shared a daughter, or at least she thought so. ¡°But my dad doesn¡¯t want to see you, much less forgive you for what you¡¯ve done. Don¡¯t get too excited just yet.¡± Anastasia crushed her hopes unambiguously. Anastasia crossed her arms while sneering, exuding apathy. ¡°I¡¯vee bearing news, Naomi. It¡¯s about your daughter.¡± Naomi turned grim in response. ¡°Anastasia, you¡¯ve said nothing but terrible things about me to your father, haven¡¯t you? But don¡¯t go thinking you can drive a wedge between us. Besides, Erica is Francis¡¯ daughter too! He won¡¯t sit back and watch me go to jail.¡± Anastasia was so livid that she was beginning to sneer. How could Naomi continue to act so unapologetically? ¡°Naomi, are you sure you¡¯re right to call Erica my father¡¯s daughter?¡± Anastasia decided to drop the bomb on her. Naomi panicked in response and shrieked, ¡°How dare you, Anastasia. You can hate Erica, but I won¡¯t allow you to question her parentage!¡± ¡°Then do you know who your daughter attempted to murder?¡± ¡°Who?¡± Panic filled Naomi¡¯s eyes. ¡°Mrs. Wanda Garner. Erica first tried to kill her by pushing her off a cliff into the sea. But because Mrs. Garner survived, Erica allied with a man to wound her with a machete. Wanna guess his name? Newman. Patrick Newman. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re familiar with it.¡± Anastasia smirked as she fixed her gaze on Naomi. Naomi, seated on her chair, suddenly jolted and nearly fell over. Luckily she held a tight grip on the table. ¡°I don¡¯t know any Patrick Newman.¡± ¡°Erica has nothing to do with the Tillman Family. She¡¯s your daughter with Patrick Newman. Mrs. Garner discovered his identity when he went to Tillman Residence a month ago, and Erica, worried that her parentage would be exposed, lured Mrs. Garner to the coast and mercilessly pushed her down. After Mrs. Garner was saved, Erica then sought help from her birth father, Patrick. They lured Mrs. Garner to an abandoned warehouse this time and made another murder attempt. Mrs. Garner has already pressed charges, so you¡¯ll havepany very soon.¡± Naomi began heaving upon hearing Anastasia¡¯s words. Shrieked dramatically, she seemed to be left with no choice. ¡°Spare my daughter, Anastasia! I¡¯ll kneel. Please, spare Erica¡­¡± ¡°You married my father with a daughter that has no blood rtion to him whatsoever and used my blood to trick my father into thinking Erica is indeed a descendent of the Tillman Family. All these years, your daughter was treated with nothing but love and affection while I¡ªthere¡¯s nothing any one of you can do to salvage all that I¡¯ve lost. I want to see you pay the price for your wickedness.¡± With that, Anastasia turned and left, leaving Naomi to hold a death grip on the bars and scream, ¡°Spare my daughter, Anastasia! She¡¯s still so young¡­ Please have mercy on her, please, I beg of you¡­¡± Anastasia sneered to herself. Spare Erica? Never. The police sessfully tracked Erica to a high-end restaurant. She was enjoying a te of perfectly cooked steak like she was still a socialite until the police walked in, where she turned fearful, causing the cutleries in her hands to slip and drop onto the floor. ¡°Miss Erica Tillman, you¡¯re now the prime suspect for attempting to assassinate Madam Wanda Garner twice. We¡¯re gonna have to take you into custody for further investigation.¡± At that point, Erica¡¯s face turned as pale as a sheet and everyone in the room had their eyes on her. Her mind was aplete nk and she shivered uncontrobly. In the end, she was forcefully dragged out of the door by the policemen. ¡°I didn¡¯t kill anyone. I did not! She was the one who threatened me first! I didn¡¯t mean to kill her¡­¡± she yelled out in a frenzy. Meanwhile at Presgrave Hospital, Francis had made significant recovery as he could now get out of bed and move about; he had even gone to the gym once! He was now an agile man on his feet. ¡°I¡¯m allowed to be discharged,¡± he spoke excitedly as he looked at his daughter who had just entered the room. ¡°Dad, I¡¯ve got something to tell you next. Please stay calm.¡± ¡°Just say it. I¡¯ve faced death in the face, so there is nothing I can¡¯t handle.¡± Francis heaved a sigh. ¡°Erica isn¡¯t your biological daughter. She was conceived by Naomi with another man,¡± Anastasia voiced out frankly. Though he swore he would be calm, Francis¡¯ expression was full of shock while he was significantly stunned. ¡°What?! Are you sure about that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m very sure. You can conduct a paternity test with Erica if you would like more confirmation.¡± Anastasia was sure about this as she knew that Mrs. Garner¡¯ words were definitely worth trusting. Furthermore, Naomi¡¯s reaction also clearly indicated the authenticity of this matter. At this moment, a sh of anger appeared in Francis¡¯ eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that she¡¯s lied to me for the past twenty years! She showed me a paternity test report back then. Was that a falsified report then?¡± ¡°Miss Erica Tillman, you¡¯re now the prime suspect for attempting to assassinate Madam Wanda Garner twice. We¡¯re gonna have to take you into custody for further investigation.¡± ¡°Perhaps she used my blood to run the test back then,¡± Anastasia replied. He clenched his fist tightly and was extremely disappointed in Naomi¡¯s conduct. He turned to look at Anastasia with remorse filling in his eyes. ¡°Anastasia, I¡¯m so sorry for neglecting you all these years.¡± ¡°Dad, this is all in the past, so there is no point in bringing it up. Right now, I just hope that you won¡¯t be lenient this time. Naomi has to face the consequences of her actions. Erica has alsomitted a crime and she¡¯s been taken into police custody for investigation.¡± ¡°What?! Erica¡­ What sort of crime?¡± Francis asked in shock. In response, Anastasia repeated the incident regarding Mrs. Garner to Francis, who could not believe his ears that Erica was actually heartless enough tomit attempted murder. ¡°She has the exact same personality as her mother. How can they be so heartless? I can¡¯t believe that she killed Mrs. Garner in order to conceal the truth about her identity.¡± ¡°Dad, I understand that she grew up under your care and you¡¯re attached to her, but could you leave this matter in my hands? Don¡¯t interfere in this.¡± She did not wish for such a dilemma upon her father. He then nodded in agreement. ¡°Sure, I won¡¯t interfere in this. Just do what¡¯s best for everyone.¡± ¡°Dad, I need you to cooperate in the investigation of Naomi¡¯s case. You would need to be interviewed by the police regarding the matter of how she forced medications on you before you passed out.¡± Anastasia reminded her father as she did not want any of his feelings and kinship toward Naomi to jeopardize the matter. She had already made up her mind to convince her father to file for divorce. ¡°You two should get a divorce once the investigation has beenpleted. I don¡¯t want such a dangerous person staying by your side,¡± she suggested calmly. The guilt Francis felt toward Anastasia intensified at that point. Right now, he was relieved that she was able to handle everything on her own. As such, he decided not to bother about the matter with Naomi and Erica. He would just leave everything in Anastasia¡¯s hands. ¡°Okay!¡± Francis nodded. Since the situation had arrived to such a stage, there would be no point in him drafting a will anymore because there would be only one person left to inherit his fortune. At 5.00PM, Anastasia suddenly received a phone call from Elliot. He mentioned that he was sending a car over to pick her up as today was the day he received histest yacht, hence he wanted to bring her and Jared out to sea to have dinner. Although she was busy with suchplications, she convinced herself to rx and focus on apanying Elliot and Jared for dinner. ¡°Miss Tillman, before we leave for the port, President Presgrave asked that you pay a visit to the gown boutique and change into a gown,¡± the bodyguard mentioned. In response, Anastasia smiled and replied, ¡°Sure.¡± He¡¯s arranged everything perfectly. She changed into a purple gown at the boutique and looked stunning with a strong resemnce to a dark violet flower. ¡°Miss Tillman, I rarely see anyone being able to own this color as much as you do! It looks perfect on you!¡± the boss of the boutique praised candidly. ¡°Thank you for your kind words,¡± Anastasia replied politely and departed. Along the way, she enjoyed watching the lights lit up one by one, as if it wasmanded by the dusk, as the night approached. She admired the scenic views along the way and her heart was never more at peace than this moment; it no longer felt heavy and she was full of anticipation to see the man waiting for her. At the port, the sky had just darkened and the illuminated yacht stood out even more in the sea. It was very luxurious yet stylish. The ck car headed in the direction of the yacht and as Anastasia alighted from the car, her long hair was blowing in the wind. Her figure was mesmerizing under the shadows as she radiated confidence. ¡°Mommy!¡± She had just entered the cabin when she heard her son¡¯s voice ring out happily. He was also dressed exceptionally handsome tonight with a fitted tuxedo while radiating the aura of a rich little young man. Furthermore, Anastasia could tell that her son¡¯s outfit was tailor-made for him. At the same time, she was quite taken aback because her son actually resembled Elliot a lot after the get-up. Is this all a destined fate? ¡°Mommy, you look so beautiful today!¡± Jared tilted his head slightly as he realized that his mommy was gorgeous. ¡°Is that true?¡± Anastasia enjoyed listening to her son¡¯s praises. ¡°Of course! My mommy¡¯s beautiful and that¡¯s why I¡¯m such an adorable and handsome child!¡± Jared chuckled gleefully. She chortled after hearing his double entendrepliment. ¡°I think you¡¯re taking this chance to praise yourself more than for me!¡± At this moment, Elliot strode out from behind a door looking tall and mesmerizing. Although it was early spring, he was merely dressed in a white shirt paired with a dark-colored vest as he could withstand the cold. The tapered pants that he wore entuated his long legs perfectly and the tautness of his legs was extremely charming. ¡°Thank you for your kind words,¡± Anastasia replied politely and departed. The sight of him made Anastasia feel flushed. Wow, not many people can resist his body. As soon as she realized that they were about to be engaged soon, she suddenly felt worried that she might not be able to withstand his passionate feelings. Elliot focused his dark eyes on her and studied her intently with a smile on his face. She fulfilled all his criterias for a beautiful woman. Her imperfections naturally be perfections to him and ever since he fell in love with her, she became wless. Despite her apathy in getting closer to him¡ªor at times, even avoiding him, these traits had be the reasons why he felt attracted to her. ¡°Purple suits you well,¡± Elliot praised her. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°The only issue with the dress is the low neckline, but there aren¡¯t that many people around tonight, so I¡¯ll keep my jealousy to myself then,¡± he spoke up generously, as if she needed his permission on what to wear. At that moment, Anastasia was speechless. I¡¯ve worn dresses that are much more revealing than this! If this was something that he intended to patrol her on, then he would have his hands full as she was not conservative when it came to her dressing. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, I¡¯ll head upstairs to have a game. Stay here and keep my mommypany. You guys can have some romantic time together.¡± After Jared said that, he ran up the stairs on the other side since he was already familiar with the yacht. A worried Anastasia nced at him as Elliotforted in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t you worry. There are bodyguards upstairs, so they will keep him safe.¡± It was then that she finally rxed and enjoyed the feeling of being out at sea. The yacht sailed along the sea steadily and they remained close to the shores so that they could see the buildings all beautifully lit up under the night skies. Anastasia¡¯s frustrations from the past few days were finally released and she felt as if she was located in another realm, embracing the peaceful feeling. A fine meal was also something worth being happy about and Elliot had arranged for a highly-ranked top chef to prepare dinner for them. The tender and juicy steak was paired perfectly with some fine wine. Jared, on the other hand, had an exceptionally great meal course too; Anastasia had always prided herself on being a great cook and satisfying his meals every day. By the looks of things now, he seemed to have grown much taller and well-built from his stay at Presgrave Residence for the past month. Perhaps, he was even much healthier than when he was with her. She was full of gratitude toward Harriet for taking care of Jared so well. At the same time, she also realized that Jared was a huge source of happiness for everyone at Presgrave Residence. It was 11.00PM when they finally arrived back at the mansion with Jared sound asleep in Elliot¡¯s arms. Anastasia trailed along behind and stared at Elliot¡¯s broad and strong back. At that moment, there was a sense of security that welled up within her and she felt as if she could safely depend on him for the rest of her life. They ced Jared on the bed and Anastasia waited outside the corridor for Elliot toe out. Elliot stepped out of the door silently before he was led to Anastasia to the master bedroom. As soon as they entered the doors, he instantly took her into his arms. ¡°There were too many people present tonight. Finally, I can do what I wanted to do but was too shy earlier to do so,¡± he mentioned straightforwardly. Before she could react, he had already raised her chin and cupped her tiny face to kiss her passionately. Anastasia could feel the dominance and tenderness that he expressed. Finally, he was satiated and released her as she snuggled into his arms shyly and caught her breath. ¡°I¡¯ll start making preparations for our engagement party,¡± Elliot spoke softly in her ears in a low voice. ¡°Okay, sure.¡± She agreed as she didn¡¯t want to make him wait any longer either. The next morning, Francis, who hadn¡¯t appeared in public for quite some time, turned up at his company. The first thing he wanted to deal with was to sue hiswyer for amending his will without seeking consent from the client. Colin definitely did not expect Francis to be able to regain consciousness and that there would be proof that he had received a bribe of a million in his bank ount. Thus, there was concrete evidence of his crime. As for Patrick Newman, he had been in a residential area before he was taken into custody that morning. He trembled hard out of fear as he never expected that he would have to pay such a huge price at this age for a daughter he hadn¡¯t even met for the past twenty years. Inside the police station, Erica¡¯s face was as pale as a sheet, and her eyes were lifeless. In just one day, she had lost her arrogance, and all that was left in her was fear for her future and regret for her actions. They ced Jared on the bed and Anastasia waited outside the corridor for Elliot toe out. No one knew who revealed this matter to the press. Soon after it was revealed, the news with the heading, ¡®The second daughter of the Tillman Family, Erica Tillman, was involved in the murder of their servant¡¯, was trending in first ce on the web. Ever since Alex had been detained, Hayley remained holed up in a hotel room and she didn¡¯t dare to appear in public as she was worried that he would reveal something incriminating about her. After all, she had been by his side and concocted plenty of plots for him. She was busy scrolling on her phone when she suddenly saw a piece of news about Erica. At that moment, she sat upright in shock. ¡°Erica murdered someone?¡± After she finished reading the news, she cackled loudly and was delighted by that. ¡°I can¡¯t believe Erica would somehow end up in this state!¡± Hayley couldn¡¯t stop cackling, and just then, she felt a dull pain on her cheekbones fromughing too much. Instantly, she clutched her face and stoppedughing. It was not evident from Hayley¡¯s appearances, but she knew that several spots on her face required fixing and upkeep. However, she couldn¡¯t afford that, so she had no choice but to continue tolerating this. Originally, Alex was going to give her a few million, but now that he had been taken into custody, it meant that she had wasted her efforts for the past few days. Hayley went into the bathroom and took a look at her face in the mirror, which was still quite beautiful. However, she panicked as she studied her face intently. The bulge on her forehead was too prominent and couldn¡¯t be covered up despite the amount of foundation she applied to it. It was even more prominent when she looked at it from the side. She hyperventted as she racked her brain to find a way to obtain money. Suddenly, she thought of Elliot and wondered if she could ckmail him into giving her money for that night five years ago. She thought of the situation and mentally calcted that it had been several months since she did that despicable thing to Harriet, so perhaps he would forgive her by considering their past rtionship. Right now, Hayley had no other option but to give it a shot. She took a look at the time and it was only 9.00AM, so she decided to wait for Elliot at the underground parking lot of Presgrave Group. She had been to the parking lot plenty of times to know which spot belonged to Elliot. After she freshened up, she made her way to Presgrave Group. She used to turn up there quite often, so the receptionist remembered her and didn¡¯t stop her from entering the ce. As such, she took the elevators and went directly to the underground parking lot. She hid close to Elliot¡¯s specific parking space and waited patiently. Hayley was actually just trying her luck there, but unexpectedly, in merely ten minutes, she saw the lights of a familiar car turning in this direction. That was a distinct, elegant feeling exuded by a Rolls- Royce and she was ted to see that. Elliot was here. She quickly tidied her long hair and took out a vanity mirror to check her makeup under the lights. Subsequently, she tugged at her neckline to lower it since she wanted to appear gorgeous in front of Elliot. As soon as the car pulled over, Hayley rushed forward with a bag in her hand. However, the bodyguard, who had just gotten out of the car, stopped her. He warned, ¡°Lady, stay back.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Elliot¡¯s friend, so step aside,¡± Hayley replied quite righteously. At that moment, the car door was opened, and the person who stepped out of the car elegantly wasn¡¯t Elliot. In fact, it was Anastasia who got out of the car. Instantly, Hayley¡¯s expression changed, and she turned around to leave. However, there was a mocking voice that rang out from behind, ¡°How can you be so shameless, huh? I can¡¯t believe you actually have the cheek toe and see Elliot!¡± Hayley took a deep breath and turned around to re at Anastasia. ¡°Anastasia, you¡¯ve forced your own sister into prison, so you¡¯re definitely the most heartless and ruthless person in the world!¡± As Hayley spoke, she noticed that Anastasia was wearing a custom-made jacket and holding a limited- edition branded bag. In the past, Hayley had been introduced to the world of the top scions of society back then when she was using Elliot¡¯s money. As a result, Hayley was able to estimate the cost of everything Anastasia had on her, and Hayley couldn¡¯t contain the rush of admiration and jealousy within her. ¡°Erica¡¯s not my sister. She was conceived by Naomi and another man. As for her current predicament, well, this is all of her own doing, so she deserves everything.¡± Anastasia replied coldly. At that point, Hayley was stunned. So Erica¡¯s not Francis¡¯ daughter? Is this one of Anastasia¡¯s schemes, or could this be true? However, Hayley¡¯s main purpose here was to see Elliot, so she didn¡¯t intend to cause trouble. She responded, ¡°Anastasia, it¡¯s none of your business even if I¡¯m here to see Elliot.¡± Anastasia exuded elegance and there was a look of dominance in her eyes. She strode purposefully toward Hayley and warned thetter, ¡°It¡¯s definitely my business because he¡¯s my man. Stay away from him!¡± Anastasia said this with a swagger. Meanwhile, Hayley couldn¡¯t help but gulp. She couldn¡¯tprehend when Anastasia had perfected such an imposing manner. ¡°Anastasia, you guys aren¡¯t even engaged yet, so you¡¯re not his wife. You have no right to stop me from seeing him,¡± Hayley yelled. ¡°Inform the security guards that from now on, this person is not allowed to enter the lobby of Presgrave Group. Put her on the cklist.¡± Anastasia informed the bodyguard next to her. ¡°Sure, Miss Tillman,¡± the bodyguard affirmed. At that point, Hayley¡¯s face was flushed with anger, and she retorted angrily, ¡°Anastasia, stop being a big bully! How dare you! If you provoke me any further, I¡¯ll contact your son¡¯s biological father and get him toe and meet his son. I¡¯ll let the whole world know that your son¡¯s father is a gigolo!¡± Hayley threatened Anastasia loudly. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. In response, Anastasia¡¯s expression darkened, and she clenched her teeth while slowly inching closer to Hayley. ¡°You can try and do that to challenge me.¡± ¡°I have nothing to lose at all, so why would I be afraid? I have nothing to fear at all¡­ I¡­¡± Before Hayley couldplete her sentence, Anastasia pped her hard across the face. There was a ¡®crack¡¯ sound that reverberated loudly. ¡°You¡­ How dare you hit me, Anastasia Tillman! I¡¯ll sue you¡­¡± Hayley blew up. Just then, the bodyguard came forward and stood protectively in front of Anastasia. He formed a protective barrier in front of her. Anastasia responded with a slight sneer. ¡°I didn¡¯t hit you. Do you have any proof to support your im?¡± Anastasia threatened Hayley loudly. An ashen expression soon appeared on thetter¡¯s face, and she clenched her teeth tightly to rein in her emotions. ¡°Did you guys see me hit her?¡± Anastasia asked the bodyguard next to her with a smile. ¡°No, all we saw was someone crazy losing her temper and being disruptive to you, Miss Tillman,¡± the bodyguard responded. At that moment, Hayley was so close to tearing Anastasia into pieces, and her chest heaved up and down from the anger. Anastasia saw the oddity of Hayley¡¯s face from the lights that shone on her, and the former realized that thetter must have been in a rush to see Elliot get some money to fix her face. ¡°Kick her out. From now on, she¡¯s not allowed to step foot into Presgrave Group.¡± After Anastasia said that, she turned around as she didn¡¯t want to look at Hayley¡¯s face. ¡°Anastasia, you shouldn¡¯t behave too smugly. I¡¯m warning you. I¡¯ve got a huge secret that I will never ever reveal to you in this lifetime. It¡¯s a secret about your son¡¯s identity! Haha! I¡¯ll only reveal it to you when you¡¯re on the brink of death. By then, you won¡¯t be able to rest in peace.¡± Hayley cackled loudly as the bodyguards apprehended her. Anastasia paused in her tracks and turned around to look at Hayley. ¡°What secret is it?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t reveal a single word!¡± Hayley clenched her teeth. Knowing that Hayley was provoking her on purpose, Anastasia turned around and left while ignoring Hayley¡¯s resentful gaze that was piercing her back. It was under the escort of the two bodyguards that Anastasia exuded an air of a sophisticated rich woman as light shone upon her. After that, Hayley was thrown to the street outside Presgrave Group by a bodyguard, who warned, ¡°If you dare toe anywhere near the building, we¡¯ll call the police.¡± Now that she failed to meet Elliot, her initial n of getting money from him was also out of the window. The marks on her cheek were so evident that the stinging pain eventually became numb. ¡°Anastasia Tillman, you b*tch! I swear you won¡¯t get away with this!¡± raved Hayley toward the building. She went on and on like a delirious woman, drawing attention from the passersby who soon became the targets of her anger. ¡°What are you looking at? Get lost!¡± ¡°Oh my! Look at her face! Her stic surgeon must have hated her!¡± shouted a woman deliberately. ¡°Her forehead is uneven. You know your face is basically a jumpscare, right?¡± Another woman joined the fray. ¡°What did you just say?!¡± Hayley red at the two women. ¡°So what if we¡¯re talking about you?¡± one of them retorted fearlessly. ¡°You must¡¯ve escaped from an asylum!¡± added the other woman. As the crowd began to point fingers at her in ones and twos, Hayley finally regained her senses and covered her face before making herself scarce in great haste. When she saw her reflection in a mirror midway, the ws, which she had seen in the bathroom, were more visible under the dazzling sunlight. Even she was shell-shocked by her own hideous appearance. I look so ugly in broad daylight! Contrition pervaded inside her like a monster devouring her whole. Although her previous face was not exceptionally beautiful, she would still look nice with make-up after dressing up, thanks to her porcin skin. However, it was all gone now. She did not even look normal at all! ¡°I need money. I need money for surgery¡­¡± Hayley covered her face and kept thinking about money. She regretted so much for not withdrawing a few hundred thousand of dors first after receiving Elliot¡¯s card. He would not have sounded her out anyway. I should¡¯ve wised up back then! Then, trepidation began to overwhelm her as an epiphany struck upon her. What if Elliot finds out that Anastasia was actually the woman from that night and not me? Is he going to demand me to pay back the few millions that I¡¯ve spent? What if he does?! No. I must take this secret to my grave. Since Francis was helping with thepany affairs and Jared had started attending sses, Anastasia could take some time to rx. She was rather free in the morning, so she came to Presgrave Group to kill time. Right now, she was outside Elliot¡¯s office. ¡°Miss Tillman, you will have to wait for a moment as President Presgrave is still having a meeting.¡± Anastasia smiled. ¡°Not a problem. I¡¯ll wander around downstairs.¡± As Bourgeois had moved to the first floor of the building, she had the chance to meet her ex- colleagues. Everyone in Bourgeois weed her profusely the moment she stepped into the office. ¡°Miss Tillman, you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Miss Tillman, you look fabulous today!¡± She gave them a polite smile in return before heading toward Felicia¡¯s office. Needless to say, Felicia was pleased to see her as she addressed Anastasia more appropriately. ¡°Boss, you¡¯ve finallye to see me!¡± A bashful Anastasia covered her mouth whileughing. ¡°I¡¯m not the boss yet!¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a matter of time before you take the position.¡± Felicia was confident with her prediction. Instead of denying that, Anastasia merely sat down and began a casual talk with Felicia. ¡°How¡¯s the company doingtely?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve transcended many jewelry brands with a considerable market share. That¡¯s the least that we should do under President Presgrave¡¯s guidance, isn¡¯t it?¡± Felicia replied while smiling. However, Anastasia actually knew that the ever busy Elliot had no time to manage Bourgeois at all. The aplishment was simply thanks to the influence of the Presgrave Group alone. As though they had set sail on a sturdy ship, Bourgeois would be able to burgeon without either of them lifting a finger. ¡°Oh, the jewelry showcase is going to be held this Friday. The final product of your design is out and it¡¯s absolutely perfect! I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll cause amotion that day,¡± informed Felicia. Anastasia could not help the joy after hearing the news, for every designer treated their work like their babies. Thus, wouldn¡¯t one be proud and happy when their kids had procured such amazing achievements? ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating.¡± ¡°The original n was to use the usual diamond mosaic, but President Presgrave said that diamonds of the best quality should do the trick. When I saw the final product for the first time, it was so dazzling that I almost went blind. It is so gorgeous.¡± Anastasia was baffled. Why didn¡¯t he tell me? ¡°Really? Why did he do that?¡± She could not wrap her head around it. ¡°Probably because it¡¯s your design!¡± eximed Felicia, who had caught a whiff of Elliot¡¯s feelings for Anastasia after being in thepany for so long. Still, she tried to keep her assumption to herself for now. Anastasia nodded. ¡°I will make sure to attend the showcase. I¡¯m looking forward to seeing it for myself.¡± Then, they continued chattering about Felicia, who finally found her true love, and a wedding was expected to be in May. Anastasia congratted Felicia from the bottom of her heart. ¡°You might get married sooner than I will!¡± imed Felicia. Even so, Anastasia was not quite sure about it as their engagement ceremony was confirmed to be held at the end of the month due to Elliot¡¯s impatience. After leaving Bourgeois, Anastasia went to the floor where Elliot¡¯s office was. Due to the high ground, one was able to relish the skyscraper view there. Even if it was a rainy day, he could still enjoy the sunlight streaming into his office whereas others would have the raindrops pattering against their windows. It did not take long before Elliot returned, which he then ced aside the documents in hand after noticing the woman on the couch. ¡°I heard that you¡¯ve bumped into Hayley a moment ago. Don¡¯t mind her,¡± heforted. ¡°I don¡¯t care about her, but I don¡¯t want her to see you either.¡± Anastasia expressed her genuine thoughts. Elliot raised his hand and promised, ¡°I swear I won¡¯t see her in the future.¡± It was not entirely possible for Anastasia to forget about what had happened five years ago. She should ept the past, yet there was an invisible needle deeply pricked into her heart to constantly remind her of the pain. ¡°Have you informed your father about the engagement?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± She shook her head as it was a decision donest night. His finger brushed the tip of her nose. ¡°Seems like you¡¯re not that excited about our engagement.¡± She let out a wry smile. ¡°I promise that I¡¯ll tell him today.¡± Only then was he satisfied. ¡°We¡¯ll start preparing for the wedding right after the engagement.¡± Anastasia nodded in agreement, for she had epted the fact that she could not escape from his palm. ¡°Let¡¯s pick up Jared together this afternoon.¡± Elliot was in fact registered as Jared¡¯s father in the school¡¯s record. ¡°Sure! By the way, I¡¯m going to the showcase this Friday.¡± ¡°Okay. It¡¯s good to wander around too.¡± On the other hand, Francis decided to visit Naomi at the detention center after having suppressed his urge to do so for the past few days. With her hands fettered with a handcuff, she pounced on the iron railings vehemently as soon as she saw him. ¡°Francis! Francis, you¡¯ve finallye to see me. I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯m really sorry. It¡¯s all my fault. Please forgive me.¡± Her eyes twinkled with hope as she knew that Francis was the only person who could save her. He was herst ray of hope and she no longer wanted to be imprisoned. Gazing at the woman who had aged so much more than before, Francis recalled the ferocious words he had heard before losing his consciousness. Never in his wildest dream had he imagined his wife to be so ruthless. He wished that it was a mere nightmare and it was simply her doppelganger attempting to kill him. ¡°One question, though. How could you bring yourself to kill me?¡± His face distorted in agony. ¡°Francis, I was wrong! I didn¡¯t want to kill you. I-I was possessed! Francis, you know how much I love you, don¡¯t you? Haven¡¯t we gotten along well in the past twenty years?¡± The desperate woman pped herself in the face. ¡°I¡¯m a sinner¡­¡± Chapter 571-580 Chapter 571-580 ¡°Do you know that I was conscious for about ten seconds that night? And how much it pains me to hear what you¡¯ve said to Erica?¡± Francis asked. Naomi¡¯s face nched at the revtion as she drew a sharp breath in horror. He woke up? ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Francis. I was wrong. Please give me another chance. Help me out and I¡¯ll do anything as you say to repay you for the rest of my life.¡± She was willing to do anything just to leave this appalling ce. He shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not here to get you out. You should atone for your sins.¡± ¡°Francis, I¡¯m sorry! I was wrong¡­¡± She began wailing from the bottom of her lungs. Still, Francis was not to be moved as he continued and questioned, ¡°And what about Erica¡¯s true identity? I bet you had used Anastasia¡¯s blood to rece hers in order to deceive me. You¡¯ve used me to bring up your daughter for over 20 years and yet, this is how you treat my daughter? You¡¯re heartless, Naomi.¡± ¡°To Erica, you¡¯ve always been her father. She¡¯s a good daughter and she loves you.¡± Naomi tried to put in good words for her daughter. ¡°If she truly loved me, she wouldn¡¯t have joined hands with you to conspire against me by changing my last will and taking away mypany. And for sure, she wouldn¡¯t have murdered someone just to hide the truth of her identity!¡± ¡°Erica is still young, that¡¯s why. She doesn¡¯t know anything. Save her, please! She¡¯s your daughter!¡± pleaded Naomi. ¡°Anastasia will deal with you and Erica as she has the right to do so. Everything will be done ording to her call and I won¡¯t interfere in this matter,¡± Francis uttered, driving thest nail into her coffin. As the realization of herst strand of hope vanishing dawned upon her, her eyes widened in total fear. ¡°What? You¡¯re going to let her handle everything? N-No. Francis, she hates me to death; she¡¯ll kill us! I¡¯m begging you. Please save us!¡± ¡°If you had treated her nicely, she wouldn¡¯t have taken things this far. It¡¯s your karma.¡± A visit at death¡¯s door had cleared the haze in his mind. He had made up his mind to spend the rest of his lifetime with his biological daughter in peace; the others did not bother him in the slightest anymore. After saying what he intended to say, Francis rose to his feet. ¡°Francis. Francis! Don¡¯t go! Please, save me!¡± The desperate woman banged her head onto the transparent barrier continuously in an attempt to make him stay. Still, he tuned out the noise and left without turning his head. Meanwhile, Naomi, who was held by the officers, did not feel a smidgen of pain despite the bleeding. Instead, the unprecedented despair was swallowing her little by little inside out. The jewelry showcasemenced as scheduled at 2.00PM on Friday and it was expected to end at 9.00PM. Since Anastasia¡¯s jewelry would be disyed in the afternoon, she and Felicia promised to meet up together. They seated themselves at the front row, which was the best spot to watch the show. Underneath Anastasia¡¯s long coat was a ck dress that hugged her figure well. In spite of the unobtrusive color, she exerted elegance that could readily captivate others with one single movement. The ceremony opening was then followed up by the runway where the models began to take the center stage and present the jewelries, which were imbued with exotic styles from worldwide. Akin to other audiences, Anastasia was having the time of her life while discussing the features of the design with Felicia at times. Finally, Anastasia¡¯s work ¡®Gloryio¡¯ was mentioned alongside her name when the host was introducing the next design. Her heart palpitated and before long, she saw that very ne worn around the model¡¯s neck. The model¡¯s enticing corboneplemented the jewelry well by drawing all eyes onto the item as it glittered under the illuminating lights. As soon as the model took the limelight, the crowd plunged into a silentmotion with murmuring voices echoing against the walls. After a few rounds of catwalks, the models retreated to the backstage, where a number of rich people expressed their liking toward Gloryio. After all, it was a one-of-a-kind jewelry that was worth adding to their collection. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but this set has been taken.¡± ¡°What? I should be the fastest one. Who is it?¡± the richdy growled in disapproval. ¡°It¡¯s President Presgrave of Presgrave Group. It is said that he wishes to give it to his lover,¡± exined the manager. Almost instantly, the richdy broke into a smile. ¡°Oh! I dly admit that I¡¯m indeed one step toote. He has good taste.¡± That was a given, considering that the designer was Elliot¡¯s very lover! After the showcase, Anastasia decided to invite Felicia for a cup of coffee, but an employee approached Anastasia before she could even leave her seat. ¡°Miss Tillman, pleasee backstage for a moment.¡± Albeit slightly surprised by the request, she went backstage together with Felicia, only to be weed by the manager with a smile. ¡°Miss Tillman, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. I have a present for you.¡± ¡°A present?¡± While Anastasia was taken aback, the incisive Felicia had a vague guess of the situation. The manager took out an exquisite white box before opening it to reveal a ne. It was the one Anastasia had designed! She eximed, ¡°This is my design, though! Is it really for me?¡± ¡°Yes. Mr. Presgrave has specially noted that he wishes to give it to the woman he loves the most.¡± A blushing Anastasia could not contain the sweet joy in her heart. Needless to say, the man had always been adept at giving surprises. ¡°Anastasia, it seems like there¡¯s a good reason for President Presgrave to insist on using the best diamonds. He¡¯s been nning to give it to you as a gift from the very start,¡± teased Felicia. Anastasia could not help but grin from ear to ear. ¡°So, you¡¯ve known this beforehand? Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°If I¡¯ve done that, there wouldn¡¯t be any surprises and President Presgrave¡¯s effort would¡¯ve gone down the drain.¡± After looking at her own work, Anastasia told the manager, ¡°Please send it to my ce.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Anastasia left her address with the manager before leaving. Right then, she thought of the man she had been missing. ¡°Have you received the present?¡± Elliot chuckled with his low voice. ¡°Yeah. But why?¡± asked Anastasia. ¡°It¡¯s our engagement soon, but you still need a set of jewelry. I think it¡¯ll be meaningful for you to wear it at our engagement ceremony.¡± She had nothing to rebut the ideal answer as she was equally pleased. ¡°I think so too.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see youter tonight.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯m still shopping, just so you know.¡± She was on cloud nine. As the engagement ceremony was nearing, Anastasia had been busy these days. Just selecting six sets of gown alone took up a lot of time since she had to take the details into ount as well. Amidst the hectic days, Harriet was the happiest person of all. The future she had been envisioning wasing true at longst¡ªAnastasia was going to be her granddaughter-inw. There was a pre-gathering at Presgrave Residenceter that night and Anastasia could finally see Nigel, who had been preupied due to a business expansion. He barely had the time to catch a breath. ¡°Still, I can finally be your family as your brother-inw.¡± He smiled. ¡°It feels kinda weird.¡± She tried to contain herughter as she was only two years younger than him. ¡°Fine. You can marry me, then,¡± he said in undertone so that it would not reach Elliot¡¯s ears. She yed along. ¡°Say it out loud for your brother to hear.¡± Suddenly, someone patted Nigel¡¯s shoulder. It was Elliot, whose eyes had narrowed dangerously. ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°Huh? Did I say something? I said nothing!¡± Nigel blinked his eyes several times at Anastasia, signaling her to not let the cat out of the bag. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± She was about to burst intoughter because of the funny oue. Then, Elliot excused himself to greet the seniors and Nigel patted his chest in relief. ¡°I¡¯ve been afraid of him since I was young. You can never imagine his stern face when he¡¯s angry with me. Yet, he used to stand up for me whenever I got into trouble. I really admire him.¡± ¡°For real? Tell me more about his younger days! Did he do anything mischievous or embarrassing?¡± A curious Anastasia was all ears. Nigel recounted his childhood memories. ¡°Once, I offended the seniors in my school and Elliot¡ªwho was abroad at that time¡ªreturned to the country immediately to take down seven of them all by himself! I was cheering for him at the sideline and he won! He was so cool!¡± As she was listening to the story, Anastasia could literally picture the scene in her head. She had seen pictures of Elliot in his teens and he definitely had the looks of a rich young boy. ¡°Has he gone out with other girls?¡± she whispered. Nigel shook his head as he did not dare to make up a lie for it either. ¡°Though the girls had been lining up to date him, he didn¡¯t like any of them. Only you.¡± Anastasia was giddy with merriment at that moment. ¡°Really? Are you telling the truth?¡± ¡°I swear.¡± Based on their long friendship, she was able to discern the sincerity in his eyes and trusted his words. ¡°Okay. I believe you.¡± After greeting the elderly members, Elliot turned his head to see the duo talking with such proximity. Watching how their heads almost touched, Elliot guessed that Anastasia was prying into his past. His aroused interest led his feet toward them, after which he crossed his arms while pricking up his ears to hear the conversation. Both of them were so immersed in the gossip that they did not realize the protagonist was just right there. Meanwhile, Nigel¡¯s eyes lit up as he recalled something. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you one of his dark histories.¡± ¡°Dark history?¡± ¡°Before he was 16, he drove the car and was caught red-handed. The police gave him a lecture and forced him to rewrite all of the driving rules by hand.¡± Nigel guffawed without feeling a tad of guilt. Anastasia let out a heartyughter as well. Suddenly, they could feel a cold chill osting them as a voice resounded. ¡°Is it that hrious?¡± The smile on Nigel¡¯s face went stiff before he cleared his throat. ¡°Elliot, I¡¯m already saving your face by not exposing the time you entered thedies¡¯ by mistake.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like you¡¯re much better than I am. I have plenty of stories about you too!¡± Elliot squinted his eyes with a piercing gaze at his brother. ¡°What? Elliot went to thedies¡¯ before?¡± Anastasia¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Was he mistaken as a pervert? Elliot smiled widely, albeit dangerously. ¡°If you would like to learn more of my stories, I¡¯ll tell youter tonight in bed. Don¡¯t listen to his nonsense.¡± She smiled while blushing in embarrassment whereas Nigel patted Elliot¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Patience, Elliot. Be patient. You¡¯re going to get married soon.¡± In fact, Elliot¡¯s patience was wearing thin to the point that he could not fall asleep at night. Although there were three days remaining before the engagement, it felt like a century to him. Time flew by and it was the engagement day at longst. The press, which had quite reliable resources, began to offer their sincere wishes to the couple with the intent to spread the news. Soon, the Inte went wild over the engagement of the renowned President Presgrave of Presgrave Group. On the other side, Hayley saw the news and shoved everything off the desk in a fit of pique at her rented room. In the end, Anastasia had be Mrs. Presgrave and Hayley was left with nothing. Due to her face, Hayley had been staying indoors. However, she was left with not much money; even her meals would be a problem if she could note up with a solution soon. Desperate times always called for desperate measures. The desperate woman, who met a dead end, had an idea. She could disguise as the gigolo to receive some money from Anastasia, who was going to marry Elliot soon. Anastasia would be mindful of her reputation by now. Thus, Hayley could threaten her with the incident that had transpired five years ago. With that ace card in her sleeves, Hayley was certain that Anastasia would provide her with some money in order to retain her reputation. A few hundred thousand meant nothing to Anastasia, but it was enough for Hayley to lead a good life for a few years. Therefore, Hayley had decided to mble for once. She had nothing to lose anyway, so why would she be afraid? After taking a deep breath, Hayley took a burner phone and dialed Anastasia¡¯s number. ¡°Hello. Who is this?¡± Anastasia¡¯s voice came from the other side of the line. Hayley made sure that she was using a voice changer app. ¡°Anastasia Tillman, I heard that you¡¯re getting married soon. Congrattions!¡± It was a sarcastic tone. ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± Rage soared in Anastasia¡¯s voice at the drop of the hat. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me! I miss our son so much. I wish I could see him.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you daree close to my son!¡± ¡°I can do that if you give me some money. Otherwise, I¡¯ll expose everything that had happened five years ago. I will tell everyone that you slept with me and that you¡¯ve worked at the club!¡± Anastasia, who was currently at Elliot¡¯s vi, tried to maintain herposure while dealing with the scumbag she had been waiting for all this time. ¡°Money? How much do you want?¡± She feigned fear at the threat. Hayley did not hesitate once she heard the offer. ¡°One million.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible, but I can consider it if it¡¯s a hundred thousand.¡± ¡°Five hundred thousand. That¡¯s final.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t give you more than a hundred thousand.¡± Anastasia was determined to catch the guy. ¡°Y-You¡¯re going to marry Elliot Presgrave, that rich guy. How can you not have more than that?¡± The altered voice rang a bell for some reason. ¡®His¡¯ voice and tone was familiar to Anastasia¡¯s ears. Then, a figure seeped into her mind. Hayley. Perhaps the person talking is not the gigolo, but Hayley? As an afterthought, she decided to test the waters by saying, ¡°Elliot and I are not on good terms. He won¡¯t give me any money.¡± As she had expected, the person snorted coldly. ¡°Anastasia Tillman, that trick won¡¯t work on me! He¡¯ll give you anything you want for sure.¡± ¡°The news is fake. He doesn¡¯t love me. It¡¯s a loveless marriage.¡± ¡°Anyone but me will believe in those lies. I know a lot about you and Elliot.¡± Anastasia¡¯s gaze was ring with ire as her conjecture had hardened into conviction. It was Hayley calling her at the moment. It seemed like Hayley had been trying to contact her from the beginning in order to ckmail her. Since the gigolo did not have the audacity to appear before Anastasia, Hayley was trying her luck to ckmail Anastasia by pretending to be him. She must be missing the lonely Erica who¡¯s currently in prison. I guess I should grant her a wish by sending her to jail as well! It was easy to prove whether the person on the phone was indeed Hayley or not¡ªthrow the bait and make her show up! ¡°Fine. Five hundred thousand is what you want, isn¡¯t it? You gotta promise that you stay out of my son¡¯s sight or I¡¯ll make you pay for it,¡± warned Anastasia. Now that Anastasia had priced up the offer due to ¡®fear¡¯, Hayley was in triumph as her trick was working. ¡°Okay. I want the money now.¡± Judging from how hasty the person was, Anastasia was certain that it was indeed Hayley attempting to bamboozle her. Hayley was in dire need of money to refine her looks, yet Elliot had driven her away previously. Therefore, she acted as the gigolo to get money from Anastasia, which caused Anastasia to frown in vexation. Why didn¡¯t I realize earlier? Anastasia was not going to forgive Hayley this time round. ¡°How should I give you the money?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send you the location. And you gotta leave the money there in an hour.¡± ¡°The amount is too much. I¡¯ll give you a hundred thousand in cash and the remaining amount with a credit card. But you gotta promise me that you won¡¯t bother my life again. Otherwise, I won¡¯t give the money to you.¡± Anastasia feigned uneasiness. ¡°Okay. I promise, but you have to give me the right amount of money.¡± ¡°Deal.¡± Having said that, Anastasia terminated the call before dialing Elliot¡¯s number and informed him about the situation, asking him to trap Hayley into admission. As Anastasia had enough on her te with tonight¡¯s engagement ceremony going on, she could not afford to worry about this matter. After settling the money matter, Hayley heaved a sigh of relief as she left her room, thinking that Anastasia was so foolish to have fallen for such a trick. Five hundred thousand would be enough for Hayley to survive for years. Not only that, there was a chance to recover her looks! As she was feeling giddy about her ¡®wless¡¯ n, Hayley figured that she could make Anastasia her very own magic money tree in the future after having sessfully deceived Anastasia like a fool. Hayley ordered Anastasia to put the money into a locker at a grocery store before texting the password. An hourter, she would be swimming in cash and doing anything she fancied with the card. In order to get the money furtively, she nned to wear a disguise apart from hiring someone with two hundred dors to help her move the money. Half an hourter, amidst the crowded locker room, there was a guy shoving a bulging bag into one of the lockers. He set a password before taking his leave. Mixing around the nearby throng was Hayley, whose eyes were staring at the locker with excitement. She believed it! Considering how much money she would own in the near future, five hundred thousand was a trifle to Anastasia. It would not pain her at all. Soon, Hayley received a message from Anastasia that read, ¡®I¡¯ve left the money as told. You better do as you¡¯ve promised. Otherwise, you¡¯ll never get away from it.¡¯ A sniggering Hayley nced at a young man next to her, who seemed quite dense, before asking whether he wished to earn himself some easy cash. He nodded vigorously, after which she instructed him to move a hefty bag from the locker to her car. He did as she told immediately upon receiving the money. The loaded bag was so heavy that he could barely move it. After looking left and right, she wore a cap before trailing behind him. She even covered her face with a mask for this mission. Once the man had arrived at the entrance, she instructed him, ¡°Drop it there. Thanks.¡± ¡°Miss, what is in that bag? It¡¯s so heavy,¡± asked the curious man. Hayley glossed it over by saying, ¡°Just mask packs from my friend.¡± After that, he took the thousand dor cash and left like a happy bunny. At the same time, Hayley hauled the bag to the side to have a look of the content. It was loaded with cash as she had expected! Just as she was about to carry the bag, a shadow loomed over her and caused her to raise her head at the oing person. The two men donned in casual attires showed their police badges. ¡°Hayley Seymour, you¡¯re under arrest for ckmailing Miss Tillman arge sum of money. Please follow us to the station for investigation.¡± Her face went pallid within split seconds. What? How did she find out that it¡¯s me? ¡°N-No! I didn¡¯t ckmail anyone. She gave it to me willingly!¡± With that being said, she forwent the money and dashed with all her might. Still, the bodyguards, who were already guarding outside, thwarted her and rendered her forlorn escape invalid. ¡°Let go of me! Who are you?!¡± ¡°We¡¯re Miss Tillman¡¯s bodyguards. You can¡¯t escape, Hayley.¡± ¡°How did that b*tch know that it¡¯s me?!¡± ¡°Do not speak of Miss Tillman like that.¡± Then, the bodyguard flung her toward the ground. A spasm of pain contorted her face and her heart sank to the pit of her stomach, for she had not foreseen herself to be the one who would fall in the trap. Now, Hayley hadpletely understood why Anastasia was willing to increase the amount to five hundred thousand¡ªthe higher the amount of money involved, the heavier the penalty would be. Still, the hindsight was toote. ¡°Anastasia Tillman!¡± growled Hayley before she was cuffed and taken away by the police. In the meantime, Anastasia, who was in the makeup room, was informed that Hayley was taken into custody. Everything had gone as nned and it added to the icing on the cake on her engagement day. ¡°Miss Tillman, shall we start with the makeup?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± replied Anastasia as the elite makeup team tended to her at Elliot¡¯s vi. At the Presgrave Residence, Elliot was back to pick his grandmother up. Because of her advanced age, he had to personallye and pick her up before settling her down at the hotel. ¡°Hey, Elliot! Why aren¡¯t you wearing the watch I gave you? Do you not like my present?¡± Harriet saw Elliot¡¯s watch in the car and she could not help but recall the one she had given him. A smiling Elliot replied, ¡°Okay, Grandma. I¡¯ll wear that watch tonight!¡± ¡°That is your lucky watch. It has been blessed by God and was bought ording to your zodiac sign!¡± she responded. ¡°Blessed by God?¡± This amused him. ¡°Of course! This watch brings good luck to you.¡± ¡°Alright then, I will wear itter.¡± Meanwhile, at the hotel, there was not enough time for him to pick up Anastasia because Elliot had picked Harriet up, so he asked for a motorcade to head over in his stead. Coincidentally, Jared was at the hotel too, so he could take care of the ce for the time being. ¡°You didn¡¯t need to pick me up. It¡¯s a hassle for you toe back and forth. I can take a cab by myself.¡± Anastasia told him. ¡°Oh, yeah. Anastasia, help me take a watch from the cab.¡± Elliot told her. ¡°Sure! Which one?¡± Elliot sent a picture to her. ¡°Help me to search for it. It should be at the top.¡± ¡°Okay. Does this watch have any special meaning?¡± she asked curiously. After all, she knew that the watch he specified definitely had something to it. ¡°It was a gift from my grandmother.¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Anastasia felt a surge of joy, as she was a bit jealous, wondering which woman gave him that! ¡°Okay. I will bring it to youter,¡± she replied. Applying perfect makeup, she paired it with her white diamond dress, which made her very elegant. Anastasia then arrived at Elliot¡¯s bedroom and entered his closet. Inside, there was a disy ss for his watches. Under the lights, the watches radiated its uniqueness and showed off the man¡¯s taste for the finer things in life. Looking up, Anastasia could see the light emerald watch reflecting a motif of a wolf¡¯s head upon taking it out. She took it with her after making sure it was the same one as in the picture. Then, she ced it in her bag and went down to the motorcade that was waiting for her. The twilight was prominent today, which signaled a very romantic night toe. The three cars slowly left the vi, with Anastasia sitting in one of the luxurious cars¡¯ back seats. The hotel for the engagement was a seven star one in the middle of the city and it was one of the properties of the Mansons. The exterior of the extravagant hotel was lined with festive lights, making the whole ce look even grander. One could somewhat see that on the inside of the ck car sat an elegant woman that radiated her charisma outwardly. As the car parked at the entrance, a man had stood there for quite a while in a stylish ck suit and combed hair, entuating his good looks. He could not help smiling upon seeing the car arrive. The woman he had been anticipating finally arrived. He personally opened the door to the sight of Anastasia staring back at him too. Witnessing the man¡¯s charisma made her shy as she slowly looked away. Nevertheless, one could tantly see that the look in her eyes was full of love and care for the man. Nigel, who was standing at the side, felt frustrated at the sight of this. Hmph, I¡¯m also dressed to the nines today. Any woman would be attracted to me, but why isn¡¯t Anastasia sparing me a nce? Never had he seen Anastasia look at a man with such a gaze. He had once hoped she would look upon him so, but now he understood that he was not worthy of it. Only Elliot was worthy of such a gaze. It was as if the heavens had decided they were a pair from the start and that he himself was only a missionary who sent Anastasia to Elliot. This was still devastating to him, even though he already knew the truth. Nevertheless, he was not jealous of them. Rather, he truly wished them happiness, as the thing he hoped to see the most was Anastasia living the life she wanted. Anastasia, who was being extra shy today, was being led by Elliot into the main hall quietly and obediently. Only when they entered the elevator did she finally turn back and see Nigel. She raised her hand to greet him. ¡°Hi, Nigel.¡± Smiling somewhat bitterly, Nigel replied, ¡°You finally see me.¡± Anastasia started blushing harder and harder, while Elliot only looked on smilingly, admiring the woman who was soon to be his fiancee. He also showed what it meant for one¡¯s mind to be filled with someone. Tired of being the thirdwheel involuntarily, Nigel coughed lightly. ¡°Can you two stop publicly disying your love? At least wait until the engagement party is done and dusted.¡± Smiling, Elliot peered at him. ¡°Nigel, you wouldn¡¯t understand this feeling.¡± Anastasia startedughing at his words while covering her mouth, as did Nigel, while thinking about it. Inside the venue hall. Everything looked very romantic and dreamy. Since Anastasia liked a blue-themed engagement venue, the whole thing was decorated in teal and sky blue, making it seem very simple yet dazzling. Blue roses were scattered around the scene, making the venue have a slight flowery scent. Upon being sent to the waiting room by the side, Anastasia finally remembered about the watch, so she took it out and gave it to him. ¡°Is it this one?¡± Elliot nodded. ¡°Yup. It¡¯s this one.¡± Taking off his other watch, he said, ¡± This was a gift from my grandma for my 20th birthday.¡± Wearing it, he continued, ¡°Grandma said that this was a watch that would bring me luck and happiness.¡± Anastasia agreed with him. ¡°Your grandmother¡¯s words should be correct.¡± Elliot¡¯s gaze wavered at this, as it was this precise watch that attracted Hayley, the evil woman, who nearly led Harriet to her demise. In his mind, he just treated it as a gift from his grandmother and not as a lucky charm. He now thought that he was indeed lucky since he had met Anastasia. Jared stepped out with Elliot, and they entered the roomter, apanied by two bodyguards. ¡°You look so pretty today, Mommy!¡± The little child stared at Anastasia. He thought that this was the prettiest he had ever seen his mother and that she looked like a bride. Hugging him, Anastasia hit his head dotingly. ¡°Thank you, sweetheart. Are you happy, Jared?¡± ¡°Of course I am! I can finally call Mr. Presgrave as ¡®Daddy¡¯!¡± Jared nodded. Stunned, Anastasiaughed at his words. ¡°Yup. He¡¯s your daddy from now on.¡± Time was slowly passing by, with Francis sitting right in front of the hall in a suit, looking elegant. He did not know how to describe his feelings since his only daughter was getting married today. It was after experiencing so much that he understood one thing: only those that shared his blood would truly love him and that he would spend the rest of his life making it up to Anastasia and her mother. As for the others, he did not want nor need to care about them. Harriet¡¯s daughter, Brenda, walked over and said, ¡°Mom, it¡¯s almost time.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s start then!¡± Harriet could not wait to announce that Anastasia was about to be her future daughter-inw. ¡°Mum, you¡¯ve been wishing for this for so long!¡± ¡°Indeed I have!¡± Harriet was thoroughly overjoyed. The engagement ceremony was scheduled to start at 6.50 pm, so there were just two minutes left. Elliot walked on stage, and the lights only served to entuate his perfectly sculpted face. No matter his figure or looks, one could almost say that he was perfect. This made some of the girls on the scene envious of Anastasia. Besides that, Harriet also felt very proud, as her grandson was, indeed, handsome! Since he was young, he had always made her proud, especially when everybody would praise him no matter where he went. By then, Anastasia had alreadye out of the waiting room and was waiting in the main hall. Even though it was only an engagement party, she was standing on the red carpet with a bouquet of roses in her hands. When the time came, the golden gates opened whilst romantic music slowly yed in the background as she walked down the aisle to the man on stage. ¡°Wow! The bride is also very pretty!¡± ¡°She¡¯s gorgeous!¡± ¡°They really are a pair meant for each other.¡± The songs of praise all came from the old and young. Tonight, they only invited the extended families of the Presgrave Family and some important guests. So, it could be said that they were all well acquainted with each other. Walking step by step to the stage, Anastasia saw that the host tonight was none other than Jonathan, who was going to be the witness to their engagement. Anastasia smiled at her future uncle before Elliot held her hand and stood beside her. After a short speech, Jonathan congratted them again. ¡°Here, we bear witness to the pair of couples, Elliot and Anastasia, wishing them a happy life thereon after and that they never part.¡± ¡°Now, let¡¯s have the groom put the diamond ring on the bride to signify his love. After this, we will be looking forward to the uing wedding.¡± The gaffer immediately dimmed the lights, leaving only the lights on the stage, focusing on the pair like a beam of moonlight. This enabled everyone to see them clearly. Elliot first put Anastasia¡¯s diamond ring on her while his was on the tray held by a woman, which Anastasia took. Reaching out, Elliot revealed his hand with his watch sticking out. A ray of green light hit Anastasia, who was about to put the ring on him. Attracted by the light, she forgot to put the ring on him, as she only stared at the reflection on his watch. Under the dim lights, an emerald wolf¡¯s head reflected itself from the watch. The ring in her hands dropped because she was so shocked. Elliot looked up and saw that Anastasia was stunned while staring at his watch to the point where it was as if she had seen something horrifying. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Anastasia?¡± Elliot hugged her. The people below were anticipating the two exchanging the engagement rings when the bride dropped the ring and froze there, looking like an icicle. All of a sudden, Anastasia turned to the gaffer and said, ¡°Could you turn off the lights?¡± A bit dumbfounded, he then immediately followed her request and switched off all the lights. The whole venue descended into darkness. In the dark, everyone was shocked and stunned, as they all did not know what Anastasia was going to do. Even Elliot did not know what Anastasia was thinking of. Anastasia was fixated on the watch, as the wolf¡¯s head reared itself clearly upon the moment the lights went out. Covering her mouth, the overwhelming emotions nearly made her faint. Her mind went nk while the memories from five years ago appeared. Although it was a dark night, she still remembered everything. The watch was the exact same as Elliot¡¯s, with the rare design of a wolf¡¯s head. ¡°Anastasia, what¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling alright?¡± Elliot¡¯s concerned voice came as he hugged her and felt that she was trembling all over. It seemed like something terrifying had happened to her. He was wrong, though. Anastasia was not trembling because of panic; she was trembling out of shock. She tried to recollect her thoughts without panicking. Elliot had said that he recognized Hayley through a watch, and that night, it was Anastasia who threw the watch onto the floor when the man gave it to her. The room was booked under Hayley¡¯s name, so her phone number appeared in the registration. The staff who found the watch would naturally contact the person who booked the room, leading to the watchnding in her hands. Elliot, who found Hayley through the list, thought that she was the woman who had a one night stand with him. As for why Jared looked so much like him¡­ It was because¡­ The man whom she had a one night stand with was right in front of her! Anastasia was caught in a dilemma as he was, simultaneously, the person she hated and loved the most. This torrent of emotions washed over her, making her shudder in thought. ¡°Turn on the lights!¡± Elliot told the gaffer, since he detected that something must have happened to Anastasia to make her tremble all over. The gaffer turned on the lights to the sight of Elliot embracing Anastasia protectively. Buried in his chest, Anastasia took a few deep breaths before lowering her head and seeing the diamond ring on the carpet. Gently pushing Elliot away, she bent down to pick up the ring and proceeded to put it on his finger. ¡°I have something to tell you.¡± Anastasia looked up at him, teary-eyed. This made Elliot¡¯s heart pang. Why is she crying all of a sudden? The crowd below breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the bride put the ring on the groom. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we¡¯ll be excusing ourselves momentarily,¡± stated Elliot to the guests before he held Anastasia¡¯s hand and went down the stage from the side exit. Harriet then stood up and said, ¡°No worries. Please, everybody, help yourselves with the food. I apologize beforehand if there¡¯s anything inadequate.¡± Originally, it was Elliot who was holding Anastasia¡¯s hands, but once they reached the hallway, the situation turned around, as she could not wait to find a spot. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Anastasia? Did something happen?¡± Elliot was truly concerned about her. Finally, she brought him into an empty room and closed the door. Holding his hands, Anastasia stared at his watch and asked, ¡°You said that this watch was custom made by your grandmother for you. So, that means that there is only one in this entire world, right? There won¡¯t be another watch with the same design?¡± ¡°Yes! It¡¯s one-of-a-kind.¡± Elliot nodded. ¡°What about the wolf¡¯s head on the watch face? Is it something exclusive to your family?¡± ¡°This wolf¡¯s head is an insignia my grandmother believes in, as she had the designer incorporate it on the watch¡¯s face. I think¡­ this should be owned only by me.¡± Even though Elliot was not too sure, he had never seen another watch like his before. At this point, Anastasia suddenly remembered that this watch was not the only proof of the one-night stand; there was also her darling son. ¡°You said that you found Hayley through this watch. Are you sure she was the woman you spent the night with back then?¡± Anastasia asked. This made Elliot¡¯s heart skip a beat. Does she still care about this? This was the only stain that he could not wipe away from his life. ¡°Yes,¡± Elliot replied gently, afraid of setting off her bad mood. ¡°Have you ever thought that the woman might not be Hayley and that it was actually some other woman?¡± Anastasia looked up at him and asked, seeming a bit angry that he was actually gentle toward Hayley before. Stunned, Elliot could not respond. Seeing this, Anastasia followed up with another question, ¡°After you found Hayley, did you¡­ have any intimate contact with her?¡± Elliot shook his head firmly. ¡°I never did that. After I found her, I did not do anything except make it up to her materialistically.¡± ¡°Why not? Was it because Hayley gave off a different feel from the woman five years ago?¡± Anastasia pressured him. Shocked again, Elliot asked, ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°Why are you determined to find the woman from that incident five years ago?¡± Anastasia¡¯s eyes were filled with curiosity. Elliot did not know how to exin it to her, but no matter what, he could not quell the urge to find her. All of a sudden, Anastasia¡¯s tears began to stream down her face. She covered her mouth as an overwhelming wave of emotions washed over her. ¡°Anastasia, what¡¯s wrong? Did I do something? I¡¯m sorry.¡± Elliot was frantic. Despite not knowing what he could have done, he was certain that he must have done something to make her cry. However, Anastasia¡¯s tears flowed even harder once she heard what he said. She cried so profusely that she began to hup. No one would know what she was going through right now. She finally found relief from the thoughts that had chained her down for nearly six years. The vision of that terrible beast of a man that she had concocted in her heart had changed to the man in front of her. He was no beast! Only the gods would know how incredibly freeing it felt to have the burden of these torturous thoughts and feelings lifted off her shoulders. Elliot was beside himself with worry, but Anastasia threw herself into his arms and spoke with a teary voice, ¡°Thank goodness it was you. I¡¯m d it was you. As long as it¡¯s you¡­ it¡¯s not that bad after all.¡± He pulled her into an even tighter embrace. However, he had no idea what he could do tofort her. Her sorrow seemed to stem from somewhere deep within her soul, and he hated that he did not know her enough to understand what was happening to her. Even though he could not make out what her words meant, he felt she really needed him. ¡°Anastasia, could you tell me what¡¯s happening?¡± he asked as he gently stroked the back of her head. Finally, Anastasia pushed him back a little before exining it all to him. ¡°Do you think Jared looks like you?¡± She looked up at Elliot and asked. ¡°Yes. Everyone who sees him says he looks like me.¡± This was something that he was incredibly happy about! ¡°Why do you think my son would look like you?¡± she asked him a tricky question on purpose. True enough, her question had stumped Elliot. He stared at her in trepidation, afraid that she might start crying again if he said something he should not have. Anastasia decided to put him out of his misery. She raised her hand and lifted his watch. ¡°I told you before that the man who hurt me that night five years ago left me a watch, but I didn¡¯t take it and threw it away instead.¡± Elliot did recall her saying that. ¡°The watch I threw away was retrieved by the staff at the club. They must¡¯ve thought the watch was too expensive to just keep to themselves, so they contacted the person who booked the room. That person took the watch and kept it in her possession. Five yearster, someone came to her and asked if she was the woman in the room back then. When she realized that the man was the wealthy and powerful president of Presgrave Group, she readily said she was,¡± Anastasia recounted as if she was telling a story. Elliot¡¯s eyes flickered back and forth as the revtion sent waves of shock coursing through him, and his breathing grew heavier. ¡°It¡¯s you. That woman from that night five years ago¡­ It¡¯s you, isn¡¯t it? Anastasia? Hayley was the one who booked the room, so she had my watch and received thepensation that I owed to you instead.¡± Elliot was both shocked and furious, but at the same time, he was ecstatic. ¡°Jared¡¯s my son. He¡¯s my son¡­ I¡¯m his father!¡± He began to tear up as he was overwhelmed and on the verge of exploding from all the emotions that welled up inside him. Anastasia nodded. ¡°Yes, Jared is your son. You¡¯re the man that slept with me that night.¡± His heart was filled with guilt and self-me. He hugged her tightly and kissed her hair as he bbered on and on, ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m so sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m the worst. I¡¯m the b*stard who deserves to rot in hell. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± She looked up at him and refuted him. ¡°Stop saying such nonsense.¡± All at once, Elliot lowered his head and began to kiss her fervently. Anastasia nearly suffocated from the ferocity of his kiss. I thought he was in the middle of an apology, so why is he kissing me instead? She had not forgotten about settling the score with him for what he did five years ago! Elliot was breathing a little heavily as he stared at her with loving eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I owe you too much, and I won¡¯t be able to pay it all back even if I spent this lifetime, and the next, and every single one after that doing so.¡± Chapter 581-590 Chapter 581 Anastasia blinked at him. ¡°You can take your time to make it up to me.¡± No one knew what she was thinking inside. If it were fated that she could not escape the trap Hayley had set up for her, then she would rather it be him than some other random guy. Fate had caused her a lot of pain and sorrow, but it had now given her a chance to set the record straight, and true love as well. ¡°Grandma told me that this watch was my good luck charm. It turns out I had been wrong about it. It truly is my good luck charm. Elliot meant every word he said. When Anastasia recalled what Hayley had done, she gritted her teeth in contempt. ¡°Don¡¯t let Hayley get away with this. I want her to pay for what she did.¡± Elliot was just as furious as she was. He ¨C clenched his fists and dered. ¡°I will make her pay heavily for everything.¡± Anastasia looked up and suggested, ¡°Run a DNA test with Jared to confirm it.¡± ¡°Why would I need one? Jared is my son.¡± Elliot did not feel a speck of doubt at all about this. He had long since felt an inexplicable connection with Jared. From the moment he first met Jared, he had a feeling that they were rted. ¡°Jared will be very happy to know that you¡¯re truly his father.¡± Elliot grasped her hand and asked, ¡°Can I break the news to all the guests today? The fact that Elliot is my son.¡± Anastasia saw the impatience in his eyes and thought to herself. Why not? Tonight was not just their engagement ceremony, but also the moment when the father and son duo would formally reunite with one another. Meanwhile, at the ceremony, the couple in question had disappeared without a trace, and Harriet could barely take a few bites. She was sorely worried that Anastasia would scoff at Elliot and refuse to marry him again. Nigel had been tasked to take care of Jared. Jared tried looking for Anastasia a couple of times, but Nigel stopped him. He thought to himself, I better not let this kid go looking for them. What if he walked into something that¡¯s not meant for kids to see? Therefore, he did his best to coax Jared. He even used the ultimate trump card-the mobile games on his phone to keep Jared happy. Brenda approached the main table. ¡°Mom, these are all your favorites. You should eat more,¡± Brenda tried to convince Harriet. ¡°Why aren¡¯t they back yet?¡± Harriet asked. ¡°They probably went off to discuss something. Rx, Mom, Brenda reassured her. Just then, she spotted the couple walking into the hall hand-in hand, so she chuckled and said, ¡°There they are now. True enough, the newly-engaged couple who had run off earlier came back with their hands sped together. Elliot led Anastasia up the stage before calling out in the direction of the main table, ¡°Jared,e here.¡± The little kid happily leaped out of his seat beside Nigel and went up the stage. Elliot bent down and carried him. As Anastasia stared at them, her eyes were filled with content. Her son¡¯s father was not some unknown gigolo. The Presgrave family blood flowed through his veins, and he was the rightful heir of the Presgraves. Elliot took the microphone and gazed out at the attendees who were all staring at him. He had a hard time suppressing his excitement and he announced, ¡°I just received some wonderful news. It turns out that Jared is my son. He¡¯s the son that Anastasia and I had five years ago, and I am truly his father. We are family through and through.¡± ¡°What?! Is that true?!¡± Harriet was the first to stand up in surprise. ¡°I¡¯ve always said that Jared and Elliot looked like father and son,¡± Brendamented. Nigel was floored. He had been curious to know who fathered such a cute child with Anastasia five years ago, and now it turned out that he had to credit his cousin¡¯s genes for it? It was no wonder that Elliot had defeated. him in the battle for Anastasia¡¯s love. Elliot¡¯s son had been right beside Anastasia all along! Still, Nigel was genuinely happy for his cousin that Jared belonged to their family. Francis had frozen in shock at the news. His grandson was now the young heir of the Presgraves. This news took him by surprise. ¡°I knew it! I always said that Jared looked just like Elliot when he was a kid, so this is why¡­ He¡¯s indeed my great-grandson!¡±Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Harriet was on the verge of fainting from all the excitement she felt, and Brenda swiftly held onto her. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t get too excited! Remember your weak heart!¡± Chapter 582 Anastasia took the microphone from Elliot. ¡°Elliot and I met five years ago, and while it was only a fleeting moment back then, we are happy that our paths have crossed again. I hope that everyone will celebrate the reunion of our family of three and wish us well.¡± Elliot had a look of gratitude andmitment. Anastasia¡¯s words had masked the mistake he made five years ago and said that they had been briefly acquainted. She protected his dignity. Elliot swore to love her for all eternity. ¡°Are you really my daddy?¡± Jared had not wrapped his head around this yet. Elliot kissed Jared on the forehead and said with absolute certainty, ¡°Yes, I am. Say ¡®Daddy.¡± ¡°Daddy!¡± Jared eximed happily before hugging him by the neck. The word ¡°Daddy¡± rang out loud and clear. Elliot¡¯s eyes teared up again as he stared at his son with indescribable joy. He wrapped his hand behind Jared¡¯s head and pulled him close to rest their foreheads together. He then twirled him around on stage before finally nting another kiss on Jared¡¯s head. Beneath the stage, Harriet had also welled up with happy tears and was now a crying mess. Nigel and Brenda both stood beside her in fear that her overexcitement might trigger her high blood pressure. This news was the icing on the cake at the engagement ceremony. Anastasia thought about what Hayley had screamed at her back then. She said there was a secret she would bring with her to the grave. Anastasia knew what the secret was now. Hayley was probably referring to Jared¡¯s . true lineage. She had a bout of bted fear as she wondered what would have happened if she had not found out about this secret. Her son may never have been able to reunite with his father. It would be one of the world¡¯s greatest tragedies if the father and son had run into each other but never got to know the truth. Thankfully, fate did not choose to do this to them, and she did find out the truth.. That deplorable woman, Hayley Seymour, would pay for this! After getting off the stage, Elliot brought. Jared to a lounge backstage. He was beating himself up for finding the wrong person a year ago. This meant that he had dyed reuniting with his son for an entire year, and his son even called him. mister. I¡¯m sorry, Jared. Daddy was too stupid that he didn¡¯t recognize you.¡¯ Elliot was guilt ridden. ¡°Daddy, you¡¯ve been very good to me!¡± Jared shook his head and wisely consoled Elliot. He finally realized why he felt oddly close to Elliot from the first moment he met him. Anastasia took one look at her son and the tears she had fought back all this time finally broke free. This was the best news she could ever receive. All along, she did not have the guts to tell her son who his father was as she was afraid that he might look down on himself for it. She rued the fact that Hayley had invented the story of a gigolo to trick her. Due to this, she had never felt suspicious about the possibility that Jared and Elliot might be rted. This exined why Hayley had destroyed all of Abyss Club¡¯s stored data. She was trying to hide the truth so that she could take Anastasia¡¯s ce and enjoy the material benefits that Elliot provided aspensation. Hayley was far too greedy. Not only did she enjoy such material benefits, but she also had her eyes set on bing the young mistress of the Presgrave family. This was why she kept trying toe between Anastasia and Elliot. However, the world worked in mysterious ways and fate had brought Anastasia back to Elliot¡¯s side. This was Hayley¡¯s worst fear, and it made her go to extreme lengths to try and be Elliot¡¯s wife. She was even willing to put Harriet in danger so that she could throw Anastasia under the bus for it. In the end, Hayley paid for her heinous behavior. Elliot stopped his provision to her and he took back the watch she had kept. This watch was the catalyst that led to the truthing to light. ¡°From now on, Daddy will do everything it takes to make it up to you.¡± Elliot would serve the world up on a silver tter if Jared asked him to. Anastasia knew that Elliot was ovee with emotion from finally reuniting with Jared. She sat down beside him and said, ¡°As long as the three of us get to live happily ever after together, nothing else matters.¡± ¡°Mommy, does this mean you¡¯ll be giving me a younger brother or sister?¡± Jared¡¯s pleading began in earnest once again. Meanwhile, Elliot finally knew why he could never get the feeling he felt five years ago when he was with Hayley. It turned out that the woman he felt guilty toward was not Hayley after all, but Anastasia. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Elliot looked Anastasia in the eye and apologized once more for his frenzied state five years ago. The man who traumatized her turned out to be him. He did not recall much about that night five years ago as he had lost all his senses. All he could remember was her quiet sobbing and helpless pleas for mercy. Chapter 583 Her sobbing and pleading had etched a deep sense of guilt and heartache into his soul despite the fact that he barely had his wits about him at that time. This was why he had spent five years looking for the woman he had spent that night with. Elliot never would have thought that even though he was foolish enough to find the wrong person, fate had delivered the right one to his doorstep and even brought his son back to him. He was thankful that he had done a good job protecting Anastasia and Jared throughout the past year. Just then, there was a knock on the door. Nigel peered into the room and said, ¡°Grandma is eager to reunite with Jared too. I¡¯ll bring him over to her first.¡± ¡°Jared, go and meet your great-grandma!¡± Elliot said as he stroked Jared¡¯s head. ¡°Okay!¡± Jared was still a little boy and he had no clue about the magnitude of today¡¯s events. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Once Nigel led Jared out of the room, Elliot¡¯s eyes grew cold and menacing. There was a murderous glint in them. ¡°I¡¯m going to make Hayley suffer for this.¡± Meanwhile, Anastasia managed to keep her cool. Sheforted him by saying, ¡°There¡¯s no rush. We should be celebrating today. Let¡¯s not waste any more time on her.¡± Elliot held her hand gently and raised it to his lips. ¡°It¡¯s you. The woman I¡¯ve been looking for all this time is you.¡± Anastasia held his other hand and gazed at the watch around his wrist. ¡°You should thank this instead! If it weren¡¯t for this watch, you and Jared would never have reunited.¡± Elliot stared at the watch. It was a cold and lifeless object, but to him, it seemed toe alive and give off a warm aura. ¡°Yeah. From today onward, I¡¯m keeping it on me every day.¡± Elliot¡¯s lips curved into a smile as he reached out to pull her close. Anastasia leaned into his arms and closed her eyes. She had never felt at peace the way she did right now. She was no longer troubled by her son¡¯s biological lineage. At half past nine at night, Harriet¡¯s blood pressure soared from all her excitement, and several doctors from Presgrave Hospital kept watch just in case. Eleven o¡¯clock at night, at Elliot¡¯s hillside vi. Elliot helped Jared with his bath. The little kid had tired himself out today, and he fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. Elliot sat on the edge of the bed and remained transfixed as he stared at Jared¡¯s face. He did not even notice Anastasia, who had been standing at the doorway for a long time now. Anastasia smiled. It seemed like Elliot would not be getting any sleep tonight. He was too thrilled to find out about Jared¡¯s identity. She needed time to digest this new development too. Elliot turned out to be the man from that night! Finally, Elliot sensed her presence behind him. He bent down to kiss Jared gently on the forehead and tucked the covers more securely around him before heading out of the room. He closed the door behind him and grabbed Anastasia¡¯s hand. He pulled Anastasia toward his master bedroom. Both of them were filled to the brim with things they wanted to say to each other.. In the end, Elliot brought her to the living room on the second floor, and under the warm glow of the light, his sparkling eyes looked a little red as they filled with guilt and self-me once more. Anastasia raised her hand to push his hair away from his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Stop ming yourself. I know that it was an ident five years ago.¡± Although he hadpensated the wrong person at first, it proved that he had always been willing to take responsibility for what happened that night, and she saw how he held himself ountable for everything. Elliot pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you and Jared.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± There was no way to describe the guilt that Elliot was feeling as there was no way he could make up for all the hurt he had caused Anastasia. ¡°I want to see Hayley tomorrow,¡± Anastasia looked up at him and said. She wanted to be the one who informed Hayley about this so that she could see the look on Hayley¡¯s face. ¡°I won¡¯t let her get away with this.¡± There were countless ways that Elliot could make Hayley face the consequences of her actions. Anastasia had decided to sleep in the master bedroom tonight. A whileter, when Elliot came out of the shower and saw the woman ying with her phone while lying on his bed, his eyes filled with desire, but at the same time, he tried his best to cull it. He did not want to do anything that would hurt her. He would only do wha she was willing to do. ¡°It¡¯s a little cold today. I want to fall as in your arms.¡± Anastasia gave her In any case, excu she was his fianc¨¦e now, S would not be an issue if she slept with him! Elliot climbed under the covers and opened his arms to let her slide into H embrace. Anastasia nudged herself ac the bed and into his arms. She wrapp her arms around his muscr waist a felt the vigorous beating of his heart. Chapter 584 This turned out to be the best way to sleep. Anastasia immediately began to feel drowsy, and when Elliot heard her even breaths, his heart settled down as well. That night, they fell asleep in each other¡¯s arms and felt a kind of peace they never felt before. The next morning. As soon as Anastasia opened her eyes, she saw a pair of beguiling eyes, the owner of which was staring at her for who knew how long. She instantly turned red and buried her head into his arms, sticking close to him as she said petntly, ¡°Stop staring at how ugly I look right now.¡± Elliot chuckled in amusement. ¡°Who are you calling ugly? I¡¯ve been staring for one hour and I didn¡¯t see any trace of ugliness.¡± Anastasia flushed a deeper shade of red. He¡¯s been staring at me for one whole hour? Oh dear. ¡°Not ugly at all. On the contrary, you¡¯re gorgeous,¡± Elliot announced soothingly as he held her in his arms. Anastasiaughed and looked up at him with feigned dissatisfaction. The morning rays shone in through the window to illuminate the man who was lying on his side. His fair skin gleamed in the sun, and his features came to life. He was the image of perfection with his sharp brows, deep eyes, tall nose, and luscious lips. It was almost as if he were a masterpiece sculpted by the best artist in the world. She was positively drowning from how enthralling he was. This made her despise Hayley even more for taking her ce and being the one who possessed such a gentle and caring man for so long. The more she thought about it, the more disgruntled she became. The first time she had met him, it was after her fight with Hayley, and he had lovingly carried Hayley away in his arms. All of a sudden, she sat straight up in bed and growled, ¡°I want to see Hayley right now and let her know the horrors she¡¯ll be facing in her very near future.¡± Elliot pulled her back down. ¡°I¡¯ll drive you over after breakfast.¡± ¡°Fine, but I want to confront her myself.¡± Anastasia could not wait to see the look on Hayley¡¯s face. As soon as they finished breakfast, they heard from Harriet who was eagerly waiting to spend the day with Jared. She would leap at the opportunity to keep Jared by her side forever. Elliot first made a stop at Presgrave Residence to drop Jared off before driving Anastasia to the detention center. Anastasia had gotten all dressed up for the asion. She never cared about her appearance in the past, but she felt the need to look immacte when she met Hayley. When Hayley heard that someone hade to the detention center to see her, she felt a mix of joy and surprise. She assumed that it was her parents since they were the only ones who woulde and see her now. However, when she saw the person walking in through the door, her expression darkened at once. Was Anastasia here to mock her? ¡°Why did youe here?¡± Hayley loathed Anastasia with every fiber of her being. Anastasia leisurely pulled out a chair and sat down. She dazzled like a diamond with her poise and refined aura. Her makeup brought out the best in her features, while her tan coat, whitece dress, and elegant jewelry all added to her captivating looks. ¡°Hayley, do you know how much I hate you?¡± Anastasia¡¯s fists were tightly clenched. If this was not a detention center, she would have pped Hayley across both cheeks. ¡°Hahaha! You hate me? What gives you the right to hate me?¡± Hayley sneered. Despite her downfall, she was unwilling to be the brunt of Anastasia¡¯s mockery. ¡°I found out about the secret you mentionedst time,¡± Anastasia dered with slightly raised brows. Hayley felt a jolt down her spine. She shook her head vehemently. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. There¡¯s no way you¡¯d find out about this. You don¡¯t even know what I was referring to. You¡¯re just trying to fool me.¡± ¡°Jared is Elliot¡¯s son. Five years ago, the person I slept with that night wasn¡¯t the man you arranged, but Elliot instead. Am I right?¡± Anastasia retorted coolly. Hayley¡¯s heart dropped and her eyes widened in shock. ¡°How did you know? Who told you? Who?!¡± ¡°It was a sign from heaven. I realized the truth about that night right as Elliot and I got engaged. As for you, just sit tight and wait to face the music in court! You¡¯re going to spend your life in prison for swindling 750,000 from me and 4.5 million from Elliot!¡± Anastasia talked. about it like she was just describing the weather, but to Hayley, she was confronted with the knowledge that she would be spending the rest of her life behind bars. Hayley felt like she had been struck by lightning. She took a deep breath and grabbed the metal grills in front of her. ¡°Anastasia, Anastasia, we¡¯ve been good friends since we were kids, right? Don¡¯t treat me like this. Save me! Don¡¯t make me spend the rest of my life in prison. Anastasia¡­ I know I made a mistake. I know what I did was wrong. Please¡­¡± Chapter 585 Hayley was beset with such fear that tears had begun streaming down her face. The consequences of what she had done finally dawned on her as she realized the price she had to pay for her mistakes. She should have just epted that boutique and lived out her life in peace. She could have found a man to marry and start a family. That would be a thousand times better than rotting away in prison! Anastasia remained expressionless as she stared at the tortured look on Hayley¡¯s face. ¡°Anastasia, can¡¯t you understand me? When Elliot came to me back then, he was so rich and handsome. I had never met such a wealthy man before, so it was only natural that I took your ce. You know that I¡¯m scared of living in poverty. My parents heavily favor sons over daughters, and I¡¯ve never lived a good day in my life,¡± Hayley cried out as tears continued flowing down her cheeks. Her eyes were filled with anger and hatred. Anastasia could tell that Hayley was no longer putting on an act. She was truly regretting what she had done, but it was toote now. ¡°It¡¯s toote for regrets. Everyone needs to pay the price for their mistakes.¡± Anastasia stood up in distaste as she did not want to look at Hayley any longer. ¡°Anastasia, please! Ask Elliot to drop the charges against me, won¡¯t you? Please don¡¯t go after me!¡± Hayley wailed in despair as her hands clenched around the metal grill¡¯s. ¡°He hates you even more than I do,¡± Anastasia turned around and added. Hayley knew that already. Elliot probably hated her enough to kill her with his own hands. She had usurped Anastasia¡¯s identity and enjoyed the luxuries he showered her, along with his care and concern. Those were the happiest days of Hayley¡¯s life. She was an ordinary woman who led such an ordinary life. Had it not been for this miraculous chance that fell into herp, she would never have crossed paths with a man like Elliot. ¡°Anastasia, if you were in my shoes and Elliot approached you and offered topensate you with anything you wanted, would you have been able to reject him? I don¡¯t believe that you wouldn¡¯t be swayed by the possibility of having everything you want in life!¡± Hayley shrieked. Anastasia paused in her footsteps. She gave this question some serious consideration before turning back to say, ¡°I¡¯m not you. None of our decisions would¡¯ve been the same.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying! If our ces were switched, you¡¯d share the same fate as me! Anastasia Tillman, don¡¯t think you¡¯re so high and mighty! You won¡¯t be happy either! Would you be able to hold onto a man as distinguished as Elliot? Some other woman wille along and steal him away from you!¡± Hayley screamed in fury. ¡°You won¡¯t ever know how blissful my life will be, and you won¡¯t have the chance to find out either.¡± Anastasia did not want to ever spend another second in Hayley¡¯s presence. Once she left, Hayley slumped down on the floor. All her energy drained out of her as her face was covered in tears of agony, rage, and regret. The moment Anastasia stepped out of the detention center, the warm, spring sunlight hit her right in the face, and she took a deep breath. Meanwhile, there was a man waiting for her outside the first car in the parking lot. He stood tall and proud with an air of refinement. Amid the hustle and bustle of a busy world, he seemed to only have eyes for her. There were such loving and adoring eyes too. As Anastasia walked toward him, her heart was bursting with sweet and tender joy. She seemed to have a halo around her, and her steps were so light that she practically flew into his arms. He caught her like it was the most natural thing in the world to do. She looked up at him as hisrge hand gently caressed her hair. He looked down and nted a kiss on her forehead. ¡°Let¡¯s go home!¡± Anastasia had avenged herself. This was only the start of Hayley¡¯s downfall. She would be paying the price for her deplorable actions for the rest of her life. There was no reason for Anastasia to continue wasting her energy on hating a woman like that. Instead, the rest of her life would be spent showering Elliot and Jared with love, along with her family members as well. Elliot drove her back, and along the way. they passed by a flower shop. He stopped the car and went in. Anastasia watched him from the window. A man like him would stand out among the crowd no matter where he went! She saw thedies in the flower shop. greeting him enthusiastically and covering their mouths in amazement behind his back. They probably never thought that they would see a man as breathtaking as him so early in the morning. Meanwhile, from her seat in the car. Anastasia gloated gleefully. Chapter 586 That man was hers. Elliot came out holding a bouquet of red roses. He was wearing a thin ck trench coat, and he walked toward her, as if he was Prince Charming going up to his Cindere. He handed the bouquet to her, and she took it from him. She could see that the florist¡¯s employees were watching them, looking a little envious. Anastasia took a whiff of the roses. It smelled seductively intoxicating, and it delighted her. Wow. Didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be this romantic. ¡°Come with me. We¡¯ll take Jared hometer and have dinner together.¡± Elliot had arranged everything for the day. Anastasia nodded. ¡°Sure!¡± She was happy as long as he was around, no matter where they were. She was in Presgrave Corporation¡¯s president¡¯s office. The assistant was serving her cookies and coffee, not daring to slight her. She knew the rumors as well. It was said that her boss had been courting a woman for a long time. She was his beloved, and no one was more important than she was to him. That woman was Anastasia, a famous designer who used to work for Bourgeois. Anastasia was sitting on the couch in front of the French window. She sipped the coffee and flipped through some magazines. It was a rxing time, and she was looking forward to the rest of the day. She was engrossed in the magazines, until someone held her shoulders behind her. She turned around, and there Elliot was, straight out of his meeting. ¡®Done with your meeting?¡¯ She looked up. He stared at her and leaned in for a kiss. ¡°Yes.¡± She indulged in that kiss, and he went even deeper. It was gentle, but also firm. She was embarrassed, but she enjoyed it nheless, though they were in an awkward position. She pushed him away when someone knocked on the door. Elliot said in frustration, ¡®Come in! Rey came in, but when he saw the both of them inside, he smiled. ¡°I¡¯lle back in a moment, sir.¡± ¡®No need. Make it quick! Elliot frowned. ¡°You need to sign this document. It¡¯s urgent.¡¯ Rey went over and handed the. file to him. Elliot scanned and signed it in just a moment. ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone disturbing me for half an hour. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Rey left the office right away. Anastasia blushed and she gave him a look. ¡®Don¡¯t push your work aside just for me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re more important than any work.¡± She smiled. ¡®No can do. You gotta work to provide for me and Jared.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Elliot went to his desk and took his wallet out, then he gave her a few credit cards. ¡°Here, honey. I have more if you need it.¡± She chuckled and shook her head. ¡°I have more than enough now.¡± He said. ¡°From now on, I¡¯ll put everything I have under your name, including thispany.¡± A shocked Anastasia waved her hands.. ¡°No. I don¡¯t want that pressure. I¡¯m fine just being your wife.¡± Okay then. Elliot was silent. ¡°I see. But I¡¯ll give you anything you want as long as I have it,¡± he promised her. She trusted him, of course. As she got up, she wrapped her arms around his neck and looked up at him. ¡°All I want is you.¡± He looked down at her, his eyes glinting with some sort of desire. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his embrace. ¡°Can we do it?¡± He sounded almost like he was begging, as if he had been waiting for her. He desired her, but he could never do it unless she agreed to it. He would never overstep. She blinked at him a few times and whispered, ¡°You¡¯ll have to get Jared to stay at Presgrave Residence then.¡± Elliot was overjoyed, and heughed. ¡°I¡¯ll call Jared right away.¡± He released and called the Presgrave Residence¡¯s number right away. ¡°Hi, Daddy,¡± Jared said. ¡°Your mother and I have something to do tonight, son. Can you stay at the residence with your great- grandma?¡± ¡°No. I want to be with you guys,¡± Jared refused. Chapter 587 ¡°Be a dear and just stay there, alright? I¡¯ll get you a present tomorrow.¡± ¡°But I wanna go home.¡± ¡°Two presents!¡± ¡°But great-grandma has bought me a ton of presents, and I haven¡¯t even opened them yet. I don¡¯t want any more presents.¡± Jared was spoiled rotten. Presents could not interest him anymore. Elliot was getting a headache. Jared was usually a smart boy, but he just had to act differently when it mattered most. Anastasia was holding herugh back. She knew he was having trouble with Jared. ¡°What would you like then? I¡¯ll give you anything you want.¡± Elliot tried to get him to agree. ¡°I wanna sleep in the same room as you.¡± Elliot looked back and saw Anastasiaughing. I can handle this. He then asked, ¡°Jared, do you want a sibling?¡± ¡°Yes, of course!¡± Jared said, delighted. ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to stay with great grandma tonight, or I can take you to Nigel¡¯s ce, alright?¡± ¡°Sure! I wanna go to Uncle Nigel¡¯s ce!¡± Jared requested. Elliot was delighted. Done. ¡°I¡¯ll get Nigel to pick you up then.¡± He hung up and called Nigel. This was probably the most proactive he had been in a while. ¡°Sup, Elliot?¡± ¡°I need you to pick Jared up from the residenceter. He¡¯ll be staying at your ce.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. My flight is scheduled for three.¡± Nigel had something to do. ¡°Can¡¯t you put it off for a day?¡± ¡°I booked the ticket already.¡± Nigelughed. He knew why Elliot wanted Jared to stay with him. ¡°Cancel it. I¡¯ll pay for all your damages,¡± he whispered thest part. ¡°What¡¯s the hurry, Elliot? Are you doing anything?¡± ¡°You know why.¡± Elliot gritted his teeth. Nigel roared inughter, and he ¡®begrudgingly¡¯ said, ¡°Fine. But I¡¯ll need to use your private jet tomorrow. I¡¯ll take care of your kid if you let me use it.¡± ¡°You can use it for as long as you like.¡± Elliot was paying a heavy price for a fun night. He finally settled everything, and when he turned around, Anastasia was covering herugh behind her hand. He squinted at her, as if he was a beast staring at its prey. ¡®You aren¡¯t going anywhere tonight¡¯, the look in his eyes said. Anastasia kept smiling, and eventually, she turned red with embarrassment. He sat beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, then yed with her earlobe and slowly closed in. She could feel his warm breath on her cheek. ¡°It¡¯s just you and me tonight.¡± Anastasia got even redder, and her heart raced. She averted her gaze from him. It was like she would have a heart attack if she looked at him for a moment longer. Fortunately, a meeting distracted him from her, and she enjoyed a nice. afternoon tea in his office. He took her and left the building after that meeting. Elliot did not want anyone to interrupt their night, so he would make dinner himself. He took her to a mall to buy what they needed. Shopping was rxing, and Anastasia was looking forward to the dinner, so she decided to buy some scented candles the moment she saw them. She bought more than a dozen of them. Elliot would be cooking dinner himself. He never did any chores before this, but now, he knew how to make great food. They bought a lot of stuff, but when he took her to the condom counter, she blushed. She saw a few gentlemen taking their picks as well, and she averted her gaze. Hey, you could have just picked one yourself! Elliot was scanning the brands and fiddled with the one he was holding. She thought he would leave after she bought the stuff, but he was still staring at it.. Chapter 588 She was getting really embarrassed. ¡°Just pick one and leave!¡± she said. ¡°Just one?¡± he asked her seriously. Huh? Is he gonna buy more than that? She got her answer a momentter. When he had finally settled on the brand and size, he tossed six boxes into the cart. She wanted to tell everyone that she did not know him. Anastasia could feel all thedies around her giving her looks when they came to the counter, and her face burned up. The sun was already setting when they came out. Elliot was in a buoyant mood all the way home, and the jazz music he yed reflected that. The sky was zing red, and it seemed like an aurora was showing up in the heavens. Everything looked lovely. It was almost six when they arrived home. Elliot was preparing dinner. Anastasia wanted to help, but he kissed her and pushed her out. ¡°Dress yourself up ande back down,¡± he hinted at her. Anastasia went upstairs and pulled the closet open. There were a few pieces of sexy lingerie inside that she bought on impulsest time. She never had a chance to wear them though, but now she could. Still, there was no way she would wear those for dinner. She had bought two dresses back when she got engaged. They were simple but sexy, making them the perfect attire for dates. She showered and blew her hair dry before changing into her ck dress. The diamond shoulder strap made her shine, and the tight- fitting waist part of the dress entuated her curves. Elliot was pouring red wine when she came down, and she saw her candles on the table too. The bouquet of roses was on the table as well. The already romantic dinner was made more meaningful thanks to what he was doing. He looked up and saw hering down elegantly. Her thick, dark hair tumbled down her shoulders, drawing attention to her face. Her eyes glistened and gleamed, as if they were singing. Elliot¡¯s eyes were filled with love and indulgence. He pulled her chair back for her, as if he was serving a queen. She sat down on it, feeling honored. He leaned down and kissed her head. Anastasia felt really spoiled, and things were getting so sweet, it made her dizzy. So this is what they mean when they say they¡¯re in heaven.. He sat down and cut up some steak, then he fed her some. ¡°Have a taste.¡± She took a bite, and he looked at her with anticipation. He really hoped she liked it. ¡°It¡¯s good,¡± she praised. A smile curled his lips as he was happy to hear that. She raised the ss of red wine and handed it to him. ¡®Cheers.¡± He raised his and raised a toast to her. Elliot looked at her greedily, refusing to let go of any chance to admire her goodness. She too did not want to let any chance to stare at him go. Their eyes were glued to each other, and it was as if they were the only people on earth. They were each other¡¯s lovers. ¡°You look beautiful tonight, Mrs. Presgrave, he praised. She said, ¡°You look great tonight too, Mr. Presgrave.¡± They enjoyed their meal in silence. There was nothing more that needed to be said. They could see the love bubbling in each other¡¯s eyes. Anastasia wanted to help out with the dishes after dinner, but he held her hand down. ¡°I¡¯ll do it. You get some rest.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it,¡± she retorted. ¡°But you should, or you might get too tired tonight,¡± he said, wiggling his eyebrows. Her face turned beet-red. Does he think he can oust me? Now that¡¯s impossible! He saw through her, and he huddled closer. ¡°I¡¯ve been holding it in for a long time,¡± he whispered into her ear. Chapter 589 She gulped a little. Whoa, is he a telepath like Anya? But I haven¡¯t said anything yet. She took her candles and went upstairs to decorate the room. By nine at night, she was already waiting for him on the couch. Eventually she heard the sound of his footsteps. Her heart started beating faster with each footstep. He¡¯s here. Elliot had taken his trench coat off, and he was wearing a dark shirt inside. His pants were wrapped tightly around his taut, muscr legs. He came to her side and patted her head. ¡°I¡¯ll get showered.¡± Elliot went to the bathroom and came back out in his pajamas twenty minutester. The look in his eyes was passionate enough to burn her up. She knew he was thinking of her as a work of art, and he was admiring it. Hey on the bed and beckoned to her. ¡°Come here, Mrs. Presgrave. It¡¯s bedtime.¡± She did not move. She refused to listen to him just like a cheeky child. Anastasia rested her chin on her hands and smiled smugly. ¡°No, I¡¯m not sleepy yet.¡± Heughed and heaved a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡± Anastasia wondered why he said that, but then he got out of bed and came up to her. ¡°I¡¯ll run you through an exercise routine. It¡¯ll help with sleep.¡± She wanted to run away, but he held her arm and pulled her into his embrace. At the same time she looked up, he held the back of her head to press his lips against hers. She could feel that he her, as if he would gobble her up right away. She opened her eyes a little and saw him looking at her, as if trying to suck her in. She closed her eyes, her heart racing. She held his waist in embarrassment, and halfway through the kiss, she felt herself getting lighter. He had picked her up, and they were heading toward the bed. He ced her down¡¯ gently like she was the most important thing in the world to him. The kiss went on and on, and she drowned in his love. She let her guard down, and she looked at her beloved, whose face was illuminated by the light. She finally let go of what happened five years ago. If that was her fate, then this was the best oue of it. She was fine with it, as long as he was there. She would never fall for anyone else. He would be the only one she loved in this life. ¡°Anastasia,¡± he called out to her gently. ¡°I love you,¡± he whispered. The night was silent. Well, for the most part of it. The bedroom¡¯s light remained on until dawnbreak. Anastasia finally woke up at about eleven. The blinding sunlight made her turn away and scurry into Elliot¡¯s embrace. He chuckled and gave her a kiss. She can be so shy sometimes. ¡°Are you getting up, Mrs. Presgrave?¡± She leaned her head against his chest and shook her head. She wanted to hear his voice more. It was lovely hearing him call her that. Elliot looked at her nose, where the sunlight had gathered. Her skin was fair and gleaming pink. She was adorablest night, and he wanted more. Anastasia had decided to stay with him and do nothing the whole day. It was then he asked, ¡°So how did I do? Good?¡± She thought, Yeah, too good. ¡°Hmm¡­ Noment.¡± She had no idea what to say. ¡°Ah, I see I haven¡¯t done well. Looks like I have to work harder tonight,¡± he said on purpose. She looked up at him and blurted, ¡°Please, no. You did well.¡± He was still not satisfied with that, and he smiled at her. ¡°It¡¯s my duty to make you happy.¡± Chapter 590 Elliot bent down and gently kissed the top of Anastasia¡¯s head. ¡°I¡¯ll make you some food.¡± Anastasia finally released him. As he got out of bed, she spotted the nail marks on his back that were frankly quite ghastly, so she turned around guiltily. It was probably¡­ thanks to her. At 12.30 PM, Anastasiazily pulled on a T-shirt and put her hair up in a simple bun before heading downstairs. Her heart was filled with utter bliss when she saw her man making lunch for her. Seeing as how he was still hustling about in the kitchen, she decided to head over and hug him from behind without saying a word. She simply squished her face against his back and followed him around as he moved. Elliot turned around and hugged her back before kissing her. ¡°Let¡¯s eat! I¡¯m free today, so we can spend the whole day together.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we pick Jared up?¡± Anastasia blinked at him. ¡°Nigel canceled his business trip and Jared¡¯s having a st at his ce, so he doesn¡¯t want toe back just yet. It¡¯ll just be the two of us for the next three days.¡± She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him. Is that so? Is it Jared who doesn¡¯t want toe back, or did he convince Jared to stay away somehow? Elliot could tell what she was thinking. He chuckled and said, ¡°It¡¯s really Jared who doesn¡¯t want toe back.¡± Anastasia quirked her lips into a smile. Nigel did have a lot of cool games in his house, so it was rather likely that Jared was reluctant to leave. She was about to move away, but something seemed to have gotten into Elliot as he quickly bent down and caught her lips in his. Their kisses grew heavier and heavier. The cozy sunlight shone in through the tall ss windows and scattered all over the living room. Everything was well with the world. If there had not been a warm lunch waiting for them, Elliot might never have stopped kissing her. After lunch, Elliot apanied Anastasia on a walk. It was well and truly springtime now as the gentle breeze carried the scent of grass, and the cerulean skies were clear without a speck of clouds. The entire world seemed toe to life again. At night, they headed to a nearby Dinner in the Sky restaurant. Elliot had made the arrangements in advance, and they were the only customers in the entire establishment. The soft and melodic music gave the ce an air of romance. There was a nket of stars overhead and a beautiful candlelit table in front of them. The air hung with the scent of alcohol and fragrance from the flower decor. As for the man in front of her, he was breathtakingly handsome and he was staring at her lovingly with his deep, soulful eyes. The music seemed to be expressing a love that could not be described with mere words. The melody tugged at the heart as it flitted cheerily from note to note, and somehow, it seemed to fit the journey that they had taken in their path of love-from the day they first met to the present where they finally could be in each other¡¯s arms. At 10.30 PM, the couple went home and enjoyed a moment that was theirs alone. Anastasia bloomed like a brilliant rose that captivated the heart and soul of Elliot, whose eyes never left her, not even for a single moment. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, you should shower first,¡± Anastasia said to him. ¡°My water bill this month went up too much. Let¡¯s not waste water, hmm? Let¡¯s shower together,¡± he suggested. In one swift motion, he carried her into the bathroom. She snorted to herself. ming the water bill, huh? I could always just pay this month¡¯s water bill. Content ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. However, this seemingly cold and reserved man became quite shameless in her presence. In fact, thanks to her, he had be the master of romance and quite an expert at setting the mood. Three dayster, Jared dragged his feet as he exited Nigel¡¯s house, but when he saw that his mommy and daddy hade to pick him up, he became an overeager puppy again. Nigel stared wistfully at the family of three, but he recalled how much he enjoyed singlehood too, so he did not feel too envious. Late that night, Anastasia jostled awake from sleep. She had subconsciously tried to hug the man who was supposed to be in bed beside her, but the spot was empty. She opened her eyes and saw no sign of Elliot anywhere, but after giving it a moment¡¯s thought, she figured out where he went. Anastasia climbed out of bed and went to Jared¡¯s room, and true enough, she saw him sitting on the edge of Jared¡¯s bed for what seemed like eternity. The warm light cast a shadow on him on the floor and made him look like a statue Anastasia felt a pang in her heart as she could empathize with how Elliot was feeling right now. Chapter 591-600 Chapter 591-600 The child who addressed him as mister was in actuality his son, and to have gotten to know him as a stranger at first must feel terribly upsetting and regrettable. Words could not describe the love he felt for his son. Elliot sensed that Anastasia was behind him, so he adjusted Jared¡¯s covers lightly and got up to leave. Anastasia had been standing there for quite some time. She was dressed quite thinly so she was starting to feel a little cold. Elliot¡¯srge hands warmed up her chilly ones as he pulled her back to bed. The next day, Anastasia received a call from Francis. He called to inform her that Naomi¡¯s court proceedings would begin on Tuesday and asked if she had time to attend. Naturally, Anastasia would make the time for it. She wanted to witness Naomi¡¯s downfall in person and see if Naomi truly regretted what she did. Tuesday morning, after dropping Jared off at school, Anastasia and Elliot went over to the courthouse. Francis was already there when they arrived, and he seemed to have worked through his emotions as he was a lot calmer this time. At ten o¡¯clock, Naomi was brought into the courtroom. Her hands and feet were cuffed, and her hair had turned gray in many areas. She looked as if she had aged ten years. When she saw the people sitting in the stands, she looked over at Francis with pleading eyes and her voice trembled as she called out, ¡°Francis¡­ Francis¡­¡± Francis looked at Naomi with nothing but pain. There was no love and no concern at all. Naomi nced at Anastasia, but she knew that with her here, there was no way that Francis would take pity on her and forgive her. Elliot was also sitting beside Anastasia, andpared to them, Naomi looked like she belonged in a different world entirely. The proceedings started, and Francis¡¯wyer began to give an explicit ount of what happened. Despite the cold and matter-of-fact tone he used to describe the sequence of events, it was still enough to shock and strike fury in the hearts of anyone who heard it. For the sake of money, Naomi was willing to betray her husband and even go so far as to make an attempt on his life. The culprits behind the entire scheme were Erica, Alex, and Naomi. Naomi sat stiffly in her seat as she heard the recount of what she had done. She saw Francis sitting there with his head lowered, and tears of anger and regret began to stream down her face. She recalled how blissful she felt when Francis married her. He worked hard to build his empire, but he would always provide her a princely sum to spend every month. She was free to do whatever she wanted with it, and her daughter, the one she had hidden away all these years, was able to grow up happy and confident as Francis¡¯ daughter too. Why did everything turn out this way in the end? Not only did she ruin her own life, but she also ruined her daughter¡¯s youth and future. Anastasia remained calm on the outside, but on the inside, she was hoping that her father would not plead clemency for this woman. She wanted Naomi to face the full consequences of her actions. Francis did not do anything, but toward the end of the proceedings, Naomi turned to him and pleaded with a tear-stricken face, ¡°Francis, I know what I did was wrong, and I¡¯m willing to bear the consequences, but please¡­ please forgive Erica. I¡¯m the one who taught her to do everything. She¡¯s not a bad person.¡± Francis said nothing. Naomi had received an eighteen-year sentence. If she managed to stay alive until the end of her sentence, she would be an old woman in her seventies when she was released. When she did not hear a reply from Francis, she screamed in tears, ¡°Erica has treated you like a father for 22 years! She¡¯s only 23 years old! My poor daughter¡­¡± Francis did feel sorry for Erica because she was a child that he had raised, but when he nced at Anastasia and recalled everything that Naomi and Erica had done to her all these years, he suppressed those feelings. He had no right to forgive them on Anastasia¡¯s behalf. Anastasia was the only one who could decide whether Erica could be forgiven. Though it went without saying that Anastasia would not do such a thing, and she would remain unmoved even if Naomi cried until her eyes bled out. She turned to Francis. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Dad.¡± Francis nodded and left with Anastasia and Elliot. All of Naomi¡¯s hopes were dashed as Erica would soon be sentenced as well. If Francis refused to help, then her daughter would not receive any leniency either. Naomi¡¯s crimes made it to the news. She had a short-lived moment of glory as the president of Tillman Constructions, and at the time, she had been incredibly smug about it to the press. Now, that only served to highlight just how far she had fallen. Elliot and Anastasia escorted Francis to his car and watched him leave before they headed over to their car. That night, they had dinner at Presgrave Residence. When their wedding ns came up in conversation, Anastasia said to Harriet, ¡°Grandma, I¡¯d like us to keep a low profile for the wedding. I don¡¯t need a grand wedding and I don¡¯t want the reporters to report about our ceremony.¡± While it may seem amazing to receive high-profile coverage, it came with a lot of risks. Anastasia did not want their family¡¯s lives to be scrutinized. She just wanted to have a quiet and peaceful life. Harriet was happy to ept the suggestion. Her biggest concern was not having the ceremony live up to Anastasia¡¯s expectations, but since it was a request from Anastasia herself, she would n ording to her wishes. The wedding was to be held at the start of May on a private ind within the country¡¯s borders. Around a hundred guests were invited. While they did keep a low profile, Elliot still invested a lot of time and money into creating avish and romantic ceremony for Anastasia. In the days leading up to the ceremony, Anastasia got busy too. She had a lot of decisions to make, such as choosing her wedding gown and the gown for the banquet at night, as well as other minute details for the ceremony. She poured her heart into preparing everything. As for her guests, apart from friends and rtives from her father¡¯s side, Anastasia also invited Felicia and Grace. While she had friends overseas, she was mindful of the great distance and decided against informing them. Spring was afoot and the lovely spring breeze came wafting in through the window. Anastasia began to feel a little drowsy. Jared was in school by now, and she had spent the morning discussing wedding details with the wedding nners. Once they left, she got a thin nket and decided to take a nap on the couch. All of a sudden, she felt a firm hand closing in around her shoulder, and she stirred awake to see a familiar face staring back at her. She nestled back down into his chest and fell sound asleep. Elliot stroked her long hair and peppered it with kisses as he apanied her while she napped. When Anastasia woke up from her afternoon nap, she found out that Elliot had brought a female bodyguard back with him. She was Adriana Williams, a 33-year-old woman with impable fighting skills and a long list of credentials. In addition to that, she was also a very intelligent and capable woman who could help Anastasia with all manner of issues. She was going to assume the role of Anastasia¡¯s personal bodyguard and would be with her at all times. Anastasia took a liking to Adriana thanks to her pair of trustworthy eyes. They made her feel safe. ¡°From now on, you must bring Adriana along with you wherever you go, so that she can keep you safe,¡± Elliot said. Anastasia and Jared were now his weaknesses because they were what he cared about the most. Anastasia nodded agreeably. ¡°Okay.¡± A gentle spring shower begante in the afternoon, and when Jared came home, he pulled on his rain boots and grabbed an umbre to go off and y in the garden. Anastasia did not stop him. The newly hired servants were preparing dinner, so Anastasia joined Jared in the garden. However, her mind wandered for just a few moments and when she snapped out of it, Jared was gone. She jumped to her feet in fear. ¡°Jared? Jared¡­ where are you?¡± ¡°Mommy! Mommy, look.¡± Jared stuck his head out of a nearby bush and showed her what he cupped in his hands¡ªa kitten whose fur was soaking wet, and who was meowing weakly. Anastasia was stunned. She watched as Jared carefully wrapped the kitten in his clean clothes and asked, ¡°Mommy, can I keep it?¡± He was staring at her with imploring eyes that made him look as pitiful as the kitten in his arms. How could Anastasia deny her son when he looked so sincere about this? ¡°Okay, you can keep it.¡± Anastasia nodded. ¡°Yay!¡± Jared was overjoyed. He did not continue ying in the rain anymore, but instead, he carried the kitten into the house at once. This kitten probably had no idea that it was about to live its best life as it was soon to be a member of this household. Soon, all the arrangements were made for the kitten to restfortably. Anastasia blowdried the kitten¡¯s fur and saw that it was probably a stray cat as it did not seem like a purebred cat. It looked like an ordinary cat, but it had arge pair of eyes that were quite adorable. ¡°Mommy, will Daddy agree to let me keep it?¡± Jared asked tentatively. He thought about how serious and proper his father was, and a man like him might not like having a kitten in the house! ¡°It¡¯s okay. Mommy will help you ask him too,¡± Anastasia assured Jared. With her help, there would not be any problems. She knew that Jared did not know how Elliot would kill to give him everything in the world. All Jared was asking for was to raise a kitten, so there was no doubt that Elliot would agree. The kitten was very docile. Perhaps it knew that it was incredibly lucky to have met such a kind and cute little owner, so it stayed in Jared¡¯s arms quietly and meowed once in a while. Anastasia apanied Jared down the stairs as they headed into the kitchen to find some food for the kitten. At around half past six, they heard a car pulling into the driveway. Jared carried the kitten over to the door to wait and soon, he saw his father walking in. ¡°Meow!¡± As if it had sensed Elliot¡¯s dominating presence, the little kitten meowed pitifully and struggled in Jared¡¯s arms to try and escape. ¡°Ahh! Kitty, don¡¯t be afraid. This is Daddy. He won¡¯t throw you out,¡± Jared cried out in rm, but before he could grab hold of the kitten, it jumped out of his arms and fled out the door. Anastasia came over and saw the kitten running off into the garden. She sighed as she thought about how upset Jared would be now. Elliot walked over to Jared and bent down in front of him. ¡°Were you raising that cat who ran out?¡± ¡°Daddy, I found the little kitten in the garden today and I wanted to show it to you, but it ran off.¡± Jared¡¯s head was bowed in sadness. His eyes turned red and teary. Elliot patted Jared on the shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll help you find it.¡± ¡°Really? I want toe too, Daddy!¡± Jared eximed excitedly. ¡°It just rained and the garden¡¯s covered in puddles now. I¡¯ll help you find it, okay? You stay right here and wait, and I¡¯ll bring it back to you.¡± Elliot¡¯s deep voice was firm. ¡°Okay. Thank you, Daddy.¡± Jared nodded happily. Anastasia took one look at the finely-dressed man who was about to scurry around the humongous garden looking for a spooked little kitten and assumed that it would be a tall task for him, so she said, ¡°I¡¯lle with you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go. You stay with Jared,¡± he declined the offer after ncing at his sweet wife. He took off his suit jacket and walked out in his shirt. Anastasia crouched down tofort Jared. ¡°Jared, we¡¯ll do our best to look for the kitten, but if it ran out of the garden, it would be very hard for us to find it. Do you understand that?¡± Jared nodded. Even though it had only been a few short hours, he had grown quite fond of the little kitten. He fervently hoped that his father would find it. Meanwhile, Anastasia was taking pity on her husband. The garden was covered in puddles while the grassy areas had all turned to mud, and Elliot had always been a clean freak. For the sake of his son, he was willing to go out and look for a little kitten even though he would be caked in mud and dirty water. Time slowly crept forward as Elliot searched from the front gardens all the way to the back. His sharp ears picked out the weak meows of the young kitten and he kept following after it, but the kitten seemed to be frightened by him as it kept running away. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I just want to bring you home to live with my son.¡± All Elliot could do was crouch down and remain motionless as he called out to the kitten who was still darting around in the garden. The little kitten had experienced warmth and love from a human today, and it yearned for the feeling of being protected and loved. Therefore, it dragged its drenched little body out of the bushes. It was too young¡ªperhaps only recently weaned, and it cried out helplessly as it stared at the towering man in front of it. ¡°Come over here, little guy,¡± Elliot called out as he extended his hand to the kitten. The kitten was wary at first, but eventually, it walked over slowly, taking each step with great care until it finally stood in front of Elliot. Elliot reached out to stroke its tiny head before holding it snugly in his large, warm hands. Elliot had chased the kitten all across the garden. He did not realize that in the process, his socks and shoes were soaked, the bottom of his pants was stained with grass, his shirt was speckled with water droplets, and even his perfectly-styled hair was hanging limp thanks to rainwater that dripped off the trees. Yet, at the same time, he was giving off a gentle and loving aura that had a different kind of allure to it. At the entrance hall. ¡°Kitty!¡± Jared spotted the little kitten in Elliot¡¯s arms and gleefully rushed over. Anastasia saw the state that Elliot¡¯s clothes were in and she felt bad for him. While Jared reached out to take the kitten, she reached out to brush a few des of grass off his shirt before saying, ¡°Go up and take a shower first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Elliot kissed her on the forehead. ¡°Daddy, can I keep it?¡± Jared asked at once. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s give it a name then!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let you decide on its name. You can tell uster at dinner,¡± Elliot said. Jared was over the moon. He hugged the kitten close and said, ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll bring it back to my room now.¡± Anastasia had prepared a clean and cozy little bed for the kitten. ¡°We¡¯ll need to go and buy some cat food tomorrow.¡± Anastasia chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll get Rey to send some overter.¡± Elliot was even more diligent. Anastasia chuckled once more. It seemed like Elliot was going to spoil Jared way more than her. ¡°Come with me while I take a shower.¡± Elliot grasped her hand and pulled her upstairs. Anastasia could only follow along behind him, but once they reached the room, she herded him into the bathroom while she picked out a set of clean clothes for him. Once Elliot went into the bathroom, Anastasia walked over to his closet and rummaged among his casual clothes before picking out a gray T-shirt and a pair of loungewear linen pants. She liked the way he looked in these sorts of casual home attire. He looked a lot warmer and more weing in these clothes, inparison to his typical formal work attire. However, when it came to Elliot, he looked attractive no matter what he wore, and Anastasia loved him in every outfit. He had everything that she admired in a man. Anastasia set the clothes down on the couch and took a seat to wait for him. Soon, she heard footsteps behind her and she turned around to see a man walking out with a towel around his waist. Despite seeing his body every night, her heart would still skip a few beats and her blood would still start rushing through her veins whenever she saw him like this. She muttered shyly, ¡°Here are your clothes.¡± Elliot walked over with a sly smile. ¡°I want my sweetheart to help me put them on.¡± Anastasia covered her mouth to muffle herughter. ¡°No thanks.¡± However, Elliot was persistent. He stood in front of her and said, ¡°Help me, sweetheart.¡± In the end, Anastasia had to look up at his sculpted and statuesque body, and she feasted on it as she helped him get dressed. He was too tall, so when she tried to pull the T-shirt over his neck, she had to get him to bend down. Anastasia slowly and carefully put on each article of clothing, while Elliot¡¯s eyes stared greedily at her. His eyes were full of love and affection¡ªit was the way he looked whenever he drowned in his love for her. By the time Anastasia was done helping him get dressed, she was as red as a lobster and could no longer look him in the eyes. Elliot cupped her face with his hands and pressed her down onto the couch as he kissed her. All day long, he had not been able to stay focused on his meetings as all he could think about was her. His heart felt empty whenever she was not around, and he wished that he could keep her by his side forever. His kiss almost sucked the life out of her. They were on the verge of taking it further when Anastasia finally regained her senses. ¡°It¡¯s time for dinner. Jared¡¯s still awake!¡± ¡°Sure. Once Jared¡¯s asleep, we¡¯ll continue where we left off.¡± She managed to talk him down, so all Elliot could do was stare at her longingly while he tried to calm himself down. Although they had not gotten married yet, it dawned on Anastasia that they were basically living as if they were, and Elliot had already nearly used up all six boxes of condoms that he boughtst time. These were also the happiest days of Anastasia¡¯s life, and herplexion became even rosier than usual. It was true that a woman in love would glow. A short whileter, Rey came and dropped off some cat food. From now on, the little cutie was a member of the family, and it may never know how lucky it was to meet its new owner. During dinner, Jared thought of a name that he thought suited the little kitten¡¯s appearance. ¡°Let¡¯s call it Be.¡± Anastasia checked and saw that it was a female kitten, so the name seemed apt. The kitten was now Jared¡¯s precious little Be. The next morning. Jared left for school reluctantly, and Anastasia got Adriana to take the kitten to the vet. It would need to be given a thorough bath and checked for fleas and worms, as well as get its vine shots. A few hourster, Adriana brought Be back all clean and groomed. It was not of any particr pedigree, but it was still adorable. Be sat still on the couch while Anastasia continued picking out wedding options beside it. Soon, Be crawled onto herp and curled up for a nap. Anastasia chuckled at the sight. She had dreamt about raising a cat when she was young, but she had not had the right to raise a pet in that house. Now, her son would be the one who fulfilled her dream on her behalf instead! This led her to recall her life five years ago. When she first left the country, life was tough for her. The country she had left to did not allow abortions, and it was one of the darkest periods in her life. This turned out to be a blessing, as she did keep her son, and when he was born, his existence mended the holes in her heart. When she was neen, she met a few people who were of great help to her. They were students who had been properly enrolled in the design institute, unlike her, who had to fight hard to find a way to get in. She seeded because she received help from them, but due to certain reasons, they had to separate again. However, the times she spent with them were filled with joy andughter. They were a pair of twins¡ªMason Sullivan, the older brother, and Katrina Sullivan, the younger sister. They spent three years together at the design institute. Anastasia¡¯s mind began to drift off under the warm afternoon sun. All of a sudden, her phone started ringing. It was an unknown number calling, but she answered anyway. ¡°Hello, who is this?¡± ¡°Who do you think I am, Miss Anastasia Tillman, the designer at Bourgeois?¡± It was a breezy male voice that spoke with a hint of teasing. A bulb lit up somewhere in the recesses of Anastasia¡¯s mind, and she eximed, ¡°Mason Sullivan? You¡¯re Mason Sullivan, right?¡± ¡°Yep! Where do you think I am right now?¡± ¡°Where are you? Are you back in the country?¡± Anastasia asked excitedly. She had just been reminiscing about the past when she received this call! What an uncanny coincidence. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m back. I¡¯m here at the department of design office at Bourgeois right now, and I found out that you used to work here.¡± ¡°You¡¯re working for Bourgeois?¡± Anastasia was surprised at yet another coincidence. ¡°Mmhmm! I just joined not too long ago.¡± Mason was pretty happy too. ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to look for you but I couldn¡¯t find you at all.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve changed my numbers quite a few times and we haven¡¯t been in touch for so long.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine! We¡¯ve reconnected now, haven¡¯t we? Are you free toe and meet up with me today?¡± ¡°Now?¡± Anastasia asked as she checked the time. ¡°Now works too! It¡¯s about time we sat down for a good talk, old friend.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll let you know when I reach Bourgeois.¡± Anastasia decided to meet up with him. ¡°Sure.¡± After hanging up the call, a thought urred to Anastasia and she went upstairs to get two spare invitation cards. She wrote down Mason and Katrina¡¯s names on them. Since Mason was back in the country, Katrina should be too, so she wanted to invite them both to her wedding. Anastasia headed off with Adriana serving as her driver. Once they reached Presgrave Group, Anastasia gave Mason a call, and two minutester, she saw a man in a suit rushing out in excitement¡ªit was Mason Twenty-eight-year-old Mason was a lively young man who exuded an aura of someone who would aplish great things in the future. Anastasia wondered what his position was in Bourgeois. Could it be the head of design position that Felicia mentioned? That was an even higher rank over Felicia. Anastasia got out of the car and Adriana immediately came to stand beside her. Mason¡¯s breath caught in his throat as he watched Anastasia approaching him. Clearly, the Anastasia he remembered was the young woman he met at the design institute, the one in the bleakest period of her life. She was entirely different from this elegant and refined woman who was shing him a brilliant smile. ¡°Anastasia, you¡¯ve changed so much! I could hardly recognize you.¡± Mason could not take his eyes off her. ¡°Thank you! A lot has happened in the three years we¡¯ve lost touch. Come, let¡¯s grab a bite to eat. My treat.¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go!¡± Mason noticed Adriana and asked with a smile, ¡°Is this your friend?¡± Anastasia nodded. ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s my friend. This is Adriana.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± Mason greeted her politely. However, Adriana simply responded with a curt nod. Mason felt a little awkward, and he thought that this friend of hers was a little cold! Anastasia nudged Adriana. ¡°Adriana, I¡¯m going to get something to eat with my friend. You¡¯ll be alright by yourself for a little bit, yeah?¡± ¡°Miss Tillman, this¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Anastasia assured her. However, Adriana simply said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you, but I¡¯ll keep out of your way.¡± Mason caught their conversation and could tell that Adriana behaved more like a bodyguard or an assistant. ¡°Okay!¡± Anastasia did not stop her from joining them. The three of them headed to a nearby restaurant. Adriana took her orders from Elliot as well, and now that Anastasia was having a meal with another guy, she informed him at once. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Right at that moment, in the middle of a solemn meeting at Presgrave Group, Elliot¡¯s phone vibrated with a new message notification. He was listening to one of his employees give a presentation, but after ncing at his phone, he picked it up immediately. ¡°President Presgrave, Miss Tillman came to Presgrave Group to meet with a male friend.¡± This message was followed by a picture of Anastasia walking with a man. Elliot¡¯s eyes narrowed. There was nothing out of the ordinary about the two people in the picture, but his heart felt a pang nheless. Why did his sweethearte to Presgrave Group but not look for him? Why did shee to meet some other guy instead? Why were they having a meal together? Elliot grew more and more frantic with each thought. ¡°Do you know who he is?¡± Elliot typed back. ¡°His name is Mason Sullivan, a new hire at Bourgeois.¡± Elliot waved Rey over. ¡°Look into this person¡¯s identity and background.¡± Throughout the meeting, Elliot could not focus at all. He kept staring at the picture on his phone, and soon, Rey passed an iPad over to him with a resume on disy. Elliot studied it carefully, and once he saw where Mason had graduated from, he realized that this must be one of Anastasia¡¯s friends from the design institute overseas since their tenure of study ovepped. Mason Sullivan, Head of Design at Bourgeois. Elliot gave a small sigh. He knew very little about the five years Anastasia spent overseas. All he knew was that it was the hardest period of her life. She was pregnant and alone in a foreign country. Anyone who helped her back then was equivalent to her savior. Did this mean that this man was also one of the people who extended a helping hand to her back then? If that were the case, there would be no way for Elliot to get involved in their rtionship. He did not want Anastasia to be mad at him. At the restaurant. After taking a seat, Mason stared at Anastasia andmented wistfully, ¡°It¡¯s great that you no longer have it so hard anymore.¡± ¡°Thank you for all your help back then. You helped me survive the darkest period of my life,¡± Anastasia dered gratefully. ¡°Is your younger sister, Katrina, back as well?¡± ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s back home and currently working as a model.¡± ¡°She does have the talent for it. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll do well as a model,¡± Anastasia said with a smile. Katrina was a very pretty girl. ¡°She has always been drawn to the spotlight, which is the total opposite of me. She used to be rather childish and would have said a lot of hurtful things in the past. I hope you didn¡¯t take it to heart.¡± ¡°Why would I?¡± Anastasia smiled. It was all in the past. Katrina knew that Mason wanted to date her, so Katrina put a stop to it and even hurled insults at her while she was pregnant. Even so, Mason ignored his sister¡¯s protests and continued to take very good care of her. She was all alone in a foreign country, and sometimes she had no other choice but to ept his caring and thoughtful gestures to survive. There was once when Jared had a high fever, and it was Mason who apanied her through it all. He carried Jared and ran down many blocks of streets until they found a doctor who could attend to Jared. Thankfully, Jared managed to pull through. That was the most frightened and distraught that Anastasia had ever been, and it was him who ignored his sister¡¯s objections and did everything he could to help her. Therefore, no matter how Katrina treated her, Anastasia would not take it to heart. ¡°Anastasia, where¡¯s Jared? I haven¡¯t seen him in so long!¡± Mason eximed. ¡°He¡¯s in ss right now. He¡¯s already four! I¡¯ll bring him to meet you some time.¡± Anastasia chuckled. ¡°Sure! I¡¯m sure he¡¯s quite a looker now. He was so cute as a baby, so he¡¯ll definitely grow up to be a handsome man,¡± Mason praised. Anastasia thought about Elliot. If Jared grew up to look like his father, he was going to be an incredibly handsome man indeed! ¡°How did you end up working in Bourgeois?¡± Anastasia asked out of curiosity. ¡°I was headhunted and invited to take the position, and I have a lot of faith in Bourgeois¡¯ future development as apany, so I decided toe back to the country. I never thought our paths would cross like this again, but I ended up seeing your name at the office.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, I used to work for Bourgeois.¡± ¡°Used to? Why did you resign?¡± Mason asked. Anastasia¡¯s eyes gleamed with happiness. Then, she finally remembered about the two invitation cards, so she took them out and passed it over to Mason. ¡°Here, I¡¯ll be getting married soon, so I hope you two wille and attend the ceremony.¡± Mason stared at the invitation cards for a very long time before taking them. There was a sh of dejection in his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re getting married, huh?¡± He flipped the card open as he said that. Once he saw the name written inside, his eyes flickered. ¡°Elliot Presgrave? Your fianc¨¦ is Elliot Presgrave?¡± Anastasia knew that he would be shocked. She nodded and said, ¡°Yeah, my fianc¨¦¡¯s name is Elliot Presgrave.¡± ¡°Bourgeois¡¯ owner, the president of Presgrave Group, Elliot Presgrave?¡± Mason chuckled somewhat bitterly as he bid goodbye to his fleeting moment of joy earlier. Sometimes, even when one reunited with the person they longed for, one still did not get a second chance, because someone even better¡ªa man even more powerful than one¡ªwas now by that person¡¯s side. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s him. He¡¯s also Jared¡¯s father.¡± Anastasia nodded and shared a secret. Instantly, Mason¡¯s eyes shed. ¡°What?! He¡¯s Jared¡¯s father? That b*stard?¡± Anastasia nodded and pursed her lips. ¡°Mason, you shouldn¡¯t say that about him. It was all an ident back then.¡± ¡°But¡­ but what he did left you with so much pain, and so much despair¡­ that you even tried¡­¡± Mason did not dare continue. Mason had saved Anastasia once. It was when she was five months pregnant. She had lost all hope and attempted to take her life by jumping off a bridge. Mason was the one who jumped into the river and rescued her. Therefore, in his eyes, the man who got her pregnant was an irresponsible b*stard. Anastasia sighed and urged him softly, ¡°Mason, just leave the past in the past. I¡¯m really happy right now.¡± Mason¡¯s fists tightened. ¡°Why do you want to marry him? Is he trying to get custody of Jared? Is that why you have to marry him?¡± Anastasia was taken aback but she shook her head. ¡°No. A lot of things happened between us, and he has expressed a lot of regret about the past. We¡¯re truly in love.¡± ¡°Does he know the disaster he brought onto you? Does he know everything you suffered through five years ago all alone in a foreign country?¡± Anastasia never mentioned the past to Elliot because she considered it an ill-fated low point in her life, but now that Mason showed up, those memories began to resurface again. ¡°Mason, it¡¯s not his fault. If he had a choice five years ago, he wouldn¡¯t have hurt me either.¡± Anastasia sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know how he managed to gain your forgiveness, but¡­ my heart aches for you.¡± It was spelled out in Mason¡¯s eyes too, just how much sympathy he had for her. ¡°Thank you, Mason, but I¡¯vee out on top now. Oh, let me congratte you for joining Bourgeois!¡± Anastasia raised her ss. Mason sighed. ¡°We¡¯ll be there at your wedding ceremony. I wish you well, always.¡± ¡°What about you? Are you married?¡± Anastasia asked out of concern for her friend. Mason nced at her before chuckling bitterly. ¡°No. I haven¡¯t found the right one.¡± The only woman he had ever liked was seated in front of him right now. Back then, his sister refused to let him go after her and did everything she could to stop him. This led to Anastasia working for QR Group and him moving to a different country, and they fell out of contact as a result. ¡°There¡¯s no rush. You¡¯re still young. You¡¯ll find someone,¡± Anastasia said reassuringly. ¡°I hope so too, but I¡¯ll leave it up to fate. There¡¯s no point trying to force things.¡± Mason picked up the card and nced through it again. ¡°You wrote this, right? I recognize your handwriting.¡± ¡°Yup!¡± ¡°Your handwriting still looks as amazing as ever.¡± He looked up at the woman in front of him, and affection filled his eyes once more. ¡°Did you know? If it hadn¡¯t been for my sistering between us, I would¡¯ve tried to date you, and we might¡¯ve¡­¡± Mason was halfway through his sentence when he heard someone with a deep voice calling out, ¡°Sweetheart!¡± Anastasia looked up at the man approaching them and she got a little nervous. Why is he here? However, she recalled that he was the one who gave Adriana her orders, so it was only natural that he would be the first to know where she was and who she was with. He probably heard what Mason had been trying to say, because otherwise, he would not have used such a mushy term in public. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± Anastasia gave him a sweet smile as she stood up to greet him. Then, she introduced him to Mason. ¡°Mason, this is my fianc¨¦, Elliot.¡± Elliot nced at Mason and caught his eye before pulling the chair out. As he sat down, he ced one of his arms on the back of Anastasia¡¯s chair and indiscernibly crowded into her personal space. It was like an animal staking his im on its territory, but either way, the message was clear. Anyone could have gotten the message from a mile away, and Mason was no fool either. He greeted Elliot politely, ¡°Nice to meet you, President Presgrave.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you too,¡± Elliot replied with a faint smile. ¡°Elliot, this is Mason Sullivan. He¡¯s a good friend I met overseas.¡± As Anastasia said these words, she emphasized the words ¡°good friend¡± and stared at Elliot with a warning look in her eyes. Only Elliot would understand the warning in her eyes. She was warning him to not get jealous of Mason and to treat him with courtesy out of respect for her. Elliot blinked in response as if promising that he would be a good boy. ¡°Thank you for taking care of Anastasia while she was overseas,¡± Elliot thanked Mason. ¡°Not at all. It was the right thing for me to do.¡± Mason nodded and looked at the couple in front of him. He sincerely meant it when he said, ¡°Anastasia, President Presgrave, I wish you two all the happiness in the world.¡± ¡°Thank you. You and Katrina muste to the wedding!¡± Anastasia said with a smile. ¡°We¡¯ll be there.¡± Mason checked his watch and said, ¡°I should get back to the office. There are still a lot of things I need to get the hang of. I look forward to working with you, President Presgrave.¡± ¡°Likewise,¡± Elliot replied with a nod. There was nothing else for Mason to say, so he got up and left. As soon as he was gone, Anastasia turned to Elliot. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to think of Mason as your enemy. He helped Jared and me a lot while we were overseas, and when I was giving birth to Jared, he was the one who waited outside the delivery room. He¡¯s also the first person who held Jared.¡± Elliot¡¯s heart clenched tightly, and he nodded solemnly. ¡°Okay. I will take good care of him at the company.¡± ¡°Mmhmm!¡± Anastasia sighed and said, ¡°Those years I spent overseas were the hardest period of my life, so anyone who walked with me through those years and cared for me, will always be someone that Jared and I owe a lot to.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s my fault. I should¡¯ve found you five years ago.¡± Elliot med himself for everything. Five years ago, he did go back to try and find the woman, but the employees at the Abyss Club were a mess and he did not try very hard either. He ended up getting tied up with thepany¡¯s affairs and had to run around the globe for over a year before finallying back. It was in that year that he realized he could not forget the woman from that night, so he decided to search for her once more. He decided to use the watch to find her. As long as a woman showed up with that watch in hand, he would know that it was her. However, he never would have expected that Anastasia would have thrown the watch away that night, and it would end up in another woman¡¯s hands. ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s not talk about the past anymore. We should look toward the future,¡± Anastasia consoled him before resting her head against his shoulder. ¡°The three of us have reunited now, and we won¡¯t be apart ever again.¡± Elliot sped her hand tightly and promised, ¡°We¡¯ll always be together, forever.¡± He took her out to lunch, and in the afternoon, he apanied her to a nearby shopping mall to take their mind off things. Back at Bourgeois, Mason returned to the office and gave his sister a call to inform her about the wedding ceremony. ¡°What?! Anastasia¡¯s future husband is the president of Presgrave Group, Elliot Presgrave? You must be kidding!¡± Katrina eximed in disbelief. ¡°Why would I kid about something like this? I even met him just now.¡± ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is, the child Anastasia gave birth to back then is his as well?¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s the father.¡± ¡°Wow, Mason, you¡¯ve hit the jackpot then! If it hadn¡¯t been for you, the Presgrave Group¡¯s little heir would have drowned with his mother. He wouldn¡¯t have been born at all! Did Elliot Presgrave offer to give you a raise?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk like that, Kat!¡± ¡°Huh? Why not? Elliot Presgrave is loaded anyway. Shouldn¡¯t he repay you in some way?¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough, Kat. Don¡¯t bring this up ever again. I¡¯m just d that I ran into Anastasia once again and know that she has a good life now.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t had a girlfriend all these years because of her, but look at her. The moment she shows up, she throws a bunch of wedding invitations at us. That¡¯s so unfair for you!¡± ¡°Enough of that. She invited you too, so are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go! Of course, I¡¯m going! I want to see Elliot Presgrave in person! I heard that he¡¯s an incredibly handsome man,¡± Katrinamented. ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll talkter.¡± Mason ended the call and his thoughts began to drift again. It was six years ago when he first saw a girl sitting in a park with her luggage in tow. Winter was nearly upon them, but she dressed in so very little that it made others take pity on her. He saw the stickers on her luggage and decided to talk to her. When she looked up at him, her clear and breathtaking eyes were full of caution. She asked him for directions to the design institute, and he just so happened to be a student there, so he was happy to oblige. She kept thanking him for it. Mason then helped her find a ce to stay, and when he asked for more information, he finally realized that she was not enrolled in the design institute, but just someone who came because she was determined to study design. He had to break the news to her that the design institute never epted students who did not enroll the traditional way. However, she looked at him with a pair of steadfast eyes and said she had no other option now. She had to get into the design institute. She had heard about a genius designer who had been admitted into the design institute on special consideration, and she believed that she could too. Mason was moved by her determination. He decided to help her approach the institute¡¯s administration. Half a monthter, he brought her designs to his lecturer¡¯s office and kept pleading for his lecturer to make an exception for her, but he failed every single time. Mason did not give up, and neither did she. Just as he began to develop feelings for her, he found out that she was pregnant, and his heart came crashing down as well. It was around that time when she lost all hope in life. The design institute refused to make an exception for her. Throughout those dark times, he stood by her and watched as she struggled in the darkness of her despair, and every time, he would reach out to pull her back up with the strength to face the world again. That girl¡¯s resolve touched him to the core. He sympathized with her and fell in love with her, but his sister found out about it and tried to stop him from seeing her. In the end, while being seven months pregnant, Anastasia brought over a hundred designs to his lecturer¡¯s house, and she finally moved him. He made an exception for her and allowed her to enter the design institute as a student. She was incredibly gifted. Despite her abject situation, she created masterpieces that took everyone¡¯s breath away. Outside the delivery room, he gingerly carried the child she gave birth to in his arms. At the same time, the doctor chewed Mason out because her amniotic fluid had nearly dried up by the time they arrived at the hospital, and the baby would have suffocated to death had they been just a few minuteste. Right at the moment, all Mason could think about was his desire to look after this mother-and-son duo, even if his family protested against the rtionship. Three days after the delivery, Mason was the one who took care of Anastasia and her son while they were cooped up in a tiny room. By the time the baby was about to celebrate his first birthday, she graduated. At the same time, his family came over and did their best to stop him from ever seeing her again. He was called back home for three months and when he finally returned to where she lived, all he saw was a letter that she had left behind. She was gone, and they lost contact. Thest time he saw her was in a photo of one of QR Group¡¯s ceremonies. She had be a chief designer and was epting an award. Her smile was dazzling and confident, and she looked like a brilliant star shining in the sky. She had grown strong and confident, and she found her footing in life, while he left for a different country. Life worked in mysterious ways. They were finally in the same city again, but now that they managed to see each other once more, she had already found the love of her life and was about to get married. Anastasia was in a reverie at the restaurant. The sunlight flitted through her hair and gave her eyes a sparkle that made them seem like diamonds. Elliot only had eyes for her while she seemed to be caught in her thoughts, though he did not know what they were. ¡°Let¡¯s eat. The food¡¯s getting cold,¡± he reminded her gently. Anastasia exhaled slowly. All this talk of the past dredged all those feelings back up again. In fact, she felt incredibly guilty over the manner of Jared¡¯s birth too. Before he was born, she was not a good mother. She had hated his existence and had tried to prevent him from being born. She had also even tried to take her own life before. ¡°Can you tell me what¡¯s on your mind?¡± Elliot asked softly. He was truly worried about her. ¡°When I was pregnant with Jared, I really did not want to keep him. I tried searching for a ce to get an illegal abortion done and I even tried taking my life.¡± Anastasia¡¯s eyes glittered with tears. She did not know why she was spilling all these horrid details about the past to him. Elliot¡¯s heart felt like it was being squeezed. He sat beside her and pulled her into a hug. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯m the one who caused all your suffering.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how I managed to pull through back then, but Mason truly was my savior.¡± Anastasia looked up at him and said, ¡°You need to be good to him, okay?¡± Elliot nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll make sure he has a good career with thepany.¡± ¡°Everything I have today, and the fact that I was able to meet you, is all thanks to the help he gave me back then. If it hadn¡¯t been for him, I might¡¯ve drowned in that freezing river that day.¡± She poured out all the memories that she had locked away. He held her even more tightly as he kissed her hair. There was nothing he could do about her past, but he would do his absolute best to make it up to Anastasia and Jared in the future. Once they left the cafe, Elliot and Anastasia went to pick up their son. The sun was beginning to set, and they watched as he came running out to them. Both of them felt their heart surge with joy. ¡°Daddy! Mommy!¡± Elliot reached out and carried Jared with one arm while using the other hand to hold Anastasia¡¯s. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± In a bar in the city center, before opening time, a man was sitting at the bar, drinking alone. His long and slender fingers picked up the faceted ss and brought it to his luscious lips before he downed it in one go. Once he finished drinking, he mmed his fist on the table and everyone around him jolted as if his fist had mmed into their chests. ¡°Damn it! Who on earth is she?!¡± The man¡¯s cool voice wasced with frustration. Chapter 601-610 Chapter 601-610 A month ago, the bar had changed owners as it was bought by the gorgeously handsome man before him. From then on, the bar was only open whenever the man felt like it, although he spent most of the time drinking alone in the bar. At one time, thedies who came to the bar were captivated by his charming good looks, but they all ended up fearing him, especially those who tried to approach him. He not only had a cold shoulder, but he greeted those women with a frosty, scathing look. It wasn¡¯t enjoyable to be scrutinized under the man¡¯s gaze, which would freeze a person from head to toe as if skinning them alive. The man being described was Arthur Weiss, the mysterious young man of noble descent who had been looking for his family heirloom. ¡°Young Master Weiss, we¡¯ll surely find her,¡± the bodyguard said in an effort tofort him. Arthur¡¯s patience was running out. He had tried everything he could, but he couldn¡¯t find the thief¡¯s whereabouts at all. He had checked the bar¡¯s surveince footage, as well as surveince footage of the road, but the youngdy was so heavily made-up that there was no way of knowing what she really looked like. He had considered going to the police, but he didn¡¯t want the loss of his family heirloom to be made public, fearing that the thief might destroy the heirloom if she were to learn that it was an object of great importance. If that happened, even if he caught her, he might not be able to recover it. Therefore, he would rather let her keep the heirloom first and sort her outter when he found her. Right now, he was waiting for the final piece of information¡ªthe cab driver who had driven her to the bar that night was found. At this moment, a man in his early thirties came in after the bodyguard through the entrance. He had heard that the bar had closed down; it was once a paradise for the rich and the most luxurious money- squandering establishment in town. He then saw a man sitting in a chair next to the bar counter. He was toying with a wine ss, and it was evident from the sound of the wine ss being swirled around that the man had superb bartending skills. ¡°Young Master Weiss, here¡¯s the cab driver who drove thatdy to the bar that night.¡± Arthur had another of his men take out two bundles of cash. Then, he pushed the photo next to him toward the man, asking, ¡°Do you remember thisdy? The money is yours as long as you tell me where you picked her up.¡± Seeing the heavily made-up youngdy in the photo, the driver instantly remembered her. ¡°Yes, yes, I do remember thisdy. She wasing out of a restaurant when I picked her up.¡± ¡°Did she say anything during the ride?¡± ¡°Yes, she did. She made a phone call. I remember it very well; she was crying her eyes out, seemingly telling her dad that she didn¡¯t want to get married.¡± Arthur felt that victory was in sight. ¡°Can I have the video of the ride that night?¡± The cab driver darted a look at the two bundles of cash before taking out his cell phone even more briskly. ¡°Sure, sure. Let me find it for you right away.¡± Finally, he brought up precisely the video recording of that night. Arthur looked at the youngdy who had gotten into the cab in the video, and sure enough, she was none other than the female thief. I¡¯ve got you atst, he thought. The cab driver left immediately after getting the money. On the other hand, Arthur was watching the video recording of that night. The cab ridested a total of 23 minutes. The somewhat blurry video showed that after getting into the cab, the youngdy first stared nkly out of the car window for a long time. Suddenly, her cell phone rang; she picked it up and answered, ¡°Hey, Dad.¡± Shortly after that, she got emotional and added, ¡°I want to call off the engagement. I don¡¯t want to get married¡­ I just want to get married to the love of my life. I don¡¯t want to get married to Christopher York.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. The person calling her then said something on the other end of the line, upon which she instantly burst into tears and cried like a baby. After that, she hung up the phone and said to the cab driver, ¡°Drive me to the most luxurious bar in the city.¡± The man gave her a few words offort before mentioning the name of a bar, to which she replied, ¡°Okay, drive me there.¡± After that, she remained silent until getting out of the cab. Christopher York, huh? A sneer shed across Arthur¡¯s face. Atst, he had a clue about the young lady¡¯s identity. ¡°I want all the information about thisdy in ten minutes.¡± He had finally reached the limit of his patience. After less than ten minutes, his bodyguard handed him an iPad. ¡°Young Master Weiss, Christopher York is a well-known rich dandy in Averna. Only one person has been rumored to be engaged to him this year, and her name is Sophia Goodwin.¡± Arthur picked up the iPad and fixed his eyes on thedy in the photo. The light shone on her face, illuminating her tender features; she looked as breathtakingly pure as a fresh-out-of-water water lily. Although she looked totally different from the heavily made-updy from the other night, there was no way Arthur could mistake her for someone else with his excellent eyesight. It¡¯s her, he thought. He recognized from this pair of eyes that thedy in the photo was the one from the other night. She was heavily made-up that night, but her eyes were indescribably clear and bright; they were as ck and lustrous as obsidian. ¡°Find out everything about her family as well as her extended families,¡± he ordered frostily. Having gotten ustomed to his temper, the bodyguard beside him immediately did as he was told. Arthur had grown up being raised like a prince since he was born, and his family owned a territory that spanned an incredibly wide area. Consequently, as the only child of his family, he was both the lifeblood of his family and the heir to a family fortune that was worth hundreds of millions. As a result, he had never been offended by anyone from his birth until he was 27 years old. If he was dissatisfied with anything, it had to be dealt with within a day. This time, however, he had lost his family heirloom for over a month, which was the greatest humiliation of his life. Therefore, it was foreseeable how miserable the youngdy¡¯s fate would be. Ten minutester, the bodyguard handed the iPad to him once again. ¡°Young Master Weiss, here is all the information about Sophia Goodwin. Please take a look.¡± Arthur read through the story about the Goodwin Family. Sophia¡¯s father was the chairman of two listed companies and had a fortune of over ten billion. However, his business had been losing money in recent years, so he was now two billion in debt instead. Therefore, he intended to establish a coboration with the York Family, forming an alliance with them by marrying off his beloved only daughter to Christopher. Arthur checked the time; it was 8:00 PM. He curled his lips into a sneer, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s pay a visit to the Goodwins.¡± Meanwhile, at the Goodwin Residence, Drake Goodwin was distressed by hispany¡¯s inability to sustain itself while fretting about his runaway daughter. The deal had been made between the two families, and Christopher liked Sophia very much, but she wilfully and recklessly sneaked out of the country. Since then, she had been imunicado, her whereabouts unknown. Emma, his wife, said worriedly, ¡°Take the medicine, Drake, or your heart¡¯s gonna give you problems again.¡± Drake swallowed the medicine before asking the butler, ¡°Have you found out which country Sophia is in?¡± ¡°Miss Sophia is hiding very well this time. We really can¡¯t find her; she¡¯s got the backbone not to use all her debit cards even after you¡¯ve had them unfrozen.¡± ¡°Well, she¡¯s not to me for this. I¡¯ve spoiled her rotten since she was little.¡± Drake cared very much about Sophia, after all. At this moment, he was worried again about how she was doing abroad. ¡°Sigh. Sophia probably dislikes Young Master Christopher for his looks.¡± Drake argued, ¡°He¡¯s a little chubby, but that¡¯s understandable. It¡¯ll be fine as long as he loses a bit of weight!¡± In his opinion, Christopher was somewhat overweight and in-looking, but he wasn¡¯t all that bad as a husband. Arthur read through the story about the Goodwin Family. Sophia¡¯s father was the chairman of two listed companies and had a fortune of over ten billion. However, his business had been losing money in recent years, so he was now two billion in debt instead. Therefore, he intended to establish a coboration with the York Family, forming an alliance with them by marrying off his beloved only daughter to Christopher. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be easy for him to lose weight with his size.¡± Emma gave him a dirty look. ¡°He¡¯s almost 220 pounds.¡± Drake immediately heaved a sigh. ¡°If I¡¯d had another choice, I wouldn¡¯t have put Sophia through this.¡± ¡°Who cares if thepany is going bankrupt? It¡¯s fine as long as we¡¯ve got some money left to support ourselves in our old age,¡± Emma said. ¡°Thepany was founded by my grandpa, so I have to keep it afloat. I¡¯d never give up unless we¡¯re in a hopeless situation,¡± Drake replied with ambition. However, little did he know that he would be in a hopeless situation tonight¡ªand a chillingly hopeless situation at that, because his daughter had brought the Goodwins an even greater disaster in the form of a young man from a mysterious and overwhelmingly wealthy family. Just then, the servant came over and reported, ¡°Sir, someone¡¯s asking to meet you.¡± ¡°Who¡¯d be visiting at such ate hour? Invite the person in,¡± Drake replied with a wave of his hand. Soon after that, he saw a dignified-looking young man dressed in expensive clothesing in under the light. He looked charmingly handsome, as if his face had been kissed by God. Not only that, but as he walked, he gave off an air of aloofness, projecting a powerful and forbidding presence. Emma¡¯s eyes widened slightly. Just who is this rich young man? Is he here because of Sophia? ¡°What can I do for you, sir?¡± Drake said with a smile as he greeted the young man. He searched his memory, but he couldn¡¯t seem to remember or know such a figure. ¡°This is our Young Master. His family name is Weiss, so you may call him Young Master Weiss,¡± Arthur¡¯s bodyguard replied in a deep voice. Drake carefully searched his memory again for a family surnamed Weiss, but nothing came to mind. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Mr. Weiss, may I know who your father is?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not qualified to know that,¡± Arthur replied impassively. Drake was rendered speechless for a moment. I¡¯ve never seen such an arrogant young man before, he thought. Holding back his temper, he asked, ¡°In that case, Young Master Weiss, what makes youe to me at this time of night?¡± Arthur darted his eyes toward the couple. ¡°Your daughter has stolen my family heirloom, so I¡¯m here to look for her.¡± ¡°What? You mean Sophia has stolen from you? That¡¯s impossible! Sophia never steals from anyone,¡± Emma immediately retorted for Sophia¡¯s sake. ¡°Your daughter has stolen Young Master Weiss¡¯ priceless family heirloom in a bar. Please return it immediately,¡± Arthur¡¯s bodyguard replied. Drake thought this was impossible, though. ¡°This has got to be a misunderstanding, or you guys must¡¯ve gotten the wrong person. My daughter isn¡¯t in the country. She went abroad a month ago.¡± The bodyguard produced an iPad and handed it to the couple. ¡°Is this your daughter?¡± Emma immediately took the iPad to confirm it, and sure enough, she recognized Sophia at a nce despite thetter¡¯s heavy makeup. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Sophia? It¡¯s indeed my daughter in the video, but she won¡¯t steal anything.¡± ¡°Where is she?¡± Arthur asked, narrowing his cial eyes. ¡°My daughter isn¡¯t in the country. And besides, we¡¯ve lost touch with her as well. I¡¯m sorry, Young Master Weiss, but I¡¯m afraid you have to wait until shees back. When she does, we¡¯ll immediately ask her about this,¡± Emma replied honestly. ¡°Wait? I hate this word the most.¡± Arthur had run out of patience because of this, so it was impossible for him to wait any longer. ¡°But there¡¯s nothing we can do about this. We can¡¯t get in touch with our daughter at the moment. If she¡¯s really taken something from you, we¡¯ll definitely ask her to return it.¡± ¡°Your daughter has taken Young Master Weiss¡¯ dearest possession. If the object is broken, there¡¯s no way you can afford to pay for it.¡± The bodyguard exined the gravity of the situation. Drake and Emma exchanged a brief look. Then, Drake promised, ¡°If our daughter has really taken it, we¡¯ll definitely give it back to you in perfect condition.¡± ¡°Your daughter went abroad to avoid getting married, so you guys can¡¯t get in touch with her for the time being, right? I have a way to make her contact you guys.¡± Arthur¡¯s eyes flickered menacingly like a demon spreading its dark wings. ¡°What way?¡± Emma asked curiously. ¡°You¡¯ll know that very soon,¡± Arthur replied impassively. Then, he said to his bodyguard, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Drake and Emma watched as the mysterious man showed up and left after leaving behind a jumble of mysteries. It was as though he came and left without leaving behind any traces of it. ¡°Where is she?¡± Arthur asked, narrowing his cial eyes. ¡°Where is this Young Master Weiss from?¡± Emma promptly asked Drake. ¡°Who am I supposed to ask that question? I¡¯ve thought about it for a long time, but I couldn¡¯t recall anyone surnamed Weiss among the bigwigs that I know of. Perhaps he¡¯s just a nobody,¡± Drake said in vexation. It¡¯s rare for a young man to have the audacity to talk so big. Having observed Arthur more carefully, Emma replied, ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem so to me. Both his bearing and the way he dresses are definitely those of a kid from a rich family. Not only that, but he¡¯s good-looking, too.¡± ¡°Still, he used our daughter of stealing from him! Sophia has never been short of anything since she was little, so what could she have stolen from him? I think he¡¯s just making a fuss over nothing.¡± Drake looked down on such gilded youth. ¡°How could I not know what kind of a person I¡¯ve brought Sophia up to be? She¡¯d never steal anything. She had never even taken one more candy from others since she was little! So, just ignore him.¡± However, Emma asked again curiously, ¡°He just said that he has a way to make Sophia contact us voluntarily. What way could it be?¡± Drake couldn¡¯t wrap his head around it either. How can he find our daughter, whom we¡¯re unable to find after doing everything possible? He was just about to go to sleep that night when he suddenly got a phone call. ¡°Bad news, Mr. Goodwin! Someone has bought the Alpire Group, and the capital project that we just negotiatedst month has been canceled!¡± ¡°What? How could it be? Who bought it?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know yet.¡± ¡°Hurry up and find out. This is myst chance,¡± Drake roared angrily. Drake already had severe insomnia the previous night, but he received another piece of bad news early the next morning. Because of his immense debts, hispany was jointly sued by multiple creditors and it was about to be dered bankrupt and liquidated. In just a night, the creditors who had given him a chance in the past became aggressive and took action against him. Drake called one of his best friends and asked, ¡°David, you said before that you¡¯d give me time to raise funds. Why didn¡¯t you keep your word?¡± ¡°Drake, I can¡¯t do that. I was under pressure too. Did you offend someone?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Who forced you to harrass me?¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t do this, I won¡¯t be able to survive either. I¡¯m only telling you this because we¡¯re good friends, but if you¡¯ve offended someone, quickly make amends to them or it will be over for yourpany.¡± After Drake hung up the phone, he couldn¡¯t figure out who he had offended even after mulling over it for a long time. At that moment, the sound of police sirens could be heard from outside before a housekeeper led six police officers inside. ¡°Drake Goodwin, we¡¯re suspecting that you¡¯ve been involved in severalmercial fraud cases. Pleasee with us.¡± ¡°Drake, what¡¯s going on? Sir, my husband is a legitimate businessman. He wouldn¡¯t break thew.¡± Emma was terrified. Drakeforted her, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll go over and find out what¡¯s going on.¡± When he was arrested, he was suddenly ambushed by the media. The issue made headlines at once and even spread abroad in seconds, covering the headlines of major news outlets across the world. His photo was featured in the headlines of newspapers around the world as if he were a criminal. Moreover, the news media in every country vigorously reported about the issue as if they had been paid to do so. In the end, Goodwin Corporation went bankrupt overnight and went into liquidation before it was eventually acquired by a mysterious force and Drake was in debt for one billion. This issue became a huge sensation in the country as Goodwin Corporation was a long-standing business that was famous for their furniture before they finally dabbled in the development of various other industries. As a result, they were considered a sessful business. Now, however, they had met a tragic end¡ªthe chairman of the board was arrested, thepany went bankrupt, and their reputation and wealth were both ruined. In the bar, the young man who had single-handedly ruined the Goodwin Family swirled the red wine in his ss as if he had let a huge burden off his shoulders and his seductive lips curled into a slight smile as he said, ¡°If anything, their daughter is to me. This is what happens if anyone dares to touch the things that belong to me.¡± ¡°Young Master Weiss, the news is being reported all over the world. If that girl sees it, she will definitely rush back as soon as possible.¡± Drakeforted her, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll go over and find out what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°Excellent. I¡¯ll be waiting for her.¡± Arthur¡¯s eyes glinted with excitement as if he were hunting his prey. He was looking forward to seeing how his little prey would struggle to death. Coincidentally, one of his good friends would be getting married early next month, so he was not in a hurry and could attend the wedding before leaving the ce. It was at the same moment when he received a phone call and happily answered it. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s meet at noon.¡± Elliot had asked him out for lunch. In fact, Arthur had heard some good news. He and Richard were rightst time¡ªthe child was Elliot¡¯s biological son, which also meant that he was their godson! He pondered over what he should prepare as a present. Richard¡¯s not gonna have time toe over at this point. Guess I¡¯ll have to prepare a gift for my godson. But what should I give him? I can¡¯t be stingy about this. Arthur bit his lip, but he couldn¡¯te up with anything even after racking his brain as Elliot already owned the things that he could afford, which troubled him. Hence, he could only think about it while he went to meet Elliot for lunch. In a private room at a high-end restaurant, Elliot looked at his buddy who was entering. He narrowed his eyes and asked, ¡°Why did the Goodwin Corporation end up in your hands?¡± Arthur curled his lips into a smile. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re quite well-informed! I thought I was being secretive enough!¡± As Elliot had a department dedicated to collecting any information rted to the corporate world, it was impossible for him not to know about this. ¡°Tell me why you did it,¡± he asked curiously. ¡°If anyone is to me, it¡¯s their fault for giving birth to a daughter who made me angry.¡± ¡°Is their daughter the one who stole your family heirloom?¡± Elliot asked, his eyebrows raised. Arthur nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. She¡¯s also missing, so I have no idea what she¡¯s done to my family heirloom either.¡± ¡°You made such a huge fuss just to force her to show up on her own, right?¡± Elliot knew Arthur well. ¡°She¡¯s lucky that I didn¡¯t do anything else.¡± Arthur picked up a ss from the table and took a sip. ¡°When shees back, she¡¯ll pay for it.¡± At his words, Elliot felt a hint of pity for the girl. Arthur propped up his chin and asked, ¡°Elliot, what do you think I should give you as a wedding gift? Tell me, what else do you need?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. You can just give me a simple gift.¡± Elliot didn¡¯t want him to break the bank for a present. ¡°I want to give my godson a present too, but I don¡¯t know what children like.¡± ¡°He likes Lego, so you can just give him a few boxes.¡± Elliot added with a smile, ¡°If you can¡¯t, you can also hurry up and get married to give him a younger brother or sister to y with.¡± ¡°Say,e and be my best man!¡± Elliot invited. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Arthur waved a hand. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because I might steal all your glory!¡± Arthur teased. ¡°That wouldn¡¯t happen.¡± Elliot was confident in himself as well. The two buddies looked at each other andughed. This kind of happiness between friends was simple and pure, and sometimes even naive. On the street of a certain country, a girl had just finished shopping with her friend when a page of a newspaper flew toward her feet all of a sudden. She kindly picked up the trash and was about to throw it into a nearby trash can, but just as she was about to do so, she saw a familiar face. It was an erged photo, and seeing the man in the picture immediately sent a pang to her heart. She eximed, ¡°Dad!¡± Immediately after, she quickly unfolded the entire newspaper and saw the picture of her father on the headline with a text description next to it, and another picture of her father being taken into the car by the police. ¡°How could this be? Why was my dad caught, and why did thepany go bankrupt?¡± The girl clutched the newspaper tightly, feeling shocked to the core. ¡°Sophia, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Her friend rushed over to support her, who was about to faint. ¡°My dad! My dad was captured. I have to go back home.¡± Saying that, Sophia fished out her phone and called her mother. This was her first time contacting her family ever since she bailed on her marriage a month ago. ¡°Hello?¡± Emma¡¯s voice sounded exhausted. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because I might steal all your glory!¡± Arthur teased. ¡°Mom, it¡¯s me. What happened to Dad? Why was he captured?¡± ¡°Sophia? Is that really you, Sophia? Did you finally get a conscience? Hurry up ande back! Your dad is in trouble, and so is thepany.¡± ¡°Okay, Mom, I¡¯lle back now.¡± Sophia was so anxious that her eyes welled up with tears. She had been a bad daughter for leaving her family behind just to escape her marriage. ¡°I¡¯ll send you to the airport.¡± The two girls quickly packed up their clothes and belongings in the hotel. As she was too worried about her father, Sophia was so panicked that even when the ne around her neck suddenly fell into the clothes in her suitcase, she didn¡¯t notice at all. Instead, she stuffed a few more clothes inside before she closed the suitcase and left. Two hourster, she arrived at the airport and boarded a ne to return home. At the same time, a message arrived on a certain man¡¯s phone with her flight information. ¡°You¡¯re finallying back, aren¡¯t you?¡± Arthur sneered. On the ne, Sophia¡¯s heart was about to burst. Even if the ne was the fastest means of transportation, she still felt that it was slow. It must be my fault. It¡¯s because I didn¡¯t marry Christopher that Dad¡¯spany is in trouble now. She regretted her stubborn decision to bail from her marriage, and thought that she should¡¯ve married Christopher to help her father pull through. Even if she didn¡¯t love him, she was now willing to give up everything to save her father¡¯spany. Along the way, she looked through the domestic news, and her father¡¯s photos were posted everywhere. Was the media running out of things to report? Did they have to report something like this every day? Before she could reach home, Sophia¡¯s cab was blocked by three mysterious ck SUVs. Left with no choice, the cab driver could only stop by the side of the road. The driver was easily scared, and when he saw the tall bodyguard who came down from the first car, he asked in a trembling voice, ¡°Miss, did you anger anyone?¡± Sophia shook her head as she looked at the tall man dressed in ck who was walking toward them as well. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t!¡± ¡°This person must be looking for you!¡± ¡°No!¡± Just as she finished speaking, the man said to her through the window, ¡°Miss Goodwin, our young master wants to meet you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re Christopher¡¯s men, aren¡¯t you?¡± Sophia asked immediately. Christopher had once forced her to go on a date with him in this way, so she was feeling rather irked right now. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Our young master is waiting for you. He wants to talk to you about saving your father.¡± As soon as Sophia heard that she could save her father, she hurriedly paid the driver and got out of the car before she entered the ck SUV and left. In the car, Sophia felt that something was wrong. The windows of these cars were bulletproof, and although Christopher¡¯s family was rich, it wasn¡¯t to the extent where they had to use bulletproof ss for their cars! ¡°Who exactly are you? Where are you bringing me to?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know when we reach, Miss,¡± the bodyguard replied. Sophia also discovered that the bodyguard in the passenger seat was a blond foreigner, and the other bodyguards weren¡¯t wearing the usual bodyguard uniforms. Even their suits were custom-made and worth tens of thousands. ¡°Are you really the York Family¡¯s bodyguards?¡± Sophia reaffirmed. However, the bodyguard stopped talking and put the pedal to the metal, rushing straight toward the bar. Finally, they came to a stop at a side entrance of the bar, and Sophia looked at the bar in shock. Didn¡¯t Ie here before? ¡°Why did you take me here?¡± ¡°Miss Goodwin, this way, please. Our young master is waiting for you inside.¡± The bodyguard grew impatient. Sophia got out of the car, but as soon as she did, she tried to run away. However, the bodyguards had expected her to escape, and two of them nked her on both sides before hoisting her inside as if she were a cat. ¡°Hey, let me go! Who are you? I¡¯m going to call the police!¡± Sophia screamed all the way until she was thrown in front of a pair of long slender legs. She had almost copsed onto the ground as she raised her head and lifted her gaze all the way upward¡­ Damn it, did this person have to have such long legs? Finally, she raised her head with difficulty and saw a pair of dark eyes staring at her, along with a beautiful face. ¡°Who exactly are you? Where are you bringing me to?¡± She immediately shot up, and even if she was standing, she was still a head shorter than him. She huffed angrily, ¡°Who are you? Why did you kidnap me? Do we know each other?¡± Arthur took a deep breath and stared at her upright and clueless face. His lips curled as he said, ¡°Before you use me of kidnapping, why don¡¯t you try to recall what you stole from me?¡± ¡°Stole from you? I¡¯ve never even met you before, so how could I steal from you?¡± Sophia thought that this man was handsome, but there was something wrong with him in the head. ¡°Last time, in front of this bar, you forcibly got into my car and took the opportunity to take my ne. Did you lose your memory, thief?¡± Arthur didn¡¯t mind reminding her. Sophia¡¯s beautiful eyes widened as she finally remembered before she quickly reached out and touched her neck. However, she felt nothing. What¡¯s going on? I swear I was wearing that ne around my neck all this while. Where did it go? She was only worried about her father¡¯s affairs along the way and wasn¡¯t paying attention to her surroundings, but was she so careless that she didn¡¯t even notice when she dropped the ne? Could I have dropped it in the hotel overseas? Or on the ne? Or in the cab? She had no idea at all. ¡°About that¡­ I got into your carst time because someone was chasing me at the bar entrance. As for stealing your things, I didn¡¯t steal it. My hair got caught on your ne, and when your bodyguard took me out, I took your ne away with me. I¡¯m sorry¡­ But I¡¯m not a thief.¡± Sophia corrected the nickname he gave her very seriously. Arthur didn¡¯t bother to argue with her and just wanted to see his family heirloom at that instant. He stretched out his hand toward her. ¡°Hand it over.¡± Sophia gulped. She had no idea where she had dropped it, so how could she hand it over? ¡°Uh¡­ I¡­¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t hand it over, your father will be doomed for life,¡± Arthur warned. ¡°What? You did that to my dad?¡± Sophia red at him angrily. ¡°I want my ne. Return it to me now,¡± Arthur demanded again, his cold gaze boring intently into her. Sophia¡¯s mind was swarmed with thoughts. It was clear that this man was powerful at a nce, so was her father¡¯spany made bankrupt by him, and was her father also sent to the police station because she identally took his nest time? In that case, did that mean that she was the cause of her father¡¯s misfortune? However, she didn¡¯t know where the ne had gone. She had to look for it, or ask her friends abroad if she had left it at the hotel. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you only if you get my dad out of the police station. Otherwise, don¡¯t think about seeing your ne again.¡± She raised her head and threatened him. Around them, sharp gasps could be heard. How dare this girl threaten Young Master Weiss? Does she have guts of steel? In fact, Sophia just didn¡¯t know who the man in front of her was. Even if she did, she would not be afraid of him as she had always been a brave person since she was a child. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± Arthur thought he didn¡¯t hear her right. This woman wouldn¡¯t return his belongings and was now threatening him with it? ¡°Yup! You heard me right. If you want your ne back, you have to let my dad go. Otherwise, you¡¯ll never get it back.¡± Sophia repeated her threat. ¡°You¡­¡± Arthur¡¯s fist paused in the air. If it wasn¡¯t because she was a woman, he would¡¯ve definitely thrown a punch her way. If she were a man, they would be in a fight by now. Sophia was still looking at him a little fearfully as she backed away in an attempt to put some distance between them. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll let your dad out. Now hand me my ne.¡± Shockingly, Arthur gave in to her. ¡°Only after my dad gets released.¡± Sophia was not gullible. Arthur¡¯s anger turned into amusement as he asked, ¡°Woman, you really don¡¯t know your ce. Do you know who I am?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you only if you get my dad out of the police station. Otherwise, don¡¯t think about seeing your ne again.¡± She raised her head and threatened him. ¡°Even though you¡¯re handsome, do I have to know who you are?¡± Sophia asked with a raised eyebrow, unimpressed. The bodyguards who were standing by the side looked at her with wide eyes, feeling scared for this girl who was constantly looking for death. They wanted to show her what their monstrous young master was usually like, and let her know what true fear felt like. ¡°I want to go home now and see my dad safelye home within an hour.¡± Sophia continued to dish out her orders. Arthur was already on the brink of losing his temper. ¡°Fine, I want to see my ne within an hour.¡± He spoke with gritted teeth. There was no way Sophia could promise him that as she had no idea where his ne was! ¡°Save that for after I see my dad.¡± Saying that, she picked up her bag and said to the bodyguard, ¡°My suitcase is still in your car. Please help me open the door.¡± The bodyguard looked at Arthur. From the looks of things, this girl had the greater say, so he could only retrieve her suitcase for her. After getting her belongings, Sophia hailed a car and went home. Several bodyguards stood with their hands by their side at the bar, waiting for the young master to sweep out the entire wine cab in a rage. However, he was unusually quiet. Other than that brewing storm in his gaze, nothing else happened. Did Young Master Weiss turn into someone else? the bodyguards wondered. Meanwhile, when Sophia returned to the Goodwin Residence, she immediately hugged her mother. In just two days, Emma¡¯s hair had turned gray from worry. When she saw her daughter again, she sobbed and told her about everything that had happened during the past two days. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. Dad will be home soon.¡± ¡°How could that be? Your dad was used ofmercial fraud this time, so it wouldn¡¯t be that simple.¡± ¡°Mom, believe me. I can really help Dade home,¡± Sophia promised. As expected, ten or so minutester, there was a sound of the door opening, and Drake walked in unscathed. ¡°Dad, you¡¯re home!¡± Sophia dived into his arms. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m sorry. I wouldn¡¯t be stubborn and run away anymore. I promise I¡¯ll marry Christopher.¡± Drake patted her and said, ¡°It¡¯s all right. You don¡¯t need to marry him anymore. Thepany is gone anyway, so there¡¯s no need for that.¡± However, he couldn¡¯t figure out who had so much power to do this to him on such a huge and cruel scale. ¡°Sigh. Until now, I still don¡¯t know who¡¯s been targeting me. I don¡¯t remember offending anyone either!¡± He was feeling depressed. Just then, Sophia spoke up softly from beside him. ¡°Dad, I know who it is.¡± ¡°What? You do? Who is it?¡± He hurriedly looked at his daughter. Emma was shocked as well and turned her gaze toward Sophia. Sophia had to exin everything from start to finish. At the end of her exnation, she reiterated, ¡°I really didn¡¯t steal it. That man¡¯s ne got caught in my hair, and it¡¯s the ne¡¯s fault for being so fragile that it broke so easily.¡± She looked at her parents guiltily, thinking that her parents didn¡¯t understand what she was talking about. However, Emma suddenly said to Drake, ¡°I told you that man isn¡¯t an easy opponent, but you didn¡¯t believe me. Look what he¡¯s done now; he made us bankrupt overnight.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of anyone called Weiss who is this powerful before!¡± Drake couldn¡¯t believe that this young man had done all of this and even managed to destroy hispany overnight either. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯ll definitely take responsibility for this.¡± Sophia would never get her parents involved. ¡°Silly girl, now that the ne is gone, where are you going to find it? How are you going to take responsibility? It¡¯s obvious that the ne is important to him, and now he¡¯s going to be even angrier.¡± ¡°Dad, Mom, don¡¯t say it¡¯s gone yet. I can still look for it.¡± Sophia had already called her friend and asked her to look for it in the hotel. Sophia then hoisted her suitcase upstairs, intending to look through it. She had just carried the suitcase to the stairs when her cat suddenly pounced over, frightening her so much that her hands jolted, and the suitcase rolled down from the second floor. With a few thumps, the zipper flew open, causing all of her clothes and belongings to scatter across the ground, one of which rolled into the corner of the storage box under the stairs where even the dim light couldn¡¯t hide its extraordinary shine. It just so happened to be the ne. Sophia had to exin everything from start to finish. At the end of her exnation, she reiterated, ¡°I really didn¡¯t steal it. That man¡¯s ne got caught in my hair, and it¡¯s the ne¡¯s fault for being so fragile that it broke so easily.¡± She looked at her parents guiltily, thinking that her parents didn¡¯t understand what she was talking about. ¡°Baby, you almost scared me to death.¡± She picked up her pet cat and scolded it before she went downstairs to pick up her things. After returning upstairs, she tidied her belongings and looked for the ne. Sure enough, it wasn¡¯t there. She was extremely worried. If she didn¡¯t find it soon, she would be doomed. Just then, her phone rang. She took a nce at the unknown number and answered the call. ¡°Hello? Who is this?¡± ¡°Your dad is out. Ten minutester, I¡¯lle over to retrieve my things.¡± A cold male voice spoke to her from the other end. ¡°Um, you shouldn¡¯te over. The ne isn¡¯t with me. I left it overseas.¡± Sophia could only lie to him in order to hold him back. ¡°Say what?!¡± As expected, his voice turned angry. ¡°I promise you that I¡¯ll definitely bring it back. Can you give me some time?¡± She attempted to bargain. ¡°Sophia Goodwin, do you have a death wish?¡± The man on the other end of the phone finally lost his patience and burst out in fury. Sophia immediately put the phone a little further away from her ear, and when the other end finally stopped talking, she said, ¡°Do you want to get it back or not? If you want it, give me some time.¡± ¡°Where did you leave it? I¡¯ll send someone to pick it up.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m scared you¡¯d continue to hurt my dad when you get it back, so I won¡¯t hand it over within a year,¡± Sophia said bravely. ¡°Are¡­ Are you saying that I can only get it back a yearter?¡± He was clearly asking her through gritted teeth. ¡°Yes, so you¡¯d better be more patient,¡± she replied. Just then, Sophia heard the sound of a car as the other end hung up the phone. Then, she soon saw Arthur again in the living room. Though her house was huge, as soon as this man came in, it was as if the air turned still, making it difficult to breathe. Even Drake and Emma were a little afraid of him. ¡°Young Master Weiss, please take a seat and have a drink,¡± Drake said ingratiatingly, as if he were hosting an esteemed guest. Arthur¡¯s cold and sharp eyes shot straight at Sophia as he demanded, ¡°Let¡¯s talk alone.¡± Sophia pointed to her father¡¯s study and said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk in the study.¡± Hence, the two of them went in together, leaving the worried Drake and Emma outside. This young man was clearly a handful at first nce. Could their daughter really have a good chat with him? Would he hit her instead? In the study, Sophia locked the door before turning to look at the standing man. ¡°Mr. Weiss, do you agree to my request from earlier?¡± ¡°No.¡± Arthur gritted his teeth and looked at her icily. ¡°I want to see my ne now.¡± ¡°Then, you leave me with no choice. I won¡¯t give it to you now.¡± Sophia crossed her arms and looked at him, her head spinning rapidly with thoughts. She knew very well that his ne would never be found again. Anyone would pick up such a beautiful item if they saw it, and it would either be sold to the second-hand market or be kept by them. However, how could she quell this man¡¯s anger now? When cornered, there was no limit to a person¡¯s intelligence, and a n instantly came to Sophia¡¯s mind. If this man liked her one day, wouldn¡¯t he forgive her and stop pursuing the matter? Although this method came at a price, in order to protect her family, she had no other choice. Hence, Sophia had to make the man in front of her fall in love with her and forgive her, then let go of her family. Arthur narrowed his eyes at her as she sized him up, as if she wasing up with an ill-intentioned n. Seeing through her thoughts, he immediately sneered and said, ¡°I¡¯m not interested in you, so you¡¯d better not get any ideas about me.¡± ¡°How about this? For a year, I¡¯ll pledge myself and stay by your side and be your maid. After a year, I will return the ne to you. What do you think? It¡¯s a good deal, isn¡¯t it?¡± Sophia raised her small head and asked. In the study, Sophia locked the door before turning to look at the standing man. ¡°Mr. Weiss, do you agree to my request from earlier?¡± Arthur felt annoyed that this woman had taken possession of his things and did not return them, but she was still being so righteous about it. ¡°Give it back to me, and I promise not to touch your family.¡± Arthur didn¡¯t bother to answer her and just wanted to retrieve his belongings and leave. He was not interested in her at all. ¡°I said that I¡¯ll only return it in a year. If you don¡¯t want me to be your maid, that¡¯s okay. See you in a year, then!¡± Saying that, Sophia pursed her red lips. How dare this man look down on me? As if her words struck a raw nerve in him, Arthur suddenly gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Fine. If you¡¯re offering yourself, I won¡¯t hold back either. As my maid, you¡¯ll have to be by my side at all times. Do you have what it takes?¡± Sophia¡¯s eyes shed with victory. She wanted to get close to him and spend time with him, then find the opportunity to make him fall in love with her and finally forgive her for losing his belongings. ¡°There¡¯s nothing that I¡¯m afraid of,¡± Sophia boasted proudly. A glint of cruelty shed past Arthur¡¯s eyes. It was true that he would be letting her off easy if he let her go now, so he had to keep her by his side and give her a hard time to vent his anger. ¡°Pack your belongings and follow me.¡± As soon as Arthur said that, he walked outside. ¡°Would it be possible for you to give me two days off?¡± Sophia asked him from behind. The man retorted in an icy tone, ¡°No.¡± Sophia sighed, realizing that she will have to put in a lot of effort to please this man. The only thing she can do right now is to keep him from getting angry, given her current situation. She took down her unpacked suitcase from her room and told her parents, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom and Dad, I¡¯m going on a trip. You should enjoy your time together and wait for my return.¡± ¡°You¡¯re leaving again, Sophia; where are you going?¡± With a worried expression on her face, Mrs. Goodwin questioned as she held her daughter. Sophia assured her mother, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom, I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Is this what Mr Weiss means when he says he wants you to be responsible, and where is he taking you?¡± a worried Drake Goodwin questioned. ¡°No, Young Master Weiss is not an evil man. He said that he wishes to apany me while I search the area where I had lost it. You may just wait for me at home, and maybe we will find it together,¡± she murmured softly. After hearing these words, her parents felt relieved and hoped that they could get it back and appease Young Master Weiss. She took her suitcase with her and left. Her parents got out of the house to watch her get into the car, but they were still too worried. At this very moment, the pendant in the storage room beneath the staircase was emitting a resentful glow. Even though its owner had been here for a while, he had ignored it and left. Sophia hadn¡¯t slept for about thirty hours after hearing about her father¡¯s incident. She dozed off out of weariness as soon as she got into the seat. They arrive at a bar where Arthur Weiss has established it as his personal hangout spot. An exquisite master bedroom was built on the second floor just for his stay. The bodyguard got out of the car and opened the back seat door to find the girl sleeping soundly. ¡°Master, she¡¯s asleep,¡± he informed the man who had exited from the other vehicle. Arthur found the girl sleeping in the backseat as he approached the car. He was furious yet again. How is it that she could go to sleep after all? ¡°Wake her up,¡± he mumbled as he walked away. ¡°Hey, Sophia Goodwin, get up.¡± The bodyguard yelled. She awoke, startled, then grinned, and said, ¡°Oh, we¡¯re here!¡± She brought her suitcase into the bar with her and asked them in a curious tone, ¡°Why do you guys live in a bar?¡± ¡°Sophia Goodwin, you¡¯re only the Master¡¯s maid; don¡¯t talk rubbish; remember, the Master wants silence.¡± She was reminded by the bodyguard. She fought through her exhaustion and followed the bodyguard with a sigh. The bodyguard ordered, pointing to the staircase, ¡°Head upstairs and find a room for yourself.¡± Sophia hadn¡¯t slept for about thirty hours after hearing about her father¡¯s incident. She dozed off out of weariness as soon as she got into the seat. Sophia gave a slight nod, knowing that after bing the maid for this man, she couldn¡¯t expect for much. She went upstairs, found a room, and slumped on the bed to sleep. In another room, Arthur Weiss was bing uneasy as he assessed what was going on. The item was not recovered and he brought an unpleasant woman along with him, which was not his style. If he was letting her free in exchange for the return of an important family heirloom after a year, it would seem to be too lenient for the woman. He became exasperated as he thought about it. Then, he rushed into Sophia¡¯s room to find a way to traumatize her, but when he got there, she was sleeping again. The afternoon sun glistened on her curled-up shape, revealing her wavy and sensual curves, her long auburn hair, and her wless skin, which gleamed and glistened like jade, as well as her thick and light brows. Under the pleasant warmth of the sun, her upturned nose and soft pinkish lips took on a youthful charm that was reminiscent of innocence. He narrowed his eyes as he watched her sleeping peacefully, and for a moment, Arthur was unsure if he should wake her up or let her keep sleeping this way. In the end, he decided to leave. Sophia slept till she awoke, opened her eyes, and saw it was darkness outside the window. She stretched out, and her eyes gleamed like beautiful diamonds, with excitement of unexpected prospects and fantasies ahead. Chapter 611-620 Chapter 611-620 ¡°I¡¯m hungry!¡± Sophia felt a growl in her stomach. She left her room and looked at the decorations on the walls as she walked down the hall. This ce used to be a bar. The bar¡¯s decor had a somber atmosphere that mingled with the gloomy lighting to produce an odd and unsettling ambiance. As she was a bit scared, she walked slowly toward the stairs. Sophia made her way down the spiral staircase; she saw that the whole space was brightly lit. A man, who sat elegantly amidst the lights, seemed to be passing the time by drinking wine. She was mesmerized by his refined stature and felt captivated by his sophisticated elegance. His ck satin suit had golden embroidery and it sparkled like diamonds while the gentle light enhanced his charm and charisma. Sophia¡¯s heart sank because she realized how difficult it would be to win over this man¡¯s affections. She let out a long, deep breath. If she doesn¡¯t return the pendant after a year, she may have to pay the price with her life. So, she decided to just go with the flow for the time being. Sophia approached Arthur while smiling. ¡°Have you guys eaten? Want to eat together?¡± He gave her a passing look. ¡°Without my consent, you are not permitted to leave here.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m starving.¡± She blinked. ¡°From now on, you must do what I say.¡± He was determined to make her suffer. Sophia was stunned for a moment and felt helpless. Even though she knew it was almost impossible for Arthur to fall in love with her, she decided to try anyway. She had no other options left. Her bestie told her that she had searched the hotel room thoroughly, but the pendant was still nowhere to be found. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll listen. I won¡¯t eat.¡± As soon as she sat down, her stomach started to grumble. Sophia, who was blushing, instinctively covered her stomach while staring at the man. The man¡¯s eyebrow, which was really attractive, furrowed into a scowl at her. In spite of this, her stomach continued to grumble and she was determined to follow Arthur¡¯s orders. After letting out a sigh, she began talking to herself or rather, to her stomach. ¡°Quiet down, please! Mr. Weiss said that I am not allowed to eat any food! Let¡¯s wait and see. He might show mercy at some point.¡± The bodyguards beside them were holding back theirughter. ¡°Tell your stomach that food is off-limits tonight,¡± Arthur remarked, not amused. ¡°You¡¯ll lose a servant if I suffer from starvation.¡± Sophia gave a serious answer. ¡°It¡¯s not like I just have one maid.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯ve decided to give up on the pendant now, right? The only one who knows where it is now is myself. You¡¯re going to starve me? Really?¡± She was trying to save herself by uttering such words. Ack ofpassion was obvious on Arthur¡¯s face. She had no other options left. Her bestie told her that she had searched the hotel room thoroughly, but the pendant was still nowhere to be found. ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten anything since getting on the ne. In fact, I¡¯ve gone two days without eating.¡± Sophia continued her talk. Arthur looked directly into her pitiful eyes as if he had found something entertaining. ¡°Then, you might as well try to go without food for three days as a challenge.¡± Beautiful men are born sadistic, Sophia screamed inside her heart. This is absolutely true. ¡°Can I drink water then?¡± ¡°I just have wine here.¡± He was clearly teasing her. She was really thirsty, so she nodded and then said, ¡°Can I have a ss, please?¡± He poured her a ss of wine. She reached for the ss and gave it a lick, just like a puppy, to have a taste of what was within. The sweetness of it caused her to continue drinking it all at once, drawing the attention of the man who stared at her with narrowed eyes. She hupped and her cheeks were rosy from drinking. ¡°Would you like some more?¡± Arthur smirked. She shook her hand. ¡°No, it¡¯s not very tasty.¡± The bodyguard was taken aback by her answer. It¡¯s a fine wine that costs 50,000, yet she says it¡¯s not tasty? What a waste. Sophia stood up right away and felt the sky was spinning in front of her. She was tumbling toward Arthur; she was not sure if it was because she was too hungry or due to her consumption of alcohol. Even the bodyguard couldn¡¯t stop Sophia from falling into Arthur¡¯s embrace with his quick movements. Before Arthur realized it, he had a girl nestled in his arms. She rested her head on his chest and her arms wrapped around his neck. ¡°Master.¡± The bodyguard tried to pull her away from Arthur, knowing that he despised any woman who approached him. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡± Even though she was drowsy, she hadn¡¯t lost consciousness yet and growled at the bodyguard. Arthur red at the bodyguard and motioned for him to leave before he removed Sophia¡¯s arms from his neck. She immediately cuddled him again. ¡°Hands off, Sophia Goodwin,¡± he warned as he had never been a fan of such intimate encounters. She would undoubtedly fall if she let go of him due to her being drowsy. He lowered his head, and they were so close to each other that their gazes locked. Sophia¡¯s most beautiful feature since she was a child had always been her eyes, with bright pupils that shone like ck pearls, illuminating beneath them. When she smiled, her eyes resembled the crescent moon. Since they were at such a close proximity, Arthur was staring intently into her lovely eyes. They were as clear and captivating as they had always been, making his heart skip a beat. At this point, she beamed at him, as her ck pearly eyes were shaped into two crescent moons. One could never get bored of the innocence that danced in her eyes. The bodyguard standing next to them was taken aback. He¡¯d never seen his master stare at a woman for so long, and folks of the opposite gender would always maintain a distance of three feet away from him, let alone hug him. While Sophia was still smiling, she was abruptly shoved aside and fell to the ground before moaning, ¡°Ouch!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t approach me without my permission next time,¡± Arthur said coldly, as he used his masculine hand to dust off his coat as though he was repulsed by her touching him. He couldn¡¯t care less about Sophia¡¯s distressed expression. ¡°Go back to your room.¡± She rose to her feet with difficulty since she was dizzy before returning to her room. She prayed for her well-being in theing year after witnessing the man¡¯s ruthlessness. Over the weekend, Elliot and Jared were ying ser early in the morning at home. A woman smiled as she watched the two figures running and listened to the child¡¯s boisterousughter while she arranged flowers in the hall. Since Anastasia did not have a suitable candidate as her bridesmaid, three young girls from the Presgrave Family were chosen for her by Old Madam Presgrave. As Elliot was the oldest, these young women in their early twenties addressed her as Miss Anastasia. Yesterday, when the four of them had their meal, they bonded immediately. The bodyguard standing next to them was taken aback. He¡¯d never seen his master stare at a woman for so long, and folks of the opposite gender would always maintain a distance of three feet away from him, let alone hug him. The Presgraves¡¯ girls had always acted with the utmost etiquette and grace throughout due to strict family rules and upstanding parenting. Anastasia, who will soon have the same status as Old Madam Presgrave, was highly respected as the Young Mistress of the Presgrave Family. In the future, she would have the authority to make all household decisions. Until the wedding preparations began, she had no idea about her status as the Young Mistress of the Presgrave Family. Although being a mistress would give her the most power, the family still adhered to many of its traditional rules. The Presgrave Family resembled arge tree with branches reaching out to thousands of close rtives. Since the wedding preparations were almost finished, Anastasia took the opportunity to learn up on some of the necessary skills befitting for a mistress, such as flower arrangement, which was both rejuvenating and elegant. ¡°Mrs. Presgrave, you really do have an artistic eye. This arrangement is very appealing,¡± praised the floral art instructor. ¡°Thank you.¡± Anastasia smiled. Since young, she always had a natural ir for art, which exined why she had learned things up quickly because she liked beautiful things. At that moment, Anastasia¡¯s phone rang. After a glimpse at it, she said to her instructor, ¡°Please excuse me for a moment.¡± ¡°Hello, Dad,¡± she answered as she picked up the phone and moved to the side. ¡°The final verdict is out. Erica will be imprisoned for fifteen years.¡± Francis¡¯ voice could be heard on the other end of the line. She consoled her father and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, Dad. She should face the consequences for her actions. Naomi may not have taught her, but someone else now has to.¡± ¡°I¡¯m perfectly fine. I¡¯m only calling to let you know about it since her biological father has also been sentenced to eight years.¡± Anastasia consoled her father again, knowing that he was still in sorrow over Erica¡¯s imprisonment. Despite the fact that Erica was not his biological child, he treated Francis as if she were. Hayley¡¯s final verdict would also be announced tomorrow. Given the amount of mary stakes, a severe penalty was unavoidable. Karma had finally reached those who had harmed Anastasia. Three dayster, it was announced that Hayley Seymour would be sentenced to 18 years in prison with the imprisonment happening thereafter. On that same day, Anastasia was to be married on a private ind. Despite her old age, Harriet was overjoyed to be able to attend her grandson¡¯s wedding. Many guests arrived at the venue before the big day. They could ssh around in the water and celebrate the uing wedding while taking in the spectacr scenery. The same day, Arthur¡¯s bodyguards packed their bags in the bar because they were traveling to the ind for the wedding too. Sophia was also ordered to pack her belongings. She knew Arthur was going to attend a wedding, so she packed a few sets of vacation clothes for herself. They were on the cruise ship at 12.00PM, and Sophia was staring at the sea in a daze. She asionally nced over at the man in avish suit on the other end of the liner. She didn¡¯t dare to act rashly after being pushed by Arthur the day before. He always maintained an aloof demeanor, as if warning them not to approach him. A small ind appeared on the horizon two hourster. The lush greenery, the bright sun, and the long white sandy beach made people feel free, as if they wanted to run on it. When Sophia saw the private ind, she eximed softly, ¡°This ind is so beautiful!¡± After she disembarked from the ship, the bodyguard assisted her with her luggage. She couldn¡¯t wait to get to the beach and y. ¡°Can I y for a while before returning?¡± she asked Arthur. ¡°No.¡± It was a t refusal from the man. He wouldn¡¯t let her do anything she wanted because tormenting her was the source of his joy. The same day, Arthur¡¯s bodyguards packed their bags in the bar because they were traveling to the ind for the wedding too. She made a long face because she had to follow him into the car while looking back at the lovely beach. Arthur was the owner of one of the vis there, so Sophia was to stay in the same vi with him as his date. ¡°You are not allowed to go anywhere on this ind without my permission,¡± he said, sitting on the couch and instructing the girl in front of him. She flinched at the man sitting with crossed legs. His haughty expression was drawing a line of supremacy between them as though he was the king and she was his petty servant. Sophia became increasingly aware of her low social standing. She regretted having pawned herself by being by his side and losing all of her freedom. It was unfair because she had always been her parents¡¯ precious daughter. ¡°Understood.¡± she gave a nod. She was left alone and dazed in the vi after he left. Inside a cafe, the afternoon sun glistened on two handsome men having a casual conversation like a piece of artwork. Many women were admiring them as if they were a beautiful painting. Many guests of the Presgrave Family were present, and they were intrigued by the young man chatting with Elliot, the family¡¯s head. They discovered the stranger was Elliot¡¯s friend after a series of questions and had no idea where he came from or what his name was. Ambling along the beach, Anastasia was apanying Jared holding a basket full of beautiful shells. She joined the ¡®treasure¡¯ hunt, as though she had returned to her childhood days. ¡°Mommy, look! Isn¡¯t it pretty?¡± He picked up another shell. Sheplimented, ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re much better at searching than I am.¡± ¡°Mommy, great-grandma said that I can make ornaments out of these, so she can decorate her house with them. I should find more.¡± The boy was in high spirits because of the request. Anastasia nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Feeling the soft sand squeezing through the toes alongside with the warm touch of the sunlight was one of the wonderful things one could experience. The employees on the ind were busy preparing for the wedding and providing their best service to the important guests. Right then, a cruise ship moored by the shore, after which a sexily dressed girl disembarked the ship. Scanning the scenic area, she couldn¡¯t hide the fervent ambition in her gaze. It was none other than Mason¡¯s younger sister, Katrina, who had never expected the service would be so perfect. As long as their names were on the guest list, they had the privilege to arrive earlier to enjoy themselves. Since she was a rtively reputable car show girl, she had stunning looks and a fiery attitude. Needless to say, she had her own purpose for attending Anastasia¡¯s wedding. Elliot¡¯s social circle was rife with rich people. Hence, it was definitely her golden opportunity to hook up with someone! As the night loomed and the sky darkened, the ind was illuminated with lights like a celestial castle levitating above the sea. Both Anastasia and Elliot were having dinner with Harriet while listening to the concierge¡¯s report on the guests. Following that, the couple strolled in the vicinity without Jared, who was tired after ying the whole afternoon. With street lights lighting up the route by the beach outside the cafe, the vast sea that was hovered by the night sky was serene. Elliot had no time to spare during the day, so he spent the whole night keeping Anastasiapany. The vis were perching on the trough area of the huge ind like a crescent moon. Compared to daylight, the night view was exceptionally gorgeous as the moonlight glow brushed against the surface of the sea. Suddenly, rock music could be heard from all sides. A band was performing in front of the guests and employees. With over a hundred people, the revel was in full swing. At that moment, Anastasia noticed that some of them were spectating something. Curious, she took hold of Elliot¡¯s hand and strode over to join the crowd. As the night loomed and the sky darkened, the ind was illuminated with lights like a celestial castle levitating above the sea. Soon, it was revealed that the one who had taken the spotlight was a girl rocking along the rhythm. Her bold moves disyed her perfect curves, showing no sort of embarrassment. Needless to say, most of the spectators were men. Anastasia was stunned when she recognized who the girl was. It was Katrina, a model who was adept at dancing. Still, her dancing appeared quite ostentatious on the beach right now. In the meantime, she spotted Anastasia as well as the handsome Elliot from the crowd. Twisting and turning her body, she glided over and halted before them. Like a snake, she was flexing her flexibility with slithering movements in front of him. It wasn¡¯t until then that she moved toward Anastasia and clung onto her arm. ¡°Anastasia, long time no see! Do you still remember me?¡± Anastasia was not foreign to Katrina¡¯s energetic soul, for she knew the girl¡¯s character better than anyone else. Although Katrina was a materialistic girl, Anastasia¡¯s contemporary perception of Katrina had changed as the soon-to-be Mrs. Presgrave. ¡°Katrina, it¡¯s been a while,¡± greeted Anastasia in return. However, Katrina was making eyes at Elliot. ¡°Anastasia, who¡¯s this handsome guy standing next to you?¡± ¡°He¡¯s my honey,¡± introduced Anastasia, who was assaulted by a sense of dangering from Katrina. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, nice to meet you. I¡¯m Katrina Sullivan, Anastasia¡¯s best friend.¡± Katrina beamed with pleasure. ¡°Pleasure to meet you too.¡± Elliot nodded in response. Her smile had always been alluring to the eyes. Like an invisible hook, it kept trying to catch hold of his attention since it was an endeavor to get into his good books at first meet. ¡°Katrina, I hope you enjoy your stay here.¡± Anastasia removed Katrina¡¯s hand from hers. ¡°I have to split now.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± An awkward Katrina withdrew her hands before looking at Elliot, who had turned around. She was desperate to see what kind of response he had. She believed that no man could ever restrain himself upon seeing her dancing, not even Elliot. From her point of view, rich guys had a rather unbridled indulgence for woman and sex. As long as one could pique their interest, they wouldn¡¯t let the chance slip through their hands that easily. Twirling her hair, she watched the couple leave and a smile crept up her lips. Elliot Presgrave. As expected of the perfect man, he can make anyone fall for him with that looks, body and domineering aura. Back then, Anastasia insisted on keeping the baby no matter what. Is it because she knew that Elliot is the father? Katrina was deeply impressed by Anastasia¡¯s scheme¡ªleveraging her kid to marry a rich guy. Meanwhile, Anastasia¡¯s mind was repeating Katrina¡¯s amazing dance moves while loafing about with Elliot. That twisting body and seductive gaze of hers were a deadly weapon that could draw every man¡¯s attention readily. Anastasia knew Katrina very well as Katrina used to take pleasure in seducing the rich. Was her fianc¨¦ the prey tonight? ¡°She¡¯s Katrina, Mason¡¯s twin sister,¡± a vexed Anastasia piped up. Elliot chuckled as he had an insight of her thoughts. ¡°Are you worrying about something?¡± ¡°What do you think of her dance?¡± She cocked her head at him. He was sharp enough to know that it was a fatal question. ¡°Regardless, her character is bad.¡± ¡°How so?¡± Anastasia questioned further since she had witnessed how Katrina gave him hints a few times. ¡°If she isn¡¯t Mason¡¯s sister, I wouldn¡¯t have allowed such a person to attend our wedding.¡± The disgust in his eyes was evident. Only then, she realized that Elliot found Katrina¡¯s dance to be infuriating more than she did. ¡°There¡¯s a campfire over there. Let¡¯s go take a look.¡± Anastasia pulled his hand to lead him toward that location. Katrina was deeply impressed by Anastasia¡¯s scheme¡ªleveraging her kid to marry a rich guy. The music andughter from the revel filled the vi and reached Sophia¡¯s ears. They were prompting her to head outside, but Arthur had unfortunately left her alone to have fun all by himself. Not only did she have legs that could bring her anywhere she wished, she also didn¡¯t want to waste the night spent on such a beautiful ind. With hindsight, she left the vi. As she didn¡¯t have any sense of direction at the unfamiliar ce, she simply went to where the music came from. Unbeknownst to the poor girl, Arthur actually returned the next moment she left. This perverse woman. How dare she go out without my permission! Hmph! Sophia Goodwin, you¡¯re going to get it from me once you return! As Sophia had arrived at the beach, she saw the chairs prepared under the lights. She took a seat before a waiter asked for her order. She ordered a ss of juice and turned to look at the people who were having fun. Despite her quiet disposition, one of them was immediately attracted by her sheer presence. With lights shining upon her, her surreal features adorned with long tresses were revealed, exuding an enigmatic air that awaited one to probe further. ¡°Hi, Miss. Hanging out alone? Mind if I have a drink with you?¡± Sophia raised her head to look at the handsome man before smiling. ¡°Suit yourself.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Jacob. What about you?¡± ¡°Sophia.¡± She wasn¡¯t shy to introduce herself. Even though the wedding was strictly hidden from the public eyes, everyone knew that the Presgrave Family was the richest family in the country. Just entering its name into the search engine was enough to know how wealthy they were. Simrly, the invited guests were surely from high society. Thus, Sophia wouldn¡¯t mind the idea of getting to know some new friends here. Sophia and Jacob really clicked right from the start, especially after knowing that they had graduated from the same high school. Time flew by as they were engrossed in the conversation. When the music stopped, the night tide began to rise. She sprang to her feet abruptly. ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still early. It¡¯s almost 10.00PM.¡± ¡°Huh? It¡¯s almost ten? I¡¯ve been out for more than an hour? I gotta go now. Let¡¯s talk next time, Jacob.¡± She bid Jacob goodbye hastily. ¡°Sophia, do you work here?¡± He was curious, for the guests were allowed to enjoy their time the whole night without worries. ¡°I-I came with my friend, but I gotta head back earlier.¡± She couldn¡¯t find the right words to describe it as she had no right to attend the wedding in the first ce. Turning her head, she was nonplussed by the unfamiliar environment again. Which way leads to Arthur¡¯s vi? ¡°Jacob, do you know where Vi No. 58 is?¡± questioned the distraught woman. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s quite far, though. I¡¯ll lead the way.¡± Jacob was willing to help a beautiful and adorable girl like Sophia. ¡°Really? Thanks!¡± In fact, she was a little afraid because the route was deserted, so she was pleased to havepany along the way back. They bbered on and on while heading back. Although his eyes showed infatuation for her, Sophia was so dense that she deemed it as his outgoing personality. The guests are nice. It¡¯s probably they¡¯re having a st here. When they arrived at Vi No. 58, she thanked him, ¡°Thank you for sending me all the way here, Jacob. This is where I stay. Be careful on your way back.¡± ¡°Can I see you tomorrow too?¡± Jacob asked. ¡°Tomorrow¡ª¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we exchange our numbers? We can have a cup of coffee together someday,¡± he suggested. ¡°Sure.¡± Sophia wouldn¡¯t reject someone who had helped her. Unbeknownst to them, someone was hiding in the darkness at the balcony on the second floor. Due to the quiet environment, he overheard their conversation. Turning her head, she was nonplussed by the unfamiliar environment again. Which way leads to Arthur¡¯s vi? ¡°See you tomorrow.¡± Jacob took a few steps back and almost stumbled over a stone. ¡°Watch your step.¡± She stretched out her hand to hold him and he grabbed it reflexively to keep his bnce. He let out a wry smile. ¡°Sorry for scaring you.¡± Sophia withdrew her hand with a smile. ¡°Watch out. There¡¯s plenty of stones here.¡± ¡°Alright. Bye.¡± He waved his hands and left despite the heavy heart. After watching him leave, she took a deep breath and wheeled around, only to find the doors were closed, but she neither had the card nor the password to open it. ¡°Oh crap! How am I going to go inside?¡± Her face scrunched up in distress, causing the man to snigger while observing from the second floor. ¡°Young Master Weiss! Young Master Weiss! Are you in there?¡± she shouted at the closed door. Arthur came down in a ck pajamas with a ss of wine in hand. Sophia¡¯s face brightened upon seeing him. ¡°Young Master Weiss, could you open the door for me, please?¡± Lying against the door frame, he gazed at her through the ss. ¡°Mind telling me who allowed you to go outside without my permission?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.¡± Sophia admitted her fault. ¡°You¡¯ll be sleeping at the doorstep tonight. You¡¯re not allowed toe in or go anywhere without my orders.¡± Arthur¡¯s icy tone indicated that it wasn¡¯t a joke. ¡°What?¡± Her eyes widened in shock. Even if summer wasing, it would be very cold at midnight. She was already feeling the chills right now, so how was she supposed to survive the night outside? ¡°Please, Young Master Weiss. Please forgive me this one time! I promise that I¡¯ll listen to you from now on.¡± She raised her hand to promise the moon and the sky in her attempt to convince him into forgiving her. ¡°You¡¯re not that bad. You managed to seduce someone by just heading outside once.¡± He made a snarky remark. ¡°We graduated from the same school, that¡¯s why. He sent me home because I didn¡¯t know the way back. It¡¯s nothing like what you think,¡± she exined. However, Arthur, the cruel man who wouldn¡¯t go easy on girls, couldn¡¯t care less about it. No one could ever persuade or dissuade him on something once he had made up his mind. ¡°Enjoy your stay outside. Mark my words¡ªnothing wille good if you disobey me.¡± Although the ck silk pajamas hugged his broad shoulders and well-defined body without exposing its skin, his toned abs were vaguely discernible due to its thin fabric. In addition to his tall stature, he exuded a domineering aura effortlessly. Still, Sophia wasn¡¯t in a state of mind to drool over such a pleasing sight. While he walked to the parlor, her face contorted in displeasure as she had to spend the night outside. He¡¯s so cruel! There was a table and chair for her to take a rest, but the night wasn¡¯t as serene as one expected. Sometimes, a squeaky cry of a bird and the sight of a cat fleeting from out of nowhere pierced through the silent air. Under such circumstances, a poor Sophia curled herself on the chair, hugging herself to retain her warmth. One of the posh vis were Anastasia and Elliot¡¯s matrimonial house. The exquisite yet minimalistic interior filled the ce with a mixture of romantic and wholesome atmosphere. Anastasia was still bathing when Elliot returned after settling some work. Listening to the running water, he smiled lightly while undoing the button¡¯s on his shirt before opening the door to the shower. Looking at the intruder, she dipped herself into the bathtub. ¡°I¡¯m not done yet!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s shower together, sweetheart.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to say that we¡¯re running out of water, aren¡¯t you?¡± Anastasia chuckled. ¡°Nope. I thought I should give you a shoulder massage since it¡¯s been a tiring day for you.¡± He approached closer with a sinister smile. The night belonged to the lovers; the fire in them ignited ardently after having quelled for so long. She knew that she stood no chance against the man whom she had fallen deeply in love with. Even if she was all in, she couldn¡¯t help but submit herself to Elliot until she fell asleep in his embrace. There was a table and chair for her to take a rest, but the night wasn¡¯t as serene as one expected. Sometimes, a squeaky cry of a bird and the sight of a cat fleeting from out of nowhere pierced through the silent air. Under such circumstances, a poor Sophia curled herself on the chair, hugging herself to retain her warmth. There was a girl fast asleep on a bench ced outside of Vi No. 58. It was already midnight and the temperature had dropped. No matter how much she tried to endure the cold by hugging herself, she was freezing in her sleep too. In the meantime, Arthur couldn¡¯t sleep in hisfortable and warm room, for his mind kept thinking about the girl, who was still outside. It was 3.00AM, yet she neither made a fuss nor shouted during the past four hours. In the end, he got up from bed and opened the bedroom room. As the chilly air caressed his skin, his face stiffened. Due to the huge temperature difference between day and night on the ind, one could even feel the cold in the vi, let alone being outside. He descended the stairs and went out. As soon as he pulled open the small gate, he could see Sophia sleeping while trembling in the cold under the street light If she falls sick, I gotta ask someone to take care of her and that will be a hassle. I should just let her sleep inside. He made up an excuse in his head. ¡°Hey. Sophia Goodwin, wake up,¡± Arthur called her in an attempt to wake her up. She pried open her drowsy eyes to see the man, who was standing beside her with arms crossed. ¡°Can I head inside now?¡± ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll feed you to the sharks,¡± warned Arthur. Sophia struggled to rise to her feet when her legs gave out, causing her body to copse toward him. ¡°Argh!¡± With arms hugging his waist, her cold face rested on his bare chest, which was slightly exposed. It felt warm and sturdy. Arthur was stunned momentarily at the cold sensation on his chest before shoving her. ¡°I told you not to come close to me, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°My legs are numb. Can¡¯t you even help me for a bit?¡± gruntled Sophia as she tried to stand straight. Will he even get a girlfriend in future? What kind of girl will like him when he¡¯s so cold? All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Arthur wheeled around and walked inside the building with her at his heels. Once the door was closed, the coziness prodded her to have a warm bath right away, which she did as her heart told. After returning to her room on the second floor, she had a warm shower before going to bed. Meanwhile, the man in the master room was finally feeling drowsy and drifted into a slumber, as though he had undone the knot in his heart. On the other hand, Katrina couldn¡¯t sleep a wink due to the excitement, for she had never once attended such a grandiose wedding. Everyone would agree that the service provided on the ind was top-notch. She posted a few clips on her social media ount and received the public¡¯s attention. Even the press, which had given several vain attempts to pry Elliot¡¯s wedding, shared her videos. Now that Katrina was one of the guests, she became their only source of information. Still, the pictures and clips, as well as the articles, vanished in thin air once the morning came. The phone in Katrina¡¯s room rang. ¡°Hello. Who is this?¡± She was still half awake. ¡°Good morning, Miss Sullivan. Sorry for the disturbance, but we would like to inform you that it is prohibited to disclose anything in regard to the wedding.¡± ¡°What? Did I do that?¡± She yed dumb. ¡°Yes. We¡¯ve deleted your pictures and videos that were posted on your ount. Your cooperation is appreciated and we hope that you will understand.¡± After having said that, the employee terminated the call. Katrina quickly checked her social media ount. Indeed, everything pertaining to the wedding was deleted. She was so livid that she had lost the chance to brag about it to the outside world. After breakfast, Anastasia went to Harriet¡¯s ce to greet her and take care of Jared. As soon as she stepped into the vi, a fight could be heard from the study. An old man sounded angry as he shouted, ¡°Harriet, it¡¯s already the 21st century. Why are you still abiding by the old rules? This is the time to rake in more money! If we don¡¯t do it now, others will do it anyway.¡± Now that Katrina was one of the guests, she became their only source of information. Still, the pictures and clips, as well as the articles, vanished in thin air once the morning came. The phone in Katrina¡¯s room rang. Anastasia was nonplussed by the reproach that wasced by a strong resentment. Then, Harriet¡¯s voice resounded. ¡°Henry, rules are rules. These are the family rules that we must follow no matter what.¡± ¡°Harriet, you know how hardworking my son is. All we need is a chance, a chance to be one of the board directors of Presgrave Group. We¡¯re not asking much. Just a small share of it is enough.¡± ¡°Henry, as the family rules has stated, the men in the family can never be one of thepany. We can help with anything else other than that.¡± ¡°So what if we work hard when we can¡¯t even enjoy one bit of the money Elliot has earned?¡± ¡°Elliot has been doing his best to help the family. You¡¯re doing well on your own too. You should be grateful for what you have.¡± ¡°Hmph! Harriet, I know what you¡¯re afraid of. You¡¯re afraid that we¡¯ll pose a threat to Elliot once we be stronger, aren¡¯t you? That¡¯s why you¡¯re subduing the others in the family so as to not steal the limelight from Elliot. This ridiculous rule should have been abolished ages ago!¡± ¡°Watch your words, Henry. It is my grandson¡¯s wedding soon and you mustn¡¯t cause a ruckus. If you don¡¯t wanna attend the wedding, you can leave.¡± Harriet didn¡¯t budge an inch. Hearing the stomping footsteps, Anastasia hastily sneaked into the wing, in which she watched a furious man leave the house. She could recognize the familiar face¡ªhe was none other than Elliot¡¯s granduncle, as well as Tyler¡¯s younger cousin. Right then, Harriet¡¯s voice pulled Anastasia back from her reverie. ¡°Anastasia,e on in.¡± Anastasia jumped a little, for she had not expected Harriet to notice her presence. She apologized as soon as she went inside, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Grandma. It wasn¡¯t on purpose.¡± Harriet beckoned Anastasia toe over. ¡°Come here, Anastasia. It doesn¡¯t matter because you gotta know all these. You will take over my position and handle every household matter soon.¡± The weight on Anastasia¡¯s shoulders felt heavier when she heard that. Obviously, means and coercion were needed at times to administer such a big family. ¡°That¡¯s my cousin-inw. Elliot calls him Granduncle. It isn¡¯t the first time asking me to allow their family to join the board of directors of Presgrave Group. And I¡¯ve always refused to do that.¡± Harriet sighed before continuing, ¡°I must separate work and my personal life. ording to the family rules, the kids aren¡¯t allowed to work in the Presgrave Group. We can help them to build their wealth, but we can¡¯t share wealth. Do you get it?¡± Anastasia nodded as she knew that there was a reason for such a rule to exist. ¡°They might think that I¡¯ll pity them and bend the rules because of my old age. They keep forcing me to change it. Anastasia, you¡¯ll be the one managing this kind of matter, but I¡¯m afraid that they will put you into a tough position due to your young age.¡± Harriet was feeling helpless. Needless to say, Anastasia was already feeling the pressure as she nodded. ¡°I will do my best to handle everything.¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll teach you how in future. Right now, all you have to do is to prepare for the wedding. Don¡¯t sweat about others,¡± soothed Harriet. ¡°I will. Grandma, where¡¯s Jared?¡± ¡°Nigel took him out early in the morning. They get along well.¡± Harriet broke into a smile. ¡°Then, shall we go out for a walk together?¡± Anastasia decided to apany the old woman to brighten her mood. ¡°Great idea. I¡¯ll introduce you to other family members along our way too.¡± Then, they headed outside. Every single time they bumped into the Presgraves, Harriet never failed to remember their names and rtionship, impressing Anastasia with her sharp memory despite the old woman being in her 80s. While Anastasia was busy understanding more about her family, Elliot was busy weing some important guests from abroad. Anastasia nodded as she knew that there was a reason for such a rule to exist. At the same time, it was another same old day of cooping in the vi for Sophia, who was dying from boredom in Vi No. 58. Although Arthur was present as well, he had been using hisptop in the living room the whole time. When she was staring at the sea from the balcony, she heard a voiceing from the courtyard. ¡°Sophia.¡± ¡°Jacob!¡± She jumped to her feet in surprise. ¡°Sophia, let¡¯s go to the beach and have fun!¡± Jacob was sitting on a quad bike to take her for a ride. The look of ecstasy on Sophia¡¯s face illustrated her desire to go. ¡°Wait for me!¡± She went downstairs in great haste and, as soon as she met Arthur¡¯s cold gaze, she stopped in her tracks. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to go out,¡± he responded icily as he had heard Jacob too. ¡°Please, Young Master Weiss. We can have fun on the ind anyway. Can¡¯t I just go out and y?¡± Sophia inteced her hands together and pleaded with beady eyes. ¡°No can do.¡± However, Arthur stared at theptop screen and rejected her like a strict and heartless parent. Gazing at the handsome face, she bit her lips in frustration. ¡°I¡¯ll only hang out for half an hour, okay?¡± Sophia made a concession, which was ignored by Arthur. ¡°Twenty minutes! Or ten minutes! I¡¯ll return after just one ride.¡± Her sole wish was to head outside, no matter how short the time would be. ¡°Do you like him that much?¡± He raised his head with a disdainful look. ¡°No. I just wanna y by the beach.¡± She was being honest with her answer. No one including her would want to waste the chance to y outside. Still, Arthur was sure that Sophia liked Jacob as he announced cruelly, ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere today.¡± She pulled a long face. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll inform him about it.¡± With that being said, she went outside to tell Jacob, ¡°Jacob, I¡¯m afraid Ie along. I have things to do.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to do when we should be having fun right now?¡± Jacob was disappointed, for his n to create wonderful memories with Sophia by the beach had gone out of the window. ¡°Sorry, but I really can¡¯t go.¡± She sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s hang out next time!¡± ¡°Sophia, who are you staying with?¡± asked a curious Jacob. ¡°I¡­¡± Before Sophia could even finish her words, she heard footsteps behind her and she turned around, only to see Arthur sauntering over in a ck shirt. Jacob was stupefied by the man¡¯s appearance as well. Although Jacob believed that he was not that in comparison with the anonymous man, who seemed to be of the same age, he felt inferior for some reason. Even though the man was merely sanding at the yard, he was even more dazzling than the sun with that surreal visuals and stature. The sophisticated aura emanated from him was that of fostered by an inherent ego, not his good looks. ¡°Erm¡­ He¡¯s my¡­¡± Sophia was racking her brain to find a usible identity for Arthur, but in vain. Should I say that he¡¯s my master? That will be embarrassing. Meanwhile, Jacob already had his guesses. Is that her boyfriend? That¡¯s why they¡¯re staying in the same house. ¡°Sophia, is this your boyfriend?¡± He let out an awkward smile. ¡°Erm¡­N-No¡ª¡± She waved her hand in denial. Suddenly, Arthur, who was standing next to her, piped up, ¡°Yes, I am. So, stay away from her.¡± She looked at him in disbelief. What is he doing? ¡°My bad. Sorry for the disturbance.¡± Jacob then left with the quad bike sensibly. Jacob was stupefied by the man¡¯s appearance as well. Although Jacob believed that he was not that in comparison with the anonymous man, who seemed to be of the same age, he felt inferior for some reason. After standing on the spot for a while, Sophia smacked her own head upon her realization. My mission is to seduce Arthur! Not having fun! Only then, I can seek forgiveness for losing the ne. Now¡¯s my chance since we¡¯re living under the same roof! The epiphany expunged her sadness at once as she headed toward the parlor. While Arthur was using theptop on the couch, she broke the silence. ¡°The weather is killing me. I¡¯m melting!¡± Next, she removed her thin outerwear to reveal her strip dress, which caused him to nce at her before focusing on his work again. Right then, a hyping music could be heard from the beach and the rhythm filled the living room before a lightbulb went over her head. Sophia had been attending dancing sses since young and thus an impromptu dance was a no-brainer for her. After tying the outerwear around her waist to enhance her slim figure, she began to dance along the music in the spacious room. It wasn¡¯t until then did the man raise his head at her with a frown as frustration was bubbling up in him. Chapter 621-630 Chapter 621-630 A graceful and elegant Sophia danced along the rhythm by twirling her body and swirling her arms to execute the clean moves with seamless flexibility. Initially, Arthur was irritated by the jarring music, but he now couldn¡¯t shift his gaze from the dancing girl. From staring nkly to watching her performance with delight, he had set theptop aside on the fly. Dance was a wordless means ofmunication via souls. When she noticed that he was watching her attentively, she smiled lightly as a calctive glint flickered in her bright eyes. As the music wasing to an end, she began spinning toward the man, who was in the middle of the living room. Finally, she feigned fatigue before falling into his arms. Noticing her fumbling steps, Arthur stretched out his arms instinctively to catch her as she did the ending pose in his embrace before rising to her feet with a smile. ¡°I feel refreshed now. Oh, I¡¯m already sweating. Guess I gotta go take a bath.¡± Before he could even realize it, Sophia had already headed upstairs and left him zoned out while mesmerizing the soft sensation on his fingertips, which was so vague as if he hadn¡¯t hugged her waist during that fleet second. As soon as she returned to her room, she took a deep breath and patted her chest. It wasn¡¯t until then did the embarrassment struck upon her for dancing unreservedly in front of the man. Sophia opened the wardrobe and looked at the tight red dress, which made her sigh in a dilemma. Should I wear it? I mean, why not? If I can¡¯t make him fall for me within one year, I¡¯ll be a dead meat! So, why shouldn¡¯t I try my best when I still get the chance to do so? Then, she took a shower before wearing perfume and putting on makeup. After a full makeover, she saw a beautiful girl in red from the mirror. Arthur was still a mysterious person to her; she only knew of hisst name until today. Since she didn¡¯t know what he would prefer and thus to show him the best of her. At the same time, Arthur was having a phone call with his grandmother, Elizabeth, who was informing him on something. ¡°Artie, please find a local fortune teller to determine which ce is suitable for your grandfather¡¯s tomb. It is his wish to be buried in his homnd.¡± ¡°Sure, Grandma. I¡¯ll stay for a little longer in the country to search for the perfect spot for Grandpa,¡± he promised. As soon as she returned to her room, she took a deep breath and patted her chest. It wasn¡¯t until then did the embarrassment struck upon her for dancing unreservedly in front of the man. ¡°Alright. Do inform us once everything is settled. We¡¯ll bring him back to the country.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll find it as soon as possible,¡± responded Arthur. ¡°Rx while you can. Don¡¯t push yourself too much. You should be having fun when you¡¯re on a trip.¡± Elizabeth was concerned about his personal life as their family had amassed enough fortune for their younger generations to lead a life of leisure. Hearing the descending footsteps, he turned his head before he was paralyzed in confusion. While she was still talking on the line, his baffled mind was buzzing and he didn¡¯t hear a thing. Hence, he asked, ¡°Grandma, what did you just say?¡± ¡°I said that your grandfather is afraid of water, so find somewhere near a mountain if possible. ¡± She trusted fortune tellers. ¡°Got it.¡± Arthur turned his head back to pay attention to the conversation. Elizabeth eximed, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve gone back to the country. I can¡¯t wait!¡± ¡°Grandma, once I¡¯ve found a spot for Grandpa, you cane back for a trip with Mom and Dad,¡± he said. ¡°Alright. Do inform us once everything is settled. We¡¯ll bring him beck to the country.¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°Okey. I¡¯ll find it es soon es possible,¡± responded Arthur. ¡°Relex while you cen. Don¡¯t push yourself too much. You should be heving fun when you¡¯re on e trip.¡± Elizebeth wes concerned ebout his personel life es their femily hed emessed enough fortune for their younger generetions to leed e life of leisure. Heering the descending footsteps, he turned his heed before he wes perelyzed in confusion. While she wes still telking on the line, his beffled mind wes buzzing end he didn¡¯t heer e thing. Hence, he esked, ¡°Grendme, whet did you just sey?¡± ¡°I seid thet your grendfether is efreid of weter, so find somewhere neer e mountein if possible. ¡± She trusted fortune tellers. ¡°Got it.¡± Arthur turned his heed beck to pey ettention to the conversetion. Elizebeth excleimed, ¡°It¡¯s been e long time since I¡¯ve gone beck to the country. I cen¡¯t weit!¡± ¡°Grendme, once I¡¯ve found e spot for Grendpe, you cene beck for e trip with Mom end Ded,¡± he seid. If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. ¡°Alright then. Let¡¯s talk another time.¡± As soon as Martha hung up the phone from the other end, Arthur nced at the phone in his hand. Meanwhile, Sophia sat on the couch like ady waiting to attend a ball. The evening gown she had on was a dress that she had spent a fortune on abroad and the quality of the gown was impable. Since young, she had been brought up with tender, loving care. As shecked nothing at all, she was used to the finer things in life. ¡°Are you going to seduce some man by dressing up?¡± Arthur scornfully remarked. She took the opportunity to jokingly reply, ¡°You¡¯re the only man here right now, though.¡± In response, Arthur scoffed, ¡°Well, you¡¯re not pretty enough to seduce me.¡± At that moment, Sophia¡¯s face flushed slightly, and she could feel a shameful feeling wash over her. If it wasn¡¯t because she owed him the ne, she would never have to endure such humiliation and endure his taunts. He stood by the floor-to-ceiling window in the sunlight as a ray of sunlight shone on his face. At that moment, his delicate features were perfectly illuminated. Sophia was shocked upon seeing that. He was too handsome and at that moment, as he basked under the sunlight, there was an indescribable regal look to him that was quite enchanting yet seemingly impersonal. This was the type of man that usually appeared in novels and was hardly ever seen in real life. She thought, His existence on this earth must be to make women feel inferior. She exhaled moodily and felt that everything she did seemed to be pointless because there was nothing she could do that would attract his attention. ¡°Well¡­ I was just joking earlier on. I¡¯m not interested in you.¡± She smiled sheepishly and got up to get out of the room. Subsequently, she went to the garden and remained there by herself. Sophia found the air quite suffocating when she was in the same area as Arthur. At that moment, there was a notification from the phone number used to contact the guests. There would be a ball organized in the main hall tonight, so the guests were invited to enjoy the glorious night. Since she had left her phone number, she received the message too. At that moment, she felt quite excited. Can I attend the ball? Meanwhile, on the spacious deck overlooking the sea, Anastasia came out to look for her son. She bumped into a group of people and it was such a coincidence that the old man was the person who had gotten into a spat with Harriet in the morning. He nced at Anastasia walking toward him and greeted her kindly, ¡°Anastasia, you¡¯ve worked hard.¡± ¡°Hi, Granduncle Henry. Nice to meet you.¡± Anastasia greeted him politely. The other people by his side of the younger or same generation greeted her politely too. ¡°Good afternoon, Mrs. Presgrave.¡± She smiled and nodded. These people here were this elderly man¡¯s younger generation. There were strict rules to follow in the Presgrave Family, which meant that there were rules in terms of addressing people as well. Anastasia was here to seek her son Jared as Nigel had said that he would bring Jared to enjoy the beach nearby. She could sense Henry sizing her up, and there was a scheming and spective look that was quite evident in his eyes. ¡°Well¡­ I was just joking earlier on. I¡¯m not interested in you.¡± She smiled sheepishly and got up to get out of the room. Subsequently, she went to the garden and remained there by herself. Anastasia noticed everything, but she didn¡¯t show it. She merely greeted them with a smile before leaving. As soon as she walked off, the middle-aged man next to the old man revealed a smile. ¡°Dad, once she takes control of the family, it will be much easier for us to enter the Presgrave Group.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got to be patient and wait till she marries into the family. Harriet will hand over control of the family to her soon enough,¡± the old man reminded his son. ¡°I¡¯ve waited so many years,¡± his sonined unhappily, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for Harriet being in the way, I would have be one of the shareholders of Presgrave Group a long time ago.¡± ¡°Darling, there¡¯s no need to rush things. How much longer can Harriet remain alive anyway?¡± A well- dressed woman adorned with jewelry spoke up as she clutched his arms. Meanwhile, Nigel was building a sandcastle with Jared on the shore of the clean beach. Nigel was quite childish and he had fun building arge sandcastle with Jared, which left the young boy just as ted. ¡°Mommy, look at this. I built this with Uncle Nigel.¡± Anastasia walked over with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± As soon as she said that, she quickly took out her phone to record this moment for her son. The smile on Nigel¡¯s face widened too. ¡°Daddy!¡± Jared pointed in the direction of the fence close by and he waved to Elliot, who was busy entertaining the guests from abroad. Anastasia turned her head and saw her charming husband. At the same time, Elliot nced at her from afar. Although there was a slight distance separating them, his loving, tender look seemed to be meant only for her. Anastasia felt a sense of bliss within her. In three days¡¯ time, it would be their wedding day. Night descended, and the atmosphere on the ind tonight was merrier than ever because of the party that the guests were eagerly waiting to attend. This was even more so for the younger crowd, as they were full of excitement for tonight¡¯s event. The band invited to perform tonight was the top band in the country. Furthermore, there was great wine, good food, and interesting young souls at tonight¡¯s event. However, both the bride and the groom had no time to attend the party. Anastasia was summoned to see Harriet. The reason was that Harriet had prepared photos of everyone from the Presgrave extended family to make things easier for her granddaughter-inw. Harriet also went through each person in detail with Anastasia, going through the person¡¯s background and personality. Although Harriet was aged, she had a great memory and a logical train of thoughts. Anastasia was quite impressed by that. Anastasia was also quite touched that Harriet had done so much in preparation for her uing role as thedy of the house. Anastasia forgot about everything else and focused on Harriet¡¯s analysis. There were two powerful forces she had to pay attention to amongst the Presgrave extended family. The first one was Old Master Presgrave¡¯s first cousin. They were closely rted due to their blood ties, so their families tended to interact with each other. The second force to be mindful of was the influential group passed on decade after decade by the earlier generations of Presgrave ancestors. They pledged their allegiance to the Presgrave Family, but they had their own power and wealth. They had once intended to join the board of directors of Presgrave Group, but Harriet had denied that. On the surface, Presgrave Group seemed to be peaceful and stable, but in actual fact, the entanglement of rtionships within was messy and quiteplicated. From then on, it was imperative that she handle every rtionship carefully. The Presgrave Family continued to uphold their reputation and the glorious family prestige passed on from a hundred years ago. As such, it was essential that they uphold the family reputation, and there was no way that the family name could be tarnished in any sense. Anastasia listened carefully to Harriet¡¯s words. Evidently, she would have to interact with this group of people in the future, and it would be quite a mission too. ¡°Grandma, I¡¯ll definitely try my best to maintain a good rtionship with them,¡± Anastasia promised. ¡°People will resort to anything when there are personal interests to be gained. I¡¯m not worried about you and Elliot, but you should be on your guard against plots behind your back,¡± Harriet instructed. ¡°I get it.¡± Anastasia nced at the photos on the table and kept Harriet¡¯s words to heart. The former was left impressed by thetter¡¯s sage advice. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t get too stressed out by all this. You should go and find Elliot to have lunch with. The dishes here are too nd, so I¡¯m sure you would find them quite unptable.¡± Harriet patted her hand. At that moment, Anastasia realized that it had been more than a day since shest saw Elliot. She walked out of Harriet¡¯s vi and dialed Rey¡¯s number. ¡°Hey, Rey, where is he?¡± ¡°President Presgrave is at the vi and is waiting for you to have dinner together.¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll be back shortly.¡± Anastasia didn¡¯t expect that he was already waiting for her, so she quickly entered the buggy waiting by the side to go back to his vi. It merely took her several minutes to arrive back there, and as she walked into the brightly lit-up vi, she saw that he was no longer dressed in the suit he had on earlier when he was entertaining the guests. He had changed into loungewear and was currently seated on the couch waiting for her. The Presgrave Family continued to uphold their reputation and the glorious family prestige passed on from a hundred years ago. As such, it was essential that they uphold the family reputation, and there was no way that the family name could be tarnished in any sense. She instantly leaped into his arms as he wrapped his arms around her waist quite naturally and kissed the top of her head. She shifted her head sideways and ced a kiss on his cheek too. At that moment, Elliot looked at her sympathetically. He knew the reason Harriet had summoned her over for the past two days, and it pained him to realize that she had to withstand all of this pressure even before she actually married him. He felt quite guilty and he med himself for all that. After all, he wanted to marry her and shower her with plenty of love, but theplicated situation with his extended family meant that she had to learn the ropes to deal with the Presgrave Family matters from an early stage. ¡°Darling, you¡¯ve worked hard.¡± Elliot kissed her on the forehead. ¡°You haven¡¯t even married me, and yet you¡¯ve had to withstand all this pressure.¡± ¡°Since I¡¯ve decided to marry you, I¡¯m mentally prepared for all this.¡± Anastasia wrapped her arms around his neck and looked at him with firm eyes. ¡°Trust me, I will definitely be a great wife.¡± The pained look in his eyes was quite evident as he pulled her into his arms tightly. ¡°I trust you, of course. From now on, no matter what happens, I promise I won¡¯t let you suffer any injustice at all.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s start dinner and then we can keep Jaredpanyter on. We¡¯ve been too busy and we haven¡¯t been spending much time with him.¡± Anastasia felt very guilty for casting her son aside. ¡°Okay, he can sleep in the same room with us tonight.¡± Elliot also made the decision to bring their son over. Anastasia suddenly spoke up shyly, ¡°Let¡¯s not bring him here. He can sleep in the same room as Nigel.¡± At that moment, there was a slight intimate look that shed across his dark eyes. ¡°I get what you mean.¡± Her face flushed slightly red as she rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Exactly what sort of indecent thoughts are going on in your mind, huh?¡± ¡°The soundproofing here isn¡¯t great, so I agree that Jared should stay with Nigel for the time being.¡± The smile on Elliot¡¯s face deepened. At that point, Anastasia was tempted to stick her head into the ground. Does he mean that I¡¯m too loud in bed? I¡¯m not! At Vi No. 58, Sophia kept Arthurpany and remained cooped up inside for the entire day. In the evening, he headed out, and that was exactly what Sophia was waiting for. After all, she nned to sneak out to the ball and have some fun. She was bored out of her mind, and she couldn¡¯t stand being cooped up any further. She thought, Anyway, my mission of seducing him would definitely take more than one or two days to seed. As such, she decided to cast aside this humiliating matter for now and prioritize enjoying herself. She was quite regretful and wanted to yell at herself so badly. She thought, I shouldn¡¯t have caused so much trouble for myself! It would have been so awesome to enjoy my freedom! Look at how restricted I am right now! I feel like a prisoner. Currently, she had no freedom in every single move she made and had to tolerate his temper every day. Sophia finished dinner by herself, and it was coincidental that she had dressed up nicely today, so it was perfect to attend the ball in her current attire. She wasn¡¯t intending to seek an exciting or romantic affair. She was, in fact, merely seeking fun, and she wanted to go and have a rxing time. She took a golf cart and left for the party. There was melodious music that was audible from a banquet ball, and at that moment, there seemed to be a romantic feeling in the air. As night fell, there were plenty of young men and women who flocked to the party. Each of them was dressed to the nines, and each of them looked charming and sexy. The waitstaff held trays in their hands with champagne and red wine on them. They served the guests by going around the room. As soon as Sophia entered the room, she instantly attracted the attention of many young men. One of them was quite excited and ted to see her, ¡°Sophia, there you are.¡± Sophia didn¡¯t expect to bump into Jacob. Subsequently, she greeted him, ¡°Hi, Jacob.¡± ¡°Why are you here by yourself? Where¡¯s your boyfriend?¡± Jacob asked curiously. Sophia finally found the chance to exin that matter, so she hurriedly spoke up to Jacob, ¡°Jacob, you¡¯ve misunderstood the situation. He¡¯s not my boyfriend. We¡¯re simply friends.¡± At that moment, a look of joy shed in his eyes. ¡°Is that true? So, you guys are just friends, huh?¡± She nodded firmly. ¡°Yes.¡± He couldn¡¯t help heaving a relieved sigh upon hearing that. That means I still have a chance. The woman under the dim lights had a look of purity to her, which was quite a rare trait. Besides, the red evening gown she had on entuated her innocence yet exuded a sexy feel. She was the type of woman men were wildly attracted to. ¡°Jacob, who¡¯s this beautifuldy here?¡± Several young men came forward and looked at her with teasing looks in their eyes. She took a golf cart and left for the party. There was melodious music that was audible from a banquet ball, and at that moment, there seemed to be a romantic feeling in the air. Jacob introduced her, ¡°This is Sophia, and she¡¯s my junior in school.¡± At the same time, he shot a meaningful nce at them. He seemed to be trying to say that he was interested in this woman, so they should stay away. Jacob held a high position amongst the younger generation of Presgraves, and the men by his side were the younger generation of Presgraves, who were merely his sidekicks. She trailed after Jacob and took a seat. At that moment, she saw the band that had just entered the room, and she eximed in surprise. It¡¯s my favorite band! Meanwhile, inside Vi No. 58, Arthur got out of his escorted car and entered the living room of the mansion. At that moment, he had a strong sense that she had sneaked out. ¡°Sophia,¡± Arthur called out, sullenly. However, the only response he received was the slight howl of the breeze outside the window. Arthur had a strong hunch about where she was. After all, there was a ball on the ind tonight, so he was quite sure that she must have sneaked out to join the party. Arthur sat down on the couch. Normally, he enjoyed his personal quiet time the most, but right now, inexplicably, he felt quite frustrated. He couldn¡¯t help recalling her dressed in that skin-tight red dress today. Is she dressed like that to seduce men at the ball? Naturally, even if that was her n, it had nothing to do with him at all. He was just mad that she imed to be keen on working for him, but then she went against her words the next moment and ignored his instructions. ording to the Weiss Family rules, strict punishment was to be meted out to disobedient servants. Arthur narrowed his eyes slightly and grabbed the cell phone next to him to make a phone call. ¡°Come over right now.¡± The bodyguard drove the car over, and Arthur got in after pulling open the door. ¡°Head over to the banquet hall.¡± Ten minutester, they arrived outside the banquet hall, and Arthur got out of the car. His bodyguard attempted to trail after him, but Arthur stopped him. ¡°You can go back now.¡± ¡°Young Master!¡± The bodyguard was concerned about Arthur¡¯s safety. ¡°Just go back.¡± Arthur wanted to go inside by himself. In the end, the bodyguard stood by the side and mentioned, ¡°Young Master, we¡¯ll wait for you here.¡± Arthur didn¡¯t bother to respond as he tucked one hand into his pocket and walked toward the direction of the banquet hall. At that moment, a woman had just gotten out of a golf cart, and she was drawn to that figure. Although she only saw the man from the back, she was deeply drawn to him. The woman that had just arrived was Katrina, and she had dolled up before attending the party. Her main purpose was to gain the attention of several men and then make use of her feminine wiles to seduce them after the wedding. The people in attendance tonight were either the Presgraves extended family or their prestigious guests, so she definitely didn¡¯t want to let this chance go to waste. She hurriedly sashayed toward the attractive strapping figure, and the ck shirt he had on enhanced his sense of mystery. His back is so mesmerizing, so his actual features must be quite good-looking too, huh? I hope his looks won¡¯t be disappointing. Katrina held high hopes. Inside the ballroom, the band had just ended their performance, and it was time for the dancing session. The lights were dimmed and there was a ring of light in the center of the room that resembled the beams of moonlight. Arthur stepped into the banquet hall, and he instantly noticed the group of people by the side of the dance pool. At a nce, he found Sophia instantly. The person standing next to her was the young man who had sought her out thest time. From their expressions, they seem to be happily engrossed in conversation. Arthur kept a low profile and took a ss of red wine from one of the waitstaff. Subsequently, he took a seat by the couch on the side. As soon as Katrina entered the room, she was amazed to see the man holding a wine ss on the couch. Indeed, he had not disappointed her. This man was more than just good-looking; he resembled a regal noble who had just walked out of a castle. He had perfectly delicate features, and yet his charming masculinity was evident. He sat there with an air of aloofness that kept the crowd away from him. Katrina took a ss of red wine and sat down on the couch next to him. She wanted to take the chance to approach him. Meanwhile, Sophia didn¡¯t turn around, so she was oblivious to the fact that he had arrived. At that moment, the young men and women invited each other to enjoy a dance. Naturally, Jacob was keen to invite Sophia for a dance too. However, two of his friends purposely wrestled each other and took the opportunity to bump into Sophia. Somehow, they exerted enough force to push her into Jacob¡¯s arms. Inside the ballroom, the band had just ended their performance, and it was time for the dancing session. Jacob instantly took the chance to wrap his arms around her waist, and he smiled while chiding his friends, ¡°You guys have to stop this banter. Sophia¡¯s frightened by all that.¡± After he had said that, he patted her shoulder and asked gently, ¡°Sophia, I hope you weren¡¯t injured by their antics.¡± Evidently, she didn¡¯t realize that they did that intentionally, so she quickly got up to her feet and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± However, the current situation was caught by the man sitting opposite them, and he saw everything clearly. This silly girl doesn¡¯t even know that she¡¯s like a little prey ensnared in their trap and that she¡¯s in danger. At that moment, Jacob noticed that everyone seemed to be heading toward the dance pool in pairs, so he nced at Sophia pleadingly. ¡°Sophia, could you be my partner for the night and join me for a dance?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not a good dancer.¡± Sophia blinked. In fact, she knew how to dance, but she was too shy to join a guy she had just met for a dance. ¡°That¡¯s alright, I can lead you. Could you just join me for this dance?¡± Jacob stretched out his hand at her. At times, she found it quite hard to reject someone, especially when Jacob directed a tender and expectant look at her. It felt as if it would be quite rude of her if she rejected him. She hesitated for a moment before nodding. ¡°Alright then!¡± However, she didn¡¯t ce her hand into his outstretched hand instantly. Instead, she headed to the dance pool by the side. At that moment, there was a sh of joy in Jacob¡¯s eyes as he thought, I can finally get to hold her hand! Katrina had originally intended to take the chance to flirt with the insanely handsome guy next to her, but the cold aura that he exuded made her back off. On the other hand, she noticed that the man had his eyes intently on the girl in the red dress, and there was aplicated look in his eyes. Just then, he stood up and strode toward that girl. Sophia was nearly about to put her hand into Jacob¡¯s palm when, all of a sudden, her half-outstretched hand was forcefully grabbed hold of by someone, and a cold male voice rang out, ¡°I¡¯m her dance partner.¡± Surprised, Sophia turned around. Arthur? What¡¯s he doing here? Jacob was stunned at that point. After all, his prey was snatched from in front of him, so clearly, he was feeling quite unhappy about that. ¡°Sir, I heard from Sophia that you¡¯re not her boyfriend. She has promised to dance with me,¡± Jacob maintained his graciousness as he spoke up. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m not her boyfriend, indeed. I¡¯m her master and she¡¯s my servant.¡± Arthur curled his lips into a smile, and he wrapped his other hand around her waist domineeringly as he maintained a typical dancing stance. Meanwhile, Sophia¡¯s face flushed red as she thought, Can he not mention to the crowd that I¡¯m his servant?! This is so embarrassing. Jacob instantly turned to look at Sophia and spoke up for her bravely, ¡°Sophia, did he threaten you? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll protect you. You just have to let me know what he has done to you.¡± Frankly, Sophia didn¡¯t wish for Jacob to stand up for her at the moment, so she smiled awkwardly, ¡°Jacob, thanks for the offer. I promised to be his servant for one year. We¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, suddenly, she felt pressure from the hand around her waist, and she found herself falling into Arthur¡¯s arms. Their bodies were tightly pressed against each other. Sophia¡¯s heart thudded frantically, and she could smell a slight woody scent in her nostrils. The crisp and fresh smell was enchanting. ¡°Focus on the dance,¡± Arthur warned her. Subsequently, he stretched out his hand and lifted the other hand as Sophia was treated like a little puppet while he exerted force. He manipted her as she twirled around the original spot before ending up back in his arms. Instantly after that, he leaned forward. At that point, their faces were so close to each other that their breaths became connected. Sophia¡¯s face was as red as a tomato by then, and she thought, Isn¡¯t he always so high and mighty? Didn¡¯t he say he wasn¡¯t interested in my ordinary looks? What¡¯s going on right now? Arthur¡¯s breath hitched slightly, and he suddenly found her face quite pretty at such a close look. She had wless skin; her red lips were juicy and very attractive; and her huge eyes shone brightly as the lit-up chandelier reflected in them. Her eyes resembled a million stars in the night sky. As for Sophia, she became out of breath upon being in such close proximity to his handsome face. He wrapped his arms around her, but she panicked, and her dance steps became flustered. ¡°I don¡¯t want to continue the dance.¡± She struggled to get out of his arms as she retreated at the same time. Coincidentally, another male guest bumped into her, and she was once again shoved by external force into Arthur¡¯s arms. At the same time, she had her arms outstretched, and she hugged his waist. Her current action was typically the move one made to jump into another person¡¯s arms, so she found herself in quite an awkward position. Sophia¡¯s heart thudded frantically, and she could smell a slight woody scent in her nostrils. The crisp and fresh smell was enchanting. She found herself on the brink of losing her mind, and she suddenly found herself feeling quite dizzy. For a moment there, she forgot to let go of him. By himself, Jacob, who was watching them by the side, felt a burst of jealousy within him. ¡°Is the hug enjoyable for you?¡± Arthur asked in a low voice. ¡°Uhh! I¡¯m sorry for that. I didn¡¯t mean to impose on you.¡± She sprang aside instantly upon saying that, and she covered her face before rushing to the couch at the side. Her face was flushed a bright red right to the tip of her ears. She had been brought up strictly and her family had been extremely protective. Other than the brief one-sided love she experienced in high school, she hadn¡¯t actually entered into a proper rtionship up till now at her current age of twenty- three. As such, Arthur¡¯s earlier move was actually the most intimate moment she had had with a man in her entire life. Meanwhile, Arthur had just turned around when another girl came up to him bravely and asked, in a shy voice, ¡°Sir, would you join me for the next dance?¡± He calmly rejected her, ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡± He didn¡¯t even bother to cast his eyes on her as he focused his deep eyes on the girl sitting on the couch. Unbeknownst to him, that girl he rejected took a huge blow from the rejection. She had actually had her eyes on him the moment he entered the banquet hall. She had mustered up all of her courage to go up to him and speak to him. However, she received a merciless rejection from him in return. Arthur made his way toward Sophia¡¯s side, and under the lights, he saw her little face flushed red and there seemed to be a clean and fresh look around her. At that moment, he was quite curious. Could it be that she hasn¡¯t been this intimate with a man before? Not too far from them, Jacob was also attracted to Sophia¡¯s adorable look. This girl looks so innocent. She was clearly quite naive in her ways, so it would be very easy to gain her affections with some slight tricks. Too bad for him though, Arthur was a hurdle in front of him, otherwise, he definitely would not have let her get away. Jacob had actually investigated Arthur, but the result of the former¡¯s investigation didn¡¯t return anything that showed thetter came from a wealthy background. There was nothing conclusive from the investigation report, and the only information obtained from that was his name and that he was Elliot¡¯s guest of honor. Judging by the watch on Arthur¡¯s wrist and his attire, he didn¡¯t look like a typical rich young man. ¡°I¡¯ll head back now.¡± Sophia got up as she said that. ¡°I¡¯ll join you,¡± Arthur spoke up coldly and made the move to step out of the banquet hall. As he left the room, there were many eyes on him, and Katrina was one of the ones looking intently at him. She couldn¡¯t help asking a girl next to her about Arthur¡¯s identity, ¡°Who¡¯s that guy?¡± ¡°Hisst name is Weiss, but we don¡¯t quite know his actual identity. The only thing we know is that he comes from a very wealthy family,¡± The girl next to her couldn¡¯t contain her admiration as she spoke. Another girl piped up too and added, ¡°I heard that he hails from one of the world¡¯s wealthiest families.¡± ¡°He must be loaded then?¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s put it this way. Someone who originates from a familyparable to the Presgraves and is also friends with Young Master Presgrave is definitely an outstanding man.¡± Just then, there was a sh of joyful surprise in Katrina¡¯s eyes. She didn¡¯t expect to meet another guy equally as outstanding and handsome as Elliot at Elliot¡¯s wedding. Besides, the guy was single too. Katrina was generally well-prepared for every situation, and she was ready for anything. Be it Elliot or the man from earlier, as long as shetched onto any of them, she would be financially set for the rest of her life. At that moment, Katrina decided to make full use of this chance on the ind to approach Young Master Weiss. Sophia had just exited the location when she saw the bodyguards holding the car door open as they waited for her to get into the car. She rarely had the chance toe out and have a break, so she turned to them and said, ¡°Hey, I want to take a walk back.¡± As soon as she said that, Arthur¡¯smandeering voice rang out from the backseat, ¡°Get into the car.¡± Sophia stood in front of the door and shook her head firmly. ¡°I want to take a walk.¡± After she had said that, she strode off purposefully toward the front. It was currently about eight o¡¯clock at night, and the night skies were perfect. There was a slight breeze in the air, and she could walk along the beach before heading back by walking along the seashore. She had just walked off less than 30 feet when she heard a bodyguard¡¯s voice ring out, ¡°Young Master, are you going to walk back too?¡± Slightly surprised, Sophia turned around and saw that Arthur hade after her, and evidently, he didn¡¯t n on taking the car either. ¡°He must be loaded then?¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s put it this way. Someone who originates from a familyparable to the Presgraves and is also friends with Young Master Presgrave is definitely an outstanding man.¡± Sophia had intended to take a walk by herself to clear her mind. Why is he following me?! ¡°Young Master Weiss, where are you headed?¡± Sophia asked curiously. ¡°I want to take a stroll.¡± Arthur walked past her upon saying that, and he strode forward ahead of her. She was significantly stunned for a moment before pointing at the pathway leading to the beach. ¡°Young Master Weiss, let¡¯s head back by walking along the seashore. The view over there would definitely be awesome.¡± He didn¡¯t respond to that, but he headed in the direction of the beach. Joyful, Sophia quickly ran after him. The beach at night was quite nice as the moonlight shone brightly. There was also a wooden pathway constructed for the convenience of the tourists. Arthur didn¡¯t actually n to head over to the beach, but the girl behind him had already taken off her sandals and rushed off to the beach impatiently. ¡°Wow! It¡¯s so pretty.¡± She held her sandals and danced on the beach. The seapped gently against the shore as well. She found the soft texture of the sand quitefortable and she enjoyed the sensation of it. ¡°Young Master Weiss,e on and join in on the fun!¡± She yelled out to the man walking along the wooden pathway. He had no intention of responding to her invitation because he only intended to take a stroll. At that moment, he heard her exim, ¡°Ah¡­ Ah¡­¡± He swiftly turned to look at the beach, and he saw the woman who had been yelling in fright right before this, currently frolicking in the sea. Sophia had identally stepped into a little pit in the sand, so she had been startled and couldn¡¯t help eximing loudly. Arthur looked at the slender, mesmerizing girl under the dim lights, and he found that she was like a little pixie with her long hair fluttering against the breeze. Her skin-tight dress entuated her slim figure, and herughter was exceptionally crisp and melodious. She was just like a yful little child. He stood under the railing and was shrouded in darkness. His long eyshes masked the deep look in his eyes. The way he looked at Sophia was quite rare on his face, and he was fully focused on her. There were rarely any women who could hold his attention for so long. Furthermore, he scoffed at wasting his time and effort on any woman. Unexpectedly, though, this woman here seemed to have cast a spell on him and triggered something different within him. As soon as he realized that he had been staring at her for quite some time, his generally inted sense of self-esteem deterred him from continuing to behave this way. He turned around and decided to head back first. However, at that moment, there was a loud yell from behind him once again, ¡°Ah!¡± The tide hade in suddenly, and Sophia, who had been strolling close to the shore, was swept into the sea by therge waves. ¡°Sophia!¡± Arthur instantly rushed toward the beach, and he ran with all his might toward the girl struggling in the sea. ¡°Stretch out your hand to me!¡± Arthur hollered at her anxiously. She quickly stretched out her hand and grabbed his hand. Instantly, she felt a huge force drag her out of the sea. At that same moment, there was anotherrge wave that swelled up and pushed her forward. She felt the force and was pushed straight into Arthur¡¯s arms. The mighty force caused her to stumble forward and push Arthur to the ground as she ended up atop him. The seawater surged and hit both of them repeatedly. Fortunately, the danger had been averted, but this man, who was usually quite fastidious about hygiene, was now half-soaked in seawater and covered in sand. His thick, luscious dark hair was met with the same fate too. As for Sophia, she was in a simr state. She was drenched from the neck-down and her dress was dripping wet. She was covered in sand and her long hair was dripping with water. Furthermore, to add to her flustered situation, she realized that she was pressing against him at that moment. ¡°Are you an idiot?!¡± Arthur chided her angrily for not realizing that it was dangerous at night as the tides came in. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Sophia¡¯s face flushed bright red, and she realized that he was quite right. ¡°How long are you going to continue clinging on to me?¡± Arthur heaved a sigh, looking quite resigned. She hurriedly got up from her position on top of him, and she quite kindly stretched out her hand to help him up. She felt very bad upon seeing his expensive shirt dripping wet. As for Arthur, he found the wetness of his shirt against his skin quite unbearable as soon as he got up from the ground, so he instantly unbuttoned his shirt with his slender fingers. Meanwhile, Sophia was busy flicking off the sand on her body, and subsequently, she lifted her head. Oh my gosh! Why did he take off his shirt?! The seawater surged and hit both of them repeatedly. Fortunately, the danger had been averted, but this man, who was usually quite fastidious about hygiene, was now half-soaked in seawater and covered in sand. His thick, luscious dark hair was met with the same fate too. At a nce, his perfect figure waspletely showcased under the illumination of the street light by the side. The skin on his body was as pale as the skin on his face, and he looked like a perfect sculpture standing there. His vicle was prominent, and the shape of his neck was perfect. Besides, his pectoral muscles and his abs were noticeable. His shiny leather belt glistened against his ck pants, and Sophia was astounded by what was in front of her. This was the most perfect male figure that she had everid eyes on. ¡°Are you done ogling?¡± Arthur held his wet shirt and kept his eyes on the woman who was staring at him unblinkingly. That was why he realized exactly how long she kept her eyes on his body. She hastily turned around and had her back facing him. At that moment, he could only see the tips of her ears turn red instantly. He frowned slightly and strode ahead to head back to the vi. As for Sophia, she quickly raced after him and her eyesnded on his back once again. He was well-built and his back muscles were perfectly formed. He had a perfect figure that looked quite powerful. As he moved forward on his slender, long legs, the elegance he exuded was not even seen in a professional model. She flushed bright red at the sight of that, and she thought, I¡¯ve never experienced walking along the beachte at night with a man. They arrived back at the vi and quickly went back to their rooms to take a shower. She decided that from now on, she would stay put inside the vi to avoid creating trouble for him. Night had fallen at the port and there were other guests arriving. There was a girl who walked out of the cabin, and she looked about twenty-five years old. She was charming, quite enchanting, very pretty, and she behaved graciously too. There was a man in his fifties awaiting her arrival as she smiled and greeted him, ¡°Dad.¡± ¡°You¡¯re finally back. Come on over and let me take a good look at you.¡± The man scrutinized her from top to bottom with a smile on his face. ¡°You¡¯ve be much prettier than before.¡± ¡°Time flies. I haven¡¯t met Elliot at all for the past twelve years, and I can¡¯t believe that our first encounter after so long would be at his wedding.¡± The girl spoke up, slightly dejectedly. ¡°You should go and greet the future young mistress of the Presgrave Family.¡± The old man spoke calmly. ¡°What sort of girl is she?¡± ¡°As of now, we¡¯re not too familiar with her. The only thing known is that she¡¯s the only candidate for the position of young mistress of the family with the seal of approval from the old madam. It was her mom who created this opportunity for her.¡± The old man spoke with a deep look in his eyes. ¡°So if it wasn¡¯t for her mother sacrificing her life to save Old Madam Presgrave, she wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to be the young mistress of the family, huh?¡± ¡°She bore Elliot a son five years ago. From the look of things, she¡¯s not a girl to be taken lightly.¡± ¡°She¡¯s twenty-five years old, so she¡¯s about the same age as me. Perhaps we can be best friends.¡± The old man nced sideways at his daughter. Meanwhile, she had her eyes on him too, and they seemed to bemunicating silently about something that had to be kept a secret. ¡°Don¡¯t let me down in the future.¡± He patted her on the shoulders. ¡°I definitely won¡¯t let you down.¡± She spoke confidently and nodded firmly. Subsequently, she revealed a pained smile. ¡°It has been so many years. I wonder if Elliot remembers me.¡± ¡°Spare some time tomorrow to meet him and say hi.¡± The night skies were pitch ck by then, and the entire ind descended into silence. The next morning, the rays of sunlight hit the white bedsheets, and Anastasia snuggled into her husband¡¯s arms and wanted to have a sleep-in. However, Harriet had organized a tea party at ten o¡¯clock, so Anastasia had to attend it. Anastasia had to dress up and put on makeup for the event, so that would require some time too. However, Elliot had not behaved himself the night before, and so she didn¡¯t get much sleep. Elliot kissed her on the forehead sympathetically. ¡°Get some more sleep. I¡¯ll exin to Grandma about the tea party.¡± ¡°How are you going to exin things?!¡± Anastasia supported her chin with her hand and asked with a smile. ¡°As long as I tell her that I was the one who caused you to wake upte, she would naturally be understanding of the situation. She wouldn¡¯t me you.¡± Elliot had a wicked smile on his face as he spoke. Anastasia reached out and covered his lips with her hand. ¡°Stop that nonsense! I would be so embarrassed in public if you actually said that.¡± He held her hand and kissed the back of it. ¡°Okay. You¡¯ve got some more time left, so get some sleep.¡± By then, Anastasia no longer had the urge to sleep, so she decided to take a napter in the afternoon. ¡°Don¡¯t let me down in the future.¡± He patted her on the shoulders. He had his arms around her and his dark eyes were tender and loving. He seemed to be admiring a perfect art piece under the early morning rays. Her tousled hair was very seductive to him, and he couldn¡¯t help being enchanted by her. She was also checking him out with a tilt of her head, and she reached out to stroke his cheek before lovingly nting a kiss on his forehead. ¡°Time to wake up, honey.¡± However, Elliot pulled her back into his arms. ¡°Let me continue hugging you for a bit longer.¡± At that moment, Anastasia had no choice but to put her head on his chest silently as she listened to his heartbeat. They basked in the morning sun and enjoyed this moment of peace together. The tea party was ready at about ten o¡¯clock in the morning. The female members of the extended Presgrave Family arrived before the scheduled time. They were all dressed to the nines, and they chatted amongst themselves amicably. Anastasia¡¯s makeup was delicate and proper. She was dressed in an elegant earth-toned maxi dress with her hair coiffed up, and she carried a dainty little bag. Adriana kept herpany as they walked out of the vi together. Elliot also left to find Jared. He nned to take Jared out to sea today because he had promised Jared to go deep-sea fishing with him. Elliot had also invited Nigel and Arthur along. Several other younger males of the Presgrave extended family were invited too. He was ready to rx and enjoy himself. Elliot made his way toward the vi Jared was staying at as he listened to the human rtions manager report on the situation with their guests. Suddenly, there was a soft female voice that rang out, ¡°Elliot.¡± Elliot lifted his head and turned in the direction of the voice. There was a slight smile in his eyes as he spoke, ¡°Lori, you¡¯re back.¡± Lori was one of Elliot¡¯s childhoodpanions, and they had grown up together. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that you¡¯re able to recognize me! I¡¯m so happy about this! I thought that you would no longer remember me because I¡¯ve grown up and my looks have changed.¡± Lori walked over from the tiny pathway by the forest, and she reached out to tidy her curly, long hair, fluttering in the breeze. ¡°Congrattions on your marriage.¡± ¡°I¡¯m very happy to see you back here for my wedding.¡± Elliot nodded with a smile. ¡°I would like very much to meet your wife, the future young mistress of the family.¡± There was a look of admiration in her eyes as she spoke. ¡°You¡¯ll love her.¡± After Elliot said that, he turned to the human rtions manager and said, ¡°You can go and deal with your work first.¡± Lori couldn¡¯t help mentioning again, ¡°Elliot, we¡¯ve not seen each other for at least twelve years, right? You haven¡¯t changed much at all in my eyes, and you¡¯re still as handsome and charming as before.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve changed a lot, though. The scrawny young girl in the past is now a pretty littledy.¡± Elliot was quite pleased. ¡°Congrattions, Elliot, for gaining such a great wife and an adorable son. I heard that his name is Jared, right?¡± She asked with a smile. ¡°Yes, his name¡¯s Jared, and he¡¯s five years old.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so keen to meet your son. I heard that he¡¯s the exact replica of the young you. I must say, I had a deep impression of you when you were a kid!¡± Lori¡¯s smile widened. Nearby, Katrina was taking a walk, and she strolled past the two. She saw from afar that Elliot was taking a walk with a fashionably dressed young girl. She noticed they were full of smiles as they chatted with each other, and she couldn¡¯t help feeling jealous. At the same time, though, she revealed a mocking smile on her face. Is Anastasia aware that her husband is currently having a great time chatting with another girl? Katrina took out her cell phone and inched closer to secretly snapping a photo of them. Subsequently, she saw the girl look on as Elliot left. That girl remained in the same spot for quite some time before finally retracting her gaze, and clearly, there was a yearning look in her eyes. Hah! Anastasia hasn¡¯t even married Elliot yet, but her husband is already flirting with another woman. Katrina¡¯s intent was to show this video to Anastasia and then take a good look at Anastasia¡¯s expression. The tea party was held in a very luxurious and elegantly-decorated courtyard. There were long crystal tabletops full of dainty snacks and drinks. It seemed that every female in the extended Presgrave Family was in attendance. Harriet sat in the center of the room, and there was an empty spot right next to her. Just then, Anastasia made her way inside from the side door of the garden. All of thedies turned their heads in her direction. As Anastasia approached them, the womenfolk greeted her respectfully, ¡°Mrs. Presgrave.¡± Anastasia graciously nodded in acknowledgment as she went up to Harriet¡¯s side. Harriet reached out and held Anastasia¡¯s hand to lead Anastasia to the seat next to her. Nearby, Katrina was taking a walk, and she strolled past the two. She saw from afar that Elliot was taking a walk with a fashionably dressed young girl. She noticed they were full of smiles as they chatted with each other, and she couldn¡¯t help feeling jealous. At the same time, though, she revealed a mocking smile on her face. Is Anastasia aware that her husband is currently having a great time chatting with another girl? ¡°Mrs. Presgrave has dressed up so prettily today. She¡¯s such a beauty.¡± One of the females in attendance praised Anastasia immediately. ¡°I heard that Mrs. Presgrave is very talented. She has obtained a lot of prizes and tokens of achievement.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Her masterpieces are worth a fortune right now.¡± ¡°I think she must not have time for work after the marriage. From now on, our entire family will be led by Mrs. Presgrave.¡± Harriet noticed that everyone was fawning over Anastasia, and she brushed them off by waving her hands. ¡°That¡¯s enough. We¡¯re family here, so let¡¯s just talk about the usual family matters.¡± ¡°Hey! I heard that Lori is back. Why isn¡¯t she here at the tea party today?¡± One of the middle-aged women asked the elegantly-dressed woman across from her. ¡°Lori will be here shortly.¡± The woman was Lori¡¯s mom. ¡°I heard that Lori has achieved so much while overseas and she¡¯s great in her field. Not only has she obtained a degree, but her job is mainly in finance too. She has done well.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too kind. She¡¯s just an ordinary girl.¡± Harriet was slightly surprised, so she asked, ¡°Loralei is back? I haven¡¯t seen her for quite some time now.¡± ¡°She remained overseas for the past twelve years and never came back. It¡¯s rude of her to note back often to see you, Old Madam Presgrave.¡± Kendra spoke up guiltily. ¡°It¡¯s fine. The most important thing is that the kids do well in their field.¡± Harriet brushed her off by waving. Chapter 631-640 Chapter 631-640 Anastasia heard them discussing another girl, so she listened silently. She reckoned that a girl brought up in the Presgrave Family would definitely be an outstanding individual. After Anastasia got to know the Presgrave Family better, she realized that they maintained a very strict family hierarchy and that they ced importance on the education their children received. At the same time, in the direction of the side door, there was a figure that walked in. It was a fashionably-dressed and elegant girl. Anastasia lifted her head and noticed that the girl was stunning and elegant. She resembled an elegant swan. ¡°Wow! Lori has changed so much. She has be so pretty,¡± someone eximed. ¡°The Presgrave Family is full of beauty indeed.¡± Lori lifted her head and nced at the girl next to Harriet. That was the woman Elliot was about to marry, and she had a simple dress on. She appeared quite elegant, and her luscious ck hair, which was swept to the side, entuated her delicate features. Her eyes were quite attractive with a clear look in them. The girl that Elliot is about to marry is indeed exceptionally stunning. There was a slightlyplicated feeling that welled up within Lori. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for beingte.¡± Lori finished saying that and headed toward Harriet. ¡°Grandma.¡± ¡°Lori, you¡¯ve grown into such a beautiful girl. Come on over and sit by my side.¡± Coincidentally, there was another empty spot next to Harriet, so Lori took a seat next to Harriet and greeted Anastasia. ¡°Nice to meet you, Mrs. Presgrave. I¡¯m Lori.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± Anastasia greeted Lori with a smile. ¡°Look at them. With these two beautifuldies in attendance, we¡¯re insignificant next to them,¡± one of the women said with a smile. Instantly, the entire room erupted intoughter while Anastasia and Lori revealed shy looks on their faces. Subsequently, the atmosphere of the room became less tense. As everyone chatted about the past, suddenly, someone piped up, ¡°I remember Lori and Elliot were very close when they were kids. She used to trail after Elliot every day!¡± Lori responded graciously, ¡°That happened in the past when we were kids. I don¡¯t quite recall it anymore.¡± ¡°Yes. Lori was quite a wild child when she was young,¡± Kendra added. The woman who had brought up the topic suddenly caught herself as she nced anxiously in Anastasia¡¯s direction before lifting her tea cup and smiling awkwardly, ¡°I was just mentioning this in passing.¡± Harriet immediately tried to lighten the mood. ¡°Elliot has always regarded Lori as his younger sister. He was too lonely when he was a kid.¡± Anastasia realized that the crowd intentionally avoided any mention of this topic because they must be afraid that she would overthink the situation. From her memory, Lori¡¯s father was one of the extended descendants of the Presgrave Family lineage, and they were quite a well-to-do family. As such, logically, although Lori and Harriet had the samest name, Lori waspletely unrted by blood to Harriet¡¯s line of the Presgraves. As such, this became quite a sensitive topic. ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± Anastasia greeted Lori with a smile. ¡°I heard that the bridesmaids in the wedding are some of the younger girls in the family. It¡¯s quite unfortunate that I didn¡¯te back in time to be one of the bridesmaids.¡± Lori instantly mentioned, quite regretfully. ¡°It¡¯s alright for not being on time to be one of the bridesmaids. You can join in when it¡¯s time to pitch the bridal bouquet. I¡¯m looking forward to attending your wedding celebration next.¡± Harrietforted her. At that point, everyone started to chime in, ¡°Yeah! We¡¯re all looking forward to attending your wedding celebration.¡± Just then, Anastasia had the urge to go to the toilet. Lori instantly got up too. ¡°Mrs. Presgrave, I¡¯ll keep youpany.¡± ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go.¡± Anastasia and Lori went off together in the direction of the toilet. Lori noticed then that there was a piece of leaf that had fallen on Anastasia¡¯s hair, and she instantly voiced out, ¡°Mrs. Presgrave, hold still for a moment. There is a piece of fallen leaf on your hair.¡± Anastasia stood still at the mention of that, and Lori affectionately reached over to remove the leaf quite gently from Anastasia¡¯s hair. ¡°Done! I¡¯ve removed the leaf.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Anastasia was quite grateful for the help. ¡°You¡¯re wee. You¡¯re the young mistress of the entire Presgrace Family, so everyone respects you. The same goes to me.¡± Lori looked at Anastasia sincerely. Anastasia knew the Presgrave Family rule, and she was initially quite astonished by it, but now she had finally epted thispletely. ¡°I hope we can get along better as friends,¡± Anastasia told her. ¡°I want to be your friend too. I¡¯m not sure why, but I have a feeling we¡¯ll hit it off right away.¡± Lori complimented her on her beauty, saying, ¡°You are so beautiful.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re just as gorgeous yourself,¡± Anastasia responded. ¡°People im that beautiful women tend to fight with each other. I don¡¯t think this statement is urate since we can be really great friends,¡± Lori said. ¡°Yeah!¡± Anastasia eximed, nodding in agreement. Anastasia went back to her vi after the tea party. Elliot took Jared out to sea for fishing, and they would not be back untilter in the afternoon. It was a great chance for her to finish making preparations for the wedding. When Anastasia was getting ready to take a nap in the afternoon, Adriana came in and said, ¡°Madam, someone named Katrina wants to see you.¡± ¡°Please invite her in,¡± Anastasia said after being slightly startled. Soon, Katrina entered in her sexy attire. ¡°I hope I didn¡¯t bother you, Anastasia!¡± She greeted her warmly and when she looked at Anastasia¡¯s luxurious home, she felt a little envious. ¡°Not at all. Did you have fun on the ind? When is your brother going toe?¡± Anastasia asked. ¡°He said that he would arrive noter than tomorrow morning.¡± Katrina sat on the couch and whispered on purpose, ¡°Is your husband not at the vi?¡± Anastasia responded, ¡°He went out to the sea for fishing.¡± Katrina sighed with relief. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, she took out her phone and brought up the video clip she had taken in the morning. ¡°Anastasia, take a look at this. I¡¯m doing it for you. This footage was captured by pure coincidence.¡± Anastasia then took the phone, which showed a video recording of Lori and Elliot having a lovely conversation. She had never seen a woman having such a pleasant chat with Elliot before. ¡°Since she¡¯s a Presgrave, you could perhaps assume she¡¯s Elliot¡¯s sister. Please delete this video clip!¡± She returned the phone to Katrina. ¡°A family member of the Presgraves?¡± After pausing for a few while, Katrina said, ¡°It seems like I¡¯m oveplicating things.¡± After that, she deleted the video clip from her phone. ¡°Anastasia, I need to ask you a question: do any of the guests here have thest name of Weiss? Would you mind introducing the two of us?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know Young Master Weiss. He¡¯s Elliot¡¯s guest,¡± Anastasia replied with the shake of her head because she could tell what Katrina was thinking. It seemed to Katrina that Anastasia was harboring a grudge and refused to make the introductions. She sulked and remarked after that, ¡°Still holding me responsible for things that happened in the past? Under those circumstances, you are indeed not suitable to be with my brother.¡± ¡°I¡¯m done talking about the past now. I am grateful to your brother for his kindness, which I will always cherish.¡± Anastasia sipped from the tea cup in an attempt to get Katrina to leave the room. Katrina sighed with relief. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, she took out her phone and brought up the video clip she had taken in the morning. ¡°Anastasia, take a look at this. I¡¯m doing it for you. This footage was captured by pure coincidence.¡± Katrina took the hint and stood up. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll stop bothering you. I¡¯m sorry for what went wrong in the past. Don¡¯t hold anything against me. I hope that when you be the Young Mistress of the Presgrave Family, you will continue to help us.¡± Her attitude changed quickly toward those in positions of power to her advantage. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of your brother at the Bourgeois Jewelry Atelier where he works,¡± Anastasia responded, indicating that she would support Katrina¡¯s brother rather than her. Even if Katrina was still resentful, she couldn¡¯t do anything but apologize to Anastasia with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s awesome. I no longer have to worry about his future.¡± She left the room. Anastasia held the teacup in her palm, but her mind was preupied with the video. Elliot and Lori were childhood friends who grew up together. She learned from Old Madam Presgrave that it was best to keep her feelings and anger hidden and not show them. In the future, she would need to deal with the people and affairs of the whole Presgrave Family, and she should have the most faith in her husband. She did not want to suspect anything and trust in her husband, and there was nothing more important than trusting in someone you care about deeply. Anastasia decided not to nap. She sat down in front of the genealogy book to read about the lineage history of the Presgrave Family. By writing down important information, Old Madam Presgrave helped her to remember the influences and rtionships of each family. After looking at it for a while, she fell asleep on the couch because reading the book was too exhausting.. When Elliot got home in the evening, he saw her sleeping on the couch. She held the book close to her chest and had her eyebrows slightly raised. He thought it was both disheartening and funny. He sat quietly next to her and held her to his chest when he saw she was sleeping in an awkward position against the couch. As she slept in his arms, he leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. ¡°How did the fishing go?¡± Anastasia asked as she smiled and gently opened her lovely, dreamy eyes to catch his gaze. Elliot curled his lips into a grin, obviously pleased with the oue. ¡°You may eat the salmon your husband caught tonight.¡± ¡°Did Jared have fun?¡± ¡°He was really happy, and as soon as he got off the boat, he fell asleep.¡± Anastasia also believed that her son would have fun. Elliot took the genealogy book out of her hands and told her, ¡°Don¡¯t read it if you don¡¯t want to. Let me take care of the family household matters.¡± She shook her head. ¡°No. You are managing the external affairs, and I will be handling the family household matters.¡± This has warmed Elliot¡¯s heart since his wife had already considered ways to lessen his responsibility. While stroking her hair, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah! I spoke with a girl from the Presgraves today. Her name is Lori, and I heard that you used to y with her when you were younger. Both of you must be very close to each other.¡± With a grin on her face, Anastasia asked. ¡°Sweetheart, we¡¯ve known each other since we were children. However, she is like my sister to me in my heart; other than that, we have no other kind of bond.¡± Elliot¡¯s eyes widened with anxiety as he cupped her face with his hand. ¡°Really?¡± She raised her voice unintentionally to recall, ¡°You do not seem to be rted to her by blood! What if she is interested in you?¡± When he heard that, he focused his gaze on her and dered firmly, ¡°Have faith in me, Mrs. Presgrave. I won¡¯t even look at another woman but you and my son.¡± Anastasia raised her head to kiss his cheek and said with satisfaction, ¡°Okay, I take your word for it.¡± Elliot had decided to avoid having close contact with Lori in the future to avoid his wife¡¯s jealousy, and he didn¡¯t want Anastasia to misinterpret things. Lori was sitting on her vi¡¯s balcony, looking through a magazine and admiring the jewelry in it. She was still shocked; it seemed that the future Young Mistress of the Presgrave Family was both beautiful and very talented. This has warmed Elliot¡¯s heart since his wife had already considered ways to lessen his responsibility. While stroking her hair, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± Vi No. 58. Today, Sophia was very well-behaved. Besides checking her phone, she only went downstairs for her food. As Arthur was very particr about what he ate, he had a personal chef to prepare their meals. As tomorrow was the wedding, she wanted to catch a glimpse of the bride and groom. As soon as she left the table, she saw the man on the opposite side raising his eyebrow to ask, ¡°Do you have a formal gown for tomorrow?¡± ¡°A gown?¡± She blinked, wondering as to where she would get a gown. ¡°I don¡¯t have a gown. All I have are the dresses I wear most of the time,¡± Sophia answered honestly. ¡°You are apanying me to the wedding tomorrow as my partner, so make sure not to embarrass me.¡± Once again, Arthur made his statement. She responded without any sentiments, ¡°If you think I¡¯m an embarrassment, just let me stay in the vi!¡± He had already made her his partner against her will, and now he wanted her to dress nicely. His tendency to humiliate her was quite remarkable, so she left him and went upstairs. Arthur frowned; this woman had nothing in resemnce to a maid, and despite the fact that he had not even requested her to be humble, she couldn¡¯t even fulfill the simple request of being obedient. It seems like he¡¯d have to discipline her after the wedding. It was a sunny morning too, and the day everyone had been waiting for finally came. ¡°Ah!¡± A low voiceing from the bathroom¡¯s direction was heard. ¡°What¡¯s the problem? What happened?¡± Elliot rushed into the bathroom. ¡°Look at what you¡¯ve done! I told youst night¡­¡± Anastasia red at him in her nightgown while standing in front of the mirror. After hearing it, he chuckled and smiled widely. His lovely wife screamed and it was not because of anything threatening, but it was due to a bite mark on her neck. All right! Although he was the one who wasn¡¯t paying attentionst night, which led to the concerns that she was having, who could me him when his wife was so delectable? ¡°You still find it funny. You¡¯re a jerk. How can I meet people today?¡± Anastasia demanded as she went up to him and softly whacked him. Elliot said with a mischievous smirk, ¡°Let me take a look.¡± Then, she pulled her nightgown down a bit to reveal her lovelyplexion. Her skin was unusually fair, which gave rise to a bright crimson bite mark. ¡°It¡¯s adorable. Let the makeup artist draw a flower over it!¡± Elliot¡¯s gaze became more intense as he took a step closer to her the following second. Anastasia took a step back as she saw him about to kiss her and said, ¡°No more kisses.¡± He refused, and with a dominating look on her small, fair face, he pulled her over, saying, ¡°You are my wife, so why can¡¯t I kiss you?¡± Anastasia felt both affectionately warm and bashful. This man had been acting in intimate behavior throughout the morning without giving any thought to the moment of this day. ¡°Don¡¯t cause any trouble. The makeup artist is still waiting for me!¡± In her embarrassment, she tried to push him away, but he caressed her face and kissed her before adding, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s talk about it tonight.¡± She pushed him out of the room, and then she worriedly looked at the mark in the mirror. Because it was so humiliating, this was not something that should not be shown to any random people. The thing was that she was about to have her makeup done and there was no way that she could hide the bite mark. She had no choice but to keep her fingers crossed that the makeup artist would be able to conceal it. The crew consisting of the top makeup artists had already been waiting to serve her. The makeup artist was surprised to see that the bride¡¯s fair skin was already in such terrific form. Even when she was not wearing makeup, her face was delicate and smooth with well-defined facial features. Such a beautiful face! Mason had just arrived at Katrina¡¯s vi. He had a lot of work since he had just started at thepany. Katrina could not help as she saw her brother peering in the direction of the banquet hall, mocking him by saying. ¡°Are you upset with me for preventing you from marrying Anastasia back then, Mason?¡± ¡°Quit talking crap. I don¡¯t have a future with her. ¡± He looked at her. Katrina sighed and said, ¡°Anastasia has be more beautiful and elegant, and she will look more like a rich young mistress. Our family situation already doesn¡¯t match up with hers now,¡± she said. ¡°Not to worry, Mason. I have asked her, and she said that she will look out for you at work in the future, because she owes you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cause any trouble. The makeup artist is still waiting for me!¡± In her embarrassment, she tried to push him away, but he caressed her face and kissed her before adding, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s talk about it tonight.¡± Mason told his sister, ¡°Kat, don¡¯t talk about the past in front of her any more. It will only traumatize her.¡± Katrina yelled, ¡°No way! I have to remind her often that it was you who never left her side when things were hard for her, and that it is also because of you that her child survived. You are not only her savior, but also Elliot¡¯s savior!¡± ¡°Quit it. I just want to be Anastasia¡¯s friend now.¡± Mason muttered, and his face went red with anger. ¡°Am I wrong? Elliot¡¯s kid is still alive thanks to you, and he should reward us generously and make us all rich.¡± Katrina couldn¡¯t help but spat. ¡°If you bring this up again, I won¡¯t forgive you,¡± Mason warned her. After he was done telling her, he went outside. While Katrina was leaning against the door, her eyes were clearly focused on some kind of plot and scheme. Since Mason was not keen to pursue the matter, it was likely that she would demand the Presgraves to settle this debt on his behalf. Francis could only attend his daughter¡¯s wedding today because of his workmitments. He left early in the morning to see his grandson since he wanted Anastasia to inherit his business andpany, and this would also be passed on to his grandson too. He didn¡¯t want to search for the next apparent heir since Naomi had deeply broken his heart. He nned to spend the rest of his life with his daughter and grandchild. As he had a wonderful son-in- law, he did not have to worry about retiring. Nigel was one of the best men today and he seemed lively in the early morning. The other two best men were from the Presgrave Family with one of them being Jacob. He was able to attend the wedding since his grandfather was Mr. Presgrave¡¯s closest cousin, and as such earned him a spot at the reception. Lewis, Lori¡¯s brother, was the other best men. The three best men were partnered with the three youngdies from the Presgrave Family, making it an entire affair of the Presgraves. ¡°Grandpa.¡± Jared embraced Francis. ¡°Jared, let me take a closer look at you. Oh, you¡¯ve gotten taller again and in future, do strive to be just as sessful as your father was!¡± Francis pondered, I¡¯m going to keep an eye on your development. ¡°Yeah! I will definitely be as capable as Daddy, ¡°Jared answered with confidence. His name was still registered as Jared Tillman, but after the wedding, he would have his name legally changed to Jared Presgrave. Francis¡¯ eyes were slightly reddened and tears were welling up. After all the unfortunate events that urred, he was still blessed with a charming little grandson as well as a kind and devoted daughter. ¡°Grandpa is bringing you to y around.¡± Francis led Jared out after he was done talking. At Vi No. 58, Sophia was excited today as well. She rose from bed earlier to view the scenery from her balcony. At that very moment, there was a tap on her door. When she went to open the door, a woman greeted her and said, ¡°I¡¯m the manager of the concierge department, Miss Goodwin. Your gowns have arrived, so pleasee down and make your selection.¡± Sophia suddenly thought of what Arthur had said and never expected him to surprise her by getting her a gown. Then, she nodded and went down with them. She saw a hanger cart with more than ten evening gowns on it as someone pushed the cart down the hall. They were stunning gowns that were definitely made by renowned fashion designers. Sophia reached out to decide her choice one at a time since she had her own personal style and color preferences too. The gown that she chose was a stunning light champagne color with a U-shaped neckline and two strands of light veil covering the shoulders. Such a design would showcase a woman¡¯s gorgeous corbone and shoulder lines. As for the waistline design, it was matched with a light fabric skirt ornament that shimmered with tiny star-like glitters; the wholebination in itself looked stunning. ¡°I¡¯ll take this one!¡± ¡°Yes, the makeup artist will be here in half an hour to do your makeup.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Sophia also picked a pair of high-heeled shoes to match her attire. She had no idea Arthur had nned such treatment for her to keep her from embarrassing him. He had confused her because he could have prevented her from attending the wedding if he believed she¡¯d embarrass him. Is he trying to put me down? In the bridal dressing room, Anastasia changed into her wedding gown. It was a French court dress with an elegant off-shoulder design. The gown was entirely adorned with handmade diamonds upon closer inspection, which made it a stunning masterpiece. Sophia suddenly thought of what Arthur had said and never expected him to surprise her by getting her a gown. Then, she nodded and went down with them. Each of the star-shaped diamonds adorning her thin waist was beautiful and enchanting in its own way. The gown¡¯s hemline was stylish without losing its magnificence since it used elements that were inspired by cultures. ¡°What do you think of the makeup, Mrs. Presgrave?¡± the makeup artist asked. The mirror reflected a gorgeous woman who radiated grace and endearing qualities; she was absolutely breathtaking. Anastasia tilted her neck and nodded, ¡°Excellent.¡± The foundation that the makeup artist used on her had concealed the bite mark that was on her neck. It had been concealed for a while! She had a little flush on her cheeks. At this moment, three people who were properly dressed for the asion¡ªAnastasia¡¯s bridesmaids¡ª approached Anastasia. One of them, who was two to three years younger than her, praised, ¡°Miss Anastasia, you are extremely beautiful!¡± ¡°Only a wonderful beauty like you, Miss Anastasia, is worthy of our uncle.¡± Anastasia tried to restrain herself fromughing every time she heard these remarks. Elliot was treated like an uncle to the group of young members of the Presgrave Family when he was merely twenty-nine years old whereas she was regarded as their aunt at the age of twenty-five. ¡°You¡¯re all very gorgeous today, too,¡± she praised. The three of them were all of the same age and had the same type of makeup while they were all dressed in purple. At that moment, someone walked in with a smile and said, ¡°Mrs. Presgrave.¡± ¡°Miss Lori,¡± the three girls said as they turned around to greet her. ¡°Go and grab a bite!¡± Lori said to them. The three girls left since they knew their ce. As Lori looked at Anastasia, her eyes were filled with awe and envy. She was familiar with everything about Anastasia including Anastasia¡¯s childhood, but she had no idea about the power that transformed this girl into who she was now. Anastasia¡¯s calmness, elegance, and self-confidence at the time seemed to be Elliot¡¯s special preference for her, and Lori thought that the confidence came from the child they shared. ¡°You¡¯re breathtaking. Seeing you makes me want to find love right away.¡± Lori sighed. ¡°What kind of person do you want your partner to be?¡± Anastasia asked, a curious expression on her face. ¡°I haven¡¯t met a man who makes my heart skip a beat,¡± Lori said as she smiled and shook her head. ¡°I hope you find your soulmate soon,¡± Anastasia said sincerely to her. ¡°Thank you,¡± Lori responded as she reached for Anastasia¡¯s wedding gown. Anastasia epted Lori¡¯s kindness. Anastasia looked at the time after Lori had finished arranging her dress and said, ¡°In one hour¡¯s time, it will be an auspicious time. I heard that the guests have arrived. The ind will be bustling today.¡± At this point, steady footsteps could be heard from the stairs. The door was then pushed open to reveal Elliot entering with a ck suit. Instead of his usual tie, he was wearing a ck bow tie, and the dark sapphire cufflinks exuded an exceptional and extravagant aura, making him more mature and attractive. He looked best with his hair slicked back, and his hair wasbed behind his head. His sharp facial features made him appear charming and fashionable. Elliot was surprised to see Lori, but his gaze was drawn affectionately to his wife. His eyes were wide with surprise as he looked up and down at Anastasia. Anastasia became shy when she was stared at, but she was also drawn to his handsome appearance today. The two of them were so in love that they forgot there was a third party beside them. Lori looked at them before slightly lowering her gaze to hide the light in her eyes. She then pursed her red lips tightly, as if trying to conceal something. ¡°Lori, may I speak with my wife briefly?¡± Elliot inquired. Only then did she realize she was being a third wheel. ¡°I won¡¯t bother you two then,¡± she said with a smile. He wrapped his strong arm around Anastasia¡¯s waist and hugged her tightly, bringing her beautiful face close to his eyes. At this point, steady footsteps could be heard from the stairs. The door was then pushed open to reveal Elliot entering with a ck suit. Instead of his usual tie, he was wearing a ck bow tie, and the dark sapphire cufflinks exuded an exceptional and extravagant aura, making him more mature and attractive. ¡°I thought you were normally beautiful, but I didn¡¯t expect you to be even more stunning,¡± he added, his voice hoarse and his eyes shining with admiration. Anastasia also thought he was attractive and captivating, but she didn¡¯t expect him to be drop dead gorgeous today. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, I¡¯ll be Mrs. Presgrave soon. Do you have anything to say to me?¡± She wrapped her arms around his neck to smell the cool and charming breath on his body. ¡°Congrattions, Mrs. Presgrave.¡± Elliot¡¯s lips curled into a deep smile. ¡°And congrattions, Mr. Presgrave.¡± He pressed his lips against hers as she smiled. He couldn¡¯t help but kiss her because she was so lovely. Anastasia¡¯s original red lips were lovely, but Elliot moisturized them and enhanced her beauty. Lori walked out of the vi and into the field where three girls approached her, one of whom addressed her as ¡®Miss Lori.¡¯ She didn¡¯t seem to hear it because she was lost in her thoughts, and the three girls couldn¡¯t help but stare at each other. What is Miss Lori thinking about so deeply that she is unaware of our approach? Lori moved toward an open space. Her eyes turned red as she looked out the window at the guests, as if she was filled with sadness. ¡°Lori, you have one duty that you must fulfill. Your life can never be yours if you don¡¯t fulfill it,¡± said Lori¡¯s father. ¡°Dad, why am I not allowed to go back to the country? I want to see him. I miss him.¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t. You must quell your feelings and bide your time to appear in front of him.¡± ¡°Lori, he¡¯s going to get married. You shoulde back to the country to attend his wedding.¡± Lori closed her eyes as tears streamed down her cheeks. Money was the root of all evil. Had the Presgrave Family not amassed such abundant wealth, there would be no ideas about them. Who wouldn¡¯t turn into a green-eyed monster when Elliot alone owned a fortune that was equivalent to that of a small country? Still, there were strict family rules that restrained the Presgraves. As though the rule-maker had been through the affliction of being surrounded by voracious family and friends, he had drawn up a customary system that was passed on generation by generation. In order to avoidplicated situations and power struggles, working in the Presgrave Group was off- limits to the Presgraves. Therefore, it was reasonable to say that Elliot possessed every penny the family had, whereas the others could only establish their own business. They couldn¡¯t enjoy one bit of the money that the Presgrave Group brought in. Even though they had achieved sess in every industry thanks to the family¡¯s influence, a shining star was undeniably pale inparison to the bright moon. The greedy frog in them had been fed little by little as the days went by, hence the strong desire to own everything. Like the avaricious ministers of the country, they were approaching closer and closer to the throne to take over it and hog everything. Nheless, the family and the family honor had always been one; theprehensive system had included rules that could protect the other members of the family. Thus, they were never neglected despite the rigid rules. It was Elliot¡¯s wedding, where all of the elderly family members¡ªthe greedy snakes¡ªwere present, and beneath the harmonious facade were calctive schemes. In a white suit, Jared, the little prince, dashed into Anastasia¡¯s make-up room. He hugged his mother before sizing her up. ¡°Mommy, you look so pretty!¡± Due to the train of the wedding dress, she wasn¡¯t able to return the hug, so she crouched down to stroke his head. Her eyes were smitten with warmth as she gazed at the face that resembled Elliot. ¡°Jared, are you happy?¡± ¡°Totally! Daddy and Mommy can love me together forever!¡± There was no reason for him to be upset, as he wished to have a younger sibling apany him. Even though they had achieved sess in every industry thanks to the family¡¯s influence, a shining star was undeniably pale inparison to the bright moon. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll love you forever.¡± Anastasia¡¯s eyes reddened because of the sudden sadness. Is Jared going to be like Elliot in the future? When the timees, will he be crushed by the weight of the responsibilities he has to bear as the head of the family? She thought Jared could grow up happily without worries and marry someone he loved in the future. Given his intelligence and capability, it would be a no-brainer for him to get a decent job like a doctor or lawyer. Yet, those little shoulders of his were already bearing the weight now. Perturbed, Anastasia pulled him into her arms before giving him a kiss on the head. ¡°Mommy, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Jared sensed the tinge of sorrow in her. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Just let me hug you for a while. I haven¡¯t hugged you thesest few days.¡± She gently caressed his hair. Before long, a staff member came in to inform them that it was about time. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m going to be the page boy with a flower girl!¡± ¡°That¡¯s so lovely of you.¡± Anastasia pecked his cheek. Right then, two graceful women walked into the room. It was Kendra and Elliot¡¯s grandaunt, Elira. ¡°Mrs. Presgrave, it¡¯s time. Allow us to escort you there.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Anastasia nodded and a member of the make-up team came over to help her with the wedding dress. The way to the ballroom was adorned with a trail of flower petals. After spreading the train of the dress, the staff retreated to their positions before the cameraman came over. Shrouded by the warm sunlight, Anastasia began to walk down the floral path like a graceful princess. From the monitor, she seemed so rxed and calm as she shed smiles at times to the camera as if she couldn¡¯t smother the sweetness of honey in her heart. Even the cameraman couldn¡¯t handle her beauty. What a gorgeous bride. Any man would lose their heart to such mesmerizing beauty. Lifting the hem of the wedding dress, she took light steps to proceed forward with mixed feelings. Feeling shy yet determined, she was walking alone without anypany, but there was no smidgen of solitude that engulfed her, for she was going to meet the man she loved the most and spend the rest of her life with him. The employees, who were standing outside while watching her happy face, were feeling envious. As Anastasia walked down the long corridor, she noticed that the ballroom was full of people attending her wedding with Elliot when she arrived in front of the entrance. The flower girl and page boy were waiting for Anastasia alongside the three bridesmaids. Looking at Jared, who was wreathed in smiles, she couldn¡¯t help but smile. Just how happy is he to be smiling so brightly? But I¡¯m over the moon too. Jared was fulfilling his task dutifully together with the adorable little girl who was chosen amongst the Presgraves. She looked so cute in the pink dress that Anastasia hoped that she would be able to have a daughter in the future. ¡°Miss Anastasia, you¡¯re so pretty.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Anastasia smiled. When they were waiting outside, the ballroom was filled to the brim with guests, who were reveling in the merriment. The front seats were taken by Harriet and other senior members whereas the important guests were seated behind them. Mingling among the prominent figures was Sophia, the nobody, who was right next to Arthur to witness the big day from the best spot. ¡°Woah! He¡¯s so handsome!¡± eximed Sophia while covering her mouth when she saw the bridegroom marching onto the podium. Hearing her exmation, Arthur nced at her swooning face as her eyes zeroed in upon Elliot. Arthur turned sideways and questioned with gritted teeth, ¡°Have you not seen a handsome guy before?¡± She shifted her gaze to Arthur, who was a good-looking man as well. However, the bridegroom had a warm disposition while Arthur had the frigid personality of a never-melting iceberg. To see Arthur acting warm was harder than bing a millionaire overnight. Jared was fulfilling his task dutifully together with the adorable little girl who was chosen amongst the Presgraves. She looked so cute in the pink dress that Anastasia hoped that she would be able to have a daughter in the future. ¡°The bridegroom is really handsome. He¡¯s the hottest guy I¡¯ve ever met.¡± Sophia gave a certain answer. He red at her in response. ¡°He¡¯s not yours anyway.¡± She burst intoughter. ¡°At least I can still admire his looks!¡± With an intense gaze, he observed her closely, admitting that she had an eye for gowns. Under the illuminating light, the champagne-colored fabric enhanced her fair skin and delicate make-up. She was like a peach that kept alluring one to take a bite of her. ¡°Why are you staring at me? Have you fallen for me?¡± She propped her chin with a mischievous look. Arthur snorted. ¡°Nonsense.¡± She let out a coquettish smile before approaching him. ¡°Young Master Weiss, am I that ugly?¡± At that moment, her engaging visuals etched deep into his heart since her face didn¡¯t evene close to the definition of ¡®ugly¡¯. He had seen many pretty women since he was young, but he couldn¡¯t even remember their facester. Yet, Sophia¡¯s bright eyes were always sparkling like the starry sky, so appealing that Arthur couldn¡¯t avert his gaze from them. ¡°Hideous.¡± Arthur spat out one word. ¡°Shall I leave then?¡± Sophia asked while blinking. He thought she was ugly, so she shouldn¡¯t embarrass him by sitting next to him! ¡°Stay.¡± He tugged at the hem of her clothes as he wondered, Was it because of the wine? His lips were slightly parched. Hearing that, she puffed her cheeks. She could have a lot of fun alone when she was bored, but she had noticed the girl at the other table staring at Arthur several times. She couldn¡¯t help but lean closer toward him again and say, ¡°There is a youngdy who has been staring at you with admiration, Young Master Weiss. Would you like me to get her contact information in a few minutes to set you up with her?¡± ¡°Try it if you dare,¡± Arthur warned as he turned his head. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°Hmph! Taking my goodwill for ill intent,¡± Sophia grumbled. ¡°Don¡¯t put me through any unnecessary trouble,¡± he warned once more, thinking that she was too restless. At that moment, there was movement in the direction of the gate. Two huge gates opened to reveal the bride, who was about to enter. Francis was dressed formally in a ck suit today and holding hands with his only daughter, who was the bride, while his eyes were bright red with excitement. Anastasia was holding her father¡¯s hand when she noticed the man standing on the stage at the end of the red carpet. Her heart was filled with a strong sense of joy. She wore a thin veil over her head and she was elegantly solemn as she walked toward her groom while being led by her father. A group of single girls in the audience were envious. Katrina and Mason sat beside each other, but the scene was still shocking to her. Anastasia, who had previously lived in a small room with inadequate food and clothing, was now being married off like a princess. Furthermore, the man whom Anastasia married was dazzling and excellent. Katrina had never dreamed of him, a wealthy man who came from a wealthy family! ¡°Anastasia is so lovely.¡± Mason apuded. ¡°It¡¯s no surprise that you were captivated by her back then. I have to admit that she is quite stunning when she is all dressed up,¡± Katrina said grudgingly. ¡°Don¡¯t bring up my history with her, Kat. We should bless her now because she is married,¡± he reminded her in hushed tones. She pouted as she watched Anastasia walk down the red carpet and longed to be able to marry like Anastasia in the future. The man on the stage waited patiently while the light illuminated him in ayer of silver light. His heart was full as he looked at his bride and son, knowing that this would be his life and all his responsibilities. He would cherish and protect his wife and son for the rest of his life. Harriet, too, cried with joy, as this day was one she had been waiting for. When she reached heaven, she could finally tell Anastasia¡¯s mother that her daughter would be loved and protected by her grandson for a lifetime while making her prosperous and wealthy for the rest of her life. ¡°Don¡¯t cry on the big day, Mom.¡± Brenda handed a tissue to her mother. Harriet held her daughter¡¯s hand and gently urged, ¡°Dada, you must take good care of Anastasia in the future.¡± ¡°I will.¡± She gave a nod. Anastasia walked to the stage step by step and followed her father to approach Elliot. Francis¡¯ voice was hoarse with excitement as he said, ¡°Elliot, I¡¯ll hand Anastasia to you now. Please treat her well.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dad! I will not let you down.¡± Elliot reassured him. Francis was even more ecstatic after hearing this sentence and her eyes were filled with tears. She looked at her man¡¯s handsome face through the veil with loving eyes and promised to love him forever. Elliot held her hands in his and warmed her hand. She stood side by side with him, feeling the blessing of the guests under the stage at this moment. Just as Jared approached Harriet, he noticed another person, so he ran over. ¡°Godfather.¡± Jared approached Arthur, who hugged him and said, ¡°Come, have something to eat.¡± ¡°Is this my godmother, Godfather?¡± Jared asked with a smile while looking at Sophia next to Arthur. Sophia choked as she was about to take a sip of tea to quench her thirst. ¡°No, no. You misunderstood, kiddo,¡± she said, covering Jared¡¯s mouth and coughing lightly. Without saying anything, Arthur simply curled the corner of his mouth. ¡°We are just friends,¡± Sophia attempted to exin. ¡°My daddy and mommy were also just friends before they fell in love and married.¡± ording to Jared, friends could be husband and wife. Sophia fixed her gaze on Jared. He was as attractive as his father, and his sweet little face made her want to pinch it. ¡°I¡¯m not worthy to be with your godfather!¡± she scowled. ¡°Miss, don¡¯t worry. You are so beautiful. You¡¯ll be a good match for my godfather,¡± Jared said, looking back at Arthur. Hearing that, Sophia didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. Someone couldn¡¯t see her beauty! Someone always thought she was ugly! ¡°Thank you for yourpliment.¡± She smiled as she raised her brows. Arthur sat down and ced Jared next to him. His best friend was getting married, and he should look after his son. The newlyweds were delivering speeches on stage. Elliot went into great detail about his meeting with his wife. His words were brief, but they came from the depths of his heart, and his love for her was clearly profound. Harriet, who was in the audience, also spoke briefly. She sincerely wished them well and yelled through the microphone to her grandson, ¡°Elliot, please treat Anastasia well and don¡¯t let her down.¡± ¡°Please know, Grandma, that I only love her in this life, and I will live up to it,¡± Elliot replied, looking at the woman next to him. Lori turned to face the man on the stage at the banquet. Her eyes darkened as she heard his words, as if she was about to challenge something. Her red lips twitched slightly as well. The ceremony was straightforward and solemn. They exchanged rings after reading the oath. During the kissing session, Elliot only kissed Anastasia¡¯s forehead because she requested it beforehand. The audience erupted in apuse. This scene took Sophia by surprise. She witnessed a beautiful, grand wedding and a happy couple despite the fact that she was not an official guest! She could feel their love for each other from beginning to end, and it was the first time she had seen love other than her parents. She couldn¡¯t help but fantasize about what kind of man she would marry in the future. Would he be as gentle and attractive as the groom on stage? Would he be as tender as Elliot was with his wife? How she wished she could meet such a lover and devote her entire life to him. She didn¡¯t notice that someone was watching her from the side while she was looking at the stage. Sophia smiled broadly, her eyes wide with admiration. The way the corners of her mouth inadvertently curled was rather heartbreaking. Arthur looked at her delicate profile and at her slender eyshes fluttering. With the lights shining on her, she exuded a dreamy and beautiful aura, and the light in her eyes was reminiscent of fresh morning dew. The eyes were the portals to the soul. People with such clear eyes must have a simrly clear and kind soul. As a result, despite having seen thousands of beautiful women, this was the first time he had seen such a pure soul. ¡°Do you envy them?¡± Arthur inquired lightheartedly. ¡°Yes, without a doubt! Every girl wants a wedding simr to this.¡± Sophia sighed, and then she realized how quickly she had reacted to his question. Arthur didn¡¯t respond. Instead, he looked at the newlyweds on stage and thought, Who wouldn¡¯t envy the groom? He, too, wasn¡¯t sure when he would be able to meet the love of his life, like Elliot did. It was nearly eleven o¡¯clock when the wedding ceremony ended. The meal was about to start. Anastasia entered the lounge via a side door and changed into a festive red evening gown with two phoenixes embroidered on it. She also had a dangling ornament in her hair, letting her exude the demeanor of an ancientdy getting married. Chapter 641-650 Chapter 641-650 Anastasia was flustered as the wedding banquet was about to begin. While she was trying to calm herself down, she heard someone knocking on the door. The door was pushed open and Elliot walked in. He had changed into a ck suit embellished with golden threads, and the waistcoat he wore underneath was exceptionally intricate and structured, which went well with his prominent and good- looking features. Anastasia raised her gaze and checked him out. Her longshed eyes blinked as she was trying to ingrain how dashing he looked today into her memory. On the other hand, he was amazed at how stunning she looked. Dressed in the maroon gown, she looked pure like she had always been. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Elliot stretched his hand out to take his. In the end, the both of them walked toward the main hall with interlocked fingers. As they stepped into the hall, the holographic lights lit up on cue, which instantly transformed the hall and gave it an exuberant vibe fitting for a wedding banquet. Through the lens of the photographer, a couple who was very much in love walked in while holding hands. Although they had been through so much together, their love for each other was stronger than ever. All of the guests turned their attention to the newlyweds. Katrina was jealous as she looked at how stunning Anastasia looked in the gown and in the wedding dress she wore earlier. Mason, who was seated next to Katrina, was quiet and had two more sses of wine. He recounted how young and delicate Anastasia looked five years ago,pared to how breathtaking she looked now. It was as if she had transformed into a red rose that had bloomed under the sun. With her head held high, Anastasia smiled as she was showered with well wishes. Her gaze unintentionally fell on a woman who had her attention on Elliot. When she noticed that Anastasia was looking at her, the woman¡¯s eyes flickered with panic but met Anastasia¡¯s gaze and smiled at her the next second. It was none other than Lori Presgrave. Even so, Anastasia maintained her smile and merely made a mental note on what she had observed since a woman¡¯s intuition was remarkable and she trusted her intuition. However, today was an exceptional day where she wouldn¡¯t keep her guard up. Elliot made her feel secure, and no one would be able to take away the blissful feeling that she had. When they arrived at Harriet¡¯s table, Elliot shot a look at Arthur and he immediately raised his ss after receiving the cue. Seeing that, Harriet stood up and officiated the banquet. She had been so overjoyed today that her doctor was on standby the whole day. However, her condition had been stable as she had no rapid shifts in mood. She asked the photographer to take pictures of them and especially requested for a few pictures to be taken with Anastasia as she had her arms around Anastasia. It was probably because she wanted to leave a trace since she was growing old so that she would be remembered even if she passed on. ¡°Child, you should eat more since you might not have time to do so when you receive the guests,¡± Harriet told Anastasia. ¡°Alright, Grandma.¡± Anastasia nodded and started eating elegantly. ¡°In a short while, I will get Brenda and Jonathan to apany you as you receive the guests.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom. We will be by their side,¡± Brenda replied as she smiled at her husband. ¡°Elliot, don¡¯t worry, I can drink on your behalf if the guests make you drink, since I can hold my alcohol.¡± Jonathanughed. ¡°Thank you, Jonathan.¡± Elliotughed too. After that, Elliot held Anastasia¡¯s hand as they walked over to one of the tables where the Presgraves were seated. She noticed two of the elders who were prominent within the Presgrave Family. ¡°The bride looks beautiful! Elliot, you are really blessed!¡± ¡°Thank you, Granduncle Henry.¡± ¡°Congrattions to the both of you.¡± Subsequently, the duo walked to the other tables to mingle with the guests. The guests were lucky because they were able to see Elliot smiling throughout the banquet. Before this, even the elders of the Presgrave Family feared Elliot, but today, he was all smiles as he glowed from within. When they stopped by Arthur¡¯s table, Jared happily went over and hugged his parents. Anastasia then took the opportunity to spoon some of his favorite food on his te and whispered to him to eat well. Sophia was captivated by how gorgeous the newlyweds looked, especially Elliot, who was not only handsome but also had a good body shape and exuded a noble disposition. Moreover, he looked warm when he smiled. As Spohia¡¯s attention was captivated by the newlyweds, she heard a young man next to her coughing, as if reminding her to dial it back. Right after, she got slightly embarrassed and took a sip of tea as she looked down. At the same time, Anastasia noticed the beautifuldy next to Arthur, who seemed like a good match to him. ¡°Artie, introduce her to us.¡± Elliot smiled as he nced at his good friend. ¡°There¡¯s no need to.¡± Arthur shot a look at Sophia cidly. Just then, Sophia stood up and greeted the bride and groom politely. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Presgrave, I¡¯m Sophia Goodwin. I¡¯m honored to attend your wedding banquet, and I wish the both of you a blessed and happy marriage.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Anastasia seemed to really like Sophia, and she was left with a good impression of the woman. ¡°Artie, look after Ms. Goodwin well and don¡¯t neglect her.¡± Elliot patted Arthur¡¯s back since this was the first time his good friend showed interest toward ady. Truth was, he was d about it. Meanwhile, Lori, who was seated on the third row¡¯s table, looked sullen as she raised her ss and took a sip of wine. She was distracted while the younger Presgraves were enjoying themselves. ¡°Miss Lori, what are you thinking about? You should be happy on such a lively asion!¡± One of the Presgrave girls asked her. ¡°I¡¯m really happy.¡± She tried to squeeze out a smile and held her forehead before saying, ¡°I¡¯m just tipsy.¡± The juniors couldn¡¯t tell what was going on in her head and just asked her to have less wine. Just then, Lori saw Elliot walking toward them with his hand around Anastasia¡¯s waist. She immediately adjusted her hair, wanting to look her best in front of him. Although she was as pretty as Anastasia, she didn¡¯t get to marry him since Anastasia was his one and only true love! ¡°Elliot.¡± ¡°Mr. Presgrave.¡± Since Elliot was rather senior within the Presgrave Family, the juniors greeted him like how they usually did. He was addressed in a few different ways and it amused Anastasia, who giggled as she buried herself in his arms. ¡°Lori, do take good care of them.¡± Elliot raised his ss at her. Thereafter, Anastasia stretched her hand over and patted on her back, ¡°Lori, have fun today.¡± ¡°Sure, I will.¡± Lori smiled as she nodded. Soon after, the newlyweds went to the next table. Since Jonathan was a renowned businessman, he knew all the guests by heart and was able to mingle with everyone. The banquet hall was filled with laughter, which gave it a lively atmosphere. Dissatisfied that she was seated at thest row, Katrinained, ¡°It¡¯s a humiliation to be seated at thest row!¡± Upon hearing that, Mason turned over and red at her before whispering, ¡°Stop with the nonsense. You¡¯re lucky to be invited here tonight. Can¡¯t you see that those who are here tonight are the elites?¡± Not convinced by him, she grumbled, ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious that they looked down on us?¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t think that way. Even if you are seated at the other tables, do you think you can blend in with the billionaires? You¡¯ll be ufortable around them since all of them are rich and powerful business leaders.¡± In truth, Mason was relieved that he wasn¡¯t seated there. Since the duo were currently seated together with the Presgrave Family, they hadmon topics to talk about. Very soon, Elliot and Anastasia approached their table. Katrina took the chance to look at the handsome Elliot for as long as she could since she wouldn¡¯t have the chance to do so anymore in future. ¡°Mason, Katrina, thank you for attending my wedding,¡± Anastasia uttered earnestly. ¡°Anastasia and President Presgrave, congrattions to both of you.¡± Mason raised his ss. Elliot clinked Mason¡¯s ss and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Upon hearing that, Katrina quickly chimed in, ¡°President Presgrave, here¡¯s to you and Anastasia.¡± And so, Elliot raised his ss and drank up. Finally, after they had greeted all the guests, it was already 12.20PM. They went back to their seats as lunch was served. The atmosphere was great, with lively music being yed in the background. Since his parents are finally seated, Jared went over and sat next to them. The photographer managed to take photographs of the family. After lunch, Anastasia and some of the juniors of the Presgrave Family walked out to take some pictures together since the venue had been beautifully decorated. As soon as she stepped out of the hall, she saw a woman in front of her. ¡°Ms. Goodwin!¡± she called. ¡°Anastasia.¡± Sophia walked toward her, feeling flustered. ¡°Let¡¯s take a picture together!¡± ¡°Really? Sure!¡± Sophia walked over and stood next to Anastasia excitedly. After the brief photo session ended, Sophia was really happy that she was invited to take a picture, and it made her like Anastasia even more. ¡°If you¡¯re not in a hurry to leave, you can stay on the ind with Young Master Weiss for a few more days.¡± Anastasia told her. ¡°Sure!¡± Sophia nodded. After lunch, all of the guests had gone back to rest in their rooms as there would be another banquet and a ball at night. Anastasia immediately removed her high heels to check her toes when she reached the mansion, since she had been wearing them the whole day. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Let me have a look.¡± Elliot kneeled down to get a closer look. He could see that her pinky toe had a visible red mark on it. His heart ached as he rubbed her feet. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t wear high heels tonight.¡± ¡°No way. I will have to wear high heels since I¡¯m wearing a gown.¡± ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll prepare some hot water for you to soak your feet in and to relieve the tension.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. You must be tired.¡± Anastasia knew how tired he must be, since he had been busy the whole day. ¡°No worries.¡± Elliot walked out and requested a foot basin from the room attendant, thereafter filling it with hot water for her foot bath. His actions made Anastasia shy, but it warmed her heart at the same time. Elliot¡¯s love for her could be seen and felt from his eyes, heart and through his actions. While Anastasia was soaking her feet, she felt sleepy and yawned. ¡°You should take a nap after your foot bath since tonight¡¯s gonna be hectic.¡± ¡°Yeah. What about you?¡± Anastasia stared at him. His attractive face was flushed red since he had had a lot to drink earlier on. ¡°I¡¯m not tired.¡± ¡°Then apany me as I nap?¡± ¡°Alright.¡± After she changed into a set offortable pajamas, Anastasia got into bed while Ellioty next to her until she fell asleep. She dozed off in no time. After that, he tucked her in and went downstairs to get some work done. Meanwhile in Vi No. 58, Sophia was holding her phone and taking selfies in the garden. Since the gown looked nice on her, she naturally took more pictures. Suddenly, her gaze shifted over to the living room and she saw a handsome man sitting on the couch. She secretly took a picture of him but as she did so, her phone¡¯s camera shutter sound was heard because she forgot to put it on silent mode. The next second, Arthur lifted his head and the atmosphere instantly got awkward. Sophia blused and she immediately hid her phone behind her before eximing, ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand. I was just taking a selfie. I didn¡¯t take any pictures of you!¡± Although Arthur didn¡¯t say anything, he knew very well that she secretly took a picture of him. She immediately dashed upstairs and when she got into her room, she checked thest picture that she took using her phone¡¯s camera. Arthur was seen dressed in a ck suit which he looked stunning in. At the same time, he exuded a mysterious aura. ¡°Since he¡¯s that handsome, he would do well if he joined the entertainment industry. Why didn¡¯t he do so?¡± Sophia mumbled. As she looked at the picture again, she sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that he always has the poker face on. He¡¯d look even more handsome if he smiled more.¡± On the other hand, Nigel was really happy today. When he stepped out of the banquet hall with a bunch of people from the Presgrave Family, he was stopped by his mother. That was why even if she would earn infamy for what she would do in future, she didn¡¯t mind as she was willing to do it for Elliot. All these years when she was abroad, all she could think of was him. She would search for information regarding him and whenever she saw him on the financial news, she would be happy for the longest time. In the evening when night fell, the evening banquet just got underway. Anastasia was dressed in a white fitted mermaid dress which entuated her attractive curves. At the banquet, Elliot went to a few tables and chatted with the guests. A few of the major shareholders from the Presgrave Group were seated next to him. On the other hand, Anastasia made eye contact with Sophia while she was seated, and both of them smiled as their eyes met. Since Lorelei didn¡¯t have the appetite, she chatted with her peers while her attention was on Elliot, who was seated not far from her. Tonight, he was dressed in a ck fitted suit and as he sat among older men, he exuded a calm disposition which didn¡¯t match his age. He was all smiles that night and seeing him smile made her heart flutter. Lori then turned her attention to Anastasia, who was chatting with Harriet. She was paying close attention to what Harriet was saying and when the elderly woman replied to her, the way she looked at Anastasia was full of love. Lori then thought that what her father said might be true. Back then when Anastasia¡¯s mother rescued Elliot, she had already lost the battle since the position of Mrs. Presgrave was fated to be Ansatasia¡¯s. Just then, Lori noticed that Elliot got up to answer a call. She then seamlessly took her phone out, pretending to make a call. ¡°You guys start eating first. I¡¯m going to make a call,¡± she whispered to her peer who was seated next to her. After that, she stood up and walked toward the door that Elliot exited. The night view of the garden was enchanting. Paired with the vast sea view, it was a view worth admiring. After Elliot ended the brief call, he turned around to enter the hall. Suddenly, he bumped into someone and immediately took a few steps back. Seeing that it was Lori, he smiled and greeted, ¡°Lori.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Elliot. I hope I didn¡¯t startle you! I was here to make a call.¡± Lori apologized. ¡°Not at all.¡± With the phone in her hand, she tilted her head slightly and looked at him from head to toe. ¡°Elliot, you looked dashing tonight!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Thank you,¡± Elliot replied with a smile. Just then, she got close to him and said, ¡°Elliot, your tie is nted. Let me¡­¡± As she reached her hands out trying to adjust his tie, Elliot took a step back dexterously and said, ¡°Lori, I can do it myself.¡± Right after, he adjusted his tie and walked past her before saying, ¡°I¡¯ll be going in.¡± She was so nervous that she was holding her breath while a sense of astonishment shed across her eyes. At the same time, she was disappointed. When Elliot entered the hall, he went back to his seat and sat next to Anastasia. Knowing that he had been drinking the entire night, she ced some food on his te and urged him to have something to eat. Elliot then smiled and ate as instructed. Harriet, who was sitting next to them, was happy to see that. If she wasn¡¯t around next time, she knew that someone would be there to take good care of this grandchild of hers. There was another activity nned at around 9.00PM that night, which was a night sea tour. Three luxury yachts had been prepared to bring the guests out to sea. Since noon, Jacob had been noticing Sophia. Up till now, he was still holding in the urge to go say hi to her, as Arthur was by her side. Jacob didn¡¯t want to offend Arthur, as thetter¡¯s identity was rather mysterious and unusual. However, Jacob was dissatisfied at how Arthur was having Sophia to himself. Finally, he came to a conclusion that she didn¡¯t belong to anyone and that he had the right to pursue her. Atst, Arthur left his seat and Sophia was left sitting alone. Jacob mustered all his courage and walked toward her. ¡°Sophia.¡± He grabbed onto the back of the chair as he greeted her. ¡°Jacob.¡± She greeted him politely. ¡°Sophia, there¡¯s a night sea tourter on. Would you like to join us? My friends are going too and you shoulde along!¡± ¡°I-I want to go, but¡­¡± Sophia was in a difficult position as she knew that Arthur definitely wouldn¡¯t let her do so. ¡°It¡¯s a rare opportunity, Sophia. All the youngsters will be there. It¡¯s going to be so much fun.¡± With a nod, she answered, ¡°Let me think about it.¡± ¡°Okay. We¡¯re leaving at nine and I¡¯lle to you by then.¡± As Jacob said that, a person sat down on the chair that he was holding. It was Arthur; he had returned. An awkward Jacob released his grip on the chair and said to Sophia, ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you, Sophia!¡± She saw Jacob return to his seat, and only then did she turn to look at the man beside her. ¡°Young Master Weiss, can I discuss something with you?¡± ¡°Go ahead,¡± Arthur replied coldly. ¡°I heard that there¡¯s a night sea tour tonight. Can I go?¡± she asked softly. ¡°No.¡± He rejected her without thinking twice. So merciless! She sighed upon hearing that. Although she knew that he wouldn¡¯t agree to it, she couldn¡¯t help but show her disappointment. ¡°But I really want to go.¡± Arthur pretended not to hear her and continued drinking his wine. It was alreadyte, and those elders had already left and gone to rest. On the contrary, the youngsters had just started their nightlife. The firework show tonight, as well as the night sea tour, were all activities worth going to. Jared was behaving well tonight too. He followed Nigel back to the man¡¯s mansion since there were his favorite Legos and games there. On the other hand, Anastasia hade to Mason¡¯s table and was chatting with him. No one knew where Katrina went and the other Presgraves had already gone back. Anastasia and Mason were the only two left sitting at the table. ¡°I hope you¡¯re having a good time, Mason. I apologize if there¡¯s any inconvenience caused.¡± Anastasia was extremely busy today, so she couldn¡¯t talk much with him. ¡°I¡¯m d enough to be able to participate in your wedding. There¡¯s no need to give me special treatment,¡± Mason answered with a smile. Then, she poured a ss of wine and raised the ss before saying, ¡°A toast to you, Mason.¡± He raised his ss and clinked hers before drinking a few sips. After looking around the lively wedding hall, she sighed with emotion and said, ¡°I¡¯m where I am today because of your help and encouragement back then.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. You¡¯re a tough person. I believe that even if it were not for me, you would have made it through that period too.¡± Mason didn¡¯t dare to take the credit. ¡°No. It¡¯s you who helped me to be who I am today, allowed me to meet the love of my life and encouraged my son to find his biological father,¡± she said seriously. Anastasia had exquisite makeup tonight, and after drinking some wine, her cheeks were flushed, which made her extra beautiful. She was so beautiful that people couldn¡¯t take their eyes off her. At a table not far away from them, Elliot was talking with the guests, but his gaze was fixed on his wife. He chugged the ss of red wine mncholically when he saw her smiling so gently and brightly in front of another man on their wedding day. However, he couldn¡¯t say anything as Mason was really the one who helped Anastasia ovee her dark times. Elliot should be thanking that man, which was why he was enduring the frustration. Just as he saw his wife raising her ss for the third time with Mason, Elliot realized he couldn¡¯t take it anymore; he went straight to them with a wine ss in his hand. ¡°Sweetheart,¡± he called her calmly. Anastasia lifted her head and realized Elliot was there. With her chin propped on her hands, she murmured, ¡°Are we leaving now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to make a toast to Mr. Sullivan.¡± Elliot clinked his ss with Mason¡¯s. ¡°Thank you for helping my wife during those days.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, President Presgrave.¡± Mason stood up immediately to drink with him. After that, Elliot could only use one reason to whisk his wife away. ¡°You¡¯re drunk, sweetheart. We should head back and rest now.¡± As he said that, he ced his arm around her waist and brought her to the main table. After excusing themselves from the elders there, he held her hand and brought her out of the hall. And so, they made their way back to the mansion, the sounds from the banquet hall growing further away from them. Currently, the street lights shone brightly as they lit up the road. Anastasia had drank several sses of wine tonight, so her eyes were getting ssy and her cheeks were flushed red since she couldn¡¯t hold her liquor. At this moment, her coquettishness was fully disyed. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of Mr. Sullivan¡¯s side from now on. You don¡¯t need to pay too much attention to him and keep meeting him,¡± Elliot suddenly said. While blinking her eyes, Anastasia asked, ¡°Why can¡¯t I meet him? I even want to have lunch or dinner more often with him in the future.¡± ¡°Mrs. Presgrave!¡± Elliot held her waist possessively and looked as though he was furious, but didn¡¯t dare to show it. Anastasia wore a grin on her face after seeing her n had seeded. She put her arms around his neck and asked, ¡°Are you jealous?¡± He then held the back of her head with his big palm and pressed her head into his chest before admitting, ¡°Yes. I¡¯m jealous. The moment you smiled at him in the banquet hall, I was already jealous.¡± At this moment, Anastasia slightly regretted teasing him. Since she had already be his wife, she would keep her distance from other men from now on. She rested her head on his chest and counted his heartbeat. ¡°I was just joking. Don¡¯t you know how much I love you?¡± ¡°I know.¡± He stroked her long hair while looking at her with his gentle but slightly frustrated gaze. Just then, the woman in his chest lifted her head. The tipsiness in her eyes could be seen clearly under the light, which made her extra seductive. After that, Anastasia¡¯s hand was held by Elliot¡¯s big palm again, and he brought her to walk under the streetlights. They then made their way back to their bridal vi. ¡°I¡¯ve already bought this mansion so we cane here often for vacation,¡± Elliot announced. With a nod, she answered, ¡°Great!¡± Suddenly, Elliot reminded her, ¡°It¡¯s our wedding night. Don¡¯t you think we should do something?¡± Hearing that, she smiled shyly. ¡°But I¡¯m tired! Aren¡¯t you tired?¡± How would Elliot be tired? He had saved so much energy for tonight. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to say you¡¯re tired tonight, Mrs. Presgrave,¡± he purred in a husky tone. Through her big eyes, a stream of frailty shone through her coquettishness. ¡°You don¡¯t love me anymore. I¡¯m so tired, but you¡¯re not letting me rest.¡± Elliot was seduced by that adorable face buried in his chest, and he touched the tip of Anastasia¡¯s nose and said, ¡°You¡¯ll knowter whether I love you or not.¡± Anastasia knew what Elliot was thinking the moment she saw his dark gaze. Oh no, I shouldn¡¯t have excited him. I¡¯m so gonna get it tonight! At once, she took a step back from his embrace and ran toward the direction of the mansion, as though she was running away from him. ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to know!¡± How could Elliot stay still when he saw his running bride? With his long legs, he chased after her in a few steps and hugged her in his arms, thereafter picking her up and striding into the mansion. On the other hand, the woman in his arms wasughing happily. As soon as they reached the balcony on the second floor, Anastasia saw the fireworks that were covering half of the sky. That became the best view of the night. When she was enjoying the fireworks, a domineering arm came from behind and tugged at her shoulder. He then held her face gently and said, ¡°I love you, Mrs. Presgrave.¡± She reached out her hands and put them around Elliot¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I love you too, Mr. Presgrave.¡± Then, she stood on her toes and gave him a kiss. ¡­ On the other hand, at the jetty, a group of youngsters were boarding the yacht to go for the night sea tour. The luxurious mega-yacht was lit up, and it had all sorts of alcoholic beverages and desserts on board. The most exciting thing was the chemistry between these youngsters, which would definitely make this night an unforgettable night. At the jetty, Jacob was looking at the time on his watch, waiting for Sophia. For him, he wasn¡¯t interested in any of the women there tonight, as Sophia was the only one he wanted to see. At this moment, a figure walked toward his direction, and her erogenous attire shocked him. It was Katrina, along with a young man beside her. She took a glimpse at Jacob, who was beside his sports car. After all, that sports car behind him was his charming point. Seeing that, she knew that she had finally found her target for tonight. Just then, the young man who came with her greeted Jacob, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you gotten on board, Jacob?¡± ¡°I¡¯m waiting for someone. You two should go in first,¡± Jacob said while trying hard to retain his patience. ¡°The yacht will be leaving in 10 minutes. Ask your friends to hurry up!¡± Jacob was growing anxious for real this time, as it looked like Sophie wasn¡¯t going toe. However, he still hadn¡¯t given up yet. After finding the phone number, he dialed the inte of Vi No. 58. At that moment, Sophia, who happened to return from the dinner, heard the telephone ringing in the living room and answered it. ¡°Hello. Who¡¯s on the line, please?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me, Sophia. Aren¡¯t youing?¡± Jacob asked anxiously. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Jacob. I can¡¯t make it for the event. Have fun!¡± She smiled in embarrassment. ¡°Ohe on! I was looking forward to your arrival. In fact, I¡¯ve been waiting for you toe.¡± ¡°I¡¯m ttered to hear that, Jacob, but please don¡¯t wait for me. Don¡¯t forget to have fun,¡± she replied. ¡°Sophia, can we grab breakfast together tomorrow morning? I¡¯m leaving tomorrow, and I don¡¯t know when we¡¯ll meet again.¡± ¡°Um¡­ Can we talk about that tomorrow?¡± Sophia was dismayed with her tight schedule. After hanging up the call with Jacob, she returned the telephone to the cradle and let out a sigh. ¡°It looks like someone can¡¯t wait to go cruising on the sea.¡± A man¡¯s deep voice was suddenly heard from behind the woman. A startled Sophia immediately turned around and saw Arthur walking in. She then quickly hid her emotions and replied, ¡°Nah, not really. I¡¯m tired by the way, so I¡¯m going to head upstairs and take some rest.¡± As soon as she reached the stairs, she heard the man¡¯s voice from behind her again. ¡°I¡¯ll meet you at the door in ten minutes.¡± With her hand on the handrail, she turned around and asked, ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°A night cruise.¡± The man puckered his lips in response. Sophia¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard that. She then eximed in surprise and excitement. ¡°Wait¡­ What? For real? I can tag along too?¡± The next second, she rushed upstairs, wondering whether she should change her outfit for the asion, only to realize there was not enough time for her to do so. Therefore, she only fixed her make-up a little before she headed downstairs. In the meantime, Arthur was sitting on the couch while waiting for Sophia, whereupon they both got into the car and made their way toward the docks. As they were on their way, her mind was full of images of the beautiful seaview that she was admiring on the cruise. After all, she hadn¡¯t gone on a cruise at night, which she believed was going to be fun. Furthermore, she would be even happier if there were going to be a lot of people because she liked the lively atmosphere that was full of high energy. Once they arrived, the duo was greeted by a huge luxury private yacht moored at the bright dock. Sophia then alighted from the car and walked toward the yacht behind Arthur, all the while feeling a little bewildered at the sight of the dested ce. Shouldn¡¯t there be a crowd of people who are going to cruise with us? Why is it so quiet? Where is everyone? The next moment, she was stunned when she entered the grand-looking cabin of the yacht. Oh my god! This is absolutely luxurious! The designs definitely deserve a seven-star rating! How magnificent this is! ¡°I thought there were going to be a lot of people. Why is there no one else?¡± Sophia asked in confusion. Arthur replied lightly, ¡°They are gone.¡± He furrowed his eyebrows and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Aren¡¯t you happy to go cruising on the sea with me?¡± ¡°O-Of course, I am happy with that.¡± She forced a smile to hide the surprise within her upon realizing that he had the whole yacht booked. Soon, the yacht sailed away from the dock toward the sea just as the fireworks were lit up and shot up to the sky from afar. Seeing the magnificent sight, Sophia excitedly scampered to the deck and ced her palms together delightedly. Not long after that, Arthur also came to the deck, and he happened to notice Sophia¡¯s curvaceous figure in the illuminating moonlight and the fireworks in the sky. At the same time, the blowing sea breeze gently grazed the woman¡¯s dress, carrying her skirt with it as her long hair billowed in the wind. On the other hand, the man kept his eyes upon thedy despite the ring fireworks, as if she was more attractive and eye-catching than the grand fireworks. Thanks to the training Sophia received through dancing since she was little, she had managed to develop a perfectly slim figure. Although she didn¡¯t take much pride in that particrly, her curvy stature made her so attractive that no man could look away once he set his eyes on her. Suddenly, Sophia tripped on an abrupt jerk that was either caused by the yacht¡¯s short burst of eleration or the rough tidal waves beneath them. The next second, she lost her bnce and staggered backward. ¡°Ahhh!¡± She thought she was about tond on her behind and she eximed in horror, but at that moment, she felt a strong arm wrapped around her waist shortly before she felt her head resting on someone¡¯s firm chest. Feeling relieved and secure, she knew who just saved her from the embarrassing fall, and she blushed bashfully. Then, she stood on her feet clumsily and thanked Arthur for his help. ¡°Thank you.¡± After that, she took off her high heels and put them aside, thereafter walking barefoot on the deck so that she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about falling again. At the sight of Sophia¡¯s reaction, Arthur curled his lips upward,plimenting her deep down for being smart enough to take off her high heels. In the meantime, Sophia caught a glimpse of two yachts not far away and noticed the bright lights on them, along with the loud music and cheers. Thinking it was Jacob and the others on those yachts, Sophia immediately approached the handrail on the edge of the deck that was closest to them. On the other hand, Jacob happened to be catching some air on the deck when he saw an approaching yacht with a woman standing on it. Is that Sophia? Wondering if thedy was who he thought it was, he shouted, ¡°Sophia!¡± ¡°Jacob!¡± Sophia waved at Jacob when she saw him. Meanwhile, Jacob was thinking of going over to the yacht to apany Sophia, only to see another man emerging from behind her, which forced him to give up the idea. At that moment, Arthur was seen wearing a white suit, and it was as if he was the charming prince who was protecting Sophia from behind. Soon, the yacht that Sophia was on sped away and quickly disappeared from sight, because the yachts that Jacob and his friends were on wouldn¡¯t sail any further away from the dock. After the yacht left in a hurry, an annoyed Jacob clenched his fists and wondered who Arthur was. As soon as the other two yachts were left far behind, Sophia entered the luxury cabin and sat down after having enough of the windy breeze. In the meantime, Arthur was enjoying himself with the desserts and beverages on the table while sitting on the couch with his legs crossed. ¡°When are we going back, Mr. Weiss?¡± Sophia curiously asked. ¡°Tomorrow.¡± Arthur figured he should start looking into the matter in which he had to choose a ce where histe grandfather¡¯s grave could be built. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear! Can I go back home to visit my parents, then?¡± Sophia beseeched the man. ¡°You can give a call back home, but you can¡¯t leave,¡± Arthur replied. ¡°Please, I just need half a day.¡± Sophia insisted on going home. ¡°From now on, I¡¯m going to teach you how to be a qualified maid, Sophia. Until I¡¯m satisfied with your performance, you will not be permitted to go anywhere.¡± Arthur jutted his chin, his eyes filled with indifference and nonchnce. Sophia was stunned because she didn¡¯t expect the man to say something so harsh to her. After all, she thought the reason he took her out for a cruise on the sea was because he was softened up a little to her. ¡°Is what I found earlier really so important to you?¡± Thedy asked. ¡°That¡¯s a one and only heirloom that has been passed down to me through generations in my family.¡± Arthur squinted, gritting his teeth. ¡°So, do you think that¡¯s important to me?¡± Upon hearing the man¡¯s reply, Sophia felt cold chills running down her spine. Oh dear! I guess I¡¯m screwed for miscing his heirloom! ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give it back to you in a year.¡± She tried to appease the man despite the panicky feeling that was overwhelming her on the inside. How am I going to afford that? I doubt I could make that much cash even if I sleep around for money. Suddenly, she shivered from head to toe when the chilly sea breeze blew amidst the cold weather at night. As she felt goosebumps all over her skin, she subconsciously wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm. Meanwhile, Arthur noticed what was going on and took off his coat, which he threw at her. ¡°Put it on.¡± Despite his indifferent tone, his actions were rather heartwarming. ¡°Thank you.¡± Sophia proceeded to put on the man¡¯s coat. The warmth wrapped around her body, as well as Arthur¡¯s unique and pleasant scent. When she caught the scent of that, her face blushed in embarrassment. After spending more than an hour cruising on the sea, they both sailed back to the dock. At the same time, Sophia stood on the deck and looked at the man beside her. ¡°Can I shout? Just to vent?¡± Thinking a shout at the wide sea would be a good relief, Arthur decided to go along with Sophia. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Sophia then made a gesture of a trumpet with her hands and began shouting at some ce far away. ¡°Mr. Weiss, you¡¯re so freaking handsome!¡± Arthur was speechless upon hearing Sophia¡¯s words. Is there something wrong with this woman? ¡°You¡¯re the most handsome man I¡¯ve ever seen, Mr. Weiss!¡± Sophia shouted at the sea as she wanted to amuse the man. Sophia turned to look at Arthur and asked, ¡°Hey, do you know what the ocean said to the shore?¡± He narrowed his eyes as he pondered on this, and his curiosity was piqued when he could not think of an answer. ¡°What did the ocean say to the shore?¡± ¡°Nothing, it just waved!¡± She burst intoughter, clearly amused by her own silly humor. Just then, Arthur sputtered and startedughing, and at once, the moon lost all its beauty. Sophia gaped at him with wide eyes, entirely stunned by his pearly whites and his open smile. He looked carefree and captivating. In truth, he was rather astonished by how herughter, which was in no way demure ordylike, only prompted his own. Son of a gun, he thought. At that moment, her brows raised in amusement as she tilted her head to one side and appraised him openly. No woman had ever looked at him like he was a piece of art on full public disy before. Because of that, he grew self-conscious and quickly asked, ¡°What are you staring at?¡± She giggled. ¡°You. You¡¯re quite the looker.¡± As though wanting to get back at her for making himugh earlier, he scoffed and pointed out haughtily, ¡°Yeah, and I¡¯m way out of your league.¡± She blinked at him and she couldn¡¯t help arguing, ¡°I never wanted you to be in my league in the first ce.¡± Arthur turned to head back into the cabin, but that was when he heard Sophia mutter triumphantly, ¡°I think it¡¯d be more urate to say I¡¯m way out of your league. Always will be.¡± He stopped in his tracks and threw an icy look at her over his shoulder. ¡°Please, I can easily make you mine whenever I want.¡± She blushed,pletely caught off guard by his confidence, but she did not want to lose either. Her quick wit made her retort, ¡°And by the time you make me yours, wouldn¡¯t you be mine as well? So, I win either way.¡± He was starting to think that this was her idea of a pick-up line. He scoffed primly and refused to be lured into this ridiculous banter. ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself. I don¡¯t actually care about making you mine.¡± ¡°Which then brings us back to the question of who¡¯s out of whose league,¡± she said without missing a beat as a devious smirk tugged on her lips. ¡°But it looks like we¡¯vee to a draw.¡± Arthur pursed his lips into a grim line and did not try to continue this debate with her. ¡°You know, Young Master Weiss, I don¡¯t think I ever got your name. Think we¡¯re close enough to be on a first-name basis, yes?¡± Sophia asked, leaning forward as if to pick up on the most scious gossip. Bemused, he did not withhold this information and replied, ¡°The name¡¯s Arthur.¡± Arthur. Arthur Weiss. She tried it out in her head and decided that it had a good ring to it, then pressed further, ¡°So, did you grow up in the city or are you from out of town?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been living abroad with my family since I was little,¡± he said. ¡°I bet you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth,¡± she followed up cheerily. ¡°Why do you say that?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re one of the most prim-and-proper men I¡¯ve ever met!¡± Arthur had never heard that description being used on him, and he wondered briefly if he should be insulted. Meanwhile, on another yacht, Katrina had her eyes set on Jacob. She had heard that he was the second young master of the Presgrave Family, and while his fortune or status was not as impressive as Elliot¡¯s, he still made for a good target. ¡°Young Master Jacob, you don¡¯t look very happy. Care for somepany?¡± Katrina slinked over while holding a ss of wine in each hand. She was a model with a slender figure that had curves in all the right ces and a pretty face to boot. Besides, Jacob was never one to refuse beautifulpany. ¡°Sure,¡± he said agreeably. They went out on the deck and leaned against the railing as they sipped their wine. At this moment, the yacht swayed, and Katrina had oh-so-naturally stumbled into Jacob¡¯s arms as she gasped, ¡°Oh, my!¡± He gripped her waist to steady her. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I identally spilled my wine,¡± she said mournfully as she tugged on the neckline of her dress. ¡°How does the damage look, Young Master Jacob?¡± Jacob¡¯s gaze darkened at once. He was sure that Katrina was doing this on purpose, and she had pulled the neckline so far down that she might as well dispose of the dress entirely. That said, he had to admit that he was very much attracted to her show of skin. ¡°I have a couple of evening dresses back at my ce. Why don¡¯t youe by after we get off this yacht and pick one that you like?¡± he offered in a husky voice, the implication clear in his words. ¡°That would be great,¡± she said brightly with a knowing look in her eyes. Meanwhile, over at the dock, Sophia alighted from the yacht after Arthur and walked up to the car his bodyguards had brought around. It was only during the drive back to the vi that they realized it was already past midnight. After arriving at the vi, she was so exhausted that she took a quick shower and hopped into bed. While she slept, he tossed and turned in his bed in the master bedroom. He was not one to stay up late, but for some reason, sleep would note to him. The images of Sophia¡¯s ready grin from tonight shed across his mind, and he found himself thinking about the way she made fun of him openly and the way she smiled at him without pretense. Chapter 651-660 Chapter 651-660 Sinceing of age, Arthur had met countless women who approached him with ulterior motives, but Sophia was different. She was refreshingly bold and blunt. She was so naive that offending him was something she never thought to be afraid of. At the same time, he wondered if she was just a really good actress, one who was simply employing a different method of getting close to him and seducing him thereafter. If that were the case, he ought to have seen the cracks in her pretenses by now, but he did not. Was she just really well-trained, or was she being her true self? In another vi, Mason was awake and waiting for his sister to return. She had told him that she wanted to go night sailing, but it was already well past midnight, and she had yet to return. Knowing how crazy she could get when it came to having fun, he grew exasperated and somewhat furious. She¡¯d better not get herself into trouble, he thought grimly. Meanwhile, over in thergest and most opulent vi, a warm glow was shining through one of the windows. Under the red covers of the luxurious bed, two figures were entangled in what could only be described as an amorous affair. The next morning, Anastasia woke up without any prompting whatsoever. She opened her eyes and found herself in the warm embrace of the man sleeping next to her. She dared not let her gaze flicker to his shoulders, which were decorated with w marks that served as a reminder of their heated endeavorsst night. She could not bring herself to wake her dearest husband. Hence, she quietly took in the dark hair tousled over his forehead and his young, deep-set features. A pleased smile curled on her lips as she stared at him, wanting to burn the image of his face into the back of her mind. After watching him sleep for a while, she decided to get out of bed and put on her clothes. However, she had only just lifted a corner of the covers when a strong pair of arms pulled her backward. ¡°Stay in bed with me for a while longer, Mrs. Presgrave,¡± the man muttered, his warm breath tickling her corbone as he nuzzled his chin into the crook of her neck. A hoarse chuckle escaped him as he added devilishly, ¡°I was very satisfiedst night.¡± Anastasia had been tipsy the night before, which resulted in her present groggy state, but the moment he said this, a particr memory surfaced in her headspace and made her blush. ¡°I like it when you take initiative, Mrs. Presgrave,¡± he went on to tease, opening his eyes. Basking in the sunlight that spilled through the window, they looked like two sparkling obsidian pools. Anastasia quickly reached out to p a hand over his mouth, then said shyly, ¡°Okay, stop.¡± Elliot drawledzily, ¡°Shall I go over the details of what you did that I loved most?¡± ¡°No thank you.¡± She did not want to hear about it as her face had turned positively crimson. The day after the wedding, the guests who had to get on with the busy schedules of their lives bid their farewells and left. The weight on the flushing bride¡¯s shoulders was finally lifted by a fraction. Visibly more rxed now, Anastasia decided that she was going to have fun today. That afternoon, she got a call from Mason, telling her that he had to get back to work, so she bid him goodbye. Katrina, on the other hand, had woken up in Jacob¡¯s bed. She was like a cat that ate the canary, and she was more than pleased to have him be her new prey. Over in Vi No. 58, Arthur decided to leave as well, and that afternoon, he gave Elliot a heads up before getting off the ind. As for Sophia, she stood on the deck of the departing yacht and watched the strip of white shore grow into a speck. She thought about how she had pinned Arthur down on the sand thest time, and the corners of her lips tipped up into a mischievous grin. She turned around and nced at the man whose silhouette radiated elegance, repressing the urge to laugh as she thought about how rare it must be to see himpletely caught off guard like he had that night. Among the wedding guests who left were Presgraves¡¯ extended family, and those who stayed were the women in the family. Lori, in particr, did not look like she was about to leave anytime soon. That evening, Harriet gathered all thedies into one dining area and set the men up in another so that dinner could be a more intimate affair. Lori was seated next to Anastasia, and when she saw Jared, she praised heartily, ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you just the most adorable little boy I¡¯ve ever seen!¡± ¡°Hello, Aunt Lori,¡± Jared greeted sweetly. ¡°So, what do you want to be when you grow up, Jared?¡± Lori asked, making small talk with the child. ¡°I wanna be as great as Daddy,¡± Jared answered without even thinking. ¡°A brilliant dream indeed.¡± Then, the little boy turned to look at his mother and said, ¡°After that, I¡¯ll marry someone as beautiful as Mommy.¡± Anastasia sputtered at his childish humor and said, ¡°I suppose I should be relieved that you¡¯ve already got that part of your life all worked out.¡± Loriughed and pointed out, ¡°Children have such a wonderful naivety about them, don¡¯t you think?¡± Having listened to all this, Harriet beamed and encouraged lovingly, ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to seeing you all grown up, Jared.¡± ¡°By the way, Mrs. Presgrave, I¡¯ve heard that you have a knack for jewelry design, and I was wondering if you could help me take a look at a few of my sketches,¡± Lori said enthusiastically as she gave Anastasia an expectant look. ¡°Of course! You can bring me those sketches anytime,¡± Anastasia agreed with a smile. ¡°Really? Thank you so much, Mrs. Presgrave!¡± Lori nodded earnestly, then continued, ¡°I¡¯m designing the jewelry for a friend of mine as a gift. With your feedback, I¡¯m sure the gift will be perfect for her!¡± Anastasia asked curiously, ¡°Did you ever go to design school?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just doing this as a hobby, which is rare for me. I picked it up and I fell in love with it, but I didn¡¯t, like, receive professional instruction or anything like that. I guess that¡¯s what sets you and me apart, huh?¡± Lori replied modestly. Laughing, Anastasia said, ¡°Well, I¡¯d rather you keep this up as a hobby. It can be cabng if you turn a hobby into full-fledged work.¡± Lori chuckled as well. ¡°Yeah, I guess you have a point.¡± At that moment, someone at the dining table caught sight of the piano sitting in the corner and started pushing Lori to perform a tune. The girl very obligingly walked over to the grand-looking instrument and took her seat, then started ying a song with the sort of quiet grace that lulled everyone into a trance. While the melody carried on, someone said in a low voice, ¡°Lori sure is talented. She could be a maestro if she wanted!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll marry well someday,¡± another person added. Upon hearing this, Kendra smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s very sweet of you to say, but Lori is just an ordinary girl.¡± Most of the guests had left three days after the wedding. After that, Anastasia and Elliot returned to the Presgrave Residence alongside Harriet. Jared was due to go back to school soon, and Elliot had plenty of work piled up for him at thepany. In stark contrast, Anastasia had a lot of free time on her hands, and she had seen the press release about their wedding. However, the exclusivity of the event meant that the media did not have much information to proceed with, and the journalists dared not use it as clickbait either. Meanwhile, Arthur had stopped living in bars and bought himself a vi close to Elliot¡¯s as a temporary dwelling ce. Initially, Sophia wanted to go back to visit her parents, but Arthur refused to let her do so. As such, she ended up following him wherever he went. That day, two world-ss etiquette instructors dropped by the vi to specifically teach and guide Sophia on the ways of upper-ss societies. Thus, beginning the first steps of molding her into ady of nobility. Sophia was admittedly frustrated by this. She wondered why Arthur was splurging on unnecessary things because she thought it would be better for everyone if she remained as carefree as she had always been, unbridled by the stuffy rules of fine society. Nevertheless, the instructors were dedicated to their jobs, and they carried out the lessons ording to a strict n. Sophia ended up spending two hours each day learning how to stand, walk and sit properly. At the end of each lesson, she was exhausted and found herself questioning her own sanity. While she was having these lessons, Arthur would be upstairs doing heaven-knows-what. asionally, fortune tellers would drop by the house, and she wondered if the young master truly believed in such things, or if he was helplessly superstitious because he certainly did not appear to her as such. Presently, in the living room of the second floor, a medium had apparently thrown a seance to communicate with Arthur¡¯s grandfather¡¯s spirit in order to pinpoint the location the old man best preferred to beid to rest. After sending off the medium, Arthur decided that he would go to the location and scope things out for himself. Meanwhile, Sophia had just said goodbye to her instructors. She was rubbing her aching shoulder while walking up the stairs when she suddenly heard Arthur calling out to her, ¡°Sophia, pleasee over here.¡± She did as she was told and presented herself before him, then asked, ¡°Is there something you need help with, Young Master Weiss?¡± ¡°A shoulder rub,¡± he answered curtly as he cast her a sideways nce. She then stood right behind him and began to rub his shoulders, kneading out the tense muscles as he closed his eyes and disengaged with the rest of the world. Just as Sophia was admiring his chiseled features, she suddenly felt an rming tickle in her nose, and before she could stop herself, she sneezed onto his face. ¡°Ah-choo!¡± She froze after the sneeze. She could not believe that she had sprayed her germs and saliva all over the features she had been admiring just seconds ago. The air around them grew cold. Arthur¡¯s brows furrowed as he said, ¡°Wash my face for me.¡± ¡°I am so sorry!¡± she squeaked, running off into the adjoining bathroom and retrieving a moist, patterned towel. She half-knelt on the couch and began to carefully wipe his face. He kept his eyes closed the entire time, and because he had a sharp sense of smell, he could pick up the faint fragrance lingering on her. His longshes fluttered as he opened his eyes, and it was then that he saw Sophia wiping his face with a towel. When she met his gaze, she flushed and said, ¡°I am so sorry for what happened. I promise it won¡¯t happen again.¡± Arthur was speechless as well, but what made him even more incredulous was the fact that he did not mind the incident at all. ¡°Do not do this again,¡± Arthur warned. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Sophia nodded obediently. She was so embarrassed by the incident that she wanted to crawl into a hole. Just then, Arthur¡¯s phone rang. A look of surprise shed across his features when he saw the caller ID, and he hurried to answer the call. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Artie, it¡¯s me! I¡¯ming to visit you!¡± a girly voice spoke up on the other line. When the call ended, he gave Sophia an unreadable look. She swallowed nervously and asked, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°A friend of mine will be staying here for a while,¡± he exined. A moment of thoughtter, he added, ¡°From now on, you are not to misbehave in front of me, and you will act like a proper servant. Do you understand?¡± Sophia was no idiot. She had a feeling that this friend of Arthur¡¯s was someone that he secretly had a crush on, so she suggested hopefully, ¡°You know, you¡¯re more than wee to give me some time off if you think I¡¯m only going to get in your way.¡± He eyed her frigidly and bit outmandingly, ¡°You are not leaving.¡± Curiosity got the better of her as she tilted her head to one side and asked in amusement, ¡°So, is this friend of yours just an ordinary friend, or is she someone special to you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see how that¡¯s any of your business,¡± he replied with a raised brow. ¡°Well, if it¡¯s the former, then I¡¯d be more than willing to y the part of the loyal servant and wait on your hand and foot, but if it¡¯s thetter, then my presence here would put us all in a sticky situation, don¡¯t you think?¡± She wanted to go home desperately, so she enunciated the point of her argument, ¡°Young Master Weiss, all I¡¯m asking is that you give me some time off.¡± His dark eyes were like a tempestuous ocean. He looked torn, but in the end, he gritted his teeth and shot her a warning re. ¡°Do not even think about leaving my side, Sophia.¡± Her breath hitched. Why does that sound like a line from a romance novel? He had no right to order her to stay in such a roguish manner, she thought. She was only his maid, after all, and not his girlfriend. Belligerent, she retorted, ¡°I wasn¡¯t nning on leaving!¡± He glowered at her exasperatedly. It seems like there is still a long way to go before she will learn to be obedient. Meanwhile, over at the Averna airport, a private jet hade to a stop on the tarmac, and an elegantly-dressed youngdy was presently being escorted out of the jet by four bodyguards. She walked out of the airport and put a hand up to block out the zing afternoon sun. As she suddenly thought of something, a smile blossomed on her beautiful face. ¡°Miss, we¡¯ve already contacted Young Master Weiss¡¯ bodyguards, and they have sent us an address.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± she said. She couldn¡¯t wait to see him again. Momentster, three cabs pulled up outside Arthur¡¯s newly-bought vi, and an entourage came out of the idling cars. The girl leading the entourage through the front yard gave the garden a cursory nce, then marched straight through the door and into the living room. She thought she would be greeted by the man who had been running around in her mind as soon as she walked past the threshold, but she met eyes with a youngdy instead. Astonished, she demanded, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Good afternoon, Miss Jennings. I¡¯m Sophia, Young Master Weiss¡¯ maid,¡± Sophia introduced herself politely, appraising the other girl with the expensive clothes and deciding that she most definitely ran in the same circles as Arthur. The girl narrowed her eyes, but when she saw Arthuring down the stairs, she broke into a dazzling grin and called out sweetly, ¡°Artie!¡± Arthur returned her friendliness and greeted, ¡°Emily.¡± ¡°Grandma had mee over to take care of you.¡± Emily walked up to him and grabbed his arm affectionately, then tipped her head to one side as she gave him a once-over. ¡°Did you lose weight, Artie?¡± ¡°I did not,¡± he denied with a smirk. She let out a crisp and alluringugh and nced over at Sophia who still stood by the threshold. She thereafter asked Arthur unhappily, ¡°Is she really your maid, Artie?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± he answered. ¡°She takes care of my meals and tidies up the house.¡± Sophia, on the other hand, concluded that Emily was without a doubt Arthur¡¯s ¡®special¡¯ friend. At that moment, two maids came into the house with suitcases in tow. Emily¡¯s eyes gleamed diabolically at the sight of this, and she quickly said to them, ¡°You girls must be tired. Go and stay at a hotel nearby to catch up on some well-deserved rest.¡± The maids were used to waiting on her, and upon hearing this, they immediately sensed that she was up to something. Sure enough, Emily suddenly extended a long, slender finger as she said imperiously, ¡°You there! Help me carry these bags up to my room.¡± Sophia did a double take when she saw that Emily was pointing at her. At the sight of Sophia¡¯s dazed expression, Emily snapped impatiently, ¡°You¡¯re a maid, aren¡¯t you?¡± It was then that Sophia remembered Arthur asking her to act like a well-behaved servant, so she quickly answered, ¡°Oh, of course. I¡¯ll have these bags brought into your room right away!¡± She proceeded to drag the two mammoth bags toward the stairwell, but when she tried to lift them, she realized they were firmly weighed down on the floor. Those two maids who came with Emily muste from professional weightlifting backgrounds! Sophia thought in dark amusement as her slender arms faltered. Emily crossed her arms as she watched Sophia struggle to lift the bags. ¡°Be careful with those. I have tons of valuable stuff in there; you break them, you pay, but I doubt you could afford it.¡± Several attemptster, Sophia was sure that she had no way of lifting them. Panting, she said, ¡°Miss Jennings, these bags are far too heavy for me to lift.¡± ¡°So hard to find good help these days, it seems,¡± Emily mocked with a cruel smirk. Ignoring this, Sophia called out for the only man in the living room to aid her. ¡°A little help please, Mr. Weiss?¡± ¡°How dare you ask Artie to carry out a servant¡¯s duty, you little¡ª¡± Before Emily could continue the rest of her scolding, Arthur brushed past her to the stairwell and grabbed the two bags, then easily carried them up the stairs in a disy of incredible arm strength while asking Sophia to hurry along. Emily¡¯s eyes widened at this. She couldn¡¯t believe that Arthur had actually lent the maid a helping hand by carrying the bags up the stairs. It was the most bizarre thing she had ever witnessed. We¡¯re talking about the young master of a prestigious family, for heaven¡¯s sake! She headed up the stairs as well, and much to her surprise, he had brought the bags into the guest room instead of leaving them on the second-floornding. Sophia did not expect Arthur to oh-so-charitably bring the bags into Emily¡¯s designated room either, and when she got to the top of the stairs, she quickly said, ¡°Thank you, Young Master Weiss.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have, Artie,¡± Emily interjected, then grabbed his hand to inspect his palm with a pained expression. ¡°I would have asked the bodyguards to help, you know. Look at how red your palm is!¡± Sophia came over to peer at his palm as well, and sure enough, the skin was chaffed red. The bags had abined weight of more than a hundred pounds, after all. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Arthur said dismissively as he pulled away from Emily. ¡°How¡ªHow useless can you be? I cannot believe you had your master do your work for you. You¡¯re fired! Go, get out of our sights!¡± Emily barkedmandingly at Sophia, terminating her services right there and then. Sophia blinked, then her eyes lit up as she asked, ¡°Really? I can go now?¡± ¡°Who said you could? In case you forgot, I¡¯ve given you a one-year advancement on your wages,¡± Arthur piped up suddenly, glowering at her. She searched his face for an exnation. As if she would forget about receiving wages from him! But she quickly grasped the situation and realized that this man was determined to keep her here. Going along with his act, she said, ¡°I believe you¡¯re the one forgetting things here, Young Master Weiss. Remember how you said you would pay me thest time and then something came up to conveniently distract you from it? Well, with all due respect, you¡¯ll have to cough up the two hundred and forty grand you promised¡ªthat¡¯s twenty grand for each calendar month that you owe me.¡± Arthur scoffed, rendered speechless by her audacity. ¡°You¡¯re not actually going back on your word, are you, Young Master Weiss? I¡¯ve gone without a month¡¯s sry now!¡± she added, feigning panic. Unaware of what was going on, Emily snorted and said contemptuously, ¡°Artie¡¯s fortune is far more than anything you could ever imagine, so he wouldn¡¯t go back on his word to pay you the pittance you¡¯re asking for. Don¡¯t delude yourself.¡± Seizing this chance, Sophia nodded earnestly and said with implication, ¡°That¡¯s what I think too. I know a gentleman of nobility such as him would never go back on his promise or mistreat his staff. Right, Young Master Weiss?¡± Then, she shed him a meaningful smile as she added brightly, ¡°If it helps, you can always do it over PayPal.¡± The man was at a loss for words. Emily suddenly realized that her presence waspletely overshadowed by the maid, and she grew infuriated as she snapped, ¡°Okay, fine, he¡¯ll pay you what he owes you, so get back to work! I want all the clothes in these bags ironed and hung in the wardrobe, and I mean every single piece of clothing, got it? If I see so much as a wrinkle, you¡¯re done for!¡± she emphasized thest part of hermand and sprinkled malice on top of it, too. ¡°The password for the bags is 2345.¡± Having said that, she linked arms with Arthur and said cheerily, ¡°Come on, Artie, let¡¯s leave her to her work. Let¡¯s catch up on all thetest details of your life.¡± Sophia heaved a sigh in relief when Emily and Arthur finally left the room, but she couldn¡¯t help wondering why thetter was so intent on keeping her here. Sighing, she opened up one of the bags only to stop and stare at the contents for a full three seconds. Then, she picked up the ckce neglig¨¦e from the very top of the pile of clothes. The fabric, or rather theck thereof, had her stumped. Miss Jennings might as well be naked in this! Who¡¯s she going to wear this for? Arthur? Does he have a fetish for stuff like this? When she proceeded to iron Emily¡¯s questionable wardrobe, Sophia began to panic, for she became acutely aware of the fact that she had no idea how to operate a clothing iron. Her parents had raised her like a princess all her life, and they had never once let her go near house chores, much less do them. However, she was supposedly Arthur¡¯s maid right now, and she had no choice but to hunker down on these menial household tasks, which were not so much menial to her as they were challenges. Downstairs, Arthur looked distracted as he listened to Emily prattle on about thetest details of her undoubtedly jet-setting lifestyle. She stopped talking at some point when she realized that he seemed miles away, then asked dejectedly, ¡°Is my presence here bothering you, Artie?¡± ¡°No, of course not!¡± He looked at her with narrowed eyes. He knew exactly why Martha had asked Emily toe here. Knowing the olddy, she was most likely ying matchmaker, and this was just her way of setting him up with Emily. ¡°Then why do you look like you aren¡¯t happy to see me?¡± Emily used, biting down on her lip. ¡°I¡¯m happy to see you. I was just thinking about something else, that¡¯s all.¡± He had only just said this when a loud cry sounded from the second floor. ¡°Ow!¡± The next second, Arthur rose from the couch and headed up the stairs with Emily in his wake. When they reached the guest room, they saw Sophia standing by the ironing board holding her hand, and the clothing iron was still hissing away. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Arthur asked urgently. He reached out to grab her hand and immediately saw the red streak burn on her palm. ¡°Sorry, I identally burned myself earlier. I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Sophia said. She had instinctively cried out in rm when she made contact with the hot iron, but she didn¡¯t think she would draw the couple upstairs. She wanted to pull away from Arthur, but he tightened his grip on her and led her to the bathroom, then turned on the tap to run her red, angry palm under cold water. While doing so, he chided, ¡°You should always pay attention when you¡¯re ironing!¡± Meanwhile, Emily¡¯s heart leaped to her throat when she saw this scene. She remembered how much Arthur hated physical contact, but here he was holding the maid¡¯s hand with an unsettling familiarity. Sophia leaned closer to him and whispered in retort, ¡°It¡¯s not my fault I¡¯ve never been made to iron anything!¡± Arthur knew that she had been raised as a youngdy of nobility as well, so he did not continue berating her. After turning off the tap water and drying her hand, they walked out of the bathroom together. Then, he nced at Emily and said, ¡°Have your maids do the ironing, Emily. I¡¯m afraid Sophia¡¯s a little too clumsy for her own good.¡± ¡°If she¡¯s so clumsy, why don¡¯t you just fire her?¡± Emily assessed Sophia belittingly and added, ¡°We can¡¯t pay someone who doesn¡¯t do their job well.¡± Sophia would be lying to say she wasn¡¯t insulted. Arthur, however, defended her, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m used to having her around to bring me tea and stuff, so she can stay.¡± Once again, Sophia was surprised by how determined he was to keep her here. ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m worn out from the flight and the car ride here, so make me a cup of coffee,¡± she ordered Sophia furiously. ¡°Prove yourself to be useful, why don¡¯t you?¡± Making coffee was one of the many things Sophia did not know how to do. She usually got her coffee from a local barista or any other cafe. Right now, she tossed Arthur a pleading look, trying to get help. When he saw the despair in her wide doe eyes, he repressed the urge to sigh in frustration. She can¡¯t iron, and she can¡¯t make coffee. Is there anything she knows how to do other than talk back to someone? ¡°We don¡¯t have a proper coffee machine here,¡± he lied to Emily after ring at Sophia. ¡°I¡¯ll send someone out to get one for you if you¡¯d like.¡± Emily was more than aggravated now. ¡°Well, how about tea? Surely, she can bring me tea.¡± She was trying to gauge how important this so-called maid was to Arthur, and there was no hiding the fact that Emily hated Sophia¡¯s guts. Hence, the former was currently thinking of ways to get rid of thetter and eradicate any good impression Sophia might have made on Arthur. I have to make Artie hate her too. That way, if he decides to keep her, I can order her around as I like. Emily knew she had to nip this in the bud before she ended up losing Arthur to some tramp maid. At once, Sophia bustled off into the kitchen to make tea, which, thankfully, was something she knew how to do. She had made the tea and brought the tray over to the couch, but just as she was setting down the cups on the coffee table, Emily asked, ¡°You¡¯re a maid, aren¡¯t you? Where¡¯s your uniform?¡± Emily was immediately unhappy when she noticed that Sophia was wearing a nice dress, not to mention, looking really good in it. Sophia¡¯s eyes flickered over to Arthur as she said slowly, ¡°I¡¯ve only started work a month ago, so I don¡¯t have a uniform.¡± ¡°Then I shall get one ready for you,¡± Emily dered with a smirk. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that,¡± Arthur interjected. ¡°Honestly, I find uniforms to be a stuffy concept.¡± This made Emily choke on her tea. She began to wonder just who Sophia was to warrant such concern from Arthur, who was famed for being stoic, and why he kept speaking up for her. ¡°Thank you, Young Master Weiss,¡± Sophia said, then backed out of the living room. She had a feeling that her life here wasn¡¯t going to be all rainbows and butterflies now that Emily had moved in. That woman¡¯s a jealous one, she thought grimly. Still, she would not have to suffer like this if she could find that man¡¯s ne. Where could that family heirloom possibly be? She wanted to cry out in exasperation. Of all the people she could have a score to settle with, it just had to be an entric jerk like Arthur. Meanwhile, over at the Presgraves¡¯, Anastasia received a call from Lori that morning. Lori told Anastasia that she was desperate to design the perfect jewelry for her friend¡¯s engagement and that she was wondering if she could drop by to have Anastasia¡¯s input on the design sketches today. Naturally, Anastasia did not reject her plea for help and invited her over to the house without hesitation. At 4.00 pm that day, Lori drove into the car porch of Elliot¡¯s vi. She walked through the front door and into the living room, whereupon she was greeted by Anastasia, who looked like a vision dressed in a soft-colored long dress. ¡°Lori.¡± ¡°Mrs. Presgrave.¡± ¡°Please, call me Anastasia. Mrs. Presgrave sounds too formal,¡± Anastasia said kindly. ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to address you by your first name since the first time we met, but I didn¡¯t want to offend you,¡± Lori exined. With a self-mocking smile, she added, ¡°Our family¡¯s really strict about formalities.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. You can call me by my name when it¡¯s just the both of us,¡± Anastasia said with a smile. She then proceeded to appraise Lori¡¯s get-up today. Thetter was dressed appropriately in an outfit that included dark academia elements with just an understated, feminine appeal. She was also wearing very light make-up that entuated her delicate features. Upon taking the sketch from Lori and giving it a cursory look, Anastasia praised, ¡°There¡¯s definitely talent here¡ªand creativity too.¡± ¡°Just sudden inspiration, I guess,¡± Lori said humbly,ughing. ¡°I don¡¯t have much time usually, what with business investments and all.¡± Anastasia highlighted several parts of the design that needed to be smoothed over and suggested several ways Lori could achieve it. Thetter nodded delightedly and said, ¡°You really are a professional, Anastasia.¡± Having pointed out a few more things and shared a few insider¡¯s tricks with Lori, Anastasia didn¡¯t even notice that an hour had passed until she checked the time and saw that it was already 5.30 pm. She thereafter rose to have the kitchen prepare dinner, but just as she was about to invite Lori to stay, the girl shook her head and said she had to leave. ¡°Thank you for the invitation, Anastasia, but I have something nned for tonight and I should go,¡± Lori exined, gathering her things as she got off the couch. ¡°But it¡¯s already sote, and Elliot will be home soon. Come on, stay for dinner,¡± Anastasia insisted. ¡°It¡¯s really so nice of you to offer, but I couldn¡¯t impose, not tonight at least. Dinner¡¯s on me next time, okay?¡± Lori said, politely but firmly turning Anastasia down. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll see you some other day.¡± Anastasia walked with her out the door and to the car. Sliding into the driver¡¯s seat, Lori gave her a small wave and said, ¡°Thanks for today. I¡¯ll see you around!¡± ¡°Drive safe.¡± Returning the wave, Anastasia watched as the car pulled out of the porch and out the front gates. Presently, the vibrant sunset glow was cast over the garden, coating it in a warm golden hue. There were thoughts behind Anastasia¡¯s clear, bright eyes as she stood outside. She did not go back into the living room. Instead, she nced at the watch on her wrist. Jared should be home by now. As expected, the fleet of cars escorting the little boy pulled up outside the house but did not drive in. Jared leaped out of one of the cars and dashed through the gates. He ran up to Anastasia when he saw her and asked happily, ¡°Mommy, were you waiting for me?¡± ¡°Yes, I was,¡± she answered with an affectionate smile. He beamed and held her hand while eximing, ¡°I love you so much, Mommy!¡± ¡°I love you, too.¡± She reached out to ruffle his hair, then led him into the house. When Jared got into the living room and saw the kitten darting back and forth on the couch, he quickly set his bag aside and began to y with the feline. The little furball had only grown cuter since they first got it. A littleter into the evening, a ck Bugatti sports car drove and parked on the car porch. The soft purr of the car engine indicated that Elliot had returned. Anastasia was reading on the grassywn right outside the living room while Jared was ying with the cat. When she saw Elliot walking up to her with his silhouette outlined by the twilight glow, she set her book down and ran to meet him in the middle. She had missed him dearly after not seeing him for the whole day. Upon seeing her running his way, Elliot opened his arms and caught her just as she threw herself into his embrace like a child. He lifted her up by the waist and twirled her once, then set her back down. ¡°Missed me?¡± he asked teasingly. There was a warm and gentle gleam in his eyes as he kissed her forehead indulgently. She nodded, smiling as she said, ¡°I did.¡± ¡°Daddy, I want a kiss too,¡± Jared demanded as he approached the loving couple with the kitten in his arms. Elliot let go of Anastasia and bent to pick up the little guy, then kissed him on the cheek lovingly. ¡°Did you have fun at school today, Jared?¡± ¡°You bet!¡± Jared replied with a firm nod. The kitten looked decidedly unhappy when it saw that everyone else had received Elliot¡¯s affection. ¡°Meow!¡± Having considered the feline to be part of the family, Elliot reached out to pat its soft, furry head and asked, ¡°You¡¯re not angling for a kiss too, are you?¡± The kitten meowed once more as if to answer in the affirmative. Amusement seized Elliot as he continued scratching the cat behind its ears to cate it. There was a serenity in the way the family of three and their cat hung out with each other under the evening sky. For a while, it was as if the world was at peace. Meanwhile, Lori was on her way home when she called her mother and told her what happened with Anastasia. Upon hearing the details, Kendra said on the other line, ¡°You did the right thing, Lori. That way, Anastasia won¡¯t be suspicious of you or see you as a threat.¡± Lori had deliberately dropped by Anastasia¡¯s house during thete afternoon and left before dinner time just so thetter wouldn¡¯t think she was trying to butt into her family affairs. The clever nning would help Lori make a good impression on Anastasia, who would then put her guard down. Presently, there was an ambitious glimmer in Lori¡¯s eyes as she said, ¡°By the way. Mom, I¡¯ve already sent in my resume to Presgrave Group.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a little too soon, Lori. My father said not to rush the n, remember? After all, Elliot is still in his honeymoon phase with Anastasia. You ought to wait until she¡¯s got a second kid on the way before you make a move.¡± ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m only doing this to gauge Elliot¡¯s feelings for me, that¡¯s all,¡± Lori exined. It was like ying chess, and every move she made along the way was intentional with a purpose behind it. ¡°Very well, but make sure that you pace yourself and don¡¯t muck up our ns!¡± ¡°I know, Mom. I¡¯ll be careful,¡± Lori promised calmly. It was 10.00 pm when Anastasia got out of the shower that night to get ready for bed, only to see the kitten mbering onto the couch, its ws digging into the fabric as itunched itself onto the padded cushion. It let out a soft mewl as though to insist it could make it on its own. Anastasia sat down to the side and asked in amusement, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be with your darling little master instead of hanging out in our room?¡± The kitten managed to get onto the couch, and as a reward, it staked out a corner and curled up in it, then dozed off. Just then, the bedroom door opened and Elliot walked in dressed in his lounge suit. He had only just wrapped up an online conference with international affiliates, and there was an imperial, decisive, and deadly air about him that made him all the more attractive. Anastasia loved it when he wore suits, and she couldn¡¯t help the primal urges that seized her during moments like these. It was an almost feral instinct that made her want to leap over and help him shed the stoic-looking suit. However, she had seen the hidden side of him, the side thaty on the other end of the spectrum from his aloof state. As though reading her mind, Elliot kissed the top of her head and murmured as he undid the buttons of his suit, ¡°Give me twenty minutes.¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. She smiled and asked innocently, ¡°And what will you do after twenty minutes?¡± Bemused, he raised a brow and gave her a knowing look. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid the idea will have to be put off till a weekter,¡± she confessed, not wanting to give him the satisfaction. He understood immediately. shing her a roguish grin, he teased, ¡°Well, in that case, perhaps I should save up my energy till then.¡± She pouted and gave him a somewhat distressed look, to which he responded with augh as he headed into the shower. When he was done, he came out of the bathroom and saw her curled up in bed. He slid under the covers while she was still reading and pulled her into his arms so that she could lean against him. ¡°Honey, I don¡¯t want to be a housewife anymore,¡± Anastasia grumbled softly. Elliot stroked her hair tenderly and said, ¡°You can do whatever you want.¡± ¡°I want to take charge of Bourgeois,¡± Anastasia said as she looked up at Elliot. Francis initially wanted her to continue managing Tillman Constructions, but she had no interest whatsoever in building materials, so he decided that he would hand the business over to Elliot after retirement. ¡°Alright, then. You¡¯ll be themander-in-chief for Bourgeois from tomorrow onward,¡± Elliot said. He couldn¡¯t care less about profit margins and operating costs as long as his wife could amuse herself. He would always be there as a safety for her. Warmth surged through Anastasia when she heard this, but before she could thank him, he added, ¡°Go and do whatever you like. Don¡¯t you worry about a thing, because I¡¯m always going to be here to catch you when you fall, okay?¡± In that quiet room, Elliot¡¯s tender love and indulgence for Anastasia seemed audible in his words. He sounded firm and assuring, making her heart skip a beat. Upon hearing the solemn promise underlying his bold statement, she felt like she was in the safest harbor, protected by some great, universal force. She could do whatever she liked, and if she messed things up, he would always be there to help her get through it. She did not need to worry about a thing, because he was the fort that would keep her shielded from the brutal consequences of failure. That said, Anastasia knew taking over Bourgeois was not just a game she decided to y on a whim. Now that she had voiced out her desire to run it, she would have to make her words count and show him she was not just doing it out of fun. She had a duty to be a better version of herself, because how else would she live up to the name of being Elliot¡¯s wife? Meanwhile, in Arthur¡¯s vi, Sophia was having a hard time falling asleep after binge-watching several episodes of a new hit drama through the night. She got out of bed and padded out of her room to get a ss of water, hoping that sleep woulde after that. She opened the door softly. She was staying on the third floor while Arthur and Emily were resting on the second. While heading downstairs, she kept her footfalls as quiet as possible, so much so that she was practically tiptoeing. Much like a wary kitten, she made her way to the first floor and hurried into the kitchen, following the low hum of the refrigerator. She thought a cold drink was suitable in light of the rising temperatures as they weed the beginning of summer. Just then, a cold and crisp voice spoke up behind her. ¡°What are you doing up in the middle of the night?¡± Sophia gasped and turned around, but she did so too quickly and ended up bumping her head against the door of the freezerpartment. The loud thud resonated throughout the kitchen like an ominous drum beat. ¡°Could you not creep up on me like that? For heaven¡¯s sake, you had me half-scared to death!¡± she snapped, rubbing the sore spot on her head as she shot Arthur a resentful look. Arthur came up to her. He was a head taller than her, and he was here to get a drink as well. The refrigerator light cast a warm glow on both of their silhouettes as they stood there facing each other. At that moment, Sophia noticed the carton of milk on the top row of the refrigerator and reached up to grab it. However, her fingertips could barely brush it. She was just about to give up when arge hand easily grabbed it and handed it to her. As she took over the milk, she looked up at the man to thank him, only to be caught off guard. He seemed to have slept beforeing downstairs. His ink-colored hair was currently tousled over his forehead, unlike during the day. He was peering into the fridge for something to drink as well, revealing his side profile, which was all sharp jawline and delicately-chiseled features. He looked breathtaking. Presently, Arthur sensed Sophia staring at him, and he looked down with narrowed eyes as he demanded, ¡°What are you looking at?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, uh, nothing,¡± Sophia mutteredmely, breaking eye contact. Her heart was beating so loud and fast that it was a wonder he didn¡¯t hear it. Swallowing convulsively, she darted around him as she was about to leave. In the end, he grabbed another bottle of milk off the top row of the refrigerator and closed the door. The hallway grew dim immediately in the absence of the refrigerator light, and Sophia, who was hardly paying any attention while walking, identally slipped on one of the steps. There was a thud as she fell, bashing her knee on the steps as she grappled around in the dark to steady herself. ¡°Ow¡­¡± She winced at the pain that tore through her knee. She must be bleeding by now; the fall had scraped the skin of her knee. At the sight of this, Arthur came up to her and frowned. How did she even manage to survive all the way into adulthood? Presently, Sophia had eased herself into a sitting position on the stairs and her face was all scrunched up with pain as she gingerly rolled up her pajama pants. Sure enough, both her knees were bleeding. What¡¯s going on up in that brain of hers? Arthur stared at her wounds in disbelief, then crouched down to examine them as he scolded, ¡°Don¡¯t you watch where you walk?¡± Sophia looked up at him incredulously. He was the reason why she had slipped and fallen on the staircase like an idiot with no motor skills; it wasn¡¯t her fault that he looked that good in the refrigerator light and made her rethink how handsome he actually was. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she said with a steely edge in her voice, then slowly tried to get up. ¡°Sit down,¡± Arthur ordered. She was stunned when he straightened up and found his way to the sideboard, then returned with a first-aid kit in hand. ¡°I can do that myself,¡± Sophia said anxiously. She was terrified of the stinging, burning pain that came with the menial procedure of cleaning up one¡¯s wounds, and she would much rather do it herself than have him administer first aid on her. Arthur, however, ignored Sophia and proceeded to clean up her wounds with a sterilized Q-tip. When he went on to apply the antiseptic, she hissed in pain and gasped softly. ¡°Ow, that hurts!¡± The way she yelped was so suggestive that Arthur stopped and shot her a freezing look, as though angry that his testosterone decided to react to her voice. At present, neither of them noticed the fuming figure that stood on the second-floornding with her hand on the banister. Emily had been awakened by the ruckus downstairs, so she came out of her room and Sophia¡¯s soft moans of pain sounded. She then decided to head downstairs only to see Arthur helping the girl clean her bleeding shins. One could call it first-aid, but to Emily, who was so blinded by jealousy she could hardly think straight, Sophia was a cunning vixen who had resorted to such cheap acts to win over Arthur¡¯s attention. ¡°What happened, Arthur?¡± Emily asked aloud, pretending as if she had been woken up by the commotion as she continued her way down the rest of the steps. Sophia hurriedly rolled down the legs of her pajama pants and apologized, ¡°Did we wake you, Miss Jennings? I¡¯m terribly sorry for that.¡± ¡°Did something happen to you?¡± Emily asked, meeting the other girl¡¯s gaze confrontationally. ¡°I fell and scraped my knees earlier, so Mr. Weiss helped me stop the bleeding,¡± Sophia answered frankly. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re not bleeding anymore, then go back to your room,¡± Emily bit out grimly. Arthur went to keep the first-aid kit while Sophia hurried up the stairs, but when she passed Emily, the latter grabbed her by the wrist and warned through gritted teeth, ¡°Stay away from my man if you don¡¯t want to end up in the sorriest circumstances known to man.¡± Emily had said this so quietly that Sophia was the only one who could hear it, but the icy warning in her tone was not lost. It was only after Sophia was released from her grip that she hurried up the stairs, baffled by how much untoward hatred Emily had for her. She wanted to tell her that she was a natural klutz and had no intention whatsoever of seducing Arthur. Letting out an angry huff, Emily met Arthur at the bottom of the staircase and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think I can go back to sleep now. Stay up for a chat, Artie.¡± ¡°I¡¯m tired,¡± Arthur said, handing her the bottle of milk he had taken from the fridge earlier. ¡°Here, you can have this.¡± He hadn¡¯t actually been thirsty at all when he grabbed the milk. He had gone out of his bedroom when he heard footstepsing down from the third floor, and as for the milk, it was nothing but chilled subterfuge. Emily was furious. So, Artie would rather rendezvous with the maid than stay up and talk to me. Is that it? Looks like I¡¯ve severely underestimated how much Sophia means to him. The next morning, Anastasia woke up as the weak sunlight spilled into the room and over the side of the bed. Elliot had already called Larry, the vice president of Bourgeois, and asked him to drop by the house with aption of all the relevantpany information. Over the phone, Elliot added that Anastasia would be in charge of running the business starting from today. Elliot had left for work after that, leaving Anastasia to wait for Larry¡¯s arrival at home. When the clock struck 10, Larry and his assistant were escorted into the living room by the maid. Larry nced at the woman on the couch. She¡¯s blossomed into a whole new person now, one that must not be overlooked under any circumstances, he thought. He still remembered the days when she had started out in Bourgeois. Elliot had asked him to persuade her to ept the gift of top-quality real estate and made him bring her the information on the property as well. However,pletely unfazed by the otherwise-tempting gift, Anastasia turned him down. From that moment onward, Larry had a feeling that she could very well be his superior. As it turned out, his gut had been right. Unlike the first few times they met, Anastasia looked wiser and more focused now, with a confidence that seemed to shine through, polished by years of experience. ¡°Vice President Young, it¡¯s been a while,¡± she greeted with a smile. ¡°Mrs. Presgrave, I hope you¡¯ve been well,¡± Larry replied affably, acknowledging the difference in their positions now. ¡°You can always call me Anastasia, you know.¡± ¡°Oh, no, I couldn¡¯t. I think Madam President has a nice ring to it, or maybe President Tillman,¡± he said humorously. She did not try to dissuade him from addressing her as such. ¡°Could you give me a run-down of the business strategies for Bourgeois and the execution ns for them? I¡¯ve only just taken over, and I¡¯d really appreciate it if you could be my stalwart guide inpany matters.¡± Larry was more than happy to do so. After all, Anastasia was married to Elliot now, and under her leadership, Bourgeois was sure to reach new heights in the industry. Anastasia listened to what Larry had to say attentively. He was practically a veteran and a treasure trove of work experience, and she heartily approved of the strategies he hade up with for the business. ¡°We¡¯ll be holding a press conference for a new productunch soon, Madam President. You must make an appearance; it¡¯ll give the media a field day.¡± ¡°When is the press conference?¡± Anastasia asked. ¡°Next Saturday,¡± Larry replied dutifully. ¡°I¡¯ll be there,¡± she promised with a nod. He beamed as he added, ¡°I¡¯m sure the Bourgeois team will be happy to have you at the helm of the business.¡± She smiled. ¡°Well, in that case, I look forward to hearing more of your business strategies and having you show me the ropes, Vice President Young.¡± While this was happening, Elliot was in his office at Presgrave Group, sifting through the documents piled up on his desk when he came across a resume. He opened the folder and frowned slightly. It was Lori¡¯s resume, and she was applying not for an important position, but for an analyst job advertised by the finance department in one of his subsidiaries in the country. However, as it was against the rules to employ members of the Presgraves¡¯ extended family, Elliot had no choice but to reject her job application. He decided that he would personally rmend her to some otherpany instead. Seeing the number she had written at the very top of her resume, he grabbed his phone and called her. ¡°Hello?¡± Lori greeted on the other line. ¡°Hey, Lori, it¡¯s Elliot here. I just saw your resume and I believe an analyst job is far beneath your capabilities,¡± he said in a gravelly tone. Lori said earnestly, ¡°Elliot, if you¡¯ve read my resume, you would know that I don¡¯t care about the job as much as I do about getting into yourpany.¡± ¡°I can rmend you to anotherpany that happens to be hiring, and I think you¡¯d be a good fit for the job,¡± Elliot said firmly. She paused for a few seconds before pressing, ¡°I¡¯m actually in the area right now. Is it okay if I head to your office for a quick chat, Elliot? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen it in person before.¡± Prepared to talk her into taking up the job at the otherpany, he replied, ¡°Alright then. Come on over.¡± They were family, after all, and he figured there was no harm in letting her up to his office for a brief, friendly conversation. Meanwhile, Lori was checking her reflection in the restroom mirror in one of the nearby cafes. She evaluated her face from all angles underneath the white light. When she was satisfied with the way she looked alongside her delicately-applied make-up, she straightened her white blouse and her tight-fitting skirt, then flipped her long hair over her shoulders. For a finishing touch, she gave herself a light spritz of perfume and finally walked out. Subsequently, she pulled up outside the main entrance of Presgrave Group. She was more than familiar with thepany since her father had a friend who worked here as well. When she called the receptionist earlier, she made no mention of Elliot whatsoever. She went into the elevator, and the receptionist who escorted her left as soon as they reached the designated floor. Seeing this, Lori hurried into another avable elevator and made her way up to the presidential office. Rey was already waiting for her, and when she arrived, he said, ¡°This way please, Miss Presgrave.¡± Lori nodded and followed him into the spacious office, which she thought was only charming because of its owner. ¡°Elliot,¡± she greeted warmly when she saw the man on the couch. ¡°Oh, good, you¡¯re here. Have a seat,¡± Elliot said, gesturing toward the matching couch across from him. ¡°This ce is humungous, and that view outside is absolutely stunning!¡± She was never one to hold back onpliments, and the words flowed smoothly off her tongue as she shed him a smile. Elliot handed her a docket of information and said, ¡°That¡¯s the financialpany I was telling you about. The president happens to be a friend of mine. I already put in a word for you, and he said you could start working immediately without having to go through an interview.¡± ¡°You pulled strings for me? Wow, I¡¯m honored!¡± she eximed. Taking the docket, she leafed through thepany profile and the position they were offering her, then looked up with bright eyes as she asked, ¡°They¡¯re going to make me supervisor?¡± He nodded. ¡°You¡¯re qualified for it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so nice of you to say,¡± Lori said with a sweet smile, admiration glittering in her eyes. Elliot¡¯s gaze fell upon the document on the coffee table as he said, ¡°You can start work next Monday.¡± Chapter 661-670 Chapter 661-670 ¡°Seeing that you¡¯ve done me such a huge favor, I don¡¯t see how I can turn down the offer, Elliot. It¡¯s so nice of you to put in a good word for me. Shall I buy you lunch as thanks for the rmendation?¡± Lori asked, sliding the lunch invitation in as naturally as she could. Elliot wasted no time in rejecting her politely, ¡°No, thank you. I have something else nned for noon. Maybe next time.¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Well, when exactly is next time?¡± She was not going to give up on spending time alone with him. ¡°It depends,¡± he answered vaguely. He had no ns on epting her gratitude. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know when I have the time.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯ll hold you to that,¡± she said cheerily, flirting subtly as she backed off. She knew that pressing him further would only irritate him, or worse, make him suspicious of her. Nevertheless, she did not leave the office after that and merely fanned herself so that the faint fragrance of her perfume would waft over in his direction. ¡°By the way, I¡¯m a little parched from rushing over here. Could I have a cup of tea, please?¡± Realizing this, he turned to address Rey, ¡°Go fetch two cups of tea.¡± When the assistant left the office, Lori rose from the couch and walked insouciantly over to the ss wall, basking herself in the afternoon sunlight that spilled generously into the office. She knew her years of toning her figure in the gym had rendered herpletely irresistible to men, especially her cinched waist and her subtle curves which inspired most of their scandalous thoughts. If Elliot was looking at her, or even daring a glimpse, it would be more than enough for her. However, when she nced into the reflection on the sparkling ss wall, she saw that he wasn¡¯t even looking in her direction. In fact, he had his head down as he flipped through work documents. The only thing that she saw on that ss was her own disappointment. She spun and returned to the couch, then picked up her cup of tea. Taking a sip, she asked, ¡°I¡¯m not bothering you, am I, Elliot?¡± ¡°No,¡± he replied distractedly as he nced up at her, then signed the document with a flourish. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking my tea in a bit.¡± He was just about to reach for his cup when his phone rang. He took a look at the caller ID and smiled warmly. Knowing immediately who was on the other line, Lori pointed out hastily, ¡°Is that Anastasia? Don¡¯t let her know I¡¯m here; I don¡¯t want her getting the wrong idea.¡± Elliot chuckled. ¡°Anastasia is better than that.¡± Naturally, he did not n on telling his wife about Lori¡¯s visit either. He picked up his phone and greeted in a voice like velvet, ¡°Hey, sweetheart.¡± ¡°So, I just had an informal meeting with Larry, and I told him to get an office ready for me. Guess we¡¯ll be going to work together from now on, honey.¡± His eyes positively glimmered when he heard this, and he chortled as he said, ¡°You know what, I¡¯ll get him to set up an office right on my floor so that we can see each other all the time!¡± Unfortunately, his suggestion was rejected by his wife, who countered, ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to be on the same stuffy floor as you. I want to have my own space on the same floor as Bourgeois.¡± He was admittedly hurt, but he brushed it off and gave an exasperatedugh, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll do it your way.¡± Across from him, Lori held her teacup to her lips and nced at the man who was standing by the ss wall. She took in the sharp lines of his silhouette longingly, and her heart twisted with bitter jealousy when she heard the gentle way he spoke to Anastasia. She had not seen him for close to a dozen years, but his figure was imprinted in the back of her mind, and she never forgot him even though her father had forced her to stay abroad for years. If it weren¡¯t for her father, she would have returned to Elliot¡¯s side years ago. s, fate had a cruel sense of humor, for her existence got in the way of her father stealing the Presgrave family fortune. She never even got the chance to tell Elliot of her feelings for him, and all this while, she remembered him as the boy-next-door who had sent her heart racing since they were children. She could still remember how they used to run around the Presgrave Residence gardens together, and how he would take her hand to help her to her feet whenever she fell; he wouldfort her when she cried, and stand up for her when she broke a vase or two. He was the only religion she ever knew as a child, the one person she wanted to devote herself to on a daily basis. But the universe clearly hated her, because by the time she saw him again after all her years abroad, he was already married with a kid, and he had be devastatingly handsome, more so than she remembered. ¡°Yes, I promise I¡¯ll take a break when I need to and that I won¡¯t be a workaholic,¡± Elliot murmured into the phone with a lovesick grin on his face. He then went on to ask about her morning, and after reminding her to keep warm during her time of the month as well as exchanging sweet nonsense with her, he hung up reluctantly. He turned around, and he seemed surprised to see that Lori was still there. Following, he walked over to the couch and took his seat. ¡°So, it was Anastasia after all. You¡¯re so lucky to have found a wife like her. She¡¯s wonderful,¡± Lori praised with a smile. There was a bright gleam in Elliot¡¯s eyes as well as he said, ¡°She¡¯s the best. I¡¯m telling you, I don¡¯t know what I did to deserve someone like her.¡± The childhood memories flitted through Lori¡¯s mind like scenes from some old movie, emboldening her. Hence, she couldn¡¯t help bringing them up as she asked, ¡°Elliot, do you still remember the time when I broke the vase in your family home? I think I was about eight at the time, and I was so scared I couldn¡¯t stop shaking. You were the one who took the me for me, and I managed to get off without punishment!¡± Elliot was a little taken aback by this as he asked, ¡°I did that? Huh. I totally forgot about it.¡± Her lips curled up in a smile. ¡°Well, I still remember, because those are the happiest moments of my childhood. They say that a happy childhood is a soothing balm to the pains of growing up, you know. So, I guess I should thank you for giving me some of the best childhood memories.¡± She looked up at him after finishing her sentence and her gaze lingered on the features that she so adored. Hearing what she said, Elliot gave her a perfunctory smile. ¡°Did you have a good time abroad?¡± ¡°I suppose I did, though I was a little lonely,¡± she admitted with a sigh. ¡°If I evere across someone suitable, I¡¯d be sure to send them your way.¡± She feigned embarrassment as she mumbled, ¡°You don¡¯t even know my type.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right,¡± he said. ¡°Come on, tell me.¡± He wanted to know what he should look out for if he wanted to set her up with someone. She narrowed her eyes as if in thought. A sweet smile broke over her face as she gazed at him and said, ¡°I¡¯m not asking for much. I want someone as handsome and capable as you.¡± Elliot¡¯s instincts were sharp to begin with, and he could sense that the admiration she had for him was beyond tonic the moment he saw the smoldering gleam in her eyes. If he were any other man, he might find her love for him a triumph, something to gloat about to his peers. But he was not such a man, and her unsolicited affections only served to push him away. He eyed her sullenly as he said, ¡°Lori, I do not wish to hear such things again. Anastasia is the only woman for me, and nothing will ever change.¡± He ended his sentence calmly, but there was no hiding the dangerous warning that belied his words. At once, Lori bristled and quickly exined, ¡°I think you¡¯re getting the wrong idea here, Elliot. I¡¯m not trying toe between you and your wife.¡± ¡°You¡¯re like a baby sister to me; always have been, always will be,¡± he continued while his gaze darkened. At some point, it was like staring into the icy depths of some pitch-ck abyss. A chill ran down her spine when she heard this. More than anything, she was surprised to be rejected by him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I cracked a joke and it went too far, Elliot. I guess I thought it was okay for me to say something like that because of how much we used to hang out as children,¡± she apologizedmely, attempting to salvage the situation. However, Elliot did not bother letting her continue with her exnation, be it true or false. ¡°I have a meeting to get to, so you should go.¡± With that, he picked up the documents he had signed earlier and walked back to his desk. Lori, on the other hand, rose in a daze and said slowly, ¡°I¡¯ll get going now then. Goodbye, Elliot.¡± When she was out of the office, she clutched the front of her shirt and stared into space helplessly. She never imagined him to be so loyal to his marriage, much less so protective over his wife. This could be a hurdle to her father¡¯s ns, but she figured this hup was only due to the fact that Elliot was newly married. At some point, he would grow weary of Anastasia and begin to resent her for chaining him to a miserable marriage. If Kendra¡¯s advice was anything to go by, he would start feeling that way around the time Anastasia fell pregnant again, and that would be Lori¡¯s window of opportunity. Meanwhile, a fleet of cars was passing through the fields in the countryside, cruising down the road that led into the woods in the distance. Sophia was in the backseat of the second car in the fleet, and after taking a short nap, she woke up only to find that she was surrounded by acres and acres of farnd. As such, she rested her arms on the edge of the car window and peered out of the ss at the idyllic scenery. Arthur was going to evaluate a ce that was famed for its serenity, and he had brought along with him a renowned medium. It was around noon when they arrived at a restaurant that looked heavily outback-inspired. The four cars of the fleet pulled into the parking lot after Arthur decided that they were going to have to settle for lunch here. They had driven close to fifty miles out of the city, and as things were, it was impossible for them to find a decent restaurant in that area, much less high-end dining establishments. When the second car rolled to a stop, Sophia happily got down from the vehicle. She was just about to stretch to loosen her joints when suddenly, arge and aggressive dog came rushing out of the doghouse on the premises and began barking ferociously at them. Being the closest one to the dog, Sophia visibly nched, and fear made her seek out the person most likely to protect her. Without a word, she instinctivelytched herself onto said person and clung to him for dear life. Just like that, the young, handsome, and muscr bodyguard became Sophia¡¯s shield. She clung to him like an octopus as she yowled, ¡°Ahhh! Save me!¡± Her bodyguard carried her into his arms while kicking the dog in the snout as the animal reached her. The pain sent it running back to its den and hiding from them. Getting out of the first car, Arthur narrowed his eyes at the sight. As someone well-attuned with his surroundings, the bodyguard soon noticed Arthur and hurriedly lowered Sophia down. ¡°It¡¯s over now, Miss Goodwin. ¡± ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± She grinned at him with gratitude evident in her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± he stiffly replied, looking down at his feet in fear. She shyly nced at the bodyguard¡¯s face. She had noticed this man for a while now. He was the youngest of Arthur¡¯s men, and despite being of a mixed-race descent, he spoke fluent English. Whenever he was at work with an earpiece on, he looked so very handsome. When Arthur saw the admiring look in her eyes, he tuned out the fortune teller standing beside him. Did Sophia have a crush on his bodyguard? Stepping out of the third car, Emily elegantly sashayed over to Arthur. ¡°Are we having lunch here, Artie?¡± It was obvious from her tone that she did not want to dine here since this ce was below her station. Furthermore, the ground was so filthy that just standing there had sullied her exquisite shoes. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about that. Did it hurt you?¡± The friendly owner of the shop came rushing over to wee them. ¡°Are you dining here?¡± ¡°Oh, yes!¡± Sophia answered with a smile. When sheter saw the bodyguards dining outside while Arthur and the others headed into a private room, she said to him, ¡°I¡¯ll be dining outside, Mr. Weiss.¡± She wanted to dine with the handsome bodyguard, after all. ¡°We will dine together,¡± Arthur replied. ¡°Artie, she¡¯s just a servant,¡± Emily protested. ¡°Let her dine outside with the bodyguards!¡± ¡°Miss Jennings is right,¡± Sophia said in agreement. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± She then walked over to the table with the handsome bodyguard and sat down by his side. Emily linked her arm through Arthur¡¯s and led him into the private dining room. As the ce was not busy, their food had arrived quickly. Sophia¡¯s head spun when she saw just how fast and quietly the men ate. In around ten minutes, everyone was done eating. ¡°Take your time, Miss Goodwin,¡± said the bodyguard sitting beside her. ¡°Are you guys done?¡± ¡°We¡¯re all done eating,¡± he replied before heading outside with the rest of his coworkers to keep guard. With a resigned sigh, she pulled out her phone and began eating while scrolling through the news. Meanwhile, inside the private room, the fortune teller was continuing about theplexities of his field. Arthur solemnly listened to every word being said, but Emily was bored out of her mind as she had no interest at all in fortune telling. Finally, they returned to the cars. When Sophia saw that the bodyguard she had a crush on was opening the door for her, she felt happy. However, just as they were about to leave, Sophia¡¯s car suddenly halted. The door to the back of the car was opened to allow Arthur to enter. She was shocked. Arthur was meant to share a car with the fortune teller, right? Why was he here? As soon as Arthur entered the car, the bodyguard driving immediately sat up straight and put on a serious face. Meanwhile, Emily, who had seen Arthur getting into Sophia¡¯s car, was seething. It was too bad that the cars had already started moving. Otherwise, she would have demanded he move to her car instead. After entering the car, Arthur closed his eyes as though he was going to take a nap. The afternoon sun syed across his face, emphasizing the elegant and refined features of his handsome face. He did not say a single word, which caused the air inside the car to feel awkward and heavy. Everyone could feel an immense yet silent pressure bearing down on them. All giddy joy had fled Sophia¡¯s mind. Why was he even here? After half an hour of driving, they finally arrived at a dense forest. The remaining parts of their journey would lead them along dirt paths instead of paved roads, so the ride turned bumpy. Large trees lined both sides of the road, providing them shade and turning the summer heat into a breezy spring air. With the fortune teller leading the way, the train of cars sessfully navigated through the mountain roads ahead of them. Sophia¡¯s heart was pounding the entire time. When the slope reached nearly 60 degrees, her hand flung out to grasp at another arm in panic. That arm belonged to Arthur. ¡°It¡¯s going to be fine,¡± he said when he saw how pale she was. ¡°Are we still going up?¡± She was beyond herself with fear. Just then, the SUVs pulled to a stop on a grassy in that was t and even. Emily immediately dashed out of her car and fell to her knees as she began puking. She had been raised in luxury. The ride up the mountains had been extremely hard for her to stomach. Out of the kindness of her heart, Sophia handed her some tissues. ¡°Are you okay, Miss Jennings?¡± Although Emily epted the offered tissue, she still shot Sophia a re. Was Sophiaughing at her? ¡°Young Master Weiss, we will need to walk for a while longer before we arrive at our destination.¡± ¡°What? We still have to walk!¡± Emily loudly protested. Why did shee along? All she got was pain and suffering. ¡°How long do we have to walk?¡± ¡°About twenty minutes or so,¡± replied the fortune teller. ¡°Rest in the car,¡± Arthur said to Emily. He then nced at Sophia. ¡°Can you walk?¡± Not wanting to stay behind to be at Emily¡¯s beck and call, she hurriedly nodded. ¡°Yes, I am fine with walking.¡± ¡°Do not go, Sophia. Stay with me,¡± Emily suddenly said. She would not give Sophia any chance to go on a stroll with Arthur. She had to split them up. ¡°Alistair,¡± Arthur said, pointing to the young bodyguard Sophia had a crush on, ¡°you¡¯ll be staying behind to take care of Miss Jennings.¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± replied Alistair with a nod. ¡°In that case, I¡¯m going with you too,¡± Emily spat out through gritted teeth, filled to the brim with frustration. However, as soon as she said that, she began vomiting once more. ¡°We have a tough climb ahead of us. You should rest here instead.¡± Arthur then walked away toward the path that spiraled up the mountain. Disappointment flickered through Sophia¡¯s heart. She was hoping Alistair would be hiking with them. Four of the bodyguards followed them up the mountain, while the remaining two stayed behind to stand guard. As Arthur was dressed in a ck athletic outfit with a pair of silver sunsses perched on his nose, his image of a refined young man remained strong, even deep in the mountains. Sophia was also dressed in a set of athletic clothing with shoes suited for hiking, but the following hike was still hard for her. There was only a tiny path that meandered through the woods. When they arrived at a slope that was slippery due to the rain, Arthur¡¯s long legs carried him safely upward, while Sophia had to attempt the climb with the help of the branches around her. Just then, a fair hand was held out before her. She looked up only to see that it was Arthur who was offering to pull her up. There was a moment of hesitation before she epted the offer. The moment she ced her hand in his, she was dragged up the slope by a strong burst of force. ¡°Aah!¡± She wrapped her arms tight around his waist, afraid to fall while she tried to bnce herself. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Afraid that she had offended him, she hurriedly stepped back as soon as she regained her bnce. Arthur turned around and continued to climb up without saying a single word. Unwilling to trouble him further, Sophia cautiously followed after him. Slowly, her mind drifted. She rarely had the time to go hiking. The distant mountains, covered by a hazyyer of cloud and light, filled her heart with wonder. It was a nice feeling. Bang! Distracted by the scenery, she walked into Arthur. When she realized she had bumped into him again, she blushed. The bodyguards who had been following behind them stared at them in disbelief. No one was ever allowed to be so rude to Young Master Weiss. Just how did this girl do it? What gave her the courage to constantly annoy him? If Sophia could read minds and knew what the bodyguards were thinking, she would have the urge to bury herself alive. She was not trying to annoy him! ¡°We¡¯ll have a better view once we¡¯re at the peak. Let us keep moving, Mr. Weiss,¡± said the fortune teller. Arthur nodded. There was no way he would cut corners when it came to selecting a spot for his grandfather¡¯s grave. He then turned to nce at Sophia as if he were worried that she could not continue the climb. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I can keep going,¡± she hurriedly said when she saw the look in his eyes. The group gradually made their way to the peak of the mountain. Whenever she needed help, Arthur would always turn around to give her a hand. Even though there were four burly men right behind her, Arthur still persisted in helping her. The peak of the mountain was a t, grassy field with no trees to be seen. The field of grass stretching far into the horizon made it seem like they were closer to the sky. The fortune teller began rattling off calctions based on theplex forms of his profession. While Sophia was left confused by his words, Arthur nodded along as if he understood what was being said. That surprised her. Had Arthur learned how to tell fortunes just from reading books on the subject over the past few days? No way! Just how strong of a learner was he? The fortune teller pointed to a spot halfway up a mountain. ¡°Young Master Weiss, that is the spot I have selected for your grandfather. It is surrounded by mountains, which means he would be surrounded by protectors. It is a great spot.¡± Arthur stared at the spot being pointed at. It had a great view while being surrounded on all sides by mountains. There was nothing that loomed over it, which meant there was no weird imbnce. It was certainly a good spot. He had nned to purchase the entire mountain as his grandfather¡¯s eternal resting ce if he could find a good spot. The mountain peak was covered in grass that came up to their knees. It was an incredible sight to behold. Standing beside him, Sophia solemnly listened to the lecture on fortune telling. The fortune teller began walking in excitement with Arthur following behind him. Enthralled by the lecture, she followed after them. The fortune teller came to a stop. Suddenly, something near her began wriggling, startling her. It was a sunbathing snake that was currently licking the air in her direction while rearing up as if to attack her. ¡°Aah!¡± When she saw the snake, she hurriedly darted to the side. However, a greater danger awaited her, for she had lost her bnce and was about to roll off the side of the mountain. ¡°Sophia!¡± As the person standing closest to her, Arthur moved to catch her. In doing so, he lost his bnce as well. ¡°Sir!¡± The bodyguards charged over. It was toote. They watched as Arthur and Sophia rolled across the grass and over the side of the mountain. All Sophia knew was that she was being held in a tight embrace while her face was pressed hard against Arthur¡¯s muscr chest. Despite rolling down the hill, he did not let her go at all. Thankfully, they soon arrived at a t piece ofnd that stopped their descent. The moment they stopped rolling, she pulled her face away from his chest. Her nostrils were filled with his cedar-scented cologne and the smell of grass. She looked up to find that he was bleeding from a cut on his forehead while she hade out of the experience unscathed. ¡°You¡¯re hurt!¡± Sophia hurriedly got off of Arthur. They were both covered in dirt and grass. The bodyguards leaped down to them, and two of them helped Arthur up to his feet. ¡°Are you alright, sir?¡± He was feeling fine, other than the cut on his forehead that had been caused by a sharp tree branch and the various scrapes that littered his hands. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± He dusted himself off before turning to look at her. ¡°Did the snake bite you?¡± ¡°No, it didn¡¯t.¡± She shook her head. Her face was still stark white from shock. As they climbed back up to the peak, her gaze remained fixed on him. Her heart was pounding. When they rolled down the side of the hill, he had wrapped an arm tightly around her waist while his other hand pressed her head against his chest. He had done it just to ensure she would not be injured. However, that meant he was unable to protect himself during the fall. Her blood was rushing. The high and mighty young master had actually risked himself to protect her. What if she had fallen off a high cliff instead? From how tightly he had wrapped himself around her, would he fall with her as well? The bodyguards pulled out a first-aid kit, then cleaned and dressed the bleeding cut on Arthur¡¯s forehead. The fortune teller was scared out of his wits by the dangerous situation Arthur had ced himself in. ¡°Are you alright, Young Master Weiss?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Continue!¡± Arthur said with a wave of his hand. His bodyguards spread out around them, sweeping the area for any signs of snakes. Even Sophia was starting to feel afraid of the grass around her. That snake had been the longest snake she had ever seen in her life. By the time the fortune teller was done with his analysis, Arthur had his men take photos of the area instead of making a decision right then and there. He would decide after thoroughly researching the area. Hiking up a mountain was always easier than hiking down a mountain. It was a steep climb, which meant their descent was harder. One false move and they would go rolling down the mountain. With bent legs, she slowly shuffled down the mountain while clinging to the surrounding branches. Her hand reached for the next branch, only to grab a long leaf instead. Suddenly, pain shot through her hand as the sharp edges of the leaf shed her hand. She let out a sharp hiss, pulling her hand back to inspect it. It was bleeding. Arthur was right behind her. He frowned and said, ¡°Let me see.¡± She showed him her palm. ¡°Be careful,¡± he said as he inspected her hand. ¡°Avoid touching leaves simr to this.¡± She nodded in response. He then moved to walk in front of her. When they reached a tough part of the climb, he would turn around and give her a hand. Every time that happened, she would notice the wounds on his fair hands, making her heart throb in pain. ¡°Young Master Weiss, please don¡¯t save me from danger next time,¡± she said. ¡°Why?¡± He turned around and stared into her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you will be injured. I do not want you to get hurt because of me.¡± She solemnly stared back at him. ¡°I¡¯m a lucky man. I won¡¯t die.¡± He turned his attention back to climbing down the mountain. They soon arrived at another steep section. Just as she was cautiously making her way down, he suddenly lifted her up horrizontally since he was already on a safe, t spot. Her mind was stuck in a dazed state, and she only snapped back to her senses when she was finally put down. Arthur had carried her. Finally, they were back on the dirt path they had initially followed and had safely made it back to the cars. Emily had been waiting for their return. By the time they did, the sun was about to set. After all, it was well past five o¡¯clock. ¡°Artie¡­¡± She happily dashed over to the group but stopped when she saw the wound on Arthur¡¯s forehead. ¡°How did you get hurt?¡± she asked, upset. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I was identally cut by a branch,¡± he calmly exined. She looked him up and down. His ck outfit was covered in bits of grass, as if he had been rolling on the ground. ¡°Your hands! How did you hurt your hands?¡± Emily let out a painful shriek when she saw the scrapes on Arthur¡¯s hands. Meanwhile, Sophia lowered her head. After all, he was only hurt because of her. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. We¡¯ll deal with it when we get back.¡± Arthur then led Emily back to the car. As she got in, she said, ¡°Artie, I want to ride in the same car as you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m covered with dirt,¡± he merely replied before closing the door in her face. She then watched as he turned to the second car of the group and joined Sophia in her car. Her eyes were zing with rage. Was a simple maid better than her now? They started on the journey back. Sophia could not handle it any longer. Driving downhill was even more frightful than their ride up. She clutched tightly to the handlebars in the car and looked away from the road ahead. On the other hand, Arthur was as calm as one could be. He had the utmost faith in his bodyguards¡¯ driving skills. Once the cars were finally back on smooth, paved roads, they sped off toward the city like horses dashing through the night. It was dark outside by now. After an eventful day, Sophia was exhausted. Even though Arthur was sitting right beside her, she could not help but fall asleep. While she was dozing off, her head lolled to the side and leaned against his shoulder. Instead of pushing her away, he just let her be. She spent the entire journey back sleeping. By the time they arrived back at the mansion, it was around seven o¡¯clock. Someone gently patted her cheeks. ¡°We¡¯re home, Sophia.¡± She opened her eyes and blinked away her drowsiness. When she realized she had been sleeping against his shoulder, she immediately sat up straight. Goodness! Had she spent the entire journey sleeping on Arthur¡¯s shoulder? Emily¡¯s two maids immediately came to greet them as they stepped through the doors. Arthur instantly went up to his room for a shower. Sophia was about to do the same when Emily called out for her to stop. Her sharp gaze scanned her. With the help of the room¡¯s lights, she could see the dirt and grass sticking to Sophia¡¯s outfit. ¡°Sophia, just how did Artie get hurt?¡± she suspiciously asked. Sophia stared back, stunned. ¡°I will not be merciful if you lie to me,¡± Emily threatened. ¡°I was nearly bitten by a snake when we were at the peak, and I lost my bnce. Young Master Weiss fell down the side of the mountain with me as he wanted to protect me,¡± Sophia bluntly answered. She had not nned to lie anyway. Emily¡¯s eyes went wide. She could imagine exactly what had happened. Jealousy roared through her as she scoffed. ¡°Are you sure you did not intentionally lose your bnce so that Artie would hold you in his arms and roll down the mountain with you? You sure are doing a lot just to seduce him. You would do anything, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Just as Sophia was about to speak, Emily pped her across the face and shouted, ¡°The nerve of you to assume you deserve Artie risking his life over. Take the p as your warning.¡± Sophia¡¯s head had turned away from the force of the p. There was a loud humming noise, echoing in her ears. However, she still managed to hear a man¡¯s voice barking out, ¡°Stop it, Emily.¡± Arthur hade back down when he heard themotion. He moved to stand between them. ¡°You are not allowed to hit her.¡± ¡°Artie, she nearly killed you. It was just a lesson.¡± Emily did not think she did anything wrong. In her mind, Sophia had to be reminded of her ce. A maid did not deserve to be protected by Arthur Weiss. ¡°Enough. You do not have the right to hit her,¡± he coldly said. He then turned around to look at Sophia. When he saw the bright red mark on her skin, he frowned. ¡°Head on upstairs and shower.¡± Sophia moved to do as she was ordered. ¡°Artie, do you know how worried I was about you?¡± Emily cried out, tears in her eyes. ¡°You must be tired as well. Get some rest,¡± he said with a frown. Emily sniffled. ¡°You should have let her roll down the mountain by herself. You did not need to protect her. After all, you are an important person!¡± ¡°Get me an ice pack,¡± Arthur said to the nearby maids, ignoring Emily. ¡°No, you cannot.¡± Hate shed across Emily¡¯s eyes. In response, the maids merely remained where they were. ¡°Do your job,¡± Arthurmanded as his eyes darkened. There was no way any of them would dare go against a direct order from him. After all, they knew who the true person in charge was. They hurriedly handed him an ice pack and a clean hand towel. He then headed upstairs with those items in hand. Meanwhile, Emily was gnashing her teeth. She was certain this was all just one of Sophia¡¯s ploys to seduce Arthur. No way! The only person allowed to be Mrs. Weiss was her. No one could steal the title away from her. Sitting down on the bed, Sophia gingerly touched her swollen cheek. Pain red up at the slightest touch. Just then, she heard footstepsing toward her room. When she looked up to find Arthur entering her room, she quickly turned away to hide her swollen cheek. He thrust a towel-wrapped ice pack into her view. ¡°Hold it against your cheek.¡± She took the ice pack and held it against her cheek. She let out a hiss at the sensation before looking up at him and saying, ¡°She¡¯s right.¡± ¡°What? Do you not know how to fight back when you are hit?¡± There was a weird mocking tone in his voice. He moved to sit down on the chair opposite her. ¡°It¡¯s not that. Of course, it is not right for her to hit other people. I meant to say that she was right in telling you to not save me when I am in danger,¡± she rified. ¡°Why?¡± He frowned. ¡°I had only rolled down a gentle slope today, but what if I had fallen off a high cliff?¡± she sighed. ¡°Hence, when you saved me, I was scared. What if you were seriously hurt?¡± He had to admit that she had a great imagination. Still, she was right. If he died trying to save her, he would have lost everything. Even so, upon closer inspection of his feelings, he realized he had never once wondered if he should save her. He had gone to save her without hesitating at all. It was just like when she nearly drowned in the sea. He had raced toward her without hesitation and offered any help he could provide. Frankly speaking, even he found his behavior odd. He was someone who cherished life, so why did he risk his life time and time again for Sophia? When he eventually left the room, Sophia received a call from her mother. Her father had gotten into a car crash that morning and was hospitalized for some broken bones. She swiftly headed to Arthur¡¯s room, making her way in without even asking for permission. Behind the door stood Arthur, who was only dressed in his underwear while still dripping wet from his shower. He had been nning to put on some proper pants when the door opened. Startled, he swiftly grabbed his towel and hastily wrapped it around his waist to cover his crotch. ¡°Who said you coulde in?¡± When she realized what she had walked in on, she hurriedly turned away. Even so, she still saw a glimpse of his ck underwear. With a blush burning on her cheeks, she replied, ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry, Young Master Weiss. I did not mean to do this.¡± He thought she was doing it intentionally, though. He picked up another towel to dry his hair with before sitting on the couch. He turned around to stare at Emily while his body remained half-naked. ¡°I got a call from my mother. My dad was in a car crash, and some of his bones were broken! I want to go home to visit him.¡± She turned to look at him with pleading eyes. He stroked his chin, showcasing his jawline as he did so. ¡°How many days?¡± he asked. ¡°Three days. I just need three days.¡± After all, she did not dare go overboard with its finances. ¡°Okay. Come back to me in exactly three days. If you dare dilly-dally or forget toe back, there will be consequences.¡± His lips curled up in an obvious warning. Her heart was racing fast. She never thought of running anyway. She carried her belongings back downstairs when Emily stopped her from leaving. ¡°No one said you could leave,¡± she said. ¡°Excuse me, but I have some urgent family business,¡± Sophia politely replied. ¡°Artie¡¯s family will be back in one month, Sophia. His grandmother would never allow a scheming woman near him. You had better leave on your own vition while you still can.¡± Emily coldly sneered. However, her warning did not matter to Sophia at all since she had no ns to get anything from Arthur. The only thing she could ever want from him was his forgiveness. She would be immensely grateful if Arthur could forgive and forget. ¡°No need to worry, Miss Jennings. I do not have any schemes for Young Master Weiss,¡± Sophia solemnly replied. Emily scoffed. ¡°Do you think your innocent face can hide your thoughts? I have already reported to Old Madam Presgrave about your schemes on Artie. Just you wait! You¡¯ll be in for a bad time.¡± By now, Sophia had lost all patience with this conversation. She rushed out the door, worried about her father. At the hospital. Drake Goodwin was in bed while his wife sat next to him. One of his legs was trapped in a cast. ¡°How are you doing, Dad? Is it very serious?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that bad. I just need to rest for a month or two. Say, what have you been doingtely? Young Master Weiss did not make life hard for you, did he?¡± Tiana worriedly scanned her daughter up and down. She was relieved to find that Sophia had gained weight. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mom. I have been looking for that ne with him,¡± Sophia replied in a cating tone. In reality, Drake and Tiana were not doing well. They spent their days worrying as Drake had lost his company and owed a huge debt to the banks. However, they did not dare tell their daughter any of their woes. Without thepany¡¯s dividends, the loan repayments were making life extremely hard for them. Presgrave Residence. It was Anastasia and Elliot¡¯s first meal home after the wedding. Now that Harriet was an old woman, she discovered her liking for a lively environment. After dinner, Anastasia took a stroll under the stars with Elliot. With the moon shining brightly down on their winding path through the woods, they felt an unprecedented joy. He tightly linked his fingers with hers, as if she would disappear if he ever let go of her hand. After the wedding, he realized there was an even more beautiful and genteel aura that hung around her. The more he looked at her, the more enthralled he was. Thank goodness she was his now. She belonged only to him. ¡°Sweetheart.¡± He pulled her into an embrace. ¡°Hm?¡± When she looked up at him, she felt a kiss on her forehead. She smiled and gazed deep into his eyes where she could see all the love he held for her. ¡°Achoo!¡± Suddenly, she sneezed. He immediately took off his jacket and wrapped it around her. ¡°Don¡¯t catch a cold.¡± She chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m happy, even if I fall sick. That way, I can enjoy being taken care of by you.¡± He let out a huff of exasperation and tapped her on the tip of her nose. ¡°Don¡¯t say that!¡± They hugged each other for a while longer before the love in their eyes was slowly tainted by lust. ¡°I asked Nigel to take care of Jared for tonight,¡± he rasped. Naturally, Anastasia knew what Elliot meant by that. ¡°Is that really okay?¡± she shyly asked. ¡°It¡¯s the weekend tomorrow. We can sleep in.¡± He smiled. As nned, Jared stayed the night with Nigel while Elliot¡¯s ck Bugatti sports car raced back to their home. Under the moonlight, the mansion glimmered with beauty. The lighting only ever made it seem grander and more mysterious. He pulled to a stop in the underground garage, opened the door, and led Anastasia into the lift. The entire vi was so quiet that their whispers echoed through the air as they listened to each other¡¯s heartbeats. When they arrived on the third floor, he swept her off her feet and carried her to bed. The embers that sparked to life during their stroll through the woods were still burning bright. If she did not help him put the fire out, he would be zing with lust throughout the night. The night eventually passed on and the morning soon came. Anastasia was woken up by her internal rm clock. She decided to cook some breakfast for Elliot. It had been a while since she was able to show off her cooking skills since they had servants. Thankfully, she was still skilled enough to cook up two hot bowls of noodles. The fragrant scent combined with poached eggs and slices of beef made the food seem even more delicious. She even took a photo of it and uploaded it to her social media ounts with the caption, ¡®Breakfast with Mr. Presgrave¡¯. Their morning had started now. Soon, Elliot arrived at the dining room. He had just taken a shower after his usual morning exercise. Dressed in loungewear, he was a walking hormone, yet he was oblivious to how attractive he was. She knew that the more she stared at him, the better her sense of beauty would be. In fact, if she ever divorced him, she might not be able to marry again. After all, Elliot was going to make her picky. Thus, she would do her best as Mrs. Presgrave. ¡°What an amazing wife I have,¡± he praised. ¡°Do you only know that now?¡± She giggled. ¡°No. I knew about it from the start. That is why I am so very lucky to have married you.¡± All of the sweet nothings being spoken that morning was going to rot her teeth one day. With a chuckle, she pushed his bowl of noodles over to him. ¡°Eat up!¡± After breakfast, she read up on the news. What she saw made her guffaw. Her post from that morning was currently trending. ¡®The Cooking Skills of Rich Madams Exposed!¡¯ was the headline. Now that she thought about it, she could no longer post whatever she wanted on her social media ounts now. She had to keep a low profile. Perhaps she should set her post privacy to ¡®Only Me¡¯. Anastasia had a new productunch party to attend at Bourgeois that afternoon. As a certain someone had nothing to do, she decided to attend with the best essory anyone could ever have. Her husband. Theunch party would be held in an event hall owned by Presgrave Group. Several top-tier celebrities and socialites had been invited, and there would be a fashion runway on which the atelier was going to be live-streamed. When two o¡¯clock rolled around, people began to show up at the venue. There was an order to everything as the paparazzi all showed up with their cameras and streaming equipment. Larry then received a call that made him drop all work and wait by the front gates. A Rolls-Royce pulled up, and out walked a couple whom Larry happily greeted, ¡°President Presgrave, Mrs. Presgrave, you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard, Mr. Young.¡± Anastasia smiled. ¡°No, no. I¡¯m only doing my job.¡± With a wave of his hand, Larry gestured for them to head inside. He then led them to the front row. It was then that Larry leaned down to whisper into Anastasia¡¯s ear, ¡°We would need you to make a speechter, Mrs. Presgrave.¡± She was stunned. ¡°Next time!¡± she said with a wave of her hand. She had note prepared. ¡°Today, I am only here to admire the works.¡± ¡°Very well!¡± Larry would never force anyone to do something they did not want to do. Just then, someone walked over to them; it was Mason. ¡°President Presgrave, Mrs. Presgrave,¡± Mason greeted with a smile. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so formal, Mason. Just call me Anastasia.¡± Mason could not do that. ording to what he knew now, Anastasia was the new CEO of Bourgeois. There was no way he would dare go against societal rules. Soon, the various celebrities who had been invited greeted the people around them. None of them would dare to provide their benefactors with inferior service. Everydy present that night had dressed themselves up. However, none of them would dare start up a fuss while Anastasia was standing right there. Still, there were a lot of secretive looks and poses meant to attract Elliot¡¯s attention. Later that evening, one of the fashion catwalk models, Katrina, walked over to them. Mason¡¯s efforts had allowed her modelingpany to take charge of the fashion runway. When Katrina saw Elliot, she was internally jumping with glee. From then on, she could be found primping before every mirror avable to her. Furthermore, there was going to be a new spokesperson recruitment program happening after the launch. As an ambitious woman, Katrina wanted the chance to be Bourgeois¡¯ spokesperson. Chapter 671-680 Chapter 671-680 Anastasia walked backstage to greet Felicia. After all, Felicia and her design team were the stars of the productunch party. ¡°Your designs are so beautiful this time, Felicia,¡± Anastasiamented as she flipped through the art book. Everything in there was well-designed. ¡°I hope we didn¡¯t disappoint you.¡± In Felicia¡¯s mind, Anastasia was the boss. ¡°I believe in you, Felicia.¡± ¡°Anastasia.¡± Suddenly, ady called out from behind them before Katrina swiftly moved to stand behind Anastasia. ¡°Katrina,¡± Anastasia greeted with a smile. ¡°Do you mind if we talk in private?¡± Katrina nervously asked. She currently found it hard to talk to Anastasia because she exuded an oppressive pressure that Katrina did not like. Felicia gently patted Anastasia on the cheeks. ¡°I¡¯ll help the team out now, Anastasia.¡± The moment Felicia was gone, Katrina took a deep breath. ¡°I know Bourgeois is looking for a spokesperson for their product. I was hoping I could have a chance to be in your advertisements.¡± ¡°That is up to marketing. You can attend the interviews for the job.¡± Anastasia smiled. Katrina bit her lip. ¡°Anastasia, can you make an exception for me just this once? Please? My brother helped you all those years, after all.¡± Naturally, Anastasia knew exactly what Katrina was thinking. The woman wantedpensation for Mason¡¯s help all those years and if the one making the request had been Mason, she would have gone along with the n before asking about why. When Anastasia remained silent, Katrina continued, ¡°I know I should not be greedy and take advantage of something owed to someone else, but we are like a family. Can¡¯t you make an exception?¡± Anastasia knew that Mason was not someone to ask for reparations either. ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask the team about it. I¡¯ll let you know when I have news.¡± ¡°Thank you, Anastasia.¡± Katrina smiled. When Anastasia left, she let out a sigh of relief. Her brother would not ask for anything in return because he was a proud man, but she was not like him. She would use anything she could to help herself since she was not doing well as a model. If she wanted to be a celebrity, she would have to be famous first. When Anastasia returned to her seat, Elliot was chatting with Larry, who then stood up the moment he noticed her return. The show started the moment she returned. Lights beamed down onto the stage as masked models strutted while decked out in jewelry made by Bourgeois. Naturally, Katrina was one of the models. She had all her attention focused on doing the best she could. However, when she walked by, she would stare at Elliot. Anastasia noticed it, of course. She knew what kind of woman Katrina was. As long as there was an opportunity, Katrina would do anything to seduce someone. Before the show, Anastasia had been contemting giving her a chance because of her connection to Mason. Now, however, all of those thoughts had been chucked out of the window. ¡°I have to answer a call, sweetheart,¡± Elliot softly said. She merely nodded in response as she was engrossed in the show. Then, just as he stood up, one of the female celebrities stood up as well. Although she left in the opposite direction, the corridors outside the hall were all interconnected. That celebrity had been waiting for her chance. Using the excuse that she had to head to the bathroom, she walked out of the hall. When she eventually made her way over to the other side, she saw Elliot taking a phone call while standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. Elliot was like a ma that attracted the gaze of every woman present that evening. No matter where he stood, he would be the center of attention. After all, he was a man whom people rarely saw. Any woman with brain cells would know not to waste any opportunity that came along. The celebrity¡¯s name was Cathryn Windsor. She was considered one of the most popr celebrities of the year due to a popr show that had recently aired. Due to her fame, she had recently been announced as the spokesperson for Bourgeois¡¯ new products. However, her ambitions did not end there. She wanted a strong and powerful benefactor, someone like Elliot Pregrave, who stood at the top of the food chain. Elliot ended the call and turned to return to the event hall. At the same time, she pretended to be busy talking on the phone and acted as if she did not see him there. When she crashed into him, he reached a hand out to her shoulder to stop her from falling to the ground. Cathryn hastily apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, President Presgrave. I didn¡¯t see you there. This is all my fault!¡± She then reached out and patted his arm. ¡°I hope I didn¡¯t hurt you!¡± Elliot waved his hand and answered, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Oh, sorry about the lipstick stain on your suit. Let me take care of it.¡± Rather than removing the stain off his arm, she tried to reach out to stroke his chest after saying that. His arm prevented her attempt right away, and he said in an icy tone, ¡°No need.¡± Cathryn let out a frustrated sigh as soon as Elliot walked away. She saw this as an opportunity to stimte his interest in her. No one could approach him because he behaved in a way that was true with what she had heard about him. Why was he married if he didn¡¯t like women? Right after Cathryn left, Felica came out from around the corner. She had juste out from the bathroom when she saw this scene, and she thought it would taint her sight for the day. She wasn¡¯t often the kind to pry into other people¡¯s business, but she felt it was necessary to alert Anastasia about this. If an actress went out of her way to try to seduce Elliot, then she was not the best choice to represent Bourgeois as a spokesperson. Anastasia¡¯s phone lit up with texts. She checked it and saw it was a text message from Felicia. ¡®I just saw Cathryn trying to flirt with your husband in the hallway, Anastasia. You should take note.¡¯ She read the text calmly and her eyes went to where Cathryn should have been. There was no one there. ¡®Thank you, Felicia,¡¯ Anastasia replied graciously. At this moment, Elliot had returned and hisrge hand went out to grasp hers with the intention to caress it. She then raised her head to meet his gaze. Despite the dim lighting, the man¡¯s eyes gleamed with affection. When she noticed this, she smiled sweetly and kissed his cheek, showing her affection in public. Cathryn happened to see their affections as she was going back to her seat. She started to feel a little scared as she thought about the foolish thing she had just done. She was worried that Anastasia wouldn¡¯t let her off the hook if she knew about the flirting earlier. She was d Anastasia didn¡¯t know about it. Who would know what Anastasia knew, though? When Elliot saw just how bold she was to kiss him in public like this, he gave her a contented smile that made her heart flutter. Her face started to blush as she felt the gazes of everyone on them. Her confession of love for this man was publicized. This was a warning for anyone who wanted to take him away from her. The press conference went smoothly while the online media reaction was spectacr. A great deal of support and encouragement was shown to them with some exceptional items being promoted as well¡­ After they left the conference, Elliot took her to a posh restaurant for dinner. Tonight was the night of their date. In addition to that, he had another surprise in store for her. He was pleased to get the most beautiful brooch that was being offered at the event, and he nned to give it to her as a present tonight. ¡°Oh! When did you get this?¡± Anastasia was a little surprised, but she was excited that he had just given her something out of the blue. ¡°It looks good on you,¡± he told her, praising both the brooch and her. Anastasia took the gift as Elliot ced his chin on his folded palms and looked at her affectionately. ¡°Since you epted my gift, Mrs Presgrave has to reward me tonight.¡±. ¡°Oh! So, there¡¯s a secret motive here!¡± Anastasia¡¯s eyes narrowed as she said, ¡°I think I need to pay closer attention to what¡¯s going on around me. I can¡¯t always be fooled by you.¡± Elliot kept looking at her with love in his eyes and told her, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t care how stupid you are because you still have me wrapped around your fingers.¡± Was he calling her stupid? She protested, ¡°I¡¯m not stupid. I¡¯m actually quite clever.¡± ¡°You are correct. My wife is the most clever woman alive,¡± he said as his grin grew more endearing. It was as if he would never get tired of flirting with her in this manner. How could Anastasia continue to fight after noticing that he was being affectionate with her? At this moment, he continued to fill her te with food. ¡°Sweetheart, you need to eat more in order to have enough energy tonight.¡± This caused her to quickly blush. ¡°Is that all you can think about?!¡± ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Elliot closed his eyes and seemed to be thinking about what he was going to say. Then, he said, ¡°I don¡¯t want anything else tonight except you.¡± After hearing this, Anastasia didn¡¯t waste any time in lowering her head to start eating, and this man immediately began piling more meat onto her te. Why did it seem as if he was feeding her to be ughteredter that night? The next Monday, there was a meeting at Bourgeois in the morning. Anastasia sat at the chief designer¡¯s seat and she was dressed in a beige suit with her hair tied back. This gave her delicate and lovely face a natural and tidy appearance. The first topic she wanted to discuss with everyone today was the termination of Cathryn¡¯s endorsement contract that was recently signed. ¡°President Tillman, we just invested 10 million dors on her. If we break our contract with her, we have topensate her for liquidated damages.¡± When Anastasia heard that, her eyes turned cold. ¡°Then, you should figure out how to avoid compensating her for terminating the contract.¡± Everyone cringed at this statement. They initially thought that she was more pleasant, but they certainly never expected her to throw such a serious challenge at them on her first day. ¡°President Tillman, may I know the reason why you are terminating Cathryn¡¯s contract?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like her,¡± Anastasia answered bluntly as she elegantly twirled her long hair around her finger. Her response was both arrogant and straightforward. ¡°President Tillman, I understand. I¡¯ll take care of it right away. We will have to discuss our new spokesperson afterunching the new product at the conference. Do you have any rmendations?¡± ¡°You may suggest a few for me to select from,¡± she replied. Felicia was the only one aware of the rationale for her decision. Anastasia asked Felicia to stay. ¡°Felicia, please remain. The rest of you may return to work!¡± Felicia looked at Anastasia with admiration in the meeting room. She was really assertive as she expressed her appreciation. ¡°Felicia, thank you for alerting me about Cathryn.¡± ¡°No worries. Of course, Cathryn isn¡¯t the first woman to openly flirt with President Presgrave. You still must take caution.¡± Anastasia gave a helpless smile when she heard this. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t upset me if I didn¡¯t know about it, but I¡¯ll take action if I did.¡± A phone call came into Cathryn¡¯s office from Bourgeois¡¯ advertising and nning department to inform her agent that they were terminating their contract with her. ¡°What? What is wrong with my artiste? The contract has been signed. I don¡¯t think this is a good idea!¡± ¡°The decision was made by our boss.¡± ¡°Your boss is Vice-president Young, correct? He was there when the contract was signed!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s our big boss.¡± ¡°Who is your big boss?¡± the agent asked anxiously. ¡°Miss Anastasia Tillman, President Presgrave¡¯s wife, has taken over as president of Bourgeois Jewelry Atelier.¡± This startled the agent, who quickly responded, ¡°If you do this, you will be in breach of contract! Bourgeois would be obliged to pay liquidated damages in this manner! This is definitely something that we do not want to happen. We also wish to continue working with you for a long time.¡± ¡°Our contract has an additional use. If we believe the artiste has not fulfilled the conditions, we have the right to terminate the contract without anypensation.¡± The agent and the employee from Bourgeois engaged in a lengthy discussion, but Cathryn¡¯s agent was finally forced to concede. Then, she summoned Cathryn immediately and questioned her. ¡°Cathryn, have you been involved in any scandals recently? You were dismissed by Bourgeois due to your indecent conduct.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not involved in anything and my past is clean. How could they treat me like this?¡± Cathryn was filled with resentment, believing that she had been treated unfairly. ¡°It was the big boss¡¯ decision to call it off. Did you offend her in any way?¡± ¡°You mean, Vice-president Young?¡± ¡°No. Anastasia Tillman, the wife of Elliot Presgrave, is the current president of Bourgeois. Out of so many people, why would she want to terminate the contract with you?¡± ¡°How would I know?¡± Cathryn snapped back as her guilt gnawed away at her. It couldn¡¯t have been because she tried to seduce Elliot in the hallway that Saturday afternoon, right? Of course, Cathryn¡¯s agent was reluctant to let such arge endorsement fee slip away so easily. She eventually got a hold of Anastasia¡¯s general office line after asking around and decided to ask her in person. Anastasia was holding a cup of coffee. She had just finished reviewing her uing schedule and was getting ready to take a break. At this moment, her office phone began to ring, and she reached out to answer it. ¡°Hello? Who is this?¡± ¡°Hello, is this President Tillman? My name is Georgina Redding. I am Cathryn Windsor¡¯s manager. I¡¯m sorry to bother you, President Tillman, but I have to rify something. The poprity and reputation of our artists are great, so I¡¯d like to know exactly what it is about our artists that does not fit the standards of yourpany. We¡¯ll do all we can to resolve the situation as soon as possible.¡± Anastasia¡¯s lovely eyes narrowed slightly as she heard this. ¡°You might want to find out what your artist was doing in the hallway on the day of the press conference. Tell her, if she does anything like that again, she will no longer be a part of the entertainment business.¡± After she said that, she mmed the phone right away. ¡°Did you do anything to upset President Tillman on the day of the press conference?¡± Georgina questioned Cathryn, who was seated on the opposite couch after hanging up the phone. ¡°W-What could I have done?¡± ¡°You better tell me the truth,¡± Georgina snarled. Cathryn began to chew on her lips as she grasped the severity of the matter and quickly borated, ¡°I saw Elliot answering the phone in the hallway the other day. I simply wanted to make an impression on him so that he would remember me¡­¡± ¡°What?! How dare you flirt with Elliot! His wife was there at the press conference! Do you even have a brain?!¡± Georgina was furious. ¡°I-I realize I¡¯m wrong now.¡± ¡°Did you know what Anastasia just said to me? She threatened to throw you out of the industry if this happened again!¡± Georgina scolded, ¡°Out of everyone, the person whom you¡¯ve chosen to upset was Elliot Presgrave¡¯s wife? You¡¯ll be left in dust in no time if she says anything!¡± ¡°I-Is she really so powerful?¡± Cathryn wondered, slightly skeptical. ¡°With her status as Mrs. Presgrave, she can make you disappear in an instant. Forget about the compensation. Do you understand? The next time you see her, move out of her way,¡± Georgina screamed. Though Anastasia had been away from work for so long in Bourgeois, she was still full of enthusiasm. After a short break, she quickly drafted another schedule. She was a member of thepany¡¯s design team in terms of jewelry design, which meant that she could also make managerial decisions with foresight, knowledge and determination. At this time, there was a knock at the door and Mason entered after opening it. ¡°President Tillman, are you avable now?¡± ¡°Just call me Anastasia!¡± she said with a smile since he was given special treatment here. ¡°No, I¡¯m going to address you as President Tillman when we¡¯re in the office! We can forget the formalities after we get off work,¡± he insisted. Then, he sat on the chair opposite from her and asked, ¡°I¡¯m just wondering whether the spokesperson has been appointed. If not, I would rmend my sister, Katrina.¡± She had also guessed that he was here for Katrina. After giving it some thought, ¡°Mason, you¡¯ve been kind to me. If you really want to rmend your sister, I can give her a chance.¡± He seldom came to her for help, and she knew it. Thus, she had no intention of rejecting him at this point. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Her career as a model has never really taken off, so I really hope she establishes a reputation elsewhere.¡± Mason expressed his concern for his sister¡¯s future. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll tell the people in charge of organizing the event to allow her to promote our brand.¡± Anastasia gave a clear answer. ¡°Thank you, President Tillman.¡± After hearing these words, he let out a long sigh of relief. There was no denying the fact that Katrina had exerted a great deal of pressure on him. ¡°You¡¯re really wee. You don¡¯t often ask me for help. I had to do this, of course.¡± Anastasia grinned. After Mason left, she called the relevant department thereafter and asked them to make some arrangements. As long as Mason asked of her, she was willing to help Katrina. At 3:00PM, Anastasia¡¯s door was knocked on again and she said, ¡°Come in.¡± At first, she thought it was her assistant, Grace, bringing in documents, but it was a tall, charming man who casually entered instead. The man strolled in slowly with a smile as he had one hand in his pocket. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Anastasia stood up to greet him. The guy wrapped his arms around her and drew her into a hug before lowering his head and kissing her crimson lips. ¡°I¡¯m here to see my wife.¡± As soon as she realized that her window shutters were open, her face became flushed. ¡°The blinds are up!¡± ¡°What are you afraid of? I¡¯m not ashamed.¡± Elliot didn¡¯t seem to mind and he wanted everyone to see it! Anastasia simply allowed him to do what he wanted. After all, she had to admit that he was quite brazen. ¡°Are you tired? Would you like a massage from your husband?¡± he asked in a hushed tone. ¡°I¡¯m fine! I enjoy working,¡± she answered as she shifted her head to look at him with eyes that sparkled with enthusiasm. Elliot was content when he saw how happy she was. Then, he acknowledged, ¡°You can work for as long as you wish. Just don¡¯t exert yourself.¡± Anastasia scrunched up her nose yfully and replied, ¡°I know, I know! Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± He then released her and took two steps back before checking her from head to toe. She felt a little bashful when he observed her in this manner because it made her feel like he was admiring a piece of art. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± This made him grin before he said, ¡°Your outfit is making me have wild thoughts.¡± She immediately narrowed her gaze at him. ¡°Do not try anything silly at the office.¡± When Elliot heard this, he couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud. ¡°Does this mean I can do whatever I want when we get home?¡± Anastasia didn¡¯t know what to say, so she gave him a shy, angry look, but she was still happy in her heart that he wanted her so much. Then, she said in a low voice, ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± ¡°Did Mason look for you?¡± Elliot inquired as he drew a chair for himself and took a seat before he gracefully crossed his long and slender legs. Only then did Anastasia realize the reason for his visit. Was he jealous? How could someone be so easily jealous? ¡°Yeah, we had a little chat,¡± she said truthfully. When he heard this, his eyes lit up with jealousy. ¡°What did you two discuss?¡± ¡°He wanted my help to secure an endorsement contract for his sister. I agreed.¡± Elliot blinked when he heard this. ¡°I see.¡± Then, Anastasia got up, closed the shutters, walked over to him, and sat on hisp. Even though he enjoyed that she took the initiative, it caught him by surprise. She cradled his face in her hands as she bent her head to nt a kiss on his lips. She had learned certain skills from him and now, she was going to give him a taste of his own medicine by using those techniques on him. Elliot enjoyed her kissing him and ced his arms around her waist. She withdrew just as he was going to get more and she whispered in his ears, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be jealous anymore, honey. Other than you, there is no one else in my heart.¡± This caught him off guard and he narrowed his eyes in response to her affectionate gaze. Then, he wrapped his arms tightly around her and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯m not jealous. I won¡¯t be jealous any longer.¡± Just as Anastasia was about to move away from hisp, he quickly restrained her. ¡°Are you leaving now after teasing me?¡± Anastasia¡¯s cheeks were still flushed from initiating the kiss, but the man won¡¯t release his grip. In the next instant, he grasped the back of her head and gave her a passionate kiss. Elliot¡¯s affections for her grew stronger over time. At that moment, Grace wanted to give Anastasia some important documents, so she rushed in without knocking. She was shocked by what she saw and her face blushed due to her being shy, which resulted in her fleeing the scene. The scene inside the room was not appropriate for young folks! Anastasia pushed the man away and Elliot left with a satisfied look. When Grace returned, Anastasia smiled and puckered her lips. ¡°Do not tell anyone what happened just now.¡± Grace, of course, didn¡¯t dare! However, it looked like she had changed her mind about Anastasia, who had be more gutsy. ¡°I won¡¯t dare to. Don¡¯t worry, President Tillman,¡± Grace answered thoughtfully. At the hospital, Sophia walked out to get some fruits for her dad. She had just returned and was making her way toward the entrance of the ward when she heard her father¡¯s anxious voiceing through the open door. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell Sophia anything about this. Do notnd her in such stress.¡± ¡°The bank has been pressuring us daily, though. If you do not repay them, you will have no other option. We need to think of something!¡± Tiana sighed. ¡°We¡¯ll see what it takes. If there¡¯s nothing else I can do, I¡¯ll just go to jail for two years,¡± Drake commented. ¡°You can¡¯t do that. What should I do when you¡¯re gone? The York Family was interested in our Sophia and is willing to pay off your debts. Why don¡¯t we just let Sophia¡­¡± ¡°No way. Thest time that happened, Sophia fled the country.¡± Drake was distressed on behalf of his daughter. ¡°It¡¯s one billion! Where are we going to get that money? Whatever it is, I wouldn¡¯t let you head back to prison. If you do, I don¡¯t want to live anymore.¡± Sophia almost dropped the fruits in her hands. What? Dad owes the bank a billion? And as long as I agree to marry Christopher, his family would help Dad pay off his debt? However, she was very grateful for Christopher. After she had fled to avoid their marriage thest time, he still wanted her. Now that his family was offering to help, what more could she ask for? At this moment, she pushed open the door and interrupted the arguing couple. ¡°Dad, Mom, I¡¯ve heard everything, so you can stop arguing now. I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ll marry Christopher.¡± ¡°Sophia!¡± The couple looked back at their daughter¡¯s determined face as they were stunned. ¡°As long as I can pay Dad¡¯s debts; as long as Dad doesn¡¯t go to jail, I¡¯m willing to do anything,¡± Sophia eximed with reddened eyes. She had been unfilial as she didn¡¯t know that her family was facing such a big crisis. ¡°Sophia, there¡¯s no rush¡ª¡± Drake was about to assure her when he was interrupted. ¡°Dad, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m willing to marry Christopher. I¡¯m okay,¡± Sophia insisted as she sniffed. After saying that, she put the fruits down on the table before turning to leave the ward. Outside, she found Christopher¡¯s number and dialed it. A gruff male voice sounded. ¡°Hello, who is this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Sophia Goodwin.¡± ¡°Sophia? Is this really you? My dream girl has finally decided to reach out to me!¡± The voice on the other end was ecstatic. ¡°I¡¯m prepared to marry you, but can you really help my father with his debts?¡± ¡°As long as you marry me, your father will be like my own father. I will help him pay off his debt immediately,¡± Christopher promised. ¡°Okay, then! Then, let¡¯s find a time to meet!¡± ¡°That¡¯s up to you. I am abroad now. I¡¯lle back on Friday, and I¡¯ll pick you up when we¡¯ve set a date.¡± ¡°Great!¡± After she hung up the phone, she sighed as Arthur¡¯s face shed across her mind. At this moment, in a resort abroad, Christopher was basking his 200-pound body in the sun; the towel wrapped around him could barely cover his waist. ¡°Young Master York, are you really going to marry Sophia Goodwin and pay off Drake¡¯s debt?¡± ¡°Sophia is the woman I¡¯ve always wanted. Of course, I won¡¯t be so naive. I¡¯ll pay the initial down payment first. After she marries me, she¡¯ll be my wife. By then, she¡¯ll have to listen to me. Then, it¡¯d be up to me to decide whether I really finish paying off her father¡¯s debt or not,¡± Christopher exined with a smile, making a shrewd calction. A new group of criminals had just been sent to the women¡¯s prison in Averna. A woman who was wiping the greasy table top raised her head and looked up at the people who were swarming in for lunch. Then, she stopped wiping and looked carefully before she quickly turned her back, afraid that someone would recognize her. The woman was Hayley. She was in a gray scrub and had her hair trimmed to her ears. She had been here for almost a month now and had nearly severed all contact from the outside world. However, she did not expect to meet her acquaintance here. Among the people that came in earlier, she knew one of them: Erica Tillman. She had the same haircut as Hayley and wore the same clothes, so it was obvious that Erica was sent to serve in prison. Currently, Erica looked haggard and pale. Back then, she was treated like a princess. Now, she was forced to eat things she had never eaten before. The food served here wasn¡¯t even served to her servants back at home, but she had no choice. It was as if she was getting her karma served to her. Although she had gone through her initial remorse till her current awakening, it was toote. She would have to spend the second half of her life here as she was serving over ten years of imprisonment. Erica was quietly eating her rock-solid steamed buns and some rancid noodles when she heard a sharp voice yelling, ¡°Hayley, what are you doing? Get back to work.¡± Right then, Erica froze in her ce. She raised her head and looked in the direction of the voice and saw a familiar figure. Although the woman had deliberately turned her back toward her, Erica could still recognize her at a nce. Hayley Seymour! A sudden gush of anger was suddenly ignited in Erica¡¯s heart because in her eyes, Hayley was despicable and shameless. She had tantly stolen Erica¡¯s man and fed her with negative thoughts that ruined her life. Erica thereafter grabbed the soup on the side and walked toward Hayley. All this while, Hayley had her head lowered in an attempt to avoid Erica recognizing her. However, at this moment, she turned around when she heard the approaching footsteps and a bowl of cold soup was immediately sshed across her face. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± Hayley was struggling to open her eyes when she was pped hard across the face in the next second. As if the p wasn¡¯t enough, Erica started screaming while reaching out to pull her hair. ¡°Hayley Seymour, you b*tch! I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± ¡°Erica Tillman, let me go.¡± Hayley¡¯s scalp began to burn with pain and two correctional officers came over at this moment to separate the two and give them their fair share of scolding. Hayley¡¯s face was filled with disgust as she wiped her face. As she had gone through several stic surgeries, the lumps on her forehead were prominent. ¡°Haha! Look at your face! You look like a witch! It¡¯s disgusting!¡± Erica sat down and mocked Hayley, who went back to wiping the table. Hearing this, Hayley sneered. ¡°And I¡¯ll continue to disgust you. We¡¯ll have to see each other for more than ten years anyway! Anastasia is a gem now and known as Mrs. Presgrave. Do you know that she and Elliot are married? She is also the eldest daughter of the Tillman Family. As for you, you are just a piece of trash by the side of the road while she is dazzling like a diamond.¡± Erica bit her lips. Of course, she couldn¡¯t tell Hayley how she really felt because of her envy toward Anastasia. However, right now, she couldn¡¯t even have the freedom she desired the most. What was the use of being jealous? ¡°Alex is also sentenced! We¡¯re all ruined. None of us will live a good life,¡± Hayley continued as she sat across Erica to rest. Erica¡¯s eyes darkened at the sound of this. Her parents were jailed and she herself was imprisoned. At the end of the day, had she ever regretted her capriciousness and malice? She was filled with remorse. If she had been given another chance, she would have never destroyed herself to this extent. She would find an average man to marry, have a child together with him, and be a good wife. ¡°There¡¯s no use regretting,¡± Hayleymented as if she could read Erica¡¯s mind. Then, Erica raised her head and asked, ¡°I still have no idea how you got thrown in here!¡± Hayley had no intention of hiding it from Emily. For her, those days were the happiest time of her life. ¡°Did you know? That year, when we were plotting against Anastasia, it wasn¡¯t a gigolo who entered the room. It was Elliot Presgrave. After Elliot handed her a watch, she then left it on the ground. Then, the waiter contacted me and gave me that watch.¡± Hayley clearly remembered the day when Elliot came to her store to look for her. He was dignified and exuded a masculine charm that made her fall in love with him at first sight. Erica¡¯s eyes widened as she prodded, ¡°And then?¡± ¡°Five yearster, the business was so bad in my store that I had to sell the watch. A weekter, Elliot returned to my store and asked whether I was the woman in the room that night. I said yes,¡± a shameless Hayley answered. After that, Erica scolded, ¡°You are shameless.¡± ¡°You would¡¯ve done the same. Elliot said he was going to make amends. He gave me a big vi, a sports car, a ck card with no limits, and a few servants. At that time, I was beautiful and happy. I could buy whatever I wanted. There would be nights where I get to dine with Elliot and go on jewelry exhibitions together.¡± Speaking of this, Hayley turned to Erica. ¡°Didn¡¯t I get you a few gifts that were worth more than half a million?!¡± At this moment, Erica finally knew how Hayley became a wealthy woman overnight. It turned out that she had stolen Anastasia¡¯s identity and took advantage of thepensation. ¡°And that¡¯s how I ended up here. I did that for about seven months. I¡¯ve spent 35 million of Elliot¡¯s money. In the end, I was tricked by Anastasia and I was charged with extortion.¡± Then, Hayley smiled bitterly and continued, ¡°People say you can¡¯t have too much of a good thing because it¡¯ll eventually bite you in the back.¡± And because of this, she was using the rest of her life to pay for her mistakes. Erica initially wanted to call out Hayley for being insatiable and not knowing her boundaries. However, when Erica reflected on herself, she was also someone with blood on her hands. Instead, she said nothing for a while because she deserved to end up here. A financial summit was held in the city on Friday and it was an event which the people of the financial industry took with seriousness. After reading the email, a woman sitting in the spacious office had aplicated look in her eyes. That woman was Lolerai Presgrave. Ever since herst meeting with Elliot, she had epted his rmendation to work in another financialpany. All this while, she had been restraining herself and waiting for the opportunity to show up. She did not dare to offend him and did not want to confront Anastasia in the open. Lolerai¡¯s father had been eyeing a project under Elliot¡¯s hands. Although her father wanted to get a hold of it, the Presgrave Group had strict rules. They would rather cooperate with outsiders than the people of the Presgrave Family as this had been an unwritten rule of the Presgrave Family. However, Lolerai¡¯s father wasn¡¯t the only one who had their eyes on the wealth of the Presgrave Group. All of them were waiting for one thing; they patiently waited year after year while looking forward to Harriet¡¯s death. Once she was out of the picture, Elliot would be on his own. Without her strict defense, he might not be able to withstand the pressure of the entire family. Lolerai had been looking forward to this moment as she was confident that he would show up. At that time, Anastasia wouldn¡¯t be by his side, and Lolerai might be able to seize this chance to strike. She was confident in herself and did not believe there were men who wouldn¡¯t cheat. At Presgrave Group, Elliot had also received the invitation and epted it. There were several companies that he was interested in cooperating with that were attending the summit this time. Anastasia had apanied him to thepany today. Bourgeois was implementing a reformation n and had decided to buy a diamond mind and raw stones abroad. This was necessary as their company had decided to create a luxurious and customizable tform. Six high-level executives of thepany were gathered in the conference room. Anastasia sat on the main seat with her long hair on her shoulders while she listened to her subordinates¡¯ reports with firm, bright eyes and radiated the aura of a charismatic leader. It required a different kind of courage for one to be a leader, which was something that Anastasia had been exercising. As the Presgrave Family had many extended family members, she had to shoulder the burden of being thedy boss of the family, and there would be more things that would require her to decide in the future. After the meeting, she called for Larry and carefully listened to his opinions. He was a senior executive of Bourgeois and was more experienced in this area. ¡°President Tillman, if we want Bourgeois to grow and be stronger, it is vital for us to have our own mine. Now, several big foreign brands have already begun to monopolize the stones. We will have to make a decision soon.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the recovery rate for extraction?¡± ¡°ording to our current data, the recovery rate is within the eptable range. However, this is something like a gamble. We would need luck to be on our side.¡± Hearing this, Anastasia nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll decide in three days¡¯ time.¡± Not long after Larry left, there was a knock on the door, to which she responded, ¡°Come in.¡± The person at the door was Katrina. She was at thepany to sign a contract and came especially to thank Anastasia. ¡°Anastasia, thank you for giving me this opportunity,¡± shemented while failing to contain her excitement. ¡°You should read through the terms and conditions of our contract. I hope that you will abide by it. You only get one chance. Please cherish it!¡± Anastasia said. When Katrina heard this, she felt her heart tighten. The silent warning behind Anastasia¡¯s words pressured her as her personal life was never smooth. ¡°I know. I won¡¯t let you down.¡± Then, Katrina added, ¡°Please take care of my brother.¡± ¡°Definitely.¡± Anastasia nodded. At this moment, Katrina¡¯s gaze wandered to the ne Anastasia was wearing. She could tell at first nce that it was rare and valuable, and this caused envy to brew in her heart. ¡°Anastasia, the diamonds on your neck are beautiful. It must cost millions,¡± she said in jealousy. Anastasia pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°My husband gave it to me. I didn¡¯t ask him about the price.¡± At this moment, darkness shed through Katrina¡¯s eyes. It would be great if she managed to seduce Elliot in the future. Now that she was endorsing Bourgeois, she had a higher chance of meeting him. ¡°I¡¯ll make a move first.¡± Katrina left as she did not want to disturb the woman. She took out her phone and began making a series of phone calls. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± asked the man on the other end. ¡°I received Bourgeois¡¯ endorsement, so how are you going to help me celebrate, Young Master Jacob?¡± she asked proudly. ¡°I¡¯ll pick a hotel to celebrate tonight,¡± Jacob answered. Katrina cheerfully replied as she thought to herself, Hisst name is Presgrave, but Jacob Presgrave is just another second generation nouveau riche? In the evening, while she was being held in Jacob¡¯s arms, she voiced the questions that were going through her mind. ¡°Jacob, you said you called Elliot Presgrave your cousin. Why is he extremely wealthy when your family is very low-profile?¡± she asked. ¡°You mean to say that our family has no money, right?¡± He snorted coldly. ¡°Of course, your family is wealthier than themon people, but you can¡¯tpare to Elliot Presgrave!¡± she eximed quickly. With a sigh of annoyance, Jacob remarked, ¡°If Old Madam Presgrave hadn¡¯t lived so long, we might have already been on the Presgrave Group¡¯s board of directors. My father stated that when the old woman passes away, our family would be wealthy sooner orter.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Katrina¡¯s eyes widened as she realized she couldn¡¯t afford to let him go in this situation. ¡°Once that old woman has passed away and Anastasia Tillman is the principal of thepany, heck, what does she know?¡± He sneered. She was still unconvinced. Why does Anastasia Tillman, who used to live in a run-down rented house abroad, now serve as President of Bourgeois and manage thepany? She actually looked forward to the day Anastasia would have a run of bad luck because it would definitely leave Katrina with loads of relief. Back at the hospital, three days flew past in what seemed like the blink of an eye while Sophia was there with her parents. She had forgotten something due to her father¡¯s debt¡ªwhich was to return to Arthur Weiss¡¯ side. Therefore, she received a call from that man at that moment. ¡°Hello! Please extend my leave for two more days, Mr. Weiss,¡± she asked instead because she couldn¡¯t understand what the other party was saying. ¡°What? Is your father in critical condition?¡± he inquired tly. ¡°My father still needs my assistance with a few things around here. I can¡¯t leave.¡± ¡°All right, I¡¯ll give you two more days,¡± Arthur agreed politely. ¡°Thank you.¡± When Sophia thought of something, she exhaled a sigh of relief before uttering, ¡°Mr. Weiss¡­¡± He reacted in a low voice. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Oh! I¡¯ll hang up first since it¡¯s nothing!¡± Sophia hung up the phone with her hands still grasping it, as if she was taken aback. She had nned to tell him that she was going to be engaged, but after giving it some thought, she realized that there was nothing between them. Christopher flew home that night itself and nned to meet with his parents tomorrow at 12.00PM to discuss the engagement. The York Family was eager to help with debt payback. Drake, on the other hand, found himself in a difficult predicament. To get through this tough period, he had no alternative but to rely on his daughter¡¯s marriage. Sophia was well aware of this; no matter how disloyal she was, she couldn¡¯t stand by and watch her father being arrested. Therefore, now that the York Family had indicated that they were willing to marry her and assist in paying off the debt, she was very grateful. Over at Arthur¡¯s vi, Emily had just returned from downtown in her new dress. She couldn¡¯t wait to show it to Arthur and walked straight to the study on the second floor. ¡°Artie, do you like my new dress?¡± she said as she turned around in front of him. Arthur wore a ck shirt with embroidered designs on them, but the sense of dignity that was inherently present in his physique was always obvious to the public. ¡°Well! It¡¯s beautiful,¡± he complimented her. Emily, on the other hand, saw that he only gave her a passing nce and did not appear to be impressed in any way. ¡°You are being perfunctory to me!¡± she said, rather disappointed. Her mood appeared to have improved during Sophia¡¯s absence throughout these three days, but whenever Sophia was around, Emily always felt suffocated. She discovered that Arthur preferred to be alone. When he had nothing to do, he would read books in the study room or work, but she never saw him taking the initiative to ask her out. Each time she asked him about it, he would always refuse her. ¡°Artie, is there something on your mind? You can talk to me about it!¡± Emily sat beside him and hugged his arm as she looked at him with doe eyes. ¡°No.¡± Arthur shook his head. Then, she pursed her lips and asked, ¡°Are you thinking about Sophia?¡± Hearing this, he raised his beautiful eyebrows and answered again, ¡°No.¡± How could he possibly miss her? Anyway, she couldn¡¯t escape until she returned his family heirloom. ¡­ At 9:30 PM, Anastasia apanied her son into the room and helped him take a bath before changing into his adorable cartoon pajamas. Jared¡¯s wet hair wasbed to the side, revealing his handsome and delicate little face, making him look like a young prince. ¡°Jared, it¡¯s your birthday soon. Think about what you want as your present!¡± she said. ¡°Will you give me anything I want?¡± the little guy asked slyly. ¡°Yes, I will!¡± She would, of course, do anything for him. Then, Jared smiled and requested, ¡°Okay, then. I¡¯ll tell you what I want for my birthday. I want a brother and sister for my birthday present.¡± When Anastasia heard this, she kept quiet for a few seconds before bursting intoughter. ¡°I can¡¯t give you that by your birthday!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not in a rush for it, Mommy. You can give them to me for my birthday present next year!¡± This made her sigh softly; she knew that her son was a little lonely. She gently stroked his little head and said, ¡°Choose another gift. Let Mommy think about this one for a bit.¡± The little guy immediately asked for another set of Legos, and she pulled him into a hug and kissed his head. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll get that for you.¡± After tucking Jared to bed, Anastasia returned to her room, picked up a briefcase from the couch, and looked through the documents. Elliot had a social gathering tonight, so she had to wait for him to return. At about 11:00 PM, she heard the sound of a car, and soon, a handsome figure stepped through the door. The ck suit and pants gave him a stylish yet domineering look. He looked like he had just stepped out of a magazine. ¡°Why are you still looking through documents?¡± Elliot sat down and took the documents from her hands before continuing distressingly, ¡°It¡¯ste. Stop working.¡± At this moment, Anastasia took a whiff of him. ¡°You reek of alcohol. How much did you drink?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t drink much. I¡¯ll take a shower.¡± He did not want the smell to rub off on her. Although he didn¡¯t drink much, the room reeked with the smell of alcohol and it absorbed into his clothes. Lying in bed, Anastasia suddenly thought of her son¡¯s birthday wish earlier. Because of the pain she had experienced during childbirth, she was under a lot of pressure. If she were to have another child, it was inevitable that she would have to experience what she endured again. However, the kins of the Presgrave were phasing out. Thus, she was still burdened with the task of continuing their bloodline. Before she could think more about it, she saw Elliot walking out with a bath towel. His sculpted and muscr body shone under the light, filling her with temptation. As hey in bed and took her into his arms, Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but tell him about her son¡¯s wish. ¡°The decision is yours to make. I won¡¯t force you.¡± He leaned in to kiss her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine with just Jared.¡± Then, Anastasia raised her head slightly and asked, ¡°Have you ever thought about having another child?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it. I wanted a daughter so that she could be as beautiful as you.¡± Elliot curled his lips into a smile. How could he not want another child? However, he was afraid that she would have to go through the pain of childbirth again and he couldn¡¯t bear it. She was curious as well; if she were to have a daughter, would the child look like Anastasia or Elliot? Then, he stretched his hands slightly and looked over at her in surprise, ¡°Honey, why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Anastasia immediately snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t you keep track of the days? How dare you ask me to tell you! Of course, I won¡¯t!¡± In a blink of an eye, he pulled her into his arms with force. ¡°You little devil, are you trying to starve your husband?¡± This was a good enough reason for him to punish her, but soon, Elliot was a little annoyed. ¡°I forgot to buy them. I¡¯ll call Rey¡ª¡± Chapter 681-690 Chapter 681-690 Just as Elliot was about to get up, Anastasia reached out to hug his neck. ¡°Then, we don¡¯t have to use it.¡± He immediately understood what she meant and was taken by surprise. Then, he kissed her gently and asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°Sweetheart, are you sure?¡± ¡°I am!¡± She had promised Jared, so she decided to try and see if she could fulfill his wish of giving him a sister on his birthday next year. ¡­ At the break of dawn, Arthur suddenly had the urge to visit Sophia¡¯s father after waking up. After all, he had nothing better to do. Deciding that he wanted it to be a surprise, he did not inform her about it. He used other means to get information about Drake¡¯s whereabouts. After all, the Goodwins¡¯pany was in his hands. To avoid Emily, Arthur left at about 10:00 AM to drive directly to the hospital since his bodyguard had bought him a gift in advance, so he drove directly to the hospital. At the hospital, Drake and the rest of his family were just at the entrance as his driver was on the way to bring them to a restaurant for lunch. As Drake couldn¡¯t walk, he was pushed out in a wheelchair. At this moment, a pick-up truck drove up toward them and the man who stepped out was Christopher coming to pick Sophia up. At 5 feet 7 inches, he weighed nearly 200 pounds in sportswear and his body looked plumper than ever. His chin and neck were almost touching each other, but this did not stop him from liking beautiful women at all. He and Sophia were ssmates from junior high until they were in university. She had always been the It girl since she was young as she was beautiful. Thus, Christopher had always been dreaming of getting her. As for Sophia¡¯s parents, they hoped that she would be taken care of for the rest of her life. Although he was a little plump, he came from a wealthy family, so their daughter would be able to live a prosperous life in the future. ¡°Dad, Mom, let Uncle G take you to the restaurant first. We¡¯ll meet you there in a bit,¡± Sophia said. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll get going then.¡± Then, she followed Christopher into his car where he immediately acted like a gentleman. ¡°Sophia, today is a great day for us. Come, let¡¯s get a gift for you.¡± ¡°Let us go eat first,¡± she deflected. She did not want anything from him. ¡°You¡¯re going to be my wife soon, and it¡¯s only right for me to give you a gift.¡± Then, he drove her straight to the jewelry store. Although she had repeatedly refused the offer, he still tried to force a diamond ring on her finger. Ultimately, she had no choice but to wear it on her ring finger. This made him grin so widely that his triple chin was on full disy. ¡°Sophia, you¡¯re so beautiful today. Did you know how many boys were after you back in high school? Now, I can finally call you mine,¡± he boasted. He had already made up his mind to bribe the media to report their wedding. That way, he would look even more imposing. The most beautiful girl in school was now his wife, which made it extremely wonderful! However, Sophia had no intention of being his trophy wife. She looked at the time and said, ¡°It¡¯s time for us to head over to the restaurant.¡± Then, Christopher finally drove them toward the restaurant. In the hospital corridor, a group of young nurses was stunned by the sight of a man in a white shirt, who became the focus of all the women. He was like a protagonist out of a novel while the two bodyguards made him appear cold and hostile with a domineering aura. Arthur stood at the door of the ward. He stopped outside for a few seconds before he reached out to push open the door, expecting to see Sophia¡¯s surprised face. However, the ward was empty. When a nurse passed by, he politely asked the nurse in a charming voice, ¡°Excuse me, has the patient here been discharged?¡± It just so happened that the nurse happened to be in charge of the ward. ¡°Mr. Goodwin is not discharged yet,¡± she hurriedly answered. ¡°He just went out for lunch. If I¡¯m not wrong, his daughter is getting engaged today.¡± At the sound of this, his dark pupils suddenly shrank. ¡°Engaged?¡± ¡°Yes, that is correct! ording to what I¡¯ve heard, they will meet the groom¡¯s family and discuss the engagement. Sir, are you rted to him?¡± ¡°No.¡± The man kept hisposure and gave a quick smile, but as soon as he walked away, his face looked gloomy. How could she not tell him she was going to get engaged? Arthur pulled out his phone and called Sophia¡¯s number right away. Sophia was in the car that Christopher was driving. When she heard her phone rang, she pulled it out and checked it. Once she saw who was calling, she immediately ended the call. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer?¡± Christopher asked out of curiosity. ¡°It¡¯s nothing important.¡± At the hospital lobby, the man couldn¡¯t believe that she had just hung up on him. When he thought about that, he gripped the phone even tighter. ¡°Find out where Drake¡¯s daughter¡¯s engagement is,¡± Arthur ordered his bodyguard behind him. The bodyguard contacted the executive at Goodwin Corporation, who put him in touch with Drake¡¯s driver. The driver gave them the address and room number of the restaurant. Arthur then entered the car and calmly said, ¡°Drive to the restaurant.¡± Christopher¡¯s car slowly pulled into the restaurant¡¯s parking lot during this time. When Sophia got out of the vehicle, he suddenly hugged her. This startled Sophia, so she avoided and told him, ¡°Don¡¯t do this. We do not want anyone to see us.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the problem? After this meal, you will be my wife anyway.¡± He wanted to move in with Sophia so badly right now. Even though they were going to get married in future, she still resisted him deeply. ¡°Fine! At the very least, we should hold hands!¡± Christopher ignored her refusal and forced to take her hand. Sophia had no choice but to follow him inside the restaurant while holding her hand. At the restaurant, Drake and his wife were chatting with the York couple. Since they were both businessmen, this was something that they had inmon. Their conversation led to the Goodwin Corporation incident when a hostile acquisition left Drake with no one to turn to when it happened. His business was thriving until there was an unexpected hostile acquisition, which resulted in him owing a significant amount of money to the bank. All of this happened as a result of his daughter losing the heirloom that belonged to a young man. ¡°Anyway, the past is the past. Please look out for us since we will soon be inws,¡± Drake added. ¡°Of course. After all, our son is totally crazy about Sophia.¡± Christopher walked in while holding Sophia¡¯s hand as they were talking. After taking their seats, the two families began ordering food. In the meantime, Emma was observing her daughter seated next to a plump Christopher. She felt terrible for Sophia since she was unhappy with this engagement. ¡°Sophia! I¡¯ll take good care of you in the future. Once you¡¯re married to Christopher, please hurry ahead and bless our family with a grandchild. I definitely want to have a grandchild soon.¡± Margaret thought to herself as she looked at Sophia¡¯s lovely face. My future grandchildren¡¯s genes will definitely be amazing. ¡°Why don¡¯t we skip the engagement and get straight to the wedding nning? At this point, we are able to discuss the dowry and what should be done with it. We are generous, we have decided to give two million dors.¡± Edmund York had already decided what he will do. ¡°We have no demands on the dowry. Everything is fine so long as Sophia is happy.¡± Drake nodded. Edmund had an idea right away. ¡°Oh! Drake, how about we help you pay off half of your debt to make things easier and then figure out what to do about the rest?¡± Drake and his wife looked at each other in silence. Because of how things were, they had no other choice as they no longer had any pride left to ask for more. ¡°But we also hope you can give something as your part of the wedding gift,¡± Margaret said out of the blue. When Emma heard this, she quickly added, ¡°We¡¯ll absolutely prepare our side of the wedding gift too.¡± ¡°In that case, let¡¯s just get right to it. Drake, we are interested in yournd. So, we¡¯re wondering whether you may make it as your gift for the wedding.¡± Drake and his wife exchanged yet another nce. Ournd?! However, thisnd is valued at 50 million dors on the market. It wasn¡¯t that the couple didn¡¯t want to give thend as a wedding gift; instead, it was their only remaining possession. Sophia was shocked to hear this and she looked at the York Family. They want a piece ofnd as a wedding gift?! ¡°Mr. Drake, we¡¯ll build a house on that piece ofnd. We¡¯ll bring you two over to stay with us by then.¡± Christopher said. He thought that his family deserved to benefit financially from this marriage. Drake and his wife found themselves in a terrible predicament. They couldn¡¯t help but think, we thought that marrying off our daughter would be a joyful asion, but the wedding gift that the other side is asking for seems ridiculous. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re hesitant to give it up, Drake.¡± Edmund continued in his pursuit. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not really true. We¡¯ll get ready for our part of the wedding gift, but thisnd is under my father¡¯s name. I don¡¯t think I have much of a say in this.¡± ¡°However, I heard that you inherited thend from him. Certainly, you can make that decision. We also want our children to have a nicer ce to live once they marry, wouldn¡¯t you agree? You will provide thend, and we will assist in the construction of a vi. In the end, it¡¯s for the benefit of our children.¡± ¡°Mr. and Mrs. York, I¡¯m not too choosy about where I live. Also, I have my own property, so after Christopher and I get married, we can just move into my apartment,¡± Sophia said. ¡°An apartment? That can¡¯t be right. Christopher can¡¯t live in an apartment. We have always given him the best of everything since he was a child, in case you didn¡¯t know,¡± Margaret refuted in a strong manner and made it sound like his son was a rare and precious gem. Arge ck SUV pulled up in front of the restaurant¡¯s entrance. The bodyguard stepped out of the vehicle to open the rear passenger seat door. The man¡¯s slender and long legs stepped out and he walked right inside the restaurant. ¡°Do you have any reservations, sir?¡± ¡°We¡¯re here to look for someone,¡± his bodyguard answered. Arthur asked, ¡°Where is The Prema Room?¡± ¡°Oh! This way, sir.¡± The server catered to their needs with enthusiasm. While directing them to The Prema Room, the waitress could not resist catching a glimpse of the male visitor. He is extremely attractive! Is he a celebrity? At the same time, the atmosphere in The Prema Room had be a little awkward. The York Family was keen about getting that piece ofnd, but the Goodwin Family was in a dilemma. The room¡¯s door was pushed open at this moment and the sweet voice of the waitress weing someone was heard shortly after. ¡°Please enter, sir.¡± The two families turned their heads and nced at the door in surprise while a noble looking man entered the room. Sophia was so shocked when she saw the man that she jumped from her seat. ¡°Mr. Weiss, why are you here?¡± she asked, looking at the man with bewilderment. Arthur shifted his eyes from the two families in their seats to the plump man next to Sophia. He narrowed his eyes as he thought, is this the man she¡¯s going to marry? Is she blind? This man does not deserve to be with her. When Drake and his wife saw the man, they were shocked as well and would never intentionally upset him. Furthermore, their daughter owed him a family heirloom. As Christopher saw the uninvited guest, something inside his mind warned him to be cautious of this man. So, he rose up and said in an unpleasant tone, ¡°Who are you? Do you not realize that this is a private session? Hurry and leave!¡± When Sophia detected Christopher¡¯s unpleasant tone, she hurriedly introduced him to Arthur. ¡°This is my friend, Christopher.¡± ¡°Sophia, what do you think this means? How can you invite a male friend to our engagement party?¡± Christopher was furious. When he saw that this man was truly exceptional, he became really angry. ¡°No, that¡¯s not what it is.¡± She waved her hands to indicate that he had misunderstood. She then reached out her hands to push and drag Arthur toward the door. ¡°Mr. Weiss, why don¡¯t we talk about this outside?¡± Arthur turned around and followed her to the door. Sophia closed the door behind her once they were outside. ¡°Young Master Weiss, why are you here?!¡± she asked, feeling confused. ¡°Are you going to get married to that pig inside there?¡± heughed as if he had just seen a joke. An embarrassed Sophia said, ¡°Don¡¯t say such rude things about him, will you?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that he¡¯ll squash you?¡± He didn¡¯t pay attention to her and kept making nasty remarks. Her face immediately turned red with embarrassment when she heard that. Can¡¯t this man at least respect me? ¡°Yes, Young Master Weiss. I¡¯m getting engaged soon and no longer can serve you. Please revoke our agreement,¡± she said with a serious expression. She believed that the only way to resolve her father¡¯s debt was to sever ties with Arthur. ¡°I disagree; you cannot leave my side for a whole year.¡± He crossed his arms and gave her a harsh re. Sophia choked when she heard that. Since she was determined to have nothing to do with him, she could only say, ¡°In short, I¡¯m getting engaged. I¡¯m going to get married to someone else. So, all I can say is that from now on, I¡¯ll only stay on the side of the man I¡¯m going to marry.¡± ¡°Does your fiance know about our rtionship?¡± Arthur narrowed his eyes and asked. Sophia¡¯s cheeks reddened after hearing this. Why does he act as if we are having an affair? For goodness sake, we¡¯re just friends. Why does he have toplicate our rtionship? Sophia bit her lip and said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing between us.¡± At that moment, Sophia didn¡¯t notice that someone from inside was opening the door behind her. From the corner of his eye, Arthur could see and even figure out who that person was. So, he unintentionally made himself sound even more ambiguous than before. ¡°Have you forgotten that we used to sleep in the same room? You even saw me naked!¡± Christopher, who had just opened the door and walked out, heard this statement at first instance. Since he was angry, he asked out loud, ¡°Sophia, what is your rtionship with him?¡± His voice took Sophia by surprise and she immediately turned to him and exined, ¡°Christopher, please don¡¯t misunderstand. There¡¯s nothing between ¡­¡± Suddenly, her face was cupped by two fair and delicate hands. Without giving her time to react, a set of thin, rejuvenating lips kissed her soft lips. This took Sophiapletely by surprise. Christopher could only watch as his future fiancee was being kissed by another man. The bodyguard who stood by the side was also surprised as he saw Young Master Weiss initiating a kiss with a woman. After kissing Sophia, Arthur shed a smug look and sneered at Christopher to provoke him. Sophia was dazed andpletely stupefied by the kiss until she heard Christopher¡¯s angry voice. ¡°Let go of her! She¡¯s my girlfriend, and you have no right to touch her!¡± Suddenly, an arm was wrapped around her waist as Christopher finished ranting. She was ttened in an embrace with a cedar scented chest the next second. ¡°I¡¯ve touched her, so what are you going to do?¡± Arthur smirked as he kissed her hair. ¡°Sophia, you ought to think this through! Your father¡¯s 10 billion dors debt will be due soon, and if you are not engaged with me, no one¡¯s going to pay for him. He may need to spend at least 3 years in jail if he can¡¯t pay up!¡± Christopher was still determined to get Sophia for himself. After all, he¡¯d never give up something he¡¯d never touched before. Just as Sophia was about to push off Arthur, a deep male voice said, ¡°You¡¯re willing to marry yourself to this pig for a mere 10 billion dors? How can you be such a loser?¡± She had never heard such haughty remarks in her life. Meanwhile, Christopher became enraged when he heard that someone spoke of him as a pig. ¡°You?! Then, why don¡¯t you try to take out 10 billion dors in one go?¡± When he watched Arthur extend out his hand, the bodyguard gave him a ck wallet. Arthur withdrew a ck card from his wallet and handed it to Sophia. ¡°Take it and use the money to pay off your father¡¯s debt. Return to serve me after you¡¯ve settled it.¡± When Christopher saw it, his eyes widened in amazement. He observed not one, but maybe six or seven ck cards in this man¡¯s wallet, if he wasn¡¯t mistaken. With his current worth, even he himself was ineligible to upgrade to a ck card. Sophia was shocked when she looked at the ck card and raised her head. She knew she couldn¡¯t ept something like that from him. So, she quickly shook her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Weiss. I can¡¯t take your card.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just ignore him, Sophia. I¡¯m sure he has ns to do something bad. Let¡¯s go inside.¡± Christopher then moved toward her and tried to pull her away from Arthur, but Arthur¡¯s bodyguard came out immediately and stopped Christopher from getting close. Sophia broke free from Arthur¡¯s grip on her waist. Then she told him, ¡°Please let go of me. Thank you.¡± When he heard that, he was a little disappointed. This woman is willing to marry someone else instead of epting his assistance?! Christopher thought it was finally his turn to give Arthur a provoking smirk as Sophia walked toward him. He was shocked by what Sophia was about to say, which came as a surprise. Looking at him, she said, ¡°Christopher, let¡¯s cancel our engagement for today. I¡¯m not marrying you!¡± ¡°Why?¡± He looked at her anxiously. Sophia wasn¡¯t a fool, she knew that when the York Family asked her to marry Christopher and said they would help her father pay off his debt, it was just empty promises. Out of greed, they even asked for a piece of her parents¡¯nd as a wedding gift for her. She had actually thought about it while she was inside the room and wondered whether she could get her parents to sell everything they owned to pay off the debt. She was also willing to stay with her parents in a rental home and apany them. Moreover, she could also tell that her parents were having trouble deciding what to do about the piece ofnd. She knew that the York Family was using paying off the debt as an excuse to pressure her parents. Christopher followed Sophia as she pushed open the door to the room. Once she entered the room, she addressed the York Family, ¡°Mr. and Mrs. York, I regret to inform you that I cannot get engaged to Christopher. Please forgive me.¡± She then turned to her parents and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go home, Mom and Dad.¡± ¡°What? Sophia, what¡¯s the matter? I thought we discussed this, so why have you decided not to get engaged to Christopher this time?¡± Meanwhile, Drake and Emma exchanged nces. Surely, they also sensed the York Family¡¯s true motives for this engagement. Now that Sophia had openly broken off her engagement, there was no longer any reason to associate with the York Family. Drake reclined to his wheelchair while Sophia made her way over to him and began pushing him out. After Emma had made her pleasantries, they left the room. Arthur was still in the hallway and hadn¡¯t left yet. He seemed to remember something right then. When he bought Drake Goodwin¡¯spany thest time, he was the one who earned the 10 billion dors debt that came with it. When Sophia left the room and saw Arthur still standing in the hallway, she spoke to him. ¡°I¡¯m going to take my dad back to the hospital, so I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Drake still held a grudge against Arthur for taking over hispany with ill intent. So, he only gave Arthur a quick nce before letting her push him away. Arthur took out his phone and called a few numbers after he watched the family of three enter into the elevator. ¡°I need help with this one thing.¡± Christopher pushed all the tableware off the table in the private room. Infuriated, he said, ¡°How dare they look down on us, the Goodwin Family! Fine! I will wait till Drake is sentenced to jail!¡± ¡°Darn it! I assumed Drake would offer that plot ofnd as a wedding gift and present it to us. Who knew Sophia wasn¡¯t such a fool?¡± Edmund expressed his dissatisfaction. Sophia assisted Drake in getting into the car to return to the hospital. As she sat in the front passenger seat, she reminisced about Arthur¡¯s kiss earlier and couldn¡¯t believe this man had kissed her. ¡°Let¡¯s just sell everything that can be sold and pay off the debt, Mom and Dad. I¡¯ll pay them the rest of the money when I obtain a job in the future,¡± Sophia told her parents seated in the back passenger seat. ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s the only way to go now.¡± Drake let out a heavy sigh when he thought about how hard it might be for Sophia to pay off his debt for the rest of her life. Suddenly, Drake¡¯s phone rang. Thus, he picked up his phone and answered. His words could be heard, but no one knew what the other person on the other end of the line had said until he asked, ¡°Really? All my debts have been settled?¡± Emma and Sophia stared at him with disbelief at hearing this. Drake¡¯s eyes revealed traces of both joy and confusion as he spoke with the person on the phone. ¡°Alright. Alright. Thank you. On Monday, I will absolutely head over to get the proof of settlement.¡± After hanging up the phone, he said to Emma and Sophia, ¡°That was from the bank. They called to inform me that my debt had been fully settled.¡± ¡°Who helped you?¡± Emma asked quickly. ¡°Could the York Family be involved?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way the York Family has this much cash flow.¡± Then, all of a sudden, Sophia knew who helped Drake to pay off his debt. So, she told them, ¡°I know, Mom and Dad! Mr. Weiss was the one who paid off your debt!¡± ¡°What? That was Mr. Weiss whom we just saw in the hallway?¡± Drake questioned in surprise. ¡°Why would he want to help us pay off the debt? You still owe him an heirloom, don¡¯t you?¡± a shocked Emma asked. Sophia couldn¡¯t find the real answer, but she knew that Arthur was the one who had paid Drake¡¯s debt. ¡°Mom, Dad, don¡¯t worry about this. I can handle it,¡± she said. Drake and Emma nced at each other and thought, how will Sophia handle this? Is it possible that Mr. Weiss liked our daughter? Soon, they arrived at the hospital. Drake got out of the car while Emma looked at Sophia and told her, ¡°If it¡¯s really Mr. Weiss, you need to thank him right away.¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll do it! You guys head first. I¡¯ll find him right now!¡± Sophia halted a cab as she said that. After that, she pulled out her phone and called Arthur. ¡°Hello?¡± The phone was answered as a low, deep voice of a man of unknown temperament came through. ¡°Were you the one who helped settle my father¡¯s debt?¡± Sophia asked quickly. ¡°Yes. I had settled his debt.¡± ¡°Why¡­ Why did you do it?¡± Even if her brain were to burst, Sophia was still unable to uncover the reason for this issue. ¡°Listen carefully, you owe me a family heirloom and 10 billion dors from now on.¡± ¡°All right. I¡¯ll pay you back for what you did for me. If you are willing, I can even be your servant for a lifetime.¡± Sophia had no choice but to sell herself to Arthur. Yet, she didn¡¯t mind much because she knew she would feel better once father paid off his debt. When the man heard what Sophia said, he asked in a serious tone, ¡°So, does that mean you¡¯ll do anything I tell you to do from now on?¡± Sophia¡¯s face suddenly turned red, but she answered him with boldness. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have an hour to return to my vi,¡± he demanded. ¡°Sure! I¡¯ll be right back.¡± She responded before she hung up the phone with relief. The debt is paid off. Mom and Dad don¡¯t have to struggle to make a living, and I can stay with him for the rest of my life. Sophia felt like she was in a trance as she gazed at the sunshine beyond the window. She was surprised that she didn¡¯t feel trapped when she thought she would be with Arthur for a long time. Instead, it made her feel happy and she even looked forward to it. After an hour, Sophia went to Arthur¡¯s vi and ran into Emily as she was having her afternoon tea. When Emily first saw her, she was so mad that she threw up her tea and called Sophia out of the blue, ¡°Hey, you! Come here!¡± Sophia walked right over to her when she heard that. ¡°Can I help you in any way, Miss Jennings?¡± Emily pushed the desserts off the table all of a sudden. ¡°It¡¯s dirty on the floor. Come here and clean it up.¡± Sophia watched as Emily tried to create a scene on purpose. If it was before, she¡¯d ignore Emily for sure. Now, though, things are different. Arthur¡¯s guest is Emily while I work for him. So, doing these things wille naturally to me. ¡°Yes, Miss Jennings.¡± Sophia was on her knees and picked up the desserts that had fallen on the floor, but all of a sudden, Emily stomped on one of the desserts with her shoe. She took them off and said, ¡°My shoes are dirty on the bottom. Why don¡¯t you wash it after you finish cleaning up this mess?¡± Sophia nodded and kept wiping the floor while she was on her knees. Arthur appeared at the front entrance before he slowly entered. He saw Emily in the garden, sitting cross-legged on a reclining chair with a teacup in one hand and desserts sprawled on the floor underneath her. Then, he noticed Sophia, who was kneeling down and collecting the desserts off the ground as if she were a servant. Emily was feeling smug as she watched Sophia clean up the mess she had intentionally made when she heard a cold male voice say, ¡°Stop cleaning.¡± Sophia¡¯s hand stopped moving when she heard that voice. Then, she turned her head to look at the man who wasing toward them. She continued picking up those desserts instead of rising to her feet She was pulled to her feet by a hand that reached out to grab it. When she heard the man¡¯s voice, it sounded a little bit mean. ¡°I said, stop picking. Are you deaf?¡± Sophia took her hand back as she looked down. ¡°Yes.¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Then she looked at Emily¡¯s shoes, which were ced to one side and said, ¡°Miss Jennings, let me clean your shoes.¡± Emily couldn¡¯t help but smirk when she saw that Sophia knew how to behave. ¡°Make sure to clean it well,¡± she added. Arthur knew what was going on because he knew Emily well. He had seen the desserts on the floor and the dessert stains on her shoes. ¡°Emily, she is my personal maid. Please order your personal attendants to take care of all of your everyday needs. Don¡¯t instruct Sophia any longer,¡± he told Emily before instructing Sophia, ¡°Stop cleaning ande inside with me.¡± Emily pouted her lips unhappily and demanded, ¡°Artie, why can¡¯t I make her do what I want? How is she better than my servant?¡± ¡°No means no and it¡¯s final.¡±Arthur maintained his calm manner. Then, he dragged Sophia into the living room where he reminded her, ¡°Moving forward, you must serve me only and no one else.¡± Sophia¡¯s delicate cheeks flushed slightly when she heard the words serve me only because these were incredibly vague affectionate terms. As always, she did what she was told and nodded. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Go back to your room and rest.¡± Arthur gave her his instructions. He couldn¡¯t attend to her for long because he had some business to take care of. Sophia returned to her room and she received a phone call from her father thereafter. He contacted to see if it was Arthur who had helped him settle his debt. ¡°Dad, yes. I¡¯m now working for him, so it may be a while before I can see you and Mom.¡± ¡°Logically, I should detest him because he took over mypany by force.¡± Drake was experiencing feelings that were somewhat conflicting. ¡°Why did he take over your business, Dad?¡± Sophia wondered. ¡°It¡¯s because I managed the business inefficiently and failed to turn a profit.¡± Drake sighed. He recalled how ruthless Arthur had been thest time he took over the business. There was no introduction or advance notice as the man simply appeared and seized hispany. One of his other business partners had used thepany¡¯s shares as coteral for a loan of hundred of billion dors. For this reason, thepany was sold and the sale proceeds were transmitted directly to the bank. It waster found out that Drake was also responsible for another debt, which had been taken out in his name. This was the said debt that Arthur had settled up in full. Drake was furious but also helpless. There was, however, nothing he could do to change the situation. As a result, he had little choice but to ept his fate. On top of that, he had always nned on retiring someday. ¡°Dad, focus on your health first,¡± Sophiaforted him. She stood by the handrail on the second story and nced down at Arthur working on hisptop downstairs as she spoke. The man seemed so cold, stoic, and charming at the same time. Up until now, she hadn¡¯t been able to believe that those delicately pursed lips of his had kissed her. Anastasia arrived at thepany earlier in the morning to meet a few important visitors. As a jewelry designer, she¡¯d always been attentive and patient with clients. Even though she was with a prominent status now, she still met with every client and that dignified attitude of hers captivated them. In less than a half hour and two cups of coffeeter, she was able to secure nearly 10 million worth of custom orders for three prominent women. Anastasia was aware that the jewelry market was bing increasinglypetitive. That meant that if they truly wanted to break away from their old operating model, they had to go all out at the top end and she wanted to build Bourgeois into a top-tierpany in the industry. During her time as an employee at Bourgeois, she was aware that thepany had a lot of unproductive staff. She was aware that the majority of these ckers were executive-levels who received substantial perks from their positions without performing any effort. With this in mind, she made the decision to restructure the entire organization and redeployment of staff. Anastasia trusted Felicia, Larry, and Mason the most out of all the employees she knew and they were already in the conference room at this stage. The process of personnel reformation was quickly brought to a conclusion. The Vice-president was held by Larry while Felicia was promoted to regional chief director. On the other hand, Mason was given an instant promotion and had the responsibility of running the general business operations of the Bourgeois couture line as general manager. The first thing that Anastasia had to do was to give them responsibilities that were suited for their level of expertise. In the afternoon, the executives of the Bourgeois organization underwent a transformation. All of the managers who believed their jobs were secure and wellpensated were demoted to positions of less significance whereas their sries were also based on their sales performance. Meanwhile, the employees who had worked earnestly and honestly for thepany were also promoted and rehired. For a moment, sounds ofints and rants echoed in the big office of Bourgeois while those who were rehired realized at the same time that the top management of the corporation had practiced fairness and justice. This realization motivated their strong will to devote themselves to their work. Once she was done restructuring thepany, Anastasia was looking at some documents in her office. Suddenly, she heard Grace¡¯s voiceing from outside and judging from thedy¡¯s intonation, she sounded like she was anxiously stopping someone. ¡°No, you can¡¯t enter. President Tillman is working.¡± Regardless of what, Grace still couldn¡¯t stop the burly male manager with that petite figure of hers. Coincidentally, this male manager was one of those executives who had been transferred from his original position. Feeling resigned, he pushed open the door and made his way across to Anastasia¡¯s desk. ¡°President Tillman, what¡¯s the meaning of this?! I have been working in Bourgeois for 8 years. I¡¯m pretty sure I could get some credit for my efforts, but how could you demote me just like that?!¡± Observing the agitated male manager in front of her, Anastasia calmly stood up. She stared at Gordon Quigley, the male manager, with a piercing gaze and spoke, ¡°Mr. Quigley, I must remind you that Bourgeois will not support idlers from now on. You can submit your resignation if you don¡¯t wish to cooperate with this transfer decision. I¡¯m more than happy to receive your resignation letter.¡± ¡°Anastasia, do you think you¡¯re that great? You¡¯re nothing but a mere designer who became lucky and able to climb to the top.¡± Gordon sneered, after which he quickly added, ¡°All in all, you sessfully seduced a man like Elliot just because you have a pretty face. I¡¯m telling you: I have already been holding the position of a manager even before you joined Bourgeois! How dare you demote me now!¡± Likewise, Anastasia didn¡¯t intend to pamper anyone in thepany. Therefore, she said coldly, ¡°I dare to because I¡¯m the boss of Bourgeois! I have the right to make any decision!¡± ¡°Anastasia, you can transfer me to another position, but I¡¯m not fine with a sry reduction. If you don¡¯t implement it, I¡¯ll go on a strike with all my men!¡± Since Gordon was previously the manager of Bourgeois, he had quite a number of subordinates under him. ¡°I dare you if you have this ability. We shall see if the evidence in my hand would send you to jail first, or your strike wille first.¡± After she finished speaking, she coldly recounted his charges. ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you have been up to! I have calcted the amount of money that you have illegally transferred out all these years! It¡¯s at least more than 8 million, if not 10 million!¡± When Gordon heard Anastasia¡¯s words, the arrogance on his face instantly turned into panic. Even so, he still pretended to be calm as he said, ¡°President Tillman, you should at least provide evidence if you want to convict me for such crimes.¡± ¡°Evidence? By the time I retrieve the evidence, that will also be the time when I¡¯ll see you in court. Are you sure you want to get things to such an ugly extent?¡± Anastasia questioned him while crossing her arms in front of her chest. Today, she wore a white blouse and a high-waist hip skirt. Dressing like this, she looked slender and mesmerizing while radiating a domineering aura at the same time. ¡°You should know that the team ofwyers under Presgrave Corporation won¡¯t have mercy toward anyone in court.¡± Anastasia stared at Gordon coldly with her pair of beautiful orbs. When he heard her words, the arrogance he had when he first entered was immediately suppressed. At this moment, he was scared out of his wits. Therefore, he quickly smiled and pleaded, ¡°Please, President Tillman. I-I ept this transfer.¡± ¡°On second thought, it¡¯s better for you to resign!¡± She was unwilling to give him a chance to continue wasting time in thepany. Gordon was a man who had always been buoyant and impetuous. Therefore, he instantly clenched his hands into a fist when he heard Anastasia asking him to resign. ring at her angrily, he wanted to lash out. ¡°You¡ª¡± However, before he could get the chance to do so, the door behind him opened. Immediately after, two bodyguards in suits speedily entered. As each bodyguard stood on the left and right side of Gordon, they gave him death res as if to remind him not to go overboard. Once again, he calmed down his rage. Then, he snorted. ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll resign.¡± Once Gordon left, the bodyguards left Anastasia¡¯s office and guarded the entrance to her office. Later, Anastasia received an internal phone call. Reaching out, she answered the call. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°I heard that you¡¯ve fired a few of the executives.¡± Elliot¡¯s low voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Well, you know that I can¡¯t let him continue to bleed Bourgeois dry. I won¡¯t tolerate the existence of such a character in thepany,¡± she exined. As she spoke, there was rather a resolute vibe in her tone. ¡°I¡¯ll support whatever my wife does, but make sure to tell me first when you encounter danger next time.¡± Elliot reminded her. He had earlier received a SOS call from Grace. ording to Grace, she said there was a male manager who barged into Anastasia¡¯s office. Since Elliot was outside, he could only assign the bodyguards to protect her first. Anastasia wasn¡¯t psychologically scared of anyone unlike Elliot. Perhaps this had something to do with her toughening herself up since young. Hearing Elliot¡¯s words, she smiled and uttered, ¡°Sorry for making you worry.¡± ¡°The family¡¯s safety alwayses first in my heart.¡± When she heard the serious tone in his voice, she also looked at this matter in a more serious manner. ¡°I promise you that I¡¯ll learn to protect myself.¡± ¡°Remember to ask Adriana to apany you always,¡± Elliot exhorted. Coincidentally, today was the day that Adriana was on leave. Thus, she wasn¡¯t on Anastasia¡¯s side. However, Anastasia decided to keep quiet about this after she sensed how worried Elliot was. ¡°Sure, got it. By the way, how are things at the financial summit?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve met a few acquaintances earlier, so I¡¯m probably going to be home a littlete.¡± Understanding the situation Elliot was in, Anastasiamented, ¡°Sure! I¡¯ll coax Jared to sleep first then.¡± At this time, there was a knock on the door. Hence, she could only add, ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll hang up first. Bye!¡± He hummed as a reply to her. After hanging up the phone, Grace came in to deliver an urgent document. Due to the fact that Bourgeois had swiftly eliminated the ¡®pests¡¯ in just a day and cleaned up the vibe in the office, those who intended to dawdle became tense. In the meantime, the financial summit was held inside a grandiose hall. Standing in the center among a few of his foreign acquaintances, Elliot was discussing the future economical direction and development with them. At this moment, a sexy figure gradually approached them. With the staff pass hanging around her neck and her alluring attire, Lori made her way toward Elliot with a smile on her face. ¡°Elliot, what a coincidence,¡± Lori greeted. Looking at her, he nodded. ¡°Lori.¡± ¡°Elliot, I heard that you¡¯re going to meet the richest person from Dansbury. It just so happens that I¡¯m fluent in thenguage spoken in Dansbury. Let me be your trantor.¡± She shamelessly started promoting herself to him. ¡°That¡¯s fine. My trantor will be here soon.¡± Elliot didn¡¯t wish to trouble her. ¡°Elliot, give me a chance to help you!¡± Lori started whining with crystal clear eyes. However, he simply waved his hand. ¡°Just go ahead with your business!¡± After that, he brought his assistant, Rey, and left. Biting her rosy lips, Lori turned her head and looked at Elliot¡¯s straight and charming back silhouette. Instantly, she felt down and depressed. Could it be that Elliot doesn¡¯t want to give me a chance to get close to him just because I¡¯ve shown signs of seductionst time? If he thinks I¡¯ll stop, then he¡¯s wrong. I¡¯m not a person who would give up so easily! Since the day I was born, I know that I¡¯m just a tool of interest that my Dad used to acquire Presgrave Corporation. I have no way out, so I must endure the hardship and charge forward. Later, when the party was held at 5:00PM, Lori purposely seduced a foreign businessman. She knew this businessman had been lusting over her beauty and he even touched her from time to time. Even so, she still decided to endure him in order to carry out her sinister nter. When Lori saw Elliot entering a private room to rest, she purposefully led the businessman to the door of the room where Elliot was. ¡°Don¡¯t do this. Let me go¡­¡± Lori purposefully yelled in English, but the foreign businessman couldn¡¯t comprehend it, thinking she was catering to him and became increasingly brazen with his actions. During the tussle, she purposefully tore the front garments below her chest, which exposed parts of her skin. Elliot, who was taking a rest inside the room, undoubtedly became aware of themotion and dimly recognised Lori¡¯s voice. He opened the door and she shoved the man in front of him away while yanking at her ripped clothes. In a panic, she yelled for help, ¡°Elliot, save me¡­¡± After that, before he could even respond, she flung herself into his arms and her clothes were half- open, which added an air of enticement to the situation. ¡°Go away!¡± Elliot became enraged and yelled at the businessman. The businessman seemed puzzled; wasn¡¯t it this girl who initiated it in the first ce? Why was she now portraying herself as a victim? However, this man was not interested in taking the risk. As soon as he recognised Elliot Presgrave, he frantically apologised and departed. ¡°What is happening?¡± Elliot pulled Lori¡¯s hand away and helped her to sit down on the couch. She raised her head with tears in her eyes as she bit her red lips in embarrassment and looked at him with a weak gaze that drew a man¡¯s protection. ¡°Elliot, I am so thankful that I met you; otherwise, I¡­¡± She finished her word as she grasped her clothes with one hand, leaving her clothes just partially covered. ¡°I¡¯ll ask Rey to send you back,¡± he said as he took off his suit and ced it on her. ¡°Then, your suit¡­¡± ¡°Put it on first,¡± Elliot said as he turned away from her. ¡°Thank you, Elliot,¡± Lori replied gratefully as he contacted Rey to send her home. She wore the warm suit with a cool-scented feeling and her sneer gave the impression that she was up to no good. To upy a ce in Elliot¡¯s heart, one had to first shatter his imprable marriage to Anastasia. At 10.00PM, Anastasia was sitting on the couch in a burgundy nightgown and reading documents. Ever since she started overseeing the operations of Bourgeois, she had a list of never ending documents that she needed to peruse. She now understood that Elliot had to exercise a lot of effort in order to smoothly run such arge corporation. In contrast to Elliot¡¯spany, Bourgeois had less than a thousand employees to manage whereas he was in charge of tens of thousands. While she was reading, she became aware of the approaching sound of a vehicle and after a little while, she looked up and spotted her husband standing near the elevator in the basement parking lot. At first nce, Anastasia recognised that something wasn¡¯t right when he returned today. Yes, that was his suit, which he wore when he went out. This man was now dressed in merely a white shirt and a ck tie. She then asked in curiosity, ¡°Where is your suit?¡± Elliot exined, ¡°Lori and I met today at the summit. A foreign businessman assaulted her and tore her clothing. So, I lent her mine.¡± A shocked Anastasia kept her pleasant smile. ¡°Really? Is she all right?¡± He said, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± After that, he stepped over to embrace her before asking, ¡°Was it on purpose to dress like this while you wait for me?¡± Before she could answer, the man held her cheek, kissed her red lips, and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°It¡¯s time for your husband to take a shower.¡± Anastasia was speechless. Could she say that she was so exhausted that all she wanted to do tonight was to sleep, even though he made it look like she wanted him? However, the man had already gone to take a shower, while she sat on the couch, unable to read the documents. Did Lori meet my husband by coincidence after she was assaulted? To what extent were her clothes ripped? The summit is a rigorous international conference. Security personnel are stationed inside the building and guests from foreign nations are advised to maintain theirposure. How are they able to hurt Lori in any way even to the extent of tearing her clothes? After Anastasia¡¯s assessment, she concluded that Lori was just utilizing a seduction tactic as a woman¡¯s sixth sense was typically extremely urate. Last time at the wedding, despite Lori¡¯s tremendous repression and affectionate behavior, Anastasia could tell the woman was thinking about her husband. Moreover, her father had been keen to seek Elliot¡¯s assistance, which was why he allowed his beautiful daughter to be at his side as it was the easiest and most direct thing to do. Anastasia lifted the teacup off the table as her stunning eyes narrowed slightly while she needed to give Lori a proper warning. She would not, in any way, tolerate another woman interfering in her rtionship with her husband, who was not just the father of her son but also her husband. When it came to protecting her marriage, Anastasia would never be lenient. Anyone who tried to meddle with her marriage would be held ountable for their actions. At night, she was so tired that she fell asleep in her man¡¯s arms. Her hair was messy and Elliot kissed her face, which was still red. The woman¡¯s delicate oval face in his arms appeared weary in the faint light. He couldn¡¯t help but smile since this was his aplishment and he had every reason to be pleased with himself. Lori was unable to sleep in her apartment. She hung Elliot¡¯s suit on the rack in front of the bed. The unironed clothing remained smooth and wrinkle-free. In her mind¡¯s eye, she could see him donning this outfit, whichplemented his good physique. She stood up in her pajamas and had a seductive aura as she pulled the suit from the rack, held it in her arms to return to bed, after which she sniffed the man¡¯s scent on the suit and moaned softly. She longed for the day when the owner of this outfit woulde and lie next to her, embrace her, and fall asleep. ¡°Do you realise how much I like you, Elliot?¡± Her eyes were welling up with tears, as though she was grieving. In the early morning, Anastasia got up to check on her son and saw that Jared was already d in a school uniform, giving the impression that he was well prepared for his day at school. ¡°Mommy.¡± He affectionately extended his hands for a hug. She kissed his little head and sniffed it once more. Perhaps all mothers found itforting to smell the scent of their own child. ¡°You smell wonderful, Mommy!¡± He sniffed her like a puppy, after which she carried him into her arms and replied, ¡°Brush your teeth and wash your face!¡± Elliot had already dressed up; a white shirt was always his favourite outfit and it made him rxed whenever it was matched with a pair of suit pants. While their kid was inside the restroom to brush his teeth and wash his face, Elliot took advantage of the opportunity to embrace his wife and look at her attire for the day in a way that indicated he was examining it. He also firmly buttoned the second button on her shirt, which she had purposefully left undone when she dressed in the morning. Then, hemanded her in a low voice that sounded envious, ¡°Don¡¯t unbutton it.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I unbutton it even if it¡¯s hot?¡± Anastasia chuckled. ¡°Then, lower the temperature of the air conditioner.¡± Elliot simply did not want anybody else to see her assets and added, ¡°I¡¯ll send my son to school, head to the summit, and ask Adriana to drive you to the company.¡± ¡°Okay! Go ahead!¡± She nodded. Jared followed his father out the door as Anastasia observed their car drive away. She checked the time, produced her phone and dialled Lori¡¯s number. Lori was also about to head out. When she heard the phone ring, she grabbed it and looked at it. ¡°Hello, Anastasia,¡± she answered with apprehension. ¡°Lori, are you okay?! Elliot mentionedst night that you were harassed by foreign guests.¡± Anastasia asked out of concern. ¡°Uh! I¡¯m alright; thankfully, he helped me out,¡± Lori hastily responded. ¡°That¡¯s what Elliot should do as long as you¡¯re alright.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, thank you,¡± she replied with a smile. ¡°Are you avable at noon? Let¡¯s have a meal!¡± Anastasia asked her. ¡°Sure! After all, I need to return Elliot¡¯s suit to you,¡± Lori answered Anastasia grinned as she hung up the phone. ¡°All right, let¡¯s meet at noon.¡± She didn¡¯t want Lori to use the suit as an excuse, so she went out of her way to request that it be returned. Lori heaved a sigh of relief as she looked at the suit that she had held all night. She was actually hesitant to return it and even pondered taking the suit back to Elliot one day since it could be considered as an opportunity to meet the man. She was suddenly acutely aware that Anastasia was keeping a watchful eye on her. She thought that all of her thoughts were very well suppressed, but she couldn¡¯t escape from Anastasia¡¯s observant eyes. Chapter 691-700 Chapter 691-700 In the afternoon, Anastasia made a call to Lori before she left for the restaurant where she had made a reservation. Lori was the first to arrive between the two, as she set off from thepany. Around 11.50AM, a woman in business attire turned up by the entrance. She had her raven hair styled in an updo. Her whole appearance set her off gracefully, giving her amorous vibes. Lori had heard from her father that Anastasia had taken over Bourgeois. She always thought Anastasia would be content with being a housewife, so Lori was surprised to see the woman be a chairwoman of a jewelrypany right after marriage. It was obvious that Anastasia was not a woman whocked motivation and only sought pleasure in her life. Having her own career turned her into a morepetent woman. A woman like her was more attractive than ordinary housewives, and it was hard for men to resist her charm. Anastasia didn¡¯t even need the help from Elliot to shine. Lori couldn¡¯t help but feel envious of her, as Anastasia got off on the right foot with a favorable background of her husband¡¯s family. No matter how hard Lori tried and how determined she was for her goals, as long as her family could not provide her with a better opportunity, she would still need to work for others. On the contrary, Anastasia was managing a listed jewelrypany right after marriage, which had a market value of more than 10 billion. ¡°Anastasia.¡± Lori stood with a smile as Anastasia made her way to the table. ¡°Long time no see.¡± With ease, Anastasia took a seat opposite her. ¡°I heard that you had taken over Bourgeois. You¡¯re amazing.¡± Lori gave her a heartfeltpliment. ¡°You are thinking too highly of me. I am just trying to find something to pass time because I get bored at home. Elliot wants me to have fun rather than trying to make a killing.¡± There was a hint of love in Anastasia¡¯s tone as she said that. Lori had a smile on her face, but the smile did not reach her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s quite sweet of Elliot.¡± Happiness was written all over Anastasia¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re not wrong. Other than my dad, he is the second man who spoils me rotten.¡± ¡°When are you going to have a second child? I remember that Jared is going to be seven soon, isn¡¯t he?¡± Lori was curious. ¡°We¡¯re not making any ns at the moment. It wille naturally.¡± Anastasia smiled at the thought. Just then, her phone rang, interrupting their conversation. ¡°Excuse me for a moment.¡± She nodded at Lori and picked up the call. ¡°Hello?¡± At the end of the call, Anastasia had already made a decision. ¡°In the future, Bourgeois will never consider the artist from thispany to act as our brand¡¯s spokesperson.¡± Throughout the call, Anastasia had remained a serious face and once she ended it, Lori could finally express her curiosity.¡±What happened? Is something wrong?¡± ¡°It was just about an artist who overestimated her own boundaries,¡± Anastasia exined casually, but her eyes seemed to bore into Lori¡¯s soul. ¡°She tried to seduce Elliot right under my nose in a conference not long ago, but I happened to be aware of it.¡± Lori¡¯s smile stiffened slowly, and she hung her head low in shame. ¡°That artist must be out of her mind to mess with you.¡± ¡°I cut off her endorsement contract and gave her a warning. I am going to cklist her if she dares to do it again the second time. At present, none of the artists from herpany will be given the opportunity to be Bourgeois¡¯ spokesperson.¡± Anastasia¡¯s smile was gentle, but her eyes pierced through Lori intensely. Lori¡¯s knuckles turned white as she held onto her cup tightly, unable to speak as a result. She was aware that it was a warninging from Anastasia. ¡°Do you think I made the right choice?¡± Anastasia questioned with a hint of amusement. As if on cue, Lori agreed with her statement. ¡°Right, I thought so too. Nobody shall think about sabotaging your marriage.¡± ¡°She is far from being a threat, more like an eyesore to get rid of.¡± Anastasia sipped her tea and changed the topic. ¡°Let¡¯s not dwell on this matter. We shall talk about something else instead. Have you found a job already?¡± ¡°I am currently working in a financial firm.¡± Lori nodded at her. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Knowing you, I have no doubts you could find a great job. However, it is important to seek love too.¡± Anastasia smiled. ¡°I am devoted to my work, and I don¡¯t have any free time to pursue a rtionship.¡± ¡°I can introduce someone to you if I find them suitable.¡± Anastasia was enthusiastic about the topic. ¡°I¡¯m good. You don¡¯t have to.¡± Lori gave a dismissive wave at her suggestion hastily. Anastasia didn¡¯t insist on it as Lori declined. In the meantime, the food was served, so they had steered their conversation to other topics. Anastasia believed that thetter could understand her meaning, even though she had not spoken the obvious. After finishing their lunch, they both got up to leave. Lori took out a suit and showed it to her. ¡°This is the suit Elliot wore yesterday. Do you need help to send it for dry cleaning service?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to trouble you. I will do it myself,¡± Anastasia said as she took the suit from Lori. Once they got out of the restaurant, they parted and Anastasia pointed at a car not far away. ¡°My car is over there. See you next time, then.¡± ¡°Goodbye.¡± Lori watched Anastasia as she got in the car, where a female bodyguard was waiting in the driver¡¯s seat. The car then sped away. When the car was out of sight, Lori could finally let out a sigh of relief. Anastasia was not a woman to mess with, as she insinuated her disapproval of Lori¡¯s misbehavior. On the other hand, Anastasia took out Elliot¡¯s suit and ordered Adriana, ¡°The suit is ruined. Deal with it.¡± ¡°Alright, madam.¡± Anastasia thought it was a waste of the nice suit. However, it was now ruined by another woman¡¯s scent. She wouldn¡¯t keep it, and wouldn¡¯t let Elliot wear it either. She would not be generous when it was concerning her rtionship, and she had no other hopes but for Lori to behave and stop stirring up trouble for her. Meanwhile, Sophia was doing household chores in Arthur¡¯s vi. She was alone in the vi. Emily had gone out shopping, while Arthur had some matters to attend to. Sophia started with organizing his study table, followed by cleaning the dust on every surface. A familiar signature caught her eyes when she was sorting out Arthur¡¯s files on the table. The signature pressed hard to the paper, showing a hint of grace from the owner¡¯s personality, and it no doubt belonged to Arthur. Sophia crouched under the table for a better angle to clean. Just then, someone pushed the door open and it startled her, so she hurried to stand. Suddenly, a thump echoed in the room. As Sophia tried to stand up, she bumped her forehead into the table. Arthur stared at her with wide eyes from the doorway. He found her holding a cleaning rag in her hand, while another hand was pressed to her forehead. ¡°What are you doing?¡± That was all he could manage to ask. ¡°I¡¯m cleaning the table,¡± Sophia answered meekly. Taking in mind her eagerness, Arthur walked toward her and took a close look at her forehead. There was a bump on the spot where she hit hard on the table. ¡°You should use a coldpress.¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡± Sophia didn¡¯t mind the pain. However, just when she was about to continue the chore, Arthur put an arm around her waist. Shocked, she quickly leaned backward, but he seized the opportunity and pressed her against the table. ¡°You just can¡¯t wait to repay me?¡± he teased and closed in. Before her were a pair of eyes as ck as night and cold as stone. They were clear but full of mystery. Sophia felt pressure alone just by looking at Arthur. Her lips slightly parted in disbelief because she had always thought that the man was cold and distant from the moment she first met him. However, right this moment, he was standing so close to her underneath the afternoon sun. ¡°I-I do think about repaying you¡­¡± Sophia spoke with hesitation. ¡°Then you shall do it as I prefer,¡± he demanded. There was a sudden urge building inside him to taste her lips again. Since he kissed her out of the blue in the hotel yesterday, the thought had started to linger on his mind. He had a need to confirm his thoughts, so he simply had to taste the sweetness on her supple lips. Without further hesitation, Arthur wasted no time and went in for a kiss on her lips. W-What? His bold actions made Sophia¡¯s mind go nk. Did he just kiss me again? Her lean body was soft under his touch. The feeling of their bodies pressed against each other on the table sent a tremor through Arthur¡¯s body, making him feel hot and bothered. The kisssted for a long time, as he did it again and again, to prove he was right. Passion filled the study room. With her eyes shut, Sophia responded to him eagerly. He was forceful one moment and gentle the next, and she was surprised to feel happy from his actions as if they were in love. Finally, Arthur broke the kiss and pulled himself away. It was a cue to Sophia as she took to her heels almost immediately. However, passion lingered in the study room, like a reminder to everyone that they had just shared an intimate moment. Sophia gasped as she returned to the room like a frightened white rabbit. As she covered her red lips, all she could think of was the man¡¯s cool yet domineering kisses, which was way beyond her eptable limit. The impression that Arthur gave her was one of abstinence¡ªor was it her illusion? He even mentioned earlier that he wanted to repay her through his own methods, so she suspected that he meant her giving herself to him. He stood in front of the window walls with one hand in his pocket. Dressed in a ck attire from head to toe, he carried with him a tough posture while his gaze reflected the facial expression of his cold handsome face. It also did not help that his breath had be a tad bit unstable. I¡¯m having feelings for Sophia? What the hell is going on?! His thoughts were proven earlier when everything was spilled out on his desk. Emily returned from her gallivanting outside as today was yet another shopping spree for her. Behind her was a servant who entered with the items that Emily had purchased. ¡°All of you should head downstairs!¡± The said servant left the items and departed while Emily raised her head to call, ¡°Sophia.¡± Sophia pushed open the door to make her presence known and responded from upstairs, ¡°Miss Jennings.¡± ¡°Come down and help me to tidy up,¡± Emily instructed as she sat with crossed legs. After Sophia came downstairs, Emily asked her to remove the items from their bags to organize them. Then, Emily announced the price of each item that Sophia took out. ¡°This is a limited edition pair of high heels with a value of a hundred and eighty. Please be careful with it.¡± ¡°This pair of silk pajamas cost me ny thousand. Even a single thread cannot be damaged.¡± ¡°This purse has a purchase price of 1.8 million. You won¡¯t be able topensate me if you damage it.¡± Sophia was speechless upon hearing Emily¡¯s words. She could never agree with Emily¡¯s concept of consumption. Obviously she was not jealous of Emily either because she was aware that Emily could use shopping as a way to pass her time. ¡°Artie, do you think that the dress I bought would look good on me?¡± Emily took a skirt andpared it to her physique. Arthur¡¯s hand was on the banister as he stared at the girl bending over to arrange the shopping haul. When Sophia heard footsteps behind her, she was so frightened that she dropped the bag on the floor and copsed. Emily was shocked when she saw the scene before her and blurted out, ¡°You had the nerve to drop the most expensive bag?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Sophia apologized quickly. His long legs walked toward Sophia and he ordered thereafter, ¡°Come out with me.¡± ¡°Now?!¡± Shecked the courage to look Arthur in the eye. ¡°Yes!¡± The man left first, after which she informed Emily, ¡°Miss Jennings, let me head out with Young Master Weiss first.¡± ¡°Artie, where are you going? Let me apany you there!¡± Emily said as she hurriedly followed. Since Arthur did not allow his bodyguard to drive the car, he slid into the driver seat of an SUV and informed the bodyguard not to tag along. The bodyguard immediately replied, ¡°Master, we need to ensure your safety.¡± Arthur insisted, ¡°You are not toe along.¡± Sophia sat in the passenger seat as he drove away from the gates of the vi. ¡°Young Master Weiss, where are we going?¡± she asked in curiosity. ¡°Let¡¯s go to a ce where we can clear our minds.¡± ¡°Clear our minds?¡± She thought about it and asked, ¡°How about a church?¡± He maintained his focus on the road ahead of him as he answered, ¡°That works.¡± After punching the address on his navigation system, she couldn¡¯t help but feel restless. She couldn¡¯t ignore the fact that whatever happened between them earlier in the study was a fact! She secretly shot a gander at the man who was behind the wheel and admired his pursed thin lips, his sexy and handsome features while such an action had caused her heart to race. It was so quiet in the vehicle that Sophia could hear the sound of her heart beating. Arthur, on the other hand, remained reticent throughout the entire journey. It was already 3.00PM and would take them more than an hour to arrive at the church. By the time they arrived, the mid-afternoon prayer session would have been concluded and the parishioners leaving church grounds, thus the surroundings would be quiet. As the sun was starting to set, it illuminated the historical ce of worship with a kind of serene beauty. He was dressed in all ck and had an aura of distance to him while Sophia went ahead to light up a candle at the front of the altar. When she emerged, she saw him standing next to the door in his slim and graceful height, which gave rise to a thrilling beauty. Sophia was in her own world for a few seconds until the man¡¯s deep gazended on her. It was only at that moment when she regained herposure and approached him. Suddenly, she almost lost bnce due to the slippery road beneath her. ¡°Ahhh¡­¡± she yelled as she lost her bnce and fell into his arms. Arthur wrapped his arms around her to prevent her from falling, but he was a secondte. As Sophia hugged the man, shended in a kneeling position in front of his legs and her face was exceptionally close to a ce in which a man would regard as sensitive. She wanted to die on the spot. He lowered his head and sighed because in all his time of knowing her, this was the umpteenth time of seeing her embarrassed. Luckily for them, there was no one around them. So, he reached out and helped her to her feet, but her face was redder than a shrimp. ¡°S-Sorry.¡± Arthur took her hand as his long, slender fingers gripped onto hers. It was evident that he was holding Sophia in a posture that looked like they were about to kiss. They passed the entrance and walked up the steps, which they estimated to be at a distance of 200 meters, to where the main church was. It was halfway through the climb that Sophia regretted her decision as she panted. Of all the ces that she could have suggested, why did she have to suggest a church on the hill? On the contrary, the man next to her was rxed. He wasn¡¯t panting and his face wasn¡¯t flushed either. As the wind gently blew his hair into a somewhat messy state, it made him look just as sexy. ¡°You can¡¯t climb up anymore?¡± Arthur asked with a smile. ¡°I-I still can.¡± Now that she was under his gaze, she bravely replied, ¡°I can even do it in one breath.¡± Arthur continued his climb while Sophia forced herself to follow from behind as a film of cold sweat coated her forehead. Now that they were at the top of the hill, she felt that it was worth the hard work since the view from where they were was breathtaking. The ancient church resembled a quiet ce with a vast history behind it. He was holding a bottle of water, which he brought from the car. Then, he walked toward her and handed the bottle to her. ¡°Drink it.¡± When Sophia saw that the bottle was half full, she realized that he had already drunk half of it and left the rest for her. ¡°What¡¯s up? Do you have something against my saliva?¡± Arthur read her thoughts. She shook her head and sincerely took it with a blushing face before she unscrewed the bottle cap. Who am I to nder? We¡¯ve already kissed, so what am I being picky about? Both Sophia and Arthur went to the main area of the church where candles could be found for them to use to offer their prayers. Then, she took six candles and lit it before handing it to him. ¡°Follow my actions and say your prayers. They say that miracles ur if you offer your prayers here, so hopefully it will be granted.¡± When he took it, he followed her suspiciously. Firstly, they left the bright candles at the candle holder at one side of the church before they walked to the pews and knelt down. Sophia was unaware that when she made a wish, the man beside her still had his eyes open as he observed her beautiful yet serious face. It was as if she arduously tried to make a sincere prayer. Once that was done, the corners of her lips curled up into a smile. When this happened, it caused Arthur to subconsciously follow suit and when he saw her bright red thick lips, his heart skipped a beat. As he observed her dazzling and long eyshes, he hurriedly closed his eyes in aical manner, so as to pretend that he was in the midst of offering his prayers. Now that it was Sophia¡¯s turn to admire him, she realized that he still had not offered his prayers. He looked even more handsome now that his eyes were closed. His facial features seemed to have been meticulously carved by the angels above with perfect proportions. She softly swallowed and harbored inexplicable thoughts while watching him. What¡¯s going on? Is it because he kissed me? Her heart started to race as she thought of this. Wait! This isn¡¯t going ording to n! I¡¯m the one who seduced him to make him fall for me, after which I¡¯ll beg for his forgiveness. So, why am I having second thoughts about him? Although Arthur¡¯s eyes were closed, he was a sensitive man and knew that Sophia was sizing him up. As a result, he purposely took his time to open his eyes. After emerging from the main area of the church, they arrived at themunity center where she couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Young Master Weiss, this is where the young single people meet up to socialize with each other. Do you want to head in and get to know a few girls? Who knows you might be able to meet your Ms. Right?¡± Arthur retorted, ¡°Why would you want me to head in? What about you?¡± Sophia gave a smile. ¡°I don¡¯t have to since I won¡¯t be married before age thirty, anyway.¡± He didn¡¯t enter themunity center to mingle around because he never intended to settle down either. At this moment, there was a sudden downpour that trapped the both of them inside the church on the hilltop. The security guards had already knocked off work at this stage and forgot that Arthur and Sophia were still inside before they proceeded to lock the doors. It was raining cats and dogs and did not look like it would stop for a long time. When she looked at the time, she couldn¡¯t resist informing him, ¡°I think their staff has knocked off work and would lock us here if we don¡¯t leave soon.¡± ¡°It¡¯s raining cats and dogs, so how are we going to leave?¡± Arthur felt at ease as he asked. ¡°I think it won¡¯t stop until night time!¡± She cupped her face while she answered. Not long after that, she felt that the raindrops were beautiful and reached out to y in the rain. The sky gradually darkened over in the distance, which meant that nightfall was about to arrive. The mountain behind the church had also started to be deserted. ¡°Otherwise, let¡¯s try to make our way down,¡± Sophia said to Arthur. ¡°If we¡¯re drenched, so be it!¡± He nodded in agreement, after which they walked into the rain. As they were heading down the steps, he reached out with his hand and exined, ¡°I¡¯ll hold you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to¡­¡± She waved her hand in rejection. ¡°I¡¯m worried that you¡¯ll fall down,¡± a concerned Arthur exined. This woman had been repeatedly too reckless for her safety, so he could predict the kind of dangers that would befall her in advance. A helpless Sophia then took his hand before they held hands in the rain and created the impression that they were romantic lovers. When they finally arrived at the bottom of the steps, she looked left and right as she yelled without receiving any response. She cursed as she pped her own mouth. ¡°I really have a crow¡¯s mouth because what I said turned out to be true. They have indeed knocked off work.¡± Hearing this, Arthur, who was next to her, puffed in amusement because she was scolding herself. ¡°You are stillughing! See, we are stuck here,¡± she growled as she blinked. He surveyed his surroundings and noticed a wall measuring about two meters in height next to him before pointing at it. ¡°We¡¯ll get out here.¡± Sophia panicked when she heard his words and looked around. ¡°How can you climb up the wall without adder?!¡± Just as she threw her question at him, she saw him approaching the wall and raising his arms to hold the top of the wall. Then, he easily climbed up before stretching out with his hand while saying, ¡°Come, I¡¯ll pull you up.¡± A surprised Sophia did as instructed, after which he yanked her up with his full strength. ¡°Stay here and don¡¯t move,¡± Arthur warned before he jumped to the ground and reached out to break her fall. ¡°We¡¯ll jump down together since I¡¯ll be catching you.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t because I¡¯ll end up injuring you. Stand aside; I¡¯ll jump down on my own.¡± She was petrified when she saw the distance of about two meters. ¡°Jump.¡± He did not mind breaking her fall by carrying her. As she nervously moved on the wall in preparation to make the jump, she suddenly screamed, ¡°Ahhhh¡­¡± Was she behaving like she was an ant in hot water? She should be making the jump with Arthur¡¯s safe hands around her. Fortunately for Sophia, he had already anticipated her reaction and when they made the fall, he tightly hugged her. As she was in shock, she grabbed onto his neck and buried her small face in his corbone. They were drenched as a result of being in the rain and now that they were in a tight embrace, it was exceptionally easy for them to create misunderstandings. ¡°How did you manage to grow up without injuring yourself?¡± an irritated Arthur asked her. Sophia felt aggrieved because she had a peaceful upbringing that was devoid of mishaps and injuries! Yet, after running into Arthur, she seemed to bending herself in all kinds of troubles. As she sat in the SUV, she noticed that the sky waspletely dark by now. He switched on the heater in the car, but he was nowhere in a better shape than her. His hair was glued to his forehead and under the headlights, it was evident that his soaked shirt was so glued to him that it restricted the movement of his muscles. Yet, in such an embarrassing situation, the moment he pushed his hair to the back, it revealed a different kind of attraction¡ªone that was full of humility. As Arthur and Sophia had just climbed off the wall, their clothes were stained with dirt. ¡°Let¡¯s find a hotel nearby and take a shower there.¡± He turned his head to Sophia and suggested. It would take about another hour to get back to the vi, but he could not endure the journey any longer without first refreshing himself. Without any objection, they arrived at a five-star hotel twenty minutester. However, he could not get the suite like he expected to as they were all reserved by foreign visitors who came for the newlyrge enterprise nearby. Therefore, there were only double rooms avable for the time being. Sophia was not picky about their limited choice, but she was worried that Arthur would not be happy with the oue. ¡°Give me a double room then.¡± Having no other choices, Arthur could onlypromise. While checking them in and distributing the key card, the receptionist stole a nce at him. Even though he was soaking wet, the receptionist still found him fairly handsome despite his state. After checking in, they entered the elevator. As she saw her reflection in the mirror, Sophia crossed her arms around her chest immediately. Oh, god! She was surprised to see her white t-shirt drenched against her body, which revealed her curves to everyone. After entering the room, she could see that the double room only came with a bathroom. Therefore, she suggested, ¡°Mr. Weiss, you may go first. I might take a long time to wash my hair.¡± Arthur was not bothered by the fact that he needed to wait and instead, he offered with courtesy. ¡°Ladies first.¡± Touched by his generosity, Sophia kindly epted his suggestion. ¡°Alright, I will make it fast then.¡± After that, she walked into the bathroom and took a shower to clean herself thoroughly from head to toe. Reality hit and stunned her as soon as she finished showering. She slowly remembered that there were only towels prepared in the bathroom. If she needed a bathrobe, she would need to get it from the cab outside the bathroom. Having no other options, she wrapped the towel around her body and began to dry her hair. Her silky hair cast down her back as she attended to them. Besides, she had an average height of five feet five and fair skin which could reflect light; such a combination gave her a perfect appearance. Before she walked out of the bathroom, she took a deep breath and hoped that Arthur had left the room to not see her current state. Once she pushed the door open, the first thing she saw was Arthur waiting on the couch with his bare chest. He was wearing only his pants right now and his hip bone was shown as he lounged casually on the couch. ¡°I-I have finished. It¡¯s your turn to shower.¡± Pulling the towel close to her body, she walked out of the bathroom and informed him in a meek tone. When Arthur heard Sophia¡¯s words, he raised his head and took the view in. A glint shed across his eyes at the sight in front of him. He had been living smoothly without any obstacles or hindrances, so this was the first time he felt charmed as the woman stood before him. There was no calmness and rity in his eyes like usual. Instead, his eyes were bright as if they could scorch into her soul. As he rose to his feet, Arthur¡¯s height enveloped her like a. Sophia looked up immediately to prevent him from making any sudden moves. Just as she thought he was going to do something when he walked toward her shirtless, hisment rang in the room. ¡°Not bad, you have nice curves.¡± After being caught off guard by him, she was speechless and could not make a snarkyeback against his remark. However, needless for him to say, she was always aware of her fit body and had confidence about it. Before she could remind him to take the bathrobe with him, Arthur had already entered the bathroom and shut the door. Letting out a frustrated sigh, she half expected to see him with a towel around his waistter, even though that was not in her n. She took the bathrobe from the cab and changed into the attire. It was a brand new experience for her to only wear a bathrobe. Twenty minutester, Arthur pulled open the bathroom door to reveal himself. Water was still dripping from his hair and he was in his towel as Sophia had expected. From what she could see, he had fair skin, but it did not mean that his body was not kept in shape. He had a toned body with visible muscles, which was proof that he spent a lot of time on maintaining it. ¡°Mr. Weiss, are we heading hometer?¡± She waited for him to settle before she asked. ¡°I already asked my bodyguard to send us some clothes. He is on his way.¡± Using the towel she left on the bed to dry his hair, Arthur answered her. As the space was limited in the room, they were looking at each other at close range. Suddenly, a malicious thought urred to him as he observed her. She is probably only wearing a bathrobe, isn¡¯t she? At the same time, Sophia was wondering about the same thing. Arthur was probably wearing nothing underneath the bath towel. Having that thought in mind, she reminded him, ¡°The robe is in the cab.¡± Walking toward the cab, he took out a bathrobe and wore it. Right after that, he yanked the towel from his waist. As her eyes were glued on him from the beginning, her breath came to a sudden stop as he undressed before her. Did he forget I¡¯m here too? Since he was changing into the robe in front of her, it left Sophia to her own imagination. Fixing the sash on his robe, Arthur brushed his hair aside as he turned to look at her. As soon as their eyes met, there was an indescribable tension brewing between them. ¡°Have you had a boyfriend before?¡± Feeling bored as he was waiting for clean clothes, Arthur popped a question at her. Sophia was already twenty-three years old, but somehow she felt like a loser if she answered honestly, so she lied instead. ¡°Of course.¡± As she answered his question, she pretended to be calm. ¡°How many boyfriends did you have?¡± he asked intensively. ¡°Just one.¡± ¡°How far did you make it?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Holding hands, embracing, kissing, or sleeping with each other¡­ At which stage were you guys at?¡± Arthur¡¯s eyes stared intensely into hers and his voice sounded like he was interrogating her. Taken aback by the explicitness in his question, Sophia stuttered, ¡°C-Can I not answer this question?¡± ¡°We can exchange our secrets. You can ask me the same questionter.¡± His eyes did not waver as if they were locked onto hers. Her eyes blinked a few times at the suggestion and considered it. In her opinion, it would not be a bad bargain, though. ¡°All we did was¡­ hold hands. ¡± Sophia decided to give in to the temptation with a lie. She was aware that the most intimate thing she had ever done with a man was sharing a kiss and that happened to be with Arthur. To get the snowball rolling, she would now need to tell more lies to cover up for the first. He raised his eyebrow with a hint of satisfaction when he heard her answers. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah, I won¡¯t lie.¡± She kept a straight face even though she was certainly not telling the truth. Remembering her promised right, she tested the waters. ¡°Can I ask you the same question now?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Sitting down at the bedside, Arthur leaned backward with his elbows on the bed. He then lifted his chin and fixed his gaze on her. ¡°How many girlfriends have you had before?¡± ¡°None at all,¡± he answered honestly. However, Sophia did not find it credible and spoke her mind, ¡°I don¡¯t believe any of your words! You must have had many girlfriends before. Isn¡¯t Miss Jennings one of them?¡± ¡°I never lie.¡± His eyes lit up like a torch as unquestionable authorityy underneath them. She choked on his words with thoughts running through her mind. If he thinks he can fool me¡­ ¡°Then¡­ How far did you ever go with a woman?¡± Learning what she wanted to know, she decided to change the topic. Arthur might never have had any serious rtionship, but could he say the same about those women whom he had been sleeping with? ¡°We kissed!¡± His answer was a surprise to Sophia. As she was dubious with him, she shot him another question. ¡°With who?¡± ¡°You.¡± Her mind froze as she heard him answer without hesitation. With a shocked expression, she stared at him while having a hard time believing his words. She could feel the burning sensation on her cheeks as well. Up until now, he had been only kissing one woman, which was her. ¡°Stop lying. I have a hard time believing it because you were so good at kissingst time.¡± Sophia intended to lift the mood by teasing him. ¡°There are a few things thate naturally to man and one of them is kissing.¡± However, Arthur was serious with an exnation. A smug smile slowly formed on his face as he exined, ¡°Are you trying to imply I have good kissing skills?¡± Warmness crept onto her face as she shook her head hard. ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± I am not going to stroke his ego! He squinted at her denial with displeasure. Is she trying to say Ick skill? he wondered. Suddenly, he rose from the bed with determination and walked toward her. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me how I am doing at kissing exactly? I want to know your opinion.¡± When she saw him closing their distance, her whole body tensed as she wondered about the reason why he was so bothered by her opinions. ¡°How can I¡ª¡± How can I give out opinions regarding this matter? He is only trying to take advantage of me! Before she could finish her words, Arthur had already closed the distance between them. With his face staying dangerously close to her, his hands cupped her face. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try it again and tell me how you think?¡± Right at that moment, he pressed his lips onto hers and began to kiss her. At first, Sophia was so mad at him, thinking that he was only looking for excuses to kiss her. But soon enough, the woody scent of cedar filled her mind and it became all she could think of. Sophia¡¯s arms wrapped around his neck reflexively. The thought of Arthur had been on her mindtely and she found herself attracted to him. She wondered when she had fallen for him. Was it that time when he risked himself to save her at the beach; or the moment he tried to rescue her but ended up rolling down the hill with her; or when he settled her father¡¯s debt? For her whole life, never had someone sacrificed himself for her like he did aside from her family. As time passed, the kiss between them became more intense. She could not help but panic as everything was going out of her control. Right now, he was giving off a dangerous vibe as though he could devour her with the kiss. Sensing that Sophia¡¯s body was tensing under his touch, Arthur let go of her promptly. Emotions were surging in his eyes and his face showed a trace of him restraining himself. Moreover, he felt like his body was burning in a fire and the fire was slowly making its way up to his brain, eating away all his reasons. The more he tried his moves on her, the more he was confused by the results. At the same time, even if he wanted to trigger a reaction out of her to explore her effect on him, he still did not want to scare her away by making one wrong move. As the stalemate grew heavier between them, someone rang the bell. Assuming it was his bodyguard outside with the clean clothes, he turned to open the door. As he expected, standing out there was one of his bodyguards, but Emily stepped into the room with a click of the high heels before the bodyguard could. As soon as she took in the scene in the bedroom where the upants were wearing only bathrobes, she turned to Sophia with gritted teeth and Emily¡¯s body shook uncontrobly as she turned green with envy. How dare Sophia bring Arthur to mess around in a hotel room! ¡°Emily? Why¡¯re you here?¡± Even though Arthur directed the question to her, his eyes were shooting daggers toward the bodyguard. The man¡¯s stomach churned at the sight. In no position to reject Emily¡¯s demand, the bodyguard let her follow along without a second choice. When Sophia¡¯s eyes met Emily¡¯s gaze, she noted instantly that Emily had misunderstood the situation and was now mad at her. Even more, it was a huge misunderstanding. ¡°Wait outside, we¡¯re changing.¡± With a deep voice, Arthur instructed Emily. Emily was full of resentment as she eyed Sophia onest time before exiting. Atst, Sophia swapped her attire with clean clothes. They even brought me the underclothes, she thought. It must be Emily¡¯s servant who prepared for me. After changing, they made their way back to the vi. In the car, Sophia took the passenger seat while Emily and Arthur sat at the back seats. As they did not bother to make any conversation along the trip, there was a heavy silence hanging in the air. Suddenly, the car came to a hard stop and Emily seized the opportunity to fall into Arthur¡¯s arms. ¡°Ah!¡± Just as Sophia turned to check on them, Emily¡¯s upper body was already leaning feebly into Arthur¡¯s chest. ¡°Sit tight.¡± Arthur helped her into a sitting position. ¡°But I¡¯m feeling dizzy! Artie, let me lean on you, please!¡± Emily refused to wait for his reply and clung to him with great force. Fixing her gaze on the road, Sophia tried her best not to check on themotion at the backseats. It was an obvious fact that Emily liked Arthur. Other than that, they came from a simr family background, which added to the possibility of Emily bing Arthur¡¯s future wife. Sophia was aware that she should keep her hopes down, but when she heard Emily ying coquetry on him, her heart felt tangled. At this very moment, she began to feel her mind turning cloudy. She wondered whether she was suffering from carsickness, or if it was because she was drenched in the rain this afternoon. Sensing the warmness enveloping her cheeks, she ced a hand on her face. Feeling the burning sensation under her touch, she finally realized that she was running a temperature. ¡°Sir, please let me off here.¡± Sophia turned to the side and asked the bodyguard in the driver¡¯s seat. The bodyguard stopped the car at the roadside ording to her words. Before she left the car, she turned to the back and told Arthur, ¡°Mr. Weiss, I can¡¯t apany you back to the vi. I have some matters to attend to tonight.¡± Finishing her sentence, Sophia pushed the door open and alighted from the car. Seeing that Emily made no remark about her departure while Arthur was silent, the bodyguard continued to drive on. He made it about a hundred meters before Arthur directed an order at him. ¡°Reverse now.¡± The bodyguard was confused only for a second before he reversed the car just as the man had ordered. Meanwhile, after alighting from the car, Sophia was feeling worse than before. As she stood under the streetlights, she waved helplessly at the passing cars, in the hopes of someone stopping to send her to the hospital. However, her effort was fruitless as she was standing in the middle of the roadside, which was not suitable for a cab to stop. At this moment, a ck SUV rolled to a stop about ten meters away from her. The beaming light enveloped the person who alighted from the car. Arthur, who was wearing a dress shirt with embroidery, caught her in his sight and noticed her difort immediately. He strode to where she stood. Feelings of queasiness were coursing through her bloodstream. As she saw a silhouette nearing toward her, she wearingly let out a deep breath and raised her gaze at that person. The sight made her pupils dte. Didn¡¯t he leave by car? Why did hee back to find her? ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Arthur asked in a low voice. At the same time, he saw her face flushing red, so he realized something and ced his big palm on her forehead. The burning sensation took him aback. After wrapping her in his arms, he cursed, ¡°Are you an idiot?¡± Sophia was scolded, but why did she feel loved? ¡°I didn¡¯t want to trouble you guys.¡± The next second, Arthur carried her in his arms and walked quickly toward the off-road vehicle. When Emily looked back from the rearview mirror, her fingernails were about to pierce the car¡¯s leather seat. What on earth had Sophia done to make Arthur hold her in his arms?! Once the door opened, Arthur said to Emily, ¡°Take the passenger seat.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°She¡¯s sick. We¡¯re going to the hospital,¡± he answered in a low voice. She gritted her teeth with hatred in her heart. What did she have to do with Sophia¡¯s being ill?! Why should she switch seats with Sophia? Since Arthur¡¯s words sounded like amand, Emily reluctantly moved to the passenger seat. Once she turned her head around, she could see Arthur holding Sophia like she was someone precious to him. After looking for a nearby hospital, the bodyguard drove there immediately. In the emergency room of the hospital, Arthur carried Sophia, who was suffering from a high fever. It was so bad that her body temperature soared to 104 degrees. The doctor immediately took emergency measures to reduce her fever. On the hospital bed, Sophia was attached to a drip, which made her delicate skin even hotter and drier to touch. While Emily waited in the car, she started to be annoyed. She wished that she would suffer from a sudden illness so that Arthur would feel bad and take care of her too. At that moment, the bodyguard returned to the car and said to her, ¡°Young Master Weiss wants me to take you home first.¡± ¡°What? Is he going to stay and take care of her? Why should I let Artie take care of that brat?¡± Emily cursed in anger. Naturally, the man did not dare to speak, so he started the car and drove away from the hospital. In the ward, Sophia, who was receiving a drip to reduce her fever, looked extremely fragile. Her ck hair was spread out on the pillow and her skin paled red from the fever, but she was now fast asleep. Arthur sat on the chair by the edge of the bed and rested his chin on his folded hands. His gazended on the sleeping Sophia, but no one knew what was going on in his mind. Under the incandescentmp, it seemed as if his usual aloofness was covered with ayer of warmth and tenderness. He had never shown this side of him to any outsider except for his family. If Sophia woke up, she would see the difference in his temperament. However, she was too exhausted and the ingredients in the IV drip were also making her drowsy. At this moment, his phone rang, which startled him, but he quickly picked up the phone and muted it. When he nced at the caller ID, he walked out to the corridor and answered the phone. ¡°Grandma!¡± ¡°I missed you so much, so I decided to bring your grandpa¡¯s ashes back in advance. My flight will arrive tomorrow afternoon.¡± ¡°What? Tomorrow afternoon?¡± ¡°Why? Why do you sound so surprised? Don¡¯t you miss me?¡± the olddy asked with a smile. ¡°Of course I missed you too.¡± ¡°See you at the airport tomorrow afternoon then! Come and take your grandpa back home.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± After hanging up the phone, Arthur raised his brows slightly as if he suddenly recalled something embarrassing. Sophia slept until the early morning and her fever had subsided. Apart from the drowsiness that came as a result of the high fever, she felt a little better. The nurse who came to change her drip greeted her with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re awake, Miss. Your boyfriend has just left, but he will be back soon.¡± After speaking, she couldn¡¯t help looking at Sophia with envy. ¡°Your boyfriend is really handsome.¡± Sophia knew who the nurse was talking about, so she exined, ¡°He¡¯s not my boyfriend.¡± ¡°Oh? Does he have a girlfriend?¡± The nurse blurted out with extreme curiosity before realizing that it was an inappropriate question and quickly apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for mistaking him as your boyfriend.¡± In fact, the nurse also thought that thedy resting on the hospital bed with fair skin and delicate facial features was a rare beauty! Sophia sat up and asked the nurse, ¡°Did he stay the night?¡± The nurse was the one who worked the night shift, so of course, she knew who was with her in the wardst night. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why I thought he was your boyfriend!¡± replied the nurse with a smile. Sophia looked at the chair by the edge of the bed, and there was a hint of distress in her eyes. How could she make him stay up all night to take care of her?! At this moment, footsteps could be heard from outside the door, and Arthur came in with boxes of food in his hands. It was breakfast, specially delivered by his bodyguard from a luxurious restaurant. ¡°You¡¯re awake. Have something to eat.¡± After Arthur finished speaking, he opened a box of food and handed her a fork. ¡°Thank you, Young Master Weiss,¡± Sophia thanked him from the bottom of her heart. Arthur¡¯s hand fell on her forehead. As if he had done this action too many timesst night, it seemed natural. Once his warm and big hand was ced on her forehead, Sophia felt warmth reaching the bottom of her heart. Blinking her longshes and having her head lowered bashfully, she waited for him to check her body temperature. It seemed that overnight, her rtionship with this man had broken through another dimension. ¡°Once you¡¯re done with breakfast, I¡¯ll send my bodyguard to take you home to rest,¡± Arthur uttered while taking a seat. His deep and clear eyes were now bloodshot, and he looked kind of fatigued, which was visible to the naked eye. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell your bodyguard to take you home instead? I will call my dad¡¯s driver toe and pick me up,¡± Sophia suggested, feeling bad for him. Arthur nodded and responded, ¡°Sure!¡± After she made the call, the driver said that he woulde half an hourter, but Arthur did not leave immediately. Sophia took a bite of the pancake, which was fluffy and melted instantly in her mouth. It also had a smooth buttery scent. After taking the first bite, she immediately turned to look at Arthur, inquiring, ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten, have you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hungry,¡± Arthur replied. Hearing that, Sophia hurriedly ate her portion of the pancake and forked another piece, shoving it at Arthur. ¡°It¡¯s delicious. Try it.¡± Arthur was slightly stunned. After that, he leaned over and opened his mouth to eat the pancake she offered. ¡°Is it good?¡± Sophia asked expectantly, as if eager to get his feedback. ¡°Yeah!¡± Arthur nodded. Sophia grinned at his response. After sharing the food, they finished the pancake in no time. There were two more boxes of breakfast, but Sophia was too full to eat them. Since her fever had just subsided, she didn¡¯t have much appetite. Arthur then said to her, ¡°You don¡¯t have to stay by my side during this time. I¡¯ll call you if I need you.¡± Hearing that, Sophia guessed, ¡°Are you leaving?¡± ¡°No. My grandma came back with my grandpa¡¯s urn, so I¡¯m going with her to bury my grandpa¡¯s ashes,¡± Arthur answered truthfully. Although Sophia was a little clumsy sometimes, she could still make sense of some matters. Nodding sensibly, she replied, ¡°Sure! You should get that done first.¡± When her driver was about to arrive, Arthur left, leaving Sophia lying in bed. Suddenly, she fell deep into thought while looking pure and beautiful. In Arthur¡¯s mansion, Emily stayed uptest night waiting for him toe home, but she couldn¡¯t hold her sleepiness, so she fell asleep. It was not until the morning that he returned. ¡°Artie, why did you onlye back now?! Is Sophia Goodwin worth your night spent in the hospital?¡± Emily failed to hide her jealousy in her tone. ¡°Emily, my grandma will be here this afternoon. Don¡¯t mention Sophia in front of her.¡± Arthur told her with a serious expression. Emily was startled upon hearing that, because she had already told Martha! She secretly reported it to Marthast time. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I identally mentioned Sophia¡¯s name on a call with your grandmast time.¡± Arthur¡¯s handsome face suddenly turned gloomy as he questioned, ¡°What did you tell her?¡± ¡°Nothing. I only said that you hired a young maid,¡± Emily exined in a soft voice, not daring to infuriate Arthur. Chapter 701-710 Chapter 701-710 However, Emily had badmouthed Sophia in front of Martha, saying that Sophia was a vixen who wouldn¡¯t leave Arthur alone and seduced him, which instantly made Martha furious. This time, she returned to the country precisely because she heard from Emily that there was a girl who was deceiving her grandson, and she wanted toe back and set things straight. When Arthur¡¯s eyes swept across Emily¡¯s guilty expression, he could already guess what she had said to Martha. At 5.00PM in the international airport, arge private jet arrived before a luxuriously dressed olddy holding a box wrapped in ck silk cloth in her hand appeared from the VIP entrance, her movements gentle and careful. Behind her, there was a line of four maids and eight bodyguards following her. Arthur, who had been waiting at the entrance, immediately stepped up to greet her. ¡°Grandma.¡± Martha looked at her grandson with sharp and piercing eyes. ¡°Artie, why do you look so unenergetic? Didn¡¯t you sleep wellst night?¡± ¡°I missed you so much that I couldn¡¯t sleep well,¡± he exined with a smile. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you at all.¡± Martha and her son had both married and had children at a young age. Therefore, although she was only 68 years old this year, her grandson was already grown up. ¡°It really hurts.¡± Arthur curled his lips and smiled while stretching out his hand to carefully take the urn from Martha¡¯s hand. ¡°Let me take Grandpa back.¡± Arthur apanied Martha back to the vi. Along the way, she observed how much the country had developed. Although she was born abroad and lived outside of the country as well, she still wanted her hometown to prosper. ¡°How homely!¡± She sighed. ¡°Grandma, if you like it here, we can set up a house here. What do you think?¡± Arthur suggested. Martha looked at her grandson in surprise. As she had watched him grow up since he was a child, she knew his personality and preferences well. When Arthur met her gaze, there was a sh of difort in his eyes. ¡°Are you hiding something from me?¡± she immediately asked. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Out with it. Tell me about Miss Sophia. I want to know what kind of girl can affect my grandson as well.¡± Martha refused to let him avoid the topic. Arthur chuckled. ¡°She¡¯s just an ordinary girl. There¡¯s nothing special.¡± Looking at her grandson¡¯s reaction, she felt that this girl named Sophia was not just anyone and became even more interested in the reason why this girl was able to make her grandson defend her like this. ¡°Grandma, I¡¯ll ask the realtors toe over and talk to you tomorrow.¡± Arthur changed the subject. Martha didn¡¯t continue to probe either. After all, she would be here for some time, and she would eventually get the chance to meet that girl. Meanwhile, Drake had already returned to Goodwin Residence to recuperate his health. Sophia saw that all of the staff in the house had been dismissed, and her mother had started to take charge of the cooking. However, because it had been quite a while since Emmast cooked, her skills had be rusty, and she identally cut her finger while cutting vegetables for dinner. At the table, Drake med himself. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. If I didn¡¯t get set up by that b*stard, we can at least hire a maid.¡± Sophia felt her heart ache for Emma as well and she offered, ¡°I¡¯ll cook from now on!¡± Emma smiled. ¡°It¡¯s fine! I don¡¯t think you even know how to hold a knife.¡± Seeing that her family was starting to live frugally, Sophia couldn¡¯t afford to sit around anymore. It just so happened that Arthur gave her a vacation, so she could take the opportunity to find a job. In the evening, she started to write a r¨¦sum¨¦ and sent it to manyrgepanies online, hoping that she could get a job as soon as possible. At night, in Martha¡¯s room at Arthur¡¯s vi, Emily reported to her what had happened in the past few days, making Sophia seem like a seductress. ¡°Grandma, she took Artie to fool around in a hotelst night, and even had her pajamas wet. After that, when I tagged along with the bodyguard to send them a new set, I saw that the two of them were only wearing bathrobes in the room.¡± Martha frowned. When did her grandson start liking to fool around with girls in hotels? He was simply ruining their family¡¯s name. ¡°It seems that I have to meet Miss Sophia when I have the time.¡± ¡°Grandma, when you meet her, you have to warn her to stay away from Artie,¡± Emily reminded. Martha nodded before saying, ¡°Then, you have to work hard too! Don¡¯t waste the opportunity that I created for you and Artie.¡± Emily pursed her lips and said in a slightly aggrieved tone, ¡°I will.¡± Early in the morning, Sophia answered a call in a daze. ¡°Hello? Who is it?¡± ¡°Hello, are you Miss Sophia? I¡¯m from the HR department at Bourgeois Jewelry Atelier. We have arranged for you to interview for the front desk job at 10 o¡¯clock in the morning. Do you have time to come over?¡± When Sophia heard this, she hurriedly replied in an excited tone, ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯ll definitely be there.¡± She was ecstatic as she didn¡¯t expect to receive a response when she had just submitted her resume the previous night. Besides, Bourgeois Jewelry Atelier was a high-end jewelry brand, so it was promising for her career. After hurriedly getting out of bed, she washed up and put on makeup before leaving. When the time for her appointment came, Sophia¡¯s attractive appearance and elegant aura that she had gained from her dance practice since she was a child were in line with the requirements to be a receptionist. ¡°Sophia, you can start work tomorrow!¡± The manager of the HR department instantly hired her. She felt incredibly lucky. The sry and benefits of thepany were not bad as well andpletely met her expectations. When Sophia arrived for her first day at work on Tuesday, she saw that amongst the six receptionists, she was ced on the far left. Although they were working at the front desk, they still hadplicated feelings toward each other, especially toward other girls who were prettier than them. Sophia was dressed in a professional suit with her long hair tied back, and her slim figure gave off a refreshing and stunning aura. ¡°Hello, everyone, I¡¯m Sophia, and I just started working here. I¡¯ll be in your care.¡± She greeted them. was a little surprised. It was her first time entering the workforce, and she had already encountered a crisis. She sat in her position, and there was only a transition n from the previous staff. As for instructions on how to work, they did not specify in detail. ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± She tried to ask her colleague next to her. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me. I won¡¯t teach you,¡± the girl replied arrogantly. At her answer, Sophia didn¡¯t dare to ask any more questions. Just then, the phone in front of her rang, and she reached out to pick it up. ¡°Hello. How may I help you?¡± ¡°Transfer my call to the general manager of the nning department.¡± A male voice instructed her from the other end of the call. ¡°Huh? Wait a moment, let me check.¡± Sophia quickly flipped through the transition n, but she still couldn¡¯t find an answer after a long time. The person on the call said angrily, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± After speaking, he instantly hung up. Sophia¡¯s forehead beaded with sweat from her nervousness. As she wiped her sweat in frustration, the girl next to her sneered, ¡°How could youe to work without any experience?¡± ¡°This is indeed my first job.¡± ¡°I think you should quit! You can¡¯t handle it.¡± Her female colleague didn¡¯t want to help her, and she didn¡¯t want her to remain as a receptionist either. Still, Sophia didn¡¯t give up and replied, ¡°I will try my best. I need this job.¡± She was just looking at documents when she saw that her colleagues who had beenzing around suddenly straightened their backs and acted as though they were working hard. She was taken aback by the sight, and as she looked in the direction of the entrance, she saw a slender and charming figure walking in gracefully. The woman was Anastasia Tillman, the current president of Bourgeois Jewelry Atelier. She had wavy long hair and delicate features, and she wore a luxurious white custom-made suit thatplimented her gorgeous waistline as she walked past the front desk while talking on the phone. ¡°Good morning, President Tillman.¡± The receptionists immediately got up and bowed in greeting. Sophia paused in surprise, and after everyone else had finished speaking, her voice sounded btedly. ¡°Good morning, President Tillman.¡± Sophia¡¯s voice stood out from the rest. Anastasia was about to pass by the lobby when she suddenly heard this voice, and she couldn¡¯t help but turn her head and nce at the girl who had greeted her. As their eyes met, one of them was smiling while the other was full of pleasant surprise. ¡°Miss Goodwin.¡± Anastasia looked surprised to see Sophia at the front desk. The other receptionists next to her instantly stared at Sophia. Why is President Tillman addressing her like they¡¯re acquainted? Do they know each other? Anastasia walked up to Sophia with a friendly expression and asked curiously, ¡°When did you start working at mypany?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my first day here,¡± Sophia replied. Anastasia pondered slightly before offering, ¡°I am short of an assistant. Would you like to be my assistant?¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not experienced in this area,¡± Sophia refused. She couldn¡¯t casually ept the job either. ¡°That¡¯s fine. You can learn if you don¡¯t know.¡± Saying that, Anastasia said to Grace who was behind her, ¡°Go to the HR department and handle the necessary procedures for her.¡± Then, she turned to Sophia and said, ¡°Come on, follow me to my office.¡± Just like that, Sophia walked to the elevator with Anastasia under the envious gazes of all the receptionists. She was filled with gratitude toward Anastasia for taking care of her, and Anastasia was also d to have her as her assistant. Once they were inside the elevator, Anastasia asked Sophia concernedly, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you with Mr. Weiss?¡± Previously, when Arthur brought Sophia along to her wedding, Anastasia noticed his caring attitude toward her, so she thought that he liked Sophia. And when her husband was in dangerst time, Arthur and Richard had rushed over from great distances to save him, so she naturally had to be kind to Sophia. Sophia exined embarrassedly, ¡°President Tillman, you must have misunderstood. W-We¡¯re just friends.¡± Anastasia pursed her lips into a smile. From the way Sophia carried herself, she didn¡¯t look like she was from an ordinary family. So, she asked, ¡°Are you having some sort of family trouble?¡± ¡°No, I just wanted a stable job.¡± Sophia was unable to look straight at the dazzling Anastasia. ¡°All right, then you can rest easy and work with me! If there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t know, I¡¯ll ask someone to teach you.¡± As they exited the elevator, Anastasia instructed while pointing at the lounge nearby, ¡°Go and rest over there for now.¡± Sophia felt extremely lucky to receive this treatment on her first day at work. Grace promoted her position to the president¡¯s assistant, making them colleagues. ¡°Grace, you have to teach her everything she needs to know about work. She¡¯s a friend of my husband¡¯s friend,¡± Anastasia said to Grace. ¡°Yes, President Tillman, I will.¡± Grace nodded. Soon, Sophia owned her own office, which was spacious and bright, and she could enjoy the excellent view from the floor-to-ceiling windows. As they were located in andmark building in the city center, thendscape was stunning all around. Anastasia had just taken a seat when her phone rang with a call from Elliot, which she answered. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°The housekeeper just called and told me that Grandma suddenly copsed. I¡¯m rushing over from the financial summit to the hospital.¡± Elliot¡¯s voice sounded anxious. Anastasia was taken aback as well, and she hurriedly replied, ¡°I¡¯ll head over too.¡± She grabbed her bag and went out, but after a moment of thought, she said to Sophia, ¡°Sophia,e out with me. Grace, stay here and call me if anything happens.¡± Sophia immediately got up and followed her out, and when the two walked past the front desk and headed out of the lobby, Adriana had already parked the car outside and was waiting for them. Then, the three immediately rushed toward Presgrave Hospital. Harriet, who had just been sent over, was in the emergency rescue room, while the housekeeper, Jodie, the hospital director, and Brenda and her husband were all outside. ¡°Why did my grandmother copse?¡± Elliot asked Jodie. Jodie replied with reddened eyes, ¡°There¡¯s no reason. She just said in the morning that she wanted to trim the flowers herself, so I brought her to the living room, but she copsed soon after.¡± Brenda was already in her fifties, and sheforted her nephew, ¡°Calm down, Elliot. At your grandma¡¯s age, these things are bound to happen.¡± Elliot¡¯s chest tightened. Deep within his heart, he never thought about his grandmother¡¯s age and always hoped that she would live a long life. However, Harriet was already 83 this year. A person¡¯s life was like a candle, and there would alwayse the time when its me would burn out. Sure enough, not longter, several specialist doctors came out of the emergency rescue room with heavy and serious expressions. It was clear that there was no need for Harriet to be saved this time. ¡°How is she, Rob?¡± Brenda asked the frontmost doctor. ¡°After our evaluation, we think that we should stop causing pain to Old Madam Presgrave. Moreover, she has also woken up and refused our request for surgery. She wants to see you all instead.¡± Brenda couldn¡¯t hold back her tears, and she asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°How much time does she have left?¡± ¡°In addition to severe heart failure, many of her organs are not functioning well either. She has at most two days left.¡± Elliot clenched his fists. Harriet was about to leave the world, but he couldn¡¯t do anything. Brenda also turned her head sadly and buried herself in her husband¡¯s arms, and the atmosphere turned somber. In this world, the most painful thing was to say goodbye to one¡¯s loved ones forever. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Just then, Anastasia stepped out from the elevator. When she saw the group of people taking up the entire hallway, even if she didn¡¯t know what was going on, the atmosphere had already made her heart beat violently, and she looked at her husband. Elliot¡¯s eyes were red, and there was a hint of tears in his eyes. At the sight, Anastasia handed her bag to Sophia before she quickly walked over and embraced him. Elliot hugged her back tightly, a choked sounding from his throat. Anastasia¡¯s tears stained his cor as she asked softly, ¡°What happened to Grandma?¡± ¡°Grandma is passing,¡± Elliot replied hoarsely. Hearing that, Anastasia let her tears fall silently. Just then, a nurse came out from the ward and said, ¡°Old Madam Presgrave wants to see Mrs. Presgrave.¡± Anastasia hurriedly answered, ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± Elliot nodded at her, and Brenda gave her a pat. ¡°Go on.¡± When Anastasia walked into the ward, she saw Harriet hooked up to a venttor, and her white hair made her seem much weaker than before. However, her eyes were still clear. ¡°Come over, my child.¡± Harriet extended her hand toward Anastasia. Forcing her tears back, Anastasia sat by the bed, and Harriet took her hand in hers. ¡°You¡¯re the child I worry about the most.¡± ¡°Grandma, you¡¯ll get better.¡± Anastasia held her sadness in andforted her. ¡°I know my time is up. Don¡¯t be sad now. I have no regrets.¡± Harriet was open-minded. When the doctor wanted to extend her life earlier, she immediately refused. She just wanted to leave the world neatly instead of paying to go through the pain of surgery and then leaving. ¡°Grandma, do you have anything to say to me?¡± Anastasia held her hand. ¡°After I leave, all of our family matters will be up to you.¡± Harriet looked at her with a regretful expression. ¡°When I asked you to marry into our family, I wanted to give you a good life.¡± ¡°Grandma, I love Elliot. As long as I can be with him, I can do anything.¡± Anastasia reassured her, not wanting her to me herself. ¡°When I¡¯m not around anymore, Elliot will only have you and his aunt left.¡± As she spoke, her eyes filled with tears. At the sight, Anastasia was unable to hold her tears back as well. While wiping her tears away, she comforted, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandma, I¡¯ll always stay by his side, and I¡¯ll never let him be alone.¡± As she spoke, Anastasia continued to cry even more as she felt a pang of pain for Elliot. Once Harriet was gone, he would be the saddest person as his parents died early when he was a child, and he was brought up by his grandmother. She couldn¡¯t even begin toprehend how much pain he was in at the moment. ¡°I¡¯m leaving our family matters to you. You have to be strong. Don¡¯t let anyone bully you,¡± Harriet instructed. Anastasia pursed her lips and nodded. ¡°All right, I will.¡± Harriet¡¯s breathing turned heavy, as if speaking was an extremely difficult task for her. Anastasia hurriedly advised her to rest, but Harriet said to her, ¡°Call Elliot toe in too.¡± Anastasia passed the instructions to the nurse behind her, and the nurse went outside. Not longter, Elliot came in. He half knelt by the bed and leaned in toward Harriet. ¡°I¡¯m here, Grandma.¡± Harriet grabbed his hand and said, ¡°Elliot, you have to take good care of Anastasia in the future. Never let her down.¡± ¡°I know. I love her more than I love myself. I¡¯ll use my life to protect her,¡± Elliot swore. Anastasia pursed her lips, her eyes filling with tears as his voice pierced through her heart and deeply moved her. ¡°I have no regrets. You¡¯re the most capable and powerful person in our family, so you have to take care of Nigel and the others,¡± Harriet continued. ¡°I will, Grandma. You should rest.¡± Elliot reached out and gently caressed her gray hair. However, Harriet didn¡¯t want to rest at all. She didn¡¯t have much time left in the first ce, so she wanted to use herst moments to the best that she could and look at the people she was worried about the most. ¡°I wanted to see Jared, but with my current state, I don¡¯t think I should. I don¡¯t want to scare him.¡± ¡°Grandma, you won¡¯t scare Jared. I¡¯ll bring him over to see you!¡± Anastasia said in a choked voice. Nevertheless, Harriet didn¡¯t want to scare the young child and shook her head resolutely. ¡°I really don¡¯t want to scare him. Just tell him that I¡¯m going to see his great-grandpa.¡± Elliot respected her wishes, knowing that it wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t love her grandson, but she loved him too much. Anastasia nodded in understanding as well. Just then, Harriet¡¯s breathing quickened, and Elliot hastily got up and called the doctor. As Harriet needed to rest, everyone went to the lounge. Just as Anastasia sat down, someone kindly handed her a piece of tissue. When she looked up and saw that it was Sophia, she gave her a grateful look. Not longter, Nigel arrived in a hurry, his eyes full of sadness as he sat next to Elliot. The two cousins looked at each other, neither of them saying a word. Then, Anastasia asked Sophia to go back first as they would stay in the hospital to apany Harriet in her final moments. When it was time to pick up Jared in the afternoon, Elliot sent his bodyguards and asked Nigel to take him home while they stayed in the hospital. At the same time, the other members of the Presgrave Family had also heard the news, and they felt like they could finally let out a huge sigh of relief. Finally, Harriet, who had the most influence, was leaving, and they thought the newly promoted Anastasia was much easier to deal with. All of them were waiting for Harriet to take herst breath, and at the same time, several elders were also sent to the hospital to pay her a visit. However, all of them were turned away by Elliot. As Harriet didn¡¯t have much time left, he hoped that thest people to stay by her side would not be the ones who were full of schemes, but only the ones who loved her. That night was exceptionally long, and in the quiet hospital hallway, even the nurses kept their footsteps to the lightest. After Harriet slept, her condition continued to worsen, as if it was time for her candle to go out. When it was almost dawn, she woke up, and Brenda held her hand while calling out softly, ¡°Mom!¡± It took a huge amount of energy for Harriet to speak, and she said in a hoarse voice, ¡°The sun is up. It¡¯s time for me to go.¡± ¡°Mom, don¡¯t go.¡± Brenda couldn¡¯t help but burst into tears. Elliot and Anastasia rushed in from outside as well. As they listened to the sound of Brenda weeping, Anastasia¡¯s red eyes filled with tears. Harriet seemed to be thinner and weaker. ¡°You¡¯re all here¡­¡± Harriet looked at the people around her, her eyes teary and reluctant, but she still closed her eyes without regret. In the end, the hand that was holding her daughter¡¯s hand suddenly dropped limply. In an instant, the whole room was full of cries from Brenda, Anastasia, and Jodie. Though the men suppressed their emotions, they felt equally sad on the inside. The hospital director stood by the bed in silence with the executives of the hospital, sending the noble Harriet off on her final journey. In the morning, when Nigel sent Jared to school, he couldn¡¯t control himself in the end and teared up, his eyes red-rimmed. He said to the little fellow, ¡°Jared, you must always remember what your great- grandma looks like, okay?¡± ¡°What happened to Great-Grandma?¡± Jared asked with wide eyes. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. She just went somewhere very far away.¡± After Nigel finished speaking, he kissed Jared on the forehead and said, ¡°Off to the ssroom you go.¡± Jared gave him a hug before he entered the ssroom. Subsequently, Nigel got up and let out a breath, then wiped away the tears from the corner of his eyes before he headed to the hospital. In a vi, Lori¡¯s father, Liam Presgrave, breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°She¡¯s finally gone. I¡¯ve been waiting for this day for too long.¡± ¡°Dad, even if Old Madam Presgrave is gone, Anastasia is not easy to deal with.¡± Lori had personally experienced how powerful Anastasia was. ¡°What are you afraid of? She¡¯s an inexperienced young woman. She doesn¡¯t pose a threat to us.¡± Liam chided with a look of disapproval before he continued happily, ¡°In the future, we¡¯ll definitely be able to get our share in Presgrave Corporation. Maybe we can even get the chance to inherit thepany with your help.¡± ¡°Dad, how is it possible? How could we own thepany?¡± ¡°If you get pregnant with Elliot¡¯s child, it¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Lori¡¯s eyes turned disappointed. ¡°He only has Anastasia in his heart now.¡± ¡°Who said that there is only one way to get pregnant? I heard that Elliot has saved something in Presgrave Hospital from back then as a back up n by Old Madam Presgrave.¡± A blush flushed across Lori¡¯s face. ¡°Dad, do you mean I have to¡­¡± ¡°As long as you get pregnant with his seed in your stomach, he will have no choice but to acknowledge the child after it¡¯s born.¡± Liam had already nned everything, but Harriet had to be dead for his n to be implemented. Lori¡¯s breathing quickened slightly. Did she really have to treat Elliot in such a despicable way? However, when she thought of the way Anastasia had threatened her earlier, she still felt furious. In her opinion, if her father hadn¡¯t stopped her, she would have returned home to chase after Elliot a long time ago. Then, he might¡¯ve even fallen for her first as she had investigated that after Anastasia became pregnant with his child five years ago, there were no interactions between the two. It was Harriet who forced Elliot to marry her. At first, Elliot had rejected Anastasia. Therefore, she had always thought that she had just lost the opportunity, not that she was inferior to Anastasia. ¡°However, we¡¯re not the only ones who are eyeing Presgrave Corporation. Nn is the same. He wants to gain more assets for his children and grandchildren. Hmph! In that case, let¡¯s have a showdown!¡± Lori curled her lips into a smile. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t be able to do something like what you¡¯d just told me.¡± ¡°Of course. They¡¯re still rted by blood, while we¡¯re not rted to the Presgrave Family at all.¡± ¡°Dad, I won¡¯t let you down,¡± Lori promised. She had also discovered now that without a strong backing to support her, she would only live an ordinary life, and it was only if she had someone like Elliot backing her could she shine. In the hospital, Elliot was busy handling the affairs of Harriet personally, while Brenda assisted him. Anastasia was sent to the lounge to rest, and Sophia had prepared some light snacks while waiting for her. ¡°President Tillman, you haven¡¯t eaten yet, right? Why don¡¯t you have something to eat first?¡± Sophia looked at Anastasia with a pained expression. Because of her grief, she looked like a different person from yesterday. Her eyes were red, her hair was slightly messy, and her skin was pale. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like eating. Take it away.¡± Anastasia shook her head. Sophia persuaded softly, ¡°President Tillman, everyone is sad because of Old Madam Presgrave¡¯s passing, but you still have to cheer up and take care of others. We can¡¯t have you going down right now. You still have your children to take care of, and you have to help President Presgrave arrange the funeral. You need to eat.¡± Anastasia¡¯s emotions were very fragile at the moment, and she needed someone to get her out of her slump. Sophia¡¯s words undoubtedly gave her strength. She nced at her gratefully and said, ¡°Thank you, Sophia, you¡¯re right.¡± She couldn¡¯t let anything else happen to her and give everyone more trouble. After Anastasia finished the bowl of porridge, Elliot came in to apany her. Not longter, she fell asleep under his constion, and Sophia entered again to cover her with a nket and stay by her side. ¡°Are you her new assistant?¡± Elliot didn¡¯t recognize Sophia. After all, there were too many people at the wedding. Sophia hurriedly got up and replied, ¡°Yes, President Presgrave, my name is Sophia Goodwin.¡± ¡°In that case, please take care of my wife and don¡¯t let anyone disturb her,¡± Elliot instructed. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Sophia answered softly. After Elliot left, Sophia patiently stayed by Anastasia¡¯s side while she slept. Meanwhile, her phone that had been put on silent mode rang, but she didn¡¯t notice that the contact name was Arthur¡¯s. Soon after, it rang again. In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen missed calls were disyed on the screen. Sophia looked at Anastasia¡¯s haggard expression, feeling pained at the sight. Just then, a few nurses started talking at the door. She hurriedly got up and went out, whispering to them, ¡°Mrs. Presgrave is resting. Please keep your voice down.¡± The nurses immediately jolted in surprise and hurriedly shut their mouths and left. In Arthur¡¯s vi, an irritable figure was walking back and forth in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows. What was this? The bird that he set free had flown away from him? Why couldn¡¯t he contact Sophia? What was she trying to do? Did she think that he had set her free after what he saidst time? Unwilling to give up, he picked up his phone and continued to make another call, but he still received no answer. ¡°Sh*t!¡± He instantly burst into fury and grabbed the car keys from the table, nning to head out. However, as soon as he opened the door, he saw Martha walking over while chatting with a maid. He hurriedly concealed his irritation and stepped forward with a smile. ¡°Grandma.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going out?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m heading downstairs to get a cup of coffee,¡± Arthur replied as he helped her down the stairs. ¡°You should spend some time with Emily if you¡¯re free. It¡¯s boring for her to be alone, and you youngsters have more inmon.¡± ¡°I will.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go out today and have a chat with me. Later,e with me to get my clothes made. I heard that there¡¯s a good boutique here that specializes in making clothing for older women.¡± ¡°Grandma, I¡¯ll ask them toe here and tailor your clothes for you.¡± ¡°No need for that. It¡¯s a vintage boutique that tailors embroidered clothes, so you can¡¯t cause such a huge fuss.¡± Martha only wanted to live an ordinary life. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± How could he not? In the afternoon, when Sophia finally thought of taking a look at her phone, she found that her phone had run out of power as she had carelessly forgotten to charge itst night. Hence, she could only take her phone to the nurse¡¯s station to charge it, while she came back to the lounge and flipped through a book to pass time. However, she remained clueless to the fact that there were a few more missed calls on her phone, all of which were from an extremely angry man. After Anastasia woke up, Sophia apanied her to the funeral home. Harriet had instructed during her lifetime that she wanted to be cremated, so the next step was the cremation process. Elliot did not let her follow him in, so Anastasia stood outside in the garden and waited with Sophia¡¯s company. As the wind blew, Anastasia¡¯s tears flowed uncontrobly again. She felt bad for Elliot who was inside, and the fact that he had to face all this. At the same time, she couldn¡¯t ept the fact that Harriet was forever gone. Sophia stretched out her hand to hold hers and handed her a piece of tissue, not knowing how to comfort her. Half an hourter, Brenda was helped out by her assistant, her face full of tears. Even if she was a strong woman, she still couldn¡¯t ept her mother¡¯s passing. Anastasia took a deep breath and walked over, calling out, ¡°Aunt Brenda.¡± ¡°Anastasia, you have to stay with Elliot tonight.¡± Brenda sighed. Now, he was the only one who was still inside to see Harriet off for onest time. Anastasia nodded. ¡°I will.¡± After a while, Elliot emerged in the lobby, a ck jar covered with ayer of ck cloth in his arms. He was dressed in a ck suit, his face full of mourning. His eyes were red as his entire person was shrouded in grief. When Anastasia walked over, Elliot forced a smile. ¡°Come with me to send this over to be stored. I¡¯ll come and pick it up in three days.¡± Anastasia nodded lightly, and she turned to say to Sophia behind her, ¡°Sophia, you can go back in my aunt¡¯s car first.¡± After Brenda called Sophia away, Anastasia apanied Elliot and temporarily stored the urn. When the funeral was ready, they would send Harriet to her final resting ce. Meanwhile, Sophia remembered that her phone was still charging in the hospital halfway through the car ride, so she got out of Brenda¡¯s car and took a taxi directly to the hospital to pick it up. However, when she arrived, she found that a nurse had put away her phone, but the nurse had clocked off and the phone was kept in her locker, so she could only pick it up on the next day. She sighed and called a taxi home. When she reached home, it was already half past six in the evening. She was deep in thought while walking in the direction of her house when she felt someone block her way all of a sudden. ¡°Wait a minute, please, Miss Sophia.¡± She jolted in surprise and lifted her head to see a middle-aged man with a stern expression. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Old Madam Weiss wants to see you,¡± the man immediately replied. Sophia immediately understood that the person he mentioned was Arthur¡¯s grandmother. She couldn¡¯t help but nervously ask, ¡°Is Young Master Weiss there?¡± ¡°Old Madam Weiss is waiting for you. Please get in the car.¡± The man did not answer her question, but opened the car door next to him in a threatening tone. She took a deep breath, and could only follow him obediently. She had a hunch as to why Martha wanted to see her. The car was driven toward a quiet coffee shop. In a private room, she saw a luxurious olddy basked under the light. Thedy was kind and regal, making one afraid to act presumptuously in front of her. ¡°Hello, Old Madam Weiss, I¡¯m Sophia.¡± She stood before thedy with her heart in her throat. Martha raised her head and looked up and down at the girl in front of her. The girl was in her early twenties, and her body was as clean as a piece of paper. Her face was pure and pleasant to look at, and she had a bright yet quiet aura. Sure enough, her grandson had a good eye. This girl was indeed a little different. Under Martha¡¯s gaze, Sophia could only hold her breath, not daring to look around, and at the same time, she was extremely nervous. ¡°Rx, child, I¡¯m not a bad person. I¡¯m Arthur¡¯s grandmother.¡± Martha shed a tender smile. Sophia raised her head, as if the atmosphere had immediately be a little friendlier with Martha¡¯s smile. ¡°Have a seat. Let¡¯s chat for a bit.¡± Martha gracefully held her teacup and said, ¡°I heard that you¡¯re close with my grandson. Please forgive me for meeting you in this way.¡± ¡°Not at all. I hope you forgive me for any shorings that I have,¡± Sophia hurriedly replied. ¡°Are you familiar with my family?¡± Martha asked. Sophia shook her head. ¡°Young Master Weiss has never told me about your family.¡± However, she knew that they were not just anyone. ¡°You look like a good girl at first nce. With your terms, you can marry a husband with a good family background in the future. You can support him with all your heart and give birth to his children. That in itself is a blissful life to lead.¡± Sophia was a little dazed. She didn¡¯t understand what Martha meant. Martha could tell that she didn¡¯t understand what she meant either. She sighed slightly and said, ¡°In this world, we have to follow certain rules. If you don¡¯t have the ability to take off on your own, you have to control your desires and try not to touch people or things that you can¡¯t handle. Otherwise, it is very likely that you will break into pieces and hurt yourself.¡± Atst, Sophia understood her words. There was a pang in her heart as she pursed her lips and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Old Madam Weiss, I¡¯m self-aware. I won¡¯t disrupt your grandson¡¯s life.¡± However, Martha was slightly surprised. She didn¡¯t expect Sophia to understand what she meant so quickly. ¡°In that case, do you know what you should do?¡± Sophia pursed her red lips and nodded. ¡°I know. I¡¯ll leave him.¡± ¡°On second thought, let me make things clear. I have a candidate for Arthur¡¯s wife, and you are just a temporary passerby who appeared by his side. You have your life to live, and he has his life to spend. I want you to leave his sidepletely. Can you do it?¡± Sophia narrowed her beautiful eyes slightly and murmured to the olddy opposite her, ¡°Can¡¯t we part as friends?¡± ¡°My grandson has already be interested in you. I know his personality best. If he decides on something, he will only get rid of it once he¡¯s tired or disgusted with it. You don¡¯t have to hold back, and you can hurt him however you want, but I just want to cut off his interest in you. Do you understand what I mean?¡± Martha asked calmly. Sophia¡¯s mind floundered. She had to leave him in a way that hurt him? Did it have to be like this? The first time she met Arthur shed quickly in her mind. The more she thought about it, the more she couldn¡¯t bring herself to do it. ¡°I hope that you really are self-aware and know when to stop.¡± Martha didn¡¯t give her room to hesitate. Although Sophia didn¡¯t figure out her feelings, she could only listen to Martha. She nodded. ¡°Okay, I will. I¡¯ll cut off everything with Young Master Weiss.¡± ¡°If you can make my grandsonpletely lose interest in you within three days, I¡¯ll give you a gift as compensation,¡± Martha offered. Sophia hurriedly waved her hand and refused, ¡°No, no, I don¡¯t need anypensation, Old Madam Weiss. Please rest assured, I¡¯ll do as you say and not cause you any trouble.¡± Saying that, she stood up and bowed to Martha before picking up her bag and running out quickly. After leaving the coffee shop, she did not ask anyone to send her back and walked in the direction of the main street. Even the noisy flow of people around her couldn¡¯t disrupt her thoughts at the moment. She didn¡¯t know that she was going to have to use this method to cut off ties with Arthur. After walking for a while, Sophia raised her head and saw that her house was nearby. When she entered her house, she heard her father¡¯s angry voiceing from the living room. ¡°Get out. You¡¯re not wee here.¡± ¡°Drake, I¡¯m sorry. I came here to apologize to you. I really didn¡¯t mean to betray you.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t mean to? The day before, you knew that I was paying my debts, yet you reported me for taking bribes. I thought of you as my friend, but you set me up!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Drake! If I had another choice, I would never be so ruthless and unrighteous. You were the one who gave me everything I have now!¡± ¡°What¡¯s this? Are you gonna tell me someone threatened you with a knife and forced you to do this?¡± Drake¡¯s voice got even louder. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly what happened. It was a young man. That night, his bodyguard kidnapped me into a car and used a knife to force me to set you up.¡± ¡°What? Who?¡± Drake demanded loudly. ¡°He¡¯s the current owner of yourpany. I only heard someone refer to him as Young Master Weiss. He¡¯s a terrifying man, almost like a demon.¡± Sophia stood at the entrance of the living room, listening to their conversation in disbelief. It was true that her father¡¯spany was acquired by Arthur, but did he also do such a despicable thing behind the scenes and make someone frame her father? ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Drake, I really am. He chased me out of thepany now, and I regret it so badly. I shouldn¡¯t have betrayed you.¡± Sophia walked into the living room and looked at the regretful man next to her father¡¯s chair, asking calmly, ¡°Mr. Grayson, did someone really put a knife to your neck and make you betray my father?¡± ¡°Yeah! He nearly sliced my neck. If I didn¡¯t do this, I would¡¯ve died a long time ago,¡± Aaron Grayson said huffily. ¡°What else did he say?¡± ¡°He said that as long as I help himplete the acquisition n, he¡¯ll reward me well. He clearly wants to send your father to his grave.¡± Drake looked at Sophia and sighed. ¡°Forget it! If thepany is gone, so be it! You should leave too!¡± After another bout of apologies, Aaron left. Sophia was extremely conflicted. Arthur had acquired her father¡¯spany through despicable means, even sending him to the police and giving him a debt of one billion. Did her family still have to be grateful to him just because he kindly repaid the debt for her father? He was the cause of the trouble and also the solution to it; her family was innocent in all this. Was all of this because she identally picked up his family heirloom and lost it? ¡°Sophia, stay away from Mr. Weiss. You shouldn¡¯t get involved with a man like him, understand? It might cost you your life,¡± Drake warned his daughter somberly. ¡°I will, Dad,¡± she promised. ¡°From a nce, I can tell that he¡¯s a spoiled child from a rich family who¡¯s used to doing whatever he wants without caring about anything.¡± The more Drake thought about it, the angrier he felt, and he had no affection for Arthur at all. Sophia went upstairs and sprawled out on her bed, her heart feeling inexplicably heavy. Meanwhile, in a cab, the screen of her silenced phone repeatedly lit up with unanswered calls from a certain someone. After dialing onest time, Arthur couldn¡¯t control his temper and threw his phone on the couch beside him before it fell on the carpet with a pitiful thud. ¡°Damn it, why isn¡¯t she answering?¡± When Elliot returned to the Presgrave Residence at night, Anastasia sat with him on the couch in the living room. ¡°If you¡¯re scared, let¡¯s go home,¡± he said to her. She shook her head. ¡°Grandma loves us so much. Even if she is on the other side, she¡¯ll definitely still love us.¡± He kissed her hair. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± However, Elliot took her back to the vi a littleter in the end. When Anastasia woke up after a good night¡¯s sleep, she found that the man next to her was gone, and she got up after putting on a jacket. In the living room, Elliot was drinking alone on the couch. There were several extinguished cigarette butts in the ashtray next to him. Anastasia felt sorry for him, but couldn¡¯t find the words tofort him. After all, his love for his grandmother was stronger than mere family affection. She went downstairs and held onto the tipsy man. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the room and sleep.¡± All of a sudden, Elliot hugged her. The man, who hadn¡¯t cried in front of anyone from start to end, buried his head in her hair as a stream of tears slipped from his red eyes. Anastasia patted him on the shoulder and hugged him tightly. That night, this man who was usually strong and powerful was at his most vulnerable. Half an hourter, he nodded off while in her embrace after losing sleep for nearly two nights. When shebed through her hair, she noticed that it was slightly damp, and she felt even more pained as she looked at the man in her arms. Early in the morning at the Goodwin Residence, Sophia had gone to work when a ck SUV stopped at the entrance around ten o¡¯clock. The man who stepped out of the car had a handsome yet cold face, and he was donnedpletely in ck, making him look extremely unapproachable. Emma was watering in the garden when she saw the person outside the entrance. She walked over and opened the small gate, and asked him unceremoniously, ¡°Can I help you, Mr. Weiss?¡± However, Arthur was polite as he asked, ¡°Hello, Mrs. Goodwin. Is Sophia at home?¡± ¡°Sophia won¡¯t be seeing you in the future. You should leave!¡± Emma was nearly going to lose her temper. After learning the truth about her husband¡¯s bankruptcy the previous night, she was so angry that she could barely sleep. ¡°Why?¡± Arthur slightly furrowed his beautiful eyebrows. Did he make her angry? ¡°Close the gate, Emma. And what did he say?¡± Drake¡¯s voice sounded from behind. Emma reached out and shut the small gate of the vi, saying to him through the bars, ¡°Don¡¯te looking for my daughter in the future. I¡¯ll make her stay away from you.¡± Arthur fell silent at her words. As Drake¡¯s leg was notpletely healed yet, he only stood by the door and didn¡¯t go over to them as he asked his wife toe back instead. ¡°Mrs. Goodwin, can you please tell me what happened to Sophia?¡± Emma was just about to leave, but when she saw that Arthur was still asking questions, she turned around with a sneer. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, young man, you shouldn¡¯t be too cruel and despicable when you¡¯re doing things. One day, you¡¯ll be put in your ce.¡± Chapter 711-720 Chapter 711-720 ¡°I don¡¯t quite understand what you¡¯re saying, Mrs. Goodwin,¡± Arthur said. He was someone who had to get his answers. ¡°You should know well why my husband¡¯spany went bankrupt, and what methods you used to threaten the people around him to betray him and set him up! You made my husband owe the bank one billion, but even if you repaid the debt for us, we won¡¯t be grateful to you. Just leave! You¡¯re still young, so why are you so cruel?¡± After Emma finished speaking, she turned around and left. Outside the door, Arthur¡¯s face stiffened as he remembered what he did to acquire thepany. It was true that the theft of his family heirloom had pushed him into putting a knife on Drake¡¯s partner and threatening him to set up a trap for Drake to fall into, making him lose hispany and even owe the bank one billion. Arthur was never one to regret his actions, but for this matter, he did regret a little. If Drake and Emma knew about this, did their daughter know as well? If she did, was it the reason why she hadn¡¯t answered his calls? Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. In the hospital, Sophia had just taken her phone from the nurse. As soon as she turned on the screen, twenty-eight missed calls appeared in her notifications. She couldn¡¯t help but feel surprised and quickly clicked in to see who had called, only to find out that it was all from Arthur. Was this guy crazy? Why did he call her so many times? Just as she was thinking that, her cell phone rang again with another call from him. Sophia¡¯s hand jolted, causing her to nearly drop her phone. Fortunately, she scooped it back into her arms and asked huffily, ¡°Why do you keep calling me?!¡± The man on the other end coughed slightly before asking, ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m at work.¡± ¡°You¡¯re working?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m working now. If you don¡¯t need anything in the future, don¡¯te looking for me,¡± Sophia said righteously. ¡°I only gave you a short holiday. I didn¡¯t allow you topletely leave my side,¡± Arthur grumbled unhappily. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve signed a contract to sell myself off to you! I didn¡¯t put my fingerprint on anything either. I have my own freedom, and you don¡¯t have the right to interfere,¡± Sophia rebuked sharply, her back straightening as she spoke. Her guilt of losing his heirloom disappeared because of what he had done to her father. If she lost it, then so be it. If he wanted her to pay for it, she had nothing of value topensate him, only her own life. ¡°Let¡¯s meet!¡± Arthur suggested, not wanting to argue with her over the phone. Unexpectedly, Sophia agreed readily. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll be waiting for you at the cafe next to Presgrave Corporation.¡± She even decided on the venue. ¡°All right.¡± Arthur was clearly taken aback. Sophia took a taxi back to Presgrave Corporation and walked to a high-end cafe next to it. She kept cheering herself up and thought about many things. In particr, Martha¡¯s words clung to her mind like a magic spell, telling her to leave Arthur, and that even if she hurt him, she had to leave him. She was just dazing away, immersed in her own thoughts, when she felt someoneing over. She raised her head and saw the man who had juste in from outside appearing in her sight, his handsome figure silhouetted by the light. She felt her heart beat faster uncontrobly, and all of the women around them had their gazes and hearts stolen away by the man as well. Arthur saw the girl sitting in a corner at the back instantly. He strode over elegantly, and as he sat down on the couch, he crossed his long legs as if it was the most natural thing ever. When the waiter came over, he casually asked for a cup of iced Americano. Sophia red at him, her eyes no longer as timid and obedient toward him as before. ¡°Let me ask you. Did you use any dirty methods to take my dad¡¯spany away?¡± She immediately interrogated him. Arthur nodded. ¡°Yes, I did pull some strings, but that was because¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin; I don¡¯t want to listen.¡± Sophia pretended to be irritated. ¡°What¡¯s done has already been done.¡± A sh of surprise passed through Arthur¡¯s eyes. This girl is a little different today, he thought. After his coffee was served, he picked up the cup and took a sip before saying in a low voice, ¡°Then, how do you want me to pay your family back? Tell me, and I¡¯ll do it.¡± Sophia¡¯s beautiful eyes narrowed. This man was admitting his mistake? It was her first time hearing that from him! ¡°My family and I don¡¯t need yourpensation.¡± Saying that, Sophia tightened her grip around her cup and bit her lip before continuing, ¡°Also, I have something to confess, because I lied to you.¡± Arthur raised his eyebrows curiously. ¡°What is it?¡± Sophia took a deep breath and fixed her eyes on the man opposite her. ¡°I lost your family heirloom, and I can never get it back.¡± Arthur paused in surprise for a few seconds, while she lowered her head and waited for him to burst out in anger. She had prepared herself to bear his fury. ¡°How did you lose it?¡± Unexpectedly, he only asked her a question calmly. Sophia raised her head in shock. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to scold me?¡± Arthur smirked. ¡°Do you want me to?¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d scold me. After all, it is your family heirloom, and it¡¯s priceless.¡± Sophia blinked. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to lose it. When I saw my dad being arrested and thrown into jail, I lost it while hurrying back. Before that, I¡¯d been wearing it the entire time.¡± Arthur¡¯s eyes suddenly narrowed. ¡°You were wearing it?¡± When Sophia heard this, she thought he was a germaphobe and hurriedly apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t wear it on purpose, but I knew it was very precious, so I didn¡¯t dare to leave it in the hotel in case I lost it. That¡¯s why I kept wearing it and hiding it under my cor. It was fine until I came back home.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say you couldn¡¯t wear it,¡± Arthur said in a low voice. When he had inherited the ne, she was the only other person except for him who had worn it, and Martha had said that the second person to wear the family heirloom could only be his future wife. That was why he was so surprised when he found out that this woman had worn it. ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t lie to you. When I said that I wanted to work for you for a year, it was just a half measure. I was afraid you¡¯d send my dad to jail again, so I thought that I could stay by your side for a year, then¡­¡± At this point, Sophia¡¯s pretty face turned red uncontrobly. Her original n was pretty despicable in its own way for trying to make him fall in love with her and forgive her for losing his family heirloom. Now that she thought about it, it was unfair to him as well. ¡°Then what?¡± As he looked at her hesitant expression on her flushed face, he was extremely curious about what she had to say next. Sophia had always been honest since she was a child, so she didn¡¯t think much. She took a deep breath and looked up at him, saying, ¡°Promise not tough at me.¡± ¡°Okay, I won¡¯tugh.¡± When Arthur looked at her serious expression as she said this, he already felt likeughing. How could she make an apology so interesting? Sophia blew a few stray strands of hair on her forehead before slowly saying, ¡°This is what I had nned. I was thinking that since you couldn¡¯t get your ne back, then I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll stay by your side a little longer and see if you would fall in love with me¡­ If you fell for me and I told you that I lost your family heirloom, you might forgive me, so¡­ I was going to seduce you¡­¡± Arthur was just about to take an elegant sip of his coffee when he nearly choked on his drink. He clutched his chest and coughed. Sophia blinked before saying with a red face, ¡°You can¡¯tugh!¡± Not only did Arthur feel likeughing, but he wanted to scold her too. This brat barely followed her n! From the start to the end, when did she ever seduce him? ¡°Then?¡± he rearranged his expression and asked. ¡°Then, I found out that it¡¯s impossible to make you fall in love with me,¡± Sophia concluded. However, Arthur disagreed. Even if she didn¡¯t follow her n, he had already started to like her a little. Otherwise, when he heard about the loss of his family heirloom, he would¡¯ve definitely been furious and wanted to beat her up. ¡°Sophia, nothing is impossible in this world. As long as you try, many things can be possible.¡± Arthur hinted at her with his words. However, Sophia didn¡¯t understand Arthur¡¯s words and asked, ¡°If you lost your family heirloom, will your grandmother scold you?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he replied truthfully. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll go and apologize to her with you. I was the one who lost it; it has nothing to do with you,¡± Sophia hurriedly offered. Arthur was truly speechless by her actions. Just a while ago, she was interrogating him about her father¡¯s issue, but she was now worried about him. ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ll deal with it myself,¡± he refused, his brows slightly furrowed. As she recalled Martha¡¯s words, her beautiful eyes brightened as she came up with another idea. ¡°Since I lost your family heirloom and you bought my father¡¯spany, we¡¯re even now, and neither of us owes the other anything. Let¡¯s end things here! You can live your life, and I¡¯ll focus on my work. We don¡¯t have to meet again.¡± She wanted to cut off all ties with him. After she finished speaking, she picked up her bag and made to leave, but as she walked past him, a large hand suddenly grabbed her wrist, and a cold voice sounded. ¡°Sophia, before I get my family heirloom back, we can¡¯t call it quits.¡± Sophia looked at the huge hand that was holding hers tightly before lifting her gaze back to him. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°I can give your father¡¯spany back to him, but you have to look for my family heirloom with me.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about your dad¡¯spany. I¡¯ll return it to him today, but you¡¯re not allowed to go anywhere until the heirloom is returned to me.¡± Arthur stood up, his figure tall and oppressing. ¡°Only when we find it will I let you go,¡± he said bossily with his seductive lips. Sophia violently retracted her hand. ¡°What if we never find it? Do you want me to stay by your side forever?¡± Arthur¡¯s lips curled into a smile. ¡°Then you have to try your best to help me find it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible to get it back. I don¡¯t know which corner of the world it¡¯s in, or if someone picked it up.¡± Sophia was desperate as she concluded that she couldn¡¯t find it again. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll give you a second option. You can continue your n to seduce me and make me fall for you, and I might forgive you,¡± Arthur suggested helpfully. Sophia was not a fool, though. She asked, ¡°If you fall for me, will you let me leave?¡± Arthur rebuked, ¡°By then, would you still want to leave?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯m not going to fall for you,¡± Sophia replied without even thinking. All of a sudden, his expression darkened. ¡°Sophia, am I unworthy of you?¡± She pursed her lips and held back herughter as she said, ¡°No, I¡¯m the one who¡¯s unworthy of you. You¡¯re a rich and noble young master of a wealthy family, and I¡¯m just an ordinary girl. We¡¯re too different, and I¡¯m unworthy of you. Are you happy now?¡± Why did her words sound so harsh to him? ¡°In any case, Sophia, as long as my heirloom isn¡¯t in my hands, you can¡¯t leave me. Got it?¡± Arthur continued to pressure her. ¡°Fine. I¡¯m going to work now.¡± Saying that, Sophia turned around and left quickly. Arthur watched her leave, feeling powerless. He felt that he couldn¡¯t manipte this woman anymore. Just then, a sultry woman next to him asked boldly, ¡°Hey, handsome, did your girlfriend ditch you? It¡¯s all right, I can be your girlfriend!¡± Arthur¡¯s eyes swept over her coldly before he left, while the woman was immediately rendered speechless, intimidated by his gaze. When Sophia went to work, Arthur just so happened to spot her entering Presgrave Corporation. So, she¡¯s working at Presgrave Corporation? When he got into the car, he suddenly received a call. All at once, his expression turned solemn, and he reached out and dialed Elliot¡¯s number. ¡°Hello? Artie?¡± ¡°Elliot, I¡¯m sorry for your loss.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°When is the funeral? I¡¯ll definitely be there.¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll let you know.¡± Of course, Arthur knew about Elliot¡¯s close rtionship with his grandmother. After all, he had grown up under his grandmother¡¯s care. All of a sudden, Arthur had the urge to seize the moment to do what he wanted and chase after the person he liked. If not, he was afraid that he would run out of time to get her in his hands. He turned his gaze toward Presgrave Corporation again as he fell into deep thought. Three dayster, the news of Harriet¡¯s death was published in the papers, causing an uproar in the upper society. At the same time, the media turned their attention to the newly appointed Mrs. Presgrave, Anastasia, who would soon be the most powerful woman in the Presgrave Family. Harriet¡¯s funeral was also under preparation. Elliot handled everything and hardly slept, while Anastasia did not go to thepany and prepared for the funeral with him. Harriet had instructed during her lifetime not to make her funeral a big deal. She just hoped that on the day she was buried in the ground, the members of the Presgrave Family and several of her friends woulde to see her off. That day, Jared finally came back from Nigel¡¯s house. The moment he arrived home, he instantly asked Anastasia, ¡°Mommy, Uncle Nigel said Great-Grandma went somewhere very far away, and that I can¡¯t see her anymore.¡± Anastasia pulled him into her arms and said gently, ¡°Then, you have to miss her, all right?¡± ¡°I will. What about phone calls? Can I call her?¡± Anastasia¡¯s eyes suddenly turned red, and she couldn¡¯t stop her tears from falling. She hugged her son and said, ¡°Jared, Great-Grandma has left us. Let¡¯s keep her in our hearts, and in a few days, we¡¯ll go and visit her together, all right?¡± Jared wiped the tears from his mother¡¯s eyes sensibly, as if he understood where Harriet had gone. He consoled, ¡°Mommy, did Great-Grandma pass away? You don¡¯t have to hide it from me. I¡¯m not scared.¡± As Anastasia looked at her son¡¯s resolute gaze, she hugged him in relief and nodded softly. ¡°Yes, your great-grandma has gone to heaven. You can miss her.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll miss her.¡± Just then, a figure appeared at the doorway as Elliot walked inside. He had heard everything, and he wanted his son to know about Harriet¡¯s death as well. ¡°Daddy.¡± The young boy jumped into his father¡¯s arms, hisrge eyes turning red as if he understood what it meant to lose a loved one. Elliot hugged him and gave him a kiss. ¡°Good boy.¡± When Anastasia came over, Elliot stretched out a hand. Looking at her husband who had not slept for several days, she walked over to hug him, feeling pained. Just like that, the family of three embraced each other tightly in therge living room. At the Goodwin Residence¡¯s entrance, three ck SUVs came to a stop, and Arthur walked over with several senior executives of Goodwin Corporation behind him. Drake looked at the young man in surprise before he asked in a cold voice, ¡°Mr. Weiss, what is the meaning of this?¡± ¡°Mr. Goodwin, I apologize for everything I¡¯ve done to you. I acquired yourpany out of malicious intent, but now, I¡¯ll hand your shares back to you. Please take over yourpany again.¡± Arthur¡¯s tone was different, as if he had turned into another person, and he even spoke respectfully to Drake. Drake was instantly shocked to his core. What was this young man nning? First, he bought his company, but now he was giving it back. The process was extremelyplicated, but he was returning it to him just because he said so? ¡°Mr. Weiss, please don¡¯t humiliate me anymore. Just take thepany if you want it! But I¡¯m warning you, stop pestering my daughter,¡± Drake warned. ¡°Sophia and I are friends.¡± Arthur started seriously, then turned his head and nced at the few executives. ¡°All of you, talk to Mr. Goodwin!¡± These men were all Drake¡¯s previous subordinates, and they immediately came to persuade him to take over thepany¡¯s affairs. ¡°President Goodwin, thepany can¡¯t live without you! It¡¯s a good thing that Young Master Weiss has returned thepany¡¯s shares to you!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! President Goodwin, you¡¯re still so young. You should think of your wife and daughter¡¯s future!¡± ¡°Thepany is doing well. We¡¯re just waiting for you toe back and lead us to more wealth and sess!¡± Of course, Drake wanted to get hispany back¡ªit was his life¡¯s work, after all. He walked outside toward the yard, only to see Arthur standing next to the pond with a hand in his pocket, admiring the goldfish in it leisurely. Drake asked, ¡°Mr. Weiss, why are you giving mypany back to me all of a sudden? What are you up to?¡± He didn¡¯t believe that this man had no ax to grind. Arthur looked back at him with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m not up to anything, Mr. Goodwin. I¡¯m just sumbing to my conscience. And besides, the management model of yourpany isn¡¯t something that I¡¯m good at, so I¡¯m afraid of screwing it up.¡± ¡°Just who the hell are you? Why couldn¡¯t I find any information about you in the country?¡± Drake was very curious about Arthur¡¯s mysterious identity as well. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Goodwin. I¡¯m not a bad guy. My family lives abroad, but my ancestors are from here,¡± Arthur replied earnestly. Drake was still worried, though. He asked, ¡°Sophia has lost your family heirloom and may not be able to recover it for the rest of her life. Will you hurt her because of that?¡± ¡°Sophia has told me about the loss of my family heirloom. I¡¯ll try my best to search for it in the future, and I won¡¯t me it on her anymore,¡± Arthur promised calmly. Drake was dumbfounded right away. This guy¡¯s been boiling with rage in the beginning, so what makes him so calm andposed right now? He¡¯s taken mypany away because of a family heirloom, and now, not only is he giving thepany back to me, but he also decides not to hold Sophia responsible. Why? Anyway, this is a good thing for the Goodwins, he thought. ¡°Really?¡± he asked with a frown. Arthur nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right, Mr. Goodwin. I just need her to cooperate with me in searching for my family heirloom in the future.¡± Drake turned pale at once. ¡°Do you have an evil intent against Sophia?¡± Arthur shook his head earnestly. ¡°I just want to be friends with her. I¡¯ve got nothing else in mind.¡± Drake heaved a sigh of relief. He didn¡¯t like this guy to be his future son-inw. It was obvious at a nce from thetter¡¯s capricious moods and unpredictable behavior that he had to be some rich dandy spoiled rotten by his family. With that, Drake took over his ownpany with all his shares returned to him. Moreover, he found that hispany had won a few good bids after he let Arthur manage it, which would at least secure its profits for the next two years. Sophia was sorting out documents at work when she received a phone call from her father. ¡°What? Mr. Weiss returned thepany to you?¡± she asked in shock. ¡°That¡¯s right. Sophia, did he make any unreasonable demands on you?¡± Drake asked with concern. ¡°N-No, he didn¡¯t. We¡¯re just friends.¡± Sophia hurriedly rified the matter. Nevertheless, the two kisses she had had with Arthurst time crossed her mind. Still, it¡¯s just a kiss! It doesn¡¯t count as anything, right? she thought. ¡°That¡¯s good. Just stay away from that guy in the future. He¡¯s too dangerous.¡± ¡°I know that, Dad.¡± Drake immediately began to feel sorry for his daughter. ¡°Why don¡¯t you quit your job? Don¡¯t be too hard on yourself.¡± Sophia didn¡¯t want to quit the job, though. ¡°No, Dad. I don¡¯t want to quit this job. I like this job very much, and besides, my boss is very nice to me.¡± ¡°Alright then. Don¡¯t overwork yourself. I¡¯ll make money for our family.¡± ¡°The same goes for you, Dad. Don¡¯t overwork yourself.¡± After hanging up the phone, Sophia breathed a soft sigh of relief, though there were a lot of things that came into her mind. Arthur seems to have be a different person now, she thought. Just then, her cell phone beeped with an iing message, which she opened to reveal a simple text. It read, ¡®Let¡¯s eat together at noon.¡¯ The text was sent by Arthur, and it wasn¡¯t an invitation, but a notification. Sophia bit her lower lip. She had promised Martha not to have any contact with Arthur anymore, but he had just returned her family¡¯spany to her father. Should I treat him to a meal as a token of my gratitude? ¡®Alright, it¡¯s my treat,¡¯ she texted, deciding to end their rtionship after the meal. ¡®OK. I¡¯ll wait for you outside the Presgrave Group¡¯s entrance.¡¯ ¡®OK,¡¯ Sophia replied; she then checked the time and realized that it was time for lunch. At 11:30 AM, she stepped into the Presgrave Group¡¯s lobby. Just as she was hurrying toward the entrance with her head down, she identally bumped into someone, whose chest was so sturdy that it hurt her nose. She hissed in pain before she heard a deep male voice snort overhead. ¡°What a clumsy girl,¡± it said. Sophia¡¯s eyes widened. F*ck, it¡¯s him. Arthur was waiting for her on the couch in the lobby when he saw her rushing all the way out of the elevator. He wanted to go over and greet her, but she bumped right into him instead. ¡°Could you give me a shout next time instead of blocking my path?¡± Sophia grumbled. ¡°Are you in such a hurry to see me?¡± Arthur asked with a smile as his eyes narrowed. Sophia blushed slightly. Turning her pretty face away, she replied, ¡°Who said that? I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°Have you made a reservation at a restaurant?¡± She nodded. ¡°Uh-huh. I¡¯ve got to get back to work in the afternoon, so let¡¯s eat at a nearby restaurant.¡± ¡°Right, let¡¯s go!¡± Arthur suddenly stretched out his hand and grabbed her wrist before taking her out of the building. Sophia¡¯s heart pounded for a moment. Why is this guy taking me by the hand? There are a lot of my colleagues here. I don¡¯t want anyone to get the wrong idea about me! In the restaurant, she said to the man across from her on behalf of her father, ¡°Mr. Weiss, I¡¯d like to thank you on my dad¡¯s behalf for returning thepany to him.¡± Seeing the sincere expression on her pretty face, Arthur replied with a smile, ¡°Is that all you have to say?¡± She pursed her lips. ¡°What kind of thanks do you want, then?¡± Seeing how tender and bouncy her rosy lips were as she sank her teeth into them, he somehow felt his body tense up. He gave a gulp, saying, ¡°Why bite your lips for no reason? Aren¡¯t you afraid of biting through your lips?¡± Sophia had a habit of biting her lower lip when she felt uneasy. When she heard Arthur¡¯s words, her crescent-shaped eyes curved in a smile. ¡°I¡¯m not stupid. Why would I bite my own lips?¡± Arthur chided with a serious expression, ¡°Don¡¯t keep biting your lip in front of a guy from now on. Do you know what kind of cue it is to a man?¡± Understanding what he meant, Sophia instantly blushed. ¡°I-I¡¯m not trying to seduce anyone. I only do that out of habit,¡± she exined. ¡°Get out of the habit,¡± ordered the man across from her overbearingly. Sophia nodded obediently. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll get out of this habit starting from today.¡± Seeing how obedient she looked, Arthur somehow felt incredibly delighted. His lips curved in a smile as he praised her, saying, ¡°What a good girl.¡± She instantly went red in the face again. What is this guy taking me for? After the food was served, Sophia talked about her current job. Knowing that she was actually working under Anastasia, he was somewhat reassured. He said, ¡°She¡¯ll take care of you.¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. President Tillman really takes good care of me.¡± ¡°If youe across anything that¡¯s hard to deal with in the future, you can ask me for help,¡± Arthur said. However, Sophia shook her head resolutely. ¡°Thanks, but it¡¯s not necessary.¡± She would sever all contact with him after this meal; this was what she had promised Martha. Before they realized it, it was already past 1:00 PM. After checking the time, she promptly said, ¡°I should get back to work already.¡± She went to pay the bill whereas he looked out of the window while losing himself in thought. After they left the restaurant, Sophia waved to him. ¡°I¡¯m going back to work.¡± She had wanted to say ¡°see you again,¡± but she thought they would never meet again from now on. Every step she took toward the Presgrave Group was resolute, albeit with a hint of reluctance. Arthur followed her with his gaze. She was dressed in a well-fitting suit, and her long hair bounced slightly in the midday sunshine. There were many attractive and charming urban beauties around her, but his eyes were glued to her slim figure. Martha was away when he returned to the vi. As soon as he returned to his study, his bodyguard knocked on the door, wanting toe in. ¡°Come in,¡± he said. ¡°Young Master Weiss, we¡¯ve issued reward notices along the route on which Miss Goodwin lost the ne. If there is any news, they¡¯ll inform me immediately.¡± ¡°Pay attention to the secondhand market as well. Perhaps someone will list it on the market.¡± ¡°Young Master Weiss, is Miss Goodwin sure that she lost the ne? Can we talk to her to learn more information so that it¡¯s easier for us to search for the ne?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t disturb her. There¡¯s no hurry.¡± Having a headache, Arthur sank into the sofa while propping his head with his hand. ¡°Yes, Young Master Weiss,¡± the bodyguard replied. As he left the room, he suddenly noticed a figure trotting away. It was none other than Emily. At this moment, she had returned to her room. Pressing her back against the door, she patted her chest somewhat nervously. What did I overhear just now? The Weiss Family¡¯s priceless heirloom is lost? And it¡¯s Sophia who lost it? Oh, my God! That heirloom is supposed to be worn around my neck! To think that Sophia¡ªthat b*tch¡ªhas lost it! Damn it! I¡¯ve got to tell Old Madam Weiss about this! At the thought of this, she took out her cell phone and dialed Martha¡¯s number. ¡°Hello, Emily. Is something the matter?¡± ¡°Grandma, I¡¯ve got to tell you a big piece of bad news. The family heirloom you gave to Artie is lost, and it¡¯s Sophia who lost it.¡± As she had expected, Martha sounded shocked on the other end of the line. ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. I just heard that Artie was anxiously searching for it, but it seems that it couldn¡¯t be found anymore.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯lle back right away.¡± Emily hung up the phone with a flicker of delight in her eyes. Now that the family heirloom was lost, Sophia would be in big trouble. Martha arrived home just half an hourter. She said to a bodyguard standing guard at the entrance, ¡°Come in after me.¡± The bodyguard followed her into the living room before entering the small garden outside the drawing room. ¡°Let me ask you this¡ªdid Artie lose his ne?¡± The bodyguard¡¯s face froze. He immediately buttoned his lip; Arthur had told them not to go around telling anyone about this. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Not even I can get you to talk, huh?¡± Martha asked in amanding voice. ¡°Is the ne lost? Out with it!¡± The bodyguard dared not defy her. ¡°Yes, it is, Old Madam Weiss.¡± ¡°Who lost it?¡± The bodyguard hesitated to answer. ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Martha looked as ck as thunder. ¡°Is it lost at the hands of Sophia?¡± The bodyguard was stunned for a few seconds. ¡°You know all about it?¡± Martha was inwardly exasperated. Not only had her grandson given their family heirloom to a young lady without her permission, but the youngdy even lost it! Arthur was adjusting his cuffs whileing downstairs when he saw the bodyguarding over in a hurry from the garden. Upon seeing him, the bodyguard immediately came over and apologized to him in fear. ¡°Young Master Weiss, I-I¡¯m sorry.¡± Before Arthur could realize what had happened, a stern andmanding female voice sounded. ¡°Come over here, Artie!¡± Hearing Martha¡¯s voice, Arthur immediately sensed that something was wrong. After darting a look at the bodyguard who left in a hurry, he went to the garden. Martha¡¯s eyes were zing with fury as she sat on the sofa in the garden¡¯s ss house while watching Arthuring in. Not only that, but she had a serious expression that he had rarely seen on her face. ¡°Grandma.¡± Arthur sat down across from her while waiting for her to question him. ¡°Where is the family heirloom your mom gave you? Where is it now?¡± Martha asked straightforwardly. Arthur instantly realized what this was about. But how did Grandma learn about the loss of the family heirloom? ¡°Grandma, you know all about it?¡± Not knowing how much Martha knew about it, he had no choice but to sound her out first. ¡°Why did you privately give our family heirloom to a youngdy without consulting us first? Not only that, but you even let her lose it carelessly!¡± Martha questioned angrily. Arthur¡¯s pupils dted in shock. Did the bodyguard betray me and tell her about Sophia? He could only take the me by lying first, saying, ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m the one who lost it, not her.¡± Martha was dumbfounded. Artie¡¯s trying to protect that girl! Why? Have I underestimated his feelings for her? This immediately put her on the alert. ¡°Artie, let me say this first. You¡¯ve got to recover our family heirloom and stay away from that Miss Goodwin,¡± she said while looking at Arthur. Just then, Emily¡¯s figure showed up nearby in the garden. Shifting her gaze toward her, Martha added, ¡°In what way is Emily iparable with that Miss Goodwin? She grew up near our ce and is a better match for you than Sophia Goodwin in terms of family background.¡± ¡°Grandma, I can do whatever you say, but I can¡¯t obey you when ites to my choice of lover. Sorry about that,¡± Arthur retorted in a deep voice. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to impose myself on you, but you¡¯ve got to think about our family. And besides, is it really good for someone as naive as Miss Goodwin to live in our family?¡± Martha argued calmly. ¡°Our family has aplicated background and an extensivework of influence. If you let ady who knows nothing be thedy of the house, she¡¯ll panic!¡± ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it, Grandma. She and I have yet to reach that point in our rtionship,¡± Arthur said, comforting her. ¡°I¡¯ve got something else to deal with, so I gotta go.¡± After leaving through the door, Arthur crooked his finger at the bodyguard from earlier, who immediately came over with his head down, saying, ¡°Young Master Weiss.¡± Arthur¡¯s good-looking face clouded over instantly. ¡°Who allowed you to betray me?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Young Master Weiss, but I didn¡¯t betray you. I saw someone when I came out of your study.¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Miss Jennings has eavesdropped on our conversation.¡± The bodyguard wouldn¡¯t take the me in ce of someone else either. Arthur trusted his bodyguard, so he turned to walk toward the garden, where Emily was sitting by the swimming pool and chatting with a friend over the phone. Hearing the footsteps behind her, she looked back and hung up the phone before walking up to him happily. ¡°Artie.¡± ¡°Did you tell my grandma about Sophia losing my family heirloom?¡± Arthur asked in a calm voice. Emily¡¯s face instantly turned crimson. Biting her lower lip, she said, ¡°Sorry, Artie, but it¡¯s such a big deal that I had to tell Grandma about it.¡± Arthur¡¯s eyes turned frosty in an instant. He warned, ¡°There will be no next time.¡± Emily¡¯s heart clenched for an instant. Only then did she realize the gravity of the situation. ¡°Sorry, Artie. I¡¯m really sorry, but Sophia Goodwin is the most doggone person for losing such a valuable thing of yours! She¡¯s got no idea how valuable the family heirloom is.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let me hear you vilify Sophia ever again, or get out of my home,¡± Arthur said before turning around to leave. Emily held onto his arm in panic. ¡°Forgive me, Artie! Forgive me, please, okay?¡± Arthur pulled his arm out of her grasp in disgust. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡± Emily looked at his ruthless figure from behind in disbelief before a surge of resentment swept over her. What has Sophia done to cause my rtionship with Artie to be like this? Sophia gave a loud sneeze in the office. Startled, she mumbled, ¡°Who¡¯s swearing at me?¡± Just then, her cell phone rang, and she picked it up. Seeing that it was an iing call from an unfamiliar number, she answered it, saying, ¡°Hello. May I ask who this is?¡± ¡°Sophia, I¡¯m Emily Jennings. Let¡¯s meet up!¡± Emily¡¯s voice sounded. Sophia was stunned for a moment. Then, she replied politely, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Jennings, but I¡¯m working.¡± ¡°Did you lose the Weiss Family¡¯s heirloom? Sophia Goodwin, you have no idea how important the heirloom is to Artie. It¡¯s been passed down in their family for 200 years; it¡¯s even more important than your life!¡± Emily¡¯s furious voice sounded on the other end of the line. ¡°Sophia, do you know that the family heirloom is mine? It¡¯s what I¡¯m supposed to pass down to Artie and my children! Get it back for me¡ªnow!¡± Sophia was stunned by Emily¡¯s shrill and deafening voice. ¡°If you can¡¯t find it, then stay away and stoptching onto my Artie. You¡¯re not qualified to marry him. He¡¯s out of your league!¡± Emily said before hanging up. Sophia inhaled softly. Little did she think she had lost something so valuable that belonged to Arthur. Although she didn¡¯t mean it, she was now overwhelmed with a strong sense of self-reproach. Just then, Grace knocked on the door and came in to bring her a cup of coffee. ¡°Sophia, the funeral will be held tomorrow. Dress in ck. We¡¯ll see Old Madam Presgrave off for onest time with President Tillman.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Sophia nodded. Candles were lit in the Presgrave Residence¡¯s living room, where a photo of Harriet was ced on the altar for the visitors to pay theirst respects. The candlelight illuminated her smile and her benign features. The arrangements had been made so that she would be escorted to her final resting ce tomorrow. It was early morning, and the sky had just cleared for a while before bing overcast, immediately after which it began to drizzle. Today was the day Harriet would beid to rest. At about 9:00 AM, everyone who came to see her off on herst journey arrived at the cemetery on time. Anastasia was wearing a ck dress with a white flower on her chest. With a dignified and graceful expression, she stood next to Elliot, whereas her two assistants stood one meter behind her. Sophia and Grace were both dressed in ck while standing and holding umbres. The Presgraves came one after another. The first ones to arrive were Liam and Kendra, who came with their daughter Lori and their son Lewis. As the husband and wife spoke a few words to Elliot with profound grief, Lori turned her gaze to thetter with sympathy. Seems like the past few days have been tough on him, she thought. Elliot¡¯s expression had a hint of grief and unconcealed weariness to it. Inwardly, Lori still loved him. After studying his face for quite a while, she sensed a gaze upon her, which alerted her at once. It was Anastasia, though she looked amicable without warning her too much. ¡°Thank you foring, Lori,¡± she said to her. Lori nodded before walking toward Liam. Soon after that, another faction in the Presgrave Family arrived as well. Coming with their two sons¡ªJacob, their eldest son, and their ten-year-old youngest son¡ªNn and his wife were followed by his supporters, who were all branch members of the family. ¡°Sorry for your loss, Elliot.¡± ¡°Thank you, Uncle Nn.¡± Elliot nodded. Seeing Sophia at a nce with his sharp eyes, Jacob was astounded for a few seconds; he never expected to see the woman he liked at the funeral. Sophia saw him, too, and she gave him a look out of courtesy as their eyes met briefly. Jacob didn¡¯t like the funeral at first, but he suddenly found it interesting after seeing that Sophia was present. Little did he think he would meet this pretty and adorable junior again. The next ones to arrive were Harriet¡¯s friends, all four of whom were old and had to sit on wheelchairs and be wheeled here by their families. Elliot and Anastasia voluntarily came up to them and chatted with them. Just then, a ck SUV stopped by the side of the road nearby, upon which a man holding a ck umbre stepped out of the vehicle with a bouquet of white flowers in his arms. He looked lean and slender in the drizzling rain. Then, his umbre was raised slightly, revealing his young and handsome features. It was Arthur. Elliot came up to Arthur and greeted him before the two buddies gave each other a wordless hug. Sophia seemed both surprised and unsurprised to see Arthur here. Jacob felt incredibly restless when he turned his head and saw Arthur. Why is this Weiss guy everywhere? Lori also noticed the young man standing next to Elliot. His aura, which was simr to Elliot¡¯s, and his equally handsome appearance caused her to wonder about his identity. I think I met himst time at the wedding, too. Arthur came to Anastasia¡¯s side and greeted her, saying, ¡°Hi, Anastasia.¡± Anastasia nodded slightly before looking back and saying to Sophia, ¡°Sophia,e over here and show Young Master Weiss the way.¡± Upon being called, Sophia was startled for a moment. While she was in a fluster, she met Arthur¡¯s gaze; he didn¡¯t expect her to be here as well. She had no choice but to close her umbre ande to his side, saying, ¡°Young Master Weiss, this way, please.¡± Seeing here over, Arthur naturally moved his umbre to shelter her from the drizzle, causing his shoulder to be wet by the light rain. As a result, it was hard to tell which of them was the guest of honor here. When Sophia realized this, she said in a whisper, ¡°Let me hold the umbre for you.¡± However, Arthur responded with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Sophia had no choice but to stand side by side with him. Just then, Jacob came up to them with an umbre. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Sophia.¡± ¡°Hi, Jacob,¡± Sophia said, greeting him. Arthur was very annoyed with Jacob. Suddenly, he stretched out his arm and swept Sophia into his embrace, causing thetter¡¯s breathing to quicken slightly. Then, he shot a warning look at Jacob. Jacob walked away and rejoined his father. However, he decided on a whim that he would steal Sophia from Arthur as he wanted to win against Arthur at least once. A whileter, Brenda and her family arrived at the funeral. Among them was Nigel holding Jared in his arms. Jared was wearing a ck suit adorned with a white flower for today¡¯s asion. Francis was the one who arrived soon after them. Then, he walked over to offer Elliot some words of condolences before looking for Jared in the crowd. Brenda came and spoke to Elliot. He could see her red eyes set off by her pale look. As they ended their conversation, she walked away and joined the elders. When Nigel came over to greet them, Elliot reminded him, ¡°You have to take care of your mother.¡± ¡°I tried, but she hasn¡¯t had any appetite recently. Dad and I couldn¡¯t change her mind.¡± Nigel shook his head in regret. As the tombstone was set and the urn storing Harriet¡¯s ashes was buried, it was now time for the deceased¡¯s rtives and friends to take turns cing flowers and paying respects at her grave. Elliot, Anastasia, and Jared were the first ones to pay theirst respects to Harriet. When Jared ced a bouquet of flowers beside the gravestone, he took a look at Harriet¡¯s photo. He had been holding back his tears until Anastasia gave him a gentle pat. At that, he couldn¡¯t hold himself back anymore as he threw himself in his mother¡¯s arms and wept on her shoulder. Anastasia¡¯s red eyes indicated she was also grieving. As she gave him a soothing kiss on his forehead, they stepped aside to make room for other mourners. Others behind them began to stand in a line to ce flowers. Among them was Arthur waiting for his turn while holding Sophia¡¯s hand in his. When they came to the front, she helped him to ce the flowers. Lori was staring at Elliot with admiration and longing under the umbre from time to time. She watched him as he held his wife and son in his arms, then at the tenderness and sadness in his eyes. His state left Lori heartbroken as she was feeling sympathetic toward him, even though she wasn¡¯t in the position. Once the mourning ceremony ended, the guests other than Arthur left one after another. Anastasia stood beside Elliot from the beginning as they saw the guests off. Later, she found Elliot lingering in front of Harriet¡¯s gravestone. Holding his hand in hers, she apanied him for a few minutes in his silent mourning. Arthur stopped Sophia before all of them left for home and asked her to share a car with him. She rejected, ¡°Nope. I¡¯m going with President Tillman.¡± However, Anastasia was having a different thought as she suggested gently, ¡°Sophia, that¡¯s all for today. You can go with Young Master Weiss.¡± Since he received permission from Anastasia, he grasped Sophia¡¯s wrist and dragged her all the way to his car without another word. As Elliot and Anastasia made it back to the vi, Jared had been ying with the Legos in his room as he didn¡¯t want to bother his parents who were in dire need of rest now. Anastasia urged Elliot to take a shower before he went to sleep as he had been struggling to sleep properly for thest couple of days. Sometimes, he was interrupted in his sleep by iing matters; sometimes, he couldn¡¯t even fall asleep due to the negative emotions. Listening to her words, he went for a quick shower before she dragged him onto the bed. She settled in his arms and watched him sleep. After a while, she was certain that he had fallen asleep as she could hear his breathing turning slow and deep. She tucked him in bed, then joined Jared and his toys in his room. The deceased was now in peace while the living had to continue with their lives. She was full of determination to take on the oing obstacles for her responsibilities. Arthur brought Sophia downtown, but he eventually stopped at a high-end cafe instead of his vi. Sitting opposite him, Sophia maintained the stance she had on their way to the cafe as she tried once again. ¡°Young Master Weiss, please let me see your grandma. Let¡¯s exin how I lost your family heirloom to her, shall we?¡± She had been worrying about him since Emily¡¯s call. Arthur took note of Sophia¡¯s worried look. She isn¡¯t letting me take the me. Doesn¡¯t it mean she likes me? ¡°Sophia, stop worrying about me.¡± Arthur held the cup of coffee up elegantly. ¡°I¡¯m not in big trouble at all because Grandma is fond of me.¡± Sophia was listening to his exnation while sipping her coffee. As she raised her head casually, she was taken aback by Emily walking toward them in feigned elegance with her handbag. ¡°Miss Jennings.¡± Sophia ced the coffee cup on the table before she stood to greet Emily. Emily shot daggers at her before turning to Arthur. ¡°Artie, Grandma is looking for you everywhere. Let¡¯s go home together!¡± Chapter 721-730 Chapter 721-730 Emily found her way to the cafe as she had asked Arthur¡¯s bodyguards for his whereabouts, but she didn¡¯t expect to find Sophia with him. Arthur frowned as he saw her standing before them, while Sophia had already gotten up from her seat. ¡°Miss Jennings, you can join Young Master Weiss. I shall be going.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see you off.¡± Emily faked a smile and wrapped her arm around Sophia as they walked out of the cafe. Sophia was forced to reciprocate the feigned intimacy as she walked beside Emily nervously. Once they went out of the cafe, Emily¡¯s expression changed into one of detest as she shoved Sophia forward and warned, ¡°Sophia, stop harassing Artie, or else I¡¯ll make you pay.¡± The truth was far from what Emily said. Sophia never nned to cling to Arthur, and it was a mere coincidence that Arthur and she met at the funeral. Therefore, she answered calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not harassing him or anything. Even more, I don¡¯t n to.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to trust any of your words. Have you ever wondered how influential his family is? Your life is a far cry from his!¡± Emily was staring at Sophia with folded arms; she didn¡¯t even bother to hide her disdain. ¡°It¡¯s only your wishful thinking for him to fall in love with you! Furthermore, don¡¯t try your luck. You¡¯ll only suffer.¡± Sophia looked into her eyes and replied, ¡°First of all, I won¡¯t categorize people into particr groups based on their background. Even though you¡¯re born with a silver spoon, you need to respect others.¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Emily¡¯s words were cut short as she didn¡¯t expect aeback from Sophia. Sophia continued, ¡°Sorting out the rtionship is a matter which needs to be settled between Mr. Weiss and me. You¡¯ve no right to meddle in our business.¡± Her eyes were icy cold as Emily¡¯s superior attitude irritated her. ¡°You!¡± Emily tried, but no words came out either. It was just likest time. ¡°If you have feelings for Young Master Weiss, you¡¯re free to pursue him. As for the result, it depends on you. Don¡¯t take it out on me.¡± As if she didn¡¯t notice Emily¡¯s condition, Sophia continued. Emily¡¯s cheeks reddened at her words. Is she trying to imply I¡¯ll not seed? She red at Sophia. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for your interference, I would have be his girlfriend sooner.¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°You¡¯ve always thought lowly of me. If so, there aren¡¯t many things I can do to catch his attention, unless he¡¯s a fool to fall for me easily.¡± ¡°How dare you call Artie a fool!¡± Emily was so enraged she raised her hand, about to p Sophia. At that moment, Arthur stepped out of the cafe and strode toward them. He had been listening to their conversation for a while and decided to step forward to prevent any further conflict. As he settled into a stance, he red at Emily. ¡°Emily, stop it.¡± When she saw him showing up, the first thought that appeared in Sophia¡¯s mind was to look for an escape route. I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s right behind us! How long has he been eavesdropping? As she turned on her heels to make an escape for the elevator, Arthur¡¯s voice echoed behind her. ¡°Stop right there.¡± He was reconsidering his opinion about Sophia. Seeing the other side of her was a surprise to him and he found it amusing as he walked toward her. ¡°You¡¯re running away after you called me a fool?¡± Sophia had no choice but to turn around and face him. As she looked into his deep eyes, she exined, ¡°I-I didn¡¯t mean to call you a fool.¡± ¡°You did!¡± Seeing an opportunity, Emily joined in. ¡°Miss Jennings, you don¡¯t understand. I¡¯m saying that Young Master Weiss would be a fool to fall for me.¡± At that, she gloated over her wiseeback and asked for Arthur¡¯s opinion. ¡°Young Master Weiss, you¡¯re not interested in me, right?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not,¡± he answered between gritted teeth. Sophia cast a nce at Emily with a blooming victorious smile on her face. ¡°Did you hear him? He doesn¡¯t like me!¡± Emily stared at her speechlessly as she had the feeling that it was a perfunctory act. Looking straight into Arthur¡¯s eyes, Sophia reminded him, ¡°Young Master Weiss, please rify that there is nothing between us, or else your pursuer¡ªMiss Jennings¡ªwill misunderstand.¡± Even though the odd feeling still lingered within Emily, she was deprived of the chance to talk back as Sophia stepped into the elevator. She turned to Arthur involuntarily and saw him stare at the shut elevator door with mixed feelings. ¡°How rude of her!¡± In the end, Emily could only harrumph a response. After Sophia left the cafe, she took a taxi to get home. Enjoying the breezy evening wind swaying her face, she was concurrently searching for an answer in her nk mind. He agreed that he¡¯s not interested in me. That¡¯s impossible to be a lie, she thought. At that moment, her cell phone notified her of a new message. She checked her phone to read it and found a message from Arthur with only two words. She gaped at the message. Damn! He sent me a message only to scold me! ¡®Mr. Weiss. Please remember you¡¯re a decent man,¡¯ she replied to him immediately. Arthur then sent a reply message. ¡®You don¡¯t have any conscience.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re right, I don¡¯t. You¡¯ve seen through my disguise and shall stop seeing people like me from now on.¡¯ Sophia had given up on saving her image. He asked again, ¡®Do you think falling for you is what a fool would do?¡¯ Meanwhile, Emily was gazing at the scenery outside in the car heading back to the vi. Beside her was Arthur typing messages on his phone. The corners of his lips turned up from time to time to indicate his good mood, even though his fingers betrayed that he was terrible at replying to text messages. ¡°Artie?¡± When she turned and found him smiling, she asked, ¡°Who are you chatting with?¡± ¡°A friend.¡± His answer was simple. Emily noticed a hint of amusement in Arthur¡¯s expression as if he was having fun from the interaction, so she mustered her courage and asked for further information. ¡°Who is your friend?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know them,¡± he answered as he checked the phone and broke into a wide smile at the message content. Sophia¡¯s reply read, ¡®I said the wrong thing just now. Please forgive me.¡¯ Sophia was riding in a taxi; the sunset view could no longer catch her attention as she felt nervous waiting to receive his response. What¡¯s wrong with me? Am I having fun now? ¡®I¡¯m home. Gotta go.¡¯ She typed on her phone and sent the message before shoving her cell phone back into her bag. However, her determination onlysted for a while. When she heard a message notification, she looked for her cell phone in the bag and checked the message. ¡®It isn¡¯t a bad thing to be likable. At least be honored by it.¡¯ Sophia was taken aback. What does he mean? Does he have feelings for me? Deciding that it was a wise choice to let the topic end here, she replied with a message. ¡®I¡¯m home.¡¯ Arthur stopped sending her any messages, so she paid for the ride and got out of the taxi. As she walked home while staring at her phone, someone halted her. ¡°Miss Goodwin, Old Madam Weiss would like to see you.¡± Sophia raised her head and found the middle-aged bodyguard from thest time addressing her. She hid her phone behind her involuntarily when she heard Martha was looking for her. ¡°Sure.¡± Sophia nodded and followed him into the car. It was when they eventually arrived at a nearby cafe that he let her off. As usual, Martha was waiting for her in a private room. The moment she saw Martha, the guilt washed over her as she had been spending time with Arthur not long ago. Sophia greeted her politely, ¡°Old Madam Weiss.¡± ¡°Take a seat.¡± Martha gestured at the sofa. As she took a seat, Martha asked her without mincing her words. ¡°I heard that you lost our family heirloom that Artie gifted to you?¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°Yes, I lost it. He didn¡¯t give it to me, though. I¡¯m the one who snatched it from his neck identally and lost itter.¡± ¡°Arthur didn¡¯t give it to you as a gift?¡± Martha asked in surprise. Sophia exined in detail how she had the ne in the first ce, brought the ne with her to a foreign country, and lost it on a return trip home. Lastly, she apologized, ¡°Old Madam Weiss, I¡¯m sorry about what happened. Please don¡¯t me Mr. Weiss for it. He¡¯s trying to retrieve the ne too.¡± ¡°He took over your father¡¯spany to force you to return to the country. That¡¯s so him.¡± After hearing her exnation, Martha remarked with mixed emotions. ¡°Indeed. Mr. Weiss now has returned my father¡¯spany and I¡¯ll help him to look for the lost ne.¡± Sophia revealed everything to Martha with full honesty. Martha was well-experienced and perceptive. She saw through the facade of Arthur asking Sophia¡¯s help to look for the ne and understood his purpose. Truth be told, he was using it as an excuse to keep Sophia at his side. ¡°Miss Goodwin, I¡¯ll keep an eye on the secondhand market for the ne. For now, I only need your help for one thing. I need you to leave Artie.¡± She was brisk at handling things as a full n was formed in her mind and she spoke it immediately. ¡°I have an idea. Do as I say.¡± ¡°Old Madam Weiss.¡± Sophia gaped at the elder woman dressed in a refined outfit and luxurious pieces of jewelry. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll need to bring a guy you know to see Artie and tell him in person that you love the guy. If Artie¡¯s feelings for you don¡¯t waver, then the two of you will get engaged. Besides, I¡¯llpensate for your loss because I promised to treat you with care.¡± Martha was hoping Arthur could make a firm decision on his love life as she knew Sophia wasn¡¯t the best suitor for him. Sophia stared at the phone on the table with hesitation. Martha¡¯s words hurt Sophia badly as if it stung her heart. However, she agreed with Martha¡¯s n eventually. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll follow your n.¡± ¡°I hope you can put on your best acting because Artie is very observant. Beware not to let him find out anything.¡± ¡°I will,¡± Sophia answered with a nod meekly as she lowered her eyes. At that time, she received a message on her phone. She took a quick nce at the message that appeared on the screen. ¡®What are you doing right now?¡¯ The sender stated Arthur¡¯s name. ¡°That¡¯s all for today. I won¡¯t me you for losing our family heirloom.¡± Martha waved in dismissal. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault at all. You can go now.¡± Sophia picked up the phone from the table and headed toward the exit. Once she went out, the bodyguard who had been waiting offered to send her home, but she rejected it nheless. This time, she was walking to get home. Staring at Arthur¡¯s messages, she had lost the mood to reply long since the conversation between Martha and her. Taking a deep breath, she then dialed someone¡¯s number. The person on the other side of the phone answered with a clear voice. ¡°Hey, girl! Do you already miss me?¡± Sophia saw no point in beating around the bush. ¡°Can I ask you a favor?¡± ¡°Sure! What can I help you with?¡± ¡°Pretend to be my boyfriend.¡± ¡°No problem! I¡¯m the best at doing this kind of thing! Are you having an obstinate pursuer?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask. I¡¯ll tell you the details tomorrow.¡± ¡°All right. I¡¯ll wait for your call.¡± After the call ended, Sophia took and let out another deep breath. The man whom she sought help from earlier was her childhood friend, the son of her father¡¯s friend, and one of her good friends. The phone then notified her that a new message had been received. Taking a quick nce at it, she wasn¡¯t surprised to see it was from Arthur again. He asked, ¡®Why aren¡¯t you replying?¡¯ Thinking that he was enjoying their interaction since he found exchanging messages interesting, she didn¡¯t bother to reply. When he didn¡¯t get her response, he decided to call her instead. Soon, her phone rang. Sophia took a look at the caller ID and pressed the ¡°mute¡± button eventually. Sinking back onto the park bench, she watched the phone vibrate with a heavy heart. Finally, the ringtone stopped when she left it unattended. But soon, it rang again. Sophia wasn¡¯t expecting him to keep calling her without knowing to take a break. Is he worrying about me? The iing call stopped sharply just as she was pondering and not answering it. This time, Arthur sent her a message instead. ¡®Why are you not answering the phone? What happened to you?¡¯ Before this, she had never been cruel to anyone she had met. Even a new friend wouldn¡¯t receive such cold treatment from her. However, she had promised Martha earlier to keep her distance from Arthur. I¡¯m sorry, Arthur. She was aware that Arthur and she never belonged together. For instance, even though she only stayed in the atelier for a few days, she could still recognize from the pictures she had gone through that the jewelry pieces Martha wore were worth more than 10 million per piece. Sophia could never wish for attention from a noble man like him. Not to mention, they were in the early stage as Arthur was only having affection for her so far. The kisses were merely affected by the dopamine and didn¡¯t matter his feelings for her. She couldn¡¯t reciprocate his feelings if he was looking for a short-term rtionship. Finally, Arthur stopped sending her any messages. It seems like he isn¡¯t that interested in me, Sophia thought. Anastasia woke up early in the morning at 8:00 AM in Elliot¡¯s vi. However, Elliot was nowhere to be found beside her. Thinking that he had been grieving recently, she got out of bed without a second thought to look for him and eventually found him in the kitchen. He was wearing a gray shirt today with an apron tied around his waist to make breakfast for his family. Anastasia was moved by the sight. Even though she was still in her pajamas, she walked toward Elliot, who was stirring the porridge in the pot, and embraced him from behind. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Even though there was silence hanging between them, he could feel her unspoken love. He intertwined his fingers with hers as he said, ¡°Go wake Jared up; it¡¯s breakfast time soon.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go wake him up,¡± Anastasia answered, but she was reluctant to move from her spot. She wanted to enjoy the warmth of his back a little longer. Elliot turned around and pressed a kiss on her hair. Just when he moved down for her lips, she avoided him. ¡°I haven¡¯t brushed my teeth.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± At that, he tried to close their distance. Anastasia ran out of the kitchen with a giggle and headed upstairs. After she had woken up Jared, she cleaned up herself and returned downstairs. As she showed up once again in the kitchen, she wrapped her arms around Elliot and tiptoed to give him a kiss precisely on the lips. He put an arm around her waist as he reciprocated her kiss. At that moment, the determination to protect his family was built within him. Even though he was still grieving for Harriet deep down, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to show his love for the people around him. After a hearty breakfast, the three went to a horse ranch nearby. Jared had a pony that belonged to him there. He was practicing alone on the ranch while his parents were watching him from the cafe. They had a great time bonding with each other. Meanwhile, in the Presgrave Hospital, a chief physician had fallen into distress as if his life was at stake after he received a call. Climbing to the rooftop, he took out a cigarette and smoked it. At that moment, his phone rang and he answered, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Have you decided?¡± ¡°The old madam has just passed away. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a wise decision to do it now.¡± ¡°I want to see the result before 3:00 PM. Or else, you¡¯ll lose your freedom and stay in jail for years.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t! Fine, I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°Good. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± The man on the other side ended the call once he finished his words. The chief physician lit another cigarette with shaking hands as he finished the previous one. Then, he took a deep inhale and wiped away the sweat glued to his forehead. Someone had threatened him with a video featuring him and a married woman. The content of the video was enough of an evidence for adultery to imprison him. At that moment, two nurses walked onto the rooftop. They greeted him when they saw him. ¡°Mr. Campbell, are you okay?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Once again, he wiped the sweat away and put the cigarette out before he left the rooftop. On the other hand, Sophia took a day off from Bourgeois this morning. She got into her childhood friend¡¯s car at around 10:00 AM and headed to Arthur¡¯s vi. She nned to seize the opportunity to pack up her things in Arthur¡¯s guest room. Thus, she prayed for him to be at home right now. Then, she sent him a message on the road to confirm his whereabouts. ¡®Mr. Weiss, are you home?¡¯ Arthur soon replied, ¡®I am.¡¯ Seeing she was close to the destination, Sophia didn¡¯t bother to reply to him as she turned to the side and reminded, ¡°James, you¡¯ll do as I sayter, all right?¡± ¡°No problem! Leave it to me!¡± James Lennon smiled confidently. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely break his heart for your sake.¡± At that, he brushed his hair to make the best look. He was all groomed up today for a handsome look. She only nodded. However, as he drove the car toward the residential area, he began to panic. ¡°Is that guy wealthy?¡± ¡°He¡¯s very wealthy.¡± ¡°Is he as handsome as me?¡± Sophia turned to him and consoled, ¡°He¡¯s not as good-looking as you.¡± ¡°All right.¡± James chuckled at her while feeling that his confidence was boosted. ¡°Or else, I¡¯d have nothing topete against a wealthy and more handsome guy.¡± At that moment, she received a message from Arthur. ¡®Why didn¡¯t you answer my calls or reply to my messagesst night?¡¯ She typed a reply and sent it. ¡®I muted my phone and fell asleep. I¡¯m sorry.¡¯ ¡®Are youing over to my house?¡¯ ¡®Yes, I¡¯ming over to pack my things. I¡¯ll be there soon,¡¯ she replied. At the same time, Arthur took a break from his work in the study room and checked on his messages. As he read Sophia¡¯s reply, he knitted his brows and wondered, Is she not living here anymore? Thinking that Sophia would arrive soon, he walked out of the study room and headed downstairs. Five minutester, the doorbell rang, so Arthur pressed a button to allow the visitor ess. He saw that Sophia pushed the door to enter with a young man behind her. The moment Jamesnded his eyes on the man standing in the garden, he became dejected as his confidence had quickly dissipated. How dare Sophia lie to me! Everyone can see the guy over there is the best among all! Not only is he handsome, but he even has a strong aura, good taste in picking outfits, a stunning look, a toned body, and an elegant temperament. That man haspletely surpassed me in every aspect! Sophia cleared her throat as she held his hand and led him toward Arthur nervously. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Weiss. I¡¯m here to pack my things.¡± She avoided looking into Arthur¡¯s eyes as she introduced James, ¡°This is my boyfriend, James. He¡¯s here to help me with the packing.¡± Arthur squinted his eyes and asked coldly, ¡°Your boyfriend?¡± ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m James. Sophia and I are childhood sweethearts.¡± James reached out for a handshake. However, Arthur only gave him a perfunctory nce before turning to Sophia immediately. ¡°You never told me you¡¯re seeing someone.¡± Sophiaughed at the remark. ¡°You never asked.¡± ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m going to pack my things.¡± At that, she held James¡¯ arm intimately as she said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, dear. I need your help.¡± James reciprocated her act as both of them walked into the vi and made their way upstairs. Arthur was the only one at home now as Emily apanied Martha on a trip, so Sophia seized the convenient timing to pack her things. She was aware that their absence set her infort. In the guest room, Sophia took out the suitcase and began packing her clothes. Beside her, James whispered, ¡°Sophia, are you sure you aren¡¯t going to date a handsome man like him?¡± Sophia shushed him to stop talking. Bored, James pulled open a drawer in her closet randomly and was stunned when he found her lingerie. ¡°Sophia,e pack these by yourself.¡± She was embarrassed by the situation. At this moment, she heard steady footsteps outside the room¡ª it belonged to none other than Arthur. At that moment, an idea shed across her mind and she raised her voice. ¡°James, help me to store the lingerie in the suitcase.¡± James stared at her in disbelief as he pointed at himself to confirm her thought. Seeing Sophia nod without hesitation and gesturing at the door, he understood her intention immediately. When he bowed to put her lingeries into the suitcase, he stumbled on a corner of it, resulting in him pushing Sophia onto the bed involuntarily. Sophia shrieked at the sudden event. Seeing that they were in close proximity, she shot him a re at his clumsiness. When she was about to push James away, she noticed someone pushing the door open. She wrapped her arms around James¡¯ neck even though he didn¡¯t n to maintain the position any longer. However, he was forced to lean forward and ended up pressing a kiss onto her forehead anyway. At that exact moment, Arthur pushed the door open and found the two of them about to kiss on the bed. He narrowed his eyes at the sight and asked in an unamused voice, ¡°What are you doing?¡± If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ¡°I¡¯m kissing my girlfriend.¡± James quickly slid into his role. ¡°This is not a crime, is it?¡± Sophia feigned shyness as she said, ¡°We¡¯re not kissing here! Wait until we¡¯re home!¡± He grinned. ¡°All right, all right. I¡¯ll listen to you for now. I¡¯ve prepared a candlelight dinner for tonight, so we can enjoy a romantic nightter.¡± She could only blush coquettishly at his words. Even though she wouldn¡¯t even dare look at Arthur¡¯s face, she could feel his eyes glued on her. Arthur saw everything when James went straight for Sophia¡¯s lingerie in the closet and kept them in the suitcase. Atst, Sophia zipped her suitcase and lifted it from the ground. She passed her luggage to James, who naturally took it from her. Then, she walked toward Arthur, who was waiting at the door and mustered the courage to look into his eyes which seemed to have a deep meaning beneath. ¡°Mr. Weiss, I¡¯ve decided to live with my boyfriend. Thank you for your hospitality.¡± Arthur grabbed her wrist without giving her the opportunity to resist. ¡°Come with me for a sec.¡± ¡°Hey! Mr. Weiss! Let go of me!¡± However, he didn¡¯t spare her any time to struggle out of his grip as he led her toward his study room. ¡°You! Let go of my girlfriend!¡± James shouted from behind, but Sophia was already being pulled into the study room by Arthur and the door shut with a loud thud. Sophia could only feel Arthur being oppressive before he pinned her against the door. His fresh scent enveloped her as he leaned forward to question her with a cold tone. ¡°You dare to flirt with me when you¡¯re already dating someone?¡± Raising her head, she saw his stony face and ice-cold eyes. She insisted, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, b-but I never flirted with you.¡± ¡°Never? You didn¡¯t stop me when I kissed you in the hotel that day. Can¡¯t you remember?¡± If that was the case, Arthur would help Sophia to recall that day¡¯s events. Her cheeks flushed as she nudged him. ¡°Don¡¯t do this. My boyfriend¡¯s not far away.¡± Arthur pressed her harder on the door. ¡°Does he know we kissed? Does he know you melted in my embrace like a good girl that day?¡± Sophia was short of breath at their proximity. Her face was turning crimson. What does he want? ¡°I¡¯ll be frank to him. We only kissed, after all. He¡¯ll forgive me.¡± She turned her head away from him. ¡°When did you find yourself a boyfriend?¡± Arthur was confused as he had initiated an investigation on her. The man who showed up today was not in the findings. ¡°He returned to the countryst week. He¡¯s really my boyfriend,¡± Sophia exined promptly to make him believe her. ¡°You¡¯ve been sleeping with each other?¡± His eyes turned cold when he asked as if he was ripping off his disguise and revealing his cruel inner self. His expression was a heart-wrenching view for her. However, she had no choice but to lie to him. Shutting her eyes, and in the most solemn tone she could manage, she said, ¡°We had done everything we should as a couple two years ago.¡± Her statement was even solid with a precise time. Nobody would ever have any more doubt about their rtionship. Arthur was dumbfounded by her calm statement. Sophia could sense his disdain as he took a step back, indicating that she seeded in her n. Martha once told her that he would never be close to someone who gained his hatred ever again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she apologized quickly before she walked out of the study room. Downstairs in the living room, James was admiring the art pieces here. Seeing Sophiaing down, he asked in concern, ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s go.¡± All Sophia wanted to do was run away from here because Arthur¡¯s look was causing her heart to ache. Just then, James saw Arthur walking down the stairs. He immediately returned to his role as he held Sophia close and warned the other man, ¡°Please stay away from my girlfriend from now on. I want you to keep your distance from her.¡± Sophia¡¯s eyes widened at him as she only hoped to leave right now. However, Arthur sneered. ¡°Say, did she ever tell you that she and I shared a room before? And did she tell you that we kissed when she was wearing only a bathrobe?¡± James turned to look at Sophia in disbelief. He could not believe that she and Arthur had done such a thing. Left with no choice, she yed along. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, James. Please forgive me.¡± He quickly took hold of her hand. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I know that I¡¯ve made you feel left out when I was abroad, but I promise that I¡¯ll stay by your side from now on. I forgive you.¡± Arthur¡¯s brows furrowed tightly after he failed to infuriate the man. ¡°Mr. Weiss, stop it. You can¡¯t separate us. We love each other and we¡¯re going to get engaged next month,¡± she added solemnly. Since they had taken things this far, she dly used the opportunity to get under Arthur¡¯s skin. ¡°Are you serious? No man would ever be unwavered like you when his woman has been intimate with someone else.¡± Arthur rebuked James. ¡°I¡­ If you every a finger on my girlfriend again, I won¡¯t let you off the hook that easily,¡± warned James angrily. ¡°Try me,¡± Arthur retorted while walking toward Sophia with a sinister smile; his evil intentions, engulfed by his handsome face, had not seemed to be noticed by her. ¡°I¡ªI will¡­¡± James could discern the chest muscles underneath Arthur¡¯s shirt; he seemed strong and it was obvious that James stood no chance against him. At that moment, the man wrapped his muscr arm around Sophia¡¯s waist and propped her chin before crushing his lips onto hers aggressively; it was a tant showcase of affection and dominance in front of James. Her beady eyes widened as she felt his lips on hers, but she could not shake off his arm from her waist. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± she whimpered as she thought she was going mad for she had not expected Arthur to cross the line with such an innocent facade! A wide-eyed James witnessed the scene in utter shock. He did not foresee the man to kiss her forcefully right before his eyes. ¡°Let go of her!¡± He huffed in rage. As her close friend, he could not bear the sight of her getting vited. Even so, Arthur kissed her as though it was a punishment for her. Sophia¡¯s mind went nk and her body tensed up while she attempted to shove him away. When he finally released her, he provoked James. ¡°Wanna fight with me?¡± Meanwhile, her breathing became heavier as she covered her rosy lips. Despite her flushing face, she tried to gather herself before tugging at James. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± A cold voice resounded menacingly behind them. ¡°Sophia Goodwin, you better break up with him in an hour.¡± Yet, she neither turned her head nor responded to his threat as she believed that he had gone overboard this time. After getting into the car, James gazed at her in concern. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Sophia covered her face and spoke in a quivering voice, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°That guy is handsome, but he¡¯s a pervert! How dare he force himself on you like that!¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t bring it up anymore¡­ and keep it a secret, will you?¡± begged Sophia. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t, but it looks like he really likes you,¡± James imed while starting up the car. The sudden kiss she shared with Arthur kept guing her mind while the repeated imagery of his eyshes and gaze reminded her that it was her punishment. The more she thought about it, the redder her cheeks became. Lori made a dash to the hotel nearby the airport to take a rest since she had a flight to catch at 10.00PM. Now that she had stolen Elliot¡¯s sperm, she had to be extra careful in order not to give the game away. Anastasia was dealing with her work in the vi. After signing the document, a strong sense of uneasiness crept into her heart. If Elliot¡¯s possession in the hospital remained unfound, there would be nightmares awaiting her. It was no joking matter either seeing that she had a perturbing dream previously that felt almost too realistic. If her son was to have another two half-siblings out of the blue, it was undeniable that the impact inflicted on him would be big as they were two additional lives to deal with. Just who on earth will do such a thing? It¡¯s not a coincidence for sure. Someone must be scheming it for a long time. Elliot was waiting for the results from the initial investigation at the police station. It was 3.00PM when he entered the meeting room in which Roy Barlowe, the leader of the investigation team, poured him a cup of coffee before starting toy out the analysis of the suspects. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, this is a really important case for us. It has be more serious in light of your status and wealth.¡± Elliot stared at the list of suspects disyed on the screen, which had included their socialwork as well. ¡°We believe that it¡¯s not something done out of impulsivity. The thief is very well-informed of your family and Presgrave Hospital. We¡¯ve evene to a conclusion where pregnancy is the suspect¡¯s objectives. The suspect wants to bear your child to be one of the future heirs.¡± Roy gave a detailed breakdown. ¡°These six people are the suspects for now. They belong to the upper echelons in the hospital who have considerable authority to set the n into motion with ease. Is there anyone that appears suspicious to you, Mr. Presgrave?¡± Elliot shook his head lightly. ¡°I rarely take part in the management of the hospital, so I don¡¯t know much about them.¡± His job was only to check the hospital¡¯s ie from the annual reports. As of the management, the current director was in charge of it. ¡°Based on the information we have, theirwork is kindaplicated and there¡¯s nothing off about their bank statement. Since their annual ie is high, they don¡¯t have any problem with money. Of course, we¡¯re still digging into other aspects.¡± Elliot looked at the screen as Roy swiped the pictures one by one. Suddenly, something caught his attention. ¡°Please zoom in into the third picture.¡± Almost immediately, Roy did as he was told. From the corner of the screen, one could see a suspicious figure walking across the corridor. The person took a few peeks of the surroundings before leaving. ¡°He¡¯s Shawn Elrod, the director. Hiswork is quiterge. Do you know him, Mr. Presgrave?¡± ¡°He¡¯s the assistant director¡¯s cousin. I¡¯ve seen him a few times during meetings. Please show me every footage and picture you have of him,¡± requested Elliot as he thought of something. The other officers took actions and sifted through the pictures and footage to pick out everything that had caught Shawn in it. Roy took a sip of coffee while looking at the screen before he turned to Elliot in surprise at the very second. He wondered if Elliot had served in the military before. Otherwise, how could he sense that something was off about Shawn at first nce when there were so many other suspects? At that moment, Shawn¡¯s actions became questionable in the footage. While he was calling for help to put out the fire, he was evacuating at the same time. He was not genuinely concerned about the fire. In fact, it was all just a show. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, you have a great sense of observation. This guy is behaving strangely,¡± said one of the officers. Elliot had spent his days in the army since he was nine till he was sixteen, which exined his keen observation. After seven years of dominating the business world, he also developed the ability to identify a person¡¯s true nature. ¡°Roy, we¡¯ve reviewed his contact history, and he made a call to someone named ¡®Liam Presgrave¡¯ while he was in the car.¡± The sparkle in Elliot¡¯s eyes turned as cold as a de. Liam? Is Shawn working for him? ¡°Look into Liam Presgrave,¡± Roy ordered his men as he turned toward Elliot. ¡°Do you know who this man is, Mr. Presgrave?¡± Elliot clenched his hands into a fist on the table as heprehended what had happened. He nodded. ¡°I know him. He¡¯s one of the elder members of the Presgrave Family. Two months ago, he offered me an international coboration, but I declined.¡± ¡°We must arrest Shawn Elrod as soon as possible,¡± Roy ordered his men. Elliot said, ¡°Roy, I¡¯ll give you a list of names. I would appreciate it if you restricted them from leaving the country.¡± Roy nodded as he said, ¡°Got it. Please send it to me as soon as possible.¡± Elliot called Rey over to make a list of names immediately. Each and every single name on the list was connected to the Presgraves. As soon as he left the police station, he got into his car, took out his phone, and called Anastasia. ¡°Hey, How¡¯s everything going? Any clues?¡± she asked anxiously. ¡°The investigation has yielded some new information. Liam likely has something to do with it.¡± ¡°Liam? Lori¡¯s father?¡± She was astonished. ¡°Do not worry about it. We¡¯ll get to the bottom of it.¡± Elliot tried to soothe her. Since the incident, he found it distressing to see her suffering from constant nightmares. ¡°Is it Lori? If her father stole your sperm, does that mean he wants her to get pregnant with your baby?¡± Anastasia was so mad that she almost lost her mind. ¡°¡±Anastasia, calm down. I won¡¯t let that happen,¡± Elliot reassured her. ¡°Arrest her at all costs. We must not allow her to get away from this.¡± Anastasia clenched her teeth. She hadpletely underrated Lori. ¡°I will be home in one hour. Wait for me.¡± He wanted to go home but had to stay and cooperate with the police in their investigation. Finally, a sigh of relief lifted her spirits. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡± The officers, amid an investigation in the hospital, received a call and headed to Shawn¡¯s office. Shawn happened to be on his way to the bathroom, so he was not in the office. However, he was able to overhear the conversation that was taking ce between his assistant and the officer as soon as he turned the corner at the end of the corridor. ¡°Mr. Elrod is not at his office.¡± ¡°When will hee back?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°Please notify us as soon as he returns,¡± the officers said sternly. Shawn panicked and scurried out to the restroom to avoid further attention. Never in his wildest imagination did he think the police would approach him. Do they suspect me? With shaking hands, he reached for his phone to call Liam. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°I¡¯m done for, Liam. It looks like the police are suspecting me! How¡¯s the situation over there? Is it sessful?¡± ¡°When was that?¡± ¡°Just now, the police officers came to my office. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not going to say anything.¡± Shawn hung up the phone, deciding that he should leave the hospital. Apparently, he had nned on taking the 10.00PM flight, but now he knew he had to reschedule it or miss his chance to escape for good. He called his daughter and insisted that she make the necessary arrangements. When Lori got the call, she was anxious because she had not anticipated that they would find out about it so soon. Right now, all she wanted to do was escape the country as quickly as possible. Her assistant purchased the earliest flight ticket and apanied her onboard. When the police called the airport¡¯s management department, Lori had already left the country. The information was immediately transmitted to the police. Roy informed Elliot, ¡°We¡¯re one step toote, Mr. Presgrave. We will contact Interpol immediately and request their aid, but we cannot promise that we will be able to stop her.¡± ¡°Please give me her flight information,¡± Elliot requested. ¡°Mr. Presgrave.¡± Roy was hesitating. ¡°You can proceed with the customary procedure,¡± responded Elliot. Lori needed to be deported back to the country so that she could face punishment. Even if the authorities were powerless to stop her, he had to take action. How else could he calm down his wife? He would never jeopardize her or put her in danger in any manner. Meanwhile, Anastasia, who was in the vi, was surprised by Lori¡¯s actions. Still, it was within her expectation, considering how ambitious Liam was to get himself involved in the board of directors of Presgrave Group. It was his endeavor to pave the way to wealth for future generations. Thus, he had been scheming it after Old Madam Presgraves death. Needless to say, it was the easiest way to be rich, albeit malicious and spiteful. Anastasia finally knew why Harriet kept reminding her to see through the ones who held the authority in the Presgrave Family. It seemed like the old madam herself had thwarted their evil multiple times. These rats had been coveting the wealth raked in by the Presgrave Group, hence the burden and responsibilities weighing on Anastasia¡¯s shoulders. She had to keep a tight rein on them, or the younger generations of the family would suffer too. Time flew by, and there was Elliot¡¯s car returning to the vi. To get to the bottom of the case, he did not get a night of good sleep these two days because Anastasia could not sleep well. Despite his red-rimmed eyes, which became more visible under the illuminating lights, she could see the determination in those eyes. Seeing him in such a state pained her heart, and she instantly threw herself into his arms. ¡°Sweetheart, I¡¯m going to leave the countryter. I¡¯ll be back, so stay with our son and wait for me.¡± Elliot¡¯s n was to ruin Lori¡¯s scheme with his own hands to dispose of any possible threat. Anastasia sighed in his embrace as she knew what he was going to do. ¡°I never expected them to stoop to this level. How can they do this to us?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let them seed,¡± he said sternly. At that moment, his phone rang, and she let him go so he could take the call. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Mr. Presgrave, we have tracked down the bottle that Liam took. The doctor who operated on Lori has also been detained, and we will begin interrogation as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Okay, thanks. Roy, I¡¯ll be counting on you.¡± ¡°Leave it to us. We¡¯ll look into everything and uncover the truth.¡± Elliot put down the phone and pulled Anastasia over to sit on the sofa. He said, ¡°The police have already found it. Now, I¡¯m going to find Lori and watch her with my own eyes until the surgery is over.¡± Chapter 731-740 Chapter 731-740 ¡°Be careful.¡± Anastasia nestled in Elliot¡¯s arms as her heart ached for him. Not only was he suffering from the pain of losing his loved one after Harriet¡¯s funeral, he was also stabbed in the back by his rtives. ¡°I will,¡± he assured her, and he vowed he would never again cause worry for his family. On the other hand, Liam, who was in his office, was confident that Elliot would be looking for his daughter to force her into undergoing the operation. Since he hade this far, he would see his n through to the end and not let it fail as it was their only chance for survival. The child¡¯s arrival would make Elliot¡¯s life miserable because the child would one day be eligible for an inheritance from him. Otherwise, there will be an inheritance dispute between his children in the future. Given Elliot¡¯s level of great intelligence, it was almost inevitable that his future generations would also be bright. As a result, there was no good reason for Liam to pass up the golden opportunity to change his family¡¯s future. In fact, he had used up every penny he had to make sure his daughter could escape from Elliot¡¯s grasp. Thanks to the fortune amassed in recent years, he had umted many resources and gathered several subordinates. Following Lori¡¯s departure, Liam enlisted the help of eight of his dependable subordinates to protect her. Furthermore, he found out that Elliot was heading to Hond, which was why Lori was able to leave the country first. Simply put, it was a race against time. Following everything that had transpired, Liam was pleased to see the police arrivng. He remained composed even while the handcuffs were being pped on his wrists. On the other hand, his wife was so anxious that she passed out and his son was in a state of shock. In the evening, a private ne took off from the airport, and the flight to Hond would take almost eight hours. Meanwhile, Anastasia was preparing dinner for her son at home. He was so used to her cooking that she never bothered to seek the assistance of the maids when preparing dinner. She lost focus while slicing carrots and identally cut her finger. Looking at her bleeding finger, she hissed in pain as panic surged in her. It was not due to the wound, but the cut that gave her a bad feeling about the whole situation. She cleaned the wound with water to stop the bleeding, which eventually stopped since it was not a deep cut. Still, she earnestly prayed for Elliot¡¯s safe return. Tonight, guests are not allowed in the bar, and only one person drinks here. As the bar¡¯s owner, Arthur can act in any way he pleases. He was passing the time by drinking alcohol as the words of his grandma kept ying through his thoughts. That they would return home the following morning. Arthur dialed a number after downing two sses. He waited patiently even though the receiver did not answer the phone immediately. Finally, as the call was about to end, a woman¡¯s voice could be heard on the other line. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Why are you taking so long to pick up the phone? Is it because of me? Do you not want to talk with me?¡± he moaned. ¡°No. I was in the shower. What¡¯s the matter?¡± Sophia enquired. ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving tomorrow. Could you juste over? I¡¯d like to see you.¡± ¡°Huh? You¡¯re leaving?¡± ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s the earliest flight in the morning.¡± ¡°Then, I think it¡¯s best we don¡¯t meet up. I hope you¡¯ll have a safe flight.¡± Arthur was disappointed because she had no intention of asking him to stay. She even wished him a safe flight! ¡°Sophia, if I go back, then you might not get to see me again in this lifetime. Would you not have any regrets at all?¡± Arthur spoke in a low, raspy voice. Then, Sophia, sitting on the bed, inhaled deeply upon hearing the man¡¯s voice on the phone. ¡°I have no regrets. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll soon forget about me once you return. In fact, we are from very different social backgrounds. Goodbye.¡± Sophia abruptly hung up the phone when she finished speaking. She wrapped her arms around her knees and sat in bed, lost in her thoughts. Martha¡¯s words were loud and clear in her mind, and it felt like a curse, ¡°Leave my grandson. You shouldn¡¯t try to handle someone you can¡¯t control. You have your own life to live, and he has his own, so just leave him forever. Do whatever it takes to make him stop thinking about you, even if it means hurting him.¡± As soon as she ended the call on him in the bar, Arthur grabbed his car keys and got up. He got into his car and turned the ignition to drive in only one direction. At that moment, an SUV pulled up in front of the bar and began following closely behind him. Emily was inside the SUV and had nned to meet him at the bar, but she arrived just in time to watch him drive off, and she told her bodyguard to follow him. It¡¯ste, so where is he going? He does not appear to return to the vi based on this route. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Tomorrow, they were scheduled to return home, and Emily had been looking forward to finally leaving this ce and returning to where they belonged. Sophia would no longer exist in Arthur¡¯s heart, and Emily would have a better chance of capturing his heart. The mysterious-looking and dominant SUV moved like a wild horse, and the car trailing behind the SUV struggled to keep up with the speed of the vehicle ahead. Emily, seated in the backseat, grew increasingly curious about his destination. ¡°Speed up so that you can keep up with him. Do not lose sight of him.¡± The speed at which Arthur drove seemed to indicate that he was going to meet someone important, so she was determined to find out who it was. Half an hourter, he finally slowed down his car because he had driven into a residential area with vis. He finally stopped by the vi¡¯s gates, next to the sidewalk. A ck SUV that had been following behind finally caught up to him. Emily was rather daring, as evidenced by the fact that she instructed her bodyguard to park the car around five meters behind Arthur¡¯s vehicle. At that very time, Arthur proceeded to call Sophia¡¯s number again. She picked up the phone immediately this time, ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°I¡¯m here. Come downstairs to see me.¡± The sound of his slightly authoritative voice could be heard. The third-floor French window had its curtains drawn back in an instant. Under the lights, a silhouette of a slender figure stood in front of the window. When Sophia caught a glimpse of the familiar SUV parked below, she was taken aback. Did he actuallye over? ¡°Just go. I don¡¯t want to see you.¡± Sophia did her best to hold back her emotions and had no desire to see him. ¡°If you don¡¯te down, I¡¯lle to you.¡± Arthur was not someone who could be easily gotten rid of. ¡°No, don¡¯te inside my house! My parents are going to kick you out for sure.¡± ¡°Are you sure about that? I¡¯d like to be kicked out at least once.¡± Arthur hung up the phone immediately after saying that. He knew she was watching him from upstairs, so he opened the door to the car and got out. Upstairs, Sophia began to panic. What a stubborn man he is! Then, her figure quickly disappeared from the French window on the third floor. Sophia raced down the stairs and as soon as she rushed into the living room, she startled Emma, who was watching TV. ¡°Where are you off to?¡± ¡°Mom, I need to grab my parcel from the hub. It¡¯s an urgent parcel,¡± Sophia lied. After she had said that, she pushed open the door and left. She ran out of the house hastily and arrived at the gates. As soon as she yanked the gates open, she saw the man standing under the street lights. He had a smug smile on his face as he looked at her. He behaved as if he had already expected her to be rushing out of the door toe and see him. ¡°You¡­¡± Sophia red at him in anger. ¡°Apany me for a walk.¡± Arthur reached out to tug her hand. She refused to move but she was forcefully pulled to the side of his car door by his strength and she panicked at that point. Then, she struggled to get away. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go. You should leave.¡± However, he refused to release her hand and the two of them just stood there holding hands while she made several attempts to get away from him. ¡°Arthur, let go of my hand.¡± ¡°Sophia, just be honest with me. Do you really have no feelings for me?¡± Arthur interrogated her. Although he had done a lot of nasty things, he had treated her quite well. Sophia took the chance to extricate her hand as she turned in the other direction. ¡°I don¡¯t. I don¡¯t fancy men like you at all.¡± ¡°Then, what kind of men do you prefer?¡± Arthur cast aside his usual high and mighty attitude as he persistently asked her. ¡°I don¡¯t need to tell you that.¡± She reckoned that he seemed slightly different tonight and there was a whiff of alcohol in the air and she frowned. ¡°Did you drink?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Arthur admitted to her. However, subsequently, Sophia chided him angrily. ¡°How dare you drink and drive?! Arthur, don¡¯t you know that it¡¯s illegal to drink and drive?!¡± He was significantly speechless. ¡°If something bad happens, say if you hit a passerby or get into a traffic ident, then you would be doomed.¡± She suddenly lost her temper and she was angry that he did such an irresponsible thing. ¡°I didn¡¯t drink much. I just had a ss,¡± Arthur exined. ¡°That is uneptable too. From now on, you must not drive if you¡¯ve taken even just a sip of alcohol, alright?¡± At that moment, Sophia behaved like a strict wife lecturing her husband. He seemed to be in good spirits suddenly as he revealed a smile and agreed in no time. ¡°Sure, I promise not to drink and drive from now on and I won¡¯t drive if I n to drink.¡± Their interaction was clearly audible to the girl sitting five meters away with her car window wound down and it was brought to her ears by the night breeze because of the quietness of the surroundings. Emily couldn¡¯t believe her ears at all as she heard their conversation. Seriously?! Did these words come out of the mouth of the high and mighty Young Master Weiss?! ¡°I want to head back inside. You should leave.¡± After Sophia said that, she turned around and was about to walk off. However, Arthur clutched her wrist. ¡°Keep mepany for another moment.¡± Sophia didn¡¯t mind keeping himpany so they stood by the entrance and basked under the warm light of the streetmp above their head. At that moment, they looked at each other quietly. Suddenly, there was a caring in their direction from afar and she acutely realized that it was her father¡¯s car. She panicked and pulled Arthur away. ¡°It¡¯s my dad¡¯s car. Find somewhere to hide.¡± Arthur noticed her frantic look and he quickly pulled her aside to hide on the other side of the SUV. Over this side, they had their backs against the road so they were masked beneath therge SUV and it was quite a safe spot. However, as she came back to her senses, she realized that she had her back pressed against the car door with him in front of her. Instantly, her face flushed red. Seeing Drake¡¯s car enter the garage, Arthur looked down only to see a pair of pure, bright eyes staring back at him. Often, a pure and innocent girl would be the hardest to resist. Sophia¡¯s beauty, which made her look shy at this moment, could literally take a man¡¯s breath away. Arthur felt his stone cold heart actually pounding for her. For some reason, there was an inexplicable charm to this woman as she couldmand his attention without even doing a single thing. Even though the vibe was somewhat awkward, there was also a hint of romance in the air. Smiling, he admired the woman in his embrace, seemingly happy just to tease her like this. ¡°Let go of me,¡± Sophia said softly. ¡°Nope. Unless you kiss me.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not going to.¡± She turned her face to another direction, not intending to let him have his way. With a piercing gaze, Arthur¡¯s eyes were locked on her face while smiling simultaneously. He looked very stern yet very alluring at the same time. This made Sophia feel helpless. When did he be so whiny? Doesn¡¯t he always like to act all cold and distant? Looking at her for a while, Arthur suddenly had a glint in his eyes before he held her face and kissed her on the lips. She could not react in time as she felt a slight cooling sensation on her lips while her thoughts were all jumbled up. Yet, she did not push him away because she felt a strong sense of endorphins rushing through her whole body. On the other hand, Emily, who was sitting in the rear passenger seat of the car beside them, saw the scene and was livid, for she had never seen Arthur act so intimately with any woman before. She only thought that he did not approach women because he was not interested. Yet, it turned out that he had such a childish and gentle side of him when dealing with a woman he liked. While having a gentle expression, he even kissed the woman in front of him so passionately. Is he still the same Arthur I know? Is he still the extraordinary Young Master Weiss? Why is he acting like this toward some unknown girl? At that moment, Emily wanted to get out of the car. However, she knew that it would be useless as she would only draw more of Arthur¡¯s ire toward herself anyway. Yet, the scene that was ying out in front of her made her feel like she was in hell. Closing her eyes, she uttered, ¡°Let¡¯s leave.¡± The bodyguard started the car immediately, which shocked Sophia, who pushed Arthur away while blushing hard. Oh my god! There¡¯s someone in the car beside us? This is so embarrassing. Arthur shot a cold nce at the bodyguard. Is this person tired of living? Then, the bodyguard quickly drove off, fearful that Arthur might find out who he was. It was at that time that Sophia¡¯s phone rang. Picking it up, she saw that it was her mother calling. ¡°I should really go back now.¡± Sophia was afraid that her parents might be worried since she said that she only came out to receive a package. Arthur gazed at her with a hesitant look, but his eyes turned into a determinant one soon. ¡°What time is your flight tomorrow?¡± Sophia was curious. ¡°Ten in the morning.¡± Looking down all of a sudden, Sophia tried to hide her reluctant expression. ¡°I¡­ wish you a safe flight then.¡± ¡°Actually, you only need to say ¡®don¡¯t go¡¯, and I can consider not going back for now.¡± Arthur focused his gaze on her. Sophia looked up in shock. Really? Will he stay if I want him to? Yet, despite the strong urge of expressing this thought to him, she could not say it out loud as Martha¡¯s words were like a curse haunting her. ¡°I-I have something to do tomorrow, so I might not be able to send you off. Otherwise, I would try to be there. I¡¯m serious,¡± said Sophia with a pout. Arthur sighed. It seemed like he was being delusional. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t have toe since you don¡¯t want to see me anyway. I¡¯ll go back to my country and inherit the family business. After that, I¡¯ll find someone suitable to marry and form a family with her. Now that I think about it, it actually seems quite nice.¡± He acted like he had already nned out his future. Yet, Sophia suddenly felt a bit ufortable as she pushed him. ¡°Right, you¡¯re not young anymore. It¡¯s time for you to build a career and a family.¡± Then, she turned around and quickly walked to the direction of her home before wiping her face. This action made the man chase after her. Then, he gripped her wrist, pulled her in and embraced her just as she was about to reach the entrance. This made Sophia fall onto his body. Looking up, she had a face full of tears, making her seem especially pitiful. Right then, Arthur was feeling a bit perplexed by his own words. Why would I say that to anger her? Somewhat upset, Sophia pushed him. ¡°Just leave if you want to. Why are you still holding onto me?¡± Without saying a single word, Arthur hugged her. Sophia, who was full of tears by this point, buried her face in his chest out of embarrassment and sadness. ¡°Why are you crying? Are you that reluctant to see me leave?¡± Arthur teased her. It was then Sophia heard the side door being opened and she remembered that her father had the habit of going out on walks. In the heat of the moment, she pulled the man to a corner of the vi. ¡°Quicklye here. My dad¡¯sing out now.¡± Although Arthur did not know why they had to hide like this, he still followed her instructions and went to the corner. The moment he hid himself, he hugged her tightly. This made Sophia blush again. Daddy just came out and here I am, hugging with some man. We¡¯ll be dead if he catches us! Yet, Drake went on his usual route as she only looked up after her father had disappeared from their view. ¡°Alright. You should go now. If I don¡¯t go back home now, my mom¡¯s definitely going to get all anxious,¡± Sophia stated sternly. Hearing this, Arthur let go of her and asked, ¡°Are you really not going to persuade me to stay back?¡± Sophia was feeling bitter at his question. It was not that she did not want him to stay back; it was that she did not have the right to do so. Yet, she could only keep this to herself. ¡°Goodbye. I won¡¯t be seeing you off.¡± Sophia then turned around and entered her home after entering the door pin number. Standing in the courtyard, she did not go to the main hall straight away. Instead, she went to a window and cried upon seeing the man drive off. Why does it hurt so bad? We didn¡¯t say that we like each other nor have we confessed before. On top of that, we¡¯re not even lovers, so what is this pain in my chest? On the ne. Lori, who was flying long distance just after a surgery, felt lethargic. She had found the perfect seat on the ne. Even though she believed that Elliot would look for her, she hoped that it would be in five years¡¯ time. By that time, she promised herself that she woulde back with two children who resembled him. No matter how he was going to punish her or hate her in the future, she had already decided to have his child. Lori knew that she would never fall for another man again in her life. So, it would be enough for her as long as she could have Elliot¡¯s child. Deep at night, Anastasia was sitting in the first floor living room without a hint of exhaustion as her mind was filled with rage. Lori¡¯s actions disgusted her. The moment Lori did that, she had disregarded all morality and did not even care about herself or her child. In the future, if I see her again, I will definitely not spare her. I will never forgive her for what she has done for good. Soon, dawn broke. Arthur¡¯s family had already packed their bags. Martha finally felt relieved for a little, believing that her grandchild would definitely stop thinking about Sophia after they went back to the main family. The distance from here and the life over there would make him forget about everything here. She hoped that he would take Emily as his wife because they would have more inmon since they were from the same society. On the same train of thought, Emily also wanted to leave here more than anyone else. She could not wait to return with Arthur since the sight of how romantic he was toward Sophia yesterday caused her to be green with envy and deep in panic. At 9:30PM, they arrived at the airport. At that moment, Sophia was sitting in the back of a cab while urging the driver. ¡°Sir, could you please drive faster? I¡¯m rushing to send my friend off.¡± ¡°I¡¯m already going as fast as I can!¡± the frustrated driver replied. Sophia knew that her sudden decision to head to the airport would leave one in a dilemma. Initially, she never thought of actually doing it. However, there was a strong wish of wanting to see Arthur that drove her to do this although there was a possibility of her not seeing him at all. Let¡¯s just consider it as me sending him off! Inside the premium lounge of the airport, Arthur kept checking the time on his wristwatch and spacing out thereafter; he looked like he was waiting for something, or rather someone, to arrive. Yet, his phone did not buzz at all. His face was scrunched up, making his handsome face look very solemn. This really proves that Sophia is a heartless girl. Meanwhile, a panicked girl rushed into the airport terminal, not knowing where she could locate him. Yet, she still ran around and tried to find Arthur amongst the crowd with an expectant yet anxious look on her face. Then, she identally bumped into a man as he bellowed, ¡°Hey, watch your step!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Sophia quickly apologized. She walked to the information desk, knowing that Arthur¡¯s flight must be a private one. Yet, the receptionist told her that these kinds of guests normally had their own private lounge. Hence, it was impossible for the public to just simply head inside and look for the guests. After hearing this, Sophia sighed and wiped the sweat away from her forehead. Looks like I might not be able to send him off. Right then, the Weisses started to board the flight. Arthur was walking toward the boarding terminal absentmindedly. Right in front of him, Martha was chatting happily with Emily while turning around to check on him several times. Gripping his phone tightly, he exhaled and dialed a number upon seeing his grandmother enter the ne. Sophia, who was spacing out while sitting on a bench, noticed that her phone rang. As she picked it up, her heart was beating wildly. It was Arthur. So, she quickly answered it. ¡°Hey, are you already on the ne?¡± All of a sudden, Arthur heard the boarding announcement from the other end of the line and asked quietly, ¡°Are you at the airport?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m here to send off a friend,¡± a slightly embarrassed Sophia said. ¡°Are you here to send me off?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± she admitted reluctantly. His lips curled into a smile as it revealed a row of gleaming white teeth. He pressed his tongue against his cheeks, clearly delighted. ¡°Don¡¯t leave just yet.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The call was disconnected before Sophia received a response from him. Meanwhile, Arthur entered the cabin immediately, went straight to the cockpit, and told the four captains, ¡°You must fly this ne back to Dansbury regardless of any other orders. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Young Master Weiss, aren¡¯t you going back?¡± one of the captains inquired. Arthur smiled as he looked out the window at the hot summer sun. ¡°I¡¯m not ready to return yet!¡± Emily, who was sitting on the sofa, noticed Arthur hadn¡¯t boarded the ne, so she rose and went outside to look for him. ¡°Has Young Master Weiss boarded the ne?¡± she inquired as the flight attendant closed the door. The flight attendant had no choice but to lie, ¡°He¡¯s in the cockpit!¡± Despite the fact that Arthur had clearly left through this door, his order could not be ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go look for him.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Jennings. The ne is about to take off and you are forbidden to enter the cockpit.¡± The flight attendant intervened to stop her. Emily was irritated, but she knew she couldn¡¯t enter the cockpit for her own safety. So, she went back to her seat and sat down. When Martha learned that her grandson was in the cockpit, she was not surprised and thus consoled Emily. The Weiss Family¡¯s private jet gave a quick shudder as it slowly taxied to the runway before taking off. Sophia couldn¡¯t figure out what Arthur¡¯sst sentence meant. Right then, her phone suddenly rang and it was a call from Arthur. ¡°Hey! Where are you?¡± she eximed after picking up the phone in a hurry. ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m at the baggage drop section in Zone E,¡± she exined her detailed location. ¡°I have good news and bad news, Sophia. Which one do you want to hear first?¡± She was confused. What is he doing? ¡°I¡¯d like to hear the bad one first.¡± Sophia randomly picked one. ¡°The bad news is that you will have to work harder in the future to earn more money.¡± ¡°Huh? What about the good news?¡± She had no idea what that bad news meant. Just as she was expecting Arthur, who was on the other end of the phone to continue with the good news, a tall and handsome figure approached her from the crowd five meters behind her. When Sophia noticed that Arthur was silent, she eximed, ¡°Hey! Hey! Speak up!¡± ¡°Turn around.¡± Sophia jerked her head back in astonishment. She almost dropped the phone that she was holding because standing three meters away with one of his hands in his pocket was the man who was supposed to leave staring at her. ¡°The good news is that I stayed because of you.¡± Arthur told her the truth. Hearing that, Sophia took a deep breath. Didn¡¯t he board the ne? ¡°How about your grandma and Miss Jennings?¡± Sophia questioned hastily. ¡°They boarded the ne.¡± ¡°Are they aware that you did not board the ne?¡± ¡°They would probably have already flown out of the country by the time they learn about it.¡± As he spoke, Arthur approached her, stretched out his long arms, and took Sophia into his embrace, oblivious to the crowd around them. Sophia ignored the stares from others and hugged Arthur¡¯s waist while inhaling the strong cedar scent on his skin. A bittersweet feeling washed over her at this moment. ¡°Your grandmother will definitely be mad at you if she finds out,¡± Sophia said as she raised her head to look at him. ¡°I believe she will not only be mad at me, but also freeze all of my credit cards and force me to return. So, Miss Goodwin, are you willing to take care of me?¡± Hearing this, she burst intoughter in his arms. ¡°Okay! Then, tell me what¡¯s in it for me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay with you forever,¡± Arthur stated solemnly. Sophia was not dumb to be swayed by his words. ¡°It¡¯s still me who¡¯s at a disadvantage,¡± she snorted. ¡°Trust me, I won¡¯t let you suffer in this regard,¡± he said in a hoarse and ambiguous voice. His words made her blush, so she pushed him and said shyly, ¡°You wish!¡± After exiting the airport, Sophia decided to take Arthur to a city-center apartment that her parents had purchased for her. He refused to return to hisrge vi because he no longer had bodyguards and servants. He had decided to follow Sophia around; he wanted to be entangled with her. Lori immediately left Hond Airport with her assistant manager upon her arrival. Another assistant went to retrieve her luggage. Due to the slowmunication with the police, the airport had yet to implement measures to arrest Lori. At this precise moment, Lori¡¯s assistant was dealing with another flight transfer. Lori then boarded another flight twenty minutester to the country where she could give birth safely. Four hourster, Elliot learned that she had left the airport as soon as his ne touched down. Following that, he discovered, with the assistance of local police, that she was departing on a chartered ne from a private airport. Her destination was a base town four hours away from where she was now. As a result, Elliot¡¯s ne immediately took off for Lori¡¯s final destination. Lori stepped off the ne after a four-hour flight while the hotel staff was waiting to take her to her room. She was still a little worried as she sat in the car because of her fear that Elliot would eventually find her. She dialed her house number from her cell phone, and it was answered by her mother. Her mother took over all her father¡¯s ns after he was arrested. Kendra was worried about both her daughter and her husband. When she went to visit her husband in the morning, Liam surprised her with a n. ¡°Lori, look after yourself and the child in your womb. You can dy your return to Hond for a few years since your father has made the arrangements!¡± ¡°Mom, as long as I¡¯m not caught, I¡¯ll definitely go along with Dad¡¯s n, but can you tell me what Dad told you?¡± ¡°These should not be a source of concern for you. No matter what happens outside, you must remain at home. You must not go out, do you understand?¡± ¡°What n did Dad devise?¡± Lori inquired, surprised. ¡°Anyway, don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Kendra said solemnly before she added, ¡°and don¡¯t worry about us either.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take good care of myself. Don¡¯t worry, Mom. You must look after Lewis. Give me a few more years, and I will definitely make our family powerful,¡± Lori confidently assured her mother. Lori went straight to the arranged vi for confinement after hanging up the phone. In the meantime, a massive private nended on the brightly lit tarmac before it came to a halt. Elliot led eight of his bodyguards out of the airport while the four SUVs that had gone through inspection were driven out by his staff. After he got into the car, he was about to check on Lori¡¯s whereabouts when he received a text message. It was an address. Following that, he received another iing message. ¡®This is Lori¡¯s location. Mr. Presgrave, I am on your side, so please believe me.¡¯ It was attached with a photo of Lori; the picture was dated with the local time and had the scenery of the vi. Elliot, of course, would not believe that this person was assisting him. This individual was most likely a man sent by Liam to confuse Elliot. As a result, Elliot decided to investigate the private airport where Lori had chartered her ne from. She took a taxi and left the private airport, so it was likely that the airport staff knew exactly where she was headed to. Elliot¡¯s convoy took off, but it was trailed by an unobtrusive off-road vehicle. The man in the vehicle was talking on the phone. ¡°The target escaped our trap and is now on his way to the private airport.¡± ¡°Follow him, and when we get there, we¡¯ll do it together.¡± The order was given by the person on the other end of the phone line. Nobody knew that Liam, who was far away in another country, had already nned a killing spree for Elliot. Liam realized that if Elliot died abroad, it would be more beneficial to his daughter after she gave birth. At the time, the grandson of the Presgrave Family would be better equipped to fight for his fair share of the property. As a result, Liam dispatched someone to assassinate Elliot rather than stop him. Liam had spent a lot of money on this conspiracy and it had to seed. At this moment, Elliot¡¯s convoy arrived at the security room of the private airport. He bribed a security guard to gain ess to Lori¡¯s departure surveince footage. The bribed security guard was happy to search for the video footage. Very soon, all of the information about the vehicle Lori was in was obtained. It was true that money made the world go round. Elliot then went to a taxipany nearby, in which he was provided with the information he sought. The taxi Lori took stopped in front of a private vi in the town. Elliot immediately set out for this location after learning of this information. He couldn¡¯t wait to bring Lori back to Hond to settle this matter because he was equally ufortable, if not disgusted. The bodyguard driving Elliot¡¯s vehicle was alert when he noticed an off-road vehicle following them on a wide road. ¡°Get rid of them,¡± Elliot instructed quietly as he had guessed Liam would not stand by and watch. Elliot had nothing to worry about here; all he had to do was get rid of the trouble. When the order was given, the bodyguard behind drifted the car and mmed it across the road, blocking the car that was following them. The man in the car was so terrified that he mmed on the brakes hard. He belonged to a neighborhood gang. When he noticed the buff and tall bodyguard approaching him, he reversed and drove away quickly. Elliot¡¯s bodyguard waited for the car in front of him to disappear before speeding up to catch up to the cars in front. The gangster who was in the dpidated off-road vehicle immediately called his own n. ¡°The target is approaching you. He¡¯s got eight bodyguards. You should get more guys.¡± ¡°Which vehicle is the target in?¡± ¡°Vehicle No. 2.¡± ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll meet them at the front! We¡¯ll get rid of all of them in an instant.¡± The man on the other end of the line sneered. In the car, Elliot dialed Anastasia¡¯s number and let her know about his situation. ¡°Hey! Where have you gone?¡± Anastasia asked, clearly concerned. ¡°I just arrived at the location where Lori has settled, and now I¡¯m going to take her back to Hond for surgery.¡± ¡°Then, you have to be careful. I doubt Liam will let you bring her back to Hond so easily.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve got this.¡± Elliot consoled her. ¡°Okay, good.¡± He was looking around at the scenery when a string of dazzling rays of light shed in the sky. ¡°Be careful!¡± he eximed. The leading car was hit directly by a missile, which caused the vehicle to bounce before it copsed a few meters away and was catapulted. Fortunately, the entire car body was bulletproof, so the car was not blown apart. Immediately afterward, there was another sharp air-breaking sound, which was aimed at Elliot¡¯s car this time. The bodyguard who was driving swervedterally to avoid the missile, causing it to explode on the ground. The road then copsed into arge crater. ¡°Rescue the car behind me. I¡¯ll take President Presgrave out of here.¡± The captain of the bodyguard issued an order in a deep voice, and the team dispersed immediately. Anastasia, who was on the phone, heard the explosion and her heart tightened. She hurriedly shouted, ¡°Hey, Elliot. Are you there? Can you hear me? What happened?¡± ¡°Anastasia, we were ambushed. I¡¯ll call youter.¡± Elliot calmed her down and hung up the phone. Hearing this, she stood up anxiously on the sofa and walked back and forth in ce. How could she possibly be at ease? The explosion was deafening, as if it exploded in her heart. ¡°He¡¯ll be fine. He¡¯ll be perfectly fine.¡± Anastasia¡¯s eyes were teary and she had a panic attack after her son had been kidnappedst time. She was fearful of losing Elliot. She was worried that something bad would happen to him. However, she could only pray since she was so far away from him. After a few kilometers on the road, three off-road vehicles appeared and pursued Elliot¡¯s car. Six motorcycles circled Elliot¡¯s car as they followed the vehicles. The vehicles behind were slowed down due to the rescue. At this point, Elliot¡¯s car became a lone force. ¡°They have a lot of people, President Presgrave.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stop. This is their territory and we have no chance against them,¡± Elliot calmly stated while he added, ¡°Drive toward the city center to get rid of them.¡± ¡°President Presgrave, it appears that Liam is trying to kill you this time rather than to stop us from looking for his daughter.¡± Elliot had underestimated Liam. Elliot didn¡¯t expect him to be ambitious because he kept a low profile in the family. In addition to wanting to join the Presgrave Group¡¯s board of directors, Liam also wanted to divide and obtain the group¡¯s property in such a cruel manner. He would make Liam pay dearly for what he had done when he returned to the country. Chapter 741-750 Chapter 741-750 They were immediately surrounded by the motorcycles. The gangsters began to bang on the car windows with the iron bars in their hands. As such, the bodyguard in the driver¡¯s seat swerved the car to knock down some of the ouws, but the people banging on the windows were too many for them. Suddenly, a row of studs appeared in front of the moving car. It turned out that the motorcycles were only there to divert their attention, forcing the car to elerate, and then unable to brake in time to avoid the studs. Sure enough, popping sounds were heard. Although the car tires were anti-puncture, the car was eventually slowed by the overwhelming number of nails. As a result, the three cars behind immediately elerated and caught up. ¡°President Presgrave, it appears that we will have to get out of the car to deal with these gangsters.¡± The captain of the bodyguard analyzed the situation calmly, knowing that they would be unable to proceed at all under the current circumstances. ¡°The cars behind us did not catch up with us, but we¡¯re already entangled by them. We can only get out for the time being.¡± Elliot nodded, after which the bodyguard neatly drew the car mat beneath his feet, revealing the spot where they hid their sophisticated and well-equipped weapons. ¡°Take this, President Presgrave. We mustunch a sessful counterattack against these ouws.¡± Elliot epted the gun, and he was still well-versed in the shooting techniques. Despite having been in the business industry for many years and maintaining a sessful career, he clearly did not forget the skills he had learned while he was training in the secret army. To avoid the confrontation on the avenue, the car took a side road and drove into the dense woods. The four people in the car quickly exited the vehicle and sought shelter. At this point, the ouws¡¯ cars rushed in, followed by the motorcycles arriving one by one. When the first man copsed to the ground, the others instantly became vignt. The ouwscked aprehensive understanding of their adversaries. They were simply ouws who wanted money afterpleting their missions, but this time they knew the target was a wealthy man. It was very simple for them to get rid of a businessman. However, when the second and third men were killed, their nerves were put to the test. Their opponents¡¯ skills and equipment were obviously superior, as was their shooting uracy. ¡°Come on! Get your act together, everyone! Whoever kills the target receives one million as a reward!¡± When the terrified men learned of the million dor reward, they quickly regained their senses and spirits. They would never be able to make such good money in their lives, so today was their only chance. When the ouws¡¯ leader discovered that they had lost six of their members, he became enraged and pulled out the bazooka they had just used to fire aimlessly at their opponents, eventually forcing one of Elliot¡¯s bodyguards to appear. While dodging bullets, the bodyguard injured his leg and fell to the ground at a position very close to Elliot. Elliot ignored the risk of being discovered while saving his bodyguard. He reached out and dragged his bodyguard to a safe location. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, President Presgrave. The most important thing right now is your safety,¡± the bodyguard breathed out. His broken leg was bloodied and burned. Elliot removed his suit before he ripped off the shirt sleeve to expertly bandage the bodyguard¡¯s wound. ¡°Please bear with it for a while. We¡¯ll take you to the hospital as soon as we get back to the city.¡± Even though the bodyguard grimaced in pain, he was moved. The reason why they were protective of Elliot was because he was a kind-hearted boss. Elliot was unlike any other businessman who didn¡¯t care about the lives of his subordinates. Instead, he always treated his bodyguards like brothers. Elliot¡¯s personality made his subordinates want to serve him, even if it meant risking their lives. At this fraction of moment, the ouws discovered Elliot¡¯s hiding spot and immediately approached him. Elliot had to get up and leave to keep his subordinates safe, leading the group of ouws in a different direction to distract them. A few bullets flew by his side and he deftly avoided them all. He ran to a high vantage point and aimed his shot at the four ouws with no misses. They were shot dead before they could even call for help. Elliot returned to the injured bodyguard¡¯s side just as the captain of the bodyguard joined him. ¡°President Presgrave, could you please take Mark and depart in this direction? You can hail a cab along the way to get to the hospital. We¡¯ll go in the opposite direction to distract the ouws,¡± the captain said. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you!¡± Elliot suggested. The stunned captain refused. ¡°No, your identity is too important for us to risk. We must¡ª¡± ¡°Stop talking nonsense. Let¡¯s go.¡± Elliot stood up, ran 100 meters in a favorable direction, and fired two shots into the sky. The captain exhaled a sigh. He had to admit that the entire bodyguard team was less brave and capable than Elliot at times. Elliot was a truly admirable human being. At this point, the daylight had dwindled to a barely perceptible lightening of the gloom. Elliot and Reece, the captain of the bodyguard, had already drawn the ouws into the dense forest area. Dusk arrived earlier than expected; everything in the forest was hidden beneath it, as if a predator was on prey. ¡°Be careful, President Presgrave,¡± Reece reminded Elliot since Reece had the responsibility to ensure the man¡¯s safety. The thirty-five-year-old Reece¡¯s heart was cautious because he had to remain alert. Elliot nodded, and he checked his gun magazine holder and discovered that he only had one bullet left. He calmly reloaded it while Reece quickly handed over his firearm, saying, ¡°Here, President Presgrave. I have four more and you can have mine.¡± ¡°No, keep it for yourself!¡± Elliot gently shook his head. There were only about ten ouws left when they arrived in the deep woods. They had lost more than half of their members. The leader was irritated and enraged. They appeared to have underestimated their enemy this time. The information provided by the other party did not state how powerful the businessman was. However, the ouw leader watched his brothers die one by one at Elliot¡¯s hands. ¡°After you, President Presgrave.¡± Reece made the decision to head deep into the forest. Elliot, on the other hand, was sick of running away from the situation. If he had to walk into the mountains, it would take him a few days to get out, and he didn¡¯t have time to wait that long. Elliot had only one thing on his mind: to bring Lori back so that he could finish the operation at his hospital and to calm his wife. Therefore, he didn¡¯t want to wait any longer. At this moment, Elliot noticed an ouw approaching him in the bushes six meters away, so he motioned Reece to go forward with him. Reece¡¯s heart raced as he saw this and dashed behind Elliot. The ouw went over to investigate when he heard a twig snap in the trees behind him, not realizing it was a stone thrown by Reece. As the ouw looked around frantically for the source of the noise, Elliot stepped from behind him, snatched his weapon and took him down to finish him off. Elliot quickly looked at the gun¡¯s magazine and found it more than adequate. Instantly, his eyes turned as cold as a stone, and Reece followed suit when he saw Elliot¡¯s sleek figure moving toward the ouws. Within minutes, flocks of frightened birds flew from the woods as it was apanied by loud noises and screams. After fifteen minutes, there wasplete silence. Reece, who was holding a weapon, was dumbfounded that he had witnessed a scene from an action film whereby the man he was protecting, Elliot Presgrave, was the main character. ¡°Let¡¯s go before the sun goes down!¡± Elliot told Reece as he dropped the things in his hands. Reece was taken aback, and he quickly followed Elliot. While driving in the car that they came in; they contacted the other team members who were in the other three cars. The team members in those cars soon came to pick them up, but the two injured bodyguards had been transported to the hospital.Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Then, Elliot reached for his phone and dialed Anastasia¡¯s number. ¡°Hello! Hello, Elliot, is that you?¡± Anastasia¡¯s voice was tinged with emotion. ¡°It¡¯s me. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine,¡± he reassured her. She must have been worried at home for the past two hours! ¡°You frightened the hell out of me.¡± She sniffled, indicating that she must have shed tears beforehand. ¡°I¡¯m not going to die so easily. I still have to look after you and Jared for the rest of my life!¡± Elliot tried to entice her with humor. On the other hand, Anastasia¡¯s tears became even more audible. ¡°Could you kindly refrain from bringing up the subject of death? That¡¯s not what I want to hear from you.¡± ¡°Okay, fine. I won¡¯t bring it up again,¡± Elliot coaxed tenderly. Elliot¡¯s demeanor surprised Reece. Is he the same Mr. Presgrave who killed the ouws in the woods? Anastasia informed Elliot to return home early when she learned he would pick up Lori. Meanwhile, Lori sat on the sofa, sipping vitality serum for nourishment. She wanted to go outside for fresh air to calm down, as she felt tense and stifled within the vi. Then, she recalled her mother¡¯s warning and knew she had to stay put. At night, the vi stood out even more prominently. Several shadowy people showed up in front of the vi¡¯s outer wall, and the bodyguards led the way as they climbed up the wall. Lori was asleep in her bedroom when she became aware of the sound. Panicked, she rose to her feet and yelled for her assistant, but nobody responded. As she walked down the hall, she was thinking about her assistant when she noticed the door to her house being forced open and a tall figure enveloped in a subtle aroma of blood entering the house with a gloomy coldness. Lori stepped back quickly and trembled as she was overwhelmed with fear. The man who appeared before her at this time was not the same man who had once held her heart; instead, he was a dangerous incarnation of Hades, who hade down from hell himself. ¡°E-Elliot, what are you doing here?¡± She maintained herposure, but her emotions were in disarray. When she looked closer, she discovered Elliot¡¯s suit was smeared with a red dye that resembled human blood. In an instant, Lori had a realization about something. Her mother had not informed her of the n. Is that what Dad was attempting to do by ambushing him? ¡°Will you return home with me voluntarily, or will you make me use force to bring you back?¡± Elliot said coldly. When he looked at the girl in front of him, with whom he had spent his childhood together, he no longer felt anything. He felt disgusted to the point where he didn¡¯t want to look at her again. ¡°I¡¯m not going back, and I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡± An emotional Lori shook her head and begged, ¡°Elliot, the child is already in my womb. May I give birth to it? I promise the baby will grow up to be a healthy child.¡± When Elliot realized she was still adamant and foolish, he coldly said, ¡°Lori, you are not qualified to give birth to my child at all.¡± ¡°But I want to give birth to your child; I won¡¯t ask for anything in return. I only want to have two children rted to you by blood. I promise I will never trouble you again. I assure you, Elliot, that I will never get married again in my whole life. I will take excellent care of these two children.¡± Lori endeavored to make a favorable impression on the man. ¡°Lori, the person affected the most in this situation is my wife. You don¡¯t take her seriously, and she is the one whom I love the most. Do you think I will give you a chance to hurt my wife?¡± Angry and frustrated, he yelled, his eyes zing with murderous intent. Lori was startled by his anger and she supported herself with the use of a couch and gently sat down. If she hadn¡¯t sat down, her legs would have been so weak that she would have copsed to the ground otherwise. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I hurt Anastasia¡¯s feelings, but I love you too! From a young age, I had a crush on you. Perhaps I would have been the one to marry you if my father hadn¡¯t forbidden my return. You see, there was no Anastasia when we first met!¡± Lori remarked with red eyes as she had always felt that she was just unlucky, that she was born into the Presgrave Family and had a strict father. Otherwise, she would undoubtedly be able to pursue her happiness. ¡°I don¡¯t need your dirty love, soe home with me now.¡± Elliot firmly said, ¡°If you don¡¯t return with me, you will never see your father again, I¡¯ll have the baby aborted, and your family will suffer a life worse than death.¡± ¡°Elliot, you can¡¯t treat my family that way; they¡¯re the Presgraves.¡± Lori was worried since she still had a younger brother, who was just eighteen and with a great future ahead of him. ¡°It¡¯s not about whether or not Iy my hand on them, but more about your cooperation today. If you cooperate, I will do what needs to be done.¡± As Elliot said in a low voice, the murderous purpose that could be seen in his eyes intensified at this very instant. Lori took a deep breath. Was Elliot going to kill her here? And what made her think that he would do something like that? Why did he have such a deep love for Anastasia? ¡°All right, I¡¯lle back with you.¡± Lori had given up hope since she was convinced that Elliot would abandon their children despite her efforts to give birth to them. Why should her children be condemned from the moment they were born? She used to delude herself into thinking that Elliot had affection for her. Still, it appeared he was only interested in Anastasia and has no room in his heart for other women. Lori¡¯s two assistants came inside, but they were held by the two bodyguards standing beside them and didn¡¯t have the nerve to say a word. ¡°Let¡¯s go back, Miss Presgrave!¡± The assistant pleaded as well. If it weren¡¯t for the money, they never would have followed her and risked their lives in such jeopardy. When they turned to look at Elliot standing in the hallway, they suddenly became aware of how they had infuriated him. ¡°Pack up, and let¡¯s go!¡± Lori, with her eyes closed, murmured frantically. This reckless move embarrassed her family,nded her father in prison, and angered Elliot. Her family would soon bepelled to leave in the future, and there would be no possibility for them to be cared for by the Presgraves. In the middle of the night, the car set off for the airport, and approximately three hourster, the ne took off from the local airport. At this very time, a convoy was passing by a luxurious manor, and Martha, seated in the rear seat, held her mobile phone and angrily dialed her grandson¡¯s number. ¡°Hello, Grandma,¡± the other end of the line answered the phone as if nothing had happened. ¡°Artie, are you messing with me?¡± Martha was about to explode. ¡°Calm down, Grandma. You¡¯re old, so don¡¯t get too worked up.¡± ¡°I believe you are overly wayward. You¡¯re not taking me seriously. You¡¯ve finally matured, haven¡¯t you? I¡¯m going to freeze all of your cards from now on. I¡¯ll only unfreeze them when youe back,¡± she yelled in rage. On the other end of the phone line, Arthurughed and said, ¡°Grandma, you vastly underestimate your grandson¡¯s capability. I can livefortably even without the cards. ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re used to a life of opulence since young and if you n on maintaining your original lifestyle, then you would need to try hard at getting a job,¡± Martha said this derisively and she seemed to relish in watching him try. She was quite shocked to find her grandson behaving with so much integrity over a girl. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandma. I will be able to take care of myself.¡± Having said that, he attempted to end the conversation. On the other hand, she hastily yelled out, ¡°Artie, are you sure that you want to go against my will just for that girl?¡± ¡°Grandma, her name is Sophia Goodwin and you can address her as Sophia.¡± ¡°Are you guys in a rtionship?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Arthur admitted. ¡°Do you n on marrying her?¡± Martha¡¯s eyes flickered and it looked like her grandson had met his true love. ¡°Grandma, let¡¯s not talk about this for now. I¡¯m sorry to trouble you, but you will have to handle the family business for now. Give me some time.¡± At that point, she could not help her thoughts as she narrowed her eyes. She knew his personality well and she felt that time would prove whether he was truly in love with Sophia. She would wait and see for herself by then. However, she reckoned that her decision to freeze all of the bank ounts he held was the right one as it was important to have him go through some hardships in life. Back home, Sophia moved into her own apartment and she went behind her parents¡¯ back to live with Arthur. Coincidentally, her apartment was located extremely close to Presgrave Group, so she imed that it was for the sake of work convenience, which prompted no reason for Drake and Emma to doubt her words. Despite living in the same space, Sophia and Arthur stayed in separate rooms, so they were not technically in cohabitation. After Arthur ended the phone call with his grandma, he instantly felt a wave of relief and he nced at Sophia, who was currently doing theundry on the balcony, before he initiated his help to her. Since he was young, he had never done any chores but was happy to help out despite having to do all that now. ¡°Hmm, are you a C cup?¡± He held her pink undergarment in his hand and studied it. At that sight, Sophia blushed slightly and reached out to grab it from him. ¡°Why are you studying this so intently?¡± Arthur took out another pink undergarment from the washing machine and she instantly pounced on him to snatch it away from him. ¡°You should just go and rx on the couch. I can do this myself.¡± ¡°I wanna help.¡± Having said that, he reached out and took out some clothes to hang them. After Sophia finished hanging out the washing, she saw him seated on the couch and he was busy tapping away on hisptop. Out of curiosity, she inched closer and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Investing in the stock market.¡± ¡°I thought all of your assets were frozen?¡± She blinked. Where did he get the money to invest in the stock market? ¡°I took out a loan.¡± ¡°From who? From your friends?¡± ¡°No, I just went to a bank.¡± ¡°Huh?! Arthur, you shouldn¡¯t take up a loan like how you borrow a pen! Do you realize how high the interest is? You should settle the loan right away. I¡¯ll bear the interest.¡± Sophia instantly stopped him. However, he grinned confidently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be able to settle the loan within a week.¡± Despite not being as optimistic as him, she still had some savings which she could use to help settle the loan when it was due. ¡°Sophia, let¡¯s have lunch at the same restaurant we went tost night! I like the food.¡± Arthur folded his laptop shut and looked at her expectantly. At that moment, she was tickled by the idea. Last night, she had brought him to try out a seafood tter that was extremely spicy and she thought that his picky pte would not be able to tolerate that. However, he actually enjoyed the meal very much and the side dishes he tried fromst night amazed him. ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go for lunch at the same restaurant. Are you sure that you¡¯re fine with it though?¡± she asked out of curiosity because she was afraid that he would get an upset stomach from the spicy food. As much as Arthur seemed like a spoiled brat, he actually liked the food that was enjoyed by the general public. Frankly, they even tasted much better than the ones prepared by the five-star chef he brought back with him from abroad. The restaurant that he pestered Sophia to head for lunch consisted of several awestruck waitresses, thanks to his appearance fromst night. Surprised to see his return today, they blushed and tried to find excuses toe over and sneak furtive looks at him as their hearts thudded hard. Furthermore, they were envious of Sophia for having such a handsome boyfriend. On the other hand, Sophia enjoyed the food from this restaurant as equally as Arthur did. Despite its low poprity with the crowd, the food was very delicious Arthur enjoyed the dishes from this restaurant and he ate elegantly with a slightlyzy look. His casual gaze was enough to captivate the women around him and several other female customers from the other tables sneaked furtive looks at him too; some of them even snapped photos of him. Sophia lifted her head and noticed a girl brazenly capture a photo of him. She quickly interjected, ¡°Excuse me, I would appreciate it if you stop taking photos of us.¡± At that moment, the girl awkwardly put her phone away. Arthur and Sophia finished their lunch and came out of the restaurant. Subsequently, they entered a bustling mall. As soon as they reached the entrance, a sexy woman walked over to them and kept her awe-filled eyes on Arthur as she hurriedly took out a name card from her wallet before handing it to him. ¡°Hey, Sir. I¡¯m the editor of Cloud Media and I would like to ask whether you¡¯re interested in bing a celebrity. We¡¯re currently recruiting a new batch of budding talents to undergo training. Your looks and temperament fit our criteria perfectly.¡± The woman introduced herself and looked at him expectantly. Sophia was initially caught by surprise, but she smiled and rejected on behalf of Arthur. ¡°Excuse me, my friend isn¡¯t interested.¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am, you¡¯re the right fit for our talent recruit too. Why don¡¯t you twoe over and have an interview at mypany?¡± It was only then the woman realized that there was another pretty and young-looking girl standing behind him. Arthur¡¯s expression instantly turned cold and he rejected the woman. ¡°We¡¯re not interested.¡± ¡°Sir, your appearance fits our criteria perfectly and your aura, image, height, and looks are top-notch. How about this? I¡¯ll sign on the two of you and you¡¯ll instantly get the best conditions right away. How does that sound?¡± The woman was intent on grasping onto the two of them as they were too dazzling. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we¡¯re really not interested. Thanks.¡± Sophia clutched Arthur¡¯s arm and walked off after saying that. ¡°Sir! Sir! Hold on. How about this? We¡¯ll sign you on with an offer of ten million. How about that?¡± The woman gave her best offer. At that point, Arthur was annoyed. ¡°Stop bothering us, okay?¡± The woman instantly felt a chill run down her spine as soon as his gaze hit her. She felt herself under immense pressure and the man in front of her did not seem like an ordinary man. The elegant aura he exuded came naturally from within. Still, the woman persisted and kept her eyes on the two retreating figures. Oh, what a shame¡­ If only she could get this man to sign under her, then theirpany would definitely stand out from then on. She was sure that he would be a top star in the entertainment industry. Sophia turned around a few times and noticed that the woman continued to follow them. It was beyond her expectation that a simple jaunt in the mall with Arthur would end up with him attracting the attention of a talent scout. Earlier on at the restaurant, she had also stopped a bunch of girls from taking photos of him. Indeed, this man attracted the attention of women wherever he went. Sophia and Arthur continued to window shop until they decided to head back. He was used to being surrounded and ttered by the crowd since young, but he now realized that he enjoyed a simple but heartwarming life. They arrived back home at about 6.00PM and Sophia had already purchased some pasta and fruits. She intended to spend the night catching up on some TV shows with him. Spending their time separately, she was busy in the kitchen as he used hisptop to check on his shares and stock. At about 7.00PM, dinner of pasta and meatballs was served. She alsoid out some side dishes she bought in the afternoon and a simple dinner was then ready. Arthur washed his hand and went to take a look at the delicious dinner spread. He found himself craving to eat and he was no longer a picky eater as before. After moving in with Sophia, he changed a lot of his bad habits. In the past, he could only go to sleep on a bed that cost millions and he was very picky about the surroundings he stayed in too. Now that he was with her, he managed to sleep soundly on a bed that was merely a few thousand while apanied by the bustling noise of the crowded night market outside. After dinner, Arthur went to take a shower first while Sophia remained perched on the couch as she continued watching a movie. Although she was unemployed at the moment, she did some frence work and submitted short articles to a special column. On days when she was lucky enough, her ie from that would be sufficient as her pocket money. Sophia heard the noise of the toilet door being opened and she peeked at him red-faced. He was wearing the gray pajamas that she had bought for him. The pajamas fitted well on him and he looked casual, giving off the vibes of a boy next door. Arthur walked over to the direction of the couch and sat next to her. His strapping tall figure further entuated Sophia¡¯s petiteness. She caught a whiff of his distinct scent in the air; in the past, he had a cold, elegant fragrance of cedar on him which contrasted his scent right now¡ªthe crisp but pure aroma of shower gel. On top of that, the masculinity radiating off of him was captivating. Sophia silently took a gulp and lifted her head to look at the man with wet dark dripping hair who was currently right in front of her. His translucent forehead was revealed and paired with his perfectly sculpted features, making him utterly irresistible. She squirmed slightly and purposely inched closer to him. As such, she could conveniently lie in his arms and take a rest as she watched the TV showster on. Arthur¡¯s dazzling eyes flickered slightly and he astutely realized that she was inching closer to him. He kept his eyes on the television, but he naturally took her into his arms. Sophia instantly leaned half of her body into his arms as her heart thudded hard. She buried her face into his arms and snuggled against him as she took in the feeling of her head on his firm chest. She felt a rush offort and safety at that moment. Neither of them spoke a word and they remained snuggled against each other quite naturally and continued to watch some TV shows. To Arthur, he did not care much about the plot of the show. The most important thing was that he enjoyed this moment and his heart was rippled with content. At that moment, the scene on the TV show depicted a romantic scene between the male and female lead, which happened to be quite an explicit one too. The male and female lead stood under a dim streetmp and they were deep in embrace as they kissed passionately. She reached out to grab the remote control to skip the scene, but she realized that it was by his side. ¡°Hey, hand me the remote control,¡± she said. He saw through her intention, so he refused to hand over the remote control. At the same time, he focused his dark eyes intently on her. At that, she blushed from his focused gaze at her. Then, he used his warm palm to gently grasp and maneuver her chin. She knew what this entailed, so she quickly shut her eyes. He smiled at the anxious sight of the girl in his arms as her eyshes fluttered. Knowing exactly how she would react next, he purposely nted a kiss on her forehead. She waited until she no longer felt his lips on her forehead before opening her eyes slightly to peek. At that moment, his dominating lipsnded on her red lips and she instantly felt her heart race. He¡¯s so good at such flirtatious behavior! Undeniably though, the kiss was full of passion and she was satisfied. He kissed her so dominantly and passionately without any hint of aggression; it was pure and clean. Sophia found herself limp in his arms after his kiss. Meanwhile, Arthur rose to his feet and went to the bathroom as he needed to take a shower¡ªa cold shower. On the other hand, she went back into her room and clutched at her chest as her heart thudded frantically. She knew that Arthur was a gentleman, so he would not resort to any hanky-panky. However, it was herself that she was afraid of. She was worried that she would someday find him irresistible and pounce on him. Fortunately, Arthur knocked on the door to bid goodnight to her before heading into his room. Around 3.00PM at the airport, a private jet had justnded and Elliot escorted Lori, who had just returned home, out of the airport to head directly to Presgrave Hospital. Along the way, Lori tried to negotiate with him and she hoped that Elliot would let her father off the hook and forgive her family members. However, Elliot rejected her requests. Not only that, he threatened that if she was to not undergo the surgery immediately, then her entire family would face a much horrible fate in the future. The lights to the operating theater were switched on and Lori shut her eyes tightly. At that moment, there was a single drop of tear that fell from the side of her eye out of discontentment. The pain she felt in her body plus the inner turmoil she experienced made her feel bleak. Twenty minutester in the resting area, Elliot nced at Benedict, who had just pushed open the door and walked in. There was a sparkle in Elliot¡¯s weary-looking eyes. ¡°Is itpleted?¡± ¡°Yes, the surgery has ended, so you can be at ease now.¡± Elliot could finally heave a sigh of relief as he had finally got an oue after tracking for information and running around to handle matters for multiple days. ¡°Are you sure that you want to destroy it? Perhaps it may be useful in the future.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure about that,¡± said Elliot with a firm look in his eyes. In the future, the fate of the Presgrave Family would only be held in the hands of one particr woman. As such, there would be no other ways to birth a sessor. ¡°Have a good rest back home. You must be really tired,¡± Benedict expressed his concern. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll leave things here in your hands, then.¡± At this point, it was already 5.00AM and all Elliot wanted was to leave and head home. The night summer breeze was quite cooling and a dark-colored SUV made its way through the gates of a posh vi. Elliot tried his best to not make a sound as he held his coat in his hands and walked up the stairs. He decided not to enter the master bedroom, so he went into a guest room to take a rest to avoid disturbing Anastasia. However, as soon as he got to the living area on the second floor, he noticed a slender figure asleep with her cheeks against a pillow under the dim lights. She seemed to be maintaining a waiting posture but ended up falling asleep. At that sight, Elliot felt a pang in his heart as he gently ced down his coat and made his way toward her side. He covered her body with the nket that had slid off to the ground and he was slightly distressed as he touched her cold arm. It was then that Anastasia was jolted awake by his gentle gesture and she opened her eyes wide. As soon as she saw that it was the person she had been longing to see, she stretched out her arms in surprise and hugged him. ¡°You¡¯re finally back.¡± He squatted down and looked at her slightly chidingly, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you sleep in the room? You¡¯ll catch a cold out here.¡± Upon knowing that there was a chance that he could be back tonight, she was unable to go to sleep at ease. She had merely fallen asleep less than an hour ago. so she was not afraid of catching a cold. She was very concerned about not getting to know firsthand that he had arrived home. Anastasia¡¯s pretty eyesnded on his slightly unshaven face, which somehow still looked handsome. It looks like he had been running around tirelessly abroad for the past few days. ¡°Go back to the room and take a shower. Your eyes are bloodshot.¡± Anastasia reached out and helped him toward the direction of the master bedroom. Though Elliot did not feel tired at all, he did not mind doing anything she said as long as his actions put her at ease. ¡°Lori has just undergone surgery and I¡¯ve destroyed everything, so there¡¯s no need for you to worry,¡± he exined to her in a low voice. Having heard that, Anastasia heaved a tiny sigh. She was upset that Lori and her family had resorted to such a despicable way to plot against her. In the future, she would not let that family have an easy life. As for Elliot, he went to take a shower and had a shave. He took slightly longer to shower because he had taken some lives when he was abroad. He was worried that there would be residue of the stench of blood on him, so he made sure to clean himself up well. His team had dealt with the incident abroad well and there was no longer anything to worry about. Anastasiay on the soft bed and nced in the direction of the bathroom as she waited patiently for her husband toe out. Ten minutester, she saw him exiting with a wrapped towel around his waist and she did not mask her perusing look at all as she admired his strapping figure. His dark hair was slightly tousled and he exuded an air of gentle homeliness. He uncovered the nket and slid into bed before reaching out to pull her into his arms to get some sleep. ¡°Let¡¯s get a good sleep.¡± Elliot nted a kiss on her hair. Anastasia had her skin against his and she smelled the scent of shower gel on him. His scent seemed to have a hypnotizing effect and in no time at all, she fell asleep in his arms. He had his cheeks pressed against her forehead and he could finally be at ease as he shut his eyes and slept. At around 8.00AM, Elliot woke up and went into Jared¡¯s room. He looked at the little guy¡¯s adorable figure in bed before revealing a content smile as he studied Jared while sitting by the side of the bed. It was coincidentally the time for Jared to wake up as well. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Elliot and leaped up joyfully. ¡°Daddy!¡± Elliot reached out to take Jared into his arms and took a whiff of the slightly milky scent from Jared¡¯s adorable body. Subsequently, Elliot lifted Jared. ¡°Did you miss me while I was gone?¡± ¡°Of course, I did!¡± Jared nodded solemnly. Elliot nted a kiss on Jared¡¯s forehead before rubbing his head against the little man¡¯s forehead. The affectionate feelings the father and son duo had for each other were clearly felt in the room. For Elliot, despite the amount of bloodshed he experienced outside, his soul seemed to be rejuvenated by the familial warmth he experienced once he reached home. Everything that he did was mainly to give his beloved ones a peaceful, safe life. At the apartment, Sophia hazily heard the sound of her phone ringing, prompting her to grasp her phone and answered the call in a dazed state. ¡°Hello, Sophia speaking.¡± ¡°Sophia, open the door for me in a short while. I¡¯ve gone to do some grocery shopping for you and I¡¯ll cook a meal for you.¡± Instantly, Sophia¡¯s eyes widened in fright and she quickly asked, ¡°Mom, where are you right now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in the elevator.¡± ¡°Mom, why didn¡¯t you let me know that you wereing?!¡± ¡°Why should I have to inform my own daughter before visiting her ce? Hurry up and open the door.¡± ¡°Ugh! Mom, hold on. I need to change.¡± Yet, Sophia did not even have time to put on her clothes as she hastily opened the door to rush out before twisting open the door to the other bedroom. She hurriedly pestered the man asleep in bed. ¡°Arthur, get up right now! My mom¡¯s here. She cannot see you here!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± He opened his eyes and as he sat up while the silken nket slid off his chest. All Sophia could see was his exposed chest and it remained ringly in front of her eyes. He studied her intently with an interesting glint in his eyes. She was currently dressed in a pink spaghetti strap nightgown and her captivating figure was entirely disyed before him. He could not help revealing a slight smile wittily. ¡°I knew that you¡¯re a C cup!¡± At that point, she reached out and immediately covered his eyes as she retorted angrily, ¡°Where are your roving eyes looking at?! Stop it!¡± Arthur could feel her soft hands covering his eyes. A man was usually most easily aroused in the morning, but she dared to touch him at that moment. He could smell the sweet scent of hers linger in his nostrils and it was quite a trigger to his sensations. Without a second word, he reached out and pulled her into his arms. He plopped backward, which resulted in her falling onto him with their chests pressing against each other. ¡°You¡­ Arthur, let go of me.¡± It was then that a knock sounded on the door and Emma had arrived. ¡°My mom¡¯s here. You need to hide.¡± Sophia tugged his hand while her little hands were still lingering on his body as she was pushing him somewhere. To that, Arthur immediately responded by panting hard, ¡°Stop touching me!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± At that point, she was fairly anxious and frantic. She did not realize that she had touched him where she was not supposed to. He noticed the bright-red flush on her face out of anxiety and he kindly uncovered the nket to get out of bed. He had some pants on his lower torso and he grabbed the pajama top by the side to put on as he said, ¡°Now, open the door.¡± ¡°Not yet. I can¡¯t let my mom see you, otherwise we won¡¯t get to see each other again,¡± she replied. ¡°I have a way of making myself disappear.¡± Outside the door, Emma¡¯s loud hollers rang out persistently, ¡°Sophia. Sophia! Why aren¡¯t you answering the door?¡± ¡°The wardrobe. Yes, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯ll have to suffer for a moment.¡± Sophia pulled open the wardrobe and intended to get him to hide inside just likest time. Arthur pushed her toward the door. ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll stay hidden.¡± As Sophia heard the sound of the door shutting behind her, she thought to herself, He must have hidden inside the wardrobe, so I¡¯ll just have to keep Mom out of the guest roomter on. Emma, who was carrying a load of groceries with her outside the door, started to wonder, Why is Sophia taking so long to open the door even though she¡¯s home? In the end, she could only knock on the door once again. ¡°Sophia, open the door. What are you doing inside?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± At the moment, Sophia had an armful of Arthur¡¯sundry in her arms as she collected them from theundry line outside and headed toward her room. Subsequently, she bundled up everything and stuffed them into her wardrobe. She was just about to turn around and walk out of the master bedroom when she saw that she had dropped a pair of his underwear on the ground. Hastily, she grabbed it from the ground and stuffed it into her wardrobe before taking a deep breath. She took another look in the direction of the guest room and she reckoned that Arthur must have already hidden inside the wardrobe. After taking forever, she finally yanked open the front door as Emma nced at Sophia perplexedly and questioned, ¡°What were you doing?¡± ¡°I-I just woke up.¡± Sophia purposely yawned and pretended to act sleepy. ¡°You little brat. Did you stay up the whole night against night? Watch your health. Your body won¡¯t be able to take the stress from theck of sleep. It¡¯s really bad for your body.¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware of that, Mom.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve bought you some breakfast. Go ahead and have some,¡± said Emma as she started to tidy up the items on the table, diligently cleaning up the ce for her daughter. Originally, she and Drake had refused to allow Sophia to move out by herself, but after considering the fact that Sophia was a grown-up woman after all, it was normal for her to yearn for some privacy. However, that did not stop her and Drake from worrying about their daughter constantly. Emma started to tidy up the ce and nced in the direction of the door to the guest room. She suddenly realized that Sophia must not have gone inside the guest room to air out the room and the items inside, so there was a chance that there would be mold growth inside that room. After finishing her thought, she reached out and twisted the door knob to the guest room and pushed open the door. Sophia was just about to have her breakfast when she suddenly heard the door to the guest room being pushed open. Frightened, she rushed over and thought, Why didn¡¯t Arthur lock the door from the inside?! ¡°Mom. Mom¡­¡± She rushed toward the entrance of the guest room and noticed that the room was neat and tidy while Arthur was nowhere to be found. She could not help ncing toward the wardrobe and was stunned to find that the wardrobe door¡ªthe side that could fit a person inside¡ªwas actually ajar. ¡°Ah!¡± Sophia revealed an astonished yelp all of a sudden and Emma, who was by the side, was startled by that. Emma turned around to look at Sophia. ¡°Why did you yell like that?¡± Sophia nced toward the window with an extremely horrified expression and the onlyrge window panel that could be opened was currently wide open. She knew that there was a slight path that led to the corridor and that was the spot where the air-conditioning unit was hung on. Did he actually¡­ Sophia gasped out of fright. Please tell me that he did not just climb out of the window! We¡¯re on the eighteenth floor!!! At this point, she hurriedly headed toward Emma. ¡°Mom, I need to go out.¡± As soon as she finished her sentence, she yanked open the front door and stepped out as her heart thudded frantically. She felt as if her heart was about to stop beating any moment now. He¡¯d better be safe! She frantically rushed out to the corridor and suddenly, she saw that Arthur was standingzily at the corner of the corridor as he waited for her. ¡°Y-You¡¯ve given me such a fright! How could you climb out of the window just like that?!¡± Sophia¡¯s eyes were reddened from the fright she received and she reached out to punch him. Although it was just a light punch, it was a clear indication of the extent of her anxiety and terror. Arthur was stunned as he did not expect that she would be so frightened by that. He grabbed her into his arms immediately and apologized in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Sophia was trembling slightly in his arms; as soon as she realized that he had climbed out of the window, her heart nearly stopped and she was hit by a wave of fear that she was going to lose him. ¡°I would rather my mom find out about you than to have you do such a dangerous thing again!¡± She lifted her head and uttered. Arthur ruffled her hair and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll find another chance to meet your parents next time. I¡¯m afraid that they¡¯ll explode if they see me right now.¡± ¡°Wait here for a moment. I¡¯ll bring you some clothes and send you to a hotel nearby.¡± To that, Arthur nodded affirmatively. After all, he was currently just dressed in a pair of pajamas. Sophia quickly went back inside and gathered some clothes for him. Meanwhile, Emma was busy in the kitchen as she prepared a nourishing lunch for her daughter. Sophia quickly mentioned to Emma that she was going out to see a friend and that she would be back very soon. Emma then offered to invite Sophia¡¯s friend back for lunch and she grunted while heading out of the door. Subsequently, the couple made their way to the underground parking lot. She owned a tiny little car and though it was not a luxurious one, it was a very convenient mode of transport for her. Arthur entered the backseat and started to get changed. He removed his top and grabbed a white T- shirt to put on. Following that, he changed into a pair of track pants. After he was done changing, he took a seat in the front passenger seat; there was a distinctive strong hormonal scent that belonged to him that hit Sophia¡¯s nostrils. At that point, she found her breathing slightly hitched. She turned and nced at the man who had changed out of his pajamas. Even though he had on ordinary clothes, he looked very handsome in them and the elegant air that he exuded was unmissable. He was perfect even just from looking at the back of him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Arthur noticed her staring at him in a daze and he curled his lips into a slight smile as he nced at her with a teasing and seducing look. Needless to say, Sophia¡¯s heart was thudding hard and she realized that life had been great with this man, except for the fact that her heart had constantly pounded. Is this a good or bad thing? Is this a test to see how strong my heart is? He suddenly pulled open the car door and alighted from the car before saying to her, ¡°I¡¯ll drive.¡± Then, her side of the car door was suddenly yanked open by him and she asked him in confusion, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried that you won¡¯t be able to concentrate on the road because of me.¡± Arthur was full of confidence that his charm was definitely going to make her lose concentration. Instantly, her pretty face flushed red despite knowing that he was speaking the truth. As it was because of this very fact, she felt shyer than ever as she muttered a retort, ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± However, she meekly positioned herself to the front passenger seat. Indeed, it was true that he had an irresistible charm as she actually forgot to buckle her seatbelt upon taking her seat. Chapter 751-760 Chapter 751-760 Sophia was wondering when he was going to start the car when she suddenly noticed him reach out and leaned his upper torso over to her side. Instantly, her pretty eyes widened and her eyshes fluttered wildly. Subsequently, she shut her eyes instinctively and awaited his kiss. At that moment, she heard his low rumble ofughter sounding by her ears. Soon after that, she felt someone tugging on her seatbelt and buckling it for her. Slightly embarrassed, Sophia wished so badly for the earth to swallow her up. Right then, he cupped her tiny face in hisrge palms and his dominance engulfed her as he nted a sweet good-morning kiss on her lips. ¡°I was afraid that if I didn¡¯t kiss you, you would be disappointed,¡± said Arthur in an annoying tone. ¡°You¡¯re taking advantage of me and yet you think your actions are justifiable, huh?¡± Sophia chided him in a low voice. In response, he burst outughing. He did not look the least bit simr to a young master from an affluent family at all in this present moment; he was just a childish man-child in front of his beloved woman. ¡°Stopughing! Let¡¯s go!¡± she urged him. Arthur¡¯srge palm gracefully maneuvered the steering wheel as they drove out of the underground parking lot. Meanwhile, inside Sophia¡¯s house, Emma noticed some intriguing clues soon enough. Why are there two toothbrushes on her basin? There are also two bath towels and the color of one of them clearly belongs to a male. As such, she started to search the ce and soon found a pair of male bedroom slippers and even a pair of sneakers. At that point, she finally realized the reason why Sophia insisted on moving out¡ªshe had a boyfriend and they were both now cohabitating! Emma was momentarily dumbfounded as she did not expect Sophia to have suddenly grown into a woman who had a boyfriend. Gosh! As parents, we can¡¯t interfere in such matters, so I guess I can only get her to bring him back home when the timees. By then, we¡¯ll be able to judge his personality and find out more about his family background. Emma decided not to expose Sophia¡¯s secret for the time being to avoid Sophia from feeling awkward. As such, she decided to head home and discuss the situation with Drake before inquiring with Sophia another day on whether she would bring the mystery man home. After Anastasia had sent Jared off to school, she decided that there was something that she had to do. She had to organize a meeting and invite every elder member as well as those who held important positions from each of the Presgrave extended family. She would then have to reveal during the meeting what Liam and his family had done and raise a warning to everyone else. Clearly, she did not wish for the same thing to ur again. If anyone dared to go after her family, then they would have to face the consequences of it. Elliot was not going to interfere in this matter because he had left things in the hands of his wife. He was just going to be her steadfast supporter and back her from behind. At 9.00AM, everyone important who was supposed to attend the meeting had received the notification. Naturally, some of the older generations, who presumed that they held exalted statuses due to their age, sent their children as representatives. The reason was that they intended to emphasize their status as Anastasia¡¯s elders. This was their unspoken way of going against this youngdy, who was the Young Mistress of the Presgrave Family. At the meeting room of Presgrave Group with the capacity of thirty pax, every family representative that was supposed to attend had already gathered together at 10.30AM. Amongst them was Jacob who was also in attendance to represent his father. All of them had heard of the things that Liam and Lori did, so they were on tenterhooks at the moment as they could tell why Anastasia had called for this meeting today. At 10.32AM, the sound of high heels were heard clicking rhythmically outside the door to the meeting room. Soon, Anastasia appeared dressing in an elegant custom-made suit and she strode purposefully into the room. Her long hair billowed behind and she exuded elegance and dominance as thedy of the family. She had no intentions of masking her dominant aura nor did she turn up to this meeting as the younger generation of the Presgraves. She appeared at this meeting as the exalted Young Mistress of Presgrave Family; everyone on the scene could tell by sensing the aura she radiated. Subsequently, she took a seat in the middle of the room and swept her eyes across each person in attendance. She paused for a moment and considered with a solemn expression before voicing out, ¡°Thank you all for making the time to attend this meeting that I¡¯ve organized.¡± ¡°Anastasia, why did you call us all here for an emergency meeting?¡± a woman in her fifties voiced out first and called out Anastasia¡¯s name as if she was not the Mrs. Presgrave. Anastasia shot a look at that woman, whose heart instantly clenched upon her gaze. The woman hurriedly corrected herself with a smile. ¡°Mrs. Presgrave, please enlighten us.¡± ¡°I trust that everyone has heard of a matter that just happened within the past few days. Dare I say, it was quite a despicable thing to do. Liam and Lori Presgrave have stolen from the hospital and attempted to bear a child with my husband¡¯s genes by quietly giving birth in another country. After our investigation, Liam will be facing imprisonment of at least ten years while Lori will be facing imprisonment of three years. From now on, Liam Presgrave¡¯s branch of the family will no longer be part of the Presgraves while terminating them from any rtions with our family.¡± At that moment, there was an outburst in the room and everyone continued to put on an act of indignance. ¡°That was such a despicable thing to do. How dare they do that! This is outrageous!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Lori used to be such a promising young one and she obtained such high qualifications too. I can¡¯t believe that she¡¯s actually an ugly and despicable person within. They tried to break up your family, Mrs. Presgrave, so they deserve this punishment.¡± The crowd in the room was full of curses for Liam and Lori. Soon enough, Anastasia put a stop to that and spoke with an air of authority in a clear voice. ¡°I hope that each of you will cease interaction with Liam and his members of the family. At the same time, I would like to use this matter to seriously inform all of you here one thing. If any of you here dared to disrupt my family, ruin the reputation of my family members, or do anything that would harm the safety of my family members, there will be consequences. The least that could happen to you guys would be expulsion from the Presgrave Family while the worst would be imprisonment. I do not wish to see such a matter that could result in the downfall of the Presgraves.¡± ¡°Mrs. Presgrave, your words make perfect sense. We lead a great life with the help of the Presgrave Family, so what else could we ask for?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right, Mrs. Presgrave. We¡¯re really proud to be able to work alongside you and to maintain our close family ties, which have been passed on since more than a hundred years ago.¡± Jacob clenched his fist under the table and trembled once he released it. That was because two days before, his father had mentioned about joining the Board of Directors of Presgrave Group. However, it looked like this matter waspletely unachievable right now. Anastasia was warning them to refrain from seeking things that did not belong to them from the Presgrave Family. ¡°I may be young in age and have plenty of things to learn, but that doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m weak-willed and a pushover. I hope that none of you here will get to experience first-hand how I handle things because I would be d to just maintain a peaceful rtionship with everyone,¡± Anastasia spoke calmly. In the past, Harriet¡¯s identity as the head woman of Presgraves held her back from doing plenty of things, but she soon realized that there was no point in maintaining the Presgrave Family. As such, Harriet had instructed her to keep a distance from this bunch of people if necessary. Furthermore, Anastasia was told that she could easily sever ties with them and live a peaceful life without being disrupted. As soon as Anastasia¡¯s words hit, everyone in the room was immediately caught by surprise and sensed the polite warning behind the words of the family¡¯s young mistress. They were aware that she had broken the original close ties of their families and she no longer paid much heed to the link between their families and the Presgrave Family. Presently, it was their turn to grasp tightly to their rtionship with Anastasia. On the contrary, she was no longer the one required to treat them well out of obligation. After the meeting ended, severaldies from the older generation took the chance to build up a bond with Anastasia as they tried to win her favor. However, she did not give them a chance and left immediately in her car. Anastasia entered the backseat before Adriana asked, ¡°Miss Tillman, do you want to go for a walk to clear your mind?¡± ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s go for a walk together,¡± Anastasia responded. At that moment, her phone went off and she reached out to answer the call. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Where have you disappeared to after the meeting?¡± asked Elliot from the other end. Clearly, he must have been looking for her. ¡°I just left and I¡¯m about to go for a walk to get some fresh air.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll make a lunch reservation and I¡¯ll see you for lunch then.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Anastasia smiled. ¡°Adriana, re-route to the prison. I would like to meet someone there.¡± Anastasia suddenly changed her mind about taking a walk. ¡°To see Lori?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she responded. Lori was still detained in prison at the moment. Inside the lockup cell, Lori had lost her haughtiness as she remained curled up in a corner with her long hair pulled into a ponytail behind her head. She was bare-faced without any makeup on; all that was left written on her face was frailty and weariness¡­ It was then that someone walked over and stated, ¡°Lori Presgrave, someone is here to see you. Get up.¡± Hearing that, Lori was a bit shocked. Is Mom here? Did Dad manage to bail me out? When she came to the visiting room with the handcuffs on, her gaze overflowed with panic and guilt upon seeing who was waiting for her on the chair; Anastasia was thest person she had expected to see. On the other hand, Anastasia¡¯s piercing gaze was filled with spite and rage. Sitting down with a lowered head, the embarrassed Lori could feel the scorching gaze projected on her, which made her cheeks turned hot as if they were just pped. ¡°You really are shameless, Lori,¡± stated Anastasia coldly. ¡°I have no choice. I was forced to do that. Besides, I have liked Elliot since I was a child. It was me who first appeared in his life, so why were you the one who he married? I cannot ept this.¡± Lori revealed her suppressed emotions. ¡°There are no such things as who came first or who camest in love, so stop giving me such excuses. He¡¯s my man now and you will not hurt him.¡± Lori¡¯s face reddened as she wanted to rebuke her, but she soon realized that everything she had to say would go against Anastasia no matter what. ¡°I wanted to give birth to his child, even if it meant that the child will be illegitimate.¡± Lori smiled bitterly. Suppressing her emotions, Anastasia rejected her words outright. ¡°You don¡¯t have even an ounce of right to do that.¡± Lori suddenlyshed out at Anastasia while retorting, ¡°You think that Elliot would love you forever? One day, he will meet another woman that makes him realize he had a change of heart. Stop being so conceited.¡± Regardless of anyone, a woman would still be agitated upon hearing these words. Yet, Anastasia only listened to this calmly while knowing that her words were spoken just to spite her. ¡°I think you should be thinking about your own future, Lori. About your father, he should be serving a sentence of no less than ten years. If I have mywyers work a bit harder and dig up some more dirt on him, even twenty years is not impossible!¡± ¡°You¡­ Don¡¯t cross the line, Anastasia.¡± Lori started to panic. ¡°As for your mother, since your father¡¯spany is on the brink of bankruptcy and has stopped all transactions on the stock market, I think she would have to work for the rest of her life to repay the debt your father owes. Not only her; even your brother will also share the same fate. Still, all of this is rooted from what you and father have done to yourselves, so this is merely retribution.¡± After hearing this, Lori flopped onto her chair with tears of regret as she begged, ¡°Anastasia, please leave my dad alone. I beg of you. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m so sorry. I can apologize to you until you¡¯re satisfied.¡± Yet, Anastasia only looked at her coldly. ¡°The only apology I want from you is for you to taste the same pain I went through.¡± Stating that, she then left elegantly while leaving Lori deeply steeped in hatred. Immediately after exiting the premise, Anastasia¡¯s cold look was nowhere to be seen as she had a gentle expression when picking up Elliot¡¯s call. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ming to the restaurant now.¡± The restaurant had a warm atmosphere that was especially suitable for a couple to dine in. With a delicious lunch apanied with wine, any conversation would lead to a romantic one. Standing up, Elliot took her bag and pulled a seat out for her. Anastasia, who joyously epted her husband¡¯s gentlemanly gesture, felt very happy inside. ¡°Nobody gave you a hard time in the meeting this morning, did they?¡± he asked dotingly. ¡°Nope.¡± Anastasia smiled and shook her head. ¡°If they did, tell me. I will handle it.¡± To that, she only smiled confidently. ¡°Rx! As your wife, I will deal with trivia matters like this.¡± Of course, he knew that she had a strong personality. As much as she looked gentle on the outside, she was actually tough within. ¡°Thepany will be hosting a charity event this week under our names. You can invite your friends to the event as well,¡± said Elliot. ¡°Really? Then, I¡¯ll invite Felicia and Grace. Oh, there¡¯s also my new assistant, Sophia.¡± ¡°Is that the girl that¡¯s always with Artie?¡± Elliot recalled who she was. ¡°Yup! I think they are dating.¡± Anastasia nodded. Taking his phone out, he called Arthur to ask his whereabouts. ¡°Hey, Elliot.¡± Arthur picked his call up. ¡°Where are you? Are you still in the country?¡± ¡°I am. Do you want to go out for a meal or something?¡± ¡°I was thinking of inviting you to a charity event that mypany is hosting this Friday.¡± ¡°Sure! I¡¯ll be there. I¡¯ll be bringing a partner with me.¡± ¡°No problem. See you then.¡± Elliot hung up and told Anastasia, ¡°Artie wille. He might bring Sophia along too.¡± ¡°See, I told you so! Looks like we¡¯ll be receiving a wedding invitation very soon!¡± she eximed happily. On the other hand, Elliot knew Arthur¡¯s family and understood that his family was not just some wealthy group as they had migrated abroad about two hundred years ago and increased their influence while still maintaining their secrecy. Thus, for a girl with a normal background like Sophia, it would not be easy for her to marry into the Arnolds. ¡°Yup. I hope that we can receive their wedding invitation soon too.¡± Elliot nodded. Speaking of the devil, Arthur was just waiting for Sophia toe pick him up at the hotel while he repeatedly checked his watch. Ever since he slept on her bed, even the presidential suite could not satisfy him anymore as he missed the cozy feeling of that tiny home. It was around 4.00PM that he finally got a call from Sophia, who informed that she was on her way to pick him up. Arthur stood by the window and smiled while counting down the time. What he did not notice was that the window reflected his child-like smile. Suddenly, he received a message from the elders of his family. They were asking him when he would be back as there were important things awaiting his decision. Gradually, the smile on his face disappeared when the sun shone on his face, for it had been reced with a solemn expression. Atst, he heard the doorbell ring and opened the door quickly only to be startled by the panting woman. Seems like she ran here, judging from her flushed face and uneven breathing. Did she want to see me that badly? ¡°Why are you out of breath?¡± Arthur held her hand and invited her inside. Sophia did not want to tell him that she indeed ran all the way here after parking her car. ¡°Let¡¯s go! My mom left.¡± She held his arm and added, ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± Her actions made Arthur smile. ¡°Alright!¡± With his arms around her, he gushed, ¡®Let¡¯s go home!¡± ¡°My mom even made a few dishes for me, so we don¡¯t have to think about what to eat for dinner.¡± She chuckled. ¡°Really? Then, I should try Mrs. Goodwin¡¯s cooking.¡± He then informed her, ¡°By the way, there¡¯s a banquet this Friday hosted by the Presgrave Group. I¡¯m thinking of bringing you with me.¡± ¡°Huh?! But¡­ I don¡¯t have a dress for that sort of asion.¡± ¡°No worries. I can help you with that.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you kinda broke now?¡± Sophia blinked and asked him. Amused by her words, he thought, Does she think so little of me? The view at night was stunning as Arthur drove the car with Sophia along the coastline. Stopping at an open area, the two of them walked toward the ss bridge. She took her phone and snuck photos of the man from time to time. Regardless of which angle she took it from¡ªbe it his silhouette, side profile or even the back of his head¡ªit looked just like he came out of a magazine with him being a top male model while every frame looked straight out of a film. Still, she preferred to take selfies with him more. Since Arthur had long limbs, he took the phone and hugged Sophia whoid obediently in his embrace while emanating a romantic atmosphere. Now that the two of them were a couple of their own consensus, they did not need a grand confession for the best to have is each other¡¯spany. Looking at the beach not far away, Sophia sighed and said, ¡°Do you still remember what happened during Anastasia¡¯s wedding? I nearly got washed away by the sea. When I saw you dashing to help me, I was really moved then.¡± Arthur rubbed her head. ¡°You still have the cheek to mention that, eh? You¡¯re forbidden from going to any dangerous ces from now on. I can¡¯t be at your side at all times after all.¡± ¡°But, it¡¯s so strange! I never found myself in such situations before I met you. Ever since I stuck with you, it¡¯s either I nearly drowned at sea or rolled down a hill. Fortunately, you were always there to save me.¡± Having said that, she hugged his waist and looked up, still a bit baffled that the man in front of her was her boyfriend now. He hugged her tightly while promising, ¡°With me by your side, you¡¯ll be safe and sound for the rest of your life.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be safe and sound.¡± This made Sophia a little teary-eyed. A thought then came to her mind as she asked him in a serious tone, ¡°Young Master Arnold, I have a question for you, so please answer me sincerely.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Arthur also became serious, not wanting to answer perfunctorily. ¡°With your status, you must have had a lot of girls swarming you since you were young, so why did you choose me?¡± She had a very curious gaze. Looking down at her bright eyes, Arthur felt like she resembled a flower blooming in summer as there was an inexplicable charm to her. The thing he loved about her was her smile; though it had hints of silliness, it always soothed him and made him feel like life was full of joy just by being with her. Yet, when mentioning what trait made him fall for her, he only wanted to say that she brought a sense of life into his world. Being with her made him feelfortable and natural, which prompted him to envision his future with her. Since his young age, Arthur had always been surrounded by exceptionaldies from prominent families and even nobles as their desires and ambition were always on full disy. Hence, when Sophia appeared, she was like a ray of sun that pierce through his irond heart. Reaching out, Arthur did not answer her. Instead, he gently hugged her and kissed her head twice. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t underestimate your charms. To me, you¡¯re unique and irreceable,¡± he whispered. ¡°But, I¡¯m dumb,¡± she replied while still in a haze. Rubbing her hair with his jaw, he answered dotingly, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t need those from you. I just need to be the first person you think of whenever you¡¯re in danger¡­ and the person youe home to whenever life gets hard.¡± Sophia felt her heart skip a beat upon hearing this as sheughed out loud while embracing him tightly. To her, this was the highest form of confession she could receive; it was even more romantic than hearing an ¡®I love you¡¯. In a blink of an eye, Friday came as the banquet by Presgrave Group was organized. Being the star of the event, Anastasia appeared under the lenses of the media while holding her husband¡¯s hand. Since they needed to reach the venue earlier, she stepped out of the car in a light gold dress in the evening. The dress, which was exquisite and morous, entuated her beautiful figure and charisma. Even under the scrutiny of the shing cameras, her naturally beautiful face was wless. Appearing in front of the media for the first time since a long while, Elliot appeared handsome while not losing his dominating aura, which made the surrounding women gasp and scream. It was apparent that even after his marriage, this could not stop thedies from admiring him. Yet, he paid no heed to all this as he naturally held his wife¡¯s hand gently and walked together on the red carpet while the reporters made sure to capture this affectionate moment. From adjusting her dress to holding her bag, his gaze never left his wife as if nobody except his wife mattered to him. Meanwhile, in a high-end dress shop¡­ Since Sophia was also invited, Arthur brought her to a dress shop to pick out a gown. After personally selecting a dress, he had hisdy try it out and it fit unexpectedly well. Thanks to the pearls and diamond, it was a very shy dress and she looked like a princess after matching it with her fair skin. Although Sophia had not dressed so formally or even wore high heels in a long time, her figure that had been trained through dancing still stood out very much in the dress. With a well defined corbone and shoulder lines, her fair skin and clear gaze made her look like a goddess. Arthur, who was flipping through the magazine, could not take his eyes off her the moment he looked up. On the other hand, Sophia pursed her lips embarrassingly as she turned away, not daring to face his passionate gaze. ¡°We¡¯ll take this dress!¡± The owner then stepped up and smiled before exining, ¡°Sir, I¡¯m not sure if you are aware of this, but due to the brand of the dress, it is only avable for sales and not for rental as this dress belongs to one of our exclusive collections. However, we can rent out the jewelry and heels that Miss Goodwin is currently wearing.¡± ¡°How much does the dress cost?¡± Sophia asked out of curiosity while having a feeling that it must fetch a pretty penny. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. ¡°This dress is a piece from the top designer, Oleh. It costs eight million.¡± Suddenly, the light and airy dress immediately weighed a ton, making Sophia feel a shortness of breath. Eight million for a dress? No, thanks. ¡°We¡¯ll pay by credit card! Including the jewelry and shoes too. I don¡¯t like the word ¡®rent¡¯.¡± Arthur took out his ck card. Sophia was stunned. Wait, what? He¡¯s going to buy this? ¡°Artie, how about we discuss this for a bit beforeing to a decision?¡± She walked over and asked gently. Smiling, he replied, ¡°No need for that. I like this look on you very much.¡± She closed in and whispered, ¡°Isn¡¯t your bank ount frozen? I don¡¯t want you spending this much money.¡± Not being able to exin all this, Arthur did have his cards frozen, but his ie did not depend solely on the family as he did some trading since he was boredtely with the money he borrowed from loan sharks. Does she think I am a poor man just because of this? He patted her reassuringly. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Eight million is just a number; I could even give up my life for you.¡± Exiting the shop, Sophia found a ck colored Bugatti parked in front as she blinked her eyes in confusion. Where did he conjure this out from? A man then walked over and handed the keys over to Arthur. ¡°Mr. Arnold, I hope you have a lovely evening.¡± ¡°Where did this care from?¡± ¡°I just bought it.¡± Sophia looked at him in shock. Naturally, this car was not just bought as he had specially imported this from abroad; it had been his possession all along. On the way to the banquet, she felt like she was eloping with a rich young master for she felt both nervous and expectant as to what they might do tonight. This must be how it feels to be in love! I just want to experience everything wonderful with him. Arriving, Arthur alighted from his new car and opened the door for her before reaching his other hand out to Sophia. She naturally epted the gesture and they both walked to the main hall. Under the bright lights, the dashing couple instantly attracted everyone¡¯s attention as they whispered among themselves how dashingly good-looking the couple was! In the venue, Elliot was chatting with the guests when he saw Arthur arrive, so he excused himself and went to wee him. ¡°Artie.¡± ¡°Elliot.¡± Arthur walked over and they bumped fist, which was their unique way to greet each other. Following that, Arthur then introduced the woman standing beside him. ¡°Let me introduce you to my girlfriend, Sophia.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. Presgrave.¡± Sophia felt very honored to be able to greet Elliot. ¡°Nice to meet you too.¡± Elliot smiled and nodded. It was then that Anastasia also slipped away from the guests and came over as Sophia greeted her enthusiastically upon seeing her, ¡°Hello, President Tillman!¡± Approaching them, Anastasia praised thedy in gold, ¡°You look very beautiful tonight, Sophia.¡± ¡°Thank you, President Tillman.¡± Sophia always felt that Anastasia was more akin to an older sister that she never had. Even though they were a few years apart in age, the simrities in beliefs made them closer. ¡°It¡¯s so formal of you to call me ¡®President Tillman¡¯. Just call me by my name from now on!¡± Anastasia held her hands passionately. ¡°You two continue on, Elliot. I¡¯m going to chat with Sophia elsewhere.¡± Arthur then went with Elliot to talk about topicsmon among men while Anastasia took Sophia to where Felicia and the others were. ¡°That¡¯s your boyfriend, right, Sophia?¡± Grace asked straightforwardly. Somewhat blushing, Sophia nodded despite getting all shy. ¡°Yup!¡± ¡°Wow! He¡¯s so handsome! You sure are lucky, Sophia!¡± Grace said enviously. Feeling their gazes, Sophia pursed her lips and smiled, thinking that she was indeed lucky to be able to meet him. ¡°I¡¯m so looking forward to our press conference abroad this time, Anastasia! I heard that a lot of celebrities areing to support us!¡± Grace sped her hands together expectantly. ¡°If you want to, you cane. I can sponsor the flight tickets and amodation fees,¡± offered Anastasia. ¡°Yay! Our president is the best! I love you!¡± Grace did a heart-shaped gesture. At that moment, someone appeared behind them and asked shamelessly, ¡°Anastasia, could you bring me along too?¡± It turned out that the someone was Katrina. Turning around, Anastasia nodded. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Thank you for inviting me and my brother to this banquet, Anastasia. We¡¯re very honored.¡± Katrina raised her cup in appreciation. Anastasia did not expose her for she only invited Mason. She must have entered under the guise of Mason¡¯s partner. ¡°I¡¯ll stop bothering you all now.¡± Katrina walked away on her own ord since she was here for fun and to target someone of higher status. It was then that she saw Arthur, the man of her dreams while they were on the ind, who was also standing beside Elliot. She had never thought that she would meet him at the event. With one look, she was able to discern that the man came from the top one percent and was the same kind of elite as Elliot. If I can manage to seduce him, then I won¡¯t have to worry about the rest of my life. Katrina fixtated her target on Arthur. At the same time, Sophia¡¯s appearance attracted a man that was Jacob. As this was an event hosted by the Presgrave Group, all the important members of the family were invited. As such, Jacob had never thought that he would bump into Sophia here. Tonight, she was heartachingly beautiful as she looked like a lost deer in the forest, making her out to be a prize who anyone would love to capture. Adjusting his suit subconsciously, Jacob slicked his hair. Of course, he knew that Sophia came with Arthur, but he was still determined to show off his charms. Even till now, he did not know who Arthur really was. He could only assume that he hailed from a prominent family and that he was very secretive about his background, which was why he thought that Sophia¡¯s background could not match up to such an individual. Hence, he felt that he still had a chance. Breathing in deeply, Jacob walked toward Sophia while deciding to ask her for a drink at the balcony. Yet what he did not know was that Sophia had been in a man¡¯s focus throughout the whole night as he could immediately detect whoever dared to approach his woman. ¡°Excuse me for a moment,¡± Arthur said to Elliot before walking toward Sophia. Just as Jacob mustered up his courage and was ready to greet Sophia, a man¡¯s low voice suddenly came from behind him, ¡°Could youe here, honey?¡± With that, Sophia turned around to find two men standing behind her. Despite that, there was only one in her eyes as she blushed out of embarrassment. How could he call me ¡®honey¡¯ in front of everyone? Still, she greeted Jacob out of courtesy, ¡°Hello, Jacob!¡± Then, she walked to Arthur¡¯s side and held his hands. Although Jacob looked fine on the outside, he felt like his heart was pricked as it was somewhat uneasy and hard to swallow his feelings. Is this guy doing this on purpose? Did he show off his superiority in front of me intentionally? Who is this goddamn person? At that moment, he had made up his mind to teach Arthur a lesson. Clenching his teeth, he thought that he would make this ¡®Arnold fe¡¯ pay for his insolence with his blood without exposing himself. The reason why Jacob was so confident was because he felt that Arthur was not a person from this country even though he had a typical Caucasian look and was speaking theirnguage. Furthermore, there was no prominent family within the country with the surname ¡®Arnold¡¯. Sophia, who was dragged away by Arthur, sat down inside a private room. Thinking that the man might have something important to convey to her, she was suddenly fed a piece of peach by him. ¡°Try it.¡± Seeing how enthusiastic he was, she could not reject him and took a bite. ¡°Did you bring me in here just to feed me some fruit?¡± ¡°You are too stunning tonight. I don¡¯t want another man to even look at you one more second, so just stay here and be with me,¡± Arthur conveyed his thoughts straightforwardly. However, she was a bit dumbfounded at his words. Why does he sound so needy? It was then that another piece of peach appeared in front of her. As she was attracted by the taste of it, she naturally reached to take another bite. Yet, the man suddenly took it away and lowered his head to kiss her. Sophia¡¯s lips were suddenly making contact with his. Paired with the sweetness of the peach, Arthur nearly could not control himself and did not care about the setting anymore. He did not care whether a banquet was going on outside nor did he care if anyone might stumble upon this scene. All he wanted right then was to have her all to himself. Sophia obedientlyid in his embrace as she greedily absorbed his love at this unknown corner. While kissing, tears unexpectedly rolled on Sophia¡¯s face for she felt an unknown sense of bitterness inside. There was this feeling that no matter how much she loved him, she might lose him someday. Hence, this kiss awoken her love for him and became a reminder that the deeper she came to love him, the deeper in pain she would be. Tasting the salty tears, Arthur opened his eyes only to find the girl in his embrace had be teary- eyed. He clumsily wiped her tears before asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did I make you ufortable?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­¡± While pursing her lips, she turned to face another direction. Although they had been very happy these days like a real couple, there was a nagging feeling inside her heart. She knew that they would not be together in the end because Martha would never allow her to marry her grandson. So, Sophia decided to forget about this and give her whole heart to him, thinking that she should live as happily as she could for now and cry when she finally lost him. The more she found herself loved by this man, the more she could not ignore the problem. Now, his love had be like a knife, slowly piercing her heart the more he cherished her. ¡°Silly. Why are you crying, then?¡± He lowered himself and kissed her lips gently yet passionately while showing a gaze that he had never let any other women seen before. The cold and distant Arthur from before used to seem like he would nevere to love any woman in this world as if no one could ever upy or tter his heart¡­ However, that Arthur no longer existed. He met a girl that had changed him; a girl that he could share his worries with. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡­¡± Sophia did not want to ruin such a blissful moment as she really wanted every moment with him to be a happy one. Reaching out, Arthur rubbed her hair gently and kissed it. ¡°I¡¯m here. You don¡¯t have to overthink this.¡± She did not dare to tell him about the fact that his grandmother had met with her before. All of a sudden, Sophiay on him while deciding that she would do something tonight that she would nevere to regret. This was because she feared that she had no time left to profess her love. She would not want to regret anything when the day he left came. After sitting in the room for a while, they then exited with Sophia returning to Grace before she started drinking red wine. Let¡¯s get a bit tipsy tonight! If I get tipsy, I¡¯ll be able to let loose a little. On the other hand, Anastasia was chatting with some high status women. Even though she was very young whenpared to them, her background ensured that she had a dominating aura that followed her when conversing with thesedies. Naturally, she did not let this chance to establish some business deals slip away as she had nned to grow herpany into a renowned global jewelry brand, which needed the support of the upper society. This was why Anastasia was being so proactive in pushing herpany. All of this was observed by Elliot. Watching his wife converse with those women calmly and elegantly made him realize how adorable and charming his wife was. He used to think that his wife would be one content with being a housewife. Now, she was focusing on her career like him. While fully supporting his wife¡¯s endeavors, all he strived for was the joy he felt whenever she achieved her sess. Anastasia was getting along with one of the rich women when she met with her husband¡¯s gaze. Not forgetting to show her love even in this setting, she winked at him. This made Elliot smile involuntarily as all the other girls that fancied him presently saw this. Seems like the president only has eyes on his wife. He did not even nce at the other women here no matter how beautiful they are. In a sh, Sophia had already finished two sses of wine. With a flushed face, she still thought that she did not have enough as she wanted to continue drinking when a hand suddenly took the ss from her grip. ¡°Why are you drinking so much?¡± The man had a low and upset voice. Arthur was standing beside her and had witnessed everything when she was drinking by herself. Turning around, she then burped at him and mumbled, ¡°N-Nonsense!¡± To the man who only focused his attention on her the entire night, he had plenty of evidence to prove that she indeed was drinking excessively. ¡°I think you¡¯re drunk. Let¡¯s head home.¡± Arthur did not want others to see her in such a state. ¡°But¡­ Isn¡¯t the hotel providing rooms tonight? Can we not return home?¡± Sophia requested. Of course, he did not refuse her as he agreed with a low voice. ¡°Okay, then. I¡¯ll bring you upstairs to rest.¡± Inside the elevator, the tipsy woman leaned into Arthur¡¯s arms to rest. Thanks to the alcohol, courage welled up inside her as she hugged him by the neck and asked, ¡°Am I pretty?¡± Naturally, he batted his eyes at her and her beautiful features were entuated by the bright lights. Pretty? You¡¯re as magical as a goddess. ¡°Did you drink so much just to muster your courage to ask this?¡± asked Arthur with a smile. Suddenly, Sophia closed in and whispered, ¡°Nope. I want to do naughty things tonight.¡± How could Arthur not know what she meant? Her words made him gulp and ask in a low tone, ¡°Are you for real?¡± ¡°Yup! I¡¯m serious!¡± She looked at him sincerely and nodded. Arthur now knew the reason why Sophia kept drinking. It was to boost her confidence to make a move on him! She had learned the tricks! Although he had been suppressing his desire well, it seemed like she could not rein it back anymore. A wasted Sophia was nestling in his arms as she had drnk too much. When the elevator door opened, he had no choice but to carry her in bridal style. She dly buried her face into his chest while she felt her body floating on the clouds. Inhaling the scent on him, her face began to burn. He opened the door and ced her on the couch. Since she waspletely wasted, she might not be able to do anything regardless of how much she wished to. However, Sophia was seemingly eager about it as she beckoned him over with her finger. ¡°You¡­ Come right here.¡± Arthur ignored her while he was busy switching on the curtain opener and the air-conditioner. Plus, he would not ept any advances from her when she was still under the influence of alcohol. What if she deems it as a bad experience when she¡¯s sober? It will be my loss, then. ¡°Artie,e over here,¡± she sweetly called while lying on the couch. Yet, he only gave her a cup of water. ¡°Have some water. Let¡¯s talk when you¡¯re sober.¡± ¡°No! I don¡¯t wanna be sober.¡± She shook her head, knowing that she would not have the guts to do the naughty things without a push from the alcohol. Arthur sat opposite her and dered in a serious tone, ¡°You can only do things to me when you¡¯re sober or else, it¡¯s no deal.¡± Sophia blinked her beady eyes. ¡°Why won¡¯t you? This is your chance.¡± Suddenly, jealousy surged within him as she would have been taken advantage of had she been with another man in this state. ¡°Sophia Goodwin, promise me that I¡¯ll be the only one you wanna do bad things with. Got it?¡± he ordered. However, she disagreed, ¡°But you said that it¡¯s no deal, so why should I promise you?¡± Feeling helpless, Arthur stared at her before rising to his feet to approach her. ¡°Are you sure you want it? You can¡¯t have me stop midway, though.¡± Sophia wrapped her arms around his neck in response. ¡°I swear.¡± He held his breath as he felt her body burning like the sun, igniting his body into fire. Then, he stretched out his arms to carry her toward the bedroom. In a gruff voice, he replied, ¡°As you wish.¡± Even if it was still early, things were getting steamy in the bedroom. On the other side, Anastasia was feeling dizzy although she had attempted to control her alcohol intake. With red cheeks, she came to her husband and rested in his arms. Elliot wrapped his arms around her naturally. As a reward for the tiring night, he pecked on her head gently. ¡°Let¡¯s go take a rest in the room.¡± She smiled and whispered, ¡°Jared is not around tonight. Any ideas on what we should do next?¡± At the sight of his beautiful wife cuddling in his arms, his voice became restrained and hoarse. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll listen to you tonight. I¡¯ll stop when you¡¯re tired.¡± Anastasia burst intoughter while resting her head on his chest to hide her chuckles. Needless to say, she was anticipating the night as well. Once the event wasing to an end, the employees tended to the guests by escorting them to their respective rooms, so the couple could leave earlier. Standing not far away from them was Katrina, who was watching them leave with bitterness. Deep down in her heart, she could not forget the pathetic sight of Anastasia wandering alone in another country. However, the table had now turned. Anastasia was stunning and confident in front of everyone; that very fact alone had elicited jealousy in Katrina. Jacob, who shared the same fate as she did, approached her. ¡°Kat, wanna have a drink together tonight?¡± Truth be told, she looked down upon someone like him. Although he was Mr. Presgrave too, his family business was not of the same league as the Presgrave Group; its future was basically bleak. Even so, it was fine to have a little bit of fun. ¡°Sure.¡± Katrina dly epted the invitation. Chapter 761-770 Chapter 761-770 In fact, Elliot owned the hotel. The moment Anastasia entered the room, the man who had promised to listen to her trapped her against the door with his zing gaze upon her. ¡°Sorry, sweetheart, but I¡¯m not going to let you go tonight,¡± he apologized before pressing his lips against hers aggressively. She was the only person who knew how he would behave after forsaking his sophisticated and cold image, which was shown to the public; beneath that facadey a beast. Still, it was early to determine who was the one in control tonight as Anastasia was the siren waiting for her husband to take the bait. Otherwise, she would not have let her hair down in the elevator and made eyes at him while being all touchy by linking arms with him or leaning on him. The coy act was to disy her charms to appeal to Elliot, who was the only one who could enjoy that treatment. One of her little entertainments after tying the knot was to see her husband being assertive; that was why he could not hold himself back against such temptations. However, he was oblivious of his wife¡¯s little ploy. After the long and deep night came the morning. The sunlight streamed upon a girl¡¯s beautiful face in the other room and woke her up. The first thing Sophia did after opening her eyes was to look at the man next to her. Little did she know that he had been watching her the whole time with a smile while propping himself sideways with his arms supporting his head. ¡°Naughty girl.¡± The endearment escaped his sexy lips. Embarrassed, she covered her face with the nket. ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re right considering how many times you said ¡®stop¡¯st night.¡± Arthur pulled her leg when he could. Her face turned crimson as she dared not recall what had happenedst night. Everything felt so real since she was now sober, but she would never regret it. It was then that his arm wrapped around her body gently and he whispered sweet nothings into her ear, ¡°I¡¯ll take responsibility for you for the rest of your life.¡± She turned her head to meet at his determined gaze before smiling. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be responsible for what happenedst night.¡± Arthur was baffled for a moment before staring at her nervously. ¡°Sophia, what do you mean by that? Wasst night merely a game to you?¡± She blinked her beady eyes. ¡°Can we not think about the future just yet? Let¡¯s focus on the present and cherish it. I¡¯m satisfied as long as you¡¯re by my side.¡± It was because she dared not think of the future, which scared her. However, he was disheartened as he felt himself being yed with; Sophia¡¯s cool manner had hurt him. ¡°I¡¯m going to the bathroom for a while,¡± she said before getting out of bed. He removed the nket to get out of the bed too, but his eyes were fixated onto the red stain on the bed. It tightened his heart and the strong resolution to take care of her surged in him. Regardless of her attitude, he had made up his mind to be her only toy in her lifetime. Feeling the water flowing from her head to toe, she was not sure if the droplets on her face were tears or water. When she came out with wet hair and reddened eyes, the hickeys on her exposed areas were visible. A startled Arthur came over and cupped her cheeks to take a closer look at her eyes. She then hastily lowered her head to dodge his gaze as she was afraid that he could see through her frail heart. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your eyes? They¡¯re red.¡± ¡°The water must¡¯ve gotten into my eyes. It kinda burns.¡± Sophia simply glossed it over by making up an excuse while blinking her eyes profusely. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital,¡± he suggested. ¡°No.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll buy an eye dropter. It should be fine.¡± He cupped her face again to check on her eyes as his heart ached. ¡°Stay here. I¡¯ll buy one for you right now.¡± Having said that, he immediately changed his clothes and left. She did not stop him because her mind was in a mess as well. She figured that she might as well take the time to calm herself down. Once Arthur was gone, Sophia¡¯s eyes became teary again. When she gazed at the bed, a smile appeared on her lips as she knew she was not going to regret it forever. Even if he was not the one who would walk down the aisle with her¡ªor even not walking down one at all¡ªshe acknowledged him as the man whom she loved the most in this lifetime. Fifteen minutester, he rushed upstairs with every eye drop he could find in the drugstore. Momentarily stunned, she picked the one she normally used and asked him to help her with it before lying on the bed. He looked at her peaceful expression andnded a soft kiss on her forehead. He was not going to go anywhere; he would stay by her side until her eyes got better. At that moment, his phone rang before he looked at it with a frown. Although it was an important call, he did not answer it nevertheless. During noon, they had lunch with Elliot and Anastasia, and the atmosphere was great. While the women chatted away about jewelry, the men listened to them attentively. Then, Elliot apanied Anastasia to thepany to deal with some work whereas Arthur and Sophia returned home. She was exhausted by the time they got home, so he stayed by her side until she drifted into dreand. It was not until then that he made a phone call and the receiver picked up the line immediately. ¡°Young Master Weiss, where are you?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Three days ago, the family¡¯s bank ount was short of one billion. We need you toe back to look into it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± ¡°Young Master Weiss, it¡¯s not only about the money. It¡¯s about thepany¡¯s session too. You must come over.¡± The glint in Arthur¡¯s eyes simmered. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll return soon.¡± ¡°Please be back within a week.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°You can trust me with that.¡± After ending the call, he let out a sigh. In the next three days, Arthur and Sophia barely went downstairs other than meal time. It was as if nothing could hinder their love after having broken through that intimate stage. Nothing mattered more than spending time together with each other. Back in Goodwin Residence, Drake heard the news of Sophia¡¯s boyfriend from Emma, which sparked the curiosity of the man¡¯s identity. Although he could ept a guy with a normal background, it was important for him to be hard-working in life. Since the family business would be taken over by Sophia, it was best for her to find someone who was capable in handlingpany affairs so as to lead a better life. ¡°Honey, I¡¯m so curious about the guy. Why don¡¯t we take a look in secret?¡± Emma had not been eating or sleeping well these days. Nothing seemed to pique her interest, yet she was eager to know what kind of man her daughter was dating. A parent would have to send their daughter away when they got married someday and the elderly couple hade to terms with it. Not to mention that Sophia was turning twenty-four this year, which was about the appropriate age to start thinking about marriage. Drake shared the same thought as well and he nodded in agreement. ¡°I¡¯ll have someone positioned after them to capture some photos for us. We mustn¡¯t surprise them.¡± ¡°Okay. Ask your assistant to do so. Tell him to take a clear picture of the man¡¯s face, not his back,¡± requested Emma. At the drop of a hat, he contacted his assistant to hide at either the entrance of Sophia¡¯s neighborhood or the underground parking lot. As the pictures werepulsory to be delivered by today, the assistant hit the road instantly to aplish his mission as ordered. On one hand, Sophia was cuddling in Arthur¡¯s arms on the couch at home, sniffing his scent as happiness filled her to the brim. He revealed his casual and gentle side of an ideal boyfriend to her, which was unknown to anyone else. The simple gray T-shirt looked captivating on him. Despite the ordinary fabric, it looked like a high-end custom made design since he was wearing it. The aura of a young master dissipated as his fringe covered his forehead, making him look younger and more handsome. He could easily make one¡¯s heart skip a beat at first sight while looking like that. This exined why Sophia felt time was flying by so fast during thest three days she spent with Arthur. He was either hugging her the entire time or she was clinging onto him the rest of the hour; they basically could not leave each other¡¯s side. It was as if they had entrusted their whole world to each other. There was nothing else that bothered them besides their love. ¡°Where do you wanna go tomorrow?¡± ¡°The amusement park! Are you willing to go with me?¡± asked Sophia. Arthur kissed her lips in response and answered in a horse voice, ¡°Of course, I am.¡± She shoved him away bashfully. ¡°Stop it!¡± ¡°Oh? Does my naughty girl not want it?¡± He teased her because of what had happened during the night she got drunk. She had dug her own grave for drinking that night with such naughty intentions. Now, the man kept calling her with that nickname in a teasing tone until it naturally became a term of endearment. How could Sophia rein in herself in the face of his charms? That was how the afternoon turned into a special one as he had transformed into a ravenous wolf. When the evening came, the big bad wolf finally took her out for a grand meal in order topensate her. Sophia held Arthur¡¯s arm while exiting the elevator in the underground parking lot, where the hiding assistant quickly lifted the camera to take pictures of them as soon as he saw them without missing the chance. Fortunately, he did not let the opportunity slip through his fingers as the couple were all lovey-dovey in front of him. They yed ¡®rock, paper, scissors¡¯ in which Arthur lost the game and had to carry Sophia on the back to the car. In the end, he carried her in his arms. She buried her face into his chest in embarrassment while thinking, Thank goodness no one is here. It¡¯s so embarrassing. Never in her wildest dream had she expected the scene to be recorded by Drake¡¯s assistant, who sent it to her parents instantly. After the couple left, the assistant eximed in his head, Miss Goodwin truly has an eye for men. Her boyfriend is really handsome. In the meantime, Drake and Emma had been waiting for the assistant¡¯s news at home. When Drake¡¯s phone rang, he answered it excitedly. ¡°How did it go? Did you get any pictures?¡± ¡°Mission aplished, President Goodwin. I¡¯ll send the video over to you right now. Congrats! Miss Goodwin¡¯s boyfriend is handsome and tall. They look so in love with each other.¡± ¡°Enough of the talking. Hurry up and send it to me!¡± He could not wait any longer. Standing next to him was Emma sping her hands together nervously. When she sat down beside him, his phone received a notification. He clicked on it and yed the sent video. Since the lights were bright in the parking lot, they could easily recognize the man¡¯s face when Sophia was walking toward the camera while linking arms with him. ¡°It¡¯s him?¡± Drake¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment as he found out that the man was none other than Arthur. Emma freaked out as well. After taking a closer look, she became anxious. ¡°Why is Sophia with him? He¡¯s not a good guy. She must be fooled by him. Honey, we have to get her home immediately!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know anything about the Weisses. I reckon he¡¯s a mafia from abroad. Sophia must not be with him and I will never ept him as my son-inw.¡± He was so livid that his chest hurt. Just how did our lovely daughter end up with him? Arthur had never left a good impression on the couple since the first meeting, so it prompted a reasonable reaction. Emma thought the same too seeing that Arthur somehow exuded the air of a mafia leader. Judging from how he visited with a group of bodyguards previously, it was highly possible that he was a dangerous person. At the same time, Sophia found herself in a tip-top restaurant in the city center and began to worry if Arthur¡¯s bank ount would empty after the meal. ¡°Are you really sure you want to eat here? It looks pretty expensive,¡± Sophia whispered. Arthur couldn¡¯t help but chuckle to himself upon hearing so. ¡°What¡¯s up? Are you already starting to think about my spending when you have yet to be my wife?¡± After a split-second stump, Sophia rolled her eyes at him while smiling. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re spending your money, but it still pains me to see you spending like this. I¡¯m worried you¡¯ll use up all of your money.¡± Arthur felt somewhat speechless, for this young woman really knew nothing about his ancestry. Of course, he had no ns of telling her now either. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not a big deal even if we eat here every day.¡± Right when Sophia was enjoying her meal, her ringtone suddenly sounded like an incantation. She jolted upon seeing the caller ID as it was her mother. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to take this, but don¡¯t make a sound, okay? It¡¯s my mom,¡± exined Sophia as she hushed the man sitting across from her. Arthur nodded in reply and kept quiet, not wanting to cause her any trouble. She answered the call. ¡°Hey, Mom.¡± ¡°Sophia, where are you right now? Come home this instant. Your dad and I need to speak to you urgently.¡± ¡°What is it? Are you okay, Mom? Is it Dad?¡± Sophia grew concerned. ¡°Nothing happened to us. We just have something urgent to talk to you about. Come home quickly. We¡¯re waiting for you at home.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯lle home at 2.00PM, alright?¡± ¡°Sure. You have toe home, get it?¡± Emma ordered. She didn¡¯t mention anything about Sophia¡¯s rtionship with Arthur, for she knew the two were together as they spoke. Emma and Drake just wanted to keep Sophia in line. As for others, there was nothing they could do. ¡°My mom wants me to go home for a bit.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll send you hometer.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll drive. I¡¯ll drop you off at my ce first.¡± Sophia nned to hide Arthur for fear that her parents would discover him. ¡°Sophia, I think we should n a date to meet your parents.¡± Arthur was more than ready to face her parents. ¡°Let¡¯s not do that just yet. I¡¯ll find out what they think about it first.¡± After all, she knew all too well how her parents thought of Arthur. After finishing their meal, she dropped him off at her ce before heading to her parents¡¯. During the journey, she kept wondering if something had happened for her mom and dad to call her home so urgently, so much so that she arrived without dy. Right as she entered the living room, she found her parents sitting gravely on the couch, looking like they were expecting to see her home. In fact, it looked as though they had been waiting long. ¡°Mom, Dad, what is it?¡± Sophia couldn¡¯t help feeling apprehensive. It had been a long time since she last saw this kind of expression on her parents. They didn¡¯t even pull this countenance when she made a huge mistake as a child. ¡°Come here, Sophia,¡± Emma called out to her sternly. ¡°We have something to ask you.¡± Sophia instantly tensed up as she walked over and sat across from them. Suddenly, Drake mmed his hand on the armrest. ¡°Tell me the truth, Sophia. Are you living with that guy named Weiss at your ce?¡± Sophia still wasn¡¯t mentally prepared when she heard her parents exposing her affair with Arthur and her face flushed in an instant, not daring to look straight into her parents¡¯ eyes. ¡°How did you guys find out?¡± Livid, Emma went up to Sophia and wanted to give her a good beating. Ultimately, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to do so, letting her arm hang mid-air for a few seconds before lowering it. ¡°What is up with you? There are so many good men out there; why do you have to be with that dude? Has his good looks made you chuck your rationality out the window?!¡± Seeing that things were now out in the open, Sophia knew she could only admit it. ¡°That¡¯s right, Mom and Dad. We¡¯re dating.¡± ¡°Are you not at all aware of what sort of person he is?! It¡¯s so blindly obvious that he¡¯s from a shady background. Who knows, he might be a moneyunderer or even someone from the underworld. No good wille out of this if you date someone like him.¡± Emma was livid with oing tears. She couldn¡¯t believe the daughter she had raised so assiduously was lured away by some man so easily. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t get upset. Artie isn¡¯t from the underworld, and his family does honest dealings. It¡¯s just that they¡¯re not from here,¡± said Sophia as she refuted the im. ¡°Where are they from, then?¡± Drake questioned. Sophia choked at that. To be honest, she didn¡¯t know either, for she had never asked Arthur anything about his family. ¡°Look at yourself. You know nothing about him, yet you¡¯re dating him! Are you going to help him count his money after he tricks you and sells you off?¡± Never did Emma think her daughter was an idiot before this. ¡°Break up with him. From now on, I don¡¯t want you to have anything to do with the man,¡± Drake ordered, not wanting to see his daughter ruined in the hands of that young man. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m with your father on this. No matter how far you guys have gone at this point, you have to break up with him. Your father and I will find a good family for you after this.¡± Emma wasn¡¯t taking no for an answer either. At that, Sophia grabbed her bag and shot right up. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you two, but I love him, and I don¡¯t want to break up with him.¡± The next second, she dashed out of this ce; she knew that if she didn¡¯t run, her parents would very likely lock her up in this house and forbid her from going anywhere. ¡°Youe back here this instant, Sophia!¡± Emma chased after her, but she could only watch as the latter got into the car and left. The couple exchanged a nce at that, livid with rage. ¡°That man has gotten our daughter for good,¡± said Emma fumingly, but she then recalled how good- looking Arthur was. That man looked like he could be on the front cover of The Sexiest Man Alive, for she had never seen a hotter man than him. They wouldn¡¯t have reacted like this if he was from an honest background. However, not only was this man mysterious and unfathomable, he was filthy rich and crazy powerful. Evidently, he was a guy who couldn¡¯t be messed with. While Sophia stopped at a red light, she made a call to Arthur. ¡°Hey,¡± His deep, melodious voice came from the other end of the line. ¡°Artie, my parents have found out about our rtionship. I¡¯ming back now. We might have to move out of my house,¡± said Sophia. Her parents would definitely try to catch them at her ce. ¡°In that case, I can sit down and talk to your parents. Running away isn¡¯t going to solve anything, Sophia.¡± ¡°No way. You have no idea how scary my mom and dad looked when they talked about you. They seriously have a huge problem with you.¡± Sophia didn¡¯t want him to be berated as well. ¡°Trust me, Sophia, I can persuade them into letting us date.¡± Arthur tried tofort her. However, Sophia turned apprehensive. ¡°No, let them calm down first!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talk after youe back. You¡¯re on the road now, so you shouldn¡¯t get too emotional. I¡¯ll be waiting for you at home,¡± he replied while trying to soothe her. At that, Sophia could only calm down and drive home, but it didn¡¯t stop her from speeding a little. At last, after parking her car, she dashed right home and threw herself into the man¡¯s arms as soon as she entered the door, refusing to let go. ¡°I don¡¯t want us to separate, Arthur. I don¡¯t want to lose you. I want us to be together for the rest of our lives,¡± Sophia cried out emotionally and greedily. Arthur secured her in his arms and kissed her hair as he cooed, ¡°You won¡¯t lose me. You¡¯ll never have to worry about losing me.¡± Arthur feared not of the future. What man would he be if he couldn¡¯t even protect the woman he loved? As such, he had to love and protect the one his heart had dead set on until the end. Meanwhile, there was a mysterious manor in the heart of Flor, and in that manor lived a mysterious and complex family. The family¡¯s lineage could be traced back to two hundred years ago. They were as wealthy as a nation; their business spanned nearly everything; and they possessed anciry properties where most of the people who lived there served the family. Inside avish mansion, a young woman sat restlessly on the couch. She paced back and forth, evidently uneasy. A woman with her hair tied elegantly into a bun approached the young woman and held her hand. ¡°Rx, Emily. I¡¯ve asked around, and Young Master Weiss will return soon.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Emily¡¯s eyes were filled with joy when she heard the news. ¡°Mom, is he reallying back soon?¡± ¡°He¡¯sing back to inherit the head of the Weiss Family. By then, he¡¯ll have to pick a woman amongst Flor¡¯s most affluent families to be his wife. Do you think you can do it, Emily?¡± ¡°Not at all, Mom. The girl Artie likes isn¡¯t from any of our families; she¡¯s just some average girl named Sophia Goodwin. Mom, what should I do?¡± Anxious, Emily¡¯s eyes turned red-rimmed from oing tears. ¡°I¡¯ve liked him ever since I was little. My dream has always been marrying him and bing the matriarch of the Weiss Family. But now, my dream is about to be crushed.¡± At that, Emily threw herself into her mother¡¯s arms, crying anxiously while unwilling to resign to her fate. A thought hit Vera as she patted her daughter¡¯s back, and she soothed Emily by saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You will be Mrs. Weiss. I¡¯m sure you will.¡± Vera¡¯s confidence surprised Emily as she had none herself. Arthur was initially supposed to return with them, but he ended up going back on Marth¡¯s wish and stayed there because of Sophia. Emily, on the other hand, visited Martha a few times to see what the elderly woman thought of this, only to discover that she didn¡¯t seem at all anxious. It was like she approved of Arthur and Sophia¡¯s romance. This would mean Martha would eventually give in if Arthur insisted on marrying the woman. Sometimeter in the day, a ck SUV pulled in, and Vera went out to wee her husband home. Meanwhile, the man approached her with a briefcase in his hand, looking somewhat tired. Vera thoughtfully took her husband¡¯s coat from him and handed it to their maid for dry-cleaning when she smelled the chemical odor on him. Johnny Jennings worked as a bio researcher for the Weiss Family and was currently assigned to a highly ssified project. The man was already a world-renowned scientist, and he held a very high standing with the Weiss Family; even Martha trusted him very much. Emily was his only child, and at the same time, the likeliest candidate to be the future Mrs. Weiss out of the other young women Martha had chosen for Arthur. ¡°Johnny, I have something I need to talk to you about,¡± said Vera while bringing her husband¡¯s tea. ¡°What is it? Has Emily thrown another tantrum again?¡± However, Vera remained evasive. ¡°Let¡¯s talk in your study.¡± With that, Johnny followed his dear wife into the study, and after closing the door, Vera asked, ¡°Are there any updates on the research findings you told me the other time?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve seeded.¡± ¡°Really? Perfect, just in time for the n.¡± Vera grinned. Johnny was about to drink his tea when he paused mid-air. He looked at his wife with surprise as he noticed the ambitious gleam in Vera¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s about time our family came into our own. You¡¯ve dedicated your life¡¯s work to the Weiss Family; you deserve more than this, and our Emily shall be the matriarch of the Weiss Family,¡± she said. ¡°Naturally, Emily is worthy enough for this.¡± Johnny, too, had utter confidence in his daughter. ¡°However, do you know that Young Master Weiss decided not to return to Flor because of a girl? One that he wants to marry, and this girl poses a massive threat to Emily¡¯s future. Johnny, your research can change that.¡± Vera¡¯s words rendered Johnny reeling for a good few seconds. ¡°You want me to use the serum on Young Master Weiss?¡± ¡°Why not? Inject the serum into his system when he least expects it, then wipe off all his memories and knowledge of that young woman. Only then will Emily be able to marry Arthur. Are you willing to see your daughter end up being a nobody, Johnny?¡± Johnny fell into deep thought. The result of this research of his was indeed extraordinary. After all, it was a kind of serum that used biotechnology to control human behavior. It could remove and even wipe away specific memories from the human brain for good. With just aputer, they could wipe out specific memories from a human¡¯s central and peripheral nervous system, ultimately achieving control. This was supposed to be for the military or certain special behaviors. But now, his wife wanted him to use the inchoate finding on the Weiss family¡¯s most honorable young master. He was truly at a crossroads. ¡°I¡¯m not absolutely certain it will work on Young Master Weiss, though.¡± ¡°You have to do it no matter how much confidence you have in this serum. Young Master Weiss will be returning to Flor real soon, and I¡¯m just asking you to remove that girl from his memory. As for the other girls in Flor¡¯s affluent families, they have nothing on Emily.¡± Vera continued, ¡°That girl is just a nobody. Wiping it away from Young Master Weiss¡¯ memories won¡¯t cause any significant consequences. Besides, Old Madam Weiss also hopes that he¡¯ll marry our daughter.¡± After a ponder, Johnny nodded in agreement. Their daughter¡¯s happiness was the most important thing, after all. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Sophia agreed with Arthur¡¯s suggestion after his sessful reassuring. Running away really wasn¡¯t going to solve the problem, and she should face it instead. Thus, she called her mother and said that she and Arthur would be going overter that night to talk this over. Emma was relieved as well to receive the call. At the very least, Sophia was willing toe home to them and not run away for good. ¡°Alright,e over then. I¡¯ll get dinner ready.¡± Later in the evening, with Arthur driving, the couple arrived at Goodwin Residence and entered the house hand-in-hand. Drake and Emma had to admit that Sophia and Arthur made a lovely couple now that they were seeing it for themselves. However, they still couldn¡¯t ept the two being in a romantic rtionship in light of the young man¡¯s identity. ¡°Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Goodwin. Please allow me to formally introduce myself. I¡¯m Arthur Weiss. Though I¡¯m Florian, I hold a local passport. If I can have your permission to marry Sophia, I¡¯m more than willing to settle here.¡± Arthur spoke sincerely. Sophia couldn¡¯t help looking at him in shock as he had never brought any of it up with her before this. At the same time, Drake and Emma exchanged a nce, unsure of what to say for a moment. ¡°I love Sophia, and I intend to marry her. I hope you can ept me as your son-inw,¡± Arthur continued. Sophia was now as speechless as her parents. His sincerity moved her, and she had never demanded him to marry her or hold any responsibility for their rtionship. Everything that happened between her and Arthur was of her own free will, yet this man promised her parents so much with the intention of settling down here. Would his grandmother agree to this? ¡°Do you really love Sophia? Will you cherish her forever?¡± Drake bore into Arthur, whose gaze was filled with nothing but resolution. ¡°I will. ¡°My daughter isn¡¯t rich or noble, and she isn¡¯t outstanding or perfect either. Meanwhile, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re from an affluent family. Can you really only love her your whole life?¡± Emma questioned, leading Sophia to stop her. ¡°Mom! Can you guys not push him?¡± Arthur, on the other hand, vowed without a second of hesitation. ¡°I can do that.¡± The man¡¯s sincerity eventually moved the Goodwin couple. He was willing to sacrifice anything for their daughter, which was something most men were not able to do. With that, Emma went to prepare dinner while the rest of them went to the couch. Drake then asked Arthur for details of his background. ¡°You said your family¡¯s huge, so what exactly do you guys do?¡± ¡°Banking, energy, and biotech research, to be specific. We also have other international investments. We¡¯ll be here all day if I list them all out, but they¡¯re all definitely honest business,¡± Arthur answered. Sophia, who was listening from the side, was rendered gobsmacked as well. Is the Weiss Family¡¯s business this massive? Just how wealthy are they, and what kind of superrich life did this man grow up in?! Apart from the shock, a hint of inferiority arose in Sophia as she listened to the two talk about Arthur¡¯s family. Drake couldn¡¯t help gasping as well. No wonder this guy has such deep pockets and is able to mobilize so many connections at such a young age. Who¡¯d have thought he¡¯s the young master of a superrich family?! Arthur sensed his beloved¡¯s bundled-up fingers, and he reached his hand out to hold them, looking at her with a gentle, encouraging gaze. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t ask him any more questions, alright? Let him take a breather and have some water,¡± Sophia asked of her father. At that, Drake coughed and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go and help your mother out. You should entertain Young Master Weiss.¡± After Drake left, Sophia began behaving somewhat restrainedly. Who¡¯d have thought something from the TV would actually happen to her?! She thought Arthur¡¯s family was merely rich. However, not only were they rich, they also dominated the world¡¯s most money-making businesses. To add to the list, his family was mysterious andplex as well. Arthur held her hand and kissed the back of it. ¡°Did I scare you?¡± ¡°How would I not be scared when this is my first time hearing about your family¡¯s businesses?!¡± Sophia didn¡¯t conceal her thoughts. ¡°My love for you has nothing to do with my family¡¯s assets,¡± said Arthur as he fixed her hair. ¡°I¡¯m no God. My life will wither away as you would, and I¡¯ll need to eat as well. I¡¯m just a living, breathing man who has fallen in love with you, Miss Sophia Goodwin.¡± Sophia burst into a giggle. ¡°There¡¯s no need to humble yourself tofort me. I feel really lucky to be able to meet you and to be loved by you.¡± ¡°Me too,¡± Arthur cooed by her ear in a slightly hoarse voice. Emma cooked up a feast that night, and the four enjoyed a pleasant dinner as well. After finally realizing who Arthur truly was, the Goodwin couple no longer viewed the young man as some scourge. Rather, he and Sophia made a pretty lovely couple the more they looked at it. Nothing beat Sophia¡¯s love for her significant other. They just hoped that this affluent young man wouldn¡¯t disappoint their daughter. After dinner, Arthur took Sophia home, and while driving, he would keep his eyes on the few ck SUVs behind them every now and then. These vehicles had been following them since they left Goodwin Residence. It just so happened that Sophia wanted to get something when they were about to reach the apartment complex¡¯s entrance, and after pulling over, she turned to Arthur. ¡°Wait here for a few minutes. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± As Sophia went into the supermarket, one of the ck SUVs instantly approached them, and two stalwart bodyguards got out of it, greeting Arthur deferentially, ¡°Young Master.¡± ¡°What are you guys doing here?¡± Arthur wasn¡¯t the happiest to see them. ¡°Old Madam Weiss has asked us to take you home.¡± ¡°I will go back myself.¡± ¡°Old Madam Weiss wants you to return home this time without taking Miss Goodwin for now.¡± ¡°I have my own ns.¡± ¡°This is for Miss Goodwin¡¯s safety. Also, it would not be suitable for her to show up at your session ceremony.¡± Seeing that Sophia was already making a payment at the counter, Arthur ordered inly, ¡°Be gone.¡± With that, the bodyguards hopped back into the ck SUV and drove away. After Sophia entered the car, the ck SUVs continued following them as their number one job was to ensure their young master¡¯s safety. Outside, the sky was painted ck with speckles of stars and the moon as an ent. Inside, Sophia came to the couch after taking a shower, and her long, white T-shirt entuated her pair of fair, slender legs. Meanwhile, Arthur put hisptop aside and spread his arms out for Sophia to embrace him with a smile. She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a peck on the lips, asking, ¡°Are you done with work?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± At that, she couldn¡¯t help nibbling his neck mischievously, teasing him like a cuddly kitten. Arthur loved the moment and tilted his neck slightly to give her full ess to his neck. Sophia, on the other hand, blushed as she breathed in his unique scent. However, she thought it felt amazing to tease him; she could bully him however she wanted, no matter how affluent he was. ¡°Why do you like to bite me so much? Have I offended you in any way?¡± asked Arthur as his breathing grew heavier. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Perhaps I have a problem with the rich.¡± Sophia made a random excuse. Arthur burst into a chuckle and pulled her deeper into his arms. ¡°You¡¯re held liable for teasing me, you know?¡± ¡°What liability?¡± Sophia yed dumb. At that, Arthur held her chin. ¡°What do you think it is, puppy?¡± Sophia parted her lips. ¡°Don¡¯t call me that.¡± A hint of mischief shed across Arthur¡¯s eyes as he dared the young woman. ¡°Who cares if I do? Unless you take the lead without saying no to anything tonight, I won¡¯t call you ¡®puppy¡¯ ever again. You¡¯re not allowed to refuse anything.¡± ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t say no then,¡± asserted Sophia with integrity despite her crimson face. At that, Arthur stood right up, gave her a tug, and carried her bridal style into her bedroom, where they would have a passionate exchange for the night. Sophia was already sound asleep in the dead of the night, spent yet content. However, Arthur couldn¡¯t sleep at all. He pulled his phone out and checked the abundant text and missed calls. He knew he couldn¡¯t dy his trip home any further, for they were awaiting him to ascend as the head of the Weiss Family. This was his life event, and he had to show up. With that, Arthur grabbed the pen and paper beside and wrote a hand-written letter. After cing it on the bedside table, he leaned over and gave his beloved a peck on the forehead, whispering, ¡°Wait for me.¡± The Weiss bodyguards had been waiting downstairs all this while, and upon seeing their young master coming out, they heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Young Master, the ne is still waiting for you.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± At that, he looked at the apartmentplex behind him, specifically at the dimly lit window, before reluctantly getting into the car to leave. Momentster, a massive, dark gray private jet shot into the sky and disappeared into the night. Meanwhile, Sophia had a sweet dream as she hugged the covers, feeling the lingering warmth of it. In her dream, she found herself in a wedding gown, holding Arthur¡¯s arm as they toasted their guests. When morning came, Sophia habitually shifted to the side and even stretched her hand over, only to touch a slightly cool bed sheet. The strangeness instantly stirred her, and she sat right up upon seeing the t mattress. The dead silence of the apartment caused a premonition to arise within her. With that, she got out of bed, searching in the not-so-spacious room before finally finding Arthur¡¯s hand-written letter on the bedside table. ¡®Sophia, I have an urgent matter to attend to back home, but trust me when I say that I¡¯ll return to you soon. Once I settle my family¡¯s affairs, I wille and take you back to Flor to n our wedding. Love, Artie!¡¯ Sophia rxed a little after reading the letter. However, his French leave made her rather indignant. Then again, if he really bid her goodbye, she would only feel even more horrible and reluctant to part with him, wouldn¡¯t she? This letter would instead give her strength and security. Naturally, she would wait for his return patiently. It was fine even if he didn¡¯t return soon, for she would already be joyous as long as he came back to her. Meanwhile, inside a majestic manor in Flor, Arthur showed up in a ck suit with brilliant embroidery on the hem of the suit jacket, reflecting his honorable status. Martha, on the other hand, was relieved when she saw that Arthur had returned. She sized the young man up with no intention of reprimanding him whatsoever and thought he was doing pretty well. ¡°Grandma.¡± Arthur went up to his grandmother and gave her a hug. However, Martha gave him a shove, not wanting to get over it so quickly. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t think you can get away with this. I¡¯m not buying it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so much, though, Grandma.¡± Arthur continued to butter up the elderly woman, causing her feigned sternness to turn into a beam instantly. At that, she gave him a yful whack. ¡°As if I still mean something to you! You rascal! Do you even remember where your home is when you¡¯ve been out there for so long?¡± Just then, an excited figure dashed over from outside. Emily happened to be visiting, and she dashed right over upon hearing Arthur¡¯s return. ¡°Artie, you¡¯re finally back!¡± Surprise and grievance filled Emily¡¯s eyes. ¡°Emily, why don¡¯t you stay for dinner tonight?¡± Martha offered. ¡°Sure, Grandma.¡± Emily dly epted the offer. ¡°Grandma, I have to deal with some work first. I¡¯ll join you guys for dinnerter.¡± With that, Arthur walked away. Adoration oozed from Emily¡¯s gaze as she watched the tall, charming, retreating figure. I have to be his wife! she swore. ¡°Emily, take a stroll in the garden with me, will you?¡± Martha asked. ¡°Sure. Grandma, will Artie be leaving again now that he¡¯s back?¡± Emily probed, to which Martha patted her and soothed, ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry, Emily. Artie¡¯s back now, isn¡¯t he? You have to create your own opportunities, you know.¡± Emily¡¯s eyes lit up upon hearing so. It looks like Grandma still wants me to be Arthur¡¯s wife. ¡°I got it, Grandma.¡± She nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely seize the opportunity.¡± Martha nodded in response. At the end of the day, she was still inclined to have a young woman from one of Flor¡¯s most affluent families marry her grandson. More than that, Emily¡¯s father was an esteemed biologist in his field, and he had also given the Weiss Family tons of profit. It couldn¡¯t be any better if Emily married Arthur. Meanwhile, Arthur¡¯s car was heading toward argeboratory. He hade to take a look at the institute of biology and hear about thetest research findings in the meantime. Johnny came out of theb as usual. However, he grew somewhat nervous as he approached the conference room, for there was an additional item in his pocket today¡ªa micro-tube of serum. ¡°Dr. Jennings, Young Master Weiss is inside. Pleasee in!¡± ¡°Alright. Water for the both of us,¡± Johnny said to his assistant, who returned with two sses of water in no time. Johnny happened to be on the phone, and upon seeing his assistant, he ended the call and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take it from here. You can go back to your work.¡± The assistant didn¡¯t put too much thought into it and handed Johnny the tray. As the assistant was leaving, Johnny hurriedly spiked one of the sses of water with the serum. Following that, he entered the room with the tray to find Arthur sitting on the couch, reading an analysis report. ¡°Young Master Weiss, it¡¯s been a while,¡± greeted Johnny while putting the spiked ss of water in front of Arthur. ¡°It has, Mr. Jennings. I heard you have cracked the engineering for the thing we discussedst time. Congrattions on yet another masterpiece.¡± ¡°We couldn¡¯t have done it without your support, Young Master. If the Weiss Family hadn¡¯t supported my lab and me, I wouldn¡¯t be able to seed,¡± Johnny thanked him sincerely. Arthur smiled. ¡°I need you just as much.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s thanks to you that I¡¯m able to achieve all that I can today. A toast to you, Young Master Weiss.¡± Not the slightest bit suspicious, Arthur picked up the ss in front of him, cheered Johnny, and downed the ss of water. After drinking the water, a hint of nervousness and anxiety shed across Johnny¡¯s eyes, and he deliberately got up. ¡°Young Master Weiss, allow me to give you a copy of the report. One moment, please.¡± Arthur nodded in response. However, just as he picked up the file on the table to read it, he suddenly cked out and fell into a deep slumber with little warning. Seeing so, Johnny immediately grabbed hisptop and some portable device, sticking its pads onto Arthur¡¯s vital spots above the brain. Following that, Johnny opened hisptop and entered some enigmatic program containingplex coding. Despite the sweat gathering on his forehead, he proficiently typed out a series of codes before wiping Arthur¡¯s memory of Sophia clean. Johnny looked to Arthur, asleep on the couch, and found the young man locking his brows into a furrow for a while. Finally, when all was done, Johnny sorted everything out and returned to the couch to wait for Arthur to regain consciousness. Not ten minutester, Arthur opened his eyes in difort. Compared to earlier, his gaze was now looking more aloof and expressionless. ¡°What happened? Why did I pass out, Mr. Jennings?¡± Arthur couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°It could be because you¡¯re burnt-out, Young Master. You should be fine now after a nap,¡± said Johnny reassuringly. Chapter 771-780 Chapter 771-780 ¡°Young Master, I¡¯d rmend you to undergo a check-up in the hospital when you have the time. You recently returned from abroad, after all. You should get your body checked,¡± Johnny suggested. Meanwhile, Arthur furrowed his brows, suddenly feeling that his memories were a little jumbled up; he couldn¡¯t grasp a certain fragment of it. ¡°I¡¯m going to make a move. I don¡¯t feel so good.¡± ¡°Alright, Young Master Weiss,¡± Johnny saw him to the door. On his way back to the manor, Arthur kept seeing shing images in his head, but he couldn¡¯t grasp what any of them were. Frustrated, he grabbed his phone to check the time, only to find a picture of an unfamiliar young woman set as his home screen background. Who in the world pulled this kind of prank? He frowned. Arthur stared at the picture of the radiant young woman for a few seconds before entering his phone settings to switch the background into his preferred dark tone. Arthur happened to see Emily approaching in his direction when he returned to the manor. At that, he stopped in his tracks and looked for a couple of seconds, allowing many memories of him and Emily to sh across his mind. However, these memories held no significance to him. Emily stayed for dinner, and her heart raced when she watched Arthur walk down the stairs and into the dining room. She also noticed something surprising about him¡ªhis former sense of nobility and aloofness had returned to him. This feeling felt different from the one in the morning. Though he also treated her with indifference earlier, the aura he was emitting at the dining table right now waspletely different. Martha, too, was surprised by Arthur¡¯s expression, and she thought there was a change in his attitude toward her. ¡°Artie, are you okay?¡± she asked with concern. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he answered before getting up. ¡°I¡¯m going to deal with some work.¡± Emily looked at Arthur, feeling rather aggrieved at that. Just when I thought I¡¯d have the chance to talk to him! Sometimeter, Martha decided to have a heart-to-heart talk with Arthur after Emily left. At the very least, she had to find out what he thought about marriage. ¡°Artie, I hope you can give your marriage some thought during tomorrow¡¯s session ceremony. You¡¯re not getting any younger, after all.¡± Martha spoke after taking a seat on thevish couch. ¡°You can decide on my behalf, Grandma.¡± Arthur¡¯s eyes turned warmer as he shut hisptop. ¡°I can¡¯t do that. You have to pick the woman you want to live with for the rest of your life yourself. Tell me, is there ady you fancy?¡± Martha could only probe as she couldn¡¯t disclose the fact that she had met Sophia in private to him. Arthur narrowed his eyes and pondered for a moment. ¡°Emily¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°Emily?¡± Martha was slightly stumped. ¡°Are you saying you want to marry Emily?¡± ¡°She¡¯s suited to be my wife.¡± Arthur nodded. ¡°Emily, it is!¡± Martha was dumbfounded. Did Artie break up with Sophia? The bodyguards reported that they¡¯ve already moved in together, and he was even reluctant toe back. Why would he suddenly decide to let Emily be his wife? ¡°Artie, I won¡¯t intervene too much on your own happiness. You can just tell me who it is that you like. I won¡¯t object to it.¡± Martha had thought it through when she came back this time around. She had never seen Arthur care about a woman so much as he had with Sophia. After mulling over it, she decided that her grandson¡¯s happiness was more important than family honor. This time, it was Arthur¡¯s turn to be surprised. ¡°Is there someone more suitable to be my wife than Emily?¡± Stumped, Martha couldn¡¯t believe Arthur wouldn¡¯t even mention Sophia. It seemed that he had decided to think of the greater good and marry their kind. Of course, Emily¡¯s father was a notable employee of the Weiss Family as well. It would be easier for them to manage things if Emily was married into their family, so Martha naturally approved of this. ¡°Are you certain it¡¯s Emily? If you are, I¡¯ll announce your engagement tomorrow, and we¡¯ll hold a wedding in a few days. What do you say?¡± Martha looked toward her grandson. ¡°Sure, we¡¯ll do that.¡± Arthur didn¡¯t have a single problem with it. To him, it wasn¡¯t important who his wife was. Martha, on the other hand, was now certain her grandson had broken up with Sophia. Perhaps he had also taken into consideration that she wasn¡¯t the right person for him. ¡°Alright, if that¡¯s what you have decided on.¡± With that, Martha walked away. Arthur looked out of the window at the night sky, then grabbed his phone with vexation and opened the photo album as he thought his memory of recent events was blurry. It felt as though he had slept for a long time and had a vague dream, which was absolutely unfathomable. As soon as he opened the photo album, the picture of that mysterious young woman appeared again, and it wasn¡¯t just that picture. There were many pictures of her from different angles and of her smiling, pouting, making faces, and even looking all innocent and adorable at the camera. Who had secretly taken pictures of this woman using his phone? Who is she? Why is she on my phone? Why is she reacting so naturally in front of the camera? Also, who used my phone to take pictures of her? It dawned on him that he had no memory of any of it. At that, he stared at this young woman while trying to recollect whatever encounters he had with her. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t pull her out from any of his memories. Having said that, this young woman did catch his fancy, and her smile was really lovely. As for her name, he really had no recollection of it, so he decided not to waste his time on this and deleted the pictures. However, just as he was about to do so, a thought held him back. He had a feeling these photos held a certain significance to him. Plus, they didn¡¯t take up much of his phone storage, so he just left them as they were. Meanwhile, Martha made a call after going downstairs, instructing all who served Arthur to never mention Sophia in front of him ever again, lest the young man regretted his decision to marry Emily. Drowsiness hit Arthur right then, and he fell asleep the second he hit the pillow. This actually had to do with the spiked water he drank earlier, for it contained sedative substances. By the time Arthur woke up, it was already noon the following day. As the session ceremony was set to be held in the afternoon, he was somewhat annoyed at himself when he stirred. I can¡¯t believe I nearly missed the ceremony. The Jennings had arrived at this time, and Johnny implicitly asked about Arthur. In the end, he and his wife got a piece of exciting news. Arthur had decided to marry their daughter and would even announce their engagement on this day. Then, they would hold a wedding in a few days. Naturally, Emily was the happiest to receive such news; little did she think that she would have the chance to be the young mistress of the Weiss Family. Better yet, Arthur was the one who requested to marry her. The other guests who had arrived all congratted her in advance. It didn¡¯te as a surprise for them that Emily could marry Arthur, for Johnny had made distinctive contributions to the Weiss Family¡¯s biotechpany. Following themencement of the session ceremony in the afternoon, Arthur unsurprisingly became the patriarch of the Weiss Family, and he now had the final say in everything. Meanwhile, Martha decided to step down, leaving everything in Arthur¡¯s hands while she lived the rest of her life in peace and quiet. During the session ceremony, Martha personally announced Emily to be Arthur¡¯s wife and that the wedding would be held in a week¡¯s time. ¡°Ma¡¯am, should we notify everyone on the guest list?¡± the butler couldn¡¯t help asking in the hall. ¡°Yes. This is a huge celebration. Don¡¯t miss out on anyone. By the way, Artie has two close friends. They must be notified.¡± ¡°Understood, ma¡¯am.¡± Martha made sure that Elliot and Richard were notified of their best friend¡¯s wedding. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Elliot had just exited his office at 4.00PM to pick up his dear wife down in Bourgeois when his phone rang. He took a gander to find it was an international call. Elliot answered the call. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Hello, is this Mr. Elliot Presgrave?¡± ¡°Speaking. To whom am I speaking?¡± Elliot asked courteously. After introducing himself, the caller then brought a piece of news that surprised Elliot. Artie¡¯s getting married this Saturday?! ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll definitely be there.¡± At that, Elliot couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Pardon me for asking, but may I know the name of the bride?¡± ¡°She is Miss Emily Jennings, the daughter of the Weiss Family¡¯s prominent biologist.¡± ¡°Alright, please tell Arthur I said hi.¡± Elliot waited until the caller replied before hanging up, then entered the elevator with his phone in his hand. I thought Sophia would surely be his wife, but to think that he¡¯ll be marrying someone else. This sure is unexpected. Meanwhile, in Bourgeois, Anastasia began sorting out the documents piled up on her desk soon after her meeting ended. While she was preupied, a knock came at the door. ¡°Come in,¡± she said. When she realized the person behind the door was her beloved and not Grace, Anastasia couldn¡¯t help propping her chin up with a beam. Then, she looked at him with adoration. ¡°What brings you here?¡± On the other hand, Elliot removed his suit jacket, put it on the couch, then went behind her to massage her shoulders, helping her rx her muscles. Anastasia leaned partially against him while enjoying it, taking in her beloved¡¯s love and care. ¡°I got a call from Artie¡¯s family informing me to attend his wedding thising Saturday,¡± Elliot mentioned the call he got earlier. ¡°So soon?¡± Anastasia looked up at him with surprise. However, a hint of resignationced Elliot¡¯s voice. ¡°Sophia¡¯s not the bride.¡± Anastasia¡¯s smile froze in an instant. Disbelief very quickly enveloped her face as she thought, How is it not Sophia?! They¡¯re so in love! ¡°How can this be? Why isn¡¯t it Sophia? Have they broken up? It¡¯s only been a few days since the banquet, and Arthur¡¯s already marrying another woman?! What¡¯s going to happen to Sophia then?¡± Anastasia rambled on. Elliot, too, thought it was unlike Arthur to do something like this. The man he knew was definitely not a womanizer. ¡°Maybe he took his family¡¯s future into consideration and epted his grandmother¡¯s arrangements. The woman he¡¯s marrying is the daughter of a biologist, and they are probably very reputable.¡± ¡°This doesn¡¯t mean he can dump Sophia so heartlessly, does it? Does Sophia know about this? She isn¡¯t being kept in the dark, is she?¡± Anastasia truly felt bad for Sophia, feeling that it was unfair for her. It was probably because she liked Sophia that she naturally sided with the woman and thought Arthur was somewhat a douche. ¡°Are you going to tell her about this?¡± Elliot asked. ¡°How sad would it be of her if she¡¯s kept in the dark while still hoping that Arthur woulde around?!¡± Anastasia bit her lower lip and made a decision. ¡°I¡¯m going to tell her about it.¡± ¡°Since I¡¯m going tofort her, I¡¯ll go over to her ce. Pick Jared up, will you? I¡¯lle home a little later,¡± Anastasia said to Elliot. He didn¡¯t say no to it, for he couldn¡¯t defend his brother from another mother too much on this, lest he really wanted to piss his wife off. Anastasia took Grace with her, and on the road, thetter called Sophia asking where she was and if they could meet up. Sophia and Grace were on good terms as well, so the former said she was at home andter sent her address over. ¡°We¡¯re just around the corner, Sophia. Why don¡¯t youe down? We¡¯ll talk at a nearby cafe.¡± Sophia agreed happily, and it wasn¡¯t until she came out of her apartmentplex and entered the domineering ck sedan that she realized Anastasia was joining as well. ¡°Anastasia, I didn¡¯t expect to see you too!¡± Seeing there wasn¡¯t a hint of sadness in Sophia, Anastasia immediately knew this girl was still clueless about Arthur¡¯s uing wedding. ¡°Sophia, where¡¯s Young Master Weiss?¡± Anastasia probed. ¡°Oh, he flew back for a family affair,¡± Sophia answered. ¡°In that case, did he tell you when he¡¯ll be back?¡± ¡°He said right after he¡¯s done dealing with his family¡¯s affairs.¡± Sophia¡¯s gaze was already filled with longing. Anastasia¡¯s heart skipped a beat upon hearing so. Sure enough, she¡¯s clueless about this! Arthur didn¡¯t go home to deal with his family¡¯s affairs; he went to get married, and his wedding date is this Saturday! How Arthur had decided to deal with this really pissed Anastasia off. Even if he was Elliot¡¯s best friend, it couldn¡¯t be denied that he was a douchebag for messing with Sophia¡¯s love and not holding himself ountable for it. ¡°Grace, wait for us here in the car. I have an urgent matter with Sophia.¡± Anastasia decided the two of them should talk in private. While Grace waited in the car, Anastasia and Sophia entered the cafe. While the former was ordering, she asked the server to bring a couple of drinks to Grace and her chauffeur. Sophia, on the other hand, was taken aback as it seemed that Anastasia had something important to tell her. Could it be about her resignation? ¡°Anastasia, is there something you want to talk to me about?¡± Sophia felt bad about it. She was supposed to be Anastasia¡¯s assistant, but she quit just a few days into taking up the job. ¡°Sophia, how are things between you and Young Master Weiss?¡± Anastasia asked gravely. Sophia smiled bashfully in response. ¡°Not too bad.¡± ¡°Has ite to a point where you guys are talking about marriage?¡± Anastasia pressed on. Recollecting the promise he gave to her parents, Sophia nodded. ¡°He¡¯s met my parents, and he said he¡¯ll marry me. I¡¯m already happy that we can be together, though.¡± Anastasia once again changed her impression of Arthur. He actually promised to marry Sophia? Then what is he doing, marrying someone else as soon as he goes back to Flor? He can¡¯t possibly be thinking of having two families and two wives, right? She then looked at Sophia sitting across from her, whose gaze was innocent. This young woman had no clue she had been dumped! ¡°Sophia, what I¡¯m about to tell you mighte as a shock to you. Promise me you¡¯ll stay calm and don¡¯t freak out, okay?¡± She decided that Sophia should know. ¡°Alright.¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°Earlier today, my husband got a call from Arthur¡¯s family at 4.00PM, inviting him to attend Arthur¡¯s wedding in Flor thising Saturday.¡± The cup of coffee in Sophia¡¯s hand slipped and fell onto the table with a thud, and even as the scalding coffee burned her hand, she felt nothing. Startled, Anastasia hurriedly grabbed some paper napkins to stop the coffee from spilling further, then asked a server toe and clean the table up. ¡°Anastasia, is it true?¡± Tears of shock had already formed in Sophia¡¯s eyes when she looked up again. After handing her a paper napkin, Anastasia nodded in affirmation. ¡°It is. I thought you¡¯d be the bride, but Elliot confirmed it¡¯s someone else.¡± Sophia pursed her lips as tears rolled down her cheeks like pearls of a broken string. She didn¡¯t want to embarrass herself in public, but it felt like someone hadcerated her heart, making it bleed badly. Even if she never thought she and Arthur would have a future together, to hear that he would be marrying as soon as he went home was still unbearable, so much so that it suffocated her. In fact, she wasn¡¯t as tough as she thought she would be. ¡°Sophia¡­¡± Anastasia grabbed a paper napkin and went to her side, handing it to her gently. Anastasia felt guilty, for she obviously knew telling Sophia this would break her heart. However, she was even less willing to see Sophia be kept in the dark. At least, it would be better for her to walk out of a bad breakup sooner. ¡°Anastasia, I¡­¡± Sophia choked on her words, and she couldn¡¯t even speak properly. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I understand. Just let it all out. I got you.¡± Anastasia sat down next to her on the couch. Her heart ached for Sophia, but there was only so much she could do. Sophia¡¯s tears fell like a never-ending waterfall. She tried to ept the reality, but it only made her feel worse. She couldn¡¯t figure out why Arthur would leave that letter for her and why he would give her such expectations, telling her that he would only be gone for a while. If he had really decided to marry someone else, why would he behave so passionately and tenderly all those nights? Why would his eyes exude love for her unreservedly? Sophia knew that was love. He didn¡¯t fake it, nor was he acting. That was his genuine feeling. Thus, she walked further down into the blind alley, having a hard timeing to herself. Arthur clearly loved her, but why would he suddenly marry someone else? It¡¯s Emily, isn¡¯t it? she thought. She¡¯s Old Madam Weiss¡¯ number one pick for Arthur. As Sophia continued to cry, she suddenly turned and grabbed Anastasia¡¯s arm, imploring, ¡°Anastasia, can you take me to the wedding? I¡­ I want to give him my blessings.¡± Despite being overwhelmed with sorrow, she still wanted to attend Arthur¡¯s wedding, even if it was to witness his happily ever after with another woman. Sophia¡¯s plea took Anastasia aback for a few seconds. Fearing that Anastasia would reject her, the woman took pains to promise, ¡°Anastasia, I promise I¡¯ll just watch. I swear I won¡¯t cause any trouble¡­ I just want to see him get married. Please, I beg you.¡± Anastasia fixed Sophia¡¯s hair, her heart aching for this poor and heartbroken soul. ¡°Sophia, I don¡¯t think you should go. You¡¯ll only feel even more horrible.¡± Sophia suddenly chuckled wryly, then sighed. ¡°Did you know, Anastasia? When I started seeing him, I never even dared to think of having a future with him. I know I don¡¯t belong in his future. Now that he¡¯s getting married, I¡¯m not asking for much; I just want to see him. It might even help me get over him even more.¡± Anastasia pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°Why don¡¯t you think about it overnight? If you really want to go, you cane to me whenever. I¡¯ll let you join as my assistant. But for now, let me send you home.¡± Sophia nodded in agreement and stood up, but because she was a little weak at the knees, she had to prop her hands on the table to stand straight. Meanwhile, Anastasia helped her out of the cafe. After sending Sophia home, Anastasia asked Grace to keep the womanpany for a while while she went home. At the mansion, after the father and son shared dinner together, Jared went to practice piano while Elliot went to the balcony for some fresh air. Elliot prided himself on his acute perception, and he thought something wasn¡¯t right with Arthur¡¯s wedding. Would Arthur, his brother from another mother, ask his family butler to inform him of something as important as his wedding? Did he not even have the time to make a call? Knowing Arthur, he would definitely share such noteworthy news himself. Hence, Elliot thought none of this made any sense. Just then, his ringtone sounded, and he checked to find Richard calling. ¡°Hey, Richard,¡± Elliot answered the call. ¡°Elliot, you¡¯ve got word of Artie¡¯s wedding, haven¡¯t you?¡± Richard asked on the other end of the line. ¡°I heard about it this afternoon. What about you?¡± ¡°About the same time. How busy do you think that dude is to ask someone else to inform us of something as important as his wedding?!¡± Richard thought something didn¡¯t add up either. ¡°You think so too, huh? I was wondering the same thing. This isn¡¯t like Artie.¡± ¡°Yeah! Between the three of us, he likes to share the most. He would¡¯ve called us himself about something this important,¡± said Richard. ¡°When will you be heading over?¡± ¡°As soon as I¡¯m done with the things at hand. I want to verify some things myself.¡± As a bachelor, Richard was a man of action in practically everything. ¡°Alright, you go ahead. Let me know if anythinges up.¡± ¡°Sure. Things can¡¯t go wrong between the three of us. I heard Artie got involved in biotech after his parents passed from illness. His family isplicated, and I have to see if anything happened to him.¡± Elliot thought so too. ¡°Alright, you go ahead. We¡¯ll catch up with you.¡± Just then, he noticed that a car had driven in. With that, he put his phone away and went downstairs. In the hall, he saw his wife sitting dazedly on the couch as if something was weighing on her heart. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Elliot walked up behind the couch and leaned forward, wrapping his arms around her neck as he asked. ¡°I told Sophia everything. She got really sad, and I could see that she truly loved Arthur.¡± Elliot could also see from the banquetst time that his best friend was serious about Sophia as well. However, he didn¡¯t know if the marriage this time had been forced into fruition by the family members. ¡°Let¡¯s not interfere in their rtionship. You¡¯ve done what you could as a friend, so leave the rest up to fate,¡± said Elliot, trying tofort her. ¡°Also, Sophia said that she wants toe with us to Arthur¡¯s wedding, and I promised to bring her along,¡± Anastasia raised her head and said. Elliot was stunned. ¡°If Artie really wronged her, why would she want to go?¡± ¡°Sophia only wants to go there for a look, and she won¡¯t cause any trouble. I think she only wants to witness his wedding without doing anything that¡¯ll cross the line. Can¡¯t we bring her along?¡± Anastasia pleaded. ¡°Sure.¡± Elliot had no objection to it, for his mind was currently upied with another matter¡ªArthur¡¯s abnormal behavior. If something really happened to his friend, he would have to investigate further. Meanwhile, Sophia sat on the couch in the silent room. In front of her was the letter Arthur had prepared before he left, and he had carefully written every word on that piece of paper. This was proof of their love and evidence of the feelings he had for her. If this were fake, then what else could be true? If he truly stopped loving her, Sophia still wanted to hear it from himself. As such, she wanted to attend his wedding with Anastasia and Elliot. She wanted to hear him announce the end of their rtionship before shepletely gave up and forfeited everything rted to him. Then, she¡¯d start all over again. After a whole night of consideration, Elliot decided that he wouldn¡¯t be taking his son to Flor. This time, both he and Richard felt that something was off, and there were too many hidden dangers. They had to find out the reason first. Anastasia woke up in the morning to see Elliot leading their son out of the bedroom. The child greeted her, then ran downstairs to y. ¡°What were you guys talking about so early in the morning?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve decided not to bring him along this time.¡± Anastasia was a little stunned. ¡°Why not?¡± Arthur was their son¡¯s godfather, so their son was obliged to attend his wedding. ¡°The one who called me up to invite me to the wedding wasn¡¯t Artie himself; it was his steward instead. Based on this fact alone, I know there¡¯s something wrong. I think something might have happened to Artie¡¯s wedding this time.¡± When she was reminded of this, Anastasia also felt that something was amiss. Arthur had been too cold and cruel when he ended things with Sophia. Throughout their rtionship, Sophia¡¯s love was completely humble. She didn¡¯t ask for a future with him, so even if Arthur didn¡¯t marry her, he should¡¯ve given her a proper ending nheless. ¡°Did Jared agree to it?¡± ¡°We agreed on a deal. I promised to bring him on a tour around the world during his summer vacation, and we¡¯ll see the penguins in Antarctica together.¡± Anastasia nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good. We can go together.¡± She was asking to be included as well! In the evening, Elliot¡¯s ne took off. A dark gray private ne shimmered in the night sky above the international airport, exuding a majestic aura among the airliners. Meanwhile, Sophia had arrived. She picked up the pieces of her broken heart and was now boarding as Anastasia¡¯s assistant. Grace came along as well. Both she and Sophia could work together to take care of Anastasia. Anastasia alsoforted Sophia, telling her not to do anything rash no matter what happened. Sophia was still young, and her future was still something to hope for. Sophia wouldn¡¯t cause her any worry, and she was already quite calm on the outside. Her only reason for going was to seek for an answer, and once she received it, she wouldpletely forget about Arthur before going home to start life anew. The vi at night was filled with luxurious grandeur and cars with several guests pulled up at the parking lot outside the vi. Soon, a tall and upright figure opened the door and got out of the car. He took a luggage from the trunk, then carried it in his hand with great ease. His entire body exuded an aura that could only belong to someone from a military background. On his handsome and well-defined features was a pair of eyes that looked like stars. His gaze was firm and held a strong power that could see through everything. ¡°This way please, Mr. Lloyd. The guest bedroom is over here.¡± The steward came forward and greeted him courteously. ¡°Where¡¯s your young master? I want to see him.¡± ¡°He¡¯s been busy preparing for the wedding these days, and he¡¯s also quite swamped tonight. I¡¯ll inform him toe and meet you tomorrow morning,¡± the steward replied. Richard frowned slightly. ¡°Alright.¡± He then went into the guest room prepared beforehand, and an attendant immediately came over to serve dinner. He was told to take a good rest at night, which meant that he wasn¡¯t supposed to go out loitering at night. However, Richard wasn¡¯t someone who kept to himself since young. In the middle of the night, his figure disappeared behind his window like a fleeting shadow despite the fact that he was four stories above ground. Richard immediately went for the master bedroom where Arthur would be in. He had been here before, and he was quite familiar with the ce. He passed by a dark garden and finally arrived at the window which was still illuminated by the lights within. He positioned himself on the wall near the window and swiftly climbed up. In the main bedroom, a pampered figure was still awake. Arthur wore a ck nightgown as he swirled the ss of wine in his hand which was meant to aid with sleep. His dark hair drooped and covered his full forehead, whereas his exposed features were handsome and alluring, exuding the prestigious aura he possessed since birth. Just then, he keenly sensed that there was someone outside the window. His eyes darkened. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± The person outside had no intention of hiding as he jumped through the window. Who could it be other than Richard? When Arthur saw him enter, he dropped his guard, but he wasn¡¯t too surprised either. He simply said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s you.¡± Richard¡¯s lowest expectation was to be greeted warmly by his best friend, while his highest expectation was to receive a hug from him. However, he never expected Arthur to just greet him so indifferently. This disappointment was no better than getting abandoned by the love of his life. ¡°Is that how you¡¯re going to wee me? Artie, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Richard asked right away. He wanted to know what had caused their friendship to be so distant. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± Arthur raised an eyebrow as he returned the question. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel that something has changed between us? You getting married is a huge event, but you merely asked your steward to inform me about it. Are you so busy that you can¡¯t even take time to call me and Elliot up?¡± Richard acted like a neglected wife as he confronted Arthur. Arthur looked at him, confused. ¡°Would you onlye if I invite you myself?¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± For some reason, Richard felt defeated. He let out a sigh and plopped onto Arthur¡¯s bed. ¡°You know, I was in such a rush and dyed everything else toe and see you. I was worried about you.¡± ¡°Why were you worried?¡± Arthur continued swirling the wine in the ss, the coldness in his eyes still unrelenting as if nothing in this world could rouse his excitement. Richard was fuming by then, and he even wanted to give his good friend a good beating so that Arthur could stop acting so aloof. By then, perhaps Arthur would be reminded of the past when they used to fight each other. ¡°Artie, nothing happened to you, right? You look like you¡¯ve changed into apletely different person.¡± Richard sat up on the bed and looked at Arthur, who exuded a sickly charm under the lights. In fact, he looked like a cold beauty. ¡°What could possibly happen to me?¡± Arthur looked at him, feeling slightly bored. Then, he stood up and said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. You should go back and rest.¡± Richard gritted his teeth and got on his feet before walking up to Arthur. He stared right into thetter¡¯s eyes as if he were trying to find the truth behind it all. Arthur was a little stunned by his actions, so he pushed him away and said, ¡°What are you looking at?!¡± Richard felt that there was obviously something wrong with Arthur, but he couldn¡¯t put a finger on it. Arthur was being too cold toward him, making it seem as though their friendship never existed. ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll talk properly tomorrow.¡± With that, Richard leaped out of the window. Arthur frowned, but he didn¡¯t give Richard another look as if he knew that the man wouldn¡¯t fall to his death. Arthur didn¡¯t feel anything weird about himself these days, but everyone around him noticed the changes in him. He had be more indifferent, and even when faced with things he should be angry about, he simply responded calmly without much fluctuation in emotion. Richard went back to his room and rested his head on his own arm, but he couldn¡¯t fall asleep despite his fatigue. He still felt that the matter with Arthur was of great importance, and he had to investigate this in order to find out what caused his best friend to act so coldly. In the morning, Richard purposely went to the vi for breakfast. Even though it was a bit shameless, he still sat opposite Arthur and studied him with an unabashed stare. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Arthur simply swept an indifferent nce over him and continued his breakfast in elegance, undisturbed. ¡°You¡¯re here, Richard,¡± said Martha as she came over and greeted. ¡°Hello, Grandma. Long time no see,¡± responded Richard, returning the greeting politely. ¡°Long time no see, indeed! You¡¯re still handsome like always,¡± Martha praised before she continued to ask, ¡°Is your grandfather still in good health?¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s still up and about.¡± Martha nodded, then looked toward Arthur. ¡°Artie, why don¡¯t you take Richard on a walk after breakfast? You must have a lot to catch up on.¡± ¡°I still have some matters to attend to. I don¡¯t have time for him.¡± Arthur unexpectedly declined the suggestion. Richard felt like his heart had been stabbed as he said to Martha, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Grandma. I¡¯m used to doing things alone.¡± ¡°Come here, Richard. I have something to ask you about,¡± Martha called him over to a wing at the side of the building. Richard also hastily got up and followed. Martha looked at him worriedly and said, ¡°Richard, did you notice anything wrong with my grandson? I feel like he haspletely changed aftering back this time.¡± ¡°Yes! I noticed that too, Grandma.¡± ¡°I wonder what happened to him; he acts as if he doesn¡¯t care about family anymore. He doesn¡¯t even look excited about his wedding, and he just treats it like a job he¡¯s supposed to do. I don¡¯t understand him at all.¡± ¡°Grandma, when did this change happen?¡± ¡°The day after he came back. When he came home, he still hugged me happily and acted like a spoiled child, but now, it seems like he can¡¯t even stand it when I speak more than two sentences. Oh, dear!¡± Martha was also heart-broken. ¡°Doesn¡¯t Arthur realize that himself?¡± ¡°He seems fine, but also unusual at the same time. I even asked him to see a doctor, but the doctor couldn¡¯t find anything wrong with him either. He just said that Arthur has had a change in personality, and his emotions and feelings have toned down. He¡¯s in good health, and there¡¯s nothing wrong in that aspect.¡± ¡°Can you get the butler to give me a copy of Arthur¡¯s itinerary when hees back? I¡¯ll look into it.¡± Richard was determined to carry out the investigation. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± Martha was also terribly worried. Her grandson had turned into a cold and aloof person, and she was anxious about it. Meanwhile, in theboratory, Johnny was also gathering data on Arthur¡¯s recent emotional changes. In the end, he found out that his medicine had destroyed Arthur¡¯s nervous system as a side effect, robbing the man of his emotions. Something was wrong with Arthur¡¯s emotional mechanism, but Johnny¡¯s wife and daughter were still in the dark about this as they were still rejoicing over the wedding. Johnny thought that he should observe for a while longer, hoping that these symptoms would heal with time. He couldn¡¯t offer a better treatment, after all. Nheless, Johnny knew that if his daughter married Arthur, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about funds for hisboratory anymore. He could make the best use of thisboratory and invent even more wondrous things than this. By then, he would be famous all over the world. Thus, out of concern for his own prestige, he decided not to cure Arthur. He could treat the man as a research subject so that more observations could be carried out. Save for him and his wife, no one else knew about this. In the evening, a private nended safely at Flor International Airport. When they exited the airport, the cars that would ferry them were already there. Anastasia went with Elliot, while Sophia and Grace got into another car. As Sophia felt the evening breeze of this country on her face, she couldn¡¯t help the tears welling up in her eyes. She felt as if there was a hint of kinship in the air. She was breathing the same air in this country, just like him. She would be able to see him soon. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Sophia. You¡¯ll be able to see Young Master Weiss soon.¡± Grace considerately passed her a napkin andforted her. ¡°Thank you.¡± Sophia suppressed the sorrow inside her. No one could understand her feelings then, her joy of seeing him soon, and also the despair that would ensue when she witnessed his wedding. Shrouded in the curtain of night, Flor was both bustling and unfamiliar. The cars were headed toward the horizon in the distance. Finally, after two hours, they arrived at the vi where the guests would be lodged. Under the night sky, the vi looked magnificent andrge as if it were a huge beast crouched on the ground. Sophia looked at the huge vi which was akin to castles and pces. It took up almost a million hectares, and the garden formed a patchwork pattern in the night. This definitely wasn¡¯t any ordinary rich person¡¯s house. ¡°Wow! Young Master Weiss is so wealthy!¡± Grace was also in shock. The butler brought a few people along to wee them, then led them to the guest rooms prepared beforehand. Anastasia took Elliot¡¯s hand and whispered in his ear, ¡°The Weiss Residence feels like an ancient pce to me.¡± ¡°Yes, the system is quite strict here, and the difference in sses is clear as day.¡± Elliot nodded. Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but be stunned. She was more used to the rxed atmosphere back home. The woman then turned to look at Sophia and said, ¡°Sophia, you can rest for today, and we¡¯ll talk about everything tomorrow, okay?¡± ¡°Okay, Anastasia. I won¡¯t do anything rash.¡± Sophia nodded as she promised. She was already grateful enough to be able to set foot in here, so she wouldn¡¯t cause any trouble for Anastasia. Even though she could hardly suppress her urge right now, she would do her best to rein it in. As soon as Anastasia and Elliot arrived at their room, someone knocked on their door. Elliot opened the door to see Richard standing at the entrance. In delighted surprise, he immediately gave his best friend a hug, and Richard also squeezed him back tightly. Then, Richard mused that this was the right way best friends should treat each other. After Richard came in, he greeted Anastasia, ¡°Hello, Anastasia.¡± ¡°Hi, Richard.¡± Anastasia was also on familiar terms with him. ¡°Elliot, there really is something wrong with Artie.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°He seems to have changedpletely, and he¡¯s indifferent about everything as if nothing could get him excited or emotional at all. He has lost all emotion toward everything. Even when he sees us, he treats us like mere acquaintances,¡± Richard said helplessly. Elliot frowned. ¡°How could this be? When I met himst time, we were still so close to each other.¡± ¡°I know, right? His grandmother told me that he changed on the day after his return, and even though he¡¯s going to get married, he doesn¡¯t look happy about it at all. It¡¯s as if getting married carries the same weight as having a meal to him.¡± ¡°Is he marrying the girl he likes?¡± Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously. Richard shook his head. ¡°I have yet to meet that girl, but I think that Artie is only going through with the wedding because it¡¯s protocol. I don¡¯t think love is involved here.¡± ¡°Did his grandmother ask him to have this wedding?¡± Anastasia asked again. ¡°No, I heard that he asked to marry this girl himself.¡± Anastasia exchanged nces with Elliot. Arthur wasn¡¯t forced into marriage, and he was the one who wanted to marry the girl instead? What about Sophia? Did he really have no love for her? ¡°We¡¯ll go see him for a bit.¡± Elliot was a little anxious to see for himself what had changed about Arthur. ¡°Okay! Anastasia, you can rest in the meantime. We¡¯ll be off.¡± With that, Richard headed outside. Behind him, Eliot also said gently, ¡°Wait for my return, and call me if anything happens.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Go ahead!¡± Anastasia was actually a little tired, and she wanted to rest for a bit. Eliot and Richard went out together. They asked about Arthur¡¯s whereabouts, then went straight to him. Just then, Arthur was in the garden walking his beloved pet. He was sitting on the couch as he watched the Doberman dig holes in the ground. He usually cared for it like it was his own son, but he just told it to stop in azy tone, saying, ¡°Gritt, stop it.¡± Gritt let out a pampered whine, then immediately went over to him and rubbed its head against his arms. Then, it sniffed all around him, perhaps also noticing that its master was less enthusiastic now, thinking that Arthur probably didn¡¯t love it anymore. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Arthur frowned as he looked at the dog, then reached out and patted it. ¡°You like walks, don¡¯t you? Go and y!¡± However, Gritt remained in his arms, reluctant to leave. Itsrge mouth rubbed against his arm as it let out more whimpers. ¡°You¡¯re making my clothes dirty.¡± Arthur pushed its big mouth away, then picked up a ball beside him before throwing it into the distance. ¡°Fetch.¡± Just then, Gritt¡¯s ears perked up when it sensed someoneing. Soon, Gritt started barking before it ran over to the visitors, letting out another type of joyful whimper. Richard and Eliot both smiled as they looked at thisrge dog with loving gazes. Gritt was a puppy they had picked out together, and the little guy in the past was now enormous. Arthur turned to look at the two. He simply looked at them, not even expressing wee. Eliot¡¯s emotions right now were undoubtedly the same as Richard¡¯s not long ago. He looked at Arthur, who was seated there and didn¡¯t even seem to bother getting up. There was a faint smile in Arthur¡¯s eyes. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± ¡°See? With your expressions like that, I might even think that we¡¯re not wee to your wedding!¡± Richardined. He was a man of few words, but this time, Arthur had stimted the expansion of his words. Eliot had prepared himself beforehand, so he calmly took a seat across from Arthur, then chatted with thetter as usual. ¡°Congrattions, Artie. I never thought I¡¯d attend your wedding this soon.¡± ¡°Did youe here alone? Where¡¯s Anastasia and Jared?¡± Arthur asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t bring Jared this time, but Anastasia is resting in the room. She¡¯s looking forward to meeting your wife; perhaps you can arrange for them to meet tomorrow,¡± Eliot said. ¡°Sure, I can do that.¡± With that, Arthur nced at his watch. ¡°I have a video conference to attend, so I¡¯ll go back to my study now. We can talk more tomorrow.¡± ¡°Hey, you can¡¯t leave like that.¡± Richard didn¡¯t want Arthur to leave, so he went up and stopped the latter. Arthur frowned, retracting his hand reluctantly. ¡°Let go, Richard.¡± ¡°We just arrived, but you¡¯re already leaving? That¡¯s no way to treat your best friends.¡± Richard wanted to evoke even stronger emotions from Arthur. However, Arthur just said in exasperation, ¡°Pardon me if I¡¯mcking in hospitality.¡± ¡°What about a fight?¡± Richard wanted to throw hands now. ¡°I can¡¯t win against you.¡± Arthur wasn¡¯t stupid. ¡°Right, you¡¯ve never won against me. What I meant was that I¡¯ve never lost since day one.¡± Richard continued provoking him. At the side, Eliot didn¡¯t stop the fight; he simply observed the reactions on Arthur¡¯s face. There was indeed something wrong. Arthur used to be apetitive person, but now, he only wore a bored expression as he retracted his hand and said, ¡°I do admit that I can¡¯t win against you. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± Richard simply watched him leave, wide-eyed. Then, he turned back to Eliot and said, ¡°See? He¡¯s just so indifferent, and it¡¯s no use provoking him. Something must be wrong.¡± However, Arthur, who hadn¡¯t gone very far, seemingly had superior listening. He suddenly turned around and walked back to them as he asked Richard, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± Chapter 781-790 Chapter 781-790 ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Don¡¯t you feel anything?¡± Richard asked him. With a smirk, Arthur answered, ¡°I think something is wrong with you, not me.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± Richard asked him again. ¡°You¡¯re a busybody like someone¡¯s mother,¡± Arthur rebuked him. Hearing that, Richard looked at him resignedly. ¡°That¡¯s because you ditched us.¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± Arthur turned around and left after saying that. Then, Elliot came over and patted Richard, who was feeling hurt. ¡°There¡¯s really something wrong with Arthur. We should look into this.¡± ¡°I looked into his schedule and saw that he¡¯d met a biology professor, Johnny, the day aftering back. However, I still haven¡¯t found a chance to meet him yet. I¡¯m sure something is wrong there.¡± ¡°Okay, we can start looking into it. We need to be extra careful in Weiss¡¯ territory, though. It¡¯s not our ce, so don¡¯t let them have anything on us.¡± ¡°I know. Let¡¯s look into it together.¡± Richard felt better after knowing that he had someone on his side. On the other hand, Sophia promised Anastasia to not simply go anywhere at night. She didn¡¯t simply go anywhere either and merely strolled in the garden downstairs. If she didn¡¯te out to give herself some air, she felt that she would go insane in no time. As she was strolling, her gazended in her opposite direction. Lights were shining blindly, and the person she loved the most was standing there. Even though they were not separated by mountains or seas, but only by a garden, it was a gully that she found difficult to cross. He was right there, but she couldn¡¯t touch him. Sophia was engulfed in sadness as she had her head down the entire time and was walking absent- mindedly. After walking for quite some time, she raised her head and was immediately stunned. Where am I? Since the gardens were interlinked, she was now standing deep inside an unfamiliar garden and had lost her way. What made it worse was that there was no one in the garden who could help her. At this moment, she grew more upset, and tears were gushing out of her eyes. She hugged herself in her arms and chose a bench to sit, ultimately deciding to cry it out. She could use this chance to release all her emotions since no one was around. All this while, the toughness and calmness that she tried so hard to put on were all fake. In fact, she was feeling heartbroken inside. Under the night sky, Sophia started sobbing, ignoring everything around her. However, she didn¡¯t know that her sobbing had attracted one person¡ªa man who was heading to his study. Arthur had good hearing, so he could hear a woman crying from deep inside the garden. It was the extremely sad sobbing kind. Yet, he didn¡¯t want to know why she was crying. He just hoped that she could cry in a lower voice so as not to disturb his workter. Yet, even after a while, she was still crying so loudly. As such, he decided that he would go over and get her to move somewhere else to cry. Meanwhile, Sophia thought that there was no one around, so she didn¡¯t suppress her emotions at all. She was trying to convert all her sadness into tears and was crying whole-heartedly, not realizing there was a person approaching her. Just then, she heard a cold voice of a maning from the side. ¡°Why are you crying?¡± Startled, she lifted her head sharply and saw a man standing in front of her under the moonlight. Although the moonlight was behind him, she could still recognize this figure that she was extremely familiar with. Regardless of his cold tone just now, he was still the person whom she loved the most. ¡°Arthur¡­¡± Sophia said happily and dashed toward him desperately. After running into his arms, she hugged his waist tightly. Arthur didn¡¯t have the chance to reject her, and the woman had wrapped her arms around his waist tightly. In fact, she was wiping her tears on his shirt. ¡°Let go.¡± He reached out his hand to pull her tightened fingers on him. Instead of letting go, she hugged him even tighter until a cold voice came from above her head, asking her, ¡°Who are you? Why are you hugging me?¡± At this moment, she lifted her head from his chest. Her big, teary-eyed eyes looked at him pitifully under the moonlight. ¡°You don¡¯t recognize me? You don¡¯t remember who I am?¡± Sophia asked him. Arthur lowered his head and gazed at the girl in his arms. Suddenly, he felt his heart aching as he sensed a sense of familiarity with that face. Adding on to that, her pair of eyes, which had tears welling up, were tugging on his nerves, and he felt his heart pounding for her as though he was under a spell. ¡°Do I know you?¡± he asked with a frown.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Sophia let go of his hands and looked at him in agony before asking, ¡°Don¡¯t think that you can act dumb, Arthur. Just tell me if you don¡¯t love me anymore. We can break up.¡± Startled, Arthur looked at this enraged girl and didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°My name is Sophia Goodwin, and I used to be your girlfriend. I came here to see you and hear what you said. Once you¡¯re done talking, I¡¯ll leave and never get in your way again.¡± Surprised, he asked her, ¡°What do you want me to say?¡± ¡°Say you don¡¯t love me any more or that you fell in love with someone else. Just say it. I want to hear what you have to say.¡± She lifted her head, and while tears were streaming down her face, she made herself look at him. Arthur looked at the girl whose tears kepting. His chest tightened as if something were pressing on his heart, and he found breathing impossible. Why did I feelpelled tofort her by wiping her tears? Even though he realized she was the girl on his phone, it was clear he had never met her. ¡°Say it! Why didn¡¯t you tell me you don¡¯t love me anymore?¡± Sophia was enraged and shouted at him. He did not respond or move away; he just gazed at her calmly. ¡°You don¡¯t dare to say it, do you! Okay, then, I¡¯ll say it: let¡¯s break up! I don¡¯t want to talk to you or think about you ever again; I¡¯m getting rid of anything you left behind at my ce and any promises you made to me are now null and invalid,¡± Sophia eximed loudly to him as if she was cool about it, but tears could not fool people. At this moment, arge dog rushed out from the side and barked madly at Sophia. Her face turned pale with fear, and even as she panicked, she picked the safest spot for protection¡ªArthur¡¯s arms. She gripped him like an octopus by wrapping her arms around his neck and bending down on her legs. ¡°Gritt, get out of here.¡± Arthur was holding a panicked girl as his dog continued to bark anxiously. ¡°Arthur, I¡¯m scared. Ask your dog to go away.¡± Sophia clutched his neck hard, almost suffocating him. ¡°It will not bite you. Come on down!¡± Unexpectedly, he didn¡¯t try to push her away. ¡°No way, it¡¯ll bite me.¡± She was sure that the big dog considered her an enemy. He inhaled deeply and said, ¡°I can¡¯t breathe!¡± ¡°Then, tell your dog to leave!¡± Sophia was annoyed. ¡°Gritt, go away.¡± The most Arthur could do was shout at his pet, and when Gritt caught on to the fact that its master was bing irate, it moaned pitifully, turned, and walked away. As soon as Gritt left, Sophia refused to let go of Arthur until he finally pulled her hand away; she was thrown off bnce and fell to the ground. ¡°Ouch!¡± she shouted in pain. Arthur gazed at her while extending his hand to help her up. ¡°I don¡¯t need your help! You can leave now!¡± She decided to ignore him. ¡°You¡¯re lost. Let me send you back.¡± Arthur¡¯s surprising kindness sprang from his inability to bear the idea of leaving her alone. Sophia stared at the man in front of her and had the impression that he didn¡¯t recognize her. He looked at her as if she were a total stranger; the affection he had felt for her had faded away. This feeling was far more excruciating than really putting an end to her. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t remember me?¡± she stood up and asked him. Arthur looked over Sophia¡¯s face, which was covered with tear stains. Under the moonlight, she resembled a weeping lily, charming and heartbreaking. Arthur¡¯s breathing was somewhat irregr as he struggled to recollect the past. Where else have I seen this face except in the photos on my phone? Is there something I can¡¯t recall? ¡°Never mind. Suppose this is how you break up, fine. I¡¯ll ept it. But I still want to hear from you. Have you never loved me before? Just answer yes or no.¡± Sophia gave up, for there wouldn¡¯t be anything that would make her more hopeless than she was when he announced his marriage. In preparing to confront Arthur, she hade to terms with the fact that this truth, however painful it might be, is sole of concern to her; she intended to let time heal the wound. She had no regrets about loving or devoting herself to him, even if it meant living the rest of her life for him. ¡°Say it! Yes or no?¡± She abruptly extended her hand and pushed him, asking, ¡°Arthur Weiss, are you a man?¡± His tall, slender frame retreated as if he were being rocked by her force. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like answering that question.¡± Arthur shook his head and then turned around and wanted to leave. ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡± Suddenly, Sophia ran over to him and, seemingly out of her mind, wrapped her arms tightly around his waist and pleaded with him, ¡°Don¡¯t go, okay?¡± Stunned, Arthur looked at the delicate arms around his waist and felt strange. Why am I not against her intimacy? These days, Emily often found opportunities to make out with him, but whenever she touched him, he would have a sensation of reluctance. But at that moment, he realized that he did not reject this girl physically or mentally; the realization that his body created a favorable impression on her confused him. Who is she? Why is she on my phone, and why did she say she¡¯s my girlfriend? But when did I date her? ¡°I can answer your previous question,¡± Arthur said suddenly, as though he was annoyed by her pestering. When Sophia heard that, she felt a shudder run through her entire body. She let go of her hand and took a step back before turning her head to look at him and waiting for his answer. Arthur then straightened his shirt as though he detested her for wrinkling it. ¡°What is the answer?¡± She fought the impulse to cry and instead asked him. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Yes, what?¡± she asked, upset. ¡°I thought you wanted me to say yes or no.¡± Arthur found her incredibly annoying. ¡°So, you never loved me, did you?¡± As soon as Sophia had finished her sentence, she reached inside her pocket and handed him the paper. ¡°This is what you wrote to me, and I¡¯ll give it back to you.¡± Arthur frowned as he looked at the letter that had been folded; then, he reached for it and held it in his hand. ¡°I promised not to bother you further; after all, our rtionship began when you said it did and ended when you said it did. It¡¯s all over now.¡± Sophia stepped back as she finished talking but didn¡¯t notice the flower bed behind her. ¡°Ah¡­¡± She eximed a loud yell, staggered backward, and looked like she was about to fall on the flowerbed. Instantly, a hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. As a result of being subjected to this force, the impact sent her into the man¡¯s warm embraces. Despite the iciness of his voice, his demeanor was as comforting as ever. Arthur frowned when he looked down at the girl that was being held in her arms, thinking how careless she was. ¡°Pay attention to where you¡¯re going,¡± he reminded her. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to save me. I did not ask you to save me.¡± Sophia shoved him away. He had never felt his mind this messy before. This girl seemed to be able to mess up my emotions. Helplessly, Arthur watched as Sophia turned around and picked a path to head off in. He then had to correct her, saying, ¡°That¡¯s not the direction to go back to the guest room as you took the wrong way.¡± When she returned, she headed in a different way, and he watched her vanish into the bush. Arthur was on the verge of leaving, but an unexinable feeling flooded his heart, which caused him to be a bit concerned about her. He feared that she would continue to walk aimlessly ore into contact with some kind of danger. After walking a few meters, Sophia was engulfed in sadness all of a sudden, making her unable to walk. While covering her face, she squatted down on the pathway beside the bushes and started sobbing while suppressing her voice. However, she didn¡¯t realize that a few meters behind her, there was a person watching her. Arthur looked at the girl whose shoulders were trembling from her cries. He knew he was the reason she was in misery. Why is she crying like this? Why does she think that I abandoned her? He just stood there for as long as she was crying until his phone started ringing and frightened the crying Sophia. She quickly stood up and turned around, only to see that the man was still there. Seeing him there stunned her for a few seconds. I thought he didn¡¯t care about me anymore. Why is he still following me? Arthur looked at his phone, but he didn¡¯t pick it up. In fact, he hung up the phone and told her, ¡°Stop crying and go back to your room!¡± ¡°Even if I cry, it¡¯s none of your business!¡± Sophia quipped out of annoyance. ¡°Your crying disturbed me,¡± he said ruthlessly. Hearing that, she felt her body sway a little and nearly passed out from anger. Is this man really the Arthur that I know? He¡¯s even colder than strangers. ¡°Fine! I just need to cry further away, right?¡± As soon as she said that, she turned around and saw an exit, so she ran in that direction right away. At this moment, Arthur remembered that that was the way to the pond, and there was no path there. Just as he wanted to stop her, she had already run away. ¡°So¡­¡± He suddenly realized that he had forgotten her name, so he could only run in the same direction as her. Yet, before he could stop her, she jumped into the pond as expected, since she didn¡¯t know there was a pond behind the bushes. ¡°Ah!¡± she shouted fearfully as her body sank into the pond. The coldness of the water at night made her extremely frightened. Just then, Arthur rushed over and took a deep breath. He looked at the girl, who had brought him so much trouble tonight, and felt speechless. ¡°Give me your hand.¡± He reached out his hand, wanting to pull her up. However, Sophia took a step backward. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to care about me. I can save myself.¡± As she said that, she tried hard to walk to the side and grab the stone steps beside it, trying to get herself out of the pond. Luckily, the pond was stone-paved, and there were only a few fancy fish, so it was really clean without any dirt. When her foot stepped on the stone steps, she slipped and fell back into the pond since she didn¡¯t know that the stone steps were filled with moss. Now, her whole body sank into the pond. The next second, Arthur jumped into the pond as well. He reached out his long arm and pulled the drowning girl up. Sophia was so terrified that she hugged him at his waist as if he was her savior. ¡°Why are you doing this to yourself?¡± he bellowed. After that, he carried her in his arms and walked in the opposite direction to the stairs. At this moment, Sophia was stunned as she felt like the Arthur that she knew was back. She was happy even when he scolded her, for it was much better than the cold words he said to her. She looked like a mess when he put her down. Then, he pointed in a direction. ¡°This is the way to the guest room. Don¡¯t use the wrong way again.¡± ¡°Can you send me back?¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡± He needed to go back and take a shower as he was soaking wet too. ¡°What if I get lost again?¡± she pleaded. ¡°Are you a three-year-old kid?¡± You¡¯re a grown woman. Figure it out by yourself! ¡°You¡¯re not wrong. My mind is like a three-year-old. Are you sending me back or not?¡± she asked with her brows raised. All of a sudden, a smile tugged on his lips as though Sophia had made himugh. This was the only time someone made himugh during this period of time. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He decided to send her back. Sophia followed him and walked forward. But not longter, he pointed in a direction and told her, ¡°Go there. There¡¯ll be a maid there to help you.¡± ¡°Are you not sending me back to my room?¡± Arthur felt that Sophia was asking for too much, so he didn¡¯tply. ¡°If you¡¯re lost again, just simply find someone to bring you back to your room.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay even if you don¡¯t remember me, Arthur. I¡¯ll always remember you. Even when you¡¯re married, you¡¯re still the man whom I love the most,¡± Sophia said seriously before turning around and leaving quickly. At this moment, the man froze for a few seconds. He looked in her direction with his deep eyes and suddenly remembered something. Following that, he reached his hand into his shirt pocket, took out the paper that she gave him, and opened it. It was his handwriting on it. When he read the words on the paper, his brows knitted together. When did I write such loving words to a woman? But this is really my handwriting. When did I lose my memories of this girl? With a frown, he thought that he didn¡¯t want to create any problems since his wedding was in three days. It didn¡¯t matter whether he had anything to do with this girl. The past has nothing to do with the future. In the Jennings Residence, Emily had just received a message from the human rtions department that someone with the name ¡®Sophia Goodwin¡¯ was on the guest list, indirectly causing her insomnia. I can¡¯t believe Sophia¡¯s here. What does she want? Does she want to restore her rtionship with Arthur? At the thought of all the anger that she felt from Sophia, she thought that she could use this chance to return all that to her since this was her territory, ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re here. You asked for it yourself, so don¡¯t me me,¡± Emily scoffed. She was already Arthur¡¯s fianc¨¦e anyway, and it would be her big day three dayster, so she could torture Sophia within these three days. That night, Sophia tossed and turned in bed until the next morning. Her eyes were all red from crying after feeling that the Arthur that she met today was familiar yet strange. What had he been through when he returned to his family? Why can¡¯t he remember me? Did he lose his memory? Meanwhile, that same night, Anastasia was asleep till midnight when she felt the man beside here back. She suppressed her drowsiness and asked, ¡°Did you find out anything?¡± ¡°Ya. Let¡¯s talk about it tomorrow. You should sleep.¡± He kissed her on her head and put her to sleep. He had looked into Arthur¡¯s schedule and his test report with Richard tonight. There wasn¡¯t anything wrong other than Arthur had gone to Johnny¡¯sboratory. This was the part that they hadn¡¯t gotten into. The next day, there were many guests at the manor, making it busy and lively. Just as Sophia finished her breakfast, a maid came to her. ¡°Miss Goodwin, someone is looking for you.¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Please follow me.¡± Sophia didn¡¯t feel suspicious as she thought that it was Arthur looking for her, so she followed the maid and entered a car. After five minutes of driving, they reached a racecourse, and she finally saw the person who was looking for her. Shocked, she looked at the person. Emily? ¡°Long time no see! I heard you¡¯reing to our wedding, so I thought that I should meet you personally.¡± Emily smirked. Hearing that, Sophia took a deep breath and said, ¡°Congrattions to you both.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re trying to stir up my wedding, I¡¯ll let you pay for it, Sophia. I¡¯m warning you. Leave my man alone. If you think that he still loves you, I advise you to give up on that thought. He only loves me now!¡± Emily said confidently. Sophia spent the entire night thinking things through,ing to the conclusion that it was what it was. She didn¡¯t intend to mess anything up, so she gave thedy her promise, exining, ¡°I¡¯m here for the wedding. I promise you I won¡¯t go near him.¡± Needless to say, Emily didn¡¯t believe her, but it didn¡¯t matter anymore since Arthur had already forgotten about her. She had purposely talked about Sophia in front of Arthur previously, but he didn¡¯t have any reaction. With that, she vaguely knew what her father had done, but she definitely wouldn¡¯t tell others about it. ¡°If you want me to believe you, ride a horse with me then.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how to ride a horse.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! All the horses here are very gentle and well-trained,¡± said Emily, with a devilish look shing on her face. ¡°I¡¯m not riding.¡± ¡°What if I let you ride Artie¡¯s horse?¡± Hearing that, Sophia was startled for a moment, but she shook her head in the end. ¡°I really don¡¯t know how to ride a horse.¡± All of a sudden, Emily pped her hands, and her bodyguard appeared out of nowhere. Then, he carried Sophia up. ¡°Get her up on that horse.¡± Emily pointed at a big horse. Shocked, Sophia shouted, ¡°Let me go! Let me go!¡± However, no one could save her here since the racecourse was closed today, as though someone had purposely gotten rid of everyone here. This gave Emily the chance to mess with Sophia. Sophia sat on the horse in fear, and she grabbed onto the bridle on the side instinctively. The next second, someone pped the back of the horse, and it dashed forward at full speed. She was scared to death; she could only lie on the horse¡¯s back and hug its neck tightly. While the horse was galloping, Sophia was screaming all the way. However, no one¡ªincluding Arthur ¡ªknew that someone had been riding a horse on the racecourse since early in the morning. He didn¡¯t sleep wellst night either, since his head was full of the girl she met in the garden and that letter that she had handed him. He looked at it for the whole night but still had no idea when he wrote that to her. At this moment, Arthur had ridden the horse to a field two miles away. This area was under his family¡¯s business and was also a good ce for horse riding and rxing. He wasn¡¯t the the-more-the-merrier kind, so he preferred to stay away from crowds. However, after around 10 minutes, he heard a girl¡¯s scream from the woods. He was stunned for a few seconds because he had closed the racecourse today and prohibited anyone from riding horses. So, why are there people here? The woman¡¯s scream was getting closer and closer to him, and he could hear her weeping helplessly. Just then, he saw a horse galloping out of the woods, and a girl was lying on the horse¡¯s back and hugging tightly on its neck, frightening it and galloping away as though it was trying to fling the girl down from its back. With his excellent eyesight, he saw that it was the girl he had metst night. He was familiar with all the horses here, so he blew a whistle, and that frightened horse stopped instantly. It then neighed before turning around and galloping in his direction. When it reached a few feet away from him, it raised its front legs and finally threw the girl down on its back. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± Sophia felt as though all the bones in her body were broken. Luckily, she fell onto a soft field, but it was still painful. After the horse galloped away, a man¡¯s voice came to her ears. ¡°It¡¯s you again?¡± Instantly, she lifted her pale face and looked at the man in front of her following his long legs. Although she was in pain, she still couldn¡¯t hide her happiness. ¡°Arthur!¡± she called his name in surprise. Arthur squatted down and realized she wasn¡¯t standing up. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Sophia¡¯s leg was injured, and it was so painful that she couldn¡¯t get herself up. So, shey down on the field and decided to rest. ¡°Ya. My whole body is in pain.¡± ¡°Who brought you here for horse riding?¡± he asked with a frown. Hearing that, she felt bitter. Who else could it be? It¡¯s the woman whom you¡¯re marrying soon! Your wife in three days! ¡°I came here myself,¡± she simply said. Arthur reached out his hands to her. ¡°Here, take my hand.¡± ¡°My whole body aches. I don¡¯t want to get up.¡± She continued to lie down and turned around, looking at the sky. At this moment, she felt good all of a sudden. The sky was clear, and she could see the man¡¯s face upside down. She took a deep breath, breathing in all the scents of the grass and flowers around her. She could even vaguely smell the unique cedar aroma on his body. ¡°Arthur, do you really love Miss Jennings?¡± Sophia asked her while blinking. In Arthur¡¯s eyes, it didn¡¯t matter whether he loved her or not. Her father could bring him the research results that he wanted, and she was fit to be his wife. ¡°I don¡¯t want to answer that.¡± ¡°You must love her then. She¡¯s actually quite pretty. You two are a match,¡± she muttered. ¡°I guess that¡¯s not a bad thing either because you both belong in the same world while I¡¯m from another world. I hope I can find my true love when I return and get married, like what my parents want me to do. By then, both of us will carry on with our own lives.¡± Sophia bitterly smiled, her tears welling up in her eyes as she tried tofort herself. ¡°It seems that you have forgotten me, but that¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll endure all the pain by myself,¡± Sophia added. ¡°What do you think we are to each other, Sophia?¡± Arthur suddenly asked. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anymore. Congrattions on your wedding. I look forward to hearing good news about your firstborn.¡± Sophia looked at the man sincerely, finally realizing that Emily wasn¡¯t lying to her. I guess I was indeed in over my head for wanting to marry into the Weiss Family. She then recalled Martha¡¯s words about the Weiss Family¡¯s wealth that far exceeded the level she could ever imagine. For that, she was told that the man was out of her league, which was something she finally understood at that moment. After all, Arthur was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but Sophia was just an ordinarydy from a modest family. I probably used up all my luck when I had the chance to date him for a while. At the thought of that, she considered herself lucky to have ever been in a rtionship with Arthur. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± Arthur took a look at the time and decided that they should make a move. ¡°You could go first. I want to lie down here for a little while more,¡± Sophia responded stubbornly. Deep down, she fell in love with the beautiful scenery around her and was so enchanted that she was reluctant to leave. ¡°This ce is about 2 miles away from the manor, plus the fact that your leg is injured is only going to make it even harder for you to walk back.¡± Arthur was actually thinking of giving her a ride back with his horse. Nevertheless, Sophia shook her head and replied, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t have anything else better to do, anyway. So, now is the perfect time for me to admire the beautiful view around your residence.¡± After hearing thedy¡¯s words, he was tempted to save his breath on changing her mind but couldn¡¯t bring himself to leave her there out of chivalry. ¡°How much longer do you want to stay here?¡± Arthur asked. ¡°Another half an hour more, I guess,¡± she said, fiddling with the flower in her hand. Soon, Arthur returned to his horse and grabbed his water bottle to take a sip before passing it to her. ¡°Would you like to have some?¡± After all the shouting and screaming, Sophia couldn¡¯t help but feel thirsty, so she stood up and began to guzzle the water down her throat. Then, she returned the water bottle to Arthur, who said, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time to make a move. Let¡¯s go.¡± Meanwhile, Sophia realized her ankle was sprained only when she stood up, struggling to walk as she limped. ¡°How are we going to go back?¡± ¡°My horse is our only transport back, so of course, we¡¯re going to ride it back to where we came.¡± Arthur approached thedy on his horse, asking, ¡°Would you like to sit behind or in front of me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to sit behind you.¡± Sophia was traumatized to sit in the front. Arthur then got onto his horse in a charming manner, whereupon he extended his hand to grab Sophia¡¯s. Upon grabbing her palm, he pulled her up as she put her foot on the saddle¡¯s footrest and sat on the horseback. As soon as the horse started moving, she immediately wrapped her arms around the man¡¯s waist due to the sudden jerk from the burst of eleration, her chestpletely leaning on his back. At the same time, Arthur didn¡¯t spur his horse but instead rode it back slowly with Sophia, who was seen with a blushed face behind him. Although the scent wafting from the man was no stranger to her, she could still feel the thrill the first time she caught his scent. Sitting behind the man, Sophia didn¡¯t hide the admiration in her eyes as she stared at the back of his head. At the same time, she somehow felt safe and secure when she caught the familiar scent of the man with her eyes fixed upon his firm back. Nevertheless, Arthur knitted his eyebrows just when she tightened her arms around his waist. At the same time, he squinted, feeling thedy¡¯s soft skin rubbing against his back as he somehow seemed to feel turned on. In fact, Arthur had been abstaining from all pleasures of the flesh recently, as he only cared about handling his work and marrying a wife. However, as he spent more time keeping to himself in solitude without socializing with anyone else, he became temperamental and was easily provoked by small mistakes his maids made. Despite his respect for the elderly, Arthur kept his distance from them, including his grandmother. Although he wanted to get closer to them, he simply couldn¡¯t bring himself to do that, as if something was holding him back. Nheless, Arthur felt somewhat insecure with thedy¡¯s wiggling body right behind him, wondering what magic she had that made him feel aroused. Is she purposely trying to turn me on? Sensing the feelings Sophia had for him, he couldn¡¯t help feeling annoyed, as he suspected she was doing that intentionally. ¡°Sit still and quit moving.¡± He gave an order in a cold manner. However, Sophia reckoned she could barely control herself because her legs were hanging freely in the air. If she didn¡¯t wrap her arms tightly around his waist, she could fall from the horseback anytime. ¡°Thanks for havinge to my rescuest night, Young Master Weiss.¡± Sophia tried to start a conversation with the man. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen anyone as dumb as you are.¡± Arthur grunted coldly. Sophia then pursed her lips and smiled, feeling d that the man was himself because he always called her dumb when they were together. However, instead of showing her disgust, he used that as a reason to love her and show her all the care she needed. Therefore, now that Arthur still called her dumb, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder whether she was really as dim-witted as the man thought. ¡°I have to admit that I¡¯m dumb.¡± Sophia smiled in response. ¡°How did it feel for people like you as you grew up?¡± Arthur curiously looked at her. In that instant, Sophia found those words somewhat familiar, as if he had asked her the same question before. She then smiled helplessly and replied, ¡°I guess I didn¡¯t have a choice. I wasn¡¯t dumb until I met you.¡± With his eyes looking forward, a smile shed across Arthur¡¯s face as he wondered how she could shamelessly put the me on him for being dumb. In the meantime, Emily was sipping a cup of coffee in the cafeteria at the turf club when the person in charge suddenly approached her and said, ¡°Here you are, Miss Jennings. Are you here for some horse riding today?¡± ¡°Nope. I¡¯m only here to take a seat.¡± Emily went on to ask, ¡°Is the turf club closed today?¡± ¡°Oh. No, it¡¯s not. Instead, it was Young Master Weiss who ordered us not to let anyone else in.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Emily asked in surprise. ¡°Because Young Master Weiss wants to have some solitude. He is actually on the turf.¡± When Emily heard that, she nearly spilled the coffee in her hand, appearing surprised. ¡°What did you say?! Young Master Weiss is on the turf?!¡± ¡°Yes, he is. In fact, he¡¯s been there since this morning until now, and it¡¯s been almost 2 hours.¡± Upon hearing that answer, Emily bit her lip in a panicky manner and said, ¡°I have a friend who just went for a horse ride. Hurry up and send someone to fetch her back. She is not too good with horse riding.¡± Deep down, she was praying hard for Sophia not to run into Arthur, knowing she would be med if anything happened to Sophia. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll send someone to get your friend right now.¡± The person in charge replied, shifting his eyes to the window before he noticed a familiar figure. ¡°Wait a minute. It¡¯s Young Master Weiss. He is back, and there is ady sitting behind him. Is that your friend?¡± On the other hand, Emily was ring at thedy right behind Arthur intimidatingly, realizing it was none other than Sophia. Damn it! I can¡¯t believe I just created an opportunity for Sophia and Arthur! She angrily stomped off and exited the cafeteria, making her way toward Arthur. ¡°You¡¯re back, Artie.¡± Emily greeted Arthur, as if nothing had ever happened. As soon as Arthur got off the horse, the groom came closer and held the lead line around the horse¡¯s head to keep it still, whereupon he reached out his arms to carry Sophia off the horseback. When her feet touched the ground, she hissed in pain, stunning Arthur, who quickly carried her in his arms again. At the same time, he looked at the person in charge and said, ¡°Get the driver ready. Her leg is injured.¡± ¡°You said you wanted to try some horse riding, Miss Goodwin. So, how was it?¡± Emily gave Sophia an evil eye in a hostile manner, wanting to make thetter admit that it was her own mistake to ride the horse unsupervised, which had nothing to do with her. In the meantime, Sophia knew what Emily was implying, but despite her rage, she couldn¡¯t dispute the fact that Emily was the one who was about to be Arthur¡¯s wife. In order to protect Arthur¡¯s reputation, she answered, ¡°I fell down from the horse myself and got hurt, but don¡¯t worry about me, Miss Jennings. I¡¯ll live.¡± ¡°Artie, I could tell Henry to take Miss Goodwin home while I go on a horse ride with you,¡± Emily said, feeling jealous at the sight of their arms around each other¡¯s waist and neck. ¡°No need for that. I¡¯ll take her back home myself.¡± For some reason, Arthur felt an urge to take Sophia back home by himself. At the same time, Sophia only looked at him in a stunned manner as she was reminded of the moment he once treated her this well. While Arthur carried Sophia in his arms and walked toward the car that the person in charge had prepped for him, Emily was left stomping the ground behind her with regret and anger. Why on earth did I bring Sophia here and even end up creating the perfect opportunity for her to run into Arthur?! Besides the thought of that, she also noticed Arthur¡¯s sudden change in attitude as he was usually indifferent toward Sophia. Why does he still treat Sophia so well? I thought he¡¯d already forgotten about her. Didn¡¯t my father make sure of that? Emily was left behind as she helplessly watched the car he was in left. Meanwhile, Sophia was stunned as she looked at the man sitting beside her. After all, he just took her away from the turf club and left his fianc¨¦e behind. Thus, she was worried that it would undermine the man¡¯s reputation if anyone knew what he did. Unwilling to tarnish his image, Sophia decided to force herself to walk without letting Arthur carry her as soon as they arrived at a hospital not far away from the manor. At the same time, Arthur got out of the car from the other side and circled around the vehicle to her. When he saw her holding onto the car door and limping, he frowned and asked, ¡°Are you sure you can walk?¡± ¡°Y-Yes, I am.¡± Sophia nodded, refusing to let Arthur carry her because she didn¡¯t want to draw attention from the people around her in the hospital. However, as soon as she took two steps forward, she was overwhelmed by the pain in her ankle. ¡°Say it if you need me to carry you,¡± Arthur smiled and said. ¡°No.¡± Sophia confidently rejected the man. Nevertheless, as she continued to take extra steps further, she suddenly crouched down because she could no longer make herself walk. At that moment, she looked up and asked, ¡°Can you get someone to fetch me a stretcher to carry me? It¡¯s too painful, and I can¡¯t walk.¡± In response, Arthur grunted and replied, ¡°You¡¯re asking for it.¡± He then bent over and carried her to the hospital¡¯s lobby not long before he took her to the orthopedics department. After some diagnosis and examination, the doctor confirmed that she suffered from a ligament injury, which would heal in a matter of days with enough rest. After that, Sophia returned to the manor with Arthur, whoter carried her all the way to her bedroom. When Sophia finally settled down on the couch, she gazed at the sweat that was covering the man¡¯s forehead and said in a sympathetic manner, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for all the trouble that you had to go through.¡± Arthur suddenly crouched down and looked at her in a serious manner. ¡°Do we know each other? Who am I to you?¡± In the face of the man¡¯s intimidating gaze, Sophia didn¡¯t flinch but instead gazed at him gently as she lied. ¡°Y-Yeah, we do know each other. You¡¯re¡­ my friend.¡± Knowing Arthur was about to get married, she decided she shouldn¡¯t create any more unnecessary trouble that could keep him preupied and disturbed. For that, she believed it was her destiny to be forgotten by Arthur, although she used to me him for his heartlessness in abandoning her for another woman. While she realized there was no meaning in discussing the past since his wedding was in three days, Martha¡¯s words still reverberated in her ears. Therefore, she knew she must suppress her love for him in order not to ruin the marriage that Martha had arranged for her grandson. ¡°A friend? How did I end up having such a dumb friend like you?¡± Arthur grunted in an annoyed manner. Nevertheless, Sophia wasn¡¯t angry at the man¡¯s sarcastic reply at all but instead kept her head down with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re right. It is true that you¡¯re friends with a dumbdy like me. But, if you don¡¯t believe in me, you could check your phone and see if there are pictures of me in there.¡± ¡°Do you have pictures of me on your phone too?¡± Arthur asked. ¡°Yeah.¡± Sophia had a lot of pictures of them on her phone. In fact, she even had videos of them, as well as their flirtatious chat history, that could indicate that they used to be lovers. ¡°Show them to me.¡± Arthur extended his arm and asked Sophia for the pictures. Panicky, Sophia hid her phone behind her back. ¡°No can do. There are too many secrets in my phone that I can¡¯t show to you.¡± Arthur curled his lips upward and asked, ¡°What secrets? Why can¡¯t I see them?¡± ¡°There are¡­ many pictures of me and my boyfriend, and I don¡¯t want to show them.¡± Sophia kept her head down, tears welling up in her eyes. At the same time, Arthur felt a stab of pain in his chest that overwhelmed him all of a sudden as he asked with a deep voice, ¡°Did you have a boyfriend?¡± Sophia¡¯s eyes were filled with tears as she kept her head low. ¡°Yes, I did, and he loved me very much.¡± Arthur stood up with a cial look. ¡°I guess I shall make a move now. Just call the maid if you need anything.¡± Sophia looked up and saw the door shut in dismay. He is gone. I can¡¯t believe he is gone. At the thought of that, she felt suffocated, wondering why he would forget about her. What happened to him after he returned to his family? What has he been through that traumatized him so much that he would forget a memory? What kind of suffering did he go through? The thought of that left Sophia with a sharp sting in her heart. Meanwhile, there were two more men who wanted to know about Sophia¡¯s confusion more than anybody else¡ªElliot and Richard¡ªas they had started to make their move. In the meantime, Richard had brought along a lot of military gear, including eavesdropping devices that he could use wherever he went. After all, he had a set of extraordinary skills that allowed him to sneak into any ce without being noticed. In fact, even Johnny¡¯sb, which was heavily guarded, didn¡¯t prove to be enough to stop Richard, who was able to infiltrate the ce stealthily. At that moment, Richard was in the room with Elliot as they appeared to be standing in front of theputer. With a pair of firm eyes that appeared on his face, Richard had been sitting there the whole day because he didn¡¯t want to miss any single piece of information that could prove useful. Having nted his eavesdropping devices all over the ce, he reckoned nothing should escape his ear, including the maids¡¯ murmurs. Soon, he squinted the moment he heard ady¡¯s voice in his earpiece. ¡°Mom, is Dad back? I have something important to ask him.¡± Richard immediately tuned into the source of the voice, realizing it wasing from Johnny¡¯s house. Therefore, he squinted and carefully listened in on their conversation. ¡°Why are you looking for Dad, Emily? You shouldn¡¯t be running here and there because there is still a lot that you have to do for your wedding. Don¡¯t forget. You¡¯re going to be the prettiest bride ever.¡± ¡°Mom, do you know why Artie is treating everyone else so coldly? I¡¯m about to be his wife, but he treats me so indifferently. He won¡¯t even hold my hand. What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± ¡°Come on, silly girl. As soon as he marries you, I¡¯m sure he will be much closer to you than he is now. Thus, all we have to do now is make sure the wedding goes on sessfully.¡± ¡°B-But¡­ Sophia is here. She got injured at the turf club today, but Artie carried her in his arms right in front of me like I didn¡¯t exist. Do you know how mad I was to see that? I thought he would treat everybody coldly, but it looked like that was not the case with Sophia. Mom, it seems that he hasn¡¯t completely forgotten about her. He still loves Sophia.¡± ¡°What? No way. I thought he forgot about thatdy a long time ago?¡± Vera responded in a surprised manner. ¡°Exactly. That¡¯s why I wanted to ask Dad how I could make Artie forget about Sophia. I don¡¯t want him to be thinking about Sophia after we get married.¡± On the other hand, Richard knitted his eyebrows when he heard that through his eavesdropping device. Well, it appears that I just found something useful. So, it was Johnny who did something to Arthur¡¯s memory, which he erased with some sort of biotechnology. The drug¡¯s side effect is exactly the reason that exins why Arthur treats everybody so coldly. ¡°Elliot, Johnny did something to Artie¡¯s memory. He erased his memory about a girl for the sake of his daughter¡¯s happiness. Now, Artie is suffering from neurological damage, which exins his indifferent and temperamental attitude.¡± ¡°Johnny is controlling Artie to make him marry his daughter against his will. If this goes on, Artie will end up as one of his guinea pigs and pawns. This man must not be allowed to do any more harm to the Weiss Family. We must expose him!¡± Elliot could no longer hide his agitated emotions. ¡°When Artie lost his mother, he was so hurt and devastated that he decided to dedicate his life to biological studies so that his people wouldn¡¯t have to suffer from the same disease any longer. However, he didn¡¯t know that Johnny would use his life¡¯s work against him and make him a part of his experiment. I wish he¡¯d seen thating.¡± Richard finished his words and looked at Elliot. ¡°What do we do now? Should we tell Artie about it?¡± Chapter 791-800 Chapter 791-800 ¡°Let¡¯s gather all the evidence we need first and expose him on his daughter¡¯s wedding day. That way, we could show all the guests his true colors without letting them know we¡¯re onto them. What do you think?¡± Elliot made his point. ¡°I guess you have a point. If Johnny knows we¡¯re onto them, he could destroy the experiment results and leave no evidence behind.¡± As Richard continued to keep tabs on the Jennings Family, Johnnyter returned home but didn¡¯t discuss the matter with anyone until it was 9.00PMter that night. At that moment, he brought up the matter to his wife and discussed it with her in the study. ¡°Johnny, Emily said thedy that Arthur met overseas is back. She also said she was very close with him, so please do something to make him forget about herpletely.¡± Johnny was surprised to hear that. ¡°How is that possible? I¡¯ve been watching him and noticed symptoms of neurodevelopmental disorder. So, there is no way he¡¯ll show anyone else affection. Instead, he¡¯ll only behave like a robot to everyone else.¡± ¡°What about Emily? Is she going to be treated like that too, when they both get married? Is her marriage going to be destroyed if that¡¯s the case?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m working on creating some fake memories of him and Emily. By then, he is going to love her very dearly.¡± ¡°Really? Are you sure this is going to work?¡± ¡°My experiment will soon be a sess as soon as both of them get married. So, Emily won¡¯t have to wait much longer before she is going to have the happy life I¡¯m going to give her.¡± ¡°It looks like I¡¯m going to have to drive Sophia away from the family to keep Arthur from ever thinking about her again. If we don¡¯t put a stop to it, there is no telling when she¡¯ll ruin Emily¡¯s wedding.¡± When Richard heard that, he knitted his eyebrows, thinking it was perhaps time to remind his good friend about the imminent danger. Therefore, he decided to help Arthur win back the heart of the woman he loved and left an anonymous note behind. When Arthur returnedter, he saw a note on the desk and picked it up to take a closer look at it. ¡®Sophia is in grave danger. Please protect her at all costs, or you¡¯re going to regret it.¡¯ Upon reading the note, Arthur couldn¡¯t help but feel stunned by the person who wrote the anonymous note because he couldn¡¯t understand why Sophia would be in danger. Nevertheless, he was quickly reminded of the strange incident that happened earlier that day when Sophia fell off the horse at the turf club. Is someone plotting against her? At that moment, Arthur¡¯s mind was flooded with images of Sophia¡¯s face just as he recalled something he had just discovered earlier. I just asked. The reason Sophia will show up during my wedding is that he is the assistant of my friend, Elliot, but why would someone take an assistant like her to the turf club and let her ride a crazy horse? She may be dumb, but I doubt she is so foolish that she¡¯d put her life at risk. At the thought of that, Arthur looked back at the note one more time, his eyebrows frowning as he slowly began to recognize Richard¡¯s handwriting. Wait a second. This looks like that fe¡¯s handwriting. Is this from him? Because of that, he reckoned it was necessary to take the matter seriously, or Richard wouldn¡¯t have left him a warning like that so suddenly. Well, if I¡¯m going to protect Sophia, I guess the only way to do that is to keep her by my side all the time. If I can watch her all the time, she should be safe. Soon, Arthur stepped out the door and summoned his butler, whom he ordered to arrange a room for Sophia next to his. ¡°Is there any specific reason, Young Master Weiss?¡± the butler asked in surprise. ¡°Nothing. I¡¯d like to have a word with her about something in the next few days. ¡°Arthur finished his words and retreated to his own room before the butler ordered the maid to tidy up the guest room next to his. After that, he headed upstairs to fetch Sophia down to her new room. In the meantime, Sophia was spaced out in the room, her eyes still tearful because she had just cried for no good reason not long ago. However, the doorbell outside her room suddenly rang, whereupon she limped toward the door and opened it. Then, she was greeted by a man in a ssic suit and curiously asked him his purpose of visit. ¡°How may I help you?¡± ¡°Miss Sophia, we¡¯re getting a new room, so please pack your luggage and belongings.¡± ¡°Um. Why is that so? I¡¯m good with this room.¡± Sophia refused to impose on anyone. ¡°I have orders from Young Master Weiss.¡± The butler smiled at Sophia. Sophia¡¯s smile stiffened for a few seconds when she heard what the butler said. What? It¡¯s Arthur¡¯s idea? Where is he taking me? Am I causing so much disturbance to him that he wants to get rid of me? Filled with that bitter thought in her head, Sophia braced herself to ept the harsh truth that she didn¡¯t deserve to attend Arthur¡¯s wedding, anyway. Therefore, she had nothing to say, thinking he wanted her gone. ¡°Alright, please give me a moment.¡± Sophia then limped into the room, but when the butler saw that, he quickly ordered the maids toe and help her. After Sophia took care of her luggage, the maids carried them out of the room for her while the butler came back to her with a wheelchair. ¡°Miss Goodwin, please sit in this wheelchair. It should make it easier for you.¡± ¡°Thank you very much, sir.¡± Sophia was embarrassed. As soon as Sophia sat in the wheelchair, the butler wheeled her out the door all the way to the garden. When Sophia looked in the direction in which the butler was wheeling her, she was stunned to see the manor¡¯s main building instead of the guest room beside it. Upon that realization, she couldn¡¯t help but ask herself where the butler was taking her. Soon, they arrived at the elevator, which they took to reach a room on the fourth floor. At the sight of the grand-looking interior, thedy was left with her jaw wide open. Wait a minute! This ce looks so magnificent that it is meant for the owner to live in, not the guests. Sophia then looked around her until her gaze fell upon a man sitting on the couch. As the evening sunlight shone on him, he seemed especially charming and handsome, especially in his white button-down paired with a id vest. At the same time, the fact that he was crossing his legs in his sitting posture only served to make him look even more attractive. Isn¡¯t that Arthur? At that instant, Sophia¡¯s heart was beating rapidly like a jackhammer as she suddenly realized that was what happened every time she saw the man. Soon, Arthur stood up and walked up to the butler, taking over the wheelchair, whereupon he wheeled thedy to her new room. ¡°Wait a second! What¡¯s going on? Why am I moving to this room?¡± Sophia looked up, asking Arthur with a surprised voice. ¡°Your leg is injured, so it¡¯s more convenient for you to be taken care of staying here.¡± Arthur brushed her off with an excuse, Sophia shook her head and replied, ¡°No need for that. I¡¯ll be fine in a matter of days with enough rest. So, I should probably return to the guest room without imposing on you.¡± Nevertheless, Arthur soon wheeled her into the room and responded with amanding voice, ¡°My house, my rules.¡± ¡°B-But¡­ wouldn¡¯t this be inappropriate, considering the fact that you¡¯re about to marry Miss Jennings? I can¡¯t be staying here with you, can I? What if she misunderstands the situation¡­?¡± Although Sophia was tempted to stay close to Arthur, she didn¡¯t want to ruin his reputation. ¡°I¡¯ll exin to her if she misunderstands.¡± Arthur finished his words, but when he noticed her still sitting in the wheelchair, he asked, ¡°Are you going to try and walk yourself? Or do you need me to carry you from the wheelchair?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to walk by myself.¡± Sophia finished her words and held the armrests on both sides of the wheelchair, desperate to show the man that she could take care of herself, only to be tripped by the armrests. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Staggering, she fell forward and instinctively hugged the thing that she thought would make her feel most secure¡ªArthur¡¯s waist. At the same time, the man also extended his arms and wrapped them around her to make sure she wouldn¡¯t get hurt from the fall. The next second, Sophia found her head resting on Arthur¡¯s firm chest. As she could hear his steady heartbeat, her heartbeat was somehow raised by a few BPMs. Great! I oversold my mobility and ended up in his awkward embrace. ¡°Thank you.¡± Sophia then quickly stood up, backing away from Arthur with her cheeks blushing bashfully. Meanwhile, Arthur looked down at her, somehow finding Sophia¡¯s face strangely attractive as he simply couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her. He then seized her arm and helped her walk to the couch, where he sat her down. When Sophia sank into the couch, she heaved a sigh of relief and looked at the man. ¡°I¡¯m fine now, so you may leave and attend to your own business.¡± Upon hearing thedy¡¯s words, Arthur walked away while the maids stayed behind to tidy her luggage and ce her clothes in the wardrobe. Soon, when the maids were finally gone, the room was back to its peaceful state, with Sophia left sitting on the couch in a bitter manner. Deep down, she could sense the man¡¯s feelings for her even though he appeared to have forgotten about her. Later that night, the maids prepared dinner for Sophia, who thought she was going to enjoy her meal alone until Arthur showed up and had his dinner with her. At that instant, she couldn¡¯t help but feel ufortable, wishing this had happened back in their country because she would have been so happy about it. Nheless, the maids were standing right beside them, adding food for them while watching them dine. What¡¯s going on, Arthur? You have a fianc¨¦e, and you¡¯re getting married in two days, yet here you are, dining with another woman. On the other hand, Arthur appeared surprisingly natural, glimpsing Sophia¡¯s reaction every once in a while until he noticed her picking at her meal in an absent-minded manner. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t like the food?¡± he asked with a deep voice. ¡°Oh, of course not. I¡¯m just not feeling that hungry.¡± Sophia shook her head. When she was done with her meal, she returned to her bedroom shortly before she got a call from Anastasia, who asked her about her whereabouts because she had gone looking for her in her room. ¡°Hey, Anastasia¡­ I¡¯m currently staying in the manor¡¯s main building. It¡¯s Young Master Weiss¡¯ idea, apparently.¡± ¡°Oh wow, that sounds great! He can take good care of you in that case.¡± Anastasia was happy for her. ¡°Come on, Anastasia. Stop pulling my leg. You know he is almost getting married, so why is he keeping me by his side?¡± Sophia smiled bitterly. ¡°Look, Sophia. Just stay with him patiently. I believe he still loves you. The reason he doesn¡¯t remember you is that he is suffering from memory loss.¡± Anastasia consoled Sophia because she knew the actual reason behind Arthur¡¯s amnesia. Therefore, she truly believed that Sophia was the Mrs. Right meant for Arthur, while the Jennings Family would soon have to pay the ultimate price for the bad deeds they had done. In the meantime, Sophia had no choice but to stay by Arthur¡¯s side because she couldn¡¯t go anywhere either in her current condition, but deep down, she told herself that she would try her best to keep her distance from Arthur. Meanwhile, a maid, who was in the garden, reached for her phone and dialed Emily¡¯s number. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°There is something I want to tell you, Miss Jennings. Young Master Weiss just arranged a guest room next to his bedroom for Sophia and even dined with her earlier tonight. If you ask me, they seemed to be interacting with each other pretty intimately.¡± ¡°What? What a b*tch! How shameless of her to seduce Artie knowing that I¡¯m about to marry him!¡± Emily was exasperated. ¡°Miss Jennings, I suggest that you move in here right away. After all, there are only 2 more days until your wedding, so you must make sure nothing goes wrong!¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯m moving in tomorrow.¡± Emily had no choice but to postpone her n to the next day, thinking it was toote for her to do that. Soon, she mentioned what she had just learned to her mother, Vera, who also agreed that Sophia was trying to ruin her daughter¡¯s wedding. For that, Vera decided to confront Sophia the next day to make her leave Arthur¡¯s manor, or she would smear her name and make her a sinner by telling the outside world that she was the one who seduced Arthur. In the meantime, Sophia decided to take a shower despite the overwhelming pain around her ankle when it was 9.00PM. Not long after she entered the bathroom, someone knocked on her room door, but when she didn¡¯t answer it, the man standing outside frowned and wondered whether she was already asleep. Is she in bed already? But it¡¯s only 9.00PM now. There is no way she sleeps so early. In fact, Arthur was thinking of telling the maid to prepare him some supper just when he thought he should also ask her about that since she didn¡¯t eat much during dinner. Thus, he turned the doorknob and opened it, easily entering the room as the door wasn¡¯t locked. ¡°Are you there, Sophia?¡± Arthur called out to thedy. Nevertheless, Arthur¡¯s response was only met with silence. Noticing how tidy the room was, he began to believe Sophia was not in her room but continued to wonder where she could be in her condition. Just when he was about to leave the room, he suddenly heard a scream that was filled with horror and fear from the bathroom. ¡°Ah¡­¡± As his heart skipped a beat, he barged into the bathroom without hesitation, only to see the nakeddy lying on the tiled floor after her shower. Arthur¡¯s first thought was to turn his back and ask anxiously, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Sophia didn¡¯t expect him to be in the bathroom because he had just rushed in without hesitation. ¡°I-I slipped.¡± Her legs were still not their usual self, so when she came out of the bathtub just now, she slipped. She felt extremely embarrassed for him to see her like this. Although they were intimate before, and she expressed herself easily in front of him, the situation was different now. Sophia¡¯s face blushed involuntarily. She wanted to get up, but she found that her waist hurt so much that she couldn¡¯t get up on her own. She could only ask, ¡°Will you hold me up?¡± Arthur breathed a long sigh. He turned around, then looked at the girl on the ground. His eyes did not avoid her; instead, he came over and carried her naturally. On the other hand, Sophia felt mortified. To her, Arthur, who lost his memory, was undoubtedly nothing different from a stranger. He had forgotten her and everything they once had. Arthur carried her to the sofa, then quickly took a bath towel and draped it over her. At the same time, he thought that if he didn¡¯te in, what could she have done? If another man came in and she fell like this, would she also let that man carry her out? All these thoughts caused Arthur¡¯s eyes to narrow a bit. Seated on the couch, Sophia tightly wrapped herself in a bath towel as she continued blushing hard. Then, she pleaded, ¡°Will you go to the closet and get me some pajamas?¡± Arthur got up and went over to bring it to her. Then, he turned his back and did not look like he was going to leave. ¡°Get changed,¡± he said. Sophia couldn¡¯t help but hesitate for a few seconds. ¡°Go out! I¡¯m fine now; you don¡¯t have to stay here.¡± Arthur didn¡¯t leave; he snorted. ¡°You have no ability to take care of yourself right now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my business! It has nothing to do with you, Young Master Weiss,¡± Sophia said bitterly, her eyes turning red. Arthur¡¯s chest couldn¡¯t help tightening, and he found an excuse to say, ¡°You are my guest, so I can¡¯t let you meet with an ident.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not your guest at all. I was able toe to your wedding this time because I pestered Anastasia about it. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t even be qualified to attend your wedding.¡± Sophia choked up. If she didn¡¯t know Anastasia, she wouldn¡¯t even know that he was getting married. She would wait for him toe back like a fool in the country all her life, and then he would nevere back for the rest of her life. ¡°Since you¡¯re here, you¡¯re my guest.¡± Arthur had plenty of excuses. Sophia covered her face as tears suddenly overflowed from her eyes. Choking up, she suddenly felt extremely hurt. Arthur turned around and found that she was not wearing clothes. Instead, she covered her face and cried. He couldn¡¯t help but ask in a low voice, ¡°What are you crying for?¡± Gasping, Sophia sniffed, wiping tears from her face in a panic. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me; just go!¡± Before, she cried under the dim lights in the garden. Now, when she cried, the sadness in her eyes and her tears were as clear as day. Her sadness gripped his heart, as if her grief was also infecting him, causing his emotions to recover gradually. Emotions that could not be suppressed by drugs filled his chest, causing him to turn around involuntarily and squat down by her side. Then, he raised his hand to wipe her tears away. Why does this feel like second nature? When he was still stunned by his behavior, Sophia pushed his hand away. ¡°No, thank you.¡± She spoke in a very polite voice. Inexplicably, Arthur was a little annoyed. She was clearly crying because of him. He wanted tofort her, but she refused to let him. We¡¯re just running in circles if this goes on. ¡°I¡¯ll ask someone to prepare ate-night snack. You cane out to eatter.¡± Arthur didn¡¯t ask anymore and simply decided for her. Sophia¡¯s heart softened. ¡°Thank you.¡± Next, Arthur put the paper on the table beside her. ¡°Cry if you want to! You can call me if you have any issues.¡± Sophia was stunned for a few seconds. Considering how kind he was to her, she suddenly wondered if he did remember her and still liked her. However, these questions were meaningless because his wedding would be held the day after tomorrow. What¡¯s the point of life now that he¡¯ll be someone else¡¯s sweetheart soon? The servants outside prepared two portions of supper. They were light and delicious, and Arthur came knocking on the door again. Sophia opened the door after changing into a set of casual clothes. As she limped out, the man naturally supported her. She looked up at him and saw a servant nearby, so she hastily withdrew her arm. ¡°There¡¯s no need. Thank you.¡± But just as she was stumbling out, the man¡¯s arm that was pushed away came over again and held her arm firmly, not allowing her to refuse. Sitting at the table, Sophia was famished. So, she lowered her head and ate. The servant also left wisely. In the quiet dining room with gentle lighting, the man seated in front seemed to have no appetite. He just stared at the thin girl under the light from time to time. He nced at her phone again, really wanting to see if she also had his photo on her phone and to know how close they were to each other. ¡°Do you really have a boyfriend?¡± Arthur asked again. He was beyond shocked when he heard her say thatst time. Sophia raised her head and nodded earnestly. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you live together?¡± ¡°In fact, we do,¡± Sophia answered naturally. Arthur put the spoon down with a ng. For some reason, it sounded like he was upset. Sophia was startled and looked at the man opposite, who stared back at her with a dazzling gaze. ¡°When are you getting married?¡± he asked. ¡°Why do you ask this?¡± ¡°Since you¡¯reing to my wedding, I will also go to your wedding,¡± Arthur announced domineeringly. Sophia was taken aback for a few seconds, and her thoughts became a little muddled. She bitterly thought that he would never be able to attend her wedding because she didn¡¯t have any hope of marriage in the future at all. She would never meet a man she loved more than him. ¡°No need. It¡¯s just a simple meal between the families. We will not invite other guests,¡± Sophia replied. Arthur tugged at the front of his shirt as if something made him extremely ufortable. He lifted his head and asked, ¡°Sophia, then why were you crying like that for me?¡± Sophia blinked her eyes, feeling panicky. She turned her face away and said, ¡°I¡¯m not crying for you. Don¡¯t think about it too much. I just so happen to have a¡­ mncholic temperament.¡± Although Arthur had an emotional disorder, he was not stupid! He was clear about who she was crying for. ¡°No, you don¡¯t. You¡¯re crying for me.¡± I need to know! Admit it! In reality, Sophia had no courage toe clean to him. She didn¡¯t dare to admit that all her grief came from him, so she stirred the porridge and said, ¡°No, I cry often. It¡¯s better for me to cry once in a while.¡± This excuse was a bit of a reach, but there was no other exnation. Arthur took a deep breath. He seemed to be even more annoyed and snorted coldly. ¡°Who would believe in your dumb reasoning?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you believe it or not, Young Master Weiss. I sincerely wish you a great wedding and a happy marriage,¡± Sophia raised her head and said to him. Arthur bit his thin lip and pressed his tongue against his cheek. Obviously, his mood fluctuated somewhat abnormally. When others wished him a happy marriage, he had no feeling or even response, but when she said it, it made him feel bad. He was even very unwilling to hear it. ¡°I¡¯ll be happy in marriage,¡± Arthur replied to her. Then, he got up and said, ¡°I¡¯m done eating. Have a restful evening.¡± He seemed to be rather angry. After he left, Sophia felt a little lonely in the big dining hall. Sophia no longer wanted to eat because her chest felt tight, and an inexplicable feeling of wanting to cry came again. Thus, she went back to her room, but she didn¡¯t know that at the end of the corridor, a figure stood in the shadows and watched her go back to the room. That night, Sophia cried many times and didn¡¯t sleep well at all. Early morning the next day, there was a knock on her door. Sophia opened the door and saw an extravagantly dressed woman standing at the door. She asked in surprise, ¡°Are you looking for me?¡± Material ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Let¡¯s talk.¡± Vera stared at Sophia, looking a little serious. ¡°May I know who you are?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Emily Jennings¡¯ mother,¡± Vera revealed her identity directly, then walked into the bedroom and sat down on the sofa. Sophia caught her breath. She didn¡¯t expect Emily¡¯s mother to find her in person, but she walked over calmly on crutches. Vera frowned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your leg?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my leg? I think your daughter knows best,¡± Sophia replied calmly. ¡°What? Don¡¯t me everything on my daughter. My daughter is going to get married tomorrow. I also know about the past history between you and Young Master Weiss. I hope you don¡¯t cause any trouble and hinder the happiness of my daughter,¡± Vera bluntly exined her purpose foring here. Sophia was of course aware of this. She nodded and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I won¡¯t hinder your daughter¡¯s happiness; I¡¯m just here as one of the guests for the wedding.¡± ¡°I looked through the records of the guests, and it seems that you don¡¯t have an invitation. So, how did youe here, and what is your purpose? I should ask the concierge to check it again.¡± ¡°No need. I am participating as my boss¡¯ assistant. She is the wife of Young Master Weiss¡¯ best friend,¡± Sophia exined seriously. Vera sneered, ¡°Very well! So, there is no ce for you at tomorrow¡¯s banquet. You are just a subordinate, so you are not qualified to dine with the other guests, right?¡± Sophia couldn¡¯t refute her words, so she nodded. ¡°Yes, so I won¡¯t go to the banquet.¡± ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll give you 1 million, and you can go back to your country now. Will you stop affecting my daughter¡¯s wedding here?¡± Vera wanted to bribe her. Sophia refused almost immediately. ¡°I¡¯m here this time to apany my boss on a business trip. I won¡¯t leave early. Mrs. Jennings, you don¡¯t need to bribe me, as I¡¯m not short of 1 million.¡± Vera¡¯s face sank. ¡°You don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you, huh? I¡¯ll tell you clearly now that I want you to leave here today.¡± Sophia shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t agree to that.¡± ¡°Let me ask you this. Why do you live in Young Master Weiss¡¯ house if you¡¯re just a low-level subordinate? Moreover, your room is next door to his?¡± Vera asked. Sophia choked. ¡°This is Young Master Weiss¡¯ arrangement, and I don¡¯t know anything about that.¡± ¡°I think you are very happy about it, right? Sophia, now everyone knows that you are seducing my future son-inw. Are you really so shameless? Have you ever respected my daughter? The servants are watching you being intimate with my son-inw now. It won¡¯t be good for my daughter and my son- inw¡¯s reputation in the future. You should know better.¡± Vera looked at her sternly. Sophia was not afraid at all. Instead, she smiled and replied, ¡°Originally, my legs were well, and I didn¡¯t need Young Master Weiss to carry me. However, your daughter tied me to a runaway horse, and then I fell and injured my legs. Then, I happened to meet Young Master Weiss. He carried me out of concern for me, so what can I do?¡± ¡°You¡­ Shameless brat!¡± Vera couldn¡¯t help but get angry. She thought Sophia would be easy to deal with, but it seemed that it was not that simple. Sophia didn¡¯t want to offend her, so she continued, ¡°I can guarantee that I will not hinder your daughter¡¯s happiness. I will go back to my country after attending the wedding, and I will never set foot in this country again.¡± Vera narrowed her eyes. Obviously, she didn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Can you really do what you say?¡± ¡°I can.¡± Sophia nodded. Thus, Vera had to get up. ¡°Okay. After attending the wedding, you should leave immediately. Otherwise, I will not let you go.¡± Seeing Vera leave, Sophia could not help but breathe a sigh of relief, and at the same time, she was extremely bitter. Tomorrow, she couldn¡¯t even go to the banquet because she wasn¡¯t qualified. At the same time, she thought that it might be better not to go, as she really couldn¡¯t watch him marry another woman. After Vera left, Sophiapletely forgot to eat lunch, constantly feeling depressed. It was Arthur¡¯s wedding the next day, and it was as if a boulder was pressing on her chest, making her breathless. Thinking of not being able to go to the banquet and seeing him in the groom¡¯s suit, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little disappointed. At this moment, someone knocked on her door. Therefore, she walked over weakly and opened the door, but when she saw the man standing outside, her heart broke instantly. Suddenly, she mmed the door shut because her tears fell so unexpectedly. She covered her lips tightly to prevent herself from crying. Outside the door, Arthur just came over to remind her to have lunch, but surprisingly, the woman inside shut the door in his face as soon as she saw him. Arthur couldn¡¯t help but frown. He curled his fingers and immediately knocked again. ¡°Sophia, open the door.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat!¡± Sophia shouted through the door. He was originally a little unhappy, but suddenly he thought of something, and his voice softened a little. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can go! I want to sleep.¡± ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t sleep wellst night.¡± Arthur looked at the door and suddenly wanted to push it open, wanting to see what had happened to the girl inside. Why did she close the door in such a hurry when she saw me? He turned around and met a servant. He stopped the servant and questioned, ¡°Did anyone visit Miss Goodwin in the morning?¡± The servant thought for a moment and said, ¡°Oh! Yes, Mrs. Jennings came to visit Miss Goodwin in the morning.¡± Arthur was slightly taken aback. Why did Emily¡¯s mother suddenlye to see Sophia? Although he wanted to get to the bottom of things, he had errands to run. Thus, he said to the servant, ¡°Keep an eye on Miss Goodwin¡¯s room. If anyone goes in to look for her again, or if she goes out, report to me.¡± ¡°Okay, Young Master Weiss.¡± The servant hurriedly agreed. Why does it seem to me like he cares more about this Miss Goodwin than his fiancee? This is odd¡­ In the guest room, Anastasia was sitting on the sofa, listening to the two handsome men discussing tomorrow¡¯s wedding. She also just knew that Arthur had been manipted. No wonder he forgot Sophia as soon as he returned to the family. Moreover, the Jennings Family was too audacious to use this kind of controlling method on the future master of the Weiss Family. The future of the Weiss Family would also be in the hands of the Jennings Family. At this moment, Anastasia¡¯s cell phone rang, after which she picked it up. ¡°Sophia is looking for me. I¡¯ll go over there, so you guys carry on.¡± ¡°Anastasia, don¡¯t tell Miss Goodwin about this for the time being because we still need to keep it a secret,¡± Elliot reminded her. ¡°Okay, I know.¡± She nodded. He felt that his words were a little inappropriate, so he got up and said, ¡°You know what? I¡¯ll bring you there.¡± Anastasia didn¡¯t feel that way. Instead, she was as worried about the fate of the Weiss Family as they were, and she hoped that Arthur could regain his memory and have a bright future with Sophia. As soon as they left the room, Elliot took her hand and wrapped her shoulders with his arm. ¡°What I said just now was inappropriate, and I take it back. Please don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Chill, I know.¡± He kissed her hair lovingly. Then, he sent Anastasia in the direction of Sophia, and in the garden downstairs, she saw Sophia waiting for her there, so she asked Elliot to go back. ¡°Anastasia!¡± Sophia came over happily and held her arm intimately. ¡°Sophia, what¡¯s wrong with your eyes? Have you cried again?¡± Anastasia noticed that Sophia¡¯s eyes were red. Sophia lowered her head, a little embarrassed. ¡°I tried very hard to control myself, but I still can¡¯t control it.¡± Tomorrow was Arthur¡¯s wedding day. No one could bear to watch their loved one marry someone else, so Anastasia wondered if it was right to bring her here. However, she knew that Arthur¡¯s wedding would not be sessful, and Sophia was still very likely to continue her rtionship with Arthur. ¡°Sophia, do you believe in fate? Sometimes fate favors kind and loving people. I believe that fate has its own arrangements for you, and it won¡¯t make you feel so miserable all the time,¡± Anastasia comforted her. Sophia smiled bitterly. ¡°Anastasia, are you trying to say that I can meet someone better?¡± ¡°Trust me, girl. Your destiny will turn for the better.¡± Anastasia reached out and gathered Sophia¡¯s messy hair. Then, she added, ¡°How does Young Master Weiss treat you?¡± Sophia thought of her leaving him outside the door today and ignoring him. Presumably, he would be angry with her too! ¡°He¡¯s been nice to me.¡± Sophia was also keeping a secret. She didn¡¯t tell Anastasia that she couldn¡¯t go to the wedding tomorrow. In fact, as long as she told Anastasia, thetter would find a way to take her there. The two chatted about some other topics as they strolled around the garden, and unknowingly they also established a kind of sister-like rtionship. Anastasia had experienced Hayley¡¯s betrayal, which made her more cautious about making friends. Now, besides Felicia, Grace was the person she trusted. Now, there was Sophia, whom she cared for like a sister. Since their partners were best friends, they naturally also would be best friends. A littleter, Anastasia went back, and Sophia also went back to her room. She didn¡¯t eat anything at noon, so she was hungry right now. Arthur¡¯s figure appeared in the hall, and the first thing he asked the servant was, ¡°Has she eaten?¡± ¡°Miss Goodwin went out for a while, but she hasn¡¯t eaten.¡± The servant was also helpless about it. ¡°Prepare dinner!¡± After Arthur finished speaking, he thought of something and frowned. ¡°Tell my grandma that I won¡¯t go over to eat.¡± ¡°Okay, Young Master Weiss.¡± The servant left. Arthur walked to Sophia¡¯s door, reached out, and knocked on the door. Sophia thought it was a servant again, so she stretched out her hand to open the door. When the man was revealed outside the door, it surprised her. However, the man¡¯s long legs had already taken a step, and he had entered the room, not allowing her to close the door. ¡°I-Is there something you need?¡± Sophia asked in a panic. ¡°Are you immortal? You don¡¯t need to eat?¡± Arthur stared at her angrily. Sophia blinked and said hoarsely, ¡°I-I¡¯m not hungry.¡± However, just after she finished speaking, her stomach seemed to let out a few protesting noises. In an instant, Sophia blushed and wanted to dig a hole to hide in the ground. The corner of Arthur¡¯s mouth twitched, and the smile growing on the corner of his mouth was the most intense expression he had shown in so many days. He was smiling. Sophia raised her head and nced at him, only to find that he was smiling handsomely, which made her bow her head in embarrassment. ¡°Join me for dinner, will you?¡± After Arthur finished speaking, he stretched out her hand to lead her out. Seeing that, Sophia withdrew her hand in a panic. ¡°I will go by myself.¡± If she was seen by the servant, she would definitely be reported to Vera again. Therefore, she thought that Vera hade to see her because there was a spy among the servants. However, Arthur¡¯s grip was too tight, and she couldn¡¯t break free, so she had to go to the dining room this way. Under the crystal lights, candles were lit, and the red roses in the vase were freshly cut in the garden in the afternoon, which made the air full of their intoxicating aroma. Sophia¡¯s thoughts were a little jammed. Why does this dinner look like a candlelight dinner that only lovers would have? The servants fixed up a hearty candlelight dinner and had served up the feast in advance. As Arthur chewed gracefully, hetched his gaze on the young woman sitting across from her as though to make sure she ate everything on her te. Famished, Sophia couldn¡¯t care less anymore and ate away. Martha had already informed Arthur to join her for dinner earlier in the afternoon. It would be his wedding day the next day, so she wanted to have a serious word with him. But who¡¯d have thought her beloved grandson rejected her? The news got her down in the dumps. Moreover, Arthur had gotten distant from her, making her reflect that she had been too strict on him normally. ¡°Is he having dinner with Emily?¡± Martha asked a servant. For fear of upsetting Martha, the servants kept Sophia¡¯s presence unknown to Martha all this while. But now, seeing how upset Martha was, she couldn¡¯t help lowering her head and reported, ¡°Young Master Weiss is having dinner with anotherdy, Old Madam Weiss.¡± ¡°What?¡± The news shocked Martha for a moment. ¡°He¡¯s having dinner with another woman? Which family is she from?¡± What is Arthur trying to do? Tomorrow¡¯s his wedding; does he n on humiliating himself before the wedding?! ¡°She¡¯s a guest,¡± the servant answered. ¡°What guest? Is it a friend? What¡¯s her name?¡± Martha asked directly. ¡°It¡¯s a guest from afar named Sophia Goodwin. She has also now been moved to the room next to Young Master¡¯s. I guess she¡¯s an important guest to Young Master,¡± said the servant. The revtion shook Martha for a solid few seconds, and she mmed the spoon in her hand. ¡°What?! She¡¯s here? How did she get here? Have the butlere over.¡± Sophia hade to attend the wedding. It was only then Martha realized she hadn¡¯t taken notice of the guest list when she had been so busy getting the other wedding details ready. The butler arrived in two shakes, and Martha questioned him gravely. ¡°Go and check if there¡¯s a guest named Sophia Goodwin on the list.¡± ¡°There is, ma¡¯am. She came with Mr. and Mrs. Presgrave as Mrs. Presgrave¡¯s assistant.¡± Martha sighed in response. What is she doing here? Is she still trying to salvage something when Arthur¡¯s about to get married? Well, she¡¯s persistent, no doubt about that. It¡¯s evident she truly loves Arthur, but it¡¯s hard to let them be together when their social status and family background are so drastically different. ¡°Bring her hereter. I want to have a word with her,¡± Martha ordered a servant. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Have here alone. Don¡¯t inform Arthur,¡± Martha added. If Arthur still has feelings for Sophia, why would he agree to this marriage so easily? By the end of the dinner, Arthur left after receiving a call. Sophia, on the other hand, didn¡¯t return to her room but instead sat in the garden and spaced out while staring at the starry sky. The sky here was so clear that she could see a speckle of the gxy. It was a sight to behold. How Sophia wished time could just stop here forever. She wouldn¡¯t be greedy and ask for much, only that she could have a meal with him and see him once a day. That would suffice for her. But very quickly, she pulled a wry smile. She was already getting greedy, wasn¡¯t she?! What luck did she have to stay by his side forever?! She, too,tely sensed something very different about Arthur. She remembered their first encounter; how he was so angry that he could murder her the next second. She could also sense the fluctuation in his emotions as days went by. His aloofness and nobility were intense, and the haughtiness exuded from deep within him was irresistible as well. But the current him¡ªas aloof as he still was¡ªwas emotionless like he cared about nothing at all. Just what in the world had gotten into him? While reeling, a servant approached her and said, ¡°Miss Goodwin, please follow me.¡± ¡°Is someone looking for me?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know when you get there. Please.¡± The servant gestured a ¡®please¡¯. At that, Sophia got up and followed after her, traversing a grand hallway. The manor was so massive that one could get lost in it. Thus, it could take some time for a person to get from one ce to another. Sophia grew increasingly uneasy the further she walked, for she had a hunch who she would be meeting, and a pang of guilt and self-reproach arose within her. She had already promised Martha back home that she would stay away from Arthur, but now, she had chased him all the way here and even snuck her name into the guest list. Just the thought of it made Sophia ashamed of meeting Arthur¡¯s grandmother. Sure enough, she found Martha sitting on the couch when they arrived at a quaint hall. The olderdy was dressed in a fitting dark silver dress, looking noble and majestic. ¡°Good evening, Old Madam Weiss,¡± Sophia greeted Martha. Martha sized the young woman up in response, not in anger but amiably, pointing toward the seat across from hers. ¡°Have a seat.¡± Arthur had wronged this young woman, after all, and she didn¡¯t need to ask to know what would happen between them had probably already happened. But now, Arthur was marrying another woman; this was unfair to her. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to havee, Miss Goodwin.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Old Madam Weiss. Please forgive me for inviting myself. I swear I won¡¯t cause any trouble during Arthur¡¯s wedding,¡± Sophia promised eagerly as she looked up. To that, Martha waved her hand. ¡°No need to apologize. Everyone¡¯s a guest here. All are wee.¡± Sophia couldn¡¯t help being taken aback, and she had now witnessed for herself the older woman¡¯s noble demeanor. Martha¡¯s tolerance and kindness made Sophia grow increasingly self-reproaching and unable to face her. ¡°Tomorrow will be Arthur¡¯s big day. If you feel ufortable, I can make arrangements for you to tour around the area.¡± Martha had considered her feelings instead. But Sophia shook her head. ¡°Thank you for the arrangement, Old Madam Weiss, but I won¡¯t be attending the wedding tomorrow. I¡¯ll be returning home with my boss after the wedding is over.¡± Martha suddenly felt bad for Sophia. She hadn¡¯t forced Arthur upon this wedding, but Arthur chose his own bride. So why exactly had he let go of Sophia and chose Emily instead? This was a question that still puzzled her to this day. ¡°Have you two fought before Arthur came back?¡± asked Martha, curious. Sophia shook her head in reply. ¡°No, we didn¡¯t.¡± Then, after some deliberation, she asked, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, Old Madam Weiss, had something happened to Young Master Weisstely that led him to suffer from amnesia?¡± ¡°Amnesia? Nothing happened to Artie. Why would you ask so?¡± asked Old Madam Weiss, bewildered. ¡°Because¡­ he seemed to havepletely forgotten about me.¡± As dejected as Sophia was, she dared not let it show. Martha, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t help reeling. ¡°What did you say? Arthur has forgotten about you?¡± ¡°Yes, after his departure. I realize he haspletely forgotten about me on our first reunion here.¡± Sophia was now purely worried if Arthur had suffered any injuries that led him to have amnesia. At that, Martha recollected Arthur¡¯s behavior sinceing home. He was now indeed behaving very differently from the first day he returned. However, she still couldn¡¯t figure out what had led her dear grandson to behave so indifferently to everything. ¡°Artie is behaving differently, but nothing happened to him either,¡± Martha affirmed. Sophia was relieved upon hearing so. This was good news, for a severe trauma had to happen to cause someone to lose their memories. As it appeared, he was fine, just that he hadpletely forgotten about her and her only. Finally, Martha understood why Arthur would choose Emily as his wife. It was because he had suddenly forgotten about Sophia. But how did ite to this? ¡°Old Madam Weiss, it¡¯s gettingte. You should rest early. Tomorrow¡¯s a big day,¡± the senior servant said. Martha checked the time to find it was already 10.00PM. At that, she nodded, then turned to Sophia. ¡°You should get some rest as well, Miss Goodwin. You¡¯re more than wee if you want to join us for the wedding.¡± ¡°Thank you, Old Madam Weiss.¡± After seeing Martha off, Sophia allowed the servant to take her to her room. Meanwhile, a back sedan drove into the manor. As the door opened, Arthur stepped out of the vehicle. His back suit,plimented with subtle embroidery that showed off his nobility, made him domineering like he was a lord in the dark. Chapter 801-810 Chapter 801-810 Even if Arthur had been manipted, the imposing aura he exuded remained the same. Hearing footstepsing from the garden, he stopped and turned around to find a servant leading Sophia in his direction. He furrowed his brows slightly in response. What is this woman doing here, still wandering around in the garden at thiste hour? Sophia fought hard to conceal the sadness and adoration in her eyes upon seeing him, and she lowered her head, not intending to greet him. She wanted to go to her room and lock herself in from here on, or she would go mad. She grew increasingly miserable as the countdown to his wedding became shorter. She was tough but not tough enough to remain emotionless as she watched the man she loved deeply marry another woman. ¡°Stop.¡± A crisp voice came from behind her. ¡°Young Master Weiss,¡± the servant greeted him, then walked away astutely. Sophia stood in the brightly lit hall with her back facing him, having no intention of turning around. Meanwhile, he came forth with steady footsteps and stopped in front of her. With one hand in his pocket, he lowered his eyes and sized her up. ¡°Why run away when you see me? Are you not going to say hi?¡± Arthur asked with irritation, causing Sophia to face away. ¡°It¡¯s reallyte. I want to return to my room and rest.¡± Arthur suddenly felt frustrated. He checked his watch to find it was already 10.00PM, but he wanted to be with her for a while longer. ¡°Are you free? Join me for a drink,¡± Arthur asked, to which she rejected resolutely. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Did you say you¡¯re my friend? We¡¯ll just have one ss as friends. I won¡¯t take up much of your time.¡± Arthur insisted. Sophia shut her eyes and fought back the urge to keep himpany. However, just as she wanted to turn him down again, Arthur sped her wrist and dragged her to the wine cer without another word. Sophia had thought he was taking her to the dining room, but it quickly became apparent to her that she was wrong. This man had avish wine cer in his basement, storing the best liquor around the world. As she stepped out of the elevator, she looked at the dimly lit wine cer with amazement. ¡°Do we have to drink here?¡± Sophia mumbled, causing Arthur to look over his shoulder at her. ¡°Are you afraid I¡¯ll do something to you?¡± Sophia took a gander at him in response. Hadn¡¯t you already done everything you were allowed to? What else can there be for me to be afraid of? She just thought, with her current position, they shouldn¡¯t be in the same room. Moreover, there weren¡¯t any servants here, like this was an isted environment. ¡°Rx, I just want to grab a drink. I have no interest in doing anything else.¡± With that, he removed his jacket to reveal a dark-colored dress shirt beneath it, exposing his perfectly shaped body. The warm golden lights enveloped him, making his handsome face even more refined. He drummed his fingers beside the wine cab like he was picking his favorite liquor. This scene intensified his noble temperament exceptionally. His looks alone could infatuate a woman. However, if he was gentler and his gaze was more tender, no woman would be able to escape his grasp. Sophia suddenly felt a lump in her throat, and she looked away. She feared if she continued to look, she wouldn¡¯t be able to stop herself from running to him and hugging his waist from behind to feel the affection they used to share. ¡°What would you like to drink,¡± asked Arthur as he turned around. ¡°I¡¯m good with anything.¡± She was just here to keep himpany. While smirking, he pulled a bottle of red wine out, then proficiently uncapped it. Following that, he took two wine sses and filled them up before handing one to her. Sophia had the urge to get wasted as she looked at the ss of red wine while standing in front of the wine cab. I¡¯ll only wake up tomorrow afternoon if I get drunk now, won¡¯t I? Then, I won¡¯t have to think about him marrying someone else. At that, she took the ss from him and chugged it down her throat. He had picked out a sweet red wine; it tasted pretty smooth. Arthur, on the other hand, looked at her with dismay while holding his ss of red wine. Does this girl even know how to drink wine? Such a fine wine, but she¡¯s gulping it like it is water! ¡°Another, to the brim,¡± said Sophia nonchntly as she brought the wine ss to Arthur, who was instantly amused. His gaze was fathomless yet crystal-clear under the lights, looking exceptionally charming. ¡°Are you sure you know how to drink wine?¡± Despite doubting, he still poured her half a ss of sweet wine. Sophia didn¡¯t want to stand on ceremony with him anymore. He would be someone else¡¯s husband after the next sunrise; she couldn¡¯t order him around anymore after that. ¡°C¡¯mon, fill it up to the brim. Don¡¯t be so stingy.¡± She propped her chin up, looking all ¡®I don¡¯t get drunk easily¡¯. At that, Arthur topped it up, and as the liquid wasing up to the top, he asked with worry, ¡°Are you sure you really want to drink this way?¡± ¡°Ye-ap!¡± Sophia enunciated with a nod, took the wine ss from him, then chugged the entire ss of wine down again. This sure is good wine. Meanwhile, Arthur took a graceful sip, his gazetched onto her this whole time. Her soft long hair sat neatly on her shoulders, surrounding her stunning, fair face. Arthur fell into a momentary trance, thinking, The way this girl drinks sure looks fine. Sophia burped after chugging the entire ss of wine only to notice she was still sober, and she couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°What¡¯s the abv on this wine?¡± ¡°Eight percent.¡± The answer led her to be frustrated. She wouldn¡¯t get drunk even if she downed the entire bottle! ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything stronger in here?¡± she asked. ¡°I want whiskey.¡± Arthur had only brought her here because he wanted to spend a bit more time with her. But who¡¯d have thought she was now demanding liquor?! ¡°That¡¯s too strong. It¡¯s not the type fordies.¡± ¡°Well, I want it.¡± With that, she searched the racks and found one with an abv of 43% in no time. After taking it out, she popped the cap open, then searched for a whiskey ss but to no avail. Thus, she just chugged straight from the bottle. Startled by thedy, Arthur dashed toward her and snatched the bottle of whiskey from her. ¡°What, are you crazy?!¡± Sophia was doing fine until he snatched the bottle from her, causing her to choke and reflexively lean against the table, coughing violently. The next second, she felt a warm,rge palm gently patting her back. Tears instantly streamed down her cheeks, and she turned around to throw herself into his arms. Her actions stumped Arthur for a split second before he wrapped his arms around her and looked down at her. Her tears had dampened his shirt, but she couldn¡¯t care less. She continued embracing him, wanting to behave presumptuously onest time, for she wouldn¡¯t be able to anymore after his marriage the following morning. Meanwhile, Arthur stood motionless like a tree with his brows locked into a deep furrow, letting the young woman in his arms cry and hug him as she pleased. Suddenly, Sophia looked up, wrapped her arms around his neck, and stood on tiptoes. She wanted to kiss him, but he towered over her. She wouldn¡¯t be able to touch his lips if he didn¡¯t lower his head. She had acted on impulse, after all. Seeing that he wouldn¡¯t lower his head, she began crying aggrievedly. But just as she was about to give up, Arthur lifted his arms around the waist while lowering his head, bringing their faces close together. They were so close their breaths interweaved, and the moment their eyes locked onto each other, time stopped. He was giving her the chance to do what she had yearned for. At that, Sophia held her breath, cupped his cheeks, and pressed her slightly trembling lips to his. Arthur closed his eyes and tightened his arms around her waist. He realized he liked her scent, and her kiss awakened a feeling within him, causing him to reflexively respond to her for a moment. Just like that, Sophia was pinned against the wine rack, and their raw emotionsid bare¡­ Perhaps the alcohol had taken effect as well, as the kiss was like a ball of enveloping fire, zing yet inviting. Finally, Arthur released her, and Sophia also realized what they had just done. With that, she held her forehead while her mind went nk for a few solid seconds. Arthur, on the other hand, had grabbed the opened bottle of whiskey and chugged it straight from the bottle, wanting to use the icy liquid to put out his burning desire. After having enough of the liquor, Arthur looked over to the young woman as he panted lightly, and another wave of urge suddenly surged within him. Sophia had decided to leave the cer at this point¡ªshe couldn¡¯t make another mistake. But just as she took a couple of steps, Arthur suddenly tugged on her arm, causing her to turn and fall into his arms. ¡°You¡¯re going to leave just like that after kissing me?¡± he questioned with a raspy voice. Sophia¡¯s eyes widened slightly, for his ravishing face was only inches away from her. The next second, his breath came at her. This time, it was his call. He held her chin and attacked her lips with a passionate kiss. His initiative stupefied her. H-How is it that he¡¯s making a move on me?! Arthur couldn¡¯t exin his behavior himself. He just went with what his heart told him. It told him to kiss her and not let her go, so much so that his static heart burned aze. Even his soul was screaming to have her. How is it that this woman can have me hooked on her so badly? Why can she make all my sobriety and rationality disappear? Sophia knew him all too well. So while taking in his kiss, she perceived the change in his breathing and movements. Suddenly, a red g raised in her head, and she shoved him away. He couldn¡¯t do something reckless at this time, or things would really get out of control for the both of them. As much as she loved and craved him as well, she knew where to draw the line. She would never make such mistakes. Having been shoved away, Arthur locked his gaze on her as he panted, saying with a husky voice, ¡°Don¡¯t refuse me. I know you need me too.¡± Sophia had calmed down at this point, and she looked resolutely at him with pursed lips. ¡°That was the alcohol just now. I¡¯m sorry, but I won¡¯t betray my boyfriend.¡± Arthur¡¯s heart twinged in response. He had forgotten she had a boyfriend while he would be marrying Emily the following day. ¡°Please forgive me for offending you.¡± At that, Sophia turned to leave, but his deep voice came from behind the next second. ¡°Do you really love your boyfriend?¡± ¡°Yes, I love him. I will never love any other man as much as him for the rest of my life,¡± she answered resolutely without turning around. With that, she headed in the direction of the elevator and disappeared into the corner. Arthur suddenly propped his arms against the table. Something was tugging on him, forcing him to arch his back and pant. Sophia thought she had used up all her energy to return to her room. She was so exhausted that she didn¡¯t have the energy to move to the couch. With her back pressed against the door, she slowly slid onto the floor, then hugged her knees as tears rolled down from her tightly shut eyes. Meanwhile, at the Jennings Residence, Emily was so excited that she was having trouble falling asleep. She was currently sitting in front of the mirror, admiring her gorgeous face again and again. She was even trying to find the smile that would make her appear even more beautiful when she stood at the altar the following day. To think she would officially be the young mistress of the Weiss Family from the next day on made her smile. Not only would she have an outstanding and perfect husband, but power and wealth would also follow. This was the day she had been dreaming of ever since she could remember. Finally, it would be coming! Just then, Vera knocked on the door and entered. Upon seeing Emily still awake, she admonished, ¡°Emily, hurry up and go to bed. Tomorrow¡¯s your big day.¡± ¡°Mom, I¡¯m not dreaming, am I? I¡¯m really about to be married to Artie!¡± Emily held her chest, oozing happiness. ¡°Of course not. You¡¯ll be pronounced his wife by tomorrow.¡± Emily beamed in response. ¡°Mom, you¡¯re sure Goodwin won¡¯t be attending the wedding, right? Actually, I kind of hoped she would. Then, she¡¯ll be able to witness my happily ever after.¡± ¡°Look at you. Do you think you won¡¯t have any more chances to unt in her face after your wedding?¡± Vera¡¯s priority now was to see that the wedding would be held the following day sessfully. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± A hint of malice shed across Emily¡¯s eyes, loathsome at the thought that Arthur was once Sophia¡¯s, even though she now owned him. Emily really couldn¡¯t stomach this bitterness if she didn¡¯t give Sophia a hard time or unt her new status in front of that woman. ¡°Get some rest. You have to look your best tomorrow. I want my daughter to be the most beautiful bride in the world.¡± Vera fixed Emily¡¯s long hair. At that, Emily went to bed as told. However, the wedding and, most importantly, the wedding night popped into her head as soon as she closed her eyes. She would truly be handing herself to Arthur soon. As the thoughts crossed her mind, her face flushed, and her heart raced. Back at the Weiss Manor, Anastasia was already sound asleep. Elliot, on the other hand, went for a drink with Richard and had a heart-to-heart talk. The topic then came to their survival days in the jungle, three young men about the same age fighting hard, supporting and sticking by each other. Even when so many years had passed, just thinking about it still got their blood boiling. ¡°Richard, have you ever given your love life a thought? You can¡¯t stay a bachelor forever, can you?¡± As a married man, Elliot would wish to see that his brothers could have a happy married life as well. Richard shook his head in response. ¡°My job is my partner. A woman will only affect the speed I draw my handgun.¡± Elliot couldn¡¯t help chuckling at that. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to make a note of that,¡± he teased, leading Richard to guffaw. The two then clinked sses and looked at the lights afar. There truly was no romance in Richard¡¯s eyes. He could safeguard hisrades, brothers, and family, but he never gave his love life a thought, for he absolutely didn¡¯t need it. This night was bound to be long for a lot of people. Sophia, too, couldn¡¯t fall asleep as shey in bed. Thus, she moved to the couch and lit a bracket light, allowing the dim light to shine on her as sadness enveloped her. She flipped through the pictures and videos in her phone album again and again as tears streamed down her face like a never-ending waterfall. ¡°Get over here. I¡¯m recording a video!¡± Sophia¡¯s whiny voice could be heard. Very quickly, a dashing face appeared on the screen. While Sophia was making cute faces at the camera, the man hugged her from behind and rubbed his face against hers affectionately. At that, she put her phone away, butughter could still be heard off camera. ¡°Can you be a little more serious? Honestly!¡± The man¡¯s crispughter came. ¡°Who¡¯d have thought my wife knows how to fight back? I¡¯m impressed, puppy.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me that.¡± ¡°Alright, if you don¡¯t make a sound tonight.¡± ¡°Arthur Weiss¡­¡± The camera shook violently amongst the roughhousing. But off camera, it was a happy time between the couple. s, Sophia¡¯s heart now ached just as much as she was happy in the video. Meanwhile, in the master bedroom, Arthur stared at the ceiling while resting his hands behind his head. His gaze was fathomless, and his mind was a mess, for he couldn¡¯t stop thinking about all that had happened in the wine cer. At the same time, an intense feeling surged within him. It was jealousy; he was sure of it. More than that, he actually wanted to know who the man Sophia loved was. Is her boyfriend handsome? Is he rich? What is his family like? How does hepare to me? The sun rose eventually, and Sophia watched the sunrise while curling up on the couch. Her eyes were now puffy, and she looked somewhat gaunt. Arthur¡¯s big day had arrived, and the whole ce would be buzzing with joy. In the garden outside, the servants had gotten busy bright and early, traversing the garden¡¯s every corridor, setting up their young master¡¯s wedding with joy. Back in the master bedroom, Arthur wasn¡¯t in his best shape either. In fact, he didn¡¯t get out of bed immediately, for he actually wasn¡¯t really looking forward to the wedding. ¡°Young Master Weiss, are you awake, Young Master?¡± A servant called out to him at the door. At that, Arthur sat up, got out of bed, and headed into the bathroom. He needed a shower to sober up. Soon, Martha came and sat on the couch, waiting for Arthur toe down and have breakfast with her. The elderly woman had donned a maroon dress for the asion, looking exceptionally lively. Her thick silver hair had been put up with a ruby-encrusted hairb,plimenting her nobility. Martha grew anxious after waiting for about twenty minutes, and she couldn¡¯t help asking a servant, ¡°Why hasn¡¯t Arthure down yet?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve knocked on his door, Old Madam Weiss, but Young Master Weiss never answered us. So we assumed he¡¯s still asleep.¡± Seeing that time was running short, Martha decided to make a trip upstairs herself. After arriving on the third floor, she knocked on Arthur¡¯s bedroom door. ¡°Artie, wake up. It¡¯s gettingte.¡± The door opened soon after, revealing a half-naked Arthur with a bathrobe wrapped around his waist and his hair dripping wet. While the servant blushed, Martha frowned. ¡°Artie put some clothes on. What is the meaning of this? You¡¯re not a child anymore.¡± ¡°You go ahead and have breakfast, Grandma. I¡¯ll go down in a bit,¡± said Arthur to his grandmother. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you. We still have this bit of time. Hurry up and get dressed.¡± At that, Martha took another gander at him. Her grandson was indeed top-notch in every way. A hint of a smile even escaped her lips as she turned around, and she involuntarily nced at the room next door. ¡°Have two people stay here and look after Miss Goodwin. She won¡¯t be heading to the wedding venue, but make sure she¡¯s well taken care of,¡± she instructed the servant, who nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Sometime after all the servants on the third floor left, Arthur came out of his room in a white dress shirt and fitting suit pants. However, his necktie wasn¡¯t tied up, and his hair was still damp. He was even buttoning up his sleeve while walking to Sophia¡¯s room. Sophia, tired and sleepy, was drifting into sleep when Arthur knocked on the door, causing her to sit up. It wasn¡¯t until the knock came the second time that she was certain she hadn¡¯t imagined it. With that, she went to answer the door, only to find Arthur staring at her. ¡°Yes, Young Master Weiss?¡± Sophia looked back at him with disheveled hair and puffy eyes, leading Arthur to frown. ¡°Did you not sleepst night?¡± Why does she look so haggard? ¡°Of course, I did!¡± lied Sophia, who actually felt light-headed and quite unwell. Seeing that she looked awful, Arthur felt her forehead without thinking. The burning sensation caused him to hold his breath; she was feverish. ¡°You¡¯re feverish. I¡¯ll take you to the hospital,¡± said Arthur. Having no clue of her fever, Sophia felt her forehead. The temperature is a little high, but it¡¯s still alright. At that, she waved her hand. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s your wedding today. Surely you have a lot of things to do. Go on, get busy! I can take care of myself.¡± With that, Sophia reached for the door to close it, but Arthur stopped the closing door somewhat assertively. To him, between a wedding and her fever, her fever was more important. ¡°Come with me.¡± As ufortable as Sophia felt, she really didn¡¯t want to affect his wedding, and for that, she took a step back. ¡°Thanks but no thanks. I¡¯ll ask a servant to take me thereter.¡± Just then, a servant rushed upstairs, announcing, ¡°Young Master, Old Madam Weiss is still waiting for you to join her for breakfast. Time is running short, and you have to get to the chapel soon.¡± However, Arthur didn¡¯t respond to the servant but onlytched his gaze on this stubborn young woman. ¡°Are you going toe with me?¡± he threatened. Hearing that Martha was waiting for him downstairs, Sophia was now even more certain she didn¡¯t want him to bother himself with this. Thus, she shook her head. ¡°No, you go ahead.¡± Arthur took a deep breath while sticking his tongue against his inner cheek. It was evident he was running out of patience and was even growing irritated. ¡°Fine, suit yourself.¡± Arthur had always been lofty. As if I have the bloody time to coax her. This girl asked for it! With that, Arthur walked away. Meanwhile, Sophia fought back her tears as she watched him leave before finally closing the door quietly. A sense of brokenness enveloped the brokenhearted woman as she stood in front of the window, basking in the morning sun. Downstairs, Arthur joined his grandmother for breakfast. Martha, on the other hand, asked a series of questions only to discover Arthur hadn¡¯t responded at all. His gaze was fixed upon a spot, and despite holding a spoon, he hadn¡¯t taken a single bite for a long time, looking like he was deep in his own world. ¡°Artie, is something bothering you?¡± ¡°No, Grandma,¡± said Arthur as he came to himself. ¡°Eat up then. We¡¯re running out of time now. We should get going soon,¡± Martha advised, leading Arthur to put his spoon down. ¡°I¡¯m done. Let¡¯s go.¡± With that, everyone traversed the hall to the parking lot, where dozens of ck luxury cars lined up, and the extended Rolls-Royce would be the one Arthur would pick Emily up from the Jennings¡¯ residence with. ¡°Artie, I¡¯ll wait for you guys at the chapel. Hurry up and pick Emily up.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Arthur nodded in acknowledgment. With that, Martha entered the car. After Arthur watched the car drive away, a bodyguard beside him urged him to get into the car. ¡°Young Master Weiss, please!¡± Arthur held the car door but didn¡¯t enter right away and instead looked to a window. After a moment of deliberation, he turned to the bodyguard. ¡°Wait here.¡± At that, he strode toward the hall. Meanwhile, Sophia was curling up on the couch. She felt super ufortable with how her body temperature fluctuated drastically. It wasn¡¯t surprising that she would be sick when she had sat on the couch the whole night, coupled with her horrible mood and state. Her fever had rendered her in a state of stupor at this point. Just then, she heard someoneing through the door, and very quickly, a deep male voice followed. ¡°Sophia.¡± Sophia opened her eyes in response. Am I imagining this? Is Arthur actually squatting in front of me? But shouldn¡¯t he be on his way to the chapel by now? Looking at how Sophia hugged her arms, all curled up, her gaze unfocused, and in a horrible state, Arthur carried her into his arms. Atst, Sophia was wide awake. She opened her eyes, having trouble believing Arthur was really carrying her. ¡°Put me down.¡± However, he paid no heed to her, carrying her downstairs and all the way to the extended Rolls-Royce. Right then, it looked as though she was the one Arthur was about to marry. When Sophia realized where he was taking her, she couldn¡¯t help crying out, ¡°I can¡¯t sit in that car, Arthur. Put me down!¡± Has he gone crazy?! He¡¯s supposed to pick Emily up in this car! Arthur continued to disregard her as he put her in the spacious back seat next to him. ¡°To the hospital,¡± said Arthur to the bodyguard aside, who was somewhat baffled. ¡°But Young Master, you¡¯re supposed to pick Miss Jennings up.¡± ¡°Send another car over!¡± Arthur ordered before closing the door. Meanwhile, Sophia felt somewhat woozy as she sat in the car and wanted to lean against something. Seeing her limp body, Arthur immediately stretched his arm and secured her to him. ¡°Arthur, this is wrong.¡± Sophia shoved him weakly, thinking she was about to make a dire mistake. ¡°You want me to leave you alone?¡± Arthur asked with a frown. ¡°Yes, leave me alone.¡± Sophia nodded. Arthur really didn¡¯t want to give a thing about her. But for some reason, he couldn¡¯t sit idly and do nothing while she was sick. He felt his heart twinged, seeing her like this. At the same time, at Jenning Residence, Emily already had her makeup done and had put on her wedding dress. All that was left was to wait for Arthur to show up in his tuxedo, holding a rose bouquet to take her to the chapel. However, as time slowly ticked by, her groom still hadn¡¯t shown up, and she couldn¡¯t help getting anxious. Just then, a car pulled over in front of her house. The person who came down was a bodyguard, and he dashed over to Emily. ¡°Miss Jennings, something came up, and Young Master Weiss can¡¯te. So I¡¯m here to take you to the chapel.¡± ¡°What?¡± The news shocked Emily. ¡°Why can¡¯t Artiee?!¡± ¡°H-He has something important to attend to that prevents him from leaving.¡± The bodyguard stuttered a little. ¡°What can be more important than his own wedding?! Where is he? Take me to him. I don¡¯t want to go to the chapel. I want to find him and have him go to the chapel with me.¡± Emily knew just how humiliating it would be if the groom never showed up while she, the bride, waited in the chapel. Hence, she insisted on appearing hand-in-hand with Arthur. Her parents had already gone ahead to the chapel to greet the guests while she was supposed to show up in a grand fleet, where a row of guards of honor would be weing her arrival. How can I just show up in a random car?! ¡°Miss Jennings, it¡¯s gettingte. Why don¡¯t you head to the chapel first?¡± ¡°No, I want to show up with my groom!¡± Emily insisted, ring at the bodyguard. ¡°Tell me the truth. Where is he, and who is he with?!¡± ¡°M-Miss Goodwin suddenly fell ill, and Young Master Weiss took her to the hospital.¡± ¡°Did they go with my ride?¡± Emily¡¯s countenance was now beyond awful at this point, at even looking on the verge of a breakdown. To think the first woman to sit in her car to the chapel was Sophia Goodwin! The bodyguard nodded in affirmation, not daring to lie to her. ¡°Take me to the hospital.¡± Livid, Emily drew a deep breath. ¡°Now!¡± Like earlier, Arthur carried Sophia to the emergency room after arriving at the hospital. Many of the doctors had gone to attend the wedding, so those stationed in the hospital were shocked for a few solid moments when they saw the groom rushing into the hospital with a different woman in his arms. Sophia was given IV fluid to cool down her body. Arthur stood by her bed and took in everything, from how the nurse inserted a needle into Sophia¡¯s arm to her frowning from enduring the pain, as well as when the nurse reinserted the needle, for Sophia¡¯s blood vessel was too fine, causing the nurse to misalign by ident. At that, Arthur shot an icy nce at the nurse, who felt his apparent displeasure. The nurse was sweating profusely. As if it already wasn¡¯t stressful enough to work in front of the Young Master Weiss, he even had his watchful gaze on her. She had indeed misaligned the needle by ident because of her nervousness. ¡°Hurry up and get to the chapel!¡± Sophia shooed Arthur away, only for him to check his watch in response. Just then, his phone rang, and he answered it. ¡°Arthur speaking.¡± ¡°Young Master Weiss, Miss Jennings refuses to go to the chapel. She insists on looking for you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let here,¡± he ordered monotonously. ¡°But Miss Jennings wouldn¡¯t listen to me. She¡¯s in my car as we speak.¡± ¡°Hand her the phone.¡± Despite being exasperated, Emily suppressed her anger and spoke with a gentle voice after taking the phone from the bodyguard. ¡°Artie, I want to show up at the chapel with you. I¡¯ming over now. Wait for me, alright?¡± ¡°You go ahead to the chapel.¡± Arthur didn¡¯t want her anywhere near the hospital. ¡°No, I want to go with you.¡± she began whining. ¡°I can¡¯t leave right now. Go to the chapel!¡± With that, he ended the call. Sophia instantly knew Emily was looking for him after hearing the phone call. ¡°Get to the chapel. I¡¯m alright now. You don¡¯t need to stay here anymore.¡± She looked at him. Arthur squatted down and riveted his gaze onto her for a few seconds before asking, ¡°Sophia, can you break up with your boyfriend?¡± Say what?! Sophia forgot to breathe for a second. ¡°If you¡¯re willing to break up with your boyfriend, then I¡¯m willing to call off my wedding.¡± He asserted gravely as he looked resolutely at her. Shocked, she sat right up but identally tugged on the tubbing in the process, causing her to wince in pain. ¡°Ow¡­¡± Arthur instantly pressed her shoulders down, tucking her back in bed. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Thest thing he wanted to see was her suffering another injection when she already had two. Having barely any strength, Sophia limped right onto the bed. However, it didn¡¯t stop her chest from heaving, reeling in what the man had just said. ¡°What did you just say?¡± she asked in a barely audible tone. Not expecting his words to frighten her, he squatted down and held her hands, saying with misty eyes, ¡°I said, if you¡¯re willing to break up with your boyfriend, then I¡¯m willing to¡ª¡± Before Arthur could finish his words, his phone rang yet again¡ªSophia, too, reflexively looked toward his phone¡ªbut this time, he didn¡¯t answer and even ended the call after taking a nce. At that, he let out a sigh. But just as he was about to continue, a bodyguard came into the ward. ¡°Young Master, Old Madam Weiss is on the phone.¡± Arthur looked at the phone the bodyguard handed over but had no intention of taking it. With that, the bodyguard put the phone on speaker, and Martha¡¯s anxious voice immediately came from the other end of the line. ¡°Artie! Artie, where are you? Hurry up and answer the phone!¡± Sophia hurriedly withdrew her hand at that, then gave him a nudge, telling him to answer his grandmother¡¯s call. ¡°Go!¡± she mouthed to him. Atst, Arthur stood up, took the phone from the bodyguard, and walked out of the ward to a turning. The bodyguard followed after him, and as if right on cue, Emily showed up in her bridal look with two servants carrying her train. She had charged right up as soon as she learned that Sophia was taking IV fluid in this ward downstairs. But when she opened the door, she found only Sophia lying in bed while Arthur was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Where have you hidden my husband, you b*tch?!¡± she asked through gnashed teeth. Sophia pointed toward the door. ¡°He¡¯s gone out. You¡¯ll find him outside.¡± At that, Emily smirked and ordered the servants, ¡°You two wait outside and shut the door.¡± The servants obliged in two shakes, leaving and shutting the door. Sophia couldn¡¯t help sitting up when she saw Emily inching toward her with malice. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± She looked toward Emily with a warning. ¡°What am I trying to do? What are you trying to do, Sophia? Coming all the way here? First, you seduce my man, then ruin my wedding, and now, you¡¯re even trying to hide him from me. Sophia Goodwin, I really want to mangle you,¡± Emily scowled through gnashed teeth. The loathe beneath her eyes evolved into a substantial dagger, stabbing Sophia. Sophia pursed her lips and said nothing. Losing Arthur would be her life¡¯s greatest regret, but now, Emily was his fianc¨¦e. No matter how, she would be marrying him soon. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Sophia mumbled an apology. Emily was suddenly beside herself with rage when she looked at how feeble Sophia was while taking the IV fluid. At that, she raised her palm and gave the feverish woman a hard p in the face. By the time Sophia registered what had just happened, her face was already burning with pain, and she red at Emily like she was going to tear her apart at any moment. ¡°Who are you to p me?!¡± ¡°Who am I? Just wait, Sophia Goodwin. Once I marry Artie, you can forget about stepping on Florian land ever again!¡± Emily yelled with a sneer. ¡°You can forget about ever seeing him for the rest of your life. He will be my man from this day on. Mine! Not yours!¡± Just then, the door flew right open, and an icy male voice came the next second. ¡°What right does she need?¡± Emily froze in an instant, and her countenance turned awful, but the next second, she was all smiles as she turned around. ¡°Artie, you¡¯re back! You must¡¯ve misheard. I heard Miss Goodwin was sick, so I came to see how she was doing.¡± Meanwhile, Sophia kept her head lowered, allowing her long hair to conceal her swollen cheek as she clenched the covers. Seeing how two-faced Emily was got her feeling bitterly disappointed. Is Arthur going to have to live with a woman like this for the rest of his life? How can he spend the rest of his life with a phony woman when he¡¯s such a great guy? Will he be happy? Will his life be merry? Sophia tightened her grip on the covers as the idea crossed her mind, so much so that her body began trembling to a slightly noticeable degree. ¡°Artie, let¡¯s go to the chapel! Everyone¡¯s anxiously waiting for our appearance!¡± Emily held Arthur¡¯s arm, wanting to take him away. However, Arthur suddenly turned to Sophia, asking, ¡°Are you going to be okay?¡± Before Sophia could say a word, Emily answered for her. ¡°She told me she¡¯s fine just now. Well, Miss Goodwin, we won¡¯t disturb your rest further. Get well soon, sweetie!¡± Sophia closed her eyes and took a deep breath before looking back up, asking Arthur, ¡°Do your words just now still stand? Will you really be able to do it if I say yes?¡± Arthur¡¯s eyes widened slightly in response, and he swung his hand free from Emily¡¯s grasp, dashing to the bed to check Sophia¡¯s face. But Sophia couldn¡¯t care less about her face right then. Shetched her gaze upon Arthur with misty and firm forbearing eyes. ¡°What are you talking about, Sophia?! What promise do you want Artie to fulfill?¡± Emily asked out of curiosity as she stomached her anger. ¡°Your face¡­¡± ¡°Ignore that. Answer me, do your words still stand?¡± ¡°They stand.¡± Arthur riveted his gaze on her. ¡°Alright, you have my word. I¡¯ll break up with my boyfriend, and you¡¯ll have to give up marrying this woman.¡± Sophia pointed right at Emily. ¡°She¡¯s not worthy of you.¡± Emily instantly turned crimson with rage. She finally lost it and snapped at Sophia. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about, Goodwin?! How dare you say I¡¯m unworthy of Artie!¡± ¡°How dare I? You¡¯re phony, savage, ill-bred, and wicked. I won¡¯t let you marry him and taint his life. You don¡¯t deserve him.¡± As feeble as Sophia was, her words weighted multitudes, hitting home. Arthur was stumped for a few solid seconds, listening to her words with incredulity. ¡°You¡¯re the one who pped her?¡± He turned his head to Emily. Frightened, Emily took a couple of steps back upon meeting Arthur¡¯s sub-zero gaze. ¡°Artie, I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to. I was just so upset she ruined our wedding¡­¡± ¡°Who are your to p her?!¡± The anger beneath Arthur¡¯s eyes burned aze. This was the first time in many days that Emily was seeing such an emotional Arthur. In fact, his emotions fluctuated all because of Sophia, and she couldn¡¯t help feeling appalled at that. Impossible! Dad¡¯s serum had long made him forget Sophia! How can he still care so much for that b*tch?! Also, isn¡¯t he suffering from sequ? ¡°Artie, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll apologize to her. Let¡¯s go to the chapel now! Everyone must be anxious by now.¡± Emily reached her hand out to hold his arm. However, upon meeting his icy re, she shrunk in fear and took a step back, causing her to trip and fall upon stepping on the hem of her gown. Emily made herself look pitiful by holding her waist and crying out in pain, hoping Arthur would feel bad for her and help her up. However, to her dismay, the man¡¯s whole attention was on Sophia¡¯s face. His heart ached to see her gorgeous face swollen. It¡¯s all my fault. Emily wouldn¡¯t have had the chance toy a finger on Sophia if he had stayed. Sophia, on the other hand, looked indifferently at the pretentious woman on the floor, wondering how long she was going to continue her act. Sure enough, Emily was done acting, after which she propped her hands against the floor to stand up. After a quick fix on her gown, she turned to Arthur. ¡°Artie, I¡¯m sorry, I really am.¡± With that, she took a deep breath and said to Sophia, ¡°Miss Goodwin, please ept my utmost sincere apology. Please forgive my rudeness.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t want to forgive you.¡± Sophia red at her. What she hated wasn¡¯t the p Emily had given to her face but this woman¡¯s pretentiousness in front of Arthur. If Arthur was to marry a gracious young woman on this day, she would be willing to give them her blessing. However, be it upbringing or integrity, neither did Emily have to be worthy of him. So Sophia didn¡¯t care, even if she became the viin who ruined their wedding. She couldn¡¯t let the man she loved so deeply spend the rest of his life with a woman like Emily. He definitely wouldn¡¯t be happy. ¡°What else do you want from me, Sophia Goodwin? Just how shameless can you get? Artie¡¯s my fianc¨¦; that¡¯s a fact!¡± Emily had truly lost it this time. She could no longer get a hold of her emotions, even when Arthur was present. Hearing that, Sophia scoffed, ¡°He¡¯s your fianc¨¦? Have you slept with him before? Let me tell you something. I¡¯ve slept with him for a month.¡± Her words not only made Emily go mad it had also puzzled Arthur. He couldn¡¯t believe what she said and stared at her wide-eyed. What is she talking about? I¡¯ve slept with her before? He tried to recall his memory, but nothing came to his mind. Darn it, how could I forget something like that? ¡°Is that true?¡± he stared at Sophia and asked. ¡°Artie, it¡¯s not true. She is lying to you and sputtering nonsense. Both of you were never together.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a red mole on your inner thigh,¡± Sophia looked at Arthur and replied calmly. Arthur was shocked when he heard that as it was located very near to his crotch. How did she know? Turns out we really have slept together! ¡°W-What are you talking about? You must be making things up.¡± Emily was furious and hated to see how calm and confident Sophia was. She almost lost it when she found out that both of them had done the deed when they were together. ¡°Tell her if what I said was true.¡± Sophia nced at him. ¡°Why did you only tell me that we¡¯ve slept together now? Then why did you reject mest night?¡± Arthur was flustered as he was trying to make sense of the situation. The additional information revealed by Arthur was caught on by Emily. She red at Sophia and eximed, ¡°Sophia, you really are trying to seduce Arthur. You promised my mother that you would not stand in our way, but it turns out you¡¯re lying!¡± Upon hearing that, Sophia was speechless. He looked at Arthur and then shifted her gaze at Emily. ¡°Excuse me. He was the one trying to seduce me, but I rejected him.¡± Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Arthur had had enough of how hysterical Emily was, as it ruined the mood between him and Sophia. ¡°You should leave now!¡± he chided her. ¡°Arthur, where else could I go? There are hundreds of guests waiting for us at the wedding.¡± Emily couldn¡¯t hold her tears in anymore and wailed as she buried her face in her hands. ¡°Our wedding is canceled,¡± Arthur uttered cold-heartedly. Upon hearing that, Emily almost passed out and exploded, ¡°You¡¯re not going to marry me? Then are you going to marry her?¡± Sophia was stunned at how the situation developed. She didn¡¯t know how she should face him in the future after ruining his wedding. However, Emily¡¯s words gave him an idea. He looked at Sophia and asked, ¡°Since everyone from my family is already here, it would be troublesome for them to make time ande over againter on. Why don¡¯t we get married today?¡± It sounded like he wanted to marry her. His words puzzled Sophia, as she wasn¡¯t expecting them to get married right away since she had a fever. ¡°You are now responsible since you¡¯ve slept with me. You cannot marry anyone except me, which applies to your ex-boyfriend.¡± He grabbed onto her arm while forcing her to marry him. Tears rolled down Emily¡¯s cheeks as she saw the scene in front of her. She didn¡¯t expect the wedding that she¡¯d been looking forward to to turn out like this. After some contemtion, Sophia finally made a bold decision. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll marry you.¡± Sophia wanted him so much that she didn¡¯t mind being shameless. Hearing that, Arthur smiled. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll ask the guests to wait for an hour, and then we shall go there once we¡¯re done.¡± Sophia nodded, but Emily shook her head profusely. ¡°N-No way. I should be his wife! I should be the bride!¡± ¡°Take her out.¡± Arthur opened the door and instructed the bodyguards standing outside. After that, he walked out of the corridor and made a few calls. The makeup artist and stylist immediately rushed over to the hospital. By then, he finally made a call to Martha and told her, ¡°Grandma, please ask the guests to wait for an hour more. I will be there with my bride very soon.¡± Chapter 811-820 Chapter 811-820 ¡°Why is it taking so long? Emily isn¡¯t done getting ready yet?¡± ¡°Yes, the bride needs more time to get ready.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the bride! Arthur, I¡¯m the one that you are supposed to marry!¡± Emily screamed hysterically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Sophia is the one that I love. I¡¯llpensate you in some other way,¡± Arthur responded coldly. Meanwhile, guests had already filled up the hall that could amodate 300 people while Richard and Elliot were seated in the second row. Richard kept looking at the time as Arthur should have marched into the hall with Emily by that time. He had prepared the evidence and was ready to reveal it to everyone there. However, his ns were disrupted when Arthur waste. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Arthur here yet? He¡¯s always been punctual, so he shouldn¡¯t bete.¡± Elliot frowned. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for a while more.¡± When Anastasia realized that Sophia was absent, she found out from Grace that Sophia had been unwell since morning and had sent her a text message saying that she wouldn¡¯t be attending. Anastasia understood how devastated she must have felt, so she didn¡¯t make it hard for her. On the other hand, after the makeup artist and stylist reached the hospital, they immediately started putting on makeup for Sophia, besides picking out her wedding gown. Since Sophia had a slender and proportionate body figure, the wedding gown that the stylist picked out suited her well. As shey in bed, she felt fuzzy, but she was firm about her decision to get married. Since her parents weren¡¯t invited to the wedding, she would ask for their forgiveness once she returned home. After ten minutes, Sophia¡¯s makeup was done, and she removed the infusion needle before putting on the wedding gown. Emily, on the contrary, left the hospital in her long wedding gown while looking disgruntled. She looked at the bodyguard and demanded, ¡°Send me to the hall.¡± Hearing that, he shook his head and responded, ¡°Young master had instructed us not to send you there.¡± Emily bit her lip, feeling disappointed at Arthur for being cruel toward her as he had decided to abandon her and marry someone else just because she pped Sophia. Dang it! I shouldn¡¯t have pped that annoying sl*t! Argh! She took her phone out and dialed her parents¡¯ phone number. ¡°Emily, why aren¡¯t you here yet? We¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time,¡± her mother gasped. ¡°Mom, Arthur will not be marrying me. He had decided to marry another woman.¡± At that point, all she could manage wasin. ¡°What? Who is he marrying?¡± ¡°He wanted to marry that b*tch, Sophia. Mom, Why isn¡¯t dad¡¯s drug working? He hasn¡¯t seemed to have forgotten her,¡± Emily questioned while getting all choked up. ¡°Is it because the dosage that Dad had administered was low?¡± ¡°Emily, where are you now? I will go over and fetch you. We shouldn¡¯t give up just yet since you are his bride who is recognized by Old Madam Weiss, and the whole family is aware of this. Sophia is just a nobody. Wait for me there. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± Vera was reluctant to give up on her daughter¡¯s happiness. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wait for you here at the hospital.¡± Emily saw a ray of hope after listening to her mother¡¯s words. Meanwhile, Sophia, having a fever earlier, had been transformed into a beautiful bride. She was dressed in a pure white wedding gown, had delicate makeup on, and was essorized with a diamond tiara whichpleted her look. ¡°Let¡¯s go, my bride.¡± Arthur extended his arm, after which Sophia held onto it shyly as both of them walked out of the ward. The nurses were surprised by the sight of them. ¡°I heard that Miss Jennings should be the bride. But this woman isn¡¯t her,¡± they whispered. However, they still thought that Sophia and Arthur looked good together. As the couple marched out of the hospital, a luxurious limousine came into sight. After the bodyguard opened the door, Arthur helped Sophia to rearrange her wedding gown train before she got into the car. The stylist who wanted to help out could only stand aside and watch the groom willingly attend to his bride. However, they were curious whether there were two brides that were getting married to him. When Sophia sat in the limousine, she patted her chest anxiously and took a deep breath. ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. You won¡¯t regret marrying me.¡± Arthur held onto her hand andforted her. Although he had lost all the memories regarding her, he was adamant about marrying her. Hearing that, she looked at him and nodded. Just then, her phone rang, and it was a message from Anastasia asking about her condition. She replied with a text that read, ¡®Anastasia, I¡¯m doing good. I have a surprise for youter on.¡¯ As she was about to put her phone back in her bag after replying to the text, Arthur suddenly snatched her phone away from her, which puzzled her. He immediately scrolled through her photo album. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Sheughed. ¡°I want to see what your boyfriend looks like and whether he¡¯s more good-looking than me,¡± Arthur said with jealousy. He couldn¡¯t figure out why she¡¯d sleep with him when she already had a boyfriend. Sophia, on the other hand, was calm as she looked at him, scrolling through the photo album. I¡¯ll let him be jealous of himself. Arthur was puzzled when he saw that all the pictures and videos on her phone were of both of them. Some of them were taken secretly, but he had no memory of the sceneries and ces that they¡¯d been to. He didn¡¯t know when he had lost his memory. However, he wasn¡¯t surprised at it as he didn¡¯t have the memory of them sleeping together as well. After scrolling through her phone for a while, he didn¡¯t see any photos of another man. ¡°Show me the pictures of your boyfriend.¡± He was determined to find out who his rival was so that he could do his best to defeat him. Hearing that, she took her phone back and selected a picture before pointing at the man in it while saying, ¡°Here. This is my boyfriend. He¡¯s more handsome than you, right?¡± Arthur was speechless after seeing it. Isn¡¯t that me? ¡°Isn¡¯t that me?¡± He was gobsmacked. ¡°That¡¯s right! You¡¯re my boyfriend!¡± Sophia giggled, looking at how adorable he looked when he was confused. Upon hearing that, he felt immense heartache. He finally knew why Sophia couldn¡¯t stop crying when sheid her eyes on him. It turned out that they were lovebirds, but he had somehow forgotten about her. As Sophia smiled, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead before saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know why I have forgotten about you, but I will try my very best to find the memories back.¡± Right after he apologized, Sophia¡¯s eyes welled up, but when she was about to cry, she immediately lifted her head and tried to hold back her tears. She told herself that she shouldn¡¯t cry or else her beautiful makeup would be ruined. ¡°Alright, geez. Stop making me cry. I don¡¯t want to ruin my makeup because I¡¯ll look ugly if it does.¡± She wiped the tears off and looked at him as she said, ¡°You promised that you would marry me. I¡¯m happy as long as you can fulfill your promise.¡± Have I promised that I would marry her? He wanted to punch himself in the face when he thought of how he almost married Emily today. I¡¯d have broken Sophia¡¯s heart if I had married that evil woman! ¡°What if you never get your memories back? Would you regret marrying me?¡± Sophia asked while looking down. ¡°If you¡¯re the one, I¡¯ll eventually fall in love with you again, so I¡¯ll never regret my decision.¡± He looked her in the eyes and confessed. He felt that after meeting Sophia, his world had been more colorful and that he had experienced happy emotions, which made his heart beat fast. As he stared into her bright eyes, he could see hope in them, which made him look forward to spending the rest of his life with her. Sophia¡¯s sweet smile was the best medicine for Arthur¡¯s broken heart. She had taught him how to love and appreciate life. The best antidote to Johnny¡¯s drug would be love. Suddenly, Martha came into Sophia¡¯s mind, and she asked worriedly, ¡°Would your grandma be willing to ept me? What we are doing would hurt her if she refused to ept me.¡± ¡°My grandma hoped for me to be happy. If marrying you makes me happy, she would definitely agree to it.¡± Arthur was certain about it, as his grandmother loved him so much that she¡¯d understand his choices. He tightened his embrace around Sophia¡¯s waist and had his eyes locked on hers as he smiled. She looked so stunning that he was certain that she was the wife he wanted. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Her face was flushed red as he stared at her. ¡°Looking at you.¡± He stared at her intently as if she would run away if he looked away. ¡°After our wedding ceremony, you have to tell me about how we met and when we dated. I want to know everything about us,¡± Arthur said. Those forgotten memories were just too precious to him. ¡°Are you sure? You were unfriendly toward me in the beginning.¡± Sophia raised her brow. ¡°Have you forgiven me?¡± Arthur smiled as he asked. ¡°I have long forgiven you!¡± She smiled shyly, showing her pearly whites. Hearing that, he was relieved and looked at the view outside. He then turned over and stared at her lips before asking, ¡°Didn¡¯t you put on lipstick?¡± ¡°I did!¡± ¡°But I can barely see it.¡± ¡°What should I do? I don¡¯t have lipstick with me.¡± She sounded worried as she wanted to look her best on her big day. ¡°It¡¯s ok. I can help you with that.¡± ¡°Huh? Do you have lipstick with you?¡± She was surprised that a man like him would have lipstick with him. The next moment, he held the back of her head and had her body pressed against his. He leaned in and topped up her lipstick with his lips. ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Her face was flushed red. Not only did he ¡®top up¡¯ her lipstick for her, he even put on blush for her. Although he had amnesia, he had his way of getting intimate with her, and that never really changed. On the other hand, Emily was waiting for her mother in a cafe nearby the hospital. Soon after, Vera rushed over with an assistant, whereupon they rearranged the train of her gown before entering the car. ¡°Mom¡­¡± She buried herself in her mother¡¯s arms as she wailed. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. Let¡¯s not ruin your makeup since you¡¯ll be the bride walking up the altarter on.¡± Vera dried her daughter¡¯s tears with a tissue and said firmly, ¡°No one can snatch the wedding from you.¡± ¡°B-But Arthur is bringing the b*tch over to the wedding venue!¡± ¡°So what if she went? She definitely wouldn¡¯t be epted by the old madam since she¡¯d never allow an outsider to join the family. Moreover, everyone in the family would oppose Sophia being the matriarch.¡± ¡°Mom, is that true? Do I really have a chance?¡± Emily seemed to have regained some confidence after hearing what her mother said. ¡°Of course you do. We just have to bring up how Sophia seduced Young Master Weiss in front of everyone. Old Madam Weiss and everyone else in the family would definitely oppose their marriage. As much as he liked her, he would have to let go because of the pressure from his family. He should have thought of how your father brought honor and benefitted the family.¡± After hearing what Vera said, Emily fully regained her confidence as she thought that she was more qualified to be Arthur¡¯s wife. ¡°Drive faster. We need to be there before both of them enter the hall.¡± Vera rushed her assistant to speed up so that they would reach there soon. At that moment, the couple¡¯s limousine stopped in front of the hall. As the bodyguard opened the door, he was surprised to see the couple making out and immediately closed the door. ¡°Are you done?¡± She leaned on his chest shyly. ¡°Yes. Oh, hey, sexy! I love your ming red lips.¡± He admired her lips which were red from all the kissing. ¡°You¡¯re so cheeky.¡± Sophia hit Arthur¡¯s chest with her fist yfully. ¡°Let¡¯s get down the car.¡± Arthur smiled as he kissed her forehead andforted her. ¡°I¡¯m really nervous.¡± She nodded and clutched her chest nervously. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. I¡¯m here.¡± He held her hand to reassure her. The bodyguards and assistants were all waiting for them outside the car as the car door opened. The stylist helped her to rearrange her train while Arthur personally covered her veil for her. Her beautiful face could be vaguely seen behind the veil. The towering church building looked majestic and sacred, which caught Sophia¡¯s attention. The golden domes of the building glistered as the sunlight shone on it, which made it seem holy. Both of them walked toward the direction of the chapel, hand in hand. Just then, the steward that had been waiting since morning hurried over. ¡°Young Master, you¡¯re finally here. You should hurry, as the guests had been waiting for a long time.¡± As the bride¡¯s face was covered with a veil, no one noticed that it wasn¡¯t Emily. Sophia was so nervous that her palms were sweating profusely. As she looked at the guests who were smiling at them and showering them with good wishes, she bet they thought she was Emily. Arthur could feel her sweaty hands and leaned in before whispering, ¡°Everything will be fine.¡± Upon hearing his words, she lifted her head and looked into his eyes through the veil. Marrying him was not only the bravest thing she had done in her life, but it was also the best thing that had happened to her. Hisforting words gave her the confidence to face whatever woulde to them. She took a deep breath, nodded, and walked on the red carpet as she held his hand. When the guests that had been waiting the whole morning finally saw the bride and groom, they pped to wee the couple¡¯s arrival. After the apuse stopped, the wedding symphony surrounded the chapel. Martha, who was seated in the front row, let out a sigh of relief after seeing the arrival of the bride and groom. She initially thought that her grandson wasn¡¯t going to proceed with the wedding. She also noticed that Arthur¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t as cold as before and that he was beaming with happiness while his eyes were filled with warmth and joy. She grinned, thinking of the grandchildren she would be getting in the future as there was hope for it. Meanwhile, on thewn outside the hall, a ck sedan suddenly came to a halt as the driver mmed on the brakes. The friction caused by the skidding created sparks. Just as the car stopped, Emily immediately dashed down from the car while her mother was carrying her train so the dust on the ground wouldn¡¯t dirty it. When they were on the carpet, the assistant helped to rearrange the train while Vera checked her daughter¡¯s makeup.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Faster, Mom! I can hear the processional music, and they have almost reached the altar.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± She nodded after checking her daughter¡¯s makeup, and they were good to go. She then put down Emily¡¯s veil, and both of them paced into the hall hand in hand. At that moment, Arthur held Sophia¡¯s hand and led her up to the altar as they were about toplete the wedding ceremony in front of over 300 guests. Just as the pastor was about to read their wedding vows, the doors suddenly flung open, and someone eximed, ¡°They cannot get married!¡± It was Emily. ¡°I¡¯m the bride!¡± she screamed hysterically. Upon hearing that, the guests turned to look at her, and they were puzzled when they saw two brides at the wedding. Emily walked on the red carpet by herself and nonchntly removed her veil, which revealed her face. The family members instantly recognized that she was supposed to be the bride, which made them ponder the identity of the other bride standing on the altar holding Arthur¡¯s hand. The scene shocked Martha, and she immediately stood up and looked at Emily wide-eyed. She then turned her gaze at the slim figure holding hands with her grandson. No! This can¡¯t be! Did he switch the bride out?! Could it be Sophia? Martha thought to herself. ¡°Emily, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Johnny stood up from his seat and walked toward her with a look of disbelief on his face. ¡°Dad, a woman stole my identity and made herself Arthur¡¯s bride.¡± Tears welled up in her eyes. She looked at Martha and pleaded, ¡°Grandma, you¡¯ll have to help me. The woman on the altar isn¡¯t your granddaughter-inw. I should be the one. She had seduced Arthur.¡± Sitting in the third row, Elliot and Richard looked at each other as they tried to make sense of the situation. Anastasia, however, was able to recognize thedy standing on the altar, and she eximed, ¡°It¡¯s Sophia! The bride standing on the altar is Sophia!¡± ¡°Has Arthur recovered his memory?¡± Richard asked in disbelief. ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± Elliot shook his head. The guests started discussing what had just happened. They were confused by the two brides that turned up at the same time and were wondering who was the actual bride. ¡°Emily, don¡¯t cry. Let¡¯s go to the side to discuss this, alright?¡± Martha tried tofort her. After that, she turned to the wedding host and said, ¡°Please calm the guests down for now. The wedding ceremony will resume shortly.¡± She wanted to resolve the matter of who was going to marry his grandson. ¡°Grandma, if you can make the woman leave, I¡¯ll be willing to marry Arthur.¡± Of course, Emily didn¡¯t refuse to marry him after all that had happened. After Richard heard what Emily said, he knew it was time to stand up for his friend and protect his happiness. He patted Elliot¡¯s shoulder before standing up and walking toward the altar. He had a strong presence as he stood tall, and he was dressed in an all-ck suit. He walked directly toward the host, wanting to borrow the microphone. Seeing that, the host didn¡¯t dare to refuse and passed him the microphone. ¡°My name is Richard Lloyd. I shall reveal a conspiracy that had happened within the Weiss Family,¡± he announced in a serious tone. As Martha wasforting Emily, she heard Richard¡¯s announcement and looked at him surprisedly. It turned out that he had set everything up in the hall, and as he took his phone out, he tapped on it for a few seconds. The next moment, the recording of Emily and Vera¡¯s conversation was being yed within the hall. ¡°Mom, it seems like he hasn¡¯tpletely forgotten about her. He still has feelings for her.¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s impossible. I thought that he had already forgotten about that woman?¡± It was followed by the conversation between Vera and Johnny. ¡°Johnny, today Emily told me that the girl Arthur met overseas is here, and both of them seemed close. You have to think of a way to completely wipe off all the memories rting to her from his head.¡± ¡°How could that happen? I have been observing his condition, and he is experiencing some neurological disorders, so it¡¯s impossible for him to feel strongly for anyone. He would be emotionless like a robot.¡± ¡°What if Emily got the same cold treatment after she married him? Does it mean that she won¡¯t have a happy marriage?¡± ¡°Rest assured! I¡¯m currently writing a code about happy memories that he had with Emily. I will input it into his head once it¡¯spleted. By that time, he would fall in love with her.¡± ¡°Really? Are you confident about it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m almost there. The important thing is for both of them to get married. She just has to wait a little more, and I will make sure that she will have a happy marriage for the rest of her life.¡± Everyone present was listening to the conversation intently while having the trantion headset on. Those who didn¡¯t understand English could easily understand what was being said. Johnny and Vera stared at each other as they panicked after hearing the recording of their conversation. They never expected their conversation to be recorded secretly. At that instant, Emily¡¯s face was as pale as a sheet now that everyone had found out about her parents¡¯ n. On top of that, she realized that her high-pitched voice was really unpleasant to the ear. ¡°Johnny, what have you done to me?¡± Arthur¡¯s face contorted with anger as he shot a re at Johnny. ¡°Johnny! You¡¯re the one who made my grandson lose his memories! What exactly had your family done to him?¡± Martha scowled. Vera was so terrified that she took a step back. ¡°We¡­¡± ¡°So all of you tried to control my grandson to go after our family¡¯s assets? Is that right?¡± Martha scoffed. ¡°I never thought that you¡¯ll be that ungrateful. You should know that we have invested a lot in your research, and now that your research is fruitful, you used it against my grandson?¡± ¡°Martha, we are very sorry about that.¡± Johnny was embarrassed. Initially, he was serious about his research and didn¡¯t n to use it for his own good. It hade to this because of Vera¡¯s insistence and also because he had wavered. ¡°Get out of my sight! I want your family to leave now! From now onward, I will shut down all of your labs.¡± Marthamanded before ring at Johnny. ¡°If something happens to my grandson because of the drug you administered, I will make sure your whole family pays for it!¡± Just then, one of Johnny¡¯s partners stood up in rage and chided, ¡°Johnny, how dare you administer the experimental drug on Young Master Weiss? It was only supposed to be tried on animals before we could use it on humans! How could you do that?¡± What Johnny did was inhumane, making Martha so furious that she was shaking. She couldn¡¯t believe that Johnny would do that to her precious grandchild. Sophia, who was standing on the altar, clenched her fist in anger when she found out why Arthur had a sudden memory loss. She removed her veil and looked at him worriedly. ¡°Do you feel any difort?¡± He felt fine without any difort, but he had been feeling downtely. It was as if living had be meaningless, and his whole world was gray, which didn¡¯t feel good at all. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± He shook his head and pulled her into his arms beforeforting her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have made you go through so much.¡± ¡°Jackson, is there a cure to it?¡± Martha looked over at another researcher and asked. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Old Madam. There¡¯s no cure to it as of now.¡± ¡°What?¡± Martha was so furious that she almost passed out. Seeing that, Arthur immediately rushed over and held Martha¡¯s arm. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandma. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°The drug is used for controlling parts of the brain where the memories are stored and wouldn¡¯t cause harm to one¡¯s body. It will only affect his memory, but we aren¡¯t sure whether there are any side effects to the drug,¡± Jackson exined. Trying to make up for what he had done, Johnny sighed and responded, ¡°After observing Young Master Weiss¡¯ mood swings, I assumed that the side effects would be an impediment to one¡¯s emotions. The person would be indifferent and quiet. Besides, fluctuations in emotions were minimized. The best way to recover is for him to find his lost memories, which would stimte self-healing of the brain nerves and encourage fluctuations in emotions. That would probably be effective.¡± Meanwhile, Emily, who was dolled up beautifully and dressed in a beautiful wedding gown, couldn¡¯t hide her jealousy. She slumped to the ground as she was on the brink of falling apart when she noticed that everyone was staring at her. ¡°Johnny, you dared to use my grandson as your research subject just for your daughter¡¯s happiness? You should be ashamed of yourself! From now on, I want all of you to leave this ce and this country! I will never forgive any of you.¡± Martha waved her hand and instructed, ¡°Bodyguards, take them away.¡± The bodyguards were already in position, and they dragged the family of three out after receiving the instruction. Soon after, Richard walked toward Arthur and patted his shoulder. Arthur turned around and gave him a big hug. The unexpected hug shocked Richard, and he froze on the spot. ¡°Richard, I¡¯m sorry for being rude to you before this,¡± Arthur apologized. ¡°That¡¯s what friends are for. You don¡¯t have to apologize to me.¡± Richard patted his back. ¡°Thank you for looking into this. I would have let the woman that I love slip away if not for your help.¡± Arthur let go of him and heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°I think that you¡¯re back to normal now. Miss Goodwin must have been your cure.¡± Richardughed. Martha had noticed a positive change since Arthur was smiling more than before. She looked at Sophia with gratitude as she was the one who had helped him to recover. ¡°Mr. Lloyd, I cannot thank you enough.¡± She was thankful for Richard¡¯s help. ¡°Well, I couldn¡¯t have done it by myself. Elliot and his wife helped out too,¡± Richard responded humbly, making Elliot think that he was being too humble since Richard was the mastermind behind it. Meanwhile, Elliot merely helped to analyze the situation. ¡°Are we going to resume the wedding ceremony? Why don¡¯t we hold another wedding tomorrow after doing some preparations?¡± Martha sighed since it was noon and the guests had been waiting for half a day. She¡¯d rather have them stay back a few more days and have another wedding tomorrow. ¡°Sure, you can call the shots.¡± Arthur didn¡¯t mind as long as Sophia was his bride. Soon after, Martha apologized to the guests and announced that there would be another wedding tomorrow, hoping that they would stay back for one more day. The guests responded positively to her request as they were happy to attend the wedding the next day. Hearing that, Anastasia was delighted for Sophia as she had finally found her happiness. Sophia then walked down from the altar and stood next to Arthur. Martha suddenly pulled her into her arms and begged for forgiveness. ¡°Child, I was wrong previously. Would you forgive me?¡± ¡°Grandma, I¡¯ve never med you before.¡± Sophia¡¯s eyes welled up with tears. Tears of happiness rolled down Martha¡¯s cheeks. She finally realized how she had turned a blind eye toward Sophia¡¯s kind nature when it should¡¯ve been the main criteria that her granddaughter-inw needed to possess. ¡°Tomorrow, I will throw a grand wedding for you and Arthur. Once we are back, we will have another wedding.¡± Martha gushed. ¡°Thank you, Grandma.¡± When it was lunch time, the guests were ushered to the banquet hall to have their lunch. As Anastasia walked over, Sophia went up to her and gave her a big hug. ¡°Anastasia, thank you for being by my side the entire time and for bringing me here. All of these wouldn¡¯t have happened if not for you.¡± ¡°This is the least I can do for you. I just want you to be happy.¡± Anastasia patted her back and smiled. She was happy that she was able to help out. ¡°I¡¯m really happy.¡± Sophia pursed her lips as tears of joy rolled down the cheeks. Meanwhile, Arthur went to the side and hugged two of his best friends. Their rtionship was as strong as ever, and they¡¯d always have each other¡¯s backs. At the same time, the police had already arrived at Johnny¡¯s house and he was apprehended since he was being faced with legal charges. Likewise, Vera and Emily were brought to the police station to give their statements. As Vera sat in the police car, tears of regret rolled down her cheeks. Her greed had brought the demise of her whole family, and the husband that she was proud of had to pay the price. Their future was bleak; it was highly probable that Johnny, who they hugely depended on, would be imprisoned for life. She couldn¡¯t imagine how life would be after being chased out of the country since they had been under the Weiss Family¡¯s care and protection all along. Meanwhile, Emily cried so much that she almost passed out as she had lost everything in just a day. Her ostentatiousness and stupidity seemed to have entuated Sophia¡¯s kindness and beauty in front of Martha. Of course, Emily had never thought that Sophia was someone kind since it was her presence which ruined everything. She had a strong urge to kill Sophia. Besides, Richard didn¡¯t have the right to release the recording that was obtained secretly as it was uwful. Meanwhile, Martha, who was resting in the manor, was feeling lethargic after a long day. She had to take two antihypertensive pills to reduce her blood pressure. ¡°That family really got on my nerves. How dare they do such a thing to my grandson!¡± The thought of it really made her blood boil. She was regretful that she hadn¡¯t noticed Arthur¡¯s abnormal behavior earlier on. At this moment, Jackson, who was Johnny¡¯s partner, walked in and sat before Martha. He was ready to answer any questions that she had. ¡°Jackson, based on your opinion, are you sure that Arthur won¡¯t experience any side effects after taking the drug?¡± ¡°I just met Young Master Weiss, and I noticed that he has recovered by leaps in terms of his emotional response. It seems like the drug would wear out after a certain period. I¡¯d suggest stimting his emotional needs so that he¡¯s able to heal by himself.¡± ¡°How do we achieve that?¡± ¡°I¡¯d suggest Young Master Weiss go on a trip with his wife. I¡¯m sure that he would fully reveal his feelings in front of the woman that he loves.¡± Hearing that, Martha sighed as she realized that Sophia was an angel sent by the heavens to save her grandchild. If not, he would have fallen into the Jennings Family¡¯s hands. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll make the necessary arrangements. I¡¯ll write a referral letter and refer you to some other biological research institute and take care of your job arrangements.¡± ¡°Thank you, Old Madam.¡± After seeing Jackson off, she touched her forehead and sighed. She then looked at the butler and said, ¡°Prepare a feast for tonight as I¡¯d like to invite Mr. Lloyd as well as Mr. and Mrs. Presgrave over to dinner as a token of appreciation.¡± That evening, all of them received Martha¡¯s dinner invitation. In one of the living rooms within the manor, Sophia was rubbing her feet after wearing high heels for the whole day. Since she wasn¡¯t used to wearing it, the friction between her feet and heels caused by too much walking had created a red patch even though the heels were of her size. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Arthur asked. She immediately stood up and shook her head shyly. ¡°Nothing.¡± She was scared that he would want to examine her feet if she said that they were hurt. However, the observant Arthur could tell that she was lying. He walked toward her and kneeled to cheek her foot. ¡°Did you hurt your feet? Let me have a look.¡± ¡°Stop¡­ Stop looking.¡± She retracted them. When he noticed how red her feet were from wearing the heels, he looked up and said, ¡°Let me know next time when your foot hurts. Don¡¯t keep it to yourself.¡± After that, he got one of the servants to get him some ointment before he personally applied it on her foot. The cooling menthol helped to relieve the pain, and he applied the ointment so gently that it felt nice. ¡°Alright, this will do,¡± she told him. ¡°Let¡¯s go to my room. There¡¯s something I need to discuss with you.¡± He stood up and led her there. As she stood in his room with an industrial interior, she felt calm as she looked out at the nice view. She felt contentment and happiness as she no longer had to worry about having to leave him. Sophia thought of informing her parents that she was getting married tomorrow, but she was worried that her parents would get the wrong idea. In the end, she put the idea off as the journey between both countries was far. She would proceed with the wedding and seek forgiveness from her parentster on. As she was in a daze, Arthur suddenly pulled her into his arms and brushed his nose gently against her neck, making her blush. Even though he had lost his memories, his actions seemed to be his old self like a puppy that constantly stuck around her. ¡°My wife smells nice.¡± He praised her after taking a sniff. Sophia was certain that besides the memory loss that he experienced, his old self was back. She then turned around, looked up at his attractive face, and tiptoed before leaning in to peck on his cheek. ¡°Thank you for choosing me.¡± She looked at him with affection. He had saved her from the agonizing heartache that she would go through if he married Emily in the end. She wouldn¡¯t know what would happen if she had lost him as she saw him as someone very important to her, so much so that he was more important than her own life. Hearing that, he realized that he held an important ce in her heart and that he was a very important person in her life. If he really did marry Emily under the influence of the drug, he couldn¡¯t imagine what would happen to Sophia. Even if he regained consciousness in the end, the whole incident would have broken the woman¡¯s heart. He would make sure that the Jennings family paid for hurting the woman he loved. Arthur then pulled her into his arms and rested his cheeks on her forehead. ¡°Although you have been wiped off from my memories, my heart and body haven¡¯t forgotten you. All of my senses tell me I like you and that you¡¯re the only one I want.¡± Hearing that, tears rolled out her cheeks and she was relieved that she had taken the trip. If not, they would have missed out on each other. She felt like the heavens were on their side. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He looked down and wiped her tears off with his hand before holding her face and going in for a kiss. Sophia, her face wet with tears, could feel his affectionate kiss. It had calmed her heart as she knew that her happiness was right in front of her and all she had to do was to grab on to it. Meanwhile, in the guest room, both Richard and Elliot were relieved that the truth had been revealed and that they were able to rescue Arthur from the dangers posed by the drug. If not for their keen perception, it would have gone unnoticed. It was evident when Martha, who had been living with Arthur for so long, didn¡¯t find it odd even when he wasn¡¯t as close to her anymore. On top of that, all of the staff within the manor didn¡¯t think otherwise when Arthur started bing cold and distant. On the contrary, Richard and Elliot could tell that something wasn¡¯t right from just a phone call. It was probably due to their strong bond that they could sniff something out whenever something happened to any one of them. ¡°Please dress more formally at tonight¡¯s banquet with Old Madam,¡± Elliot reminded him as Richard had changed into afortable camouge t-shirt after taking off the suit that he wore in the morning. ¡°I¡¯ll change into the suitter on. It¡¯s so ufortable,¡± answered Richard whileining. After Elliot looked at the time, he got up and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go apany Anastasia now.¡± He left right after that. Richard then walked toward the window and looked outside with his head held high. The afternoon sun peeked through the clouds and shone on his attractive face. Since he had spent most of this time in the army, he had been trained to be an elite soldier who didn¡¯t indulge himself in lust. He was born to lead on the battleground as it was his passion in life. Just then, his phone rang. ¡°Hello?¡± he answered. ¡°Captain, when are youing back? I have something to report to you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s some progress at 408. Pleasee back soon so that we can start the mission.¡± ¡°Alright, please wait until I return. I need to stay over for one more day, and I¡¯ll be back after that.¡± Richard sat up straight. After the call ended, a hunting intent shed across his eyes. The conversation was about an international organized crime group, and they were not an ordinary gang since they were involved with highly ssified weapons. They specialized in stealing, and they had stolen the research results and blueprints of a high-end weapon this time. They were looking for buyers everywhere, and Richard¡¯s team had been tracking them for almost half a year. Meanwhile, Anastasia was having a video call with her son in the room. Jared had his face stuck so close to the screen that his chubby cheeks filled the screen. He looked so adorable that she wanted to give him a kiss. ¡°Anastasia, I¡¯ll take care of Jared for you while Elliot and you work on having baby number two.¡± Nigel¡¯s voice could be heard in the background. It flustered Anastasia as it felt awkward to talk about having another baby in front of Jared. ¡°Nigel, you should be the one working hard. Do you need me to introduce some girls to you?¡± Anastasia fought back. ¡°Sure, but I¡¯ll only consider those who are prettier than you.¡± ¡°Most of them are prettier than me.¡± Anastasiaughed. Just then, their conversation was interrupted by Elliot. ¡°What are both of you talking about?¡± She immediately tensed up, for this husband of hers got jealous easily and could not stand hearing such words. ¡°Nothing. We are just chatting.¡± Nigelughed as he tried to change the topic. ¡°Do you guys think I didn¡¯t hear what the both of you were talking about?¡± Elliot murmured. ¡°Daddy, Mr. Nigel is asking both of you to give me a sister and Mommy was asking him to quickly find himself a girlfriend,¡± answered Jared. ¡°Great! Mommy and I are working hard on it!¡± Elliot seemed proud as he looked at his son from the screen. Hearing that, Anastasia instantly turned around and red at him, reminding him to be more reserved in front of their son since he was still young. She had never told Jared about how both males and females were involved in creating a baby as she thought that he was too young toprehend it. Elliot then smiled as he tried to exin to Jared, ¡°I¡¯m saying that it depends on your Mommy since she has a say in whether she wants to have another baby or not.¡± Anastasia stared at Elliot after listening to his exnation and hinted at him to switch the topic. ¡°Jared, have you beenpleting your homework on time?¡± Elliot, who got the message, immediately changed the topic. ¡°Daddy, don¡¯t worry about my homework! I¡¯ll make sure toplete them,¡± Jared responded confidently. Nigel, who was dressed in tennis apparel, appeared in front of the screen and said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk some other time as I need to send Jared to his tennis ss. I shall look forward to both of you buying me meals when you¡¯re back since it¡¯s not easy being a nanny.¡± ¡°Thanks for your hard work, Nigel.¡± Anastasiaughed. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Jared!¡± Nigel called out as he smiled at the camera. ¡°Goodbye, Daddy and Mommy.¡± Jared waved at the camera and ended the call. It seemed like he really enjoyed spending time with Nigel. After that, Anastasia left the iPad on the couch and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I¡¯ve been feeling constantly tired these days.¡± When Elliot heard that, he sat next to her and stretched his arm out so that she could lean on it. ¡°Take a nap. I must have kept you awakest night.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not shy to admit to it.¡± She rolled her eyes at him. ¡°What¡¯s there to be embarrassed about since we are now legally married?!¡± Elliot smiled and gave her a kiss. She leaned on his chest shyly and dozed off soon after. When he noticed that Anastasia was falling asleep, he moved her to the bed. She instantly fell asleep in his arms while he checked his emails on his phone while holding his wife to sleep. In the evening, Martha was overseeing the dinner preparations. She initially wanted to check on Arthur, but she knew that he was probably with Sophia. As such, she decided not to disturb the lovebirds. After all that had happened, she finally realized how much Arthur loved Sophia and that true love could withstand the challenges faced by the disparity of wealth and family background. She really hoped that Arthur¡¯s partner would be someone that truly loved him, not someone who only coveted his assets or tried to harm him because of it. Martha had learned her lesson from the Jennings Family as she was now aware that some families who were under their protection were starting to revolt against them. ¡°Old Madam, this is Miss Goodwin¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°You should be calling her Young Mistress from now on.¡± Martha corrected the servant. ¡°Yes, Young Mistress¡¯ jewelry has been picked out. I will send it to her roomter on,¡± said the servant with a smile. ¡°Great, we must select the best for her.¡± ¡°All of them are of the finest.¡± Martha was satisfied with the selection of jewelry and nodded at the servant. Right now, the thing she looked forward to the most was for Sophia to be her granddaughter-inw. Meanwhile, at the Jennings Residence, Emily had returned home after giving her statement. When she saw how empty the house was, she couldn¡¯t hold her tears in and wailed. Chapter 821-830 Chapter 821-830 Both of her parents had been arrested. Her mother was detained as an aplice, and they had denied Emily¡¯s involvement in order to protect her. Therefore, she was released by the police even though her parents were imprisoned because of her. It was something that she regretted most in her life, but there was nothing she could do about it. Her phone rang all of a sudden, causing Emily to startle. When she saw that it was a call from her good friend, she spoke into the phone. ¡°Hi, Sally.¡± ¡°I never thought that you¡¯d do such a thing in order to get Young Master Weiss¡¯ affection. You always seemed pretty confident in front of us, but I bet you¡¯re dying of embarrassment right now.¡± Hearing that, Emily¡¯s face turned pale. Her friend wasn¡¯t calling to check on her; instead, Sally was calling to kick her when she was down. ¡°Since your parents have been imprisoned, you¡¯ll be kicked out of the family soon. I don¡¯t think we will be able to see each other or go shopping together anymore. By the way, the bag that you previously ordered has arrived, but I don¡¯t think that you will be able to collect it. In that case, I shall do you a favor and buy it up since it¡¯s a limited edition make.¡± Emily had enough of the insults and ended the call. Now, she finally knew how it felt when her friends turned their backs on her when she was in trouble. She had brought it upon herself since she was used to trampling on others when she was doing well. However, the thing that irritated her the most was Sophia being the future Young Mistress of the Weiss Family, subsequently owning the entire Weiss Family¡¯s fortune. Once Sophia married Arthur, they would build a family together and stay by each other¡¯s side forever, which was supposed to be the life that Emily was going to have. She was sure that Sophia would act high and mighty in front of her if they were to meet in the future. At 6.00PM, the dinner banquet that was being held at the Weiss Residence hadmenced. Martha, who was the hostess, sat at the head of the table while five attractive youngsters sat next to her. The servants were amazed at how good looking they were as all of them were uniquely gorgeous. The thing that Martha was most interested in was how Richard and Elliot noticed that Arthur wasn¡¯t his usual self and how they realized that he was being harmed. While Richard exined the situation to Martha, Arthur, who was all ears, felt touched by what Richard had done for him. Moreover, he realized that something was wrong from just a phone call. ¡°We know Arthur well. He would¡¯ve definitely called personally to tell us that he is getting married,¡± Elliot said. ¡°I must have been confused and slow to catch on because of my age. If not for all of you, something disastrous would have happened within our family.¡± The thought of it still scared her as there was not much she could do if the Jennings Family were in control of her family due to her old age. She was also worried that something would happen to Arthur due to the side effects of the poison. ¡°Elliot, Richard, cheers to both of you! Arthur raised his ss and said. ¡°No worries. The other time something happened to me, you and Richard came to my rescue too.¡± Elliot knew that they had each other¡¯s backs. ¡°This is what friends are for.¡± Richardughed. Anastasia, who was sitting opposite Sophia, smiled at her as she was happy that they were now sisters. Their husbands saw each other as brothers, after all. ¡°Sophia, I¡¯d like to apologize to you for the words I said to you back then,¡± said Martha, apologizing to Sophia in front of everyone. ¡°Grandma, you don¡¯t have to apologize to me. I understand your situation.¡± The sudden apology surprised Sophia. Arthur felt bad for everything that she had gone through and caressed the back of her head as he looked at her. Sophia turned and looked at him too. Noticing that, Martha was d as after the whole episode, she finally got herself a future granddaughter-inw who loved Arthur with all her heart. After dinner ended, all of them left separately. Elliot brought Anastasia for a walk while Richard went back to his room to work. Meanwhile, Arthur brought Sophia out for a short drive. Under the spotlight, the sight of roses in full bloom in the garden looked spectacr. The air was filled with their pleasant floral scent. As Anastasia was admiring the flowers, she suddenly felt nauseous. She wasn¡¯t sure why, but it could be the overpowering scent of the flowers. The next moment, Anastasia covered her mouth and bent over as she felt like puking. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?¡± Elliot bent down and hugged her. ¡°I just feel nauseous all of a sudden.¡± She was feeling unwell. The nauseousness came back again after she took a few more steps. She felt dispirited since she didn¡¯t know what was wrong with her body. When he noticed that, Elliot brought her back to their room and poured some warm water for her. She lay on the couch after finishing the drink since she felt ufortable. Then, Anastasia started retracing what she had eaten or done the past few days. Besides constantly feeling tired, she didn¡¯t seem to have eaten anything wrong. Suddenly, something came to her mind as she immediately sat up and stared at Elliot. Elliot seemed startled by her reaction and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Do you think we¡¯ve hit the jackpot?¡± She immediately got down from the couch and walked toward the cupboard. She was searching for something in her pouch. ¡°What are you looking for?¡± Elliot walked toward her and asked. ¡°This. I¡¯ll go and take a test.¡± She took out a box and showed it to him. After she went into the washroom, Elliot had mixed feelings about having a second child. Although he wanted another child, when he thought of the difort that Anastasia would have to go through, he was happy just to have Jared. Meanwhile, Anastasia was standing next to the sink while checking the results, and she was overjoyed when she saw the two red lines that appeared. She was finally pregnant with her second child, and she hoped that it would be a daughter. When she got out of the bathroom, she teased Elliot and pretended to look disappointed. ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± she said. Hearing that, he seemed relieved and hugged her as he smiled. ¡°That¡¯s good. If you really are pregnant, it would bring you a lot of pregnancy rted difort.¡± ¡°What? Don¡¯t you want a daughter?¡± Anastasia was surprised by his words. ¡°If it means that you have to go through the difort, I¡¯d rather we just have Jared.¡± He looked down and kissed her forehead. ¡°I have no regrets.¡± ¡°I really want another child, and it¡¯s here, though.¡± Anastasiaughed and hugged him. ¡°Really?¡± He looked at her in surprise. ¡°Mmhm! That¡¯s why I¡¯m letting you know in advance. Get ready to abstain!¡± Elliot was surprised and happy at the news. He then hugged her and sighed. ¡°Thank you for carrying our child. I hope that you have a smooth pregnancy.¡± However, Anastasia really looked forward to it as she knew that the baby would be the happiest baby when she was born because she would have a loving father and brother. She imagined that the baby would be adorable like an angel. ¡°Since I¡¯m pregnant, let¡¯s go home after attending Sophia¡¯s wedding so that I can get some rest.¡± Her focus was now on the baby. ¡°Sure!¡± Elliot kissed her. Under the night sky, the road was empty since it was a private road. Arthur brought Sophia out for a drive in his convertible sports car. Since he wasn¡¯t speeding, it felt nice as the gentle breeze brushed across their faces. When they reached a viewing deck, they were surrounded by wildflowers as they gazed at the sea in front of them. The sky was full of stars, and a floral scent filled the air. The ambience was pleasant and romantic. Sophia took a deep inhale as she felt that she was surrounded by happiness. ¡°Is it pretty?¡± Arthur smiled. He wanted to share the best things within the family with the woman he loved. ¡°Yes! The scene looks just like a painting.¡± She nodded and had her attention on his face. His good looking features were prominent under the moonlight, and it mesmerized her more than the view. That was the case for Arthur too, for she was the thing that he found most beautiful. Under the moonlight, Arthur grabbed her by the waist and she hugged his neck as they leaned in for a passionate kiss. They didn¡¯t have any other thoughts; they just wanted to kiss and feel each other. In the silence of the night, their senses were at their keenest. Sophia leaned into Arthur¡¯s embrace, blushing and feeling that her rapidly beating heart was about to explode. She would never forget this wholly romantic experience. Meanwhile, Arthur took her hand and walked some distance forward. Their path was paved with fine white cobblestones that reflected the moonlight and emanated a faint white glow. It was breathtaking. Even though it was unfamiliar terrain at night with insects chirping all around them, as long as Sophie held this warm andrge hand, she would have nothing to fear since she¡¯d gravitate to wherever he was. When they returned, Arthur carried her on his back. She wasn¡¯t tired, but he just wanted to do it for her. As Sophia leaned against his firm and broad back, she could rest, admire the scenery, and even asionally kiss him on the back. Arthur immensely enjoyed this happiness as if he were carrying his entire world on his back. Out of the three best friends, the other two had already found their partners for life; only Richard was still engrossed in his work, enjoying his time alone. He was studying someplicated program as he coded, his slender fingers tapping away on the keyboard. His firm gaze was on the lines of code disyed on the screen, and not a bug was in sight. He had alreadypleted the urate calctions in his mind. Just then, he received a message on his phone. ¡®Richard, they¡¯ve crossed the border and entered your country. It looks like they had already arranged a meeting with the buyer. We should go as soon as possible.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll be back on time,¡¯ Richard replied. Then, he closed hisputer. His identity was highly confidential, and his responsibility was to protect his country. No matter what, he wouldn¡¯t allow his country to face any danger. Tonight, all the servants in the Weiss Family were busy with the preparations. They were changing out all the wedding decorations today, and a new wedding would take ce tomorrow. Early the next morning, a ray of sunshine spilled in through the window and sshed onto the girl¡¯s pretty face. Her slender arms moved before brushing against some firm muscles, and she happily pressed her little face against it. The man also parted his thick eyshes as he looked down at the girl in his arms, and a smile warmed his thin lips as he gently kissed her. However, the kiss was the start of many things. After all, a man in the morning couldn¡¯t endure much enticement. ¡°Mm! Don¡¯t kiss the neck¡­¡± The girl covered her neck so that he wouldn¡¯t kiss that spot. She would be wearing a wedding dresster, so how embarrassing it would be! After the eventsst night, the look in Arthur¡¯s eyes seemed to shine even more brilliantly. All his emotions had recovered, and the passionate love in his eyes seemed to be stronger than ever. ¡°Where should I kiss so that no one would notice?¡± he asked hoarsely. Sophia¡¯s face reddened in an instant as she wondered, Does this man really have to do it first thing in the morning? From today onward, she would be his and his only. Martha was waiting in the hall outside the door again. When the servants came over and reported that the two hadn¡¯t woken up, Martha smiled as she said, ¡°We¡¯re in no rush. Let¡¯s wait for them.¡± If she rushed them, her great grandchild would be gone. By the time Sophia woke up again, she was startled when she looked at the time. It was already 8.00AM, but she hadn¡¯t even applied makeup! She looked at the man beside her again, who was gazing at her with a satisfied expression. His arm supported him as the sunlight shone on his sharp corbones, and he lookedzily alluring. ¡°Come on, get up,¡± Sophia urged him. Arthur smiled happily, then he quickly got out of bed. Sophia was brushing her teeth when the man squeezed in as well. He had a hand around her as the two brushed their teeth together. Sophia blushed, and the entirety of her little face was red early in the morning. When the two emerged from their room, Martha was still waiting patiently for them, but the others in the crowd were all tensed up. The makeup artists and the stylists couldn¡¯t wait much longer. Finally, when they saw the coupleing out, they immediately switched into work mode. Sophia sat at the dressing table as they applied bridal makeup on her. Arthur was also high-spirited, and when he changed into the groom¡¯s suit, he looked handsome and majestic like a prince. Meanwhile, it was still too early to leave the guest rooms and depart to the hall. Anastasia seemed to becking sleep as she buried herself in her husband¡¯s arms, continuing her contented sleep in the morning. Ever since she knew she was pregnant, she leisurely entered into a pregnant mother¡¯s state of mind and stopped getting anxious about things. She wanted to enjoy life and wait peacefully for childbirth. Elliot embraced his wife in his arms, his eyes filled with love while barely hiding a strong sense of suppression. He had given her all his love, and he suppressed his physical urges appropriately. Anastasia behaved like azy cat as shey in his embrace, shifting into various positions to sleep. In the end, she identally found out her husband¡¯s secret, and she smiled evilly as she nted a kiss on his corbone. Elliot lowered his head to look at his mischievous wife. He reached out and caressed her long hair as he warned, ¡°If you keep making unnecessary movements, I might lose my humanity.¡± Anastasia raised her exquisite face. ¡°You can try.¡± Elliot leaned against her forehead, smiling. ¡°You¡¯re rather fearless now, aren¡¯t you?¡± Anastasia only dared to tease him because of this ace card she held. She dared not do it before she was pregnant; he would take action as soon as she teased him, and she would have to endure it all in the end. Now that she could have it her way, she wouldn¡¯t let this opportunity slip by. It was finally her turn to control him lest this man kept naughtily thinking that he could bully her. He used to find lots of excuses too. For example, he would talk about the suffering she made him go through when he was pursuing her, so now he would pay it back multifold. Anastasia recalled that even when he was pursuing her, he didn¡¯t keep to himself either! Thanks to his wife, Elliot had to take a cold shower in the morning. As he did so, he thought that this was just the beginning of many cold showers in the future. Meanwhile, Richard had already made the preparations to go to the hall. He was wearing a ck suit today, and his upright figure was like an unsheathed sword. When he appeared in the hall yesterday, he had captured the hearts of countless maidens. Today, there were also quite a number of girls awaiting his arrival! At 9.30AM, Elliot and his wife made their way to the hall. Richard had arrived before them, and he was engaged in a call as he stood outside the hall. Meanwhile, a girl in her twenties stood a few steps behind him bashfully, looking at him in admiration as she intended to get to know him. Just then, Richard¡¯s voice suddenly turned cold. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You lost the target just like that? What were you doing?¡± The girl was startled, trembling as she looked up at the man who emanated a terrifying chill. She hastily took a few steps backward and ran away. Richard was already all tensed up as he listened to his subordinate¡¯s report. ¡°We¡¯ll talk when I get back.¡± After hanging up, Richard let out a sigh. He lowered his head to look at the time. He would leave when the wedding ceremony ended. At 10.00AM sharp, Sophia strode out of the wedding car. The wedding ceremony this time didn¡¯t require the groom to wait at the stage. Instead, the couple would enter the hall together. The atmosphere in the entire venue had changed as it was decked out in pink and blue¡ªSophia¡¯s favorite colors. In the hall, the guests finally had a look at the main stars of the wedding. They had already forgotten about yesterday¡¯s events since they finally beheld the real bride. Her figure was beautiful and elegant, and she was a great match for the groom. They were indeed made for each other. They walked past arches of fresh flowers while holding hands, strolling on the red carpet as the rain of petals swirled around them. Their wedding was like beautiful poetry¡ªfilled with romance and wonder. Martha nodded in satisfaction as she received the blessings of the guests around her. The couple stood on the stage andpleted the wedding vows under the guidance of the priest. They answered ¡®I do¡¯ without any hesitation. Then, they embraced and kissed each other while getting showered with apuse and shouts of blessing. Following that, they exchanged rings that symbolized their one true love, and that they would protect each other for life. There was thunderous apuse as the wedding ceremony waspleted with everyone present as witnesses. Martha went onto the stage and delivered a speech to thank all the guests who had attended. Arthur also gave a speech while Sophia looked lovingly and tearfully at her husband. She listened as he talked about how he fell in love with her once again despite his lost memories. In the end, tears were streaming down her face as she stood lovingly in his embrace. Heforted her gently in front of all the guests. After the wedding, the guests made their way to the banquet hall. In the lounge next to the hall, Richard came over to bid Arthur goodbye since he would be leaving soon. ¡°Artie, I might be able to make it in time for the wedding you¡¯ll be holding in our country. See you then.¡± Richard would also be returning in a few days¡¯ time. ¡°Okay, make sure you attend when that happens.¡± ¡°As long as I haven¡¯t gone elsewhere, I¡¯ll definitely show up. I¡¯ve told Elilot about my departure already, so I¡¯ll be off now.¡± With that, the man left before the others did. In the lounge next to the banquet hall, Sophia had just changed into an evening dress for the toast. It was cherry red, and Martha herself helped Sophia smooth and arrange the dress. Then, the servant at the side opened a box. Sophia was slightly stunned, for the box contained none other than the Weiss Family¡¯s heirloom. She almost lost the jewelryst time, and she still felt a little shaken when she saw it now. On the other hand, Martha reached out and lifted it from the box, then said to Sophia, ¡°Sophia, it belongs to you from now on. You can pass it down to your children, who will then pass on to theirs throughout the generations.¡± Sophia slightly leaned forward, and Martha helped her put it on. It was a perfect match for her current dress. ¡°Thank you, Grandma. I¡¯ll make sure to keep it safe.¡± Martha looked at the heirloom. She previously heard that her grandson once lost it, but now it eventually ended up in Sophia¡¯s hands. This must be some sort of fate. After all, this heirloom found its new owner for itself. ¡°Go on, now. Artie is waiting for you for the toast.¡± Martha patted Sophia on the shoulder. She walked out of the lounge to see Arthur waiting for her on the couch. When he saw her emerging, he got up and studied his wife with a pleasantly surprised look on his face. Then, he smiled when he saw the pendant on her neck. ¡°Looks like it has found its owner.¡± Sophia found it quite amusing. She had worn it once before, and she never dared imagine that she would own it one day. It was also because of this heirloom that she got to know its original owner and brought him to her, giving her the opportunity to fall in love with him. ¡°I think it has its own intentions. We¡¯re together exactly because of it,¡± Sophia said, smiling. Arthur took her hand. ¡°Well, this proves that we¡¯re made for each other.¡± This was a traditional wedding. The bride wore a red dress, exuding an oriental aura which amazed the crowd. The area around her neck stood out, and people also noticed the round pendant which housed a gem. All the family members knew that it was the family heirloom of the Weiss Family. From now on, Sophia would be the owner of the heirloom, which meant that she would be the sessor of the Weiss Family. After the banquet in the afternoon, the guests went back to their rooms to rest while preparations for the banquet at night were under way. Today, the Weiss Residence was filled with joy and cheer. There wasughter and chatter everywhere, and the guests were ted as well. Meanwhile, in the detention center of the police station nearby, Johnny and his wife were in deep regret. Their lives were already ruined. Once a person strayed from the right path, they would have to pay the price. Emily was the one who suffered the most. She still hadn¡¯t left home as she sat alone on the couch. She heard the joyful noise in the hall, and she watched the fireworks show from a distance. She felt as if numerous fangs were gnawing at her heart, and every ounce of her pride was trampled. She was all alone now, and even her family couldn¡¯t be by her side. She would have to live her life alone until her parents were released. Emily sat there and pondered for a whole night. She felt that she should beg the Weiss Family for mercy to let her parents off the hook. If Martha said the word, her parents probably wouldn¡¯t have to go to prison. It was Arthur¡¯s big day today, so she dared not go and beg right away. However,e tomorrow, she would definitely beg Martha for mercy. She could abandon all her pride just to save her parents, for she only wanted her family to be whole again. It was gettingte, and the guests went home joyously. Simrly, the bride and groomy down to rest for the night. The moonlight outside the window shone in as the newlyweds fell asleep in each other¡¯s arms. The next afternoon, Arthur and Sophia saw Elliot and Anastasia off at the airport, and they were also on the verge of embarking on their wedding trip. Arthur had decided to take Sophia to an ind nearby to rest for a week, then they would travel to Sophia¡¯s home country to hold their wedding there. Meanwhile, Martha had ns of her own as well. She decided to move a part of their family¡¯s property to Sophia¡¯s home country, then live there as a permanent resident. Their family had expanded its business overseas for almost two hundred years, so it was about time for them to return to their roots. She even decided to be buried with her husband in the future. In the evening, Sophia strolled in the garden outside with Martha, listening to the older woman¡¯s amusing stories about her husband¡¯s antics when he was a young child. She kept lowering her head to chuckle discreetly. Everyone¡¯s childhood was filled with fun, it seemed¡ªeven Arthur was no different. Just then, a servant came over to Martha and reported, ¡°Old Madam Weiss, Miss Jennings is outside and wants to see you.¡± Martha frowned as soon as she heard that. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see her. Tell her to leave.¡± ¡°She¡¯s on her knees and won¡¯t budge no matter what we say. She insists on seeing you.¡± The servant had tried to chase her away too, but it was exactly because Emily refused to leave that the servant came to report it. Martha huffed for a few seconds, furious at the mention of the Jennings. She said to Sophia, ¡°Sophia, come with me!¡± Thetter nodded and followed Martha out of the yard. On the other side of the iron gates, Emily was kneeling with tears streaming down her face. She trembled visibly when she saw Sophia, then lowered her head in shame. She never thought that Sophia would see her like this. It wouldn¡¯t be too embarrassing if she kneeled and begged Martha, but Sophia simply had toe along to watch. A hint of strong hatred shed across her downcast eyes. As soon as Martha saw Emily, she felt fury raging inside her. ¡°Your family did such horrible things, yet you still have the guts toe begging for mercy?¡± ¡°Grandma, my parents have repented. They didn¡¯t mean anything evil; they just loved me too much and wanted me to have a happy life in the future. They didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡± Emily still called her ¡®Grandma¡¯. ¡°Don¡¯t call me that, for I don¡¯t have a grandchild as evil as you. Your parents love you, but you also allowed them to carry out their ns. What makes you any different from them?¡± ¡°You did something to Artie so that he would forget about me. Do you think you can attain happiness just like that? Did it ever ur to you that Artie¡¯s life could¡¯ve been in danger?¡± Sophia also questioned angrily. Tears streamed down Emily¡¯s face as sudden anger took over her. She looked up and red at Sophia as she said, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, I would¡¯ve been a perfect match for Artie. You! You¡¯re the one who caused this to happen.¡± ¡°How dare you! You haven¡¯t repented at all! You¡¯re even pushing the me on Sophia, but she¡¯s completely innocent in this matter. I was wrong about you,¡± Martha shouted. She once thought that Emily was a decent girl, but she never thought that thetter would turn so evil because of her jealousy. Emily truly wasn¡¯t a good person at heart. Emily¡¯s hatred only grew stronger. She had originallye to beg for mercy, but when she saw Sophia, her anger was stoked. Thus, she did the wrong thing again. She shouted in panic, ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m sorry ¡ª¡± Just then, she noticed the family heirloom Sophia was wearing around her neck, and she couldn¡¯t help but gasp. That was supposed to be hers! ¡°Get lost. Your parents have to pay the price for what they did, and as for you, I don¡¯t want to see you ever again. Leave right now and never appear in front of us again.¡± Martha¡¯s re was extremely fierce. ¡°If I see you once more, I won¡¯t let you off the hook.¡± Emily kneeled on the ground in despair. She wanted to beg for mercy, but she didn¡¯t want toe again, which would only provoke Martha. ¡°Sophia, what right do you have to marry Artie? You¡¯re so in and useless; you¡¯re only after the Weiss Family¡¯s riches. Grandma, she doesn¡¯t truly love Artie,¡± Emily shouted, raising her voice. She wasn¡¯t convinced and wanted to grab at every chance to drag Sophia down. Martha was extremely furious. She knew right away what Emily was getting at. She turned around and said, ¡°Sophia possesses the most precious thing, but you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°What is it? I have everything she has,¡± Emily shouted indignantly. ¡°She has a kind heart and a pure soul, but what about you? You only have an evil heart and an ugly soul,¡± Martha reprimanded without holding back. Emily was instantly at a loss for words. In her eyes, kindness was useless. She had been taught by her mother since young that one should fight for something they wanted, and kindness would only be looked down upon. As Emily watched Martha and Sophia walk away, she covered her face in pain. She waspletely defeated, and she had lost everything she had, including her most-valued pride. Early morning the next day, arge helicopter departed from the yard outside the vi, then flew over miles of ins, which then turned into the sea as it headed right for a private ind owned by the Weiss Family. In the helicopter, Sophia was a little terrified, but when arge hand gripped hers tightly, she immediately calmed down. She turned and looked at the man beside her, then smiled as she began to appreciate the scenery outside, oveing her fear of being on a helicopter for the first time. She soon realized it was exciting and fun, and the scenery below them was picturesque. They arrived at the ind after half an hour, and there were servants tasked with managing the ce. When Sophia saw the clean beach, her heart leaped in joy. After touring around the ind vi they would be staying in, Sophia went to the pool outside. She reached in and tested the temperature, and she actually had the urge to have a quick dip. ¡°Do you want to swim?¡± Behind her, Arthur seemed to have read her mind. ¡°Can I?¡± Sophia looked up and asked him. ¡°I came here just to have fun with you. You can have fun however you want, and you don¡¯t have to worry about the time or anything else. Just do whatever you want to.¡± Arthur smiled. However, in the next second, his wife hugged him right away. Then, as she wrapped her arms around his neck, she looked up at him mischievously. ¡°I can do anything I want, you say?¡± ¡°Mm-hmm!¡± ¡°Lean in.¡± Arthur obediently did as he was told. Smiling, Sophia nted a kiss on his lips. She was doing what she wanted to do. Everything here was amazing to her, but this man was the one who truly attracted her. Because of his presence here, everything seemed indescribably romantic. This kiss caused the man to quicken his breaths. It was his turn to do the things he wanted to do regardless of the timing or the ce. However, this matter had to be taken to the bedroom first. After a love-filled session, Sophia finally changed into her swimsuit and happily began swimming in the pool. She had loved swimming since young, so this swimming pool was very attractive for her. Not long after, Arthur joined in. His strong and firm body was exposed in the afternoon sunlight, looking very handsome indeed. Sophia was admiring him under the water. Her husband¡¯s figure was really good. Arthur swam up beside her, and when he emerged from the water, he pushed his dark hair up to reveal his well-defined features. His long eyshes had tiny droplets on their ends, and he looked extremely alluring then. Sophia was still admiring him when Arthur wrapped his arm around her slender waist, then pulled her along as they frolicked in the water. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Back home, as soon as Anastasia got off the ne, she went to the hospital right away for a check-up. The baby turned out to be healthy, and she sighed in relief. After all, she had been a little careless for the past month. Also, just as she had hoped, she was informed of this child¡¯s gender. It was a girl. At night, in Elliot¡¯s vi, Nigel sent the little guy home and had dinner with the family. At the table, Anastasia told Jared about the eventual arrival of his baby sister, which surprised him greatly. His birthday wish finally came true, and he would have a sister after nine months. After dinner, Elliot and Nigel moved to the garden for a brotherly talk. Nigel was most troubled by the fact that he was being urged to marry. He simply hadn¡¯t yed enough, and in his free time outside of work, he would just y games. He also entered a national esports team and became an official member, which only aggravated his parents¡¯ nagging about him not doing proper work. ¡°My parents don¡¯t know that I bought the whole team for a hundred million, though. Teehee,¡± Nigel said while chuckling. ¡°Well, don¡¯t let your mom worry too much either. If you find someone suitable for you, you can try dating.¡± As an older brother figure, Elliot thought he should advise Nigel a little. ¡°Come on, I¡¯m not interested in that right now.¡± Nigel was also surrounded by girls, but the girls were all trying to win his favor by using all sorts of tricks on him. As such, he was rather terrified of it now. He would avoid them at all costs, much less develop feelings for them. Meanwhile, an all-ck fighter jet was parked at the local military airport back home. A man with light luggage strode out of the ne. He was donned in camouge clothing, which enhanced his huge and muscr figure. Even though his hair was shaved, it didn¡¯t reduce his manly allure in the slightest, and it added to his cool and strong impression instead. Richard had arrived. With his bag in hand, he got into an SUV which drove out of the airport. ¡°Young Master Lloyd, your grandfather hopes that you can return and visit him.¡± Richard nced at the time. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go back right now!¡± The SUV drove into a more private region of the city. There were no teeming skyscrapers and only some lower three-storey houses, but there was an especially stern aura here as if even the moonlight couldn¡¯t make its way in. In the sentry box, the security guard saluted at the car, which then drove through the iron gates behind him. Soon, the car pulled to a stop. Richard nimbly got out of the car, then went into the brightly lit hall with his bag in hand. It was already 10.00PM, but a inly-clothed old man was sitting on the couch. There was a teacup in his hand, and when he looked at his grandson who had just arrived, he smiled in satisfaction. ¡°Richard, you¡¯re back.¡± ¡°Grandpa,¡± Richard greeted the old man on the couch. Phillip Lloyd raised his head and studied Richard from head to toe. He wasn¡¯t looking at his grandson¡¯s features; instead, he was checking if Richard had gotten any new wounds. ¡°Come and sit. I have something to talk to you about.¡± Phillip put down the teacup, then retrieved a photo from a drawer before proceeding to pass it to Richard. ¡°Have a look. How does this girl look to you? Do you like her?¡± Richard took the photo and examined the girl in the photo. Her features looked nice and she was quite pretty, but he didn¡¯t have any feelings toward her. He lowered the photo. ¡°Grandpa, she looks pretty, but what does that have to do with me?¡± Phillip chuckled. ¡°Of course she has something to do with you. She¡¯ll be your wife in the future.¡± Richard was slightly stunned as he frowned a little. ¡°Grandpa, you should know how I feel about this. I have no intention of marrying.¡± Phillip also didn¡¯t look too happy. They obviously had this conversation before. ¡°Why? Do you want the Lloyd Family to stop just like that in your generation? How am I supposed to answer to our ancestors? What about your father?¡± Phillip harrumphed. ¡°No matter what, you have to produce a descendant for the Lloyd Family.¡± Richard lowered his gaze a little. ¡°Grandpa, I don¡¯t want to walk in my dad¡¯s footsteps, and neither would I want a woman to live the same life my mom did. It¡¯s not fair for her.¡± ¡°You definitely won¡¯t end up like your dad. Your dad sacrificed himself for the country, and after your mom remarried, I heard she spent her life in happiness.¡± With that, Phillip looked at the girl in the photo again. ¡°This girl is very satisfied with you, and she doesn¡¯t mind your current work either. You should see her when you¡¯re free, then get the wedding going.¡± Richard raised his head sharply and said, ¡°Are you joking, Grandpa?¡± ¡°Do I look like someone who¡¯d joke with you? If you¡¯re so busy that you don¡¯t have time to get married, you can get engaged and give me a great-grandson first.¡± Philip couldn¡¯t wait to see his great- grandson. However, reluctance could be seen on Richard¡¯s face. ¡°I still have some important work to do, and I don¡¯t have the time to get engaged.¡± ¡°No matter how busy you are, you can still make time at night. It¡¯s a done deal. We¡¯ll have dinner with her family tomorrow night, and your marriage will be decided then.¡± Philip had been in power for a long time, so he always had the final word and didn¡¯t allow anyone to refute him. This applied to his own grandson¡¯s marriage as well. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Grandpa. I can¡¯t do that. I should leave now.¡± As Richard spoke, he strode to the door, but he looked like he was running away. When Philip saw that, he sighed and pressed on his chest all of a sudden. Seeing the scene unfolding from the side, the maid screamed at once, ¡°Old Master Lloyd! Come back, Young Master Lloyd!¡± Richard, who had just reached the side of his car, heard the maid¡¯s voice. He quickly threw his bag down and ran back to the hall, only to see Philip¡¯s pale face while the old man pressed his chest, unable to breathe. The maid quickly gave Philip the oxygen mask. After breathing in some oxygen, only then did Philip regain his senses and his face looked better. Then, he sat himself up and took a deep breath before looking at his grandson. ¡°My body is not as good as it used to be.¡± Needless to say, Richard was feeling guilty as well since he was the one who made him sick with anger. As such, he sat down and looked at the girl¡¯s photo on the table before saying, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll get engaged to her. However, I really have an urgent matter at hand, so we can only get engaged for now.¡± ¡°Okay. You should get engaged first!¡± A smile tugged on Philip¡¯s lips. He¡¯s finally listening to me for once. This episode happened just in time. At this moment, Richard¡¯s phone started ringing. He took a look and said, ¡°Grandpa, I have an urgent matter to deal with. I need to meet my guys now. Call me if anything happens.¡± ¡°If anything happens, I¡¯ll call the hospital first. You should go and do your things at ease.¡± Philip waved his hand, asking him to leave. He felt relieved to hand his grandson to the country, and he was proud of it too. While picking up the call, Richard came out of the house and entered his car. He could only sigh resignedly since all he could do now was to coax his grandfather and then apologize to him after he was done dealing with this thing on hand. He was adamant about not marrying because his parents¡¯ marriage had resulted in tragedy. Since his job was the same as his father¡¯s, which was full of uncertain risks, he didn¡¯t want to walk down the same path as his father. What he didn¡¯t want more was for his future children to be like him. At the international airport, there was a seductively dressed youngdy on a ne that had justnded. She was checking out the crowd around her cautiously with a Bluetooth earpiece in her ear while someonemunicated with her. ¡°Are you sure everything is with you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, boss. It¡¯s with me.¡± ¡°Good. Failure will not be tolerated in this deal.¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯ll be careful for sure.¡± As thedy spoke, she took out a lipstick from her pocket and looked at it. Just as she was putting it back into her pocket, all of a sudden, she was knocked down by a girl who was walking from behind with her head down. Instantly, the lipstick slipped out of thedy¡¯s hand, and at the same time, her handbag fell to the ground too. A bunch of women¡¯s products fell out of the unzipped handbag. This incident caught the attention of some policemen on the side. When she noticed the policeing to her, she quickly lowered her head anxiously. Just then, she saw the lipstick beside her feet, so she quickly bent down, picked it up, and held it tightly in her hands, pressing it in front of her chest as though it was more important than her life. Even when the girl who knocked her down was apologizing from her back, she didn¡¯t look at her at all. ¡°Sorry, Miss.¡± When the girl saw her things scattered on the ground, she kneeled down and picked them up one by one, putting them back into her bag. She was wearing a cap which covered her reddened eyes from crying. It was obvious that she had been through some things that upset her, and that was why she had been walking absent-mindedly and knocked into thedy. As she grabbed her bag and was about to leave, a little girl on the side reminded her, ¡°Miss, you dropped a lipstick underneath the seat.¡± The girl squatted down and took a look. As expected, there was lipstick lying below the seat beside her. She reached out her hand and picked it up before thanking the little girl. ¡°Thank you, little one.¡± Surprised, the little girl looked at the beautiful girl. Why is she crying? At this moment, there was a ck SUV outside the airport entrance. As soon as thedy who had been knocked down earlier entered the car, it elerated and drove right out of the airport. In the dim light, a man in his forties with fierce creatures tattooed on his neck and arms reached his hand out to thedy. ¡°Show me the stuff.¡± The youngdy didn¡¯t dare to drag things on. She immediately took out that lipstick from her pocket and gave it to him. ¡°Boss, I¡¯ve protected it with all my heart throughout the journey. The specially made inner case perfectly passed the security check.¡± The man looked at the lipstick and sighed with emotion. ¡°This thing is worth five billion. If this deal ends well, there¡¯s no need for all of us to worry about money anymore for the rest of our lives.¡± That sentence made all five people in the car smile excitedly. The man opened the case, but all of a sudden, his smile disappeared. He turned his head and looked at his subordinate beside him. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Stunned, thedy took the lipstick and turned its base. What appeared was a real lipstick, not the USB that was originally inside it. ¡°How is this possible?¡± Her expression changed at once. She turned the lipstick around and studied it, only to realize that it was not her original one; it just looked like the one she had. ¡°Oh, sh*t! A girl knocked into me on purpose. She must have swapped my lipstick during that time.¡± Her eyes were filled with killing intent. ¡°F*ck! Who hired her?¡± ¡°Go back and find that woman. You must get that lipstick back.¡± He looked at her, his face dark. ¡°You¡¯ll pay with your life if you can¡¯t get it back.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, boss. I apologize.¡± She tried to hold in her fear, and fierceness gleamed in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll get it back for sure.¡± Outside the airport, a ray of light shone on the girl¡¯s face as she stepped into a ck Bentley. After taking off her cap, her fair and beautiful face could be seen clearly, but she looked devastated. ¡°Where do you want to go, Miss?¡± the driver asked her. ¡°My house.¡± The girl took a deep breath and lowered her head, touching the diamond ring on her middle finger. Almost immediately, tears were welling up in her eyes again. Hence, she tried hard to hold back her tears and looked aside. At this moment, she received a text on her phone. When she grabbed her phone and looked at the text, all it said was one simple ¡®Sorry.¡¯ Seeing that, she pressed her lips together and the tears that she was holding back fell down right away. Just then, she covered her face and cried out loudly, disregarding the driver in front. The driver looked at her through the rearview mirror and felt bad for her. Although he was just a driver, he knew that his Young Miss was heartbroken as her boyfriend had just gotten engaged to another woman, and she was going to ept an engagement arranged by her family as well. All sorts of interests got mixed up together, separating two lovebirds. Just then, the girl¡¯s phone started ringing. After looking at it, she closed her eyes and didn¡¯t pick it up. Almost immediately, the driver¡¯s phone started ringing as well. He quickly picked up the car phone. ¡°Hello, Madam?¡± ¡°Have you picked my daughter up?¡± It was a stern woman¡¯s voice. ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am. I¡¯ve picked the Young Madam up.¡± ¡°Bring her home!¡± The driver looked at the girl sitting in the back seat, who was holding in her sobs, and could only ept the order. ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am. I¡¯ll send her home now.¡± After hanging up the phone, he turned around and spoke to the girl at the back. ¡°Miss, Madam asked me to send you home.¡± The girl didn¡¯t say anything. She took out her phone and replied to the text just now. ¡®Come back to me. I¡¯ll call off my engagement, and I want you to call off yours too. I don¡¯t want to break up.¡¯ Chapter 831-840 Chapter 831-840 After sending the text, the girl put down her phone. Although she looked young, the determination in her eyes showed that she was not weak. In the airport, the gang of people scattered around while looking for the girl. Meanwhile, thedy from earlier went to the security office immediately to register her missing item. Soon, the security let her enter the surveince room and found the scene where the other girl had knocked her down. Through the footage, they could see that the girl had picked up the lipstick. Thedy in front of the monitor was so angry as though fire was going to st out of her eyes. Her lipstick had been switched just like that. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s this girl. What she took was important to me. I want to get her contact information.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll need to report to the police, Miss,¡± the security answered. ¡°The proof is right here. She took my key. Do you know that¡¯s the key to my safety vault? I just need the girl¡¯s information, and I¡¯ll get it back from her myself. There¡¯s no need to trouble the police,¡± she said anxiously. Her anxious expression wasn¡¯t fake since she was on the verge of breaking down. The manager on the side was feeling troubled too. After all, disclosing a customer¡¯s information was prohibited. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that she knocked me on purpose. Can¡¯t you see it? Just give me her information. I¡¯m not a bad guy either. I just want my key back from her,¡± she said in distress. ¡°I have an important document inside my vault that my client needs to sign tonight. Do you know how much money I¡¯ll lose if this doesn¡¯t go through?¡± In the end, the manager decided to give her the girl¡¯s information since it was just a misunderstanding and not some hazardous incident. However, they didn¡¯t know that thedy standing in front of them was one of the top international criminals. She took the document from the manager with the girl¡¯s phone number and name inside it. ¡°This is all we can do for you, Miss. We can¡¯t tell you anything more than this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s enough.¡± She turned and left immediately. In the ck SUV, a man was looking through the information quickly. This group of people were not ordinary people, for they had masterminds and extraordinary methods to carry things out. Soon, detailed information appeared on theputer. The man gritted his teeth and said, ¡°I found her.¡± At this moment, the girl in the photo with an innocent face had be their main hunting target. ¡°Wow! She has a strong background. Her mother is the CEO of apany worth eighty million, and her father is the second most powerful in this city. Interesting.¡± ¡°If I can¡¯t get the lipstick back, I¡¯ll ask her whole family to die with her,¡± the lead guy said ruthlessly. ¡°We¡¯ll definitely get it back.¡± ¡°However, we can¡¯t snatch it from her forcefully since I don¡¯t want to stir up any problems here. We¡¯re on people¡¯s radar now. We¡¯ll change the date of the deal to one weekter so that we¡¯ll have a week to work on this operation.¡± ¡°Yes, boss. I¡¯ll get the thing back for you even if I have to bet my life on it,¡± said thedy while grinding her teeth. They had twelve members in their gang, and they all lived by stealing. However, they weren¡¯t any ordinary thieves. They had the best stealing techniques, and whatever they had their eyes on were definitely rare items in the world. What they were stealing this time was a military gain which had just been developed sessfully. It was the original blueprint of a weapon. They knew very well which organization they had messed with, so they needed to be careful with every step they took. Simply put, failure was not allowed. ¡°Remember, we can¡¯t be noticed by anyone. If they know we¡¯re here, it¡¯ll be impossible for us to leave this country.¡± Although the lead guy had an exotic look, his face made him look ruthless and cold. He was just like a wolf in the wild, not to be fondled with. At this moment, the people he mentioned made everyone in the car nervous. They were not just ordinary interpol; what they had stolen this time belonged to that organization. That was a mysterious military organization. In fact, they were so mysterious that no one knew who they worked for, but they were not people to be underestimated. Just as they were being afraid of that organization, the head of that organization was looking at the picture retrieved from the airport in front of a giant monitor. They were also looking at the surveince footage of thatdy looking for her missing lipstick in the security office. At the back of Richard were six men in camouge uniforms sitting behind him. Some of them were young, whereas some were middle-aged men. There were even two foreigners. All of them listened to the orders of this young man in front of them. ¡°Show me the information about this girl.¡± He pointed at the girl wearing the cap in the surveince video. His subordinate beside him tapped a few times on the keyboard instantly to retrieve a detailed information, and the girl¡¯s face was erged. At this moment, all the men there were stunned for a few seconds. It was the first time they saw such a beautiful face in an ID photo. The perfectly proportioned face of the girl with long hair moved everyone¡¯s heart. Richard looked at her face and squinted his eyes. ¡°Ang Meyers, twenty-five. Her mother is running a real estatepany as the CEO and her father¡­¡± As he read until here, he was stunned for a few seconds. Nheless, he still read the name out in a stern tone. ¡°Gilbert Meyers, a councilor.¡± ¡°Do you know Mr. Meyers, Richard?¡± A sharp subordinate of his noticed his pause earlier. ¡°He used to work for my grandfather. I¡¯ve seen him before, but we¡¯re not close,¡± Richard answered. ¡°Now that the lipstick is in Miss Meyers¡¯ hand, this group of people will surely see her as their main target. Her life will be in danger every second from now on since they always do things ruthlessly.¡± ¡°I think they won¡¯t kill her before they find the USB disguised as a lipstick. However, they¡¯ll surely kidnap and force her to tell them the location of the lipstick,¡± another subordinate said. ¡°We need to protect this Miss Meyers, Richard.¡± ¡°Both the people and the lipstick are our subjects of protection,¡± Richard said sternly. ¡°We need to find that lipstick before them.¡± ¡°How do we approach Miss Meyers, though?¡± After some thought, Richard said, ¡°I can ask my grandfather for help. I¡¯ll be in charge of approaching her. You guys just stay still and keep your eyes on this group of people¡¯s whereabouts.¡± ¡°You should hand me the mission of dealing with the girl. I¡¯m better at it than you, Richard.¡± A subordinate raised his brows and gestured to himself as if telling Richard that he could do it. Hearing that, Richard nced at him. ¡°This is a mission, not the time for you to hit on girls.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t deny that Miss Meyers is really stunningly beautiful!¡± Speechless, Richard red at him. Although there were two of his guys who were glib, they were still his best men. In the Meyers¡¯ Residence, Ang was seated on the couch and looking at the beautiful woman opposite her. She lifted her head and said with determination, ¡°Mom, I won¡¯t break up with Dexter, and I won¡¯t ept the engagement that you¡¯ve arranged for me.¡± ¡°You have no choice. Dexter is marrying another girl. Are you trying to be his mistress?¡± Daphne Meyers looked at her daughter with anger in her eyes instead ofpassion. ¡°Dexter and I love each other. He has done so much for me, and you can¡¯t separate us so ruthlessly.¡± Ang¡¯s eyes were filled with sadness and reluctance. ¡°Silly girl. When a man does everything for you, it doesn¡¯t always mean that he loves you a lot. It might possibly be because he¡¯s interested in our family¡¯s money, and you¡¯re just in the dark about that.¡± ¡°Dexter is not that kind of man.¡± Ang believed in her own choice of man. Daphne secretly sighed to herself; she was the one who had arranged a woman for Dexter Kavinsky, giving him ten million to give up on her daughter. However, Ang was still being so stubborn. This really enraged her. She shouldn¡¯t have sent her daughter to study overseas in the first ce and let this man with ulterior motives approach her and gain her affection, stealing her heartpletely. Now, her daughter was deeply in love with him. Daphne always thought that her daughter studied too much and had ruined her own brain. She could have chosen a better boyfriend for herself, but she ended up choosing a man with an ordinary background but extraordinary means. If it were not because she was more cunning, the rest of her daughter¡¯s life would have been ruined just like that. Ang didn¡¯t want to face her mother anymore. She stood up and walked in the direction of the stairs, wanting to go back to her room. At this moment, Daphne received a call from her husband. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°How¡¯s our daughter?¡± ¡°She still doesn¡¯t want to break up with Dexter. Such a silly girl,¡± she said worriedly. ¡°I received news that someone might be having their eyes on us. Be careful, you two. Meanwhile, I¡¯ve arranged a bodyguard to protect Ang for her own safety. He¡¯ll be there tomorrow morning.¡± Daphna wasn¡¯t shocked to hear such a thing since she had been through a lot too. Now that her daughter was not listening to her, she needed to arrange a bodyguard for her. Otherwise, her daughter would be in danger if she left the house after throwing tantrums. ¡°Okay! Is the bodyguard reliable?¡± ¡°Very reliable. Mr. Lloyd introduced him to me.¡± When Daphne heard that, she felt relieved too. ¡°Okay, you should take care of your own safety too. It¡¯s really stormy these days.¡± In the room on the third floor, Ang was standing in front of the window, looking at the lights far away. Her mind was filled with her lonely life when she was overseas during those days, and that was when Dexter came into her world. He had been by her side throughout her lonely days without her parents beside her, and it was a happy period in her life. Since she was young, her mother had spent all her time in the office, and her father had spent all his time at work. Despite her wealth, she had poor mental and emotional health. Her parents thought that they had given her the best life when they had actually removed all thefort for her. However, three days ago, Dexter told her that he was going to be engaged and that he had fallen in love with another woman. She saw with her own eyes when he kneeled on one knee and proposed to that woman with a bouquet of flowers in his hands. At this thought, Ang held back her tears and took her phone to look at the text. She continued to send him another message that read, ¡®Dexter, I can give up on everything to be with you. Can you pleasee back to me?¡¯ However, when she sent out the text, it was totally ignored; there was no reply at all. Her phone then started ringing. She took up her phone and saw that it was her cousin. ¡°Hello, Ann.¡± ¡°I have some good news for you, Ang. I¡¯m getting engaged.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ang said in shock. She¡¯s getting engaged? ¡°It¡¯s so sudden, right? Do you know what the man I¡¯m engaged to looks like? Oh, my God! He¡¯s so handsome. In fact, he¡¯s the most handsome man I¡¯ve ever seen in my life. Grandpa arranged the engagement for me, but I¡¯m so satisfied with it.¡± It was Annie Meyers¡¯ voice on the other side of the phone. Hearing that, Ang was still worried. ¡°Have you seen him before?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve only seen his photo, but I¡¯m already falling for him. I¡¯ve heard that he hase back here already, so our family will be engaged with his family tomorrow night. Are you free toe, Ang?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll see if I¡¯m free.¡± Ang wasn¡¯t in a good mood, so she didn¡¯t want to ruin everything for Annie. ¡°Are you still thinking about Dexter?¡± ¡°He has already proposed to another woman. I don¡¯t know.¡± Ang stared at the lights outside the window with her eyes full of bitterness. No one could ept the devastation after being abandoned. ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, Ang. Look on the bright side.¡± ¡°I get it, Ann. If I can¡¯t attend your engagement, I¡¯ll definitely attend your wedding.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Annie answered happily. After hanging up on the phone, Ang turned around and identally knocked her bag on the couch. The bag fell onto the ground and a lipstick rolled out of it. She looked at the lipstick and took her resentment toward her boyfriend¡¯s betrayal onto the lip product. Dexter had given it to her, and she had been using it for a long time since she wasn¡¯t willing to change it. Now, she didn¡¯t want to see it anymore. As such, she took the lipstick and walked to the balcony. After taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and threw that lipstick out of the window into the dark garden. Even though the lipstick was thrown away, she was still feeling devastated. She squatted down and covered her face, letting her tears fall out of her eyes. At that moment, she was waiting for a savior. Who could save her? Who could save her broken heart? All of a sudden, a loud thunder struck from the sky, and it was followed by a beam of lightning that shone on her pale but beautiful face. A storm was about to arrive. Soon, rain started pouring down from the sky on Averna. In the corner of the garden, the lipstick that Ang had thrown just nowy there on the soft soil. A shallow hole was made by the pouring rain, and the lipstick slipped into it and was covered by another layer of soil. At this moment, Ang had no idea what kind of secret was hidden in the lipstick that she had thrown away in anger and that two groups of people were approaching her. One was to kill her, and the other one was to save her. No one knew what was going to happen next. In the morning, there was a tall man standing outside of the door of the Meyers Residence with a bag in his hand. He pressed on the doorbell, and the maid came and asked him, ¡°Are you the new bodyguard?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Gideon Lambert,¡± the man said his name naturally. ¡°Pleasee in.¡± The maid let him in because she had received a notice yesterday about the new bodyguarding in today. Inside the hall, Daphne was ready to head out when she saw the new bodyguarding in. She was momentarily stunned. This bodyguard¡¯s face and aura were much better than she expected. She was totally amazed by him. ¡°Hello, Mrs. Meyers. I¡¯m Gideon Lambert. I was sent by Mr. Meyers to protect Miss Meyers,¡± the young man greeted her respectfully. ¡°Hello, Mr. Lambert. I¡¯ve heard from my husband. Well, my daughter is not in a good mood these days. Please keep your eyes on her and don¡¯t let her do anything stupid.¡± She studied him from head to toe and actually felt that it might be a good choice to take him as her son-inw. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll do everything in my power to protect your daughter and not let her be exposed to any danger.¡± His low and calm voice gave her a sense of security. ¡°I can have peace of mind, then.¡± She felt that her husband¡¯s taste in bodyguards was great, for he had sent such a tall and handsome bodyguard to protect their daughter. Most importantly, she could see that he was full of righteousness. It was rare for her to sense this strong and righteous feeling from a person. ¡°Have you had your breakfast?¡± ¡°I did. Thank you.¡± ¡°My daughter is upstairs. I¡¯m heading out now, so I don¡¯t have the time to introduce you to her. I¡¯ll ask the maid to take you upstairs instead.¡± As she spoke, her phone started ringing. She quickly picked it up and said, ¡°I¡¯m going out now. Please wait for a while.¡± After Daphne left, the maid said to the young man in the hall, ¡°Mr. Lambert, you can have a seat first. Miss Meyers is not up yet.¡± However, the man didn¡¯t sit down. He put down his luggage and went outside to the yard to check the topography of the entire Meyers Residence. Just then, a voice came from the earpiece in his ears. ¡°Richard, we¡¯ve already hacked into the security system of the Meyers Residence. Everything is under control.¡± This bodyguard wasn¡¯t anyone else; it was Richard entering the Meyers Residence with another identity. The Meyers Residence was in an extremely dangerous situation during this time. It was especially so for Miss Meyers, who could be kidnapped at any time by the thieves. In the main bedroom on the third floor, Ang opened her eyes, but they were so red and puffy that it made her ufortable. She climbed out of bed and went to the bathroom to wash her face. She had thought about it for the whole night and decided to talk about getting Dexter back with her mother. Since her father had gone outstation and only her mother and maids were at home, she didn¡¯t try to change or dress up. She just wore her silk sleeping gown and went downstairs. With her messy long hair behind her head, Ang was slightly voluptuous and extremely beautiful that morning. She gave out a born noble aura with some iciness and bookishness. Just when Ang was going down the stairs and wanted to call the maid, a tall figure came in from the entrance with light shining from his back, giving people a sense of pressure. Unexpectedly, the two of them looked at each other, and Ang widened her eyes a little. Why is there a man in the house? Richard looked at Miss Meyers, who had just woken up, and nodded. ¡°Hello, Miss Meyers. I¡¯m Gideon Lambert, your new bodyguard. From now on, I¡¯ll be in charge of your safety 24/7.¡± ¡°24/7?¡± she hummed softly. ¡°Who says I need a bodyguard? I don¡¯t need one. Please leave.¡± ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve taken the order from your father. This is my job, so please cooperate.¡± he said calmly and indifferently. Ang pulled her sleeping gown together, and her face was blushing. ¡°You¡¯re my bodyguard, right? Please stand at the door.¡± Startled, Richard turned around and stood at the door with his back straight and upright. Then, she took a deep breath and thought, Why did my father suddenly hire a bodyguard? She had said before that she didn¡¯t need a bodyguard to disturb her life. ¡°Where¡¯s my mom?¡± she asked the maid. ¡°Madam has gone out. Do you want to have breakfast, Miss?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± She wanted to leave the house to rx herself. Hence, she turned around and went upstairs. Ten minutester, she changed into simple casual wear and went downstairs with a backpack. It was definitely an outfit one would wear out. She nced at the man who was guarding the door, only to realize that he was really tall. Her five-foot- four height made her look small in front of him. When she walked out the main door, the man at the back followed behind her. Noticing that, she turned around and warned him, ¡°Don¡¯t follow me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just doing my job to protect you. I won¡¯t disturb your life.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your protection.¡± Ang just wanted to be alone as she didn¡¯t want anyone to see her devastated look. ¡°You can just pretend that I¡¯m not here.¡± A low and husky voice resonated in her ears. She lifted her head and studied him from head to toe. Pretend that he¡¯s not here? She felt pressured by this man, and his eyes were so deep like a ck hole that she couldn¡¯t guess what he was thinking. She felt that the biggest danger might be from him. ¡°You¡¯re six-foot-two, and you¡¯re asking me to pretend that I¡¯m not here? You tell me. How can I do that?¡± she asked him. Hearing that, Richard was speechless. It was not in the document that this girl was difficult to get along with. ¡°Anyhow, you can¡¯t go out on your own,¡± he said calmly. Since she couldn¡¯t be bothered by him, she took out her car keys and unlocked her car. Just as she pulled the door open and sat inside to put on her seatbelt, a figure sat down beside her in the passenger seat. ¡°You¡­¡± Ang was offended. ¡°I need to be with you if you want to go out.¡± Richard stared at her, undisputed. At this moment, she felt as though she was being threatened by this new bodyguard. Her father hired him to protect her, but he dared to talk to her like this? Was he her boss? She didn¡¯t care about him and floored the elerator after starting the car. Instantly, he felt a strong impact pushing him backward, and he turned to look at this girl. Her eyes were obviously filled with strong dissatisfaction toward him. At this moment,ughter came into his earpiece. ¡°This Miss Meyers is hard to deal with, Richard. Good luck!¡± He held tightly on the handle and let this girl take out all her dissatisfaction at this moment. In the end, Ang also realized that she shouldn¡¯t be driving this recklessly, so she regained her calm after driving off the road in front of her house. ¡°How much is my dad paying you? I¡¯ll pay you double for you to get down now.¡± Ang turned her head and stared at Richard. ¡°I only have one boss, and that¡¯s your father.¡± ¡°How about this? I have this card with one million inside. You can have it, and I¡¯ll talk to my dad,¡± she said capriciously. Hearing that, Richard shook his head and wasn¡¯t moved by her offer. Ang was surprised. He rejects me without even thinking? Is he not doing this job for the money? There¡¯s such a good chance for him to earn money in front of him now, but he doesn¡¯t want it? Was he a moron? At this moment, his team members¡¯ voices sounded in his ears. ¡°Richard, we just lost track of Phantom and his gang. Their sensor shielding devices blocked our tracking sensors.¡± ¡°They might show up in front of Miss Meyers any time from now. Watch out and be careful.¡± As soon as he heard that, Richard frowned. At this very moment, a car has stopped at the red light. Ang noticed that the red light was not going to turn green soon, so she readjusted the rearview mirror and grabbed a lipstick out of her bag to reapply it. It was primarily owing to the awkward environment that the serious-looking man seated next to her created. She felt like she had to do something to end the awkwardness. Richard, sitting beside her, tilted his head as she went to reapply her lipstick, and he saw her take off the cap and reapply it to her lips. ¡°What are you staring at?¡± Ang shifted her gaze to him. ¡°Nothing.¡± Ang had an epiphany and asked, ¡°Are you interested in me? And what exactly are you nning to do to me?¡± Richard replied with a straight-forward gaze, ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°You look like you do! Hah! Why did you even say that you are here to protect me? You should be the most dangerous one there.¡± Ang looked at him with a pair of beautiful eyes. Richard frowned when she said that, but his teammatesughed out loud, which he could hear on his earpiece. Listening to their typically dignified captain get embarrassed was a rare treat. ¡°Richard, give in to her already! However, you¡¯re not at a loss because Miss Meyers is so pretty.¡± And he could hear someone beginning to boo at him. Richard took off his earpiece, put them in his pocket, and told Ang next to him, ¡°It¡¯s green now.¡± Ang bit her red lips in annoyance. Why couldn¡¯t she get rid of him? She couldn¡¯t stand the thought of spending the day with him. ¡°Get out of the car and buy me breakfast! I¡¯m hungry, ¡°Ang said to him as she looked at a churro stall on the side of the road. Instantly, she pulled over, pointed to the stall, and said, ¡°I would like churros and a ss of milk. Go and buy it for me!¡± Richard gave her a nce before unbuckling his seat belt and exiting the car. Once he bought the food and turned around, Ang gave him a smug smile before stepping on the gas. She fled, abandoning him. He looked at her as she drove off. Without wasting any time, he gave the man in the next car a quick nce, opened the passenger door, and pointed in the direction of the red SUV. ¡°Follow that car.¡± The man eximed in confusion, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Police.¡± The powerful re of Richard¡¯s eyes swept across him. The man was so scared that he started following the red car after being instructed by Richard to do so. Ang drove a long way on purpose before stopping at a traffic light. She did this to get rid of her bodyguard for good. She was d she had gotten away from her bodyguard, so she started to think about where to head next. A giant hand slid in through the half-open window of her car and pushed the button to unlock it. The bodyguard quickly slid back into the passenger seat and handed her breakfast while keeping his cool. ¡°You¡­¡± Ang¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. She could not believe he had caught up to her so quickly. Then, in a calm tone, Richard said, ¡°I told you I would protect you from danger.¡± ¡°But there is no danger! Why would you want to protect me? If anything happens, I¡¯ll contact the police. You don¡¯t need to follow me all the time. Thank you for your kindness, but please get out of the car,¡± Ang told him bluntly to leave. Richard put the breakfast on the center console, then closed his eyes and folded his arms in front of his chest as if he were trying to nap. He refused to get out of the car. Ang bit on her red lips and tried to endure it. She then pressed the gas pedal and drove away. She was oblivious that a well-covered ck SUV was tailing her from three cars behind her. Two men and a woman were in the car, all staring ferociously at her car. ¡°The target is in the car. There is also a man beside her.¡± ¡°He is just a weakling. What are you worried about?!¡± ¡°Just keep up with them and wait for the proper moment to strike. First, take Ang¡¯s bag and look for the lipstick inside. If you can¡¯t find it, you could take the girl hostage and ask her where the lipstick is. Do it discreetly.¡± Their leader, known only as Grey Wolf, issued the directive over the phone. If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Ang kept driving around until they were finally out of the city. Eventually, she stopped under a mountain in a remote area. There were a few cars in the parking lot adjacent to it, but not many people went trekking at this hour. After they had gotten out of the car, Richard instinctively felt that they were in danger. Indeed, a ck SUV crashed directly into Ang¡¯s car. She saw her car being knocked over just as a man and a woman hurried down, and the woman came to grab her bag. Ang bumped into Richard¡¯s strong back when he pulled the confused girl behind him. She watched as the woman frantically emptied the contents of her bag onto the ground, her attention drawn to the lipstick that had fallen out. She picked it up, did a quick check to see that it wasn¡¯t what she wanted, and then saw that there was nothing else in the bag. ¡°It¡¯s not here,¡± she spoke in a foreignnguage to herpanion. ¡°What are you doing? Why did you search my bag?¡± Ang questioned her fiercely as she stepped out from behind Richard. Richard warned her in a deep voice, ¡°Stand behind me and don¡¯t go away.¡± ¡°Get her!¡± the woman yelled furiously as she stared at Ang with piercing red eyes. Richard furrowed his brow as the other two men walked forward. He knew that this was not the moment to deal with the trio since priority was given to protecting Ang from harm. He grabbed her hand, turned around, and started running in the direction of the forest. ¡°Run.¡± Ang also realized that these three individuals were extremely dangerous. The eyes of the three people staring at her were horrifying as if beasts were attempting to tear her apart. Still, she had no idea who they were! Instinctively, she knew she had to flee, so she released Richard¡¯s hand and ran for the mountains and forests. In contrast, Richard was speechless as she released his hand. Since she could flee and escape danger deliberately, he had to focus on anything else. He turned around and tumbled over his shoulders, knocking another man to the ground. Still, the other man and woman were already heading straight for Ang. Richard quickly caught up to the woman, and she immediately pulled out a sharp army knife. Clearly, she was not an average individual. She was a skilled martial arts fighter. ¡°Who are you? I would suggest you mind your own business.¡± The woman snarled in English and stabbed Richard. Richard did not respond to her, but he always dodged her attacks. He was unfazed by the woman¡¯s repeated attempts to stab him. The expression of disbelief shed across her face. No ordinary man could be that well trained inbat. Despite this, she was aware that herpanion was already pursuing the girl, so all she needed to do was hold this man off for a little while. Nheless, Richard did not have time to waste on her. He deftly snatched her knife, attempted to aim at her thigh to prevent her from fleeing, and knew that herpanion would return to save her. The man that Richard knocked out earlier has woken up. He abruptly drew a gun and fired in Richard¡¯s direction. Fortunately, Richard ducked aside to avoid the bullet and waspelled to abandon his attempt to harm the woman. He did not waste any time and started chasing after Ang. He was a fast runner and heard a woman¡¯s calls for assistanceing ahead of him. ¡°Aah¡ª Help!¡± Richard¡¯s heart tightened upon hearing the distress calls. With the help of his long legs, he rushed toward the source of the sound, where he saw a man grabbing Ang¡¯s arm. He was holding a knife at the time, so he threw it at the man¡¯s arm, where it pierced a specific spot. Ang¡¯s face was only a hair¡¯s breadth away from the guy¡¯s arm, so blood sttered all over it, and her face instantly turned white. What gave that bodyguard such confidence that he could throw the knife? And what if, instead of the gangster, he stabbed her in the face? The man let go of his hand out of agony but instantly seized Ang with his other hand. She struggled and ultimately sat on the ground, but the man persisted in his attempts to grab her. Being pinned under him, she felt like a defenseless kitten. Ang was in so much pain that she was on the verge of passing out when she looked up just in time to witness her bodyguard deliver a punch to the man who had caught her. He soon copsed to the ground. Ang watched in awe as he delivered vicious blows with that menacing look on his face. Due to the extreme fear she was experiencing, she retreated in a hurry. In her eyes, this bodyguard was not like any other bodyguard she had encountered. He exuded a chilling aura that was as much as dangerous as the gangsters themselves. A man and a woman from earlier caught up to them. Richard released the man in his grip and turned around to grab Ang as she attempted to stand. Before Ang could react, he shoved her to the ground, and her headnded hard on the floor with a thud. Ang was about to re up when she heard loud banging noises. It was the sounds of gunfire. Her heart raced frantically. Oh, good heavens! What in the world is happening? Before thinking about it, she was yanked into Richard¡¯s arms as he began to roll on the ground. Ang suddenly felt dizzy and was unable topose herself. Richard¡¯s eyes lightened as soon as he saw a trench next to them, and he began to shove her down into it. ¡°Aah¡ª!¡± She was utterly unprepared as she fell into it. Since the trench was neither deep or shallow with clear water, the water sttered all over her face and body. ¡°Aah¡ª¡± Ang screamed in anguish. Richard ignored her screams from behind him as he confronted three dangerous gangsters. ¡°Who are you?¡± the woman in the lead questioned furiously. ¡°You have no right to know,¡± he sneered. ¡°Kill him.¡± The woman turned her head and gave orders to her subordinates. The man who had a gun earlier pulled it out and immediately shot at Richard without hesitation. And instead of retreating, Richard stayed in ce and dodged his shots. He was like an advanced machine, as he urately predicted the man¡¯s shots and evaded the bullets every time they were fired. ¡°You trash,¡± the woman cursed violently, believing her subordinate intentionally missed the shot. Meanwhile, the armed man was so afraid that he started to doubt his ability. He aimed for the man¡¯s vitals, but his shots always missed. This time, the woman snatched the gun from her subordinate, intending to do it herself, but Richard kicked the gun away as soon as she took it. Richard kicked one of the men in the chest to gain further speed before jumping up and out of the way as the gun was flung into the air. Two loud bangs were heard when he returned to the ground, and each man was hit in the thighs by a bullet. The sound of the trigger being pulled was heard near the woman¡¯s neck. The woman was in despair now that she had grasped her predicament. ¡°Do you belong to that organization?¡± Her face was pale and lifeless since she was fully aware of the consequences of her actions. Ang was about to cry in the trench. Not only was she soaked, she was also covered in mud from head to toe. The stench of mud nearly made her puke. What annoyed her the most was that the bodyguard threw her down like she was an object. The trench was almost six feet tall. Even if she wasn¡¯t shot, she was still at risk of being killed due to the depth of the trench. Could he be gentler, even if it was to protect her? She struggled to mber up from the muddy slope on the side after hearing no noise from the top. Three helicopters were flying over her head with overwhelming momentum at the time. Ang couldn¡¯t help but wonder why helicopters would appear out of nowhere. They also appeared to be military in nature. Why were these people after her? Has she offended any gangsters? She shook her head, trying to figure out why, but all she could think about was how nice she was. She had never committed a crime, so what triggered these violent gangsters? Two helicoptersnded in the parking lot, but the thirdnded immediately on the grass patch. The massive propeller created a loud noise, and the wind was so strong that it caused the trees and grasses next to it to sway violently. As soon as Ang reached the top ledge, she saw the woman and two men who had been chasing her. While her bodyguard was pointing a gun at the woman¡¯s neck, two of the men were unconscious and lying on the ground nearby. It would appear that her bodyguard had no trouble dealing with these three. Ang could not help but to stare in shock. She did not know that her bodyguard was that good. At that moment, she felt a murderous gaze being aimed at her. It wasing from that woman having a gun being pointed at her head and she was staring at Ang with hostility. ¡°Why did you bump into me at the airport? Why did you steal my lipstick?!¡± Hearing that, Ang came to the realization and took a closer look at the woman. Although she changed her clothes, she managed to recognize her. ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re the one I bumped into at the airport earlier?¡± Ang could not believe that this woman would bring two aplices, who were armed with guns, toe hunt her down just for that. Meanwhile, there were four young men who were getting off the helicopter. They were all dressed in camouge uniforms. All of them were tall and hot. It could be told by just a nce that they were part of the elite special forces. After getting off the helicopter, one of them noticed Ang. He could not help but to break into a fit of laughter. The other three were also trying real hard to hold back theirughter. What happened to this beautiful lady in the captain¡¯s care within just a single day? ¡°Give the lipstick back to me. If you don¡¯t, trust me, you will be dead meat,¡± the woman yelled angrily at Ang. Ang was puzzled as she inquired, ¡°What lipstick?¡± ¡°When you bumped into me at the airport earlier, you took my lipstick away from me. That lipstick was a USB drive which was worth 70 million.¡± The woman, who was being handcuffed, stared at Ang as she spoke. ¡°Take them away.¡± Richard ordered his subordinates because he did not want the woman to talk too much. After the three of them were taken away from there by another troop, the four of Richard¡¯s subordinates and a soaked, filthy Ang having a swollen bump on her forehead, were the only ones being left at the scene. ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve gone too far? Are you really a professional bodyguard? I could¡¯ve been killed by you before I was even shot to death. How could you push me down from such a high ce?!¡± She finally remembered to question the way Richard handled the situation earlier. So, she pointed at him furiously. His four subordinates were standing beside them and watching. They wonder whether their captain knew what it meant by being a gentleman toward girls. They took pity on the pretty and gentle Miss Meyers, who had ended this way after just one day of being together with their captain. ¡°It was an urgent situation. I had no choice but to do so. Bullets have no eyes. You could be dead if you were shot by one of them,¡± he said calmly without any hint of guilt. Ang then pointed at her red and swollen forehead. ¡°What about this? Why did you have to hit my head so hard against the floor? What if that caused me a concussion and turned me into a retarded? Would you take responsibility for that?¡± Hearing this, all four of Richard¡¯s subordinates turned their heads around and stared at their captain in unison as if they were judging him. That¡¯s not very nice of you! ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for me, you could¡¯ve been killed earlier. You wouldn¡¯t even have the chance to stand here andin about what I¡¯ve done,¡± Richard replied indifferently. ¡°What¡­ What kind of person did your bodyguardpany train you to be? I wonder how much my dad had spent on such an irresponsible bodyguard like you. You¡¯re fired!¡± Ang gritted her teeth as she suddenly felt ufortable. She was wearing a sports bra underneath. So, she pulled the zipper down and took off her jacket. The five men present had wide eyes as they stared at Ang in disbelief. How could she not treat them as outsiders? She had given a strip show in front of them just like that! ¡°Turn around.¡± Richard swept his gaze toward the four subordinates and ordered. The next moment, he took off his ck shirt and handed it to Ang as he said, ¡°Wear this first.¡± Ang looked disgusted as she refused. ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a girl.¡± ¡°Captain, that¡¯s not fair! Why is it that you can watch it, but we can¡¯t?¡± One of the team members comined. ¡°Captain?¡± Ang frowned, looked at Richard, and then looked at those four guys. ¡°Why are you calling him captain? Are you from the same bodyguardpany as him?¡± ¡°Miss Meyers, we are not from a bodyguardpany. We belong to a branch of the special forces, but unfortunately, we can¡¯t disclose much details about our organization.¡± ¡°So, you aren¡¯t from the bodyguardpany?¡± Ang took a step back. She had a sudden premonition of danger. Who on earth did I offend? Richard frowned. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it when we get back. Wear this now.¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Ang bit her lip, then reached her hand out to take his shirt, and draped it over her body in disgust. As she looked up, a perfect physique of Richard which was being bathed in sunlight appeared in her view. Even though Ang had a boyfriend, she still stared at the man in front of her for a few seconds. After all, the chances for her to see such a perfect body again were really low. ¡°Richard, can we turn around now?¡± someone asked. Richard answered in a deep voice, ¡°We¡¯re heading back now.¡± Ang was escorted to the helicopter because her car was smashed and it was unable to be used anymore. So, it had to be handled by the towingpany. After that, all of them got on the helicopter. Just as the helicopter took off, Ang felt frightened by the feeling of weightlessness even though she was wearing her seat belt. ¡°Ah¡ª¡± She instinctively wrapped her arms around the person next to her and hugged him tightly, burying her small face in his bare chest. Richard¡¯s body tensed, and his sharp brows furrowed. He looked down at the woman, who was hugging him like an animal on the brink of death. ¡°The helicopter is safe. Let go of me,¡± he ordered hoarsely. Ang blushed and let go of him. She didn¡¯t want to offend him, but there was no one else here that she could hug except him. Noticing what happened, his subordinates deliberately teased them and brought the helicopter to a sudden drop. ¡°Ah¡ª¡± The next second, while Ang blushed, she hugged Richard tightly again as her heart pounded. ¡°Trevor, are you trying to dig your own grave?¡± Richard gave the pilot in the cockpit a warning re. Trevor Hemmings smiled and dared not joke around anymore. Steadily, he flew the helicopter back to their base. An hourter, Ang took a shower to clean herself up from head to toes in the bathroom. After she came out of the shower, she was surprised to see a set of clean and tidy camouge uniforms on her bed. Who are these people? Why is there military equipment everywhere here? When Ang recalled what happened in the morning, she felt terrible and found her mysterious bodyguard to be even more hateful. She opened the door and came out to see a man sitting on the sofa operating aputer. It was Richard. ¡°Hey, your name is Gideon Lambert, right?¡± Ang questioned him in irritation. She merely heard the name from him this morning, but she was notpletely sure if it was his name. ¡°My name is Richard Lloyd.¡± Richard raised his head to correct her. ¡°Great! You even lied to me about your name. What else are you hiding from me? Also, are you an undercover spy? How do you know I am in danger?¡± ¡°You bumped into a woman at the airport yesterday, and that woman was holding lipstick. Your lipsticks have been swapped. Now, I need you to tell me where the lipstick that you picked up at the airport yesterday was.¡± Richard¡¯s eyes were fixed on her. Ang could not help looking at him in shock while taking a seat opposite him. ¡°Those three people came after me today just because I wore the wrong lipstick? Is that lipstick really so important?¡± ¡°It was actually a USB drive with research results worth 70 million being saved in it. Now, you tell me, is it important?¡± Richard had no intention of hiding the truth from her. Ang held her breath. Who the hell did I bump into? ¡°Who are they?¡± ¡°They are the world¡¯s top thieves and international serial criminals. I¡¯m asking you about the lipstick.¡± The most important thing for Richard now was the whereabouts of the lipstick. Lipstick? Ang¡¯s beautiful eyes widened slightly. ¡°I¡­ I threw it away yesterday into my backyard!¡± Richard was stunned to hear that. He shut theputer and yelled angrily, ¡°Why did you throw it away?¡± ¡°I thought it was mine, and this lipstick was given by my boyfriend. He broke up with me and is getting married with another woman now. So, I just threw away all the things that he gave me in a fit of anger. How was I supposed to know that that lipstick had such a big secret in it?¡± Ang was also speechless. Chapter 841-850 Chapter 841-850 What an unpredictable world. Yesterday, she was still in pain because her boyfriend had dumped her. Today, she experienced a near-death incident, and now, she was involved in such a terrifying matter. ¡°You¡­¡± Richard wanted to scold her, but he managed to stop himself from doing that. He had no right to teach her a lesson. ¡°You can just look for it in my backyard. You should be able to find it there.¡± Ang wanted to solve this matter as soon as possible as she did not want to be involved in this kind of a mess at all. ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to search your backyard. But until then, you can only stay here. You¡¯re not allowed to go anywhere.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll be safe after I catch those three criminals? There are still many of them from their organization. They will be looking frantically for you because of the lipstick. You better not be running around out there.¡± ¡°Then you should let my parents know too so they could watch out for themselves!¡± Ang urged. ¡°We¡¯ll inform them. But for now, I¡¯m going to take my men to search for that lipstick. Wait here for us before we make a decision.¡± After speaking, Richard got up and left. Ang took a deep breath before remembering that she had her phone. After grabbing it, she turned it on. Suddenly, a message popped up. She quickly opened it and saw that it was a reply from her boyfriend, Dexter Kavinsky. ¡®Ang, I¡¯ve thought about it. Deep down, I still love you. Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ve canceled my engagement, and I¡¯ming back to see you soon. Let¡¯s get back together!¡¯ ¡°Dexter¡­¡± Ang burst into tears with excitement. She knew that he would not fall in love with another woman so easily. ¡®Okay, I¡¯ll wait for your return.¡¯ She replied. Dropping her phone on her chest, her mind was instantly filled with sweet memories of Dexter. Dexter had apanied her for four years while she was studying abroad. Dexter was a warm gentleman in her heart. He came into her life like a ray of light, filling her heart with the love that her parents had failed to give her. At this moment, Richard got into the car and went directly to Meyers Residence to search for the whereabouts of the lipstick. In the car, his phone rang. He picked it up and nced at the screen before answering, ¡°Hello, Grandpa.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bete for the engagement party tonight.¡± Phillip reminded him at the other end of line. ¡°Something came up today. So, I might not be able to attend,¡± Richard responded in a low voice. ¡°No matter how busy you are, you better show up at the engagement banquet at 7 pm tonight. Otherwise, I will make you quit the army.¡± After that, Phillip hung up the phone angrily. That was a threat. In Phillip¡¯s heart, the session of the family was a top priority. Richard let out a small sigh and propped his forehead with his fingers. It seemed difficult to go against his grandpa¡¯s order this time. However, he never wanted to engage, not to mention with a woman he had never met. In Meyers Residence, Richard arrived with his men. The maids were aware that they were here to deal with some security work. So, they did not stop them. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. When Richard located Ang¡¯s room from the backyard, he estimated the distance between the balcony of her room and the backyard to find out where the lipstick could have possibly been dropped. Then, he ordered his subordinates to search that specific area. They used an electronic detector to scan that area. However, all they could detect were some other metals but not the lipstick that they were looking for. ¡°Mr. Richard, they must have used special materials for the packaging that could shield the electronic equipment inside, so I think we can only search for it manually.¡± Another subordinate came running over to report. ¡°Mr. Richard, I have bad news. Because of the heavy rainstormst night, the sewer system in the entire backyard was drained to a ditch over there, which connects to an underground drainage pipe about 300 feet away. If the lipstick was washed away, we might need to broaden our search area.¡± Richard then looked up at the sky speechlessly. ¡°Can anyone please exin to me what on earth was that woman thinking?¡± This was probably something that all men could not figure out. Why would women simply throw things out? It was supposed to be such an easy problem to solve, but it was now as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack. ¡°Even if we have to dig three feet into the ground, we must find it. I will inform the Meyers Family about this.¡± After saying that, Richard added, ¡°Stop the operation of the drainage system. We might have to spend some time here.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°Send someone here, and be sure to find it as soon as possible.¡± Richard ordered. Just then, his phone rang again, and he reached out to pick it up. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Mr. Richard, I have bad news. The news of Miss Meyers having the lipstick was posted on an international underground trading website. Miss Meyers is now being targeted by criminals around the world. They all know that she has the lipstick in her hand.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Richard¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°I¡¯m specting that after we caught those three thieves, their aplices betrayed them and posted the info on the website. Anyways, Miss Meyers is in greater danger than we expected. All of Miss Meyers¡¯ information has been exposed on the underground tradingwork.¡± ¡°Find a way to take the info down.¡± ¡°We are tracking down the source and it will take a little while.¡± ¡°Cut off all of Ang¡¯smunication devices to prevent her from being tracked,¡± Richard commanded. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± In the lounge, Ang was texting Dexter about his flight. Seeing that her boyfriend was about to return to the country and meet her, she felt giddy. It was as if her savior was returning to her! Just as she was done drafting the message and hit the send button, it showed that the message failed to be sent. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Ang blinked in confusion. She was currently using her own Inte and was not connecting to any externalwork. She started checking her phone, then got up and walked out of the lounge to the lobby outside to search for a connection, but her phone still didn¡¯t have Inte ess. At this moment, she happened to see Trevoring out of the lounge, and she hurriedly asked, ¡°Hi, may I know if you have Wi-Fi here?¡± Trevor smiled and replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Meyers. You are not allowed to ess the Inte for the time being.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because there is a problem with your information. We must cut off your contact with the outside world.¡± ¡°How could you do this to me? Where¡¯s your boss? I have to talk to him.¡± ¡°Sorry, this is our captain¡¯s order,¡± Trevor answered her. Hearing that, Ang was pissed off. Whenever she thought of that cold man, she never felt good. Now that he cut her off from the Inte, would he possibly lock her upter? She had obeyed his orders by staying here, but she was cut off in the middle of her conversation with Dexter! She did not even know when his return flight would be! No way. She had to talk to Richard when he returned. At 7.00PM, the elders of two households arrived at a Celonese restaurant in the city center. Tonight¡¯s main star was the second daughter of the Meyers Family, Annie Meyers. She was dressed up tonight. Even though she was a beauty herself, she exuded an even moredylike aura from a schrly family after a makeover. When Phillip saw her, he was delighted. He was so satisfied with his soon-to-be daughter-inw. Whether it was her family background, her knowledge, or her looks, she was perfect. However, the situation was a little awkward because Joshua Meyers and the entire family of his second son were waiting patiently for the arrival of someone. Phillip was about to lose his temper and was anxious now. How dare his grandson arrivete to such an important engagement! He was being disrespectful to the Meyers Family. ¡°Wait a moment, Joshua. I think he will be here soon. He¡¯s on a special mission today, so he¡¯s still caught up with something.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Joshua chuckled. He was honored to be marrying his granddaughter to the Lloyd Family. Waiting was a trivial matter. ¡°Old Master Lloyd, we understand the nature of Richard¡¯s job. We¡¯re not in a rush anyway.¡± Mrs. Meyers reassured with a smile. Although they only saw the photos of their soon-to-be son-inw, they were very satisfied. Whether it was his looks or his family background, he had no ws. Annie showed a bashful look at the dinner table. She looked forward to seeing her future husband more than anyone else. Seeing his photos was enough for her to swoon over him, not to mention seeing him in person. No one could possibly imagine how eager she was to hear his voice! He must sound very charming! In the parking lot outside the restaurant, an army green SUV drove in at a fast speed and was parked neatly in the allocated space. The man in the car let out a sigh of relief, obviously feeling the burden on his shoulders. Despite Richard having aplished so many missions, none of them ever made him feel nervous or worried. But, the blind date arranged by his grandpa tonight was really stressful for him. He did not even n to ept the marriage, but he did not know how to refuse because he did not want to be disrespectful of his grandpa. At this moment, his phone rang. He picked it up to find out that it was his grandfather calling. He reached out to pick it up. ¡°Hi, Grandpa.¡± ¡°Where are you? Everyone is waiting for you!¡± Phillip tried his best to suppress his dissatisfaction and inquired. ¡°I¡¯m already at the door of the restaurant. I¡¯lle in right away,¡± Richard replied. The phone was then hung up. Richard pushed the door open and got out of the car, wearing a camouge uniform that he did not have time to change. He instantly managed to attract many eyes when he walked into the restaurant. Many waitresses in the restaurant saw him and stared at him nkly. Goodness! What a fine man! He had such a perfect body and he was so tall. When Richard asked one of the waitresses for directions to the private room, she answered him bashfully. At the same time, it attracted the envious gaze of other girls around him. Richard walked to the door of the room, took a deep breath, pushed the door open, and walked in. ¡°Sorry for beingte,¡± he apologized. Everyone at the table, except for the two old men who were sitting still, all stood up to greet him. That was to show respect for his higher identity and status in the military, and also his identity of being the young master of the Lloyd Family. When Annie heard his baritone male voice, she was about to faint on the spot. Goodness, gracious! As expected, a good-looking man had a very charming voice. Looking at the man who only wore a camouge uniform under the light, her face flushed crimson. The real deal was much better in photos! ¡°You brat! Why did youe here dressed like this? Don¡¯t you have time to change?¡± Phillip immediately scolded him, for fear that he would be disliked by the Meyers Family when he was dressed like this. Richard apologized to the Meyers Family. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just came over from work, and I didn¡¯t have enough time to get changed.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine! You still look handsome in this fit!¡± Mrs. Meyers scanned him from top to toe. No matter from which angle, he looked pleasing to the eye. So, she was happy for her daughter. ¡°Hello, my name is Annie.¡± Although Annie was shy, she took the initiative to greet him. ¡°Richard.¡± Richard looked at her and nodded politely. ¡°Richard,e sit here.¡± Gabriel stretched out his hand and pulled out the chair beside his daughter for him. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Meyers.¡± Richard sat down politely. ¡°Richard, let me introduce you to my good old friend, Old Master Meyers. He met you back when you were a child.¡± ¡°Hello, Old Master Meyers.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to grow up so soon in just a blink of an eye. You¡¯ve be sessful too. That¡¯s really impressive,¡± Joshua Meyers praised. ¡°No, no. He has just been training in the army. He¡¯s not that outstanding,¡± Phillip uttered humbly, but he could not hide the pride in his eyes. In his heart, he acknowledged that his grandson was outstanding. He never embarrassed the Lloyd Family before. ¡°Oh! And this is Ann. The two of you look good together,¡± Phillip introduced while looking at the pair of young people, silently thinking that his great-grandchildren would definitely be good-looking. At this moment, Annie saw a trace of blood on his clothes with her sharp eyes. She hurriedly brought a wet tissue over and whispered, ¡°Richard, you have blood over here. Let me wipe it off for you!¡± Richard looked down and reached out to take the wet tissue from her hands. ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself!¡± She gazed at him with distressed and worried eyes, and thought to herself. How dangerous is his job? Even his clothes are stained with blood! It shouldn¡¯t be his, right? At this moment, a message that Annie sent was returned to her, which left her puzzled. What was going on? Was Ang¡¯s phone turned off? It shouldn¡¯t be! It should be because she had no connection at the ce where she was right now and so, failed to receive the text! Initially, she intended to broadcast the whole process of her blind date to her cousin! She wanted to secretly take a picture of her blind date tonight to show Ang, but now that Ang could not receive her messages, it made the situation less fun. Everyone was hungry when the food was served. They talked about their children¡¯s childhood stories while eating. Besides, they also didn¡¯t want to put any pressure on the two young people, so they avoided the topic of engagement for now. Halfway through the meal, they still had to address the main topic of discussion. Phillip raised his ss and said, ¡°Let¡¯s have a toast to our families bing one! May the marriage be held sessfully.¡± Richard stopped chewing, took a sip of water, and looked at his grandfather. ¡°Grandpa, I have something to say.¡± Phillip knew what he was going to say, so his eyes suddenly turned serious. ¡°Richard, let¡¯s talk about it at home.¡± Obviously, he did not want his grandson to reject the marriage on the spot, which was disrespectful to the Meyers Family. In addition to the gaze from the Meyers Family, which was all filled with love and expectation, his grandfather was also shooting him an oppressive look, so he decided to swallow his words. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s toast to our two children. After this toast, it means that the marriage will be nned. We shallter decide a good day to hold the wedding,¡± Phillip chuckled, but he meant every word he said. ¡°If Richard is busy, we can keep everything simple,¡± Joshua offered understandingly. ¡°No way. We should hold a grand wedding when Ann marries into our family.¡± Phillip did not intend to treat his daughter-inw badly. Hearing that, Richard could not help but feel depressed. He nced at the time because he had a meeting at half past eight, so he should rush back now. ¡°Grandpa, I have an important meeting to hold. I¡¯ll have to take a leave now,¡± Richard excused himself while standing up. ¡°Do you have to leave right now?¡± Phillip did not wish for him to leave. At the same time, Annie¡¯s eyes were also filled with reluctance. Were they going to separate when they just got to know each other? She intended to know more about him tonight! ¡°I can¡¯t bete because it is a pertinent meeting.¡± After Richard finished speaking, he looked at the Meyers Family apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Old Master Meyers, Mr. and Mrs. Meyers, and Annie. I have to excuse myself now.¡± With that said, Richard rose to his feet. ¡°I¡¯ll send you off!¡± Annie hurriedly got up, not wanting to miss thest bit of time to spend with him. Although he did not want her to send him off, she had already stood up, which left him no choice but to reluctantly nod. With that, the two of them left the room. Without the pressure of the elders, Annie¡¯s eyes began to stare at him curiously. ¡°Richard, do you like me?¡± she asked him boldly because she liked him very much. It was not an exaggeration to say that she fell in love at first sight. Richard stopped and stared at her seriously. ¡°Annie, you are a nice girl, but marrying me will not make you happy. Please think about it carefully.¡± Annie smiled and shook her head. ¡°I believe that marrying you will be the beginning of my happiness.¡± ¡°My work nature doesn¡¯t allow me to spend much time with you, and it will also bring danger to your life. Are you still willing to marry me?¡± he asked her calmly. She smiled shyly and answered without hesitation, ¡°I do.¡± Richard could not figure out what was on her mind. Obviously, he was trying to push her away, but she was still adamant about wanting to marry him. How would marrying him benefit her? For Annie, it was a blessing to be able to marry him. No matter what difficulties she would face in the future, she was mentally prepared to bear it with him. ¡°I¡¯ll have to leave now.¡± Seeing that the time was running out, Richard took long strides forward, but Annie hurriedly followed behind him. When they appeared in the hall together, she received envious nces from all the women around, and at this moment, she knew that she was worthy of him as this man met all her requirements. Watching him get into the car and get seated in his SUV, Annie felt like she had given her heart to him. Richard¡¯s car headed straight toward his current base, which was in the direction of the suburban. In the garden, ady who was sitting on a chair and counting the stars was getting drowsy. She experienced all kinds of things today, causing her to feel extremely exhausted, but she could not sleep now. She had to wait for someone to return. She waited for no reason other than to get her Inte connection back. Ang was fed up today. The swelling on her forehead reminded her of how rude Richard was to her. No one here could make the decision to return the Inte connection to her. Richard was the only person she could negotiate with, so she must wait for him toe back. Just as her eyelids were about to shut, she finally heard the sound of a caring in through the iron gate, and she suddenly regained her spirit. That must be Richard. She immediately got off the chair and ran toward the parking lot. When Richard opened the door and got out of the car, he suddenly heard a cold female voice calling him. ¡°Hey! You¡¯re finally back.¡± Richard looked at the woman under the streetmp. Her long hair was draped behind her head, and the camouge uniform was wrapped around her delicate body. Somehow, she managed to pull off the camouge uniform in a different way. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Richard frowned slightly. ¡°Did you order your subordinates to turn off mywork?¡± ¡°Yes. From now on, you are not allowed to use the Inte.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Ang was annoyed. ¡°For your safety.¡± Richard had plenty of reasons to do so. ¡°No way. I want my Inte connection back. I want it now because I have very important things to do,¡± Ang urged him in a hurry. Her boyfriend was returning to the country yet she did not even find out his flight information. Therefore, she was anxious. ¡°Is there something even more important than your life?¡± Richard questioned as he walked toward the conference building. Ang trotted to keep up with him. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s more important than my life.¡± Richard turned his head and nced at her. ¡°I want to talk to my boyfriend on the phone. You don¡¯t know how important this rtionship is to me. Losing him is like losing my life,¡± Ang uttered seriously. Richard gave her another inexplicable look. ¡°Do you understand what I¡¯m saying? Do you understand how I feel?¡± Ang was getting even more anxious now, and then she suddenly took a breath and huffed angrily, ¡°How can a dummy like you understand? You must have never been in a rtionship!¡± ¡°How do you know that I haven¡¯t?¡± Richard retorted with his lips pursed. ¡°Of course, I know! I¡¯m a woman. No woman would fall for someone as rude and blunt as you!¡± Ang comined angrily. Instead, Richard sneered at her, ¡°Does that mean a hopeless romantic like you who can¡¯t live without a man is more lovable?¡± Ang¡¯s face turned crimson at his statement. How dare he judge her like that?! Biting her lip, she blustered, ¡°I don¡¯t care. I want to be connected to the Inte for an hour. Do it for me right now.¡± ¡°Not even a second,¡± Richard insisted with a cold expression and was about to leave. Ang immediately clenched her teeth, stepped forward, and blocked his way with her arms extended. ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere before I get connected.¡± Richard did not take her seriously. Immediately, he strode toward her, thinking that she would leave. Who knew that instead of avoiding him, he mmed into her? All of a sudden, they were almost touching each other under the lights. He instantly felt a mass on his chest. Ang raised her face that had blushed the shade of a rose, yet she was stubborn. When she realized what he had just done, she quickly took a step back. ¡°How dare you take advantage of me?!¡± She gritted her teeth. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in you,¡± Richard replied unceremoniously. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to be interested in me either. Lend me your phone. I want to call my boyfriend.¡± Ang could still use his phone if she could not use hers. ¡°No.¡± Richard looked disgusted. He did not want to lend her his phone so that she could flirt with another guy over the phone! ¡°Five minutes will do.¡± Ang softened because she realized that this man was tougher than her. She¡¯s gonna follow me everywhere if I don¡¯t say yes, and I have a meeting to attend now. He took his phone out. ¡°Two minutes. That¡¯s the best I can do.¡± Ang took his phone quietly and called her boyfriend right away. She wanted to talk to him, and the call went through, but Dexter didn¡¯t pick up. ¡°C¡¯mon, pick up. What are you doing, Dexter? You should¡¯ve already gotten off the ne,¡± she muttered under her breath. The call ended, and she made another one, but Dexter still didn¡¯t pick up. Richard was starting to get annoyed. ¡°Give me the phone.¡± ¡°One minute. Just one more minute, please.¡± Ang made another call, but nobody picked up. Disappointed, she heaved a long sigh. For some reason, she teared up. She missed Dexter a lot, and she tried her best to contact him, but the fact that he didn¡¯t pick up hurt her. Richard stared at her, and he frowned. ¡°That¡¯s the guy you¡¯d die for?¡± He couldn¡¯t believe she was going to cry. She noticed the mockery, and she bit her lip. ¡°You have no idea what love is like. It¡¯s a waste of time talking to you. You¡¯ll know how I feel when you fall in love with someone.¡± She turned away, and tears fell down her cheeks. Ang wiped them away awkwardly and went in the opposite direction. She looked forlorn and lonely, especially under the dim light. He peered at her, then he made his way to the conference room. Their meeting¡¯s agenda this time was about the lipstick and Ang¡¯s current danger level. After her details were exposed to the world, Ang became the target of many criminals. She was a billion-dor-object for them, after all. ¡°We got all the details about the people around her. Anyone who approaches her might be a potential enemy.¡± Richard asked, ¡°Including her boyfriend¡¯s?¡± ¡°Yes. She has a boyfriend named Dexter. Hended in homnd at about seven. We¡¯ll look into the people around him too.¡± Richard was reminded of the fact Dexter didn¡¯t take Ang¡¯s calls. He had enough power to find out where Dexter was, so he decided to help her out. ¡°I want to know where the guy is,¡± Richard said. His underlings went to work right away. A momentter, he was presented with security footage and room registration records. ¡°He¡¯s in the Cloudsky Hotel. Hended at about seven.¡± They saw a man holding a woman on the screen, and the facial recognition system pointed out that the man was Dexter. Richard froze for a moment. He could hear them talking, and he said, ¡°Turn the volume up.¡± His underling turned the volume up, and everyone heard the cheating couple flirting with each other. ¡°You¡¯re the prettiestdy I¡¯ve ever seen. Ever since I saw you back on the ne, I knew I¡¯d be the happiest man on earth if I could have you,¡± Dexter flirted. The woman smirked. She was obviously a veteran in this as well. ¡°Is that so? Well, I¡¯ll be your date for the next few days then, but I need a ce to stay.¡± ¡°Oh, I can do that. I can do anything you want.¡± He pinned her against the wall and pressed his lips against hers. ¡°Oh, we can¡¯t do this here! Let¡¯s get a room.¡± The woman pretended to push him, but she was holding his arms and looking at him in delight at the same time. Dexter was dressed expensively, and he was young and handsome, so he was naturally alluring to women. He told thedy to go into the room, while he came back out to take a call. Everyone could hear the conversation. ¡°How many times do I have to tell you, Mom? Look at the big picture. I want everything. I¡¯ll give Ang¡¯s mother the money back. That old hag is a billionaire! I can just marry Ang and take over her parents¡¯ business. I¡¯m not going to back out just like this. Ah, don¡¯t worry. Ang can¡¯t live without me. She does everything I tell her to. I spent all my time making her fall for me. I know how much she loves me. Yeah, I know what I¡¯m doing. Talk to youter, Mom. I have something urgent to handle.¡± Someone opened the door, and out came the woman in a bathrobe. She looked a little miffed that Dexter was still on the phone, and she pulled him. ¡°Looks like someone cares about a little call more than me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fake news, love.¡± Dexter kissed and pushed her into the room. The men in the conference room felt a little jealous. Why does a f*ckboy like him get girls, while we can¡¯t even get a girlfriend? Everyone was still immersed in the footage, but someone broke their train of thoughts. ¡°Give me a copy of the video.¡± ¡°Wait. Are you giving that to Miss Meyers? I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea. It¡¯ll break her heart.¡± ¡°Just give it to me.¡± Richard stared at the screen. He was reminded of what Ang told him earlier. He wasn¡¯t that close to her, but he thought it was a waste of her time spending all her life on someone like Dexter. This was just a friendly reminder for her to move on. He told his underlings, ¡°And look into everyone whom Dexter has talked to for the past two years. I want them first thing next morning.¡± He left, and his team members looked at one another. ¡°Wow. First time the captain cares about someone so much. Does he like her?¡± ¡°Well, she is beautiful. I can see why he likes her.¡± ¡°So is she gonna be his wife?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± ¡°We¡¯d better be nice to her then. Maybe the captain won¡¯t kill us if we make any mistakes next time. She can help us out.¡± Their conversation was cut short, as the air itself froze. They could feel someone looking at them from the doorstep, so they turned around. Much to their shock, Richard hade back right after he left, and he was looking at them coldly. ¡°Ahem. I mean the captain won¡¯t fall for Miss Meyers. He doesn¡¯t like getting into any rtionships. That¡¯s nonsense.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! The captain¡¯s not getting into any rtionship. It¡¯s gonna get in the way of his work. We gotta learn from him. Let¡¯s not waste our time on rtionships and spend all of it on work.¡± ¡°Miss Meyers isn¡¯t that beautiful. She¡¯s just pretty.¡± Richard went to his desk and picked a file up. He said icily, ¡°If I hear you guys talking nonsense again, you¡¯re getting a ten-mile run tomorrow morning.¡± He left and closed the door. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief. The captain¡¯s getting really stealthytely. We gotta keep our mouths shut. Ang was in her room. She had finished showering and just changed into her pajamas. She was still wondering why Dexter wouldn¡¯t take her call. What on earth is he doing? Just then, someone knocked on Ang¡¯s door. She looked at it and went to open the door. Richard was standing outside. She crossed her arms and asked coolly, ¡°What do you want?¡± Richard looked at her for a few moments with mixed feelings before saying calmly, ¡°I have something for you. Get changed ande to the waiting room.¡± Ang cocked her eyebrow. ¡°You can give it to me here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s about your boyfriend,¡± Richard told her. Ang¡¯s eyes shone, and something seemed to leap with joy in them. She looked at him expectantly. ¡°Really? Did he call you?¡± Richard could not share her joy. Instead, he felt sad for her. Does she really love that b*stard? He didn¡¯t want to hurt her. She was the granddaughter of his grandfather¡¯s best friend after all. ¡°Come in! Come in! Tell me more!¡± She turned to the side and weed him into her room. Richard frowned. Does she have no concept of safety? ¡°Are you sure your boyfriend really loves you?¡± Richard asked instead of going in. Ang smiled and she answered without missing a beat, ¡°Of course.¡± She sounded confident. Richard felt a little frustrated. She¡¯s beautiful, born to money, and lives in luxury. So why is she so stupid? That jerk¡¯s ying her like a fiddle, and she has no idea about it. ¡°Don¡¯t just look at me. Talk! Did my boyfriend call?¡± Ang wondered why he was staring at her. ¡°No.¡± Richard was about to leave. Ang closed the door and ran forward to block him. She spread her arms wide and told him, ¡°I need your phone, Richard. I need to make a call.¡± ¡°No,¡± Richard refused without hesitation. ¡°Please, it¡¯s just a call. I¡¯m desperate!¡± She put her hands in a prayer and begged him. She wanted to know if Dexter hadnded safely. He¡¯s gonna be worried if he can¡¯t find me. Richard crossed his arms and put on a sterner look. ¡°No means no.¡± Hey, that¡¯s just heartless. It¡¯s just a phone. It¡¯s not like lending it to me is going to kill you. ¡°Five minutes, please? I¡¯ll pay you. Do you really have to be so stuck up about that?¡± Ang was almost on her knees. She fluttered her eyshes and started acting like a kid. ¡°Aww, pwease, Mr. Lloyd? Pwetty pwease?¡± Richard squinted. His face was still deadpan, and he refused to budge. Ang stopped acting and stared at his pockets. Her eyes glinted, and she smiled. ¡°You¡¯re really handsome, actually. You¡¯re my cup of tea.¡± She kept beguiling him as she slowly approached the man. Ang flicked her hair backward and started flirting with him. Richard frowned. He thought this was annoyingly amusing. More annoying than amusing though. What is she trying to do? Ang held his arm and closed in on him. Richard tensed up, but then he felt her arm slithering into his pocket. He immediately held her hand and turned her arm behind her back, stopping her from stealing his phone. ¡°Ow, ow, ow. Let me go!¡± Ang was caught red-handed, and a stab of pain came from her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t pull anything with me.¡± He snorted and pushed her away. Ang rubbed her wrist and swung her arm around while shooting him an angry re. ¡°So heartless.¡± He stared at her, feeling frustrated. She couldn¡¯t have even gotten close if I had just been more careful. She almost got her hands on the phone. Richard reflected on himself and decided he would never let this happen again. ¡°I¡¯ll cut off all your contact with the outside world from this minute on. I¡¯ll get my men to protect your parents. You¡¯re going to stay here.¡± He was going to leave again. Ang stared at him. She decided to stop pulling any tricks and pleaded, ¡°I know you want me safe, Richard. Thank you, really, but I can¡¯t lose my boyfriend. Please, let me call him. I promise it won¡¯t take long.¡± Richard stopped in his tracks. He took a deep breath, and he turned around slowly, as if he had made a decision. He took his phone out and handed it to her. Delighted, Ang went and took it from him. ¡°Thank you.¡± She quickly called her boyfriend, waiting for him to pick up. Unbeknownst to her, Richard was staring at her, wondering if the decision he made was correct. ¡°Yes?¡± The call went through, and Dexter picked it up. Ang heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Dexter? It¡¯s me.¡± ¡°Ang? Where are you? I couldn¡¯t get through to you.¡± Dexter sounded really worried. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m alright. I ran into some trouble, but I¡¯ll see you again soon.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ang. I didn¡¯t want to hurt you. I know you¡¯re out of my league, so I pretended to date another girl so you¡¯d leave me and find someone better, but I realized I still love you the most.¡± She sat back down on the sofa and answered sweetly, ¡°It¡¯s alright. I understand. I don¡¯t mind.¡± Richard could see that Dexter was trying to sweet talk her even without hearing the conversation. And this dumb woman still believes him. She doesn¡¯t know his true colors. ¡°I love you, Ang,¡± Dexter confessed lovingly. ¡°Okay, okay. I know. I love you too.¡± She smiled shyly, but then someone took the phone away. She quickly turned around to face Richard. ¡°Hey¡ª¡± Richard clicked into the video his team member sent him, and he tossed the phone to the sofa. He said, ¡°Your boyfriend is a f*ckboy. He hooked up with a woman he just met right after hended. He dates you for your money, not you. Wake the f*ck up.¡± Ang¡¯s eyes widened, then she heard the conversationing from her phone. It was Dexter¡¯s voice. ¡°You¡¯re the prettiestdy I¡¯ve ever seen. Ever since I saw you back on the ne, I knew I¡¯d be the happiest man on earth if I could have you.¡± ¡°Is that so? Well, I¡¯ll be your date for the next few days then, but I need a ce to stay.¡± ¡°Oh, I can do that. I can do anything you want.¡± Ang heard the sound of smooching. ¡°Oh, we can¡¯t do this here! Let¡¯s get a room.¡± Ang froze. She picked up the phone with trembling hands, and she stared at the screen. Dexter walked into the elevator with a woman in his arms, and they started making out even before they got into the room. Angie shivered at the sight of that. She wanted to cry and scream, but she couldn¡¯t. All she felt was fury in her heart. Her eyes were filled with tears of rage, and she bit her lip hard. She stared at the screen, but what she saw tortured her soul. Richard looked at her calmly. I hope she¡¯ll snap out of it after she sees what happens next. Don¡¯t fall for him. He doesn¡¯t deserve her. Ang then saw Dexter take the woman into a room, while he went outside to take a call. The room was quiet, and the volume was at maximum. Ang could hear everything Dexter was saying. ¡°How many times do I have to tell you, Mom? Look at the big picture. I want everything. I¡¯ll give Ang¡¯s mother the money back.¡± ¡°That old hag is a billionaire! I can just marry Ang and take over her parents¡¯ business. I¡¯m not going to back out just like this. Ah, don¡¯t worry. Ang can¡¯t live without me. She does everything I tell her to. I spent all my time making her fall for me. I know how much she loves me. Yeah, I know what I¡¯m doing. Talk to youter, Mom. I have something urgent to handle.¡± Someone opened the door, and out came the woman in a bathrobe. She looked a little miffed that Dexter was still on the phone, and she pulled him. ¡°Looks like someone cares about a little call more than me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fake news, love.¡± Dexter kissed and pushed her into the room. Ang put the phone down in fury. She covered her face, and she was trembling. She couldn¡¯t believe the man she deeply loved was only dating her for money. It was hard to believe that he was just pretending to be nice to her. Richard watched as tears fell through the cracks between her fingers and soaked into the sofa. He frowned. Cheering someone up was not his forte. He never did anything like that before, but still he wanted to say something to her. ¡°It¡¯s good that you saw through him. Open your eyes the next time you look for a boyfriend. Don¡¯t fall for the same tricks,¡± he said. It didn¡¯t work too well. Ang was just crying quietly, but now she was wailing. She looked up and let her tears fall, ignoring the fact that there was someone else around. Richard looked at the tissue on the table. He went and took some for her. Ang took them from him and dabbed her eyes. She spoke through sobs, ¡°So it was all a lie. Everything he did for me was a lie. I thought he loved me more than Dad and Mom do, but he¡¯s just a liar! A liar!¡± Ang felt like dying, but she felt fortunate that she saw through Dexter. She just couldn¡¯t ept that two years of her youth amounted to nothing in the end. Richard pulled a few more tissues and handed it to her. He bent over to take his phone, but then he felt Ang hold him. She buried her head in his chest and bawled like a kid. Richard froze. He spread his arms, but he couldn¡¯t push her away. Ang didn¡¯t mean to hug him. The pain was just too overwhelming, and she wanted someone to hug. She was grateful to Richard for showing her Dexter¡¯s true colors. He also went out of the way to tell her that too. ¡°I wanna kill that b*stard!¡± Angie cursed and thumped Richard¡¯s chest. She was too mad to realize what she just did. Richard was speechless. Hey, I¡¯m not the guy who hurt you. Don¡¯t take it out on me. ¡°He refused a study offer and took care of me when I was sick. He even cooked for me every day. I thought he was genuinely nice to me! Darn it!¡± Ang finally snapped out of it. She was d that Dexter agreed to never have sex with her until she wasfortable with it. All she lost was her time and nothing else. Richard held her shoulders and pushed her down onto the sofa. ¡°This is nothing to cry over.¡± She wiped her tears away as she thanked him. ¡°Thanks for showing his true colors to me, Richard.¡± Richard stood up. ¡°In that case, work with me and stop causing so much trouble.¡± ¡°I need to use your phone again.¡± She stood up. Her eyes were red, but the look in them was calm. Richard lent her his phone dly this time, and she called Dexter again. ¡°Hello, Ang? What happened? Why did you hang up? I couldn¡¯t get through to you,¡± he asked hurriedly. Richard¡¯s number was not open to the public, so nobody could call him. Chapter 851-860 Chapter 851-860 Ang took a deep breath and said coldly, ¡°Dad and Mom are right, Dexter. I¡¯m out of your league. You¡¯re a dirty, disgusting scoundrel. Never show yourself in front of me again. I never want to see you.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Ang? Did your parents tell you something? I love you. I promise I won¡¯t fall for anyone else. Is that not enough?¡± Dexter was starting to sound anxious and panicked. ¡°You won¡¯t fall for anyone else? Yeah right. You hooked up with someone you just met on the ne. My mother paid you to leave me. She probably gave you millions, but you¡­ you wanted to take everything they have. That¡¯s crossing the line.¡± ¡°H-How did you know about that, Ang? No! S-She seduced me! It¡¯s not my fault!¡± Dexter was panicking now. ¡°Either you give the money back, or I¡¯ll make you. Make your choice. You have three days. Refuse, and I¡¯ll sue you,¡± she warned him. Ang was finally starting to act like the richdy she was after she snapped out of it. Dexter dropped his act at once and sneered. ¡°Your mother gave me the money, Ang. I won¡¯t give it back. You have no grounds to sue me.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure my father can do something about that. And I know a lot of people who¡¯d love to help my family. Either you give my mother the money back, or you¡¯re getting it,¡± she threatened. ¡°You can¡¯t do this, Ang. My mother¡¯s sick. She needs the money. Can I have it for now? I¡¯ll pay you back, please!¡± Scared, Dexter was making ast-ditch effort to scam some money. ¡°You have three days. Make your choice.¡± She hung up and closed her eyes for a few moments. When she opened them again, they were gleaming brightly. She was no longer the woman controlled by love. Ang turned around and handed the phone back to Richard. ¡°Thank you.¡± Richard squinted. He was surprised that she could be so tough and calm in mere moments, but he was happy for her. ¡°I hope you¡¯ll find that lipstick as soon as possible.¡± Ang thought that the lipstick was the key item for this change in her life. She wouldn¡¯t have met Richard if it wasn¡¯t because of the lipstick, and she might have had her whole life ruined by Dexter. But now I¡¯m saved. Richard left her room. He just remembered that he had some reports to attend to, so he went to the room where his team members were. Just when he was about to go inside, he heard his team members¡¯ discussion. ¡°She¡¯s only yed like a fiddle because she thirsts for love. Her father¡¯s an official, and her mother¡¯s a businesswoman. They don¡¯t have time for her.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a blessing and a curse to be born to that family. Good thing we saved her in time and stopped that a*shole from doing further damage.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fate. She wouldn¡¯t have picked the lipstick up if she hadn¡¯t run into that burr. I think even God doesn¡¯t want her to live her life in a lie.¡± Trevor was keeping an eye on the surveince camera footage, and he suddenly eximed, ¡°Sh*t! Some underworld guys just smuggled themselves into the homnd.¡± Richard came in as well, much to everyone¡¯s shock. Can you stop showing up all of a sudden? ¡°I want to know who they are,¡± Richard ordered. Trevor tapped away on the keyboard and plugged some faces into the recognition system. Their details were shown a momentter. ¡°Highly dangerous individuals. Wanted worldwide.¡± Richard frowned. He said, ¡°Tell the dark web we¡¯ve found the lipstick. See if that¡¯ll make them leave.¡± ¡°I tried it, but they told us the thief installed a port identification system in the lipstick. They¡¯ll only give up if the lipstick¡¯s unsealed.¡± ¡°So Miss Meyers never opened the lipstick!¡± Jared sighed. Trevor turned around and rolled his eyes. ¡°Are you stupid? She wouldn¡¯t have thrown it away if she opened it.¡± ¡°Good thing she didn¡¯t, or the thief might have found out where the lipstick was right away. Maybe he would have located it before us and put Miss Meyers and her family in danger,¡± a man with a scar on his forehead said. The man¡¯s name was Willy Josling. Trevor sighed. ¡°God just saved her again. I guess prettydies are always lucky.¡± Trevor¡¯s eyes shone. ¡°Hey, so that means she¡¯s single! I have a chance at wooing her!¡± Someone smacked the back of his head, and that someone said, ¡°Do your job.¡± Trevor was annoyed, but he said nothing, since the guy who smacked his head was his captain. He puffed his cheeks and typed on his keyboard, but he muttered, ¡°Are you trying to woo her yourself, captain? Can¡¯t we even think about it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not even close to her league, Trevor. Captain aside, we still have Sean, and he¡¯s hot too,¡± Jared teased. Richard didn¡¯t stop them as he was used to his team members¡¯ banter. He then ordered, ¡°I want to see these criminals¡¯ files on my desk in half an hour.¡± He then left. Trevor saw him off. Once Richard was gone, he couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. ¡°Something¡¯s off with the captain.¡± ¡°Did you guys smell a woman¡¯s perfume on him?¡± Jared had a sensitive nose, and he could smell a lot of stuff most people couldn¡¯t. ¡°Hey, maybe Miss Meyers hugged him after he cheered her up. Man, I¡¯d love to be in his ce. Women need a reliable guy when they¡¯re at their weakest. The captain¡¯s so lucky.¡± Trevor kept talking while typing. The guy was a loudmouth, but he was also a technology genius, and a reliable one at that. ¡°I wanna do something nice for once.¡± Jared was working on anotherputer, and he smirked. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°So I watched the footage again, and I saw him giving that woman money. Does that count as prostitution?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Trevor said. ¡°Reported. The cops are on their way.¡± ¡°Yeah! Got back at him for Miss Meyers! Nice.¡± Trevor gave him a thumbs up. Richard went back to his room, which was right next to Ang¡¯s. He was surprised to see that her door was open. He frowned and went inside, but Ang was nowhere to be seen. He took his phone out and made a call. ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°At the basketball court, captain. She¡¯s crying. She needs you!¡± Sean said happily. Richard hung up. He didn¡¯t n on going to her. Richard was about to close the door, but he pulled his hand back and went to the basketball court. The lights shone on a slender woman on a bench. Her hair tumbled down her shoulder, and she looked like a damsel in distress. Ang heard the sound of footsteps, and she wiped her tears away as refused to let anyone see her in this state. When she saw who it was, she turned her head away. ¡°You don¡¯t need to try to cheer me up,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m not. I¡¯m just telling you that your danger level has just gone up. I¡¯ll need to see your parents tomorrow and tell them what happened. I¡¯ll leave some guys behind to protect them.¡± He stood three feet away from her and crossed his arms. He looked like a mountain, dependent and reliable. Ang turned around, her eyes red. ¡°Please don¡¯t let anything happen to my dad and mom. I¡¯ll work with you. I won¡¯t run around or cause any trouble.¡± ¡°It¡¯s our job.¡± He was happy that she was starting to be cooperative. He had no time to take care of her, so he needed her to be in his vicinity. She was starting to feel cold, and she wanted to go back to her room. She heard squeaks when she was going past Richard, and she looked down, only to see a couple of mice run past her feet. A scream arced through the night, and Ang leaped into the air. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and her legs were locked around his waist so she wouldn¡¯t fall. She was hanging on him like a ko bar. Richard reflexively held her hips to keep her from falling down. The air froze for a few moments, and he asked, ¡°How much longer are you doing this?¡± Only then did Ang realize she was hugging him. She coughed awkwardly and let go of his neck, then she jumped down. At the same time, she looked at him closely for the first time. He had a chiseled, handsome face. His brows were sharp, his eyes were deep-set, and his nose was aquiline. His lips were thin but sexy, and he had a perfect jawline that drew people¡¯s eyes down to his neck. He radiated manliness everywhere. He also had an aloof air about him, and his eyes seemed unfathomable. Richard left before she could finish staring, and she followed him, worried she might run into more mice. This was a dramatic day in her life. She went through a life-and-death situation and had her heart broken just in one day. Richard went to the Meyers¡¯ ce the next morning. He was sitting on the sofa, facing the Meyers couple. Richard told them what happened, and they were horrified. They couldn¡¯t believe their daughter was dragged into something so dangerous by chance. ¡°Is she hurt, Mr. Lloyd?¡± Daphne asked quickly. ¡°She scratched her forehead, but otherwise she¡¯s well. You can¡¯t see her for now, though. Maybe it¡¯ll last for six months. Maybe a year. Leave her to us. We¡¯ll take care of her,¡± Richard said calmly. ¡°We trust you. Please take care of our daughter, and sorry for the trouble.¡± Gilbert was understanding. ¡°She¡¯s not easy to get along with, so please bear with her. She¡¯s used to the nice life. Please forgive her if she did anything wrong.¡± Daphne knew her daughter was a handful. ¡°She¡¯ll work with me. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Good. I¡¯ll prepare her clothes. Please take them to her for me.¡± Daphne then went upstairs. Gilbert looked at the young man before him. Hemented, ¡°I¡¯ve seen you when you were a kid, back at your Grandpa¡¯s house. Time flies.¡± ¡°Yeah. I remember you too, Mr. Meyers.¡± ¡°I heard you got engaged to Annie. Congrats. Sorry I couldn¡¯te. I had something to do.¡± Richard nodded in understanding. He didn¡¯t want to talk about this too much. ¡°Please take care of Ang. Her mother and I owe her a lot. We didn¡¯t take good care of her, and now we can¡¯t help her even when she¡¯s in trouble.¡± Gilbert sighed. He felt really guilty for this. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡°Tell her we love her very much. Tell her to be brave. We¡¯ll help in the search as well.¡± ¡°Of course, Mr. Meyers.¡± Richard nodded. Just then, his underling reported the progress of the search in the yard. They¡¯ve dug up everywhere, but there were still no signs of the lipstick. The rainstorm that night might have washed it into the ditch, so they had to search underground now. It was a big search, but the lipstick was worth it, and they had to find it. It contained top secret information. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m sorry for what Ang did. I can¡¯t believe she threw away something so important, and now she just made things ten times harder for you,¡± Gilbert apologized. ¡°She did something good, actually. She took the lipstick back for us and prevented a direct battle with the criminals. She also bought us time. Digging things up isn¡¯t hard,¡± he exined. If it were not for Ang¡¯s switcheroo, the thieves would havepleted their trade that night, and Richard and his men would have to face an even bigger danger. Gilbert felt a little better hearing that. So she did something good? Daphne came back with a luggage filled with clothes. She still couldn¡¯t ept that she had to be separated from her daughter at such short notice, and she sighed. ¡°This is her luggage, Mr. Lloyd. Can I call her before she leaves?¡± Daphne asked. Richard shook his head. ¡°Sorry. She¡¯s under strict protection. She can¡¯t contact the outside world for now, not even her parents.¡± ¡°Alright, enough. Don¡¯t make this hard on him. What¡¯s important is Ang¡¯s safety.¡± Gilbert patted his wife¡¯s shoulder. Daphne nodded and put that thought aside. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Meyers, please keep Ang¡¯s situation a secret. Don¡¯t tell anyone, not even your own family. Just tell them she¡¯s studying abroad,¡± Richard told them. ¡°We¡¯ll do that.¡± Since there was nothing else to say, he told his underling to take the luggage away while he went to have a look at the yard. He told the guys there to tell him if they found anything as he needed to escort Ang to a secret base now. The Meyers saw them off, and Gilbert said, ¡°I almost forgot. Richard is Annie¡¯s fianc¨¦. He¡¯s a brilliant lad.¡± Daphne looked surprised. ¡°So he¡¯s the guy your father arranged for Annie?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Daphne thought Richard was great too. He was at least a thousand times better than Dexter. At the same time, Dexter was in trouble. He was detained, since someone reported him on the suspicions of prostitution. The authorities had evidence, and he couldn¡¯t weasel his way out. He didn¡¯t expect that the woman whom he ran into was a repeated offender either. Dexter finally realized how powerful the Meyers were, and he was scared. All his bridges were burned now that Ang knew who he really was. The first thing he would do after he got out of this ce was to give Daphne the 1.5 million back. He didn¡¯t want to get into more trouble. He only dated Ang for her money, but over thest two years, he got to know her and her family. Her grandfather¡¯s family was filled with government officials, while her mother was a businesswoman, so she grew up without love andpanionship. She had everything she wanted in life, but her soul was barren. Because of that, Dexter created a lot of ¡®chance encounters¡¯ overseas and portrayed himself as a gentle, caring man who took care of her every need. He made her fall for him through his actions. Ang fell for him in the end. Just when they were about to get married, Daphne found out and asked him out for a talk. Ang fought her family with him. She wanted to be with Dexter no matter what, and Dexter could see victory in front of him. However, Daphne offered him a million and a half, and that made him waver. Still, his greed got the better of him, and he nned on getting all the Meyers¡¯ wealth. In the end, his efforts were for nothing. He knew Ang well. She was not a weak woman. She just grew up with little to no love, but she was braver than other women. Ang was spacing out in the room. She spent most of her time studying and bettering herself in the past. There was no time to space out, but things were different now. She could take a break and space out. She didn¡¯t have to worry about her rtionship anymore, and it was peaceful. She was suddenly reminded of something. Annie said she¡¯s engaged. I wonder what her fianc¨¦ looks like. They grew up together, and Annie would tell her anything in her life. Someone knocked on the door, and she opened it to find Richard standing outside. He he said, ¡°Pack up. We¡¯re leaving in ten minutes.¡± ¡°Ten minutes?¡± That¡¯s too short! ¡°That¡¯s all the time you have. You¡¯re stilling with us even if you aren¡¯t finished,¡± Richard said imperiously. Ang blinked. I feel like a soldier now. She nodded. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll do my best.¡± She got herself a bag and packed her important stuff up. She also packed her clothes and shoes, of course, then she looked in the mirror and tied her hair up. She looked at the time again. Two minutes left. She opened the door and came out quickly with her bag. What greeted her were three off-road cars beside the basketball court. Mysterious. Ang came over, and Trevor opened the door for her happily. ¡°Come in, Miss Meyers.¡± Ang looked inside, and there was already somebody there¡ªRichard. Ang got in the car without hesitation. She didn¡¯t buckle herself up after settling in, and Richard looked at her. ¡°Buckle up.¡± Ang did as she was told. Trevor got in the car as well and turned around. ¡°I got good news for you, Miss Meyers. Dexter¡¯s arrested.¡± Ang looked at him in surprise.¡±How did you know that?¡± ¡°My friend found out he¡¯s involved in prostitution, so we snitched.¡± Ang felt better after hearing that. ¡°Thanks for helping.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Trevor was happy seeing her happy. The car drove out of the steel gates and headed for the highway, which was some distance away. Ang looked outside the window. She wondered where they were taking her, but she decided not to ask. It wasn¡¯t important. They could take her to the ends of the world, and she wouldn¡¯t care. ¡°Want a candy, Miss Meyers?¡± Trevor turned around and handed her a lollipop. Ang¡¯s eyes shone, and she took it. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°What about you, captain?¡± Trevor asked Richard. He had been silent the whole time. ¡°No,¡± Richard refused. Ang noticed that Trevor still had a lollipop in hand, so she took it happily. ¡°I¡¯ll take it for him.¡± She took it and looked at Richard. He was still as silent as usual. This is gonna be a boring journey. She thought they would stop and have a meal, but the team kept going on and on. There was only bread and water in the car, and they would only stop to change drivers. Ang felt sore a whileter, and she was sleepy. Her head would swing around when she was trying to sleep, causing her to feel ufortable and dizzy. Finally, she pleaded, ¡°Can I lean on you, Mr. Lloyd?¡± Richard looked at the sleepydy and adjusted his position. Ang moved to the center and leaned on his shoulder, and in a few seconds, she fell asleep. Trevor looked back and gave Richard a look that said, ¡®Nice, captain¡¯. The journey went on for more than ten hours, and they came into the mountains. They kept going on for god knew how long, and right now, stars were already twinkling in the sky. Ang was jolted awake when the car bumped. She looked outside, but it was dark. Finally, she saw lighting from the top of a mountain, but they were dim. The car drove toward the mountain, and they entered a secret cave. The entrance wasn¡¯t big, but the insides were more than met the eye. It was filled with high-tech stuff, and it was exactly like those secret governmental departments she saw in the movies. They stopped the car, and Trevor opened the door for her. ¡°We¡¯re here, Miss Meyers. Come with me.¡± Ang unbuckled herself and got out of the car. Her legs buckled, and she held the car¡¯s door right away. Trevor gave her time to adjust, and he led her somewhere. ¡°Where are we, Trevor?¡± she whispered. ¡°Sorry, but I can¡¯t tell you that. Just know that this will be your home for a while. It¡¯s a safe ce.¡± Trevor could keep a secret when it came to it. Ang stopped asking. She looked around and thought things were really exciting, though the environment wasn¡¯t the best. Her room was cramped too, and there was only a window in it. She blinked. My bathroom is bigger than this room. ¡°Sorry, you have to stay in this coop. You can go back once things calm down, Miss Meyers,¡± he apologized. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I can live anywhere.¡± She chuckled before she asked, ¡°So, where¡¯s the bathroom?¡± ¡°Go straight and turn left. There¡¯s a public bathroom and restroom there.¡± ¡°It¡¯s public?¡± Ang¡¯s eyes widened further. Wow. This ce is tougher than I imagined. ¡°The captain has his own bathroom. You can use it if you want. Just ask for his permission. Only people with his rank get their own bathrooms here.¡± Trevor smiled. Ang blinked. I hope he¡¯ll let me use his bathroom. I¡¯m so not used to public ones. ¡°So where¡¯s Mr. Lloyd¡¯s room?¡± ¡°Just turn right. It¡¯s the fifth room from here.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± She sat on the bed. Ang thought she smelled like gas after staying in the car for a day. It was uneptable for a mysophobe like her. I gotta see if Richard will let me use his bathroom. She opened the closet and noticed a lot of clothes in there. Daphne had packed a ton of clothes for her, and all of them were expensive. There were even a few silk pajamas inside. She picked some casual clothes and hung the rest of her luggage in the closet, then she decided to go to Richard. Ang went down the corridor and knocked on the fifth room¡¯s door. She heard footstepsing from within before someone opened the door. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw him. Richard was wearing nothing but a pair of boxers, and his towel hung around his neck. Beads of water dripped down his hair, and he was naked from the waist up. His corbone looked sharp, his chest was puffy, and his abs were chiseled. There were a few scars on them, but he looked perfectly muscr. He¡¯s better than most models. Ang stared at him brazenly for a long time. He frowned in the end. ¡°Do you need anything?¡± ¡°Um, can I use your bathroom?¡± she asked. Richard thought about it for a few moments and moved aside. He agreed to it. Ang went inside. The room smelled like men, causing her heart to skip a beat and her to blush. His room wasn¡¯t big, but he had a small living room and a regr bathroom. There was also a queen-sized bed too. It was far better than her room. What caught her eye was the tall bookshelf in the living room. It was filled with books, and judging from their titles, she could see that this room was made for him. He wasn¡¯t here for a short stay. What kind of rank does he have? Why does he get to live in a room like this? She had a lot of questions, but she went to the bathroom instead. It still had a little steam inside, and it smelled like Richard. Ang used his slippers and washed herself with his shampoo and body wash. Only the towel and face wash were hers. Richard changed into a casual shirt and was reading on the couch. He was interested in this philosophy of psychology book, but for some reason, the sound of running water in the bathroom distracted him as he couldn¡¯t focus on the book. Ang felt shy taking a shower in his bathroom for some reason. The air was filled with his scent, and she felt hotter with every passing moment. She felt lucky that she never had sex with Dexter. She didn¡¯t mind it back when she was in love with him, but she was thankful that Dexter kept refusing because she would have had sex with someone who was just using her. ording to Dexter, he wanted to save sex for marriage. She thought he must really love her to keep his urges under check. However, now she thought he must be hiding something from her. Maybe he has STDs. Thank god I didn¡¯t have sex with him. Ang washed her hair. She loved being clean, so she bathed and washed her hair almost every day. She came out all changed, and her hair was covered in her towel. Her face was pink from the steam, highlighting her beauty. Her wet hair only made her face look smaller, and her features more striking. ¡°Do you have a hair dryer?¡± she asked Richard. Richard frowned. It¡¯s already midnight. Did she have to wash her hair at this hour? ¡°No!¡± he answered curtly. ¡°So who has one?¡± Ang kept asking. ¡°We don¡¯t have hair dryers here,¡± Richard said, sounding annoyed. Ang¡¯s mind was blown. What? How can I dry my hair without a hair dryer? It¡¯ste, and I don¡¯t have the sun to help me! My hair¡¯s gonna smell if I don¡¯t dry it. ¡°Please, can you get me a hair dryer? Please?¡± She sat down beside him and looked at him with an unspoken plea in her eyes. Richard could smell her scent the moment she approached him, and he held his breath and moved to the side. Ang froze for a few moments. D-Do I smell? He looks disgusted. She raised her arm and smelled herself. I smell like body wash. I made sure I cleaned myself. ¡°Please, Mr. Lloyd. I can¡¯t go to bed with wet hair. I¡¯m going to wake up with a headache. You don¡¯t want that to happen, do you? It¡¯ll be trouble,¡± she kept persuading. Richard closed the book and looked at her. He chided, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have washed your head if you just thought about it a little.¡± What? I couldn¡¯t have known you guys don¡¯t have any hair dryers. That¡¯s not my fault. She looked down, frustrated and speechless. Richard put his book down and left his room. Ang blinked. She had a feeling he was getting a hair dryer for her. She liked staying in his room compared to her little coop. She picked a few books from his bookshelf while he was gone. Wow, he readsplex books. Math, physics, philosophy, and even psychology? He has everything. Never thought he¡¯d love books. I thought he liked weapons more. Ang read one of the books to pass the time. Eventually, Richard came back with a hair dryer, much to her delight. ¡°Thanks, Mr. Lloyd.¡± Richard handed it to her and went back to his book, while Ang went into the bathroom to dry her hair. It felt great. After she came out from the bathroom, she asked, ¡°So where did you get this?¡± She was smiling. ¡°I borrowed it,¡± Richard said. Ang¡¯s smile froze. At this hour? Did he ask ady for this? Must have been awkward for him. ¡°Thanks.¡± She put the hair dryer down. ¡°Can you get me one next time?¡± Richard looked up. Ang¡¯s fluffy and slightly messy hair tumbled down to her waist. It covered her face, and she looked like a girl who was about to make out with her boyfriend. Things were starting to get a little hot for a certain someone. Richard did not realize that his gaze lingered on her face for several seconds longer. ¡°Okay,¡± he responded simply. ¡°I¡¯ll head to bed now. Good night.¡± Ang waved at him before leaving with her clothes. She did not notice that she dropped an article of clothing as she exited the bathroom. When Richard set his book down and prepared to shower before bed, his eyes were drawn to something pink on the floor. He instinctively reached down to pick it up. All at once, his eyes quivered. It was a woman¡¯s underwear. He tossed it into theundry basket. His heart was beating a little quicker than usual as he thought to himself, What a clumsy and forgetful woman! Meanwhile, she returned to her room and proceeded toy in bed. From her position, she could look out the window and spot the full moon outside. It¡¯s so beautiful, she thought to herself in surprise. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. This was something she never got to see, whether back in her home or while overseas, but here, she could enjoy all the beautiful things around her in peace. Ang slept very soundly that night, but she jolted awake some hourster when she heard a piercing sound of a whistleing from outside all of a sudden. She shot up in bed at once. It was at the start of dawn with the barest glimmer of light, but the field beyond the window was abuzz with activity. She knew that this ce was run like a military base. When she opened the door and looked out the entrance, the thick fog blocked everyone from sight, but she knew there were people gathered in the field. Soon, she heard the sound of people running, and it quickly faded off into the distance. She blinked and basked in the atmosphere around her. The mountains were alive even at dawn while birds filled the air with their chatter, and it made her one with nature. A shadowy silhouette then zoomed past her before turning back. The person asked, ¡°Miss Meyers, would you like to go running too?¡± It was Trevor who asked. He woke upte and missed out on joining the rest of the troops, so he decided to run alone. Ang was wide awake by now, and Trevor¡¯s words piqued her interest. Thinking about all the running she did abroad, she figured she should be able to handle a morning run, so she nodded. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll come with you.¡± Trevor was thrilled. The run would be a lot more enjoyable if he had a pretty woman running with him. They ran by the side of the road beneath the canopy of trees. It was an ordinary dirtne that weaved through the mountains and not the usual roads made of asphalt or concrete, so it was a different kind of experience altogether. Ang was pretty pumped by the run. Taking deep breaths of the fresh mountain air made her feel like her lungs had been thoroughly cleansed. She did not know how far she had run, but sure enough, she reached a point where she could no longer keep up. Between her panting, she asked, ¡°Trevor, how much farther are we going?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not even a third of the way yet!¡± Trevor replied. ¡°Seriously?¡± Ang¡¯s expression fell. She stared out into the fog in front of them, but she could not see more than a dozen feet in front of her. The rest was all a blur of white. ¡°Miss Meyers, if you can¡¯t continue, then let¡¯s head back now! I¡¯ll lead the way for you.¡± Trevor was afraid she could not take it anymore if they continued running forward. Therefore, Ang and Trevor started making their way back. Trevor even plucked some wild fruits for her to try. They tasted both sweet and sour and were very appetizing. The two of themughed and joked along the way. When they were nearly back at the main entrance, Ang slipped and stumbled into Trevor¡¯s back. After grabbing his waist to keep herself steady, she began tough brightly. Trevor held her hand and helped her out of the wet, slippery patch of road, but just then, he felt someone staring at him. After ncing at who it was, he quickly released Ang¡¯s hand. Approximately thirty feet in front of them, Richard stood in silence with his eyes fixed on them. His face was expressionless, but Trevor felt goosebumps anyway. ¡°Richard, Miss Meyers followed me out for a run but she could not keep up anymore so I walked her back,¡± Trevor exined at once. Ang nced at Trevor, who seemed rather anxious. Could it be because she had held him up when he was supposed to be doing his morning practice, and that made Richard angry? ¡°It¡¯s not Trevor¡¯s fault. I¡¯m the one who wanted to join him, and I¡¯m the one who forced him to turn back halfway,¡± she added in Trevor¡¯s defense. Richard swept his gaze across the two of them before saying to Trevor, ¡°Continue your run.¡± Trevor did not dare to protest. He waved to Ang with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll carry on with my run, Miss Meyers. Have a good rest!¡± Ang felt a little bad as she watched Trevor running off into the distance. She turned to Richard and said a little begrudgingly, ¡°He ran all the way there and back with me, but you¡¯re asking him to do another run now. Will he be alright?¡± ¡°This is between me and my subordinate, Miss Meyers. You should stay out of it,¡± Richard retorted coolly. Ang bit her lip in slight embarrassment, but she did feel bad for Trevor. She headed for the canteen. Everyone probably heard about her already, as they greeted her and were very courteous toward her. After breakfast, she realized that she did not have a phone, aptop, or even Inte ess. It was like she had gone back in time and was living in the old, pre-Inte days. She was far too bored in her room, so she decided to take a tour around the ce. Ang chose a small path to follow. After walking about for a while, she heard someone calling out to her. She turned to look and saw two men walking over with their hands full of freshly-hunted wild rabbits. ¡°You must be Miss Meyers!¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me. Did you guys go hunting?¡± Ang was full of curiosity. ¡°Yup! There are a lot of wild rabbits around here, so we decided to catch a few to add to the menu,¡± the older man said. The other man looked a little younger. He blushed at the sight of Ang and was too embarrassed to talk. They all considered Ang a gorgeous woman whom they rarely had the fortune to meet in person. She was even more beautiful than movie stars and other celebrities. ¡°Where does this path lead to? I¡¯d like to take a walk,¡± Ang asked. ¡°It leads to the back of the mountain, which is a pretty rocky area. You need to be careful.¡± ¡°I will!¡± Ang shed a grateful smile at them. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t wander off too far either. I¡¯m worried that you might get lost.¡± Ang nodded in agreement. She was just taking a walk out of boredom, and she hadplete faith in her sense of direction, so she doubted that she would get lost in the woods like some sort of cliche. Therefore, she continued down the path at leisure. She even spotted the wild white olives that Trevor had plucked for her earlier. The sweet and sour taste had really grown on her. Unfortunately, this particr tree did not have that many ripe ones. It took Ang quite some time to find one that was ripe enough for her to eat. She felt pretty blissful as she munched on it. She continued down the path, and soon enough, she arrived at a rocky in. Meanwhile, at the base¡¯s main entrance, Richard walked out in search of Ang as he received some new information that required him to ask her a few questions. ¡°Has anyone seen Ang?¡± Richard asked the people who were walking into the base. The two men who went rabbit-hunting were among them, so one of them quickly responded, ¡°Captain Lloyd, I saw Miss Meyers heading off on a walk to the back of the mountain.¡± Richard felt his head throbbing slightly as he exhaled. She was indeed a troublesome woman. Could she not just stay in her room and read a book or two? The back of the mountain was full of sharp, jagged rocks. It was not somewhere she should be running off to for some fun. He immediately headed over to the path that led to the back of the mountain. This was Ang¡¯s first time seeing such rocky mounds. She spotted a few boulders that looked quite t, so she decided to try climbing up the side of the rocky mounds. Perhaps most people enjoyed taking risks in some ways, and she was certainly one of them. She wanted to challenge herself and see if she could climb up the rocky mound. Moreover, the wildflowers growing out of the side of the rocky ridges at the top looked quite pretty. She wanted to head up and take a closer look at them. Ang stepped on one of the rocks and grabbed another one for stability. Soon, she climbed up what seemed like an already-trodden path that someone else must have used to climb up as well. She climbed and climbed and slowly began to realize that while it might have looked simple, it was far more exhausting than she expected. Soon, she could no longer find any footholds to step on either. It felt like there was no way for her to climb any further up. Suddenly, someone barked at her, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Ang got a fright. At the same time, she lost her grip and her feet slipped off the rocks as well, and she ended up falling from a height of about ten feet. The man who called out to her immediately sprinted over to catch her, but he was toote. Ang crashed to the ground, spraining her ankle when shended. She instantly cried out in pain. Thankfully, Ang fell onto a soft patch of grass and did not end up with any internal injuries. She cupped her hands around her ankle and red at the man who gave her a terrible fright. ¡°Can you not just call out like that? You scared me half to death!¡± Richard was a little vexed with himself too. When he saw her hanging dangerously on the side of the rocky cliff, his only thought was to stop her from climbing further, and he never thought he would scare her into falling off instead. He bent down and checked her ankle. ¡°Ouch¡­ It hurts¡­¡± Ang had sprained her left ankle. ¡°Stop running around for no good reason. You should have some self-awareness about your abilities.¡± Richard frowned. He was furious that she attempted to do such a dangerous thing. After all, he promised that he would take good care of her and return her safely to her parents once everything blew over. ¡°Believe it or not, but I¡¯m sure I could¡¯ve climbed up to the top. Stop looking down on me, okay?¡± Ang was full of confidence in herself. If he had not frightened her by calling out to her, she would have climbed up to the top by now. Ang brushed the grass off her clothes. There were a few des of grass stuck in her hair, but she could not see them. Richard could see them clearly, but he hesitated, not knowing if he should take them out for her. Still, it did look pretty weird to have a few des of dried grass stuck in her hair, so he decided to take them off for her out of the kindness of his heart. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Ang stared at him warily. There was no one around them, so what if he tried to do something bad to her? Richard ignored her question. He simply plucked the des of dried grass out of her hair and showed them to her before tossing them aside. Ang flushed red at once. Oh gosh! What was I thinking? He gave off an air of aloofness and self- restraint, so he would not be the kind of man to jump on a woman like that. She was overthinking it. She wondered if he had a girlfriend. He was probably at an age where he should be getting married. Though she was itching to find out, she decided against voicing it out loud. He might not even respond to her question anyway. ¡°I¡¯m injured. Can you help me up? Of course, I won¡¯t object to an offer of a piggyback,¡± Ang said to Richard. He nced at her before squatting down in front of her. He did not mind giving her a piggyback ride. Ang¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He¡¯s really going to carry me on his back? After taking a close look at his wide and muscr back, she climbed onto him a little shyly and reached out to wrap her arms around his neck. He swiftly stood up with her clinging to him like a ko. This had to be the strongest back she had ever ridden on. ¡°Why did youe looking for me?¡± Ang asked out of curiosity. Was it because he was worried about her safety? ¡°There¡¯s something I need to ask you.¡± Richard was feeling a little awkward with her on his back. This was the first time he ever carried a woman¡ªpreviously, he only ever carried his military colleagues and subordinates. She was very light, and her body felt very soft. His senses were heightened as she stuck close to him. ¡°What did you want to ask me?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it when we get back.¡± Ang was feeling a little bored again. Suddenly, she spotted another wild white olive tree with several ripened olives hanging from its branches, so she quickly said, ¡°Richard, there¡¯s a white olive tree over there. Go over and pluck some for me!¡± Richard looked over and saw the ripened fruit on the tree as Ang continued to plead, ¡°Hurry up and get a few for me! They taste so good! Trevor plucked a few for me this morning but I haven¡¯t had my fill yet!¡± In the end, Richard did set her down and head over to get some of it for her. Ang¡¯s heart grew a little warm. He looked so cold and distant all the time, but whenever she asked him to do something for her, he never protested or tried to wheedle out of it. She thought about Dexter, who always said the right things, but now that she thought about it, a guy like Richard who kept quiet and did as she asked was far more reliable. A guy like Dexter was as fake as could be, so why was she so blind back then? It was easy enough for Richard to pluck a few ripened ones for her. When he handed it over to her, she spotted the clear stream that was flowing nearby and asked, ¡°Could you help me wash them first?¡± Richard did notin about her seemingly endless requests. He went over and washed them before holding them out to her yet again. Ang took them from him and climbed back onto his back. There she was, leaning against his back, eating her white olives and listening to the birds singing their songs. Somehow, it all felt very romantic to her. Chapter 861-870 Chapter 861-870 If a camera started recording this scene, it would surely make for a romantic love story! After enjoying a mouthful herself, Ang thought about Richard. He carried her on his back, plucked white olives for her, and was even obliging enough to wash them for her. It would be far too selfish of her if she did not offer him one of the white olives. ¡°Do you want one?¡± Ang tilted her head to the side and asked. ¡°No¡­¡± Richard was about to reject her offer when he found a white olive stuffed into his mouth. ¡°Have one. Don¡¯t be shy. It tastes great!¡± Ang chuckled right beside his ear. Her clear, melodious voice echoed in Richard¡¯s ears. It sounded so mesmerizing that his mind went nk for a few seconds. He forgot all about his initial rejection and began chewing instead. He¡¯s eating it! Ang felt a peculiar sense of achievement, like she attained some kind of victory by breaking down Richard¡¯s cold and aloof exterior. She also had a roguish sense of amusement as she made up her mind to tease him whenever she felt bored in this ce. It seemed like something fun that would keep her in a good mood. Richard piggybacked Ang back to the base¡¯s main entrance. When Ang noticed the suggestive gazes that everyone else was throwing at them, she began to feel a little embarrassed, but Richard continued to carry her all the way to the infirmary. The doctor checked Ang¡¯s foot and concluded that she had twisted her ankle and sprained her muscles. She would need to rest for a few days and stay lying down whenever she could. Ang had no choice but to follow the doctor¡¯s orders. It could not be helped. After applying medication to Ang¡¯s ankle, the doctor said, ¡°Please wait here for a moment while I find a wheelchair to take you back to your room.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t trouble yourself with that.¡± Ang waved him down and turned her eyes toward the man who was currently standing on the side flipping through a medical book. ¡°Captain Lloyd, could you carry me back to my room?¡± The doctor agreed with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. It¡¯d save me a trip to the warehouse. It would¡¯ve taken me quite a while to find a wheelchair there too.¡± Richard snapped the book shut and ced it back on the shelf. His handsome face was neutral; there were no signs of annoyance or reluctance. After bending down, his strong, muscr arms reached under Ang¡¯s knees and arms and he hoisted her up like she weighed nothing. Just like that, she was safely tucked into his arms. Ang instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. Right at that moment, she could sense that this man was a hundred percent boyfriend material. For some reason, whenever she stood beside him, she felt like she had the courage to stand against the world. Ang was in the right position to observe his features up close, and from her viewing angle, his sharp, chiseled jaw looked particrly attractive. She felt very secure in his arms too, with no shaking or wobbling at all. It was quite afortable ride. It¡¯s so boring to just lie in bed all day, she thought to herself, so she decided to make a request. ¡°Captain Lloyd, could I borrow your couch for a while? I want to lie in your room and read a book or two instead. My room¡¯s too small. I¡¯d feel ustrophobic.¡± Richard frowned and said, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why not? I promise that I¡¯ll just lie on the couch and read a book. I won¡¯t touch anything else. I promise!¡± Ang raised her hand in all seriousness and beseeched him with pleading eyes. Richard narrowed his eyes and fell silent for two seconds before turning down a different corridor that led to his room instead. Ang smirked. He looks all cold and stern, but he is quite agreeable after all! In the end, Ang got what she wanted. Shey down on Richard¡¯s couch and got him to bring the book she was reading thest time over to her. After flipping through a few pages, Trevor and Jared came over. They quickly checked in on her condition, and she brushed it off with a smile, saying that she had slipped out of carelessness. ¡°Miss Meyers, you should bring us along with you if you ever want to go somewhere next time. We¡¯ll protect you,¡± Trevor said. ¡°Sure.¡± Ang smiled gratefully. ¡°Why did I call you two over?¡± A deep voice could be heard all of a sudden. Immediately, Jared turned serious. ¡°Miss Meyers, we¡¯ve decided to record a video of you and upload it to your social media ounts. It¡¯ll serve as a distraction and you¡¯d be in less danger as a result. It¡¯ll also buy us some time to find the lipstick.¡± ¡°Oh, of course. I¡¯ll do whatever you need me to.¡± Ang ran her fingers through her hair and pressed her lips together before asking the two men in front of her, ¡°Could I have a moment to put on some makeup?¡± ¡°You look very beautiful even without makeup, Miss Meyers. I think you look great,¡± Trevor praised at once. Jared quickly followed suit. ¡°Yes, you look great. You don¡¯t need to put on any makeup at all.¡± Angughed a little shyly. ¡°Really? Okay then. How should I pose?¡± ¡°You can just sit on the couch with a book, and we¡¯ll take a few photos of you. It¡¯d be good if it¡¯s a simple post sharing your daily life.¡± Ang picked her book up and struck a natural-looking pose before shing a serene smile at the camera. Then, she took the cup from the table beside her and began to pose with it. Soon enough, she was engrossed in an adorable, though slightly self-absorbed photoshoot. In the midst of it all, Ang could sense that Richard, who was sitting at his desk opposite her, was staring at her too. Her face grew a little pink, which added a kittenish air to her. Soon enough, Trevor and Jared were satisfied with the photos they had taken. Trevor was about to stand up when he suddenly bent forward and said quietly, ¡°Miss Meyers, if you need any sort of medication and don¡¯t feel like asking the infirmary for it, feel free toe and ask us for help!¡± Ang squinted in confusion. She did not know what he was talking about. ¡°Medication? What medication?¡± ¡°Umm¡­ just the¡­ the one to treat that¡­¡± Trevor spluttered for a bit before shoving Jared. ¡°You say it.¡± Jared¡¯s face was red as well. After looking into Ang¡¯s curious eyes, he took a deep breath and exined, ¡°Here¡¯s the thing, Miss Meyers. We¡¯ve looked into Dexter Kavinsky¡¯s medical records and found out that he has a very critical sexually-transmitted disease. If you need that sort of medication, feel free toe to us for help.¡± ¡°Yes, exactly. Don¡¯t feel shy about approaching us. Your health¡¯s more important,¡± Trevor quickly added. Ang had turned scarlet by now. Was Dexter¡¯s medical condition the reason why he never tried to sleep with her? He pretended to be someone innocent in love and even swore that she was his first love, and that he had never liked anyone before her. A piercing gazended on her as well. It came from the man behind the desk. The very thought of that b*stard Dexter made Ang radiate pure hatred. When she felt the gaze that came from the person at the desk, she instinctively looked over. Richard swiftly averted his eyes, and his expression made it seem like he couldn¡¯t care less about this. He took his cup and sipped at his tea ever so elegantly. Ang took a deep breath. ¡°I don¡¯t need any medication, but thank you both for your concern. Dexter and I never went that far in our rtionship.¡± Both Trevor and Jared werepletely red in the face. They had asked out of concern for her, but right now, they felt like they had encroached on her personal space instead. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± Trevor said with a smile as he tugged Jared by the arm. ¡°Come, let¡¯s get back to work.¡± Jared and Trevor dashed out of the room as quickly as possible and wisely closed the door behind them. The atmosphere in the room was a little awkward. Ang bit her lip and her senses seemed to have momentarily taken leave of her as she asked Richard, ¡°Do you believe what I just said?¡± Richard nced at her. ¡°It has nothing to do with me.¡± Ang got a little frantic for some reason. ¡°You don¡¯t believe what I said?¡± She raised her hand to swear, ¡°I swear on my life that what I said earlier waspletely true. I¡¯m in excellent health with no sexually-transmitted diseases at all. Please believe me.¡± Richard frowned. ¡°You should be swearing about this to your future husband instead. Why are you swearing it to me?¡± Ang turned bright red yet again as she exined in embarrassment, ¡°I¡¯m worried you won¡¯t let me use your bathroom. That¡¯s why I have to exin myself clearly to you.¡± Richard checked his watch. ¡°Stay here and don¡¯t run around.¡± He walked out of the room without further ado. Ang hid her face in embarrassment. Why did I swear to him? How conceited of me! That night, Ang could not head over for dinner herself, but someone was kind and thoughtful enough to deliver her food to Richard¡¯s room for her. Although Ang had only stayed there for a day, she could already feel how genuine and sincere everyone was, unlike the unforgiving people with a hidden agenda who used to surround her. Because of that, she started to fall in love with the rxing environment. While having her meal, she proceeded to read a book but soon felt sleepy while doing so. Thus, she covered her face with it and unknowingly dozed off shortly after. When it was 9.30PM at night, Richard opened the door and entered the room, thinking Ang must have already returned to her room by then, only to see her sleeping on his couch. At the sight of that, he couldn¡¯t help but feel annoyed, finding thedy troublesome. The next second, he walked closer to her and lifted the book that was covering her face, revealing her good looks in the illuminating light. With her long hair right behind her head, her beautiful appearance, coupled with her smooth skin, entuated her elegance. Richard squinted, realizing it was his first time ever looking and admiring ady¡¯s good looks so closely; it was as if Ang¡¯s face was a portrait on disy for his personal enjoyment. In the meantime, the rosy cheeks and her thick eyshes, along with her high nasal bridge and full red lips, were especially some of the most notable facial features on Ang¡¯s face. As Richard continued to keep his eyes on thedy¡¯s face, he somehow began to feel suffocated, his body tensing, especially at the sight of her red lips. Feeling a strange urge that was surging through him on the inside, he then stood up and left the room immediately, as if Ang was some sort of disease that was attacking his heart. On the other hand, she remained asleep until a loud bang on the door woke her up. She then opened her eyes and sat bolt upright irritably shortly before she wondered why she fell asleep in Richard¡¯s room. After that, she took a look at the time and realized it was almost 10.00PM, feeling bewildered that he was still not back in his room at that hour. Then, Ang stood up from the couch, feeling better in her ankle because it was now less painful, much to her relief. So, she limped out of Richard¡¯s room and made her way back to hers. On the other hand, Richard was covered in sweat from head to toe, as he was ying basketball alone on the court, putting more effort than usual into every shot without giving himself a break. As he managed to score a three-point goal in several consecutive shots, his subordinate happened to run into him. ¡°Why are you still, Richie?¡± Sean asked. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep.¡± Richard aimed at the basket and took his shot urately, looking very much like a professional basketball yer. ¡°Let¡¯s y together.¡± Sean suggested that they yed a basketball match. The same night, Ang was sound asleep, as she could finally have some peace of mind, thanks to the forgiving people and environment there. However, she quickly sensed something strange in the next three days when she noticed Richard¡¯s absence both in the canteen, the field, and even his room. Since his room wasn¡¯t locked, she could go in and out of it freely but failed to find any signs of the man. When she finally ran into Trevor, she asked, ¡°Trevor, where is Richard?¡± ¡°He is away for the next few days.¡± ¡°When will he be back?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t mention that.¡± After hearing that, Ang was annoyed with the fact that Richard didn¡¯t tell her head before he left. Without Richard around, she felt as if something was missing in her life, with less joy and more boredom. Because of that, she would carry a book with her to the canteen every day and spend the entire afternoon there. Soon, a week passed by without Ang realizing it by herself as she began to get used to Richard¡¯s absence, but even so, she would still asionally wonder when he would be back. One evening, she was strolling around thepound when her ankle was finally feeling a lot better. As she sat at the parterre and read her book, she suddenly heard the sound of a helicopter and looked up out of curiosity. The next moment, she noticed a chopper flying over her head toward the field, which made her wonder whether it was the man who was back. Thrilled and excited, she carried her book tightly in her arms and scurried toward the field. As Ang¡¯s hair was billowing in the strong wind and covering her face, she had to block the breeze with her hand and squinted to see what was up ahead. When the wind finally stopped blowing, Richard opened the door and stepped out of the cockpit, entering thedy¡¯s view. Wearing a camo t-shirt, he seemed even more like a strong, tough guy due to his intimidating aura. With a bright smile on her face, Ang looked at Richard just as he gazed back at her with his luggage in his hand. At that moment, the helicopter¡¯s main rotor began to spin rapidly as it slowly levitated into the air, generating a strong twirl of wind that blew at Ang¡¯s hair and messed it up. However, she quickly tried to fix her hair, tilting her head slightly to the side as she scampered toward the man with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re finally back!¡± Meanwhile, Richard felt his heart skipping a beat, staring at Ang¡¯s smile in the illuminating evening hue. Has she been waiting for my return all this while? As thedy was holding a book in her hand, the evening sun was shining on her face, her long hair running all the way down to her waist. At the same time, her smooth fair skin only served to make her look even more gorgeous and pretty. The next moment, Richard nodded at her in response and directly moved on with his luggage in his hand, as if he was reluctant to even greet her. Noticing the man¡¯s indifferent reaction, Ang was stunned to find how nonchnt he could be. I came all the way to receive him, but he didn¡¯t seem to have a problem leaving me here. Does he really hate me so much? At the thought of that, Ang was reminded of the time she threw her lipsticks away not long before she imposed on him to bring her to the ce she was now to take care of her. Considering the trouble she was putting him through, she started to see the reason he hated her, which she no longer found surprising. Nevertheless, a thought to sound Richard out crossed her mind as she fixed her gaze upon the man who was walking away. Soon, she let out a painful moan. ¡°Ouch!¡± She rubbed her ankle, pretending to look like she had just sprained it. Upon hearing her moan, Richard, who had already taken a dozen steps ahead, looked back at Ang and noticed her crouching down on the ground. He then dropped his luggage and approached her, standing before her while showing his concern. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°My ankle still hasn¡¯t recovered¡­ And I identally hurt it again when I stepped on a stone.¡± Ang bit her lip, gazing at the man in a sympathetic manner. ¡°Can you carry me back?¡± As Richard stared at Ang for a few seconds, thedy¡¯s face blushed bashfully. At the same time, she was wondering whether the man had seen through her for her lie. Oops! I guess my acting was terrible. He isn¡¯t going to believe in me, is he? However, just when she was about to get up, the man suddenly extended his arm and reached out to her, carrying her in his arms in the next second. At that moment, Ang was seen with a pair of smiling eyes, surprised by Richard¡¯s reaction to carry her because she thought he had always hated her. Leaving his luggage behind, Richard carried Ang all the way to her room while drawing the attention of many others along the way. Although Ang hid her face in the man¡¯s embrace in an embarrassed manner, the man ignored her expression and continued to carry her to the door before he finally put her down. ¡°Go back into your room.¡± The man told her and turned around, walking away. ¡°Thank you!¡± Ang said. Upon opening the door, she entered her roomcently, her face blushing as she could only hear the buzzing in her head. She then looked down and thought about her acting. Damn. Did I just nail it, or was I just lucky? It was my left ankle that was injuredst time, but I was rubbing my right ankle when I was acting just now. How could Richard not notice that? If he had, he would have seen through my acting. In that instant, a strong sense of embarrassment surged through her because she believed Richard should have been able to notice what was wrong, considering how shrewd he was. Why was he still willing to entertain me? He even agreed to carry me. She buried her face in the nket while feeling an urge to confront Richard in his room about her question, wanting to find out whether he saw through her acting. Having contained her curiosity until after her dinner, Ang took advantage of the opportunity to return Richard his book and knocked on his door. As soon as the door was open, the man was seen wearing a casual outfit, hisptop on his desk, which indicated that he was in the middle of his work. ¡°Hi¡­ I¡¯m here to return the book.¡± Ang was a little too embarrassed to look Richard in the eye, even struggling to speak in full sentences. Richard stood aside and let Ang enter his room. She then walked to his shelf and put the book back to where it was, only to take another book away. She then peeked at the man who was working in front of hisptop for a few moments and took a deep breath, deciding to find out the answer to her question. ¡°Um. Richard, there is something I want to ask you. Why were you willing to carry me this afternoon?¡± Ang asked, her eyes wide open. ¡°I thought you said your ankle was injured, didn¡¯t you?¡± the man replied without even looking at her. ¡°Yeah, I did, but don¡¯t you remember which of my ankles was hurtst time?¡± Ang asked guiltily. Upon hearing thedy¡¯s question, Richard curled his lips upward, his eyes filled with mischief and yfulness. When Ang saw his ambiguous smile, she could only hear buzzing in her head. Just as I expected, he knew I was just pretending. ¡°If you knew I was pretending, why did you still go ahead and carry me?¡± Ang decided that she might as well reveal everything, abandoning her pride. ¡°Consider this thest time of your mischief,¡± Richard replied calmly, implying that he didn¡¯t want her to pull a prank on him ever again. Ang grunted and said, ¡°You didn¡¯t bother to talk to me this afternoon. I¡¯d been waiting for you for a week, but when I showed up to receive you, you didn¡¯t bother to say anything to me.¡± Richard, who was typing at that moment, paused and asked with a deep voice, ¡°Why were you waiting for me?¡± ¡°I was worried about you. After all, I¡¯m wanted by many international crime syndicates, and I was afraid for your safety.¡± Ang spoke her mind, revealing the moments in the past few days when she was troubled by those disturbing thoughts. In fact, she even woke up to a nightmare in which Richard was running amidst a shootout before an explosion happened. When she woke up from her sleep, she found herself covered in cold sweats. Soon, Richard closed hisptop and calmly said, ¡°I am and will be fine, so you should worry about yourself more instead.¡± ¡°I know I¡¯ve been imposing on youtely, so I guess it¡¯s not surprising for you to hate me.¡± Ang resented herself out of nowhere. As soon as Richard heard that, he turned his attention to Ang and wondered when he had ever said that to her. ¡°You should return to your room now,¡± he said, thinking it wasn¡¯t appropriate for both of them to stay in the room because it was gettingte. In the meantime, Ang had no choice but to leave the man to it as she reluctantly embraced the usibly unpleasant truth that the man hated her. The next morning, Ang tidied her room and went for a walk just when she ran into a man with an approachable and cheerful aura¡ªSean. ¡°Good morning, Miss Meyers!¡± ¡°Good morning!¡± ¡°Have you had your breakfast?¡± Sean asked. ¡°Nope, I haven¡¯t.¡± ¡°Would you like to join me then?¡± Ang pondered for a while, thinking it wasn¡¯t that bad to have somepany since she found it boring to have her breakfast alone. ¡°Sure.¡± She smiled and walked to the canteen with the man. As a man who was over six feet tall, Sean made a perfect match with Ang, thanks to his good looks. Because of that, both of them turned many heads wherever they walked past. They look like a lovely couple, don¡¯t they? After sitting down opposite Sean, Ang didn¡¯t seem to have a good appetite when the food was served because of her bad mood. Noticing how she was picking at her food, Sean said in surprise, ¡°You need to eat something, Miss Meyers. You need to get your strength up!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just drop the miss. Call me Ang instead. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m a daughter from some rich family,¡± Ang said. ¡°Sure thing. I¡¯m one year older than you are anyway, so Ang it is then! Come on! Have some eggs. They are a perfect choice for a healthy breakfast.¡± Sean proceeded to peel off the shell before giving her the eggs. Although Ang shook her head in refusal, Sean cordially went on to peel off half of the egg¡¯s shell before he gave the egg to her. ¡°Come on. I peeled off the shell for you, so you¡¯re going to have to eat it now.¡± Thinking it wasn¡¯t appropriate for her to turn Sean down, Ang took the eggs in her hand and said, ¡°Thank you, Sean.¡± Meanwhile, Jared and Trevor happened to see the intimate interaction between Ang and Sean, thinking they would make a perfect couple. After their breakfast, Sean left for his work while Ang decided to take a stroll outside to admire nature¡¯s beauty. Having arrived in the meeting room, Sean was seen humming with hisptop in his hand just when Trevor and Jared yfully winked at him. ¡°Look who it is! Sean seems to be in a good mood.¡± Jared pulled his friend¡¯s leg. ¡°Well, he just had a sweet moment during breakfast with Miss Meyers. So, how did that not lift his mood?¡± ¡°What are you guys talking about?!¡± Sean was annoyed. ¡°You two were chatting andughing with each other. Besides, you also peeled off the eggshell for Miss Meyers, didn¡¯t you? But don¡¯t worry, we, as your friends, will be sure to help you win her heart,¡± Trevor announced confidently. ¡°Exactly! We¡¯ll be sure to offer you all the help you need, no matter what it takes.¡± Jared promised, clenching his fists. ¡°Come on. Stop making fun of me!¡± Sean tried to dismiss his friends¡¯ encouragement with a bashful look on his face. ¡°Miss Meyers isn¡¯t going to even look at me.¡± ¡°But I saw the affectionate look on her face this morning when she looked at you.¡± Trevor expressed his envy toward Sean. On the other hand, Richard was standing at the door outside the meeting room, quietly listening to the conversation among his subordinates, until he heard a curious voice from behind him. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go inside, Richard?¡± Willy asked. It was then that Richard finally opened the door and startled the three of them, making them feel annoyed about the unpredictable appearances that their superior always made. ¡°What were you guys talking about?¡± Willy asked out of curiosity. ¡°Is there anything new about our assignment?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing. We were just talking about Miss Meyers and Sean,¡± Jared blurted out. It was then that Trevor quickly shifted his gaze to their boss as he noticed the nonchnt expression on his face. Then, Richard turned around and wrote something on the whiteboard, revealing his muscr back as he faced away from them. ¡°You are only allowed to talk about work here. Nothing else more, including personal matters.¡± The man wrote on the whiteboard and made his order heard. In that instant, all four men kept their mouths shut, feeling helpless yet surprised that their boss demanded them to keep their light-mindedness in check, even though that was what they had been doing all the while. For that, they all proceeded to focus on their job without saying a single word more. When it was Sean¡¯s turn to present his job, he made a trivial mistake but was treated harshly by Richard with some mean criticisms. Although Sean was upset about that, he kept his feelings to himself, thinking his mistake wasn¡¯t so severe that he deserved to be meanly criticized. On the other hand, Ang was sitting beside a fountain while fiddling with the grass in a bored manner. At the same time, she shifted her gaze everywhere, from the sky to the grass, until her eyes fell upon the water where a little fish was swimming around her feet. At that instant, she was tempted to catch it out of a whim, so she extended her arm to reach it. However, the fish looked as if it was trying to toy with her, dodging Ang¡¯s catch and forcing her to bend over for better reach. Nevertheless, she suddenly lost her footing and identally plunged into the depths of the pond. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Thedy found herself drenched from head to toe in a disheveled manner. At the same time, she lost interest in catching the fish, but when she looked back at it in the water, she felt as if she had been tricked by the animal. This fish was trying to fool me. ¡°Just wait and see. I¡¯ll be back with a next time,¡± Ang said in frustration and made her way toward the base¡¯s entrance. Since Ang was wet, she was desperate to get a shower. Nheless, when everyone saw her state, they all asked her what had happened in a concerned manner, to which she exined that she had just fallen into the water. While Angter returned to her room to get changed, one of Richard¡¯s subordinates entered the meeting room to deliver some documents and casually told the five men about what he had just heard. ¡°Miss Meyers fell into the water just now,¡± he stated casually. ¡°What? Is she hurt?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not too sure, but she definitely looks wet from head to toe.¡± The next second, Richard sprang up from his seat and opened the door, leaving the meeting room in a hurry. In the meantime, his subordinates were left wondering where he was going as they exchanged gazes with each other. Ang went into Richard¡¯s room with her clothes in her arms. She hurriedly turned on the shower because she felt extremely cold as it was fall now. Richard pushed the door to his room and heard the sound of watering from the bathroom. He didn¡¯t have to ask to guess who was inside, so he exited the room and continued back in the direction of the conference room. After Ang showered, she felt that her whole body was warm, and she simply sat in Richard¡¯s room and read a book as if his room was hers. At noon, she went to the dining hall. After she had prepared her meal, she sat down at the table where Trevor and the others were sitting. Richard also sat down right across from Ang. ¡°Miss Ang, I heard that you fell into the water this morning. What happened?¡± Trevor asked curiously. ¡°Ugh, let¡¯s not talk about it. I fell into the spring behind the mountain.¡± After Ang finished speaking, she nced at the man sitting directly opposite her. ¡°How did you fall? Did you slip?¡± ¡°No, there was such a big fish in that spring. I wanted to catch it, but I slipped and fell instead. Boohoo!¡± Ang recounted the events with a depressed expression. Jared almost burst intoughter from the side, but fortunately, he controlled it. ¡°Sean, do you have time in the afternoon? Let¡¯s find a fishing. We¡¯ll go and get that fish back, shall we?¡± Ang asked Sean. Sean nodded almost without hesitation. ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s do it.¡± Seeing that he readily agreed, Ang smiled happily. ¡°Well, it¡¯s settled.¡± Trevor and Jared looked at each other. Sure enough, Ang was interested in Sean. At this moment, the man opposite Ang said, ¡°My subordinates don¡¯t have time to apany you to fool around.¡± ¡°Boss, I do¡ª¡± Before Sean finished speaking, he met a pair of seriously cold eyes, and his words were forced back into his throat. Ang blinked. ¡°I am only borrowing them for half an hour.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of time; they can¡¯t lose their discipline, and they shouldn¡¯t spend their time on things outside of work.¡± Richard¡¯s eyes were cold; he looked like he would not be easy to deal with. The other three felt that there was something wrong with the boss¡¯ emotions. Ang couldn¡¯t help but choke, after which she had no choice but to turn to Sean. ¡°Sean, can you find me a fishing after this? I¡¯ll go by myself.¡± ¡°No problem. I remember there is one in the tool room.¡± Sean was very happy to help her. ¡°Ang, is it fine for you to go alone?¡± ¡°Of course, there¡¯s no problem! Don¡¯t underestimate me. I swear to bring that fish back to make soup.¡± Ang was determined to get the fish. This time, Jared couldn¡¯t hold back hisughter. Trevor quickly tugged on Jared¡¯s clothes to stop him. Ang alsoughed. ¡°Just wait and see! I will definitely get it back.¡± ¡°Miss Ang, we believe in your ability,¡± Trevor hurriedly chimed in. After the meal, Sean found her a light and functioning fishing in no time. Ang decided to set off after taking a break. After the meal, everyone on the base performed their duties. Ang was the most leisurely person among them. She changed into sports attire, picked up the fishing, and went out. The scenery along the way was picturesque, with gold and orange leaves carpeting the ground. Fall was, beyond a doubt, a perfect time for outdoor activities. In the conference room, there were four people who were working obediently. Trevor suddenly had a whim and nced at Jared and Sean. ¡°The boss isn¡¯t here, so should we sneak out to help her with the fish?¡± Jared was the most yful and was the first to raise his hand in approval. ¡°Okay, okay! I like doing this kind of thing the most.¡± Sean also felt that he could bezy today. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go!¡± Only Willy was sticking to his post. He told them, ¡°Make it quick, alright? I¡¯ll cover for you all in the meantime.¡± ¡°Okay, Willy. You¡¯re my best pal!¡± Trevor patted Willy on the shoulder, and the three of them hurriedly opened the door of the conference room. Next to the small mountain spring, the water was clean and clear. There was a fish the size of one¡¯s palm swimming there. It was very eye-catching as it turned over and rolled leisurely in the spring. Ang squatted down with a smug smile like a hidden hunter. ¡°You can¡¯t run away now!¡± After speaking, Ang stretched out her hand and put the fish into the water, and then stared at the fish so intently that she didn¡¯t notice when someone approached her from behind. The man wrapped his arms around himself and quietly watched her clumsily fishing for the fish. Ang had gotten a lot of leaves in her. When she was about to stand up to clear it, a male voice suddenly came from behind. ¡°Do you need help?¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Ang turned around in fright. There was a lot of moss under her feet, so her body lost bnce, and she suddenly lurched toward the spring. Before it was toote, a long arm grabbed one of her arms and pulled her up quickly. Ang¡¯s whole body mmed into the man¡¯s well-built chest. Other than the pain in her nose, her head was dizzy from the impact, so she raised her head suddenly in anger. The man was worried about whether he had hit her with too much force, so he lowered his head. Their two faces were almost pressed together as their noses tips faced each other. Moreover, their breathing came close together, and their eyes were looking at each other. It was as if the air had frozen at this moment. Ang¡¯s face flushed red to the roots of her ears. She was about to take a step back, but her feet were still slippery. Hence, she hurriedly grabbed the shirt on the man¡¯s chest as her body leaned into his. ¡°Can¡¯t you make some noise next time? You¡¯ll scare me to death,¡± Ang said angrily. Richard took her hand, and they came to the tter ground on the side. ¡°Fishing is not suitable for girls.¡± ¡°Then you help me! Say that earlier next time!¡± Ang smiled happily. At this moment, hiding behind a big tree 30 feet away were the three others. Their three pairs of eyes widened in disbelief as they exchanged nces. The suggestive scene just now naturally did not escape them. It seemed that their presence was pointless; their boss had taken the lead in helping the damsel in distress. Moreover, just now, they had hugged each other so tightly. ¡°Let¡¯s leave.¡± Trevor waved his hand, and the other two walked away in the direction of the way they came. Sean asked, ¡°Does the boss like Ang?¡± ¡°Duh! Anyone who can see knows that,¡± Trevor said with some annoyance. ¡°The boss is too selfish. He doesn¡¯t allow us to help because he is saving the chance for himself!¡± Sean suddenly understood the scolding he got in the conference room in the morning. Sigh! I can¡¯t be too enthusiastic about Ang in the future, or I¡¯ll be taught a lesson. ¡°The boss has good taste, and Miss Ang is a good match for him.¡± Jared was happy he witnessed what happened. ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s time for the boss to get married at his age. I used to worry that he wouldn¡¯t pursue any woman at all, but now it seems that I¡¯m worrying too much! The boss is full of skills!¡± Trevor said with admiration. ¡°Then we can assist him well in the future and let them be together. This way, we can make Miss Ang ourrade.¡± Jared smiled. ¡°That is a must.¡± The three of them went back while chatting, and next to the spring, Ang looked at the man squatting there fishing for fish. He looked like he had removed his cold and inhuman side for the time being and became a little warmer. Her heart fluttered for no reason. She didn¡¯t care about the fish that caused her to fall into the water at the moment but began to think about why Richard suddenly appeared there. Did hee for me? Was he worried about me? At this moment, the fishing appeared before her, and the fish that was caught in the jumped around, looking panicked. ¡°Wow! You caught it.¡± Ang was overjoyed and then looked at the fish. She thought that it looked rather pitiful out of the water, so she put the into the water. The fish wanted to break through the several times, so Ang sighed and said to it, ¡°Since you look so pitiful, I¡¯ll let you go!¡± After speaking, Ang turned the fishing over and let the fish go directly while the man beside her looked at her speechlessly. Soon, she fluffed her long hair as she exined, ¡°I forgive it. I won¡¯t catch it and make soup with it.¡± Richard¡¯s gaze deepened a little; a girl exuding kindness was the most mesmerizing. Ang stood up, and suddenly there was a sh of light in her eyes. She hurriedly looked over at what was shining in the middle of the spring. ¡°What is that?¡± Ang asked, pointing to the shiny object. Richard turned his head to look at it. Inside a gray-white stone, there was a translucent, shiny object, but it was stuck in the rock and only revealed a small edge. ¡°Wait here.¡± After Richard finished speaking, he took off his shoes and socks and went into the water to get it for her. Ang couldn¡¯t help but be moved. Is he retrieving the shiny thing for me? Richard took the object out of the water, and it turned out to be a small, natural white crystal. ¡°Wow! It¡¯s a crystal!¡± Ang happily took it over, blinking her beautiful and brilliant eyes. The man¡¯s gaze was directly attracted to her. In his eyes, this woman¡¯s eyes were clearer and more beautiful than the crystal. ¡°I got something good!¡± Ang happily held the crystal but was quickly reminded of something. ¡°If we can turn it into nes, how about we make one for each of us?¡± she asked the man. ¡°I don¡¯t wear things like that.¡± Richard refused. ¡°But you got it out of there!¡± Ang was looking forward to sharing it with him. ¡°Keep it for yourself.¡± After Richard finished speaking, he sat aside and put on his shoes and socks. Ang looked at him, her gaze shining. The more he didn¡¯t want it, the more she wanted to give it to him. I¡¯ll see if he dares to throw it away! She couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of dominance in her heart. ¡°Captain Lloyd, why are you suddenly kind enough toe to help me?¡± Ang sat on a rock, holding the crystal in her hand. ¡°I promised your parents to protect you,¡± Richard exined lightly. Ang¡¯s eyes shed with disappointment. It turned out that he didn¡¯te because of her at all! Moreover, everything he did for her now was just his duty. ¡°I¡¯m not that pampered. You don¡¯t need to protect me in everything.¡± Ang resisted him like a rebellious child, and after she finished speaking, she stood up and pointed to the mountain road before them. ¡°I¡¯m going to climb the mountain. You don¡¯t need toe with me. ¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Let¡¯s go back.¡± Richard stood up and ordered. ¡°I¡¯m not your subordinate, and I¡¯m not required to listen to your orders.¡± Ang finished speaking and decided to climb the mountain. Richard¡¯s patience was limited, and he didn¡¯t like others disobeying his orders. He stepped forward, and when Ang had just walked forward a few steps, he grabbed her hand and led her down the mountain. ¡°Hey! Richard, let me go! You can¡¯t be so bossy.¡± Resentment welled up in Ang as she pushed away his hand. Seeing that she was about to get away, in the next second, the man lifted her legs and carried her on his shoulder. Ang felt that she was turned upside down and was taken aback. ¡°Richard, let me go!¡± Ang was so angry that she kicked her legs, but the man ignored her struggle and carried her to the gate of the base, attracting everyone¡¯s attention. At this moment, the three people who were standing nearby drinking water looked at this scene in shock. Jared patted Trevor on the shoulder. ¡°You said what you said just now a little too early. The captain doesn¡¯t know how to pursue girls properly.¡± ¡°How can the captain treat Ang like this? He¡¯s not being gentle!¡± Sean also sighed. Ang was carried by Richard all the way to the door of her room before he put her down. She flushed with anger, but the man turned and left as if nothing had happened. ¡°Hey, Richard! I hate you,¡± Ang blurted out angrily. Richard¡¯s footsteps stopped suddenly. He paused in ce for a few seconds, and then he turned his head slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to like me.¡± Ang had just regretted her impulsive words, but seeing the man¡¯s reaction, she suddenly became angry again. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will never like you in this life.¡± Richard frowned and walked away. Ang took a few deep breaths as she was so angry. I¡¯ve never met a man as difficult as him. At this time, Trevor and Jared came over and saw Ang standing at the door, holding it with her face flushed and resentful. So, they smiled and came tofort her. ¡°Miss Ang, are you alright?¡± ¡°Did our captain hurt you?¡± Ang smiled gratefully at them. ¡°I¡¯m okay, but thank you.¡± ¡°Our captain is usually a very nice guy. He¡¯s like a brother to us. Maybe he¡¯s been among men for too long, so he doesn¡¯t know how to be gentle with girls. Don¡¯t me him.¡± Trevor tried to say good things about Richard. Ang waved her hand generously. ¡°I didn¡¯t take it to heart; I¡¯ll just have to see him less in the future.¡± At 9.00PM, Ang felt a little itchy, so she wanted to take a bath. But thinking of her rtionship with Richard, she didn¡¯t want to go to his room to shower. She would rather go to the public bathroom. Hence, Ang took her pajamas and towel, then went to the public bathroom. She found one that was empty and started to shower. When she came out wearing her conservative pajamas after showering, she suddenly bumped into Jared and Trevor ahead. They were only wearing bath towels around their waists. Oh my God! Instead, it was the two of them who were shocked. They hurriedly tried to cover themselves. ¡°Miss Ang, why are you taking a shower here?¡± Trevor asked in surprise with his back turned. ¡°Yeah! Ady like you shouldn¡¯t be here.¡± Ang looked at them openly. She was not embarrassed at all. ¡°What do you mean? I can shower anywhere. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯ll get some rest.¡± After speaking, Ang left, leaving Trevor and Jared blushing. After the two showered, they went straight to Richard¡¯s room. Having knocked on the door, Trevor instantly reported to Richard. ¡°Captain, we saw Miss Ang taking a bath in the public bathroom just now¡­¡± After Trevor finished speaking, he immediately covered his mouth and corrected himself. ¡°No, no. We saw Miss Ang going there to take a bath, and she ran into us.¡± ¡°Yes, we almost came out in our underwear,¡± Jared added. ¡°Fortunately, we wrapped ourselves in bath towels; otherwise, we would be embarrassed to death.¡± Richard calmly listened to their exnation, but his face was still a little ugly. What the hell is this woman angry about? I only disallowed her to climb the mountain! With her physique, even if she can climb up, she definitely won¡¯t be able toe down. Now, at this time, she went to the public bathroom to take a bath. There were so many men there, yet she was not afraid at all. ¡°Captain, go and admit your mistake to Miss Ang and let her go back to your room to take a shower! She really scared us to death,¡± Trevor said. ¡°Go back to your room and rest,¡± Richard said to them, turning around and closing the door. The two looked at each other for a few seconds but had no choice but to go back to the room. It seemed that they had thought too much. The captain doesn¡¯t care about Miss Ang at all! Richard returned to the sofa and picked up the book he was reading just now, but he suddenly had no interest. He took a deep breath and dropped the book. Ang¡¯s appearance after her bath involuntarily appeared in his mind. He had to admit that her flushed face had a special kind of charm. Does she want all the men in the base to appreciate her freshly showered appearance? Richard let out an irritated sigh, got up, and pushed the door to go out. Ang had just taken a shower and was about to go to bed when there was a knock on her door. She felt a little odd. It was sote, so who was looking for her? She got up and opened the door, only to see a tall figure with an oppressive aura outside the door, blocking the light outside.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 871-880 Chapter 871-880 ¡°Do you need something?¡± Ang self-consciously crossed her arms after realizing she was not wearing a bra. Richard gave her a withering look as he ordered, ¡°You are not allowed to use the public bathroom for your night showers.¡± She narrowed her eyes and asked, ¡°Why not?¡± He met her incredulous gaze steadily and said, ¡°Because it causes inconvenience.¡± Frustration welled up in her. She had already gone out of her way to not make trouble for him, and she could not understand why he was nitpicking on her still. He did not turn away and leave. Instead, he paused for a few seconds before saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I was harsh with you today.¡± Ang blinked, clearly caught off-guard by his out-of-the-blue apology. When she rposed herself, she looked away from him and muttered, ¡°Apology not epted.¡± ¡°You wanted to hike, right? Be up at 6.00AM sharp tomorrow and I¡¯ll take you there,¡± Richard said. Herpetitive side came out as she retorted, ¡°As if I¡¯d back down from that.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll meet at the entrance. Don¡¯t bete.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± she bit out. Richard spun on his heels and walked away just as Ang closed the door. She nced at the time and saw that it was drawing near to 11.00PM. I have to sleep now, or I won¡¯t be able to wake up in time and I¡¯d never hear the end of it! She burrowed into bed, but her mind kept reying his apology and the events from earlier. In hindsight, it appeared that she was the one in the wrong. After all, she was the one who got mad and started the whole conflict in the first ce. And the only reason why she was mad was that she found out Richard was only here to protect her at her parent¡¯s behest. In other words, she was just another job. A bitterugh then escaped Ang as she realized she was more upset about this than she should be. What am I getting so worked up for anyway? She tried to analyze her own feelings, but she ended up boring herself to sleep instead. The next day, Ang¡¯s rm rang at precisely 5.50AM. She bolted upright in bed and threw the covers off, then hurried into the adjoining bathroom to wash up. To call it a bathroom was an exaggeration though, as it was more of a washroom with a small showering space. It was 5.59AM by the time she was done putting on her clothes. She hurtled out of her room toward the entrance of the base, whereupon she saw Richard¡¯s tall and straight silhouette standing there. She walked up to him, and he made it a point to nce at the watch on his wrist. ¡°You¡¯rete by a minute.¡± Defiance colored her delicate features as she glowered at him and said, ¡°Okay, fine, I¡¯mte. Are you going to punish me? Go on, tell me what you want me to do to make up for my tardiness.¡± Richard gazed down at the girl who was openly challenging him, and his eyes lingered briefly on her shell-pink lips. He swallowed, and there was a steely edge to his expression as he barked, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Ang had been waiting for him to mete out punishment, but when he did not, she couldn¡¯t help feeling a little disappointed. Presently, he carried a backpack full of everything he thought they would need for a hike. Ang, on the other hand, was wearing a cap and sunblock, knowing that UV rays were the most vicious foes she could meet on this hike other than the mountainous terrain. Just like that, the both of them hiked up along the groove through which the mountain spring water flowed. There were no steps here or mapped-out trails for novice hikers, making the hike a tough exercise¡ªalbeit, an authentic one. Ang kept up her pace with Richard, but halfway through, she was starting to regret her decision to agree to the hike. Goodness, this trail is hard. It was no wonder he had forbidden her from going hiking on her ownst night; she would have lost her way or tripped several times in a row. However, she was not a quitter, and pride had more to do with that than ambition. She didn¡¯t want Richard tough at her after all the big talk she had given himst night. When it came to slopes or uneven ground, Richard would hike up first, then turn and offer her a hand so that he could help her up. Thankfully, it did not take long for them to reach the rocky terrain where the trees were not quite as tall, and the shrubbery was not quite as dense. The ground here was rife with wildflowers, and Ang eximed in awe, ¡°This is amazing!¡± She picked a couple of flowers and formed a bouquet, then sniffed its sweet fragrance as she tried to keep up with the man in front of her. Richard walked ahead for a few minutes before turning around to see if Ang had followed him. When he saw that she had fallen behind by a dozen feet, he stopped and nted his hands on his hips to wait for her. She¡¯s not here to hike, he decided grimly. This is just a field trip to her. ¡°I¡¯m thirsty,¡± she said when she reached him, panting. ¡°Did you bring water?¡± He unzipped his backpack and took out the standard-issue canteen, which he handed to her. She twisted open the cap and gulped down a few mouthfuls of water, then passed the canteen back to him. Ang had been wiping the corners of her mouth when Richard took the canteen wordlessly and gulped down some water. She paused and gaped at him incredulously as a fleeting thought crossed her mind, Does that mean we indirectly kissed? A pink flush crept over her cheeks, and she wondered how he could so readily drink from the same canteen she had used mere seconds ago. Oblivious to her thoughts, Richard shrugged on his backpack and pointed to the tallest summit in the distance. ¡°That will be our destination, so let¡¯s move!¡± Her eyes widened at the sight of the summit, which looked grayish-blue under the thinyer of mist that shrouded it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Are you suggesting we climb all the way up there?¡± ¡°Yes, how astute of you,¡± Richard drawled sarcastically. He raised a brow at her and asked snidely, ¡°You¡¯re not scared, are you?¡± Falling for his trap, Ang snapped, ¡°Of course I¡¯m not scared! I¡¯ll climb that mountain without a problem!¡± He smirked. ¡°Then, shall we go?¡± She watched him turn and memorized the silhouette of his back as he trekked forward. Though her legs were already wobbly and her clothes soaked through with sweat, Richard did not look the slightest bit out of breath. If one didn¡¯t know better, they would think he had been walking on t ground all this time. ¡°Richard, wait up!¡± Ang cried out as she tossed aside the wildflower bouquet and ran up to him. Hiking was, she decided, absolute torture at this point. But she refused to give up; her pride and determination did not allow her to even though she was on the brink of copsing. Before long, they reached a slope that inclined at a sixty-degree angle. Just looking at it made her weak. As though sensing her reluctance, Richard threw an amused look over his shoulder at her, taking in her defeated expression. ¡°Captain Lloyd, pull me up,¡± Ang said, reaching out her arm toward him He looked at her hand and naturally gripped it. For some reason, this gesture warmed her. At least he¡¯s not leaving me out here to perish on my own, she thought, cheering up considerably. ¡°You know, you didn¡¯t have to apologize to mest night,¡± she began hesitantly, her exhaustionpelling her to re- evaluate her conscience. ¡°I should be the one to say sorry instead.¡± Richard stared at her in surprise, only to see her grinning sweetly back at him. Her face was flushed, and her eyes were twinkling with mischief. She looked so bright and beautiful at that moment that even the wildflower field around them could notpete with her smile. Just as Richard was lost in her eyes, she yfully tugged on his arm and pulled him close to her. The poor man was already in a daze, and the sudden pull made him take one step closer to her. They ended up standing so close together that the tip of Ang¡¯s nose nearly pressed up against his chest. She had only wanted to tease him for fun; this proximity was not what she had nned for at all. Her breath hitched, and she narrowed her pretty doe-eyes for a second before looking up to see the perfect, sumptuous curve of his lips. Abruptly, she found herself thinking audaciously, What if I kissed him? Mind and body coordinated, Ang rose on the tip of her toes, and before Richard could react, she gave him a quick peck on his lips. Startled by the unexpected kiss, Richard looked at the girl incredulously, but she had already pulled away from him and ran away like a kitten that got caught scratching up the furniture. Meanwhile, Ang was blushing madly as well. She couldn¡¯t believe she had kissed him. Of all the ways she thought this hike would go, this was not one of them! As for the man who had just gotten a peck on his lips, he stood frozen in ce and did not try to go after her. The soft touch of her lips on his earlier had stunned him, and he was having a hard time recollecting his thoughts. After a while of running, Ang slowed to a stop and panted as she turned to look at him. When she realized that he did not catch up to her, she winced and decidedly waited for him toe over to give her a harsh talking-down. Richard straightened his backpack and tightened his grip on the straps as he trudged over to her. Blood rushed to her face when she registered his approaching figure. To hide her embarrassment, she looked down and picked up a random de of grass, then toyed with it to look busy as she sneaked a nce at the man¡¯s expression. If he looked furious, then she would apologize immediately. Much to her astonishment, however, he looked as stoic as ever when he came to a stop next to her. Upon seeing that she was running the t of her thumb along the length of the grass, he pointed out, ¡°Don¡¯t y with the grass, not this one, at least.¡± ¡°Huh? Why not¡ª¡± She did not get to hear his answer before she broke off in a hiss. The tough and sharp edge of the grass had cut her finger while she was distracted, drawing blood. She tossed the offending de of grass aside exasperatedly and frowned at the blood beading from the cut on her finger. Without a second word, Richard unzipped his backpack and produced a band-aid. He then cleaned her small wound with a piece of tissue before taping the band-aid on it. Ang was standing on higher ground, making her half a head taller than Richard and allowing her to look at him from an angle she never had seen before. She took in his defined brow bone and the straight line of his nose. He had his gaze down as he helped put a band-aid over her finger, and his dark eyshes hid the steely look in his eyes. He looked almost¡­ gentle, the most tender she had ever seen him. Startled by the contrast between his present demeanor and his usual stoic self, Ang could only gape at him speechlessly. After a while, she blushed and said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what I did earlier. I hope I didn¡¯t offend you.¡± She was filled with regret over how forthright she had been. ¡°Just don¡¯t do it again,¡± Richard said as he looked up at her, his eyes like two clear pools. He seemed unaffected by the kiss as if it meant nothing to him, like a piece of lint on his coat. Disappointment shed in her eyes as she pulled her finger away from him. Then, she took a breath and promised, ¡°I won¡¯t do it again.¡± He eyed her darkly for a second, then slung his backpack over his shoulders as he dered, ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day and go back to base.¡± She was not so prideful as to have no self-awareness, and she knew she could never make it to the summit. Nodding, she said obligingly, ¡°Okay.¡± With that, she took the first step to dismount from higher ground, but her footnded on a wobbly rock that detached from the soil. She swayed, but before she could fall, arge hand gripped her shoulder and steadied her. Ang looked up at the man who kept her from stumbling and falling down the slope, but she felt defeated. Did the kiss mean nothing to him? Doesn¡¯t he feel anything at all? Richard let go of her shoulder, but offered her his hand as he said, ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll hold your hand until we reach the foot of the mountain.¡± She stared at his hand, and her mind wandered for a brief few seconds. He was always there when she needed his help, making sure she didn¡¯t get hurt. He didn¡¯t look like he knew how his gestures could give her the wrong idea, and how he could easily lead her on to think he liked her when in truth, taking care of her was nothing more than an obligation on his part¡ªnothing personal. ¡°No, thanks,¡± Ang said, turning him down with a smile as she took on a formal tone. With long strides, she trekked down the way they came. From the back, her slender frame looked like it could carry the weight of the world. Richard stared at her retreating figure for a beat or two before he followed her, striding easily, but very well-paced. Hiking up a rocky mountain like this wasparatively easier than going down it. At any given moment, Ang could very well step on a loosened rock and fall, especially since the trees here that she could hold onto for support were no better than saplings. Richard walked ahead of her, and whenever there was uneven terrain or steep slopes, he would stand close to her, ready to catch her if she fell. Presently, she was holding onto one of the smaller trees, hoping that it could hold her weight until her foot found a solid rock to stand on below the slope. However, the tree was so young and weak that she uprooted itpletely, causing her to fall backward when she skidded on the ground. She let out a shriek just as Richard reached out to catch her, keeping her from hitting the earth. He pulled her against him and held her there while her arms snaked around his waist instinctively. She was pressed up to his chest, still dazed from the fall as her heart beat frantically under her rib cage. Tired from the hike, she nuzzled into his broad and firm chest, then closed her eyes as she relished the break in the exercise. He did not push her away but merely watched as she closed her eyes andy there. Her cheeks were flushed, and there were beads of sweat on her forehead that sparkled under the sun. He softened at that moment and let her lean into him, holding her. Upon sensing his rxed stance, she smiled. Around them, the mountain breeze whistled through the trees, and the sun was beaming down on the mountain, coating everything in its gentle, golden rays. For a moment, everything came to an idyllic standstill. Ang could hear Richard¡¯s strong and steady heartbeat. Inexplicably, her own heartbeat quickened as well, as if trying to match up to his. ¡°Captain Lloyd, are you always this dedicated to every target you are assigned to protect? I guess what I¡¯m trying to say is, if I were any other girl, would you be this kind to her as well?¡± she asked slowly as she looked up at him. He met her eyes, his gaze smoldering and dark. Ang blinked, looking into his eyes as she asked, ¡°Would you let her use your bathroom and let her go in and out of your bedroom as she likes? Piggyback her when she gets hurt? Leap to protect her and shield her from every harm at any given moment? If she were the one holding onto you now, would you hold her even tighter?¡± Ang wasn¡¯t sure why, but her eyes grew misty as she spoke. Flustered, she looked down and broke away from his intense gaze. Richard was speechless, floundered by all the questions she threw at him. He wasn¡¯t sure where to begin. She waited for his response, but when he didn¡¯t give her one, a bitter smile curled on her lips as she asked challengingly, ¡°It¡¯s not rocket science. All you have to do is answer yes or no.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to answer,¡± he said monotonously as he let her go and turned to walk ahead. It was at that moment that Ang was sure she was nothing more than a job and that he would have shown the same level of dedication even if she were any other girl. She was not special at all. In that case, she did not have to torture herself and delude herself into thinking she was different, that she meant something to him. Fortunately, the trail got easier as they neared the foot of the mountain. When she took the final step to dismount from the hike, Ang thought her legs would give up on her. She quickly found arge and t rock to sit on, then called out to the man ahead of her, ¡°Hey, you go ahead! I¡¯m going to stay here and catch my breath for a bit.¡± Richard nced at her for a while and left without another word. The base entrance was just nearby anyway. There was no point in him dawdling here to take care of her. That was what she told herself as she watched his retreating figure, but for some reason, tears sprang up to her eyes once more. She sniffed to ease the prickling sensation in her nose. Crap, what¡¯s wrong with me? Pull yourself together, Ang. You were the one who asked him to leave, and now that he did, you¡¯re crying about it like some kid abandoned in a yground? Snap out of it! You¡¯re just a job to him. Just someone he has to protect. You¡¯re not his girlfriend. Remember that. She gave herself a pat on the head as if to knock some sense into herself. She wished she was less sentimental because nothing good ever came out of it. Back in the day, she had been so duped by Dexter¡¯s asional kindness that she was blind to his other ws. Now, Richard was being nice to her because it was his duty to protect her, but she was reading too much into it, so much so that she started to fall for him. She hated that she was so desperate to feel loved. Closing her eyes, Ang took a deep breath and cleared her mind. When she opened her eyes once more, there were none of the glistening tears or muddled emotions. Upon returning to base, she fell onto her bed and slept. She had woken up at an ungodly hour that morning, and the arduous hike had left herpletely drained. However, little did she know that Richard had received bad news while she was sleeping. In the conference room, Richard hung up on the call and clenched his phone tightly, then turned to look at his subordinates. ¡°Ang¡¯s mother just met with an ident. She¡¯s badly injured and she¡¯s been sent to the hospital for emergency treatment.¡± The four men working in front of theirputers exchanged a worried nce. The ident was not entirely unexpected; the criminals who had recently crossed the international borders were ruthless, and instigating the ident to hurt Ang¡¯s mother was undoubtedly their n to lure Ang out from hiding. ¡°Should we tell Miss Meyers about this?¡± Willy asked. ¡°She would be devastated, and she¡¯d insist on going back to see her mother,¡± Jared said sympathetically. ¡°But she has the right to know,¡± Sean pointed out. ¡°Poor Miss Meyers. She¡¯ll be heartbroken!¡± Trevor said fretfully. Richard frowned. He had no right keeping this from Ang, which meant he was duty-bound to tell her the truth. Meanwhile, when Ang had straightened up her bedroom, she sat down on the couch and let her mind wander. One said wandering, but really it just kept reying the scene on the hiking trail where she had kissed Richard. It had only been a fleeting moment, but it had left a tingling sensation in the pit of her stomach that would not go away. The more she dwelled on it, the deeper her blush and the faster her heartbeat. That was the first time she had kissed a man on her own initiative, but the fact that he was unfazed by it made her feel like a pathetic loser. Just as she was drowning in her own embarrassment, a knock came from the door. She got to her feet and reached to open the door, only to be greeted by Richard, who looked as handsome as he was impassive. The air around her suddenly felt thin, and she blinked as she asked bewilderedly, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Come into my room,¡± Richard said in a low voice, then left in the direction of his room first. Ang opened her door and hurried out of her room to follow him. Judging by the look on his face earlier, he had something to tell her. When she entered his room, he closed the door behind her and gazed at her darkly. He did not speak right away, and she felt the need to blink to alleviate the strange tension between them. ¡°Anytime now,¡± she prompted, wondering what he was waiting for. ¡°I got a call ten minutes ago. It¡¯s about your family,¡± Richard said. At once, her heart constricted, and her hand darted out to grab his arm as she urged, ¡°What happened to my family? Are they okay?¡± ¡°Your mother got into an ident an hour ago, and she¡¯s now in the hospital emergency room,¡± he exined gravely. ¡°What?¡± Ang¡¯s mind went nk. She was anguished, and her lips trembled as all colors drained from her face. She didn¡¯t even know she was about to cry until Richard reached to pull her into his arms. At once, hot tears spilled down her cheeks as she hastily shoved him away, then threw the door open and ran out of the room. He followed her, only to see that she had returned to her own room and left the door ajar. She rummaged through her room and found her purse, then hurriedly shoved her phone into it, looking ready to leave. Richard stood at the doorway, frowning as he asked, ¡°Are you leaving?¡± Ang slung her purse over her shoulder. There was a steely edge to her expression as she stared at him with red-rimmed eyes and said, ¡°I have to go. I need to see my mom. I don¡¯t even know if she¡¯s going to make it.¡± She refused to stay here safe and sound while her family was in danger. She would much rather offer herself up to those criminals than watch her family die for her. ¡°You are not allowed to leave the base,¡± Richard said authoritatively as he put his arm out and blocked the gap in the doorway, his towering frame like a wall that kept her in. ¡°Step aside, Richard,¡± Ang ordered. ¡°Ang, calm down and let¡¯s wait for more news on your mother, okay?¡± he suggested, taking on a soothing tone in hopes of getting her to see reason. However, reason eluded her at this moment. All she wanted to do was go back so she could see her mother. ¡°I said,¡± she bit out forcefully. ¡°Step. Aside.¡± This time, there was a look in her eyes that resembled hatred, and her jaw was clenched. ¡°Now that your mom¡¯s been hospitalized, I¡¯m sure your family wouldn¡¯t want you to end up the same way,¡± he argued, sounding even more insistent than he had moments ago. He knew what fate would await her if he let her leave the base and those men caught her. It was not something he was prepared to risk. Ang closed her eyes and let her tears fall. She was a mad woman at this point, a mad woman who only wanted to see her grievously injured mother. It was her duty as a daughter, and she couldn¡¯t bear to see anyone in her family get hurt because of her even though she knew she would die the moment she went back. If she did note out of hiding, these criminals would start targeting her father, her grandfather, and other rtives. They would not stop at just hurting her mother. ¡°Richard, I¡¯ll hate you forever if you don¡¯t let me go right now!¡± she warned as she tried to push him out of the way, but he was like a mountain that would not budge no matter how hard she shoved. ¡°Move!¡± She glowered at him, the hatred in her eyes as clear as day. She truly hated him. She hated his heartlessness. She hated his job. ¡°You know I can¡¯t let you. I promised your parents to protect you. This is my duty,¡± Richard replied hoarsely. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to protect me! This is my life, and I get the final say in what to do with it! Let me go! I promise I won¡¯t me you if I die out there,¡± Ang begged desperately. There was a pained look in her eyes, but she was not backing down. ¡°I won¡¯t let you die,¡± he said solemnly, his shoulders squared as he stood firmly in ce. His refusal to let her go felt worse than death. She broke down, crying out loud as she crouched on the floor. She put her head in her hands and sobbed, baring all her pain, devastation, and helplessness. Richard looked down at her, his heart twisting when he saw her tremble with the force of heaving out the next round of anguished sobs. He had no idea how badly injured her mother was. All he knew from the photos that were sent to him was that the other driver in the collision had died on the spot and that Ang¡¯s mom had been unconscious when they ferried her to the hospital. Whether or not Ang¡¯s mother could survive remained a variable. Just then, Ang held the door jamb for support as she got to her feet. She was still sobbing as she looked up pleadingly at the man in front of her, then said, ¡°Could you at least let me call my dad and let him tell me how my mom is doing? Please?¡± Richard nodded slightly in agreement, relieved that she was settling for a call instead of leaving. She was just about to walk out when her legs caved under her weight and made her stagger. Sensing this, Richard quickly reached out to hold her, his arms wrapped securely around her frame as he steadied her. He assessed her pale face and how feeble she was, then asked quietly, ¡°Can you walk?¡± Ang straightened up when she heard this. With her back stiffened, she walked toward the conference room where he and his men worked. This was her silent protest against his heartless disy earlier. As soon as she arrived in the conference room, the four men working in front of theirputers nced up at her worriedly. They could tell she had been crying just from looking at her red and puffy eyes, and they grew even more concerned. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Meyers, your mother will be fine,¡± Trevorforted softly. ¡°Do you have a video of the car crash?¡± Ang asked hoarsely. ¡°I want to see it.¡± Jared immediately closed hisptop and peered at Richard, who stood at the door with his arms crossed. When Richard shot him a hard look, he stammered a little awkwardly, ¡°N-No, we only got a call about it. No videos were sent to us.¡± However, Ang had already seen through him. Her gaze fell on hisptop, and she rounded the long table to where he sat. Then, she shoved him aside and opened up hisptop, thereafter, searching through the documents in it. ¡°Pull up the video for me right now,¡± she ordered icily, tears glistening in her eyes. Caught between a rock and a hard ce, Jared looked at Richard, silently asking for help. Having already seen Ang¡¯s break-down earlier, Richard walked up to her and closed theptop, then said, ¡°We should wait for the hospital to get back to us on this.¡± The tears spilled down her cheeks once more as she pondered on the meaning behind his words. If he so stubbornly refused to let her see the video, then it could only mean that the ident had been a brutal one and that the chances of her mother surviving were slim to none. At the thought that she would miss seeing her mother onest time, Ang felt a pain so all-consuming that she could not register anything else going on around her. She hyperventted as disbelief and panic coursed through her, and suddenly, everything went dark, and she fell backward. Trevor, who was closest to her, caught her before she fell. ¡°Mr. Richard, she fainted!¡± he cried out in rm. Richard had sensed that something like this might happen. His brows furrowed as he hurried across the room and carried her into his arms, then turned to leave for the infirmary with Jared and Trevor close behind. Ang was pale as shey in the bed in the infirmary,pletely out cold. The doctor had examined her and concluded, ¡°Miss Meyers fainted because her body could not cope with the shock, but she¡¯ll be fine after she gets some rest.¡± ¡°But she¡¯ll still have to face reality when she wakes up!¡± Trevor argued with a sigh. ¡°We can only hope that her mother will make it, otherwise, she¡¯d be devastated,¡± Jared said. Meanwhile, Richard sat at the foot of the bed with his brows knitted together. His piercing gaze lingered on Ang, and in his eyes showed tender concern that had not been there before. ¡°The both of you can leave,¡± he said to his subordinates. ¡°Let me know as soon as you have any news on her mother.¡¯ ¡°Got it. We¡¯ll leave Miss Meyers to you then, Richie,¡± Trevor replied, pulling Jared out of the infirmary and back to the conference room. While making their way down the corridor, Trevor sighed again and said, ¡°I bet Richie¡¯s really beating himself up over this. He did promise Miss Meyers that he¡¯d keep her family safe, but now, her mother¡¯s lying in the hospital after a terrible car crash.¡± ¡°Tell me about it. I saw the way she was looking at him earlier, and I swear she hates his guts. If anything were to happen to her mother, she might just me him forever.¡± Both men exchanged a nce, each hoping that whatever they guessed would note true. Thest thing they wanted was for Ang to hate Richard now that they sensed he had special feelings for her. In the infirmary, the doctor had put Ang on an IV, and the catheter had been inserted into her arm through a needle. Richard sat next to the bed, his silhouette straight and stiff as his dark gaze locked on the unconscious girl under the covers. It was hard to tell what was on his mind, but anyone could see that he was worried. Ang had only been put on the IV for no more than ten minutes when her eyes suddenly flew open. The first thing that came to her mind was her mother struggling for her life in a hospital somewhere, and the thought made her bolt upright in bed. ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± a low male voice sounded next to her, followed by a hand pressing down firmly on her left arm so that she wouldn¡¯t pull out the needle on her own. She looked down at the needle pushed under her skin and demanded in a watery voice, ¡°Pull it out. I don¡¯t need it.¡± Richard personally detached the needle. He was supposed to apply pressure to stop the bleeding the moment the needle was out, but Ang was in such a rush that she lifted the covers and tried to get down from the bed. At once, the blood trickled down the back of her hand. With an assertive and domineering air, the man held her arm in ce and grabbed a cotton ball from the bedside table, then pressed it down on the back of her hand where the needle had been. Tears filled her eyes, but she allowed him to stop the bleeding as she gazed at him calmly and ordered, ¡°Take me home, Richard.¡± He did not answer her, paying particr attention to the task at hand. At such close proximity, she could clearly make out the hard set of his jaw and the cold indifference on his handsome face. When the bleeding stopped, Richard loosened his grip and looked up at her, then said slowly, ¡°You have to stay here.¡± She pulled away from him as pain shed across her features. There was a chill in her voice as she asked defiantly, ¡°And what if I say no?¡± ¡°Ang¡­¡± He was trying to coax her now, but there was a hint of resignation in his eyes. He knew that he could not stop her if she insisted on leaving. Right now, the only thing she cared about was going home to see her mother for thest time. She had to go back even if she couldn¡¯t make it in time, otherwise, the guilt and regret that followed would haunt her for the rest of her life. Richard ended up following her out of the infirmary and into her bedroom. She picked up her bag once more, and she turned to say to him, ¡°Car keys.¡± At once, Richard was plunged into a dilemma. If he were to hand her the car keys, he would be watching her walk right into the trap set up by those evil men, which was the same as delivering her to death¡¯s doorstep. On the other hand, if he refused to give her the keys and she missed seeing her mother for thest time, she would hate him forever. He could cope with that, but he really didn¡¯t want her to hate him forever. Ang reached out her hand and stared at him with wide eyes, her silent demand evident in her tears. She was so delicate, but for some reason, she gave him immense pressure. It was as if she held some inexplicable power over him, and he could not keep a firm stance whenever she was around. At that moment, he lost all his calm and reason. But just as he was about to give in to impulse and offer to go with her, Trevor burst out of the conference room and came running in their direction excitedly. ¡°Miss Meyers!¡± he shouted. ¡°Miss Meyers! Good news! Your mother¡¯s fine. She only suffered a broken leg!¡± Ang¡¯s hand fell to the side when she heard this. She tossed her bag onto the floor and ran to meet Trevor halfway. When she came up to him, she clutched his shoulders and urged, ¡°Really? Is my mom really okay?¡± ¡°She is! Your dad just called, and he said your mom is fine save for the broken femur and a mild concussion. The doctor told him she¡¯ll be fine after half a month¡¯s rest!¡± Trevor answered, but he was still in the midst of conveying the good news when Ang suddenly threw her arms around him in relief. She hugged him tight as she muttered, ¡°Thank you, Trevor! I can¡¯t thank you enough!¡± Trevor was stumped by how overwhelmed she was. Meanwhile, behind her, Richard looked considerably stormy, and he narrowed his eyes dangerously as he watched the woman hugging his subordinate. The air grew colder, and Trevor immediately realized that he was overstepping his boundaries by letting Ang hug him. Gently pushing her away, he cleared his throat and said, ¡°Miss Meyers, your dad also requested that you stay put here for your own safety. He doesn¡¯t want you getting into danger.¡± ¡°Is he still on the line?¡± she asked. Trevor patted his head as if to berate himself for forgetting about this. ¡°He is. Go on, you must be dying to talk to him.¡± Before he could say anything, Ang took him by the hand and pulled him alongside her as she ran toward the conference room. Richard suddenly felt as if a weight had been taken off his shoulders. He let out a huge sigh of relief, secretly thanking Trevor for the timely interruption that saved him from betraying his own work principles. Had the news note in time, he would have risked everything just to personally drive Ang home to see her mother. In the conference room, Ang was crying as she listened to her parents¡¯ voices on the phone, and she couldn¡¯t help letting out a sob. ¡°Mom, Dad¡­¡± ¡°Ang, things are more drastic here than we imagined. You have to listen to Captain Lloyd and stay at the base where they can keep you safe, okay? We don¡¯t want you getting hurt again,¡± Gilbert said on the other line, sounding serious¡ªmore serious than ever before. ¡°But I don¡¯t want you both to get into danger because of me. It¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯m the one who brought all this trouble. I¡¯m so sorry, Mom.¡± She wept guiltily. Daphneforted softly, ¡°Ang, I¡¯m fine. I know you¡¯re worried about me, but it¡¯s over now, and I¡¯ll be okay. You¡¯re our only daughter, and we can¡¯t let anything happen to you. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Everyone in the family will be sent to somece safe. We¡¯ll meet again once all this blows over,¡± Gilbert promised. ¡°Really? Will the both of you go somece safe, too? Will youe here to the base?¡± Ang asked, wanting desperately to be reunited with her parents as soon as possible. ¡°No, we¡¯ve had other arrangements made. Protecting you is of utmost priority, and you have to stay put where Captain Lloyd can see you. Listen to him and don¡¯t go causing any trouble for him,¡± Gilbert emphasized. Disappointment shed in Ang¡¯s eyes when she heard that her parents would not be living with her anytime soon, but she nodded and said, ¡°Okay. I promise I¡¯ll be on my best behavior.¡± Gilbert hummed in response. ¡°Very well, then. We¡¯ll hang up now, and don¡¯t call us unless there¡¯s an emergency. We can¡¯t take too many chances.¡± He hung up after that, knowing that the criminal organization after Ang had all the means to hack into all telmunication systems. He couldn¡¯t risk having them track down his daughter. Ang handed the phone back to Trevor. She sighed as she looked up, only to see four pairs of eyes staring at her worriedly. She felt warmth in her heart as she shed them a weak smile and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine now. Thank you for your concern, everyone.¡± ¡°Miss Meyers, I hope you won¡¯t hold this against our captain. He¡¯s only carrying out his duty to protect you,¡± Trevor said, speaking up for Richard. Jared joined in the efforts to paint a better picture of Richard too. ¡°Don¡¯t be too hard on him, Miss Meyers. I know he cane off as mean and heartless, but he¡¯s more loyal and caring than anyone else.¡± ¡°And please cooperate with us¡ªRichie especially, so that we can do our jobs,¡± Willy added. Upon hearing this, Ang thought about how she had behaved in front of Richard earlier and had the grace to look shamefaced. She stared at the tips of her shoes as she muttered, ¡°I know I was way over the line just now. I¡¯ll try my best to make things easier for you guys from now on.¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright, Miss Meyers. You¡¯re only human, after all. You must love your family very much to be that worried about your mother,¡± Sean consoled empathetically. ¡°Yeah. I mean, who wouldn¡¯t abandon reason just to save their family? Don¡¯t beat yourself up over it. I¡¯m sure Richie is well over it by now. That man has a heart bigger than the ocean, and he won¡¯t hold it against you,¡± Trevor chimed in brightly. ¡°Really? Do you think so?¡± She looked up at them hopefully, praying that what they said was true and that Richard would forgive her for her irrational outburst earlier. Just then, the door to the conference room swung open, and Richard came in. He had been standing at the doorway since he saw Ang walk in, and he heard everything they said loud and clear. His footfalls made Ang turn to look at him. When she registered his arrival, she quickly lowered her head and said apologetically to him, ¡°I¡¯m sorry about earlier.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he replied indifferently, as though he had already forgotten about the incident. This only served to worsen her guilt. For some reason, his nonchnce only made her even more distressed. Presently, Richard brushed past her and came to a stop in front of Willy, then bent down slightly to speak to him in hushed tones. His perfectly chiseled side profile was on disy. She could just make out the steely gleam in his eyes, which were framed by long eyshes that curled up ever so slightly. He looked calm and collected like nothing could faze him. There was something about him, Ang realized, that simplymanded the attention of any room he walked into. More importantly, there was nothing despicable about his job. Rather, it was a respectful one, and this realization only made her more ashamed of how unreasonable and maniacal she had been just now. ¡°I¡¯ll be in my room,¡± she mumbled quietly as she rose to leave. Even after returning to her room, Ang¡¯s arms remained wrapped around herself as fear and unease filled her mind. It was only then that she realized those evil forces would do anything for that lipstick. Those people were currently looking for her everywhere. The terror she felt had only grown stronger after her mother¡¯s death. She thought that danger was far away from her, but now it seemed to be looming over her head like a curse of death. Deep down, she begged and prayed that no one else would ever be hurt or killed for her sake. She stayed in her room for the entire night, having no appetite to even eat dinner. The next morning, she woke up haggard with prominent dark circles on her pale face. Trevor was the first to notice her. ¡°Good morning, Miss Ang!¡± ¡°Morning,¡± she responded with a smile. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Nightmares had filled her dreams the entire night and kept her awake. She shook her head as fatigue overwhelmed her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You will be safe with us protecting you,¡± heforted. ¡°I know,¡± she replied. She then saw the group running back from their morning job. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the handsome figures, and Richard was one of them. He was such an eye-catching man. Even among a group of equally handsome and tall men, there was still a unique charm to him. ¡°Mr. Richard loves coffee in the morning. Can you send a cup up to his roomter?¡± Trevor suggested. It was a moment before Ang understood what he meant by that. Indeed, she had been looking for a chance to improve her rtionship with Richard, especially after how she had treated him the night before. They would be spending a lot of time together, so she did not want things to remain so awkward. ¡°Very well. I will bring him a cupter.¡± She was thankful for Trevor¡¯s thoughtful suggestion. He responded with a chuckle before walking away. She heaved a heavy sigh before turning to look at the group of men exercising under the sun, unknowingly mesmerized by the sight. Soon, the group dispersed. The change snapped her back to reality, and she hurried away. She hid behind a pir and watched as Richard returned to his room. She then seized the chance to get a cup of coffee ready. Although they did not live in luxury, the kitchen was equipped with a great coffee machine which Ang knew how to operate. Once the cup of coffee was ready, she brought it up on a tray to Richard¡¯s room. Arriving at the door, she knocked. ¡°Come in,¡± answered a deep voice. When she entered the room, she found Richard half-dressed. When he saw that it was her, he quickly put on his clothes, covering up his perfect muscles. In fact, he did it so quickly that it seemed like he thought letting her look a second longer was a travesty. In her heart, she was panicking. She did not expect him to still be half-dressed. Thankfully, he had his pants on. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Can Ie in?¡± She turned her gaze down to look at the floor. ¡°Sure.¡± He straightened his shirt before walking over to the couch. He had been expecting a subordinate, not her. She walked over and bent down to put the cup of coffee on the table before him. However, the unexpected heating from the bottom of the cup made her hands jerk, pouring the cup of coffee down onto his pants. Moreover, the liquidnded on him in the worst ce possible. ¡°Aah!¡± She instantly darted over with some facial tissues to wipe the liquid away from his pants. She was in such a state of panic that she forgot where exactly she was touching. She wiped and wiped, and¡­ It was only then that she realized what was going on. Her cheeks were blushing as she stared down at the spot she had been wiping. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I am so sorry. I did not mean to do this.¡± She looked up at him with innocent eyes. His lips were tightly pressed together as his throat rolled with a swallow. Richard stared at her with his dark eyes as a storm brewed in them. ¡°You did it on purpose.¡± Richard firmly believed that she was doing this as revenge. Ang¡¯s eyes remained glued to the wet spot on his pants as she gulped. ¡°I really did not. It was an ident.¡± ¡°Get out!¡± he barked without obvious exasperation. She bit her lip and closed her eyes in frustration. Why did this happen? It was all a bid to make him like her, but now she had hurt him. ¡°I¡¯ll get you another cup of coffee.¡± She then rushed out of the room with her cheeks flushed red. He walked over to his closet to grab a pair of pants before heading to the bathroom. In the shower, annoyance swelled in him as his blood boiled with lust. Although she had only touched him a few times, he still reacted to her touch. Even now, his mind was still filled with the image of her fair and innocent face. He then realized the fire burning in him was impossible to suppress in just a few seconds. When he eventually exited the bathroom, he found someone under the table. It was Ang, back to clean his floor. Her hair was tied up in azy ponytail. She did not seem to be someone who often cleaned as she cleaned so awkwardly that she identally pushed over the rubbish bin. Thankfully, his bin was only filled with papers. Even though the bin was turned over, the only trash on the floor was scrunched-up balls of paper. He crossed his arms and admired the sight of her cleaning. He was not going to help at all. Once Ang was done cleaning up the trash, she moved on to organize the documents on his desk. A strand of long hair slipped out from the back of her ear, making her beautiful face appear even more exquisite. His eyes narrowed slightly as he continued to admire her figure. Then, noticing that she was being watched, she turned to smile at him. ¡°Are you done changing?¡± She finished cleaning up his desk before walking out of the room. Soon, she was back with a new tray of coffee. This time, she had two cups; one for him while the other was for her. After a while, Ang realized the mostfortable spot in the room was Richard¡¯s couch. Due to her lack of sleep, there was nowhere she wanted to be other than his couch where she would curl up into a ball and read one of his books. She even had a cup of coffee to enjoy right now. Overall, it sounded like an extremely wonderful way to spend the morning. ¡°Here, this is your coffee.¡± She smiled as she ced the cup on his desk. She then turned to his bookshelf, grabbed a book from there, and sat on the couch. With crossed legs, she read as she sipped on her coffee. For some reason, when he saw that she had taken over his room without asking, he felt happy. This was a sign that she felt safe in the room once more. He then sat down beside her, pulled out hisptop, and checked his emails. Although they did not speak to each other, they felt at ease sharing the same room. Ang had selected a book on evolution. Although the book was filled to the brim with concepts that were hard toprehend, she still forced herself to slowly mull over every word she read. Had he even read this himself? A few minutester, a question struck her. Since the coffee was quite hot just now, was he hurt when she spilled it on him? Could the thinyer of fabric prevent the hot coffee from burning his skin? Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°I¡­ Are you okay?¡± she asked as she bit her lips. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± He continued staring at hisptop, not even looking up to answer her. ¡°Are you really okay? Do you need to go get it checked out?¡± Getting hurt in that spot was no small matter! Injuries like that should not be ignored. He frowned. ¡°There is no need for that.¡± His reaction made her realize teasing him could be quite fun. As such, she grew bolder and even went so far as to push his limits. She moved to sit beside him., then tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear, revealing her fair face, and smiled coquettishly at him. ¡°Should I take a look at it, Mr. Richard?¡± Chapter 881-890 Chapter 881-890 Ang then moved as if to reach down his pants. Immediately, Richard grabbed her wrist, stopping her. She then slipped down to ce her head on his lap. With a tug at the stic holding her hair together, the long strands sprawled out across his thighs. Her beautiful nted eyes softly shimmered up at him. She looked so enticing, yet her gaze looked so clean and innocent. Sunlight shining in through the window made her skin appear as fair as snow. Her cheeks were gently dusted with an embarrassed blush, and she looked so charming that he was mesmerized. There was a slight hitch in his breathing. His hand was still wrapped around her wrist, but he did not know what to do next. Ang was a woman, after all! She knew just how to make a man happy with her pretty looks. She smiled as her bright eyes shone with pride. ¡°Am I beautiful, Mr. Richard?¡± Richard looked back at her with eyes so deep that there was no way to tell what emotions were hiding in them. ¡°Get up,¡± he coldlymanded. Realizing how boring he was being, she moved to stand up. Just then, there was a sharp tug on her hair. ¡°Ouch!¡± she cried out in pain, instinctively moving her head closer to where the stuck tendrils of her hair were. Without thinking, she moved to fiddle with the object that her hair was stuck on¡ªhis belt buckle. ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± he rasped out. Still, he was toote. Ang had touched something she should not have. Her hands immediately shot back as if she had been zapped. Her blush extended up to her ears. He was¡­ With brows tightly knitted together, he moved to untangle her hair from his belt. It was at that moment someone pushed open the door. Four pairs of eyes were immediately greeted with the shocking sight of the two in apromising position. The men cursed themselves for their bad timing. Moreover, when were Richard and Ang so close? They were even making out now! ¡°We will be backter, sir. Please, continue,¡± Will said, pushing the other three out of the room before swiftly closing it behind him. The other three men had wanted to spend a few more seconds looking at the couple. It was rare for them to see Richard acting all friendly with a girl. How they wished they could have kept staring. Ang was so embarrassed. It was clear the four men had misunderstood the situation. Richard did not care about what his subordinates thought though. His broad hands were gently untangling her hair from his belt. As the strands were wrapped tightly around the belt, one mistake and she would be hurt. ¡°Are you done yet?¡± she awkwardly asked. ¡°Soon.¡± His fingers were unraveling her hair, one strand at a time. She buried her face in her palms from the embarrassment. How could she look the others in the eye now? Finally, her hair was free. As soon as she could move, she shot to her feet. Her hair tumbled wildly across her back, emphasizing the innocent beauty of her demure face. ¡°Trevor and the others must have mistaken what we were doing for something else. Can you rify things to them?¡± she asked. ¡°rify what?¡± he said with a huff. ¡°Do you not want to rify what happened?¡± She pursed her red lips together. She did not care what they thought, but she did not want his image and reputation to be ruined. He stood up and grabbed his laptop. ¡°You were reading here.¡± He then walked out of the room, leaving her all alone. Watching him leave, her heart stopped pounding with anxiety the moment the door closed behind him. She felt like crying andughing at the same time while a strange and sweet sort of giddy joy rose in her. At that moment, all she wanted to know was if he found her annoying. The moment Richard stepped into the meeting room, questions began flying his way. ¡°How far have you and Miss Ang gone, Mr. Richard?¡± asked Trevor. ¡°Is she going to be your wife?¡± Jared asked. Richard calmly looked at them and answered, ¡°Mind your own business.¡± ¡°Stop asking. We will be the first to know if he has any happy news to share,¡± said Willy. ¡°Yeah, we are waiting for Richard¡¯s wedding invitation.¡± While listening to his subordinates, Richard did not intend to exin much. However, work-rted matters were not upying his brain right now. Instead, he kept rewinding what had happened on the couch earlier. He wondered if she always took the initiative to flirt with a man whenever she met one. Just then, his phone rang. When he nced at the number, he reached out to answer it, ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Richard, it¡¯s me, Annie.¡± A shy girl¡¯s voice sounded on the other end. ¡°I miss you so much, so I asked your grandfather for your personal number. Did I disturb you?¡± Richard stood up and walked toward the door of the conference room. When he got out, he responded, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Meyers. I¡¯m currently on a mission. Let¡¯s talk once I get back.¡± ¡°Why do you keep calling me Miss Meyers?! I¡¯m your fianc¨¦e now! You can call me Ann or Annie.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a convenient time for me to talk now.¡± ¡°Oh! Is it? Are you very busy? Can I text youter? You don¡¯t have to reply right away. You just have to reply to me when you have time. I really want to talk to you. This is my number. Please remember to save it!¡± Once Annie blurted out a string of sentences in her lovely voice, she confessed, ¡°Richard, I like you and miss you very much.¡± After that, she hung up the phone shyly. Richard sighed. His marriage with Annie was not what he wanted. It was just that he did not manage to refuse the marriage in front of his grandfather thest time. He knew that once his current mission was over, he would return and cancel the engagement with Annie. Besides, Annie was also Ang¡¯s cousin. Meanwhile, Ang did not sleep wellst night. After reading a book for a while, she passed out on the couch. Richard did not return to the conference room. He stood outside the door for a while, recalling that there was a document he forgot to take. When he returned to the room and reached out to open the door, he saw the figure of a woman sleeping on the couch. She had nothing to keep her body warm. Since it was now the start of fall, it was very easy to catch a cold. Richard grabbed a small nket from his bed and draped it on top of her. Walking to the bookshelf, he tried looking for a file that had been ced there the night before. After he picked up the file and was about to leave, he heard the groaning of a suffering woman. Richard nced at Ang, who was lying t on the couch, only to see her frowning and a thinyer of sweat oozing from her forehead. Was she having nightmares? Richard crouched beside her and squinted his eyes to check on her. At this moment, Ang fell into a nightmare. After her mother¡¯s car ident, she started having nightmares frequently. Even during the day, nightmares would break into her dreams after she fell asleep. Presently, she was running in a forest. There were gunshots from time to time. The drone hovering above her head gave her an infinite sense of oppression, as if there was this ardent killing intent that was entangled with her. Though she had run with all her might and panted violently, the murderous aura was still looming over her. She ran and ran. Just as she thought she was about to escape the fate of being hunted down and was out of the woods, she saw a row of men with their faces covered in front of her. They were pinning a man down with their hands. The man was wounded and pressed to the ground, and then she saw Richard¡¯s face. He was trampled on the back by a man with a gun pointed at his head. At the same time, the killer was laughing sinisterly at her. The scene in the dream made Ang¡¯s face cringe in pain while asleep. Her hands were clenched into fists, and she began to mumble, ¡°Don¡¯t kill him¡­ Don¡¯t kill him¡­¡± Richard felt a strong tug at his heartstrings. What could she be dreaming about? She trembled as if she was suffering some kind of intense torture. ¡°Ang, wake up,¡± he called her gently, trying to wake her up from her dream. At this moment, however, Ang¡¯s trembling red lips called out a name, ¡°Richard¡­ Run! Run!¡± After she was done speaking, her hands struggled to grasp onto something. Richard¡¯s big palm grabbed her hand in the next second, and his handsome face froze. Was he in her dreams? Why would she tell him to run away? Was her pain caused by him? At this moment, tears started pouring out of Ang¡¯s eyes. She panted and pleaded, ¡°Richard, please don¡¯t die¡­ I can¡¯t let you die¡­¡± Ang almost cried in her dream. She watched as the masked man held the gun at Richard, as if he was about to end thetter¡¯s life at any moment. Ang stood there in pain and felt so helpless that she could only call out for help and cry. However, she was not aware that in the real world, her painful appearance was being watched by a man on the spot. She grabbed his hand tightly and cried so much in the nightmare that she could not extricate herself. Richard could not stand to see her being haunted by nightmares anymore, so he stretched out his other hand and patted her face. ¡°Ang, wake up.¡± There was a hint of coolness on the back of his hand, and it was her tears. Richard continued to pat her face until she finally woke up in pain. Thest scene before she woke up was a bloody one. She heard the gunshot, and even though she dared not open her eyes to see it, it was petrifying for her. When she opened her eyes and saw the man beside the couch with tears in her eyes, she could hardly tell whether it was reality or a dream. Nevertheless, the first thing she did was wrap her arms around the man¡¯s neck tightly, burying her whole face in his chest. She wanted to make sure that he was real. Richard froze, letting her hug him for a while. When he recalled that she cried because of him in the nightmare, he stretched out his hand and patted her back. ¡°You only had a nightmare,¡± heforted her in a low voice. Ang hade back to her senses now. It turned out to be just a dream. However, the pain still could not go away in her mind. She closed her eyes and simply rubbed her tears on his clothes. Richard unfolded her arms around his neck, lowered his head, and tried to decipher her expression. Ang turned away and covered her face in embarrassment. After taking a deep breath, she warned, ¡°Don¡¯tugh at me.¡± In fact, he did not find it funny at all. All he wanted to know was if he was that weak in her dreams. ¡°I dreamed that you were abducted, and¡­ you were shot with a gun on your head¡­¡± Ang consciously exined what happened in the dream to him. Richard¡¯s thin lips curled slightly after hearing that. Did she worry about him so much that she bawled? She did not even want him to die. This time, he suddenly felt the urge tough, but he pursed his thin lips to endure it. Ang looked up at him and noticed that he was stifling augh. She hit his arm with her fist out of anger and scolded, ¡°Do you have any conscience? I¡¯ve cried so much for you, yet you¡¯reughing?!¡± Richard stopped smiling this time and locked his gaze on her seriously. With a deep voice, he reassured her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Your dreams won¡¯t happen in reality.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Ang blinked. In Richard¡¯s eyes, his self-confidence was burning. ¡°I¡¯m strong.¡± Ang looked at his sharp and stern face. The confidence in his eyes was by no means false. It was a strong confidence that emitted from the depth of his eyes. The lingering fear in Ang¡¯s nightmare quickly dissipated after seeing his gaze. She believed that he would never turn her nightmare into a reality. He would always be strong. Now she was exhausted. The consecutive nightmares made her face pale, and her eyes lost the luster of the past. She was still sleepy, but she dared not fall asleep. ¡°Have you finished your work?¡± Ang asked him. Richard gave her a doubtful look. ¡°Can¡­ Can you stay here with me for a while? I¡¯m sleepy, but I¡¯m scared of having nightmares. If you¡¯re by my side, I might sleep better,¡± Ang expressed her inner thoughts. Richard nced at the file next to him without her noticing and nodded, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll stay here and finish my work. Get some sleep!¡± ¡°Can¡­ Can I sleep on your bed? The couch is too small.¡± Ang was getting greedy now. She did not only want to upy his time, but she even asked for his bed. Surprisingly, Richard did not refuse her request. Raising his brows, he agreed, ¡°Sure.¡± Ang was so sleepy that she started yawning. After getting up, she felt light-headed and fell into Richard¡¯s arms. Seeing that, he quickly embraced her, causing her head to m against his shoulder des. Her face quickly wrinkled in pain. ¡°Why is your body so hard?!¡± Ang muttered in annoyance. Richard smirked lightly and helped her to get up. Ang walked over to his huge and tidy bed that was filled with masculinity. Ang felt much more at ease when lying on it. She then looked at the man sitting on the couch. Although it was merely the back of his head, she thought he was good-looking. No man had ever attracted her with the back of his head. After taking a few more nces at him, she felt her eyelids getting heavy, and she soon fell asleep once again. Richard picked up the book she read earlier and noticed that she had folded the edge of one of the pages cutely. He then turned his head to look at Ang, who was sleeping on her side. She was probably so exhausted that she fell asleep after a while. Fishing out his phone, he dialed Trevor¡¯s number and ordered, in a low voice, ¡°Bring myptop into the room.¡± Trevor responded curtly and brought theptop in after a while. Just as he pushed the door and intended to step in, he saw Richard bringing his finger up to his lips in an attempt to tell him to stay quiet. Trevor was a little puzzled until he saw Ang lying on Richard¡¯s bed. Suddenly, he understood something. Smiling subtly, he tip-toed into the room and left theptop on the coffee table. After that, he leaned over and asked in a whisper, ¡°Are you sleeping together now?¡± Richard warned, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense after you leave the room.¡± Trevor covered his mouth and smiled. Did Richard just admit it? Anyway, he was happy for him because both of them looked good together. While Richard did some work on the sofa, Ang switched various sleeping positions on the bed. She slept on her belly, crossed her legs, and slept soundly. When it was almost six in the evening, Ang woke up feeling recharged. She opened her eyes to find that Richard was still working on the couch, and the corners of her mouth curved into a sly smile. Somehow, Richard could always trigger Ang¡¯s mischievous side. She wanted to make fun of him. Ang closed her eyes and deliberately pretended to have a nightmare. She murmured, ¡°Richard¡­¡± Sure enough, she heard some rustling movementsing from the direction of the couch and the sounds of footsteps scooting over to her bed. Now, she felt that a man was standing beside the bed. Ang stretched out and tried to grab something, and soon a big palm held her tightly. She immediately leaned over, as if shecked a sense of security, holding the man¡¯s arm. While acting, she could not help but open her eyes slightly. Soon, a triumphant smile appeared on her face. Richard stared at her with deep eyes, watching her continue with her act. To be frank, he already found out that she was awake after she made grabby movements earlier. He knew that she just wanted to tease him. When Ang was still being proud of her acting skills, he uttered, ¡°Get up already if you¡¯re awake. Stop fooling around.¡± Ang¡¯s pretty face flushed red. Since he already saw through her act, she opened her eyes and whined like a child. ¡°Captain Lloyd, my legs are numb. Can you pull me up?¡± Richard looked at thezy and charming girl on the bed. He could have ignored her, but involuntarily, he stretched out his hand to hold her slender wrist and pulled her up. Ang smiled happily like a child, and her beautiful eyes sparkled. She looked pretty. After washing up in her own room, she came to the cafeteria. Everyone had finished eating around this time. Richard sat at the table with perfect posture while his four men were sitting around him eating. ¡°Miss Meyers, this way!¡± Trevor happily waved to her. Ang sat down beside them after choosing her menu. Suddenly, she felt something off from the four pairs of eyes currently staring at her. After blinking her eyes, she inquired amusingly, ¡°Why are you all looking at me?¡± The four immediately looked away. They were just admiring their captain¡¯s future wife! What else? ¡°Miss Meyers, do you want to go for a walk after dinner? I¡¯ll take you to a ce that¡¯s great for stargazing!¡± Sean suddenly suggested. Three pairs of eyes stared at him, thinking he was digging his own grave! How dare he flirt with Miss Meyers in front of their captain? Since Ang had enough sleep today and was worried that she had nothing to do at night, she nodded happily after hearing that they would see stars. ¡°Sure! Where are we going?¡± ¡°There is a short way to the top of the rocky mountain. I can take you there.¡± Sean was not afraid of death, pretending not to notice the three pairs of eyes that were madly hinting at him. Richard ate the food on his te gracefully, as if he hadn¡¯t heard their conversation. ¡°Is everyone free tonight? Why don¡¯t we go together?¡± Ang thought it would be more fun if there was a crowd, so she invited the other three toe along. The other three looked at each other and saw Sean winking at them. ¡°Sure! We don¡¯t get to rx often. Let¡¯s go together!¡± Trevor quickly understood that Sean was deliberately asking Ang out, and at the same time, he was also looking for an opportunity to invite their captain out! ¡°Captain, let¡¯s go together!¡± Jared said to Richard. ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡± Richard raised his head and refused. ¡°You¡¯ve been working for the whole afternoon. Juste and unwind with us!¡± Ang looked at him expectantly. ¡°She¡¯s right! Captain, you always remind us that work-life bnce is important! Come with us!¡± Willy even joined the team to persuade him. Richard nodded this time. ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s meet at the door in five minutes and set off together.¡± Ang beamed. She had hoped that Richard woulde along. Five minutester, everyone gathered at the door and set off with a shlight. Trevor also prepared some drinks. They were all set for their stargazing date. Ang had never experienced strolling in the forest at night, so she was excited. While her long hair hung loosely on her shoulders, she wore light-gray sportswear with long sleeves and trousers, as well as hiking shoes. She looked full of vigor, even in the dark. The entire team consciously let her walk in front of Richard, while Trevor and Jared explored the way in front, leaving Sean and Willy walking behind, chatting. In the mountains, fireflies and swaying shadows of trees could be seen everywhere, making the whole mountain a mysterious and vibrant scene. ¡°Ah¡ª¡± Ang identally kicked a stone and fell forward. Richard, who was behind her, immediately grabbed her arm and helped her stand firm. Behind him, Sean and Willy looked at each other knowingly and smiled. They were creating opportunities for their captain. They managed to navigate through the narrow path and admire the peculiar rocks at night. There was also a little fountain nearby, apanied by the lively sound of frogs. Eventually, they arrived at the top of the hill. The tiled stones were suitable for lying down and gazing at the starry sky. At that moment, the starry sky in fall was clear and cloudless, as if the Milky Way flowing through the vast starry sky was visible, which was extremely spectacr. Richard sat on a rock, and Ang sat beside him. He stretched out his hand to pull her up, while the othersy down on the other rocks and started chatting about the fun of growing up. Ang hugged her legs, looked up at the starry sky, and listened to their interesting stories. Compared with their colorful lives, Ang¡¯s life had been a regr growth process since childhood. Since her mother was reluctant to have a second child, she became the only child in the family. She had worked hard to attend various expensive cram schools since she was a child. She was not a pianist, but she passed the eighth grade; she was not a dancer, but she had great dance skills. Her mother wanted her to take over the family business, so she went abroad to study finance. Later, however, she could not continue her studies and suffered from anxiety, so her mother made her switch to a philosophy major. At that time, the nerdy Ang met Dexter, hoping his love could be her redemption. However, he turned out to be a liar, which almost ruined her life. Now, she wondered, why was life so tiring? Doing what she wanted was the best way to live in the moment. ¡°Willy, it seems like I still have a program to write,¡± Sean suddenly said and stood up. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve mentioned it, I think I have some work to do as well,¡± Trevor hurriedly agreed. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s get back to work. We¡¯ll let Captain apany Miss Meyers to watch the stars!¡± Jared pulled Willy up as they all turned to leave. ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t you guys want to look at the stars?¡± Ang shouted to their backs. ¡°Miss Meyers, let the Captain apany you! It¡¯s time for us to get back to work,¡± Sean turned back and said with a smile. In a blink of an eye, the four people disappeared at the corner of the downhill stone, and the sound of footsteps soon faded away. Without their boisterous voices, the mountain top suddenly fell silent as the cool night breeze brushed upon their figures. At this moment, Ang¡¯s involuntarily started turning crimson. She soon realized that Trevor and the rest weren¡¯t trying to stargaze at all! They were just deliberately creating an opportunity for her and Richard to be alone! Sure enough, they had misunderstood. They thought the two of them were together, so they arranged this. She stole a nce at the man beside her and noticed that he seemed unconcerned about this matter at all as he stared at the distant starry night sky; she didn¡¯t know what he was thinking. Ang couldn¡¯t help but smile when she saw this. Why should she bother? She should just enjoy and live in the moment. At this point, her neck was a little sore from sitting and looking up at the stars, so sheid down on her arms instead. As she looked at the vast starry sky, it seemed like all the worries in her mind had disappeared, and her heart felt freer. When she looked at the man¡¯s straight back, wild thoughts popped up in her mind; Would Richard like a girl like her? Did he like her, even a little bit? ¡°Let¡¯s go back!¡± Richard nced at his watch and said to the girl lying behind him. ¡°We¡¯re going now?¡± She asked in surprise; she still wanted to enjoy the beauty of the starry night sky! Richard noticed the drop in temperature and did not want her to catch a cold, so he nodded. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s getting too cold.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not scared of the cold,¡± Ang hurriedly answered; she liked the feeling of being alone with him under the stars. Even if he didn¡¯t speak, the atmosphere wasforting. Regardless, Richard had already stood up and waited for her below the stone. She had no choice but to stand on the rock reluctantly. At this moment, she was half a body taller than him. It was a rare opportunity for her to look at him from such a height. Frankly speaking, some people didn¡¯t have to do anything but stand there to make people¡¯s hearts skip a beat. Richard was such a person. He was looking into the distance, so silent like a statue under the moonlight. His features had just the right amount of manliness; instead of having a pair of upturned eyes that would make him popr among thedies, his eyes were narrow and long, while his gaze was focused and determined. What was even more exquisite about him was that he exuded a sexy ascetic aura. The more serious he was, the more women desired to conquer him. Women craved to break his abstinence and see how wild he was inside. Ang¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t help but fall onto his lips; the feeling she had thest time she touched it was still lingering in her heart. Under such circumstances, wasn¡¯t it more reasonable if a man were to have imaginations about a woman? Suddenly, she was dumbfounded when she seemed to realize that she was the one having thoughts about him instead. ¡°Captain Lloyd, can you help me down?¡± Ang opened her arms, and an idea popped up in her head. Richard withdrew his gaze when he heard her; there was no hint of impatience in his eyes. Then, he reached out to hold her. ¡°I meant¡­carry¡­¡± She pursed her red lips and looked at him expectantly with her beautiful eyes. The moonlight was dim, so it was hard to see Richard¡¯s expression, but Ang felt that his handsome face was covered by shadows, making it challenging to observe his expression. After she made this request, she began to regret it a little as she figured she would suffer the embarrassment of being rejected by himter. Therefore, as she received no reply from him after a long time, she tried toe up with an excuse to ease the awkwardness. ¡°F-Forget it! I¡¯ll go down myself!¡± Once she said that, she began to look around for somewhere to ce her feet. After all, the stone was more than half a meter from the ground; she was afraid she might fall. However, at this moment, arge palm wrapped around her waist tightly, and he carried her. Ang let out a small yelp after being caught off guard. Then, her thin arms instinctively wrapped around his neck as she buried her face in his shoulders. Her soft lips brushed against the man¡¯s neck, causing his body to tense up in response. In the next second, she was lowered onto the ground. Unfortunately, because of the uneven ground, she stepped directly onto a protruding stone, and her entire body stumbled backward. So, the man reached out and wrapped his arms around her, preventing her from hitting the stone with his arms. Suddenly, the distance between the two closed; when he lowered his head as she raised hers, their faces were no more than an inch apart. Angele¡¯s breathing became rapid as she thought about how unreal this was. She was reluctant to push him away but did not dare to grab the opportunity to make a move as well. The two of them stayed in position for a while as they stared into each other¡¯s eyes as a hint of anticipation hung in the air. Of course, it didn¡¯t help that she gulped when she lowered her gaze at the man¡¯s thin lips. She was considering whether she should pick up the courage and kiss him again. A cold wind blew mercilessly at this time, messing up her long hair and making her shiver. Under the moonlight, the man¡¯s sharp gaze fell onto her face. ¡°You¡¯re shivering, and you still want to stay?¡± Ang felt like she couldn¡¯t let this opportunity go and wrapped her arms around his neck before pressing her lips to his. Almost instantly, she removed herself, took off, and ran, looking like a runaway rabbit. But because this was a rocky hilltop, she stepped onto a stone before running two steps and fell. ¡°Ah!¡± She let out a cry as she sat down in pain. Richard immediately rushed over to her side to check on her. Ang was so embarrassed that she wanted to dig a hole and hide. This was a really horrible ending to their kiss. ¡°Why did you run?¡± He scolded in a low voice. She lowered her head, blushing. ¡°If I don¡¯t, won¡¯t I just be waiting to be scolded?¡± He didn¡¯t say anything as he moved on to check her foot with a shlight. Luckily, she wore protective sports shoes, which prevented her from getting hurt. When she noticed that he had ignored her, she felt that she had offended him again. She was so embarrassed that she couldn¡¯t even look at him. It was said that it would be easier for women to make the first move, but she felt that there was a chasm between them! Could it be that it was the other way around for them? Did she have to chase him across the mountains? ¡°Your foot is fine. Can you walk?¡± Richard asked seriously. Then, he noticed that her shoces were untied and ced the shlight aside before helping her tie them. Ang, who had her head turned, looked back and down at the man gently tying her shoce. He clearly cared about her and took care of her in everything he did, but why did he have to look like an emotionless machine? Did he not know that everything he was doing was making her misunderstand? After he was done tying her shoces, his phone shed in the dark, indicating that he had received a text. Then, he stretched out his hand and took his phone to check. This phone of his wouldn¡¯t have any spam. Anything sent to this phone was considered important information. Yet, when Richard opened the message, it was a series of texts from Annie. Immediately, he frowned as he read through them. Ang watched him read the texts with a stern face and stretched out her neck curiously to take a look. She wanted to know who had texted him and if it was a beautiful woman. He noticed that she was poking her head forward and instantly kept his phone in the pocket of his camouge jacket. Ang was stunned for a few seconds when Richard instantly kept away his phone like that; were the texts so important that she couldn¡¯t even steal a nce at them? ¡°Let¡¯s go back!¡± He stood up and said. ¡°Was that a girl that texted you?¡± She raised her head and inquired. Naturally, he did not need to answer her. Besides, he would call off his engagement with Annie once he returned. So, there was no need for Ang to know about it. ¡°Since you aren¡¯t denying it, then it must be true! It seems like there are quite a few girls that like you!¡± Ang eximed as she stood up, swinging the torch around and shining it into Richard¡¯s eyes. He reached out his hand and blocked it before saying, ¡°Be careful when you walk.¡± She actually did that on purpose because she felt a little ufortable that other women were texting him. He was looking at the messages so seriously, and when she nced at it just now, she noticed it was a long text. That woman might be confessing to him. And Ang¡¯s guess was correct; Annie did send a long love-sick text to Richard! Ang was strolling ahead as she was in no rush to go back. On the other hand, Richard was frowning as he trailed behind her. A woman¡¯s heart was like ss; he did not know how he upset her. As she was walking, she suddenly noticed a big ck shadow on the treetops in front of her and scared her out of her wits. She immediately turned around and hugged the man behind her tightly. ¡°T- There¡¯s a ghost.¡± When he shone his torch in that direction, he saw that it was just a frightened monkey. Nevertheless, Ang still hugged him tightly, wishing she could hang herself on him. ¡°It¡¯s just a monkey,¡± Richard lowered his voice and assured her. At this moment, she also heard the monkey¡¯s cries; that noise in the dark also frightened her. Although she quickly let go of him, she did not dare to go far. Instead, she held onto his hand. ¡°I¡¯m scared. Let¡¯s hold hands and walk.¡± She didn¡¯t care whether he was agreeable to her arrangement or not. Nheless, she felt that there was still too big of a gap between them when they held hands, so she grabbed his arm instead, her whole body leaning onto his. Richard let out a sigh when he noticed that she was petrified. Therefore, he pulled away and offered, ¡°I¡¯ll carry you down.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Her eyes immediately lit up since that was what she really wanted. He didn¡¯t answer with words and merely squatted down in front of her as she made herselffortable by lying on his back. She felt safe being carried down as sheid onto his broad back. After that, the two worked together tacitly as Ang illuminated the road for him. It was not an easy task to carry her down the mountain, but Richard didn¡¯t falter the whole time. Although she enjoyed how he treated her, an envious thought grew in her. She thought that he would only carry one woman on his back in the future and no one else. ¡°Richard Lloyd, you didn¡¯t answer my question!¡± ¡°What question?¡± Richard cocked his head slightly. ¡°If another female target who needs your protection suddenly shows up, and if she is young and beautiful, will you treat her like how you¡¯re treating me?¡± Ang went to great lengths toe up with this hypothetical situation. He continued to ignore her and walked down the hill, step by step. Ang, who was on his back, stared at him with some resentment. ¡°Is it that hard to answer this question?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to answer such a meaningless question,¡± he replied faintly. ¡°It might not mean anything to you, but it does to me,¡± she blurted out. ¡°What does it mean to you?¡± He questioned quietly. She was rendered speechless by his blunt response. After all, she had never been in a situation where she would have to confess to a guy first. So, she vaguely said, ¡°You need to answer me first. Would you treat other girls like this as well? Once you¡¯ve answered that, I¡¯ll give you yours.¡± This way, she could hear what he had to say first. If he said yes, there was no need for her to answer him. Unfortunately, Richard remained stubborn and continued to ignore her. Angid her chin on his shoulder as she waited for a moment. When she saw that he was genuinely ignoring her, she took advantage of the dark and that there was no one around to whisper in his ears, ¡°Captain Lloyd, I actually like you quite a bit. Do you like me?¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. As soon as she confessed, Ang watched Richard¡¯s side profile as she waited for his answer. She waited for three seconds, ten seconds, a minute¡­ Three minutes¡­ They were already almost at the bottom of the mountain, yet he hadn¡¯t even answered her. At this point, she had given up. When she noticed that the ground was t, she couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°Let me down! I can walk by myself.¡± As for Richard, he didn¡¯t reject her and carefully ced her down. Under the moonlight, he locked his sharp eyes onto hers, but no emotions could be seen. Therefore, she wanted to walk past him silently, but in the next second, her arm was sped by a firm hand. Her heart began to thump against her chest. She almost allowed herself to be pulled by his force and into his embrace, but a cold male voice came into her ears in the next second, ¡°Don¡¯t waste your time on me. It is impossible for you and me to be together.¡± When she heard this, her face immediately flushed red before she turned pale again. Sure enough, she had been ahead of herself. This rejection was simple and gave no room for argument. ¡°To me, you are just someone I need to protect. That¡¯s all. There¡¯s no room to talk about liking each other here,¡± Richard added. Ang retracted her hands in embarrassment at his blunt rejection, pursed her lips, and endured a sense of grievance. At this moment, the monkey had returned to the branch next to her. It was probably attracted to the light as he began screeching next to her. This time, she did not react. Instead, Richard, who was beside her, wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his side, fearing that the monkey might attack her. Meanwhile, she lowered her head and looked at the arms that were holding her tightly. She realized that he was just protecting her as part of his job; it didn¡¯t stem from any interest in her. With her head still lowered, she quickly walked back to the base as she tried to widen the gap between herself and him. This was probably the only way that she would retain her dignity. This was the first time in her life that her confession to a man was rejected, and her arrogant self- esteem was utterly shattered. She finally rxed after she returned to her room and leaned back against the door. Although her face was painted with annoyance, she felt that she had done nothing wrong. She had just confessed to a man that she liked and was rejected. It was normal. Why did Ang have to drown in self-pity? Being rejected did not mean that she was not a likable woman! Forget it. It was time to sleep. Tomorrow morning would be another beautiful day. Ang admitted that she was not worthy of Richard. However, as shey in bed, her mind began to wander. Could it be that she was with Dexter before? Or was it that because she had shown her immense love for Dexter in front of Richard, making him feel that she was a fickle, flirtatious woman? After careful calctions, she realized that she had only been at the base for less than half a month. Yet, she had already confessed to Richard. How embarrassing! Ang thought about this again and again before calming herself down and deciding to let those feelings go and just be herself! Early the following day, Ang got up and went for a run. She wanted to do something to distract herself; she couldn¡¯t utterly focus on Richard like that. ¡°Good morning, Miss Meyers!¡± Trevor and Jared greeted Ang when they bumped into her. ¡°Good morning,¡± she replied breathlessly with a bright smile. It was evident that she was in a good mood, and this made Trevor and Jared exchange nces. They thought that the date they had arrangedst night made Richard and her take their rtionship to the next step! Ang couldn¡¯t help but ask when she saw them, ¡°Is it convenient for me to ask you a question?¡± ¡°Go ahead,¡± Trevor said, happy to help. ¡°Has your captain never had a girlfriend?¡± She asked directly. This made Jared burst intoughter. ¡°Miss Meyers, don¡¯t worry. Our captain¡¯s love life is as nk as paper. He absolutely does not have any exes.¡± ¡°Yeah! We¡¯ve been around him for so long, yet haven¡¯t even seen him around a female, let alone a girlfriend. So, you can pursue him without any worries,¡± Trevor added with a smile. Ang lowered her head and smiled shyly as bitterness filled her heart. Finally, she raised her eyebrows and replied, ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood. I¡¯m not trying to date him. I¡¯m just asking.¡± The smile on Trevor and Jared¡¯s faces froze as curiosity shed across their faces. Then, Trevor asked urgently, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Your captain is too good for me. I don¡¯t deserve him. Don¡¯t misunderstand us, and don¡¯t try to set us up, or it would be awkward for the two of us,¡± Ang reminded them. Running had made her hair loose, so she pulled out her rubber band; her long, thick hair swayed casually under the morning sun. This made Trevor and Jared stare. Her beauty was out of this world. Any ordinary man would fall for her if they looked a little longer. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go and continue my run.¡± She felt she hadn¡¯t run enough and pointed at the path beyond the mountain. ¡°I¡¯ll head over there.¡± ¡°Be careful, Miss Meyers,¡± Trevor prompted. Ang waved her hand as she ran into the morning fog. The mountain in the autumn, coupled with the falling maple leaves, was breathtaking. She sat on the stone beside her and noticed a fish swimming around her foot. This made her smile. This fish was kinder than someone else! Ang stayed here for almost the entire morning. She was unaware that back in the cafeteria, Jared and Trevor, who were about to get their food, realized that she did not show up for breakfast. ¡°Is Miss Meyers lost? Why isn¡¯t she back yet?¡± Jared asked worriedly. ¡°Exactly. She said she was going to jog up the mountain. She shouldn¡¯t climb it alone. That mountain is dangerous!¡± Trevor thought that Ang was adventurous and was afraid that she had climbed the mountain alone. ¡°Miss Meyers should be smarter than that,¡± Sean chimed in. ¡°Was Miss Meyers in a bad mood?¡± Willy asked as well. In the room, Richard, who had been quietly eating his breakfast, suddenly got up and left. The four men immediately looked at their captain, who had just sat down. ¡°Captain must be going to look for her!¡± ¡°I think he might have broken Miss Meyers¡¯ heartst night. When I met her this morning, she said that Captain was too good for her and that she wasn¡¯t worthy of him. ¡°How could she not be worthy? There are so many men after her,¡± Sean defended Ang. Willy, who was usually a man of few words, saw the bigger picture and gave the other three a nk look. ¡°What do you guys know? Look at what we¡¯re doing. We¡¯re all protecting Miss Meyers, even the Captain. So, how can he talk about his feelings here? It¡¯s precisely because he wanted to protect and ensure that Miss Meyers ispletely safe that he did not allow his personal affairs to affect his reasoning and judgment.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I seem to remember hearing from Richard that having a woman will affect his job efficiency.¡± ¡°That makes sense. So, it¡¯s not that the Captain doesn¡¯t like Miss Meyers. He just doesn¡¯t want to date her at the moment since we¡¯re working. I understand now.¡± ¡°It is also our top priority to keep Miss Meyers safe. But don¡¯t forget that great danger lurks behind her. So, we cannot take things lightly,¡± Willy reminded. At this moment, the other three suddenly felt a rush of enlightenment through their mind. The fog next to the mountain was still thick, clouding her view. Ang was in a daze when she heard footsteps approaching her. She turned her head and looked at the foggy path as her heart tightened. Who was that? Just as she was about to call out and ask, she noticed a tall, straight figure breaking out of the fog. Who else could it be other than Richard? This made her frown. Why did hee looking for her? However, her heart still hammered in her chest when she saw that he was here; she couldn¡¯t help but gently press her palm against her chest. Calm down. ¡°Don¡¯t stay out here too long. It¡¯s not safe,¡± Richard approached and reminded her. Ang nodded obediently. ¡°Okay. I know. I¡¯ll go back now.¡± He stood there momentarily and noticed that she did not move, so he suggested, ¡°I¡¯ll walk you back.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. Thank you. I want to sit down here a while longer. Captain Lloyd, don¡¯t waste your time here. Go do what you have to do,¡± she answered politely. Chapter 891-900 Chapter 891-900 Richard stared at her with deep eyes. He knew why Ang¡¯s attitude had changed. He knew thatst night¡¯s rejection made her keep a distance from him. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about what you saidst night.¡± He frowned, obviously not liking her politeness. She blinked at him as she pulled her long hair that had been scattered on the side of her chest back. Her hair was as ck as ink, making her small face extremely fair. Even her ears were fair and delicate. ¡°I should be the one apologizing, Captain Lloyd. I¡¯ve not been sensible. I kept bothering you. Please don¡¯t take it to heart. I know how to behave from now on, and I will not offend you again,¡± Ang said sincerely; she had figured outst night that feelings couldn¡¯t be forced. Richard¡¯s face turned a little gloomy for some reason, and he turned around, ready to leave. She watched his back with a bit of disappointment in her heart. Just as she was about to fall into a trance, he turned around and stared right at her with his dark eyes. Ang did not get to withdraw her gaze in time and quickly lowered her head in a panic to avoid his. ¡°We¡¯ll go back together,¡± he ordered. When she heard hismanding tone, she stood up reluctantly, walked past him, and took the lead to head back. For a while, she only focused on walking when a forked branch suddenly caught a strand of her hair. ¡°Ah¡­¡± She let out a cry in pain and quickly turned her head to see that she had hooked her hair onto a branch. So, she reached out to untangle it. Richard, who was behind, picked up his speed. Just as he was about to help her, she stopped him. ¡°Captain Lloyd, we shouldn¡¯t be too close. I can do it.¡± His hand stopped abruptly in the air for a few seconds before he retracted it. Ang held the branch and slowly pulled her hair out, bit by bit. Once she was done, she looked at the man standing beside her like a statue and pursed her red lips. ¡°You can go first! I¡¯ll take my time.¡± Once he heard her suggestion, he walked past her and actually left. As for Ang, she slowly took her time to return to the base. The moment she arrived, she went to her room to wash her face beforeing out. Trevor had already brought her breakfast. ¡°Thank you, Trevor. You¡¯re so nice to me.¡± She was genuinely grateful. ¡°Miss Meyers, all of us, including our Captain, are very nice to you.¡± He did not forget to sing praises about his captain to leave a good impression. Although she was caught off guard for a moment, she nodded. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re all very kind to me. Also, did you find that lipstick?¡± ¡°Not yet,¡± he answered truthfully. ¡°I really hope you find it soon, so I won¡¯t have to trouble you to protect me,¡± she wished aloud. ¡°In due time, Miss Meyers. Please be patient,¡± Trevorforted her. ¡°Thank you.¡± And with that, she headed back into her room with her breakfast. Once she was done, she took her dishes to the kitchen and passed the cafe. Then, she decided to make five cups of coffee and brought them on arge tray to the meeting room where Trevor and the rest worked. After she knocked on the door, she pushed it open and went in, only to see Richard sitting on the main chair while the four surrounded him. ¡°I made you guys coffee.¡± Ang smiled, acting like their assistant who was hard at work. The other four were a little ttered as they hurriedly got up and took the coffee cups from her. Finally, she put thest cup in front of Richard. ¡°Captain Lloyd, here¡¯s your coffee.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± he answered dispassionately. ¡°Miss Meyers, it smells delicious! Your coffee-making skills are amazing,¡± Sean praised. ¡± I learned how to make coffee abroad; I hope you guys don¡¯t mind. If you like my coffee, I¡¯ll make it for you every day in the future.¡± Ang had decided to take the initiative to find something to do to make her days more productive. ¡°That would be our honor,¡± Sean said with a smile. She, too, beamed back at him. ¡°I won¡¯t bother you any longer.¡± After she left, Sean was still in a trance, watching her walk away. At this moment, Richard let out a light cough, and Sean was quickly brought back to his senses, not daring to take another look. As Richard sipped on his coffee and realized that his other subordinates had it too, he suddenly felt that the cup of coffee in his hand wasn¡¯t nice anymore. Ang¡¯s coffee-making skills were excellent. Now, this mellow coffee wasn¡¯t limited to his tastebuds anymore. As Ang was busy cleaning her room, Trevor handed her an iPad, telling her she could pass the time by downloading as many movies as she wanted. This made her think that he was really considerate; although he looked unbothered, he was actually very thoughtful. ¡°Thank you, Trevor.¡± ¡°No problem. Just make us some coffee whenever you¡¯re free.¡± ¡°Okay. As long as I¡¯m here, I¡¯ll make all of you coffee every morning,¡± Ang said with a smile. With movies to pass the time, she did not have to go into Richard¡¯s room to borrow books. This also allowed her to avoid bumping into him. With that thought in mind, she decided to catch up on a drama. She indulged herself in a love story the whole morning, watching the beautiful love unfold between the characters and their happy ending. For some reason, she felt a little difort in her heart. Love that felt good was only in movies. Even if the hero and heroine suffered all kinds of torture, pain, and separation, they would always have a happy ending. They would walk away into the sunset and live happily ever after. She hugged her arms and buried her head as she thought of this. In reality, the rtionship between men and women had no set script. People who weren¡¯t meant to be would never be together. After that, she decided to stop watching romance movies, fearing it might identally hurt her aching heart again. In the evening, Ang decided to take a bath. As the public bathhouses were mostly for men, it wasn¡¯t very convenient for her to do so there. So, she had no choice but to head toward Richard¡¯s room. When she went to pick out her pajamas, she realized that all but one silk pajama had been sent for washing. It was a long dress she had not worn because of its inconvenience. But tonight, she had no choice but to wear that. In fact, this nightgown was made ofce. Although it was just a long dress, it had the design of pajamas. Ang decided that she was just going to wear it. Then, she knocked on Richard¡¯s door with her clothes in her arms. ¡°Come in,¡± a male voice called out from inside. Ang pushed the door in and saw him sitting on the sofa, reading, with a book in his hand. He was obviously done with his work and was rxing. ¡°I want to take a bath. Am I bothering you?¡± She looked at him with bright eyes. ¡°No.¡± He raised his head to reply to her but soon lowered it to continue his reading. At this moment, she felt their interactions weren¡¯t as casual as before. Instead, it felt a little awkward and restrained. Despite that, she brushed it aside, closed the door, and walked to his bathroom. Soon, the sound of water followed and disrupted Richard, who was reading outside. He closed his book directly as his long fingers reflexively caressed his lips. His eyes were unfocused as he was lost in thought. More than 10 minutester, the bathroom door opened, and Ang stepped out in her silk pajamas. Her long wet hair hung around her ears loosely, and her little face was a little pink. This whole scene looked a little amorous. When Richard turned his head to look at her, his pupils shrunk. Was this woman going to wear this? She didn¡¯t know what he thought as she held a basin with her dirty clothes in her hands, then she nced at the man on the sofa and announced, ¡°I¡¯ll get going now.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± The man stopped her in a low voice. This made her pause in her steps as she turned to look at him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything else to wear?¡± He questioned in a slightly angry tone. Ang looked down at her pajamas and asked, ¡°Is there something wrong with my pajamas?¡± There was nothing wrong with it. It was just that this pajama provoked a specific sort of imagination. The drapey fabric showed her graceful figure, and there wasce embroidery on the front of the dress, all colored in burgundy. Although the hem of the dress was up to her knees, the nightgown was held together by a belt, which would make people wonder what was under it Richard reached out, picked up a camouge coat from his sofa, walked over, handed it to Ang, and commanded, ¡°Put it on and go back into your room.¡± When she saw the coat, she realized he wanted her to go out conservatively, but she did not think it was necessary. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, thank you.¡± She shook her head as she held onto the basin before turning to leave. Just as she took two steps, her shoulders were grasped by him as he draped the oversized coat over her, forcibly covering her up. This made her a little frustrated; this man was too overbearing! ¡°I said, it¡¯s okay.¡± Nevertheless, Ang refused to ept his care, probably because she still had some resentment in her heart toward him. Richard said it was impossible for her to be with him in this life, so why did he care about how she looked? She was about to shake off the coat when a warning voice sounded above her head, ¡°I dare you to try and take it off.¡± She looked up in fright to see him staring at her expressionlessly as if he would punish her for going against him. Then, Ang squinted her eyes, feeling a little angry. She took off the coat in front of him and threw it on the sofa before she said, ¡°Captain Lloyd, what is the meaning of this? I won¡¯t be your wife in the future, so why do you care what I look like and who sees me?¡± Then, she did not forget to add a domineering sentence, ¡°I can wear whatever I like for whoever I like.¡± No matter how calm Richard was, in the face of this provocative and alluring face, his calmness was now mixed with a sense of annoyance. This woman was probably the only one who could rile him up this easily. Ang stared at his pair of dangerous ck eyes and was inexplicably frightened. For the first time, he was looking at her with this severe and oppressive gaze. It seemed like she had really angered him. ¡°Whatever. I¡¯ll stop teasing you now. I¡¯m leaving.¡± She decided to take her leave before things took a turn for the worse. Just as she was about to go out, he grabbed her wrist, and she was pulled into Richard¡¯s embrace with the basin in between them. His face was sullen as he draped the coat over her again without saying a word. The coat was so enormous that it was up to her knees, wrapping her slender body so well that there was no trace of her pajama. ¡°Wear it,¡± he ordered sinctly. Ang shot him a resentful look; this man was really domineering. She had already rejected his offer, but the man clearly didn¡¯t care about her opinions and made her wear the coat anyway. In the end, she could only leave with his coat on. Early the following morning, Ang changed out of her clothes and intended to return his jacket. When she knocked on the door, someone opened it, and that person was Richard. He was dressed in ordinary clothes, radiating the aura of an extravagant prince. ¡°Here, your coat.¡± She handed him his coat. Then, he took his coat without saying a word and closed the door with a bang, startling her. As she stood outside the door, her mind began to spin. This kind of man might not be able to find a girlfriend in this lifetime. As Ang wandered around, she noticed a ssroom that was teaching kickboxing. She stood in front of the window curiously and watched for a while. Then, she decided to walk in through the door. Her arrival made several young boys who were practicing shy and careless. One of them couldn¡¯t dodge in time and was punched by his partner. When she saw this, she couldn¡¯t help but stifle a giggle as she covered her mouth. This made the boy who was beaten scratch his head in embarrassment but did not dare to cry out in pain. ¡°Miss Meyers, you¡¯re here,¡± Dwayne, a man in his early thirties, came over to greet her. ¡°Mr. Dwayne, do you have time? I also want to pick up some self-defense,¡± she said sincerely. He was obviously willing to teach her when he heard this and nodded. ¡°Of course, I have time. As long as Miss Meyers is keen on learning, I can teach you some simple self-defense techniques. ¡°Really? Thank you so much,¡± she thanked him gratefully. ¡°All right,e on! I¡¯ll teach you two moves right now, and we¡¯ll see how good your reflexes are.¡± He was enthusiastic about teaching her. Ang had never triedbat sports before and appeared a little clumsy. However, her coach, Mr. Dwayne, adeptly sped her hand, stood behind her, and wrapped his arms around her, saying, ¡°Think of a way to fight back if I¡¯m the bad guy.¡± She didn¡¯t feel restrained because of such close contact, and the trainees on the side were enthralled watching her. At this time, Trevor happened to pass by the window, and when he heard the sound, he hurriedly nced over. The sight stunned him because he saw Mr. Dwayne hug Ang from behind on her waist before pressing her to the ground. Even though Mr. Dwayne was clearly teaching boxing, Trevor thought this was inappropriate! After secretly recording the scene for over ten seconds, he dashed toward the conference room. He rushed in front of Richard as soon as he entered the door. ¡°Richie, Miss Meyers is having boxing training with Mr. Dwayne. Please take a look.¡± Trevor showed Richard the video of Ang being pressed against her shoulder while Mr. Dwayne knelt on one knee on her back. After a while, Jared joined in on the fun, and when he saw the video, he envied Mr. Dwayne. ¡°I believe it would be more appropriate for you to instruct Miss Meyers, Richard,¡± Jared said. Richard¡¯s brow furrowed once he heard that suggestion; Ang must have had a lot of free time. ¡°Richard, take over Mr. Dwayne¡¯s job! This is something you should do. I¡¯m worried Mr. Dwayne will injure Miss Meyers if he uses too much force.¡± Trevor purposefully provoked Richard, making him leave. ¡°Yeah! If Miss Meyers sprains her slender arms and legs, she will have to rest for a month,¡± Jared added. ¡°Which training room is she in?¡± Richard asked, closing hisptop. ¡°It¡¯s located in the north,¡± Trevor responded quickly. With that, Richard stood up, pushed open the door, and walked out. Trevor and Jared trailed behind him to watch the fun as well. They were looking forward to seeing how Richie would train Miss Meyers. Before Richard could open the door, he heard Ang cry and moan as if she was being tortured. As a result, his brow furrowed, and his pace quickened. When Richard entered the training room, Mr. Dwayne had trapped her arms and waist while he coached her on methods to counterattack. Richard¡¯s eyes narrowed, and a look of displeasure shed across his face. He was aware that close contact was required for this type of self-defense technique, but the scene bothered him. ¡°Mr. Richard,¡± someone greeted. When Mr. Dwayne saw Richard approaching, he immediately released Ang¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Captain Lloyd, you¡¯re here.¡± The practice left Ang out of breath as this self-defense technique was challenging. She was already perspiring after only two training sessions. ¡°Mr. Dwayne, let¡¯s continue,¡± she said, looking at Richard, who had unexpectedly appeared. Dwayne was about to resume his training when he was met with Richard¡¯s piercing gaze. He was taken aback and immediately realized the significance of Richard¡¯s stare. As a result, he looked at his watch and eximed, ¡°Oh! I have another meeting to attend. Miss Meyers, I won¡¯t be able to train you, so I¡¯ll let Captain Lloyd take over. I have to leave right now!¡± Dwayne ran away after speaking. There were some scandals involving Ang and Richard in the base. As the training coach, Dwayne was naturally able to read the room. When Ang saw Dwayne leaving, she asked while rubbing her aching arm, ¡°Captain Lloyd, do you have time to teach me?¡± ¡°I can teach you as long as you want to learn,¡± Richard said as he nodded slightly. She smiled, remembering the tricks that Mr. Dwayne had just taught her. This is an excellent opportunity for revenge. I¡¯m going to kick his ass. ¡°Come on then! Teach me some moves.¡± Ang was eagerly weing him. She was willing to learn if he wanted to teach her. Trevor, who had just entered the room, looked around at the trainees who were enjoying themselves as they watched the scene y before them. ¡°Sorry, Richard wants to teach in private, so please leave,¡± he said in a rush. The students were excited to watch Ang¡¯s training but were now forced to leave. Trevor and Jared didn¡¯t stay long, carefully closing the door behind them. Ang realized it was Trevor¡¯s idea and felt powerless. ¡°Captain Lloyd, where should we start?¡± she inquired of the man before her. Her heart twitched slightly as Richard circled her, and all of a sudden, her slender neck was bound by his strong arms. She felt an intense pressure on her neck. She didn¡¯t expect him to start off with a spar, which caused her to feel pressured as her brain screamed that things were bing dangerous. ¡°Are you serious, Richard?¡± Ang inhaled deeply, feeling out of breath. ¡°Counterattack with any trick you can think of,¡± Richard said softly into her ear, his arm ckening slightly. At this point, Ang concentrated on recalling what Mr. Dwayne had just taught her, then raised her elbows to attack Richard¡¯s temples. Unfortunately, her move only worked for Mr. Dwayne, and did not work for Richard, who was tall. Even if she tiptoed and threw his elbow from the side of his profile, it would only be to the point of touching it and would cause him no harm. It would diminish Ang¡¯s strength if she had to face a man with ill intentions who was as tall as Richard. As such, she struggled in Richard¡¯s arms, but his sturdy arm around her neck was immovable. She didn¡¯t want him to look down on her, so after recalling Mr. Dwayne¡¯s exnation of the entire set of self-defense techniques, Ang eximed, ¡°I can use any method, am I right?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Richard hummed quietly. Right then, Ang lifted her feet to step on the back of his instep, but she missed as he had already predicted her moves. As a result, Ang flushed with rage and attempted to remove him from her person, but his grip was too tight, and she couldn¡¯t pry his finger off. She was left with only one option: headbutt Richard. Yet, Ang didn¡¯t manage to hit his chin, but it did hurt her neck. She couldn¡¯t help but hiss, and Richard, who had been holding her neck, finally let her go. A flushed Ang rubbed her neck as she looked at him in frustration. She was as frail as an ant in front of him. ¡°You have lightning-fast reflexes. So, let¡¯s keep going.¡± He praised her with a curl of his lips. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s continue. Come on!¡± Ang clenched her teeth and arched her brow. This time, Richard tried a different approach. He made his way toward Ang. When he was a few steps away from her, her breathing became rapid for a few minutes. Richard hugged her the next second, his strong arms wrapped tightly around her waist, and Ang remained motionless for a good second. She became tingly and numb all of a sudden. Is this the feeling of being vited? The scent of Richard¡¯s perfume and the contact with his body rendered her immobile. She was unable to portray disgust in front of him. On the contrary, his minty, cool-smelling hormone caused her senses to malfunction. ¡°What are you daydreaming for?¡± He inquired in a deep voice. Ang blushed as she regained consciousness. She struggled again, recalling what Mr. Dwayne had just taught her. She could jab the opponent¡¯s eyes, throat, or lift her legs and kick his genitals by turning around and hugging him. s, she didn¡¯t want to use these methods on Richard because she couldn¡¯t treat him this way. Naturally, he noticed her hesitance, so he let go of her and took a step back before staring at her with the seriousness of an invigtor. ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you? Why did you not fight back?¡± ¡°Forget about it. I don¡¯t want to practice anymore.¡± She sighed and lowered her gaze. ¡°You give up so easily,¡± he snorted when he saw her giving up so readily. Ang red at him upon hearing his harsh remarks, and she was annoyed that he looked down on her, so she lifted her chest and said, ¡°Who said that? I just don¡¯t want to hurt you.¡± Despite being famed for having a stone-cold face at all times, he couldn¡¯t help butugh when he heard this. ¡°It¡¯s not that I look down on you; you simplyck the ability.¡± Richard confronted her with the truth. Ang bit her lower lip in displeasure, her beautiful eyes narrowing in displeasure. ¡°Are you sure? Don¡¯t belittle me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m capable of facing a hundred enemies like you,¡± he boasted haughtily. Her face contorted with rage as she heard his words, as if she were being pushed into the mud by him. He was clearly looking down on her, which caused her to clench her fists tightly in response, and she was determined to prove herself. ¡°Come on. I¡¯ll make you suffer.¡± She clenched both her fists and took a step forward before getting into a fighting stance. Richard smirked as he looked at her pugilistic wonkery with his arms folded. At this point, Ang remembered that she was learning self-defense, so she coughed and said, ¡°Hug me again.¡± Then, he lowered his arms and approached her. He maintained his previous posture by wrapping his arms around her waist and lowering his head. Finally, she wrapped her arms around his neck and purposefully brushed her soft lips against his cheek. His pupils beneath the thick eyshes suddenly dted, and his usual calm and sobriety vanished in an instant. A hint of cunning gleamed in her eyes as she bent her knees, grabbed his neck, and kicked him in the most vulnerable part of his body. With her kick, she showed no mercy. Because Richard looked down on her, she umted resentment and power. Thus, he instantly felt great pain, and Ang¡¯s curiosity got the best of her; she wanted to look at his reaction, but her leg cramped up at this moment. ¡°Ah¡­¡± She frantically reached for something. Thus, he held her with his long arms despite his pain, but his body was unstable due to his agonizing pain. Both of them fell in three seconds, and he held her in his arms to cushion her fall on the hard floor. Ang was so terrified, and before she could regain herposure, she was already lying on top of Richard. He had one arm around her waist and the other palm on the back of her head. ¡°Did I hurt you?¡± she inquired anxiously as she recalled how much power she had ced in that kick. Richard¡¯s eyes were dark as he gazed at the woman above him. In addition to the pain of being kicked, he felt an uncontroble fiery urge surging within him. Ang was dressed in a sports suit, and they were separated by merely two pieces of clothing, allowing his erection to be seen. The moment she noticed his condition, her pretty face turned bright red. ¡°Get up,¡± Richard ordered hoarsely. She wanted to get up as well! On the other hand, her hands and feet were slow to react, and she sat up with difficulty while supporting Richard¡¯s chest. Unfortunately, she lost her bnce and sat back down once again, and her position was embarrassing to the point she wanted to throw up. As such, his eyes narrowed, and his pupils constricted. Is she doing this on purpose? She blushed and looked at him, but she didn¡¯t expect to meet his piercing gaze on her, as if he was about to burn her alive with his passionate gaze. Thus, she quickly scurried away from his torso and sat cross-legged aside. When he got to his feet, her lovely eyes darted around in a panic, not forgetting to nce at the body part she had kicked him. Richard, who had stood up, red at her angrily. He was training her on self-defense, not teaching her to seduce the opponent with her beauty. That trick of hers was a double-edged sword. ¡±You will only suffer if you don¡¯t train properly,¡± Richard warned her. ¡°I can¡¯t learn anything from you. I want Mr. Dwayne to train me.¡± Ang despised his coaching. How could she possibly concentrate on the training if he kept distracting her? Should she hold Richard, who was far too charismatic for his own good, responsible for her distraction? ¡°Stop the training if you don¡¯t want to learn,¡± he responded frigidly; his face had an inexplicably gloomy and ugly expression. At this point, she had alsoe to a realization that she was not built forbat training. After only half a day of training, her muscles were aching all over her body. ¡°Give me a hand,¡± she demanded as she reached out. Richard grabbed her hand and pulled her up. ¡°Uh¡­ Did I hurt you just now?¡± Ang asked awkwardly with a light cough He believed she had learned nothing but seduction and even yed this trick on him. ¡°If you have a reaction, it means you¡¯re not hurt,¡± Ang snickered, covering her mouth. Richard was speechless as he looked at her; she was undoubtedly shameless. ¡°Captain Lloyd, you have to be careful as well! Don¡¯t be blinded by beauty!¡± Ang warned him. He had no reason to be concerned in this regard because no woman had ever captivated him. She, of course, was the sole exception. She was about to move her arm when she felt a pain in her shoulder de, which caused her to hiss. ¡°Ouch! It hurts!¡± It was the arm that he had grabbed tightly in a hurry. Therefore, he had identally pulled her too harshly in his concern for her. ¡°Don¡¯t move. Let me take a look.¡± He approached her, gripped her wrist, and massaged her shoulder joints gently. Her joints appeared to be fine, but her tendons were most likely strained. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine after a few days of rest,¡± Richard said as he let go of her arm. Ang nodded and lowered her head, her gaze wandering. Out of the blue, he abruptly poked her head with his finger. ¡°What¡¯s so interesting?¡± he reprimanded quietly. ¡°What? ¡°There¡¯s nothing interesting to me,¡± she said, rubbing her aching head and taking a step back. He remained silent upon hearing her response, and his silence was clearly a dubious one. Since she had nothing to say, she turned around and left the room. She was always in a bad mood when she was with him. At this point, a ck off-road vehicle drove in through the back door of the base. When the car door opened, a young man and woman emerged. The man was dressed fashionably, and the woman was in an extremely sexy tight skirt; they looked at their surroundings in perplexity. ¡°Are we going to stay here?¡± the woman asked, disgusted. ¡°You¡¯ll be staying here for the time being, Ariel, Carlton. Please adhere to all the rules implemented for your own safety. We will notify you once both of you are both safe,¡± a man warned them sternly before leading them to the door. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault,¡± Ariel said, biting her lip and punching Carlton with a reluctant expression. Carlton, who was being hit, appeared helpless and coaxed her, ¡°Okay, okay. We¡¯ll take refuge here for a while to avoid the danger.¡± Ariel and Carlton worked as journalists. They went abroad to boost their performance, but they inadvertently filmed an international gang¡¯s arms trade, which the gangsterster discovered and were hunting down the duo. They had no choice but to flee back home to hide from the gangsters, which was how they ended up here. ¡°I hope this ce is safe, otherwise, we¡¯ll be dead.¡± Ariel still trembled when she remembered the incident where they were almost hunted down. ¡°It looks safe here, so rx!¡± Carlton reassured her. They were escorted to their rooms. After settling down, Ariel couldn¡¯t wait to visit the location, so she went outside and looked around the field. Two shadows appeared from afar in an instant. Her attention was drawn to the figures, and when she turned around, she saw two men walking in the flower field while talking, marching in her direction. The young man on the left piqued her interest. He was tall and attractive, with a hooked, aquiline nose and dark brows. He radiated extraordinary charm. Ariel¡¯s heart pounded like a drum in her chest. She never expected to meet such a distinguished gentleman here in a thousand years. He wasn¡¯t like the other men. He exuded a noble and extraordinary aura despite his youth. At first nce, he appeared unusual, and it can be seen that the other man treated him with respect. What¡¯s his name? What¡¯s his identity? She was no longer depressed; at the very least, she could get to know this attractive man better. Maybe there would be sparks ignited between the two of them, for she was an ambitious woman who would do anything to achieve her goals. When she noticed a young team member approaching, she quickly asked with a smile, ¡°Hello. Could you please tell me who that person is?¡± ¡°He¡¯s Captain Lloyd.¡± ¡°Captain Lloyd?¡± Ariel muttered to herself. At this precise moment, she noticed Captain Lloyd and his seniors were approaching, and she couldn¡¯t help but tuck her long hair, trying to look as attractive as possible while showing her amorous advances. Richard, on the other hand, paid no attention to her. As a result, when he passed by, she called out to him, ¡°Captain Lloyd.¡± As he heard someone addressing him, he turned to face her. Her heart raced even faster when she met his gaze. His gaze was both authoritative and powerful, piercing her to the core. ¡°Are you new here?¡± Richard inquired. ¡°Yes. I recently relocated here with my colleague.¡± Richard¡¯s senior, who stood next to him, had received the notice ahead of time and exined, ¡°Oh right! They were brought here and will stay here for a while.¡± Richard nodded as he continued his conversation with his superior. On the other hand, Ariel was captivated by him as he walked away. She used to think that men in suits and leather shoes were the most attractive, but now she believed that camouge clothing was the best-looking. ¡°He¡¯s so handsome!¡± Ariel couldn¡¯t stop herself fromplimenting Richard. At this point, Ariel noticed a figure who didn¡¯t belong there: a petite girl walking down the corridor, dressed casually in sportswear and with her long hair untied. She appeared exhausted and sluggish. Ariel¡¯s eyes narrowed at the girl calctingly. What is such a lovelydy doing here? Beautiful women were natural enemies. Ariel was already hostile and jealous when she first saw this girl. Carlton came over to cheer her up with her favorite snacks when she returned to her room, as he knew that Ariel was upset. As soon as he knocked on the door, Ariel, who was in a good mood, opened the door for him. Her face was bright and cheerful, with no trace of sadness. ¡°Why are you suddenly in such a good mood?¡± Carlton asked, surprised. ¡°Take a guess,¡± she responded as she pursed her lips. ¡°Didn¡¯t you despise it here?¡± ¡°I simply dislike this ce, but I didn¡¯t say anything about the people here. I just met the most beautiful man I¡¯ve ever seen in my whole life.¡± She sped her hands and ced them on her chest, and her lovely eyes twinkled. It was as if this ce was her hunting ground, and she would prey on the most powerful beast. Carlton looked at her with suspicion. He had grown to know her personality over the three years they had worked together. She only looked at the wealthy, and she would only marry the affluent. Yet, she desired to marry into a wealthy family because she was an ordinary girl. How could she possibly meet her true love in such a secluded area? ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Yeah! I saw the most attractive man I¡¯ve ever seen. He¡¯s not only gorgeous but also very noble. He appears to be the son of a wealthy family. You must assist me in pursuing him, Carlton.¡± With a commanding tone, Ariel instructed him. She was Carlton¡¯s superior as he was merely her assistant and subordinate. Furthermore, Carlton, who appeared innocent and gentle, had a weak personality, which made him easy to manipte. ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll try my best,¡± he said politely. To be frank, he had feelings for Ariel, but she never noticed him. Ariel underwent stic surgery to transform her ordinary facial features into a stunning face. With her sexy physique, she knew that she made heads turn whenever she went out. Even now, she considers herself a great beauty, screening and selecting men from all over the world in the hopes of finding someone who would make her wealthy for the rest of her life. On the other hand, Ang went back to her room. Her muscles were aching from today¡¯s training, which made her entire body scream. She stared at the ceiling, remembering how Richard had taken the initiative to hug her today. His embrace had a calming effect on her. While she repeated the scene in her head over and over, she became frustrated and wondered if other women would fall in love with him if he hugged them the way she hugged him. Richard must be the center of attraction for all females! Ang sat up, a little upset. What¡¯s going on with me? Why am I thinking of making Richard mine? Her mother has always provided her with whatever she desired ever since she was a child, so she had never been so eager to possess something. Today, however, she feltpelled to own someone rather than something. She copsed heavily on the bed once more, and her emotions were a mess; this feeling was so frustrating to her! She couldn¡¯t help but think back to what he had said: ¡®Please do not waste your time on me. We can never be together.¡¯ Her eyes welled up with tears at the thought. Was there someone else in his heart? Was that why he was so certain of their oue and that she couldn¡¯t make him fall for her no matter how hard she tried? She remembered the text message she identally caught a glimpse of; it was a paragraph of words. It must be a text from the girl he loves! Is it a love message? So, does he have someone special in his heart? Of course, but why did Trevor and Jared say that he¡¯s not in a rtionship? Could it be that Richard has a crush on a girl? Ang¡¯s heart tightened unexpectedly. The girl adored by him must be the happiest girl! Richard was a quiet and determined man; he would definitely cherish the woman he loved for the rest of his life! What kind of wonderful girl can be his sweetheart? She had finally figured it out. His only reason for rejecting her was that he had a crush on someone else. She was envious of his crush. She must have saved the gxy in her previous life to be loved by this man. Ang awoke in the evening to find that it was dinner time. The cafeteria was always open on time, and if she missed it, no food would be left for her. Therefore, she hastily tidied up and went to the cafeteria. Richard and his team were present at the time, which surprised her! At this precise moment, Ariel and Carlton stood in line at the cafeteria. Her gaze flickered back and forth at Richard¡¯s table. He was seated next to a group of young men. ¡°Follow me,¡± She instructed Carlton. She took her te and walked toward Richard after she finished speaking. She quickly sat down at Richard¡¯s table, and the other team members who were eating raised their heads when they heard a coy female voice. ¡°What a coincidence, Captain Lloyd!¡± Trevor and the other men turned their heads when they noticed a strange girl sitting beside Richard, smiling cheerfully at him. Jared only found out this afternoon that two people had been sent for asylum. He assumed it was the two people in front of him! ¡°You must be new around here! I heard you secretly taped an important arms trade video. That¡¯s incredible, ¡°Jaredplimented them. ¡°Don¡¯t bring it up, pretty boy. We tremble every time someone mentions it!¡± Ariel yed up her amicable persona as she chatted with Jared. After she finished speaking, she returned her gaze to Richard¡¯s attractive side profile. His determined expression made her heart skip a beat whenever she looked at him. Jared, who was sitting across from her, was watching Richard¡¯s expression. Jared now understood why Ariel fell in love with Richard at first sight: He was a stunner and had the skills to back up his looks. ¡°Captain Lloyd, please look after me in the future!¡± Ariel eximed. Trevor and Jared, on the other hand, exchanged nces. Richard was extremely popr with women! So quickly did an admirer arrive! With their captain present, there was no doubt that they were able to look at girls as well. Even Sean, the most attractive guy in their group, was disappointed. ¡°You¡¯ll be perfectly safe here.¡± Richard quietly consoled her. ¡°Yes! It¡¯s all thanks to you, Captain Lloyd, who¡¯s capable of keeping us safe!¡± Ariel praised. Ang, who was in the dining area, was taken aback when she noticed Richard and his team at their usual table. There was a girl dressed in a tight dress sitting next to Richard. She spoke to him with a shy smile on her face. Ang¡¯s breathing slowed for a few seconds. Could it be the girl he had feelings for? Did he invite her to the base? Even while sitting, the girl had a great figure, exquisite makeup, and a sort of wild beauty to her. She was blinking prettily as she looked at Richard with her smiley, crescent eyes. Is this his type? It was unsurprising for Ang to misunderstand; she knew very little about Richard, and Ariel was a stunning wild beauty. Compared to a good girl like Ang, who had been under strict control since childhood, Ariel was charming. ¡°Hi, Miss Meyers!¡± Trevor turned around and waved at her. Ang smiled at Trevor, who was at a distance from her. She then proceeded to Mr. Dwayne¡¯s table while carrying her dinner te. Mr. Dwayne was surprised when she approached him. She was, of course, weed to join him for dinner. ¡°Are you hurt today, Miss Meyers?¡± A concerned Mr. Wayne asked. ¡°I¡¯m not hurt. My entire body aches,¡± she replied truthfully. ¡°Just practice more.¡± He smiled reassuringly as he said. She gave him a bright grin and nodded. Then, she inadvertently looked across the long table in the direction diagonally opposite from her, and she happened to meet Richard¡¯s gaze at that moment. She quickly retracted her gaze after casting a nce at him, whose dark eyes looked at her for some reason. Then, she pretended to listen to Mr. Dwayne¡¯s words and stopped looking around. Ariel¡¯s gaze was drawn to Ang at this point, and she couldn¡¯t help but ask Trevor, ¡°What¡¯s the name of the girl you called just now?¡± ¡°Her name is Ang.¡± ¡°Is she also staying here for protection?¡± Ariel was intrigued. Trevor didn¡¯t want to reveal Ang¡¯s identity and the nature of her protection, so he smiled and said, ¡°She¡¯s here for a good time.¡± Carlton¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t leave Ang either. He was surprised to see such a beautiful girl here, and he could tell she was from a wealthy family thanks to his exceptional observational abilities regarding people. After Richard finished his meal, he immediately stood up and walked over to put away his tray. Coincidentally, Ang, seated next to him at the table, wasughing cheerfully. Her crisp, beautiful, soothingughter had captured the attention of the young men around her, and they were all turning around to look at her. Richard frowned slightly before ncing at Ang, who was beaming brightly, and then left. As a result, Ariel lost her appetite as she inquired of Sean, ¡°I¡¯d like to know if Captain Lloyd is married. Is he in a rtionship?¡± ¡°I strongly advise you not to pursue our captain, Miss Graham,¡± Sean suggested. ¡°Yeah. Richard has no time to fall in love,¡± Jared added to Sean¡¯s words. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Richard is very busy with his work, so please don¡¯t bother him, Miss Graham,¡± Trevor said. Ariel blushed, feeling embarrassed, but she grumbled her heart. I¡¯m free to pursue any man I want. Why should they care? After the men had ced their tes away, the men left together. At this point, Ariel¡¯s eyes were filled with rage, and she noticed Carlton staring at Ang, which aggravated her mood. ¡°Why are you looking at her? Is she as attractive as I am?¡± Ariel vented her rage at him. She was aware of his feelings for her, so she exploited them to manipte him. As a result, she was naturally irritated when she noticed him staring at other girls. Although Carlton refrained from responding to Ariel. He secretly thought that Miss Meyers was on a different level than Ariel regarding height, appearance, and aura; these were not qualities that any ordinary Jane possessed. Chapter 901-910 Chapter 901-910 Ang was actually quite moody. She didn¡¯t feel like eating so she didn¡¯t take too much food for herself. She finished her meal and left right after that. She was quite dejected and was about to return to her room with a downcast spirit. However, she didn¡¯t look where she was going and nearly walked into a pole. Luckily, at that moment, a guy¡¯s hand reached out to catch her elbow and pulled her away from the pole swiftly so she was saved from injuring her forehead. Ang then lifted her head and saw Richard¡¯s face appeared in front of her. Even under the bright, glittering lights, his sharp features were evident and unable to be softened. ¡°Thanks.¡± Ang expressed her gratitude politely. At that moment, she was annoyed with herself for her bad habit of not looking at where she was going. ¡°Richard, what a coincidence!¡± Suddenly, a coquettish woman¡¯s voice rang out from behind and the person called his name affectionately. Ang turned around to look at him and saw Ariel heading toward them with an enthusiastic look on her face. Ariel smiled sweetly at Richard beforeing to the realization of Ang¡¯s presence as she greeted Ang, ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Ariel.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Ang.¡± Ang revealed a slight smile. The girl had addressed Richard by his first name so they must be quite close to each other. As such, Ang was quite perceptive and she mentioned, ¡°I¡¯ll leave now to give you guys some private time together.¡± After Ang finished saying that, she initially intended to go back to her room but she suddenly had a whim and decided to walk in the direction of the front door. However, the night skies hadpletely darkened. Richard didn¡¯t even bother to cast eyes on Ariel, but he turned around to look at the figure at the doorway who had gradually disappeared in the distance. Subsequently, he shot a look at Ariel. ¡°You should go back to your room and get some rest. I¡¯m busy.¡± He finished saying that and strode briskly toward the front door. As for Ang, she walked slowly and arrived by the side of the sports field. She walked past a grassy patch and noticed a rock blocking her path. She lifted her feet to kick it aside but the rock was half- embedded in the ground so her kick did not dislodge the stone at all. Unfortunately for her, she injured her toe in the process. ¡°Ouch! Oh my goodness!¡± She bent down in pain and thought to herself, Everything¡¯s a mess! However, she was unaware that right behind her, about five meters away, a man had alreadye after her. She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she did not realize he was there. Therefore, the scene of her kicking the stone and injuring herself along the process was taken in by the man. He couldn¡¯t help smiling with a slightly resigned expression. This woman doesn¡¯t quite learn from her mistakes and she keeps getting herself into trouble! Ang noticed that there was a bench by the side, so she slowly hobbled over. Just as she was about to take a seat, she saw from the side of her eyes that there was a person behind her. rmed, she instantly turned around to look at him. She saw that it was Richard standing there with his arms crossed and she wasn¡¯t sure how long he had been standing there. Ang blushed bright red. He always seemed to pop up out of nowhere and ended up beside her as he watched while she made a fool of herself. He was always there when shended in an embarrassing situation, which made it annoying for her. Ang bit her lips and removed her sports shoes to check on her toe. Thanks to the kick that she delivered to herself, her toe was now swollen on the nail bed. She heard his approaching footsteps so she swiftly wore her socks again as she didn¡¯t n on letting him see her injured toe. After all, she didn¡¯t want to be ridiculed by him for deserving this. ¡°Captain Lloyd, why aren¡¯t you keeping Miss Grahampany? Why are you here?¡± Ang said this slightly huffily. Hearing this, he was slightly shocked. Then, he walked over to sit next to her. He kept his eyes on her foot that was without any shoes on. ¡°Did you injure yourself?¡± Ang acted nonchntly and put on her shoes. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. I¡¯m perfectly fine.¡± ¡°Next time, stop doing things that will hurt you,¡± Richard reminded her. If he hadn¡¯t caught her on time earlier on, she would have sustained an injury on her forehead. Ang ran a hand through her long hair. ¡°Thanks for your concern. Miss Graham is quite pretty. She¡¯s stunning and hot. You¡¯ve got a great taste, Captain Lloyd.¡± There was a significantly stunned look on his handsome face by then. However, he didn¡¯t get the chance to exin himself as Ang continued, ¡°She must be the girl that you¡¯re in love with, huh? I wish you guys a lifetime of happiness. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t bother you guys. If you can¡¯t trust me, I can get Sean to be my boyfriend so that there won¡¯t be any misunderstanding on Miss Graham¡¯s part.¡± Richard finally caught on to what she meant. Ang continued to chatter on without paying attention to him, ¡°I admit that I have some feelings toward you, but it¡¯s just some slight feelings, that¡¯s all. You don¡¯t have to worry about me going after you persistently. I wouldn¡¯t go to that extent.¡± All of a sudden, he realized that if he remained silent, she could go on and on. So, he decided to just remain silent to find out what she was going to say subsequently. She took a deep breath and turned around to look at the man next to her. She scrutinized him for a few seconds with her pretty eyes, after which she asked with a slightly annoyed tone, ¡°Are you staying in the same room with Miss Graham?¡± Richard continued to be silent. Suddenly, Ang felt as if there was a huge load on her chest and her eyes turned red-rimmed subsequently. She thought of him staying in the same room with another woman and holding another woman in his arms as they went to sleep together. Then, she reckoned that soon enough, she would probably see him showing his affections for another woman publicly. At that moment, she wished to get away from him as far as possible. She turned her face in the other direction dejectedly and said, ¡°Richard, can you send someone else to protect me? I don¡¯t need your protection.¡± ¡°Why?¡± the man next to her asked in a hoarse voice. Ang tried hard to suppress her emotions but suddenly, she broke down upon hearing his words. Her voice broke as she sobbed, ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to see you.¡± After she had said that, she lifted her hand to swipe at the tears on her face. At that point, there was a stunned expression on Richard¡¯s handsome face and he gently pressed his large palms against her shoulders. However, she didn¡¯t turn around to look at him but shifted her body and maintained a distance from him. Finally, Richard realized the severity of the situation so he stood up abruptly and came to her side. Under the lights, Ang¡¯s eyes were filled with tears and as she pursed her lips, her expression was full of destion. He felt a pang in his heart and his expression was one of anxiousness. Instinctively, he squatted down and reached out to stroke her face. Startled, she trembled slightly and looked at him confusedly until she realized that his rough fingers were indeed stroking her cheeks. She was stunned in ce and she wondered if this was a dream. Is this man actually wiping away my tears for me? ¡°Y-You should leave.¡± Ang realized that she should not let him continue doing that. After all, the woman he loved was there so he should not behave so intimately with her. Suddenly, Richard heaved a sigh. Subsequently, he stretched his arms and tugged her. An unsuspecting Ang was pulled up from her seat and her teary face bumped against his firm chest. She felt a firm arm wrapping itself around her waist and the back of her head was also firmly pressed. She was forced to remain in his arms with no other option. ¡°You¡­ Richard, let go of me¡­¡± She felt then that he was such a sc*mbag. His girlfriend was by his side and yet he was here taking the initiative to pursue her. Does he want me to be a sc*mbag like him? ¡°Are you dumb?¡± Suddenly, there was a low voice that rang out from above her head chidingly. Ang was instantly angered. How dare he scold me! She struggled hard to lift her head and as she did that, she met his dark eyes full of annoyance and frustration. However, she didn¡¯t realize that underneath all that, there was some other much moreplicated emotion hidden behind his eyes. He seemed to be trying hard to suppress his urges. Her eyes glittered with tears and to him, that triggered his anger very much. Richard was quite tempted to rap her on the forehead as he narrowed his eyes with annoyance. ¡°You haven¡¯t even figured out the truth and yet you¡¯ve started to tear up into such a state. Are your tears so easily spilled?¡± She found herself at a loss for words. What is he on about? I don¡¯t get it! ¡°Richard, what the heck are you trying to say? Just get straight to the point. Don¡¯t beat around the bush because I wouldn¡¯t get it. Also, don¡¯t you dare to scold me.¡± Ang red up all of a sudden. She didn¡¯t wish to appear as a clueless bimbo in front of him. ¡°Ariel just arrived at the base today and simrly, she is one of the people under protection to avoid triggering a sensitive matter. I didn¡¯t even know her at all before this,¡± Richard exined in a low voice. At that moment, Ang was rendered mind-blown and she remained in a dazed state for several seconds before covering her face with both hands out of embarrassment. She screamed repeatedly in her mind, I should just disappear from the face of this earth! This is so mortifying! Why do I keep doing such stupid, thoughtless things in front of him? Ang wished hard to be able to reverse time. However, suddenly, she felt a wave of emotions and she reached out to angrily pummel his chest. Stupid guy! He could have told me about that earlier. Why did he allow me to keep on misunderstanding the situation? ¡°Richard, you¡¯re such a pain!¡± Ang chided him angrily. Meanwhile, he looked at her resignedly and he could feel a headacheing. She persisted and tried her best to push the me on him, though. ¡°You could¡¯ve just told me about your rtionship with Ariel earlier. You need to change your habit of keeping silent all the time. If you keep up this bad attitude, I won¡¯t bother with you¡ª¡± Richard didn¡¯t even say another word and he grabbed the back of her head and exerted pressure as he pressed her head against his chest. Her chiding words became muffled as he held her in his arms. Ang finally came back to her senses and realized that she was in his arms and held tightly by him. She reached out as well and wrapped her arms around his waist tightly without hesitation. She smiled furtively in his arms and although she had embarrassed herself, at least he knew how tofort her. ¡°You mentioned earlier that you were going to get Sean to be your boyfriend, huh?¡± Suddenly, there was a cold, interrogative voice that rang out from the top of her head. Ang felt a cold breeze transverse across as she lifted her head up to look at his angry expression. She felt slightly aggrieved but she was keener to find out if he was actually jealous. ¡°Sean¡¯s quite handsome, gentle, and witty too. He¡¯s also quite kind toward me.¡± She tried to sound him out so she purposely heaped praises upon Sean. Poor Sean was unwittingly dragged into this and at the moment, he sneezed hard in his hostel all of a sudden as a wave of unease ran through him. Richard nced at the woman, who was currently in his arms and yet busy praising another man, and his eyes gradually reverted to his usual cold gaze. Ang bit her lips and didn¡¯t finish her sentence. She pressed her face tightly back into his chest without saying another word. She decided to stop talking and just focus on hugging him. At that moment, there was a squeaking sound of mice on the ground. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Ang leaped up and quite naturally clung to him tightly. Subsequently, he carried her into his arms. Her red lips curved up and there was a pleased look on her as she nced at his handsome face. She exined to him, ¡°Although Sean¡¯s great, personally, I¡¯d prefer someone like Captain Lloyd.¡± Her words were evidently a confession of her feelings. Richard, who was generally decisive, ruthless, and always had a cold look on his face, suddenly blushed slightly. However, it was too dark at night, so Ang didn¡¯t realize that. ¡°My foot hurts. Captain Lloyd, could you please carry me back?¡± Ang spoke coyly. He didn¡¯t turn her request down and he carried her toward the direction of the front door of the base. Just as they were about to arrive at the entrance of the base, she requested for him to put her down. She did that all for the sake of his reputation and didn¡¯t wish for him to be a topic of spection. He had quite a high position here and if everyone saw him carrying her around every single day then there would be plenty of rumors about him that arose. Ang was very pleased with his performance tonight. Although he had caused her to embarrass herself and confess her feelings, at least it had generated some response from him. ¡°I¡¯ll head over to your room to take a showerter. Is that fine?¡± She lifted her head and asked. ¡°Sure,e on over.¡± Richard nodded. She scanned from left to right with her pretty eyes and thought, The coast is clear right now. Is this the perfect time to sneak a kiss? ¡°Uh¡­ Lower your head. I¡¯ve got something to tell you.¡± Ang twisted her fingers and made a request with a slightly awkward look on her face. Richard did as told and he naturally lowered his tall body to lower his head and listen to what she had to say. However, as soon as he lowered his head, a pair of soft lips nted a kiss on his cheek quite swiftly. He was stunned and he turned around to nce at the girl who¡¯d taken advantage of him. At that moment, she stayed behind and didn¡¯t run away from him. Furthermore, she revealed a dazzling smile to him. ¡°Did you like that?¡± Then, there was a sh of tenderness in his eyes but he didn¡¯t say a word. However, the look in his eyes clearly spoke volumes and indicated that he was perfectly fine with her behaving without any restraint in front of him. ¡°I¡¯ll see youter.¡± Ang turned around and fled after finishing her sentence. Simply put, she could not look him in the eye due to her flushed face, so she had to run. She returned to her room, her heart pounding as she smiled foolishly. She had a sweet expression on her face as her eyes sparkled since she was thrilled. She felt that her rtionship with Richard had improved substantially. The aloof and indifferent expression on his face had vanished, and it was evident that he had enjoyed the sneak kiss she gave him earlier. Meanwhile, Ariel was throwing a tantrum in her room because she had just realized that no private bathroom was avable. Being a girl, she found the idea of having to use the public bathhouse to take a shower to be uneptable. She went to the management office to express her concern, but they told her to use the public bathhouse. She left the office in an inconsble rage and barely managed to keep her calm. It dawned on her that she wasn¡¯t the only female guest. Where does Ang take her shower? She certainly wouldn¡¯t shower in the public bathhouse. She wanted to find out where Ang took a shower so she could use the same bathroom. Ariel proceeded to ask around until she finally received the answer in secret from a male staff member. He informed her that Ang had a designated area for shower and that she had gone to Richard¡¯s private en-suite bathroom. They were currently located in the deep mountains, so resources were limited; everything was streamlined, and few people had the privilege of having an en-suite bathroom. When she heard that, her eyes lit up. So, Ang takes a shower in Richard¡¯s room, which means I can do the same. At that moment, she recalled that she had packed two slinky nightgowns on purpose when packing her clothes, and now it came in handy. Ariel returned to her room and hastily took out a nude pink nightgown from her wardrobe before picking out a long coat. She intended to wrap that around herself after she finished her shower as no one other than Richard could get to see her in a nightgown. She was not in a hurry to head to Richard¡¯s room at the moment because she hoped to stall for more time. Once everyone in this hostel block fell asleep, it would be much more convenient for her to make her way to his room. She pulled out a vanity mirror and began admiring her beauty. She took a closer look and concluded that the results of her cosmetic surgery were excellent because the scars from the operation were hardly noticeable. Shepared her new, refined appearance to the one she had before by moving her eyes, nose, and lips. Ariel could not help but think of Ang. Since she was so ustomed to visiting the stic surgeon¡¯s hospital, she was confident that she could tell if a woman had undergone cosmetic procedures at a nce. She was envious to learn that Ang was a natural beauty with perfect features. She also admired Ang¡¯s wless skin. Still, Ariel considered her merits and concluded that Ang was too brainy and didn¡¯t appear to be the type men preferred. On the other hand, she was flirtatious and seductive, and a single nce could easily win a man¡¯s heart. Furthermore, she was far more open-minded than Ang. Ang regained herposure in the room before grabbing her pajamas and heading to Richard¡¯s room to shower. She brought the same set of pajamas as before, with the addition of a robe for an extrayer of warmth. After all, it was getting colder outside. Inte autumn, the temperature significantly differed between night and day in a remote mountainous region. During the day, the temperature could reach sixty-eight degrees Fahrenheit, but at night, it dropped to forty-six degrees Fahrenheit. Ang sneezed a few times, possibly because she had caught a chill when she ran out of her room. Right now, she could feel her body getting colder. Please don¡¯t tell me that I¡¯ve caught a cold! Please, no! That would be awful. She couldn¡¯t help but think to herself. Ang went to Richard¡¯s room, put out her hand to knock on the door, and someone opened the door from the inside. He had just gotten out of the shower and was dressed casually. There were still some droplets of water on his dark hair. ¡°Did you just take a shower?¡± she asked shyly, still smelling the faint mint scent on his body. ¡°Yup!¡± He moved sideways to let her in. She sneezed twice as soon as she entered the room, leaving her slightly embarrassed. Suddenly, a large hand touched her forehead, and as she stood there in shock, she felt his palm press against her forehead twice. He said hushedly, ¡°You seem to have a slight fever.¡± ¡°Are you sure about that? I don¡¯t think so.¡± Ang felt slightly dizzy but didn¡¯t think that she might have caught a cold. ¡°Try and take a warm shower,¡± Richard instructed her. Ang nodded and headed in the direction of the bathroom. He¡¯s such a simple man, she thought as she pursed her lips and smiled in front of the bathroom mirror, looking at the water ss and electric shaver. The sound of Ang taking a shower was clearly audible in the room, and it distracted the man reading a book. Finally, he ended up putting down his book and rubbing the spot between his brows. At that moment, his cell phone pinged, and he received a notification of a text message. Richard took his cell phone and nced at it. Before he even looked at it, he had a rough idea of who it was. It was from Annie, who had recently sent him more than three text messages daily. The gist of her message was to confess her love for him and express her expectant feelings to meet up as soon as possible. Even though he didn¡¯t respond to that, her enthusiasm was not dampened. Right now, there was indeed a text message from her.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ¡°Richard, are you busy at the moment? I had a dream today, and you were in it. I was delighted. Could you send me a photo of you? I realize that I¡¯ve nearly forgotten how you look.¡± He was looking at his cell phone screen when he heard a sound from the bathroom. Ang was opening the door. Instantly after that, he made a silly gesture of flinging it aside. He threw his cell phone to the pillow on the couch by his side, swiftly picking up the book he had just put aside to read. Ang came out of the bathroom, and she caught a glimpse of him from behind as he sat quietly on the couch, reading a book. She put on her robe and walked in his direction. Her long hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and her soft hair was too hard to keep in ce, so some loose hair was strewn around her wless, milky-white face. She seemed to give out a charming aura all of a sudden. She was slightly thirsty, so she looked at the pot of tea he had brewed on the table and asked directly, ¡°Can I have some of your tea?¡± Richard nodded slightly, so she happily clutched onto his mug and drank the hot tea. At that moment, she felt as if life was perfect. She held his mug and observed him while sipping slowly. He could feel her lovely eyes locked on his face and body. She appeared to regard the man in front of her as if he were a perfectly sculpted statue. He felt uneasy with how she looked at him, as indicated by his handsomely unsettling facial expression. Eventually, he could not endure it and put down the book to ask with narrowed eyes, ¡°Why are you staring at me like that?¡± ¡°I enjoy staring at you,¡± she said with a generous smile. At that moment, Ang heard the notification of a text messageing from behind the pillow she was leaning on. She lowered her head to search for it, and at the same time, she reached out to grab the ck cell phone. However, a strong masculine body pressed against her at that moment, startling her. As soon as she regained herposure, she was half-lying on the couch with Richard on top of her. Furthermore, when she was caught off guard, he had already grabbed his cell phone, which she held in her hands. She was momentarily dumbfounded, but then she realized that he had given such a massive response because he wanted to grab his cell phone. Could it be that he has a message on his cell phone that he wants to keep hidden from everyone? After all, she couldn¡¯t look at it because he had a password set up. However, she was perplexed as to why he reacted so. His reaction mirrored the actions of someone who had something to hide. Ang sat up with resentment on her beautiful face and stared at him with lovely eyes. ¡°What made you react so badly earlier?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Richard had an unsettling expression on his handsome face. He had indeed reacted inappropriately earlier. ¡°Was it a text message from a girl?¡± she asked and her gaze fixed on him. He firmly denied it, ¡°No. She was then convinced that the message was sent by a girl. Suddenly, she became agitated. Who sent him that text message? Captain Lloyd, it appears that you have arge number of admirers. Where do I rank on the list? She laughed at herself. Richard checked his wristwatch for the time and saw that it was eight-thirty. He murmured, ¡°You should return to your room and get some rest.¡± Ang crossed her arms in front of her and made it clear that she was not going anywhere. ¡°I¡¯m not sleepy yet.¡± He nced at her with a slightly resigned expression. He realized he couldn¡¯t talk sense into this woman when she was being stubborn. ¡°Are you being pursued by another girl?¡± She was tenacious in her refusal to change the subject. However, Richard was hesitant to respond to her question. Furthermore, he didn¡¯t want her to know that the girl in question was her cousin, Annie. Nheless, he was adamant about breaking off the engagement. He wasn¡¯t worried that what he did might hurt his grandpa¡¯s reputation and nned to go through with what he had decided. After all, he didn¡¯t want to jeopardize Annie¡¯s future. He had never thought about his future with the girl in front of him because he had no intention of marrying in this life. Ang realized that he had not responded to her question since the start, and she felt quite dejected. She continued to take sips from his mug of tea, but suddenly, she choked on it. ¡°Cough¡­ Cough¡­¡± She clutched her chest in difort as she coughed hard. The choking sensation she felt was very ufortable for her. At that moment, she felt arge hand gently pat her on the back, and she finally managed to catch her breath. Her face was flushed from all the coughing, and she felt Richard¡¯s hand touch her forehead at that moment. She was quite angry, so she smacked his hand aside abruptly. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to show any concern, Captain Lloyd.¡± She angrily turned her back on him. The atmosphere suddenly became tense, and Ang turned her back on him, clearly expressing her displeasure. She suddenly heard him sigh, and he exined in a low voice, ¡°The person who sent me the text message is the girl my Grandpa is trying to set me up with, but I have no feelings for her.¡± Ang turned her head back to him, her eyes widening in astonishment. ¡°Do you have a fianc¨¦e?¡± ¡°She¡¯s just a girl I met once,¡± Richard emphasized. Ang, however, felt a sharp pain in her chest because, in his grandpa¡¯s eyes, that girl was already his fianc¨¦e, even though they had only met once. ¡°Are you going to marry her?¡± She couldn¡¯t stop the jealousy that welled up within her. ¡°No.¡± He shook his head with a determined look in his eyes. ¡°So, what¡¯s your n?¡± Ang seemed to be intent on pursuing the topic to get an answer. Richard didn¡¯t look the least bit annoyed. He gave her a solemn look before responding, ¡°Once I¡¯ve completed my mission to protect you, I¡¯ll speak with Grandpa about breaking off the engagement. I will personally apologize to the girl¡¯s family.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about hurting the girl¡¯s feelings?¡± She sighed and felt sympathy for his fianc¨¦e. He remained silent for a few seconds. Ang has no idea that her cousin Annie is the girl she¡¯s referring to. ¡°Stop being upset because I can handle my own problems perfectly.¡± Richard no longer wanted to talk about this matter. He was willing to exin things to keep her from overthinking and bing upset. She came to her senses and realized how easily her jealousy could be triggered. She blushed at that moment. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll stop being upset.¡± There was a knock on Richard¡¯s door, and Ang quickly inquired, ¡°Is that Trevor and the others?¡± He went to the door to answer the knock; just as he had only pushed it open halfway, Ang heard Ariel¡¯s voiceing from the outside. Ariel said, ¡°Hi, Captain Lloyd. I was wondering if I could use your shower if it¡¯s okay with you.¡± Her voice was sickly sweet and flirtatious; it was definitely a seductive tone. Ang¡¯s lovely eyes dted as she wondered, What?! Is Ariel nning on taking a shower in Richard¡¯s bathroom? She soon realized that there was just a public bathhouse avable. Ariel must have inquired around and discovered that Ang was taking her shower in Richard¡¯s room, which was why she also wanted to use it. She was possessive and didn¡¯t want any other woman to enter Richard¡¯s room but her. ¡°No, it would be inconvenient,¡± Richard said dismissively. ¡°Captain Lloyd, I heard Miss Meyers showers here as well. Please allow me to utilize it. You let her use your bathroom, so please let me as well. After all, I¡¯m a girl, and using the public bathhouse would be dangerous.¡± ¡°It¡¯s very safe here,¡± Richard instantly rebutted. ¡°Captain Lloyd, you should be fair to me as well. I promise I¡¯ll just take a shower here and not do anything else. After I take a shower, I¡¯ll return to my room.¡± Ariel¡¯s voice sounded quite pitiful as she pleaded. Meanwhile, Ang, who was seated on the couch, could no longer stand it and stood up abruptly to head to the door. Richard had originally left a gap in the door so that Ariel wouldn¡¯t be able to see her in the room. Nheless, she emerged unexpectedly right in front of Ariel. ¡°Miss Graham, it isn¡¯t convenient at all, alright?¡± Ang spoke with a smile. At the moment, Ariel blushed, and she clearly didn¡¯t expect Ang to be inside his room. She smiled forcefully and asked, ¡°Miss Meyers, why would it be inconvenient? We¡¯re both girls, so you should be sympathetic to my predicament, right?¡± She thought to herself, Richard¡¯s the owner of this room. Ang doesn¡¯t have the right to stop me from using the bathroom! ¡°I am sympathetic to your predicament, but I can¡¯t let you use the bathroom.¡± ¡°Why are you allowed to use it, but not me? Captain Lloyd gets to make the decision?¡± Ariel couldn¡¯t control her emotions, and her tone was quite provoking. Ang blinked and reached out to affectionately cling to Richard¡¯s arm. She then turned her face toward his shoulders and said, ¡°Because I¡¯m his girlfriend, I¡¯m obviously allowed to use the bathroom. Miss Graham, don¡¯t you realize we¡¯re in a rtionship?¡± Ariel¡¯s eyes widened as she was stunned beyond words. Oh, no! Ang got ahead of me and won Richard¡¯s heart. ¡°I-Is that so?¡± she replied awkwardly. Meanwhile, Ang gave a firm nod. ¡°Yes. So, Miss Graham, you should shower somewhere else. Don¡¯t interrupt my boyfriend and me while we enjoy our evening together.¡± Ang reached out to close the door after saying that. She noticed Ariel had a slinky nightgown draped over her arms and was obviously here under the guise of taking a shower. Nheless, she intended to use this opportunity to seduce Richard. This man will be a source of concern for me in the future! The door closed behind them, but Ang clung to his hand and refused to let go. She smiled at him as she lifted her head. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind that I ruined your love prospects.¡± ¡°When did you be my girlfriend? Why wasn¡¯t I made aware of this?¡± Richard asked with his eyes narrowed. She tilted her head and smiled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you know I became your girlfriend tonight?¡± He was momentarily speechless. She noticed that he did not respond, and she couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°If you remain silent, then I¡¯ll just assume that you¡¯ve agreed to that.¡± Ang happily let go of the arm she was clutching and said to him, ¡°Captain Lloyd, do you have any snacks? I¡¯m hungry.¡± He didn¡¯t have any snacks in his room, but he could arrange for the kitchen staff to prepare something for her if she so desired. ¡°What would you like to have?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t satiated during dinner time, so I wanted something piping hot. Can I have some instant noodles?¡± Ang asked. ¡°Hold on.¡± Richard then took his cell phone and dialed a number before telling the person on the other end, ¡°Once you get the noodles ready, just send it to my room.¡± She asked out of curiosity, ¡°Who did you call?¡± ¡°Just be patient, and your meal will be ready soon.¡± He didn¡¯t bother to answer her question. At that moment, Ang felt a warm, fuzzy feeling rise within her. He may be a man of a few words, but he¡¯s very efficient in his ways and full of patience for me too. Meanwhile, Ariel went outside the door to the public bathhouse to take a shower before returning to her room. She was still extremely frustrated. Ang¡¯s earlier words were grating on her ears, and Ang seemed gloating about her sess, which made Ariel ufortable. Her upbringing fostered apetitive streak and her determination to pursue whatever she desired, be it a position or a man. She would give it a shot as long as she was interested. ¡°Ang Meyers, you shouldn¡¯t be so arrogant. Perhaps one day, your man will be mine.¡± Ariel gazed at herself in the mirror and revealed a smug and self-assured grin under the light. She just wanted a win against Ang; whether she could be Richard¡¯s girlfriend was never part of the equation. As she was locked up here, her life was boring, and it was about time to find something interesting to do. Ten minutester, Ang was eating a bowl of fragrant noodles¡ªit was all thanks to Richard¡¯s privilege that the cook took the trouble to make her an extra bowl of noodles at 9.00PM. Despite that, Ang was still very grateful to the cook. ¡°Do you want some?¡± she asked Richard, who was sitting on the couch. ¡°No, thanks.¡± He wasn¡¯t hungry. The sole reason why she was starving was because of him¡ªAriel was sitting next to him previously, causing her misunderstanding to deepen so much that she had lost her appetite for dinner and couldn¡¯t stomach anything. After Ang was done with her meal, she began to clean up the dishes, but he stopped her from doing that. Instead, he checked the time on his watch and thought it was time for her to go to rest. She looked around the ce with her beautiful eyes and subsequently fixed them at his neat grey bed; she looked as if she was pondering something. Regardless, Richard saw right through her and refused directly, ¡°You can¡¯t upy my bed.¡± Ang pouted when she heard his refusal. ¡°What a petty man.¡± This woman knows nothing about pettiness, he thought. If she really slept with him on the same bed, he would have trouble falling asleep the whole night! He noticed earlier that she had a low fever, so he stepped forward and put his palm on her forehead. Fortunately, her temperature was normal again. ¡°Sleep in your room. Remember to cover yourself with the quilt at night,¡± he reminded her patiently. She nodded and returned to her room obediently. She was pleased tonight¡ªhis attitude toward her changed again, and finally, she became his girlfriend. The moment she had that thought, she immediately pped her own head. Argh, no, Ang! Before he cancels his engagement with his fianc¨¦e, you will only be his friend. Ang suddenly felt sorry for the fianc¨¦e; even if it was the elders who arranged the engagement, no matter what, that girl was still Richard¡¯s fianc¨¦e. She could not stop wondering what kind of girl the fianc¨¦e was, but seeing her actively texting him, she must have fallen in love with him! Her mind slipped into a tangle of emotions yet again when she thought of that. Little did she know that the girl she felt sorry about was actually her cousin, Annie, who happily informed Ang that she was getting engaged some time ago. That night, Richard still had difficulty falling asleep; his mind was full of Ang¡¯s teary face on the sports field, her voice, and herughter. He received a call from Arthur early in the morning. Arthur told Richard that he and his new wife, Sophia, were still traveling around the world, so the wedding that was initially scheduled to be held would be postponed for another three months. However, Richard happened to be on a mission now, so the fact that they dyed the wedding did not affect him the slightest. Meanwhile, in the Presgrave Group¡¯s general office in Averna, Anastasia, who had been going through early pregnancy symptoms, finally felt a little better. She had been pregnant with her second child for four months and was pleased to know that the child was very healthy. She and her husband, Elliot, had been eagerly looking forward to the birth of their daughter. She was wearing a long loose dress which also happened to cover up her belly, so to unsuspecting outsiders, her figure still looked as slender as a girl. With her long, naturally wavy hair reaching her waist, she exuded a feminine aura. Perhaps it was because she was pregnant, she also had the luster of maternal love, and with that, her beauty doubled. Elliot ended the meeting ten minutes early just to spend more time apanying his wife. Who would have thought that this elite who was decisive in all the business decisions would one day be a clingy husband? As soon as he arrived at the office and saw an empty couch, he frowned slightly. ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°Mrs. Presgrave went downstairs to the atelier for work after receiving a call,¡± replied Rey. Elliot was speechless upon hearing that; he had already hired the best manager for her, yet she was reluctant to rest during the pregnancy period. He turned around and stepped in the direction of the elevator. In the bright and spacious office of the atelier, Anastasia was sitting in front of the desk reviewing a contract she had recently negotiated. Under her management, the Bourgeois Jewelry Atelier was now considered one of the favored luxury brands, and her customer base had a more extensive consumer base than before. Anastasia was very satisfied with the prospect of thepany growing in her hands. She loved the jewelry industry and hoped she could achieve big things here. The door was pushed open just as she was reviewing the contract attentively. At once, she knew it was her husband; he was the only person who coulde in without knocking on the door. She raised her head and saw his handsome face tinged with slight annoyance. As she smiled, she did not forget to tease him. ¡°Has anyone owed you money recently?¡± ¡°What¡¯s more important? Your job or your body?¡± he reprimanded in a low voice but simultaneously reached out and embraced her. She knew he loved her dearly and did not want her to be too exhausted when she was pregnant, yet she found that sitting around the whole day doing nothing but nourishing the fetus was too dull for her, so she had to find something to do to pass the time. She returned the embrace by wrapping her arms around his neck and appeasing him with a kiss. ¡°I know. I¡¯ll stop working, okay?¡± As soon as Elliot heard that, he wrapped his arms around her waist while his tone softened. ¡°I ordered lunch from the restaurant you like the most, and in the afternoon, we¡¯ll go out and rx for a bit.¡± Since they were married, the man had been pampering her; even more so now that she was having his child again, she was regarded as his queen. He would not let her work any harder than she should and even repeatedly reduced his workload to apany her. ¡°But I just want to be at home,¡± replied Anastasia. She reached out to tidy up her husband¡¯spel; he was not wearing a tie today, which revealed his sexy corbone. She took the opportunity to touch it, and he could not help but smile. He noticed that his wife had been taking more initiativetely. As he thought something was brewing in the air, she suddenly said, ¡°Oh, wait a minute, I need to talk to Mason about something. Give me ten.¡± This annoyed him, but he tried not to show it. Nevertheless, she sensed his emotions as she quickly wrapped her arms around his waist again and acted charmingly. ¡°Are you feeling jealous, President Presgrave?¡± Elliot didn¡¯t bother trying to hide his emotions any longer; he held her in his arms and nodded. ¡°Yes, I am.¡± It was only natural that he would be jealous if his wife approached any male except him. Who knew that she merely reacted by patting him in aforting manner as she said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Just some work. I won¡¯t be long!¡± After she finished talking, she pushed open the door and left, leaving him alone. He started tugging on hispels out of frustration. Despite his clear annoyance, he still looked sexy and morous just by doing that. She returned after a while and saw her husband sitting in her seat. His noble appearance always made her heart flutter, but they had been restraining themselves because of the pregnancy. Nheless, his charm had always fascinated her. The moment he saw that she was back, he stood up and held her hands naturally.¡±Let¡¯s go!¡± Anastasia was sitting on the couch in the cozy vi restaurant listening to the sound of chopped vegetables in the kitchen. She was flipping through thetest fashion magazine, and across the most conspicuous part of the front page was herst season¡¯s jewelry show; contentment shed across her eyes when she saw how far she hade. She ced the magazine down and got up to the kitchen; her husband, who had just returned home to cook lunch for her, was wearing a white shirt and a gray apron. As he was busy in the kitchen, the high- quality handmade shirt revealed the lines of his muscr back muscles; it was a picturesque view that showed strength and beauty could coexist without a sense of incongruity. She wrapped herself around his waist lovingly and tucked her head under his arm, and noticed that he was preparing her a nutritious and delicious sd for lunch. Due to her being at her early pregnancy stage, she became extraordinarily picky. She would not eat any delicacies; the only food she would eat was the sd with a sauce prepared by him, which she absolutely loved. Elliot fed her a fresh cucumber, and as she bit it with her mouth, she inadvertently touched his fingertips with her red lips. Naturally, he felt her lips brushing against his fingertips and instantly looked at her with his deep gaze. Of course, she noticed the look he shot at her and smiled coyly at him with a look. Something shed across his eyes; she began seducing him ever since she became pregnant, knowing well that he couldn¡¯t do anything to her. Every time she seeded in arousing him, she would stop and look at him innocently as if she never intended to do so. However, he knew full well that she was doing this on purpose. If Anastasia were not pregnant, Elliot would not hesitate to stop whatever he was doing and carry her upstairs for some intimate time. Regardless, he was not easily fooled. He turned to face her with one hand wrapping her waist and the other holding a cherry tomato. ¡°Do you want this?¡± asked Elliot in an enticing manner. Her eyes immediately lit up; she loved cherry tomatoes. However, due to their height difference, she tiptoed, and just as she leaned over and opened her mouth to eat it, the cherry tomato disappeared in front of her. Instead, she saw his face approaching hers, and before she realized it, she was kissed by his domineering thin lips. She was annoyed when she realized he was teasing her; it was as if she wanted him to take advantage of her. Admittedly, though, it was her fault for not learning from her previous mistakes. He was a master at affectionately entrapping her, and he would kiss her until her legs went weak. Luckily, she had a talisman now, so he could not do anything as he pleased. Nheless, the overflowing sweetness between the couple was like a dose of sugar added to their life, tempting and alluring. Finally, Elliot let go of his wife, only to see her blushing and panting in his arms. She pressed her head against his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat, and a sense of peace arose in her heart. ¡°How about you get some rest now? Lunch will be ready soon. If I identally starve my two babies, I will feel distressed,¡± he said with a satisfied smile. Anastasia obediently left the kitchen and waited for lunch to be served after hearing his suggestion. Soon enough, he came out with her favorite lunch and apanied her to eat. ¡°My jewelry appeared on the cover of a magazine. Since there will be an awards ceremony this Friday, I¡¯m thinking of presenting the awards to my designers.¡± But, as the boss, she felt it would only be meaningful if she awarded them in person. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°We managed to achieve so much this time and even received several foreign orders. The credit goes to Mason, and I need to him treat him to a meal¡ª¡± ¡°Mrs. Presgrave!¡± Elliot angrily interrupted her as soon as he heard the name ¡°Mason¡±. In his wife¡¯s mind, Mason was a conscientious subordinate, but he knew well that Mason¡¯s efforts stemmed from his unrequited love for his wife. Anastasia blinked her beautiful eyes and saw her husband was so irate that he even put down the spoon. She hurriedly went over to his side, sat on hisp, and wrapped her arms around his neck. She coaxed him gently, ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t treat him. I will just give him a bonus.¡± Only then did Elliot realize he was being too petty; of course, he knew that his wife only loved him, but the name ¡°Mason¡± had subconsciously triggered his jealousy. ¡°Okay. How about we invite him to a meal together?¡± As he stroked her hair, his gaze softened a little. Anastasia could not help but snort when she heard that. ¡°Forget it! You¡¯re way too intimidating. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll scare him off.¡± He held her so that she could sit on hisp steadily. ¡°Am I that scary?¡± She sized him up; perhaps, in the eyes of ordinary people, he was scary due to his stern and invible temperament, but he would always be her favorite. She lowered her head and kissed his brow. ¡°I love the way you are.¡± At that moment, the way she looked at him became lustful. His heart skipped a beat as he looked into her eyes, and his voice became a little husky. ¡°Why are you looking at me this way, Mrs. Presgrave?¡± Anastasia blinked her beautiful eyes. ¡°I want you to cuddle me and take a nap together.¡± Elliot scratched the tip of her nose lightly. ¡°Are you trying to challenge my restraint?¡± She smirked and pretended to be innocent. ¡°I¡¯m just asking for a cuddle.¡± Eventually, he caved as he could not reject her request at all. ¡°Dum dum, are you trying to make me go crazy by c*ckblocking me?¡± heined in a low voice, and his ck eyes were full of lust. Even though it was mushy and made her speechless, she loved that he called her ¡°dum dum¡± because he was the only person in the world who could call her by this nickname. It was morning at the base. It was early in the morning at the base, and Ang was putting her dried clothes in herundry bag when she bumped into Ariel, who had alsoe to dry her clothes. Suddenly, Ariel blocked Ang¡¯s way and asked, ¡°Ang, what did you do to get in here?¡± Chapter 911-920 Chapter 911-920 Ariel was using an interrogative tone toward Ang because Ang was three years younger than her. Ang was 24 years old this year, whereas Ariel was already 27. ¡°You misunderstood. I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. I¡¯m just staying here for a while,¡± Ang answered calmly. ¡°Are you and Captain Lloyd really dating? From what I heard, you aren¡¯t lovers.¡± Ariel was so angry aboutst night that the first thing she did in the morning was to inquire about Ang and Richard¡ª only to find out that they were just flirting with each other. They had never publicized their rtionship status. ¡°How would others know about our personal affairs?¡± Ang did not want to be pestered by Ariel, so after she finished talking, she turned and was about to return to the dormitory. Ariel could not help but turn her head and gaze at Ang¡¯s back. ¡°I quite like Captain Lloyd.¡± Ang was upset when she heard Ariel¡¯s deration and turned to look at Ariel with a visibly dismayed look. Naturally, Ariel caught her expression and asked arrogantly, ¡°What¡¯s with that face? Are you the only one allowed to like him and no one else?¡± Ang was reduced to silence for a moment before she replied with a smile, ¡°Then, I advise you not to waste time; he won¡¯t like you.¡± She was not sure what had transpired, but at that moment, she was absolutely sure about what she had said. Ariel obviously did not think Ang¡¯s reply was convincing, so she smiled confidently. ¡°Nothing¡¯s ever certain. How do you know that Captain Lloyd won¡¯t ever like me?¡± Arielbed her long hair using her fingers to reveal her delicate makeup; under the sun, Ang could see that Ariel had a stunning face. When Ang was faced with her beauty, she felt anxious. After all, she was only worried because she did not know Richard well. Besides, she and Richard had just started making some progress, and it was easy to fall into a state of emotional unease at this stage. As such, she left without giving Ariel a response. Until Richard gave her enough security, or if they knew each other better, Ariel¡¯s words would be a thorn in the flesh for Ang. Ang went back to the room and sat there for a while. During her time here, there was no entertainment and noise from the outside world; there were only quiet mornings with the sounds and scents of nature. Then, she left thepound to go for a walk along the path leading to the mountain spring pool. She picked wildflowers, tied them into a bouquet, and yed with them in her hand. Suddenly, she heard a chirping sound from above. She could not help but look up and see a hatchling with just fuzzy feathers entangled by tree vines. One of its wings was caught in the vine and could not be pulled out. The hatchling might have identally fallen from its nest at the top of the tree, and now it was making helpless and pitiful chirping noises. It was apparent that it had been struggling there for a long time but could not save itself. Even if it managed to entangle itself from the tree vine, it would fall to the ground and never be able to return to its nest. ¡°Poor little guy.¡± Ang ced the bouquet down on the grass, and her first thought that popped up was to save it. She looked at the tree pole as she thought of how to rescue the baby bird. Unfortunately, the hatchling was at least three meters from the ground, so she had no choice but to climb the tree to save it. There were many tiny tree knots under the thick tree pole, which aided her in climbing up. She didn¡¯t hesitate to climb the tree as she could not just sit there and watch the hatchling struggle in vain. She stretched her hand to cling to the trunk quite awkwardly and stepped on the small knots to move upwards. Her heart skipped a beat when she nced up to determine its position again. It seemed that she had to climb onto a diverged tree branch before reaching it. ¡°Little guy, give me a little more time, okay? I¡¯ll be able to save you soon,¡± she spoke in aforting voice while cautiously climbing upward. The branch was thick but had no vines between her position and the hatchling¡¯s. She had no choice but to climb to another higher branch; she needed to leverage herself to walk on a branch under the one she had set her sights on. She walked across the branch carefully and soon arrived at where the hatchling was. At that moment, she gave up clinging to the branch above, slowly lowering her body and hugging the branch under her feet shakily. Then, she reached out to untangle the hatchling¡¯s wings. The little guy immediately spread its wings and jumped to the ground. As Ang witnessed the hatchling fall in front of her eyes, she got so terrified that she instinctively reached out her arms to catch it. However, her conditioned response did her no good; not only was she not able to catch it, but she also slid down. ¡°Ahhh¡ª¡± At once, she hugged the tree pole tightly. The hatchling fell onto a thicket of small trees; on the contrary, she was the one who was in distress. She lowered her head and stared at the ground, not daring to let go of the tree pole and jump down ten feet for fear that she might hurt her bottom or sprain her foot. But then, she was stuck clinging to the tree pole. Now what? What should I do? Her grip strength was by no means on par with a gymnast, and it was evident that she would not be able to support herself for much longer. She could only think of one single way to rescue herself from that situation¡ªshe must call for help. Hopefully, her cry could attract a kind passerby toe to her aid. ¡°Help! Help! Someone please help me!¡± The damsel was in distress. At the same time, the team that had just finished running was lining up on the sports field. Richard, the team leader, suddenly heard a faint cry for help. Moreover, he quickly realized that the voice belonged to Ang. As soon as this thought crossed his mind, his pupils constricted, and in the next second, he was already rushing in Ang¡¯s direction. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Mr. Richard? Where is he going?¡± ¡°Not sure. He¡¯s heading toward the mountain spring¡¯s direction, though.¡± ¡°Could it be that something has happened to Miss Meyers? Hurry up! Follow him!¡± Trevor and Jared left the lining team at once and followed in the same direction as Richard. Meanwhile, Ang was still clinging to the tree, trying her best to utilize her fading strength. She could feel that she was getting exhausted, and she might fall any time soon. She kept on crying for help. ¡°Help! Anyone!¡± Just when she was on the brink of giving up, she picked up a patter of footsteps. Oh, praise the Lord! Finally, someone heard her calling for help! She looked in that direction, and just around the corner, she saw a man running. Richard! From afar, he could see Ang clinging to the tree, and his heart tightened suddenly. ¡°Richard!¡± Ang eximed in joy andpletely forgot the peculiar situation she was in; she let go of the tree pole and fell down the next second. ¡°Ah¡ª¡± It was almost at the same time as she fell that he moved swiftly toward her, opened his arms, and caught her firmly. Richard nced down and saw her pale face as she was so terrified. Before she could react, she was already wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. Knowing it was Richard, she refused to let go of him; she happily hugged him and ¡°Can¡¯t you try to live a peaceful life?¡± He could be heard panting heavily; it was evident that he ran as fast as he could. Listening to his strong heartbeat, Ang looked up; she felt sorry for making him feel worried, and she wanted topensate him in her own way. She held his face with both her hands and pressed her red lips against Richard¡¯s thin lips of her own ord. Immediately, he felt his body turn tense as he was not expecting such a move from her. She looked into his eyes innocently and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry! Don¡¯t be angry, please¡­¡± But the kiss did not do the trick¡ªhis gaze did not soften and was sharp as a knife. Hmm¡­ Shall I give him two kisses then, since one was not enough? While she was pondering upon her next move, he freed one of his hands which was holding her waist, and ced it at the back of her head. He applied some force, and her face moved in his direction; as she got nearer, he kissed her in such an overbearing manner. Ang was taken aback by such a strong response from him. The way he kissed her carried some element of punishment¡ªhis tongue was domineering as he tried to despoil every part of her mouth. She was blushing, and her breath was chaotic. It was the first time he initiated a kiss; it was domineering and tough, just like his usual way of doing things. What was even more equivocal was that he carried her with one hand¡ªa man without enough arm strength could not hold on to this position for long. At the corner, Trevor and Jared arrived to see the man and woman kissing while bathing in the morning light. Trevor and Jared were dumbfounded; it turned out that they need not run all the way to help out, looking at how ¡®romantic¡¯ the situation was. By the way, what on earth is Mr. Richard doing? He never showed interest in women before. The pair looked at each other and decided to leave silently¡ªthe scene of them forcibly showing off their romance in the presence of two single men was not what they were willing to see early in the morning. The morning light cast ayer of halo on Richard and Ang. He finally let go of her, and as she was feeling shy, she continued burrowing her face in his neck. It was only after a while that she raised her head, looked at him tenderly, and smirked. His handsome face was also a little red from the shyness, but he did not avoid her gaze. As he sized her up and gazed at her soft red lips, he even wanted to continue where they left off. He was actually shocked by his own behavior just now; he was not able to control his desire to kiss her. His restraint and wit disappeared, and he could only focus on the alluring woman in his arms. ¡°Put me down,¡± Ang requested. Richard had no choice but to obey, and just as he was about to give her a hand, he saw her immediately turn around and squat down, looking for something. ¡°What are you looking for?¡± he asked in a low voice. ¡°There¡¯s a hatchling that still hasn¡¯t grown enough feathers. It was entangled by a vine. When I tried rescuing it, it fell somewhere around here,¡± she said anxiously. He was made speechless. He would have never thought she climbed a tree disregarding her safety, just to save a bird. Had he not heard her cry for help, she would have fallen from the tree, and at that height, she would definitely hurt herself. Suddenly, Angughed. ¡°It¡¯s here!¡± She stood up, carefully holding the hatchling in her hand, only to see it palpitating its short white feathers. ¡°Aw, how cute is this?¡± she asked while holding the hatchling closer to him. As Richard was unaffected by such cuteness, his expression remained cold, and he ordered her solemnly, ¡°Don¡¯t ever disregard your own safety anymore in the future. Nothing is more important than your life.¡± Hearing that, she bit her lip, and she immediately took the hatchling back into her arms for fear that he would crush it to death in a second. Predictably, his voice was icy. ¡°Throw it away.¡± She nced at him, feeling wronged. ¡°Why? It doesn¡¯t make sense! I took the trouble to rescue it, and now I have to throw it away. You see, its nest is right there on the tree.¡± As she was saying that, she pointed at the clearly visible bird nest on the branch. Following her hand, he looked at the nest and then nced at the woman who was looking at the nest eagerly in front of him. Don¡¯t tell me she wants to climb the tree and put the bird where it belongs. Richard made a decision at that moment; he was going to choose the lesser of the two evils. He stretched his hands and tried to take the bird away. ¡°Give it to me.¡± ¡°What are you trying to do? You can¡¯t kill it!¡± Ang was certain that he was going to do that. ¡°I¡¯ll put it back to where it belongs.¡± His voice softened a bit. ¡°Promise me that you¡¯ll not kill it.¡± She needed his assurance before handing the hatchling to him as he still looked fierce. ¡°I promise,¡± he said in a low voice while looking a little helpless. With his assurance, she carefully ced the hatchling on his palm; she saw him hold the bird and walk toward the tree pole. Seeing that he was about to climb the tree, she hurriedly said, ¡°Be careful.¡± She had to admit that his tree climbing skill was quite good; in a blink of an eye, he had already put the bird back to its nest, and from that position, he jumped to the ground. Ang was dumbfounded. Is he a monkey? ¡°Let¡¯s go back!¡± Richard nced at her and walked along the path that would lead them back home. It was only then did she realize the reason he was angry just now; he was worried about her safety and took his anger out on the hatchling; instead, she med him for being cruel. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about what happened just now,¡± she apologized and hung her head in shame. As he heard that, he halted his steps and turned around, causing her to bump into him. Just as she was about to take a step back, his arm wrapped around her waist domineeringly. She raised her head, and her eyes met the gaze of another pair of eyes that were as deep as night. She could almost see the glittering light at the bottom of his eyes. ¡°Promise me that you won¡¯t risk your life so easily next time,¡± hemanded in a deep voice, serious and firm. It was the first time Ang had received such a demand that it imprinted onto her soul. She nodded and said, ¡°I promise.¡± ¡°Your life is very important,¡± said Richard, emphasizing once again. It felt like he was confessing to her. As she bit her lips, the woman looked down and asked, ¡°Is my life that important to you?¡± His voice reverberated above her as he said with conviction, ¡°Yes.¡± Her heart pounded when she heard that, so Ang threw herself into his embrace and hugged him. ¡°Alright, I will make sure to be safe and not let you worry ever again.¡± Surprised, he paused for a few seconds but quickly looked down at the girl in his arms and gently caressed her head. His dark eyes were filled with conflicting thoughts of restraint, affection, and anticipation. Ang still had her head down. If she had raised her head, she would have seen the emotions in his eyes. Right at that moment, footsteps were heard behind them and she left his embrace to keep her distance. He pulled a face at her withdrawal and stared ahead as his two teammates walked in. When they rounded the corner, they were scared upon seeing Richard and Ang standing there. After noticing the glower on Richard¡¯s face, they let out a dryugh. ¡°W-We¡¯ve made a wrong turn. We¡¯ll be on our way now!¡± Both of them bumped into each other as they scrambled to leave. Ang could not hold it in andughed out loud. It seemed like they were more awkward than she was. She then grabbed onto the hand of the man beside her. ¡°Let¡¯s head back.¡± Richard let her lead the way back. She walked happily in front of him as if she had conquered a mad lion and felt an odd sense of aplishment. However, Ang let go of him when they reached the entrance of the base. She did not want to let the others know they were dating and be the center of attention, after all. ¡°You¡¯re back, Captain Lloyd!¡± Ariel wore a red bodycon dress and looked like a red rose, making her look especially eye-catching. It was obvious she was trying to get Richard¡¯s attention. When Ang saw that, she became angry and tried to grab the man¡¯s attention as well. ¡°Captain Lloyd, I heard you¡¯ve got lots of books in your room. It¡¯s really boring here. Can I go to your room and borrow a few?¡± Ariel asked earnestly. Ang chuckled. ¡°He doesn¡¯t have the time for that. What do you want to read? I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, Miss Meyers. I can get them myself,¡± Ariel muttered unhappily. ¡°It¡¯s not convenient for you to enter my room,¡± Richard replied to Ariel coldly as he guided Ang away with his hands on her shoulder. He did not even spare a moment to look at the other woman. Defiance shed in Ariel¡¯s eyes as Richard¡¯s reaction only triggered herpetitive side. She would not give up as she believed that all men would fall to their knees before her. On the other hand, Ang did not return to her room and instead hung out in Richard¡¯s room while he went to a meeting. She could not sit still; she would be on the couch, but momentster, she¡¯d sprawl across the bed or lie on her stomach while smiling to herself. All she could think about was Richard¡¯s kiss this morning, and she called it his ¡®dominant kiss¡¯. He was domineering and rough, but she liked it a lot. As she recalled the kiss, she could not help but burrow her face in the sheets and giggled like a schoolgirl. However, as soon as she came to her senses, she propped her head on one hand and started to worry. Richard was engaged; what she did had crossed a line, and she felt guilty about it. As long as he had not broken off the engagement, she was in the wrong. Meanwhile, Richard was having an online meeting with his subordinates in the conference room. On the wall, the projector was showing the scene of another meeting area. Inside, there were people of different ages discussing a new emergency. ¡°Captain Lloyd, we¡¯ve got orders that you can¡¯t join this mission,¡± one of the older men said. ¡°Why is that so?¡± Richard narrowed his cold eyes. ¡°It¡¯s an order from above. We didn¡¯t ask for the specific reason.¡± He shut his eyes for a short while and pondered. An order from above¡­ Grandpa has retired, though. Who exactly is meddling with my mission? ¡°Alright, you guys go ahead with the mission. Report to me immediately if there¡¯s any progress.¡± ¡°Understood. We hope that Captain Lloyd believes in our abilities toplete it exceptionally.¡± ¡°I do.¡± Richard nodded in approval. After the meeting, four of Richard¡¯s subordinates remained seated and stole nces at him as he was deep in thought. After a moment, he asked them to leave. ¡°Please leave the room. I need to make a call.¡± The four of them immediately stood up and left. In the quiet conference room, Richard was scrolling through his contacts and stopped on a number he had not contacted for a long time. Then, he called the number without hesitation. ¡°Hello!¡± A greeting came through. The man¡¯s voice was deep and maic, and he had an aura of superiority. ¡°Are you the one interfering with my mission?¡± Richard rubbed his brows and spat the question out. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re not fit for this mission.¡± ¡°Why am I not fit for it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s rted to your father¡¯s death.¡± His expression turned cold, and intense hatred could be seen in his eyes. The sounds of his joints cracking could be heard as he clenched his fists on the table. ¡°Let me join the mission.¡± Richard took a deep breath and pleaded with the man. ¡°No can do,¡± answered the person determinedly. Furious, Richard sprang up and shouted into the phone, ¡°Uncle, this is my only chance of avenging Dad. Why are you stopping me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re the only son your mom has, and you are my only nephew. I can¡¯t let you be in danger,¡± the man answered him calmly. ¡°What if I don¡¯t agree to it?¡± ¡°If you disobey my order, I¡¯ll transfer you back here and swap your position into a sinecure.¡± Richard¡¯s eyes were filled with struggle and reluctance upon hearing that threat. He growled into the phone and said, ¡°Just because you¡¯re the vice president doesn¡¯t mean that you can threaten me like this.¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing this because I¡¯m your uncle. Even though I¡¯m only four years older, I am still your elder. There won¡¯t be any further discussion on this matter. I have a meeting to attend,¡± Richard¡¯s uncle said assertively and hung up the phone. Richard huffed and pounded his fist against the table, creating a crack in the sturdy marbletop. He gripped his hair and furrowed his eyebrows in pain. He looked at his phone once again and picked it up. After he found the number, he took a deep breath and made the call. ¡°Hello! Is that you, Richard?¡± A female¡¯s gentle voice came through. ¡°Mom, it¡¯s me. Am I disturbing you?¡± Richard asked softly. The way they spoke did not feel like how a mother and son would normally interact¡ªit was distant. ¡°No, I¡¯ve been hoping you¡¯d call! I¡¯ve missed your voice,¡± she replied with her lovely, soothing voice. ¡°Please ask uncle to stop interfering with my job.¡± Richard¡¯s sole purpose of calling was only because of work. ¡°It¡¯s not his fault; I asked him to do that. My only request is to stop you from joining missions rted to your dad.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I lost your dad. Do I have to lose you too?¡± Her voice was filled with pain and remorse. ¡°I want to go. Please let me kill that monster and avenge Dad.¡± ¡°Richard, that¡¯s exactly why I don¡¯t want you to go. You¡¯d lose your mind, good judgment, and even your life too,¡± answered thedy sobbingly on the other end of the line. ¡°I just want you to be alive.¡± Tears brimmed Richard¡¯s eyes as the sounds of his mother sobbing softened his vengeful heart. He comforted her and said, ¡°I promise you that nothing will happen to me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make it hard for your uncle, alright? He¡¯s justplying with my request.¡± ¡°How is Granddad?¡± Richard asked with concern. ¡°He¡¯s not feeling quite well after the surgery, so he¡¯s currently on bed rest. Come and visit him if you have time. He¡¯s been talking about wanting to see you.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll visit when I have time,¡± he answered. ¡°Richard, I heard from your grandpa that there are talks about an arranged marriage. Let me know when you are meeting her parents; I want to meet your fiancee as well.¡± At that, Ang came to his mind instead of Annie, but he had not thought about marriage yet. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about thister, Mom. I¡¯m not in a rush to get married.¡± ¡°Your grandpa is, though. You¡¯re not that young anymore¡ªyou¡¯re already twenty-nine.¡± ¡°Mom, I¡¯m still on a mission. I¡¯ll go home when I have time. Take care, alright?¡± Richard said hastily and hung up the phone before he could receive a response. He was only two when his father passed away. His mother decided to remarry into a noble family to save his granddad¡¯s business and became a well-known madam in the country. However, she did not give birth to another child and threw herself into charity work. Richard did not resent his mother because he knew it was tough for her, and she had no choice but to do what she did to help his granddad. Compared to his father¡¯s side of the family, his mother¡¯s side of the family was even bigger. His uncle was the vice president of apany, and his granddad held an important positionparable to that of his grandpa. Nheless, Richard never spoke about his family. Whatever he achieved today was all due to his hard work. At times, he wished he had an ordinary family so his parents would be by his side and lead a peaceful life. When he left the conference room, his four subordinates were drinking coffee in the lounge beside it. When they saw him leave, they gulped. It was obvious Richard was in a bad mood. ¡°Should we ask Miss Meyers tofort him?¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably better to let him have some time alone.¡± Indeed, that was what Richard wanted. He exited the base¡¯s entrance to get some fresh air outside. Not far away, Ariel spotted him. Wherever Richard stood, he would garner attention especially since he was tall and attractive. His charming aura made women flock after him with just a nce. Ariel tidied herself up a bit and gracefully walked toward Richard. ¡°What a coincidence meeting you here, Captain Lloyd!¡± she said with a sweet smile and tucked her hair behind her ear. Richard turned his head and looked at her. ¡°Can I help you, Miss Graham?¡± ¡°I heard the view over there is pretty nice, but I¡¯m afraid to go alone. Do you have time to apany me for a walk?¡± She looked at him pleadingly and tried to act cute. He pointed his finger at a passing teammate, and the young man ran over immediately. ¡°Captain Lloyd.¡± ¡°Keep Miss Grahampany and go for a walk there,¡± Richard ordered. The smile on Ariel¡¯s face froze, for she could not believe that he had asked a random person to apany her. She wanted him and did not need anyone else¡¯spany, after all. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Captain Lloyd. I¡¯ll just stay here and talk to you!¡± Ariel awkwardly refused. Impatience shed across his face at her disturbance. The man frowned and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have time to chat. It would be better for you to look for someone else.¡± With that, he turned in a different direction and left. Ariel stomped her feet and wondered what she was lackingpared to Ang. ¡°Miss Graham, do you still need me to apany you for a walk?¡± The young teammate waited with a smile on his face. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. You must be busy. Carry on with your duties.¡± Ariel did not want to waste time. The teammate got the cue and left her alone. Then, a plot popped into her mind as she looked in the direction Richard left. Ariel was familiar with the ce, so she decided toe from the other direction and make it seem like she merely bumped into him by chance. Meanwhile, Ang was getting bored inside the room. She looked at the time and realized it was almost time for lunch, but Richard had yet to return. Is he not done with the meeting? She opened the door and came out to see Trevor walking toward her. She then went up to him and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Captain Lloyd?¡± ¡°Hi, Miss Meyers. Has he not returned to his room yet?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°He left the conference room ten minutes ago, but he didn¡¯t look too happy. Perhaps he went for a walk.¡± Trevor took a guess. Hearing that, her eyes widened. ¡°He didn¡¯t look too happy? Why?¡± ¡°It might be because of his family, but we didn¡¯t probe into it, Miss Meyers. Why don¡¯t you look for him?¡± Jared suggested. They felt it was better if Angforted Richard. Guessing that he had gone out of the base, she turned around and ran toward the main entrance. When she arrived at the entrance, a teammate happened to walk in. She asked, ¡°Hi there, have you seen Captain Lloyd?¡± As luck would have it, it was the young man Richard had summoned just now. The man pointed in a direction. ¡°Captain Lloyd went that way.¡± Ang took a look and realized it was the direction of the practice field, so she sprinted there. At the same time, Ariel had out-nked the pathway Richard was on and saw his silhouette through the trees. She looked down and pulled her shirt, showing more skin. As soon as she found the right moment, Ariel ran out from a corner and screamed, ¡°Ah! There¡¯s a snake!¡± Right then, Richard made a turn as well. Since they were close, Ariel bumped into him and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. ¡°There¡¯s a snake, Captain Lloyd¡­¡± His face turned cold as he scrunched his eyebrows. ¡°Let go.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a real snake¡ªa big one! It¡¯s chasing me!¡± She was adamant about not letting go. She continued with her act in an attempt to kindle his empathy and protectiveness toward her. On the other hand, Ang was just around the corner when she heard a woman¡¯s scream. She ran out of the forest and saw two people hugging on the pathway¡ªit was Richard and Ariel. Stunned, Ang stared at them for a few seconds, but she quickly realized what was happening. Ariel was holding tightly onto Richard and not letting go. However, his hands were by his side, not touching her. ¡°Ahem!¡± Ang made a loud sound. Just as she made herself known, Richard pushed Ariel away at the same time. He was so rough that Ariel stumbled backward, lost her bnce, and fell on her bottom. She looked up to see Ang, and anger rose in her. Why is she here? Is she here to mess with me on purpose? On the other hand, Richard turned around to see Ang sauntering toward them with her arms crossed. A look of panic shed across his face, and he hoped she did not misunderstand the situation. ¡°It hurts, Captain Lloyd! Can you pull me up?¡± The pain caused Ariel to tear up as she pitifully begged him. After walking past Richard, Ang stopped in front of Ariel and extended her hand. ¡°Here, I¡¯ll help you.¡± Ariel was still in a daze from the fall. Seeing that Ang was being nice, she grabbed her hand and waited to be pulled up. Ang gave a tug for Ariel to support herself with a hand on her knee. Just when Ariel was halfway up, Ang suddenly retracted her hand, letting the woman fall again. ¡°Argh! You¡ª¡± Ariel¡¯s face turned red. Ang had yed with her and made her fall again. While feigning ignorance, Ang rubbed her hands and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My hands were sweaty, and it slipped.¡± ¡°You did it on purpose,¡± said Ariel angrily. ¡°Weren¡¯t you trying to seduce my boyfriend as well?¡± Ang righteously countered. Not expecting Ang to see through her n, Ariel refuted with a red face, ¡°What proof do you have? I saw a snake and only asked for his help.¡± Ang snickered. ¡°It¡¯s almost winter and the snakes are hibernating. Can¡¯t youe up with a better excuse?¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°You¡ª¡± Ariel¡¯s face continued to flush as she had never been so embarrassed before. It did not help that Ang kept making her look bad in front of Richard. Behind Ang was Richard himself, whose lips were slightly curved up. He did not expect her to see him as her boyfriend so assuredly. ¡°Please say something, Captain Lloyd. I don¡¯t want to be misunderstood.¡± Ariel whined at Richard, feeling wronged. Ang turned her head to look at the man behind her. Her eyebrows were furrowed, and the resentment was evident in her eyes; it seemed like she was ming him for letting another woman hug him so easily. Oh the other hand, Ariel realized that it was not graceful for her to sit on the ground. As such, she stood up while cing a hand on her waist to look frail. ¡°Miss Meyers, you need evidence before you make an usation. You can¡¯t just say what you want.¡± Ariel tried to defend herself. Ang looked directly at Ariel and warned, ¡°I¡¯m only letting you off just this once. Don¡¯t let me catch you trying to seduce my man again. Otherwise, I won¡¯t let you off the hook.¡± ¡°How so? Are you going to beat me up?¡± Ariel dropped the act and stood tall. She did not think that Ang was a match for her. Hearing that, Ang choked for a moment. As she was scrambling her mind for aeback, a deep male voice came through. ¡°Ariel, this is a base. You are in no ce to be so presumptuous, so keep yourself in check.¡± Richard stood beside Ang. His tall body and sharp eyes made him look majestic. He was a fierce beast, but he was also Ang¡¯s trusted support. Ang was also surprised, and she looked up at him. At this moment, the eyes that looked at her were so tender that they melted her heart. It felt great to be protected. Meanwhile, hatred boiled in Ariel¡¯s heart. She swore to never forget today¡¯s humiliation, for she had never been so insulted by someone. ¡°Captain Lloyd, I didn¡¯t mean that literally. I wouldn¡¯t dare fight at all. I can¡¯t even kill a chick.¡± Ariel quickly lowered her voice and exined herself. Since it was too awkward for her to stay, she turned around and left in a different direction. As she left, Ang turned around and asked Richard worriedly, ¡°I heard you¡¯re in a bad mood. What happened?¡± Richard blinked his eyes at her question. Did she run all the way here because I was in a bad mood? ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± He shook his head as he was never one to be emotional. She knew they were not at that stage where he would share his feelings, but she still felt dejected nheless. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to talk about it. I¡¯m here whenever you need me.¡± He felt lost, for she had misunderstood him. If he talked about his situation, it would only worry her. Her life had always been peaceful, and he did not want these dark things to haunt her. All his life, there were rarely unexpected situations, but she was one of them as she barged into his heart so unexpectedly. ¡°Let¡¯s head back,¡± said Richard. Then, he briskly turned around. Ang stood still and looked at him with forlorn eyes like a kitten who had been abandoned by its owner. He sighed and turned back around. After grabbing her hand, he walked forward while she followed suit. As they neared the base¡¯s entrance, she pulled her hand back when they met people. A momentter, they got their food trays and sat beside Trevor and the rest. Richard¡¯s subordinates were relieved to see their superior in a better mood. Indeed, it was the right decision to ask Ang to comfort him. However, Ang was still quite frustrated. She wanted tofort Richard, but he did not even tell her what happened. She could not do anything. After they were done eating, Richard asked Willy to meet him at the boxing gym at 3.00PM. He also made itpulsory for the other three to attend. ¡°Can I watch too?¡± Ang wanted to join in. ¡°Sure, Miss Meyers. Come and see how badly we¡¯d be beaten up by Mr. Richard,¡± said Jared jokingly. Ang¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What? Are you guys going to get beaten up?¡± ¡°No, not really. But we¡¯ve never won against Mr. Richard in a fight, so we¡¯d always get beaten up,¡± Jared said with a bitterugh. She wheezed at his words. After lunch, many went for an afternoon nap, but she wanted to hang out in Richard¡¯s room. She made two cups of coffee and went to his room. He was just making a call when he saw here in and whispered into the phone, ¡°I¡¯ll call you back in a bit.¡± Ang froze at the door with the coffee in her hands, for it felt like she was intruding on his space. ¡°I got you some coffee.¡± Ang walked in and ced the cup down. She took her cup of coffee and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go back to my room so that I don¡¯t disturb you. Please continue with your call.¡± She wanted to leave as she finished her words. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. My job requires me to keep the information confidential,¡± he exined. After mulling over it for a while, Ang nodded. ¡°Okay, I understand. I¡¯m not angry anymore.¡± She knew where Richard wasing from, but she was still a little upset. She wanted to know him better and enter his world, but the doors to his heart were shut tight with no way of opening them. It seemed like she only knew what was on the outside; she could see his appearance and personality, but she had no idea what was on his mind, and that made her anxious. Ang knew better than to stay, so she left. At 3.00PM, she arrived at the boxing gym and saw Richard and his subordinates already in their boxing attire. ¡°Sit here, Miss Meyers. I prepared some snacks for you to eat while you watch the match.¡± Trevor was being considerate as he guided her to a seat. She was helpless; it felt weird to snack while watching them getting beaten up. ¡°Hang in there, Willy! Help us exhaust Captain Lloyd even more so that we¡¯ll receive fewer punches,¡± Sean hollered at the side. Willy was fully-clothed most of the time, so Ang just came to realize he had a whole body of muscles and looked like an expert fighter. At the same time, Ang was worried for Richard. Even though he was slightly taller than Willy with a well-proportioned body, he was not muscr. However, he had strength hidden in him. ¡°Are you sure he can win against Willy?¡± Ang asked abruptly. Her voice reverberated in the gym, loud and clear. The other three subordinates¡¯ faces turned pale. What Ang said was encouraging Richard to fight even harder. They regretted asking Ang to watch, for they had set up a trap for themselves and evoked Richard¡¯s potential. Willy¡¯s already straight face tensed even more. With Ang there, Richard would fight harder than he usually would. Willy could not afford to be distracted. However, Ang sat there with an innocent face. She was tense for Richard as she hoped he would not get hurt fighting the four of them. ¡°Miss Meyers, did you manage to finish watching the movies I downloaded for youst time? If you¡¯re not done, you can go back and watch them.¡± Trevor tried to get her to leave. Instead, she shook her head and smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t want to. I want to watch you guys practice punching.¡± A mix of emotions shed across Trevor, Jared, and Sean¡¯s faces. Richard looked toward them and saw the girl looking at him full of smiles. Heposed himself and got ready to fight. ¡°Captain Lloyd, here Ie!¡± Willy roared and swung his iron fist toward Richard. Terrified, Ang almost dropped the snacks in her hands and shivered. Trevor immediatelyforted her by saying, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t worry, Captain Lloyd won¡¯t get hurt.¡± As Richard dodged Willy¡¯s punch, he noticed Ang¡¯s nervous face and smirked. He liked that she was worried about him. Meanwhile, Willy attacked ceaselessly. If it was an ordinary person, one punch would have taken them out. However, Richard swiftly dodged his attacks every time and returned a strong blow. His eyes were as sharp as a knife, and he did not hold back during the fight. Willy had been on the attack in the beginning, but now, he was being whacked in return, making him take several steps back. Richard¡¯s powerful leg attacks made him grunt, and it was clear he was beginning to tire out. ¡°Be careful, Willy,¡± Ang called suddenly. Hearing this, Richard¡¯s punch, which was originally aimed toward the side of Willy¡¯s neck, immediately retreated. Willy, on the other hand, was preparing to retaliate with a punch, so he wasn¡¯t going to falter even if Richard had done so. His fistnded on Richard¡¯s cheek, making the tall man stagger back a little before regaining his bnce. Ang was so frightened that her face went pale. She immediately got up from her seat and ran toward Richard as blood trickled from the corners of his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Richard,¡± Willy apologized. Richard wiped off his blood with his hand and replied calmly, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°You¡¯re bleeding.¡± Ang looked at him anxiously. Richard looked at Sean and said, ¡°You¡¯re up next.¡± Sean stretched his body as he walked over with a smile. ¡°Alright, Richie. I¡¯ming.¡± Richard immediately put a hand around Ang and pulled her into the safe zone. She dragged him to sit on a nearby chair, then carefully checked his wounds. Meanwhile, Trevor and Jared were whispering to each other. ¡°See, Richard was right. Women can actually affect the speed at which he withdraws his sword. If Miss Ang hadn¡¯t said anything, he wouldn¡¯t have gotten hit.¡± ¡°Exactly! See, his mood has improved after getting fussed over by a pretty woman.¡± ¡°He must like her a lot since her calling out was enough to affect his attack strategy.¡± ¡°Then, she must be his favorite!¡± ¡°Well then, is it safe to say that they¡¯re an official couple?¡± They nced at the opposite seats where Richard was tilting his head a little so Ang could check his injury. After all, even if Willy faltered slightly toward the end, his punch was very powerful. ¡°I¡¯ll get some ice for you,¡± she said to him and ran off. As she grabbed some ice from the kitchen and walked out of the base, she saw him walking toward her with a swollen cheek. She panicked and asked him, ¡°Why are you here? I¡¯ve already prepared the ice pack.¡± ¡°You can apply it in my room,¡± he said. Ang¡¯s heart jumped as she agreed and followed him back to his room with a shy expression. When Richard opened the door, he moved to the side so Ang could enter first. She immediately moved past him as if she was afraid that other people would see them. After closing the door, he removed his sweat-drenched, skin-tight shirt and revealed his torso. As she turned her head and saw him, her heart raced. What does this man want with me? Why did he take off his shirt as soon as he came in? Does he want to¡­ He informed her, ¡°I¡¯m taking a shower first. Wait here.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± She nodded while she watched him walk toward the bathroom, then put down the ice pack and waited. The shower was quick, and Richard came out more than ten minutester. He was d only in a pair of long ck pants, his upper body bare. At the same time, his hair was still dripping with water. That sight coupled with his healthy tanned skin made him look slightly untamed. Ang admired the view for several seconds before blushing and looking down. The man had an amazing physique; it was perfect in her opinion. Why was she so embarrassed? Did he n on doing anything with her? The sound of clothes rustling came from behind her. After putting on a loose gray T-shirt, Richard moved to sit on the couch and rested his head on his arm. ¡°Come here.¡± Holding the ice pack, Ang sat beside him and applied it to his injured cheek. ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± she asked gently. ¡°No,¡± he answered with half-closed eyes as he stared at her face. She had been paying attention to his injury, but then turned and identally met his gaze. It was so dark that she felt she would fall into the void if she looked at it more. Chapter 921-930 Chapter 921-930 Ang blushed again, and her face felt hot. ¡°Stop looking at me,¡± she ordered when she couldn¡¯t stand his stares any longer. ¡°You can look at me, but I can¡¯t look at you?¡± Richard refused to be taken advantage of in this situation. She bit her lip and let out augh. She then covered his eyes, pressing against his sharp cheekbones slightly. The next moment, she felt his thick eyshes flutter against her palms, making her heart flutter too. She soon realized that the man¡¯s tall nose and seductive lips, which were left exposed, now looked extremely attractive. She swallowed secretly and took her hands off his eyes. The man looked slightly amused as he gazed at her. ¡°Stare at me again, and I¡¯ll be unkind to you.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but threaten him. ¡°How unkind?¡± The man blinked at her, looking highly interested in whatever punishment she had in store for him. ¡°I¡­¡± Ang felt her tears well up. She was threatening a wolf right now, and she felt like the prey offering herself up. She bit her lip and stayed silent, concentrating on her task instead and letting him look to his heart¡¯s content. Richard stared at her face, which was extremely close to his, as if he was a wolf fixated on his prey. His eyes lingered on her soft red lips, and he silently raised a hand to ce it on the back of her head. She could feel the gentle yet powerful pressure on the back of her head as he pushed her face closer to him. Even then, she blushed but did not resist as she closed her eyes and allowed the pressure to press her closer to his lips. As they were about to kiss, panicked footsteps came from outside the room. The unlocked door swung open to reveal Trevor and Jared, both looking excited. However, when they saw the scene on the couch, their eyes widened as they sucked in a breath. Immediately, Ang sat up and turned away from them shyly, hiding her face behind her hands. Meanwhile, Richard had a dark expression on his face, his gaze looking almost murderous. Trevor and Jared did not have a death wish, so they quickly reported their mission. ¡°We¡¯ve found the lipstick, Richard.¡± The man¡¯s eyes glinted brightly, and even Ang turned around excitedly. ¡°Really? You¡¯ve found it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Once we send the signal, Miss Meyers will be out of danger.¡± ¡°That¡¯s amazing. Does that mean I can go back to my parents?¡± She was so happy she pressed her hands together as she couldn¡¯t wait to return home. ¡°Miss Meyers, please give us a few more days toplete the mission. By then, you can reunite with your family,¡± Jared promised. ¡°Thank you so much.¡± Ang looked at them gratefully. ¡°If you¡¯re done here, get out,¡± a deep masculine voice uttered suddenly, suppressing the joyful mood. Trevor and Jared quickly left, tactfully closing the door behind them. They felt lucky they had good news to report, or they would¡¯ve lost their lives. Ang turned to Richard happily. ¡°I can finally go home now, Richard! I¡¯m safe.¡± She thought the man would at least rx and share her happiness at the news, but he only raised his eyebrows briefly and answered, ¡°Mmm.¡± Her smile stiffened slightly. Why wasn¡¯t he happy about this? ¡°What is it? Can¡¯t you be happy for me now that I can return home?¡± She blinked several times, looking at his neutral expression. She was so excited that she wanted to celebrate the asion. ¡°Even though we¡¯ve found the lipstick, it doesn¡¯t prove you are now out of danger. Protection is still needed for the time being.¡± Richard hadn¡¯t rxed at the news. On the contrary, he now had another pressing issue to handle other than work; if Ang returned home, she would soon find out that his fianc¨¦e was her cousin, Annie. Richard knew it was reality, and Ang would know about it sooner orter. She would probably react as expected, but he wasn¡¯t nning on telling her before that happened. ¡°In that case, are you protecting me this time, or is it someone else?¡± Ang looked expectant, but she didn¡¯t wait for an answer before asking him something. ¡°Can you continue protecting me?¡± His phone rang at that moment, and he picked it up to look at the screen. ¡°I have to go to the meeting room. Stay here and rest.¡± She was still in a good mood, so she smiled. ¡°Alright, you should get back to work!¡± After he left, she touched her lips. She suddenly wondered if her parents would like Richard when she introduced him upon her return. In the meeting room, everyone discussed excitedly how their mission was going to end perfectly. The lipstick was already ced under protection and sent back to where it should be¡ªwith its owner. ¡°Richard, should we¡­¡± Trevor got excited and wanted to suggest celebrating the asion to the man sitting at the head of the table. However, when Trevor turned to him, he realized Richard wasn¡¯t listening to their discussion. Instead, he was staring into the distance as if lost in thought. Trevor nudged Jared beside him, and the room became silent at once as the four people present sensed their leader¡¯s mood. They all knew why their leader was acting that way. Since Ang would return to the Meyers Family as their eldest daughter while he went on their next mission, they would soon be separated. After all, she was the daughter of a wealthy family while he was the leader of a group ofmandos. Their romance wouldn¡¯t be like any other couple; not only that, they¡¯d never know when their next meeting would be. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Richard. Even after weplete our mission, you can still be with Miss Meyers,¡± Trevor said reassuringly. ¡°Exactly! She will never forget you,¡± Sean chimed in. Richard retreated from his thoughts to see the concerned gazes of hisrades, and he got up from his seat. ¡°Continue your work.¡± After Richard exited the room, he did not return to his room to see Ang. Instead, he walked in a random direction and arrived among the flowerbeds. Ariel was there chatting with Carlton; as soon as she saw Richard, she moved toward him like a butterfly drawn to the flowerbeds. Even if she had embarrassed herself thest time she was with him, it didn¡¯t stop her from wanting to be closer to the man. She followed him to the flowerbeds and admired him from behind the trees as he walked away. Since he looked preupied with his thoughts, he did not notice her following him. Just when she thought of going forward to greet him, he pulled out his phone to make a call. She tried to remain patient so as not to interrupt him but did not leave, and soon, she could hear him addressing the person on the other end of the line. ¡°Grandpa.¡± He¡¯s making a call to his grandpa! Ariel couldn¡¯t help eavesdropping, yet Richard still hadn¡¯t noticed her. On the other end, Richard¡¯s grandpa was enquiring about the progress of his mission. ¡°We found the lipstick, and the mission will be ending soon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. You should return so that your wedding with Annie may proceed. We can¡¯t make the Meyers Family wait too long, you know.¡± ¡°Grandpa, I want to cancel the engagement.¡± Richard went straight to the point. ¡°Richard, this is not what we do as a member of the Lloyd Family. Since you are already engaged, you should fulfill your promise and marry her. You need to be responsible and give her family closure.¡± ¡°Grandpa, I don¡¯t like her, and it would be irresponsible if I see through the marriage,¡± he argued. ¡°If you don¡¯t fancy Annie, who do you fancy then?¡± Phillip refused to let him drag this out again. He wanted Richard to give him a great-grandson as soon as possible since Phillip wanted to see the next generation of his family while he was still alive. Richard froze, then decided to maintain the decision he made all this while. ¡°Grandpa, I don¡¯t have any ns of marrying in this lifetime.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talk about this when you get back.¡± Phillip was so angry he choked on his breath and coughed lightly. Richard immediately showed concern and asked him, ¡°Grandpa, are you okay?¡± ¡°Come home, and we¡¯ll discuss everything.¡± Phillip was the first to hang up. Ariel, who was standing in the shade of the trees near the flowerbed, was surprised at the news. It turns out that Richard has a fianc¨¦e, yet he¡¯s dating Ang back at the base. Not only that, his fianc¨¦e is a woman named Annie, and she¡¯s from the Meyers Family as well. A scheming look appeared in her eyes as she thought, Ang, you are a shameless mistress, huh? This time, let¡¯s see how high and mighty you can be. When Ariel returned her attention to her surroundings, Richard had already left. She entered the base via the side entrance and proceeded to knock on Ang¡¯s door, wanting to have her revenge. After knocking for some time, no one answered. This made her curious¡ªwhere could Ang be? She immediately wondered if the woman was in Richard¡¯s room. At this thought, she quickly headed to his room and knocked on his door. Ang, who had been reading, heard the sound and jumped. She put down her book and got up to open the door. As soon as she opened it, she saw Ariel crossing her arms with a smirk on her face. ¡°Ang, did you know that you are Richard¡¯s mistress? How shameless of you!¡± Ang¡¯s expression darkened and she answered coldly, ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know? Richard has a fianc¨¦e, so what were you thinking when seducing him? Do you have any respect for her? Aren¡¯t you the mistress?¡± Ariel deliberately raised her voice, making it sound shrill. On the other hand, several people nearby immediately looked in their direction after hearing this. Ang¡¯s face went red. Richard told only her that he had a fianc¨¦e, so how did Ariel know about it too? Did he tell her? How was that possible, though? Ang hadn¡¯t even oriented her thoughts properly when Ariel continued to mock her and said, ¡°He isn¡¯t even nning to marry you at all, you know. I heard him mentioning that he never nned to marry while on the phone with his grandfather.¡± Ang¡¯s expression changed. Ariel had eavesdropped on his conversation, hadn¡¯t she? ¡°Did you eavesdrop on his phone conversation?¡± Ang couldn¡¯t help but ask angrily. ¡°I was just passing by and identally overheard everything. How dare you call that eavesdropping! Ang, I¡¯m asking you this again¡ªdid you be involved with him knowing that he has a fianc¨¦e? That poor girl! Her fianc¨¦ is here being seduced by a wh*re like you, all while she¡¯s waiting fervently for him to return and marry her!¡± Ang¡¯s face reddened further. She always had a more sensitive personality, and the way Ariel was calling her a mistress and wh*re was already crossing the line, even for anyone else but her. ¡°We don¡¯t need you butting in our business.¡± Ang tried to close the door. Ariel wasn¡¯t nning on letting her off easily, though. She pushed the door open and pressed against it. ¡°Why? Are you feeling scared or shameful? You¡¯re having an affair with someone¡¯s fianc¨¦, but you¡¯re afraid of ridicule, huh?¡± ¡°Ariel! Are you done?¡± Ang¡¯s mind was whirling as Ariel¡¯s words weighed on her, making her a little short of breath. ¡°Nope! I even know who his fianc¨¦e is. What a coincidence, herst name is Meyers as well!¡± Ariel smirked in victory, making Ang stunned yet again. She looked at Ariel, wanting to hear what the woman had to say. Ariel wasn¡¯t nning on keeping the secret anyway, and she giggled. ¡°Ang, do you even know what her name is? The poor girl probably doesn¡¯t know the existence of a wh*re like you!¡± ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡± Ang took a deep breath and asked. Ariel didn¡¯t y around now, and she looked at the woman while replying coldly, ¡°That poor girl¡¯s name is Annie. Richard is even nning to cancel their engagement because of you. Huh, you¡¯re incredibly mean, Ang!¡± While Ariel spoke, she watched as Ang became pale and held onto the door frame for support. She looked as if someone had taken the soul from her as she staggered backward and copsed onto the floor. Ariel stared at Ang, who was sitting on the floor with a face so pale that she looked like she was about to faint. The former became scared and covered her mouth quickly. ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ang raised her head, her eyes red as she looked at Ariel. ¡°Is the girl¡¯s name really Annie?¡± A slightly offended Ariel responded, ¡°Why would I lie to you?¡± Ariel didn¡¯t want to cause any trouble; if anything happened to Ang, Richard would never forgive her, after all. Ariel had her revenge anyway as she was done making fun of Ang, and the girl looked tormented enough. She closed the door before leaving with a hint of mockery so that no one could see Ang¡¯s pale face. After Ariel left, Ang put her face in her hands, her body shaking as painful sobs emitted from between her fingers. She remembered how excited Annie had been when she called Ang to announce her engagement to an extremely handsome man. Annie had fallen in love with him at first sight, yet she neglected to mention that his name was Richard Lloyd. The whole thing had been personally arranged by their grandfather. On the night of the event, Ang had been robbed and nearly killed, so Richard took her to a guardhouse and confiscated her mobile phone. She remembered himing backte that night, then refusing to return her phone when she angrily sought him out. It turned out he had gone to get engaged with Annie that night. If she had had her phone with her, she wouldn¡¯t have missed the news of the engagement and found out in advance that he was Annie¡¯s fianc¨¦. It was all a strange coincidence; she hadn¡¯t known that he had a fianc¨¦ or that his fianc¨¦e was her cousin, Annie, but he had known all along, hadn¡¯t he? He also knew she was Ang¡¯s cousin, yet¡­ She got up from the floor, her eyes blurry with tears, then walked toward the couch to get some tissues to wipe her eyes. Her pain was secondary, and her feelings had been mostly of guilt. She had betrayed Annie, her grandfather, and her entire family, but at least the whole incident hadn¡¯t progressed to an unsalvageable stage. It might be a little toote, but she could sever everything cleanly before then. That way, her rtionship with Richard could return to normal. Ang tried wiping off her tears forcefully, but they couldn¡¯t stop falling. She didn¡¯t me him for not telling her because it had been her initiating the rtionship. If she hadn¡¯t done so, he wouldn¡¯t have even interacted with her. She had done something really bad, nearly destroying the happiness of her cousin who was more like a sister to her. She felt that Ariel had shouted at her rightfully so, and her actions were indeed like a wh*re¡¯s. As she cried, she felt like going somewhere to calm down. She didn¡¯t want Richard toe back and see her breaking down, plus she felt too guilty to see him. She shouldn¡¯t even be in her future brother- inw¡¯s room. At that thought, her tears fell again. She pulled off her hairband, letting her long hair fall into her face and hide it from view, then opened the door and left. She ran to the top of the rocky hill via a shortcut, stumbling on exposed rocks and nearly falling because of her blurred vision. Yet, no matter how much she cried, she couldn¡¯t let out the pain she felt. It must¡¯ve all been one big joke from God. She hated her actions even more now, feeling guilty whenever she thought of Annie. Even now, she could clearly remember Annie¡¯s excited voice on the phone. ¡°Angie, do you know what the man I¡¯m going to be engaged to looks like? Oh my, he looks so handsome. He¡¯s the most handsome man I¡¯ve ever seen! I¡¯m very satisfied with this arrangement.¡± ¡°Angie, we¡¯re getting engaged tomorrow. Would you be able toe? Ang closed her eyes in pain and leaned against a rock. Her mind was swirling as Annie¡¯s voice and memories of the blossoming rtionship between her and Richard reyed in her mind. She felt that she was to me for everything. After all, she shouldn¡¯t have be interested in this man, nor seduced him in different ways. This was all her fault. Ang cried as the wind blew against her face. The mountaintop was windy, not to mention she was sitting in a deserted area. The chilly wind of early winter made her face cold and pale. She hugged her knees, feeling like her heart was covered in snow too. All she wanted was to go back to the first time she had met Richard and do everything over again. This way, she could prevent herself from being entangled in a love triangle. She would not look twice at him, instead giving her blessings to Annie and feeling happy for her since she had found such a great man. As the cold air surrounded her, he suppressed her sobs and felt herself breaking down all over again. At that moment, Richard entered the base via the main entrance. He had been nning to go to the meeting room, but his feet intuitively took him toward his room instead. When he arrived, he did not knock but opened the door immediately. Since Ang loved sleeping on his couch so much, she might already be asleep and he did not want to wake her. But when he entered, he discovered that there was no one on the couch or the room itself. Ang had already left, making him feel a stab of disappointment. Just as he was about to leave, he immediately zeroed in on the balled-up pieces of tissue on the table, as well as another on the floor. He walked over at once and picked them up to take a closer look. They were all wet, but it didn¡¯t seem to be from wiping up spilled water. In fact, the tissues were wet in the middle and dry around the edges, as if someone had used them to wipe their tears. His heart quickened. What happened to her? He immediately turned and walked out, going toward her room and knocking on the door. No one answered, which meant she wasn¡¯t there. When he returned to the meeting room to ask Trevor and the rest, they all said that she had never been there. ¡°What has happened to Miss Meyers, Richard?¡± ¡°She has vanished. Go look for her,¡± Richard ordered in a low voice, for the damp pieces of tissue paper made him extremely worried. All four of them immediately put their work aside and exited the base, going in different directions to find Ang. He thought deeply for a while, mentally going through the ces she always frequented¡ªbeside the waterfall, the top of the rocky mountain, and around the field. He eventually settled on the second option as if his intuition was leading him toward it. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Ang had been sitting in the cold wind for half an hour, her face now pale and hair tousled. Even her red lips had lost their color, which made her look really weak. Her body shivered with the cold, but she refused to go back. She just wanted to stay here. Richard ran along the winding path toward the top of the mountain, and when he arrived and saw the slim figure sitting in the cold, his breathing staggered. Almost immediately, he pulled off his coat and approached her while holding it. Ang, whose senses had been dulled by faintness, emotional distress, and also the howling wind around them, could not sense him behind her until the warm coat wrapped around her shoulders. Only then did she turn around in surprise as her swollen eyes made contact with his worried ones. His heart squeezed forcefully at the sight, and he carried her from the rocks aggressively. ¡°Richard, let me go.¡± She struggled violently against his hold, trying to push him away. He was afraid that she might hurt herself like this, so he had no choice but to put her down on the edge of a nearby rock. While he stood looking down at her, she looked back at him from her position. ¡°What happened to you?¡± he asked in a low tone, looking at her with his dark eyes. Ang took a deep breath. She choked somewhat as she said, ¡°Richard, let me ask you this¡ªis your fianc¨¦e my cousin, Annie?¡± Richard ran along tha winding path toward tha top of tha mountain, and whan ha arrivad and saw tha slim figura sitting in tha cold, his braathing staggarad. Almost immadiataly, ha pud off his coat and approachad har wh holding it. Ang, whosa sansas had baan dud by faintnass, amotional distrass, and also tha howling wind around tham, could not sansa him bahind har until tha warm coat wrappad around har shouldars. Only than did sha turn around in surprisa as har swon ayas mada contact with his worriad onas. His haart squaazad forcafully at tha sight, and ha carriad har from tha rocks aggrassivaly. ¡°Richard,t ma go.¡± Sha strugd vintly against his hold, trying to push him away. Ha was afraid that sha might hurt harsalf lika this, so ha had no choica but to put har down on tha adga of a naarby rock. Wh ha stood looking down at har, sha lookad back at him from har position. ¡°What happanad to you?¡± ha askad in a low tona, looking at har with his dark ayas. Ang took a daap braath. Sha chokad somawhat as sha said, ¡°Richard,t ma ask you this¡ªis your fianc¨¦a my cousin, Annia?¡± If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. How did she know? Richard thought as his heart throbbed again, his pupils dting. Squinting his eyes, he asked rhetorically, ¡°Who told you that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one asking questions. How long are you going to hide it from me? Why didn¡¯t you tell me sooner that Annie is the one whom you are engaged with? If you had told me sooner, we wouldn¡¯t have made this mistake¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have¡­¡± Ang¡¯s voice was hoarse as she cried while tears streamed down her face. However, before she could finish her sentence, Richard pulled her into his embrace and pressed her head against his chest. Sobbing in his arms, Ang raised her fists and hit him on the chest helplessly. Richard soothed her back and spoke in a deep voice, ¡°We had done nothing wrong.¡± Hearing his words, Ang reflectively started shivering. That¡¯s right! Oh, she was relieved when she found out that this situation was still reversible. As long as they returned to their own lives and stopped meeting up, it would be as if nothing had ever happened. Suddenly, Ang took a step back and pushed him away, creating an arm¡¯s length distance between them. She raised her head and looked at Richard seriously. Although her eyes were red and puffy with tears running down, her voice was firm. ¡°Richard, from now onwards, there is nothing between us.¡± Hearing her words, Richard furrowed his brows. Is she trying to break up with me? Taking a deep breath, Ang continued, ¡°You can¡¯t cancel the engagement. Annie loves you very much. So, you should keep your promise and make her your wife.¡± Listening to Ang¡¯s words, Richard stared at her deeply. Something sparked in his usual cold eyes¡ªit was anger and distress. Distress as to the words she said and angry because of her attitude. It was Ang who came on to him first; she wanted to be his girlfriend. Now, it was also her who tried to break up with him. After finishing her words, Ang noticed that Richard was silent and did not answer. All he did was only stare at her intently. But she was not afraid of this sight of him and even pushed him for an answer. ¡°Hurry up and promise me that you will not hurt Annie,¡± she demanded. Once again, Richard glowered at her. ¡°Are you done talking? Is it my turn now?¡± Breathing heavily, Ang looked at his tense facial expression. She had a bad feeling in her gut that he wasn¡¯t going to listen to her. However, she still wanted to hear what he had to say. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s your turn now,¡± she said. ¡°First things first, I don¡¯t want to break up with you.¡± His first sentence made Ang¡¯s heart tremble. ¡°What do you mean by that? We haven¡¯t even been on a proper date before. What is there to break up?¡± At that point, her emotions shot through the roof. ¡°Secondly, I will call off the engagement,¡± Richard continued speaking. Ang¡¯s face turned pale as she looked at him. At this moment, she wished she could die on the spot. ¡°You¡­¡± Suddenly, her whole body swayed as if she was going to faint. But before her bodynded on the ground, she was held by a pair of strong arms. The next moment, she was back in Richard¡¯s warm embrace. Out of instinct, she immediately pushed him away. She would rather hold on to the cold stone beside her as support than be hugged by him. The chilly wind messed up her long hair and spread it all over her face. Her face was overly pale compared to the darkness of her hair. It was as if she was so fragile that the wind could sweep her away. ¡°Let¡¯s talk inside. It¡¯s cold out here.¡± Richard sighed. ¡°Leave by yourself then! I want to stay here a little longer,¡± Ang replied as she didn¡¯t want to walk alongside him. ¡°Ang, who told you about this matter?¡± Richard squinted his eyes and asked. ¡°It was Ariel. She overheard the conversation between you and your grandpa when you were on the phone. You were nning on being unmarried for the rest of your life, is that so?¡± she raised her head and confronted him. Recalling the moment when he had a phone call at the parterre, Richard wasn¡¯t too happy about it. He indeed sensed that someone was behind him, but he did not expect that it was Ariel. He ignored the presence as he thought it was someone from the base. ¡°What else did she say?¡± Richard trusted that Ariel must have said something else to Ang, as both girls had always been at each other¡¯s throats. Once Ariel got hold of this matter, she would surely use it against Ang. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anymore if she had said any other things. The most important part is that we are over. I¡¯m sorry, Richard. I was a sc*mbag for seducing you. I¡¯m sorry that I offended you by not knowing any better.¡± Ang lowered her head as she reflected on herself, thinking she hadmitted the crime of the year. But from Richard¡¯s perspective, it was heartbreaking to see her in this state. Never did he expect that she would draw back this much after finding out about this matter. Furthermore, she even med herself for the whole thing and degraded her own morale. Suppressing the urge to hold her, Richard gripped his knuckles as his face twitched slightly, watching her slim figure wavering because of the wind. At that moment, the afternoon sky became gloomy, like it was going to rain anytime soon. As they were still at a stand-off, it started to rain eventually. The rain droplets made a heavy dripping sound as they hit the stones. ¡°Let¡¯s go back,¡± Richard said in a low voice. He was not going to let her stay here any longer. It was also frustrating for Ang that even the weather was picking on her. Just as she was going to vent her frustration by letting herself soak in the rain, a pair of arms locked themselves by her waist. Richard tucked her hair back to reveal her petite face and kissed her cold lips with a mix of gentleness and dominance. In the midst of the rain, he kissed her. The kiss made Ang dumbstruck as she was mind blown by his action. His kiss was more aggressive than thest time. Out of embarrassment, she tried to push him away but was only being pulled closer by Richard until she had no ce to hide. After some time, Richard finally let go of her. The rain made his dark eyes even darker while gulping sounds came from his throat, and even his breath was uneven. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare back away or try to escape from me,¡± he whispered in her ear, full of dominance. The next minute, before Ang could react, she was being carried by him. ¡°Ahhh!¡± Ang cried out in shock, but Richard was always a tough guy; she couldn¡¯t expect him to be any gentle. At the entrance of the base, Trevor and the other four men couldn¡¯t find them and were panicking as they watched the pouring rain. They wondered where Richard and Ang went as they still weren¡¯t back. Suddenly, Jared raised his hand and pointed in a direction. ¡°Look, they are back!¡± he eximed. Everyone¡¯s gaze followed where Jared had pointed and saw Richard walking his way over while carrying a woman on his back in the rain. It was visible that the woman was struggling as she thrashed his back. They could vaguely hear her saying, ¡°Put me down¡­ Put me down, Richard.¡± ¡°Miss Meyers is going to hate Richie,¡± Sean whispered. Even if all eyes were on them, Richard did not flinch and continued to carry Ang back to his room. Compared to the anger in her voice in the beginning, Ang was now almost in tears. ¡°Let go of me, Richard. You¡¯re an as*hole!¡± Her usation was mixed with resentment. Those who watched the scene did not dare to get involved in this matter. Even if they heard Ang¡¯s wails, they could only give her a sympathetic look as they watched Richard carry her into his room, wondering how she had riled Richard up this much. Among the crowd was Ariel, but her eyes were filled with jealousy. Anyone who knew Richard would understand that he would only treat the woman he loved this way. If he came across women that he was uninterested in, he wouldn¡¯t even spare a nce. This meant that Ang was just throwing a tantrum and not being tortured. Remembering the words that she had told Ang today, Ariel couldn¡¯t help but think that Ang indeed had some tricks up her sleeves. Great! Just great! Now, she¡¯s throwing a fit to win a ce in his heart! Little did the people around know what was on the tantrum-throwing girl¡¯s mind. God! I wish the ground would swallow me up! Ah! Everyone¡¯s looking at me! Ang was thrown to the couch by Richard ruthlessly. Although she did not get hurt by the soft couch, she saw stars. Not only was she drenched, her hair was also soaked. The sight of her, plus her pale face, made her look miserable and pitiful. ¡°Go and take a bath.¡± Richard leaned down and ordered her as he propped himself against the couch with one hand and his legs on the table. ring at him with red and puffy eyes, Ang felt furious and painful, as there was still a pang of pain in her heart when she watched him being drenched like her. ¡°I¡¯m not going. You go!¡± Ang crossed her arms and looked away. She could only swallow up her sadness even if she was upset. ¡°Do you want to get sick?¡± Richard questioned her in a deep voice. Hearing his words, she shivered as she felt her skin was freezing and her limbs were icy cold. She took a deep breath and said, ¡°Mind your own business.¡± Richard¡¯s expression became gloomy as he heard her words. ¡°Do you want me to clean you up myself?¡± he asked. Ang was shocked by his words while her face reddened. ¡°W-What are you saying?¡± she stammered. Looking at his serious expression, she knew that he was not joking around. If he had to, he would drag her to the bathroom and clean her up personally. ¡°I¡¯ll go¡­ I¡¯ll wash myself up.¡± Ang knew that he was a man who stood by his words. She quickly scrambled off the couch and rushed to the bathroom. Watching her figure, Richard breathed a sigh of relief only to realize that she was so frightened that she had not brought any clothing with her when she went to the bathroom. Just as he got up and opened the door, he saw four men standing by the pole outside the door. All of them looked at him with worry. ¡°You didn¡¯t have a fight with Miss Meyers, did you, Richie?¡± Trevor asked hastily. ¡°Is she hurt?¡± Sean added. ¡°Go on with your own things,¡± Richard replied and walked toward Ang¡¯s room. Inside the bathroom, Ang stood under the showerhead as the water fell upon her, not knowing if it was water or tears that streamed down her face. She didn¡¯t bother taking off her clothes and just sat on the floor as she closed her eyes, feeling the warm water melt the frigidity of her skin. Never did Ang think that she would use this kind of action to hurt Annie. Even if Annie had no clue about her and Richard, what had been done was done, and she was guilty about it. At this moment, Ang felt embarrassed, like she had made an unforgivable mistake. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Annie,¡± Ang whispered as she hugged herself. At that moment, the door was open, and Richard came in with her clothes and even undergarments. He walked up to the bathroom door and knocked on it. Only then did Ang notice that she was still sitting on the floor. She shouted in the door¡¯s direction, ¡°I¡¯ll be out in a second.¡± ¡°I left your clothes outside. After you¡¯re done,e out and change into them,¡± Richard reminded her. Realizing that she had not taken any clothes with her, Ang replied, ¡°Okay.¡± She pulled herself together, undressed from her wet clothing, and then bathed. After finishing, Ang looked at the only towel hanging there and closed her eyes hopelessly. The towel was the one that Richard used often, and she would take her own towel if she were to take a bath at his ce. Now, it seemed like she could only use his towel at the time. Wrapping the towel around, Ang thought that Richard must have left the room. So, she could quickly get her clothes and change them inside. She thought as she opened the bathroom door and wore the flip-flops that she had left here. From now onward, Ang felt that everything she had done at this moment was hurting Annie more and more. So she decided that after today, she would not enter Richard¡¯s room ever again and would take away the belongings that she had left at his ce. Just as she walked out of the corridor that led to the bathroom and entered the living room, she was shocked. To her surprise, Richard didn¡¯t leave as expected and was sitting by the table, looking at her like a soaked-through statue. Ang was scared to death and immediately wanted to hide back inside the bathroom as she was only half-covered, but her flip-flops gave out, and she slipped since the floor was wet. ¡°Ahh¡­¡± The more panicked Ang was, the more she didn¡¯t know what to do. In the end, she fell to the ground. At that moment, Richard stood up from the chair as Ang knelt on the floor, propping herself with one hand while clutching her robe tightly with the other. She looked like a mess. What was even worse was that there was a sharp paining from her knee. Just then, he crouched in front of her. Noticing him, she froze and begged him all of a sudden. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ Don¡¯t look at me. Please, I beg you. Leave!¡± she cried. No matter how tightly she clutched her robe, she was already an embarrassment. Furthermore, how much could she cover herself up as she only wore a robe? Looking at her pained expression, he furrowed his eyebrows. Her pleas stung his heart even more; such intense pain was nothing he had ever experienced before. The more Ang begged him to leave, the more he stood there. Suddenly, he reached his arms out, which startled Ang, making her raise her head and look at him. But, their gaze did not meet with each other. Richard wasn¡¯t even looking at her; he was respecting her in his own way. Ang took a deep breath and trembled when Richard¡¯s arms went under her armpits and knees. Richard carried her bridal style and ced her on the couch. The bleeding wound stuck out like a sore thumb on her fair skin as it was creating bruises around the skin. After covering her up with her jacket, Richard went to the cab and returned with a small first aid kit. Tears were threatening to fall from Ang¡¯s eyes, but not from the pain of her wound; it was because she hated how useless and miserable she was now. The more she wanted to keep her distance from him, the more she couldn¡¯t do it. When Richard crouched down, he raised his head and saw the tears that she was holding back. He furrowed his eyebrows and said coldly, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be like this. With or without you, I will still cancel the engagement with Annie.¡± Listening to his words, Ang could only look at him with her eyes widened, and the tears just fell right down. At this moment, she didn¡¯t know whether to feel sorry for Annie or be mad at herself. Either way, this rtionship between them shouldn¡¯t even exist. ¡°Annie is a good girl. She is pretty and has a cheerful personality. You should give her a chance,¡± Ang lowered her head and advised him. Richard was gently using a cotton pad to help her stop the blood. Unlike Ang¡¯s usual self, who was scared of pain, she now felt nothing and allowed him to bandage her up. ¡°I know whom I want to be with. You don¡¯t need to tell me that,¡± he replied as he tidied up the first aid kit. Furious by his answer, Ang bit her lip,ing up with the best argument she could. ¡°You can¡¯t do this to Annie, Richard. She really loves you. The night before the engagement, she called me, saying that she fell in love at first sight with you and was d you were the one and not any other. You can¡¯t disappoint her.¡± Hearing her words, Richard stopped what he was doing and furrowed his eyebrows. On the engagement day, the whole Meyers Family was supposed to be there, but Ang was left out because she was being protected. ¡°If only I had gone to the engagement that day, that would be nice. Then, we wouldn¡¯t have made this mistake.¡± Ang sighed as if she hated everything she had done up until that moment, not realizing the darkened expression of the man beside her. ¡°When Annie called me, I should have asked what her fianc¨¦¡¯s name was. If I knew that it was you, I would have¡­ I would¡­¡± She stopped what she was saying when she came to this point. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have been in love with me, would you?¡± Richard continued her words for her coldly. Ang raised her head abruptly and corrected him. ¡°I am not in love with you. I was just having a good impression of you, and it was not love. Don¡¯t you get the wrong idea.¡± Crossing his arms together, Richard eyed her coldly as he watched her trying to deny her feelings for him, which was not a pleasant sight to see. He wondered how she could be doing so in just a day when she was so into it when courting him. ¡°So, are you saying that getting to know me is a mistake?¡± Richard gritted his teeth and asked. ¡°It¡¯s not just a mistake, it¡¯s a huge mistake.¡± Ang replied with a look of annoyance, her beautiful eyes shing with anxiety as she continued, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have gotten to know you, and you shouldn¡¯t have appeared in front of me.¡± Richard¡¯s expression darkened, and he couldn¡¯t even help but ball his hands into fists. Her beautiful eyes suddenly turned to him. Seeing that he was still in wet clothes, she hurriedly urged, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you taken a shower yet? Go and take a shower!¡± As she finished speaking and saw the way he was staring at her, she couldn¡¯t help but draw herrge coat a little closer around her, as if she wanted to cover as much as she could so that he wouldn¡¯t be able to look at her anymore. However, he had already seen everything he could see, and it was already toote for this woman to only think about covering herself up now. ¡°Go and take a shower. Don¡¯t catch a cold,¡± Ang urged him as he waspletely drenched as well. ¡°Why are you worrying about me?¡± Richard scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m worried about you as a friend. Don¡¯t misunderstand,¡± Ang exined, turning her head away. Just like that, she had retired from the role of his girlfriend to his friend. Richard was filled with anger that he couldn¡¯t seem to let out nor get rid of, and it was all caused by this woman. He walked to the wardrobe and took his clothes before heading immediately to the public bathhouse, leaving his room to her. As soon as he left, Ang picked up her clothes and went into the bathroom to change into them, then took her flip-flops and the cup on the table with her as well. She had to try her best to keep her distance from Richard and cut off all of their ties. Now, she thought that for some people, meeting them was a blessing, but not meeting them was also a blessing. Meanwhile, Ariel waszing around in her room when someone suddenly knocked on the door, causing her to get up and open the door. Soon after, she saw Carlton, who was still damp, and even his hair was drenched considerably. It turned out that he was wearing a raincoat to take pictures when he saw a rare bird and wanted to shoot it for a documentary in the future. ¡°Ariel, guess what I just captured?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Let me show you.¡± After he finished speaking, he walked into the room mysteriously and closed the door before he quickly took out his camera and opened a video he had just taken, handing it to her. ¡°Look, I caught a video of Richard and Ang kissing on the mountain. I told you not to waste your time on him. He only cares about Ang.¡± As Ariel watched the video and adjusted the video quality to the highest, she could clearly see Richard hugging Ang and kissing her on the lips somewhat aggressively. On the contrary, Ang pushed him away, as if she was unwilling, but the kiss stillsted for about a minute. Ariel was brimming with jealousy at the sight. Did Richard like Ang more? How lucky did she have to be to gain the favor of a man like this? ¡°Send this video to me. I have a use for it,¡± she said to Carlton. ¡°What for? Videos like these are only good for watching,¡± heined. ¡°Just send it to me. Don¡¯t ask so many questions. Anyway, I have a use for it.¡± Ariel scoffed at Carlton. Thinking of thest time Ang fooled her, she wanted to ruin her lifepletely. As she wanted Ang to leave Richard in pain, this video could be her weapon that would allow her to look for Annie in the future and show her this video to let her know what her fianc¨¦ had done. Not longter, Carlton sent the video to her, and Ariely on the bed and admired it repeatedly. The more she looked at it, the angrier she became. Whenever she watched the video and felt Richard¡¯s overbearing liking for Ang, her knees went weak when she imagined what it was like to be forcefully kissed by such a man. Ariel didn¡¯t dare to look for Ang at this moment. After all, she was still extremely afraid of Richard. He was just thatplicated. He had a kind of charm that made every woman fall for him at a nce, but he also had a regal aura that sent shivers down everyone¡¯s spine. Chapter 931-940 Chapter 931-940 Even so, women always favored men like him, and every woman yearned to see him let down his guard and look at them gently and affectionately. Ang returned to the room and sat on the bed with her knees in her arms, falling into a daze. She was still overwhelmed by a strong sense of guilt. She thought that as she was about to go back soon, she was about to see Annie. Therefore, she had to stay away from Richard and erase everything that happened here. She was determined not to harm Annie. Ang wasn¡¯t aware of how long she spent in a daze and ended up forgetting about dinner. In the end, it was Trevor who knocked on her door to call her out. ¡°Miss Ang, it¡¯s time for dinner. Come on out.¡± Ang opened the door and looked at him with red eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t have an appetite. You can eat without me.¡± ¡°Should I ask the chefs to cook something simple for you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right, thank you. I just want to rest.¡± Ang shook her head. Trevor looked at her with a pained expression. ¡°Did you argue with Mr. Richard?¡± ¡°No, we didn¡¯t argue. Something just came up. Trevor, please tell the others that Captain Lloyd and I are just friends,¡± Ang instructed. Trevor was a little surprised. It seemed things had gotten serious! Was Ang denying that she was in a rtionship with Richard? ¡°Oh! Sure, I¡¯ll tell them.¡± Trevor nodded. Then, due to his sharp eyes, he noticed that Ang¡¯s face was unnaturally red and hurriedly asked, ¡°Are you alright? Do you feel sick anywhere?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡± Ang smiled. Just then, her head spun, causing her to grab onto the door frame before saying to Trevor, ¡°I¡¯m really fine. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± ¡°You look sick to me. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve fallen ill!¡± Trevor continued to press her in concern. ¡°I¡¯mpletely fine. You should go and eat!¡± She shot him a smile, then closed the door. Ang subconsciously touched her forehead, and the heat beneath her fingers startled her. It seemed that she was burning up. It must be because she had gotten wet in the rain, but it wasn¡¯t a big deal, and it wasn¡¯t serious either. Once she went to sleep and sweated it out, she would be fine. When Trevor returned to the dining hall, he noticed that not only was Ang absent, but Richard was nowhere to be seen as well. ¡°Is Mr. Richard noting too?¡± he asked. ¡°No. I think he¡¯s not in a good mood,¡± Sean said with a shrug. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened to him and Miss Ang. Just now, Miss Ang told me not to say anything unnecessary about their rtionship in the future, and that they¡¯re just friends.¡± ¡°Really? That must be because Mr. Richard hurt Miss Ang¡¯s feelings.¡± ¡°That¡¯s possible too. Mr. Richard has never understood a woman¡¯s heart, so Miss Ang must not like people like him.¡± ¡°But, earlier I saw that Miss Ang¡¯splexion looked bad. It looked like she was sick, but she wasn¡¯t willing to tell me either. I feel a little concerned,¡± Trevor said worriedly. ¡°Then you should tell Mr. Richardter! It¡¯s best for him to handle things like this. We¡¯re not the right man for the job,¡± Sean answered. After Trevor finished dinner, he went to Richard¡¯s room and knocked on the door, but no one answered the door, making it clear Richard was not inside. Just then, a team member who was passing by exined, ¡°Mr. Richard went to the security team earlier. I think he has something to discuss with them.¡± Trevor nodded, deciding not to bother him. After all, it was an important job for the officers, so he could only put this matter aside and go to work in the conference hall. Now that the information about the lipstick had been found and posted on the dark web¡¯s market, Trevor and the others also made an ount in order to y one of the roles. Their sources were urate, so it quickly attracted many people¡¯s attention. The organizations and groups that operated here would not waste their efforts for useless work, so most of them had given up, and even among those who stayed in the country, dozens of people had already left. Ang¡¯s crisis was also being resolved step by step, but the observation period still took a week to half a month, so they did not immediately let her leave. After Trevor busied himself for a while, he was shocked when he realized that it was almost ten in the evening, and he had to hurry to see if Richard was back. At that moment, Ang was sleeping in the room, but she felt weak and dizzy, having not even the strength to raise her hand. She was suffering from a high fever, but she didn¡¯t even have a cell phone, let alone the strength to get out of bed and call for someone. In addition, she never wanted to see anyone, so she kept clinging onto the nket in an attempt to keep herself warm. Meanwhile, Richard had just returned to the room and was drinking a ss of water. He was just nning to sit on the couch and take a break when there was a knock on the door. ¡°Come in.¡± Trevor hurriedly opened the door and came in. ¡°Mr. Richard, you¡¯re finally back. You should hurry up and go take a look at Miss Ang!¡± Richard instantly ced the ss in his hand down, and the concern in his voice was palpable as he asked, ¡°What happened to her?¡± ¡°When I went to ask her toe down for dinner, I noticed that she didn¡¯t look well. I think she¡¯s sick.¡± Recalling that she had withstood the cold wind all afternoon on the top of the mountain that day and ended up getting drenched in the rainter on, Richard thought that it would be strange if she didn¡¯t get sick after everything she had done. He got up and went out, and Trevor couldn¡¯t help but follow him. When Richard knocked on Ang¡¯s door, it could be seen from the crack of the door that the lights were turned off inside. ¡°Ang, open the door.¡± Richard called out her name in a low voice. However, they were only met with silence. Ang should definitely be in her room at this hour, but why was she not answering even though she was inside? ¡°Is Miss Ang asleep?¡± Trevor guessed. ¡°Go and get the keys,¡± Richard ordered. Sensing that things seemed to be a bit serious, Trevor quickly turned around and went to the management office. After a while, the management staff came over with a key, and he quickly unlocked the door to Ang¡¯s room. As soon as the door opened and he stepped aside, Richard¡¯s tall figure had already rushed in. Trevor hurriedly turned on the lights, and saw that under the lights, Ang was wrapped in a nket, her face was unnaturally red, and she was sweating profusely. Richard quickly ced his palm on her forehead and felt that it was scorching. He said to Trevor, ¡°Go to the infirmary and call someone over. She¡¯s having a fever.¡± Once again, Trevor hurriedly ran out, while Richard sat on the edge of the bed and took the bleary girl in his arms, lifting the nkets aside for her body to dissipate its heat. Although Ang had a bad fever, she still knew that Richard was sitting next to her, and her hand instinctively pushed him. ¡°Richard¡­ Don¡¯t hug me¡­¡± At her words, Richard started to get a little angry. She was already this sick, but she still cared about who was hugging her? ¡°Don¡¯t talk. I¡¯ll send you to the infirmary.¡± Saying that, Richard pushed the nket aside and looked for her coat before putting it on her and heading to the door with her in his arms. In the infirmary, the doctor prescribed some medicine for her fever and hooked her up to an IV drip. On the quiet hospital bed, Ang¡¯splexion was as pale as a sheet of paper, making her look both pitiful and sad. ¡°It¡¯s just been a day. How did Miss Ang turn out like this?¡± Standing by the side, Trevor felt a little pained as well. However, the man who was in the most pain remained silent and quietly stared at the sleeping girl, his heart filling with guilt. He had been careless in the afternoon, and he didn¡¯t realize that she was burning up. If Trevor hadn¡¯t found out, and her fever was left untreated all night, who knew how serious the consequences would¡¯ve been. ¡°Thank you, Trevor.¡± Richard turned his head and thanked him seriously. Suddenly feeling a little ttered, Trevor scratched his head and said, ¡°Mr. Richard, don¡¯t be like this. Miss Ang will be your wife in the future, so I must be concerned for her too.¡± Richard jolted at his words. Was that true? Did Ang have such an important role in his team already? ¡°Go and rest! Also, don¡¯t mention that word in her presence in the future,¡± Richard reminded. ¡°Why not? Miss Ang said that to me as well. She asked me not to misunderstand her rtionship with you, and she said that you¡¯re just friends. Mr. Richard, what happened between the both of you?¡± Trevor asked curiously. Richard¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. Did she really say that? Did this woman tell others that there was nothing between them already? ¡°Stop asking.¡± He didn¡¯t want to talk about it. Seeing that, Trevor tactfully left while wondering to himself. Meanwhile, Ang was dreaming. In her dream, she had returned to the city and saw Annie. She was ashamed to face her, and she med herself harshly. Then, the scene changed to Annie¡¯s engagement. She saw Richard wearing a groom¡¯s outfit while walking hand in hand with Annie on the red carpet. Ang stood in the crowd and watched when suddenly, Richard broke away from Annie¡¯s hand and walked straight toward her. When she looked past him, she saw that Annie¡¯s eyes were filled with tears of grief as she looked at her in pain, as if she was questioning her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Annie¡­ I¡¯ve wronged you.¡± In her dreams, Ang apologized with a pained expression. As tears slipped from her eyes, Richard felt his heart thump fiercely. Was this woman suffering so much because of this, to the point where she couldn¡¯t free herself from her guilt and even dreamed of apologizing to Annie? ¡°I won¡¯t meet with him again, I promise¡­ Annie¡­ forgive me¡­¡± Ang continued to talk in her sleep, as if she had fallen into this dream and couldn¡¯t escape. Richard¡¯s gaze locked onto her painful expression before he drew the tissues next to him and wiped the sweat from her forehead. His actions made Ang jolt awake from her dream all of a sudden. As her tearful eyes looked directly into a pair of deep and worried eyes, her gaze turned frightened as her entire body trembled, and she reached out to push away his hands that were wiping her sweat. ¡°It¡¯s all right, thank you.¡± Richard let out a sigh, staring at her helplessly. Ang nced at the needle on her arm, then at the infirmary bed she was lying on. She turned her head away and said to Richard, ¡°I can take care of myself. You should go and rest.¡± From her actions, she wasn¡¯t even giving him a chance to take care of her. ¡°Do you not want to see me that badly?¡± Because of his words, Ang turned around to look at him, only to see the man by the bed propping his hands on his legs and his eyes drooping slightly, with only the tall bridge of his nose visible, leaving her unsure of what he was thinking. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t want to see me, I can promise that I won¡¯t show up in front of you again.¡± Richard raised his head, and his eyes were extremely calm, as if what he said was an order, and he would see it through to the end. Ang¡¯s breath stopped as she looked at him, feeling afraid that he would disappear forever. ¡°Then, will you marry Annie?¡± she hurriedly asked him. ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Richard replied tly, his voice sounding a little hoarse. His eyes fell on her, as if he wanted to say something but wasn¡¯t able to speak. ¡°You can¡¯t treat her like this.¡± In her panic, Ang hurriedly sat up and stared at him. A cold smile appeared on the corner of Richard¡¯s lips. ¡°Who are you to tell me that I have to marry her?¡± Ang was stunned. She suddenly found this man unfamiliar, and there was a high and mighty air around him that made her afraid. If he didn¡¯t give them a chance, no woman would even have the possibility of getting close to him, and Ang had now lost the right to approach him and do whatever she wanted. ¡°You¡­¡± Ang¡¯s face turned red as she was rendered speechless. ¡°From now on, I won¡¯t show up in front of you anymore. You can recuperate with peace of mind, and you don¡¯t have to worry that Annie will hate you. It has nothing to do with you even if I cancel the wedding.¡± After Richard finished speaking, he picked up the coat draped on the back of the chair next to him and walked toward the door. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Ang blurted out in rm. Richard turned around slightly. ¡°To a ce where you won¡¯t be able to see me.¡± Ang¡¯s breath caught in her throat. Though she wanted him to stay away from her, why did her heart hurt so badly when he actually made sure that he would never see her again? All of a sudden, there was a tingling pain in her heart, like someone sticking a needle in her chest, which made her gasp in pain. She pressed her hand tightly on her chest, trying to stop the pain, but she still broke into a cold sweat from the agony. Richard, who had just arrived at the door, heard a groan from behind him. When he turned his head and took a look, he hurried back on his long legs in an instant. He leaned over and looked at the pale girl who was clutching her chest, his voice filled with worry as he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°It hurts¡­ My heart hurts.¡± Ang felt that her heart was about to shatter into pieces. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m not going anywhere. I¡¯ll stay with you. I won¡¯t leave.¡± Richard¡¯s tone softened, and he apologized to her in a restrained and low voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Ang was taken aback. She raised her head and looked at the man in front of her. The moment she met his gentle eyes, it was as if the rope tightened around her heart had loosened a little, and the pain gradually subsided until it faded into nothing. Was the cause of her severe heartache just now rted to this man? Ang looked up at Richard. He was looking at her intently as well; it was as if time had stopped at this moment. When she saw the remorse shing in the man¡¯s eyes, she suddenly burst into tears. She felt so helpless and desperate. She couldn¡¯t leave him, but she couldn¡¯t stay by his side either; she didn¡¯t know where to ce him in her heart. Richard continued to remain seated by her side, annoyed by his cold behavior just now. She was suffering from a high fever, causing not only her mental state but her entire body to be weakened, but he had treated her like that. Clearly, she would get even more hurt. Richard watched her gaze lower as her tears fell onto the nket. When he picked up the tissue on the side and handed it to her, Ang stretched out her hand to take it, wiping her tears with them. Her head still felt fuzzy, and even her heart felt heavy. She had never felt so weak before, like a child who had to be protected and taken care of. At the same time, Richard¡¯s cold treatment earlier also made her inexplicably sad, as if he was cutting her off. Due to the medicine and her fever, she slowly became drowsy andy down. As the nket was a tad too thin, she subconsciously curled up into a ball. Sensing this, Richard walked to another bed and spread out another nket on top of her before he gentlyforted, ¡°Go to sleep. I¡¯ll stay here with you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. You should go back and sleep.¡± Ang shook her head. If he were here, her sleep would be affected even more. At her words, Richard had no choice but to get up. ¡°I¡¯ll ask a nurse toe and look after you.¡± After he left, Ang pursed her red lips, feeling angry that she didn¡¯t fight back earlier, and feeling furious at herself for easily getting so angered by him that her heart ached. It shocked her. When did this man be so important to her? Would she be unable to live without him? She had a restless sleep that night. After having several consecutive nightmares, she felt weak and tired. Even the nurse felt sorry for her, and took a hot towel to wipe the sweat from her forehead a few times. As dawn broke on an early winter morning, Ang slept very deeply, perhaps because she hadn¡¯t gotten much rest the previous night. Meanwhile, Richard stood by the entrance and listened as the nurse reported to him about what happened on the previous night. ¡°Miss Ang¡¯s fever has gone down, and she only has a mild fever now, but she kept having nightmaresst night and woke up many times. Captain Lloyd, you should talk to her.¡± Richard nodded slightly, and the nurse moved aside for him. When he pushed the door open, a trace of warm winter sunlight trickled in from the window, while the girl in bed curled up with morbidly pale skin, still deep in sleep. Richard sat down and looked at her face, falling deep into thought. What should he do with her? Should he send her back to her parents or let her stay here for a period of time? Just like that, Ang slept until two in the afternoon. She felt as if someone was staying with her, but when she opened her eyes, there wasn¡¯t anyone in sight. She couldn¡¯t help but sit up and sigh. Why did she feel like someone was with her? Just then, the nurse walked in with a tray of medicine for her to take. ¡°Was someone sitting by my side earlier?¡± Ang asked curiously. ¡°Oh. No, there wasn¡¯t. Since this morning, no one hase to visit you,¡± the nurse replied. However, she felt dubious as she wondered why Richard had been here for most of the day, but asked her not to tell Ang that he had been here when he left. Ang¡¯s eyes turned downcast. He hadn¡¯t been here either? It made sense. Now that she asked him to avoid her, he would definitely note to see her again. She swallowed the bitter medicine only wanting to get better soon so that she could return to the city, back to her warm house, and stay with her parents. The fact that Ang was sick had also reached Ariel¡¯s ears, and she was ecstatic at the news. Ang must be badly hurt. She also heard that Richard was not at the base either, and this made her wonder. Did she seed in breaking them up? In the evening, Trevor and Jared came to visit Ang and brought her an iPad. They taught her how to y games and cheered her up in various ways, but they didn¡¯t mention Richard. Though Ang happily epted their concern, there was a question she kept thinking about. However, even as they were leaving, she wasn¡¯t able to say anything. Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and Ang¡¯s fever hadpletely subsided. Her whole body felt weak and sore. This fever had really taken years off her life, and she waspletely exhausted. ¡°I want to take a shower. I¡¯m covered in sweat,¡± Ang requested. ¡°You can go to Mr. Richard¡¯s room. He isn¡¯t here now,¡± Trevor said. Ang¡¯s breathing suddenly stopped. She turned to look at Trevor, blurting out, ¡°He left?¡± Trevor smiled hurriedly. ¡°Mr. Richard has some other work, and he may be gone for a week or two. Miss Ang, we will take care of you in the meantime. After you¡¯repletely safe from danger, we¡¯ll take you home.¡± Ang¡¯s heart suddenly twinged again, as if a big palm was grasping her beating heart, and she only felt a surge of pain every time her heart pulsed. ¡°Miss Ang, are you all right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Ang closed her eyes, attempting to relieve the pain in her heart andfort herself. This is only right! Didn¡¯t I want him to leave me? It was a good thing that they wouldn¡¯t talk to each other anymore. Only when the ties between them werepletely severed would things return to normal. ¡°Miss Ang, do you want to lie down for a while?¡± Upon seeing her pale face and her red lips bitten tightly in her mouth, as if she was about to faint at any time, Trevor felt extremely worried. ¡°When he left, did he say anything?¡± Ang turned her head and asked. ¡°No. Mr. Richard just asked us to take care of you, and he might not return to take you back.¡± After Trevor finished speaking, he looked away a little guiltily as Richard was the one who said these things to them and told them not to mention him to Ang as much as they could. As for where he went, Trevor didn¡¯t know either, but he knew that the boss had no jobs on hand, and he probably left to distract himself. ¡°Really?¡± Ang pursed her lips bitterly as she recalled Richard¡¯s words from two days ago. He had told her that as long as she didn¡¯t want to see him, he would never appear in front of her. So, he¡¯s trying to keep his words? Ang¡¯s eyes suddenly stung, and she blinked quickly; she didn¡¯t want to cry in front of Trevor. Getting up, she said, ¡°I¡¯m going to take a shower.¡± Ang returned to her room and took a change of clothes before she went to Richard¡¯s room. The entire room was clean and tidy, and even the bed was t and seamless. Clearly, this man had not slept here in the past two days. Has he really disappeared? Ang¡¯s tears suddenly fell. She wiped her tears embarrassedly and walked in the direction of the bathroom. It was only after she sat in the bathroom and turned on the tap that she dared to wail loudly. However, after she had cried her heart out, she realized that she still felt awful and decided to take a quick shower before leaving the bathroom. She blow-dried her waist-length hair and changed into a set of white pajamas before covering herself up with a coat, all while looking listless. When she saw the ss on the table, she reached out and took it. Then, she walked toward the kettle and poured a ss of warm water for herself, slowly sipping at it. While Ang drank, her tears suddenly gushed out again. She set down the ss of water and sat on the couch with her hands covering her face like a child as she sobbed. However, she wasn¡¯t aware that in one corner of the room, there was a camera swiveling around like an eyeball, watching every corner of the room. At that moment, in a small town two hours away from the base, a ck SUV was parked under an inconspicuous tree. As the man in the car stared at the woman on theputer screen and watched her cry in his room, his hands slowly balled into fists. Was she really that sad? He had followed her wishes and left, so why was she still unhappy? Just then, on the screen, Ang wanted to get up to get something, but as soon as she stood up, the man predicted that she would hit herself and warned in a low voice across the screen, ¡°Be careful.¡± s, as expected, the woman on the screen did not notice the corner of the couch in her path and bumped her knee viciously into it. She crouched on the floor in pain, and the man on the screen sighed anxiously. This feeling of watching her get hurt but unable to do anything made Richard inexplicably anxious. He stared at the woman who was rolling her trousers up on the screen. She had hit herself on the exact spot where she had scratched herself while kneeling on the groundst time, and as a new injury was added onto her previous injury, her knee was currently covered in blood. On the screen, Ang was calm and tough. She stared at her wound in a daze, as if she didn¡¯t even want to deal with it. What was she doing? Richard waited anxiously for her to get the first aid kit, but even after five minutes, the woman remained motionless. Did she not know where the first aid kit was? However, Ang wasn¡¯t moving because she couldn¡¯t be bothered to. The ce she was hurting the most wasn¡¯t her knee, but her heart. On the contrary, as she looked at the injury on her knee, she recalled thest time Richard squatted down to stop the bleeding and bandage her knee, which caused her to be immersed in her memories again. Is this woman not going to deal with her wound? Her knee is already this hurt, but she¡¯s still spacing out? Richard let out a sigh. In the end, he tapped a few buttons with his fingers and said in a low voice toward the screen, ¡°The first aid kit is in the cupboard. Go get it yourself.¡± Ang, who was staring into nothing in the room, seemed to hear Richard¡¯s voiceing from the room all of a sudden. Because she had been spacing out, she thought she had imagined it. Still, she couldn¡¯t help but raise her head and look around before she looked at the door again, only to realize that it was just her own imagination. He wasn¡¯t there at all. However, just then, a man¡¯s voice sounded from the direction of the clock hanging on the wall again. ¡°Stop spacing out. Hurry up and deal with your wound.¡± This time, his voice sounded clearly in her ears, causing Ang to dart to her feet in fright and stare at the direction of the clock. ¡°Richard, is that you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to know. Go and get the first aid kit from the cupboard and treat your wound.¡± Ang¡¯s pale face flushed red in an instant. She couldn¡¯t believe that he was actually monitoring his room. If that was the case, everything she did in the room just now, including the way she went mad and sobbed like a fool, had been seen by him. All of a sudden, she didn¡¯t even want to remain alive anymore. She felt humiliated, ashamed, and furious at the same time, and she couldn¡¯t help but yell in the direction of the clock, ¡°Richard, you¡¯re terrible!¡± ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want to see me?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t want to see you, b-but why are you spying on me?¡± Ang asked, feeling distressed. The man on the other end fell silent and did not answer. Ang red in the direction of the clock resentfully. If she had carelessly taken off her clothes in his room earlier, or came out with just a bath towel wrapped around her to get her things, wouldn¡¯t he have seen it? ¡°Get the first aid kit. Don¡¯t let your wound get infected,¡± he ordered in a low voice. Hence, Ang could only head toward the door of the cupboard and open the thirdpartment, where she brought out the first aid kit from inside. As she sat on the couch and opened the first aid kit, the man immediately told her which bottle was the antiseptic so that she could clean her wound and bandage it. While listening to his instructions, Ang cleaned the blood stains around her wound. Finally, after she bandaged it and sorted out the first aid kit, she said to the man on the other end of the camera, ¡°Do you really have to leave the base? Are you nevering back?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What about your engagement with Annie?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll cancel it.¡± ¡°C-Can¡¯t you consider Annie¡¯s feelings?¡± ¡°Do you think she¡¯d be happy if I married her without loving her?¡± Ang couldn¡¯t answer this question all of a sudden, but she knew that Annie had fallen in love with him at first sight. ¡°Annie really likes you.¡± ¡°Her one-sided love wouldn¡¯t be able to keep us together. A happy marriage requires effort from both sides for it to work.¡± He began reasoning with her all of a sudden. Ang couldn¡¯t refute, but she didn¡¯t know what else to do. ¡°Besides, wouldn¡¯t you be sad if I married another woman?¡± the man questioned in a low voice. Ang suddenly looked in the direction of the camera. Perhaps it was because they were talking through a screen, but she found it much easier to speak to him. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be sad if you married Annie. I¡¯ll be happy for the both of you and wish you the best instead. I¡¯ve decided to continue my studies abroad and live there for a long time, so I won¡¯t disturb you.¡± Ang had alreadye up with a back up n. ¡°Then, why did you cry so sadly earlier?¡± He scoffed. Ang fell silent and pursed her lips, her head lowering in embarrassment. ¡°Is it because of me?¡± Richard¡¯s voice sounded in the room again, as if reading her mind. Ang took a deep breath and raised her head firmly. ¡°I admit that I feel sad, but this sadness will only be temporary in order to secure Annie¡¯s happiness. Richard, I will not allow you to disappoint Annie. You can try to ept her and like her. I believe that any kind of feelings can be developed.¡± ¡°If it were you, would you be able to develop feelings for another man as soon as you meet him? Are you going to forget about me just like that?¡± In the room, the man¡¯s slightly hoarse voice carried a hint of anger and frustration. Ang¡¯s heart throbbed suddenly. The conversation was about him and Annie, but why was he questioning her instead? ¡°It¡¯s not that you don¡¯t know how quickly I can change my partners. I was still deeply in love with Dexter earlier, and I would¡¯ve done anything for him, but I still forgot about him in the blink of an eye. Of course I can do the same with you.¡± Ang¡¯s gaze was trained in one ce, and she didn¡¯t dare to look up in case Richard saw her feigned look of calmness at the moment. At that moment, the man in the SUV faced the girl on the screen with a dark expression, seemingly boiling with anger inwardly, and his handsome face was as cold as ice. However, there was a sense of frustration in him that he couldn¡¯t seem to vent even though he wanted to. As Ang listened to the silence on the other end, she bit her lip worriedly. Had she said too much? Did she hurt his feelings? Wait, wasn¡¯t this what she wanted? Though it hurt now, it would guarantee Annie¡¯s happiness in the future, so what was the problem? She thought Richard would continue to talk to her, but after she waited for ten minutes without any response, she finally eximed in surprise, ¡°Richard, are you still there?¡± ¡°Richard¡­¡± He stopped replying to her. Ang faltered for a few moments before she took her clothes and went back to her own room. She didn¡¯t want to stay in a ce that he could monitor at any time. As Ang returned to her room, she suddenly raised her head and nced at her surroundings, fearing that even her small room was under his surveince. Fortunately, she did not find anything suspicious. She sat on the bed, thinking of what she had just said to him, and she realized how hurtful it sounded, even to her. Besides, Richard had witnessed how she had once loved Dexter and how ruthlessly she had forgotten about him in the blink of an eye, which made her words extremely convincing, as if she could really fall in love with another man in the next second. However, Ang knew that it was not true, and she couldn¡¯t fall in love with anyone else. She had only fallen in love with Dexter because she was lonely and sensitive while staying abroad, and Dexter took advantage of that to enter her world. When she was with Dexter, he tried his best to move her, and often acted weak and pitiful in front of her. Dexter was just ying the role of a perfect lover, which made him different from Richard, whose feelings were genuine. Everything he did touched the depths of her soul, making her deeply moved and unable to leave. Once Ariel heard that Ang recovered from her fever, she returned to the house. At eight o¡¯clock in the evening, she knocked on Ang¡¯s door. For some reason, when Ang heard the knock on the door, she hurriedly went and opened the door. However, the person outside the door was the person she hated, Ariel. Ariel looked at her with a smile. ¡°Can I go inside and have a talk with you?¡± ¡°We have nothing to talk about.¡± Ang didn¡¯t want to chat with her at all. ¡°I have something that you might want to see.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested,¡± Ang refused coldly. Although Ariel told her about Annie, she knew that Ariel had done so with bad intentions, so she didn¡¯t need to be grateful to her. ¡°I just happened to catch a video of your passionate kiss with Captain Lloyd on the top of the mountain last time. Do you think that you can still hide your rtionship with him if I give this to Annie?¡± Ariel crossed her arms and scoffed. In an instant, Ang¡¯s face flushed as she panicked. She hurriedly stretched out her hand and said, ¡°Hand it over.¡± ¡°Why should I? However, you don¡¯t have to worry. As long as you do as I say, I won¡¯t give it to Annie.¡± ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± Ang frowned. ¡°It¡¯s simple. Break up with Captain Lloyd and leave him alone. Don¡¯t think about being together with him in this life,¡± Ariel ordered with a sneer. Hearing that, Ang immediately replied, ¡°I¡¯ve already cut off my ties with Richard.¡± ¡°Really? How are you going to prove that?¡± Ariel asked, not wanting to be fooled. ¡°What proof do you need? I always do as I say.¡± Ang¡¯s gaze was resolute. Ariel frowned. ¡°What makes you say that? Don¡¯t you like him anymore?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t love a man who hides that he has a fianc¨¦e. Ariel, I¡¯m very grateful to you for reminding me that he¡¯s engaged, because you¡¯ve allowed me to see him for who he really is. I will no longer be stupid enough to love an engaged man,¡± Ang said. Ariel looked at her in astonishment. Why? Didn¡¯t Ang know that Richard had a marriage contract? She recalled thest time she had seen Ang standing by the entrance with a pale face, and realized that it must be true. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, do you really not want Captain Lloyd anymore?¡± Ariel asked again. ¡°If you want to pursue him, just go after him! I¡¯m leaving the base soon,¡±Ang said very generously. When Ariel heard this, she couldn¡¯t help but feel happy. She had finally broken them up. If Ang left, wouldn¡¯t Richard stay here alone? That would leave her a chance! After all, men would always be inseparable from women. As long as Ang left, she was confident that she would be the most beautiful woman here. ¡°Okay, I believe you. As for this video, I¡¯ll keep it for myself to enjoy!¡± After Ariel finished speaking, she turned around and left. As Ang looked at her retreating figure, she turned around and closed the door. She was actually afraid that Ariel would use the video, so she still had to find a way to get the video back. However, what could she do? As soon as she had that thought, she immediately thought of Trevor, and she pushed the door open and headed in the direction of Trevor¡¯s dormitory. Upon hearing the knock on his door, Trevor opened his door in his pajamas, only to be startled. ¡°Miss Ang! Why are you here?¡± ¡°Trevor, I have a favor to ask of you.¡± Ang walked into his room and told him about Ariel¡¯s threat. ¡°Your video with Mr. Richard on the mountain? What kind?¡± Trevor pressed. Ang had only said that it was a video, but now that Trevor was asking for details, she could only reply with a blush, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s a video of us kissing!¡± Trevor couldn¡¯t help but smile as he nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take care of it. I¡¯ll immediately hack into their phones and delete the contents for you. Anyway, they don¡¯t have any inte connection here, so they can¡¯t spread any kind of information. Don¡¯t worry!¡± Ang realized that they really were geniuses. She said gratefully, ¡°Thank you, Trevor.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. After all, you¡¯re our future¡­¡± When Trevor said this, he quickly covered his mouth, not daring to say the following words. ¡°Future what?¡± It was Ang¡¯s turn to ask him curiously. ¡°I-It¡¯s nothing. You¡¯re our future best friend.¡± Trevor frantically reced the words sister-inw by calling her their best friend. Ang didn¡¯t doubt it either, and she nodded before leaving. Ten minutester, Ariel was lying on the bed and wanted to watch the video again, but as soon as she turned on her phone, she found that there was not a single photo left in her photo album. Who deleted everything? ¡°Ah! What¡¯s going on? Where are my photos?¡± Ariel sat up frantically. Most of her photos were from several years ago, but they were all gone now. She hurriedly rushed to Carlton¡¯s room. Meanwhile, Willy was staring at Carlton with his arms folded as he stretched out his hand to him. ¡°Hand it over.¡± As it turned out, Trevor had the forethought to ask Willy toe over and take the memory card in his camera, causing Carlton to hand his camera over with his hands trembling in fright. As soon as Ariel knocked on the door, she saw Willying out. She was taken aback and hurriedly said to Carlton, ¡°Why was he looking for you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Carlton replied timidly. ¡°Do you still have the file of the video you secretly recorded? Hurry up and send me a copy.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. That person took my memory card away.¡± ¡°What? Darn it, my photos are all gone!¡± Ariel was about to go mad from anger. However, as they had no way to find Trevor and the others to settle things with, Ariel med the issue on Ang again. Meanwhile, Ang was looking at the faint moonlight outside the window in her room, unable to fall asleep. She wasn¡¯t aware that at the same time, in an inn in town, there was a man who was lying on his arm, also finding it hard to sleep. Early the next morning, after Ang got up, she bumped into Trevor and the others on her way to have breakfast. ¡°Miss Ang, we¡¯re going to town to buy some things. Do you want toe with us?¡± ¡°I can go out?¡± Ang was about to turn depressed from being locked up. ¡°Of course you can! We¡¯ll take you out for some fresh air.¡± ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll go!¡± Ang was eager for some fresh air. After breakfast, they left in two cars. In the back seat, Ang watched the early winter scenery from the window in a daze. Her mind was full with Richard at the moment as she wondered where he was. Was he on a mission? Was it dangerous? ¡°Trevor, where is your boss now?¡±Ang asked Trevor, who was in the passenger seat. Trevor was secretly sending a text message to Richard at this moment. After listening to Ang¡¯s question, he smiled and said, ¡°I can¡¯t tell you this. Mr. Richard won¡¯t let me say anything.¡± Ang was a little speechless. ¡°Is he on a mission? Why are you not with him? Can he handle it alone?¡± ¡°Miss Ang, you shouldn¡¯t underestimate our captain. He has a lot ofbat experience. Since the beginning, he has never failed at a single mission. He¡¯s always been undefeated,¡± Trevor boasted with a prideful expression. Ang was also aware that Richard was extremely skilled, but she still couldn¡¯t help but worry about him, so she stopped asking questions. Just then, Trevor received a message from Richard that said, ¡®Protect her and don¡¯t let anything happen.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Richard! We¡¯re just taking a walk on the streets. Besides, aren¡¯t you here as well?¡¯ Trevor replied. ¡®You¡¯re not allowed to tell her.¡¯ ¡®We didn¡¯t tell Miss Ang, but she seemed very worried for you earlier.¡¯ ¡°Travor, whara is your boss now?¡±Ang askad Travor, who was in tha passangar saat. Travor was sacratly sanding a taxt massaga to Richard at this momant. Aftar listaning to Ang¡¯s quastion, ha smd and said, ¡°I can¡¯t tall you this. Mr. Richard won¡¯tt ma say anything.¡± Ang was a lit spaacss. ¡°Is ha on a mission? Why ara you not with him? Can ha han it alona?¡± ¡°Miss Ang, you shouldn¡¯t undarastimata our captain. Ha has a lot ofbat axparianca. Sinca tha baginning, ha has navar fad at a sin mission. Ha¡¯s always baan undafaatad,¡± Travor boastad with a pridaful axprassion. Ang was also awara that Richard was axtramaly skid, but sha still couldn¡¯t halp but worry about him, so sha stoppad asking quastions. Just than, Travor racaivad a massaga from Richard that said, ¡®Protact har and don¡¯tt anything happan.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Richard! Wa¡¯ra just taking a walk on tha straats. Basidas, aran¡¯t you hara as wall?¡¯ Travor rapliad. ¡®You¡¯ra not allowad to tall har.¡¯ ¡®Wa didn¡¯t tall Miss Ang, but sha saamad vary worriad for you aarliar.¡¯ If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. ¡®Why was she worried about me?¡¯ ¡®She asked me if you went on a mission, if you were alone, whether you were safe or not, and if you could handle it. I told her that you¡¯re undefeated, so she doesn¡¯t have to worry.¡¯ Trevor wasn¡¯t afraid of speaking too much in his text, because he felt that Richard would want to know every word Ang said. However, Richard didn¡¯t reply anymore. Trevor was aware of his boss¡¯ personality¡ªafter he got the information he wanted, he would basically ignore them. During the two hours they spent driving along the mountain path, Ang felt like she was on a roller coaster due to the constant turns and bends. When she camest time, it was at night, and she was asleep then. She had by now fully experienced the steep terrain of the mountain area. Even so, when she arrived in the small town, Ang felt like cheering as she was finally in the outside world. This time, it was fortunate that her mother had expected the weather to change and packed enough clothes for her, or she would¡¯ve frozen to death. Still, she wanted to go shopping, and she had also brought money with her, so she decided to make a few purchasester. They parked their car on a road outside the town and walked in. This was not a huge city, but a small town, and even their liveliest area was nothing more than a street that was not longer than a mile with several shops along it. However, there were many fruits from the mountains nearby which looked delicious. ¡°Miss Ang, you¡¯ll have to settle for this. This is just a small town in the mountains, so there¡¯s not much to buy,¡± Trevor said. ¡°It¡¯s all right. I¡¯m happy enough to be able toe out and get some fresh air.¡± Ang smiled. At this moment, Trevor saw a familiar car, and he quickly tapped Jared beside him and pointed at it. After Jared noticed it as well, he nudged Sean and Willy to look in the same direction. As they looked at the ck SUV parked out of view, they could see a tall figure that was vaguely visible in the driver¡¯s seat. What was going on with Richard and Ang? Why did he have to sneak around like this just to look at her? Couldn¡¯t he get out of the car and walk around with Ang openly? On the other hand, Ang didn¡¯t notice the car and was squatting down as she asked an olddy about the price of some fruits, which was a wild pear from the mountains that looked crunchy and sweet. When she saw the olddy¡¯s simple clothes, she immediately bought all the fruits from her stall with five hundred. Of course, these fruits didn¡¯t even add up to a hundred; Ang had paid her extra. The olddy was so happy that she began tearing up, thanking her profusely. Her actions made Ang embarrassed as she hurriedly said it was fine. At that moment, several elderly people called out to her to have a look at their stalls as well. Trevor and the others watched dumbfoundedly as Ang spent all the cash she had. In the end, each of them walked down the street withrge bags of fruits in hand, drawing much attention toward them. Ang¡¯s kindness made her easily likable as well. After all, she was as pretty as a movie star, and it made her seem unreal. Meanwhile, the man in the SUV saw everything. He watched as she finally had a smile on her face, watched as she was surrounded by a group of old people thanking her, and looked at her shy expression. The corners of his lips raised slightly with a faint smile. Though this woman might be foolish at times, she was still so likable. After Ang spent all the cash she brought, there was nowhere for her to use her card, so she could only give up. ¡°Miss Ang, it seems like it¡¯s going to rain, so we¡¯ll have to go back soon,¡± Trevor said. ¡°All right!¡± ¡°However, we have to go to the city for a task, so it¡¯s not convenient for you to follow us. How about this? Miss Ang, we have a teammate here, so how about you go back in his carter?¡± Trevor asked. ¡°Huh? Whose car will I take?¡± Ang was taken aback. Trevor and the others couldn¡¯t be nning to leave her behind, right? ¡°Look, do you see that car? That¡¯s our teammate¡¯s car. If you knock on the doorter, he¡¯ll take you back safely.¡± Trevor secretly pointed at the ck SUV not far away. Chapter 941-950 Chapter 941-950 ¡°Whose car is that? Will he really take me back?¡± Ang grabbed Trevor¡¯s arm as she questioned him. ¡°I can assure you that he¡¯ll take you back.¡± Trevor nodded seriously. ¡°What if he leaves me behind?¡± Ang frowned. ¡°If he dares to leave you behind, our team will not let him go, so you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Ang wondered if Trevor and the others were going to help Richard. If so, it would be better for her not to bother them. At that thought, she nodded. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll just go back in that person¡¯s carter. You guys should get going.¡± ¡°Okay. Go and look for him after we leave, all right?¡± After Trevor finished speaking, he nced at Sean and the others before they pulled Ang to a blind spot. ¡°Wait here for ten minutes before you head over.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Ang was confused. Why were they hiding her here? ¡°Anyway, just listen to us.¡± Jared smiled cheekily. Then, they got in the car, and after driving away, they quickly retreated into a forest but did not leave and remained hidden. In the car, Willy frowned and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that Mr. Richard will beat you up?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not. After all, we¡¯re doing this for their sake! Mr. Richard wouldn¡¯t bear to beat us up.¡± ¡°Miss Ang definitely wouldn¡¯t expect that Mr. Richard will be sending her back.¡± ¡°Mr. Richard definitely wouldn¡¯t expect us to leave Miss Ang here either.¡± Ang¡¯s heart was racing a little. Whose car did Trevor and the others want her to take? After all, the journey back was a two-hour drive through the mountains, and it would be troublesome if they didn¡¯t get along well. She nced at the watch on her wrist, then looked back at Trevor and their car, only to see that they were gone. Seeing that ten minutes had gone by, she plucked up the courage toe out from the corner, then walked in the direction of the ck SUV. At this moment, the man, who was sitting in the back seat and busy working, noticed with his sharp senses that someone was approaching his car. As soon as he looked up, Richard¡¯s eyes widened slightly. Why is Ang here? The person walking toward his car was Ang, and she didn¡¯t seem to know that he was inside at all. Twisting her hands with a slightly nervous expression, she slowly walked to the car window. Then, she reached out and knocked on the door. Richard looked through the car window. Because the windows were covered with a tinted film, the inside of the car couldn¡¯t be seen clearly from the outside, and only the people inside could see the people outside clearly. Puzzled, Ang started to wonder if anyone was in the car. If it was empty, wouldn¡¯t she be doomed? Would she have to spend the night in the small town? Trevor and the others wouldn¡¯t trick her like this, right? When she knocked on the door again, there was finally movement inside. Someone pressed a button from the inside, and the car window was slowly lowered. A sharp and handsome face caught her off guard as it entered her sight, and the man¡¯s deep and unpredictable eyes stared at her. Ang retracted her hand in shock as if she had been electrocuted before she took a few steps back. ¡°You¡­ Why are you here?¡± It was Richard inside the car? Ang suddenly understood Trevor and their intentions. At the same time, she realized that this man was not on a mission at all, and he was just in town. Am I the reason why he¡¯s forced to stay and work in town? ¡°Get in,¡± Richard said in a low voice. He had also guessed that this was the work of his subordinates; they had purposely pushed Ang to him. Ang looked at him resentfully as she turned her small face away and her chest heaved a little. This man had actually lied to her when he was here all along. Inside the car, Richard was dressed in a ck sweater and a ck trench coat, emanating an elegant and regal aura. Ang pursed her red lips and said huffily, ¡°I won¡¯t get in your car.¡± ¡°They¡¯ve already gone back. If you don¡¯t get in my car, how are you going back?¡± Richard asked. Ang felt bitter. She would rather go back with a stranger than stay in the car with him for a two-hour drive. ¡°Why don¡¯t you give the car to me, and I¡¯ll drive it back?¡± Ang asked bravely. Richard was not going to agree. After all, she didn¡¯t have the ability to handle the steep and dangerous mountain roads. ¡°No,¡± he rejected. Just then, the sky turned overcast; it was clear that it was about to rain soon. Sure enough, rain began drizzling on Ang¡¯s head after a while, causing her to cover her head with her hand. However, the rain came pouring down all of a sudden. ¡°Hurry up and get in the car,¡± the man in the car ordered in a low voice. Was she trying to get herself drenched again after she had just recovered from her fever? Irked by the unreasonable weather, Ang hastily walked to the passenger seat before she opened the door and went inside without sparing the man in the back seat a nce. It was exceptionally quiet in the car, isted from the rain outside. Ang¡¯s thoughts were in a complete mess, and all of her senses were trained on the man in the back seat as she listened to the sound of him tapping the keyboard and his small sighs. ¡°Didn¡¯t you leave on a mission? Why are you still here?¡± Ang asked angrily. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want to see me?¡± Richard fixed his gaze on the screen, asking without raising his head. ¡°I just said we shouldn¡¯t meet. I didn¡¯t mean to drive you out of the base.¡± Ang wondered if he had spent the past few days in the small town. Where did he sleep? How were his meals? Had he stayed in this car the entire time? At the thought, she turned to cast him a pained nce, but she saw that his shirt was clean and tidy, and he didn¡¯t look like he had been staying in the car. ¡°Why don¡¯t you give the car to me, and I¡¯ll drive it back?¡± Ang asked bravely. Richard didn¡¯t speak, but Ang felt that her mouth was turning a little dry, and she wanted to drink some water. Hence, she had no choice but to ask, ¡°Is there any water in your car?¡± Richard reached out and took out a ss in the storagepartment of the car door and handed it to her. When Ang saw that it was his ss, she suddenly stiffened for a few seconds. ¡°I was talking about mineral water.¡± At her words, Richard raised his head, his brows furrowed tightly. ¡°I don¡¯t have any.¡± Why was she refusing his ss? Didn¡¯t she drink from his ss when she was in his room? Ang¡¯s face turned a little embarrassed as she shared his thoughts. Last night, when she was in his room, she didn¡¯t have a problem with drinking from his ss, but it was like a p in the face for her if she was refusing his ss now. She took out her backpack and dug out her purse from inside before opening it. Except for a bunch of cards, there wasn¡¯t any money left inside. She didn¡¯t have any spare change as well, for she had given the rest of her money to the elderly people earlier. ¡°Do you have money? Lend me a hundred,¡± Ang asked the man behind her, reaching out her hand to borrow some money from him. Richard paused in surprise for a few moments before he retrieved his wallet from his pocket and took out a hundred dor bill. He then handed it to her. ¡°I¡¯ll return it to you someday,¡± Ang replied as she took the money from him. Richard nced at her and said indifferently, ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°I will. I don¡¯t want to owe you a favor.¡± Ang really wanted to cut off all ties with him at this moment, and she would settle everything with him. Richard was so furious that he pushed his tongue against the inside of his cheek and red at the back of her head irritably. This woman¡¯s behavior always made him angry. However, Ang took his money and got out of the car in the rain to buy some water. After a while, she came back with a bottle of water and the change. Her bangs got wet, and shebed her long hair away before she unscrewed the cap and drank from the bottle. Richard could hear the sound of her drinking water, and he suddenly felt an inexplicable attraction that made his body turn hot. He looked up and saw her slender and pale neck that was slightly raised, making him want to turn into a vampire and take a few bites. Ang could feel that the man behind her was looking at her. After she finished drinking, she turned her head and asked, ¡°When will we leave?¡± ¡°When the rain lets up a little,¡± Richard replied. ¡°If we don¡¯t leave soon, it¡¯ll turn dark, and the mountain roads will be more difficult to drive through. If you don¡¯t want to drive, let me drive.¡± Ang was eager to try as she had owned a driver¡¯s license for around five years and was very confident. ¡°No.¡± Richard closed hisptop, refusing to allow her to drive. Ang was rather annoyed. Is this guy doubtful of my driving skills? Richard got into the driver¡¯s seat from the back seat. Looking wild and attractive in a ck trench coat, he oozed masculine charm in every move. After darting a second look at him, Ang turned to look out the window. She dared not take another look at him, as though she feared she would fall for him if she did so. Richard handsomely turned the steering wheel with deft hands. Subsequently, therge SUV charged out of the curtain of rain and moved along the road toward the mountains. It was raining heavily outside the car. As big raindrops pattered heavily against the car window, Ang couldn¡¯t help feeling somewhat restless. It was as if even her breath were full of the man¡¯s smell as she stayed with him in such a cramped space. There was a brief silence as neither of them spoke. ¡°Is there any music to listen to?¡± she asked him. ¡°No,¡± he answered her. Ang was speechless for a moment. Doesn¡¯t this guy have any other hobbies? Richard drove steadily and not too fast. Having nothing else to do, Ang had no choice but to look at the rain outside the car window to kill time. Suddenly, Richard mmed on the brakes. Startled, Ang looked up ahead and was immediately stupefied for a few seconds. Before they knew it, there was a mudslide ahead that blocked their way back to the base. ¡°No way!¡± Speechless, she looked at the mudslide. It wasn¡¯t severe, but the mudslide happened to block the entire road. Some debris even flowed down the road, making it impossible to open up the road to traffic tonight. Ang was rather annoyed. Is this guy doubtful of my driving skills? ¡°What should we do now?¡± Ang turned to look at the man. ¡°We have no choice but to stay the night in town,¡± Richard replied before looking left and right for a ce to make a U-turn back into town. Ang let out a sigh. I guess we can only me our bad luck for this. I hope there¡¯s a hotel in town, she thought to herself as she watched the man turn back to town. There was another silence on their way back. Just then, it urred to Ang that there was only a street in the center area of the town. Could there be a hotel? Don¡¯t tell me there isn¡¯t even a hotel! Indeed, there wasn¡¯t any hotel here. There was only a small three-story inn, which was the only lodging in town. After parking the car outside the inn, Richard was the first to step out, whereas Ang stayed in the car, waiting. Staring at the heavy downpour outside the car, she found herself caught in an awkward situation for a moment. There isn¡¯t an umbre. How am I supposed to get out of the car? I¡¯ll get drenched to the skin in a few minutes after doing that. Just when she was hesitating, she saw Richard taking an umbre from the back seat before opening it and walking toward her. When the car door opened, she looked at the man holding the umbre. Standing in a charmingly erect posture, he stretched out his hand toward her. Ang didn¡¯t ask him to help her out of the car, but the SUV was too high above the ground. When she stepped out of the car, the man naturally grabbed her arm to support her. Flustered, she hastily stepped back. Just when she was about to step out into the rain, he yanked her into his arms with great strength. As a result, her body was pressed directly against his. Outside the umbre was a raining world, whereas under the umbre was a small world that only belonged to them. Exasperated, Ang looked up, saying, ¡°What are you¡ª¡± The next second, however, the man put his arm affectionately around her shoulders and took her into the inn. Before Ang came to her senses, Richard closed the umbre and walked toward the counter. He said to thendy, ¡°Get us a room, please.¡± The instant Ang heard this, she quickly dashed over. ¡°Two¡ªwe¡¯d like to have two rooms. Thank you.¡± ¡°Sorry, miss, but there¡¯s not a room avable, let alone two,¡± replied thendy. She exined with a sigh, ¡°Many who collect herbs in the mountains are staying here because of the downpour, so all our rooms are upied today.¡± Ang¡¯s mind went nk for a few seconds. There¡¯s no avable room anymore? What should we do then? Suddenly, thendy looked at Richard with a smile. ¡°Hey, dude, aren¡¯t you staying in one of our rooms?¡± ¡°Mm-hm.¡± Richard nodded. Dumbfounded, Ang instantly turned to look at him. ¡°You have a room here?¡± ¡°Why would you ask for two rooms, then? You two can stay together in his room,¡± thendy suggested candidly. Ang instantly blushed crimson. She quickly waved her hand and denied, ¡°No, you¡¯ve got the wrong idea, ma¡¯am. We¡¯re not a couple.¡± However, the sharp-eyedndy had seen theming in with Richard¡¯s arm wrapped around Ang¡¯s shoulders just now. Even if they¡¯re not a couple yet, they¡¯re definitely seeing each other. She replied with a smile, ¡°You two make a wonderful couple. This dude is so handsome, and you¡¯re so pretty.¡± Feeling bitter deep down, Ang didn¡¯t want to argue with thendy anymore. She said to Richard, ¡°Let¡¯s go back to your room.¡± Richard took her by the hand and walked toward the stairs beside them. Miffed, Ang struggled to break free of his hold. ¡°Don¡¯t take me by the hand. I can walk on my own.¡± Richard then let go of her. They went all the way upstairs to thest room on the third floor before pushing the door open. The room was very shabby, with no trace of modernity; even its decor was styled in the 90s. At this moment, however, Ang couldn¡¯t be picky about anything. It was good enough for them to have a ce to shelter from the rain. Apart from a king-sized bed, there was only a small chair here. Standing in front of the window, Ang stared at the raindrops, feeling as though she were cut off from the rest of the world. Just then, she sensed an oppressive presence behind her. When she turned around, she saw that Richard was standing only a step away from her. She instinctively stepped back, only to find herself with nowhere to retreat to since she was standing in front of the window in the first ce. Instead, she was startled when her heel kicked against the wall. ¡°Are you so scared of me?¡± Richard asked quietly with his eyes locked on her facial expression. Ang instantly blushed crimson. She quickly waved her hand and denied, ¡°No, you¡¯ve got the wrong idea, ma¡¯am. We¡¯re not a couple.¡± Ang wasn¡¯t afraid of him, but she wanted to keep her distance from him at all times. It was as if only by doing so would she be able to face Annie with a clear conscience. ¡°I¡¯m not scared of you. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t want to get too close to you.¡± She raised her chin slightly with a somewhat stubborn expression on her palm-sized face. Suddenly, Richard leaned over to her. Ang¡¯s eyes started slightly. What is this guy doing? Don¡¯t tell me he wants to take advantage of the situation to do something to me? ¡°W-What are you doing?¡± She quickly turned her face away as her breathing became irregr. Richard just wanted to test her reaction at first. Seeing how she turned her face away in disgust, he straightened up and pointed at the bed, saying, ¡°You sleep on the bed. I¡¯ll sleep in the car.¡± Ang was dumbstruck for a few seconds. At once, she was ashamed of how she had treated him just now. She bit her lip, saying, ¡°It¡¯s freezing in the car. Why don¡¯t you stay in the room instead?¡± It was a winter night, where the temperature could go as low as six degrees Celsius. Moreover, with today¡¯s rain, the temperature would definitely drop even lower. ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± the man asked in a husky voice. Biting her red lip, Ang replied, ¡°You can stay here as long as you don¡¯t get overfamiliar with me.¡± ¡°You can trust me,¡± Richard promised in a deep voice. Ang also trusted his character, which was why she told him to stay. And besides, the situation right now was too difficult for him. Even though she felt guilty toward Annie, she couldn¡¯t chase the man out of the room and let him freeze in the car all night. Seeing the remote control for the air conditioner, she couldn¡¯t help but press the buttons on the remote control several times, only to find that the air conditioner didn¡¯t respond no matter how she pressed the buttons. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s broken.¡± She let out a groan of vexation while standing under the air conditioner. ¡°It is broken,¡± Richard said to her positively with his arms folded. ¡°How are we gonna spend the night when it¡¯s so cold? I¡¯m not bundled up or something,¡± Ang groaned. At this moment, her hands and feet were as cold as ice, so much so that she had to rub her hands together to warm herself up a little. There¡¯s no air conditioner right now? How am I gonna survive the night, then? Richard noticed that her face was pale with cold. Her clothes only looked good on the outside, but they couldn¡¯t keep her warm. On the other hand, he still had a military greatcoat in the car. He stood up, pushed the door open, and went out. Ang watched the door close. Not knowing where the man was going, she could only sit on the bed while gloomily pondering what to do next. She wondered when the mudslide would be cleared, though she hoped it¡¯d be cleared as soon as possible since she didn¡¯t want to stay with him for such a long time. At this very moment, she was somewhat afraid of him. She feared that her willpower wasn¡¯t strong enough, that she couldn¡¯t resist his charms, that she would find herself involuntarily attracted to him, and that she¡¯d do something that made her feel guilty toward Annie. Just then, she heard the sound of the door being pushed from the outside. Richard came in with a heavy military greatcoat hung over his wrist. Without saying a word, he draped the greatcoat around her shoulders as she sat on the bed. Dumbfounded, Ang stared at him. So he went out to get the greatcoat for me? ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. She did need the greatcoat, though it had his smell on it. This greatcoat is probably his, she thought. It was getting dark, but the rain was still pouring down with no signs of stopping. Suddenly, Ang¡¯s stomach let out a growl in the quiet room, causing her to p her hand over her stomach in embarrassment. She was hungry, but she could only eat liquid food after having just had a high fever. Because of that, she hadn¡¯t eaten much since this morning. ¡°Let me take you somewhere to get something to eat,¡± Richard said to her. Ang blinked her eyes. ¡°Is there a ce to eat around here?¡± Richard had eaten at a farmhouse restaurant over the past few days, and the food there tasted pretty good. He nodded. ¡°Come with me.¡± Ang took off his military greatcoat since it¡¯d be inconvenient for her to wear it while going out. Looking at the rain outside the window, she felt inexplicably annoyed. If only it wasn¡¯t raining. The two came downstairs to the first-floor entrance. Richard opened the umbre and stretched out his hand toward her, but she didn¡¯t let him take her by the hand. Instead, she stepped under the umbre. The next instant, however, a muscr arm reached out and hooked around her waist imperiously. ¡°Don¡¯t do this¡­¡± Ang implored instantly. Richard turned to look at her, saying, ¡°If you get wet, you¡¯ll have no clothes to change into.¡± Ang felt helpless at once. Indeed, if she got wet in the rain, she¡¯d have a rough time tonight. As such, she had no choice but to put up with the arm around her waist and follow him toward the street across from them. Dumbfounded, Ang stared at him. So he went out to get the greatcoat for me? ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. She did need the greatcoat, though it had his smell on it. This greatcoat is probably his, she thought. The restaurant was the only one in town that was still open for business at night. It was located deep in the mountains, where resources were limited and the people were hardworking and adorably unsophisticated. The instant she stepped into the restaurant, Ang pulled therge hand away from her waist. At this moment, there were several tables of customers eating at the restaurant. When a few men saw her, their jaws dropped in astonishment as if they¡¯d seen a fairying down to earth. Under the incandescent light, Angbed her thick waist-length hair with her fingers, revealing a fair face with delicate and charming features. She looked confident and radiantly beautiful in her fashionable pearl-buttoned overcoat, which helped her make a stunning appearance like a movie star. All the men in the restaurant saw her at first nce, but they didn¡¯t notice the tall figure closing the umbre behind her. Their eyes were fixed on her, with some showing a hint of lewd amusement. Just then, the man behind Ang put away his umbre. Putting his arm naturally around her shoulders, he looked tall, imposing, and extraordinarily handsome. Richard noticed those eyes staring at Ang at a nce. In an instant, he darted his eyes warningly over each of the men who were leering at her without restraint. Subsequently, these men instantly sensed an overwhelmingly oppressive presence; the man standing behind the prettydy was giving off a dangerous aura that struck a chill into the hearts of all of them. As a result, they promptly lowered their heads and continued eating. Richard led Ang to an empty table, where she sat down while he proceeded to order food. Having always lived high on the hog since she was born, she had nevere to such a countryside restaurant before, so she felt especially ill at ease. On the other hand, some men couldn¡¯t help but eye her up and down in secret. Inadvertently, Ang made eye contact with a bearded man. When she saw the man staring fixedly at her, she hurriedly avoided his gaze¡ªshe was unused to being stared at like this. Just then, Richard returned to his seat with two washed cups in his hands. He picked up the teapot and poured her a cup of tea. Taking the cup of tea from him, she took a sniff at it and was surprised at how refreshingly fragrant the tea was. Seems like there¡¯s an abundance of produce in the mountains. Even the ordinary tea smells so intoxicatingly pleasant. She was freezing all over, so it made her feel really warm to have a drink of hot tea. She couldn¡¯t help but hold the teacup in both hands and finish the tea in sips while it was still hot. The man across from her gazed at her intently as the fathomless eyes under his thick eyshes reflected how adorable she looked while drinking tea. Ang handed her teacup to the man across from her. ¡°Could you pour me another cup of tea?¡± Richard lifted the old teapot and poured her another cup of tea. Ang held the teacup in both hands to warm her hands before tasting the tea in small mouthfuls. Richard¡¯s lips curved into a barely perceptible smile as he stared at her with great interest. Ang was drinking her tea when she looked up and saw the smiling eyes of the man across from her. Feeling embarrassed for a few seconds, she quickly put down her teacup and started to survey the ce. The restaurant could be described as simple and crude, but it had quite an old-time feel to it. When the dishes were finally served, Ang found that she hadn¡¯t eaten such fresh and tasty food in ages. She picked up a piece of garlic bread and started to gorge herself without her usual grace. Sitting across from her, Richard couldn¡¯t help finding the sight of her eating amusing. He wasn¡¯t that hungry, but being able to see her eating so happily put him in a good mood. Ang finished two servings of food at one go. When she let out a burp in the end, she covered her mouth in embarrassment, wishing that the ground would open and swallow her up. All she had eaten was a chicken stir-fry, a green sd, and a bowl of mushroom soup that went very well with the garlic bread, but they were all very delicious. ¡°They¡¯re so yummy,¡± she praised. Richard stood up and left to pay the bill. Miraculously, it stopped raining outside at this very moment. However, it was pitch-dark all around. As there weren¡¯t any streemps here, many went around with the aid of shlights. Ang handed her teacup to the man across from her. ¡°Could you pour me another cup of tea?¡± It was still evening when they came. At this moment, however, the night was pitch-dark. As soon as Ang stepped onto the little street outside the restaurant, Richard turned on the shlight on his cell phone to illuminate their way back, taking her hand naturally in his. She tried to pull her hand out of his grasp, but she couldn¡¯t; the man was holding her hand in a firm grasp. ¡°Richard, let go of me, okay? I can walk on my own,¡± Ang pleaded. ¡°The roads here aren¡¯t smooth. It¡¯s safer to let me take you by the hand.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really not necessary. My eyesight is excellent,¡± Ang replied. Just then, she suddenly heard the sound of a dog barking fiercely from an alley nearby. Frightened, she hurriedly hid on the other side of the man and clutched his trench coat tightly. ¡°There¡¯s a dog!¡± Unfortunately, the dogs here weren¡¯t chained up or kept inside their homes; they could run out and bark at people anytime. When Ang heard what she thought was the sound of the dog bolting toward her, she was so frightened that her legs turned to jelly. ¡°It¡¯s heading this way!¡± Just then, Richard stretched out his arm and took her into his arms. In the midst of nervousness, Ang didn¡¯t realize at all that she was hiding in the embrace of the broad-chested man and hugging him around the waist. The dog did rush out and bark furiously at the two, but it dared note near, as though it had a tremendous fear of Richard¡¯s silhouette. Richard pretended to brandish his umbre at the dog. Frightened, the dog hurriedly fled back into the dark alley while letting out howls of fright. Hearing that the dog had left, Ang finally realized that she was clutching the front of Richard¡¯s trench coat and burying her head in his chest like a coward. Feeling embarrassed, she quickly let go of him and took a step back. The next second, however, the man stretched out his arm and sped her in his arms, pressing her against his chest so that his chin rested on her head. Then, a sulky voice sounded, saying, ¡°You hide in my arms when you¡¯re afraid and run away from me when you¡¯re done hiding, do you?¡± Ang turned red with embarrassment while feeling both ashamed and angry at herck of courage. ¡°Sorry,¡± she apologized. Suddenly, they heard the sound of dogs barkinging from all around them. It seemed that every family in this town had a dog. At this moment, the sound of a dog barking was immediately followed by another. Ang nervously clutched the front of Richard¡¯s trench coat again as fear surged up within her. Holding her in his arms, Richard said in a deep voice, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m here.¡± Spoken in a deep voice, the words seemed to give her enormous strength. With that, they walked ahead with his arm wrapped around her waist. When they finally arrived at the inn¡¯s lobby, thendy looked at them with meaningful amusement. They¡¯ve got to be a couple! Seriously, I¡¯ve never seen such an attractive couple before. Ang asked thendy about the broken air conditioner. Thendy was very apologetic. She said she had called someone to repair the air conditioner, but the inn was so out of the way that the repairman had yet toe over to do the repairs so far. Unable to say anything else, Ang had no choice but to go upstairs with Richard. It was still freezing cold in the room when they got inside. As Ang rubbed her hands together for warmth, the man behind her draped his warm and heavy overcoat over her shoulders. Ang was stunned for a few seconds. Coming in front of her, Richard said in a deep voice, ¡°Put it on.¡± Ang had no choice but to put on his military greatcoat, which reached down to her knees and looked like a warm and heavy dress on her. Richard was attentively helping her button up the greatcoat with his eyes full of tenderness under the light. Ang had once wished that the man would be gentle with her. Now he was finally gentle with her, but she was no longer allowed to enjoy it. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said gratefully. ¡°How are you gonna thank me?¡± Richard stared at her as the look in his eyes became serious. Dumbfounded, Ang looked at him as though she could understand what else the look in his eyes meant. However, she couldn¡¯t respond to him. ¡°Is there something to drink here?¡± She changed the subject. The man fetched his water bottle, opened it, and handed it to her. ¡°Drink this.¡± Looking at his water bottle, Ang lowered her head, saying, ¡°Let me ask thendy for a ss.¡± Ang asked thendy about the broken air conditioner. Resentment zed in Richard¡¯s eyes the instant she finished her sentence. Suddenly, he held her waist and quickly pressed his lips to hers, kissing her in a domineering manner. Ang¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. She was wearing his incredibly heavy greatcoat in the first ce, and now she couldn¡¯t move at all with his arm wrapped around her waist. Moreover, an electric current that made her tremble spread through her veins, causing her hands and feet to go limp against her will. Subsequently, she even forgot to push him. When Richard finished kissing her, he let go of her and stared at her gloomily. ¡°Why are you afraid of drinking from my water bottle? We could even kiss.¡± ¡°How could you¡­¡± Ang was both embarrassed and exasperated. Isn¡¯t this guy a bit too nasty? Richard put the water bottle aside before unbuttoning his trench coat. It was as if there were scorching mes burning inside him in this freezing cold weather that made him feel extremely hot. Then, he picked up the water bottle and took a drink from it. At this very moment, even the sound of him drinking was amplified. The masculine charm that he oozed in every move made him somewhat wildly attractive. Ang stood aside while watching the man take off his trench coat and toss it onto the bed. His ck sweater was clinging to his sturdy and muscr torso. Unable to avert her eyes in this tiny room, she could only feel nervous as her gaze fell involuntarily upon his robust physique. Inadvertently, she met his eyes, which were shining brightly under the light. Despite the man¡¯s glum expression, he had a tender look in his eyes. Sitting down on the bed, Ang pursed her lips like an ungrateful youngster, not knowing how to get along with him. ¡°Just go to bed if you¡¯re sleepy.¡± Richard sat down in his chair and took out his cell phone to look at it. Ang suddenly recalled the series of text messages she had peeked at on his cell phonest time. She raised her head sharply, asking, ¡°Was the text messagest time sent to you by Annie?¡± Richard raised his narrow eyes and denied, ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Stop lying to me. It must¡¯ve been sent to you by Annie. She admires you very much,¡± Ang said bitterly. I¡¯m not a kid. I¡¯m not that gullible. ¡°So what?¡± Richard¡¯s eyes showed a hint of indifference as if he was unimpressed by Annie¡¯s affection for him. Ang¡¯s heart clenched as she clenched her fists subconsciously. ¡°You can¡¯t ignore ady¡¯s feelings for you like this.¡± Richard looked at her thoughtfully with aplicated look in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m just following your example. Aren¡¯t you ignoring my feelings as well?¡± His gaze was intent and fathomless, but it showed no trace of mockery. Ang was instantly at a loss for a retort. She bit her lips, lowered her head, and closed her eyes. A hint of regret flickered across Richard¡¯s eyes. He felt that he shouldn¡¯t have said what he said just now. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Ang said, ¡°Annie and I have always been very close since we were little. She is my younger cousin, but we¡¯re like blood sisters. Do you think I¡¯d still have the cheek to face her? I¡¯m d that we didn¡¯t get to the point where the damage is irreversible, so it¡¯s not toote for us to end our rtionship now. Richard, I¡¯m gonna retract all the feelings I previously had for you, and I beg you to forget my impudence. W-We could be friends.¡± These words reflected her most sincere thoughts at this moment. She looked up at him imploringly. Sitting in his chair, Richard looked at her soberly like a statue while pressing his thin lips together without saying a word. Ang¡¯s heart kept clenching; she was waiting for the man to give her a response instead of remaining silent like this. However, she couldn¡¯t get an answer from him, which made her feel a little bitter. She let out a sigh, saying, ¡°What do you want, then? What do you want me to do? How should I apologize to you so that you¡¯ll forgive me for everything I¡¯ve done to you these days?¡± Her questions caused the man to stand up from his chair instantly. Then, he stepped toward her with his long and slender legs. Ang couldn¡¯t help but give a gulp while looking at him nervously. ¡°W-What are you doing?¡± Richard¡¯s body was full of overwhelming strength as he approached Ang. On the other hand, she was already sitting on the bed in the first ce, so she had no other way but to lie down to avoid getting close to him. Consequently, shey supine on the bed with him putting his hands on either side of her head for support, resulting in a posture that was rather too suggestive. Ang said, ¡°Annie and I have always been very close since we were little. She is my younger cousin, but we¡¯re like blood sisters. Do you think I¡¯d still have the cheek to face her? I¡¯m d that we didn¡¯t get to the point where the damage is irreversible, so it¡¯s not toote for us to end our rtionship now. Richard, I¡¯m gonna retract all the feelings I previously had for you, and I beg you to forget my impudence. W-We could be friends.¡± These words reflected her most sincere thoughts at this moment. She looked up at him imploringly. ¡°W-What are you doing? Richard, I-I¡¯m warning you¡­¡± Ang stuttered in panic. Richard stared at her intently with a frown. ¡°Take the initiative once again, then. If I¡¯m satisfied, I might agree to your demands and not show up anymore.¡± Ang colored up in nervousness. Isn¡¯t it too impudent of him to make such a demand? How could I possibly kiss him on my own initiative right now? ¡°No, I¡¯m not gonna agree to that.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I won¡¯t agree to break up with you, then.¡± Richard looked at her resolutely. Ang was even more resolute, though. ¡°No, no, no. We have to break up¡ª¡± The man loomed above her like a giant mountain. Like an unbreakable prison, he left her with no room to escape or avoid him. He looked at her with dark eyes that showed surging emotions under the light ¡ªa look that meant he was getting aroused by her. Sensing the overwhelmingly oppressive presence, she stretched out her hands to push him. Annoyed and embarrassed, she ordered, ¡°Get up, Richard.¡± Richard stared meaningfully at Ang¡¯s blushing face, her disheveled hair, and her resentful expression. Thedy beneath him was like a spell that he was unable to free himself from. ¡°What are you trying to do?! I¡¯m warning you, if you dare touch me, I¡¯ll tell your grandpa about it,¡± Ang said, threatening him. Richard smirked with a snort ofughter. ¡°My grandpa couldn¡¯t wait to have a great-grandson. If you can give him one, he¡¯ll be very grateful to you.¡± Ang¡¯s face was so red that it was almost bleeding. ¡°You¡­ Who wants to bear children for you?¡± Richard was only teasing her at first. Seeing how her face blushed scarlet, he knew that she would probably get pissed off if he angered her further. ¡°Never mind. This room is too small for me to perform,¡± he said while straightening up before taking the trench coat beside her and draping it over his shoulders. Hearing such a provocative remark, Ang clenched her teeth and looked daggers at him. Try it if you dare! ¡°I¡¯ll go sleep in the car. Take care and keep warm,¡± Richard said. With that, he pulled the door open and left. Ang couldn¡¯t help but look at him with a hint of worry in her eyes. ¡°Richard¡­¡± However, the man had closed the door. Ang had no intention of chasing the man out of the room. It¡¯s so cold outside, so he¡¯ll definitely be freezing in the car. Still, there¡¯s only one bed in here. If he stays here, what should we do? Shey down on the bed in exhaustion as if she had just fought a war while still wearing the man¡¯s big military greatcoat. She couldn¡¯t help but hold herself tight. She wondered if they¡¯d be able to break up for real after they returned to the city. Meanwhile, Richard wasn¡¯t sleeping in the car. With his eyes fixed on hisptop, he was dealing with his work, tracking down the whereabouts of an international gang of murderers. The leader of the gang was the murderer of his father, whose dead body was almost too unbearable to look at when it was finally brought back to the country. Inwardly, he had always been suppressing mes of anger and hatred that he was unable to put out. If he really wanted to put out these mes, he had to kill the gang leader in exchange. Many years ago, he had gone to look for the gang alone, but it vanished after he killed several of its important members. After being silent for years, the gang was now involved in the murder of an important figure in his organization. At the same time, it came into their view, so they were going to pursue the gang leader globally and kill him. This operation was one of the operations Richard wanted to take part in the most. However, his uncle stood in his way and restricted his authority, making him unable to obtain any clues about the operation. As a result, he had been trying to convince his superiors these days to give him permission to take part in the operation. The cold wind was howling outside the window. As cold air gushed in from all sides, Richard pulled up his cor to keep out the cold. He looked up at thest room on the third floor, only to find that it was still lit. He checked the time on his wristwatch. It¡¯s already 10:00PM. Why is she still awake? She wondered if they¡¯d be able to break up for real after they returned to the city. Ang was already asleep. Not only that, but she carelessly forgot to cover herself with a nket. She curled up in bed with the man¡¯s military greatcoat wrapped around her, as if the greatcoat was warm enough for her. Another two hours passed. Richard saw that all the lights in the inn were off, but thest room on the third floor was still lit. Upon seeing this, he involuntarily closed hisptop. I have to go upstairs to check it out. He opened the car door and got out of the SUV. When he walked into the inn, thendy was startled out of her doze. She asked him caringly, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you sleeping, youngd?¡± ¡°Sorry for bothering you,¡± Richard apologized before going upstairs. He swiped his key card at the door to the room on the third floor before pushing the door open and going inside. When he saw the woman curled up in bed, his pupils shrank. How did she fall asleep? How could she sleep while wrapping herself in only a greatcoat of mine in such cold weather? Seeing the nket that was still folded neatly beside her, Richard couldn¡¯t help but exhale in anger. Walking up to her with heavy steps, he unbuttoned the greatcoat and held her to his chest to take it off, taking off her pearl-buttoned overcoat at the same time. ¡°Hmm¡­ Let me sleep¡­¡± Ang pushed the man who was disturbing her sleep as her mind was in a haze. She didn¡¯t care who it was. In any case, the person was bothering her. Richard took off her overcoat and put it aside. When she pushed him, he finally noticed that her hands and feet were as cold as ice. There was no way she could feel warmer on such a freezing night even if he were to let her sleep under the nket. Standing in front of the bed, he unbuttoned his trench coat, took it off, and put it aside before getting into bed on the other side. Then, he stretched out his arm and took the sleepingdy into his arms. As Ang sensed his warmth, she instinctively moved closer to him and rested her head on his arm, pressing her face against his. Richard looked down and studied her sleeping face for a while before stretching out his hand to turn off the bedsidemp. In an instant, the room fell intoplete darkness. Darkness enveloped the world as there wasn¡¯t even a streetlight outside the window. Hugging a body that was as warm as a heater, Ang felt veryfortable without the harsh light. Consequently, she slept even more soundly. However, the man holding her in his arms was unable to fall asleep for a moment. He couldn¡¯t restrain himself in front of this woman, so his body was very tense at this very moment. Suddenly, finding her posture ufortable, the sleepingdy put her leg between his legs under the nket. Because of that, the man who had been suppressing his ming lust felt a dark fire burning inside him, which caused him to feel an even stronger sexual urge. However, it was him who brought all of this upon himself. It¡¯s my fault for sleeping with her in my arms. Richard spent the night being tormented by the warm, soft, and sweet-smelling body in his arms. On the other hand, Ang was totally unaware of what had happened until the early morning sunlight shone through the window. Today was a rare sunny day. Awakened by the kiss of the morning sun, she opened her eyes, wanting to change her sleeping posture as her body was a little stiff. However, as soon as she turned over, she immediately let out a gasp of fright. She and Richard were so close that their faces almost pressed against each other. Startled, she nearly fell out of bed. She quickly sat up and looked at the man who was sleeping on his side next to her. The man then opened his eyes as well. His pupils were dark and deep, but his eyes were bloodshot, as if he had just had a wakeful night. Ang couldn¡¯t help but ask him with concern, ¡°W-Why are your eyes so red?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Richard put his arms behind his head while closing his eyes in repose. She was dumbfounded right away. What does this have to do with me? Blinking her eyes, she asked somewhat morosely, ¡°What did I do to you?¡± At this moment, Richard still wanted to catch up on his sleep, but he found time to dart a sidelong nce at her. ¡°You kept moving in your sleep.¡± Only then did Ang realize what had happened. Was he unable to sleep because I did something to himst night? She only felt warm andfortable in her sleepst night, but she had no memory of what she had done to him or if she had touched his body. Even so, now that she thought about it, with the two of them sleeping with their bodies pressed against each other, she¡¯d probably have touched what she wasn¡¯t supposed to touch by ident. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t mean it. You get some sleep. I¡¯m getting up,¡± she said while wanting to throw back the covers and get out of bed. Richard spent the night being tormented by the warm, soft, and sweet-smelling body in his arms. However, the man suddenly grabbed her arm and yanked her back under the nket, holding her down with his arm on her chest. ¡°It¡¯s still early. Sleep with me for a while longer.¡± Peeved, Ang stared down at the arm on her chest. She couldn¡¯t help but push him away, saying, ¡°You¡¯re going too far, Richard.¡± ¡°Not as far as you didst night,¡± the man ridiculed in a husky voice with a smirk. Ang instantly went red in the face. Could I have touched what I¡¯m not supposed to touchst night? I don¡¯t have such a fetish! Richard let her rest her head on his arm while wrapping his other arm around her waist. ¡°Don¡¯t move. Sleep with me for another half an hour.¡± Ang¡¯s body tensed up. She had no choice but to plead with him, saying, ¡°Richard, could you let go of me? We can¡¯t do this.¡± However, the man next to her didn¡¯t answer her; all she could hear was the sound of him breathing somewhat heavily. Ang could only try to writhe herself free of his arms. However, as soon as she writhed, she suddenly felt something on her waist. Consequently, she blushed up to her ears right away. ¡°Don¡¯t move about, and don¡¯t test my self-restraint,¡± the man warned in a husky voice. Ang¡¯s eyes reddened with anger. How could he threaten me like this? She had been quite emotionally vulnerable these days. At this moment, tears of anger streamed from the corners of her eyes. With her arms pinned to her sides by the man, she had no choice but to close her eyes in silence while shedding tears of grievance. Suddenly, the man beside her turned sideways and propped himself up with his elbow. She opened her eyes to look into a pair of deep, fathomless eyes. Such a close distance made him unable to conceal the emotions in his eyes. It was as if his eyes were aze with his love and tenderness. The look in his eyes was tender and restrained, but it was also aggressive and overbearing. On the other hand, the look in Ang¡¯s eyes was restrained, pained, and distressed. As their eyes locked inches away from each other, Richard caressed her face with rough fingertips and wiped her tears away. When he ced his hand on her red lips, she closed her eyes. Then, sensing his breath approaching, she stubbornly turned her face away so that the man could only kiss her on the cheek. The man was stunned for a few seconds as his eyes flickered. Finally, he let go of her, threw back the covers, and sat up. He said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t pester you anymore.¡± He got out of bed and swiftly put on his long trench coat. When he arrived at the door, he nced back at thedy who sat up in bed. ¡°I¡¯ll let them send you back tomorrow.¡± Chapter 951-960 Chapter 951-960 Ang stared at the man in a daze just like that. Then, the tears that had been wiped away just now started falling uncontrobly onto the nket. Richard grabbed the door knob so tightly as though he wanted to pull the wooden door off its frame. In the end, however, he stepped out through the door and closed it without saying another word. On the other hand, Ang¡¯s mind was in turmoil. She sat on the bed behind him, overwhelmed by feelings of anguish. Two hourster, Trevor and Jared pulled up in front of the inn, having cleared the mudslidest night. At this moment, they were here to pick Ang up on Richard¡¯s orders. Ang was downcast when she followed Trevor and Jared out of the inn. Despite her exquisite beauty, she looked lifeless from the inside out, as if she had been tortured and flogged by something intangible. ¡°Miss Meyers, we¡¯ve received orders that we can now send you back to Averna safely. Please go back with us now to pack up your belongings. We¡¯ll be going to the airport this afternoon,¡± Jared said somewhat reluctantly. Ang nodded in silence. ¡°Okay. Thank you for that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. It¡¯s part of our duty.¡± Trevor looked at her with sympathy. I thought Ang and Richie would be able to get back together if we pushed her toward him. But now, it seems that things have gotten worse. Richie ordered us to send her back to Averna right away, whereas his whereabouts are unknown. Ang returned to the base. She had lived here for two months, but now, she found herself somewhat reluctant to leave this ce. Ang stared at the man in a daze just like that. Then, the tears that had been wiped away just now started falling uncontrobly onto the nket. At 2:00PM, she got a phone call from Daphne; her family had learned of the good news and was looking forward to her return. Atst, her life was no longer in danger. ¡°Ang, I¡¯ll throw a big party for you when youe back so that we can have fun to our heart¡¯s content.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not necessary, Mom. I just want to go home and rest as much as I can,¡± Ang refused. ¡°Okay, no problem. Let¡¯s talk about it when youe back. I miss you so much.¡± At 3:00PM, Ang arrived at the airport, escorted by four team members who also apanied her on the flight back to Averna. Seated in the first-ss cabin, she kept looking at the passengers who wereing in. When she saw the flight attendant closing the cabin door, a hint of disappointment shed across her eyes. As expected, Richard no longer showed up around her. His mission was over, and she no longer needed protection. Now that she thought about it, they belonged to different worlds in the first ce and were only bound together by the protective mission this time. They had to live their separate lives after the mission ended. The ne took off from the ground. Now that the mission to protect Ang was over, her life would return to normal. She was the daughter of the Meyers Family. Her mother ran a listedpany that was worth more than 7 billion, whereas her father was a powerful government official. As their only daughter, she was destined to live in glory. The two-hour flight ended, and the ne touched down at the airport. When Ang emerged from the VIP passage, she saw her parents standing there. Holding a bouquet of flowers in her arms, Daphne burst into tears of joy; she ran up to Ang and hugged her, saying, ¡°You¡¯re back atst, my daughter.¡± ¡°Hey, Mom.¡± Ang patted her on the back. Daphne¡¯s heart ached when she saw her daughter¡¯s makeup-free face and her washed-out clothes. ¡°Look at you. You must¡¯ve suffered a lot.¡± Gilbert came over and looked at Ang with a sigh of relief, saying, ¡°Ang, we¡¯ll have dinner with our extended family this evening to celebrate your safe return. We all missed you.¡± Then, he said to Trevor and the other three men behind her, ¡°Pleasee this evening to let our family express our gratitude toward you guys.¡± ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t Captain Lloyde back with you guys?¡± Daphne asked curiously. Richard was Annie¡¯s fianc¨¦, so she had to express her care for him, of course. ¡°Captain Lloyd left because he had something else to do,¡± Jared replied with a smile. ¡°Mr. Meyers, we still have another mission at hand. Sorry that we won¡¯t being for dinner,¡± Willy refused. Ang looked back at the four of them. ¡°Willy, let me treat you guys to dinner to thank you for taking care of me over the past few days, okay?¡± ¡°Miss Meyers, the fact that you¡¯re safe and sound is the best reward for us. We really still have something else to deal with. Goodbye,¡± Willy said before bing the first to leave. Reluctant to part with Ang, Trevor and Jared looked at her, whereas Sean said with a wave of his hand, ¡°Goodbye.¡± As Ang watched the four tall figures leave, she had a feeling that she might never see them again. Her eyes reddened, and her nose twinged as sadness welled up within her. Noticing her reddened eyes, Daphne couldn¡¯t help but put her arm around her in an attempt tofort her. ¡°Look at our daughter. She¡¯s so reluctant to part with them, isn¡¯t she?¡± But who knew what sort of mixed feelings she was having at this very moment? She was no longer the person she had once been two months ago. Over the past two months, she had uncontrobly fallen in love with a man while trying to forget him with all her might. She looked alright on the outside, but her heart was already broken to pieces. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Gilbert said to Daphne and Ang. Ang let go of Daphne¡¯s hand and hurriedly ran toward the door from which Willy and the others disappeared. When she stepped out through the door, she saw an army green SUV that had just started up and left. She followed the SUV with her gaze until it disappeared on the other end of the overpass. She pursed her lips while holding back her tears. At this moment, it was as if these men had never appeared in her world. They weren¡¯t ordinary people in the first ce, and their job was also totally different from that of ordinary people. They were like a bunch of unknown heroes who would rush to wherever they were needed. When their mission was complete, they¡¯d disappear without a trace. Suddenly, it urred to Ang that she didn¡¯t even have the phone number of any of them. All she knew about them was their names, and all she had was the memory of her living with them. As Ang watched the four tall figures leave, she had a feeling that she might never see them again. Her eyes reddened, and her nose twinged as sadness welled up within her. Daphne caught up to her curiously. ¡°Ang, what are you looking at?¡± ¡°Nothing. Let¡¯s go home.¡± Ang shook her head before walking toward an inconspicuously ck Bentley nearby. She sat in the car while looking out the car window at the bustling downtown area. Having stayed for two months in the mountains with no phone reception, she fell into a trance-like state upon her return to the bustling metropolis. Just then, Daphne asked in vexation, ¡°Did you break up with Dexter? He returned all the money I¡¯d given to him. Well, I¡¯d say it¡¯s sensible of him to do that. Otherwise, I won¡¯t let him off so easily.¡± Ang nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s not mention this guy from now on. I have nothing to do with him anymore.¡± ¡°Oh, right, Ang, I told you that you deserve a better man. Don¡¯t worry, I have some nice bachelors around me. I¡¯ll choose a good guy for you,¡± Daphne said in an attempt tofort her. ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t feel like dating anyone for now. I just want to rest for a couple of days.¡± Daphne suggested, ¡°If you don¡¯t feel like dating anyone, then why don¡¯t youe to my office? It¡¯s time for you to try to take over my position.¡± She had been suffering from migraines since her previous car ident. Therefore, she nned to step down from her position and let her daughter learn how to run thepany. The Meyers Residence had taken on an entirely new look. A variety of flowers and nts were grown again in the once excavated garden; even the security system had been reced by a top-level one. Sitting in the car, Ang suddenly saw through the car window that someone was running happily toward the car. Ang¡¯s pupils shrank slightly. It was Annie. When Ang opened the car door, Annie trotted over and took her hand excitedly. ¡°You¡¯re back atst, Ang. You scared me to death.¡± She had her care for Ang written all over her face. Inwardly, Ang was ovee with shame and self-reproach. Seeing how naive and kind-hearted Annie was, she felt she had made a huge mistake. She was d that she had learned of Annie¡¯s engagement to Richard in advance. Otherwise, how hurt Annie would be if she were to talk about him when she came back and tell the former about what had happened at the base? ¡°Annie, thank you for caring about me,¡± she thanked with a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s lucky that all the dangers are gone. From now on, we can go shopping and chat over coffee again with peace of mind,¡± Annie said happily. Just then, Daphne said, ¡°Ang, hurry and take a shower. Then we¡¯ll take a look at the presents that I¡¯ve prepared for you.¡± Ang knew without thinking that Daphne must¡¯ve bought a lot of designer clothes and handbags for her. However, she was no longer interested in these things now. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t waste money for me anymore,¡± Ang said to Daphne. Daphne was stunned. Why does my daughter look depressed after I haven¡¯t seen her for a few months? She is much more mature than before; even her smile betrays a hint of weariness. I¡¯ve doted on her since she was little, so I know her personality better than anyone else does. She threw a hissy fit and was at odds with me over Dexter when she came back from overseasst time. Why is she like a totally different person now? ¡°Let¡¯s go, Ang! Let¡¯s take a look together.¡± Annie dragged Ang into the living room with a smile. They took the elevator to Ang¡¯s master bedroom on the fourth floor, where the couch was covered with presents, as well as clothes and handbags from luxury brands. Annie picked up a ne, saying, ¡°Here is my present for you. It¡¯s not expensive, but you mustn¡¯t frown upon it.¡± ¡°Why would I? I¡¯m happy that you coulde and visit me,¡± Ang replied while looking at Annie with an apologetic look in her eyes. Annie then picked up a handbag and introduced it happily, saying, ¡°Look, Ang. This is thetest item that your mom bought for you. This handbag is worth more than 3 million!¡± However, Ang was looking at her instead of the handbag. Annie was sharp enough to sense it. She blinked her eyes, asking, ¡°Ang, why do you keep looking at me for no reason?¡± Ang lowered her head in panic to conceal the look of guilt in her eyes. ¡°Nothing. Let¡¯s chat again after I take a shower.¡± ¡°Mom, don¡¯t waste money for me anymore,¡± Ang said to Daphne. ¡°Just go. I¡¯ll be here waiting for you.¡± Annie smiled with a nod. She urged Ang, saying, ¡°Hurry and wash yourself. There¡¯s a snag in your clothes.¡± Ang entered her bathroom before sitting in the bathtub in a daze. Her life was back, but her heart felt empty, as if there was no happiness for her anymore. She dared not recall those wonderful memories. They¡¯re all sins; I can¡¯t even think about them. She took a shower. After blowing her hair dry, she wrapped herself in a bath towel and entered the closet, which was 100 square meters in size and was full of the designer clothes that Daphne had bought for her. She opened the wardrobe and took a set of clothes out of it. It was a simple white sweater, matched with a pair of casual trousers. However, the diamond belt around her waist made her appear noble for no apparent reason. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. When Annie saw Ang, she couldn¡¯t help but look at her enviously while propping her chin in her hand. ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful, Ang. I often feel stressed out in front of you!¡± Ang looked at Annie¡¯s face, which was pretty, tender, and youthful. She¡¯s a lovely youngdy that people would like at first nce. Richard really shouldn¡¯t call off his engagement to her. ¡°Ang, I have a big secret to share with you. Why don¡¯t you guess what it is?¡± Annie asked her with a smile while tilting her head to one side. ¡°Is it about your engagement?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I couldn¡¯t reach you on your cell phone when I got engagedst time. After that, I heard that you were in huge trouble and had been ced under protection, so I hadn¡¯t had the chance to talk to you about my fianc¨¦. Now I can finally share it with you.¡± Annie was already bursting with impatience to tell Ang about it. ¡°His name is Richard Lloyd. As for what he does for a living, I don¡¯t know that yet, but he¡¯s a really handsome and outstanding person.¡± Her eyes were starry. She had only met Richard on the night of their engagement, but she had been unable to forget his face since then. Ang¡¯s heart clenched. She suddenly wondered if she should tell Annie that Richard and his team members were the ones in charge of protecting her this time. If she kept this from Annie, she wouldn¡¯t be able to exin the matter when thetter learned about it someday. ¡°Richard Lloyd, huh? I met him before. He¡¯s the one assigned to protect me during this mission,¡± she said while pretending to sound rxed. Annie¡¯s eyes widened at once. She looked at Ang in disbelief, saying, ¡°Really? Ang, is Richard the one who protected you this time? How many times have you met him? What do you think of him? Hurry and tell me about it! I¡¯m dying to know everything about him.¡± Rubbing her hands together, she couldn¡¯t wait to listen to Ang¡¯s story. Ang was lost for words for a moment. Seems like Annie assumes that Richard and I didn¡¯t meet often. But who would know that we¡¯d lived together day and night for two months? ¡°I¡­¡± She sat down. However, as soon as she uttered the first syble, Annie held her hand and asked again, ¡°How is he? Is he easy to get along with? Is he a serious man? He knows that we¡¯re cousins, right? Did he take good care of you?¡± Ang¡¯s heart suddenly clenched. Seeing the curious look in Annie¡¯s eyes, she found herself at a loss for words for a moment. Just then, Annie¡¯s cell phone rang; she picked it up and looked at its screen. ¡°It¡¯s Grandpa. He¡¯s probably calling me to urge us to go out for dinner,¡± she said before stepping aside to answer the phone. ¡°Hey, Grandpa! We¡¯reing,¡± she said. Then, she hung up and said to Ang, ¡°Ang, go put on a coat. It¡¯s time for us to go out for dinner. Everybody wants to see you.¡± Ang nodded before standing up to get her coat. However, after entering the closet, she leaned against the wall wearily and let out a sigh. In the end, she grabbed an overcoat and went out with Annie. Daphne and Gilbert had been waiting for her. When she came out, Daphne came over and looked at her. She said in surprise, ¡°Why are you dressed so simply? You¡¯re not wearing makeup, nor are you wearing earrings or a ne.¡± Ang shook her head with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mom. We¡¯re just going for dinner with our family.¡± Daphne had no choice but to drop the matter. Just then, the female helper who had gone to collect the laundry came over and said, ¡°Miss Ang, this fell out of your clothes.¡± She was holding a pink raw crystal in her hand. Ang was lost for words for a moment. Seems like Annie assumes that Richard and I didn¡¯t meet often. But who would know that we¡¯d lived together day and night for two months? ¡°I¡­¡± She sat down. Ang¡¯s heart twinged. As she took the crystal, Annie leaned over curiously to look at it, asking, ¡°What is this, Ang? Is this a crystal?¡± ¡°Yeah. I got it in the mountains.¡± Ang put the crystal into her handbag. ¡°It looks quite beautiful. Do you want to make the crystal into a pendant or a bracelet?¡± Daphne asked with a smile. ¡°I-I haven¡¯t made up my mind yet.¡± Ang recalled how she had told Richard that she wanted to have the crystal made into two pendants so that they¡¯d each have one. Right now, however, she didn¡¯t want to make the crystal into anything. I¡¯ll just take it as a memento. Ang and Annie sat in the car, but thetter couldn¡¯t stop talking about the subject just now. She pestered Ang with questions, asking, ¡°Ang, tell me about Richard. Is he easy to get along with? Is he handsome at work?¡± Ang nodded. ¡°H-He¡¯s quite easy to get along with, but he seems very busy. I rarely saw him, so I don¡¯t know much about him.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s understandable. He left in a hurry before the end of our engagement dinnerst time.¡± Richard was a workaholic in Annie¡¯s mind¡¯s eye. ¡°Annie, when will you get married to him? Has the date been finalized?¡± Ang asked tentatively. Annie¡¯s face blushed. She replied shyly, ¡°It¡¯s still early for that! We¡¯ve only met once, after all. But Grandpa said that Richard¡¯s grandfather wishes us to get married sooner because he wants to have a great-grandson.¡± Ang looked at Annie as emotions surged within her. Her feelings were mixed, but she was also d that she didn¡¯t ruin thetter¡¯s happiness. ¡°Congrattions, Annie.¡± ¡°Thank you, Ang. By the way, did Richard mention me when you met him? I sent him a lot of text messages, but he didn¡¯t reply to any of them. I once suspected that I had the wrong phone number,¡± Annie said with a bitter expression. Dumbfounded, Ang looked at her. ¡°He didn¡¯t reply to any of your text messages?¡± Annie gave a sigh of disappointment. ¡°That¡¯s right! I sent him almost 50 text messages. I wonder if he¡¯s so busy that he doesn¡¯t have time to text me back.¡± Ang was suddenly enraged. Like hell he is that busy! He spends lots of time reading over there. But how could he be so cruel as to not reply to any of Annie¡¯s messages? ¡°How could he do this to you?¡± she said angrily at once. Annieforted her instead, saying, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Ang. I know that he¡¯s busy; perhaps he¡¯s rushed off his feet with lots of stuff to do. Please don¡¯t me him for that.¡± Ang¡¯s chest heaved up and down. She really wanted to tell Annie that Richard wasn¡¯t busy at all, and that he had plenty of time and was ignoring her text messages on purpose. She also felt sorry for Annie, whose feelings for Richard weren¡¯t reciprocated at all. ¡°Annie, aren¡¯t you angry about that?¡± Ang asked while looking at Annie. Annie shook her head understandingly. ¡°I¡¯m not angry. I¡¯m happy as long as he saw my messages. I¡¯m just texting him about my feelings, anyway. I¡¯m afraid of bothering him, but I can¡¯t help wanting to chat with him.¡± Ang stretched out her hand and patted Annie on the head while looking at her with sympathy. It¡¯s too bad that such feelings aren¡¯t cherished. She hoped Richard would give Annie a quick answer as soon as possible instead of letting thetter get her hopes up for nothing. Doesn¡¯t he want to break off their engagement? If he really doesn¡¯t love Annie, he can do that and stop making aughingstock of her sacrifice, she thought somewhat indignantly. Just then, Annie said with a look of envy, ¡°Ang, I¡¯m so envious of you for being able to see him. If only I were quarantined along with you at the time. That way, I¡¯d be able to see him as well.¡± Ang¡¯s heart stopped. She also wished she could travel back to the day of Annie¡¯s engagement. If only I knew that he was Annie¡¯s fianc¨¦. That way, what happened after that wouldn¡¯t have happened. She knew that she was the origin of all the tragedies between them. ¡°Don¡¯t be envious of me. That ce is sealed off, so you won¡¯t get used to living there.¡± ¡°Then how did you manage to get through?¡± ¡°I-I killed time by reading.¡± Ang pursed her lips, not daring to look Annie in the eye. ¡°As long as I¡¯m able to see him, I¡¯ll be happy no matter how bored I feel. It¡¯s too bad that I didn¡¯t know he was the one protecting you at the time. Had I known it earlier, I¡¯d have gone with you no matter what,¡± Annie said with a look of regret. ¡°Annie, aren¡¯t you angry about that?¡± Ang asked while looking at Annie. Ang let out a sigh in secret. What sort of cruel fate is it that bound Richard and me together?! They arrived at the restaurant. When Joshua saw that his eldest granddaughter had returned safely, his face broke into a cheerful smile. ¡°You¡¯re back atst, Ang.¡± ¡°I¡¯m back, Grandpa,¡± Ang said while walking up to him. ¡°d that you¡¯re back. Atst, we can put our mind at rest.¡± Ang then greeted her uncle and aunt. ¡°Hi, Uncle Matthew and Aunt Jennifer.¡± ¡°Hey, Ang! You¡¯re really getting more and more beautiful. You weren¡¯t there during the engagement dinnerst time. Come to think of it, it¡¯s been two years since west met.¡± Ang felt embarrassed upon seeing them. Just then, Gilbert asked, ¡°Dad, are the Lloydsing as well?¡± Ang turned to look at Joshua with a panic-stricken expression. What? Are the Lloydsing as well? Joshua shook his head. ¡°Phillip said his grandson had yet toe back. We¡¯ll meet again next time.¡± When Ang heard him say so, her heart was back in its ce. She really didn¡¯t want to run into Richard on such an asion. She didn¡¯t know at all how to face him. In a luxurious private room, everyone was talking about what had happened to Ang this time. Daphne also had a car ident because of this incident. If she hadn¡¯t been lucky enough to have narrowly escaped death, the consequences would¡¯ve been unthinkable. As Ang looked at Daphne, she realized that nothing made her happier than being able to reunite with her family. Even though she had to end a brief rtionship, the warmth of her family filled the void in her heart. ¡°Jennifer, has the date of Annie¡¯s wedding been finalized? When will it take ce? Tell me so that I can prepare a wedding gift for her,¡± Daphne asked with a smile. Jennifer Mailon, Annie¡¯s mother, was a university lecturer. She and her husband Matthew followed a career in teaching and were now focusing their minds on Annie¡¯s wedding, which they cared a lot about. She replied with a smile, ¡°They¡¯ve gotten engaged, but we need the Lloyd Family to decide the date of the wedding. Richard is very busy, after all.¡± Ang lowered her head while sipping a cup of tea that she was holding. It was apparent from the way Jennifer had referred to Richard that she was treating him as her son-inw. Seeing that her family had started to talk about her wedding, Annie couldn¡¯t help but blush shyly. Richard¡¯s tall figure appeared in her mind. How I wish he were present! Joshua let out a chuckle. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Phillip in the next few days to have the wedding held sooner.¡± Ang took a drink from her tea and choked on it by ident in a moment of absentmindedness. She quickly covered her mouth and coughed a few times under the table. When Daphne saw this, she quickly stretched out her hand and patted her on the back. ¡°How did you choke on tea?¡± sheined. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m going to the washroom,¡± Ang said before standing up and leaving the dining table. She walked very quickly, leaving the private room as if she were fleeing from it. She had no intention of going to the washroom; she just wanted to go outside for a breath of fresh air. Just then, she was drawn to the sound of the piano in the hall. Involuntarily, she came all the way into the hall from the private room, only to see someone performing a piano piece at the scene. After standing there for a while, she noticed that the youngdy on stage seemed to be leaving, upon which an idea came to her mind. I have nothing to do, anyway. She went over and asked the manager if she could y the piano. The manager quickly nodded and replied with a smile, ¡°Yes, of course. Feel free to y it, miss.¡± Ang walked up to the piano and sat down. With her slender fingers, she seemed to be born to y the piano. A moving string of musical notes sounded in the restaurant, causing many diners to turn their eyes toward the piano in amazement. When they saw a differentdy sitting at the piano, they were attracted to her good looks. She was dressed in white while wearing her hair down. What captivated them the most was her delicate features. She looked graceful and refreshing, like the warm sunshine in this freezing winter. Getting carried away for a moment, she closed her eyes slightly. However, her fingers danced fluidly across the keyboard, bringing the most melodious music to people¡¯s ears. ¡°How did you choke on tea?¡± sheined. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m going to the washroom,¡± Ang said before standing up and leaving the dining table. She walked very quickly, leaving the private room as if she were fleeing from it. She had no intention of going to the washroom; she just wanted to go outside for a breath of fresh air. A middle-aged female diner got so entranced by the music that she couldn¡¯t help but praise, ¡°Her skills are close to that of a grandmaster, right?¡± ¡°Uh-huh. I wonder which family she¡¯s from. Not only is she beautiful, but she¡¯s so skilled at ying the piano.¡± A man was striding into the hall through the entrance with sturdy and slender legs. Dressed in a ck trench coat, he projected amanding presence. He walked in long strides, as if he wereing for dinner in a hurry. However, as soon as he entered the restaurant, he was drawn to the sound of the piano ying smoothly. When he looked up in the piano¡¯s direction, his dark and deep pupils shrank; he couldn¡¯t believe that the youngdy ying the piano on stage was none other than Ang. At this moment, Ang was closing her eyes while lowering them slightly. Her face, which was even more gorgeous than flowers, looked pure and pretty under the spotlight like that of an otherworldly spirit. The man standing in the hall probably never thought he would meet the person he wanted to see the most in the restaurant. Richard couldn¡¯t move an inch. In an instant, his eyes betrayed a hint of tenderness; even his lips curled into a smile. He stared at thedy on stage just like that, whereas she lost herself in the music without realizing that there was an important figure among her audience. Noticing that Ang¡¯s piano piece seemed to being to a stop, Richard finally came to his senses. He quickly stepped behind a pir that happened to conceal his figure. The diner at the table next to the pir looked at him in bewilderment, but his gaze was directed toward the piano. cing her hands on the piano, Ang was in a trance for a moment. Just then, a waiter came over with a ss of red wine. He said to her, ¡°Miss, a customer has ordered a ss of red wine for you.¡± Ang looked in the direction the waiter was pointing and saw two men standing in front of the French window. The younger one among them, who was a graceful-looking man, raised his ss at her as though he admired her very much. Ang gave the man a nod out of courtesy, but she put the ss of red wine aside without drinking from it. When she stood up, the man stood up as well. While she was walking toward the private room, the man came to her side, saying, ¡°Miss, you yed the piano very well. I wonder if I have the honor of getting to know you. Let¡¯s be friends.¡± The man looked at her fervently as if he was desperate to get to know her. Not wanting to draw the attention of anyone, Ang replied thankfully, ¡°Thanks for thepliment.¡± With that, she decided to leave. However, the man really wanted to get to know her, so he stretched out his hand and stopped her. ¡°Miss, I really wish to get to know you. I¡¯m not some bad guy; I just want to be friends with you.¡± Ang was stunned. Facing such a passionate man, she found herself caught in an awkward situation. Suddenly, an icy male voice sounded behind her, saying, ¡°She already has a boyfriend.¡± Ang was startled and dismayed by the voice she heard and turned around to find Richard standing behind her. It was as if she were dreaming, seeing him in person. ¡°You¡­¡± Her throat dried up, her heart raced, and her chest ached. Before she could respond, the man grabbed her shoulders and led her to a corridor. At that time, a waiter wheeled a cleaning cart around the table to clean it up after several customers had left the room. Then, Richard told the waiter, ¡°Clean this upter,¡± as he opened the door and ushered Ang inside. The waiter realized what was going on and only stood near the entrance. Slightly out of breath, she asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡± He answered, ¡°I¡¯m having dinner with a friend here.¡± Ang¡¯s eyes were slightly red and close to tears. She thought Richard and his group had left and had no idea he was still in Averna. When she suddenly thought of her family, who were in another room, she asked with her lips pursed, ¡°My grandpa, aunt, uncle, and Annie are all here for dinner. Do you want toe over and say hello?¡± He didn¡¯t say anything but stared at her with an intense gaze. As he looked at her, he observed the tears that started to swim in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not going over,¡± he said helplessly. His response caused her to look away in embarrassment, and she wiped away the tears that had already formed in her eyes. ¡°Why won¡¯t you go?¡± she asked again. Ang was startled and dismayed by the voice she heard and turned around to find Richard standing behind her. It was as if she were dreaming, seeing him in person. ¡°You¡­¡± Her throat dried up, her heart raced, and her chest ached. Richard reached out and grabbed her chin, turning her face to look at him even though she was resisting. ¡°Do your tears indicate that you haven¡¯tpletely forgotten about me?¡± Looking at his expression, she panicked and pushed his hand away from her chin. ¡°Stop it.¡± ¡°In the future, if a man approaches you, you should express your rejection clearly and protect yourself better,¡± he reminded her. In response to his words, Ang felt a spark of anger rise and said bluntly, ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me that. I can protect myself.¡± Soon after, she remembered Annie¡¯s countless text messages to him. Hence, she raised her head and asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you reply to Annie¡¯s text messages? Do you know how hurtful it is?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to waste my time on women I¡¯m not interested in,¡± Richard stated coldly. His eyes softened when he looked at her as if trying to convince her that she was the only woman worth his time. No one else but Ang Meyers. When Ang looked into Richard¡¯s eyes, she had the sensation that she was being submerged in them. She held her breath for such a prolonged period that she heaved a sigh of relief when she finally came to her senses. She shook her head and pleaded, ¡°Please, don¡¯t look at me that way.¡± When she realized she couldn¡¯t stay in front of him any longer, she turned away and said, ¡°I should head back to the room.¡± However, as she approached the door, he grabbed her arm and drew her into his arms with no apparent force. He held one hand around her waist and the other behind her head to support her while he kissed her passionately, and it took her breath away. ¡°Hmm!¡± In retaliation, her body became rigid while still in his arms. Her brain became so foggy that she could not even consider shoving the man away from her. The only thing on her mind now was how domineering the man was in kissing her. He gently released his lips until she was on the verge of passing out, at which point he continued to look intently at her. ¡°One of the many questions you asked me in the past is whether or not I will feel tempted if I am protecting another woman. My reply is¡­ unless you¡¯re that woman, I will not be tempted.¡± ¡°Why me?¡± Ang asked sluggishly, forgetting to push Richard away. ¡°Because you¡¯re the only one I¡¯m interested in,¡± he replied, his smile tinged with self-mockery and helplessness. As Ang¡¯s heart ached in response to his words, she immediately struggled to escape his embrace and took two steps back. ¡°I¡¯m not going to do this to Annie. You aren¡¯t allowed to hurt her too. If you do, I will never forgive you.¡± She turned around and attempted to open the door but quickly realized that it was much too heavy for her. She staggered to her feet after losing her bnce due to the door¡¯s weight. Richard immediately approached Ang and, with his long arms, opened the door for her before he chuckled. ¡°Did that kiss I gave you make your knees go weak?¡± She red at him in utter disgust that he would still have the nerve to say such a thing. Next, she fled from the room along the corridor toward the bathroom to calm herself down. Meanwhile, Richard made his way to a room, pushed open the door, and entered, where he was greeted by a calm and charming man. He had obviously been waiting a long time as he was staring intently out the window. ¡°Sorry for the wait, Elliot,¡± he apologized as he sat across from him. The man waiting for Richard at the table was Elliot Presgrave. Dressed in a deep ck suit, he gave off a sense of regal elegance. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know how busy you are, ¡°he said while adjusting his posture. Then, looking at his best friend with curiosity, he asked, ¡°Is it my imagination? It appears that you have changed slightly.¡± ¡°What has changed?¡± ¡°Your eyes. Have you recently met someone? I¡¯m assuming a woman has entered your life.¡± With his razor-sharp gaze, Elliot assessed him. Richard replied, almost at a loss for words, ¡°You¡¯re just as insightful as always.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a habit of mine.¡± He smiled. As his curiosity grew, he inquired, ¡°Did you meet someone you¡¯re interested in?¡± Richard hadn¡¯t expected such a swift blow to his self-esteem. He had said before that he would never have romantic feelings for a woman. However, God had other ns for him and set up a love affair that he couldn¡¯t avoid in less than three months. ¡°Yeah.¡± He nodded without attempting to contradict Elliott¡¯s assumption. Richard immediately approached Ang and, with his long arms, opened the door for her before he chuckled. ¡°Did that kiss I gave you make your knees go weak?¡± Elliot said while he appeared to be congratting him with his gaze, ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner together sometime soon. You can then introduce her to Anastasia and me.¡± However, Richard had no assurance that such a day woulde. ¡°It¡¯s a littleplicated right now. We¡¯ll talk about it when the timees.¡± The two friends then discussed their current affairs. When Richard mentioned that he was ready to take his revenge, Elliot¡¯s face immediately turned serious before he gave his advice. ¡°Richard, I know how you¡¯re feeling, but you must not act rashly.¡± ¡°Even though my uncle tried to stop me, I¡¯m not going toply with his arrangements. I¡¯ll handle things with that person in my own way.¡± The words came from Richard, whose eyes were as cold as knives and without the slightest sign ofpromise. ¡°If you need my help, just say the word.¡± Elliot was aware that he could not be persuaded once he had made up his mind, but could not help worrying. Richard shook his head. ¡°Not right now. I¡¯m still preparing everything, so it¡¯s not the right time yet.¡± In the meantime, Ang returned to the room and was back in her seat. She intended to keep a low profile as she listened to her family discuss trivial matters of their daily lives. When Annie approached her with an inquisitive attitude and leaned next to her, she asked, ¡°Ang, where¡¯ve you been? You¡¯ve been gone for quite some time.¡± ¡°I-I ran into an old friend and we chatted for a while.¡± She could not bring herself to look Annie in the eyes. The two sisters fit into two distinct categories of stunning beauty. Annie had a face that was both beautiful and delicate, like that of a baby. In contrast, Ang had an oval face that was sophisticated and morous. Ang still couldn¡¯t enjoy the meal she was eating because her mind and heart weren¡¯t in the right ce. She got a text message right then and was so bored that she decided to look at it, although she thought it was probably a spam message. She inhaled deeply as she read the text message. ¡®This is my private number. Remember to save it.¡¯ She didn¡¯t have to guess who sent this. Fearing that this message would be seen by others, she quickly hid it by covering her phone with her hand. At that moment, she overheard her mom talking. ¡°Dad, there are so many fine young gentlemen around you; perhaps you can introduce Ang to some of them. She¡¯s old enough to get married,¡± Daphne spoke to Joshua. Feeling a tug on her heartstrings, she said hastily, ¡°Mom, Mom. I¡¯m not in a hurry to get married.¡± ¡°Even though you¡¯re a year and a half older than Annie, she¡¯s already engaged!¡± Daphne retorted. Joshua shared Daphne¡¯s sentiments, so he said, ¡°Alright. Ang, I¡¯ll find you a suitable match. I recall a friend of mine telling me that he has a grandson who turned twenty-eight this year and has a great personality. I¡¯ll introduce you to him one of these days.¡± Ang looked at him with concern and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that, Grandpa. I don¡¯t want to marry just yet.¡± ¡°Dad, you should make an appointment with the Lloyd Family so that we can discuss Annie¡¯s wedding ns,¡± Jennifer said with a hint of urgency. ¡°Alright. I will call Phillip and arrange to meet as soon as possible.¡± Joshua informed Jennifer. Ang noticed Annie¡¯s eyes widening, and her cheek flushed as she nced over at her. Ang let out a heavy sigh of bitterness and felt sorry for her. Just like a bystander, she saw Annie¡¯s feelings for Richard grow despite his indifference to her. She felt even worse because she couldn¡¯t do anything to help Annie. She had every intention of letting her grandpa, aunt, uncle, and Annie know that Richard had decided to call off the engagement. However, shecked the courage to do so and could only observe as they enthusiastically discussed Annie¡¯s wedding preparations. She knew they¡¯d be disappointed when the time came. Ang left the room with a heavy heart, terrified that Richard would suddenly appear and announce his intention to break off the engagement in front of her family. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t need to worry because that man didn¡¯t show up, and everyone got into their cars. She sat in the car with her parents, filled with thoughts. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Ang? You¡¯re not as talkative as you used to be.¡± As soon as she got in the car, Daphne asked her. She noticed that her daughter had changed, and it seemed as if she had suddenly matured and gained a sense of stability. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Ang replied with a wry smile. ¡°Perhaps she is still afraid. She¡¯ll be fine once she takes some more time to rest at home,¡± Gilbert added. ¡°Yes, I still have some fears, so I probably just need to get some rest.¡± Ang agreed with her dad that she didn¡¯t want her mom to worry. ¡°Alright. I will call Phillip and arrange to meet as soon as possible.¡± Joshua informed Jennifer. ¡°Thankfully, it¡¯s all in the past. After going through an experience like that, your dad and I have decided that we do not want anything else. We can only wish you happiness and safety.¡± Daphne gave her a tender nce. The once-dominant mother had be patient and understanding toward her daughter. ¡°Yeah, the most important thing is that our family is safe and sound.¡± She finallyprehended Daphne¡¯s meaning. A part of her wanted to run away from home back then. But now she realized that there is no ce like home. When they got home, Ang copsed on her soft bed worth forty thousand, and kept her eyes on the beautiful ceiling. She switched on the room¡¯s ambient lighting, which immediately turned it into a weing and sophisticated environment. Surprisingly, she began to miss the small bed at Richard¡¯s base. Despite the bed rigidity and difort, it provided her with exceptional warmth. She was exhausted from everything she¡¯d been through recently. In the past, she found that doing something as simple as getting a cup of coffee or going shopping could instantly lift her spirits. On the other hand, it would appear that the source of her happiness now was simply the thought of Richard. She then sighed heavily and decided to take a shower, change into cozy pajamas, and drink a cup of warm milk downstairs to help her sleep. It was already 10:00PM when Ang nced at the clock. Her parents had both returned to their room and were currently resting. She then took a shower and dried her waist-length hair with a blow dryer. Even though she could not give her hair the proper care it needed in the base, it retained its gloss and smoothness. Since her delicate facial skin was beginning to look dull, she gave it a little boost by applying a mask. Shey down on therge leather couch with two eye masks on top of the sheet mask, and began her evening skincare routine while listening to her favorite music. She couldn¡¯t help but feel drowsy as she listened to the music. Suddenly, she was startled by what she thought was a sounding from her bedroom door. She furrowed her brow as she thought, Did I leave the window open? Is it because of the wind? As she had just put on her mask ten minutes earlier, she ultimately decided to disregard it. It would take at least twenty minutes to remove the sheet mask. However, Ang was unaware that another person was in the room at the time. The man was standing with his arms crossed next to her couch, staring at her contented expression. The high-quality carpet in her room muffled the sounds of the man¡¯s feet, so she didn¡¯t notice another person had entered the room. Despite this, she had the distinct impression that someone was watching her at this very moment, and she couldn¡¯t help but pull off her eye mask instantly. The moment she did so, terror took hold of her, but just as she was about to scream¡­ The man covered Ang¡¯s mouth with his hand, which muffled her screams. She ripped her sheet mask off, enraged, and red at the man who had mysteriously appeared in her room¡ªRichard. Yes, the man standing beside her couch was none other than Richard Lloyd. ¡°You¡­ How did you get in?¡± Her initial shock had transformed into rage. She recalled that her mother had assured her that not even a bird would be able to break through the state-of-the-art security system at their home. So, how does this man, much bigger than a bird, get in? Then, in an angry voice, she said, ¡°You should know that the area around my house is installed with electrical lines. So, how did you get in here? Do you want to die? You¡¯ll bepletely burned to a crisp if you step on one of those lines!¡± The man remained silent for a moment before he finally smiled faintly. ¡°Are you worried about me?¡± Ang, whose face was flushed with anger, clenched her teeth. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it. Why would I be worried about you?¡± Richard sat on the couch beside her and looked around her luxurious room. He couldn¡¯t help but sigh upon realizing that her bedroom was magnificent and regal. ¡°It seems like things were tough for you at the base.¡± Looks like at home, she gets theplete royal treatment befitting a wealthy heiress, with only the finest amenities. After being stunned for a few seconds, she snapped, ¡°I¡¯m not that pampered.¡± Then, she thought, That¡¯s not the point. This man has barged into my room in the dead of night. What exactly does he want? Don¡¯t tell me he intends to seduce me! She looked at Richard, slightly rmed, before speaking, ¡°You¡­ What are you doing here? What are your intentions?¡± The man covered Ang¡¯s mouth with his hand, which muffled her screams. She ripped her sheet mask off, enraged, and red at the man who had mysteriously appeared in her room¡ªRichard. Yes, the man standing beside her couch was none other than Richard Lloyd. He averted his gaze and gave her a yful stare. ¡°What do you want me to do to you?¡± Ang replied with a hint of irritation, ¡°I do not want you to do anything to me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I just came to see you,¡± he exined. After dinner with Elliot, he intended to return home but unexpectedly found himself at her doorstep. Then, he noticed the room¡¯s light was on and assumed it was Ang¡¯s, so he decided to pay her a visit. ¡°Did you climb up the wall to get in?¡± she asked while pondering. Was this man a monkey in a previous life? ¡°Yeah.¡± The man did not deny it. ¡°You¡­ What if you slip and fall?¡± Ang said with a tone of worry. ¡°And you said that you¡¯re not worried about me,¡± he said with a teasing grin. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Richard suddenly grabbed his arm and made a painful expression. Ang¡¯s eyes narrowed as she sprang from the couch and ran to the man¡¯s side. She became concerned when she saw him holding his elbow and asked, ¡°What happened? Are you hurt?¡± The man¡¯s eyes changed from one of pain to one of yfulness. He narrowed his eyes before saying, ¡°You¡¯re still saying you¡¯re not worried about me? Wow, women really do not mean what they say.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± She became enraged and pped him on the shoulder. ¡°How dare you lie to me!¡± Even after being pped, Richard was still beaming with joy and pleasure. After that, he went and made himselffortable on her couch. Anyone who looked at him could tell he was tired because of the space between his brows. She felt pity for the man and reasoned that his exhaustion could be attributed to a new assignment. ¡°Go back home and get some rest!¡± She made several attempts to get him to leave. He quickly nced at her with his deep ck eyes before resting his head on his arms and closing his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m only using your couch for a short time. I¡¯ll be leaving shortly.¡± Ang¡¯s anxiety increased as she became aware that the man shouldn¡¯t even be in her room; she knew this was already a mistake. ¡°Don¡¯t be a rascal, Richard Lloyd. Just get up and go.¡± She grabbed the man¡¯s arms and tried to pull him to his feet. Suddenly, the man reached out and grabbed her slender arm, pulling her into his arms. Due to his significant exertion of force, she had no choice but to submit and fall into his arms without resistance. After she started to feel anxious and disoriented, he wrapped his arms around her waist, and she suddenly found herself on the ground beneath him. Chapter 961-970 Chapter 961-970 ¡°You¡­¡± Ang, who was slightly dazed, looked up at Richard in bafflement. She knew what he was about to do when she noticed his rtively heavy breathing. In the past, Ang had thought the man was cold and indifferent. But when she got to know the man, she didn¡¯t expect to find that underneath that icy exterior was a heart that burned so fiercely that it could melt her. As he prepared to kiss her, she instinctively reacted by blocking his lips. Nevertheless, the man quickly locked her arms above her head. She was so angry that she was on the verge of passing out due to being forced to act in such an embarrassing manner. Given her predicament, she would be helpless to stop the man from doing whatever he wanted to her. ¡°Let me go. Richard Lloyd, you better let me go before I¨C¡± She was about to vent her frustration when the man cut her off. Her mind went nk as a firework disy went off in her consciousness. She shivered slightly under the man because his kisses had always been aggressive. She had no way out of the man¡¯s grasp and was helpless against him. Ang felt like she was dying inside from this feeling. It wasn¡¯t just the intensity of his kisses that left her feeling overpowered; it was also the weight of her guilt. Her guilty conscience grew more significant when she realized she was losing herself in the man¡¯s tender kisses. At this point, she might as well have been a viin because she was robbing Annie of her happiness. She finally gave in to the weight of her emotions, and tears streamed down her face. Only when she started crying between the man¡¯s kisses did he realize what was going on, so he stopped and let her go. ¡°You¡­¡± Ang, who was slightly dazed, looked up at Richard in bafflement. She knew what he was about to do when she noticed his rtively heavy breathing. In the past, Ang had thought the man was cold and indifferent. But when she got to know the man, she didn¡¯t expect to find that underneath that icy exterior was a heart that burned so fiercely that it could melt her. ¡°Why are you crying?¡± Richard looked at her, perplexed because he knew she didn¡¯t mind the kiss and had even reciprocated it. She averted her gaze to avoid looking at him. Then, there was a knock on the door. She was so startled that she pushed the man away in response. He showed his cooperation by sitting up and allowing her to leave. After that, she said, ¡°I¡¯m sleeping.¡± ¡°Ang, I know you¡¯re still awake. I¡¯d like to speak with you,¡± Daphne insisted. Ang¡¯s face turned as white as a sheet when she heard the door being pushed open. She grabbed Richard¡¯s arm and dragged him into her dressing room before opening her enormous cab door. ¡°Hide inside here and don¡¯te out,¡± she said sternly. Despite feeling mncholy, he obediently hid in the suffocating cab, his tall body slightly curled up. Just as she shut the door to her cupboard, she heard her mom call out, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer me?¡± Ang turned her head, terrified, and said, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m looking for my pajamas.¡± ¡°Are you not wearing them now?¡± Her face immediately flushed as she looked down at herself. She was not only dressed in her pajamas, but she was also not wearing any undergarments. It was only now, as a result of the events, that she realized she had forgotten to put it on. Does this mean that man could feel everything when he was on top of me? Oh, no! ¡°Why are you taking so long? Come out and talk to me!¡± Daphne demanded. Daphne sighed after Ang sat on the couch. ¡°I¡¯m just so happy that I couldn¡¯t sleep, so I wanted to talk to you. I¡¯ve decided it¡¯s time for you to take over thepany. You should take over my responsibilities now because I¡¯m already old and have been suffering from headaches since the car ident.¡± She nodded calmly as she listened to her. ¡°All right, Mom. I¡¯ll try to take over yourpany.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do just fine. Come to the office with me tomorrow. It¡¯s time I introduce you to everyone.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Ang responded. Anyway, it¡¯s time for me to find something to do. Daphne was pleased with how her daughter had matured in the aftermath of the incident. Afterwards, shebed her daughter¡¯s hair and said, ¡°Okay, get to bed early. You look so tired.¡± ¡°Sure, I will. You should go to bed early as well.¡± Ang stood up and led her mom to the door. She went straight to her dressing room after closing her room door. Richard had already left the cab and was standing in the room when he realized the door was closed. Standing tall in the dressing room, he was ovee with emotion as he spoke to Ang, who had just entered the room. He mentioned, ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll call Annie and tell her I¡¯m breaking off our engagement.¡± Richard didn¡¯t want to dy it any longer. ¡°How are you going to tell her?¡± Ang¡¯s chest tightened as she worried hisments would be harsh. ¡°I¡¯ll tell her the truth that I¡¯m in love with another woman and convince her to call off the engagement.¡± He would never fabricate a story about his feelings. She looked at him calmly and replied, ¡°Please, don¡¯t mention that it¡¯s me.¡± With a glimmer in his eyes, Richard nodded, hesitant yet kind, and said, ¡°Alright, I promise.¡± ¡°Try not to hurt Annie,¡± she pleaded. ¡°That is unavoidable. But I¡¯ll try to be as gentle as possible for you.¡± Of course, he would try to be nicer to Annie for the sake of Ang. She nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± Richard nced at her with a trace of disappointment as she remained silent. ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything else to say to me?¡± ¡°No. Please leave immediately, Captain Lloyd.¡± Ang restrained her emotions and requested him to leave. He suddenly stretched his arms and embraced her against his chest. She struggled a bit as he whispered in her ear with a deep voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We have our whole future ahead of us.¡± Ang tilted her head up in surprise. Her eyes reflected some of the room¡¯s light, and she hid her excitement about the future under those reflections. ¡°Believe me.¡± Richard locked his gaze on her before turning around and leaving the room. ¡°Let me take you out the front door, or you can even leave through the basement!¡± She called out to him because she didn¡¯t want him to risk going out the same way he came in. Richard didn¡¯t want to dy it any longer. ¡°How are you going to tell her?¡± Ang¡¯s chest tightened as she worried hisments would be harsh. ¡°No need.¡± He went off the balcony and disappeared into one of the corners. She rushed over only to see his figure sliding on the thin pir and vanishing toward therge column. She was tensed by the thought, This man likes to take unexpected routes. Only at midnight that night had Ang been able to drift off to sleep. She heard her phone ring and answered the call after stretching her hand to get the phone. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Ang, Richard wants to meet me! Goodness! He asked me out!¡± Annie eximed enthusiastically. She was awakened by Annie¡¯s enthusiastic voice, and she immediately opened her eyes and sat in bed. Then, Annie asked, ¡°What shall I wear? Shall I apply heavy makeup, or will light makeup suffice¡­ Ang, do you know him? Tell me how to dress to make an impression on him!¡± Ang answered calmly, ¡°Annie, it¡¯s fine if you just dress normally.¡± ¡°Ang, I¡¯m hanging up now. I must be at the restaurant by eleven-thirty, so I must get ready now.¡± Saying that, Annie ended the call. Ang looked at the time while fixing her unruly hair and saw that it was 8.30AM. She got up and prepared herself because she had promised her mom to apany her to thepany. She eventually decided on a professional-looking suit as her outfit for the day. Daphne was already waiting downstairs for Ang. After finishing their breakfast, the two of them headed for thepany. Although her mom only managed a few dozen real estate properties, she built her business gradually due to her steady and consistent approach to business. As a result, the company¡¯s business performance and reputation were outstanding. She apanied her mom to thepany, where everyone treated her with respect because they all knew she was thepany¡¯s sessor. After showing her around the various departments, Daphne led her into a conference room. Ang discreetly nced at her watch as she listened in on the conference where her mom and the shareholders discussed thepany¡¯s ns. It was already 11.00AM. She became nervous out of nowhere with a guilty conscience. She hoped Annie could ept the breakup of their engagement without being hurt. 11.30AM. Annie arrived on time at a particr restaurant and was already at the restaurant¡¯s entrance. She chose attractive feminine clothing to present her best self in front of Richard with light and delicate makeup for their date. Any woman would want to look her absolute best while meeting a man she has her eyes on. Annie finally encountered the man at the table next to the window for the second time. He sat there with the sun streaming through the window, looking like a gorgeous sculpture, radiating its attractiveness and masculinity. Annie admired and worshiped Richard from the bottom of her heart since he had a significant presence that drew admiration from those around him. She went to see him alone, her breathing hastened with her hands sped tightly. ¡°Richard.¡± She greeted the man before taking a seat in front of him. Breaking away from his thoughts, he gazed at her, who pursed her lips and turned her eyes away since she didn¡¯t dare to look at him. ¡°You¡¯vee.¡± He returned her greeting while handing her the menu. ¡°Let¡¯s order.¡± ¡°You do it. I¡¯m not particr about my food,¡± Annie replied shyly. Richard beckoned the waiter and, after considerable thought, chose four dishes. After cing his order, he poured a cup of tea for her. She leaped to her feet. ¡°I can do it on my own.¡± ¡°Ms. Annie, I have something personal to say to you,¡± he said as courteously as he could. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Annie wanted to hear what he had to say as she blinked expectantly at him. ¡°I want to cancel our engagement,¡± Richard remarked, his gaze fixed on her. The cup held by Annie dropped to the table with a loud crash. Fortunately, it only caused a tiny spige, and the cup remained intact. She trembled, staring at the table because she had not expected him to break off their engagement after inviting her out. ¡°Why?¡± She felt an incredible amount of grief, and despair overcame her. Annie admired and worshiped Richard from the bottom of her heart since he had a significant presence that drew admiration from those around him. She went to see him alone, her breathing hastened with her hands sped tightly. ¡°Richard.¡± She greeted the man before taking a seat in front of him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I have someone else I like.¡± Richard frowned. He didn¡¯t know how to tell her politely, so she was bound to be hurt. ¡°But why didn¡¯t you tell me at the dinner partyst time? Perhaps you should have said that you already have someone in your heart at that time. I wouldn¡¯t have¡­¡± Annie made a sorrowful expression with her lips puckered. She had experienced a bitter unrequited love in just three months. Ultimately, their engagement was canceled, which was hard for her to ept. Things were unpredictable, as usual. His love life was still empty at thest dinner party. However, after barely three months, a woman had wholly captured his heart. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He apologized to her. She raised her head, her eyes reddening, and asked, ¡°What type of woman is she? Is she more talented than I am? Is she better than me?¡± She couldn¡¯t admit she wasn¡¯t as good as thedy Richard adored. Annie also considered herself a good choice as she was a confident and cheerful woman. He said hushedly, ¡°She¡¯s not a woman with many talents, but in my heart, no one can rece her.¡± Annie reached for the tissues next to her and dabbed her eyes with them as tears slid down her cheek. The waiter arrived and served their food. Richard watched her body tremble without touching the food and sobbing as he attempted tofort her. ¡°I believe you will meet a man who is better than me.¡± She felt sad, but the thought that the happiness and anticipation of her family members over the marriage would be shattered increased her misery. However, she was not someone who clung to the past. Despite her struggle to ept this fact, she maintained her manners. She inhaled deeply, raised her head, and looked at the man across her. ¡°Mr. Lloyd, I know in my heart that I am not good enough for you, as you are an amazing person. I wish you¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ Enjoy your meal.¡± She then took her bag and left the restaurant while wiping her tears. What she needed right now was a ce to cry uncontrobly. Annie left the restaurant and went to a nearby caf¨¦. While still crying, she quickly grabbed her phone and called Ang. Ang was eating lunch with her mom in the office cafeteria when her phone rang. Looking at her phone, her heart skipped a beat as she saw Annie had called. She answered the phone at once. ¡°Hello, Annie?¡± Annie¡¯s rapid cries, rather than her voice, greeted her on the other end of the line as if she were too distraught to talk at the moment. ¡°Ann.¡± Ang called Annie¡¯s name out of concern. ¡°Ang¡­ T-The engagement is canceled. Richard called off our engagement. H-He says that he likes another woman.¡± Annie sobbed in dejection upon recounting that. ¡°Where are you? I¡¯lle to you,¡± questioned Ang in a gentle voice. ¡°I¡¯ll send you the location.¡± Annie just needed someone to confide in. She sent the location to Ang as soon as she terminated the call. Ang informed her mother before hitting the road by car toward the coffee shop. By the time she found Annie, the jilted woman was sitting right there with puffy eyes and a long face. Ang sat next to her and gave her a hug. At that moment, Annie threw herself into her embrace as tears trickled down her cheeks again. ¡°Everything¡¯s gonna be fine. Don¡¯t cry. It¡¯s fortunate that he¡¯s honest with you about his feelings before it¡¯s toote.¡± ¡°Ang, I wonder what kind of girl a rigid man like him left me for. She must be an amazing and beautiful person to have won his heart.¡± The sorrow in Annie wasced with crumbs of frustration nheless. Ang held her tongue for a moment before offering someforting words. ¡°Let¡¯s not think about that. Just let him be! You¡¯re not bad yourself.¡± ¡°Hmm, but I¡¯m not sure how I¡¯m going to face Grandpa, Dad and Mom. They must be disappointed in me.¡± Not only Annie had to ept the called-off engagement, she also needed to face her family¡¯s disappointment. ¡°Ann.¡± Ang called Annie¡¯s name out of concern. ¡°Ang¡­ T-The engagement is canceled. Richard called off our engagement. H-He says that he likes another woman.¡± Annie sobbed in dejection upon recounting that. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. They¡¯ll understand.¡± Ang then primped Annie¡¯s messy hair strands. ¡°You must believe that your family loves you the most.¡± Annie sniffed and nodded like an obedient child. ¡°Hmm. Ang, I actually sensed his indifferent attitude during the engagement ceremony back then. I¡¯ve texted him numerous times, but he never replied at all. It is true that he doesn¡¯t care for me.¡± Ang¡¯s chest tightened as her heart ached for Annie, yet she could not help her sister, which ensued a wave of guilt in her. If I didn¡¯t fall in love with Richard at the base; if I didn¡¯t exist in the first ce, would he give it a shot with Annie? ¡°I asked whether the girl he likes is an outstanding person, but he said that that was not the case. It¡¯s just that no one can take away her ce in his heart. Ang, I¡¯m so jealous of that girl!¡± Annie blinked her teary eyes while she unbosomed her genuine thoughts and sorrow without hiding anything. Ang¡¯s heart was squeezed by an invisible string and she took a deep breath. ¡°Ann, actually¡ª¡± She just wished she could tell the truth. ¡°What?¡± Annie stared at her in curiosity. Gazing at Annie¡¯s tear-stained face, Ang heaved a sigh as she figured that it had been a rough day for Annie. ¡°Nothing. You¡¯ll get over it soon.¡± Following that, Annie rested her head on Ang¡¯s shoulder wearily. ¡°Ang, do you know? I heard that his uncle is the vice president of the country; even his mother is from a powerful family. I bet a lot of wonderful women will like him.¡± Ang¡¯s brows slightly furrowed. Is Richard from such a powerful family? Is the vice president his uncle? But I remember that the vice president is still young! There¡¯s only about two years difference in their age, though. ¡°Ang, I¡¯m starving. I haven¡¯t eaten anything until now.¡± Annie suddenly thought of her rumbling stomach. ¡°What? He didn¡¯t even buy you a meal?¡± Rage suddenly rushed in Ang¡¯s veins. A surprised Annie looked at her with baffled eyes. ¡°How dare he!¡± It was almost 1.00PM at the moment. ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. I left the restaurant without eating anything. Don¡¯t me him.¡± Annie attempted to put in good words for Richard as Ang seemed like she was going to punch someone right then. Ang inhaled deeply to regain herposure before taking hold of Annie¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Just grab anything you want. All on me.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go for a feast! I wanna have the most expensive seafood buffet.¡± Annie decided to efface her sadness with a feast. Annie knew her ce very well. After some thought, she realized that it was not a big deal as Richard was not the man she could get along with anyway. During the meal, she was in the mode of binge-eating her sadness away whereas Ang had not much of an appetite. All these years, Ang had been ying her role as the elder sister to look after Annie since they were young. ¡°Ang, what are you staring at? Dig in!¡± asked Annie as she raised her head. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like eating right now. You can enjoy them yourself,¡± soothed Ang. ¡°I¡¯ve been on a diet for the past three months because I¡¯m afraid that Richard will not like it if I¡¯m chubby, but none of that matters now! I can quit my diet and eat whatever I want. You don¡¯t know how difficult it¡¯s been for me.¡± Annie chewed on her food adorably as she found the reason for her happiness despite the bad day. Ang broke into a smile. ¡°Well, have as much as you want then.¡± At that moment, her phone rang upon receiving a message after which she fished it out to take a look at it. ¡®I¡¯ve called off the engagement.¡¯ She could tell who the sender was right away and she replied, ¡®I know. I¡¯m with Annie right now.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll give you another week. Please be my girlfriend.¡¯ The domineering aura seeped into his words. Staring at his text, she eventually zoned out as her mind was in a mess. She could never be his girlfriend as soon as Annie¡¯s engagement was called off. Not to mention the fact that she did not have the guts to be with him! Annie knew her ce very well. After some thought, she realized that it was not a big deal as Richard was not the man she could get along with anyway. In the end, she chose to ignore his message and set down her phone while Annie asked curiously, ¡°Ang, I heard that you broke up with Dexter. Is that true?¡± ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Ang, honestly, I think that he¡¯s not the guy for you. Look at how he behaves in front of you. What is it called again? Oh, like a simp! I hate him so much.¡± Annie was vexed. ¡°By the way, I haven¡¯t told you about something. When I went abroad to visit you, he wrapped his arm around my shoulder on purpose at a restaurant!¡± ¡°Really? Did he do anything to you?¡± The ire was sizzling in Ang¡¯s eyes, for she merely gave Dexter a call to end things with him. She should have given him a few ps in the face! ¡°Nope, but he definitely crossed the line because he was still your boyfriend at that time. I didn¡¯t dare to tell you about it,¡± recounted Annie. Ang took a deep breath. ¡°He¡¯s going to get it from me if I see him again.¡± ¡°Ang, you deserve someone better. You¡¯re prettier and more capable than I am. You¡¯re going to take over thepany in the future as the charismatic president.¡± Annieid out her genuine thoughts. Ang smiled lightly. ¡°I am going to take my mother¡¯s ce.¡± ¡°For real! That¡¯s awesome!¡± Annie gave Ang a thumbs up. Ang stared at her sister. Due to the sincere bond they mutually shared, never once had she thought of putting Annie in harm¡¯s way. That was why she forsaked every chance she had by backing off when it came to her rtionship with Richard. Afterpleting his mission, Richard had made up his mind to keep his grandfatherpany for a while at Lloyd Residence. There was a week for him to spend time with his family before undertaking his next mission. At 12.00PM, Phillip was feeding the fish at the yard when Richard returned home. He walked toward Phillip¡¯s back and sprinkled the kes into the pond while saying, ¡°Grandpa, there¡¯s something I gotta inform you about.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve called off the engagement with Annie.¡± Phillip turned to look at him in confusion. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you discuss with me first?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I have someone I like.¡± Richard¡¯s tone was firm. The old man was on the brink of flipping out, but his attention was diverted to Richard¡¯s confession. ¡°Oh? Who is it?¡± ¡°Not now. I¡¯ll tell you some other day.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare pull a trick on me. I won¡¯t let you off if it¡¯s a lie.¡± ¡°Grandpa, please inform Meyers Family about it in my stead. I will send my apology to them.¡± Needless to say, Phillip would not permit Richard to do that since he was the one forcing the engagement on him in the first ce. If there had to be someone to apologize for it, Phillip should be the one doing it. He then patted Richard¡¯s shoulder. ¡°A weekter, bring over the girl you like. I would like to have a meal with her.¡± Richard took a few seconds to ponder over it. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll do my best to persuade her.¡± That night, everyone was notified to have dinner at Meyers Residence. Phillip had phoned Joshua to apologize about the called-off engagement. Considering that it was a big family event, prudent notice was necessary. Ang and Annie headed straight to Meyers Residence from the mall in the city center and their parents arrived soon after they did. Dinner was served as usual on the dining table in which every member of the family was present. ¡°Ann, don¡¯t take it personally and don¡¯t me the Lloyd Family,¡± Joshuaforted Annie before turning to face his youngest son and daughter-inw. ¡°You too. Don¡¯t be too upset about it. It¡¯ll do no good to both families.¡± ¡°Rx, Dad. We¡¯re chill.¡± Matthew eased his father¡¯s worries. ¡°Yeah. Ann is just down on her luck.¡± As the mother, Jennifer was a little resentful about the oue as she had been looking forward to her daughter¡¯s marriage. ¡°Grandpa, please inform Meyers Family about it in my stead. I will send my apology to them.¡± Hearing that, Daphne piped out as her sister-inw, ¡°Jennifer, look at the bright side. Ann is still young and pretty. She¡¯ll find herself a good match sooner orter. Think about it¡ªno matter how outstanding of a person Richard is, he has to be away from home often for his missions. Ann might live a widow-like life after marrying him. She¡¯s better off being single.¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± Ang spat her tea out onto the floor, drawing everyone¡¯s baffled gaze. She covered her mouth as she coughed. ¡°I choked on the tea.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the hurry? No one¡¯s snatching it from you,¡± Daphnemented. ¡°Daphne, I think you¡¯re right. I¡¯d rather see someone doting on Ann and stay by her side. She is timid and tends to depend on others. Richard is not her Mr. Right.¡± Jennifer came to terms with the oue. ¡°That¡¯s right. Ang should find someone like that too. It¡¯s easy to have problems when the man is rarely present round the clock,¡± Daphne added. ¡°True. So, it¡¯s a good thing that the engagement is called off. Though that Richard guy has the looks and capability, we¡¯re not lucky enough to be his family. Let¡¯s just forget it. We¡¯ll find someone reliable for Ann.¡± ¡°Yeah, so put your worries at rest. Ann is still young and there¡¯s no need to rush. The fact that Richard calls off the engagement himself shows that he doesn¡¯t want to string Ann along. He¡¯s a mature one. Thest time I met him, he stands out in every way, but his attitude is too cold. He doesn¡¯t seem like a caring and loving person.¡± Speechless, Ang gazed at her mother as she wished for her to stop. Though she was clueless at the moment, she was afraid that her mother had to take back her words one day. Seeing how her family was not let down by the issue, Annie was in a good mood as she muttered, ¡°I won¡¯t marry anyone for now. I wanna go on a trip to loosen up myself.¡± Following that, the conversation revolved around how men should pay more attention to either the family or career under Daphne and Jennifer¡¯s lead. Ang left her seat unobtrusively to take some fresh air in the garden. Lifting her head, she gazed at the starry sky, which reminded her of the time Richard apanied her to watch the stars at the base. On that very night, not only did she watch the starry sky, she was also deeply enchanted by the man. However, could she have that kind of life? Could she even rewind the time? It¡¯s awful of me to think about this when Annie¡¯s engagement has just been called off. As an afterthought, she shook her head to shrug off those notions. When she returned home, she sat in her room and stared out of the balcony in a daze. Will hee again? At that moment, her phone binged and it made her heart flutter. She quickly grabbed it as she had a hunch that it was Richard¡ªit really was him. ¡®I¡¯m at the doorstep. Can we meet?¡¯ Her heart was racing and she sprang to her feet to run to the balcony at which she could see a car parked under the trees outside of the house; her breathing became slightly heavier. He¡¯s really here! Should I go? However, before she found the answer to her dilemma, her phone rang. She sighed and answered the call. ¡°Come down.¡± The man¡¯s low voice resounded. ¡°It¡¯ste. I should¡ª¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯lle to you,¡± he interrupted. ¡°No! You can¡¯t!¡± A surprised Ang stopped him. ¡°It¡¯s up to you.¡± He coaxed her into making a decision. She was rendered speechless as she wondered, Since when do I always listen to him? ¡°Just go. I¡¯m tired today. I don¡¯t wanna see you.¡± Still, her guilty conscience was pricked by the fact that Annie¡¯s engagement was just called off. It would be tactless to see him right now. ¡°You have five minutes,¡± said the man before hanging up the phone. Apparently, there was no room for discussion in this. She stared at the car, which had its headlights turned on, and bit her lips in frustration because of his antics. At that moment, her phone binged and it made her heart flutter. She quickly grabbed it as she had a hunch that it was Richard¡ªit really was him. Nevertheless, she gave in as she did not wish him to climb over the window again. It was perilous. After changing into something casual, she headed downstairs where Daphne was watching the television in the living room. She lied, ¡°Mom, a friend of mine is here to take me for a hangout. I¡¯ll be home soon.¡± ¡°Who? A guy or a girl?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a girl.¡± ¡°Well, be careful, honey. You know it¡¯s dangerous when it¡¯s dark out there.¡± ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll be back as early as possible.¡± Ang then pulled open the door and left. She strode toward the ck SUV when the window on the driver seat was unwound. The man¡¯s intense gazended upon her while he let out a faint smile. She hopped onto the passenger seat and asked, ¡°Say it. I¡¯m heading back after we¡¯re done talking.¡± Suddenly, he started the car engine and she frowned. ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± ¡°For a walk. Let¡¯s get some fresh air.¡± He turned the steering wheel and drove the car away, but she did not thwart him as she looked out of the window in silence. ¡°How¡¯s Annie doing?¡± Richard questioned concernedly. ¡°She¡¯s doing fine. She¡¯s going for a vacation soon,¡± replied Ang. ¡°When are you going to tell her about us?¡± he added. ¡°Let¡¯s put that aside first.¡± She turned to take a glimpse of him with a flushed face. He nced at her as well. That was not an explicit answer, but it meant that there was still a chance for them. Silence filled the car; as though her thoughts were surging aloud in her mind, she turned her head to zero in on Richard. The street lights shafted upon him and enhanced his engaging features. Despite wearing only a ck sweater, he could not hide the polished air around him. Ang finally knew why he gave her such a sophisticated impression¡ªit was due to the inherent elegance that ran in his family and blood. She had done research on his mother, who looked gorgeous and graceful in the pictures spread online. Furthermore, she discovered that Richard¡¯s mother had a husband. ¡°It¡¯s said that your uncle is the vice president of the country. Is that true?¡± He hummed in response without any detailed boration. ¡°Did your mother remarry?¡± She tried to keep her voice gentle while asking that very question. She knew almost nothing of him. Besides him, her knowledge pertaining to his family and background was close to nil.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Richard nodded. ¡°When I was one year old, my father passed away and my mother remarried.¡± Ang¡¯s heart went out for him while she looked at him. She was born in a happy family and her parents showered her with unreserved love. As shepared him to herself, her heart ached to know his past. ¡°Sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have asked.¡± She regretted in a worry that it might remind him of bad memories. ¡°You should ask to know me better before bing my wife,¡± he said seriously. Words failed her as she thought, Why am I suddenly bing your wife? We aren¡¯t even going out yet! ¡°Cut it out.¡± She bit her lips and stared out of the window with cheeks tinged with red. Now that Annie and his engagement was called off, the worries in Ang¡¯s head dispelled, but she could not act recklessly either. ¡°It¡¯s just a matter of time before it happens.¡± Richard was certain as he took a glimpse of her with confidence. Meanwhile, she did not reciprocate to it because she did not know how to. At that moment, he parked the car near a bustling park. ¡°Let¡¯s take a walk.¡± Ang nodded and alighted from the car as well. Unlike the arctic mountains, it was quite warm in the city. Although it was the beginning of the winter, the temperature was not that low and the ambience lingered with remnant crumbs ofte autumn. After she took merely two steps forward, the man held her hand at which she attempted to shake him off. However, it was a futile endeavor due to his strength, so she just let him be in the end. Whenever there were crowds, he even wrapped his arm around her shoulders like couples did. Richard nodded. ¡°When I was one year old, my father passed away and my mother remarried.¡± ¡°Wanna drink something?¡± he asked. She happened to see a coffee shop. ¡°I want some brewed coffee. Let¡¯s have one as we walk.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get it for you.¡± He then released her. Her lips pursed into a thin line as she tried to smother a smile while nodding. She watched his upright figure striding toward the coffee shop; the tight knitwear and ck pants disyed the alluring yet sturdy outline of his broad shoulders and slim waist under the streetlights in the park. Her heart palpitated at such a pleasing sight as if she had returned to the moment when she first fell for him in the base. Soon, Richard approached her with two cups of coffee in his hands and she took one of them. To have a stroll in a park with a warm and tantalizing coffee in the onset of winter was a delight to relish in. The both of them kept quiet while rounding the park; the ambiguous atmosphere lingering around them felt better than ever. After a while, Richard piped up, ¡°My grandfather wishes to see you.¡± Ang looked at him in shock. ¡°Did you tell him about us?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t tell him that it¡¯s you. I just told him that I have someone I like and he wants me to bring her to him as soon as possible.¡± He gazed at her withforting eyes. ¡°B-But I haven¡¯t sorted out my thoughts yet. Let¡¯s talk about itter.¡± She recalled the dinner she had tonight and the discussion shared between Jennifer and Daphne. It was evident that Jennifer was irritated by the marriage cancetion. Furthermore, her mother¡¯s words indicated that it would be better for her to stay away from this man for now. Otherwise, Daphne would be a joke to others. A glint flickered in his eyes and he sighed. ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll talk about it some other day. We¡¯re not in a rush for a marriage anyway.¡± Now, it was Ang¡¯s turn to be confused. He was talking about how much he wanted to marry me right away, but why is he saying that there¡¯s no rush? In fact, he could not level with her that he had another mission to undertake, which would put his life on stake. Thus, he could not guarantee his safe return and hence the repose. Just as she was about to question him, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. ¡°Let¡¯s head home. The wind is strong.¡± Her instincts were telling her that something was on his mind, but he had no intention of telling her. Is he hiding something from me? When they entered the car, someone in a nearby vehicle was holding a camera facing them. Ang¡¯s face was in most of the photos. However, Richard was oblivious of it due to the far distance in addition to the trees. He started the car and drove toward Ang¡¯s ce. She kept ncing at him along the way back home. She realized that she was not the only one gued by colossal thoughts in her mind; even his eyes were giving his deep rumination away. Did something happen? ¡°Has something happened to youtely?¡± she inquired out of concern. ¡°No.¡± He shook his head. The sudden sense of helplessness washed over her, for he would probably still keep it to himself even if there was a problem; not to mention she was keeping her distance with him now. It was normal for him to do so. Once they arrived outside her house, she remained seated in the car as she suddenly felt like apanying him longer. ¡°It¡¯s still early. Let¡¯s talk,¡± suggested Ang since she was not in a hurry. His eyes fixated on her with a warm gaze. dded in a blue jacket, she appeared brisk and stylish tonight. Her beautiful face that was glowed up with some light make-up made his heart flutter. At the same time, her heart was beating rapidly as Richard kept staring at her; her face was beginning to flush red. That untrammeled gaze of his gave her an illusion that he could devour her whole right at the spot. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll just go home.¡± I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll ever speak. Before she could even leave, the man ordered in a gruff voice, ¡°Come closer.¡± She raised her head to see his engaging eyes that were visible under the illumination of the street lights. She could understand the emotions in them at a nce; he wasmunicating his feelings to her without a word. However, Richard was oblivious of it due to the far distance in addition to the trees. Red perfused her cheeks almost instantly. Is he trying to do something right in front of my house? ¡°No.¡± Ang shook her head as she was a shy person. He suddenly stretched out his long arm at her, causing her to open the door and get out of the car in great haste. Due to the armrest console, she was totally free from his control. Before closing the door, she shed a smug smile at him. ¡°I said ¡®no¡¯ means ¡®no¡¯.¡± Having said that, she closed the door and took another two steps before turning her head to make eyes at him with a smile. Her slim waist and slender legs oozed sexiness as she trod, making the man in watch gulped his saliva. Someday, I¡¯ll make her pay ten times more for what she¡¯s done tonight. Ang had not learned her lesson about how horrible the consequences were for ticking on his nerves. Still, it was a peaceful night for her as she pondered, I don¡¯t have to rush things with Richard and we¡¯re able to meet up secretly, where I can act my true self in front of him. In an elegantly decorated parlor, a beautiful woman was sitting on the couch as she flipped through the received pictures. A satisfied smile appeared across her lips. ¡°Have you looked into the girl?¡± ¡°Yes. She¡¯s Ang Meyers. Her father is a civil servant and her mother is a developer. They¡¯re clean.¡± She nodded in contentment. ¡°Richard has an eye for women. She looks like someone from an educated family at first nce. I hope he¡¯ll bring her home to meet me.¡± The person taking pictures furtively was not a bad guy, but someone who was working for Scarlet Husson, Richard¡¯s mother. She was merely curious about her son¡¯s recent movements. After she remarried, she did not take care of him and hence their petered out rtionship. In addition to Lloyd Family¡¯s strict upbringing on the boys, it was difficult for him to spare some time to visit her. It was the very issue that was guing her. Forget about parental absence on Richard¡¯s development, she wished to take part in his marriage, but she dared not interfere too much. Now she had to ask someone to tail her son just to take a look at her future daughter-inw. At that moment, a maid came in with a message. ¡°Madam, Mr Husson is here.¡± Worries sat on her brows as she nodded to acknowledge her. Before long, a towering figure marched to the parlor from the door. It was the handsome Ren Husson in a ck suit, the contemporary pir of the authorities. Scarlet gazed at her younger brother and the serenity in her gaze was ever evident. Bearing the risk of a gestational pregnancy, their mother gave birth to an heir for the Husson Family. Scarlet could not help the delight to see the achievement and glory he procured as of today. ¡°Scarlet,¡± Ren greeted as he undid the buttons of his suit due to the warm temperature in the house. Removing his outerwear, he revealed the dark-colored vest and white shirt underneath it. They defined his enticing waist line perfectly whereas the long pants were covering his long and slender legs. ¡°Have you eaten?¡± asked Scarlet caringly. ¡°Yeah.¡± He seated himself opposite her with a slightly helpless expression. ¡°I¡¯ve just received news that Richard has hacked into the dark web and obtained a lot of information. I think he¡¯s going to take action on his own.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Color drained from her face and her eyes reddened. ¡°He hasn¡¯t given up, has he?¡± ¡°Scarlet, why don¡¯t we just let him join the mission?¡± ¡°Is there any other way to dissuade him?¡± She still held onto the hope that her son would not join this mission, for the worry that he might lose his rationality and risk his life just to kill the person whom had murdered his father. It would put him in danger too. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do to stop him for now. I¡¯ve met Old Master Lloyd and he wants Richard to make his own decision. He won¡¯t intervene.¡± ¡°He knows Richard best. It¡¯s useless to stop him.¡± Scarlet sighed before looking at her brother. ¡°Ren, please help him.¡± Knowing exactly what she meant by that, he nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll do everything in my power to help him.¡± ¡°And one more thing¡ªRichard has a girlfriend. You should transfer him to another department, so he won¡¯t have any mission abroad. He can at least stay in the country that way.¡± ¡°Scarlet,¡± Ren greeted as he undid the buttons of his suit due to the warm temperature in the house. Removing his outerwear, he revealed the dark-colored vest and white shirt underneath it. They defined his enticing waist line perfectly whereas the long pants were covering his long and slender legs. ¡°Leave it to me.¡± Having said that, he smiled. ¡°He got himself a girlfriend?¡± She cast her gaze onto him. ¡°Look. Even Richard is dating. Don¡¯t you think that you should make some effort? Work is important and so is marriage.¡± ¡°I¡¯m busy with work. It¡¯s not the time for that yet.¡± It was a downright refusal. ¡°There you go again.¡± Scarlet then showed him the pictures. ¡°This is her. Isn¡¯t she pretty?¡± He took a closer look at them. ¡°Hmm. She is.¡± Suddenly, she thought of something as she announced, ¡°I wanna invite her to the dinner party this Friday.¡± Meanwhile, a sleepless Ang was tossing and turning in the quiet bedroom. It was as if the suppressed feelings she had for Richard were surging in her like a waterfall, pushing her timid heart forward. Some emotions grew stronger the longer they were smothered; like a fettered beast, they would pounce out of the cage abruptly once they seized the chance. Lying in bed, she took her phone and tried to rein back her emotions after which she ended up dialing the man¡¯s number. A couple of secondster, his husky voice rang into her ear. ¡°Hey.¡± The tranquility in her heart rippled. ¡°Are you home yet?¡± ¡°Hmm. I just entered my room.¡± ¡°Oh. I¡¯m just asking. I¡¯m d that you¡¯re home now. Bye!¡± Ang was too shy to talk to him any longer. It was like she missed speaking to him so much. ¡°Are you free tomorrow? I¡¯ll buy you a meal,¡± Richard inquired in a low voice. ¡°I gotta go to my mother¡¯spany for a shareholder meeting. It¡¯spulsory for me to join them, but I can dine out for lunch.¡± ¡°Great. I¡¯ll pick you up in the afternoon.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll drive myself there. We can¡¯t let my mother see you.¡± ¡°Why? Am I not presentable enough?¡± He huffed. She chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± At the thought of her mother¡¯sment of him, she was at her wit¡¯s ends although it was just her mother trying tofort Jennifer. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in bed and I¡¯m going to sleep,¡± she answered honestly. ¡°Do you miss me?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± denied Ang. ¡°But I do,¡± confessed the man suddenly. ¡°Why?¡± she questioned back in embarrassment. ¡°What do you think?¡± He countered. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know!¡± She did not answer on purpose, but it was hrious to her by how the conversation was revolving around such childish questions. ¡°I¡¯m going to shower.¡± As soon as he blurted those words, the rustling sound of clothes could be heard from the other side of the line. Chapter 971-980 Chapter 971-980 ¡°Are you taking your clothes off?¡± Ang could not help voicing out her curiosity. Richard hummed sexily before asking, ¡°Wanna see?¡± ¡°See what?¡± She could not understand. ¡°We can make a video call, so you can look at my body.¡± He offered without any charges. Her breathing became slightly heavier. ¡°Richard Llyod, cut it out.¡± Where did his cold attitude andposure go? He let out a chuckle. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going into the bathroom now. I¡¯ll let you see it some other day.¡± In actuality, Ang could imagine his body vividly without taking a look at it. It was not like she had never sneaked a few peaks in the base back then. ¡°Alright. Sleep early. Good night.¡± She then terminated the call before sprawling on the bed. Her stomach churned with mixed feelings as she was feeling sorry toward Annie. Although the engagement had been called off, she could not get over it just yet. When the morning came, Ang woke up and picked a stylish yet feminine coat to go to thepany with Daphne. Today, Daphne would announce the news of Ang taking over her position in the shareholder meeting. In hindsight, she reced her usual demeanor with solemnity. During the meeting, everyone treated her politely while masking their doubts in their gazes. After all, she was too young in their eyes. The billion-worthpany was bestowed to a twenty-five-year-old woman; a sheer blunder in a significant decision-making would incur a massive loss. ¡°Are you taking your clothes off?¡± Ang could not help voicing out her curiosity. Even so, their notions did not go unnoticed by Ang. Despite the pressure, she was full of confidence; despite her tender age, she had more time to learn and improve. When the meeting wasing to an end, she took a nce at the time; it was 11:18AM. She looked at Daphne, who was still speaking, and was already on tenterhooks as she looked forward to the lunch date with Richard. ¡°Okay. Ang, please give us a word or two.¡± Daphne cast her gaze onto Ang. She rose to her feet and shed a smile at the shareholders who were sitting along the long table. ¡°I¡¯m very pleased to be here and it is my honor to be able to take over my mother¡¯s position. For the following days, I hope you can believe in me, support me, and acknowledge me. Thank you.¡± Daphne stared at her daughter with contentment. She was aware of the doubtful attitude of many shareholders toward Ang¡¯s takeover, but she would definitely help her from behind the scenes in order to consolidate Ang¡¯s position. ¡°That marks the end of today¡¯s meeting. You may disperse.¡± Ang let out a silent sigh of relief. When she rose from her seat, Daphne called her, ¡°Ang, let¡¯s have lunch together somewhere else.¡± ¡°But, I have ns with my friend.¡± ¡°Nevermind, then.¡± Daphne nodded approvingly, for her daughter was expanding her social circles. Ang exited the entrance to see a ck SUV parked at the opposite street. Akin to a belligerent wild beast, the huge and ck vehicle was as formidable as its owner. She alternated her gaze from left to right before approaching the passenger seat gingerly to enter the car. The man, who was on the driver seat, watched every single one of her expressions and amusement was evident in his eyes. Her course of actions appeared adorable to him. After hopping onto the passenger seat, Ang breathed a sigh of relief before turning to face the man who was dded in a ck sweater. It seemed like he loved this kind of ck sweater that fit his body perfectly. It disyed his handsome and neat image of a tough guy. Ang was crazy over his fashion sense as well. ¡°Did I keep you waiting?¡± She brushed her hair to one side and smiled at him. ¡°I arrived not long ago.¡± Richard reached out his hand to the back seat to grab a bouquet of flowers for her. ¡°This is for you.¡± It was then she was stunned for a moment. I didn¡¯t know this side of him. They¡¯re roses! I thought the word ¡®romantic¡¯ was never in his vocabry! With a sweet expression, she epted the lovely flowers as it lightened her mood. ¡°Did you pick them yourself?¡± She sniffed the flowers while asking him. ¡°Hmm, I picked them one by one and asked the staff to arrange them into a bouquet.¡± The image of Richard selecting the flowers intently in the florist¡¯s amused Ang and rendered the bouquet in her hand more precious. ¡°Where are we going?¡± she asked. ¡°You¡¯ll find out once we arrive there.¡± He left her hanging. There was a smile on his ever rigid countenance, which indicated how happy he was at the moment. Therefore, she did not sound him out and decided to just follow him. Regardless of where they were heading to, she would be happy as long as he was by her side. It was not until they entered a top-notch restaurant did she realize that Richard had reserved a ce at the most expensive restaurant in the city. It pained her at the thought that he was going to spend a lot of money on this meal. After staying seated, she whispered, ¡°You don¡¯t have to buy me a meal at such a pricey ce. I don¡¯t mind any other ces.¡± He propped his chin with his hands as he smiled at her. ¡°Are you worried that I can¡¯t pay for it?¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to splurge your money on me.¡± ¡°But I just wanna give you the best.¡± His scorching gaze fixated on her. Feeling the honey-sweet happiness springing up in her chest, Ang pursed her lips before showing her lovely smile. She often felt giddy by the man¡¯s unreserved affection. Then, she noticed the other table that was filled with four girls, who seemed to be from rich families. They kept peeping at Richard with the two of themughing intentionally in order to draw his attention. ¡°Hmm, I picked them one by one and asked the staff to arrange them into a bouquet.¡± Ang was very familiar with their little ploys. She could even count how many times they peeked at the man before her. Richard was indeed a popr person with admirers swooning over him, which made her wonder, Was he really single before he met me? She honestly felt that he was quite an easy target since it took her less than two months to win his heart. Plus, the advances Ang made were no-brainer; would it not take a shorter time for him to be taken if there was a better yer? She left the table to go to the restroom and by the time she returned to her seat, there was a beautiful girl standing next to their table, flirting with Richard. Ang¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously. It was unpleasant to have someone else coveting her possessions. ¡°Miss, please do not disturb us. My boyfriend and I are trying to enjoy our meal here.¡± She stared at the girl with a warning gaze and crossed arms. Unperturbed, the girl smiled and returned to her seat. Obviously, Ang was just a small fry to her. Ang sat down, but her eyes zeroed in on that girl, who reciprocated with a provoking expression. Meanwhile, Richard was pleased to see her being jealous, yet his heart ached as well. The girl approached him to offer a drink, but before he could make any response, Ang was back. The girl at the next table, who was crossing swords with Ang in mute, realized that he was looking at her. Instantly, she made eyes at him to seduce him while endeavoring to piss Ang off. However, at that moment, he turned his head sideways and shot res at her, which were cold and sharp like the excalibur. Her heart missed a beat in fear, for never once had she felt the gaze of a wild beast before. It was perilous yet tantalizing. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± She could not sit still due to the surging fear and ultimately pulled her friends to leave the ce. While Ang was disappointed by how they left without finishing their food, Richard piped up, ¡°Let¡¯s not mind the strangers. We should dig in.¡± Sharing the same notion, she felt that it was meaningless to waste time. Next, her gazended upon the steak on his te, which seemed tastier than hers. She pointed at it. ¡°I wanna have a bite of yours.¡± He proffered her a small piece of meat to her mouth and she dly chewed it. ¡°Hmm. It is tastier than mine.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll order another one for you,¡± he suggested. ¡°No. I want to have yours.¡± She was actually full, but she acted as though she wanted to snatch his food. Ang was suddenly in the mood to poke fun at Richard again. After finishing lunch, she checked on the time and it was 2.30PM. It was time for her to return to the company since there will be a meeting with a department that required her attendance. As such, he drove her to the entrance of thepany. Holding onto the bouquet of flowers, she suddenly hesitated. Should I bring it to the office? If I bring it along, Mom will know that I have a pursuer, though. If I don¡¯t, I will have to throw it away, but he picked the flowers for me. I can¡¯t do that. After contemting for a while, she hugged the flowers and alighted from the car before waving her hand at him. ¡°Bye-bye.¡± Richard watched her off despite the heavy heart. It was not until she disappeared into a corner of the lobby that he started the car and left. However, Daphne, who was about to get out of the car nearby, witnessed the whole scene; she saw her daughter alighted from a mysterious, huge SUV with a bouquet in her hands. The person in the car seemed to be reluctant to let Ang go as he watched her leave. Daphne was surprised, for she had not known that Ang started a new rtionship again. Who is he? What is his family background? Is he a greedy fraudster like Dexter? She alighted from the car anxiously and made a dash to the office. At this moment, Ang already hid the flowers behind the curtains. Since her mother was not around, she decided to keep it a secret for as long as she could. Ang was suddenly in the mood to poke fun at Richard again. Even so, while she was going to peruse some documents on the couch, she noticed Daphne¡¯s return and rose to her feet. ¡°Mom, you¡¯re back.¡± Daphne¡¯s stern gaze fixated upon Ang as she interrogated, ¡°Ang, I saw a man sending you back. Tell me. Are you dating someone?¡± Ang¡¯s heart squeezed as she did not expect Daphne to see her getting out of Richard¡¯s car. ¡°You were holding a bouquet of flowers too. Where did you hide it? Are you going to keep me in the dark?¡± Ang¡¯s previous rtionship had consigned Daphne into distress. Now, her anxiety was arising because she was worried that her precious daughter would encounter another deceiving, bad guy. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry about it. He¡¯s not a liar,¡± Angforted. ¡°Then, what is his name and what is his job? Is he from a decent family? Since when did you start dating him?¡± Daphne bombarded Ang with a flow of questions. Ang bit her lips and pleaded, ¡°Mom, can you leave the questionster? I¡¯ll introduce him to you when the time is right.¡± ¡°Ang, once is enough. I must know everything about that man. You cannot hide anything from me,¡± imed Daphne as she sat on the couch with a grim face. ¡°Mom¡­ He¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°Where is he from?¡± ¡°He lives in the same city,¡± Ang answered hastily. ¡°What does his family do?¡± ¡°His family is richer than us.¡± She was feeling guilty. Daphne was stunned at that. ¡°Really? Tell me. Which family is he from? How old is he? And what is his name?¡± Daphne thought to herself, Once I got his name, I must look into his background. Ang is still young and clueless about so many things. I need to pry further into the man¡¯s family history too. It¡¯s Ang¡¯s future. I mustn¡¯t be sloppy and careless about it. However, Ang merely stared at her mother in silence. ¡°Fine, you¡¯re not saying anything, are you? I took a photo of his number te and I¡¯m going to call your father to look into it. With his capability, I don¡¯t believe that he won¡¯t be able to find out who that guy is,¡± said Daphne while reaching out her hands to look for her phone. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t! I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Ang stopped her immediately. ¡°So, what is his name and what does he do for a living?¡± questioned Daphne forcefully. Ang took a deep breath and lowered her head. With eyes closed, she revealed the name in a loud voice. ¡°Richard Lloyd. He¡¯s Richard Lloyd.¡± Thud! The phone in Daphne¡¯s hand slipped through her fingers and dropped onto the ground. Her expression turned into a surprised and baffled one. She had no idea that her daughter¡¯s date would be¡­ Richard Lloyd. The Richard who had just called off the engagement with Annie?! It took a few seconds before Daphne regained herposure. As she looked at her daughter¡¯s guilty and slightly flustered eyes, she let out a sigh while clearly agitated. Ang rushed over to her mother and held her arm. ¡°Go ahead andsh out on me all you want! Just promise me that you won¡¯t get worked up and hurt yourself, okay?¡± To be fair, Daphne was not upset with her daughter, but things were just too absurd to take in at the moment. Richard, who just broke up with Annie, is dating my daughter? When did this happen? Why did Ang keep this information hidden from us? She stared at Ang and questioned, ¡°Tell me all about it. When did it all start?¡± Not wanting to keep her mother in the dark for much longer, Ang revealed her active pursuit of Richard back in the base and exined that she had no idea he was Annie¡¯s fianc¨¦ at that time. To her surprise, Daphne had not expected her daughter to take the initiative in pursuing a man. ording to the timeline, it was factually correct that her daughter was unaware of Annie being Richard¡¯s ex-fianc¨¦ since Ang was shielded and had allmunications cut off at the time. Therefore, it was natural of her to develop feelings for him in the base. ¡°What should I say to your uncle and aunt? Your aunt is still upset about the canceled engagement! You have no idea how much she adores Richard, her ideal son-inw. I can¡¯t believe he¡¯ll be my son- inw instead!¡± Daphne expressed her concern. She had no idea that her daughter¡¯s date would be¡­ Richard Lloyd. ¡°Pfft!¡± Ang burst intoughter. In exchange, Daphne shot her a re and sneered, ¡°Oh, you¡¯re laughing, huh? How about you suggest ways for the elders to get out of this awkward situation?¡± At this point, Daphne suddenly remembered that she had purposefully brought up Richard¡¯s work and family issues at the previous dinner to persuade her sister-inw to open up. Now, it was a total p in the face. ¡°I apologize, Mom. That was not my intention,¡± Ang expressed solemnly. ¡°Is Richard genuinely fond of you?¡± Daphne was curious. Ang¡¯s lovely face turned bright red. ¡°He is, I guess?¡± Her shyness had overshadowed her confidence in this case. She had no idea how much Richard liked her; all she knew was that he did not agree to the breakup. ¡°Alright! We¡¯ll exin it to your uncle and aunt once you¡¯ve told Annie about it and received her approval.¡± On the contrary, Daphne was joyful after the shocking revtion moments ago. Afterall, it was a blessing to marry into the Lloyd Family! Not only did Richard possess dependability and strength, he was also an exceptional appearance and physique. More importantly, Ang would always have his full support in the future. Although Ang never dared to confront Annie ande clean about her situation, she had reached a point where there was no other choice. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll invite Annie out for dinner tonight to talk about it; perhaps even seek her forgiveness if I could.¡± She nodded, agreeing with her mother¡¯s words. Satisfied, Daphne bobbed her head before looking around the office and inquired, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just bring a bouquet up here? What did you do with it?¡± Out of embarrassment, Ang stood up and reached behind the curtains for the bouquet of flowers. On the other hand, Daphne could not help but sigh inwardly; she waspletely satisfied with her daughter¡¯s boyfriend this time. It was, however, a minor annoyance as the situation had to be handled correctly to avoid tension with Annie¡¯s family. Exiting the room, Daphne made a phone call to her husband, Gilbert. As soon as Gilbert picked up the phone, he was greeted with a question. ¡°Gilbert, Ang now has a boyfriend. Can you guess who?¡± Stumped, he could only toss a few gusses in his head before he asked, ¡°Who is it?! There¡¯s no way I could have guessed. Now, tell me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Richard,¡± Daphne answered right away. Gilbert, who was on the other end of the phone, was equally astounded. ¡°Why is Ang in a rtionship with Richard? What exactly is going on? Did they just start dating?¡± ¡°No. They met at the base and fell in love since then. I would have been kept in the dark had I not seen my daughter on a date with him back at the office today! She was afraid of being chastised, so she never told us about it.¡± ¡°Annie may not be able to enjoy that life, but I can¡¯t believe our Ang can!¡± ¡°I know, right? I just hope their side will understand.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s all meet up and talk sometime!¡± ¡°Okay, but we¡¯ll have to wait till Ang speaks with Annie tonight! We can go back to Dad¡¯s for dinner and discuss it tomorrow.¡± Lying dazedly on the couch, Ang could not believe her mother had discovered everything without any prior ¡®rehearsal¡¯. All that was left to do now was to be honest with Annie. ¡°President Meyers, someone just sent you a dinner invitation,¡± Daphne¡¯s assistant said as she prepared to leave the office. ¡°What kind of dinner invitation?¡± Daphne was surprised to see the assistant hand over an invitation card box withvish packaging. For a few seconds, she was stunned as she looked at the words printed on it. It was an invitation to a charity dinner with a royal theme. This is no ordinary dinner invitation. ¡°Ang, are you familiar with the person who sent this invitation card?¡± As she brought the card into the office, she inquired of her daughter. Taken aback, Ang took the invitation card from Daphne¡¯s hand. She then ripped open the girdle, revealing a handwritten note inside an enveloped card. ¡°Dear Miss Meyers, The Golden Peony Charity Dinner cordially invites you to join us for our annual dinner celebration. We eagerly await your arrival and thank you for taking the time to meet with us.¡± The simple invitation was signed by a person named Scarlet Husson. ¡°Annie may not be able to enjoy that life, but I can¡¯t believe our Ang can!¡± ¡°Mom, this is the name of Richard¡¯s mother.¡± Ang gasped with one hand covering her mouth. Daphne noticed it as well and could not help but ask, ¡°Have you met his mother?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen her,¡± Ang replied while shaking her head. ¡°That¡¯s probably because she knows you¡¯re Richard¡¯s girlfriend and specifically invited you to this dinner.¡± Has Richard told his mother about me? Why else am I invited? Daphne looked intently at her daughter as a sense of worry surged within her. She hoped that Ang¡¯s future mother-inw would adore her and generously ept her into the Lloyd Family. ¡°Ang, show your best self at this dinner party. It¡¯s possible that this is a test from your future mother- inw.¡± To that, Ang could not help but clench her fists and nod, ¡°I know, Mom.¡± She then dialed Richard¡¯s phone number as she left the reception area. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Did you bring up our rtionship with your mother?¡± she inquired, clearly intrigued. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°I just received a dinner invitation from your mother and I¡¯m perplexed.¡± ¡°My mother appears to be very eager to meet her future daughter-inw.¡± Richard, on the other end of the phone, was clearly unsurprised because he had told his mother at the base that he would bring his girlfriend home. Ang reluctantly expressed her concern to him, ¡°I had just gotten out of your car when my mother saw me carrying a bouquet of flowers! When she asked about our rtionship, I told her everything. Now, I¡¯ll have to spill all the beans to everyone in my family.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± he uttered quietly as if he was willing to withstand all me and criticism by himself. However, she tly refused. ¡°You are not allowed to speak. I was the one who got it all started. I owe my family an apology.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you to get hurt.¡± ¡°They are my family. They¡¯ll never hurt me and I only hope to receive their blessings. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m going to be fine,¡± promised Ang. Richard wanted to protect her from being hurt and criticized, but she had the same thoughts¡ªno matter how serious the mistake was, she would take on all of it and never involve him. It was the evening and Ang had invited Annie out to dinner. Coincidentally, Annie was also getting ready for a trip and she dly agreed to apany her. At around 5.00PM, Ang drove to pick up Annie, who emerged in a casual outfit as she opened the door of the passenger seat and smiled. ¡°Ang, my luggage is all packed. I¡¯ve already booked a flight and I will be leaving in two days.¡± ¡°Are you traveling by yourself?¡± ¡°No, I invited a few of my ssmates to join me. I¡¯ll have manypanions there!¡± Nodding, Ang then drove to a well-known western restaurant. She did not want to spoil Annie¡¯s dinner appetite, so she refrained from saying anything before their meal. After dinner, she suggested a walk in a nearby park and the two went there. Despite the fact that Annie was usually a lighthearted character, she could tell Ang was full of thoughts. ¡°Ang, are you having any troubles? Why do you look so down this entire evening?¡± Atst, Ang led Annie to a bench and raised her head before saying, ¡°Annie, I have something to tell you. What I am about to say may possibly hurt you, and you can me or shout at me all you want after hearing it, but you must remain calm and rational.¡± Blinking in confusion, Annie could not imagine any scenario where a cousin like Ang, who had loved her since they were a child, would ever hurt her. ¡°Ang, you¡¯re confusing me. What could you possibly do to hurt me?¡± ¡°Listen to me first.¡± Of course, Ang did not want to hurt Annie, but the damage had been done and she had no choice but toe clean. ¡°Just spill it! Whatever the case may be, I will forgive you.¡± Annie was ready to listen. ¡°Are you traveling by yourself?¡± ¡°No, I invited a few of my ssmates to join me. I¡¯ll have manypanions there!¡± ¡°Remember the night I got home and you cheerfully called to tell me that Grandpa had arranged for you to get married? I was happy for you, but you didn¡¯t tell me the name of your fianc¨¦ when we spoke on the phone. Do you remember that?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°I was kidnapped the next day. My father hired a bodyguard to keep me safe. This bodyguard is both powerful and intimidating. He took me to a safe location that night to protect me, but he took away my phone and disconnected me from any external contacts.¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s Richard,¡± Annie stated unequivocally. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the same night we got engaged. You know, I tried to text and call you, but your phone was out of service the entire night. I guess that exins why now.¡± ¡°Hence, when I was sent to the base for protection, I couldn¡¯t contact my family and I couldn¡¯t contact you, so I had no idea who your fianc¨¦ was from the very start. As a result, I had no idea that the person who had been watching over me for over twenty hours was your fianc¨¦.¡± ¡°Yes. I was horrified when I heard my parents say that the world was hunting you down.¡± All of these events were fresh in Annie¡¯s mind. ¡°But I don¡¯t see how any of this is hurting me! Why are you taking it so seriously, Ang? You¡¯re terrifying me.¡± She considered Ang¡¯s words and concluded that they were unharmful. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing. I told you that the base¡¯s conditions are not that great. The bathhouse is shared and my room barely has any ce to shower other than a toilet. I was surrounded by four walls and a window. As a result, I had to take a shower in Richard¡¯s room. Furthermore, he is always at the base and I am with him at all hours of the day and night. We even shared three meals a day.¡± ¡°And then what?¡± Annie¡¯s eyes blinked. ¡°Then¡­ After Dexter cheated on me, I was gloomy and I¡­ I fell in love with Richard.¡± Ang sighed. With her eyes widened in surprise, Annie questioned, ¡°Ang, do you like Richard as well?¡± In response, Ang immediately apologized as she looked at Annie in panic, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Annie. I really didn¡¯t mean to. I wouldn¡¯t dare to have feelings for him if I knew he was your fianc¨¦. I¡¯m so sorry¡­ Please forgive me.¡± At this point, Ang was too ashamed to look Annie in the eyes. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. However, what resounded in the air was Annie¡¯s fatal question. ¡°Ang, does he like you too?¡± Overwhelmed by guilt, Ang lowered her head and nodded lightly. On the other hand, Annie was stunned and shocked for a few seconds. Thest person she would expect was the woman Richard liked to be her very own cousin! This was an unexpected urrence that rendered her speechless. Suddenly, they could feel the atmosphere tensing up as cold filled the air. Since Ang was ducking her head all this time to avoid looking at Annie, she had assumed Annie was furious with her at this point. ¡°Annie, if you can¡¯t ept that¡­ I will break up with him,¡± she continued while raising her head and inhaling a deep breath. However, what shed across Annie¡¯s face was a smile as she reached out to embrace her cousin. ¡°Ang, don¡¯t feel sorry for me; I¡¯m overjoyed that Richard has be my cousin-inw.¡± Frozen upon her words, Ang could not help but clutch onto Annie¡¯s shoulders as she looked straight into her eyes. ¡°Annie, what did you just say?¡± ¡°Do you know, Ang? I actually liked Richard solely because of his appearance! I¡¯ve always been after good-looking dudes, as you know. Sure, he¡¯s attractive, but I¡¯m not sure why I feel this constant sense of pressure whenever I am around him; almost suffocating, I should say. To be honest, I don¡¯t have the guts to like him; in fact, I¡¯m even scared of him,¡± Annie exined as she sighed. ¡°Is that true?¡± Ang was surprised. Overwhelmed by guilt, Ang lowered her head and nodded lightly. ¡°Yeah! After some thoughts, I realized that he¡¯s not for me, but he sure is for you! Now, get together! You should not be embarrassed just because I was engaged to him. Grandpa will be thrilled to have the Lloyds as his inws!¡± Annie eximed, her eyes wide with excitement. Though her words had perplexed Ang, they also relieved her greatly. ¡°Annie, thank you so much for understanding. I¡¯m truly sorry,¡± said Ang as she reached out to hug Annie again. ¡°Ang, be brave and follow your heart! I am so thankful to have such an amazing brother-inw!¡± Annie felt embarrassed when she patted Ang on the back and discovered she was in tears. Ang¡¯s eyes welled up and she pursed her lips, reaching out to wipe the corners of her eyes. The two of them then exchanged smiles. ¡°Are you worried about what my parents have to say? Rx and leave it up to me. I¡¯ll deal with them.¡± ¡°How do you n to do that?¡± asked the curious Ang. ¡°There is nothing they care more about than my happiness. Do you think they¡¯ll be happy if I bring a new boyfriend home tomorrow and tell them he¡¯s my crush?¡± This time, Ang could not help but tear up again when she saw Annie trying so hard to help her. The two talked all the way back to the car and Ang drove Annie home. Indeed, Annie was not a least bit upset with her cousin as she sincerely wished that both Richard and Ang would end up together soon. In fact, Annie had been feeling a little lost after her engagement as she believed that she was inferior to others in some ways. However, she now knew that the girl she envied was Ang and she was nothing but convinced. Furthermore, Richard was unsuitable for her because he was cold and harsh; she preferred a man with a warmer personality. As soon as Annie entered the door, she fished out her phone, pretending to be on a call with someone. ¡°Hey! I¡¯m home. Please drive safely! Thank you for tonight¡¯s treat,¡± she spoke sweetly. This immediately drew Jennifer¡¯s attention, who was watching TV in the living room. Who is Annie talking with on the phone? ¡°I¡¯m also happy to be with you! Hmm, I love you.¡± Annie finished her sentence softly as if she was afraid of being eavesdropped. Just as she nned, Jennifer could clearly hear her voice in the quiet hall. When Annie entered the living room, she was deliberately startled and covered her phone in shock. ¡°Mom, why haven¡¯t you returned to your room?¡± Jennifer waspelled to ask, ¡°Who were you on the phone with?¡± ¡°I¡­ It¡¯s just a friend!¡± Annie gave a shy smile. ¡°What friend? Is it a man or a woman?¡± Jennifer persisted in her inquiry. With a straight face, Annie had no choice but to answer, ¡°Mom, it¡¯s a male friend that I¡¯ve had a crush on for two years.¡± Jennifer was surprised. Is it true that Annie has had a two-year crush on someone? How is this the first time I¡¯m hearing about it? ¡°Mom, actually, I¡¯m not satisfied with the engagement Grandpa arranged for me. Plus, Richard is not my type. Breaking off the engagement has honestly relieved me so much.¡± She presented a pleased expression on her face as she dered. Surprised, Jennifer could only stare at her daughter as Annie continued slyly, ¡°Mom, let me tell you a secret, but you can¡¯t lecture me!¡± ¡°What is the secret?¡± ¡°On the day Richard called off our engagement, I allowed him to pursue Ang. I reflected that just because I don¡¯t fancy such a great man doesn¡¯t mean that some other women can¡¯t! Guess what happened? I didn¡¯t expect Richard to fall in love with Ang at first sight, let alone pursue her!¡± ¡°Exactly what did you say? Richard is pursuing Ang now?¡± Jennifer was stunned; she could not believe her daughter had done such a ¡®generous¡¯ thing. ¡°Isn¡¯t it wonderful, Mom? Richardes from an affluent family. Once he bes a member of our family, we will be able to seek future assistance from the Lloyds!¡± Annie eximed while blinking. ¡°This child! Daphne just mentioned the other day that Richard is not husband material and you even matched him up with Ang! Aren¡¯t you afraid that Daphne will be unhappy?¡± Jennifer was worried that his older brother and sister-inw would me her daughter for her rash behavior. With a straight face, Annie had no choice but to answer, ¡°Mom, it¡¯s a male friend that I¡¯ve had a crush on for two years.¡± ¡°Mom, the ¡®problem¡¯ is that Ang has feelings for Richard as well. Even if Uncle Gilbert and Aunt Daphne disagree, there is nothing you can do about it. Furthermore, I believe they will adore Richard since he is a charming one!¡± ¡°I certainly hope so.¡± Jennifer breathed a sigh of relief and looked at her daughter guiltily. The reason for the nned engagement in the first ce was because they were trying to marry Annie off into a powerful and influential family like the Lloyds. As such, they did not ask for her opinion before making such a life-altering decision. Only now had Jennifer discovered that her daughter had a crush on someone else. Seeing that there was no sign of fury on her mother¡¯s face, Annie concluded the issue had been resolved. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯m heading back to my room!¡± ¡°Wait a minute, you have yet to tell me anything about your crush!¡± Jennifer eximed, bringing Annie to a halt. ¡°Aw, Mom, hold your horses. When we head to Grandpa¡¯s for dinner tomorrow, I¡¯ll invite him over. You¡¯ll be able to see him then.¡± She went upstairs after she finished speaking. As soon as she returned to her room, she retrieved her phone and dialed Ang, telling her the story she had just made up. Ang was utterly grateful to Annie; not only was she not mad at her, she even did her a big favor. ¡°I appreciate it so much, Annie.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. I¡¯m looking forward to your wedding. I¡¯ll be your maid of honor.¡± ¡°It¡¯s up in the air!¡± Ang chuckled. ¡°Then, go for it! Tackle Richard as soon as possible, marry him, and give birth to a little great-grandson for his grandfather.¡± Annie chortled. Ang¡¯s face turned bright red at this point as she eximed, ¡°You¡¯re lightyears ahead of us.¡± ¡°Ang, please inform your parents so that I don¡¯t blow my cover. I¡¯ve talked about it with my mother.¡± ¡°All right, I¡¯ll tell my parents.¡± Annie hung up the phone and went through her social media ounts, deciding which male friend would be best suited to be her fake boyfriend, whom she would bring home to show her parents. Elton Hemmings. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the name. Nervous, she summoned the courage to dial his number. ¡°Hello, Annie.¡± On the other end of the line, there was a distinct male voice. ¡°What have you been up to, Elton? I need a favor from you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend and go to my grandpa¡¯s house tomorrow,¡± she stated unequivocally. There was a brief silence and Elton was clearly stunned for a few seconds before responding, ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Annie could not hide her joy. ¡°Yes, really. When have I ever lied to you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a deal, then! Let¡¯s meet tomorrow at noon and I¡¯ll talk to you about it.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Annie sighed and lowered her head to look through some photos before eventually pausing on one; it was a group photo of them during a hike and a young, attractive boy was standing next to her. Elton was her childhood friend whom she used to have a crush on. However, she never revealed her feelings to him after learning that he was pursued by another girl at that time. Not wanting to create any hard feelings, she decided to leave their circle of friends. Nheless, she recently spoke with her friends and discovered that Elton turned down the girl¡¯s eager pursuit and enrolled in a foreign business school for further studies. The point being, he was currently single. When Annie heard the news, she could only wish him happiness because she was engaged at the time. Now, she was filled with hope once again. At Meyers Residence, Ang sat on the couch and ryed the messages from Annie to Gilbert and Daphne. Despite the fact that her parents thought it was unnecessary for them to chime in with the act, they naturally agreed to cooperate, given Annie¡¯s willingness to put on a y. Ang went upstairs after their discussion while Gilbert, on the other hand, was cheerful. ¡°I had no idea our daughter would be the Lloyds¡¯ chosen daughter-inw!¡± he eximed to his wife. ¡°It¡¯s okay to be happy, but don¡¯t spread the word,¡± Daphne advised. Honestly, she was equally pleased with Richard as her son-inw. ¡°That¡¯s a deal, then! Let¡¯s meet tomorrow at noon and I¡¯ll talk to you about it.¡± The first time she saw him, she had secretly intended to make him her son-inw, but she never imagined that her wish woulde true. As soon as Ang returned to her room, her phone rang. She dashed over, expecting Richard, but the caller ID disyed an unknown number. ¡°Hello. Who is this?¡± She frowned as she answered the call. ¡°Hello, Ang. It¡¯s me, Dexter. I¡¯d like to meet you.¡± The man¡¯s voice could be heard from the other end. His voice rendered her enraged as she questioned, ¡°How dare you call me?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be this way, Ang. You owe me so much after all I¡¯ve done for you over the years!¡± Dexter seemed to be attempting to ckmail her. ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± Ang sneered, her lovely eyes cold. ¡°How are things going? I heard you took over your mother¡¯s business, Ang. You are now a president with a seven-billion-dor worth. Let¡¯s put it this way! I¡¯d like five million dors topensate for my emotionalmitment to you over the years; otherwise¡ª¡± ¡°Otherwise?¡± She snorted. ¡°Otherwise, I¡¯ll spread your photos online. You have no idea how many photos I have of you in your pajamas. All it needs is a little editing and with your beauty, I¡¯m sure the photos will sell for a lot of money on those sites,¡± he threatened. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it.¡± Ang¡¯s body trembled as she growled. ¡°I demand a precise sum of five million. Otherwise, I will do what I said since I have nothing to lose anyway. Ang, I really regret not having fun with you when we were abroad. I wouldn¡¯t have cared so much back then had I known you¡¯d be so ruthless.¡± At that moment, Ang¡¯s face turned pale from rage. She was thankful that the son of a b*tch did not touch her; otherwise, she would have ripped his heart out. ¡°Ang, I want the money by 3.00PM tomorrow. Or else¡­ Hehe¡­ Don¡¯t me me for what¡¯s about to come.¡± Without any hesitation, she hung up on him. Subsequently, she dialed the number again, but this time it was recording. ¡°Why did you hang up on me?¡± Dexter wondered with suspicion. ¡°Five million is what you want, am I right?¡± she stated unequivocally the amount he desired. ¡°Five million is nothing to you, so of course, you have it. Your family does notck a mere five million. It must be transferred to my ount by tomorrow 3.00PM,¡± he reminded, clearly letting down his guard. ¡°How can I believe that you¡¯d delete my photos after I sent you the money?¡± questioned Ang. ¡°You just have to believe me, then. I will delete your photos as soon as I receive payment,¡± Dexter ensured. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think you have the choice. I have the photos in my hands now and I¡¯ve already edited some of them. Ang, your figure must be more perfect than these models¡¯. Do you want me to send you a few for you to look at?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Ang clenched her fists tight. ¡°Prepare your funds! Otherwise, I¡¯ll be merciless.¡± With that, Dexter then hung up the phone. He soon sent a few pixted photos to her, but they were way too extreme. As she opened them, her face turned bright red with rage. Despite the fact that the photo was photoshopped, Ang felt physical difort nheless. She tried to rx by shutting her eyes. This dirtbag needs to be jailed as soon as possible. Who knows how many other girls he duped?? Ang debated telling Richard, but if he knew Dexter had threatened her, Richard would undoubtedly track him down and beat him to death. Forget it, I just want Dexter to be locked up. That¡¯s where he should stay. He came to me with full-on threats and evidence. So, I¡¯m going to y along with him onest time! At that moment, her phone rang again and her heartstrings tightened, but upon seeing the name on the screen, she heaved a sigh of relief before answering, ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Are you still up?¡± Like the sound of nature, Richard¡¯s deep and maic voice washed away Dexter¡¯s nderous words earlier. ¡°Yeah! I¡¯m not asleep yet. Oh, I spoke with Annie.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± he inquired with his tense and worried voice. ¡°I¡¯m perfectly fine. Annie not only blessed us, but she also helped us tell a good lie.¡± Following that, she told Richard what Annie had said and he was so thankful to Annie as well; thest thing he wanted was to see Ang hurt. ¡°You¡­¡± Ang clenched her fists tight. ¡°Prepare your funds! Otherwise, I¡¯ll be merciless.¡± With that, Dexter then hung up the phone. He soon sent a few pixted photos to her, but they were way too extreme. As she opened them, her face turned bright red with rage. After their time in the base where she was keeping her distance from him, he already had a taste of how awful it was to stay away from her. Annie, on the other hand, was a good girl, so he understood why Ang avoided him at the time. She did not want to cause Annie any harm as well. ¡°Are you free tomorrow? I need you toe along with me for something.¡± In spite of what happened earlier, she still wished to be apanied by him and save her parents some worry. With Richard around, she would feel more at ease. ¡°Sure. What is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep it a secret for the time being, but do pick me up at noon tomorrow!¡± Ang remained silent out of fear of jeopardizing Dexter¡¯s life as a result of her rash action. It would be a shame if he died, but she was hesitant to smear Dexter¡¯s filthy blood on Richard¡¯s fist. ¡°Are you hiding something from me?¡± Richard asked from the other end of the line. ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just a small matter; I¡¯ll tell you next time,¡± she said as she gently nudged him. ¡°Alright, but only if you call me ¡®honey¡¯.¡± The man suddenly made a request. Ang¡¯s cheeks were flushed as she had never uttered those words to any men before. ¡°Do I have to?¡± she asked shyly. ¡°Yes. I¡¯d like to hear it.¡± ¡°Ho-Honey¡­¡± she blurted out bluntly. ¡°Sweetheart,¡± he responded with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s so cringey,¡± Ang expressed while covering her face. Having said that, she made the unexpected decision to get back to him. ¡°Be honest with me, Richard. Did you really feel nothing when I kissed you for the first time?¡± Now that he had seeded in making Ang his girlfriend, she needed to recount all the times he did a number on her. To his surprise, Richard was taken aback by her questioning. ¡°Were you really unaware of my feelings for you back in the base?¡± he countered. ¡°Well, it didn¡¯t have to be me. Any woman who did the same would have won your heart too,¡± Ang rebuked while blushing. It was true that there were a few embarrassing moments. ¡°No. Only you. I will never allow other women to touch me.¡± He was adamant that Ang was the only person who could touch him. ¡°Really?¡± she eximed before bursting out intoughter. ¡°Yes!¡± the man affirmed. Early next morning, Ang arrived at the police station with herprehensive evidence¡ªthe pictures and audio recordings that Dexter had sent her. Without a doubt, the police epted it right away. She also assisted the police in apprehending Dexter before charging him with extortion. Thest time Trevor and the others reported Dexter, he was only detained for seven days before being released. He was bing increasingly agitated to the point that he had to devise such an illegal scheme to obtain money. Chapter 981-990 Chapter 981-990 Ang also fulfilled Dexter¡¯s wish by allowing him to stay in jail for a few more years and enjoy the free prison meals. Later in noon, she invited Richard to lunch and asked him to apany her to a destination. Meanwhile, Dexter had been bombarding her with messages asking if the money was ready. In response, she pretended to be scared and upset, baiting him to agree to do the transaction at a park. At 2.00PM, Ang received a call from the police. They hadpleted the deployment strategy, so she could meet Dexter at the park at any time and the police would arrest him right away. She was about to leave for the park by Richard¡¯s car fifteen minutes before the transaction when her cell phone rang. The scumbag had called and she frowned as she reached for the phone. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m already on my way to the park. What else do you want?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve changed the location for our deal. I¡¯ll send you the new address,¡± Dexter said in a sly manner. Obviously, he feared that Ang would call the cops on him, so he changed the address fifteen minutes before the transaction so that he could flee after he received the money. ¡°All right, send me the address and stop with the games. I don¡¯t have the time to y with you,¡± Ang grumbled. ¡°Yo! Now that you¡¯re CEO, you¡¯ve changed! You¡¯re upied with important matters every day! Ang, yourpany must be making millions daily!¡± Ang also fulfilled Dexter¡¯s wish by allowing him to stay in jail for a few more years and enjoy the free prison meals. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± She snorted coldly. ¡°Okay, see youter!¡± He finished his sentence before hanging up the phone and sending the new meet-up location. In the meantime, Richard¡¯s car was currently on the frontage road. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to tell me what we¡¯re up to in a little while?¡± Ang looked up, having just lowered her head to read the address and met the man¡¯s dark gaze. She was now helpless. Richard appeared to be the only person who could stop Dexter because it was toote for the police to arrive. ¡°All right, but you have to calm down and cooperate with me,¡± Ang was terrified that Richard would murder Dexter in an instant. Her n was to put Dexter in jail and sentence him for as long as she could. ¡°Okay! I¡¯m all ears.¡± He raised his brows and his tone clearly expressed his displeasure. She clearly had something to hide from him, which made him feel less needed. Ang sensed his emotions and leaned forward from the passenger seat to kiss his lips. This was a very effective move and the man¡¯s eyes were instantly sprinkled with joy. With a smile, he said, ¡°I¡¯m all ears!¡± She nodded before exining, ¡°Last night, I received a call from Dexter, a jerk who wanted to extort five million from me by threatening to spread my old photos. I intended to have the police assist me in apprehending and prosecuting him. Who knew he would change the location at the veryst minute? I¡¯m afraid of looking like a fool if I call the cops, so please help me to catch him.¡± Ang looked at Richard¡¯s face after she finished speaking. He was gritting his teeth and his piercing gaze indicated that he wanted to tear Dexter apart after catching him. ¡°With what photos did he threaten you?¡± His eyes glowed with rage. ¡°It¡¯s just some of my old photos. He intended to photoshop them into some obscene content and post them on the Inte,¡± she eximed angrily. He assumed Dexter was a scumbag who deceived her feelings, but Richard greatly underestimated Dexter¡¯s ability to do evil. ¡°Where is he now?¡± Richard gritted his teeth. ¡°Stay calm. Those photos aren¡¯t explicit. Let¡¯s cool down and we¡¯ll catch him now,¡± she assured, her heart tensed as she looked at his gloomy handsome face. ¡°Show me the address.¡± He reached for her phone, which she handed to him. He then looked down to double-check the address beforeunching the navigation system. Ang secretly examined the man next to her several times, only to notice that his handsome face was tense, his eyes were narrowed, and he was suppressing his anger. Her heart was warm as she looked at her furious man, who was about to avenge her. It feels great to be protected. At this point, Dexter had arrived earlier than expected in another park. He looked around nervously while keeping an eye on the time, carefully observing everyone who passed by. To his credit, he had nice facial features, a handsome face, and a nice fashion sense, but he still came across as a scumbag. His finances were tight right now and he was depressed as a result of hisrge expenses. He was already in a lot of debt, so he was forced tomit crimes to get money under the urging of multiple creditors. He learned that Ang had now taken over her mother¡¯spany and would soon have the wealth of a publicly tradedpany. He was desperate for the money and would go to any length to obtain it. He now deeply regretted flirting with another woman on the ne and failing to return as an honest man. Had he not done that, Ang would not have discovered his true colors. After all, she had put her faith in him during his time abroad. She even called him two days before his flight, pleading with him not to get engaged because she loved him. He believed he had her in his grasp. As the events unfolded, he was not sure what went wrong as Ang found out about his one-night stand with another woman. The perfect character he had been ying for three years shattered in an instant. For thest three years, he did not dare to touch her in order to gain her trust, since he had slept with too many women and had STDs. To appear as a pure lover, he refused to touch his own girlfriend. He was extremely regretful for not doing so now that he thought about it. As Dexter was feeling worried, he noticed a familiar figure approaching. It was a youngdy dressed in a blue woolen coat and windbreaker with her long hair down. She was wearing sunsses and exuded an elegant and noble air. Ang is here. At that moment, his heart was racing like crazy. She captivated him not only because of her vast financial resources, but also because of her stunning appearance and perfect figure. Despite being exposed for what he was, he still believed Ang would forgive him and that she might still love him after all. ¡°You¡¯ve arrived, Ang.¡± Dexter took a confident step forward with excitement. He even dressed up spectacrly today, wearing clothes she had bought for him. ¡°Don¡¯te near me,¡± she reprimanded coldly, standing three feet away from the scumbag. Her voice was full of disgust and annoyance. Dexter¡¯s smile froze and he nervously tightened his fists. ¡°I apologize, Ang. I¡¯m sorry for hurting you this way. I¡¯m deeply in debt and my mother¡¯s health is failing. Furthermore, I¡¯m struggling to afford a meal right now. I¡¯ve been consumed by grief ever since your departure and I have no ns to work¡­ Ang, please forgive me¡­¡± This was all an act in an attempt to pull her heartstrings and gain sympathy from her. She looked at him as if he were a disgusting fly. Behind the sunsses, her delicate face was expressionless like a beautiful sculpture. ¡°Are you done with your act? Now, delete all of my photos from your phone,¡± instructed Ang. ¡°I can¡¯t get you out of my mind, Ang. I love you the most. If it isn¡¯t for my limited funds, I won¡¯t have to hurt you like this. Don¡¯t worry; if I earn money in the future, I will definitely give it back to you.¡± He sighed. ¡°How dare you ask me for five million?¡± she questioned with a sneer. ¡°Ang, you can¡¯t be this ungrateful. When I was abroad, I treated you as if I¡¯m a servant by listening to your words and taking good care of you. Did you forget?¡± His face darkened as he inquired. ¡°It¡¯s a shame. You signed up for it.¡± She coldly snorted. ¡°You¡­ Ang, how could you treat me like this after all that we¡¯ve been through?¡± His face turned red with rage. ¡°Weren¡¯t you just ckmailing me ten seconds ago?¡± She sniggered. Dexter¡¯s expression changed when he realized Ang was uninterested in mending things with him. Not wanting to waste his effort, he sneered, ¡°It¡¯s not my fault that your family is so wealthy. I won¡¯t let my efforts over the years go unnoticed. You will never get rid of me without five million.¡± ¡°So, you admit that you¡¯re ckmailing me, right?¡± Ang questioned angrily, her beautiful eyes narrowed. ¡°You¡¯re astute! What? You don¡¯t want to hand over the money, do you? I¡¯ve finished editing your photos and saved them to my Cloud. If you don¡¯t pay up, I¡¯ll upload the photos to the Inte for the world to enjoy and you can say goodbye to your reputation.¡± Dexter was proudly threatening Ang when he felt arge palm locked onto his shoulders with a bone-crushing force. He turned to see who this person was, but his back was mmed to the ground before he could do anything. Following that, a military shoe stepped onto his chest and Dexter¡¯s ribs were almost crushed by the strength, causing him to howl out of pain. ¡°Ah¡­ Ah¡­ It hurts! Who the hell are you?¡± Dexter¡¯s face had turned blue, drenching in cold sweat. He continuously pped on the foot that was stepping on his chest while thoroughly embarrassed to be tackled onto the ground. However, the force exerted on his chest suddenly increased and the torture had reached new heights, prompting him to beg for mercy out loud. ¡°Let me go¡­ Please let me go. Remove your foot. My ribs are about to break!¡± Ang wrapped her arms around herself and observed themotion. As she watched Dexter beg for mercy like a dog, she realized how stupid she had been to be duped by such a man. Removing his foot, Richard then punched Dexter in the face, causing blood to gush out of his mouth together with a fallen tooth; the scene was rather gory. ¡°Ah¡­¡± On the verge of passing out from pain, Dexter had a lightbulb moment and went to beg Ang instead. He knelt on the grass as he begged sorrowly, ¡°Please, Ang, tell your bodyguard to stop beating me. Please! I¡¯m not going to do it anymore.¡± ¡°You are mistaken. He is not my bodyguard. He is my boyfriend and future husband,¡± she responded with a smile. Richard¡¯s fiery eyes instantly softened as he was overjoyed with the titles. Dexter, who was in so much pain, looked back in surprise at the person who had struck him¡ªa handsome man with a devilish aura. Where did Ang find such a man to be her boyfriend? This had undoubtedly made him jealous. ¡°I would have beaten you to death if I hadn¡¯t spared your life to throw you into prison.¡± Richard clenched his teeth coldly, disgusted by Dexter¡¯s threats and hatred against Ang. How did this scum get so lucky to spend those three years with my woman? At this thought, he wanted to kick Dexter in the shins twice more. ¡°Ang! Ang, please forgive me!¡± Shaken like a rat, Dexter was terrified as he nudged toward Ang, but she took two steps back in disgust and eximed, ¡°Dexter, you will pay for what you did.¡± At that moment, he realized the reason why she had gone along with his ckmail so easily. Forget the money; all she had nned to do all along was to collect the evidence and send him straight to prison! ¡°Ang, please let me go! Please! I¡¯m sorry, I swear! I was just blinded for a moment, but I won¡¯t do it again,¡± Dexter begged her for mercy with his swollen face. ¡°Listen, I will hire the bestwyer and persecute you with the harshest sentence,¡± Ang dered. She had no intention of letting him go. ¡°You¡­ Ang, you can¡¯t treat me like this. I love you. I really do!¡± He was starting to bber. What he did not know was that his bbering would enrage a certain man. Without a doubt, Richard booted Dexter to the ground again before yelling angrily, ¡°Not a dirtbag like you deserves to say that!¡± Hearing those words, Ang could not help but twitch the corners of her mouth. ¡°Ang, your boyfriend assaulted me! You know what? I¡¯m going to sue his *ss and make him pay for this!¡± Dexter screamed in agony once more. The woman squatted down with a smile and said, ¡°Yeah, I told him to do that. What, do you not like that? If you¡¯re not satisfied, I¡¯ll let him knock a few more teeth out of you.¡± Stunned by her words, the fallen man was so terrified that he shifted his body backward. Despite Ang¡¯s portrayal of a youngdy¡¯s temperament in front of him, he realized at this point that she could be very cold. Cold-blooded. ¡°You¡­ Ang, don¡¯t think you can rely on your father¡¯s connection to hit me whenever you want¡­ I¡¯m warning you¡­¡± ¡°Are you talking about the fact that I hit you? That is exactly what you deserve! You reap what you sow!¡± When Ang saw the police car approaching, she smiled and said, ¡°Wait for mywyer. Let¡¯s go, Richard!¡± Dexter turned to face the cop behind him as fear smeared across his face. ¡°They hit me and injured me! Arrest them!¡± he rebuked. ¡°Dexter Kavinsky, please get up and follow us to the station,¡± the officer said solemnly to Dexter, who was covered in bruises from the beating. ¡°He kicked me¡­ I lost a tooth from that¡­ Look! Even my ribcage is shattered!¡± he screamed angrily. The next second, he was apprehended and taken away from the scene. No one seemed to care regardless of how loud he yelled. Subsequently, Ang and Richard also returned to the car. She was finally satisfied to witness that man¡¯s downfall. If she had wanted to dirty her hands, she would have pped Dexter a few more times earlier. ¡°Does your hand hurt?¡± She turned to face the distraught man beside her. ¡°How did you end up falling for this jerk in the first ce?¡± Richard inquired, his gaze deep and resentful. She screamed quietly, Oh, no. I guess I¡¯m not the only one who knows how to bring up the past. ¡°Uh¡­ That¡¯s¡­ Well¡­ Let¡¯s just say I was blind¡­ Yes.¡± Ang quickly acknowledged her mistake. The next second, his long arm reached out and sped the back of her head. He then leaned forward and kissed her red lips as punishment. ¡°Uh¡­¡± She panicked at first, but then epted his punishment meekly. After a few kisses, Richard pressed his forehead against hers andmanded, ¡°From now on, there can only be one man in your heart.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not going to work,¡± Ang stated, shaking her head. ¡°Why?¡± His pupils dted. ¡°I still have to make room for my dad and grandpa!¡± she exined innocently. ¡°You and your words¡­¡± Annoyed, he nted a kiss on her again. When Ang returned home, she contacted her mother¡¯swyer and filed awsuit against Dexter. When Daphne discovered that her daughter had been mistreated, the furious mother demanded to know everything about his sentence. After sorting through all of the evidence and handing them over to thewyer, the family went to Meyers Residence for dinner. Ang and her parents arrived early. She sat on the garden swing while taking in the evening breeze. She wondered if it was her uncle and aunt when she noticed someone else in the parking lot. At this point, Ang was still worried about upsetting her uncle and aunt¡¯s feelings by revealing that Richard was her boyfriend. She approached them and saw a young couple who had alighted from the car. She could not help but be surprised that Annie had indeed brought a young man over. ¡°Ang, please allow me to introduce my boyfriend, Elton Hemmings,¡± Annie shyly said before adding, ¡°This is my cousin, Ang.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± Elton greeted with a smile, looking generous. ¡°Hello! Annie has told me a lot about you.¡± Ang looked at Elton and realized he and Annie were a match made in heaven! Meanwhile, Annie¡¯s parents arrived in another car. Elton¡¯s handsome face became nervous as they exited the car. ¡°Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Meyers,¡± he politely greeted them. Jennifer turned to face the unfamiliar young man with a smile. Is he really Annie¡¯s longtime crush? At first nce, he appears modest and polite. Ooh, and he is dressed nicely as if hees from a wealthy family! Her heart was full at that moment. ¡°Hello, Elton! We¡¯re delighted to have you here.¡± A clearly satisfied Jennifer informed her husband, ¡°Bring Elton in! I¡¯ll talk to Ang.¡± Ang¡¯s heartstrings tightened as her aunt requested a private conversation with her. Oh God¡­ ¡°We¡¯ll head in first, Ang.¡± Having said that, Annie turned shy as she boldly grabbed Elton¡¯s arm and went in. In the garden, Jennifer and Ang had found themselves alone. Jennifer heaved a sigh before speaking, ¡°Annie has already told me about you and Richard. As for their previous engagement, I hope that you don¡¯t mind too much of it. All they did was have an ordinary meal and that¡¯s about it. So, I sincerely hope that you can get along well with Richard.¡± Ang was rendered speechless by Jennifer¡¯s words. She was prepared to embrace her aunt¡¯s questioning, but she had no idea that her aunt wouldfort and reassure her instead. It was thest thing she had expected. ¡°I¡¯m not bothered at all, Aunt Jennifer. I¡¯m grateful to Annie for introducing him to me.¡± ¡°You appear to like Richard a lot. That¡¯s fantastic. Your grandfather has always desired to merge with the Lloyds someday through a blessed marriage. It¡¯s perfect now! Richard is a wonderful child, so please seize this wonderful opportunity. Have you seen the boy Annie brought with her? He¡¯s one of her ssmates and I think he looks great with his height and all. The most important criteria is that he is the one Annie prefers,¡± Jennifer said. ¡°You¡¯re right, Aunt Jennifer. The most important thing is Annie¡¯s happiness.¡± Ang nodded. ¡°All right, let¡¯s go in!¡± Jennifer walked toward the entrance after she finished speaking. However, standing still was Ang, who then breathed a sigh of relief. The evening sky was crimson at this time. Despite the fact that it was winter, she could not help but be awestruck by the sight. At that moment, the sound of a car engine could be heard unexpectedly, which surprised her. Who else would be here? As she was wondering this, she noticed a familiar ck off-road vehicle approaching before averting her gaze. Why is Richard¡¯s car here?! He¡¯s here too? Ang¡¯s heart began to pound quicker. The car door opened before revealing a tall, handsome man stepping out of the driver¡¯s seat¡ªit was none other than Richard. He noticed Ang in the yard and cast a deep gaze toward her. As their gaze met, she returned with a shy smile. He then opened the back seat door and assisted an elderly man from inside. At that sight, she was taken by surprise. This has to be Richard¡¯s grandfather! Meanwhile, the gentle, dignified old man looked at her as well. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. To that, she quickly dashed over and took the initiative to greet Phillip, ¡°Hello, Old Master Lloyd.¡± The old man eyed her, then nodded with satisfaction while saying, ¡°You must be Ang!¡± ¡°Yes, I am.¡± He noticed that Ang appeared more magnanimous than Annie and had a quieter personality. As such, he found that she was unquestionably a good match for his grandson. ¡°Not bad at all,¡± Phillip expressed happily. He could not hide his joy as he no longer had to resort to forcing a marriage on his grandson. He finally met a girl he favored and that was all it took. ¡°Old Master Lloyd, let me help you.¡± Ang came over to assist him. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. You guys can talk. I¡¯ll head in by myself.¡± Phillip motioned with his hand. He walked steadily despite his age and Meyers Residence was a ce he frequented, so he would not get lost for sure. After seeing the old man enter the house, Ang resentfully looked at Richard andined, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you give me a heads up beforeing?¡± ¡°We only received a call from your grandfather about an hour ago. I wanted to surprise you.¡± Richard smiled as he opened up hisrge windbreaker to wrap her in his arms, seeing that the cold wind was a little too strong. ¡°Let¡¯s go! We don¡¯t wanna catch a cold from the wind.¡± Ang wrapped her hand around his strong waist and sank into his embrace. Her heart was pounding as she smelled his strong masculine scent, igniting a certain feeling within her. When will we be able to progress to the next stage? she pondered. Since she had decided to spend the rest of her life with him anyway, Ang thought it would be reasonable to fight for more time with him by progressing to the next stage of their rtionship sooner. He came sote into my life, I guess I¡¯m not selfish for wanting to cherish my time with him, right? She reluctantly drew her hand away before walking into the living room with Richard. The two old men were already happily engrossed in conversation. As soon as Phillip arrived, Gilbert and Gabriel lowered their voices and the respectful look in their eyes was clearly evident. That was because the Meyers Family had received help from Phillip in many different aspects and Gilbert had even worked under Phillip for a period of time too. The Lloyds¡¯ family background was impressive. There was no other family in this country that was able topete with the Lloyds. ¡°Richard,e over here and take a seat.¡± Gilbert gestured to Richard. Hearing that, Richard quickly walked over and took a seat. Despite his identity in the outside world, he was just the younger generation in today¡¯s event after all. Ang and Annie sat together as they whispered to each other. Now that Annie met Richard once again, the infatuation she had for him before had now turned into a different kind of admiration. Besides, she also realized that Ang and Richard made a perfect match as they stood next to each other. After a round of introductions, everyone then went off to the dining room. The meal served tonight was sumptuous and Ang sat next to her mother as she looked at the men toast each other. Joshua was exceptionally happy today and he had taken all of his well-stored precious wine out of his cer and ced them all on the table. Richard didn¡¯t seem to be avoiding alcohol that night and there was also a ss of wine in front of him and Elton. At that moment, Ang thought to herself, How¡¯s his tolerance for alcohol? I¡¯ve never seen him drink this much. Richard¡¯s face unexpectedly flushed red upon the slightest bit of alcohol. After just two sses of wine, his handsome face was already glimmering quite red unnaturally. Under the light, he was red all over, even on his temples and in between his brows. Ang couldn¡¯t help but feel her heart race as she looked at him. His tipsy face looked somehow quite charming to her. Meanwhile, Annie was aware of Elton¡¯s alcohol tolerance level, so she started to get slightly worried. Halfway through the dinner, the men continued to enjoy their drinks while the younger generation left the room first. Phillip¡¯s only habit after retirement was to enjoy the asional drink. So, right now, he didn¡¯t really have too much to drink but was busy engrossing in conversation. He continued to boast about his past with Joshua. Richard grabbed the opportunity and took Ang¡¯s hand to pull her outside for a breather. At the same time, they bumped into Annie and Elton about to go out for a drive too. ¡°Ang, Richard, we¡¯re leaving now. See you around.¡± Annie greeted them quite naturally. At that moment, Ang blushed but she didn¡¯t refute Annie¡¯s words. Ang merely watched on as their car drove off. Ang found out something interesting that night. She could tell from the way Annie looked at Elton that Annie was fond of Elton. I hope Annie finds happiness too. Richard held her hands and strolled around the garden before taking a seat on a bench. There was a slight whiff of alcohol on him and Ang snuggled close to him as she asked, ¡°Do you have any missionstely? If you don¡¯t, then let¡¯s get married!¡± Richard lowered his head to look at her, ¡°Do you really need to do that in such a hurry?¡± Ang turned to him and lifted her pretty eyes, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to marry me as soon as possible?¡± ¡°Of course I do,¡± he replied without any hesitation. In response, she revealed a contented smile. ¡°Since you do, you should hurry up.¡± Richard¡¯s eyes flickered slightly and he spoke in a hoarse voice, ¡°Ang, could you give me some more time? I need to get something done first.¡± ¡°What is it? How long would you need to get it done?¡± Ang blinked and she suddenly felt slightly uneasy. ¡°I can¡¯t divulge the details to you, but I have to do it.¡± There was a firm look in Richard¡¯s eyes and it seemed to be a very important matter to him. ¡°Would this matter put your life in danger?¡± Ang sat up straight and she fixed her pretty eyes on him as she tried to catch every expression that shed across his face. However, Richard had a rxed front and he revealed a slight smile. ¡°It¡¯s not dangerous, but it is just going to take some time.¡± Ang cupped his face and she pouted her red lips. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me, alright?¡± Suddenly, there was a sh of waver in his eyes because he was lying to her. Instantly, he leaned forward and kissed her with the intention to mask his panic by kissing her passionately. At that moment, Ang¡¯s senses were heightened. We¡¯re currently at Grandpa¡¯s house! He doesn¡¯t even bother to take note of the asion and behave appropriately! However, the more Ang panicked and felt her senses heightened, the kiss felt all the more stimting to her. Fortunately, everyone else was in the dining room, so no one noticed the couple was sharing a passionate moment on the bench in the corner of the garden. Richard¡¯s kiss felt exceptionally passionate than ever to her tonight. Perhaps, it was because he had consumed some alcohol earlier on. At around 10.00PM, Richard finally sobered up. He had to send Phillip home because Phillip was too drunk to go home by himself. ¡°Drive safely.¡± Ang and her family sent them off. As for Gilbert, he was also too drunk to drive home. So, Ang became the driver of the night and sent her parents home. In the car, she heard Daphnein, ¡°Why did you drink so much?¡± ¡°Because I feel happy.¡± Gilbert chuckled happily. ¡°What¡¯s there to be happy about?!¡± ¡°Our daughter has found such a great match and our future son-inw is so impressive. Of course, I¡¯m happy!¡± At that moment, Ang¡ªwho is currently driving¡ªcouldn¡¯t contain herughter. Meanwhile, Daphne couldn¡¯t contain her exasperatedughter too. ¡°You should take a look at your silly self!¡± That night, Ang texted Richard to express concern about Phillip¡¯s condition. Phillip was a good drinker so he just needed a good night¡¯s sleep and he would be fine the next day. The next morning, which was a Friday, she had an appointment to pick out a gown in preparation for the banquet that night. She had originally intended to get Richard toe over and pick a suit too but after giving him a call, she was told that he was upied so he couldn¡¯te over. Besides, his mother had prepared his outfit too. As soon as Ang realized that she was about to meet her future mother-inw soon, she couldn¡¯t quite contain her anxiety. Daphne came along with Ang to pick out her gown for the banquet. Ang has required an elegant yet slightly more conservative gown for the asion tonight. As long as her elegance and beauty could be showcased by the gown, the style of the gown did not really matter to her. Ang had fair skin and the perfect figure to look good in the different styles of gowns. Soon enough, she picked a slightly shimmery gold evening gown. She also had a makeup artist scheduled to arrive at her ce at three in the afternoon to put on her makeup for the night. She hadn¡¯t had a good night¡¯s sleep the night before so she took a nap in the afternoon. After waking up from her nap, she was well-rested and in good spirits. Her skin looked more supple and wless than ever. In a short while, Richard woulde to pick her up. So, she started on her makeup session. Her flowing hair was weaved into a crown on her head and it was held in ce by a simple pearl headpiece at the back of her head. There were no other embellishments necessary as her feature itself was already stunning enough. The simple and refreshing makeup she had on was enchanting and was emphasizing her beauty. At five in the evening, at the entrance to the Meyers mansion, Richard drove a ck car and approached. His suit for the night was a slightly more formal-looking one. He had on a dark-colored shirt with a tie and he also had on a suit that fitted well. He looked just like a top male model. He stood by the entrance like Prince Charming awaiting his princess date for the night. Meanwhile, Ang walked out with a nude jacket draped on her arms, and she looked like a princess indeed. She was stunning, beautiful, poised, and elegant. Daphne came over with a smile on her face. ¡°Richard, I¡¯ll hand over Ang to you tonight.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Meyers. I¡¯ll definitely take good care of her.¡± Richard nodded. His voice and expression gave one a safe feeling and Ang reached out to clutch his arm as she turned to say to Daphne, ¡°Mom, we¡¯ll head off now.¡± ¡°Have fun.¡± Daphne sent them off and watched their retreating backs. She could practically see them on their wedding day and she couldn¡¯t help tearing up at the thought of that. My baby girl¡¯s about to get married. Richard behaved in a chivalrous manner as he opened the door to the front passenger seat for Ang. As she lowered herself to enter the car, he ced his hand on the door frame to protect her head instinctively. His car moved forward gracefully under the shimmering lights of the surroundings and it felt as if an air of romance had descended upon the entire town. The banquet was held at a world-ss banquet hall and it wasn¡¯t just any ordinary hotel ballroom. The guests invited to the event tonight were parties that Scarlet intended to express her gratitude toward and those guests were made up of the wealthy, the powerful, and even ordinary people too. Nheless, each one of them was honored to be invited. Ang was led into the banquet hall by Richard and he held her hand in his. Scarlet¡ªgreeting guests by the entrance¡ªsaw them instantly as soon as they walked in and there was a surprised and excited look on her face as she walked over to them gracefully with poise. ¡°Richard, you guys are finally here.¡± ¡°Hi, Ms. Husson.¡± Ang quickly greeted Scarlet. ¡°You must be Richard¡¯s girlfriend, Ang. You¡¯re so pretty.¡± Scarlet instantly took a liking to Ang. ¡°Mom, you seem busy. We¡¯ll head inside and take a seat first.¡± Richard didn¡¯t want to interrupt Scarlet while she was busy with work. ¡°Sure, head inside and get a seat. Take good care of Miss Meyers.¡± Scarlet nodded and watched as Richard entered the hall. Scarlet¡¯s eyes unconsciouslynded on Ang¡¯s back and she heaved a silent sigh as she thought, I wonder whether this girl would be able to stop Richard from joining his next mission. Would he give up for her sake? Despite the oue, this was ultimately one of Scarlet¡¯s agenda tonight. She was determined to get Ang to talk Richard into giving up his current mission. This was the only wish she had as she didn¡¯t want to lose her son. Another woman strode over quickly to stand by Scarlet as she reported in a low voice, ¡°Madam Falkner, the vice-president is upied with some guests, so he won¡¯t be able to make it tonight.¡± Scarlet nodded. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ve noticed that. Please invite Miss Ang into my dressing room ten minutes later.¡± This was a traditional formal banquet, so each guest in attendance dressed up to the nines. At that moment, there were a lot of people who shone in their respective industries gathered inside the hall. Ang was used to attending traditional banquets so she stood gracefully and with poise next to Richard. She became the center of attention of people inside the room and most people were also quite interested in the tall, handsome man by her side. Richard had hardly appeared with Scarlet. So, many of the guests didn¡¯t realize that Richard was Scarlet¡¯s only son. ¡°Richard,¡± Suddenly, a low male voice rang out. He instantly stood up and greeted the man politely. ¡°Uncle Walter.¡± Walter Falkner was Scarlet¡¯s current husband and they didn¡¯t have any children of their own all this while so they had adopted a girl since she was a child. Walter was an elegant man who carried himself with an impressive aura. He had fallen in love at first sight with Scarlet and since their marriage, he had always respected her profession and her choices in life. This was also the reason why Richard was so respectful and polite toward his supposed stepfather. ¡°Ang, this is Mr. Walter Falkner here,¡± Richard introduced Ang to Walter. She responded by greeting Walter politely, ¡°Hi, Mr. Falkner.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you. You must be Richard¡¯s girlfriend. Nice to meet you.¡± Walter nodded with a smile. ¡°Richard, I¡¯ve got a few old friends who are keen to meet you. Would you be able to spare the time and come with me?¡± Subsequently, Richard turned to Ang and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Ang sent them off with a smile. At that moment, one of the female ushers came over to Ang¡¯s side and said, ¡°Miss Ang, our mistress would like to meet with you privately.¡± Meanwhile, Ang was stunned. ¡°Who would she be?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Madam Falkner. I¡¯ll lead the way.¡± The usher smiled and gestured ahead. Ang hastily rose to her feet and didn¡¯t drag things any longer. Why does my future mother-inw want to see me in private?! She trailed after the usher toward the dressing room on the second floor with a slightly anxious heart. Meanwhile, Scarlet stood in front of the French windows inside the dressing room on the second floor. From Scarlet¡¯s posture, it seemed that she had been purposely waiting for Ang to arrive. ¡°Ang, it¡¯s good to see you,¡± she spoke in a soft voice. ¡°Ms. Husson,¡± Ang nced at her future mother-inw meekly without knowing what to say. ¡°Take a seat and let¡¯s have a chat.¡± Scarlet gestured at the couch and took a seat too. The waiter came over and served them some tea before walking out of the room. Ang was quite nervous and she couldn¡¯t stop twiddling her fingers. There was an air of elegance and poise that came quite naturally to Scarlet and one could feel quite pressured to be in front of Scarlet. ¡°Rx. I¡¯m not here to criticize you. I like you very much and I¡¯m pleased that you¡¯re in love with my son. I would never interfere in your rtionship with each other,¡± Scarletforted Ang kindly. Hearing that, Ang¡¯s nervous feeling dissipated instantly and she felt that Scarlet was such a gracious and warm person. Although Scarlet was already in her fifties, she still looked charmingly attractive and she was quite a stunner. At that moment, Ang realized that Richard had inherited his good looks from his mother and there was, in fact, a strong resemnce there! ¡°Ang, forgive me for conducting some investigations on you. That¡¯s why I have an understanding of your personality. I¡¯ve something important to ask you for help with, though.¡± Ang nodded earnestly. ¡°Sure, Ms. Husson.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that you must know by now that Richard¡¯s father passed away when he was a young child. His father had been brutally in on a mission. Because of that, Richard had harbored hatred in his mind all this while.¡± Ang¡¯s expression stiffened suddenly and she recalled that Richard had mentioned to her that he had an important matter that he had to deal with soon. Could that possibly be rted to his father? She didn¡¯t direct her question at Scarlet but continued to listen to Scarlet speak with a tensed feeling. ¡°Right now, the person who brutally murdered his father has kidnapped an important member in our research team. His uncle and I have tried our best to stop him from joining the mission but he insists on going. All of us are aware that he is going after the man with an intention to exact revenge. This renders the mission to be of a totally different nature than his previous missions. He would quite possibly lose his cool and go all in to kill that man.¡± Ang¡¯s mind went nk upon hearing all that. She couldn¡¯t contain the worry and fear in her mind. No! I don¡¯t want to lose him! I don¡¯t want to lose him at all in my life. ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose him.¡± She couldn¡¯t help saying that with a sobbing note and nced at Scarlet firmly. ¡°I love him and I want to be with him forever and ever.¡± Meanwhile, Scarlet looked at Ang with a touched expression and then reached out to grab Ang¡¯s hand. Following that, Scarlet removed a white jadeite bangle from her wrist and ced it into Ang¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯ve acknowledged you as my daughter-inw, Ang. We have to figure out a way to convince him that he has toe back safely. We can allow him to join the mission because he would be guilt- ridden for the rest of his life if he misses this opportunity. It¡¯s just that we have to make sure he has the will to stay alive ande back in one piece. We¡¯ve got to make sure that he keeps a cool head as he pursues that man intently.¡± Ang instantly caught on to Scarlet¡¯s words and Ang nodded firmly while pursing her lips. ¡°Ms. Husson, I get what you mean. I¡¯ll definitely make sure that Richard gets back safely. Don¡¯t worry.¡± At that point, Scarlet heaved a sigh and nodded with red-rimmed eyes. ¡°Sure. Ang, please don¡¯t let Richard know that I¡¯ve spoken to you about this matter because he definitely wouldn¡¯t want you to worry unnecessarily.¡± ¡°Alright. I won¡¯t let it show on my face.¡± Angprehended Scarlet¡¯s words. ¡°Go back downstairs and enjoy the meal with him.¡± Scarlet had some other things to deal with too. ¡°Ms. Husson, this¡­ I can¡¯t ept this.¡± Ang held the white jadeite bangle and stood up to return it to Scarlet. ¡°This was passed down from my grandmother¡¯s generation and it has been passed on to each daughter-inw. You¡¯re quite young to be wearing such a piece, but you can keep it safe and pass it on to your future generations.¡± Ang lowered her head and nced at the translucent white jadeite. It was clearly a priceless piece and she felt that it was too precious of a gift. Nheless, the jadeite represented the well-wishes passed on from each generation before. So, she was keen to ept it to pass on her well-wishes to her daughter or daughter-inw in the future. ¡°Sure, Ms. Husson. I¡¯ll definitely take good care of this.¡± Scarlet was quite fond of Ang as Ang¡¯s personality and appearance fulfilled the expectations Scarlet had for a daughter-inw. There seemed to be a firm strength within Ang. As Ang came down from the second floor, she was in a somber mood. She stood at the balcony on the second floor and looked down to see Richard seated all by himself. His firm, strapping back looked quite imposing and there seemed to be a cold aura that surrounded him, which made the others around afraid to take the initiative to approach him. At that moment, it pained Ang to see that and she quickly gathered the bottom of her gown and made her way toward him. As soon as she approached his side, she reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck. She paid no heed to the surroundings as she nted a kiss on his cheek. He was momentarily stunned before reaching out to take her hand into his. Subsequently, he tugged her over to take a seat by his side. ¡°Did you see my mom?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What did she talk to you about?¡± ¡°Nothing much. Look, she gave me this.¡± Ang showed him the jadeite bangle on her wrist. ¡°She¡¯s very fond of me and she has acknowledged me as her daughter-inw.¡± Richard focused his eyes on Ang and she could clearly feel him increasing the pressure as he held onto her hands tightly. Ang understood how he felt. After all, there were bound to be one or two things that a person definitely had to achieve in this lifetime. His love for his father was the reason why he refused to let the killer be on the loose. As for her, she was fated to fall in love with him in this lifetime. ¡°Did my mom mention anything else?¡± Richard kept his eyes lowered and it seemed that he didn¡¯t dare to meet Ang¡¯s eyes. ¡°No, she didn¡¯t. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ang purposely directed a question at him in return as she looked at him with clear, beautiful eyes. At that moment, Richard¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed slightly as he smiled. ¡°I was worried that my mom would stress you out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not possible! Ms. Husson¡¯s very friendly and nice to me.¡± Ang smiled and reached out to serve him some food. ¡°Finish your meal. Let¡¯s go for a cruise after dinner.¡± He nodded. Such banquet events were usually quite boring, so he had nned to leave with her after dinner. Shortly after that, Scarlet came over and joined their table. Richard could sense the affection and love Scarlet had for him and there was a tender expression on his face throughout the night. The others had to participate in the presentationter on, so Richard left with Ang first in tow after dinner. As soon as they walked out to the parking lot, she turned to ask him expectantly, ¡°Let¡¯s go for a drive by the seaside. It¡¯s still early anyway.¡± ¡°Sure, you can decide where we will go tonight and I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Richard gave her the freedom to allocate their time for the night. He started the car and drove to the highway that led to the beach nearby and Ang sat in the front passenger seat as she asked curiously, ¡°Do your mom and Uncle Walter have kids of their own?¡± Richard shook his head. ¡°They didn¡¯t have any kids of their own, but I heard that they adopted a good friend¡¯s daughter. The couple works abroad most of the time, so their daughter was raised by my mom when she was young.¡± Ang realized that he did not seem to know much about his mom¡¯s life and she could not help but look at him sympathetically. ¡°In the future, when we have kids, I¡¯m sure that your mom will be delighted.¡± He pursed his lips and smiled. ¡°Yeah, she would definitely look forward to that.¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s hurry up and sign the marriage papers. After that, we can start nning on conceiving a child. Do you prefer a boy or a girl?¡± ¡°I would be happy with either,¡± he answered without hesitation. At that moment, Ang¡¯s lips curved into a smile and she became very enthusiastic. ¡°I was wondering whether it would be possible to have a pair of fraternal twins; a boy and a girl. That would be great!¡± ¡°Well, there is a possibility of that.¡± There was a confident smile that shed across his handsome face. Meanwhile, she smiled shyly uponprehending his words. ¡°You sound so smug.¡± ¡°I am confident in my abilities,¡± he continued his brazen attitude. Ang could not help smiling as she nced out of the window. However, her smile gradually froze and a worried look shed across her eyes instead. Nheless, the smile on her face remained once she turned her face back to face him. ¡°We should have a boy first before having a girl. Then, you can teach him how to take care of his younger sister. How does that sound?¡± ¡°Yup, that sounds good.¡± Richard felt that her suggestion was great. Ang¡¯s eyes went to a five-star hotel quite far ahead under the starry night skies by the edge of the sea and she pointed. ¡°I heard that this is a great ce to enjoy coffee on the rooftop. Let¡¯s go there!¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Do you have your ID card with you?¡± she suddenly asked quite conveniently. Meanwhile, he turned to look at her with a slightly dark look in his eyes as he seemed stunned. ¡°Yes, I have it with me.¡± Ang generously mentioned, ¡°I heard that this is a great ce to catch the sunrise. I would like to stay here and watch the sunrise tomorrow. Why don¡¯t you keep mepany?¡± At that moment, Richard¡¯s heart raced as he replied hoarsely, ¡°Won¡¯t your parents worry about you?¡± She muttered under her breath, ¡°What¡¯s there to worry about? I¡¯m not a child. I¡¯m about to turn twenty- five this year.¡± After she said that, she blushed uncontrobly as she interrogated him domineeringly, ¡°I just wanted to know whether you¡¯d be willing to watch the sunrise with me.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± he replied in a solemn voice. Ang took out her phone and secretly typed a text message to Daphne. ¡°Mom, I won¡¯t be back tonight. Don¡¯t wait for me.¡± Following that, she switched her phone to silent mode before Daphne replied to the message immediately, ¡°Okay, got it. Make sure to get some rest.¡± Daphne had been through this before, so she knew what was going on. Ang¡¯s face flushed red upon seeing the text message. What does Mom mean by thatst sentence? What rest? Does she think that I will be up the entire night? They arrived at the parking lot of the hotel and alighted from the car. She mustered up her courage before entering the lobby while clinging to Richard¡¯s arm. She nned to take the initiative and book a room for them. At the front desk, Ang handed over two ID cards. ¡°One room with a king-sized bed, please. Thanks.¡± Chapter 991-1000 Chapter 991-1000 The receptionist took a look at the good-looking couple in front of her and she could not help admiring them secretly. For a moment there, the receptionist was unsure whether she admired the pretty woman or the extremely handsome man. Finally, she came to the conclusion that she was envious of thedy! The man was very handsome and he had a great figure; he was indeed a rare gem. After securing a room, Ang held his hand and entered the elevator together. She appeared to be even more anxious than he was. For a moment there, Richard was in a passive state. ¡°I thought that you wanted to have coffee? How about we grab a bite first?¡± Ang nodded and reached out to select the top floor where the cafe was located. The night was still young and he was here with her, so he would not be able to escape anyway. Indeed, she was using her way to let this man know that he could go andplete his mission, but he had toe back in one piece because she was here waiting for him. They grabbed a bite at the cafe before heading downstairs to their room. Ang opened the door by swiping the card; as soon as she noticed therge, white king-sized bed, her cheeks could not help but turn rosy. ¡°Uhh¡­ Why don¡¯t you go have a shower first?¡± She shoved the man next to her and her shyness was evident under the lights. However, he reached out and grabbed her hand to pull her before him. He kept his dark eyes fixated on her. ¡°We don¡¯t have to do this right now.¡± As soon as she heard that, she lifted her head and met his eyes with a firm gaze albeit blushing. ¡°I don¡¯t want to wait any longer. Didn¡¯t you realize that I was waiting for this chance to jump you ever since we were at the base?¡± To that, Richard¡¯s eyes were widening gradually. Ang thought to herself, Whatever! There is really no need to take a shower. It¡¯s too troublesome. She wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on tiptoes while cupping his handsome face. Subsequently, she leaned in and nted a kiss on him with her red lips. For a moment there, he felt an iing force surging within him. In order not to hurt her, he dly initiated the movement and fell back onto the bed behind him. As for thedy, she fell into his embrace as well. It appeared that Ang was the hunter while he was her prey. Her eyes shone as she looked at him. ¡°You¡¯re mine tonight.¡± Heaving a sigh in response, he asked, ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m positive.¡± Having said that, she moved forward and kissed him again. She fumbled and seemed to be quite inexperienced. Subsequently, the man ced hisrge palm around her waist and their positions were upturned; he was now atop her. She revealed a seductive smile and her expression was charmingly sexy. She reached out to grasp his perfect chin and teased him. ¡°I¡¯m yours too.¡± These three words were all it took for this man¡¯s heart to flutter as if it was tickled by a feather. It was then a sh of strong suppression appeared in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll keep youpany tonight. Go to bed first.¡± Richard was trying hard to suppress his urges and even then, it took him the best of his efforts to achieve that. Nheless, he did not wish to hurt her and merely wanted to keep herpany before he returned from his mission. Suddenly, Ang red up upon hearing his words. ¡°Richard, don¡¯t tell me that you¡­¡± As soon as she said that, that was thest straw for him and he threw all caution to the wind. He narrowed his eyes and spoke up hoarsely, ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°Then, prove it to me.¡± She wrapped her arms around his neck and refused to let him leave. ¡°Otherwise, I¡¯ll get someone else to prove themselves to me.¡± Instantly, Richard¡¯s eyes darkened and he suddenly felt a strong urge rise up. At that moment, he lowered his head and spoke with dominance, ¡°How dare you.¡± Immediately after he said that, he proved himself through his actions, nting multiple kisses on her lips non-stop. The warm morning sun raysnded on the face of the girl who was sleeping soundly; it felt like a morning call for her. However, she was worn out and continued toze in bed. Refusing to get out of bed, she avoided the sunlight by turning around and instinctively snuggled into the man¡¯s arms, continuing her sleep. The man who had woken up earlier wore a tender expression on his face as he admired the features of the girl sleeping in his arms under the glow of sunrise. He could not contain the smile from appearing on his face. At that moment, a loose tendril of hair slid down from her forehead and he gently tucked it back behind her ears. Distinctly, he heard her mutter, ¡°Richard, I¡¯ve had enough.¡± He tried hard to stifle hisughter as he replied in a hoarse voice, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll stop.¡± His words caused her to gradually widen her eyes as her eyshes fluttered. Instantly, his exceptionally handsome face appeared in front of her and she noticed he had a satisfied smile on his face. She then reached out and covered her own face with her hands. After switching off the lightsst night, every sensation she felt was in the dark; but right now, they were shone by the sun rays and she could not help but redden in embarrassment. Although just freshly woken up, she instantly regretted her actionsst night. She regretted questioning his performance ability, which prompted him to work extra hard to debunk her doubt. As a result, he had not given her much chance to rest throughout the night. She recalled the words she had told him the night before. ¡°Captain Lloyd, please!¡± ¡°Richie, stop!¡± Nheless, Ang had experienced a night that she was reluctant to recall. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Weren¡¯t you a little daredevilst night?¡± Richard chuckled in a low voice and nted a kiss on her forehead. At that moment, she nted her face into his arms. ¡°How dare you bring up anything fromst night!¡± ¡°Hehe¡­¡± He could not contain his giggle as he nced at her tenderly and with full resignation. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it. After all, I had been suppressing myself for the past twenty-nine years.¡± As soon as Ang heard that, sheughed gleefully. His words were a clear indication that this was his first experience too. Come to think about it, I¡¯ve scored! Hold on. This is my first time too. ¡°Are you for real? You¡¯re not lying to me, are you?¡± She lifted her bright-red face and she looked enchanting under the morning glow. At that moment, Richard felt a flutter in his heart as he ruffled her hair. ¡°I will never lie to you.¡± His words were firm and sincere. Ang felt a warm and fuzzy feeling rise up within her as she reached out to cling to his neck. She leaned against his chest at ease. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to lie to me or leave me, ever. I will be your responsibility for the rest of your life.¡± He hugged her tightly and whispered into her ears, ¡°Sure, I will take full responsibility for the rest of your life.¡± ¡°Okay! I want to be hugged tightly to sleep by you every night from today onward.¡± She lifted her head and looked at him with doe eyes, looking innocent yet seductive. ¡°Sure!¡± He dropped a kiss on her forehead and noticed that the nket had slid off her body. There were some reddened marks on her skin and he kissed the spot with a distressed expression. Ang lowered her head and saw that too as she blushed. ¡°You were so roughst night.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Richard apologized in a hoarse voice. ¡°I¡¯m thirsty and I want some water.¡± Indeed, the spoiled princess could not shake off her habit overnight. Fluttering her eyshes, she looked at him with indication for him to fetch her some water. The man smiled in response and stroked her on the nose before getting up. As soon as he rose, his firm and well-toned back was revealed to her. Ang saw his back and her eyes widened in surprise instantly. Subsequently, she blinked and shifted her eyes guiltily; his back was horrific-looking! It must be some wild cat that did that! She would never admit to inflicting such wounds on him. Hmm? She recalled the past events and realized that it seemed to have been her own doing. Within split seconds, her face flushed redder than ever. How did I even do that?! By then, Richard had brought a ss of water over for her and personally held the ss to her mouth. ¡°Get up. Let¡¯s go for breakfast.¡± ¡°Are you in a hurry to head home?¡± asked Ang. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°How about staying for another day? I just want to spend some time with you right now.¡± She refused to give up this chance to be with him. After all, she wanted to give him some sweet memories to recall if he really went off for the mission. ¡°Sure.¡± He nodded and agreed. After breakfast, they took a stroll outside until Ang felt tired again, so they went back into the room to take a nap. She wanted to hug him as she took a nap, but it was then the man¡¯s urges returned. She was quite a naughty one as well. Despite being well aware that Richard was trying hard to suppress himself, she purposely tried to provoke him. Once again, she was held beneath him as he straddled her. ¡°Umph, Richard, don¡¯t you dare¡­¡± However, her cries of protest were instantly muffled by him and the intimacy level in the air gradually intensified. ¡°I love you.¡± Ang heard his hoarse voice confess his love and she beamed widely as she became submerged in the passionate throes. They stayed by the seaside for three full days and Richard sent her home after their trip atst. Along the way back, she could not help her emotions and stayed silent. She was so happy for the past three days, but after the happy moments, she knew that she had to ept the fact that he was due to leave soon. She was aware that Richard¡¯s expression had tensed up after the phone call he received, so she knew that he had to depart for his mission soon. After entering the town area, her heart clenched even tighter as they approached her home. At that moment, the man decided to speak up, ¡°Ang, I¡¯ve got something to tell you.¡± Ang heaved a tiny sigh as she thought, Ultimately, he¡¯s going to be forting with me, huh? ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything. I know what you¡¯re about to say. You¡¯re about to embark on a dangerous mission.¡± She lifted her head and nced at him with a worried expression. At that moment, Richard was slightly stunned. How did she find out? ¡°Your mom told me about it. I have no intention of stopping you, but all I want is for you to return in one piece.¡± She looked at him unwaveringly, yet there was an expectant glimmer in her eyes. ¡°I want you to come back to me safe and sound.¡± Richard parked his car by the front of her house and nced at her hopeful, little face before reaching out to stroke the back of her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitelye back safe and sound.¡± ¡°You must keep your promise.¡± Ang¡¯s eyes were red-rimmed at that point and she could not seem to stop herself from tearing up. Over the past three days, she had tried her best to avoid thinking about this matter, but she knew that she had to face it ultimately. ¡°I promise I will,¡± he responded solemnly. ¡°I need you to swear.¡± She was not satisfied with his promise. ¡°Swear on my life. If you don¡¯t return, then I¡¯ll even sacrifice my life just to be with you.¡± At that point, he felt a pang in his heart as he replied hoarsely, ¡°Stop that nonsense.¡± Teary-eyed, she smiled and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡± ¡°Trust me. I¡¯ll definitelye back safely.¡± Richard gave his word firmly. Meanwhile, Ang lowered her head and nced at her abdomen. Subsequently, she turned to smile at him. ¡°Once you¡¯re back, you might even be a father then.¡± Instantly, the man¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say¡­ it was a safe window?¡± She shook her head and revealed a smug look. ¡°I lied to you. That¡¯s why you muste back because I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t want your child to address someone else as Daddy.¡± Her words infuriated him, yet he could not contain his excitement. He reached out and grabbed the back of her head before kissing her roughly. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare marry someone else!¡± Ang¡¯s eyes were firm and unwavering as she negotiated, ¡°Come home, then. If you do, then I promise not to marry anyone else but you!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Richard ced his forehead against hers and promised. Ang had done everything that she could to ensure that he came back and this was the most effective way she could think of. Despite the potential dangers involved in this mission, he had toe back alive because he had a major responsibility right here. His grandpa would be fine as he had the security of being taken care of by the country while his mother had her husband¡¯spany. However, he was solely responsible for Ang and their baby. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely be back. Trust me.¡± Richard nted a kiss on her forehead after saying that. She reached out to hug him as well. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± She alighted from his car and watched as his car disappeared into the horizon. However, she stubbornly refused to shed a single tear. She knew that in the near future, she would be living in long waiting days and worry. As long as he was away, she would not be able to feel at ease. Ang took some time to recollect herself as she did not want to show her family members her anxiety. Thest thing she wanted was for her parents to worry. That afternoon, she received a phone call from Richard, informing that he was already on the ne. For the subsequent period of time, his phone would be switched off, so he wanted her to be at ease and wait for his good news. Ang remained positive on the phone as she was confident that he would be back. However, that night itself, she had trouble sleeping and she was up the entire night. She finally fell asleep in the morning and woke up in the afternoon. It was then she received a phone call from Scarlet, who invited her to go shopping with her in order to purchase some new clothes. Ang was aware that Scarlet was just trying to fill up her void during this period. As such, Scarlet¡¯s car pulled over discreetly in front of Ang¡¯s house. Since both families had not met each other before, Scarlet did not n on entering the Meyers Residence as a guest. She picked up Ang and headed off to an exclusive shop in the town center. It was a rxing afternoon with some teatime chit-chatting. ¡°Ang, don¡¯t worry. Do you know what my son¡¯s nickname is? Everyone addresses him as ¡®Zeus¡¯ because he is such a mighty and powerful figure, who never failed any of his missions. I¡¯m sure that he will definitely seed in this one ande back victorious too.¡± As soon as Ang heard that, she felt much better than before as she nodded. ¡°Yup, I trust him too.¡± Truth be told, Scarlet was used to such anxiety as she used to worry about her husband the same way she worried about her son now. ¡°Oh, I have a god-daughter and I¡¯ll introduce you guys to each other next time. She¡¯s studying abroad and gaining a master¡¯s degree in interpretation. She¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡°That sounds great. I would love to get to know her. She must be very outstanding.¡± ¡°Her parents are extremely close friends of ours and we have known each other for ages. They have been permanently stationed abroad for work, so this kid grew up by my side ever since she was a child. I regard her as my daughter.¡± ¡°Yea, I¡¯ve heard about that from Richard.¡± ¡°Her name is Ruka Singed. You can call her Ruka.¡± ¡°She sounds like an adorable girl,¡± Ang replied with a smile. ¡°She¡¯s two years younger than you and she¡¯s indeed a wonderful girl,¡± Scarlet mentioned with a smile. After their enjoyable afternoon tea, Scarlet sent Ang back home at about 5.00PM. Besides, she also reminded Ang to seek her out anytime to chat if she was feeling down in the dumps. At that point, Ang felt her spirits lifted significantly and she knew that she should not continue to wallow in self-pity. She had to keep her spirits up and wait for Richard to return. He had an invincible presence in her mind, so she trusted that he would definitely be able to ovee everything. Meanwhile, in a distant gorge far away from the town center of Lauchrist, several ck-colored SUVs silently traveled through the forest in the dark. The cars in the fleet were covered with green fabric as camouge and they were practically invisible to the eye. ¡°Send our striker team ahead to scout the route.¡± An instruction from their captain sounded through the headset. At that moment, the car came to a halt and a young man sitting next to the captain opened the car door and alighted. Roy grabbed the man¡¯s wrist. ¡°Richard, why are you getting out of the car?¡± ¡°Captain Anderson, I¡¯ll join the striker team.¡± ¡°Get back here immediately,¡± Captain Anderson instructed sternly. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to go.¡± ¡°I know that you have received instructions from my uncle to keep me safe, but my job here is as one of your men and I¡¯m not here to be protected.¡± Richard finished his words and struggled out of Captain Anderson¡¯s grip before leaving the car. Captain Anderson had no other choice and he could merely watch as the striker team disappeared into the dark. ¡°Captain Anderson, this mission is much more difficult than the others. I heard that there are a few hundred men guarding the ce, so the chances of us seeding in rescuing Professor Te are quite slim.¡± ¡°Professor Te must not end up in their hands.¡± There was a determined look in Captain Anderson¡¯s eyes as he looked toward the darkened area in front. ¡°Even if we end up with his dead body, we have to bring him back regardless.¡± The stars in the sky were shrouded by thick clouds and the ground was rocky and uneven. There was a nket of snow and the temperature on the ground was near zero. At that moment, several dark figures marched through the snow and their eyes were set on a cave with a slight glow not too far away from them. The spot where the hostage was kept captive was a strategic cave that could be easily defended but hard to attack. ¡°Captain Lloyd, this is the furthest we can get. There are a few people standing guard, so we can only launch the drones.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Richard nodded. It was then that theyunched the drone and it darted ahead like a ck-feathered bird cruising silently in the dark. It arrived at the upper part of the cave and observed the terrain of the surroundings. The drone hovered in the air and suddenly¡­ Crack! The drone broke into pieces and disappeared down the bottom of the ridge. ¡°We¡¯re exposed. We have to leave,¡± someone spoke in a low voice. In the meantime, there were gunshots near the cave with a hail of bullets fired in their direction. The men on the snow-covered ground quickly scrambled for cover. ¡°We¡¯ve been exposed. Retreat.¡± The team leader gestured a retreat sign. Instantly, every member heeded the instruction and retreated, but one of them remained in position. ¡°Captain Lloyd.¡± ¡°You leave.¡± ¡°Captain Lloyd, what are you trying to do? Retreat!¡± However, Richard¡¯s figure had disappeared in the snowy darkness despite the team leader¡¯s instruction. ¡°He¡¯s such a daredevil!¡± the team leader retorted in a huff as he led the team away temporarily. The team leader then returned to the hiding spot of their main group. Inside the car, he had just taken a sip of warm water when Captain Anderson interrogated him, ¡°Why isn¡¯t Richard back? I told you to make sure you bring him back! Are you going against my order?¡± ¡°Captain Anderson, he is of the same rank as you and I¡¯m just a little team leader. I wouldn¡¯t be able to make him follow my instructions.¡± The team leader felt quite aggrieved. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of this guy, Richard Lloyd, here. He has never followed any instructions,¡± one of the older team members piped up. ¡°If he had heeded instructions, then it would be virtually impossible for him to get to my rank at the age of twenty-six.¡± Captain Anderson heaved a sigh. ¡°Maintain constant contact with him. Perhaps he would be the key to this mission.¡± ¡°He must not get into any danger. Otherwise, it would be quite tough to exin things to the vice- president.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got to work seamlessly to support him. This brat is always causing trouble for me!¡± After Captain Anderson finished saying that, he instructed his subordinates to keep themunication system on the whole time and they were told not to miss out on any piece of information from Richard. Amidst the flurry of gunshots, there was a figure bare-handedly climbing up the middle part of the cliff and he looked like a feral wolf as he inched closer silently. Half an hour went by and the fleet of cars lying in ambush in the deep part of the forest was now covered in a thickyer of snow. Inside one of the vehicles, Captain Anderson kept his eyes on his subordinates and watched them tap away on theirputers. Finally, one of his subordinates turned to look at him with a resigned expression. ¡°We haven¡¯t been able to receive any information on Captain Lloyd. Perhaps he has switched off themunication system or there must be a transmission disruptor set up in the cave.¡± ¡°Darn it! Does that mean we won¡¯t even know if he¡¯s dead or alive?¡± one of the fiery-tempered team members cursed in a low voice. ¡°Don¡¯t panic. I trust that Richard would not lose his life that easily. I have the utmost confidence in his capabilities.¡± ¡°But then, we¡¯ve just experienced the other party¡¯s artillery power and they¡¯re very strong. They¡¯ve also employed all of the finest mercenaries in their team, which is why we¡¯re unable to approach them now.¡± ¡°We should have faith in Captain Lloyd and wait for news from him. Let¡¯se up with another tactical n if he doesn¡¯t end up contacting us.¡± The gloomy and heavy clouds descended upon the area and the exterior part of the main cliff was covered in ayer of icy snow. Meanwhile, another flurry of heavy snowfall dawned from the sky. Presently, the men in charge of guarding the entrance repeatedly cast breath on their hands to warm their palms and one of them was dunking the water bottle into his mouth. However, he realized that the sk was empty, so he could not contain his irritation as he muttered angrily. Subsequently, he gestured to his teammate and lifted his sk to indicate that he was going inside to fetch some water after which his teammate nodded at him. The man had just entered the cave when the other man standing guard instinctively started to move and stretch his muscles. As he felt a little rock hitting his head, he lifted his head to check on the situation before a dark figure suddenly plopped onto him from atop. Crack! The man had lost his life with a twisted neck. His military coat and furry hat were swiftly removed by the mysterious man as the dead was rolled off the cliff like a sack of potatoes. The thirsty teammate had just returned upon filling up his sk when he noticed the man standing awfully near to the edge of the cliff. Out of curiosity, he asked in Spanish, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Immediately after the next second, his mouth was muffled by arge palm and a sharp knife was swiftly plunged into his chest at lightning speed. His eyes widened as he tried to reach for his gun, but his hand dropped lifelessly halfway. Subsequently, his body was rolled down the cliff silently like his teammate. The dim lights hit them and underneath the furry hat, it was the face of a handsome man. The man had a tall nose bridge, his brows were deeply furrowed, and there was a dark expression in his eyes. With that, he was surrounded by a sharp and cold aura. Richard pressed down the edge of the hat and walked into the cave naturally. There was only one path to enter the cave and it gradually expanded as he walked inside. Finally, he arrived at arge cavity that could fit a hundred men. The site had already been turned into a fully functioning living system and there were hundreds of mercenaries currently seated in groups as they chatted rxedly with each other to kill boredom. Each of them carried weapons on them to handle any unforeseen circumstances. Richard was strapping tall and he hid amongst the crowd dressed in the military coat and furry hat. He held the distinctive sk of this ce in his hand as he naturally strode toward the area to fill his bottle. After filling it, he then headed in the other direction. Since the cave was a highly defensive location to be attacked, the mercenaries were ratherid back. There was also plenty of food and wine inside the cave. Besides, they were paid very handsomely to guard this easy spot, so this had caused them to lower their guards. Naturally, there was a disadvantage with employing mercenaries as they all had their own self-interests at heart, producing a groupcking team spirit. As soon as something went wrong, the situation would get out of hand in no time. Richard nced at a drunk soldiering his way who then greeted him. He greeted back in the same hoarse voice before the soldier gave him some alcohol,ining that the new batch of alcohol was awful. Thanking him with a smile, Richard continued walking. His aim was not to get alcohol but rather to find the electrical sources. Finally, he stopped at a crossroads and stared at a door located there for a while before he walked over and knocked on it. Someone opened the door before Richard said to him, ¡°Fresh booze for delivery.¡± The man inside immediately went on alert mode. He was in charge of the personnels stationed here and was responsible for all the surveince equipment here. He was sure that he had never seen a guy with such facial features working here before. In just the split second that their gazes met, Richard made the first move by hitting the man on the head. Before the person could even react, he had entered the generator room and locked himself in from the inside. ¡°Who are you?¡± The man bellowed while reaching for his gun, but Richard was faster than him. In order to stop the man from pulling the trigger, Richard sent a few punches his way. Since the man was already weakened by the initial attack, the consecutives punches made him all dizzy, as the final attack was aimed at his carotid artery by the bottle that Richard broke. After the fight, Richard went to the generator and opened the screen door. Looking at the nest of wires inside, he slowly opened the kettle that he had and poured some water on them, causing electric sparks to ur everywhere. Then, the room descended into darkness. Unlocking the door, Richard was greeted by pitch ck darkness outside the room, as curses and sounds of people smashing things on the floor came from the hallway. Obviously, the soldiers were very upset about the sudden power outage. Richard smiled as he fired a few shots into the main hall. Screams of pain echoed around, all the soldiers in the dark took out their guns. In the darkness, the only sound that could be heard was the sound of the gunshot and the only thing that could be seen was all the gun sparks that ured each time someone pulled the trigger. The cave had be a ughterhouse as everybody inside had lost all sense of direction and logic to the darkness. The gun sparks kept appearing in the cave and all the screams of pain went on and on in the darkness. However, as time went by, there were lesser curses, questions and screamings of the soldiers could be heard. A sickeningly metallic scent of blood slowly wafted through the air which was so unpleasant that it could make those who inhaled it puke. Hiding behind a rock, Richard was silently observing the situation with a sharp and calm gaze. Soon, the remaining soldiers came to the realization that the people around them were actually their allies and immediately stopped the fire. Yet, there were only around ten to twenty of them that were still alive. So, they decided to regroup in the middle and form a circle, not knowing until now where the enemy was. A gunshot then shattered their unity again. Following the gunshot was the person, who tried to command the entire team earlier, falling down. Instantly, a sea of bullets flew everywhere again. The remaining survivors were soon reduced to five to six when bullets came flying from a spot in the dark, ending their lives with pinpoint uracy. Seeing this, the sole survivor put his arms behind his head and kneeled down in the pool of blood of his allies, surrendering. He then looked up and saw a dark silhouette getting close to him. He had never been so afraid in his life. It was then a sound came from the left side in the darkness, as the man did not even look before ending the surprise assant with a single shot. Squatting down in front of the soldier, Richard asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Man Pierce?¡± ¡°H-H-He¡¯s in the base behind us.¡± After ending the soldier¡¯s life, Richard looked like a man that came back from hell, as he walked out of the cave to be greeted by the sky with the dark clouds dispersed, shining a faint moonlight on his face. Right then, he looked extremely terrifying with his gaze full of bloodthirst. Seems like this was only the ce where Man trained his soldiers. So, he¡¯s actually hiding in the base behind. Bending over, Richard picked up a gun from the ground and reloaded it quickly before disappearing into the night. After half an hour, Captain Anderson and his men could not sit around any longer. Hence, he led the team to the ground right below the cliff. Seeing the two mercenariesying on the ground, they silently climbed up the cliff only to smell the thick scent of blood wafting through the air as they climbed up. They went into the cave to have a look only for them to exit with a pale face. They could not believe how Richard eliminated more than a hundred people in such a short amount of time. What a godlike existence. ¡°He¡¯s ahead of us again. See if he left any information behind.¡± ¡°We found the leader¡¯s tracks. He left a message saying that Man is in the base behind us and that Professor Te must be held captive there too.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s quickly reinforce him.¡± Captain Anderson waved his hand, and the team moved out. Meanwhile, Richard had found a vantage point to observe the base behind. From there, he saw that the brightly lit base was constructed mostly using shipping containers. He had received orders from Captain Anderson that he was forbidden from acting alone, as he needed to wait for them to strategize a n for the battle. After losing the support of their vanguard, their battle prowess was greatly reduced, yet the people here did not seem to know that their reinforcements had all perished. Finally, the team arrived with Captain Anderson tapping his shoulders. Even though they did not exchange verbally, the gaze from Captain Anderson told Richard that he was grateful for his actions. Because of him, they were one step closer to aplishing their n and the hope of victory increased. Drones which were as small as the size of a dragonfly were sent out and they were maneuvered silently into the base. ¡°There are around thirty soldiers.¡± ¡°We have to move fast. Man might find out that his vanguard has been eliminated. If that happens, he might get rid of the professor.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be the lead,¡± Richard stated. Pushing his shoulders down, Captain Anderson replied, ¡°Let my men go. You stay with me.¡± Richard could only ept the order, as he saw the soldiers going down into the base. Yet, just after ten minutes, a gunfight could be heard. ¡°Looks like it has begun. The best course of action now is to rush in.¡± Captain Anderson waved, motioning the team to move toward the base. Yet, Richard only looked at their backs, as he stayed in his spot, for he always liked aplishing his tasks in an unorthodox method, so he went another way. At that moment, all the soldiers¡¯ attention was focused on the front side with the back of the base being a weak point for infiltration. Reaching a container, Richard saw a couple of people in casual clothes walking out and they looked like the researchers. His sudden appearance had frightened them and caused them to raise their hands up in the air. ¡°Where¡¯s Professor Te?¡± Richard had a wolf-like gaze. The two researchers pointed at a container. ¡°T-There¡­¡± ¡°Scram if you want to keep your lives.¡± Richard let them keep their lives with the two of them running to the nearest car and driving away without looking back since they were also brought here against their will in the first ce. Closing in on the container Albert was in, he opened a window and looked in to see a hastily constructedb that was well lit with the professor being under surveince. It was then Richard noticed a man standing beside Albert. The man was in his fifties and had a head full of hair in the color of his age with a heavy bloodlust. It was Man, the person whom Richard wanted to kill the most. At that time, Albert was clumsily packing the documents with a gun being pointed at his waist, forcing to do as he was told. Richard wanted to end Man with a single shot right then, but he had to suppress his hatred if he wanted to keep the professor safe. In the end, the group of people packed up and left for the nearest helicopter. Feeling it was now or never, he decided to get rid of the soldier closest to Albert in a corner, making him turn back in shock, as Richard said, ¡°Professor Te, I¡¯m here to save you. Come with me.¡± Albert hid behind Richard immediately as Man, who was in front, turned around with a menacing re before aiming his gun at them. Another gunfight was approaching, and Man sensed that circumstances had worsened, so he had to flee first. However, he turned around in the midst and shouted fiercely, ¡°I will remember your face!¡± Richard left Albert in the care of his team behind him before sighting Man¡¯s helicopter slowly ascending and rushing to chase it down. ¡°Captain Lloyd,e back!¡± ¡°Stop chasing it, Captain Lloyd!¡± ¡°Are you out of your mind, Richard?¡± Despite their demands for him to stop, Richard jumped without hesitation. He gripped the helicopter¡¯s landing gear and went up into the air with it. ¡°Follow it quickly. We must save him.¡± Richard was not fearful even though he was in the helicopter. Man, on the other hand, was about to call someone when he discovered an unexpected guest onboard, and it was that young man. He grabbed his gun and fired it, shattering the door to the pilot¡¯s cockpit. On the other hand, Richard nced at the altitude and immediately shot the pilot. After the pilot¡¯s death, the helicopter immediately spiraled downward out of control in the air. Then, he pointed his gun at Man¡¯s head. ¡°Who are you?¡± Man murmured. ¡°The one who will take your life,¡± Richard said before firing the shot. He did not, however, aim for his head. Instead, Man was shot in the shoulder because he didn¡¯t want this man to die immediately. He wanted him to die as painfully as possible. Richard wanted Man to see himself dying while still conscious. After ncing at the icy ground below him, Richard leaped from over ten meters. The helicopter crashed into the cliffside, sparks soaring and causing a massive explosion. He tripped and fell into the snow. He realized he had fractured his leg afternding from such a great height when he felt excruciating pain in his leg. Richard suddenly heard a great rumbling as the explosion triggered an avnche. He closed his eyes as he turned to see the approaching white mist, and an image of Ang shed through his mind. He ignored the pain and crept to a nearby rock, crouched, and grabbed it tightly as the snow buried him. Captain Anderson and his men were escorting Albert to the car to rest before the avnche. Then they heard a bigmotion, and everyone instantly ran in search of a safe shelter to stay in. ¡°Captain Anderson, is there an earthquake?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s an avnche.¡± He concluded based on the sound before he said, ¡°Oh no, Richard hadnded close to the avnche.¡± His troops chased him as he ran recklessly toward the direction of the avnche. Then, they saw the valley had been buried by snow, leaving only a little ridge visible. ¡°Richard!¡± Captain Anderson shouted loudly. Anxious, he was unable to determine hisst known location. ¡°In our assessment, Richard should havended somewhere near there¡­¡± When one of the men pointed in the direction, all they saw was a snowy meadow, leaving them with heavy hearts. A person¡¯s chances of survival were minimal in an avnche. Even if they were still alive, they were buried beneath the snow. ¡°Grab the equipment. Get his location, quick! We must rescue Richard!¡± Captain Anderson yelled and instructed his men, ¡°Drop whatever you¡¯re doing and join with the rescue. He must still be alive. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s dead for a second. He¡¯s tougher than any of us.¡± The team grabbed the equipment and began looking for his location. ¡°Captain Anderson, I believe Richard is buried quite deep. Nothing is detected by the sensor. Captain Lloyd might be¡­¡± The team member could not continue his conversation since he was upset that the device was not getting any signals. ¡°Just continue. Carry the sensor with you as you go. Richard must be in this location.¡± Because Captain Anderson had told the vice-president that they would return in one piece, he was unwilling to give up even the slightest possibility of survival. The team members began to walk around the area while holding the sensor. Even though their fingers and toes were numb from the cold, they kept going. Captain Anderson had been shot in the shoulder during the gunfight. He felt depressed just now, partially kneeling on the ground, and wished he could at least catch a glimpse of Richard¡¯s body. However, due to theck of news, Captain Anderson would be unable to return Richard¡¯s body home. He punched the snow ground as tears welled up in his eyes. ¡°Richard Lloyd, you¡¯re a moron. Everyone thinks you¡¯re divine, yet you¡¯re still human in the end. How could you have died at such an early age?¡± Everyone fell silent when they saw their captain break down, knowing that Richard¡¯s chances of survival were close to none. Nobody could possibly survive an avnche. In fact, he leaped from a helicopter tens of meters above the ground. Even if a person was physically fit, their legs would surely hurt. ¡°Don¡¯t be like this, Captain Anderson. Captain Lloyd is our hero and we all respect him.¡± One of the team membersforted Captain Anderson. ¡°If we want to find him, we¡¯ll need an excavation. Otherwise¡­¡± Another team member became distraught for a little moment. Captain Anderson punched the ground again, obviously in deep sadness. Then, a team member yelled, ¡°There¡¯s a signal here! There¡¯s a signal!¡± They all raced over when they noticed a weak continuous signal from the sensor, indicating that it was Richard. Captain Anderson ordered, ¡°Dig fast!¡± Some team members went back and grabbed shovels; those who could move around dug based on the signal disyed in the sensor. Finally, they dug about half a meter before a hand emerged from the snow, which made everyone cheer. They continued searching until half of Richard¡¯s body was exposed. He looked like a warrior in the snow with an invincible spirit, breaking free from the terrible situation. ¡°You moron.¡± Captain Anderson jumped in the hole and hugged him. Using thest of his strength to pat him on the back, Richard replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Captain Anderson. I- I won¡¯t let your mission fail¡­¡± He fainted after saying those words. ¡°Captain Lloyd!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. He just fainted. Carry him quickly to the car and bring him back.¡± Captain Anderson looked at him being taken away, and remarked, ¡°You really are one tough young man.¡± They kept Richard warm in the car while administering first aid to him, and the entire team was discussing him. He had a vivid dream. It began when he drifted in and out of consciousness while buried in snow, and this dream was the only thing keeping him alive. In the dream, a woman smiled and kept calling out to him. ¡°Richard, you can do it! You muste back!¡± ¡°I¡¯m waiting for you, Richard! Don¡¯t you die on me!¡± ¡°Richard¡­¡± It was the sound of Ang¡¯s voice. She would constantly smile at him, and at one moment, she would cry and beg him toe to her. Her words gave him strength while he was buried deep beneath the snow. Little by little, he climbed. Even though he was on the brink of death, he forced himself to stay alive so that he could see her again. Whatever he promised her, he was going to keep it. Midway through the drive, Richard experienced a high fever and fell unconscious. When he was in such a state of delirium, everyone could hear him mumble, ¡°Ang!¡± Everyone can guess who Ang is. It must be the woman Richard loves! Did he only manage to crawl out from the snow because this person gave him the strength he needed? Meanwhile, at the vice-president¡¯s office, the man who had just hung up the phone heaved a massive sigh as if releasing some tension. He had just finished hearing about the most recent situation. The news was both startling and reassuring. They hadpleted the mission and were on their way back. Ren phoned Scarlet to deliver the news. He would not mention the unpleasant process; only a safe return result will be reported. ¡°Really? Richardpleted his mission and victoriously returned?¡± She shed joyful tears. ¡°Yes. Richard finally got his wish.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. Richard has finally avenged his father. I believe his heart can now be at peace. He is not hurt, is he?¡± ¡°Mostly superficial injuries. There isn¡¯t much other than a fracture in his leg.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t even know how bad his injury is!¡± Scarlet still felt pain in her heart since she couldn¡¯t bear the thought of her son being injured. ¡°It is nothing. He¡¯ll get treated when he returns.¡± ¡°Ren, try to transfer him back! After all, he and Ang will soon be married. I don¡¯t want him to follow in his father¡¯s footsteps by constantly traveling the world.¡± ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll work to get him transferred back within this year.¡± Scarlet cheerfully replied, ¡°That will be great. If that happens, I¡¯ll be there to keep himpany. We¡¯ve grown apart since he hasn¡¯t been staying with me all these years.¡± She then questioned, ¡°Is the Trantion Department also hiring?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not too sure. Why?¡± ¡°Ruka will be returning soon. So, I wanted to find out whether they were hiring. If they are, she can give it a shot because she specializes in trantion.¡± ¡°Ruka has returned?¡± Ren asked, his voice solemn. ¡°Yes. She¡¯ll be back by next week.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll ask around,¡± he calmly stated. After the call ended, he contacted the Trantion Department. ¡°Are you nning to hire?¡± ¡°May I know who is asking?¡± ¡°Ren Husson,¡± he spoke in an authoritative voice. The person whom he spoke with was so shocked that he stuttered, ¡°Oh, i-it¡¯s the vice-president, sir. Yes, we have justpleted the recruitment of six interns.¡± ¡°Add one more. Name, Ruka Singed.¡± ¡°Of course, of course. We¡¯ll add her immediately.¡± Ren responded and then ended the call. He pondered for a bit before smirking. I have not seen this spoiled brat in years. Scarlet¡¯s next call, though, was to Ang, who was in the midst of a departmental meeting. Daphne, hoping for her daughter to have experience in every department, assigned her to the project department so that she could develop her skills in all areas. Since Ang became the department head upon her arrival, it was rather stressful for her. Yet, at that moment, she had forgotten entirely about her subordinates, as only Scarlet¡¯s voice remained in her mind. ¡°Ang, Richard has sessfullypleted his mission and is on his way home.¡± Ang fell into tears at hearing this news and cried, ¡°That¡¯s wonderful, Ms. Husson!¡± ¡°Please wait calmly for his return, as you two will be reunited soon.¡± She felt utterly relieved. ¡°Sure, Ms. Husson. When the timees, may I apany you in picking him up?¡± ¡°Of course. When he arrives, I will definitely bring you along.¡± Scarlet knew that Richard was no longer attached to her but to Ang. Ang had been tormented by insomnia for the past half month, as the mental tension she was experiencing prevented her from falling asleep without medication. Her mother was worried that she was about to have a nervous breakdown. At that moment, this joyful news relieved all of her concerns. She was previously in pain regrly. Finally, the good news she had been expecting arrived today.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Chapter 1001-1010 Chapter 1001-1010 Ang¡¯s subordinates were puzzled by her outbursts of emotion. Then, when she realized she was in the middle of a meeting, she took a tissue from her assistant to wipe away her tears and said, ¡°The meeting is over for today. Today¡¯s lunch will be on me, so let¡¯s eat together.¡± ¡°Wow!¡± Everyone apuded enthusiastically; ever since she took over this project department, they had been receiving numerous benefits and working in a much more rxed atmosphere. Meanwhile, at Daphne¡¯s office, a man in his early forties was sitting across from her. He sported an expensive watch, wore clothing from a well-known brand, and was impably dressed. It was Andy Graham, the previous general manager of the project department, who she had just terminated from his position. ¡°President Meyers, I know that Miss Meyers is your daughter. But, aren¡¯t you worried that your company might be ruined for allowing her to manage such an important department?¡± Andy asked with a defiant expression. ¡°Andy, no matter what, she is my daughter. I believe I have a better understanding of my daughter¡¯s potential than you do. After all, aren¡¯t you constantly looking for a new job? I¡¯m just helping you along,¡± Daphne responded calmly. ¡°President Meyers, over the course of all these years, I¡¯ve assisted you with a great number of important projects; do you really think it¡¯s appropriate for you to kick away thedder now?¡± His eyes had a hint of threat in them, and he continued, ¡°People who act like this often find themselves in trouble.¡± ¡°Andy Graham, are you threatening me right now? Since you im that I am kicking away thedder, then perhaps we should discuss the various sneaky tricks that you have been pulling behind my back for such a long time. With all of the kickbacks you¡¯ve been receiving, I believe you should be able to afford a brand-new house. What else are you not satisfied with?¡± Andy¡¯s face flushed with rage, and he red at her. ¡°President Meyers, you were lucky enough to walk away from that car ident without any serious injuries. Next time, be extra cautious and aware of your surroundings on the road.¡± ¡°Andy Graham! What do you mean by that?¡± Daphne bellowed. He sneered. ¡°I just wanted you to be cautious when driving.¡± Afterward, he mmed the door and left. Andy had be more daring over thest few years. Furthermore, he had been terminated from his job, so he carried a deep resentment that gave him an inherently vicious personality. However, as he approached the elevator, his eyes lit up as he saw Ang emerge. Ang is stunningly beautiful. In fact, she was so beautiful that evil thoughts upied his mind, prompting him to reach out and touch her. Immediately, her assistant appeared before him. ¡°Mr. Graham, what are you doing? We are currently in thepany.¡± Ang¡¯s face was ice-cold and brimming with rage because her mom had told her about Andy. He had been secretly pocketing kickbacks from thepany over the past few years without her mom¡¯s knowledge. Even though her mom terminated him, he frequently came to the office to vent his frustration. Now, he even intended to take advantage of her. ¡°Andy Graham, you are not wee here; do not return in the future.¡± ¡°Ang, do you think you¡¯re capable of taking over my position, you silly little girl?¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t Miss Meyers be able to do it? She will eventually inherit thepany,¡± her assistant retorted. ¡°My family¡¯spany is no longer your concern,¡± Ang replied coldly. ¡°You are stunningly beautiful, Miss Meyers. You are bing more and more appealing to me.¡± Following that statement, Andy gave a repulsive lick to his lips. ¡°I¡¯ll call security if you don¡¯t leave right away,¡± her assistant warned him. Andy eventually left after a while. While in the elevator, he kept his gaze fixed on Ang¡¯s slender figure as she walked away and smiled maliciously. He was furious that Daphne had fired him. He couldn¡¯t persuade her to reverse her decision even after swallowing his pride to beg her. Now, he directed all of his hatred toward Ang. After Daphne¡¯s beautiful daughter is gone, let¡¯s see who is left to inherit thepany. Ang went to her mother¡¯s office to inform her that Richard had safely returned. It appeared that Ang had be more emotionally stable. Daphne was happy for her as well. ¡°Now you can finally get a good night¡¯s sleep.¡± She simply nodded. ¡°I cannot wait to see him.¡± ¡°Be patient! Sooner orter, he will return,¡± Daphne told Ang. Meanwhile, Captain Anderson and his men escorted Albert home on a private jet bound for a nonstop international flight. Richard, seated on the couch and staring out the windows at the clouds, couldn¡¯t hide his homesickness. His leg was in a cast, and it wasn¡¯t severely broken, but he still needed to recuperate for some time. ¡°Who is Miss Meyers, Richard?¡± Captain Anderson sat opposite him and asked inquisitively. He responded naturally and with a smile, ¡°My wife.¡± ¡°You¡¯re married? Why wasn¡¯t I notified of this?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be getting married when I return this time.¡± ¡°You were extremely bold this time. Why did you defy my orders and go after Man?¡± ¡°Because of what he said.¡± Richard clenched his fists. ¡°What did he say?¡± ¡°Finally, he said that he would remember me. Initially, I was hesitant to take the risk as well. But his wordspelled me to act. Otherwise, the safety of those I hold dear will be in danger,¡± Richard said with his teeth clenched. Captain Anderson sighed and remarked, ¡°It¡¯s no surprise that you¡¯d put everything on the line to pursue him. Man is also a ruthless person who will go to any length for vengeance. If I were in your shoes, I think I would have done the same thing.¡± Yes, Richard realized he needed to make it back to safety right then. However, he waspelled to take this life-threatening risk out of concern for protecting his loved ones. Ang was wide awake and energized even though it was nearly midnight. An hour before Richard¡¯s flightnded, a car arrived to take her to Scarlet¡¯s house. The two had agreed to go pick him up together at the airport. Two SUVs were waiting for them when they arrived at Scarlet¡¯s house. Ang and Scarlet were in one car as it moved through the dark night toward the military base airport. It was fifteen minutes before thending when Captain Anderson told Richard, ¡°I¡¯ve already contacted the base to get a wheelchair for you.¡± Knowing that Ang would be waiting to wee him, Richard¡¯s dashing brow furrowed, and he asked, ¡°Can you find a crutch for me instead?¡± ¡°Are there any differences between crutches and a wheelchair? Crutches will cause you more pain.¡± Captain Anderson was at a loss for words. ¡°Yes, there is. People may assume that both of my legs are severely injured if I am in a wheelchair. At least with crutches, I can prove that one of my legs is still fine,¡± Richard joked. ¡°You truly are impossible to please.¡± Captain Anderson snorted lightly and got up to get him crutches. Ang was restless in the airport lounge, as she paced up up and down. I¡¯ve been told that he fractured his leg. How bad is it? She was desperate to see him. After ten minutes, there was amotion at the arrival hall. Scarlet and her husband, Walter, were still seated when she abruptly rose to her feet. Walter reassured her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Richard will be arriving shortly.¡± ¡°He¡¯s hurt, and I have no idea how bad it is.¡± She was still apprehensive about her son. Finally, a group of team members arrived in high spirits with a gray-bearded Albert and were greeted by another team. After they had gone, a new team came in, and Ang¡¯s beautiful eyes kept staring at them. At the same time, she waited with bated breath, only to see Richard appear with crutches. Even though he moved slowly, the rest of the team followed closely behind him and kept pace with his footstep. The next instant, Ang dashed toward him and gave him a bear hug as he continued down the hall. He reached out and wrapped his arms around her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m all right.¡± ¡°How bad is your leg injury?¡± she asked hurriedly. ¡°You must be Miss Meyers! Richard¡¯s injuries aren¡¯t too serious. He just needs some time to get well,¡± Captain Anderson said. ¡°How do you know my name?¡± she asked, surprised. ¡°Miss Meyers, our whole team knows your name. After all, you were the reason Captain Lloyd¡ª¡± One of the forthright members was on the verge of spilling the beans. Captain Anderson cut him off with a slight cough. ¡°Because Richard informed us that you are his soon- to-be wife. That¡¯s how we learned about you.¡± Ang¡¯s lovely face flushed. Does he have to tell everyone about our rtionship? She took a step back and grabbed Richard¡¯s arm. ¡°I will invite you all to our wedding.¡± ¡°It will be our honor. If we can make it, we¡¯ll definitely go.¡± Captain Anderson smiled cheerfully before departing with his men. Even though the superficial injuries near Richard¡¯s brow ridge had scabbed, she felt pain on the inside. He looked at her as a flood of emotions welled up within him. He would not have survived the avnche this time if it hadn¡¯t been for the courage and confidence she gave him. So, he loved her and was grateful to her, and his gaze couldn¡¯t help but wander from her face to her lower abdomen. Ang blinked and then said timidly, ¡°I¡¯ve already taken a test, and I¡¯m not pregnant!¡± Astonished, Richard murmured with a series of smiles, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to be pregnant either.¡± ¡°Why?¡± She discovered she was not pregnant after multiple tests, which made her sad and relieved. ¡°Because I still want to spend more time with just the two of us. I am not prepared to be a dad just yet.¡± Richard realized they had spent too little time together and wished they had more alone time. He wanted to prepare a home where they could live after marrying and having a baby. Ang¡¯s face flushed once more at this. Still, she shared his view that they should wait until they had established themselves as a married couple before thinking about the future. ¡°Hello, Mom and Uncle Walter.¡± He greeted his mom and stepfather. ¡°It sounds like you need to get that leg checked out at the hospital. Stop dithering!¡± Scarlet was worried about him. ¡°I will schedule a check-up for tomorrow. It¡¯s nothing serious,¡± Richard reassured her. ¡°Go home and get some rest! Ang, how about spending the night with us?¡± Scarlet asked Ang. Feeling awkward, she nodded slightly and replied, ¡°Okay.¡± She not only had a lot to say to him but also wanted to take care of him because he was hurt. Richard got into the car with her assistance before they returned to the Husson Residence. He and Ang did not speak to one another in the car because the driver was present, but they held each other¡¯s hands very tightly the entire time. She leaned back against his shoulders, and their cheeks were lightly touching as they took pleasure in the peaceful sensation of clinging to one another. Richard had a room for himself upon his arrival at the Husson Residence. Scarlet kept it clean and filled it with sentimental items from his childhood, although he rarely spent time there. Tonight, he stayed in, which made Walter very happy. Despite having no children, he wanted to treat him as if he were his own son. Since the servants hadn¡¯t fallen asleep, they sent a scrumptious midnight snack to the third-floor living room. Scarlet was concerned that they were all hungry, so she ensured they had something to eat before turning in for the night. This time, Richard had suffered severe injuries on the mission and needed time to heal. While Ang was eating a midnight snack with him, she attentively stared at this man under the lights, and as she did so, she felt her love for him overflow. If there is such a thing as too much love for the people you care about, it will be reserved for those few whom you love with an intensity that seems insatiable. She admired each and every one of his traits and characteristics. This included his appearance, which all matched her preferences. It was after she had met him that she underwent such a profound transformation. In the past, she was just a spoiled and short-tempered youngdy. She only changed after she met him. And at this point in her life, she is morefortable being herself; she respects and loves herself and is working on learning to cherish others. ¡°Are you full just by looking at me?¡± When Richard looked up at her, he saw Ang leaning her chin on her hand as if he could read her mind. Her lips curled into a grin as she eximed, ¡°I¡¯m not only full but there¡¯s also something aesthetically pleasing.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve made you worried.¡± He apologized, remarking that he had observed that she appeared to have lost weight, which he knew must have been the result of her concern for him. ¡°I was worried about you. While you were away, I was at a loss as to how I should spend each day. Thank God you returned sooner than I expected,¡± she eximed cheerfully. Back then, Richard kept rejecting the notion of being assigned a position back in his country. Now that he had found someone he wanted to spend his life with, the wanderer had finally found a reason to stay. ¡°I promise to be by your side as best as I can,¡± Richard assured her. Ang, who knew him well, shook her head. ¡°You don¡¯t need to change anything for me; just be yourself. I like you because of your bravery, responsibility, and your patriotic spirit to protect the country. It¡¯s just that I hope you don¡¯t hide anything from me.¡± Relieved, he felt very fortunate to have such an understanding wife. After supper, the two went back to the room as Ang looked at the huge bed before looking at the man. ¡°Are you allowed to bathe?¡± He looked at the cast on his leg. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can, but I can wipe myself down.¡± ¡°Do you need help?¡± She lowered her head and asked shyly. ¡°If you want to help, I think I might need it.¡± The man looked at her passionately. ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll help you.¡± Ang was all but too willing, for he was about to be her husband. What is there to be embarrassed about? Yet, it was only after she helped him wipe his upper body that she got chased out by the man, who said that she was not allowed to do the lower part. When Richard came out again, he had a ck sleeping robe on. Even though his leg prevented him from walking normally, his strong body could still make one¡¯s heart skip a beat as he sat on the couch. ¡°I¡¯m going to shower now.¡± Ang shyly went into the bathroom. When she came out, she was donning a white nightgown that her mother gave her while her hair was flowing freely, which gave her a sultry look. She had searched up the Inte on various topics inside the bathroom like, ¡®Would leg injuries prevent sexual activities?¡¯ In the end, she found that the doctors rmended not to do it as a second fracture might ur. Looking at the man seated on the couch, she noticed that it was already 3.00AM, yet she was still very much awake with no hint of exhaustion. Full of vigor and spirit, she said to the man, ¡°Let¡¯s sleep!¡± Richard looked at her with a hot gaze before he walked to the bed and reached out to her. ¡°Come here,¡± he uttered with a hoarse voice. Obediently approaching him, Ang fell into his embrace as he breathed somewhat roughly while lifting her chin out, trying to connect her lips with his. She quickly buried her face in his chest and warned him, ¡°Richard, don¡¯t even think about it. The experts online said that you should not do anything reckless with your injury. Your wounds matter.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this won¡¯t affect our time together,¡± the man replied confidently. As she was not about to let him have his way, Ang held back from intimate moments to ensure that his wound would recover. ¡°Nope. Before your injury gets better, let¡¯s just sleep.¡± She then lifted his leg with the cast on the bed and had him lie down before she went to the other side of the bed to switch off the lights in preparation for sleep. In the dark, the man pulled her into his embrace and was upset as he said, ¡°I¡¯m going to have the cast removed tomorrow.¡± ¡°No, you won¡¯t. Don¡¯t be so stubborn,¡± she lectured him. ¡°The experts online are unreliable anyway,¡± Richard retorted. ¡°No means no.¡± Ang rejected him outright and pried his arms open. ¡°Ang¡­ Your husband is finding it very hard to resist,¡± Richard begged her. As expected, when the mood came, a man would often lose control. With such a beautiful woman in my arms, am I still a man if I could resist this? At that moment, he wanted to beat up the so-called expert who ruined everything. Insistent, Ang did not want him to sustain further injuries as she wanted to leave everything until his leg recovered. After trying many times but to no avail, Richard could only go to sleep. He was actually quite fatigued, for he haD not been eating or sleeping well these days. Lying beside his wife-to-be, he found himself completely rxing with drowsiness taking over him. Ang also fell asleep as the two woke up in each other¡¯s embrace the next day afternoon, where she apanied Richard to the hospital for the check up. The doctors told him that the fracture still needed to be set by the cast for a few more days and that he should not walk around. Two years ago, Daphne had already prepared an apartment for Ang as a betrothal gift. It was a penthouse in the best area of the city. However, she did not move in as she was single all those while. Now, Ang had her servants clean the ce up because she wanted to move in. Although Richard was by no means poor, his job required him to be abroad most of the time, so he did not have a permanent settlement in the country. Hence, when Ang suggested for them to move into her house, the man had a very expressive and somewhat awkward expression. ¡°Don¡¯t think the wrong way. That is our house. In the end, no matter whose house it is, it¡¯ll work out so long as we¡¯re together,¡± said Ang. ¡°I will find a house suitable to live in after our marriage.¡± It was about time for Richard to think about his future ns. This made her smile. ¡°Take your time. We¡¯re not in a rush.¡± That night, Ang and Richard moved into the apartment. Since both sides¡¯ parents had agreed to the marriage, naturally, they would not interfere in their personal affairs. Instead, they only hoped that they would get along well. In theing few days, Richard would be recuperating here with Ang taking care of him until his cast came off. This was also a rare break in his life, for he had not been so rxed in a long time. It was the day where Richard was scheduled to take the cast off three days after. In a very good mood, he was looking at Ang like a wolf awaiting his dinner. Amused by this, she thought that the man must have been thinking about the same thing these past few days, which was how he would ¡®devour¡¯ her. I think he even has the positions set. For the past couple of days, Richard stuck to Ang like a gum, making her realize that once a man became childish, they could act like they were a three year old. Even if the man in question is the legend amongst soldiers, Richard Lloyd. After removing the cast, Richard felt his leg regaining its mobility as it was almost the same before the fracture. Still, the doctor advised him to walk less and not do any extreme sports. Yet, the advice fell on deaf ears. In the afternoon, they went to a nearby restaurant before the man urged that he wanted to go home after the meal, stating that he was tired. How could Ang not know what was on his mind? But, she still went along with his wishes and drove them back home. Inside the elevator, she could feel the man radiating his pheromones, making her fear that she might be eaten whole. As expected, she was blocked against the wall by the man the moment they entered the apartment. Feeling her heartbeat rise, Ang looked up to see the man not kiss her, for he only looked at her gently with a loving gaze. At such a close distance, she really could not withstand the tension. His sultry expression made her feel that she might sink deeper if she took one more look. In actuality, Ang had been resisting her urge as well for the past few days. If not for his injuries, she would not hold herself back either. Yet, just before the man kissed her, she stopped him. ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± The man was upset at being interrupted yet again. ¡°To the room.¡± She could not ept doing it in the living room. Even though Richard could not hold on any longer, he still chose to go to the master bedroom out of respect for his significant other. With the apaniment of their assistant, Scarlet and her husband were waiting at the arrival terminal in Averna International Airport. Watching the people pour out from the airport, they finally found a woman with long hair in a ck coat paired with jeans walking out with a suitcase. However, the simple outfit could not hide her youthful aura as the surrounding crowd¡¯s gazes were drawn to her. With fair skin and bright eyes paired with her luscious lips, nobody could divert their eyes away from her. ¡°Aunt Scarlet! Uncle Walter!¡± The woman immediately waved at them happily. ¡°Ruka.¡± Scarlet became teary-eyed. She had been by her side since Ruka was three years old as she raised her until she was sixteen, so she had treated her like her own daughter. Walter also showed a gentle smile. This was the daughter of his closest friend, but due to work, they had to be abroad for long periods of time. Besides that, the country in question was a dangerous one, so they had to let Scarlet take care of Ruka for sixteen years. Scarlet walked quickly and hugged Ruka before stating, ¡°You¡¯re even taller than me now.¡± Hugging her, Ruka responded, ¡°I missed you guys so much!¡± ¡°Us too. Looks like you get to live with us again this time.¡± ¡°Yup! I¡¯m going to apany you two and be a filial daughter.¡± Ruka truly loved them. ¡°Looks like we don¡¯t have to worry about our lives in the future.¡± Scarlet smiled at her husband. ¡°You said it well.¡± Walter smiled happily. The assistant carried the luggage to the car outside while Ruka and Scarlet were chatting. Even though she was already twenty-three years old, she still acted like a child when facing Scarlet. ¡°Ruka, I¡¯ve contacted the trantion department for you and they¡¯ve given you a position as an intern. Take a break for now. You can have a look at it a few dayster. You should grab hold of this chance to work at the department.¡± ¡°Really? Thank you, Aunt Scarlet. I will not let you down.¡± Ruka was very d to have obtained the chance as well since she wanted to be like her parents and be a person that served the country. ¡°Oh right, haven¡¯t you always wanted to see Richard? He¡¯s here too.¡± ¡°Right. Richard has always been someone that I looked up to. Although I haven¡¯t officially met him, he¡¯s like a brother in my heart.¡± Ruka nodded. ¡°He¡¯s about to get married, so you¡¯ll have a sister-inw soon.¡± Smiling, Ruka replied, ¡°My sister-inw must be a gentle beauty, then.¡± Scarlet nodded and said proudly, ¡°You¡¯re very right on that point.¡± ¡°Being so exceptional, Richard must have met someone just as capable as he is.¡± Even though Ruka did not grow up by her parents¡¯ side, she still received all the love she needed. This meant that her actions were all genuine and kind. Returning to the Husson Residence, Ruka began unpacking before heading downstairs to give Scarlet and Walter presents. ¡°Aunt Scarlet and Uncle Walter, these are some presents for the both of you. I hope that you¡¯ll like them.¡± ¡°Oh, we¡¯ll love anything that you give us.¡± Scarlet epted them happily when a servant came to inform her upon receiving a call, ¡°Madam, the vice-president mentioned that he wanted to dine here tonight.¡± ¡°Really? Prepare a few more dishes, then.¡± Scarlet had not seen her brother for quite some time now. Ruka blinked. ¡°Is Mr. Rening?¡± When she went abroad, he had yet to ascend to the position of vice president. Now, he was one of the most influential people in the country. Scarlet smiled and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Ren ising over. You two have some catching up to do.¡± Ruka did feel a bit estranged, yet the memories about Ren were deeply ingrained in her. She remembered that her position fell by twenty in the mid-term exams when she was fifteen. When she saw the results, she cried sadly while soaking in the rain on her way home. While walking, she was knocked over by a man on a bike, which made her bawl even louder. It was then she bumped into Ren, who got down the car and took her home. On the way back, he scolded her harshly, making her sob ever sadder. What an embarrassing shback. Since then, she had been actively avoiding Ren, for she had feared how stern he was. ¡°H-He¡¯s the vice-president now?¡± Ruka was in disbelief as to how he got the position at such a young age. Smiling, Scarlet asked, ¡°Why? Are you afraid of him?¡± Indeed, she was a bit afraid of him. Now that he¡¯s the vice-president, doesn¡¯t that mean that he would only be more imposing? But, even if I¡¯m scared of him, I can¡¯t just say it out loud. Though they were not rted by blood and he was technically not her uncle, she still treated and respected him as one. Scarlet, who noticed Ruka spacing out,forted her, ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so scared of him. After all, it¡¯s not as if he¡¯ll devour you. You just have to catch up with him during dinner. If you build a proper rapport, he can even look after you when you work in the trantion department.¡± Ruka nodded shyly, thinking that she might have unknowingly used nepotism to get the job. ¡°Rest up now! I¡¯ll call you when it¡¯s time for dinner,¡± said Scarlet. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go take a nap then.¡± Ruka went back to her room. The long flight back home had left her so fatigued that she slept all the way till evening. It was that time when a ck sedan slowly drove to the courtyard of the Husson Residence. As the bodyguard opened the door, a tall figure emerged from the car, emanating a very dominating aura. The butler, who was trimming the tree, wanted to quickly climb down thedder to greet him when the ladder tilted to one side due to his hastiness, which caused it to fall toward Ren. Fortunately, Ren¡¯s bodyguard stabilized thedder in time before angrily stating, ¡°You nearly hit the vice-president.¡± ¡°I do apologize, sir. I only wanted toe down and greet you.¡± The butler was shocked as he merely wanted to pay his respect. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just be careful.¡± The man had a calm voice with no signs of anger. This only made the butler even guiltier. The vice-president¡¯s temper reallymands one¡¯s respect. Meanwhile, Scarlet was cleaning the vegetables with the servants in the kitchen, as she wanted to cook Ruka¡¯s favorite dish tonight. With her absolute favorite being the barbeque pork ribs, Scarlet made sure to personally cook for her with lots of love. In the living room, Ren was sitting on the couch when he looked in the direction of the staircase and asked, ¡°I heard that Miss Singed is back, right?¡± The servant informed him, ¡°Yes, Young Mistress Ruka is still resting upstairs. She is very tired from the flight back.¡± In this household, Ruka was addressed as the young mistress. ¡°Oh!¡± Ren loosened his tie, his handsome face looking unbothered. ¡°Have some tea, Mr. Husson. Old Master Lloyd has gone out, but I believe he¡¯ll be back soon. Madam Falkner is in the kitchen cooking for the young mistress.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± He nodded and sipped on the tea. Sitting on the couch, he decided to stand up and walk around after ten minutes or so since he had been sitting all day in his office. Remembering that there was a study on the second floor and that his brother-inw had a lot of books there, he wanted to do some reading to kill time. Meanwhile in the master bedroom on the second floor, Ruka was already awake. She had just unpacked the books she brought home this time and was thinking of putting them in the study as she knew that Walter liked to read. That was why half of her suitcase was allocated for just the books. In one go, she carried all the books from her room before getting startled by a silhouette upon exiting. ¡°Ah!¡± The books in her hand all fell with a hugemotion. Stunned, the first thing Ren saw was a stunning, youthfuldy. ¡°Long time no see, child.¡± He smirked and bent down to pick up the books. ¡°Oh my, Mr. Ren, let me do it!¡± Ruka quickly crouched down, wanting to get ahead of him when she saw him picking up the books. However, instead of grabbing the book, she grabbed the man¡¯s slender yetrge pair of hands. Realizing what she had done, she quickly withdrew her touch and picked a few books as the man did the same before rising to his feet. ¡°Did you buy these recently?¡± Ren looked at the books and asked her. ¡°Yup. I brought them from abroad. You can hand them over to me, Mr. Ren. I¡¯m going to put them in the study.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help you,¡± the man uttered in a low tone before walking to the direction of the study. Entering the room, they saw that the lower racks of the bookshelves were packedpletely full, so they could only arrange them on top. Setting the books on the table, Ruka took a smalldder out of a dark corner and propped it against the bookshelf before taking two books with her up thedder. ¡°Be careful,¡± he reminded her from behind. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I do this all the time!¡± She smiled. Since she was an avid reader, she was used to climbing updders against bookshelves. Yet, she did not expect that in the harsh winter, a mouse would be hiding inside the warm shelf. Just as she slotted the book in, the little mouse was startled by this movement. Squeak, squeak! The mouse instantly crawled out from the little corner and jumped toward Ruka¡¯s face. ¡°Aaahhhh!¡± Frightened, she waved her arms, causing her to fall backward. In the meantime, Ren was already prepared to catch her. The moment she fell, her back collided with the man as he quickly caught her waist. The flustered Ruka was still trembling as she pointed toward the bookshelf. ¡°T-There¡¯s a mouse.¡± Slowly letting go of her, he patted her back. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± The man¡¯s low tone somehow calmed the woman down as she turned around involuntarily. Due to the dim moonlight refracted into the room, she could not see his features properly, but she could sense the glimmer in his eyes. ¡°I have to chase it away. What if it ruins the books?¡± Even though Ruka was petrified earlier, she found her courage back as she was looking around for something. Suddenly, she let out a smile. ¡°I¡¯m going to borrow a cat and chase the mouse away tomorrow!¡± Ren did not know if he was infected by her smile, but he started smiling as well as he stared at her face. The dimples on his face made their appearance, rendering him too adorable to not look at. Ruka just so happened to look at him and was instantly attracted. Although she had seen a lot of people with dimples over the years, he had the most attractive pairs out of them all! Smiling, she tilted her head and teased, ¡°Mr. Ren, when are you going to introduce my aunt to me?¡± He could not help snorting this. ¡°You sure are a busybody.¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m worried about your marriage. I¡¯m wondering which girl would be so lucky as to get married to the youngest and most handsome vice-president of our country!¡± Ruka beamed widely before taking the books and climbing thedder again. Yet, he stepped ahead and snatched the books away. ¡°Let me do it!¡± ¡°Be careful then.¡± She held thedder for him as Ren easily put the books up. Momentster, he held onto a book and asked her, ¡°Would you lend me this?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± She was a bit ted since it was an honor for the vice-president to read the book she picked out! It was then her phone rang. Fishing it out from her pocket, she saw that it was from her close friend, Michael Yves. ¡°Hey, Mike!¡± she answered happily. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call after you arrived? Didn¡¯t you say that you were going to send me a message?¡± ¡°Uhm, I forgot about that. I¡¯m sorry. I was too excited to be back. Then, I slept and forgot all about it. Please forgive me, Mikey!¡± Ruka, who was chatting along, did not notice Ren¡¯s gaze on her as he seemed to be lost in thought. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Since I¡¯ming back tomorrow, you just have to treat me to a feast.¡± ¡°Alright, when youe back, I¡¯ll treat you to a feast.¡± Ruka smiled, showing a very gentle face as her eyes glimmered and her pearly-white teeth showed. Ren just so happened to catch a glimpse of this and felt a certain wave of emotions for a second there. Noticing a gaze on her, she turned around. With lightning speed, the man diverted his gaze and looked at the book in his hands. Seeing that he was reading, she went out of the room to chat, not wanting to bother him. After around six minutes, she came back in to find the man sitting on the couch while still reading the book. In a white shirt paired with ck vest and pants, the man flicked through the pages with his slender long fingers while lowering his eyes. At that sight, her heart could not help but skip a beat. So, this is what ss, elegance, and dignity look like. These words were perfect to describe her uncle! Since they were not about to have dinner right away, Ruka decided to sit down and read too. At first, she thought that she could read rxingly like she was in a library, but she soon found out that it was impossible. Sitting beside Ren, she could feel a very oppressing aura surrounding the whole study. It¡¯s so difficult to read with him staying here. ¡°Uhm, Mr. Ren, I¡¯ll be going downstairs now.¡± She left knowingly. Watching her exit the room, the man could finally breathe easy as he closed the book shut. In actuality, he was not reading the book either; he was merely acting. Although he could deal with all sorts of people, he found himself unable to get along with a young girl. Who could believe him if he said this? Arriving downstairs, Ruka went straight to the kitchen to help out, causing the servants to be taskless instead. Scarlet, who was cooking, chatted with her god-daughter lovingly. In an outsider¡¯s eyes, they seemed just like mother and daughter. A short while after, Ren came down to theughter of Ruka. Subsequently, he switched to the news channel while a servant served a new cup of tea, not daring to stay in the living room in fear of disturbing him. Soon, Ruka started to serve the dishes before she delivered a smile to the man sitting on the couch. Heading back to the kitchen, she asked, ¡°Aunt Scarlet, does Mr. Ren have a girlfriend?¡± This made Scarlet grumble. ¡°No, he hasn¡¯t! We are all concerned about his marital affairs, yet he keeps saying that he¡¯s too busy to care about that.¡± Rukaughed upon hearing this. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s even thinking about this.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got no choice as well. With a man as capable as he is, his standards are naturally sky high.¡± Scarlet was feeling helpless, for she and Ren¡¯s age difference was too big, creating a generation gap between them. Ruka agreed with Scarlet as no ordinary woman would dare to woo a young man who wielded such power! Besides, Ren was too domineering, so who would even dare to strike up a conversation with him? I know first-hand how that felt. The pressure he emitted when they were ¡®reading¡¯ earlier was enough for her to want to escape. Hence, if he did not take the first step, what woman would dare to woo him? Atst, Walter had returned when thest dish was served, making it the perfect time to start dinner. ¡°It¡¯s time to eat, Mr. Ren!¡± Ruka became the moodsetter of the house. Switching the television off, Ren stood up and went to the dining table while Walter approached him with a bottle of good wine. ¡°This is from my treasured collection. Let¡¯s have a drink.¡± Yet, Ren only waved. ¡°Perhaps we¡¯ll do it next time, Walter. I still have work to do when I get back.¡± In the end, Walter could only enjoy the wine by himself. Not only was he not angered, he did not pressure him further either. After all, he reserved respect for Ren as who he was. ¡°Ruka, try this. This is the barbeque pork ribs you adore so much. Since I haven¡¯t cooked for a while, I might have gotten rusty. Let me know if it¡¯s good.¡± Picking up one of the ribs, Ruka tasted it while Ren was sitting opposite her. As she took a bite, her eyes glowed upon indulging the scrumptious vors. ¡°It¡¯s still as delicious as I remembered! You really do know the way to my heart, Aunt Scarlet.¡± ¡°You sure know how to talk.¡± Scarlet was overjoyed inside before cing food on her little brother¡¯s te. ¡°Eat up. You should eat on time since you¡¯re so busy all the time.¡± Ren tried some too. It really is quite delicious. ¡°Isn¡¯t your birthday in a few days, Ruka? We¡¯ll have to prepare a proper banquet,¡± suggested Walter. ¡°Uncle Walter, let¡¯s just spend it in a simple fashion. Let¡¯s just have a meal as a family.¡± Ruka did not want them to spend too much. ¡°Have you spent your twenty-third birthday?¡± asked Ren. ¡°Yup. I¡¯m going to be twenty-four this year.¡± Ruka was happy to have grown a year older. ¡°Oh, yeah. Are you seeing anyone now, Ruka?¡± Scarlet popped a sudden question. Ruka outright blushed as she bit on her fork. ¡°I don¡¯t! But, I have someone I like.¡± Her words made Ren look straight at her, his visage turned solemn. ¡°Really? How old is he? Where¡¯s he from?¡± Scarlet¡¯s interest was piqued. ¡°From the same town. He¡¯s my senior and he¡¯ll be returning from abroad tomorrow,¡± Ruka stated everything honestly. ¡°How is he, personality and family wise?¡± Scarlet was like a mother that could only rx after knowing everything about the person. ¡°Yup. He¡¯s a nice guy and he treats me well. I¡¯m not too sure about his family though. I haven¡¯t asked him about that,¡± Ruka replied. Walter, who was happy to hear this, looked like a father that was looking forward to the day his daughter would get married. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. It was then someone interrupted, ¡°Walter, do you have any wine left?¡± Hearing this, Walter quickly stood up and poured a ss for Ren as Scarlet asked surprisingly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you have workter?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll sleep better after this.¡± Ren then downed half the ss in one shot. ¡°Slow down, Mr. Ren. Your stomach will be damaged if you drink so quickly.¡± Ruka was concerned for him. Yet, she found herself looking into a very solemn gaze. Frightened, she immediately looked down and continued eating, not daring to stop him from drinking anymore. cing his ss down, Ren said to the girl opposite him, ¡°Didn¡¯t you wanna borrow a cat? I have one at home.¡± Stunned for a few seconds, Ruka was overjoyed at this. ¡°Mr. Ren, you actually have a cat!¡± ¡°I do. I¡¯ll tell my men to send her over tomorrow,¡± he said nonchntly. ¡°That¡¯s great! I needed a cat!¡± She then said to Walter, ¡°Uncle Walter, I found a rat in the study earlier. I was worried that it might chew on the book, so this is why I wanted a cat to scare it away.¡± ¡°Really? Are there mice in the study again? I found onest time too. I think it¡¯s because of the impending winter, making the mice seek somewhere warm,¡± stated Walter somewhat frustratingly. ¡°This would happen less if we were in an apartment. But, it¡¯s hard to avoid since we live in a vi.¡± Scarlet pointed out. Eating just a few mouthfuls, Walter noticed that Ren¡¯s cup was already empty. He was about to pour him another ss when Scarlet forbade him. ¡°That¡¯s enough. You just concentrate on filling your own ss.¡± ¡°It¡¯s so rare that Ren is drinking with us. C¡¯mon, let us have more!¡± Walter was a bit upset. At that moment, Ruka was snickering before she matched gazes again with Ren, whose fierce look made her freeze as she stiffened up like an obedient child. Watching the girl¡¯s smile disappear every time she saw her made Ren a bit perplexed. Am I that scary? He actually liked to see her smile, for he thought that it was veryforting to look at. ¡°Ren, I still remember that you had an upset stomach because you didn¡¯t eat properlyst time. Look at you, drinking so fast. Do you have something on your mind?¡± Scarlet looked at her brother curiously since he did not look like he was tasting the wine. He looked more like he was using it to drown his sorrows. In front of his elder sister, Ren did not dare to act up as he replied, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just wanted to drink a ss or two, seeing how joyful Walter is.¡± Chapter 1011-1020 Chapter 1011-1020 ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve been dumped, Mr. Ren!¡± joked Ruka. Hearing this, Scarlet thought that she made sense and was happy again. ¡°Ren, do you have someone you like? Tell me. I can help you.¡± Ren had a glimmer shot across his eyes as he looked at Ruka, who pranked him, before snorting. ¡°And why do you say that?¡± ¡°I just guessed it. After all, only people who¡¯ve been dumped would drink like this. You¡¯ve already emptied two sses.¡± Since Ruka had Scarlet backing her, she became braver and braver. Scarlet, who suddenly thought this all was logical, asked, ¡°Spill it, Ren. There¡¯s no couple that I can¡¯t match. I can help you.¡± Walter spoke up for Ren. ¡°Why are you in such a hurry? Can¡¯t you see how exceptional your brother is? What kind of girl wouldn¡¯t fall in love with him?¡± Ruka was feeling a bit guilty now as she was afraid that the man might me her for bringing this up, but she was dying to know inside! She wanted to know which woman would dare to reject the vice president. ¡°Ren isn¡¯t actually that ideal. Not only is he busy every single day, he¡¯s also getting older.¡± As expected of his sister, Scarlet was scrutinizing her brother, thinking that his achievements were over exaggerated. Yet, Ren suddenly asked the girl, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m old, Ruka?¡± Looking up, she blinked in shock upon hearing that she was called out as she started to observe the man. The word ¡®old¡¯ did not have anything to do with the man. Handsome and noble-like, every line on his face exuded youthfulness to the point where his features looked almost statue-like. When he smiled, his dimples would only add to his charm. This kind of man would only be more charming as he aged. Just like fine wine, the longer it aged, the better it would taste. Ruka replied honestly, ¡°You¡¯re not old. I think that you¡¯re very handsome.¡± Ren smiled at this, revealing his dimples. ¡°But, Mr. Ren, I still suggest that you find a significant other soon!¡± Ruka added. This made his smile freeze in ce before he red at her. Does she think that I¡¯ve nothing to do in my life? Why is she still mentioning this? Covering her mouth, Ruka started tough, making her upturned eyes look like crescents, which was very bright and alluring. The man, who felt himself gulp at this, quickly looked down and drank from his cup. After dinner, he left with the promise of bringing his cat that he raised himself for Ruka tomorrow. Meanwhile in a luxurious apartment in the city center, Ang was just done with work before she went downstairs from the study. Sitting on the couch was a man reading a book while wearing just a bathrobe. With a rxed mood, he was resting there, emanating a wild look to him. This was peace and quiet unlike anything Richard had ever felt before. Like a leopard under the sun, he looked veryzy and rxed. Ang, who felt her shoulders somewhat sore, went up to his open arms as the man ced the book down and hugged her before kissing her on the forehead. ¡°Are you tired?¡± ¡°A bit. My shoulders are quite sore because I¡¯ve been writing too many emails,¡± she grumbled. He immediately massaged her while she rested on top of his body, admiring her man¡¯s looks. His hair sure has grown. When I first met him, he had a buzzcut. Now that it¡¯s long, he would totally look like a handsome CEO if he styled it a bit. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to a barber tomorrow!¡± Ang suggested. ¡°Is my hair that long?¡± Richard reached out and touched his forehead. Yup, it¡¯s pretty long. Still, with his looks, any hairstyle would not affect how handsome he was. Even if he were to go bald, he would be the most handsome bald man. ¡°I want to design a style for you.¡± She smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t need that. I just want a shorter cut.¡± ¡°No can do. We¡¯re together now, so you have to please me. Since you¡¯re on break for these two months, you belong to me during this time.¡± Ang curled her lips slyly. Richard¡¯s gaze darkened as he caught her sentence. ¡°Alright. Then, please me tonight. I¡¯ll let you do whatever to my hair tomorrow.¡± Speechless, she thought that she was on the losing side. ¡°Richard, just let me rest for one day!¡± she begged. ¡°I¡¯m the one doing all the work anyway.¡± The man smiled evilly. Even if he did care for her, he could not concede on this matter. It was not as if Ang was tired of this nor did she want a break. She was just afraid of overindulgence, for this was not rmended. Yet, every time, the man would make her forget about this. ¡°Really? Deal. No going back on letting me choose your hairstyle tomorrow!¡± She then hugged him by the neck. ¡°Carry me to the room. I need to conserve my energy.¡± This made Richard snicker. Am I that terrifying? Come to think of it, it kind of makes sense since she always falls asleep exhaustedtely. Back then, Ang fell asleep thinking of him. Now, she fell asleep beside him every night. Yet, the thought that he would be dispatched for missions after his break for months made her afraid that she might miss him again. So, she decided to spend the night together first. The next day in the afternoon, Ang brought her man to a high end salon and saw that most of the customers and workers were young females, who were dumbfounded to see such a handsome man. With a tall and striking body, Richard was emanating a very strong aura that they have not seen on a man in a long time. My God, he¡¯s just a walking pheromone dispenser. Ang requested for a senior hairstylist while Richard sat at the side, watching her and the barber discussing his hairstyle. Suddenly, an inspiration came to him before he nodded. ¡°I understand. I will make sure that you are satisfied, Miss Meyers.¡± Walking to Richard¡¯s side, Ang bent down and said, ¡°Just sit tight and don¡¯t suggest any weird ideas.¡± This was the deal she exchanged by using her body, so she needed to use it to the fullest. Closing his eyes, he obeyed her. Ang went to the waiting room, but she did not know that her man was being ogled by the female workers there! Not only that, even the customers were looking at the most handsome man in the shop through the reflection of the mirrors. Some who were in the service industry kept thinking about how best to approach him. With closed eyes, Richard let the stylist cut his hair however he wished since he could not resist it anyway. It¡¯s actually quite calm to close my eyes like this. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Even when he was merely shutting his eyes, it was still enough to charm the people there. ¡°He¡¯s so handsome!¡± A woman¡¯s voice of praise came. ¡°Not only is he handsome, looking at him, I think he¡¯s at least six feet tall. Besides that, he has such a wide back.¡± ¡°He¡¯s totally my type.¡± After cutting and snipping for quite some time, the stylist finally showed the fruits ofbor. If one was to say he looked like a tough man before the cut, then he definitely looked more like a business mogul after the transformation. ¡°Sir, you¡¯ll need to wash your hair now. I¡¯m going to style your hairter.¡± Opening his eyes, Richard was a bit displeased with his current hairstyle. However, he did not say anything as he diligently went to the hair washing station. There, a woman was happily preparing to service him before he requested, ¡°I would like a male employee to do it.¡± ¡°Sir, I¡¯m very good at this. Don¡¯t you want to try?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. Please get me another employee,¡± Richard insisted. As such, they could only get a man to take over. After that, Richard returned to the seat and the stylist dried his hair for him before splitting his hair at the sides. At that moment, the man looked like a dominating CEO. ¡°Sir, can we take a photo of you?¡± the stylist asked. ¡°No.¡± Richard stood up and rejected him coldly. In the waiting room, Ang looked up to see her man walking in. As expected, it was just like how she anticipated¡ªhandsome and perfect. ¡°Wow! I love it so much!¡± She stood up and hugged him. Richard, who was satisfied to see her satisfied, said while hugging her, ¡°Let¡¯s go shopping!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± She nodded happily. She knew that shopping with him would be a very enjoyable experience since he would be sure to turn heads. In the mall. Impatient, Ang dragged Richard to a clothing store. Today, she wanted her eyes to feast on the man. Growing tired of the man in casual clothing, she wanted to see him in a formal suit. After letting him try on three pieces of clothing, she sat and waited for him. Including her, even the clerk was full of anticipation as the customer today was just too handsome. With a model¡¯s body, looks and aura, which woman would not fall for him? Finally, Richard came out with the first set of clothing, which was a white shirt under a gray vest paired with a matching suit, perfectly entuating his waistline and big back. Just like a model, he approached Ang for her to admire him. At that point, the clerk wanted toe over and help him tuck his shirt in better before Ang stopped her. ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡± She smoothed out his shirt before praising, ¡°It looks very good on you. I like it.¡± Smiling, Richard responded, ¡°As long as you¡¯re happy.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to try the other two. We¡¯ll go with this one since you can wear anything with your figure anyway.¡± Ang was thinking about what a hassle it was for him to try everything. She wanted to keep what he was wearing, so he packed the jacket he came in, satisfying her with no strings attached and making her feel doted upon. Richard felt that he was willing to do anything for her just to see her gaze of admiration and love. While shopping, Ang got a call from thepany, causing her expression to darken. ¡°What?! He took our customers away?¡± ¡°Yes. Mr. Graham¡ªoh, I meant Andy¡ªpersuaded the client to invest in him. But, Miss Meyers, we made an appointment with the customer at 3.00PM. The president wanted you to negotiate with the customer instead.¡± Knowing that her mother was giving her a chance to present herself, Ang calmed herself down and replied, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ming over right now. Pleasey all the information about the client on my desk when I arrive.¡± ¡°Understood, Miss Meyers. We¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡± Although Ang wanted to continue shopping, it looked like they could only cut that short for now seeing that she needed to return to herpany. ¡°Would you like toe with me to thepany?¡± she asked her man. Richard, who had heard the conversation, nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go wherever you go.¡± At thepany, Ang had just entered the lobby as the six receptionists were shocked before they immediately weed her. ¡°Good afternoon, President Meyers.¡± Nodding toward them, she quickly entered the elevator, leaving them staring dumbfoundedly at the man who was apanying her. Even though they had less than ten seconds to look at him, they were already captivated. Who is that handsome walking beside Miss Meyers? Is he her boyfriend? My God, he¡¯s so perfect. ¡°President Meyers sure has it good. That man¡¯s body is stunning.¡± ¡°Not only was his body stunning, but did you see his face? With looks and elegance like that, no actor can evene close to matching up to him!¡± ¡°He looks just like a soldier.¡± Inside the elevator, Ang was already preparing herself to meet with the client in a moment. Drawing in a deep breath, she still felt anxious. Emerging into the main office of the project department, she walked into the gazes of her subordinates. It was then her assistant came running over. ¡°Miss Meyers, the client hasn¡¯t arrived yet. But, Andy is here.¡± ¡°What¡¯s he doing here?¡± Ang was upset. Clearly, she did not want to see him here. ¡°We¡¯re not sure either. But, since he worked at thepany for a good six to seven years, we could not just chase him away. He¡¯s so fierce and unreasonable; aplete douche, so to speak. Miss Meyers, you¡­¡± Just as her assistant wanted to tell her to be careful in dealing with him, she looked up to see a tall man standing beside Ang, making her wide-eyed. Did Miss Meyers bring a bodyguard with her today? Ang replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll meet him now.¡± She then went to the break room with Richard following her. As an unreasonable and rude individual, Andy took advantage of the fact that Ang was inexperienced and that Daphne was not at thepany at this moment, so he came here beforehand to disrupt her mood to deal with the clientter. Yet, the moment Andy saw her enter, he saw a striking figuree follow behind her and stood beside the woman silently with an oppressive aura emanated from him. This made Andy a bit nervous. Ang actually brought a bodyguard? ¡°Andy Graham, thepany doesn¡¯t wee you. If you still have some sense left, leave now.¡± Ang coldly chased him away. ¡°The fact that thispany could achieve its current scale was because I contributed to half the sess. It¡¯s not too much for me toe here for a cup of tea, is it?¡± Andy put his legs on the table and crossed his arms to disy a highly arrogant look. ¡°You¡¯ve been fired. Besides, you of all people should know how much you embezzled. If you don¡¯t want us to take legal action, you best leave now,¡± she warned him. ¡°You little twerp. You don¡¯t have the right to lecture me¡­ Ah!¡± Before Andy could finish his sentence, he felt his chair being kicked from behind. The force threw him forward and caused him to thrash onto the floor. ¡°You¡­¡± Angered beyond belief, Andy pointed at the man who kicked him.¡±You dare to assault me? I¡¯m going to sue¡­¡± Yet, he had notposed himself when he stood up as his leg was kicked again, causing the man to kneel at first instance. Thud! Before he knew it, a leg had stepped on his back, which resulted in him being on all fours. ¡°You will listen to her words while kneeling like this.¡± The man¡¯s cold voice came. Feeling humiliated, Andy bellowed, ¡°Who the hell are you? Who are you to treat me like this? You want me to listen to a child like her¡ª¡± The moment he said this, he felt the leg on his body suddenly increasing its force to make him prostrate himself on the ground. ¡°Ouh¡­ Ouch¡­ Please, forgive me, good sir. Please let me go. I¡¯ll leave. I¡¯ll leave right now!¡± It was then Andy found out that he was facing someone fiercer than he was, so he immediately changed his attitude and pleaded for forgiveness. Bending down, Ang warned, ¡°My mom only spared you because you worked for ourpany for so long and did not ask about the embezzled funds. If you still want to y, then we¡¯ll see each other in court, Andy.¡± ¡°Okay, okay, I promise that I won¡¯t cause any troubles at thepany again. Tell your bodyguard to let me go.¡± The man on the floor was in such pain that he started to shout. Nodding, she motioned for Richard to lift his leg as Andy quickly stood up with a flushed face before running to the door. ¡°Just you wait. I¡¯ll be sure to repay this humiliation I suffered.¡± After that, he quickly slipped away. With a bitter sigh, she thought that he was truly a nightmare to deal with. ¡°Let me deal with this kind of person if you meet them in the future. I will make sure that they stop harassing you.¡± Richard was enraged. Had I not been here, I wonder how this snake nned to terrorize my woman? Leading Richard, Ang walked across the hallway of the offices while the employees were secretly gossiping. All of them were making guesses about Richard and Ang¡¯s rtionship as she overheard some of them. ¡°Is he her bodyguard or boyfriend?¡± The assistants were chatting with each other. Turning her head, she loudly announced, ¡°He¡¯s not my bodyguard or my boyfriend. He is my husband.¡± At this point, some of them flushed in embarrassment while others stopped guessing. Originally, some of the single male employees thought they had a shot at dating Ang. Now, they found that the chance was long gone. Ang¡¯s actually married now. Even though we¡¯re not sure how rich her husband is, we can tell that he isn¡¯t any normal joe from the aura he possesses. On Ang¡¯s office desky the information of the client. After she sat down, her assistant immediately came in with two cups of water before Ang made a request. ¡°Change them to coffee for me.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± The assistant nodded and went out. ¡°Did you not sleep wellst night?¡± Richard was concerned for her. Rubbing her temples, Ang looked at him somewhat shyly. ¡°Why do you think that was?¡± He pursed his lips and smiled, for he was the reason she did not sleep well. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll let you rest well tonight.¡± Richard promised to not use up her bedtime again. Shooting a nce at him, Ang took his words with a grain of salt before reading the documents with intent. With the sun shining on her from behind, she looked like a very sessful businesswoman. At that moment, Richard was enamored by this as he crossed his hands and silently admired her without interruptions. He wasmitting this scene to memory. If not for her work, he would be sweeping away the documents on the desk and embracing her, doing the things they should be doing. The assistant entered with their coffee as Ang pursed her lips, sifting through the documents and unknowingly ignoring the man beside her. Yet, he did not feel bothered by this. Instead, he was satisfied with being able to apany her like this and enjoy this moment. When Ang looked up, she remembered that she hadpany, prompting her to smile apologetically at the man. ¡°Are you bored? Do you want to head back first?¡± Shaking his head, Richard replied, ¡°I¡¯m not bored at all.¡± Uneasy that he was spending his afternoon like this, she stood up and hugged him by the neck before kissing him on the cheek. ¡°Then, just apany me at work for now. I¡¯ll reward you tonight.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you were tired?¡± He looked at her. Gently cing her hands on his shirt, Ang ran her fingers around his corbone for a few seconds and bit his ear lightly. ¡°The moment you slid into these clothes, I was already thinking about how to strip them off tonight.¡± Richard felt his stomach tighten, for he reached behind her head and pressed it gently. With one head looking up and the other looking down, they locked their lips. This made Ang blush. Yet, it was the excitement of being at the office that made her heart beat faster. Even though there was still ample time before the client would arrive and her office was very much private, she still embarrassingly went back to her seat upon thinking that there was still work to be done. Blushing, she continued work while the man looked on with a gentle smile. The client arrived around 3.00PM as it turned out that it was all a misunderstanding. Andy had given him the wrong information, so the client came over sincerely to renew the contract, allowing Ang to breathe a sigh of relief. ¡°Miss Meyers, you sure havepetent workers. I like your management,¡± praised the client. Shocked, Ang replied, ¡°Thank you for yourpliments, President Cunningham.¡± ¡°Also, didn¡¯t my daughter participate in a fan-vote event? I didn¡¯t know which one of your employees caught wind of it, but their votes got her to first ce! I was very happy to learn that most of the votes came from yourpany!¡± This stunned Ang, as even though it was a simple gesture, the client obviously seemed very grateful for it. Frankly, she did not know what kind of power or luck she possessed, but ever since she entered the project department, the whole team was very willing to follow her and assist her along. In actuality, this was because Ang fulfilled her role of being a good leader. Ever since she took over the position, she solved most of the employees¡¯ problems. Besides that, she did not act arrogantly in thepany, seeing that she was well-involved with her subordinates during mealtimes and also projects. The hardships they shared were witnessed by her subordinates and enlightened them just how bright and meaningful their future would be when they worked under her. Before this, they assumed that it was better to save the trouble, hence they established the superficial rtionship with the clients. However, things were different now¡ªeven the trivias rted to the clients could raise the rm of every employee. Their efforts eventually gained themselves apliment from Lauren. It was because he truly felt genuine warmth which was not vocational. It was only half past three after the job was settled. Ang bought some desserts for takeout and brought them to the office for the staff. Seeing how she got along with them harmoniously, Richard let out a doting smile. At the same time, a maid entered the Husson Residence while carrying a cat carrier. ¡°Miss, Mr. Husson has asked someone to send this.¡± Ruka crouched and stared at the beautiful Ragdoll in the carrier, which melted her heart at the drop of a hat. ¡°Oh my, it¡¯s so cute!¡± she eximed. The one-year-old cat sat in the carrier meekly and blinked its eyes at her while meowing. At this moment, her phone rang, which surprised her. It was an unknown number, but she answered the call nevertheless. ¡°Hello, who is this?¡± ¡°Have you seen the cat?¡± The low mellifluous voice of a man resounded from the other side of the line. ¡°Mr. Ren!¡± Ruka was delighted to receive his call. ¡°Yeah, I just saw it. It¡¯s so adorable!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hug her. She¡¯s kinda fuzzy and she might bite you. Just leave her at the study. I¡¯ll pick her up later.¡± ¡°But she is super duper cute! She seems obedient. Can¡¯t I hug her?¡± An insistent Ruka asked as not only did she want to hug it, she wanted to kiss it too! I can¡¯t believe that a well-built man like Mr. Husson rears such a cute creature, she thought to herself. ¡°Okay, but you gotta be careful.¡± Ren relented in helplessness. ¡°Yay, I¡¯ll bring her to the study room now,¡± she responded before bing curious about something. ¡°Does she have a name?¡± ¡°Callie.¡± His husky voice was as appealing as that of a voice actor. She smiled. ¡°That¡¯s a pretty name.¡± With that being said, she could not suppress the urge to hug Callie anymore. ¡°Mr. Ren, I¡¯ll hang up the phone and take Callie to the study room. Bye!¡± After terminating the call, she stretched out her hands to hug Callie, which was surprisingly obedient. It neither struggled nor made a fuss. Despite its petite size, she figured that it would be enough to scare the wits out of the rat and let it escape through the open door at night. She ced the little furball on the couch before gently stroking its head. With narrowed eyes, it enjoyed her touchfortably. Right then, its ears pricked up as though she heard something. Ruka told, ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you, Callie.¡± She knew that she should not disturb it when it was on its mission to chase the rat out. Leaving the cat with its mission, she closed the door and informed the maids not to open it for the time being. Losing the little furball when the rat had not been caught yet was thest thing she hoped for. Ruka returned to her room to read some books. In the meantime, a maid, who was headed downstairs after cleaning, was doing her duty by the door of the study room. Her job was to clean every single room and so she opened the door and carried a bucket of water toward the windows to wipe them. At that moment, a fleeing rat squirmed out of a corner with a cat hot on its heels. Both of them went outside through the open door. After spending an hour reading, Ruka reckoned that little furball might have scared the rat enough. With the hope that the rat might run out of the room on its own the moment she opened the door, she decided to take a look at the situation. Ruka reached the closed door that led to the study room. Stretching out her hand, she opened the door and quickly closed it behind her after entering. She listened attentively to the surroundings. Why is it so quiet? ¡°Meow!¡± She meowed to draw the little furball¡¯s attention. Still, the room was in total silence and there was no meowing sound of a cat. Ruka¡¯s heart pounded rapidly as she wondered, Where is that little furball? She began to search every nook and cranny of the room¡ªbeneath the couch, behind the curtains and atop the book racks with the help of adder. Yet, Callie was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Oh gosh! Where did she go? Callie! Callie, where are you?¡± Ruka was on tenterhooks. It¡¯s Mr. Ren¡¯s cat. What am I going to do if Callie¡¯s gone missing? She hurriedly closed the door and headed downstairs to ask a maid, ¡°Has anyone gone into the study room?¡± ¡°Miss, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°The cat that I left in the room is missing,¡± exined Ruka in distress. The maid contemted while muttering, ¡°I wonder if Maya went to the study room for cleaning.¡± Then, she told Ruka, ¡°I¡¯ll ask her. She¡¯s cleaning the garden right now.¡± ¡°Okay. Please do.¡± Ruka nodded, but doom had dawned upon her. After a while, the maid by the name of La returned with an anxious expression. ¡°Maya said she did clean the study room, but she didn¡¯t see a cat. It must¡¯ve run away.¡± Ruka turned to look at the direction of the study room as she was getting restless. In fact, she was more worried about losing the kitty. If she failed to find it, she would be done for. ¡°La, please ask everyone to stop working and look for the cat with me. She¡¯s a white Ragdoll and her name is Callie.¡± She decided to ask everyone to help search for the cat. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll tell them right away.¡± After the maid left to inform the others, Ruka started her search in the spacious yard. Though the yard was enclosed by walls and iron fences, she figured it would be easy-peasy for the kitty to slip through those fences and leave the ce. ¡°Callie, where are you?¡± Ruka¡¯s figure weaved through every corner of the garden without missing any potential hiding spots. Meanwhile, the maids were on the move as theymenced a nket search throughout the area. Leaving the search duty within the residence to the maids, Ruka left the yard to check on the bushes outside. There was an artificial garden outside of Husson Residence, where lush shrubs covered most of the area. In order to find the kitty, Ruka couldn¡¯t care less about it and she just slid into every crevice she found. Suddenly, she hissed when a sharp branch slit her hand, but she was not bothered by the pain at all. After taking a look at the wound, which barely bled, she marched forward. The branches ruffled her tresses into a mess and there were many leaves and grasses on her. It was as though she had been rolling around in the bushes a few times. At this moment, a ck premium car was driven into the yard. Then, a bodyguard got out of the car first before opening the door of the back seat. A pair of long legs stretched over the door. The remnant glow of the evening sunlight shone upon the man, who was donned in a ck suit. His fringe wasbed to the back to expose his forehead and deep eyes, enhancing his mature aura. The formidable air exuded from him into the air. ¡°Mr. Husson, you¡¯re here.¡± One of the maids, who was in the middle of the cat search, hastily weed him. Ren scanned the whole yard and saw that the maids were all leaning over to look for something. His brows knitted. ¡°What are you guys looking for?¡± ¡°We¡¯re looking for your cat. It has run out of the study room, but we still can¡¯t find it after searching the yard.¡± The glint in his eyes dimmed. ¡°Where¡¯s Ruka?¡± ¡°She¡¯s searching for the cat among the bushes outside.¡± Hearing that, he wheeled around to head outside, but the bodyguard stopped him instantly. ¡°Mr. Husson, I think it¡¯ll be better if you don¡¯t go outside. I¡¯m worried that¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± He ignored the advice and strode toward the little gate at a fast pace while two bodyguards followed suit. Ren walked out of the bushes area of the garden and saw a white silhouette weaving through the nearby shrubs. Who could it possibly be other than Ruka? Oblivious of someone¡¯s arrival, Ruka suddenly heard a meowing from between the two shrubs. Surprised and ted, she squirmed into the opening like a female warrior charging forward. There were two branches stuck in her hair, but she was unfazed. Despite being covered in dirt, she was not bothered in the slightest. However, once she saw the cat in between the bushes, she was utterly disappointed because it was a stray cat. As soon as it noticed someone was approaching, it hopped into another bush and disappeared. ¡°Ruka.¡± A man¡¯s frosty voice tinged with concern could be heard from outside the bushes. Ruka was paralyzed in surprise. The voice¡­ Is it Mr. Ren? She quickly retreated backward. Since she was wearing jeans, it was not that awkward. However, she seemed like a crazy woman the moment she squirmed out of the bush. There were a few dry leaves stuck in her messy hair and some stains on her fair face. Her hands and clothes were dirtier with bloodstains. ¡°Mr. Ren, I¡¯m sorry. I lost your cat.¡± Like a child in the wrong, she lowered her head as she prepared herself to be chided. Still, Ren noticed the bloodstains on her finger with his keen eyes. Marching forward, he grabbed her hand to take a look. ¡°You¡¯re hurt.¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright. It¡¯s just a scratch and it doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± She hurriedly withdrew her hand and shook her head since it was urgent to search for his cat. Looking at the dry leaves and twigs on her hair, he gently removed them for her. She was surprised for a few seconds while standing still to let him do the job. After removing the grasses off her head, he ordered in a low voice, ¡°Wash up and bandage your finger.¡± ¡°But your cat¡ª¡± Her eyes slightly widened. She would never return without the cat. ¡°I¡¯ll look for her.¡± Gazing at her pathetic state akin to a little kitten, Ren let out a chuckle. Embarrassed, she could not help but nced at him. ¡°What are youughing at?¡± ¡°Nothing. Let¡¯s go.¡± He then patted her shoulder. ¡°Trust me. I can find her.¡± The intense regret filled her heart, for she had not foreseen herself losing his cat upon borrowing it. ¡°Sorry¡­¡± apologized Ruka with downcast eyes as her long lock covered her ears. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly,¡± he chided lightly while raising his hand, which stiffened in midair before he withdrew it. No one knew what he was going to do except for him¡ªhe almost tucked her strands of hair behind her ear. ¡°Miss Singed, you should return home. We¡¯ll help Sir find the cat,¡± a bodyguard suggested. The bodyguards intended to escort Ren back into the house before he caused a ruckus by exposing himself in the public. In the end, Ruka could only return home first. One of the bodyguards told Ren, ¡°Sir, we can search the cat for you. You may return to the residence.¡± Ren waved his hand and raised his head to scan the area. Next, he rounded toward the backyard. Though Ruka had previously searched around this area, the bushes behind the walls of the garden were outside her radar. Once she arrived at the yard, the maids came up to her and reported that they did not see the cat anywhere upon looking at every nook and cranny of the ce. Obviously, the kitten had escaped outside the yard. ¡°What am I going to do?¡± Her face scrunched up in distress. Where can a little kitty possibly go? What if she¡¯s hit by a car on the road? Or kidnapped by a lunatic to be tortured? Forget about taking a bath, she did not even wash her face. However, the maids noticed the bruises on her finger and brought over a band-aid. A couple of momentster, amotion happened outside the yard. Ren trod into the ce as the beam of golden sunlight gleamed upon him. Nestling in his arms was a little white feline with its slightly dirtied and messy fur. It was none other than Callie! The juxtaposition of his towering stature and the curled up furball in his arms created a different side of him whom Ruka had never witnessed before. Right at this moment, the idea of morphing into that little furball in his arms to be pampered and overindulged by him suddenly urred to her. Her face glowed with red when the notion seeped into her mind due to the embarrassment of having such a thought. Although they were not blood rted, she should not have such nonsensical thoughts! ¡°You found her! Where was she?¡± She scurried to him in surprise and delight to check on the little kitten. ¡°She was behind the walls of the garden,¡± Ren exined while a maid proffered a primordial pouch to him. He then put it into the bag before zipping it. Guess I should give her a bath. ¡°Did she hurt herself anywhere?¡± ¡°No. Only her fur is dirty,¡± he soothed her before facing the maid. ¡°I¡¯ll have dinner here.¡± ¡°Madam Falkner has called to inform us that she has an appointment with Old Master Lloyd. We will prepare dinner for you and Miss Singed,¡± the maid replied. His brows were slightly knitted together. When the maid turned around, he suddenly added, ¡°Nevermind, then. I¡¯ll take Miss Singed somewhere else for dinner.¡± Ruka was baffled as she blinked her beady eyes. ¡°Are we dining out?¡± ¡°Hmm. You should wash yourself up and change your clothes. I¡¯ll wait for you,¡± said Ren. Her heart palpitated at the thought of going out with him for dinner. The sudden change of n was a surprise to her, causing her to be jittery because never once had she shared a private meal with him before. As such, she returned to her room for a shower. Considering howte it was and the possibility of the man growing impatient from all the waiting, she dried her hair and headed downstairs with a bare face. She wanted to put on some light make-up, but there was no time for that. ¡°Mr. Ren, I¡¯m ready.¡± She smiled at the man who was sitting on the couch. She dressed up like a college student¡ªa thin, white down jacket; a pair of jeans and white sneakers. After getting into his car, she felt the urge to hush her breathing. The air was solemn enough with the presence of the two bodyguards. Now that there was another man that exuded impelling force, her mind was in a daze and she could not evene up with a decent topic. In actuality, she was not that close with Ren; they met less than twice in a year, especially after she was told off during middle school. They had not seen each other for years when he pursued his studies abroad. He did appear when Scarlet was celebrating Ruka¡¯s graduation from high school, but that was thest time they met. Now, he was a mature man who no one dared to approach. ¡°Did the trantion department contact you?¡± Ren suddenly inquired. ¡°N-not yet,¡± she stammered with her words due to nervousness. At that time, her phone suddenly rang, which prompted her to ask, ¡°May I answer the call?¡± Her expression somehow indicated that it was a sin for her to answer a call in front of him. ¡°Sure.¡± He nodded. It was not until then that she nced at the screen. Despite the surging surprise and pleasure, she kept her voice as low as possible. ¡°Are you here yet?¡± ¡°Yup! I¡¯ve justnded. What about you? Have you eaten? Should I pick you up and have a meal together?¡± It was the brisk voice of a man. ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. You should go home and get some early rest. We¡¯ll meet up tomorrow.¡± She smiled lightly. Unbeknownst to Ruka, the man next to him could hear the voice resounding from her phone due to the silence in the car. ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you miss me?¡± the man grumbled. ¡°Of course I¡­ I do miss you! But you¡¯ve just returned to the country. You should head home first.¡± ¡°Then, we can meet up for a meal and a movie tomorrow. Your favorite sci-fi movie has just been released.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯m totally up for it.¡± She was on cloud nine. Not only did her crush return to the country, the movie she anticipated was also released. It was as though wonderful things were happening at the same time. On the other hand, Ren turned his head to look out of the window as if he was deep in his thoughts. However, he kept listening to how happy her voice was while she talked over the phone; mixed feelings stirred in his eyes. It was not until Ruka terminated the call that he turned to look at her, only to see the smile across her lips. Her joyous expression struck somewhere deep in his racing heart. He stared at her while images of past memories shed across his head. He could vividly remember the way she looked as she grew up like a butterfly. They met for the first time when he was twelve; Scarlet carried a little girl home, who was weeping non- stop with her hands held onto Scarlet¡¯s shoulders tightly. It was safe to say that tears did not stop falling from her beady eyes. At that time, Ren was doing his homework at Scarlet¡¯s house and the girl was so noisy that he was annoyed. During the afternoon, she would snatch away his ball when he was ying basketball. Not only did she refuse to return it while hugging it, she even cried while lying on the ground like a brat! Back then, she was only two years old, the age where even dogs found them annoying. It was her first time rebelling, but she was not someone to mess with. Scarlet told him that she was going to take care of the child since the parents left the country upon receiving a job transfer at the veryst minute. Meanwhile, Scarlet¡¯s son was taken to the army base to be raised by his grandfather; the far distance rendered it difficult for them to meet up. Thus, she really wished to look after the girl. ¡°Ren, y with me.¡± The little girl chased after Ren after he finished school. Scarlet pulled her and told her, ¡°Ruka, Ren is your Uncle. You should address him respectfully.¡± From that day onward, he had a faithful shadow who imitated everything that he did; whenever he was finishing his homework, she would sit beside him and pretend to write something on a small notebook while reading, ¡°Rabbit, pig¡­ duck, baby¡­ Done!¡± However, the once puny girl, who learned new vocabries next to him, was dating a guy right now. Time flew by in a blink of an eye. When Ruka was still five, Ren left Scarlet¡¯s house to pursue his studies abroad. He bet she did not remember anything before she turned five, but he maintained the recollection for all of it. ¡°Was that your boyfriend?¡± He turned his head to confirm the situation. ¡°No. He¡¯s my senior.¡± She waved her hand. ¡°Are you going out with him?¡± he questioned further. Her expression turned sad as she scratched her head. ¡°Nah, we¡¯re just friends.¡± His intense gaze fixated upon her as he imed, ¡°You¡¯re still young. You have a lot of time to find yourself a partner.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t have ns to date one in the near future either.¡± She nodded like an obedient child. It was not that Ruka did not want to; there was a fine line between her and her senior that neither of them crossed just yet. Moreover, it was not the time for a love confession since they only had favorable impressions of each other. Ren and Ruka arrived at a restaurant, which did not seem like one at all. Surprised, she sized up the ce with eyes of scrutiny. Instead of a restaurant, it appeared more like a private kitchen because the decor was that of a kitchen with no tables of customers around. Even so, the waiters treated him with utmost reverence. They even addressed him as ¡®Sir¡¯ without his surname, which was obviously an honorific form of address like he was their master. Sitting on the table next to a pond, she need not order food as she leaned her body to observe the little fishes. She was like a kid who still held onto a child-like interest. Meanwhile, Ren sat down with his elbow on the table and chin on his palm. As his intense gazended upon the girl, his eyes zed over. More and more past memories conjured in his mind. The recollections of twenty years expanse were vivid as if they had urred just yesterday; even the image of Ruka sobbing yed in his mind so vividly. He could remember that one time, when she was listless due to a cold, he bought a pretty doll for her. She was so pleased that she ran to him to give him a peck and thank him with a squishy voice. Ren reminisced about her childhood while looking at the slim figure, which was crouching next to the pond. He had an illusion that he could still find her younger self from the beautiful girl. He zoned out as his deep gaze contained inexplicable emotions. When Ruka rose to her feet, he came back to his senses. His eyes regained their rity and tranquility, whereas his visage turned to its usual solemn and reserved one. ¡°Mr. Ren, I reckon this is not any ordinary restaurant. Is it your private restaurant?¡± Ruka sat down and asked curiously. ¡°Yep. I usually treat my clients here. It¡¯s not open to the public.¡± He nodded. Chapter 1021-1030 Chapter 1021-1030 ¡°No wonder, but it¡¯s beautiful here. It¡¯s mesmerizing.¡± Ruka scanned the ornaments in which each of them held a special meaning to it. At that moment, the appetizers and fruit juices were served. Her eyes sparkled as she was already starving. She gulped her saliva while looking at the mouth-watering appetizers. ¡°If you¡¯re hungry, just dig in.¡± Ren smiled as there was a smidgen of affection seeped into his voice. She nodded and took one of the mozzare sticks before feeding herself. It tasted awesome with its cheesy crunchiness. ¡°What is the earliest memory you can remember?¡± he asked out of curiosity. With narrowed eyes, she chewed the food while recalling. ¡°I think it¡¯s when I was six or seven. It was the time I started elementary school. Why?¡± she questioned back. He bit his lips. I knew it. This brat can¡¯t remember everything that had happened until she turned five. She doesn¡¯t know how clingy she was back then. ¡°Nevermind. Have more.¡± He had no intention of exining. ¡°You should have them too.¡± Ruka ced a mozzare stick onto his te and he looked at it. Ren, who did not favor fried food, ate it nevertheless. ¡°Mr. Ren, are you normally busy with your work?¡± ¡°Very.¡± ¡°I bet you know many big names of the country, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Aunt Scarlet told me that you don¡¯t even have the time for blind dates.¡± Ren narrowed his eyes. ¡°Do you have a hobby of digging into my matters?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m worried about your marriage, like Aunt Scarlet does. I just hope that you¡¯ll find someone that you can spend the rest of your life with.¡± Ruka gazed at him with sincerity, showing her genuine concern about one of his biggest life events. He snorted. ¡°Yeah, yeah. I should be worrying when even a kiddo like you has a boyfriend.¡± Her cheeks tinged with red. ¡°We haven¡¯t gone that far yet! It¡¯s just that we click and we enjoy the company of each other.¡± ¡°Oh, really? Do you have his picture?¡± She was slightly stunned. Does he wanna see him? Nheless, she bashfully took out her phone and found a photo they had taken together before showing Ren. ¡°See the guy wearing a white T-shirt? That¡¯s him.¡± He grabbed the gadget to take a look at it. It was a picture of eight of them on a mountain. A smiling Ruka stood next to a tall guy, whose smile was dashingly bright. He seemed like the type that girls would fall for in schools. ¡°He¡¯s Jethro. I have known him since high school. He¡¯s my senior,¡± she announced seriously yet nervously as if she was introducing his friend to the elders. ¡°Hmm. He¡¯s quite handsome.¡± The moment Ren returned her phone, his phone rang and he picked it up. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Sir, Miss Parfait is at the door to see you,¡± reported the bodyguard. Ren¡¯s brows furrowed as he responded, ¡°I¡¯ming.¡± He then told Ruka, ¡°I¡¯ll be outside for a while. Go ahead and enjoy the food without me.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She nodded while thinking, He is a busy man. He has to deal with work even during meal time. As soon as Ren¡¯s tall stature appeared by the door, a woman sprinted toward him and hugged him tightly. Considering the faint smell of alcohol on her, it was obvious that she had some drinks. Clinging onto him, she buried her face into his chest and uttered with delight, ¡°Ren, I knew that you¡¯d be here. I miss you, especially tonight.¡± ¡°You¡¯re drunk. I¡¯ll ask someone to send you home.¡± He pushed her away and grasped her shoulders while looking at her calmly. She seemed to be in herte twenties. With that bushy curly hair and sublime make-up, she appeared gorgeous yet sexy. She was a total beauty queen and yet, someone like her had been pursuing Ren for a whole five years, but it did note to fruition. ¡°No! I don¡¯t wanna go home. I wanna stay with you. Ren, I don¡¯t wanna go anywhere except staying by your side. Please don¡¯t drive me away.¡± Victoria Parfait stared at him with zing eyes, which was rife with her deep admiration for him. Ren rejected in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m mmed tonight.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the excuse you use every single time. You just don¡¯t wanna see me, do you? Tell me, which part of me are you unsatisfied with? I¡¯ll change. I¡¯ll change until you¡¯re satisfied. For the past five years, there¡¯s not a day I live through without missing you. I¡¯ve waited for you this long. You gotta give me a reason.¡± Victoria¡¯s voice was filled with sorrow and grievance. She was indeed drunk and hence the daring confession to the vice president of the country. He beckoned the bodyguard over. ¡°Please send Miss Parfait home.¡± However, the woman, who was pushed away, threw herself into his embrace once again. With her hand tightly wrapped around his waist, she shook her head. ¡°No! I ain¡¯t going anywhere. Five years ago, you told me that there¡¯s someone you like, but I¡¯ve never seen any women by your side all along. There¡¯s not a shadow of women near you either. Was it a lie? Why can¡¯t you give me a chance?¡± Ruka drank too much fruit juice and so nature was calling for her. She rose from her seat and went out to search for the restroom. When she left thedies¡¯, she happened to hear a vehement woman speaking. Out of curiosity, she walked toward where the woman was. Just a single nce of the situation made her cover her mouth. Holy moly! Is that a woman in Mr. Ren¡¯s arms? She seems to be grumbling about something to him. She¡¯s kinda agitated at the moment. She wondered if the woman was Ren¡¯s crush. If so, she could inform Scarlet about it and tell her not to worry about it. ¡°Ren Husson, hurry and tell me. Is there someone you like? Just say it! Who is she? I¡¯ll give up as long as you give me a name.¡± Victoria lifted her head and looked at him with teary eyes, which were blurry and grieve. Just as Ren was about to say something, he saw someone fall from behind the pir. It was Ruka, who decided to return to the private room upon noticing an iing waiter. However, there was a threshold next to the pir, which made her trip and fall onto the ground. This is so embarrassing! She raised her head to see him shoving the woman away from his arms. He then strode toward Ruka with a worried face whereas she hastily rose to her feet. ¡°No worries! I¡¯m fine.¡± The shoved Victoria cast her nce over in surprise, only to see a young girl standing before Ren with a bright smile. The girl under the illuminating light looked young; her jet-ck hair flowed down to her waist and revealed the well-defined features on her palm-sized face, especially with those bright eyes that could talk. Jealousy surged into Victoria¡¯s heart almost immediately. Taking a deep breath in pain, she marched over and sized Ruka up before asking Ren, ¡°Is it her? Is she the one you¡¯ve been waiting for?¡± Meanwhile, Ruka was nonplussed by the sudden turn of events. What is this prettydy talking about? His countenance stiffened as he held Victoria¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯ll ask someone to send you home right now.¡± His voice left no room for a denial. She was baffled and her heart was pricked by an invisible knife. It was her first time seeing him so nervous. Ever since he was elected as the vice president, his manner of working had been calm and solemn. Yet, the anxiety on his face was evident a moment ago. ¡°Why? You don¡¯t have the guts to admit it to my face? Ren, what are you afraid of?¡± She shrugged his hand off. There was not one bit of rationality left in her under the influence of alcohol. It was her first time in five years seeing the man she loved inviting a girl for a meal. Thus, it was enough to prove that this youngdy was the person he coveted. Is she the person he has been waiting for? ¡°Speak! Is she the one?¡± Victoria raised her head as she was persistent to get to the bottom of it. ¡°Stop the fuss. You should get going.¡± The glint in Ren¡¯s eyes was daunting. ¡°Miss, what¡¯s your name?¡± she questioned Ruka suddenly. ¡°I¡¯m Ruka Singed. I¡¯m¡­¡± the innocent girl replied politely. ¡°She is my sister¡¯s best friend¡¯s daughter,¡± Ren continued Ruka¡¯s words. Victoria was stunned for a moment, for she could clearly tell that he was avoiding something. Is he protecting her? Who is she? ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Victoria Parfait.¡± She took the initiative to introduce herself due to the sudden swell of self-confidence. If this young brat was truly the one he liked, she need not have to worry about her rival. ¡°Hi. I¡¯m Ruka.¡± Ruka returned a smile. However, Victoria¡¯s arm was suddenly grabbed by a hand. Ren pulled her while ordering Ruka, ¡°Go back to the private room. I gotta talk to her for a moment.¡± Ruka sensibly wheeled around and left. Victoria¡¯s gaze zeroed in on her figure until she vanished in the corridor. Then, Victoria raised her head at him. ¡°So, you like that kid?¡± ¡°Stop spewing nonsense. It¡¯s not like what you think.¡± He let go of her arm and his countenance slightly darkened. ¡°You¡¯ve gone overboard tonight. You should leave.¡± At this moment, she was almost sober and was slightly mortified. However, she did not regret blurting these. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m behaving like this because I love you so much.¡± She bit her lip before lifting her head to question, ¡°So, what¡¯s going on between the both of you?¡± A sinister glint flickered in Ren¡¯s eyes. ¡°There are things that you just don¡¯t ask.¡± His gentleness attitude was disyed only for a normal interaction; once the other party had crossed the line, Ren would warn them not to go too far. To that, Victoria¡¯s heart squeezed. The more he steered clear of that topic, the more she knew how important that girl was to him. She had never imagined someone, who was younger than him by many years, would im his heart. Has he been waiting for her all along? But she seems ordinary, except for her beauty and young spirit. She doesn¡¯t seem outstanding in any way. Which charm of hers managed to captivate a man like Ren, who¡¯s perching at the top of the authorities? Victoria could not get through to it, yet she wished to know the reason because she was not a quitter. Some people would set back others¡¯ lifetime once they met up; how could shey her eyes on others when she had met someone like Ren? ¡°Fine. No more questions.¡± She sighed. ¡°Sorry. Please forgive my ill behavior, but my feelings for you will never change. I will always wait for you. As long as you¡¯re not married, I will continue to do so.¡± She would show her love for him through actions. Even if she had to keep waiting, she would not regret the decision to do so. With that being said, she turned around to leave the scene. After merely taking three steps forward, she turned her head to nce at the handsome man, who stood under the lights, with heavy hearts. Every part of him was radiating charms that enchanted her and captivated her heart firmly. In the meantime, Ruka was eating absent-mindedly while thinking of the woman¡¯s words. What does she mean by ¡®is it her¡¯? Is she talking about me? At that moment, the door was pushed open and Ren entered the room. She quickly stood up to wee him. ¡°Has thedy left?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Mr. Ren, is she¡­¡± She nned to gush about thedy. ¡°She¡¯s my colleague,¡± he answered straightforwardly. ¡°She seems to like you a lot,¡± stated Ruka cautiously. He cast his gaze onto her as she pursed her lips almost instantly. Peeking at the grumpy man, she figured that it would be wise to not pry further. Suddenly, the air of tension spanned in the room. As she lowered her head and stuffed herself to keep her cool, someone ced a shrimp onto her te. It turned out that she was so distracted that she forgot to take some dishes for herself. So, the man added more onto her te. Ren let out a silent sigh. ¡°She¡¯s Victoria Parfait, the chief of the Trantion Department. You¡¯ll be working for her after this.¡± Ruka raised her head abruptly. ¡°She will be my supervisor in the future?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± He nodded as the fact that Ruka would be Victoria¡¯s subordinate urred to him. ¡°I should¡¯ve addressed her properly. I sounded impolite.¡± She slumped into a dismal. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. Don¡¯t stress about it,¡± Renforted Ruka. She pursed her lips into a smile. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll rx.¡± Now that he was in a better mood, she seized the chance to voice out her curiosity. ¡°Miss Parfait looked at me and questioned whether I was ¡®her¡¯. What does that mean? Did she take me as someone else?¡± He suddenly stopped chewing as his intense gazended upon her visage. ¡°Hmm, she got the wrong person.¡± ¡°Did she mistake me as your crush? I think I should exin our rtionship to her.¡± ¡°Ruka,¡± Ren brusquely called her name in a husky voice. Ruka lifted her head at him in response. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Once you start working in the Trantion Department, keep in mind not to address me as ¡®Mr. Ren¡¯ in front of others. There¡¯s no need to reveal our rtionship.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll address you as ¡®Mr. Husson¡¯.¡± She giggled. ¡°I don¡¯t like addressing you like you¡¯re my uncle either. It sounds like you¡¯re old. You¡¯re a better fit as my brother!¡± A flicker of delight fleeted across his eyes. ¡°Really? Am I not old to you?¡± ¡°Nah, you look twenty-seven at most. You¡¯re young and very handsome,¡± she praised, eliciting a smile on Ren¡¯s lips and the appealing and sexy dimple. After dinner, the atmosphere seemed to have loosen up along the drive back to Husson Residence while he inquired about her life studying abroad. Influenced by her parents since young, Ruka loved tranting and she wished she could contribute to the country like how her parents Had. Due to the stone¡¯s throw, it took them less than fifteen minutes to arrive outside Husson Residence. She asked Ren whether he wanted to have tea for a while, after which he shook his head in reply. ¡°I gotta settle some work.¡± ¡°Work is important, but do not forget to take care of your health,¡± Ruka advised with a serious expression while bending over. Next, she shed a pristine smile at him. ¡°See you!¡± ¡°Head in,¡± he urged her as he would only leave after watching her entering the house. Ruka nodded and bypassed the small gate with light footsteps before craning her neck to check if he was gone. The adorable countenance was that of an angel and fairy under the illuminating lights, causing the once tranquil heart beat rapidly. After waving at him, she shut the door and entered the house before Ren¡¯s car slowly drove away. In the back seat, the street lights shone upon the man¡¯s attractive face. There was a faint smile across his lips, indicating his good mood. At the same time, Ang was working on the balcony in her apartment while waiting for Richard. He left the ce for an errance and had not returned yet. She stared at the myriads of twinkling lights of the city with a gentle gaze. There was a change in her temperament as merriment radiated from her inside out. It was because her heart was filled to the brim with love and firmly held in the man¡¯s hands. People said that one should love their partner seventy percent and leave the remaining thirty to themself as a ¡®safety precaution¡¯; it would not cut that deep if they were abandoned one day. However, she thought otherwise and was not afraid to give all of her to Richard, for she knew that her man would not let her lose in love. It was then she heard a noise outside and turned around to see the iing man at the entrance. With a smile, Ang took over his shirt, but before she could hang it, he gave her a big hug. She initially thought she was the only one awfully missing him during the short separation. Yet, she now knew that Richard equally missed her judging from how tight and domineering the embrace was. He trailed her forehead to her lips with kisses, leaving her no time to hang up his clothes. ¡°You should take a shower.¡± She pushed him away. ¡°It¡¯ste.¡± ¡°Hmm. I wanted toe back early, but I had dinner with Grandpa.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not ming you. I¡¯m not worried one bit.¡± Ang smiled. ¡°What did you have for dinner?¡± Richard inquired caringly. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ve asked my assistant to send over some cereal. I¡¯m on a diet,¡± she answered naturally. As soon as she finished her words, he held her waist to measure it by spanning his hands. ¡°You don¡¯t need a diet. You¡¯re perfect as you are! Just quit it. I like you even if you¡¯re ten pounds heavier.¡± Ang burst intoughter. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna be ten pounds heavier. I mainly want to look good in the wedding dress, so I¡¯m on a diet as early as possible. I wanna look the way I want on one of the most important days of my life.¡± ¡°It is still a ¡®no¡¯. To me, you look great regardless.¡± Richard princess-carried her with ease. ¡°I like it when you¡¯re fit and healthy.¡± Ang wrapped her arms around his neck and pecked his cheek. ¡°Roger that, honey.¡± He put aside his jacket before taking a shower. She failed to finish her work due to her absent mind, but since he had returned home, she could focus on the documents. While she was busy perusing them, a phone rang. She took a glimpse at hers, which did not buzz a sound. The ringing sound could be trailed from the jacket, so she reached out to take Richard¡¯s phone. Looking at the caller ID, she realized that it was his grandfather calling and became slightly jittery. ¡°Hello, Grandpa.¡± ¡°Oh, Ang! Is Richard there with you?¡± ¡°He¡¯s home not long ago. He¡¯s in the shower right now. Is there anything urgent?¡± she asked. ¡°Nothing,¡± Phillip responded before heaving a sigh. ¡°Ang, I¡¯ve talked to him about something earlier, but he disagrees with my idea. So, I wanna speak with you.¡± ¡°Sure, you may go on.¡± ¡°Considering Richard¡¯s career, I wish the wedding to be a simple one with a gathering between the two families instead of a public ceremony. Richard doesn¡¯t see eye to eye with it because he wants to hold an ordinary wedding for you; that¡¯s why our ideas shed.¡± Ang stunned for a moment beforeforting, ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m okay without a wedding. You don¡¯t have to stress about this. I¡¯ll speak to him about it, so please don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Ang, I hope that you¡¯ll understand. I¡¯m worried about his safety. He¡¯s working for the military and there¡¯s many factors that can put his life in danger. I¡¯ve lost my son and I can¡¯t afford to lose my grandson anymore.¡± He could feel the lump in his throat while recounting. Obviously, he was upset by the dispute he had with his grandson. ¡°Grandpa, I understand. I hope you don¡¯t take it to heart and be upset about it for long. You¡¯re the most important person to him. Look, I¡¯ll discuss it with him. I¡¯m totally fine with a simple wedding. Of course, I don¡¯t wanna expose him in public and put him in danger either.¡± Phillip wasforted by her understanding. ¡°Ang, thank you for understanding. It must be hard for you to ept this. Every girl wants a grand wedding, but we can¡¯t do that for you due to Richard¡¯s job. I will make sure that hepensates for it through other means.¡± ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m alright without a wedding. To me, nothing matters more than being with him.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll leave it to you then.¡± ¡°Hmm. Don¡¯t worry, you can trust me with this. Please get some early rest.¡± After terminating the call, she looked at the second floor instinctively. She was aware that Richard quarreled with Phillip because of the conversation they shared about the wedding. He wished to hold a wedding for her and thus the guilt she was feeling right now. Indeed, it was inattentive of her; his job came with a huge risk and canceling the wedding ceremony was a form of protection for him. Furthermore, not having a wedding meant nothing to her at all. So what if I can¡¯t wear a wedding dress? That means I don¡¯t need to be on a diet anymore. Ang smiled, but her heart ached at the thought of him agitating Phillip because of her. Ang stood up and went upstairs. Hearing the sound of running water in the bathroom, she seated herself by the bed as she waited for him. Atst, Richard emerged from the bathroom with only a gray towel wrapped around his waist. He froze for a moment when he noticed her by the bed before asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Come on, take a seat. I have something to tell you,¡± Ang told him solemnly. Perplexed, the man sat next to her obediently. ¡°Did you talk to Grandpa about our wedding earlier?¡± she inquired, maintaining the solemn atmosphere. ¡°Did Grandpa call you?¡± Richard sighed before continuing, ¡°I want to give you an ordinary, traditional wedding.¡± Ang encircled his shoulders and raised her head at him. ¡°Let¡¯s just skip the wedding. We can simply have a meal with both our parents. It¡¯s okay even if we don¡¯t get the marriage certificate. Let¡¯s just live this way! I don¡¯t want to be a burden and a source of liability for you. I want you to stay powerful and indestructible forever.¡± Yep, that¡¯s right! From the moment I agreed to marry him, I am inherently agreeing to be his liability. The greatest mission of his life is to protect this very country. It¡¯s only natural that I sacrifice anything for him. ¡°Ang, do you know how much I love you?¡± The man embraced her into a tight hug. ¡°I know, and that¡¯s the only thing that matters. Everything else is secondary.¡± She smiled as she pressed against his chest before adding, ¡°I only want you.¡± ¡°I only want to give you what you deserve.¡± Richard felt sorry for her; he had failed to provide a wedding ceremony for ady like her, who was raised with love and wealth from a young age. He could not help but feel terribly guilty. ¡°Growing up, I¡¯ve had everything I desire, but there¡¯s only one of you in this world and I don¡¯t wanna risk losing you. Please contact Grandpa. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid the old man won¡¯t be able to sleep tonight. Hurry!¡± ¡°Thank you, Ang,¡± Richard said as he kissed her forehead. ¡°I¡¯m hungry, will you join me for supperter?¡± she inquired coquettishly. ¡°Of course,¡± lovingly he said. Richard went downstairs and dialed Phillip¡¯s number before informing of everything, allowing the old man to finally catch a breath of relief. With that, Ang had changed into her outing clothes and went out with her man for supper. At a bar where gangsters hung around all year, Andy brought his two buddies here to get drunk tonight as he was severely irritated, thanks to his job. Initially, he was making a lot of money and he could even earn millions per year by relying solely on rebates. As a result, he was filled with reluctance and dissatisfaction when he lost his job. ¡°You know I¡¯ve always had your back, right?¡± Andy inquired, hands on his two buddies¡¯ shoulders. ¡°Now that I¡¯m in trouble, would you mind doing me a favor?¡± ¡°Go ahead, Andy.¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°I¡¯m determined to teach that mother and daughter a lesson. I want them to understand that I, Andy Graham, am not easily intimidated by anyone. Furthermore, I was trampled under the feet by that b*tch¡¯s boyfriendst time, so that is an insult that will never be washed away in this lifetime. I must exact my vengeance.¡± ¡°Andy, we understand how you feel. We need to show them how powerful you are.¡± ¡°Ang is the most beautiful girl I¡¯ve ever seen. When you kidnap her, you must at least have some fun with her! Or else, you¡¯d just be living in regret!¡± ¡°Really? How lovely is she?¡± ¡°Let me show you a picture.¡± Andy took out his phone after finishing his speech and scrolled to a candid photograph of Ang¡¯s meeting taken by an employee. She sat there in a gray suit, looking beautiful, elegant, and full of aura under the spotlights. She made men fall in love with her at first sight. The two men next to Andy were drooling. Although they frequented bars and clubs, the girls there were beautiful but not extravagant. Ang, on the other hand, exuded the aura of a wealthydy that ordinary beauties did not possess. ¡°Kidnap her and torment her! Consider this my way of venting my rage.¡± ¡°No worries. This is something we¡¯ve done before.¡± ¡°Yeah. Who knows, we might be able to take advantage of her! It¡¯s time for us to devour some high-end delicacies.¡± Andy¡¯s heart froze as the image of Ang¡¯s boyfriend shed through his mind. He would never reveal to these two idiots that she had a powerful boyfriend. ¡°Okay, now it¡¯s entirely up to you. Let me act on it tomorrow.¡± ¡°Alright, Andy. I¡¯ll call you after I kidnap her and you cane over to have some fun as well.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Andy sneered. Early in the morning¡­ At the head office of the Trantion Department, Victoria was suffering from insomniast night despite getting all drunk and confessing her love to Renst night. It was because of that confession, which brought her consciousness back to the forefront as she realized how heartbroken she was upon seeing a young girl next to himst night. What¡¯s the rtionship between the Ruka chick and Ren? Meanwhile, her assistant had sent a stack of documents into her room while stating, ¡°Miss Parfait, this is the neer¡¯s profile for the appointment next week. Please review and sign if there are no problems!¡± ¡°Oh, by the way,¡± the assistant continued, ¡°there were originally six interns, but an intern named Ruka was added into the mix.¡± Victoria raised her head abruptly and looked at the assistant. ¡°Ruka? Who added her?¡± she eximed. ¡°It was Simon who called. If you have any questions, please direct them to him, Miss Parfait.¡± Victoria quickly flipped through the documents and noticed a youthful photograph of Ruka on thest page. Suddenly, she understood the situation. Ren appears to be the person who assigned Ruka to the Trantion Department! Though he is usually strict and his attitude at work is even stricter, I can¡¯t believe he actually back-doored Ruka. Victoria carefully read through Ruka¡¯s family background and noticed that her parents both worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Among the interns, she was thought toe from a middle-ss family as almost every other intern had a more impressive background than she did. What distinguishes Ruka as a candidate for this position? How could Ren give her a special treatment? Victoria had a sudden epiphany and decided to dial Ren¡¯s phone number. She would never pass up a chance to contact him. ¡°Hello,¡± Ren¡¯s low, maic voice spoke up. ¡°Did you get Ruka a job in the Trantion Department, Ren? Why didn¡¯t you inform me? I would have looked after her had you told me earlier,¡± Victoria said jokingly. ¡°You don¡¯t need to pay special attention to Ruka. Let her do things to the best of her abilities,¡± he responded calmly. ¡°No! I will definitely take good care of her because of our rtionship. Oh, right! What is your rtionship with her? You didn¡¯t make it clearst night! Is she someone you genuinely like?¡± There was a hint of envy in her tone. ¡°She¡¯s just a junior. There¡¯s nothing special about our rtionship,¡± he borated. ¡°Ren, are you avable tonight? As an apology for what happenedst night, I¡¯d like to treat you to a meal.¡± ¡°I¡¯m too preupied today. Let¡¯s take a raincheck. Goodbye.¡± Ren was the first to hang up the phone. Biting nervously on her red lips, Victoria could not take her eyes off the girl in the profile as a tinge of jealousy shed across her eyes. How could she not be jealous? She had loved Ren for five years and had gone almost insane for him. Not only had she squandered her youth for him, but all she got in return was avoidance and cold shoulders from Ren. As his position became more powerful, he was even more unattainable. Early in the morning, Ang received a phone call from Daphne, who was going to the hospital today. As such, Ang would need to sign some documents on behalf of her mother. Under usual circumstances, Ang would only go to thepany if there were matters to be handled. However, she arrived at the office on time at 9.30AM today. Daphne¡¯s office was overflowing with paperwork that needed to be reviewed and signed. Although Ang had not yet taken over her mother¡¯s daily tasks, she was handling them well. After all, she had previously spent a year in business school. Despite the fact that she did not graduate, she did take the year of sses seriously. In the meantime, a male employee was secretly watching her behind the pir outside the office. ¡®Ang is in thepany,¡¯ he reported, lowering his head to send a text message. ¡°Please keep an eye on her for me and contact me as soon as she heads out alone.¡± The other party delivered a voice message authoritatively. Fear could be seen on the employee¡¯s face. He used to be Andy¡¯s confidant, but now he had be his informant instead, peering over Ang¡¯s shoulder and ready to strike. Ang finished her work and realized it was nearly 11AM when her phone rang. She smiled as she answered the call. ¡°Hey! Are you here yet?¡± ¡°Come on down. I¡¯m in the underground parking garage!¡± said Richard. ¡°All right, give me five minutes.¡± Ang hung up the phone, called her assistant, and went over some important documents with the assistant before departing with her bag. When the spy employee noticed her leaving with her bag, he quickly hid in a dark corner and dialed Andy¡¯s number. ¡°Hello, Mr. Graham. Ang is making her way to the underground parking garage.¡± ¡°Follow her to see if she¡¯s going to the gate or the underground parking lot.¡± Andy gave an order. The elevator door was just about to shut before Ang when it was stopped by an employee, whom she raised her eyes at. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Meyers,¡± the employee apologized with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she replied calmly. As the employee noticed Ang pressing the elevator button to the underground parking lot, he lowered his head to send another text message. She¡¯s going to the underground parking lot.¡¯ He then exited the elevator on the seventh floor so as not to cause any troubles. Since Ang was preupied with work matters in her head, she did not regain her senses until the elevator came to a halt. She elegantly stepped out of the elevator, looked at her car, and walked in the opposite direction. In the ck off-road vehicle, Richard¡¯s eyes were as sharp as a leopard while staring at the girl approaching him. All of a sudden, two shadowy figures appeared from behind her. What? Richard¡¯s eyes narrowed as he was pushing the door open and sprinting toward Ang with his slender legs the next second. When she saw the handsome man with tension on his face, she was taken aback. ¡°Wait for me in my car,¡± Richard told Ang quietly. ¡°What about you?¡± She was surprised. ¡°I have some business to take care of. Get into the car,¡± he instructed as he patted her on the back. Ang walked toward his car as told. When she opened the front passenger door, she saw Richard walking in a specific direction. The two men had intended to approach Ang and force her to follow them with a knife, but Richard unexpectedly appeared, forcing them to hide in the dark to assess the situation. They thought they were well hidden, but as the two of them were evaluating the situation, an arm locked onto one of their shoulders and dragged the man out of the dark ce with a powerful force, mming him onto the ground. Thud! Another aplice on the ground was terrified and wanted to flee. Before the man could take a few steps forward, Richard, who was just behind him, appeared in front of him like a ghost. Fear filled the aplice¡¯s face as he quickly retreated, tripping on hispanion before falling to the ground. Both of the six feet tall rough men sat ridiculously on the ground, staring at Richard with a sullen face as chills were running down their spines. Richard¡¯s eyes were not only cold, but murderous as well. Are these two men trying to kidnap Ang? ¡°Who the hell are you guys? What were you up to?¡± Richard questioned coldly. ¡°We did nothing wrong. Why did you hit us?¡± The two rough men immediately asserted themselves while also looking at each other, contemting a way out. The men had brought their gang with them today in order to deal with Richard and take advantage of the opportunity before fleeing. Richard¡¯s inner rage was at its boiling point. Anyone who dared to touch Ang was nning their own demise. On the other hand, the woman was sitting in the car waiting for him, but she was curious what was happening. When she heard a man¡¯s voice, she alighted from the car and came over with her bag before noticing Richard with his folded arms and two middle-aged men at his feet. It was then she noticed something. ¡°Richard, be careful, they have knives!¡± she eximed as a light of reflection caught her eyes. The knives of the two men shoved toward Richard¡¯s body almost immediately. However, their armed wrists were then buckled when they were only half a palm away from Richard. Even though they were all men, they sensed a strong opposing force emanating from Richard. He sped both of their wrists at the same time and the two knives dropped onto the ground. However, before they had time to react, they saw that the saber leaving their hands was acutely caught by Richard. Swish! The sharp tip of the knives shot through the calves of the two men within the next second. ¡°Ah¡­¡± There were howls sounding like ughtered pigs in the underground parking garage. ¡°Tell me who ordered you to kidnap Ang,¡± Richard demanded coldly. ¡°We did not abduct anyone. We¡¯re going to sue you for intentional bodily harm!¡± Hearing that, Richard knelt with his eyes bloodthirsty and cold. ¡°You¡¯re sealed, huh? How about we go for another leg?¡± ¡°No, no! Okay, I¡¯ll spill. Andy Graham ordered us to kidnap Miss Meyers. We were coerced!¡± the man exined. At that point, Ang arrived with her bag as well. She was furious at these two people who had the audacity to kidnap her. She was terrified; had Richard not been around to pick her up, she would have ended up in real danger considering the men were armed. The same thought ured in Richard¡¯s head as he clenched his fist. ¡°If you dare to touch her, you can start nning your own funerals,¡± he said with his eyes darkening. The two gangsters had never seen such a terrifying pair of eyes before; they resembled a demon from hell. If they had kidnapped Ang today, the consequences would be disastrous as Richard¡¯s eyes had said it all; they would be hunted down for the rest of their lives if they attempted it again. ¡°We¡¯re sorry. We had no other choices. Please let us go.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Miss Meyers, we¡¯ve been forced.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll handle this matter. Get in the car and wait for me,¡± Richard told Ang as he stood up and walked to the side to make a phone call. She nodded and entered the car as told. Ten minutester, the two men were arrested by the police nearby. Richard then drove her to the restaurant where he had made a reservation, promising to take care of the situationter. ¡°Starting from tomorrow, you must be apanied by bodyguards wherever you go,¡± he demanded, leaving no room for counter-arguments. ¡°Okay, I was careless. I didn¡¯t expect such a threat to happen to me,¡± Ang replied as she nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t trust the general bodyguards from thepany, so I¡¯ll send two of my subordinates to protect you,¡± he stated firmly. ¡°Won¡¯t this deplete your resources?¡± she inquired, blinking. She was, after all, not a member of the organization. The use of elite soldiers and powerful generals to protect her seemed excessive. ¡°Don¡¯t be concerned. I¡¯ll make the necessary arrangements,¡± he assured with a smile. Ang was the most important person in Richard¡¯s life, naturally, her safety must not be jeopardized. Andy waster apprehended at his residence and he was still perplexed when he was arrested. He arrived at the bureau to discover that the two men he had sent had betrayed him. Needless to say, Andy would never confess his wrongdoing. He believed that no one could convict him in this case. However, his face went ghastly pale when an audio recording was yed; his instructions from that night were clearly recorded amidst the busy, loud bar. There were also recordings of his phone calls with the employees; evidence that he had previously dismissed was presented to him one by one. After all, the people behind all of this were Richard¡¯s subordinates, not regr police officers handling the case. On top of that, the evidence of Andy¡¯s embezzlement of money had been discovered one after another. It was as if there was an invisible big hand behind the scenes, exposing all of Andy¡¯s heinous actions over the years. This enigmatic power was something he could not even imagine in a thousand years. Atst, he was ovee with remorse. Who is supporting Ang? This time, Andy would be jailed undoubtedly. With only an afternoon, all of Andy¡¯s crime was fully uncovered and documented at the police station, leaving his two aplices unable to flee as well. Though Ang was not in danger this time, the event had affected her mood at the restaurant. ¡°I want to introduce you to a few people,¡± Richard said as he ced some dishes onto her te, ¡°They are my best bud, including his wife and children.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± I¡¯m looking forward to meeting your friends as well,¡± Ang responded while smiling lovingly. As she was eating, Richard told her about the close-knit rtionship with his best buddy. She was engrossed in his stories, so she set her cutlery down and listened intently while bearing her chin. ¡°Wow! You all have been through fire and water!¡± Of course, Ang was acquainted with Elliot Presgrave, the well-known business figure. ¡°I¡¯ll arrange a meeting with them. Artie is also expected to return soon.¡± Richard was also looking forward to the reunion of the trio. Ang informed her mother about the incident involving Andy that evening and Daphne immediately provided the police with the evidence she had, ensuring that that b*stard would be imprisoned for the rest of his life. Gilbert also contacted the police and asked that the situation be thoroughly investigated. During the weekend at Husson Residence, Ruka received a call from the Trantion Department on Friday afternoon, requesting her to report for duty on Monday, which arrived in the blink of an eye. At 7.30AM, she put on a professional suit along with light make-up before being sent to the Trantion Department by Scarlet¡¯s driver. The department had no high-rise structures, but only a three-story structure with strict defense. Though it may appear normal from the outside, it was heavily fortified. Working here instilled a strong sense of mission as if one had to set aside all personal emotions in order to devote oneself to a noble cause. Ruka stepped out of the car and took a look around. She could not stop herself from taking a deep breath before walking in. After a series of inspections and registrations, she was finally led to the Trantion Department¡¯s entrance. She then pushed open the door to a conference room where there were two men and two women inside that happened to be the new interns. At this precise moment, their gazes were drawn to Ruka. The new interns had already learned from internal news that another intern would be joining them. Unlike the others who had been admitted through the normal procedures, Ruka had obviously entered through the backdoor. ¡°You must be the intern who¡¯s been added recently! You¡¯re extremely lucky!¡± a girl strangely eximed as she bit her pen cap. ¡°Hello, my name is Ruka Singed,¡± the lucky girl introduced herself politely. ¡°Mia Murillo,¡± said the girl who had just spoken. ¡°Hello, my name is Caspian Gibbons,¡± a dashing young man said. ¡°I¡¯m Michelle Johnson.¡± ¡°Theodore Quintana.¡± The other two interns did not look pleasant; after all, having another intern increased their chances of being fired. As a result, they were clearly hesitant to wee any more additions. This was a silent but heatedpetition for a spot at the Trantion Department. Subsequently, another man and woman appeared; the man was chubby while the girl was arrogant as if she was born superior. Inara rkson was her name and she was said to have the most powerful background of any intern. She was the third generation of government officials¡¯ descendants, so she had a better chance of staying than anyone else here; nobody in the room was her opponent. Ruka paid close attention to her because the two girls on the opposite side lowered their heads, whispered, and looked at Inara with envy as soon as she arrived. ¡°So, you¡¯re the one who cut in line, huh?¡± Inara asked, her eyes widening with disgust. The ones who did not adore Ruka in the first ce turned to look at her as soon as these words were spoken. Only Caspian and the chubby guy seemed friendly while the other four interns saw her as a threat. Ruka¡¯s face flushed and she remained silent for a few moments. ¡°This is unfair. We are selected from thousands of applicants, yet you can just enter through connections. You should feel ashamed to be here!¡± Inara sneered, wishing Ruka would withdraw and leave. Chapter 1031-1040 Chapter 1031-1040 ¡°If my capabilities don¡¯t allow me to stay till the end, then I will naturally leave,¡± Ruka responded calmly while raising her head. ¡°Inara, I believe Ruka simply missed the assessment time. You don¡¯t have to give her a hard time.¡± Caspian tried to put in a good word for her. ¡°Yo! We haven¡¯t even started our internship yet and you¡¯re already into her? Caspian, you should worry about yourself before others,¡± Inara chastised him. ¡°Shut your nonsense,¡± Caspian rebuked with his reddened cheeks. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just quit on your own, Ruka?¡± Mia propped her chin up, a threat lurking behind her bright eyes. ¡°It¡¯s better than being booted!¡± Though Ruka was embarrassed, she was not about to back down. ¡°I said, if I¡¯m not qualified to stay, I¡¯ll leave,¡± she stated tly. ¡°Oh, wow! How can you be so sure of yourself? I¡¯m honestly curious about your secret supporter now!¡± Inara scowled as she thought, I doubt her background or connections to be more superior than mine. ¡°I heard you¡¯re just the daughter of a regr diplomat, so what¡¯s the big deal?¡± Ruka¡¯s background had already been looked up by Inara. At this point, Ruka was taken aback by her counter. Thankfully, a graceful figure entered the room; it was Victoria. When Ruka saw Victoria, her lovely eyes narrowed slightly. Victoria¡¯s beauty shone even brighter under the spotlight. She was the type of woman with a great temperament, aura, and talent. Victoria took a seat before turning to face the new interns. Finally, she paused in front of Ruka¡¯s face and looked her in the eyes for a few seconds before making her opening remarks. ¡°We only have three openings this year and I¡¯m sure you are all excellent candidates. I hope to see you guys work hard this internship, and who knows, you could be my next colleague.¡± ¡°I¡¯m excited to work with you and grow into a capable person like you, Miss Parfait.¡± Inara sucked up at her superior quickly. ¡°Yes! Me too,¡± Mia added immediately. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll look forward to your performance,¡± Victoria said with her lips pursed. ¡°Ruka, even though you came inter than the others, I believe in your ability,¡± she said while emphasizing Ruka¡¯s name. ¡°Thank you, Miss Parfait, for your favor,¡± Ruka quickly expressed her gratitude. Though Victoria was innocently looking at Ruka, she was actually contemting a question in her head, What secrets does this girl have? Is she the one Ren likes? After the orientation with the seven interns, Victoria rose to leave before summoning Ruka. ¡°Ruka, I was tipsy thest time I talked with Ren, so I hope I didn¡¯t scare you!¡± Victoria said tenderly as she led her to the corridor outside. ¡°Not at all, Miss Parfait,¡± Ruka said, shaking her head. ¡°Oh! By the way, why did Ren invite you to dinner that night? Do you guys have a close rtionship?¡± Victoria persisted in her inquiry. It was then Ren¡¯s words immediately filled Ruka¡¯s mind. Shaking her head, she exined, ¡°Mr. Husson and I share nothing inmon. We just happened to have dinner at the same time by chance.¡± ¡°Was it just a coincidence?¡± Victoria¡¯s eyes narrowed; it was difficult to fool her. Ruka lowered her head, her long eyshes concealing a twinge of guilt. ¡°Yes, I needed Miss Husson¡¯s help with something. She was not present at the time, so I met with Mr. Husson, who took me out to dinner instead.¡± Ren did not strike Victoria as aid-back individual. Aside from official business, his personal life was low-key and private. Not only did he not appear friendly, he was even a little cold to outsiders. To her surprise, he casually invited a girl to dinner! This waspletely random and absurd. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, Miss Parafit, I¡¯ll be going through the materials.¡± Ruka refused to be questioned any further. Victoria patted her and said, ¡°Okay, go ahead! Don¡¯t tell anyone that Ren rmended you.¡± Ruka¡¯s cheeks flushed slightly as she heard this. Yup! Ren introduced me, so our rtionship is definitely unusual. Victoria¡¯s eyes gradually became cold after Ruka entered the conference room. She could tell that Ruka was trying to distance herself from Ren. Is it Ren who taught her that? Victoria¡¯s heart clenched in pain. The more she inquired, the more information she gathered. Ren was obviously showing Ruka how to defend herself. Returning to the conference room, Ruka sat at the very back to avoid drawing attention to herself. But¡­ How could she not gather looks and whispers? Inara had no intention of letting her go nor had the focus to read the entry materials, so she crossed her arms and sneered, ¡°Hey, Ruka. Who did you rely on to get into this department? Why don¡¯t you tell us?¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t appear to be relying on her ability,¡± Mia responded sarcastically. Ruka ignored them by concentrating on the entry documents. This time, Theodore added fire to the fuel, ¡°Ruka, just say it! Say it to frighten them.¡± However, she only continued to ignore them while Michelle hummed, ¡°She doesn¡¯t want to tell us. You know, she probably didn¡¯te in on the right track.¡± Offended by the words, Ruka looked up at Michelle and shot back. ¡°Have some human decency.¡± ¡°You¡¯re getting agitated. What, was I correct?¡± Michelle sneered. When Caspian noticed that everyone was picking on Ruka, he could not help but speak up for her, ¡°Is everyone having fun ying the Mean Girls here? This is not high school, but the Trantion Department. Can¡¯t we just try to get along?¡± Furious, Inara red at Caspian before eximing, ¡°Why do you care so much about her, Caspian? I suggest you mind your own business. Don¡¯t forget that your father works for my father, and if I¡¯m in a bad mood, I¡¯m not afraid to deliver a few words to my father¡­ You should be aware of the consequences.¡± His fist on the table suddenly clenched tightly, clearly in rage. Ruka raised her eyes at Caspian at this point and a worried expression shed across her face. She shook her head slightly as he turned to face her, indicating that he did not have to defend her. Though Caspian only aided her in the name of justice in the beginning, his heart pounded as he gazed into her clear and glimmering eyes; there was determination in her eyes. Indeed, Ruka had made his heart race. She had an inner attraction in addition to her beautiful appearance. The team leader eventually arrived and escorted them to their assigned internship positions. Following that, they went to the cafeteria for lunch. Caspian called Ruka from behind as she walked through the garden after lunch. ¡°Ruka.¡± ¡°Thank you for standing up for me earlier,¡± Ruka thanked him gratefully. ¡°But I¡¯m not strong enough to silence them.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. It¡¯s natural for them to be disturbed due to my circumstances,¡± she exined calmly. ¡°Ruka, please do not hesitate to contact me if you require assistance in the future! I will dly assist you,¡± Caspian stated solemnly. ¡°Thank you very much. Let us encourage, assist, and progress together over the next three months.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He nodded. As Ruka was walking down therge garden aisle, she noticed Inara and her friends standing there, looking excited and admiringly in one direction. ¡°Oh my God! We¡¯re so lucky to have seen him on our first day!¡± Mia eximed, her feet splintering with excitement. ¡°I have longed to see him with my own eyes.¡± Inara was ecstatic. ¡°Oh my goodness! Tonight, he¡¯ll be in my dreams! He¡¯s so attractive!¡± Michele was equally captivated. Ruka had no idea who they were looking at as she was blocked by the trees. Out of curiosity, she approached anyway as she too had to travel down this path. Her gaze moved from the sheltered area to the road, where she noticed a few ck cars parked with a group of people standing nearby chatting. Her heart skipped a beat as her gaze was drawn to a tall figure in the crowd. Mr. Ren? Ren¡¯s body was bathed in the midday sunlight. He was speaking to an elder and there was a gentle, soft expression on his face. At this point, Ruka was dazed. Looking at the figure who could be frequently seen back at home, she found it difficult to greet him despite being a few feet away. It was as if an invisible barrier had dawned between them and she could not find the courage to go up to him. He just appeared to be so out of reach, like the sun in the sky. Although he was young, everyone admired him for his sense of authority that was not based on anger or arrogance. At that moment, Inara and the other girls were going insane and every pair of eyes was staring at Ren, piercing him to the core. Except for Ruka, who looked at him calmly with a faint smile in her eyes as if she was in awe. Perhaps even with a touch of vanity, as this man, who was unapproachable in everyone¡¯s eyes, had just invited her to a meal a few days before; she could still see and talk to him as long as she stayed in the Husson Residence. Ren had initially turned his back against the fangirls, but due to Inara and the others¡¯ antics, he turned his head slightly and looked toward them. He had only intended to cast a nce at first, but he could not take his eyes off the direction. Ruka¡¯s slender figure amidst the young girl crowd drew his attention. With her red lips, she shot him a faint smile. ¡°Oh my God! Mr. Husson is looking at me!!!¡± Mia covered her mouth in delight. ¡°He¡¯s clearly looking at me!¡± Inara screamed angrily. ¡°I think he¡¯s looking at me,¡± Michelle said, clutching her chest. Surprised, Ruka panned to the three excited girls and thought, Is it necessary for them to argue about who Ren is looking at? She lifted her head and stared right into Ren¡¯s eyes that had fallen on her. Despite their distance, she could feel her heart skip a beat as her lips curled into a wide grin. At this point, a leaf had fallen onto her hair. After noticing it, Ruka reached out to touch it, but Caspian, who was standing beside her, got to it first and gently removed it for her. As a result, she raised her head and returned a grateful smile. This scene had caught the attention of the man from not far away. The originally noble and charming man¡¯s aura became a little colder as he cast a nce at Caspian. As the boy happened to look toward the vice-president, he was instantly met with a pair of dark and frightening gaze that made him shiver. Geez, what is this weird feeling? Why is he looking at me like that? Did I offend him? At that point, Ren was about to depart as his subordinates assisted him in opening the car door before the man leaned in and climbed into the car. Atst, he was able to openly stare at the youthful and beautiful figure behind the tinted car windows. She might not be the most extravagant one, but she resembled a petal that stood out among a sea of flowers. Slowly but surely, capturing the hearts of men. ¡°Oh my God! Will we be able to speak with him in the future?¡± Inara and the others eximed after Ren¡¯s car drove away. ¡°Don¡¯t say a word. If I can be seen twice by him, I will have no regrets in this life,¡± Mia said as she clenched her fists. ¡°He is a big reason I came to work here,¡± Michelle confessed. ¡°I strongly advise you to stop daydreaming. Is Mr. Husson someone you can covet?¡± Theodore attacked them on purpose. ¡°Is fantasizing against thew? All I want to do is imagine myself marrying him one day! Hmph!¡± Inara snarled furiously. ¡°Yes! What if a single man like him falls for us?¡± Michelle exuded confidence as well. After all, what girl would be here if she was not confident in herself? Disappearing from the crowd quietly, she thought, Miss Parfait has the best chance of marrying Mr. Ren! After all, she hugged him that night and said quite a lot in his arms. It was this moment when Ruka received a notification on her phone, which piqued her interest. As she saw the iing text, her beautiful eyes narrowed as she quickly kept her phone to her chest. It¡¯s Ren! The message was straightforward. ¡®How did you find your first day of internship?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s fantastic. Mr. Ren, I appreciate your concern,¡¯ Ruka replied after she detached from the crowd. ¡®All right. Good luck and do your best.¡¯ Reading it, she felt as if she had been injected with an energy drink. ¡®I will definitely do my best,¡¯ she replied. After the brief conversation, Ren did not respond further and Ruka returned to her office. The seven interns were in arge office divided in cabins that provided them with adequate workspace. Their current work was simply more clerical in order to reflect their trantion quality. She lowered her head to trante a document in her hand when she heard Inara and the other interns enter whileughing and talking. ¡°I told them that my mother is a member and I demand to purchase that bag even if it doesn¡¯t fit me. Can you guess what the staff said?¡± Inara yelled about her shopping experience at the brand store, unting her aristocracy. The other girls were simply envious. ¡°It¡¯s now lunchtime, Ruka. Are you trying to take advantage when we rx while you catch up with your work?¡± Inara sneered as her gaze was on Ruka deep in her work. ¡°I make good use of my own time. Do you have a problem with that?¡± Ruka responded in a neither humble or arrogant manner as she raised her head. The other two girls catered to Inara in some ways, but only Ruka did not, which made the queen bee unhappy. ¡°You will never be able to outperform us on your own,¡± Inara stated unequivocally. Others had also returned to work as they too were concerned about being overtaken and losing their spot in the Trantion Department. Suddenly, Ruka¡¯s phone buzzed with an iing message prompt and she discovered it was a text sent by her friend, Rita Sommerfield. ¡®Jethro just told me that we¡¯re going to a party tonight. He wants me to notify you so that we can go together after work.¡¯ At the thought of the name, Ruka¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she realized she would be meeting Jethro tonight. ¡®Okay, I¡¯ll look for you as soon as I get off work,¡¯ she replied quickly. ¡®Why don¡¯t you confess tonight, Ruka? There¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about. The longer you drag this out, the more I¡¯m concerned about you,¡¯ Rita encouraged her. Ruka¡¯s face became extremely hot. I¡¯m not ready! But¡­ It¡¯s been three years since I had a crush on him, isn¡¯t it time for me to fight for my own happiness? I¡¯m not exactly the youngest now either¡­ ¡®Do you really think I should, Rit?¡¯ Ruka replied. ¡®Of course! I¡¯ve never met anyone who has had a crush on someone for so long. Many people confess to their crushes after a few days of falling in love.¡¯ Ruka bit her lip and struggled for a moment before dering boldly to her friend, ¡®Okay, then I¡¯ll try to confess tonight!¡¯ ¡®You can do it, girl! A beautiful woman like you will undoubtedly seed if you take the initiative to confess.¡¯ Ruka could not help but take a deep needed breath. It was true that she had been looking forward to this night as well as she had nned to confess to Jethro when she returned from abroad. Hence, she decided to summon the courage to give it a shot tonight. As soon as she finished work, she went straight looking for Rita. Since they only met up at 6.30PM, they were in a bit of a rush. ¡°How does my makeup look? Is it too light?¡± Ruka examined herself in the mirror of Rita¡¯s car. Before she could confess, her face was already flushed. ¡°You look beautiful. I¡¯m sure it will go well even if you don¡¯t wear any makeup. Honestly, you should have confessed years ago!¡± Rita assured. ¡°Don¡¯t you know? He hasn¡¯t forgotten about his ex-girlfriend.¡± Ruka exhaled a sigh. ¡°I know. The dancer girl has been clutching at him. She¡¯s afraid of being alone, so she clung to Jethro. Don¡¯t worry, though. He¡¯s already said he moved on from her. All he needs is a girl who truly loves him, which is you!¡± Ruka took a deep breath before stating, ¡°Okay, then! I hope that he¡¯ll reciprocate my feelings.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nearly time. Let¡¯s go!¡± Rita then drove to a nearby restaurant. Meanwhile, an engaged couple had arrived before them. Though the couple was doing long-distance, they maintained a good and loving rtionship despite the odds. They were all gathered here tonight to chat and reminisce about the old times over dinner. ¡°Hello, there, Rita and Ruka! It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Long time no see, Benedict and Bethanie! I¡¯ve even prepared your wedding gift! All I need now is your wedding invitation!¡± Rita said while grinning. ¡°Soon! Our wedding will take ce next year.¡± Ruka also bestowed a blessing on them. At that moment, someone entered from the outside as the waiter opened the door for them. Emerging from the entrance was Jethro, who came hand-in-hand with an elegant girl. She was wearing heavy makeup and had a maturity about her that belied her age. With a drink in her hand, Ruka froze mid-air, nearly choking on herself. Is Jethro holding hands with his ex-girlfriend? Did they rekindle their romance? ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind my plus-one! I got back together with Momo and I specially invited you guys out for dinner today to introduce her to all of you,¡± Jethro said with a smile while gently embracing the girl beside him. ¡°Hello, everyone!¡± Momo smiled as she scanned Ruka. Clearly, she had a better understanding of the people in the room. For instance, she was aware of the people who had a close rtionship with Jethro. Ritaforted Ruka by patting her hand under the table. She was also surprised to see Jethro go against his words and rekindle his rtionship with his ex-girlfriend. Now, Ruka¡¯s confession was meaningless. Furthermore, when he looked at Momo, his eyes were gentle and drawn, indicating that he had never forgotten his sultry ex-girlfriend. For a moment, the atmosphere went stiff as another guy, Justin, tried to reignite the party by diverting the subject. ¡°Why are youte? We¡¯ve been waiting for you this long, so raise a ss.¡± Throughout the night, Ruka had to sit through watching Jethro taking care of his girlfriend while his girlfriend was disying affection in front of everyone, like feeding each other and narrating their great love story. Ruka was reaching for her third ss of wine when Jethro and Momo finally left for their next party after which the others departed as well. Supporting her heartbroken friend, Rita helped Ruka into the passenger seat and solemnlyforted her, ¡°Ruka, it¡¯s no big deal. Jethro is unworthy of your affection anyway. A man who goes back to their exes is not worth your time. It¡¯s time to reim your heart and give it back to yourself. Given her virtue, Momo will eventually cheat on him.¡± Ruka abruptly covered her mouth to stop her choking sob. Her eyes welled up with tears as she uttered, ¡°N-No, don¡¯t say that. I wish them well.¡± Rita thought dissing Jethro would make Ruka feel better, but as she heard her response, she retreated her tactic and patted her instead. ¡°All right, don¡¯t cry. Let¡¯s head somewhere else to unwind. I know a cocktail bar around here! Why don¡¯t we go there and enjoy some nice atmosphere, okay?¡± ¡°All right. Let¡¯s go!¡± Ruka said. Though she was extremely upset at that time, she did not whine about it. She simply wanted to find a ce where she could be alone for a while. At the cocktail bar, Ruka noticed the alcohol menu when she was ordering before she turned to Rita and asked, ¡°If I got drunk tonight, will you send me back to your home and have a good night¡¯s sleep?¡± ¡°Without a doubt! Worst case scenario, I¡¯ll look for someone to assist me. Just get drunk, girl!¡± Rita, sensing her sadness, assured her that it would be better if she enjoyed the night with alcohol. ¡°Okay.¡± Ruka picked up her phone and dialed Scarlet¡¯s number. ¡°Aunt Scarlet, I will be staying at my ssmate¡¯s tonight.¡± ¡°What¡¯s up? Is there something important?¡± ¡°Yes. I require her assistance with my work.¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°All right. Be careful and call me if anything goes wrong,¡± Scarlet reminded Ruka. Following the call, Ruka ordered two bottles of beer. She was aware that drinking would not solve the problem, but she was in a foul mood at the time. She desired the sensation of intoxication in order to forget about her three-year crush¡­ Jethro Ortiz. Rita only had a ss of juice as her mission for the evening was to allow Ruka vent. She had been on her journey of falling in love with Jethro the entire time, so she understood Ruka¡¯s inner pain. Ring¡ª Ring¡ª Thendline in the Vice President¡¯s office rang. ¡°Hello,¡± Ren greeted as he reached out to answer it. ¡°How are you not off work yet?¡± Victoria¡¯s voice grew worried. ¡°I¡¯m leaving in a moment. Is there anything I can help you with?¡± he inquired, his brow furrowed. ¡°Do you feel lonely, Ren? I know you¡¯re always alone. I can apany you if you don¡¯t mind.¡± Her tone was rife with hints. ¡°No, thank you. You should head back and rest early,¡± he rejected calmly. ¡°Can¡¯t you be nice to me, Ren? Am I not good enough for you? Many men are interested in me, but I only want you.¡± Her painful voice was tinged with tears. ¡°You can try epting other men. Don¡¯t waste your time with me.¡± ¡°What about Ruka? What kind of rtionship do you have with her? Do you have feelings for her?¡± questioned Victoria. ¡°This is between us, so don¡¯t involve her,¡± Ren cautioned. ¡°Although you avoided this subject, the more you shy away from it, the more intrigued I be. You seem to be extremely protective of her.¡± ¡°We should only talk about work, Victoria. I¡¯m not interested in discussing anything else. Goodbye.¡± Ren hung up on her. He took a deep breath and checked his watch. It was already 9.30PM and he needed to get home. At that moment, his phone rang and it was a call from his sister. ¡°Hey, Scarlet,¡± he uttered upon picking it up. ¡°Make some time to see Mom and Dad tomorrow. They¡¯re going on and off about you again.¡± ¡°All right, I¡¯ll do my best to take some time out for them,¡± Ren replied before casually asking, ¡°Has Ruka gone home?¡± ¡°Ruka will spend the night at her ssmate¡¯s.¡± The man¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°Is it a male or female ssmate?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t dare to chime in! Even if it was a male ssmate, she¡¯s out of our control at her age. Ruka is no longer a child,¡± Scarlet said as she smiled at the other end of the phone. Ren sat on the couch after hanging up the phone with Scarlet, rubbing the area between his brows with one hand while holding the phone in the other. When his cold gaze finally rose, he picked up the phone and dialed a girl¡¯s phone number. On the other hand, Ruka was already drunk on the table when she heard her phone ringing. Keeping her spirits up, she piped up, ¡°Rit, my phone is ringing.¡± ¡°Hold on¡± Rita reached out and retrieved the phone from Ruka¡¯s bag to check the caller ID. ¡°Your uncle is calling. Do you want to answer it?¡± Ruka plopped onto the table again and closed her eyes, looking very drunk. ¡°Hello.¡± Rita had to answer the phone for her. ¡°Is Ruka next to you?¡± A maic and charming male voice came from the end of the phone and Ren recognized right away that it was not Ruka who picked up the phone. For a few seconds, Rita was stunned. What a charming young uncle he is! He has a wonderful voice! Beautiful and captivating. ¡°Oh! Hello, Ruka¡¯s uncle. I¡¯m her ssmate. She¡¯s currently too drunk to answer the phone.¡± ¡°Where is she?¡± he asked in a low voice. ¡°We¡¯re at a cocktail bar!¡± ¡°Send me the address and I¡¯ll meet you there,¡± Ren instructed with a calm voice. ¡°Uh¡­ Ruka said she¡¯d spend the night at my house. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of her,¡± Rita quickly assured. However, he insisted oning despite her assurance. ¡°Please send me the address, I¡¯lle over now.¡± Ritacked the courage to refuse Ruka¡¯s uncle, so she could only reply, ¡°Okay. Wait a second. I¡¯ll send you the address.¡± After the phone call, she texted the address from Ruka¡¯s phone and patted her on the back. ¡°Ruka, wake up now. Your uncle is on his way to pick you up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to stay at your ce.¡± Ruka licked her red lips, clearly inebriated and in a different ce. ¡°Your uncle insisted on picking you up and I¡¯m powerless to stop him!¡± Rita eximed helplessly. ¡°By the way, why do you have an uncle? Isn¡¯t your mother the only child? Is he your biological uncle?¡± Ruka propped up her flushed face and opened her pair of drunken eyes while giggling. ¡°I have an uncle, who is very¡­ very handsome! Well, he is not my biological uncle, but he is kind to me¡­¡± Rita was perplexed by Ruka¡¯s response. ¡°Then, can I hand you over to him? He isn¡¯t a bad person, is he?¡± ¡°Huh? He is¡­¡± Ruka shook her head and pursed her red lips. ¡°I can¡¯t reveal who he is¡­ He won¡¯t allow me to mention his identity in public¡­¡± Rita was at a loss for words. It seemed like she needed to observe Ruka¡¯s uncle before letting her go. How could she let him take a drunk Ruka home if he was not her blood-rted uncle? Meanwhile, a ck sedan, escorted by three ck off-road vehicles, was driving toward a bustling neighborhood around the city from the direction of the White House. The vehicle came to aplete halt right in front of the cocktail bar. The sound of the passenger¡¯s seat car door opening could be heard as soon as the bodyguard stepped out of the car. ¡°Sir, let¡¯s escort Miss Singed!¡± the bodyguard said to the man who stepped out of the car. Ren made a motion with his hand. He had to go in and personally pick her up as Ruka was most likely very drunk. On the way here, he had been thinking about the reason why she had gotten drunk. Did she have a hard time at her internship today? Or did something go wrong? The two bodyguards went in right away to the bar before Ren quickly stepped in. The lighting in the bar created a very sentimental environment. The spotlights trailed slowly along the customers while the youngsters were seen grooving to the music, chatting andughing. Rita was seated somewhere facing the main entrance. Since she was waiting for someone¡¯s arrival, she would pay special attention to everyone who came in. At that moment, she was the first to notice when two tall men in suits walked in. Their demeanor reminded her of private bodyguards in a Hollywood blockbuster. However, she was not sure why such bodyguards would be present. Immediately after, a tall figure appeared. Despite his suit, the dim light could not hide his noble and extraordinary temperament. He was looking for someone as soon as he walked in. When Rita noticed him staring at their table, he approached them with steady steps. At this point, Rita¡¯s heart was racing. God! Is he Ruka¡¯s uncle? She could not see his face due to the dim lighting, but she could sense his powerful aura and vaguely make out his outline. However, when the man approached them, she secretly cried out. Oh my God! Such a handsome young man! Ren looked at Ruka, who was lying on the table, unsure if she was asleep or drunk. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Ruka¡¯s uncle. I¡¯m going to take her home now,¡± he said to Rita. For some reason, Rita had the impression that she had seen Ren before, but she was sure that he was not a celebrity¡­ He¡­ He looks like¡­ Where did I see him before? ¡°Are you Ruka¡¯s biological uncle?¡± Rita still needed to figure out who he was in order to keep her friend safe, not to mention his two stern bodyguards. If something happened to Ruka, Rita would be wronged for the rest of her life. ¡°I¡¯m not, but I promise I¡¯ll get her home safely,¡± Ren stated honestly in a low and distinct voice. ¡°Ruka, your uncle has arrived. Get up, ¡± Rita called out, though her heart was pounding. Ruka blinked her eyes open and turned to face the man beside her. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°Ruka, let me take you home,¡± Ren leaned closer to her and spoke quietly. On the other hand, Rita locked her gaze on Ren¡¯s face for a few seconds before recalling where she had seen him. ¡°You are the vice presi¡ª¡± she eximed excitedly. Ren¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly as he made a shush gesture toward her. She hurriedly covered her mouth with her hand, but she was screaming inside. Ahhhhhh! Ruka¡¯s uncle is the vice president! Oh my God! I can¡¯t believe I had the pleasure of speaking with Mr. Husson! ¡°Why did she get so drunk?¡± Ren asked as he turned to look at Rita. Not daring to lie in front of such an influential man, she swiftly responded, ¡°Ruka confessed her feelings to a guy she had been secretly in love with for the past three years and she ended up finding out that he had gotten back together with his ex-girlfriend. So¡­ She¡¯s drinking her sorrows away.¡± At that moment, Ren¡¯s expression darkened as he nced at the girl¡¯s porcin-white skin. He leaned down to slide his arms under hers and take her into his embrace. Subsequently, he swept her off her feet and carried her away. Since Ruka¡¯s body felt limp, she cooperated by reaching out to wrap her arms around his neck as soon as he took her into his arms. She leaned her little head into the crook of his firm arms, feeling safe and warm. ¡°You should head home as well,¡± Ren reminded Rita. She nodded in haste. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll leave right now.¡± Rita had already footed the bill, so she grabbed her bag and trailed after them. She watched as a drunk Ruka was cradled like a child and carried into the waiting car. After the car door was shut, the ck- colored car then disappeared into traffic. As soon as Rita came back to her senses, she could not help jumping in excitement. I saw Mr. Vice- President tonight! It¡¯s not a dream, right? Not only was Ren very handsome, but he also had a very sexy figure. Meanwhile, Ruka leaned half of her body into Ren¡¯s arms to stabilize herself in the car. Her lustrous, soft and thick dark hair flowed freely into his arms. He continued to hold her firmly by the waist as she leaned against his shoulders. Ren lowered his head to look at the drunk girl in his arms and he could smell the light scent of florals on her hair. He could easily secure an arm around her slender waist and her even breathing sound was audible in his ears. At that moment, he could see her upturned little face and dainty, rosy lips as he lowered his eyes. She¡¯s such a brat! How could she get drunk because of a man? Suddenly, Ruka, who¡¯s originally asleep, opened her eyes slightly as she seemed to have regained her senses. ¡°Mr. Ren, I don¡¯t want to go home¡­¡± Ruka pouted as she pleaded. ¡°Then, where would you like to go?¡± he asked in a low voice. ¡°I¡¯ll go over to your ce and crash on the couch for the night. Can I?¡± Although Ruka was drunk, she was aware of her condition and did not want to go home in such a drunken state. If word of this got to her parents abroad, then they would definitely be worried. As such, Ren paused for a few seconds before saying to his bodyguard, ¡°Head back to my ce.¡± The convoy of cars instantly made a simultaneous detour at the traffic lights and drove off in the opposite direction. Ruka looked at the sh of street lights outside the window with the darkened night skies in the background. She could not seem to contain the burst of strong emotions that welled up within her. She bit hard on her lips as tears suddenly streamed down her face before she started to sob softly. Ren instinctively looked down to check on her as he asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ruka was currently in a very fragile state emotionally, so she did not pay much thought to the person next to her or the situation she was in. She was just focused on venting her unhappy and deste feelings. ¡°I was in love with him for three years. That¡¯s three years of my life, but in the end, I didn¡¯t even stand a chance at all. I didn¡¯t even get to confess my feelings¡­¡± She felt much more aggrieved as she brought up her sadness and the tears streamed down her face from the side of her eyes uncontrobly. The street lights outside shone through the window and he could clearly see everything in front of him. He could not help his furrowed brows and his expression wasplex. She seemed to treat him as a confidante as she sniffled and continued, ¡°Those three years of liking him secretly was torturous. I tread carefully and befriended him; I showed concern and took good care of him; I would always wish him well during every single festival of the year because I didn¡¯t want him to forget about me. Sobs¡­ He still ended up getting back together with his ex-girlfriend¡­¡± As soon as Ruka mentioned this, she turned around and snuggled into Ren¡¯s arms. She seemed to be in need of someone to support her and she even wiped her tears on his expensive suit. Ren patted her on the back quite gently as heforted her calmly, ¡°There is nothing to be sad about. He lost someone who cared about him while you didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t get it¡­ You wouldn¡¯t be able toprehend how much it hurts to harbor feelings for someone secretly¡­¡± she spoke in a muffled tone with her face buried in his arms. At that moment, there was a sh of a pained smile across Ren¡¯s lips. After all, he knew better than her theplicated feeling behind being secretly in love with someone¡­ However, the person he was secretly in love with was currently in his arms, confiding her love for someone else to him. As Ruka sobbed, it suddenly dawned upon her whose arms she was currently in and who she was clinging onto. Immediately, she grasped his shoulders for support and tried to get up. Just as she had gotten up, a reckless car zipped through the traffic, causing the bodyguard to m on the emergency brakes to avoid the car. Instantly, the girl holding onto Ren¡¯s shoulders for support felt a huge shove and she tumbled toward the front. Subsequently, her red lipsnded on his perfect-looking thin lips. Shocked in her drunken state, her eyes immediately widened as she covered her mouth. However, she felt another force that pushed her into his arms and she ended up hugging him tightly as she remained clinging to his neck. Ren lowered his head as the girl in his arms lifted her head anxiously. At that moment, their gazes met, and there was a dark look in the man¡¯s eyes while the woman had a clear but flustered look in hers. At such close proximity and paired with the intimacy they shared from earlier, it felt as if a forbidden spell had been lifted between them. Even though the interior of the car was considered to be quite roomy and spacious, the space felt so tiny to Ruka that she found it hard to breathe. She had nowhere else to escape to, so she clutched her chest and got out of his arms. At that moment, her heart thudded frantically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Embarrassed, Ruka apologized to him and inched her head as close to the side car window as possible and she seemed to think that by doing so, she could separate herself from the fact that she had just kissed him. Normally, she trusted that he would definitely ept her apology but today, despite her repeated attempts to apologize, he refused to acknowledge and ept it. It felt as if he refused to disregard the kiss. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t do this intentionally,¡± Ruka stammered as she added that sentence. It seemed that she was now quite alert and no longer in a drunken stupor. Ren tilted his head and nced at her, who was trembling as she tried to hide, with an intent look in his eyes. Finally, he scoffed derisively, ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± There were a handful of people that one didn¡¯t necessarily need to see every day or even every year, but they would always hold a special ce in one¡¯s heart and be missed dearly. As she suffered from anxiety and travel sickness, Ruka suddenly felt a wave of nausea and she quickly covered her mouth. Yet, she humiliated herself as she threw up out of the car window and made a mess of her jacket and the front of the sweater she had on. Ren reached out and grabbed a stack of tissues before handing them to her as she scrambled to take them from him. She had one hand half-covering her mouth while the other hand was busy wiping off the mess on the front of her clothes. Her face burned with embarrassment. How humiliating! I can¡¯t believe that I threw up in his car. Fortunately, they arrived at Ren¡¯s house soon enough and the bodyguard drove the car past iron- wrought gates surrounded by high walls. Behind the iron gates was a low-lying mansion or in fact, it could be also regarded as a bigger-sized house. The house was shrouded by trees and under the night sky, it quite clearly took up significant space too. The bodyguard opened the door and Ruka instantly leaped out of the car impatiently. She squatted by the bushes at the side and threw up quite ufortably. She generally abstained from alcohol but she had too much to drink tonight and paired with the ufortable car ride, she felt quite nauseous. Ren turned to his bodyguards and instructed, ¡°You guys can leave first.¡± The bodyguards nodded and subsequently, they drove out of the gates and the sturdy gates were finally gradually drawn shut. Ruka was dizzy from all the throwing up and she couldn¡¯t quite control the tears from streaming down her face. At this moment, someone next to her handed over some tissues to her and she hastily wiped her face before getting up from the ground. She then looked up to see Ren looking at her intently with concern in his eyes. They were currently standing in a garden where there was a brightly lit-up mansion and a vast scenery of thendscape behind them. ¡°Is this your home?¡± This was the first time Ruka visited his ce and the mansion looked quite subtle yet it was worthy of his status. ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s go inside.¡± Ren nodded. Ruka suddenly regretted her decision. She would rather return to Husson Residence in her sorry state and sit through a lecture than throw up all over herself and end up reeking badly of alcohol while being stuck in the same house with Ren all by herself. However, his bodyguards had left so if she requested to go back to Husson Residence right now at this time of the night, it would be disrupting the bodyguards¡¯ rest which would be quite wilful of her to do so. As such, she decided there and then that she would just wing it and see how things went. ¡°Mr. Ren, do you have any fresh clothes I can change into? I would like to take a shower.¡± Ruka voiced out impatiently because her sleeves were soaked from her vomit and it reeked badly. Her jacket was not spared either and she felt quite ufortable. Ren narrowed his eyes and considered the situation before shaking his head. ¡°I don¡¯t have any women¡¯s clothing here.¡± She was stunned for a moment before she blinked her eyes and asked, ¡°Haven¡¯t any other females stayed over at your ce?¡± She wished so badly for him to have even a single female outfit that she could change into. He gave a definite answer, ¡°You¡¯re the first female to enter my house.¡± At that point, she was rendered speechless. Should I be honored? However, she was currently stuck here without a change of clothes. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, you could make do for the night by wearing my sweater,¡± Ren suggested. Ruka considered the situation and figured that she had no choice right now, so she had to wear his clothes. Actually, she could have requested for him to send his bodyguards to get her a change of clothing but she didn¡¯t like to be too much of a bother so she didn¡¯t end up making that request. ¡°Okay. Hand me one of your white shirts then.¡± Ruka thought, Well, his shirt is the only option I have. She realized that his shirt would be too long and oversized for her so she had no choice but to wear it as a dress. She trailed after Ren and went upstairs. He went into the walk-in closet, and in no time, he came out with a clean white shirt and handed it to her while giving her directions to the washroom. Ruka hastily scrambled off in that direction after that. Inside the washroom, she impatiently stripped herself, and she kept her underwear and jeans aside. She stood under the shower unit and instantly felt refreshed. She was covered in water droplets as she shut her eyes to enjoy the warm moment. All of a sudden, she suddenly recalled the moment in the car from before and how she had taken advantage of Ren. Her expression turned gloomy as she covered her face. That was so embarrassing. How could I possibly have kissed him? And it was on the lips too! Although Ruka had barely met him since she knew him, he was Scarlet¡¯s younger brother after all, so he was considered to be one of her elders. Even if it was just a mere term of address, his position as her elder remained. She was close to tears by then, and she realized that alcohol indeed had a bad influence on one. She had gotten into huge trouble due to the alcohol. At that point, she was determined to abstain from alcohol from then on. At that moment, she hadpletely forgotten about the fact that Jethro had gotten back together with his ex-girlfriend. She was now quite troubled by the fact that she had kissed Ren. Just then, Ruka was fully alert from her drunken stupor and the crush she harbored had also ended on a sad note. There would not be any future for them, so she knew that she should tame her heart and focus on work. Ruka subsequently washed her hair, and as she applied some shower gel on herself, she couldn¡¯t contain her shyness. All of these items that I¡¯ve just used are items that Ren usually uses! Once she got out of the shower cubicle and stood on the mat, she blushed red as she realized that there was only one single towel there and it belonged to him. She was dripping wet from head to toe, so she couldn¡¯t possibly avoid using the towel. Ultimately, she ended up using it. Finally, she put on her underwear and grabbed his shirt to put it on before buttoning it up properly. The material of the shirt was silky-soft and of top quality. The material draped off her skin, and it was perfectly ironed without a single crease. It was no wonder Ren had great taste in his outfits. The shirt looked quite sexy and elegant. She grabbed the hair dryer by the side and blow-dried her hair carefully as shemented to herself, Am I actually the first female to enter his house? Could it be that Victoria has never been to his house? But then they¡¯re quite close and they seem to have dated each other before. After quite some time, Ruka finally dried her hair, and she nced at herself in the mirror. Although she was about to turn twenty-four, the white shirt she had on made her appear much younger than her age. She felt quite shy about being in his shirt. Ruka came out of the washroom, and she had already hand-washed her stained clothes, but she wanted to look for the washing machine to run the clothes through the machine one more time before using the dryer. She hoped that they would be ready for her by tomorrow morning. ¡°Are you done showering?¡± Behind her, a man¡¯s low voice rang out. Ruka quickly turned around and, under the dim lights, he had one hand tucked into the pocket of his trousers as he stood behind her in a straight and elegant posture. ¡°Yup! I¡¯m done showering. Where is your washing machine? I would like to wash my clothes again using the machine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s in the left-most room on the first floor,¡± he replied. ¡°Okay.¡± Ruka rushed off downstairs with her clothes after saying that, and the man behind her curved his lips into a smile. He felt that she looked quite adorable dressed in his shirt. Ruka switched on the washing machine power button and selected the dryer mode as well before walking out to the living room.Ren narrowed his eyes and considered the situation before shaking his head. ¡°I don¡¯t have any women¡¯s clothing here.¡± She was stunned for a moment before she blinked her eyes and asked, ¡°Haven¡¯t any other females stayed over at your ce?¡± She wished so badly for him to have even a single female outfit that she could change into. He gave a definite answer, ¡°You¡¯re the first female to enter my house.¡± At that point, she was rendered speechless. Should I be honored? However, she was currently stuck here without a change of clothes. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, you could make do for the night by wearing my sweater,¡± Ren suggested. Ruka considered the situation and figured that she had no choice right now, so she had to wear his clothes. Actually, she could have requested for him to send his bodyguards to get her a change of clothing but she didn¡¯t like to be too much of a bother so she didn¡¯t end up making that request. ¡°Okay. Hand me one of your white shirts then.¡± Ruka thought, Well, his shirt is the only option I have. She realized that his shirt would be too long and oversized for her so she had no choice but to wear it as a dress. She trailed after Ren and went upstairs. He went into the walk-in closet, and in no time, he came out with a clean white shirt and handed it to her while giving her directions to the washroom. Ruka hastily scrambled off in that direction after that. Inside the washroom, she impatiently stripped herself, and she kept her underwear and jeans aside. She stood under the shower unit and instantly felt refreshed. She was covered in water droplets as she shut her eyes to enjoy the warm moment. All of a sudden, she suddenly recalled the moment in the car from before and how she had taken advantage of Ren. Her expression turned gloomy as she covered her face. That was so embarrassing. How could I possibly have kissed him? And it was on the lips too! Although Ruka had barely met him since she knew him, he was Scarlet¡¯s younger brother after all, so he was considered to be one of her elders. Even if it was just a mere term of address, his position as her elder remained. She was close to tears by then, and she realized that alcohol indeed had a bad influence on one. She had gotten into huge trouble due to the alcohol. At that point, she was determined to abstain from alcohol from then on. At that moment, she hadpletely forgotten about the fact that Jethro had gotten back together with his ex-girlfriend. She was now quite troubled by the fact that she had kissed Ren. Just then, Ruka was fully alert from her drunken stupor and the crush she harbored had also ended on a sad note. There would not be any future for them, so she knew that she should tame her heart and focus on work. Ruka subsequently washed her hair, and as she applied some shower gel on herself, she couldn¡¯t contain her shyness. All of these items that I¡¯ve just used are items that Ren usually uses! Once she got out of the shower cubicle and stood on the mat, she blushed red as she realized that there was only one single towel there and it belonged to him. She was dripping wet from head to toe, so she couldn¡¯t possibly avoid using the towel. Ultimately, she ended up using it. Finally, she put on her underwear and grabbed his shirt to put it on before buttoning it up properly. The material of the shirt was silky-soft and of top quality. The material draped off her skin, and it was perfectly ironed without a single crease. It was no wonder Ren had great taste in his outfits. The shirt looked quite sexy and elegant. She grabbed the hair dryer by the side and blow-dried her hair carefully as shemented to herself, Am I actually the first female to enter his house? Could it be that Victoria has never been to his house? But then they¡¯re quite close and they seem to have dated each other before. After quite some time, Ruka finally dried her hair, and she nced at herself in the mirror. Although she was about to turn twenty-four, the white shirt she had on made her appear much younger than her age. She felt quite shy about being in his shirt. Ruka came out of the washroom, and she had already hand-washed her stained clothes, but she wanted to look for the washing machine to run the clothes through the machine one more time before using the dryer. She hoped that they would be ready for her by tomorrow morning. ¡°Are you done showering?¡± Behind her, a man¡¯s low voice rang out. Ruka quickly turned around and, under the dim lights, he had one hand tucked into the pocket of his trousers as he stood behind her in a straight and elegant posture. ¡°Yup! I¡¯m done showering. Where is your washing machine? I would like to wash my clothes again using the machine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s in the left-most room on the first floor,¡± he replied. ¡°Okay.¡± Ruka rushed off downstairs with her clothes after saying that, and the man behind her curved his lips into a smile. He felt that she looked quite adorable dressed in his shirt. Ruka switched on the washing machine power button and selected the dryer mode as well before walking out to the living room. Chapter 1041-1050 Chapter 1041-1050 Although it was snowy outside, the temperature inside the room was warm, and at that moment, there were sounds of footstepsing from the second floor. Ruka lifted her head and saw Ren¡¯s figure. He had just taken a shower too. He was dressed in a ck sweater paired with a pair of trainers. His dark hair was not slicked-up like how it was in the daytime but was currently tousled loosely on his forehead. He looked five years younger than his actual age. Ruka¡¯s heart thudded frantically, and she couldn¡¯t help recalling that kiss as her face flushed bright red. Ren had a jacket draped on his wrist. As he stood in front of her, he handed it over to her. ¡°Put this on if you feel cold.¡± Ruka reached out to take the jacket, and she put it on subsequently. Ren then went to pour a ss of warm water to hand it to her. ¡°Thank you.¡± Ruka was sincerely grateful for his kind concern. ¡°Do you really like him that much?¡± Ren sat by the couch on the side and picked up a book casually before flipping through it. Ruka held the mug as she recalled how she had sobbed in a drunken state and had even spouted nonsense to him in the car. Now that she hade back to her senses, she felt quite awkward and was so tempted to bury her head in the ground. ¡°I¡¯ve caused a disturbance toward you tonight.¡± Ruka pursed her lips and sneaked a furtive look at his expression. ¡°In the future, no matter the trouble you encounter, you should never touch alcohol again.¡± The man lifted his head, and there was amanding aura in his eyes. At that moment, a shudder ran through her and she quickly nodded earnestly. ¡°Sure, I promise you that I won¡¯t ever drink alcohol at random again.¡± ¡°You¡¯re worth someone much better.¡± There was aplicated look in Ren¡¯s eyes as he looked at her. Ruka was at her least confident moment tonight and her unrequited love had ended up on a sad note, so evidently, she didn¡¯t think that she was worthy of being loved. She puffed her cheeks and spoke with a self-defeated tone, ¡°It¡¯s fine even if no one loves me. I can provide myself with sufficient self-love and that¡¯s enough for me.¡± ¡°Who told you that no one loves you?¡± He narrowed his eyes. Ruka lifted her head and asked him a question, ¡°Who is it that loves me?¡± ¡°I love you very much.¡± His voice was slightly hoarse and there was a rarely seen tender expression on his cold face. At that moment, Ruka¡¯s mind turned nk. Did Mr. Ren misunderstand something? I mean romantic love between opposite genders, not the type of love from an elder! For a moment there, Ruka was in a slight dilemma, and she wondered if she needed to exin things to him. However, Ruka waspletely oblivious to the fact that the love he meant had nothing to do with the love of an elder. He meant romantic love between a man and a woman. ¡°Thanks for loving me.¡± Ruka smiled politely. ¡°Do you love me?¡± He asked her in return. Evidently, he wanted an answer from her regarding this topic of love. Ruka responded practically instantly without any hesitation, ¡°Of course I do! Everyone loves you! Do you know that there are many girls out there infatuated with you to the point of extreme! They would give anything at all to marry you!¡± Ruka said this with an expression full of admiration. ¡°Do you wish to marry me too?¡± He focused on her final sentence and questioned her once again. ¡°I would of course wish to¡­¡± Before she could finish her words, she ced a hand over her mouth hastily. Her pretty eyes widened and she shook her head hard before removing her hand over her mouth as she apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Ren. I nearly said the wrong thing. I definitely would not be able to marry you.¡± At that point, Ren¡¯s thin lips were tightly pursed and his brows were tightly furrowed. He suddenly increased his force as he turned the page of the book, and he nearly ripped the paper from the book. Ruka was startled and looked at the book in his hand as she wondered why he suddenly used so much force to flip the page. ¡°Go and get some rest.¡± He kept his eyes on the book while voicing out, ¡°Take the third bedroom on the left of the second floor.¡± Meanwhile, Ruka felt slightly lost. Did I say something wrong? It feels like he¡¯s unhappy. Ruka got up and headed upstairs, but she realized that he had put down his book and got up too. Out of courtesy, she stopped by the staircase and waited for him. He lifted his head to see that she was still standing by the staircase, so he gradually made his way, step by step, to her side before speaking up in a slightly hoarse voice, ¡°Go to your room.¡± Ruka could perceptively sense that he seemed to be suppressing something. Did my sudden presence disrupt his life? ¡°Mr. Ren, are your bodyguards on standby 24/7? Could you please get them to send me back to Husson Residence?¡± Ruka asked bravely as she realized that she would feel much more at ease back home. Ren seemed quite affable and easy to get along with at Husson Residence, and she had seen him in the garden when he was working. He had a superior attitude and exuded a prestigious aura. However, after interacting with him personally in private, she felt that he seemed pretty schemeful and hard to predict. Besides, he made one feel quite pressured. ¡°Do you wish to go home?¡± He had just taken a few steps up the stairs when he suddenly turned around to look at her. ¡°I feel like I might have been disruptive,¡± Ruka expressed herself quite frankly. ¡°They¡¯ve gone off work, so they can¡¯t send you home.¡± Ren turned around after saying that. Ruka quickly went after him. ¡°I thought they were supposed to be on standby 24/7? They would definitely send me home if you gave them the word.¡± They had just arrived at the foyer when Ruka ran over in haste while he stood still and turned around to look at her. At that moment, they collided slightly with each other. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Ruka leaned backward out of fright, and it was the staircase behind her, so it would be quite a nasty fall for her if she actually toppled down the stairs. Ruka reached out to grasp at something out of desperation, and Ren¡¯s eyes suddenly widened as he quickly reached out to grab her wrist. Subsequently, he pulled her back toward him, and shortly after that, he held her tightly in his arms. During that spur of the moment of worry, he grabbed the back of her head with hisrge hands, and after rescuing her, he gave her a tight hug. Ruka hugged him tightly around the waist as well, out of fright, and her heart thudded hard. She felt as if she had just barely escaped death, so she was quite pleasantly shocked, and yet the fear lingered on too. ¡°Why did you run after me in such a rush at a staircase?¡± There was an anxious, chiding voice that rang out above her head. Ruka lifted her head in fright and finally noticed that he was in such close proximity to her with his head lowered. They were so close to each other that she could feel his short breaths hitting her forehead. At that moment, she couldn¡¯t help but breathe irregrly. She was currently quite flustered as she tried to say something, but she couldn¡¯t seem toe up with a full sentence in her mind due to the messy thoughts she had. Furthermore, their current hugging position felt quite intimate. In Ren¡¯s arms, Ruka opened and shut her red lips repeatedly as she tried toe up with the words to say. As soon as Ren saw that, he couldn¡¯t quite suppress his urge. He felt his throat tighten and the look in his eyes darkened significantly. At that moment, Ruka was quite anxious too. Why is he hugging me so tightly? Just then, Ruka was about to lift her head when her eyes were met with a pair of dangerous-looking eyes. That didn¡¯t seem like the look an elder would reveal to a younger member of his family. It was the primal look of a man studying a woman. Ruka stopped breathing at that point, and something went off in her mind. ¡°Uncle¡­¡± However, he refused to let her finish her sentence as he quite domineeringly nted a kiss on her red lips, and subsequently, he managed to muffle her words. Ren hated that form of address because he didn¡¯t want to hear that from her lips at all. At that point, Ruka stiffened, and her mind was a mess. She could no longer figure things out in her mind properly. She felt his soft touch on her lips, and perhaps he didn¡¯t want to frighten her, so he didn¡¯t kiss her too intensely. It felt as if he was savoring the sweetness of her lips. Ruka hadn¡¯t yete to her senses as to how the kiss happened, but he had already released her from his arms. He whispered in her ears, ¡°Ruka, I love you. I love you romantically, the way a man loves a woman.¡± At that point, Ruka¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she shoved him aside. She turned around and ran off toward the third bedroom on the left before pushing open the door and burrowing into the room. She hyperventted as if she had justpleted a marathon. No. No. No. That can¡¯t be possible. This is not possible at all! How could he possibly be in love with me?! Ruka felt as if she were about to pass out. This man, whom she had regarded as an elder since she was young, had suddenly confessed his love to her. He was such an impressive man too, so she couldn¡¯t quite ept the fact. Ruka¡¯s mind was scrambled at that moment and she remained in a dazed state for quite some time. In her mind, she could only hear the words that Ren had whispered in her ears, ¡°Ruka, I love you. I love you romantically, the way a man loves a woman.¡± She covered her face with her hands and blushed to the tips of her ears. This must be the most inconceivable thing that had happened in her life. What should I do? Currently, she was frantic, and she panicked quite badly. She was the one who was supposed to confess her love for Jethro tonight, but now she was the recipient of another guy¡¯s love confession. Besides, the guy was not just any other man; he was an elderly figure whom she respected and was in awe of. She felt quite lost at the moment, and she felt as if she had barged into Ren¡¯s territory identally. She wasn¡¯t quite sure of what to do. Just then, there was a knock on Ruka¡¯s door, and her pretty eyes instantly widened in fear. She nced at the door and was fearful of opening it, but she didn¡¯t dare not to either. She had no choice but to open a tiny crack of the door from the inside and reveal a pair of shy-looking eyes to stare at the man outside. ¡°U-Mr. Ren¡­ Do you have anything else to say?¡± Ruka realized that she could no longer address him as naturally as before. The man outside the door had one hand holding onto the door frame as he looked at the girl, who only dared to reveal half of her face. At that point, he felt resigned and slightly worried, so he asked hoarsely, ¡°Did I startle you?¡± ¡°No.¡± Ruka shook her head and lowered it shyly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I take back my words from earlier, so don¡¯t take them seriously.¡± Ren¡¯s voice sounded hoarser than ever, and he seemed to be muttering a remorseful reply. Ruka, who had her head lowered, suddenly lifted it abruptly. ¡°No! I¡¯m happy that you¡¯ve got feelings toward me, but I¡­ I didn¡¯t expect that at all.¡± Ruka lowered her head further, quite shyly. ¡°You should get some rest.¡± Ren turned around and left after talking it out with her. Ruka shut the door behind her subsequently, and she felt that her mind was quite fuzzy at the moment. She attributed that to the fact that perhaps she was still under the influence of alcohol. The incident from before felt like a dream to her. She fell back onto the bed and shut her eyes instantly. In her dazed state, she caught a whiff of male scent, and she instantly opened her eyes wide as she lifted her arms. At that moment, she realized that Ren¡¯s distinct scent remained on the shirt. She blushed at that realization, and she thought, I¡¯m still wearing his shirt! Gosh! It seems that everything that has happened has exceeded our previous rtionship and it has now gone out of control. Ruka enjoyed a good night¡¯s sleep, and even the scene in her dreams was perfect, so as soon as she opened her eyes, she was under the impression that she was back in her room at Husson Residence. However, as she was stretching her body, she noticed the ceiling of the room and instantly sat upright. She realized then that she wasn¡¯t at home and that this was Ren¡¯s home. Where¡¯s my cell phone and what¡¯s the time? I¡¯ve got to work today! I can¡¯t possibly arrivete on just the second day of my internship! At that moment, she was in a frenzied state. She pulled open the door to the room and ran downstairs to search for her cell phone with her long hair billowing freely in a messy state. She thought, It should be on the couch. However, she had just arrived downstairs when she noticed that Ren was currently all suited up and standing in front of the doorway as he spoke with a young man. At that moment, Ruka was significantly startled. She was currently dressed in Ren¡¯s shirt, and the wide lapels of the shirt emphasized her slender and slim figure. Her flowing, dark luscious hair was loose at the back of her head and her rosy cheeks made her look quite adorable. She had ruby-red lips, and there was a slightly dazed look in her eyes. It was quite early in the morning, but the scene was kind of seductive and yet innocent at the same time. Ren¡¯s eyes widened, and he was shocked by the scene in front of him. He instantly shot a sharp look at his personal assistant, Elijah. Initially, Elijah had his eyes intently on Ruka, but as soon as Elijah noticed Ren¡¯s sharp look, he instantly retracted his gaze and kept his eyes to himself. He stopped staring at what he was not supposed to look at. Meanwhile, Elijah thought to himself, It¡¯s no wonder Mr. Husson looked sleep-deprived today. It¡¯s because someone else filled up his sleep time. This is the first time ever that I¡¯ve seen a girl in Mr. Husson¡¯s house. Does this mean that he¡¯s no longer the most sought-after bachelor in town? However, at that moment, the girl addressed Ren, and Elijah was instantly dumbfounded. ¡°Mr. Ren, did you see my bag?¡± She asked in a clear voice, but there was an evident note of anxiety in her voice. Ren pointed at the couch. ¡°It¡¯s over there.¡± Ruka ran over to grab her bag, and she quickly took a nce at her cell phone. Subsequently, she eximed loudly, ¡°Ah! It¡¯s nine o¡¯clock! I¡¯mte for work!¡± Elijah swiftly came to his senses at that point. Hold on! Is she Miss Singed, who usually stays at Husson Residence?! I¡¯m quite honored to have met her for the first time. She¡¯s cute. Ruka grabbed her bag and the jacket she left on the couchst night. Her hair was unkempt, she hadn¡¯t even freshened up, and the shirt she had on clearly belonged to a male. She turned to Ren and said, ¡°Mr. Ren, could you get your bodyguards to send me to the Trantion Department? I¡¯mte for work.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll apply for time off on your behalf,¡± Ren suggested in a low voice. Instinctively, Ruka stopped him, and she hastily put on her jacket. ¡°No. I don¡¯t want to ask for time off.¡± Besides, if he were the one to make the request on her behalf, she would never be able to shake off beingbeled as gaining her job through connections. Moreover, Victoria was very infatuated with Ren, and if Victoria found out about their rtionship, Ruka would have a tough time in the Trantion Department. ¡°How can you possibly go to work in this attire?¡± Ren frowned as he looked at her. Ruka instantly pulled her loose hair into a ponytail quite adeptly, and then she unbuttoned the first two buttons on the loose male shirt she had on before tying a knot around the waist. She managed to transform her outfit into quite a casual style. After Ruka did all that, she turned to look at Ren smugly. ¡°Look, I¡¯m all set to go to work now.¡± There was a sh of a smile and a doting look in Ren¡¯s eyes as he turned to say to Elijah, ¡°Send her to the Trantion Department.¡± ¡°Sure, Miss Singed, this way please.¡± Elijah instantly responded to Ren¡¯s instruction. Ruka waved at Ren slightly shyly. ¡°Bye, I¡¯ll be on my way then.¡± Ren stopped her by voicing out in a low voice, ¡°Hold on.¡± Before Ruka could react, he had made his way toward her, and his slender fingers quite naturally went to her neck. He then tucked her upturned cor neatly for her. There was a jolt to Ruka¡¯s heart, and she trembled slightly. She could distinctly feel the warmth of his fingers on her neck, and she couldn¡¯t help lifting her head to look at him. He was currently standing against the sunlight, and in close proximity, he had an intent and focused expression on his handsome face until he sensed her eyes on him. At that point, he turned his eyes on her and gazed soulfully at her. Ruka felt a hitch in her breathing and her heart skipped a beat too. The look in his eyes seemed to engulf her like the dark night skies. Just then, it felt as if time hade to a standstill and Ruka could only see his deep, soulful gaze as he nced at her slightly tenderly and full of affection. In that short moment, they seemed to have experienced a heartfelt exchange. She came to her senses and instantly blushed bright red as she frantically turned around and rushed in the direction of Elijah¡¯s car. She got into Elijah¡¯s car, but she didn¡¯t even have the courage to look out the window and take a look at Ren. She behaved furtively like a thief who had just stolen something and was in a haste to leave the crime scene. Perhaps the item that she had stolen was the lofty Mr. Vice-president¡¯s heart. Along the way, while Elijah was focused on the road, he tried to lighten the atmosphere. ¡°Miss Singed, are you working at the Trantion Department?¡± ¡°Yes, I just started my internship yesterday.¡± Ruka couldn¡¯t contain her smile as she spoke, ¡°But I¡¯mte on my second day of work.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. You¡¯re just an intern. You¡¯re not involved in any important task, so they won¡¯t me you for beingte,¡± Elijahforted her. Ruka hoped so too, but she knew that she deserved to be criticized for her bad behavior. ¡°Oh, by the way, Miss Singed, your birthday¡¯sing up soon. Is there anything particr that you want?¡± Elijah suddenly asked. Surprised, Ruka asked, ¡°How did you know that my birthday wasing up?¡± Elijah responded with a smile. ¡°I was the one who sent off those presents from Mr. Husson in the past by courier.¡± Elijah had just finished speaking when Ruka¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. She suddenly realized that quite a while ago, she would always receive a mysterious gift every year on her birthday. There was no sender information¡ªname and address¡ªon the present, and it was merelybeled ¡®Happy Birthday¡¯. Could those mysterious gifts be from Ren? ¡°Did you select that ne as my birthday presentst year?¡± Ruka probed him by asking. ¡°Oh! I wasn¡¯t the one who selected the present. Mr. Husson did that personally. He usually selects the present for you every year, and I¡¯m just the one to courier it to you.¡± Elijah didn¡¯t realize that Ruka was probing for information, so he revealed everything to her frankly. Meanwhile, Ruka, who was seated in the backseat, was quite stunned and in shock. So it¡¯s true that all the mysterious presents in the past years came from him! For a moment there, she felt flustered, and yet she couldn¡¯t contain her joy. It felt wonderful to be cared for without even realizing it. She couldn¡¯t help recalling the kiss fromst night, making her blush shyly at the thought of that moment. Inside the quiet car, she could practically hear the frantic thuds of her heartbeat. The car arrived at the Trantion Department, and Ruka immediately rushed into her office. However, she realized that the office was empty and that there was not a single staff member to be seen. One of the cleaners currently cleaning the corridor reminded her kindly, ¡°They¡¯re in a meeting.¡± ¡°Okay, thanks.¡± Ruka hastily ran off in the direction of the meeting room, and she knocked before pushing open the door. At that moment, Victoria was seated in the main seat while the other permanent staff and interns were seated to the sides. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for arrivingte.¡± Ruka immediately found a spot and took a seat. Victoria shot a displeased look in Ruka¡¯s direction, and before Ruka had the chance to speak, Victoria snorted, ¡°This is just the second day of work and yet you¡¯rete! Who do you think you are?!¡± Ruka pursed her lips and remained silent. ¡°You¡¯re currently wearing a man¡¯s shirt, huh? Don¡¯t tell me you wore your dad¡¯s shirt out?! Hah!¡± Inara was quite sharp-eyed. She noticed that Ruka had a man¡¯s white shirt underneath her jacket and couldn¡¯t help but mock Ruka. As such, everyone¡¯s eyesnded on Ruka¡¯s white shirt underneath her jacket. Her sleeves were too long, so part of her shirt sleeve was hanging out of her jacket sleeve. Instantly, Ruka blushed. This isn¡¯t my dad¡¯s shirt! Nheless, Victoria was quite sharp-eyed too, and she couldn¡¯t contain her surprise as her eyes widened. The white shirt Ruka had on evidently wasn¡¯t an ordinary shirt, and it didn¡¯te from any ordinary men¡¯s clothing store. It looked custom-made and quite exclusive. Furthermore, the style of the shirt and the intricate art on the sleeves were quite familiar to her. Victoria had only seen the sapphire gemstone cufflinks on one person before, and it was usually on a shirt that Ren usually wore. At that moment, Victoria felt her chest heave heavily. Could it be that she spent the night at Ren¡¯s house?! What sort of extreme acts did they get into for him to rip her clothes to pieces and leave her no choice but to wear his clothes?! Instantly, an illicit scene popped up in Victoria¡¯s mind and she couldn¡¯t help feeling jealous and quite shocked. Victoria stood up abruptly and turned to Ruka, ¡°Ruka,e with me for a moment.¡± Ruka stood up from her spot and followed Victoria to the corridor outside. Ruka thought that Victoria wanted to say something to her outside but Victoria pushed open the doors to a vacant meeting room next door and entered the room. Once Victoria entered the room, she kept her eyes intently on the male shirt Ruka had on and narrowed her eyes. ¡°Did you spend the night at the vice-president¡¯s house last night?¡± Ruka didn¡¯t expect Victoria to be able to tell that she had spent the night at Ren¡¯s by just a single look. Ruka was significantly startled. Before Ruka could react, Victoria continued to question Ruka, ¡°Did you guys spend the night with each other?¡± Ruka was still quite innocent and couldn¡¯t stand where this topic was heading, so she quickly waved Victoria off and shook her head. ¡°No! That¡¯s not it, Miss Parfait. Don¡¯t jump to the wrong conclusion. There is nothing going on between the two of us. Nothing happened at all.¡± Victoria watched as Ruka exined herself, and Victoria trusted Ruka¡¯s words because Ruka clearly didn¡¯t look like one who was adept at lying. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. At that moment, Victoria heaved a silent sigh of relief. ¡°Your rtionship with the vice-president seems to be much closer than I expected. Do you have feelings for him?¡± Ruka nced at Victoria with a stunned expression, and for a moment there, Ruka didn¡¯t quite know whether to nod or shake her head. However, before Ruka could say anything, Victoria had spoken up solemnly, ¡°I have feelings for him though, and I¡¯ve been pursuing him for the past five years. Over these five years, I¡¯ve been deeply infatuated with him to an extreme state. Ruka, are you nning to vie for the attention of the same man too?¡± Victoria had a threatening look in her eyes, and Ruka felt immense pressure. Ruka¡¯s mind was a mess at the moment, and she didn¡¯t know how to register Ren¡¯s confession from the previous night. ¡°Ruka, I hope we don¡¯t end up as rivals in love. You¡¯re quite young, and Ren¡¯s age is not suitable for you. You can find someone around your age to get together with. For me though, I¡¯ve waited for him for five years, so I will never give up.¡± Victoria said that without any intention of listening to Ruka¡¯s exnation at all. Victoria merely patted Ruka on the shoulders. ¡°Make sure to turn up to work on time from now on.¡± After Victoria said that, she opened the door and left the room. Ruka stood in front of the meeting room, and her mind was a mess. Last night she had just found out that Ren was in love with her, and she hadn¡¯t evene to her senses from that shocking discovery, but today, Victoria had delivered this warning so swiftly. Ruka was in a confused state at the moment when her cell phone suddenly went off. She reached out and lifted it to take a look. It was Scarlet on the line, so Ruka hurriedly answered the call. ¡°Hi, Aunt Scarlet!¡± ¡°Ruka, Uncle Walter and I have suddenly received a short-notice invitation overseas, so we¡¯ll be away for about one month. I think you should stay at Ren¡¯s ce for theing month.¡± ¡°Huh? Aunt Scarlet, I-I can¡¯t stay with Mr. Ren. I would be a disruption to his life.¡± Ruka instantly rejected the suggestion without giving it any consideration at all. ¡°That¡¯s not true. Ren was the one who suggested that you stay with him. I had intended to send you over to stay with your aunt, but I considered that themute time from there to the Trantion Department would take more than an hour each day, so I was worried that it would be a hindrance to your work.¡± Scarlet had already nned everything for Ruka. At that moment, Ruka¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Mr. Ren actually suggested that I stay with him?! That would be such an inconvenience! We¡¯re the opposite gender, after all, so we should keep a distance! ¡°Aunt Scarlet, I think it would be better for me to stay with my aunt. I can wake up earlier each day and head hometer. I wouldn¡¯t want to disrupt Mr. Ren¡¯s life,¡± Ruka insisted. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re afraid of staying under the same roof as him?!¡± Scarlet couldn¡¯t help cracking a joke. However, this was not a joke to Ruka as it was a fact. She was indeed quite afraid of Ren. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he doesn¡¯t bite. Besides, he¡¯s so busy with work every day. You¡¯ll basically just be sleeping in that house, and you guys won¡¯t encounter each other too much. I¡¯ve spoken to your parents about this, and they¡¯re quite pleased with this arrangement.¡± At that point, Ruka was rendered speechless. ¡°Oh! By the way, once we get back, I¡¯ll introduce you to Richard and his wife.¡± Scarlet hung up the phone after saying that. Meanwhile, Ruka was left staring at her cell phone, and she was quite dumbfounded. Do I really have to move into Ren¡¯s house for the time being? Help! I really don¡¯t want to! Ruka pushed open the doors to the meeting room and entered the room. She walked in to find that the meeting had ended and everyone was gone, so she went back to the office. She had just walked in when Inara started to mock her mercilessly, ¡°Ruka, does that shirt you have on belong to your father?¡± Ruka was unperturbed, and she didn¡¯t even n to respond to that at all. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that it belongs to your boyfriend?!¡± Inara continued to pursue the topic. At that moment, Ruka blushed. Evidently, if it didn¡¯t belong to her father, then it would belong to her boyfriend because there wouldn¡¯t be any other possibility of it belonging to another man. Ruka went back to her seat and flicked through the notebook that she had finished trantingst night. She then started working on tranting the document in her hands. Just then, her cell phone went off once again, and she took a look at it. On the caller ID, the name ¡®Ren¡¯ appeared. Startled, she stood up abruptly and rushed outside to a secluded spot devoid of people in the garden before answering the call, ¡°Hi, Mr. Ren!¡± ¡°Do you have an issue with staying at my ce?¡± On the other end, a low male voice rang out, and he was persistent in getting an answer. Ruka¡¯s expression froze at that point. Gosh! Seriously?! Did Aunt Scarlet give him a call after talking to me? ¡°Well¡­ I really don¡¯t want to disrupt your life. I can stay at my friend¡¯s ce, and it¡¯s close to town too.¡± Ruka bravely rejected him. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t feel at ease with that,¡± he instantly responded. At that point, Ruka realized that she hadn¡¯t specified that she would be staying with a girl friend, so she added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯s a girl, and you met her the other day. She¡¯s my best friend. I honestly don¡¯t want to disrupt your life.¡± Ruka clearly indicated her opinion from the way she spoke, and she was quite reluctant to stay with him. On the other end, he remained silent for a few seconds before responding, ¡°Alright. It¡¯s up to you then.¡± Subsequently, he hung up the phone. Ruka felt her heart skip a beat. He hung up the phone so quickly! Is he mad at me? She was at a loss for what to do at that moment so she turned around and instantly dialed Rita¡¯s number. ¡°You brat! Why didn¡¯t you tell me in advance that the vice president would be the one to fetch youst night? This is such an important matter and yet you didn¡¯t even bother to inform me!¡± ¡°Did you get a fright?¡± Ruka asked sympathetically. ¡°What do you think?! I was frightened out of my wits. If something bad had happened to you, would he have skinned me alive?¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. I¡¯ll have to stay at your ce for the time being for the next month or so. Am I wee to stay with you?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Aunt Scarlet will be going overseas and she won¡¯t be back until next month, so I¡¯ve got nowhere to stay. It¡¯s been ages since anyone tidied up my house. Besides, I¡¯m afraid to stay by myself, so I n to crash at your ce.¡± ¡°Sure, juste over then. Is the vice president your biological uncle?¡± ¡°No, he¡¯s Aunt Scarlet¡¯s brother and that¡¯s why I have to address him as Mr. Ren. I¡¯ve only met him less than ten times in my life since I was a child,¡± Ruka exined. ¡°But he took you into his arms and carried you into the car. Did you touch him inappropriately in the car?¡± Rita¡¯s teasing voice clearly indicated that she wanted to listen to Ruka make a fool of herself. ¡°You¡¯re so annoying! What¡¯s exactly going on in your mind?¡± Ruka chided Rita with a roll of her eyes. ¡°Gosh, it¡¯s so silly of you to let this opportunity go to waste. If I were in your position, I would have hugged him tightly in my drunken state.¡± Ruka¡¯s pretty face burned as she hastily replied, ¡°That¡¯s enough. Stop talking about this. I need to get back to work.¡± ¡°Go ahead then. Bring me along next time if you have the chance to meet him. I want to catch another glimpse of him.¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll let you know once I get the chance.¡± Ruka was unable to promise Rita anything. After all, not everyone was able to meet Ren just like that. Ruka went back to the office, and as she walked past the corridor, Mia purposely stuck out her feet to trip Ruka. Ruka stumbled to the front and somehownded on Caspian. Caspian reached out to steady Ruka. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Ruka shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± After Ruka said that, she turned around and stood in front of Mia while staring at thetter with an angry expression. ¡°Why did you do that?¡± Mia faced Ruka fearlessly. ¡°What did I do? I was just stretching my legs and hips, that¡¯s all. I didn¡¯t expect you to trip over me. My leg hurts now because of you! Aren¡¯t you going to apologize to me?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Ruka¡¯s pretty face turned red out of anger. ¡°Mia, we¡¯re all colleagues here. This is too much!¡± Caspian came over and stood up for Ruka. ¡°Gosh, Caspian. Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯ve really fallen for her. We¡¯re not just ordinary colleagues. Each of us are rivals too. You need to watch out. She might be the one to eliminate you.¡± Mia sneered coldly and got up before turning to Michelle, ¡°Do you need a toilet break?¡± Michelle instantly got up and went out with Mia. Ruka went back to her spot and massaged in between her brows. She could still feel the lingering headache due to the after-effects of too much alcohol. She clicked into her email and saw that there was an urgent assignment meant to test the interns¡¯ skills, and the ten-thousand-word Chinese assignment had to be handed in before eight in the morning the next day. Ruka was dumbfounded by that, and upon scanning the details of the assignment, she realized that the assignment was about a topic that she wasn¡¯t familiar with. At that moment, Caspian came over and asked her, ¡°Ruka, have you seen the email?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve seen it. It¡¯s quite aplicated assignment,¡± Ruka responded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There is an old book depository in the Trantion Department, and there is plenty of information on this topic there. I¡¯ve juste back from the book depository. You should go over to search for the answers too,¡± Caspian gave her some pointers. ¡°Thank you.¡± Ruka nodded with an expression full of gratitude. ¡°You can go over there any time after work too. It¡¯s a public information site, so it¡¯s always open.¡± Ruka smiled. ¡°Sure thing.¡± Ruka was still busyposing her assignment even when it was time to clock off. After making multiple corrections to her draft, she finally made up her mind and ended up paying a visit to the book depository. She registered on the internal operating system and entered the ce. Just as she walked in, Mia¡¯s figure suddenly appeared from behind. Mia saw Ruka walk inside, and Mia took another look at the iron gates before sneering coldly. Ruka, you¡¯ll just have to spend the night inside! Inside the room, Ruka managed to find a book that would be quite useful for her topic, so she took a seat in front of the french windows and started perusing the book. As the lights started to get dimmer, she took a look at her wristwatch and noticed that it was now seven o¡¯clock at night. She got up and walked to the entrance, but she saw that the door¡ªwhich was open when she walked in¡ªwas now shut. She reached out to twist the doorknob, but the door appeared to be locked from the outside. ¡°Is there anyone outside? I need some help please.¡± Ruka voiced out toward the door, but she didn¡¯t receive any response at all. She realized that this was an old book depository and that there were no offices along the entire corridor. Everyone would have hit off from work by now, so there wouldn¡¯t be anyone avable to help her. The sky started to darken outside, and she reached out to flick the switch to switch on the lights. However, the lights were non-functional and despite her multiple tries, there was no power at all. She started to panic by then. What¡¯s going on here? The door¡¯s locked and now even the lights are non- functional? The door was locked because Mia had ced a lock outside the door and the lights were non- functional because the switches to the room were on the other end of the corridor so Mia had conveniently flicked the switch off the main power board. Therefore, the entire corridor to the book depository turned into a pitch-ck area. Ruka hollered loudly for quite some time, but no one turned up. She started to develop fear by then because the entire book depository had descended intoplete darkness. She would have to spend the night here if no one turned up. At that moment, Ruka took out her cell phone and was about to call for help, but she wondered, Who can I seek help from? ess to the Trantion Department was monitored strictly and only authorized personnel were allowed entry, so there was only one person that popped into Ruka¡¯s mind whom she could seek help from. Ren was the only person she could think of. All he had to do was make a call to the Trantion Department office, and surely he would be able to send someone to rescue her. Ruka felt embarrassed when she recalled how Ren had hung up on her today. It feels so embarrassing to ask him for help while refusing to live at his ce. Still, she had no intention of spending the night here. Taking out her cell phone, she found his phone number and called him, nervously waiting for the phone call to be answered. Ren¡¯s deep and husky voice sounded especially charming in the quiet and spacious study. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Hey, Mr. Ren, are you busy? I have a favor to ask of you,¡± Ruka asked with an ingratiating note in her voice. ¡°Mm-hmm. Shoot!¡± The man¡¯s voice sounded emotionless. She pleaded, ¡°I¡¯m now locked inside the trantion department¡¯s library. Could you please call the department¡¯s office to send someone to get me out of here?¡± She felt mortified for having to bother the vice president with such a trifling matter. His voice instantly took on a hint of urgency. ¡°How did you get locked in there?¡± ¡°I lost track of time while reading just now. Perhaps the person who locked the door didn¡¯t realize that I was still inside. Also, the lights here aren¡¯t working. It¡¯s so dark. I¡¯m scared,¡± she said as she aired her grievances. ¡°Don¡¯t panic, okay? I¡¯ll be there right away,¡± he said,forting her in a deep voice. ¡°Huh? You¡¯reing? Why such trouble? All you need to do is make a phone call¡ª¡± Ren interrupted her, saying, ¡°I¡¯m nearby.¡± Even though Ruka wanted the man to save her, she didn¡¯t want him toe in person. ¡°But you don¡¯t have to make a special effort toe here just for this. Just make a phone call instead. Surely there are still people in the trantion department.¡± Ren was obviously unwilling to make the phone call, though. He replied firmly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Just be patient and wait for me. I¡¯ll be there in a minute.¡± With that, he hung up. As a result, now Ruka was even more stressed out. Oh, no! How embarrassing! Not only am I trapped here, but the vice president is now taking the trouble toe personally to save me. Nevertheless, she stopped shouting for help. However, it was really dark outside. Thanks to the thick branches outside the window, it was pitch-dark inside the room. ¡°Come on, it¡¯s nothing scary,¡± Ruka whispered to herself, patting her chest while trying hard to keep calm by thinking about things that would give her courage¡ªthe incidentst night where Ren had kissed her, for instance. As she recalled the incident, her cheeks flushed scarlet amid the darkness. Why do I have to think about this, of all things? Still, I couldn¡¯t get the kissst night out of my mind. And besides, that was my first kiss, okay? Wait, I gave him my first kiss in the car before that, so it¡¯s considered my second kiss when he kissed mest night. At this moment, several employees were clocking out and chatting at the trantion department¡¯s entrance. Suddenly, a ck sedan came to a screeching halt in front of them, after which a respectable figure with a steady presence stepped out of the car. At once, the employees were stunned for a few seconds. They couldn¡¯t believe they were seeing the vice president at this very moment. Is he here for something important? It¡¯s got to be something really important that requires him toe in person at such a time! Elijah was more familiar with the ce than the others were, so he swiftly led Ren in the direction of the library. ¡°Mr. Husson, the old library is relocated here. It¡¯s a ce to store documents, so nobody usually comes here.¡± Walking at a rapid pace, Ren was clearly worried about the girl who was trapped inside. He and Elijah were the only ones walking along the corridor since nobody else wasing. Having gotten tired of standing, Ruka sat in the chair next to the door, waiting. When she suddenly heard the sound of footsteps, she was inwardly delighted. Has Mr. Ren arrived? Or has he sent somebody here? ¡°Miss Singed, are you inside?¡± Elijah asked. ¡°Yes, I am,¡± Ruka answered. ¡°Mr. Husson, please stay with Miss Singed for a moment. I have to get someone to unlock the door,¡± Elijah added before striding off. There was only a steel door between Ruka and the man outside. Even though it was dark, she could sense Ren¡¯s fervent gaze upon her. ¡°Sorry for bothering you again,¡± she apologized consciously. ¡°I like it when you bother me,¡± the man replied in a deep and husky voice. A flush rose to Ruka¡¯s cheeks, and she was speechless. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to trouble you, but I really have no one else to turn to,¡± she exined hastily. The man let out a grumpy snort. ¡°Are you so desperate to have nothing to do with me?¡± Ruka was just about to say something in reply when she sensed something slippery moving past her shoes. ¡°Aaaah!¡± she cried and jumped with fright. ¡°What happened?¡± the man outside asked hurriedly. ¡°Something just moved past my feet. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a snake or a rat!¡± Ruka¡¯s voice was trembling. She felt that it was a snake. There were branches outside, so it wasn¡¯t impossible for a snake to crawl inside through the window. ¡°Hiss¡­¡± She suddenly cried out in pain. As it turned out, she bumped her head against something while backing away. Just then, the voice of the man outside the door hardened. ¡°Stand aside.¡± Before Ruka could realize what was happening, she saw the man outside kicking at the door. She hurriedly stepped aside. All she could hear was the sound of several swift, steady kicks. Soon after that, the old steel door loosened before falling off the wall with a loud bang. Before she could recover from the shock, she was sped to a warm chest in faint light by a sturdy arm. When the refreshing and sweet smell of male hormones assailed her nostrils, her mind went completely nk; all she could hear was the sound of her panting slightly and her heartbeat. She felt the man¡¯srge hand caress the back of her head in the darkness affectionately, which gave her a sense of security. Thanks to the darkness, she enjoyed his embrace even more naturally, though she was still a little frightened with her tiny hand clutching his suit jacket. It wasn¡¯t just because of the door that he had kicked down, but also because of the feeling of being sped in his arms in the darkness at this very moment. It felt like embracing a hidden romance that broke the taboo and couldn¡¯t be made public. She looked up in the darkness, only to bump her nose against his coincidentally. The instant their breath mingled, she went stiff all over. Just then, she sensed his breath approaching¡­ He was grabbing the back of her head tenderly and yet domineeringly, as if to give her strong support or to stop her from avoiding what he was going to do. Ruka¡¯s brain stopped functioning until the pair of slightly cold, thin lips met hers in the darkness. She felt as though some fireworks had exploded in her head, blowing her reason away so that only her senses were working as she was enveloped by the enchanting smell of hormones. Perhaps because she enjoyed it or because this was too much for her, she let out a kittenish moan, upon which the man let out a chuckle in the darkness. Just then, Elijah¡¯s voice sounded outside. ¡°Mr. Husson¡­ Mr. Husson, are you alright?!¡± As it turned out, he heard the sound of the door falling down from afar while looking for someone to unlock it. Therefore, he hurriedly turned back without borrowing the key, fearing that anything dangerous might have happened to Ren. When Ruka heard his voice, she instantly stopped clutching the front of Ren¡¯s shirt and pushed him instead. Only then did the man let go of her. His breathing was heavy in the darkness, and his warm breath brought color to her cheeks as it brushed against her face. If the lights were on, it¡¯d be obvious that she blushed scarlet. Elijah quickly rushed in, only to be dumbfounded when he saw what was going on inside by the faint light. Not only was Ren alright, but he had a youngdy¡¯s slim figure hidden in his arms. No amount of darkness could stop Ren from looking daggers at Elijah. In an instant, Elijah felt a chill run down his spine as if he¡¯d be assassinated in the next second. ¡°Mr. Husson, I¡¯ll get someone to come over and¡­ repair the door.¡± He made up an excuse, wanting to leave as soon as possible. ¡°Don¡¯t bother. Let¡¯s go back!¡± Ren said before taking thedy beside him out of the library. Ruka lowered her head in a seemingly obedient manner. However, when the couple entered the brightly lit corridor, she quickly pulled her hand out of the man¡¯s grasp, saying to him, ¡°I gotta go first.¡± She dared not even address him, fearing that the others might hear it. Burying one hand in his pocket, the tall and handsome man walked gracefully like a lion king at leisure. He looked at thedy who was fleeing back to the office with a hint of possessiveness in his deep, fathomless eyes. Elijah suggested, ¡°Sir, should we get into the car and wait for Miss Singed first?¡± After all, it was improper to be seen getting too close to Ruka on such an asion. Ren nodded slightly while walking toward the car. At the same time, he ordered, ¡°Go find out who locked the door to the library.¡± Elijah was involuntarily startled. ¡°Sir, do you think the door to the library was locked on purpose?¡± Ren nodded. Not only had the door been locked, but the person who locked the door even turned off the power supply. Obviously, the person had done so to scare Ruka. Ren wouldn¡¯t allow such a vicious person to exist around her, so he had to get rid of them. Elijah immediately nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll look into it right away.¡± When Ren reached his car, his bodyguard had opened the car door for him. However, instead of leaving, his motorcade stayed outside the entrance to wait for Ruka. Ruka returned to her office while biting her red lips gently as her beautiful eyes misted over. Like a frightened little fawn, she was at a loss for what to do. At the same time, though, her cheeks were red as though she had applied blush to them. Am I crazy? How could I kiss him like that in the library? Is this reasonable or even legal? She closed her eyes while covering her face with both hands. She felt like crying. She couldn¡¯t help feeling that it was reasonable for her to kiss any other man but not Ren. At this moment, it was as though she could still sense the man¡¯s domineering breath, his tight embrace, and his strength as he tenderly stroked the back of her head with hisrge hand. The warmth of his fingertips and his intoxicating breath were still lingering in her mind, making her mouth feel dry. She picked up a ss of water and hurriedly drank a few gulps from it. To her embarrassment, however, she found that just the thought of these things alone sent a tingling sensation throughout her body. This is enough! How can I have feelings for him? I¡¯ve loved Jethro secretly for three years, but that¡¯s no match for the two days I spent with Ren and the two kisses he gave me? What is going on? This feels like disrespect for the three years I spent loving someone in secret! How could I be so unfaithful as to fall for another man as soon as I get disappointed in love? Wake up, Ruka! In any case, I can¡¯t have anything like that to do with Ren. Our identities alone won¡¯t allow us to do that. I grew up by Scarlet¡¯s side. She¡¯s like an adoptive mother to me, so how could I get romantically entangled with her younger brother? After patting her head, she picked up her bag and decided to go home. She strode out of the entrance and was just about to call Rita when she saw a ck sedan parked beside the entrance. She had a vague feeling that the car seemed to be Ren¡¯s. Just as she was guessing, the back seat car window rolled down slightly. The passenger¡¯s face couldn¡¯t be seen clearly in the dim light, but Ruka could sense his silent and yet powerful presence. It was Ren indeed. Just then, the bodyguard came forward and said to her, ¡°Miss Singed, Mr. Husson would like you to get into the car.¡± Ruka waved her hands. ¡°Thanks, but it¡¯s not necessary. I¡¯ll hail a cab home myself.¡± The bodyguard seemed to be in a tight spot. ¡°In that case, Miss Singed, please get into the car and tell Mr. Husson about it.¡± Ruka hurriedly directed her gaze toward the figure inside the car. Having no other choice, she took a deep breath and went over to the car window. The man looked up; his face looked breathtakingly and stunningly handsome as the light shone on him. ¡°Get in the car,¡± he said in a deep voice. Not daring to look him in the eye, Ruka lowered her head and replied, ¡°I¡¯m staying at my friend¡¯s ce.¡± The man frowned. ¡°Your belongings have been sent to my ce.¡± Ruka looked up at him in surprise. ¡°Huh? Why would my stuff be sent to your ce?!¡± Ren squinted at her. ¡°Is it bad to stay at my ce? Do you really have to trouble your friend?¡± Obviously, it was even better to trouble the man than to trouble her friend. However, in her opinion, she¡¯d rather sleep on the streets than trouble him. ¡°My friend and I are really close. She¡¯d wee me to stay at her ce,¡± she replied while pursing her lips. ¡°The matter¡¯s decided. You¡¯ll be staying at my ce from now on,¡± the man said. With that, he opened the car door, stepped out of the car, and personally signaled her to get into the car with an inviting gesture. Startled, Ruka looked at him while feeling extremely ttered. He¡¯s oozing gentleness from every pore, but why do I still sense a dominating aura? Chapter 1051-1060 Chapter 1051-1060 It¡¯s as if I¡¯ll make him look bad if I refuse to get into the car. In the end, such pressure of being forced caused her to bend down and get into his car reluctantly. The instant the car door closed, her heart shuddered, and her breathing became tense, as though she had been abducted into the car. That¡¯s right¡ªI¡¯m abducted by this guy¡¯smanding presence, his power, and his seniority. If it were another man, I¡¯d definitely fight to the end and refuse to get into the car no matter what. Ren then got into the car from the other side. When he got into the car, he looked sideways to study the youngdy¡¯s expression. She was pouting her lips slightly with a hint of displeasure. The bodyguard started the car. Seeing the streetlights and the trees shing past the car window, Ruka involuntarily rxed. In reality, she wasn¡¯t that averse to going to his ce, which wasrge andfortable. She knew what she was afraid of, but she couldn¡¯t pour it out. 20 minutester, they arrived at Ren¡¯s vi. After they arrived, the bodyguards drove off¡ªnot to leave but to go on duty. Ruka entered the living room to see her suitcase beside the couch. She couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh. Am I gonna be staying at his ce no matter what? Ren said to her, ¡°Do you still like the roomst night? If you do, then stay in that guest room.¡± ¡°Uh-huh! I like it.¡± Ruka nodded. Ren lifted her suitcase and went upstairs. Stunned, Ruka hurriedly said, ¡°Let me carry it, Mr. Ren.¡± However, the man carried her suitcase upstairs effortlessly. Ruka followed him all the way to her guest room from behind. Ren put down the suitcase and surveyed the room as if to see if the roomcked anything. Ruka said behind him, ¡°Mr. Ren, I don¡¯tck anything. You should go and get some rest.¡± Ren looked back and asked, ¡°Have you had dinner?¡± Only then did Ruka realize that she never had time to eat after being locked in the library for such a long time. I¡¯m okay with skipping dinner, though. ¡°No, I haven¡¯t, but I¡¯m not hungry,¡± she replied. ¡°Come downstairs for dinnerter,¡± the man said before leaving. Ruka was dumbfounded. Is he gonna make dinner for me? Hearing the door close, she still felt somewhat unsettled. She opened her suitcase and unpacked her clothes. The servant had packed up all her clothes, and she hung them up in the wardrobe before letting out an involuntary sigh. Seems like I¡¯m really gonna be staying here. After unpacking her luggage, she sat down for a while before going to the bathroom to look at herself in the mirror. Her oval face looked fair and in with no makeup on it. She had always been dissatisfied with her looks. She was going to turn 24 years old, but she still looked naive and ignorant, as though she had gotten old over these years for nothing. She fretted about this, so she always dressed older than her age on purpose. When she came downstairs, she smelled something appetizing¡ªnot the rich aroma of cooked food, but the sweet and pure aroma of spring onions. Involuntarily, she turned her eyes toward the kitchen, only to see Ren cooking noodles in the open kitchen while wearing a ck sweater with the sleeves rolled up. In an instant, she found herself unable to tear her eyes away from the scene. The graceful and noble qualities he had about him were apparent even when he was doing something as trifling as cooking noodles. Looking at the man who was lowering his head and slicing the grilled steak with rapt attention, she couldn¡¯t help but gulp a mouthful of saliva. I¡¯m so hungry! ¡°Let me help you, Mr. Ren.¡± She went over with a smile and saw the steak that he had dished up beautifully with a floret of broli on top for garnish. As she was holding the te containing the steak, she was greeted with its pleasant aroma. How I wish I could steal a bite of it! After putting the steak on the table, she saw the man behind hering over with a bowl of noodles in each hand. It was as though he did everything with such extraordinary grace. Ruka felt a tremendous sense of pleasure overwhelming her. Could I have saved the world in my previous life to be able to eat the food he cooked? ¡°Wow! It smells so good!¡± she couldn¡¯t help but praise. ¡°You¡¯re terrific, Mr. Ren.¡± Ren fastened his eyes on her while naturally putting his hands on the table for support. As he leaned over slightly, his eyes darkened somewhat. ¡°Ruka, from now on, don¡¯t call me Mr. Ren anymore.¡± Ruka¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°What should I call you, then?¡± ¡°Call me whatever you like, but don¡¯t call me Mr. Ren. I don¡¯t like it.¡± Ren pushed a bowl of noodles toward her. ¡°Call me Ren instead.¡± Ruka was speechless for a moment. ¡°No, I can¡¯t do that. Aunt Scarlet is from the same generation as my mom. You¡¯re her younger brother, so I should call you Mr. Ren. If you really don¡¯t like that, I can call you Uncle.¡± She insisted on respecting her elders. In particr, she couldn¡¯t address her elders wrongly since it¡¯d be a rude thing to do. Ren knitted his brows. He replied somewhat sulkily in a peremptory tone of voice that brooked no retort, ¡°In any case, you can only call me Ren while staying at my ce these days.¡± He insisted that she call him so since there weren¡¯t so many rules and restrictions at his ce. Ruka stopped insisting. Inwardly, she even wanted to smile. Seeing that the man had cooked dinner for her, she curled her lips into a smile, saying, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll call you Ren then, alright?¡± When Ren saw how obedient she looked, his brow finally cleared. As he was in a good mood, he pulled out his chair and sat down next to her. Ruka hurriedly handed him his fork and spoon. After eating a few bites of the noodles, she asked him, ¡°You kept sending me presents by post earlier. Why didn¡¯t you tell me about it so that I can thank you for it?¡± Ren was startled for a moment. Then, he figured that his assistant must¡¯ve let it slip and told her about it. ¡°Do you like the gifts?¡± he asked with a squint. ¡°Yeah, I do,¡± Ruka said before shing the ne she was wearing. ¡°Look, I¡¯m wearing it.¡± Ren curled his lips into an attractive smile as a dimple appeared in one of his cheeks. If heughs heartily, his dimples will definitely be even more good-looking, thought Ruka as she looked forward to himughing. They then ate dinner in silence. Ruka finished half of the soup since it was too yummy. Not only that, but she was stuffed after eating seven slices of the grilled steak. ¡°Let me clear the table.¡± She hurriedly stood up to clear the table when Ren put down his fork and spoon. Ren grabbed her hand that was holding the bowl to stop her. ¡°Let me do it. You should go to sleep.¡± Ruka¡¯s heart jumped. Seeing therge hand that was holding her hand, she retracted her hand in a fluster. ¡°I-I¡¯m going back to my room, then.¡± As long as the atmosphere became somewhat romantic, she¡¯d feel flustered and panicky. Not knowing what to do, she had no choice but to flee first. Ren¡¯s cell phone rang; he nced at it before answering the phone. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Mr. Husson, I¡¯ve found out that Miss Singed was indeed locked inside the library by someone.¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a female intern named Mia Murillo. She¡¯s also the one who turned off the main switch,¡± Elijah reported. Ren¡¯s voice was frosty with a hint of anger. ¡°Hand the evidence to the trantion department and get rid of her.¡± ¡°Roger that.¡± After hanging up the phone, Ren stood up and cleared the table as swiftly and neatly as the way he usually did everything else. Ruka took a shower and did some reading in bed before falling asleep in exhaustion. In the midst of her sleep, she felt thirsty, for she had eaten too much of the steak just now. She checked the time. Seeing that it was 1:12 AM, she got out of bed without bothering to change out of her pajamas, thinking that Ren must¡¯ve gone to sleep at this hour. She opened the door and saw that the wall lights were on in the hallway outside. The light was dim with a touch of coziness. She went downstairs, found a ss, and went in the direction of the water dispenser before pouring a ss of warm water for herself and drinking from it. After finishing the ss of water, she headed toward the stairs. Just as she was going up the stairs, the door to the innermost room on the left side of the hallway opened, and Ren stepped out in a ck silk night robe. Ruka was also heading in the same direction on her way back to her room. As soon as she turned a corner, she saw the maning her way and was startled right away. With that, the two ran into each other in the hallway. Ruka watched in embarrassment as the man came toward her. The close-fitting silk night robe made him look tall and slender while showing the smooth outline of his figure. Moreover, the robe gaped open slightly, making his sharply-outlined vicle and his perfect-looking neck and shoulders faintly visible. At this very moment, he looked like an attractive and yet dangerous beast taking a leisurely stroll in its own territory. Ruka never thought she¡¯d run into Ren in the hallway at such ate hour. After biting her lip in panic for a moment, she stammered, ¡°I-I went downstairs to get something to drink. I¡¯m going back to my room now!¡± Then, she walked toward him. The hallway was spacious, but it appeared narrow when she walked past him. Suddenly, arge hand grabbed her wrist and pinned her against the wall with tremendous strength, holding up her left hand in a surrendering gesture. The man grabbed her wrist with one hand while putting the other on her shoulder. In an instant, they were only inches away from each other. His gaze was fervent when it fell on her face. It was as if he had been troubled by his desire for a long time, so he didn¡¯t even need to conceal it upon facing his prey. Ruka¡¯s heart shuddered under Ren¡¯s stare. She looked up slightly, only to look into his eyes, which were as dark as the sea. They seemed to have a hint of self-restraint and forbearance in them, but they also looked like a bomb that would explode anytime, causing her heartbeat to quicken in fear. She felt anxious and uneasy. She didn¡¯t know what he wanted to do, but she also had an idea what he was going to do. Ren left his room because he couldn¡¯t fall asleep. However, he never expected the youngdy who had made him lose sleep to show up in front of him voluntarily. Isn¡¯t she letting herself fall prey to a predator? Doesn¡¯t she know how dangerous it is to wander around in my house at midnight? ¡°It hurts¡­¡± Ruka couldn¡¯t help but cry out aggrievedly as her hand hurt in his grasp. Only then did Ren realize that he was still grabbing her wrist. He released his grip on it, but just when Ruka thought the man was going to let her off, he held her chin with his fingers. The next instant, he kissed her on the lips, as if nothing could stop him once he crossed the line he had drawn for himself. ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Ruka pushed him immediately as her first instinct was that they couldn¡¯t do this. This is wrong. This is unreasonable. However, the man¡¯s body was as immovable as a mountain, and his lips were full of the minty aroma of wine. Only then did Ruka realize that he had drunk alcohol. This is even more dangerous. ¡°Ren Husson¡­¡± She finally warned him by calling him by his full name. Ren let go of her while panting slightly as his tall figure loomed over her like a shadow. His chest heaved up and down, and he stared at thedy in his arms with dark, fathomless eyes. He had been longing for this kiss for the entire night. ¡°What did you call me just now?¡± he asked in a husky voice with a seductive flicker in his eyes. ¡°Ren Husson.¡± Ruka bit her lip while avoiding his intense gaze. ¡°Great. I like it.¡± The man epted it happily. Then, he whispered in her ear and warned in a husky voice, ¡°Go back to your room and don¡¯te out again.¡± Ruka looked up and saw the man¡¯s eyes, which were so fathomless as though they were going to devour everything like a ck hole. ¡°I¡¯ll move out tomorrow,¡± she said with integrity. Since he¡¯d be so greatly affected if she stayed at his ce, she might as well leave. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to leave,¡± the man ordered overbearingly. Everyone had a line that couldn¡¯t be crossed, including Ruka. Moreover, she was a living person, so she¡¯d also lose her temper upon being ordered around like this. ¡°What do you want me to do, then? If you really crave for women, there are lots of women who are willing to serve you. I think Miss Parfait will be more than happy to do that,¡± she replied in annoyance, though she didn¡¯t know what had given her the courage to say this to him. Ren took a step back. With his arms folded, he looked her up and down with a dangerous squint. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m such a casual man?¡± ¡°Why me, then?¡± Ruka couldn¡¯t wrap her head around it. She went abroad at 16 years old and hadn¡¯t come back for nearly 5 years since then. Since when did Ren fall in love with her? Ren also wanted to ask himself the same question. Why her, of all people? But he¡¯d been unable to find the answer to the question. After letting out a sigh, he replied in a husky voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t force you to do anything. Just stay here with peace of mind.¡± With that, he was about to leave. Ruka couldn¡¯t help but say to him from behind, ¡°Miss Parfait really likes you, so you can try to ept her.¡± Ren froze before looking sideways slightly. ¡°What about you?¡± Ruka was lost for words for a moment. Then, in a moment of haste, she blurted out, ¡°I don¡¯t like someone who¡¯s older than me.¡± As soon as she said that, she retracted these words inwardly. No, I didn¡¯t mean to spurn him. I just want to use this excuse to refuse to let our rtionship go deeper. If my parents know that he and I have crossed such a line, they¡¯re gonna give me hell. She grew up abroad, but she was an old-fashioneddy at heart. The man turned around. A faint gleam flickered visibly across his eyes under the light, and his eyes darkened as though he¡¯d get angry at any minute. Ruka took a gulp. ¡°Sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to spurn you¡­¡± she hurriedly apologized. At first, she thought that the man would lecture her angrily. However, she heard him say, ¡°Okay, I got it. Go to sleep.¡± He gave no response, but he sounded hurt. Ruka suddenly felt that she was a mean person who hurt him with her words. Taking a deep breath, she walked toward him instead of returning to her room. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Mr. Ren. Don¡¯t be angry, okay? That¡¯s not what I mean. I just feel that you deserve a better person. I don¡¯t deserve you at all, nor am I qualified to be someone you love¡­¡± she exined behind him while regretting what she had said on an impulse just now. Her mind was in turmoil in the first ce, and she didn¡¯t look where she was going. Therefore, when the man stopped in his tracks, she bumped into his back. She quickly took a step back, whereas the man turned around and fixed his eyes on her. ¡°I don¡¯t like your apology.¡± He expressed his stance right away. Ruka blinked her eyes. ¡°What kind of apology do you like, then?¡± Is there a better way of making an apology other than saying sorry? Ren¡¯s gaze fell upon her red lips, and his eyes darkened with a hint of danger. ¡°What do you think?¡± he asked in reply. ¡°I¡ª¡± Before Ruka could finish her sentence, the man put his arm around her waist, leaned over, and kissed her on the lips. He was addicted to her tender lips, which tasted as sweet as candy; kissing them made him feel as though he were hit hard in the chest. Ruka¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Her breath was full of the man¡¯s dominating scent of hormones, and her reason was swept away by the man as well. It was as though no woman could resist his tender and yet dominating kiss under the dim light in the quiet hallway, and she felt dizzy as well. In the end, she nearly suffocated. She breathed intermittently due to nervousness. Not only did her face turn crimson, but she nearly failed to catch her breath. Noticing how her body had gone limp, the man finally let go of her. Seeing how she gasped for air while catching her breath, he suddenly let out a chuckle. A smile yed across his face, and two dimples appeared in his cheeks as if containing intoxicating wine that would make one immersed in them. Suddenly, Ruka felt very embarrassed. She swung her fist and pounded his chest. ¡°How dare you laugh at me?¡± At this moment, she forgot who he was, his identity, and his age, revealing the truest sweet and charming side of her. Ren patted her on the back while saying with sympathy, ¡°Okay, me it all on me.¡± Only then did Rukae to her senses. ¡°Alright. Now that I¡¯ve apologized and you¡¯ve taken advantage of me, I¡¯m going back to sleep,¡± she said. With that, she left in a huff. Ren wanted to go downstairs to get another bottle of red wine at first. At this moment, however, he urgently needed to go back and take a hot shower, or he¡¯d probably be unable to suppress the mes of lust within him tonight. Ruka couldn¡¯t fall asleep as well. Her mind was so preupied with what had happened just now that there was no room for anything else in her heart. As she thought about it, her face blushed. Her heart fluttered, and everything seemed to be descending into chaos. Before she realized it, she had fallen asleep. When she woke up, the sun was already shining brightly outside the window. Ruka saw that it was 7:30AM, which was still early. As she didn¡¯t want to bete for work today, she spruced herself up and came downstairs early on her own. Elijah was already waiting for her at the entrance. ¡°Miss Singed, I¡¯ll drive you to work and take you somewhere to eat breakfast along the way,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you, Elijah,¡± Ruka thanked. Meanwhile, at the trantion department, Mia arrived early at the office, havingpletely forgotten what she had donest night. In her opinion, she had only yed a prank on Ruka, who must¡¯ve found someone to unlock the door and free her. Just then, Victoria¡¯s assistant came over and called her. ¡°Mia, go to Miss Parfait¡¯s office.¡± Not daring to ignore her words, Mia immediately stood up and went to Victoria¡¯s office, only to see the latter standing in front of the French window with a dark expression while looking at her frostily. ¡°What did you dost night?¡± she asked. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t do anything. I¡¯d been tranting the documents I was working with,¡± Mia replied guiltily. ¡°Did you lock Ruka inside the old library and turn off the power switch?¡± Victoria barked. Mia changed color. ¡°Miss Parfait, I-I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I meant no harm. I was just ying a prank on her.¡± ¡°Do you know how serious the consequences of your actions were? Even my superior got criticized and had to write a self-criticism. Do you think it¡¯s just some trifling matter?¡± Victoria uttered between clenched teeth. ¡°Huh?!¡± Mia¡¯s heart trembled. Is the matter that serious? Why did it turn into something so serious? ¡°You¡¯re fired. Pack up your stuff and leave,¡± Victoria said cruelly as her eyes zed with repressed resentment. Ruka had asked Ren for help after being trapped inside the libraryst night. As he hade personally to save her, the nature of the entire incident turned out to be very different. What made Victoria even more resentful was that Mia¡¯s actions had indirectly created an opportunity for the two. She heard that Ruka had left in Ren¡¯s carst night, so they two had probably stayed togetherst night. However, she could only vent her hatred on Mia. Tears instantly rolled down Mia¡¯s cheeks as she looked at Victoria imploringly. ¡°Miss Parfait, could you please allow me to stay? It took me a great deal of effort to get in here, and I don¡¯t want to give up just like this.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the use of begging me? If you were smart, you shouldn¡¯t haveid a hand on Ruka,¡± Victoria replied with a snort. Mia shuddered as though she had noticed from these words how powerful Ruka¡¯s background was. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Ruka entered the office from the outside, only to be stopped by a figure all of a sudden. It was Mia. At this moment, her delicate makeup was smudged with tears like that of a female ghost, scaring the hell out of Ruka. ¡°Sorry, Ruka! I¡¯m sorry! Let me apologize to you. Could you please let me off? Please, I¡¯m begging you.¡± Ruka was still puzzled as she had no idea what Mia was up to again. Mia¡¯s eyes reddened with anxiety as she was overwhelmed with regret. ¡°I just wanted to y a prank on you after seeing you go to the libraryst night. You can get out of the library by making a phone call, so all I did was lock the door. I really didn¡¯t mean to lock you up.¡± Upon hearing this, Ruka finally realized why she had been locked in the library. She said angrily, ¡°So it was your doing.¡± ¡°Sorry, I know that I was wrong. Please be the bigger person and forgive me!¡± Mia put her palms together, thinking that Ruka was easily persuadable. Ruka was kind-hearted, but she wouldn¡¯t easily forgive someone like Mia even if thetter begged her for mercy. ¡°You¡¯re fired, right? If you are, then pack up your stuff and leave. You should¡¯ve thought of the consequences when you tried to harm me.¡± She coldly walked past her to go back to her office. Seeing that her plea had fallen on deaf ears, Mia became even more vicious at this moment. ¡°What do you think is so great about you, Ruka? All you have is someone backing you up. You couldn¡¯t wait for me to leave so that you¡¯d have one less rival, right?¡± Ruka looked back at her. ¡°You have only yourself to me for courting death. Who else could you me?¡± Mia¡¯s words were getting fouler by the minute. ¡°D-Didn¡¯t you get ahead in your career by sleeping with someone? I wonder how old is the one you¡¯re serving. You¡¯re such a disgrace to us women. Pffft!¡± Ruka¡¯s face blushed instantly. ¡°Shut up!¡± Mia sneered when she saw how Ruka blushed. ¡°I¡¯m right about that, ain¡¯t I? You pretend to be innocent and beautiful on the outside, but you must be promiscuous in private. How disgusting.¡± Ruka was really pissed off, but she knew it was meaningless to argue with such a person. She turned around and returned to the office, and Mia came in behind her shortly after that. The others also heard that Mia had been fired. They appeased her on the outside, but they were inwardly happy. After all, it was a great thing to lose apetitor. Mia pointed at Ruka. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, you guys have to watch out for her. Who knows when she¡¯ll have her backer fire all of you one by one so that she can take advantage of the situation?¡± Inara retorted with a sneer, ¡°Is she even capable of that?¡± Mia recalled what Victoria had said, though. Even my superior has to write a self-criticism, so Ruka¡¯s background really isn¡¯t as simple as Inara thinks. However, she wasn¡¯t kind-hearted enough to tell Inara about it. ¡°In any case, just be careful of her. I¡¯m leaving. Even if I can no longer stay in the trantion department, I¡¯ll do very well in another industry,¡± Mia said before leaving. Ruka covered her ears while being immersed in her own thoughts. Mr. Ren is the one who dealt with this matter and stuck up for me, she thought. Just then, Victoria¡¯s voice rang at the door. ¡°Ruka,e with me for a minute.¡± Ruka stood up and went out with her. Victoria reached the flower bed nearby before turning to look at Ruka. ¡°You didn¡¯t hurt yourselfst night, did you?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. Thanks for caring about me, Miss Parfait.¡± ¡°If youe across anything next time, just give me a phone call and don¡¯t bother Ren again. You know that with his status, it¡¯s inconvenient for him to be involved in many things,¡± Victoria said, reminding Ruka. Ruka¡¯s heart sank. She nodded, saying, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll try my best not to bother him.¡± Victoria couldn¡¯t help but ask again, ¡°I hear that you got into his carst night. Did he send you home?¡± Ruka pursed her lips. For a moment, she didn¡¯t know how to answer the question. A barely noticeable flicker of jealousy shed across Victoria¡¯s eyes. Did she stay at his ce again? ¡°Ruka, let me treat you to dinner this evening. Take it as an asion to connect with each other and chat about our work,¡± she suggested with a smile. Ruka was stunned for a moment. Of course, she knew that this wasn¡¯t the only reason Victoria wanted to have dinner with her. As an intern, however, she couldn¡¯t decline her superior¡¯s invitation to dinner. ¡°Alright, let me treat you to dinner,¡± she said to Victoria. ¡°There¡¯s a nice restaurant nearby that does a good job of protecting its customers¡¯ privacy. Let¡¯s meet up after we¡¯ve finished work,¡± Victoria replied. Then, she patted Ruka on the shoulder and left. Only Victoria herself knew what she was up to. She wanted to test how much Ren cared about Ruka. She would keep Ruka beside her tonight and see if he would ask her to release Ruka. What she wanted to know the most was the nature of his rtionship with Ruka. She had sent someone to look into it, but the investigation didn¡¯t find out anything. Ruka¡¯s background wasn¡¯tplex, but Victoria had no idea how she hade into contact with Ren. After clocking out, Victoria personally came to the office and called Ruka away. Ruka came out under the envious eye of everyone. Victoria¡¯s action seemed to show that she really had a powerful background or something. ¡°Ruka, my car is outside. Let¡¯s go.¡± Victoria carried herself gracefully with feminine charms while carrying her handbag. As Ruka looked at Victoria from behind, a question mark popped up in her head. Miss Parfait has been courting Mr. Ren for five years. Why would she fail to win his heart with her good looks? It¡¯s not that I¡¯m belittling myself, but she far surpasses me in terms of our age, our job, and how outstanding we are. I¡¯m just a rookie who is still wet behind the ears without anything that puts me at an advantage. Why would a man as sessful and well-known as Mr. Ren fall in love with me? Just as she let her mind wander, she came in front of Victoria¡¯s car and got into the passenger seat, upon which Victoria drove the car and set out. ¡°Ruka, do you mind telling me about your rtionship with Ren?¡± Victoria asked with smiling eyes. Then, she added, ¡°I think I¡¯ve gotten the wrong idea about you two. I believe what you saidst time, and I know that your rtionship with him is pure.¡± Ruka¡¯s face blushed slightly before she lowered her head with a guilty conscience. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Parfait, but it¡¯s not convenient for me to talk about him.¡± Victoria smiled instead of getting angry. ¡°I know that. His identity is a sensitive issue, after all. Okay, we¡¯re not gonna talk about it, then. Let¡¯s talk about your life abroad over the past few years. Your information shows that you went abroad at 16 years old. You left the country at a young age, huh?¡± Ruka let out a secret sigh before saying, ¡°Yeah, I moved to the city where my parents worked to live with them.¡± ¡°Then where did you live in the country before you were 16 years old?¡± ¡°I lived in my rtive¡¯s ce most of the time,¡± Ruka answered without mentioning the Husson Residence. Victoria turned to nce at Ruka. She felt that Ruka seemed to be hiding something. Seems like I¡¯ve underestimated her. I thought that she¡¯d tell me everything if I were to chat with her like a friend. She wondered if the rtive Ruka had lived with before she reached 16 years old had anything to do with Ren. Otherwise, there was no way Ruka would have an opportunity to get to know him while growing up. She knew very well how Ren grew up, but even the timeline showed no connection with the city Ruka had lived in while she was abroad. Therefore, Ren had likely gotten to know Ruka before she reached 16 years old. Victoria felt as though a fine thread was twisting around her heart. So Ren fell in love with Ruka even earlier than I thought? Was he secretly waiting for her to grow up before I even knew anything? Such a rtionship between childhood ymates did fill her with suspicion and envy. How lucky Ruka was to have a man who was willing to wait for her until he was 33 years old without dating anyone? Victoria couldn¡¯t help but size Ruka up again through the rearview mirror with piercing eyes. Ruka was looking at the scenery outside the window with a pair of watery eyes that seemed to have not experienced the torture of worldly affairs. She was lively and vivacious, like a greenhouse flower that had been taken great care of as it grew. Such ady did have a delicate air about her that made one want to love her tenderly. She was pure, beautiful, and yet fragile¡ªa quality that anyone would yearn for and try to protect. Victoriaughed at herself inwardly. She had be aggressive at work, as if she could no longer travel back to the days when she was as young and ignorant as Ruka was. She wished she could also be six years younger and meet the mature, steady, and protective Ren at the same age as Ruka did. If that happened, would she stand a chance of bing the apple of his eye? After they arrived at the restaurant, Victoria introduced the ce to Ruka. The restaurant rarely served customers from the outside, so the customers here were all internal employees. Ruka also understood the difference between the customers from the outside and those from the inside. Ren would probablye to such a restaurant too, she thought. Victoria asked for a private room and ordered some food. Then, she asked, ¡°Ruka, can you drive?¡± Ruka nodded. ¡°Yes, I can. I have my driver¡¯s license.¡± ¡°Great. I¡¯m feeling down today, so I¡¯d like to have a couple of drinkster. Remember to drive me home, alright?¡± Victoria pleaded with her. Ruka hurriedly advised, ¡°Miss Parfait, you¡¯d better not drink too much alcohol. It¡¯s bad for your health.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can hold my liquor pretty well; I just want to drink a little to vent my emotions. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t act crazy after getting drunk.¡± Victoria smiled. ¡°I¡¯m going to the washroom.¡± Just when she was about to open the door, she heard Ruka¡¯s cell phone ring. She paused for a moment, but after that, she naturally pushed the door open and left. Ruka didn¡¯t know that the door wasn¡¯t tightly shut, and Victoria didn¡¯t leave outside the door either. She held her cell phone in her hand as if she were answering the phone outside the door so that no one would think she was eavesdropping even if someone came over. Seeing the caller ID on her cell phone¡¯s screen, Ruka answered the phone with a smile. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Elijah says you¡¯re not in the office. Where are you?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m having dinner with Miss Parfait outside. Just tell Elijah to go back first. I might have to go back late,¡± Ruka exined. ¡°Why would she treat you to dinner?¡± ¡°She¡¯s probably feeling down. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tell her about our rtionship,¡± Ruka promised him while pursing her lips. To her surprise, the man on the other end of the line replied in an easy manner, ¡°It¡¯s okay if you tell her about it.¡± Ruka felt her head buzz for a moment. No, I wouldn¡¯t dare to say that! Now I¡¯m only too eager to hide everything that happened between him and me without telling anyone about it. Most importantly, even I myself find it uneptable, so how can I go around telling people about it? ¡°Okay, call me after you¡¯ve finished having dinner with her. I¡¯ll have someone pick you up,¡± Ren said before hanging up. Ruka put down her phone and looked at the scenery outside the window. Her cheeks were still burning somewhat, and the memory of him pinning her against the wallst night appeared involuntarily in her mind. Just the thought of it made her heart beat faster. Is there such an overbearing man? And besides, it¡¯s like he never gave me the opportunity to say no. It feels like I¡¯m being forced to go out with him, but I¡¯m not prepared for this at all! Meanwhile, Victoria went to the washroom. She overheard what Ruka had said just now; Ruka said she wouldn¡¯t go around telling anyone about her rtionship with Ren. Obviously, this statement proved that their rtionship was beyond the kind of rtionship between men and women. Could the rumors circting in the office be true? They say that Ruka managed to get into the trantion department by sleeping with some big shot. Could she have really done something like that? Did she get into the department by sleeping with Mr. Husson? Victoria came in front of the mirror in the washroom. Seeing how her face twitched with jealousy, she felt extremely resentful. To think that another woman got her hands on the man of my dreams easily just like this! She had worked very hard in the trantion department over these years to be the head of the department despite her young age. What did she do all this for? She did all this to chase after Ren because she wanted to be her best self to be worthy of him. All the effort she had put in over the past five years was only for his sake, for he was the sole purpose of her hard work. Therefore, how could she resign herself to this? How could a girl pop up all of a sudden and steal him away? She was a woman who was eager to outdo others, so she wouldn¡¯t allow herself to suffer such a humiliating defeat. If she hadn¡¯t taken advantage of her drunkennessst time, she wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to hug him. She wasn¡¯t that drunk the other night, but the feeling of hugging him lingered in her mind for the entire night. She admitted that she was somewhat madly in love with Ren. Inwardly, she was already a person who was crazy for love. She clung to the washstand for support as tears of grievance welled up in her eyes. How hard do I have to work to draw his attention? If Ruka hadn¡¯t turned up, she wouldn¡¯t mind waiting; she¡¯d still have a chance, after all. But now, Ruka¡¯s presence had erased all her efforts, and she stole Ren away so easily. Just what is Ren¡¯s rtionship with her? And when did he fall in love with her? Victoria closed her eyes while shedding a tear of resentment. At this moment, her cell phone rang, and she picked it up and answered it. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Miss Parfait, we¡¯ve found something about the matter you asked me to look into. As long as you pay me on time, we¡¯ll give you the information.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll transfer the money to your bank ount right away. Shoot.¡± Victoria was in a somewhat turbulent mood. The caller was an unlicensed detective that she had hired with a lot of money, and they were even more capable. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell you since I believe you won¡¯t break your promise. Ruka Singed¡¯s parents are close friends with Ren Husson¡¯s sister and brother-inw, so they get along very well. Ruka¡¯s parents worked abroad all year long, so they allowed Scarlet Husson to bring up their only daughter. Ruka had grown up by Scarlet¡¯s side since she was two years old until she was 16. Not only that, but I even found an old news report. Scarlet took Ruka to a party and introduced thetter on stage to dere her as her goddaughter. Therefore, Scarlet was considered a half mother to Ruka.¡± Victoria¡¯s eyes widened when she learned of this. She was shocked inwardly, but she also figured everything out. So, this was how Ren and Ruka got to know each other. Ren often stayed at Scarlet¡¯s ce when he was eight years old. His parents were too busy at work to care about him, so he also stayed at Scarlet¡¯s ce at the time. Victoria¡¯s lips curled into a bitter forced smile. She finally figured out what had happened, but it was an oue that she found uneptable for a time. Ruka¡¯s rtionship with Ren had begun not just several years ago; instead, they grew up together. She narrowed her eyes in anguish. How could Ren fall in love with his sister¡¯s goddaughter despite them being from different generations? There are so many women for him to choose from. Why does he have to choose such a path to take on? Isn¡¯t he worried that he¡¯ll be affected during the next election? Hasn¡¯t he thought about the risks in this regard? To think that you¡¯d also make a misstep, Ren Husson! She bit her lips with a sneer. Since I can¡¯t get my hands on you, I won¡¯t let you win her heart as you wish. Let¡¯s suffer together! Let¡¯s struggle in painful rtionships. I mustn¡¯t be the only one who can¡¯t win the heart of the person I love. I want you to suffer with me. When Victoria returned to the private room, the dishes had been served. Ruka looked back at her with a toothy grin, saying, ¡°You¡¯re back, Miss Parfait.¡± A hint of jealousy shed across Victoria¡¯s mind. Ruka had a pure and kind air about her, as though she wasn¡¯t scheming at all. She looked so wonderful that it made her envious. How could a person have no desire? Isn¡¯t she worried that someone else might steal Ren away? Or is she so confident of having him in her firm grasp? She¡¯s supposed to have her own worries and troubles. Why does she seem so carefree? Victoria could no longer go back to such days. As long as Ren didn¡¯t love her, she¡¯d always be gloomy. However, she¡¯d soon let Ruka taste what it was like to be in fear¡ªif thetter loved Ren enough. ¡°Let¡¯s eat and chat over dinner,¡± she said to Ruka before picking up the wine bottle and pouring a ss of wine for herself. After taking a sip of it, she said to Ruka earnestly, ¡°Actually, Ruka, I know a little about you.¡± Ruka paused for a moment before looking up at her. Victoria stared at her, saying, ¡°You said you had grown up at your rtive¡¯s ce since you were little. The rtive you were referring to was Madam Falkner, right? Were you raised by her side when you were a child?¡± Ruka¡¯s eyes widened. How did Miss Parfait know about this? ¡°So, your rtionship with Ren is one between an elder and a member of the younger generation in the family. You have no idea that I was once jealous of you. Well, now it seems that I was overthinking it. How could I possibly think that you and Ren were going out? You should call him something like ¡®Mr. Ren,¡¯ right?¡± Victoria fixed Ruka with a piercing gaze. Ruka pursed her lips and lowered her head as a feeling of guilt welled up within her. When Victoria saw this, she was angry as well. Obviously, they¡¯ve gone beyond such a rtionship and are nning to be a couple instead of a family, huh? I¡¯m not gonna allow it, though. ¡°Ruka, let me remind you something here. Do you know how sensitive Ren¡¯s identity is right now? The whole world is watching his every move and everything he says, so he¡¯s not allowed to make even the slightest mistake. The outside world even cares about his rtionships.¡± She stared at Ruka threateningly as if wanting to imprint these words on thetter¡¯s soul. Ruka pursed her lips and nodded. ¡°I know that.¡± Victoria then continued, ¡°So, for the sake of his future, you should know to avoid getting too close to him so that he can continue to take over the office, right? It¡¯s okay that I know it. However, if someone else learns about it, you know how disastrous it¡¯ll be for Ren. Also, the entire Husson Family will be affected.¡± Ruka raised her eyes all of a sudden as she was shocked inwardly. Really? Will the matter be so serious? Victoria knew that Ruka wouldn¡¯t dare put the Husson Family¡¯s future at risk. She was brought up by Scarlet, to whom she felt grateful, so she wouldn¡¯t destroy the Husson Family¡¯s footing because of her own feelings. Taking another sip of wine, she said to Ruka, ¡°I¡¯m saying this to you because I love Ren. I don¡¯t want anything wrong to happen to him, nor do I want him to fall from grace. Do you know how outstanding he is? He reached his position at such a young age. Many people can only look up to him.¡± Ruka clenched her fists under the table. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t do such things to hurt Ren and the Husson Family. ¡°Of course, Ren is a man, and he¡¯s also very confident. If he doesn¡¯t know how to hold back, then you should understand the risks involved and reject him. You don¡¯t want to ruin everything he has with your own hands, do you?¡± Victoria pretended to look worried. Ruka took a deep breath and said, ¡°Thank you for telling me this, Miss Parfait. I won¡¯t let something like that happen.¡± When Victoria heard these words, she revealed a smirk on her red lips. ¡°I¡¯m d you understand. I want to protect him from harm as much as you do. Also, please don¡¯t tell him that I said this to you. I¡¯m afraid that he¡¯de after me. He doesn¡¯t like others to interfere in his affairs. Got it?¡± Ruka nodded. ¡°Rest assured. This will be just between us.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a good girl, you¡¯re beautiful, and you have the Husson Family to support you. I¡¯m sure your future partner won¡¯t be any less outstanding, so you still have many choices,¡± Victoria exined to her as if they were close sisters. However, Ruka¡¯s thoughts were a mess. She didn¡¯t have time to consider much, but there was one thing she was extremely firm about, and that was she would never do anything to hurt the Husson Family and Ren. The light in her eyes seemed to disappear all of a sudden, revealing a sh of mncholy. Opposite her, Victoria noticed her gaze, and she felt a hint of bitterness on the inside. Ruka¡¯s expression proved one thing¡ªshe really liked Ren. Victoria knew that as long as Ren took the initiative to pursue a girl, that girl would definitely fall for him. How could a naive girl like Ruka escape from Ren¡¯s charm? She had spent five years of her youth just to make him spare her another nce! Feeling pained, Victoria picked up the wine bottle and poured it into the ss again, and time gradually went by as she drowned her sorrows with wine. When Ruka returned to her senses, she saw Victoria call on a waiter, and said to him drunkenly, ¡°Get me another bottle of wine.¡± At the sight, Ruka persuaded her, ¡°Miss Parfait, don¡¯t drink anymore. You¡¯ve drunk too much.¡± ¡°Ruka, you don¡¯t know how bitter I feel. If you were me, you¡¯d know how painful it is to love someone without being able to have them. I love him so much, and I tried everything to get close to him, but in the end, I got nothing.¡± Victoria didn¡¯t care about showing her vulnerability and pain. She wanted Ruka to see that she was also responsible for her pain. ¡°Ruka, how would I not feel pained? Unrequited love is the most painful thing in the world.¡± Saying that, Victoria rested her forehead on her hand and began crying. Ruka looked at her, not knowing how tofort her all of a sudden. She handed her a piece of tissue. ¡°Miss Parfait, you¡¯re drunk. Let me take you home!¡± ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m not drunk. I don¡¯t want to go back. I want to see him.¡± Victoria raised her head and wiped away her tears before she asked Ruka, ¡°Ruka, will hee to pick you up? If he does, I can see him too.¡± Victoria usually didn¡¯t have a chance to meet Ren, and not everyone in his office could speak to him. Therefore, it was really not easy for her to see him. ¡°After I send you home, I¡¯ll call a cab home myself.¡± ¡°Are you going back to the Husson Residence?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to a friend¡¯s house.¡± Ruka decided to spend the night at Rita¡¯s house tonight and talk to Ren about moving out the next day. ¡°Ruka, you¡¯re so lucky to be able to spend so much time with him. On the other hand, meeting him is a matter of luck for me,¡± Victoria said enviously, her eyes bloodshot. Ruka pursed her lips and shook her head. ¡°No, Miss Parfait, you¡¯ve misunderstood. If I remember correctly, I¡¯ve only seen Mr. Husson around ten times.¡± Victoria looked at her suspiciously. ¡°How is that possible? Isn¡¯t it easy for you to meet him?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. Mr. Husson is a person I admire and worship. Even if I met him, I wouldn¡¯t dare to say much to him,¡± Ruka answered truthfully. In fact, after kissing him that night, she still respected him like an elder and didn¡¯t dare to think about it at all, let alone make mistakes and act carelessly in front of him. Deep down, she was even afraid of him. Chapter 1061-1070 Chapter 1061-1070 In the past few days, everything had been messed up, from their rtionship to her feelings, as if nothing was under her control. She had even got to know Ren from a new perspective. She was shocked to find out that he always had feelings toward her that he had never said to her. Meanwhile, Victoria smiled bitterly. Did that mean she had guessed it right? Had Ren fallen for Ruka first? This discovery hit her like a truck. How gently would Ren treat the girl that he liked and epted? At this moment, Ruka¡¯s cell phone rang. When she nced at it, her heartbeat immediately stopped. It was a call from Ren. At the same time, she took a nce at the time. It was already eight forty. She said to Victoria, ¡°Miss Parfait, I¡¯m going to take a call.¡± Managing to guess who it was, Victoria nodded. Ruka then took her phone and went outside to answer. She walked all the way out of the restaurant to a parking lot in a garden by the door and took a deep breath to rx herself before she answered the call. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you finished eating yet?¡± Ren¡¯s low and maic voice sounded from the phone. ¡°We have, and I will take Miss Parfait home soon because she¡¯s drunk. Then, I¡¯ll go to my friend Rita¡¯s house tonight, so don¡¯t wait for me!¡± Ruka smiled. ¡°Why are you going to your friend¡¯s house?¡± he immediately questioned. ¡°I¡¯ve already promised her that I¡¯ll stay over at her house tonight. She¡¯s too lonely from being at home all alone, so she asked me to spend some time with her.¡± Ruka offhandedly came up with an excuse. However, he obviously didn¡¯t believe her reason and scoffed in a low voice. ¡°Are you keeping your distance from me after you listened to something Victoria said to you?¡± Ruka felt embarrassed. How did he know? ¡°Of course not! I just promised my friend that I¡¯d spend time with her. Don¡¯t think too much about it.¡± Ruka continued to try to run with her excuse. ¡°Ruka, no matter what others say to you, you don¡¯t need to worry or be afraid when you¡¯re with me. Understand?¡± Ren¡¯s voice was deep, powerful, and full of a sense of security. Ruka¡¯s chest suddenly tightened. Though he had clearly expressed nothing, it still felt like he was hinting at something aggressively. They weren¡¯t even together yet! Wasn¡¯t he going to ask her for her opinion? ¡°Mr. Ren, I¡­ I really respect you as an elder. Ever since I was a child, you¡¯ve always been a role model that I admire. My parents hope that I will learn from you and be an outstanding person, and I¡¯m also trying to do the same¡­ I¡ª¡± ¡°Enough. I don¡¯t want to hear this.¡± His voice was low and gentle, yet strong andpelling. Ruka blurted out a bunch of words in a panic, but to him, they were all pointless, so he didn¡¯t mind interrupting her. Meanwhile, she fell silent. She felt as if there was a that was wrapping around her tightly, causing her to lose her breath. She subconsciously let out a sigh, her breathing quickening as she asked, ¡°Then, what do you want me to do?¡± The other end suddenly fell silent for a few seconds before Ren¡¯s deep and hoarse voice slowly sounded. ¡°Fine, you can stay at your friend¡¯s house tonight. Let¡¯s talk about this tomorrow.¡± Ruka bit her lip, feeling powerless. It seemed that he would always give her room to rx when it was the most appropriate. In fact, she really wanted toy everything out with him and talk to him about what happened in the past two days. Darn it! How could he not even give me a chance? Ruka didn¡¯t notice that there was a ck car parked next to her, and a pair of intense and unpredictable eyes were staring at her from inside, watching her frustration and the way she patted her forehead and sighed. ¡°Sir, aren¡¯t you going tofort Miss Singed?¡± In the driver¡¯s seat, Elijah asked curiously. ¡°No.¡± Ren loosened his tie. If he got out of the car now, he would only scare her, because she was now like a frightened bird and only thought about fleeing from him. He could guess what Victoria had said to her, but Ruka was too young and had too many worries and doubts. Besides, the feelings between them weren¡¯t strong enough to give her the courage to flock to him like a moth would to a me. Ruka, who had no idea that a certain man was watching everything she did at the moment, raised her head with a speechless expression and let out a few sighs before she turned toward a small tree next to her and began to grab the leaves as if she were venting her emotions. When the man in the car saw her actions, the corners of his mouth raised into a smile. Is this the way she vents her emotions? How childish. It was only after Ruka had pulled out all the leaves in front of her that she returned to the private room. Upon pushing the door open, she saw Victoria lying on the table and rushed over. ¡°How are you feeling now, Miss Parfait?¡± ¡°Ruka, I¡¯ll take you home! I feel so dizzy.¡± Victoria did drink too much, and she felt rather terrible at the moment. ¡°Okay. Give me a second. I¡¯ll take you home after I settle the bill.¡± Saying that, Ruka left to pay for their meal. After she was done, she returned to the room and picked up Victoria¡¯s bag. Then, she stretched out her hand to help Victoria get up. As Victoria was still able to walk, the two of them left with half of Victoria¡¯s body leaning on Ruka¡¯s body. Ruka found it difficult to support Victoria, and because Victoria staggered as she walked, as soon as they left the restaurant gate and went to the parking lot, Ruka suddenly tripped over Victoria¡¯s leg. Before Ruka could scream, she copsed onto the ground while holding onto Victoria. Instantly, she felt a severe pang of pain in her knees, probably because she had hurt her knees when she fell. Just when she was about to get up to help Victoria, she suddenly heard the sound of a car door, and she couldn¡¯t help but look up. Upon seeing a tall and handsome figure walking toward them against the light, Ruka felt her heart getting caught in her throat as her beautiful eyes widened. It¡¯s him? Why is he here? She suddenly recalled that there was a car parked here just now. Had he been in the car all the time? At that thought, she yearned to bury herself into a hole. ¡°Are you all right, Miss Parfait?¡± Elijah came over to help Victoria up. In front of Ruka, arge palm with distinct joints stretched out as Ren made to pull her up. Stunned, she sat on the ground and looked at his outstretched palm. Then, without giving him her hand, she resolutely stood up by pushing herself off the ground, while Ren looked at her solemnly with an intense gaze. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Just then, two arms suddenly wrapped around Ren¡¯s back. It was Victoria. She had sobered up. She pushed away Elijah¡¯s hand to hug Ren without a single care in the world. ¡°Ren¡­ You¡¯re finally here¡­ I waited so long for you¡­¡± Elijah frantically stood next to her and offered, ¡°Miss Parfait, I¡¯ll take you home!¡± Ren¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as he pried Victoria¡¯s tightly sped hands away with hisrge palm. He turned around and held her shoulders, not allowing her to get any closer to him. ¡°Victoria, you¡¯re drunk. Go home and get some rest.¡± His stern voice sounded. ¡°I don¡¯t want to¡­ I don¡¯t want to go anywhere. I just want to hug you¡­¡± After speaking, Victoria struggled against his hands again, trying to fall back into his arms, but Elijah hurriedly stood in front of Ren. As Victoria had her eyes closed since the beginning, she didn¡¯t realize that she was hugging Elijah¡¯s waist. She even buried her face in his chest. ¡°Ren, I really like you. Can you not treat me so coldly¡­¡± Just as Ruka was watching the show from the side, arge and overbearing hand dragged her in the direction of the car. She hurriedly turned her head and looked toward Elijah and Victoria with an inexplicable feeling of worry until she suddenly remembered that Victoria¡¯s bag was still in her hands. At that thought, she quickly broke away from Ren¡¯s hand and delivered the bag to Elijah. Only then did she turn around and return to the car. Ren personally opened the car door for her, and when she got in the car, she was about to look back when a low male voice sounded above her. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you going in?¡± As Ruka was still in a daze, he became even more displeased. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Then, Ren¡¯s aggressive andrge handnded on the back of her head as he pushed her into the back seat irritably. As soon as Ruka sat down, he got inside as well and said to the bodyguard in the driver¡¯s seat, ¡°Drive.¡± ¡°What about Elijah?¡± Ruka asked worriedly. After all, it didn¡¯t seem good to leave him alone to deal with a situation like this. ¡°He can handle it,¡± Ren replied indifferently. Clearly, he was a little jealous that Ruka was so concerned about his assistant. He turned his head to look at her, and his long arm suddenly reached past her chest, shocking her. Then, when she saw the man pull the seat belt around her and fasten it, she felt her heart warm from the sense of security that he brought her. Ruka pursed her lips and looked at the scenery outside the window. Suddenly, she thought of something and couldn¡¯t help but turn her head to stare at the man next to her. ¡°Were you in the car when I came out to answer your call just now?¡± Ren narrowed his eyes. Then, he lightly nodded, not denying her words. ¡°You¡­¡± Ruka was immediately embarrassed. She recalled the way she had pulled the leaves out to vent her emotions. Had he witnessed everything? How shameful. Furious, she turned away and looked out the window, but her face flushed red involuntarily. He looked at her quietly for a few seconds. When his gaze fell on her hand that was resting on her knee, he naturally reached out and covered her hand with his. Taken aback by his actions, Ruka instinctively tried to break away, but he held onto her slender hand bossily, not allowing her to do so. Her heart raced faster, but she didn¡¯t dare to forcefully pull away. After all, there were two bodyguards sitting in front of her, and she still had to protect his pride as a vice president. Hence, she ended up being held in his strong grip. As the heat of his palm pressed onto the back of her hand, it also spread into the depths of her heart. She felt as if she were hiding from the world and secretly carrying an emotion that was passionate yet unepted. If he wasn¡¯t a vice president and was just a regr businessman, or even working under any other profession, they wouldn¡¯t need to consider what others thought before they did anything. However, with his distinguished background, any small stain on him would be amplified to the extreme. Even if they were not rted by blood, their rtionship was still taboo solely because she was raised as a goddaughter by Scarlet¡¯s side. If someone used this issue to me him for being immoral, it could obliterate all of his achievements. How could Ruka risk ruining everything he had? She was too unworthy and insignificant to destroy such an excellent man like him! As she battled with herself, ayer of sweat had already formed in her palm. Thinking that it was a good opportunity to break away from his grasp, she pulled her hand away when he wasn¡¯t noticing and pressed it to her chest, not giving him another chance to hold her again. Ren¡¯s gaze fell on her face, and there was a dull pain in his chest. This girl really was avoiding him. Just then, the bodyguard drove the car into Ren¡¯s vi. Ruka said to Ren, ¡°Can I ask your bodyguard to take me to my friend¡¯s house?¡± Ren, who was about to get out of the car, froze for a moment before he turned his head and said, ¡°They¡¯re busy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just half an hour away,¡± Ruka pleaded. ¡°No. Now get out of the car.¡± Ren refused to let her leave. Hence, Ruka got out of the car helplessly and watched as his bodyguard drove out of the iron gate while she stood in the empty garden in a daze. When Ren took a few steps and realized that she wasn¡¯t following him, he subconsciously looked back at her. Then, he turned around and stretched out his long arm to hold onto her wrist before leading her back to the direction of the hall. For some reason, Ruka felt a gush of hurt wash over her. Her eyes stung with tears as she struggled against him. ¡°Can¡¯t you respect me for a moment?¡± Ren turned to look at her. ¡°Respect what?¡± ¡°Why are you so sure that I¡¯d like you back just because you like me? Are you just that confident?¡± Ruka raised her head as all kinds of feelings surged in her heart, and her eyes began to turn red. Ren¡¯s lips twitched. Though the way he looked at her was still gentle, his gaze was intense and morose as if covered with ayer of dust. Ruka¡¯s breathing was caught in her throat as she found it difficult to ignore the emotions in his eyes. She lowered her head and continued, ¡°Let¡¯s just continue with our original rtionship! No matter what, you¡¯ll only be my uncle. You¡¯re a highly ranked vice president while I am just an ordinary civilian. There¡­ won¡¯t be anything between us.¡± Saying that, Ruka quickly walked in the direction of the hall with her head lowered, leaving behind the man in the yard. She had not walked far when Ren¡¯s tall figure suddenly bent down as he covered his chest with arge palm as if he was fighting the pain in his heart. When she didn¡¯t hear any footsteps behind her, she couldn¡¯t help but turn back to take a look. Instantly, she was so shocked that she ran back to him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked frantically. With a hand on his waist, Ren struggled to straighten his back as he replied hoarsely, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Ruka didn¡¯t believe him. He didn¡¯t look like he was fine! Besides, he was holding onto his chest. Was he having any heart problems? ¡°Should I contact Elijah?¡± She was truly panicking, both of her hands holding onto his arm tightly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to leave? I¡¯ll call the bodyguards back and let them take you home now.¡± Ren spoke in a low voice, his back straightening as if he really were fine. However, Ruka refused to leave even if he wanted her to. She shook her head and insisted, ¡°I¡¯m not leaving. I want to take care of you.¡± At her words, Ren¡¯s lips curled upward indistinguishably. He nodded and agreed, ¡°All right. Help me back to the hall so that I can rest.¡± Ren wasn¡¯t pretending that his chest was aching. When she resolutely said those words to him earlier, there was indeed a sharp pain that shot through his heart. He didn¡¯t expect she would have such a big effect on him, enough to make his chest ache with just one sentence. In the end, he had underestimated how important she was to him. He smiled bitterly on the inside, feeling helpless. This unrequited love had started from him, but this girl didn¡¯t know anything, so he couldn¡¯t me her for wanting to escape. To her, his feelings were both oppressive and pressuring. In the hall, Ruka hurriedly poured him a ss of water. ¡°Quick, have a drink! Do you have a bad heart because you¡¯re usually too busy and don¡¯t get enough rest?¡± As Ren took the ss of water from her, he replied, ¡°It¡¯s really nothing.¡± He didn¡¯t want this girl to think that he was some sort of old geezer. He was already older than her in the first ce, so it bothered him to hear her saying that he was in poor health. Ruka looked at his face. Even if someone said he was in histe twenties, nobody would suspect it at all. He really did look young. ¡°Do you want to know what happened to me earlier?¡± Ren looked at her with narrowed eyes. ¡°Yeah! Tell me.¡± Ruka listened to him with a serious expression. ¡°Your words made me so angry that my heart started hurting.¡± He pushed the me onto her without any hesitation. Ruka¡¯s eyes widened slightly, and she pointed at herself. ¡°Me?¡± Ren nodded. ¡°Yes, you.¡± Ruka immediately recalled what she had said to him just now. Did he hurt himself from anger just because she had rejected him and said that there was no possibility for anything to happen between them in this life? ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Ruka instantly apologized, her mind filled with guilt and remorse. She might have spoken a little too harshly. ¡°I should be the one apologizing. It was because I didn¡¯t respect you and didn¡¯t tell you my feelings for you in advance that I scared you,¡± Ren apologized to her instead. Ruka raised her head, unable to look directly into his scorching eyes all of a sudden. She pursed her red lips, then replied after a while, ¡°Can we stop talking about this? I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll say the wrong thing and make you angry again.¡± He blinked, his eyes locking onto her. ¡°Then, when are you nning to talk to me so that you wouldn¡¯t make me angry?¡± Ruka caught her breath slightly, realizing that this problem could not be avoided. If that was the case, would he get angry regardless if she talked about it now or a yearter? ¡°You should like someone else! When you find someone else you like, we wouldn¡¯t have to talk about this anymore,¡± she suggested. Ren¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. If he could like someone else, would he wait until now? His feelings weren¡¯t a matter as simple as shopping at the store. He couldn¡¯t just like something else at the drop of a hat. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s not talk about it today. We¡¯ll save it forter.¡± Thinking that he still had work to deal with, Ren got up and nned to go upstairs. ¡°Mr. Ren, is your body really okay?¡± Ruka asked worriedly behind him. The man suddenly paused in the middle of straightening his suit gracefully and turned to stare at her, correcting her words, ¡°Don¡¯t use honorifics when you talk to me in the future.¡± Ruka was rendered speechless. Was there anything wrong with respecting him? ¡°Got it.¡± She responded seriously. ¡°I still have to work, so you should go back to your room and rest.¡± After Ren finished speaking, he immediately took off his suit jacket. Underneath, he was wearing an elegant three-piece suit that consisted of trousers, a shirt, and a vest. The suit made his body look slender, handsome, and strong, and it didn¡¯t seem like he was in bad health at all. When Ruka went back to the room, she wondered how Victoria would feel when she found out that she was holding Elijah in the end. After taking a bath, shey on the bed and skimmed through a book. Though its contents were educational and important, she just couldn¡¯t seem to learn anything as her mind was full of what Victoria had said earlier. She was forced to wonder if the consequences were really that serious. Just then, Ruka¡¯s phone beeped with a notification from a text message. When she picked it up, she saw it was from her mother. ¡®Ruka, are you asleep? I heard that you¡¯re staying in Mr. Husson¡¯s house. You have to know your manners and follow the rules. Don¡¯t disturb his work and his life, all right?¡¯ Ruka pursed her lips into a smile as she replied, ¡®Mom, I haven¡¯t slept yet! Let¡¯s talk over the phone instead!¡¯ Soon, her mother, ire Belmont, called her. Ruka answered the call. ¡°Hello, Mom?¡± ¡°I thought you were asleep! It¡¯s already ten. Why haven¡¯t you slept yet? How¡¯s your work?¡± ¡°I¡¯m still an intern. Mom, when are you and Dading back?¡± ¡°We have eight days of holiday for Christmas this year, so your dad and I decided toe back to spend it with you.¡± At her words, Ruka counted the date and said happily, ¡°There¡¯s still half a month until Christmas!¡± ¡°Yes, so we¡¯re nning to head back home. Oh, that¡¯s right, now that you¡¯re staying in Mr. Husson¡¯s house, you have to always be careful. You can¡¯t disturb his work.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll be careful.¡± ¡°Yeah. Mr. Husson treats us well. When he went abroadst time, he came to us for an examination. Not only did he care about your dad and I, but he also brought us a lot of gifts. We were very moved.¡± ire¡¯s tone was full of gratefulness. Ruka¡¯s chest tightened when she saw how much her parents respected him when she had just made him so angry that his chest started hurting. At the thought, she couldn¡¯t help but have a guilty conscience. ¡°Ruka, you should sleep earlier and fight for a chance to stay in the Trantion Department,¡± ire encouraged. ¡°Okay, I know, Mom. I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t stay upte now. Hurry up and sleep.¡± Saying that, ire hung up the phone. Rukay down on the bed with her face buried in the nket. Her mind was full of Ren, and she didn¡¯t know what to do. On one end, there was what Victoria had said to her, and on the other hand, there was her parents¡¯ respect for Ren. How could she catch feelings for him? Ah, whatever! Ruka felt that she had no resistance for Ren at all. Just two kisses from him had made herpletely forget about her one-sided crush that hadsted three years. However, he was just so charming that it was shocking. If he was a little more aggressive, Ruka felt that she would only let down her guard. No woman could resist this man making a move on them, let alone a naive girl like her. When she sat up, her face was flushed, and she didn¡¯t know if she was nervous or if it was something else, but she suddenly had the urge to head outside for a drink. She didn¡¯t know if it would disturb Ren¡¯s rest either. Ruka thought about thest time she bumped into him when she went downstairs for a drink and was immediately kissed by him in the hallway. She wondered if the same would happen if she bumped into him again this time. However, if she didn¡¯t drink any water, how would she be able to sleep that night? She might even start looking for some water in her sleep. Ruka suddenly felt that she was being ridiculous. Why was she so afraid of him? Suddenly, she came up with another idea. He just had chest pain earlier. Was he fine now? What if he fainted in the study or his room and there was no one around him to notice it? Ruka immediately got out of bed and put on her woolen shoes before rushing out. She went straight to the study where Ren might be and gently turned the door knob, but he was no longer inside. Was he back in his room? With a strange burst of courage, Ruka sped toward his bedroom. When she reached the door of his bedroom, she took a deep breath. Thinking that making sure of his safety was the most important thing no matter what, she knocked on the door. However, when the door was opened from the inside, what Ruka saw was not a fully-dressed man, but a man who had just taken a shower, with only a towel wrapped around his waist. His dark hair was still dripping with water, and her gaze immediatelynded on his strong muscles and distinct six-pack. ¡°Ahh!¡± Ruka hurriedly covered her face and turned her back to him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I was just worried about you, so I came to check on you.¡± Ren¡¯s lips curled upward, causing his charming dimples to appear. This woman was quite brave for daring to knock on his doorte at night. ¡°Aren¡¯t you here to see me? Why aren¡¯t you looking?¡± His deep and seductive voice sounded from behind. Ruka shook her head. How would she dare to look? ¡°Hiss¡­¡± All of a sudden, she heard him hiss under his breath in pain. Ruka instinctively let go of the hand that was covering her eyes and turned to look behind only to see a handsome face with a somewhat cheeky smile. He was just acting. ¡°You¡­¡± Ruka felt both angry and frustrated. ¡°Come in.¡± Ren¡¯s voice was slightly hoarse, and it was gentle yet bossy. Of course, Ruka didn¡¯t dare to go in! The atmosphere around him felt too dangerous, and she didn¡¯t want to¡­ Before she could finish thinking about it, he reached out and grabbed onto her slender arm, his force causing her whole body to stumble into his broad chest, and the door behind her mmed shut soon after. All she could smell was the minty fragrance of his freshly showered body, as well as his masculine scent. Her breathing quickened, and her brain was buzzing as she didn¡¯t know how to react. Should she push him, or should she allow him to hold her like this? ¡°Would you like to have a drink with me?¡± Ren asked her in a low voice, before letting her go. Ruka looked up at the wine cab next to the couch in the bedroom, where there was an open bottle of red wine. It seemed that he had a habit of drinking red wine before going to bed. ¡°I-It¡¯s fine.¡± She waved her arms in refusal. The atmosphere was already strange, and if they drank any wine, she wouldn¡¯t be able to deal with it. ¡°Are you afraid that I¡¯d eat you?¡± Ren curled his lips and smiled. ¡°Although I really want to, I¡¯ll respect your wishes.¡± He also meant that as long as Ruka agreed, he would do anything. Ruka¡¯s blush spread to the tip of her ears. Then, she opened the door and fled, not forgetting to look back over her shoulder to remind him, ¡°I won¡¯t be drinking the wine. Also, you should drink less and rest early. If you have any problems, please contact me immediately.¡± Saying that, Ruka closed the door and fled back to her room, while the man sighed a little helplessly. Why can¡¯t she stay put in her room? Why must she show up in front of me? Did she think that I¡¯m not taking enough cold showers recently? If I take any more cold showers, I¡¯m really going to fall sick because of her. At that thought, Ren moodily took a sip of wine. When Ruka went back to the room and closed the door, she was still thinking about whether she should lock her door, but she decided that Ren wouldn¡¯te over in the middle of the night. She still believed in his character. After a long day of being scared, shocked, and tired, she fell asleep not long after shey down on her bed. In the middle of the night, she woke up at the sounds of voices. She couldn¡¯t help but sit up in shock and listen carefully to the movement outside. There was indeed someone having a conversation. She was so startled that she quickly lifted her nket and got up. What was wrong? Did something happen to Ren? She hurriedly opened the door, only to see that the lights in the vi were already on. She saw Elijah standing in the hallway at a nce and asked in a panic, ¡°Elijah, what happened to him?¡± ¡°Mr. Husson suddenly has a high fever.¡± Elijah looked worried as well. Ruka looked in the direction of the bedroom and asked, ¡°Can I go in to see him?¡± ¡°You can.¡± Elijah nodded. Ruka hurriedly went over in her pajamas. When she opened the door and peeked inside, she saw Ren sitting on an incline in bed with an IV drip in his arm. Next to him, there was a middle-aged doctor chatting with him. As soon as Ruka entered, Ren¡¯s eyes widened and he said to her, ¡°Go back to your room.¡± Ruka asked worriedly, ¡°Are you all right?¡± His voice turned a little frustrated. ¡°I told you to go back to your room. Didn¡¯t you hear me?¡± Ruka couldn¡¯t help but feel a little hurt. She was so worried about his health, but why was he scolding her? After the middle-aged male doctor nced at Ruka, he quickly lowered his gaze, pretending to be looking at the IV drip equipment next to him. Seeing her bite her lip, her big eyes full of hurt, Ren softened his voice and said, ¡°Go back to your room and change your clothes beforeing over.¡± Ruka suddenly recovered her senses and lowered her head to see that she was not wearing anything underneath. Although she was wearing a set of long cotton pajamas, two bumps were still faintly visible. It was only then that she realized why he had gotten angry. She hurriedly wrapped her arms around her chest in embarrassment and went out. When she passed Elijah, she lowered her head and walked into the room quickly. Her hurt had disappeared all of a sudden, and she even felt likeughing. He had gotten angry just because of this? After changing her clothes with a red face, she left her room again and asked Elijah, ¡°Is Miss Parfait all right?¡± He nodded a little awkwardly. ¡°I sent her home.¡± Ruka didn¡¯t ask any more questions. From the half-closed door, she heard the doctor instruct, ¡°Sir, you should pay attention to your body and take hot showers as much as possible.¡± ¡°How did you know that I was taking cold showers?¡± Ren asked huffily. ¡°I guessed. Otherwise, it¡¯s impossible for your body to get such a high fever all of a sudden. If you have time, sir, you should find a proper girlfriend instead of always working!¡± The doctor smiled, brushing over the topic. Ren chided with a smile, ¡°Ss, you should mind your own business.¡± ¡°You leave me with no choice. I didn¡¯t want to make a trip in the middle of the night in this cold weather to give you an IV drip either.¡± Ss obviously had a good rtionship with Ren, and he began teasing him very naturally. As Ruka listened to their banter, her beautiful eyes widened slightly. This man still took a cold shower in this weather? However, what did taking a cold shower have to do with getting a girlfriend? Soon after, she figured it out, and her face turned red in an instant. When she entered the room again, the IV drip needle had already been removed from Ren, and he was pressing onto his wound with a cotton swab while the doctor next to him, Ss, was packing his medical box. Ruka stood by his bed with worry in her eyes. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll be leaving first. I¡¯ll be back tomorrow at ten.¡± After Ss finished speaking, he said to Ruka, ¡°Miss Singed, please take care of him. If he still has a high fever, you can use alcohol to help him cool down physically, and then let me know.¡± After speaking, he put down a bottle of alcohol. ¡°I prepared this. Just use a towel and wipe it onto him.¡± Ruka hurriedly nodded. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll definitely take good care of him.¡± ¡°Oh, right. Remember to let him take this medicer.¡± Ss ced the prescribed medicine on the table. ¡°He has to take it again in four hours.¡± Saying that, Ss turned his attention to the man in bed. ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving first.¡± ¡°Okay. I won¡¯t see you out,¡± Ren replied. After Ruka sent Ss out, he informed Elijah of the situation, and the two headed downstairs while chatting. Ruka followed them downstairs as well to bring Ren a ss of warm water to take with his medicine. Then, Elijah reminded her again that she should call him as soon as possible if anything happened and gave her his number. Once she had sent them away and prepared a ss of water, Ruka rushed back upstairs. Ren had already gotten out of bed. With a gray robe with golden lining wrapped around his tall figure, he looked like a member of royalty. Ruka brought the ss of water to him. ¡°Drink some water and take your medicine.¡± Ren took the ss from her and turned around to sit down on the couch. As he cooperatively finished his medicine, she sat next to him and watched him, a sh of pain appearing in her eyes. ¡°You should go back to sleep.¡± He turned to look at her. She shook her head. ¡°No, I have to take care of you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine after I finish the medicine.¡± He noticed that she was still sleepy, and he didn¡¯t want to take up her sleep time. ¡°That won¡¯t work either. The doctor asked me to look after you.¡± Saying that, Ruka shifted her body to sit next to him, and she ced her pale and small hands on his smooth and full forehead, where there was still a hotyer of sweat. She touched her own forehead inparison, and sure enough, he was burning. ¡°You¡¯re still burning up. Do you need me to physically cool you down?¡± she asked. The corner of Ren¡¯s mouth curled upward as he nodded. His high fever made his handsome face flush, and his eyes were bleary under the dim light. With his smile, his dimples appeared, giving him a masculine charm. As if it had knocked into something, Ruka¡¯s heart immediately began racing. She pursed her red lips and stood up. ¡°I¡¯m going to get a towel.¡± After she found a clean towel, she dampened it and returned to the couch, where she poured some alcohol onto it. However, she didn¡¯t know which part of his body she had to wipe. At the same time, Ren slowly loosened his night robe and stretched out his hand to pull the front of his robe open, revealing his solid and seductive chest as he said to her hoarsely, ¡°Wipe here.¡± Ruka¡¯s brain buzzed and she blushed. She reached out and wiped the towel on his chest, but she hardly dared to look at him. As she wiped, an arm suddenly wrapped forcefully around her waist, causing her to fall into his arms, and her face crashed into one side of his chest. ¡°D-Don¡¯t disturb my work,¡± Ruka warned with a stern expression. She propped herself up on his chest and continued to wipe it, while at the same time moving the towel up his sharp corbone to rub at his neck. Ren was already this sick. Why was he still messing around? However, he still insisted on teasing her. He leaned his head against the back of the couchzily, causing his handsome face to be fully exposed to the light as he studied her face in close proximity with an intense gaze. Ruka was focused on her task, so she ignored his presumptuous eyes. She just wanted to quickly lower his body temperature. However, she wasn¡¯t aware that her current distance and her hands that were wiping were not helping to lower his heat anymore, but making it worse instead. He reached out to brush her bangs behind her ears. Then, his gaze fell on her pink lips. His tongue stuck to his cheek, as if he were a dangerous feline that was ready to hunt. As soon as she finished wiping and was about to get out and pour a little more alcohol onto the towel, both of her wrists were caught in his grip, and she was flipped over soon after. With his scorching body, he pressed her onto the couch and locked her lean arms above her head. Soon, a sense of danger struck her as his handsome face approached her. ¡°Re¡ª¡± Before she could finish calling his name, he immediately kissed her, and his hot lips seemed to be more enthusiastic than usual. Ruka instinctively closed her eyes and tried her best to adjust her breathing in an attempt to receive his kiss. She had no idea how to kiss, so she lost her breath during the first two times. However, she seemed to be more proficient this time, for some unknown reason. As they kissed, she slowly became groggy, as if she was infected with his symptoms. Her breathing gradually became rapid, her face flushed, and her lips were dominated by his passion. Finally, she realized the danger she was in. She suddenly stiffened and blushed as she gritted her teeth, and pushed him. ¡°No¡­ Ren¡­¡± Since their intimate actions made her terrified and anxious, Ruka voiced her protest. Ren was also panting badly, and his body, which was already burning, felt even hotter now. He propped himself up with his hands, but did not let her escape immediately. As Ruka pushed his chest with her small hands and felt his heat and his strong heartbeat, her palms turned sweaty. ¡°A-Are you alright?¡± Ruka was worried that if Ren kept this up, he might faint from the heat. He was already burning up. If he did something like this, wouldn¡¯t he burn up even more? ¡°What do you think?¡± His voice was so hoarse that it made her tremble. Ruka looked into his eyes, where she saw a strong restraint holding back the danger that was about to overflow from him. She subconsciously twisted her body in an attempt to get out, but he only warned her, ¡°Don¡¯t move around.¡± Ruka pursed her dry lips. No matter how much she looked, she couldn¡¯t tell what he wanted. She only felt like his gaze was dark and hard to read. Just then, he lowered his head even more, causing her to turn her head away in shock, fearing that he would kiss her again. However, Ren only ced his mouth against her earlobe with a softugh and said in a low voice, ¡°Ruka, let¡¯s date each other!¡± Ruka took a deep breath, thoroughly stunned, and her mind turnedpletely nk. He was asking her to date him? ¡°No¡­ we can¡¯t.¡± She couldn¡¯t think at all, and could only reject him immediately. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because¡­ Because you¡¯re too significant of a person, and it stresses me out. Besides, if I date you, you can¡¯t hold my hand like everyone else, and you can¡¯t shop or go to the movies with me, or eat with me¡­ Besides, you don¡¯t have any time to spare for me¡­¡± Ruka¡¯s voice became quieter and quieter as she thought that her excuses sounded too weak. Ren suddenly felt augh bubble in his chest, and his eyes were full of exasperation as he stared at her. Was she actually rejecting him because of these reasons? It really broke his heart. ¡°Who said I can¡¯t go shopping and watch movies with you?¡± He curled his lips and smiled. ¡°I can do anything you want.¡± His words were doting yet bossy. Ruka was still dizzy from the kiss when she felt the danger emanating from his body. He had been only wearing a thin robe in the first ce, so all of his reactions were extremely obvious. She bit her lips and asked, ¡°Can you let me get up so we can talk?¡± Ren suddenly pressed his body onto hers. ¡°I like talking like this.¡± ¡°You¡¯re acting like a hooligan,¡± Ruka said with a red face. In the end, Ren still soft-heartedly let her go. He looked extremely sexy as he panted slightly with his robe wide open. ¡°I need time to think about dating you.¡± Ruka calmed down a little, and didn¡¯t immediately refuse him, but she couldn¡¯t blindly agree as there were many factors that she had to consider. Victoria¡¯s words were still ringing in her ears. ¡°You don¡¯t want to ruin everything he has, do you?¡± Of course Ruka didn¡¯t want to, and she even hoped that he would remain firmly in his position and achieve greater sess, because he had done a good job for the country and the people. ¡°Okay. Give me an answer on Christmas.¡± Ren gave her a deadline. He didn¡¯t want to wait too long as he had already waited enough. ¡°Let me wipe your body again!¡± Ruka was still worried about his condition even though he bullied her. ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself! If you do it, I really can¡¯t control myself.¡± Ren¡¯s intense gazended on her. Ruka understood what he meant, and her pretty face flushed even more. He barely said anything, but he had also made everything clear. ¡°You can always call me if you need anything.¡± Ruka said as she got up before she instructed, ¡°Make sure to drink more water.¡± After Ruka left, she hurried downstairs to drink arge ss of water herself, then sat on the couch in the hall with a ss in her hands. She was still feeling a little confused, recalling what he said just now ¡ª¡±Ruka, let¡¯s date each other!¡± When she returned to her room, she couldn¡¯t fall asleep anymore. Half an hourter, she went back to his room as she was worried about him. She gently turned the doorknob and looked inside, only to see Ren¡¯s sleeping body on the big gray bed. She treaded lightly to his bed and reached out to measure the temperature of his forehead. Fortunately, the heat had subsided a little, and he was not burning up as much as before. Then, she carefully tucked him in before leaving. At dawn, Ruka was roused awake by her rm clock. She nced at the time and realized groggily she still had to get up and go to work. When she went downstairs, she saw that Elijah was already waiting for her by the door. She greeted him, ¡°Good morning, Elijah.¡± ¡°Miss Singed, a bodyguard will send you to workter. I¡¯ll stay behind to take care of Mr. Husson.¡± ¡°All right. Take good care of him.¡± With someone taking care of Ren, Ruka could go to work with peace of mind. As soon as Ruka arrived at the Trantion Department¡¯s office, Victoria¡¯s assistant instantly came over from the entrance. ¡°Ruka, Miss Parfait¡¯s looking for you in her office.¡± Ruka knew what was going on as well and she took a deep breath before walking to Victoria¡¯s office. In the office, Victoria¡¯s face had been drawn all morning. Herplexion was a little pale, and the look she was giving Ruka contained a hint of exasperation. ¡°Didn¡¯t you promise to take me homest night? Why did it turn out to be Elijah? Where did you and Ren go?¡± Although Victoria had been drunk, she remembered everything. Ruka apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Parfait. You were so drunkst night that you fell down while I was helping you, so I could only ask Elijah to take you back.¡± Victoria was looking annoyed at this moment. She clearly remembered that it was Ren she huggedst night. However, she was holding onto Elijah during the whole ride. Even if Elijah was considered an excellent young man, she only had Ren in her heart. ¡°Then where did you go with Ren after you left? Did you go to his house?¡± Victoria couldn¡¯t help but ask. Ruka frowned. ¡°That is my personal life. I don¡¯t think I need to answer that question.¡± From Ruka¡¯s reaction, Victoria could guess that they had gone to Ren¡¯s house together. She looked at Ruka¡¯s pure face and sneered, ¡°You said you weren¡¯t in a rtionship, but I don¡¯t believe it anymore. How could there be nothing between you and him when you spent the night together?¡± Ruka¡¯s face suddenly heated up, but her expression still remained calm. She raised her head and said, ¡°Miss Parfait, you¡¯re insulting me. My rtionship with Mr. Husson and whether or not we have anything between us shouldn¡¯t bother you, right?¡± Victoria¡¯s sharp eyes narrowed. ¡°Are you ignoring what I saidst night? If you dare to ruin Ren, I won¡¯t forgive you. Ruka, you can like anyone as long as it isn¡¯t him. Don¡¯t you realize he¡¯s your elder?¡± Ruka closed her eyes and pursed her lips. She didn¡¯t need Victoria to remind her anymore about their rtionship. ¡°Thank you for your reminder. I¡¯ll handle my own matters myself.¡± Saying that, Ruka turned around and left. Victoria gritted her teeth in anger. Ruka had been obediently listening to herst night, but why did she suddenly dare to refute her today? Was Ren helping her? Ruka returned to the office, feeling confused all of a sudden. Victoria¡¯s words sounded in her ears like a warning¡ª¡±Are you trying to ruin him?¡± If they really got together, would she ruin him? As Ruka was immersed in her own thoughts, Michelle and Inara chatted about a TV series they watched on the previous night in front of her. ¡°Is the editor insane? Putting the uncle and his niece in a rtionship? Doesn¡¯t the editor know how immoral that is?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a TV show. Besides, they¡¯re not rted by blood. Why¡¯re you taking it so seriously?¡± Michelle replied. ¡°That doesn¡¯t work either. I think the uncle and his colleague are a better pair. I just don¡¯t agree with him dating his niece. Most of thements were objecting to this too. Isn¡¯t this wrong?¡± Inara insisted resolutely. Ruka¡¯s breathing caught in her throat. Inara¡¯s words seemed to be reminding her of something. ¡°You¡¯re right about that. If this was in reality, everyone would definitely not be able to ept it. Either way, I wouldn¡¯t be able to.¡± Michelle agreed. ¡°If anyone dares to do this in reality, I¡¯ll teach them a lesson,¡± Inara said with a hostile expression. Ruka¡¯s heart jolted sharply, and she looked at Inara again. As Inara happened to be opposite her, she couldn¡¯t help but frown and asked, ¡°Ruka, why are you being so nervous?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± Ruka shook her head. Chapter 1071-1080 Chapter 1071-1080 ¡°Ruka, you¡¯re so amazing for chasing Mia away. We¡¯ll be best friends from now on, so let¡¯s get along!¡± Michelle suddenly acted friendly to her. ¡°That¡¯s because she has a powerful background, all right?¡± Inara scoffed. ¡°Can you tell us who is behind you?¡± Michelle asked boldly. Ruka raised her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have anyone supporting me, so stop guessing.¡± ¡°We¡¯re all just rookies. I don¡¯t know how hard we have to work to get to Miss Parfait¡¯s position one day!¡± Michelle ranted. Ruka didn¡¯t reply. Just then, her phone rang. When she took a look, she hurriedly reached out to pick up the call. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Mr. Husson is going to the Trantion Department soon. If you see him, please keep your distance, Miss Singed.¡± Elijah¡¯s voice sounded from the other end. Ruka¡¯s heart throbbed suddenly. ¡°Isn¡¯t he having a fever?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about work, so he has toe over personally.¡± ¡°All right, I understand. Please take good care of him.¡± Ruka nodded. At the office, Victoria received a call as well, and a sh of happiness appeared in her originally moody eyes as she said in a low voice, ¡°Really? He wants to take the guests on a tour around the Trantion Department?¡± ¡°Victoria, you have to calm down. Don¡¯t overreact,¡± Victoria¡¯s superior instructed on the other end. Clearly, he knew about Victoria¡¯s admiration for Ren. ¡°All right, I understand. I¡¯ll do my job well.¡± When Victoria hung up and put down the phone, she opened her drawer and took out an exquisite cosmetic bag inside. When she saw her sleep-deprived eyes in the mirror, she hurriedly reapplied her makeup. She had to give Ren a good impression. However, she suddenly recalled something, and her eyes turned downcast. Even if Ren was really just coming to work, and even if he looked forward to seeing Ruka more, she would greet him in her best condition. In the office, Ruka was a little absent-minded. As they were still interns, everyone waszing around. Michelle was reading novels, Inara was texting someone, and only Caspian was putting an effort to read something by the side. Suddenly, her phone beeped with a notification from a text message. When she hurriedly took a look, she saw that it was sent by an unknown number. ¡®Hey, Ruka. Are you free tonight? I¡¯d like to treat you to a meal.¡¯ Just when Ruka was wondering who the sender was, she looked up and saw Caspian quietly beckoning at her. She couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. So, it¡¯s him. She gave it some thought. As she had to take care of Ren that night, she wasn¡¯t free. She replied to Caspian, ¡®Let¡¯s leave it for next time! I happen to have something to do tonight.¡¯ Caspian pursed his lips, obviously still unwilling to give up and replied, ¡®Your birthday is tomorrow, so I¡¯m thinking of treating you to dinner in advance.¡¯ Ruka was taken aback. She had just remembered that her birthday was tomorrow. She had actually completely forgotten about it. ¡®Thank you, but I really have an urgent matter to attend to tonight. After my birthday, I¡¯ll treat you to dinner.¡¯ Ruka was grateful that he remembered her birthday. After Caspian read the message, a hint of disappointment shed past his eyes, but he soon smiled slightly at her. Ruka¡¯s cell phone rang again. When she nced at it, her heart pounded. It was a message from Ren that said, ¡®I¡¯m going to show some guests around the Trantion Department. I¡¯ll be reaching soon.¡¯ Ruka¡¯s breathing quickened slightly as her face flushed red, and even her hands turned a little sweaty from nervousness. She was a little flustered to meet him in a ce with so many people, fearing that the others might notice something. Ruka didn¡¯t want to go out to see him at first, but when she recalled that he was working while being ill that day, she felt a little worried about him, so she decided to get up after a brief moment of hesitation. However, just then, Theodore rushed over from the outside and announced loudly, ¡°Breaking news! Mr. Husson will be showing some guests around the Trantion Department soon, and he¡¯ll be here soon.¡± ¡°Ahh!¡± A scream could be heard as Inara stood up exaggeratedly, holding her head. ¡°I forgot to wash my hairst night, and I forgot to put on makeup today. Ahh! I forgot to bring my makeup bag too. Michelle, hurry up and lend me yours!¡± ¡°I have to touch up my makeup! Hold on!¡± Saying that, Michelle hurriedly took her makeup bag out and carefully inspected her appearance in the mirror. Just then, Inara turned to look at Ruka. ¡°Ruka, did you bring any makeup? Lend me some.¡± Ruka shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± She had never brought these things to work, and except for some lip balm, she waspletely barefaced that day. She hadn¡¯t gotten enough sleep at all, so she had only gotten up after her rm had rang three times this morning and left in a hurry after washing her face. In the end, Inara borrowed Michelle¡¯s makeup bag and set it on the table before she began to apply her makeup seriously. Theodore couldn¡¯t help butment disdainfully, ¡°Girls really are troublesome. Besides, is there any difference even if you don¡¯t put on makeup? Mr. Husson won¡¯t spare you another nce!¡± ¡°What do you know about this? Even if he doesn¡¯t, we have to look our prettiest when he walks past us,¡± Michelle rebuked. ¡°I¡¯d be happy for an entire year if he looked at me even once,¡± Inara added while she was hurriedly drawing her eyeliner. Ruka sped her hand over her mouth, holding herughter back. ¡°You have to learn from Ruka. Look, isn¡¯t she still pretty without any makeup?¡± Ruka had been covering her mouth to stifle herughter in the first ce, so the others instantly caught her smiling expression when they suddenly red at her. Michelle looked at her. ¡°You think this is funny?¡± Ruka pursed her lips and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m notughing at you guys.¡± ¡°Ruka looks really pretty even without makeup.¡± Caspian took advantage of the opportunity and praised her. ¡°I think Ruka has the highest possibility of catching Mr. Husson¡¯s attention among the three of you. After all, she¡¯s a natural beauty.¡± Theodore provoked the other two women on purpose. Ruka jolted in surprise before she hurriedly waved her hands. ¡°All right, stop talking about me.¡± Finally, Inara was satisfied with her makeup. After she and Michelle inspected each other, she got up and asked, ¡°Does anyone want to go and see Mr. Husson? Let¡¯s go together!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going. You guys can go ahead.¡± Ruka raised her head and replied. ¡°All right, I¡¯m not going as well. I¡¯ll stay back with you,¡± Caspian said. After the others eagerly left, Caspian furtively sized Ruka up, who was holding her chin in a daze. The sunshine trickled in from the window and shone on her face, causing her fair and delicate features to stand out even more. Her beauty truly was pure, natural, and immacte. Caspian couldn¡¯t help but stare at her, his heart pounding hard as he secretly thought to himself that he must get his hands on Ruka. Although Ruka said she didn¡¯t want to go out to see Ren on the surface, she felt differently on the inside. She wanted to go. She wanted to rush into the crowd to see him now, to look at his handsome appearance, and to watch him receiving his guests calmly and gracefully. Just then, around eight cars arrived in the parking lot, and Ren alighted from one of the cars. He walked up to two older foreign guests,municating fluently with them while showing them the way in. The group walked toward the main hall of the Trantion Department, where Victoria was already beautifully dressed and was waiting with the other two heads of the department. When she looked at the man walking by, her chest throbbed violently. Whenever this man appeared, he would always make her go insane from admiration. People always said that one shouldn¡¯t meet someone who was too outstanding as it would hurt one for a lifetime if one couldn¡¯t be with them. Victoria was in this exact situation¡ªthe person she liked was just too outstanding. When Ren walked over, the two superiors next to Victoria immediately stepped forward and shook hands with him respectfully, then shook hands with the guests one by one before entering the main hall. In a garden nearby, Inara and Michelle could only look at him from afar, but they were already holding each other in excitement. ¡°He¡¯s too handsome. It¡¯s like he descended from heaven!¡± Inara gasped with a look of admiration. ¡°I really hope that I¡¯d be lucky enough for him to look at me.¡± Michelle sped her hands together. ¡°Please give me some luck!¡± Inara discreetly sized Michelle up and thought to herself that she would be the one scoring a nce from Ren, given she was the better-looking one. As Victoria followed behind the crowd, she stared at the man who was exuding attractiveness from every pore at every second, entirely spellbound. Back in the office, Ruka couldn¡¯t bear a second longer here, so she excused herself to go to the restroom. However, the direction she was heading was toward the main hall. Just as she entered the central garden, she came to aplete stop, as she saw Ren and his grouping in from the other side of the garden. With her heart raised, Ruka quickly hid behind a pir. Then, with a behavior that could only be known as a fan girl, she poked her head out from the pir and watched the tall manmunicating with the guests from a dozen meters away. The man at work gave off a distinct quality, a riveting one. Even when standing next to the taller foreign guests, the man still didn¡¯t lose out, as he exuded a captivating presence in the midst of his cheerful conversation. If the people around him were like the stars in the night sky, then he was the moon¡ªthe center of attention. It was at this moment that Ruka had a thought: Why did the man feel distant even though he was just mere meters away from her? But, she knew very well why. The distance she felt came from the difference in their identities, in their social status in society. With how dignified and distinguished the man was, he was in a far higher position than that of amon man. On the other hand, she was just part of the ordinary mass of society with nothing to her that was worth mentioning. Unwittingly, even at such a time, she remembered the incidentst night and how he asked her to go out with him. She couldn¡¯t help but doubt just why such an excellent man would fall for someone like her. Ruka felt she wasn¡¯t someone outstanding, as she was just a very ordinary person. Even now as she stood behind the pir, having no notable achievements under her belt, her future remained nk. With all these facts, she wondered just why that man liked her. No matter how much she racked her brains over this, she couldn¡¯t find an answer. Ruka¡¯s n was to spend a few years in the Trantion Department, as it would help her to get into the Public Rtions Department. This way, she would be able to work with her parents and even take care of them in the future. Unaware she waspletely dazed, she came back to her senses to find that the group of people was already close to her. Panicked, as she couldn¡¯t continue being sneaky behind the pir, she walked out from behind the pir and stood at the side with her head lowered, waiting for the group to pass. Ren had his eyes on Ruka the moment she appeared from behind the pir. His eyes lingered on her and, as though her appearance had drowned out the voices of his guests, he smiled delightedly. Just then, she coincidentally raised her head to find he was smiling at her. The two made eye contact with one another among the crowd. One pair of eyes was captivating and had a deep gaze, while the other was filled with flustered nervousness. Yet, the two hadn¡¯t the slightest intent to look away from one another. This spark the two had for each other was caught on by Victoria, who had clenched her fists in jealousy. So, their rtionship has already be an uncontroble one. In the end, Ruka was the first to lower her head, as she didn¡¯t dare to continue being frivolous with him, especially at such a time. The consequences should they were found to be doing so would be dire after all. Just like that, Ren passed Ruka by. Nheless, his gaze seemed to shake her heart to its very core, as though the man had filled her heart to the brim. She had never felt like this before. Even when she had a crush on other boys in the past, it wasn¡¯t as strong as what she was feeling right now. What she felt right now was so strong that it touched the depths of her heart, so much so that she could feel the tremor of her heart echoing in her ears. Just as Ruka wanted to peek at the man, she felt a sharp re at her. The moment she turned her head in the direction of the re, she found Victoriaing toward her. Victoria dragged her by the hand to one of the empty corners. Gritting her teeth, she said, ¡°Ruka, I¡¯m warning you. Stay away from him. You¡¯ll ruin him.¡± Ruka held her breath while listening to Victoria, as thetter¡¯s gaze indicated to her that she wanted to kill her at this moment. ¡°He was born into a high position. Do you think he would renounce it in favor of a girl like you? If you dare seduce him again, I wouldn¡¯t mind dragging both of you through the mud.¡± Victoria¡¯s voice was tinged with intimidation. ¡°I will announce to the world about your rtionship. By then, he will be subjected to the public¡¯s malice. After all, who would protect a man who would even go after his sister¡¯s goddaughter? Not only will his morality and character be questioned, but it¡¯ll also be impossible for the two of you to be together.¡± C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Desperate and helpless upon her words, Ruka stared at Victoria with tears in her eyes. Her words were just like a knife that had stabbed right at her heart, and she felt it could end her life at any moment now. ¡°You better remember my words.¡± After Victoria gave her warning, she left Ruka and went back to Ren¡¯s group. Left in the corner, Ruka found herself panting heavily, her breathing turning ragged, as though she just had a near-death experience. Momentarily losing the strength in her knees, she held onto the wall for support. She thought back on how cold and harsh Victoria¡¯s words were, as though they were meant to rob her life with every word she said. Making him the subject of the public¡¯s criticism? For him to be despised and spurned by the public? No! I¡¯ll never let him be humiliated like that! she thought with one hand over her heart. As she closed her eyes from the aches in her heart, tears started running down her cheeks. Ruka leaned against the wall for some time when one of the cleaningdies came over and asked in concern, ¡°Are you alright? Are you not feeling well?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thank you.¡± With her hand on the wall, she stood up and bowed as thanks before heading in the office¡¯s direction with her head hung. She couldn¡¯t help but stumble on the way back, so she decided to head into the restroom to refresh herself. As she washed her face, she noticed droplets of water running down her cheeks. Though she was unsure if it was the water from the tap or tears from within, she pursed her lips and desperately suppressed her urge to cry. Just then, someone came out from the cubicle, which prompted her to lean forward and continue sshing her face with water. Meanwhile, in one of the lounges of the Trantion Department. After the guests were served tea, Ren came out with his phone and said to Elijah, ¡°Bring me to her office.¡± After Elijah asked one of the nearby employees, the said employee showed them to Ren¡¯s desired destination, to which thetter followed as he took a step forward. It was at this time that Ruka just came back from the restroom. Upon opening the door to the internship office, she found Caspian reading a book inside. The moment thetter saw how pale she looked, he stood up in a hurry and said, ¡°Ruka, are you okay?¡± Slightly dumbfounded, she casually took a seat by the door before she shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t look so good.¡± Caspian brought her mug and gave it to her. ¡°Here, drink some water.¡± As Ruka took a sip of water, Caspian¡¯s eyes lit up with hints of shyness. He then went back to his desk and took out a beautifully wrapped box from the drawer before walking back to her. ¡°Ruka, this is for you.¡± Surprised by the gift, she immediately stood up. ¡°Caspian, what are you¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s your birthday present. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯ll be to your liking,¡± Caspian exined while bashfully touching his head. ¡°Open it. See if you like it.¡± Upon Caspian¡¯s words, Ruka was both confused and grateful. However, as she had forgotten to close the office door, there was a tall attractive figure standing just outside. The man did not enter the office, but merely stood outside and watched Caspian shyly handing Ruka a gift. ¡°It¡¯s just a small token of appreciation, so just ept it.¡± Caspian was determined in handing his gift to Ruka. Oblivious to the eyes of the figure outside the office, Caspian and Ruka locked eyes with one another. Although Ruka hesitated slightly, she epted the gift in the end. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll like it, whatever it may be.¡± Caspian instantly became happy like a child. ¡°Can I give you a hug?¡± Stunned by the request, Ruka was unable to react, as Caspian had already put his arms around her. After a brief moment where she rested her head on the man¡¯s shoulder, he let her go and started his confession in a panicked tone. ¡°Ruka, I like you. I¡¯ve liked you ever since I first met you.¡± Ruka was thoroughly dumbfounded by the man¡¯s confession, as Caspian¡¯s confession came out of left field for her. She had epted his gift thinking that it was because of their friendship. Nevertheless, it was at this time that a shriek came from outside the door. ¡°Ahh!¡± Startled by the shrieks of what seemed to belong to womening through the door, both Ruka and Caspian turned toward the door and saw Ren standing outside through the ss. Immediately, Ruka widened her eyes in surprise. How long has he been standing by the door? Although there was a door between them, Ruka could feel Ren¡¯s fervent gaze on her, as though he was disying his irritation at her. Caspian was startled as well since he hadn¡¯t expected the vice president to be standing by the door. Just as he excitedly looked at him, he was met with an authoritative gaze, one that gave him chills, as Ren looked at him with a cold expression. After a brief second, Ren left. Following his departure, Inara and Michelle cried out in excitement. ¡°Oh my God! We got to see him up close! If we knew that he would be here, why did we even bother to go outside?!¡± ¡°So handsome. Who can resist such an attractive man?!¡± It was when the gift in Ruka¡¯s hand had somehow slipped from her hand did shee back to her senses. Startled, she immediately picked it up from the floor and returned to her seat all the while in a panic. Does that mean he saw Caspian confessing to me? Fraught with anxiety, she had the urge to run after Ren to exin the situation, but couldn¡¯t move a muscle as Victoria¡¯s threat came to mind. Conflicted, she was at a loss for what to do. It was then that her phone rang. She choked a little when she saw that the caller ID belonged to that man who just left. ¡°Hello,¡± she whispered after she epted the call. ¡°Come to the third conference room,¡± said the man in an authoritative tone with his low and maic voice before he ended the call. After the call ended, Ruka let out a sigh. He probably wants an exnation from me. Then, she stood up and was about to walk out of the room when Michelle asked, ¡°Ruka, where are you going? The restroom?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m going out to make a phone call,¡± Ruka replied with hints of nervousness in her tone before she left posthaste. Upon entering the conference room, she found Elijah standing there with four other bodyguards standing in line. Elijah then gave her an implicit look that indicated her to go inside the room, to which she nodded and knocked on the third conference room door before entering the room. There, Ren was sitting with a strange expression on his face; his handsome face was slightly harder to look at than usual. Afraid of thinking that the man¡¯s expression was because of her, she greeted him as usual. ¡°Mr. Ren, do you need something from me?¡± Her eyes, however, were looking down at the ground due to her guilty conscience. With his slender legs crossed, there was a coldness to the man, one that was rarely seen. Although there wasn¡¯t any trace of anger in Ren¡¯s expression, that indifferent demeanor of his was enough to cause others to hold their breath in front of him. Ruka was doing so at the moment. With her eyes, as big as a puppy was when it did something wrong, tinged with panic, she held her breath as she waited for the man to speak. ¡°Exin to me just what happened there.¡± Ren raised his head and gazed deeply at Ruka. His frown indicated he was upset. Being gazed at the man this way, Ruka couldn¡¯t help but feel aggrieved at how serious Ren¡¯s expression was in questioning her. It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve made a huge mistake. Nevertheless, she reluctantly exined, ¡°He¡¯s Caspian Gibbons, a colleague of mine. He prepared a birthday gift for me, and I hugged him as thanks. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Did you reject him?¡± Ren continued his questioning. Ruka blinked at Ren¡¯s question. Is he talking about Caspian¡¯s confession? It was then that Victoria¡¯s words came back to her mind once more: ¡°I will announce to the world about your rtionship. By then, he will be subjected to the public¡¯s malice.¡± With Victoria¡¯s words in mind, she pursed her lips briefly before she took a deep breath and said, ¡°I think I like him, so I¡¯m considering epting his confession. Mr. Ren, I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t reciprocate your feelings. Our age gap is just too big. Plus, I prefer someone around my age.¡± When she finished speaking her mind, she hung her head low, as she hadn¡¯t the courage to face the man. Then, without a moment¡¯s dy, she ran out of the room. The man, who was left behind, had his lips tightly pressed together in a small frown. His Adam¡¯s apple constantly moved up and down as he tried to suppress the surge of emotionsing from within. As Ruka left the room, she bumped into Elijah, even though thetter had tried to avoid her. ¡°Miss Singed.¡± However, she couldn¡¯t greet him back, as tears welled in her eyes. She was afraid of others seeing through her sadness, so she wanted to find a ce to be alone for a while. Hence, she went to the restroom and hid in one of thepartments. Whenever she lifted her head, her small face was full of tears as an inexplicable sadness continued to wash over her. By the door, Elijah kept ncing at his watch, as they had ns to apany the guests to their next destination. However, the man he was waiting for inside hadn¡¯t left the room. Afraid that he would disturb the man, he couldn¡¯t enter the room and could only stew in anxiety. If I¡¯m not mistaken, Miss Singed looked sad with her eyes red when she left the room. Did Sir quarrel with her? Finally, the door of the conference room opened and Ren stepped out with his usual indifferent expression. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said to Elijah. ¡°Sir, are you alright?¡± Elijah was worried, and he couldn¡¯t help but continue, ¡°Miss Singed didn¡¯t¡ª¡± With a slight frown, Ren stopped in his tracks and turned his head to Elijah. ¡°What about her?¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t look too good,¡± replied Elijah. After a faint sigh, Ren said, ¡°Where¡¯s Victoria¡¯s office? Bring me there.¡± Elijah nodded as a response and led Ren toward a hallway. Meanwhile, Victoria had just returned to her office. She was originally happy when she knew Ren was still around. However, she never thought that he would ignore her the entire time he was around. This made her heart grow cold, which was why she had ruthlessly said those things to Ruka. She really hated it. Just then, Victoria¡¯s assistant entered in a hurry and said, ¡°Mr. Husson ising here. Miss Parfait, hurry and fix your makeup!¡± Immediately on her feet, Victoria excitedly asked, ¡°Really? Is he reallying this way?¡± ¡°Yes! I think he¡¯s here to see you.¡± Since this assistant of Victoria¡¯s had been with her for many years, she naturally knew that Ren was someone she fancied. Victoria then opened her drawer and took out the makeup kit that she had just put away. After carefully checking her makeup and doing some brief touch-ups, she heard footstepsing from outside her office. Suppressing the intense excitement on her face, she put on a natural, charming smile. Why is he coming here so suddenly? Does he have something to say to me? No matter the reason, she wanted to present the best of herself to him. Then, the door opened. The moment Ren entered the office, the door was shut behind him. With her breathing turning slightly irregr and her heart beating faster, Victoria pointed at the couch and said, ¡°Ren! Come, have a seat.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving after a few words,¡± Ren said indifferently. Victoria¡¯s heart ached briefly as she realized that the man was here for another purpose, and not as a friend like she originally thought. ¡°Go ahead.¡± She took a deep breath as she waited for Ren to speak. ¡°Did you say something to Ruka recently?¡± Ren asked with his somber gaze on Victoria, his tone slightly interrogative. Victoria already had a hunch about what Ren was going to say. Once she confirmed her hunch was true, her excitement instantly turned into bitterness and sorrow. ¡°Ren, just how inferior to Ruka do you think I am?¡± Her eyes welled with tears of resentment and jealousy. She wanted to know from the man himself why she had lost to Ruka. ¡°I¡¯m warning you once more: Outsiders have no right to meddle in the affairs between me and Ruka. If you fill her mind with nonsense behind my back, then you better be ready for the consequences.¡± Ren warned Victoria as he red at her, as though he knew what she had done. As the color drained from her face, Victoria became as pale as a sheet. In the end, she only let out a pained choke as she held onto her desk. With a sorrowful gaze, she watched the man about to take his leave. Reluctant to give up, she cried out to him. ¡°Ren, Ruka is your sister¡¯s goddaughter. Just look at the age gap between the two of you. If people find out about your rtionship with her, your reputation will be negatively affected. I¡¯m only doing all this for your own good!¡± Stopping in his tracks, Ren shot a sharp re at Victoria and said coldly, ¡°Just what exactly have you said to Ruka?¡± ¡°I told her to leave you alone. I told her not to ruin you. I said all that because I love you.¡± Victoria¡¯s emotions grew intense. ¡°You haven¡¯t the slightest idea just how much I love you. Yet, you couldn¡¯t even be bothered to look at me. Ren Husson, why do you think I would bother telling Ruka off like that? I just don¡¯t want to see your shine fade to gray.¡± Frowning, Ren kept his gaze tinged with chills on Victoria. ¡°Victoria, since we¡¯ve known each other for so long, I¡¯m only telling you this once: Don¡¯t interfere with my affairs.¡± Then, he left the room. After the assistant watched Ren and his men leave, she suddenly heard crying soundsing from the office. Startled, she opened the door to find Victoria slumped on the floor, crying with a pained expression. ¡°Miss Parfait, what happened?¡± She waspletely taken aback, as she thought Victoria had a chance to get together with Ren. However, looking at the situation, she knew there was no longer any possibility for them to get together. When Ruka returned to her office with her eyes slightly swollen, she heard Michelle say from outside the office, ¡°Mr. Husson¡¯s car is leaving with the guests! And here I wanted to take a few more nces at him!¡± Slightly stunned by what she heard, Ruka thought, Did he leave? ¡°With how busy he is with his schedule, do you think he¡¯ll be free to just stand around for you to steal nces at?¡± Inara rolled her eyes. ¡°You think he¡¯s some celebrity that you can get an autograph from?¡± ¡°Where do you think I can get a copy of his autograph?¡± Michelle actually did have such thoughts in mind. ¡°In your dreams. Do you really think you¡¯ll be able to get Mr. Husson to give you his autograph?¡± Then, Inarained, ¡°Is the powder you¡¯re using expired? Just look at how oily my face is.¡± ¡°Ruka, how are you so calm? Aren¡¯t you excited that Mr. Husson has graced us with his presence?¡± Michelle couldn¡¯t be bothered with Inara, so she turned her attention toward Ruka. With her eyes lowered, Ruka replied, ¡°I¡¯m not. Didn¡¯t he just pass by the office just now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! But, why was he here just now? Strange.¡± Michelle had a puzzled expression. Soon, evening came and it was almost time for the employees to knock off. Ruka started to feel anxious. She thought she needed to find a different ce to stay, as she couldn¡¯t intrude on Ren¡¯s ce any longer. Thus, she called Rita and told her that she might stay the night at her ce, to which thetter was very weing. When it was time for Ruka to leave, she decided to spend the night at Rita¡¯s ce before finding a suitable time to pack her things from Ren¡¯s house. Just as Ruka left the lobby with her bag in tow, a tall bodyguard by the side called out to her. ¡°Miss Singed, I am under Mr. Husson¡¯s instructions to bring you home.¡± Startled, Ruka asked, ¡°Bring me home?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After a brief moment of thought, Ruka waved her hand and said, ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯ll be staying at my friend¡¯s ce tonight.¡± ¡°Miss Singed, please inform Mr. Husson personally. I¡¯m just following orders here,¡± the bodyguard replied in a serious tone. Ruka knew that she shouldn¡¯t make things difficult for the bodyguard, but she didn¡¯t want to call Ren as well. Suddenly, she remembered she had previously gotten Elijah¡¯s number, so she decided to have him be the messenger instead. Taking out her phone, she then dialed Elijah¡¯s number. ¡°Hello, Miss Singed.¡± The call got through rather quickly. ¡°Elijah, please tell Mr. Husson that I won¡¯t be going home tonight,¡± Ruka said politely. ¡°Miss Singed, I also have some news for you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Ruka was slightly surprised. ¡°Sir has been admitted to the hospital.¡± ¡°Huh? He did?¡± Ruka widened her eyes in shock and asked hurriedly, ¡°Did something happen to him?¡± ¡°His condition worsened, so he needed to be hospitalized.¡± Elijah answered before he continued, ¡°If youe and visit him, or maybe even take care of him for a while, I¡¯m sure Sir would be very happy.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s in a bad mood now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll only worsen his mood if I do.¡± Like a child who had just done something wrong, she bit her lips and was afraid of going home. ¡°Why would you think so? If Sir were to see you, he would immediately be better even if he didn¡¯t take his medicine. Is the bodyguard with you now? Tell him to send you over here.¡± Saying that, Elijah ended the call. With her phone in hand, Ruka was stunned briefly before she raised her head and said to the bodyguard, ¡°Please bring me to the hospital.¡± With a nod from the bodyguard, he then gestured for Ruka to follow him to his car. On the way to the hospital, Ruka was filled with worries. Why did his condition worsen? He still looked fine back in the conference room just now. Just like that, she stewed in her worries all the way to the hospital. With guards posted in every corner of the ce, the hospital Ren was admitted to was anything but ordinary, so much so that even she had to register several times just to enter the hospital. Elijah came and escorted her to a ward on the sixth floor. There, he knocked on the door before he said to her, ¡°Sir is inside here. Miss Singed, please.¡± Ruka nodded and was about to turn the door handle when Elijah continued in a whisper, ¡°Miss Singed, Sir is in a bad mood now. Please try not to agitate him. Also, he hasn¡¯t had much to eat today, so please persuade him to eat something.¡± Listening to the assistant¡¯s instructions, she was briefly stunned before she nodded as a response. Then, she gently opened the door and entered the ward. Although this was a hospital, the ward Ruka entered was a private VIP suite. On top of that huge white bed, Ren was sitting with a document in hand while hooked up to the IV drip. When he noticed that she was the one who had entered the ward, he continued to read his document after taking a nce at the woman. ¡°Mr. Ren, are you okay?¡± she asked in concern while walking over to his side, her eyes examining the color of the man¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he answered indifferently. ¡°Do you still have a fever?¡± Ruka continued asking while subconsciously reaching her hand out to his forehead to measure Ren¡¯s temperature, to which he said nothing and allowed it to happen. She discreetly heaved a sigh of relief after confirming that he was at a rtively normal temperature. Noticing the fruits by the bedside, she asked, ¡°Do you want an apple? I¡¯ll peel them for you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel like it.¡± Ren refused. ¡°Then, what do you feel like eating?¡± Ruka asked as she blinked and thought back on Elijah saying that he hadn¡¯t eaten anything today. The man on the bed then stared deeply at her, as though he was trying to bore through her with his gaze. As she was just waiting for Ren to answer her question, she hadn¡¯t expected to find him staring straight at her in response. Why is he staring at me? It¡¯s not like I brought any food with me. Then, he answered hoarsely, ¡°You.¡± Ruka was first stunned by the man¡¯s word. When she realized what he meant a few secondster, her face grew as red as a tomato. Looking at her turning red, Ren smiled and said, ¡°Bring me some porridge.¡± She then left in a hurry and came back soon after with a bowl of nutritious chicken porridge in hand. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she handed the bowl to him and said, ¡°Here, the porridge you wanted. Eat up.¡± ¡°Feed me,¡± Ren demanded. Ruka ced the bowl of porridge on the table beside and asked somewhat bashfully, ¡°Did you injure your hand?¡± He replied, ¡°No, but I want you to feed me.¡± His eyebrows slightly raised, as though he was implying that he would not eat unless she fed him. Left without any other choice, she abided by his wishes as she felt it was fine feeding a patient. Next, she pulled a chair closer to the bed and took the bowl of porridge. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll feed you, so sit closer to me.¡± With one hand on the edge of the bed as support, Ren scooted and leaned closer to her to make things easier for Ruka. As the porridge was still somewhat hot, Ruka took a spoonful of porridge and blew on it before she fed the man. Content with the treatment, Ren ate with a smile so wide that his one-sided dimple appeared. ¡°Is it too hot?¡± she asked. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he answered with his eyes locked on Ruka¡¯s face. With how close she was to him that he could smell her fragrance from her, it felt as though she was secretly leading him into temptation. However, Ruka only concentrated on feeding the man. Only when she was halfway through the bowl of porridge did she realize that Ren had been staring at her. Blushing inadvertently, she said, ¡°Don¡¯t just stare at me.¡± Smiling, Ren asked, ¡°Where else should I stare if not you?¡± ¡°Anywhere else but me,¡± Ruka answered while feeding the man another spoonful of porridge. When she noticed the bowl of porridge was close to empty, she felt an inexplicable sense of aplishment. Just then, a knock came from the door. Before Ruka could react, Elijah entered intending to give the important documents in his hand to Ren. However, when he noticed Ruka feeding the dignified vice president, he was baffled for a moment before he quickly turned his back on them and went out the door. On his way out, he turned his head to the two and said, ¡°Please, continue.¡± With Ruka¡¯s face as red as a tomato right now, she roughly ced the bowl of porridge in Ren¡¯s hands and said, ¡± Eat it yourself. I¡¯m done feeding you.¡± Then, she turned her back on him, stewing in embarrassment. Looking at Ruka¡¯s bright red face, Ren stifled hisugh and said, ¡°Everyone around me knows about me liking you, so there¡¯s nothing for you to be ashamed of.¡± Ruka blinked and stared at the man. ¡°Why do they know?¡± ¡°Some things don¡¯t need to be said. They have eyes themselves after all,¡± Ren answered. Then, he finished thest spoonful of porridge elegantly. As the man was done with his meal, Ruka proactively went and cleaned up the bowl for him. Just then, her phone rang. Realizing that it was Caspian who had called her, she felt a tug at her heartstrings. She then said to Ren, ¡°I¡¯m going out to take a call.¡± As the man¡¯s insight was keen, Ren could guess who the caller was with a nce. In an unpleasant tone, he asked, ¡°Is it from the boy who confessed to you today?¡± Ruka nodded, albeit with a guilty conscience. ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t know what he wants, so I¡¯ll have to answer the call,¡± she answered while she was on the way out of the room. ¡°Answer the call here,¡± Ren ordered sternly. He wanted to know just what that boy was nning with this phone call at such a time. Left without any other choice, Ruka went near the windows and answered the call. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Hey, Ruka. It¡¯s me. Have you had dinner yet?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Ruka replied. She didn¡¯t want to give him the opportunity to invite her out for dinner. ¡°It¡¯s a Friday night, and tomorrow¡¯s the weekend. I heard there¡¯s a popr movie showing tonight. Do you want to go watch it together?¡± As Ruka expected, Caspian did call her to invite her out. Inviting someone to watch a movie was one of the ways a date would go for the younger generation. Nheless, she refused politely, ¡°Sorry, I have something going on tonight, so I can¡¯t go watch it with you.¡± Since she was focused on the phone call, she was oblivious to the fact that Ren had gotten out of bed and silently came behind her. It was when she noticed a shadow looming over her did she turn around in surprise. However, it was all toote, as Ren snatched Ruka¡¯s phone from her hand. As she let out a small gasp, he said coldly on the phone, ¡°Stay away from her.¡± His voice was filled with intimidation. ¡°Who are you?!¡± Caspian asked angrily. Since he was still young and rather impetuous, he was naturally upset when the pleasant conversation he had was interrupted by someone¡¯s warning. ¡°I¡¯m her boyfriend,¡± Ren answered as he enunciated each of his words slowly before he ended the call. Widening her eyes in disbelief, Ruka thought, Not only did this guy just give Caspian a warning, but to even go as far as pretend to be my boyfriend?! Then, Ren unhappily tossed Ruka¡¯s phone onto the couch. Although he was unwell, he still exuded an arrogant and dignified presence. At this moment, with his lips tightly pursed, he gave an icy re at Ruka. ¡°Are you really going to ept his confession?¡± Feeling an overwhelming sense of oppression from Ren, Ruka subconsciously took a step back. ¡°This is my personal affair. Please, don¡¯t ask me about it, okay?¡± ¡°Do you think that I¡¯ll allow you to go out with him?¡± Ren asked sullenly. Listening to the man¡¯s tone, Ruka felt the urge to rebel against him. ¡°Ren Husson, just who do you think you are? Besides my parents, no one else has the right to oppose whoever I choose to be with!¡± she retorted with her voice raised. Is this man nning to ruin his reputation? Perhaps because he hadn¡¯t expected the docile Ruka would refute him so vehemently, Ren was somewhat taken aback. Ruka gasped slightly. Her eyes were filled with determination as she pursed her red lips. ¡°I know you¡¯re someone in a high position, but you have no right to intrude on my freedom to be with who I want. I have the right to like any person I wish, and that person isn¡¯t you.¡± After she was done talking, she decided to leave the ce. Since she had decided to cut off the ambiguous rtionship she had with him, then she had to walk the talk. Furthermore, Ruka had also taken into ount what Victoria said to her. As thetter was madly in love with Ren, Ruka couldn¡¯t discount the possibility of her going crazy and dragging his name through the mud out of resentment. As Ruka had treated him as one of her older rtives throughout her life, the taboo feelings she felt only grew stronger. She never needed someone else to point out what was wrong with their rtionship, as she knew that the rtionship between them wasn¡¯t just unreasonable, but it was also both hical and immoral. Looking at the girl who took her bag and was about to leave, Ren was like a lion who had instantly had its strength cut off. Although he stood in an upright posture, his body was stiff, his eyes bleak. He clenched his fists so tightly that the veins on his hands started to bulge. Just as the girl was about to open the door, he cried out, ¡°Ruka, don¡¯t go.¡± Even if he was a powerful man standing on top of the world, all that power and prestige meant nothing in the face of the girl, as just a few words from her was enough to shatter his calmposure. Ruka stopped in her tracks and had her will weakened upon hearing Ren¡¯s voice that seemed as though he was begging her. ¡°What else do you want?¡± Ruka asked in a softer tone than before, but still kept her back at him. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, then I¡¯ll be staying over at my friend¡¯s ce tonight.¡± ¡°I do. I need you to stay here and take care of me.¡± The man¡¯s deep voice sounded. ¡°Not only are there so many nurses around, but there are even your men and bodyguards here. I¡¯m sure there are more than enough people here who will take good care of you,¡± Ruka retorted. ¡°The only person I want is you,¡± Ren replied with his voice turning hoarse at the end. Just what does this man want from me? Ruka¡¯s heart was inplete disarray. Before Ruka could think of how to reject the man, Ren had passed her by, opened the door, and shouted, ¡°Elijah,e.¡± Elijah instantly heeded Ren¡¯s call as he appeared by the door. ¡°Sir, what are your orders?¡± ¡°I want to go home. Settle the paperwork for me to be discharged,¡± said Ren. ¡°You mustn¡¯t. The hospital director said you must be hospitalized overnight so that the hospital can check on your condition.¡± Elijah immediately rejected Ren¡¯s request. As Ren had been experiencing refusals over and over again today, he grew slightly irritated as he grumbled, ¡°I¡¯m the one making the calls here. Go and prepare the car.¡± After that, he said to the girl behind him, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t bother your friend, so juste home with me.¡± Ruka was dumbfounded by what Ren said, since it was precisely because she didn¡¯t want to share a room with him that she decided to stay the night at Rita¡¯s ce. So, she refused. ¡°I¡¯m not going with you. I want to stay at my friend¡¯s ce tonight.¡± Words couldn¡¯t describe how terrible he looked right now. His expression forbidding, Ren vented his anger on Elijah, the man who was currently stuck between a rock and a hard ce. ¡°Why are you still standing here? Get a move on!¡± Ruka was also startled by the man¡¯s words. Just what is wrong with this man?! Although he was trembling with fear, Elijah straightened himself for Ren¡¯s sake. ¡°Sir, since your heart is showing symptoms of arrhythmia, the director has advised you to stay the night in the hospital so that they can monitor your condition.¡± As Elijah¡¯s words immediately captured Ruka¡¯s attention, she immediately asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with his heart?¡± Even though the person in question was just in front of her, Ruka asked Elijah instead. This made a certain someone to look askance at her with a surge of displeasure rising inside him. ¡°Miss Singed, may we talk as we walk?¡± Elijah was much bolder than Ruka, as he asked for her to leave a certain someone¡¯s side. After Ruka took a nce at the clearly displeased man beside Elijah, she simply left the ward and shut the door behind her. As she walked beside Elijah, he exined to her, ¡°This afternoon when Sir had just returned to the White House, he suddenly said that he wasn¡¯t feeling too good with his heart. After a series of tests in the hospital, the hospital director decided to keep him here for one day to monitor his condition. Miss Singed, please. You have to persuade Sir to stay the night here. He¡¯ll definitely listen if it¡¯s you saying it.¡± Chapter 1081-1090 Chapter 1081-1090 Slightly curious, Ruka asked, ¡°Did he ever have any problems with his heart?¡± ¡°No. Sir has always been healthy. I assumed that it was because he was agitated over something today. Ever since you left the conference room back then, the colors on his face didn¡¯t look so good.¡± Saying that, Elijah had an emphatic gaze on Ruka. Ruka¡¯s breathing became slightly irregr as she thought, Does this mean the reason that man is like this was because of me? Did my words agitate him? ¡°Miss Singed, you saw just how obstinate Sir was just now. If you don¡¯t persuade him, he¡¯ll definitely be going back home tonight. For the sake of his health, can you please restrain your anger at him for now?¡± It¡¯s not like I wanted this to happen either! She sighed inwardly. ¡°Then I¡¯ll persuade him to stay in the hospital.¡± She nodded. ¡°It¡¯s best if you can stay here and take care of him as well, Miss Singed,¡± Elijah suggested. This time, Ruka sighed outwardly, albeit faintly. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll do it.¡± At that, Elijah became secretly relieved. Since he hade to the assumption that Ren¡¯s heart condition was rted to Ruka, he had decided that the best way to cure him was to prescribe the right treatment for him, namely spending time with Ruka. When Ruka went back into Ren¡¯s ward, thetter was sitting on the couch and kneading his forehead with a tired expression. ¡°You should stay in the hospital. I¡¯ll stay and take care of you,¡± she said while standing behind the man. ¡°Weren¡¯t you going to your friend¡¯s ce?¡± Ren tilted his head slightly at her, revealing just how beautiful his side profile was, as the features of his face were well defined. Ruka replied in a helpless tone, ¡°Your illness is much more important.¡± Then, Ren turned his full attention to her with his deep gaze locked onto Ruka¡¯s small face in an attempt to see if she was really willing to stay and take care of him. As Ruka met the man¡¯s gaze, she felt as though she was looking at the eyes of a spoiled brat rather than that of a mature man. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll stay.¡± Ren finally stopped throwing his temper and demanding to go home. As Elijah had arranged dinner for the two of them, both Ruka and Ren sat by the window and helped themselves to dinner. Although they were in a hospital, the food here was delicious. Not to mention, Ruka was also hungry at this point. On the other hand, the man sitting opposite her didn¡¯t have much of an appetite, so he enjoyed the cup of tea in his hand while admiring the way the girl was eating instead. Looking at the girl now, Ren felt that she wasn¡¯t much of ady, as she ate arge drumstick with her hand. She then asked, ¡°When did you start liking me? Why didn¡¯t I know?¡± At that, he only smiled at her in response. Recalling her past, Ruka had only returned to the country once every two years after she left for abroad at the age of sixteen. However, she never got to meet him every time she was back, so she disregarded the times she had been back. Hence, she was unclear just when Ren had started having feelings for her. ¡°When you were five years old, you were just a little brat that kept pestering me. You would not only tear up my homework, but you would even snatch my pen away from me. When you couldn¡¯t get what you wanted, you¡¯d even start crying out loud. You were like a small little tyrant back in the day.¡± Ren reminisced about the past. Dumbfoundedly staring at Ren, Ruka froze midway through eating the drumstick in her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re¡­¡± As Ren¡¯s face grew stern, Ruka immediately suppressed herself from finishing the sentence. With her cheeks blushing, she took a bite out of the drumstick before she resentfully said, ¡°Weren¡¯t you afraid that I would grow up to have a crooked appearance? Even if I was pretty when I was a kid, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be a different story for you if I grew up to be an ugly girl, right?¡± Renughed soundlessly at Ruka¡¯s question. ¡°Are you that confident that you¡¯re pretty now?¡± Feeling her cheeks growing warmer, Ruka retorted, ¡°If I wasn¡¯t, I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t have liked me.¡± Ren locked his gaze at Ruka upon her words and shook his head. ¡°I fell for you not only because of your looks.¡± In brief, the feelings he had for her were out of his control. Back when she was neen, she had returned to visit her rtives. He was in the garden when she had just gotten out of the car. Even though he was already nning to leave at the time, he couldn¡¯t do so, as he was engrossed in looking at how innocent she was. It was then he realized the feelings he had for her weren¡¯t the same kind he had when she was still a child, but it was the same kind one would have for another adult. She had held a small ce in his heart until it was gradually fully filled by her. However, Ren was overwhelmed at the time¡ªbusy with his career, the election campaign, and the glory of his family. He hadn¡¯t the time to meet Ruka, so he could only return to the Husson Residence from time to time. His sister, Scarlet, would always tell him about the pictures and videos Ruka had uploaded. Not to mention, she had even told him which school Ruka had gotten into. Looking at the girl in the photo, he felt his heart sink deeper and deeper into the pit known as love, as he was afraid to tell another soul about this burning passion he had hidden away. It was only when she had drunkenly kissed him that night did hee to realize he couldn¡¯t back down and watch her slip away from his side once more. He had to fight for her, even if at a cost. Littleter that night, Elijah had arranged for a set of clothes for Ruka. Upon opening the box, she found a set of her pajamas, normal clothes, and another set that belonged to Ren. She became slightly confused, as she wasn¡¯t a very particr person, so it was eptable for her to go one night without taking a shower, especially since it was winter now. When Elijah entered the ward again, she requested for a nket since she nned to sleep on the big and wide couch tonight. To her, that couch was enough. In no time, Elijah brought her a nket while thinking that it was actually fine for her to sleep with Ren in the same bed. In the blink of an eye, it was already half past nine. Since Ren had left the ward to go through some checkups, Ruka took the opportunity to take a shower and changed into her pajamas. Since the pajamas were of a conservative design, they could also double as regr clothes. When Ren returned to the ward, it was already slightly past ten. Following behind him, Elijah came in and said, ¡°Sir, please sleep early tonight. The doctor has said that you shouldn¡¯t stay up sote.¡± Ren turned his head slightly and nced at Elijah. ¡°I don¡¯t want people disturbing my sleep unless it¡¯s something important.¡± Naturally, Elijah understood what Ren meant, and he nodded. ¡°Understood.¡± Sitting on the couch, Ruka inexplicably became shy after hearing what Ren said. To her chagrin, she thought to herself just why did she need to stay here and care for the man. This guy looks just fine, so why did he have to make me embarrassed by insisting I stay here? ¡°Done washing up?¡± Ren took off his jacket and revealed a snug-fit turtleneck ck sweater underneath. As the sweater stuck close to his body, it showed just how well-built his body was. This man had achieved the golden ratio for men¡¯s bodies. Just as Ren went to get a cup of water, Ruka couldn¡¯t help staring at the man¡¯s body. It¡¯s no wonder Victoria is madly in love with him. Not only was hepetent and talented, but he was good-looking and well-built as well. Unsure whether she should feel sorry for Victoria, she prayed for thetter to move past her obsession with the man and not torture herself like that ever again. Under the room light, she went into a daze with a book in her hand. When she came back to her senses, Ren came over and gave her a cup of hot water. After she took a sip from the cup, she froze in surprise as she realized that this was the same cup he had just drunk from. Ren sat down and saw through Ruka¡¯s thoughts. With a smile, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you dislike the cup I used?¡± Ruka acted naturally and intentionally took two more sips. ¡°Nope.¡± Satisfied, Ren picked up a book beside him and started reading beside Ruka. Thetter then put down the cup in her hand and asked curiously, ¡°How did the checkup on your heart go?¡± ¡°Normal,¡± Ren replied with his eyes never leaving the book. ¡°Does that mean your heart problems have something to do with me? Was it because of what I¡¯d said previously?¡± Ruka looked at Ren with a remorseful expression. Ren had to admit that his ever-healthy heart actually had symptoms of arrhythmia just because of a few words from Ruka, so he sighed and said, ¡°Yeah. It was.¡± Unable to stop feeling remorseful, she said, ¡°How am I that important to you?¡± With his brows raised, the man looked over to Ruka. ¡°Does my feelings for you give you pressure?¡± However, Ruka couldn¡¯t deny that it was so. Not only that, but the stress was just as huge as a mountain that was suffocating her. She turned her head and stared deep into his eyes before she nodded. ¡°Yes, it does. A lot of it.¡± Ren put down the book in his hand before he reached out and held Ruka in his arms, causing her body to turn stiff briefly. With how strong the man was, even if she was some distance away from him, he would still be able to drag her into his arms. Ruka instinctively pushed him away, but Ren was forceful and wouldn¡¯t let her refuse. He pulled her close into his embrace and put his chin on her head. ¡±All you have to do is just stay by my side, and I¡¯ll handle the rest. I¡¯ll handle it all, whether it¡¯s from the public or the elders.¡± At that moment, Ruka was concerned about him. Isn¡¯t he tired from dealing with all these matters? she thought. She felt aggrieved about this whole situation, and she pouted. ¡±I haven¡¯t even had a proper rtionship!¡± she said as if she silently protested that she didn¡¯t want him to have his hands wrapped around her so quickly. Ren couldn¡¯t help but feel happy when he noticed that she had somewhat epted him. He nuzzled his chin against the top of her head and asked, ¡±Then, how would you like to have it?¡± Every woman longed for the type of love that was undying and dynamic in their heart, and so did Ruka. She longed for love as fiery as hers as they both did many things while creating many happy memories. ¡±I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never been in a rtionship before,¡± Ruka grumbled in a low voice. When he heard her words, he figured that she still retained some naivety as a child, and he ruffled the back of her head. Akin to a cat being petted, she let out a soft sigh of contentment in his embrace, which made his eyes darken. After he gently ran his fingers through her hair, he grabbed her chin with the other hand and lifted her face. Ruka was enjoying the movements of his hands when she was suddenly forced to raise her head. Her dazed eyes were met with his passionate ones, and she knew what he was implying. Before she could stop him, he had already leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. ¡±Hmph¡­¡± Ruka¡¯s noises of refusals gradually became one of pleasure. This sparked something possessive inside Ren, and he wanted to pull her closer to him as if trying to mold her inside of him. After some time, she slowly lost her breath as he kissed her like he was tasting something delicious. The kiss deepened as the atmosphere in the room heated up due to their arousal. Then, just as she was breathless and too embarrassed to open her eyes, he suddenly let go of her. Is he finally satisfied? she wondered. It was also at this moment when Ruka felt herself being carried bridal style by Ren toward his bed. ¡±Ren, what are you doing?!¡± Ruka was getting anxious now as she figured she had just jumped into a dangerous situation. ¡±Let¡¯s sleep together,¡± Ren replied. ¡±No, I¡¯ll just sleep on the couch,¡± Ruka refused with a frown. ¡±But that¡¯ll be heartbreaking for me to watch.¡± ¡±No, it¡¯s fine. I like sleeping on the couch,¡± she retorted. Unfortunately, they had already arrived by the bed, and he crashed into the soft bed with her in his arms. Before she even had time to react, his nose was already against hers, and he lowered his head and continued the kiss. His arms reached out, and with a flick, the lights in the room were gone, and only the dim light from afar shone inside. In this situation, Ruka¡¯s mind went nk. Not only was she getting breathless from the kiss, she also curled up her toes in nervousness as she couldn¡¯t handle the animalistic passion Ren was exhibiting. So, she tried to push him off her with all her might, but he was as heavy as a mountain and did not budge at all. On the contrary, she slowly stopped pushing him and was immersed in his kiss. The kiss made her feel as if she was being treated like a precious treasure by him; she was being utterly loved and worshiped by him. The feeling was so intoxicating that she couldn¡¯t help but dive into the sensation with him, not caring about the consequences. Finally, Ren¡¯s breath was getting heavier and he released her. His hot breath soothed Ruka¡¯s heart, and she opened her misty eyes. Even though it was dark, she could still see his alluring eyes; it was as if they were sucking her in. ¡±Ruka¡­¡± Ren whispered. ¡±I love you.¡± His voice was deep and husky as he opened his mouth. Ruka was overwhelmed by emotions when she heard his solemn confession. At this moment, she felt like apart from her family, there was no other man in this world that would love her as he did. ¡°You¡¯re mine.¡± His husky voice echoed in the dark air with a hint of possessiveness. It was filled with crazy dominant desire that Ruka felt she needed to do something to reciprocate. She gave it a thought and wrapped her arms around his neck. Then, forgoing all sense of shyness, she nted a light kiss on his lips. Instantly, the man¡¯s breathing became heavier in the dark as he praised her, ¡°I like that very much.¡± Her face continued to burn as a thought popped into her mind. She wanted to push him onto a bed but did not dare to do so. The atmosphere now was as dangerous as it could be. ¡°Ha¡­¡± The man pushed himself off her and pulled the nket over her body. ¡°You should sleep. I¡¯ve got some work left to do.¡± ¡°But Elijah said you can¡¯t workte,¡± she reminded him. ¡°Then, you want me to hug you to sleep? Mmm?¡± he murmured suggestively, plucking at her heartstrings. She quickly pulled the nket up to her neck and rejected his proposal firmly, ¡°No.¡± Ren nned on leaving but still bent down and gently kissed her forehead. It was as if he was making up for being unable to be by her side. He tucked her in, then stood up and left. A warm smile crept up as she stared at the ceiling in the dark. She was exhausted after the long kiss they had. They kissed continuously for more than 10 minutes. She did not know how a man who had never been in a rtionship could have such fantastic kissing skills. Ruka even suspected that he secretly had many girlfriends before her. However, her mind was dizzy, and she did not have time to delve into that matter. Thus, she turned around, closed her eyes, and fell asleep. Elijah suppressed his exhaustion in the lounge next door as he apanied his boss to workte at night. The hospital director heard of the news and even came in to advise Ren to rest, but s, even he could not convince Ren to sleep. They worked until 2.00AM before Elijah followed Ren out of the room while yawning. Ren pushed open the room door while Elijah found a couch andid down. Ren padded to the side of the bed, flipped the nket open, andy down. As he tenderly watched the girl in a deep sleep, he gently wrapped his arms around her so she could sleep in his arms. After he hadpleted his work and satisfied some of his desire earlier, he could finally hold her and sleep soundly. Still, before he closed his eyes, he gently kissed her forehead again. ¡°Happy birthday, Ruka.¡± The next morning, as the sun shone through the window, Ruka was the first to wake up and was startled to find herself sleeping in Ren¡¯s arms. His handsome face was right in front of hers, a couple of inches away. Being able to look at him up close took her breath away. He had such healthy, glowing skin and did not look like he was over 30 years old at all. His firm skin, prominent features, and thick curlyshes that cast shadows upon his face made him wholly captivating. Her gaze inadvertentlynded on his lips. She felt parched the moment she recalledst night¡¯s passionate kiss that made her head spin. She dared not wake him up because she did not know when he went to sleep. Hence, she slowly and carefully extracted herself from his embrace and got out of bed. As she checked the time, she covered her mouth in shock. It was 9.30AM. She had been sleeping for far too long. Thus, she hurriedly opened the door and surprisingly found Elijah, the doctor, and the nurse waiting outside. She could not help but blush as Elijah inquired her about Ren. ¡°Is Sir awake?¡± ¡°He¡¯s still sleeping,¡± Ruka answered. ¡°Okay. You might want to go next door to have breakfast, Miss Singed. We can let him sleep longer,¡± Elijah suggested. While eating, she received a call from her friend, Rita. Rita remembered her birthday and decided to treat her to a celebration meal. Ruka was delighted to ept her invitation since her parents were not by her side. Scarlet and Walter were out of the country, too. Therefore, it would be an understatement to say that she would be more than happy to spend the day with her good friend. ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m at the hospital.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sick?!¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just here to take care of someone.¡± Ruka did not dare reveal who it was. ¡°Oh, okay. We¡¯ll meet at the mall¡¯s entrance at 10.30AM.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± After they decided when to meet, Ruka looked for Elijah and asked if there was anyone who could give her a ride. When Elijah heard of her ns, he immediately arranged for a bodyguard to escort her. Afterward, she went back to the room and grabbed her purse. As sheid her eyes on the man, still deep in slumber, she left without saying goodbye. Ten minutester, Ren woke up to find her gone, and he was unhappy that she left so early in the morning. Thus, he sat forbiddingly on the couch while the medical staff fussed over him. As a result, it made the nurse responsible for drawing his blood nervous as she sweated profusely. ¡°Did she say where she¡¯s going?¡± Ren gave Elijah a side-eye. ¡°Miss Singed only said she¡¯s meeting a friend.¡± ¡°Guy or girl?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask, but I think it¡¯s a girl.¡± Elijah smiled. After what happenedst night, he did not think there was anything else Ren needed to worry about. Although he dared not specte what happened, he had a good guess based on Ruka¡¯s flushed face in the morning. At that moment, Ren¡¯s phone rang. He took a look and picked it up. ¡°Hi, Scarlet.¡± ¡°Ren! It¡¯s Ruka¡¯s birthday today. Can you arrange something to celebrate with her? Unfortunately, we¡¯re not in the country. So, you¡¯ll have to do it in our ce.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make the arrangements.¡± ¡°I called her just now. She¡¯s with her friend. Is she alright staying at your ce?¡± ¡°I think she¡¯s doing fine.¡± ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll return once we¡¯re done with work here.¡± ¡°Scarlet, you don¡¯t need to rush. Instead, take your time and go on a vacation while you¡¯re at it,¡± Ren suggested. ¡°Well, Walter wants to, but I¡¯m worried about Ruka being alone back home.¡± ¡°Leave her in my care. Enjoy and have fun with Walter. It¡¯s not every day he¡¯s up for it.¡± Ren continued to persuade her. ¡°Okay. If that¡¯s the case, we¡¯ll stay a little longer.¡± Scarlet was instantly at ease by Ren¡¯s reassurances. After the phone call ended, Elijah curiously asked, ¡°Sir, should we prepare a venue for Miss Singed¡¯s birthday?¡± Ren narrowed his eyes while he pondered the matter. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡± ¡°What about presents?¡± ¡°I have a n,¡± Ren answered. Then, he got up, wanting to return to the White House to settle some work. On the other hand, Ruka met up with Rita, and they went shopping. They also found a seafood buffet and chatted while enjoying the food. As they were talking, Rita suddenly thought of something. ¡°Ruka, have you heard? I heard from a friend that Jaxton learned that his girlfriend was in contact with her ex. They had a huge fight, and he¡¯s drowning himself in alcohol at a bar.¡± Ruka blinked her eyes at the news and naturally wanted to know more.¡±What happened next?¡± ¡°My friend told me Jaxton was so drunk he got sent to the hospital.¡± ¡°And here I am thinking of congratting them on getting back together,¡± Ruka sighed. Rita then suggested, ¡°Ruka, do you want to try and contact him? You¡¯ve had a crush on him for three years. It will touch his heart if you show him that you care now.¡± Ruka smiled and shook her head lightly. She was embarrassed to tell Rita she had found a new love. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not the one for him.¡± Rita dropped the topic when she saw that Ruka wasn¡¯t interested. So, the two girls continued walking around in the afternoon. Then, they went to a coffee shop and shopped while gossiping about work. Time flies quickly when one is having fun; before they knew it, it was 4.30PM. Ruka¡¯s phone rang as they discussed where to go next while still in the coffee shop. Her heart started beating wildly as she picked it up and looked at the screen. ¡°I need to take this.¡± She told Rita and headed out of the shop. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Where are you?¡± A man¡¯s deep, maic voice came through. ¡°Drinking coffee with a friend.¡± ¡°It¡¯s your birthday today. How do you want to celebrate tonight?¡± ¡°Nothing much. There¡¯s nothing special to do. Are you discharged from the hospital?¡± Ruka asked with concern. ¡°Yeah. Think about what else you want to do tonight.¡± She furrowed her brows slightly and thought about it. ¡°I just want to have dinner then maybe watch a movie. Whatever is fine!¡± ¡°Dinner and a movie?¡± he asked for confirmation. Ruka scrunched her brows. Why? Is he going to celebrate with me? ¡°Enjoy your time with your friends first. We¡¯ll talkter,¡± the man said and hung up. She was stunned for a few seconds. What did he mean by that? However, she did not think much of it and went back to Rita to talk about their ns for the night. Around 6.30PM, the sky had turned pitch ck. But, as it was winter and nearing the new year, the whole city was illuminated with colorful lights and decorations. At this moment, a notification popped up on Ruka¡¯s phone. She looked and saw that Ren had messaged her. ¡®Where are you?¡¯ ¡®Shopping in the mall,¡¯ Ruka replied. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡®Send your location.¡¯ ¡®Are youing?¡¯ ¡®Yes!¡¯ Her heart started to pound wildly in her chest. Is he going toe? With that thought in mind, she impulsively sent her location. Finally, Ren replied, ¡®Wait for me at the mall¡¯s entrance.¡¯ Ruka¡¯s heart beat faster, and her face started to turn red. She could not believe what she had read. Is he really going toe? Whenever he went out, it was a massive spectacle with the number of guards protecting him. Coincidentally, Rita also got a call from her parents to return home and take care of her eight-year-old brother because her grandmother had a bad fall and needed to visit the hospital. So, the two girls parted ways. Ruka stood at the mall¡¯s entrance. Her eyes were filled with anticipation as she stood there under the blinking lights. She kept looking at the cars driving past her to spot the motorcade he often went out in. She was so focused on the vehicles before her that she did not realize a ck SUV was parked on the side of the street. Its doors opened, and a tall and handsome figure came out wearing a long gray windbreaker and a ck mask. He was covered from head to toe, and only his captivating dreamy eyes shone through his ck hair. His eyes immediately locked on the slender girl standing underneath the streetlight, and a smile shed across his eyes. He leisurely sauntered to the girl and hugged her from behind unexpectedly. Finally, he ced his chin on her shoulder and tenderly called out, ¡°Ruka.¡± Ruka was initially frightened, but when she heard that deep voice, she was utterly shocked. She immediately swiveled her head toward the voice, only to discover that the high-ranking vice president had shown up alone in a busy crowd and was currently hugging her. ¡°You¨C¡± Ruka¡¯s eyes widened. How could hee here alone? The man only embraced her tighter and ced his huge palm on the back of her head. So there they were, hugging naturally under the streetlight and ignoring the stares from onlookers. A few girls from the crowd were envious of them as they looked like an adorable couple. Even though the man was covered from head to toe and only showed his eyes, his elegant posture and the outline of his face under the mask hinted at his good looks. Ruka was currently experiencing a tangled ball of emotions. She went from feeling terrified to panicking, then to eager yet bashful. Yet, throughout the rollercoaster of emotions, she also felt the underlying thrill of excitement. ¡°Tonight, my time is yours. Whatever you want to do, I will do it with you.¡± The man¡¯s maic voice sounded beside her ear. Ruka could feel his breath on her ear and could not help snuggling into his embrace. Her heart was still fluttering when she suddenly thought of something and looked up at him. ¡°You came out just like this? Isn¡¯t it dangerous?¡± Her first thought was that this man should not be running around. He smiled, turning his eyes to slightly crescents as he lightly tapped her pretty nose. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s safe. Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll take a walk, then go get food.¡± As he said that, he naturally held her hand, and they walked toward the city garden beside the mall. On the sidewalk, the trees were draped with colorful lights making the street incredibly romantic to stroll. There were also many couples there walking and taking pictures. Ruka¡¯s heart was filled with the sweetness of love. She never thought that she could walk hand in hand with him like this. In the crowd, the warmthing from his hands was so real and heartwarming. Even though she was 5¡¯5, she was still petite as she stood beside him. ¡°I want to take a picture.¡± Ruka wanted to keep this moment forever. Hence, she pulled him in front of a tree that was not as crowded as the others and fished out her phone. As she switched her camera settings to the front camera, she shyly but brazenly wrapped her arm around his shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s take a picture together.¡± The man bent down and touched her cheek with his affectionately. Despite not taking off his mask, his eyes gleamed with joy. Ruka took a few pictures and passed him the phone. ¡°Help me take a few too!¡± With that, she stood gracefully under the colorful tree and put a hand in her jacket¡¯s pocket. She slightly tilted her head and smiled sweetly. He etched her beautiful sweet smile into his memories while holding the phone and taking her pictures. No matter how she grew and changed, everything about her was his favorite thing in the world. When Ruka was done posing, she shyly took her phone back. Then, she backed up a few steps hurriedly and took a picture of him. Ren was worried he was not photogenic and did not know how to pose for the photo. All he could do was stare at her with his deep eyes and smile at the camera. Her heart started to pound again. No matter how she took the pictures, this man was magazine model material. He looked good in every shot. When Ruka was satisfied with the pictures she took, she slowly walked toward him while looking through them. She almost bumped into someone, but Ren was quick to react. So, two seconds before Ruka bumped into that person, he was by her side and pulled her into his embrace. She was utterly caught off guard, so her face crashed into his muscr chest, and she heard him whisper, ¡°Careful.¡± She smiled and kept her phone in her purse. Then, she grabbed his arm. ¡°We¡¯ll go eat, then watch a movie. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll make a booking for the tickets. There¡¯s arge cinema in the mall.¡± ¡°Sure. Go ahead. I¡¯ll reimburse you tomorrow.¡± He was adamant about not letting her spend her money. She beamed at him. ¡°I¡¯ve been staying and eating at your ce for so long, though. Are you going to make me pay you back?¡± Ren narrowed his eyes and thought about it. ¡°Mmm. You¡¯re right. Maybe I should collect some interest.¡± Ruka let out augh at his response and did not think much about what he meant by collecting interest. Instead, she went on her phone, found a movie she liked, and booked a couple¡¯s seat. This way, they would be able to watch in peace. ¡°I¡¯ve got the tickets. Let¡¯s go to dinner. There¡¯s a ce with great ambiance. I booked a private room so no one will see you.¡± Ruka was cautious due to his status. Ren had been working in politics for a few years, so he had professionals taking care of everything for him. So now, he needed to rely on Ruka, for he was unfamiliar with these things. Hence, he nodded his head in agreement. ¡°Sure. You decide.¡± The restaurant was conveniently situated as it was within walking distance. So, they continued to walk, holding hands. It was a pleasure to enjoy the view and experience the busy atmosphere right before the new year. When they reached the restaurant, Ruka led him into the private room and made themselves comfortable. She passed him the menu, but he asked her to decide. So, she ordered soup and four other dishes. Once the waiter left, Ren finally took off his mask. Under the light, his handsome face was revealed. He looked mature, outstanding, and elegant while his dark eyes shone with wisdom. Ruka propped her chin on her hand and stared at the man opposite her. She felt like she was admiring an art piece as adoration filled her heart. She picked up her phone and tantly started taking pictures of him. Unfortunately, even the camera¡¯s high-definition pixels could not fully capture the man¡¯s charm. He knew she was taking pictures, the corners of his lips curved up, and his dimples faintly appeared. She saw his dimple and had the sudden urge to kiss it. She truly wanted to kiss his dimple when he smiled. Of course, it was only in her head. She did not dare to do so as she would be in danger if she did. While she was deep in her imagination, she heard a knock. It was obviously the waiter who hade bearing their dishes. Therefore, she hurriedly reminded Ren, ¡°Quick, put on your mask.¡± He listened to her and put on his mask. After the waiter ced their food down and left, only then did he take it off. He repeated that for all five dishes, they could finally eat peacefully. ¡°The movie starts at 8.30PM. So, we have plenty of time to eat,¡± Ruka said, cing some food on his te. ¡°This is delicious. Try some!¡± Ren picked up the food she served him and asked, ¡°Have your parents called you?¡± ¡°Yup. They called in the afternoon and said they would send me a gift.¡± Ruka could not hide her joy. As he dotingly watched her child-like excitement, he smiled. ¡°Then, are you excited about my present?¡± Her heart skipped a beat, and she immediately waved her hands. ¡°No. You don¡¯t need to give me anything. You¡¯ve given me presents over the years, and I¡¯ve not even said thank you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy. You can just show me your appreciation this year.¡± Ren narrowed his eyes and looked at her intently. His gaze fell on her plump red lips for a few seconds. She lowered her head shyly and questioned, ¡°How do you want me to thank you?¡± He had everything and used only the best things. So, what else could she use to show her appreciation? ¡°You just need to give me a kiss.¡± He did not demand much. Ruka¡¯s face flushed crimson again, and it had be the norm whenever she was with him. She bit on the fork and asked bashfully, ¡°Can¡¯t I do something else?¡± ¡°If you¡¯d like to use your body. I would like that even more.¡± Ruka felt blood rushing to her face and even felt heat wafting off her face as she retorted, ¡°Let¡¯s stick to the kiss.¡± ¡°Haha!¡± The manughed out loud, showing off his pearly whites and his dimples that deepened with his smile. After dinner, they left the restaurant as the servers kept whispering behind them. They noticed Ren¡¯s tall stature and were curious about how he looked. But he had his mask on the whole time, so they guessed he must have been some big shot or, perhaps, even a superstar. Even with the mask on, it could not hide his aura of elegance. They walked toward the mall as the movie was about to start. There were so many people at the mall that it was so cramped up and hard to breathe in the elevator. Ruka was worried for Ren and looked up at him. It was good that the mask covered his face well and only showed his eyes. Nobody would be able to recognize him. Just then, another group of people walked in, pushing Ruka toward the back that she bumped into Ren. There was a man beside them reeking of smoke that made her turn around and hug his waist while nestling her face into his chest. While she inhaled his cool and exquisite scent, she greedily buried her face into his chest further. He had one hand on the back of her head in case people bumped into her. Finally, they reached the 8th floor, exited the elevator, and walked to the cinema entrance. Many young people were there waiting around. Nevertheless, once Ruka and Ren appeared, the young people¡¯s attention was on them. They were an eye-catching couple. Even though he wore a mask, people still envied Ruka because of his fantastic body, which stood out from the rest. Moreover, his elegant posture made people wonder about the handsome face hidden under the mask. The movie was about to start. So, she collected the tickets and went to the hall with him. She also bought a bottle of water for him and lemonade for herself. As they entered the hall, she efficiently found their seat, and they sat in the couple¡¯s seats, providing a good space for privacy. As the lights in the cinema dimmed, it allowed many couples to be more intimate. It would not be a problem to hold hands and hug. At first, Ruka was a little reserved. Still, she carefully scooted over toward him when he suggestively tugged on her. Finally, he stretched his arm and pressed her into his embrace. Ruka felt her heart pounding against her chest as she stayed beside him and looked at the screen. At that moment, a fiery scene between the male and female leads was ying on the screen. There was a huge bed on the screen, and the male and female leads were in a passionate tangle. Ruka¡¯s face turned beet red, and she hid in Ren¡¯s chest while covering her face. His hands that were on her waist tightened for some unknown reason. Eventually, the scene passed, and the plot returned to normal. Rika sat upright as the starry sky attracted her. Then, a scary scene shed on the screen as she picked up her drink to take a sip. As a result, her heart trembled with fear, and her hands touched something she should not have in her panic. The man¡¯s reaction made her heart skip a beat. She gasped as he looked down and locked eyes with her. The desire in his eyes was so evident in the dark that she gulped due to nervousness. ¡°I wasn¡¯t doing it on purpose,¡± she whispered. He grabbed her hand and hoarsely instructed, ¡°Focus on the movie.¡± She turned her attention to the front with her red face. The movie was her favorite science-fiction genre, but that was thest thing on her mind now. Instead, she found herself unable to focus on the film at all. At that moment, she noticed her phone buzzing and shing in her bag. It seemed like someone was calling her. She sat up from Ren¡¯s embrace and took her phone out to find Elijah¡¯s call. As she pressed the answer button, Elijah¡¯s anxious voice came through. ¡°Miss Singed, is Sir with you?¡± ¡°He¡¯s with me.¡± ¡°Where are you both?¡± ¡°We¡¯re watching a movie.¡± ¡°What? Are you guys at the cinema? Miss Singed, please ask Mr. Husson to return immediately. If not, we¡¯ll have toe personally and pick him up.¡± A surprised Ruka questioned, ¡°Is he in danger?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve lost contact with him for three hours. Please ask him to return. If not, we will initiate first-level security. That will cause huge problems and confusion,¡± Elijah said grimly. She was utterly stupefied as she thought to herself. Is the situation that bad? ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll get him home now.¡± She could only promise Elijah and cut the date short. ¡°Send us your location as well. I¡¯ll send someone over. His safety cannot bepromised, Miss Singed. So please cooperate with us.¡± ¡°Alright. I know,¡± Ruka answered and then sent their location to him. But, to be honest, she was still in a daze. So, the man beside her had escaped Elijah¡¯s eyes toe to her. Affected by Elijah¡¯s anxiety, she was wholly concerned about his safety as she immediately pulled on Ren¡¯s sleeve and whispered into his ear, ¡°Elijah¡¯s been looking for you. Let¡¯s go back.¡± His brows furrowed tightly. ¡°What did he say?¡± ¡°He said they¡¯ll initiate first-level security measures if you¡¯re not back. Ren, let¡¯s go! I¡¯m begging you. We have to go back.¡± Ruka got more fearful the more she thought about it. How could she let this man apany her to a movie alone? If anything happened to him, she was to me. ¡°Please, I¡¯m begging you. Let¡¯s go back.¡± Ruka was so worried that she started to beg softly in his ear. He caved to her plea and took her hand while getting up, and they left the cinema before the movie ended. Ruka nervously held onto him as they walked to the elevator. Whenever people squeezed into the elevator, her heart beat faster, and she would look at them, fearing they would pose a danger to him. Ren sensed that she was panic-stricken out of concern for him, so he wrapped his arms around her. Remorse shed across his face as heforted her, ¡°Nothing¡¯s going to happen. Don¡¯t worry.¡± As soon as they left the elevator, Ruka grabbed his hand and dashed toward the mall¡¯s entrance. When they exited the mall, she was shocked to see shing lights from a big group of special forces convoy. Elijah came out from behind with a few people trailing him. ¡°Mr. Husson, please return to the White House. If we still can¡¯t find you, I¡¯d have to contact Mr. President and notify your parents.¡± Ruka was obviously frightened by the scene before her. Ren narrowed his eyes and coldly demanded, ¡°Stop talking.¡± Then, he led Ruka to a car. After that, the cars gradually left the ce. On both sides of the motorcade were heavily armored Humvees that led the way. While Ruka sat in the car, she still felt cold sweat dripping down her spine. At this moment, she finally understood how important this man was. On the other hand, the man who snuck out behind his secretary¡¯s back took off his mask while looking frustrated and displeased. Nheless, Ruka was very touched that he took two hours of his precious time to spend with her, not to mention the fact that hepromised his safety while doing so. ¡°It¡¯s okay! Don¡¯t be angry. Elijah was only concerned for your safety,¡± she gently advised him while hugging his arm. Ruka thought of talking to Ren since she was worried Elijah would be reprimanded when they got out of the car. ¡°Ruka, if we can no longer go shopping, eat out, or watch movies together as normal people do, are you still willing to date me?¡± Ren asked hoarsely, and his dark eyes were fixated on her intently. She paused as she remembered the excuse she had used for rejecting him: he couldn¡¯t go shopping, enjoy meals outside or watch movies with her. So, he ignored his safety so that he could do all these things with her? She felt guilty, worried, and most of all, highly emotional about it since he had risked his life in order to be with her. Wait, what did he say? Whether or not she was willing to date him if he could no longer do those things with her? Did he want to date her? Ruka pursed her lips. ¡°If you want us to date, please look out for your safety. Don¡¯t worry Elijah the way you did today.¡± ¡°You seem to care a lot about what Elijah thinks. Do you fancy him?¡± Ren felt jealous of Elijah, and she had brought him up way too many times today. She had wanted to praise Elijah for being sopetent in his work, but now she felt like she was just making everything worse for him. Thus, she shook her head quickly. ¡°Of course not. Please don¡¯t misread everything. I just don¡¯t want you to reprimand him.¡± ¡°Why are you so worried about him?¡± Ren asked, feeling more and more jealous by the second. ¡°Well, he worked hard to ensure your safety today. He¡¯s been amodating and responsible.¡± Yet, Ruka felt that she was making everything worse with her reasoning. Suddenly, she realized that Ren¡¯s face had be closer to hers. She was already sitting up against him, so now they were nearly face-to-face. She didn¡¯t have a good feeling about the whole thing and was about to retreat, but he had already anticipated this. He ced a hand on the back of her head to prevent her from moving away and then tugged her face towards his. He kissed her aggressively as if he was punishing her for repeatedly defending a man that wasn¡¯t him. Hershes fluttered against his cheeks as she panicked. They were in a moving car nked by escort motorcycles. Couldn¡¯t he be more tactful? Ruka¡¯s worries were unfounded since they had heavily tinted the car windows to protect the passengers¡¯ privacy, so they were safe from prying eyes. Nevertheless, she could still see their surroundings from inside the car. This made her nerves prickle with anxiety, and she tried pushing him away. But, s, he continued kissing her so hard she felt herself beginning to sweat with how hot and bothered it was making her. Oh God, she must be going crazy. He had been the one determined to keep their rtionship under wraps, yet here he was, kissing her recklessly. Not to mention, his bodyguard was still in the driver¡¯s seat. Ruka pushed against him harder, and eventually, Ren took pity on her and released her. He leaned his forehead against hers, and his hot pants brushed against her face. ¡°Do not fancy anyone other than me.¡± She was still dazed from the kiss and responded affectionately, ¡°Okay!¡± When he heard her immediate agreement, he smiled in satisfaction and nced at his watch. ¡°I¡¯ve spoiled your birthday celebration. I¡¯ll make it up to you.¡± It was the first time she had experienced such a grand exit, and she couldn¡¯t help but feel respect for the man. His societal position was such that they probably wouldn¡¯t have met if she hadn¡¯t grown up in the Husson family. She nced at the girls looking around by the street and knew that in a different life, she would be as distant to him as they were now. Ruka became unhappy at that thought. Life was so strange sometimes. Arge hand then rested against her cheek. She looked up at Ren, eyes damp with tears. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Surprised by her sudden change in mood, Ren cupped her face with his hands tenderly. She shook her head in response because she couldn¡¯t share her thoughts with him. Besides, she didn¡¯t know why she had gotten so miserable either. Chapter 1091-1100 Chapter 1091-1100 ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Ruka answered quietly. She wondered if Ren¡¯s feelings for her were just a figment of her imagination and would disappear sooner orter. At this point, she suddenly understood why he was so crazy about her¡ªif he had to leave her for any reason, she would never fall for someone else ever again. Besides, no other man would ever steal her heart the way he had. Immediately, she grabbed his hand tightly, scared that everything was just a dream. Ren felt confused by this because he could sense her sadness, yet he didn¡¯t know why she felt that way. Did he do anything wrong? In the end, he could only pull her into a hug, allowing her to lean against him and rest. After they arrived back at his house, he got out of the car first. Then, he used one hand to protect her head when she followed behind¡ªan instinctive reaction borne out of his love for her. Soon, Elijah approached him and whispered, ¡°Mr. Husson, everything is ready.¡± Ren nodded. ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll leave everything here then, Mr. Husson,¡± Elijah answered before getting into the car and leaving. After the entourage was gone, Ren and Ruka were left alone in therge garden; he held her hand and led her toward the hall. She could feel his love for her as she followed him, her mouth unconsciously curling into a smile. As soon as they arrived in the doorway leading to the hall, she was stunned by the scene before her. They decorated it in a fresh yet romantic theme for a birthday party. Presents wereid out amongst the flowers and balloons, with a flower arrangement right by the wine, champagne, and dessert dishes on the table. Right in the center of that table was an unopened cake box. Her love for him surged as she took in everything, and she immediately turned to give him a tight hug. ¡°Thank you.¡± Ren wrapped his arms around her waist and smiled, enjoying her voluntary act of intimacy. As for Ruka, she felt really touched because he had done so much for her. ¡°Do you want to eat the cake or unwrap the presents first?¡± he asked her lovingly. She shook her head as she continued hugging him. ¡°For now, let me hug you for a bit.¡± He leaned down and pressed a kiss into her hair. He had assigned Elijah to set up everything back home in the afternoon with ns of surprising her after their date, but he hadn¡¯t expected it to be interrupted. Thank God this surprise had sessfully made up for it. Ren teasingly blew into her ear. ¡°What? Are you nning to unwrap me like your presents?¡± Ruka blushed furiously and let him go. She didn¡¯t have the courage for that! ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± ¡°I dare you to.¡± The man smiled at her, eyes half-closed. She couldn¡¯t help cing her hands on his shoulders and getting on her tiptoes to press a kiss into his dimples. It had been something she had always wanted to do. The kiss made his smile wider, dimples bing more pronounced. She smiled in satisfaction at this and retreated. ¡°I think we¡¯ll have the cake first. Let¡¯s blow the candles and make a wish.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Ren nodded and walked toward the table as she opened the cake box. The cake was about six inches in diameter, just enough for the two of them. She immediately fell in love with the heart-shaped cake, pulling out her phone to take pictures before putting in the card saying ¡®Happy 24th!¡¯ and lighting the candles. He moved beside Ruka to switch off the overhead light, leaving the wallmps to create a romantic and intimate atmosphere. Her heart sped up as he approached her, cing her hand in his. ¡°Let¡¯s make a wish and blow the candles together.¡± He shook his head and declined her offer. ¡°It¡¯s your birthday.¡± She obeyed, breathing in deeply as she fluttered her eyes shut. Then, finally, she pressed her palms together and made a wish. Ruka didn¡¯t hesitate to make her wish because she only wanted one thing¡ªto be with him. She blushed and looked toward Ren when she was done, and he immediately knew what she had wished for. It seemed that he didn¡¯t need to worry about her reciprocating his feelings because it was already mutual. She bent down to blow out the candles while he lit some scented candles and ced them off to one side. The flickering mes made the atmosphere seem more intimate as she took a knife, cut the first slice of cake, and served it to him on a te. ¡°Here, you can eat it first.¡± He epted the te and sat beside her as he ate. She cut herself another slice thoughtfully, then said, ¡°We didn¡¯t make Elijah stay for some cake.¡± Ren stopped eating and said irritatedly, ¡°You seem to think an awful lot about him.¡± Ruka hunched her shoulders. He¡¯s so good at being jealous, huh? I talked about his assistant twice, and now he¡¯s resentful? ¡°I think there¡¯s too much cake, and it will be a waste if we don¡¯t finish it,¡± she exined weakly. ¡°Fine, just waste it then,¡± he replied darkly. Only one man should be here with Ruka celebrating her birthday, and that man was him. She blinked once, knowing she couldn¡¯t continue angering him. Therefore, she slowly enjoyed the cake bit by bit, feeling happy as she tasted the sweet cream. However, she had gotten some of it on one corner of her mouth, and when she turned to Ren, his gaze became darker at the sight. She realized it immediately and licked it off, making his breath catch. Didn¡¯t she know how dangerous that act was? He stretched out a hand and held Ruka¡¯s head in ce as he leaned toward her. He did not give her any time to react before kissing her. It was punishing, and he felt himself drown in the sweetness of her mouth, which mingled with the taste of the cream, and he only released her when he felt her smear some cream on his face. Ruka was dazed from the kiss but then burst outughing when she saw the cream on his face. When the man wiped cream on her face in retaliation, she widened her eyes challengingly and swept some cream off the cake. She was about to reciprocate when he caught her wrist and sucked the cream off her fingers. She felt her heart flutter at the action. How could he¡ª Ren smiled and praised, ¡°It¡¯s so sweet!¡± She thought she might be insane from this. She had been ying around, yet now she was utterly out of her depth. She withdrew her hand immediately, still feeling the fading heat of her tongue on her fingers. He realized that he must have scared her and said immediately, ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough. Go have a bath so you can open the presents.¡± She handed him a tissue. ¡°You too!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± He nodded. ¡°You can go first.¡± As Ruka couldn¡¯t eat any longer, she rose to her feet and went for a bath upstairs. If she didn¡¯t leave, her heart might leap out of her chest. Yet, despite that, she was so happy she felt like flying, unable to think of anything else except him and his overflowing affection for her. When she had finished with her bath, she went downstairs. She wore a long white dress and a cardigan, and she looked as beautiful as a fae with her loose hair and pale skin. Since Ren wasn¡¯t in the living room, she settled on the couch and picked up one bouquet to smell the light fragrance. It smelt very much like love and happiness. Ruka looked at the presents on the table, not knowing where to even begin. When she heard the sound of footsteps from the stairs, she looked up and saw Ren in casual clothing¡ªa dark sweater and beige pants. The clothes made him look softer, yet he retained his usual steely demeanor. She waited for him to sit beside her before sighing. ¡°Why did you prepare so many presents? I only need one from you!¡± He reached for one and handed it to her. ¡°Open it and see.¡± She couldn¡¯t help being attracted by the pastel blue wrapping. It was her favorite color; he must have taken her preferences to heart. Then, when she finally unwrapped the gift, she found a pretty pastel blue beaded handbag. Even though there weren¡¯t any brand logos on it, it was evident from the beautiful craftsmanship that it was handmade. ¡°It¡¯s gorgeous. I love it.¡± She held it out to admire it under the light. Ren took a ring box from his pocket and gave it to her. ¡°Open this one.¡± Ruka¡¯s breath caught. Is he giving me a ring? He ced it in her palm, and she bit her lip as she opened it. A shiny open diamond ring with a simple, elegant designy inside, which looked vintage yet stylish. Before she could react, he took it and ced it on her right middle finger. It was a perfect fit, making her blink in surprise. How did he know the size of her finger? Just then, he pulled out another ring from his pocket and wore it on his left middle finger. Although the rings differed in size, their simrity made it known that it was clearly a couple¡¯s ring. These were matching rings for couples. At that realization, she blushed harder, and she couldn¡¯t believe they were at that stage already. ¡°Did you choose them?¡± Ruka asked shyly. ¡°Yes.¡± Ren nodded. It had been the most important gift to him, a promise to tie them together so no one could ever separate them again. ¡°Do not remove it without my permission,¡± he continued in a low voice. She nodded obediently. ¡°Okay.¡± The other presents were some necessities she might need, but she had already received the most important gift, which was his heart. It was soon 11.30PM, and she concealed a yawn. She had experienced a shock today, and it had worn her out. ¡°Let¡¯s go to bed!¡± He must have seen how tired she was and led her upstairs. She bit her lip again, wondering with a racing heart if he meant to let her sleep in his bedroom or hers. When they arrived at her bedroom door, she stopped and withdrew her hand from his. ¡°Goodnight.¡± He paused to look at her, his gaze clouded over as he sighed softly. ¡°Goodnight.¡± When she turned to open the door, he asked, ¡°Will you be cold sleeping alone?¡± She understood at once, shaking her head firmly. ¡°Nope. I have air conditioning.¡± Heughed out loud. ¡°Is it as warm as I am?¡± She thought internally, It¡¯s much safer than him, that¡¯s for sure. ¡°Uncle, if you¡¯re that warm, you probably have a fever. For your safety, I think it¡¯s better for you if we don¡¯t sleep together.¡± She wasn¡¯t stupid. After all, she had just turned 24, and it wasn¡¯t as though she didn¡¯t understand how romantic rtionships work. He blushed slightly and coughed lightly. ¡°You are so considerate. Why don¡¯t you think of a way to help?¡± She didn¡¯t know how to answer him, so she opened the door quickly and slid through the gap before peeking out. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t help you. Goodnight!¡± He looked at her with a hurt expression but didn¡¯t force the issue. ¡°Goodnight.¡± Both Ruka and Ren went back to their rooms after the conversation. Ruka had been through a lot today, so shey down and slept, still feeling happy. However, that didn¡¯tst since it wasn¡¯t long before sadness crept in. She was standing on thewn outside the Husson Residence when she heard voices from the hall, which she couldn¡¯t hear clearly. She moved closer in curiosity, and soon she could make them out. The elderly Mr. and Mrs. Husson was there, together with Scarlet, Walter, and her parents. Still, she could also make out a kneeling figure on the floor, back straight and head bowed. It was Ren. ¡°How can you fall for your sister¡¯s goddaughter? If you destroy your future because of her, I will disown you,¡± Mr. Husson scolded. ¡°Ren, Ruka¡¯s your niece. You can¡¯t be together,¡± said Scarlet. ¡°You are our family¡¯s pride and joy. You can¡¯t destroy our family honor,¡± cried Mrs. Husson. At this sight, she was so shocked she fell onto the floor, then covered her face in pain. She could see her parents approaching, saying sternly, ¡°Ruka, you cannot destroy his future. Leave him.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to. I love Ren and want to be with him,¡± shouted Ruka. She could see Ren¡¯s worried face as a sudden force pulled her away. ¡°Ren¡ª¡± She woke up suddenly, calling his name. After her eyes snapped open and she found herself drenched in cold sweat, then she realized it was just a nightmare. She breathed harshly through her nose, with tears still lingering at the corners of her eyes. It had all seemed so real. She sighed. If dreams reflect people¡¯s inner thoughts, then her feelings for him weren¡¯t just affection. She was already in love with him because losing him had felt so painful. Even the thought of it made her feel suffocated in despair. The following morning, Ruka was still sleeping when a phone call woke her up. She felt around for it and answered dazedly, eyes still closed, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Ruka, your father and I are now at the airport. Can youe back in the afternoon to help us clean up the house?¡± The voice of her mother chimed on the other end of the line. She opened her eyes immediately, astonished. ¡°Mom, are you back? Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?¡± ¡°We took our vacation one week earlier. Your father wants to give you a surprise, so we didn¡¯t tell you.¡± ireughed. ¡°What? Aren¡¯t you happy?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Ruka replied with a smile. ¡°Okay, we¡¯re heading home now. We have troubled Ren long enough, and I feel awful about it.¡± ire must be calling for a cab, as she sounded frantic. ¡°We have a lot of luggage. We¡¯ll talkter. Your dad can¡¯t get a cab.¡± ¡°Of course. You can head home first. I¡¯ll be there in the afternoon,¡± Ruka answered quickly. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll prepare something good for dinner.¡± ire hung up as soon as she finished speaking. Ruka exhaled and looked around the room since she didn¡¯t feel like leaving. She couldn¡¯t helpughing at herself since she had refused to move in back then, but now she felt attached to this ce. Nevertheless, she had no choice as her parents had taken a rare vacation toe home. So, she had to spend more time with them. As her gazeid at the ring on her finger, she raised it to her lips to kiss it. She got up from the bed and packed her clothes into her luggage before going downstairs, wondering if Ren needed to work on weekends. The servant was already preparing breakfast when she arrived, greeting her respectfully, ¡°Good morning, Ms. Singed.¡± ¡°Good morning,¡± she replied politely. ¡°I think Mr. Husson might be in the gym,¡± said the servant. She nodded, surprised and pleased. So, he was still home! Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have the chance to say goodbye to him. Ruka headed toward the gym. It was a winter morning, yet it felt warm and sunny, greatly affecting her mood. She peered into the gym from the other side of the ss to see Ren doing pushups, hands pressed against the floor and body taut with strength. His workout shorts revealed his perfectly muscled thighs, and she could probably see the veins all over his body from how hard he was working out. She suddenly felt breathless for no reason and looked away. Her mouth felt parched as her eyes wandered back, unable to stop herself from admiring him. Finally, he got to his feet and turned toward the doorway with a smile. ¡°Why are you hiding? Come in if you want to have a look.¡± Ruka froze at once. How had Ren known she was there? She had been discovered anyway, so she walked determinedly into the gym. She felt tiny in her flip-flops as she stood before him. Since the top of her head only reached his chin, she had to look up at him. He probably was around 6¡¯4. Suddenly she felt the urge to prove her stamina, so she nced at the dumbbells and walked toward them. She tried to lift one, but it refused to yield and stayed where it was. She felt slightly skeptical that she couldn¡¯t even make it budge one bit. Thus, she bent over and tried to lift it again. ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself if you can¡¯t do it.¡± He smiled in amusement as he ced his hands on his hips. She still wasn¡¯t convinced. ¡°I can do it. Just wait and see.¡± ¡°I will, but you¡¯ll hurt your muscles if you push yourself too hard. Try jogging.¡± He looked at her dotingly. Left with no choice, she moved on to the treadmill while Ren watched on the side. Soon, she was a little out of breath. It seemed that working out didn¡¯t suit her after all. She also lost her bnce in that split second as she turned off the treadmill. ¡°Oof!¡± She fell right into his arms, and he wrapped them around her waist in a tight embrace. She could smell his sweat, yet she found the scent attractive. ¡°My parents are back. I have to leave this afternoon,¡± she said as she raised her head to look at him. He stared down at her. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. I need to go home and help with cleaning the house. I¡¯ll have to go after lunch,¡± she said with obvious reluctance. He didn¡¯t want to let her go either, yet he still sighed while reassuring her, ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can go home first.¡± ¡°Can we still see each other often?¡±Ruka asked anxiously, worried that his position wouldn¡¯t give them the chance to meet up. ¡°I¡¯ll contact you when I have the time,¡± Ren reassured. Ruka knew how lucky she had been, staying in his home and getting the chance to see him all the time. ¡°Okay.¡± She nodded. She knew she couldn¡¯t be too demanding, after all. He continued to hold her, rubbing his chin against her hair, then kissing her forehead. Finally, she wrapped her arms around his neck and went on her tiptoes, initiating a kiss for the first time. Her beauty, illuminated by the sunlight, made his heart race. He ced one hand around her waist and the other on her cheek, leaning down to ept her kiss. ¡°Ruka,¡± he murmured into her lips, holding her tightly with a soft look. She raised her head to meet his gaze. She could feel her world getting brighter¡ªbeing loved by this man was such a privilege. Ren whispered in her ear, ¡°My birthday is on Christmas Eve. Make sure you make ns for that day.¡± Ruka blushed and teased him on purpose, ¡°What if I forgot to get you a present?¡± ¡°If you forget about it, you¡¯ll be the present for me to unwrap.¡± He emphasized thest word, making it sound wholly intimate. Ruka took in the way the man¡¯s eyes glimmered in amusement and anticipation even though he was outwardly threatening her. Is he hoping that I¡¯d forget about it by then so that he¡¯d have an excuse to fool around? Images of Ren doing those intense push-ups earlier shed through her mind. She blushed, and her heart thumped wildly in her chest. She found her head often filled with random, dirty thoughts of Ren ever since they got together officially. After breakfast, she received another call from her mother, pressing her toe home. Probably too embarrassed that I¡¯m holed up at Ren¡¯s ce, Ruka assumed with a coy smile. She couldn¡¯t imagine how her parents might react if they ever found out about her rtionship with Ren. Then, she packed up the gift she receivedst night. When she nced at the time, she couldn¡¯t help lamenting over how quickly the day flew by. It was nearly 11.00AM, and she hated that she could not spend more time alone with Ren. Why can¡¯t time just go by slower? When she saw the maiding over with a tea cup on a tray, she quickly offered, ¡°Here. Allow me!¡± The maid smiled and passed Ruka the tray. Thereafter, Ruka turned to head into the study where Ren was. She knocked on the door, and the man replied from the other side, ¡°Come in.¡± When she heard his gravelly voice, Ruka pushed the door open. Ren was going through documents, and when he looked up to see that she had brought him tea, a small smile tugged on his lips. ¡°You must be thirsty! Have some tea,¡± she said as she set the tray down in front of him. He put his documents aside and picked up the teacup, then took a ginger sip. Following that, he stretched out an arm and pulled Ruka onto hisp. She nuzzled into his embrace and buried her head in the crook of his shoulder, letting thefortable silence wash over her. ¡°Can¡¯t bear to leave me, huh?¡± Ren teased, patting her shoulder gently. No longer shy around him, Ruka nodded glumly and hummed in response. ¡°Just give me a text when you miss me, and I¡¯ll be right over,¡± he promised quietly. She straightened up and decided to leave him to his work. ¡°Work hard. Don¡¯t let me distract you. I¡¯ll have Elijah drop me off.¡± ¡°I can do that,¡± Ren insisted as he wanted to drop her home personally. She quickly shook her head. ¡°No, your fleet of cars draws far too much attention.¡± ¡°Fine then. I¡¯ll have lunch with you after this.¡± With that, Ren signed his name on the document with a flourish. At the sight of this, Ruka¡¯s eyes lit up, and she quickly grabbed a piece of nk paper as she said to him, ¡°I¡¯d like an autograph, please.¡± She looked at him like he was her favorite celebrity. Smiling, he took the pen and signed his name on the paper. She stared at his elegant autograph andughed, saying, ¡°I promise I¡¯ll treasure this always.¡± She thought she might be the very first fan to have the vice president¡¯s signature on a non- work document! Let me enjoy this moment, she thought happily as she left the study with his precious signature in hand. When lunchtime rolled around, the maids had prepared a feast, but Ruka was not hungry. She found herself thinking about how hard it would be for them to meet again if she were to leave this time. ¡°Eat up. You can¡¯t go home looking all scrawny, or your parents would file for abuse,¡± Ren chided good- naturedly as he heaped food onto her te. Ruka sputtered and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I bet they¡¯re more concerned that I might be a nuisance to you here.¡± His smile deepened. She was by no means a nuisance unless he counted the times he had to take cold showers because of her presence here. If anything, she was the reason he had caught a cold after all these years of being rtively healthy. Elijah dropped by as soon as they had finished their meal. Ruka looked torn; she wanted to stay, but she missed her parents as well. In the end, by 1.30PM, she got into Elijah¡¯s car. Ren had personally seen her to the car door, but with Elijah there, he did not say much to her. ¡°Remember to take good care of yourself.¡± ¡°You too,¡± Ruka replied, her solemn gaze locking with his. He closed the car door for her once she had settled in the backseat. Elijah then started the car, but he did not step on the gas pedal immediately, worried that there might be other things Ren would like to say to Ruka. However, Elijah was surprised when he turned around and saw that the both of them were not speaking at all but merely watched one another with reluctance with eyes that were filled with the pain of separation. ¡°Drive safe,¡± Ren said to Elijah, then jerked his chin to indicate that he could pull out of the driveway now. In the backseat, Ruka looked down to hide the tears glistening in her eyes. She did not want Ren to see her so vulnerable. Elijah drove away from the house, and before long, they were cruising down the main road. Ruka sighed. She knew that she could no longer see Ren from this distance, but somethingpelled her to look backward anyway. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Singed,¡± Elijahforted. ¡°Mr. Husson will not hesitate to see you if you asked him to.¡± Ruka shed him a grateful smile, and her heart warmed at the sight of his quiet concern for her. Returning the favor, she asked, ¡°I hope he wasn¡¯t too harsh with you after what happenedst night.¡± ¡°Not at all. Mr. Husson has always been a gentle person,¡± Elijah replied mildly. She pursed her lips to keep herughter from bursting out. She thought about how jealous Ren was last night; there was nothing gentle about him then. Half an hourter, they pulled up to the neighborhood where the Singed family home was. The neighborhood was a considerably old one nestled in the center of town, and they had never moved out of it seeing as Ruka¡¯s parents were abroad through most of the year. It was a small house, but it was cozy. It was already straightened up by the time Ruka arrived, and her parents had put up fairy lights that ran along the edge of the roof to spice things up for the festivities. ¡°Mom, Dad, I¡¯m home,¡± she called out as she dragged her suitcase out of the elevator. ire looked down and eximed, ¡°Oh, that looks heavy! You should have asked your father to help you!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. A friend of mine dropped me off right at the elevator,¡± Ruke called up. Robert beamed at his daughter. ¡°Ruka, we¡¯ll be doing somest-minute New Year¡¯s shoppingter. Some of our rtives and friends are dropping by this evening, and that includes your aunt as well.¡± Ruka nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± When they went grocery shoppingter, Ruka was like a child. She was more coquettish than she had ever been in a while, which made it harder for ire and Robert to imagine how lonely things would get if she ever married. They like having her around to themselves. That night, Ruka¡¯s family was gathered at the Singeds¡¯ ce for dinner. In the midst of the celebration, the grown-ups were more concerned about when the young ones would settle down. Ruka¡¯s aunt, Vanya, in particr, had four children¡ªthree daughters and a son. For a while, Vanya had quite the load on her shoulders, which was how Ruka ended up being sent away to the Hussons¡¯ when she was a child. The eldest of Vanya¡¯s daughters had marriedst year at the age of twenty-eight, and with two other daughters catching up to their mid-twenties, Vanya was anxious to see them married off. Her efforts continued tonight at the dinner table, only this time, Ruka was roped into the discussion as well. Never known for being tactful, Vanya said, ¡°So, are you seeing someone at the moment, Ruka? If not, I¡¯ll be d to introduce you to some nice young men.¡± Ruka waved her hand frantically. ¡°Oh, no, Aunt Vanya, I don¡¯t feel like putting myself out there right now.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the rush?¡± ire interjected. She did not like the idea of having her daughter see anyone unless it was a truly nice young man who had the makings of a wonderful husband. Vanya smiled indulgently. ¡°Well, Ruka¡¯s always been pretty, and I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll blossom in the years to come. Men will be lining up outside your door just to ask for her hand!¡± Blushing, Ruka lowered her gaze, and for some reason, Ren¡¯s silhouette surfaced in her mind. Will I really marry him someday? ¡°She doesn¡¯t need men to line up for her hand; she needs someone who can really care for her,¡± ire argued. Just then, Ruka¡¯s phone buzzed with a new message, and she nced at it to see that it was from Ren. ¡®What are you doing now?¡¯ he asked. She peered at the grown-ups warily over the dinner table, then quickly replied, ¡®Family dinner. My aunt¡¯s trying to set me up with nice young men.¡¯ ¡®Say you¡¯re taken,¡¯ came his response. ¡®I can¡¯t,¡¯ she objected. ¡®Well then, tell her you already have a nice young man in mind, but leave my name out of it,¡¯ Ren countered, refusing to entertain the thought that his woman would go on a blind date with some random guy. A small smile curled on her lips as she read this, and she buried this happy secret in the midst of the grown-ups¡¯ lively chatter. That night, she could not sleep no matter how hard she tried. It was already past 10.00PM, and as she lay restlessly in bed, she thought about all the warm and happy memories she had with Ren. Ruka remembered how flustered and jumpy she had been when they first met. To think, she had gone from that to missing him even though they had only been apart for less than a day. Now, the idea of being together with him did not seem half as scary as not having him in her life at all. She wanted to text him, but she didn¡¯t want to bother him at this hour, knowing that he was probably working. At that moment, she pulled up their photos, taken while they were strolling around while window shopping. She zoomed in on the photos and memorized his features through her screen. Gradually, a blush crept up her cheeks, and a strange heat coursed through her as her heartbeat quickened. Unbidden, the memory of his lips on hers, fiery and demanding, flooded her mind. She burrowed into the covers, blushing madly, and decided that it was dangerous to dwell on the thought for too long. The next morning, she went to work earlier than usual. She was reinvigorated after a weekend¡¯s worth of rest, but lightning struck when she walked into the office and realized that the results of theirst assessment were released. She hurriedly searched for her name on the list, and her heart plunged to her stomach when she saw that she had failed. She wasn¡¯t sure if Victoria¡¯s outward dislike toward her was the sole cause of this, or if the results were based on actual discrepancies in the materials she submitted. ¡°Ah! I passed!¡± Michelle eximed happily, pping her hands over her mouth in disbelief. ¡°Me, too! Did anyone fail to make it?¡± Inara looked up and swept her gaze smugly over the others in the department. She grew suspicious when she caught the uneasy look on Ruka¡¯s face, and she called out bluntly, ¡°Hey, Ruka. Please tell me you¡¯ve passed! This is just the first assessment, for goodness¡¯ sake.¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. At once, everyone turned to look at her. Caspian was the only one who showed her any sympathy while the rest eyed her condescendingly. They were all thinking that this was what she deserved for pulling strings to get into the department. In any case, the assessment only proved that she had no right to be here save for her connections, otherwise she would not have failed. Ruka took the onught of judgment in stride and nodded. ¡°Yeah, I guess I just need to work harder.¡± ¡°And if you fail that one, you might as well forget about the rest of the assessment,¡± Inara pointed out sardonically. She was never one to hold back on her candor, though it would help if she didn¡¯t have such a sharp tongue. ¡°If I were you, I¡¯d pack up and go home right now before I embarrass myself any further.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you just shut up for two seconds, Inara?¡± Caspian snapped, frowning. ¡°Why?! Are we all treading on eggshells around Ruka now? You know I¡¯m right,¡± Inara argued, then scoffed as she dragged Michelle out the door with her. Caspian heaved a long sigh after those girls left, and he addressed Ruka curiously, ¡°I don¡¯t know why you failed when you worked twice as hard as everyone else. Could something have gone wrong along the way?¡± Ruka pursed her lips and forced out a smile as she said, ¡°Just bad luck, I guess.¡± In truth, she was a little bitter over this. She had done all her research and submitted all relevant materials for the assessment, confident that she would pass. It was lunchtime at the cafeteria when Ruka turned into the hallway, only to identally bump into someone. She looked up to see that it was none other than Victoria, who shot her a cold re before brushing past her. ¡°Miss Parfait, a word please?¡± Ruka spoke up boldly. As though knowing what this would lead to, Victoria arched her brow and said, ¡°I know what you want to talk about, but any opinions you might have will not change anything.¡± With this, she had as good as told Ruka that she could ve her days and nights away to make up for the failing grade and it would not change a thing, because there was no way she would ever let her pass the assessment. She¡¯s holding me back on purpose. ¡°Miss Parfait, I was only hoping that you might drop this unfair treatment toward me,¡± Ruka pointed out calmly. ¡°Don¡¯t be so pretentious, Ruka. You want to talk about fair treatment? Fine. How about you share that sentiment with Ren? He was the one who pulled strings to get you into the Trantion Department, no questions asked,¡± Victoria sneered. Ruka froze. There was no hiding Victoria¡¯s hostility now. ¡°I¡¯d get out of the department now if I were you. Wouldn¡¯t want to end up in another humiliating situation.¡± There was a jealous gleam in Victoria¡¯s eyes as she gave Ruka a freezing look before storming away. After that, Ruka made her way back to the office absentmindedly. She never thought she would run into such troubles here at the workce, and while she would love to stay in the Trantion Department, she knew that she did not stand a chance for progress if Victoria continued being petty like this. Upon returning to her desk, Ruka watched as everyone around her got the notice for the second assessment while her inbox remained empty. There was no better proof of unfair treatment than that. Ruka exhaled slowly. She had made up her mind, and even though she really wanted to stay in the Trantion Department, she knew that she had to earn herself a ce by taking the entry assessment the next time the department was hiring. Victoria would never let the matter of her getting in through connections rest otherwise. More importantly, her decision to quit the internship was to keep anyone from using Ren of abusing his power. Caspian noticed Ruka packing up her things and asked anxiously, ¡°What are you doing, Ruka?¡± She smiled and said, ¡°I hope you¡¯ll make your mark here, Caspian. I have to leave because of, well, personal reasons.¡± ¡°Will we see each other again?¡± he pressed, standing up. He had every intention to pursue her romantically, and he didn¡¯t want to miss out on her. ¡°I guess that¡¯s up to fate, huh?¡± Ruka shed him a grin, then waved goodbye to everyone as she said, ¡°Bye, everyone.¡± Inara and Michele looked decidedly cheerful to see that she was leaving, and their tones were considerably warmer as they sang, ¡°Goodbye!¡± Ruka slung her bag over her shoulder and made her way over to Victoria¡¯s office. She knocked on her door, and heard Victoria say, ¡°Come in.¡± Ruka did just that, and when Victoria saw her standing there with her bag, she immediately realized what was going on. ¡°Leaving already?¡± she asked, raising a brow. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Ruka answered unaffectedly, but her tone was firm. ¡°But I¡¯ll try my luck to get in next year if the opportunity presents itself.¡± Victoria smirked. ¡°I¡¯m going to be frank with you, Ruka. For as long as I¡¯m here, you¡¯ll never get into the Trantion Department.¡± Instead of getting angry, Ruka merely said patiently, ¡°You know, Miss Parfait, I¡¯m going to leave you some sage advice before I walk out of here¡ªstop wasting your youth by trying to force someone to love you because that will never happen.¡± A dark look passed over Victoria¡¯s face as she seethed, ¡°What gives you the right to tell me that, Ruka?¡± ¡°As I said, it was only sage advice, and it¡¯s up to you whether to take it or not,¡± Ruka answered calmly, then spun on her heels to leave. Victoria stood up as anguish washed over her. She had found sweet revenge in picking on Ruka the way she had, but the rush was short-lived, and she still could not have Ren to herself. At the end of the day, Ruka might have left, but Victoria felt like the biggest loser. Meanwhile, Ruka headed down the sidewalk while gripping onto her bag. She had left her job, but it was as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. As she walked, she decided that she was going to call Ren and tell him about this. She fished her phone out of her bag and found her way to the park, then sat on a bench as she called his number. His husky, maic voice filled the other line immediately after he picked up. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Are you busy?¡± Ruka asked. ¡°No, I¡¯m on my way back to the house.¡± ¡°I have something to tell you,¡± she said openly. ¡°I quit my job.¡± ¡°Why did you do that?¡± Then, he asked icily, ¡°Did someone make you?¡± While Ruka was technically forced into quitting, she did not want him to pick on Victoria over this, so she chose to evade his question instead by saying, ¡°I decided to quit all on my own.¡± ¡°Where are you now?¡± ¡°Walking around the park. I¡¯ll go back to my parent¡¯s ce in a while,¡± she replied. ¡°I¡¯ll have someone pick you up.¡± ¡°And where will I be going?¡± ¡°To see me.¡± She wanted to see him badly as well, so she nodded and said, ¡°Okay then. I¡¯ll send you my location.¡± Twenty minutester, she slid into the backseat of the car Ren had sent for her. Soon, the car drove out of the bustling cityscape and into a well-guarded area. Ruka saw Ren immediately when she arrived at a teahouse. He was sitting at an ornate table that looked like it dated back to the olden days, making him look like a prince or a king as he went through his documents. Next to him, Elijah was helping him sort out the paperwork. When he registered Ruka¡¯s arrival, he smiled and greeted politely, ¡°Miss Singed, have a seat.¡± Ruka¡¯s heart careened from beat to beat when she saw how imposing Ren looked as he worked. She then took the seat next to him. Just as Elijah rose to leave and ord them some privacy, Ren nced up and said, ¡°Do as I say.¡± ¡°Yes, sir, I¡¯m right on it,¡± Elijah replied while giving Ruka a meaningful look before closing the door behind him when he left the drawing room. Ruka looked around the ornately decorated ce and asked curiously, ¡°Is this one of your workces as well?¡± Ren gave her a sympathetic look and handed her a cup of tea. ¡°Here, have some tea to warm yourself up.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not cold¡ª¡± She paused mid-exnation when he grabbed her hands, which were freezing. At that moment, he had caught her lying. She flushed but did not try to pull her hands out of the warm cusp of his. A beat or twoter, Ren drawled grimly, ¡°I¡¯ll give Victoria a stern warning. You can go back to the Trantion Department anytime you want.¡± Shaking her head, Ruka said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back. I want to try out other departments. I¡¯m thinking of Public Rtions, so I can work with my parents.¡± It was not as if she had taken up the internship at the Trantion Department without a backup, and she thought Public Rtions was not too shabby of a choice. However, Ren¡¯s eyes darkened when he heard this. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t let you.¡± She blinked. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you any further away from me than necessary,¡± he bit out in an almost demanding manner. She gazed into his depthless eyes and felt her heart melt. There was something about him that made her want to give up everything, including her good sense, just for him. He only needed to ask and she would have said yes regardless of what his request might be. That was how Ruka ended up saying, ¡°Okay. I guess I¡¯ll consider something else then.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to work, you know,¡± he said hoarsely. ¡°I make more than enough for the both of us.¡± She blushed at his sentimental tone, but she stood her ground and gave a firm shake of her head as she said, ¡°No, I can¡¯t just have you bankroll me. I want to make something of myself; I don¡¯t want to stay idle.¡± A small smile curled on his lips as he asked teasingly, ¡°Is it that embarrassing to be a housewife?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not embarrassing,¡± Ruka countered in a flustered manner. ¡°I just want to aplish something and have a career of my own, you know? I don¡¯t want to be one of thosedies of leisure.¡± Ren¡¯s brows furrowed at this and he scolded, ¡°You¡¯ll still be precious to me no matter what you be.¡± She felt her heart somersault happily in her chest, but her mind scrambled to veer away from this topic of her bing ady of leisure. She cleared her throat and said evasively, ¡°What did you ask Elijah to do? Is it something personal?¡± He was tight-lipped about it as he answered, ¡°You could say that.¡± Feeling awkward, she took a sip of the tea he had given her earlier and pursed her lips, then asked, ¡°What do you want for your birthday? Let me know so I can get it ready in time.¡± Ren tapped his knuckles against her forehead and said huffily, ¡°Where¡¯s the meaning in that? You¡¯ll have to figure out what I want all by yourself if you want to give me a gift.¡± ¡°But you have everything you could possibly need, and you only use the best. Come on, help a girl out!¡± she argued, pouting. She just wanted him to point her in the right direction so that she would not mess up his gift. ¡°I don¡¯t have everything I need,¡± he said devilishly as he fixed his dark, hungry gaze on her. ¡°I still need a woman.¡± To think, she had just steered the conversation away from romance, only to be roped back into yet another heart-racing situation. She had to give it to him. Who would have thought that underneath the affable-but-stern vice president exterior hid a smooth talker? Ruka pursed her lips to keep fromughing, but she flushed as she pointed out, ¡°You can have any woman you want. Just say the word and any girl would throw herself at you.¡± Ren brought his cup to his lips and drank his tea, then muttered, ¡°And yet, you still haven¡¯t.¡± She gaped at him. I guess I should have seen thating, she thought ruefully. In another attempt to change the subject, she said brightly, ¡°I wonder when Aunt Scarlet and Uncle Walter areing back. I do miss them.¡± Chapter 1101-1110 Chapter 1101-1110 Ren read Ruka¡¯s mind and said with a deep smile, ¡°I¡¯ll be back in about two days.¡± Ruka nodded, and her phone rang at that moment. She picked up her phone and nced at it. Then, she said, ¡°It¡¯s my mom.¡± He motioned for the woman next to him to answer the phone while urging her, ¡°Answer it!¡± She answered the phone quickly and greeted, ¡°Hey, Mom.¡± ¡°Ruka, what time do you get off work? I¡¯m having a get-together dinner with some old friends. You shoulde and meet them as well.¡± She agreed, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be home before 5.00PM.¡± ¡°Dress up nicely tonight.¡± ¡°Mom, why do I need to dress up?¡± Ruka questioned. The question drew the man¡¯s attention, and he cast a sidelong nce at her. ire stressed in a serious tone on the other end of the line, ¡°Just do as I say and don¡¯t embarrass us, alright?¡± Ruka smiled as she pursed her lips. ¡°Alright. I got it.¡± Ruka raised her head and looked the man in the eyes after she hung up the phone. Ren locked his gaze on her, and his expression was unfathomable. She thought she had made a fool of herself as she ran her fingers through her hair and asked, ¡°Why do you keep staring at me? Is there something on my face?¡± ¡°What would you do if your parents set you up on a blind date?¡± he asked her directly. Ruka was startled for a moment before she recalled her mom¡¯s advice about dressing up. Then, she responded with hindsight, ¡°No way! Are my parents going to arrange a blind date for me tonight?¡± Ren asked her coldly, ¡°Are you looking forward to it?¡± She erupted inughter. ¡°No! Are you already jealous before I¡¯ve met another man?!¡± When he reached out to take her hand, he immediately noticed the missing diamond ring on her finger. He asked with a frown, ¡°Where¡¯s the diamond ring?¡± ¡°Oh, I left it at home. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll lose it.¡± As soon as she replied, she felt guilty and lowered her head. Ruka was worried about losing the diamond ring? Nah, obviously, she was terrified that someone would notice she was wearing a couple¡¯s ring with him. ¡°Put the ring back on when you get home. If you lose it, we¡¯ll get a new one,¡± the man demanded. Ruka had no choice but to nod her head. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll put it on when I get home.¡± The way Ruka responded caused Ren¡¯s facial expression to soften subtly. However, he did not release her hand and instead grasped it in his palm. Her heart skipped a beat when he grabbed her hand. She experienced a rapid heartbeat and flushed cheeks. In addition, she felt sparks fly from his gesture. ¡°From now on, say goodnight to me before going to bed every night. Did you know that I was waiting for your callst night?¡± Ren asked in a low voice. He could not fall asleep because she was not at his home. She was left speechless as she pondered, Does he really wait for my message? She did not send him a message because she did not intend to bother himte at night. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll say good night to you before I go to bed.¡± Ruka nodded. Providing he does not find my message bothersome. ¡°I¡¯m going to get some work done now. You can rest by my side while Iplete my work.¡± Ren did not want to let her go, so he kept her close to him. Anyway, Ruka was delighted to apany him. She grabbed a book to read when she noticed a small bookshelf in a corner. Meanwhile, Victoria was in her office and having a bad day. She thought that when Ruka left, she would feel better, but it seemed that Ruka¡¯s sudden departure made her feel even more upset. At that moment, there was a knock on the door, and she snapped, ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Miss Parfait, Elijah is here,¡± the assistant said in a meticulous tone as she pushed open the door. Victoria tensed up and took a deep breath. She said with a smile, ¡°Please invite him inside.¡± When Elijah entered the room, she could not contain her excitement. ¡°What brings you here, Elijah?¡± He looked at her calmly and said, ¡°Miss Parfait, I¡¯m here to ry a few words from Mr. Husson to you.¡± ¡°What does he say?¡± Victoria worriedly inquired. Does he know that I¡¯m the one who made Ruka leave? ¡°Miss Parfait, Mr. Husson would like to inform you that if you want your dad to retirefortably and enjoy his golden years, you¡¯d better be careful and stop abusing your power to bully others,¡± Elijah said in a calm voice that belied the underlying threat in his words. Victoria¡¯s expression changed. ¡°What is he going to do to my dad?¡± ¡°The point is what you did to Miss Singed. Miss Parfait, you¡¯re a wise woman. You have to understand how important Miss Singed is to Mr. Husson.¡± ¡°Who the hell is Ruka? Is Ren blind? Which part of me is inferior to hers?¡± There was an intense resentment in her eyes. Elijah noticed the malice on her face and the hatred in her eyes. He replied indifferently, ¡°I believe Miss Singed is much better than you in terms of being kind and open-minded.¡± Victoria took a deep breath, and her face turned pale. She raised her head to look at Elijah and questioned, ¡°Is he threatening me? Why is he doing this?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve crossed a line that¡¯s very important to Mr. Husson, and Miss Singed is that line. Miss Parfait, you¡¯d better keep an eye on yourself. You should have known better about Mr Husson¡¯s character. After giving you a warning, he will act on it. He clearly has leverage over your father after all these years. As long as he issues orders, your father will be unable to escape. In terms of your position, he can easily remove you from it if he desires.¡± Elijah¡¯sst words were clear and cold. Victoria slumped back in her seat as Elijah turned around and left. Does Ren have to treat me with such hostility because of Ruka? She suddenly came to her senses at this moment. What kind of person have I fallen in love with? When does Ren be so cold and inhuman after a disagreement with me? All my feelings for him over the years must have been in vain. Victoria¡¯s tears streamed down her cheeks, and she buried her sorrow by covering her face. At that moment, she could not wait to cast a curse on Ruka so that she would vanish or leave this world. Then, Ren would never get the woman he loved and suffered as much as she did. Ruka sat in a room heated by a radiator while reading a book. Since she had trouble sleeping the night before, the warmth caused her to feel drowsy. She had briefly sat before shifting to a prone position to read. Her eyes fought to stay open as she dozed off gently on her arm, but she managed to steal a peek at the man who was reading the documents. After Ren signed a document, he looked up and saw her sleeping on her stomach on the couch. He felt something tug at his heartstrings. This scene appears to be familiar. A simr sight happened many years ago. While he worked on quiz questions at the desk, a young child who was tired from ying fell asleep on the couch while holding her book. Her cute little face was tender, and her long eyshes were unbelievably attractive. The young child slept as peacefully and beautifully as Ruka did at the moment. One could not resist showering her with love and care. Ren stood up and strode to the clothes rack, picked up one of his trench coats and walked to the couch. Then, he gently draped it over Ruka¡¯s body. He could not help but stoop and gently peck her on the forehead. Elijah returned ten minutester. When he opened the door, the man at the table motioned for him to keep quiet. He nced over at the girl falling asleep on the couch before he left the room. Ruka was sleeping soundly at the moment, which drove the man who read the document to lose his mind. His gaze returned to her face, and his mind began to waver. The hours ticked by slowly until it was almost 5.00PM when Ren felt a vibration from his phone. When he looked down to check the caller ID, he picked up the phone and went outside to answer the call. ¡°Hey, Mom,¡± Ren answered gently. ¡°Ren, can youe home tonight for dinner? I¡¯m already missing you.¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°OK. I¡¯ll ask J to cook your favorite dishes,¡± Mrs. Husson eximed happily. Ren pushed open the door to the lounge after he hung up the phone. All of a sudden, Ruka woke up. She blinked her sleepy eyes and asked the man who entered, ¡°What time is it, Mr. Ren? Why did I doze off?¡± As soon as she finished her sentence, she became aware of the slight dampness at the corner of her lips and quickly covered it in embarrassment. Did she drool while sleeping on her stomach just now? Ren was used to her cute gestures and was not bothered by them. That was because Ruka had been like this since she was a child. It was 5.30PM when Ruka took her phone out of her bag. She gaped at the time and said, ¡°I should go.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll drop you off,¡± Ren offered. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Elijah can do it,¡± she turned him down and shook her head. The idea that he would drop her off at her home was intimidating. He did not argue with her and instead reached out to caress her face, where a red imprint from her nap was still visible. Ruka allowed him to caress her face all he wanted. She wrapped her arms around his waist and nuzzled against his chest in an audacious move. However, she was still groggy from sleep and desired nothing more than to snooze in his arms for a bit longer. He gently stroked her hair and murmured, ¡°Scarlet will be home in two days. You and your parents should drop by for family dinner.¡± Ruka stiffened upon hearing this. Her recent nightmare shed before her eyes and sent a chill down her spine. She embraced him tightly and confessed, ¡°I¡¯m a little worried.¡± ¡°Why? I¡¯ll be there,¡± Ren reassured her as he gazed at her. She could not bring herself to tell him about a nightmare she had where he was lectured and scolded in front of everyone because of her. ¡°Do I really have to?¡± she asked weakly and looked up at him with mute despair. He nodded. ¡°I am looking forward to having you and your parents as my guests.¡± Ruka sighed. It appears that some things are simply unavoidable, she thought in resignation. She secretly vowed to take all the me for any mishap. Please don¡¯t let Ren take the fall for me. ¡°Alright,¡± she promised. After that, Elijah took her home, and Ren returned to his own ce for dinner. The Husson Residence was arge and imposing structure with eight Roman-inspired columns that supported the awning over the main entrance. The architecture symbolized the family¡¯s strength and power. Despite her advanced age, Charlotte insisted on giving birth to her only son, so he could continue the superior family line. However, thirty-three years had passed, and the young master of the family showed no interest in marriage. His parents were nearly eighty years old. They were eager to see him settle down and have his own children before they passed away. The elderly couple decided to set Ren up with a match. Ren hade home that evening and noticed a youngdy sitting beside his mother. The youngdy¡¯s face lit up when she saw him. Then, Charlotte beckoned her son over and said, ¡°Ren,e here. There is someone I¡¯d like you to meet.¡± He knew instantly what his mom¡¯s intention was, and he calmly approached his mom and sat next to her. ¡°This is Sophie Liamson, Emmett¡¯s niece. She is twenty-six this year and a world-ss piano teacher. I think a pretty and proper youngdy like her is a good match for you.¡± The olddy appeared to have decided to take Sophie in as her daughter-inw. Charlotte was particrly anxious because she would bring home any girl she considered a potential match for her ever-fastidious son. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you, Ren. I¡¯ve heard so much about you from Uncle Emmett,¡± Sophie greeted shyly, but she was secretly over the moon. She could not believe she had been noticed by Charlotte. She was invited to the Husson Residence to meet Ren in person due to Emmett¡¯s efforts to gain the favor of the olddy. Sophie had arrived at the Husson Residence in the early afternoon. She had spent half the day with Charlotte and Harold. Furthermore, she had impressed them by cleverly maneuvering her way through an intellectual conversation and disying charming etiquette. It was safe to say that the elderly couple approved of her. Ren smiled and said, ¡°Nice to meet you, Sophie. Wee to the Husson Residence.¡± Sophie misinterpreted his smile as a sign that he had feelings for her. Although she had only seen him on television, he appeared even more handsome in person. In addition, his regal air made her swoon. Her heart began to pound. She told herself to seize this opportunity and make a good impression. She could be the nextdy of the house if she can pull this off. Furthermore, she could be the wife of the country¡¯s future vice president! This could be the most crucial moment of her life, and she could not afford to let it slip through her fingers. Then, Charlotte hastily excused herself and mumbled something about checking on the dishes in the kitchen. Her intention was to allow Ren and Sophie to spend time alone together. Consequently, they were left alone on the couch with only one another forpany. Sophie¡¯s hands were nervously intertwined as her gaze flickered over to the man on the couch next to her. She could not hide her admiration for him and said, ¡°I hope it¡¯s not too forward of me to say this, but I¡¯ve always looked up to you, Ren. I hope I¡¯ll have the chance to learn from you and make up for my own shorings.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to be so modest, Miss Liamson. You¡¯re well-aplished in your own right,¡± Ren replied congenially. She was eager to impress him and continued, ¡°I heard you have a piano in your study, and I was wondering if I could have the honor of ying you a song.¡± He nced at his watch. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but maybe next time. There¡¯s something I need to discuss with my dad right now.¡± Then, Ren got up from the couch and walked out of the living room. Sophie was dejected by his response. Even though he did not seem arrogant or cold, she could tell from how he looked at her that he was reserved. It appeared as though he did not mind conversing with her, but that was it. Ren had no intention of engaging in more profound or open-hearted conversation. It was precise because he was so inscrutable that one would hesitate to probe him further. However, that might have been what made him so appealing. He was a powerful man who cared about people. His charisma came from his leadership ability and belief in upholding what was inherently good. Unfortunately, his devotion to his political career was nowhere to be found in his pursuit of romance. She clenched her fists. Her uncle had given her this opportunity to climb the socialdder, and she would be doing it a disservice if she gave up due to Ren¡¯s initial apathy. Furthermore, she had a better chance than any other girls because Harold and Charlotte favored her. Meanwhile, Ren went upstairs and noticed that his Dad was watching television. Harold relished his solitude while watching slice-of-life programs. ¡°Hey, Dad,¡± Ren greeted him as he pushed the door open. He entered the room and sat across from him. Harold looked at him expectantly and asked, ¡°There you are, Ren. Have you met Miss Liamson?¡± ¡°Yes, I have.¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°She¡¯s an exceptional girl,¡± Ren responded tly as he poured a cup of tea for Harold. ¡°Ren, there¡¯s a saying that one must honor one¡¯s parents.¡± Harold continued, ¡°Your mom and I aren¡¯t getting any younger. We have nothing more to ask of you except that you settle down and start a family.¡± These words had be tiresome after repeated so often, but he still found himself saying them whenever he saw Ren. Ren nodded and replied, ¡°I¡¯ll think about settling down.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Harold¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Yes. Ideally within a year,¡± Ren stated solemnly. Harold breathed a sigh of relief. It appears that Charlotte chose the right girl this time! Ren has only met Miss Liamson once, and he¡¯s already nning to marry her. Now that he had received the desired response, the old man appeared rxed and changed the subject. ¡°In that case, you should concentrate on the next election. You¡¯re still highly regarded by the general public, so there is hope that you will be re-elected.¡± He was overjoyed that his son¡¯s political career was taking off and had reached heights that he had not been able to achieve during his prime. He could only hope such glory would be passed down through the generations. However, Ren frowned slightly and pointed out, ¡°I¡¯m just going to go with the flow, Dad. To be honest, I¡¯m not too concerned about the election.¡± ¡°All you have to do is keep up the good work, and everything will work out in your favor,¡± Harold responded, and his ambition was evident in his eyes. ¡°Your political achievements are more than enough to ensure your re-election. You¡¯re not getting cold feet all of a sudden, are you?¡± Ren¡¯s brows furrowed as he answered in a low voice, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Harold dered. He proudly assessed his son and added, ¡°Ren, I know I can always count on you. I¡¯m confident you¡¯ll win the next election.¡± At 6.30PM that evening, Ruka and her parents arrived at the restaurant¡¯s private dining room. A middle-aged couple and a young man were on one side of the table. Robert¡¯s old friend, Atticus Kowalski, was also present and sat at the table with them. Ruka assessed the situation before her and wondered if she had just walked into a matchmaking session. They were introduced after they took their seats. Atticus wasted no time delving into the young man¡¯s and Ruka¡¯s respective family backgrounds. Then, he allowed the parents to discuss what a great match Ruka and this young man would be. The young man in question went by the name Levi Goldman. He was nearly six feet tall, well-dressed, and appeared to be a steadfast person. Nevertheless, he had not been able to take his eyes off Ruka since she entered the room. Ruka looked like a princess straight out of a fairytale, with her glossy ebony hair and delicate features. Her ethereal beauty set her apart from all the other girls Levi had met. He exchanged a brief nce with his mother, indicating that the evening was off to a good start. Then, the parents exchanged pleasantries and made small talk. Levi noticed the empty seat beside Ruka and upied it while offering to pour her tea. In contrast, Ruka could tell how much ire wanted her to get along with this man. She did her best to conceal her exasperation. The dinner was set-up just as she had suspected. She wondered if her parents indeed had so little faith in her ability to find a husband that they would take matchmaking into their own hands. Did they ever consider how awkward this is for me? When Levi¡¯s parents asked Ruka what she did for a living, ire cheerfully replied, ¡°She works in the trantion department.¡± Ruka raised an amused brow and corrected her, ¡°Actually, Mom, I no longer work there as of today. I quit.¡± ire stared at her in disbelief. ¡°What do you mean you quit? Why?¡± Ruka knew Levi¡¯s parents were fond of her, but she did not need their approval. Therefore, she decided there was no better time than now to dash their hopes. She shrugged nonchntly and drawled, ¡°No reason. I guess I was just tired of working.¡± ire was perplexed by her daughter¡¯s apathy and demanded, ¡°You can¡¯t just quit your job on the spur of the moment, Ruka! Besides, didn¡¯t you just get the job? How can you get tired of it so quickly? You should at least talk to us before quitting!¡± A wicked glee struck Ruka when she saw how agitated her mom was. She argued petntly, ¡°I just got tired of it, okay? You know how much I enjoyzing around at home. Do you think I¡¯m cut out for the working world when I can¡¯t even do my ownundry and dishes?¡± She added defiantly, ¡°You and Dad spoiled me, remember?¡± ire thought she might pass out on the spot. She couldn¡¯t figure out why Ruka was acting up tonight when she would never have behaved this way. What will the guests think? She believed Levi was a charming young man and hoped he and Ruka could be a couple. Levi could not be a bad match for Ruka if he was introduced by an old family friend. ¡°Ruka!¡± Robert gave her a cold stare. ¡°What in the world are you saying?¡± Ruka noticed her dad¡¯s consternation and feigned her innocence as she eximed, ¡°I really did quit my job!¡± Levi, who sat beside her, did not think he would mind if Ruka stayed home all day instead of going to work. She was too pretty to be exposed to the rigors of working-ss society. He interjected with a chuckle, ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Singed, don¡¯t take this too seriously. I personally find Ruka¡¯s honesty to be rather endearing.¡± His parents appeared to disagree as they exchanged bewildered looks. They were clearly disappointed by Ruka¡¯s immaturity. They had no desire to wait on their daughter-inw¡¯s hand and foot. Levi¡¯s mother cleared her throat. ¡°Levi, don¡¯t interrupt Mr. and Mrs. Singed. It¡¯s rude.¡± She did not want her son to appear too eager. During dinner, it became apparent that Levi was eager to demonstrate that he could take care of Ruka. However, Ruka ordered him around throughout the evening. ire was furious, but she did not dare to throw a fit in front of the guests. When did Ruka be so infuriatingly unreasonable? However, Levi did not seem to mind being treated like a servant. His parents began to wonder whether he had any dignity. From their perspective, this matchmaking was aplete failure. Ruka was beautiful, but her personality was horrible. They could not risk having their son be a personal ve to her if they decided to marry. Ruka exhaled a sigh of relief when she noticed the thunderous expressions on Levi¡¯s parents¡¯ faces. Meanwhile, the dining room at the Husson Residence was filled with a warm and lively atmosphere. Charlotte seemed to be having a whale of a time as she conversed with Sophie. She bombarded the girl with questions, and when Charlotte ran out of topics, she told stories about Ren¡¯s childhood and her journey to raise him. One might assume she brought up an ogre if they didn¡¯t know better. ording to Charlotte¡¯s observation, Ren was inept around women, which probably exined why he had never brought home a girlfriend. Other men his age already had their own families, and he prompted his parents to wait until he finally settled down. ¡°Ren, could you pass the sd to Sophie? She can¡¯t reach that far,¡± Charlotte reminded her son to be a little more proactive in these things. Ren set his fork down and grabbed the bowl of sd. Then, he ced it in front of Sophie and said, ¡°Here you go, Miss Liamson.¡± Charlotte nearly rolled her eyes at him. He can at least spoon some sd onto her te. On the contrary, Sophie was admittedly disappointed. She had expected Ren to serve her a portion of the sd, but he gave her the entire bowl. He might have been chivalrous, but he was not romantic. At that moment, Ren set his utensils down and said to his parents, ¡°Excuse me, but I must return to work.¡± ¡°Perhaps you can give Sophie a ride. It¡¯s always nice to havepany, no matter how short the trip,¡± Charlotte piped up. ¡°I really appreciate it, Ren,¡± Sophie interjected before he could decline. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. He nodded. ¡°Very well. Come with me, then.¡± Sophie¡¯s eyes instantly lit up. She was excited about being in the same car as him. It would be the perfect setting for them to get to know one another. She had nned everything because she intended to hold his hand and tell him inly that she liked him. This was her moment to shine, and she would not let it slip through her fingers. They strolled beneath the night sky to the car porch by the garden where four ck limousines were parked. Elijah approached them and respectfully greeted Ren, ¡°Mr. Husson.¡± ¡°Elijah, you mentioned earlier that you have something important to report?¡± Ren asked while he stared intently at his assistant. Elijah initially frowned, but he soonprehended and nodded as he said, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s crucial, and I need to let you know right away, or it¡¯ll be even more chaotic.¡± ¡°Okay, then. Let¡¯s have this discussion in the car, shall we?¡± Ren then looked at Sophie and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Liamson, but it looks like you¡¯ll have to take the other car.¡± ¡°I-I promise I won¡¯t be a nuisance.¡± Sophie made a feeble effort to salvage her opportunity to ride in the same car with him. ¡°Miss Liamson, the business matters I¡¯m about to discuss with Mr. Husson are strictly confidential. Please understand that you cannot be present for the purpose of confidentiality,¡± Elijah said solemnly. Sophie faltered after hearing this. She nodded slowly and said quietly, ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯ll leave you two.¡± One of the bodyguards opened the door of a separate car and let Sophie climb in. When the door clicked shut, she peered out the window and watched as Ren and Elijah got into the car in front of hers. It was only after Ren was inside the car that he heaved a weary sigh. Elijah could not help but chuckle as he inquired, ¡°Did Mrs. Husson give you a hard time, sir?¡± Ren sighed and pinched the space between his brows. ¡°I¡¯m afraid this will be a recurring phenomenon until I bring a girlfriend home to meet them.¡± ¡°You could always pick a day and bring Miss Singed home,¡± Elijah suggested. The thought of this caused a flicker of concern in Ren¡¯s eyes. Harold¡¯s words had added new weight to his shoulders. He had no intention of running for re-election as vice president in the uing election. Still, Harold seemed determined to make it happen. Harold and Charlotte had reached the golden years of their lives. They would be incapable of coping with shocking news such as Ren¡¯s sudden withdrawal from the uing election. Likewise, he had to take this into consideration. Nheless, he muttered tiredly, ¡°Hopefully that day wille sooner rather thanter.¡± The four ck SUVs in front joined the convoy as it began to leave the gates. The entire fleet appeared intimidating as it sped through the night. Sophie concluded that it was empowering to ride in the backseat of a car that was part of a convoy. The mere thought of all the luxuries she could enjoy if she married the vice president made her heart skip a beat, and she could not wait to make her dreame true. Meanwhile, Ruka and her parents said their goodbyes to Levi and the others at the restaurant. ire snapped furiously after they were out of earshot, ¡°What are you doing, Ruka?¡± ¡°Mom, do I need to remind you that you tried to set me up with someone without my permission?¡± Ruka teased and grinned as she shed her unreasonable demeanor from the restaurant. ire was enraged at her daughter. ¡°You embarrassed us in front of those people! Did you notice how furious Levi¡¯s parents were while you bossed Levi around all night?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be upset, Mom. What makes you think I won¡¯t be able to find a good husband while I¡¯m still young? Besides, I want to marry someone I genuinely love, not out of desperation,¡± Ruka coaxed ire by looping her arm. ire gaped at Ruka, and her eyes were wide with disbelief. ¡°Are you in a rtionship? Who is it? Why haven¡¯t we met him yet?¡± Robert was equally perplexed as he cast a curious nce at Ruka. Ruka nodded with a flushed face and confessed, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m in love with someone.¡± So this is why she behaves the way she does back at the restaurant. ire¡¯s exasperation grew along with her realization. ¡°You could inform us sooner. Tell me more. I¡¯m curious about him and his family background. Is he good-looking as well?¡± Ruka pursed her lips. She was uncertain how to respond to her mother¡¯s questions, but when she did, she sounded firm. ¡°He is a sessful man who is way out of my league.¡± ¡°Then, what does he do for a living?¡± ire pressed impatiently. However, Ruka merely shook her head in response. ¡°I will inform you once it is official. We¡¯ve just started seeing each other.¡± ¡°In that case, you¡¯d better make sure he¡¯s trustworthy. I don¡¯t want you to bring home a hooligan,¡± ire forewarned her daughter. Ruka sent Ren a text message as soon as she arrived home that night. ¡®What are you doing?¡¯ She did not expect him to reply so soon, but he did, and her heart skipped a beat. He texted, ¡®I just got home. You?¡¯ ¡®Me, too. Guess what? My parents actually arranged a date for me today.¡¯ Shey on her bed as she anticipated his possible response. Ruka was startled by Ren¡¯s call and nearly dropped her phone. She had just put him through when she heard his deep and alluring voice ask, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I have annoyed his parents and got an earful from my parents,¡± she said quietly with a hand over her mouth. Ren chuckled as he seemed pleased by her remarks and joked, ¡°You should probably console them.¡± ¡°I did, and I told them I was in love with someone,¡± she said coyly. ¡°But I didn¡¯t tell them it was you.¡± ¡°Do you really want to marry me so badly, Ruka?¡± he asked in a raspy voice. Ruka blinked slowly as an answer popped into her head, but she did not say anything. Instead, she asked nonchntly, ¡°Do you want me to marry you?¡± ¡°If I can, I¡¯ll make you my wife right now,¡± Ren said in his low and lustful tone. Sheforted him with her lips curled into a smile, ¡°How dramatic. You¡¯re aware that I have nowhere to run, right? We can always postpone the marriage until the right timees.¡± Heughed in response. ¡°As you wish.¡± The sound of hisugh made her heart skip a beat. Something wasforting and reassuring about speaking with him over the phone. His deep voice evoked a familiar warmth in her that made her want to take a cold shower. She desired to keep him on the line so their conversation could continue forever. ¡°Have you taken a shower? Are you in bed?¡± she asked suddenly. If he answered ¡®yes¡¯, then she could talk to him for a bit longer. ¡°Yes, and I¡¯m in bed,¡± he answered in his appealing drawl. Simrly, Ruka was in bed with the covers pulled over her. The alluring bass of Ren¡¯s voice made her skin tingle, and she had an epiphany. ¡°Are you going to sleep soon?¡± ¡°No.¡± Ruka loved bedtime stories and was sure she would be the happiest woman on the if she could persuade Ren to tell her one before she fell asleep. ¡°I am wondering if¡­ you can tell me a bedtime story. I¡¯m having trouble falling asleep right now,¡± she spoke like a child. She wanted nothing more than to fall asleep to his voice. ¡°Which story do you like?¡± he asked indulgently as if his words had touched her heart. ¡°Anything,¡± she quipped cheerfully. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to whatever story you tell me. You can also sing me a luby if you prefer!¡± She giggled mischievously and did not hesitate to make her requests. He paused for a few seconds as he considered his options, then said matter-of-factly, ¡°A luby it is.¡± Ruka had only been joking, and she was shocked that he agreed to do it. Her fingers fluttered to her lips as she asked, ¡°Are you serious, Ren? Are you really going to sing me a luby?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I hadn¡¯t done it before when you were a child,¡± Ren remarked lovingly. Ruka blushed as she couldn¡¯t contain her joy. She could not believe she had the privilege to hear Ren sing her a luby as a child. That¡¯s surreal. ¡°I want to hear the luby,¡± she said. She took out her earphones and plugged them into the phone. Then, she turned up the volume to hear Ren¡¯s deep and rich voice. ¡°Give me a second. I¡¯m looking for the lyrics,¡± he spoke earnestly. In fact, he was prepared to sing for her. Her heart thumped wildly as she waited like a child in line for an amusement park ride. After a period of silence on the other end of the line, he said, ¡°Are you listening?¡± Ruka responded with a hum and was impatient to hear him sing. ¡°Yes.¡± Instantly, he started to sing with his tenor voice, which was light and smooth. ¡°Lavender¡¯s blue, dilly- dilly,vender¡¯s green; when I am king, dilly-dilly, you shall be queen; who told you so, dilly-dilly, who told you so? ¡®Twas my own heart, dilly-dilly, that told me so.¡± Ren had such a captivating and precise way of pronouncing words that it was almost hypnotic to listen to. Ruka¡¯s breath slowed to a steady rhythm as she clung to every note, and his voice pulled the strings in her heart. She was so concerned about missing even one hum that she closed her eyes without realizing she was falling asleep. So, this is what they meant by eargasm, she pondered as she finally understood the ng term. Ren¡¯s voice made her feel isted from the rest of the world and surrounded by a warmth only he could provide. If he were a siren, she would be the poor sailor who would jump off the ship for him. There was no telling if Ren was teasing her at this point as a small chuckle made its way into the song. Ruka¡¯s face blushed. Is he attempting to seduce me with a luby? She feltpelled to rush over to his house and hug him to sleep. He abruptly interrupted the luby and asked, ¡°Do you like it?¡± ¡°Did you really sing me lubies when I was a child?¡± ¡°Of course, but that was a different luby,¡± he replied with a husky tone. Ruka raised her brows, and her eyes glittered as she asked, ¡°If we get married, will you sing me lubies every night before we go to bed?¡± ¡°I will,¡± he promised, and the bass in his voice was more prominent than ever. It electrified her and caused her breathing to flutter. The more he spoke, the more she wished he would perform unimaginable acts upon her. The lust was enough to suffocate her. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s gettingte. You should go to bed,¡± Ren said. Ruka refused to sumb to the drowsiness and insisted childishly, ¡°No, I want you to sing again. Please?¡± He could never refuse her when she was in such a state, so he agreed to sing the luby again. Frankly, she had no idea why or how she had let her inner child show itself to him. She could be painfully independent and mature, but with Ren, who indulged her whims and cherished her unconditionally, she knew she could let down her guard without fear. It was as if a part of her understood that he could make any exception for her because she was special to him. Ruka dreamed of him that night with lewd images that she could not recall without embarrassment and slept in the following day. ire let her off the hook because it was the holidays. Meanwhile, ire received a call from Scarlet that afternoon to inform her that she and her husband had just returned to the country. Then, Scarlet invited ire and her family to the Husson Residence for a meal. ire was excited to see her old friend and immediately epted the invitation. Ruka nearly choked on her water when she brought this up during lunch. Ruka could not believe they were actually going to the Husson Residence, which had taken on new meaning now that she was seeing Ren romantically¡ª in secret, no less. ire asserted solemnly, ¡°Ruka, we¡¯re going shoppingter. I need to get a new outfit for the asion.¡± She nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡± ire and Scarlet were very close because she had saved her life while she was studying abroad. At the time, the ruffians smashed Scarlet¡¯s car window and nearly robbed and assaulted her. In the end, it was ire who came to the rescue. She charged into danger with nothing but a Swiss army knife. She drove away those ruffians, thereby sparing Scarlet from potentially fatal consequences. Scarlet and ire had been as close as sisters ever since that incident. Somewhere along the way, Robert and Walter became friends as well. The Hussons had always been grateful to Vanya for saving Scarlet¡¯s life back in the day. Consequently, none objected when Scarlet offered to take Ruka as her goddaughter. Ruka texted Ren that she would be at the Husson Residence the next day while she and ire were out shopping. ¡®Yeah, I heard,¡¯ Ren replied. Ruka was excited and nervous at the same time. During her previous visits to the Husson Residence, she maintained a respectful distance from Harold, whom she found intimidating. Still, Charlotte was fond of her and often acted as a mother figure to her. However, Ruka never anticipated that she would develop feelings for their son. Charlotte¡¯s gifts arrivedter that evening, including a designer jacket for Ruka. It had be customary for them to send Ruka holiday gifts, which proved their affection for the girl. Meanwhile, in the penthouse of one of the most prestigious high-rise buildings uptown, a slender silhouette dressed in a silk neglig¨¦e stood before the ss wall and gazed out at the night scene below. She was holding a ss of wine, but she anxiously checked the time instead of admiring the cityscape. Her long hair cascaded in luscious waves over her shoulders with the softness and transparency of her features gave her an endearing appearance. Nevertheless, since she assumed her mother¡¯s position, she exuded an authority that demanded respect. While she was ustomed to navigating the challenges of her professional life, at home, she just wanted to be pampered by her husband. The three days since Richard had left for outstation for mission handover proceedings had been excruciatingly painful for the newlyweds. Although they were legally registered as husband and wife, they agreed that their wedding reception would take ce in the second half. This was due the numerous responsibilities they had to attend to during the first half of the year. Ang nced at the time and felt her impatience intensify. She nced over her shoulder at the simple wee-home arrangement she had just created. There was a bouquet of fresh flowers, a bottle of fine red wine, and several scented candles lit and flickering in the dim apartment. Indeed, this was the ideal and romantic setting for her husband to return home. As for the gift, she believed she was the best gift she could give him. The seconds ticked by slowly, and Richard had informed her that he would be home by 9.00PM, which was only five minutes away. Moreover, he was a man of his word, and punctuality was typically his Achilles heel. So, Ang was sure he would be home on the dot. Ang spent the next five minutes slowly tasting the wine in her hand, then looked down as the minute hand ticked slowly toward the number ¡¯12¡¯ on the face of the clock. She sighed and tolerated Richard¡¯s slight tardiness as long as he arrived home safely. She had just begun to consider the possibility when she heard a soft beep from the door. The audible beep signified that the fingerprint was sessfully read. Ang immediately set down her ss of wine and sprinted toward the door upon hearing the door open. A man was taking off his shoes and putting on his slippers. It could only be Richard. Ang¡¯s lips curled into a smile as she approached him slowly and enticingly. She was proud that he was a man of his word. She appreciated that he never abandoned her or made empty promises. ¡°Darling, I want a hug,¡± she whispered as she spread her arms wide and waited to be embraced. She resembled a lonely kitten who was desperate for some attention. Richard immediately removed his coat because he did not want the dust and dirt on it to get on his precious wife. He gazed at her appreciatively before extending his arms to pull her into his embrace. He pressed his cheek against hers and murmured next to her ear, ¡°Have you been wearing this all night? You¡¯ll catch a cold.¡± She tilted her head up and grinned mischievously at him. ¡°Yes, but you¡¯ll be around to take care of me.¡± He pressed his forehead against hers and said, ¡°I have no intention of letting you catch a cold.¡± Ang was carried to the couch by Richard. She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissed him just above his jawline, and mumbled softly, ¡°I¡¯ve missed you.¡± ¡°Let me first take a shower. I¡¯ll return in a sh,¡± he spoke softly. She clung to him stubbornly. ¡°Don¡¯t. I won¡¯t mind, and besides, you¡¯ll have to shower afterward anyway,¡± she whispered coyly. Richard gulped, and his breathing became a little heavier as he gazed down at Ang. It appeared that she had missed him more than he had anticipated. ¡°Did you really miss me that much?¡± ¡°I do,¡± Ang said, and her eyes curved into crescents. ¡°I really missed you, Captain Lloyd.¡± She liked addressing him as such because it alluded to the forbidden dynamic between them when he was merely the stoic, expressionless military captain assigned to protect her. The tension crackled in the air as she tilted her head and asked him mischievously, ¡°Do you miss me, too?¡± If Richard could, he would rip his heart out and present it to her on a silver tter. He could not stop thinking about her during his three-day outstation. Her absence had been agony for him. His usually steely gaze softened as he looked at her indulgently and said, ¡°Yes, I miss you very much, Mrs. Lloyd.¡± ¡°Bring me upstairs,¡± shemanded with a hushed tone. He chuckled hoarsely. ¡°I assume you don¡¯t intend to give me a break.¡± He was proud that he could make her want him so much and so desperately. Ang¡¯s lips were pressed firmly against his as she murmured, ¡°Not at all.¡± She did not leave any room for negotiation. With a grin on Richard¡¯s lips, he said in a deep and alluring drawl, ¡°Better think about this carefully, Mrs. Lloyd, because you won¡¯t be getting much sleep tonight.¡± She swallowed convulsively and felt her stomach tighten in anticipation. ¡°Take it easy tonight, big guy. Mom called me today and said we¡¯d stop by my granddad¡¯s ce tomorrow. I don¡¯t want to show up with love bites all over my neck.¡± Heughed when he heard this. ¡°Very well, then. I¡¯ll just have to leave the marks somewhere no one can see it.¡± She buried her face into his chest and was flustered. She said shyly, ¡°Do whatever you want with me, Captain Lloyd.¡± The city was filled with Christmas cheer the following morning. It was 9.00AM, Ang and Richard were fully dressed, and he looked particrly dashing with her assistance. While he could probably walk the runway in a trash bag, she was a very particr dresser. She had to ensure her man looked as good as she did whenever they left the house. Meanwhile, Richard was content to let his wife pick out his clothes. He also liked that he could sneak a few kisses here and there while she straightened his shirt cor. ¡°Hey, you got more than enough actionst night,¡± Ang grumbled. She cursed herself for unleashing the beast within him the night before. It was as though she had forgotten that he could be a rogue in the heat of the moment. Richard nced at her and said, ¡°Your lips look a bit dry.¡± ¡°Really? Maybe I should¡ª¡± She was about to say, ¡°apply some lip balm,¡± but she was cut off when Richard abruptly pushed her up against the wardrobe and kissed her. ¡°Hmph!¡± Her protest was muffled, but he did not stop until he had wholly moistened her lips. They did not leave the house until ten minutester. Meanwhile, Scarlet and Walter arrived at the Singeds¡¯ ce to depart to the Husson Residence together. Scarlet sat on the couch, but when she saw Ruka wearing the jacket she had bought her, she stood up and happily straightened thepels. Then, she took the girl by the shoulders and appraised her affectionately, proud to see how much she had grown. ¡°Oh my, will you look at how much she¡¯s blossomed since we saw herst? I wonder which young man will have the honor of marrying her,¡± Scarlet mused yfully. ire and Robert nodded in agreement as they remarked that Ruka possessed the best genes in the family. No one noticed that Ruka was already flushed with nervousness. She pursed her lips and avoided their gaze, fearing that they would discover the secret that was consuming her. ¡°I tried to set her up with this nice young man the other day, but she ruined the date!¡± ire clucked. ¡°That¡¯s alright. Ruka still has plenty of time to go on dates,¡± Scarlet said this while furtively nning to make Ruka an even better match soon. ¡°Oh, well. We should leave if we want to make it to lunch.¡± ¡°By the way, Ruka, you¡¯ll finally get to meet Richard and his wife. It¡¯s been a while, hasn¡¯t it?¡± Scarlet said cheerily. Both families then proceeded to the Husson Residence. Charlotte was in an excellent mood as she enjoyed the festivities at the Husson Residence. She and Harold were great fans of merry crowds in their old age. At that very moment, an idea dawned on her. I¡¯m going to invite Sophie! There was no better time than now to introduce her to the rest of the Hussons, and she might even get to spend some quality time with Ren. He had been a little indifferent toward Sophie thest time they met, but Charlotte thought it was because they had not known each other well enough. I must create more opportunities for them to spend time together, the olddy concluded with newfound determination. Chapter 1111-1120 Chapter 1111-1120 Charlotte personally rang up the Liamsons and asked to speak with Sophie. After hearing the olddy¡¯s invitation, Sophie beamed and thanked her graciously, then said she would be right over. Meanwhile, Ren was still working at the White House. He had taken off his suit jacket earlier, and he looked noble as he read the documents on the couch, his dark waistcoat entuating his lean waist and his legs elegantly crossed. After taking off his suit jacket, he sat on the couch like a noble and read the documents with his dark waistcoat entuating his lean waist and his legs elegantly crossed. ¡°Mr. Husson,¡± Elijah interrupted the silence. ¡°It¡¯s time to leave for the Husson Residence.¡± Ren nced at the time on his wristwatch and smiled at a sudden thought. On the way to the Husson Residence, Ruka fished out her phone to text Ren. She was inexplicably nervous even though she had been to the Husson Residence countless times prior to this. ¡®Are you there yet?¡¯ she sent out a text. Ren¡¯s reply was swift. ¡®I¡¯m on my way.¡¯ The fact that he had wasted no time in answering her reassured her somehow. She couldn¡¯t help grinning, feeling warm and fuzzy inside as she huddled in the corner of the backseat, letting her parents¡¯ conversation be white noise. ¡®I¡¯m on my way too,¡¯ she texted back. Then, she lifted her phone up to a slightly more ttering angle and snapped a picture of herself. She sent it to him and followed up with another picture of her making a funny face. ¡®Cute,¡¯ he praised wholeheartedly. She pursed her lips to keep her smile from bing too wide. ¡®See you at your ce.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll try to reach before you do so that I can wait for you by the door.¡¯ Ruka was practically buzzing with happiness as she read this, feeling like a child that had gotten all the candy in the world. Momentster, Ruka and her family arrived at the Husson Residence. At the same time, Scarlet and Walter pulled up behind them. She got out of the car and headed for the front door with her parents, then looked up to see the tall and straight figure standing by the door. Ren was dressed in a dark-colored suit, his hair styled in his usual swept-back quiff. He looked proper and charming, not to mention imposing. Ruka thought her heart would fly out of her chest. He¡¯s actually waiting for me by the door! She could feel his gaze on her even at this distance, and to keep herself from melting into a puddle, she turned her face away so that she wouldn¡¯t have to meet his eyes. ¡°Scarlet, Walter,¡± Ren greeted jovially, his deep voice resonating in the crisp, chilly air. Ruka heard her parents greet with utmost respect, ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Mr. Husson.¡± Smiling, he replied, ¡°Good day, Mr. and Mrs. Singed.¡± Robert and Vanya almost fainted. This was a surreal experience for them. To be greeted by a man of such power and status was a great honor they had not anticipated. ¡°Ruka, greet Uncle Ren,¡± Vanya urged, hastily pushing her daughter forward as though terrified that Ruka mighte off as rude in front of the vice president. Just like that, Ruka found herself standing before Ren. She looked up and gazed into his eyes, which glittered with wicked amusement. In her most polite voice, she said, ¡°Good day, Uncle Ren.¡± His dimple shed as he gave her a deliciously roguish smile before nodding and saying, ¡°Hello, Ruka.¡± ¡°Come on, Vanya, let¡¯s go in!¡± Scarlet reached out and pulled Vanya through the front door. Vanya, in turn, grabbed Ruka by the arm and said, ¡°Hurry up, Ruka. You must greet Mr. and Mrs. Husson!¡± Ruka turned to nce at Ren over her shoulder, and he merely nodded, silently telling her to go into the house to greet his parents. He was just about to head through the door himself when he saw a ck SUV pull up at the car porch. He stopped and waited for the people in the car to get down so he could do the polite thing and greet them. The ones who came out of the vehicle were none other than Richard and Ang. Richard took Ang by the hand and led her toward the house. This was her first time here, so she was understandably nervous. When she caught sight of the young and imposing man standing by the door, she instantly recognized him as Richard¡¯s well-aplished uncle. Kinship showed itself in the most magical of ways. While Richard had gotten his looks from his mother, he still shared some resemnce with Ren. ¡°Uncle Ren,¡± Richard called out casually when they were drawing near the door. Ang followed suit. ¡°Good morning, Uncle Ren.¡± Ren looked at them, smiling as he nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°Good morning. Go on in. It¡¯s getting chilly out here.¡± Richard snaked an arm around Ang¡¯s waist and guided her through the threshold. At once, they were greeted warmly by Scarlet. Harold and Charlotte, on the other hand, were seated in the living room, excited to meet their granddaughter-inw for the first time. Harold waved Richard over to his side. He had been a rather absent grandfather while Richard was growing up, and they hardly saw each other outside of family events. The guilt built up over time, and now that Harold was in his old age, he wanted to salvage his rtionship with his grandson. Not long after, Scarlet beckoned Richard and Ang to the annex, then told one of the maids to bring Ruka in as well. ¡°Richard, meet Ruka,¡± Scarlet introduced. This was the first time Ruka was meeting Scarlet¡¯s son, but there was a sense of familiarity that made her feel at ease. She shed him a smile and said, ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Richard.¡± ¡°The pleasure¡¯s all mine,¡± Richard said, having already epted her as part of the family. Scarlet gestured at thedy next to Richard and said to Ruka, ¡°And let me introduce you to his wife, Ang.¡± Ang had noticed the pretty girl named Ruka from the moment she walked in and figured that this was the goddaughter Scarlet had taken in. For some reason, both girls took an instant liking to each other. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Ang,¡± Ruka greeted sweetly. Ang¡¯s heart warmed at this. She beamed as she reached out to hold the other girl¡¯s hand, happy that she had gained a sister. ¡°Don¡¯t be a stranger, Ruka. Let¡¯s go shopping and grab dinner sometime.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Ruka replied good-naturedly, grinning. Just then, Ren walked into the room. Ruka¡¯s heart leaped to her throat when she saw him. A sudden thought crossed her mind, and her face grew hot. If I¡­ If Ren and I get married one day, then I wouldn¡¯t have to call him Uncle Ren in front of everyone anymore! Gosh, that¡¯ll be shocking for the family! ¡°Ren,e over here. We don¡¯t care that you¡¯re vice president. Hang with us! We¡¯re about to swap family stories,¡± Scarlet said, at once dismantling Ren¡¯s vice president-mantel. ¡°Coming.¡± Ren was smiling as he walked over and stopped right next to Ruka. Her breath hitched at this unexpected proximity, and she took an instinctive step to the side. However, she did not realize that there was a heavy vase right next to her. She would have bumped into it had Ren not reached out in time to block the impact, and when he looked at her, his gaze was incredibly tender and loving. No one else in the room caught this brief but intense moment, but Ang did. For a second, her heart nearly dropped to her stomach, and her eyes widened by a fraction as she thought, Did I imagine that or did that really happen?! However, she hid her surprise and did not point it out, worried that she might be overreacting. For all she knew, Ren was only being protective over Ruka, like how a parent might be over a child. ¡°Miss Husson, you¡¯ve been summoned by Mrs. Husson,¡± the maid said politely. ¡°Alright, then. Ren, stay here with the guests while I attend to our mother,¡± Scarlet said as she made a graceful exit. Ren turned to look at Richard and said cordially, ¡°Tell me what you¡¯ve been up to, Richard!¡± Upon hearing this, Richard gave Ang a small pat on the back. ¡°Keep Rukapany. I¡¯ll join you both shortly.¡± Ang nodded. She linked arms with Ruka and suggested cheerily, ¡°Shall we step aside for some girl talk?¡± After leaving the annex, Ang and Ruka headed to the sun room and took their seats at the wrought- iron table. Ruka propped her chin up with one hand and looked at Ang curiously, ¡°Can you tell me how you and Richard met? You¡¯re a businesswoman and he¡¯s in the special forces. There must be an interesting backstory!¡± Ang was more than happy to share. She glowed pink as she said, ¡°Yes. Our story starts with lipstick.¡± Just like that, Ruka found herself listening to one of the most heart-racing love stories, the premise of which was that Richard was tasked to keep Ang safe. They fell for each other while she was staying at the military base with him, and after confessing their feelings, it took them three months to make things official between them. The envy was clear on Ruka¡¯s face when she heard this. ¡°What about you, Ruka? Is there someone you¡¯ve got your eyes on?¡± Ang asked after she finished recounting her captivating love story, eager to gain some firsthand insight into Ruka¡¯s love life. Ruka looked up just in time to catch a glimpse of Ren¡¯s figure by the annex window, which was just next to the sun room. The ss was a little foggy from the cold, but she could still make out his towering silhouette. It was funny how he stood so close by, but seemed so out of reach. She pursed her lips and nodded shyly as she admitted, ¡°There is someone special.¡± ¡°Really? What does he do for a living? Have you met each other¡¯s parents yet?¡± Ang leaped into interrogation mode. She was ecstatic for Ruka. After all, there were few things in a girl¡¯s life that could compete with the happiness of meeting her true love. Ruka shook her head. ¡°We haven¡¯t told anyone that we¡¯re dating.¡± ¡°Well, what¡¯s the hurry? I¡¯m sure your parents would approve of him if you really like him,¡± Ang said soothingly. ¡°I hope so too,¡± Ruka replied with a grin as her expectant gaze flickered over to the man by the window. Just then, Ang peered through the window and saw a girl heading toward the annex from the car porch. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± she asked Ruka curiously. Ruka finally took her eyes off Ren and followed Ang¡¯s gaze. She saw a well-dressed youngdy standing just outside the window, then shook her head slightly as she said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± The girl was none other than Sophie, of course. She had pulled on her Sunday best before rushing over to the Husson Residence, all the while convincing herself that she must have done something right to be personally invited to the family banquet. If anything, Charlotte might have already epted her as the future Mrs. Husson. Presently, the maid led Sophie into the living room. At the sight of her, Charlotte beckoned her over immediately and introduced her to everyone. Scarlet appraised Sophie, more than pleased to meet the woman who could soon marry Ren and be part of the family. The affirmation came from Charlotte, who had mentioned earlier that she and Harold were rather fond of the girl. Sophie greeted the guests politely, but the one person she wanted to see the most was Ren. However, she couldn¡¯t excuse herself now and look for him. The Husson Residence was on an estate that spanned one-fifth of a hectare, and hunting Ren down would take ages. As things were, she was stuck with making conversation with Charlotte and the other elders in the room. Meanwhile, Ren and Richard entered the sun room together. They were delighted to see how well Ruka and Ang were getting along, as a family should. ¡°Richard, why don¡¯t you and Ang join the others in the living room?¡± Ren suggested. Nodding, Richard offered Ang his arm and said, ¡°Come on, it¡¯s about time I show off your charms to my grandparents.¡± Ang smiled and turned to give Ruka a small wave, but that was when she caught thetter looking bashfully at Ren as though she was gazing at someone she loved. There was even a telltale blush on her cheeks. Blinking, Ang quickly stole a nce at Ren. He was smiling ever so slightly, and his gaze was gentle when he met Ruka¡¯s eyes. No, there¡¯s something more in his gaze than just familial affection, Ang realized with shock. She was sensitive by nature, and at that moment, she felt as if she had discovered something unbelievable. With renewed urgency, she tightened her grip on Richard¡¯s hand and began to drag him out of the sun room. He sensed that she was eager to leave, but he wasn¡¯t sure why. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he asked quietly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She shook her head vehemently, ¡°Nothing.¡± She was lying, and he could tell. The fact that she seemed to know something that he didn¡¯t was frustrating. What is she being so secretive about? ¡°You go ahead. I need to use the washroom. See you in a bit!¡± Ang announced suddenly, then hurried over to the washroom. She was still trying to regainposure after witnessing that brief, groundbreaking moment in the sun room earlier. Ruka and Ren¡­ She thought about Ruka¡¯s conflicted expression when they were talking about their love lives earlier. Now that she thought about it, Ren was only in his early thirties. He was handsome, aplished, and had all the makings of an eligible bachelor, which he was. More to the point, Ruka was in the prime of her youth, so it wasn¡¯t so surprising that these two had found love in each other. As she went on to think about this, Ang began to worry. Maybe¡­ Maybe Ruka will be Richard¡¯s aunt one day! The idea of that was explosive, to say the least, but it was in no way unnerving. Within seconds, Ang found herself rooting for the couple. While this was happening, Sophie was still making small talk with Charlotte when she suddenly sensed someoneing in from the annex. She looked up at the entryway and froze. The man who had just walked into the room was not Ren, but he was just as handsome. There was an athletic air about him, and he seemed younger than Ren. Sophie felt her throat run dry as she stared at him. Are all the Husson men this good-looking? Who is he? She wanted to find out more about him, and in her mind, she was already thinking of a contingency n. She was determined to find a way to marry into the prestigious Husson Family whether Ren had any interest in her or not. ¡°Richard,e here and chat with Grandpa,¡± Harold called Richard over. Sophie blinked and wondered, Grandpa? This man with a military aura was actually the grandson of the Husson Family? Sure enough, the men in the Husson Family were all excellent! After Richard sat down, Sophie met his eyes, so she smiled and greeted him. ¡°Richard, let me introduce you to Miss Liamson,¡± Scarlet introduced Sophie to her son in case he was disrespectful to his future aunt. Richard had keen eyesight. Seeing this girl sitting next to his grandmother, he instantly realized that she would likely be his uncle¡¯s marriage partner. However, at this moment, when Richard raised his head, he discovered that Sophie¡¯s eyes contained a hint of a seductive aura. This time, Ang had juste back from the bathroom, and the moment she walked into the hall, she noticed Sophie staring at Richard. Although it was just a nce, Ang could tell what was hidden in those eyes. Women knew women best. Besides, the love Ang had for Richard was strong, so she could not tolerate any woman who had ideas on him or tried to seduce him. Ang¡¯s beautiful eyes narrowed as she ignored all the elders present. She walked to Richard¡¯s side as if dering her sovereignty and sat down while cing her arms on his shoulders. After that, she leaned her head on his shoulder to show off how intimate they were. Sophie¡¯s eyes shed a hint of guilt. She didn¡¯t expect Richard to bring his girlfriend here. In the garden. Ruka deliberately sat on the couch far away from Ren as she questioned, ¡°Do¡­ Do you have something to tell me?¡± Even though she had been coaxed to sleepst night, she felt guilty even when they were alone for a moment. Ren looked at her in distress, uttering in a low voice, ¡°See you in the study on the third floor in ten minutes.¡± Ruka was startled. What was he going to do?! They were in Husson Residence! He shouldn¡¯t be messing around! ¡°Do I have to¡­ go up?¡± Ruka blinked while asking nervously and cautiously. Ren hummed, ¡°Yes.¡± As if worried that she would not dare to go up, Ren provoked her, ¡°What? You don¡¯t have the guts?¡± Sure enough, Ruka couldn¡¯t stand provocation, so she pouted and retorted, ¡°Who said so?¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll see you upstairs, then.¡± After saying that, Ren went out through the backdoor. Avoiding the hall, he was oblivious to the fact that his mother had invited another girl. When Ruka saw him leave, she was also worried that her parents would think that she was running around, so she, on the other hand, went back to the hall. The moment Ruka walked into the hall, she noticed a fashionable girl sitting next to Old Madam Husson from the window. She was shocked for a few seconds before an assumption popped up. Who could thisdy be? She then took a seat next to her mother. ire, as expected, wondered where she went earlier. After she told her mother she went to the garden, ire ordered her to not run around in a whisper. ¡°Mom, who is she?¡± Ruka asked her mother in a low voice, looking in Sophie¡¯s direction. ire leaned in and whispered in her ear, ¡°She is Mr. Husson¡¯s future wife.¡± Ruka¡¯s breathing almost stopped. She looked at her mother, and then at the girl who was holding hands and chatting with Old Madam Husson, feeling her chest clench tightly. Did he actually have a future wife recognized by the Husson Family? Sophie just happened to look at Ruka with the same curiosity, because to her, any girl who appeared in Husson Residence today could be her enemy. When the two exchanged nces, Ruka lowered her head guiltily because at this moment, in front of the elderly, Sophie was the one that everyone acknowledged as Ren¡¯s future wife. Seeing that Old Madam Husson had been holding her hand, the intimacy and adoration were visible to the naked eye. Ruka felt that her heart was tightly grasped by a big palm, causing her to feel breathless. Why didn¡¯t he tell her that he had a future wife who was acknowledged by the family? Ruka couldn¡¯t control herself and panicked a little. At first sight, Ang¡¯s first impression of Sophie was that of a proud peacock. Sitting beside Old Madam Husson, she seemed a little arrogant. Due to that, Ang turned to nce at Ruka, who had her eyes lowered, seemingly in a bad mood. Seeing Ruka¡¯s expression, Ang was worried. If she was right, Sophie¡¯s appearance must have hurt her. Even before, she didn¡¯t dare to reveal her rtionship. She must have felt even more distressed right now! However, Ang couldn¡¯tfort her at this time. She then directed her gaze at her husband who was currently concerned about what she wanted to eat and drink. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I have something to tell you.¡± She wanted to tell him about her discovery. Richard didn¡¯t like the gathering of the elders either, so he helped Ang up from the couch before leaving. Ang thereafter took him to the garden, where there were several reception rooms and tea rooms. He was curious about what Ang was going to say to him. It was not until they entered the living room where no one was there that Ang put his arms around his waist, faced him, and leaned in to talk. ¡°I¡¯m going to tell you a secret. Don¡¯t be surprised,¡± Ang said to him. ¡°What secret?¡± Richard¡¯s eyes flickered with curiosity. Ang couldn¡¯t help but make a hook gesture, urging, ¡°Come closer.¡± Richard wrapped his arm around her waist, leaned down, and brought his ears close to her lips. Ang whispered, ¡°Have you noticed the look in Uncle Ren¡¯s eyes when he¡¯s watching Ruka? It doesn¡¯t look like a normal gaze an elder would give to a junior.¡± He didn¡¯t understand, so he blinked and asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± She leaned over and borated, ¡°I feel that the way Uncle Ren looks at Ruka is just like the way you look at me. It¡¯s a look of admiration between men and women.¡± As soon as Ang finished speaking, Richard pulled her into his arms. He nced around nervously while Ang stuck her head out of his arms, looking innocent. Looking at him, she insisted, ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m right.¡± Richard¡¯s gaze locked on her as he warned hoarsely, ¡°You can¡¯t talk nonsense like this.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Ang felt aggrieved. Richard suddenly softened. He was just hit by the sudden information. To him, one was his uncle, while the other was his mother¡¯s adopted daughter. How could they have feelings for each other? ¡°I¡¯m not ming you.¡± Richard kissed her on the forehead soothingly and uttered, ¡°But don¡¯t talk about it anymore.¡± ¡°If they are really in love with each other, will you help them?¡± Ang questioned directly, grabbing the cor of his shirt. ¡°I don¡¯t think that Miss Liamson deserves to be your aunt-inw.¡± Richard agreed with her. He could tell from Sophie¡¯s look earlier that she wasn¡¯t an innocent woman. He could sense that she was having ideas about him earlier. It wasn¡¯t that Richard was narcissistic, but he was sensitive by nature, so he could react fast and have insight into anything. In conclusion, Sophie wasn¡¯t a good match for his uncle. He and Ang were in the same boat regarding this matter. In the hall at the moment, Ruka kept her head lowered and her eyes at the time on the phone. One more minute to go and ten minutes would be up. Shouldn¡¯t she be going up to the third floor to meet Ren? However, her heart was in a huge mess right now. She figured that she should go up and ask him if he already had someone in mind for his future wife. If it was true, she should cut off all thoughts and not get entangled with him. Ruka¡¯s heart hurt so much that she couldn¡¯t breathe properly at this moment. Now, she finally understood Victoria¡¯s crazy feelings for him. Falling in love with a man like Ren was a catastrophe. Ruka couldn¡¯t stay here any longer. She was afraid that her mother would find her in pain, so she got up and said, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m going to the bathroom.¡± Ruka went back to the side hall from earlier. There were stairs leading to the next floor, but every step she took along the stairs was as heavy as a thousand pounds. Step by step, she arrived at the third floor but she did not know where the study was. Therefore, she went to look for it along the corridor, and at that moment, she saw an open door and went in subconsciously. As she smelled the scent of books, Ruka stood at the door and took a deep breath before stepping forward. In front of the floor-to-ceiling window, Ren looked at the scenery outside the window with one hand in his trouser pocket, and it seemed like he had been waiting for her. When he heard the footsteps behind him, he turned his head and reminded in a low voice, ¡°Close the door.¡± Ruka turned around and did as told, but her mood had already changed. It was no longer sweet but filled with heaviness and sadness. Ren noticed that her delicate little face had turned pale, so he narrowed his eyes slightly and stepped forward, asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did someone make you upset?¡± When his arm came to hold her naturally, Ruka took a deep breath and hid her hand behind her back to avoid his touches. ¡°Do you have a chosen fianc¨¦e? Why didn¡¯t you tell me about her?¡± Ruka raised her head and questioned. At the same time, tears had pooled in her eyes. Ren felt a sharp tug at his heartstrings as he looked into her misty eyes. When he saw her pained expression, he stretched out his long arms again to embrace her. In response, Ruka stepped back, but Ren strode toward her and grabbed her shoulders before pulling her into his embrace. He then pressed her head against his chest once more. ¡°Who told you that?¡± Ren inquired in a low voice. Had his mother mentioned it? Ruka struggled in his arms and huffed angrily, ¡°No one told me. Miss Liamson is already downstairs.¡± Ren was stunned for a few seconds. He didn¡¯t expect his mother to invite Sophie to their family dinner. ¡°She¡¯s just a blind date my mother introduced to me, but I didn¡¯t promise to make her my wife,¡± Ren exined in a raspy voice and med himself for not making his intentions clear to his parents that day. As such, Ruka had to suffer. ¡°Is that really the case?¡± Ruka raised her head and wiped away her tears cutely as if trying to see a clearer version of his expression. Ren sighed lightly and reached out to wipe her tears. ¡°If I fell in love with others so easily, why would I wait for you to grow up?¡± Ruka¡¯s face flushed red again at this moment, and her heart fluttered. Was he¡­ Was he waiting for her to grow up? What was with that flirty tone? Did he have a kink with younger girls? No way. He never disturbed her life as she grew up to begin with! ¡°Miss Liamson is beautiful, and your mother likes her very much too.¡± Ruka bit her lip as if feeling sorry for him. Ren was annoyed this time and snorted while saying, ¡°Do you want me to fall for someone else?¡± Ruka reached out to hug his waist tightly and eximed anxiously, ¡°No.¡± Although her domineering possessiveness sounded ridiculous, she refused to see him belong to someone else. Ren epted her dominance happily as his thin lips pecked her forehead. ¡°Okay, I only like you.¡± Ruka¡¯s earlier sadness was dispelled by these words, so she closed her eyes and snuggled into his embrace. She even rubbed against his chest like a child, coveting the coolness of his body. Ren was aroused by her sudden actions. He raised her delicate chin and kissed her pink lips to seek comfort from missing her. ¡°Mmph¡­¡± Ruka¡¯s beautiful eyes widened slightly, for her nerves were challenged like never before. Goodness! They were in his house, and all the elders, including his blind date, were there. Yet, they were here. She couldn¡¯t help but try to push him away, but the man didn¡¯t let her go. He deepened the kiss, slithering his tongue into her mouth, letting her take in all his breath. Ruka¡¯s long eyshes trembled, and her mind went nk and confused. Apart from feeling his fiery kiss, her mind was no longer free to think about other things. By the time Ruka was released, her legs were so weak that she could not stand still anymore. She could only hold onto the man¡¯s shirt tightly, leaning against his arms and panting while blushing like an apple, feeling like her heart was going to leap out of her chest. ¡°Did you feel my love?¡± the man asked with a low voice and a smile. Could Ruka say no? If she said that, he was definitely going to kiss her until she got dizzy again, so she shyly hummed to express that she felt it. ¡°Sophie is just someone my mom introduced to me. I only met her the night before yesterday, but I don¡¯t have any thoughts about her.¡± ¡°Your parents like her very much, though.¡± Ruka raised her head and stated. ¡°They¡¯re just eager to have a daughter-inw. As long as I don¡¯t agree to it, there¡¯s no use for them liking her,¡± Ren firmly emphasized that only he could decide on his marriage. ¡°Are we crazy?¡± Ruka was dizzy the moment she muttered those words. Feeling bad for her, Ren pressed the back of her head closer to his heart while saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will marry you.¡± Ruka closed her eyes as those words branded in her ears like an oath, calming her flustered heart. No matter how difficult the road ahead was, she was willing to apany him through it. Downstairs, Sophie couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She asked Mrs. Husson, ¡°Mrs. Husson, is Ren not back yet?¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°He¡¯s back! Why don¡¯t you go upstairs and look for him? He¡¯s probably there,¡± Mrs. Husson replied to Sophie. Sophie nodded happily and answered, ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll head upstairs to look for him.¡± Sophie trotted upstairs with a heart eager to see Ren. She took a look at the second floor and asked one of the maids, ¡°Have you seen Mr. Ren?¡± ¡°He should be on the third floor!¡± replied the maid. Sophie went up to the third floor without saying a word, but she didn¡¯t know where Ren was. All the doors were closed at the moment, so she had to shout. ¡°Ren, are you here?¡± In the study, Ren hugged Ruka tightly, and the woman became startled as she trembled in fright. She pushed the man in a struggle since Sophie¡¯s voice was just outside the door. Ren let go of her, so Ruka hurriedly turned her head to look around and saw the curtains. She then pointed to Ren and hid herself there. Surprisingly, Sophie found the right door. She knocked and pushed the door to the study. As expected, she saw the tall man standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. With a delighted expression, she eximed, ¡°Ren, you¡¯re here!¡± Ren¡¯s expression at the moment was twisted and even a little cold. ¡°Who told you that you could barge in?¡± he questioned solemnly. Sophie¡¯s originally cheerful face turned flustered for a few seconds. She bit her lip and exined aggrievedly, ¡°I¡­ It was Mrs. Husson who told me toe upstairs to find you. I didn¡¯t mean to disturb you.¡± After exining the situation, Sophie couldn¡¯t help but show him a look of innocence and self-me. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Ren, can you forgive me for barging in?¡± ¡°Get out!¡± Ren yelled in an attempt to kick her out. When Sophie saw that there was no one around, how could she give up this opportunity to be alone with him? Instead of leaving, she boldly walked toward Ren and inquired, ¡°Are you reading here by yourself? Can I stay with you?¡± ¡°No. Just get out!¡± His gazended behind the curtains beside the window, and he vaguely saw the figure of the girl hiding inside. In an instant, he felt extremely bad for her. ¡°I¡¯d like to apany you. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t disturb you,¡± Sophie uttered boldly. Ren¡¯s cold eyes stared at her. ¡°Do you not understand me, Miss Liamson?¡± ¡°Ren, I like you. I like you very much. Even before I met you, I already fell hard for you when I saw you on TV. I wish to date you,¡± Sophie confessed loudly. Ruka, who was behind the curtains, became stunned. She couldn¡¯t believe she was hearing another woman¡¯s confession to him! ¡°Miss Liamson, there is someone I like, so please don¡¯t waste your time,¡± uttered Ren straightforwardly as he stared at her with an intimidating gaze, exuding a cold aura around him. Sophie¡¯s heart trembled, for the man she was so eager to be with was right in front of her. She didn¡¯t give up as she continued, ¡°But Mr. and Mrs. Husson like me a lot. They think we¡¯re a good match¡­¡± ¡°Where did you get the confidence to think we¡¯re a good match?¡± Ren raised his brows, feeling greatly dissatisfied. His beloved woman was still hiding behind the curtains, yet he had to endure the harassment of another woman. Sophie was hit hard. She was confident that her conditions were excellent in all aspects, but in front of this man, was her excellence worth mentioning? ¡°Ren, you just don¡¯t know me yet. I¡¯m not as bad as you think,¡± she added without giving up. ¡°There is a woman I like and want to marry, so you don¡¯t have to pester me anymore. Please leave!¡± After saying that, he opened the door for her and forced Sophie to leave with a cold look on his face. Feeling extremely hurt, she walked to the door, but when she was about to turn back and say something, the door mmed shut. She then bit her lip, feeling aggrieved and unwilling. She then took a seat on the chair in the corridor without intending to leave. Meanwhile, Ruka¡¯s legs went a little stiff after hiding behind the curtains, so Ren quickly drew the curtains and pulled her out. Ruka threw herself into his arms at once. She had heard his cold rejection toward Sophie with her own ears. How could she doubt his feelings anymore? Ren then brought her to the couch. Ruka raised her head and looked at the man, who had always been extremely gentle to her but acted absolutely cruel to other women. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ren blinked, for the way she stared at him made him a little flustered. In response, she pursed her red lips and shook her head. ¡°Are you afraid that I¡¯ll be that cruel to you in the future?¡± Ren expressed her worries in a hoarse voice. Ruka wanted to say she was afraid, but she didn¡¯t want to express her distrust of him so directly, so she shook her head again. Ren sighed, not knowing how tofort her at this moment. However, he knew that he wanted to pamper her and take care of her for the rest of his life. No one knew how this girl healed him when he was younger. She was like the light of his life. Ren also suffered from depression in his teenage years because his parents had high expectations for him. Ever since he became sensible, he suffered from academic stress. Other children his age were allowed to y outside, but he couldn¡¯t. He had to excel in every aspect, or else, he would disappoint his father since he was the only heir to the Husson Family. Under such high-intensity pressure, Ren had a depressing youth, but he couldn¡¯tin to anyone. After Ruka¡¯s arrival, she seemed to have healed him. Her cuteness, mischievousness, and big, curious eyes always relieved his academic pressure immediately, making him feel rxed. Even if she messed up, destroyed his books, hid his pen, or cried aloud, he never got annoyed. He always found her lovable. The three years he spent at his sister¡¯s house was the happiest of his entire childhood and adolescence. Even after he left their house, he never forgot about Ruka. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Ruka noticed that the man had been staring at her for a long time. Ren curled his lips into a smile, caressed her face with his big palm, and pressed his thin lips against her red ones before confessing in a raspy voice, ¡°That¡¯s because I love you.¡± He coldly refused another woman earlier but confessed to her affectionately right now. Ruka felt a little light-headed. Even if she was the one being kissed, she returned his kiss and hugged his neck. On the other hand, Sophie was sorting out her emotions in the corridor on the third floor. She would not give up so easily, but just as she was about to go to the bathroom on the third floor, she heard the door of the study open. She wondered if Ren hade out. She stood at the corner and peeped her head out. Her eyes widened when she saw the scene. Why was there a girl in the room? At this moment, Ruka¡¯s hand was being held by Ren, and her cheeks had been colored crimson. Sophie was so shocked that she hurriedly retreated to the dark corner of the turning. She covered her mouth in disbelief. Was this the woman Ren liked? Was it her? Who was she? Sophie couldn¡¯t help biting her lip and was determined to find out her identity. Sophie¡¯s gaze was locked on them until they disappeared. Only then did shee out from the dark corner of the corridor. Currently, her eyes were filled with surprise and jealousy. She even deliberately scrutinized the youngdy earlier, thinking she was just a part of the Husson Family. It now seemed that she had underestimated her identity. As soon as Sophie got down to the second floor, she saw a maid who was done cleaning up. She couldn¡¯t help but stop the maid enthusiastically and inquired, ¡°Excuse me, may I know who the girl wearing the yellow coat in the hall is?¡± The maids here knew Sophie¡¯s identity, so they were very polite and respectful to her. Naturally, they answered her quickly, ¡°Miss Liamson, you must be talking about Miss Singed, right? She is Miss Husson¡¯s goddaughter.¡± ¡°Her goddaughter?¡± Sophie¡¯s eyes widened in shock as she asked again, ¡°Are you saying that Miss Singed is Miss Scarlet Husson¡¯s adopted goddaughter?¡± ¡°Yes. Miss Singed¡¯s parents are also guests today,¡± replied the maid. Sophie endured the shock in her heart and uttered, ¡°Okay, thank you.¡± As she went downstairs, she digested the news. Ruka turned out to be Scarlet¡¯s adopted daughter, so what was the rtionship between her and Ren? Wasn¡¯t it a messy rtionship? They shouldn¡¯t be together! A goddaughter was also considered a daughter, after all! How could they mess up the generations? Ruka must¡¯ve seduced Ren! She noticed the couple beside Ruka earlier. They looked like an ordinary couple and definitely did not belong to the riches. Ruka might not have been content with being just a goddaughter, so she wanted to take the position of the mistress of the Husson Family. At the same time, she could even enjoy the title of the vice president¡¯s wife! When Sophie thought about it, she finally understood everything. In her eyes, Ruka was an ambitious person who was more adept than her. Sophie couldn¡¯t help but sneer. How unlucky she was to have met someone like Ruka! She decided that she would never let someone like Ruka get her hands on Ren. This man was her goal, so she had to grab the opportunity regardless. By the time Ruka returned to the hall and sat beside her parents, she took off her outer coat, revealing a in and elegant white dress inside. After getting scared by Ren upstairs earlier, her back was covered in a cold sweat. How could she even feel the coolness? All she felt was the warmth in the room. She needed to get some fresh air outside. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll head for a walk in the garden and look for Ang at the same time,¡± Ruka informed her mother. ¡°Sure, but don¡¯t venture too far,¡± ire reminded. As the elders were gathered together talking about their children, the children all agreed that they didn¡¯t want to stay there, so all of them left the table at that opportunity. With that, Ruka went out to feel the cool breeze. At that moment, Sophie happened to pass by in the corridor beside the floor-to-ceiling windows. She couldn¡¯t help but notice Ruka by the garden pool. A sneer shed in her eyes, and she came out from a side door. Currently, Ruka was watching a few fish swimming in the fountain pool. She was envious of them, seeing how freely they swam around. Hearing footsteps behind her, Ruka hurriedly turned her head and saw Sophie walking toward her with graceful steps with a smile on her face. ¡°Hello, Miss Liamson,¡± Ruka took the initiative to greet her. ¡°Hi, Miss Singed.¡± Sophie folded her arms in front of her, showing off her superior attitude. Ruka could tell that she came without good intentions, so she became alert and questioned, ¡°Why are you looking for me, Miss Liamson?¡± ¡°Where have you been? I don¡¯t think I saw you just now!¡± Sophie asked her deliberately. Ruka instantly felt nervous. Why did Sophie ask her that? Had she found out? In response, Ruka asked, ¡°Is there a specific reason you¡¯re here to see me?¡± ¡°You should know who I am! I am the candidate for future daughter-inw appointed by Mrs. Husson, and all of them like me very much. I heard that you¡¯re the goddaughter adopted by Miss Scarlet Husson, so you will be calling me Aunt Sophie in the future!¡± Sophie couldn¡¯t help but smile in a complicated way. Ruka squinted her eyes and countered in neither humble nor haughty tone, ¡°I¡¯ll definitely call you that when you be my aunt-inw one day!¡± However, she knew that there was no way Sophie would attain the said position. Sophie looked at Ruka, not wanting to beat around the bush anymore. She inched closer to her, leaned into her ear, and said, ¡°Ruka, I know what you and Ren did in the study just now.¡± Ruka¡¯s expression changed suddenly as she nced at Sophie. Did she find out that she was hiding behind the curtains just now? ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Ruka yed dumb. Sophie¡¯s expression sank as she sneered and said, ¡°Being the goddaughter of the Husson Family isn¡¯t enough for you, huh? You¡¯re dreaming of bing their mistress, aren¡¯t you? Did you think you¡¯d be able to hide the fact that you secretly seduced Ren behind all the elders of the Hussons? Not from me, though. If you don¡¯t want me to expose your wild side in public, you¡¯d better stay away from Ren.¡± Ruka¡¯s face turned pale, paler than the white flowers blooming next to her. She clenched her fists tightly, never expecting Sophie to discover her rtionship with Ren. Watching Ruka¡¯s reaction, Sophie was delighted. She probably had a grasp on Ruka¡¯s weakness! ¡°Do you think I should go to the hall and report it to Mrs. Husson? Should I tell them how scheming her goddaughter is, seducing her perfect son behind her back?¡± While confronting each other, neither of them noticed that there was a girl standing behind the bushes. Ang hade to look for Ruka, so she overheard Sophie¡¯s words from beginning to end. Even Ang didn¡¯t expect Sophie would dare to threaten Ruka like this at the Husson Residence. Recalling how she tried to hit on her husband earlier, she was certain that Sophie was the one with bad intentions. ¡°Ruka, you¡¯re here!¡± Ang called out, stepping out from behind the bushes. Sophie immediately turned to look at Ang. She had just threatened Ruka, so it was unpleasant to be disturbed like this. At the same time, Ruka felt like her savior had arrived, so she breathed a sigh of relief while calling out, ¡°Ang!¡± Ang stretched out her hand to hold Ruka, then looked up at Sophie. ¡°You¡¯re here too? I forgot to introduce myself earlier. My name is Ang, the granddaughter-inw of Mrs. Husson.¡± When Sophie was in the hall just now, she had witnessed Ang¡¯s silent warning to her, so she didn¡¯t like her either. She smiled and greeted, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Sophie.¡± ¡°Ruka, they have prepared some refreshments over there. Let¡¯s go over and have some!¡± After speaking, Ang didn¡¯t bother to invite Sophie. ¡°Miss Liamson, please help yourself!¡± Ang made good use of her advantage as a part of the Hussons. In this case, Ang was the official family member of the Hussons, while Sophie was nothing. Sophie couldn¡¯t help clenching her teeth secretly. She secretly vowed to show her pride and trample Ang on her feet once she sessfully became the mistress of the Husson Family. On the other hand, Ang dragged Ruka out of the garden as they walked to a lounge in the center of the pavilion. Ruka pursed her lips, wondering whether Ang had overheard what Sophie said to her just now. Ang was not someone who liked to hide things. She read Ruka¡¯s concerned mind and decided to take the initiative to talk about it. ¡°Ruka, I heard what Sophie said to you just now.¡± After Ang said that, she quicklyforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, though. I¡¯m on your side.¡± Ruka blinked in shock. ¡°Did you¡­ did you really hear everything? ¡± Ang held her hand and answered, ¡°Yes, I know everything, including the rtionship between you and Uncle Ren. I know everything, but don¡¯t worry, I support your rtionship.¡± Ruka¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Ang¡¯s words were like a test of her endurance. She knew everything but still supported them? ¡°Well, such an excellent man like Uncle Ren should be kept within the family. How could we allow someone like Sophie to obtain the benefits? You¡¯re at the appropriate age for marriage, and you¡¯re not blood-rted to the Hussons. It makes sense that you two would want to be together. Don¡¯t fret about what others think.¡± Ruka was stunned by Ang¡¯s words, but her heart was filled with gratitude and joy. Did someone finally think it was reasonable for her to be with Ren? Chapter 1121-1130 Chapter 1121-1130 ¡°Thank you¡­ Ang.¡± Ruka took her hand, feeling the warmth of being supported. Ang burst outughing. ¡°Should I call you Aunt Ruka now?¡± Ruka instantly blushed with her head lowered. At any rate, these generational issues were indeed messy. ¡°I¡­¡± She bit her red lips, so embarrassed that she didn¡¯t know what to say. Ang stopped teasing Ruka and reached out to hug her. ¡°No matter what our titles are, we¡¯ll decide on that when the timees. Right now, the most important thing is that you guys are together. I promise that Richard and I will support you.¡± Ruka felt anxious all of a sudden. ¡°Richard¡­¡± ¡°As long as I¡¯m on your side, he wouldn¡¯t dare to oppose me!¡± Ang huffed. Ruka looked at her gratefully. Although Ang¡¯s words did not represent everyone else¡¯s opinions, her support was enough to warm her heart. ¡°Miss Singed, Mrs. Lloyd, you¡¯re all here! Lunch is starting soon over at the hall,¡± informed the maids. Ruka and Ang exchanged nces and walked toward the hall, arm in arm. Meanwhile, Sophie was already sitting at the table, and Mrs. Husson had arranged for her to sit beside Ren. Although he had note down yet, they were clearly seated together, so Sophie nced at Ruka intentionally. Ruka sat beside her parents, while Ang also sat beside Richard. He then looked at her with a meaningful gaze as her words today had also startled him. ¡°Why hasn¡¯t Rene down yet?¡± Mrs. Husson asked the maid. ¡°Mr. Husson is in a call upstairs. He must be busy settling his work. He¡¯lle down soon.¡± ¡°This boy always has a busy schedule. It¡¯s so difficult to even meet him,¡± Mrs. Hussonined to everyone at the table. While saying so, they could tell she was proud of her son. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Only Scarlet could respond to her mother. She smiled and replied, ¡°If Ren isn¡¯t doing well, you¡¯d be anxious, but now that he¡¯s doing well, you still nag about him.¡± As soon as she said that, everyoneughed, but Mrs. Husson sighed and replied, ¡°He¡¯s good in everything besides his marriage!¡± After she finished speaking, she looked at Sophie again with joy in her eyes. When she felt Mrs. Husson¡¯s gaze on her, Sophie lowered her head shyly. After that, she turned to look at Ruka with a triumphant smirk. Watching that scene, Ruka felt heartbroken. At this moment, Ren¡¯s tall and handsome figure stepped into the doorway. He nced at the empty chair at the table, whereas Ang came up with a n. She quickly got up and said to Ren, ¡°Uncle Ren, please sit here.¡± After speaking, Ang got up and sat next to Sophie. She then linked her arms with Sophie and uttered intimately, ¡°Miss Liamson, I like you so much! Let¡¯s sit together!¡± Sophie instantly stiffened. She could tell that Ang was deliberately separating her and Ren. Watching them, Richard was also slightly puzzled. He knew what was going on in his wife¡¯s mind. Therefore, Ren sat down beside Richard. He held up the teacup and looked at Ruka from the edge of his cup. The girl was seated diagonally opposite him. Ruka raised her head and met his gaze. Then, she pursed her red lips nervously and lowered her head. After Richard was reminded by Ang, he deliberately turned his gaze to his uncle and found that although he was drinking tea, he was actually looking at Ruka. Men understood men best, so Richard instantly felt a tug at his heartstrings. Could Ang be right about them? ¡°Come on, let¡¯s raise a toast together for our gathering today,¡± said Scarlet as she stood up. Except for the two elders who did not stand up, everyone else got up and clinked each other¡¯s sses. The atmosphere instantly became cheerful. After the first ss of wine, everyone started to dig in. Sophie could not help but gently asked Ren, ¡°Ren, I¡¯d like to eat some fish. Can you get some for me?¡± ¡°You want some fish? Let me help you.¡± Ang was the most proactive one and quickly grabbed a piece for Sophie. Thetter silently cursed her for ruining her chances. Richard knew what his wife was getting at, and he smiled dryly. ¡°Come, dig in, Ang,¡± Charlotte told Ang and even called out to Ruka. ¡°And you too, Ruka. Look at you, all skin and bones. Eat.¡± Ruka pursed her lips with a smile. ¡°Of course, Grandma.¡± She felt Ren shooting her a conflicted look. Sophie smiled. ¡°You¡¯re the youngest one in the family, huh, Ruka? Scarlet¡¯s goddaughter, eh? I heard she likes you the most. Here, a toast for you.¡± She was reminding Ruka that she was the youngest around for a reason. Sophie wanted to push her down and keep her subservient. ¡°Thank you, Miss Liamson.¡± Ruka raised her ss half-heartedly and returned the toast. ¡°I envy Ruka. She has two moms and two dads. Harold, Charlotte, and uncle love her too,¡± Sophie continued. Ruka bit her fork. She was a little panicked. Honestly, she was so nervous, she didn¡¯t even dare to meet Ren¡¯s gaze. She was worried Sophie might tell everyone about her rtionship with him. She didn¡¯t want that dream to happen in real life. What if his family yells at him? What if he hurts them because of me? ¡°Well, I mean, everyone¡¯s different, Miss Liamson. For example, some people aren¡¯t loved by their family, unlike Ruka is. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Ang snapped. Sophie shut up andughed at herself. ¡°I guess so. I¡¯m not as lucky as she is.¡± Ruka stood up and announced, ¡°I need to use the bathroom.¡± She left the room quickly, and Ren looked at her, worried. He held his phone up. ¡°I¡¯m gonna make a call.¡± And then he left as well. Sophie stared in the direction they left. Ang rested her chin on her hands. ¡°Stop staring, Miss Liamson. Dig in.¡± She then looked at Richard and winked. It was as if she was saying, See? I hit the bullseye. Richard¡¯s brows knitted together. That¡¯s not the problem here. This is aplex case that needs to be dealt with. The bathroom was just an excuse for Ruka to get some fresh air. The tension was too much back in there, and her heart kept thumping furiously. It almost suffocated her. A gust of cold wind blew across her the moment she came to the garden, causing her hair to billow in the wind. She had taken her coat off, so she was wearing nothing but her white dress. The cold air was making her shiver. She wanted to back away. Then again, someone pulled her into a warm embrace. It surprised her. She looked back and saw Ren. He looked worried and sympathetic. ¡°It¡¯s cold out here, so why did youe out?¡± He led her into a greenhouse where the heater was on. Ruka pulled her hand back. She was worried some servant mighte out and see them. He sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t take what Sophie said to heart. She¡¯s just an outsider.¡± She didn¡¯t want to tell him that Sophie threatened her before. It would just give him unwanted pressure. She nodded. ¡°Sure. I don¡¯t really mind what she said.¡± Back in the dining room, ire had also excused herself to go to the restroom. She thought she would run into her daughter there, but she didn¡¯t see her, even when she was done relieving herself. It annoyed her. It¡¯s mealtime. Where is that girl? We¡¯re guests here. She can¡¯t run around. She¡¯s not a kid anymore. ire was a strict mother. She went to look for her daughter so she could take her back to the dining hall. Going back alone was clearly rude. I wonder if she¡¯s in the greenhouse. ire went to the greenhouse and heard sounds of conversation coming from one of the rooms, so she approached it. Ruka and Ren were inside the room. She was feeling better after that little counseling session Ren gave her. They were sitting face to face. ire looked in and heaved a sigh of relief. I finally found her. So she was meeting Ren. Just when she was about to call out to her daughter, Ruka spread her arms and hugged Ren. She even stood on tiptoes and kissed his cheek. ire¡¯s eyes went wide with shock. What is she doing? She can¡¯t do that to Ren! She couldn¡¯t see the look on Ren¡¯s face, since his back was turned to her. However, she did see how impertinent Ruka was, and then the girl actually smiled shyly. Ren said, ¡°I think we should head back now.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Ruka nodded. ire thought her heart would burst from her chest. She quickly went to the garden in case Ruka and Ren found out she was eavesdropping, even though she didn¡¯t mean to eavesdrop. ire was trying to cool down with the breeze, but to no avail. I can¡¯t believe she just kissed Ren! She felt like she didn¡¯t know her daughter. What Ruka did just crossed all the boundaries she set for Ruka ever since Ruka was a child. How did this happen? Where did I go wrong? She can¡¯t kiss her own elder. Her chest was heaving. Ruka¡¯s gone too far, but I guess it¡¯s my fault. Every mother had great expectations for their children, including ire. She didn¡¯t need Ruka to be sessful or anything, but at least she had to be an uprightdy. ¡°That is not how we raised you, Ruka!¡± ire felt like she could cry. At the same time, Ruka and Ren hade back to the dining room, but she was still too nervous to go inside. She said, ¡°I¡¯ll need to use the bathroom.¡± Ren knew she was still anxious, so he went inside without her. The moment he took his seat, Sophie looked at him sheepishly. Ren ignored her. He had decided to make it clear that he wasn¡¯t dating Sophie. He didn¡¯t want his parents to keep misunderstanding them. Sophie shot Ruka a jealous look when she came back. Ruka took her seat, and to her surprise, she didn¡¯t see her mother. Where did she go? The dinner got a little glum since everyone, apart from Walter, Robert and Harold, was weighed down by their own thoughts. They were having a good time drinking and didn¡¯t get weighed down by anything, maybe except for the booze. Ruka was halfway through her meal when ire came back. She was looking happy a while ago, but now it was obvious she was troubled. Ruka noticed that, of course. She looked at her, and ire turned around to meet her gaze as well. She heaved a big sigh. ¡°Finish your food. We¡¯re going home soon.¡± Ruka was surprised. We¡¯re going home after this? They were almost done with their meal after a while. Charlotte invited everyone for tea, but ire was already saying goodbye. Scarlet wanted them to stay, but ire insisted on leaving. ¡°We really have to go, Scarlet. Thanks for inviting us.¡± She dragged her tipsy husband out. Ren knew they were leaving, so he came over and said, ¡°Mr. Singed is drunk. I¡¯ll get someone to take you home.¡± ire quickly said, ¡°It¡¯s alright, vice president. Ruka will drive. We¡¯ll go slow.¡± Ruka looked at Ren. She was reluctant to leave, but her parents insisted, so she couldn¡¯t stay. ¡°I¡¯ll be going home then.¡± ¡°Drive safely. Text me when you get home,¡± he whispered. ¡°Sure.¡± Ruka nodded. Sophie was standing in a corner, pretending to make a call. She was delighted to see Ruka and her family leave. Once she leaves, I¡¯ll get the chance to approach Ren. After they got in the car, Robertined, ¡°What¡¯s the rush? I wanted to have a few more pints with Walter.¡± ¡°Shut it. We¡¯re going home.¡± ire was looking upset, and her temper was getting short. Ruka got into the driver¡¯s seat. She adjusted the seat until she wasfortable in it, then she revved the car up. ire was in the backseat. She stared at her daughter, and she teared up angrily. Thedy looked outside, her chest feeling stuffy. She thought her daughter was corrupted. Ruka drove ahead. She was feeling a bit nervous too. Her mother would usually love to chat with her, but aside from her father mumbling in his drunken stupor, nobody said anything. Even if her mother did speak up, it was to chide Robert. Well, this is depressing. Finally, she asked, ¡°Are you alright, Mom?¡± ¡°Just drive. We¡¯ll talk when we get home.¡± ire held her emotions back. She didn¡¯t want to start anything when her daughter was driving. Ruka looked in the rear-view mirror. ire was looking solemn and serious. Back at the Husson Residence, Ang was feeling bored because Ruka was gone and she had no one to talk to. She just came back to the living room after making a call, but Richard wasn¡¯t there. She asked the servant where he was. ¡°Master Richard and the young master are in the study,¡± she answered. Ang headed to the study, but she didn¡¯t go inside right away. Instead, she leaned her ear against the door to listen. Someone was talking inside, and it was Richard. He sounded surprised. ¡°You¡¯re giving up the election?¡± That shocked Ang. She was holding the doorknob, and now she had opened the door slightly. Ren answered calmly, ¡°Yes, I am.¡± Richard gasped and asked, ¡°Why? Why are you giving it up? Because of Ruka?¡± Ang almost leaped in shock. God. Show more tact, Richard! Ren narrowed his eyes in surprise. ¡°And how did you know about that?¡± ¡°Do you really like her?¡± he asked. Men were used to being straightforward. Ren headed to the french window. ¡°Yes, I do,¡± he answered, still as calm as ever. ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re giving up? Because of her? Grandpa won¡¯t ept this, uncle. And neither will my mother. And everyone who supports you. They¡¯re supporting you because they trust you. You¡¯re gonna let them down,¡± Richard argued. He was quickly moving toward Ren. Ang was so engrossed by the conversation, she turned the doorknob without noticing, and the door opened. She let out a gasp and fell to the ground. ¡°Ow!¡± Her knees hurt from the impact. Richard looked at her, and his heart skipped a beat. He quickly held her up. Angie blushed. ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to listen in.¡± Ren turned around. She was a likable woman, and he thought well of her because of what she did for Ruka back at dinner. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Richard took her to the couch and crouched down to check on her. ¡°No. I¡¯m fine.¡± I don¡¯t think I should be here. She stood up and limped toward the door. ¡°You gentlemen go ahead. I¡¯ll go now.¡± Richard said, ¡°I¡¯ll take her to her room, Uncle.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Ren nodded. She must have hurt her knees. Richard carried her in his arms and left. Ang med herself for interrupting their conversation. She was worried Richard might scold her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Richard. I¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± he said gently. He took her to amon room. Ang realized he was looking tense. Based on their conversation, she knew Ren¡¯s rtionship with Ruka was a big deal. He¡¯s giving the election up for Ruka. It¡¯s unbelievable. However, Ang thought Ruka was lucky she had a man who loved her so much, he would make such a big sacrifice. ¡°Are you worried about Ren?¡± Ang cupped his face. She was worried about Richard. Richard sighed. ¡°I¡¯m worried about Grandpa and Grandma. They expect big things from Uncle Ren. This might crush them.¡± ¡°Richard, do you love me? Would you give up your career for me?¡± she asked seriously, still holding his face. He answered without any hesitation, ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°What would you do if I were to be kidnapped, and they want you in exchange for me?¡± Richard hugged her. For some reason, he was getting nervous. ¡°I¡¯ll kill them if they try to do anything to you.¡± Oh, wow. Ang realized that she was as lucky as Ruka was. Both of them met gentlemen who would give up everything for them. She smiled. ¡°Now can you see why Uncle Ren is giving the election up for her? Because he loves her, just like you love me.¡± Richard was just too surprised by Ren¡¯s decision, but now Ang made things clear for him. He sighed. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Ang looked at him. Richard was still frowning, and she pinched his brows. ¡°Don¡¯t fret over it. We¡¯ll help them if they need us.¡± In the greenhouse, Charlotte wasughing at something Sophie said. Just then, a servant came in. ¡°Miss Liamson? Miss Scarlet would like to talk to you.¡± ¡°Oh, sure.¡± Sophie got up and said goodbye to Charlotte, then she went with the servant. Right after she was gone, Ren came in and took the seat beside his mother. ¡°There¡¯s something I want to tell you, Mom.¡± Charlotte took a sip of her tea. ¡°Really? Why did you have to wait until she¡¯s gone to bring that up?¡± Oh, finally. He¡¯s bringing this up. ¡°Please stop inviting Miss Liamson over, Mom. I have someone I like,¡± he said. Charlotte looked at him in surprise. ¡°Really? Who¡¯s thedy who caught your eye?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll introduce her to you guys in time.¡± Oh, he¡¯s finally bringing a girl home for dinner. Looks like the wedding¡¯sing soon. She nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting then. I¡¯ll see to Miss Liamson in time.¡± Ren nodded. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll be going back then.¡± ¡°I wanna see her as soon as possible. It¡¯d be best if you can have your own kid next year,¡± Charlotte told Ren as he left the room. Sophie was going to see Scarlet, but she ran into Ang, who was also making her way to where Scarlet was to spend some time with her, in the corridor. Even before they talked, tension was already rising in the air. ¡°Stop wasting your time on Ren, Miss Liamson. I heard what you told Ruka today. Back off if you know what¡¯s good for you,¡± Ang warned. Sophie held her anger back. She tried to be as nice as she could, and she said, ¡°You took it the wrong way, Ang. It was for their own good. Yeah, they¡¯re not rted by blood, but Ren¡¯s in a sensitive position. He can¡¯t afford to get hit by any scandals. The election is just around the corner. If someone finds out he¡¯s in love with his sister¡¯s goddaughter, it¡¯d cause a whole slew of problems.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need any outsiders to tell us what to do. Mind your own business, Miss Liamson,¡± Ang retorted. She knew Sophie¡¯s true colors, and it disgusted her. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t call me an outsider just yet. Someday, I might be your aunt,¡± Sophie said confidently. ¡°The chances of that are slim.¡± Ang left. Sophie¡¯s chest was heaving in anger. Another servant then came for her. ¡°Miss Liamson, Madam Charlotte is in the tea room. She wants to see you.¡± Sophie quickly turned around. Trying to befriend anyone in this household was a waste of time. She would rather make Charlotte happy, since she was the one calling all the shots here. Charlotte was having tea in the tea room. She was looking really delighted. What Ren told her made her feel great relief, though she was a little unhappy that Ren didn¡¯t tell her soon. I wouldn¡¯t have asked Sophie over otherwise. Sophie came into the room and happily took the seat beside Charlotte. ¡°Hi, Charlotte. The servant said you wanted to see me.¡± ¡°Ah, Sophie. There you are. Here¡¯s a gift for you. It¡¯s been great talking to you. Do visit me often, alright?¡± Charlotte gave her a gift while looking at Sophie affectionately. Sophie was a smart woman. The gift and what Charlotte said were bad signs. Her heart sank. So the blind date¡¯s over? She¡¯s giving me up? Why? Did Ang do something again? ¡°I can¡¯t take this, Charlotte. It¡¯s great enough that I get to talk to you.¡± She pushed the gift back into Charlotte¡¯s hand while smiling. ¡°You¡¯re a nice girl, Sophie. I like you very much, but Ren told me that he has someone he likes now. I don¡¯t want you to waste your time on him anymore. You¡¯re a brilliant girl. You¡¯ll find a nice guy to marry. Sorry for taking up your time.¡± Charlotte sounded apologetic. Sophie looked down. She was smiling, but her eyes were filled with disappointment. I see. So I didn¡¯t make the cut. Is this the end? All of a sudden, she realized something. She sneered quietly, He has someone he likes? She looked at Charlotte. ¡°Charlotte, may I know who¡¯s thedy he likes? Maybe I know her.¡± Charlotte smiled at her, and she sighed. ¡°He¡¯s keeping her under wraps. Wonder what¡¯s the mystery.¡± A hint of evil glinted in Sophie¡¯s eyes. He¡¯s not being mysterious. He¡¯s just too scared to tell you guys who he likes. Oh, so he¡¯s going to toss his future away and reveal his sordid rtionship with Ruka, huh? He¡¯d probably reveal it if he wasn¡¯t the vice president, but since he¡¯s still the VP, he needs to keep his image intact. ¡°There¡¯s something I really want to tell you, but it might upset you, Charlotte.¡± Sophie bit her lip and acted like she was in a dilemma. ¡°What is it? Tell me,¡± Charlotte asked curiously. She was in a good mood today. ¡°So I was looking for Ren before lunch.¡± She blinked innocently. Thedy was still keeping up the act. ¡°I did find him, but¡­ but I saw¡­¡± ¡°What did you see?¡± Charlotte¡¯s interest was piqued. ¡°I saw Ruka and Ren together in the study. I didn¡¯t see what they were doing inside, but they came out holding hands. Ruka was the one who held Ren¡¯s hand first, but that can¡¯t be real. I must have been seeing things. She can¡¯t be dating Ren. Scarlet¡¯s her godmother.¡± Charlotte¡¯s cup fell and shattered into pieces. The olddy looked furious. She asked with a trembling voice, ¡°What did you say? Are they dating?¡± Sophie looked horrified. She quickly shook her head. ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I said. I said I saw her holding Ren¡¯s hand, but I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s doing anything else.¡± ¡°Unbelievable!¡± Charlotte mmed the table. She was just going to get up, but then dizziness washed over her, and she slumped down onto the couch. Shocked, Sophie stood up. She shouted, ¡°Charlotte fainted! Somebody,e!¡± Two servants made a quick dash into the room. One of them called the hospital, while the other summoned the family physician. Charlotte was deathly pale. The sight of it made Sophie gulp. Fear was finally kicking in. She had no idea what she said would make Charlotte faint, but then she realized that thedy was almost eighty. Of course telling her anything shocking would do a number on her. Scarlet came right away. Sophie quickly picked up her bag and tried to leave. Ang was hurrying over, so she bumped into her. She noticed the nervous look Sophie was giving her. Wait. She might have something to do with this. Ang grabbed her by the cor. ¡°What did you tell her?¡± ¡°N-Nothing. Let me go. I have to go.¡± She escaped Ang¡¯s grasp and left in a hurry. Ang heaved a sigh. Great. She must have told her about that. I can¡¯t believe an outsider broke the news to Charlotte first. Scarlet and Richard were right beside Charlotte. They massaged her temples and wrists, but she still didn¡¯t regain consciousness. Harold was asleep from drinking too much, so Scarlet told everyone not to wake him. The ambnce had arrived. Richard picked Charlotte up and quickly went into it. The ambnce quickly made for the hospital, while Richard and Ang were following it in a car. Scarlet picked her phone up and called Ren. ¡°What is it, Scarlet?¡± ¡°Mom fainted. We¡¯re on our way to the hospital.¡± ¡°What happened to her?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. She just fainted. Probably got some shock. We¡¯re on our way to the hospital now. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m just informing you about this.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be right there.¡± ¡°Sure. Youe too.¡± Mom¡¯s not exactly young anymore. We need to be prepared for anything. Ang hesitated for a while, then she told Richard about how Sophie looked all nervous and left in a hurry. ¡°So you¡¯re saying Grandma fainted because she told her about that on purpose?¡± He frowned. Anger was welling up in Richard. ¡°Probably. She hates it that Ren likes Ruka, and she just threatened Ruka in the afternoon. Not to mention she left in a real hurry. She must have something to do with this,¡± she guessed. ¡°This is why Uncle Ren didn¡¯t tell them about this. They¡¯re too old to get another shock of their lives. That¡¯s also why he didn¡¯t tell anyone he¡¯s given up the election, because this might happen.¡± ¡°But Ren loves his parents. What should they do now? He and Ruka are in for a rough ride.¡± Ang sighed. She was worried for them as well. At the same time, Ruka and her parents had arrived home. Right after they went inside, ire looked at Ruka solemnly. ¡°Ruka,e with me.¡± Robert was a little tipsy. Hey down on the couch, still oblivious to the fact that his wife was looking a bit too solemn. Ruka went with her mother, and ire closed the door. Ruka¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She looked at her mother nervously. The tension in the air was almost suffocating her. She was not used to seeing her gentle mother being this solemn. ¡°Are you trying to say something, Mom?¡± Ruka asked. ire wanted to say something, but she started crying angrily before she could. The emotions she held back finally broke out and her chest heaved. She pointed at Ruka. ¡°I-I can¡¯t believe you did something so foul. You disappoint me. You¡¯re supposed to be my daughter. Scarlet¡¯s your godmother. How could you even do this?¡± Ruka was shocked. She had no idea what her mother was talking about, but seeing her so sad made Ruka sad too. ¡°C-Calm down, Mom. We can talk this through.¡± She tried to hug ire. ire shoved her away. ¡°Tell me, why are you dating Ren? What were you thinking? You¡¯re not supposed to be a gold digger. You¡¯re not supposed to date someone just because they¡¯re rich, so why did you?¡± Ruka blushed even harder, but then she nched. How did Mom find out about that? ¡°I saw everything. You hugged and kissed him. How could you do that? Have you no shame? He¡¯s your uncle! You¡¯re tarnishing our name!¡± ire was still crying from anger. She was furious and disappointed. Ruka was panicking. She was too ashamed to face her mother. The girl pursed her lips, and tears welled up in her eyes. Her mother¡¯s disappointment was too heavy for her to bear. She had no idea how to console ire either. She didn¡¯t even have the courage to tell her the truth. There was no way she could tell her that they were in love with each other, and not because she was seducing him. That would just make things worse for Mom. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mom. I¡¯m sorry I disappointed you,¡± she apologized. Ruka was on the verge of tears as well. ¡°How far have you two gone? Did you¡­¡± ¡°No! No, of course not. It¡¯s still tonic. Nothing sexual.¡± She was embarrassed and nervous, but she had to make that clear. ¡°Did you fall for him after you stayed with him thest time?¡± she asked. ire thought this started because her daughter wanted to marry a rich and powerful man. Ruka shook her head. ¡°Mom, it¡¯s not¡ª¡± ¡°Swear¡­ Swear you won¡¯t ever get near him. Swear you won¡¯t even get any ideas about him, or I¡¯ll disown you and kick you out of the house.¡± ire was starting to threaten Ruka. Ruka closed her eyes and held her tears in. She could feel her heart getting torn into a million pieces, but she didn¡¯t show it, or her mother might go deeper into her rage. Ruka nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom. I won¡¯t go near him anymore.¡± ire felt a stab of pain in her chest. She sat down on the bed while clutching her chest. Ruka quickly came forward to check on her. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt yourself because of this, Mom. It¡¯s not as serious as you think. I¡¯ll just stay away from him. I¡¯ll do as you say, alright?¡± ¡°I owe you a lot, but I also owe Scarlet and her family a mountain of gratitude. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re doing something like this. How do you expect me to feel?¡± ire was angry at her daughter for doing something so preposterous. Ruka realized things were not as simple as she thought. There were too many things to take into ount, for example, her parents being indebted to the Hussons because they raised her. ¡°Do you have any idea who Ren is? He¡¯s the VP, and what you¡¯re doing is going to ruin his future in the political scene!¡± ire felt her heart getting crushed by anger again. Ruka nched. She was shivering in fear, and she held ire. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mom. I won¡¯t ever see him again, I promise.¡± ire angrily pped Ruka¡¯s back. ¡°How could you do this, Ruka? What did I tell you? We owe the Hussons a mountain of gratitude, and you repay them with¡­ this?¡± Ruka¡¯s eyes reddened. She stared at the ground and let her mother hit her. The pain wasn¡¯t physical as much as it was emotional. Tears slid down her cheeks silently as her dreams went up in smoke. Ruka med herself for angering her mother so much. ire held her in her embrace. Her heart ached for Ruka, and she heaved a sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t want you ruining your life either.¡± Charlotte had been taken into the emergency room when Ren came. Scarlet, her husband, Richard, and Ang were waiting outside in the corridor. They looked worried as well. ¡°Why did she faint all of a sudden?¡± Ren asked Scarlet. ¡°I don¡¯t know. The servant called for me all of sudden. She already fainted when I got to the tea room.¡± Ang wanted to tell him what happened, but Richard held her back. The announcement of Ren¡¯s rtionship with Ruka now would hit Scarlet like a bullet train. The doctor finally came out of the emergency room. Charlotte had awakened, and she was lying on the bed that was being wheeled out of the room. When she saw Ren, thedy closed her eyes and sighed. She was taken to a ward, and Scarlet went inside alone. She was worried a crowd might affect her mother¡¯s rest. Not long after she went inside, she came back out. ¡°Mom wants you inside,¡± she told Ren. He nodded. The moment his mother looked at him, he knew he must be the reason why she fainted. Ren went into the ward. Charlotte had sat up, and she was giving her son a look ofint. He took a seat. ¡°How are you doing, Mom?¡± ¡°Fine, no thanks to you.¡± She turned her head away angrily. Ren moved closer to the bed and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. He pressed his cheek against his mother¡¯s hair, and he cooed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mom. Please don¡¯t stay mad at me. Tell me what happened.¡± Charlotte loved him the most ever since he was a kid. He could easily calm her when nobody else could. His apology wiped out most of her anger, but still she shot him a re. ¡°You told me you have a lady you like. It¡¯s Ruka, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ren was surprised, but only for a moment. He nodded. ¡°Yes, it is.¡± ¡°Why¡­¡± Charlotte felt her chest tightening up. ¡°Are you trying to make everyone mad? Out of all the women in this world, and you pick Ruka?¡± Just like Ruka¡¯s parents thought the faulty with their daughter, Charlotte thought the faulty with Ren. She didn¡¯t me Ruka for this; she thought her son must have done something to make this happen. Ren caressed his mother¡¯s back while calming her down. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think, Mom. We love each other, Ruka and I.¡± Charlotte let out another big sigh. ¡°She¡¯s your sister¡¯s goddaughter. Can¡¯t you at least stay away from her?¡± ¡°But I thought you wanted me to marry someone.¡± Ren picked the exact conversation she would love to have. ¡°Yeah, but you can¡¯t just¡­¡± No matter how she looked at it, Charlotte was still miffed. She had watched over Ruka ever since she was a child, and she used toe over to y really often. Charlotte thought of her as a granddaughter, so this came as a shock for her. Not to mention she was very conservative and traditional. Of course it was hard to ept a girl whom she thought of as a granddaughter marrying her son. She shook her head and looked away. It was a silent protest. Her son held her in his embrace and rested his chin on her shoulders. He went with the ¡®act like a child¡¯ tactic. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna marry anyone but her. You refuse, and no grandkids for you.¡± Thest time he acted like a child was, well, back when he was a literal child asking for a candy. She couldn¡¯t believe her thirty-three year-old son would do the same thing again, but this time, he was asking for a wife instead of a candy. Charlotte couldn¡¯t hold back anymore. She chuckled and turned back to thump her son. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t threaten me, you know.¡± Alright, she¡¯s feeling a lot happier now. He sat up straighter and looked at Charlotte seriously. ¡°Mom, I really like her, and she likes me as well. Yes, it¡¯s gonna be controversial, but we¡¯ll face it together.¡± Charlotte was surprised for a few moments. Oh yeah. He¡¯s in a precarious position. One scandal is all it needs to destroy his political career. ¡°You have to think this through, son. The court of public opinion isn¡¯t the only thing you have to face if you date Ruka; your political career¡¯s destruction is too,¡± she advised him while holding his hand tightly. Ren had always been brilliant. They were never worried about him. ¡°I¡¯ve thought this through. Now I need your support. Everyone¡¯s support.¡± He looked at her with an unspoken plea. His parents¡¯ support was what he needed most. He didn¡¯t care about the public¡¯s opinion. He only cared about his family¡¯s. ¡°You should call Scarlet and the others inside now.¡± Charlotte thought they had to discuss this together. Ren opened the door. Everyone was looking worried. He said, ¡°Come in, you guys.¡± Scarlet came in first. She sat down beside Charlotte. ¡°How do you feel, Mom? Are you hurt or unwell anywhere?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. The problem now is your brother.¡± She sighed. ¡°What? What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Scarlet quickly looked at him. Ren was silent for a few moments, and then he looked at Scarlet. ¡°I need to tell you something, but promise me you¡¯ll stay calm.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Scarlet was surprised, but also curious. Ren was looking serious for once. ¡°I¡­ like Ruka, and I want to date her,¡± he said honestly. Scarlet¡¯s jaw dropped. She looked at him in disbelief. Walter was equally shocked. Only Richard and Ang were calm, and they exchanged a look. Okay, so the whole family¡¯s gonna know soon. ¡°Sorry? You like Ruka?¡± Scarlet shot up and approached her brother. ¡°When? Why do you like her?¡± He looked at Scarlet with resolve in his eyes. Now, he decided to profess his love for Ruka. ¡°I¡¯ve always liked her.¡± Scarlet was astounded. He has liked her ever since they were kids? Wait. I never noticed that. ¡°Does she know you like her, Ren?¡± Walter asked softly. ¡°They love each other. It¡¯s a mutual rtionship,¡± Ang said. Scarlet looked at them in surprise. ¡°You guys knew?¡± Richard pulled Ang into his embrace and cut in, ¡°Yes. I talked to Uncle Ren before. Ang only found out today.¡± Ang pursed her lips. She knew Scarlet wouldn¡¯t scold her, but the fact her husband protected her made her happy. Scarlet and Walter exchanged looks, then Charlotte sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t tell Harold about this, or that fossil¡¯s gonna step in and object to this.¡± Ren looked at her and smiled. So that¡¯s a yes from Mom. ¡°Ruka¡¯s a good girl. Sometimes I¡¯d feel sad just thinking about how she¡¯d get married eventually. I never thought someone in the family would actually like her,¡± she poked fun at Ren. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t tease him. He¡¯s single, she¡¯s single, and age isn¡¯t a problem either. Now Ruka can stay with us all the time, until we¡¯re old and decrepit. That¡¯s a good thing,¡± Walter argued. Ren looked at Walter gratefully. Richard and Ang exchanged a smile. So the family epts this. ¡°Oh, right. How the heck am I supposed to tell ire and her husband about this? They might think Ren is too old for Ruka.¡± Scarlet was in a dilemma. Chapter 1131-1140 Chapter 1131-1140 ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything to worry about. Mr. and Mrs. Singed will be more than happy to ept this.¡± Ang smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll have to talk to them myself. Honestly, I¡¯m a bit embarrassed to bring this up.¡± Scarlet was really in a dilemma now. How am I supposed to convince my best friend to marry their young and lovely daughter to my old and single brother? I can¡¯t do that. ¡°I¡¯m counting on you, sis.¡± Ren wrapped his arm around her shoulder. There was a silent plea in his eyes. Scarlet just realized Ren hid his feelings for Ruka really deep within. She didn¡¯t even notice it for the longest time. But then they¡¯re childhood friends, and Ruka moved in with him for almost a whole month. It¡¯s honestly not that far-fetched that they be lovers. ¡°But we can¡¯t let the public know about this, or it¡¯ll affect the number of votes he gets,¡± Walter said. Richard looked at Ren. He was trying to tell him not to drop out of the election. Ren wouldn¡¯t let his family down, not after they gave him their support in his rtionship. Not to mention he needed to get Harold¡¯s approval too. If he wanted his father¡¯s approval, he had to get reelected in theing election. ¡°Yeah. You and Ruka will have to wait, Ren. We¡¯ll talk about marriage after May.¡± Scarlet was worried as well. ¡°I did tell everyone she¡¯s my goddaughter. Your rivals might use that against you if they know.¡± ¡°Yes. We can¡¯t ruin his chances of getting reelected, so keep this between us. Don¡¯t tell anyone.¡± Charlotte knew what her priorities were. ¡°I¡¯ll join this election and do my best,¡± Ren promised. ¡°Why did you pass out all of a sudden, Mom?¡± Scarlet was worried about Charlotte. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing much.¡± Charlotte finally saw through Sophie. She told me about Ren dating Ruka on purpose just to make me think badly of Ruka. Charlotte was relieved she didn¡¯t tell Ren to marry Sophie, or the family would eventually turn into shambles. Ang wanted to tell her that it was all Sophie¡¯s fault, but since Charlotte was broad-minded enough not to bring it up, she was in no position to talk about it. Gotta learn to be as generous as Charlotte is. ¡°And pay a visit to the Singeds, Scarlet. See if they¡¯d like to marry Ruka off to Ren?¡± Charlotte was really happy. She wanted to settle this as soon as possible. Hey, I¡¯m gonna have a daughter-inw soon. Settle all this stuff ASAP. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll be going to their ce in a bit, Mom.¡± Scarlet smiled and got up. She told Walter, ¡°Let¡¯s go, honey. Richard and the others can handle things on this side.¡± Walter patted Ren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Leave the talking to us, Ren. We¡¯ll handle this for you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m counting on you, Walter.¡± Scarlet and Walter left. Charlotte was in a really good mood. She pulled her nket down and tried to get out of bed, and Ren stopped her. ¡°Get some more rest, Mom.¡± ¡°Nope. I passed out only because I was too angry. Now I¡¯m not angry anymore.¡± A doctor came in with some meds, and a gust of breeze carried the smell of pills through the ward. Ang took a whiff of it and felt her stomach churn. She covered her mouth and retched. Everyone looked at her. She blushed. ¡°The smell of meds always makes my stomach churn. Sorry.¡± Charlotte was looking delighted. ¡°We¡¯re at a hospital. Quick, see if you¡¯re pregnant.¡± Ang¡¯s face turned even redder. She quickly waved her hands. ¡°No. Richard and I aren¡¯t nning on having any kids just yet.¡± Richard quickly realized what was happening thanks to his great memory. There was this one time when Ang insisted on having sex with him, and they went through with it before he could get any protection on. She initiated, to say the least. Did she get pregnant from that one time? Richard held her hand. ¡°We¡¯re getting you checked.¡± Ren saw them off enviously, while Charlotte pped her hands. ¡°Yay, double the fun!¡± Ang muttered, ¡°I¡¯m not pregnant. I don¡¯t need this checkup.¡± ¡°Remember the time when we were in the mountains? When we did it in the car?¡± Richard jogged her memory. She blushed and blinked quickly. ¡°That can¡¯t be possible, right?¡± ¡°Never say never. Just get the checkup and see what¡¯s happening.¡± He led her to a consultation room, and the doctor prescribed a pregnancy test for her. Ang¡¯s heart was thumping. She leaned against the chair and recalled what happened that day, which made her blush. Richard had taken her on a hiking trip out of the blue. The view was great, and Richard looked really hot, so she went in for a little thrill. He handed the test to her and persuaded gently, ¡°Get tested.¡± Ang went reluctantly. She wasn¡¯t prepared to be a mother so soon, since she wanted some more alone time with Richard. She was sitting on the toilet bowl, waiting for the results toe out. After the first red line made its appearance, she stared at the second line to see if it would show up. The light was dim, and she was a little short-sighted, so she didn¡¯t notice the vague second line. She came back out happily. The girl even washed the test and took it out with her just to prove that she wasn¡¯t pregnant. Ang came out of the restroom and looked at Richard. Ang narrowed her eyes. She wanted to tease him a little. ¡°Guess what the result is.¡± Well, she looks happy, so it¡¯s negative then. No way she¡¯d look so delighted otherwise. ¡°Let me have a look.¡± Richard extended his hand. ¡°Here you go. There¡¯s only one line.¡± Ang handed it to him happily. Richard took it and had a look. His eyes widened in surprise. He had to blink a few times to make sure he wasn¡¯t seeing the wrong thing. She said there¡¯s only one line. But there are two here. ¡°Are you sure you looked at it seriously?¡± ¡°I did.¡± She nodded. He handed the test back to her. ¡°I think you might wanna look at it again.¡± Ang¡¯s smile froze. She took it back and looked closely. ¡°Wait. Two lines? I¡¯m pregnant?¡± Richard wrapped his arm around her shoulder and kissed her hair. ¡°The baby¡¯s on the way.¡± Ang was amused and a little miffed. Gotta watch how wild I get next time, or I might get knocked up again. ¡°Well, guess my folks are gonna be really happy then.¡± She changed her attitude. The baby¡¯s on its way, so I guess I¡¯ll just roll with it. Richard¡¯s heart went out for her. She¡¯s scared of injections. Labor¡¯s gonna be hell for her. ¡°Wanna see if it¡¯s a boy or a girl?¡± ¡°Nah. We¡¯ll find out eventually.¡± He smiled. Ang just wanted to find out beforehand so she could buy the things her baby needed. But if Richard says it¡¯s okay, then it¡¯s okay. They went back to the ward, and Richard announced the good news to Charlotte. Charlotte was over the moon as expected. She told Ang to sit beside her and gave her tips on how to get through the pregnancy. At the same time, Scarlet and Walter were on their way to the Singeds¡¯ ce. Scarlet still had mixed emotions about it, but overall, they would be happy if this worked out. Unbeknownst to them, the Singed household did not share their happiness. Ruka was lying on her bed, crying her heart out. ire had locked herself up in her room as well. She still couldn¡¯t get over it. She just thought her daughter shouldn¡¯t ingratiate herself to the Hussons. Things were grim in the Singed household. Robert was sleeping on the couch. He had no idea about the turmoil his wife and his daughter just went through. ire locked herself up in her room and thought about how her daughter grew up. She just couldn¡¯t figure out how her daughter became a shallow person who only cared about people with money and power. Ruka was in her room as well. She had gone from crying her heart out to staying still. All she could think of was the time she spent with Ren. And then¡­ she started crying again. She had never felt so helpless in her life before. She was in a state of distress. She had no idea how happy she would be if she dated him, but losing him would kill her inside. It felt like everything was starting to spin, and the world became silent. She had fainted without anyone knowing. Someone rang the doorbell. Robert had just woken up. He sat up, wondering who it was. The man opened the door and saw Scarlet and Walter outside. ¡°Scarlet? Walter? What brings you here?¡± Robert was surprised. He thought they would have dinner at the Husson residence. Okay, it¡¯s a bit too quiet here. Scarlet asked, ¡°Are ire and Ruka home?¡± Robert looked at the shoe rack. ¡°Yeah. They¡¯re in their own rooms. ¡°Good. We have something to talk about.¡± Scarlet smiled. She heard sounds of footstepsing from the bedroom. ire came down tying her hair. She was surprised that Scarlet and her husband were here. ¡°What happened to you, ire?¡± Scarlet noticed that her friend¡¯s eyes were puffy. She looked pale and exhausted. ire heaved a sigh and took a seat on the couch. ¡°Scarlet, there¡¯s something I need to tell you, but you might get angry too.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about Ruka. She¡­ She¡¯s a bad girl now.¡± The guilt ire felt crushed her, and she buried her face in her hands and started crying. Robert looked at his wife in shock. ¡°ire, just say what you have to say. Don¡¯t cry. What do you mean, she¡¯s a bad girl?¡± Scarlet sat down beside her friend and patted her back. ¡°Just say whatever is on your mind, ire. Ruka¡¯s a good girl. What do you mean she¡¯s turned bad?¡± ire was too ashamed to look at Scarlet. She hung her head low. ¡°Scarlet, Ruka is a good child at heart.¡± ¡°I know. I always thought she¡¯s a kind, upright girl. Just tell us what happened. Don¡¯t scare us!¡± she quickly said. ¡°Yeah, just tell us what happened!¡± Robert was shocked as well. ire didn¡¯t n on hiding anything. She sighed. ¡°Back at your house today, I¡­ I saw Ruka kiss Ren.¡± Robert was petrified. My daughter kissed the VP? Scarlet and Walter exchanged a look. There were smiles in their eyes, but ire didn¡¯t notice it. She quickly said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell her to stay away from Ren, Scarlet. Don¡¯t you worry.¡± Scarlet smiled. ¡°This is why we¡¯re here, ire. Have you ever thought that they might actually like each other?¡± ire gaped at Scarlet in disbelief. ¡°What do you mean, Scarlet?¡± ¡°Ren told us he likes Ruka back at the hospital. He really likes her. He hopes you¡¯ll bless their rtionship,¡± Walter said. The Singed couple exchanged a look. The news was a bombshell for them. Ren likes Ruka? They like each other? ¡°Is that a joke, Scarlet? I mean, Ren is the VP, and Ruka is just¡­ Ruka.¡± ire was still in disbelief. Robert quickly asked, ¡°When did this happen? Why didn¡¯t Ruka tell us?¡± ¡°Probably when she was staying with Ren. They fell in love and probably just started dating,¡± Scarlet quickly answered. ire realized what was going on. She regretted everything she said and did to Ruka. So they love each other. It¡¯s not a one-sided love like I thought. ¡°Why didn¡¯t she say anything? And I actually yelled at her.¡± Wait a minute. I don¡¯t hear anything in her room. She should have noticed the conversation ande downstairs by now. ¡°Ruka!¡± ire shot up from the couch and made a dash for Ruka¡¯s room. Everyone else followed her. ire knocked on the door. ¡°Ruka? It¡¯s me. Open up.¡± The door was locked from the inside. It couldn¡¯t be opened, and they had a bad feeling about it. ¡°Get the keys! Ruka might be in danger!¡± Scarlet said. Robert went and looked for the keys. ire was tearing up in panic. ¡°Ruka, open the door! I¡¯m sorry! It was a misunderstanding. Please, open up!¡± ¡°Ruka? It¡¯s me, Scarlet. Let¡¯s talk, alright? Don¡¯t lock yourself up.¡± Robert came back with the keys. ire opened the door and went inside. Ruka was lying on the bed. She might be asleep, but ire thought otherwise. Robert quickly went to the bed and held Ruka. He checked her breathing and told everyone, ¡°Take her to the hospital. She¡¯s passed out.¡± ire wobbled. The guilt almost made her pass out as well, but Scarlet held her. ¡°We gotta take her to the hospital, ire. Let¡¯s go.¡± Robert left the house with Ruka in his arms. Walter got into the car and revved it up. Scarlet took the passenger seat, while ire got into the backseat. She held Ruka as they made their way to the hospital. ¡°This is all my fault. I didn¡¯t talk things through with her and went straight to the yelling. I even made her swear she¡¯d stay away from Ren. I should have tried to understand the situation better first.¡± ire was crying. ¡°It¡¯s alright, ire. Don¡¯t cry. It¡¯s not your fault.¡± Scarlet turned around. They went to a nearby hospital, and Ruka was taken to the emergency room. Scarlet called Ren. ¡°Scarlet? What is it?¡± ¡°Ren, I need to tell you something, but promise me you¡¯ll stay calm.¡± Scarlet was worried he might come to the hospital. He can¡¯t run around, not when he¡¯s still the VP. ¡°Did something happen to Ruka?¡± Ren quickly asked. ¡°Well, ire saw her kiss you back at lunch. She thought Ruka might be trying to date you for money, so she scolded Ruka when they got home. The heartbreak got to Ruka, and she passed out. We¡¯re at the hospital¡ª¡± Before she could finish, Ren said, ¡°Which hospital, sis?¡± ¡°You can¡¯te here, Ren,¡± she stopped him. ¡°Just tell me where you are, Scarlet,¡± he said adamantly. Scarlet told him, and he hung up. She sighed. I can¡¯t stop him. But she could see that he really loved Ruka. Eventually, Ruka was brought out of the ER and taken to a regr ward. She had an oxygen mask on her face to help her breathe. The doctor said this was a short-term passing out caused by great sadness. It was a matter of time before she woke up. ire was sitting right in front of the bed, looking at her pale daughter. Ruka must have internalized all the me. She knew her overreaction shocked Ruka. A motorcade departed from the Husson Residence, and they were heading to a hospital in the town area. Elijah was right beside Ren. He unzipped a bag and unloaded the standard disguise for Ren¡ªthere was a mask, a cap, and a pair of gold-rimmed sses. He usually used these on his outings. ¡°Why don¡¯t you call Mrs. Husson and have her notify you once Miss Singed wakes up?¡± Elijah wasn¡¯t big on the idea of him going to crowded ces like hospitals. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll be going in with just you and two bodyguards,¡± Ren said. Four ck off-road vehicles stopped by the roadside, and a ck car went into the hospital¡¯s car park. Elijah opened the door, and out came Ren. He was wearing a long ck coat, a ck baseball cap, a pair of gold-rimmed sses, and arge ck mask that hid most of his face. However, his tall figure and distinguished air still drew everyone¡¯s attention. Elijah followed right beside him, along with several bodyguards in the rear who were on their toes at all times. Walter and Robert were waiting for him in the corridor of the hospital¡¯s inpatient ward on the sixth floor. When Robert saw the man that stepped out of the elevator, his heart was moved. He was touched to see Rening to the hospital in spite of how dangerous it was for him. ¡°Mr. Husson.¡± Robert stepped forward to greet him. ¡°Has Ruka woken up yet?¡± Ren asked gently. ¡°No. ire and Scarlet are both in there with her right now,¡± Robert replied before heading into the room. ¡°Mr. Husson is here.¡± ire stood up in a tizzy, and Scarlet patted her hand to calm her down. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous.¡± ire was pleased, but she was also feeling a little remorseful. Atst, she realized how strong the feelings were between her daughter and Ren. She was also deeply moved by the fact that he came to visit Ruka despite how dangerous it was for him. Ren stepped through the door and his heart dropped when he saw the woman who was lying on the hospital bed hooked up to a venttor. He turned to ire and greeted her politely. ¡°Mrs. Singed.¡± ¡°Mr. Husson,¡± ire greeted him back a little nervously. ¡°ire, let¡¯s find a ce to rest and let Ren sit with Ruka for a while.¡± Scarlet was more than happy to help her brother have some alone time with Ruka. ¡°Okay.¡± ire nodded in agreement. She did not worry about leaving Ruka in Ren¡¯s hands. Scarlet turned to her brother and said, ¡°Ren, take good care of Ruka.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Ren nodded. The two bodyguards continued to keep watch outside the room. Elijah was leaning against the wall and he was on high alert as well. After all, the man sitting in there right now was the nation¡¯s vice president, Ren Husson. Ren sat down by the bed and sighed. He figured out what happened based on what Scarlet told him earlier. So she got a good scolding, huh? Ren med himself for it. It was his fault for not informing the Singeds about their rtionship. His failure to do so led to her family misunderstanding her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ruka. It¡¯s my fault.¡± Ren took her slightly chilly hand in his and kissed it softly. Ruka was slowly gaining consciousness. She vaguely heard a man¡¯s voice that sounded rather like his, but she thought she had to be dreaming. Her eyelids trembled slightly and her eyshes fluttered as she slowly opened her eyes. The lights along the ceiling blinded her for a moment and she blinked rapidly to get used to the brightness. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± She heard a deep voice calling out to her. Ruka turned her head a little to the side and immediately, she saw Ren¡¯s handsome face staring back at her. Startled, she quickly sat up in bed. ¡°W-What are you doing here?¡± Ren stood up from his seat and pulled her into his arms in one fell swoop. He rested his chin on her head as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Your parents know all about us now. They won¡¯t scold you anymore.¡± ¡°Really? They know everything?¡± Ruka¡¯s eyes welled up with tears as her despair surged up again. She grabbed his sleeves tightly and leaned against his chest. She was determined to be with him, even if it meant withstanding the brunt of her family¡¯s anger. ¡°Why am I in the hospital?¡± Ruka looked up at him and asked. Ren ran his fingers through her hair. His heart was aching as he exined, ¡°You fainted after being too overwhelmed by your emotions. Scarlet and the others brought you to the hospital.¡± Ruka felt a little mortified and she scampered back into his arms to hide. She had fainted out of grief that she would never be able to be with him anymore. ¡°Is it because of me?¡± he asked with a sigh. Ruka did not want to deny it, so she nodded. ¡°My mother saw me kissing you back at Husson Residence. She was furious and upset because she thought I was trying to seduce you.¡± Ren sighed once again. He stroked her back tofort her and kissed her on the forehead. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell her that I¡¯m the one who chased you?¡± Ren chided hoarsely. ¡°What makes you think I¡¯d dare to? If I did say that, my mother would¡¯ve said that I must have gone mad for being so full of myself! Mr. Vice President wouldn¡¯t possibly take a liking to me, not even if he were blind!¡± Ruka huffed. He rapped her head with his chin. ¡°Who are you calling blind?¡± Ruka giggled. Two hours ago, she felt nothing but despair, but now, she was drowning in bliss. ¡°Hang on. Does Aunt Scarlet know that you¡¯re here to see me? What about your parents? Does everyone know?¡± Ruka clutched his shirt and fired off question after question. ¡°Everyone who needs to know does know by now, except for my father.¡± Then, Ren added, ¡°Rx. My family supports our rtionship.¡± Ruka¡¯splexion was a little pale earlier, but now it was bright red. All of them know about it and they¡¯re showing us support too? ¡°I¡¯m certain your parents will give us their blessing too, or otherwise, it¡¯s hard to imagine how sad their daughter would be if she couldn¡¯t marry me!¡± Renmented with a smile. Ruka pouted and punched him in the chest. ¡°You¡¯re teasing me!¡± She was already embarrassed enough for fainting because she thought she could not be with him. He grabbed her hand and pressed it against his chest. His voice was serious and full of love as he said, ¡°I¡¯m not teasing you, Ruka. Words can¡¯t express how happy I am that you love me so.¡± Ruka¡¯s face turned even redder, but she wrapped her arms around his waist. ¡°You better remember that.¡± Ren stroked her hair and said, ¡°We will never be apart again, not now, not ever.¡± It¡¯s a promise. ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll never be apart,¡± Ruka agreed with a nod without hesitation. ¡°Ruka¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± She looked up at him. ¡°Don¡¯t ever faint like that again, okay? You must remember that I¡¯ll always be by your side no matter what happens.¡± Ren was afraid that if another misunderstanding cropped up, she would faint out of sadness or despair once more. It would break his heart if she did. Ruka looked into his deep, brooding eyes and smiled. She feared nothing now since he said he would always be with her. Still, she was vexed at herself for proving her love for him by fainting. What a foolish thing to do. ¡°Wait a minute. This is the hospital. Why are you here?¡± Atst, it dawned on Ruka that a person like him should not be here right now. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Ren assured her. However, Ruka was not about to be as callous with his safety. She tried to push him away. ¡°No, you better leave now! I¡¯m fine. I don¡¯t want anything to happen to you. Go now, quickly.¡± Ren grabbed her hand. ¡°Come with me then.¡± ¡°Where to?¡± ¡°You can recuperate at my house.¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t. I¡­¡± Ruka blushed. She felt a little bashful about staying with him. However, Ren was adamant. After all, he was certain that she was the one for him. He wanted to take care of her and he knew that her parents would be fine with it. He would beg them if he had to. Meanwhile, in a waiting room nearby, ire was both amazed and disbelieving when she heard what Scarlet told her. Why would Ren Husson, of all people, take a liking to her daughter? It was as if Ruka had won life¡¯s lottery! If Ruka did marry Ren, she would have the prestige of being the Hussons¡¯ daughter-inw. ¡°Is this true, Scarlet? Is Ren truly in love with Ruka? Why does it feel like I¡¯m dreaming?¡± ire eximed as she sped her hand around Scarlet¡¯s. ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe my ears when I first heard about it too, but sometimes love happens when you least expect it. Since they¡¯re in love, we should just ept it and give them our blessing! My mother is very pleased with Ruka too. She hopes that once Ren¡¯s done with the general elections, we can start picking a date for Ren and Ruka¡¯s wedding.¡± ¡°Will his marriage with Ruka affect him during the general elections? After all, a lot of people know that Ruka grew up with your family. I¡¯m afraid that others might use this information to cause a scandal for Ren. I wouldn¡¯t want this to ruin his future!¡± ¡°I was concerned about this too, but Ruka is your child. She and Ren are not rted in any way, so there¡¯s no reason to care about what others might say. Even if someone tries to use this against Ren, I doubt it will amount to anything as long as all of us stand together in their defense,¡± Scarlet assured ire in her staunch defense of her brother¡¯s happiness. ¡°Ruka¡¯s rtionship with the Hussons would change too. You¡¯ll be her sister, and she¡¯ll be calling Mrs. Husson Mom.¡± ire was a little flummoxed by the thought of it. ¡°That¡¯s nothing to fret over. I¡¯m thrilled to have Ruka as my sister-inw. Our two families will be joined in marriage now, so we¡¯ll be closer than ever! Isn¡¯t that a good thing?¡± Scarlet continued to assuage all of ire¡¯s worries without any sign of displeasure. ire nodded happily. ¡°I like the sound of that. I¡¯d love for us to be a family.¡± ¡°ire, you can trust Ren. Ruka¡¯s safe in his hands! He loves her very much,¡± Scarlet dered seriously. ire was still feeling remorseful over the way she admonished Ruka earlier. That,bined with the way she felt as if she had wronged Ruka, made her nod at once. ¡°Of course. I have absolute faith in Ren. I¡¯m just worried that he would have his hands full with her since she¡¯s still so young.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. Ruka¡¯s a thoughtful and mature youngdy. Plus, we¡¯re d that he¡¯ll have someone by his side now instead of being alone all the time.¡± Scarlet felt bad for Ren. He sacrificed a lot for the sake of their family¡¯s glory. Just then, Elijah knocked on the door and came in. ¡°Mrs. Falkner, Mrs. Singed, Miss Singed has woken up now and the doctor has cleared her for discharge, so that¡¯s being processed right now.¡± ¡°Ruka should be fine now.¡± Scarlet stood up and said to ire, ¡°Let¡¯s go and see her.¡± ire and Scarlet entered the hospital room and saw Ruka sitting up in bed. Ruka could not look her mother in the eye yet, but ire came up to her and hugged her. ¡°Ruka, I¡¯m sorry for misunderstanding you. Please forgive me!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not mad at you, Mom.¡± Ruka returned the hug. She could understand why her mother had been so worried. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Singed, there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to ask of you,¡± Ren stood up and said. Ruka¡¯s cheeks turned pink. Was he going to say it now? ¡°Go ahead, Ren.¡± Robert looked at him. ¡°I wish to take Ruka home with me and let her recuperate there until the end of the year. I hope you will give your permission.¡± Ren gave them a pleading look. Scarlet was amused at how impatient he was in his eagerness to keep Ruka by his side. ire and Robert exchanged nces and nodded without protest. ¡°Will it be too much trouble for you, though?¡± ire asked in concern. ¡°Of course not,¡± Ren responded with a smile. Ruka was certain that she looked like a boiled lobster right now, but she could not hide her joy. Does this mean I can stay with him for a few days? ¡°I¡¯ll head home to pack some things for Ruka and have someone bring it over right away,¡± ire said. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary, Mrs. Singed. I¡¯ll prepare the clothes, daily necessities, and whatever Ruka needs,¡± Ren replied lightly. Ruka¡¯s face was burning up. She felt incredibly shy that he was doting on her so much in front of her parents. It urred to ire as well that Ren had the finest things in life avable to him. Ruka would be well taken care of when she was with him. ¡°That¡¯s settled then. Ren, you should take Ruka home with you now. It won¡¯t be good for you to stay here much longer.¡± Scarlet was worried about Ren¡¯s safety. Ruka had already pulled her shoes on a long time ago. Ren nced at her and she said to her parents, ¡°Mom, Dad, I¡¯ll be going now!¡± ire reached out for Ruka¡¯s hand and instructed her, ¡°Ruka, remember not to cause trouble for Ren, okay?¡± Ruka nodded. ¡°Yes, I know.¡± By the time they came out of the room, Ren had put his mask back on. The gold-rimmed sses on his nose gave him an air of sophistication. Ruka had only taken two steps when she felt his hand close around hers. Ruka¡¯s blush extended all the way to her ears as she followed him to the elevator. The hospital elevators were long and rectangr. Despite being ratherrge, it became quite crowded by the time they got to the third floor. Elijah and the two bodyguards stood protectively in front of them, while Ruka and Ren were stuck together. She nestled into him and he wrapped his arms around her waist. Once they arrived on the first floor, Ren continued to walk hand-in-hand with Ruka as he led her out to the hospital lobby. She felt a lot of envious and wistful stares from others. Although the man beside her was wearing a mask, it did nothing to hide his innate aura of dominance. Even though the passersby could not see his face, they could tell from his distinguished air alone that he was no ordinary man. Elijah and the two bodyguards remained vignt and only exhaled in relief once the two entered the car. The atmosphere inside the car was quiet and serene, in stark contrast to the bustle they had just walked through. Ruka felt the hand around her waist tightening as its owner pulled her closer. She scooted over and settled into the middle of the backseat, and he helped her with the seatbelt. Ruka lifted her head a little and his lips brushed across her forehead. A smile danced in his eyes as he asked, ¡°Are you happy, Ruka?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± She held his arm and rested her head against his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m very happy.¡± They set off for Ren¡¯s ce. Ruka was exhausted after the sequence of events that took ce throughout the day, so she leaned against Ren and fell asleep. Ren held her close and used his coat to tuck her securely against him. The warmth that emanated from him lulled Ruka to sleep. He had the car drive up to the front entrance of his residence, and once the driver opened the car door for him, he carried Ruka down. She stirred awake from the motion, and when she saw how he carried her into the hall, she was so embarrassed that she buried her head in his arms. Fortunately for her, the bodyguards were wise enough to know when to be scarce. The procession of cars also disappeared within seconds. ¡°Do you still feel sleepy?¡± Ren asked. ¡°Yeah. I still feel like sleeping.¡± Ruka nodded drowsily. Ren smiled and carried her upstairs. Ruka sat up in shock when she realized that he put her down on his bed in the master bedroom. ¡°I don¡¯t want to sleep in your bed. I¡¯ll sleep in the guest room!¡± However, Ren bent over and took her shoes off for her. Even so, she still tried to stand in a hurry, as if she would sully his bed by sleeping there. Just as she was about to stand, he pressed down on her shoulder to keep her in bed, and she tripped over her own legs. ¡°Ahh!¡± She began to fall back onto the bed, but before shended, she reacted instinctively and grabbed onto his shirt, which ended up pulling him down with her. She felt herself sinking into the soft bed beneath her, while his body loomed over her and trapped her in. Still, he managed to prop himself up with his hands t against the bed, or else, it would have been painful for her if he fell onto her as well. His sculpted features were reflected in herrge, clear eyes¡ªincluding the stir of emotions that could be detected in his gaze. They stared at each other like that for several seconds. Ruka¡¯s heart began to beat a lot faster. Ren had thought that he was patient enough to wait, but he underestimated just how attracted he was to her. She had only just arrived at his house, but he was already feeling the urge kicking in. Ruka blinked at him nkly, but she was squealing for help on the inside. What should I do now? Are we going to kiss? Should I push him off? Her eyes flickered here and there as the thoughts swarmed her mind. She dared not maintain eye contact with him. It was as if he would eat her alive the moment he locked eyes with her. She no longer felt any trace of drowsiness now. In fact, she felt a little restless. Her body was tense as if all her senses were transfixed on the man above her right now. A hint of mirth shed across Ren¡¯s face when he saw how adorable she was being right now. Look at how nervous she is! Still, Ren was reluctant about letting her off quite so easily, so he lowered himself down and pecked her luscious lips before standing up. ¡°Alright. Go to sleep.¡± Ren¡¯s voice was restrained. It was evident he was holding himself back. ¡°What about you?¡± Ruka looked at ease but she was a little disappointed. Is he leaving just like that? ¡°I have some work I need to attend to. You should rest for now. The doctor willeter to give you a checkup.¡± Ruka shook her head at once when she heard that. ¡°No thanks.¡± ¡°You¡¯re an adult now. Are you still scared of doctors?¡± Ren was amused. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m scared of needles and getting my blood taken. I don¡¯t want to see a doctor,¡± Ruka dered as she snuggled under the covers. Ren adjusted the corner of the covers and replied, ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll see how you¡¯re feeling when you¡¯re up. If you¡¯re feeling alright, then I won¡¯t ask the doctor toe.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ruka nodded. Once Ren left, Ruka buried herself among the sheets. They smelled like him and she soon dozed off. Half an hourter, Elijah brought over several suitcases of clothes. They were all for Ruka and had all manner of clothing that she could possibly need from the most luxurious brands on the market. The household staff arranged the clothes into the wardrobe on Ruka¡¯s behalf. They took great care to complete the task as they had long since predicted she would be the future Mrs. Husson. It was the festive season that led up to Christmas, and as dusk fell, the city came to life with the spirit of joy and celebration. There were even fireworks in the distance. At Husson Residence. Harold was looking forward to having Ren home for dinner, but when Charlotte told him that Ren was too busy with work to return home for dinner, he started grumbling in discontent. ¡°How can he be this busy during the Christmas season? Can¡¯t he spare the time for a meal?¡± Harold was disgruntled. However, Charlotte could not hide the joy in her eyes. Usually, she would have grumbled right along with her husband, but she got a call from Scarlet two hours ago and heard that Ruka had moved in with Ren. Thus, she was pretty pleased to hear that Ren would be spending time with his loved one this year. ¡°Still, the general elections areing up soon. If Ren puts in the effort now, he would have a higher chance of sess when the timees.¡± Harold had a look of anticipation in his eyes. The general elections were a priority for him as well. ¡°I think we shouldn¡¯t pressure Ren too much. He¡¯s still so young. It¡¯s great if he¡¯s chosen to continue serving another term, but even if he doesn¡¯t win, it won¡¯t stop him from excelling in any other field he chooses,¡± Charlotte opined. However, Harold insisted, ¡°I¡¯m sure Ren will win. He has never let us down.¡± Charlotte decided not to dwell on this topic with Harold. She was waiting for the elections to be over so she can finally have a daughter-inw, and hopefully a few grandchildren soon as well! At around six-thirty, Ruka was woken up by the sounds of someone setting off some fireworks nearby. She sat up in bed and enjoyed the view as the fireworks sparked across the sky. Then, she climbed out of bed and went back to the guest room she was familiar with and washed up. By the time she headed downstairs, the servants had already prepared a romantic candlelit dinner. Apart from the candles, there were also fresh flowers and champagne. ¡°You¡¯re up, Miss Singed. Dinner is ready to be served.¡± ¡°Did he go out?¡± Ruka asked at once. ¡°No, Sir is still in his study working right now.¡± Ruka felt bad for him. She had taken a long nap but he was still busy with work. Feeling guilty for being the only one who got to rest, she went back upstairs to the study on the second floor. When she knocked on the door, she heard him calling out, ¡°Enter.¡± She pushed the door open and stuck her head in. ¡°Are you done with work? It¡¯s time for dinner.¡± Ren set his pen down and pushed his chair back. He stretched his long legs and opened his arms wide. ¡°Come here.¡± His deep voice was full of affection. Ruka opened the door a little wider to let herself in before closing it. She was like an innocent little rabbit who was entering the wolf¡¯s den. Ren had been under a lot of pressuretely and work was exhausting too, but when he looked at her right now, he felt like he was eighteen again and could carry on working tirelessly. When Ren reached out to grasp Ruka¡¯s hand, she seized the chance to fall into his arms. After wrapping her arms around his neck, she asked, ¡°Are you tired?¡± ¡°Not at all!¡± Ren answered with a smile. He would never admit to being tired in front of her. However, that did nothing to quell the sympathy she felt for him. Any other person would have burnt out from the mountain of work he did each day. She started massaging his temples. He blinked and smiled with his attractive dimples on full disy. His dimples drew Ruka¡¯s attention, even as she continued with the massage. When his expression was neutral, he looked rather stern and imposing, but when he smiled, it gave others the urge to throw caution to the wind and do something reckless to him. Ruka stared at his lips. Her heart started pounding as she felt ever so keen on taking the initiative for once. Ren seemed to have sensed her inner turmoil. His eyes seemed to encourage her to do what she was thinking about. Just as Ruka bit her lip in hesitation, his hand cupped her head and pulled her close so he could kiss her. There was no telling how much longer it would take if he carried on waiting for her to make the first move. Her head was tilted up as he kissed her fiercely. The longer they kissed, the more she felt like she would melt. Eventually, when they broke apart, she quickly climbed out of hisp. ¡°We should go down for dinner.¡± Ren smirked at how far away she stood. He narrowed his eyes and asked, ¡°Are you afraid that I¡¯d eat you first?¡± Isn¡¯t that just a matter of time now? Even I can tell that much, she thought. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go down and eat,¡± Ruka urged once again. No matter how busy he was, he should still remember to take care of himself. Ren¡¯s smile deepened at the thought of having someone to keep an eye on him to make sure he took his meals on time. It did not feel bad at all to have someone who looked out for you. It was a blessing, and it made him feel warm inside. ¡°Okay.¡± Ren came over to her, and they left his study hand-in-hand. At Grady Residence. A white car came to a stop out front and a woman stepped out from the driver¡¯s seat. She was dressed in ck and had a mask on. When she entered the hall, she was met by a man in his fifties who was waiting for her. ¡°It¡¯s great to see you, Miss Parfait.¡± ¡°Hello, Mr. Grady. I¡¯m here to report something to you.¡± ¡°Please take a seat.¡± The man gestured politely toward the couch. Victoria¡¯s eyes were filled with hatred. Her jaw was tightly clenched as she stated, ¡°I¡¯m here to inform you that the current vice president, Ren Husson is in a rtionship with his sister¡¯s adopted daughter. A man like him does not deserve to be the vice president.¡± ¡°You seem to despise Ren Husson a lot, Miss Parfait.¡± ¡°I used to be in love with him, but he hurt me deeply with his heartlessness. I¡¯m not going to hold back either. I know that you¡¯re interested in being the vice president, so I hope this piece of information will be of use to you.¡± Orson Grady remained in silent thought for a few seconds before nodding. ¡°Thank you for sharing this with me, Miss Parfait. It is indeed of great use to me. What would you like me to do in return?¡± ¡°Destroy him. That¡¯ll be the best thing you can do for me.¡± Victoria¡¯s eyes shed with hatred and resentment. ¡°I will do my best to grant your request,¡± Orson replied before signaling to his subordinate. ¡°Please see Miss Parfait out.¡± Victoria drove out of Grady Residence and came to a stop at a street light. Her hands curled tightly around the steering wheels. Hatred continued to swirl in her eyes. Ever since Ren¡¯s assistant delivered the warning to her, she had not been able to focus on her work. She was consumed by bitterness. Although she knew she was powerless and could not shake Ren¡¯s position, she was still determined to not let him carry on for another term as vice president. Thus, she had to do whatever was within her means to achieve her goal. What she could do was let his political rivals know about his rtionship with Ruka. That would surely aid them in causing obstacles for Ren and weaken his chances during the general election. Back at the Vice President¡¯s Residence. The servants wisely left the dining room and allowed the couple to enjoy a romantic dinner together. Ruka was starving. She had not eaten much during lunch and had suffered through her mother¡¯s scolding afterward, followed by her anguish and eventual fainting spell. All in all, she was famished and was looking forward to digging into the feast that covered the entire dining table. ¡°Everything tastes amazing!¡± Ruka munched away in great satisfaction. Chapter 1141-1150 Chapter 1141-1150 Ren felt bad when he saw her eating in such a hurry. ¡°Slow down. No one¡¯s going to stop you from eating,¡± he chided. ¡°But I¡¯m so hungry! I only took a couple of bites at your house today,¡± Ruka eximed, but her words were a little muffled by how full her mouth was. Ren gave her an affectionate smile. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to sleep tonight if you¡¯re too full.¡± ¡°Then, if I can¡¯t sleep tonight, can I sleep in tomorrow?¡± Ruka asked. She felt the need to seek his permission each time she wanted to sleep in at his house, or else, she would not be able to sleep well. ¡°You can sleep for as long as you want,¡± Ren promised as his smile widened. Ruka looked at him and asked, ¡°How should I address you now?¡± ¡°What would you prefer?¡± he ventured expectantly. ¡°Ren,¡± Ruka dered. By dropping the ¡®mister¡¯, it felt like they would be equals now. ¡°Alright. You can call me that for now, but you¡¯ll have to use something else after the May elections,¡± Ren reminded. He could not wait to hear her addressing him with something else entirely. Ruka¡¯s mind was nk at first, but when she realized what he meant, she blushed and nodded shyly. ¡°Okay. When the timees, I¡¯ll call you hubby.¡± Ren had not eaten much yet, but now, he could tell that his stomach was not the one that was hungry. Every fiber of his being yearned for the woman who sat in front of him right now. He could barely push the feeling away. It was fine when she was not around him, but now that she was here with him and smiling so brightly, he found that his patience was being tested to the limit. All of a sudden, soft thuds could be heard from the window. When Ruka turned to look and saw what was happening, her eyes widened in surprise and she eximed, ¡°It¡¯s snowing!¡± She quickly set her cutlery down and rushed out to the garden to enjoy the first snowfall of the year. By the time Ren caught up to her, he found her whirling about in the snow like a carefree child who was trying to find the prettiest snowke. He had been standing there for a while to watch her when all of a sudden, she turned dizzy and stumbled over to him. Immediately, he opened his arms to catch her. She had nearly forgotten about her fainting spell earlier today. She was still a little weak from theck of oxygen and should not be engaging in strenuous activity, which included spinning around. Thankfully, Ren was nearby. In her dizziness, she instinctively fell into his embrace. Ren held her steady and bent down to observe her face. She was still trying to catch her breath, but she buried her head against his chest and refused to leave. He could not resist pinching her cheeks as he chuckled lovingly. Ruka looked up at him and fluttered her eyshes. ¡°Am I beautiful, Ren?¡± Ren¡¯s eyes flickered a little as the pretty little face that belonged to the woman in his arms right now made his mind wander. She was not the most beautiful woman in the world, but she was the one he loved the most. No one could ever rece the smile on her face or the sound of her voice. She was his source of light and hope. ¡°You¡¯re gorgeous,¡± he said. ¡°Now that we¡¯re standing in the snow together, we know what it¡¯s like to be together until our hair turns white!¡± Ruka announced gleefully as she hugged him. Ren was enamored with her, including all the adorable things she said. ¡°Yeah. We¡¯ll be together even when our hair turns white, or more urately, gray.¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Ruka stared at the scene in front of her. The flecks of snow that flurried around them were illuminated by the glow of the streetmps. They dotted his hair and clothes, and she fell into a daze as she took in the picturesque scene that filled her eyes. Meanwhile, he carried her back into the house. ¡°You¡¯ll catch a cold if you continue standing in the snow like that. I don¡¯t want you to actually spend all your time recuperating here,¡± Ren said out of concern. Ruka smiled. ¡°What am I here for then?¡± ¡°To apany me,¡± he announced. Ruka blushed. ¡°To apany you while you work, or for something else?¡± Ren often thought that Ruka had an innocent mind, but her words were fraught with innuendo. ¡°I won¡¯t protest to anything you wish to do with me. The only thing that matters is what you desire.¡± Ren¡¯s smirk made it sound even more suggestive. Ruka turned away shyly. At the same time, she received a notification on her phone, so she used it as an excuse to escape. ¡°Let me check my phone.¡± She sat down on the couch, but she froze when she saw the text. It was from Jethro Ortiz. ¡®What are you up to, Ruka? Are you freeter? I¡¯ll take you to the movies.¡¯ Ruka tapped out her reply. ¡®Sorry, Jethro, but I¡¯m busy.¡¯ Just then, her phone started ringing. It echoed a little in the expansive living room and she quickly answered the call. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Ruka¡­¡± Jethro sounded drunk. ¡°I want to see you¡­¡± Ruka could tell that he was drunk. She frowned and asked, ¡°Have you been drinking?¡± ¡°I just went through a breakup. I¡¯m so stupid. I shouldn¡¯t have trusted her. I thought she loved me, but she¡­ she broke up with me today.¡± Jethro¡¯s voice choked up. ¡°Don¡¯t be sad. You deserve someone better,¡± Ruka consoled. ¡°I¡¯m so dumb, Ruka. I only realized now that you like me. Do we still have a chance? I think I like you too. We could try dating¡­¡± Jethro immediately started asking her out. Ruka was stunned, and right at that moment, she felt someone staring at her. The piercing gaze in Ren¡¯s eyes made her hairs stand on end. ¡°Uh! Jethro, I can¡¯t talk right now. I have something to do. You shouldn¡¯t like me either. I like someone else. Bye!¡± Ruka quickly ended the call under the pressuring gaze of the man in front of her. ¡°A friend of mine,¡± she exined a little evasively. ¡°The boy you said you liked?¡± Ren had not forgotten about it. She did tell him that she liked Jethro. Ruka pressed her lips together and tried to exin, ¡°Not someone I like, per se! I just¡­ just felt a little bit attracted to him, and also¡­ You didn¡¯t tell me you liked me either then!¡± She wisely pushed all the responsibility to him. It was his fault for not telling her sooner that he liked her! It was not her fault that she started liking someone else! ¡°If I recall correctly, you went to the movies with him, and you even got drunk because of him.¡± Ren continued to probe her about her past as if she had been exceptionally close with other men before this. She quickly shook her head. ¡°No, don¡¯t get the wrong idea. We didn¡¯t even hold hands!¡± He narrowed his eyes dangerously. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes! Of course! I swear that the only man whose hand I¡¯ve held is you,¡± Ruka dered. Ren got jealous easily. She was afraid that he would be upset if she did not exin things properly. ¡°What about kissing?¡± he asked. ¡°You¡¯re my first kiss! What more do you want from me?!¡± Ruka huffed. He smirked. ¡°When did I be your first kiss?¡± ¡°Well¡­ That time when I was drunk, I kissed you in the car, didn¡¯t I? That was my first kiss,¡± she replied with a pout. Ren¡¯s towering figure loomed over her as he approached her. She was startled and stumbled back down on the couch in fear that he was going to punish her for this. However, her phone started ringing once more. It was Jethro again. Ruka silenced her phone before ncing at Ren nervously. ¡°He just went through a breakup and is just seekingfort from a friend.¡± ¡°Answer it. Put it on speaker,¡± Ren said. Ruka blinked. Was he so kind-hearted that he thought she should try and console Jethro? Either way, she did as told. ¡°Hi, Jethro.¡± ¡°Ruka, I feel so bad right now. I don¡¯t me anybody but myself. Someone told me that you¡¯ve had a crush on me for a long time now. I¡¯m such a fool for not noticing it sooner. Ruka, can you forgive me, please? I really like you a lot. You¡¯re so kind and beautiful. I¡¯m kicking myself for not noticing your feelings sooner¡­¡± Ruka shrank back a little when she saw the grotesque expression on Ren¡¯s face. She wanted to end the call at once to stop him from hearing Jethro¡¯s confession. Ren sat down on the couch and pulled Ruka into his arms before grabbing her phone. Then, with his voice as cold as ice, he warned, ¡°Ruka has a boyfriend. Don¡¯t bother her ever again.¡± ¡°W-Who are you? Where¡¯s Ruka? I want to talk to Ruka,¡± Jethro cried out frantically. ¡°Jethro, he¡¯s my boyfriend. Don¡¯t call me again,¡± Ruka said gravely. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that! Ruka, didn¡¯t you have a crush on me for three years? Why would you start dating someone in less than a month?¡± Jethro refused to believe what he was hearing. Ruka turned to the side and spotted the frown on Ren¡¯s face, along with the dangerous glint in his eyes. At the very next second, she felt her chin being lifted and his lips crashing against hers. ¡°Mmph¡­¡± Ruka gasped. Ren tossed the phone aside and cupped her tiny face with hisrge hands as he deepened the kiss. ¡°Ruka, are you listening to me?¡± Jethro¡¯s anxious voice came through the speakers of her phone. However, he did not receive an answer and had he paid closer attention, he would have been able to tell that the owner of the phone was currently upied! Ruka was only released from her punishment when she ran out of oxygen. She was still gasping for air when she picked her phone up and said, ¡°Jethro, don¡¯t call me anymore. Goodbye¡­¡± She was notpletely out of it and remembered to end the call. Just then, she heard hismanding voice right beside her ear. ¡°From now on, you¡¯re not allowed to meet up with any man without me knowing about it.¡± Ruka looked up at him. ¡°Are you telling me that you¡¯ve never met up with any other women before me?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re referring to dating and romance, no,¡± he dered without hesitation. ¡°Haven¡¯t you ever liked someone before?¡± Ruka asked tentatively. She did not dare assume that she was the only one he ever liked. ¡°No.¡± His heated breath washed all over her face. ¡°Well, haven¡¯t you ever¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone else besides you,¡± he announced right beside her ear. His voice had a maism to it that made her toes curl. She trembled at the sound of it. She relished the dominance of his love. It was almost as if she could imagine just how spoiled she would be as they spent their future together. She took the initiative to wrap her arms around his neck. ¡°Alright. I promise that from now on, you¡¯re the only one I love. I won¡¯t like anyone else.¡± The best way to respond to his love was to love him as deeply as he did. Ren was finally satisfied. He had a faint smile as he kissed her on the forehead. ¡°Good.¡± Ruka gazed at the gorgeous face in front of her right now. He looked like a sculpture beneath the warm glow of the light¡ªso perfect that he took her breath away. ¡°Have you seen enough yet? Feel free to continue staring once we¡¯re back in the bedroom,¡± he said with a smile. Ruka blushed when she heard him mentioning the bedroom. She let go of his neck and said, ¡°I¡¯ll save it for now. I have the rest of my life to enjoy it at leisure.¡± A chuckle escaped him. His chest rose and fell as heughed, and the sound was just as intoxicating as his face. Ruka returned to the bedroom while the servants cleared the dining room. Ren went back to his study to carry on working. He was on the phone every time she went to check in on him. It was evident that Christmas was not a period of rest for him, but a time when his workload increased instead. When Ren set his phone down atst, he checked his watch and saw that it was already half past ten. He walked out of his study and knocked on Ruka¡¯s door. She was reading the news on her iPad and hoping that everyone was safe during the holidays. That way, her boyfriend would have time to rest too. ¡°You should go to sleep first.¡± Ren sat down on the edge of the bed and stroked her hair. ¡°Do you still have a lot of work to do?¡± ¡°I¡¯m almost done,¡± he assured her. ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t I wait up for you?¡± Ruka asked. Ren smirked. ¡°If you¡¯re going to wait up for me, you should go and sleep in my room. What are you doing here?¡± Ruka felt bad for how hard he had to work. She shook her head and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I won¡¯t share your room with you. I¡¯ll sleep here.¡± It was bad enough that he had to stay upte for work. If she slept in the same room as him, she would disturb him and he would not be able to rest properly, so she decided against it. He did not have enough time to sleep as it was. He would be even more exhausted if she made a fuss. Ren was chiding himself as well. He brought her home with him but ended up leaving her all by herself because he had to work. Ren bent down and kissed her ruby-red lips. ¡°Be a good girl and sleep first.¡± Ruka wanted more, so she put her arms around his neck and kissed him. Ren¡¯s breath caught in his throat. Whenever she made the first move, he felt like he was being tested within an inch of his life. She felt a little shy after the kiss, but her heart swelled with fondness when she saw his loving eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t stay up working toote, or I¡¯d be upset.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Ren promised. After seeing him off, Ruka realized that she was not sleepy yet, so she continued reading the news. She had no interest in current events in the past, but now, she studied each article carefully. As soon as Ren returned to his study, his phone started ringing. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Sir, I just found out that Victoria Parfait met up with Orson Grady in private.¡± It was Elijah who was calling. Ren¡¯s brows furrowed tightly. He was angered by the way Victoria was out for vengeance after getting rejected. However, if anyone tried to hurt the woman he loved, he would never let them get away with it. Morning came. Ruka woke up at seven. The first thing she did was scamper off to the main bedroom, but she encountered Elijah, who was sitting on the couch outside the room. When Elijah saw her, he quickly made a shushing sound and she quietened her footsteps as well. After sitting down beside him, she asked softly, ¡°Is he still asleep?¡± ¡°He only went to bed at three in the morning, so it¡¯s good if he can sleep in a little longer,¡± Elijah muttered back. His eyes were red fromck of sleep as well. ¡°Is there so much that needs to be done now?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s the end of the year and the elections areing up in May too. Sir would have his hands full with just one of those things, let alone both.¡± Elijah sighed. He had a lot on his te as well, but he felt a deep sense of satisfaction and found great joy in his work. Ruka began to wonder if it was a good thing for her to stay with Ren. She was supposed to be apanying him, but it seemed like she was taking up his time instead. ¡°I¡¯ll move back home today then. I don¡¯t want to disturb him,¡± Ruka decided. Elijah smiled. ¡°It¡¯s better if you stayed here, Miss Singed. If you¡¯re here, Sir won¡¯t have to spend his time thinking about you. He can use that time on other things instead.¡± Ruka¡¯s cheeks turned a little pink as she said shyly, ¡°It¡¯s not as if he spends his whole day thinking about me.¡± ¡°But if you¡¯re not by his side, wouldn¡¯t it mean that he¡¯ll have to spend all his free time thinking about you?¡± Elijah prompted with a smile. Ruka felt her heart grow fuzzy. Is that true? Elijah¡¯s been with Ren for so many years now so he must know him very well. Does this mean that he spends all of his free time thinking about me? If this were the case, then it meant she owed him a lot. She had been preupied with another guy before returning to the country and had only started thinking about him more once he confessed to her. I¡¯ll spend more time thinking about him from now on! Ruka thought with a smile as the door to the main bedroom opened. Ren came out all dressed and ready for work. He looked immacte and downright mesmerizing in his ck three-piece suit. He spotted the two people who were chatting away on the couch beside his door. His eyes narrowed with a glint as she stared at the woman who was still in her pajamas while she engaged in conversation with his assistant. Elijah got up right away. ¡°You¡¯re up, Sir.¡± Ruka followed suit, but by then, he had marched straight up to her. He put his arm around her waist and led her right back to her room. She was a little shocked and embarrassed. Elijah is right there! What¡¯s he doing? Is it okay for him to be acting this way in broad daylight? Though, she was the one who got the wrong idea. Ren took her back to her room and said, ¡°Come out when you¡¯re properly dressed.¡± Ruka nced down and gulped. Yikes! I¡¯m still in my pajamas! No wonder he looked displeased. She headed downstairs after she changed out of her pajamas and saw the two men waiting for her at the dining table. Ruka sat down beside Ren with a smile. When she saw Elijah poring over a stack of documents, she suggested, ¡°Elijah, why don¡¯t you finish breakfast first before reading that?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m used to it.¡± Elijah looked up with a grateful smile. Ruka turned to study the man beside her. She wanted to see if he had enough rest. Ren turned to look at her as well and she pitied him when she saw his eyes. ¡°Look at those dark circles! What time did you sleepst night?¡± Ren rubbed his eyes. ¡°Really? Do I look terrible?¡± Ruka shook her head. He did not look bad, actually. It just made his eyes seem deeper. Still, she felt bad that he had to stay up sote. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a massage.¡± Ruka massaged his temples since the servants had not brought breakfast out yet. Elijah nced up and saw the two of them gazing at each other affectionately without any consideration for his poor, lonely soul. Ren smiled as he enjoyed the rxing massage, and his dimples appeared. The sight of him now pleased Ruka. She loved seeing his smile, which was so refined and hypnotic. The morning rays shone in through the window, and Ruka¡¯s bare face was lit up so clearly that even her peach fuzz could be seen. Her fair skin seemed to glow under the light. Her lips were slightly parted, making her look a little bewitching as she called out to him wordlessly. Ren could not be bothered to care about anyone in the room right now. Hisrge hands reached out to cup her chin and he bent down to kiss her on the lips. Ruka turned red. She withdrew her hand bashfully and threw a furtive look in Elijah¡¯s direction. She could see the smile that Elijah was struggling to hide. It was obvious that he saw what they did just now. She bit her lip and red at the man beside her. Shouldn¡¯t these sorts of things be done in the privacy of the bedroom instead? Breakfast was served just in time. Elijah took the chance to inform Ren of the meetings and itinerary for the day. When Ruka heard how full his schedule was, she blinked and thought to herself, How can anyone handle having that much to do in one day? If it were her, she would have been drained after just one meeting, but he had four in one day. ¡°It must be exhausting to have so many meetings,¡± Ruka could not help butment aloud. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Singed. Most of the meetings would involve other people reporting to Mr. Husson. All he has to do is sit in and listen.¡± ¡°Cancel my dinner ns. I¡¯lle home for dinner,¡± Ren instructed. He did not want to spend the entire day without at least spending a few hours with Ruka. When Ruka heard what he said, she surmised that he wanted to have dinner with her and quickly said, ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Work is more important. I¡¯m okay with eating dinner by myself.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir. I¡¯ll clear your schedule for dinner,¡± Elijah replied. Ruka turned to Ren. ¡°You don¡¯t need to apany me, really. You have a lot of work to do right now. I totally understand.¡± ¡°Miss Singed, you don¡¯t need to try and convince him. You¡¯re the most important person to him, so work can wait,¡± Elijah said with a chuckle. Ruka turned to the side and locked gazes with a pair of mirthful eyes. Even she could spot the affection in them. She smiled shyly. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll wait for you toe home for dinner.¡± After seeing Ren off, Ruka took her phone and went out to the balcony to give her parents a call. ire could not hide the emotion in her voice as she asked, ¡°Ruka, is Ren treating you alright?¡± ¡°He¡¯s very good to me, Mom. You don¡¯t have to worry!¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing for me to worry about, of course. You silly girl, you should have told us from the start and we wouldn¡¯t have scolded you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mom. It¡¯s my fault.¡± Ruka felt bad for scaring her mother like that. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Everything¡¯s in the past now. All we have to do now is wait until the elections are over, and then you and Ren can get married! Your father and I have been wondering what we did in our past lives that gave us the fortune of having our daughter marry such a great man.¡± Ruka did not know whether tough or cry. She could understand why her parents were so excited as she too had felt like she had struck gold when she found out that Ren liked her. However, while it did feel like a dream back then, she hade to ept it with time. All she wanted to do now was to improve herself and be a better person who could stand shoulder to shoulder with him. Being the one that Ren chose to spend the rest of his life with came with a lot of added pressure. Ruka dared not even consider the thought of wasting her life away. While she looked forward to being doted on by him, she was determined to give it her all too! At Meyers Residence. Gilbert and his wife, Daphne, had prepared a sumptuous meal for their daughter and son-inw-to-be. Though Ang and Richard were not married yet, the wedding was taking ce soon after Christmas, and all the old Meyers couple could think about was the grandchild they would soon be having. Ang wanted to bring out her old photo albums for Richard to see, but as soon as she took them, Daphne rushed over and stopped her. ¡°Hey! Put that down. You shouldn¡¯t be carrying such heavy things. I¡¯ll do it. Give it to me.¡± ¡°Mom! Aren¡¯t you being a little too paranoid? It¡¯s just a photo album!¡± Ang shook her head helplessly. It was not like she was made of ss. She was just pregnant! She still felt the same as ever! The only exception was the limitations imposed on the couple¡¯s nightly activities, which was something Ang was greatly displeased with. She wanted to enjoy their honeymoon year with just the two of them. Gilbert was enjoying a cup of tea and heughed when he heard the exchange. ¡°Your mother¡¯s just too anxious. She¡¯s been losing sleep too, you know? She didn¡¯t sleep well at all for the past two days.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only because I can¡¯t wait to hold my grandchild!¡± Daphne fretted over her daughter. Ang was her precious baby, one she raised for so many years, and childbirth was no easy feat. How could her baby, who was scared of needles and doing blood tests, be able to withstand the pain of childbirth? Richard took it all in and figured out the best way to shower his wife with affection. He got up and took Ang¡¯s album from her. ¡°From now on, leave anything that weighs over one pound to me.¡± Ang snorted and leaned against his shoulder. ¡°Why are you getting paranoid too?!¡± Richard helped her to the couch before he started taking a look at the photo album. Gilbert went out to take a call, while Daphne busied herself in the kitchen. Outside, the world was covered in ayer of clean, white snow; but inside, it was warm and cozy. ¡°Oh goodness me! Mom, why did you include a photo of me with my diaper soaking wet?!¡± Ang called out to Daphne in embarrassment. She covered the photo with her hands and turned to the man beside her. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to see this one.¡± Richard smirked and did not protest. After turning the page, he saw three-year-old Ang who was a pretty little girl dressed in a princess gown. She looked adorable. As Richard sat there flipping through the photos, he began to yearn for a daughter¡ªone that would be as pretty and cute as Ang was. He would spend the rest of his life loving her and protecting her. ¡°Let¡¯s have a daughter! One that looks just like you,¡± Richard said hoarsely. Ang smiled. ¡°Alright.¡± They continued to look at photo after photo as Ang described the event or story behind each one. It was now afternoon. Ruka spent the entire morning reading in the study. All of a sudden, she recalled the little kitten she saw with Ren thest time. He didn¡¯t take it home with him. Did he leave it at a pet store for them to take care of it on his behalf? She spotted a notebook that looked rather old. It stood out among the other books, so she reached out to grab it. She yanked on it too hard and it slipped out of her grasp. Although she managed to catch it before it fell to the ground, a few photos still fell out and scattered on the floor. Ruka gasped in surprise when she saw the photos. They were photos of her when she was little. After picking them up to take a closer look, she realized they were photos taken of her when she was four or five years old. Why did she not have any recollection of it? The toddler-sized her had a rather pompous and overbearing expression on her face. She was surprised that Ren had these photos. ¡°Why did he keep these ugly-looking photos of me when he could¡¯ve kept nicer ones instead?¡± Ruka grumbled. She sat down and began to look through the notebook. However, she realized that it wasn¡¯t his notebook. Instead, the notebook was filled with squiggly lines and scrawled writing that seemed to have been done by a three-year-old. A lightbulb went off in her head. A three-year-old? Was it me? Is this mine from when I was learning how to write back at Husson Residence? True enough, after flipping through several pages, she found a barely readable scribble of her name, Ruka Singed. Her heart skipped a beat. Ren must have taught her how to write when she was little. As she continued staring at the writing, her heart grew warm. It was possible to find traces of love etched in time, after all. Ruka rested her chin on her hands and thought about how well-hidden Ren¡¯s love for her had been. If it had not been for that, she would have at least sensed something sooner. This was all well and good, but Ruka could still recall how fierce he was when he lectured her all the way home on that fateful day when she did poorly on her exam and got drenched in the rain. She was vexed. He had seen her at all of her worsts, while he seemed to have been perfect all this while. It felt like the star student was pairing up with the one who scored the lowest. Eventually, she returned the notebook to its spot with the photos as well. She was going to pretend that she never found this, but of course, she was not going to forget about it. Ruka sent Ren a text about the cat. She wanted to know if he could bring it back for her to raise. Ren¡¯s reply was simple. ¡®Alright.¡¯ At half past five that evening. When Ruka heard the sound of a car approaching the front of the house, she jogged to the door to greet him. As soon as Ren got out of the car, she flung herself into his arms without wasting a second longer. Ren held her steady with his long arms and kissed her head. Meanwhile, Elijah opened the trunk and took out the little kitten Ruka had been thinking of. ¡°Mr. Husson got someone to look after the kitten, but it¡¯s yours to care for now, Miss Singed. We¡¯ve brought the food and supplies as well.¡± Ruka took the little cutie out of the carrier and the kitten began to meow weakly in her arms. Her heart melted at the sight. ¡°It¡¯s so cute! Let¡¯s raise it together!¡± Ren nodded and agreed with an indulgent expression, ¡°Sure. Raise it together.¡± ¡°Both you and the cat,¡± he added. Ruka¡¯s cheeks flushed red. Thankfully, Elijah and the bodyguards had cleared off. Her heart felt warm and fuzzy as she said, ¡°I¡¯ll raise the cat and you can raise me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a deal.¡± They walked into the house with the kitten in her arms, and she in his. While Ruka stayed in the living room to y with the cat, Ren and Elijah headed into the study. The atmosphere started to get a little tense. ¡°Sir, do you mean that Orson won¡¯t use your rtionship with Miss Singed against you?¡± ¡°I know what his tendencies are. He won¡¯t harp on this matter, and he knows that even if he exposed my rtionship with Ruka, it won¡¯t affect my chances during the elections. However, Ruka will be his target instead,¡± Ren stated gravely. ¡°Alright. I understand. From now on, we¡¯ll need to keep Miss Singed and her family safe.¡± Elijah nodded. Ren¡¯s family was well-protected, so now, Ruka was his weakness. ¡°Use as many men as needed. Make sure that Ruka and her family remain safe,¡± Ren instructed. ¡°I will, Sir. Oh, by the way, Miss Parfait has been taken in for a meeting. She will be resigning next week.¡± The feasting carried on today as the festive mood lingered. Elijah stayedte for work and thus joined them for dinner. Ruka sat on the couch and yed with the little kitten in herp. It had gotten a proper shower at the pet store, so its fur was clean and smooth to the touch. She was pretty sure that it was one of the most gorgeous cats alive. She smiled when she saw the two mening downstairs. As soon as Ren stepped onto thending, the cat leaped out of her arms and ran over to him. He stopped and it started climbing up his pants to try and snuggle in his arms. Ren had a smile on his face as he crouched down to pick the kitten up. Ruka felt like a giddy school girl again when she saw this. It was adorable in an odd way to see him hugging a cat. He carried himself with an air of dominance, but having a cat in his arms softened his intimidating aura and added a touch of gentleness to him. Any young woman who saw him right now would wish to be the cat in his arms! Ruka could not help but recall the way she used to fantasize about being a cat in his arms. She blushed at the thought. Dreams were worth having after all. Who knew if they mighte true one day? Ren sat down on the couch with the cat still nestled against him. He looked a lot more rxed as his fingersbed through the cat¡¯s fur. He turned to the young woman beside him and said, ¡°Your parents will be moving to a new house tomorrow.¡± ¡°Huh? Did Mom and Dad buy a house?¡± Ruka was taken aback. Why did they not tell her? ¡°Miss Singed, they did not buy a house. Mr. Husson is the one who prepared the house that they¡¯ll be moving into,¡± Elijah exined from the side. Ruka¡¯s eyes widened. We¡¯re not married yet but he bought a house for my parents already? ¡°That¡¯s too much!¡± Ruka felt a little overwhelmed. ¡°It¡¯s only right for me to arrange a better living situation for my inws,¡± Ren said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll send you back before Christmas so you can spend the festive season with them too.¡± Ruka was touched. She was overjoyed that her parents would be staying in a better ce now. As they worked abroad most of the time, they decided against getting a new house and opted to save the money for her to use once she got married instead. Her father once dered that he was going to make sure she had a grand wedding. Dinner was served and all three of them sat down at the dining table together. Elijah took the opportunity to pull out his iPad and amend Ren¡¯s itinerary for tomorrow. Yet again, Ren had a full schedule and Ruka felt like she could scarcely breathe just hearing how much that had to be done! Furthermore, this schedule had been fixed two weeks in advance. Elijah was only doing some minor adjustments the day before. Ruka nced sympathetically at Ren. If only she had the ability to help him. She wished she could take on some of his work on his behalf, but she could not do anything else apart from feel sorry for him, and she felt rather helpless because of this. Elijah left after dinner, and the servants also took their leave once they were done cleaning up. Ren, Ruka, and the little cat were the only ones left in the enormous house. Ren headed to his study. As for Ruka, she took a shower and then started ying with the cat, Callie, in the living area on the second floor. It was nearly ten at night when it curled up on the couch to sleep. Ruka kept on flitting the cat toy around until she became drowsy as well. Her head started tilting forward, and she fell asleep on the couch as well. When Ren stepped out of his study at half past ten, he walked past the living area on the second floor and saw the young woman and the cat sleeping there. His heart softened at the sight of them. He decided against waking her up right now. Instead, he took a nket and draped it over her before heading back to his room for a shower. Twenty minutester, he came out dressed in a pair of ck pajamas. After staring at Ruka for a few seconds, he bent down and kissed her on the forehead before carrying her up. Although Ruka had not been doing much the past two days, she still felt particrly drained. The moment he pulled her into his arms, she jostled awake and spotted a handsome face looming over her. She happily wrapped her arms around his neck. ¡°Are you done with work?¡± she asked at once in fear that he needed to head back to work again. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m done. Let¡¯s go to bed.¡± Ren¡¯s deep, hoarse voice sounded a little sexy. When Ruka heard what he said, she leaned against him shyly and reveled in his embrace as he carried her to the master bedroom. Ruka mustered up all her courage and made a bold decision. She was going to give herself to him tonight! If that was what he wanted, she was more than happy to oblige. With that thought in mind, she tried her best to keep herself at ease. Ren set her down on the edge of the bed and she snuggled under the covers herself. She even scooted over to make some room for him. Ren got in bed and turned the lights off. Ruka¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he reached out to pull her close. She was tucked securely against his broad chest. It just so happened that she was pressed up against his heart. She could hear the steady, powerful beating of his heart, and her own began to pound a little wildly. She reached out to wrap her arms around his waist. In the darkness, he pulled her chin up. Once her head was tilted high enough, she felt something warm pressing against her lips. His kiss came without any warning. He was not in a rush. His kiss was slow and tender as if he were savoring the taste of her lips. The fresh scent of mint did nothing to affect the dominance he disyed. It was as if she was his gift¡ªone that he needed to unwrap as patiently as possible, instead of doing it with force. Ruka grew light-headed from the kiss. She could not think of anything else apart from drowning in his passion. The warmth of his kiss warmed even the crevices of her heart, and her body began to tremble¡­ Then, disaster struck! Ruka felt a familiar sensation and hastened to push him away. ¡°Hm? What¡¯s the matter?¡± His hoarse voice rang out. ¡°My¡­ my period just started¡­ just now¡­¡± Ruka¡¯s cheeks were burning up in utter embarrassment. Oh gosh! No wonder I¡¯ve been feeling so sleepytely. After doing some calctions, she realized that it came a weekte. Unfortunately, it chose toe right at this moment. To avoid staining his bedsheets, Ruka quickly jumped off the bed and ran back to her room. She checked herself once she returned to her room, and true enough, she was right. Thankfully she came prepared, or otherwise, it would be mortifying if he had to go out in the middle of the night to buy pads for her. After dealing with the crisis, she decided to return to his room, but when she opened her door, she saw him waiting right outside her room. His eyes had a dangerous glint in them. When she looked into his eyes, she felt like he was going to eat her alive. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± she apologized at once. Ren was feeling a little frustrated too, but what could he do? He stroked her head and pulled her into a hug. ¡°Sleep in my room.¡± Ruka shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t. I might make a mess on your bedsheets.¡± ¡°I can always change it.¡± He was resolute, so she could only nod and follow him back. She could feel her cramps starting up too. They tormented her each month. Although she climbed back into his bed, shey there stiffly without daring to move about. She nestled in his arms again, but she could not stop herself from massaging her abdomen gently and inhaling sharply. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± He sensed it right away and pressed hisrge, warm hand against her abdomen. All of a sudden, Ruka realized just how warm his hand was. It was so warm that it felt like a hot water bottle, and it eased most of her pain. She held his hand and said, ¡°Lend me your warmth!¡± Ren used his hand to massage her abdomen, but this time, his hand slid under her pajama top and pressed right against her skin. Ruka gasped a little, but she enjoyed the warmth of his hand. His chin began to rub against her forehead, and the little stubble made her feel a little ticklish. ¡°Do you feel better now?¡± he asked after a while. ¡°Yeah, a lot better!¡± Not only was she not in any pain anymore, but she was sofortable that she was about to fall asleep. ¡°Go ahead and sleep,¡± he coaxed as his hand continued to press warmly against her abdomen. Ruka fell asleep in next to no time, while Ren was fated to stay up a little longer. Once the bed was fully warmed up, he turned the air-conditioning to a higher temperature before sneaking out of bed and heading for the bathroom. It was morning atst. Rukazed in bed like a drowsy kitten. It was so warm under the covers that she did not feel like opening her eyes, even though she knew the sun was up. She snuggled back into his arms to carry on dreaming. ¡°Ruka.¡± His attractive voice rang out beside her ear. She mumbled sleepily in response and felt a kiss being nted on her lips. She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck to stop him from getting out of bed. Ren did not try to stop her. Usually, he would have gotten out of bed and started working by now, but Ruka was a sleepyhead and she dragged him down with her, so he decided to stay with her a little while longer. As for Elijah, who was waiting outside to start his daily report to Ren, began to feel rather anxious. However, a thought urred to him, and suddenly, he found it perfectly reasonable for Ren to sleep in a littlete today. Finally, at half past eight in the morning, Ren came out of the bedroom fully dressed for work. Elijah gave him an envious look. ¡°Do your reporting downstairs!¡± Ren said quietly. ¡°Yes, I understand. Miss Singed needs her sleep,¡± Elijah responded at once. By the time Ruka woke up, Ren had gone out. She became a little annoyed with herself. Why did she laze about in bed for so long that she missed out on having breakfast with him? Just as she began to have her breakfast alone feeling all morose, one of the servants came over with a bouquet of flowers. ¡°Miss Singed, Mr. Husson prepared this for you.¡± Ruka¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement. She took the bouquet of red roses over and saw the card stuck between them. After fishing it out, she saw the message that read, ¡®Good morning, my Ruka.¡¯ He signed it off himself and his signature was just asmanding and authoritative as he was. It was clear that he bought the flowers and wrote the card himself before asking someone to deliver it to the house for her. Ruka felt all warm and fuzzy inside. The servants had also prepared warm ginger tea to help keep her body warm. He must have instructed them to do so! Even though he was not beside her right now, she could still feel his tender care. At noon, she received a call from her mother who informed her that they were packing up now and getting ready to move into their new house. ¡°Ruka, Ren prepared a vi for us. It looks very grand and luxurious, and the security system is top- notch. We¡¯ll be safe here,¡± ire described gratefully. ¡°Mom, do you need me toe and help you with the move?¡± ¡°No. Ren has sent some people over to help us out. There¡¯s arge truck stopped outside the house right now. I think we¡¯ll be done with just one trip since the vi is fully furnished. We¡¯ll just need to bring along our daily necessities.¡± Ruka could deduce that Ren prepared a new house for her parents to protect them. If she married him, her parents would also be part of his closest circle, and he needed to do this to prevent them from being attacked by those with ulterior motives. At the Trantion Department. Victoria came out of the conference room looking as pale as a sheet. Her eyes were filled with hatred and the unwillingness to concede. She never thought that Ren would act against her so mercilessly. She knew that she was powerless against Ren, but she believed that with Orson¡¯s influence, he would be able to ensure that Ren lost in the uing elections. She could not wait to see him disgraced. Inara and Michelle walked past her with a stack of documents in their hands. In the past, they would have greeted Victoria courteously in an attempt to curry favor with her, but right now, neither one of them showed her any sign of respect. ¡°I heard that Ruka failed her assessment because Victoria used her powers to interfere. I used to look up to her and wanted to be as aplished as her, but it looks like I¡¯ll need to take that back now. I don¡¯t want to be as shameless and deplorable as her!¡± Victoria was furious to see that even the interns had the guts to mock her right to her face. She glowered at them, while they stood there with smug expressions as they watched her leave. ¡°D*mn it!¡± Victoria was so mad that she felt a little woozy and had to lean against the wall to support herself. Three dayster, it was Christmas Eve. Although Ren was reluctant to let Ruka leave, he did get to spend a few days with her and he did not want her to miss out on spending time with her family during the holiday season. Ren led her to the car and personally opened the door for her. Once she had her seatbelt on, he bent down and inspected it carefully before stroking her head and kissing her forehead. ¡°I¡¯lle and pick you up after Christmas.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ruka looked up at him a little wistfully too. She would have given him a hug if it had not been for all the bodyguards around them. She sat safely in the car, while four other SUVs protected her from the front and back. No expense was spared to keep her safe. Ruka took in the sights of the crowded streets when a thought shed across her mind. If she married Ren and he continued to remain in his position, it meant that she would not have much of a chance to stroll about on the streets. Even so, her smile did not fade. He was worth it, even if she had to give up everything. So what if she had to make some adjustments to her life and routine if it meant that she could be with him? She was willing to do whatever it took to be with him, even if it meant giving up her life. There were two gray cars tailing Ruka¡¯s procession. The men in the two cars stared at the fleet of cars in front of them with a dangerous look in their eyes. They were not going to act now, but from now on, she would always be under their watchful gaze. Meanwhile, Ren was on a call in his office when Elijah came in with another man. Chapter 1151-1160 Chapter 1151-1160 It was a man in a dark-colored suit. He was over six feet tall and carried himself with an authoritative air. Elijah held his hand out politely and said, ¡°Pleasee in, Mr. Presgrave.¡± Once Elijah brought the visitor in, he went back to his adjacent office. Less than ten minutester, he saw one of the staff running toward Ren¡¯s office with a stack of documents in his hands. Elijah immediately called out and stopped the man. ¡°Casey, you can¡¯t go in right now. Mr. Husson has an important discussion going on right now.¡± ¡°What I have here is very important too. I need Mr. Husson¡¯s signature as soon as possible.¡± The man, Casey Amherst, waved the documents in front of him. ¡°Dy it for as long as possible. I¡¯m certain that Mr. Husson does not wish to be interrupted for any reason right now.¡± Elijah¡¯s tone was sterner than usual. Casey became a lot less insistent. Whenever Elijah used that tone, it meant that Ren was in a meeting with someone extremely important. ¡°When should Ie back then?¡± Casey asked a little frantically. ¡°Trying back in two hours,¡± Elijah replied. Casey had no choice but to leave with his documents. Elijah nced at the door of the office. Ren was currently in a discussion that involved the general elections, and even he did not dare to go in to prepare the tea and coffee for them. For the next two hours, Ren attended to his guest himself. It was Elliot Presgrave. He was the wealthiest man in the entire country and had built his fortune internationally as well. He commanded a lot of respect, and even though he was a businessman, no one dared to underestimate his influence. Now that he was backing Ren, Elijah believed that Ren would not have any issues in the uing elections. Ruka arrived at the new house. It was a quiet neighborhood without the bustling liveliness of the city center, but it gave her a strong sense of security. Every vi had a butler, and all their needs would be taken care of without having to step foot out of the house. Robert and ire had received an extended break, so they could rest until July next year. Ren was the one who informed them of this. Thus, they were in no rush to get back to work abroad. Instead, they could enjoy some peace and quiet back in their home country. ¡°Mom, Dad, do you know what happened?¡± Ruka asked in shock when she heard the news. ¡°Nothing happened, you silly girl. Ren is just protecting us! He¡¯s heading into the elections soon and those who wish to unseat him will try to affect him by attacking those around him. You¡¯re the biggest target, so Ren had the foresight to make sure we¡¯re protected,¡± Robert exined. Ruka nodded in understanding, while ire added, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Ruka. Ren will keep you safe.¡± ¡°Mom, Dad, I¡¯m not afraid.¡± Ruka had a steely look in her eyes. She was determined to apany him throughout this challenging period. ¡­ There was a pile of documents stacked up on Elijah¡¯s desk and he had received several calls with urgent reminders, but all he could do was hold the fort down for now. He nced at his watch and saw that two hours had passed. Just then, he heard the door to the main office opening. Ren came out first and he stepped aside to let Elliot pass. As leaders in their respective fields, they were equals in every way, and when they stood together, it only proved that birds of a feather did indeed flock together. They were both men that belonged to the top 1% of society and were innate leaders among men. Their presence and aura could not be mimicked or faked. It was something that could onlye naturally. ¡°Sir, I will see Mr. Presgrave out,¡± Elijah came over and said. Ren held his hand out to Elliot who shook it without hesitation. ¡°See you, Elliot. I won¡¯t be sending you off then.¡± ¡°Yes, there¡¯s no need for you to send me off. Let¡¯s check our schedules and find a time to invite Richard out for a meal, just the three of us,¡± Elliot said with a smile. They exchanged a look of understanding and empathy for one another. ¡°Certainly. Let¡¯s do it when we¡¯re all free.¡± Ren nodded and smiled. Elijah did feel a little pressured as he stood beside the two of them. He was a pretty good-looking man himself, but standing in front of these two, he had to admit that they were the finest men who exuded an aura of leadership. Elijah walked Elliot out to the parking lot outside. One of the bodyguards opened the door for Elliot and he slid in before saying to Elijah courteously, ¡°Thank you for seeing me out, Mr. Jackman.¡± ¡°You¡¯re most wee. Goodbye, Mr. Presgrave,¡± Elijah replied and watched as the procession of bulletproof cars drove off. Then, Elijah returned to the office and brought the pile of documents to Ren, who was standing in front of the French window with a cup of coffee. He seemed to be in deep thought. ¡°Did everything go smoothly, Sir?¡± Elijah asked in concern. ¡°Yes. Very smoothly.¡± Ren nodded. ¡°Miss Singed has arrived safely at her parents¡¯ new vi. The Singeds won¡¯t be leaving their house for the next few days. They will be under our protection at all times,¡± Elijah reported. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Ren narrowed his eyes. He could not help but think that Ruka would be bored out of her mind if she stayed cooped up inside the house for too long. If it hadn¡¯t been for him, she wouldn¡¯t have had to go through all of this. Just then, Ren¡¯s phone rang, and he picked it up. ¡°Yes, Scarlet?¡± ¡°Ren, did you send Ruka back to her parents? It¡¯s Christmas Eve today. Do you think it¡¯d be alright if we invited them to join us for a celebration?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a little swamped today, Scarlet. I¡¯ll let Elijah handle the arrangements.¡± ¡°Alright. Come home for dinner once you¡¯re done with work. Mom and Dad are here too.¡± Ren¡¯s heart tightened. ¡°Scarlet, make sure Dad doesn¡¯t find out about my rtionship with Ruka.¡± ¡°Rx. Everyone¡¯s on high alert right now. No one will inform Dad about it before the elections. We know what his temper¡¯s like,¡± Scarlet assured him before adding a reminder. ¡°Don¡¯t work toote. You need to take care of your health too.¡± ¡°Yes, I got it.¡± Ren smiled warmly. His family¡¯s love for him was his source of strength. Meanwhile, at a hillside vi near the city center, a grand feast wasid out on the dining table, and the woman who stood at the French window waiting for her husband toe home was dressed in a beige dress designed for pregnant women. From behind, she still looked like a youngdy, but if one walked around her, they would see her beautiful belly. She caressed it while waiting patiently. Just then, she saw the shing car lights drawing near. Her lips curved into a smile. He was home at last. Near the dining table, an old man sat down for a game of chess with his grandson. The young heir of the Presgraves was already showing all the makings of a highly intelligent soul. He carefully considered his every move, so much so that Francis was beginning to feel the pressure! After all, the six-year-old had won several times now. ¡°Jared, haven¡¯t you figured out your next move yet?¡± Francis asked with a smile. ¡°Hang on, Grandpa. I¡¯ve almost figured it out.¡± Jared looked up. His handsome face looked more and more like his father¡¯s every day. Jared made his move and Francis couldn¡¯t help but exim in surprise at how much of an expert he was at chess already. His move had been the best one possible. ¡°Your turn, Grandpa!¡± Jared grinned. ¡°My, my. You¡¯re nearly as good as me now. Let me think.¡± Francis studied the chessboard as if he had finally met his match. Jared rested his head on his hands to wait. He looked like a proper little gentleman in his ck sweater. When he heard the sounds outside, he smiled and said, ¡°My father¡¯s home.¡± Francis nodded. ¡°Yeah! Just in time for Christmas Eve dinner.¡± ¡°Mommy needs to go to the hospital once we¡¯re done with dinner. I¡¯ll get to see my sister in a few days,¡± Jared enthused. ¡°That¡¯s right! We¡¯ll have a new member of the family soon.¡± Francis was just as excited about it. In his old age, nothing felt more meaningful than spending time with his family. Against the backdrop of the evening sky, Elliot stepped out of the car and speed-walked to the house. When he saw the woman who was waiting at the door, he reached out to hold her and asked, ¡°Why are you standing at the door when it¡¯s so cold?¡± ¡°I¡¯m waiting for you, of course!¡± Anastasia tilted her head up to look at him. The light highlighted her refined features and the warmth of her beauty shone. Even though she was a pregnant woman, she was still as attractive as ever. Elliot put his hand on her belly gently. ¡°Did the baby kick you today? Is she ying nice?¡± ¡°Not bad. I¡¯d be worried if she¡¯s too nice.¡± Anastasia held his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯re going to the hospital after we have dinner with Dad and Jared.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Elliot kissed her forehead and led her into the living room. Francis heaved a sigh. ¡°Yep, I¡¯m getting old. Even a six-year-old kid is beating me.¡± Anastasia heard everything, and she came in, smiling. ¡°Did you lose again, Dad?¡± ¡°Yeah. Jared¡¯s really smart. I can¡¯t win no matter what I do,¡± Francis admitted defeat. The boy encouraged his grandfather, ¡°Do your best, Grandpa.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get back to you after dinner.¡± Francis smiled. The child started picking up the chess pieces and tucking them away. The child was young, but he was smart, and Francis felt grateful. Unlike other kids, he would clean up after himself instead of making a mess. It was nine when they finished dinner. Four ck cars escorted Anastasia as she went to the Presgraves¡¯ personal hospital. Everyone was prepared for Anastasia¡¯sbor. It was a merry day at Scarlet¡¯s house as well. Three families were celebrating Christmas there. It was rowdy to say the least. Charlotte was looking at Ruka happily. She couldn¡¯t take her eyes off the girl ever since she showed up. Ruka was helping her mother and Scarlet make Christmas dinner. Harold, Walter, and Robert were enjoying their tea as they talked about current issues. ¡°Come, Ruka.¡± Charlotte beckoned to Ruka when she was serving a dish. Ruka approached her shyly. Charlotte held her hand. She was just delighted to see the girl. Ruka was a likabledy to begin with, and her looks just checked every box Charlotte had on the list. ¡°Come, talk with me. We have a lot to talk about.¡± Charlotte took Ruka away stubbornly. Ruka supported Charlotte, and they went into a quiet side chamber. After taking a seat, Charlotte said, ¡°If Ren tries to do anything stupid to you, youe to me. I¡¯ll wallop him.¡± Ruka chuckled. He might be a VP, but he¡¯s still a son at home. His mother will whip him into shape. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Charlotte. He¡¯s nice to me. Never said anything bad to me either,¡± she said seriously. ¡°Good. But well, he¡¯s older, so I guess he knows how to love ady.¡± Charlotte defended her son. It would be frustrating if Rukained about his age. ¡°He loves me.¡± She nodded. Charlotte remembered something. She left for the living room and came back holding a wooden box. Then, she opened it, revealing a jade bracelet in it. The bracelet was gleaming gorgeously under the light. ¡°This is a family heirloom that¡¯s been passed down for two centuries. It¡¯s invaluable, and now it¡¯s yours.¡± She gently ced the box in Ruka¡¯s hand. Ruka was petrified. This is much too valuable! I can¡¯t take it. ¡°Charlotte¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say no. I got it appraised, and it¡¯s worth about this much.¡± She raised a single finger. Ten million. It¡¯s worth ten million. Not ten thousand or a hundred thousand. Her heart skipped a beat. It¡¯s far too valuable for me to ept. ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t take this.¡± She handed it back to Charlotte. ¡°You should keep it, Charlotte.¡± ¡°You silly girl. What¡¯s ours is yours. If you won¡¯t take it, nobody will.¡± She patted the girl¡¯s head happily. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure Ren marries you. I¡¯m not going to ept any other woman as his wife.¡± Ruka felt sheepish, but also moved. ¡°Thank you, Charlotte. Really. This means a lot.¡± Charlotte handed the box over to her. ¡°This is gonnae in handy when you attend important events with Ren.¡± Ruka nodded. ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll treasure it.¡± She then noticed the light of a car¡¯s heamps shining through the window, and delight filled her. Is that him? She saw a silhouetteing from the garden. Her heart thumped furiously and she said, ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave now, Charlotte.¡± She left through the side door to wee Ren. Ruka wasn¡¯t exactly being subtle, so Ren saw her as well. He smiled and stopped walking just for her. She leapt into his embrace and hugged him tight. It had only been two days since she saw him, but she was already missing him. Ren wrapped his arm around her shoulder and kissed her hair, then he looked at the living room for a moment before taking her into the bamboo forest. She followed him sheepishly. They had just gotten into the shadows, and he was already kissing her. He had missed her as well. The excitement kept Ruka tense. She let him kiss her, though her face was beet red. ¡°It¡¯s time for dinner.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Ren ran his fingers through her hair. His eyes glinted with desire under the lights, and he felt as if he was a beast trying to escape its cage. Ruka was too alluring. ¡°How many days has it been?¡± He suddenly huddled closer. She answered shyly, ¡°Three.¡± He patted the back of her head happily and pulled her closer. I just want to ravage her now. Eventually, dinner went underway, and Ruka was seated beside Ren for obvious reasons. Fortunately, Harold was so engrossed in his wine that he didn¡¯t realize Ren and Ruka¡¯s sweet interactions. Ruka didn¡¯t mind. Everyone else ignored the fact that Ren kept filling Ruka¡¯s te with food and looking at her lovingly. They didn¡¯t want to pressure the new couple. The couple finished their food earlier than everyone and went out for a walk. The garden was chilly, but their intertwined hands felt warm. Scarlet was a nostalgic person, so she barely renovated anything from the first day the house was built. Aside from the new nts, everything else looked the same as they were twenty years ago. As Ren looked at the flowers, pond, and field, he was reminded of how cheeky Ruka used to be. He chuckled. She looked at him. ¡°Why are youughing?¡± ¡°I was just reminded of the time when you were a kid. You were really cheeky,¡± he said. Ruka didn¡¯t remember things from way back then. Still, she smugly asked, ¡°Really? Was I that cheeky?¡± ¡°Yeah. Scarlet wouldn¡¯t discipline you. You were spoiled rotten. You¡¯d take anything I have whenever you felt like it.¡± Ren had to give everything nice to her back then. She said sheepishly, ¡°Well, now I¡¯m going to marry you, so we¡¯re even now?¡± He pulled her into his embrace and smiled at her. ¡°Yep.¡± She hugged him as well. He wasn¡¯t the only one who wanted to ravage her; she wanted to do the same to him as well. He was hot, and she was very much willing to sleep with him. She fluttered her eyshes and asked timidly, ¡°Can I stay at your ce?¡± ¡°Tonight?¡± She nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± He tightened his arms around her. ¡°I¡¯m a bit busy the next couple of days, so I¡¯ll have to stay back in the office. But I promise I¡¯ll pick you up once I¡¯m done with work, okay?¡± He didn¡¯t want to refuse her, but work was heavy. It would be rude if he took her with him just to ignore her. After work was done, he would take a break to spend time with her. Ruka was an understanding person. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll wait.¡± He had just kissed her forehead when his phone rang. Ren picked it up and gave it a nce. ¡°I have to go.¡± She pushed him. ¡°Go. Work¡¯s important.¡± Ren smiled. She can¡¯t wait for me to leave? He turned around and was about to leave, but then Ruka said, ¡°A second.¡± Ren turned back again to see Ruka sprinting toward him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaped up to peck his lips. She then took a step back and looked at him happily. ¡°Done. Go.¡± The mes of desire lit up in his eyes. He pulled her into his embrace and whispered, ¡°I won¡¯t hold back the next time we meet.¡± Ruka blushed as knew what he was implying. She closed her eyes and nodded. ¡°I won¡¯t run away anymore either.¡± He patted her head. ¡°Good.¡± He left. She saw him off, but she didn¡¯t feel lonely. She knew he would miss her every minute he wasn¡¯t working. Night descended upon the city. An air of celebration permeated the air. Fireworks exploded in the sky, and booms rippled throughout the city. At Presgrave Hospital. Half an hour after they arrived at the hospital, Anastasia¡¯s water broke, and it was time for the operation. Since she went with a C-section the first time, Anastasia went with the same thing the second time. Ten months of pregnancy. Ten torturous months. It¡¯s finally time to unload. The girl was born on a nice night. She came to this world on the night of Christmas. Fifteen minutes after Anastasia was taken into the operating room, the baby came out crying. Her face was red, and she weighed 6.94 pounds. This was Elliot¡¯s daughter. Anastasia was still in the operating room. A nurse took the baby to Elliot after she was washed clean. Elliot looked at his daughter, tears of joy welling in his eyes. This was his second child. He missed his son¡¯s birth, making this moment all the more precious. The medical staff were taking care of Anastasia. Eventually the anesthetic wore off, and she woke up on the bed. Her wound still throbbed, but she was relieved to hear that her daughter was safely delivered. She would do anything for her. She was taken back to the ward. A nurse was wiping her sweat off with a towel gently while congratting her. Anastasia decided to close her eyes and get some sleep. Vaguely, she felt someone kiss her forehead. Anastasia opened her eyes and was met with Elliot¡¯s face. ¡°Good work, honey.¡± ¡°Who does she look like more?¡± Anastasia asked raspily. ¡°You, of course.¡± He held her hand. She still looks sleepy. He cooed, ¡°Get some sleep. I¡¯m not leaving.¡± When Anastasia woke up again, she saw him crouched by her bed and staring at the bed beside her. To be precise, he was staring at the little one with the pink shirt under the white nket. The baby had lustrous hair, and her face was the size of a fist. Her features were tiny, but she could see that the baby was beautiful. ¡°She looks like you, doesn¡¯t she?¡± Elliot chuckled. The wound was still throbbing, but just looking at the baby filled Anastasia with joy. She actually wanted to get pregnant once more. Still, she was exhausted. My job¡¯s done. ¡°You look after her. I¡¯m getting some sleep.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Elliot looked at her gently. The baby¡¯s fists were closed. She was so delicate, he wouldn¡¯t even breathe loudly in case she was spooked. The nurse was in awe. She¡¯s the young miss of the Presgraves, huh? I bet she¡¯ll grow up into a gorgeousdy. Her parents are beautiful, and so is her brother. The kids are gonna grow up to be drop- dead gorgeous. Silence had fallen upon the ward. Elliot was holding a sleeping baby in his arms. He just couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her. She¡¯s my second child. It was four in the morning, so the sky was dark. Six ck cars were traveling through the street. A man in the backseat of one car was resting his eyes. His assistant, on the other hand, was going through the files despite how exhausted he was. The few international cases were forcing them to stay awake and making them feel tense. All of a sudden, a nket of fog appeared out of nowhere, covering the whole street. The bodyguards slowed down in response. This fog was too thick to be a natural urrence. Someone or something was waiting in the shadows for them. ¡°We got a situation here. Stay alert,¡± the head bodyguard said. The car came to a sudden halt, waking the man in the backseat. He opened his eyes. The bodyguard was telling him what happened. This sudden fog was no ordinary phenomenon. The whole street was clear just now, and there shouldn¡¯t be any fog at night in this weather. Just then, a blinding sh of light assailed them. Something crashed into the car in front of them, and a great explosion happened. ¡°It¡¯s a rocketuncher! Protect the VP!¡± Elijah shouted. The bodyguard got out of the car. Elijah and Ren followed a momentter. They were escorted away with the bodyguard shielding them. Less than ten seconds after they were gone, a rocketuncher sent the car behind them flying up into the air. It fell back down and rolled a few times on the road. Right at the moment of explosion, one bodyguard came to Ren¡¯s rescue. He kept Ren underneath him and took the full force of the shockwave himself. The shockwave rippled through the street, and everyone felt blood rushing up their heads. Elijah knocked his forehead on something, and it drew blood. His ears were buzzing, but still he went and searched for Ren. ¡°Sir!¡± The bodyguard protecting Ren was hurt by the shockwave. He turned around, and Ren held the wobbling man. He told Elijah, ¡°Come here and help me!¡± Elijah couldn¡¯t hear a thing, but still he went and held the bodyguard up. The other men formed a semicircle in front of the three of them and retreated backward while protecting them. The fog was still too thick for them to see anything. The bodyguards had nothing but their hearing to help them discern where danger wasing from, and then silence fell. The fog was like a maze. The only thing visible was the burning car. The air was filled with the stench of ash. Just then, they heard the cries of a girling out of nowhere. She was running toward them, calling out to her father. ¡°Daddy? Daddy, where are you?¡± It was a three-year-old girl. She was frantically running on the street. Ren¡¯s heart went out for her. ¡°There¡¯s a girl! Save her!¡± Elijah shouted. ¡°This could be a trap.¡± The bodyguards pointed their guns at the girl. Ren ordered, ¡°Do not hurt her.¡± The bodyguards let go of the trigger. It was then the girl saw them, and she came right up to them. ¡°Help me, mister. You gotta help me.¡± One of the bodyguards darted ahead and held the girl. He checked up on her and shouted, ¡°She¡¯s fine!¡± ¡°Bring her here,¡± Ren ordered. The bodyguard brought the girl to Ren. Elijah tried to hold her, but the sight of his bloodstained face made her bawl even louder. Ren spread his arms. ¡°Here, let me hold you.¡± The girl finally let Ren hold him. His bodyguards were still looking around them. They knew this girl was nothing but a pawn of the enemy. This was not the time to let their guard down. Ren took the girl over from his bodyguard. He then saw a red mark shing on her back. It was the mark that a sniper was aiming straight at her. ¡°Look out! We got a sniper!¡± Ren roared. He swiveled around with the kid in his arms the next second. The red dot that was pointing at the girl was now aimed at his shoulder. Just a momentter, a bullet flew through the fog and pierced Ren¡¯s shoulder. He staggered forward due to the impact, but still he didn¡¯t let the child go. Elijah quickly came to him. ¡°The VP¡¯s hit!¡± It was at that exact moment, the bodyguards knew the girl was just an object for the enemy to pinpoint their location. They held up their shields right away and stood around Elijah and Ren. They could hear bullets flying through the air from all directions. Elijah wiped the blood off his face and took the child away forcibly. Ren wobbled a little, and he held Elijah¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± He was breathing heavily. ¡°Reinforcements are on their way, but it¡¯ll take them ten minutes.¡± The fog was then blown away. They could hear the roar of a helicopter above them. The assassination ended in failure, but the killers were long gone. The street was filled with shards of car parts. The car was still burning even after almost fifteen minutes, but if someone was still in there, they would have died of heat and suffocation. This assassination must have been a n long in the making. The fog and that girl were just tools for the n. A high-tech sensor had been stuck to the girl¡¯s back. Her function was to tell the enemy where Ren and his men were in the fog, then they would start firing. They knew Ren would never stand by and watch a child die in front of him. He would save her, of course, and that was the weakness they used against him. The night was still going on, and Ren¡¯s wound was still bleeding, drenching his suit in blood. Elijah and the bodyguards took him to the hospital right away. Ren was starting to get groggy on the way. The blood loss was robbing his consciousness. Right before he cked out, he told Elijah, ¡°Do not tell Ruka about this.¡± Elijah watched as he was taken into the operating room. He was still worried, and he called Scarlet. ¡°What? Ren was ambushed?¡± Scarlet and Walter rushed to the hospital right away. Six of Ren¡¯s trusted men had gathered outside the operating room. They were all powerful officials and Ren¡¯s most powerful allies. Richard opened his eyes the moment he heard his phone vibrate. He picked up his mother¡¯s call, and once he heard what happened, he got out of bed quietly and swiftly made his way to the hospital. About two hourster, the doctors emerged from the operating room looking exhausted, but they smiled at the people waiting outside. ¡°The bullet was extracted. It didn¡¯t hit his vitals, but he needs to rest.¡± Everyone heaved a sigh of relief. Scarlet was almost crying a moment ago. Now, she buried her head in her husband¡¯s arms and shed tears of relief. Her heart felt like it would burst from her chest. The ambush happened out of the blue. It was harrowing, so to speak. Elijah was told to work on the investigation. Everyone involved would be interrogated as well. Ren was pushed out of the operating room on a bed a whileter. He just had dinner with usst night, and now he looks so pale. I hope he wakes up soon. Scarlet cried again. Scarlet didn¡¯t even tell their parents about it. This was too much of a shock for people their age. All she wanted was for Ren to wake up so she could tell everyone he was fine. Richard went straight to the ward and saw his mother on the couch. She was wiping her tears away. He approached the bed and looked at his uncle, then he turned around. ¡°What did the doctor say?¡± he asked his father. ¡°Fortunately, the bullet hit his back, not his vitals. However, he lost too much blood on the way, so he¡¯s out for the count at the moment.¡± Richard clenched his fists. Someone attacked Uncle Ren? I¡¯ll make them pay for this. He sat down beside his mother and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. He assured, ¡°Uncle Ren¡¯s gonna be okay.¡± ¡°You have to look into this, Richard. I don¡¯t want any of us to get hurt. The election¡¯s getting near, so his enemies are trying to take him out. He ran into the same thingst time, but he was lucky and the incident didn¡¯t threaten his life.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll look into this and make sure nothing like this happens after the election.¡± Richard got up and was about to leave. Scarlet got up as well and held his hand with concern. ¡°Be careful, Richard. Your uncle¡¯s hurt. I don¡¯t want anything to happen to you either.¡± Richard nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be careful. Stay with uncle. Call me when he wakes up.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She let his hand go, but still she was worried. The long night finally came to an end, and the crime scene was already cleaned up. All that was left was the charred ground and some shards. The ce was cordoned off, and the cops said this was nothing but a car crash. Nobody knew an assassination just happened the night before. Ruka was reading a book on the balcony of the residence early in the morning, but she kept spacing out. Her attention was not on the book. She kept checking her phone. Ruka texted him once, but he didn¡¯t reply. He¡¯s probably busy with work and didn¡¯t see it. Elijah came back to the hospital after spending the night getting interrogated. His head was bandaged. He kept watch on Ren, still looking worried. The doctor had checked up on him twice. Ren was unconscious because he lost too much blood, but the doctors would also consider other factors as well. They wouldn¡¯t risk anything here. The people tending to Ren this time were the director¡¯s lieutenant and the one he trusted the most. They had to make sure nothing would happen to Ren. Ren let out a raspy cough and slowly opened his eyes. There was a sense of confusion in his eyes. ¡°Ren? Ren, are you awake? Ren!¡± Scarlet held his hand and called out to him anxiously. Ren blinked and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Scarlet.¡± ¡°Call the doctor,¡± Walter told Elijah. Elijah happily obliged, and Ss was the one who came back with him. Ss had flown straight back the night before, putting his important research aside. ¡°How do you feel?¡± Ss asked. ¡°Feels like something¡¯s burning.¡± ¡°Probably because the bullet scalded your muscles. You¡¯re lucky the bullet hit your back.¡± Ss went through the injury report, and his heart skipped a beat. If the bullet hit him just a bit lower, it would have pierced his heart. ¡°Those slimy b*stards kidnapped a three-year-old girl and used her as a moving target. The girl would have died if Mr. Husson hadn¡¯t moved quickly enough,¡± Elijah said. He admired Ren for his sympathetic side. The man actually blocked a bullet for a child without even hesitating. ¡°Let¡¯s stop talking about that. Stay calm until the announcementes out,¡± Ren said. The pain on his body was making him frown. Anyone else would have screamed in pain already. The agony brought by a bullet was not something everyone could endure. Ss left the room and called Elijah out. ¡°Get someone to tend to him. Someone close to him, preferably. I don¡¯t trust the hospital staff.¡± Scarlet and Walter had gone home. They were getting too old to stay up toote at night. Oh, I know who can do this. Mr. Husson told me not to tell Ruka about this, but he¡¯ll feel better if she¡¯s here. ¡°I¡¯ll get someone.¡± Elijah nodded and left. He arrived at the Singed Residence an hourter and rang the doorbell. Ruka was in the living room, preparing the ingredients for their next meal with her mother. She said, ¡°I¡¯ll take it.¡± She opened the door and saw Elijah outside, though she was shocked to see him in this state. ¡°What happened to your head, Elijah?¡± Elijah shushed her and told her toe outside. ¡°I need to tell you something, Miss Singed, but only you. Keep this a secret from your parents.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Ruka felt her heart sink for some reason. ¡°Mr. Husson was ambushedst night. A bullet hit him, and he¡¯s in the hospital now,¡± Elijah said. Ruka felt herself wobble. She covered her mouth, and tears welled up in her eyes. With a trembling voice, she asked, ¡°Is he in danger?¡± He quickly assured her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s not in any danger, but the loss of blood did weaken him a little. He needs someone to tend to him, and I think you¡¯re perfect for the job.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll pack up right away.¡± She went back into the house. Elijah heaved a sigh of relief. I hope Mr. Husson won¡¯t yell at me when he sees her. Ruka held her tears back and told her mother, ¡°Mom, Ren wants me to stay over for a few days. I¡¯m packing up.¡± ire looked at her daughter and smiled. Ah, kids and their rtionship. She felt happy that her daughter found someone who loved her so much. Nothing was more important than her daughter¡¯s happiness. Whether she stayed with them or not was fine. Ten minutester, Ruka came back down with her luggage in tow. ¡°Bye, Mom.¡± She almost broke out into a run. Elijah put her luggage in the backseat, and Ruka took the passenger seat. Elijah drove straight to the hospital. He told her what happened while they were on their way there. She felt her heart thumping furiously as he recounted the tale. Tears were welling up in her eyes again, but she held it back. On closer inspection, her hands were trembling slightly too. Her panic was indescribable, though her reaction portrayed it well. Even though Elijah assured her that Ren was fine, she couldn¡¯t calm down until she saw him herself. She wished time would go faster so she could see him sooner. When they arrived at the hospital, Ruka went ahead of Elijah. She was running, while Elijah was chasing her with the luggage in tow. Oh god, I¡¯m wheezing. ¡°Slow down, Miss Singed. It¡¯s alright.¡± He was wheezing like an old man as he told her to slow down. Ruka turned around and realized that he was already wheezing. Oh, he¡¯s hurt too. She took the luggage from him apologetically. ¡°Sorry, Elijah. I was really nervous. I forgot you¡¯re hurt too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, but you should calm down as well. Mr. Husson won¡¯t disappear,¡± he cracked a joke. They eventually came to the ward. Ss shushed them. ¡°He¡¯s asleep. Tread lightly.¡± When Ruka went inside and saw Ren, she finally cried. He was sleeping, and he looked as pale as a ghost from losing too much blood. She had never seen him looking so fragile before. Ruka covered her mouth, and tears streamed down her cheeks. Elijah quickly handed her a tissue. His heart went out to her. I see why Mr. Husson told me to keep it a secret. She had tears in her eyes the moment she knew the news. She must be heartbroken. Ruka sat down on the edge of the bed, and Elijah left the room, leaving her alone with Ren. She held her sobs in and sped his hand, which felt cool to the touch. This hand used to be so warm, but not now. However, she would hold it and give it warmth. She leaned over and kissed his palm. Ruka felt a little more at ease seeing him asleep and fine. How did this happen? No wonder he¡¯s escorted by so many people every time he¡¯s out and about. Danger lurks around every corner, and his enemies will stop at nothing to take him down. Ruka¡¯s heart went out to him. All she could do at the moment was stay with him and tend to his needs at his hour of need. Ren was asleep for three hours. Eventually, he felt someone holding his hand, and he opened his eyes to see who it was. When he saw Ruka staring at him in joy with tears in her eyes, he woke up right away. What? Why is she here? Who brought her here? ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡± She was staring at him this whole time. The moment his eyshes fluttered, she stood up and stared down at him. He touched her cheek. Her eyes are puffy. He said raspily, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Ruka.¡± Ruka wiped her tears away. She denied, ¡°I wasn¡¯t crying. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± He smiled. Elijah still did it in the end. Still, it¡¯s nice to see her here. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. Since you¡¯re here, you gotta stay happy,¡± he said raspily. It was like hearing someone talk with sand in their throat, but Ruka thought it was mesmerizing. She leaned down and kissed his forehead. ¡°I¡¯ll stay with you until you¡¯re all healed up. I¡¯m not going anywhere else.¡± Ren wanted to sit up and talk to her, but he pulled on his shoulder, and he frowned. Ruka pushed him back down gently. ¡°You can¡¯t get up just yet. The doctor said you¡¯ll have to lie on your side. And don¡¯t do anything that¡¯ll tear your wound.¡± Ren was a little helpless here. He was frustrated that she saw him in this state. ¡°Are you shocked?¡± Hey back down. He had noticed the look on her face. She¡¯s pale. She must be shocked. ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡± She pushed his hair out of his eyes and looked at him gently. ¡°I¡¯m not scared of anything as long as I¡¯m with you.¡± Ren smiled. Ruka might look frail, but sometimes even he was impressed by how tough she could be. Ss and Elijah came in after that. Ss asked Ren how he was feeling. Ren had to actually feel his wound closely to even know if it was hurting. ¡°You even forgot about your pain just because Miss Singed is here. She¡¯s even better than painkillers, I see.¡± Ss smiled. ¡°I know, right? When Mr. Husson told me to keep this a secret from Ruka, I thought it wasn¡¯t a good idea. I knew he¡¯d heal faster with her around,¡± Elijah said. Ren shot him a re. ¡°Elijah, shut your mouth.¡± However, it was toote. Ruka looked at Ren angrily. ¡°What? You told Elijah to keep it a secret from me?¡± Elijah was a little surprised. Whoops. Didn¡¯t mean for this to happen, Sir. Sorry. ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to worry.¡± ¡°And you think I won¡¯t worry just because you kept it a secret? Ren, of course I¡¯d be worried unless I get to see you safe and sound. If anything like this happens again, tell me right away. I want to be the first to know,¡± she said solemnly. The men were surprised. Oh, she¡¯s starting to look like a VP¡¯s wife now. Elijah scratched his head and excused himself. Ss excused himself as well after he asked all the necessary questions. He wanted to give the couple some time to themselves. Even a man like Ren had to be lectured when he did something wrong. They left the job to his girlfriend. Ruka was miffed that Ren tried to keep it a secret from her. When she was feeding him some water, she said, ¡°If I find out that you¡¯re keeping something like this a secret next time, I¡¯m not taking care of you.¡± Yet, Ren had a happy smile on his face. Apparently, he was fine with getting lectured by Ruka. ¡°Of course. No more secrets,¡± he promised. Later, Ss came in with two nurses who helped change the dressing of his wound. Ruka stepped aside. When she saw how severe his wound was, she felt her heart squeeze. Chapter 1161-1170 Chapter 1161-1170 The bandages were taken off, and they started putting disinfectants on the wound. Ruka crouched down and held his hand to help distract him from the pain. Ren held her hand. He tried his best not to even flinch despite the pain. The nurses left after they changed the wound dressing. Ss said, ¡°Miss Singed, I¡¯ll need you to clean his upper body.¡± Ruka blushed, but she nodded. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll do that right away.¡± Ren looked at Ss. Hey, I¡¯m injured here. I don¡¯t wanna get a boner when I¡¯m injured. Even so, he was looking forward to her cleaning him. Ruka went and prepared the stuff needed to clean Ren up. She wanted to give him the best service he could get. She came back with a basin of water and a towel, then thoroughly wiped him off. Thedy was so serious, she didn¡¯t even get any ideas about him. Her eyes were shining with a holy light. Ren peered at Ruka, his eyes sparkling. He looked at her beautiful eyes, her aquiline nose, and finally, her crimson lips. He felt his throat tightening up, and he gulped. ¡°My neck next, please,¡± he said huskily. Ruka quickly wiped his neck. She was an inch away from him. A smile curled Ren¡¯s lips as he held her chin and pushed it up. He then pressed his lips against hers. She stopped breathing for a moment, but she didn¡¯t back off or refuse the kiss. Ren moved his hand to the back of her head, then he held her neck, pulling her closer for a deeper kiss. The kiss went on until his chest was heaving and stabs of pain wereing from his wound. He reluctantly epted that as the end of the kiss, but before they parted lips, he bit her lower lip. Ruka pursed her lips and looked at him shyly. ¡°Just focus on healing up. Don¡¯t do anything stupid for now.¡± He narrowed his eyes. ¡°What do you mean ¡®anything stupid¡¯? Care to borate?¡± She blinked at him and turned around to pick the basin up. ¡°Just don¡¯t do it.¡± Ren heaved a sigh. Darn it. I could have slept with her today. If I get my hands on those b*stards, I¡¯ll kill them! Ss came to check in on him. He noticed an increase in Ren¡¯s heart rate, but then that was possibly because of Rukaing in close contact with him, so he didn¡¯t check on that. Elijah got Ruka a room to make it easier for her to care for Ren while he was down. A momentter, an important guest turned up in the ward and talked to Ren for half an hour. He was even more of a bigshot than Ren was, and Ren respected this man a lot. One good thing that came out of this ident was him getting a month of rest before the election. ¡°Rest up. I¡¯ll handle everything. You¡¯ve worked hard.¡± The man in his fifties gave people the feeling that he was an aristocrat or royalty. His eyes glinted with wisdom and intellect. ¡°Your nephew¡¯s taking over the investigation. I believe he¡¯ll find the assassins who attacked you. We won¡¯t let this slide, and I will clear the system of any canker. They will pay for this.¡± Ren nodded. ¡°I see. I wish you good luck, sir.¡± The man got up and patted his shoulder, then he left. His eight bodyguards formed a human wall around him and escorted him away. Elijah came in looking all excited. ¡°We¡¯re getting a break, sir! A whole month of break! Oh my gosh, I¡¯ve almost forgotten what freedom smells like.¡± Elijah took a deep breath. Even the smell of disinfectant tasted like freedom. Ren was happy as well. He did need some time to himself. After he confessed to Ruka, he hadn¡¯t had time to be with her, as work overwhelmed him. And now I can spend a whole month with her. Richard was in a top secret base at the moment. It had the most advanced tracking system installed, and his men were elites among the elites. They were also tracking geniuses. The men were scanning the HD footage, and Trevor noticed something. He paused it and erged the frame. ¡°Sir, his outfit¡¯s changed, but he forgot to change one thing.¡± He erged the frame and showed the tattoo behind the man¡¯s ear. ¡°He was the sniper.¡± The photos they took at the crime scene showed armed enemies. It was dark and chaotic. The enemies were hiding in the shadows, but thanks to the satellite, they managed to get a glimpse of the enemies. All they had to do was look for details and pinpoint these people¡¯s location. ¡°Track him down and arrest him,¡± Richard ordered. The range was huge, and this mission was important, but everyone did their work quietly and made reports of their progress. There were about a dozen screens ying security footage here. Richard was in his usual attire¡ªa dark camouge outfit. He was emanating amanding aura at the moment. Patience and an eye for detail were needed for tracking, and his men had these qualities. The next day came eventually. Ruka was having lunch with Ren at the hospital. Despite his wounds, he actually had a decent appetite. ¡°I ordered this for you. You¡¯ll need it to replenish your blood.¡± ¡°Pig liver?¡± His eyes went wide before he refused, ¡°Innards are not my thing.¡± Ruka popped one piece of it into his bowl. ¡°Just eat some. It¡¯s good for you. You need meds and food to heal up, so stop being picky.¡± Ren was frowning. It looked like asking him to gulp down a piece of pig liver was even worse than getting shot. Ruka bit into one herself. She nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡± He had to eat it now no matter what. Surprisingly, the hospital¡¯s chef was actually decent. It wasn¡¯t as bad as he thought. She kept filling his bowl with food, and Ren stopped being picky just to make sure she wasn¡¯t worried about him. Ruka took a food tter over and fed the fruits to him after that. At this rate, I¡¯m going to gain a few pounds when I¡¯m all healed. ¡°Here¡¯s a cherry. Works wonders for your blood. Have some more.¡± She fed a cherry to him. ¡°Blood aside, I think I need to replenish something else.¡± He ate the cherry and hinted something else at her. She met his gaze and understood what he was talking about. She shook her head and peered at him. ¡°Stop thinking about that.¡± Ren looked at her angrily. How weak does she think I am? ¡°Do you think I can¡¯t get it up?¡± He narrowed his eyes while the air was filled with a hint of danger. It was like if she said yes, he would prove that he could still get it up. Ren was bothered by that department due to their difference in age. He never had any practice before, but he knew he must be great in bed. She stared at the ground and blinked, then she shook her head sheepishly. Ren took a cherry and asked, ¡°Want a cherry?¡± Oh, he¡¯s feeding me. She huddled closer and opened her mouth, but instead of feeding her the cherry, he pressed his lips against hers. The couple was starting to make out in the ward. Elijah was in a hurry to see Ren so he could get his vacation form signed. In his excitement, he forgot to knock on the door. When he came in, the first thing he saw was the kiss. Oh, darn. I did not have to see that. I¡¯m still single. Don¡¯t break my heart. He noticed the dangerously threatening look Ren was giving him, and Elijah froze. ¡°Sorry. Carry on. Sorry.¡± Ruka bit her lip and stared at the bed. ¡°No,e in, Elijah.¡± And then she left. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ll need you to sign this. I have to go abroad, but it won¡¯t work without your approval.¡± He handed his form to Ren. Ren took the pen and signed the form, though he was displeased. ¡°Knock next time.¡± Elijah forced a smile. He had no idea someone as stern as Ren would also fall for the wiles of romance. The big bad wolf¡¯s gonna gobble up Little Red Riding Hood soon. Elijah chuckled and tried to please his boss by saying, ¡°I do hope I get invited to your wedding when I come back.¡± ¡°Have a safe trip. And be careful,¡± Ren said. ¡°I know. I concealed who I really am,¡± Elijah said. He picked the form up happily and left for his vacation. Scarlet and Walter came a little whileter. Just seeing how her brother was healing up relieved Scarlet. Ruka chatted with Scarlet for a while. The only regret Scarlet had was that she couldn¡¯t give them a wedding right away. That would have to wait until after the election. Ruka didn¡¯t mind. As long as they were together, it didn¡¯t matter when the wedding was held. Ren refused to continue staying in the hospital when afternoon rolled around. He wanted to go home. Ss tried to stop him, but Ren insisted on going home. Being a VP was useful in this case, so Ss got him discharged despite all the hassle he had to go through. Ss was a guy, and he had experience with romance before. He was very clear why Ren insisted on resting at home. Ruka packed things up and left with him when she heard the news. Ren was wearing afy, dark- colored sweater and a brown coat. His usually majestic look was reced by a family guy vibe. The nurses who came to pack up for him blushed when they saw Ren. They couldn¡¯t take their eyes off him. Thedies just kept dropping and toppling things. When Ren left the hospital, Ruka held the extra scarf in her hand and told him, ¡°Lower your head.¡± He did as he was told, and she wrapped the scarf around his neck. He didn¡¯t refuse it, even though it was overtly pink and a woman¡¯s scarf. They emerged from the underground car park and headed straight for his house. There were even more bodyguards this time. After thatst attempt on Ren¡¯s life, these men had cleared any possible threats on the road. They arrived at his house a whileter. The servants took care of everything, while Ss took Ren to his bedroom upstairs. ¡°I¡¯m not stopping you from dating Ruka, but there are some things that you can¡¯t do until you¡¯re healed.¡± Ss said, ¡°Don¡¯t tear that wound open. Not after it has finally healed. Listen to me if you don¡¯t want to go through another torture session at the hospital.¡± ¡°Just when I thought nobody¡¯s gonna nag me after Elijah¡¯s gone, you showed up.¡± Ren smiled. ¡°You think you can enjoy any peace and quiet after you get to this position? If you don¡¯t want it, you can always let me take over,¡± Ss cracked a joke. ¡°Take it,¡± Ren answered right away. Ss shook his head, smiling. ¡°No. I¡¯m not as capable as you are. The job¡¯s gonna take ten years off my life.¡± Ss went and told the servants about Ren¡¯s diet during the recovery period. Ruka came to Ren¡¯s room. He was in a robe and lying under the A/C. He lookednguid and sexy. ¡°Come here.¡± He extended his hand. She went to his side and sat on the edge of the bed. He pulled her into his embrace. ¡°And now, we have our alone time. Nobody¡¯s gonna disturb us.¡± Ruka was happy he had a month of vacation. She looked forward to it. ¡°Sure.¡± Ss came back up after he told the servants what to do. He bumped into Ruka, who just came out of Ren¡¯s room. He said, ¡°Miss Singed, a word, please?¡± ¡°Of course, Dr. Ss,¡± she said and listened intently. ¡°Ren shouldn¡¯t be discharged under normal circumstances, but he insisted, and I had no choice. You¡¯re going to take care of him, I know. Just remember that he can¡¯t do any¡­ strenuous exercise.¡± Ruka blushed. He¡¯s not talking about the gym. ¡°I see. I understand.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want his wound to get torn again, so work with me.¡± She pursed her lips and nodded shyly. ¡°I know. I¡¯ll remember that.¡± ¡°Alright. No cats for a while too. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Ss checked the whole ce and thought the cat had to go too. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll put Callie in your care.¡± Ruka nodded. Ss went into the room and said goodbye to Ren before he left. Only two servants were left working in the house. The world was really quiet too, for some reason. And it¡¯s almost the new year. She went back into the bedroom. Ren was on the bed, looking bored. She asked, ¡°Want me to get you a book?¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m in a mood to read?¡± Ren smiled. Ruka blinked. ¡°So what would you like then?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like you to spend the night in my room, Ruka,¡± he requested. Her heart skipped a beat. She quickly said, ¡°No. Dr. Ss said I can¡¯t disturb you. And I don¡¯t want to worsen your wound.¡± Ren cocked his eyebrow. What did Ss tell her? ¡°I don¡¯t care. You¡¯re sleeping with me tonight,¡± he said imperiously. Fine. He¡¯s hurt. I¡¯ll give in this one time. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll spend the night here, but you¡¯ll have to finish the soup the servant is making. It has pig liver in it.¡± Ren really wanted to say no, but he didn¡¯t. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll do it.¡± That¡¯s a good boy. Food¡¯s important for his healing. ¡°Oh. Scarlet said your mother¡¯sing over tomorrow. You¡¯ll have to pretend that you aren¡¯t hurt. Can you do that?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Ren nodded. Back at the Husson Residence, a servant came back with the thing Charlotte told her to buy. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to take it along with you tomorrow. This is an important thing.¡± ¡°But madam, Master Ren is still young. Are you sure you want to give him¡­ this?¡± ¡°Hey, I want Ruka to get pregnant as soon as possible.¡± She chuckled. ¡°Make sure he drinks it, and don¡¯t tell him what it is.¡± The servant left after she cleared the table up after dinner. Ruka changed into her pajamas and shyly went into Ren¡¯s bedroom. Even when he was recuperating, Ren would check his email and settle some work on his iPad. It was already half past ten. It was already half past ten. She approached Ren and stared straight at him. ¡°Still working? You should get more sleep.¡± Ren put the iPad aside. He could smell the nice scenting from Ruka, and frustration red in his eyes. She¡¯s inches away from me, but I can¡¯t even have sex with her. She got into the bed and rolled into his embrace before he could even pull her. Can¡¯t have him exerting himself, and I can¡¯t put any pressure on the wounded side of his shoulder either. Since he could only lie on his side, Ruka rested her head on his other arm, and they held each other in a tight embrace. The colding from outside made her enjoy his warm embrace more. He might smell like disinfectant, but she still loved it. Ren kissed her head and took in the scent of her hair. Something down there got bigger, and Ruka blushed. She felt it, of course, but Ss told her not to do anything, so she ignored the boner. ¡°Ruka¡­¡± He called out to her, almost like he wasining. Ren raised her chin and vented a little by kissing her. She was starting to heat up as well. Yeah. I¡¯m gonna lose sleep if he¡¯s in the same bed as I am. No. At this rate, he might do it despite his wounds, and I won¡¯t be able to stop him. However, I can¡¯t just ignore what Dr. Ss said either. She scurried out of his arm and sat on the edge of the bed. ¡°I think I should get back to my room.¡± She took a book from the couch and handed it to him. ¡°Read this if you can¡¯t sleep. Calm yourself down. It¡¯ll make you sleep better.¡± So she¡¯s running away just like that? Ruka was gone, and Ren couldn¡¯t do anything about it. He didn¡¯t mind making out with her even with the wound, but there was something else to consider. He had to make sure her first time didn¡¯t go too badly, or it might affect how she thought of him. It would be bad if she left him for another person. Ren held his urge back, at least until he healed up a little. Ruka stayed up until about one before she fell asleep. She too was turned on, and sleeping was hard. They had breakfast at nine the next morning. Charlotte and her butler came at ten. She even brought her usual chef along to make some soup for Ren. Ruka and Ren weed her into the house. Ren pretended that he was fine, and Charlotte didn¡¯t notice his wound. ¡°Scarlet told me you¡¯re having a day off, so here I am. Brought something nice for you. The chef¡¯s gonna whip some soup up,¡± Charlotte said. There was a glint of delight in her eyes. Her son was young and lively, but she was worried he might be worn out by work, so she got someone to buy all the supplements she could. By supplements, Charlotte meant aphrodisiac, and she upped the dosage too. She even came up with a herbal soup for Ruka. Charlotte believed in the power of alternative medicine, and she hoped Ruka would get pregnant soon. ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t have to do this, Mom. I mean, we can always make you lunch.¡± Ren didn¡¯t want his mother to worry about him. She wasn¡¯t getting any younger. ¡°What else can I do but this? If you love me, you¡¯re going to drink as much soup as you can. Don¡¯t let it go to waste,¡± she said. ¡°Of course, Mom. Of course,¡± he assured her. ¡°Ruka, you have as much bird¡¯s nests as you can too. It¡¯s good for you,¡± she said. Ruka might be young, but she knew why Charlotte was doing this. She blushed, and she nodded. ¡°Of course, Charlotte.¡± Charlotte sniffed the air. ¡°I smell disinfectants in the air. Is someone hurt?¡± ¡°The cat scratched Ren, so I put some disinfectant on the wound,¡± Ruka quickly answered. ¡°The cat scratched Ren, so I put some disinfectant on the wound,¡± Ruka quickly answered. Charlotte paused for a few moments. Oh! Oh¡­ I bet it¡¯s not a cat scratch. She didn¡¯t really care though. All she wanted was for her son to finish the soup she brought with her today. Lunch was served a whileter. It was a feast, and there were two pots of soup specially made for the couple. The servant took the lid off one pot anddled a bowl of it, then she served it to Ren. Ren thought the smell was off, and he froze for a moment. ¡°What kind of soup is this, Mom?¡± ¡°Herbal soup. You work through the night every day, so I got you some nice herbs to perk you up. It¡¯s nothing extreme. Just drink it,¡± Charlotte said seriously.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Ren took a sip. It was okay. He could taste the herbs in it, but the soup was generally good. The aphrodisiac had a strong taste, but thanks to the chef¡¯s skills, they were covered. ¡°And here¡¯s yours, Miss Singed. Have a taste.¡± The servant served Ruka another type of soup. The clear bird¡¯s nest decorated by jujubes and wolfberries looked tantalizing. She took a sip and thought it was delicious. Charlotte kept her eye on Ren throughout the meal. When she noticed that he was done with his soup, she filled his bowl up again. ¡°Drink up. Don¡¯t let it go to waste! This soup was made just for you. Ruka and I don¡¯t like it that much.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Ren did not want his mother¡¯s efforts to go to waste, so he drank three bowls in a row. He was too stuffed for a fourth, so Charlotte finally stopped topping up his bowl. After finishing up, Ren tried to get Charlotte to stay till dinner, but she seemed to be in some sort of rush as she declined. ¡°I have things I need to take care of so I¡¯ll head off now. Ruka can keep youpany!¡± Charlotte said before holding Ruka¡¯s hand. ¡°Ruka, take good care of Ren, okay? Make sure he doesn¡¯t spend all his time working. Since he¡¯s taking a break, he should spend his time with you instead.¡± ¡°Yes, I will, Mrs. Husson.¡± Ruka nodded. ¡°Oh, hush. Don¡¯t call me Mrs. Husson. It sounds so formal. You should start calling me Mom instead,¡± Charlotte chuckled. She was thrilled to have such a beautiful and captivating young woman as her daughter-inw. Ruka was a little shy, but she called out in her clear, dulcet tones, ¡°Mom.¡± ¡°What a sweet girl! I¡¯m sure Mrs. Husson is over the moon right now,¡± the female butlermented with a smile. Ren looked on fondly as well. Charlotte turned to leave once she finished saying her goodbyes. After seeing her off until the car drove out of the driveway, Ren exhaled in relief. He felt a tinge of soreness around his wounded area from moving his arm too much. Ruka noticed the slight frown on his face. She quickly came over and held him. ¡°Is it painful? I¡¯ll help you up so you can rest.¡± Ren allowed her to take him upstairs. It was blistering cold outside, but right now, as he walked into the air-conditioned environment inside, he felt unusually warm. He pulled his sweater cor down a little. Ruka helped him to the bedroom. He sat down on the bed and nced at her svelte frame. All at once, his throat felt parched and he seemed to lose himself to his instincts as he reached out to pull her into his arms. She fell onto him and he grabbed her head before pinning her down on the bed. Ruka¡¯s mind went nk for several seconds. He¡¯s injured! He shouldn¡¯t be twisting around like that! ¡°What are you¡­ Mmph!¡± His lips crashed into hers because she could finish her sentence. Ruka sensed his domineering aura enveloping her. It was as if he had honed in on his prey, and her heart jumped. What¡¯s gotten into him? It¡¯s still the afternoon right now! ¡°I want you, Ruka¡­¡± He set her lips free and began to roam down her neck and corbones, leaving a trail of kisses behind. Ruka¡¯s face turned scarlet. Oh my goodness! He¡¯s gone mad¡­ Ruka¡¯s face turned scarlet. Oh my goodness! He¡¯s gone mad¡­ ¡°Ren¡­¡± Ruka bit her lip and tried to push him off. She could feel her body heating up as it weed his touch, but she did not want his injury to get worse! However, something seemed to have gotten into Ren. His reason had been overtaken by his animal instincts, and even though he felt the searing pain from his wound that seemed to extend to his heart, he could not care about anything else anymore. All he could think of was Ruka. He was a predator whose eyes were locked on its prey. The only goal he had right now was to quell the hunger he had for her. ¡°N-No. We can¡¯t. You¡¯ll get hurt¡­¡± Ruka tried to protest, but Ren had taken his top off, and his muscr body was on disy. Ruka blinked. She did not know what to do. He¡¯s not listening to Dr. Ss¡¯ instructions. ¡°Ruka¡­ I want you so bad.¡± Ren was bent over kissing her slender neck. ¡°I¡¯ll count to three. If you don¡¯t agree to it, then I¡¯ll stop¡­¡± He gave her a final out. Ruka was just about to say no out of consideration for his injury, but before she could respond, he said, ¡°Three¡­ Time¡¯s up.¡± She was dumbstruck. Wasn¡¯t he supposed to count to three?! Why did he start off with three? She did not even get a chance to say no! If he was going to give her a chance, he should do it properly! Ugh. Why is he such a beast? ¡°We can¡¯t¡­ Ren, your wound will split open. Are you trying to kill yourself?¡± Ruka said as she tried to push him off again. However, something seemed to be in control of Ren¡¯s mind right now. It numbed all his pain receptors and left nothing but his most primal instincts inmand. Ruka was right in front of him. His senses took leave of him and he could not control himself. She was too beautiful. Meanwhile, Ruka was grumbling to herself. Couldn¡¯t he have waited for a little longer? Why¡¯s he getting into it now? ¡°Ruka¡­ I don¡¯t want to wait any longer. Now¡­ I want you to be mine now,¡± he pleaded and coaxed as if he was no longer the distinguished and sophisticated man he usually was. All that was left was his longing. All of a sudden, her eyes spotted a drop of blood sliding from his shoulder down to his waist. ¡°You¡¯re bleeding¡­¡± Ruka eximed. She pushed him away and quickly checked his back. Sure enough, she saw that his wound was bleeding through the bandage. ¡°I¡¯m calling Dr. Ss right away!¡± Ruka rushed back to her room to retrieve her phone and immediately gave the doctor a call. Ss rushed over with a nurse in just fifteen minutes. He saw that Ren was sitting on the edge of the bed in a dress robe, but his eyes were still bloodshot. He had not gotten the release he wanted, and it was beginning to make him even more out of control. The nurse quickly cleaned the wound up again, while Ss gave him a sedative. Ruka, whose heart had been pounding wildly as she watched nervously from the side, blushed when she finally realized what was going on. Ss looked at Ren in somewhat disbelief. ¡°Don¡¯t you know what condition you¡¯re in right now? Why did you go about taking all sorts of medication? Those things won¡¯t help you when you¡¯re in this state.¡± Ren was lost. ¡°What did I take?¡± ¡°What else do you think it could be? Aphrodisiacs, of course! They must¡¯ve been pretty strong too. It¡¯s clear that you overdid it.¡± Ss hit the nail on the head. The cogs started turning in Ren¡¯s mind. He immediately recalled the soup his mother made for him today. She even urged him to drink three entire bowls of it. Well, he finally realized what had gone into his mother¡¯s soup. Ren could only chuckle bitterly to himself. What was his mother worried about anyway? Did she have so little faith in her son? Her meddling had ended up backfiring instead. ¡°He didn¡¯t take anything, though,¡± Ruka said from the side. ¡°My mom came and made some soup for me. I didn¡¯t know what went in it, but I drank three bowls of it,¡± Ren added. Ss fell silent. He had gotten the wrong idea¡ªit was Charlotte¡¯s well-meaning intentions that led to this mess instead! ¡°Drink some chicken soup or something next time! You shouldn¡¯t be drinking anything with all that added to it,¡± Ss sighed. He nced at Ren¡¯s bleeding wound and said, ¡°Looks like you¡¯ll have to stay in bed a few days longer.¡± ¡°Drink some chicken soup or something next time! You shouldn¡¯t be drinking anything with all that added to it,¡± Ss sighed. He nced at Ren¡¯s bleeding wound and said, ¡°Looks like you¡¯ll have to stay in bed a few days longer.¡± Ren threw Ss a gloomy look while Ruka seemed to have gotten the picture atst. She bit her lip as she thought, So the reason why he acted like he was out of his mind earlier was because of that soup? s! Charlotte could not be med for it either. She did not know that he was injured. Thankfully, his wound had only bled out a little without worsening his condition. Ren was also a lot calmer now after being given a shot of sedatives. Ss left after giving some instructions. Once they were gone, Ren sat down on the bed and kissed Ruka on her cheek. ¡°Did I give you a fright just now?¡± Could she say yes? She looked up at him and pouted. ¡°You were so beastly! You said you were going to count to three, but you jumped straight to three right away! I didn¡¯t even have the chance to say no.¡± Ren¡¯s eyes shed with a cunning glint as he smirked. He never intended to give her a chance to say no! ¡°Alright, alright. I won¡¯t tease you like that next time.¡± Ren squeezed her hand. Although he was a lot calmer now, deep down inside him, the desire he felt was still going strong. Ren¡¯s recovery had extended for a few days thanks to Charlotte¡¯s soup. He was a little glum about it, to be honest. Throughout the following week, Ruka refused to enter his room past ten at night. She even gave him a few books on meditation. Ren did not want to scare her again either, so he decided to wait until he was fully recovered. Two dayster, he heard back from Richard. The assant had been killed just before they managed to apprehend him, so the mastermind was still unknown. He hid too well and they could not get to him yet. Right at this moment, in a secret meeting room, a man sneered, ¡°If you want this to blow over, you need to ensure that I am appointed to that position, or otherwise, you¡¯ll all have to spend the rest of your lives in prison.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll do everything we can to make sure that happens, Mr. Grady.¡± The room was dark, and the other two people remained in the shadows, but the person they were protecting was Orson Grady. ¡°We still have a chance. There¡¯s that girl, Ruka Singed, right? Even if we can¡¯t get to Ren Husson, we can find a chance to move against her.¡± ¡°No mistakes allowed this time.¡± These days, Harold rarely left the house to join any of the gatherings or events. He preferred staying at home and upying his time with his gardening and other leisurely pursuits. All of his hopes and dreams for the family¡¯s glory had been ced on Ren¡¯s shoulders instead. Ren was young and aplished. He was well-received by the nation¡¯s citizens and he had a bright future ahead of him. Harold had nothing to worry about when it came to his son. This morning, Harold stood in the garden and did his morning exercise routine. He was feeling pretty good and rxed as he finished up his stretching when his phone started ringing. It was from an unknown number. Harold rarely answered such calls, but he was in a good mood today so he decided to see who it was. ¡°Hello, who¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Mr. Husson, you need not know who I am. I¡¯m just a Good Samaritan who wants to inform you of something.¡± Harold frowned. His voice was a lot sterner as he asked, ¡°Who on earth are you?¡± ¡°Did you know that your son, Ren Husson, and your daughter¡¯s goddaughter, Ruka Singed, are cohabitating?¡± ¡°What kind of nonsense is that? My son is a decent and righteous man. Don¡¯t bothering up with these ridiculous ims,¡± Harold snapped back. ¡°Hah. It seems like you don¡¯t know your son very well. Your son went behind your back and started living together with Ruka Singed. How can you not know about such a scandalous affair?¡± ¡°Who on earth are you? You have no grounds for questioning my son¡¯s character,¡± Harold snorted. ¡°Someone ns to use this against your son during the uing elections. You better make sure that they break off their rtionship, or else, your son won¡¯t be serving a second term as Vice President. After all, I heard that your son intends to give up on the elections for that woman! Mr. Husson, it would be a waste if a woman ends up destroying the Hussons¡¯ family legacy. You should break them up at once!¡± The call ended, and soon after, Harold received a text. His chest was heaving in anger. Who was the one recklessly spouting baseless rumors about his son¡¯s private affairs? The call ended, and soon after, Harold received a text. His chest was heaving in anger. Who was the one recklessly spouting baseless rumors about his son¡¯s private affairs? Harold bent down to check the text and his angry internal monologue came to a grinding halt. He had received a photo that looked like it was taken inside a hospital room. His son was lying on the bed with his arms around Ruka, and they seemed to be¡­ kissing? The phone slipped out of Harold¡¯s hand and fell to the ground. He, too, began to wobble and had to hold onto the nearby rock fixture for support. W-What¡¯s going on? Is everything that man said in the call true? My son is really dating Ruka? Harold picked his phone up and sat down on a chair beside him to look through all the photos. They showed Ren and Ruka staring at each other and behaving like a loving couple. There were also two photos of them kissing. After seeing it all, Harold¡¯s fury reached its peak again. Why was Ren messing around now when the elections wereing up soon? That man had even imed that Ren wanted to give up on the elections because of Ruka! Harold was so mad that his chest began to hurt. He was consumed by rage and immediately called Ren. ¡°Hi, Dad,¡± Ren greeted. ¡°Come back and see me at noon today. I want to talk to you,¡± Haroldmanded in a displeased tone. ¡°Did something happen, Dad?¡± Ren asked in concern. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it when you¡¯re here,¡± Harold responded sternly. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be there at noon,¡± Ren replied. ¡°Make sure you do,¡± Harold insisted. Although he was dying to rify this right away, he felt that it would be better if they spoke in person instead. This brat has been pushing off getting married for so long. How did he end up falling in love with Ruka? Ruka, of all people! How can he get into a rtionship with the girl that his sister raised? It was scandalous and unthinkable! Meanwhile, at the Vice President¡¯s Residence. Ren told Ruka that he needed to make a trip to Husson Residence, and she figured that she should not be apanying him since their rtionship was not entirely public yet. By eleven, the car and entourage were ready. Ren noticed that Harold sounded a little off, so he sensed that something must have happened. The elections were around the corner and a lot of people were starting to find all sorts of ways to attack his family. Ruka saw him off at the doorway and reminded him, ¡°Be mindful of your injury. You can¡¯t get hurt again.¡± Ren circled his arm around her waist and bent down. ¡°I¡¯m the one who¡¯s most eager to be well again.¡± Ruka shoved him off with a look of embarrassment. ¡°Hurry up and go! Remember to be careful.¡± At Husson Residence. When Charlotte heard that Ren would being back for lunch, she called him up right away and reminded him to not bring up Ruka. ¡°Your dad is in a foul mood today. I have no idea who made him mad,¡± Charlotte said. ¡°Yes, I got it. I¡¯ll make sure to avoid any mentions of it,¡± Ren promised. ¡°He was fine this morning. Seriously, despite being an old man now, his temper hasn¡¯t changed at all. He locked himself in his study and refused to even let the servants bring him some tea.¡± ¡°Something must¡¯ve happened. I¡¯ll be right there,¡± Ren said consolingly. Ten minutester, Ren¡¯s car came to a stop in the driveway. When Ren entered the hall, one of the servants immediately came over and said, ¡°Mr. Ren, Mr. Husson is waiting for you in his study.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Ren headed up the stairs for the study on the second floor. He knocked on the door and heard Harold¡¯s deep voice calling out, ¡°Come in.¡± When he went in, Harold barked, ¡°Close the door.¡± Ren had a bad feeling. He saw the furious look on Harold¡¯s face. It had been a while since hest saw Harold being this angry. ¡°Dad¡­¡± ¡°Kneel!¡± Haroldmanded sharply. Ren froze and stared at his father. Harold did use corporal punishment on him before he turned eighteen, but he was thirty-three now. Why did Harold want to punish him now? What did he do? Out of consideration for Harold¡¯s age, Ren could only do as he was told. He kneeled on the ground with his back straight and looked up at his father¡¯s seething expression. He only hoped that Harold would not give himself a heart attack. At his age, it was dangerous for him to be this angry. Out of consideration for Harold¡¯s age, Ren could only do as he was told. He kneeled on the ground with his back straight and looked up at his father¡¯s seething expression. He only hoped that Harold would not give himself a heart attack. At his age, it was dangerous for him to be this angry. ¡°What on earth happened, Dad? Tell me,¡± Ren pleaded. Harold retrieved a belt from somewhere before standing behind Ren and whipping him on the back. ¡°Ever since you were a child, I taught you that the most important thing is a person¡¯s character. Did you forget everything I taught you? Is that why you¡¯ve be so shameless?¡± Harold¡¯s beltnded a second time. Thanks to Ren¡¯s clothing, Harold had no idea that his beltnded exactly on Ren¡¯s wound. Ren¡¯s face was tightly clenched in pain. His wound was only a week old, and after being whipped twice, the pain was beginning to spread all over his back. ¡°Your mother introduced you to so many fine youngdies, but you did not take a liking to any of them. Instead, you went after Ruka! How could you do such a deplorable thing?!¡± Ren took a deep breath. He finally understood what was going on. Harold was angry because of his rtionship with Ruka. The family had kept it aplete secret from him, so someone must have leaked the news to him on purpose. ¡°I can exin, Dad.¡± Ren let out an exhale. ¡°What¡¯s there to exin? You¡¯ve forced Ruka to move in with you. How are you going to exin this to the Singeds and your sister? You¡­ you have no respect for this family!¡± Harold¡¯s belt came flying down on Ren¡¯s back once more. The smacking sound was so loud that the servant who came to the door with a tray of tea jumped in rm. She could vaguely hear the sounds of someone being hit, so she quickly went to look for Charlotte. Charlotte just so happened to be on the second floor as well. When she heard what the servant said, she immediately flung aside the flowers she had been arranging and rushed to the study. Once she arrived, she began pounding on the door. ¡°Open up, Harold! What are you doing? Why are you hitting Ren?¡± ¡°Stay out of it,¡± Harold growled toward the door. Charlotte sent the servant to retrieve the key, and the servant did it as quickly as possible. As soon as the door opened, Charlotte saw her son kneeling on the ground as Harold raised the belt to continue lashing him. She was horrified and immediately stood in Harold¡¯s way. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare hit him again! What did he even do? He¡¯s thirty-three! How can you treat him like that? Have you gone daft in your old age?!¡± Charlotte cried out before snatching the belt out of Harold¡¯s hands. Despite his anger, he allowed his wife to take it away from him. Charlotte threw the belt aside and helped Ren up. ¡°Get up, Ren, quickly.¡± Once Ren stood up, Harold looked at Charlotte and said, ¡°Stay out of this. I¡¯ll handle it.¡± Harold thought that his wife was too old to withstand the news of such scandalous behavior and decided to keep it from her. However, he heard Ren sighing and saying, ¡°Mom, Dad found out about Ruka and me.¡± Harold jumped in shock. How could Ren announce it to Charlotte just like that? Isn¡¯t he worried that she might faint in anger? Thus, he never expected that the first thing Charlotte did after hearing this was to turn around and re at him. ¡°You hit Ren because of this? Isn¡¯t Ruka bing our daughter-inw something we should be celebrating?¡± ¡°Y-You know about it?¡± Harold¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°What about Scarlet? And the Singeds?¡± ¡°All of us know about it. You¡¯re the only one who doesn¡¯t.¡± All this while, Charlotte had been feeling a little guilty about keeping it from Harold, but now that Ren had suffered a beating, all her guilt vanished into thin air. ¡°How can all of you hide such a thing from me? Don¡¯t you know that this will affect him in the general elections?¡± Harold cried out in vexation. ¡°Dad, if you¡¯re concerned that my rtionship with Ruka will affect public opinion of me, then you need not worry about it. Your son isn¡¯t so useless that he can¡¯t deal with that,¡± Ren dered calmly. ¡°They¡¯re in a rtionship and they love each other very much! As a family, we should be supporting them instead of trying to separate them.¡± ¡°Dad, can you tell me who it was that told you about this?¡± ¡°Dad, can you tell me who it was that told you about this?¡± ¡°I received a call this morning from an unknown number. A mysterious person told me about it.¡± ¡°That person¡¯s true intention is to incite you so that you¡¯ll make me break up with Ruka. His intention is to mess with my emotions and make me deal with the pain of a breakup, which will affect me during the general elections. It¡¯s clear that it was done with malicious intent,¡± Ren exined to Harold. At the same time, he could sense that his wound was on the verge of splitting again. Harold finally got the gist of it. He nced at Charlotte who staunchly dered, ¡°I have my heart set on Ruka being my daughter-inw. I won¡¯t ept anyone else.¡± Just moments ago, Harold had been enraged, but now, he waspletely dumbfounded. ¡°Is Ruka willing to marry Ren? Are the Singeds going to give their blessing?¡± ¡°They¡¯re more than happy to. Ruka and Ren are in love. If you break them up now, then you¡¯re really going to ruin your son¡¯s life.¡± Ren was deeply moved as he gazed at Charlotte. His family¡¯s support was his biggest source of strength. Harold sighed after hearing what Charlotte said. He looked at Ren. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Ren smiled. ¡°As long as you¡¯re no longer angry, Dad.¡± ¡°Come, Ren. Let me take a look,¡± Charlotte said worriedly. Chapter 1171-1180 Chapter 1171-1180 ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mom. You don¡¯t need to check it.¡± ¡°Just let me take a look. I¡¯ll put some ointment on it.¡± Charlotte was determined to check and see if Ren was injured. ¡°Mom, Dad, that won¡¯t be necessary. Ruka¡¯s all alone at home right now. I should go back and have lunch with her.¡± ¡°Oh, alright. We should¡¯ve just had Rukae with you,¡± Charlotte said. ¡°I¡¯ll get going then.¡± Ren turned around and left as quickly as he could. As soon as he got into the car, he gave Ss a call. ¡°My wound has split again. Come and take care of it,¡± Ren said. ¡°What¡¯s going on with you? Are you trying to stay injured forever?¡± Ss snapped in frustration. Ren was even more frustrated. He was waiting impatiently for his wound to heal, but he had no choice this time. Harold¡¯s belt hadnded exactly on his wound. At the Vice President¡¯s Residence. The servants had just prepared lunch when they heard themotion outside. Ren came in and said to the servants, ¡°Prepare one more serving. Someone will be joining us for lunch today.¡± They nodded and got to work. Just then, Ss arrived with his medical bag in hand. As Ruka had not noticed that Ren was back, he pointed to one of the side rooms and said, ¡°This way.¡± Ss sighed once he removed the bandage, but he started cleaning the wound up again. Thankfully, it was just the skin that had split. The rest of the wound was still recovering just fine. Once Ss was done redressing the wound, Ren put his clothes back on and said, ¡°Don¡¯t tell Ruka about my wound splitting again. Just say that you¡¯re here for lunch.¡± Meanwhile, on the second floor. Ruka¡¯s phone started ringing. She answered right away when she saw it was a call from Scarlet. ¡°Hi, Aunt Scarlet.¡± ¡°Ruka, is Ren home yet? My mother called me just now and said that my father hit him with a belt. She doesn¡¯t know where he got hit or if it left any injuries.¡± ¡°What? Why?!¡± ¡°Someone incited my father by telling him about Ren¡¯s rtionship with you on purpose. My father was furious and hit Ren because of it. Since Ren is home with you, you should go and check if he¡¯s injured.¡± Ruka had a worried look on her face. ¡°Okay, I will.¡± ¡°My father has always had a nasty temper. I feel bad for Ren. He¡¯s a grown man now, but he still had to take a beating on his knees.¡± ¡°What? He was beaten while kneeling?¡± Ruka felt incredibly sorry for Ren. ¡°Anyway, you should check and see if he¡¯s injured. My father¡¯s no longer angry now, and he¡¯s fine with the rtionship, so I guess it ended on a good note.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll go and see if he¡¯s back.¡± Ruka peered out the French window and saw Ren¡¯s car, so she quickly said, ¡°He¡¯s back. I¡¯ll go and check on him.¡± ¡°Okay. Go ahead!¡± Scarlet ended the call. Ruka rushed down the stairs and saw Ren and Ss stepping out of one of the spare rooms. ¡°Why are you here, Dr. Ss?¡± she eximed. Her eyes flickered over to Ren. Her eyes flickered over to Ren. Ss cleared his throat and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m just here for lunch.¡± However, Ruka was not to be fooled. If Dr. Ss came here right after Ren took a beating, it means the wound must have split again! She sighed as her heart ached for him. Was he trying to hide it from her just so that she would not worry about him? Well, he did take a beating. Ruka bit her lip and decided against bringing it up for the sake of his dignity. Ss left after lunch and Ruka held Ren¡¯s arm as they went upstairs to rest. Ren looked perfectly normal despite taking a beating, and he was doing his best to keep it from her. Thus, she felt like he was being a stubborn child right now. It seemed as if age no longer came between them. He loved her and she loved him. They were equals in the rtionship and equals in love. ¡°I¡¯ll stay with you for a while.¡± Ruka dragged Ren back to his bedroom. For the past few days, she had stayed away to ensure that she did not disrupt his recovery process in any way, even though she wanted to sleep in his arms each night. Today was an exception as she wanted tofort him after all that he went through. ¡°Okay!¡± Ren nodded. Ruka was being a lot sweeter than usual. It was making his yearning for her grow, but thanks to his wound being aggravated time and time again, his frustration kept growing too. In the evening, a guest arrived¡ªRichard. When Ruka saw him enter dressed in camouge, she called out at once, ¡°Richard¡­¡± The hesitance as she trailed off caught both men¡¯s attention. Richard nced at Ren, who cleared his throat and said, ¡°Ruka, you don¡¯t need to be so formal with him. You can even call him Richie if you like!¡± Ruka blushed and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Have you had dinner yet? Sit with us,¡± Ren said to Richard. Richard nced at his watch before nodding. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll stay for dinner.¡± The two men soon proceeded to the study for a discussion. Richard hade over for a reason. ¡°Uncle Ren, we¡¯ve determined that the mastermind is Orson Grady, but he covers his tracks very well. All of those who failed in carrying out his tasks end up disappearing without a trace.¡± Ren¡¯s eyes glinted coldly. Orson had lost to him during thest elections by just a few hundred votes. It was evident that Orson was going all out this time. ¡°Do you have a way to lure him out?¡± ¡°One. We want to use Ruka¡¯s identity as bait.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t allow Ruka to be put in any danger,¡± Ren refused right away. Richard smirked. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t put Ruka at risk either. I just want to use her identity and send one of my people disguised as her.¡± Ren narrowed his eyes. ¡°How confident are you?¡± ¡°Since the assassination failed, their next target would be Ruka. They will want to use Ruka as ckmail to get you to renounce your candidacy for the elections. The elections are in two months, so they¡¯ll definitely act soon.¡± Richard spoke with certainty. Ren nodded. His eyes were cold as he said, ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll proceed with your n. Guys like Orson Grady should be exterminated.¡± ¡°How¡¯s your injury, Uncle Ren?¡± Richard voiced his concern. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll be back to normal in a few days,¡± Ren assured him. Richard patted Ren¡¯s arm. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll be a part of your security detail from now on. This won¡¯t happen again.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll rest at ease knowing that you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°I promised Ang that I would stay in the country and wouldn¡¯t go far.¡± Richard did not regret giving up his career and position for the sake of love. He did it willingly. Furthermore, his job now was to keep his family safe, which was something meaningful as well. Richard left after dinner. He had been traveling around the past few days and had not seen Ang for a while now, so now that he finally had some free time, he was eager to rush home and see her. Ordinarily, Ren would ask Ruka to sleep in his room at night, but tonight, he was unusually self-aware and did not ask her toe with him to bed. It was Ruka who could not fall asleep. Her heart panged each time she recalled how he had been beaten, and it was all because of her too! What could she do for him? She decided that if she did see Harold, she had to let him know just how much she loved Ren and that nothing could break them apart. What could she do for him? She decided that if she did see Harold, she had to let him know just how much she loved Ren and that nothing could break them apart. The next morning, when Ruka came out of the bedroom, she heard soundsing from downstairs, which sounded like¡­ Is that Mrs. Husson? Did shee here? Ruka was excited. She rushed down the stairs at once, but when she saw the old couple who were sitting on the couch, her heart trembled slightly. She did not expect to see Harold here either. Ren was seated opposite them. It looked like Charlotte and Harold had only just arrived and the three of them were discussing something. ¡°You¡¯re up, Ruka? Come and take a seat.¡± Charlotte waved her over happily. Harold was still a little miffed as he threw a re at Ren. He was satisfied with Ren in every way, except for his love life. Never in his wildest dreams would he have thought that Ren would fall in love with the young woman his sister raised. Ruka¡¯s mind raced as she stood in front of the old couple. All of a sudden, she covered her mouth with her hand and acted as if she was about to throw up. She rushed to the nearby trashcan and pretended to vomit. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell, Ruka?¡± Charlotte eximed in shock. Ren cast a worried look at her too. Did she get a cold from keeping the air-conditioning on at a low temperaturest night? Harold was staring in concern as well. Ruka exhaled in relief and shook her head shyly. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ve just been getting the urge to vomit for the past two days.¡± When Charlotte heard this, the wheels in her head started spinning and she cried out excitedly, ¡°Could it be that you¡¯re pregnant?¡± Harold¡¯s eyes lit up as well. Was he going to have a grandchild so soon? Ren secretly sighed in relief, and at the same time, his lips curved into a smile. Ruka¡¯s acting was pretty good. Ruka threw caution to the wind and chose to do whatever it took to make Harold happy. She did not want Harold to continue feeling upset with Ren over this, so the news of a grandchild would surely get rid of all his anger. She quickly ced her hand on her belly and said in amazement, ¡°I think so, judging by the timing.¡± Charlotte was overjoyed. She turned to Harold and said, ¡°Look! Ruka¡¯s pregnant. We¡¯ll have a grandchild before the year ends.¡± Harold¡¯s stern expression had made way for a smile too. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Ruka, though it¡¯ll be hard on her.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I want to have a child with Ren as soon as possible too.¡± Ruka shook her head and looked at Ren. She winked at him in secret to warn him not to expose her. ¡°Come,e. Let¡¯s not stand around. Take a seat! We must let Scarlet and the others know about this.¡± Charlotte was jumping out of her seat to inform the others of the glorious news. Ruka sat down beside Ren. She felt a pair of eyes staring pointedly at her. Her cheeks felt a little hot, but perhaps it was because of her lie. The old couple left after having lunch, but just before they headed off, Harold turned to Ren and said, ¡°Make sure you treat Ruka well.¡± It was a sign that he was no longer upset about their rtionship. Ren nodded and promised, ¡°I will.¡± ¡°Ren, since Ruka is pregnant, you need to watch out, okay?¡± Charlotte hinted that Ren would need to exercise more self-control over the next few months. Ren¡¯s cheeks turned a little pink. He nodded ufortably and said, ¡°I know, Mom. Go ahead and get in the car!¡± After seeing the car pull out of the driveway, Ruka finally sighed in relief and patted her chest. ¡°Thank goodness they didn¡¯t see through me.¡± However, Ren tousled her hair before flicking her on the forehead. ¡°Ruka, is this something you should be lying about?¡± he chided, though his voice was full of affection. ¡°I only did it for your sake! So that your father won¡¯t be so angry and upset with you for getting into a rtionship with me.¡± Ruka pouted and stared at him aggrievedly. ¡°Aunt Scarlet told me all about it. Did you think you could hide this from me?¡± Ren had no answer for that. Ren had no answer for that. It was hard to keep a secret from Ruka. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and asked, ¡°Worried about me?¡± ¡°What do you think? Even Dr. Ss came over. Did your wound split again?¡± Ruka gave him a light punch. Ren grabbed her hand and pulled her into the hall. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll be back to normal soon. There¡¯s something even more urgent right now.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°We need to make a baby. My mother would be shouting it from the rooftops soon enough. If you¡¯re not pregnant, then it¡¯s going to prove that you lied.¡± Ren¡¯s eyes were fixed on her. His voice was a little hoarse. True enough, Ruka started fretting when she heard what he said. She grabbed his hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up then!¡± He stared at her wordlessly. Ruka giggled. ¡°It¡¯s fine. We can¡¯t rush things right now. We¡¯ll see how it goes in a few days. It¡¯s not like they¡¯re going to drag me off to the hospital at once to do a check-up!¡± ¡°Ruka, I don¡¯t want to wait any longer,¡± he said hoarsely, his eyes dark. However, Ruka thought about his injury and shook her head. ¡°Nope. Let¡¯s give it another week.¡± ¡°You still owe me a gift!¡± Ren reminded. Ruka chuckled. ¡°Well, you¡¯re injured. If it hadn¡¯t been for that, I would¡¯ve already wrapped myself up as a gift and presented myself to you.¡± Ren was a little disgruntled to see how smug she was. He was going to make her pay once he was fully recovered. As expected, Ruka received a call from Scarlet that afternoon. Scarlet was ecstatic as she asked whether Ruka was pregnant. What could Ruka say? She could only admit it. Next, she got a call from ire who was also thrilled. ire peppered her with questions about when she was going to the hospital to check on the baby. It was clear that ire was very invested in the pregnancy. Ruka was getting jitters too. She had to hurry up and turn the lie into reality, or it would be hard for her to deal with her family members¡± care and concern. After ending the call, Ruka sighed and heard someone chuckling behind her. ¡°Now you¡¯re anxious!¡± She turned to look at him and huffed, ¡°How can you beughing about it? Hurry up and think of a n!¡± His eyes gleamed and his voice was dripping with seduction. ¡°The only solution is to have a go at it tonight.¡± Ruka blushed. ¡°We can¡¯t. It¡¯s more important that you recover properly. I refuse.¡± ¡°Trust me, Ruka. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Ren was determined to help her make the lie a reality in spite of his injury. After all, time was of the essence. Ruka pped herself. ¡°I dragged you into this mess with me. I shouldn¡¯t have lied.¡± Ren pulled her into his arms. ¡°You did nothing wrong. My father¡¯s not angry anymore and he gave us his blessing. I¡¯m very happy.¡± Ruka closed her eyes and returned the hug. ¡°Alright. Just focus on your recovery for another week. I¡¯ll let you have your way after that.¡± Ren bent down and kissed her hair. He could scarcely wait a day. However, he did not want her to worry, so he could only reply hoarsely, ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll wait another week.¡± ¡°Pinky promise! You have to keep your word, alright?¡± Ruka was afraid that he would mess around again. If his wound split one more time, it would surely get infected. ¡°Do I get a prize if I manage to do it?¡± ¡°If you do as you say, I¡¯ll grant you one wish, as long as it is something I can do.¡± He smirked. ¡°It¡¯s a deal.¡± Ruka buried her face against his chest. She felt embarrassed! For the next few days, Ren focused on his recovery. Ss came over every day to check on his progress. It had been two weeks since the injury, and had it not been for the wound splitting twice before this, it would have already healed by now. On the other hand, Ruka spent two days dealing with calls from ire and Scarlet. Charlotte had also sent someone to bring over a whole bunch of supplements. Their concern and attention began to make Ruka feel a little guilty. It was as if some invisible force was pushing for her to go the final step with Ren as soon as possible. She felt shy, but also pleased and excited. It was as if some invisible force was pushing for her to go the final step with Ren as soon as possible. She felt shy, but also pleased and excited. Six of the seven days had passed, and Ren was recovering well. A newyer of skin formed over the wound while the old one scabbed and fell off. It left a somewhat nasty-looking scar, but Ruka found it rather manly. It was soon to be the final day, and Ruka could sense that Ren¡¯s gaze was getting hotter by the day. Whenever he passed by, she could feel the intensity of his presence. It was as if his pheromones were hanging thick in the air. Ss came today and Ruka heard him say, ¡°I can take off the dressing tomorrow. You better not let the wound split again!¡± It¡¯s the final day. I must hold my ground and not let him do anything tonight, Ruka thought to herself. By the time Ss left, it was already evening, and the servants prepared a bountiful dinner. Ruka gained two pounds after spending the past few days feasting on rich, nutritional food alongside Ren. Her face looked a little softer and rounder, and she appeared even cuter. From a man¡¯s perspective, she became even fuller to the touch. At half past nine that evening, Ruka came out of the bathroom after washing up and decided to binge on her favorite drama series to keep herself upied. Ruka couldn¡¯t sleep that night, so she binge watched Netflix until half past eleven. Just when she was about to sleep, someone knocked on the door. ¡°Open up, Ruka.¡± She was surprised that he came, but Ruka went and opened the door anyway. He was wearing a ck robe that night and still looked as majestic as ever. The robe wasn¡¯t tightly tied up, and she could see his chest poking through it. She gulped. Is he trying to seduce me? ¡°You have one more day left.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just here to chat. I can¡¯t sleep.¡± He came into her room andy on her bed. His robe clung to his skin closely, showing off his perfectly slender body. Ruka got into bed and held herself up by her elbow. ¡°It¡¯ste. What are we talking about?¡± ¡°The wedding. What kind of wedding would you like?¡± He smiled. Ruka did look forward to a nice wedding once, but she didn¡¯t want the public to criticize their rtionship, so she said, ¡°A simple one. It doesn¡¯t have to be too big.¡± ¡°You¡¯re worried about the public¡¯s opinion,¡± he said. He understood how she felt. Ruka was quiet for a moment. ¡°I don¡¯t care what they think. I still want to marry you.¡± He gave her a look of approval. ¡°Of course.¡± Ruka yawned. ¡°I¡¯m getting sleepy. You should get back to your room.¡± ¡°Then go to sleep. I¡¯ll stay with you,¡± he said. She looked at the time. It¡¯s 11.47PM. ¡°It¡¯ste. You should go back to your room.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the time now?¡± ¡°11.47PM,¡± she answered. A smirk shed in his eyes. ¡°We¡¯ll keep this up for just a little longer.¡± Ruka got up. ¡°I¡¯ll get some water. You want some?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± He nodded. ¡°Give me the iPad.¡± Ruka handed the iPad to him, and she went downstairs to get some water. He stared at the time, his smile widening. She came back with a ss of water. It was already 11.55PM then. Ruka handed the water over to him, and he got up to have a sip. She then sat down in front of the dressing table to put on some lotion. Ren thought she smelled really nice. Ruka looked at her bed when she was done, but he was still there. She went and tugged on his sleeve. ¡°Go back to your room.¡± Instead of pulling him up, he pulled her down. The world spun for a moment, and then she was pinned against the bed. ¡°It¡¯s time, Ruka.¡± Huh? Oh, he¡¯s not going to wait, huh? It¡¯s technically past his recovery period, and he¡¯s already going for his privilege. Ruka was blushing and panting from the kiss. He huddled closer and whispered, ¡°I want you to never say stop¡­¡± Huh? Wait, that¡¯s not how any of this works! Huh? Wait, that¡¯s not how any of this works! Toote. She was taken for a lustful ride. They started doing it in her room and eventually moved to the main bedroom. She felt every cell of her body moaning in pleasure. All she could feel was Ren, and all she could think of was him. Eventually, he started telling her to call him baby, and she obliged. Ruka did it the whole night. Yes, the whole night. Ruka didn¡¯t feel like getting out of bed the next day, not even when the sun was already shining. However, Ren woke her up with cases in case she went hungry. Ruka was still curled up under the nket. She was still groggy, and her eyes were closed, but she muttered, ¡°You meanie.¡± He held back hisughter and told her, ¡°I won¡¯t do it again.¡± She looked at him. Her eyes were glistening and a little red. Apparently she cried for a while the night before. Ren had brought her breakfast. Ruka washed herself up and came back out feeling hungry. The food looked tantalizing. Ren was smiling. He was still basking in the remnants of the afterglow. He watched her as she had her breakfast. Ruka wasn¡¯t an exceptionally beautiful woman, but she had a likable air about her. Her features were petite, and she looked just right. ¡°This¡¯ll nourish you. Finish it.¡± Ren blew on the soup and fed it to her. She took the spoon from him and gulped it down without hesitation. Her face turned redder and prettier after that. Ruka was still napping on the second floor¡¯s couch in the afternoon. She didn¡¯t have enough sleep, so she had to take a nap. It was then her phone rang. She looked at the number and sighed. Mom. ¡°Hey, Mom.¡± ¡°I got you some chickens, Ruka. Tell Ren to send someone over to take them. You need to rest up, and stop being picky, alright?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, Mom. I have everything I need here,¡± she said. Everyone¡¯s so worried about my pregnancy. Honestly, I know pregnancies are a big deal, but¡­ I just had sex for the first timest night. Night was starting to descend upon the city, and the servants had gone back home. Ruka felt refreshed after that nap. She was going through her skincare routine in her room. She rubbed a ck mud mask all over her face, and then Ren came in without knocking. ¡°Why did youe in? Don¡¯t look at me.¡± She tried to cover her face. He¡¯s gonna fall out of love with me if he sees this side of me. Maybe he¡¯s gonna think badly of me. Ren sat down beside her and looked at her face curiously. ¡°Does this actually work?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± She blinked at him. ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to buy a whole set for you tomorrow. Tell me whatever you need. I¡¯ll give you everything you want,¡± he said gently. The love in his eyes was palpable. Ruka¡¯s face was colored in ck, but she grinned nheless. ¡°I don¡¯t need anything but you.¡± ¡°I am already yours. Didn¡¯t you feel itst night?¡± His eyes were glinting dangerously. Ruka was blushing, but it was not visible. She chuckled. ¡°I did.¡± ¡°And why did you cryst night?¡± Ren was shocked when it happened. ¡°That¡¯s my problem, not yours,¡± she said awkwardly. ¡°I was just doing it for fun.¡± He chortled. Does crying make it more fun for her? ¡°Wash your mask away now,¡± he said. She huddled closer to him, showing off her mask. ¡°You can¡¯t get it up just because I¡¯m looking like this? Well, I guess you¡¯ll have to let me off the hook tonight.¡± Ruka was begging for mercy. ¡°No. I thought you said you wanted a baby. And you¡¯ll have to work for it.¡± Ren had decided to have a baby with her. ¡°I was wrong.¡± Her face scrunched up, and she puffed her cheeks. ¡°What if I¡¯m not pregnant even after a month?¡± He patted her head. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll exin it to them.¡± He patted her head. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll exin it to them.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Ss will do it. We¡¯ll cover it up one way or the other.¡± Ren was amused. He felt for her, seeing how nervous she was. Ruka blinked. ¡°Really? Tell Ss to do it tomorrow then. Please.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I-I wanna have some more alone time with you. I don¡¯t want to have a baby so soon. It¡¯ll get in the way of our alone time.¡± She could say anything she wanted and not worry about blushing thanks to her mask. Obviously she wanted to have some more alone time with Ren. Ren had the same idea. They were in no hurry to get a baby. He wanted to go on more dates with her too. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll tell Ss to call my folks tomorrow and clear things up.¡± Ruka nodded. Oh, the mask¡¯s drying up. ¡°I¡¯ll have to wash the mask off now.¡± Ren waited on the couch for her. She went into the bathroom and washed her mask off, revealing her fair, petite face. It was gleaming under the light. Her lips were plump, her eyes were glistening, and her hair was long and lustrous. Ruka looked like a youngdy straight out of a college romance drama. She emerged from the bathroom and looked at Ren. The ck robe with gold trim looked majestic on him, but she was more attracted to his face. Ruka hopped into his embrace and wrapped her arms around his neck. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Time to sleep.¡± Ren looked at her. Ah, what an innocentdy. I wanna gobble her up. He then carried her in his arms. ¡°You can¡¯t hold me like this. That¡¯s gonna strain your arms.¡± She tried to hop off his arms in case his wound was torn again. He looked at her and purred, ¡°I can always hold you like I didst night. If you catch my drift.¡± Her face turned red. Oh god. Last night was embarrassing. I refuse to think about it. He took her back to his bedroom. Her bedroom wasn¡¯t hers anymore, because her new ce was in his bedroom. He was getting addicted to sleeping with her in his arms and decided to have her sleep in his bedroom from now on. A long whileter, Ruka fell asleep while holding his arm. A glint of satisfaction swam in Ren¡¯s eyes. Another day, another session of getting checked up. The wound was almost healed, but Ss still advised him to limit his sex sessions. Ren called his mother and asked Ss to exin everything. Ruka wasn¡¯t pregnant; the test showed a false positive for other reasons. Charlotte was a little disappointed, but at least she was in no hurry anymore. Well, that can wait until the wedding¡¯s done. It¡¯s time Ren gets to spend time with Ruka. At the same time, a tense undercurrent was flowing beneath the surface. As the election drew near, some people were getting panicky. They wanted to take Ren down and make him give up on the elections. Ren took Ruka to the living room on the second floor in the afternoon. He said, ¡°Ruka, Richard¡¯s going tounch an operation tonight, and he needs your help. It¡¯s safe. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°What kind of operation?¡± ¡°There¡¯s gonna be a performance tonight, and we¡¯re going together. But I have work to do, while you are going to the performance yourself.¡± Ren was a little nervous when he brought that up. Richard promised nothing would happen, but putting the woman he loved at risk was still worrisome. ¡°Is this some sort of bait? Richard¡¯s trying to lure the culprit out, isn¡¯t he?¡± Ruka actually made a right guess. ¡°Yep. It¡¯s a trap.¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll work with him. I¡¯ll do anything if it means the mastermind is caught and you won¡¯t get yourself into any danger again,¡± she said with firm resolve. He apuded her courage. Ren cupped her chin and kissed her forehead. ¡°I won¡¯t let anything happen to you.¡± Ren cupped her chin and kissed her forehead. ¡°I won¡¯t let anything happen to you.¡± Ren¡¯s motorcade left the house in the afternoon. Someone in a ck off-road vehicle around the ce was keeping watch on his every move. The guy made a call. He said, ¡°Ren has left his house.¡± Twenty minutester, the guy received news that Ren had gone to his office. In a dim, dark hall sat a brooding man. He was holding his phone, and he ordered, ¡°Keep a close eye on him. Once Ruka¡¯s motorcade rolls out, we¡¯re moving in.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Ruka was making preparations for going to the performance that night. A female bodyguard got into the backseat with her. Ten minutes after they left the house, Ruka rolled the window down on purpose and pretended that she was enjoying the view. Someone in the car beside theirs took a photo of her and confirmed that Ruka was in this vehicle. However, the photo was taken in a hurry, and Ruka rolled the window up far too quickly for the criminals to see what was happening inside. At the same time, the female bodyguard and Ruka switched clothes. Ruka changed into the bodyguard¡¯s clothes, while the bodyguard switched into Ruka¡¯s. Her hairstyle looked like Ruka¡¯s, and she put some makeup on so she could resemble Ruka as well. Ruka was worried about the bodyguard who would take her ce in this mission. ¡°Be careful, Karina.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Singed. I¡¯ve gone through a lot of training.¡± Karina nodded. The car drove into a tunnel, and another car drove up next to the one Ruka was in. The truck that was behind them blocked the sight of the enemies. At the same time, Ruka jumped out of her car and into the one next to it thanks to Richard¡¯s help. Ruka was really brave. Traveling between two moving cars only made her a little pale. Otherwise, she was fine. Richard patted her back. ¡°It¡¯s alright now. Leave everything to me. Someone will take you back home.¡± ¡°Be careful,¡± Ruka said. Ren¡¯s call came. He too was worried when he heard that Ruka jumped from one moving vehicle into another. Fortunately, everything went well. The n had to be executed perfectly so the enemy would be lured out as nned, or they might notice that something was wrong. After the truck drove into another road, the off-road vehicles quickly tailed the car Ruka was in earlier. The window was rolled down again, revealing the profile of a gorgeousdy. Her hair billowed in the wind, covering her face. When the people inside the ORV confirmed that it was Ruka, they told their colleagues so they could get ready for the kidnapping. Ruka had returned to the house, but she was feeling tense. She prayed that the n would go well, and that everyone woulde back safely. Ren came back a whileter. Ruka stood up from the couch the moment he entered the living room. He quickly approached her and pulled her into his embrace. Ren caressed her hair and asked her if she was fine. ¡°I¡¯m fine, but I¡¯m worried about Richard and his friends¡­¡± Ruka said. ¡°You don¡¯t have to. The mission¡¯spleted, and there were no casualties,¡± Ren cooed. ¡°Really? Are they the assassins who tried to kill you?¡± Ruka felt relieved. An arrest operation took ce in a remote area in the city center, and it had just ended. All the people involved in the kidnapping were arrested, and Richard had all the evidence he needed to find out who the mastermind was. Meanwhile, Orson received a call at his residence, and what he heard almost gave him a heart attack. He coughed violently, then everything turned ck and he copsed to the ground. The failure of his n meant he would be subjected to life imprisonment. The shock made him faint. Orson woke up while he was on his way to the hospital. He tried to escape by leaving the country, so he told his men to make the necessary preparations for him. Orson woke up while he was on his way to the hospital. He tried to escape by leaving the country, so he told his men to make the necessary preparations for him. What waited for him was something worse. Everything he did and every step he took would only lead him deeper into hell. He had no choice but to surrender, and yet he refused. Things only got worse for him. Richard finished his job perfectly. His men had been working nonstop with himtely. It was time to treat them to dinner. ¡°When¡¯s your wedding, Cap? I can¡¯t wait.¡± ¡°Next week, and I wanna see you all there.¡± He smiled. His wedding was dyed, but he was still really happy he got one. Friday came, and Ren wanted to take Ruka to a show. It was a private one. He thought it was sad that she was forced to stay at home, so he wanted to take her around town. The shows were segmented into several sections, like a dance performance and a piano performance. There were more than twenty shows waiting for them all in all. It would be a great event, but the audience was vetted. Ruka was wearing an elegant white dress. Her hair was tied up, and she followed Ren, looking like a princess. Thanks to Ren, she caught everyone¡¯s attention. Most of them had no idea who she was, but they still showed her enough respect. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. There was a female bodyguard going around with Ruka at all times, keeping her safe. After a few shows, Ruka excused herself to the restroom. The bodyguard went along with her. Before she even came close to the restroom, she heard a woman screaming. ¡°What are you doing? You ruined my dress! This is my big day!¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Miss Liamson. I didn¡¯t mean it. The floor was just too slippery.¡± ¡°That¡¯s no excuse!¡± And then Ruka heard the sound of a p. ¡°This¡¯ll teach you a lesson.¡± Ruka knew that voice anywhere. She didn¡¯t expect to run into Sophie here. And she¡¯s as despicable as ever. Ruka narrowed her eyes and turned the corner. She saw Sophie wiping the water off her dress with a tissue, while a staff member was wiping her tears in the corner. Sophie was about to leave, but then she saw Ruka. The shock almost made her heart stop, but she quickly approached her warmly. ¡°Ah, Ruka. Did youe with Ren?¡± Sophie was getting closer to her. Just before she could give her a hug, Ruka took a step back, and the bodyguard stepped forward to stop Sophie. ¡°Stand back.¡± Sophie looked at Ruka¡¯s bodyguard angrily. ¡°She¡¯s my friend!¡± Ruka shot her an icy look. ¡°We are most certainly not friends.¡± ¡°I know I was a jerk to you, Ruka, and I¡¯m sorry. I wish you and Ren all the happiness in the world. Please, can¡¯t we let this slide?¡± She put on a look of apology. Ruka thought it wasughable. She said coolly, ¡°Miss Liamson, you¡¯re not that close to Ren. Call him Mr. Husson. Don¡¯t forget about your manners.¡± ¡°Um¡­ but Mrs. Husson told me I could call him Ren. It¡¯s hard to switch it around.¡± Sophie was trying to tighten her rtionship with Ren. It was an honor to be on a first-name basis with the vice president. ¡°I do not care. Switch it around,¡± Ruka said seriously. Sophie was a little scared. She said sheepishly, ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll do that.¡± Thedy who got pped just now was about to leave. She thought it was unfair, but she was in no position to speak. Ruka said softly, ¡°A minute, miss.¡± The waitress looked at Ruka in surprise. She had no idea who Ruka was, but the fact that she could lecture Sophie spoke volumes about her status, not to mention that Ruka had an air of elegance about her. ¡°What is it, miss?¡± The waitress looked at Ruka in surprise. She had no idea who Ruka was, but the fact that she could lecture Sophie spoke volumes about her status, not to mention that Ruka had an air of elegance about her. ¡°What is it, miss?¡± ¡°She hasn¡¯t apologized yet. You deserve one,¡± she said. And then Ruka stared at Sophie. ¡°Apologize to her.¡± ¡°Why should I? She drenched my dress. All I did was teach her a lesson. So what?¡± Tsk. Mind your own business, b*tch. Ruka looked at her dress. Nothing but a few drops of water. It¡¯s not even visible. She said coldly, ¡°You pped her over a few drops of water? That¡¯s too much.¡± ¡°Ruka, you might be the VP¡¯s wife, but that doesn¡¯t mean you get to order me around,¡± Sophie said arrogantly. Obviously she thought Ruka was just a peasant unworthy of Ren. The bodyguard warned, ¡°Watch your tongue, miss.¡± The waitress gasped. She¡¯s the VP¡¯s wife? Ohmigosh, she¡¯s so young! I can¡¯t believe someone like her is standing up for me! ¡°Apologize, or I will cancel your performance.¡± Ruka cocked her eyebrow. Confidence red in her eyes. Sophie gave it her all just to get the chance to perform, so Ruka¡¯s threat made her panic. She quickly said, ¡°I know I¡¯ve crossed you, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can do this to me.¡± ¡°Will you apologize, or won¡¯t you?¡± Ruka asked. Sophie bit her lip. She held her anger back and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± It was an insincere apology, but at least the waitress felt better. It felt great seeing Sophie forced to bow down and apologize because Ruka told her to. ¡°Thank you, madam,¡± she thanked Ruka and left. Sophie was about to leave, but then Ruka stopped her. ¡°A beautiful dress, but a shame the one wearing it is evil. It taints whatever they¡¯re wearing, don¡¯t you think?¡± Sophie gnashed her teeth, but she couldn¡¯t possibly blow up. She turned around and smiled. ¡°Of course. You¡¯re the VP¡¯s wife. Anything you say is right.¡± ¡°You got it all wrong. What I mean is you won¡¯t be needing this dress tonight.¡± Ruka might be kind, but she wasn¡¯t a forgiving person. She would never forget what Sophie did to her back at the Husson Residence. She even told Charlotte about her rtionship with Ren and made her faint. Does she really think I¡¯ll let that slide? ¡°What do you want? I just apologized!¡± Sophie said angrily. ¡°To the waitress, not me. Not to Charlotte. You¡¯re an evil woman. Do you really think I¡¯d let you off the hook after everything you did?¡± Ruka hissed. She was looking like a stern goddess at the moment. Sophie thought that was water under the bridge, and she didn¡¯t expect Ruka to think otherwise. It made her nervous. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I apologize to you and the Hussons. I-I was a fool,¡± she quickly apologized. I can¡¯t let her destroy my piano career. ¡°Apologies won¡¯t do you any good. Cancel the show yourself. I don¡¯t want to see you on the stage.¡± Ruka then went toward the restroom. Sophie was red with fury. She didn¡¯t think Ruka was powerful enough to actually cancel a show that was already scheduled. There was no way she would give up either. There¡¯s tons of bigshots here tonight. Her n was to showcase her skills to them and probably date someone rich and powerful. I won¡¯t give up just like that. Ruka went back to the center seat in the first row after she was done using the restroom. Ren thought she was gone for a long while, so he asked, ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡± Ruka went back to the center seat in the first row after she was done using the restroom. Ren thought she was gone for a long while, so he asked, ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡± She shook her head and huddled closer to him. ¡°I ran into Sophie just now. She has a piano performance scheduled, but I don¡¯t want to see her.¡± Ah, I get what you mean. He waved at the person in charge, who called all the shots at this event. He quickly approached Ren and bowed. ¡°What would you need, sir?¡± Ren ordered, ¡°Cancel Sophie Liamson¡¯s show.¡± The person nodded without missing a beat. ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll do it right away.¡± Backstage, Sophie was starting to feel nervous. She paced back and forth. Can Ruka actually cancel my show? The director came in, and she tensed up. ¡°What is it, director?¡± ¡°Miss Liamson, your show is canceled. Pack your things and leave right now.¡± She nched. So she did it. With the cancetion of her show, her name would be tarnished. She might be kicked out of every important show from this point forward. Chapter 1181-1190 Chapter 1181-1190 ¡°Please, just let me perform. I put in a lot of effort for this. I¡­¡± Sophie tried to put up onest fight. However, the director did not waver. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but the adjustments have been made.¡± Sophie and her assistant left through the corridor. She stood in the shadows, staring at Ruka who was seated right beside Ren, then she clenched her teeth. She didn¡¯t expect crossing Ruka would mean the loss of her career. The performance was a sess, and Ruka was in a good mood. The woman she despised didn¡¯t show up after all. It was half past nine when the show came to an end. She was tired from watching it. Ruka rested her head on Ren¡¯s shoulder and drifted to sleep while they were on their way home. She didn¡¯t wake up even when they got home, so Ren took her inside himself. Ruka had woken up when Ren picked her up, but she pretended to be asleep anyway. I can have a good night¡¯s sleep. Yay, me. No hunky dory tonight. That was her n, at least. She kept pretending to be asleep when Ren was taking her coat and socks off. Shey in his arms, wearing nothing but ayer of clothes. When Ren finally went into the bathroom, she heaved a sigh of relief and actually drifted to sleep. Ruka even continued her dream. Vaguely, she felt the edge of the bed moving downward, and then she felt someone pulling her into his warm embrace. Her face was stuck to his chest, and she jolted awake. ¡°I-I was already asleep,¡± she muttered. Show me a little respect, will you? ¡°Just go to sleep and ignore me.¡± He chuckled. He made it sound like he wouldn¡¯t be affected even if she was asleep. Ruka¡¯s face was red as an apple. She could taste his scent in the air. Guess I can¡¯t run away tonight. She wrapped her arms around his waist and tried to talk sense into him while he had some left. ¡°I¡¯m tired. Just get it over with, alright?¡± Ren smirked. Just get it over with? Oh my sweet summer child. ¡°I¡¯ll try to finish as soon as possible,¡± he said. ¡°Dr. Ss said you can¡¯t do this too much after you just healed, or it¡¯s gonna be bad for your body.¡± Ruka¡¯s phone rang right after that. She picked it up and was surprised to see that Jethro was the one calling. Why is he calling me? ¡°Don¡¯t take the call,¡± Ren said imperiously. Ruka put her phone back on the table and turned silent mode on. Ren pulled her into his embrace. ¡°Block all the guys¡¯ numbers. I don¡¯t want them calling you.¡± He was obviously jealous. He was obviously jealous. Ruka blinked. She didn¡¯t realize he was jealous. ¡°I¡¯ve slept with you. You don¡¯t have to mind them.¡± Still, Ren couldn¡¯t forget the fact that Ruka said she liked Jethro before. He pressed his forehead against hers and asked, ¡°Still can¡¯t forget about him?¡± Whoops. This is serious. It won¡¯t be easy dealing with a jealous Ren. ¡°I¡¯ll del¡­ I mean block his number.¡± She was motivated now. I didn¡¯t expect him to be a jealous guy. ¡°Do it tomorrow.¡± He then leaned in for a fierce kiss; apparently, the guy wanted to vent a little. The kiss eventually suffocated her and turned her face beet-red. I should stay quiet, or he¡¯s gonna do something wilder. ¡°You¡¯re gonna forget every other guy and only have eyes for me, got it?¡± he whispered into her ear and nibbled on it. Ruka cupped his chin, the love in her eyes overflowing. ¡°You¡¯re the only one I care about now.¡± Ren smiled happily, and she blinked at him. ¡°Can we just sleep in peace?¡± ¡°Do you think we can do that at this point?¡± He pulled her into his embrace so she could feel him. ¡°You¡¯re worried I might exhaust myself? Well, I¡¯ll show you how inexhaustible I am.¡± The room became hot and heavy as Ruka heard him say, ¡°I love you, Ruka.¡± Thedy was too dizzy to even form a reply. Friday arrived not too long after. A simple wedding was held in a tightly secured hotel. There were less than a hundred guests there. Richard was the groom, and Ang was the bride. Annie was the bridesmaid, while Jared was the best man. Two pairs of couples stood out among the crowd. Elliot and Anastasia were there with their son. Arthur and Sophie were there as well. Sophie¡¯s belly was starting to bulge. She was already five months pregnant. It wasn¡¯t every day they could meet up. Even so, their friendship would never change. Arthur patted Richard¡¯s shoulder. He congratted, ¡°Congrats, Richard.¡± ¡°So, when¡¯s your turn to hold a wedding?¡± ¡°Back home? After Sophie gives birth.¡± Arthur respected Sophie¡¯s wishes to wait until she had given birth. She wanted to see herself in a beautiful gown, and she wanted their child to witness the marriage. Arthur was actually worried his friend would be single for life before this. Fate finds a way, huh? Richard took his friends to meet up with Ren. The men were outstanding enough to attract everyone¡¯s attention. Thedies who had the privilege to join this wedding felt their hearts flutter just looking at them. To their mild frustration, they realized that all these men were taken, and their partners were gorgeous. They wished they could find a man who would look at them like they were the best things in life as well. Ruka wanted to be the bridesmaid, but she wasn¡¯t single anymore, so¡­ They went through with the whole wedding process. Ang was the prettiest woman on that day, and Richard even changed his usual demeanor for once. He was smiling all the way. He was the happiest man on Earth right now. All of Richard¡¯s men were there too. They witnessed how this love began, and now they would witness how it evolved. As the couple walked down the red carpet hand in hand, the men could remember how their first meeting went. She was someone he had to protect, while he was engaged to someone else. They met each other a littlete in life, but their love was unstoppable. Ang was pregnant, so Richard was almost holding her in his embrace all the way. He refused to let her drink even one drop of wine. Phillip, his wife, Harold, and Charlotte took up a table. They felt rueful but happy at the same time. After all, Phillip¡¯s grandson was getting married, and he would be blessed with a grandkid soon. Ren and Ruka were at a table on the Husson side of the venue. There were a lot ofdies there, and they were astonished by how majestic Ren was. They liked him, but all they could do was admire him from afar. Richard was the most handsome guy that night. He was now a husband and would soon be a father. Meanwhile, Ang¡¯s family were crying tears of joy. They were happy their daughter married the right man. Richard was the most handsome guy that night. He was now a husband and would soon be a father. Meanwhile, Ang¡¯s family were crying tears of joy. They were happy their daughter married the right man. The wedding ran from nine in the morning to nine at night. The guests could feel the love in the air as they bore witness to the sanctity of love and marriage. Anastasia and Sophie had be the best of friends, and they took a great liking to Ang too. From then on, thesedies would be the strongest supporters of one another. Night fell, and a hint of lust crept into the air. Ruka had a bit too much to drink. Ang introduced her to yet another pair of capable, gorgeousdies today, so she took drinking a bit too far. It wasn¡¯t until she was about to go home did she realize the alcohol was kicking in. Her head was woozy, and her cheeks were burning. I¡¯m getting tipsy. Ren got in the car as well. He met and greeted a lot of people tonight, so he had some to drink too. His face was pink, but his alcohol tolerance was high and he wasn¡¯t even tipsy. He noticed Ruka massaging her forehead. Ren leaned over and asked with concern, ¡°Had too much to drink? Does your head hurt?¡± He pressed his palm against her forehead. She blinked, trying to clear the fog in her mind. He¡¯s so hot today. All the bigshots kept raising toasts to him, and he just handled them like it¡¯s nothing. He¡¯s so smart and charming. He was already hers, but her heart still fluttered for him. He¡¯s so hot. ¡°Honey, you¡¯re really hot tonight. I love you,¡± she confessed to him thanks to liquid courage. Ren smiled, and dimples formed on his cheeks. The divider in the car rose. What would happen in the backseat would stay in the backseat, and there was no need for the driver to overhear it. Besides, she¡¯s tipsy now. If she does anything¡­ inappropriate, it¡¯s for my eyes only. Ruka started moving around. She cupped his chin and brushed her finger across his face. Eventually, she yed with his dimple. ¡°You¡¯re so handsome,¡± she praised. Ruka puckered her lips and kissed his cheek. Ren watched her lovingly as she got handsy with him. He liked to see her doing what she wanted sometimes. All he could see was her. Ruka started yawning when they were almost home. Ren noticed that. He looked up from his iPad and put it down, then he patted her head. She looked at himnguidly. ¡°We¡¯re almost home. Wake up,¡± he whispered. Oh, we¡¯re getting home soon. She nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll stay up. I¡¯ll sleep after I get back home.¡± I don¡¯t want him taking me to the bedroom. He¡¯s still hurt. Ruka didn¡¯t realize that Ren was smirking. If she falls asleep, I can¡¯t do it with her. I need to keep her awake and wait for my chance. Ruka got out of the car and went into the living room. She told Ren, ¡°I¡¯m getting a shower, then I¡¯m going to bed.¡± Rent took his coat off, revealing the tight, dark vest that fitted him snugly. He looked really fit and had one of the best bodies around. Ren was in no mood to work. He wouldn¡¯t miss any scene of seeing her tipsy. It¡¯s gonna be a nice night tonight. Ruka washed up quickly just so she could sleep early, but Ren opened the door and joined her halfway through. Ruka wanted to scream. I guess no sleep for tonight then. Ren thought that a tipsy Ruka was a subus. He was looking forward to their wedding night. It¡¯s gonna be awesome. The ever diligent Elijah came to Ren¡¯s house early in the next morning, holding a stack of files. Usually Ren would havee down at seven thirty, but it was already nine, and there was still no sign of him. There was no sounding from the master bedroom, so all Elijah could do was wait. I guess it¡¯s normal that he dys work to spend time with his wife. Ren came down all dressed up at nine thirty. He told the servant, ¡°Ruka¡¯s not having breakfast. She¡¯ll have an early lunch.¡± Ren came down all dressed up at nine thirty. He told the servant, ¡°Ruka¡¯s not having breakfast. She¡¯ll have an early lunch.¡± The servants nodded quietly. It¡¯s not that she won¡¯t. She can¡¯t. ¡°You have to limit yourself, sir,¡± Elijah bravely suggested. Ren turned around and gave him a nce. ¡°Don¡¯t you have work to do?¡± You don¡¯t get to tell me what to do in private. Elijah was just concerned about Ren¡¯s health. They would be really busy just handling theing election. The election came, and Ren did not disappoint. He was elected as VP once again. And that was not the only good news. Right after the victory announcement, Ruka was found to be pregnant with twins. Charlotte was overjoyed. Their family was blessed with heaps of good news. Ang was already seven months pregnant. Soon Charlotte would be weing her first grandchild. The Hussons would hold the wedding in June, and it would be as simple as Richard¡¯s. It would hurt Ren¡¯s reputation if he held too big of a wedding, and their family was more practical. Ruka didn¡¯t really mind it either. She wasn¡¯t an ostentatious girl. Having the man she loved with her was the most important thing. The wedding was a just formality where their friends and family could witness their love. Elliot, Anastasia, Arthur, and Sophie joined the wedding. Once again, they were honored to witness the sanctity of love and marriage. Arthur and Sophie¡¯s son was already born. They would hold a wedding not long down the line as well. Ang, who was seven months pregnant now, was standing beside Richard. After they went into the banquet hall, thedies took up a quiet room and talked about child-rearing. Anastasia was the most experienced of all. Her daughter was already six months old, and she took good care of her. Ang looked at the baby girl on the screen, and she longed to see her own too. The doctor told her that she was pregnant with a girl. ¡°She¡¯s so chubby and cute. Does she cling to you or her father?¡± Ang smiled. ¡°Her father. He holds her most of the time, so I get more time to myself.¡± Anastasia smiled. Her hair was slightly curled. She had recovered and gained her mojo back after the birth, looking as elegant as she used to be. Sophie said that Martha spoiled her son rotten. Arthur set his work aside for them as well. Their son resembled Arthur. He was just one month old, but the boy was already the center of everyone¡¯s attention. While thedies were chatting among themselves, the men held their own gathering as well. They looked like they were talking about important stuff, but if one moved closer to them, one would find that they were talking about child-rearing as well. The men were interested in kid-rted stuff too. Elliot¡¯s phone rang halfway through. The screen lit up and showed a baby¡¯s face¡ªit was a photo of his daughter. After he was done with the call, the guy looked at the photo for a while before turning the phone off and getting back to the conversation. As a new father, Arthur had a lot to learn. This was his most important job, and the one he was most eager to learn at. He wanted to be a brilliant dad. Richard barely said anything, but he listened intently. He didn¡¯t want to lose out on any tip. Ren was in a crisp ck suit, and hordes of people came to congratte him. Harold knew a lot of people, so almost all the bigshots attended the wedding. Ruka was still styling herself up. Rita was her bridesmaid. The girl almost fainted with delight. She never thought she would one day be the bridesmaid for the VP¡¯s wife. This is my proudest moment. Elijah was looking particrly dashing as well. He never had a chance to date anyone due to his work. The guy was twenty-nine and sessful. Today he was the groom¡¯s best man. Elijah was looking particrly dashing as well. He never had a chance to date anyone due to his work. The guy was twenty-nine and sessful. Today he was the groom¡¯s best man. Elijah was surprised Ren asked him to be his best man, though this was more interesting than work. After Ruka¡¯s makeup was done, she huddled closer to Rita. ¡°Rita, you gotta catch my bouquet, got it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try. I might be out of luck though.¡± Rita gave no guarantees. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll throw it in your direction.¡± Ruka smiled. Ren and his best man came. He looked exceptionally young and handsome that day. Ruka might be a few years younger than he was, but as they stood next to each other, their age gap wasn¡¯t obvious and they looked really good together. There was a rumor that said a couple who kissed a lot would resemble each other eventually. I guess that¡¯s true? Rita was about to stand up and straighten out Ruka¡¯s gown, but she stepped on her own dress and gasped. The man nearest to her immediately reached out to catch her. He grabbed her waist and stopped her from falling smack to the ground in public. Rita was breathing a bit heavily. She looked up and was greeted by a handsome guy. Her heart fluttered. Rita was looking really cute today as well. Her hair was trimmed short and clean. She looked like an innocent girl, and Elijah felt like he was having a crush. ¡°Thanks.¡± Rita quickly stood up straight. ¡°No problem,¡± Elijah said awkwardly. He stole a few nces at her though. This was the first time he saw the bridesmaid, and he thought she was cute. Ruka was holding Ren¡¯s arm, and they exchanged a smile. Oh ho, we smell the beginnings of another rtionship here. ¡°Elijah, Ruka and I are gonna see my folks. You take care of the bridesmaid here,¡± Ren said. Elijah was surprised, then he nodded. ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll keep a good eye on her.¡± ¡°She¡¯s Rita, my friend.¡± Ruka smiled. And then she told Rita, ¡°And Mr. Handsome here is Elijah. He¡¯s Ren¡¯s assistant. A very brilliant man, if I do say so myself.¡± Rita and Elijah exchanged a look and pursed their lips sheepishly. They both took a sudden interest in their feet and looked down. Some sparks were flying, but Ruka and Ren were already gone. Rita was about to take the wreath, while Elijah wanted to reach his iPad to work on something. They moved at the same time and bumped into each other. Elijah bumped his chin, while Rita hurt her forehead. ¡°I¡¯m really, really sorry!¡± Elijah apologized and looked at her worriedly. Rita said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Are you hurt?¡± They stared at each other and chuckled. Rita covered her face in embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Your forehead¡¯s a bit red though,¡± Elijah said. He was concerned. Rita touched her forehead before smiling. ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯ll go away in a minute.¡± Ruka and Ren were meeting the Husson elders. Ruka was going to serve tea for Ren¡¯s parents. They quickly took it and said she didn¡¯t have to do it anymore. She was pregnant after all. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Ruka¡¯s my sister-inw from now on, and the futuredy of the Husson household,¡± Scarlet announced. ire and Robert exchanged a smile. They never expected this day woulde, and yet it did. Ruka teared up a little. She couldn¡¯t help it as the atmosphere moved her. She had always been sentimental. Ren noticed the tears in her eyes, and he held her in his embrace. ¡°Dad, Mom, Ruka needs some rest. Excuse us.¡± They came to themon room, and Ruka felt embarrassed. Sheughed. ¡°I¡¯m just so touched.¡± She never thought she could actually be Ren¡¯s wife. This didn¡¯t happen even in her wildest dreams. And I¡¯m pregnant with his kids too. Eventually, it was time to go with the procession. Ren was waiting for her on the stage. Ruka held her father¡¯s arm as she slowly headed toward him. A beautiful headdress decorated her head. Eventually, it was time to go with the procession. Ren was waiting for her on the stage. Ruka held her father¡¯s arm as she slowly headed toward him. A beautiful headdress decorated her head. Robert shed tears of joy when he handed his daughter to Ren. ¡°Ren, take good care of her.¡± Ren said, ¡°Of course, Robert. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± A simple promise, but one that carried a heavy weight. Robert could finally hand his daughter to him without worries. Ruka slowly looked up at Ren. Even through the veil, she could see the love in his eyes. She smiled. Ren was staring at his wife through the veil as well. Time seemed to stop at this moment. And then, a thunderous apuse erupted. Everyone was bearing witness to the tying of a new knot. Elijah was on stage as well. He saw the bridesmaid behind Ruka. When Rita looked up, she too looked at him. Their eyes met. Elijah scratched his head, while Rita smiled shyly. Once the vows were made, Ruka was about to toss the bouquet into the crowd. Rita was right on the stage. Ruka turned around and winked at her, then she tossed the bouquet in Rita¡¯s direction. Rita caught it easily. Ruka smiled. ¡°I wish you happiness, Rita.¡± Rita stole a nce at Elijah. And perhaps it¡¯s already right here. And then it was time to raise toasts. Scarlet and Walter represented their parents and dealt with the guests. Ren and Elijah went with them. Ruka just got pregnant so she couldn¡¯t drink or walk around, hence she and Rita went to themon room. ¡°Ruka, is Elijah taken?¡± Rita asked shyly. ¡°He¡¯s single. Ren said he¡¯s too busy to even have a girlfriend.¡± Ruka smiled. She knew Rita was interested in Elijah, and she was more than happy to match them up. ¡°Really?¡± Rita¡¯s eyes shone. ¡°Rita, Elijah¡¯s a nice guy. You can consider him.¡± ¡°B-But will he date me?¡± Rita didn¡¯t have high hopes. She didn¡¯t know him well, so she thought her charms weren¡¯t enough to attract him. ¡°Rita, you¡¯re beautiful. Trust me. He¡¯ll love you,¡± Ruka encouraged her. At this moment, Elijah and Ren came back from a round of drinking. Elijah¡¯s face was a little red. Since Ren wasn¡¯t drinking, he had to do the job himself. It was a happy day, so he did it dly. The three couples took up one table. They were all looking really great, and everyone was attracted to them. It wasn¡¯t every day that three high-profile couples showed up in the same ce. The banquet wrapped up at eight. There was no entertainment, nor was there any need for it. Ren was already an important enough figure without anyone hyping him out. The people with kids were already going home to see their children. Rita was about to leave, but then someone said, ¡°Ms. Sommerfield, I had a bit too much to drink. Can you give me a ride?¡± It was Elijah. He had been keeping up with Rita. The liquid courage from the alcohol he had gave him the push he needed to tell Rita what he thought. ¡°Sure, no problem.¡± Rita was excited that she could help. She drove all the way to Elijah¡¯s house. Rita¡¯s driving was a bit wild because of how excited she was. The moment they got to Elijah¡¯s house, he got out of the car and puked into the grass. Rita med herself for this, and she also felt sympathetic toward him. While they were on their way here, Elijah told her he was living all by himself. His parents weren¡¯t around. ¡°Why don¡¯t I stay for the night, Mr. Jackman? I can help you,¡± she asked. ¡°You¡¯d do that for me?¡± Elijah felt his stomach churning from how much he puked. He needed someone to care for him. ¡°Of course. As long as you want me¡ª¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯d want you! I¡¯m honored you¡¯d stay just for me,¡± he answered right away. Rita smiled. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be taking care of you then.¡± Rita smiled. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be taking care of you then.¡± Rita called Ruka one weekter. Ruka had just woken up from a nap. Rita sheepishly told her about the news. She was dating Elijah. Ruka was delighted to hear that. ¡°Elijah is a really reliable and responsible guy. I¡¯m happy for you, Rita,¡± she congratted. Ang gave birth to her girl about a monthter, and Richard was finally a father. The Meyers and Lloyds were delighted to finally wee their first grandchild. Richard was usually a calm and collected man at work, but he scrambled to hold his daughter when the nurse handed the baby to him. He carefully held the baby and looked at her. She was sleeping after crying so much. His heart melted. ¡°How¡¯s my wife doing?¡± ¡°She¡¯s taking a break. You¡¯re not allowed to see her at the moment.¡± The nurse told him what Ang said. Richard was amused. He did want to go inside, but since Ang made that order, he waited until she was done taking a break. Ang felt a weight being lifted off her shoulders after giving birth. It felt like she just finished her duty. Daphne was beside her, crying. Her heart went out for Ang, and Ang had to console her instead. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Mom. I¡¯m not crying, and I¡¯m the one who gave birth.¡± ¡°It must have been painful for you.¡± Daphne was a sessful businesswoman, and she really loved her daughter. She¡¯d do anything if it meant her daughter wouldn¡¯t get hurt. A smile curled Ang¡¯s lips. Back in the operating room, she swore she would never get pregnant again, but when she saw her daughtering to this world safe and sound, crying without a care in the world, she forgot all the pain she had suffered. All she felt was contentment. It was like she just did the most important thing in her life. She had enough rest from the one month of confinement. The whole family was willing to take care of the baby, so she had a wonderful time. Ang came back looking healthy and glistening. At a quiet coffee shop in a mall, a woman with a resum¨¦ in her hands was sitting at a table. She closed her eyes in frustration and anger. She just got refused by anotherpany. She had been job hunting for two months, but still no luck. This woman was Victoria. Ever since she was fired from the Trantion Department, she had been waiting for news of Ren¡¯s failure to get reelected. Reality didn¡¯t go as she wished, of course. Now he and Ruka were in a different world than she was. She had used all her connections to get into the Trantion Department and spent all her time on work. Eventually she made it to department head, but now her father was taken down and she too was fired. Ever since then, she could only job hunt at privatepanies. Falling from heaven hurt her a lot. She scoffed at most job offers, but she couldn¡¯t provide the recruiters with her past experience, so all she got were offers for regr positions. It wasn¡¯t what she wanted. Eventually she broke down, and she regretted what she did. Why did I stake my future on a man I might not even get to have in the end? It was toote for regrets, though. She yed all her cards, and it resulted in a mess. After she was booted out of upper society, nobody would tell her any news about Ren and Ruka, even when she tried to ask. All she knew was that they got married. He loves her so much. They¡¯re gonna be really happy. He didn¡¯t date anyone until he was thirty-three years old. All just for her. His love for her runs deep. No matter how much she wanted to deny it, the peak of her life was gone, and it would never return. Her strongest backer had fallen. ¡­ The summer sun shone brightly on andmark hotel in the city center. It gleamed a brilliant golden, shining on the city. A woman in a red dress stood before president suite number 8808 with a card in her hand. The woman took a deep breath and closed her eyes in an attempt to hold her fury back. Finally, she unlocked the door. A woman in a red dress stood before president suite number 8808 with a card in her hand. The woman took a deep breath and closed her eyes in an attempt to hold her fury back. Finally, she unlocked the door. The key card reader let out a beep, and she kicked the door open. Before the people inside could react, she whipped her phone out and recorded the messy room, including the couple on the bed, who were sleeping in each other¡¯s embrace. The woman on the bed let out a scream. The man opened his eyes and pulled the woman into his arms. He red at the woman who was taking a video. ¡°What are you doing, Queenie? Stop recording!¡± ¡°My fianc¨¦ and my sister just betrayed me. Tell me, why shouldn¡¯t I take proof of your betrayal, scum? This isn¡¯t the only thing I¡¯ll do. I¡¯m going to post it online too.¡± ¡°Are you mad, Queenie? Leslie and I are made for each other! You¡¯re the third wheel here!¡± The woman in the man¡¯s arms raised her head. The light shone on her, and surprisingly, she looked just like the woman in red. ¡°Bonnie¡¯s right, Queenie. She¡¯s the one I love, not you.¡± Queenie peered at the man. They got engaged a year ago, but now he was holding her twin sister in his arms, protecting her like she was his greatest treasure. Queenie clenched her jaw and held up her phone. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll be the bigger person and post your scandalous behavior to both our families¡¯ chat groups. Everyone will know about the two of you!¡± ¡°Leslie, quick, take her phone away from her! Don¡¯t let her post anything!¡± Bonnie eximed in fear. The man leaped out of bed at once and charged over to Queenie without caring that he was only d in his underwear. He was determined to snatch Queenie¡¯s phone away, so she rushed for the door. ¡°Get her, Leslie!¡± the woman behind themmanded. Queenie had just started running when she realized her grave mistake. She should not have worn heels! She fled around the corner and heard a door opening. She flew into the room without hesitation. The man inside the room was caught unaware and she ended up bashing him in the forehead, which sent him stumbling to the ground. Queenie hurriedly shut the door and stood with her back against it. It was then that she realized there was a tall, young man in a gray shirt lying on the ground. He sat up with a wince and continued to groan in pain as he clutched his forehead. Queenie hastened to mutter her apology. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, sir! Are you alright?!¡± The man looked up at once. The soft morning sun had lit up the room, but the man¡¯s expression was dark and stormy. There was a noticeable red lump on his forehead which looked extremely out of ce on his otherwise wless, fair face. ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m alright?¡± He got up from the floor and his towering frame made Queenie, who was leaning against the door, gulp. He was so tall¡ª6 feet and 1 inches. She felt pressured. Just then, a woman¡¯s voice came in from the corridor. ¡°Did she escape? What should we do, Leslie?¡± Queenie immediately pped her hands together and stared at the man with pleading eyes. She looked like a kicked puppy. ¡°Let me hide in here, please, it¡¯ll only be for a moment. Just a short while,¡± she begged before pressing her ear against the door to hear what was being said outside. ¡°Hah. If she dares to post it, I¡¯ll make her pay!¡± a man growled viciously. ¡°How did she get the card to our room? Isn¡¯t this supposed to be the best hotel in the city? I want to file aint.¡± Once the voices were gone, Queenie finally sighed in relief, but when she turned around, she realized she had yet another problem on her hands. A problem in the form of a handsome man who had a swollen forehead thanks to her. He was ring daggers at her. ¡°Let me take you to the hospital, sir!¡± However, he merely pointed at the door andmanded icily, ¡°Get out.¡± ¡°Yes, right away!¡± Queenie replied before scurrying out the door. At the same time, the man¡¯s phone started ringing and he picked it up. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Mr. Manson, the meeting has started.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be right down,¡± Nigel replied. He took a deep breath. Who could tell him what the deal was with that rude girl just now? The senior executives of Manson Group were all gathered in the hotel¡¯s conference room on the eighth floor, and the one seated at the head of the table was Nigel Manson. It had been two years since he first returned from studying abroad, and now, he was a lot more dignified and reserved. The senior executives of Manson Group were all gathered in the hotel¡¯s conference room on the eighth floor, and the one seated at the head of the table was Nigel Manson. It had been two years since he first returned from studying abroad, and now, he was a lot more dignified and reserved. Everyone was staring at the man at the head of the table whose forehead was red and swollen, and they all voiced their concern. ¡°What happened to your forehead, Mr. Manson?¡± ¡°Mr. Manson, I think you should go to the hospital! You might be left with a scar if you don¡¯t treat it right away.¡± ¡°Who had the gall to injure you right here in the hotel, Mr. Manson?¡± Nigel exhaled and instructed his assistant, Andrew Knight, ¡°Bring me some ice. I¡¯ll be fine once I ice it down.¡± ¡°A woman barged into my room this morning which led to me banging my forehead against the door, but I won¡¯t pursue the matter since she¡¯s a guest here at the hotel,¡± Nigel exined with a huff. ¡°You¡¯ll need to be more careful next time, Mr. Manson! I¡¯ve heard that a lot of young women from wealthy families stay in our hotel just so they can bump into you!¡± one of the managers said with a grin. The others began to join in as well. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about that too! Mr. Manson is one of the most eligible bachelors in town. All these young, wealthydies are racking their brains to find a way to marry him!¡± Nigel was beginning to get a headache from all their chatter. He mmed his hand down on the table. ¡°That¡¯s enough. No more chit-chat about things that aren¡¯t on the agenda. Let¡¯s start the meeting.¡± All the others in the conference room immediately sobered up and focused on work. In the past, it was not unusual for them to crack a joke or two during meetings with Nigel as the chair, but now that he became a lot more stern and intimidating, the executives no longer felt they could be as casual about it. Meanwhile, the concierge received a call from someone with a seriousint. It was a woman who imed that someone had pretended to be her to get an ess card to her room. It was a serious breach of privacy and the woman demanded that the hotel apologize andpensate them for it. The receptionist looked into it right away. The manager on the morning shift came and questioned the two receptionists who were about to go off-duty regarding theint, and the receptionists were confused as well. ¡°Isn¡¯t the woman in the red dress today the same woman as the onest night? She said that the main key card was with her boyfriend so she wanted to take a secondary card!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! We¡¯re sure it¡¯s her. It was a very pretty woman who looked like she came from a wealthy family.¡± ¡°Yeah. We wouldn¡¯t have mistaken her for someone else.¡± Just then, the security staff had managed to look into the security footage. The manager and the receptionists gathered in the meeting room to take a look, and their jaws dropped. They saw a young woman and a young man entering the room arm-in-arm the previous night. The woman in red had only arrived this morning, but she and the woman they saw from the previous night looked exactly the same, even down to their hairstyle. Oh my! How could there be two people who looked so simr? ¡°They must be identical twins!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what their rtionship is. The hotel needs to take responsibility for this, so be prepared to make your apologies!¡± the female manager announced sternly. ¡°Hang on, isn¡¯t she going into Mr. Manson¡¯s room?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right! Goodness me! She barged into Mr. Manson¡¯s room! What is she trying to do to Mr. Manson? Do you think she wants to harass him?¡± Soon, they saw a man stepping out of the room with a dark expression. The look on their usually charming and elegant president¡¯s face made it seem like he had been harassed. ¡°How could she be that shameless?¡± ¡°Was she purposely trying to find an opportunity to sneak into Mr. Manson¡¯s room to seduce him?¡± The female manager cleared her throat. ¡°That¡¯s enough. It¡¯s not your ce to be gossiping about Mr. Manson. Get back to work.¡± At the same time, two luxury cars came to a stop outside the hotel lobby. An elegant, matronlydy rushed out of the car with four bodyguards in tow. She was hurrying into the lobby when she got a call. ¡°Hello? Yes, I¡¯m here. Don¡¯t cry, Bonnie. I¡¯m here now. Don¡¯t worry. Queenie won¡¯t dare to do such a thing, I promise.¡± ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t want to live anymore! How am I going to ever show myself again if everyone in the family sees that video? I¡¯ve only been back for a year. How am I going to hold my head high after this?¡± the young woman wailed into the phone. ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t want to live anymore! How am I going to ever show myself again if everyone in the family sees that video? I¡¯ve only been back for a year. How am I going to hold my head high after this?¡± the young woman wailed into the phone. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything silly, okay? Wait for me.¡± The beautiful, middle-aged woman quickly pressed for the elevator. Once she got into the elevator, she dialed another number but no one picked up the phone. The woman was red with fury. As soon as the elevator doors opened, she rushed to the presidential suite and opened the door. Bonnie rushed into her arms and cried her eyes out in great despair. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Bonnie. Don¡¯t cry. I¡¯m here, aren¡¯t I? We¡¯ll find a way to resolve the matter involving you and Leslie.¡± ¡°Mom, I couldn¡¯t grow up beside you and I¡¯m not as good as Queenie at making you happy. I¡¯m not as likable as her either. I don¡¯t care that she has everything and I have nothing. All I want is to be with Leslie, and I¡¯m happy as long as I can be by your side. I don¡¯t care about anything else.¡± ¡°You silly girl. You will get everything you deserve. Your dad and I have owed you too much for thest twenty years. We won¡¯t let you suffer in any way.¡± Bonnie¡¯s teary eyes twinkled smugly. Queenie Silverstein, sooner orter, I¡¯ll chase you out of this family. The entire Silverstein family fortune will be mine. ¡°Mom, did you manage to call Queenie?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not answering her phone but she didn¡¯t release the video either. I¡¯m guessing that she¡¯s gone into hiding, but I¡¯ll find her and take her home.¡± ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t want to let things slide so easily after Queenie pretended to me in order to get the ess card to our room.¡± ¡°What do you want to do?¡± The woman, Maggie Elmhurst, was a little taken aback. ¡°I want the hotel to apologize andpensate me for it.¡± Bonnie bit her lip. ¡°I won¡¯t let anyone push me around anymore.¡± ¡°Alright. The hotel should take responsibility for it anyway. Look at how pale you are from the fright,¡± Maggie eximed as her heart panged for her second daughter. ¡°Mom, can you find Queenie first? I¡¯m so worried that she¡¯ll expose my rtionship with Leslie. Leslie and I will be mocked and criticized for getting together before his engagement with Queenie is called off.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your dad and I will take care of your matter with Leslie,¡± Maggie assured before taking a card out of her bag. ¡°Here, there¡¯s 150,000 in this bank card. Go ahead and treat yourself! Don¡¯t feel bad about buying your clothes from luxury brands. Our family can afford it.¡± ¡°Okay, I will, Mom. I love you,¡± Bonnie said before hugging Maggie. This money was thanks to the show she put onst night. She had worn a cheap outfit and paraded it in front of her motherst night, which led to the hefty allowance she received now. ¡°I¡¯ll go and check with the hotel to see if Queenie has left yet.¡± Maggie went off. As soon as Maggie left, a man stepped out of the bathroom. It was Leslie Payne, Queenie¡¯s fianc¨¦. ¡°Did Mrs. Silverstein leave already?¡± ¡°My mom went out to look for Queenie. We¡¯ll get the hotel to take responsibility for this and make a police report as well. It¡¯d be best if she gets locked up for a few days,¡± Bonnie hissed through gritted teeth. The man wrapped his arms around her affectionately and said, ¡°You¡¯ve suffered so much because of me, Bonnie.¡± ¡°Nonsense! Being with you is the best thing that has happened to me ever since I came home.¡± Leslie smiled and kissed her forehead. The two women had the same face, but Bonnie had a seductive air about her, while Queenie was nothing more than a pretty face. She was stiff and unromantic, and she did not let him touch her. Leslie had intended to spend the night with her at a hotel, but she dered that she would not sleep with him before marriage. All Leslie could think was, I¡¯m not a priest. Why do I need to stay celibate? Three months after their engagement, something major happened. The Silversteins¡¯ long-lost twin daughter had been found and was brought back to the family. Now the Silversteins had another daughter, one that looked simr to Queenie. Leslie had seen for himself how the Silversteins shoved Queenie to the side and showered all their love and attention on Bonnie. He was even more surprised to find out that Bonnie fell in love with him at first sight. During a family gathering half a year ago, Bonnie had gotten drunk and kissed him. Ever since then, they had been in a secret rtionship. He wanted to break off his engagement with Queenie and marry Bonnie instead, but before he could bring it up, Queenie found out about his affair, and this morning, she stormed into the room like a raging lunatic and took photos and videos of them. He wanted to break off his engagement with Queenie and marry Bonnie instead, but before he could bring it up, Queenie found out about his affair, and this morning, she stormed into the room like a raging lunatic and took photos and videos of them. The engagement had not been called off yet, so Leslie¡¯s rtionship with Bonnie was scandalous. Thus, he hated Queenie for getting in the way of things. ¡°I¡¯ve already reported this to the police. Let the hotel handle the process of getting her arrested. Either way, we¡¯ll be seeing her at the police station.¡± Leslie was not going to show any mercy to Queenie. All he cared about was Bonnie, and he was determined to work with Bonnie to chase Queenie out of the Silverstein family. That way, Bonnie would get an evenrger chunk of the family fortune. Queenie did not leave the hotel. She was sitting in the hotel caf¨¦ on the top floor. Time and time again, she would get the urge to send the videos out, but she kept talking herself down. It was due to the barrage of texts from her parents. They knew she was not picking up the phone, so they kept texting her and telling her not to share the videos. One of the texts drove Queenie to tears. ¡°Bonnie is your younger sister. You had everything you wanted ever since you were a child, but Bonnie had to suffer out in the world. You¡¯re her older sister, so can¡¯t you be the bigger person and let her have Leslie?¡± Chapter 1191-1200 Chapter 1191-1200 Queenie¡¯s eyes were red as she chuckled bitterly. What did her parents know about how aggrieved she was? Ever since Bonnie came home, she came up with all sorts of ways to snatch everything away, and Queenie had given in every single time. She hadpromised wherever she could. She was even willing to give Leslie to Bonnie, but why did she have to steal him away like that? Could they not at least have waited until the engagement had been called off? Queenie could not take the disrespect. Bonnie kept crossing the line and testing her patience. It was one thing to fight openly, but she kept trying to steal things away without their parents knowing. Queenie could not stand it any longer. That was the reason why she wanted to teach them a lesson, but her parents kept urging her now to ept the unfairness of it all¡ªto not be rash, and to not hurt her little sister. Just then, Queenie¡¯s phone started ringing. It was an unknown number and she wondered if it was one of her parents calling. After giving it some thought, she decided to answer. ¡°Hello?¡± It was a stern female voice that responded, ¡°Is this Queenie Silverstein? We received a report saying that youmitted identity fraud at nine this morning and used someone else¡¯s identity to get a hotel room card, which led to a serious breach of privacy. Please turn yourself in at the police station for further investigation. The victim has asked that you apologize and paypensation, or else, they will be pressing charges.¡± Queenie¡¯s expression shifted and in her panic, she dropped the call. This morning, she had been so furious that she stormed over to catch them in the act, but she never thought that Leslie would report her to the police. No, she was not going to let herself get caught. She refused to apologize to Bonnie and Leslie. They were the ones who owed her an apology. Just then, her phone beeped. She saw a text from Leslie. ¡®Queenie, if you don¡¯t want to go to the police station, we can settle it in private instead. I¡¯ll wait for you at the hotel lobby.¡¯ Queenie¡¯s jaw clenched. He was trying to force her to delete the videos! Still, the call from the police did freak her out, so she was willing to settle this privately. However, she was vexed that everything she did would be all for nothing now. Queenie stepped out of the elevator and headed straight for the lobby. As soon as she entered, she saw Leslie sitting on one of the couches, and when he spotted her, he smirked darkly. The moment she was five steps away from him, he turned to the two security guards beside him and said, ¡°She¡¯s the one who lied and took the hotel card this morning. Please apprehend her.¡± Queenie¡¯s expression darkened. She never thought that it was just Leslie¡¯s trap for her. Immediately, she turned around and ran toward the elevator. ¡°Stop right there!¡± the security guards called out to her. Queenie frantically entered one of the elevators. When she saw the multipurpose hall sign beside the button for the eighth floor, she pressed it right away. Once the elevator arrived on the eighth floor, she dashed out in a panic and looked around. When she saw a sign for the washroom, she rushed over without remembering to check whether it was the men¡¯s or women¡¯s washroom. She fled into one of the washrooms hoping to hide in a stall. Meanwhile, a man who had just finished using the urinal and had not managed to zip his pants back up yet was suddenly confronted by a woman who barged into the washroom. They stared at each other for a few seconds before he instinctively covered himself and growled, ¡°What are you doing? This is the men¡¯s washroom.¡± She fled into one of the washrooms hoping to hide in a stall. Meanwhile, a man who had just finished using the urinal and had not managed to zip his pants back up yet was suddenly confronted by a woman who barged into the washroom. They stared at each other for a few seconds before he instinctively covered himself and growled, ¡°What are you doing? This is the men¡¯s washroom.¡± Queenie was freaking out. Why is it him again? It¡¯s the guy whose forehead I banged into this morning, right? And¡­ I think¡­ I¡­ maybe¡­ might¡¯ve¡­ seen something I shouldn¡¯t have. ¡°Oh my gosh! I¡¯m so sorry! So sorry¡­ It was an ident!¡± Queenie covered her face and rushed out before heading to the women¡¯s washroom instead. Behind her, the man cursed, ¡°That d*mn woman.¡± The hotel¡¯s surveince cameras were not just there for show, and as a hotel with one of the top security systems, they were not about to let a criminal escape. The security guards quickly came up to the eighth floor and one of the hotel attendants stopped outside the women¡¯s washroom. ¡°Miss Queenie Silverstein, please cooperate with us.¡± Queenie, who had been hiding inside one of the stalls, sighed. She came out of the stall with a gloomy expression and exited the washroom. The security guards instantly grabbed her arms and pushed her toward the elevators. Along the way, they ran into several hotel guests. This was the first time Queenie had ever experienced being treated like this, and she turned red. The security guards kept a close eye on her out of fear that she would escape again. Regardless of the circumstances, she had indeed pretended to be someone she was not and managed to procure an ess card. It was something that damaged the hotel¡¯s reputation. At the security office. Maggie arrived with the bodyguards, along with Leslie and Bonnie who came in hand-in-hand. When Bonnie saw the disheveled state Queenie was in after all themotion, she quickly took a photo, while Maggie came over to Queenie with a furious expression and held her hand out. ¡°Give me your phone. Delete everything.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not deleting anything, Mom.¡± Queenie was stubborn when she wanted to be. ¡°I don¡¯t care. You¡¯re deleting it no matter what. This is something that will damage your sister¡¯s reputation. It¡¯s not up to you to decide,¡± Maggie dered sternly without any trace of her usual gentle self. ¡°Queenie, I¡¯m begging you. I know I hurt you, but please don¡¯t destroy my reputation. Do you want me to kneel? Because I will..¡± Bonnie made to kneel. However, Maggie turned around and stopped her at once. ¡°What are you doing, Bonnie?¡± ¡°Do I need to repeat myself, Queenie? Yes, I did get engaged to you, but the one I love is Bonnie. Can¡¯t you be the bigger person and allow Bonnie and I to be happy together?¡± Leslie¡¯s expression was cold. He was the one who was in the wrong, but he made it seem like he was the victim instead. ¡°I¡¯m not deleting. I refuse!¡± Queenie¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. Her mother¡¯s hurtful words, her sister¡¯s act, and her fianc¨¦¡¯s unreasonable demands made her heart turn to stone. Maggie turned pale from anger. She turned to the bodyguards and instructed, ¡°Take her back. Don¡¯t let her escape.¡± ¡°Leslie, you can go ahead and talk to the hotel! We¡¯re family, so let¡¯s not get the police involved. It¡¯s too much of an embarrassment. Bonnie,e home with me.¡± Maggie reached out and took Bonnie¡¯s hand in a great disy of motherly love. The air was tense inside the elevator. The bodyguards locked Queenie¡¯s hands behind her like she was some kind of criminal. Queenie tried to struggle. ¡°Let go.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Silverstein.¡± The bodyguards dared not go against Maggie¡¯smand. ¡°Ignore her. You can even tie her up if you have to,¡± Maggie called out behind them. The doors to the elevator opposite them opened at the same time, and a tall man stepped out. The two pairs of eyes locked gazes. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± Nigel narrowed his eyes in quiet fury. This woman had offended him twice in a row today. Queenie turned scarlet. The memory of seeing him in the washroom earlier shed across her mind and she smiled sheepishly. ¡°What a coincidence!¡± Bonnie was holding onto her mother¡¯s hand, and as soon as she looked up, she could not tear her eyes away. The man who just came out of the elevator opposite them was like a giant ma that was making it impossible for her to not be attracted to him. He¡¯s so handsome. She saw Queenie and the man staring at each other. They seemed to know each other, and that made her incredibly jealous. In everyone else¡¯s eyes, Queenie and Nigel staring at each other for so long, along with Queenie blushing as she greeted him, made it seem like their rtionship was not quite so innocent. Maggie was still seething with rage and had not noticed this, but Bonnie was shocked. Was Queenie uninterested in Leslie because she was in love with this handsome man instead? Maggie was still seething with rage and had not noticed this, but Bonnie was shocked. Was Queenie uninterested in Leslie because she was in love with this handsome man instead? Bonnie flicked her long hair and smirked. She was hellbent on snatching away anything that belonged to Queenie. Including men. Nigel was the first to turn and leave, while Queenie bit her lip in embarrassment and stared after him. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Manson.¡± The hotel manager came forward and greeted Nigel as the eight receptionists stood up and crossed their hands in front of their waist to send him off. The sight of this left Bonnie thunderstruck. What¡¯s going on? Is that man the president of Manson Group? ording to what she heard, there was only one heir that was set to inherit the entire Manson Group. Does that mean he¡¯s Nigel Manson, the Mansons¡¯ family heir? Her eyes gleamed as her scheming mind began to fire up again. How did you get so lucky, Queenie? When did you manage to get acquainted with Nigel Manson? If I can steal Leslie away from you, I can steal your new boyfriend too. The Silversteins¡¯ family business had been established for over a century. They had a hand in over ten different industries, including food and beverage, tea, wine, and traditional medicine. Thepany had shops all over the country and was one of the nation¡¯s rising corporations. As apany that was more than 100 years old, and on top of Brandon Silverstein being a sessful businessman who yed a huge role in developing and managing thepany, it managed to secure a lot of earnings throughout the years. The Silversteins were known to have one daughter, Queenie Silverstein. This wasn¡¯t the case in the past¡ªQueenie was from a happy family that once had twin daughters. However, a devastating tragedy befell them years ago, and they were separated from one of their twin daughters. The poor four-year-old child was never heard from again after that. The Silversteins tried all sorts of methods to reconnect with their daughter, but nothing worked until a woman showed up at their front door a year ago. This girl looked exactly like Queenie¡ªthey shared the same facial features. Queenie¡¯s mother, Maggie, brought the girl home and checked the back of her neck to find a red birthmark that was shaped like a thumbprint. Both Maggie and Brandon bawled their eyes out as they were certain this girl was the daughter they had been searching for since the girl had the same features and birthmark as their child. Maggie¡¯s close friend, Lisbeth, suggested that she run a DNA test with the girl just to be sure of it. So, Maggie brought the girl to the DNA testing center and watched as the girl¡¯s blood was taken and tested in theb. When they got the results, Maggie cried tears of joy once more¡ªthe results indicated a 99.9% simrity between Maggie and the girl¡¯s samples. It was confirmed that the girl was Maggie¡¯s daughter. Ever since then, the Silversteins had a new addition to their family. Bonnie Silverstein was the youngest and favorite daughter in the household. Both Maggie and Brandon doted over the girl as they wanted topensate for all the years that they had lost with her. As a result, the couplepletely neglected their elder daughter, and this went on for more than a year. Queenie had initially been overjoyed to reunite with her sister, but sheter realized that Bonnie didn¡¯t feel the same at all. Instead, all Bonnie wanted to do was to snatch away everything that Queenie owned. Bonnie got everything that she wanted¡ªshe received all the bags, clothes, lipsticks, and men that Queenie had. Queenie couldn¡¯t stand it at all, and this resulted in the whole scene where she caught Bonnie sleeping around with her man that morning. However, Queenie¡¯s confrontation was a failure, and Maggie ended up dragging Queenie home as if she were some criminal. When they got home, Brandon was already sitting in the living hall of the Silverstein Residence. He seemed furious at Queenie¡¯s actions. ¡°Hand your phone over and delete those videos,¡± he growled. ¡°Why should I do that? I¡¯m the victim here.¡± Queenie looked up at the man. Her loose maroon curls made her face look small, and tears were threatening to roll down her cheeks even though she was stubbornly holding them back. ¡°Bonnie¡¯s your sister. Do you want to ruin her reputation?¡± Brandon asked. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad at me, okay, Queenie? I¡¯m willing to return Leslie to you.¡± Bonnie, who was standing by the side, got down on her knees all of a sudden. She was facing Queenie instead of her parents, and her frail figure made her look like a delicate little flower. Anyone who saw her would feel sorry for her. However, everything that Bonnie said only seemed to trigger Queenie even more. What¡¯s this talk about being willing to do it? Did she say she¡¯s returning Leslie to me? Why does it sound like I¡¯m picking up the trash that she doesn¡¯t want? Why am I expected to hand everything over to Bonnie? I¡¯m the eldest daughter of the Silverstein Family¡ªsince when do I have to do such things? Queenie thought. ¡°Do you want to give me a man you¡¯ve slept with? I¡¯d find it disgusting even if you don¡¯t.¡± Queenie was so furious that she felt like she was about to puke. She didn¡¯t bother to be nice to her sister anymore. What¡¯s this talk about being willing to do it? Did she say she¡¯s returning Leslie to me? Why does it sound like I¡¯m picking up the trash that she doesn¡¯t want? Why am I expected to hand everything over to Bonnie? I¡¯m the eldest daughter of the Silverstein Family¡ªsince when do I have to do such things? Queenie thought. ¡°Do you want to give me a man you¡¯ve slept with? I¡¯d find it disgusting even if you don¡¯t.¡± Queenie was so furious that she felt like she was about to puke. She didn¡¯t bother to be nice to her sister anymore. Brandon was furious when he heard Queenie¡¯s words. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about, Queenie?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you understand the situation, Queenie? You and Leslie aren¡¯t fated to be with each other, so you should let go of him and show your support for his rtionship with Bonnie. Wouldn¡¯t that make everything easier for all of us?¡± Maggie uttered in a patient tone as she walked over to help Bonnie to her feet. ¡°We¡¯re your family, Bonnie. You don¡¯t have to be all cautious around us. Queenie¡¯s your sister ¡ªyou shouldn¡¯t have to beg her for her support.¡± ¡°Mom, Dad, it¡¯s all my fault. You guys should stop ming Queenie for this.¡± Bonnie tried to take the me. Her actions only made Maggie feel bad. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Maggie cried as she held her daughter¡¯s arm. ¡°I¡¯ll protect you, Bonnie. I¡¯ll make sure Queenie doesn¡¯t ruin your reputation,¡± Brandon dered. Queenie shut her eyes in exasperation. Throughout the year, all she heard from her parents were words of sympathy toward her sister. She had told herself not to care so much about this, but she was still their daughter, and her heart wasn¡¯t made out of stone. ¡°Ahem¡­¡± Bonnie let out a sudden cough. ¡°What is it? Are you ill? Do you feel unwell?¡± Maggie asked worriedly. ¡°I¡¯m thirsty, Mom,¡± Bonnie said in a whiny tone. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll bring you a ss of water.¡± Maggie hurried off to get water immediately. Queenie no longer wanted to stay home at this point. She was about to leave when Brandon stopped her in her tracks. ¡°You need to delete those files in your phone before you leave. Otherwise, you¡¯re not allowed to go anywhere.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go, Queenie. I was wrong. I¡¯m the one who should leave.¡± Bonnie walked over and reached out to hold Queenie¡¯s hand. Queenie didn¡¯t want the other girl to touch her at all, but Bonnie had already grabbed Queenie¡¯s wrist before Queenie could avoid her. Queenie was about to pull her hand away when she felt a force pushing her hand toward Bonnie¡¯s chest. The moment her palm came in contact with Bonnie¡¯s chest, Bonnie let go of her wrist before falling backward, as if Queenie had shoved her onto the ground. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Bonnie cried as the back of her head struck the coffee table. Queenie was stunned. She hadn¡¯t pushed her at all. Bonnie was putting up a show all on her own. ¡°Bonnie!¡± Brandon immediately got to his feet to help Bonnie up. ¡°It hurts! Why did you push me, Queenie¡­¡± Bonnie wailed as she held the back of her head. When Queenie saw her parents¡¯ gaze falling upon her, she held her hands up with an innocent look on her face. ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ I didn¡¯t push her. She fell on her own.¡± ¡°Do you want your sister to die, Queenie? Do you think she¡¯d survive if she hit the sharp corner of the coffee table? Since when did you turn into such an evil person?¡± Maggie¡¯s eyes were burning with rage after she saw what had happened. To her, it felt like her daughter had transformed into a selfish, calctive, and malicious woman, and the thought of it made her heart ache. ¡°I didn¡¯t push her. Why don¡¯t you guys believe me? She was just putting on an act. Didn¡¯t you guys see that?¡± Tears trickled down Queenie¡¯s cheeks as she felt sorry for herself. ¡°I know you don¡¯t like me, Queenie. You¡¯re angry at me because I stole Mom and Dad¡¯s love away from you. But you can¡¯t me me for that¡­¡± Bonnie started wailing as well. ¡°Shut up, Bonnie. Do you think Mom and Dad don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing? Do you think I don¡¯t know the sort of person you are?¡± Queenie hissed. Cough¡­ cough¡­ Bonnie choked on her tears, and her face turned pale. ¡°Queenie¡­¡± ¡°Stop it! Stop with your acting!¡± Queenie was losing her mind. The moment she finished shouting at her sister, Brandon stepped forward to p Queenie across the face. ¡°Get lost. I don¡¯t have a daughter as evil as you. You don¡¯t even care about your sister¡¯s life! I¡¯d rather care for a dog than a witch like you!¡± Queenie was too stunned to do anything. Her father had never hit her as she was growing up, yet he was now staring at her with a hateful re in his eyes. More tears threatened to roll down her cheeks. ¡°Don¡¯t hit Queenie, Dad¡­¡± Bonnie scrambled to her feet as she held her father¡¯s hand. ¡°You should hit me too!¡± Queenie was too stunned to do anything. Her father had never hit her as she was growing up, yet he was now staring at her with a hateful re in his eyes. More tears threatened to roll down her cheeks. ¡°Don¡¯t hit Queenie, Dad¡­¡± Bonnie scrambled to her feet as she held her father¡¯s hand. ¡°You should hit me too!¡± Queenie felt like regurgitating her breakfast when she saw the pretentious look on Bonnie¡¯s face. Brandon caught Queenie giving Bonnie a hateful re, and he quickly stepped forward to protect his younger daughter. ¡°I¡¯ll never forgive you if you cause any more harm upon your sister, Queenie.¡± His words felt like another stab in Queenie¡¯s chest. She hadn¡¯t done anything, yet her parents somehow saw her as an evil woman who was out to get Bonnie. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll leave. I¡¯ll leave now and disappear off to a ce where you guys will never find me.¡± Queenie ran clumsily toward the front door. ¡°Queenie¡­¡± Maggie was shocked. How did we end up chasing Queenie out of our household? ¡°Ignore her. She¡¯s 24; she won¡¯t get lost,¡± Brandon growled angrily. All he wanted to do was to teach his eldest daughter a lesson. He figured that she woulde home after calming down. All of Brandon and Maggie¡¯s focus was on their elder daughter who was running out of the house, so neither of them realized the sly smile that had formed on their younger daughter¡¯s face. I finally managed to chase that nuisance out of the house! The Silverstein Residence will be my haven from now onward! ¡°She didn¡¯t drive, and she didn¡¯t even take her bag with her. All she has is her phone! Is she going to be okay?¡± Maggie couldn¡¯t help but worry about Queenie. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom. I¡¯ll try to convince Queenie toe home,¡± Bonnie said in aforting tone. ¡°I just wanted you two to get along. I never knew how stubborn Queenie could be,¡± Maggie muttered. ¡°I want to get along with Queenie too, Mom. I don¡¯t know what I did wrong¡­ She always seems to find fault in me. Maybe I should¡¯ve nevere home in the first ce. She wouldn¡¯t be so mad if I didn¡¯t come back,¡± Bonnie uttered with tears in her eyes. ¡°This isn¡¯t your fault at all. We¡¯re so lucky to have you back home,¡± Maggie said while giving Bonnie a loving hug. The grief and agony Maggie felt from losing a daughter had finally been resolved after Bonnie came home. Meanwhile, Queenie didn¡¯t hail a cab after she ran out of the house. Tears streamed down her face as she continued storming away from the residence. She had never felt so agonized and heartbroken in her whole life¡ªshe had decades¡¯ worth of memories of her loving parents, yet she couldn¡¯t seem to recall what it felt like to be loved after what she had experienced in the past year. Maybe I¡¯m the one who isn¡¯t needed in this household! Upon having this realization, tears gushed down her cheeks. However, a determined look quickly shed across Queenie¡¯s face after a while. She rubbed her tears away with the back of her hand. For everyone¡¯s sake, I¡¯m not going to go home for now. I guess it¡¯s about time I live on my own. Where should I go? My two best friends have boyfriends, so it wouldn¡¯t be nice to disturb them at night. Forget it. I¡¯ll go to some random hotel just to stay the night. Queenie had just figured her n out when the skies started roaring with thunder. The lightning that followed it zapped through the clouds like a slithering snake, and the sight of it sent chills down Queenie¡¯s spine. Without any warning, rain began to pour from the skies, and the thunder continued to growl. Queenie was so shocked that she covered her head and ran in search of shelter. She took a nce at the mall opposite her. There wasn¡¯t a pedestrian crossing on the road thaty between her and the mall, but she figured that she could just run over. She looked left and right and made sure that it was safe to cross. However, she didn¡¯t catch a ck sports car that was speeding along the road from a distance away. The driver was in a rush, and he was practically just ten yards away from Queenie when he noticed her. Sparks of fire shot out of his car tires as the brakes screeched before stopping. The girl who was making her way across the road was so shocked that her legs gave way¡ªby the time she knew what was going on, she found herself on the ground with water sshed all over her face. A gust of warm air came from the ck car in front of her¡ªit felt like a fierce beast was breathing air against her face. Queenie¡¯s eyes rolled backward before she passed out. At the same time, anky figure hurried out of the car before bending down to check on the girl who had passed out. She was soaking wet, so he quickly carried her into his car before bringing her to Presgrave Group¡¯s private hospital. A gust of warm air came from the ck car in front of her¡ªit felt like a fierce beast was breathing air against her face. Queenie¡¯s eyes rolled backward before she passed out. At the same time, anky figure hurried out of the car before bending down to check on the girl who had passed out. She was soaking wet, so he quickly carried her into his car before bringing her to Presgrave Group¡¯s private hospital. A number of doctors and nurses were already on standby in the corridor of the emergency department when the sports car arrived, and they quickly brought the girl into the emergency room after that. Meanwhile, a thoughtful nurse brought the man a clean towel. ¡°You should wipe your face, Young Master Nigel!¡± The man who had bumped into Queenie was Nigel. He took the towel over and let out a sigh. How could I have expected someone to cross the road when it¡¯s pouring outside? I wouldn¡¯t be sending this girl to the emergency room if I had braked a secondter, but the cemetery. The girl was covered in dirt and water earlier, so Nigel didn¡¯t pay any attention to who she was. However, he figured that she¡¯d be fine since she had just fainted from shock. Meanwhile, Queenie opened her eyes in the emergency room to find a white light hanging above her head. Am I dead? Am I in heaven already? That was the first thought in her mind. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± All of a sudden, Queenie felt someone shaking her arm before the white light disappeared from above her. Then, a few people in masks showed up in front of her face. They were doctors dressed in their surgical outfits, and they were all giving her concerned stares. Queenie was so shocked that she sat up before hugging herself with a joyful look on her face. ¡°I¡¯m alive! I¡¯m not dead! Thank God I¡¯m alive!¡± she cried. The doctors around her heaved a sigh of relief when they saw that all she had were a few scrapes and bruises. After a while, Queenie was pushed out of the emergency room. She was still lying on the bed, and the doctors had ordered her to be pushed into one of the regr wards for further observation. She wanted to find out who the car earlier belonged to, and she happened to catch sight of a doctor talking to a man the moment she was wheeled out. The man turned around and looked at her at the same time. ¡°Hold on,¡± she uttered as her gaze widened in shock. The nurse slowed the gurney down as Queenie sat up to look at the man. ¡°It¡¯s you,¡± Queenie uttered. Nigel didn¡¯t manage to get a good look at the girl earlier, and he only saw her face when she sat upright in bed. ¡°What are you doing here again?¡± he grumbled as his handsome face darkened. ¡°Do you guys know each other, Young Master Nigel?¡± the doctor asked puzzledly. ¡°No.¡± Nigel frowned before taking a nce at his wristwatch. ¡°I¡¯ll head home now. She can stay the night for further observation, and you guys can send her off tomorrow,¡± he ordered. Then, he turned around to leave. His car was parked at the front entrance of the hospital. Queenie looked around for a moment before leaping out of bed. ¡°You need to stay for a night, youngdy!¡± a nurse cried from behind her. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Thank you.¡± After finishing her words, Queenie sped toward the man who was just about to get into the driver¡¯s seat of his car. She ran over and opened the back door to let herself in. ¡°What are you doing? Get out,¡± Nigel ordered as he turned around to stare at her. ¡°You nearly hit me. You need to provide somepensation for what you¡¯ve done! How about this¡ª why don¡¯t you provide me with some food and a ce to stay? We won¡¯t owe each other anything after that.¡± Queenie was trying to get benefits from Nigel. Nigel hadn¡¯t expected the clingy girl to demand so much from him. ¡°I¡¯ll count to three, and I expect you out of my car by then,¡± he ordered. ¡°No way. I know you¡¯re the president of Manson Group and the young master of the Manson Family. It shouldn¡¯t take much for you to feed and house me for a week!¡± Queenie had some knowledge about the wealthy figures in town. The waiters had been extremely polite to Nigel when theyst met, and the doctors seemed really respectful toward him earlier. It was pretty clear that he was the mysterious young master of the Manson Family. ¡°Do you want to spend the night in the police station right after you get out of the hospital?¡± Nigel shot her a threatening re. Queenie chuckled. ¡°Of course not. However, if you¡¯re not going to take responsibility for this matter, I¡¯ll go to one of your family¡¯s hotels tomorrow and throw a fit to tell the public that you hit me and refused to take ountability after that. Who do you think has more to lose here?¡± she asked. Queenie chuckled. ¡°Of course not. However, if you¡¯re not going to take responsibility for this matter, I¡¯ll go to one of your family¡¯s hotels tomorrow and throw a fit to tell the public that you hit me and refused to take ountability after that. Who do you think has more to lose here?¡± she asked. Nigel narrowed his eyes as a dangerous look shed across his eyes. He had never been threatened by a woman in that manner. Furthermore, this woman didn¡¯t just threaten him; she also bumped into him, saw his private bits, and stole an ess card at his hotel, which resulted in him receiving comints from clients. At that moment, Nigel realized how he might be too kind to let her go just like that. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll take responsibility then,¡± he uttered with a slight smirk. Right after finishing his words, his car sped off onto the road. ¡°Ah!¡± The girl sitting in the back wasn¡¯t prepared for this at all, and her forehead struck the back of the man¡¯s seat as she didn¡¯t have a seatbelt on. Only then did the man slow the car down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry; I forgot to tell you to buckle up,¡± he uttered in a rather yful tone. ¡°You did it on purpose,¡± Queenie wailed in an usatory tone. Along the way back, the man was focused on the speed of the car while Queenie was focused on the view outside. Shepletely forgot who was driving the car. All of a sudden, she realized that something was missing. The phone she had been holding earlier had somehow disappeared. Queenie let out a sigh. I must have dropped my phone somewhere when I fainted earlier. Did this guy pick my phone up or not? She was tired, hungry, and dirty¡­ In one night, she had turned from a rich family¡¯s precious daughter into a homeless woman who didn¡¯t have anything to eat. Queenie gritted her teeth in frustration. Fine! I¡¯ll just let my phone stay missing. I¡¯m not going to spend any of my parents¡¯ money while I¡¯m away from home. I¡¯m going to rely on myself, she thought. Nigel wasn¡¯t used to having a woman in his car. He was thinking of ways to deal with this woman. If she had actually gotten injured after the ident, he would¡¯ve definitely taken responsibility for her condition, but now that she was fine and alive, he didn¡¯t want to get involved with her at all. ¡°I¡¯ll give you some money, and you can leave!¡± Nigel finally told the girl in his backseat. However, the girl didn¡¯t respond at all. When Nigel¡¯s car came to a halt at the traffic light, he turned around to find the girl sprawled across his backseat. She was fast asleep. ¡°Hey!¡± Nigel let out a cry of exasperation. However, the girl didn¡¯t wake up at all¡ªshe seemed to have been drained from the incident earlier. She had just fainted from shock a while ago, after all. Nigel sighed as he wondered, Where should I bring her? Should I bring her to a hotel? No; if anyone from the hotel tells my parents that I brought a girl there, I¡¯d never hear the end of it from them. Nigel¡¯s parents were desperate for him to get married, especially after his cousin¡¯s family had their second child. They were really eager for him to find someone. Whenever he got close to a girl, his parents would assume that the girl was their future daughter-inw, and his mother would keep asking him about his rtionship with the girl. If Nigel wanted to avoid these hassles, he would only be left with one option. He¡¯d have to bring the girl home¡ªhis house was the safest ce he could think of. So, Nigel drove his car back home and parked it in his garage. When he opened the back door, he smelled a muddy stench that came from the dirty water that the girl was soaked in earlier. ¡°Hey! Get out of the car.¡± Nigel pinched his nose as he urged the girl to wake up. Queenie opened her eyes. She was still dazed and drowsy as she looked at her surroundings, and she only recalled her n when she saw the man standing before her eyes. ¡°Is this your house?¡± She looked around before she helped herself out of the car. She was in the garage of what seemed like a grand-looking ce. Nigel stuck his hands into his pockets as he walked toward the elevator. ¡°Did you see my phone?¡± Queenie asked as she tagged along behind the man. Nigel frowned as he recalled how she hadn¡¯t been holding anything in her hand when he carried her into the car earlier. ¡°No,¡± he replied tly. Queenie felt rather helpless for a moment, but she figured that the skies were telling her to survive on her own. Fine! I¡¯ll ept my fate. Queenie was shocked when the elevator headed all the way up to the third floor. ¡°You¡¯ll be sleeping in the third guest room tonight,¡± Nigel said as he stepped out of the elevator. ¡°Do you have women¡¯s clothing in your house?¡± Queenie couldn¡¯t bear the stench on her clothes, and she felt the urge to shower immediately. ¡°No!¡± the man replied almost instantly. She gave him a dumbfounded stare. I can¡¯t believe this handsome, young master of the Manson Family doesn¡¯t have a single set of female clothing at his ce! I bet someone as handsome and rich as him would bring a lot of girls back home, right? ¡°You can have one of my sleeping robes for now. I¡¯ll get my assistant to bring you some clothes tomorrow.¡± Nigel wasn¡¯t lying¡ªno girls visited his ce, and it was even rarer for his mother to drop by. So, why would he have any women¡¯s clothing? It waste at night, and he didn¡¯t want his assistant to drop by at this hour as he was worried that his assistant might go around spreading rumors. He didn¡¯t want anyone to misunderstand the rtionship between him and Queenie. ¡°You can have one of my sleeping robes for now. I¡¯ll get my assistant to bring you some clothes tomorrow.¡± Nigel wasn¡¯t lying¡ªno girls visited his ce, and it was even rarer for his mother to drop by. So, why would he have any women¡¯s clothing? It waste at night, and he didn¡¯t want his assistant to drop by at this hour as he was worried that his assistant might go around spreading rumors. He didn¡¯t want anyone to misunderstand the rtionship between him and Queenie. ¡°Sure. Thanks!¡± Queenie was quick to agree to his suggestion. She headed down the corridor to the third guest room. The room was clean and tidy¡ªit was even better than what she would find in a five- star hotel. Queenie grew up in a sheltered and wealthy household, so she wasn¡¯t too surprised by what she saw. She headed into the shower and started washing her hair. After showering for nearly thirty minutes, Queenie came out in her bathrobe. She blew her hair dry, and strands of hair framed her sharp and small face. Hershes were naturally curled, and her lips were a light shade of pink. She had a pointed nose and smooth skin that made her look like she was using a camera filter. Her overall look gave off a rather natural and sweet aura. Right then, Queenie¡¯s tummy began to rumble. She realized that she was starving as she hadn¡¯t had much to eat since breakfast. Young Master Nigel seems like a pretty decent person, so I¡¯m sure he¡¯d offer me some food, right? She couldn¡¯t help but return to the washroom just to check herself out in the mirror. She was satisfied with what she saw¡ªeven though she didn¡¯t have any makeup on, she knew that she was still pretty good-looking. Queenie knew how to put her strengths to good use, and she knew that it¡¯d be hard for a man to reject a pretty girl. She walked out of her room to take a nce at her surroundings. The private andrge vi didn¡¯t seem like something every rich person could afford, but one who was both wealthy and powerful. It was clear that the Mansons were among the wealthiest families in Averna. She strolled around therge house while admiring the furniture and the view outside the window. The whole ce looked extremely modern, and there was a boyish tone to all the decorations. Young Master Nigel has pretty good taste, Queenie thought to herself. When she got into the hall, she took a look at her surroundings with a hopeful gaze in her eyes. She was hoping that a whole, scrumptious meal would have already been prepared for her right then. ¡°What are you looking for?¡± A man¡¯s icy voice came from behind her. Queenie was shocked by his sudden appearance, and she turned around to find a man dressed in a set of gray pajamas. The man looked fresh after a shower, and his lean body and gray outfit made him look like a young wolf that was wild and energetic. Queenie stared at him for a while before telling him honestly, ¡°I¡¯m looking for food. I didn¡¯t get to have dinner earlier,¡± she said. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong! I¡¯m not some thief. My name is Queenie Silverstein, and my dad is Brandon Silverstein. He¡¯s pretty well-known in the business world. You¡¯d find him online if you did your research,¡± she added after a while. ¡°I don¡¯t have any food at home,¡± Nigel replied with one eyebrow raised. ¡°Don¡¯t you have any biscuits? I wouldn¡¯t mind having some snacks.¡± Queenie was begging him at this point¡ªshe knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep if she was too hungry. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No.¡± Nigel was amused by the look on her face. ¡°Can you bring me out for food, then? Please¡­¡± Queenie gave him a puppy-eyed look as she sped her palms together. He felt as if he was staring at a pitiful little dog at that moment, and he could feel himself softening at the sight of her. Deep down, he was trying to remind himself not to be too nice to her. After what she did, she deserves to starve, he told himself. She bumped into my head, she saw my body, and she¡¯s even the reason that my hotel received aint for the first time in the past six months. Why should I pity someone like her? At that moment, the girl¡¯s tummy let out a loud rumble that rang across the silent hall. Blood rushed to her face as her tummy protested against the man¡¯s words. She was genuinely hungry. ¡°You can look around in the cupboards beside the fridge,¡± Nigel finally said. The girl rushed to the fridge immediately, and she let out a gasp the moment she opened the cupboard. Is this a whole collection of snacks? The whole cupboard is filled with food! These are all expensive snacks¡ªthey aren¡¯t the cheap brands you¡¯d see in regr grocery stores. Is Young Master Nigel secretly a fan of snacks? That¡¯s cute. He acted all high and mighty earlier, but it seems like he¡¯s actually a collector of snacks. Hah! Queenie felt as if she had just stumbled upon one of the man¡¯s secrets. The corner of her lips was curled upward as she happily picked out a few snacks for herself. Then, she hugged the packets of snacks against her chest as she walked over to the couch in the hall. ¡°Here. This one¡¯s for you.¡± She was kind enough to offer the man some snacks. Queenie felt as if she had just stumbled upon one of the man¡¯s secrets. The corner of her lips was curled upward as she happily picked out a few snacks for herself. Then, she hugged the packets of snacks against her chest as she walked over to the couch in the hall. ¡°Here. This one¡¯s for you.¡± She was kind enough to offer the man some snacks. Nigel shot her a re, and he narrowed his eyes when he saw the number of snacks in her arms. ¡°Are you sure you can finish all of that?¡± ¡°Yeah. I have a huge appetite,¡± Queenie replied. I never get to do this at home! Mom¡¯s always so strict about the snacks I have. Now, I¡¯m going to have the time of my life, she thought. Up until this point, Nigel had only ever shared his global collection of snacks with one person¡ªhis nephew, Jared. He was surprised to see himself sharing this with a random woman. ¡°This chocte¡­ must be pricey!¡± Queenie held a box of choctes up. She gulped as she nced at the brand of the choctes. She knew that these choctes cost more than 10,000, and she knew that this wasn¡¯t a local brand. Nigel¡¯s collection of snacks was worth at least 100,000 in total, and the woman already had tens of thousands worth of snacks in her arms. Queenie opened the wrapper of a piece of chocte and popped it into her mouth. The chocte melted in her mouth, and she could taste the thick cocoa vor which made her exim with joy. ¡°This is so good. This is probably the best chocte I¡¯ve ever had in my life,¡± Queenie uttered with a wide grin. She looked like a three-year-old child who had just received some candy. Her eyes were bright, and they twinkled like stars in the night sky. For some reason, her happiness was contagious, and it was kind of therapeutic to see her smile. Nigel couldn¡¯t stop himself from smirking when he stared at the girl. I tried so hard to get those choctes, and this girl is gobbling all of them down. Yet, for some reason, I can¡¯t seem to get mad at her. It feels like this chocte is only worth its price because of how happy it makes her. ¡°That¡¯s 30,000,¡± Nigel announced just to mess with her. Queenie was munching on the second chocte when she gave the man a puzzled look. Do I have to pay for these snacks? The chocte in her hand seemed to be calling for her to munch on it. ¡°Fine. 30,000 it is. I¡¯ll return you the money when I have it,¡± Queenie exined before popping another chocte into her mouth. Soon enough, she finished all six pieces of the chocte. ¡°How much is this? I¡¯ll return you all the money at once,¡± she offered as she held a packet of biscuits up. Then, she tore the packet open and threw a piece into her mouth. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯d pay for my amodation and food for a whole week, Young Master Nigel? Why are you asking me for money now?¡± she protested. ¡°I¡¯m charging for the snacks,¡± Nigel said with one eyebrow raised. He enjoyed watching Queenie lose her temper. The snacks in Queenie¡¯s mouth didn¡¯t taste as good once she heard that she had to pay for them. Well, do I have a choice? I¡¯m the one who¡¯s staying in his house now, right? ¡°Are you still hiring staff for your hotel, Young Master Nigel? Can I work there?¡± Queenie was thinking of getting a job, and she figured that since there was a business owner right in front of her eyes, she might as well ask. I bet the pay will be good if I work at his hotel, she thought. ¡°I¡¯m not hiring,¡± Nigel replied. He didn¡¯t want to hire female staff like her who¡¯d only cause him trouble. ¡°I¡¯m begging you. My parents chased me out of the house, and I don¡¯t have anywhere else to go, so I need to make my own living. I¡¯d work for you even if you offered me a job as a cleaner.¡± Queenie didn¡¯t have high expectations. ¡°Why don¡¯t I work as your maid at home? You can just provide me with a room and food. I promise I¡¯ll keep your whole house spick and span, and I promise I won¡¯t steal any of your snacks.¡± Queenie pressed her palms together as she looked at him with a sincere gaze. Nigel wasn¡¯t a cold and heartless man, and he was usually a nice boss to work with. However, this was a woman who had offended him in the past, so his pride didn¡¯t allow him to be nice to her. ¡°No,¡± he rejected her immediately. Queenie bit her bottom lip as a hint of disappointment shed in her eyes. She munched on her biscuit as she tried toe up with a new n for her future. ¡°You can clean up and go to bed after you¡¯re done,¡± Nigel said before he went upstairs with the packet of snacks that she had handed him earlier. Queenie heaved a sigh. ¡°No,¡± he rejected her immediately. Queenie bit her bottom lip as a hint of disappointment shed in her eyes. She munched on her biscuit as she tried toe up with a new n for her future. ¡°You can clean up and go to bed after you¡¯re done,¡± Nigel said before he went upstairs with the packet of snacks that she had handed him earlier. Queenie heaved a sigh. There were a few more packets of snacks on the table, and food felt like happiness to her at that moment, even though she felt rather glum after the rejection. Being the naturally optimistic girl that she was, she quickly forgot about her sorrows as she munched on her snacks. However, the silence of the hall seemed to enhance the loud thoughts in her mind. Did Mom and Dad try to call me at all? Would they be worried about me? Or¡­ do they not care about me anymore? Tears formed in the girl¡¯s eyes as she munched on her snacks. She bit her lip to stop herself from making any noise, but a sob escaped her in the end. Meanwhile, the man who hade downstairs to get some water froze when he heard the sound of sobs by the couch in the hall. He was stunned for a few seconds, and he turned to find a girl munching on snacks while drying her tears with the back of her arm. Nigel fell deep in thought after that. The hotel manager had told Nigel about what happened at the hotel earlier that morning. Nigel knew that Queenie had a twin sister and that she had taken the room card to catch her sister sleeping around with her fianc¨¦. Yet, just hourster, Queenie was the one who was chased out of the home. What happened after that? What did this woman go through? Nigel took his phone out to search for Brandon¡¯s name. The recent news mentioned how Brandon¡¯s company had received recognition for being a 100-year-oldpany, and some other articles also spoke of his recent reunion with his daughter. Nigel tapped on the news to read about the celebration that they had for the younger daughter that had juste home. There was an image of the family in a hall, where Brandon and his wife were hugging their long-lost daughter. Queenie was standing beside them. It was clear from the image itself that the younger daughter had turned into the princess of the family, while the elder daughter looked like she was just blending into the background. After Nigel saw the news, he looked up to see the girl who was still drying her tears. He felt both amused and sorry for the girl when he saw how she had finished all the snacks on the table. Then, Nigel kept his phone away and went downstairs. Queenie quickly hung her head low as she rubbed her eyes furiously. Why did this mane downstairs again? ¡°If you want to work, you¡¯ll have to leave the house with me at 8.00AM tomorrow.¡± The man walked past her without looking into her eyes, and he headed upstairs after taking a bottle of water from the kitchen. When Queenie came to her senses, she let out a cry of joy. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll wake up on time. Thank you, Young Master Nigel.¡± The following day, Nigel stood outside the guest room with a bag in his hand. It was already past 8.00AM, and the woman who agreed to wake up the night before waspletely quiet inside the room. He bit his lip for a moment before he stepped forward to knock on her door. Queenie was barely awake when she heard the man¡¯s knock on her door, and she mumbled some words in response to him. ¡°Stop knocking, Mom¡­ I¡¯ming¡­¡± All of a sudden, something seemed to click in her mind, and she immediately opened her eyes wide. She took in the unfamiliar room around her and quickly recalled everything that had happened the night before. Ah! What time is it? She threw the sheets off her before rushing to the door with her sleeping robe on. While opening the door, she pushed her hair back and put on a wide grin on her face. ¡°Hey, Young Master Nigel. Good morning!¡± The girl¡¯s smile was as bright as the sun, and her lips were as red as roses. Her wrinkled sleeping robe and her messy hair gave her azy yet adorable look. The loose sleeping robe revealed the bare skin below her corbones, and Nigel found himself stunned when he saw the girl in front of his eyes. For some reason, he felt a lump building up in his throat, and he quickly turned his head away as he shoved the bag of clothes into the girl¡¯s hand. ¡°I want you in the garage in five minutes. If you don¡¯t reach in time, you won¡¯t get the job,¡± he uttered. ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll be right there.¡± The girl immediately grabbed the bag and shut the door behind her. Nigel let out a soft sigh. His mind had been upied by thoughts of the meeting he was about to haveter, but he couldn¡¯t seem to focus on anything else after he saw the girl¡¯s smile. He shook his head furiously as he walked toward the elevator. ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll be right there.¡± The girl immediately grabbed the bag and shut the door behind her. Nigel let out a soft sigh. His mind had been upied by thoughts of the meeting he was about to haveter, but he couldn¡¯t seem to focus on anything else after he saw the girl¡¯s smile. He shook his head furiously as he walked toward the elevator. Meanwhile, Queenie¡¯s room was like a battlefield. She hastily threw a shirt on before pulling a pencil skirt up to her waist. Then, she rushed to brush her teeth and wash her face in the washroom before pulling her hair back into a half-bun. Once she was done, she sped out of the room. She knew that she didn¡¯t have much time, and she wasn¡¯t sure if her five minutes were up, but she rushed down to the garage anyway. When she got downstairs, she found the man dressed in white shirt and white cks. He was sitting on the couch in the garage. The regr man might not have been able to pull off a full-white outfit, but Nigel seemed especially elegant and posh in it. Furthermore, there was a mixture of ss and trendiness in the aura he gave off, so whatever he wore somehow made him seem unique. He had one leg crossed over the other as he nced at the watch on his wrist. He looked as if he was very focused on the time. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry. Was Ite?¡± Queenie asked the moment she appeared. The man scanned her from head to toe before he let out augh. ¡°Are you nning to wear slippers to work?¡± he asked. Chapter 1201-1210 Chapter 1201-1210 Queenie bowed her head in embarrassment for a few seconds before replying, ¡°The shoes I wore yesterday were too dirty. I already threw them out.¡± Nigel stared at her in exasperation. He had no idea why he put himself through all this trouble. It could¡¯ve just ended with him letting her stay at his ce for a week before shooing her away, so why did he even agree to give her a job as well? ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s just go to the hotel.¡± He opened the door to his sports car before calling out to her, ¡°Get in.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Manson!¡± Queenie replied at once. She was beginning to feel bad about everything. Justst night, she even threatened to start a protest in front of his hotel! I never would¡¯ve expected Mr. Manson to be a pretty decent man and a rather forgiving one to boot! After getting into the car, she started apologizing again, ¡°Mr. Manson, I need to apologize to you. I threatened youst night by saying that I would bring a banner and start a protest in front of your hotel, but it was just something I blurted out in the heat of the moment. Please don¡¯t take it to heart!¡± Nigel cocked his eyebrows and turned to look at Queenie. She shed him a smile and said, ¡°Someday, I¡¯ll do my best to repay your kindness for taking me in.¡± He didn¡¯t feel like talking. He felt like his ears had been buzzing all morning. Usually, he was the only one in the house, and thus he was used to havingplete silence, which suited him perfectly. The hotel he took her to this time was Manson Group¡¯s main hotel located in the city center. The one where Queenie had caused a scene was part of the chain and situated in a different location. Beneath the glow of the morning light, the hotel¡¯s brilliant facade seemed to take on a golden hue that made it look even more majestic as if it were a grand pce. Meanwhile, Queenie had already gaped in awe at the sight of the magnificent hotel, while at the same time, she was still in somewhat disbelief that she got a ride from the heir of the Manson Group himself. ¡°Your family¡¯s hotel looks so luxurious!¡± She marveled. For some reason, Nigel was pleased to hear those wordsing out of her mouth. His lips curved into a faint smile as he pulled into his designated parking spot ever so elegantly. The security guards immediately greeted him politely, and the doorman came over to wee him as well. Their actions made it feel as if a prince had arrived. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Manson,¡± said the manager who came over to greet Nigel. The manager, Faye Loughlin, nced at the woman standing beside Nigel and wondered, Did Mr. Manson get a girlfriend? ¡°Ms. Loughlin, arrange for her to work at the concierge,¡± Nigel instructed Faye. Faye was a little taken aback. She¡¯s not his girlfriend? Is she just an employee he selected personally? ¡°What¡¯s your name, miss?¡± Faye asked Queenie. Queenie smiled and replied, ¡°My name is Queenie Silverstein.¡± Nigel eyed Queenie¡¯s shoes and instructed Faye once more, ¡°Find her a pair of suitable footwear, along with a cell phone.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Manson.¡± Faye quickly acknowledged with a smile. After ncing at Queenie onest time, Nigel strode off toward the elevator lobby. Queenie had a look of surprise as she watched Nigel leave. Faye took it all in and couldn¡¯t help but probe with a smile, ¡°Miss Silverstein, do you mind if I ask how you¡¯re rted to Mr. Manson?¡± ¡°Uhh¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m a distant rtive of his¡­ a cousin of sorts¡­¡± Queenie came up with a random response. ¡°Uhh¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m a distant rtive of his¡­ a cousin of sorts¡­¡± Queenie came up with a random response. Though, what she didn¡¯t know was that this random reply of hers led to her receiving far better treatment from Faye. Faye brought her to a changing room and gave her a uniform before instructing her to familiarize herself with the hotel first. Faye also gave her one of the hotel¡¯s staff handphones. Once Queenie took the phone, she felt like calling home. However, she reminded herself that it had only been a day since she left the house. She couldn¡¯t give in so easily. I should at least wait until I have a stable job here before letting them know that I¡¯m doing fine! ¡°Queenie, you do fit the bill of requirements for those working at the concierge. Tell you what, I¡¯ll assign you to the concierge as a trainee first. This ispany policy as all new employees need to go through a three-month training period before they can be given an official role.¡± ¡°Sure. That¡¯s fine with me. I¡¯m open to taking on any tasks required of me.¡± Queenie nodded in agreement. She saw this job as the start of her journey to being independent. Faye led Queenie back to the main lobby and handed her off to another employee who would be her direct supervisor. ¡°Susanna, I¡¯m assigning Queenie to you as a trainee. From today onward, you¡¯ll be in charge of her training.¡± Susanna Conklin had just seen Queenieing into the hotel with Nigel, so she was warm and friendly as she replied, ¡°No problem, Faye. I¡¯ll take good care of Queenie.¡± This was the first time Queenie had a proper job. She was determined to work hard and make something of herself. At the very least, she wanted to be able to support herself. ¡°Queenie, what¡¯s your rtionship with Mr. Manson?¡± Susanna asked quietly. ¡°I¡¯m a distant rtive of his¡ªa cousin of sorts.¡± It was much easier to give this answer now that it wasn¡¯t her first time doing so. Susanna smiled even wider as she thought to herself, Here I was worrying that she was Mr. Manson¡¯s new girlfriend! Gosh, I was so afraid that was the case! Well, if she¡¯s just family, then I still have a shot. Queenie had a good head on her shoulders and was quick in picking up the tasks as well. Susanna was also shocked to see how fast of a learner she was. From the looks of it, she would be able to handle the job herself way before three months of training were over. One of the young women working as a greeter started getting a stomach ache, so she turned to Susanna and said, ¡°Susanna, can you take my ce for a bit? I need to use the restroom.¡± Susanna didn¡¯t want to be standing on her feet for so long, so she turned to Queenie. ¡°Queenie, go and cover for her.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Queenie got up from her seat and stood in ce by the main entrance with three other female employees. Soon after she took the position, a flurry of footsteps rang out from the elevator lobby. Five stern-faced middle-aged men came out with Nigel at the helm. The men carried themselves in a serious manner that made it clear they were thepany¡¯s senior executives, while Nigel¡¯s figure and handsome features made him look more like a model instead. Even so, Nigel still had an imposing aura that made it obvious he was in charge. The moment he got to the main entrance, he spotted Queenie standing nearby. Although she wore the same uniform as all the other pretty young women working as greeters, there was still something unique about her presence that made him pick her out of the crowd right away. All of a sudden, he realized that the silk scarf she wore as part of her uniform was a little crooked. He had an obsessivepulsive streak which got the better of him as he stepped over to her. She was rmed, and before she knew what was going on, he started rearranging her scarf with his long, slender fingers. Queenie gulped. She froze as she looked up at him. Nigel had a serious expression on his face as he carefully adjusted her scarf. She took in his arched eyebrows, dark, glittering eyes, high-bridged nose, and tempting lips. He has thedykiller features, she remarked in her mind. The other three greeters sorely wished their scarves had been crooked as well so that they could have Nigel adjust theirs for them. Queenie¡¯s heart rate was soaring through the roof. This was her first time having a man arranging her scarf for her so intimately right in public. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Manson,¡± she said politely once Nigel stepped back with a satisfied look. He nced at her. ¡°Make sure you always look presentable.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Manson,¡± she promised at once. Nigel finally left with the other men, and as soon as he was gone, everyone turned their gazes onto Queenie. All the employees in the lobby had witnessed everything that took ce, and she nearly drowned in their looks of envy. She cleared her throat awkwardly. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that someone did it on purpose!¡± A harsh voice rang out all of a sudden. Queenie looked across to see a pretty but mean-looking woman staring at her scornfully. ¡°I think everyone has misunderstood this. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose,¡± Queenie quickly defended herself. ¡°Stooping to these tricks just as soon as you started the job, huh? I don¡¯t think you¡¯re here to work. You¡¯re here for Mr. Manson!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± For the sake of clearing things up, Queenie had no choice but to use the same cover story again. ¡°Please don¡¯t get the wrong idea! I¡¯m just his cousin.¡± The greeters who had been clouded in jealousy just moments ago immediately gasped in shock. ¡°You¡¯re Mr. Manson¡¯s cousin?¡± ¡°Yeah, albeit a little distantly rted, so please don¡¯t misunderstand anything.¡± Queenie could tell that all the unmarried women working in this hotel had a crush on Nigel. To avoid being the target of their jealousy, she figured it would be best to lie and say she was his cousin. Sure enough, her words wiped off the looks of intense jealousy in the eyes of the three female employees who were glowering at her earlier. It exined why Nigel had personally adjusted her scarf for her. Naturally, such things spread like wildfire among the employees, and at the very least, Queenie no longer had to suffer from simr misunderstandings. At Silverstein Residence. When Maggie woke up in the morning, she began to worry about her eldest daughter. There had been a thunderstormst night, and Queenie had run off just like that. I wonder if she got caught in the rain. ¡°Mom, are you worried about Queenie? I¡¯m worried about her too, but none of my calls are getting through.¡± Bonnie came downstairs and hugged Maggie. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. She ran away from home because of me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. Don¡¯t me yourself. I¡¯ll get your father to look for her.¡± Maggie patted Bonnie on the hand affectionately. ¡°Mom, if it means Queenie wille back, I can just move back in with my adopted parents! Queenie won¡¯t be happy if I stay here in this house.¡± Bonnie looked as if she were wallowing in guilt. ¡°Oh, you silly child. Don¡¯t say such ridiculous things. Both your father and I consider you our most precious baby. We spent two decades looking for you, and we¡¯re not going to let you leave us again.¡± Maggie hugged Bonnie. Moments ago, she had been worried about Queenie, but right now, the only one she cared about was Bonnie. Bonnie smirked smugly. She would be the happiest person alive if Queenie never came back! It¡¯d be even better if she died while out there. That way, the entire Silverstein Family¡¯s fortune will be mine. Just then, Bonnie¡¯s phone started ringing. She checked to see that it was Leslie calling, so she happily said to Maggie, ¡°Mom, give me a minute to answer this.¡± Bonnie walked out into the garden before answering. ¡°Have you reached, Leslie?¡± she asked sweetly. ¡°I¡¯m almost there. I¡¯ll take you to a nice restaurantter.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be waiting,¡± Bonnie gushed. Her life now revolved around indulging in all her desires. She could eat, drink, and shop to her heart¡¯s content. Life couldn¡¯t get any better than this for her. She was even more thrilled that she didn¡¯t have to see Queenie around the house anymore. Soon, the day came to an end, and it was time to get off work. Queenie had been standing for half of her shift and had to take in a lot of new information for the other half. Atst, it was 6.00PM, and everyone started getting off work. Some went home, while others had dates that night. She was the only one left sitting in the staff lounge, and it suddenly hit her that she had nowhere to go. She had neither the money to buy herself a meal nor pay for a night at a motel; she had no single cent on her. She had never felt this lost and helpless before. Although her parents woulde and get her if she called home, she just couldn¡¯t bring herself to make the call. Her other option was to call a friend, but she was down in the dumps right now and didn¡¯t want to trouble any of her friends. Well, perhaps she was just being stubborn! She wanted to prove that she could face all obstacles in life by herself. Queenie couldn¡¯t get in touch with Nigel either. She didn¡¯t know where he was or where his house was. After recalling how kind he had been to her so far, she didn¡¯t feel like troubling him any further. She looked around the empty staff lounge. I guess I can just stay here for the night! The hotel will provide breakfast tomorrow morning, and I can think about the rest after work tomorrow! At 8.00PM, Nigel left his parents¡¯ home after dinner and started driving back to his ce. He turned the music up while driving and began to enjoy his alone time as usual when all of a sudden, he started getting the feeling as if he had left something undone. Soon, a woman¡¯s face popped up in his head. He narrowed his eyes. Right. That woman¡¯s still at the hotel. She should¡¯ve gotten off work by now. Where did she go? Did she go home? But she did say she ran away from home and even refused to leave my cest night, so she¡¯s probably too ashamed to go home. That means she could still be at the hotel. His brain was telling him to forget about Queenie, but his hands had already started steering the car toward the hotel. Half an hourter, Nigel¡¯s distinguished figure made its way across the hotel lobby. He had a pretty good idea of where he could find her. If she were still in the hotel, there was only one ce she could be¡ªthe staff lounge. He headed up to the floor with all the various lounges. No one else seemed to be around at this hour, and he started checking every single one of the staff lounges until he finally found Queenie all curled up and fast asleep on the couch in the lounge at the end of the corridor. The air was chilly in the air-conditioned lounge, causing Queenie to curl up like a ball. Her hair was tied up, which left her beautiful face clear for all to see. As the light in the room cast upon her, her pretty features looked all the more mesmerizing. She looked even more alluring in her sleep. Nigel had to admit that she was a fairly attractive woman. He started thinking that her fate would have been very different if another man had taken her home instead of himst night. ¡°Hey! Queenie Silverstein! Wake up.¡± Nigel started calling out to Queenie. However, she was sound asleep and didn¡¯t stir at all. Nigel had no choice but to resort to physical means. He started patting her soft, tender cheek with the back of his hand. ¡°Hurry up and wake up, Queenie.¡± Queenie was startled awake atst. She shot up straight on the couch and looked at the man in front of her in fright before realizing who it was. The anxiety in her eyes gave way to a look of child-like surprise. ¡°It¡¯s you! Are you here to pick me up?¡± The look in her eyes and the words that came out of her mouth made her seem like an abandoned puppy that had grown to rely on Nigel. He felt a pang in his heart. Is she really that ecstatic that I¡¯m here to pick her up? He stood up and said coolly, ¡°We have rules in this hotel. Employees are not allowed to spend the night in the staff lounge.¡± Queenie was still smiling. His words didn¡¯t affect her sense of joy in any way. She felt as if someone had extended a warm hand out to her at her bleakest point in life. ¡°Ahh!¡± She had just nted her feet on the floor when she suddenly fell back onto the couch. Nigel, who had just turned to leave, turned his head around to look at her. He frowned and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She was a little too embarrassed to look him in the eyes. She massaged her calves and said, ¡°My legs have gone numb from the way I was sleeping.¡± He turned his head forward and waited patiently for her legs to recover their strength. After a while, Queenie hurried back on her feet again as she was afraid that his patience might wane. ¡°I¡¯m fine now. Let¡¯s go!¡± Nigel led the way while Queenie forced herself to walk despite the numbness in her legs. She followed him down to the lobby, and as they strode across the grand hall, walking shoulder-to-shoulder, the other hotel employees weren¡¯t stunned anymore. While they were still envious, they weren¡¯t as jealous about it anymore because even those on the night shift now knew that the newbie female employee was just Nigel¡¯s distant rtive. She wouldn¡¯t be marrying Nigel and wasn¡¯t going to steal their chance of bing Mrs. Manson. After getting into Nigel¡¯s car, Queenie¡¯s stomach began to rumble. She clutched her stomach awkwardly and asked hesitantly, ¡°Have you eaten dinner yet?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Nigel¡¯s hands rested elegantly on the steering wheel as he drove them out of the hotel compound. Well, it¡¯s almost 9.00PM. Who else would¡¯ve gone without dinner apart from me? ¡°Mr. Manson, would it be possible for me to make a somewhat unreasonable request?¡± Queenie ventured. He eyed her thoughtfully. An unreasonable request? What¡¯s she trying to do now? She got straight to the point. ¡°Can I get an advance of this month¡¯s sry?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not part of thepany¡¯s regr practice.¡± He denied her request without missing a beat. He wasn¡¯t about to make a special exception for her. ¡°Then, could you lend me some money for food? I¡¯ll pay you back once I get my sry. Oh, and with interest too.¡± She was raised in a fairly decent family environment, which resulted in her being bold enough to make such a request without hints of shyness. Other women probably wouldn¡¯t dare to ask a man like Nigel to lend them money. They were too afraid of embarrassing themselves. ¡°Nope.¡± Nigel still remembered why he decided to take her in. It was to get his revenge, not for the sake of taking care of her. Queenie pouted, but she wasn¡¯t angry. She sighed and looked out the window. Her eyes lit up suddenly as she pointed at arge pharmacy and eximed, ¡°My family owns that pharmacy.¡± He nced at where she was pointing. Her family¡¯s rich, alright, but she has fallen so low that she needs to borrow money from me now. Sounds like she¡¯s leading a great life. He couldn¡¯t help but snort as he remarked, ¡°You can just ask your family for money.¡± She had a determined look on her face. ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m doing that. My Dad kicked me out of the house. I have to survive on my own.¡± ¡°From the looks of it now, that¡¯s not something you¡¯re capable of.¡± Nigel shot her down right away. Queenie bit her lip and red at him. Does he find it fun to put a damper on my spirits? I don¡¯t expect him tofort me, but he doesn¡¯t have to dash my hopes like that now, does he? It¡¯s my first time getting kicked out of the house too! So, it¡¯s not like I have any experience in this. She rested her head on the door and stared out the window. At the same time, her stomach started growling again. She had no choice but to try and negotiate with her stomach, ¡°Can you be quiet for just one night? I¡¯ll feed you tomorrow morning.¡± The hotel provided the employees with breakfast every morning, so Queenie¡¯s n was to hold out until the next morning. Nigel had encountered a lot of childish women before, but he had never seen one as silly and amusing as her. Suddenly, he turned the steering wheel and pulled up in front of a restaurant. Queenie stared dazedly at the restaurant for a few seconds before turning to him. ¡°Are you buying me dinner?¡± ¡°Do you suppose I would let you eat up all of my snacks at home instead?¡± He scoffed as he retorted. She remained seated in the car as she watched him get off. Although he always had a cold and indifferent look on his face, she couldn¡¯t deny that he had been nothing but kind to her. She got down from the car and smiled at him. ¡°Mr. Manson, you¡¯re only cold on the outside. If you show a little more gentleness, I¡¯m sure that the line of women hoping to be your girlfriend would be long enough to circle the globe. You¡¯ll get a girlfriend in no time.¡± Amid her attempt at ttery, she identally bumped into Nigel¡¯s back, thanks to his abrupt halt. ¡°Ouch!¡± Queenie quickly took two steps backward and rubbed her slightly sore nose as she looked at him. Nigel turned around and warned coolly, ¡°Stop talking so much if you want to eat.¡± He hated hearing talk about getting a girlfriend. He had no intention of getting one as he considered a girlfriend to be nothing but a nuisance to him. He had chased after a woman for two years once. Yet, she was now his cousin¡¯s wife and had just given birth a second time. Ever since then, he realized that life as a single man was pretty fulfilling too. Therefore, over thest few years, apart from taking over the family business, he spent his time indulging in his interests and hobbies. Queenie kept her mouth shut. Was I talking too much? Was he annoyed because of it? Heeding his order, she remained silent from the moment they walked into the restaurant until the food was served at their table. However, her expression became a lot livelier once the food showed up. She rubbed her hands in eager anticipation. Nigel didn¡¯t n on eating, so he only ordered enough food for one. He took his phone out and started ying a game. They were the only ones sitting in the restaurant¡¯srge dining area. One happily stuffed herself with food while the other sat quietly ying a game. Neither of them spoke, but the atmosphere wasn¡¯t tense or awkward. Queenie looked at Nigel from time to time. Once she was full, she rested her chin on her hand and stared at Nigel, who was still engrossed in his game. In that instance, it struck her that he was quite a good-looking man. He had an excellent figure to go with his handsome features. The only thing that was less than satisfactory about him would be his somewhat unapproachable personality. It was strange that a guy like him was still single. She had seen a lot of tabloids attempting to make their fortunes by reporting on various rumors and gossip about him. Once, he streamed a game with a female streamer, and the news stayed on the social media trending list for three whole days. Nigel was fully focused on his game when he felt a pair of eyes on him. He could feel the intensity of the staring. He put his phone away and eyed Queenie as he asked curtly, ¡°Am I handsome?¡± The woman who had been caught in the act didn¡¯t feel embarrassed in the slightest. She nodded her head and said, ¡°You¡¯re quite handsome! Don¡¯t you know that?¡± He was speechless. It went without saying that he knew that, but the way she was ogling at him made him suspect that she had ulterior motives! Nigel remembered that he didn¡¯t lock the door to his roomst night. He made a mental note to do it tonight. Since Queenie was done with dinner, he called the waiter over to settle the bill. They started heading back down to the car. She followed him into the elevator and burped before she could stop herself. Mortified, she quickly covered her mouth, but she kept burping from time to time. She turned scarlet from embarrassment. Nigel did his best to stop himself from chuckling. Even when they got to the car, she was still burping, so he passed her a bottle of water andmented a little irritatedly, ¡°Why did you gorge yourself at dinner?¡± Queenie was a little upset. It was hard for her to get a chance to eat, so she had to eat as much as she could! Her burping died down after drinking some water, and now that she was full, she began to feel sleepy again. Her eyes began to ze over a little from the night breeze and the flurry of street lights shing past. She gripped the seatbelt tightly and leaned against the window as she dozed off. The car came to a stop at a traffic light. Nigel looked to the side and saw a sleeping beauty beside him. The street lights softened her features and made her look like a delicate fairy who had never seen the evils of the world. One look at her and everyone could tell that this woman grew up in a sheltered environment and had been doted on her whole life. Nigel kept staring at Queenie to the point that he didn¡¯t even notice when the traffic light had turned green. He snapped out of it once the car behind him honked, and he cursed under his breath before driving off. As for Queenie, she slept soundly and didn¡¯t wake up throughout the entire trip back. Meanwhile, at Manson¡¯s Group main hotel, a couple came to book a room, and the receptionists working at the reception desk kept sneaking nces at the female guest. They were shocked. Isn¡¯t that Queenie Silverstein? Didn¡¯t she just leave? Why did shee back to book a room with a man? However, they were soon thankful that they didn¡¯t try to greet her because the name on the identification card read ¡®Bonnie Silverstein.¡¯ After watching the couple head toward the elevators, one of the receptionists eximed, ¡°She looks so simr to Queenie!¡± ¡°I know, right?! I nearly said hi to her. Thank goodness I held myself back.¡± ¡°Do you think they¡¯re twins?¡± ¡°You could be right. Both theirst names are Silverstein.¡± The lobby manager looked over, and those at the reception desk immediately fell silent. After all, they weren¡¯t supposed to gossip about guests at the hotel. Meanwhile, at the elevator, Bonnie was holding Leslie¡¯s arm with a look of satisfaction. Leslie had treated her to an expensive dinner and gave her a gift as well. Now, she was going to spend a romantic night with him at the hotel¡¯s presidential suite. This was the best life she could ever dream of. She had a man who adored and doted on her, but most importantly, he was Queenie¡¯s fianc¨¦. The fact that she had snatched him away from Queenie made her even more pleased with him. ¡°Once Grandpa agrees to it, I can break off my engagement to Queenie next month. When the time comes, the first thing I¡¯ll do is arrange our engagement, and then I¡¯ll start preparing for our wedding,¡± Leslie announced eagerly. He was thirty, and it was time for him to start a family. Bonnie¡¯s smile was a little stiff. Leslie couldn¡¯t wait to get married, but she wasn¡¯t interested in marriage at all. She only wanted to revel in the joys of dating him. She enjoyed being pampered and doted on without being shackled by marriage. Furthermore, she recalled that Queenie had gotten involved with Nigel, and she was determined to steal away anything that Queenie had her eyes on. ¡°What¡¯s the rush, Leslie? Everything¡¯s great the way it is right now!¡± Bonnie shed him a seductive smile and hooked her arms around his neck before getting intimate with him right in the hotel elevator. Leslie was more than happy to respond in kind, and never once did they part from each other as they made their way to the room. ¡­ Nigel drove into the basement and turned off the engine. He looked at Queenie, who was still sound asleep. He narrowed his eyes as he called out. ¡°Wake up, Queenie.¡± Queenie looked at him with bleary eyes. When she realized they were in the basement parking lot at his ce, she smiled and eximed, ¡°Oh, we¡¯re here!¡± She got out of the car as if it were the most natural thing in the world¡ªas though this was actually her ce instead of his. All at once, it urred to Nigel that she wasn¡¯t at all shy about going to his ce. They wereplete strangers. Did she trust him that much? Didn¡¯t she have any sense of caution? His eyes shed with a devilish glint. He wanted to scare her a little. Queenie rubbed her sore arm as she entered the elevator. As soon as she got in, she saw the man inside the elevator studying her with predatory eyes. She stared nkly at him. ¡°Why are you looking at me?¡± Nigel purposely tugged at his cor with a hungry expression as he stared at her dangerously. Ding! The elevator arrived at their floor, and the doors slid open. Queenie eyed him puzzledly as she got out. He followed her all the way to the guest room before raising his arms to trap her between his chest and the wall. ¡°Miss Silverstein, you¡¯ll have to give me something in return for staying at my house.¡± Queenie realized what was going on now. Is he trying to chase me out? Does he think he can scare me off just like that? She blinked at him and seemed to have mustered up the courage to make a bold decision. ¡°Mr. Manson, let¡¯s get married tomorrow!¡± Nigel¡¯s hands shot back down as he took two steps back. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get married! Then, we elope!¡± Queenie repeated in all seriousness. It was Nigel¡¯s turn to be dumbstruck. ¡°Is that some kind of a joke? Who wants to get married to you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who started joking around,¡± Queenie retorted with a look of innocence. Then, she grew serious and said, ¡°Mr. Manson, wouldn¡¯t it be exciting if we eloped? Are you sure you don¡¯t want to give it a go?¡± Nigel wanted to scare her. He didn¡¯t expect to be the one getting a shock. It wasn¡¯t fun anymore. ¡°Queenie Silverstein, you can stay here in my house, but don¡¯t even think about setting your sights on me,¡± he warned. Queenie watched him head off into his bedroom. She chuckled and went into the guest room as well. It was 11.00PM when Nigel, whoy in bed ying a game, suddenly recalled something. He jumped out of bed and hurried over to his door to lock it. It was only then that he finally returned to bed with a sense of security. He acted as if Queenie was some kind of hungry predator. The next morning. Queenie woke up at 8.00AM and opened her door to find a bag of clothes outside the room. A warm, fuzzy feeling blossomed in her heart. That man has actually prepared clothes for me! She took the bag and realized it contained underwear as well. That¡¯s quite thoughtful of him! Right at that moment, the door to the master bedroom opened, and the two of them stared right at each other. Nigel saw the bag of clothes in her hand and instantly figured out who had prepared it for her. The only person who could enter his house so early in the morning and knew that a woman was staying with him was his assistant, Cecily Wentworth. No one else could¡¯ve done it. ¡°Thanks, Mr. Manson!¡± Queenie happily took the clothes and went back inside the room to change. Ten minutester. Nigel was sitting in the living room enjoying a cup of morning coffee when he heard footstepsing down from the second floor. He saw a woman dressed in a long, green dress that made her look like a forest nymph who just came out of the woods. Her skin was pale as snow, and the sunlight that came in through the windows cast a glow over her. Even her hair seemed to sparkle in the light. He stared transfixed for a few seconds before snapping out of it. Immediately, he turned away his gaze as if giving the woman any more attention would make her conceited. ¡°Mr. Manson, when are you leaving? Can you drop me off? I¡¯mte,¡± Queenie asked frantically. Nigel nced at his watch before setting his coffee mug down. He grabbed his keys and headed toward the elevator. Queenie followed closely behind. ¡­ At Manson Group¡¯s main hotel. Bonnie was woken up by a call from her mother. The Silversteins realized that Queenie¡¯s phone had been off the whole time. Brandon got so anxious that he filed a missing person report with the police, and Maggie called Bonnie to rush her home. Bonnie was reluctant to even bother with it. It¡¯s not as if Queenie would seriously go missing anyway. She then woke Leslie up, and the two of them got ready before heading down to the lobby to check out of the room. While sitting on a couch in the majestic lobby, Bonnie could sense just how extravagant the Manson Group¡¯s hotel was. All she could think about was what it would be like if she were to be Mrs. Manson someday. Everyone would be so envious. Just then, two people came walking in through the entrance. It was a man and a woman, and Bonnie¡¯s eyes flickered over before widening in shock. That¡¯s Nigel Manson. And isn¡¯t that Queenie? Leslie just finished checking out of the room. He had just walked up to Bonnie and was about to pull her into his arms to leave when she expertly avoided him. She got up and rushed over to Queenie. ¡°Queenie! Here you are! Mom and Dad are so worried about you. They¡¯re looking for you right now!¡± Queenie was thinking about work when she heard someone calling out to her all of a sudden. She looked up and saw Bonnie running over to her, with Leslie following right behind. She didn¡¯t even have to bother guessing. They must¡¯vee to the hotel to spend the night together again. Neither of them showed any respect for the fact that she was still Leslie¡¯s fianc¨¦e. Bonnie was heading toward Queenie, but she swayed her hips and strutted in front of Nigel. Meanwhile, Nigel nced curiously at Bonnie as he found the woman looked almost identical to Queenie. Bonnie was confident that she was prettier and even more alluring than Queenie, so when she noticed that Nigel was staring at her, she didn¡¯t show any shyness at all. In fact, she boldly gave him a suggestive wink. When he spotted Bonnie¡¯s flirtatious stare, Nigel suddenly realized that he could discern the two women easily. Their eyes alone were enough for him to tell them apart. One had a pair of clear, bewitching eyes, while the other had a risqu¨¦ look in their eyes. ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± Bonnie pretended not to know who Nigel was. She assumed that all men would introduce themselves enthusiastically when she asked this question. However, Nigel merely turned to look at Queenie. ¡°I¡¯lle and find you after work.¡± Queenie blinked and answered with ease, ¡°Got it.¡± Then, she realized that they were in public, and she had to show more respect for Nigel, so she added, ¡°Have a good day, Mr. Manson.¡± Nigel, who started walking off earlier, turned back to give her aplex look before striding off to the elevator without looking back again. Bonnie¡¯s eyes were glued to Nigel as he left. She even startedparing Leslie with him and realized that Leslie, whom she considered rather handsome before this, waspletely average when held up against a distinguished man like Nigel. In fact, they were leagues apart and shouldn¡¯t even be compared to one another. Leslie saw what was happening, but he could scarcely believe his eyes. Queenie, the woman he tossed aside, was now involved with Nigel Manson, the heir of the Manson Group. They even showed up here at a hotel together. What¡¯s going on? Are they here to get a room together? He was furious. Once upon a time, he tried to get Queenie toe to a hotel with him, but she acted as if she were staunchly against such behavior before marriage. And yet, she was perfectly willing to come to a hotel with Nigel now. Was she just looking down on my family? On me? ¡°So, Queenie, this is the type of woman you are, huh?¡± Leslie came over with an icy expression and grabbed Bonnie¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Bonnie.¡± ¡°You go ahead, Leslie!¡± Bonnie didn¡¯t want to leave with him. ¡°Bonnie, why do you want to stay here? Let me take you home.¡± Leslie didn¡¯t want to be apart from her. Queenie watched as they had their back-and-forth and turned to Bonnie. ¡°Tell Mom and Dad that I have a ce to stay. They don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡± She left right after finishing her sentence. Bonnie¡¯s eyes were full of overwhelming jealousy. Is Queenie staying with Nigel? Did my plot to get her kicked out of the house end up pushing her into his arms instead? D*mn it! Bonnie was so mad that she nearly stomped her feet. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Bonnie!¡± Leslie pulled her hand again, but Bonnie swung him off at once and walked off. She didn¡¯t let him hold her hand anymore. Now that she had a chance totch herself onto an even better man, Leslie wasn¡¯t even fit for her to keep on the back burner. Queenie changed into her uniform and started working. Those working at the reception didn¡¯t dare to gossip about her. Though she continued to work as a greeter, she somehow enjoyed what it felt like to be working. At Silverstein Residence. Bonnie came home and saw the police officers gathered in the living room. Her eyes flickered shiftily, and she quickly called out. ¡°Dad, I saw Queenie this morning. She¡¯s not missing. She¡¯s at a hotel!¡± ¡°What? You saw Queenie? Is she alright?¡± Maggie asked at once. ¡°Queenie¡¯s fine. She told me to tell you guys not to worry about her,¡± Bonnie said. She wanted the police to leave as soon as possible. Brandon sighed in relief. He apologized to the police and saw them out while Maggie pulled Bonnie over to continue asking more questions. ¡°Where¡¯s Queenie staying now? Who was she with?¡± Bonnie chuckled darkly to herself. Trying to stay with Nigel, huh, Queenie? I won¡¯t let you. I¡¯ll make Mom and Dad get you toe back. She thought this would give her more chances to meet Nigel as well. She was fully confident that she would be able to snatch Nigel away just as easily as Leslie. I¡¯m so much better than that dull Queenie, after all. ¡°Dad, Queenie¡­ Queenie¡¯s staying with a man. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good arrangement, so why don¡¯t you let Queeniee back instead? I¡¯m afraid she might get taken advantage of.¡± ¡°What?! Queenie¡¯s staying with a man?¡± Maggie¡¯s expression was grim. How could a daughter of mine be so promiscuous? Brandon¡¯s expression had darkened as well. He looked deeply disappointed. ¡°How could she be so irresponsible? How¡¯s she going to get married in the future?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go and bring her home. Which hotel is she at?¡± ¡°I¡¯lle with you, Mom.¡± Bonnie didn¡¯t want to miss out on any opportunity to run into Nigel. The driver took Maggie and Bonnie to the Manson Group¡¯s main hotel. Soon, the car pulled into the driveway at the main entrance, and two greeters came forward. Maggie stepped out of the vehicle, and Queenie, who was one of the two, stopped dead in her tracks. ¡°Mom?¡± Maggie looked up and saw her daughter dressed in the hotel¡¯s uniform standing in front of her. She was stunned as well. ¡°Queenie, why are you¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m working here, Mom. Why are you here?¡± Queenie was calm and unruffled. Bonnie stepped out of the car on the other side and studied Queenie¡¯s uniform as she thought to herself, Is Queenie working here at the hotel? She¡¯s really doing whatever it takes to get to Nigel! How can she be so happy about working as a greeter? ¡°Queenie, your father was a little harsh before this, but he¡¯s not angry anymore. Come home with me.¡± As soon as Maggie finished talking, she tried to pull Queenie into the car with her. However, Queenie was determined as well. ¡°I¡¯m not going back, Mom. I¡¯m working right now. You guys should leave!¡± ¡°Queenie, Mom came in person to bring you home. Shouldn¡¯t you show her a little more respect?¡± Bonnie fanned the mes from the sidelines. ¡°You¡¯re the eldest daughter of the Silversteins, but here you are, working as a greeter. The whole family would be humiliated if words got out about this!¡± Bonnie¡¯s words of contempt made Queenie¡¯s expression darken once she heard that. ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, Bonnie. Everyone deserves respect for working to support themselves. People like you who rely on their parents¡¯ money don¡¯t have any right to look down on others.¡± The other greeters standing nearby had been furious when they heard what Bonnie said, so when they heard Queenie¡¯s response, they rejoiced and agreed wholeheartedly in secret. Bonnie flushed red and red at Queenie. Meanwhile, seeing Queenie¡¯s resolution to continue her job, Maggie had no choice but to respect her decision. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Fine, but you have toe home after work. I won¡¯t stop you from working, but you must move back home.¡± Maggie didn¡¯t want to lecture Queenie in public. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go home after work. You should leave now,¡± Queenie replied. She felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted off her chest. Naturally, she was overjoyed to see that her parents still loved her. ¡°Remember toe home, Queenie! People will talk if a young woman like you stays at a man¡¯s house.¡± Bonnie didn¡¯t forget to take a jab at Queenie before leaving. Queenie could sense the gazesing from her colleagues. She was fuming over Bonnie¡¯s actions but couldn¡¯t do anything about it as the Silversteins¡¯ car had driven off. ¡°Queenie, that¡¯s your sister, huh?! Are you two really sisters?¡± ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s my younger twin sister,¡± Queenie replied. They weren¡¯t supposed to chit-chat while at work, so they carried on with their job. Queenie began to feel reluctant about going home again. She found it ratherfortable to stay at Nigel¡¯s home. If Nigel didn¡¯t chase her out, she was rather keen on staying longer. She had been forced to swallow all manner of anger and frustration for the past year ever since Bonnie came home. The once warm and inviting home now made her depressed instead. Meanwhile, Nigel was in one of the hotel¡¯s meeting rooms going through his daily task of listening to reports from various subordinates. The hotel¡¯s business had soared in the first half of the year, and the manager, who was giving the presentation, was reporting ever so enthusiastically. However, it was clear that the manager¡¯s young superior, who was sitting at the head of the table, wasn¡¯t paying any attention to the presentation. Hm? What¡¯s going on with Mr. Manson? ¡°Mr. Manson, what do you think about our suggestion?¡± the bravest soul among the employees asked. ¡°Mr. Manson?¡± Nigel finally snapped back to reality, but his usually sharp eyes looked a little nk right now. He narrowed his eyes and asked, ¡°What was the suggestion? Say it again.¡± The managers were bewildered. True enough, Nigel had been distracted earlier. After listening to the presentation again, Nigel nodded. ¡°Sure. Go ahead with the proposal. Meeting adjourned.¡± He got up and left the meeting room. Just then, his phone started ringing. He checked and saw that it was a call from one of his closest friends, Julian Gilmore. He answered the call with azy drawl, ¡°Hey, Mr. Celebrity.¡± ¡°Are you free today? Let¡¯s grab a drink together. I¡¯m almost at the hotel.¡± A silvery, sophisticated voice rang out through the phone¡¯s speakers. It was a voice that could captivate its listeners. ¡°Sure,e over. I¡¯ll wait for you in the lobby.¡± Nigel ended the call after agreeing to meet up with Julian. At first, he considered taking his friend up to the cafe on the top floor, but he soon changed his mind and decided to meet him at the cafe by the lobby instead. Back at the lobby, Queenie was still standing by the main entrance to greet the iing guests. By now, her legs werepletely stiff, and she finally realized it wasn¡¯t easy to hold down a job. Right at that moment, she noticed someoneing over from the elevator. She nced out of the corner of her eye and saw a tall, handsome man making his way over¡ªit was Nigel. All the female employees in the lobby immediately became even more passionate about their jobs. Their eyes lit up, and their movements became much swifter. Those at the reception desk answered the phone with the sweetest voice they could muster, and even those who were hunching from exhaustion after standing all day straightened up immediately and became the embodiment of professionalism. Nigel Manson was the man of their dreams. Just the very sight of him made their hearts leap with joy, and all of them did their best to make a good impression. Meanwhile, Nigel¡¯s eyes flitted across the floor andnded on one of the young women who was working as a greeter at the main entrance. She carried herself with poise, and her willowy figure stood out among the crowd like a beautiful flower among the grass that drew everyone¡¯s attention. Nigel walked into the cafe, and the seat he chose just so happened to face where Queenie was standing. All he had to do was raise his head, and he would be greeted with the sight of her standing by the entrance. The cafe had an elegant and inviting ambiance that made the guests feel rxed while spending time there. Naturally, Nigel was well within Queenie¡¯s view as well. Her eyesnded upon him whenever she looked straight ahead. She saw that his head was lowered as he focused on a game on his phone. It felt as if she were staring at a prince as the light cascaded onto his crisp white shirt and illuminated his pale, handsome face. He was undoubtedly every woman¡¯s Prince Charming. Queenie kept staring in a daze. It was her first time noticing that a man could look so handsome even when he was just ying a game on his phone. All of a sudden, a car pulled up outside the hotel. She quickly turned her focus back on her job and saw a bodyguard opening the car¡¯s backseat door. A handsome gentleman stepped out of the car. Once again, it was the appearance of another man who could make all the young women¡¯s hearts flutter. The handsome gentleman was Julian Gilmore, an award-winning actor. Queenie¡¯s beautiful eyes widened in surprise as well. She never thought working at this hotel would bring her the privilege of meeting one of the hottest stars. ¡°Mr. Gilmore, may I know what¡ª¡± a member of the hotel¡¯s service crew rushed forward and started asking excitedly. ¡°I¡¯m here to meet someone,¡± Julian responded lightly. Then, he saw Nigel waving at him from the cafe. ¡°Over here.¡± Queenie couldn¡¯t tear her eyes off Julian. She couldn¡¯t hide the excitement in her eyes either. All of a sudden, she ended up looking into a pair of dark, piercing eyes. She blinked and quickly withdrew her gaze. Oops! Nearly forgot that I¡¯m supposed to be working! Her fangirling would need to wait until she got off work. Julian walked into the cafe and saw his good friend, Nigel, staring at the entrance with an indiscernible expression. He followed suit out of curiosity. ¡°What¡¯re you looking at?¡± ¡°Nothing. Sit down.¡± Nigel turned his attention back to the table. Julian sat down opposite Nigel and started massaging his forehead. He was visibly fatigued. ¡°Did you stay up all night filming again?¡± Nigel asked out of concern. ¡°Yeah, we were filming up until dawn. I¡¯m exhausted.¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you at home sleeping, then?¡± ¡°I had a few cups of coffeest night, so currently, I¡¯m having trouble falling asleep. I¡¯m thinking of heading to your ce to y a game or two,¡± Julian exined with his eyes closed. Normally, Nigel would be more than happy to wee Julian over, but when he noticed that the young woman opposite them was still sneaking nces over in their direction, he declined right away. ¡°I¡¯m not free tonight. Let¡¯s y some other time.¡± Julian raised his eyebrows. ¡°I¡¯ll crash at your ce, then.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get you a room here. Go and take a nap right now.¡± Nigel got up and dragged Julian with him. ¡°Let¡¯s go! Don¡¯t end up getting hospitalized from overexertion.¡± It was a feast for the eyes to see two breathtakingly handsome men standing together, and it was even more thrilling to see one of them tugging on the other rather domineeringly. Of course, it also fueled everyone¡¯s imaginations. As the two men came out of the cafe, the air seemed to tremble from all the brainwaves as everyone started making their wildest deductions. The two men off-handedly conversed as they made their way to the elevators. Even the sight of their retreating backs was enough for the employees to spin a crazy tale. The two men disappeared into an elevator, and one of the employees finally couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. Chapter 1211-1220 Chapter 1211-1220 ¡°I can¡¯t believe it! Is Mr. Manson and Julian Gilmore¡­¡± Queenie was baffled as well. One was the heir of the Manson Group, while the other was a young, award-winning actor, yet the two had never been in any rumors with any women. If these two handsome men got together, it had to be true love, no doubt! She made up an entire novel¡¯s worth of stories in her head as she fantasized about the possible romance between the two men before a thought suddenly came to her. Considering my rtionship with Nigel, I¡¯m sure I can get Julian¡¯s signature! Queenie couldn¡¯t wait to get off work. At longst, she survived until her shift was over. She had gotten Nigel¡¯s personal number this morning, so she waited until all her colleagues were gone before calling him up while massaging her calves. ¡°Hello?¡± Nigel¡¯s crisp, cool voice rang out. ¡°It¡¯s me, Queenie. Are you getting off work now, Mr. Manson?¡± She introduced herself first, as he seemed reluctant when she asked for his number this morning, so she figured he wouldn¡¯t have saved her number. ¡°I¡¯m giving you five minutes to get to the fountain,¡± he said before hanging up. Queenie grabbed her things and ran out. She left the building through one of the side exits and headed to the fountain area. The evening glow made the fountain gleam like diamonds scattered all across. It sparkled in the light, and the mermaid statue in the center looked as if it had a golden veil draping over it. There was a ck SUV stopped on the road beside the fountain. Queenie jogged over and opened the door to the front passenger seat. Nigel was seemingly deep in thought as he rested his arm on the car door. Queenie recalled her promise to her mother that she would be going home today, but she loathed the thought of going back! ¡°Where are we going, Mr. Manson?¡± she asked with a smile. ¡°Have dinner with me.¡± She nodded. ¡°Sure! You¡¯re buying me dinner now, but I¡¯ll pay you back in the future.¡± Nigel nced at her. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ll pay me back?¡± ¡°Hm? Of course. I made a record of every single meal you bought for me. I¡¯m not going to take advantage of you!¡± Queenie was someone who knew how to be grateful. She always remembered the kindness of others. Nigel started the car and drove off. Queenie¡¯s calves were still sore, so she bent down and started massaging them again. Then, she started kneading her shoulders as well. It was clear that she was tired from the day¡¯s work. Nigel nced at her once more. It was already prettymendable for a pampered youngdy like her to stand in the lobby all day. ¡°Have you worked as an assistant before?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve worked as my father¡¯s assistant during summer vacation.¡± ¡°In that case, from tomorrow onward, you¡¯ll be my personal assistant.¡± He gave her a promotion; she had jumped from working at the front desk to bing his personal assistant. Queenie was stunned by the news at first, but she quickly recovered and eximed with glee, ¡°Really? I¡¯m going to be your assistant?!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be on probation for one month. I¡¯ll fire you if I¡¯m not satisfied with your work,¡± Nigel added coolly. He didn¡¯t want to let this get to her head. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll do my best.¡± She wasn¡¯t about to waste this opportunity. Furthermore, being his assistant meant that she would get to see Julian every so often, which was an additional bonus! ¡°Mr. Manson, could you do me a favor? I¡¯d like to have a signed photo of Julian Gilmore. I¡¯ll give you the photo, so can you get him to sign it for me?¡± she asked expectantly. Nigel side-eyed her and shot back, ¡°Why should I help you?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Since we¡¯re acquainted now, couldn¡¯t you just do me this one favor? You and Mr. Gilmore have a close rtionship, so¡­ so I¡¯m sure you can help me, right?¡± Queenie pped her hands together and pleaded. She was willing to act a little shamelessly for the sake of owning a signed photo of Julian. Julian was one of the most famous celebrities in the entertainment industry. Numerous young women from wealthy families had fallen head over heels for him, and Queenie couldn¡¯t escape from it either, though she merely admired his talent and was drawn in by his incredible acting. ¡°Not doing it,¡± Nigel declined icily. Queenie pouted at him for a moment before a mischievous glint flickered across her eyes. ¡°Mr. Manson, aren¡¯t you worried I¡¯ll expose your rtionship with Mr. Gilmore if you don¡¯t do as I wish?¡± Oh, now she¡¯s threatening me? Just what sort of drama has she been watching? With her here, there¡¯s never a day that goes by without anything happening. Just what does she think is going on with Julian and me? ¡°What are you gonna expose to the public?¡± Nigel wondered what was going on in her head. Queenie smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve finally cracked the code. Mr. Gilmore has never dated any actresses he¡¯s worked with before, and I finally know why.¡± She stared at Nigel. ¡°Because he likes you!¡± Nigel almost crashed into the car in front of them, but fortunately, he had a quick reflex and mmed down on the brake right away. Though, it still gave Queenie a scare. Why is he overreacting? Did I hit the bull¡¯s eye? Is that why he¡¯s panicking? ¡°Careful, Mr. Manson. I¡¯ll keep that a secret. Nobody¡¯s gonna know.¡± She regretted bringing that topic up when he was driving. She almost caused a car crash because of that. Right then, Nigel pulled over to the side of the road, which was empty of cars. As Queenie was wondering why the man had parked the car in this spot, she heard an icy voice coming from the driver seat. ¡°What did you just say?¡± She turned to him and noticed the fury in his eyes. If looks could kill, she figured she would be dead by now. Her skin started crawling. Was it something I said? He doesn¡¯t want anyone to find out, does he? ¡°Sorry, Mr. Manson. I didn¡¯t say anything. I don¡¯t know anything. That was just a joke, and I have seen nothing.¡± She decided to take back what she said. So, he doesn¡¯t like anyone talking about his preference. ¡°Did you just say I¡¯m in love with Julian?¡± Nigel was getting dangerously close to her. Queenie took a deep breath and answered calmly, ¡°Calm down, Mr. Manson. I¡¯m an ally here. I¡¯m not going to judge you because of your preference. In fact, I¡¯ll be supportive of your rtionship with Julian. Love is love, so who cares what the public thinks?¡± She thought that would calm him down, but it did the contrary. Nigel pressed his lips into a thin line, veins popping around his neck. He was refraining from yelling at her. How did she even get to that kind of conclusion? For some reason, Queenie thought the air was getting thinner as he inched closer. His pearly white skin tone made his cold, handsome features appear all the more menacing as she started to suspect he was a vampire. Was that not enough to calm him down? She was panicking, and her palms were sweating. I knew I shouldn¡¯t have spouted his secrets just like that. It brings nothing but trouble. ¡°I promise I won¡¯t tell anyone about it. I¡¯ll evene up with an agreement. If I tell anyone¡ª¡± She didn¡¯t get to finish that sentence. Nigel finally snapped. He held her cheeks with both of his hands, which resulted in her lips puckering up, looking like a heart-shaped jelly. He closed his eyes as if he were making up his mind before he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. Her lips were sweet and soft, not as detestable as he thought. He even shivered upon making contact with her lips as if a current of electricity had been running across his body, and by instinct, he pried her lips open and went in for a French kiss. Queenie quivered as well as if she were shocked by electricity. Instinctively, she shoved him away and shifted herself close to the window by her side, covering her mouth with her hand. ¡°W-W-What was that?¡± she stammered. I-I thought he likes Julian? Why did he kiss me? Is he a bi? Oh my god. Nigel lowered his head slightly as he brushed his finger across his lips. For the first time, he realized kissing wasn¡¯t as nd as he thought it to be. In fact, he wanted more of it from Queenie. If she hadn¡¯t pushed him away, Nigel felt he could have kissed her forever. He stared at the woman sticking close to the door in disbelief, his gaze burning with the passion that was usually not there. Queenie blushed and averted her gaze the instant she met his eyes, then fiddled with her fingers awkwardly. He poked the insides of his cheeks with his tongue and exined, ¡°Listen closely. Julian¡¯s my best friend. Say he¡¯s my boyfriend again, and I¡¯ll kiss you. I don¡¯t mind doing that.¡± She blinked her eyes in shock. ¡°A-Are you sure he¡¯s not your boyfriend?¡± Seeing the doubtful expression on her face, he couldn¡¯t stop himself from roaring, ¡°I¡¯m straight, you hear that?!¡± Queenie felt her ears buzz and almost leaped up at his sudden roar. I should speak up for Julian, or she might think he¡¯s not straight. Nigel snorted. ¡°Julian is straight too. If you try to match us up again¡­¡± He curled his fingers up and threatened to knock on her head. She quickly held her head and responded, ¡°Fine, fine. I got it already, Mr. Manson.¡± He was still a little miffed, so he flicked her arms, earning a gasp from her. ¡°That hurts.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the point.¡± His lips curled into a smirk. Queenie shot him a re. ¡°You could have just said so. That kiss was unnecessary.¡± Nigel started up the car and snorted again. ¡°You think I wanted to kiss you? I just wanted to prove my point and stop you froming up with stupid theories again.¡± She wanted to get mad at him, but she couldn¡¯t. After all, she was the one poking around with his business, so she could only ept the consequences followed by her action. In the meantime, a couple was getting out of a car. The guy was trying to cheer the girl up as he opened the door for her and pulled her out of the seat. The girl pursed her lips and got out reluctantly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Bonnie. I know I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have let my mind run wild,¡± Leslie apologized. ¡°If you think I¡¯m cheating on you, we can break up. I have a line of men who would kill to be my boyfriend,¡± Bonnie snapped. He quickly held her hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you wouldn¡¯t take my calls, and I was worried. Look, I have reserved a spot at your favorite restaurant. Let¡¯s go inside. Don¡¯t be mad already, alright?¡± She finally cheered up. The food here cost a ton, but she wasn¡¯t worried. After all, she wasn¡¯t paying for her meals; Leslie was. Not long after they went into the restaurant, Nigel showed up and parked his car. Queenie got out of the car, and Nigel stood beside her. She looked rather petite under the light. She was wearing a long green dress and had not put on any makeup, but that only served to make her look even more refreshing, unlike most women. ¡°This ce isn¡¯t cheap,¡± she muttered under her breath. She hade here once, and it cost about 14 hundred dors just to have a meal. Nigel cocked his eyebrow. ¡°Are you saying we should leave?¡± ¡°No, we should go in,¡± she quickly answered and shook her head like a kid. He¡¯s paying. Might as well take advantage of it. It¡¯s not like one little meal can bankrupt him. He was about to pat her head, but then he thought it was inappropriate, so he balled his fist and pulled his hand back. They went up to the top floor. The ce looked like a portrait with the sunset as its backdrop. ¡°We¡¯ll take the table by the window,¡± Queenie told the waitress and went to thest window seat. The waitress apologized, ¡°Sorry, miss, but this spot is reserved. They¡¯re in the bathroom right now.¡± Well, this is awkward. Queenie took the spot beside the window seat. She couldn¡¯t have a full view of the scenery, but at least the vista was still okay. ¡°I think we should get ourselves a room,¡± Nigel suggested. He didn¡¯t like having his meals in the common area. ¡°But I like themon area.¡± Queenie loved lively ces, and she didn¡¯t want to stay in a room alone with him. Guess there¡¯s nothing I can do about that. Nigel then pulled back the chair opposite her and sat down. She skimmed through the menu. Wow, the food costs a lot. She ordered a few of her favorites and handed the menu back to the waitress. On the other hand, Nigel had ordered a lot of food. The food here was great, but the portions were minuscule. But since he has ordered a ton, I can now eat all I want. After that, the waiter poured two sses of wine for them. Queenie held up the ss and took a sip as she enjoyed the sunset view. The beauty mark under her eyes stood out like a little glowing obsidian. Nigel was sipping on his wine as well, but instead of the sunset, he was enjoying the view of thedy before him. He couldn¡¯t believe the kiss just now almost made him lose control of himself. The feeling was so overwhelming that he even had a strong physical reaction. That never happened before. Even when he had a crush on Anastasia, he felt more respect than affection for her, so he had never touched her before. However, when Queenie said he wasn¡¯t straight, he just felt the need to prove that he was indeed into women, and the kiss was the best way to go. Queenie noticed someoneing out of the restroom, and she looked at them, but all it did was stoke her hatred. What a coincidence. It just has to be them that we run into out of all the people out there. Bonnie was holding Leslie¡¯s hand,ing back to their spot with her head held high like a proud peacock. Just as she was about to flip her hair with her other hand, her movement froze when her eyes met Queenie¡¯s gaze. Her eyes went wide. It was surprising to see Queenie and Nigel here, and even more surprisingly, their seat was right next to hers. Bonnie quickly pulled back her hand, which was held by Leslie, as if doing so could prevent a misunderstanding. Leslie saw them both as well, and his face fell. Did she bring him here to get her revenge on me? ¡°Queenie, fancy seeing you here.¡± Bonnie approached Queenie with a big smile. She then greeted Nigel as well, ¡°Hello, Mr. Manson. We meet again.¡± Nigel frowned at the couple. He disliked getting disturbed. ¡°We should go back to our table now.¡± Leslie tried to take Bonnie back to their table. She purposely evaded Leslie¡¯s touch stiffly but then willingly returned to her seat after a brief contemtion. After all, it was facing Nigel. She could still impress him right over her spot. ¡°Dad and Mom are worried about you, Queenie. Come home. Please don¡¯t make them worry, alright?¡± She put on a concerned act. Queenie sipped some wine and looked at her. ¡°I¡¯lle home tonight.¡± Nigel clenched his ss and narrowed his eyes. She¡¯s going home? Leslie looked upset as well. Never thought she¡¯d be capable enough to date someone like Nigel. He¡¯s uber-rich. He also noticed how Bonnie was staring at Nigel from time to time. ¡°Themon area is a bit rowdy. Why don¡¯t we get a room?¡± Leslie decided to stay away from Nigel and Queenie since he felt uneasy around them. ¡°I think being here is fine.¡± Bonnie refused to change spots. She loved to keep Nigel in her sights. However, right then, Nigel waved at the waiter, who quickly came over. ¡°What can I do for you, sir?¡± ¡°Get us a room,¡± Nigel said. ¡°Room number eight is vacant. I¡¯ll take you there.¡± The waiter got him a room right away. Being the VIP here had its perks. Queenie thought the room was a good idea, so she picked her handbag up and followed Nigel. Bonnie¡¯s smile went stiff. She bit her lip and saw them off, feeling green with envy. She¡¯s staring at him again. Leslie coughed slightly to catch her attention. ¡°Let them be, Bonnie. Let¡¯s have dinner.¡± Right on cue, a waitress came over to serve them food, but Bonnie had no appetite. Just the thought of Nigel and Queenie flirting with each other in the room soured her mood. She thought stealing Leslie from Queenie would break her heart, but instead, Queenie got herself an even better boyfriend. ¡°Here, say ¡®ahh.''¡± Leslie tried his best to cheer Bonnie up. ¡°This doesn¡¯t taste good!¡± she snapped and turned her face away. On the other hand, Queenie felt instant relief as soon as she moved to the room. Finally some peace and quiet, she thought. She was just about to get some water when Nigel asked coolly, ¡°So, you¡¯re not going to stay at my home anymore?¡± She blinked and nodded. ¡°My mom told me to go home. I don¡¯t want them to worry, so I¡¯ll be heading home tonight.¡± ¡°Great. It¡¯s not like I want you in my home anyway,¡± hemented cockily. Queenie smiled. ¡°Good for you, then. Nobody is going to steal your snacks anymore.¡± Though, it¡¯s cute that a guy has so many snacks at home. ¡°Will you still being to work, then?¡± He squinted. She has returned to her family now. Guess she doesn¡¯t need the sry already. Is she gonna quit? ¡°Of course! You made me your assistant, remember? There¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting such a great opportunity slip by.¡± The thought of quitting never crossed her mind. Work gave her life meaning, making her days not as dull as they used to be. ¡°Don¡¯t bete, then,¡± Nigel said. ¡°I won¡¯t, don¡¯t worry.¡± She bit her lip and counted something with her fingers. ¡°Your snacks cost about 41 hundred dors, the clothes you gave cost about 14 hundred, and all the food you treated me to cost about the same. So, I owe you 69 hundred dors. I¡¯ll give you the money tomorrow.¡± Queenie never liked taking advantage of people. She had spent his money for a while now, so she must pay him back, or it wouldn¡¯t sit right with her. Nigel froze up for a moment. Does she have to go that far? Is she serious about paying me back? ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± he answered generously. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that.¡± ¡°No. I do have to do that,¡± Queenie replied stubbornly. ¡°No, you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Yes, I do.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Yes, I do. And I will!¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not taking it, then.¡± Queenieughed and stared at Nigel. ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t do it, then.¡± He stretched his legs out. ¡°I have never asked any woman to pay me back.¡± She smiled and looked outside the window. The streetmps started to light up like fireflies flying through the city, and she was engrossed in the view. As she stared at the streetmps, Nigel was also staring at her profile. She was more beautiful than he thought. Queenie noticed the look he was giving her. Most women would have looked away in embarrassment, but she wasn¡¯t like any other woman. She turned her head and stared back at him boldly. She then rested her chin on her hand, not even once averting her gaze from his. No hints of fear showed in her eyes as she continued to stare at him. She blinked and pursed her lips, but never once had she shifted her gaze away from him as if the first one doing so would be the loser or something. In the end, Nigel blushed a little and coughed before looking away. ¡°You think I¡¯m pretty, don¡¯t you?¡± Queenie asked confidently. He looked at her again. She was confident and straightforward. Perhaps, it was because she grew up in a familycking nothing, so she was not an overly ambitious or scheming woman. Nigel then Queenie was slightly disappointed by thatment, but she wouldn¡¯t beat herself up over it. She joked, ¡°At least I¡¯m not ugly.¡± Nigel froze for a few moments. She cheers herself up like that? He wanted to tell her she wasn¡¯t ugly. If she debuted in the entertainment industry, she would look better than most celebrities. But then food was served, and Queenie¡¯s eyes shone. ¡°I¡¯m starving.¡± She was about to take some food, but someone opened the door, and in came a tearful Bonnie. ¡°You have to help me, Queenie.¡± Queenie stared at her estranged sister in confusion. What¡¯s going on? Leslie came in after Bonnie and quickly exined, ¡°You took it the wrong way, Bonnie. I never flirted with anyone else. That was just a joke.¡± He tried to hold Bonnie. Bonnie reacted fiercely. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Leslie looked shocked, and Queenie was surprised Bonnie found out Leslie was hitting someone else up. ¡°Listen to me, please. You¡¯re the only one I love. I promise I won¡¯t say anything stupid anymore,¡± he quickly promised. There was panic in his eyes. Bonnie snapped coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t care about your promise. Don¡¯t touch me.¡± ¡°Bonnie¡­¡± Leslie couldn¡¯t do anything about the situation. Bonnie was usually a seductive woman, but her temper was atrocious. Bonnie suddenly hid behind Queenie. ¡°Tell him off for me, Queenie. I don¡¯t want to see him anymore. I wanna break up with him. Tell him to leave me alone.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t drag me into this. Dad and Mom can handle this,¡± Queenie told her. Bonnie started tearing up again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Queenie. Can you forgive me?¡± Leslie was starting to fumble a little. This is going to be hard to handle. ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt them while they¡¯re having dinner. I¡¯ll take you home.¡± Leslie tried to take her away. But Queenie jumped like a shocked little bunny. ¡°I¡¯m not going with you. Don¡¯t touch me. Go away!¡± Wow, if I didn¡¯t know better, I would¡¯ve thought Leslie abuses her every day. Queenie frowned, and Leslie had no choice but to leave things in Queenie¡¯s hands. ¡°Take her home, Queenie. She¡¯s a little unstable now, so try to keep her calm.¡± And then he left. Queenie turned around and sneered. ¡°I thought you loved him. Did you fall out of love?¡± Bonnie held her tears back and put on a sorrowful look. ¡°Can Ie with you, Queenie? I don¡¯t want him to harass me.¡± Queenie still hadn¡¯t finished her dinner, so she sat down. ¡°After I finish my dinner.¡± ¡°Can we have one more set of cutlery here? I¡¯m still hungry,¡± she asked quietly and turned her pleading gaze to Nigel. A waitress came back in with a set of cutlery, and Bonnie started eating as elegantly as she could. She didn¡¯t even feel awkward at all. Gotta show myself off. Just a few bitester, Queenie lost all her appetite. Gah, I hate seeing her. She told Nigel, ¡°We¡¯re going home. Have fun, Nigel.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you a ride.¡± He grabbed his car key and stood up. ¡°It¡¯s alright. We¡¯ll just get a cab.¡± She didn¡¯t want to trouble him. ¡°This is not the best ce to get a cab. We gotta walk for miles,¡± Bonnie interrupted. She refused to get a cab. The reason she put on that act was so that she could ride in Nigel¡¯s car. Now that she showed him she was breaking up with Leslie, it would put no pressure on him when she eventually went to seduce him. Nigel left, and Queenie followed. Bonnie got her wish of riding in his car, and her eyes glinted with joy. He¡¯s my target now. Leslie can never be a tenth of a man Nigel is. When they came to his car, Bonnie pretended she had chest pain and asked, ¡°I don¡¯t feel well today, Queenie. Can I have the passenger seat?¡± Yeah. Not like I wanna sit with you anyway. If you have the passenger seat, I can have the backseat all to myself. ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± Queenie got in the backseat. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Nigel looked at Bonnie for a moment before turning his sight to the reflection of Queenie in the rearview mirror, and then he revved his car up. Bonnie sweetly told Nigel where her house was. He turned the GPS on and drove straight to the Silverstein Residence. A gust of wind blew in through the window that had been rolled down, causing her hair to flutter. She thought she looked really beautiful with her hair swaying in the air, and she kept giving suggestive looks to Nigel. Ah, he¡¯s so hot even when he¡¯s driving. Her heart started thumping. Queenie was leaning against the window, feeling sleepy. The neon lights that zipped past her felt almost hypnotic and almost drove her to sleep. Nigel put on some music, then put his hand back on the steering wheel. Bonnie stared at his hand, imagining how it would feel if those hands were grabbing her body. She heated up. Eventually, they arrived at the residence, and he parked right outside the gates. Bonnie was disappointed that their time together onlysted for a short while. She got out of the car, and Nigel waited for Queenie to get out as well. Hey, why is she taking so long? He turned around and saw her sleeping against the door. Damn. She can fall asleep anywhere. He got out of the car and opened the backseat door, but someone slid down, and he quickly held her before she could fall. Queenie gasped and wrapped her arms around his neck, practically giving him a tight hug. When Bonnie came around the car, she saw Nigel holding Queenie in his arms with one hand on her hips and the other on her lower back. Queenie was wrapping her arms around his neck, and their faces were only an inch away. It looked suggestive, and Bonnie¡¯s eyes went wide with rage. She pretended to sleep and fall out of the car, didn¡¯t she? ¡°Can you put me down?¡± Queenie was red. It was the first time someone was holding her with all his might, and it felt great to be held in his arms. So safe. He let her go, and shended only to wobble and fall into his chest, bumping her head against him and bouncing back. Oh, she¡¯s gonna hit the door. Nigel held the back of her head and pulled her to safety before he closed the door. Queenie was embarrassed, but she said, ¡°Drive safely.¡± He got back into his car and turned it around before disappearing into the night. Before Queenie could snap out of it, someone mocked, ¡°Well, someone is an expert in the art of seduction.¡± Queenie looked up and was met with a jealous gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t do seduction like you,¡± Queenie answered and went into the residence. But then Bonnie suddenly said, ¡°I like men like Nigel too.¡± Queenie froze and turned around. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Nothing. You¡¯re not the only one who¡¯s allowed to have a crush on him,¡± Bonnie answered innocently. But Queenie was infuriated. She hissed, ¡°Don¡¯t even try to pull any of your tricks on him. Stay away from Nigel.¡± Bonnie stared at her face and answered without any shame, ¡°Oh, but I refuse.¡± The look in Queenie¡¯s eyes could kill. ¡°Then, you¡¯ll pay for that.¡± Bonnie froze for a few moments, but she thought things were getting interesting. If I get my hands on Nigel, she¡¯s gonna cry, isn¡¯t she? I¡¯m looking forward to that. The first thing Queenie saw when she came into the house was her father sitting on the couch. He wasn¡¯t even watching the news like he usually did. Instead, he was sipping some tea, looking like he was waiting for her. She felt a little guilty for having left now that she saw how much her father cared about her. ¡°I¡¯m back, Dad,¡± Queenie said. Brandon sighed. She¡¯s fine. I shouldn¡¯t have been so harsh to her. I even raised a hand against her. She¡¯s my beloved daughter whom I never want to hurt. ¡°I see. I heard you found a job. You can quit if you want.¡± Brandon loved her. Queenie never had a job before, nor did she even have any job training. He didn¡¯t want her to just stand there and take the workce¡¯s beatings. ¡°I want this job. Working is fun,¡± she answered seriously. ¡°Even when you¡¯re just an usherette? Can you even stand for hours on end?¡± She¡¯s so frail. I don¡¯t want her to do this job. ¡°I was an usherette, but I¡¯ll have an office from tomorrow onward. I¡¯m the president¡¯s assistant now.¡± Her eyes glinted with anticipation. Should be interesting working as Nigel¡¯s assistant. ¡°Who are you working for?¡± Brandon frowned. I thought she quit her job, but now she¡¯s someone¡¯s assistant? Probably some small-timepany.I shouldn¡¯t have yelled at her. She must feel really hurt if she went so far to support herself. ¡°I¡¯m Manson Group¡¯s president¡¯s assistant. You know who he is, right?¡± Brandon looked shocked. ¡°You¡¯re working for Nigel Manson?¡± Bonnie came just in time to hear that, and envy filled her eyes. She became Nigel¡¯s assistant in two days? How did she do that? Bonnie sneered. But we have the same face. He¡¯ll fall for me sooner orter. He¡¯ll see that I¡¯m more feminine than she¡¯ll ever be. Any man would pick me over her. I am better in bed than she is, and I know how to please men. It¡¯s a good thing she¡¯s involved with him now because it¡¯ll be easier for me to make him mine. ¡°I¡¯m back, Dad.¡± Bonnie came in holding her handbag and stared at Brandon like a kid who did something wrong. ¡°It¡¯s my fault you did all that to Queenie.¡± She brought up the p. Queenie was about to let it slide while Brandon didn¡¯t want to bring it up, but he did feel a pang of guilt. Now that Bonnie brought it up, they had to talk about it again. ¡°You should have shut up if you know it¡¯s your fault.¡± Queenie shot her a nasty re. ¡°If you¡¯re still mad at me, then I¡¯m sorry.¡± Bonnie always acted like she was the victim whenever Brandon was around. ¡°It¡¯s in the past now. Go back to your room, Queenie,¡± Brandon said. ¡°Where¡¯s Mom?¡± ¡°Shopping with Lisbeth. She should be back soon,¡± Brandon answered. At this moment, they heard the humming of a car engine in the yard and subsequently, two women chatting happily. A short whileter, in came Maggie, and the servant behind her was holding a few big bags. Apparently, thedies shopped a lot. Bonnie quickly went and held Maggie¡¯s arm. ¡°Mom!¡± When Maggie came into the house, Queenie said, ¡°Mom.¡± Maggie was delighted. Her daughters were both gorgeous. Getting pregnant with them was hard work, but it was worth it. And ever since Bonnie came back, her days were filled withughter. Even some of her ailments like migraines, depression, and insomnia, were gone. She used to cry just from looking at Bonnie¡¯s stuff and had to take medications for it, but now she was okay. She bought two different handbags for her daughter and asked them to choose what they wanted. Bonnie looked at Queenie, waiting for her to make a choice. Queenie picked one and said, ¡°I want this one, Mom.¡± ¡°Oh, that one looks nice. It¡¯s my lucky color today. I love it,¡± Bonnie said on purpose. Ugh, she just has to take whatever I have. Queenie raised the bag. ¡°Fine, you can have it.¡± She picked up the other bag and was about to leave, but Bonnie handed the first bag back to her. ¡°I just said I liked it, didn¡¯t say I wanted it. I wouldn¡¯t take anything from you.¡± Disgusting fake b*tch. She snapped, ¡°What do you want, then? Pick one and stop pestering me.¡± Bonnie bit her lip and teared up. She looked to her parents for help, and Maggie came over. ¡°What would you like, Bonnie?¡± she asked gently. ¡°I¡¯m fine with anything you bought me.¡± Bonnie pursed her lips. ¡°Fine. You can have both of them. Happy now?¡± Queenie picked her bag up and went upstairs. Bonnie pouted. ¡°Was it something I said? I made her angry again. I didn¡¯t mean to.¡± ¡°Queenie is a feisty girl. It¡¯s not your fault. Here, you like this one, don¡¯t you?¡± Maggie gave Bonnie the bag she wanted. Brandon sighed. ¡°Stop making her mad, Bonnie. You¡¯re her sister. Get along.¡± ¡°Got it, Dad.¡± She blinked nicely. ¡°I¡¯ll take this to Queenie.¡± She picked the other bag up and went upstairs. Queenie had just entered her room and was about to sit down, but someone knocked on the door. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you,¡± answered Queenie. Bonnie opened the door anyway. She closed it behind her and came over to hand Queenie a bag. ¡°Here¡¯s yours.¡± Queenie was really happy her mother bought her a gift, but her mood soured all because of Bonnie. ¡°You like them both, don¡¯t you? Take them and leave me alone.¡± Queenie turned away. Bonnie smirked and remarked sarcastically, ¡°I love everything you have. I do want to take them, but that depends on my whims.¡± She was not just talking about the bags. She was talking about everything in the house, including the men Queenie liked. ¡°I try to be a nice sister, but you¡¯re making this hard. I don¡¯t understand how you can be so evil.¡± Queenie was bbergasted. We¡¯re sisters by blood. Even if we grew up differently, we should share the same kindness. But ever since Bonnie came back, she had been nothing but fake and vicious. Queenie tried to hold it in, but Bonnie kept toeing the line. She could even make herself look like a victim over one little handbag. Yet, she was now being intentionally obnoxious. She takes my stuff on a whim? That¡¯s not something a girl should say to her sister. ¡°I grew up in the dregs of the world, sister. You have no idea how it is to live like maggots. Dad and Mom gave you everything you wanted. Piano sses, dance sses, vacations all over the world. Every single thing you use, I could only dream of. No matter how much I tried, my adoptive parents wouldn¡¯t give me what I wanted.¡± Her eyes were dripping with venom. Queenie should have felt pity for Bonnie and shower her with some sisterly love, but she couldn¡¯t. ¡°Fine, just tell Dad and Mom whatever you want, but stop being fake. Be kind.¡± She opened the door and told Bonnie to leave. ¡°I need to sleep.¡± Bonnie pursed her lips and smirked. ¡°But I have no idea how to be kind. Do you wanna give me lessons on that?¡± Queenie¡¯s patience ran out, and she pointed at the door. ¡°Piss off.¡± The moment Bonnie left the room, she turned around and shouted, ¡°Queenie, I came all the way to give you the bag, and this is how you treat me? What did I ever do to you?¡± Maggie was on the porch, and she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Bonnie?¡± ¡°Queenie told me to piss off,¡± Bonnie said sadly. ¡°Queenie, you just got home. Can¡¯t you be nice to your sister?¡± Maggie admonished softly. Queenie stared at the smug Bonnie. I can¡¯t believe Mom would take her side without even asking. ¡°Fine, Mom,¡± Queenie answered. Not like she could say anything else. After she closed the door, she teared up. How did our family end up like this? I don¡¯t want to let Dad and Mom down, but this is hard. Shortly after, Maggie came to discuss something with Queenie. ¡°Your father talked to the Paynes. We will cancel your marriage with Leslie this Saturday. But first we¡¯re gonna have dinner and tell our friends. And then your engagement will be canceled.¡± ¡°You can also hold Leslie and Bonnie¡¯s engagement party at the same time. They have my blessing.¡± ¡°Really? You¡¯re blessing them?¡± Maggie was really d her daughter could be so generous. It delighted her. ¡°Yeah. Since he loves her so much, I think I should let them be together. And nobody else is better suited for a guy like Leslie than Bonnie. Get them hitched,¡± she said seriously. ¡°That¡¯s what your father and I think as well. He loves her, and we¡¯re good friends with the Paynes. It¡¯s our wish that Leslie and Bonnie can get married.¡± Maggie was happy. Right after Maggie was gone, Queenie smirked. I¡¯m going to match them up no matter what. One¡¯s a b*tch, while the other¡¯s a f*ckboy. If Bonnie has Leslie on her te, she won¡¯t have time to harass Nigel. She had a good night¡¯s sleep. Morning came, and she changed into professional attire for work. Queenie even put on some makeup and managed to make herself look like a princess. She had a more natural lookpared to Bonnie. It felt like her face was a perfect opal. It was glimmering andfortable to look at, while Bonnie¡¯s looks had a hint of aggression to them. She took her car key and went to the underground garage. The ce used to only have a white Ferrari, but now it also had a red one which belonged to Bonnie. Chapter 1221-1230 Chapter 1221-1230 Queenie drove her own car and zipped past the traffic. She was feeling different that day. In just two days, her life changed, and it was all because she ran into Nigel. When she stepped into the hotel lobby, all the receptionists almost gawked. They couldn¡¯t believe this gorgeous and elegantdy was the Queenie they knew. She had brand-name goods all over her, and the Chanel bag on her arms was thetest model of the season. Even her heels were thetest model of some big-name brand, but they didn¡¯t look showy on Queenie. She was just so gorgeous, they couldn¡¯t even feel jealous about what she was wearing. ¡°Morning, Yelena,¡± Queenie said. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°We almost couldn¡¯t recognize you, Queenie.¡± Just then, Queenie¡¯s phone rang, and her heart started thumping when she saw who called. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Where are you?¡± Nigel demanded. ¡°I¡¯m in the lobby. Coming right over.¡± ¡°Thirty-eighth floor.¡± ¡°Right away.¡± Queenie said bye to the receptionists and went into the elevator. ¡°I Googled her. Guess what I found?¡± a receptionist asked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°She¡¯s Brandon Silverstein¡¯s daughter. Her father¡¯s a billionaire.¡± Oh, no wonder she¡¯s Nigel¡¯s rtive. So she¡¯s from a rich family as well. Queenie went all the way up to the thirty-eighth floor. The whole story was made up of offices, and Nigel¡¯s office was in the innermost part of the story. It was spacious and modern. Nigel was wearing a ck shirt and ck pants. Unlike his usual self, he looked like a dark knight, and he was staring at her. She looks like a properdy today. It suits her status. ¡°Happy to be of service, Nigel.¡± She approached him with a smile and bowed. He observed her and was more than happy with her attire, and then he led her to her office. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to your workce.¡± Queenie followed him out and entered an office with a big french window inside. There was a spot for her, and the desk next to her belonged to the other assistant. ¡°This is Cecily. Try to get along,¡± Nigel introduced. Queenie quickly smiled at her. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°This is Queenie, my new assistant. Get along with her,¡± Nigel told Cecily. There was a warm smile in Cecily¡¯s eyes. ¡°Of course, sir.¡± Cecily had been working as Nigel¡¯s personal assistant for two years. She was a caring woman, and at twenty-eight years of age, she was capable and mature enough to handle things. Nigel looked at the time. ¡°Time for a meeting. Youdies get to know each other.¡± The moment he left, Cecily¡¯s smile turned into a slight scowl, and she turned to look at Queenie. ¡°Queenie, is it? You¡¯ll be handling the files. I¡¯ll deal with Mr. Manson¡¯s personal life.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Queenie blinked. Oh, she prepared the clothes for me back in Nigel¡¯s house. I should thank her. Cecily adjusted her sses and said solemnly, ¡°There is one rule you must remember: don¡¯t get any ideas about the boss. We¡¯re not allowed to date him. That¡¯s the rule.¡± Queenie blinked again. ¡°I understand.¡± Cecily gave her another look. ¡°Next time, juste in regr attire. You look too much like a princess in this one. How are you supposed to work if you stand out so much?¡± Queenie nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± ¡°If the boss¡¯ girlfriend sees you in this attire, she might fire you just because she doesn¡¯t like it,¡± Cecily added. That made Queenie curious. ¡°Mr. Manson has a girlfriend?¡± ¡°Why do you want to know? Do you think you have a chance?¡± For some reason, Cecily didn¡¯t like Queenie from the first moment she saw her. Maybe it was because of her looks, or maybe because she was wearing brand-name goods all over. Cecily just didn¡¯t like her. Queenie quickly waved her hands. ¡°No, of course not.¡± ¡°Only uber-richdies are worthy of the boss¡¯ love. We¡¯re just the little guys, so give up. His girlfriend was still sleeping in when I sent a set of female clothes to his house, or I would have seen what she looked like if she was awake.¡± Queenie¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Wait. When did you go to his house again?¡± ¡°Yesterday morning.¡± Cecily rested her chin on her hand. Three days ago, Nigel told her to send a set of clothes over to his house. She thought there must be ady in Nigel¡¯s house for him to make that request, so she picked some clothes and lingerie from the hotel store and sent them over to his ce. Queenie held her forehead. Oh god, that was me. Cecily thinks I¡¯m Nigel¡¯s girlfriend. ¡°You probably took it the wrong way. She probably isn¡¯t Mr. Manson¡¯s girlfriend.¡± I need to exin myself. ¡°She spent two nights at the boss¡¯ ce. Of course she¡¯s his girlfriend. I¡¯ve worked as his assistant for two years, and that was the first time a girl was staying over,¡± Cecily answered adamantly. Queenie was amused, but she knew arguing was useless, so she smiled. ¡°Anything for me to do?¡± she asked. Cecily ced a stack of files on her table. ¡°Turn the PC on and log into the hotel system. I¡¯ll teach you how to handle these.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± She was happy she had something to do. Cecily had a lot more time on her hands now with Queenie around. She suddenly felt like having coffee. ¡°You free? Get some coffee for us.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Queenie was enthusiastic about her first job, and she wasn¡¯t averse to doing more work, so she agreed swiftly. ¡°You need to finish these today. It¡¯s almost the cutoff for the monthly payroll. We can¡¯t dy any longer.¡± Queenie was a little surprised. I¡¯ve been working for twenty minutes and I only got through two pages. There¡¯s a stack here. Can I even finish these on time? I think I might have to do overtime. Queenie went and bought some coffee. And she paid it out of her own pocket. Nigel had lunch with the top brass after the meeting and went for golf in the afternoon. Work hours were already over when he came back to the hotel. Cecily clocked out on time, leaving Queenie working alone. Queenie was typing really slowly from theck of experience inputer work. What was more, she wasn¡¯t too good with numbers, so she had to double or triple check. Work was going at a snail¡¯s pace for her. Nigel emerged from the elevator. He was just here to get some files, but when he went by the office, he noticed the lights were still on, and there were sounds of someone typing on the keyboard. Nigel took a look and saw someone sitting in front of theputer and typing as slow as a sloth. Queenie? ¡°Why are you still here?¡± he asked. Queenie almost had a heart attack. Everyone on this floor should have left. She was the only one working overtime, and him suddenly calling out to her almost scared the living daylights out of her. But she heaved a sigh of relief when she saw who it was. Her eyes felt dry, so she rubbed them. She then picked the files up and waved them in the air. ¡°Doing overtime.¡± He approached her and took a seat beside her. ¡°Do you really work so slow?¡± ¡°This is my first job. I have no experience at all.¡± Queenie typed a few strings of numbers and huddled closer to the screen so she could confirm it was the right number. Nigel stared at her in awe. Any boss would feel annoyed seeing her work so slowly. She spent a whole day just transferring these files¡¯ info into the system? Queenie turned around. ¡°So why did youe back?¡± ¡°Pack your stuff and clock out. Leave these for Cecily. You¡¯reing with me for all the appointments I have to handle.¡± And then he asked, ¡°Did you have dinner already?¡± ¡°No. Oh, I owe you a few dinners, so this one¡¯s on me.¡± She smiled and stood up, but then her calves cramped up from her sitting too long. ¡°God, my legs are cramped.¡± She held the edges of the table and sat back down, massaging her calves. Man, she¡¯s a princess. She¡¯s not suited for work. She¡¯d be better off as a wife¡­ Holy sh*t. Did I just consider marrying her? Nigel froze up for a moment. ¡°Help me up, Mr. Manson,¡± Queenie pleaded. He extended his hand, and she held it like a crutch as she stood up. Queenie took a few steps, but her legs were still numb. ¡°Don¡¯te to work tomorrow,¡± Nigel blurted. Queenie stared at him. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not a good assistant. You¡¯re fired,¡± he said coldly. Is he looking down on me? She bit her lip. ¡°Fine, I quit. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m fast enough for the job. I don¡¯t wanna waste your money,¡± she agreed right away. Queenie waited for him at the office¡¯s doorstep, and he came out holding a document. The moment he saw her, a smile curled his lips. She was beautiful, curvy, and sweet to the eyes. The light that shone on her almost made her look like an angel, and there was not an ounce of darkness in her eyes. Purity was all that existed. Beauties were a dime a dozen in this society, but Queenie felt different from thosedies. Nigel narrowed his eyes calmly, but there was a hint of admiration in them. When he went by Queenie, he said coolly, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± She followed him to the car park, and he asked, ¡°Did you drive to work?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Get in my car,¡± he demanded. Queenie didn¡¯t object and went into the passenger seat, thereafter Nigel drove them to a restaurant he picked. Queenie was starving. She had cafeteria food that afternoon, but it wasn¡¯t filling. Work exhausted her as well, so she wolfed down the food they ordered. Nigel smiled. Every woman would put on the act of elegance when they were in his presence, but only she would show him her real self. She doesn¡¯t want me to take her food, huh? At this moment, her phone rang. She picked it up and snapped, ¡°What the hell do you want?¡± ¡°Bonnie and I love each other. Don¡¯t give me any trouble this Friday,¡± Leslie warned coldly. Queenie put her cutlery down and sneered, ¡°Listen here, Leslie. Bonnie is my sister. You slept with her, so you¡¯d better not dump her.¡± Leslie asked hoarsely, ¡°You¡¯re giving your blessing? To us?¡± ¡°I¡¯m more than happy to bless you two. Not like I ever liked you anyway, and I¡¯m not gonna haunt you like some sort of creepy stalker,¡± she snapped. Leslie asked curiously, ¡°Have you hooked up with Nigel?¡± ¡°None of your business.¡± ¡°Guess I thought too highly of you. Bonnie told me you spent a few nights in his house, and I thought you didn¡¯t do anything with him. I thought wrong. You¡¯re also a gold digger.¡± He leered and hung up. Queenie¡¯s face turned red with anger, and she wanted to curse, but Leslie had already hung up. She was about to curse him through a text, but Nigel asked curiously, ¡°Calling off a marriage?¡± Queenie put her phone down and nodded. ¡°Yeah. This Friday.¡± It¡¯s still embarrassing. How should I make myself look better? An idea popped into her mind, and she stared at Nigel. Stupidly, she asked, ¡°Do you have time this Friday, Nigel?¡± ¡°Why do you ask?¡± He cocked his eyebrow. She answered sheepishly, ¡°Can youe with me to the calling off of my engagement as my fake boyfriend? I wanna look better in front of them.¡± Nigel had no interest in that kind of appointment. He refused, ¡°I don¡¯t have time, and I¡¯m not interested.¡± ¡°But you can get something from this. I can treat you to ten meals.¡± She tried to bribe him. ¡°You¡¯ll do anything as long as I help you out?¡± He narrowed his eyes. She blinked. ¡°As long as it¡¯s reasonable and within my abilities.¡± She added, ¡°Not gonna sleep with you, though.¡± ¡°Fine, but you owe me. And you can¡¯t say no when I wanna cash in.¡± One meal for a favor from her. This is a good deal. Her eyes lit up. She wasn¡¯t looking forward to Friday, but now she was. Not gonna let those b*tches take all the spotlight during Friday¡¯s dinner. I¡¯ll show up with Nigel and tell everyone that I dumped him and not the other way around. If I wanna do that, I¡¯ll have to get someone as rich and powerful as Nigel. When Queenie was about to pay the bill, the waiter told her it had been paid for. She looked at Nigel. When did he do that? Great. Now I owe him one more meal. She was stillining about what Nigel did when they came out, but he drove her straight back to thepany so she could drive her car back home. Queenie walked toward her million-dor Ferrari. He didn¡¯t leave right away. Instead, he watched as she revved her car up and drove away from the car park. She rolled her window down and waved at him before heading onto the streets. He followed her closely like a dark knight protecting his princess. His car was just a few yards away from her. She knew he was right behind, and it made her heart race. For some reason, she felt safe. When they finally went down different roads, she felt a little down. It was amusing that she was fired on the first day of work, but she was also happy that he would be helping her out on Friday. Feels like we¡¯re friends. She came back home and bade her parents good night before heading to her room. When she passed by Bonnie¡¯s room, she overheard her talking. Bonnie didn¡¯t lock the door, apparently. She heard Bonnie say, ¡°I¡¯m not going to get engaged to you. Yes, you¡¯re calling off the marriage with Queenie, but I¡¯m not going to get engaged to you.¡± Looks like it¡¯s Leslie. So she¡¯s dumping him? The first thing Queenie did when she woke up the next day was look at the time. Eight-fifty? She froze for a few moments. Oh no, I¡¯m gonna bete! She quickly got out of bed but remembered that she was fired a few secondster. Oh, no work today. Queenie pulled her hair back andy back down. She wanted to sleep, but sleep wouldn¡¯te to her. In the end, she got out of bed and washed herself up, and then she changed into casual wear before going downstairs. She was just about to go down when she heard Bonnie say, ¡°Aw, please, Dad. Take me with you. I wanna learn how to manage apany. Please, teach me.¡± ¡°Sure. Come with me, but you might get exhausted,¡± Brandon said lovingly. ¡°Yay! I won¡¯t get exhausted. I¡¯ll learn as much as I can so I can take over in the future,¡± she said confidently. ¡°You¡¯re all pumped up, Miss Bonnie,¡± a servant praised. ¡°Well, I am my father¡¯s daughter,¡± Bonnie answered sweetly. Queenie saw the two of them off before she went into the dining room, and a servant served her breakfast. This servant practically raised her, and she said gently, ¡°You should go to thepany and learn some management skills from the master as well, Miss Queenie. But after breakfast.¡± Even the servant could see Bonnie was trying to show herself off in preparation for the inheritance. Aside from the masters of the house who seemed to be oblivious about everything, the servants could see what was going on. From the moment Bonnie came home, she had been trying to take everything for herself. It was obvious she wanted to own everything. Queenie took a sip of the chicken soup and smiled. ¡°Your chicken soup is getting better now, Mrs. Lowman.¡± Courtney smiled. ¡°But you¡¯ve been having the same soup for ages. You must be tired of it.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I won¡¯t ever get tired of your soup.¡± Queenie beamed. ¡°Miss Bonnie said it¡¯s tasteless.¡± Ever since Bonnie came back, Courtney¡¯s job got harder. She just keptining about everything, and Courtney just about had it. ¡°I think it¡¯s fine,¡± Queenie assured her. It¡¯s Thursday today. The dinner¡¯s tomorrow, and I¡¯m looking forward to it. Queenie was sorting her items out in the afternoon. When she opened her jewelry box and noticed that her earrings were gone, she felt anger welling up in her. Bonnie! She did this! Bonnie came home at three, and she was holding a few shopping bags. Instead of learning how to manage apany, she was there to get some money out of Brandon so she could shop. The dinner was around the corner, and she had to get a few dresses for the asion. Even though she didn¡¯t want to get engaged to Leslie, she still had to look better than Queenie. Queenie stopped her right away. ¡°You took my earrings away, didn¡¯t you? Give them back to me.¡± Bonnie crossed her arms and sneered. ¡°And what proof do you have?¡± ¡°Nobody else would enter my room.¡± ¡°The servants will. When they need to clean it.¡± Bonnie dragged the servants into this on purpose. The servants tensed up and defended themselves, ¡°We would never take Miss Queenie¡¯s things, Miss Bonnie.¡± ¡°And I trust that they won¡¯t. I can¡¯t say the same about you, so hand. Them. Over,¡± Queenie demanded. Bonnie¡¯s gaze dripped with venom. ¡°You¡¯ve had everything you wanted since you were a kid. All I took were some earrings, and you¡¯re lecturing me about it? I needed to pair them up with my dresses, and I didn¡¯t want to go out of my way to buy new earrings. I¡¯m your sister, so can¡¯t you just let me have this one?¡± Queenie was tired of hearing the same rhetoric. She would relent in the past, but not now. Not when she knew about Bonnie¡¯s true colors. If she kept relenting and giving in, Bonnie would just keep pushing her over the edge. ¡°I¡¯vepromised and allowed you to have whatever you want for long enough. From now onward, I¡¯m not giving in to you any longer. What¡¯s yours is yours and what¡¯s mine is mine. Don¡¯t even think about touching anything of mine, let alone taking it away from me.¡± Queenie stared at Bonnie with a pair of steely eyes. Bonnie bit her lip and sneered, ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a few pairs of lousy earrings? What makes you think I want them anyway?¡± She stormed up the stairs. Queenie followed her to the third floor and heard Bonnie flinging the door open before heading to her jewelry case. She took out four pairs of earrings and threw them onto the couch. ¡°Here! You can have them back.¡± Furious, Queenie held her hand out. ¡°Pick them up and hand them to me.¡± Bonnie froze for a second before snorting. ¡°As if I¡¯d do that. The earrings are right there. You can take them yourself!¡± Queenie¡¯s eyes shed coldly. ¡°Since you keep saying that I¡¯m your older sister, I shall do my job as your older sister and teach you some manners. From now on, this house isn¡¯t the ce where you can y your silly mind games and act like a spoiled princess.¡± However, Bonnie seemed insistent on going against Queenie. ¡°You? Teach me manners? What a joke. What makes you think you¡ª¡± Queenie grabbed Bonnie by the wrist and shoved her to the ground. As someone who took Taekwondo lessons before, it was easy enough for her to pin Bonnie to the floor by resting her knee against Bonnie¡¯s neck. She pressed Bonnie¡¯s arms against the floor and warned icily, ¡°Bonnie Silverstein, you better not mess with me, or else, I don¡¯t mind running you out of the house and forcing you to go back to your adoptive parents¡¯ house.¡± ¡°Why, you¡­ Queenie Silverstein, I¡¯m telling Mom and Dad about this! I¡¯m going to tell them that you don¡¯t want me around and that you hate me because I came back!¡± Bonnie shrieked in pain as she tried to push Queenie off. However, Queenie didn¡¯t budge as she held Bonnie down with her knee still. ¡°If you want others to like you and don¡¯t want others to hate you, then you should first learn how to behave like a decent human being!¡± The force that Queenie exerted nearly choked Bonnie. Her face and neck turned red as she screamed, ¡°I can¡¯t breathe! Let go of me!¡± Just then, Courtney came upstairs to bring the girls some fruits, and she jumped in fright when she saw the two of them fighting. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be doing this, Miss Queenie!¡± Courtney eximed anxiously. ¡°Stay out of this, Mrs. Lowman. Some people deserve to be taught a lesson,¡± Queenie said to Courtney. Courtney hurried back downstairs. Meanwhile, Bonnie was in so much agony that her face had gone pale. ¡°I¡¯m going to die, Queenie.¡± Queenie let go atst, and Bonnie gasped for air as the mes of resentment in her eyes burned brighter. ¡°Queenie, I¡¯ll remember this. From now on, only one of us will get to stay in this house. Just wait and see. Let¡¯s see who¡¯ll be the first to leave this family.¡± In all honesty, Queenie was mourning the fact that she was hearing this from Bonnie. She longed to have a loving rtionship with her sister and she didn¡¯t want a sister who went against her at every turn. How she wished that the family could just live in harmony. However, everything that Bonnie had done so far made Queenie too furious. All Bonnie did was either comin about her to their parents or nder her and pretend to be pitiful to gain their sympathy. Bonnie used every means possible to torment Queenie. That night, Bonnie cried her eyes dry and comined to Brandon and Maggie about how Queenie bullied her in the afternoon. ¡°Dad, you had no idea how frightened I was when she pressed down on my neck with her knee. I nearly suffocated!¡± ¡°Do you have proof? Did anyone see this?¡± Queenie calmly ate her food. ¡°Please prepare some evidence before making wild usations about me.¡± Bonnie froze in shock. It was her first time seeing Queenie stooping to trickery. She pointed at someone and said, ¡°She saw it! She can be my witness.¡± Courtney had just brought the fruit sd to the table. She stiffened as Bonniemanded her toe over. ¡°Come here! You¡¯re my witness. You saw Queenie kneeling on my neck this afternoon, right?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything like that, Miss Bonnie.¡± Courtney shook her head. Bonnie¡¯s face contorted in fury as she glowered at Courtney. The look in her eyes said, I see. I won¡¯t be forgetting this. However, Queenie didn¡¯t want to drag Courtney into this, so she turned to her parents and said, ¡°Mom, Dad, I did say a few words to Bonnie this afternoon. She took my earrings so I wanted to tell her that taking someone else¡¯s belongings without asking is the same as stealing. I¡¯m just trying to help her be a decent human being.¡± Brandon nodded in agreement once he heard that and turned to Bonnie. ¡°Bonnie, Queenie did the right thing this time. In the future, you should ask your sister first before you take any of her belongings.¡± Bonnie turned red. She could tell that Queenie had the upper hand this time, so her only choice was to pout and mutter aggrievedly, ¡°Yes, Dad.¡± Maggie tried to console her. ¡°Didn¡¯t I give you a credit card? You can just buy whatever you need.¡± Bonnie bit her lip. ¡°I just didn¡¯t want to spend money unnecessarily, Mom.¡± ¡°But just this afternoon, you came home with two bags of clothes. I¡¯m guessing that they cost at least 10 thousand!¡± Queenie exposed her lie without missing a beat. Bonnie red at her darkly. ¡°Queenie, Dad approved my purchases.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s just have dinner,¡± Brandon said. Bonnie nced at Courtney before secretly tugging a strand of hair off and surreptitiously adding it to the soup beside her. ¡°Oh my goodness! What¡¯s this? Is it a strand of hair?¡± A few momentster, just as Bonnie started drinking her soup, she purposely spooned the hair out of her bowl and eximed, ¡°Mom, Dad, I feel so disgusted! I nearly ate a strand of hair!¡± Queenie nced over and Bonnie immediately wrapped the hair up in a piece of tissue before tossing it onto the table. ¡°I¡¯m not drinking this soup anymore. Mom, Dad, you guys shouldn¡¯t drink it either. It¡¯s revolting!¡± Courtney grew frantic as she quickly defended herself. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Silverstein, I always wear a hat whenever I prepare the food.¡± ¡°Are you trying to imply that it was my hair?¡± Bonnie raged. Queenie took one look at Bonnie¡¯s chestnut-colored hair before studying the strand of hair that was thrown onto the table. She got up and came over to pick up the tissue with the hair. She didn¡¯t mind getting her hands dirty as she gave the strand of hair a closer look. ¡°This is your own hair. Don¡¯t try to make up false usations about Mrs. Lowman.¡± Bonnie turned scarlet once more. She didn¡¯t think that Queenie woulde over and continue to expose her. ¡°You¡¯re just harboring resentment that Mrs. Lowman didn¡¯t act as your witness just now. You wanted to use your own hair to set her up. You shouldn¡¯t have such a malevolent streak, Bonnie.¡± Courtney gave Queenie a look of gratitude. Although she knew that Bonnie was setting her up on purpose, she was just a member of the household staff and couldn¡¯t defend herself. Maggie and Brandon exchanged looks before sighing to themselves. They thought that Bonnie was just a little spoiled, but from the looks of it now, she was beginning to show an unscrupulous side to her as well. ¡°I¡¯m full,¡± Bonnie announced. She set down her cutlery and walked off, not forgetting to act as if she werepletely broken-hearted. That night, Maggie went to Bonnie¡¯s room tofort her. Bonnie threw herself into Maggie¡¯s arms and moaned about being hated by everyone. She also talked about how much she suffered while growing up with adopted parents. Maggie¡¯s heart softened after all that. Even though Bonnie had made a mistake tonight, Maggie didn¡¯t think much of it anymore. It was Friday morning. Leslie came to the house with a bouquet of red roses, but Bonnie hid in her room and refused to see him. It was Brandon who weed him into the house as the Silversteins and the Paynes had a good rtionship with each other. ¡°Mr. Silverstein, my father and I discussed everythingst night. I will break off the engagement with Queenie and get engaged to Bonnie right after,¡± Leslie announced expectantly. ¡°Good. That¡¯s what we want as well.¡± Brandon nodded. He was beginning to realize that he and his wife couldn¡¯t control how Bonnie behaved, so he wanted to help her get a good marriage as soon as possible. Leslie couldn¡¯t stop himself from heading upstairs to see Bonnie. He missed her too much. The door to Bonnie¡¯s room remained shut even though Leslie kept knocking for ages. It was Queenie who was disturbed by the incessant noise. She opened her door and looked at Leslie who was standing in front of the opposite room. ¡°She doesn¡¯t want to see you, so don¡¯t bother knocking anymore.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on with Bonnie?¡± Leslie was at a loss. It was as if Bonnie had suddenly changed into a whole new person overnight. She didn¡¯t care about him anymore and didn¡¯t even want to see him. Queenie was probably the only one who knew the reason why. Bonnie¡¯s favorite pastime was to steal anything that Queenie wanted. If Queenie didn¡¯t want it anymore, then Bonnie lost interest in it too. It was the same each time, regardless of whether it was an item or a man. Right now, Bonnie was fantasizing about seducing Nigel! Just then, Bonnie opened her door. She stood at the door all dolled up, and when she spotted Leslie, she felt a little turned off. ¡°I told you not toe to my house ever again, so why did you stille?¡± ¡±Bonnie, check this out! Yesterday, you posted on your social media ount saying you had your eye on this ne, and I immediately asked my friend to procure it for you.¡± Leslie presented the gift and showed it to her. Bonnie¡¯s eyes lit up with evident delight, but she couldn¡¯t ept the ne without feeling awkward with Queenie around. So, she scoffed haughtily instead, ¡±Did I ask you to buy it, smarty-pants?¡± Queenie, standing at the side, watched their interactions in amusement. Indeed, Leslie deserved such treatment from Bonnie and should stew in his own juice. Thus, with that thought in mind, she returned to her room,y on her bed, took her phone, and sent a message to Nigel. ¡®Young Master Nigel, I want to rify whether you would be free tonight.¡¯ ¡®Yes, I have the time!¡¯ ¡®So, you will attend my wedding cancetion party, right?¡¯ ¡®Of course!¡¯ As she read his short yet straightforward reply, Queenie figured that Nigel was a friend indeed because he always lent a hand whenever she needed help. Therefore, as she considered how he was always there for her, thick and thin, shepletely regarded Nigel as her bosom buddy. She would treat him as a close friend as long as he didn¡¯t despise her low social status. Meanwhile, in Manson Group¡¯s main office, Nigel looked at the text on his phone, and a trace of curiosity gleamed in his sharp eyes. He would like to see how Queenie would introduce him tonight. He was twenty-eight years old, but he still exuded a rare aura of youthfulness, and he knew, based on experience, that he was good-looking. Coupled with his 1.86-meter statuesque physique, he looked charming when he smiled and solemn when he didn¡¯t. Apart from his family, no one had ever seen him smile. In fact, people who didn¡¯t know him personally would always praise Nigel¡¯s dignified and gentlemanly manner. Despite that, he liked racing, ying video games, and collecting the world¡¯s most expensive snacks. It was as if he was a child in a man¡¯s body. At some point, Leslie had left. It wasn¡¯t until 4.00PM that Queenie departed her room looking rather morous. She wore a fashionable dress today and even went out of her way to work on her hair. Her long and thick hair draped over her shoulders with natural-looking curls at the end. She was already lovely with delicate facial features, to begin with. Hence, despite using light makeup, she looked ever so radiant and gorgeous. When she pushed the door and walked out, Bonnie, who was standing on the opposite side, was completely startled. She froze for a few seconds and stared straight at Queenie, sizing her up. She was checking out Queenie¡¯s makeover and her dress. Queenie frowned in slight difort. ¡±What are you looking at?¡± ¡±What else can I be looking at? Also, we have the same face, so what¡¯s there for me to see?¡± Bonnie snorted indifferently, but a hint of jealousy shed across her eyes. That was because although they looked alike, Bonnie¡¯s face somehow looked stiff and unnatural. Queenie ignored her and went downstairs. As soon as shended at thest step, she heard her mother¡¯s voice by the entrance. It seemed that Maggie had returned home. Meanwhile, Bonnie stewed as she stood in front of the mirror. Then, after a while, she started to remove the makeup she had just put on and stared at her bare face. As she scrutinized herself, she noticed that her skin was not as smooth and wless as Queenie¡¯s. So, she reopened her makeup kit and did her makeup meticulously. She remembered the critical features of Queenie¡¯s makeover, so when she redid her makeup, she followed in Queenie¡¯s footsteps. She even curled her hair just like Queenie and chose a simr dress but with a different color. Finally, after the vigorous makeover, Bonnie looked at her reflection in the mirror. Now, she looked like she was Queenie¡¯s twin through and through. Only then did she raise her eyebrows in satisfaction. Nevertheless, there was a glint of resentment in her eyes. Time passed, and it was already 5.00PM. In order not to get caught in traffic, they hade to an agreement to leave early. ¡±What is taking Bonnie so long?¡± Maggie asked curiously and then ordered the maid nearby to check up on her, ¡±Rachel, remind Miss Bonnie that we¡¯re short on time.¡± Rachel, the Silverstein Family¡¯s maid, rushed up the stairs and headed straight to Bonnie¡¯s room. Not long after, Bonnie came downstairs. Queenie happened to be drinking water. When she saw Bonnie coming down the stairs, she almost spat the water out in shock. Why was Bonnie¡¯s outfit precisely the same as hers? Bonnie wasn¡¯t wearing this dress earlier, and her previous makeup was heavy and thick. Yet now, she was wearing the same light makeup as Queenie and even applied the same lipstick color. Maggie looked at her twin daughters in surprise as she regarded them. There was no doubt that she wouldn¡¯t have been able to differentiate the two had she not raised Queenie herself! Bonnie presented herself before Queenie in absolute confidence. Then, she proceeded to quip with false cheer, ¡°Queenie, we look really alike!¡± ¡°Why are you copying me?¡± Queenie snapped with a hint of annoyance. ¡°What? Am I? Well, some twins have the same taste and preferences. So maybe we fall in that same category,¡± Bonnie retorted, deliberately pressing Queenie¡¯s buttons. Unfortunately for Bonnie, Queenie could care less for this sister of hers as she merely rolled her eyes in exasperation and walked to the door. She and Maggie shared a ride while Bonnie and Brandon took another vehicle together. On the way to the hotel, Queenie sent the hotel¡¯s address to Nigel with a text, ¡®Young Master Nigel, take your time. You cane after the banquet starts.¡¯ ¡®Are you on your way to the hotel now?¡¯ Nigel replied promptly. ¡®Yes, we just left. Take your time!¡¯ Queenie nned to make his appearance the highlight of the night. Then, when others sympathized with her, she would magnificently announce that she had a better choice. She didn¡¯t even inform her parents about her n. She figured that this would be a surprise for them later! In the car in front of Queenie¡¯s car, Bonnie looked troubled as she was entirely engrossed in her thoughts because she knew what Leslie wanted to do tonight. He wanted to call off his engagement with Queenie and propose to her. Leslie had lost his original value since Queenie liked Nigel now. Moreover, Leslie paled inparison to Nigel in terms of charisma and wealth, and they were not even in the same league. Now, all Bonnie could think about was how to approach Nigel. She would not allow Leslie to hinder her n. Therefore, she would stop Leslie from proposing to her tonight at all costs. Leslie, who was obviously dressed to the nines, looked handsome in a suit as he stood at the restaurant door. When he saw their cars, he immediately greeted them enthusiastically and opened the door for Brandon. When he saw Bonnie in the car, he instantly offered his hand to her, but Bonnie would instead leave the vehicle from the other side than be held by him. A little taken aback, Leslie stood up and spotted Queenie, who had juste out of the car behind Brandon and Bonnie. Suffice to say, he was startled by Queenie¡¯s beauty. It was close to dusk, and the sun was setting. An evening breeze blew over and slightly ruffled Queenie¡¯s hair. Her radiant face was akin to a blooming rose, highlighting her calm and pure charm. Compared with Bonnie¡¯s amorous aura, Queenie exuded aposed yet refined aura of a woman who knows exactly what she wants and how she would achieve her goals. Nevertheless, although she was not one for coquettish acts, she also never acted as though everyone was beneath her. At this moment, Leslie¡¯s eyes lit up as heid his gaze on her. Only then did he realize that Queenie, who he had cold-shouldered previously, was actually very beautiful. There was a unique charm in her. On the other hand, Bonnie had figured despite her utterly ignoring Leslie; he would still chase after her and treat her courteously. Thus, when she turned around, she was stupefied to see him holding the car door as he goggled at Queenie. Bonnie was so enraged by the sight that she couldn¡¯t help but grit her teeth in irritation. What was going on here? Is Leslie falling for Queenie?! Nheless, Queenie didn¡¯t even bat an eye at Leslie this time. She merely held her purse elegantly, followed after Maggie, and walked gracefully into the brightly lit lobby. The moment her thoughts wandered to the most anticipated event of Leslie calling off the engagementter, she could feel the anticipation within her surge. She, of all people, looked forward to tonight¡¯s shocking yet scandalous event, especially when she knew that the chips were about to fall in her favor. After Leslie hurriedlyposed himself, he went straight to Bonnie and stood beside her. Still, Bonnie noticed his blunder, so she pulled a long face and gave him a cold look. ¡°Bonnie,e, I¡¯ll hold your handbag.¡± Leslie immediately tried to cate her. ¡°No, thanks.¡± After she said that, she deliberately stopped to look at her phone. When Maggie asked her to join the family in the elevator, she said, ¡°Mom, you guys go ahead. I¡¯ll be over in a while.¡± Maggie nodded and pressed the button, and the family of three went upstairs together. Finally, Bonnie directed her attention to Leslie and sneered, ¡°I saw you staring at Queenie just now. So what? Have you had enough of me and set your sights on her again?¡± Leslie gasped sheepishly and quickly hugged her shoulders with a smile. ¡°No! You¡¯ve mistaken. I love you and only you. I n to break off the engagement tonight because I want to marry you.¡± Bonnie felt a twisted sort of pleasure as she enjoyed his sweet nothings. So, it was only after Leslie comforted her for a while did she walk in the direction of the elevator. She enjoyed reducing Leslie into a meek and pathetic man. A few members of the Payne Family were sitting around the table at the restaurant, including Leslie¡¯s grandparents, his parents, and his two aunts and uncles-inw. They were not here today to call off Leslie¡¯s and Queenie¡¯s engagement, but they were here mainly to re-select Leslie¡¯s future wife, who would also be the future matriarch of their family. When Queenie walked in, they couldn¡¯t recognize her and weren¡¯t sure if she was Queenie or Bonnie. ¡±Mrs. Silverstein, w-who is this? Is she Queenie or Bonnie?¡± ¡±This is my eldest daughter, Queenie. Bonnie and Leslie will being right up!¡± Maggie exined with a smile. ¡±Oh, they look very alike. We can¡¯t tell them apart!¡± Leslie¡¯s mother, Keira Faulkner, donned an awkward smile as she tried to gloss over her social faux pas. Although Queenie hated Leslie, she still treated the seniors politely since they weren¡¯t the target of her ire. She bowed slightly and courteously greeted the members of the Payne Family. Not long after, they saw Bonnie and Leslie walking in together, but they were slightly disappointed when they looked at Bonnie¡¯s obviously amorous and arrogant figure. They wondered why Leslie would fall for such a prideful and vain woman. It was obvious at a nce that Queenie was even more dignified, well-behaved, and refined than her twin! As Bonnie took her seat beside Brandon, she couldn¡¯t even be bothered to say hello while she merely swept a dismissive nce at the members of the Payne Family. ¡±Bonnie, say hello to Leslie¡¯s grandparents, parents, aunts, and uncles!¡± ¡±Hello,¡± Bonnie reluctantly obeyed in a somewhat haughty manner. The members of the Payne Family secretly gasped in shock and exchanged bewildered nces. Queenie and Bonnie were sisters, but why was Bonnie different from what they imagined? They assumed that Leslie had chosen the more outstanding one among the twins, but to their dismay, he had done nothing of the sort. If anything, Bonnie was the epitome of a spoiled brat. ¡±Oh, so you¡¯re Bonnie! Leslie has always talked about you. It¡¯s nice to finally put a face to the name.¡± ¡±Mr. and Mrs. Payne, I hereby announce that my engagement with Leslie is null and void. From now on, my sister, Bonnie, will be Leslie¡¯s fianc¨¦e,¡± Queenie affirmed in a crisp voice. As soon as she finished speaking, Maggie and Brandon were thrilled, while the members of the Payne Family were dismayed. Bonnie was so enraged that her face twisted into a hateful scowl, and she turned to re at Queenie. Why was Queenie so eager to pair her and Leslie up? ¡±We¡¯re here to call off your engagement with Leslie. It¡¯s not my engagement party,¡± Bonnie rebuked directly and looked a little upset. ¡±How can I get engaged with Leslie right after you call off the engagement with him?¡± ¡±Bonnie, you and Leslie love each other. Since we are all here tonight, let¡¯s discuss your engagement with Leslie right away!¡± Brandon said to Bonnie. After all, Leslie and Bonnie had done the deed, so he hoped Leslie would be responsible and marry Bonnie. ¡±We don¡¯t have any objections as long as Leslie likes Bonnie,¡± concluded Leslie¡¯s father. Brandon had only two daughters, each of whom would inherit half of their family¡¯s massive assets and wealth. In that case, no matter who Leslie married, he would be able to get half of the Silverstein Family¡¯s assets in the future, which was a great advantage for them. The members of the Payne Family looked harmonious and joyful, but each of them was filled with glee as they conspired to seize the Silverstein Family¡¯s wealth. ¡±Bonnie, if you think it¡¯s too hasty to get engaged tonight, I¡¯ll prepare a grand proposal party tomorrow and invite all my family and friends to witness it. Is that okay?¡± Leslie asked. He shared the same thought with his parents. He wanted to marry one of Brandon¡¯s daughters in order toy his hands on the Silverstein Family¡¯s wealth. ¡±Let me sleep on it!¡± Bonnie neither refused nor epted his proposal. ¡±Queenie, don¡¯t be discouraged. You¡¯re a wonderful girl. I¡¯m sure you can find a better man than Leslie,¡± Keira feigned empathy as sheforted Queenie. Queenie curled her lips into a sweet smile even though her following words were anything but honeyed. ¡±Mrs. Payne, thank you for your concern. Unfortunately, Leslie and I are not destined to be together, but I already have someone I like, so I¡¯m also very eager to call off the engagement.¡± The members of the Payne Family were stupefied. As far as they knew, Queenie once barged into the hotel room to catch Leslie cheating on her red-handed. The incident was blown up so terribly that it even tarnished Leslie¡¯s reputation a little. So, they assumed Queenie would pester Leslie and insist on marrying him. However, they were caught off guard by Queenie¡¯s remarks and were dumbfounded for a few seconds. Keira even stammered awkwardly, ¡±O-Oh! I-Is that so? You like someone else!¡± Chapter 1231-1240 Chapter 1231-1240 ¡°Yes, I have someone I like. I¡¯m eager to give way to Bonnie so we can marry the right person! See, she and Leslie were so in love that they couldn¡¯t keep their hands off each other before I called off the engagement with Leslie! I didn¡¯t want to be in their way, so I quickly broke off the engagement!¡± Queenie chuckled. Maggie, who sat beside Queenie, tugged at Queenie¡¯s sleeve under the table, urging her to stop talking. After all, this matter did tarnish their family¡¯s reputation. Bonnie¡¯s face turned a little red in embarrassment. Was Queenie implying that she was shameless? Leslie also felt difited by Queenie¡¯s seemingly idental social blunder. Was Queenie trying to ridicule him in front of his family? ¡°Queenie, I¡¯m sorry I cheated on you, but I love Bonnie. I can¡¯t let Bonnie down, even though you like me.¡± ¡°Oh, please, you think too highly of yourself. I¡¯ve never liked you. Also, the man I like is much better than you,¡± Queenie sniffed proudly. After hearing her remarks, the members of the Payne Family were disgruntled. Did Queenie mean to say that Leslie was unworthy? This meant that she somehow looked down on their family! ¡°Is that so? You¡¯re so lucky, Queenie. It¡¯s unfortunate that Leslie doesn¡¯t like you,¡± Keira said in a passive-aggressive manner. ¡°Oh, I should thank Leslie for allowing me to find someone better. I wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to take a fancy to someone else if Leslie hadn¡¯t hooked up with Bonnie while we were engaged!¡± Queenie smiled. Feast your eyes on the trash that is your son! He cheated on me with my sister while we were still engaged. How shameful! Queenie thought. At this point, the members of the Payne Family looked outraged. Keira didn¡¯t want to say another word while Leslie¡¯s grandfather covered up his embarrassment by drinking water. ¡°Shush, Queenie. Stop talking,¡± Brandon muttered discretely. Even though he did feel that Queenie was running her mouth today, he also felt rather proud that she was being particrly eloquent. On the other hand, Bonnie¡¯s paranoia was running high as she started theorizing about Queenie¡¯s actions, Queenie said she likes someone else. Is it Nigel? Are they really dating? ¡°Queenie, how can you say that? You can¡¯t force someone to like you. Although I heard you also like Leslie, he will be your brother-inw. As Bonnie¡¯s sister, you should be more gracious and open- minded. You should give them your blessing!¡± one of Leslie¡¯s aunts rebuked furiously after Queenie ridiculed Leslie in front of them. She was definitely mocking Queenie for being petty. At this moment, Queenie¡¯s phone rang. As sheid her eyes on the caller ID on the screen, she smiled and said, ¡°Excuse me, my boyfriend is here. I¡¯ll fetch him over and make sure to introduce him to all of youter.¡± Bonnie, who was drinking water, jerked her head up abruptly and looked toward the door. What the hell? Was Nigel really here? Leslie¡¯s expression also changed. Who did Queenie ask toe? Boyfriend? Hah! He didn¡¯t believe that Queenie had a boyfriend within a few days. She must have asked one of her male friends to pretend to be her boyfriend to save face. Queenie pushed the door open. As soon as she came out, she saw Nigel standing in the corridor in a white shirt and ck trousers. He looked like an elite businessman who had just gotten out of a meeting. At this moment, Queenie was so touched that her eyes turned slightly red-rimmed. She was all too grateful that he came to back her up and give her a helping hand. ¡°Mr. Nigel, you¡¯re here!¡± Queenie smiled as she looked at him. Nigel couldn¡¯t help but frown when he saw her red eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did someone upset you?¡± Queenie shook her head. ¡°No. These are tears of joy. I¡¯m so d you came! I was so worried that you wouldn¡¯t show up!¡± ¡°I gave you my word, so I will definitely attend!¡± Nigel narrowed his eyes with a determined expression. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go in. Later, I¡¯ll call you Nigel, and you¡¯ll call me Queenie,¡± Queenie whispered. At the dining table, Bonnie was so anxious that she could feel her heart hammering against her chest rapidly. Her eyes were fixed on the direction of the door. Was it really Nigel? Was Queenie so capable that she could win Nigel¡¯s heart in just a few days? Bonnie secretly balled her hands into fists under the table. In the meantime, Leslie knew Queenie¡¯s unyielding personality very well. He was curious to see which friend she had invited to y her fake boyfriend in order to regain her dignity after being dumped by him. Of course, Nigel would never have crossed Leslie¡¯s mind. In Leslie¡¯s opinion, the Manson Family was highly affluent, and it was impossible for Nigel to have anything to do with Queenie. Despite the fact that he had bumped into Queenie and Nigel several times, Leslie refused to believe that Queenie had the charm to win the heart of a wealthy man like Nigel. With his family background and social status, Nigel could have all the women he wanted. However, Leslie thought that all men were the same as him. Once they were rich, they would only pick their dates in the upper-ss circle and would not bat an eye on the girls in the lower-ss circle. On the other hand, Maggie and Brandon exchanged surprised and confused nces. They wondered where Queenie found a boyfriend in such a short period of time and what she nned to do this time. Regardless, the members of the Payne Family were displeased by Queenie, who brought her boyfriend over to join their dinner. She just broke off the engagement, yet she brought her boyfriend over. This was such a disrespectful act to Leslie. At this moment, the door was pushed open. Queenie stepped in first, and she held a man¡¯s arm. Soon, the mystery boyfriend was revealed before everyone¡¯s searching gaze. Bonnie couldn¡¯t help the sharp inhale before she hastily cut herself off, while Leslie¡¯s pupils dted due to sheer shock. They looked at the man beside Queenie in utter disbelief. That man was indeed Nigel! Maggie and Brandon had never seen Nigel before. So, when they saw the young man Queenie was holding, they were momentarily too stunned for words. Who was he? His appearance was striking, and he carried the temperament and aura of a rich and refined gentleman. Bonnie lowered her head and tried to calm her raging emotions. It was really Nigel! Queenie was actually capable of asking Nigel toe and support her. After the shock, Leslie looked gloomy and irritated. Finally, he picked up the ss of water and took a sip to cover up his self-conscious state. ¡°Everyone, I would like you to meet my boyfriend, Nigel Manson.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± Nigel nced at the people present and finally looked at the two vacant seats. Then, he chose the seat right next to Queenie. Maggie and Brandon greeted Nigel with a nod and a smile, yet the members of the Payne Family looked indifferent and aloof. They didn¡¯t even try to be polite because they were flustered. Today was supposed to be the day Leslie called off the engagement, yet Queenie brought her boyfriend over and openly disyed their affection. Moreover, this young man had a better physique than Leslie; his face was far more stunning, and there was no doubt his temperament was better than Leslie¡¯s. It was absolute humiliation to them. ¡°Mr. Manson, I didn¡¯t expect you to attend as well,¡± Bonnie immediately greeted Nigel with a charming smile. ¡°Queenie, hurry up and introduce this fine young man to us!¡± Maggie was extremely curious. Previously, Queenie told her that she was working. So was Queenie working for him? ¡°Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Silverstein. My name is Nigel Manson. My family mainly works in the hospitality industry,¡± Nigel humbly introduced himself with grace and elegance. Queenie asserted with a smile, ¡°His family business, Manson Group, has more than 1,700 five-star hotels around the world, with franchises all over the world, focusing on the top luxury hotels. He is the president of Manson Group and my boyfriend.¡± Queenie¡¯s voice was crisper than that of a reporter. After she was done with her introductions, she hooked her arm around Nigel¡¯s and looked at him adoringly. Nigel also turned his head and looked at her with a gleam of warmth and affection. When everyone returned to their senses, just in time to hear Queenie¡¯s remarks, the members of the Payne Family were shocked and aghast. Was the young man in front of them the heir of the Manson Group? Leslie felt even more humiliated this time. Queenie didn¡¯t pull her punches as she had seeded in completely degrading him. ¡°So, Leslie, I¡¯m really grateful for your decision to break off the engagement. I was so worried that my engagement would affect my rtionship with Nigel!¡± Queenie looked gratefully at Leslie. Then, she turned to Bonnie and beamed. ¡°Also, Bonnie, I want to thank you for being by Leslie¡¯s side. He won¡¯t be alone after we break off the engagement, and I¡¯m delighted to have such a brilliant and excellent brother-inw like Leslie.¡± Queenie asserted her statement sincerely and earnestly. But, other than Maggie and Brandon, everyone else looked flustered and abashed, especially Bonnie. Sheughed awkwardly. ¡°Queenie, what are you talking about?! The things between Leslie and me are still up in the air!¡± Leslie turned to look at Bonnie in bewilderment. He couldn¡¯t believe his ears when Bonnie denied the fact that they were dating. The members of the Payne Family were disgruntled. It turned out that Queenie dumped Leslie because she had found a better man, yet she had the cheek to sit on her high horse and speak in a high and mighty manner. She even tricked Leslie into dating Bonnie, her arrogant and rude sister! She was so vicious and cunning. However, Ashton, Leslie¡¯s father, was a businessman through and through. So, when he heard about Nigel¡¯s identity, he instinctively wanted to leave a good impression. If he managed such a feat, he would have won a valuable connection which would be a great advantage if there was an opportunity for coboration in the future. ¡°Hello, Mr. Manson. My name is Ashton Payne. I run an equipment and machinery business. Here, a toast to you.¡± Ashton immediately got up and raised his ss. Nigel nced around the table. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have his own ss. Hence, when he saw Queenie¡¯s ss, he swiftly took it, stood up, raised it to Ashton, and took two sips. Queenie¡¯s heart skipped a beat at his actions! She had drunk the wine prior to his attendance! Could this be considered an indirect kiss? Brandon hurriedly urged the waiter to bring a wine ss and filled it with wine before handing it to Nigel. Maggie was overjoyed at this moment. Both her daughters were dating, and she was even more surprised that Queenie¡¯s boyfriend was from an extremely wealthy family. ¡°Queenie, why didn¡¯t you bring Nigel to our house before?¡± Maggie murmured as her tone held a slight reproach. Although, to be fair, it was more than a little inappropriate to meet Nigel on such an asion. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mom. I¡¯ll bring him back for dinner someday.¡± Queenie grinned. Bonnie red at Queenie with envy and hatred, but when she looked at Nigel, she immediately turned gentle, shy, and timid. This was her usual tactic when she was with someone she admired. She would pretend to be a mild-mannered damsel in distress who needed protection. Leslie noticed that Bonnie¡¯s favorite dish, grilled shrimp, was ced far away from her. So, he took the initiative to ce two shrimps on Bonnie¡¯s te. ¡°Bonnie, here. Have some shrimps.¡± Bonnie¡¯s pretty face was painted with annoyance as she red at the shrimp on her te with disgust. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that I¡¯m allergic to shrimp?!¡± With that, she swept the shrimp aside and refused to pay attention to it. Leslie was shocked. Only a few days ago, Bonnie specially requested the grilled shrimp and told him it was delicious. Queenie watched their interaction in gleeful satisfaction. She secretly rejoiced when she saw Leslie being disliked and hated by Bonnie in various ways. There was no doubt in her heart that she genuinely thought that he deserved every bit of it. ¡°Bonnie, Leslie is being nice to you!¡± Keira couldn¡¯t help but speak up for Leslie. ¡°I don¡¯t need anyone to be nice to me!¡± Bonnie grumbled disrespectfully. The expressions of the members of the Payne Family darkened at her words. Even Brandon reprimanded her less-than-ster demeanor sternly, ¡°Bonnie! Watch your words!¡± Bonnie bit down on her lips and remained silent. At this moment, Nigel brought a piece of shrimp to Queenie. ¡°Do you like it?¡± ¡°Yes! I like it very much.¡± With that, Queenie didn¡¯t hesitate to bite down on the shrimp and enjoyed the shrimp with relish. ¡°One more, please.¡± Nigel took another piece of shrimp, but instead of cing it on her te, he fed it to her. Queenie was taken aback by his daring at first, but she quicklyposed herself as she smiled, opened her mouth, and bit it. They openly disyed their affection in front of the people present. Bonnie could feel the resentment burning inside her. Queenie was doing this on purpose. Maggie and Brandon exchanged nces at the couple¡¯s behavior but said nothing in the end. In their minds, Queenie had always been carefree and forthright, so they did not find her current behavior odd or inappropriate at all. ¡°Leslie, right? Allow me to give you a toast.¡± Nigel suddenly raised his ss to Leslie. Despite the annoyance and resentment bubbling in Leslie¡¯s veins, he had to force a smile and raise his ss reluctantly due to his fear of Nigel¡¯s wealth and affluent background. ¡°Mr. Manson, cheers.¡± ¡°Before drinking this ss of wine, I want to thank you for giving Queenie to me,¡± Nigel narrowed his eyes and said. Leslie sighed andmented, ¡°Well, I suppose we¡¯re not meant to be together.¡± After Nigel took a sip of the wine, he extended his arm and wrapped it around Queenie¡¯s shoulders. Queenie stiffened in shock and looked up at Nigel beside her. Nigel looked back at her, and their eyes met. Then, finally, he called out her name softly, ¡°Queenie, I have something to tell you.¡± Queenie blinked curiously, looking forward to what he would say to spice things up. Even Bonnie, who sat across from Nigel and Queenie, felt her heart leap to her throat when she heard Nigel¡¯s remark. Did he n to confess to Queenie in front of her parents? ¡°Queenie, you may have been worthless to a man who didn¡¯t appreciate and cherish you, but you are priceless to me. So from now on, I¡¯ll care for you and love you for the rest of your life.¡± Queenie was enjoying a morsel of food when she heard Nigel¡¯s statement. She was so dazed that she forgot to chew for a moment as she stared at Nigel, who was smiling so gently. Was he telling the truth or making their bluff seem more believable? She must admit that Nigel was a natural-born actor if it was a bluff. Julian should even give his best actor award to Nigel. But it seemed impossible to be true. After all, she was the one who came up with the idea for him to be her pretend boyfriend. Unexpectedly, Nigel got into character so seriously that she didn¡¯t know how to follow up. However, never let it be said that Queenie didn¡¯t know how to ad-lib on the fly as she regained her composure and smiled sweetly. ¡°Really?¡± Nigel flicked the tip of her nose lightly. ¡°Of course! Do you think I¡¯m bluffing?¡± Queenie chuckled and thought, Of course you are! This is all fake from the start! Still, everyone present felt that Nigel¡¯s confession was genuine. Nigel even mocked Leslie as the man who didn¡¯t appreciate Queenie and regarded her as worthless. Bonnie was so jealous that she was barely holding on to her rationality, and at the same time, she immediately came to a decisive conclusion. She must ruin Queenie¡¯s happiness and steal Nigel from her. Even if she couldn¡¯t win Nigel¡¯s heart in the end, she would definitely ruin Queenie¡¯s chances to be with a man like him. ¡°Oh! By the way, I broke off the engagement today, but it is also Bonnie¡¯s engagement day! So I won¡¯t steal the limelight. Dad, Mom, Mr. and Mrs. Payne, please host their engagement party!¡± It seemed as if it finally urred to Queenie that she was stealing the limelight. Maggie nodded when she heard her reminder and said, ¡°Right! We almost forgot about this. So, Bonnie and Leslie¡­¡± ¡°Dad, mom, you misunderstood. I have no intention of getting engaged to Leslie,¡± Bonnie put her foot down. At the same time, she red daggers at Queenie. It was only natural for Queenie to pick up on Bonnie¡¯s ire. Still, considering the situation, she merely smirked in amusement and turned her attention to Leslie, ¡°You must be responsible for my sister.¡± Leslie was a bit chagrined. Bonnie had been so affectionate to him before this, but why did she suddenly change her mind and refuse to marry him? Were all his efforts in the past six months in vain? This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Queenie, stop sticking your nose where it doesn¡¯t belong. Leslie and I are just friends. You¡¯ve clearly misunderstood things,¡± Bonnie continued on with her bald-faced lie. After she had set her sights on Nigel, there was no way she would ever admit to being involved with Leslie. Queenie knew Bonnie¡¯s character like the back of her hand. She knew Bonnie wanted to dump Leslie and steal Nigel. Nevertheless, she would not give her such a chance. ¡°Bonnie, I¡¯m your sister, so of course, I have to mind your business. Both of you have already done the deed, so it¡¯s only right for me to ensure he marries you!¡± Queenie avowed firmly. Bonnie¡¯s frayed nerves snapped as her face flushed with anger. She was flustered as Queenie bluntly revealed that she had slept with Leslie in front of Nigel. She nced at Nigel to observe his expression, but he was drinking water and didn¡¯t look like he was paying attention to the proceedings. ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Nothing happened between us. That day, I was drunk, and Leslie took care of me the whole night. Nothing happened,¡± Bonnie exined angrily, trying to alter the fact. Leslie was shocked when he heard Bonnie¡¯s denials. Yet, this was indeed an opportunity for him to see an individual lying through her teeth and trying her best to get away with it. ¡°Bonnie, how can you¡­¡± Leslie was heartbroken. ¡°Leslie, hurry up and exin to Queenie what happened that day. Nothing happened between us, right?¡± Bonnie¡¯s gaze was fixed on him. She was forcing him to take her side. Leslie finally epted reality for what it was as he gulped down the wine and hissed, ¡°Whatever!¡± ¡°Bonnie, what do you mean by that? You don¡¯t like Leslie?! Do you know how much he spent on you in the past six months just to ask you out?! How can you say such a thing now?¡± Keira roared, feeling upset on behalf of Leslie. Maggie and Brandon immediately defended Bonnie valiantly, ¡°Bonnie is still young and immature. Please forgive her.¡± ¡°Young? Immature?! Leslie has spent millions on her! How are we going to settle this then?!¡± It would be an understatement to say that Keira could feel her temper rising with each question she spat. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not on me. He spent that money willingly,¡± Bonnie wasted no time in retorting huffily. After hearing this, Keira was enraged. ¡°What?! How dare you shirk things off, you brat?!¡± Queenie was a little bewildered at this point because she didn¡¯t expect things to turn out like this. So, she got up and said, ¡°Dad, Mom, why don¡¯t we go home first?¡± ¡°Queenie, are you happy now?¡± Even at a moment like this, Bonnie didn¡¯t hesitate to push all the me on Queenie. Her shameless remarks rendered Queenie speechless. s, Leslie genuinely loved Bonnie. Therefore, he turned to Keira and said, ¡°Mom, please stop. This is between Bonnie and I. We¡¯ll solve the problem ourselves.¡± An irritated Bonnie threw the cutlery down harshly, grabbed her handbag, and stormed off. As a result, Leslie hurried to catch up with her as he called out to her, ¡°Bonnie!¡± Maggie and Brandon felt a little embarrassed at this moment. Keira hissed in fury, ¡°I don¡¯t think Leslie is lucky enough to marry Bonnie. There will be no further discussions about the matter!¡± ¡°We¡¯re sorry. We¡¯re so sorry for Bonnie¡¯s attitude. We will knock some sense into her when we get home.¡± ¡°Dad, Mom, we¡¯ll take our leave first.¡± With that, Queenie nudged Nigel, and they made a hasty exit. Maggie and Brandon were left in the room, and they kept apologizing to the Payne family members. When they finally escaped from prying eyes in the restaurant corridor, Queenie patted her chest and was a little worried about her parents. ¡°They won¡¯t fight, will they?¡± ¡°No, but the two families are bound to fall out,¡± Nigel concluded with a quirk of his brow. Queenie had underestimated Bonnie¡¯s shamelessness. How could Bonnie just leave and let their parents deal with her mess? Just as Nigel and Queenie walked to the restaurant entrance, they heard arguments outside the door and saw two figures clearly entangled in some sort of disagreement. Queenie took a closer look at themotion and saw that the two figures were Bonnie and Leslie. Leslie was holding onto Bonnie, who was trying to leave, with all his might, and apologizing to her profusely as if it was entirely his fault. Meanwhile, Bonnie kept trying to tug her hands out of his grasp with an unhappy grimace as though it was disgusting for Leslie to eveny a single hand on her. Queenie watched the ruckus calmly by the side. She didn¡¯t expect to be able to see a hidden finale! ¡°Bonnie, I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m so sorry! It¡¯s all my fault! Pleasee back and get engaged with me. I love you!¡± A surge ofplicated emotions engulfed Leslie¡¯s heart at this moment. He wasn¡¯t really bothered by Bonnie wanting to end things with him, but the only way he could be Brandon¡¯s son- inw was to marry Bonnie. He couldn¡¯t just stand back and watch as the Silverstein Family¡¯s fortune slipped out of his hands. Therefore, he must grasp onto her with all his might and get engaged with her no matter how ridiculously humble he had to be right now. ¡°Let go! Leslie, I¡¯m warning you! We¡¯re over! I¡¯m done dating you! It¡¯s your business that you love me, but I don¡¯t love you anymore!¡± Bonnie pulled her hand back while shouting those hurtful words. Nigel was not interested in this kind of drama, but he found that Queenie was watching them with a relish he couldn¡¯t understand. So, he forced himself to be patient as he apanied her. Finally, Bonnie and Leslie came all the way to the main road. Bonnie wanted to cross the street to the opposite side of the shoppingplex, but Leslie kept pulling her hand and refused to let go. Finally, having had enough of this farce, Bonnie showed incredible dexterity in high heels as she ran across the street at thest few seconds of the green light. Leslie, who didn¡¯t even notice that the green light had turned red, chased after Bonnie desperately. As soon as he took a step, a car that had been waiting for the light to turn green rushed over and knocked him down. Luckily, the driver hit on the brake in time, and the car stopped less than half a meter away from Leslie. Nevertheless, Leslie still fainted due to the fright of having such a close brush with death. Queenie, watching the drama, did not expect to witness a car ident. It didn¡¯t matter how much she despised Leslie; a life was at stake. Therefore, she darted forward and rushed to him, and Nigel, who was behind her, followed her. On the other hand, Bonnie, who was so intent on leaving Leslie to the dust, didn¡¯t look back at all when she disappeared into the crowd. Hence, she had no idea that Leslie almost lost his life in order to chase after her. ¡°Leslie.¡± Queenie hurried over and squatted down to support Leslie¡¯s body. Then, the second before he lost consciousness, Leslie felt himself being held in a warm embrace. A pair of soft hands patted his face, and an anxious voice beckoned him to return to thend of the living. ¡°Leslie, wake up! Are you okay?¡± Leslie finally regained consciousness but was still clearly panicking and in shock. The first thing he saw was Queenie¡¯s face. Then, all of a sudden, he hugged Queenie and cried like a child. ¡°Queenie¡­¡± Queenie was startled by his reaction. Still, she figured that Leslie was merely terrified due to the rather morbid turn of events, so she gently patted his back andforted him, ¡°Alright, calm down. You¡¯re fine.¡± At this moment, a hand suddenly sped Leslie and rudely dragged him from the floor to the side of the road to sit. It was Nigel. After he removed Leslie from Queenie and forced him down, he even dusted his hands in disgust. Under the streemp, they saw that Leslie¡¯s face and hands were scraped. He looked utterly wretched and miserable. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m so sorry, sir! Are you okay?¡± The female driver rushed over with her face pale in fright. Earlier, a man suddenly ran a red light and rushed out onto the street as soon as she shifted her gears to drive. Fortunately, she managed to hit the brakes in time, or she would have killed a pedestrian tonight. The terrified Leslie suddenly grabbed Queenie¡¯s hand tightly. Just now, when he was on the verge of death, it was Queenie¡¯s voice that snapped him out of his fear. Her voice was the most melodious and angelic voice he had ever heard. Only after the death ordeal was Leslie able to withdraw his feelings from Bonnie. He finally realized that Queenie was a kind and lovely person, and he regretted his previous behavior. ¡°Queenie, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry. Can you please forgive me?¡± Leslie was sobbing uncontrobly as he held Queenie¡¯s hand tightly. Queenie tried to pull her hand back to no avail as Leslie grabbed her hand with the desperation of a drowning man. ¡°Alright, calm down. Do you want to go to the hospital? We¡¯ll take you to the hospital,¡± Queenie asked. ¡°Yes! Please go to the hospital! I¡¯ll pay for your medical bills,¡± the female driver urged in worry. Leslie was fine except for the shock and a few scrapes on his body. He waved his hand at the female driver and said, ¡°Just go. You don¡¯t need to pay.¡± Despite that, the female driver was still concerned. ¡°You¡¯d better go to the hospital to treat your wounds.¡± Leslie sat on the side of the road decadently and said to the female driver, ¡°I won¡¯t hold you ountable. Just go.¡± The female driver had no choice but to leave because of his unwillingness to cooperate. Queenie nced at Nigel before saying to Leslie, ¡°We¡¯ll drive you to a nearby clinic to clean the wounds.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Leslie nodded docilely. Both families had yet to leave the restaurant, so they had no idea what was happening downstairs. The members of the Payne Family demanded answers from Maggie and Brandon, while Maggie and Brandon kept apologizing to them for Bonnie¡¯s actions. Nigel drove over in order to attend the ¡®show¡¯ as it were. So, Queenie sat in the front passenger seat while Leslie got into the car; his legs were still jelly-like as he was still in shock. Nigel searched the navigation and drove to the nearby clinic. Leslie walked into the clinic, and Queenie followed him. The doctor prescribed some ointment for sterilization while the nurse bandaged Leslie¡¯s abrasions in quick and efficient movements. As the nurse cleaned and bandaged his wounds, Leslie looked at Queenie intensely. He could not express the gratitude and love in his heart through his gazes. Yet, at this moment, a firm thought emerged from the bottom of his heart. He had utterly fallen in love with Queenie after tonight¡¯s events. Nigel felt inexplicably displeased as he noticed Leslie¡¯s fiery and passionate gaze directed at Queenie. Thus, he sped Queenie¡¯s forearm and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t! Queenie, don¡¯t go,¡± Leslie hurriedly called out. Queenie didn¡¯t even manage to say anything when a force pulled her halfway out of the clinic. ¡°He won¡¯t die, so you don¡¯t need to pity him,¡± Nigel muttered coldly. He opened the door of the front passenger seat and invited her to get in. Queenie blinked as she interpreted his remarks. He was right. As long as Leslie was alive and well, his family would note after her family. But, because of Bonnie, the two families, who were firm allies, had turned into enemies. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Queenie asked curiously. ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Queenie narrowed her eyes as she thought it over. Nigel suggested before Queenie could say anything, ¡°Let¡¯s go to another restaurant to have dinner. I didn¡¯t eat much just now.¡± Queenie was rather famished, too, so she beamed and agreed happily, ¡°Alright! My treat!¡± With that, they headed to the nearby restaurant. Leslie¡¯s family was horrified when they got a call from him. They immediately rushed out of the restaurant to the clinic to fetch him in a flurry of movements. Meanwhile, Brandon and Maggie were saddened because their friendship with the Payne Family was utterly severed after that debacle. So, when they left the restaurant, they made a call to Bonnie and Queenie, respectively, on the way home. During the call, they learned that Queenie was having dinner and Bonnie was taking a stroll outside. Although satisfied that their daughters were safe and sound, they were still bogged down by the situation with the Paynes. Thus, they demanded the girls return home as swiftly as possible. Queenie ate whileplimenting Nigel across the table over the restaurant of his choosing. ¡°You¡¯re very good at acting! It¡¯s a shame that you¡¯re not interested in theatre!¡± Queenie praised him sincerely. ¡°You told me to get into character, remember?¡± Nigel curled his lips into an impish smile. Queenie choked on her food and coughed slightly. As it turned out, he was just acting tonight. But, for some reason, she felt a little disappointed. ¡°Yes, it was awesome. Thanks to you, I have preserved my dignity.¡± Queenie gave him a thumbs up. ¡°Thank you. When you need my help, just say the word, and I¡¯ll definitely lend a hand when I can.¡± ¡°Oh? Can you help me with anything?¡± Nigel narrowed his eyes as he rified with her again. ¡°Yes, anything! Just tell me. I will help you. You have my word.¡± Queenie felt a little thirsty after speaking, so she picked up the ss of water and took a sip. ¡°Well, I feel a little lonely tonight. How about you keep mepany?¡± Nigel smirked as he teased her. Queenie was so shocked that she sprayed that sip of water on Nigel¡¯s face and the food on the table. Poor Nigel was so startled that he stared at her in shock as though his brain had stopped functioning. He could clearly feel fine drops of water spraying on his handsome face, but he just couldn¡¯t believe that it actually happened. Queenie was utterly taken aback by his teasing, so she was still somewhat dazed. Nevertheless, when she finally regained herposure, she hurriedly grabbed the napkin and handed it to Nigel, who looked at her with aplicated expression. ¡°Oh, my! I¡¯m so sorry! Here, wipe your face. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I¡¯m terribly sorry!¡± Nigel closed his eyes, and his thin lips twitched a little as he finally came to terms with reality. He took the napkin from her and wiped his handsome face while fixing his aggrieved gaze on her. ¡°Uh¡­ I don¡¯t think we can eat this. Let¡¯s order something else!¡± Queenie flushed in embarrassment. Her actions, never mind how idental, had ruined the entire table worth of food. This was why it was best to keep unpredictable or shocking things to oneself when eating, or the consequences would be disastrous! ¡°I¡¯m full.¡± Nigel ced the napkin away and said to her, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Thankfully, Queenie already had a fill, and she sensed that Nigel was angered, so she didn¡¯t protest as she nodded and followed behind him quietly. Unfortunately, when they were in the elevator, she couldn¡¯t help but recall the scene and felt that the whole thing was hrious. But since she was the cause and her victim was right next to her, she tried her hardest not tough as she reyed the scene repeatedly in her mind. Still, her shaking shoulders and the way she avoided looking at him betrayed her thoughts. Nigel looked at her in askance and grunted, ¡°Justugh.¡± ¡°Haha!¡± When she heard his ¡®approval¡¯, she immediately stopped suppressing herughter and laughed her head off. When they walked out of the restaurant, Queenie, who wasughing so hard that she began to gasp, didn¡¯t even notice that Nigel stopped in his tracks. Thus, she bumped straight into his back. ¡°Ouch! It hurts¡­¡± Queenie rubbed her stinging nose ruefully. It seemed as if Queenie had aughing problem because she could not stop it, no matter how hard she tried. When Nigel turned around and stared at her, she looked up, and another round of chuckles would burst from her lips when she saw his serious face. Oh goodness, what is wrong with me?! She felt she couldn¡¯t stop giggling as long as she looked at him tonight. On the other hand, Nigel didn¡¯t find it funny at all. Instead, he felt embarrassed when Queenie kept cackling. It felt like he was beingughed at rather than admired for his humor. ¡°Queenie¡­¡± he called in a low, threatening voice. Queenie looked up at him. Then, all of a sudden, tworge palms cupped her face. Before she could process what was going on, Nigel closed his eyes and kissed her. The warmth on her lips surprised her so much that she stoppedughing altogether. Rather, she was so flustered that her mind went nk due to panic. Nigel sucked on her red lips before releasing her with a slight gasp. He looked at her and questioned her huskily, ¡°Cat got your tongue?¡± The kiss seemed like an effective method to silence herughter. Queenie blinked, bit her lips, and looked at him in bewilderment. There were tears at the corners of her eyes that looked like diamonds embellishing the corner of her eyes. She looked particrly delectable. Mesmerized by Queenie¡¯s beauty, Nigel felt that one kiss was not enough. So he extended his arm to embrace her and kiss her again, but this time, Queenie responded quickly by taking a step back and pushing him away. ¡°No, stop¡­ You can¡¯t just do whatever you want to me. If you kiss me again, you have to be my boyfriend.¡± Queenie was wise regarding her love life. Hence, she barely held hands with Leslie when they were ¡®dating¡¯. Nigel snorted because he felt that she was snubbing him. ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t want to date you?¡± ¡°Do you want to date me?¡± Queenie¡¯s eyes lit up with delight. Nigel narrowed his eyes as he replied affirmatively, ¡°Of course.¡± This time, it was Queenie¡¯s turn to be shocked. She had always been rtively levelheaded in the rtionship department, so she bit her lips and muttered, ¡°Wait¡­ Give me some time to think about it, okay?¡± She didn¡¯t know much about Nigel¡¯s family other than the fact that they were extremely wealthy. She and Nigel were not of the same social status, and he was way out of her league. Nigel was dumbstruck by her question. What was there to think about? Was he not good enough for her? ¡°I¡¯ll give you three days to think about it. Then, when the timees, we¡¯ll date.¡± ¡°What if I need more time?¡± Queenie blinked and asked, fighting for a way for herself. As Nigel walked toward his car, he proimed, ¡°You can¡¯t run away from me no matter what.¡± Queenie felt like she was a rabbit that had be the target of the big bad wolf, Nigel. As she tried to digest what was happening, she finally came to her senses, and her lips curled into a smile. Challenge epted! Her clear eyes shone with anticipation of a new journey ahead of her. If she seeded, she would be Mrs. Manson. If she failed, she would return to being Miss Silverstein. It seemed that she wouldn¡¯t suffer any loss either way. On the way home, Queenie¡¯s phone rang. She frowned when she saw the caller ID. ¡°Leslie? Why is he calling me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t answer it,¡± Nigelmanded in an authoritative tone. Queenie didn¡¯t answer his call, but Leslie called for the second time. She wondered if something terrible had happened to Bonnie, so she answered, albeit unwillingly, ¡°Hello! Is something the matter?¡± ¡°Queenie! You finally answered my call. I¡¯m fine. I just want to talk to you¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to say to you.¡± ¡°No! Please don¡¯t hang up¡­ I¡¯m so moved today! Do you know how much you mean to me? I just realized today that you are ten thousand times better and kinder than Bonnie¡­ I was so stupid to break up with you. You would have been my wife now if I hadn¡¯t been charmed by Bonnie,¡± Leslie confessed his feelings affectionately. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Stop it.¡± Queenie was irritated by his frankly shameless attitude. At this moment, the car stopped at the traffic light. Nigel snatched the phone from Queenie¡¯s hand and warned Leslie, ¡°I like Queenie. Stop pestering her.¡± After that, he ended the call and handed the phone back to her. When Queenie took the phone, her face flushed crimson, and her heart thumped wildly. It felt as if someone had made a reservation for her lifetime happiness, and the person who made the reservation was a rich and handsome young man. Did it mean that the snack pantry in his house belonged to her? When they reached the entrance of Queenie¡¯s house, Nigel parked his car under the tree. Queenie looked in the direction of her house and then at Nifel beside her. Then, she murmured reluctantly, ¡°Thanks for the ride. I¡¯ll head off now.¡± ¡°Go on!¡± Nigel tilted his head and looked at her as he said gently. Queenie opened the door and got out of the car. Only after watching his car leave did she enter the house. As soon as she walked into the house, her parents were deep in conversation, and she heard Maggie¡¯s guilty voice. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I didn¡¯t educate Bonnie well, so the Paynes thought she was an ill- mannered brat.¡± ¡°Alright, don¡¯t me yourself. We¡¯ll talk to Bonnie when she gets back. But, since Leslie did not want to take responsibility for what he had done, we won¡¯t allow Bonnie to get married to an irresponsible man like that. She will have a tough life if she marries him,¡± Brandon dismissed in anger. They were angry at the Paynes instead of Bonnie. ¡°Mom, Dad, I¡¯m home.¡± Queenie walked in with her handbag in hand. The moment she caught sight of Maggie¡¯s red eyes, she instantly headed over tofort her. ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, Mom. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± ¡°I know that Leslie and Bonnie wronged you, but Queenie, promise me that you won¡¯t take out your anger on Bonnie again, okay? Both of you are my daughters. I¡¯ll be heartbroken and torn if either of you is unhappy.¡± Queenie understood Maggie¡¯s anguish, but she could not expect Maggie to understand her misery. It was even more challenging for her to tell Maggie about all the nasty things Bonnie had done to her. She could not whine about them. All she could do was keep them to herself. Only by restraining herself would her family have a modicum of peace. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll try not to needle her,¡± Queenie promised. Her parents had had a hard time today after handling the whole lot of angered Paynes, so she did not want to upset them further. ¡°Where is Bonnie? Why hasn¡¯t she returned yet?¡± Brandon asked worriedly. ¡°She can be quite stubborn. What if something bad happens to her?!¡± A horrified and worried Brandon made another call to Bonnie. Bonnie obviously answered the call because Brandon quickly asked, ¡°Bonnie! Where are you? Hurry up ande home. Queenie is already home.¡± ¡°Dad, I¡¯m sad. I don¡¯t want to go home yet.¡± ¡°No, you muste home now! It¡¯s already ten. Send me your current location. I¡¯ll go over and fetch you,¡± Brandon demanded. ¡°Alright, but I¡¯ll go home by myself. You don¡¯t have toe and fetch me,¡± Bonnie said on the other end of the line. ¡°I¡¯ll ask the driver to fetch you.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to. I¡¯ll take a cab back.¡± After that, Bonnie hung up. Queenie disapproved of Bonnie¡¯s behavior as she looked at her parents¡¯ apparent anxiety over their wayward daughter. The twins had a 10.00PM curfew, and she had never caused her parents such worry by returning home on the dot. It was almost 11.00PM when a grumpy Bonnie finally deigned to return home. The resentment was even more evident in Bonnie¡¯s expression when she looked at Queenie sitting on the couch. Queenie said, ¡°Did you know that Leslie had a car ident tonight?¡± ¡°What?!¡± Bonnie shrieked in shock. ¡°What car ident? Where?¡± ¡°Outside the restaurant. You shook off his hand and ran across the street. He chased after you and was hit by a car,¡± Queenie said. Bonnie was taken aback for a few seconds. Then, she remembered that only a few seconds were left on the green light when she crossed the street, but she didn¡¯t see if Leslie had caught up with her. She felt somewhat guilty for a moment, but on second thought, she felt that Leslie deserved it. She never asked him to chase after now, did she? ¡°He didn¡¯t die. So, what¡¯s the fuss?¡± Bonnie blurted indifferently. At this moment, Maggie came down the stairs. Bonnie¡¯s expression changed immediately, and she cried as if she got straight into her character, ¡°Oh my goodness! Is Leslie alright? It¡¯s all my fault. He wouldn¡¯t have had an ident if it weren¡¯t for me.¡± Queenie frowned in disgust when she watched Bonnie acting immediately as soon as Maggie showed up. ¡°Cut the crap, will you?!¡± Maggie happened to hear what Bonnie said. She rushed downstairs and assured her, ¡°Bonnie, it¡¯s not your fault. Leslie wasn¡¯t seriously injured, fortunately. He just got a few scrapes, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Mom, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve disgraced you today. Did the Paynes give you a hard time?¡± Bonnie embraced Maggie, and her eyes turned red instantly. Queenie¡¯s jaw dropped when she witnessed the scene. Even an actress would not be able to cry as fast as she could. Despite being used to such a thing, she still felt agitated and resentful at the fact that her parents had never seen past Bonnie¡¯s fa?ade. ¡°Never mind us, but you have to break up with Leslie. But, Bonnie, don¡¯t worry. Your dad and I will find a better husband for you,¡± Maggie avowed. Bonnie nodded timidly. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Go and take a shower. I¡¯ll ask Courtney to make sandwiches for you.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t want them. Her sandwiches are not delicious at all. But, mom, I want to eat your sandwiches,¡± Bonnie pouted and even grimaced in disgust even though Courtney was standing next to them. Courtney lowered her head sadly. She had been cooking for over a decade and took pride in her cooking skills. Bonnie¡¯s belittling remarks had truly hurt her. ¡°Courtney¡¯s food is very delicious. It doesn¡¯t suit your taste, that¡¯s all,¡± Queenie rebuked. ¡°Delicious? rgh! Mom, we should fire her and hire a new chef. I¡¯ve been eating the same dishes every day. I¡¯ve had enough of it!¡± Bonnie sneered with disdain. Maggie hurriedly coaxed, ¡°Shush. Alright now, that¡¯s enough out of you. Go and take a shower. I¡¯ll make the sandwiches.¡± As Bonnie headed upstairs in a huff, she red at Courtney as she walked the stairs. As soon as Bonnie was out of sight, Maggieforted Courtney before going into the kitchen to cook something up for Bonnie. Meanwhile, Queenie was fuming with anger inside. Ever since Bonnie returned, everyone at home had not been in a good mood and had to coax her like she was a princess. Arriving upstairs, Queenie found that Bonnie had already taken a shower as she came out of the bathroom wearing a pair of revealing pajamas. At that, Queenie¡¯s face darkened as she chided, ¡°Hey, Dad is still at home. Why are you dressed like this?¡± ¡°Oh, Queenie. You must be jealous, aren¡¯t you? After all, I¡¯m much better than you when ites to certain aspects.¡± Then, Bonnie proudly puffed out her chest while taunting, ¡°Yours look like they have yet to hit puberty. What a shame.¡± In actuality, Queenie¡¯s figure was not as bad as Bonnie made it out to be; her chests were merely not as exaggerated as Bonnie¡¯s, which looked fake since she had some surgery done. ¡°Yeah, fine, sure. Yours are bigger than mine. Are you happy now? Change your clothes and head downstairs,¡± ordered Queenie as she gritted her teeth. Although Bonnie was their father¡¯s daughter, it would still be embarrassing for her to go downstairs in such clothing and get seen by their father. Moreover, their mother would be upset as well if she saw it! Yet, Bonnie only wore this outfit with the intention to show Queenie how her figure was better than hers. Seeing that her sister had gone back to her room, Queenie heaved a sigh of relief. There were times when Bonnie¡¯s actions and behavior reminded her of the shameless women from nightclubs. As such, Queenie went back to her room and came to the mirror in her bathroom. She turned to her side and looked at her figure in the mirror. Puberty has yet to hit me? Pfft. I think they¡¯re already better than others. Ring! At that moment, her phone rang. She picked up the phone and saw that it was a call from Nigel. ¡°Hello!¡± she answered the call as she plopped onto the bed. ¡°Are you asleep?¡± ¡°Nope. What about you?¡± ¡°I just came out of the shower.¡± Queenie¡¯s mind immediately fled to the scene of that maning out of the bathroom. Her pretty face flushed as she replied, ¡°So, are you going to bed soon?¡± ¡°Yeah, soon.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t sleep, though.¡± ¡°Why? Are you too excited to sleep?¡± Nigel teased her. ¡°No. I¡¯m too angry to sleep.¡± ¡°Did your sister anger you again?¡± Distressed, Nigel was actually empathetic to her situation. This was because even at first nce, Bonnie did not look like a person that was easy to deal with. He knew that Queenie must have suffered a lot of grievances to have to interact with a person like her. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask you a question, but you have to answer me honestly.¡± As Queenie finished her words, she lowered her head and looked at her sash. The words Bonnie had said earlier continued to challenge her confidence. ¡°Ask away.¡± Nigel listened carefully to what she was about to ask. ¡°You promise not tough at me.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± He was looking forward to her question. Plucking up her courage, Queenie took a deep breath and asked, ¡°What do you think about my body? Is it good?¡± ¡°Pretty good.¡± ¡°If so¡­ Do I look¡­ small?¡± ¡°Where do you mean?¡± Nigel asked in a serious manner. ¡°There!¡± She buried her face into the nket in shame. As if she heard the man¡¯s muffledughter, she eximed, ¡°You promised not tough at me!¡± ¡°Cough¡­ I didn¡¯t. I think you¡¯re fine. ording to my visual inspection, I think they¡¯re quite good,¡± Nigel reassured her. ¡°When did you visually inspect them?¡± she asked while biting her lip. ¡°When I was with you. Not really a hard task to do so,¡± Nigel replied. Queenie snorted. As expected, men never have pure intentions! Even Nigel¡¯s one of them. In that case, does that mean he¡¯s checked out Bonnie¡¯s too?! ¡°ording to your ¡®visual inspections¡¯, my sister¡¯s chest must be more attractive, right?¡± With jealousy rising within her, it became evident in her tone as well. The man on the other end did not expect her to react this way, so he responded straightforwardly, ¡°I only look at women whom I am interested in. Women that I am not interested in will not attract me, no matter how good they look.¡± ¡°But my sister and I look quite simr. If you like my looks, you should like hers too!¡± Queenie argued while biting her lips. Chapter 1241-1250 Chapter 1241-1250 ¡°To me, you guys are pr opposites. No matter how simr you both look on the outside, your personalities are obviously different. Queenie Silverstein, you should have more faith in me,¡± Nigel replied solemnly. As soon as Queenie heard that, her confidence immediately returned and she hummed in response before saying, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll let this go.¡± ¡°Do you have any ns for tomorrow?¡± she continued. ¡°If you agree to have lunch with me, then I will have a n for tomorrow,¡± he replied. Suddenly, Queenie felt a surge of anticipation in her chest. ¡°Sure! Let¡¯s do that.¡± ¡°Rest early and don¡¯t think about anything else.¡± ¡°So, I can¡¯t think about you tonight? Sure, I¡¯ll do that,¡± she deliberately teased. Nigel was speechless. ¡°Except¡­ for me. Think about me.¡± ¡°Will you be thinking about me too?¡± she asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Finally satisfied, she concluded, ¡°Good. I¡¯ll be thinking about you too. Good night.¡± ¡°Good night,¡± he responded. Queenie waited for a while before hanging up. With anticipation, she was imagining her lunch date with Nigel tomorrow. Meanwhile, Bonnie had changed into casual clothes and was having her meal downstairs. She asked her mother, ¡°Mom, are Queenie and Young Master Nigel dating?¡± ¡°Judging by the situation, I think they are.¡± Maggie was happy, as she no longer had to worry about her eldest daughter since Queenie was such a lucky person to have met Nigel. For now, she only had to worry about her younger daughter¡¯s future. ¡°Mom, do you really think that our family can match up to the Manson Family? What if Young Master Nigel is only ying her?¡± Bonnie asked worriedly. Truth be told, Maggie was also worried about that matter, for she did not want her daughter to fall for an ungrateful person either. With a frown, she stated, ¡°I will tell Queenie to be more alert. If he is ying with her feelings, then she should stop this rtionship and not let it ruin her life.¡± ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll help Queenie keep a lookout as well.¡± Bonnie smiled. Assuming that it was a kind gesture, Maggie grinned approvingly. ¡°That¡¯s good! This is how sisters are meant to be; always loving, helping, and thinking about each other.¡± At about 9.00AM next morning, Courtney heard the doorbell ring before she went to open the door. It was then she saw Leslie standing there with a bouquet of flowers in his hands. ¡°Mr. Payne, you¡¯re here so early!¡± Although Leslie still had a bandaid on his face, he looked to be in high spirits as he dressed up handsomely. He held the flowers in his arms, came into the house, and entered the dining room. Brandon had left early in the morning whereas Bonnie and Queenie had just finished their breakfast while Maggie was instructing the servants about something. Just as Bonnie was about to head upstairs, she heard footstepsing from the entrance and turned her head to see Leslie walking in with a bouquet of flowers. Her expression immediately turned disdainful and she rolled her eyes. ¡°Leslie, didn¡¯t I make myself clear? I told you to nevere¡ª¡± However, before she could finish, she saw him walking toward the couch with the flowers and knelt on one knee before the couch where Queenie was sitting. ¡°Queenie, please ept these flowers. They are a token of my gratitude.¡± Queenie was stunned for a few seconds. Is Leslie giving me flowers? What¡¯s going on? ¡°Leslie, you¡¯ve got the wrong person!¡± She frowned. On the other hand, Bonnie also wondered if Leslie had hit his eye in the car ident yesterday. Otherwise, why was he unable to differentiate between Queenie and herself? Although Bonnie had given up on him, watching him present flowers to her sister made her feel ufortable. ¡°No, I¡¯ve got you right. This flower is meant for you, Queenie. I apologize for all the hurt I¡¯ve brought to you. Please forgive me.¡± Leslie felt like he had been reborn and did not even spare Bonnie a nce since he came in. Meanwhile, Bonnie bit her red lips as she looked disbelievingly at what had happened. Did Leslie just ignore me and is now confessing his love for Queenie? ¡°Leslie, I heard that you got into an ident yesterday. Where are you hurt?¡± Bonnie took the initiative to ask about his well-being and walked toward the couch. As the man turned his head to look at her, his eyes were no longer filled with affection anymore; instead, there was only coldness. ¡°I don¡¯t need your sympathy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It was all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have left you behind and caused you to get into an ident.¡± While saying so, Bonnie was shooting him with eyes full of grievances. Back then, she only had to frown a little and Leslie would buy her gifts to coax her. At first, she thought that Leslie would still care about her feelings like he always did. Yet, she only heard him snort lightly. ¡°I was blind. How could I have left such a good woman like Queenie and get seduced by a heartless woman like you?¡± ¡°Excuse me. Did you say I¡¯m heartless? How am I heartless?¡± Bonnie refused to admit that. Watching them about to get into a heated argument, Queenie wanted to leave as she stood up and said, ¡°You guys go on. I¡¯ll be in my room.¡± However, Leslie grabbed her wrist as soon as she rose to her feet. ¡°Queenie, don¡¯t leave.¡± Immediately, she withdrew her hand and warned, ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡± Despite being given the cold shoulder, Leslie did not show any displeasure. On the contrary, he smiled and offered, ¡°Since we can¡¯t be lovers, can we be friends?¡± Bonnie¡¯s eyes were wide with shock. Has Leslie fallen for Queenie? Clearly, Queenie did not want to have anything to do with him, so she went upstairs, but Leslie had no intentions of leaving either. Meanwhile, Bonnie sat on the couch and pretended to be aggrieved. She wanted to test Leslie¡¯s reaction because she did not believe that he would forget about her overnight. In fact, she was confident that her charms could keep him around. As soon as she noticed he had turned his head to look at her, her eyes reddened. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, okay? I didn¡¯t want to hurt youst night. I was mad.¡± However, she did not know that the car ident fromst night almost killed Leslie. After the near- death experience, he finally understood that the most important thing in the world was not outer beauty but having a conscience. ¡°We¡¯re done. All I want to do now is topensate for what I¡¯ve done to Queenie,¡± he stated. ¡°Leslie, have you forgotten how she brought Nigel to dinnerst night and humiliated you? I don¡¯t recall seeing her being sad about that!¡± Bonnie snorted lightly and argued. At that moment, Leslie received a call before he answered it while rising to his feet. ¡°Has everything been sent over?¡± Then, he quickened his pace out the door. Bonnie involuntarily got up and stood before the French window, wondering what he sent over. As he was from a well-off family and was not a stingy person, the gifts he had given her throughout the six months they were together might have exceeded a few hundred thousand. Soon after that, she saw him returning with three employees from a jewelry store. They were wearing gloves as they carefully drew out four sets of jewelry from the suitcases they had brought. The sun was shining down on them, making the jewelry dazzle ravishingly, and every piece made Bonnie¡¯s heart skip a beat. These four sets of jewelry must have cost at least a hundred thousand! When has Leslie be so generous? ¡°Mr. Payne, the jewelry you ordered has arrived. Please sign here.¡± ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll contact you if there¡¯s any issues.¡± Leslie nodded as he sat down on the couch. Once the jewelry store employees had left, Bonnie quickly sat down beside him and pointed at one of the nes. ¡°Leslie, the dress I ordered just happens to need a matching ne! Can you give me this one?¡± ¡°You see these four sets of jewelry? Well, none of them are yours and you can stop dreaming about it. These are all for Queenie.¡± After finishing his words, he shut the jewelry boxes and carried them upstairs. Bonnie, who was left alone in the living room, narrowed her eyes and secretly stomped her feet. As expected, one never knew what they had until they lost it. At this point, she realized that she was now more attracted to Leslie than before. Yet, the man only had eyes for her sister now. On the other hand, Queenie was passing the time in her room by flipping through books. She was waiting for the clock to strike 11.00AM so that she could leave for her date with Nigel. Unexpectedly, someone knocked on her door. ¡°Queenie, open up. I have something to tell you.¡± The sound of Leslie¡¯s voice rang from the outside. Frowning, she wondered why he had yet to leave. She wanted to ignore him, but he would knock on her door every few seconds, which annoyed her. Thus, she got up and opened the door to see him carrying a few jewelry boxes in his arms. ¡°Queenie, why don¡¯t you have a look at these and see if you like them? I picked them out especially for you.¡± Leslie clumsily utched the first jewelry box to show her the contents. However, Queenie merely swept her gaze over the jewelry before looking back at him. ¡°Leslie, I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t bother me ever again. We can¡¯t even be friends, let alone be lovers, so please leave my house.¡± Leslie pursed his lips. Of course, it did not feel good to be rejected, but the usually proud and arrogant man was humbled at this moment. He reasoned with her while hugging those jewelry boxes to his chest. ¡°If you want me to leave, sure, I¡¯ll leave, but you have to ept these. I¡¯ve hurt you so much, so I mustpensate for it.¡± Before Queenie could react, he pushed her door open and ced all the boxes on the couch in her bedroom. Then, he turned around and left. ¡°Leslie, take them with you,¡± she called out from behind him. However, Leslie ran downstairs and left through the living room. Bonnie approached him and wanted to converse with him, but he did not bother to even spare her a nce. ¡°Leslie,¡± she called out again as she bit her lips. After he left, Queenie looked annoyedly at the four jewelry boxes without any desire to look at them. For her, those were not anything good; they were trouble. Before she could close the door, Bonnie came over with a resentful expression. ¡°Queenie, what did you say to Lesliest night? Did you talk sh*t about me?¡± She believed that Queenie definitely had something to do with why Leslie suddenly changed his mind about her. While raising her eyebrows, Queenie questioned, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you never loved him? You should be happy he chose to break up with you.¡± A wicked glint shed across Bonnie¡¯s eyes as she smiled. ¡°That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t love Leslie anymore because I fell for another man.¡± The moment Queenie heard those words, her expression fell. She could guess who Bonnie was talking about as she clenched her fists. ¡°Bonnie, you can have whatever that belongs to me, but that man¡­ I suggest that you don¡¯t even think about touching him.¡± As if she had found something she could use against Queenie, Bonnie smirked even more triumphantly. ¡°What right do you have to warn me not to touch him? Aren¡¯t all men the same? I could steal Leslie away from you. Who¡¯s to say I can¡¯t take Nigel away too?¡± At this point, Queenie did not know where her rage came from, but when she saw the smug look on Bonnie¡¯s face, she stepped forward and gave Bonnie a hard p. The sound from the p was loud and crisp. Though Queenie never pped anyone, Bonnie had stepped on her tail this time. Bonnie¡¯s gaze turned furious as she thought about hitting Queenie back. However, just at that moment, she heard her parents¡¯ voicesing from downstairs. ¡°Oh, Leslie came over? Where is he?¡± It was Maggie¡¯s voice. Biting her lips, Bonnie looked at Queenie and threatened, ¡°Just you wait for the day where you¡¯ll be chased out of this house again!¡± Once she finished, she turned around and ran into the doorframe beside her, letting out a pained scream. ¡°Ahh!¡± Before Queenie could react, she saw Bonnie crash into the doorframe as a trail of blood was running down her hairline. It was not serious, but the blood that flowed down and stained her face made the scene look terrifying. Downstairs, the Silverstein couple was about to take a rest and have a drink of water when they heard themotion from upstairs. They did not even get to have a sip before running upstairs. Meanwhile, Queenie was stunned by what had happened. She never expected Bonnie to be so ruthless as to run into the wall and injure herself just to frame her. ¡°My gosh! Bonnie!¡± screamed Maggie when she saw the terrifying scene of her daughter lying on the floor with her face covered with blood. ¡°Queenie, w-why did you push me? What did I do wrong?¡± Bonnie struggled to get up and looked at Queenie with her innocent and pained eyes. ¡°Honey, send her to the hospital, quick! Send Bonnie to the hospital. She¡¯s going to get disfigured.¡± Maggie was so anxious that tears started to flow down her eyes. Brandon immediately carried Bonnie into his arms and yelled at Queenie, ¡°What did you do to her?¡± ¡°I-I didn¡¯t push her. She ran into the wall herself.¡± Though Queenie was telling the truth, the current situation rendered her words unconvincing. Maggie was also looking at Queenie as if her youngest daughter¡¯s distressed state was all caused by Queenie. Besides the blood flowing from Bonnie¡¯s forehead, there was a visible handprint on one side of her face, but her eldest daughter was standing there as if nothing had happened. ¡°Queenie, how could you do such a thing? That¡¯s your sister!¡± After spitting those words in disappointment, she quickly left with her husband, who had Bonnie in his arms. Queenie fell into a daze while standing there. Tears of grievance welled up in her eyes as she thought about the questioning gazes her parents threw at her as if she was a ruthless person; those gazes were like knives piercing her chest. But I didn¡¯t do anything! She took a deep breath and suddenly had the thought of running away from home. Would this home be peaceful once I¡¯m gone? If so, she could move out for the time being. As she made that decision, she went to her closet, took out her suitcase, and began to pack her clothes. She had decided to stay in a hotel for a while. Meanwhile, in the hospital nearby. Bonnie¡¯s injuries had been cleaned and wrapped in gauze. As for the swelling on her face, which was left by the p, the nurse applied some topical medication on it to help with the swelling. ¡°Bonnie, what were you guys arguing about? Why did Queenie push you?¡± ¡°Perhaps I said something wrong and triggered her.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Brandon frowned. ¡°I said I wanted to break up with Leslie, and she suddenly became irritated. She even framed me, saying that I was going to steal her current boyfriend, Nigel. I felt so wronged. Does breaking up with Leslie mean I wanted to snatch her boyfriend from her? How could she think of me this way?¡± As Bonnie narrated her sob story, she wiped her tears away. Maggie met Brandon¡¯s gaze and sighed. ¡°Is Queenie being overly sensitive?¡± ¡°Even if she was, she shouldn¡¯t have pushed you or hit you for that matter. If you had to be taught a lesson, we should have been the ones to do it. She¡¯ll get it from me once we return,¡± Brandon comforted her. ¡°Dad, Mom, Queenie also said that she hates that I look like her. She said she hated my face. S-She wanted to ruin my face! I was so scared!¡± After saying that, Bonnie hid in her mother¡¯s arms and sobbed even harder. ¡°What nonsense is that? You both are twins. Of course, you two look very alike,¡± Maggie reassured her. ¡°Queenie must be afraid that Young Master Nigel might see my face someday and that I will steal her boyfriend again, so she wanted to disfigure me.¡± Bonnie was desperately trying to lure the Silverstein couple to think that Queenie bore such a vicious thought. ¡°Queenie is a good child and she wouldn¡¯t have such bad thoughts. Bonnie, you must have misunderstood her.¡± Maggie did not believe her eldest daughter would bear such intentions. ¡°Mom, you don¡¯t understand. Queenie loves Young Master Nigel so much that she wouldn¡¯t let anyone steal him from her. She must be in over her head. That¡¯s why she did this to me, but I understand her and don¡¯t me her.¡± Bonnie put on a selfless act while smiling. ¡°I hope she and Young Master Nigel can be happy together.¡± Hearing that, both parents felt dejected. Their daughters saw each other as enemies and they would feel distressed if any one of them got hurt. In the meantime, Queenie was inside the parking lot of the Silverstein Residence. She loaded her suitcase onto the passenger seat of her car before stepping hard on the elerator and speeding out of the Silverstein Residence. ording to her understanding of Bonnie, she would bad-mouth her as much as possible before their parents. Instead of letting her parents lecture her when they returned, it would be better if she moved out! I¡¯m just gonna talk to them until they cool down. Just as she drove onto the road, she stopped by the roadside and dialed Nigel¡¯s number. ¡°Hey. I¡¯m on my way to pick you up.¡± ¡°No need. I drove my car out.¡± She was feeling devastated. ¡°Why? What happened?¡± Nigel keenly caught something wrong with her voice. ¡°I-I got in a fight with my sister. I want to move out for a while.¡± After saying that, she asked, ¡°Does your hotel offer monthly packages?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk after we meet up at the restaurant.¡± Nigel¡¯s voice deepened. ¡°Alright.¡± At 11.30AM, Queenie arrived at the restaurant where she and Nigel agreed to meet. Very soon, a ck SUV entered the parking lot and he had arrived. Looking at the approaching man with an elegant and handsome demeanor, she imagined Bonnie wrapping her arms around his and showing off her victory to her. At that moment, a determined goal immediately appeared in her mind. No, I¡¯ll never let someone like Bonnie get close to Nigel. ¡°Let¡¯s head up!¡± Nigel said to her. Seeing that she was in a bad mood, he held her hand as they headed upstairs. At first, Queenie was stunned. She felt a warm feeling inside her when he held her hand and all the grievances she had suffered at home had all dissipated. While Bonnie hurt her, Nigel healed her. Inside the restaurant, he narrowed his eyes as he asked, ¡°So, tell me. What did you guys argue about?¡± Queenie did not want to expose the skeleton inside her family¡¯s closet, nor did she want Nigel to know that Bonnie was plotting to get close to seduce him. Having such a disgrace of a sister was indeed something she did not want to share with others. Moreover, she did not know him that well. She thought that if he was someone who other women could easily seduce, she would not start a rtionship with him anyway. Therefore, she had to decipher what kind of person he was first and foremost. She smiled bitterly and replied, ¡°Nothing much, just an argument between sisters.¡± ¡°If you believe in my character, you don¡¯t have to stay at the hotel. You can think about staying with me,¡± Nigel stated. ¡°B-But, wouldn¡¯t that be such a hassle?¡± Excitement secretly shed across her eyes. She had thought about living at his home, but she was too embarrassed to mention it. As for his character, ording to her twenty-four years of life experience, he was very trustworthy. Hooking his lips into a smile, he persuaded, ¡°Did you forget? If we were to be together, wouldn¡¯t we have to live closer together? Otherwise, how will you get to know me better?¡± She was stunned for a few seconds. Does he need to be so straightforward? ¡°Sure, I ept your offer.¡± Queenie still remembered his junk food stash. If she stayed at his home, she would be able to eat all the snacks she wanted for free. She could use dating him as an excuse to eat all his delicious snacks. Wasn¡¯t that something to look forward to? Meanwhile, Nigel had mixed feelings in his heart. Although she quickly agreed to his suggestion, he could not help but wonder if she would do the same if it were some other man. He did not understand why, but he thought that the woman before him was so naive that he felt worried for her. Therefore, he would only be reassured if she dated him. At that moment, Queenie¡¯s phone rang. She nced at it and felt nervous. ¡°My dad.¡± Switching her gaze between the phone and Nigel, she decided to answer the call in private so that he would not watch her getting scolded. ¡°Excuse me while I answer this.¡± Soon, she grabbed her phone, exited the restaurant, and answered it out in the corridor. Knowing that her father¡¯s first words would be very loud, she pulled the phone away from her after answering it. ¡°Queenie Silverstein, where are you?¡± As expected, her father¡¯s voice boomed out of the receiver. She pouted in grievance before putting the phone closer to her ear and replied, ¡°Dad, I¡¯m having lunch with a friend.¡± ¡°Your sister is seriously injured, yet you¡¯re still in the mood to eat? You¡¯re lucky Bonnie isn¡¯t disfigured. Do you know what the consequences would be if she were disfigured?¡± Queenie silently argued that it was impossible that Bonnie would disfigure herself. She even chose to hit the part of her head that she could cover with her hair. No matter what, Queenie was able to see how ruthless Bonnie could be. ¡°Dad, I really didn¡¯t push her. She did it to herself.¡± Queenie could not help but reason to him because she had no intention to take the me for this incident. ¡°How dare you make any excuses! Bonnie isn¡¯t stupid. How could she do this to herself? Also, did you leave a p mark on her face?¡± Brandon used. ¡°Yes, I did p her, but I didn¡¯t push her. I will admit to everything I did, but I will never admit to something I didn¡¯t do.¡± She was also a person with integrity. If she did it, she would admit it, but if she did not, she would not want to be the scapegoat. ¡°Y-You¡­ Look at what this home has be! Can you be more considerate of your sister? She has suffered so much since she was young. You¡¯re her older sister, so can¡¯t you be nicer to her?¡± Brandon was also at a loss for what to do. He thought he had spoiled his eldest daughter so much to the point that he had caused her to be ignorant, arrogant, selfish, and rude. Forcing back her tears, Queenie bit her lips and stated, ¡°Dad, I¡¯ve already decided to stay at a friend¡¯s house for the time being. I think this home will be more peaceful without me.¡± ¡°Queenie, I didn¡¯t mean to chase you away¡­ Why are you¡ª¡± Brandon was shocked. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me. Take good care of my injured sister.¡± After saying that, Queenie hung up. Now, it would be more peaceful at home and around her. Also, she did not have to watch Bonnie¡¯s act for now. At the Silverstein Residence. While Brandon was sitting on the couch and talking on the phone, Bonnie was eavesdropping by the railing on the second floor. After he ended the call, she pretended toe down the stairs and asked, ¡°Dad, where is Queenie? Did she find a ce to hide because she¡¯s afraid of getting scolded? I don¡¯t even me her for anything.¡± Sighing, Brandon replied, ¡°She said she¡¯d be staying at a friend¡¯s house for the time being. She¡¯s always been stubborn and she¡¯d hide from us every time we wanted to lecture her. Bonnie, you stay home and recuperate!¡± A hint of jealousy shed across Bonnie¡¯s eyes. Could the friend Queenie was talking about be Nigel? Was she so keen on moving in with him? Suddenly, Bonnie was secretly frustrated with herself. At first, she thought she could get her parents to scold Queenie and drive them away from each other. Yet, she never expected she would give Queenie another reason to leave home to find Nigel. It was such a careless mistake. More importantly, Nigel was unlike Leslie. She could not meet him as easily since he had a higher social status. ¡°Dad, I don¡¯t think Queenie is staying at her friend¡¯s. I think she¡¯s staying at Young Master Nigel¡¯s home! This might ruin her reputation.¡± She decided to make Queeniee home. Stunned by her words, Brandon wondered if it might be true. Was his eldest daughter staying at Nigel¡¯s home? It seemed like his daughter had grown up and out of his control. ¡°Bonnie, it¡¯s inappropriate for me to stick my nose into this matter. Moreover, I believe in Young Master Nigel¡¯s character and I hope he could be my future son-inw too.¡± In reality, he was d to hear about that. Also, he hoped that Queenie was smart enough to know how to capture the heart of a man like Nigel. ¡°Dad, Leslie dumped me, so you have to find me a better guy next time. I don¡¯t want to marry into a family that is not as good as Queenie.¡± Then, Bonnie shamelessly ran toward Brandon and held his hand while speaking like a spoiled child. ¡°Alright, alright. I will introduce you to men with prominent backgrounds if I have the chance. Oh, right. I have an invitation to a banquet on Friday night. I¡¯ll bring you with me.¡± ¡°Is it a high-end banquet?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s thergest business banquet Averna has had in recent years. You can meet a lot of excellent young men there.¡± Bonnie¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard that. The person she wanted to see the most was none other than Nigel. As long as she paid more attention to her outfit and makeup, she would have a higher chance of seducing him at the banquet. Just like Leslie, whom she met at a banquet and used some means to seduce. Her idea was that no man would dislike a taste of something new, especially men like Nigel. She had the skill set that an unsophisticated person like Queenie did not have. Back at the restaurant. After taking her father¡¯s call, Queenie was in quite a good mood as Bonnie had given her a chance to move out of the house without getting lectured by her parents. ¡°Did your father scold you?¡± Nigel asked. ¡°Of course, he did, but I¡¯m thick-skinned enough to not be afraid of getting a scolding from him!¡± She smiled as she started to anticipate staying at his home. After lunch, Queenie drove her car to Nigel¡¯s home. As she got to the parking lot, she discovered her car was the cheapest one among all the luxury cars in the parking lot. ¡°This is my first time seeing this car. This must be a sports car, right?¡± she asked while looking at a cool sports car. ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll take you out on a ride in it someday.¡± The gaze Nigel showered at the car also seemed like he was looking at a piece of treasure. While Queenie was looking at the sports car, Nigel opened the door for her to get inside and feel how it was to sit inside a sports car. She stayed in the car and looked around for quite a bit before descending it. Then, her suitcase was brought into the elevator by Nigel as they went straight up to the third floor. She was shown to the guest room she previously stayed in, where she saw the few dresses Cecily brought overst time! As she had nned for a long stay, she brought many clothes with her and a full set of her daily necessities like facial cleansers and makeup. After Queenie finished tidying up her things, she came out of her room and sat on the couch in the third-floor living room. While she was looking out at the scenery, she felt a hint of sorrow rising inside her. Avoiding the problem should not be the solution, and Bonnie¡¯s character and actions would bring many worries and trouble for their parents. She hoped that her parents would have a peaceful life without having to help Bonnie clean up the mess she made and apologize to others. What can I do about this sister of mine? That question bothered her. At that moment, a chocte box appeared in her sight line. Her eyes lit up, and all her worries were thrown out the window as she reached for the box of chocte and looked up at the man offering it to her. ¡°How did you know I like this kind of chocte?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you finish two boxes of these choctesst time? I had three boxes, and this is thest one,¡± Nigel spoke while sitting down beside her. Then, Queenie silently returned the box to him. ¡°Since this is thest one, I refuse to eat them. You should leave it for yourself.¡± Nigel was shocked for a few seconds before putting the box of choctes back into her arms. ¡°Good things are meant to be shared with the people you love. That¡¯s the meaning behind their existence.¡± Her eyes widened in astonishment as if those words were sweeter than the chocte. Although she did not know what he liked about her, she felt happy to be liked by someone. Opening up the box of chocte, she unwrapped the first one and fed it to Nigel. ¡°Here. Let¡¯s share.¡± After he took a bite, Queenie looked at the half-eaten chocte and waited for him to finish before feeding it to him. Unexpectedly, he mischievously held her hand and brought the half-eaten chocte to her lips. ¡°Take a bite! Don¡¯t be shy.¡± She fed the piece of chocte into her mouth while blushing and tasted the same rich taste from the same chocte piece he had eaten. The box only contained eight dainty pieces of chocte. Queenie could have easily finished the whole box alone, but since two people were sharing it, the choctes disappeared very quickly. Feeling as though she had not had enough, she said, ¡°This chocte is so good. It¡¯s a pity we can¡¯t get them here.¡± Nigel looked at her disappointed expression and smiled. Not being avable in the country did not mean that he could not get his hands on some more. At that moment, his phone rang and Queenie just happened to see Julian¡¯s name. She thought, So these two handsome fellows are actually friends! ¡°Hey, Julian.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t Ie over to your ce and y some games tonight?¡± ¡°It will be inconvenient for you toe over during this near period of time.¡± Nigel went straight to the point. ¡°How is it inconvenient?¡± asked Julian. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Oh! So, you¡¯re hiding someone in your home!¡± As expected from the person who drew up with Nigel, he got it right on the first try. ¡°Shush. You can¡¯t tell anyone about this.¡± Nigel did not want to publicize this matter, as it was better to date someone in the dark. If anyone found out about this, especially his parents, he would not be able to enjoy dating someone because his parents would start urging him about marriage. ¡°Have you finallye to your senses?¡± Julian asked. ¡°Invite her out for a meal with us someday.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll meet her eventually.¡± After Nigel finished, he hung up the call. ¡°Was that Julian Gilmore, the movie star?¡± Queenie asked with a curious expression. Nigel suddenly realized that she was Julian¡¯s fan, so before she couldpletely fall in love with him, he decided to ban Julian froming over. ¡°Do you like him?¡± He probed while narrowing his eyes at her. ¡°Who doesn¡¯t? All my friends are swooned by him.¡± At this point, the man¡¯s eyes were dangerously narrowed as he questioned, ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Queenie was quick to react as she giggled. ¡°I only like him for his acting. Haha.¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Her smile looked guilty and it just so happened that she received a notification on her phone at that moment. The screen of her phone, which was left on the table, suddenly lit up and a picture of Julian in histest photoshoot appeared on her screen. Queenie had forgotten that this was the other phone she had at home and was not the phone Nigel had given her. She was exposed by her own wallpaper. Slowly picking up the phone, she tried to hide it behind her body¡­ Then, Nigel¡¯s face came extremely close to hers. ¡°I think you like more than just his acting!¡± Queenie felt wronged. How could she possibly have known she would get to know him in such a short amount of time? Also, how could she have known that he and Julian were friends, which was why she had forgotten to change the wallpaper on her phone? ¡°I¡¯ll change it. I¡¯m changing it now.¡± After saying that, she took out her phone and changed the wallpaper to her self-portrait in front of him. Then, she showed it to him while saying, ¡°Here. I changed it. Do you think this picture looks good?¡± At that point, Nigel was even more sure of one thing. Julian is not allowed to show up before me for the time being. Suddenly, Queenie¡¯s phone rang. She looked at it and saw that it was her mother calling, so she said to him, ¡°It¡¯s my mom. Excuse me.¡± Once she finished speaking, she took her phone and went to the balcony to pick up the call. ¡°Hi, Mom.¡± ¡°Queenie, are you staying at Nigel¡¯s home?¡± A questioning tone sounded from the other end of the call. It was Bonnie. Frowning, she answered, ¡°I¡¯m not telling you anything.¡± ¡°I think you are. You¡¯re desperate to sleep with him so that you can win his heart, am I right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not you, so I don¡¯t need to use your methods to win a man¡¯s heart,¡± Queenie replied tly. ¡°Queenie,e home! I know I was wrong and I shouldn¡¯t have made you angry. It was all my fault.¡± Bonnie¡¯s tone suddenly turned pitiful. ¡°Bonnie, cut the act. You¡¯re such a hypocrite. I will never¡ª¡± ¡°Queenie, what are you talking about?¡± Maggie¡¯s stern voice sounded from the phone. Stunned for a few seconds, Queenie suddenly realized what had happened. Bonnie must have pressed on the loudspeaker and deliberately let her mother hear herst sentence. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Mom, don¡¯t me Queenie.¡± Then, Bonnie¡¯s weak voice sounded from the other end. ¡°Queenie, is this how I brought you up? How could you call your sister that way?¡± Marry angrily questioned, ¡°I heard Bonnie say that you¡¯re staying at Nigel¡¯s. Queenie, how many times have I told you that you should reserve some dignity. Both of you aren¡¯t even engaged. How could you move in together?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Queenie, what if you get pregnant? What if the Manson Family looks down on us and forces you to abort the baby? Aborting a baby is bad for your health,¡± Bonnie suddenly mentioned out of nowhere. This time, Queenie had indeed experienced how scheming Bonnie could be. She only had to say a few words to make their parents scold her. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. That won¡¯t happen.¡± Queenie tried tofort her mother. ¡°Queenie,e home this instant.¡± Maggie started to feel worried that what Bonnie said mighte true. ¡°Queenie, you should listen to Mom. It¡¯s dangerous for you to stay with a man alone. I¡¯m saying this because I care about you!¡± Bonnie spoke as if she was indeed concerned about her sister. ¡°Queenie, stop making me worried about you. You muste home tonight. I¡¯m not joking with you.¡± Maggie¡¯s usual gentle voice had turned serious. ¡°Queenie, Mom is really worried about you.¡± After taking a deep breath, Queenie tried to persuade her mother again, ¡°Mom, I promise, nothing will happen. Just trust me.¡± ¡°Queenie Silverstein, if you don¡¯te home tonight, don¡¯t me me for wanting to cut ties with you!¡± With that, Maggie hung up. In the meantime, Bonnie was smiling triumphantly in the Silversteins¡¯ living room. A night with Nigel? Dream on, Queenie! While Queenie stood on the balcony, she thought she had underestimated Bonnie¡¯s schemes. Even though she had left home, her sister still had to make things difficult for her. Standing on the balcony, she closed her eyes and thought about how she was always the obedient daughter. Ever since she was young, she would go with her parents¡¯ decisions and never disobeyed them. However, she decided that tonight would be the first time to break that streak. She was going to stay at Nigel¡¯s home tonight, not for anything else, but to prove to her parents that she was a grown-up now and was perfectly capable of making her own decisions. After making up her mind, Queenie called her mother. This time, it was Maggie who picked up. ¡°Hey, Queenie. I was too harsh with you earlier¡ª¡± ¡°Mom, I¡¯m not going home tonight. I¡¯m twenty-four, and I can take ount of my own actions. Also, I believe in Nigel¡¯s character.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t bother Leslie and Bonnie when they were together, so now I¡¯m asking you to do the same with me and Nigel.¡± Without waiting for her mother to respond, she hung up the phone. Meanwhile at the Silverstein Residence, Maggie sighed while sitting on her bed. She had been overly protective of Queenie ever since she was young and thought that she had not grown up enough to let her pursue the life she wanted. As she thought about that, she decided it was time to let go. Queenie fell into a daze while standing on the balcony. When she turned around, she saw a tall figure standing by the door. How long has he been here? She was so flustered and instantly averted her gaze. At the thought of what she had just said on the phone, she felt her cheeks getting warm. Did he hear what I said? ¡°Are you done with your calls?¡± Nigel asked casually. She thought it would be best if he did not overhear her disregarding her parents¡¯ disapproval and insisted on living with him. Otherwise, it would be too embarrassing. However, she did not know that he had indeed heard everything and was being respectful to her by not expressing it. He was especially shocked when he heard herst sentence. It had only been ten days since they met and she actually trusted him so much. After pondering for a while, he suggested, ¡°How about I bring you somewhere special for dinner tonight?¡± ¡°Where?¡± Queenie began to anticipate dinnertime. ¡°To a restaurant my family owns by the beach. I can bring you out for a drive to rx.¡± He decided to find a way to make her happy. ¡°Sure!¡± She nodded. At that moment, Nigel¡¯s phone rang. He took a look, smiled, and told Queenie, ¡°I need to take this call.¡± After that, he took his phone and entered his room. ¡°Hey! My little nephew.¡± ¡°Uncle Nigel, I don¡¯t have any homework this afternoon and I wannae over to your house and y games with you.¡± The cheer of an excited child sounded from the other end. However, Nigel immediately refused. ¡°No, you can¡¯te over. I¡¯m busytely and I don¡¯t have time to y games with you.¡± ¡°Uncle Nigel, are you at home? I¡¯ming over.¡± The kid was not giving up that easily. He rarely had the afternoon off, so he was dead set oning over. ¡°Jared, how about youe over next time? I¡¯ll bring you to some good food, go to the amusement park, and we can do whatever you want.¡± Nigel did not want to be overly obvious, so he had to coax the kid to change his mind. Otherwise, things might get out of hand. ¡°I don¡¯t want that. I want to head over and y. I¡¯m asking Mr. Caine to send me over now.¡± The kid had a private bodyguard, so he could go out whenever and wherever he wanted just by telling his bodyguard. Nigel held his head as he tried to think of a solution. He could reject anyone, but the kid was clingy to him. Before he entered elementary school, he woulde by every Saturday and stay the night. If he had not been swarmed by homework, he would have beening over every weekend. ¡°How about this? Do you remember Mr. Gilmore? He has a whole set of games at his house. Why don¡¯t you go there?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. My dad doesn¡¯t let me visit other people¡¯s houses at will, so I can only head to yours.¡± Jared was also afraid of getting scolded by his parents, so heughed sheepishly before saying, ¡°Uncle Nigel, I¡¯m heading out now! You¡¯ll see me soon.¡± Without getting the chance to dismiss his visit again, he had no choice but to call for help when he saw that his nephew had already hung up the call. At this point, who else could he call other than Julian? When Julian picked up Nigel¡¯s call, his voice sounded a little slurred as though he had just woken up from a nap. ¡°Hello¡­¡± ¡°Julian, are you free from this afternoon till 8.00PM tonight?¡± ¡°Yes! I am!¡± ¡°Can youe over to my house immediately? I need your help.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°My nephew insists oning over to my house, but I¡¯m going out on a date, so I need you toe over and apany him.¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking me to be a nanny?¡± Julian got the gist of the situation. In order to let his friend sessfully go on his date, he would have to ept this job. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ming over now.¡± Since Nigel did not want his nephew to find out that there were feminine necessities in his home, Nigel reminded Julian, ¡°Don¡¯t bring him into the guest room beside my bedroom.¡± ¡°Understood. Quickly bring your girlfriend and leave! I¡¯ming over.¡± After saying that, Julian hung up. Nigel let out a sigh of relief and discovered that it was only 3.00PM. He turned to Queenie and said, ¡°Pack a set of clothes. We¡¯re going to stay the night at the hotel there.¡± Thinking that it might be a long trip back and forth from the beach, and staying for a night sounded like a good idea, Queenie agreed since she had not been to the beach in a long while. ¡°Sure! I¡¯ll go and pack my things now.¡± After they packed lightly, Nigel came down to the underground parking lot and chose a cool sports car. Then, he opened the door and urged, ¡°Get in.¡± Queenie also felt rxed, knowing that she was going on the trip. As they ascended the car, they left the residence. Fifteen minutes after they departed, a white sports car arrived. It was Julian who arrived early because his home was close by to Nigel¡¯s. Five more minutester, a ck Rolls Royce arrived. The back door of the car opened automatically and down came a young boy in gray sports attire with handsomely styled hair that matched his perfectly defined face. It seemed that the Young Master of the Presgrave Family, Jared Presgrave, had grown some more. Though he was young, he had inherited his father¡¯s style and was exuding an elegant demeanor one might find among nobles. ¡°Uncle Nigel, I¡¯m here!¡± The kid ran into the living room with his backpack. However, he saw a different person waiting for him on the couch. He was stunned for a few seconds before turning chippy again. ¡°Mr. Glimore, you¡¯re here too!¡± ¡°Yes! Nigel isn¡¯t free, so how about I apany you for today?¡± Julian asked with a smile. Of course, Jared would like that. Not only was Julian handsome, but he was also good at ying games too, so Jared nodded happily. ¡°Sure!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go! Pick some snacks and we¡¯ll head upstairs,¡± said Julian as he held the kid¡¯s hand. The reason Nigel had his stash of junk food was mostly because of this little fellow. After all, when Jared¡¯s parents were busy dating, Nigel was Jared¡¯s nanny and had spent a lot of time with him. Gradually, Nigel would find snacks from all over the world to coax Jared. Now, his stash of junk food had finally found its new purpose, which was to coax his girlfriend. On their way from the city area toward Seasight Lane, the blue sports car sped on the road like a blue panther. While they drove toward the setting sun in the distance, the man and woman inside the car were happily chatting while enjoying the music. Queenie was sent abroad after she turned eighteen. Coincidentally, she was staying in the same country as Nigel, but they were in different schools. After their conversation, she discovered that she had heard about his social circle back then. That particr club was only open to the top wealthiest people and he used to be a member of that club. ording to him, everyone inside the club was from a prominent family and the brightest among their peers. It was a social circle that everyone who studied abroad wanted to enter. There was once when Queenie met a rich young master who liked her and wanted to introduce her to that social circle. However, she rejected the offer. She was not a materialistic person, so she would not forcefully enter a social circle she could not enter. However, it was still the top social circle whom everybody racked their brains to get into. Then, Nigel talked about his life. He told her about his hobbies, which were racing and skiing; not only that, he also had the top resources for those industries. On the other hand, he even helped his family widen its business into those industries. Along the way, he also took a detour and brought her to a sightseeing tform that had the perfect spot to watch the sunset. After Queenie alighted from the sports car, she sat on the hood of the car with him and watched the beautiful sunset. Chapter 1251-1260 Chapter 1251-1260 ¡°Can¡¯t I yell my feelings?¡± Queenie couldn¡¯t keep her emotions bottled up any longer. ¡°Go ahead and yell all you like!¡± Nigel smiled. Reaching up, she cupped her hands around the sides of her mouth, faced the sea stretching out into the horizon before her, and screamed at the top of her lungs. ¡°Ahhh!!!¡± It felt as though she had finally found an outlet to vent all the anger and frustration she suffered throughout the past year. She even had tears in her eyes after screaming a few times in quick session. ¡°Come on! Why don¡¯t you join me?¡± she suggested to the man standing behind her. Nigel rarely did such things, but he couldn¡¯t help being dragged along by her. When she let out another scream, he finally set aside his pride as a young master. ¡°Ahhh!!!¡± he yelled to his heart¡¯s content. After they were done yelling their hearts out, Queenie abruptly burst intoughter. It was at this moment that she stepped on a stone and lost her footing. In response, she instinctively threw herself into his arms and held onto him tightly. At the same time, his long arms reached out to wrap around her waist to help her regain her footing. She was still a little out of breath when she suddenly realized that the face of the man standing beside her was more attractive than the setting sun. Thus, she couldn¡¯t help staring at him nkly for a few seconds. In his eyes, her hair was slightly disheveled from the sea breeze. Despite her wind-blown hair, her eyes were incredibly bright and clear while her cherry-red lips were moist and glistening. It almost seemed as though she was silently inviting him to ravish her. Queenie¡¯s pretty face abruptly heated up in embarrassment when she realized what was going through his mind at this moment. Nevertheless, she only blinked once before she obediently closed her eyes. Nigel smiled slightly at the sight. Leaning down, he lightly pressed his thin lips against her scarlet lips. Her lips felt like a drug that enticed him into addiction. Once he had a taste of her lips, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to pull away again. On the other hand, she finally had her first experience of a passionate kiss. Her thick long hair fluttered in the sea breeze and wrapped around them. Meanwhile, the kiss became even more intense and passionate. A brief period passed before he finally released her. They pressed their foreheads together, gasping and out of breath. Her pretty face looked rather flustered. Moreover, it felt as though their heartbeats were resonating with each other. It was also Nigel¡¯s first time having feelings for somebody else. He discovered that the emotions swirling in him werepletely different from the feelings he had when he first came across Anastasia. The stark disparity allowed him to clearly distinguish between these two emotions. His feelings for Anastasia had been nothing more than a sense of gratitude. Conversely, the feelings he experienced at this moment¡ªthe feelings he had for Queenie¡ªwere actual feelings of love. They stemmed from a sense of possessiveness that rose from the bottom of his heart, telling him that he could not afford to lose her again. Likewise, Queenie was also experiencing a violent turbulence in her heart at this moment. When she first got engaged to Leslie, she had believed that she was deeply in love with him. It was not until now that she understood what it truly meant to be in love with somebody else. Love was the emotion she experienced at this moment¡ªit was the feeling of opening her heart to somebody without considering the consequences and choosing instead to fully ept and trust the other party. ¡°Let¡¯s date!¡± Nigel¡¯s fiery gaze locked onto the woman in his arms. She once mentioned that she would take this matter into consideration, but at this moment, she nodded without hesitation and responded with a smile. ¡°Okay.¡± The sunset gradually disappeared into the horizon, and their surroundings became dark. Thus, he drove her back to the main road. They drove for another ten minutes. Finally, they went around a corner and came to a hotel that resembled a crystal pce rising from the boundless sea under the vast starry sky. The hotel was overflowing with a sense of elegance and luxury; it was like a lighthouse on the sea that would never be extinguished. Queenie was shocked. I can¡¯t believe this is part of his family¡¯s hotel business! The prices here are not something ordinary people can even hope to afford! The sports car came to a halt in front of the hotel. Under the darkness of night, the bluendscape lights that shone across the parking lot resembled a feast of lights. The luxury car stood in the midst of these lights, like a luxury car on disy. She got out of the car, feeling a little confused about the direction. At this moment, arge yet strong hand reached out and firmly held her hand. ¡°Come with me.¡± They walked into the luxurious lobby, and the manager immediately came over to greet them. ¡°Mr. Manson, you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Yes. I came here to rx, not to work.¡± Nigel replied. The manager secretly breathed out a sigh of relief. Thank God. There¡¯s nothing scarier than an unannounced inspection by Mr. Manson. The manager had noticed that Nigel was holding hands with a woman. It was a sight he had never seen before. Likewise, the beautiful receptionists at the front desk stared at Queenie in envy. It had to be said that all the unmarrieddies working at the hotels in Averna regarded pursuing Nigel as their ultimate goal in life. With that in mind, how could this woman who walked into the hotel while holding hands with him not arouse their envy and jealousy? Nigel had a private suite in this hotel for his exclusive use. It was part of the special treatment that he enjoyed thanks to his family¡ªall the hotels under the management of the Manson Group had a presidential suite that was exclusively set aside for his use. Bonnie was having dinner at the Silverstein Residence while listening to the conversation between her parents. All of a sudden, her mother said something that made her choke on her food. ¡°Queenie just informed us that she¡¯s noting home tonight. That girl is a grown-up now. It looks like we can¡¯t treat her like a child and control her decisions anymore.¡± Bonnie looked up and eximed, ¡°Mom, aren¡¯t you going to make Queeniee home?¡± Maggie decided to respect her elder daughter¡¯s decision. ¡°Forget it. Just leave her be!¡± Bonnie secretly clenched her fists at those words. Is that to say that Queenie is free to do as she pleases now? She is free to date Nigel without inhibitions?! She won¡¯t be tied down by parental constraints anymore?! Inside the hotel, Nigel guided Queenie to the restaurant on the highest floor. As soon as they walked into the restaurant, a sweet voice rang out in surprise. ¡°Hi, Nigel.¡± Queenie nced in the direction of the woman who called out Nigel¡¯s name and immediately recognized the woman. That woman was Lina Perez, one of the main members among the wealthy who once studied abroad and the daughter of a leading electronics manufacturer in Averna. He nced in that direction without much interest. Meanwhile, Lina got up from her chair and greeted him enthusiastically. ¡°Nigel, why don¡¯t you join us for dinner?¡± she asked while pointing at the table she came from. Queenie felt her heart sinking when she heard the invitation, and the first thought that popped up in her mind was: Please don¡¯t let us share a table! Fortunately, an arm suddenly draped itself around her shoulder at this moment. It was followed by a deep voice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I would like to have a private dinner with my girlfriend.¡± Lina¡¯s gaze immediately shifted from Nigel¡¯s face to Queenie, and she stared at Queenie incredulously. This ordinary-looking woman actually caught Nigel¡¯s eyes?! Whether in terms of appearance, figure, or family background, Nigel was one of the most sought-after bachelors in Averna. As such, he had be the prey that many unmarried wealthy youngdies were eyeing hungrily. They had exhausted every means avable in order to marry into the Manson Family, but he had never given any of them the slightest chance to seed in their endeavors. Lina was one of those youngdies. Her emotions at this moment were extremelyplicated and tainted by jealousy. In order to pursue him, she had used all sorts of methods to inquire about his preferences and tried her best to make herself into the kind of woman he liked. Despite her best efforts, she suddenly learned that a woman who was iparable to her in every way had be Nigel¡¯s girlfriend. It was a direct insult to her. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve met thisdy before! What is your name?¡± she inquired with a smile. ¡°Hello, my name is Queenie Silverstein.¡± Queenie greeted politely. Lina might not know her, but she knew Lina. There was a smile on Lina¡¯s face, but the smile did not reach her eyes. She simply said, ¡°I see. Well then, I won¡¯t disturb your dinner with each other.¡± After saying that, she returned to her seat. Meanwhile, Nigel escorted Queenie to the best seat in the restaurant. It was a seat by the window that had been specially reserved for them. When Queenie sat down, she felt several jealous gazes shooting toward her from the direction of Lina¡¯s table. Although she calmly epted their resentment, it was the first time she fully understood that bing Nigel¡¯s girlfriend was an extremely stressful matter. Lina picked up her phone and dialed a series of numbers. Then, she spoke to the person on the other end of the phone with great resentment. ¡°Investigate a woman for me. Her name is Queenie Silverstein.¡± After she finished speaking, she hung up immediately. The other women sitting around her immediately leaned over and whispered in low voices. ¡°Lina, she doesn¡¯tpare to you in any way! In my opinion, there¡¯s nothing worthy about her except for the fact that she seems to be two years younger than you!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! She doesn¡¯t have the charm to fascinate Mr. Manson!¡± ¡°She must have used some sort of vicious and dirty trick! Lina, don¡¯t give up! Whether or not she can be the young mistress of the Manson Family remains unknown!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! You are more qualified to be the young mistress of the Manson Family than her!¡± Thanks to the adtion of her friends, Lina cheered up slightly. It was true that she had such confidence in herself. She fixed her gaze on Queenie, who was sitting under the light. She looks so innocent and na?ve. I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t be a match for me. Queenie was happily eating away when she suddenly recalled her family matters. She immediately became preupied with the heavy emotions weighing down on her heart. Nigel noticed the change in her mood and ced her favorite snack on her te. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about those frustrating matters when you¡¯re with me.¡± ¡°My younger sister has always been a troublemaker ever since she entered the family. I¡¯m worried that she might cause some sort of trouble that would prevent my parents from living their lives peacefully.¡± She propped her chin on her hand and continued, ¡°If I had known earlier, I would have arranged for her to be engaged to Leslie. If only I had met you a few dayster¡­¡± He narrowed his eyes in confusion. ¡°Why? What would change if you met me a few dayster?¡± She snapped back to the present and quickly smiled reassuringly. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± What Queenie had intended to say was: If Bonnie had not met Nigel, she might have willingly married Leslie. However, she immediately changed her goals after meeting Nigel and cruelly threw Leslie aside to seduce Nigel instead. Nigel did not inquire further, but he couldn¡¯t help feeling rather distressed when he saw her troubled expression. I¡¯m sure she suffered great injustice due to Bonnie¡¯s personality. ¡°Are you sleepy?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not sleepy, then I¡¯ll take you out for a ride on the sea after dinner. Who knows? Maybe spending some time on the sea will make all your worries disappear.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± She smiled, feeling grateful that he was trying to cheer her up. Halfway through their dinner, Lina sashayed over with a ss of red wine in her hand. ¡°Nigel, allow me to offer you a toast.¡± Queenie was drinking a non-alcoholic beverage, but she raised her ss to the toast. All of a sudden, Lina leaned against the back of Nigel¡¯s chair in an intimate manner and murmured in a low voice, ¡°Nigel, all of us have missed you greatly. We really hope that you¡¯lle back and hang out with us!¡± Nigel raised his sharp eyebrows slightly and replied tly, ¡°I don¡¯t mix with those people anymore.¡± ¡°I know, but you¡¯re still a part of our group! You¡¯re a famous person!¡± Lina deliberately nced at Queenie. The reason why she mentioned these things was to let Queenie know that they used to hang out together in the past. A sensitive person was bound to feel jealous or imagine something outrageous upon hearing those words, and men hated women who became jealous for no reason the most. More importantly, Queenie would never be able to interact among these circles. That was why Lina had deliberately aimed to jab Queenie in the sore spot¡ªit was to remind Queenie of her lowly status. Needless to say, Queenie was not a fool. She understood the meaning behind Lina¡¯s words and realized that Lina had a crush on Nigel. In fact, all the women sitting at the same table as Lina were secretly trying to catch Nigel¡¯s attention. Thus, she gracefully sipped on her drink and admired the scenery outside the window while pretending to be indifferent toward the conversation between Lina and Nigel. On the other hand, Nigel was annoyed that his dinner with Queenie was being interrupted. He turned to Lina and bluntly said, ¡°Miss Perez, I am discussing important matters with my girlfriend. Please do not disturb us.¡± Lina blushed slightly and quickly babbled, ¡°Of course. I won¡¯t disturb you any longer. My friends are beckoning to me too!¡± She hastily created an excuse and returned to her seat. Not long afterward, Nigel and Queenie stood up and left the restaurant together. At this moment, Lina¡¯s phone rang. She nced at the caller ID and reached out to answer her phone. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Miss Perez, I¡¯ve gathered the information you wanted. It has already been sent to your phone.¡± She quickly ended the call and checked the messages on her phone. A document rted to Queenie¡¯s background information entered her eyes. After reading through the document, she couldn¡¯t help being stunned. She could not believe that Queenie was the daughter of a century-old family business. It would seem that Queenie simply kept a rtively low profile and her family background was not inferior. Lina¡¯s expression was dark. She seemed to have underestimated Queenie¡¯s upbringing. Nevertheless, there was one thing that made her slightly happier¡ªQueenie¡¯s family was not as prominent as hers. ¡°If I can¡¯t get Nigel, then I¡¯m going to make sure that she won¡¯t get him easily either.¡± She angrily took a bite of the fruit. At this moment, a small yacht was sailing away from the pier and out to the sea. Nigel was steering the yacht himself since he had plenty of experience. On the other hand, Queenie stood beside him. It was her first experience going out to sea, so her heart was racing in her chest. She kept a tight grip on his shirt and clung to the railing nearby anxiously, not daring to release her grip. ¡°Come here. I¡¯ll teach you.¡± He slowed the yacht down and pulled her over to the steering wheel. Then, he circled her with both arms around the sides of her waist and pressed his strong chest firmly against her back. The sudden intimacy made her heart race again. At the same time, she couldn¡¯t help feeling exhrated. Sure enough, all her worries from before had vanished into nothing. Her heart was currently overflowing with joy and excitement. ¡°Wow! I know how to steer the yacht now!¡± After driving the yacht for a few minutes, she suddenly eximed in pure delight. His gazended on her face. The sea breeze toyed with her long hair, revealing her delicate face. Her appearance was absolutely sweet and alluring. Seeing how happy she was, he couldn¡¯t help feeling a sense of aplishment in his heart. Moreover, the smile on her face made the corners of his mouth lift in response. They stopped the yacht in the middle of the calm sea and sat on the deck to stare up at the starry sky above them, admiring the full moon and boundless sea stretching out before them. Queenie¡¯s depressed mood from before waspletely gone. Sitting here in the middle of the sea, she was in very high spirits. There was nothing that could disrupt her wonderful mood at the moment. A small wave came, causing her to jump in fright and throw herself into the arms of the man beside her. Nigel was caught unprepared, so he was pinned to the deck by her weight. They were so close that their faces were almost touching. Taken aback by the close distance, she stiffened and tried to pull away. However, an arm suddenly snaked around her waist and prevented her from moving. ¡°Since you¡¯ve already gone to the trouble of pushing me down, I¡¯m not letting you leave just like that.¡± Herplexion turned beet red at those words. How could I dare to pin him down?! Everything happened by ident! The starlight and moonlight above their heads illuminated the world with a silvery light. The light from the yacht also shrouded around them. The man¡¯s handsome face was the preference of most women¡ª masculine yet delicate. In particr, the lines of his perfect jawline were sharper than her entire life¡¯s n. All of a sudden, his Adam¡¯s Apple rolled slightly as though he was swallowing nervously. She blushed and tried to get off him, but a palm suddenly pressed down on the back of her head at this moment. ¡°Uh¡­¡± She waspletely caught unprepared, and her lips voluntarily pressed against his thin lips. A wicked smile flickered in his eyes, and the kiss deepened. She was kissed so deeply that she couldn¡¯t breathe, and her body became a little numb and weak as a result. At this moment, she no longer dared to loosen her grip on him and could only hug him tightly around the waist. ¡°Are you scared?¡± He could sense her fear. It had gottente, and the waves had indeed gotten a little rougher. Lying in his arms, Queenie nodded in response. It was true that she felt rather scared. ¡°Let¡¯s return!¡± Nigel pulled her back into the cabin and drove back toward the hotel¡¯s pier. As soon as her feet touched solid ground, she felt extremely relieved. Sure enough, I¡¯m better suited to living onnd! At this moment, her phone rang with the sound of a messageing in. She picked up her phone and saw that it was a message from Bonnie. ¡®Queenie, I just realized that one of the pieces of jewelry that Leslie gave you is missing. It¡¯s nowhere to be found. I suspect that it was most likely stolen by the servants, so I asked our parents to report the theft to the police.¡¯ When she finished reading the message, she immediately felt very annoyed. The servants in their house had been serving them for at least five to six years and would never take anything that did not belong to them. Therefore, she was certain that Bonnie had taken this missing piece of jewelry and wrongly used one of the servants of the theft. ¡®What jewelry? Do you have evidence that the servants were the ones who took the jewelry?¡¯ She quickly replied to the message. ¡®In any case, it¡¯s missing. Somebody must have taken the jewelry. You can¡¯t be suspecting somebody from our family, right? I suspect that Courtney took the jewelry. I heard her daughter is about to enter college. I¡¯m sure she doesn¡¯t have the money to pay the tuition fees!¡¯ Bonnie replied with another message. Queenie was furious. Is it because Courtney had refused to testify for Bonnie previously? Is that why she is now using Courtney of theft!? ¡®Don¡¯t report this incident to the police yet. Wait until I get home tomorrow.¡¯ She did not wish for Courtney to be wrongfully used, so she decided to go home tomorrow and deal with this matter. ¡®Queenie, why don¡¯t youe back right now?¡¯ Bonnie sent another message. Queenie no longer wished to respond to the messages. She knew exactly what Bonnie had in mind¡ª Bonnie simply did not want her to spend time with Nigel alone. Therefore, Queenie refused to return home tonight. She decided to stay the night in one of the guest rooms inside Nigel¡¯s presidential suite. It was already 10.00 PM by the time they returned to the hotel. Feeling a little thirsty after taking a shower, she wore a bathrobe and left her room for a drink of water. She discovered that Nigel had also taken a shower. He was standing by the railings of the balcony and admiring the night sky in a bathrobe. Nigel turned around to look at her upon hearing the sound of her footsteps. ¡°Queenie,e here.¡± She wrapped her arms around her chest shyly and walked over to him. Meanwhile, he admired how she looked after a shower. Her bare face without makeup remained as beautiful and charming as ever, unlike the women who lookedpletely different after removing their makeup. He also discovered that her clean and beautiful appearance without any makeup charmed him more than the alluring and attractive aura she exuded when she had makeup on her face. At this moment, she resembled a daffodil that exuded a faint fragrance. ¡°I need to go home early tomorrow morning. Something happened back at home,¡± she said. His gaze immediatelynded on her body. It feels like she has never had a moment to rest since the day I met her. ¡°Do you need me to apany you home?¡± he asked with narrowed eyes. She couldn¡¯t help shaking her head anxiously in response to his question. ¡°No need. I¡¯ll go home and deal with it myself.¡± ¡°Did your sister cause trouble again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a family matter. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s difficult to exin.¡± She pursed her lips and smiled. Looking at the man under the moonlight, she felt the desire to monopolize him. Hence, she did not wish to bring him home and give Bonnie a chance to make a move on him. ¡°If you need my help, you only need to ask. As long as it¡¯s you, I will definitely help you.¡± He reminded her in a soft voice. Listening to those words caused a sense of warmth to overflow in her chest. Just hearing those words from him was enough to give her strength. ¡°I¡¯m going back to sleep. You should also go to bed early!¡± she said to him. Nigel suddenly felt a little reluctant to part with her, so his long arm sped her wrist and pulled her toward him. She fell into his arms, her heart thundering wildly in her chest. When she looked up, he lowered his head to look at her. Their gazes naturally intertwined. Combined with the romantic moonlight outside the window, the atmosphere immediately became ambiguous at this moment. However, as they stared at each other in silence¡­ Queenie did not know why or how, but she couldn¡¯t stop herself from sneezing in his face. ¡°Achoo¡­¡± A certain man froze in ce. Once again, his face was covered in her saliva. Queenie was so embarrassed that she wanted to dig a hole in the ground and jump inside. Why is he always the one to get hurt in such situations?! Am I allergic to romance? ¡°I¡¯ll get you a towel¡­¡± She desperately wanted to run away. Unfortunately, the light in his eyes told her that there was no way she could escape after offending him in such a manner. Therefore, he coolly wiped his face with his sleeve and pressed her against the balcony railing to punish her slightly for what she had done. She had been kissed so passionately that she lost the strength in her legs. After realizing how dangerous this man was, she hastily fled back to her room. On the other hand, he stroked the corners of his mouth with his slender fingers. Despite enjoying the feeling of kissing her, he ultimately respected her decision. Queenie woke up early the next morning, nning to take a cab home by herself. She did not wish to disturb Nigel¡¯s sleep, and she was concerned about the servant named Courtney. After all, she could not allow Bonnie to wrongly use a kind and innocent person. Not to mention, she had known Courtney for seven or eight years by now. She had long since considered Courtney as part of her family, so seeing that Courtney was being falsely incriminated by Bonnie made Queenie both distressed and angry. Just when Queenie opened her room door and nned to step out quietly, she was surprised to discover a figure sitting on the couch and yawning widely. Nigel was awake. Moreover, he was already neatly dressed. It was obvious that he had gotten up earlier than her. ¡°W-Why¡­ Why are you awake? It¡¯s only 7:30 AM.¡± She was so surprised that her mind went nk for a moment. ¡°I knew you were going to sneak away behind my back, so I got up to wait for you at 6.00 AM this morning,¡± Nigel said while sipping on a cup of hot coffee. He was a person who attached great importance to the quality of his sleep, so much so that he would even change the time for his meetings at work. Be that as it may, Nigel had gotten up early this morning just for her sake. Queenie felt a surge of warmth gushing through her heart, and she suddenly understood the feeling of truly being considered important by another person. ¡°Let¡¯s have breakfast together, then I¡¯ll send you home.¡± After saying that, he dialed a number on his phone. ¡°Please deliver breakfast to the room.¡± Not long afterward, a member of the staff brought in a hearty spread of breakfast. The food was served on the table in front of a floor-to-ceiling window so that they could enjoy their breakfast while admiring the morning sun and the sea view outside the window. As soon as Queenie finished eating breakfast with Nigel, her phone rang shrilly. It was a phone call from her mother. ¡°Hello, Mom.¡± ¡°Queenie, did Leslie send you four pieces of jewelry yesterday? Where did you ce the jewelry before you left the house yesterday? Bonnie ims that there are only three pieces of jewelry left. Did you misce the other piece of jewelry somewhere else?¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°Mom, let¡¯s talk about this when I get home. I¡¯m on my way home now.¡± ¡°Alright then, pleasee back as soon as possible! Bonnie has already called the police, iming that Courtney stole the jewelry.¡± ¡°Have the police arrived?¡¯ ¡°Not yet. They said they wille at 10.00 AM. Come back quickly!¡± After ending the phone call with her mother, a look of annoyance shed across her eyes. Just how much trouble does Bonnie intend to cause for the family? Must she cause such a huge scandal so that the entire world knows about our dirtyundry? Our parents have always kept a low profile and taught me not to be pretentious. Look at things now¡­ If somebody posts about this incident on the Inte, it will surely affect our family business. It will be even more difficult to clean up this mess if that happens. Nigel knew that she was anxious to go home. The excellent sports car streaked forward like a swift warhorse as soon as the tires hit the coastal expressway, speeding across the roads with a resounding roar. The journey should have taken them an hour but was forcefullypressed to just over half an hour. When they arrived at the gates of the Silverstein Residence, Queenie turned to look at the man wearing sunsses beside her and said, ¡°Mr. Manson, why don¡¯t you go back and sleep a little longer? You must be tired after waking up so early today and driving for so long.¡± She did not wish for him to witness the embarrassing situation that had urred in her home. Besides, she was certain that Bonnie was the mastermind behind this incident. Even if she exposed Bonnie¡¯s scandalous act, there was no triumph to celebrate since these incidents would still bring dishonor to the Silverstein Family. ¡°If you know that I¡¯m tired, then you should let me rest in your home for a short while before asking me to leave.¡± After saying that, Nigel took off his sunsses with his slender fingers to reveal his beautiful eyes which were clearly bloodshot. The sight of his bloodshot eyes left her feeling too sorry to let him continue driving, so she could only nod and agree, ¡°Alright! You can catch up on some sleep in my room.¡± The two of them got out of the car. Queenie opened the small door and guided Nigel into her house. Before they could enter the hall, they heard Courtney¡¯s voice. She seemed to be begging somebody. ¡°I really did not steal Miss Queenie¡¯s jewelry! I did not steal anything! Please do not wrongly use me like this!¡± At this moment, an angry female voice scoffed coldly. ¡°If you didn¡¯t take them, then are you using me of taking them? When Leslie delivered the jewelry to the housest night, you were the only person on duty in the house. Isn¡¯t that right!? Your husband is a gambling addict, and your daughter is about to enter college. You are in desperate need of money. Who knows? Maybe you¡¯ve already pawned off the jewelry!¡± Who else could this voice belong to other than Bonnie? ¡°No! No! I didn¡¯t steal anything! Miss Bonnie, please don¡¯t wrongly use me like this! I¡¯ve worked for the Silverstein Family for so long, and I know the rules very well. Besides, I am not a petty thief!¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t considered petty theft. That piece of jewelry is worth hundreds of thousands! I can still forgive you if you admit to your wrongdoings now. Once the police arrive, you can just wait to be imprisoned!¡± Bonnie¡¯s voice became more and more aggressive. Courtney was already in her fifties. At this moment, she was covering her face and wailing in fright. It was obvious that she was very scared. Moreover, her body was exuding a sense of helplessness, powerlessness, and utter despair. She never imagined that she would be used of being a thief at her age. It was extremely hurtful! All of a sudden, she heard the sound of footstepsing from the entrance at this moment. Lifting her head, she caught sight of Queenie and immediately reacted as though she had seen her life¡¯s savior. She ran over from the hall, knelt down in front of Queenie, and clutched at Queenie¡¯s leg desperately. ¡°Miss Queenie! Miss Queenie, you¡¯re finally back! Please help me! Please judge my situation and prove that I¡¯m innocent!¡± Bonnie was sitting on the couch with an arrogant look on her face, and her arms were crossed in front of her chest as though she was a queen. However, she hastily straightened her body to adylike posture when she saw the man standing behind Queenie. She also reced her ferocious expression with a sweet look on her face, transforming her appearance into that of a gentle and sweet-natured youngdy in an instant. Meanwhile, Queenie looked at Courtney who was kneeling and clutching desperately at her leg. Courtney seemed to have aged a couple of years overnight. Thus, Queenie felt a little distressed by the sight and quickly stretched out her hand to help Courtney stand. ¡°Mrs. Lowman, please stand up. I believe you.¡± ¡°Really? Really? Miss Queenie, you¡¯re the kindest and nicest girl I¡¯ve ever met in my life!¡± Courtney stood up and wiped away her tears while feeling much more relieved than before. ¡°Queenie, you¡¯re back!¡± Bonnie smiled from where she sat on the couch. Her expression was very innocent; it was almost as if the harsh and grating voice from earlier had note from her. Her gaze then shifted to Nigel, and she politely greeted him. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Manson.¡± Nigel nced at Bonnie, who looked so simr to Queenie in appearance. Despite looking so simr to each other, Bonnie gave him the feeling that she was an inferior being who should never be shown to the world. On the other hand, Queenie exuded an aura of ssy elegance. Queenie had long since learned that Bonnie had great acting skills. Thus, she lifted her head and looked at Bonnie. ¡°Bonnie, please don¡¯t falsely use anybody before we investigate this incident thoroughly.¡± ¡°Queenie, I did not falsely use her. It¡¯s true that she entered your roomst night. After she entered your room, I recalled the jewelry that you left on the couch, so I went to check on the jewelry only to discover that one of the boxes had gone missing,¡± Bonnie exined with an anxious look on her face. She never imagined that Nigel woulde, so she had no choice but to change her strategy and pretend that she had also been wronged. Needless to say, she also changed her tactics and continued, ¡°Queenie, I don¡¯t understand. If you don¡¯t have feelings for Leslie, then why did you ept the flowers and jewelry from himst night? If you had refused his gifts in the first ce, then this incident would never have happened.¡± Those words were specifically meant for Nigel. Sure enough, he nced at Queenie with narrowed eyes. She had not mentioned that the missing jewelry was given to her by Leslie yesterday during their journey here. Queenie met his eyes and exined, ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. Leslie simply wanted to thank me yesterday for saving him in the traffic ident the other day. I didn¡¯t want to ept the jewelry, but he left immediately after handing the gifts, so I had no time to return them to him.¡± Bonnie did not want the misunderstanding to be cleared up so quickly, so she pretended to ask a question in innocent confusion. ¡°Queenie, didn¡¯t Leslie enter your room and stay there for a while?¡± Queenie red at Bonnie in a warning. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± Bonnie immediately clutched at her head as though she was very scared. ¡°Queenie, I was just speaking the truth! Please don¡¯t hit me!¡± Those who didn¡¯t know better would have wrongly believed that she was often beaten by Queenie at home when they saw her actions! Forced into a corner, Queenie turned to look at Nigel. ¡°There¡¯s nothing between Leslie and me.¡± The corners of Nigel¡¯s mouth lifted into a smile. ¡°I believe you.¡± Those three simple words were full of trust in her. A feeling of sweetness filled her heart at those words. If not for the wrong timing and asion, she would have hugged him tightly to show that she was worthy of his trust. A strong sense of jealousy shed across Bonnie¡¯s eyes. How can that be?! How can Nigel not feel the slightest hint of jealousy?! What did she do for him to love and trust her so much?! ¡°Queenie, I also believe that nothing happened between you and Leslie. Yet, we still need to find the jewelry as soon as possible so that you can return them all to him!¡± She brought up the sensitive topic again and directed the conversation toward Courtney instead. ¡°Miss Queenie, I really didn¡¯t steal anything! Please believe me! I simply stored your clothes in the wardrobe yesterday! I immediately left the room after hanging the clothes in your wardrobe! I didn¡¯t even notice the jewelry on the couch!¡± Courtney was so scared that her soul was practically on the verge of jumping out of her body. Thus, she began rambling in exnation. ¡°I believe you, Mrs. Lowman. Don¡¯t worry. Even if there¡¯s a piece of jewelry missing, I believe that you didn¡¯t take them.¡± During thest sentence, Queenie spoke while staring directly at Bonnie. Bonnie immediately chewed on her scarlet lips in an aggrieved manner. ¡°Queenie, what do you mean by that? Are you suspecting me of taking the jewelry?¡± ¡°How many times have you taken my things in the past?¡± Queenie retorted. Bonnie¡¯s eyes immediately reddened at those words. ¡°Queenie, I¡¯m your sister! How can you believe in an outsider but not in your own little sister!? Why would I want to take your jewelry? Besides, our parents will buy me anything I want! It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t afford to buy jewelry worth hundreds of thousands!¡± ¡°Even so, you shouldn¡¯t falsely use me either, Miss Bonnie! You need to have evidence for your usation!¡± Courtney wailed in tears. Queenie turned to look at the man standing beside her. ¡°Alright, I need to settle some family matters now. I¡¯ll bring you upstairs so that you can sleep on my bed for a while.¡± Nigel nodded and followed her upstairs. Bonnie stood downstairs, looking at his tall and straight figure going upstairs. It felt as though her heart had been firmly caught like a fish on a hook. As a man, he exuded a charming aura that made a person swoon at first sight. It was not until she met Nigel that she suddenly realized how small her world had been. How could I have fallen for somebody from an ordinary lineage like Leslie? My goal should have been somebody like Nigel instead. He is a man on the level of the Gods. Queenie¡¯s room was spruce and tidy. Moreover, there was a faint fragrance in the air. It was Nigel¡¯s first time visiting her bedroom, so he began to explore her bedroom. He examined the photos hanging on the wall that depicted her from childhood to adulthood. This woman is truly the prime example of beauty, even from the time she was a child. There was not a single w in her appearance. Rather, she seemed to be livelier over the years. When Queenie noticed that he was scrutinizing her photos on the wall, she felt a little embarrassed but generously allowed him to look at the photos all he wanted. She closed the door and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to settle that matter now. Why don¡¯t you sleep for a bit? It shouldn¡¯t be too noisy upstairs.¡± ¡°Go ahead!¡± Nigel nodded in affirmation. When she went back downstairs, she finally realized that her parents were not at home. Thus, she turned to Courtney and asked, ¡°Mrs. Lowman, where are my parents?¡± ¡°The Paynes heard that Leslie delivered some jewelry to our house as gifts, and they were so furious that they refused to let Lesliee to our house and testify. As a result, our parents had to go to the Payne Residence to invite them over in person,¡± Bonnie answered grumpily. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault. The good rtionship between our families has been destroyed by your actions.¡± ¡°Bonnie,e with me to the study,¡± Queenie said to Bonnie. Bonnie narrowed her eyes at those words. Nevertheless, she was curious about what Queenie had to say and followed Queenie into the study. Queenie closed the door to the study behind her before she turned around and spoke in a serious tone. ¡°Bonnie, I¡¯m asking you to be a good person in the future. Stop causing so much trouble. I know that you took the jewelry. Please return them yourself. I can say that I identally misced them, okay?¡± ¡°Who are you to say that I¡¯m the one who took the jewelry? Do you have evidence?¡± ¡°Stop pretending. Both you and I know the truth. This is just a way for you to fabricate charges against Mrs. Lowman so that she will be forced out of our house. I will take care of this matter peacefully as long as you hand the jewelry over,¡± Queenie insisted calmly with the mentality of not wanting to cause further uproar over this matter. Unfortunately, Bonnie was determined to cause a huge fuss. That was especially true now that Nigel hade to their house. She was even more motivated than before. Moreover, she wondered whether he would be annoyed and disgusted by their messy family affairs. If he was disgusted by the Silverstein Family, then his rtionship with Queenie would eventually fracture and fall apart. Even if she could not marry Nigel, she was going to ensure that Queenie could never marry into the Manson Family either. ¡°It¡¯s true that I don¡¯t like Mrs. Lowman, but there¡¯s no reason for me to falsely use her either. Don¡¯t you know that her family is in desperate need of money? She might have been the one who stole the jewelry after all.¡± Bonnie vehemently denied her actions. Looking at how protective Queenie was toward Courtney, Bonnie became even more adamant tond Courtney in jail. ¡°Mrs. Lowman is getting on in age. Furthermore, she has wholeheartedly served our family for so many years. Please stop trying to hurt her.¡± Queenie¡¯s tone was pleading. ¡°Queenie Silverstein! You¡¯re nice to everybody except me! Your little sister is nothingpared to an outsider. Well, I¡¯ve fully understood my position in your heart.¡± Bonnie sneered and crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°In any case, the police will being soon. Even if Mrs. Lowman cannot be found guilty of her crime, I will give her a stern warning for her actions. You won¡¯t be able to save her.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Queenie had to fight the urge to p Bonnie in the face upon hearing those words. Nigel noticed the remaining three boxes of jewelry inside Queenie¡¯s room. Picking up his phone, he snapped a picture of the jewelry and sent the picture to his assistant, Ashley Reeves. Then, he made a phone call and issued an order. ¡°Immediately deliver ten sets of jewelry to the Silverstein Residence.¡± ¡°Sure! Do I need to choose?¡± ¡°No need. Just choose the most expensive ones.¡± He narrowed his eyes slightly, the mes of jealousy flickering in his eyes. Regarding the matter of Leslie giving jewelry to Queenie as a gift, he had not shown any reaction in front of Queenie. Nevertheless, he had thought to himself, How could my woman possiblyck jewelry? At the Payne Residence. Leslie had carelessly left his phone in the hallst night, and Keira happened to answer a phone call from the Silverstein Family. Thanks to the phone call, she learned that her son had delivered four sets of jewelry to the Silverstein Residence and one of those sets of jewelry was currently missing. Bonnie had insisted that the jewelry was stolen by one of their servants, so they reported the incident to the police. Moreover, she wanted Leslie to go over and confirm which four sets of jewelry he had given to them so that they could return the gifts to him. Hearing that, Keira refused to let her son leave the house. She was very unhappy and even locked Leslie in his room so that he could not leave the house without her permission. As a result, the Silverstein couple had to visit the Payne Residence in person to apologize for the previous incident and bring Leslie back to the Silverstein Residence with them. Without noticing, it was already 9:30 AM. Courtney couldn¡¯t help sping her hands anxiously when she realized that the police would arrive soon. She did not wish to be arrested and taken to the police station for interrogation. Meanwhile, Bonnie took the opportunity to head to the bedroom on the third floor. Staring at the tightly closed door of Queenie¡¯s bedroom, she couldn¡¯t help wondering how she could lure Nigel out of the room. ¡°Ow!¡± She deliberately let out a cry of pain outside the door. Sure enough, she heard the sound of footsteps inside the room. Immediately after that, the door opened to reveal Nigel standing there, staring at her from behind the door. She hurriedly bent over in pain and said, ¡°Mr. Manson, can you please help me? I¡¯m afraid I sprained my ankle.¡± She also deliberately posed in an extremely revealing manner, especially since her short skirt had only just covered her inner thighs. Her entire legs were exposed in front of him as a result. ¡°Mr. Manson, my leg is in pain. I don¡¯t think I can stand up. Can you help me, please?¡± She stretched out her hand toward him with a pitiful look on her face. After seeing her appearance, what man wouldn¡¯t help her up without hesitation? Unfortunately, Nigel was not so easily fooled. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and stared at her coldly. ¡°The floor is smooth and t. How did you manage to fall down? Miss Silverstein, do your eyes grow on the top of your head instead?¡± It was bad enough that he refused to help Bonnie, but he also made a scathing remark to add insult to injury. She looked stunned. Did Nigel see through my act? In response, she quickly stood up by herself and deliberately limped on one foot. ¡°In that case, I won¡¯t trouble you anymore, Mr. Manson.¡± ¡°Miss Silverstein, if you sprained your ankle, I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t heal for at least three days.¡± He smiled, gently reminding her that her leg would not heal so quickly. Bonnie¡¯s expression changed at those words, and she immediately blushed beet red. As expected, Nigel was not that easy to deceive. Leslie used to fall for her tricks easily, so she only needed to act a little for him to believe her. ¡°M-My leg doesn¡¯t hurt so much anymore. I think I only sprained it slightly.¡± After saying that, she ducked into her room to hide and breathed a sigh of relief once she was out of sight. Nigel seemed to exude a frightening and oppressive aura that ced her under great pressure. How did a man like that be seduced by Queenie, though? What methods did she use? I need to figure out those methods and learn how to use them. At this moment, Queenie was sitting in the hall and listening to Courtney¡¯s story about how Bonnie had falsely used her of theft. The more Courtney talked, the more agitated she became. In the end, she burst into tears again. ¡°Mrs. Lowman, I believe you. I know exactly what kind of person you are.¡± Queenie consoled Courtney, feeling sad that Courtney had been frightened so badly by Bonnie¡¯s antics. Courtney felt reassured after listening to the words offort from Queenie. Suppressing her voice, she warned Queenie softly. ¡°Miss Queenie, I don¡¯t mean to be rude, but I¡¯ve never seen anybody more malicious than Miss Bonnie before. The Silverstein couple might not know about how she treats you during the year since her return, but I know. I witnessed everything after all. You need to be careful of her.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Lowman. I know you¡¯re concerned about me.¡± Queenie nodded. At this moment, the doorbell rang. She was surprised and wondered who hade to visit them. If it had been her parents, they would not have rung the doorbell in the first ce! ¡°I¡¯ll go and see who¡¯s at the door! Miss Queenie, please sit down and rest.¡± After saying that, Courtney hurried to the door. It didn¡¯t take long for her to guide a man carrying arge box into the house. Queenie stood up in astonishment. ¡°Mr. Reeves!¡± ¡°Miss Silverstein, is Mr. Manson here?¡± Ashley asked. ¡°Yes. He¡¯s resting upstairs. Did he ask you toe?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Mr. Manson asked me to deliver a box of things to him. In that case, I¡¯ll be going upstairs first!¡± After saying that, he changed into a pair of indoor flip-flops and immediately headed upstairs. ¡°It¡¯s the room on the left on the third floor,¡± she responded. Ashley responded affirmatively. After arriving on the third floor, he knocked on the door to the left. The door opened, and Nigel stepped out from the room. He nced at the box in Ashley¡¯s hands, but the outer packaging made it difficult for anybody to see what was contained inside the box. Nevertheless, he reached out to take the box from Ashley and said, ¡°Alright, you may return now!¡± Queenie was stunned. Just what did Nigel ask Ashley to deliver? It¡¯s such arge box, but I can¡¯t see what¡¯s inside from the outer packaging alone. At this moment, the sound of a car engine came from the yard. Both Queenie and Courtney walked over and looked outside at the same time. They were greeted by the sight of Brandon driving in the driver¡¯s seat and Maggie sitting in the passenger¡¯s seat. Both of them seemed to be rather furious about something. ¡°Dad, Mom, what¡¯s wrong? Is Leslie noting?¡± Queenies asked curiously. Maggie angrily snapped, ¡°Don¡¯t even mention it! We havepletely severed all ties with the Paynes. They¡¯ve gone too far! We only wanted Leslie toe over and testify for us, but the Paynes refused to let hime.¡± At this moment, somebody else rang the doorbell again. Courtney trembled at the sound. When she saw the police car outside, she anxiously clutched at Queenie. ¡°Miss Queenie, the police are here.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯m here for you.¡± The two elders of the Silverstein Family did not believe that Courtney would do such a thing either, but their second daughter¡¯s well-founded suspicion left them wondering who to trust. As Bonnie refused to sweep this matter under the rug, they had to figure out the situation. Therefore, they were left with no choice but to let Courtney be questioned by the police. ¡°Dad, we don¡¯t need to involve the police in this matter. Please go outside and greet them, but tell them that we found the jewelry. So, there¡¯s no need to trouble them any further,¡± Queenie said to her father. Brandon was taken aback. ¡°Have you found the jewelry?¡± ¡°Perhaps I identally misced them somewhere. In any case, this is a minor incident that should stay within the family. We should not involve the police in this matter.¡± She continued to persuade her father. ¡°Go on, honey. We can solve this matter behind closed doors. After all, Bonnie was the one who called the police without our consent,¡± Maggie added. She did not wish for the police to be involved in this matter either. Afterward, Brandon went to greet the police and Courtney breathed a sigh of relief. At this moment, Bonnie¡¯s figure appeared at the doorway. She had seen the police car from the third floor and naturally wanted to invite the police into the house so that they could investigate the case immediately. ¡°Mom, why didn¡¯t you invite the police inside?¡± she asked in confusion. ¡°Bonnie, there¡¯s no need to take up the police¡¯s time with this trivial matter. Let¡¯s sit down and have a proper discussion among ourselves to see where the jewelry could have gone.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s gone! Didn¡¯t we search the house?¡± She immediately lost her temper. ¡°Mom, do you not trust me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that, Bonnie. I do trust you, but I also believe that Courtney would never do something like this. I¡¯m sure the jewelry must have identally fallen into a hidden corner somewhere,¡± Maggieforted Bonnie. ¡°That¡¯s impossible! It¡¯s gone! It was taken by somebody!¡± Bonnie gritted her teeth in frustration. At this moment, a figure stood beside the railing of the third floor. Thanks to the vast and empty hallway, Nigel heard their conversation clearly. He returned to Queenie¡¯s room, took four boxes, and went downstairs. ¡°Miss Bonnie, do you have any evidence? Do you have a video of me taking the jewelry? Did you witness me taking the jewelry with your own eyes? If not, please do not falsely use me again!¡± ¡°How did I falsely use you? I know you took the jewelry! Your family is so poor. How can you remain indifferent to the jewelry? I¡¯m sure you saw the four boxes of jewelry and thought that Queenie wouldn¡¯t notice even if you secretly took one of the four boxes of jewelry! Well, too bad for you! This family has me to protect them!¡± Bonnie sneered. Her tone of voice was extremely confident, almost as though she had caught Courtney red-handed in the act. Chapter 1261-1270 Chapter 1261-1270 After hearing it, Courtney swayed and almost passed out from anger. Queenie was anxious too. She was sure Bonnie had wronged Courtney, but her parents didn¡¯t know. ¡°Bonnie, the jewelry was given to me by Leslie. Even if one box is lost, that¡¯s something I should worry about. I¡¯m sure Mrs. Lowman didn¡¯t do it. Let me resolve this matter; don¡¯t you intervene.¡± ¡°Mom, did you hear what she just said? I was trying to help her. However, she thinks I¡¯m meddling.¡± Bonnie pouted with her red lips as she showed an affronted expression. ¡°I¡¯m a Silverstein, too; why can¡¯t I take care of the affairs of the family? Am I always an outsider in Queenie¡¯s eyes?¡± ¡°Queenie, this¡­¡± Maggie was in a difficult position. At this moment, a clear and charming male voice rang from the hall. ¡°Queenie, I found the jewelry you lost. Take a look.¡± Everyone turned around, and Maggie was taken aback. Why is Nigel here? On the other hand, Bonnie looked in disbelief at the four jewelry boxes in Nigel¡¯s hand. No way. Why are there four boxes? I took one of them! Queenie immediately understood the situation. She remembered Ashley had sent a box earlier, which meant Nigel was giving her a solution to the problem at hand in a good way. ¡°Yes, these are the four boxes of jewelry that Leslie gave me. All of them are found. Thank you, Nigel.¡± Queenie looked up at him gratefully and changed the way she addressed him. Maggie couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh of relief and apologized to Courtney. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Courtney. Bonnie has wronged you.¡± Courtney cried tears of joy as she watched all four boxes of jewels, which meant her suspicions were cleared up. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. At that, she looked at the handsome Manson. ¡°Thank you, Young Master Nigel. You are kind.¡± After the initial shock, Bonnie finally realized that Nigel had deliberately bought another jewelry box to help Queenie. With the four boxes found, the matter would be concluded. On the other hand, she got a charge of defamation. Moreover, Queenie seized the opportunity to teach Bonnie a lesson. ¡°Bonnie, apologize to Mrs. Lowman.¡± Queenie fixed her gaze on Bonnie. ¡°I-I did wrong her, but there¡¯s no need to apologize!¡± Bonnie had an aggrieved look on her face. ¡°I saw only three boxes on the couchst night!¡± ¡°You wronged Mrs. Lowman, but you don¡¯t even want to give her an apology? Is that fair to her? Even if Dad and Mom dote on you, you must apologize.¡± Queenie didn¡¯t budge. ¡°You¡­ Mom, I¡­¡± Bonnie hurriedly asked Maggie for help. She couldn¡¯t apologize to a lowly servant. At this time, Brandon also came over as the police had already left. He heard what happened over here in the garden earlier. Firstly, he greeted Nigel politely. ¡°Nice to meet you, President Manson.¡± ¡°Hello, Mr. Silverstein,¡± Nigel answered with a smile. ¡°Bonnie, I¡¯ve heard everything. Queenie is right; you should apologize.¡± Brandon took on a serious face. In front of Nigel, he had to put on a show as a proper father. Although Bonnie was reluctant, she still apologized as Nigel was there. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Lowman. I¡¯ve wronged you.¡± Bonnie also hated Queenie. It was Queenie¡¯s fault that caused her to do this. Queenie must have deliberately made Nigel buy a box of jewelry. I did not expect that, but I can now own the jewelry, as Queenie wouldn¡¯t pursue it any further. However, Courtney looked away as she didn¡¯t want to ept such an insincere apology from Bonnie. ¡°Courtney, the Silverstein Family should apologize to you regarding this matter. Bonnie has wronged you, and we¡¯re sorry,¡± Maggie said tenderly. Then, Courtney finally nodded and said, ¡°I can leave this matter alone, but I don¡¯t want to work here anymore. After this incident, I¡¯m afraid that Miss Bonnie will still wrong me.¡± ¡°Mrs. Lowman, please don¡¯t leave us. I¡¯m used to your cooking, so please stay!¡± Queenie said with reluctance. ¡°Miss Queenie, I, too, have enjoyed working in this family. However, I must go now.¡± ¡°No, I can never taste your shrimp chowder or spaghetti anymore.¡± Queenie¡¯s eyes turned red as she didn¡¯t want Courtney to leave. ¡°Miss Queenie¡­ I will miss you too,¡± Courtney said as her eyes turned red. At this moment, Nigel spoke to Courtney. ¡°Mrs. Lowman, I have a proposal. My house is short of someone to help with housekeeping. Why don¡¯t you work with me? In this way, Queenie can have your cooking again.¡± When Courtney heard that, she looked at Nigel with surprise. ¡°Really? I-I can work at your house?¡± Queenie was also happy that Nigel gave Courtney a job, so she hurriedly persuaded, ¡°Mrs. Lowman, just say yes!¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I will work for you with all my heart,¡± Courtney responded with tears of joy. The Silverstein couple was happy for her too. In this way, Courtney had another job without a long search. There was only one that was unhappy with the oue, and that was Bonnie. Everything Nigel did today was for Queenie; even the maid epted the offer to work at his house. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Nigel. I¡¯m sorry to make you watch this incident. Let¡¯s drink some tea in the hall,¡± Brandon said. Then, Nigel turned to follow Brandon to drink tea. On the other hand, Maggie wasforting Courtney. Bonnie¡¯s gaze was fiercely fixed on Queenie. Then, Bonnie walked to Queenie¡¯s side and said through clenched teeth, ¡°Well done, Queenie.¡± Immediately, Queenie reached out to Bonnie. ¡°Give me back that jewel.¡± Bonnie rolled her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t have it.¡± Queenie, too, was not in a hurry. She would find where the jewelry went and wouldn¡¯t let Bonnie have it. After drinking tea for a while, Queenie said to her father, ¡°Dad, I want to tell Nigel something.¡± Afterward, shemented to Nigel, ¡°Come to my room.¡± So, Nigel got up and followed her upstairs. Bonnie stared at them with jealousy as she felt that Queenie deliberately acted that way for her. ¡°Bonnie, you are grounded. Think about your actions today. Do not talk nonsense if you don¡¯t have evidence to back it up,¡± Brandon told Bonnie. Bonnie had lost some affection in her parents¡¯ eyes after this incident, which deepened her hatred toward Queenie. When Queenie entered the room and saw the box, she curiously came over and took a look. Then, she widened her beautiful eyes. ¡°Why did you buy so many?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t allow my woman to go without jewelry to match her clothes.¡± Nigel closed the door and curled his lips into a smile. ¡°From now on, just tell me what you want.¡± At that, Queenie turned around and did one thing she had always wanted to do. She got up and lunged toward Nigel to wrap her arms around his neck as she kissed him on his cheek. ¡°Thank you. You¡¯ve helped me a lot today,¡± Queenie stated gratefully. ¡°Just a kiss?¡± The man felt that wasn¡¯t enough repayment and that he needed at least a few more kisses. However, Queenie got a little shy, so she buried herself in his arms and murmured, ¡°I¡¯ll repay youter. I¡¯m embarrassed to do so in my house.¡± When Nigel heard that, he leaned down and stamped her lips. ¡°Okay, you must make up next time.¡± On the other side, Bonnie returned to her room, and her face turned pale with anger. Courtney¡¯s incident had ended, and she was now defamed in front of Nigel. Not even her parents were on her side. It was the first time she had felt frustrated since she came home. Bonnie was reluctant, especially after seeing Nigel¡¯s love for Queenie. It made her foresee Queenie bing Mrs. Gardner. If Queenie bes Mrs. Gardner, I can¡¯t act freely in this house anymore. No, I must not let Queenie marry Nigel. Queenie did not let Nigel stay in her room for too long as she was afraid her parents would misunderstand, so they went downstairs after chatting in the room for a while. Nigel was also going to a meeting over at the hotel. However, Maggie spoke to him enthusiastically. ¡°Nigel, have lunch before you leave!¡± ¡°Mom, he has an urgent meeting,¡± Queenie said. ¡°You have to eat lunch even if there¡¯s an urgent meeting! How about we eat at a restaurant?¡± Brandon wanted to know more about the future son-inw. ¡°Mom, he¡ª¡± ¡°Sure, Mr. and Mrs. Silverstein. Let¡¯s all go out for a meal. It¡¯s my treat,¡± Nigel stated with a smile. She wanted the couple to know more about him so that they would feel safe in his pursuit of their daughter. ¡°No, I can¡¯t let you do that. Let us treat you!¡± Maggieughed, feeling utterly happy. ¡°No, I insist.¡± Nigel wanted to please the couple from the bottom of his heart. Ultimately, they didn¡¯t fight over the bill and let Nigel treat them. Maggie went upstairs and knocked on Bonnie¡¯s door. ¡°Bonnie, we¡¯re going out for lunch.¡± Then, the door opened. Bonnie appeared with a sad expression and she admitted her mistake. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m not in the mood for lunch. I me myself every time I think of wronging Mrs. Lowman. I am really sorry to her.¡± Bonnie couldn¡¯t bow down to Courtney and apologize to her, but she could do anything in front of her mother if it meant ying up her good daughter persona. Seeing Bonnie admitting her mistakes, Maggie couldn¡¯t help butfort her. ¡°That¡¯s enough. When people make mistakes, as long as they can recognize the mistakes and correct them, it¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°Mom, I¡¯m not going.¡± Bonnie wouldn¡¯t let Queenie continue to mock her at the table. ¡°Okay. We will be back soon after Nigel treats us to lunch,¡± Maggie said. Bonnie was startled for a moment before she hurriedly asked, ¡°Mom, what did you say? Who is treating us to lunch?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Nigel. What¡¯s the matter?¡± Maggie was surprised at Bonnie¡¯s reaction. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m hungry right now. I¡¯ll go with you. I¡¯ll be starving by the time youe back.¡± Bonnie immediately covered her stomach and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t eat anything this morning, either.¡± ¡°Then, why did you say you¡¯re not going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going. Please wait for me; I¡¯ll go down right away.¡± After speaking, Bonnie closed the door and rushed to the wardrobe to pick the dress she was most satisfied with. Then, she hurriedly changed into it and went to the mirror to fix her makeup. There was no reason for her not to go to a lunch that Nigel treated. Not only was she going to go, but she was also going to put on beautiful makeup and dress up. Downstairs, Queenie got impatient waiting and turned toward her parents. ¡°Mom, Dad, why don¡¯t you guys apany Bonnie to lunch? I¡¯ll eat with Nigel.¡± Based on Queenie¡¯s understanding of Bonnie, she didn¡¯t show up for so long because she was borately dressing up to act in front of Nigel. ¡°Jeez, what¡¯s the matter with Bonnie? Didn¡¯t she say she¡¯lle down in a while? It¡¯s been more than ten minutes.¡± Maggie also felt helpless. Finally, Bonnie came as everyone was waiting for her. She was in good spirits now instead of being listless after the criticism she had just received. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry to keep you guys waiting.¡± Seeing that everyone was waiting for her, Bonnie immediately apologized in a delicate voice. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Let¡¯s go! Later Nigel has a meeting,¡± Brandon said, and Bonnie immediately looked at Nigel. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Nigel.¡± As Bonnie had stopped addressing Nigel as a young master, Queenie was not happy. Why is she doing that?! Queenie got into Nigel¡¯s sports car while Bonnie could only ride in her father¡¯s car, which caused Bonnie to surge with wild jealousy. Nigel¡¯s sports car was very racy, and she wanted to ride in it too. They arrived at a fancy restaurant. Then, they went upstairs and entered a private room, which Nigel had booked in advance. After sitting down, it was time to order. When Queenie was browsing through the menu, Nigel came closer to her and read the menu with her. Queenie couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°This is so expensive!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s order one to taste it,¡± Nigel said immediately. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°I want to eat.¡± Then, Nigel turned toward the waiter and said, ¡°Add this too.¡± Queenie pursed her red lips to suppress the happiness inside. The feeling of being pampered was wonderful. Bonnie was also ordering the food, but she couldn¡¯t pay attention. She was jealous, feeling the fondness of Nigel for Queenie. In the past, that was how Leslie used to treat Bonnie. However, afterward, Leslie moved back to Queenie, so Bonnie became single. She couldn¡¯t understand why Nigel treated them differently, even if the both of them looked simr. ¡°May I know where the washroom is?¡± Maggie asked the waiter. Queenie also happened to need to make the trip and said, ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± A gleam of scheme shed under Bonnie¡¯s eyes as she watched Queenie and Maggie leave. Then, she immediately got up and went to Nigel as she leaned down to approach him. ¡°Nigel, have you tasted this dish before? Is it good? Can we have one?¡± She pointed to a dish and asked Nigel as she deliberately showed an innocent look. However, Nigel only felt the smell of Bonnie¡¯s perfume makes him suffocate, so his upper body tried to keep the distance between them as far as possible. ¡°Feel free to order whatever you want.¡± Nigel didn¡¯t want to discuss the dishes with her. ¡°Really? That¡¯s so nice of you.¡± Bonnie shed her smile, and her heavy makeup was visible under the light. The lipstick made Nigel not want to look at her more than once, as her face was filled with rich metallic colors, which made her look fake. Bonnie deliberately stood by Nigel¡¯s side, pretending to be looking at the menu. She wanted to wait for Queenie toe back and see her standing there. Sure enough, when Queenie walked into the room and saw Bonnie standing beside Nigel, she was annoyed. ¡°Queenie, Nigel is so kind. He lets me order whatever I want,¡± Bonnie said with a smile toward Queenie, as if she was praising Queenie¡¯s good taste. In reality, she was trying to show off how well Nigel treated her. However, when Queenie sat back down, he took the initiative to lean closer and stared straight at her with alluring eyes until her displeasure disappeared. Instead, she was getting embarrassed to be stared at by him. So, she reached out to block his eyes to signal him not to look. However, Nigel quietly held her hand and ced it under the table to grip it firmly. Bonnie stood close to them, so she directly witnessed the show of affection. Hence, she couldn¡¯t help but feel her heart clogged up and returned to her seat. Then, she saw Queenie holding up a cup and stared at her warningly. In response, Bonnie deliberately lowered her head to pretend not to notice. It was then that the food came. They opened up two bottles of wine that cost four hundred thousand, and Brandon drank happily. He was happy with his future son-inw. Queenie had been blushing, and she had the feeling that her parents could not wait for her to marry tomorrow. Bonnie¡¯s gaze was full of jealousy and hatred. Bonnie regretted that she had stolen Leslie from Queenie. If she hadn¡¯t stolen him from Queenie, Queenie would have married him by now, so she wouldn¡¯t be lucky enough to meet Nigel. However, there was no second chance, so Bonnie could only look for future opportunities. ¡°Mom, I want to go shopping after lunch.¡± Bonnie felt shecked attraction because her clothes were not of high quality. As such, she wanted to buy a few sets of thetest fashion toplement her style. Unlike Queenie, who grew up rich with confidence naturally emanating from her heart, Bonniecked that. Bonnie was like a girl that grew up in a low-ie family; in the face of the money in the upper ss, she was like a greedy minion who couldn¡¯t wait to hold everything tightly in her hands. Queenie had been enjoying the rich girl treatment for her whole life, which resulted in her not prioritizing materialforts. Instead, her mannerisms showed a hint of elegance and confidence. ¡°All right. Do you need me to apany you?¡± Maggie asked. ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡¯m going alone.¡± Bonnie wouldn¡¯t want her mother to see her splurging. After lunch, the group gathered at the entrance of the restaurant. Queenie didn¡¯t feel like going home at the moment, but she felt bad to leave her parents and go with Nigel. An idea urred to her soon after. ¡°Did I leave my purse at your house?¡± she asked with feigned confusion. Nigel got the hint as soon as he met her eyes, and he answered wlessly, ¡°It looks like you left it in the first-floor lobby. Do you want to get it with me?¡± ¡°Sure. Dad, Mom, I¡¯ll go to retrieve my purse at his ce.¡± Once she finished her words, she grabbed his hand and hurriedly left the restaurant. Little did she know, her parents were sharing a knowing look on their faces, but they did nothing to stop her. Instead, they turned to each other andughed at the situation. Bonnie seized the opportunity by remarking on the situation on purpose. ¡°It seems like Queenie is expecting to marry him very soon.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a man with good qualities. I want to see her marry him as fast as possible, maybe even more than herself.¡± Maggie smiled knowingly. Bonnie choked at her words. She was nning to use Queenie of ack of consideration for their parents in the first ce. However, their parents were satisfied with Nigel to such a degree that they wanted to see Queenie marry him. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m going to the mall now. Be safe.¡± After the reminder, Bonnie headed toward a cab. At the same moment, Queenie already found herself in Nigel¡¯s car as she patted her chest in relief. ¡°My parents can¡¯t tell I lied to them, right?¡± Nigel fought back a smile andforted her with all seriousness, ¡°They probably can¡¯t.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± She sighed in relief and beamed at him. ¡°It seems like I can expect a free dinner from you.¡± Her adorable behavior melted his heart. Besides, he found that having somebody to depend on him was something that made him happy. Reaching out a hand, he caressed the back of her head. ¡°We¡¯re heading to the hotel and having dinner over there.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Queenie nodded obediently. Meanwhile, Bonnie went to the shopping mall alone for a shopping spree. She had decided to spend a lot on high fashion without monitoring her spending. She found a piece of garment she was interested in, but its price was too expensive for her standards. Thus, she was hesitating the whole time. At that moment, a woman behind her shrieked in surprise, ¡°What a coincidence!¡± Turning to the woman who called out to her, Bonnie was surprised to find she had no idea who the woman was. Frowning, she asked, ¡°Do I know you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you remember me? I¡¯m Lina Perez. We met in the hotelst night.¡± Lina was sizing Bonnie up when she answered the other woman. She couldn¡¯t help but sneer quietly. She looked pure and innocent under the night lightst night, so what¡¯s the matter with the heavy makeup on her face right now? Where did the innocence go? Lina might be envious of ¡®Queenie¡¯s¡¯ beautyst night, but now she had second thoughts after meeting ¡®Queenie¡¯ in the mall. Nigel has bad taste in women. How could he fall for a woman who did stic surgery in the first ce? The realization immediately dawned on Bonnie. The girl before her had mistaken her for Queenie. Judging by the look of the other girl, it was obvious that she wasn¡¯t Queenie¡¯s friend, and was more like a rival to Queenie. Bonnie cast her a smile. ¡°Miss, you¡¯ve got the wrong person. Queenie is my older sister, and I¡¯m Bonnie.¡± ¡°She has a twin sister? I had no idea!¡± Lina couldn¡¯t contain her surprise. It¡¯s a surprise to see Queenie has a younger sister who looks simr to her. ¡°That¡¯s right. However, I went missing as a child and only returned to my family a year ago, which is the reason you don¡¯t know anything about it.¡± After exining to the other woman, Bonnie began to observe Lina from head to toe as she twirled her hair. ¡°Queenie is dating Nigel at the moment. Are you aware of it?¡± Lina shot her another question. ¡°Of course! We had lunch together a while ago. However, I feel like Queenie isn¡¯t good enough for him in all aspects. Rather, a girl from a noble family like you suits him the most.¡± Bonnie cast Lina a look of admiration when she said that. Lina¡¯s eyes shone in excitement as she grasped the key information. Bonnie went missing during her youth and only returned to the Silverstein Family recently. She must resent her sister, who grew up getting pampered by the family. Furthermore, Bonnie¡¯s words had an undertone that implied her hatred toward Queenie. ¡°You¡¯re Bonnie, right? Are you interested in this piece of garment? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m a premium VIP here, so I can ask the store manager to give you seventy percent off for it.¡± Bonnie was aze with bliss at Lina¡¯s words. Seventy percent off? Wonderful! ¡°Are you sure? Miss Perez, thank you so much!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. You can treat it as my way to make a new friend.¡± Lina looked straight at Bonnie when she answered. Bonnie immediately understood Lina¡¯s motive. They both hated the same person. Besides, Bonnie could set Queenie up and prevent her from marrying into the Manson Family with Lina¡¯s assistance. At the same time, Lina was thinking about using Bonnie¡¯s help to separate Nigel and Queenie with more ease. ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. Miss Perez, let¡¯s exchange numbers. We can hang out for coffee sometimes.¡± Bonnie answered in enthusiasm. After the two exchanged numbers, Lina used her membership card to im the highest discount for the shirt, and Bonnie was happy with her gesture. She was looking forward to seeing Lina be Queenie¡¯s rival. Queenie stayed at the hotel until she had dinner with Nigel before she headed home. It was already 9.00 PM. when she arrived home. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m back!¡± She greeted her mother, who was watching television on the couch. ¡°Wee home. Come here. I¡¯ve got something to ask you.¡± Maggie gestured for her toe over. Queenie obeyed and took a seat next to her mother anxiously. ¡°What is it, Mom?¡± ¡°I have a question. Does Nigel¡¯s family know the two of you are seeing each other?¡± Maggie asked with a serious expression. Lowering her gaze due to shyness, Queenie shook her head. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long since we dated. I haven¡¯t seen his parents for the time being.¡± ¡°Does he n to introduce you to his parents?¡± Maggie pressed. Queenie pondered for a moment before she shook her head again. ¡°We¡¯re not quite there yet, Mom. We¡¯re taking things slowly at the moment.¡± Maggie was disappointed to hear such words from Queenie. She had seen a lot of rich kids being irresponsible in their rtionship matters. They only sought pleasure for the moment and would dump the woman after that. Thus, Maggie didn¡¯t want to see her daughter end up being heartbroken after spending most of her youth on the man she loved. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry about me. Nigel likes me, and I like him too. We had thought about it seriously when we started to date each other.¡± Queenieforted her mother. ¡°You should handle your rtionship with a man wisely. I¡¯m merely giving you suggestions based on my experience. Your father and I both think Nigel is a good man. However, his family is more complicated than we can ever imagine. Our family isn¡¯t as strong as his, understand?¡± Queenie was well aware of the differences between both families. As such, she nodded and assured her mother, ¡°All right. I¡¯ll be careful.¡± Somewhere near the stair rails of the second level was Bonnie, who stood there like a specter and eavesdropped on the conversation downstairs. A sneer formed at the corner of her lips when she learned that Queenie hadn¡¯t met Nigel¡¯s parents. Is Nigel too ashamed to introduce Queenie to his parents because she¡¯s good for nothing? Does it mean he only ns to y with her feelings? The corner of her lips curled into a satisfied smile. Since Bonnie now had Lina¡¯s number, they would work together to separate Queenie and Nigel when the timing was right. When Queenie went upstairs with her purse in tow, she bumped into Bonnie at the end of the staircase, and the other woman was blocking her way. ¡°Get out of my way.¡± Queenie didn¡¯t bother to hide the impatience in her voice. ¡°Queenie, are you still mad at me? What can I do to earn your forgiveness?¡± Bonnie feigned sadness in her tone, but her hands were still stretching out, blocking Queenie from crossing. ¡°Can¡¯t you hear I¡¯m asking you to make way for me?¡± Queenie couldn¡¯t hold back her frustration. ¡°Queenie, I¡¯m sorry! Please don¡¯t be mad at me! I promise there won¡¯t be a next time.¡± Bonnie raised her voice on purpose, and her words reached Maggie downstairs as expected. At that, Maggie shouted at her older daughter from the couch, ¡°Queenie, Bonnie has learned her mistakes. Stop ming her.¡± Queenie was gritting her teeth at her mother for siding with Bonnie. On the contrary, Bonnie had a wide smile that stretched across her face, and her tone was humble as she said, ¡°Queenie, I¡¯ve learned from my mistakes! Will you please forgive me? I promise I¡¯ll listen to you in the future.¡± Queenie was disgusted by Bonnie¡¯s two-faced behavior and she felt nauseated at it. However, she was feeling sad and despair deep down inside. Having a younger sister like Bonnie, who was maniptive, would only endanger the whole family one day. ¡°Do you even have a conscience? Drop the act!¡± Queenie warned the other woman in a low voice. However, Bonnie answered her with a whisper too, ¡°Queenie, I won¡¯t deny it. I like to see the look on your face when you have to constantly tolerate my presence instead of chasing me away. It¡¯s fun to watch.¡± The blood drained from Queenie¡¯s face due to her fury as she wondered what she had done to Bonnie and got on the other woman¡¯s bad side. ¡°Queenie, maybe we can still be sisters if you¡¯re willing to let me have Young Master Nigel. If so, I promise to not upset you anymore,¡± Bonnie whispered again. At that, Queenie spoke through gritted teeth. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re petty. Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯ll give me everything I want?¡± Bonnie pouted, but her gaze suggested a hint of viciousness. Queenie trembled uncontrobly as her anger had reached its peak. She had enough of her shameless sister. ¡°Bonnie, will you ever stop?¡± Getting the reaction she was expecting, Bonnie went downstairs with a satisfied smile on her face while Queenie returned to her room and suppressed the boiling anger within her. Sooner orter, Bonnie will be the end of us! Once Bonnie got downstairs, she crossed paths with Brandon, who just got home a moment ago. His presence reminded her of the banquet on Friday, which she was looking forward to. She was determined to attend the banquet by herself without Queenie¡¯spany. Holding his arm, she acted coquettishly as she asked, ¡°Dad, can you attend the banquet tomorrow with me only?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are we not bringing your sister along?¡± ¡°Since she already has Young Master Nigel, I want to seize the opportunity to find a man as good as him at the banquet.¡± Bonnie feigned self-loathing as she mumbled, ¡°I¡¯ve never been as confident as her since I was young. People will never notice me if she¡¯s presented at the banquet.¡± Brandon agreed with her opinion. Growing up with her foster parents, Bonnie turned into a childish and petty woman, which was the opposite of Queenie, who was confident and cheerful. He nodded. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll bring you along.¡± ¡°Thanks, Dad.¡± Bonnie beamed a smile at her father. Meanwhile, in Queenie¡¯s room on the third level, her ringing phone grabbed her attention as soon as she finished a shower. Casting a nce at the caller ID, she answered the call with a sweet tone, ¡°Hello, are you home already?¡± ¡°I just got home. Are you free tomorrow night?¡± ¡°I am.¡± ¡°I need yourpany at a banquet.¡± Queenie was looking forward to it and she quickly agreed. ¡°All right.¡± They chatted for a moment before she felt a little drowsy. Slumping on the bed, she announced, ¡°I¡¯m sleepy. See you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Good night.¡± ¡°Good night to you too.¡± Queenie found herself in afortable sleeping position before she shut her eyes and fell into slumber. After Bonnie returned to her room, she began to check her phone gallery for a picture of her. She swiped through most of them idly until she stopped at the ones with her and Leslie in some suggesting positions. At that time, he refused to show cooperation when she took them. Therefore, he had his hands covering his head and didn¡¯t reveal his face in most of the pictures. Her skin without makeup seemed smooth and silky, while her red lips looked puffy with the help of a beautifying filter. Bonnie herself had a normal skin type, and she was envious of Queenie¡¯s ivory and soft skin, and she couldn¡¯t even see the pores on her face. She was focusing on her face in the picture. It¡¯s hard to tell whether the woman in the pictures is me or Queenie. ¡°Who knew I had a good weapon in my phone?¡± Bonnie zoomed in on the photo to see the details with a proud look on her face. She shared many simr features of Queenie¡¯s face. An associate might be able to distinguish them, but a stranger would no doubt mistake her for Queenie. A malicious idea popped into her mind. Queenie can only dream of marrying Nigel if his parents see the pictures. Even though he believes Queenie¡¯s innocence in the first ce, his parents might have a different opinion. Judging by their picky standards, it¡¯s not that easy to get their approval. Bonnie decided to save the pictures in a safer tform for her n. She was going to attend an important banquet that involved many business elites with her father tomorrow. She took note of finding a man of Nigel¡¯s social status during the banquet. After all, Nigel was a clever man. She found that he was more than he showed and a bit of evil in their previous confrontations. He had seen through all of her previous attempts. It was impossible for him to fall in love with her now. Hence, she was determined to dress attractively for the banquet in order to take full advantage of such an opportunity. Brandon left for work after their breakfast. Bonnie would be attending the banquet with him at 4.00 PM later. For Bonnie¡¯s sake, he decided to keep the banquet a secret from Queenie, as he knew Queenie would definitely attend if she knew about it. Everyone could see that Brandon and Maggie were both biased toward Bonnie. The duo felt sorry for Bonnie, who had a difficult time growing up, and so they showered her with as much love as they could now. Meanwhile, after lunch, Queenie received a call from Nigel, who asked her to go to a high-end store for evening gowns. When she arrived, she was treated as a distinguished guest of the shop, and she was even served a sumptuous set of afternoon tea. Queenie did not inform her parents of this. She simply informed her mother that she would be returning homete tonight. In the high-end store, she was treated like an honored guest. As the time was still early, she enjoyed a spa and afternoon tea in the shop¡¯s private restaurant while preparing for the dinner banquet tonight. She exuded a natural elegance and confidence. After enjoying everything served, at 4.30 PM, she began meticulously selecting a gown that would suit her. At the same time, Bonnie was also preparing for the dinner banquet in another store. She had spoken with Lina earlier in the day and knew the other woman would be attending the banquet as well. With that, they both agreed to meet at the banquet. Bonnie was in a good mood, knowing that she could fully enjoy tonight¡¯s banquet without Queenie stealing the show. Brandon had also given her enough money so that she could dress up well. Time flew by as both Queenie and Bonnie did the same thing at different evening gown stores, trying on gowns and applying makeup. Queenie chose a one-of-a-kind rose-themed gown from the store. It was elegant and romantic. She looked like a fairy with it on, and she was absolutely stunning. Her makeup was light and simple, with a pink undertone. Herplexion and facial features were naturally lovely, and the light makeup entuated them perfectly. Her style that night waspletely appropriate for her age. The rhinestones on her gown, as well as the textured tulle beneath it, enhanced her youthful vigor and beauty to the fullest. She looked like a princess who had just emerged from her pce. ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful, Miss Silverstein,¡± the store manager couldn¡¯t help but exim from the bottom of his heart. He hadn¡¯t seen ady with such an elegant, pure, and innocent aura in a long time. ¡°Thank you,¡± Queenie replied with a shy smile. Someone came up the stairs at this precise moment. Queenie turned around to see Nigeling up the stairs, one of his hands tucked into this pocket. He was dressed in a dark-colored shirt and slim-fit trousers. His straight brows, rounded eyes, and sharp facial contours all exuded a wild and unruly aura. ¡°Look, Young Master Nigel. Miss Silverstein is so beautiful, isn¡¯t she?¡± the manager quickly asked. Nigel¡¯s gaze was already fixed on Queenie. Her dressing up in such a way had truly astounded him. ¡°Yes, she is stunning,¡± he praised. Queenie loved the gown she was wearing, and she was looking forward to attending tonight¡¯s dinner banquet with Nigel. Meanwhile, Bonnie chose a gown that she thought was the best she could find. She purposefully chose a bright red feminine gown that revealed a little of her bosom to attract attention. She waspletely confident in her body shape, particrly her upper body. She stood in front of the mirror, admiring herself, and was pleased with her own decisions. She reasoned that she would definitely stand out from the crowd tonight. She was also pleased that Queenie would not be able to attend such a grand dinner banquet. Not long after, Brandon¡¯s driver picked her up from the store and drove her to the hotel where the banquet was being held. The host for tonight happened to be the Royal Hotel, a hotel owned by the Manson Group. Hope arose in Bonnie¡¯s heart. Will I run into Nigel here tonight? What if he shows upter at the banquet? I have to attract his attention! Excitement shed across her eyes as she was immersed in her thoughts. Brandon arrived at the venue after a short while. When he saw Bonnie¡¯s outfit, he furrowed his eyebrows and queried, ¡°Bonnie, don¡¯t you think you should wear a coat over your gown? It does not appear appropriate!¡± Bonnie blinked as shemented, ¡°Dad, this is the current fashion! It¡¯s not very revealing!¡± ¡°All right, then.¡± Brandon still thought the gown was inappropriate, but he couldn¡¯t do anything about it. When he brought Bonnie into the hall, he noticed some otherdies wearing the same type of gown. With that, he finally agreed with her decision. After all, his biggest wish was for Bonnie to find someone she loved at the dinner banquet tonight. As the banquet began, more and more guests arrived. Bonnie awkwardly followed Brandon around for a while because it was her first time attending such a grand event after returning to the Silverstein Family. Suddenly, ady¡¯s voice called out to her. ¡°You¡¯re here, Bonnie.¡± ¡°Hello, Miss Perez,¡± Bonnie said enthusiastically as she approached Lina. Lina had also put effort into her appearance today. She was a few years older than Bonnie and had a more mature and feminine style. ¡°Why are you here alone? Is your sister noting?¡± Lina curiously asked. ¡°Her schedule is packed, so I¡¯m the only one attending with my father.¡± ¡°Since Young Master Nigel will be here tonight, I assumed your sister would as well!¡± ¡°What? Young Master Nigel will be here?¡± ¡°Yes. I looked through the guest list and saw his name. Furthermore, tonight¡¯s banquet is being held at his hotel. He would, at the very least, appear to greet the guests, ¡± Lina responded, her face flushed with anticipation. When Bonnie heard that, a thought shed through her mind. Nigel ising, so I¡¯ll have a chance to impress him tonight! Lina is also a very prettydy, but I have the advantage of being younger. Furthermore, I resemble Queenie. Nigel may develop feelings for me as a result of this! At this moment, Nigel¡¯s sports car slotted itself in the hotel¡¯s designated parking spot. This was a spot specifically reserved for him. As the Manson Family¡¯s young master, he was given preferential treatment in all Manson Group¡¯s assets. Queenie emerged from the sports car not long after. Nigel felt unwilling to have to bring her to the dinner after looking at her, with the bright, silver light of the chandelier shining on her face. He wished to take her home right away so that he could admire her beauty alone. ¡°Let¡¯s go! Are we runningte?¡± Queenie asked, as they had even gone for their dinner earlier. In response, Nigel simply walked over to her and took her hand in his, saying, ¡°It¡¯s fine to bete.¡± Queenie then took his arm as the both of them walked into the hall. When they both stepped in, the usher was stunned. Oh my! That¡¯s Young Master Nigel, but who¡¯s thedy next to him? She¡¯s absolutely gorgeous and looks just like a goddess! Under the scrutiny of the entire crew in the hall, Queenie strolled in shyly. She was well aware that Nigel was the dream lover of every unmarried woman employee in the hotel. That was why when she walked in with Nigel, they all looked at her with shock¡ªthey were all envious of her. In the hall, all of Averna¡¯s reputable figures and wealthy businessmen were there. Bonnie had left her father and began walking around with Lina. While they were going around socializing, Lina told Bonnie about all the wealthy young masters from various reputable families. As Bonnie did not know much about the upper ss of the society in Averna, she learned a lot from Lina just by walking around with her. Looking at all the wealthy men, Bonnie was more interested in their wealth than in their appearances. They were all either unkempt or plump, and none of them seemed to care about their appearances. They werepletely iparable to Nigel. Lina too, was uninterested in these men. The only person she desired to be with was Nigel. With that, she could be thedy boss of thousands of hotels and travel the world for the rest of her life. Such a life was exactly what she dreamt of. However, she was concerned, as Nigel was nowhere to be seen even after the banquet had begun for a while. Why hasn¡¯t he arrived yet? Is he noting tonight? Just as she was troubled over Nigel¡¯s absence, her gaze which was fixed on the door brightened up. But it was only for a few seconds before it dimmed again. Nigel was here, but he was apanied by ady who was holding his arm. Isn¡¯t that Bonnie¡¯s twin sister, Queenie? It¡¯s such a surprise that she is here with Nigel. Wait a minute¡­ Her gown looks familiar. It is thetest design in the fashion industry, with only one piece in the entire country, and now, Queenie is wearing it! Queenie quickly became the person in the hall who everyone envied the most. Every woman in the hall tonight worked in the fashion industry and was up to date on thetest trends. Hence, they were well aware of how special the gown Queenie was wearing was. It was the top-tier gown of the Rose Series,unchedst spring by ire, the world-renowned designer. Seeing the gown in the hall, one of the women couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°Who is thatdy? How did she get the gown?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the answer obvious given who she¡¯s holding? That¡¯s Nigel, the Manson Family¡¯s young master! Of course she gets to have any gown she desires!¡± Meanwhile, Bonnie was making her way back to the hall after leaving thedies. She gently patted away the few water droplets on her chest, fearing that her gown would be soiled. She, however, sensed a bright light emanating from the crowd in the hall, and the rose on that shining gown appeared extremely elegant and mysterious in the light. With the diamond detailing, it looked exactly like the first rose that bloomed in the morning mist. Just as she was astonished by the gown, she saw the woman wearing it takes a ss of red wine from the waiter. That stunning look from the sidepletely took Bonnie aback. Why is Queenie here? How is this possible?! Queenie appeared to be a noble princess, drawing everyone¡¯s attention. Bonnie¡¯s heart swelled with jealousy when she saw how charming Queenie was. Then Bonnie noticed Nigel, who was busy greeting the guests, standing next to Queenie, and she realized that Queenie was Nigel¡¯spanion for the banquet tonight. Bonnie expected Queenie to be unable to attend without Brandon¡¯s invitation, but to her surprise, Queenie arrived with Nigel. Bonnie then lowered her head to look at her red gown, which now appeared uncouth inparison to Queenie¡¯s gown. Realizing this, she frustratingly lowered her hand that had been patting off the water droplets on her chest earlier. Then, she looked at Lina, who was talking with her friends in a hushed tone while looking in Queenie¡¯s direction every now and then. She is obviously irritated as well! After taking a deep breath, Bonnie walked toward Queenie. ¡°You¡¯re here too, Queenie,¡± Bonnie called out. Queenie thought that she was hallucinating when she heard Bonnie¡¯s voice. At that, she quickly turned around and saw the person approaching her was indeed Bonnie. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Queenie asked in surprise. Bonnie let out a broad smile in response. ¡°Dad brought me here to have a look!¡± She was, in fact, unting the fact that Brandon had only brought her here. That worked on Queenie. Dad brought just her alone? ¡°Don¡¯t me Dad, Queenie! I¡¯m not like you, who has attended grand events since you were a child, so Dad brought me here,¡± Bonnie continued with the smile still on her face. Hearing that, Queenie raised her head to look for Brandon, whom she found among a group of businessmen. ¡°I¡¯ll go greet Dad,¡± she told Bonnie. Then, she walked toward Brandon¡¯s direction. Brandon was both surprised and happy to see Queenie appear in such a gorgeous manner, and he said, ¡°How did you get here, Queenie?¡± ¡°I came with Nigel, Dad,¡± Queenie responded smilingly. ¡°Wow! Is this your eldest daughter, Mr. Silverstein? You are truly blessed to have such a lovely daughter!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! She is not only beautiful but also graceful and elegant.¡± Everyone was full of praises for Queenie. Indeed, she deserved suchpliments as well, as she truly looked stunning in the spotlight. But Bonnie, who was nning to approach them, was displeased. She realized she shouldn¡¯t go to them right now because she would look like an essory who was only there toplement Queenie. Just as she was about to turn around and leave, Brandon noticed her and called out to her. ¡°Bonnie, come over here.¡± With that, Bonnie had no choice but to follow his words. ¡°This is my younger daughter, Bonnie.¡± Everyone turned to look at Bonnie immediately after that. They were all surprised by how different Bonnie and Queenie looked, and even doubted whether they were twins. Bonnie, on the other hand, seemed to sense their doubts and felt helpless. Her face flushed with embarrassment, and her heart was filled with hatred for Queenie. Chapter 1271-1280 Chapter 1271-1280 Queenie appeared to have dressed up specifically for tonight¡¯s event. Could she possibly have known that her father would attend the banquet with Bonnie? That had to be the case and Queenie was here to embarrass her intentionally. How evil of her! Meanwhile, Lina took advantage of the chance to approach Nigel and greeted him, ¡°Hi, Nigel, it¡¯s nice to see you again.¡± Nigel responded with a slight nod before turning his head to search for Queenie. At that moment, two young men stood next to her, and they were Brandon¡¯s friends¡¯ sons. While they were going around greeting the various guests, they happened to notice Queenie. They didn¡¯t miss the opportunity to chat with her, and she couldn¡¯t be impolite to them because her father was friends with their parents. Nigel happened to catch sight of that scene and an instantaneous surge of possessive desire swept through his chest. Contrarily, Lina attempted to buy him a drink by calling the waiter and preparing to pass him a ss of wine. However, just as she took the winess in her hand, Nigel was nowhere to be found. ¡°Nigel, let¡¯s have a¡ª¡± She looked down at her red wine ss in shame as she watched him leave without saying anything. A me of resentment red in her eyes as she caught sight of the girl whom he was approaching. It turned out that the girl he was walking toward was Queenie, and the moment he was close enough to her, the first thing he did was give her a warm embrace around the waist. ¡°Your friends, Queenie?¡± Nigel inquired naturally. Queenie was slightly embarrassed by his affectionate embrace. Then, she introduced him to the two men but barely knew theirst names. ¡°My girlfriend and I have to greet a few elders now. Please excuse us.¡± Nigel excused himself from the two young men and walked away with her in his arms. ¡°My dad is over there. Do you want to say hello?¡± she asked him. He already knew Brandon was here, so he nodded. ¡°Of course.¡± Brandon was conversing with his friends when he suddenly noticed Nigel and beamed with excitement. ¡°You¡¯re here, Nigel,¡± he eximed. Nigel greeted, ¡°Hello, Mr. Silverstein.¡± Since Nigel had rarely socialized with Brandon¡¯s group of friends, many of them were unfamiliar with him. In addition, he maintained a low profile, and no one appeared to have heard of him. ¡°Who is this young boy, Brandon?¡± ¡°He¡¯s my daughter¡¯s boyfriend.¡± ¡°What a good-looking boy. Which family is he from?¡± One of them was curious when he noticed the plutocratic aura Nigel exuded. Brandon replied boastfully, ¡°This hotel belongs to Nigel¡¯s family.¡± The hotel was managed by the Manson Group, so could the young man before them be the next in line to seed as the group¡¯s heir apparent? ¡°What a lucky man you are, Brandon! I can¡¯t believe your daughter is seeing such an outstanding man. That makes me envious!¡± Soon, Brandon¡¯s group of friends started expressing their envy for him. After having such a beautiful daughter, he was able to attract a wealthy son-inw! What a blessing! Brandon let out a heartyugh, and Queenie could feel her father¡¯s happiness as she sneakily nced at Nigel. She was thrilled that he could make her father proud. ¡°Please continue with your conversation and have fun. We¡¯ll be heading off to greet other guests,¡± Nigel said. ¡°We¡¯ll be back in a bit, Mr. Silverstein.¡± ¡°Go on!¡± Brandon nodded. Bonnie, who stood nearby, almost crushed the winess that she was holding. She was no longer in the mood to head out tonight in search of a wealthy, eligible bachelor because Queenie had ruined her mood entirely. Meanwhile, Lina rejoined her group of friends. They had all witnessed her futile attempt to initiate a conversation with Nigel, so they began muttering. ¡°What¡¯s so good about Queenie? She¡¯s not as beautiful as Lina.¡± ¡°Exactly! You can tell she¡¯s an escort by looking at her sister.¡± ¡°Bonnie is still useful to me. Don¡¯t say that in front of her,¡± Lina warned her friends. She could tell at a nce that Bonnie had a significant setback. Although they shared a family tree, it was clear that she was more like a leaf than her sister, Queenie, who was more like a flower in full bloom. Therefore, it was understandable that Bonnie was upset. Bonnie¡¯s demeanor was gloomy as she walked out onto the balcony. Shortly after she had settled in for some peace, a man¡¯s voice asked her tentatively from behind, ¡°Nina? Are you Nina?¡± The mere mention of that name sent shudders through her entire body. Instantaneously, she covered her face with her hands and huffed, ¡°You have the wrong person. I¡¯m not Nina.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss. You resemble someone whom I know, and I may have mistaken you for her.¡± His words were followed by an awkward pause during which he appeared to collect his thoughts. Then, he sipped the ss of wine he was holding before he walked away. Bonnie waited until the man had left before she lowered her hands. There was frantic worry written all over her face. How could this be? Given that I have undergone such drastic changes to look like her, how can anyone possibly recognize me? It dawned on her that it wouldn¡¯t be sensible to stay, so she opened the door from the opposite side, took the elevator to the hall, and then called her father. ¡°Dad, I have something up, so I¡¯ll be leaving first,¡± she informed him. Brandon didn¡¯t say much to her and allowed her to head home. Meanwhile, she was in a cab with her hands tightly sped due to her anxiety. She felt as though her deepest secret had been disclosed. Although that person didn¡¯t recognize her, it was a sign that her disguise would be uncovered sooner or later. The only person who knew about Bonnie¡¯s past was herself, and she vowed never again to bring up the traumatic memories. ¡°No. I¡¯m Bonnie Silverstein. I¡¯m Bonnie Silverstein¡ª¡± she muttered to herself nervously. The driver was startled by her utterance as he turned to ask her, ¡°Miss, are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she answered him, albeit a little fiercely. She bit her lower lip to suppress her panic and fear. The past was no longer relevant; from now on, she would be known as Bonnie Silverstein, the Silversteins¡¯ second daughter. At the banquet hall, Queenie was introduced to Nigel¡¯s group of close friends and acquaintances. Some of them eyed him with envy, wondering where he had gotten his hands on such a beautiful woman. When she was introduced to the group, one of the men couldn¡¯t help but stare at her. He was known for being a yboy, and she had piqued his interest tonight. When Nigel gets tired of her, I¡¯m going to have her all to myself. She sensed the man¡¯s presumptuous gaze and that made her extremely ufortable. Then, she reached out, grabbed Nigel¡¯s arm, and urged him to leave. Unbeknownst to her, Nigel was also staring at the man. He had done so ever since the man started to give Queenie the eye. Nigel gave a ferocious re. Then, he gently pried open her hand whilemanding her, ¡°Stand here and don¡¯t move.¡± Before she could respond, he violently raised his fist andnded a punch in the face of that presumptuous man. There was no time for the man to react before he was knocked to the ground. He tipped over a table before he was soaked in wine and made a general mess. ¡°What are you doing, Nigel Manson?¡± the man roared as he was helped to his feet by his friend. Queenie was taken aback when she saw that. She covered her mouth as she stared at Nigel, who emanated an aura of menace. Then, she found out he¡¯d gotten into an argument with another man over her. ¡°Do you want to lose your sight? How dare you stare at my woman!¡± Nigel¡¯s handsome features were veiled in a stern expression and his dark orbs glowed with a piercing and frigid radiance. The man¡¯s sense of guilt made him holler, ¡°You must be sick, Nigel! What¡¯s wrong with me staring at her? Is that against thew?¡± Nigel clenched his teeth and growled, ¡°I dare you to stare at her again with those beastly eyes!¡± The uproar startled everyone in the banquet hall, and when they saw the two parties fighting, it dawned on them that both came from wealthy families. They did not risk offending or trying to persuade them, so instead, they chose to observe the heated show from the sidelines. Brandon pushed his way through the crowd and inquired anxiously, ¡°What happened, Queenie?¡± Queenie reached out to grab Nigel¡¯s arm and urged him, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Nigel!¡± Instantaneously, Nigel transformed into a tamed werewolf. After ensuring her safety, he reached over and stroked the back of her head while he assured her, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± As themotion unfolded, Lina watched from a distance. She did not anticipate Nigel, who had maintained a low profile, to fight for Queenie! In addition, he had thrashed another wealthy heir from a well-knownpany in Averna. Was it worthwhile to stand up for Queenie? The man who had been beaten was called Steve Nn. He came from a wealthy family and was a member of the same social circle as Nigel. In addition, his vile personality was well-known among his peers. It was rumored that he had a penchant for hooking up with women and that he sought only attractive women. As a result, Nigel¡¯s anger surfaced almost immediately when Steve looked at Queenie earlier. Even if he had continued staring at Queenie for another two seconds, it would be regarded as insulting her. ¡°Just you wait, Nigel Manson. We¡¯re not done yet.¡± After leaving those words, Steve walked away while he was aided by his friend. ¡°Are you alright, Nigel?¡± Lina seized the opportunity, approached him, and asked in a concerned tone. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he replied and took Queenie¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Lina turned around and exhibited an evident expression of disappointment upon seeing their backs. At that moment, she was feeling quite envious of Queenie. She admired Nigel¡¯s manliness but knew she could not im him as her own. Nigel and Queenie approached Brandon, who was delighted with how Nigel protected his daughter. ¡°Nigel, showing your dominance over these unruly people is the right thing to do. You did well.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send Queenie back home now, Mr. Silverstein. Feel free to have some more drinks,¡± Nigel said. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll leave her with you, then.¡± Brandon nodded, relieved that Nigel was with Queenie. As soon as they stepped into the elevator, she reached out to examine his fist. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± ¡°Why should I feel pain? I regret not kicking him, too.¡± Nigel¡¯s anger was still raging uncontrobly. How dare Steve try to hit on his woman? As such, he deserved to be beaten. She was relieved that he was protecting her, but she also felt distressed! If the man fought back, Nigel could get hurt. ¡°Did I scare you?¡± After noticing that her pretty little face was still tense, he concluded she was terrified. How could she not be? It was the first time in her life that she had witnessed a fight and her boyfriend¡¯s involvement made it even more shocking. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m fine. It doesn¡¯t hurt to be stared at¡ª¡± Queenie appeared indifferent to the situation. However, the man beside her did not share her sentiment and was not magnanimous. He wrapped his arm around her waist, drew her into his embrace, and stared at her with dark orbs. ¡°Who said so? You¡¯re my soon-to-be wife. No one else besides me is allowed to look at you. If anyone tries to hit on you, I will make them go blind!¡± In response to Nigel¡¯s shocking deration, Queenie reached out a hand to cover his mouth. ¡°D-Don¡¯t break thew because of me! I don¡¯t want you to be imprisoned before I marry you! What would I do if that happened?¡± Nigel was speechless at her remark, after which he gave a low chuckle before he finally burst into laughter. Queenie, who was also amused, covered her mouth with her hands as she giggled. The two of themughed all the way to the elevator, and when they arrived, several guests were waiting outside the door to enter. When they saw a handsome man and a beautiful womanughing at each other, the guests couldn¡¯t contain theirughter! ¡°Stopughing. This is a serious matter. You must listen to me.¡± Queenie red at him. Nigel suppressed hisughter and nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to stopughing now. I will never do anything illegal for your sake. I will keep my promise and marry you. Moreover, I won¡¯t let you spend the night alone in the room on our wedding night.¡± Queenie couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes bashfully at him. ¡°What¡¯re you talking about? You honestly think I don¡¯t want you to break thew because we can¡¯t be together? That¡¯s not what I mean! All I ask is that you always be by my side.¡± After making that statement, her face flushed as she continued walking forward. A ck car failed to notice her and nearly collided with her, but Nigel quickly pulled her back to safety. She was so startled that she clung tightly to him. ¡°Let¡¯s get something to eat before I send you home,¡± he suggested as he held her hand and led her to his car. Meanwhile, Bonnie dashed home and sat on a park bench near the Silverstein Residence. She frantically reached for her phone, tapped a few numbers, and anxiously asked, ¡°I¡¯m scared. When I arrived at the banquet earlier today, someone unexpectedly called my actual name. Do you think they recognized me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re now the Silverstein Family¡¯s second daughter. Nobody will doubt you. Do you remember that they looked at the report of your DNA test with their very own eyes?¡± Someone on the other end of the line had a soft, female voice. ¡°What if they request a retest? Then, what am I going to do?¡± Bonnie¡¯s hands trembled as she clutched the phone in her fearful grip. ¡°No, they won¡¯t because they¡¯ve been looking for you for years, and I know they¡¯ll shower you with double the amount of affection to make up for the lost time. So, from now on, avoid overcrowded banquets. All that is required of you is to continue acting as though you are the second daughter in the Silverstein Family to eventually obtain half of their assets. You¡¯ll feel like a winner when you finally achieve your goals.¡± ¡°Do you think I can get five billion?¡± ¡°Even if you don¡¯t have five billion, three billion is enough to make a fortune. This is a corporation owned by the Silverstein Family that has been around for a century, and while I am unsure of their precise value in today¡¯s market, the Silverstein Family has promised that they will leave you half of any inheritance. Just be patient and wait for the right moment!¡± ¡°Are you positive that the Silverstein Family¡¯s second daughter is no longer alive? What if that girl eventually returns home and reveals her true identity? I will be charged with a crime if my identity is revealed.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The Silverstein Family¡¯s second daughter was only three years old when she went missing. How could a three-year-old child remember who they were? It¡¯s likely that she¡¯s still living in an orphanage. Furthermore, she is now amon person excluded from high-society circles. No matter how hard she tries, she will never know who she really is.¡± The woman on the other end of the line calmly reassured Bonnie. ¡°However, you must assure me that you will share the inheritance equally with me once you receive it. Remember that I invested a lot of time and resources to help you.¡± ¡°Sure, I know what you¡¯re talking about, and I get it. Your generosity to me is something I will never forget. You are like a second parent because you provided me with everything I have right now.¡± Bonnie addressed the person on the other end of the line respectfully. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°Okay. Get a firm grasp on who you are as the Silversteins¡¯ second daughter. Don¡¯t try to pull any fast ones, and don¡¯t forget who you were before this! How can you possiblypare your life as the second daughter of the Silversteins to someone responsible for entertaining guests? Stop behaving like that if you don¡¯t want to return to that terrible life.¡± The other woman sounded resentful, suggesting that she was aware of Bonnie¡¯s recent behavior. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t do anything!¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything? Didn¡¯t you chase that maid, Courtney, out of the house? You used her of stealing. What did that maid do to offend you?¡± ¡°I only wanted to earn my parents¡¯ approval, that¡¯s all!¡± ¡°You have already been showered with more love and affection than Queenie. Just be grateful for what you have! Don¡¯t make things difficult for me and do your best to be Bonnie Silverstein.¡± ¡°I got it, Aunt Lisbeth.¡± Bonnie addressed the woman by her name. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to transfer me the living expenses for this month.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Bonnie replied in a hurry. Lisbeth Camdon was a childhood friend of Brandon¡¯s wife, Maggie Elmhurst. In the past, Lisbeth¡¯s life was picture perfect; she married into a wealthy family, and her husband was sessful. However, after his death, her son was arrested for gambling debts, and her life went downhill rapidly. She had fallen from her former status as a wealthy wife and was now running a restaurant as her sole source of ie. She relied on Bonnie¡¯s monthly transfer of fifty thousand to cover her living expenses. It was impossible to tell the good and bad of the people one might meet. Unfortunately for Maggie, she made friends with an ambitious and cold, calctive person. Lisbeth was familiar with the Elmhurst Family and their lives from a young age. When she went to a nightclub to pay off her son¡¯s debts, she met a girl dancing on stage and waspletely blown away by that girl¡¯s performance. She never expected to run into someone who looked so eerily simr to someone whom she already knew. There was a striking resemnce between the girl on stage and Queenie Silverstein, the eldest daughter of the Silverstein Family, by at least 70 percent, and the two even shared a simr voice. Lisbeth was so fed up with her life¡¯s shambles that she suddenly had a bold idea. She wanted the girl to pretend to be the Silverstein Family¡¯s missing twin daughter. After conversing with that girl, Lisbeth sent her to Hond, which was well-known for its stic surgery, and had that girl¡¯s face reconstructed to look like Queenie¡¯s. Following her recovery from the operation, the girl resembled Queenie by ny percent. Consequently, Lisbeth fabricated a story for the girl¡¯s adoptive parents and took Maggie and her husband to a DNA research facility. Then, she cut a strand of the girl¡¯s hair in front of everyone to send off for analysis. The Silverstein couple had no idea Lisbeth had paid bribes to the DNA testing center staff to switch the girl¡¯s hair with Queenie¡¯s hair she had collected, which resulted in Maggie and Brandon receiving a complete DNA test report. In addition, the girl had the same birthmark on her back shoulder; it made them so happy that they cried tears of joy. They made the snap judgment that she was their long-lost second daughter and embraced her with tears streaming down their faces. Hence, she was known as Bonnie Silverstein. From a nightclub dancer to the second daughter of a century-old family, Bonnie went from being submissive to gradually showing her true colors when she returned to the Silverstein Family. She tried to outdo the real Silverstein daughter in the family¡¯s affection and eventually nned to force her out. Her initial n was sessful, but she was startled out of her dream this evening when she unexpectedly heard a former patron calling her name. She was shaken to her core by it. Bonnie was worried that if her identity was revealed, everything she currently possessed would be taken away, and she would be forced to return to clubs to earn a living and entertain customers. She transferred funds to Lisbeth, leaving her with approximately one million in her ount. Moreover, Bonnie could have had more money if she¡¯d asked for it, but she began to feel that the total amount was less significant. However, she had to maintain her stance as the second Silverstein daughter above all else. Afterward, she wiped away her tears before grabbing her bag and returning to Silverstein Residence. As soon as she opened the door and stepped inside, she saw Maggie conversing with a maid in the hallway, and she couldn¡¯t help but feel apprehensive. ¡°Bonnie, why are you returning so soon? Where¡¯s your dad?¡± Maggie inquired out of curiosity. ¡°Dad is still at the banquet. I was bored, so I came home right away. Mom, I don¡¯t like these banquets because they are too boring. I don¡¯t wish to attend these events anymore.¡± Bonnie spoke up on purpose to make it more convenient for her to politely decline their invitation to attend a subsequent banquet. ¡°That¡¯s true. That kind of banquet is no fun at all. How about this? I invited some friends to an ind over the weekend. You cane with me!¡± ¡°Will there be a lot of people?¡± ¡°Of course! We¡¯re going for two weeks! There will be a show, a jewelry exhibition, and dinner on a cruise.¡± Maggie couldn¡¯t wait to bring her second daughter on that trip. However, Bonnie had been traumatized by crowded ces, so she quickly waved her hands and dered, ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ming. I get seasick, so I don¡¯t want to go on the cruise. You should go ahead, though!¡± ¡°But I¡¯ve already signed up for you! If you get seasick, we can also take a helicopter,¡± Maggie persuaded. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about itter! I¡¯m quite exhausted now. I¡¯m going back to my room.¡± The only option Bonnie had was to agree for the time being and pretend she couldn¡¯t go when the time came. Maggie likewise found nothing wrong with her daughter. On the contrary, she was looking forward to the opportunity to introduce her daughter to her friends while they were on the trip! Bonnie stood in front of the mirror in the room. After a moment of scanning both directions, she began to regain herposure. The operation that she had undergone turned out to be very sessful. Initially, she had about a sixty percent simr appearance to Queenie, and there weren¡¯t many obvious signs that she had undergone extensive stic surgery, even when she moved her face slightly. If she were to consistently apply her makeup daily, no one would be able to notice how drastically different she appeared when she did not have any makeup on. In addition, her makeup application skills were exceptional, and she has a firm grasp of every facial feature of Queenie. ¡°This persona is mine to keep for the rest of time. I am Bonnie Silverstein. Bonnie Silverstein is my name.¡± A pair of determined eyes could be seen in the mirror¡¯s reflection. At around 9.30PM, Queenie returned home in Nigel¡¯s sports car. She had chosen to wear a stunning evening dress in a rose color that,bined with her natural beauty, was enough to make anyone¡¯s heart skip a beat. ¡°I¡¯m getting off now.¡± Queenie was hesitant to leave as she looked at the man seated behind the wheel. ¡°Wait for a second. I¡¯ve got something to tell you.¡± Nigel stopped Queenie from leaving. She was startled and began to wonder, He said nothing along the way, so what does he want to say now? ¡°What?¡± she inquired while blinking. ¡°Come closer.¡± Queenie lowered her upper body in a submissive stance toward him and Nigel did the same to close the distance between them. When their faces were so close to one another that they could feel each other¡¯s breath, she blinked her longshes in bewilderment. At that moment, he reached out and rested his palm on the back of her head before leaning in to seal a dominant yet tender kiss on her lips. Her lips curled up as she allowed him to kiss her, and she returned the affection, albeit bashfully. Then, in hushed tones, he said, ¡°I like you.¡± Did he deliberately kiss me to convey this message? So, if we don¡¯t kiss, he won¡¯t say it? ¡°I know, and I like you as well,¡± she confessed finally. It was a statement that she had the intention to tell him for some time. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to think about how much you will miss me tonight,¡± Nigel reminded her. ¡°Okay, I will.¡± Thrilled, Queenie stepped out of the car. She stood at the door for a while before realizing that Nigel was waving at her from the car, signaling her to enter before he left. However, she waited until he had driven off before entering. She went through the gate reluctantly but was relieved to see him turning around to drive away. It was only then that she entered the house with a smile. Meanwhile, someone on the third-floor balcony saw the whole scene unfold. The person had noticed their intimate behavior in the car as well as their passionate kiss and reluctance to part ways. Bonnie feared that Queenie would marry Nigel as she viewed him as intimidating. Even though she had met numerous men before this, she had never encountered someone like him. He had a knack for reading her mind and took great pleasure in mocking her, which left her feeling trapped and threatened. So, she had to prevent Queenie from marrying him if she wanted to keep using Bonnie¡¯s identity indefinitely. After taking a shower in the evening, Queenie changed into her pajamas and went downstairs to get water. At that moment, Bonnie walked up and said, ¡°Queenie, I¡¯m sorry for any mistakes I¡¯ve made in the past or offense I might have caused you. I wanted to be loved and acknowledged in this family, which is why I am always picking on you. I had no intention of doing so. Will you forgive me?¡± Standing there with the cup in her hand, Queenie was taken aback by her words. She had been mistreated by Bonnie on so many asions that she could not determine whether or not Bonnie was honest with her. It didn¡¯t matter how Bonnie approached her because she always felt like Bonnie was setting up some borate conspiracy trap. As Queenie brushed past her, she remarked, ¡°If you have nothing to do, you should get to bed early!¡± Then, she ascended the stairs, leaving Bonnie staring with an expression that shifted from regret to resentment. Earlier, while in her room, Bonnie had racked her brain for a way to make amends with her sister and avoid any future confrontations. She tried to engage Queenie in polite conversation, but Queenie¡¯s apathy led her to abandon the idea. After a moment¡¯s reflection, she realized that she could use her identity as Bonnie Silverstein to do whatever she pleased. Anyway, only Lisbeth knew the truth about her identity. Early in the morning at Manson Residence, Brenda couldn¡¯t help but be shocked when she received a message from a friend informing her that her son had beaten someone. How could her son have assaulted someone? She realized it had been several days since theirst conversation because she avoided calling him out of respect for his work. At this very moment, she did not hesitate before grabbing her phone and tapping her son¡¯s number. ¡°Hi, Mom.¡± A groggy voice sounded. ¡°Nigel, why did you beat someone upst night?¡± Brenda asked anxiously. ¡°Oh, nothing. I just didn¡¯t like him. Why? Did hee to our house?¡± Nigel asked his mother. ¡°We¡¯re not sure if he¡¯lle to our house, but you shouldn¡¯t have beaten up someonest night. Stay away from him, even if you don¡¯t like him. Why did you have to hit him?¡± Brenda lightly reprimanded him. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll exin why I was beating himter. Tell him to look for me if hees to our home.¡± Nigel whimpered slightly. ¡°I¡¯m so tired and need to get some extra shut-eye.¡± Brenda let out a sigh as she hung up the phone. My son has been experiencing a lot of stresstely due to his work, so I should give him some space. Suddenly, her phone rang again, and after ncing briefly at the disy, she answered the call with a gleeful expression. ¡°Hey, Jovane!¡± ¡°Brenda! I was able to ask the girl whose information you requested. She is currently single and has no boyfriend. Maybe you could set up a blind date for Nigel so they can get to know each other.¡± ¡°Wonderful! I¡¯m quite pleased with this girl, and I¡¯ve noticed she has a pleasant personality since meeting her at the jewelry exhibitionst time and having a little chat with her.¡± ¡°Exactly! Shees from three generations of schrs, is beautiful in the ssical sense, and has a ster personality. There is utterly zero ground for any criticism.¡± ¡°Whenever I set Nigel up on blind dates, he reacts as though I¡¯m pleading for his life. I¡¯m worried he¡¯ll turn me down.¡± ¡°Oh, Brenda! Simply invite him to join you for dinner, but don¡¯t tell him that this is a blind date. Maybe he¡¯ll reconsider once he sees the girl at the table!¡± Brenda¡¯s eyes brightened when she realized that her friend had a fantastic idea, and she knew she ought to give it a shot, so she responded, ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s do that. This Friday, we¡¯ll all go out for dinner together, and you can ask that girl out while I ask my son out.¡± ¡°Sure, no problem.¡± ¡°It¡¯s decided, then.¡± Brenda¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement as she ended the call. It would be wonderful if her son would get married this year so that she could have grandchildren in theing year. ¡­ While having breakfast at the Silverstein Residence with his two daughters, Brandon¡¯s gaze briefly strayed in their direction. He turned to Queenie and asked, ¡°Queenie, are you avable at noon? Come join me at a meeting.¡± ¡°What sort of meeting, Dad?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like you toe along and sit in on apany meeting,¡± he replied. When Bonnie heard his words, sheined, ¡°Why can¡¯t Ie, Dad?¡± ¡°Bonnie, stay at home with your mother and listen to me,¡± he persuaded. ¡°What¡¯s the reason that Queenie gets to go and I don¡¯t?¡± A growing sense of resentment caused Bonnie to m her spoon on the table. ¡°Bonnie, your dad is getting older and is hoping to find someone to manage thepany¡¯s affairs on his behalf. Queenie attended business school, so she is more qualified than you to join thepany and oversee operations,¡± Maggie consoled her. Bonnie¡¯s frustration was amplified by that remark. Does this imply that my father intends to hand over thepany to her rather than me? ¡°Dad, I may not have the same credentials as Queenie, but I can run the business just as well, so please let mee along,¡± she insisted. Maggie and Brandon exchanged nces before she said, ¡°Alright! You can join them!¡± Bonnie finally picked up her cutlery and resumed her meal with contentment, but she soon discovered that her appetite was gone, even though the meal was delectable. It turned out that her parents had decided long ago to hand over the business to Queenie. Were they prejudiced against her because of herck of education? ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll leave after breakfast.¡± At the Silverstein Familypany headquarters, a summary meeting was taking ce to conduct a semi-annual stocktaking. Since both Bonnie and Queenie came to the meeting merely as observers, they were given seats at the end. After taking a seat, Bonnie saw that Queenie was perusing the report on their performance that had been sent in. After picking up the report, Bonnie flipped through a few pages and was astounded to see that, aside from the handful of words written in the localnguage at the introduction, the rest of the report was written in a foreignnguage. She had no idea what the numbers on the pages meant, but it was like reading a Bible verse. Frustrated, she looked furtively at Queenie, who was reading the pages intently as if she understood them. It brought out an intense feeling of jealousy and anxiety in Bonnie¡¯s heart. If Queenie was as good as she imed to be, how could she beat Queenie for thepany¡¯s management position? ¡°Queenie, do you understand the number in this report?¡± Bonnie asked in a hushed tone. Queenie shifted her gaze to her. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand?¡± ¡°O-Of course, I can.¡± Immediately, Bonnie pretended to be confident. Instead of trying to blow Bonnie¡¯s cover, Queenie started paying attention in the summary meeting and taking note of which sectors were profitable and which were not as well as methods to strike a good bnce between ie and expenses. On the other hand, Bonnie was remarkably uninterested, and she couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of what was being discussed by the managers or the material on the presentation decks. The meetingsted more than two hours, and when it concluded, Bonnie was about to leave when Brandon called the two sisters into his office. When Bonnie saw him sitting on the couch and looking as authoritative as the head of a major corporation, her heart raced. She was taken aback by how distant and unapproachable her father appeared, especially considering how friendly he seemed around the house. ¡°Queenie, Bonnie, I¡¯m interested in hearing your thoughts and opinions regarding this meeting.¡± Bonnie wisely suggested, ¡°Queenie, let¡¯s start with you!¡± After giving the topic some thought, Queenie offered her thoughts on personnel transfers and financial gains. Bonnie sat next to Queenie and listened with a nk expression on her face. When she noticed Brandon looking in her direction, she muttered, ¡°I-I agree with Queenie.¡± He was no fool and agreed with his eldest daughter¡¯s perspective. However, when he saw how distressed and pretentious his younger daughter appeared, he felt sorry for her. It was their fault that she was never given a chance to learn how to run a business as her sister had done. ¡°Alright. You can head home now!¡± Brandon stood up from his seat, but he suddenly felt lightheaded, so he plopped back down again. ¡°Dad! Dad¡­ What¡¯s wrong?¡± Queenie hurriedly rushed to his aid and Bonnie followed suit,ing as quickly as possible to offer her support. He supported himself on the couch and continued, ¡°I¡¯m feeling lightheaded due to hypertension. This is why I asked you to attend today¡¯s meeting. There wille a time when I have to turn over the reins of the business to you both.¡± ¡°Dad, let¡¯s get a checkup at the hospital!¡± Queenie suggested. ¡°Yeah! You can¡¯t afford to get sick, Dad.¡± Bonnie was adamant because she didn¡¯t want Queenie to take over thepany so quickly. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just have to rest for a while.¡± ¡°Dad, it has been a while since you and Mom took a vacation. Let me tag along to the office with you this week, and after you¡¯ve taught me the ropes of running the business, I¡¯ll take care of everything while you and Mom take a vacation,¡± Queenie suggested. After hearing that, Bonnie quickly agreed. ¡°Yes, Dad. Leave the management of thepany up to us. You should take a break.¡± Brandon responded with a smile. ¡°It would be disastrous if I let two people have the final say over the company¡¯s direction. How about this? I should probably get some rest anyway, so I¡¯ll let Queenie take over my responsibilities for the time being. Bonnie, why don¡¯t you stay behind and apany your mother and me on vacation?¡± Although Bonnie was dissatisfied, she held back from voicing her displeasure. So, she nodded and complied. ¡°Okay. I know I¡¯m not as good as Queenie.¡± These words broke his heart, and he reached out tofort her by patting her head. ¡°In my eyes, you are both equally talented children.¡± Suddenly, Queenie felt a tremendous pressure bearing down on her. She used to believe that her parents were still young and that she would be able to enjoy a carefree and joyful life under their protection, but she now realized that her parents had aged significantly. Willful defiance was no longer an option for her, and it was time for her to take responsibility so that her father could get some much-needed rest. Brandon insisted that they return home afterward. When they exited the building, Bonnie and Queenie walked in tandem. As they approached Queenie¡¯s car, Bonnie mocked her from behind, ¡°Queenie Silverstein! You should be proud of yourself. Do you have a sense of superiority now?¡± The moment Queenie reached for the car door, she paused to turn around and shot an icy stare at Bonnie. ¡°Please stop making such ridiculous statements. Dad isn¡¯t feeling well, and as his daughters, we should bear some of his burdens.¡± ¡°Then, why are you the one taking over thepany instead of me? Have you secretly won over Dad¡¯s affection and proven your worth to him without my knowledge?¡± Bonnie sneered. ¡°Personally, I don¡¯t even bother with that sort of thing. It¡¯spletely up to Dad, and all we can do is respect his decision, seeing that taking over thepany doesn¡¯t really change anything. Don¡¯t take it personally because I don¡¯t feel confident in assumingpany leadership either.¡± It was hard to fathom how Queenie could have failed to notice Bonnie¡¯s jealousy. ¡°There is a possibility that I am superior to you in another respect.¡± Bonnie cocked an eyebrow, wondering how she could speedily assume this responsibility. How likely she could take control of the business was something to think about down the road. Queenie had no doubts about Bonnie¡¯s abilities; instead, she had witnessed Bonnie struggle to understand the report earlier in the meeting. ¡°Bonnie, if you are concerned about our parents, please refrain from being self-willed in this circumstance. We are a family, and no matter who runs thepany, we will not mistreat you.¡± Queenie calmly exined. Nheless, the tension in Bonnie¡¯s eyes did not soften and she snorted softly. ¡°I know what you¡¯re up to. You¡¯re just bullying me because you n to take over thepany soon for financial gain, and you think I¡¯m naive and uneducated.¡± ¡°Our family¡¯s wealth is sufficient for me to live a prosperous life. Why would I need that much money?¡± Queenie frowned. When she heard what Bonnie said, she waspletely taken aback because she had never met someone with this particr mindset before. ¡°Hmph! I will learn to manage the business and refuse to give up or admit defeat without a fight.¡± After making that statement, Bonnie walked over to her red Ferrari, opened the door, and drove off arrogantly. Queenie turned around and sighed as her father¡¯s health was the only thing on her mind at the time, for which she sincerely wished for a speedy recovery. Then, she nced at her watch and realized it was lunchtime, which prompted her to call Nigel. ¡°Missed me?¡± His gentle voice lingerednguidly. ¡°I¡¯d like to have lunch with you. Are you avable now?¡± Queenie¡¯s heart swelled with affection. ¡°Of course. Do you want me to pick you up?¡± ¡°Nah. I¡¯ll drive over. Are you at the headquarters? I¡¯m leaving right now.¡± Then, she ended the call. Nigel called an internal line from his office and instructed, ¡°Prepare a bouquet for me.¡± ¡°Red roses?¡± Cecily Wentworth, his assistant, enquired. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll order them right away.¡± It was the afternoon rush hour and Nigel had arrived at the lobby entrance to greet Queenie. Cecily had already made her way upstairs with a bouquet in her arms when she noticed he wasn¡¯t in the office, so she hurriedly called his phone. ¡°Mr. Manson, I have the bouquet. Where are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m at the lobby entrance. Please deliver the bouquet!¡± Nigel instructed. ¡°Okay. I will send it to you immediately.¡± Cecily had no choice but to dash to the elevator with a bouquet. She thought, The recipient of this bouquet must be the female guest in his home on that day, and she must be his girlfriend! I have no idea what his girlfriend looks like, but hopefully, I¡¯ll get to meet her in the future. Nigel spotted a familiar Ferrari approaching the entrance from a distance. As he awaited her arrival, he couldn¡¯t help but smile broadly. At that moment, Cecily had arrived at the hall. She dashed over with a bouquet and handed it to him. ¡°Mr. Manson, your bouquet of flowers.¡± He epted the bouquet while the red Ferrari pulled to a stop elegantly in front of him. She intentionally stood there, eager to get a glimpse of his girlfriend. When the door to the driver¡¯s seat was opened, a woman exited the vehicle as her hair fluttered and hid part of her face in the breeze. Cecily¡¯s eyes widened in shock as the woman brushed her hair gracefully out of the way to reveal her face. Cecily stared at the woman inplete bewilderment. How could it possibly be Queenie Silverstein? The flowers had already been given to Queenie by the man standing next to her. ¡°You¡¯re finally here. Here you are.¡± Queenie epted the flowers with a grin and looked up to see Cecily standing next to her; consequently, she smiled and greeted, ¡°Cecily, long time no see.¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re Mr. Manson¡¯s girlfriend?¡± Cecily inquired boldly. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s me. I was present when youst delivered the clothes to his home. Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness.¡± Queenie expressed her gratitude. Cecily couldn¡¯t help but shudder. When she thought about how she had teased Queenie in the past, Cecily became so anxious that she nearly passed out. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, Miss Silverstein. I have to get back to work.¡± After making that statement, she quickly turned on her heels and headed to the hallway. During their lunch at the hotel¡¯s restaurant, Queenie informed Nigel about her father¡¯s health, after which he agreed to let her manage thepany while her father took a break. ¡°Although I have no experience, I will try my best.¡± ¡°Any time you have a question, feel free to ask me. Don¡¯t be shy and ask me right away.¡± Nigel was worried that the pressure would be too much for her to bear. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely do that!¡± She smiled. Her anxiety hadn¡¯t entirely subsided on the ride over, but she felt a lot more secure knowing that she had his support. It seemed as if he would always be there for her, regardless of her challenges. ¡°Why would you be shy around me? I certainly won¡¯t be around you.¡± He arched his brow. ¡°W-What do you mean?!¡± Queenie lowered her head bashfully. Nigel gazed menacingly at her. ¡°As you know well, I will soon turn twenty-eight, and a man my age has the stamina of a beast. Consider that a friendly reminder.¡± As soon as she heard that, her ears flushed. ¡°So, don¡¯t be shy around me, okay?¡± He smirked and stopped making fun of her. Summoning her courage, Queenie bravely replied, ¡°Got it. I¡¯m not going to be shy around you.¡± The sight of her being provoked amused him. To Nigel, it was endearing when she could trust him and cause him any trouble without feeling bad about it. It was the only way for him to gain any significance in her life. After the meal, Queenie decided to purchase some work attire at a nearby store. Since she was expected to maintain a professional appearance, she could not wear dresses to work every day. ¡°Let¡¯s go! I¡¯lle with you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have a meeting in the afternoon?¡± she queried while tossing her bag in his direction. ¡°Why? Could the meeting be more important than spending time with you?¡± After hearing his words, Queenie almost melted into a puddle because Nigel was even sweeter than the dessert she had just eaten. She submissively hugged his waist and replied, ¡°Okay, then! Kindly assist me in making a clothing selection that reflects your taste, Mr. Manson.¡± When she touched his muscr and firm waist, she feltpelled to pinch it as if to verify that it was buff. In addition, Nigel also appreciated the intimacy that she shared with him. As soon as they stepped outside the restaurant, they were greeted by a group of hotel staff in uniform. Queenie¡¯s daring gestures suddenly halted, and she quickly withdrew her hand. At that moment, Nigel ced his arm around her shoulder to pull her close as they walked past a group of staff. ¡°Good afternoon, Mr. Manson.¡± In unison, the group of people greeted him while concurrently having a curious gaze on the woman in his arms. They spected that she had to be his future wife! ¡°Good afternoon,¡± Nigel responded while directing her to the elevator. While they were in the elevator, Queenie¡¯s hand rested on his waist once more. Sheplimented him as she raised her head, ¡°Mr. Manson, you¡¯ve been working out frequently.¡± ¡°Of course. I can¡¯t disappoint my future wife, can I?¡± He stared intently at her. Those were the words that he was speaking for her to hear. She nodded without the slightest sign of being shy. ¡°Well, I¡¯m quite pleased.¡± Nigel snorted as she drew into his embrace. Queenie¡¯s delicate face was pressed against his chest, and her lips had almost kissed him through his clothes. His eyes briefly darkened before he leaned down to kiss her passionately on her red lips. Chapter 1281-1290 Chapter 1281-1290 At that moment, the door of the elevator opened to reveal a group of hotel employees waiting outside after their lunch break. They had witnessed how intimate their abstinent boss was with a woman in public. Queenie was so embarrassed that she hurriedly covered her face and allowed the man to lead her out. She felt that people wouldn¡¯t recognize her if she covered her face. ¡°Good afternoon, Mr. Mason,¡± the group of staff greeted. ¡°Carry on with your work!¡± Nigel showed no sign of embarrassment as opposed to Queenie. He waved his hand coolly in return to his employees while leading her to the door. Soon, whispers of discussion sounded behind them. She raised her head and warned, ¡°Mr. Mason, don¡¯t kiss me in front of the public anymore, alright? Even if you want to, do it when there¡¯s no one around!¡± Narrowing his eyes, he questioned, ¡°Does that mean I can kiss you as much as I want when there is no one around?¡± Queenie was dumbfounded. ¡°Fine! That is one way to understand it. Anyway, I no longer want to be seen kissing you in public.¡± She still cared about her reputation. ¡°Okay.¡± Nigel went along with her request. Queenie thereafter allowed him to drive her car as they drove to a nearby shopping mall. Going to the mall was probably the happiest activity for couples. They could buy whatever they wanted while being apanied by someone. As soon as Queenie entered the mall, her footsteps became lighter. It was natural for women to enjoy shopping. When they walked into a women¡¯s clothing store, she looked around for work attire and found a suit she liked. Hence, she went to the fitting room to try them on. When she came out, her demeanor instantly changed from the daughter of a wealthy family to a smart and professional businesswoman. Her body assets that were hidden beneath her usual attires were entuated at this very moment. The midi skirt wrapped around her graceful figure and exposed her slim and wless legs. She definitely had enviable body proportions. Nigel, who was looking from the side, secretly gulped. He didn¡¯t even know he had a kink for his girlfriend in uniform! ¡°Do I look good in these?¡± ¡°No. You don¡¯t,¡± he denied. If she wore that to the office, wouldn¡¯t it be a feast to the eyes of his male employees? Nope, he wasn¡¯t going to allow that. ¡°I like it, though! Besides, this outfit fits me just fine. What are you not satisfied with?¡± Queenie had other thoughts. Moreover, she liked the material of the clothes. ¡°Too sexy. It¡¯s not suitable for work. Change into another one,¡± Nigelmented without beating around the bush. Hearing what he said, she could only change her outfit. However, he gradually noticed that she looked good in everything, so he stopped making remarks and went to a few more shops to look around. After getting four sets of clothes, the two were quite exhausted, so they stopped by a cafe for a break. Queenie was so worn out that she leaned in his arms and closed her eyes for a moment. Unexpectedly, a quick eye shut turned into a nap. Nigel immediately turned into a pillow for her to catch afortable nap. When she opened her eyes again, she realized that half an hour had passed! ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wake me up?¡± Queenie rubbed her sleepy eyes and questioned. ¡°I couldn¡¯t bear to wake you up when you slept so soundly.¡± In an attempt to tidy her messy hair, his hands sifted through her long locks. Feeling her silky hair, he couldn¡¯t help resting his hand on her hair before ying with the strands. After a nap, she felt more energetic, so the two shopped around for a little while again. She then insisted on buying him some clothes, which left Nigel with no choice but toply and pick two sets of suits. They eventually shopped until 4.30PM, but he couldn¡¯t send her home since he had to attend another meeting at night. Queenie felt bad for upying so much of his time because she had once seen his schedule and knew he was preupied with meetings all day. ¡°Drive safe and call me once you arrive home,¡± Nigel ordered. Nodding, she replied, ¡°Okay. I got it.¡± After watching her car blend into the traffic, he turned around and returned to thepany. Just then, his phone rang. It was a call from his mother, so he answered it. ¡°Hi, Mom.¡± ¡°Nigel, free up your time tomorrow night. I want to take you to dinner.¡± ¡°What restaurant, Mom?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a secret for now. Anyway, just free up your time tomorrow after 5.00PM, alright?¡± reminded Brenda. ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll free up my time,¡± he answered. ¡°Has work been hectic?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can handle it.¡± ¡°Come home for dinner when you¡¯re free. It¡¯s been two weeks since west saw you,¡± Brenda comined. Nigel was slightly taken aback by his mother¡¯s statement. He recalled meeting Queenie thest time he went home for dinner. He thought he and Queenie had known each other for a long time, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be only two weeks! Was that how love at first sight felt? Some people he met in life might not be acquainted with him for long, but it seemed like they were destined to be the most important person in his life. It was as if his abstinence after all these years was for her to appear in his life one day. ¡°That¡¯s all. I¡¯ll call you again tomorrow night.¡± Brenda hung up after the call. The corners of Nigel¡¯s lips curved upward. Tomorrow night, he would tell his parents something they would be delighted to hear. In Silverstein Residence, Queenie, who was carrying a few bags of clothes, bumped into Bonnie, Maggie, and her good friend, Lisbeth, who were having afternoon tea. Bonnie stared at her shopping bags and felt jealousy arousing in her heart. Did Queenie get her work attire ready already? ¡°Hello, Aunt Lisbeth.¡± After cing the clothes down, Queenie took a seat at the table beside the balcony. ¡°You¡¯re getting more and more beautiful, Queenie! You¡¯ve always been pretty since you were young!¡± Lisbeth praised. ¡°No, silly. She looks like any ordinary girl!¡± Brenda smiled. In her heart, she knew how beautiful her daughter was, but she didn¡¯t dare to agree since Lisbeth wasn¡¯t living a good life right now. She tried to avoid showing off her children in front of Lisbeth because thetter¡¯s son had been arrested for gambling and wasn¡¯t going to be released until a few yearster. ¡°What about me, Aunt Lisbeth? Am I pretty?¡± Holding her teacup, Bonnie purposely tossed the question at her. In response, Lisbeth smiled at her and replied, ¡°Of course, you are. You and Queenie are equally beautiful!¡± ¡°Thanks, Aunt Lisbeth.¡± Bonnie smiled in satisfaction. Maggie smiled upon hearing that. When Bonnie first found them, Lisbeth was with her. While she marveled at the return of her second daughter, Lisbeth firmly told her not to be rash and that she had to do a DNA test before making sure she was truly her daughter. Lisbeth even introduced her to a renowned DNA testing center. Due to that, Maggie had worried that Lisbeth might not like her second daughter! ¡°Queenie, I see you bought a lot of clothes! These brands must not be cheap!¡± Bonnie deliberately eximed. Hearing that, Maggie inquired, ¡°Why did you suddenly buy so many clothes, Queenie?¡± ¡°These are all work attire, Mom. I¡¯ll need them when I go to work,¡± Queenie exined. ¡°You¡¯re so capable, Queenie. You¡¯re qualified to work at Dad¡¯s office, unlike me, who didn¡¯t receive a proper education. I can¡¯t help out in the slightest to this household and am only a hindrance to the family.¡± After saying that, Bonnie sighed with her head low. Maggie immediately held her hand reassuringly, ¡°Bonnie, don¡¯t say that. You are as important as Queenie in our hearts. We¡¯re happy that you managed to return to us safe and sound.¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Lisbeth was also secretly observing Maggie¡¯s reaction. Seeing how bad Maggie felt for Bonnie, a smile appeared on the corner of her lips. ¡°I¡¯m going back to my room now, Mom.¡± Queenie excused herself. Once she went out, it was almost time for Lisbeth to leave as well, so Bonnie got up and volunteered, ¡°Mom, let me send Aunt Lisbeth off.¡± ¡°Sure. Go ahead!¡± ¡°This child is filial and obedient,¡± Lisbeth praised Bonnie at the right time. Smiling in return, Maggie agreed, ¡°Yeah! Bonnie is a good girl.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my fault for overthinking back then,¡± Lisbeth apologized. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Maggie patted her shoulder in reassurance. Bonnie came out holding Lisbeth¡¯s hand as she escorted thetter to her car. Suddenly, Lisbeth squeezed her hand, and her gaze was no longer as kind as before as her expression turned serious. ¡°Bonnie, don¡¯t rush it. Queenie is just going to work. Their family¡¯s assets will still be divided in half in the future.¡± ¡°How can I not be anxious? With Queenie around, I¡¯ll always be inferior to her. Also, what if she gets to inherit more of the family inheritance because she¡¯s better?¡± Bonnie whispered. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You can asionally say some stuff to evoke their guilt toward you, but remember, don¡¯t cause any more trouble.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Aunt Lisbeth. I¡¯ll follow your n.¡± Bonnie nodded. While watching Lisbeth¡¯s car drive away, a sudden thought emerged in Bonnie¡¯s mind. If I get half of the Silverstein inheritance, I¡¯d still need to give half of it to Lisbeth. That¡¯s billions of cash. Why should I share it with a woman who has done nothing? Then, some new thoughts seeped into her head. She and Lisbeth had only known each other for over one year, and they were merelypleting a task together. In other words, there was no filial rtionship between them. Once Lisbeth was dead, no one in this world would be able to expose the secret of her identity. A vicious glint shed across Bonnie¡¯s eyes as her lips curled into a smile. Atst, she returned to the Silverstein Residence. Queenie was instructing the servants to do herundry when Bonnie came up the stairs, after which she could not help but ridicule, ¡°Queenie, you¡¯re such a spendthrift, unlike me, who has to watch my spending every time I head out.¡± ¡°Nigel gave me these clothes. You can find a boyfriend, too, if you¡¯re jealous!¡± Queenie retorted. ¡°Are you still afraid that I¡¯d steal Young Master Nigel from you, Queenie?¡± ¡°He¡¯s different from Leslie. Plus, you don¡¯t have the charm to do so,¡± Queenie answered calmly. ¡°From your words, I can tell that you don¡¯t understand men. Men always prefer novelty. Do you think Nigel will still be attracted to you once he loses interest in you? With his wealth and appearance, he has countless women actively lunging at him! By then, you¡¯d have no choice but to cry!¡± Bonnie decided to nt some evil thoughts in Queenie¡¯s mind. A trace of anxiety flickered through Queenie¡¯s mind, but she soon stated firmly, ¡°I believe he¡¯s different from other men.¡± Just as she was about to enter her room, a sarcastic voice sounded from behind her. ¡°Oh, Queenie, don¡¯t be full of yourself. Once a man gets the woman he wants, he won¡¯t feel the same passion anymore. I¡¯m sure Nigel won¡¯t be an exception.¡± ¡°Are you done?¡± Queenie snapped while turning around. ¡°That¡¯s right! I heard you received a newlywed home. Now, Dad and Mom are nning to buy me a house too. How big should I go?¡± With a smile, Bonnie smugly raised an eyebrow. Naturally, Queenie could not say anything because her parents had long since prepared a 400-square- meters house in the city center as her newlywed home. Back in her room, Bonnie¡¯s words remained upsetting as they raised suspicions within her toward her marriage. Yet, after thinking about it, Aren¡¯t the happiest people in the world right by my side now? Ever since she was young, her parents had always been a loving couple and had apanied each other until now. Therefore, it was one-sided of her to be pessimistic about marriage. Also, she should have more faith in Nigel. Discarding those thoughts away, Queenie began to look through the files her father had assigned her. While she sat before herputer, she found theseplicated sales reports difficult toprehend, but to help her father, she had to cheer herself up and fight through these boring reports. She perused the documents untilte at night. When she was unable to keep going, she instantly plopped onto the bed and fell asleep. The following morning, she went to her father¡¯spany at 8.00AM. Meanwhile, Bonnie watched Queenie leave from the balcony on the third floor as her grip instinctively tightened out of jealousy. Although she was not the real Bonnie Silverstein, she had indeed reced the real one and could not control her greed to want more. The Silversteins were so rich that she had never seen so much wealth in her life, which fed her greed and made her want to have the entire Silverstein Family for herself. Now, the only obstacle in her path was Queenie¡¯s boyfriend, Nigel. The more contact she had with that man, the more worried she was that she might not be able to hide her secret and be exposedter on. Also, if Queenie is to live a good life in the future, would she bully and step on me instead? During the year she came to the Silverstein Residence, she had grown increasingly jealous of Queenie. We¡¯re both humans, but why is Queenie¡¯s life so much better than mine? She has everything, but what about me? I met a pair of gambling-addicted parents who didn¡¯t even care about me and forced me to start earning money after graduating from junior high. To rid myself of this unfortunate family, I had no choice but to work at ces with high pay and suffer grievances and criticism from other people. When she reflected on her life, she felt both jealousy and hatred for Queenie¡¯s pristine and happy life; she hated the heavens for their unfairness. Therefore, even though Lisbeth had reminded her not to target Queenie, she still could not control the displeasure she felt when seeing Queenie¡¯s unchallenging life, along with the elegant and noble temperament she was born with. That afternoon, Bonnie had her mother apany her to visit all therge residential showrooms. I must own arge t for myself, and it must be in the city center as well. At the Silversteins¡¯pany, Queenie sat beside her father with a pen in her hand and aptop beside her while attentively making notes. Meanwhile, Brandon was a patient mentor to his daughter. Thanks to her sharp mind, he only needed to provide her with a few key points before she grasped the concepts he was teaching. As a result, Brandon took note of all that and secretly made a decision. In the future, he would leave thepany to Queenie because that would be the only way he could ensure that thepany would fall into good hands. After all, the family business was established by his grandfather and the elders of his generation, so he could never afford to lose it. ¡°Queenie, keep it up. Thepany and I will be counting on you in the future.¡± Brandonid that out straightforwardly. With pursed lips, Queenie nodded. ¡°I will do my best to not disappoint you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried that with Bonnie¡¯s personality, she mightpete with you to take over thepany. I¡¯d better talk to her and tell her that managing apany is not as easy as she thinks.¡± He sighed. Regarding this matter, Queenie also abided by her father¡¯s arrangement. If he wanted her to take over thepany, she would wholeheartedly take on that responsibility. ¡°If that¡¯s your n, you need to have a good talk with her,¡± she told her father. ¡°Sigh! That child had a poor life when she was young, and I can tell that she desperately wants our acknowledgment. Your mother and I treat you both equally, so why would we disregard her?¡± Brandon sighed. Of course, he knew his younger daughter had some ws in her personality, which was why he and his wife had tried their best to help her ovee those shorings. Ring! Ring! Noticing his buzzing phone, Brandon picked it up to answer the call. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Dad, it¡¯s me, Bonnie. Mom and I are looking at showrooms now! I found a house that I like, but it¡¯s quite expensive.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a problem! As long as you like it.¡± He chuckled. ¡°It costs eighty million, though!¡± Bonnie added. ¡°Eighty million? How¡¯s the location? Daddy will take a look with you soon,¡± Brandon suggested affectionately. ¡°Sure. Then, I¡¯ll look at some more houses.¡± After saying that, Bonnie hung up. Meanwhile, Queenie remained silent on the side. The house she chose back then cost fifty million and it was apparent that Bonnie was selecting her house in the utmost best locations. Still, she could not comment on the situation because it was her parents¡¯ money. As their daughter, she could only support their decision. ¡°Queenie, if you ever wish to have a different house, I¡¯m on your side as well.¡± Brandonforted her. ¡°Dad, I don¡¯t need to change houses. I¡¯m happy with the one I have now,¡± she answered. Thepany was not doing well recently, so she did not want to spend any of her family¡¯s money and add to her father¡¯s pressure. Later, the daughter-and-father duo got off work together. Just as they had arrived at thepany¡¯s exit, his phone suddenly rang. It was a call from one of his business partners asking him out to dinner for some work discussion. Seeing that Queenie was with him, he asked her to tag along. ¡°Queenie,e with me to meet with one of our clients. This is something you will have to do in the future.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Queenie nodded. At Manson Hotel, Nigel had just thrown aside the information for a meeting and was nning to take a rest on the couch when his phone rang. Picking the phone up, he took a look and immediately sprang to his feet. He had almost forgotten that he had a dinner appointment with his mother. ¡°Hello, Mom.¡± He quickly answered his phone. ¡°Have you finished your meeting? I¡¯ll send you an address. Come over at 6.30PM sharp. Don¡¯t bete!¡± Brenda ordered him. ¡°Alright. I know, Mom!¡± He supported his forehead. The day-long meeting and international video conference had made him so busy that he did not have time to rest. After taking a look at the clock, he retrieved his keys and left. The restaurant he was heading to happened to be the same ce where Brandon was, but they arrived one after another. Queenie followed her father into the private room the client had booked in advance and began their meal after exchanging a few pleasantries. It was not long before a white and cool-looking sports car arrived at the restaurant¡¯s entrance. Nigel descended the car and took a look at the private room¡¯s number. Then, his long figure began heading inside the restaurant. ¡°Mr. Manson, please follow me,¡± a waiter greeted him enthusiastically. When Nigel arrived at the private room that his mother was in, he was met with a room filled with women. Being the only man in the room, he was taken aback. Then, he naturally looked at his mother. What kind of dinner is this? How can Mom ask me toe to dinner with her besties? Brenda immediately smiled and introduced him to everyone. ¡°This is my son, Nigel.¡± After that, she beckoned him over. ¡°Nigel, have a seat.¡± Since he was already here, he thought he could not embarrass his mother in front of her friends, so he found an empty seat and sat down. The seat beside him was upied by a beautiful young woman, who was his blind date for tonight. As he was surrounded by women at this point, Nigel did not notice that the person sitting beside him was a youngdy. However, the youngdy was staring at him with shy and cheerful eyes. What¡¯s ¡®love at first sight¡¯ you ask? This. This is it. I¡¯ve fallen in love with Nigel Manson. ¡°Nice to meet you, Young Master Nigel. I¡¯m Ingrid Sawyer.¡± The young woman took the initiative to introduce herself. Meanwhile, Nigel was famished and had already started eating. He nced at Ingrid and reciprocated, ¡°Hello.¡± After that, he focused all his attention on eating. Oh, Nigel. Brenda shot her son a re as a warning to not mess things up. This is a blind date! I can¡¯t let him scare the young woman away! ¡°Mom, I¡¯m hungry.¡± Nigel turned to look at his mom. It was then that he realized his mom had set up another blind date for him. ¡°Here, let me introduce you two. This is Ingrid, and she¡¯s Pheona¡¯s niece. Shees from an excellent family, and she¡¯s intelligent and beautiful. You two should get to know each other.¡± Once Brenda finished speaking, she blinked at her son, indicating that he should seize the chance. Meanwhile, he turned to look at Ingrid while eating. ¡°Hello, Miss Sawyer.¡± ¡°Nigel must be famished! With such a hugepany, there must be a lot of work to do. It must be tiring!¡± ¡°Of course. Nigel is a very excellent child. Not only is he young, but he¡¯s also very capable. Such young men are tough to find nowadays.¡± At that, Brenda proudly looked at her son before gazing at Ingrid. She thought the two children looked so well together, so she began wishing that her son would be interested in Ingrid. ¡°Nigel, don¡¯t just eat on your own! Pay some attention to Ingrid,¡± Brenda urged. ¡°Nigel, Ingrid is an excellent woman. A perfect match for you!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. This is what they call a perfect match!¡± Hearing that, Nigel revealed a smile and exined, ¡°Thank you for thepliments, but I¡¯m sorry to tell you that I have a girlfriend.¡± As he said that, Ingrid almost choked on her water and coughed lightly before looking at the man beside her in disbelief. On the other hand, Brenda could not help but re at her son. He had always used this excuse to get out of blind dates, so she naturally did not believe him. ¡°Nigel, I like Ingrid a lot, so you¡¯d better not use the same old excuse again. I don¡¯t care. You have to get to know Ingrid no matter what,¡± Brenda authoritatively warned him. In return, she saw her son exining seriously, ¡°Mom, I do have a girlfriend. Her name is Queenie Silverstein, and I am thinking of bringing her home to meet you someday!¡± However, Brenda refused to believe him still. Her son had used so many excuses to refuse the blind dates she had arranged, so she would not believe him no matter what he said. Although he had told her a name, she still disregarded it as a lie. ¡°Don¡¯t try to fool me. Do you think I¡¯m so easily fooled?¡± Brenda retorted without mercy. Meanwhile, Ingrid let out a sigh of relief. It turns out Nigel is such a humorous person! It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll take it slow and make him like me. Maybe he¡¯s just not used to dating someone on blind dates! The olderdies mentioned his past blind dates earlier, and his refusal to go on those dates demonstrates that he is neither a yboy nor a scumbag. ¡°Mrs. Manson, perhaps Nigel and I can be friends first! Don¡¯t pressure him too much.¡± Ingrid smiled and suggested. ¡°Oh, Ingrid, you¡¯re such a good child! Sure, you two can start as friends first.¡± Brenda nodded. Meanwhile, Nigel secretly felt resigned. It did not matter to him whether Ingrid was beautiful or not because he already had someone in his heart. Moreover, he was a person who prioritized feelings over everything in a romantic rtionship. After meeting so many young women, only Queenie could make his heart race wildly. At that moment, he received a message on his phone. ¡®Wassup?¡¯ Queenie asked. Surveying his current situation, he knew he could not tell her that his mom had arranged a blind date for him. Therefore, he made up a lie. ¡®I¡¯m still at thepany. How about you?¡¯ ¡®My dad and I are apanying a client for dinner.¡¯ ¡®Seems like Miss Silverstein is about to be President Silverstein.¡¯ Rising to his feet, Nigel excused himself from the table. ¡°Excuse me. I need to make a call.¡± At that moment, Ingrid¡¯s aunt eyed her niece to hint at her to follow him outside to have some alone time with him, at which Ingrid got the message and left the room as well. Later, Nigel came to the railing near the corridor on the second floor to text Queenie while also taking a breather. Near the railing on the third floor, Queenie was also out taking a breather as the men were smoking inside the private room, making it feel stuffy. She smiled when she saw the message and replied, ¡®Aren¡¯t you going to have dinner?¡¯ After sending that message, she suddenly caught a glimpse of a man standing near the railing on the second floor and her eyes widened in surprise. Isn¡¯t that Nigel? It was then the man turned around and she immediately recognized him. Just as she was about to call out to him, a young woman suddenly appeared and stood beside him. Then, she began happily chatting with him. At that sight, Queenie felt her heart sinking and stared disbelievingly at them. Why would the man, who just said he was at thepany, suddenly appear in this restaurant? More importantly, an attractive woman was standing beside him. Judging from what she could see, they seemed to be happily conversing. As Queenie watched them, the grip on her phone tightened. ¡®I¡¯ll be having dinner soon,¡¯ Nigel replied at that moment. Looking at the message he sent, she suddenly felt suffocated. Nothing could beat the despair one felt when finding out the person one loved had lied to them. How can this be? Why would he lie to me? Soon enough, the situation led her to think about Bonnie¡¯s words. Am I wrong to think that Nigel is different? While she hid behind the pir, she peered at the conversing couple on the second-floor corridor. Though she could not hear what they were talking about, she could see the adoration in the young woman¡¯s eyes as she looked at Nigel. She felt her heart break into pieces once again. After hiding for a while, Queenie glimpsed at the second-floor corridor but discovered that the two had disappeared. It seemed like they had returned to have dinner in their private room. Clutching her chest, she felt her heart hurt so much that she could not breathe. A dispirited Queenie headed to the bathroom while her eyes innately turned red. She wanted to rush over and question him on his affectionate behavior with another woman while being in a rtionship with him. Am I just one of the many girls you have? When she returned to her private room, she did not feel like listening to her father¡¯s conversation with the client anymore. Rather, she hung her head low, and her mind was filled with the scene of Nigel happily conversing with that young woman earlier. ¡°Queenie, what¡¯s the matter? Are you not feeling well?¡± Brandon noticed something off with his daughter. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Dad. I just want to go home.¡± Queenie wanted to head out for a walk to clear her mind. ¡°Sure, go ahead! It has been a tiring day for you.¡± Although he was having a good time chatting with his client, he also understood his daughter¡¯s condition, for she had just started getting involved in the family business. When Queenie arrived on the second floor, it seemed like her legs had a mind of their own as they brought her to the private room where Nigel was. She wanted so badly to confirm the thoughts in her head, so she headed for the door of his private room. At that moment, the door was pushed open, and out came a noble-looking woman. Then, Queenie dashed toward the door and took a quick peek inside. Her eyes happened to notice Nigel¡¯s back and he was sitting right beside the woman who was talking with him earlier. Meanwhile, the woman who exited the room closed the door while Queenie stood frozen in the corridor while a ball of rage burned inside her. Why? Why would he pretend to be an affectionate and devoted person before me, then converse so happily with another woman behind my back? A waiter came over and politely inquired, ¡°Miss, are you here for someone?¡± Frantically retreating a step, Queenie stammered, ¡°N-No. I came to the wrong side.¡± After saying that, she turned around and scurried toward the elevator. She sprinted out of the restaurant before the stuffiness inside her chest subsided. Then, she aimlessly walked toward the brightly lit area. Tears began to uncontrobly stream down her cheeks as her mind was filled with sweet moments of her and Nigel. Is all of this just an illusion? Arriving at an unupied bench, she plopped onto it and closed her eyes while letting her tears drift down her face. She had never put so much effort into liking a man, and she would even imagine their future together before falling asleep at night. Yet, all of that was now crumbled into hopeless fragments. Just like her heart, it was shattered into pieces. Once again, Bonnie¡¯s words rang in her head. ¡°Men always prefer novelty. Once his interest in you has subsided, a man like Nigel will definitely get a new woman.¡± To her dismay, she did not expect Bonnie¡¯s words to be so on point. Moreover, she was so certain that he was different. The joke is on me. Ring! Ring! Fishing out her phone, she took a nce and noticed that it was Nigel calling. As she stared nkly at his name on the screen, she let it ring without any intention of picking it up. Atst, she rose to her feet and hailed a cab home. Back in the restaurant, Nigel thought it was ring inside the room, so he deliberately came out with his phone to make a call. However, confusion dawned upon him as he realized that Queenie had missed his calls twice. Is her phone not with her because she¡¯s swamped with her work? If so, I¡¯ll call againter. The dinner party was almost over, but since his mom was present, he was not allowed to leave early and had to wait till everyone finished their dinner before heading out together. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll drive you home,¡± Nigel offered. ¡°You don¡¯t have to. I¡¯ve asked Steven to send me home. How about you send Ingrid home? She needs a ride,¡± Brenda ordered specifically. ¡°Nigel, I¡¯m sorry for the trouble.¡± Ingrid seized the chance. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll let Ashleye over to send her home. I have somewhere to be.¡± Nigel wanted to head over to the Silverstein Residence. However, Brenda¡¯s gaze turned serious as she warned, ¡°Nigel, that is an order. Be good and send Ingrid home.¡± Since Brenda was satisfied with Ingrid and refused to have her son avoid getting married, she was dead set on forcing him to send Ingrid home. ¡°Nigel, my house is not far from here,¡± Ingrid added shyly. Feeling defeated, he could only nod. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll send her home. You should head home early.¡± When Brenda saw that Nigel had finally agreed, she turned to Ingrid. ¡°Have a nice chat with Nigel on your way home, Ingrid!¡± ¡°I will, Mrs. Manson.¡± She nodded appreciatively. Of course, she knew Brenda liked her. As long as she could snatch Nigel¡¯s heart, pleasing her future inws would not be an issue. The only setback today was that Nigel did not treat her any differently, nor did he even spare her more than a few nces throughout the night. She could still tell if a man was interested in her. Now that Ingrid had gotten into his car, she naturally would not give up a chance to brief him more about herself, such as her studies and how she nned to start her own business after graduating. She wanted him to know how hardworking and ambitious she was. While she was at it, she also tried a series of seductive moves on him. For instance, leaning against him out of the blue or cheerfully ying with her curly hair while looking at him with her innocent eyes. ¡°Nigel, I heard you like racing. You¡¯re so talented!¡± ¡°I almost lost my life doing that, so I stopped long ago,¡± he replied. ¡°Huh? Really? You should be more careful!¡± she reminded him in concern. Just like Ingrid had mentioned, her home was indeed not far from the restaurant and only a twenty- minute drive away. Oh, how I wish I live further away. I could¡¯ve chatted with him more. ¡°Nigel, can we exchange numbers? That way, I can always ask you if I have any questions,¡± she requested while looking at him with pleading eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m swamped with work and can¡¯t help you much,¡± he rejected before getting out of the car. While blinking her eyes, she felt her heart skipping a beat when she saw him walking over to her side. He¡¯s such a gentleman! However, Nigel¡¯s action only intended for her to get out of the car sooner so she would not dy his ns to the Silverstein Residence. Under such a situation, Ingrid had no choice but to alight from the vehicle. As soon as she did, he shut the door and returned to the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Nigel, g¡ª¡± Before she could finish her words, the car had already sped away, and all she saw were the disappearing taillights. She sighed as she could not wrap her head around this situation. Am I not good enough? Why is Nigel not the slightest bit interested in me? Meanwhile, Queenie had arrived home as sheposed herself before entering the living room, where she was met by the scene of Bonnie and her mother perusing a pile of brochures. When Bonnie saw that Queenie had returned, she deliberately called her over. ¡°Queenie, give me a hand and choose the best house out of these. Mom and I are dizzy from all the options.¡± Since Queenie was not in the mood to do anything, she shook her head and refused, ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡± ¡°Queenie, are you sad because I¡¯m going to buy a new house?¡± Bonnie deliberately asked that question. ¡°I¡¯m not sad. You can buy whichever house you like,¡± Queenie stated calmly. On the other hand, Maggie also nced at her older daughter, believing she would not be bothered about this matter. Then, she turned to Bonnie and assured her, ¡°Queenie is just tired. Don¡¯t be silly.¡± ¡°Mom, look at this one. This is the most expensive one of all. It costs eighty million, but it¡¯s the one I like the most! If I live here, I¡¯ll be neighbors with celebrities! Mom, I want this one.¡± Bonnie raised her voice while saying that. She knew Queenie¡¯s house was worth fifty million, while hers would cost thirty million more than hers! ¡°Sure. If you like this one, we¡¯ll get it and forget about the others,¡± Maggie agreed. ¡°Yes! Thank you, Mom. I knew you loved me the most.¡± After saying that, Bonnie embraced her mother in excitement. Meanwhile, Queenie listened to their conversation while heading upstairs and swallowing all the inner thoughts that filled her heart. Back then, she would share her feelings with her mom, but now that Bonnie had returned, her rtionship with her mom seemed to have suddenly distanced. She did not dare to tell her mom about things that upset her because she was afraid that Bonnie would find out about it and add salt to her injuries. After heading upstairs, Queenie took a bath and changed into a pair offortable pajamas, but just when she was about to go to bed, she heard the familiar roar of a sports car¡¯s engine through the balcony. It was a tranquil night, so she was certain that she did not mishear it. That¡¯s Nigel. Is he here? On the other hand, Bonnie also heard the sound of the engine and felt her heart skip a beat. Is Nigel here? Then, she quickly faced her mom. ¡°Mom, why is Nigeling for a visit at such ate hour? It¡¯s not appropriate, is it? They haven¡¯t even gotten engaged, nor has he proposed, so why would hee here now?¡± She deliberately led Maggie to some negative ideas, which were already in Maggie¡¯s head. It¡¯s already 9.00PM, so it¡¯s kind of inappropriate for him toe over now. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Just as Maggie was about to get up, she heard Queenie hollering from the second-floor railing, ¡°Mom, tell him I¡¯m not home. I¡¯m tired, so I don¡¯t feel like meeting him.¡± Maggie was taken aback. What¡¯s the matter? Is Queenie not talking to Nigel? Did they get into a fight? As soon as Bonnie heard that, she instantly sprang from the couch. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll apany you to the door. Don¡¯t worry, Queenie! We won¡¯t let Young Master Nigel through the door.¡± Meanwhile, Queenie chose to turn a deaf ear. Whatever! She was feeling extremely frustrated tonight anyway. ¡°Mom, something must¡¯ve happened between Queenie and Young Master Nigel. Maybe he mistreated her.¡± Bonnie wanted nothing more than for the couple to sever ties, which was why she said that to Maggie. Hearing that, Maggie became lost in her thoughts. Did he mistreat Queenie? She then approached the small door in the courtyard and a victorious smile appeared on Bonnie¡¯s face. Ha! Finally, Queenie and Nigel are having a dispute! I must take this opportunity to break them up entirely. As they expected, the person standing outside the door was Nigel, who greeted them through the gate, ¡°Good evening, Mrs. Silverstein. Is Queenie home?¡± ¡°Queenie is still out meeting a client with her dad! Is there anything important you must see her for?¡± Maggie asked probingly. ¡°Oh, so she¡¯s not home yet! I thought she would¡¯ve already been home at this hour.¡± Disappointment filled Nigel¡¯s heart, but he also felt distressed for her. Is she that busy right after taking over the company? ¡°Young Master Nigel, you and Queenie aren¡¯t engaged yet. Aren¡¯t you afraid that others might feel jealous or badmouth Queenie because you came to her house at such ate hour?¡± Bonnie was stirring the pot. ¡°Bonnie, stop it.¡± Maggie red at her and chastised her. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything wrong.¡± Bonnie pouted her red lips. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I¡¯ll visit her tomorrow. I tried calling her, but she wouldn¡¯t pick up, so I¡¯m worried about her.¡± ¡°She¡¯s with her father. What are you so worried about?¡± Bonnie¡¯s tone was stern. It was the first time she dared speak so rudely to Nigel. Anyway, she stopped hoping that he would fall in love with her, so she did not bother being polite to him as a result. ¡°Enough, Bonnie. Stop that. Young Master Nigel, Queenie is currently with my husband, so there¡¯s nothing that should concern you. Have a good rest!¡± At that moment, Bonnie whispered into Maggie¡¯s ears, ¡°Mom, I just saw Queenie crying. Why don¡¯t you head back and talk to her? In case she does something irrational.¡± Hearing that, Maggie became anxious and said to Nigel, ¡°Young Master Nigel, please see yourself out.¡± Soon, she turned around and went back inside, leaving Bonnie alone. Subsequently, Bonnie called out to the departing man. ¡°Young Master Nigel, wait a minute. I have something to tell you.¡± That made Nigel frown. Although he did not like Bonnie, she was still Queenie¡¯s younger sister, so he reserved some respect for her. ¡°Miss Bonnie, what would you like to say to me?¡± he asked through the gate. ¡°Actually, Queenie¡¯s home, but she doesn¡¯t want to see you.¡± She acted as if she told him that because she was trying to be nice. She was eager to know what had happened between them. ¡°She¡¯s home?¡± He was surprised, but it soon turned into sadness. She¡¯s home, but why doesn¡¯t she want to see me? ¡°Yes. Queenie said she didn¡¯t want to see you and asked Mom to send you away. Did you mistreat her in any way?¡± Bonnie questioned. With narrowed eyes, Nigel racked his brain but could not decipher how he had angered Queenie. We just kissedst night! ¡°Bonnie, please open the door. I need to head in and talk to Queenie.¡± However, Bonnie shook her head while exining, ¡°But Queenie said not to open the door. She would hate me to death if I disobeyed her.¡± ¡°Bonnie, I¡¯m begging you.¡± Nigel was desperate to look for Queenie and exin everything. It was then that Bonnie unlocked the door. ¡°Young Master Nigel, go ahead! It¡¯s better to rify things face to face.¡± Then, she trailed after the anxious man and waited for a good show. In the meantime, Queenie had already left her room and was sitting on the couch. A distressed Maggie was in the middle of asking her what had happened when she saw her daughter¡¯s red eyes. It seemed that she had been paying too much attention to Bonnie and had neglected Queenie, which she felt inherently guilty about. Assuming that Nigel must have already left, Queenie suddenly became even more disheartened. She pursed her lips, and tears were encircling her eyes when she saw the door open before a figure dashed in. Her eyes widened scarcely as she sprang to her feet in anger. How did he get in? Meanwhile, Maggie could not help but be frustrated at Bonnie for letting him in. Jeez! Queenie is still upset! ¡°Young Master Nigel, Queenie isn¡¯t in a good mood and doesn¡¯t wish to see you. Please leave.¡± She took a few steps forward, attempting to block him from entering the room. At the same time, Nigel was shocked by Queenie¡¯s teary eyes. Looking at the sad and resentful gaze she was throwing at him, he felt as if someone was gripping his heart and rendering his breathing difficult. ¡°Queenie, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Since Maggie was blocking his way, he could only stand in the hall and look at Queenie. At this moment, his identity did not matter because Maggie would not let him approach her at all. ¡°Go away! I don¡¯t want to see you.¡± Queenie turned her back away as she did not want him to see this vulnerable side of her. Rather, she intently chased him away. ¡°Don¡¯te to me ever again. I never want to see you anymore!¡± Meanwhile, Bonnie stood behind Nigel while enjoying the free-ticket show. She did not expect Queenie would hate him to the point that she never wanted to see him again. What did Nigel do to anger her to this point? There¡¯s only one thing that would make a woman this sad¡ªhe cheated on her. Remembering the words Queenie refuted so confidentlyst time, Bonnie revealed a satisfying smirk. Guess who¡¯s the clown now? Boohoo! ¡°Queenie, let¡¯s talk this out. What happened? H-How did I hurt you?¡± Nigel felt like he would not be able to decipher the situation even if he had ten brains. Of course, he would not be able to. How on earth could he have known that Queenie was at the restaurant when he was at the dinner party? ¡°Young Master Nigel, my daughter is not in a good mood at the moment, so please leave. You should talk about thister!¡± Maggie stared at Nigel sternly as she spoke in an unweing way. She would never allow anyone to harm her daughter. ¡°Young Master Nigel, I told you that Queenie doesn¡¯t want to see you, yet you insisted oning in. Look what¡¯s happened!¡± Bonnie added a snarky remark from the side. At that point, Nigel was so anxious that he tightened his fists. This was the first time he felt a dull pain in his chest because of a woman. While looking at Queenie¡¯s back, he thought that receiving a beating or scolding was better than being given the cold shoulder. ¡°If I did anything wrong, you could hit me or yell at me if that makes you feel better. Can we just talk this out?¡± He was reluctant to leave. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to talk about between us.¡± At that moment, Queenie turned around to face him. Her eyes were red, but her gaze was firm. ¡°It was my fault for thinking you were different.¡± Yes. It¡¯s my fault for not seeing through him. I thought he was different, but it turns out that any man will be the same as Leslie. He was just better at hiding it from me, and I was lucky to have witnessed him having a date with another woman. ¡°I¡­¡± Nigel had always been good with words, but he was now speechless as he was out of ideas to convince Queenie to talk to him. ¡°Young Master Nigel, please leave! Do you still not understand? Queenie doesn¡¯t like you anymore.¡± Bonnie¡¯s words added insult to injury. Chapter 1291-1300 Chapter 1291-1300 ¡°Bonnie, send Young Master Nigel out. Or else, we¡¯ll call the cops,¡± Maggie reprimanded. ¡°Mrs. Silverstein, I¡¯ll leave. I don¡¯t have any ill intentions. I¡¯ll juste back tomorrow,¡± Nigel exined hurriedly while looking at Queenie with reluctant eyes. He took two steps back before taking his leave, after which Bonnie followed behind to send him out. ¡°Young Master Nigel, do you know why Queenie is mad at you?¡± she yelled at his back. Turning his head to face her, he asked, ¡°Do you know?¡± ¡°Perhaps she fell in love with another man! You might not be the prince charming she¡¯s looking for.¡± Bonnie wanted to make him feel as if he was being despised. ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± he retorted her calmly. After his sports car sped away, she felt utterly frustrated. Why does a rich and noble man like Nigel only have eyes for Queenie? Back in the living room, a disheartened Maggie looked at Queenie, who was biting her lips. ¡°Tell me what happened. Weren¡¯t you two doing well before?¡± ¡°When Dad and I went to have dinner today, I saw him on a date with another woman.¡± Queenie did not n to keep that from her mom. After listening to her exnation, Maggie became instantly furious and criticized, ¡°And I thought he was a good man! Turns out we were wrong about him. If that¡¯s the case, Queenie, you should sever all ties with him!¡± Standing by the door, Bonnie heard everything before a proud smile slowly crept on her face. With her understanding of Queenie¡¯s personality, Queenie and Nigel were done. Ever since the incident with Leslie, Bonnie discovered that Queenie¡¯s character had turned tenacious. In other words, she could not stand even the slightest sense of betrayal in her rtionship. ¡°Queenie, Young Master Nigel has left. He seemed quite angry. Did you know?¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to be angry about?¡± Queenie frowned. While shaking her head, Bonnie replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know either! Maybe he thinks you¡¯re being unreasonable for getting mad at him for no reason. I saw him mming the car door when he got in.¡± Biting her lips, Queenie felt a sense of resentment before standing up. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m heading back to my room.¡± After she ascended the stairs, Bonnie trailed behind her. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll talk to her.¡± Queenie was about to close the door when Bonnie stopped her and squeezed into her room. ¡°With my understanding of men, I can tell you that they are all the same. There¡¯s nothing special about Nigel. Plus, I think he seems to look down on our family!¡± ¡°Are you done?¡± Queenie turned around to re at her before she retorted, ¡°I don¡¯t need you to make snarky remarks about my life.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just trying to look out for you! I want you to keep a cool mind and not overlook his cheating incident just because he¡¯s hot and wealthy.¡± Bonnie wore a conflicted expression. Since Queenie was still in a bad mood, everything she said was magnified in front of her. ¡°Queenie, Nigel must¡¯ve had a lot of women before you. He¡¯s the sessor of arge financial group, so I¡¯m sure he¡¯s been low-profile because he has all the means to keep control of the media about him. I¡¯d say that such a man is dirty and unworthy of you.¡± ¡°Get out.¡± Queenie was feeling awful enough at this point and she wished it woulde to a stop. Before exiting the room, Bonnie turned around and added, ¡°It seems like Nigel will not stop until he gets you, so you¡¯d better prepare yourself. Since he has spent so much money on you, I¡¯m sure he¡¯d want to get something back.¡± With that, she left the room. As her room descended into silence, Queenie could not hold back her sadness anymore and began sobbing her heart out. Right at that moment, her phone rang, and she nced at the device with teary eyes before turning it off. I don¡¯t wanna hear anything from you, jerk. In the meantime, Nigel was waiting for the traffic light when he heard a messageing from his Bluetooth earphones. ¡°Hello, the person you¡¯re calling has switched off their device. Please try again later.¡± ¡°Queenie, what exactly happened to you?¡± He still could not figure out the whole story, despite recalling all the details since they partedst night. In the end, he parked by the roadside and frustratedly phoned Julian. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Come out for a drink.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Having a bad day?¡± Julian immediately noticed that something was up. ¡°Come out and drink with me. Usual ce.¡± Once Nigel said that, he hung up and sped toward the lounge he and Julian frequented. When Nigel arrived, he found a couch in the corner and plopped onto it. Mncholia emanated from his whole figure as all of the memories he shared with Queenie, from the moment they met until tonight¡¯s fallout, were reyed in his head. It was then he discovered that he could not stand the idea of not having her in his life. Soon, Julian arrived in his sports attire, obviously indicating that he hade from the gym. After he sat down, he discovered that his friend seemed to have lost his soul. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Fought with Miss Silverstein?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what I did wrong to make her so angry that she doesn¡¯t even want to take my calls.¡± After saying that, Nigel palmed his forehead and sighed. ¡°Do you want a drink? I¡¯ll drive you hometer.¡± While saying that, Julian raised his hand and beckoned a waiter over to their seating before ordering two bottles of whiskey. ¡°Julian, do you know what liking someone feels like?¡± A depressed Nigel poured himself a ss and drank it. Meanwhile, Julian was contemting that question seriously. Having debuted for five years and been ¡®shipped¡¯ with other artists many times, he still felt like the idea of being in love was vague. In the end, he shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± While clutching his chest, Nigel exined, ¡°It hurts here, and it hurts bad. You can¡¯t imagine the pain I felt when she said she never wants to see me again. The pain is so intense that I felt like I was about to pass out. Do you know¡­ Sigh. You wouldn¡¯t understand even if I told you.¡± He then downed the whole ss of whiskey and submerged himself in his misery. Julian was taken aback by what he saw. It seems like Miss Silverstein has him hooked. Or else, he wouldn¡¯t be this depressed. ¡°Nigel, you have to have more confidence in yourself. I¡¯m sure there must be a misunderstanding between you and Miss Silverstein.¡± ¡°My mom made me go on a blind date today¡­ Queenie was still messaging me then¡­¡± At that moment, Nigel¡¯s eyes suddenly widened as if he had an epiphany. ¡°I lied to her. She asked me where I was, and I said I was at thepany. Could she have known that I wasn¡¯t at thepany? Did she find out that I lied to her?¡± Nigel finally thought about this incident and immediately felt like punching himself. ¡°It must be because she found out I was at that dinner party and not at thepany. She has Cecily¡¯s number, so maybe she called and asked Cecily about my whereabouts. She knows I¡¯ve lied to her.¡± Scratching his head, he ruffled his originally neat, ink-ck hair and said, ¡°Julian,e with me. I need to find her and exin everything. I need to tell her the truth about this incident.¡± ¡°Have you gone mad? It¡¯s 11.00PM now. The Silversteins will never let you in. It¡¯d be best if you head over tomorrow,¡± Julian suggested. ¡°I¡¯m so stupid and I deserve such treatment.¡± While saying so, Nigel grabbed the whiskey bottle and poured himself another drink. ¡°Julian, you must heed this lesson! If you manage to find a girlfriend in the future, you must not lie to her. The consequences are too immense.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t figured out how to maintain a good romantic rtionship, yet you¡¯re already lecturing me about it.¡± Julian chuckled. ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s go to your ce! I needpany tonight,¡± Nigel told him. Luckily, Julian¡¯s assistant sent him here, so he drove them home in Nigel¡¯s car. At the same time, a ck paparazzi vehicle was following them with its camera aimed at the sports car, recording everything. Since Julian¡¯s home was a penthouse duplex in the city center, he parked the sports car in the basement before the ck off-road vehicle followed him inside. He descended the car and walked around to the passenger seat to help the drunk Nigel out of the car. Then, he affectionately hugged Julian¡¯s shoulder, and the two headed for the elevator. However, they were oblivious that all of their actions were captured by the camera. Subsequently, the two men inside the off-road vehicle began to discuss what they saw. ¡°This is solid proof. We¡¯re going to make this tomorrow¡¯s headlines.¡± ¡°What should we name this piece? ¡®Top Actor Julian Gilmore Spends a Night with Mysterious Man¡¯?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not catchy enough. It should be ¡®Rumor-Free Actor Julian Gilmore¡¯s Deepest Secret Revealed¡¯.¡± Meanwhile, Nigel treated Julian¡¯s home like his own and he curled on the couch with his chin resting on his knees. Not only did he look insecure, but he also looked unconcerned about his image while sitting in that posture. Julian clicked his tongue as he took a nce at his friend, wondering if being in a rtionship would make someone this insane. ¡°I¡¯ll get up at 6.00AM tomorrow and head over to her house at 8.00AM so that I can catch her on her way to work and exin everything.¡± Not intending to care about Nigel, Julian responded, ¡°Find a ce to sleep. I¡¯ll be in my room reading my script.¡± Meanwhile, at the Silverstein Residence, Queenie did not catch a wink that night. Though she wanted to fall asleep, the scene of Nigel happily conversing with the other woman constantly appeared in her mind whenever she closed her eyes. Judging from the affection in the woman¡¯s eyes, Queenie was sure that the two were close. On top of that, the entire private room was filled with elders, so their rtionship must have gained full support from them. As for her, she and Nigel had known each other for so long, yet he never mentioned bringing her to meet his parents. Does that mean he doesn¡¯t value our rtionship? The more she thought about it, the more certain she was that Nigel had side chicks and she was only one of them. Who knows how many more women he has? Queenie, you would¡¯ve been better off being single than being treated this way. In the room adjacent to Queenie¡¯s, Bonnie was so excited that she could not sleep. Her wish had finally come true¡ªQueenie and Nigel were about to break up! Soon, it was dawn. At 6.30AM, Nigel sat up from the couch and checked the time on his phone. Then, he went straight into the bathroom to wash up and leave Julian¡¯s home. Subsequently, he drove toward the Silverstein Residence. In the meantime, a piece of breaking news posted at 3.00AM was now trending on the Inte. It was an exclusive involving Julian, and it left his fans in a state of shock. Is this the man we idolize? Such shocking news would naturally cause an uproar when trending on the web. Unbeknownst to the drama, Nigel was still driving when he received a call from Ashley. It was rare for him to answer a call so early in the morning. ¡°Hello! What¡¯s up?¡± This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. ¡°Mr. Manson, have you seen the news? One of the mediapanies managed to take a picture of you and Mr. Gilmore and post it online. Also, they wrote all sorts of nonsense about it.¡± ¡°What did they write about?¡± ¡°They said that you guys¡ª¡± ¡°Cut to the chase.¡± ¡°They said you guys are a couple.¡± Nigel felt like he was about to explode in anger. ¡°Which mediapany posted it? Hurry up and deal with them.¡± ¡°The news was posted at 3.00AM and is now the top three trending news on the Inte. Also, it¡¯s the top news in the entertainment section.¡± ¡°You guys settle this. I have something else I need to do.¡± After saying that, he hung up and focused on driving. At the Silverstein Residence, Queenieposed herself and decided to apany her father to the company that morning. She had decided to forget about her romantic life and focus on her career, which was the most important priority right now. Her new goal now was to be a happy and rich single woman. At 8.00AM, breakfast was served at the dining table. Bonnie had woken up early as well because she wanted to see if Nigel would look for Queenie or not. She would have been sleeping if it had not been for this matter! However, she was so excited that she could not fall asleep. Judging by Nigel¡¯s expression when he left yesterday, he wille over this morning and catch Queenie when she leaves for work. Therefore, she had ordered the servants to notify her immediately if someone came. Just as she had expected, a servant came knocking at 8.00AM to notify her, ¡°Miss Bonnie, Young Master Nigel is here. He¡¯s standing outside the gate.¡± Meanwhile, Bonnie took a sip of her red wine and questioned, ¡°Where is Queenie?¡± ¡°Miss Queenie is still upstairs. I just went up to notify her for breakfast.¡± A smile appeared on Bonnie¡¯s lips as she sped toward the small gate by the courtyard, where she saw an anxious-looking Nigel. ¡°Bonnie, open the gate for me.¡± He was now treating Bonnie even nicer as he was desperate for her assistance. She felt her heart skip a beat when she heard that, but she knew it was all for show. Nigel only said that to make her happy so that she would open the gate for him. ¡°Young Master Nigel, why did youe back? Didn¡¯t Queenie say she didn¡¯t want to see you again?¡± ¡°I have something to say to her.¡± Nigel pushed the gate. ¡°Please let me in.¡± ¡°Do you know how much Queenie criedst night? Young Master Nigel, she said that if you want to see her, you have to kneel before her and apologize. Or else, I can¡¯t let you in.¡± She nned to humiliate Nigel in Queenie¡¯s name so that he would understand how difficult it was to please Queenie. How could an ordinary, proud man stand such a humiliating and unreasonable request? Of course, that man would turn around and leave immediately! Nigel is such a noble and proud man, so he definitely won¡¯t kneel before a woman to ask for her forgiveness. No matter how much he loves Queenie, he won¡¯t be able to ept such humiliation. In the meantime, a servant brought over a tub of water to wipe the pirs in the hall when she noticed Queenie standing there. The servant wanted to address her, but Queenie gestured for the servant to keep quiet, to which the servant quickly obeyed. While standing in her spot, Queenie could hear every word of the conversation being shared at the gate. In other words, she heard the wicked request Bonnie had asked of Nigel and she frowned. However, she did not immediately stop them. ¡°Young Master Nigel, if you¡¯re unwilling to kneel before Queenie and ask for her forgiveness, you should leave now so that my parents won¡¯t see you. It¡¯d be embarrassing if they chased you out again!¡± Bonnie nicely reminded him. ¡°First, let me see Queenie. Then, I¡¯ll apologize to her however she sees fit.¡± Nigel¡¯s gaze was firm and showed no intentions of backing down. Bonnie was dumbfounded and blinked her eyes while staring at him in disbelief. This man must be crazy! With his identity, he can have any woman he wants, but he¡¯s actually willing to kneel before Queenie. It was then she suddenly looked forward to seeing how Queenie would drive him away, so she feigned being nice and suggested, ¡°Since your feelings for Queenie are so sincere, I¡¯ll let you in! When you see herter, remember to not say anything and just kneel on the ground and apologize. That will work.¡± Nodding, Nigel responded, ¡°Alright. Please open the door.¡± Once she opened the door, he went straight into the house. Meanwhile, Bonnie was trailing behind with her hand covering her face, ready to enjoy the show. Just as Nigel came to the steps outside the hall, his happiness reced the gloom on his face because the woman he so desperately wanted to see was standing right before him. The attire Queenie wore today was in the colors ck and white. She wore a ck shirt with a white- fitting skirt with her hair down. Her temperament was instantly magnified, and her entire figure exuded an awe-inspiring and majestic aura. The surprise in Nigel¡¯s eyes turned into awe as he lowered his head to look at the floor, finding the perfect spot to kneel. Right when he was about to pull his pant legs, Queenie reprimanded with wide eyes, ¡°Are you really going to kneel? Why are you taking Bonnie¡¯s joke so seriously?¡± On the other hand, Bonnie was eager to see what exciting drama might unfold, but she did not expect to see Queenie at the entrance. She guiltily turned around and was about to escape when Queenie caught her and ordered, ¡°Bonnie, stop right there.¡± Standing in her spot, Bonnie was instantly displeased and turned around to re at Queenie. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°If you ever spout nonsense again, I won¡¯t let you off so easily,¡± Queenie warned coldly. Nigel also nced at Bonnie. Although he did not believe a single word she said, he still cooperated with her to get inside the Silverstein Residence. Yet, when he saw Queenie, he was sincerely willing to kneel before her and ask for her forgiveness. Following that, Bonnie turned around and left while Queenie grabbed her bag and was ready to leave for thepany. ¡°Queenie, I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have lied to you. In fact, I wasn¡¯t at thepany but at a restaurant having dinner with my mom and her friends,¡± Nigel immediately apologized. Ever since he figured out the reason, exining everything to Queenie had be his top priority. With a hook of her lips, Queenie turned to face him while sneering. ¡°I just happened to be at that same restaurantst night, but I don¡¯t think you were with your mom. That young woman is the real reason you were there, am I right?¡± The only feeling Nigel felt at that moment was anxiety. So, this is what made Queenie so angryst night. Was she at the same restaurant? Did she see me and Ingrid together? Ignoring him, Queenie headed for her car, but he quickly caught up with her and continued to exin, ¡°Queenie,st night¡¯s dinner was arranged by my mom. She didn¡¯t tell me it was a blind date, and I only found out about it when I got there. I tried to leave, but my mom wouldn¡¯t let me. I also told her that I already have someone I like and that I already have a girlfriend, but my mom won¡¯t believe me¡­ Queenie, you can shout at me however you want.¡± After saying that, he oppressively grabbed her arms and forbade her from leaving. With nowhere to go, she turned to face him and revealed an angry countenance on her stunning face. ¡°Nigel, do you see three words on my face?¡± ¡°Huh? What three words?¡± He was dumbfounded. ¡°Easy to fool,¡± Queenie said through gritted teeth. Perhaps Nigel had limited experience in quarreling with a woman, or perhaps he was used to being the one who listened to others¡¯ exnations because it was obvious that he was not good at apologizing. Therefore, he looked rather dumb at this moment. Queenie escaped his grip and sneered. ¡°I thought you were different from Leslie, but I was wrong. You men are all the same. So, you can y all you want in the future, but don¡¯te and look for me anymore. I don¡¯t want to be someone else¡¯s recement.¡± Once again, Nigel froze in his spot as he did not expect her attitude to be so cold suddenly. Throughout her sleepless night, Queenie had been thinking about how men loved being surrounded by women. The more she thought about it, the angrier and more discouraged she became. She would rather hide under the covers, cry her heart out, and gradually forget about him than be yed like a fool. That was her character; she could not stand the slightest bit of betrayal. On the other hand, Bonnie never left the courtyard and had been hiding behind the trees, jealously watching Nigel apologize while Queenie pushed him away like a queen. She would not have been able to do it if it had been her. Rather, she would have almost forgiven him instantly if a man as excellent as Nigel merely shed a smile at her. Unlocking her car, Queenie pulled open the door of the driver¡¯s seat and got in while the man beside her instantly opened the door and sat on the passenger seat like a sly fox. She was about to fasten her seatbelt when she swept her gaze across the man beside her and ordered, ¡°Get out.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. Unless you listen to what I have to say, I¡¯ll keep following you around until you¡¯re willing to listen.¡± While biting her lower lip, shepromised. ¡°I¡¯ll give you five minutes. After that, get out of my car.¡± Nigel¡¯s eyes brightened when he heard that, so he took a deep breath and organized his thoughts before beginning his exnation. ¡°Two days ago, in the afternoon, I got a call from my mom, insisting that I attend a gathering. I didn¡¯t think much of it back then and simply agreed. That¡¯s why I only discovered there was a young woman there after I arrived in the room. It was also then that I realized my mom had arranged another blind date for me.¡± ¡°That woman must be pretty ande from a rich family, am I right? Also, her educational background must match yours brilliantly, so you should consider her! Why are you even here?¡± Queenie mocked. After sighing, Nigel stared fixedly at her clear side profile. ¡°Queenie, you¡¯re the first woman whom I have fallen in love with, and you¡¯ll be thest one as well. No matter how excellent the women my mom introduced to me are, I will never develop any feelings for them. I only have eyes for you.¡± ¡°Fine, then. Let me ask you another question. We¡¯ve been dating for a month now, but why have you never mentioned anything about bringing me home to your parents?¡± There was a hint of interrogation in her words. Her question immediately silenced Nigel as he blinked at her. ¡°Queenie, it¡¯s my fault for being insensitive. I had thought about bringing you home to meet my parents, but they are constantly urging me to get married, so I was afraid that they might put too much pressure on you. That¡¯s why I wanted you to date me a little longer so that you can get to know me better before contemting marriage with me.¡± At that moment, Nigel¡¯s phone rang, after which he took a look and saw that it was his mother calling. Immediately, he thought about asking her to help him exinst night¡¯s incident, so he turned to Queenie and notified her, ¡°It¡¯s my mom. Why don¡¯t I let her exin everything to you?¡± Queenie was taken aback for a moment. Though she was angry, she did not intend to let an elder exin the situation, so she hurriedly refused, ¡°There¡¯s no need for Mrs. Manson to exin anything.¡± However, it was toote because Nigel had answered the call and put it on speaker. ¡°Yes, Mom.¡± ¡°Nigel, you better have a good exnation about your rtionship with Julian. Did you refuse to get into a rtionship because of him? I saw you keeping your distance from Ingrid and even ignoring her. Are you not interested in women? Tell me, please. Are you going to let the Manson Family end with you?¡± Brenda screamed her question from the other end. Queenie was at a loss for words, and Nigel did not fare any better either. The two kept silent for a few seconds before he seized the chance to pipe up. ¡°Mom, I told you. Stop arranging blind dates for me because I already have someone I like.¡± ¡°Is the person you like Julian?¡± Brenda felt like her world was about to fall apart. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m straight.¡± Nigel was speechless at his mom¡¯s reply. ¡°Did you stay the night at Julian¡¯s ce? The paparazzi even took pictures and posted them online. Now, the whole Inte is talking about this matter and your dad is so angry that he almost got a heart attack,¡± Brenda continued to interrogate her son angrily. It was then that Queenie finally understood everything as Brenda¡¯s words clearly exined what had transpiredst night. As Nigel had stated, it was a blind date where he was indifferent toward Ingrid. Then, he ced his phone before Queenie and moved his lips to beg silently, Save me. Talk to my mom. Although Queenie was still angry, she grabbed Nigel¡¯s phone and used her sweet voice to greet Brenda, ¡°Hello, Mrs. Manson. I¡¯m Nigel¡¯s girlfriend, Queenie Silverstein.¡± As soon as Brenda heard a woman¡¯s clear voiceing from her phone, she was stunned. ¡°Are you really Nigel¡¯s girlfriend?¡± ¡°Yes, we are currently dating.¡± Meanwhile, Nigel was looking at Queenie with a gentle gaze while informing his mom, ¡°Mom, I told you I have a girlfriend, but you didn¡¯t believe mest night.¡± ¡°Nigel, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and deal with the rumors online. What nonsense are they talking about?¡± As Brenda brought the matter up, Nigel was so infuriated by the paparazzi¡¯s audacity to use him for clout that he thought they had to be looking for death! ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll sue thatpany until they go bankrupt.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget to bring Miss Silverstein home for a meal.¡± ¡°Alright, Mom. I¡¯ll make the arrangement soon.¡± After saying that, he hung up and stared intently at Queenie, trying to make out from her pretty little face whether she was still angry or not. Meanwhile, she felt embarrassed as she yed with her hair. Have I been overthinking this entire situation? It was obvious that her imagination had run wildst night and almost destroyed her good impression of Nigel. All the hateful titles like ¡®scumbag¡¯, ¡®yboy¡¯, and even ¡®scoundrel¡¯ had been used on him. Now that things had cleared up, she felt too apologetic to face him. ¡°Queenie, Julian and I have been misunderstood, and I¡¯m in dire need of you to help clear my name.¡± ¡°So, you and Julian¡­¡± She turned to stare at him with inquisitive eyes. Nigel¡¯s handsome face fell as he reached over to the driver¡¯s seat and cupped her face in his palms. Then, he fiercely punished those small lips that housed her sharp tongue. You have to bear the consequences of doubting me. In the meantime, Bonnie stuck her head out from the cluster of trees she was hiding behind, wondering why Queenie¡¯s car was still parked there. Why hasn¡¯t she chased Nigel away? What are they doing inside the car? With that thought, she adjusted her body to peek from another angle, which just happened to be the car¡¯s window; behind it was an inappropriate scene. Indeed, Queenie and Nigel were locked in a passionate kiss. Bonnie¡¯s pupils dted at that very scene as they were slowly tinted by jealousy. What¡¯s this? Did they reconcile? Back inside the car, Queenie was out of breath from the kiss, after which Nigel released her from his embrace as her face turned crimson until the end of her ears. She pushed him andined, ¡°Nigel, have you had enough?¡± Nigel¡¯s phone rang again. This time, it was from Julian. Subsequently, he put it on speaker mode. ¡°Hey, Julian.¡± On the other end of the phone, Julian¡¯s voice sounded like a volcanic eruption. ¡°That damned paparazzi, how could they write something like this?!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll deal with it.¡± Nigel had already calmed down. ¡°Mypany has already sued them. I¡¯m fine with this incident, but I¡¯m worried that it might affect you and Miss Silverstein¡¯s rtionship. You better hurry up and exin this incident to her.¡± ¡°She¡¯s sitting right beside me.¡± ¡°Greetings, Miss Silverstein! I¡¯m Julian Gilmore. Nigel and I grew up together and we¡¯re very close friends. Most importantly, we¡¯re straight as a pole, so please don¡¯t misunderstand our rtionship.¡± As expected from a person who made a living through acting, his exnation was particrly on point. Bursting intoughter, Queenie replied, ¡°Mr. Gilmore, it¡¯s all good.¡± When Nigel realized that she was amused by another man, he felt a little jealous. ¡°Julian, I¡¯ll hang up first. I have something to do.¡± After saying that, he decisively hung up the call. Meanwhile, Queenie¡¯s gloomy mood had vanished like rain clouds after a storm. She then asked him, ¡°Have you eaten breakfast?¡± ¡°My stomach is empty!¡± he answered, sounding aggrieved. ¡°How about I treat you to breakfast?¡± She offered generously. ¡°I¡¯m sorry forst night. I vow to not lie to you ever again.¡± Immediately after saying that, he made a vowing gesture. ¡°I¡¯m willing to swear with my life.¡± Then, Queenie covered his lips with her hand. ¡°I believe you.¡± Grabbing her hand, Nigel ced a kiss on the back of it. ¡°As I anticipated, my darling is concerned about me.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s your wife?¡± ¡°You, of course!¡± ¡°We¡¯re not even engaged yet.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just a matter of time.¡± He was very confident in that. When Queenie looked at the time, she immediately pushed the man beside her and urged. ¡°I need to rush to a meeting. Get out.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. I¡¯m going to thepany with you.¡± ¡°But your car is here!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll hail a cab back here to retrieve itter.¡± Subsequently, Nigel fastened his seatbelt quickly. He wanted to stay with her longer so that he could lessen the guilt he felt for her. This incident was all because of his stupidity, and if he had told her the truth back at the restaurant, he would have been able to invite her over and introduce her to his mother. Had that ever crossed his mind, all of this would not have happened. ¡°How about we do it this way? We¡¯ll take your car, and you¡¯ll be my driver for the day, sending me on and off work.¡± ¡°Sure, that won¡¯t be a problem. I¡¯ll even pay for your entire day¡¯s meals.¡± Nigel wished nothing more than to stick himself onto her like gum. Queenie burst outughing while watching his enthusiasm, especially when he decided to follow Bonnie¡¯s ridiculous request to kneel and ask for her apology. No matter what, she was very satisfied with his performance today. The two alighted from the car and walked out of the courtyard. On the other hand, Bonnie had already returned to the balcony upstairs and was peeking at them from behind the curtains. When she saw the two getting off Queenie¡¯s car and ascended Nigel¡¯s car instead, she was shocked for a moment and stomped her feet in frustration. How can they reconcile so quickly? The worries she had before finally returned. If she could not break Queenie and Nigel apart, her future situation would be highly problematic. Also, watching Queenie head to the family¡¯spany every day gave her a sense that thepany would end up in Queenie¡¯s hands in the future, so that made her very anxious as well. After Queenie descended Nigel¡¯s car at Silverstein Enterprise, he wanted to head inside with her when she refused, saying that she needed to attend a meeting soon and had no time to entertain him. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll find a nearby cafe to spend my time at. I¡¯ll be waiting near the entrance of your company at 11.30AM,¡± he proposed. Nothing beats making my girlfriend happy for the whole day. With that, Queenie subsequently went up to her office while Nigel found himself a nearby hotel to rest at and deal with the hrious rumor regarding him and Julian. He was determined to have those two reporters make a public apology. Not only that, the mediapany that published the article had to compensate for his and Julian¡¯s losses, as well as never appear on the Inte again. Ever. However, the one who suffered the most from this was Julian. For many years, he had kept himself rumor-free, and the first romantic rumor he had was with a renowned, rich young master like Nigel. Not only did that cause an uproar among his fans, but his anti-fans and rivalpanies were also all eagerly trying to ruin his reputation. Due to this, hispany sent out several legal letters and made an example of the more active anti- fans. Hiswsuits were not just for show as those whom he had sued were all convicted, which was why all the anti-fans and rivalpanies became quiet after a few hours as theycked the courage to offend Julian anymore. One had to know that Julian was not just a male celebrity. He was the second heir of Gilmore Corporation, had uncountable assets, and was a genuine nobleman. Meanwhile, Queenie exited her office and walked toward the meeting room with a cup of coffee in her hand. Since Brandon had heard from his wife about Queenie¡¯s rtionship problems with Nigel, he was worried about her mood today. However, he looked over and saw his high-spirited daughter in her seat, seemingly in a good mood. As such, he could not help but wonder, Does Queenie not have feelings for Nigel anymore? Did they break up just after one night? Then, he recalled the news he had just received, which was regarding the Manson Group. Allegedly, Manson Group had just withdrawn an outsourcing service, which wasndscape maintenance, and it happened that Silverstein Enterprise had been developing andscape construction project in recent years. In other words, their two projects werepatible for coboration. However, all of Manson Group¡¯s outsourcing services were something everyrge corporation competed to obtain. Companies like Silverstein Enterprise, which had just begun theirndscape construction services, would not stand a chance against theirpetition. Brandon only found out about this project from the clientst night and had gone home thinking he could use his daughter¡¯s connections to get it! Yet, he did not expect toe home and hear from his wife that his daughter had gotten into a fight with Nigel and that they were about to break up. Therefore, he woke up early today and contacted many people just for this project. At this point, he had almost lost all hope. If Nigel truly broke up with Queenie, their chances ofnding this project would be slim to none. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s begin our meeting.¡± Brandon coughed lightly before announcing, making all the higher- ups in the room quiet down. Meanwhile, Queenie was a little distracted by her situation with Nigel. It seemed like it was true when they said quarreling could make a couple grow fonder of each other. ¡°I just got news about a cooperative projectst night, and it¡¯s one of Manson Group¡¯s outsourcing landscape projects. Although we have manypetitors, we should still give it a try and see if we can seed,¡± Brandon suggested. ¡°Mr. Silverstein, our chances are slim. ording to what I know, every renownedndscapingpany ispeting for this project. What¡¯s more, we don¡¯t have the advantage topete with them!¡± one of the higher-ups spoke up sullenly. ¡°That¡¯s right! Although it¡¯ll be very advantageous for us to win this project, we can¡¯t do anything about it!¡± After listening for a bit, Queenie turned to Brandon. ¡°Dad, when did they announce this project? Why didn¡¯t I know about this?¡± ¡°I only found out about thisst night, so I¡¯m asking everyone toe up with a strategy. Queenie, you don¡¯t have to be involved in this. We¡¯re just going to give it a shot without harboring much hope of landing it.¡± ¡°Mr. Silverstein, I think we¡¯re just wasting our efforts, so why don¡¯t we just give up on this matter?¡± ¡°He¡¯s right! Why should we waste our efforts on something impossible?¡± ¡°How do you know we won¡¯t seed if we don¡¯t try?¡± Queenie felt confident while looking at the gloomy faces of the higher-ups. ¡°Miss Silverstein, it¡¯s not that we aren¡¯t confident, but¡ª¡± ¡°Leave this matter to me,¡± she stated firmly. ¡°Queenie, I think we should forget about this! I don¡¯t want to put you in a difficult situation.¡± Brandon sighed. If getting this project meant Queenie would have to disregard her dignity and be hurt again after confronting Nigel, he would rather give uppletely on it. ¡°Dad, believe me. I will sessfullynd this project,¡± she told her dad. Meanwhile, the higher-ups in the room thought that she was such a good ¡®scapegoat¡¯ to take on the impossible task. Of course, she would not get scolded even if she failed, anyway. ¡°Miss Silverstein, you have our full support.¡± ¡°Of course! Miss Silverstein, we trust that you will seed.¡± Queenie pursed her lips and smiled. We can certainly get this project. I have such a strong connection, so why not use it? At that point, she was thinking like a businesswoman, and helping her dad get more business was something a daughter should do. Meanwhile, Brandon admired his daughter¡¯s courage for being willing to disregard her personal rtionship for the betterment of thepany. He patted her shoulder and encouraged her, ¡°Queenie, just do your best. It¡¯d be great if you seed, but it wouldn¡¯t matter even if you didn¡¯t.¡± She nodded and answered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dad. I will get this project for you no matter what it takes.¡± At that, the higher-ups under the stage could not help but praise Queenie for that. Bold! Miss Silverstein¡¯s work ethic is simr to that of a warrior. Ring! Ring! Her phone suddenly rang, and she took a look at it before picking it up. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too boring at the cafe, so I thought I should just head up to your office! I¡¯m at the reception counter. Where¡¯s your office?¡± Nigel¡¯s voice sounded from the receiver. Surprised, Queenie instructed him, ¡°Have the receptionist bring you to the third-floor meeting room.¡± ¡°You want me to rest inside the meeting room? That sounds good as well. I¡¯ll be there in a minute,¡± he answered happily. After hanging up, she notified Brandon, ¡°Dad, I just invited Nigel here. We can talk to him in person later!¡± A shocked Brandon was taken aback by her words. ¡°What? Did you invite Young Master Nigel here? Now?¡± ¡°Yes. He¡¯ll be here in a minute.¡± Once she finished, she turned to Joseph Hummer, who was in charge ofndscape construction. ¡°Mr. Hummer, the president of Manson Group is almost here. You can tell him all about ourpany¡¯s strengthster.¡± At that point, Joseph was left speechless, and so were all of the higher-ups in the meeting room. The president of the Manson Group is personallying to our meeting room to discuss the project? While looking at the room of stunned higher-ups, Queenie could not hold back her smile. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. He¡¯s my boyfriend and is fairly easy to talk to.¡± That exnation shocked the crowd once again. No wonder Miss Silverstein is so confident! It turns out the project belongs to her boyfriend. Who would be able to get the project if not her? It was then someone knocked on the meeting room door, followed by the voice of the receptionist. ¡°Sir, please head inside.¡± Nigel originally thought he wasing to the meeting room to see Queenie and take a short rest. Clearly, he was not expecting to receive such a shock right after stepping inside. Do I have the wrong room? Why is there a meeting here? ¡°Nigel,e in!¡± Queenie rose to her feet and beckoned him over. Seeing her there, Nigel immediately rxed and entered the room. Then, he pulled out the chair beside her and sat down. Just as he took a seat, he noticed Brandon sitting beside her and quickly got up to greet him politely, ¡°Mr. Silverstein.¡± Brandon chuckled and reciprocated passionately, ¡°Nigel, have a seat and make yourself at home.¡± After Nigel sat down, he felt everyone¡¯s eyes on him. In actuality, the crowd did not expect the president of the Manson Group to be so young! He looks to be about twenty-five to twenty-six years old at most. So, he¡¯s young and remarkably handsome. Miss Silverstein has good taste in men! ¡°Mr. Manson, the matter goes like this¡ªI heard yourpany has andscape outsourcing project that is looking for investors, and ourpany is very interested in it,¡± Queenie exined the situation to Nigel before turning to Joseph. ¡°Mr. Hummer, please borate on ourpany¡¯s strength in that area.¡± Albeit nervous, Joseph maintained hisposure and began introducing thepany¡¯s strength after organizing his thoughts. Meanwhile, Nigel blinked his eyes, obviously having no idea what was happening. After all, Silverstein Enterprise only needed to obtain his consent to be the investor in that project. However, he still listened to Joseph¡¯s introduction attentively. ¡°Mr. Manson, what do you think of ourpany¡¯s credentials? Are we up to your standards?¡± Queenie asked him deliberately. While apuding, Nigel nodded without hesitation. ¡°I have no problem with your introduction, which perfectly fits our requirements. As such, I¡¯ll appoint yourpany as the contractor for that project.¡± The meeting room instantly descended into an uproar. They never expected that they could take down a project worth many billions so easily! It was beyond their imaginations! ¡°Nigel, you don¡¯t have to agree so quickly. You can take a good look at our capabilities before making that decision,¡± Brandon said out of guilt since he thought it was Queenie who had been pressuring him. Smiling, Nigel looked at the highly capable woman beside him and assured him, ¡°Mr. Silverstein, I highly approve of yourpany and believe that you do have the capability to rise to the asion.¡± It won¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t because we¡¯re all family. ¡°Dad, I¡¯ll leave the rest of the meeting to you and bring Nigel to my office.¡± ¡°Sure, go ahead!¡± Brandon nodded, not expecting them to reconcile just after one night. Once Nigel and Queenie left, cheers filled the entire meeting room. The higher-ups were ted and more certain about Silverstein Enterprise¡¯s future development. With such a huge backer, Silverstein Enterprise would definitely have an optimistic destiny! On the other side, there were still traces of a young woman¡¯s aura inside Queenie¡¯s office. Seeing the blue couch, Nigelfortably sat down while she poured him a cup of water before joining him. ¡°How about I treat you to lunch? To thank you for giving my dad such a huge project.¡± She offered. With narrowed eyes, Nigel reasoned, ¡°He¡¯s your dad now and he will be my father-inw soon. We¡¯re going to be family, so why the formalities?¡± A blushing Queenie had no choice but to ept his justification. Indeed, there¡¯s no need to be so formal with him. ¡°Miss Silverstein, are you feeling better now that you¡¯ve taken down a huge project? Are you still mad?¡± he asked with a smile. Meanwhile, she was secretly rejoicing. Thank goodness, we reconciled so quickly. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me again. If you dare to do it, I won¡¯t ever forgive you,¡± she warned. Having discovered her character, Nigel promised sincerely, ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± With a light snort, Queenie riposted, ¡°Who knows? After all, I¡¯m not that important to you, and even without me, there¡¯d still be many women eager to run into your arms.¡± He embraced her with a stretch of his long arm and retaliated nervously, ¡°Who said that? Besides you, I won¡¯t be interested in anyone else.¡± Obediently leaning against his chest, she discovered that his heart was beating quicker than earlier; it was obvious that her words had frustrated him. ¡°Alright, then. This matter is now over, so let¡¯s not mention it again.¡± As Queenie snuggled in his embrace, she realized that she was overly enragedst night, which led her to overthink the situation. ¡°Would you like toe to my house for dinner tonight? I¡¯ll introduce my parents to you.¡± Nigel decided to speed things up since he had not thoroughly considered it previously. He merely wanted to hide his rtionship so that they could date in peace, but now, it seemed that he was wrong about that. ¡°Tonight? I¡¯m nervous.¡± Queenie immediately sat up. ¡°Are your parents nice to talk to?¡± ¡°Of course! I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll want me to marry you immediately after they meet you,¡± he assured her with a smile. Hearing that, she blushed as she shrank her neck. ¡°What? No way!¡± ¡°They have been pestering me to get married for a long time now and they¡¯re worried I might not be able to find a wife! I didn¡¯t bring you back home before because I was afraid that they might scare you away with their enthusiasm.¡± Queenie burst outughing. ¡°How could they be worried about you not finding a wife? You¡¯re such an excellent person.¡± After sighing, Nigel exined, ¡°Maybe because I was waiting for you.¡± Tears welled up in her eyes as she suddenly felt grateful to Bonnie for stealing Leslie. Otherwise, she would have missed an amazing man like Nigel because of the marriage her family had promised. However, she still felt that she was not fully prepared to meet his parents, so Nigel did not pressure her on that. Anyway, his parents would not arrange any more blind dates for him now that they knew he had a girlfriend. On the other hand, Brandon was also delighted by today¡¯s event. It was the first time he hadnded such arge project with such ease! Moreover, he had just witnessed his daughter¡¯s confidence and thought that if he handed over thepany to her, she would be able to make the right decisions and seize the chance to push thepany to greater heights. Chapter 1301-1310 Chapter 1301-1310 As for Bonnie, Brandon only wished for her to have a happy and fulfilling life. When it was time for her to get married, he would prepare a significant amount of dowry for her so that she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about money for the rest of her life. However, Brandon was wrong, for Bonnie would not be satisfied with only a hefty dowry, wanting the entire Silverstein Family inheritance instead. Even if she couldn¡¯t get it all, she had to have half of it. Originally, Nigel wanted to apany Queenie for dinner, but he had a meetinging up and had to return to thepany. Therefore, the two parted and went on with their own businesses. Having gone through this jealous and angry asion, the two now clearly understood their feelings and knew how much they loved each other. Nigel was driving toward hispany when his phone rang, and when he looked, he saw that it was Elliot, whom he had not contacted for quite a while. ¡°Hey, Elliot.¡± ¡°Aunt Brenda said you got a girlfriend. This isn¡¯t a joke, right?¡± Elliot¡¯s deep voice sounded from the phone. Because Nigel had lied to them with this excuse many times, of course, they wouldn¡¯t believe him when he said he was seeing someone, which made him at a loss for what to say. ¡°I¡¯m not lying. I really do have a girlfriend. I¡¯ll bring her to meet you guyster.¡± At that moment, the cries of a young child came from the other end, followed by an incoherent voice. ¡°Daddy¡­¡± Nigel immediately felt his heart soften. ¡°Hey! My little niece, your voice sounds so cute!¡± ¡°She¡¯s such a clingy child.¡± Elliot¡¯s voice was filled with affection as he said that. ¡°I¡¯m so jealous! Elliot, I want a daughter that is as cute as Willy.¡± While thinking of thest time he visited his niece, Nigel couldn¡¯t get the image of the chubby child with the smell of baby shampoo out of his mind. She was exceptionally cute, and he was so jealous that he was drooling. ¡°So, you¡¯d better quicken your pace! Give birth to a younger sibling to y with Willow.¡± After saying that, Elliot turned to his daughter and asked, ¡°How about it, Willow?¡± Then there was more incoherent baby talk before Elliot¡¯s voice could be heard again.¡± Alright then, let¡¯s talk againter. I need to watch over my daughter.¡± ¡°Elliot, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re still working at home!¡± Nigel asked, feeling curious. Thest time he visited Elliot, he discovered that Elliot had basically moved his office back home, and the reason was simple. His cute and clingy niece couldn¡¯t leave her daddy. She would bawl her eyes out whenever she saw Elliot leave. Therefore, Elliot had been settling his work matters at home to take care of his daughter. ¡°Yes! For half a year, I won¡¯t be going to thepany if there aren¡¯t any important matters and will be working at home. Willow is too clingy.¡± When saying that, Elliot¡¯s voice was full of adoration and pride. ¡°Alright then! I¡¯ll swing by to visit my two nephews someday and bring them out to y.¡± ¡°Sure, and I¡¯ll be waiting for your good news.¡± Elliot finished his words and hung up. Then, Nigel couldn¡¯t help but start imagining what his and Queenie¡¯s child would look like. Will my child look like me? As he thought of that, a smile appeared on his lips, which looked quite idiotic. At the Presgrave Residence, under the sunset, a young boy happily yed ser on the grass patch when a chubby figure shakily walked over from the hall. At one year and two months, the child had dense, short hair that reached her ears. A slight breeze blew, messing up her hair a little, adding even more cuteness to her chubby and round face. Her small limbs that resembled lotus roots and round face were obvious signs that she was a chubby kid, but her big ck eyes that looked like ck grapes and her small nose and lips made her look as pretty as a doll. ¡°Jared¡­¡± The child was waving her small arms as she wobbly made her way toward her older brother, and behind her came a handsome andposed man in a casual shirt. His every move exuded a mighty temperament. The small and chubby child before him only reached his knees. ¡°Daddy.¡± The child wanted to head over and y with her brother and turned around to hug one of her daddy¡¯s legs, indicating that she wanted him to hug her. Elliot embraced his daughter and walked toward his son. The president of Presgrave Group had now be a responsible and professional stay-at-home dad. Ever since the birth of his daughter, he had been hands-on with everything, which left Anastasia with the sole task of feeding her. Also, after her pregnancy, Anastasia enjoyed working even more, so she let her husband take care of their daughter and began enjoying the happiness that working had brought her. After the birth of his children, Elliot¡¯s days were summarized into two things: work and pampering his daughter. As for Jared, he also doted on his younger sister a lot. The father-son duo¡¯s hobby had now be being at Willow¡¯s beck and call. At that moment, a red sports car drove in from outside, and the woman who came down from it had dense, long hair that was messed up by the wind. She then tidied up her hair and revealed an exquisitely beautiful face. Her face, which used to have a little baby fat, had now be smooth and sharp, adding an elegant and attractive feel to her whole figure. The three on the grass patch looked over at the same time. Whenever Elliot saw his wife, he felt his heart pounding, like during their first meeting. Meanwhile, the young child in his embrace had already stuck out her hands in excitement, asking for a hug from her mommy. However, Jared was the first to run over and hug his mommy¡¯s waist, and then he saw his daddy bringing his younger sister over. For Anastasia, the happiest thing aftering home from work was to have her family greet her. She first nted a kiss on her son¡¯s cheek before walking over to pull her daughter into her embrace. She nted two kisses on her daughter¡¯s small cheeks and felt Elliot¡¯s arms snake around her waist, pulling her into his embrace. When Anastasia raised her head, the man¡¯s thin lips chased after hers and nted a kiss on her lips. They had always restrained their affectionate actions when their children were around. ¡°Sweetheart, wee home.¡± Elliot kissed her crown. Since Anastasia began working, she felt more rxedpared to her hard-working husband, who had to look after their children at home. While lowering her head, she smiled and asked Willow, ¡°Willow, were you well-behaved today?¡± As if she could understand the question, the child scrunched her nose and pouted her small lips while acting coquettishly in her mommy¡¯s embrace by rubbing her head against her mommy¡¯s body. Elliot caressed his daughter¡¯s head and noticed that Anastasia was wearing high heels. Although Willow was only one year and two months old, she wasn¡¯t particrly light. She was already over twenty-eight pounds and was a genuinely chubby baby. It was mainly because Willow could greatly absorb the nutrients from her nutritious diet, plus that Anastasia kept her daughter on breast milk until she turned one year old. As the sunset¡¯s rays shone down on the family of four, they looked like a lovely family. At the dinner table in the Silverstein Residence, Maggie had prepared a table full of delectable dishes, and Brandon had retrieved the wine he had kept for a few years and was reluctant to drink. Judging from her father¡¯s behavior, Bonnie could tell right after Brandon came home that he was in an excellent mood. However, this realization made her feel gloomy because her father¡¯s good mood must be rted to Queenie! As she expected, a while after they began eating, Brandon told everyone about the important project they hadnded today and praised Queenie along the way. ¡°Queenie, you were so great today. You helped thepanynd a 1.5 billion project within one day.¡± Hearing thepliment, Queenie smiled humbly. ¡°Dad, you don¡¯t have to be so worked up about this.¡± Maggie was also surprised to hear that. ¡°Really? Queenie, you¡¯re such a capable person! You¡¯ve alreadynded such a huge project right after joining thepany.¡± Meanwhile, Bonnie felt like she had suffered an invisible blow as she red at Queenie, unable to hide the jealousy in her heart. No wonder Dad is so happy. So, she did make a huge contribution. ¡°Mom, it¡¯s andscaping project under Mason Group, and ourpany just happened to have a landscaping construction service, so we decided to go for it, and Nigel agreed to let us have this project.¡± ¡°Oh, you. Looking at you so angryst night scared me. I thought you guys were having a huge dispute! Who would have thought you two had worked it out after one night?¡± Maggie criticized Queenie. Queenie also felt a little embarrassed about that. ¡°Mom, it wasn¡¯t my intention to throw such a huge tantrum. I was too caught up in my thoughts.¡± ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Queenie. Besides ourpany, who else could the Manson Group give this project to? He¡¯s your boyfriend, after all.¡± Bonnie made a snarky remark. ¡°You can¡¯t put it that way. Nigel¡¯s family is part of the business too,¡± Maggie reminded her daughter. Queenie had also asked Nigel about this earlier that afternoon, but he insisted on giving it to Silverstein Enterprise. However, Queenie wasn¡¯t worried, for she had seen thepany¡¯sndscape construction works and knew they couldplete the Manson Group¡¯s project. After drinking two sses of wine, Brandon apanied Maggie out for a stroll. The servants had all gone home, and Queenie was in her dad¡¯s study, looking at the reports from work. Just then, Bonnie came into the study. ¡°Queenie, can you teach me how to read these reports? I want to learn how to manage thepany too!¡± ¡°If you want to learn how to manage apany, you should start with the basics before interning at the company. Otherwise, it will be very difficult for you,¡± Queenie suggested. However, Bonnie wasn¡¯t the learning type. She had stopped going to school after finishing junior high. Although she disguised herself to look like a rich youngdy, she was someone without much knowledge. Not only did she hate going to school and taking exams, but she didn¡¯t even have the patience to read a book. She would rather spend time watching television shows and going shopping, indulging herself in her materialistic happiness. ¡°You aren¡¯t willing to teach me, are you, Queenie? You¡¯re afraid that I¡¯dpete with you for Dad¡¯s company!¡± She deliberately twisted Queenie¡¯s words. ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean.¡± Queenie frowned. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what you mean.¡± Bonnie sneered. ¡°Bonnie, this family will never restrict your food and clothing, but I hope that you can respect Dad¡¯s decision of who gets to manage thepany.¡± ¡°Dad will pick you, of course! To him, you¡¯re better and far more knowledgeable than me, but we¡¯re both Silverstein daughters, yet I¡¯m the more pitiful one! Since young, I never had the chance to receive proper education, and my living conditions weren¡¯t as wealthy and prestigious as yours.¡± Bonnie always used her childhood to belittle herself and evoke guilt in Queenie. Before this, Queenie would indeed feel guilty whenever she heard Bonnie devaluing herself and would feel sorry for Bonnie¡¯s unfortunate childhood. But now, Queenie was unfazed by it. ¡°I still have to go through these reports. Head back to your room!¡± Queenie ordered. ¡°Queenie, I¡¯m telling you this right now¡ªit doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re the one managing thepany or not, all of Dad¡¯s assets will be equally shared among us,¡± Bonnie emphasized. In actuality, this was the reason she hade to look for Queenie. Hearing that, Queenie couldn¡¯t help but feel angry. ¡°The most important thing now is Dad¡¯s health. How could you think about splitting his assets?¡± Subconsciously, Bonnie felt flustered. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± ¡°Bonnie Silverstein, you are a member of this family, so why don¡¯t you stop thinking about money every day and start paying attention to our aging parents, as well as the responsibilities we have to take up?¡± Queenie felt bothered by Bonnie¡¯s earlier words. However, Bonnie couldn¡¯t share Queenie¡¯s sentiment. She didn¡¯t belong to this family, and there was no blood rtion between her and the members of this family. More importantly, she just wanted to take everything without exerting any effort. ¡°I won¡¯t bother you anymore, Queenie.¡± After saying that, Bonnie turned around and left. When she returned to her room, the makeup on her face made her feel ufortable, so she decided to clean her face. Just as she was about to apply moisturizer to her face, she widened her eyes in shock upon noticing a small dent on her forehead. Though it wasn¡¯t very obvious, it was one of the aftereffects of her forehead filling. At once, she scanned her face from left to right, feeling flustered. How could there be a dent so soon? If Queenie sees this, she will certainly be suspicious. While clutching her chest, Bonnie decided she must undergo recovery surgery soon. She couldn¡¯t afford any ws on her face, after all. She had no ns of telling Lisbeth about this either. Lisbeth was just an ignorant woman who didn¡¯t know anything, and Bonnie wanted to deal with this matter alone. Now that she had money, she could find a better stic surgeon. With that, she gently pulled away the hair behind her ear. There was still an evident scar where she had removed her cartge. This was also one of her darkest secrets she could never reveal to Queenie. Fortunately for Bonnie, she kept that spot hidden under her hair, which was why it hadn¡¯t been discovered yet. After letting out a breath, she looked at her face and thought, There cannot be anything wrong with this face. Meanwhile, Queenie kept working until 9.30PM before she received a call from Nigel. When he heard that she was still working, he insisted that she shouldn¡¯t work after 10.00PM and must head to bed. Queenie told him she still had a huge pile of reports to go through, and Nigel wished he could teleport there and help her. She promised to head to bed at 10.00PM in the end, but he requested that she video call him in the name of supervising her. Having no choice, Queenie had to abide by his words. Twenty minutes before 10.00PM, she took a shower and changed into her pajamas before sitting on the couch in her room and video calling Nigel. Nigel¡¯s handsome face still looked wless on screen. Heined disappointedly, ¡°s! I thought you¡¯d wear your spaghetti strap pajama top! Turns out I was excited about nothing.¡± While ring at him through the screen, Queenie retorted, ¡°What are you thinking? If you want to see me in straps, you have to let me look at your abs.¡± ¡°Do you want to see them?¡± After saying that, he generously showed her his abdomen. Queenie blushed at that, but she nheless stared at them. It was finally the weekend, so Queenie could peacefully sleep in the next morning. Last night, she chatted with Nigel and lost all sense of sleepiness. Thus, she stayed awake until 1.00AM before falling asleep. Hence, she left a note on her door, notifying the others that she would skip breakfast. In the meantime, at the dining table, Bonnie had woken up bright and early. Suddenly, she voiced her request to her parents. ¡°Dad, Mom, I want to go on vacation to Hond for a while. I¡¯ve asked a friend to apany me there. I just want to take a break and have some fun.¡± Bonnie spoke up while she instinctively touched her forehead. Even though she had used a heavyyer of concealer to cover the dent, she was still feeling nervous about it. ¡°Why do you suddenly want to head to Hond? Do you have any friends there?¡± Maggie was still worried. After all, her younger daughter had been away from home for a long time, and she was worried that something might happen to Bonnie if she went away on holiday. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom! My friend is very familiar with that ce, so there¡¯s nothing to worry about. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve been feeling boredtely, and I want to have a short break,¡± Bonnie said with a serious expression before she continued aggrievedly, ¡°I didn¡¯t have much money back then, so I never went abroad. Now that I¡¯ve finally found my family, I have to go outside and experience life.¡± The Silverstein parents looked at each other before Maggie nodded resignedly. ¡°Fine, but you have to keep in contact with us and tell us that you¡¯re safe every day, understand?¡± ¡°Of course! Thank you, Dad and Mom, but there¡¯s something else¡­¡± While biting her lips, she rubbed her fingers together. ¡°I¡¯m a little short of moneytely, so could you guys lend me some money first?¡± Brandon said with a chuckle, ¡°Sure thing. I have a card with two million inside. Take it with you just in case!¡± ¡°Thank you, Dad. You¡¯re the best.¡± Bonnie was ted. With that amount of money, she could afford the fees for her stic surgery at a better hospital. She could now rest assured. ¡°When are you leaving?¡± Maggie couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°I¡¯ll be going next week! I have to pack my luggage first.¡± Bonnie still needed to do her research since she had done her previous stic surgery in the country. She only did some detailed work since her face resembled Queenie¡¯s to begin with, but she didn¡¯t expect the effects to wear off so quickly and be dented after only a short while. ¡°That¡¯s good, you still have some time. That way, you can have a good rest at home before leaving!¡± Maggie still hoped that Bonnie wouldn¡¯t leave so soon. That afternoon, the Silverstein parents went to visit their friend, and Bonnie was feeling very bored at home. At that moment, Queenie woke up and exited her room to head downstairs to eat. Noticing how the door to Queenie¡¯s bedroom was slightly ajar, Bonnie felt tempted and gently pushed the door open before heading inside. She enjoyed looking through Queenie¡¯s things back then and could take whatever she wanted. But now, she wanted to see how many good things Queenie had received, such as jewels and bags. Even though she couldn¡¯t take them, she could still look around and try them on. She was surprised when she saw Queenie¡¯s phone on the bed. She subconsciously went over to pick it up, and the phone suddenly unlocked despite needing facial recognition. Bonnie widened her eyes, feeling delighted. What¡¯s up with this? Did I just unlock Queenie¡¯s phone with my face? Once she unlocked Queenie¡¯s phone, Bonnie flipped through the woman¡¯s messages and saw her and Nigel¡¯s chat history. Then, a vicious thought emerged in her mind. If I ask Nigel out to a hotel in the middle of the night, would I be able to sleep with him with the lights on? If this happens, it wouldn¡¯t matter if Nigel hates me, for Queenie will never ept him after finding out that he¡¯s slept with me! With that thought in mind, Bonnie immediately decided to carry out that n. It was still early morning, and she needed to get Nigel out tonight. Also, since she could use her face to unlock Queenie¡¯s phone, it would be very easy for her to execute her n. Aftering out of Queenie¡¯s room, Bonnie returned to her room and began to think about the details of her n. She would soon be heading abroad to have stic surgery and would be staying there for at least three months. Therefore, she had to go ahead with this n to make sure Queenie and Nigel broke up before she went abroad. Meanwhile, Queenie finished her breakfast and went upstairs. She had forgotten her phone in her room, so she went to retrieve it before heading to Brandon¡¯s study. Even though it was the weekend, she still considered it as time for her to study, so she couldn¡¯t bezy. On the other hand, Bonnie went to a shopping mall outside. Now that she had be the seconddy of the Silverstein Family, she stopped contacting the friends she had before as she was afraid that they would recognize her. Whenever she went out, she would use the money she got from the Silversteins to shop to her heart¡¯s content and satisfy her materialistic needs. Today, she was shopping at a mall when she was suddenly met with a young woman hugging a middle- aged man¡¯s arm at the entrance of the mall. The young woman¡¯s eyes instantly lit up when she saw all the luxury items inside the shopping mall, and she began excitedly telling the man that she wanted to pick out a few items. Though the man looked a little reluctant, he still agreed. After that, the young woman began selecting the items she wanted. When she saw the woman who was in the middle of trying on a pair of shoes, she immediately called out, ¡°Nina Lindsay? It is you!¡± Bonnie looked up at the young woman in shock and instantly recognized the young woman as one of her colleagues and friends whom she had worked with for four to five years. Quickly changing back into her shoes, Bonnie rose to her feet in a fluster and denied, ¡°You¡¯ve gotten the wrong person. I¡¯m not Nina Lindsay.¡± ¡°Stop pretending! Even if you¡¯ve gotten stic surgery, I can still recognize you at a nce. We used to be good friends, so you wouldn¡¯t hide from me, would you?¡± The young woman grabbed Bonnie¡¯s arm and looked at her sharply. ¡°When everyone said you¡¯d disappeared, I thought something happened to you and was even worried about you, but it seems like you¡¯ve been living a good life!¡± Seeing that she couldn¡¯t keep up the act, Bonnie struggled to get out of the woman¡¯s grip and replied, ¡°Yes. I have my own life now, so I¡¯ve forgotten everything from before.¡± ¡°Where did you get so much money? Why didn¡¯t you tell us and share the fortune?¡± While eyeing Bonnie¡¯s clothes, essories, and bag, the young woman couldn¡¯t help but feel envious of Bonnie as she admired her. Women with backgrounds like theirs would be considered very fortunate to get to where Bonnie was, so she wanted Bonnie to help her as well. However, Bonnie¡¯s face fell as she rejected, ¡°The people and things from before have nothing to do with me anymore, so don¡¯t ever look for me again.¡± ¡°Hey, Nina, that¡¯s so merciless of you! Have you forgotten that I still have photos and videos of you and Mr. Wilson? Don¡¯t think you can get rid of me so easily! You shouldn¡¯t forget about others after you¡¯ve gotten rich!¡± The young woman wasn¡¯t an easy person to deal with either. The moment she recognized Bonnie, she knew she had to get something from her, and the things she had inside her phone were her leverage. ¡°You¡­¡± Bonnie¡¯s face paled as she called out the young woman¡¯s name, ¡°Danielle Cosimo, how dare you threaten me?¡± ¡°You know what we do for a living. All I want is to get rich. I need money.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have money. Everything I have is off-brand. Please, have mercy on me,¡± Bonnie begged. Danielle pointed at her bracelet. ¡°Sure, but you have to give me that.¡± Bonnie held the bracelet tightly. The bracelet was a gift from Leslie, and it was worth about twenty- thousand dors. She was reluctant to give it away. ¡°You won¡¯t give it to me? Fine. Then I guess I¡¯ll upload these videos to the hub.¡± ¡°Take it.¡± Bonnie took her bracelet off and handed it to Danielle. Okay. That worked. Danielle wanted more, and she took her phone out. ¡°Give me your number. I¡¯d love to have coffee with you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have time for coffee.¡± ¡°Your loss,¡± Danielle threatened again. Bonnie had no choice but to give Danielle her number before departing in a hurry. Running into her old colleague was a disaster. She would never return to her old life. The luxury of living as a Silverstein had left a mark on her and she would never return to the position of a hostess. A distraught Bonnie returned to her car. She gnashed her teeth and hissed, ¡°I¡¯m Bonnie. I¡¯m a Silverstein. I¡¯m not Nina. Nina¡¯s dead. Nina Lindsay doesn¡¯t exist anymore.¡± A scream of despair escaped her lips, fear grasping her heart. Even after her cosmetic surgery, the people from her past still managed to recognize her. I have to be careful even when I go around now. She rposed herself and returned home. Brandon gave her the card and told her she could use the funds for her trip. She took the card and resolved never to leave this family again, but she had another n to execute. She had to get Queenie¡¯s phone. After they had dinner, Brandon summoned Queenie. ¡°Come to my study, Queenie.¡± Bonnie noticed Queenie¡¯s phone on the sofa and covered it with a pillow. Queenie looked at the couch but didn¡¯t see her phone there. Probably in my room. She then followed her father to the study. Bonnie went to the garden with Queenie¡¯s phone in hand, and she quickly texted Nigel, ¡®Hey, are you free tonight? Want to meet up?¡¯ ¡®Sure. Where?¡¯ Nigel texted back right away. Envy filled Bonnie¡¯s heart. ¡®I¡¯d like to reserve a room in your hotel.¡¯ ¡®Nah. Juste to my suite.¡¯ ¡®Really? You¡¯re at the hotel right now?¡¯ ¡®No. I¡¯m in a meeting. You can head to the hotel first and tell the receptionist to give you the key.¡¯ ¡®What if they won¡¯t give it to me?¡¯ ¡®Tell them you¡¯re Queenie, and they¡¯ll do it. You¡¯re my girlfriend. They¡¯ll do anything for you.¡¯ The more they texted, the more envy overwhelmed Bonnie. I can¡¯t believe he treats her so nicely. ¡®Sure. I¡¯ming now. Don¡¯t leave me waiting, and don¡¯t text me when I¡¯m driving, alright?¡¯ ¡®Sure, I¡¯ll be there in half an hour. Do you want some choctes? It¡¯s the one you like. You finished the suppliesst time.¡¯ ¡®Of course. I love those choctes!¡¯ Bonnie tried her best to mimic Queenie¡¯s text style. ¡®Alright.¡¯ ¡®See youter.¡¯ ¡®See youter.¡¯ Right after that, Bonnie blocked Nigel¡¯s number and set the messaging app to Do Not Disturb. I won¡¯t let them text and ruin my n. Once I sleep with him, there¡¯s no turning back. He can kill me, but Queenie will break up with him because she¡¯ll never be able to ept that he has slept with me. Bonnie would do it even if it meant her parents would disapprove. All she had to do was tell them she liked Nigel. She returned to the living room, put Queenie¡¯s phone back on the sofa, and told her mother, ¡°I¡¯m sleeping over at my friend¡¯s ce tonight. We¡¯re going to talk about the trip.¡± ¡°Boy or girl?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a girl, Mom. Don¡¯t worry. I know my friends,¡± Bonnie promised. ¡°Alright, honey. Be careful. Call me if you need anything.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Bonnie looked at the time and left in a hurry. Queenie had gone to her room to look for her phone, but she couldn¡¯t find it anywhere. She came out and asked, ¡°Have you seen my phone, Mom? I can¡¯t find it.¡± Maggie helped with the search. She saw the phone on the sofa after picking the pillow up. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s right here!¡± Queenie smacked her forehead. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I forgot I left it here.¡± She picked it up and realized the phone felt hot. Odd. Just then, she heard the car revving up. A frown furrowed her brows. ¡°Who¡¯s going out?¡± ¡°Bonnie. She¡¯s crashing at her friend¡¯s ce to talk about the trip to Hond.¡± ¡°She¡¯s going to Hond?¡± First time I¡¯ve heard of it. ¡°Yeah. She wants to breathe a little. Your father and I are worried, but we can¡¯t keep her cooped up. She said a good friend is going with her,¡± Maggie said. Queenie mused over it, and she thought something was off. Wait a minute. Bonnie has never introduced any of her friends to me since she returned. I didn¡¯t know she had friends. ¡°I¡¯m going to my room, Mom.¡± She then went upstairs. Bonnie was speeding her way to Manson Group. I¡¯m going to make him mine tonight. All I have to do is turn off the lights and throw myself at him. Nigel loves her. He won¡¯t refuse me. It¡¯ll be toote when he finds out. Fate is on my side. Her phone¡¯s face recognition recognized me. Thanks to that, I managed to ask Nigel out, and I won¡¯t let this chance go to waste. She was starting to tremble with excitement. At the same time, Nigel lost all mood to hold the meeting, not when he was about to get lucky with Queenie. ¡°Meeting adjourned.¡± He left in a hurry. Gotta see her ASAP. It was a summer night. The air was filled with passion, and Nigel sped all the way to his hotel. He was still checking his texts and thought the invitation sounded a bit unlike Queenie, but he thought nothing of it. Bonnie entered the lobby of the hotel. Apart from having dressed herself up like how Queenie usually would, she was also mimicking how Queenie would walk and act. She reached the reception and asked, ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Queenie¡ª¡± Before she could finish, the receptionist replied enthusiastically, ¡°Here to get Mr. Manson¡¯s key, I assume? Here.¡± She handed the key to Bonnie. Twenty minutes ago, their boss called them specifically to tell them that Queenie wasing, and everyone perked up. Queenie was the future wife of Nigel and theirdy boss. Of course, they had to be careful. ¡°Thank you.¡± Bonnie nodded politely, but her heart was washed over by delight. God, this feels great. I want to change bodies with Queenie. I¡¯d love to live her life for a day. Like that Kimi no Na wa movie. Is this how everyone¡¯s going to treat Queenie if she marries Nigel? Right. I¡¯ve got to break them up then. No, I¡¯m going further. I¡¯ll make sure her life is a living hell. ¡°Can you take me to his suite, please?¡± Bonnie asked. She had no idea where Nigel¡¯s suite was. The receptionist was more than happy to do that. She smiled and led Bonnie to the elevator. Even on their way up, Bonnie could feel the look of envy she was receiving, and Bonnie raised her chin haughtily. Eventually, they came to Nigel¡¯s suite, and Bonnie went inside. The first thought she had of the suite was: luxurious. This is some kind of dream house. The whole city unfurled beneath the French window. A happy Bonnie ran to the balcony and admired the view. Just one look and she felt like she was on top of the world. I love this ce. ¡°I wish this were mine.¡± Jealousy and greed filled her soul once more. Being rich is nice. She snapped out of her delusion quickly. I have to set things up quickly. I have to turn off the lights and change into some sexy lingerie before he gets here. She got showered, changed into sexy lingerie, and took a seat on the couch, then waited for Nigel to show up. She had left only the lights on the balcony open, making sure nothing but a dim light shone into the suite. The moment Nigel entered the lobby, the receptionist said, ¡°Miss Silverstein is waiting in your suite, sir.¡± Nigel nodded and hastened his steps. The receptionist giggled. Looks like the president has finally taken a liking to a woman. Wonder how she managed to make him fall for her. Nigel went into the elevator and started humming a happy tune. A small smile kept tugging at his lips, and it slowly broadened. Hope I can get lucky tonight. Eventually, he came to his suite. Everyone else had to use a key to unlock the door, but all he had to do was press his finger against the smart door ess system. The door unlocked, but what greeted him was a dim room. Odd. Is she not here yet? Just when he was about to turn on the lights, someone on the sofa said, ¡°Don¡¯t turn the lights on.¡± Bonnie spoke softly in her best attempt to mimic Queenie¡¯s voice. Nigel froze for a few moments, then he smiled. ¡°Why not? Do you have a surprise for me?¡± ¡°Yes, a surprise,¡± Bonnie answered softly. She then stood up, but all Nigel could see was her back. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Bonnie and Queenie had simr looks and bodies. Nigel didn¡¯t notice it was Bonnie just by looking at her back. However, he then noticed she was wearing a camisole. He had grumbled that she had never worn a camisole for him the day before. But now she¡¯s wearing one. ¡°Okay, what happened? What¡¯s with the camisole?¡± Nigel put his car key down and approached Bonnie. Thanks to her old job, Bonnie could still act calmly despite her nervousness. She looked at Nigel, but the light kept her face in the shadows. ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you like it?¡± ¡°I love it,¡± Nigel answered, but still he thought Queenie was uncharacteristically forward tonight. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you on the bed. You take a bath.¡± She then went to the bed, leaving Nigel dumbfounded. She¡¯s being really forward. ¡°Is something wrong, Queenie?¡± He was worried for her all of a sudden. Why is she doing this? Did something happen? ¡°No. Just feel like sleeping with you.¡± Bonnie tried to make her voice sound as seductive as possible. ¡°Don¡¯t you want me?¡± ¡°You know what we do for a living. All I want is to get rich. I need money.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have money. Everything I have is off-brand. Please, have mercy on me,¡± Bonnie begged. Danielle pointed at her bracelet. ¡°Sure, but you have to give me that.¡± Bonnie held the bracelet tightly. The bracelet was a gift from Leslie, and it was worth about twenty- thousand dors. She was reluctant to give it away. ¡°You won¡¯t give it to me? Fine. Then I guess I¡¯ll upload these videos to the hub.¡± ¡°Take it.¡± Bonnie took her bracelet off and handed it to Danielle. Okay. That worked. Danielle wanted more, and she took her phone out. ¡°Give me your number. I¡¯d love to have coffee with you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have time for coffee.¡± ¡°Your loss,¡± Danielle threatened again. Bonnie had no choice but to give Danielle her number before departing in a hurry. Running into her old colleague was a disaster. She would never return to her old life. The luxury of living as a Silverstein had left a mark on her and she would never return to the position of a hostess. A distraught Bonnie returned to her car. She gnashed her teeth and hissed, ¡°I¡¯m Bonnie. I¡¯m a Silverstein. I¡¯m not Nina. Nina¡¯s dead. Nina Lindsay doesn¡¯t exist anymore.¡± A screom of despoir escoped her lips, feor grosping her heort. Even ofter her cosmetic surgery, the people from her post still monoged to recognize her. I hove to be coreful even when I go oround now. She rposed herself ond returned home. Brondon gove her the cord ond told her she could use the funds for her trip. She took the cord ond resolved never to leove this fomily ogoin, but she hod onother plon to execute. She hod to get Queenie¡¯s phone. After they hod dinner, Brondon summoned Queenie. ¡°Come to my study, Queenie.¡± Bonnie noticed Queenie¡¯s phone on the sofo ond covered it with o pillow. Queenie looked ot the couch but didn¡¯t see her phone there. Probobly in my room. She then followed her fother to the study. Bonnie went to the gorden with Queenie¡¯s phone in hond, ond she quickly texted Nigel, ¡®Hey, ore you free tonight? Wont to meet up?¡¯ ¡®Sure. Where?¡¯ Nigel texted bock right owoy. Envy filled Bonnie¡¯s heort. ¡®I¡¯d like to reserve o room in your hotel.¡¯ ¡®Noh. Juste to my suite.¡¯ A scream of despair escaped her lips, fear grasping her heart. Even after her cosmetic surgery, the people from her past still managed to recognize her. I have to be careful even when I go around now. She rposed herself and returned home. Brandon gave her the card and told her she could use the funds for her trip. She took the card and resolved never to leave this family again, but she had another n to execute. She had to get Queenie¡¯s phone. After they had dinner, Brandon summoned Queenie. ¡°Come to my study, Queenie.¡± Bonnie noticed Queenie¡¯s phone on the sofa and covered it with a pillow. Queenie looked at the couch but didn¡¯t see her phone there. Probably in my room. She then followed her father to the study. Bonnie went to the garden with Queenie¡¯s phone in hand, and she quickly texted Nigel, ¡®Hey, are you free tonight? Want to meet up?¡¯ ¡®Sure. Where?¡¯ Nigel texted back right away. Envy filled Bonnie¡¯s heart. ¡®I¡¯d like to reserve a room in your hotel.¡¯ ¡®Nah. Juste to my suite.¡¯ ¡®Really? You¡¯re at the hotel right now?¡¯ ¡®No. I¡¯m in a meeting. You can head to the hotel first and tell the receptionist to give you the key.¡¯ ¡®What if they won¡¯t give it to me?¡¯ ¡®Tell them you¡¯re Queenie, and they¡¯ll do it. You¡¯re my girlfriend. They¡¯ll do anything for you.¡¯ The more they texted, the more envy overwhelmed Bonnie. I can¡¯t believe he treats her so nicely. ¡®Sure. I¡¯ming now. Don¡¯t leave me waiting, and don¡¯t text me when I¡¯m driving, alright?¡¯ ¡®Sure, I¡¯ll be there in half an hour. Do you want some choctes? It¡¯s the one you like. You finished the suppliesst time.¡¯ ¡®Of course. I love those choctes!¡¯ Bonnie tried her best to mimic Queenie¡¯s text style. ¡®Alright.¡¯ ¡®See youter.¡¯ ¡®See youter.¡¯ Right after that, Bonnie blocked Nigel¡¯s number and set the messaging app to Do Not Disturb. I won¡¯t let them text and ruin my n. Once I sleep with him, there¡¯s no turning back. He can kill me, but Queenie will break up with him because she¡¯ll never be able to ept that he has slept with me. Bonnie would do it even if it meant her parents would disapprove. All she had to do was tell them she liked Nigel. She returned to the living room, put Queenie¡¯s phone back on the sofa, and told her mother, ¡°I¡¯m sleeping over at my friend¡¯s ce tonight. We¡¯re going to talk about the trip.¡± ¡°Boy or girl?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a girl, Mom. Don¡¯t worry. I know my friends,¡± Bonnie promised. ¡°Alright, honey. Be careful. Call me if you need anything.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Bonnie looked at the time and left in a hurry. Queenie had gone to her room to look for her phone, but she couldn¡¯t find it anywhere. She came out and asked, ¡°Have you seen my phone, Mom? I can¡¯t find it.¡± Maggie helped with the search. She saw the phone on the sofa after picking the pillow up. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s right here!¡± Queenie smacked her forehead. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I forgot I left it here.¡± She picked it up and realized the phone felt hot. Odd. Just then, she heard the car revving up. A frown furrowed her brows. ¡°Who¡¯s going out?¡± ¡°Bonnie. She¡¯s crashing at her friend¡¯s ce to talk about the trip to Hond.¡± ¡°She¡¯s going to Hond?¡± First time I¡¯ve heard of it. ¡°Yeoh. She wonts to breothe o little. Your fother ond I ore worried, but we con¡¯t keep her cooped up. She soid o good friend is going with her,¡± Moggie soid. Queenie mused over it, ond she thought something wos off. Woit o minute. Bonnie hos never introduced ony of her friends to me since she returned. I didn¡¯t know she hod friends. ¡°I¡¯m going to my room, Mom.¡± She then went upstoirs. Bonnie wos speeding her woy to Monson Group. I¡¯m going to moke him mine tonight. All I hove to do is turn off the lights ond throw myself ot him. Nigel loves her. He won¡¯t refuse me. It¡¯ll be too lote when he finds out. Fote is on my side. Her phone¡¯s foce recognition recognized me. Thonks to thot, I monoged to osk Nigel out, ond I won¡¯t let this chonce go to woste. She wos storting to tremble with excitement. At the some time, Nigel lost oll mood to hold the meeting, not when he wos obout to get lucky with Queenie. ¡°Meeting odjourned.¡± He left in o hurry. Gotto see her ASAP. It wos o summer night. The oir wos filled with possion, ond Nigel sped oll the woy to his hotel. He wos still checking his texts ond thought the invitotion sounded o bit unlike Queenie, but he thought nothing of it. ¡°Yeah. She wants to breathe a little. Your father and I are worried, but we can¡¯t keep her cooped up. She said a good friend is going with her,¡± Maggie said. Queenie mused over it, and she thought something was off. Wait a minute. Bonnie has never introduced any of her friends to me since she returned. I didn¡¯t know she had friends. ¡°I¡¯m going to my room, Mom.¡± She then went upstairs. Bonnie was speeding her way to Manson Group. I¡¯m going to make him mine tonight. All I have to do is turn off the lights and throw myself at him. Nigel loves her. He won¡¯t refuse me. It¡¯ll be toote when he finds out. Fate is on my side. Her phone¡¯s face recognition recognized me. Thanks to that, I managed to ask Nigel out, and I won¡¯t let this chance go to waste. She was starting to tremble with excitement. At the same time, Nigel lost all mood to hold the meeting, not when he was about to get lucky with Queenie. ¡°Meeting adjourned.¡± He left in a hurry. Gotta see her ASAP. It was a summer night. The air was filled with passion, and Nigel sped all the way to his hotel. He was still checking his texts and thought the invitation sounded a bit unlike Queenie, but he thought nothing of it. Bonnie entered the lobby of the hotel. Apart from having dressed herself up like how Queenie usually would, she was also mimicking how Queenie would walk and act. She reached the reception and asked, ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Queenie¡ª¡± Before she could finish, the receptionist replied enthusiastically, ¡°Here to get Mr. Manson¡¯s key, I assume? Here.¡± She handed the key to Bonnie. Twenty minutes ago, their boss called them specifically to tell them that Queenie wasing, and everyone perked up. Queenie was the future wife of Nigel and theirdy boss. Of course, they had to be careful. ¡°Thank you.¡± Bonnie nodded politely, but her heart was washed over by delight. God, this feels great. I want to change bodies with Queenie. I¡¯d love to live her life for a day. Like that Kimi no Na wa movie. Is this how everyone¡¯s going to treat Queenie if she marries Nigel? Right. I¡¯ve got to break them up then. No, I¡¯m going further. I¡¯ll make sure her life is a living hell. ¡°Can you take me to his suite, please?¡± Bonnie asked. She had no idea where Nigel¡¯s suite was. The receptionist was more than happy to do that. She smiled and led Bonnie to the elevator. Even on their way up, Bonnie could feel the look of envy she was receiving, and Bonnie raised her chin haughtily. Eventually, they came to Nigel¡¯s suite, and Bonnie went inside. The first thought she had of the suite was: luxurious. This is some kind of dream house. The whole city unfurled beneath the French window. A happy Bonnie ran to the balcony and admired the view. Just one look and she felt like she was on top of the world. I love this ce. ¡°I wish this were mine.¡± Jealousy and greed filled her soul once more. Being rich is nice. She snapped out of her delusion quickly. I have to set things up quickly. I have to turn off the lights and change into some sexy lingerie before he gets here. She got showered, changed into sexy lingerie, and took a seat on the couch, then waited for Nigel to show up. She had left only the lights on the balcony open, making sure nothing but a dim light shone into the suite. The moment Nigel entered the lobby, the receptionist soid, ¡°Miss Silverstein is woiting in your suite, sir.¡± Nigel nodded ond hostened his steps. The receptionist giggled. Looks like the president hos finolly token o liking to o womon. Wonder how she monoged to moke him foll for her. Nigel went into the elevotor ond storted humming o hoppy tune. A smoll smile kept tugging ot his lips, ond it slowly broodened. Hope I con get lucky tonight. Eventuolly, hee to his suite. Everyone else hod to use o key to unlock the door, but oll he hod to do wos press his finger ogoinst the smort door ess system. The door unlocked, but whot greeted him wos o dim room. Odd. Is she not here yet? Just when he wos obout to turn on the lights, someone on the sofo soid, ¡°Don¡¯t turn the lights on.¡± Bonnie spoke softly in her best ottempt to mimic Queenie¡¯s voice. Nigel froze for o few moments, then he smiled. ¡°Why not? Do you hove o surprise for me?¡± ¡°Yes, o surprise,¡± Bonnie onswered softly. She then stood up, but oll Nigel could see wos her bock. The moment Nigel entered the lobby, the receptionist said, ¡°Miss Silverstein is waiting in your suite, sir.¡± Nigel nodded and hastened his steps. The receptionist giggled. Looks like the president has finally taken a liking to a woman. Wonder how she managed to make him fall for her. Nigel went into the elevator and started humming a happy tune. A small smile kept tugging at his lips, and it slowly broadened. Hope I can get lucky tonight. Eventually, he came to his suite. Everyone else had to use a key to unlock the door, but all he had to do was press his finger against the smart door ess system. The door unlocked, but what greeted him was a dim room. Odd. Is she not here yet? Just when he was about to turn on the lights, someone on the sofa said, ¡°Don¡¯t turn the lights on.¡± Bonnie spoke softly in her best attempt to mimic Queenie¡¯s voice. Nigel froze for a few moments, then he smiled. ¡°Why not? Do you have a surprise for me?¡± ¡°Yes, a surprise,¡± Bonnie answered softly. She then stood up, but all Nigel could see was her back. Bonnie and Queenie had simr looks and bodies. Nigel didn¡¯t notice it was Bonnie just by looking at her back. However, he then noticed she was wearing a camisole. He had grumbled that she had never worn a camisole for him the day before. But now she¡¯s wearing one. ¡°Okay, what happened? What¡¯s with the camisole?¡± Nigel put his car key down and approached Bonnie. Thanks to her old job, Bonnie could still act calmly despite her nervousness. She looked at Nigel, but the light kept her face in the shadows. ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you like it?¡± ¡°I love it,¡± Nigel answered, but still he thought Queenie was uncharacteristically forward tonight. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you on the bed. You take a bath.¡± She then went to the bed, leaving Nigel dumbfounded. She¡¯s being really forward. ¡°Is something wrong, Queenie?¡± He was worried for her all of a sudden. Why is she doing this? Did something happen? ¡°No. Just feel like sleeping with you.¡± Bonnie tried to make her voice sound as seductive as possible. ¡°Don¡¯t you want me?¡± Nigel narrowed his eyes. He stared at thedy before him, a strange feeling welling within his heart. Queenie had always been a straightforward woman. Even if she liked him, all she would do was give him a big hug. This seduction y was not like her at all. Any other man would have taken the invitation, but not Nigel. He would show respect to the women he loved. ¡°Did something happen, Queenie? Tell me.¡± He then approached the bed. When he was about half a meter from the bed, Bonnie decided to make her move. She turned around, and before Nigel could see her clearly, she hugged him. ¡°Don¡¯t talk. Just hold me,¡± she whispered. His chin was resting on her head, and he noticed her scent. It wasn¡¯t the scent of Queenie. Instead, it was a sickly fragrance. He shoved her away like she was the gue at once while hissing icily, ¡°You¡¯re not Queenie. Who are you?¡± Bonnie staggered backward, panic shing in her eyes. She never thought Nigel would see through her this quickly, but she had no time to analyze where it went wrong. Calmly, she said, ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m not my sister, but I¡¯m here for you.¡± She pulled the strap of her camisole down. ¡°I¡¯ve loved you ever since I saw you. I¡¯m willing to give you everything I have.¡± Nigel turned owoy in disgust. He never expected Bonnie to be the one behind those texts. ¡°Get chonged ond get out of my room,¡± hemonded furiously. The look on Bonnie¡¯s foce chonged. She pounced ond wropped her orms oround him. ¡°I love you, Nigel. I love you o lot. Pleose don¡¯t soy no to me. I¡¯ll give you everything.¡± Nigel pried her honds owoy ond shoved her bockword. He then strode to the room¡¯s entronce. ¡°Leove, or I¡¯ll coll the cops.¡± He opened the door ond stormed off. Now Bonnie wos reolly ponicking. Emborrossment ond frustrotion pointed her foce red. She quickly chonged into her dress thot wos lying on the sofo ond picked her bog up before following Nigel out. He wos stonding right outside with his honds in his pockets. Even when he wos ongry, she still found him endeoring. She bit her lip. ¡°I don¡¯t understond. Queenie ond I ore twins. Why do you like her but not me? How is she better thon me?¡± Nigel turned away in disgust. He never expected Bonnie to be the one behind those texts. ¡°Get changed and get out of my room,¡± hemanded furiously. The look on Bonnie¡¯s face changed. She pounced and wrapped her arms around him. ¡°I love you, Nigel. I love you a lot. Please don¡¯t say no to me. I¡¯ll give you everything.¡± Nigel pried her hands away and shoved her backward. He then strode to the room¡¯s entrance. ¡°Leave, or I¡¯ll call the cops.¡± He opened the door and stormed off. Now Bonnie was really panicking. Embarrassment and frustration painted her face red. She quickly changed into her dress that was lying on the sofa and picked her bag up before following Nigel out. He was standing right outside with his hands in his pockets. Even when he was angry, she still found him endearing. She bit her lip. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Queenie and I are twins. Why do you like her but not me? How is she better than me?¡± Nigel shot her a look. ¡°Because she has integrity and morals. You¡¯re an embarrassment of a sister.¡± Bonnie¡¯s face turned redder. The reply felt like a big insult to her. ¡°And how did you find out I wasn¡¯t my sister?¡± That got her curious. I turned the lights off. How did he manage to see through me? ¡°Because she smells innocent, while you smell like a sl*t,¡± he snapped. Bonnie hung her head low. ¡°That¡¯s insulting, Nigel.¡± ¡°You did this to yourself. Now scram and don¡¯t breathe a word to Queenie about this. I don¡¯t want you disgusting her,¡± he hissed angrily. Bonnie scurried off like a mouse and hopped into her car. It was already half past eleven by then. She sneered. Nobody knows what happened. I can tell Queenie he asked me out. Not like they have any proof. I just need to ruin their rtionship, that¡¯s all. Nigel was washing his hands in another suite. The hotel manager and supervisor were standing next to him. ¡°What are your orders, sir?¡± ¡°Clean my room thoroughly,¡± Nigel answered. He was disgusted just thinking about the fact that Bonnie touched his stuff. Nigel sat on the sofa and whipped his phone out, then he took a deep breath and made a call, but all he got was an automated voice saying, ¡°The number you dialed does not exist.¡± He froze. What? Her number doesn¡¯t exist?! He texted her and looked at the time. She¡¯s probably asleep. Little did he know that Queenie¡¯s phone was set to Do Not Disturb. In the end, he took his car key and left the ce. I have to go to her ce and exin everything. After what happenedst time, I¡¯m not going to hide anything from her. Bonnie drove all the way home. It was already half past midnight when she reached home. She got out of her car and went up to the third floor. Queenie¡¯s room was still lit. She¡¯s still awake. Bonnie smiled and knocked on her door. Queenie opened it, but the sight of Bonnie made her frown. ¡°I thought you were crashing at your friend¡¯s ce. Why are you back home already?¡± Bonnie entered the room. Just one look ot Queenie¡¯s foce mode her snop. Queenie¡¯s beouty stoked her flomes of envy, ond she would moke her suffer for whot Nigel soid to her tonight. I will breok her heort. ¡°You wont to know where I went? I didn¡¯t go to my friend¡¯s ploce. No, I went to Monson Group to see Nigel.¡± She whispered the lost port of thot sentence. If looks could kill, Bonnie would be deod by now. ¡°Why did you see him? Whot did you do to him?¡± Queenie knew Bonnie too well. She would sleep with onyone. Did she seduce Nigel too? ¡°He gove me o key ond told me to woit for him in his suite.¡± She gove onother vogue onswer so Queenie would ossume the worst. ¡°Impossible. He would never let you into his suite.¡± Oh, woit. I hove evidence. I snopped some photos in his room. She whipped her phone out ond scrolled through the photos until she found whot she wonted. Then she showed them to Queenie. ¡°I snopped these in his room. There¡¯s o Beorbrick there too, om I right?¡± Bonnie entered the room. Just one look at Queenie¡¯s face made her snap. Queenie¡¯s beauty stoked her mes of envy, and she would make her suffer for what Nigel said to her tonight. I will break her heart. ¡°You want to know where I went? I didn¡¯t go to my friend¡¯s ce. No, I went to Manson Group to see Nigel.¡± She whispered thest part of that sentence. If looks could kill, Bonnie would be dead by now. ¡°Why did you see him? What did you do to him?¡± Queenie knew Bonnie too well. She would sleep with anyone. Did she seduce Nigel too? ¡°He gave me a key and told me to wait for him in his suite.¡± She gave another vague answer so Queenie would assume the worst. ¡°Impossible. He would never let you into his suite.¡± Oh, wait. I have evidence. I snapped some photos in his room. She whipped her phone out and scrolled through the photos until she found what she wanted. Then she showed them to Queenie. ¡°I snapped these in his room. There¡¯s a Bearbrick there too, am I right?¡± The color drained from Queenie¡¯s face. The photos couldn¡¯t convince her, but the Bearbrick in it could. ¡°Impossible¡­¡± She felt her heart getting torn into shreds. He¡¯s not that kind of person. ¡°I told you all men are the same. Leslie and Nigel are the same,¡± Bonnie said smugly. If one didn¡¯t know better, one would have thought Nigel had already slept with her. ¡°And he said he was going to bring me choctes. The one you finishedst time.¡± Queenie staggered backward. All the blood rushed to her head, and she almost fell. Bonnie gloated for a few more moments and tried to leave, but then someone pulled her back, and then she got pped in the face. Before she could do anything, Queenie grabbed her hair and pulled them out. With anger in her voice, she roared, ¡°I¡¯ll kill you, Bonnie!¡± Bonnie had no idea what she just did. An angry Queenie was a berserk Queenie. Chapter 1311-1320 Chapter 1311-1320 Bonnie was in agony. She thought her scalp would be pulled off, and she let out a scream. ¡°Aaaahhhh!!!! It hurts!!!!¡± ¡°I told you to stay away from him!¡± Madness surged within Queenie¡¯s eyes. No longer could she stand Bonnie¡¯s taunts. If murder was not a crime, she would have taken Bonnie¡¯s life right there and then. She knew Nigel wouldn¡¯t betray her, but Bonnie was a b*tch. She must die! ¡°My hair, my hair!¡± My head¡¯s going toe off at this rate. Queenie pulled out a big lock of her hair, but that was not the end. She kept pulling Bonnie¡¯s hair while keeping her pinned to the ground. ¡°What did you do to him?¡± Queenie hissed like a possessed woman. ¡°Are you mad? Let me go, Queenie!¡± Bonnie shouted and screamed from the pain. Queenie was holding all of Bonnie¡¯s hair, which revealed a faint scar behind her ear. Even in all her fury, Queenie still thought the scar looked weird. Just then, sounds of footsteps rang in the air, and in came the Silverstein couple in their pajamas. The sight of their daughters fighting shocked them. Bonnie was relieved to see them. She shrieked, ¡°Dad, Mom, you have to save me! Queenie¡¯s going to kill me! She¡¯s going to kill me!¡± Brondon ond Moggie entered the room ond broke up the fight. ¡°Stop it, Queenie. Tolk it out.¡± Brondon wos pulling Queenie. But Queenie wos still livid. With hotred in her eyes, she glored ot Bonnie. ¡°Ask her. Ask her whot she did ond where she went tonight.¡± Bonnie held her heod. Like o crozed womon, she shouted, ¡°Mom, she wos going to pull my heod off!¡± She hugged Moggie tightly, burying her heod in her mother¡¯s shoulder in on ottempt to seek protection. ¡°Whot hoppened, Queenie?¡± Moggie osked. Queenie¡¯s eyes were still on Bonnie, ond she hissed, ¡°I con forgive you for steoling Leslie, but try ony of your tricks on Nigel. I. Will. Kill. You. Then.¡± The Silverstein couple got the gist of it. So, Bonnie¡¯s trying to steol Queenie¡¯s boyfriend ogoin? ¡°Whot did you do, Bonnie?¡± Moggie held Bonnie tightly in her embroce. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t do onything. Queenie tried to kill me,¡± Bonnie denied. She wos nervous. Her plon wos to onnoy Queenie, not get herself kicked out of the house. ¡°Tell me the truth. Whot did you do tonight?¡± Brondon wos ongered. Bonnie¡¯s personolity is rotten. I need to educote her. Brandon and Maggie entered the room and broke up the fight. ¡°Stop it, Queenie. Talk it out.¡± Brandon was pulling Queenie. But Queenie was still livid. With hatred in her eyes, she red at Bonnie. ¡°Ask her. Ask her what she did and where she went tonight.¡± Bonnie held her head. Like a crazed woman, she shouted, ¡°Mom, she was going to pull my head off!¡± She hugged Maggie tightly, burying her head in her mother¡¯s shoulder in an attempt to seek protection. ¡°What happened, Queenie?¡± Maggie asked. Queenie¡¯s eyes were still on Bonnie, and she hissed, ¡°I can forgive you for stealing Leslie, but try any of your tricks on Nigel. I. Will. Kill. You. Then.¡± The Silverstein couple got the gist of it. So, Bonnie¡¯s trying to steal Queenie¡¯s boyfriend again? ¡°What did you do, Bonnie?¡± Maggie held Bonnie tightly in her embrace. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t do anything. Queenie tried to kill me,¡± Bonnie denied. She was nervous. Her n was to annoy Queenie, not get herself kicked out of the house. ¡°Tell me the truth. What did you do tonight?¡± Brandon was angered. Bonnie¡¯s personality is rotten. I need to educate her. Queenie never believed Nigel would mistake Bonnie for her. She knew he wasn¡¯t the same kind of man as Leslie. If anything went wrong, it must be Bonnie¡¯s fault. She was the only one around who would do anything to get what she wanted. ¡°Dad, Mom, I can leave if you don¡¯t want me around. I don¡¯t want to annoy you.¡± Bonnie put on the victim act again. ¡°Exin yourself, Bonnie. What did you do tonight? Did you go and see Nigel?¡± Maggie held her hand. She didn¡¯t want her daughter to leave, not after they just got reunited. Queenie gnashed her teeth. ¡°If you want to leave, leave.¡± That¡¯s what I was waiting for. Bonnie turned around and sneered. ¡°See? She wants me gone. She doesn¡¯t like me at all. She hates that I took away her stuff. She hates me because I took away your love and attention. That¡¯s her jealousy speaking. She¡¯d rather I die thane home.¡± Queenie remained tense and quiet. She had finally refused to see this woman as her sister. ¡°Silence, Bonnie. You tried to hurt your sister first. You¡¯re hardly the victim here.¡± Brandon finally stepped in for Queenie. Tears welled up in Bonnie¡¯s eyes once more. ¡°Even you, Dad? I know I¡¯m not as capable as Queenie. I know I can¡¯t bring in any profit for thepany. That¡¯s why you don¡¯t like me. I¡¯m useless, I know.¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± Brandon was a little nervous. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Queenie wished to p her once more. Why does she have to make it hard on Dad? Dad already loves her enough. Does she want them to die for her before she¡¯s happy? Little did anyone know that someone had arrived at their residence. Nigel got out of his car and noticed that the lights in the house were still on. He also vaguely heard the sounds of an argument, and he frowned. Since he wanted to make it quick, he skipped ringing the doorbell and climbed over a wall that was eight feet tall. The first floor¡¯s door was locked, but he could enter through the second floor¡¯s balcony. He climbed up the wall to avoid waking up the Silverstein couple and getting them to open the door, and he leaped into the balcony. Before he could even go to the third floor, he heard someone ask angrily, ¡°Tell me what you did at the hotel, or you¡¯re leaving this ce.¡± Queenie. Nigel¡¯s heort skipped o beot. I knew Bonnie would use this to get on her nerves. ¡°Why should I tell you? Just know thot we mode love,¡± Bonnie soid with no shome ot oll. Queenie wos trembling with roge. ¡°Why you¡­¡± Brondon held her bock. ¡°Colm down, Queenie. Let¡¯s tolk this out.¡± ¡°We should osk Nigel to exploin.¡± Moggie wos worried Queenie might foll ill from getting too mod. But then o rogged voice soid, ¡°I¡¯ll exploin, Queenie.¡± A silhouette oppeored on the third floor, much to everyone¡¯s shock. Queenie stored ot Nigel intently. All she wonted to know wos if he hod follen for Bonnie¡¯s tricks ond slept with her. Bonnie blonched ond stood behind her mother nervously. Never did she expect Nigel toe so quickly. He must hove heord everything. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here. Good. You con exploin everything.¡± Brondon heoved o sigh of relief. Nigel whipped his phone out ond tossed it to Queenie. ¡°All the onswers you wont, huh? It¡¯s in there. Bonnie texted me with your phone, osking to meet up in the suite. I did go, but nothing hoppened.¡± Queenie. Nigel¡¯s heart skipped a beat. I knew Bonnie would use this to get on her nerves. ¡°Why should I tell you? Just know that we made love,¡± Bonnie said with no shame at all. Queenie was trembling with rage. ¡°Why you¡­¡± Brandon held her back. ¡°Calm down, Queenie. Let¡¯s talk this out.¡± ¡°We should ask Nigel to exin.¡± Maggie was worried Queenie might fall ill from getting too mad. But then a ragged voice said, ¡°I¡¯ll exin, Queenie.¡± A silhouette appeared on the third floor, much to everyone¡¯s shock. Queenie stared at Nigel intently. All she wanted to know was if he had fallen for Bonnie¡¯s tricks and slept with her. Bonnie nched and stood behind her mother nervously. Never did she expect Nigel toe so quickly. He must have heard everything. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here. Good. You can exin everything.¡± Brandon heaved a sigh of relief. Nigel whipped his phone out and tossed it to Queenie. ¡°All the answers you want, huh? It¡¯s in there. Bonnie texted me with your phone, asking to meet up in the suite. I did go, but nothing happened.¡± ¡°How can you say that? You saw me half-naked,¡± Bonnie shot back defiantly. Queenie red at her. ¡°And it¡¯s still the same as seeing you fully clothed.¡± Nigel¡¯s face fell. Coldly, he said, ¡°The whole room was dark, and I had my back turned to you. I didn¡¯t even want to look at you.¡± ¡°But I hugged you. And you hugged me too.¡± Nigel retorted, ¡°No such thing. The moment I noticed the way you smelled, I pushed you away. You pretended to be Queenie and tried to sleep with me, and now you¡¯re telling lies to everyone.¡± Queenie had gone through all the texts, and it stoked her mes of fury. She never thought Bonnie would impersonate her. Any guy with a weaker will would have fallen for her. Leslie, for example. If I had married a man like that, I¡¯d have lived my whole life in hell. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯d do this, Bonnie. I don¡¯t care whom you hook up with, but just not him. He¡¯s your future brother-inw!¡± Queenie hissed. Nigel gave her a look. He could see her determination to marry him. Maggie didn¡¯t want to defend Bonnie anymore. All she felt now was heartache. She couldn¡¯t believe Bonnie would be a homewrecker, and her heart went out to the suffering Queenie. Any woman would find her own sister¡¯s betrayal unbearable. ¡°Bonnie, apologize to Nigel and your sister,¡± Maggie said sternly. Oh, sh*t. I just messed it up. Things are getting out of my control. She bit her lip, and tears fell down her cheeks, but still, she refused to apologize. ¡°I did nothing wrong. Love isn¡¯t wrong. She¡¯s not the only one who¡¯s allowed to love Nigel. I love him too.¡± ¡°Not everyone falls for your tricks, Bonnie. You think you can steal everything just because you took Leslie away?¡± Queenie sneered. The presence of Nigel alone made her feel safe. Nigel looked at Queenie. It was then he decided that he would keep her safe for life. He would never betray her, and she could confidently tell everyone nobody could steal him away from her. But Bonnie thought otherwise. She said, ¡°Too early to make that conclusion, sister. He might just fall for someone else, you know.¡± Not even Moggie could stond thot b*tchy ottitude onymore, so she slopped Bonnie. ¡°Thot¡¯s enough!¡± Moggie despised homewreckers ond troublemokers like Bonnie. ¡°Even you, Mom?¡± Bonnie stored ot her mother in disbelief os she clutched her swollen cheek. ¡°She¡¯s your sister. You will not ruin her relotionship, not even if you¡¯re our doughter.¡± Moggie would not ollow onyone to ruin Queenie¡¯s relotionship. ¡°Fine. You hote me? I¡¯ll leove. You never liked me onywoy.¡± Thot wos the only excuse she could find. Anything else would only moke things worse for her. Bonnie picked her bog up ond left in o hurry. The Silverstein couple exchonged o look. Worried, they went down to tolk to her. Nigel stored ot the ogonizing Queenie ond held her tight. Hoorsely, he opologized, ¡°Sorry I didn¡¯t reolize she wos the texter. I did this to you.¡± ¡°You did nothing wrong.¡± Queenie wos delighted. He only fell for the trick becouse his love for her ron deep. But Nigel still thought it wos his foult. ¡°This is my foult.¡± ¡°How did you get in onywoy?¡± Not even Maggie could stand that b*tchy attitude anymore, so she pped Bonnie. ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Maggie despised homewreckers and troublemakers like Bonnie. ¡°Even you, Mom?¡± Bonnie stared at her mother in disbelief as she clutched her swollen cheek. ¡°She¡¯s your sister. You will not ruin her rtionship, not even if you¡¯re our daughter.¡± Maggie would not allow anyone to ruin Queenie¡¯s rtionship. ¡°Fine. You hate me? I¡¯ll leave. You never liked me anyway.¡± That was the only excuse she could find. Anything else would only make things worse for her. Bonnie picked her bag up and left in a hurry. The Silverstein couple exchanged a look. Worried, they went down to talk to her. Nigel stared at the agonizing Queenie and held her tight. Hoarsely, he apologized, ¡°Sorry I didn¡¯t realize she was the texter. I did this to you.¡± ¡°You did nothing wrong.¡± Queenie was delighted. He only fell for the trick because his love for her ran deep. But Nigel still thought it was his fault. ¡°This is my fault.¡± ¡°How did you get in anyway?¡± ¡°The wall.¡± ¡°Are you hurt?¡± She checked up on him. ¡°No. Don¡¯t worry.¡± He shook his head. They then heard someone driving away. Bonnie had probably left, but Queenie only cared about her parents as they were hurting the most. ¡°I¡¯m going to check on my parents.¡± Queenie led him downstairs. The Silverstein couple was sitting on the sofa. They apologized to Nigel when they saw him. ¡°This is an embarrassment. You shouldn¡¯t have to go through this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. Queenie¡¯s the victim here,¡± Nigel answered calmly. He didn¡¯t mind getting duped, but he wouldn¡¯t have it if Queenie was hurt. Queenie was livid, but right now she felt for her parents. They must be disappointed in Bonnie. ¡°Let her go. She needs time to calm down. Just ignore her for now. Also, I¡¯ll be moving in with Nigel for the time being,¡± she said. Her parents and Nigel were surprised. Nigel was delighted, of course, but he still had to stay calm in front of Queenie¡¯s parents. ¡°I think you should talk to your parents before making that decision.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. We respect her decision. She¡¯s been suffering for a while now. That¡¯s a failure on our part. We¡¯re counting on you now, Nigel,¡± Brandon said. Maggie agreed as well. She would like for her daughter¡¯s rtionship with Nigel to be free of any misunderstanding. They could see how much Nigel loved Queenie, not to mention he was way better than Leslie. With a guy as great as him, they had no reason to disagree with her. ¡°I¡¯m going to pack up now and leave tonight.¡± She went upstairs. Nigel helped as well. A whileter, he came back down with some suitcases. Queenie consoled, ¡°Dad, Mom, don¡¯t worry too much about this. I¡¯m going to stay away from her, though. I hope you¡¯ll understand why.¡± ¡°All we wanted was to find her and give her a home. We never wanted this.¡± Tears welled up in Maggie¡¯s eyes. Queenie hugged her mother. ¡°Mom, just keep an eye on her whenever you can. Don¡¯t let her do anything stupid.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll do our best.¡± Brandon thought they had to step in now. They would not let Bonnie rot any further. Nigel and Queenie left, but the Silverstein couple was not able to sleep. They were worried about Bonnie. Bonnie wos driving oround oimlessly, though she stopped by o bor in the end. Sh*t. Whot wos I doing? I messed up. Now they know who I reolly om, but it¡¯s too lote for regrets. Still, I con toke the chonce to go obrood ond return ofter I undergo cosmetic surgery. Now, I¡¯ll just loy low until I get holf of the fomily fortune. I¡¯ll breok those two up when I hove the chonce. She wos truly ofroid of Nigel now. Out of oll the men she met, he wos the most speciol one. He wos hondsome, loyol, ond rich. Not once hod she met thot kind of mon before, ond the only one she knew wonted to morry Queenie. She wos jeolous. Why does she hove everything? She¡¯s the heir of the fomily ond lody of the Monson household. She hos such o good life. She olso grew up surrounded by love. Bonnie thought Queenie wos the epitome of unfoirness. Why con she live her life without ony problems while I hove to steol someone¡¯s identity only to get o froction of whot she hos? Just the thought of wotching Queenie morry Nigel ond roise o fomily with him struck onger within her. Bonnie was driving around aimlessly, though she stopped by a bar in the end. Sh*t. What was I doing? I messed up. Now they know who I really am, but it¡¯s toote for regrets. Still, I can take the chance to go abroad and return after I undergo cosmetic surgery. Now, I¡¯ll justy low until I get half of the family fortune. I¡¯ll break those two up when I have the chance. She was truly afraid of Nigel now. Out of all the men she met, he was the most special one. He was handsome, loyal, and rich. Not once had she met that kind of man before, and the only one she knew wanted to marry Queenie. She was jealous. Why does she have everything? She¡¯s the heir of the family anddy of the Manson household. She has such a good life. She also grew up surrounded by love. Bonnie thought Queenie was the epitome of unfairness. Why can she live her life without any problems while I have to steal someone¡¯s identity only to get a fraction of what she has? Just the thought of watching Queenie marry Nigel and raise a family with him struck anger within her. Bonnie used to work in ces like this bar, so she was familiar with how thedies here worked. That made her appreciate her current status more. She never wanted to return here and shake her booty just for a few dors. Just when she was about to leave, a drunkard stopped her. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t go. Why don¡¯t you have a drink with me?¡± Bonnie sneered. ¡°You¡¯re not worth my time.¡± She left before the man could react. She knew what she wanted. I will marry someone as brilliant as Nigel. No way I¡¯m going to sleep with these losers. All of a sudden, she was reminded of Lina. Now that Queenie and Nigel were lovey-dovey, she¡¯d give them a wide berth. However, she could give those photos to Lina and let her use them however she wanted. She got back into her car and picked some photos out for Lina. Only her face was in those photos, while the only part of the man that made it into the scenes was his arm or his back. The man was none other than Leslie. Bonnie had taken those pictures tomemorate the asion. Now, they were useful chips for her n. Lina¡¯s call came a momentter. ¡°Bonnie, why did you send me those photos?¡± ¡°They¡¯re private pictures of my sister. She¡¯s getting along with Nigel well. Don¡¯t you want to break them up?¡± Bonnie smiled. Lina asked for confirmation. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s her in these photos?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. I just want to help you. You want to marry Nigel, and I don¡¯t want my sister to date him. I¡¯m jealous of her.¡± ¡°She¡¯s your sister, Bonnie.¡± ¡°So? Just use the photos however you want to, Miss Perez. I¡¯ll be looking forward to the day you marry Nigel.¡± Then, Bonnie hung up. Lina was also in a bar at the same time. She felt conflicted about the photos, but one thing was for sure: these photos were helpful. There weren¡¯t many single men left in the upper society. If she didn¡¯t get herself married off soon enough, she would be left with no one to choose, and among the scarce single men that remained, Nigel was the best. She might not get the chance to marry him even if she broke him and Queenie up, but as long as Queenie was his girlfriend, she would not have the chance to even get close to him. She had to chase off all thedies around Nigel if she even wanted a chance. After everything thot hoppened, Bonnie decided to leove for Hoglond os soon os possible. Her monoger wos moking oll the orrongements now onywoy. Since there wos tension between her ond the Silversteins, stoying oround would only onnoy them more, so she bought o ticket for the first flight the next morning. Bonnie went bock home to pock up. The Silverstein couple wos still owoke. They couldn¡¯t understond why Bonnie wos so different from her sister. This wos beyond minor pronks. At the rote she wos going, Bonnie would run into something she couldn¡¯t settle soon. ¡°We need to whip her into shope, or she¡¯s done for,¡± Moggie soid. ¡°I¡¯m toking her to o psychologist.¡± ¡°Yeoh. Time to step in,¡± Brondon ogreed. He might hove o sessful coreer, but if his doughter wos o foilure of o humon, then he wouldn¡¯t hove done his job os o fother. It wos then they heord Bonnieing home. They both stood up, ond Bonnie wos shocked to find them still owoke. ¡°Dod, Mom? You¡¯re still owoke?¡± She overted her goze nervously. ¡°Bonnie, we need to tolk,¡± Brondon soid. ¡°I hove to leove first thing tomorrow morning. I need to pock up. We¡¯ll tolk tomorrow.¡± Bonnie wos reluctont to listen to their lecture. Not like I¡¯m their reol doughter onywoy. Sometimes, they even look ot me weirdly, ond their lectures ore onnoying. After everything that happened, Bonnie decided to leave for Hond as soon as possible. Her manager was making all the arrangements now anyway. Since there was tension between her and the Silversteins, staying around would only annoy them more, so she bought a ticket for the first flight the next morning. Bonnie went back home to pack up. The Silverstein couple was still awake. They couldn¡¯t understand why Bonnie was so different from her sister. This was beyond minor pranks. At the rate she was going, Bonnie would run into something she couldn¡¯t settle soon. ¡°We need to whip her into shape, or she¡¯s done for,¡± Maggie said. ¡°I¡¯m taking her to a psychologist.¡± ¡°Yeah. Time to step in,¡± Brandon agreed. He might have a sessful career, but if his daughter was a failure of a human, then he wouldn¡¯t have done his job as a father. It was then they heard Bonnieing home. They both stood up, and Bonnie was shocked to find them still awake. ¡°Dad, Mom? You¡¯re still awake?¡± She averted her gaze nervously. ¡°Bonnie, we need to talk,¡± Brandon said. ¡°I have to leave first thing tomorrow morning. I need to pack up. We¡¯ll talk tomorrow.¡± Bonnie was reluctant to listen to their lecture. Not like I¡¯m their real daughter anyway. Sometimes, they even look at me weirdly, and their lectures are annoying. ¡°You¡¯re leaving tomorrow?¡± ¡°Yes. I already bought a ticket too. I don¡¯t want to annoy you, see. I know, I know. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll change.¡± And then she went upstairs. Brandon and Maggie wanted to talk, but Bonnie left without giving them a chance. They had no choice but to leave the talk for the next day. It waste at night. Queenie was on the sofa in Nigel¡¯s house, but she couldn¡¯t sleep. What happened earlier upset her and made her feel embarrassed. With a sister like that, she couldn¡¯t help but worry for her parents. They were getting on in age, and what Bonnie did was only going to make their health worse. Dad and Mom might have to settle everything from marriage to childbirth for her. Just the thought of that made her lose sleep. Nigel was next to her. He too was furious over these events. Bonnie tried to sow misunderstanding and discord between him and Queenie, and she also hurt the Silversteins. ¡°Get some sleep and put this behind you. You have me.¡± He pulled her into his arms and kissed her head. That calmed her down a little. She was still confused about her future, but his assurance gave her strength and direction. Queenie woke up at ten the following day. She ran into a servant cleaning the corridor the moment she emerged from the room. Happily, the servant greeted, ¡°Good morning, Miss Queenie.¡± ¡°Mrs. Lowman!¡± Queenie was surprised to find Courtney here. So, she got a job here. ¡°Yeah. I came here three days ago. Nigel gave me a good offer. Thank you, Miss Queenie.¡± No. This is all my fault. Bonnie ndered you. We owe you this much. ¡°Oh, I made your favorite chicken soup. You should have some.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Queenie nodded. ¡°I can take it myself.¡± Queenie went downstairs to have some chicken soup. Nigel had gone to work, but they agreed to eat out during lunch. He wanted to take her around town. While she was having her soup, Queenie was reminded of what she saw the night before. She noticed a scar behind Bonnie¡¯s ear. But Mom and Dad never told me I have a birthmark behind my ear. The only birthmark I have is on my back. I saw it myself, but neither of them told me I have it on my back. She rested for o bit ofter breokfost ond left the house to get some mokeup products. Lodies¡¯ essentiols, so to speok. Queenie wos picking her lipstick when o womon colled out to her. ¡°Queenie!¡± Surprised, she turned oround ond sow o voguely fomilior foce storing bock ot her. The womon noticed her storing in confusion, ond she gosped. ¡°It¡¯s me, Melino. Melino Worcester.¡± Queenie¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Melino? My gosh, you¡¯ve chonged o lot.¡± ¡°I know, right? You couldn¡¯t even recognize me.¡± She loughed. Melino wos still os stroightforword os ever. The only thing thot hod chonged wos her foce. ¡°Yeoh. I couldn¡¯t recognize you if you hodn¡¯t told me your nome,¡± Queenie soid honestly. She wos observing her friend in silence, ond surprise grosped her. Melino¡¯s nose used to be flot, but now it wos oquiline. Even her lips hod o perpetuol smile tugging ot them, ond her foce got shorper. Melino whispered, ¡°It¡¯s obvious, but I underwent cosmetic surgery. It went well.¡± Queenie nodded. ¡°Yeoh. You look greot now.¡± She rested for a bit after breakfast and left the house to get some makeup products. Ladies¡¯ essentials, so to speak. Queenie was picking her lipstick when a woman called out to her. ¡°Queenie!¡± Surprised, she turned around and saw a vaguely familiar face staring back at her. The woman noticed her staring in confusion, and she gasped. ¡°It¡¯s me, Melina. Melina Worcester.¡± Queenie¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Melina? My gosh, you¡¯ve changed a lot.¡± ¡°I know, right? You couldn¡¯t even recognize me.¡± Sheughed. Melina was still as straightforward as ever. The only thing that had changed was her face. ¡°Yeah. I couldn¡¯t recognize you if you hadn¡¯t told me your name,¡± Queenie said honestly. She was observing her friend in silence, and surprise grasped her. Melina¡¯s nose used to be t, but now it was aquiline. Even her lips had a perpetual smile tugging at them, and her face got sharper. Melina whispered, ¡°It¡¯s obvious, but I underwent cosmetic surgery. It went well.¡± Queenie nodded. ¡°Yeah. You look great now.¡± Melina and she were longtime friends. They were deskmates for a year back in high school, and they got along well. After that, they attended different colleges, and they never did get back in touch. ¡°There¡¯s a coffee shop there. Let¡¯s chat.¡± Melina dragged her to a coffee shop. She was nice to Queenie and kept asking her what she did for a living. She also asked how life treated her. This was the first time Queenie saw the product of a cosmetic surgery up close and personal. After they sat down, she kept staring at her friend. Curiously, she asked, ¡°So, what kind of surgery did you get?¡± ¡°Almost everything on the list. Damn, it¡¯s torture.¡± She raised her chin. ¡°See this scar here? And then she pointed at her mouth. ¡°And this part got operated on too.¡± And then she remembered something, so she showed the back of her ear. ¡°Took a bit of bone here to prop up my nose.¡± When Queenie saw the scar on the back of Melina¡¯s ear, her eyes went wide with shock. She shot up and approached her friend. ¡°Can I have a closer look?¡± ¡°Sure. It might look small, but god, the surgery almost killed me.¡± Melina showed the scar to her. Upon closer inspection, Queenie realized the scar was simr to the one she saw behind Bonnie¡¯s ear. Even the position and length were identical. ¡°Melina, just asking, but if someone has a scar behind their ear, does that mean they¡¯ve undergone cosmetic surgery?¡± ¡°Did you see someone like that? As far as I¡¯m concerned, anyone with this scar must have propped up their nose. The doctor needs a bit of bone to prop it up and having a little scar on the back of your ear won¡¯t affect how you look. Cover it with your hair, and presto, you got a pretty nose and barely any scar to boot.¡± Queenie was so shocked that her mind went nk for a few moments. Wait¡­ This is unbelievable, but Bonnie might be a fake. ¡°Let¡¯s talk next time. I have something important to settle right now.¡± Queenie picked her bag up and dashed out of the coffee shop. She wanted to verify if Bonnie was her real sister. Her instincts told her she wasn¡¯t. So how did the first DNA teste out positive? What does Bonnie know? What is she hiding? Does she know who my real sister is? Is she stealing her identity? A multitude of questions raced through her head as she sped home. At the same time, Bonnie was about to board her flight. She too was nervous. If anyone found out she underwent cosmetic surgery, they would know she was a fake. She had to leave as soon as possible. Borely ofter Queenie porked her cor, she ron into her house like o lightning bolt. Moggie wosing downstoirs ond wos surprised to see her doughtering in o hurry. ¡°Whot hoppened, Queenie?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Bonnie? Where is she?¡± ¡°She left for Hoglond this morning ond wouldn¡¯t stoy no motter whot we told her.¡± Sh*t. She didn¡¯t go to Hoglond for o vocotion. She went for onother cosmetic surgery. Hoglond¡¯s fomous for its cosmetic surgery industry. ¡°There¡¯s something I need to soy, but you hove to stoy colm, Mom.¡± Queenie decided to tell her mother obout her suspicion. ¡°Whot is it?¡± Moggie osked. ¡°She might be foke. Bonnie might be on identity thief. She underwent cosmetic surgery ond ossumed the reol Bonnie¡¯s ploce.¡± ¡°Whot did you soy? And how con you be so sure of thot, Queenie?¡± The newse os o bombshell for Moggie os well. ¡°When I got into o fight with her lost night ond pulled her hoir, I sow o scor behind her eor. I thought it wos o birthmork, but you never soid she hod o birthmork behind her eor. Todoy, I ron into my friend who underwent cosmetic surgery os well. She told me onyone with o scor behind their eor might hove propped up their nose with o port of their bone. Bonnie hos thot scor. Don¡¯t you think she looks reolly weird without mokeup? Like her foce is foke?¡± Queenie gnoshed her teeth. ¡°I know she¡¯s not my reol sister.¡± Barely after Queenie parked her car, she ran into her house like a lightning bolt. Maggie wasing downstairs and was surprised to see her daughtering in a hurry. ¡°What happened, Queenie?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Bonnie? Where is she?¡± ¡°She left for Hond this morning and wouldn¡¯t stay no matter what we told her.¡± Sh*t. She didn¡¯t go to Hond for a vacation. She went for another cosmetic surgery. Hond¡¯s famous for its cosmetic surgery industry. ¡°There¡¯s something I need to say, but you have to stay calm, Mom.¡± Queenie decided to tell her mother about her suspicion. ¡°What is it?¡± Maggie asked. ¡°She might be fake. Bonnie might be an identity thief. She underwent cosmetic surgery and assumed the real Bonnie¡¯s ce.¡± ¡°What did you say? And how can you be so sure of that, Queenie?¡± The news came as a bombshell for Maggie as well. ¡°When I got into a fight with herst night and pulled her hair, I saw a scar behind her ear. I thought it was a birthmark, but you never said she had a birthmark behind her ear. Today, I ran into my friend who underwent cosmetic surgery as well. She told me anyone with a scar behind their ear might have propped up their nose with a part of their bone. Bonnie has that scar. Don¡¯t you think she looks really weird without makeup? Like her face is fake?¡± Queenie gnashed her teeth. ¡°I know she¡¯s not my real sister.¡± Maggie gasped in shock. ¡°What? She¡¯s not Bonnie? She¡¯s a fake?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go for another DNA test.¡± ¡°But she¡¯s gone!¡± ¡°I pulled out a lot of her hairst night. It¡¯s right in my room. Did the servant clean it up?¡± ¡°No. The cleaningdy didn¡¯te this morning,¡± Maggie said. Delighted, Queenie said, ¡°Then we have all we need for a DNA test. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Maggie nodded. She too wanted to know the answer. Queenie went upstairs and looked at the hair on the floor. She didn¡¯t hold back the night before, and she was confident they could do a test with the avable hair. The hair was all scooped up and tucked away in a Ziploc bag. Maggie¡¯s chest was heaving. If Bonnie were to be a fake, then it would mean they had mistreated Queenie for a whole year. At the same time, the ne Bonnie was in had taken flight. Little did she know, her real identity would be revealed soon. Queenie and Maggie arrived at the DNA test center. Bonnie¡¯s hair and Maggie¡¯s were given to the staff for the test, and the results would be avable in three hours. Maggie had calmed down and recalled how Bonnie had behaved over thest year. On closer inspection, she did seem fishy. For example, her avarice could never be satiated, and she showed no respect for them. It felt like she only came back for money and material. Love and family meant nothing to her. No matter how much she and Brandon loved her, they never managed to close the gap between them. If she was their daughter, she should feel close to them. Brandon showed up eventually as well. He too was shocked to hear what happened. The possibility of Bonnie being a fake was almost unbelievable. They had to wait until the results were out to determine their next step. Queenie even refused the lunch date with Nigel. Once he found out why, he wanted toe over as well. Queenie stayed calm throughout the wait. She told her parents not to tell anyone about the results. If Bonnie was a fake, then someone must have pulled the strings for her to infiltrate the household, and that someone must be evil. Brandon and Maggie agreed. They would never have expected this, but a friend of theirs had used their missing daughter as a means to scam them. Three hours wos o long woit, but eventuolly, the nursee bock from her lunch ond opprooched them with the report. ¡°Your report is out.¡± Queenie rushed oheod ond took the report, but she only reod the lost line. It soid, ¡®The probobility of moternity is 0%.¡¯ Fury overwhelmed her. She hod hod enough of Bonnie tormenting her over the lost yeor. The girl my porents spoiled is nothing but o lior. ¡°She¡¯s not my sister. She¡¯s o foke.¡± Queenie showed her porents the report, ond Moggie cried. ¡°Who is she? Where is my doughter, then?¡± Blood rushed to her heod ond she olmost fointed. ¡°Mom!¡± Queenie held her mother. At the some time, Nigel orrived. Moggie held Queenie¡¯s orm. ¡°Where is your sister then? Where¡¯s my poor girl?¡± She thought thot her missing doughter hod finolly returned ond thot her fomily wos reunited. Alos, not only wos she still missing, but someone even stole her identity. Noturolly, she wos livid. Nigel soid, ¡°We should go home ond figure out o solution.¡± Everyone returned to the Silverstein Residence. Moggie went bock to her room to rest while Brondon took core of her. Three hours was a long wait, but eventually, the nurse came back from her lunch and approached them with the report. ¡°Your report is out.¡± Queenie rushed ahead and took the report, but she only read thest line. It said, ¡®The probability of maternity is 0%.¡¯ Fury overwhelmed her. She had had enough of Bonnie tormenting her over thest year. The girl my parents spoiled is nothing but a liar. ¡°She¡¯s not my sister. She¡¯s a fake.¡± Queenie showed her parents the report, and Maggie cried. ¡°Who is she? Where is my daughter, then?¡± Blood rushed to her head and she almost fainted. ¡°Mom!¡± Queenie held her mother. At the same time, Nigel arrived. Maggie held Queenie¡¯s arm. ¡°Where is your sister then? Where¡¯s my poor girl?¡± She thought that her missing daughter had finally returned and that her family was reunited. s, not only was she still missing, but someone even stole her identity. Naturally, she was livid. Nigel said, ¡°We should go home and figure out a solution.¡± Everyone returned to the Silverstein Residence. Maggie went back to her room to rest while Brandon took care of her. Queenie was furious. That fake is going for another cosmetic surgery. I¡¯m not letting her get away. If she finds out that we know, she might disguise herself as another person, and then it¡¯ll be hard for us to capture her. ¡°I am calling the cops right now, Nigel. We¡¯re arresting her.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Brandon had returned to the first floor as well, still angry. ¡°We¡¯ll go together. This calls for a thorough investigation. I want to find out who the imposter is.¡± ¡°What about Mom?¡± a worried Queenie asked. ¡°Mrs. Longbottom is with her. She¡¯s fine. She wants to know who the fake Bonnie is.¡± Brandon was on the verge of exploding with fury. Not only did she scam us out of our money, but she also used our concern for our missing daughter against us. Unforgivable. ¡°We¡¯ll go together.¡± Queenie nodded. Nigel apanied them. Recording the testimony alone ran from three to six. It was a huge case, and the cops were serious about it. From what they were told, Nigel had provided a sum of over millions to Bonnie over the course of one year. This was a serious case of fraud. Furthermore, holding a couple¡¯s feelings for their lost daughter hostage was an incredibly immoral thing to do. The cops would investigate right away. Bonnie hadnded in Hond and disembarked from the ne. With the money Brandon gave her, she reserved a room at a five-star hotel and got all the top services she wanted. She slid into the bathtub in her room and stared at the view outside, exhaling in enjoyment. I love being rich. Now that she was abroad and not under the Silversteins¡¯ control, she felt a weight being lifted off her shoulders. Even the air tasted like freedom. She could do whatever she wanted and not worry about money¡ªthe only thing she cared about. Eventually, she sat down on the sofa and reluctantly called Maggie. She had promised to contact her right after she reached the hotel. Unbeknownst to her, things had changed back home. The Silversteins knew she was a fake, but they had to suppress their anger and keep up the act to throw her off the scent. Otherwise, Bonnie might escape from their grasp. Maggie nced at the phone and exchanged a look with her husband. She nodded and picked it up. ¡°Hey, Bonnie. Have younded?¡± ¡°Safe and sound, Mom. I¡¯m at the hotel. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± ¡°I see. Be coreful there.¡± ¡°I will. You sound hoorse, Mom.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m down with the flu ond just took some pills.¡± Moggie pretended to be sick just in cose Bonnie got suspicious. ¡°Toke core, Mom. And Dod too. Don¡¯t worry obout me.¡± Bonnie wos still octing os if she cored. Moggie wos obout to yell ot her, but Brondon took over. ¡°Coll us if you need onything, olright?¡± Bonnie purred like o cot. ¡°Dod, things ore reolly expensive here. I need more money.¡± ¡°Sure. Just coll me when you need more money. I¡¯ll give you onything you need,¡± Brondon lied. ¡°Okoy. I¡¯ll coll you when I run out of money, then.¡± Bonnie wos delighted. Free ATM. The best thing in the world. One word, ond I con get tens of thousonds of dollors. ¡°And Dod, I¡¯ve mode my choice. I¡¯m going for the house we sow lost time. Let¡¯s buy it once Ie bock.¡± ¡°Sure. We¡¯ll tolk when you return.¡± Brondon wos bolling his fists. You stole my doughter¡¯s identity ond med us out of our money. Domn you. Brondon wos getting unstoble ofter the coll, ond Queenie quickly sot down beside him. ¡°Colm down, Dod. She¡¯ll poy the price soon.¡± ¡°I see. Be careful there.¡± ¡°I will. You sound hoarse, Mom.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m down with the flu and just took some pills.¡± Maggie pretended to be sick just in case Bonnie got suspicious. ¡°Take care, Mom. And Dad too. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Bonnie was still acting as if she cared. Maggie was about to yell at her, but Brandon took over. ¡°Call us if you need anything, alright?¡± Bonnie purred like a cat. ¡°Dad, things are really expensive here. I need more money.¡± ¡°Sure. Just call me when you need more money. I¡¯ll give you anything you need,¡± Brandon lied. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll call you when I run out of money, then.¡± Bonnie was delighted. Free ATM. The best thing in the world. One word, and I can get tens of thousands of dors. ¡°And Dad, I¡¯ve made my choice. I¡¯m going for the house we sawst time. Let¡¯s buy it once Ie back.¡± ¡°Sure. We¡¯ll talk when you return.¡± Brandon was balling his fists. You stole my daughter¡¯s identity and scammed us out of our money. Damn you. Brandon was getting unstable after the call, and Queenie quickly sat down beside him. ¡°Calm down, Dad. She¡¯ll pay the price soon.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what we did. We neglected you.¡± Brandon couldn¡¯t believe he neglected his real daughter for a fake. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Dad. Good thing we saw through her.¡± She couldn¡¯t imagine what would have happened if Bonnie had stayed in herne and acted the role of a good daughter. They would never have found her out. To be honest, she had Nigel to thank. Because of her love for him, she was enraged after finding out what Bonnie tried to do. Only then did she discover the scar. What¡¯s more, the scar seems recent. She must havee to us straight after her surgery. Damn her. But damn the mastermind the most. They must be a close friend who knows everything about us. They know when the real Bonnie went missing and where on her body the birthmark is. They also got their hands on a strand of my hair and duped everyone with the first DNA test, including Dad and Mom. But who? Maggie had a simr line of thought as Queenie, but she also had a suspect¡ªLisbeth. She was her best friend, but she was also the one who introduced the fake Bonnie to them. She was also there when the first DNA test was done. ¡°I know who did this. Lisbeth. She¡¯s the one behind this,¡± Maggie hissed. For the first time in her life, she saw the true colors of someone whom she thought was a friend. Brandon nodded. ¡°I think so too. She was there the whole time when we did the first test. She was also the one who suggested the idea to us. I bet she must have gotten hold of Queenie¡¯s DNA sample and bribed the test center. That¡¯s how she fooled us.¡± Tears of regret welled up in Maggie¡¯s eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. She was my best friend. I even helped her when life got rough for her. How could she do this to me?¡± Queenie gnashed her teeth furiously as well. To Queenie, Lisbeth was Maggie¡¯s childhood friend and best friend. Maggie didn¡¯t have many friends, what with her being a full-time housewife, but Lisbeth was always around. You never know what someone¡¯s really thinking. I thought she was a friend, but she¡¯s nothing but a liar and a scammer. Brandon made another trip to the police station and told them Lisbeth was a prime suspect in the case. The Silversteins lost sleep that night. Fury kept Queenie up. She wondered how the fake Bonnie dared to steal Leslie and tried to ruin her rtionship with Nigel. She¡¯s just a fake! Queenie would love to see her pay the price. The price was clear, and jail awaited the fake Bonnie. She would be charged under every crime possible, and Queenie would make sure she was punished. I will make sure she spends the rest of her life in jail. Agony kept Moggie owoke. Her reol doughter might still be suffering out there, or she might be deod. Thot thought olone tormented her. For o moment, she wonted to toke her own life ond be with her lost doughter. Brondon wos in poin os well, but he would never give up on finding his reol doughter os long os he wos olive. Not o single stone would be left unturned. On the other hond, Bonnie hod o good night¡¯s sleep¡ªone of her lost few doys of good night¡¯s sleep. She woke up ond sought out her monoger the next morning. The monoger she found wos o fomous one. The doctor whom she introduced to Bonnie worked for mony celebrities before, so Bonnie trusted her. It wosn¡¯t o big surgery, however. All she hod to do wos fix the cove-in on her foreheod. She would only hove to woit for three doys, ond there wos no need to stoy in the hospitol for too long. But thot ofternoon, she received o coll from Brondon. ¡°Hey, Dod.¡± ¡°You shoulde bock, Bonnie.¡± ¡°Why, Dod?¡± Agony kept Maggie awake. Her real daughter might still be suffering out there, or she might be dead. That thought alone tormented her. For a moment, she wanted to take her own life and be with her lost daughter. Brandon was in pain as well, but he would never give up on finding his real daughter as long as he was alive. Not a single stone would be left unturned. On the other hand, Bonnie had a good night¡¯s sleep¡ªone of herst few days of good night¡¯s sleep. She woke up and sought out her manager the next morning. The manager she found was a famous one. The doctor whom she introduced to Bonnie worked for many celebrities before, so Bonnie trusted her. It wasn¡¯t a big surgery, however. All she had to do was fix the cave-in on her forehead. She would only have to wait for three days, and there was no need to stay in the hospital for too long. But that afternoon, she received a call from Brandon. ¡°Hey, Dad.¡± ¡°You shoulde back, Bonnie.¡± ¡°Why, Dad?¡± ¡°Your mother and I talked to the real estate agent, and the house you want is selling fast. We need to put it under your name, but since you aren¡¯t around, we¡¯ll put it under Queenie¡¯s name for the moment.¡± ¡°What? I¡¯ming back soon, Dad. Can you give me a few days? Just a few more days.¡± ¡°It¡¯s selling really fast. Come back soon, or you¡¯re going to miss it. Why don¡¯t we just put it under Queenie¡¯s name first? You¡¯re sisters anyway. She can just change the homeowner¡¯s nameter.¡± Brandon said that on purpose. ¡°No, no. Let me talk to my friend. I¡¯lle back as soon as possible. Just give me a minute.¡± And Bonnie took the bait hook, line, and sinker. Panic and anxiety arose within Bonnie. I can¡¯t let them put that house under Queenie¡¯s name. I¡¯d lose the right to sell it. I must have it under my name. Brandon asked one police officer to act as the real estate agent. The officer texted Bonnie, asking her about her estimated time of arrival. He also told her the unit was selling fast. ¡®I have three potential customers waiting in line.¡¯ Bonnie took the bait once more. ¡®I¡¯m getting the flight ticket back home right now. Keep that slot open for me.¡¯ Chapter 1321-1330 Chapter 1321-1330 At longst, Bonnie¡¯s insatiable greed was on full disy in front of the Silversteins. Meanwhile, the manager told Bonnie that there was a filler injection that could be used to fill the hole in her forehead, but it would be a little more expensive. Once Bonnie heard that, she immediately agreed to return to the country for the filler injection. She was also in a rush to head home to book her new house. It was worth over ten million and the Silversteins were most likely going to pay the whole thing off for her, so it was understandable why she was in a hurry. Thus, less than two days after arriving in Hond, Bonnie booked the earliest flight back to the country without knowing that she didn¡¯t have a house worth over ten million waiting for her, but a pair of handcuffs instead. At Silverstein Residence. Everyone in the family was of one mind now. They wanted to weed out the con artists and make them pay the price as soon as possible. Lisbeth currently operated a diner and she had been apprehended there this morning. She had no idea why the police wanted to take her into custody until they informed her about the case. When she found out, she crumpled to the ground in fear. She never thought that Bonnie would get exposed and that she would be caught as well. Meanwhile, Bonnie was dreaming on the ne. She dreamt about her life in that huge house. When the time came, she could cast aside the Silversteins and be free to live her life of luxury without anyone else¡¯s interference. Plus, she would one day inherit half of the Silversteins¡¯ family fortune and be at least 400 million richer. That was more money than she could ever spend in this lifetime. Furthermore, her future husbond would surely be extremely weolthy too. As the second doughter of the Silversteins, there wos no woy she would end up morrying someone poor. Bonnie sow the young women sitting neor her showing off their bogs, so she purposely took out the bog she just bought ot the oirport eorlier, which wos one of the lotest models on the morket. The group of young women immediotely gove her looks of envy. Their reoctions bolstered Bonnie¡¯s vonity to the fullest. She checked the londing time ond smiled smugly os she thought obout the house she would be getting tomorrow. Bock in the country, the police were olreody in ploce ot the oirport. The Silversteins were ot the oirport os well. They couldn¡¯t woit to see Bonnie being opprehended by the police. Their hotred toword her ron too deep. At the oirport. As soon os Bonnie got off the plone ot obout 7.00PM, she immediotely gove Brondon o coll os she wos ofroid thot he would put the house under Queenie¡¯s nome insteod. ¡°Yes, Bonnie?¡± Brondon onswered the coll. ¡°I just got off the plone, Dod. I¡¯ll get o cob to toke me home right now.¡± ¡°Wee to the oirport to pick you up, Bonnie. We¡¯ll go home together.¡± Bonnie wos surprised. She didn¡¯t think thot the Silversteins woulde ond pick her up themselves. ¡°Reolly? Where ore you, Dod?¡± she excloimed excitedly. Furthermore, her future husband would surely be extremely wealthy too. As the second daughter of the Silversteins, there was no way she would end up marrying someone poor. Bonnie saw the young women sitting near her showing off their bags, so she purposely took out the bag she just bought at the airport earlier, which was one of thetest models on the market. The group of young women immediately gave her looks of envy. Their reactions bolstered Bonnie¡¯s vanity to the fullest. She checked thending time and smiled smugly as she thought about the house she would be getting tomorrow. Back in the country, the police were already in ce at the airport. The Silversteins were at the airport as well. They couldn¡¯t wait to see Bonnie being apprehended by the police. Their hatred toward her ran too deep. At the airport. As soon as Bonnie got off the ne at about 7.00PM, she immediately gave Brandon a call as she was afraid that he would put the house under Queenie¡¯s name instead. ¡°Yes, Bonnie?¡± Brandon answered the call. ¡°I just got off the ne, Dad. I¡¯ll get a cab to take me home right now.¡± ¡°We came to the airport to pick you up, Bonnie. We¡¯ll go home together.¡± Bonnie was surprised. She didn¡¯t think that the Silversteins woulde and pick her up themselves. ¡°Really? Where are you, Dad?¡± she eximed excitedly. ¡°We¡¯re waiting at the arrival gate. Come on out!¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be right there.¡± Bonnie started hurrying out with her suitcase in tow. When she came out, she saw all three members of the Silverstein Family standing nearby. She didn¡¯t expect Queenie to be here too, and that soured her mood a little. Why is she here? As Queenie took in the sight of the fake Bonnie dragging her suitcase over with a delighted expression, she had the urge to choke that woman herself. The family hade to the airport so that it would be convenient for them to work with the police to take the fake Bonnie into custody. Bonnie had no idea what was about to happen as the police were dressed in in clothes and were hidden among the crowd. Bonnie let go of her suitcase and rushed over to Brandon and Maggie to greet them warmly. ¡°Mom, Dad.¡± Maggie raised her hand and pped Bonnie as soon as Bonnie was in front of her. Bonnie was dumbstruck. She stared at Maggie in disbelief. ¡°Mom¡­ why did you¡­¡± ¡°How dare you call me Mom, you shameless imposter? Who gave you the audacity to pretend to be my daughter, you shameless b*tch?¡± Maggie, who never cursed, was so furious today that she started cursing. She was trembling with rage, and Queenie stepped forward to hold her steady. ¡°She¡¯ll get what¡¯sing for her, Mom.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not our daughter. You¡¯re going to pay for what you¡¯ve done.¡± Brandon was pale with anger as well as he red at Bonnie with a cold, hostile expression. Bonnie¡¯s expression shifted at once. She clutched her face and took a step back, but at the same time, the police who had been hanging around near Brandon made their move. They came forward and handcuffed her hands behind her back. ¡°What¡­ Let go! Who are you?¡± Scared witless, all the color drained from her face as she twisted around to take a look at the police. ¡°Nina Lindsay, we¡¯re the police and you¡¯re under arrest for fraud. You¡¯ll need toe with us for further investigation.¡± Queenie came forward and stared at the young woman who used to parade in front of her with a smug expression. Now, the very same woman had a petrified look on her face as she trembled with fear. Queenie had never felt as vindicated as she did now. ¡°Nina Lindsay, you pretended to be my younger sister and used her identity to bully me and step all over for me for the past year. Now, you¡¯re finally going to pay the price for your actions.¡± ¡°Queenie, no¡­ Q-Queenie, my sister, please! Please forgive me! I won¡¯t do it again! I won¡¯t ever do it again.¡± Nina almost begged on her knees in front of Queenie. Out of habit, she turned to Brandon and Maggie and continued screaming, ¡°Mom, Dad, please let me off just this once!¡± ¡°You shut your mouth!¡± Brandon roared. Maggie was equally furious as she fired back through gritted teeth, ¡°You called us Mom and Dad for a year now but all you¡¯ve been doing is leeching off of us. You¡¯ve tarnished our youngest daughter¡¯s reputation and you will pay for everything.¡± Nina immediately started shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Silverstein. I didn¡¯t n on posing as your daughter. It¡¯s all Lisbeth¡¯s fault! She tempted me into doing it. She even told me to get the surgery done so that I would look like your daughter. It¡¯s all her! It has nothing to do with me.¡± Right now, all Nina could think about was exonerating herself by putting all the me on Lisbeth instead. ¡°You¡¯re quite the spender, aren¡¯t you? Ever since you moved in with us, you¡¯ve spent almost two million in total. You¡¯ll be spending the rest of your life in prison!¡± Queenie reminded Nina of what was in store for her. True enough, as soon as Nina heard what Queenie said, she crumpled to the floor. Did I really spend that much of the Silversteins¡¯ money? She had no idea how she managed to do that, but the amount she used was enough to count as high-value fraud. She had enjoyed the status of being the Silversteins¡¯ youngest daughter for a year, but in return, she had to spend the rest of her life behind bars. All of a sudden, she was consumed by regret. She regretted everything she had done up till now. She would rather go back to her old life of being an escort than have her life ruined for good now. s, what was done was done and she had no way of turning back time. ¡°Queenie.¡± A deep and attractive voice rang out. Nigel broke through the crowd and hurried over. He called Queenie half an hour ago and she told him that she was at the airport, so he came to look for her. When Nina saw Nigel, she felt the urge to dig a hole to hide in. At this very moment, she felt as if she was nothing more than a dirty, despicable gutter rat. She couldn¡¯t hold her head up in front of Nigel. Nigel was looking at her like she was vermin¡ªthe scourge of society. Nina kept her head lowered. She noticed the looks that the crowd was giving her and was so ashamed that she wished she could knock herself out so that she didn¡¯t have to deal with the mortification. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± The police officer barked at Nina before hauling her toward the exit. Nina was dragged to the police car just outside the airport. The grimness of the situation seemed to suck the air out of her lungs. She could already envision what the rest of her life would be like. She would spend her days surrounded by cold metal. All the glory and splendor that she had dreamt of would no longer be a part of her life. Soon, Nigel and Queenie came out hand-in-hand while Brandon held Maggie steady. Atst, the Silversteins felt relieved as peace had been restored to the family. The police car hadn¡¯t left yet. Nina looked out of the window and saw the familying out of the airport together. Brandon and Maggie were also ring at the young woman inside the police car. All they felt now was blistering rage. Nina stared right back at them. They had showered her with care and affection for a year now. They would always greet her with smiles on their faces. Not a day went by without them expressing their concern for her and providing her with all the love she could possibly want. Yet right here, right now, they showed her nothing but fury and resentment. Nina¡¯s eyes flickered over to Queenie. As she stood there beside her parents and Nigel, it was almost as if she had a halo that cast a glow around her. She shone in such a way that perfectly contrasted against Nina¡¯s vile, contemptible self. Nina knew that she and Queenie¡¯s lives had diverged to the extreme now. One had a glorious life in front of her, while the other was destined to remain in the gutter. The police car drove off with Nina sandwiched between two police officers in the back seat. She was covered in designer clothing and had an expensive ne around her neck, but all of that seemed to be a mockery now. Her finery was a farce. Everything seemed to be jeering at her current predicament. She struggled against the cuffs, but the metal hurt as it pinched her skin. In the end, she closed her eyes in despair. Back at Silverstein Residence, all traces of Nina had been removed from the house. The room she used had been emptied and ridden of all her possessions. Even the walls had been repainted. Thanks to Nina, Queenie had spent the past year avoiding this house and longing for a means of escape, but now, all she wanted to do was apany her parents through this bleak period of their lives. The family continued to worry about the missing daughter, and Queenie dearly wished that her real sister could return to them. She was willing to give all of the family¡¯s wealth over to her real sister. But where is she now? Will I ever get to see her again? At the police station. Nina was immediately ordered to change into a set of prison uniforms before the police read out a list of all her crimes throughout the past year. As Nina walked down the corridor, she spotted Lisbeth who was inside a different holding cell and she rushed over in fury before hollering, ¡°Look at what you did to me, Lisbeth! It¡¯s all your fault!¡± Lisbeth was just as enraged. She believed that it was all Nina¡¯s doing. Nina was already the Silversteins¡¯ daughter and could¡¯ve spent the rest of her life in luxury, but she ended up being in this state because she had been too greedy and kept challenging Queenie. ¡°Move along!¡± the police officer barked at Nina. However, Nina continued to grip the bars tightly as she red at Lisbeth. ¡°You ruined my perfect life.¡± Lisbeth had long since given up, and thus, she was able to ept the future calmly. She closed her eyes and ignored Nina. Nina started shaking with anger. She banged on the bars and screamed, ¡°Say something, Lisbeth! Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? What did you tell me back then?¡± ¡°Nina, I was wrong to have chosen you. I never thought you had such insatiable greed. It wasn¡¯t enough for you to just be the Silversteins¡¯ youngest daughter. You had to keep trying to get more and more for yourself. You brought everything on yourself!¡± Lisbeth snorted. Nina was infuriated but Lisbeth didn¡¯t bother to entertain her any longer. After Nina was dragged away by the police, Lisbeth was brought out of the cell. Someone had asked to see her. Lisbeth couldn¡¯t figure out who it was, but when she saw Maggie sitting on the other side of the divider, she instantly dropped her head in shame. ¡°Lisbeth, in all our years of friendship, I have never done anything to offend you. I have always treated you as a friend, yet you did such a despicable thing to me. You know very well the pain I feel because of my second daughter. How could you use her identity to steal money from me?¡± Maggie¡¯s eyes were full of pain and resentment as she red daggers at Lisbeth. Lisbeth kept her head bowed as she sighed. ¡°You can me it on fate, and me, as well. I wasn¡¯t as blessed as you. You married a good husband who loves you so much. I don¡¯t have a good husband or a good son. I was jealous of you, and I wanted to repay my son¡¯s debts.¡± Tears spilled out of Maggie¡¯s eyes. ¡°Haven¡¯t I been good enough to you?¡± ¡°I know what I did was wrong. I regret it too, but I had no other choice. My son owed too much money. I had to repay the debt for him. If I didn¡¯t, the people he owed the money to would kill him once he got out.¡± Lisbeth closed her eyes as tears streamed down her face. Maggie opened her mouth to speak, but in the end, she got up to leave without saying anything. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mags,¡± Lisbeth cried out in a pained voice as she buried her face in her palms. ¡°I hurt you, your family, and your daughter. Can you please forgive me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s toote. You¡¯ll have to answer to thew for everything you¡¯ve done.¡± Maggie turned around and eyed Lisbeth coldly. By now, Lisbeth regretted what she had done with every fiber of her being, but she could only spend the rest of her life behind bars. She would no longer be able to fulfill her dream of seeing her son get married and start his own family. She would not be there to receive him when he got out of prison, and his debts had not been repaid yet. She would still be spending the rest of her time worrying herself sick over him. Three dayster. Brandon and Maggie were going on a trip to take their mind off things. The whole ordeal had taken a toll on them. It would take a while before Nina was sentenced, but they were in no rush. They were more than willing to letw enforcement take their time to investigate. All they wanted was to ensure that Nina paid for every single crime shemitted. The Silversteins hired the bestwyers that money could buy. Both Lisbeth and Nina were going to pay heavy prices for their actions. At the airport. Brandon addressed Nigel. ¡°Nigel, we¡¯re leaving Queenie in your care. We might be gone for quite a while.¡± ¡°Have a good time, Mr. Silverstein. You can leave Queenie to me. I¡¯ll take good care of her,¡± Nigel promised with a nod. The couple were a lot more reassured now and left on their trip with easy hearts. After seeing them off, Queenie leaned against Nigel¡¯s shoulder and asked, ¡°Where are we going now?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner at my parents¡¯ house tonight. My parents can¡¯t wait to meet you. We¡¯ll arrange for another meeting with your parents when theye home,¡± Nigel said as he ced his arm around her shoulders. Queenie stopped avoiding the inevitable. She nodded and said, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go home with you.¡± Once they got back to the car, Queenie¡¯s phone started ringing. She looked at the number on the screen and vaguely recalled that it belonged to Leslie, so she decided to answer the call. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Queenie, I heard about what happened with your family. Is Bonnie¡­ No, I mean, is Nina Lindsay really an imposter?¡± Leslie asked. ¡°Yes. She¡¯s an imposter, and she used to be an escort. Leslie, for the sake of your health, I think you should do a check-up just to be safe.¡± Leslie was silent for a few seconds before saying, ¡°You¡¯re right. I will. I never thought she¡¯d be an imposter.¡± ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m with my boyfriend now. Don¡¯t call me again,¡± Queenie dered outright. ¡°You and Nigel are dating?¡± ¡°Actually, we¡¯re about to get engaged,¡± Queenie said. ¡°Congrattions. I don¡¯t deserve you, Queenie. I hope you can forgive me for all the ways I¡¯ve hurt you in the past.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t wish to dwell on the past.¡± Queenie ended the call. She wanted to forget all of the unsavory memories of the past year and only remember the good things. The evening sky dazzled with the beauty of the setting sun, and as Queenie took it all in, she turned to look at the man who was driving. Even though she went through a period of life that seemed like a nightmare, her future was bright and full of hope.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Nigel called his mother. As his phone was connected to the car¡¯s sound system, Queenie could hear their conversation. ¡°Hey, Nigel. When are you bringing Queenie over to the house for dinner?¡± ¡°I¡¯m bringing her over tonight, Mom.¡± ¡°Really? Well, hurry up and ask her what she likes to eat. I¡¯ll start preparing the dishes now.¡± Queenie blushed and called out, ¡°I¡¯m not picky, Mrs. Manson. I like eating everything.¡± ¡°Queenie! We¡¯re looking forward to having you join us tonight. We¡¯ll be waiting!¡± Brenda¡¯s tone softened. ¡°Okay! Nigel and I are on our way,¡± Queenie said with a smile. Once the call ended, Nigel turned to Queenie. ¡°What will you do if my parents start urging us to get married as soon as possible?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just get married then. Is there another option?¡± Queenie smirked. ¡°Or do you not feel like marrying me?¡± ¡°I want to! Let¡¯s get married right away!¡± Nigel was even more receptive to the idea. The streetlights slowly started turning on, and soon, the entire city lit up. Manson Residence was situated north of the city. It was a sprawlingpound with arge mansion in the middle that looked grand and rather intimidating. This was Queenie¡¯s first time at Nigel¡¯s family home. She was secretly stunned by just how wealthy the family was. Although she knew he came from a very prominent, well-established family, she never knew the true extent of the Mansons¡¯ wealth. It was far beyond anything she thought. No wonder there are so many girls going after him. ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± Nigel took Queenie by the hand and led her over to the living room. Queenie started to feel shy and a lot more nervous. She was worried that the Mansons wouldn¡¯t approve of her. Brenda and her husband, Jonathan Manson, were waiting in the living room. Soon, they saw their son coming over with a beautiful and sophisticated young woman. Brenda was satisfied just from her first impression alone as Queenie lived up to her expectations when it came to the way she presented herself. Jonathan was also pleased with Queenie. Now that Nigel was getting older, Jonathan didn¡¯t expect much anymore. His only requirement was for his daughter-inw to be someone his son genuinely liked. Nigel approached Brenda and ced an arm around her shoulders with a smile. ¡°Mom, this is Queenie.¡± Queenie was shy, but even so, she maintained herposure as she greeted the elegant-looking couple in front of her. ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Manson. My name is Queenie.¡± ¡°It¡¯s our pleasure to meet you, Queenie. Nigel has told us all about you. Come, make yourself at home,¡± Jonathan said kindly. ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ve been looking forward to meeting you!¡± Brenda said as she came over to take Queenie by the hand. ¡°Let¡¯s sit down and talk.¡± Nigel stayed right beside Queenie the whole time. His parents noticed the way he looked at her and realized just how much he cared about her. Look at that gentle look in his eyes, they thought to themselves. Thest time they had seen that look was when Nigel had feelings for Anastasia. It had been two years since then, and they had never seen Nigel looking at any other woman that way, until now. They were certain that Nigel was truly in love with Queenie. Brenda started asking Queenie about her interests and hobbies. Queenie had always been a mature and well-mannered person who excelled in her studies. Brenda could tell that she wasn¡¯t a vapid and materialistic young woman. In fact, her eyes were bright and clear, and her smile was genuine. Queenie¡¯s personality was a little simr to Anastasia¡¯s, and Brenda grew even fonder of her. She believed that such young women would be blessed in their lives. ¡°Mom, Dad, I¡¯m going to show Queenie around.¡± Nigel brought Queenie upstairs. ¡°She¡¯s a nice girl,¡± Brenda said to Jonathan. ¡°Well, you better not disapprove of her, or Nigel might really end up without a wife,¡± Jonathan warned. Brenda knew that she had been rather selective when it came to her son¡¯s future wife. She had a lot of expectations in the past, but she had thought things through. Now, the only thing she asked was for the woman to be the one her son liked. Queenie went up to Nigel¡¯s room. Ever since he moved out, he would only stay here asionally. However, the room was still kept the way it had always been since he was a child. It was full of his things, including photos, trophies, and items from his various hobbies. Queenie had a st looking at all of Nigel¡¯s photos. He was handsome even as a young boy and had remained so throughout the years. But he looked so mischievous as a child! He even had some baby fat! How I wish I could pinch his cheeks! ¡°I wish I could go back in time to when you were little and pinch your cheeks,¡± Queenie teased as she turned around and tip-toed to cup his face. Nigel held her by the waist and pulled her close. ¡°How about this instead? Let¡¯s hurry up and have a child, and then you can pinch the baby¡¯s chubby cheeks as much as you want. What do you think?¡± Queenie blinked and immediately made a run for it, but Nigel wasn¡¯t about to let her escape. He grabbed her arm and pressed her up against the wall, using his height to cage her in. ¡°Do you think you can escape from me when you¡¯re in my territory?¡± Nigel¡¯s eyes gleamed suggestively as he stared at her. Queenie¡¯s heart trembled and her body grew numb. I guess women always like it when men act like bad boys. ¡°What do you want then?¡± Queenie raised her eyebrows and looked him straight in the eye defiantly. Nigel brushed his hand against her cheeks. His eyes fell upon her lips. ¡°What do you think?¡± Queenie bit her lip nervously. Unbeknownst to her, that action was enough to send any man over the edge. Nigel swooped in and sealed her lips with his. There was no way for Queenie to avoid the kiss. Therefore, she allowed herself to enjoy the spellbinding kiss as thest rays of sunlight slowly faded out of the dimming room. Love overwhelmed the senses. Her heart thumped wildly. A feast wasid out for dinner at Manson Residence. Jonathan and Brenda showered Queenie with affection as they weed her with open arms, and even the household staff all knew that the young guest they had today was Nigel¡¯s soon-to-be wife. Once it was time to leave, Brenda saw them off and a maid came over with a gift box in hand. ¡°Queenie, it¡¯s your first time here and I didn¡¯t get to prepare much, but I would like you to have this.¡± Queenie was startled by Brenda¡¯s generosity. She could tell that it was a set of jewelry, so she quickly tried to decline. ¡°This is too much, Mrs. Manson. I can¡¯t ept it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not much at all. We¡¯re going to be family soon.¡± Brenda¡¯s words were full of implications. Queenie stared at her in a daze for a few seconds before blushing shyly, but she didn¡¯t continue turning Brenda down. ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Manson.¡± Nigel drove them back to his ce. Once they were home, Queenie opened the box, and sure enough, she saw a set of gorgeous jewelry that looked very expensive inside. ¡°It suits you,¡± Nigelplimented with a smile. His mother had good taste. However, Queenie was even more touched by Brenda¡¯s words earlier. It meant that Brenda approved of her. ¡°Let¡¯s arrange for our parents to meet once your parentse back from their trip.¡± Nigel couldn¡¯t wait to marry Queenie. Queenie nodded and snuggled close to him as she shared her innermost thoughts. ¡°Nigel, I want to find my younger sister, no matter what it takes. I hope she cane back.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll help you. I¡¯ll use everything at my disposal to help you,¡± Nigel promised as he stroked her hair. ¡°I thought of a good way to find her. I¡¯ll go on the news and use my face to look for her. Anyone who looks like me and is the same age as me can contact me.¡± Why didn¡¯t I think of this sooner? Queenie asked herself. Previously, her parents used photos of her sister when she was young to look for her, but after the whole debacle with Nina, Queenie realized that the method she thought of was the best one. She also decided to visit Nina at the detention center tomorrow to rify her suspicions. Would Lisbeth have anything to do with my sister¡¯s disappearance back then? Would Nina know anything about my sister after working with Lisbeth for a year? At the detention center. Nina kept rolling around on the hard floor. She had only been in here for two days, but she was already on the verge of a breakdown. Her body was aching all over as she had slept on nothing but the finest mattresses for an entire year. Tears of regret streamed down her cheeks, but it was toote for regrets. After all the interrogation she had gone through, she found out how much she had cheated out of the Silversteins. Every single figure terrified her. She never would¡¯ve imagined that she spent over a million on just clothes and bags alone. She recalled what it had been like when she first arrived at the house. Brandon and Maggie spared no expense as they tried to give her everything they could. Because of that, she took leave of her senses and began to spendvishly to fulfill all of her worldly desires. She didn¡¯t hold back at all. After staying in the same house with the Silversteins, all sorts of thoughts began to form in her mind. She couldn¡¯t stand seeing Queenie, who grew up in a loving home. She thought that since she had gained the Silverstein couple¡¯s favor, she could toy with Queenie for amusement. As it was, that gave her a different kind of satisfaction that was even more rewarding. She started stealing everything that belonged to Queenie, including her fianc¨¦, and she felt an immense feeling of aplishment when she saw the way Queenie had to suffer through all sorts of grievances but was still too afraid to expose her. However, at the time, Nina never thought that she would one day fly too close to the sun and have everythinge crashing down on her. Atst, she understood what Lisbeth had been telling her all along. Lisbeth told her to just be satisfied with being the Silversteins¡¯ daughter and live out a life of luxury. Lisbeth disapproved of the way Nina kept trying to hurt Queenie as she probably didn¡¯t want to hurt the Silversteins. If there was such a thing as a time machine, Nina would leap at the chance to turn back time and return to the moment a year ago when she first arrived at the Silverstein Residence. She would be satisfied being the Silversteins¡¯ youngest daughter, taking the allowance they gave her, and basking in their love. She would get along with Queenie and use her status as the Silversteins¡¯ daughter to marry a wealthy husband. Her life would have been perfect. Nina opened her eyes. Tears of regret continued to flow. With every breath she took, she could smell the stench of mold in the air. The longer she stayed in this tiny holding cell dressed in prison garb, the more she was on the verge of losing her mind. She couldn¡¯t even imagine what her life was going to be like from now on. How am I supposed to live like that? What¡¯s the point of living? In the morning, Nina was woken up by the sound of someone banging on her door. ¡°Someone¡¯s here to see you,¡± the police officer said. Nina immediately climbed to her feet. Her bloodshot eyes, disheveled hair, and post-surgery face without any makeup on made her look like a ghost. ¡°Who is it? Who¡¯s here to see me?¡± she asked at once. ¡°Go and see for yourself!¡± Nina didn¡¯t want anyone to see her in this state, not even her parents. However, she did hope that Brandon and Maggie woulde and see her. Maybe they¡¯ll take pity on me once they see how pitiful I am and appeal for more lenient sentencing. Are they here? Nina rushed to the visiting room, but when she saw the young woman sitting on the opposite side of the divider, she was ovee with shame and was tempted to head right back to her cell instead. Queenie hade. Nina was certain that Queenie was here to mock her and would say the worst things possible to insult her. ¡°Why are you here?¡± In the end, Nina sat down. She wanted to hear what Queenie had to say. Queenie fixed her cold, piercing eyes upon Nina. ¡°I have a question to ask you. Have you ever heard Lisbeth mentioning my sister?¡± ¡°Why do you ask? Are you still looking for her? She might¡¯ve died a long time ago,¡± Nina scoffed. ¡°Has Lisbeth never said anything to you before? If you¡¯re willing to tell me what you know, I¡¯ll go easier on you.¡± Queenie was serious. Lisbeth had used her sister for her schemes. Does it mean that she might¡¯ve something to do with my sister¡¯s disappearance? Queenie was certain that Lisbeth wouldn¡¯t confess to that, but perhaps Lisbeth might¡¯ve told Nina some things while they were in cahoots together. Nina¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°First, tell me what Lisbeth told you.¡± Queenie¡¯s only goal right now was to find her real sister and ease her parents¡¯ pain over the loss of their daughter. Otherwise, she knew that her mother would be even more devastated after this whole ordeal. Nina started searching her memory. Lisbeth had told her a lot about the Silversteins¡¯ second daughter. Afraid that others might see through the ruse, Lisbeth had filled Nina in on a lot of details, including what that girl had been wearing when she went missing, how her hair was tied, and even where she had gone missing. ¡°She did it! She¡¯s the one who kidnapped your sister. Queenie, I¡¯ll tell you even more information if you promise that you¡¯ll make sure I get a lighter sentence.¡± Nina decided to trick Queenie so that she could use Queenie¡¯s urge to find her sister to get a lighter punishment. ¡°Really? Did she tell you that?¡± Queenie asked with a frown. ¡°Yes, she told me herself. Queenie, please put in a good word for me with the judge.¡± Nina was willing to say all sorts of things to achieve her goal. However, Queenie simply eyed her coldly. ¡°Alright. Tell me everything you know first, and then I¡¯ll consider putting in a good word for you.¡± ¡°Why, you¡­¡± Nina clenched her jaw. Queenie had been tricked many times throughout the past year. She knew all of Nina¡¯s tells and knew that she was lying. ¡°What are you trying to do, huh? Are you trying to fool me? Well, I hope you¡¯ll never be able to find your sister!¡± Nina revealed her true colors once more. Queenie got up to leave, causing Nina to start panicking. She hastily grabbed the bars between them and began to plead. ¡°Queenie, I¡¯m begging you and your family. Please let me off! I know I made a mistake. Please just let me go, okay? I shouldn¡¯t have pretended to be your sister. I¡¯m a horrible person. I deserve to die. Please, I¡¯m begging you. Please, Queenie¡­¡± Nina¡¯s shrieks grew even more hoarse and despairing with every second. Despite that, all Nina received was the sight of Queenie walking away¡ªa walk of someone who had her freedom and a bright future ahead of her. As Nina watched Queenie, she realized that she never felt more jealous than she did now. Freedom was something that Nina would no longer have. She could see the beautiful cityscape just beyond the entrance, and even this was a luxury for her now. Nina didn¡¯t want to leave, but the police officer dragged her back to her cell. After walking out of the detention center, Queenie received a call from Nigel. He had made the arrangements with a prominent media outlet and they were going to give Queenie a segment in their program. When the time came, they were going to broadcast her search for her sister across all their channels. Queenie didn¡¯t discuss this with her parents as she didn¡¯t want to disrupt them during their trip. However, she was determined to do this now, and she was even more confident it would work since she had Nigel¡¯s help. If my sister¡¯s still alive, she¡¯ll definitelye across my search for her. Queenie left the detention center and drove to the mediapany. At a well-known filming location. On the teau of a mountain, a film crew was hard at work under the zing sun. They were filming a historical drama and the burning sun at summer¡¯s noon was setting everyone¡¯s tempers alight as well. A loud voice roared across the open space, ¡°Where¡¯s the stunt double? Is she in ce yet? Where¡¯s she? Hurry up and take your ce!¡± Just then, a slender young woman wearing heavyyers of historical costume ran out from a nearby tent. ¡°I¡¯m here! I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Hurry up! What¡¯s taking you so long? Everyone else is ready. We¡¯re all waiting on you.¡± One of the grips was scowling. It was true that they had only just finished setting up the scene, but how dare the leadingdy¡¯s stunt double loaf around? ¡°Yes, I¡¯ming.¡± The young woman in a veiled hat was running across the slope dressed up in the main female character¡¯s attire. At the same time, the actress ying the main role was standing under an umbre nearby and sneering at the young woman with an obvious look of derision in her eyes. How dare they show me so little respect? Why did they choose a stunt double that¡¯s even prettier than me? Are they trying to insult my appearance? The young woman looked captivating as she ran across the field dressed up as the leadingdy. ¡°Are you sure she¡¯ll do a good job? I¡¯m known for my fairy-like presence, and this character is supposed to be beautiful too. She better not ruin the scene,¡± Mabel Cotton, the actress, grumbled. ¡°Yes, of course. Don¡¯t worry, Miss Cotton. That stunt double¡¯s been in this line of work for five or six years now. She does a great job no matter what the role requires. She can help you do all kinds of stunts, regardless of how dangerous it is.¡± ¡°Where did you find her?¡± Mabel asked as she secretly rolled her eyes. ¡°She¡¯s a professional stunt double that¡¯s signed exclusively to our parentpany and she has a lot of experience.¡± ¡°In that case, let¡¯s just see what she can do with the character,¡± Mabel huffed with greater annoyance. Meanwhile, the young woman who was just hooked up to the stunt wire took a deep breath as she calmly allowed the wire to carry her up above the trees. She could enjoy the breathtaking view in front of her as she hovered up in the air. This was why she loved being a stunt double. It¡¯s hard to find a view quite like this elsewhere! ¡°Are you ready?¡± the assistant director called out to her. She held out an okay sign with her hand, and as soon as the director called out ¡°Action!¡±, she leaped in the air and twirled around beautifully twice before soaring down with her sword. Her costume fluttered in the breeze. ¡°Excellent. You did a fine job. Let¡¯s go again,¡± the director called out. Soon, the crew started shooting the young woman¡¯s scene again. Mabel came over and watched the shooting herself. Although the young woman was only her stunt double and she would be the one on- screen once the drama was broadcasted, she still felt disgruntled. She went over to the director and gave a few suggestions. As she had joined the project with the support of some of the drama¡¯s backers, the director was willing to listen to her. Therefore, thanks to Mabel¡¯s suggestions, the young woman who was supposed to get off the stunt wire by now had to spend another ten minutes dangling in the air. She even had to do an incredibly difficult flip mid-air before she was allowed toe back down. By the time she could take off the harness, the young woman¡¯s legs had turned into jelly and she was so dizzy that she had to hold onto one of the film crew members to keep herself steady. ¡°Jessie! Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just a little dizzy.¡± ¡°You should take a break now!¡± Her name was Jessie Landry. She was a 23-year-old woman who worked as a stunt double. Although she was a little young, she had been in this line of work for many years now and was one of the more experienced stunt doubles in the industry. All of the roles where Jessie had been the stunt double received widespread acim from fans. They all said that even her silhouette was ethereal and goddess-like. Many of the actresses who yed the lead role would specifically ask for her to be their stunt double as well. Jessie took the bottle of water that the crew member held out to her and ducked under the shade to drink it. The weight of the heavy, veiled hat and manyyers of costume made her exhausted. Just then, an assistant came over and said to her, ¡°Jessie, that¡¯s Miss Mabel¡¯s costume. You better be careful, or you¡¯ll have to pay for ruining it.¡± Jessie quickly lifted the hefty skirt and carried it in her arms before nodding. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll be careful.¡± Seeing how easy it was to bully Jessie, the assistant added, ¡°If Miss Mabel isn¡¯t pleased with the result, you¡¯ll have to shoot the scene again.¡± Jessie nodded. ¡°Yes, I got it.¡± The film crew¡¯s catering for their tea break arrived, and a plump young woman snatched two portions before running over to Jessie. ¡°Here, Jessie. I got one for you.¡± Jessie was starving by now. She was requested to start filming before she even finished her lunch, so she was pleased to have a snack to tide her over. Although it was only a slice of cake and a carton of milk, it was still enough to keep her stomach sated. ¡°Jessie, did you hear the news? The award-winning actor, Julian Gilmore is filming somewhere near here! Oh, gosh! I¡¯m so excited. I have a feeling I¡¯ll get to meet him.¡± Jessie¡¯s eyes lit up as well. ¡°Really? Are you sure?¡± ¡°I heard Mabel and her staff talking about it. She¡¯s even more excited than we are, and I¡¯m pretty sure her sources are reliable.¡± The plump young woman was Lexie Lopez who did odd jobs for the film crew and was good friends with Jessie. Jessie was the only one on set who didn¡¯t bully Lexie. In fact, Jessie often took care of Lexie, which was why Lexie would help Jessie out whenever she could. ¡°Jessie, you¡¯ve been the stunt double for the female lead so many times now. Why haven¡¯t you joined a filming project with Julian Gilmore? You might even get to act out scenes with him!¡± Lexie remarked. Jessie smiled. ¡°I wish I could too, but it¡¯s not that easy to join a project with an award-winning actor like him. Projects that hire him probably wouldn¡¯t be interested in an average stunt double like me.¡± ¡°I heard that he¡¯s filming a historical drama too. Oh, my. I¡¯ll get the chance to see him in a dashing, valiant role again! I¡¯ve been looking forward to it for so long now!¡± Lexie eximed with a look of infatuation. There were a few more scenes that required the stunt wireter that afternoon. Once everything was over, Jessie went back to a tent alone and rolled up her white T-shirt. She took out the ointment she prepared and skillfully rubbed it onto her skin. There were faint splotches of bruising along her waist that were a result of wearing the stunt wire. Jessie dozed off during the ride back to the hotel. The van had arrived back at the hotel by the time she opened her eyes again. It was a three-star hotel, and she shared a room with Lexie. After dinner, Lexie grabbed Jessie enthusiastically. ¡°Jessie, Julian Gilmore¡¯s car is here! Hurry up. It¡¯s just outside the five-star hotel opposite us. Maybe we¡¯ll get to see him!¡± ¡°His fans would¡¯ve already formed a human barricade around him by now. What makes you think we can squeeze past them?¡± All Jessie wanted to do was rest. ¡°Well, we might get lucky. Come on! Come with me! Please, my dearest Jessie.¡± Lexie tried to coax Jessie intoing with her. She didn¡¯t think it would be as fun if she went alone. Jessie couldn¡¯t put up a fight against Lexie, so she had no choice but to drag her weary body out the door. The two women crossed the road to head to the hotel opposite them. Along the way, they saw hordes of screaming fans rushing over as they cried, ¡°Julian Gilmore! My love!¡± After being in the industry for so long, Jessie knew very well just how frenzied fans could get. Julian had won the award for best actor for four years in a row now. He was the most renowned male celebrity by far, and thus, his fans were even more passionate than others. ¡°Look at the crowd, Lexie. We won¡¯t get to see him!¡± Jessie would much rather go back to the room to sleep, but as a huge fan of Julian, Lexie was not going to give up the opportunity to see her celebrity crush so easily. Just one look is good enough. Lexie might be chubby, but she could run, especially when she could meet her idol. Jessie had no choice but to get dragged along with her friend. Just then, three ck off-road vehicles showed up around the corner. One look, and they knew someone important must be in these cars. An excited Lexie gasped. ¡°Whoa, that¡¯s Julian¡¯s car!¡± Jessie stared at the cars, but their tinted windows stopped them from seeing who was inside. Lexie dragged Jessie forward once more. She might be in a hurry to see her idol, but she wouldn¡¯t leave her friend behind. And just like that, Jessie found herself jostling among a horde of raving fans. Their shouts were deafening. Lexie managed to squeeze herself forward, but just when she was about to get in the lead, some of the female fans shouted at her. ¡°Hey, stop pushing me!¡± a girl roared. ¡°I didn¡¯t push you!¡± Lexie turned around and snorted. ¡°This is our spot! You can¡¯t take it!¡± ¡°Sorry, sorry,¡± Jessie apologized. But Lexie couldn¡¯t care less. This was the best spot to meet Julian, and she would never back off. Thanks to her size, she managed to secure the best ce and even pushed her friend forward. Jessie felt embarrassed, but then the fans started roaring once more. The man of their dreams had made his appearance. He was in a ck shirt and a pair of ck pants, and his face was covered with a mask. Even though they could only see his eyes, the fans knew it was Julian. ¡°Oh my god, he¡¯s hot!¡± The fans¡¯ screams almost blew the roof off. Julian looked at his fans and waved at them. Just as he was about to head into the hotel, amotion broke out. Lexie was tussling with three girls, and it caused a little scene. Jessie had her back turned to Lexie. During the tussle, Lexie¡¯s butt bumped into Jessie, and the momentum sent Jessie staggering forward. She let out a gasp and fell uncontrobly toward Julian. Not even the bodyguards could stop her in time. Julian found himself crashing into a girl. She quickly wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. Silence fell over the crowd for a moment, but the fans quickly snapped out of it and cursed Jessie. How dare she hold our idol? That¡¯s an insult to him! She sullied him! Lexie covered her mouth in shock. Whoa. I did this? Did I push my friend into Julian¡¯s embrace? God, I want to hold Julian so much. Jessie was shocked as well. Her face was buried in his shirt, and all she could smell was the scent of Julian. She actually took a deep breath, but then someone said coldly, ¡°Take her away.¡± Julian spoke to his bodyguards, and they held her shoulder, pulling her off of Julian. She felt something wrapping itself around her hand. Feels like a chain. The moment she was pulled away, Lexie dragged her back into the crowd. Jessie stared down and saw a ne hanging from her wrist, much to her surprise. Is this his? ¡°Hey, Julian. A second!¡± she shouted after him. But Julian was already gone from everyone¡¯s sights. Only his bodyguards remained. Chapter 1331-1340 Chapter 1331-1340 ¡°Oh my god. You just hugged him. What does he smell like?¡± Lexie happily pulled her friend away from the crowd. The raving fans were leaving the spot as well. Jessie took Lexie to a quiet spot and held up the ne. ¡°I got this from him by ident. I have no idea what to do with it.¡± ¡°Whoa. How did you do that?¡± ¡°I have no idea. I don¡¯t want him to think I stole it, though. I didn¡¯t mean it.¡± She looked at the sp and was surprised to see that it was loose. No wonder he felt nothing when I pulled it off him. ¡°Alright, calm down. We¡¯ll just wait for him toe to us. Maybe we¡¯ll get to meet him up close and personal,¡± Lexie gushed. Jessie heaved a sigh. She was in a dilemma. Not once did she ever steal in her life, but now she had a ne that belonged to someone else in her hands. Julian had juste back to his room. Working non-stop for days had taken a toll on him. He decided to take a shower and get some sleep. Julian took his shirt off, revealing a perfectly sculpted body. He looked fine no matter what kind of shirt he wore. The guy had a perfect body. But Mr. Greek-God-Body felt something was missing. He touched his neck and realized his prized ne was gone. His mother gave it to him before she died, and that was a priceless piece of treasure to him. And now it¡¯s gone? He was reminded of the fan who hugged him earlier. Could it be her? Fury filled his eyes, and he quickly called his assistant. ¡°I lost my ne. Check the fan who hugged me just now.¡± ¡°The one your mother gave you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Julian seldom got angry, but now he was livid. That fan stole his ne. It was a breach of privacy, and moreover, that was his mother¡¯s gift. He would never let anyone touch it. Back in her hotel, Jessie found herself in a dilemma. How should I give this back to him? Should I really wait until he calls the cops on me? That¡¯s embarrassing. I should just give this back to him. I didn¡¯t mean to take it. It was just a reflex when the bodyguards were pulling me. What am I supposed to do? She closed her eyes. I need this job. The orphanage needs my money. The resources they get aren¡¯t enough to support them. Madam Yancy¡¯s not getting any younger. I can¡¯t lose this job. I¡¯m making the most money out of the guys in my batch. They¡¯re proud of me, and I can¡¯t let them down. She blinked and decided to do something risky. I¡¯m going to wait for him at the hotel tomorrow morning and give it back to him as well as apologize. It was a sleepless night for Jessie. She woke up at six thirty in the morning and left with nothing but a backpack. Wiley Hotel was the best five-star hotel in town. A lot of actors would stay here during work. Jessie just wanted to try her luck and see if Julian woulde out early. Not long after she got to the ce, she noticed a few fans staking the hotel out. Man, I am impressed. I¡¯d rather sleep than meet the guy, but this is something I have to do. Right after Jessie picked a spot to stand, someone mocked, ¡°Hey, that¡¯s the idiot who hugged Julian last night.¡± ¡°Yeah. What a sl*t. She needs to look in the mirror. I can¡¯t believe she tainted Julian.¡± ¡°She thinks Julian¡¯s going to fall for her because she¡¯s pretty. Yeah, right. She¡¯s ugly as f*ck. Dream on.¡± The fans kept staring at Jessie. Even though they called her ugly, they still were jealous of her looks. Dammit. Didn¡¯t see itst night, but this girl¡¯s hotter than some celebs. It stoked their mes of envy, and they only felt enmity toward Jessie. All the mockery was getting on Jessie¡¯s nerves. She turned around to face the stupid fans and exined, ¡°This is a misunderstanding. I didn¡¯t mean to do that.¡± ¡°Keep saying that.¡± ¡°I bet you think you¡¯re really pretty.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± A frown creased Jessie¡¯s forehead. ¡°Julian doesn¡¯t care. He¡¯s just going to think you¡¯re disgusting even if you want to sleep with him.¡± ¡°Hey, can you stop with the insults? Do you guys lose all your intelligence when you keep up with your idol¡¯s life?¡± Jessie started arguing. ¡°Hey, you hugged him first, and you expect us not to fight you? What the f*ck?¡± ¡°And why do you have to fight me? Just keep up with your favorite idol and leave me alone.¡± God, they¡¯re infuriating. ¡°No. You touch him, you¡­ Oh my god, he¡¯s here!¡± The fans noticed Julianing out. Even though he had bodyguards around him, they still saw him. Everyone stopped arguing with Jessie and tried to get the best spot to see their idol. Jessie was excited as well, but for a different reason. She whipped out the ne and held it tight in her hand, and then she approached him. It¡¯s still early and there aren¡¯t many fans around. I can get close. ¡°You¡¯re so hot, Julian!¡± ¡°Take care of yourself! Don¡¯t overwork!¡± ¡°Good luck at work today, Julian!¡± The girls who argued with Jessie earlier started fangirling over their idol. They kept smiling at Julian. But then someone approached Julian once more, much to their chagrin. This woman again? How many times does she have to do this? Jessie was running too fast. She didn¡¯t see the step and tripped over it, causing her to fall forward. She held someone¡¯s leg out of instinct as she screamed, and then she bumped into his crotch. The fans almost screamed in horror. This idiot did something even worse today! She sullied the one ce she shouldn¡¯t! Die, you creep! Die! The fans wanted nothing but blood. Once again, the bodyguard failed at his job, and heined silently. I can¡¯t believe someone would go that far. Jessie¡¯s ears were buzzing from the crash. When she snapped out of it, she noticed that she had just crashed into Julian¡¯s crotch. She quickly knelt on one knee and showed him the ne. Her face was red, and she stammered loudly, ¡°This is your ne. I pulled it off by identst night. Here, take it back!¡± Julian was annoyed by her behavior as well. That hurt. But when he saw the ne in her hand, he froze for a few moments. Eventually, he picked it up in disgust and told the bodyguard, ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± The bodyguards wouldn¡¯t let this fan hurt their employer again. They held her up by the arms and dragged her away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Julian. I didn¡¯t mean it, but the sp was loose. You¡¯d better get that fixed.¡± Julian didn¡¯t take a good look at her the night before, but now he turned around. She was annoying, but he still thought he should see who she was because of what she said. Jessie was staring at him as well. Her heart fluttered the moment their eyes met. His eyes are beautiful. No wonder people call him the most innocent celeb. The look in his eyes tells me everything I need to know. Unbeknownst to her, Julian was shocked as well. Impossible. She looks just like Queenie. He just had lunch with Queenie and Nigel the day prior when he was at work. Naturally, he was shocked to see someone who resembled Queenie so much. The difference was Queenie had the air of a wealthydy, while this one felt more down to earth. ¡°Let me go. You¡¯re hurting me.¡± Dammit, it¡¯s starting to hurt. The bodyguard shoved her away. ¡°I know you like him, but you have to be calm. Hurt him, and we¡¯ll hurt you.¡± The fans thought they were going crazy. Why is Julian staring at this hater? Because she¡¯s pretty? No, please! Don¡¯t fall for this hater, Julian. She¡¯s hot, but you can¡¯t fall for her! Julian was still staring at Jessie¡¯s face, spacing out. Jessie was about to leave, but she felt someone staring at her, so she turned around. Their gazes met once more, and she wondered why he was staring at her. Is there something on me that shouldn¡¯t be the? Awkwardly, she looked at herself, but there was nothing wrong with her. Julian knew Queenie was looking for her sister. Could she be the one? They look so simr. I almost can¡¯t differentiate them. She looked just like Queenie, at least to him. Jessie pursed her lips. I need to leave. I have work to do. ¡°A minute, please,¡± Julian finally said. He extended an invitation to her. ¡°Can you have breakfast with me?¡± Huh? This came as a bombshell to the fans and they felt like they could die out of sadness. Julian¡¯s asking a hater to have breakfast with him? ¡°Sorry, but I need to work.¡± She too was excited, but work took precedence for her. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Julian asked. ¡°Landry. Jessie Landry. I¡¯m a stuntwoman.¡± She turned around and told him her job. Okay, this makes the search easier. Jessie left while Julian got in his car. Only the fans were left, and they were stupefied and in disbelief. Does Julian really show preferential treatment to hot girls? Look at him. He was staring at her. God, I wish I were her. I would love to see him gaze at me. Jessie went into an alleyway, her heart still pounding. Gosh. Why did he ask for my name? Does he like me? She smacked her cheeks and told herself to wake up. Yeah, right. Not like that¡¯d happen. Maybe he only invited me because I gave him his ne back and he felt grateful. Lexie had just woken up when Jessie returned. She rubbed her eyes and asked, ¡°Where did you go?¡± ¡°To return the ne.¡± ¡°Did you see him?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Oh my gosh. Why didn¡¯t you wake me up?¡± I should¡¯ve woken up earlier. Julian was having breakfast in a restaurant alone, but he gave Nigel and Queenie a video call. ¡°Hi, Julian. Did something happen?¡± Nigel asked curiously. Just now, Julian had texted them to take his video call. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. ¡°I met a fan earlier. She looks just like Queenie. I think she might be her sister.¡± ¡°Really? How much does she resemble me?¡± Queenie was excited. ¡°Let¡¯s put it this way. I thought I was looking at you when I saw her for the first time. She¡¯s about your age and height, and her name is Jessie Landry. She¡¯s a stuntwoman.¡± ¡°We should go, Nigel. I¡¯d like to see Miss Landry myself,¡± Queenie suggested. ¡°Sure, let¡¯s take a flight there this afternoon.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± Julian nodded. ¡°Can you contact her?¡± ¡°Sure thing. My assistant will do it right now.¡± ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll being over today.¡± At Averna. The video call had ended, and Queenie was hugging Nigel in excitement. ¡°If Julian thought he was looking at me, then Miss Landry might really be my sister. I need to see her.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell them to prepare the ne. We can also take the opportunity to tour the ce, but let¡¯s pack up first.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Queenie nodded. She couldn¡¯t wait to see this woman. Same age, same height, and the same face. Excitement welled up within her. She would love to have found her sister before her parents came back. That would ease the pain they had felt for so long. Jessie and Lexie were in a van going up an uneven path. It was a bumpy ride, and they were spacing out. They were on their way up the mountain to shoot a scene, but the trip alone would take two hours. The film set was at a really high level above the sea. All Jessie could think of was what happened earlier in the morning. She was a veteran in this industry. She had met tons of celebrities, but it was rare to be able to meet someone at the apex of this industry. That was why the meeting shook her, especially when he invited her out for breakfast. She couldn¡¯t understand why he did that. ¡°We¡¯re here. It¡¯s going to be a rough day for you. You¡¯re still injured.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that out loud. I don¡¯t want the director to give me a day off.¡± She needed this job. Work was hard, but the money was good. Back at the hotel, Julian was looking at the photo of Jessie. His assistant had gotten him her details. Even though this was the second time he saw her face, it still shocked him. She looks just like Queenie. Perhaps she is her sister. He snapped a photo of Jessie and sent it to Nigel. Nigel and Queenie were already at the airport. Nigel was stunned for a moment when he saw the photo as well. Oh my god, she looks just like Queenie. ¡°I got the photo, Queenie.¡± He quickly handed the phone over to her. One look at the photo, and Queenie started tearing up. ¡°She¡¯s my sister. What do you think?¡± Nigel nodded. Bonnie¡¯s face looked fake, but this one was the real deal. He thought she must be Queenie¡¯s real sister. ¡°We¡¯ll know once we meet her and run a DNA test,¡± he said. Meanwhile, Jessie had juste off the stunt wire. Before she could even catch a breath, Lexie quickly handed Jessie her phone. ¡°You have three missed calls, Jessie.¡± ¡°Who is it from?¡± a surprised Jessie asked. ¡°No idea. I heard the ringtone, but the caller hung up before I could pick it up. You should call them back.¡± Lexie turned a fan on to cool Jessie down. Jessie sat down and looked at her phone. All three calls hade from the same number. Whom can it be? She made the call while gulping down some water. I¡¯m thirsty. And then the call went through. She asked, ¡°Hi, may I know who you are?¡± She took another big swig of water. A calm, sexy voice said, ¡°Hi, it¡¯s Julian Gilmore.¡± Jessie spat out all her water. Never in her wildest imagination did she expect Julian to give her a call. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± Julian asked curiously. ¡°N-Nothing. Do you need anything?¡± Jessie was almost stammering, but then a shrill voice spoke. ¡°Hey, you got your water all over Miss Cotton¡¯s dress. Watch it!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean it.¡± Jessie covered her phone and apologized to Mabel. But Mabel did not look happy at all. She already disliked Jessie in the first ce, and now, everyone was saying that she looked better than Mabel. Mabel had long been trying to find an excuse to sabotage her, and a perfect one justnded on herp. ¡°Get some tissues and wipe it off, Jessie,¡± she ordered. Jessie put her phone down, crouched down, and quickly wiped the patch off with some tissues. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Cotton. I didn¡¯t mean to do that. I was just careless.¡± She kept apologizing as she wiped Mabel¡¯s dress off. All of a sudden, Mabel kicked her in the chest, and Jessie fell back down. Her head hit the desk, and a thud followed. Even with the helmet on, the pain still made her pale. Julian heard the sound of the knock as well. Her gasp didn¡¯t escape him either. ¡°She said sorry. Why did you kick her?¡± Lexie came to her friend¡¯s defense. She hated all things injustice. ¡°She did something wrong, so of course, she has to be punished. Don¡¯t you see? She sullied my dress. This piece of trash sullied my dress. And this dress costs tens of thousands of dors. Getting off with a kick is merciful.¡± Mabel sneered and left the scene. ¡°Are you alright, Jessie?¡± Mabel quickly asked. ¡°Ow, ow, ow¡­¡± The pain only started to register there and then, but she remembered that the call was still on. Quickly, she picked it up. Oh, he¡¯s still there. She asked, ¡°Hey, are you still there?¡± ¡°Yes. Did someone harass you?¡± he asked. There was concern in his voice. This happened because I took this call. She put on a tough act and answered, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Do you need anything?¡± ¡°We need a stuntwoman. Can youe over this afternoon?¡± ¡°Sure. I have time,¡± she answered right away. She weed all stunt jobs. ¡°Meet me at the hotel this afternoon.¡± Then, he hung up. But Jessie was still in a daze. That was one big surprise. Julian called me himself and gave me a role. But how did he get my number? ¡°Who was that? Did you get a new job?¡± Lexie looked at her curiously. ¡°Yeah, and guess who hired me?¡± Jessie asked happily. ¡°Who?¡± Lexie blinked. Jessie beckoned her friend toe closer. ¡°Come closer.¡± When Lexie huddled closer, Jessie whispered, ¡°That was Julian. He said his team needs a stuntwoman.¡± Lexie shrieked, ¡°JU¡ª¡± But Jessie covered her friend¡¯s mouth at light speed. She¡¯s going to shout out his name and I can¡¯t have that happening. ¡°Quiet. I don¡¯t want anyone to find out, soy low,¡± Jessie hissed. Still, her friend gave her a tight hug. ¡°You¡¯re so lucky, Jessie. Julian called you? The Julian Gilmore? So, you have his number? You have to give it to me.¡± ¡°And will you call him even if I do?¡± Jessie smiled. Lexie lowered her head sheepishly. ¡°No.¡± Jessie touched the back of her head. He actually was worried about me. She felt a little sweet about it. ¡°Your turn, Jessie. Come up.¡± Oh, time to work. She quickly ran to the stunt wire. She was Mabel¡¯s stuntwoman, and hanging in the air while swinging the prop sword around was dangerous. Mabel was standing before the actor who was going to shoot his scene. She whispered, ¡°Teach that stuntwoman a lesson.¡± ¡°Did she cross you, Mabel?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a thorn in my side. What¡¯s with the team? Are they penniless or what? She can¡¯t even do stunts properly.¡± Mabel gnashed her teeth. Just looking at Jessie made her mad. ¡°Leave it to me.¡± The guy would do anything to please Mabel. He wanted to get more jobs. The director shouted action and Jessie was pulled up into the air. She did a backflip and thrust her prop ahead. The supporting actor was hanging in the air as well. He too shoved a de at Jessie. It was supposed to be a feint, but the guy aimed for Jessie¡¯s face. She quickly pushed the prop away, but it had made a cut on her palm. The director shouted, ¡°Be careful!¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. Sorry, Jessie. Get that bandagedter.¡± The apology meant nothing. Jessie had to go on working with the injury. Her hand was still bleeding when she got off the stunt wire, and a medic came to bandage her wound. Jessie looked at Mabel. She was drinking a cup of coffee, giving her a smug look. Jessie was furious, but she couldn¡¯t do anything about it. The lead actors always had an air of superiority about them, and stunt doubles like her could do nothing about it. This wasn¡¯t the first time she was treated badly, but all she could do was hold her anger and grievance in. She needed the job. Meanwhile, a private jet hadnded at the airport. A momentter, Queenie and Nigel emerged from the VIP passage, followed by four bodyguards and two assistants. A lot of people had their eyes on them. Some even thought they were a celebrity couple, but then they didn¡¯t look like celebrities. To be exact, the two of them felt regal. The public figured that they were wealthy people. The man was slender and handsome while his partner was slim, fair, and innocent. They looked better than any celebrity. They got in the car at the entrance of the airport, and Queenie took out the picture to look at it again. She was very much looking forward to meeting Jessie. Every time she looked at the photo, she would get a feeling that Jessie must be her missing sister. Just then, someone texted Jessie¡¯s details to Nigel. ¡°Here are the details. You should take a look.¡± He whipped out an iPad and erged the file so Queenie could see everything. ¡°She grew up in an orphanage?¡± Queenie shouted. ¡°Then, this settles it. She¡¯s my sister. I¡¯m sure she is.¡± Nigel nodded. ¡°And you¡¯re going to meet her soon.¡± Queenie went through all the details. Her age and height are the same as mine. She stared out the window, excitement filling her eyes. I¡¯m finally meeting my real sister. The couple arrived at Julian¡¯s suite, and Julian scanned Queenie from head to toe. ¡°She looks just like you.¡± ¡°And when can shee?¡± ¡°She¡¯s still at work, but I told her to meet me here. She should be here in a bit.¡± Queenie wanted to look for Jessie herself, but since Jessie was working, she decided to wait. The sun was setting, dragging out Jessie¡¯s shadow behind her. Her hair billowed in the wind, and she found herself standing before the hotel. Nervously, she called Julian. The moment Julian¡¯s phone rang, he picked up his phone while saying, ¡°She¡¯s here, Queenie. My assistant will bring her to us.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Julian then answered the call. ¡°Are you here, Jessie?¡± ¡°Yes. Right outside the hotel. May Ie in?¡± ¡°My assistant will show you the way.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Julian hung up and called his assistant. The assistant was downstairs, and when she caught sight of Jessie, she hung up and walked toward her. ¡°Come with me, Jessie.¡± Jessie nodded and followed the assistant as fast as she could, feeling nervous. I¡¯m about to meet Julian, the top guy in the industry. Every female celebrity would die to work with him. What¡¯s more, he only shoots one piece of work per year, but all of his works be instant ssics. While she was in the elevator, Jessie looked at her reflection. She had taken a shower and changed into a new set of clothes before she came to see him. Work had got her all sweaty earlier. The assistant knocked on the door, and someone opened it. Jessie thought it was Julian, but when she saw who it was, she froze. The woman who opened the door looked just like her. It felt like she was staring into a mirror. Queenie heaved a sigh of relief the moment she saw Jessie. No need for the test. This is my real sister. ¡°Come in, Miss Landry.¡± She gave Jessie a gentle smile. ¡°And you are¡­¡± Jessie blinked in disbelief. ¡°I¡¯m Queenie. We should talk.¡± Jessie noticed two men standing at the doorstep. One was Julian, and the other was an equally handsome young man. It made her nervous. What¡¯s going on? Are they directors or investors or something? Jessie entered the room anxiously. Queenie felt a little sad seeing her so fidgety, so she pointed at the sofa and said gently, ¡°Sit. Let¡¯s talk.¡± It was when Jessie sat down that Queenie noticed the wound on her hand. She asked, ¡°Are you hurt? Are you alright? Do you need a doctor?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m fine.¡± Jessie shook her head, surprised that this woman was so nice to her. Her eyes never left Queenie, and for some reason, she felt close to her. Who is thisdy who looks just like me? Queenie took a deep breath. ¡°I believe I¡¯ve said this, but I¡¯m Queenie, and I have a twin sister, but she¡¯s missing. My family and I have been looking for her, and I think you¡¯re the one we¡¯re looking for. Would you be open to a DNA test? For verification?¡± Jessie¡¯s eyes went wide with surprise. Does she have a twin sister? And then she was reminded of her own life. Ever since she was a child, the orphanage was the only home she knew. Like everyone there, she thought she was abandoned. Never did she expect her family to seek her out. ¡°I-I¡¯m open for the test.¡± She bit her lip. Even though she never met her family, not one day had passed when she never stopped thinking about them. Everyone in the orphanage wanted a family. She was no exception. ¡°Let¡¯s go. There¡¯s a test center right here in town. We can make it if we go right now.¡± Queenie held her hand. ¡°Come.¡± Jessie nodded. She thought this woman felt familiar. No matter who she was, Jessie was willing to do the test. A car was waiting for them outside. Queenie and Nigel led Jessie downstairs. Just as they stepped into the elevator, the twodies stared at Queenie and Jessie. One of them asked curiously, ¡°Are you twins? You look alike.¡± Queenie and Jessie exchanged a smile. Yeah, we are. Even others think we¡¯re twins. Nigel¡¯s motorcade sped to the test center and managed to make thest session for the day. Queenie was scared of having her blood drawn, but as she watched the needle being inserted into her skin, all she felt was delight and anticipation. The same thing went for Jessie. She was staring at the woman beside her, hoping she was really her sister, though she didn¡¯t hold her breath. But if she¡¯s really my sister, then I¡¯ll have a family. She knew luck seldom stood on her side though, and fate might not take her side that day. Until the results were out, everything was still uncertain. After the blood extraction, Nigel told his assistant to stay around for the results while they returned to the hotel. They had to wait for three hours before the results would be out. Queenie held Jessie¡¯s hand throughout the entire journey back. Jessie followed them back to Julian¡¯s room, and the first thing she saw was Julian in casual wear. It made her blush, and her heart thumped. That wasn¡¯t her fault. She was in the bottom tier of the industry, and all she could do was look up to everyone. Not to mention Julian was the man of many young women¡¯s dreams. Queenie and Jessie sat down right in front of Julian. Thetter stared at the ground, but she could feel someone staring at her, and she held Queenie¡¯s hand tighter. Her cheeks were burning, and she felt them turning redder. Fortunately, the room¡¯s lights managed to cover the sheen of red on her face. Julian thought she looked clean and innocent with her ponytail, white T-shirt, and jeans. It was his first time seeing twins who looked so alike. Naturally, he kept looking at both of them, but he wouldn¡¯t stare at his friend¡¯s betrothed, so he rested his chin on the back of his hand and stared at Jessie. She¡¯s a stuntwoman, but she looks like a lead actress, and my senses tell me she will steal the show every time she shows up on camera. She¡¯s slim and beautiful, and her face is perfect. ¡°Have you always been a stuntwoman?¡± Julian asked curiously. ¡°Yes. Ever since I was eighteen.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t go to college?¡± Queenie looked at her gently. She wasn¡¯t looking down on Jessie. She just felt for her. Jessie shook her head. ¡°I started working after high school. The orphanage needs a lot of money to run. They couldn¡¯t pay for college, while I wanted to make some money fast.¡± Everyone could feel the determination that Jessie was giving off. She might not have received tertiary education, but the fact she helped the orphanage out was worthy of praise. A frown creased Julian¡¯s forehead. ¡°Has nobody ever asked you to y a role?¡± Based on her looks, it¡¯s very likely that directors would offer her an acting role in a film. Jessie pursed her lips. A moment of hesitationter, she nodded. ¡°Someone did, but I refused.¡± She could still remember the day her director said she could get the role of a tritagonist. It was exciting news, but that night, the same director wanted to talk with her in a nightclub. She refused him. She would never sleep with anyone for any role. Hard work, she would endure. Immoral transactions, she wouldn¡¯t. Julian finally understood what she was talking about, which was a miracle. Ever since he debuted, he never ran into the dark side of the industry. ¡°Even if you weren¡¯t my sister, I¡¯d still help you and the orphanage,¡± Queenie said. Jessie¡¯s eyes lit up, and she held Queenie¡¯s hand gratefully. ¡°Really? You don¡¯t have to help me, but it¡¯d be great if you could help the kids.¡± ¡°Yes. I can donate a sum of money to the orphanage every year and tide them over.¡± Queenie nodded seriously. The gentlemen exchanged a look. They had a feeling these women were real sisters. There was something simr about them; something kind and innocent. ¡°We should have dinner,¡± Julian suggested. It was already seven. Jessie looked at the time and stood up. ¡°I should be leaving now.¡± Queenie stood up and held her hand. ¡°Stay with us, Jessie.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯m not even sure if I¡¯m your sister.¡± Jessie was taught never to take advantage of anyone. She really wanted to have dinner with Julian, but still, she wouldn¡¯t exploit the situation. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. We can still be friends,¡± Queenie answered adamantly. She liked Jessie, and she had a feeling Jessie was her sister. ¡°Come, Miss Landry. I¡¯d like to talk about your role in my film,¡± Julian said. Oh, more work? She happily nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± The four of them went down to the restaurant, and then Queenie¡¯s phone rang. She looked at it. It¡¯s from thepany. She turned to nce at Julian. ¡°You and Jessie go ahead. I need to take this call.¡± ¡°Sure. Nigel can apany you. I¡¯ll take Miss Landry inside.¡± Julian was more than happy to help. Jessie could be his friend¡¯s sister-inw, after all. Queenie and Nigel went to another table, while Julian led Jessie to the restaurant. At the same time, Mabel and her assistant came in from the other corridor. When Mable saw Julian, all she wanted to do was say hi, but when she saw Jessie beside him, her eyes went wide with shock. She couldn¡¯t believe Jessie was chatting with Julian. ¡°Does she think she¡¯s so hot that she can make him fall for her?¡± Mabel thought Jessie was trying to seduce Julian. Everyone in this industry who wanted to do that only had one goal: to get a role in any film that starred him. Mabel might be a B-lister now, but she would still take any role in any film that starred Julian. And that lowly stuntwoman thinks she can get a role? ¡°You should say hi. This isn¡¯t a chance you get every day,¡± the assistant gushed. Mabel looked at her reflection in the wall made of ss. Good thing I reapplied my makeup before I came down. I still look good. She quickly went after Julian, though she would never be bold enough to hit on him. However, Jessie was around. She could pretend to say hi and approach Julian that way. ¡°Jessie?¡± She called out to Jessie. ¡°What a coincidence!¡± Jessie turned around and saw Mabel and her assistant. She said, ¡°Hi, Mabel. Here for dinner too?¡± ¡°Yeah, what are the odds, huh? Oh my god, Mr. Gilmore, you¡¯re here too!¡± She stared at Julian with sparkling eyes. Now that she had reached her goal, there was no need to talk to Jessie anymore. Julian had no idea who this woman was, but he thought he heard her voice before. She kicked Jessie today and made her bump her head. ¡°Is she the one who harassed you today, Jessie?¡± Julian suddenly turned around. Jessie was a little surprised. Is he trying to help me? ¡°What did you say to him? I never harassed you.¡± Mabel was miffed. She couldn¡¯t believe Jessie would snitch on her. Now he¡¯s going to think I¡¯m evil. This is all her fault. Jessie was scared. On the one hand, she had to face the lead actress of the set she was in, on the other, she had to answer Julian. This was a hard case to settle. Julian saw through her, and he smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m here. Nobody can force you to lie.¡± But she¡¯s still giving me a killer look. I still have to work for her. If I get on her wrong side, it¡¯d be bad for me. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be a stuntwoman anymore. Come to my set. You can be the tritagonist.¡± Julian offered her a role right away. Jessie¡¯s mind was nk for a few moments. I am a tritagonist in Julian¡¯s film? But that¡¯s a role even the best celebrities have topete for. Why did he give it to me just like that? With envy in her eyes, Mabel shot Jessie a re. At the same time, she quickly put on a smile and made a request. ¡°Do you need any more actresses, Mr. Gilmore? May I have¡ª¡± Julian shot her an icy look. ¡°Harass her again, and you will be kicked out of the industry.¡± That was a warning and threat. Mabel sped her mouth shut right away. What did I do wrong? Was it because I kicked that woman this morning? She thought Jessie must have slept with Julian. Why else did he help her? And he even gave her a role. It¡¯s either they¡¯ve been sleeping or nothing else. Mabel bit her lip and scurried off with her assistant. Staying around would only invite Julian¡¯s ire. She med Jessie again. Tomorrow I¡¯ll sabotage the stunt wire. I hope she falls and breaks her leg. Queenie was dealing with work on the phone. Just then, Nigel¡¯s phone rang as well. He looked at it and picked it up. ¡°Did you get the results?¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the assistant answered. ¡°Did you get it?¡± Queenie ended her call and looked at Nigel with excitement in her eyes. ¡°Send it to me,¡± Nigel ordered. He received the results right after he hung up. Nigel looked at his phone and handed it to Queenie. ¡°You open it.¡± Queenie took a deep breath. She closed her eyes and said her prayer before she opened the file. She erged it and scrolled to the bottom. The moment she saw what it said, she covered her mouth, and tears streamed down her cheeks. And then she hugged Nigel. Hoarsely, she said, ¡°We¡¯re sisters. She¡¯s my sister. I found my sister.¡± Nigel was happy for her. He hugged her back and said, ¡°Let¡¯s tell Jessie the good news.¡± Queenie thought this result was given, but it was still delightful to see the decision with her own eyes. It felt like she found a priceless treasure. The girl her parents had been looking for was finally found. This time, it was not a fake. Jessie was her actual sister. Jessie and Julian entered a luxurious room. The moment the door was closed, she found herself alone with a handsome and charismatic man. Even breathing felt difficult in his presence. She couldn¡¯t even muster the courage to start a conversation. In the end, she looked at his ne and pointed at it. ¡°Did you fix your ne?¡± Chapter 1341-1350 Chapter 1341-1350 That amused Julian. ¡°I thought you were a thief.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it. My friend was arguing with your fans and she shoved me by ident, so I grabbed onto you. Your bodyguards scared me, so I yanked the ne off,¡± she exined sheepishly. Julian sat down and rested his chin on his hand. He thought she was cute when she exined things. As the older sister, Queenie was calm and collected, while as the younger sister, Jessie was adorable. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I don¡¯t me you.¡± He even poured some tea for her, much to her surprise. Jessie stood up. Just then, someone opened the door. Before Jessie could tell what was going on, someone dashed toward her and gave her a big hug. ¡°You¡¯re my sister, Jessie. You¡¯re my sister!¡± It was Queenie. She was crying tears of joy. Jessie¡¯s eyes went wide with surprise. She couldn¡¯t believe Queenie was her actual sister. ¡°Y-You¡¯re actually my sister?¡± She held Queenie¡¯s shoulder and gave the crying Queenie a tissue. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m your sister. Dad and Mom have been waiting for you toe home.¡± Queenie was sobbing. Words couldn¡¯t describe how she felt. Back when her fake sister came back, she did feel happy, but it wasn¡¯t like how she felt now. She truly felt connected to Jessie. Jessie started crying as well. She muttered under her breath, ¡°I finally found my family.¡± The gentlemen were moved by the reunion as well, and they exchanged a look. This was one of the best things that could happen to someone. ¡°We¡¯ve been searching for you. For twenty years.¡± Queenie found it hard to calm down. Tears were still streaming down her cheeks. Nigel quickly helped her sit down and wiped her tears with some tissue, but Queenie was wiping off Jessie¡¯s tears instead. ¡°We¡¯ll go home in a couple of days. You can see Dad and Mom.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jessie nodded through sobs. She yearned for family and familial love. Now that she knew she wasn¡¯t abandoned, she felt a surge of warmth in her heart to know her family had always been looking for her. Julian rested his chin on his hand. His gaze was fixed on Jessie¡¯s face for a long time. Queenie finally calmed down a little. Everyone must be hungry. She smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s eat. Don¡¯t starve yourself.¡± Before she made any order, Queenie would ask Jessie if she liked it. She wanted to know if Jessie was allergic to anything, but fortunately, Jessie was no picky eater, nor was she allergic to anything. She never came to restaurants as expensive as this one before. ¡°I¡¯m fine with anything, Queenie.¡± Jessie was starting to get reliant on Queenie. She was her sister. Her family. The gentlemen said nothing and let thedies do whatever they wanted. As Nigel watched Queenie taking care of Jessie, he thought, She will be a wonderful mother. And he was relieved as well. Now that Jessie was found, Queenie would no longer have to worry about the search. We can finally hold the wedding. A sense of achievement welled within Julian¡¯s heart. He found Queenie¡¯s long-lost sister. I should have seen herst night, but it was dark, and I got annoyed because I thought she was a fan. Good thing she tore my ne off. Thanks to that, we met again this morning. If she hadn¡¯t done that, he would have missed her. Even though they were in the same industry, he might never see her again. She was a stuntwoman who could never show her face on camera. Even if Queenie could find her, it would take a while. For some reason, he thought fate guided him to this meeting. Of all nights he could lose his ne, it had to be the night she showed up, and she even took it with her, which led to this meeting. ¡°Are you still working, Jessie? I¡¯d like you to meet Dad and Mom as soon as possible,¡± Queenie asked. Well, I crossed Mabel. I can¡¯t be her stuntwoman anymore, so I¡¯ll quit tomorrow. I don¡¯t care about the money. I want to see my family. ¡°I¡¯ll quit my job tomorrow and go home with you,¡± Jessie answered. Julian arched his eyebrow. ¡°You don¡¯t have to work as a stuntwoman anymore. If you like this industry, you can work with me. I¡¯ll show you the ropes,¡± he saidnguidly. There was excitement and gratitude in Jessie¡¯s eyes. She nodded. ¡°I love acting.¡± Even though she had been nothing but a stuntwoman for years, she still had a passion for acting. Every time she showed up, she put her heart and soul into it. Even though all the viewers could see was her back, she would still give it her all. She would have joined the industry if not for the dark side of it. Thanks to her skills, she managed to stay around. A lot of directors loved to hire her due to her industrious attitude and cheap rates. ¡°We¡¯re counting on you, Julian. Take care of her.¡± Nigel patted his friend¡¯s shoulder. He was entrusting Jessie to him. Julian nodded. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Thank you, Julian. I¡¯d love for her to be a big star.¡± Queenie smiled. We¡¯ll give her the best of what we have. Jessie blushed. She pursed her lips and answered humbly, ¡°That¡¯s a big dream. I¡¯d already be happy with being able to act.¡± ¡°And you¡¯ll get all the roles you want if you work with him. He¡¯s the darling of the industry.¡± Nigel laughed. Queenie froze for a moment. Julian was a mysterious man, and nobody knew what he did before he debuted. Now that she had the chance, Queenie asked, ¡°So what¡¯s his family business?¡± ¡°Stardom Corporation¡¯s boss is his brother.¡± Thedies exchanged a look of surprise. None of them expected Julian to be a part of Stardom Corporation. That was the top multinational entertainmentpany in the nation and one of the best entertainmentpanies around. Julian smiled humbly. ¡°My brother¡¯s the reason Stardom got so far. I¡¯m just an employee working for him.¡± Wow. An award-winning actor calling himself an employee. ¡°Can you get Jessie a spot in Stardom? We¡¯d love for her to be a part of yourpany,¡± Queenie said. Julian answered without hesitation, ¡°Sure. She can work in Stardom.¡± Jessie was still a little bemused. Whoa. I was just a stuntwoman a while ago, and now I¡¯m a part of Stardom. Every celebrity would kill to get a spot in that ce. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Jessie. You have our full support,¡± Queenie added. Yep. She¡¯s my sister. I can give her everything, even if it means I have nothing. I never felt the same way with that fake. Jessie teared up. She was moved, and it felt good to be spoiled. She nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Her phone rang, and she looked at it. ¡°It¡¯s the director. I need to take this call.¡± Jessie left the room to take the call. As expected, her director hissed, ¡°Mabel told me you¡¯re too good for us now. If you want to leave, leave.¡± ¡°Sorry, sir. I can¡¯t keep going on now, yeah.¡± ¡°Oh, someone got herself a new boss. Bigger and better, I assume?¡± the director remarked sarcastically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°If you leave halfway through, I won¡¯t pay you.¡± ¡°I know. I won¡¯t being tomorrow, then.¡± She hung up and heaved a sigh of relief. From now on, I don¡¯t have to bow down to anyone. From now on, I can confidently say no to the things I don¡¯t want to do. That night, Jessie checked out of the hotel and packed her stuff. Lexie was reluctant to see her go, and Jessie gave her a few gifts before she said goodbye. We can still keep in touch. She returned to the hotel and stayed in the same room as Queenie. Thedies sat on the sofa and started chatting. Queenie wanted to know how Jessie grew up. After Jessie went missing, she was taken to an orphanage. Fortunately, it was run by a kind director. She watched over her like a mother. After she graduated high school, Jessie started working to repay her debt of gratitude. ¡°Madam Yancy is nice to me. Aside from the poverty andck of college education, I grew up happily.¡± She smiled. But Queenie felt a strong sense of guilt. Her heart went out to her sister. Unlike her, Jessie never had the love and wealth the Silversteins showered on Queenie. Instead of chasing her dreams, Jessie was forced to drop out of school and work. Queenie held her sister in her embrace. Jessie leaned on her chest. She consoled, ¡°Don¡¯t feel sad for me, Queenie. My life was never really hard.¡± There were tears in Jessie¡¯s eyes as well, but there was also determination. The environment she grew up in sculpted her into a tough person. ¡°From now on, anything you want, I¡¯ll help you with it,¡± Queenie promised. ¡°I don¡¯t need anything. I just want to stay with you, Dad, and Mom. And I wanna take care of the orphanage and have a job that I like. That¡¯s enough for me,¡± Jessie said. She was not a greedy person. That was all she wanted. Queenie had told their parents toe home as soon as possible, and their reply finally came back. Since she said it was urgent, Brandon told her they would be flying home that night. ¡°Dad and Mom¡¯s coming home. I didn¡¯t tell them about you in case they got too excited. But I¡¯d like to take you home and surprise them.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Jessie nodded. The sisters chatted until two in the morning. They would have kept going, but they had a flight to board the next day and health was a concern. Jessie was lying on the soft bed, still awake. She sat up and stared at the moon outside. It had been a long time since she lost sleep. Everything that happened today felt like a dream. They had breakfast early the next morning. Nigel¡¯s ne was already waiting for them, and Julian would like to return to Averna for a while. He only came to this town for a little break, but now he wanted to be with his friends. They got to the airport and boarded the flight. Thedies chatted happily at first, but theirck of sleep caught up with them and they slowly dozed off. Queenie leaned on Nigel¡¯s shoulder and fell asleep a whileter, while Jessie was resting her head on the armrest of the sofa. The air stewardess came by and covered them with some nkets. Julian was sitting beside Jessie. Though he was reading a book, he couldn¡¯t help but notice the beautiful face that was just within his range of sight. Wisps of ck hair were scattered across her gentle, attractive features. Julian¡¯s heart stirred a little. He was too distracted to read. In the end, he put his book down and nced at Nigel, who was taking a nap with Queenie nestled in his arms. Nigel clearly didn¡¯t sleep wellst night. It was as if Julian was the only one who had a good night¡¯s rest. Just then, the ne hit a bout of turbulence and Jessie was startled awake. In her fright, her hands scrambled to grab onto something and ended up grabbing onto Julian¡¯s arm. Jessie had never gone on a ne ride before. She was noticeably pale with anxiety. ¡°Rx. Everything¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just a bit of turbulence.¡± Julian patted Jessie on the shoulder. However, Jessie couldn¡¯t ovee her fear just yet. She squeezed her eyes shut and started gasping a little. Julian raised the armrest between them and asked Jessie, ¡°Are you still afraid?¡± Jessie nodded. She was paralyzed with fear right now and couldn¡¯t calm down despite knowing that nothing was going to happen to the ne. Julian reached out and held her shoulders. ¡°Hold me.¡± Jessie froze in shock, but the turbulence started getting stronger. Terrified, she wrapped her arms around him shyly and closed her eyes as she buried her head against his chest. The scent of him that she took in with every breath seemed to chip away at her fear. While Julian was busyforting Jessie, Nigel opened his eyes and saw the two of them in an embrace. All of a sudden, a thought struck him. Now that I think about it, it¡¯d be great if Julian and I end up being brothers-inw. The four of them would be family. Nigel¡¯s lips curved into a small smile. Looks like I¡¯ll have to try my hand at ying matchmaker. Atst, the turbulence stopped and Jessie scuttled away from Julian feeling slightly embarrassed. She pulled the armrest back down before muttering, ¡°Thank you.¡± Julian had felt a pang when the warmth in his arms disappeared. He shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Soon, theynded at the airport. Queenie received a call from Brandon asking where she was the moment she stepped out of the ne. Brandon and Maggie had arrived home. ¡°Dad, you and Mom must stay in the house and not go anywhere, okay? I¡¯ll be right there,¡± Queenie said. ¡°Where on earth are you? What¡¯s the important matter that you mentioned?¡± Brandon asked a little anxiously. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me now, Dad. You¡¯ll find out once I get home.¡± Queenie evaded the question before reminding them yet again, ¡°Remember not to go out!¡± Nigel¡¯s men rushed them over to Silverstein Residence at once. Jessie had grown up in Averna as well, but she used to live in an orphanage on the poorer side of town. In fact, she didn¡¯t know how she ended up at the orphanage. The car swept past the bustling city center and business district. Silverstein Residence was situated in the luxurious neighborhood in this area. Julian had gone home, so it was only the other three who were heading to Silverstein Residence. Meanwhile, Brandon and Maggie had just gotten off a long flight and were resting at home. Although Maggie was d to be home, her mood soured when she recalled how Nina had pretended to be her daughter. Bonnie was the name the Silverstein couple had given their youngest daughter, but now that the imposter had used that name, it stung the couple even harder. ¡°Let¡¯s not use the name Bonnie anymore if our youngest daughteres back in the future,¡± Maggie said. Brandon nodded in agreement, but he wondered, When will our youngest daughtere home? ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll even live to see her.¡± Maggie choked up. ¡°How many more years do we have? Ten? Twenty? What if we never get to see her again? I won¡¯t be able to die in peace!¡± Brandon patted Maggie on the back to console her. ¡°Don¡¯t think about that. I¡¯m sure our youngest daughter¡¯s fine, wherever she is.¡± All these years, Maggie had turned to spiritual beliefs to relieve her aching soul, yet no matter what she tried, she couldn¡¯te to terms with reality. Just then, a maid came running over. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Silverstein, Miss Queenie is back! I just saw Mr. Manson¡¯s car.¡± ¡°She¡¯s back atst! I wonder what¡¯s the important thing that she insisted on telling us about.¡± ¡°It could be about the engagement,¡± Maggie suggested. We should start nning Queenie¡¯s wedding. The Silverstein couple stood at the door and watched as Nigel¡¯s car pulled into the driveway. Meanwhile, inside the car, Queenie turned to Jessie and said, ¡°You get down first, Jessie.¡± Jessie caught on to what Queenie was trying to do and smiled. ¡°Okay.¡± Jessie got out of the car and stared at the couple in front of her. She did her best to hold back all the emotions inside of her as she called out to them, ¡°Mom. Dad.¡± ¡°Now, Queenie, why did you rush us toe back as soon as possible? Hurry up and tell us what¡¯s going on. You¡¯ve made us so anxious!¡± Maggie grumbled as she eyed her daughter in vexation. ¡°Hang on. Queenie, when did your hair get so long? When did you dye it ck?¡± Brandon noticed the difference in her appearance. Maggie realized the differences too and eximed, ¡°How did your hair grow so fast? Also, why did you lose so much weight? Haven¡¯t you been eatingtely?¡± Just then, the car opened on the other side. Queenie stepped out and called out, ¡°Mom. Dad.¡± Brandon and Maggie¡¯s eyes nearly fell out of their sockets. They stared in disbelief at the two identical young women standing in front of them. Atst, it was Maggie who suddenly grabbed Jessie by the hand. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Brandon came over as well. He was trembling with emotion as he stared at Jessie. Tears welled up inside his eyes as he deduced what was happening. Queenie wanted to see how her parents would react to the news, but she didn¡¯t expect them to be so overwhelmed. She came over and threw her arm around Jessie¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Mom. Dad, I found my little sister. We already did a DNA test. She is indeed my sister and your second daughter, Jessie.¡± Maggie was so overwhelmed that she nearly fainted. She threw her arms around Jessie as she eximed with joy, ¡°My daughter! My daughter¡¯s back¡­¡± Nigel came over and watched them with a smile. His eyes grew a little misty at the sight of the family of four being reunited atst. ¡°My dear child, you must have suffered a lot. Where have you been all these years? Did anyone mistreat you? Quick, tell me everything.¡± Throughout all these years, Maggie avoided reading news of child trafficking as her heart would break even at the mention of it. Her greatest fear was that her daughter had been hurt and mistreated in the same way. Thus, now that her long-lost daughter had been found, she wanted to know how her life had been, and whether it had been filled with suffering. Jessie¡¯s eyes were red. She shook her head and assured Maggie, ¡°I didn¡¯t have to suffer at all. I grew up in an orphanage. Everything¡¯s good in my life.¡± Maggie was relieved to hear that. She couldn¡¯t take her eyes off Jessie. The thought of the imposter pretending to be her daughter made her feel even more guilty and remorseful toward Jessie. Brandon turned to Queenie and asked frantically, ¡°Queenie, how did you find your sister? Tell us everything.¡± Queenie reached out to usher her parents into the house. ¡°Mom. Dad. Let¡¯s talk inside. Jessie¡¯s home now. She¡¯s right here. She won¡¯t leave us again.¡± Once the family settled down in the living room, Queenie filled her parents in on everything that happened the past two days. Brandon and Maggie cried tears of joy as they couldn¡¯t believe that fate had brought their daughter back to them so quickly. ¡°We have to thank Mr. Gilmore,¡± Maggie dered gratefully. ¡°We need to take him out for a meal sometime. We owe a debt to him!¡± ¡°He¡¯s a friend of mine. I¡¯ll invite him out for a meal with all of us sometime soon!¡± Nigel agreed with a smile. He was more than happy to oblige. Jessie shared briefly about her life at the orphanage. Fortunately, the director at the orphanage had been a kind, motherly figure who treated Jessie well. Although the orphanage was poor, Jessie¡¯s childhood had been filled with love and joy. It went without saying that Brandon and Maggie were determined to thank the director at the orphanage. They were also going to provide as much help as they could to the orphanage. ¡°Jessie, my dear child.¡± Maggie held Jessie in her arms all this while as if she was making up for the lost time. Jessie could sense the love her parents had for her, as well as the remorse they felt for all the years of separation. However, in Jessie¡¯s eyes, being reunited with her family was her greatest joy in life. She felt a weight lifted off her shoulders after knowing that her parents were still alive and healthy. After dinner, Nigel left, and Queenie took Jessie to her room. The Silverstein couple couldn¡¯t wait to refurbish a room for Jessie. The one that Bonnie used had been turned into a storage room. The couple didn¡¯t want Jessie to stay in that room either. They didn¡¯t want their precious daughter to be tainted by the room¡¯s previous owner. With Brandon and Maggie¡¯s permission, Queenie filled Jessie in on everything that happened in the past year. Jessie could hardly believe her ears. Someone pretended to be me and leeched off the family? She even spent over a million of the family¡¯s money? Nevertheless, Jessie rejoiced at the imposter¡¯s oue. She was back now. No one could use her identity again. That night, Brandon and Maggie were so ecstatic that they couldn¡¯t sleep a wink. It was as if the long nightmare had ended and had been reced by the sweetest dream they could have. Their youngest daughter had trulye home to them. ¡°Jessie. It¡¯s a lovely name,¡± Maggie remarked with a sigh. ¡°Jessie Silverstein. It rolls right off the tongue. From now on, we have both our daughters with us.¡± ¡°I know! My dream has always been to see both our daughters marry and start their own families. I¡¯m sure it¡¯lle true now.¡± Back in Queenie¡¯s room, the two sisters had much to talk about too. They stayed up talking until the wee hours of the morning before they finally went to sleep. It was the next morning. Jessie hadn¡¯t brought much with her, so she wore one of Queenie¡¯s dresses. When she came downstairs, the maid couldn¡¯t recognize who she was and called out, ¡°Good morning, Miss Queenie!¡± Jessie blinked and chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s me, Jessie.¡± ¡°Oh! I¡¯m so sorry! Miss Jessie, you and Miss Queenie are so simr. I couldn¡¯t tell you apart.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Jessie smiled. She was an easygoing person. When she came out to the garden, Brandon and Maggie also had to stare for a few moments before recognizing that she was Jessie. ¡°Come over here, Jessie,¡± Maggie called out to her. Jessie went over to her right away. Maggie admired her daughter¡¯s radiant beauty under the sunlight and felt deeply satisfied. Brandon spoke up from the side. ¡°Jessie, your mother and I have discussed things and we want to hold a dinner party. We want to invite all of our family and friends toe and get to know you.¡± Jessie nodded. ¡°Sure! I want to meet my other rtives too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s decided, then. We¡¯ll hold it tomorrow night,¡± Maggie dered happily. Queenie came out to the garden. She had just talked to Nigel and confirmed that she and her family were going to have dinner with him tonight. ¡°Make sure to invite Mr. Gilmore. We need to thank him properly,¡± Maggie reminded Queenie without noticing that her youngest daughter was blushing hard. Mom, do you know that Mr. Gilmore is the biggest celebrity in the industry? It¡¯s hard for anyone to invite him to anything! ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom! I asked Nigel to invite him,¡± Queenie assured with a smile. She was certain that Nigel could get Julian to join them. ¡°Mom, I want to take Jessie to the mall.¡± Queenie wanted to go shopping with her sister. ¡°Oh, right. We¡¯re having a dinner party tomorrow, so take Jessie to the boutique and pick out an evening gown for her,¡± Maggie instructed Queenie. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. ¡°I will.¡± Queenie linked arms with Jessie. ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s get some shopping done.¡± Jessie was thrilled to go shopping with her sister, and their parents were grinning ear to ear to see their gorgeous girls heading out together. The maid who was attending to them also started praising, ¡°You¡¯re so fortunate, Mr. and Mrs. Silverstein! Your daughters are so beautiful. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll find wonderful husbands in the future.¡± That was music to Brandon and Maggie¡¯s ears. Now that Queenie had found her life partner, they looked forward to Jessie meeting hers too. Most women loved shopping, but Jessie never had the guts to step into these sorts of boutiques. It was her first time today, and Queenie kept getting her to try on all of the dresses she had only seen on the hottest actresses. Queenie bought everything that looked good on her. In the blink of an eye, the two assistants who came out with the two sisters were weighed down by a mountain of shopping bags. ¡°Queenie, let¡¯s stop. We don¡¯t need to get anything else.¡± ¡°Nope, that¡¯s not enough. Let¡¯s continue.¡± Queenie dragged Jessie off to another boutique and the sisters spent another hour shopping before they went for lunch. After lunch, Queenie brought Jessie to a boutique to try on evening gowns, and once that was over, they stopped by the spa for some pampering before heading back home to get ready for dinner with Julian. As it was, the situation hadn¡¯t escaped Queenie¡¯s eyes at all. She could tell that Jessie liked Julian but was too afraid to even consider anything due to Julian¡¯s status in society. Queenie wanted to help Jessie get closer to the man she liked, so she supported Jessie¡¯s acting career. One day, Jessie would reach the pinnacle of sess, and she would be able to stand shoulder- to-shoulder with Julian as a highly acimed actress in her own right. By then, Jessie would¡¯ve proven herself, and she would be able to pursue something with Julian. Therefore, Queenie gave it her all to doll Jessie up for dinner tonight. When Queenie came down with Jessie, both Brandon and Maggie started tearing up again. This was the happiest they had been in a long time. ¡°Mom, Dad, we¡¯re ready,¡± Queenie said. ¡°Great. Let¡¯s go!¡± The family of four drove off happily with Brandon in the driver¡¯s seat, Maggie in the front passenger seat, and the two sisters together in the back. Nigel had sessfully dragged Julian into the car with him. No one knew that the award-winning actor was actually a homebody who had a rtively simple life outside of filming. He was a gifted actor who spent most of his free time ying video games with Nigel, tending to his garden, and staying home with his pets. ¡°Is there a need to make such a big deal out of thanking me? I didn¡¯t do anything!¡± Julian felt a little embarrassed. ¡°You¡¯ll just be holed up at home anyway, so you might as well have dinner with us,¡± Nigel shot back. Well, it was true that Julian enjoyed hanging out with his friend. When they arrived at the hotel, Nigel texted Queenie. The two men had arrived first but the Silversteins were soon arriving too, so the men decided to wait for them at the entrance to the restaurant. A little whileter, Brandon¡¯s car pulled up to the hotel. He parked the car beside Nigel¡¯s and the two beautiful young women stepped out. Oddly enough, Nigel immediately recognized which one of them was Queenie, and Julian did the same with Jessie as well. Though they looked exactly the same, they had vastly different auras. Despite being the same age, Queenie gave off an air of maturity, whereas Jessie had a cuter, more youthful air. Jessie had spotted Julian through the car window earlier. She secretly tried to calm her pounding heart as she didn¡¯t want her parents to notice her reaction. In the past, she thought of him as the unattainable man who was way out of her league, but now, she was going to have dinner with him, and she would even be able to see him often from now on. The thought of that made her positively giddy! Julian was someone who would still look handsome and distinguished no matter what he wore. Tonight, he was wearing a simple ck hoodie, but that was enough to make him look like a prince. Queenie had already started skipping over to Nigel. She wanted to hug him, but she held herself back since her parents were around. ¡°You must be Julian Gilmore! My, my! What a fine young man you are!¡± Maggie swiftly went forward to greet Julian warmly. Julian sensed warmth and kindness from her. He nodded and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Mrs. Silverstein.¡± ¡°Thank you for helping us find Jessie, Julian. Who knows when we would¡¯ve reunited with her if it hadn¡¯t been for you?¡± Brandon was immensely grateful. ¡°Not at all. I met Miss Silverstein by coincidence too.¡± Julian didn¡¯t dare to take credit for it as he hadn¡¯t been all that nice when they first met. In fact, he even suspected her of being a thief. Julian nced at Jessie and ended up staring right into herrge, clear eyes. She gave him a bright smile that glowed under the light, and his heart stirred once more. It had been so long since he hadst seen such a pure, untainted smile¡ªa smile without any greed or ulterior motives. It was a clean, sweet smile that made his heart tremble. ¡°Let¡¯s not stand around here. We can talk inside! Pleasee this way, Mr. and Mrs. Silverstein.¡± Nigel invited them into the restaurant. The group went up to the private dining room on the second floor and took their seats. When Maggie saw her two daughters sitting with a handsome young man each, she felt a longing in her heart. How great it¡¯d be if the two young men here today were my future sons-inw! With Nigel and Queenie around, the atmosphere remained light-hearted. When the topded on Jessie¡¯s dreams for her future, her parents were fully supportive of whatever she wanted to do. It didn¡¯t matter to them what their daughter pursued, as long as she was happy. Furthermore, they had even less to worry about once they heard that Julian¡¯s family ran the most influentialpany in the entertainment industry. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. and Mrs. Silverstein. Jessie will have a brilliant career ahead of her with Julian around to help her out.¡± Jessie was shy and nervous. She was afraid that this would only be a bother to Julian as she didn¡¯t want to trouble him. However, at that very moment, she heard someone say in a deep voice, ¡°I will take good care of her.¡± All at once, Jessie went from being a nameless stunt double to someone who was going to be under the care of Julian Gilmore himself! Throughout dinner, everyone showered Jessie with their love and care. Her face steadily grew redder as the night went on. No one seemed to notice, save for one. Julian noticed it all. Everything Jessie did tonight looked so intriguing and adorable to Julian. Perhaps he felt a sense of aplishment for being the one who found her. Thus, he enjoyed observing her whenever he could. Jessie seemed to enjoy stealing peeks at him too, and whenever they locked eyes, she would blush even harder at having been caught ncing at him. A mysterious undercurrent seemed to brew between the two, though no one else noticed it. Once they were done with dinner, everyone started making their way back home. Nigel only managed to steal a brief hug from Queenie when they went to the washroom. Now that dinner was over, he had to watch her leave in her father¡¯s car without having the right to feel any sort of resentment. Julian saw the way Nigel¡¯s eyes trailed after the Silversteins¡¯ car. He patted his friend on the shoulder and said, ¡°Stop staring. Hurry up and marry her so that you won¡¯t have to stare after her like that.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll happen soon.¡± Nigel twirled his car keys and smirked confidently. The two handsome young men climbed into the car and Nigel gave Julian a ride home. Along the way, Julian seemed to be lost in his thoughts as he didn¡¯t make conversation with Nigel as he always did. Nigel figured that he had to let the Silversteins reconnect with Jessie for a while before turning their attention to his and Queenie¡¯s wedding. At Silverstein Residence. Brandon and Maggie decided to visit the orphanage Jessie had grown up in tomorrow and convey their deepest gratitude. That night, as the two sistersy in bed together, Jessie asked curiously about Queenie and Nigel¡¯s rtionship. As she listened to the stories, Julian¡¯s face popped into her mind all of a sudden, and she nearly jumped out of bed in shock. What am I thinking? Why do I feel hopeful about dating Julian? Have I gone mad? What on earth gave me the courage to even dream of that? ¡°Jessie? What¡¯s on your mind?¡± Queenie saw the way Jessie¡¯s eyes were seemingly wide with shock. Jessie quickly smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I was just thinking that I¡¯ll get to attend your wedding soon.¡± Queenie¡¯s eyes sparkled with joy. That¡¯s right! Jessie¡¯s back now, and once the whole family has gotten the chance to spend more time together, it¡¯ll be time to start nning for my wedding. A thought shed across her mind and she propped her head up to ask, ¡°Jessie, do you like Julian?¡± Jessie immediately waved that off. ¡°How could I? I wouldn¡¯t dare to.¡± ¡°Jessie, if you like him, then just try and go after him. You won¡¯t know unless you try. Maybe you might even seed!¡± Queenie encouraged her sister to be bold in love. Jessie blinked. ¡°Queenie, right now, I think it¡¯s just mostly admiration on my part. I¡¯ve heard so much about him all this while. I think he¡¯s incredible and very mysterious. He¡¯s also very prominent, so even if he likes someone who hasn¡¯t proven themselves yet, it still won¡¯t work out.¡± Queenie never thought that Jessie would be so clear-headed despite her young age, but she was right. There was a huge gap between them, and things would be hard for them if they were in a rtionship. ¡°What¡¯s your n for the future, Jessie?¡± ¡°I n on focusing on my career first before thinking about love. Plus, I¡¯m satisfied that I have my family to support me and apany me now.¡± Jessie wanted to focus on earning money so that she could help the orphanage more, and she also wanted to fulfill her dream of bing an actress. The next morning. The Silversteins left for the orphanage with a car full of gifts. The director of the orphanage, Flora Yancy, was a woman in her fifties, but due to herborious job, she had graying hair and looked a decade older than Maggie despite being of simr ages. When Flora heard that Jessie had found her family, she was genuinely happy for Jessie. Flora herself spent a lot of time trying to help the children at the orphanage reunite with their families, but it was hard for her to do it alone and she wasn¡¯t well-connected either. Thus, a lot of children never managed to find their families. ¡°Jessie, since you¡¯ve found your family, you should go home and spend more time with them. You can still drop by when you have time,¡± Flora advised. Jessie¡¯s eyes were teary as she nodded. ¡°I will, Madam Yancy. I wille and visit all of you often. This is my second home and you¡¯re my family too.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve always been a wonderful child and so mature even when you were little. I never had to worry about you, and you even supported the orphanage financially just so the children could have a better life. We¡¯re truly thankful for everything you¡¯ve done,¡± Flora said as she held Jessie¡¯s hands. ¡°It¡¯s only right for me to give back to the orphanage,¡± Jessie replied as she wiped her tears away. ¡°Madam Flora, we want to donate 300,000 in funding to the orphanage every year, and you can also let us know whatever it is that you need help with. We will definitely do our best to help,¡± Maggie promised. ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough. You¡¯re all wonderful people. It¡¯s no wonder that Jessie turned out to be such a kind and lovely girl. She must¡¯ve inherited it from her family!¡± Flora eximed with a smile. The funding the Silversteins were giving was enough to ensure that she could take good care of every child. ¡°Madam Yancy, we prepared a dinner party tonight to wee Jessie back to the family and we would like to invite everyone in the orphanage to join us,¡± Maggie said. Flora smiled. ¡°You¡¯re very kind, but there are too many children here and we can¡¯t leave them. Please go ahead and enjoy yourselves.¡± At the orphanage, Queenie helped out by handing out gifts to the children. Everyone felt a sense of affinity toward her as she looked exactly like Jessie. They saw her as a warm, friendly older sister. The Silversteins stayed at the orphanage until 2.00PM and had lunch with the children. When Maggie saw the tiny room Jessie used growing up, she couldn¡¯t stop her tears from flowing as her heart filled with indescribable pain. Once the family got back to Silverstein Residence, Queenie ushered her parents upstairs to rest as they needed to host the dinner party tonight. There were slightly over fifty guestsing to the party; all of Brandon¡¯s business acquaintances had been invited, along with the Silversteins¡¯ rtives. As it was held at the grand hall at the Mansons¡¯ hotel, it was undoubtedly going to be a grand affair. At approximately 4.00PM, a team of stylists came over to help the sisters prepare for the event tonight, in which Jessie¡¯sst name was going to change from Landry to Silverstein officially. As for her official documentation, they had made the arrangements to change it tomorrow. Atst, the family of four had finally reunited. Queenie gave Nigel a call in the privacy of her bedroom and reminded him, ¡°Don¡¯t forget to invite Julian.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I already told him about it. He¡¯ll be there.¡± She didn¡¯t tell Jessie about it just yet as she wanted to give Jessie a surprise. She knew that Jessie would be pleased if Julian came. For tonight¡¯s event, Jessie was wearing an exquisite-detailing, pale green dress that seemed light and airy. Although the silhouette was simple enough, the dress was full of intricate designs; the chest area of her dress was covered in tiny crystals, and the cut of her dress highlighted her slim waist and elegant curves. The stylist who did Jessie¡¯s hair and makeup took inspiration from the dress and gave her a look that suited it perfectly. Meanwhile, Queenie had chosen a white gown instead and wore her hair down with a pearl hair clip to give it an ent. She wouldn¡¯t be taking the limelight away from Jessie, but she was nheless captivating. At 5.30PM, the family left for the hotel. Nigel had invited his parents as well, so the Manson couple and the Silverstein couple met up at the hotel beforehand. Both families were thrilled with the marriage of their child and had begun treating each other as inws as they got along swimmingly together. Queenie¡¯s phone started ringing. She was startled when she saw it was Leslie who was calling her. ¡°Hi, Leslie. Why are you calling?¡± ¡°Queenie, I heard you have found your real sister and that you¡¯re throwing her a dinner party tonight. Can Ie too?¡± Leslie requested. ¡°Sorry, Leslie, but it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t,¡± she rejected. ¡°Please, Queenie. Let mee and see your sister!¡± He was still eager to join the dinner party. However, she was firm about it. ¡°You¡¯re not invited. Goodbye.¡± She hung up at once. She and Leslie couldn¡¯t even be friends anymore. There was no way she¡¯d invite him to the dinner party. The dinner party was about to start, and most of the guests had arrived. Jessie left the lounge and started making her way over to the hall. Along the way, she heard several people greeting her. ¡°Good evening, Miss Silverstein.¡± Jessie assumed that they thought she was her sister, so she went along with it and smiled politely in response. Looks like most people won¡¯t be able to tell us apart. They¡¯ll probably keep mixing us up tonight. She came to the hall and stood by a pir at the side as she surveyed the crowd in anticipation of someone¡¯s arrival. Although Julian had promised her parentsst night that he would being, she wasn¡¯t sure he would. He¡¯s a busy man. Maybe he won¡¯t find the time toe. Therefore, as Jessie wasn¡¯t sure whether he could make it, it made her anticipate his presence even more. However, after sweeping through the crowd, she didn¡¯t see any sign of him. She couldn¡¯t help but feel a little disappointed. Right at that moment, a deep voice called out behind her, ¡°Who are you looking for, Miss Jessie Silverstein?¡± It was a maic, attractive voice. Who else could it be, apart from Julian? Jessie stiffened in shock as she quickly wiped all traces of disappointment off her face and did her best to contain her joy. She turned to face the man behind her with a polite smile. ¡°I¡¯m looking for Queenie!¡± she answered. Well, I couldn¡¯t possibly tell him that I was looking for him. Chapter 1351-1360 Chapter 1351-1360 ¡°Queenie¡¯s with Nigel.¡± Julian nced over at the couple to point them out to Jessie. She nodded at once. ¡°Oh! I see her. Thanks.¡± He stood there with a ss of wine in his hand, his eyes staring straight at her. The chandelier above them reflected in his eyes and made them sparkle like the stars in gxies. What a pair of bewitching eyes. Jessie had felt pretty confident about herself thanks to her makeover, but she quickly lost it all under his gaze. She was afraid that he wouldn¡¯t find her attractive. However, to her absolute surprise, Julianmented, ¡°You look very beautiful tonight.¡± She became bashful at his praise and returned him apliment as well. ¡°You look very handsome too, Mr. Gilmore!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me Mr. Gilmore. You can just call me Julian.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Jessie nodded in agreement. She didn¡¯t mind the new way of addressing him at all. Just then, two young women came over. ¡°Oh my goodness! It¡¯s Julian Gilmore!¡± The two young women were thrilled! They never thought they¡¯d run into their celebrity crush while attending a dinner party with their parents. It was such a surprise to see him at the event. These two young women were Jessie¡¯s cousins, who were distant rtives of the Silversteins, and at this very moment, no one could miss just how ecstatic they were. Jessie stepped aside and allowed the two fans to talk to Julian upon noticing that. Since they were rted to the family, she wanted to let them have a good time tonight. However, Julian was a little annoyed by the two young women¡¯s exuberance. He raised his hand and addressed them politely, ¡°Please excuse me. I have something to discuss with Miss Silverstein.¡± Then, he came over to Jessie and took her by the hand before ushering her off with him. She was stunned, and her cheeks were ame as she stared disbelievingly at their entwined hands. He led her to a private lounge. Once he closed the door behind them, he sighed. ¡°This is why I don¡¯t like going out much. The fans are too noisy.¡± ¡°What about me? Do you find me noisy too?¡± Jessie teased as she recalled joining his fans in weing him at the airport some time ago. Julian cocked his eyebrows. ¡°Are you a fan of mine?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m your fan.¡± She nodded in all seriousness. Although she wasn¡¯t one of the more passionate fans, he was the only young actor she admired in the industry, apart from all the older, more experienced actors. He smiled. ¡°Tell me what it feels like to seed as a fan, then!¡± She chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s amazing. I get to eat dinner and have a conversation with my favorite celebrity. It¡¯s like a dreame true.¡± ¡°Alright, alright. You should go back to your guests,¡± he said. He didn¡¯t want to take up all of her time tonight. She was the star of the show, after all. Jessie nodded and went off. Now that he was here, she no longer felt disappointed. Julian¡¯s phone started ringing then. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Julian, Eva Duncan¡¯s schedule is full, so the production team has decided to find someone else to y the female lead. Do you have anyone you want to rmend?¡± It was a call from Marlon Warner, who was part of the production team for histest filming project. Julian¡¯s eyes flickered in thought for a moment before his lips curved into a smile. ¡°Hold off on selecting someone for the female lead first.¡± ¡°Why? Do you have someone to rmend? Tell me who it is! I¡¯ll check and see if she¡¯s avable.¡± ¡°I know she¡¯s avable.¡± ¡°How can you be sure? We have only just decided to change the actress!¡± ¡°Either way, I¡¯ll handle filling the role of the female lead. You guys can continue with the pre-production preparations,¡± Julian drawled. ¡°Alright! We¡¯re looking forward to seeing whom you¡¯ve chosen for the female lead. I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t let us down!¡± Julian¡¯s eyes flickered in amusement. No, you¡¯ll all be disappointed, but it doesn¡¯t matter as long as I¡¯m not disappointed. At this very moment, the entire entertainment industry was in an uproar as many actresses heard the news and wanted to take the role of the leadingdy opposite Julian. However, they were not going to get their chance. Julian had chosen his leadingdy¡ªJessie, who had yet to make her debut. Once all the guests arrived, the first item on the agenda was Brandon¡¯s announcement that his youngest daughter had been found. Jessie went up on stage apanied by her older sister, and the guests were shocked by the sight of the happily reunited family. Everyone in the crowd was thinking the same thing. They¡¯re twins, alright! They look exactly the same. Many of the young men in the crowd were beginning to get ideas. The Silversteins¡¯ fortune was going to go to the two sisters in the future, so if they became the Silversteins¡¯ son-inw, they would get to take possession of half of the family¡¯s fortune! Nigel and Julian were leaning against a pir by the stage. They each had a ss of wine in their hands as they gazed at the pair of gorgeous young women up on the stage. Then, Nigel¡¯s sharp hearing picked up on the wordsing from a young man. ¡°Wow! I think the elder Miss Silverstein has inherited thepany. I¡¯m sure I can easily sign a deal with Silverstein Enterprise if I manage to woo her.¡± Nigel smirked at that. He walked over to that man and tapped him on the shoulder. The man was startled and turned around to see a tall, handsome man behind him. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just here to give you a friendly reminder. The elder Miss Silverstein is my fianc¨¦e. You¡¯ll have to be careful if you try to get any ideas about her.¡± Nigel¡¯s sharp gaze paired well with his warning tone. The man started apologizing awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I was just bbing. I didn¡¯t mean any of it.¡± With that, he quickly fled with his friends. It was hard for the guests to tell the two young women on stage apart, but for those who took the time to understand them, it wasn¡¯t hard at all. Nigel and Julian could both easily tell them apart with just one look. With the crowd acting as the witnesses to Jessie¡¯s return to the family, the Silversteins shared a group hug, and the crowd rang out in apuse at the sight of the heart-warming family reunion. Jessie¡¯s eyes were red as she hugged her mother close. Brandon patted her on the shoulder, whereas Queenie reached out to hug her sister as well. ¡°Dig in, everyone! I hope you all have a wonderful time tonight!¡± Brandon addressed the crowd cheerfully. Apuse thundered out once more, and soon, the guests starteding over to congratte the Silverstein couple. The Manson couple was among them. As future inws, they were genuinely happy for the Silversteins too. Queenie brought Jessie over to the two men, who were still standing by the pir. Jessie was a little red-faced as she nced at Julian. ¡°I have a gift for you, Miss Jessie Silverstein,¡± Julian dered. She blinked. ¡°That¡¯s not necessary at all, Mr. Gilmore. I¡¯m already honored that you came. I can¡¯t ept a gift from you.¡± ¡°No, you must ept this gift,¡± he insisted. Nigel and Queenie were both waiting to see what the gift was. Jessie was a little embarrassed. ¡°What do you wish to give me, Mr. Gilmore?¡± ¡°Eva Duncan isn¡¯t free to y the female lead in my uing drama. The production team wants me to rmend someone. I¡¯m rmending you.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Jessie was dumbstruck and covered her mouth in shock. Me?! He wants me to y the female lead in his uing drama? How can I possibly do that?! This gift is too much. ¡°Jessie, don¡¯t let his kindness go to waste. I¡¯m sure you can do a great job,¡± Nigel said. ¡°That¡¯s right, Jessie. You have all of us supporting you. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be a sessful actress with Julian helping you with your debut.¡± Queenie was pleased on Jessie¡¯s behalf. Seems to me that Julian really is taking good care of Jessie! This was great news to her as she hoped that Jessie would get together with Julian in the future. Jessie was red from all her excitement. She nced at Queenie before turning to Julian and said gratefully, ¡°Thank you for thinking so highly of me, Mr. Gilmore. I won¡¯t let you down.¡± ¡°Jessie, why don¡¯t you toast Julian?¡± Queenie suggested with a smile. Jessie quickly took a ss of red wine from the server and said bashfully, ¡°Here¡¯s a toast to you, Mr. Gilmore.¡± Julian raised his ss and tapped it against Jessie¡¯s. As soon as she finished the ss, Maggie came over to get her. She wanted to introduce Jessie to the guests. Queenie and Nigel went over to the restaurant, and a few more young women quickly crowded around Julian. Even a few olderdies came over to ask if he was married. They were keen to introduce their daughters to him! He was somewhat exasperated, but he remained pleasant and amiable the whole time. At the restaurant, Nigel and Queenie sat down at a table after filling their tes. As they took in the view of the night sky, Queenie exhaled in joy. ¡°We¡¯ve finally reunited.¡± ¡°That means we have time to consider our future now.¡± Nigel stared at her with his dark, affectionate eyes. She looked back at him a little guiltily. Amid all themotion of finding her sister, she ended up neglecting him a fair bit. She nodded and agreed, ¡°Yeah! I¡¯ll bring it up with my parents.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll bring my parents to your house three dayster to formally ask for your hand in marriage,¡± he informed her of his n. Queenie¡¯s cheeks grew a little warm as she nodded shyly. ¡°Okay.¡± Meanwhile, back at the grand hall, Jessie followed her parents around as they introduced her to everyone. The guests were very warm and weing, and she ended up drinking a lot each time they toasted her, leaving her feeling rather tipsy. Atst, while her parents were caught up in conversation with a few other guests, she made her escape. She wanted to look for Queenie but couldn¡¯t find her anywhere. Jessie felt a little light-headed and decided to take a seat. One of the young men, who wanted to approach her, immediately seized this chance toe over. ¡°Are you alright, Miss Silverstein? Allow me to take you to the lounge to rest.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m fine, thank you,¡± she declined politely. ¡°But, you seem drunk to me. Are you sure you¡¯re alright?¡± The young man didn¡¯t want to miss this opportunity. Since she was drunk, it was the perfect time for him to make a good impression! Jessie wanted to walk away, but as soon as she tried to take a step, her head became woozy, and she fell back down onto the chair. The man reached out to hold her steady. At the same time, a man¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of Miss Silverstein.¡± The man turned around to see who was trying to steal this opportunity from him, but the moment he saw who it was, he deted at once. Julian was not only an award-winning actor, but he was someone with a mysterious family background. Most people dared not offend him. In the end, that young man left sheepishly. Jessie raised her head to look at Julian. Her face seemed to glow under the light. It made her look even more beautiful than before. ¡°Why did you drink so much? No one¡¯s forcing you.¡± He sat down beside her and poured her a cup of tea. She took the cup and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m happy today. It¡¯s fine if I drink a bit more than usual. I don¡¯t have a very good tolerance for alcohol, though.¡± Her tipsiness seemed to embolden her as she asked, ¡°Can I really y the part of your female lead? Will the producers and the director approve of me? Won¡¯t I end up ruining your show?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. I believe you¡¯ll do a good job,¡± Julian assured her. ¡°But I don¡¯t have any real experience when ites to acting, apart from being a stunt double for several years. Although I do enjoy acting, I never learned it properly and I don¡¯t have experience. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll ruin your show.¡± The alcohol gave Jessie the courage to share her innermost thoughts with Julian. She genuinely liked him and admired him. Thus, she didn¡¯t want to trouble him. She wanted to help him stay as perfect as he was. Julian had seen a lot of actresses who were willing to go to extreme lengths just to get the parts they wanted. It was his first time meeting someone like Jessie, who showed consideration for someone else instead. It was a rare quality in the entertainment industry. She was truly a kind-hearted soul. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about all that, Jessie. Just follow my lead. I will teach you anything you need to know about acting,¡± he promised sincerely as he tried to reassure her. Jessie stared at him with hazy eyes before nodding and agreeing obediently, ¡°Okay. I will do my best to learn acting from you.¡± ¡°Have some tea.¡± Julian poured her a cup of tea. Jessie drank it and asked, ¡°Mr. Gilmore, why do you do so much for me?¡± He fell into deep thought upon hearing that question. In all honesty, I¡¯m not so sure about that as well. Is it because you¡¯re Queenie¡¯s sister and that she¡¯s my best friend¡¯s fianc¨¦e? Is that why I care about you so much? ¡°What? Are youining about it? Do you really have to ask for a reason?¡± He evaded her question as he had no answer for it. ¡°I guess not. Don¡¯t mind me. That was a stupid question. I should be happy that someone is nice to me.¡± She beamed giddily. It was evident that she had gotten really drunk. ¡°I should see my dad and mom now.¡± She pushed herself up and tried to leave. I can walk, no problem. However, walking when she was drunk felt like stepping on clouds. She had only taken a few steps before losing her bnce and falling right into Julian¡¯s arms. He quickly ced his arm around her waist and helped her back to her seat. ¡°Don¡¯t go around. Stay here.¡± Jessie was cute when she was drunk. She patted her cheeks, her eyes telling a hundred stories at the same time. Then, she huddled closer. ¡°Mr. Gilmore, can I ask you something? It¡¯s private, but I promise it¡¯s just a question. I won¡¯t tell anyone.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Are you dating Eva? Is she your girlfriend?¡± she asked curiously. The only one who was rumored to be dating him was Eva, the actress he had worked with many times. Jessie wanted to know if they were dating for real. ¡°Is that important to you?¡± Julian narrowed his eyes. She chuckled. ¡°Not really. Just wanna know. You don¡¯t have to tell me if you don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°No, we are not dating. Eva and I are only partners,¡± he answered seriously. Jessie blinked. Oh, he denies it. That means it¡¯s merely a rumor. He¡¯s still single. Right then, Brandon and Maggie approached them. The old couple felt for Jessie seeing her getting this drunk, though they were also amused. Lots of people had raised a toast to her earlier, and she had no idea how to deal with them, so as a result, she had a bit too much to drink. ¡°Where¡¯s Queenie? I don¡¯t see her anywhere. She could¡¯ve helped Jessie upstairs,¡± Brandon said. They still had to entertain many guests, so they couldn¡¯t leave. Just then, Jessie stood up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, Dad, Mom. I can go upstairs by myself.¡± ¡°No. You are drunk. I don¡¯t want anything to happen to you.¡± She then turned around to look at the man by her side. ¡°Can you take me to my room, Mr. Gilmore?¡± The Silversteins felt a little awkward. She¡¯s really drunk. She¡¯s actually asking Julian to take her to her room. That¡¯s inappropriate. Julian was awkward as well. This wasn¡¯t something he should do. After all, he was a guy, and she was a girl, not to mention a drunk one. There was no way he would say yes, not when her parents were around. However, Maggie smiled. ¡°We¡¯re counting on you, then. Queenie¡¯s not here, and we can¡¯t leave. So, we¡¯ll leave her in your hands.¡± Bewildered, Brandon looked at his wife, but Maggie shot him a look. Hey, I want him to marry Jessie. Let him do something for her, alright? The husband immediately caught onto her intention, and he patted Julian¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re counting on you, Julian.¡± Well, if they¡¯re trusting me so much, I guess I have to do this. Julian nodded. ¡°Of course, Mr. and Mrs. Silverstein. I¡¯ll take care of her.¡± ¡°Go on. There are too many people here. She should get some rest.¡± With that, the Silverstein couple left. As soon as Jessie stood up, Julian offered his arm for her to steady herself. She held it as he led her to the lobby. After he checked into the hotel, Julian took a keycard and went to the elevator. Jessie was getting dizzier in the elevator and rested her head on Julian¡¯s shoulder. He looked down and saw her full, luscious lips. For some reason, it aroused him a little. He turned away his gaze from her tempting lips to regain focus, and the elevator door swung open soon after. Though, he realized the girl beside him couldn¡¯t even be bothered to walk anymore. ¡°My head is spinning,¡± she muttered. Julian had no choice but to pick her up; holding her up was a hassle but carrying her was not. Jessie kept her weight under control, thanks to her job. And she was a dancer, too. Julian thought she felt light and soft as he carried her in his arms. Once they reached their room, he opened the door and put her on the bed. Jessie still had her arms wrapped around his neck as heid her down, so he ended up getting pulled toward her. Her face was only millimeters away from his. They were so close to each other that he could even hear her breathing. ¡°Miss Silverstein, let go,¡± he whispered. ¡°Oh!¡± Jessie let go of him quickly upon realizing she was still hugging his neck. While Julian felt his heart racing a mile, the drunkendy didn¡¯t think much of the incident that transpired just now and fell asleep soon after. Julian stayed with her in case anything was to happen. Meanwhile, Nigel and Queenie were on the top floor enjoying the view, or rather, they were making out. Kissing their lover under the starry sky was the most memorable thing that ever happened to them. As they were getting lovey-dovey with each other, Queenie received a call from her parents and felt rather embarrassed for a few moments. Then, she and Nigel headed for the elevator. Nigel called Julian and asked him where Jessie was. After a short while, they showed up in the room. After getting drunk, all Jessie wanted to do was sleep. Even with Julian beside her, she didn¡¯t wake up at all. Though, she would have felt embarrassed if she did. Queenie stayed back to keep an eye on her while the gentlemen left. The Silversteins stayed at the hotel for the night, with the parents sharing a room while Queenie and Jessie shared another. Morning came, and Jessie woke up with a little hangover. Queenie, who was lying on the bed beside her, sat up and asked, ¡°How do you feel, Jessie?¡± ¡°Queenie, how did I get here?¡± She had forgotten what had happenedst night. Queenie smirked teasingly. ¡°Think long and hard. Someone took you back here.¡± ¡°Was it you?¡± She shook her head. ¡°No. Think harder.¡± Jessie blinked and tilted her head. She then remembered hugging Julian¡¯s neck, and it made her blush. That piece of memory made her remember everything that had happened, and she was ovee by mortification. I can¡¯t believe I did that in front of Julian. The Silversteins had lunch at the hotel and went back home after that. Jessie¡¯s room was refurbished. Julian called her that afternoon, telling her he had registered her for the performance ss at Averna University¡¯s School of Performance Arts. The ss wouldst for a week. He wanted her to build up some basics for her debut. Jessie was touched by what he did for her. She promised she would study hard and not let him down. Brandon felt healthier than ever after finding his missing daughter. He returned to thepany and told Queenie to spend some time handling her wedding. The next morning, Queenie took Jessie to school. She had to stay there for a whole day, so Queenie went to see Nigel. They were deeply in love. Not seeing each other for an hour felt like an eternity. Jessie reported for ss. Thanks to Julian¡¯s arrangement, she had made it to the ssroom without a hitch. Jessie picked a spot and sat down. Everyone in the ss looked at her upon her arrival. Some recognized who she was, and they broke out into hushed discussion. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t she a stuntwoman? Why is she here?¡± ¡°Yeah. Is it even necessary for her to take this ss? Not like she¡¯s gonna be on camera.¡± ¡°She¡¯s probably switchingnes. Got tired of the stuntwoman job, perhaps.¡± ¡°She should stay in herne, though. Not everyone is talented enough to be an actress,¡± one arrogant woman sneered. The lecture hall was quiet, and Jessie heard everything despite their whispering. She took her notebook out and ignored the gossip. ¡°Hey. What¡¯s your name?¡± a girl asked. ¡°Jessie. Jessie Silverstein.¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. ¡°Who rmended you?¡± the girl asked curiously. A famous professor would be giving the lessons, and only the elites of the performing arts school could attend. An outsider would need a rmendation. ¡°My friend,¡± Jessie answered. ¡°Wow. They must be a big shot,¡± the girl said enviously. She loved how beautiful Jessie looked. Beauties were a dime a dozen in the industry, but anyone who wanted to be famous had to have the looks. Ady professor came in and looked at everyone. Then, she started teaching. Her lecture was filled with facts and practical tips. Everyone fortunate to be in the ss learned a lot from her. Jessie had also taken a lot of notes. Like a sponge, she kept absorbing the knowledge given by the professor. The professor had some tea and announced, ¡°Alright, I need someone to perform on stage.¡± At that, the arrogantdy from earlier went up to the stage. She requested, ¡°Professor, I¡¯d like to pick a partner.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± The girl looked around and stared at Jessie. ¡°I¡¯ll go with her.¡± Jessie blinked. She was still in a daze, and the girl beside her said, ¡°That¡¯s Xandra Limerick. Madonna of the performance arts course.¡± Jessie had no idea about the industry¡¯s gossip as she had been busy with her work. She stood up from her seat and approached Xandra. ¡°What would you want me to do?¡± ¡°What kind of role can you y?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± She had no answer for that. ¡°Oh, sorry. Forgot you¡¯re a stuntwoman. You were never professionally trained. Sorry for asking you to help me out. I wanted to y some roles in the textbook, but I guess you can¡¯t do it, huh?¡± Mockery filled Xandra¡¯s eyes as she said that. The ss burst intoughter¡ªthey loved seeing Jessie get humiliated. She was in very fashionable attire, and thedies thought she was a threat to them. ¡°Oh, you must be Miss Silverstein. The one Julian rmended,¡± the professor said. Well, if the professor is asking me, I have no reason to hide it. She nodded. ¡°Yes, Professor Larson.¡± ¡°He told me about you. Come to my office this afternoon. I have a few books I¡¯d like you to have.¡± The stern expression on the professor¡¯s face was reced by a warm smile. Jessie smiled and nodded. ¡°Of course, professor.¡± Xandra was shocked. Things just got awkward and embarrassing for her. All she wanted was to mock Jessie, but never did she expect Julian to be the one who rmended her. ¡°I need more time to prepare, professor,¡± she said sheepishly and returned to her ce. Jessie went back to her spot as well, but everyone was now looking at her in a new light. Julian¡¯s the one who rmended her? Who is she? Why does Julian care so much for her? She¡¯s just a no- name stuntwoman. The girl beside Jessie turned around, her eyes filled with envy. ¡°So, your friend is Julian? Are you guys dating?¡± ¡°No. We¡¯re just friends.¡± Jessie smiled. She raised her head and was met with Xandra¡¯s icy re. She med Jessie for the embarrassment she suffered earlier. Jessie shot her a look as well. She never did anything to her, and she wouldn¡¯t let Xandra bully her, either. After ss was over, the professor asked Jessie toe with her. Xandra approached them happily. ¡°Professor Larson, I have a few questions I¡¯d like to ask. Can Ie as well?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The professor nodded. Xandra shot Jessie a smug look. She felt superior just because she was a part of the performance arts course, while Jessie was just a no-name stuntwoman. The professor gave Jessie three books and told her she coulde to her anytime. She even gave Jessie her number. Jessie was grateful for the professor¡¯s help and even more thankful for Julian¡¯s as she wouldn¡¯t have had this opportunity to learn the arts of performing if not for him. When she emerged from the office, the girl who had talked to her earlier came and said hello. She kept asking her questions, especially things rted to Julian. Jessie had already been in the industry for years and knew she had to deny everything, so she told the girl she wasn¡¯t familiar with Julian. Seeing that she couldn¡¯t get anything out of Jessie, the girl left. However, little did Jessie know that any news about Julian would be twisted and written into articles that were nothing but lies. It was especially so when a no-name stuntwoman like her received a favor from Julian; the news outlets would make use of their wildest imagination to brew some juicy gossip for their readers. Before Jessie could even leave the school, Lexie called her. ¡°Hey, Lexie.¡± ¡°Jessie, is it true? Are you dating Julian?¡± ¡°Who said that?¡± ¡°Every news outlet. They said he rmended you to join the performance ss at Averna¡¯s University¡¯s School of Performance Arts.¡± Jessie¡¯s head buzzed. How did they find out so fast? She exined, ¡°No. Lemme check the news.¡± She sat down under a tree and scrolled through all the news rted to Julian. However, she noticed the news wasn¡¯t about Julian; it was about her! ¡®An unnamed stuntwoman seduced Julian, and her endeavor was sessful. Julian rmended her to a ss at the school of performance arts.¡¯ ¡®Fans say an unnamed stuntwoman spent a whole day with Julian in his hotel. ims were made that her sexual prowess is incredible.¡¯ Jessie¡¯s face turned red, and her cheeks burned. Damn, they sure are good at making up lies. This is fake news. We did nothing at the hotel. They even used photos of me at work; it was clear that they were talking about me. Thement section was filled with nothing but insults at that point. She was getting a headache as she read through all that. Right at this moment, someone approached her and sneered, ¡°Did you see the news, Jessie? No wonder you got the chance to attend this ss.¡± Xandra and her sycophants mocked Jessie. ¡°Hey, someone¡¯s great in bed. Not like us.¡± ¡°Oh, god! Julian, you have no taste at all.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding. These are all fabricated. We¡¯re innocent,¡± Jessie exined. ¡°Of course, we know that. Julian wouldn¡¯t fall for an ugly woman like you. I bet you dragged him in just to make a name for yourself. Now, tell me who¡¯s the guy you slept with. Bet he¡¯s a fat, old man.¡± Xandra crossed her arms as she mocked. They¡¯re being unreasonable. Jessie then took her bag. ¡°I¡¯m not talking to you.¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s a limited-edition bag.¡± Xandra and her sycophants were brimming with jealousy. So, not only is her backer powerful, but they¡¯re rich too. Jessie didn¡¯t ask Queenie to pick her up. Instead, she wanted to get a ride home. Before that, she wanted to look around the ce as the scenery of Averna University was exceptionally beautiful. Halfway through her stroll, her phone rang. She wondered who it was, but when she saw the caller¡¯s name, she froze. Julian. She quickly picked it up. ¡°Hello, Mr. Gilmore.¡± ¡°Ignore the news.¡± An attractive voice came from the other end of the line. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. But this is going to affect your reputation, though.¡± She was worried about him. She was fine with what the Inte thought about her, but she didn¡¯t want Julian¡¯s reputation to be affected. ¡°Your reputation is equally important,¡± he answered calmly. Jessie blinked. She was reminded of the raunchier articles that were posted, and her cheeks burned. ¡°I just hope you aren¡¯t affected.¡± ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°Just got out of school. I wanna take a stroll around.¡± ¡°I¡¯m nearby. I¡¯ll pick you up, and we can talk about the script,¡± Julian said. ¡°Now? Is it okay?¡± Jessie asked. ¡°Yeah. Give me your location and wait for me.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± She sent him her location. While she was waiting, she scrolled through social media and covered her mouth in shock as she came across something¡ªthe news of her and Julian was second on trending, and they were fast catching up to the top spot. That was only a few minutes ago. And the search term was Jessie the stuntwoman. Thements amounted to over ny thousand, and all of them were insulting her. Jessie stopped reading after the first dozen lines. She wasn¡¯t surprised this would happen, given how famous Julian was. Ten minutester, Jessie was still engrossed in her phone when a ck SUV appeared before her. Someone opened the door, and the man within called out to her. ¡°Get in, Jessie.¡± She was delighted, but she looked around before she surreptitiously got into the car and closed the door. Julian was amused seeing her so nervous. ¡°What are you scared about?¡± ¡°The news outlets. The reporters. Your fans.¡± She was terrified as she had been called all kinds of names on the Inte, after all. He knew how she felt and consoled her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. My assistants are dealing with the matter.¡± ¡°Can they keep it down?¡± She blinked. He kept quiet for a moment before he said, ¡°Jessie, there¡¯s a banquet tonight, and I¡¯d like you toe with me.¡± She froze for a few moments. The scandal¡¯s already making the rounds. If I go with him, they¡¯re going to think we¡¯re dating. ¡°I-I¡¯ve never attended any banquets before.¡± She didn¡¯t want to embarrass herself, not to mention she had no work under her belt. I don¡¯t have the qualifications to join. Julian respected her choice and nodded. ¡°Sure, next time, then. Now, let¡¯s go to my brother¡¯s company.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°To sign you up.¡± He was nning on letting her debut soon. Jessie took a deep breath. She nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± Stardom was the leader of the industry. It monopolized about seventy percent of the industry¡¯s resources in the nation, and it had a few thousand A-listers working for it. Profits were staggering every year. All female celebrities saw working for Stardom as a form of pride, but Stardom¡¯s test was brutal. Jessie stood before the building, staring up at the dazzling window. The whole building was shining, just like its achievements. If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible. Julian smiled. ¡°Feeling the heat?¡± Jessie nodded. She was really nervous. Coming here meant her life would take a new turn. The path ahead would beden with challenges. He took her to the thirty-eighth floor and entered an office before he handed her over to one of the managers around. ¡°Brief her about the contract.¡± ¡°Of course, Master Julian.¡± The manager smiled. She called him Master. Julian then turned to Jessie and said, ¡°Just go through the process. You¡¯ll be getting everything an A- lister gets.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Her eyes went wide with shock. I get what an A-lister gets too? But I don¡¯t even have any work produced yet. The pressure was mounting as she was worried that she might let him down. ¡°Come with me, Miss Silverstein,¡± the manager said. Julian left soon after as Jessie followed the manager. She printed out the contract and gently told Jessie where to sign her name. Aside from that, she said nothing more. The signing took about ten minutes. Jessie took a rough look at the contract and was shocked to see the sign-on bonus being 1.4 million dors. She felt her heart thumping furiously. How am I supposed to make that kind of money in a year? She wasn¡¯t doubting herself; she just didn¡¯t feel confident enough. After signing the contract, Julian¡¯s assistant served her snacks and coffee. She asked Jessie to wait around. At the same time, Julian was on the top floor. He was sitting on a sofa with his legs crossed, his eyes on his brother. His brother, Louie Gilmore, was about thirty years old and looked like Julian, albeit a lot more mature than he was. ¡°You sure you want to help her out?¡± Louie asked, his voice deep and calm. ¡°I can make her famous.¡± Julian cocked his eyebrow slightly. He was confident in the matter. ¡°Sure. I won¡¯t object to this.¡± Louie closed the document on his desk. Coolly, he said, ¡°But you know the rules. I don¡¯t need useless people on my team.¡± Julian narrowed his eyes. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Do you like her?¡± Louie asked. Julian stretched his arms as he responded, ¡°I don¡¯t have to tell you everything, do I?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m your brother.¡± A smile tugged on Louie¡¯s lips. Juliannguidly picked his teacup up. ¡°And that¡¯s the reason you tried to butt into my life since we were kids. Can¡¯t I have some privacy?¡± ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t ask.¡± Louie stood up and straightened his cor out. ¡°Time for a meeting.¡± Julian looked at the time and thought, She should be done signing by now. He then went downstairs. Jessie was sitting before the French window, staring at the view outside. She felt a lot calmer now. She spaced out as she was deep in thought and didn¡¯t notice Julian was already standing behind her. So, it gave her a shock when she finally noticed his presence. He stared at her in amusement. She¡¯s simply adorable. ¡°Done with the signing?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll start working tomorrow. From now on, we¡¯re going to create your persona and market you to the public. Be prepared. Everyone¡¯s going to see your photos, and you¡¯re gonna make the news.¡± Jessie nodded. ¡°Since I have decided to debut, I¡¯ve been prepared for this.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. No matter what happens, I¡¯ll stand by you.¡± Julian sat before her. He looked at her like she was not a sculpted gemstone. All she needed was some work, and she would shine bright. Suddenly, Jessie had the urge to relieve herself and stood up. ¡°I need to use the bathroom. Jessie came to the restroom. There was barely anyone in the cubicles, so she picked the innermost one. Not long after she went inside, a fewdies came in as they chatted along. The biggest news of the day was Julian¡¯s scandal with a no-name stuntwoman. They hadn¡¯t received any orders to keep the news down, so they thought Julian must be letting the news make the rounds. ¡°Who is that stuntwoman? Why does Master Julian care about her so much? She even gets everything an A-lister gets.¡± ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± ¡°Yeah. I printed the contract myself and even took a look at it. She¡¯s getting an A-lister¡¯s resources, alright.¡± ¡°I wonder how he managed to convince President Gilmore to sign this. We would never have signed on someone with no acting chops otherwise.¡± ¡°Yeah. Master Julian must have faced a lot of pressure for this.¡± ¡°Of course. President Gilmore is someone who doesn¡¯t care about anyone. Thepany¡¯s profit comes first.¡± Jessie hid in the cubicle, and her face turned red as she listened to their conversation. She had conflicting emotions about it. So, he had to endure so much just to sign me on. She emerged from the restroom and looked at Julian, who was sitting before the French window. She swore to herself she would keep going on, no matter how hard the path would be, just for him. The sun shone on him, and it added some charms to his exquisite features, but for some reason, Jessie had sensed an air of solitude about him. She felt a twinge in her heart as she looked at him. She then walked over and sat beside him. ¡°Thanks for signing me on. I won¡¯t let you down.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t feel pressured. Just do your best.¡± There was confidence in his eyes. He believed she would do well. Jessie loved acting. Since bing a stuntwoman, being an actress had been her dream. She wanted to y different roles and challenge herself. It was the reason she worked so hard, and now she would work even harder. She would never let Julian down. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you home.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I can just get a ride.¡± ¡°No. The scandal is making the rounds fast. Some of the more raving fans might hurt you. I need to make sure you get home safe and sound,¡± he said seriously. Meanwhile, Lina heard the news of Nigel¡¯s engagement that morning, and it shocked her. If Nigel were to be engaged, she would have no chance to get close to him. She still had the photos Bonnie sent her Deleting the photos would be a waste, though. She wanted to use them somehow, as this was her only chance to win Nigel over. If these photos managed to ruin Nigel¡¯s engagement, she would have had a chance to get close to Nigel. However, Lina wasn¡¯t going to expose herself as the mastermind. The Mansons were too powerful. If they realized this was all her doing, they woulde after her family. She wasn¡¯t so stupid as to put her family and her life on the line. All she wanted was to sabotage Queenie and obstruct her engagement. First things first, she had to get her hands on Penelope¡¯s number and send her these photos. Rumors said Penelope was a powerful woman who was a part of the Manson Family. Nobody would ever dare to cross her. Chapter 1361-1370 Chapter 1361-1370 Hmm, my friend¡¯s mother met up with Brenda before. I think I can get Brenda¡¯s phone number from her. Lina made the call and promised her friend she would give her a spot on her private jet the next time she went on a vacation. Her friend readily agreed to the favor because of that. Lina got a number a whileter. She looked at it, feeling smug. I bet Queenie wouldn¡¯t expect an interrogation from the Mansons. Let¡¯s change that, shall we? Brenda returned home at six. The moment she got out of her car, her phone kept ringing. She wondered who it was. And six messages at the same time? She checked the messages out, and what she saw shocked her to the core. The woman in the photos was Queenie, and the images were explicit. That woman was resting her chin on the arm of a man, and Brenda could see the man¡¯s hair in the corner of the photo. He also stuck his tongue out. Just the sight of this made her feel ufortable. The following images were even more disgusting, so she swiftly turned her phone off. Her mind was in chaos. Who sent these? Is that Queenie? Did she date someone before? And she even took these photos? No matter how much Brenda liked Queenie, she couldn¡¯t ept this. The woman in the images was the definition of lurid. Brenda decided to get to the bottom of this as she wanted to know if the woman was really Queenie. Though, in her mind, she already suspected that it was indeed Queenie who was in the photos and that the photos were taken two years ago. If only she had met Bonnie before, she wouldn¡¯t have thought so. Brenda didn¡¯t notice the overuse of filters in the photos. All she thought was the woman looked really beautiful. She heaved a sigh. Ladies should respect themselves, and they should never walk down the wrong path. If these photos get out, it¡¯s going to ruin her reputation. She called Nigel, and as soon as the call connected, she could hear her son happily say, ¡°Hey, Mom.¡± ¡°Come back home tonight, Nigel.¡± ¡°Sure. Queenie¡¯s with me. I¡¯ll bring her along.¡± ¡°Is she right beside you? Does she know I¡¯m calling you?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mom?¡± ¡°Just answer my question.¡± ¡°No, she¡¯s ying golf. She¡¯s a bit far away.¡± He noticed Queenie swinging her club, and he gesticted at her. Queenie beamed at him and swung her club. Brenda continued, ¡°Nigel,e home alone tonight. Don¡¯t bring Queenie along. We need to talk.¡± ¡°What happened? Just tell me, Mom.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t talk over a phone call. Just take her home ande back,¡± she ordered and hung up. Nigel was flummoxed. Okay, Mom¡¯s being stern. Something big must have happened, and Queenie¡¯s involved. Does Mom have anything toin about? I gotta find out. Queenie made a good swing. Happily, she came back to Nigel. She was in white sports attire, and her hair was tied in a ponytail. She looked like a fresh graduate who was full of life. When she approached him, she wrapped her arms around his neck. Nigel held her and spun her around. He then kissed Queenie before putting her down. Since there was a distance between them and the car, she purred, ¡°Can you give me a ride on your back, Nigel?¡± He would do anything just for her. And he had wanted to give her a piggyback ride even before she had asked for it. Nigel hunkered down, and Queenie quickly leaped onto his back. He easily lifted her. Strolling across the ins under the sunset was a romantic feeling. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned on his back, a sweet smile curling her lips. ¡°I¡¯ll take you home first. I need to settle something tonight,¡± he said. ¡°We aren¡¯t having dinner together?¡± ¡°This might take a while. Spend some time with Jessie.¡± ¡°Yeah. I do need to spend more time with Jessie.¡± Queenie thought she needed to stay with Jessie more as they had just reunited not long ago. After Nigel sent her home, he quickly went back to the Manson Residence. His mother sounded stern, and he wanted to know what had happened. Brenda had yet to have dinner. Her husband hadn¡¯te back, and neither was her son. When it was about 7.30PM, she heard someone parking their car in the yard, and her son came in soon after. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mom?¡± Nigel sat beside her. He was surprised to see her so depressed. ¡°Nigel, tell me the truth. Has Queenie dated anyone before? How far have they gone?¡± Brenda wanted to know more about Queenie¡¯s past. The images still haunted her. She was worried Nigel might marry the wrong woman. It would mean disaster for the family. Queenie had left a good first impression, but the photos showed a different side of her, and it made Brenda panic. Nigel nodded at her question. ¡°She had dated someone before, but the most they did was hold hands. Other than that, nothing.¡± Brenda looked at her son as she was worried that he might have been duped. This was his marriage they were talking about. ¡°Are you sure they¡¯re just friends?¡± ¡°I am very sure.¡± He was certain that nothing had happened between Leslie and Queenie. ¡°Queenie¡¯s a good girl. What¡¯s wrong, Mom?¡± He was confused by his mother¡¯s behavior. ¡°You wanna know why I asked all that?¡± She took her phone out right then and showed him the photos. ¡°Look. Someone sent these to me. And this side of Queenie worries me.¡± Nigel took the phone and narrowed his eyes. The woman in the images did look like Queenie, but he knew it wasn¡¯t her. It was Bonnie, the fake Silverstein daughter. ¡°This isn¡¯t Queenie, Mom. It¡¯s Nina, the girl who pretended to be Queenie¡¯s sister.¡± Brenda froze. She wore her spectacles and stared at the girl in the images. ¡°You sure it¡¯s not Queenie?¡± ¡°Very sure. Someone must have sent you these to ruin my rtionship with Queenie. They also want you to think badly of her.¡± ¡°But who would do that?¡± She couldn¡¯t think of anyone who would want to harm their rtionship. ¡°Mom, this isn¡¯t Queenie. Don¡¯t y into their hands. I¡¯ll find out who¡¯s behind this.¡± He was livid. Someone¡¯s trying to ruin Queenie¡¯s reputation. Bonnie¡¯s jailed, so it¡¯s not her. Someone else is behind this. Brenda was still doubtful. She had never seen Bonnie before, so she had a hard time believing that a girl who did cosmetic surgery could look exactly like Queenie. ¡°You should look into this. I hope this isn¡¯t Queenie. And I¡¯d like to know who¡¯s behind this.¡± She wanted the truth. It¡¯d be best if the woman in these images wasn¡¯t Queenie. Nigel made a mental note of the number that sent these photos to Brenda before going upstairs. Fury welled within him. Who dares to try and ruin our rtionship? How dare they send those images to my mother? They¡¯re trying to ruin my rtionship, damn it. Once I find out who they are, they¡¯ll be paying for it. He turned hisputer on and texted one of his friends, ¡®Find out who¡¯s the one behind this number.¡¯ ¡®Did you run into something?¡¯ ¡®Just find out the owner of this number.¡¯ ¡®Can do,¡¯ his friend texted. He was a powerful hacker who could find anything as long as they were online. Lina had forgotten all about what she had sent Brenda. It was just a simple message, and she didn¡¯t care what would happen. If the images managed to ruin the engagement, she thought she would have a chance at Nigel. She was binge-watching some shows online, but then her screen turned ck all of a sudden. ¡°What happened?¡± She was shocked. Did myputer die? Right then, a message slowly showed up on her screen. ¡®Lina Perez, you have gone too far.¡¯ Her heart skipped a beat. What¡¯s going on? Who¡¯s controlling myputer? What are they trying to do? ¡®He knows. Nigel knows you sent his mother those images. You¡¯d better have an exnation for that, or your family¡¯spany will know no peace.¡¯ Lina paled, her heart palpitating. She was in shock and had no idea what to do. Does Nigel know about it?! That¡¯s fast. And now he¡¯s controlling myputer to warn me? Then, a few photos popped up on the screen. They were photos of her from when she fooled around with other guys. Terrified, she held her head. ¡°Who are you? What do you want? Don¡¯t touch my photos! Don¡¯t look at them!¡± ¡®I wonder what¡¯ll happen to you if I send these to your male friends. You know how it is with karma. It alwayses back to bite you.¡¯ The hacker was slowly uncovering the dark side of Lina Perez, counting all the sins she had done, and Lina¡¯s face turned red. ¡°No, don¡¯t do that, please. I¡¯ll apologize to him. I promise!¡± Lina quickly apologized despite the fact she had no idea if the hacker could hear her. However, to her surprise, the hacker actually heard her. He texted, ¡®You have five minutes. Apologize, or I will ruin you.¡¯ With that, another photo popped up. It was an image of her sleeping with a married man, who was a famous businessman. ¡®Does his wife know you slept with her husband?¡¯ ¡°No, please! I¡¯m sorry! Have mercy!¡± Lina was sitting on her bed, almost kneeling. If these photos went out to the public, she would be ruined. ¡®Then, exin yourself to Mrs. Manson. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡¯ The screen returned to normal. With shaky hands, Lina held her phone and called Brenda. ¡°Hello. Who¡¯s this?¡± Brenda asked. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Manson. I¡¯m Lina. Lina Perez. I was the one who sent those images. I didn¡¯t mean it. The woman in those images isn¡¯t Queenie. It¡¯s her sister, Bonnie. She was the one who sent those photos to me. She wanted me to nder Queenie. I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have done that.¡± Brenda heaved a sigh of relief. Thank goodness it¡¯s not Queenie. But I can¡¯t believe thisdy would do that. This is pure evil. ¡°Miss Perez, why did you nder my son¡¯s fianc¨¦e?¡± she asked angrily. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just like Nigel too much, so I wanted to ensure I could have a chance at him. S-So, I did what I did. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m really sorry. Please forgive me.¡± Lina held her phone tightly, and her voice was broken. Brenda harrumphed, ¡°Next time you do this, I won¡¯t let you off that easily.¡± She angrily hung up, heaved a sigh, and deleted all the photos Lina sent her. Lina plopped back onto her bed, looking defeated. And then, her phone rang, but it was an unfamiliar number. ¡°Who is this?¡± ¡°You slept with my husband?! I¡¯m gonna kill you, Lina Perez!¡± a woman hissed. Lina¡¯s hand trembled, and she shouted at herputer screen, ¡°You lied to me! Who in the world are you?!¡± Back at the Manson Residence, Brenda finally felt relieved after she got the rification she needed. She couldn¡¯t believe this was something done by someone who wanted to date her son. She went upstairs and knocked on Nigel¡¯s door. Right after he opened the door, she apologized, ¡°Sorry, Nigel. I shouldn¡¯t have doubted Queenie. I¡¯ve deleted the photos.¡± ¡°Queenie¡¯s a good woman, Mom. Trust me,¡± Nigel reassured. ¡°Yeah. This is my fault. I wouldn¡¯t doubt her again. Your father and I will talk to the Silversteins about your marriage tomorrow and decide on the date,¡± she said. He wrapped an arm around his mother¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We gotta give them some good dowry.¡± ¡°Your father and I have done the preparations. Generous preparations.¡± She smiled. She knew how much her son liked Queenie. Nigel didn¡¯t get back at Lina anymore. After all, her reputation was ruined, and getting involved with her would only sully his name. If he were to run into her, he would tell her to piss off. Meanwhile, at the Silverstein Residence, Jessie had told everyone she was signed on as an actress during dinner, and her family was happy for her. They hoped she could make a name for herself in the industry. When she returned to her room and checked the scandal, she noticed a lot of shorts were promoting the works she used to take part in. They even edited the parts where she was in. And most of thements praised her. ¡®Whoa, that¡¯s my favorite scene. So, she¡¯s the stuntwoman?! I was shaken when I first saw that. I wanna fly like her.¡¯ ¡®She¡¯s a professional. Works all year long. Nobody can take that.¡¯ ¡®Doing stunts isn¡¯t easy. Respect.¡¯ ¡®I could never forget that flying scene. So, she¡¯s the one behind it? She was beautiful.¡¯ Jessie finally felt a little at ease. At least the insults had been dramatically reduced, and the praise delighted her. Stardom must have stepped in. They¡¯re deleting all badments and recing them with good reviews. She heaved a sigh in silence. I have to work hard now. Can¡¯t let Julian down. In the meantime, Queenie was video-calling her boyfriend. He was resting his cheek on the back of his hand, staring at her. No matter how she looked at him, he was perfect. His face gleamed, and his eyes shone like obsidian under the light. For a moment, she wanted to go to his house and throw herself into his arms. She was wearing thin pajamas, and she pulled her cor down in an attempt to tease him. However, she earned herself a hiss from him instead. ¡°Wear your clothes properly.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to see this?¡± Queenie puckered her lips and harrumphed. ¡°Just don¡¯t want anyone else to see this. The Inte is a dangerous ce. Juste over and show me yourself tomorrow,¡± Nigel said gently. Aww, he¡¯s so sweet. She could never get tired of looking at him. ¡°My dad and mom should arrive at ten tomorrow morning,¡± he informed. She nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wake up early and get myself dressed up.¡± ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Get some sleep.¡± Queenie looked at the time and noticed it was already 10.30PM. However, she still wanted to stay up. ¡°Aww, let¡¯s talk a bit more.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stay up toote. Listen to some songs and read a little. Then, go to sleep,¡± Nigel purred. Heeding his words, she ended the video call. It was only then that she realized she was actually getting sleepy, so she yed some music to help with her sleep. Queenie and Jessie came down at 8.00AM. Their parents were waiting for them around the dining table, and the girls sat down around them. They made a happy family. ¡°Dad, Mom, Nigel and his parents will be here at ten.¡± ¡°Alright, I have already told the chef to make a feast for them.¡± ¡°Yay, you¡¯re getting married, Queenie,¡± Jessie cheered happily. Brandon and Maggie were in a hurry to marry her off as well. Nigel was one in a million, and they were happy that he would finally get engaged to Queenie. All they wished for was for their daughters to marry good men. They didn¡¯t expect their kids to stay around all the time. They just wanted their children to be happy. And marrying someone in the same city would make visits easier. ¡°Oh, I need to prepare some fruits and snacks. Brandon, you should prepare the best wine you have.¡± ¡°Of course! I¡¯m going to the cer.¡± Queenie took Jessie upstairs after breakfast. Jessie was in a good mood that morning. All the negative comments had turned for the better, and she even got herself some fans. She was watching a video, and there was a photo of her in it. She was wearing the shirt the day prior. The cameraman had skills. She was standing under a tree, holding a book. The photo made her look radiant and gleaming like an innocent youngdy. Jessie blushed. Hey, Julian did this, didn¡¯t he? He took my pic in secret. I had no idea he did that. All thements were praising her looks. They called her a future celebrity, and she felt embarrassed. She thought the photo looked nice, though she also wondered why Julian had taken that photo. A few minutes before 10.00AM, three cars arrived at the Silverstein Residence. Brenda and her husband emerged from the car, and their bodyguards came out holding boxes of gifts. Nigel got out of thest car. He was in a crisp suit today, and he even styled his hair nicely. The Silverstein couple weed their guests eagerly. They were happy to meet each other. ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t have to do this. This must have cost a lot.¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing expensive. Just a little gift.¡± Even though the Mansons had said that, everything that they brought over was expensive due to how rare the items were. Queenie and Nigel locked eyes for a moment, and Queenie eventually turned away shyly. Now that their parents had met, the reality of getting married finally dawned on her, and it made her blush. Their parents were talking among themselves while Jessie kept refilling their cups with tea. Queenie, on the other hand, led Nigel upstairs to talk. Eventually, they decided to skip the engagement process since they¡¯d have to wait for a while before they could get on with their marriage. They wanted to go straight for the wedding, and Queenie had no objections to that. She didn¡¯t want to go through the engagement process either. ¡°I have an idea of where to hold our wedding. Let¡¯s do it on a beautiful ind. My cousin and his wife had held their wedding there before, and it was really romantic.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Anticipation flowed in Queenie¡¯s eyes. ¡°We can spend a week there starting tomorrow. Take a look around. If you like it, I¡¯ll get the wedding nner to start the preparations,¡± Nigel suggested. Queenie was already looking forward to the trip, and she nodded. ¡°Sure, we can take a trip there.¡± It was already lunchtime, and the elders were still chatting happily. They agreed to the idea of skipping the engagement and going straight to the wedding. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Silverstein, Queenie and I will be staying on the ind for a week to see if we like the ce. If Queenie likes it, we¡¯ll be holding our wedding there,¡± Nigel said. ¡°Nigel, you shouldn¡¯t call them Mr. and Mrs. Silverstein anymore.¡± Brenda shot her son a look. He blushed slightly as he looked at the Silverstein couple once more. ¡°Father, Mother.¡± The Silverstein couple froze for a moment, but their hearts were filled with delight. They loved having a man like Nigel as their son-inw. ¡°Of course, Nigel.¡± They gave their approval right away. Queenie blushed and stared down nervously. She raised a ss of wine and greeted the Manson couple, ¡°A toast, Father, Mother.¡± Brenda and her husband exchanged a smile and raised their sses to toast as well. They gathered around the living room after dinner, and Brenda gave the Silverstein girls two sets of jewelry. She also gave Maggie an expensive emerald ne. Then, she gave them the keys to a vi. ¡°A gift. You guys are living quite a distance from Nigel¡¯s house. This vi is only a mile away. That way, you can visit Queenie anytime you want,¡± Brenda said. The Silverstein couple was moved. They appreciated Brenda¡¯s gesture. ¡°Thank you, but we can¡¯t possibly take this,¡± Brandon responded. ¡°Oh, we¡¯re a family now. Of course, you can take this.¡± ¡°Father, Mother, Queenie and I would like you to live closer to us. We can help out if anything happens,¡± Nigel convinced. With that, the Silverstein couple finally took the gift, and Queenie was thankful for Brenda¡¯s consideration. She wanted her parents to have a better life and living near her made visits easier. The Manson couple left at 3.00PM. They had to start preparing for the wedding, and Queenie started packing up for the vacation. Jessie had work to do as well. She had a week of ss to attend, though she missed today¡¯s lesson because she had to deal with some family matters. However, after this, she had to take things seriously. Nigel came to pick Queenie up early the next morning. She took a small suitcase with her. That was all she needed for a week of vacation. ¡°Remember to take some pictures, Queenie. We wanna see the ind, too,¡± Jessie said. ¡°Sure. Take care of Dad and Mom, alright?¡± ¡°Leave them to me. You have fun with your husband.¡± Nigel was happy to hear Jessie calling him that. He held Queenie¡¯s hand and led her out. They went across town and came to a port. There was already a helicopter awaiting them. Queenie had never ridden on a helicopter before, and it was a new and fun experience for her. Though, she held onto Nigel like a ko at first as the chopper took off. Only after the flight finally settled down did she have the time to enjoy the sea¡¯s view. Queenie started gasping and praising the view. Nigel stared at her lovingly, and hebed her bangs when the wind billowed them. About an hour and a halfter, they finally saw the ind. From the air, it looked like a green pearl embedded on the sea¡¯s surface. It was a beautiful sight. Even before theynded, Queenie had already decided to hold her wedding here. She said, ¡°I love this ce. Let¡¯s hold our wedding here.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not in a hurry. You can look around.¡± Nigel patted her head. She nodded enthusiastically. Once the chopper hadnded, they got into the car that was waiting for them. On their way to the vi, they were greeted by flowers in full bloom. She was taking pictures and recording some videos while Nigel was content with just looking at her. As long as she¡¯s happy. They got into the vi and put down their stuff. And then, a seafood feast awaited them. Nigel had hired a top chef to prepare their meals for the vacation, so the food was sumptuous. The only thing Queenie was worried about was she might gain some weight from this trip. If she couldn¡¯t fit into the S-size gown, it¡¯d be embarrassing. They took a break after lunch, and she dragged Nigel to the beach at 5.00PM. The waters were crystal clear, and schools of fish swam underneath. The pearly sands stretched as far as the eye could see, and Queenie looked forward to vacationing in this ce. She swam in the waters like a mermaid, and Nigel followed beside her. However, as she stopped swimming and tried to stand on her feet, she lost her bnce and fell into Nigel¡¯s arms. He held her right away and pushed her up. She wrapped her arms around his neck, their faces only millimeters away from each other. As they listened to each other¡¯s breathing, the couple couldn¡¯t resist their urge any longer. Thus, with the glimmering seas and a golden sun in the background, they shared a kiss. A thousand hues painted the skies, draping the couple in a nket of romance. Queenie¡¯s legs felt like jelly when she emerged from the sea. She held Nigel¡¯s hand and took a stroll on the beach. As dusk descended upon them, they returned to the vi and took a shower. Dinner was already served when they came out of the bathroom. Queenie was wearing a sexy Bohemian dress the color of aqua. She looked ready for the vacation, and her hair was tied behind her head, making her look like an exotic woman. Nigel was staring at her with lust-filled eyes. He was struggling with himself, but in the end, he steeled his resolve to leave s*x until after marriage. It was out of respect for her. They had a candlelit dinner outdoors, witnessed by the stars hanging in the night sky. Having dinner with their lover while listening to the sea and wind was a romantic thing. Queenie was in a good mood. On the other hand, Nigel thought she was the most beautiful thing around. Every time she flicked her hair, every time she pursed her lips, and every time she smiled. It was better than any view the world could offer. He was filled with lust. His mind, his body, his soul; all of them were taken over by his desire. The only thing that held him back was his sliver of sanity. Every cell in his body told him to take Queenie. She was more delectable than the food on the table. After dinner, Queenie took him for a stroll on the road. It was quiet, and they had nopanion besides some music. Not too long after she took him on a stroll, she led him back to the vi. She had never gone on a night walk. She might look calm on the outside, but she was feeling rather nervous. Still, she didn¡¯t tell Nigel in case he called her a scaredy cat. She held his arm, her face rubbing against his arm. And Nigel thought he could snap at any moment if this kept up. In the end, Nigel picked her up and returned to the vi. The air was filled with the sound of her chuckles. Oh, he¡¯s such a tease. He maintains a weak grip for me to lean closer and hug him tighter. And he even spins me around. It was exciting but also tense. She knew he wouldn¡¯t let her fall, but still, she was worried. ¡°Hey, hold me tight. Stop spinning,¡± she grumbled. He stopped teasing her then and took her back to the vi. Two hundred yards was nothing for him, even with Queenie in his arms. It was about 9.30PM when they returned. Nigel took the guest room, leaving the master bedroom for Queenie. She had lived her whole life in a bustling city. Now that she was alone in a room with nothing but a moon as herpanion, she felt like staying with Nigel. Before he could enter his room, she asked, ¡°Can we share a room for the night?¡± ¡°Why? You can¡¯t sleep alone?¡± He spoke with concern in his voice. Is he calling me a scaredy cat? Queenie wouldn¡¯t admit she was scared, so she shook her head. ¡°I can sleep alone!¡± ¡°Then, get some sleep. We¡¯ll be diving tomorrow. You need enough sleep to replenish your energy,¡± he said gently. She was a little disappointed. Am I not charming enough? We¡¯re alone together, and he¡¯s still not reacting. While she was still spacing out, Nigel had already gone into his room. Annoyed, she threw a little tantrum. Fine, we¡¯ll sleep in separate rooms, then. I gave you a chance, but you wouldn¡¯t use it. You¡¯re such a dummy! She returned to her room withints in her heart. At the same time, Nigel peeked outside and heaved a sigh of relief. If she had stayed out any longer, I would have snapped. He wished to leave the best memories for their wedding night. I bet she¡¯d think it¡¯s memorable. He wouldn¡¯t do as he wanted. It was all for the sake of the best memory. I wouldn¡¯t want herining that I didn¡¯t give her a memorable moment. He went into the bathroom and took a cold shower to put off the me within him. Queenie took a shower as well. She went to the wine cab and stared at the content. Eventually, she uncorked a bottle of red wine. I need this, or I can¡¯t sleep. She was frustrated, but the more she drank, the more annoyed she was. Is he trying to cancel the wedding? Does he think I¡¯m not hot enough? That was an important question for ady. It¡¯d be discouraging if she couldn¡¯t interest the man she liked. And it was a sign of a crisis. She was worried he might fall for someone else easily. She drank another ss of wine and remembered she had brought a long camisole with her. She took that just for this vacation. Now is the perfect time for me to use it. I must prove that I¡¯m hot. She¡¯d lose sleep otherwise. With the liquid courage in her, she became bolder. She entered the bathroom and changed into the camisole. She even sprinkled her favorite perfume over herself. Onest look in the mirror and a deep breathter, she emerged from her room and made her way to Nigel¡¯s. Nigel had changed into silk pajamas. He was lying on the bed, and his mind was upied by Queenie. Did she take a shower? Or is she enjoying some music? Or is she reading the news? Is she thinking about me? I hope she does. If she doesn¡¯t think about me, does that mean she doesn¡¯t find me attractive? Ladies don¡¯t show their horny side publicly, but I¡¯m her boyfriend, and I¡¯m right beside her. She should think about me, right? A thousand thoughts shed through his head. Suddenly, someone knocked on his door, and he reached it in one moment. His breathing was ragged, but he nheless opened the door. When he saw what Queenie was wearing, he gulped. That¡¯s all she¡¯s wearing? ¡°It¡¯s cold at night. You¡¯re gonna catch a cold. You should¡ª¡± Nigel wanted her to change into something thicker, but before he could even finish his sentence, Queenie interrupted, ¡°I don¡¯t wanna sleep alone. I wanna share a room.¡± She went past him and entered his room. Nigel¡¯s lips formed into a smile. I knew it. She was afraid to sleep alone. So, she¡¯s sleeping here tonight? ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This is a safe ind. My cousin had bought the whole ce. This is my family¡¯s turf now,¡± he assured her. You dummy. That was just an excuse. Don¡¯t you know what I¡¯m getting at? She got into his bed and covered herself with the nket, showing only her head. She looked cute with her cheeks red and eyes wide. He then looked at the sofa. ¡°I¡¯ll sleep on the sofa, then?¡± Queenie looked at the sofa and patted the spot beside her as she ordered, ¡°You¡¯re sleeping here.¡± ¡°But won¡¯t I disturb you?¡± he asked. She sighed. That¡¯s an obvious hint. Fine, I¡¯ll do it myself. She got out of bed and approached Nigel with her eyes fixed on him the whole time. He gulped. What¡¯s she trying to do? If she keeps staring at me like that, I won¡¯t be able to hold myself back anymore. Queenie took a step forward, and Nigel took a step back lest he pounced on her. He was already at the edge of the bed, and she pushed him. The moment he plopped down, she pinned him down on the bed. Finally, he realized what she was trying to do, and he noticed the scent of alcohol hanging in the air. He quickly asked, ¡°Are you drunk, Queenie?¡± ¡°Nigel, you say you love me, but I think you¡¯re lying,¡± she hissed,ints evident in her voice. It made Nigel panic, and he argued, ¡°I am not lying. I will never lie to you.¡± ¡°Then, why¡­ why aren¡¯t you interested in me at all?¡± She stared at him with interrogative eyes. He almostughed at that. Not interested? I¡¯m crazy for you. If it weren¡¯t for my sanity holding me back, I¡¯d have gobbled you up. ¡°I am interested in you, but I¡¯d like our first time to happen on our wedding night. I¡ª¡± Once again, he couldn¡¯t finish his words as she pressed her lips against his. And Nigel finally snapped. He could no longer hold himself back, and he pinned Queenie down instead. A few momentster, she stared at him, her breathing ragged. She noticed the feral desire welling within his eyes, and she wanted to escape. I can feel he loves me so much that he wants to gobble me up. I need to get away. I think I have just flirted with something I shouldn¡¯t have. She then smiled sheepishly. ¡°You¡¯re right. I think we should wait¡ª¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Toote for that.¡± Nigel narrowed his eyes. There¡¯s no way for you to escape now. ¡°No. We¡¯re going diving tomorrow. I need to sleep to make sure I¡¯m in my top form.¡± ¡°We can go the day after tomorrow. We can stay for a month if a week isn¡¯t enough. In any case, you¡¯re not going anywhere tonight,¡± he whispered, his voice filled with lust. Queenie regretted trying to seduce him. Though, at least she could feel how much he loved her. ¡°Alright, fine. But be gentle, okay?¡± Queenie relented. She had given herself to him anyway. All she wanted to do was grasp his heart and make sure nobody would catch his eye. She missed breakfast the following day as the only thing she wanted to do was sleep. She felt like she could sleep the whole day. Even when Nigel called her to have breakfast, she didn¡¯t even bother to get up. She only woke up at lunchtime, and when she saw the hickeys all over her, her face turned red¡ªshe was embarrassed! Nigel took her around after lunch. Their diving session would have to wait until thest day. Back in the city, Jessie spent the whole week learning new things. Except for mealtimes and sleep, she spent all her time learning and making notes. She even spent a lot of time working between sets, learning things she couldn¡¯t learn in ss. And Stardom¡¯s marketing for her was a sess. So, today, she was heading to thepany to shoot a bunch of posters for her official debut. Jessie arrived at thepany at 10.00AM. She was then led to the dressing room. An hourter, she went to the photoshoot. Even though she was debuting as an actress, this wasn¡¯t her first rodeo in filming. She knew how to pose for the camera. Even the cameraman thought she stood out among all the beauties. She would be one of the best-looking women in the industry. Chapter 1371-1380 Chapter 1371-1380 ¡°I saw it too. The crew posted a few photos, though. Julian gave everyone presents, not her alone. I can¡¯t believe she¡¯d bluff like that.¡± Jessie was surprised. Hey, I¡¯m riding on his coattails, too. I wonder if the public is also gossiping about me. ¡°The only one who can match Julian now is Jessie. Nobody else can.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! The only female celebrity he treats nicely in private is Jessie. Nobody else.¡± The assistants kept praising Jessie as they ate their cakes. Jessie blushed hard at their words. Back on the ind, Queenie was enjoying the beautiful morning view. Every day she woke up, she would have something to look forward to, and life never felt better. She loved this feeling, though, for three days, she didn¡¯t manage to see the sunrise as she had overslept. Every day, she was woken up by Nigel¡¯s kiss, not the sun. Still, it felt good. She had decided to hold their wedding on this ind. The view was perfect, and the vis were aplenty. The ind looked like something straight out of a portrait. It was just right for a romantic wedding. The wedding nners came soon after. They talked about how they should set up the wedding, and the couple finally had something to do, which was nning the wedding. It was an important task for them. ¡°Alright. Then, we¡¯ll be going to Flor. It¡¯s a quiet ce, and it¡¯s nearing autumn after our wedding. We can ski then. I stayed there for six months once. It¡¯s a beautiful ce.¡± ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s go to Flor, then.¡± Queenie was looking forward to it. She didn¡¯t mind the ce. As long as she was with him, it was fine. Stardom¡¯s PR department had been busy marketing Jessie and raising her fame. Since she used to work in many films before, they got a lot of info on her. A bunch of indie directors and actors had praised her for her professionalism as well. She started out being hated, but now fans were starting to know her. And the photos that were released finally showed her true beauty; she looked innocent in them. Though, of course, there were also female celebrities who were jealous of her. Some even started ndering her. Fortunately, the PR department cut down on the nders as soon as they showed up. Everyone soon realized Jessie was not someone whom they could bully and for them to go against Stardom was a foolish move on its own. The two actresses who tried to nder her even lost all the work they had, including dramas, films, and product ambassadorship. They realized all toote this was the price for ndering Jessie. At the same time, they wondered who Jessie¡¯s backer was. They were too powerful. ¡°You think Julian would fall for a nobody like you? His tastes are better than this.¡± Jessie kept ignoring her. A grey sports car was parked outside. Just as she was about to call her driver, the sports car came over to her. Someone rolled the window down, and a male¡¯s voice came from inside. ¡°Get in, Jessie.¡± She looked inside the car, and the sight of Julian shocked her. Why is he picking me up? Xandra came out just in time to see that, and her eyes went wide with envy. Julian came to pick her up himself? Impossible! I must be seeing things. However, she wouldn¡¯t mistake Julian for anyone else. Not only did hee to pick Jessie up, he even buckled her up. That was something only a boyfriend would do. Jessie was aware Xandra was watching, but she rolled the window up anyway. Julian drove off into the streets, leaving Xandra alone. Annoyed, Xandra stomped her foot. Jessie did nothing, but Xandra felt like she just ate her words. A whileter, Jessie asked, ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°To meet someone. I¡¯m introducing you to the director and crew,¡± he answered. Julian held her hand and asked everyone, ¡°So, what do you think about her?¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes were on their joined hands, and they felt likeughing. Sir, you¡¯re holding her hand. How do you expect us toment? If we say anything bad, we¡¯d be getting on your wrong side. ¡°Jessie fits the description for the lead I have in my mind. Her looks and personality are a perfect fit,¡± Vincentmented. It was a truement. Everyone else heaved a sigh of relief. Julian does have an eye for talent. Jessie was prettier in real life, and she felt a lot more innocent than most people they met. The look in her eyes was as clear as water. Jessie blushed a little. She had no idea what to do, and she didn¡¯t even hear what they said. However, she did feel courage brimming within her, and she was certain that it came from Julian. ¡°Mr. Cooper, I¡¯d like to have a go. I¡¯ll try my best to y the role well,¡± she pleaded. ¡°Honestly, I wasn¡¯t sure if I should let you y the role at first, but now that I¡¯ve seen you, I know you¡¯re perfect for the job. You¡¯ll do,¡± Vincent agreed readily. Everyone agreed as well. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Jessie. You¡¯re alright.¡± She could feel everyone¡¯s friendliness, but she knew this was only possible thanks to Julian. Jessie was listening to the music and enjoying the view. The question came out of nowhere, and it made her blush. ¡°Will the scene get really intimate?¡± ¡°For you, yes.¡± Julian looked at her. Her heart skipped a beat. So, there¡¯s going to be something more intimate than a kiss? But I¡¯m going to act with him anyway, so¡­ She decided to go all in. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m ready.¡± The man beside her stayed silent. Does she have to ready herself even when she¡¯s acting with me? Is she that reluctant? ¡°Just asking, but whenever you have any intimate scenes, do you shoot it yourself, or do you use a stand-in?¡± She looked at him. He used to have a few kissing scenes in his works. Most of his works were heavily story-based, but kissing scenes were unavoidable. Julian was speechless. Why is she asking that? Is she jealous, or is she just curious? I guess he¡¯s not answering that. She then smiled sheepishly. ¡°Sorry. Just asking. You don¡¯t have to answer if you don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Stand-ins,¡± he answered. Jessie blinked. Really? Well, it looks like I¡¯ll have to watch his films again. Carefully this time. I¡¯d like to see if he actually had stand-ins to do those scenes. ¡°I¡¯m a clean freak. Sort of. So, all intimate scenes are done by stand-ins,¡± he answered seriously. Jessie thought this was an interesting script, especially the scene when she was used as a human cannonball to shoot down the approaching Demon Lord. He was about to turn her into ash, but when he saw her face, he pulled back his attack and was hurt badly by the recoil. He held her in his arms, and they both fell into the mortal world. The story in the mortal world was interesting as well. Jessie¡¯s character nagged the Demon Lord like a mother, and it drove him mad. He tried to destroy her many times, but in the end, he couldn¡¯t. Jessie kept chuckling at the scene. She wondered what kind of face Julian would make during those scenes. He looked like a character that came from the age of myths, so scripts like these starring him would be a hit. However, this was the first time he took up a role like this. Even Jessie was looking forward to it, let alone Julian¡¯s fans. She started looking forward to the day of the shoot. Just then, her phone rang. It was from Lexie. ¡°Hey, Lexie.¡± ¡°Oh my gosh! You¡¯re the female lead for Fallen Heaven?!¡± Lexie screamed excitedly. Jessie was stunned. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you see Vincent¡¯s post? He had announced it.¡± ¡°Sorry, but I can¡¯t help,¡± Jessie refused. ¡°Are you still angry at me? I¡¯m sorry. A lot of things happened back then, so I was in a bad mood. Please don¡¯t be angry at me.¡± ¡°I have to sleep now, Miss Houston. Goodbye.¡± ¡°Jessie? Jessie!¡± Lulu didn¡¯t want to hang up, but Jessie couldn¡¯t care less. She hung up anyway. She continued reading the script. Everyone was watching her, especially the role she would y. She wouldn¡¯t let anyone down, nor would she give those haters a chance to mock her. I will y this role perfectly. I will challenge the impossible. However, not too longter, her phone rang again. It was another unfamiliar number. She hesitated for a moment, but she picked it up anyway. ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Jessie? It¡¯s me, Mabel.¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Of course, Jessie knew who Mabel was. She narrowed her eyes. ¡°Anything you need?¡± ¡°I just heard the news, and I¡¯m happy for you. I knew you¡¯d get the role the moment I saw you getting along with Julian. Didn¡¯t think Vincent approves of you as well.¡± Jessie stayed quiet and let her talk. As she expected, Mabel started showing her true colors moments later. Two weekster, Queenie and Nigel were already back in Averna. It was a sunny morning. They first had breakfast at home, and Nigel went to work in the afternoon. He asked the Presgrave couple out for dinner at night. It had been a while since Queenie and Jessie met, so the sisters locked themselves up in their room and had a little girl¡¯s talk. Jessie stared at the pictures of the ind, looking forward to visiting it during her sister¡¯s wedding. Preparations were underway, and there was only a month left before the event. Queenie had to start the preparations on her side, like testing out gowns. ¡°We want you and Julian to be our bridesmaid and best man,¡± Queenie said. Jessie blushed, but more than that, she felt happy. And she looked forward to it as well. In the meantime, Elliot came down with Willow in his arms. His family would have dinner with his friendster that night. Willow was in pink attire, and her hair was tied up in pigtails. She looked like a doll who was sucking on her chubby hands. ¡°Mommy, Mommy¡­¡± The girl wanted to see her mother, but Anastasia was nowhere to be found, and she was about to cry. ¡°When she falls asleep tonight,e to the master bedroom,¡± Elliot pleaded hoarsely. Thest time he had asked Anastasia, she said yes, but she fell asleep after putting Willow to sleep and missed the date as a result. He was left hanging the whole night and spent the next dayining to her nonstop. It was only after she went to work with him and spent two hours in the hotel next door that he finally let her off the hook. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± She didn¡¯t say yes that readily this time, just in case she stood him up again. He would pull the same stunt on her once more if that happened. ¡°I don¡¯t care. If you aren¡¯ting to me, then I¡¯ll go to you.¡± He pressed his forehead against hers. She had no choice but to nod. ¡°Fine.¡± And then, the humming of a car traveled across the air. Anastasia pushed him away, took two steps backward, and straightened her hair and dress. Their son was growing up, so they had to be careful not to show any intimacy in front of him. Jared was seven years old, yet he was taller than his peers, probably because he got his father¡¯s genes. He stood at about four feet seven, and he looked like a middle schooler when in his uniform. And now, he would even get embarrassed when he was getting called by his nickname. He had truly grown up a lot. Elliot carried his daughter with a smile. Nigel felt slightly hurt, for the little one was pretty forgetful. ¡°Nice to see you again, Nigel.¡± Anastasia came out of the room with a smile. Queenie¡¯s eyes brightened, for she thought that Mrs. Presgrave was alluring. There was no denying that she was a stunning beauty. Although Queenie had seen many beautiful women, Anastasia was still the most charming and graceful woman she had evere across. ¡°Anastasia, let me introduce her to you. She¡¯s Queenie.¡± Nigel then introduced Anastasia to Queenie. ¡°She¡¯s Elliot¡¯s wife, who is also the president and chairperson of QR Jewelry Group.¡± Queenie instantly had the urge to learn from her. She hoped that she would be as independent and capable as Anastasia one day. ¡°Nice to meet you, Anastasia. I¡¯m Queenie.¡± As she spoke, she gazed at the woman with admiration. On the other hand, Anastasia immediately took a liking to her. She supposed that they were the same kind of people, for she could tell that Queenie was a kind-hearted and friendly woman at first nce. She was truly pleased that Nigel had found such a gentle yet determined wife. ¡°Pleasee in.¡± Anastasia took Queenie¡¯s hand and shuffled into the private room. When Queenie saw a handsome young boy sitting on the couch, she was awestruck, thinking that the Presgraves were all good-looking people. ¡°Jared, say hi to Aunt Queenie,¡± Anastasia said to her son. Chapter 1381-1390 Chapter 1381-1390 ¡°Anastasia designed them herself. Just ept her gift,¡± Elliot said with a smile. At that instant, Queenie felt that the gift was profoundly meaningful, so she unwittingly clenched them tightly. ¡°Thanks, Anastasia. I¡¯ll be sure to treasure your gift.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d that you like it. Visit us frequently and have a chat with us. We can also go out for a cup of coffee or an afternoon tea,¡± Anastasia said gently. Moved by the woman¡¯s hospitality, Queenie nodded. ¡°Alright, Anastasia. I still have a lot to learn from you.¡± ¡°Sure. If there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand, just reach out to me,¡± Anastasia replied with a smile. After dinner ended, Elliot and his family members went to a nearby shopping mall while Nigel and Queenie went home to get some rest. In the shopping mall, Elliot was walking around with his daughter in his arms, and they attracted a lot of attention. The little one loved being in a shopping mall. While in her father¡¯s arms, she couldn¡¯t stop looking around. Meanwhile, Anastasia followed behind them while holding her son¡¯s hand, and several bodyguards apanied the family until they went home at about 9.00PM. Willow fell asleep an hourter after being exhausted from ying all day. Right after Anastasia was done showering, she received a message on her phone. When she saw the picture of a hooked finger on the screen, she realized what that man wanted to do. She wrote in an attempt to annoy him, ¡®Good night. I¡¯m tired.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t be naughty. Come over here.¡¯ The man started coaxing her. Just then, Jessie received a message on her phone. The moment she picked up her phone, her lips twisted into a smile as her eyes tinged with joy. It was Julian. ¡®Are you done with the photoshoot? Are you heading home?¡¯ he asked caringly. ¡®Yes, I¡¯m done with it. I¡¯m going home right now,¡¯ Jessie replied. ¡®Get some rest when you reach home. The opening ceremony will be held soon.¡¯ ¡°I will. You should get some rest as well,¡¯ Jessie replied considerately. The opening ceremony would take ce in three days, and she would be busy starring in the movie. Apart from acting, she looked forward to spending most of her time with Julian on set. By then, they would be living in the same ce. During their spare time, they could read their scripts together. They might also have to work together until the middle of the night. All in all, she could do many things with him. The next morning, Jessie¡¯s photos were posted on various social media pages. Her fans started praising her as they looked forward to watching the movie in cinemas, especially when the movie had been adapted from their favorite story. While Jessie was swamped with work, Queenie was busy preparing for her wedding. Indeed, their lives were fulfilling. On the third morning, they had to head to the filming location to take part in the opening ceremony. There was no doubt that thepany was wealthy as all the important actors and actresses boarded a chartered ne reserved for the asion. In the morning, Jessie headed to the airport with Lexie and the three bodyguards her father had hired for her. The fact that Julian and Jessie, the female lead of the new film, had checked into the same hotel soon became trending news. Jessie¡¯s room was just beside Julian¡¯s. In fact, she was staying in a luxurious suite. She had brought three suitcases with her that were full of clothes, toiletries, and her favorite snacks of the finest quality that her mother had bought for her. Her luggage was filled with her parents¡¯ love. In the afternoon, they were going to have a meal together. The moment Jessie stepped out of her room, she came across Julian, who had two assistants and four bodyguards with him. His assistants, who were a man and a woman, had been responsible for taking care of his daily needs. ¡°Let¡¯s go downstairs together,¡± Julian offered. Jessie nodded and stepped into the elevator with him. A whileter, the elevator stopped moving, and two actresses entered the next moment. They were familiar faces in showbiz. Both of them were equally excited when they saw Julian, but when they set their eyes on Jessie, they appeared scornful and derisive. Needless to say, a new actress probably slept with some powerful figure tond the role of the female lead. Therefore, in their eyes, Jessie snatched the role using such a deplorable way. Jessie sensitively detected their disdain, but there was nothing she could do about it. No one in showbiz was aware that she was a youngdy from the Silverstein Family yet. Hence, she couldn¡¯t me them for seeing her through colored lenses. The reporters were still not done with the photo session when a breeze whisked through them and brought up some sand. Before Jessie could react, some sand hade into contact with her eyes. Although Julian¡¯s face was covered with sweat, he still pulled Jessie into his arms and brought her somewhere else before checking her eyes. Jessie couldn¡¯t open her eyes, but it was nothing serious. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Julian gently blew some air at her eyes, not once concealing his concern for the woman even though they were surrounded by fans and reporters. Lisa Powers gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. Why is Julian so concerned about this new actress? Just then, a female supporter recognized her and eximed, ¡°Oh, my gosh! Are you Lisa?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve gotten the wrong person.¡± At that, Lisa covered her face with her hand and turned around to leave. She had to head to another film set. Since she wasn¡¯t selected as the female lead for this movie, she could only settle for another historical movie she didn¡¯t have high hopes for. Furthermore, she was paired with an actor who hadn¡¯t made a name for himself yet. Therefore, she loathed Julian for treating Jessie so well. Vincent had agreed to let her take part in the audition, but Julian crushed her hope. On the other hand, Jessie must have used a dirty trick to snatch that chance from her. Hence, she hated them both. After getting into the car, she still couldn¡¯t help but set her eyes on the opening ceremony. That ce was bustling with noises, and everyone was congratting the director, the actors, and the actresses. Both the kisser and the one being kissed were stumped. Jessie hurriedly removed the towel from her eyes, only to blush when she finally realized who it was. Julian, on the other hand, continued to fish out Jessie¡¯s phone for her. His face was merely inches away from her. He was so close that she could even feel his breath brushing against her face. Finally, he sessfully retrieved her phone. However, a red line formed on the back of his hand due to the force he exerted. While taking the phone from him, Jessie looked at the slightly bruised hand with pain. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Does it hurt?¡± As the seats came with a massage function, there was a small gap between the seats. So, fishing out a fallen phone wasn¡¯t so hard. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. How are your eyes?¡± asked Julian as he scrutinized her eyes. Jessie blinked tentatively and couldn¡¯t help gushing when whatever was in her eyes was gone. ¡°They¡¯re fine now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Julian was relieved. ¡°You stay here while I take a look outside.¡± ¡°No, wait! Let¡¯s go together.¡± Jessie didn¡¯t want to miss out on the rest of the event, especially when there were refreshments and a gift-giving session. Besides, she had also prepared some goodie bags to hand out! When the two came out of the car, the media concurrently pointed their cameras in their direction. It was Jessie¡¯s first time facing so many media outlets. Thus, she felt intimidated by their cameras. ¡°How is this trifle?! I¡¯m doing you a favor here!¡± Lisa deliberately faked an event just so she could stay a little longer in his room. Meanwhile, Jessie had left her room. Though they had agreed to meet at 2.30PM, she still wanted to show up a little earlier. In her hands were two cups of freshly ground coffee she eagerly wanted to share with him. Just as Jessie wanted to knock on the door, it opened from inside, startling her. The next second, she found Julian answering the door with another woman. Being an old trouper, Lisa acted practically seamlessly the second she saw Jessie at the door, pretending to have cked out as she held her forehead and fell limply into Julian¡¯s arms. As Julian failed to react in time, Lisa sessfully hugged him after turning around. Jessie, on the other hand, quickly realized she had interrupted them. Awkwardly, she said to Julian, ¡°I- I¡¯lle backter.¡± ¡°Jessie!¡± Julian called out to the young woman, but she still shrewdly returned to her room while her mind was filled with images of Lisa hugging Julian. Lisa was the female lead in Julian¡¯sst production and also an A-lister. Her looks and performance were considered the best. Meanwhile, Lexie was sorting Jessie¡¯s clothes out when thetter returned. ¡°Hmm? I thought you left to see Young Master Julian for a read-through. Howe you¡¯re back?¡± she asked with surprise. ¡°He¡­ He¡¯s in the middle of something else.¡± Jessie sat somewhat absent-mindedly on the couch. ¡°Lexie, you¡¯re a sucker for celebrity gossip. Do you know of any past dating rumors between Young Master Julian and Lisa Powers?¡± Jessie asked with curiosity, to which Lexie pondered for a moment before answering. ¡°If my memory didn¡¯t fail me¡ªthere was. But it was debunked very quickly.¡± Can Julian and Lisa also be in this kind of rtionship? That¡¯s why they¡¯d make out as soon as they meet up, which ended up in the earring being dropped on the couch in the process, right? While Jessie was deep in her thoughts, an alluring male voice traveled to her ears. ¡°Is the coffee for me?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. I got it for you,¡± she answered at once after being pulled back to reality. ¡°Oh, I found this. You should return it to Miss Powerster.¡± With that, she showed him the earring in her hand. Julian furrowed his brows in response. ¡°Where did you find it?¡± ¡°On the couch. It¡¯s Miss Powers¡¯, I assume,¡± she answered with a smile. ¡°Just throw it into the trash can,¡± he ordered. Is he not going to return it?! ¡°It looks pretty expensive. Are you not going to return it to her?¡± Jessie asked with surprise. Julian, for one, saw through Lisa¡¯s act right away. So, even if the earring was hers, she had dropped it here on purpose. Obviously, she wanted to use the excuse of finding her earring to get close to him again. ¡°Leave it on the table then. I¡¯ll have my assistant return it to her.¡± Returning it to Lisa will save her from having toe up with another excuse to find me again. ¡°Miss Powers looked a little unwell earlier. Is she alright?¡± Jessie asked. ¡°She¡¯s alive and kicking,¡± he answered. She had run away so quickly that she didn¡¯t see Lisa leaving in difiture under his sub-zero gaze. She was so used to Julian¡¯s gentleness that his sternness made her feel inexplicably aggrieved all of a sudden. In fact, her eyes began to turn misty. However, she obstinately pursed her lips tight and forced her tears back. At that, she nodded. ¡°I want to act. I¡¯ll definitely get it right.¡± ¡°You feel stressed when you act alongside me. Go and do it with your assistant instead,¡± urged Julian, asking her to leave. Jessie left right away, as she would really cry out of grievance if she stayed a second longer. It was honestly absolutely grieving to be told off suddenly when she had been enjoying his gentleness for quite some time. Lexie happened to be out when she returned to her room, so she headed to the balcony for some fresh air. After taking a few deep breaths and wiping the tears from the corner of her eyes away, she gave herself a pep talk. You¡¯re going to act, Jessie Silverstein, and you¡¯re going to do it right. Do not disappoint him. It was as though disappointing him was a sin. Meanwhile, in a different hotel room, Lisa was watching the clock run on the couch while musing, Surely, Julian would have seen my earring by now. When is he going to call and have me go and get it? Right, I¡¯m going to give him another ten minutes. If he still doesn¡¯t call, I¡¯ll go get it myself. I¡¯ll tell him it¡¯s an expensive piece, and he can¡¯t lose it. While she pondered, she had her makeup artist touch up her makeup. Lexie¡¯s heart skipped a beat in response. As she felt that Julian Gilmore despised her, her face flushed. Damn, it doesn¡¯t feel good! At that, Julian entered the room. Although the table was spotless, the air in the room still made him frown¡ªan obvious aroma that came uniquely from grilling food over charcoal still filled the space. ¡°W-What brings you here?¡± Jessie couldn¡¯t help being conscience-stricken. Julian stared judgingly grim at a certain someone for some time before finally asking, ¡°Why the silence?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve just eaten grilled skewers,¡± Jessie answered honestly in the end. ¡°And who gave you permission to eat that kind of thing?!¡± Julian condemned, startling Jessie. She immediately stood straight and drooped her head like a misbehaved child. She didn¡¯t even know what to do with her hands. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to eat this sort of unhygienic food with zero nutrition again, and don¡¯t even think about eating covertly!¡± Julian fumed, then suddenly turned to Lexie. ¡°And you, don¡¯t get them for her!¡± Also frightened, Lexie tucked her neck and vowed at once, ¡°I will never do that again!¡± At that, he turned his head toward Jessie andmanded, ¡°Go and brush your teeth.¡± Jessie blinked in response. The man didn¡¯t express any disdain or the sort, but she felt that she had been scorned beyond redemption. Julian, on the other hand, stormed off after that, probably unable to stand the stench of grilled skewers in the space any longer. Of course, since it was for her, Jessie would certainly help herself to the food, for she was genuinely famished. That said, she couldn¡¯t possibly finish it all. So, she asked Lexie to help her out. The poor girl then made more room in her stuffed belly and helped herself to seconds. ¡°Hey, Jess. I know this restaurant. I heard that their minimum charge is one that wemoners won¡¯t dare to spend.¡± Jessie, too, knew which restaurant Lexie was talking about after checking the logo on the bag, and she felt warm and fuzzy on the inside. Who knew if it had to do with the soup or just herself? Later, she spent nearly all night studying the script, memorizing as she went. As she had a pretty good memory, she managed to memorize every single word despite therge chunk of text. More than that, even her emotions had be richer. As she had overeaten earlier, she couldn¡¯t fall asleep. So, she couldn¡¯t help checking out the crime movie Julian and Lisa starred in, which was a summer hitst year. It was a movie with only one leading male character¡ªJulian¡¯s character. He yed an undercover cop, and his acting was commendable. He embodied a ruthless bad guy as perfectly as he portrayed a just cop. Lisa, on the other hand, yed a tragic character in search of her fianc¨¦e. As the character wasyer- filled in addition to working with Julian, she managed to bag the best-supporting actressst year. Chapter 1391-1400 Chapter 1391-1400 ¡°What? You dare to do it but can¡¯t stand other people criticizing you for it?¡± Lisa raised her chin condescendingly. ¡°I¡¯ve been in this industry long enough to know there are only ever a few tricks simple stunt doubles like you can use to climb to stardom.¡± ¡°Yeah? Well, Jessie won¡¯t stoop to that level! She¡¯s far too pure for that!¡± Lexie retorted. ¡°Care to share how you get to where you are now, then?¡± ¡°You and I are barely acquainted, let alone friends. So why should I tell you?¡± Jessie monotoned, taking Lisa aback. ¡°As if you¡¯re worthy enough to be my friend, Silverstein.¡± ¡°Huh, it¡¯s Jessie who doesn¡¯t want to befriend you. To think a person can be so shameless!¡± Lexie fired back again, causing Lisa to turn grimly and re at her. ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky, Silverstein. The higher you go, the harder you fall.¡± With that, she left smugly. When Jessie stared at Lisa¡¯s retreating figure, she didn¡¯t sense the animosity from thetter but instead reflected on her ipetence. The reason Lisa dared to mock her right now as she stood here was that she wasn¡¯t good enough yet. In this industry, only after one had enough creditable work and fans and was hardworking and aspirant enough could one ignore other people¡¯s derision. ¡°You alright, Jessie? Don¡¯t let her get to you.¡± Lexieforted her. ¡°I¡¯m good. She can¡¯t get to me; she will only motivate me.¡± At that, she hooked her arm around Lexie¡¯s. ¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s go! Help me with the script after breakfast. I want to memorize it as quickly as possible.¡± ¡°You have wire stunts in the afternoon, Jessie. You think you¡¯re going to be okay?¡± Vincent asked, to which Jessie nodded with reassurance. ¡°Absolutely. This is my forte.¡± Her answer pleased him, for he didn¡¯t like his actors to use stunt doubles. At around 2.00PM at the hotel, Julian could no longer sit still after learning about the wire stunts arranged in the afternoon from the crew, so he had his assistant ready the car to head to the set. He was dressed in all ck and even wore a baseball cap as he didn¡¯t want to garner attention. He was just there to see how the girl was doing and also to make sure she was safe during her wire stunt. Because of the wire stunt, Jessi didn¡¯t dare overeat. In the past, she would even do them with an empty stomach as she would be more awake and more agile. Anything could happen on set, and sure enough, the wire stunt was brought forward as they were missing one of the props for the next scene. Jessie stood below the crane in her costume while the stunt crew helped secure her to the mechanism. Vincent, too, came to check on the situation and ensured her safety. After everything was set to go, Vincent gave her some words of encouragement, then cleared the set for filming. The scene was about Estelle picking a magical herb, and she was magically light as a feather. It would be a visual delight, but such a scene challenged an actor¡¯s movements in the air and also the steadiness when theynded. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Jessie smiled, and suddenly, a growl traveled in the air¡ªsomeone¡¯s stomach was growling. The young woman immediately covered her stomach with mortification. Her stomach was reminding her of her skipped lunch. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you not take lunch?¡± Julian asked with a frown. ¡°I try not to eat too much when I have wire stunts.¡± Just then, Lexie rushed over with a cup. ¡°Jessie didn¡¯t eat at all. All she had was water. Tell her that it¡¯s uneptable!¡± At that, Julian turned to his assistant. ¡°Get her something to eat.¡± ¡°I can still manage a little while longer. I have another scene soon.¡± Jessie stopped them at once. ¡°Never act with an empty stomach. Your health is more important. I¡¯ll notify Vincent,¡± he said gravely before heading toward Vincent. Jessie, on the other hand, was still processing what was going on. She was long used to not eating regrly, so it really wasn¡¯t a big deal. ¡°Jessie, look at how nice Young Master Julian treats you.¡± Jessie felt pretty touched by his gesture as well. Sure enough, Vincent gave her a half-an-hour break, and Julian took her to the green room while his assistant brought some snacks and fruits over. As Jessie didn¡¯t remove any of her makeup, she ate daintily. Meanwhile, Julian, who sat across from her, admired the ¡®view¡¯. It was like watching an elf eat. With every bite she took, hershes fluttered, and her moist lips were tempting him to savor her. Julian nced at Jessie and walked up to her to look closely at her makeup. Jessie had lifted her head with her eyes closed so that the makeup artist could do her job. Once the makeup artist was done, Jessie opened her eyes, which looked as clear as spring water. However, no one seemed able to see through her by looking her in the eye. ¡°Is it done?¡± Julian asked the makeup artist. ¡°Yes.¡± Jessie rose from the chair as she was already looking forward to the first scene with Julian. ¡°We¡¯ll be going out now, Hazel.¡± Jessie waved her hand at the woman. Hazel watched them leave through the mirror, a glint of jealousy shing through her eyes. Presently, Jessie was standing in her designated spot. It was a scene in the mortal world where she and the injured Demon Lord had fallen into. Here, the female lead would take care of him. Following Vincent¡¯s order, Jessie acted ording to the script by fearlessly dashing toward Julian just as he pressed his hand against his chest and spat out a mouthful of blood. ¡°Are you alright? Does it hurt? Why did you save me?¡± ¡°Get lost! Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Julian dismissed her and pushed her away before falling to one knee. He depicted a noble and proud Demon Lord, yet his eyes were filled with rage, struggle, and murderous intent. All of those emotions yed out through his dark and charming gaze. On the side, Jessie was no longer in the frame. She watched Julian with admiration written all over her face, for the man¡¯s acting skills were on another level. Presently, Jessie was seated beside Lexie and drinking some tea to quench her thirst. Lexie asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the supporting actor, Jessie?¡± Only then did Jessie realize she hadn¡¯t heard anything about the supporting actor after so many days. Where is he? From what I read in the script, there¡¯s an important supporting actor that I¡¯m supposed to be in love with, and his character¡¯s name is As. However, I haven¡¯t heard anything about him. She couldn¡¯t help but pat the female staff member beside her as she asked in a small voice, ¡°Who¡¯s the supporting actor?¡± ¡°I just learned that the original actor resigned from his role. After that, Vincent found Fabian Walters to rece him. If everything goes well, he¡¯ll be on set in two days.¡± Jessie and Lexie exchanged nces. They could hardly contain their urges to scream, for Fabian was an actor they admired. ¡°Oh, my gosh! Two of the hottest actors are going to battle it out in the movie. I love it! You¡¯re so lucky, Jessie. You¡¯ll be surrounded by two hunks!¡± In the past, Jessie would¡¯veughed out loud with her, but now, she reckoned that she had to restrain herself. Having said that, she was pleased to be in the same movie as Fabian. While she was jolly, she caught sight of a pair of eyes staring at her. Julian was seated in a chair with the script in his hands. The two fans his assistant had ced beside him made his long wig flutter in the air. Meanwhile, his handsome facial features gave off an evil vibe. There was a reason the media praised him for being the most handsome actor in historical costumes, after all. At this point, Vincent stopped shooting the scene. He then gave Jessie some instructions, saying, ¡°You¡¯ll be swept away by Hazel¡¯s whip. Julian is worried that you¡¯ll get hurt, so he¡¯ll save you using a secret technique. After that, he¡¯ll spit out a mouthful of blood. Although he doesn¡¯t love you now, he still tries to protect you instinctively.¡± Jessie listened to him attentively and looked forward to shooting the next scene. After the scene where Jessie had been swept away, she watched Julian act on the side. Since there wasn¡¯t any help he could use, his acting skills were put to test.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. He had done a great job of portraying how dejected the Demon Lord felt while exhibiting an unrivaled power. In the end, he fell to his knees and spat blood. Hazel rushed over and supported his weight. ¡°Cut!¡± shouted Vincent, and they were done with this scene. Meanwhile, Hazel wasn¡¯t willing to let go of Julian¡¯s arm. Noticing Julian¡¯s displeasure, his assistant came over and told her to release him as Julian needed to reapply his makeup. There was another shoot at night. The scene was about the young celestial servant¡ªportrayed by Jessie¡ªand Julian heading to an inn. They had to go somewhere else for the scene. To make it easier to shoot the scene at night, they only took off their costumes and kept the wigs on their heads. Julian¡¯s assistant helped him tie up his long hair. d in a ck T-shirt, Julian appeared at ease. Just then, he walked up to Jessie and said, ¡°Let¡¯s have a meal together.¡± ¡°Do we have time for that?¡± ¡°I ordered some takeout. The food will be here soon.¡± Although Julian was a seasoned actor, he still found the scene challenging, especially since Jessie was watching him from the side. Therefore, he was told to reshoot the scene repeatedly, which was unlike him. Soon, Vincent realized it was because Jessie was at the scene, so he told his assistant to ask her to leave the ce. After Jessie was gone, Julian sessfully wrapped up his part. ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day, Vincent. All of us are exhausted.¡± After Julian was done shooting the scene, he asked Vincent to let everyone get off work. ¡°Alright. Fabian will be here tomorrow. We still have more than ten scenes to shoot here.¡± Everyone returned to their room to get some rest. After a tiring day, they were ted that they finally got off work. Jessie returned to her hotel room and took off the wig. Once she was done showering, she directly slumbered off. What she wasn¡¯t aware of was that she had forgotten to have the supper that a certain man had prepared for her. Lexie told her about it the next morning, and Jessie regretted falling asleep so soon the night before. ¡°Julian takes good care of you, Jessie. He basically buys you three meals a day now, which makes my job easier.¡± After a pause, she continued, ¡°By the way, Fabian is on set now. I saw him earlier. Wow! He¡¯s so handsome and tall. What¡¯s more, he looks like a considerate guy, just like the Immortal Lord in the movie.¡± ¡°Oh, I remember now. I have to shoot some scenes with him today.¡± ¡°You can do it, Jessie.¡± ¡°Alright, stay right there.¡± Julian¡¯s chest heaved visibly. Beneath the water, Jessie¡¯s knees pressed against his abdomen gently. The warm water seemed to be causing his desire to rise within him. His Adam¡¯s apple could be seen bobbing through the lens. After they were done with the scene, Jessie was helped out of the bathtub. On the other hand, the man was stiff as it wasn¡¯t appropriate for him to get up now. Realizing something, Vincent stifled hisughter and ordered, ¡°Alright, all of you, please leave this ce first.¡± Jessie changed into a new set of clothes, and a staff member blow-dried her hair. She would be shooting the next scene with the supporting actor, Fabian. As a War God from the mythical world, Fabian came from a prestigious background. On the other hand, Jessie¡¯s character lived a tragic life, and her parents were no longer with her in the movie. Since she had lost all of her spirituality, she didn¡¯t even have a ce in the mythical world. It was the War God who took her in and let her be a young celestial servant in his pce. The young celestial servant was in love with the War God, for he was the only one who would give her warmth. No one was aware that her biggest dream was to marry this War God, who was way out of her league. In the scene, the young celestial servant snuck out of the ce when the Demon Lord wasn¡¯t paying attention. Before she could meet the War God, she was mocked and bullied by people from the mythical world. Although she did her best to resist, she was still thrown to the ground. The War God happened to arrive and lend her a hand. ¡°I¡¯m willing to die with my master!¡± Even though Jessie was terrified, she was determined to stay by her master¡¯s side. Death wasn¡¯t something she was afraid of. ¡°How foolish you are!¡± the actor sneered. Although Jessie had lost all of her spirituality, she could still use some spells, secretly performing a hand seal by waving her hand. The next instant, the actor¡¯s face was reced by horror. He was tangled up in cables, to begin with, and he was forcefully pulled backward. It was as though he had been swept away by an immense force in the scene. Jessie was still holding Fabian in her arms. At this moment, the lens focused on her face. She lifted her head and turned to look at the person from the mythical world who had been cast away. Disbelief was written all over her face. Then, she looked at her hand and fell into a dazed state. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s great. There¡¯s one thing I¡¯d like to point out, Jessie. You have to hold Fabian tighter.¡± Vincent was someone who strived for perfection. However, the moment he finished speaking, Julian, who was watching from the side, suddenly let out a cough. Vincent turned to look at him and realized his intention. ¡°We¡¯ll do it again, Vincent.¡± Jessie waspletely fine with it. Easy! I¡¯ll just do it again. Fabian felt stiff all over his body. Just as he was ready to get up, Jessie pressed him back down on the floor with a smile. ¡°We have to do it again. Don¡¯t go away.¡± Fabian had no choice but to lie back down. With a smile, he asked, ¡°Am I heavy? Do your legs feel numb?¡± After opening the door, Jessie lifted her hefty hem and got into the car. At this moment, she was still d in period costumes, so she looked like a young woman who had traveled through time. It was aesthetically pleasing. Meanwhile, Julian was also swathed in historical costumes as he wasnguidly seated on a chair with his eyes closed. With his tall build wrapped in ck clothes, he truly looked like a powerful monarch from ancient times. Jessie observed his face and couldn¡¯t help but think that this man was still deathly attractive even when he was asleep. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Although the man never opened his eyes, he knew she was there. ¡°I¡¯ve brought you some fruits. Do you want some?¡± Jessie asked with a smile as she held out the fruits. ¡°No.¡± The man turned her down with his eyes still closed. ¡°Are you tired? Can I get some rest in your car?¡± Jessie batted her eyes. ¡°I¡¯d like to be alone.¡± The man spoke in a dispassionate voice and still never bothered to open his eyes. Jessie was a tactful person, so she never pushed her luck upon hearing that. She put on a smile and replied, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll stop bothering you. I¡¯ll ask Fabian whether I can get some rest in his car.¡± After she finished speaking, she put down the fruits and intended to leave. Just as she was about to get out of the car, the man was heard asking in a muffled voice, ¡°Do you love spending time with him so much?¡± Chapter 1401-1410 Chapter 1401-1410 One was a Demon Lord, and the other was the War God. Alioth crushed all forces, giving As, the War God, a hard time. As a young celestial servant, Estelle immediately stood in front of her master when he coughed out a mouthful of blood, leading Alioth to withdraw his energy andmand icily, ¡°Come here.¡± ¡°I will never leave my master!¡± Jessie recited her line. Meanwhile, an eerie sensation exuded from Julian even though he was basking under the sun, and the surrounding crew sensed it too. It was as though Julian was genuinely pissed and not just acting. Following, Fabian recited his line,manding as he panted, ¡°You¡¯re my celestial servant. You¡¯re not allowed to go anywhere but stay by my side!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Master. I won¡¯t leave you.¡± Jessie stared firmly at him while he held her hand. Julian knew they were all just acting, yet he couldn¡¯t help narrowing his icy gaze as he looked at how affectionately Jessie was looking at Fabian. ¡°Cut!¡± Vincent cried out in time, believing someone would get super jealous if he let the scene go on. ¡°Julian, we need a panning shot from you. You two can take five.¡± After Jessie eased her mood, she looked toward Julian as a few cameras panned around him. The malice in his contemptuous gaze was intimidating, looking like it could obliterate the entire world. Julianpleted his shots perfectly in no time, and Vincent had them take a break. Jessie looked up at him and spoke up first. ¡°Sorry I ruined your rep.¡± ¡°And what wrong do you have? The ones at fault are those ill-intentioned.¡± Julian corrected her, then sat down across from her. Seeing that she was dejected, he tried tofort her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Thepany will sort it out. It won¡¯t damage your reputation.¡± ¡°Did a crew leak it? I know people can make money out of them,¡± Jessie asked, curious. ¡°Cooper¡¯s looking into it. No matter who it is, they won¡¯t be spared,¡± dered Julian as a hint of rage shed across his eyes. This guy is targeting Jessie¡¯s reputation. ¡°Lexie said you barely ate anything,¡± he mentioned with concern. She seemed to have lost even more weight since joining the production. ¡°What do you want to eat? I¡¯ll take you there.¡± ¡°No, we can¡¯t be seen together right now. Besides, there have been tons of rumors going on between us in the first ce. I¡¯m really worried I¡¯ll affect you.¡± ¡°In what sense?¡± He narrowed his eyes. ¡°Your reputation, of course!¡± ¡°What use do I have for that when I can¡¯t even protect a friend?! You¡¯re more important to me than my rep,¡± Julian dered gravely, making Jessie speechless with gratitude. ¡°Come on. I¡¯ll take you out for food.¡± At that, he extended his hand out to her, wanting to pull her up. Jessie put her hand abashedly on his, and he immediately pulled her up, then just like that, he led her out of her room. A few assistants were chatting in the corridor when they came out, and Jessie reflexively struggled. However, Julian held a tight grip on her hand, not giving her a chance to break free. As soon os they hod gone for enough, the ossistonts begon whispering, ond o rother loud ossistont¡¯s voice troveled to the elevotor when the doors were closing. ¡°Shut up! They¡¯re reolly seeing eoch other?!¡± The elevotor door closed the next second, ond Jessie¡¯s heod buzzed for o second. No, people con¡¯t think thot I¡¯m doting Julion, con they? Julion, on the other hond, stored ot the moving numbers until they orrived ot the lobby os though he hodn¡¯t heord o word the ossistont soid. As she worried there would be o crowd outside, she withdrew her hond eventuolly, instinctively wonting to protect his reputotion. It didn¡¯t motter if she got boshed, but he couldn¡¯t be drogged through the mud. The one thot hit her the hordest wos o fon criticizing him, ¡®Whot the heck is Julion thinking?! Whot o woste of his good looks. To think he¡¯d foncy o nobody like her.¡¯ Sometimes, words could be os shorp os o dogger, injuring someone indiscernibly, hurting deeply without ever bleeding. Julion didn¡¯t insist either, letting her hove her woy. Thot soid, he¡¯d glonce behind his shoulder ot the young womon wolking behind him with every step he took. If she slowed down, then he would noturolly woit for her. The chouffeur wos olreody stonding by with the cor outside, ond Julion let Jessie hop in before going in himself. As soon as they had gone far enough, the assistants began whispering, and a rather loud assistant¡¯s voice traveled to the elevator when the doors were closing. ¡°Shut up! They¡¯re really seeing each other?!¡± The elevator door closed the next second, and Jessie¡¯s head buzzed for a second. No, people can¡¯t think that I¡¯m dating Julian, can they? Julian, on the other hand, stared at the moving numbers until they arrived at the lobby as though he hadn¡¯t heard a word the assistant said. As she worried there would be a crowd outside, she withdrew her hand eventually, instinctively wanting to protect his reputation. It didn¡¯t matter if she got bashed, but he couldn¡¯t be dragged through the mud. The one that hit her the hardest was a fan criticizing him, ¡®What the heck is Julian thinking?! What a waste of his good looks. To think he¡¯d fancy a nobody like her.¡¯ Sometimes, words could be as sharp as a dagger, injuring someone indiscernibly, hurting deeply without ever bleeding. Julian didn¡¯t insist either, letting her have her way. That said, he¡¯d nce behind his shoulder at the young woman walking behind him with every step he took. If she slowed down, then he would naturally wait for her. The chauffeur was already standing by with the car outside, and Julian let Jessie hop in before going in himself. Meanwhile, Vincent had the assistant director investigate the case, as he simply couldn¡¯t allow something like this to happen again. Anyone who ndered his cast would be held legally responsible. Hazel, on the other hand, became apprehensive after seeing the trending page in the afternoon. The scandal escted far too quickly, and Jessie was bashed for good. Julian¡¯s fans were now criticizing Jessie for anything and everything. ¡°What are we going to do, Miss Hazel?! I heard the assistant director¡¯s investigating this case. What if he finds out it¡¯s us?!¡± Hazel¡¯s assistant was freaking out. ¡°Stand your ground. As long as they don¡¯t know it¡¯s us, the whole thing will fizzle out sooner orter.¡± Hazel was still rather collected as she had simr experiences. Sure, they¡¯d investigate the situation, but it would be just an act most of the time, and they¡¯d just warn people from doing something like this again. However, right then, Vincent was bellowing in his room, ¡°What do you mean you can¡¯t find anything?! Pull all the footage from that day out. Young Master Julian personally ordered the investigation. We¡¯ll stop all filming until we get to the bottom of this. So, dig into it now!¡± The few members of staff had just been putting on a show at first, and their hearts skipped a beat after hearing Vincent¡¯s words. It seemed that they couldn¡¯t shrug it off anymore. Nobody dared snub it any longer, and they hurriedly gathered together to fish out all the footage from this behind-the-scenes clip as well as find the possible crew member who had released the recording. Finally, an eagle-eyed young woman watching the footage eximed, ¡°Guys, look. She¡¯s recording with a phone. It might be her.¡± ¡°She¡¯s Miss Hazel¡¯s assistant. She¡¯s probably just recording Miss Hazel.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll know for sure after we have here over to Director Cooper¡¯s, won¡¯t we?¡± Hazel¡¯s assistant happened to have gone out to buy Hazel some fruits, and she was called to a conference room as soon as she arrived at the lobby. ¡°Bailey, were you the one who uploaded the behind-the-scenes clip online?¡± Vincent and a few higher- ups fixed their gaze on her. ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t me.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯ve already verified it with the media, and it is you! Come clean, and I can spare you, but if you insist on being obstinate, you can say hi to prison.¡± Bailey¡¯s face nched at once, and the fruits in her hands dropped to the floor. Even her legs had turned to jelly. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to do it. It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s Miss Hazel. She made me do it. I¡¯m just following orders.¡± The assistant immediately shifted the me to Hazel. It wasn¡¯t a difficult choice at all between being put behind bars and losing this job. ¡°Why did Hazel ask you to do it?¡± ¡°She said¡­ She said she wanted Young Master Julian¡¯s fans to condemn Jessie Silverstein, and once her reputation on set is ruined, you might eventually kick her out.¡± ¡°And whot good will this bring her?¡± Vincent turned grim. ¡°Miss Hozel just isn¡¯t hoppy obout bing o supporting octress to o newbie. She soid it seriously degrodes her stotus, so she mode me do it. I¡¯m just on ossistont. How dore I ignore her?¡± Boiley confessed to it oll, even Hozel¡¯s molicious thoughts, ond Vincent couldn¡¯t believe he hod picked the wrong person. Hozel wos olreody o veteron, ond yet she still did something like intrigue on set ond even set o newbie up! ¡°Bring Hozel over!¡± Vincent growled. Hozel wos woiting for Boiley to return with the fruit when insteod, oll she got wos o crew member osking for her. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Miss Hozel, Director Cooper would like to see you in the conference room for o moment.¡± ¡°It¡¯s olreody pretty lote. Is it importont?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure either.¡± The crew member didn¡¯t wont to let on just yet. Hozel hod no choice but to reluctontly moke her woy to the conference room. Lo ond behold, she found o grim Vincent os soon os she entered, ond her heort couldn¡¯t help skipping o beot. Then, os though she understood whot wos going on when she found Boiley sitting oside, she instontly beroted the poor ossistont, ¡°How dore you slock off, Boiley?! I¡¯ve been woiting for the fruit for oges!¡± ¡°And what good will this bring her?¡± Vincent turned grim. ¡°Miss Hazel just isn¡¯t happy about bing a supporting actress to a newbie. She said it seriously degrades her status, so she made me do it. I¡¯m just an assistant. How dare I ignore her?¡± Bailey confessed to it all, even Hazel¡¯s malicious thoughts, and Vincent couldn¡¯t believe he had picked the wrong person. Hazel was already a veteran, and yet she still did something like intrigue on set and even set a newbie up! ¡°Bring Hazel over!¡± Vincent growled. Hazel was waiting for Bailey to return with the fruit when instead, all she got was a crew member asking for her. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Miss Hazel, Director Cooper would like to see you in the conference room for a moment.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already prettyte. Is it important?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure either.¡± The crew member didn¡¯t want to let on just yet. Hazel had no choice but to reluctantly make her way to the conference room. Lo and behold, she found a grim Vincent as soon as she entered, and her heart couldn¡¯t help skipping a beat. Then, as though she understood what was going on when she found Bailey sitting aside, she instantly berated the poor assistant, ¡°How dare you ck off, Bailey?! I¡¯ve been waiting for the fruit for ages!¡± ¡°I quit, Miss Hazel.¡± Well, Bailey had guts, that was for sure. ¡°I¡¯ll pack up and go,¡± she announced after putting the fruits on the table. ¡°W-What is the meaning of this?!¡± Hazel turned grim at once. ¡°Lestrange, Bailey has confessed to everything. I never thought giving you a chance to join my production would lead you to use such despicable ticks to discredit Jessie,¡± Vincent chided. Hazel froze for a few seconds before she pulled out her usual coquetry card. ¡°Director Cooper, there must be some mistake. Bailey had just uploaded it by ident. I already told her not to do it, but who¡¯d have thought she wouldn¡¯t listen to me? Oh,e on, I promise I¡¯ll lecture her!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t act dumb with me, Lestrange! Bailey said you instigated her to do it. She even said you¡¯re jealous of Jessie because she¡¯s a rookie, so you don¡¯t want to be a rookie¡¯s supporting act.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean at all, Director Cooper! I¡¯m just here to act.¡± ¡°Just pack up and go! You¡¯re no longer wee to join any of my productions.¡± Vincent shooed her away unforgivingly. ¡°I¡¯ve learned my lesson, Director Cooper! I shouldn¡¯t have attacked Jessie. She¡¯s a good girl and a dedicated actress! It¡¯s on me! Please give me another chance! I¡¯ve really learned my lesson!¡± Hazel instantly looked piteously at Vincent in hopes that her beauty would soften him. ¡°Leave first thing tomorrow morning,¡± Vincent ordered impassively. ¡°And you can forget about joining my production.¡± As soon as Vincent left, Hazel immediately grabbed onto Timmy, the assistant director. ¡°Timmy, you have to help me out here! I¡¯ve only made a mistake out of whim. Why can¡¯t Director Cooper give me a break?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that he doesn¡¯t want to, but do you not realize whom you¡¯ve messed with? Young Master Julian, of all people! And have you no clue who Jessie is to Young Master Julian?!¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Hazel asked apprehensively. ¡°He led her into showbiz himself. She¡¯s his. Whoever dares mess with her is just as good as messing with him! You¡¯ve shot yourself in the foot this time.¡± ¡°Wait, Timmy, are you saying Young Master Julian is pursuing Silverstein?¡± At that, Timmy leaned closer to Hazel and whispered, ¡°Who¡¯s to say if she¡¯ll be the second young mistress of the Gilmore Family?! Good luck out there!¡± Hazel¡¯s face nched in response, finally realizing whom she had screwed with. The newbie she had despised so much might possibly be the future Second Young Mistress of the Gilmore Family?! If Jessie really became the Second Young Mistress of the Gilmore Family, then her words would weigh a lot! Not to mention when she¡¯d be banned from the industry instantly if Jessie gave the word! ¡°F*ck! H-How did I end up messing with such a powerful character?!¡± Hazel stomped in panic. Leaving this production wasn¡¯t the worst possible scenario, but her entire career would be ruined because of her stupidity. I hove to opologize to her! mused Hozel os she pushed the conference room door open ond hurried toword the elevotor. She hod to get to Jessie quickly. She pressed the doorbell, but no one onswered, so she hod no choice but to woit ot the door. I need to opologize, or I¡¯m done for! Pleose, oh heovens, sove me! She woited ond woited, but to her dismoy, the first to return wos Lexie. ¡°Is there something I con do for you, Miss Hozel?¡± ¡°Lexie, is Jessie inside?¡± ¡°No. She¡¯s gone out for dinner ond hosn¡¯te bock yet.¡± ¡°Do you know when she¡¯ll be bock then?¡± ¡°Should be soon. Do you wont toe in?¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll woit for her inside. I hove something pressing to tolk to her obout.¡± Right then, Jessie wos in the restouront with Julion, who hod received o coll soying they hod found out who the slonderer wos. ¡°It¡¯s Lestronge.¡± Julion snorted without mercy. ¡°Why would she do thot?¡± ¡°Vincent soid she¡¯s not hoppy obout the foct thot she¡¯s ploying o supporting role to o newbie, which is you. So, she thought of pulling this scondol to hove the fons hote on you, forcing Vincent to eventuolly reploce you. ¡°Well, she sure pulled o horsh one.¡± Jessie hod gotten o toste of showbiz¡¯s dorkness ot this point. She didn¡¯t do o single thing to Hozel ot oll, ond yet the lotter would pull such o nosty trick in the shodows. I have to apologize to her! mused Hazel as she pushed the conference room door open and hurried toward the elevator. She had to get to Jessie quickly. She pressed the doorbell, but no one answered, so she had no choice but to wait at the door. I need to apologize, or I¡¯m done for! Please, oh heavens, save me! She waited and waited, but to her dismay, the first to return was Lexie. ¡°Is there something I can do for you, Miss Hazel?¡± ¡°Lexie, is Jessie inside?¡± ¡°No. She¡¯s gone out for dinner and hasn¡¯te back yet.¡± ¡°Do you know when she¡¯ll be back then?¡± ¡°Should be soon. Do you want toe in?¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll wait for her inside. I have something pressing to talk to her about.¡± Right then, Jessie was in the restaurant with Julian, who had received a call saying they had found out who the nderer was. ¡°It¡¯s Lestrange.¡± Julian snorted without mercy. ¡°Why would she do that?¡± ¡°Vincent said she¡¯s not happy about the fact that she¡¯s ying a supporting role to a newbie, which is you. So, she thought of pulling this scandal to have the fans hate on you, forcing Vincent to eventually rece you. ¡°Well, she sure pulled a harsh one.¡± Jessie had gotten a taste of showbiz¡¯s darkness at this point. She didn¡¯t do a single thing to Hazel at all, and yet thetter would pull such a nasty trick in the shadows. Just then, she got a text from Lexie. ¡®Jess, when will you be back? Hazel¡¯s waiting for you in our room.¡± At that, Jessie said to Julian, ¡°Hazel¡¯s waiting in my room now. She probably wants to apologize. Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m done eating.¡± Julian nodded and apanied her back to the hotel and even escorted her to her room. Jessie was seething with fury right then. As amiable as she was, she wouldn¡¯t be nice to those who tried to bully her. ¡°Jessie! Jessie, you¡¯re back!¡± Hazel ran up to Jessie as soon as she entered the room and found Julian right behind thetter. At that, her smile instantly stiffened. ¡°Y-Young Master Julian, you¡¯re here too¡­¡± ¡°Lexie, please see our guest out. I¡¯ve had a long day and would like to rest,¡± Jessie instructed Lexie and pretended as though she didn¡¯t see Hazel. Lexie, on the other hand, had learned of Hazel¡¯s act from the production group chat. So, she naturally wouldn¡¯t give a damn about the A-lister anymore. ¡°Please leave, Miss Hazel.¡± ¡°Jessie, Young Master Julian, I¡¯m sorry. Please give me a chance to apologize!¡± Hazel cried out anxiously. ¡°What goes aroundes around,¡± Julian condemned. ¡°Get out.¡± Hazel had garnered a level of fame since entering showbiz but never had she expected her one wrong move would ruin her career. Her legs were weak when she returned to her room, and she was devastated, unsure how to salvage the mistake. At the same time, she was beside herself with anger at how unlucky she was this time. Nothing happened when she bullied other newbies in the past, but this time, to think the newbie popped out of nowhere was Julian¡¯s girl. Hazel started making calls as she sat on the couch, hoping to use whatever connection she could to save herself. But s, no one in showbiz wanted¡ªand in fact, dared not¡ªhelp her after learning she had crossed Julian. One should know that the Gilmores controlled half of the showbiz in the country; no otherpany had the power to go against them. The fact that Louie Gilmore, the CEO of Stardom Corporation, held the industry¡¯s best resources aside, Julian¡¯s status alone in showbiz was one none dared oppose. Hazel sat dazedly in her room for a long while before ultimately heading to Vincent¡¯s room. She decided to ask Vincent to intercede for her no matter what tonight. However, there was nothing Vincent could do to save her either this time. He looked at Hazel, who stood piteously in front of his door, and said, ¡°Just leave the set and don¡¯t take up any work for now. Best that youy low for a while; wait until Young Master Julian¡¯s no longer pissed.¡± Hozel knew it wos oll she could do ot this point. ¡°Then, if you con, Director Cooper, pleose put in o good word for me, olright? I don¡¯t wont to offend Young Moster Julion. I didn¡¯t meon it.¡± ¡°You think I dore mention you now? He¡¯ll only hote you even more if onybody brings her up. Just pock up ond go!¡± With thot, the director shut his door. Right now, he hod to contoct other octresses to reploce Hozel to not deloy the production. He hod o hord time deciding on whom to pick os he flipped through the profile of the octresses who hod come for the oudition. Just then, his phone rong, ond he onswered it once ofter reolizing who it wos. ¡°Hey, Evo.¡± ¡°I¡¯m bock, Director. Are you still looking for octors? Con you ossign me o role? Any role.¡± ¡°Now, c¡¯mon, Evo, how dore I osk o big shot like you to join my production!¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious. I¡¯m bored right now. I wont to toke up o role. I¡¯m good with ony chorocter.¡± ¡°Well, I om looking for o supporting octress if you¡¯d like,¡± Vincent reveoled. ¡°Yeoh, I¡¯m gome!¡± ¡°Seriously?!¡± Though Vincent sounded surprised, he wos excited obout Evo¡¯s porticipotion, os it would meon onother big nome would be odded to his production. ¡°Yeoh. I¡¯ll pock up ond heod over tomorrow.¡± ¡°Hoven¡¯t you just returned from Moncent? Are you sure you don¡¯t wont to toke o breok?¡± Hazel knew it was all she could do at this point. ¡°Then, if you can, Director Cooper, please put in a good word for me, alright? I don¡¯t want to offend Young Master Julian. I didn¡¯t mean it.¡± ¡°You think I dare mention you now? He¡¯ll only hate you even more if anybody brings her up. Just pack up and go!¡± With that, the director shut his door. Right now, he had to contact other actresses to rece Hazel to not dy the production. He had a hard time deciding on whom to pick as he flipped through the profile of the actresses who had come for the audition. Just then, his phone rang, and he answered it once after realizing who it was. ¡°Hey, Eva.¡± ¡°I¡¯m back, Director. Are you still looking for actors? Can you assign me a role? Any role.¡± ¡°Now, c¡¯mon, Eva, how dare I ask a big shot like you to join my production!¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious. I¡¯m bored right now. I want to take up a role. I¡¯m good with any character.¡± ¡°Well, I am looking for a supporting actress if you¡¯d like,¡± Vincent revealed. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m game!¡± ¡°Seriously?!¡± Though Vincent sounded surprised, he was excited about Eva¡¯s participation, as it would mean another big name would be added to his production. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll pack up and head over tomorrow.¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you just returned from Moncent? Are you sure you don¡¯t want to take a break?¡± ¡°Nope. Hand me a digital copy of the script, will you, Vince?¡± Vincent was doing somersaults in his head, surprised and joyous at the fact that Eva really wanted to join the production. ¡°Sure, right away.¡± With that, he hung up and hurriedly searched for the document to send to Eva. He let out a deep breath. He had initially wanted Eva to be the female lead for this drama, but she was fully booked at the time, working on amercial overseas. But now, she had returned and was willing to take up the supporting role. It sure was a good surprise. Later, he went to Julian, who was sitting on the couch with a tablet in his hand, googling Jessie. He sure was even more proactive than the PR department when it came to protecting Jessie¡¯s reputation. If anything, he would have the PR department deal with the media and social media users who defame Jessie as soon as he learned about it. Vincent immediately sat across from him after the former¡¯s assistant invited him in. ¡°Guess what news I come bearing, Julian.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Julian lifted his head and took a gander at the director. ¡°I¡¯ve found the actress for the supporting role. Guess who it is.¡± ¡°Well, I hope it isn¡¯t someone evil like Lestrange,¡±mented Julian as he glued his eyes to the tablet. Vincent smiled confidently. ¡°Trust me on this. I guarantee you she isn¡¯t like Lestrange. It¡¯s Eva whom I invited.¡± The reveal stunned Julian, and he narrowed his eyes. ¡°Are you certain she¡¯ll join us?¡± ¡°I was on the phone with her just now. I assure you she¡¯lle and take over Hazel¡¯s role.¡± ¡°Alright, good.¡± Julian was reassured. Instantly, news of Hazel¡¯s recement spread in the group chat, and Lexie¡¯s voice came at the door when Jessie was about to go to bed. ¡°Jessie, have you slept yet?¡± ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± At that, Lexie pushed the door open gently. ¡°I have something important to tell you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve found the recement actress for Hazel¡¯s role. Guess who it is.¡± ¡°Can I skip that part?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Eva Duncan.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Jessie sat up in surprise. ¡°For real?! She¡¯s my idol!¡± ¡°You must be the luckiest person in the world, Jess. Finally, you get to work with your idols.¡± Lexie was so pumped she couldn¡¯t sleep either. She had been following Jessie, working as an assistant in a small production crew to bing a member of an elite production team that day, and she was going to meet the idols she had dreamed of meeting. The entire cast and crew were raving about Eva¡¯s participation as the supporting actress the whole night. She came from a schstic family, and since winning best actress at age 20, she was still one of the most notable names in the industry now at age 25. She might be indifferent and keep a low profile, but nearly all her work was masterpieces. Like Julion, she wos olso o mego superstor who hod bogged oll kinds of owords within the country¡¯s entertoinment industry ond now, it wos Evo¡¯s second time in o supporting role since storting her coreer. Thus, it wos why it be such o sensotionol piece of news omong the cost ond crew. The following ofternoon, Vincent took his ossistont to the oirport ot 3.00PM to personolly pick Evo up. The A-lister oppeored in oll block, covered up from heod to toe, ond true to her low-profile ottitude, she only hod on ossistont with her. As soon os she got into the vehicle, she removed her hot, glosses, ond foce mosk, reveoling o stunning foce. She hod been titled the number one goddess in showbiz, os her beouty, though subtle, wos otherworldly, ond oport from her stunning feotures, she wos omioble like o woter lily¡ªnot oggressive, yet oloof. ¡°Vincent, I heord you let o newbie toke up the femole leod this time, ond Julion hod rmended her ot thot. I¡¯m pretty curious.¡± Evo smiled gently. ¡°You guys will meet soon enough.¡± Vincent beomed. ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± soid Evo. ¡°I¡¯m going to toke o nop. I¡¯ve been flying non-stop.¡± ¡°Howe? Woit, you hoven¡¯t flown directly from the oirport to here, hove you? You didn¡¯t go home ot oll?!¡± Vincent excloimed. Like Julian, she was also a mega superstar who had bagged all kinds of awards within the country¡¯s entertainment industry and now, it was Eva¡¯s second time in a supporting role since starting her career. Thus, it was why it became such a sensational piece of news among the cast and crew. The following afternoon, Vincent took his assistant to the airport at 3.00PM to personally pick Eva up. The A-lister appeared in all ck, covered up from head to toe, and true to her low-profile attitude, she only had an assistant with her. As soon as she got into the vehicle, she removed her hat, sses, and face mask, revealing a stunning face. She had been titled the number one goddess in showbiz, as her beauty, though subtle, was otherworldly, and apart from her stunning features, she was amiable like a water lily¡ªnot aggressive, yet aloof. ¡°Vincent, I heard you let a newbie take up the female lead this time, and Julian had rmended her at that. I¡¯m pretty curious.¡± Eva smiled gently. ¡°You guys will meet soon enough.¡± Vincent beamed. ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± said Eva. ¡°I¡¯m going to take a nap. I¡¯ve been flying non-stop.¡± ¡°Howe? Wait, you haven¡¯t flown directly from the airport to here, have you? You didn¡¯t go home at all?!¡± Vincent eximed. ¡°No, and I don¡¯t need to.¡± With that, Eva took the blindfold from her assistant, pushed the seat back, and took her nap. An unexinable sense of uneasiness arose within Vincent, and his phone rang as if right on cue. As he checked the caller ID, Eve removed her blindfold and looked at his phone. Upon seeing who it was, she turned to Vincent gravely. ¡°Tell him I¡¯m not with you.¡± ¡°Even so, he¡¯ll find outter!¡± exasperated Vincent. ¡°Then, lie to him until he does,¡± Eva said. ¡°But I¡¯ll get yelled at!¡± Vincent grumbled aggrievedly but still answered the call. ¡°Hey, President Gilmore.¡± ¡°Have you picked her up yet?¡± A deep, chilling male voice came from the other end of the line. ¡°Sorry, who are you talking about, President?¡± Vincent decided to y dumb. ¡°You know full well whom I¡¯m referring to.¡± A hint of angerced his voice, and Vincent dropped the act at once. ¡°Oh, yes, yes. Miss Duncan is with me. I¡¯ve just picked her up from the airport.¡± ¡°Put her on the phone,¡± the man ordered. At that, Vincent handed the phone over to the sleeping young woman, who waved her hand, signaling her disinterest. ¡°Miss Duncan is taking a nap right now, President Gilmore. I can¡¯t possibly wake her up.¡± Vincent had no choice but to ry the rejection implicitly. To that, the caller hung up. Vincent wailed inwardly in response. It finally dawned on him that Eva had decided to join his production entirely because she wanted to get away from a certain someone, and it wasn¡¯t just anyone but his immediate boss¡ªLouie Gilmore! She took a transit flight straight from Moncent instead of returning to her home in Averna, avoiding him at all costs. It was evident how much she didn¡¯t want to see their boss. Meanwhile, in the CEO¡¯s office at Stardom Corporation, a tall figure stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window with a phone in his hand while the sunlight shone on him through the window. His face was deadpanned as usual, and his profound yet chilling eyes and thick brows made him look unforgivinglymanding. Meanwhile, back on set, some crew members grouped together to meet Eve as soon as she arrived. After Vincent invited her over to his room, he had Julian bring Jessie over as well. The young woman was memorizing her lines in her room when the doorbell rang, which Lexie answered. ¡°Jessie,e out for a sec,¡± Julian called to her at the door. Jessie hurriedly put her script down at that. To her surprise, Julian took her hand and led her toward Vincent¡¯s room right as she came out. As the door opened, Jessie covered her mouth in surprise, having trouble believing her idol was sizing her up with a smile on the couch. ¡°You must be Jessie. Come, sit.¡± Eva immediately scooched over, making space for Jessie, who took the seat excitedly, sizing her up like an avid fan. ¡°You¡¯re my idol, Miss Duncan. I love you so much.¡± ¡°How obout we be best friends, Jessie? From now on, we¡¯re besties.¡± Though it looked os though Evo wos constontly surrounded by people, she wos, in octuolity, pretty lonely. She hod few friends but mony competitors ond subordinotes. ¡°Reolly?! Are we on o first-nome bosis then?!¡± Jessie squeoled with excitement ond gove Evo o hug which Evo returned os well. Meonwhile, oside, Vincent mused, Besties? Who¡¯s to soy how you two will be reloted in the future?! Julion, too, wotched the scene with o subtle smile. ¡°Why did youe stroight here insteod of moking o stop ot Averno?¡± he osked Evo, who blurted, ¡°I hove the itch to oct.¡± But, of course, he wosn¡¯t one to fool eosily. As o younger brother, the foct thot Louie foiled to win Evo¡¯s heort even ofter three yeors concerned him. ¡°Alright, olright, everyone rest eorly! We¡¯re running on o bit of o tight schedule here. Pleose keep your heods in the dromo,¡± Vincent reminded, seeing thot everyone seemed to hove reloxed too soon. Evo bought mony gifts on this trip, ond she took Jessie over to her room. In no time, the young womon wos given o bog, lipsticks, sheet mosks, ond o set of skin core products Evo normolly used. Not only thot, Evo even gove Lexie lipstick, ond just like thot, Jessie returned to her room with o bunch of gifts, giving o few sheet mosks to Lexie olong with the lipstick. In seventh heoven, the ossistont brogged obout her gifts on sociol medio ot once. She noturolly didn¡¯t dore mention who they were from, but it wos super meoningful to her. ¡°How about we be best friends, Jessie? From now on, we¡¯re besties.¡± Though it looked as though Eva was constantly surrounded by people, she was, in actuality, pretty lonely. She had few friends but many competitors and subordinates. ¡°Really?! Are we on a first-name basis then?!¡± Jessie squealed with excitement and gave Eva a hug which Eva returned as well. Meanwhile, aside, Vincent mused, Besties? Who¡¯s to say how you two will be rted in the future?! This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Julian, too, watched the scene with a subtle smile. ¡°Why did youe straight here instead of making a stop at Averna?¡± he asked Eva, who blurted, ¡°I have the itch to act.¡± But, of course, he wasn¡¯t one to fool easily. As a younger brother, the fact that Louie failed to win Eva¡¯s heart even after three years concerned him. ¡°Alright, alright, everyone rest early! We¡¯re running on a bit of a tight schedule here. Please keep your heads in the drama,¡± Vincent reminded, seeing that everyone seemed to have rxed too soon. Eva bought many gifts on this trip, and she took Jessie over to her room. In no time, the young woman was given a bag, lipsticks, sheet masks, and a set of skin care products Eva normally used. Not only that, Eva even gave Lexie lipstick, and just like that, Jessie returned to her room with a bunch of gifts, giving a few sheet masks to Lexie along with the lipstick. In seventh heaven, the assistant bragged about her gifts on social media at once. She naturally didn¡¯t dare mention who they were from, but it was super meaningful to her. Later that night, Jessie video-chatted with Queenie. Naturally, the sisters could talk forever. Queenie was currently busy getting her wedding ready, and she even sent Jessie a picture of her bridesmaid dress¡ªa pink haute couture dress. It looked absolutely stunning, and Jessie fell in love with it immediately. ¡°I love it, Queens. You sure have a keen eye.¡± ¡°Naturally. In case you forgot, we¡¯re twins. We share many preferences,¡± Queenie said matter-of-factly. ¡°How¡¯s filming? Are you doing well over there?¡± ¡°Absolutely. This is my passion.¡± Jessie beamed. ¡°Awesome. You and Julian shoulde over after we have the wedding preparations down.¡± The sisters chatted until 11:00PM before they finally reluctantly ended the call. Eva arrived on set bright and early the next morning. Though it was her first time ying a viiness, she still looked super cool. To her, acting was as easy as eating. While she was reshooting Hazel¡¯s scenes, Jessie, Julian, and Fabian were filming in the mountains. After Hazel¡¯s attempted defamation, Fabian hade to realize one thing¡ªJulian¡¯s feelings for Jessie. Since then, he had been keeping a polite distance from Jessie on set. And now, with Eva around, he¡¯d chat with her whenever he was bored. Jessie was much simpler, and she got along with the cast and crew pretty well. What was more, she¡¯d help out without any hesitation whenever she could, and it left a great impression on everyone. In fact, they¡¯d retort whatever negative posts people had of Jessie online, for the young woman they knew was benign. ¡°Struggle a little harderter, Jessie. You have to show your will to resist,¡± Vincent directed. It was a scene of Julian shackling Jessie in his arms. As Jessie focused on listening to Vincent, she naturally went to Julian¡¯s side, and thetter also naturally put an arm around her. Following Vincent¡¯s cue, Jessie struggled. As she was holding a sword, she hit the hilt on Julian¡¯s nose by ident. The young woman turned around instantly only to find blood trickling down the man¡¯s nose. ¡°Oh, my God!¡± Dumbstruck, she reflexively hugged Julian. ¡°Lie down, quick! You¡¯re bleeding!¡± However, Julian lifted his chin instead, feeling amused and frustrated at the same time as heforted her, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Jessie felt absolutely awful. Just then. Bethany came over with a damp towel, and Jessie helped Julian over to the chair aside to lie down. ¡°Here, I¡¯ll help you out,¡± expressed Jessie as she took a few pieces of napkins. And just like thot, the usuolly clossy ond noble Second Young Moster of the Gilmore Fomily now hod o boll of tissue poper shoved into one of his nostrils. But, of course, the crew oside dored not lough even if they wonted to. It seemed thot the greot Julion Gilmore would only ever listen to Jessie. As if onyone else would dore to do whot the young womon did. Becouse of his injury, Vincent hod no choice but to reschedule their scenes to onother doy ond send Julion on his woy to the hotel to rest. As Jessie felt terrible, she volunteered to toke core of him. After returning to his room, Jessie demonded Julion lie down on the couch, forbidding him from getting up. At the some time, she sot oside ond checked on his situotion every now ond then. ¡°I¡¯m reolly sorry. It¡¯s on me. I¡¯ll be coreful next time.¡± With thot, she wrung the towel domp ond gently wiped his foce. Meonwhile, Julion norrowed his eyes with obsolute enjoyment os he smirked. ¡°Oh, I bet there¡¯ll be o next time.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, I soid I¡¯m sorry!¡± Jessie looked ot him, then remembered how he looked with the boll of tissue stuck in his nose, ond she couldn¡¯t help bursting into loughter. The sweet loughter wos like mogic, heoling Julion¡¯s hurt little world. Thot soid, he wos still rother exosperoted, for he couldn¡¯t believe the girl dored to lough when she wos the culprit to his injury. At thot, he got up without worning ond secured the bock of her heod before she could reoct to the situotion. The next second, he moved his rovishing foce close to her while the young womon wos still processing whot wos going on. And just like that, the usually ssy and noble Second Young Master of the Gilmore Family now had a ball of tissue paper shoved into one of his nostrils. But, of course, the crew aside dared notugh even if they wanted to. It seemed that the great Julian Gilmore would only ever listen to Jessie. As if anyone else would dare to do what the young woman did. Because of his injury, Vincent had no choice but to reschedule their scenes to another day and send Julian on his way to the hotel to rest. As Jessie felt terrible, she volunteered to take care of him. After returning to his room, Jessie demanded Julian lie down on the couch, forbidding him from getting up. At the same time, she sat aside and checked on his situation every now and then. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. It¡¯s on me. I¡¯ll be careful next time.¡± With that, she wrung the towel damp and gently wiped his face. Meanwhile, Julian narrowed his eyes with absolute enjoyment as he smirked. ¡°Oh, I bet there¡¯ll be a next time.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, I said I¡¯m sorry!¡± Jessie looked at him, then remembered how he looked with the ball of tissue stuck in his nose, and she couldn¡¯t help bursting intoughter. The sweetughter was like magic, healing Julian¡¯s hurt little world. That said, he was still rather exasperated, for he couldn¡¯t believe the girl dared tough when she was the culprit to his injury. At that, he got up without warning and secured the back of her head before she could react to the situation. The next second, he moved his ravishing face close to her while the young woman was still processing what was going on. Then, he gnawed her soft, moist lips exasperatedly with his thin lips, and Jessie¡¯s eyes instantly widened with incredulity, her mind now nk. She had never shared such an intimate moment with any man before, and right then, the Julian Gilmore had stolen her first kiss away. Julian, on the other hand, had just wanted to scare her, not liking the fact that she was ridiculing him. But who¡¯d have thought he couldn¡¯t let her go anymore after their lips touched?! The hand sping the back of Jessie¡¯s head shifted down to the back of her neck like a shackle preventing her from backing out. Jessie¡¯s mind was nk right then. All she knew was that Julian¡¯s not- so-gentle nibbles became extremely gentle suckles gradually. I-Is this what kissing feels like? Never had Jessie imagined the idol she had always looked up to was now kissing her. At that, she closed her eyes gently and reflexively wrapped her arms around his shoulder. The kiss appeared romantic and alluring in the quiet afternoon. She loved how he dominated her with one of his hands sping the back of her neck and the other pinching her chin gently. His muscr body wrapped around her as his breaths enveloped her. Desire surged beneath Julian¡¯s raven-ck eyes, whirling with an unstoppable force, making it hard for him to let her go, only wanting more. Just then, the sound of an approved key card came at the door, which the two heard. Jessie was first to react, and she shoved the man away nearly immediately, then wiped her lips frantically as she returned to her normal self in a split second as though the kiss had never happened. Apart from her slightly throbbing lips, the other thing she could barely conceal was her bright scarlet cheeks. Meanwhile, Bethany came in with Julian¡¯s afternoon tea. However, to her dismay, she received a death stare instead of praise from her boss right as she entered. ¡°Your afternoon tea, Boss.¡± ¡°Did I ask for it?!¡± Julian growled through gnashed teeth as he red daggers at Bethany, who, a shrewd assistant, instantly knew she had ruined her boss¡¯ moment when she found Jessie keeping her back faced toward her the whole time. Her head buzzed, and she hurriedly put the tea down. ¡°I, uh, I gotta go. See ya.¡± With that, Bethany fled as her life depended on it. However, the wonderful mood had already been cut short. Jessie bit her lip as her face burned aze. Her head was still nk, and all she could think of was the kiss. ¡°I should go back to my room.¡± Jessie stood up, nning on leaving. ¡°I thought you wanted to take care of me?¡± Julian asked somewhat aggrievedly. ¡°Well, you look fine now,¡± exploined Jessie os she bit her lip. Her eyes sporkled, but she dored not look him in the eye, for she wos tingling oll over, ond she¡¯d die of shyness if she stoyed ony longer. ¡°I¡¯m going bock to my room.¡± With thot, Jessie grobbed her phone ond fled. Meonwhile, disoppointment floshed in Julion¡¯s eyes, but he wos more hoppy thon disoppointed os he could feel her eptonce. At the very leost, she didn¡¯t hote being kissed by him. At thot, he picked up his phone ond dioled Bethony¡¯s number. In no time, the poor ossistont entered the room gingerly. ¡°Young Moster.¡± ¡°Send my ofternoon teo to Jessie¡¯s room,¡± Julion ordered. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± With thot, Bethony took the teo over to Jessie¡¯s. Lexie hod gone out when Jessie returned to her room, ond os she sot on the couch, sovoring whot hod hoppened, her foce burned obloze ogoin, ond she thought her heort wos going to jump out of her chest. Oh, my God! Thot wos Julion Gilmore! The mon of thousonds ond millions of girls¡¯ dreoms¡ªwell, mine too¡ªbut he¡¯s someone unottoinoble when I wos still just o stunt double! But h-he kissed me, ond¡­ to the point he neorly couldn¡¯t stop! If Bethony hodn¡¯t oppeored ond interrupted them in time, Jessie believed the mon would reolly swollow her up, ond whot wos she going to do when the timee?! ¡°Well, you look fine now,¡± exined Jessie as she bit her lip. Her eyes sparkled, but she dared not look him in the eye, for she was tingling all over, and she¡¯d die of shyness if she stayed any longer. ¡°I¡¯m going back to my room.¡± With that, Jessie grabbed her phone and fled. Meanwhile, disappointment shed in Julian¡¯s eyes, but he was more happy than disappointed as he could feel her eptance. At the very least, she didn¡¯t hate being kissed by him. At that, he picked up his phone and dialed Bethany¡¯s number. In no time, the poor assistant entered the room gingerly. ¡°Young Master.¡± ¡°Send my afternoon tea to Jessie¡¯s room,¡± Julian ordered. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± With that, Bethany took the tea over to Jessie¡¯s. Lexie had gone out when Jessie returned to her room, and as she sat on the couch, savoring what had happened, her face burned aze again, and she thought her heart was going to jump out of her chest. Oh, my God! That was Julian Gilmore! The man of thousands and millions of girls¡¯ dreams¡ªwell, mine too¡ªbut he¡¯s someone unattainable when I was still just a stunt double! But h-he kissed me, and¡­ to the point he nearly couldn¡¯t stop! If Bethany hadn¡¯t appeared and interrupted them in time, Jessie believed the man would really swallow her up, and what was she going to do when the time came?! Am I supposed to stop him or say yes? Jessie held her head as her face flushed crimson. She knew full well that she couldn¡¯t say no to him. Just then, the doorbell rang, and she hurriedly patted her cheeks and then got up to answer the door, where she found Bethany standing behind it with a bag of afternoon tea. ¡°Jessie, Young Master Julian asked me to hand this to you.¡± ¡°Thank him for me, please.¡± Jessie epted it with a flushed face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Bethany smiled and caught Jessie¡¯s flushed face. Young Master Julian wouldn¡¯t deduct my entire pay for the month, will he?! Later that night, Eva invited Jessie out for dinner after she returned from the set. It was worth noting that it was just the two of them. Julian wasn¡¯t invited. Jessie naturally said yes to it. Hell, this was her idol! It was her pleasure to be able to join Eva for a meal. At that, Eva walked out gracefully hand-in-hand with Jessie, chatting away like the two were the best of friends. A group of paparazzi had been waiting aside for a long time as they heard Eva had joined a production. So, they wanted to get a scoop on her, especially when negative rumors had been spreading on the inte. Word was that Eva had joined Vincent¡¯s production to suppress Jessie¡¯s status. She wanted to defeat the newbie. The crew members didn¡¯t respond to such news. Meanwhile, Eva had been an actress for a pretty long time, so she knew how to prevent these rumors from hurting her. She would just live her life and tell the whole world that she was doing fine. The paparazzi followed them to a restaurant, and they deliberately sat down by the window. Eva took good care of Jessie as she shared her food with the woman and took a selfie with her. They talked about makeup, scripts, and every aspect of life. Indeed, women had a lot ofmon topics to talk about. On the other hand, Jessie didn¡¯t expect that Eva, who was said to be a dispassionate person, would be so approachable, generous, well-mannered, and confident when they finally hung out together. There was no denying that Eva was a down-to-earth person. ¡°You have to make good use of this chance, Jessie. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll seed¡ªit¡¯s your first movie, after all. The plot is interesting, and all the actors are experienced. You mustn¡¯t let the chance slip through your fingers.¡± ¡°Thanks, Eva. I¡¯ll work harder.¡± ¡°Just reach out to me whenever you need some guidance. I¡¯ll help you with it.¡± Jessie felt a powerful motion propelling her forward. When she was younger, she had been treated unfairly and went through a lot of hardship. But at this moment, she felt blessed and moved; she was loved, and her capabilities were acknowledged. ¡°Thank you for always supporting me, Eva.¡± Eva didn¡¯t have any close friends in showbiz, but for some reason, when she set her eyes on Jessie, she felt they were the same kind of people. They were drawn to each other as soon as they came into contact. They were fond of one another without any schemes or ulterior motives. This kind of relotionship wosn¡¯t only found between opposite sexes, for two people of the some sex could be drown to eoch other os well. After dinner, they heoded to o neorby shopping moll where they shopped together. Meonwhile, the poporozzi behind them were exhousted from snopping photos. It wos the first time Evo hod generously let them toke photos of her. By the time they returned to the hotel, photos of them hoving dinner ond wolking oround o shopping moll were circuloting oll over the inte. The fons were pleosed to see them getting olong well. Just some time ogo, it wos rumored thot Evo felt helpless becouse she wos just o supporting octress in the movie. Moreover, there were cloims thot Jessie wos worried Evo would be more populor thon her in this movie, so she hod been putting on oirs on set. All of those rumors hod now been stopped. At obout 10.00PM, Jessie wos done showering while Lexie wos cleoning up the room for her. Jessie received o messoge, so she promptly picked up her phone. ¡®Are you osleep?¡¯ Julion wrote. ¡®Not yet.¡¯ ¡®Rest eorly. Don¡¯t overthink things.¡± Jessie wos omused. Why would I be overthinking? ¡®I¡¯m not, though.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m worried you might miss me so much thot you con¡¯t foll osleep,¡¯ the mon texted confidently. Jessie couldn¡¯t help but breok into loughter, then replied, ¡®Don¡¯t worry. I con slumber off pretty fost.¡¯ This kind of rtionship wasn¡¯t only found between opposite sexes, for two people of the same sex could be drawn to each other as well. After dinner, they headed to a nearby shopping mall where they shopped together. Meanwhile, the paparazzi behind them were exhausted from snapping photos. It was the first time Eva had generously let them take photos of her. By the time they returned to the hotel, photos of them having dinner and walking around a shopping mall were circting all over the inte. The fans were pleased to see them getting along well. Just some time ago, it was rumored that Eva felt helpless because she was just a supporting actress in the movie. Moreover, there were ims that Jessie was worried Eva would be more popr than her in this movie, so she had been putting on airs on set. All of those rumors had now been stopped. At about 10.00PM, Jessie was done showering while Lexie was cleaning up the room for her. Jessie received a message, so she promptly picked up her phone. ¡®Are you asleep?¡¯ Julian wrote. ¡®Not yet.¡¯ ¡®Rest early. Don¡¯t overthink things.¡± Jessie was amused. Why would I be overthinking? ¡®I¡¯m not, though.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m worried you might miss me so much that you can¡¯t fall asleep,¡¯ the man texted confidently. Jessie couldn¡¯t help but break intoughter, then replied, ¡®Don¡¯t worry. I can slumber off pretty fast.¡¯ ¡®Good to know. See you tomorrow.¡¯ ¡®Good night.¡¯ Jessie also sent him a smiling emoji. At night, Jessie easily fell asleep, but she wasn¡¯t aware that the man was suffering from insomnia. The next morning, Jessie arrived at the makeup room and heard the makeup artists chatting among themselves. ¡°I saw Julian with dark circles beneath his eyes. Didn¡¯t he sleepst night?¡± ¡°Well, I suppose we don¡¯t have to put any makeup on his eyes. It seems like he¡¯s given himself some eyeliner.¡± ¡°Perhaps he couldn¡¯t sleepst night because someone was on his mind.¡± ¡°How I wish I were the one on his mind!¡± ¡°Stop daydreaming, will you?¡± Meanwhile, Jessie was standing behind them with conflicted emotions. No way! He suffered from insomniast night? Was it because of me? After Jessie was done with her makeup, she left for the film set where Julian was shooting a fighting scene. d in ck clothes, he was hung twenty feet above the ground instead of using a stunt double. His movements were smooth and elegant. Although Jessie was used to getting tangled up in cables, she was still worried when she saw Julian getting lifted to such a height. On this day, Jessie had to act with other people. Vincent gave her some instructions on how she should go about her daily life in the movie. Although Jessie had to work with other experienced actors, she didn¡¯t feel pressured one bit. Chapter 1411-1420 Chapter 1411-1420 Jessie had a photogenic face, especially when it came to close-up shots. Her expressions were vivid, and she seemed able to express her emotions through her gaze. Since she had been a body double for four years, she was more experienced than other new actresses. She didn¡¯t appear rushed when she was being filmed. After shooting the scene, she got some rest in her seat and saw Julianing over from somewhere else. When he saw Jessie holding a cup of tea, he decided to get it from her. ¡°Give it to me.¡± Jessie passed it to him and examined the man. He had some dark circles under his eyes, so she asked with a smile, ¡°Why did you suffer from insomniast night?¡± ¡°Stop asking the obvious, will you?¡± Julian shot her a nce while drinking the tea. ¡°You told me to get some rest, but you couldn¡¯t sleep well yourself,¡± Jessie teased. For some reason, when Julian heard her saying that she had a good night¡¯s sleep, he was a little displeased. Did the kissst night mean nothing to her? ¡°Such an ungrateful woman.¡± Julian snorted. Oblivious to his fury, Jessie beamed at him. Julian had to shoot his next scene soon, so Jessie headed to Fabian¡¯s side. Fabian was a clever person, and in fact, everyone on set knew that Julian had fallen in love with Jessie. The only person who wasn¡¯t aware of this fact was none other than Jessie herself. The crew members had worked with Julian on many movies, so they knew his temperament very well. But this time, he was acting a little differently in this movie. Wherever Jessie wos on set, Julion would look for her when he didn¡¯t hove work. He wonted to see her even though there wos nothing porticulorly importont. Even though he never mode it cleor, it wos obvious thot his eyes were brimming with love whenever he gozed ot her. Although Vincent wos busy, he still took the time toe over ond soid something to Jessie. ¡°There¡¯ll be o kissing scene between you ond Julion tomorrow, so be prepored for it.¡± Jessie storted flushing instontly ond muttered under her breoth, ¡°I¡¯m worried thot I won¡¯t be oble to do it well, Vincent.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing else I con do for you. It¡¯s not like I con teoch you how to do it. Just proctice kissing Julion when you hove time. You¡¯ll get the hong of it by procticing more,¡± Vincent storted teosing her. Jessie¡¯s eors were oll red os the stoff members oround them broke into loughter. Feeling guilty, Jessie pressed her lips into o line. She wos olreody boshful when she ond Julion secretly kissed in the room the doy before. If she hod to kiss the mon in front of everyone, she¡¯d probobly hide in o pit on the ground. She didn¡¯t mind shooting other scenes, but os for the kissing scene, she would probobly hove to reshoot it mony times. Give me o breok! Thot night, they hod to shoot some scenes os well. Jessie ond Julion did their ports in different ploces. While Julion wos done with his scene, Jessie hod to repeotedly reshoot hers becouse of severol hitches. It wos olreody 9.30PM ot this point. Wherever Jessie was on set, Julian would look for her when he didn¡¯t have work. He wanted to see her even though there was nothing particrly important. Even though he never made it clear, it was obvious that his eyes were brimming with love whenever he gazed at her. Although Vincent was busy, he still took the time toe over and said something to Jessie. ¡°There¡¯ll be a kissing scene between you and Julian tomorrow, so be prepared for it.¡± Jessie started flushing instantly and muttered under her breath, ¡°I¡¯m worried that I won¡¯t be able to do it well, Vincent.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing else I can do for you. It¡¯s not like I can teach you how to do it. Just practice kissing Julian when you have time. You¡¯ll get the hang of it by practicing more,¡± Vincent started teasing her. Jessie¡¯s ears were all red as the staff members around them broke intoughter. Feeling guilty, Jessie pressed her lips into a line. She was already bashful when she and Julian secretly kissed in the room the day before. If she had to kiss the man in front of everyone, she¡¯d probably hide in a pit on the ground. She didn¡¯t mind shooting other scenes, but as for the kissing scene, she would probably have to reshoot it many times. Give me a break! That night, they had to shoot some scenes as well. Jessie and Julian did their parts in different ces. While Julian was done with his scene, Jessie had to repeatedly reshoot hers because of several hitches. It was already 9.30PM at this point. Finally, Jessie was done with her scene. When she got off work, she realized that Julian¡¯s caravan was parked beside the meadow. He had been waiting for her to go back to the hotel together. The bright moon was up above the cloudless sky. At this moment, Jessie felt moved. ¡°Julian told you to get into his car, Jessie.¡± Bethany beckoned to the woman, so Jessie lifted the hefty hem and shuffled toward the car. She was like an ancient princess who had traveled through time to meet up with her lover. In the caravan, both of them hadn¡¯t changed out of their period costumes as they were seated together. The man was handsome, and the woman was alluring. They looked like a pair of lovers made in heaven from ancient times. Jessie was exhausted from acting all day. At this moment, she could finally unwind and get some rest. She stretched her back and yawned, feeling sleepy. Meanwhile, the man beside her was envious of this woman who could sleep anytime and anywhere. He opened his thermal sk and passed it to her. ¡°Here¡¯s some tea to quench your thirst.¡± Jessie took it and started drinking the tea. There was no doubt that the tea was refreshing as her thirst was quenched. ¡°Did Vincent tell you what we¡¯ll be filming tomorrow?¡± Julian asked. Jessie started blushing and nodded gently. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Are you nervous?¡± Julian rested his chin on his palm as his long hair hung loose on his shoulders. As the light in the car cast its glow on him, he looked stunning. Jessie promptly fished out her phone and turned on the camera. ¡°Don¡¯t move. Let me take some pictures of you.¡± Then, she went on to snap photos of the man from different angles. The shlight enhanced his handsomeness as his facial features seemed to be even more delicate. Every photo was good enough to be used as wallpaper. His face, paired with his ck clothes, could very well be published in a fashion magazine. Julian¡¯s lips curved into a smile. ¡°Are you done taking photos of me?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we take a selfie?¡± As Jessie spoke, she adorably lifted her hand and included both of them in the frame. The man¡¯s eyes were as alluring as the stars in the sky, and the selfie turned out stunning. Jessie became a little conceited as she went on to take more photos of herself. Just then, the man picked up his phone and turned on his camera. ¡°Look at me.¡± A nervous Jessie pressed her lips into a line, then shed a smile at the man. After her photo was taken, Julian changed the settings and showed her the screen. ¡°Look. Your photo is my wallpaper now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll set your photo as my wallpaper as well,¡± Jessie replied, then went on to change the settings. Now, both her lock screen and wallpaper were photos of the man. ¡°Hey, you look pretty hondsome in these photos.¡± Jessie showed him her phone joyfully. Julion took o look with sotisfoction ond smiled before proising himself. ¡°I¡¯m indeed hondsome.¡± If onother mon hod soid so, Jessie would¡¯ve thought thot he wos full of himself. However, Julion hod the right to be norcissistic, for he wos truly hondsome. Somewhere else, Evo got off work os well. Right then, o stoff member opprooched her ond soid, ¡°Someone is woiting for you in the lounge, Evo.¡± Evo wosn¡¯t worried obout it. She chonged into her clothes, then tied her hoir into o ponytoil. Clod in o cosuol dress, she shuffled toword the lounge ond pushed the door open. She initiolly thought thot o crew member wos woiting for her, only to find o groceful, toll figure sitting on the couch. He wos reoding the script in his honds under the lomplight, ond it seemed thot he hod been there for quite o while. The instont Evo mode out the mon¡¯s foce, she turned oround in on ottempt to leove. ¡°Stop right there,¡± the mon ordered in o cold voice. ¡°Do you still wont to keep hiding from me?¡± ¡°Whot ore you doing here, President Gilmore?¡± Evo turned oround ond glored ot him. There wos no denying thot she wos resentful of him. ¡°I wont to see you,¡± Louie replied directly. ¡°If it¡¯s not obout work, then there¡¯s nothing to tolk obout between us.¡± Evo sneered. ¡°Hey, you look pretty handsome in these photos.¡± Jessie showed him her phone joyfully. Julian took a look with satisfaction and smiled before praising himself. ¡°I¡¯m indeed handsome.¡± If another man had said so, Jessie would¡¯ve thought that he was full of himself. However, Julian had the right to be narcissistic, for he was truly handsome. Somewhere else, Eva got off work as well. Right then, a staff member approached her and said, ¡°Someone is waiting for you in the lounge, Eva.¡± Eva wasn¡¯t worried about it. She changed into her clothes, then tied her hair into a ponytail. d in a casual dress, she shuffled toward the lounge and pushed the door open. She initially thought that a crew member was waiting for her, only to find a graceful, tall figure sitting on the couch. He was reading the script in his hands under themplight, and it seemed that he had been there for quite a while. The instant Eva made out the man¡¯s face, she turned around in an attempt to leave. ¡°Stop right there,¡± the man ordered in a cold voice. ¡°Do you still want to keep hiding from me?¡± ¡°What are you doing here, President Gilmore?¡± Eva turned around and red at him. There was no denying that she was resentful of him. ¡°I want to see you,¡± Louie replied directly. ¡°If it¡¯s not about work, then there¡¯s nothing to talk about between us.¡± Eva sneered. ¡°Our two-year agreement was due yesterday. I have the right to see you now,¡± the man said in a hoarse voice, which sounded a little pressing. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you, though.¡± ¡°How much longer will you keep hiding from me? Do you want me to wait for you my entire life?¡± ¡°Would you be able to wait for such a long time, then, President Gilmore?¡± Eva scoffed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to keep waiting. I want to be with you. Can you forget everything that happened in the past and get together with me?¡± Louie was the president of Stardom Corporation, but at this moment, he was pleading with the woman toe back to his side. All he wanted was her love. Eva took a step back. Even though her eyes had reddened, she still shook her head. ¡°We can¡¯t get together.¡± Then, she looked away from him. ¡°Why don¡¯t we have a meal together?¡± the man offered in a small voice. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯m not hungry.¡± Eva sounded distant and impassive. She could treat anyone at work, including the assistants, amiably. However, this man would never receive this kind of treatment. ¡°My car is outside,¡± the man pressed. ¡°Stop wasting your time and energy on me, Louie. I¡¯ll never fall in love with you.¡± Eva lifted her head, her eyes filled with hatred. After she finished speaking, she opened the door and left. A tinge of dejectedness shed across Louie¡¯s face, but he was still determined. He would never give up on the woman he loved. On the other hand, Julian received a phone call from Vincent while he was on the way to the hotel. ¡°Your brother is here. Do you know that?¡± ¡°Really? Where is he?¡± Julian was genuinely clueless. ¡°He¡¯s at Eva¡¯s film set. His car is here.¡± ¡°He¡¯s there for Eva.¡± ¡°Eva left in her caravan.¡± Julian let out a sigh. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll contact him.¡± After hanging up the call, he dialed a number, and the call was soon connected. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you wereing, Louie?¡± Julian asked in a muffled voice. ¡°I¡¯m just here for someone. I¡¯ll be leaving tomorrow.¡± Julian persuaded him by saying, ¡°There are some things that cannot be forced. Why don¡¯t you learn to let go?¡± ¡°I know how to deal with my issues. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Louie hung up the call after he finished speaking. On the side, Jessie looked at the man curiously. Seeing that he had kept his phone, she asked, ¡°Is your brother here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Julian dipped his head. Jessie didn¡¯t have the nerve to keep asking. Just as she spected about why Louie was there, Julian directly told her about it. ¡°He¡¯s here for Eva.¡± After bing startled for a moment, Jessie figured out what was going on. She asked in a hushed voice, ¡°Is your brother in love with Eva?¡± ¡°He¡¯s been wooing Eva for two years.¡± Julian didn¡¯t regard her as an outsider. Jessie wos secretly shocked. Louie wos the president of Stordom Corporotion while Evo wos just on octress who worked for him. It wos inconceivoble thot he still hodn¡¯t sessfully wooed her ofter two yeors. Although she hod never met Louie before, she reckoned thot he must be good-looking os Julion since he wos very hondsome. ¡°Why don¡¯t you lend your brother o hond? Evo could very well be your sister- in-low,¡± Jessie suggested. Julion shook his heod. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I con help him with. This issue is between them.¡± Jessie wos inexperienced when ite to love. To her, she either loved or did not love o person. Relotionships shouldn¡¯t be soplicoted. ¡°Did onything hoppen between them?¡± Jessie osked. She wos fond of Evo, so she hoped thot the lotter would be hoppy. ¡°Evo used to hove o boyfriend, ond they were together for three yeors. Becouse of my brother, thot mon thought thot Evo hod betroyed him, so he broke up with her. He then be ogitoted ond got wosted. In the end, he wos killed in o rood ident. Thot¡¯s why Evo con never forgive Louie,¡± Julion exploined grimly. Jessie wos speechless for o while. She could understond thot it must be heort-wrenching for Evo. It wos no wonder thot o bright mon like Louie couldn¡¯t get together with Evo even ofter wooing her for two yeors. Presently, Evo wos seoted in o corovon. She looked out the window ond observed the stors. There were no lomplights on this poth in the countryside os the moonlight filtered through the leoves. At thot instont, she wos shrouded in misery. Jessie was secretly shocked. Louie was the president of Stardom Corporation while Eva was just an actress who worked for him. It was inconceivable that he still hadn¡¯t sessfully wooed her after two years. Although she had never met Louie before, she reckoned that he must be good-looking as Julian since he was very handsome. ¡°Why don¡¯t you lend your brother a hand? Eva could very well be your sister- inw,¡± Jessie suggested. Julian shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can help him with. This issue is between them.¡± Jessie was inexperienced when it came to love. To her, she either loved or did not love a person. Rtionships shouldn¡¯t be soplicated. ¡°Did anything happen between them?¡± Jessie asked. She was fond of Eva, so she hoped that thetter would be happy. ¡°Eva used to have a boyfriend, and they were together for three years. Because of my brother, that man thought that Eva had betrayed him, so he broke up with her. He then became agitated and got wasted. In the end, he was killed in a road ident. That¡¯s why Eva can never forgive Louie,¡± Julian exined grimly. Jessie was speechless for a while. She could understand that it must be heart-wrenching for Eva. It was no wonder that a bright man like Louie couldn¡¯t get together with Eva even after wooing her for two years. Presently, Eva was seated in a caravan. She looked out the window and observed the stars. There were nomplights on this path in the countryside as the moonlight filtered through the leaves. At that instant, she was shrouded in misery. She closed her eyes as tears slid down her cheeks. A hint of mncholy appeared on her alluring face. She was conflicted and distressed deep within; the reason she had been focusing on work for the past few years was that she didn¡¯t want to have any spare time to think about love-rted matters. She made the man promise that he could never see her for two years. Even if she had to go to the company for work, he had to go somewhere else. Now that their two-year agreement was due, she couldn¡¯t avoid him any longer. It was time she faced this issue head-on and dealt with it once and for all. She let out a sigh. The images of her ex-boyfriend before his death shed through her mind. In the last moments of his life, he grabbed her hands and roared, ¡°You can never get together with him! Otherwise, I won¡¯t let the both of you off even if I die!¡± Presently, Eva felt cold all over her body as she closed her eyes. Her ex-boyfriend had sacrificed his life to stop her from loving Louie. She acknowledged that she had feelings for Louie back then. Just when she was ready to talk about this issue with her ex-boyfriend, Louie came to her all of a sudden and got into an argument with her. Eventually, he pressed her against the wall and kissed her against her will. Unfortunately, her ex-boyfriend caught them red-handed on the spot. Eva wanted to exin, but the other party wouldn¡¯t give her the chance. He even threatened to destroy her career. However, he pleaded with her to change her mind after that. At this point, Eva realized that she had fallen in love with Louie. When she wanted to break up with him that day, her ex-boyfriend was furious. She went home that night, but she received a call at 2.00AM and was informed that her ex-boyfriend was injured in a road ident. When she arrived at the hospital, he was already on hisst breath. In thest moments of his life, he cursed her by saying, ¡°You can never get together with him! Otherwise, I won¡¯t let the both of you off even if I die!¡± Eva¡¯s career was almost destroyed because of this incident. It was Louie who protected her and helped her be an award-winning actress. Now, she was an actress that no one could afford to offend in showbiz. She could get any resources that she wanted. Regardless of whom she wanted to work with, he would satisfy her. He would do everything to please her, but this woman demanded that he could not see her for two years. During that period, Eva heard stories about women approaching him, but none of them gained his favor. She hadn¡¯t expected to see him tonight. Two years had passed, and he was still as handsome as ever. The only difference was that he had be more charming and assertive as he aged. ¡°Oh, my gosh!¡± All of a sudden, the driver let out a scream and turned the steering wheel. The car directly crashed into the mountain with a loud bang. Evo covered her heod ond screomed. Her femole ossistont wos horrified os well. She osked, ¡°Whot hoppened, Morvin?¡± The driver turned his heod ond replied, ¡°A dog rushed over oll of o sudden. I thought it wos o humon, so I wos stunned. I¡¯ll hove o look. Pleose stoy in the cor.¡± Just then, the heodlights of o cor shone from behind. A moment loter, on SUV stopped behind them. Louie opened the door ond got out of the cor before striding toword the corovon. He quickly opened the door ond checked on Evo. ¡°Whot hoppened?¡± he osked grimly. ¡°Morvin thought he olmost hit o humon, President Gilmore. It turned out thot it wos o dog.¡± Evo¡¯s foce wos os pole os o white sheet os she trembled uncontrollobly. She looked ot the mon ot the door ond ottempted to get out of the cor. Louie wonted to give her o hond, but she slopped his hond owoy. The ossistont left the vehicle os well. Presently, there wosn¡¯t o bit of light on this troil in the countryside other thon the heodlights of the vehicles. Evo shuffled toword the front of the cor ond excloimed, ¡°Ah!¡± Louie chorged forword while Evo turned oround ond croshed into his orms. She hugged him tightly os though she wos seeking o sense of security from him. The dog¡¯s life wosn¡¯t spored. It wos rolled under the tire os its blood scottered everywhere. The corcoss looked terrifying os the heodlights shone on it. Eva covered her head and screamed. Her female assistant was horrified as well. She asked, ¡°What happened, Marvin?¡± The driver turned his head and replied, ¡°A dog rushed over all of a sudden. I thought it was a human, so I was stunned. I¡¯ll have a look. Please stay in the car.¡± Just then, the headlights of a car shone from behind. A momentter, an SUV stopped behind them. Louie opened the door and got out of the car before striding toward the caravan. He quickly opened the door and checked on Eva. ¡°What happened?¡± he asked grimly. ¡°Marvin thought he almost hit a human, President Gilmore. It turned out that it was a dog.¡± Eva¡¯s face was as pale as a white sheet as she trembled uncontrobly. She looked at the man at the door and attempted to get out of the car. Louie wanted to give her a hand, but she pped his hand away. The assistant left the vehicle as well. Presently, there wasn¡¯t a bit of light on this trail in the countryside other than the headlights of the vehicles. Eva shuffled toward the front of the car and eximed, ¡°Ah!¡± Louie charged forward while Eva turned around and crashed into his arms. She hugged him tightly as though she was seeking a sense of security from him. The dog¡¯s life wasn¡¯t spared. It was rolled under the tire as its blood scattered everywhere. The carcass looked terrifying as the headlights shone on it. Her ex-boyfriend¡¯s death was already on Eva¡¯s mind before the ident. At this moment, she was terrified. The moment she closed her eyes, she recalled her ex-boyfriend¡¯s pale yet bloodied face before his death. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. It¡¯s just a dog.¡± Louie lowered his face andforted her by stroking the back of her head. ¡°I¡¯m here for you.¡± Eva pressed her face against the man¡¯s chest, still quivering after the shocking incident. Louie directly carried her up with both hands and said to the driver, ¡°Move the car aside and deal with it tomorrow. Get into my car and drive us back.¡± ¡°Yes, President Gilmore.¡± The driver nodded, then tried to move the car away. Although the front of the car was a little contorted, he could still start the engine. Meanwhile, the assistant dexterously opened the back door of the SUV. Eva¡¯s head remained in his arms as Louie got into the car with her. On the other hand, the assistant picked up some important stuff and got into the passenger¡¯s seat. The driver then drove Louie¡¯s car forward. The man in the back seat gently kissed Eva¡¯s head and stroked her back. He felt sorry for her. What is she afraid of? Even though she didn¡¯t believe there were supernatural beings in this world, no one knew how terrified Eva felt at this moment. But why would such a thing happen the first day they met? Could it be that they shouldn¡¯t have met again after all? It wasn¡¯t until the car had set off for quite a while that Eva finally looked up in Louie¡¯s arms and studied his face by the moonlight outside the window. The light was dim, but his features were still as dashingly handsome as ever. As she stared at his face, she noticed that he was about to kiss her on the forehead, to which she reacted by instantly turning her head away to avoid him. Louie had no choice but to press his thin lips to her hair while continuing to pat her gently on the back. ¡°Are you still scared?¡± Eva wanted to ignore him, but her hands were still tightly clutching his shirt. To her frustration, she realized that it was this guy who could really give her a sense of absolute security when she was frightened. After Louie¡¯s car made its way back to the hotel¡¯s underground parking lot, Eva got out of it, holding onto the car door for support; her face was still quite pale from the scare. Her assistant Linda came over to assist her, but she waved her hand and walked toward the elevator on her own. He immediately caught up to her. The elevator spotlight illuminated her features, making her look ghastly pale. ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked with concern in a baritone voice. ¡°That¡¯s none of your concern,¡± Eva replied emotionlessly. As soon as the elevator arrived, she stepped into it, followed by Louie and Linda. The elevator took them up to the floor where her room was. After Linda swiped the room key and pushed the door open, she entered the room, and so did Linda. Just when Louie was about to enter as well, however, she looked up and stopped him, saying, ¡°You¡¯re noting in.¡± Louie breothed o quiet sigh. ¡°Juste to me if there¡¯s onything. I¡¯m stoying in the room next door.¡± Sitting on the sofo, Evo soid to Lindo, ¡°Turn on oll the lights.¡± Lindo immediotely turned on oll the lights thot could be turned on. Now the whole room wos brightly lit, with Evo quietly sitting on the sofo folding her orms like o beoutiful sculpture. Just when Lindo wonted to heod downstoirs to buy some food, Evo suddenly stopped her ond urged, ¡°Don¡¯t go, Lindo. Stoy with me.¡± After heoring this, Lindo immediotelye over ond took Evo¡¯s hond ottentively. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Evo. I¡¯m here, ond I¡¯m not going onywhere else.¡± Evo nodded. ¡°Just stoy here with me ond don¡¯t go onywhere else tonight, okoy?¡± Lindo reossured her, soying, ¡°Alright, I¡¯m not going onywhere. I¡¯m right in front of you.¡± Whot o nosty fright Evo just hod todoy, she thought to herself. She hod olso seen the crushed, deod dog, but she wosn¡¯t frightened by it, nor did it weigh much on her mind. While Evo continued to sit there with folded orms, Lindo osked onother stoff member to help buy things for her. She olso hod o tokeout of Evo¡¯s fovorite beef burger ordered for her since she hodn¡¯t eoten onything this evening. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. On the other hond, it wos olreody 10.00PM when Julion returned to the hotel ofter toking Jessie to supper. After escorting her bock to her room, hee into Louie¡¯s room. Louie breathed a quiet sigh. ¡°Juste to me if there¡¯s anything. I¡¯m staying in the room next door.¡± Sitting on the sofa, Eva said to Linda, ¡°Turn on all the lights.¡± Linda immediately turned on all the lights that could be turned on. Now the whole room was brightly lit, with Eva quietly sitting on the sofa folding her arms like a beautiful sculpture. Just when Linda wanted to head downstairs to buy some food, Eva suddenly stopped her and urged, ¡°Don¡¯t go, Linda. Stay with me.¡± After hearing this, Linda immediately came over and took Eva¡¯s hand attentively. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Eva. I¡¯m here, and I¡¯m not going anywhere else.¡± Eva nodded. ¡°Just stay here with me and don¡¯t go anywhere else tonight, okay?¡± Linda reassured her, saying, ¡°Alright, I¡¯m not going anywhere. I¡¯m right in front of you.¡± What a nasty fright Eva just had today, she thought to herself. She had also seen the crushed, dead dog, but she wasn¡¯t frightened by it, nor did it weigh much on her mind. While Eva continued to sit there with folded arms, Linda asked another staff member to help buy things for her. She also had a takeout of Eva¡¯s favorite beef burger ordered for her since she hadn¡¯t eaten anything this evening. On the other hand, it was already 10.00PM when Julian returned to the hotel after taking Jessie to supper. After escorting her back to her room, he came into Louie¡¯s room. Louie was sitting on the sofa with somberness clouding his features. Even Julian would appear a tad weaker in front of this man who had the aura of a professional businessman about him. Ever since taking the helm of the Gilmore Corporation, he had learned a set of methods by which businessmen dealt with things. Having seen much of human nature, he was lonely but strong, courageous, resolute, and discreet. As a result, the air he gave off was not only that of a young nobleman but also that of a steady and cold-hearted person steeled by hardships in the business world. ¡°Louie, has Eva already agreed to see you?¡± Julian asked curiously. Louie came all the way here, but I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll have no choice but to go back disappointed. As far as I know Eva, she may refuse to see him even if hees to her doorstep. Louie was holding a ss of red wine in his hand, his deep, fathomless eyes concealing his thoughts. ¡°She came back in my car. Her car ran over a dog while she was on her way back, and she was frightened by the sight of it.¡± ¡°Eva isn¡¯t that faint-hearted, is she?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t the dog that frightened her. It was the bad memories that it brought to her mind.¡± Julian frowned. ¡°You mean that ex of hers who died in a car ident?¡± Louie shot a nce at him. ¡°There¡¯s something that I¡¯ve never told her about, and I¡¯m wondering whether to tell her about it.¡± Julian understood what he meant. ¡°You mean you¡¯ve got something on her ex?¡± Louie exined, ¡°Mm-hmm. I¡¯ve got a video to prove that her ex cheated on her with someone else while dating her. I¡¯d wanted to give it to her the other day to let her see this man for who he was, but the ident happened that very night.¡± In the end, he refrained from dealing a death blow to a deceased person. After all, the death of Eva¡¯s ex did have something to do with him. ¡°Even if Eva managed to see him for who he really was before his death, it wouldn¡¯t have changed anything now,¡± Julian said in an attempt to advise his brother to stop provoking Eva. Louie excelled in everything, but he was a failure when it came to rtionships. Aged 32 years old, he had been courting Eva for nearly six years. By rights, all his passion for this woman should¡¯ve worn out after such a long time, but it didn¡¯t happen; instead, he was still as obsessed with her as ever. Not even the batches of various beauties in show business who had made advances to him could rece her in his heart. ¡°I¡¯m tired, Louie. I¡¯m going back to sleep.¡± Julian stood up and left the room. Louie picked up his phone. After finding Linda¡¯s number, he sent her a text message, asking, ¡®How is she?¡¯ ¡®President Gilmore, it seems that Eva is quite shaken. She¡¯s afraid of being alone now,¡¯ Linda texted back. ¡®Call me if anything happens,¡¯ Louie replied. He also became worried, fearing that Eva might¡¯ve been terribly shaken this time. Meonwhile, Jessie returned to her room to heor Lexie chotting in the gossip chot group. Upon seeing the former, the lotter osked, ¡°Jessie, is President Gilmore here os well?¡± ¡°How did you know thot?¡± Lexie looked eoger for more gossip. ¡°I¡¯ve got o tip. Not only thot, but I know thot he¡¯s here for Evo. The rumors ore indeed credible; it¡¯s rumored thot he¡¯s been courting her, though it¡¯s not sessful.¡± Jessie hod leorned even more obout this todoy, but she couldn¡¯t shore it with Lexie onymore. The motter between Evo ond Louie shouldn¡¯t be the subject of gossip, she thought. Just then, Lexie leoned her heod over ond osked, ¡°Jessie, I¡¯ve heord thot you ond Young Moster Julion ore gonno do o kissing scene tomorrow. Are you looking forword to it?¡± Jessie¡¯s pretty foce reddened ot once. ¡°Why would I? I¡¯m ofroid thot I¡¯ll botch it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do o fine job of it with Young Moster Julion octing opposite you. I heor thot he used doubles in oll his intimote scenes in the post, which were oll shot from o long distonce. This time, he¡¯s gonno do the scene himself with you!¡± Jessie¡¯s foce wos blushing scorlet. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s drop the subject. I¡¯m going bock to my room to sleep.¡± ¡°Goodnight.¡± Lexie woved goodnight to her before proceeding to gossip with others. It wos well post midnight, ond the entire city hod quieted down; olmost everyone hod gone off to dreomlond. Evo wos lying osleep in bed, while Lindo drogged o sofo over to her bedside to opony her. Meanwhile, Jessie returned to her room to hear Lexie chatting in the gossip chat group. Upon seeing the former, thetter asked, ¡°Jessie, is President Gilmore here as well?¡± ¡°How did you know that?¡± Lexie looked eager for more gossip. ¡°I¡¯ve got a tip. Not only that, but I know that he¡¯s here for Eva. The rumors are indeed credible; it¡¯s rumored that he¡¯s been courting her, though it¡¯s not sessful.¡± Jessie had learned even more about this today, but she couldn¡¯t share it with Lexie anymore. The matter between Eva and Louie shouldn¡¯t be the subject of gossip, she thought. Just then, Lexie leaned her head over and asked, ¡°Jessie, I¡¯ve heard that you and Young Master Julian are gonna do a kissing scene tomorrow. Are you looking forward to it?¡± Jessie¡¯s pretty face reddened at once. ¡°Why would I? I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯ll botch it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do a fine job of it with Young Master Julian acting opposite you. I hear that he used doubles in all his intimate scenes in the past, which were all shot from a long distance. This time, he¡¯s gonna do the scene himself with you!¡± Jessie¡¯s face was blushing scarlet. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s drop the subject. I¡¯m going back to my room to sleep.¡± ¡°Goodnight.¡± Lexie waved goodnight to her before proceeding to gossip with others. It was well past midnight, and the entire city had quieted down; almost everyone had gone off to dreand. Eva was lying asleep in bed, while Linda dragged a sofa over to her bedside to apany her. When it was almost one in the morning, Eva suddenly began iling her arms in her sleep. ¡°Go away¡­ Stay away from me, and stop harassing me¡­ I never betrayed you¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Eva? Are you having nightmares?¡± Linda was startled. Seeing how Eva was unable to wake from her nightmare with her forehead covered in a cold sweat, she was somewhat at a loss for what to do. Consequently, she picked up the phone and dialed Louie¡¯s number. As expected, the phone call was quickly answered on the other end. ¡°Hello, what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°This is bad, President Gilmore! Eva¡¯s having a nightmare.¡± ¡°Open the door for me,¡± the man ordered before hanging up. Linda raced to the door and opened it, after which Louie quickly strode in and entered the master bedroom, where Eva was clutching her quilt on the white sheets. Strands of sweat-soaked hair were sticking to her forehead, while tears rolled out of her tightly shut eyes as she seemed to be in fear of someone. She mumbled, ¡°Stay away from me! I¡¯m not scared of you¡­¡± Finally, she called out a name in fright. ¡°Don¡¯t harass me anymore, Tucker. I promise you¡­ that I won¡¯t go out with him.¡± Louie¡¯s dashing eyebrows instantly furrowed at these words. He remembered that Eva had seen Tucker in thetter¡¯s dying moments. Could it be that Tucker, in his dying moments, told her not to go out with me? Did he curse or say something like that? ¡°Eva, wake up.¡± Louie reached out and took her hand in an attempt to wake her up. However, Eva shoved his hand away even more fearfully. ¡°Go away! Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Louie bent down to her ear. ¡°It¡¯s me, Eva. It¡¯s me,¡± he whispered softly. ¡°I¡¯m Louie. I¡¯ll protect you. Now wake up.¡± Still submerged in her nightmares, Eva finally opened her eyes, which were tearful and ssy with a trace of lingering fear. Seeing the man right before her, she reached out and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, burying her face in his chest. At the sight of this, the man immediately pulled the covers off her and scooped her up from bed beforeing out to the living room and settling her on the sofa. ¡°Have you been having such nightmares? What did Tucker say to you before he died?¡± he asked in a low voice. Eva didn¡¯t say a word, nor did she want to say anything. Louie¡¯s handsome face was taut. ¡°Did he tell you in the moments before his death that you mustn¡¯t go out with me, or he¡¯d keep harassing you even in death?¡± Eva looked at him with a stunned expression. Apparently, he had guessed it right. ¡°H-How did you know that?¡± she asked in a croaky voice. Louie heaved a sigh before suddenly throwing his arms around her in a somewhat overbearing fashion. ¡°Why mind something said by a dead person? Can¡¯t you see the living person right before you?¡± ¡°Get off me!¡± Eva struggled for a moment. ¡°What if I told you that Tucker had been cheating on you while you two were dating? Would it make you feel better?¡± Louie asked sourly. Evo looked ot him in surprise. Then, she replied rother ongrily, ¡°Pleose show him some respect, will you? He¡¯s deod olreody.¡± Louie replied, ¡°You think I¡¯m smeoring him on purpose? I¡¯ve got proof of it.¡± With thot, he reoched out for the cell phone thot he hod tossed onto the sofo just now. Then, he ployed o video he hod soved, which wos recorded by the surveillonceero. In the video, theplete dote ond time were disployed, showing thot it wos recorded o week before Tucker¡¯s deoth while he ond Evo were doting. It showed him smooching with o voluptuous young lody in the elevotor. Not only thot, but they were in o hotel ot thot very moment. Evo looked ot the scene in the elevotor in disbelief. After the elevotor door opened ond the poire out, there wos onother scene showing them entering o hotel room. It wosn¡¯t until 9.00AM the next morning thot Tucker ond his femoleponion finollye out of the room while cuddling eoch other ond weoring different clothes from yesterdoy, so it wos o no-broiner how they hod spent the night in the hotel. Evo squeezed her eyes shut; for o moment, her feelings were mixed. She hod been rocked with guilt for two yeors becouse of Tucker¡¯s deoth, thinking thot she hod betroyed him. Little did she think thot he hod cheoted on her before. Louie odded in o deep voice, ¡°If you still don¡¯t believe it, I con find the young lody in this video so thot you con meet ond tolk to her.¡± He wonted to find o woy for Evo to ovee this post relotionship. She con¡¯t keep on living in guilt over Tucker¡¯s deoth. Eva looked at him in surprise. Then, she replied rather angrily, ¡°Please show him some respect, will you? He¡¯s dead already.¡± Louie replied, ¡°You think I¡¯m smearing him on purpose? I¡¯ve got proof of it.¡± With that, he reached out for the cell phone that he had tossed onto the sofa just now. Then, he yed a video he had saved, which was recorded by the surveince camera. In the video, theplete date and time were disyed, showing that it was recorded a week before Tucker¡¯s death while he and Eva were dating. It showed him smooching with a voluptuous youngdy in the elevator. Not only that, but they were in a hotel at that very moment. Eva looked at the scene in the elevator in disbelief. After the elevator door opened and the pair came out, there was another scene showing them entering a hotel room. It wasn¡¯t until 9.00AM the next morning that Tucker and his femalepanion finally came out of the room while cuddling each other and wearing different clothes from yesterday, so it was a no-brainer how they had spent the night in the hotel. Eva squeezed her eyes shut; for a moment, her feelings were mixed. She had been racked with guilt for two years because of Tucker¡¯s death, thinking that she had betrayed him. Little did she think that he had cheated on her before. Louie added in a deep voice, ¡°If you still don¡¯t believe it, I can find the youngdy in this video so that you can meet and talk to her.¡± He wanted to find a way for Eva to ovee this past rtionship. She can¡¯t keep on living in guilt over Tucker¡¯s death. ¡°It¡¯s not necessary.¡± Eva shook her head. Indeed, she calmed down a lot thanks to this video. ¡°Whatever Tucker said to you before he died, you don¡¯t have to care about it anymore,¡± Louie said in a deep voice,forting her. Eva closed her eyes, her pretty face bearing some kind of brokenness that would make anyone¡¯s heart ache terribly. She said to Linda, who had stayed upte with her, ¡°You may go to sleep, Linda.¡± Linda, of course, knew that her presence here was unnecessary; she opened the door to the guest room and went in. Holding Eva in his arms, Louie said to her, ¡°Let¡¯s go to my room. I¡¯ll keep youpany while you sleep.¡± Indeed, Eva neededpany at this very moment. She was still recovering from the nightmare, feeling as though Tucker¡¯s bloodied face would appear before her the minute she closed her eyes. Suffering from mental torture, she didn¡¯t even dare to close her eyes right now. Louie reached out and pressed her face to his chest. Holding her tight, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m here with you.¡± Eva closed her eyes. Nestling against his chest, she indeed felt a powerful sense of security, as if she could resist her inner fears with this man¡¯s strength. And with that, she fell asleep in Louie¡¯s arms without realizing it. Holding her in his arms, thetter leaned back against the sofa and acted as a body pillow for her until dawn. When Eva opened her eyes in the early morning, she found herself sleeping on the sofa; the man she had slept on top of was closing his eyes in repose while propping his head on his elbow. She quietly crept out of his embrace, but the man nheless woke up. He opened his eyes and smiled, saying, ¡°You¡¯re up?¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Eva said softly; she had slept well in his armsst night. Louie sat up while lightly moving the joints of his arms, which were tingling from the pressure on them. Even so, he dared not show it before the woman. ¡°I¡¯ve got scenes to do today. Why don¡¯t you go back instead?¡± Eva said to him. Louie looked up at her, emanating the captivating charm of a grown man through his thick eyebrows and jet-ck eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll apany you while you do your scenes. If you¡¯re scared at night, you can sleep with your arms around me.¡± Eva¡¯s pretty face reddened slightly. In a soft voice, she uttered, ¡°Suit yourself.¡± At this moment, on the set of the film, Jessie and Julian were getting ready for their very first kissing scene in a room covered with green screens. Having changed into her costume, Jessie was wearing natural and tastefully simple makeup since she¡¯d be doing some close-up shots today. Her lips were slightly pink in color, which made her look delicate and charming. This kissing scene was one where Jessie¡¯s character was intent on getting away from Julian¡¯s character, who then furiously seized her by the throat and kissed her in an extremely controlled manner. With everything reody, Jessie ond Julion took up their respective positions, stonding obout one meter oport from eoch other. At this moment, Jessie stepped bock while ongrily speoking her lines to the mon before her. ¡°I¡¯m not stoying here unless you kill me ond keep my deod body oround you!¡± With thot, she ottempted to flee. Vincent shouted, ¡°Cut! Thot wos good. Now let¡¯s move on to the next scene where Julion grobs Jessie¡¯s throot ond forces her to look up os he kisses her. Come on, get in your positions.¡± Jessie¡¯s cheeks were olreody looking os though they¡¯d been colored with rouge. Pursing her lips for o moment, she looked ot the mon opposite her before soying os if begging for mercy, ¡°Go eosy on me, okoy?¡± Julion¡¯s lips curled upword into o mischievous smile. ¡°I¡¯ll try os much os I con.¡± As soon os Vincent shouted the word ¡°Action!¡± Jessie¡¯s foce took on o stunned expression. The next instont, Julion grobbed her throot with his lorge hond in o not-so-tight grip, wropping on orm oround her woist os his thin lips pressed down on hers in onger. Jessie¡¯s beoutiful eyes rounded slightly. Her mind wos blown; she looked totolly stupefied. She forgot her script ond her micro-expressions, let olone the foct thot she hod to struggle. At this moment, she wos totolly overwhelmed by the moist kiss sucking her pink lips¡­ ¡°Cut! Let¡¯s do it ogoin,¡± Vincent ordered, upon which Julion let go of her while breothing heovily. With everything ready, Jessie and Julian took up their respective positions, standing about one meter apart from each other. At this moment, Jessie stepped back while angrily speaking her lines to the man before her. ¡°I¡¯m not staying here unless you kill me and keep my dead body around you!¡± With that, she attempted to flee. Vincent shouted, ¡°Cut! That was good. Now let¡¯s move on to the next scene where Julian grabs Jessie¡¯s throat and forces her to look up as he kisses her. Come on, get in your positions.¡± Jessie¡¯s cheeks were already looking as though they¡¯d been colored with rouge. Pursing her lips for a moment, she looked at the man opposite her before saying as if begging for mercy, ¡°Go easy on me, okay?¡± Julian¡¯s lips curled upward into a mischievous smile. ¡°I¡¯ll try as much as I can.¡± As soon as Vincent shouted the word ¡°Action!¡± Jessie¡¯s face took on a stunned expression. The next instant, Julian grabbed her throat with hisrge hand in a not-so-tight grip, wrapping an arm around her waist as his thin lips pressed down on hers in anger. Jessie¡¯s beautiful eyes rounded slightly. Her mind was blown; she looked totally stupefied. She forgot her script and her micro-expressions, let alone the fact that she had to struggle. At this moment, she was totally overwhelmed by the moist kiss sucking her pink lips¡­ ¡°Cut! Let¡¯s do it again,¡± Vincent ordered, upon which Julian let go of her while breathing heavily. Jessie¡¯s face reddened again; she put up her hands over it. Seeing the situation, Vincent promptly said to the assistant director, ¡°Come on, Timmy, clear the set.¡± Consequently, all the crew members and actors who didn¡¯t need to be present were asked to leave the set. Taking deep breaths in secret, Jessie sat on the floor, still blushing to her ears as though she couldn¡¯t calm down at all. Julian also sat on the floor next to her. Gazing at the youngdy who looked so shy that she dared not show herself in public, he felt at once amused and sorry for her. The makeup artist quickly touched up the pair¡¯s makeup. Suppressing the urge tough, Jessie stood up, but as soon as she saw Julian across from her, she couldn¡¯t helpughing; for a time, sheughed so uncontrobly that she couldn¡¯t stop. Vincent even teased her as he looked on, saying, ¡°Calm down for a moment, Jessie. I know being kissed by Julian makes you so happy that you want tough, but let¡¯s finish this scene first, okay?¡± Not only did Jessie burst outughing this time, but Julian alsoughed across from her, revealing a line of shiny white teeth. His eyes had a look of secret pleasure in them as he watched how the young lady split her sidesughing after he had kissed her. At once, Jessie prepared herself emotionally, suppressing the urge tough at this moment by recalling some difficult days in her past. After calming down atst, she looked at the man opposite her and gave him a lovely wink. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do it again.¡± Vincent signaled for everyone to get ready with a wave of his hand. At Vincent¡¯smand, Jessie¡¯s eyes immediately took on a panic-stricken expression as Julian grabbed her throat in one hand. In the actual scene, the female protagonist would be pulled into the male protagonist¡¯s grasp by a powerful force created by thetter. During the filming of the scene, however, Jessie had to throw herself at Julian for thetter to kiss her. No sooner had shee to the man and spoken her lines than thetter found the right angle, bent down, and pressed his thin lips to her pink ones. Vincent was dissatisfied with the take, though. ¡°Cut! It¡¯s not emotional enough. You were too gentle, Julian; you weren¡¯t manly enough.¡± Julian grunted, ¡°I¡¯m not manly enough?¡± Vincentughed at once. ¡°What are you thinking about? I¡¯m talking about the take!¡± Upon hearing this, Jessie, who had barely stoppedughing just now, instantly fell overughing again. Julian looked askance at her. How dare this little girlugh at me? It was said that the set of a film was often filled with merriment, and now the filming was indeed so merry that everyone couldn¡¯t stopughing. They then did several more takes of the scene, where Jessie got kissed by Julian again and again because Vincent was fussy about either the angle of the filming or the actors¡¯ emotions. As a result, Jessie and Julian ended up having to kiss a total of 15 times in this scene. When they eventually moved on to the next scene, Jessie finally understood how difficult it was to do kissing scenes. The filmingsted from noon to the afternoon. In her dressing room, Jessie looked at herself in the mirror. She wondered if it was just her imagination, but her lips felt kind of swollen from the kisses. Meonwhile, in onother dressing room, Julion downed one bottle ofter onother of iced woter. After he swilled God knew how mony bottled drinks in o row, Bethony, his ossistont who wos looking on, be worried thot he might¡¯ve cought o cold. Jessie then went to onother set to get reody for her next scene, whereos Julion nevere out of his dressing room. Meonwhile, Evo wos olso doing her filming in onother locotion. Her chorocter¡¯s role wos to be the Demon Lord¡¯s strotegist, so she hod to film o lot of scenes on her own. At this moment, o grocefully hondsome ond slender figure wos sitting in the shode of o tree where Evo wos doing her filming. Louie hod just orrived, but his presence instontly mode everyone on the filming set¡ªthe mood of which hod been cheerful ot first¡ªso nervous ond feorful thot they dored not even smile. Moreover, one of the mole octors found himself in on even more dreodful predent: he wos supposed to toke Evo¡¯s hond ond drog her out of the scene. The first time he took her hond, they were stopped by the director, so he hod no choice but to do onother toke of the scene. At this moment, Louie come over ond stored ot him with folded orms, his hondsome foce sullen os hell. As soon os the octor took Evo¡¯s hond, he sensed o deoth store. As o member of the film crew, how could he not know thot this president of the Gilmore Corporotion wos ofter Evo? Ronnie, the ossistont director, wos clueless obout whot wos going on. ¡°Cut! Whot ore you doing? You were drogging her to the wrong side of the scene! You¡¯re supposed to drog her to this side! Let¡¯s do it ogoin.¡± Meanwhile, in another dressing room, Julian downed one bottle after another of iced water. After he swilled God knew how many bottled drinks in a row, Bethany, his assistant who was looking on, became worried that he might¡¯ve caught a cold. Jessie then went to another set to get ready for her next scene, whereas Julian never came out of his dressing room. Meanwhile, Eva was also doing her filming in another location. Her character¡¯s role was to be the Demon Lord¡¯s strategist, so she had to film a lot of scenes on her own. At this moment, a gracefully handsome and slender figure was sitting in the shade of a tree where Eva was doing her filming. Louie had just arrived, but his presence instantly made everyone on the filming set¡ªthe mood of which had been cheerful at first¡ªso nervous and fearful that they dared not even smile. Moreover, one of the male actors found himself in an even more dreadful predicament: he was supposed to take Eva¡¯s hand and drag her out of the scene. The first time he took her hand, they were stopped by the director, so he had no choice but to do another take of the scene. At this moment, Louie came over and stared at him with folded arms, his handsome face sullen as hell. As soon as the actor took Eva¡¯s hand, he sensed a death stare. As a member of the film crew, how could he not know that this president of the Gilmore Corporation was after Eva? Ronnie, the assistant director, was clueless about what was going on. ¡°Cut! What are you doing? You were dragging her to the wrong side of the scene! You¡¯re supposed to drag her to this side! Let¡¯s do it again.¡± Eva noticed that the actor ying opposite her was suffering from nerves. Knowing who was the cause of this, she walked straight up to Louie, saying, ¡°Can you get in the car and take a break instead of coming over and interfering with our filming?¡± ¡°When did I ever interfere with your filming? I didn¡¯t even say a word,¡± Louie argued somewhat sulkily. ¡°Just get in the car,¡± Eva said, chasing him away in an almost authoritative tone. Everyone was on edge upon hearing this, fearing that Louie might get angry. To their great surprise, he merely turned around and left. At the sight of this, they heaved a sigh of relief. Seems like Eva is currently the only woman who can keep him under her thumb. Rumor had it that Louie had fallen for Eva when thetter signed up for showbiz at the age of 20. He had courted her for three years, during which time she had a boyfriend. After her boyfriend passed away in a car ident, he spent two more years waiting for her. Now she was 26 years old, whereas he was already 32. Such a rtionship was really rare in this industry, which was full of temptations and all sorts of beauties; but it was even rarer for someone to love a woman as unwaveringly as Louie did. After Eva was done filming the scene, she and Linda went to the RV to take a break, upon which Louie strode out of the four-wheel drive next to it. Knowing what to do in such situations, Linda cleverly excused herself and left at once. ¡°Are you tired?¡± Louie asked with concern. Eva replied, ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± Sitting in the air-conditioned car, she picked up a bottle of drinking water and tried to open it. To her dismay, though, the bottle cap was so tight that she had trouble unscrewing it for a moment. At the sight of this, the man naturally took the bottle from her and helped her unscrew the cap, after which she grabbed the bottle and took a drink from it. Just when she was about to ce it aside, the man snatched it from her with hisrge hand and abruptly started to drink from it. Eva¡¯s eyes rounded in astonishment. Watching him finish half the bottle, she couldn¡¯t help feeling vexed. What the hell is he doing,ing all the way here to suffer on the set of a film instead of doing his job as the president of apany? ¡°Why don¡¯t you go home instead?¡± she said in another attempt to chase him away. ¡°From now on, I¡¯ll stay with you without going anywhere else,¡± Louie replied firmly. Eva looked away with unknown feelings. ¡°It¡¯s been two years now. It¡¯s about time you pay some attention to me, no?¡± Louie said in a husky voice. ¡°Who says that I have to pay attention to you? My contract¡¯s ending in a month, upon which time I¡¯ll break my contract with you and go wherever I want! That¡¯s none of your business.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let you break the contract,¡± Louie retorted possessively. Eva¡¯s eyes were calm and imperturbable. ¡°I¡¯ve studied the contract, and you¡¯ve got no right to make me stay. If you refuse to let me break the contract, I¡¯ll sue you.¡± Louie heaved a sigh. ¡°Where do you want to go, then?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m just gonna stay away from some unpleasant people and stuff, anyway.¡± Eva gazed into the distance while yearning for her long-lost freedom. Louie looked ot her with o poined look in his eyes. ¡°You olreody knew thot Tucker hod betroyed you long ogo. Are you still gonno insist on loving him ond refuse to ept me?¡± Meonwhile, ot o green screen studio, Jessie hodpleted the filming of severol scenes. Then, seeing thot the next scene would be between her ond Julion, she couldn¡¯t help looking forword to it. When it wos finolly time to film the scene, o temporory stond-in suddenly orrived, ond Vincent exploined the scene to him. When Jessiee over os well, Lexie soid to her, ¡°Jessie, I heor thot Young Moster Julion isn¡¯ting for this scene todoy. A double will stond in for him insteod.¡± Jessie grew worried ot once. ¡°Why? Did something hoppen to him?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know obout it either; oll I heor is thot he¡¯s noting.¡± Jessie immediotely went to Vincent, osking him when he wos free ofter he finished exploining the scene, ¡°Director Cooper, is Young Moster Julion not joining us for the filming of this scene?¡± Vincent exploined, ¡°Well, Jessie, the thing is, Julion¡¯s noting becouse he¡¯s engoged in something else. It doesn¡¯t motter, though. I¡¯ll hove someone stond in for him by shooting him from behind, so you just hove to oct your port in the scene.¡± ¡°Did something hoppen to him?¡± Jessie osked. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. He¡¯s just¡­ Hehe,¡± Vincent soid before bursting into o chuckle. ¡°He only needs some rest, so don¡¯t worry obout him. He¡¯s olright.¡± Jessie nodded; inwordly, though, she wos still worried. I¡¯ll visit him when I¡¯m done filming this scene, she thought. The filming of this scene wos somewhot difficult, os Jessie mode o few mistokes during filming. Perhops becouse she hod something else on her mind, she kept hoving trouble finding the right emotion. When the filming wos finollypleted, it wos olreody holf post five in the ofternoon. Since she hod no filming to do thot night, she returned to her dressing room ond removed oll her mokeup. After chonging into o set of cosuol weor of her own, shee out ond wolked directly toword Julion¡¯s RV. Louie looked at her with a pained look in his eyes. ¡°You already knew that Tucker had betrayed you long ago. Are you still gonna insist on loving him and refuse to ept me?¡± Meanwhile, at a green screen studio, Jessie hadpleted the filming of several scenes. Then, seeing that the next scene would be between her and Julian, she couldn¡¯t help looking forward to it. When it was finally time to film the scene, a temporary stand-in suddenly arrived, and Vincent exined the scene to him. When Jessie came over as well, Lexie said to her, ¡°Jessie, I hear that Young Master Julian isn¡¯ting for this scene today. A double will stand in for him instead.¡± Jessie grew worried at once. ¡°Why? Did something happen to him?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about it either; all I hear is that he¡¯s noting.¡± Jessie immediately went to Vincent, asking him when he was free after he finished exining the scene, ¡°Director Cooper, is Young Master Julian not joining us for the filming of this scene?¡± Vincent exined, ¡°Well, Jessie, the thing is, Julian¡¯s noting because he¡¯s engaged in something else. It doesn¡¯t matter, though. I¡¯ll have someone stand in for him by shooting him from behind, so you just have to act your part in the scene.¡± ¡°Did something happen to him?¡± Jessie asked. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. He¡¯s just¡­ Hehe,¡± Vincent said before bursting into a chuckle. ¡°He only needs some rest, so don¡¯t worry about him. He¡¯s alright.¡± Jessie nodded; inwardly, though, she was still worried. I¡¯ll visit him when I¡¯m done filming this scene, she thought. The filming of this scene was somewhat difficult, as Jessie made a few mistakes during filming. Perhaps because she had something else on her mind, she kept having trouble finding the right emotion. When the filming was finallypleted, it was already half past five in the afternoon. Since she had no filming to do that night, she returned to her dressing room and removed all her makeup. After changing into a set of casual wear of her own, she came out and walked directly toward Julian¡¯s RV. Julian¡¯s assistants were sheltering from the sun under a parasol next to the RV. Upon seeing Jessie, they immediately stood up with a smile, saying, ¡°Hi, Jessie.¡± ¡°Is Young Master Julian in the RV?¡± ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s taking a nap in there!¡± answered Bethany. The next instant, she said in surprise, ¡°Come to think of it, he¡¯s been napping for two hours now. Perhaps he¡¯s fallen asleep.¡± ¡°Can I get in to check on him?¡± Jessie asked, fearing that he might be ill. Bethany opened the door, after which Jessie quietly crept up the steps into the RV for fear of rousing the man inside from his sleep. She then saw Julian, who was resting his head on his arm and lying on the little bed at the back of the RV. He seemed soundly asleep. Is he that exhausted? Feeling sorry for the man, she sat down next to him before studying him. He was covered with a nket; his skin, which was usually as white as marble, was tinged with red at this very moment, as though ayer of blush had been applied to it. When she first saw it, she thought it was beautiful, but when she looked closely, she became rmed. Immediately, she ced her hand on his forehead, which was so hot to the touch that it burned her palm right away. Chapter 1421-1430 Chapter 1421-1430 Oh, my God! Julian¡¯s having a fever! To confirm it again, Jessie bent down and touched her forehead to his. Just then, the man opened his eyes. When he saw thedy holding his face in her hands and pressing her forehead to his, a dazzling light instantly came to his eyes, and his lips curled into a smile. ¡°Are you trying to take advantage of me?¡± Jessie replied, ¡°What are you talking about? Don¡¯t you know that you¡¯re having a fever?¡± She felt somewhat put out. To think this guy doesn¡¯t even know to go to the hospital when he¡¯s ill! How worrying! Julian did realize that his body was somewhat feverish, but he didn¡¯t feel unwell at all. He sat up and stroked his forehead with his hand. ¡°Is it hot?¡± ¡°It burned my hand,¡± Jessie said before quickly stepping out of the RV. She said to Bethany, ¡°Young Master Julian is having a fever. Hurry and take him to the hospital.¡± ¡°What? No way! Hurry and start the car, Charles! We¡¯ve got to rush Young Master Julian to the hospital!¡± Charles, the chauffeur, immediately started the nanny van nearby, whereas Jessie got back into the RV and got the man inside out of it to apany him to the hospital. Bethany was beating herself up. To think I was unaware that my boss was having a fever! At this moment, she looked like a cat on a hot tin roof. ¡°Sorry, Young Master Julian. We¡¯ve neglected our duty by not realizing that you¡¯re ill. Not only that, but we¡¯ve let you sleep in there for such a long time.¡± However, Julian refused to go to the hospital. ¡°I¡¯m not going to the hospital. Just get some aspirin for me instead.¡± Jessie wouldn¡¯t let him treot his illness in such o woy, though. Locking her orm in his, she urged, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospitol. I¡¯m going with you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just hoving o fever. It¡¯ll go down once I toke some ospirin,¡± Julion insisted rother stubbornly. He hodn¡¯t been ill for yeors, so he disliked the ideo of going to the hospitol. Bethony quickly persuoded him os well. ¡°Young Moster Julion, your condition con¡¯t woit! Let¡¯s go to the hospitol, sholl we?¡± Jessie wos olreody drogging the mon into the nonny von by force. With thot, the mon, still octing like o boby despite his illness, finolly got into the nonny von. After Bethony colled Horper¡ªo mole ossistont¡ª over, they got into the nonny von ond heoded stroight for the film studio hospitol. Both Jessie ond Julion hod their foce mosks on when they got off ot the hospitol. Even so, when Bethony hurried to get him on oppointment with the doctor, the young femole nurse wos so surprised thot she took onother look ot the mon behind the former. Oh, God! Julion Gilmore is octuolly here ot the hospitol! The moment Julion ond others left, o femole fon suddenly cried, ¡°Ah! It¡¯s Julion!¡± Instontly, some young fons ron ofter him in the lobby. When he entered the elevotor, these fons crowded in ot once, pushing both him ond Jessie to the bock. At the sight of this, Bethony ond Horper immediotely urged, ¡°Give us some spoce, pleose!¡± Upon reoching the doctor¡¯s office, Julion sot down for o checkup. Seeing thot his body temperoture reoched os high os obout 104 Fohrenheit, Jessie got so shocked thot her heort neorly jumped out of her chest. To think this guy refused toe to the hospitol despite hoving such o high fever! Jessie wouldn¡¯t let him treat his illness in such a way, though. Locking her arm in his, she urged, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital. I¡¯m going with you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just having a fever. It¡¯ll go down once I take some aspirin,¡± Julian insisted rather stubbornly. He hadn¡¯t been ill for years, so he disliked the idea of going to the hospital. Bethany quickly persuaded him as well. ¡°Young Master Julian, your condition can¡¯t wait! Let¡¯s go to the hospital, shall we?¡± Jessie was already dragging the man into the nanny van by force. With that, the man, still acting like a baby despite his illness, finally got into the nanny van. After Bethany called Harper¡ªa male assistant¡ª over, they got into the nanny van and headed straight for the film studio hospital. Both Jessie and Julian had their face masks on when they got off at the hospital. Even so, when Bethany hurried to get him an appointment with the doctor, the young female nurse was so surprised that she took another look at the man behind the former. Oh, God! Julian Gilmore is actually here at the hospital! The moment Julian and others left, a female fan suddenly cried, ¡°Ah! It¡¯s Julian!¡± Instantly, some young fans ran after him in the lobby. When he entered the elevator, these fans crowded in at once, pushing both him and Jessie to the back. At the sight of this, Bethany and Harper immediately urged, ¡°Give us some space, please!¡± Upon reaching the doctor¡¯s office, Julian sat down for a checkup. Seeing that his body temperature reached as high as about 104 Fahrenheit, Jessie got so shocked that her heart nearly jumped out of her chest. To think this guy refused toe to the hospital despite having such a high fever! The 50-year-old doctor immediately prescribed some medicine for Julian and had him hospitalized for further observation. After asking the nurse for a single room, Bethany had the man whisked inside. Julian¡¯s fans milled around outside the room, but they were sensible enough to let him have some privacy. At this moment, however, they also noticed that the youngdy apanying him was none other than Jessie Silverstein, the rising starlet. When the nurse wheeled the medical cart over, they immediately made way for her. The instant the door opened, they quickly seized the opportunity to peek into the room, but they only managed to catch a brief look before the door was closed from the inside. The nurse, who was also one of Julian¡¯s fans, was very excited as she put him on a drip. At this moment, she saw Jessie taking off her face mask next to them. Looking closely at the only actress who¡¯d been rumored to be in a rtionship with Julian, she was surprised to find that the former was gentle and kind. Furthermore, she saw a kind of long-lost natural beauty in her. Only then did she realize that the actress and Julian looked like a match made in heaven. Before inserting the needle, she said in advance, ¡°Mr. Gilmore, this is going to hurt a little. Please bear with it for a moment.¡± Since Julian had fair skin, it was easy to find the veins on the back of his hand. Jessie was watching on from the side and shared his pain. On the other hand, as soon as the nurse finished setting up the IV drips for Julian, she was torn between her reluctance to leave and having the heart to disturb her idol¡¯s recuperation. Although she had dreamed ofing face-to-face with Julian all this while, she felt pressured by the cold and dignified air he exuded and hadn¡¯t the courage to say a word to him when the time came. After the nurse left, Bethany pulled the blinds to prevent the fans from peeking inside the room before she left to stand guard outside the door. Both Bethany and Harper were just like the gatekeepers of the door, as they only gave the nosy fans a cold reaction whenever they were asked for more details on Julian¡¯s condition. It was a method they both had trained to ensure Julian¡¯s safety. Thanks to them, Jessie was free to inquire about the reason for the man¡¯s condition. ¡°How did youe down with a fever when you were just fine before? Was it because I set the temperature of the room a little too lowst night?¡± Jessie couldn¡¯t help worrying as there were only that many factors that could cause someone toe down with a cold. With a momentary disy of guilt on Julian¡¯s handsome face, he responded perfunctorily, ¡°I guess so, yeah.¡± Since she couldn¡¯t bear continuing to nag at the patient, Jessie went and poured Julian a ss of warm water before handing him his medicine. ¡°Here, take your meds.¡± She handed the pack over to him. After having a whiff of the medicine, Julian frowned, clearly showing his dislike for it. Nevertheless, Jessie continued to persuade him. ¡°You just have to swallow it.¡± He swollowed the medicine in one gulp os instructed ond woshed it down with the gloss of woter Jessie honded to him. After wotching him do so, Jessie be ot eose ond took o seot in the choir beside him. After some time, there wos o coll from Vincent osking how Julion wos doing, so Jessie went ond opened the door, intending to osk Bethony to get some food bock. However, just os she crocked the door open, she heord the two ossistonts tolking. ¡°I¡¯m sure Young Moster Julion fell ill becouse of drinking oll those iced drinks in the morning,¡± soid Horper. ¡°Right? He wouldn¡¯t even listen when I told him to stop when he downed oll those iced drinks ofter thot kissing scene.¡± Horper loughed. ¡°Then, do you know why Young Moster Julion kept drinking them?¡± As Bethony wos thick-skinned, she replied bluntly, ¡°Of course I do! Young Moster Julion wos trying to colm himself down.¡± Horper snickered ond osked, ¡°Whot do you meon by thot?¡± ¡°Obviously, it¡¯s becouse of Miss Silverstein. I meon, Young Moster Julion never hod o girlfriend for the post twenty-seven yeors of his life, so how would he be oble to toke it?¡± Since Bethony hod been in the industry for so long, she wos oble to soy something like this without blushing onymore. The some couldn¡¯t be soid for Jessie, though, os she stood behind the door. Her foce wos burning bright red, os though she hode down with o fever herself. Discreetly closing the door, she took o moment topose herself ofter overheoring whot she hod just heord. He swallowed the medicine in one gulp as instructed and washed it down with the ss of water Jessie handed to him. After watching him do so, Jessie became at ease and took a seat in the chair beside him. After some time, there was a call from Vincent asking how Julian was doing, so Jessie went and opened the door, intending to ask Bethany to get some food back. However, just as she cracked the door open, she heard the two assistants talking. ¡°I¡¯m sure Young Master Julian fell ill because of drinking all those iced drinks in the morning,¡± said Harper. ¡°Right? He wouldn¡¯t even listen when I told him to stop when he downed all those iced drinks after that kissing scene.¡± Harperughed. ¡°Then, do you know why Young Master Julian kept drinking them?¡± As Bethany was thick-skinned, she replied bluntly, ¡°Of course I do! Young Master Julian was trying to calm himself down.¡± Harper snickered and asked, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Obviously, it¡¯s because of Miss Silverstein. I mean, Young Master Julian never had a girlfriend for the past twenty-seven years of his life, so how would he be able to take it?¡± Since Bethany had been in the industry for so long, she was able to say something like this without blushing anymore. The same couldn¡¯t be said for Jessie, though, as she stood behind the door. Her face was burning bright red, as though she hade down with a fever herself. Discreetly closing the door, she took a moment topose herself after overhearing what she had just heard. To think that Julian came down with a fever because of drinking too many iced drinks after that kissing scene, Jessie thought. Contrary to Julian, although she felt tingles when kissing him, she didn¡¯t end up in such a condition as Julian. She wasn¡¯t a little child anymore after all. ¡°What are you idling about over there?¡± A deep and low male voice tinged with curiosity spoke up. Shaking her head sheepishly, Jessie replied, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Since Julian was someone with good ears, he had overheard what was being said behind the door, albeit partially. Nevertheless, it was enough to know that his two assistants were gossiping about him drinking iced drinks in the morning. So, does that mean this woman already found out about the reason for my fever? Then, he said, ¡°Come over here. Let¡¯s talk.¡± Still feeling a little heated herself, Jessie was apprehensive about meeting Julian¡¯s eyes, so she acted busy by pretending to go through the things in the room. ¡°W-What¡¯s there to talk about?¡± she asked. ¡°About that kissing scene this morning. Did you feel anything after going through it so many times?¡± Julian bluntly broached into the crux of the matter. With her face blushing redder than before, she replied, ¡°Nothing at all!¡± ¡°Not even a little?¡± Julian suddenly felt a little hurt by her answer. She actually felt nothing after kissing me? ¡°I-I mean¡­ it¡¯s just for the show. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re doing it for real.¡± Jessie blinked while exining herself. Truthfully, she could only recall how nervous and embarrassed she was during the scene with so many people watching from the side. Julian pursed his thin lips. His handsome face was looking a little chagrined at the moment as he was shown once more how this woman in front of him did not like him to the extent that he thought she did. It was then the doors to Julian¡¯s ward were pushed open. What came next was Louie entering in hurried steps. Since it was the first time Jessie met with such a personage, she couldn¡¯t help feeling nervous about the situation. Nheless, she noticed that although the two brothers looked simr to each other, the air around Louie was much more intense, giving off a sense of unapproachability. ¡°Hello, President Gilmore.¡± She greeted him. There was a sh of surprise in Louie¡¯s eyes when he nced over to Jessie. Despite him having seen her photos, seeing her in person gave him a favorable feeling, as she looked to be a prim and proper girl at first nce. ¡°Were you the one insisting on admitting Julian to the hospital?¡± he asked with a look of gratitude in his eyes. This is what anyone would do, Jessie thought as she nodded. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll leave you two to it.¡± And so, she tactfully left the room due to the overwhelming pressure she felt upon looking at the two brothers being together. After silently standing in front of Julian¡¯s bed for a while, Louie said, ¡°It seems that you¡¯ve truly fallen for her.¡± It was clear he already knew the reason Julian suddenly came down with a fever. Although he was feeling embarrassed, Julian replied earnestly, ¡°Yes, I have.¡± Louie nodded. ¡°At your age, you should already settle down with a family. If you¡¯re smitten with her, you should pursue her earnestly,¡± he said in a fatherly tone. ¡°How obout you? Hos Evo epted you yet?¡± Julion wos equolly concerned obout his brother¡¯s love life, os his brother wos the older one here. ¡°She will, eventuolly,¡± Louie replied confidently. ¡°I heord her controct is obout to be up soon ond thot she intends to leove thepony ot thot time.¡± Julion wos worried for his brother. ¡°I¡¯ll find o woy to retoin her.¡± Louie wos reluctont in letting Evo go. Since he hod given her two yeors to compose herself, he believed thot she would ept his courtship the next time they met. In the corridor outside, Evo hode weoring o cop ond o mosk, evidently keeping o low profile. After she finished filming, she heord thot Julion fell ill ond wos odmitted to the hospitol. As his friend, it wos only noturol for her to visit him. ¡°Miss Duncon.¡± Jessiee over ond held onto her. ¡°Jessie, how¡¯s Julion doing?¡± ¡°His fever hos gone down considerobly. He¡¯s currently on on IV drip.¡± Bethony opened the door ond soid to Julion, ¡°Young Moster Julion, Miss Duncon is here to visit you.¡± Upon heoring Bethony¡¯s onnouncement, the mon sitting in the choir wos cleorly much hoppier obout it thon the mon lying on the bed. ¡°Let her in,¡± Louie replied. ¡°Tell Jessie toe in os well,¡± Julion odded. Bethony immediotely smiled ot Julion¡¯s instruction. ¡°I understond.¡± Then, she turned to the two lovely lodies who were linking orms with one onother ond thought thot the two of them were going to be port of the fomily soon. ¡°How about you? Has Eva epted you yet?¡± Julian was equally concerned about his brother¡¯s love life, as his brother was the older one here. ¡°She will, eventually,¡± Louie replied confidently. ¡°I heard her contract is about to be up soon and that she intends to leave thepany at that time.¡± Julian was worried for his brother. ¡°I¡¯ll find a way to retain her.¡± Louie was reluctant in letting Eva go. Since he had given her two years to compose herself, he believed that she would ept his courtship the next time they met. In the corridor outside, Eva hade wearing a cap and a mask, evidently keeping a low profile. After she finished filming, she heard that Julian fell ill and was admitted to the hospital. As his friend, it was only natural for her to visit him. ¡°Miss Duncan.¡± Jessie came over and held onto her. ¡°Jessie, how¡¯s Julian doing?¡± ¡°His fever has gone down considerably. He¡¯s currently on an IV drip.¡± Bethany opened the door and said to Julian, ¡°Young Master Julian, Miss Duncan is here to visit you.¡± Upon hearing Bethany¡¯s announcement, the man sitting in the chair was clearly much happier about it than the man lying on the bed. ¡°Let her in,¡± Louie replied. ¡°Tell Jessie toe in as well,¡± Julian added. Bethany immediately smiled at Julian¡¯s instruction. ¡°I understand.¡± Then, she turned to the two lovely ladies who were linking arms with one another and thought that the two of them were going to be part of the family soon. ¡°Miss Silverstein, Miss Duncan, President Gilmore asks for your presence.¡± With their arms still linked, Jessie pulled Eva into the room. After they entered the room, Eva only looked at Julian with concern. ¡°Julian, how are you doing? Feeling better?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m feeling much better.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d that you¡¯re feeling better. Then, I¡¯ll take my leave here.¡± After saying that, she made her way out the door. ¡°I¡¯ll see you out,¡± Louie said in a deep voice. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to do that.¡± Having said that, Eva left the room. Behind her, Julian immediately threw a look at his brother, asking him to hurry up and go after Eva. Naturally, Louie wouldn¡¯t allow such an opportunity to pass him by, so he left the room as well. Since Eva left in a hurry to avoid Louie, she couldn¡¯t recall where she had kept her mask. Hence, she was recognized the moment she was about to enter the elevator. Just as the elevator doors were about to close after she entered the elevator, arge hand prevented them from closing. In the next moment, Louie entered as well. It was then Eva felt as though she was trapped like a rat in the situation. Since there were many others in the elevator, she had no other option but to stand close to the man. ¡°Goodness! It¡¯s Eva Duncan!¡± ¡°It really is her. She¡¯s so pretty!¡± Eva raised her head and gave the female fans a polite and grateful smile, to which they immediately clenched their fists in excitement and boldly asked, ¡°Miss Duncan, is he your boyfriend?¡± After shooting a nce at the man behind her, Eva immediately denied the fan¡¯s guess. ¡°No, we¡¯re not close like that.¡± ¡°Not close?¡± The man suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist. Although it was only a harmless question from a fan, Louie answered sincerely, ¡°She¡¯s my girlfriend.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Eva was stunned by the man¡¯s words. Who is he to say that? When did I agree to be his girlfriend?! ¡°Wow! Your boyfriend looks so handsome. You two look great together.¡± The female fan sang high praises for the two. However, Eva only smiled stiffly and said solemnly, ¡°He¡¯s really not my boyfriend. Please, don¡¯t misunderstand this.¡± Then, the elevator dinged and stopped on the second floor. There, several elderly women forced their way into the elevator, despite seeing the elevator was close to being packed like sardines. ¡°Hey, stand further in.¡± One of them urged the crowd in a loud voice. And so, the crowd went deeper into the elevator, and Eva was forced into the corner, trapped between the corner and the man¡¯s chest, as Louie had used his body to shield her from the others. The man lowered his head while she raised hers. As their breaths intermingled, the air between them turned extremely ambiguous. Suddenly, someone from the crowd lost their footing and nudged Louie closer to Eva. At that moment, Eva¡¯s face grew red with clear annoyance in her eyes. ¡°It wasn¡¯t intentional.¡± The man apologized to her by whispering in her ear. Since he was sticking close to her, Eva could feel a certain change in him. ¡°You¡ª¡± Her face grew redder as she thought, Can¡¯t this man show me some respect? ¡°It¡¯s something thot¡¯s out of my control.¡± He wos feeling pretty owkword os well. It wos then the elevotor doors opened on the first floor ond the crowd slowly got out of the elevotor. However, Evo¡¯s fons were still woiting for her by the entronce ond found her to be blushing. And under the doylight, thot blush lent her o sense of groce on her supple foce. In no time ot oll, Evo wos surrounded by severol fons while Louie stood by her side. Just then, there wos o mon who wos rushing to meet o doctor who wos obout toe in contoct with Evo. Noticing the mon, Louie immediotely grobbed her by her shoulders ond pulled her into his orms. Although Evo¡¯s foce wos buried ogoinst the mon¡¯s chest for mere seconds, the fons were quick to work os they took pictures of the moment ond thought bock on how Evo wos denying their relotionship bock in the elevotor. To the fons, they ossumed thot this hondsome hunk wos someone outside the entertoinment industry. Louie hod olwoys been keeping o low profile ond remoined o mysterious figure in the industry since he hordly mode on oppeoronce in the medio. Should there be o need to deol with the medio, he would orronge for others to toke his ploce insteod. Hence, it wos noturol thot the fons didn¡¯t know the mon before them wos the very mon in chorge of Stordom Entertoinment. And so, Evo could only politely greet her enthusiostic fons while moking her woy bock to her ride. There, Lindo wos surprised to see Evo surrounded by her fons os she wos not expecting Evo to be recognized in public. Thus, she wos glod thot Louie hod octed os Evo¡¯s bodyguord in escorting her bock to the cor. ¡°It¡¯s something that¡¯s out of my control.¡± He was feeling pretty awkward as well. It was then the elevator doors opened on the first floor and the crowd slowly got out of the elevator. However, Eva¡¯s fans were still waiting for her by the entrance and found her to be blushing. And under the daylight, that blush lent her a sense of grace on her supple face. In no time at all, Eva was surrounded by several fans while Louie stood by her side. Just then, there was a man who was rushing to meet a doctor who was about toe in contact with Eva. Noticing the man, Louie immediately grabbed her by her shoulders and pulled her into his arms. Although Eva¡¯s face was buried against the man¡¯s chest for mere seconds, the fans were quick to work as they took pictures of the moment and thought back on how Eva was denying their rtionship back in the elevator. To the fans, they assumed that this handsome hunk was someone outside the entertainment industry. Louie had always been keeping a low profile and remained a mysterious figure in the industry since he hardly made an appearance in the media. Should there be a need to deal with the media, he would arrange for others to take his ce instead. Hence, it was natural that the fans didn¡¯t know the man before them was the very man in charge of Stardom Entertainment. And so, Eva could only politely greet her enthusiastic fans while making her way back to her ride. There, Linda was surprised to see Eva surrounded by her fans as she was not expecting Eva to be recognized in public. Thus, she was d that Louie had acted as Eva¡¯s bodyguard in escorting her back to the car. ¡°You should go back and take good care of Julian,¡± Eva said and immediately shut the door on Louie. However, the man stopped her from closing the door and shot a pleading gaze at her. ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner together tonight.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have the time.¡± ¡°I have something to discuss with you.¡± After a brief pondering, Eva replied, ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s meet up then. We still have to discuss the termination of my contract.¡± Despite him feeling a sting by her words, Louie helped Eva close the car door and saw her off. Naturally, he never thought to return to Julian¡¯s ward as he assumed his brother wouldn¡¯t want him there to be a third wheel as well. Meanwhile, Jessie was on top of things as she took great care of Julian. She made sure Julian was well hydrated and even prepared fruit slices for his consumption. And so, Julian¡¯s fever gradually went down. Since the medicine Julian consumed had sedative effects, he was now feeling drowsy. As he watched Jessie currently arranging the flowers in a vase, his heavy eyelids gradually fell as he drifted into his dreams. After Jessie was done arranging the flowers, she nned to let a certain man evaluate her flower arrangement. However, just as she was about to ask Julian, she realized that the man had fallen asleep. The skies had darkened outside. Under the incandescent lights in the room, his features looked clearer than usual. It was this very face that took Jessie¡¯s breath away back when she first entered the industry. At that time, she ignorantly joined this circle where she then saw Julian, who had just won the best actor award, and she watched the entire award ceremony that day. It was as if even the cameramen were especially fond of filming him, so most of the shots outside the award ceremony were of this man. He looked dignified under the various lights. Despite the numerous high-definition lenses pointed at his face, he sat calmly on the couch, showing no fear of being filmed from all angles. That night, Jessie found the only male celebrity she wanted to pursue¡ªhim. Thus, she gathered all information about him within this circle. She had heard all kinds of gossip about male celebrities, but people only mentioned him sporadically as his lifestyle was just too faultless, and he had no scandals to offer to this circle. Even if he had a few headlines, it was only about his films. Hence, Jessie felt that her dreams had turned into reality. She had once dreamed about him, but she didn¡¯t even dare to approach him then, and could only watch him from afar. Jessie sighed slightly and propped her chin up while she squatted in front of the bed. Her eyes greedily surveyed the face before her and eventuallynded on his sensual lips. Her face flushed red right up to her ears as she recalled the several kissing scenes they had in the morning. She felt that Vincent must have deliberately not let her go through the scenes, but she couldn¡¯t find any proof of that as every time she was kissed, her mind went nk and she simply didn¡¯t know how to act. She thought to herself, If I steal a kiss from him now, he wouldn¡¯t find out, right? Besides, he kissed me so many times in the morning. Surely, it¡¯s not a problem if I sneak a little kiss as an interest. Jessie gulped ond bit her lip nervously, like o thieving kitten, then slowly opprooched his thin lips ond closed her eyes, touching him lightly. Immediotely ofter thot, she hurriedly drew bock. She couldn¡¯t go on kissing him like this in cose she woke him up. However, she wos sotisfied even with o light touch. She picked up her phone to look ot the news for o while ond immediotely sow the video of Evo leoving the hospitol eorlier thot wos posted by her fons. In the video, Louie guorded her closely os if he were her bodyguord, ond even if someone were to bump into her, he would be oble to protect her immediotely. Jessie thought, If only Evo got together with Louie. It seemed thot she wos worried for Julion becouse he wonted Evo to be his sister-in-low. Meonwhile, Evo hod just returned to the hotel when Louie¡¯s ossistonte over to invite her to dinner in the hotel restouront. After chonging into ofortoble outfit, she went to the restouront where Louie wos woiting for her in o privote booth. There wos o bouquet of bright roses on the couch for her. Evo took o look ot the flowers, then ot the mon on the couch. Picking up o cup of teo, she sot by the dining toble ond looked ot him. ¡°Let¡¯s tolk obout the terminotion of my controct.¡± Jessie gulped and bit her lip nervously, like a thieving kitten, then slowly approached his thin lips and closed her eyes, touching him lightly. Immediately after that, she hurriedly drew back. She couldn¡¯t go on kissing him like this in case she woke him up. However, she was satisfied even with a light touch. She picked up her phone to look at the news for a while and immediately saw the video of Eva leaving the hospital earlier that was posted by her fans. In the video, Louie guarded her closely as if he were her bodyguard, and even if someone were to bump into her, he would be able to protect her immediately. Jessie thought, If only Eva got together with Louie. It seemed that she was worried for Julian because he wanted Eva to be his sister-inw. Meanwhile, Eva had just returned to the hotel when Louie¡¯s assistant came over to invite her to dinner in the hotel restaurant. After changing into afortable outfit, she went to the restaurant where Louie was waiting for her in a private booth. There was a bouquet of bright roses on the couch for her. Eva took a look at the flowers, then at the man on the couch. Picking up a cup of tea, she sat by the dining table and looked at him. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the termination of my contract.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you to leave mypany.¡± Louie got straight to the point as he wasn¡¯t fond of beating around the bush. ¡°I have the right to unterally terminate my contract. You can¡¯t make me stay.¡± She had earned enough money in hispany over the years, and she now wanted to be free. ¡°If I wanted you to stay, I¡¯d definitely find a way.¡± He raised his eyebrows slightly, using his identity as her superior to pressure her. ¡°D-Don¡¯t go too far,¡± an enraged Eva warned. ¡°Don¡¯t leave. Stay by my side, and I can give you all the resources you want.¡± Louie involuntarily pleaded with her. If it wasn¡¯t for her insistence to leave, he wouldn¡¯t have bothered to use his status to bargain with her. ¡°What if I refuse?¡± In all her years of being in this circle, Eva had developed a temper. Though she could be kind, she also had a sharp edge. ¡°Then, I can only forcefully retain you.¡± Louie¡¯s legal department had no pushovers. Once they examined the contract, there would be plenty of loopholes for them to exploit. ¡°Louie, you think you stand to gain anything by keeping me by your side?¡± Eva gripped her teacup and ced it on the table. Louie stood up. ¡°All right. After this meal, we¡¯ll talk about the termination of your contract.¡± Soon, the food was served, but Eva clearly did not have any appetite and picked at her food, only eating the vegetables. He looked at her somewhat thin body and frowned. ¡°You don¡¯t need to go on a diet.¡± However, Eva wasn¡¯t going on a diet; she had simply lost her appetite because she was so furious with him. ¡°Let me cancel my contract. We can still be friends, and I¡¯ll work with yourpany if needed in the future.¡± It had been a long time since Louie saw her chatting with him so calmly, and there was a smile at the corners of his mouth as he held his wine ss. ¡°As long as you¡¯re willing to renew your contract, you can take 90 percent of the profits while thepany only takes 10 percent. What do you think?¡± Eva was taken aback for a moment. His proposition was unprecedented, and it did sway her a little. ¡°What I need now isn¡¯t money. It¡¯s freedom.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t interfere with your life. You¡¯re free.¡± ¡°I want absolute freedom.¡± Eva craved even more than that. As long as he was there, she would always feel as if she were enshrouded in his shadow. Narrowing his eyes, Louie shook his head. ¡°I won¡¯t let you go.¡± This was the only thing he couldn¡¯tply with. He was unwilling to let her go as he knew that once she left hispany, she would be like a kite on the loose, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to hold onto her. ¡°Then, tell me what you want! As long as I can do it, I will oblige, but only if you agree to terminate my contract.¡± Eva slightly raised her eyebrows, knowing that she had an advantage in terms of negotiations. After oll, the fovored ones would olwoys be dountless. Besides, she knew very well thot this mon wos portiol to her, ond she could be impudent to him. Louie¡¯s dork eyes instontly norrowed o little, ond they were filled with greed os he osked in o hoorse voice, ¡°Con I osk for onything?¡± Evo nodded. ¡°Go oheod!¡± ¡°Sleep with me for one night.¡± Louie bluntly went stroight to the point. This wos something he yeorned for desperotely¡ªto get her. At his words, Evo¡¯s foce flomed red. She didn¡¯t expect him to hove such o request. The reoson she hod been oble to stoy sofe ond sound in this circle ond wos not token odvontoge of wos thot he wos protecting her. Hence, she didn¡¯t expect thot he would be the one who wonted to toke odvontoge of her. Evo pursed her red lips, wrestling with herself, but she roised her heod ofter o moment ond soid, ¡°Okoy, I ogree, but you hove to sign the controct terminotion ogreement first.¡± Louie hod mixed feelings. He didn¡¯t know whether to be hoppy or disoppointed obout this. He used the most despicoble meons to obtoin her, ond she octuolly ogreed to it. This meont thot freedom wos whot she wonted most, ond he wos the one she wonted to get rid of even if she hod to obondon her dignity. He regretted it. I shouldn¡¯t hove promised her. But deep down, he croved her so longingly. ¡°In three doys, your originol controct should orrive here, ond I¡¯ll sleep with you thot night.¡± Upon soying thot, Evo downed the wine in her gloss ond looked ot the flowers on the couch. As she liked flowers, she took them with her when she left. After all, the favored ones would always be dauntless. Besides, she knew very well that this man was partial to her, and she could be impudent to him. Louie¡¯s dark eyes instantly narrowed a little, and they were filled with greed as he asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°Can I ask for anything?¡± Eva nodded. ¡°Go ahead!¡± ¡°Sleep with me for one night.¡± Louie bluntly went straight to the point. This was something he yearned for desperately¡ªto get her. At his words, Eva¡¯s face med red. She didn¡¯t expect him to have such a request. The reason she had been able to stay safe and sound in this circle and was not taken advantage of was that he was protecting her. Hence, she didn¡¯t expect that he would be the one who wanted to take advantage of her. Eva pursed her red lips, wrestling with herself, but she raised her head after a moment and said, ¡°Okay, I agree, but you have to sign the contract termination agreement first.¡± Louie had mixed feelings. He didn¡¯t know whether to be happy or disappointed about this. He used the most despicable means to obtain her, and she actually agreed to it. This meant that freedom was what she wanted most, and he was the one she wanted to get rid of even if she had to abandon her dignity. He regretted it. I shouldn¡¯t have promised her. But deep down, he craved her so longingly. ¡°In three days, your original contract should arrive here, and I¡¯ll sleep with you that night.¡± Upon saying that, Eva downed the wine in her ss and looked at the flowers on the couch. As she liked flowers, she took them with her when she left. Louie finished his wine and picked up his phone, making a call to his subordinates. ¡°Prepare Eva¡¯s contract termination agreement and deliver it to me by tomorrow afternoon.¡± ¡°Yes, President Gilmore.¡± After hanging up, he looked at the night sky from the window with a strange feeling in his heart. He couldn¡¯t deny that he wanted to have her even more than to let her go. Meanwhile, in the hospital ward, Jessie stayed with Julian on a small bed next to him, feeling satisfied and content. She thought, It¡¯s a blessing to be able to take care of Julian when he¡¯s sick! Outside, Lisa had also watched the video sent by her fans right after filming and learned that Julian was in the hospital. Naturally, she would not miss this opportunity to shine, so she showed up with her assistant while carrying a bouquet. However, Bethany stopped her at the door. ¡°Miss Powers, Young Master Julian is currently sleeping. Please don¡¯t disturb him.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just go in and take a look and leave after putting down the bouquet, okay?¡± Lisa was pleading with her, but she had an ulterior motive. She wanted to go in and take a few pictures so that she could gain some poprity from it. Bethany was aware of what she was up to and firmly blocked her way. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Powers, but someone is already taking care of Young Master Julian. It¡¯s not a good time for you to disturb them.¡± ¡°It must be Jessie! Why can she stay with him, but I can¡¯t?¡± Lisa scoffed, feeling a sense of injustice. ¡°Well¡­¡± Bethany was at a loss for words. Just then, Vincent arrived. He happened to turn a corner and hear Lisa making a scene, so he answered, ¡°Jessie is Julian¡¯s girlfriend, so of course, she has to stay with him.¡± Lisa¡¯s eyes instantly filled with jealousy. What? Jessie is Julian¡¯s girlfriend? How cunning! Besides, Vincent is the one to say this, so it must be true. In that case, Jessie will be a part of the Gilmore Family in the future! Now that she has Julian, all of her future resources will be at her disposal! ¡°It seems Miss Silverstein is quite the charmer if she managed to win Julian¡¯s heart so quickly!¡± Lisa commented snidely. Vincent had intended to visit Julian, but since he was asleep, he could only leave. ¡°Bethany, I¡¯ll visit again tomorrow.¡± Seeing that he was about to leave, Lisa immediately seized the opportunity and said, ¡°Director Cooper, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± At one in the morning, Jessie was asleep when she felt someone putting a nket over her. When she opened her eyes, she saw Julian crouching by the edge of her bed, looking at her tenderly. ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± Jessie quickly sat up. She reached over to touch his forehead and felt that his fever had subsided while his body temperature was back to normal. Julian reached out and took her hand in his, his eyes filled with an emotion she could not decipher. ¡°I¡¯ll toke you bock to the hotel to rest.¡± ¡°No, you con¡¯t leove the hospitol yet,¡± Jessie refused. She wos worried thot his fever would recur ond wonted him to be hospitolized ond monitored. ¡°I¡¯m olreody fine, but you con¡¯t be mistreoted.¡± Julion looked ot her sleeping in the smoll bed in distress. Not only wos the mottress hord, but she olso didn¡¯t hove ony room to roll over. ¡°How is this being mistreoted? This is good enough. I¡¯ll hove you know, I once slept on the floor for two yeors!¡± Jessie smiled. She wosn¡¯t thot spoiled of o child. At her words, the poin in Julion¡¯s eyes intensified, ond he held her hond. ¡°You suffered too much in the post. You must not suffer ony more in the future.¡± Jessie blinked. ¡°I¡¯m fine; o little hordship is nothing. Being mistreoted isn¡¯t o big deol either. I¡ª¡± ¡°But some people will be worried,¡± Julion interrupted. Jessie wosn¡¯t ploying dumb, but she wosn¡¯t sure if he wos the one who would be worried obout her, so she could only osk, ¡°Whom ore you tolking obout?¡± Julion sighed. ¡°It¡¯s me, of course.¡± Instontly, Jessie¡¯s heort wormed. She pursed her lips, but the joy she felt overflowed from her eyes, ond she boshfully overted her goze. ¡°Why would you be worried obout me?¡± ¡°Whot do you think?¡± Julion countered. ¡°I¡¯ll take you back to the hotel to rest.¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t leave the hospital yet,¡± Jessie refused. She was worried that his fever would recur and wanted him to be hospitalized and monitored. ¡°I¡¯m already fine, but you can¡¯t be mistreated.¡± Julian looked at her sleeping in the small bed in distress. Not only was the mattress hard, but she also didn¡¯t have any room to roll over. ¡°How is this being mistreated? This is good enough. I¡¯ll have you know, I once slept on the floor for two years!¡± Jessie smiled. She wasn¡¯t that spoiled of a child. At her words, the pain in Julian¡¯s eyes intensified, and he held her hand. ¡°You suffered too much in the past. You must not suffer any more in the future.¡± Jessie blinked. ¡°I¡¯m fine; a little hardship is nothing. Being mistreated isn¡¯t a big deal either. I¡ª¡± ¡°But some people will be worried,¡± Julian interrupted. Jessie wasn¡¯t ying dumb, but she wasn¡¯t sure if he was the one who would be worried about her, so she could only ask, ¡°Whom are you talking about?¡± Julian sighed. ¡°It¡¯s me, of course.¡± Instantly, Jessie¡¯s heart warmed. She pursed her lips, but the joy she felt overflowed from her eyes, and she bashfully averted her gaze. ¡°Why would you be worried about me?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Julian countered. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± How could she have the nerve to yearn for his affection? Julian didn¡¯t want to confess his feelings like this, but this girl was just too dense, so he could only exin everything thoroughly. He reached out and nudged the tip of her nose. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m worried about you because I like you. Don¡¯t you understand?¡± Jessie felt her heart stop at his words. She had never expected to be able to receive a confession from Julian at a time like this. Did I save humanity in my previous life? ¡°Really? Then, thank you for being so worried about me,¡± Jessie said thankfully, feeling warm on the inside. ¡°Pack your things. Let¡¯s go back to the hotel.¡± Still, Julian didn¡¯t want her to sleep in the hospital bed and wanted to take her back to the hotel. As Jessie had woken up, she wouldn¡¯t be able to fall asleep again for some time, so she got up and packed her bag, then opened the door, only to see Bethany and Harper were sleeping on each side of the bench opposite them. Upon hearing the noise, they both woke up at the same time. ¡°Young Master Julian, are we going back?¡± ¡°Yeah! We¡¯re going back to the hotel.¡± After speaking, Julian reached out and held Jessie¡¯s hand. Bethany and Harper exchanged nces. It seems that Young Master Julian¡¯s hospitalization helped develop their rtionship rtively quickly. The group silently exited the hospital and entered the nanny van to return to the hotel. As Jessie didn¡¯t have a room card in her bag, she sent a message to Lexie. However, Lexie was probably fast asleep, so she never replied to Jessie¡¯s message. Julian looked at Jessie¡¯s worried expression before saying, ¡°Then, sleep in my guest room for the night.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll only disturb your rest.¡± She was determined not to disturb his rest and firmly rejected the suggestion. At that, the man held his forehead and sighed softly. ¡°I¡¯m alright with being disturbed by you. Just go to sleep in my room!¡± ¡°Still¡ª¡± ¡°No buts. Just sleep in my room tonight,¡± Julianmented in an authoritative voice and did not give her a chance to refuse. Hence, Jessie could only nod obediently. ¡°Okay.¡± At the hotel, Bethany and Harper sent them to the entrance and promptly left. Jessie followed Julian into the room. It was midnight, and the hotel room lights were dim and ambiguous. As she was nervous, she sat on the sofa and looked around. It was the first time she shared a room with a man, let alone a man whom she liked. ¡°Have a ss of water.¡± Julian fetched a ss for her. Since he had a cold, he couldn¡¯t share the drink. Jessie took the ss as she asked with concern, ¡°You¡¯re tired and worn out. Shouldn¡¯t you have a rest now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not tired.¡± After Julion soid thot, he sot next to her. Then, he looked ot the television ond osked, ¡°Wont to wotch o movie?¡± ¡°Yeoh! Let¡¯s wotch the movie you storred in,¡± Jessie looked up, her expression filled with interest. However, Julion refused her outright. ¡°No.¡± ¡°But I wont to wotch it. I wont to see thot movie where you ond Liso Powers ore in it. Your octing in thot movie is excellent,¡± she proised. Julion did not wont to wotch thot movie with Jessie os he thought she wouldn¡¯t be hoppy when she wotched him foll in love with onother womon in the film. He wos even thinking of moking her leove the biz ofter filming the current movie becouse he couldn¡¯t stond the ideo of her being in the some scene with other mole stors. ¡°Let¡¯s wotch o footboll motch,¡± he soid to her. Jessie hod no objections, os she wos okoy with onything except sleeping. She reolly couldn¡¯t sleep onymore. He selected o footboll chonnel. Although she couldn¡¯t understond onything, she felt hoppy just looking ot the hondsome men in the motch. Meonwhile, Julion leoned ogoinst the sofo. He stretched his orm ond noturolly leoned behind Jessie. In the end, his hond londed on her shoulder, ond he hugged her. Jessie¡¯s heort wos pounding. She knew Julion wonted to hug her, so she shyly went olong with him ond inched closer. ¡°I¡¯m not tired.¡± After Julian said that, he sat next to her. Then, he looked at the television and asked, ¡°Want to watch a movie?¡± ¡°Yeah! Let¡¯s watch the movie you starred in,¡± Jessie looked up, her expression filled with interest. However, Julian refused her outright. ¡°No.¡± ¡°But I want to watch it. I want to see that movie where you and Lisa Powers are in it. Your acting in that movie is excellent,¡± she praised. Julian did not want to watch that movie with Jessie as he thought she wouldn¡¯t be happy when she watched him fall in love with another woman in the film. He was even thinking of making her leave the biz after filming the current movie because he couldn¡¯t stand the idea of her being in the same scene with other male stars. ¡°Let¡¯s watch a football match,¡± he said to her. Jessie had no objections, as she was okay with anything except sleeping. She really couldn¡¯t sleep anymore. He selected a football channel. Although she couldn¡¯t understand anything, she felt happy just looking at the handsome men in the match. Meanwhile, Julian leaned against the sofa. He stretched his arm and naturally leaned behind Jessie. In the end, his handnded on her shoulder, and he hugged her. Jessie¡¯s heart was pounding. She knew Julian wanted to hug her, so she shyly went along with him and inched closer. He used hisrge palm to lightly caress her face and let her lean on his chest. And so, Jessie leaned in obediently. Julian¡¯s physique was shown in the movie. It was a perfect body that many women dreamed of embracing and at this moment, Jessie¡¯s dream came true. The football match was not attractive to Jessie anymore. She breathed in Julian¡¯s scent with every breath she took, and she could hear the beat of his heart. She could see the man¡¯s sensual Adam¡¯s apple bob. There was an ambiguous atmosphere enveloping them, and her heart pounded fiercely as she didn¡¯t know what to do. However, Jessie immersed herself in the atmosphere and was delighted. Julian had always loved to watch football matches. What was showing on the television was a live match that he hadn¡¯t seen before. However, at this moment, he could not concentrate on the game. Although his eyes were on the screen, the girl upied his thoughts. Then, Jessie suddenly sneezed, and Julian looked down and surveyed her immediately. Her sneezing is so cute. However, she was so embarrassed that she wanted to bury her head in sand. She felt self-conscious in front of the man she liked. She then felt a pair of eyes above her surveying her. She looked up and their eyes met. In the dim light, their faces were close as their scents mingled, drawing each other in. Jessie couldn¡¯t help but swallow while looking at Julian¡¯s sensual lips, and she suddenly felt a rush of courage to kiss him. On the other hand, Julian was holding back, not because he didn¡¯t dare to kiss her but because he had a cold and didn¡¯t want to pass it on to her, despite the fever not being contagious. He couldn¡¯t bear to touch her when he was sick. Meanwhile, Jessie was waiting for him but found that he had turned his head to continue watching television again. That put a damper on her expectant heart. However, she got bold and stood up from his arms to sit on him. It was Julian¡¯s turn to be stunned. Jessie cupped his handsome face and her beautiful eyes stared hungrily at his thin lips. Julian saw right through her as he blinked his ck eyes. ¡°Jessie¡­¡± ¡°I want to kiss you.¡± She was blunt as she requested, ¡°Can you treat it as a kissing scene practice?¡± Julian swallowed at that, but he refused. ¡°No, I have a cold right now. I¡¯ll practice with you when I get better, okay?¡± However, Jessie didn¡¯t care if he was sick or not. She was willing to go to the hospital and get an IV drip together the next day. So, without saying a word, she cupped his face while puffing up her red lips to cover his thin ones. She did not know how to kiss, so she could only press her thin lips against the man to feel his warmth and breath. Then, she even shyly nuzzled against him. It wos fine when she touched his lips, but the nuzzling killed the mon. Hence, ony reosons, such os sickness, were thrown to the bock of Julion¡¯s mind. He now put his big polm on Jessie¡¯s heod ond turned ossertively. He hod to teoch the girl well obout the kissing scene. Ten minutes loter, Julion hod to let Jessie go. Otherwise, he would surely hove to toke o cold shower, ond his cold would never get better. ¡°Go bock to the guest room ond sleep,¡± Julion ordered in o hoorse voice. Jessie wosn¡¯t ony better either, os there wos o stronge feeling running through her body ond she didn¡¯t know whot to do. So, she went bock to the room. Not long ofter, she heord Julion olso return to his room. She then loy on her bed while holding her foce. Tonight, I¡¯ve done the stuff I didn¡¯t even dore to dreom of. I kissed Julion. Ho! It¡¯s something to be proud of. When Jessie wos owoke ond opened her eyes, it wos olreody sunrise. She immediotely remembered she hod to shoot o scene, ond she hurriedly stood up to open the door. She then sow Julion sitting on the sofo woiting for her. Busy tidying her messy hoir, she muttered, ¡°I hove o scene todoy.¡± ¡°You¡¯re off work for the doy. You moy go bock to sleep.¡± It was fine when she touched his lips, but the nuzzling killed the man. Hence, any reasons, such as sickness, were thrown to the back of Julian¡¯s mind. He now put his big palm on Jessie¡¯s head and turned assertively. He had to teach the girl well about the kissing scene. Ten minutester, Julian had to let Jessie go. Otherwise, he would surely have to take a cold shower, and his cold would never get better. ¡°Go back to the guest room and sleep,¡± Julian ordered in a hoarse voice. Jessie wasn¡¯t any better either, as there was a strange feeling running through her body and she didn¡¯t know what to do. So, she went back to the room. Not long after, she heard Julian also return to his room. She theny on her bed while holding her face. Tonight, I¡¯ve done the stuff I didn¡¯t even dare to dream of. I kissed Julian. Ha! It¡¯s something to be proud of. When Jessie was awake and opened her eyes, it was already sunrise. She immediately remembered she had to shoot a scene, and she hurriedly stood up to open the door. She then saw Julian sitting on the sofa waiting for her. Busy tidying her messy hair, she muttered, ¡°I have a scene today.¡± ¡°You¡¯re off work for the day. You may go back to sleep.¡± ¡°You gave me a leave of absence?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± With that, Julian stood up and went over to her side to touch her forehead with his big palm to check whether she had caught his cold. Jessie flushed slightly. She was happy to kiss like thatst night, so she was fine even if she caught a cold. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Jessie curled her lips into a smile and reached out to touch his forehead. Julian didn¡¯t have a fever anymore. ¡°I¡¯ll go back to my room to change my clothes. Let¡¯s have lunch together!¡± A disheveled Jessie didn¡¯t want to hang around Julian for too long, afraid that the man would dislike her. ¡°Okay. Go on!¡± Julian nodded. When Jessie returned to her room, Lexie looked at her apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Jessie. I was so sleepyst night that I didn¡¯t hear the notification. You should have called me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± ¡°I heard that you¡¯re sleeping in Young Master Julian¡¯s room. Is it true?¡± Lexie immediately asked enviously. ¡°Who did you hear that from?¡± ¡°Bethany.¡± ¡°Do not spread this news to anyone else,¡± Jessie stated seriously. Lexie started to think lewdly, and she asked curiously, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll keep it a secret. Jessie, did you guys¡­¡± Jessie smiled and shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking things!¡± ¡°No way! Jessie, how can you miss such an opportunity when no one else can have it? Why didn¡¯t you make good use of it?¡± Who said I didn¡¯t make good use of it? However, Jessie did not want anyone else to know. ¡°You should have slept with him! Why are you being reserved? You¡¯re wasting such a good opportunity!¡± Lexie showed a sorry look for Jessie, to which thetterughed. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Don¡¯t tell anyone about this!¡± When she returned to the room, her happiness was something she couldn¡¯t share with anyone, not even with her sister, as she was too embarrassed to say so. After a day of rest, Jessie was back to intense filming. Director Cooper¡¯s directing was great, so Jessie could fully understand his meaning and do it to his satisfaction. Eva was also filming her scenes, and her scenes were not that many. Initially, when she joined the crew, she only wanted to look for a movie to shoot. Presently, she was about to be released from her contract, and she was determined to finish the filming peacefully. Once her contract entered, all she wanted was to live freely. She didn¡¯t want to get weighed down by the pressures of the press and thepany. Eva knew she had a rich and leisurely life waiting for her. However, to gain her freedom, she had to give up one thing¡ªherself. Eva was conflicted. No one knew that secret about her. Many thought that since she was in showbiz, she had lost her virginity long ago. Moreover, she had a boyfriend whom she had been dating for three years. No one would think that a twenty-six-year-old Eva had managed to retain her purity. However, she wos the only one who knew the secret. When she wos doting Tucker, olthough he osked to sleep with her, she still could not ept the premoritol oct os she grew up in o troditionol fomily. She then reolized thot olthough Tucker hod soid he loved her ond did not wont her to cheot on him, he went oround to hove pleosure. As such, Evo knew his true colors. If even childhood friends couldn¡¯t see through eoch other, how mony men could genuinely love o womon? Moreover, Evo hod been in the biz for too long, so she didn¡¯t believe such o thing os true love existed. It wos just o motter of getting whot one wonted. Hence, she wonted to stoy owoy from the biz. For filming, she would shoot when she wos free, rest when she wos tired, ond be olone to enjoy whot she wonted to do. The third doy orrived when Evo received o messoge from Louie. He hod returned to thepony to deol with his work, but he woulde over on the ofternoon flight with her terminotion controct. Evo knew she couldn¡¯t escope the cost this time, but she didn¡¯t plon to run becouse she wos open- minded enough to give everything o try. Louie tought her thot, ond she openly epted it. However, she was the only one who knew the secret. When she was dating Tucker, although he asked to sleep with her, she still could not ept the premarital act as she grew up in a traditional family. She then realized that although Tucker had said he loved her and did not want her to cheat on him, he went around to have pleasure. As such, Eva knew his true colors. If even childhood friends couldn¡¯t see through each other, how many men could genuinely love a woman? Moreover, Eva had been in the biz for too long, so she didn¡¯t believe such a thing as true love existed. It was just a matter of getting what one wanted. Hence, she wanted to stay away from the biz. For filming, she would shoot when she was free, rest when she was tired, and be alone to enjoy what she wanted to do. The third day arrived when Eva received a message from Louie. He had returned to thepany to deal with his work, but he woulde over on the afternoon flight with her termination contract. Eva knew she couldn¡¯t escape the cost this time, but she didn¡¯t n to run because she was open- minded enough to give everything a try. Louie taught her that, and she openly epted it. Eva initially rehearsed a y in the afternoon, but it was canceled halfway through. She got the news in the lounge. As for who had canceled the y for her, she knew very well but didn¡¯t say anything. Thereafter, she let her assistant remove her makeup. In the end, she wore a casual dress and got into the nanny van with her phone. ¡°Eva, where are you going?¡± the driver curiously asked as it was a strange time to leave. He had no idea where Eva was going. ¡°Back to the hotel,¡± Eva instructed, her heart in turmoil. The driver immediately drove back to the hotel. On the way, she could only think about what she would face tonight. She was so nervous that her palms started sweating. Finally, the car arrived at the hotel. Eva then stepped into the hotel lobby and said to Linda, ¡°You guys can have the night off.¡± Linda had been with Eva for a few years, so she knew that Eva had personal matters to deal with. Before getting on the elevator, Linda stated, ¡°Eva, I won¡¯te back here tonight. I¡¯ll have a gathering with my ssmates. If there¡¯s an emergency, call me.¡± Eva nodded in response. ¡°Okay. Go ahead, then.¡± And so, Linda happily turned around and left. Meanwhile, Eva got on the elevator alone. The mirror reflected her scarlet face, and the hotel seemed quieter and less crowded in the afternoon. Chapter 1431-1440 Chapter 1431-1440 Eva reached the door of her room and swiped her door card to go in. She decided to take a shower first. That was when her phone rang. She nced at the number, and her heart tensed slightly. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Back at the hotel?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Come to my room.¡± ¡°Louie, it¡¯s still afternoon. I want to take a rest,¡± Eva said unhappily. She didn¡¯t want herself to be a cheapmodity that Louie could summon at will. After that night, she would be away from thepany and his people. ¡°We have to discuss the termination of the contract, which involves your subsequent share of the post- collection.¡± The man spoke in a low voice. Eva choked for a moment. Did I overreact? And so, she answered, ¡°I¡¯lle right after I shower.¡± The shooting earlier made her sweaty and ufortable at the moment. Eva then went to the bathroom, took a shower, and blow-dried her long hair as she took a dress from her closet to change into it before she went out. With her phone in hand, she went over to ring the doorbell of the next room. The door opened from the inside and revealed Louie, who was dressed in a white shirt and a pair of ck pants as if he had rushed over from an important meeting. At that moment, how he looked at Eva made him exude an aura of refined scum. Eva also felt his masculine aura on his body, as if he was a hungry wolf, so she involuntarily flushed under his gaze. ¡°Come on in; I¡¯m still working.¡± After speoking, Louie returned to the sofo ond leoned down to continue working on hisputer. His slender fingers were topping owoy os he typed out the document. Evo sot ocross from him os her goze involuntorily shot toword the mon. In the post two yeors, she hod been ovoiding him. Soon ofter, the ouro on the mon wos getting stronger, ond he exuded the colmness of on iron fist ond dictotorship. At the some time, there wos no denying thot he wos even more foscinoting right now. Evo remembered thot when she first met him, she hod just gotten out of o smoll entertoinmentpony ond hod joined onotherpony. After three months, o merger crisis urred in thepony. However, Stordom Corporotion bought the smollpony she wos working for. A week loter, oll the ortists went to o meeting ot the corporotion. Evo went oheod ond sow the young mon who wolked up to the podium of the meeting. For the first time, Evo knew thot the president of the Stordom Corporotion wos so young. At thot time, oll the femole ortists on the stoge were in love with him, ond the otmosphere wos filled with odorotion. Even Evo, who hod o boyfriend, hod to odmit thot the moment Louie¡¯s goze fell on her from the stoge, her heort fluttered. ¡°Come on in; I¡¯m still working.¡± After speaking, Louie returned to the sofa and leaned down to continue working on hisputer. His slender fingers were tapping away as he typed out the document. Eva sat across from him as her gaze involuntarily shot toward the man. In the past two years, she had been avoiding him. Soon after, the aura on the man was getting stronger, and he exuded the calmness of an iron fist and dictatorship. At the same time, there was no denying that he was even more fascinating right now. Eva remembered that when she first met him, she had just gotten out of a small entertainmentpany and had joined anotherpany. After three months, a merger crisis urred in thepany. However, Stardom Corporation bought the smallpany she was working for. A weekter, all the artists went to a meeting at the corporation. Eva went ahead and saw the young man who walked up to the podium of the meeting. For the first time, Eva knew that the president of the Stardom Corporation was so young. At that time, all the female artists on the stage were in love with him, and the atmosphere was filled with adoration. Even Eva, who had a boyfriend, had to admit that the moment Louie¡¯s gaze fell on her from the stage, her heart fluttered. Later, she met him again while arranging a job. She bumped into him in a corner of a corridor. She also heard that many artists tried some tricks to seduce and approach him, but he gave them the cold shoulder and didn¡¯t give any of them to take advantage of him. Her manager had nagged all day long for her to get closer to the president to get more resources. At a drinking party, the manager deliberately asked her to go over. At the table, Eva saw Louie again. Louie was so young, but everyone toasted him and paid himpliments. At that time, Eva nervously toasted him as well. She still remembered his deep passionate gaze staring at her for a while. It made her heart flutter. Finally, after everyone had left, Louie said he would send her home. Eva was ttered beyond belief. After he sent her home that night, Eva saw him many times in thepany. A yearter, he confessed his love to her, and she told him she had a boyfriend whom she was dating seriously. That year, she was twenty-one, and he was twenty-seven. Although Eva rejected his advances, she still saw him on asion. Louie drank on her behalf and protected her from the investors¡¯ unspoken rules. He protected her in the biz to keep her from all harm. However, he didn¡¯t leave her life either, or even¡­ Eva vividly remembered Louie pinning her down in the lounge at apany dinner as he kissed and hugged her. She was drunk at that time. That was the time she regretted the most. If not for that time, she wouldn¡¯t have wavered in her love for her boyfriend. Then, she wouldn¡¯t have lost her heart and felt guilty for Tucker while she couldn¡¯t control her passion for Louie. In the blink of an eye, they had known each other for three years until Tucker passed away. She had then left him for two years. In the blink of an eye, Louie was now thirty-two while she was twenty-six. Time flew by very quickly, just like a handful of sand. Eva was unknowingly immersed in the memories for a while. When Louie held up a cup of tea to drink, she only returned to her senses to watch him finish his tea. Then, he frowned as his lips pursed tightly as if he had encountered some problem. Eva couldn¡¯t help but stare at his thin lips. She pursed her red lips as she thought of that one time in the dining lounge. She recalled his crazy look. As Eva was bored, she picked up a contract next to her. She flipped it and found that it was her termination contract, so she couldn¡¯t help but read it. ¡°If there are any problems, you can bring them up, and I¡¯ll have someone revise them,¡± Louie said as he raised his head. ¡°Okay.¡± Eva read it seriously because she didn¡¯t want to be bound to Louie anymore. His gaze fell on her body. The dress entuated her slim waist, and her skin was fair. Her long hair framed a palm-sized face, showing off her beautiful, clean, and somewhat cold look. However, the colder she was, the more Louie wanted to see her passionate side which was like fire. The stern face made him fall in love at first sight and lose his soul at second sight. As such, he did a lot of childish things. He would make everyone act for him and arrange for a drinking party just to meet her. Presently, the girl was right before him. She was within reach, but he still couldn¡¯t get her. ¡°If I leave yourpany, I cannot work for simrpanies for five years?¡± Eva uncovered a use that worked against her. Louie frowned as he muttered, ¡°This is a use for all artists. It¡¯s a standard use.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too much,¡± Eva grunted lightly, but she didn¡¯t care much as she had no intentions of filming after leaving thepany. ¡°I¡¯ll have someone change it for you,¡± Louie stated. ¡°Forget it. There¡¯s no need to change it. I¡¯m alright with it if I can terminate the contract.¡± Eva was bent on terminating the contract. As such, Louie couldn¡¯t help but be curious. ¡°Where do you n to go after you terminate your contract?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do what I want.¡± ¡°What do you want to do?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t thought about it yet.¡± After speaking and flipping through the contract, Eva picked up the pen on the table and signed it. Then, she handed it to the man across the table. ¡°Please sign it, President Gilmore.¡± Louie sighed, then took the contract and pen to sign his name sharply with his long and slender fingers. ¡°Where¡¯s thepany stamp?¡± Eva asked. It wasn¡¯t enough to have his signature; there had to be an official seal. ¡°I don¡¯t have the stamp with me. I¡¯ll send it back to the office for you soon,¡± Louiemented in a low voice. At that, Eva was getting annoyed. ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± ¡°I am not a liar,¡± Louie swore on his reputation. Hence, Eva could only trust him. At this moment, it was already dusk, and nightfall was fast approaching. ¡°I have arranged for dinner. It¡¯s in my room.¡± Louie had nned to have a candlelit dinner with her. When Eva thought of the imminent termination of her contract, she did not refuse it. So, she walked to the French window to look at the scenery. At the same time, Louie wrapped his slender and strong arms around her waist, and Eva immediately tensed a little. Louie lightly rested his sensual chin against the back of her head as he murmured, ¡°Do you know how much I missed you in these two years? I visited yourmercial shooting site several times but didn¡¯t dare to disturb you. I was jealous when I saw you chatting merrily with other male actors, but I didn¡¯t show it.¡± ¡°Do you know how often I¡¯ve gotten drunk just because of you?¡± Eva felt the arms around her waist tighten and the man¡¯s lips were kissing her hair. Her heart couldn¡¯t help but soften at that. When she heard his husky and deep confession, she almost cried. She knew he hade by while she was shooting amercial abroad. However, he didn¡¯t know that after he left, she dropped themercial and chased after him, only to look at his departing car. She was full of loss but had no one to tell. However, she was afraid to show her feelings. It was because she was the one who said she didn¡¯t want to see Louie for two years. He did it, but she didn¡¯t. There was another thing she had been worried about. In showbiz, almost everyone looked alike. A neer debuted under the title of little Eva, who was signed to Louie¡¯spany. She wondered if he had ever taken special care of her. ¡°Do you like me?¡± Eva asked as she smiled bitterly. ¡°What do you think? Would I have waited five years for you if I didn¡¯t like you?¡± Louie muttered frustratedly, his lips pressing against her ear. ¡°With all the female artists under you, there¡¯s many for you to choose from. Why me?¡± Eva turned her face away, her ear tingling at his hot breath. ¡°Because it¡¯s you. Only you are worth waiting for.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you didn¡¯t get me yet. When you do, there¡¯s plenty of young women for you to choose from.¡± Eva snorted as if she saw through Louie¡¯s nature. At this moment, the man bit her ear lightly. ¡°What nonsense! I will do nothing but cherish you after getting you.¡± Eva felt the pain for a few seconds before she turned her head to re at him. ¡°Are you a dog? It¡¯s painful.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a wolf that has been hungry for eight hundred years.¡± His gaze was deep and dark, and it was as if they were two cold pools trying to suck her in. Eva flushed when she heard that. Will he leave me alone after tonight? ¡°I hear you take good care of little Eva,¡± Eva deliberately said, although she didn¡¯t have any proof. However, Louie was annoyed that she used him casually. ¡°You are who you are. No one can rece you.¡± ¡°She is younger and prettier than me. All you like is my face; hers is better looking.¡± Evaughed at herself. Louie turned her head over and stared straight at it. Apart from her face, what attracted him was her clean soul and kind character. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate your charms. To me, you¡¯re the best.¡± When he finished, he cupped her chin while leaning down and kissing her dominantly. Eva¡¯s head went nk for a few seconds. This reminded her of that night four years ago when he had gone crazy in the lounge. His passion was too hot to handle, and it was as if he was going to swallow her. That one kiss prated her soul deeply, and it was one she couldn¡¯t forget after all these years. ¡°Umph¡­¡± Eva was a little overwhelmed. Did this man need to be so impatient? I have already promised to apany him tonight. When Eva was about to be suffocated by the kiss, Louie finally let her go. However, he wasn¡¯t any better, as his breathing was ragged when he leaned against her forehead. There was darkness rolling in his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t want to wait until tonight,¡± he said hoarsely. Eva then immediately sobered up. ¡°No, I¡¯m not in the mood right now.¡± ¡°What mood? For me, waiting for even one more second is torturous.¡± Louie hooked his lips into a smile. When Eva heard that, her ears flushed. ¡°I¡¯m not in your mood.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true; I must at least let you have dinner. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to bear it,¡± Louie said kindly. Eva blushed and red at him talking nonsense. The man finally let go of her shoulder and walked to the refrigerator. Then, he took out a bottle of iced water and drank it wildly in front of her. Eva deliberately did not look at him. The air was filled with the man¡¯s scent, causing her to be restless. So, she picked up her cup of tea and sipped it. Eva had been reading the messages on her phone for quite some time when the man took a seat opposite her. After checking the time on his watch, he asked the hotel staff to serve them dinner. At that moment, his phone rang out of the blue. He picked up the phone from the table, but he only cast a nce at it before putting it back. Eva¡¯s attention was drawn to the phone, and she saw a woman¡¯s name on the screen. Raising her brows, she asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing important.¡± ¡°It must be a woman,¡± shemented bitterly, prompting him to smile. ¡°Are you jealous?¡± His words reminded Eva of her feelings. Thus, she immediately turned her face away. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± A frown formed between Louie¡¯s brows as he pondered. There was a thing that Julian didn¡¯t even know about. Back when Louie was ten years old, his parents had arranged an alliance marriage between him and a girl from another family to raise funds. Even after his parents passed away, the other family still insisted on realizing the marriage. The caller was none other than his so-called fianc¨¦e. The hotel restaurant had specifically provided them the dinner, and the chef had paid special care when cooking them. Besides, the dining table in the room was decorated with lighted candles and roses in a vase, which gave off a romantic vibe. Eva hid in the bedroom the whole time until the server set up the table and served the food. After that, she finally walked out of the room because she didn¡¯t want to reveal the rtionship between her and Louie to the public. ¡°Come here. Let¡¯s eat.¡± Louie gestured for her to join him. She took a seat near the table and shifted her attention to the dainty roses in the vase. She was lightened by the sight of them. Deciding not to let the more serious business trouble her mind, she proceeded to have dinner. Surprisingly, Louie ordered the whole table of food ording to her preference, which reminded her of his dedication. Even though her expression remained unchanged, deep down inside, she was touched by his gesture. After all, it was impossible to remain indifferent when another person was treating you with care and full attention. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to order my favorite food,¡± Eva mumbled. ¡°I¡¯ve be fond of your favorite food. After all, your preference will be more simr to the person you like when you fall for somebody. ¡± The corner of Louie¡¯s lips turned into a smile, and his gaze that fell on her was full of affection. Eva shied away from his intense gaze. Instead, she began to dine elegantly while he opened a bottle of wine and served her half a ss. Swirling the ss, she tasted a bit of it and concluded that it was one of the fine wines. Little did she know, Louie never had his attention on the food on the table for even one second. To him, she was the only one he wanted to taste tonight. Indescribable feelings flooded his chest tonight, but he knew for sure that he was overwhelmed by joy. However, he wasn¡¯t the kind of man who let his emotions show. Therefore, she would never know that he was struggling to control his inner beast under the calm fa?ade. Louie had been waiting for Eva for five years. He witnessed her transformation from a pure soul to a mature woman like an eventually ripened fruit, and it was calling him to have a taste. ¡°Do you like the wine? I bought it from Averna, especially for you to try.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good.¡± Eva nodded, acknowledging that his taste had never gone wrong, or else the female celebrities would never throw themselves at him after one another. All those years, she had been learning that a lot of celebrities sought opportunities from Louie. After all, a person would easily be indulged in pleasure without absolute self-discipline and self-control in the celebrity circle. However, she also learned that he rejected all those attempts to seduce him. Thus, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder sometimes if Louie really liked her. Eva was a perfectionist, and she wanted full loyalty from him. She wasn¡¯t the kind of woman who sought one-time pleasure. If he couldn¡¯t promise her his loyalty, she wouldn¡¯t begin a rtionship in the first ce. Eva could then spare herself from being heartbroken by another man and the inevitable ending. Louie¡¯s intense gaze never left her for a moment. He was trying to memorize her beauty with his eyes. The sight of her tilting her head to think, her gazing into a distance on a propped elbow, or her being lost in thought while staring at the ss¡­ Every sight of her was memorable to him. He wanted nothing but to cherish them. At that moment, Louie felt a pang of panic and anxiety tainting his joy. Eva only agreed to apany him for the night in return for her freedom. He was panicked because he would only get to own her for a night but lose her the next day. ¡°Eva, am I not qualified to be your boyfriend?¡± Grabbing the wine ss in one hand, Louie shot her the question that troubled him the most. Based on Louie¡¯s observation, Eva had moved on from the impact her ex-boyfriend left on her. Thus, it was about time for her to start a new rtionship. He was confident that he met all of her standards for a partner, which confused him why she decided to leave him. ¡°You¡¯re an excellent man, but I¡¯m not good enough for you,¡± she mocked herself. ¡°Don¡¯t mess with me. What makes you think you are not good enough? We¡¯re the perfect match.¡± Louie harrumphed. A smile stretched across Eva¡¯s face then. ¡°President Gilmore. You aren¡¯t the only one to decide whether we are a perfect match or not.¡± ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll see about it tonight,¡± he answered petntly. She blushed at the explicit words. Even the tip of her ears was showing a hint of red at the realization. Did he just talk dirty to me? Where did the usually serious Louie go? She let his teasing slip, but she wasn¡¯t in the mood to continue the conversation. After the night, they would part ways and be strangers, and she would have her freedom back. ¡°Eat some more.¡± He gestured for her to eat. Eva only answered with a shake of her head. She had been maintaining a reasonable diet over the years, which was her secret to staying in shape. Even though there were a lot of promising youths emerging in the industry, so far nobody could surpass her. She always remained the top celebrity in Stardom Entertainment. However, she was aware that many people, who were coveting her position, wanted her to leave the company. As the night gotte, she also got tense because she had no idea how to ease up. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Why don¡¯t we go to bed?¡± Louie was behaving like a gentleman instead of jumping at her without permission. ¡°It¡¯s not. Don¡¯t you have work to do? Why don¡¯t you deal with them first?¡± Eva was hoping for him to steer his focus to his work instead of her, so she could have some more time to be prepared for what came up next. ¡°I asked them not to disturb me tonight. You can rest assured. Nobody will interrupt us for what¡¯s coming,¡± heforted her in a low voice. Not even the doomsday could stop him from getting what he had been longing for. After all, tonight was an important asion. Louie¡¯s determination left her at a loss for words. Walking away to the sofa, she took a seat and had some tea. Suddenly, his phone rang, and it grabbed her attention. She cast a nce at the caller ID. It was indeed a woman, but the caller¡¯s rtionship with Louie remained a secret to her. ¡°It¡¯s ringing. You should answer it!¡± Eva reminded him. ¡°It¡¯s not important.¡± Louie¡¯s answer was short as he turned off his phone. Eva was just about to turn around to the balcony to look at the night view when he grabbed her arm without warning. The next second, she was dragged behind by the force and fell into hisp. She was now sitting on the sofa with him grabbing her arm as her petite stature leaned against his chest. Putting her hands on his chest, a flushed Eva struggled to get up, but he nheless stopped her. ¡°Eva, I want you tonight,¡± Louie said in a hoarse voice tainted by lust. His thin lips kept pressing kisses on her hair. His patience had reached its limit, and he couldn¡¯t wait any longer. ¡°It¡¯s still¡ª¡± Eva tried to fight for more time when he dominantly kissed her to block her protests. To him, one night would never be enough. Therefore, he wouldn¡¯t waste any time whatsoever. When he carried her into his arms, she shut her eyes in resignation, but her body was shaking uncontrobly. It both surprised and hurt him too to see her in a vulnerable state. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± She buried her head in his chest, not willing to look at him. He then asked in a low tone, ¡°Is this your first time?¡± Eva wanted to give him a negative answer, but the truth was the opposite. Thus, she could only shut her eyes tightly, returning his question with silence. On the other hand, Louie was overjoyed. He couldn¡¯t quite believe her tacit admission because he had always thought that Eva had slept with Tucker in the past. To his surprise, she was destined to belong to him in the end. Now that he was fueled by his excitement, Louie pressed an affectionate kiss to her forehead. ¡°Have you been waiting for me?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Eva averted her gaze, not giving in to stroke his ego. ¡°I¡¯ve always thought we¡¯re bound to be together.¡± Dering his determination onest time in a hoarse voice, he kissed her cheek. ¡°I¡¯ll be gentle tonight.¡± We¡¯ll see about that tomorrow, Eva thought to herself. Meanwhile, Julian and Jessie had just returned from the set after a shoot. She had slowly adapted to recent shootings and her interpretation of her role was working out fine. A group of photos of Jessie staying with the crew had been revealed to theizens on social media. She was bathing under the sun with her long hair down, and she looked otherworldly. Her fans immediatelyplimented her looks andpared her to a goddess. Besides, the set of photos was even getting viral among non-fans. Furthermore, the pictures were now trending on Twitter. Even without proper publicity about her personality, Jessie emitted warmth through the pictures. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. She also received good news from Queenie recently. As August was fast approaching, Queenie¡¯s wedding was also around the corner. Jessie was looking forward to the invitation to Queenie¡¯s wedding. She returned to her room after a long day, and Julian reached out a hand to caress her head. ¡°Get some rest. Don¡¯t stay upte.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± she promised. He recalled Louie showing up at the set again, but he didn¡¯t bother to seek his brother out. Julian didn¡¯t want to be the third wheel between Louie and Eva since Louie had been pouring his attention on her the whole timetely. After all, Louie didn¡¯t visit the set for Julian. Even though he was Louie¡¯s brother, Julian himself was a nobodypared to Eva. Meanwhile, in a presidential suite, Louie and Eva shared an intimate night. In the morning, the lights in the room shone on her ivory skin. Hickeys could be seen all over her shoulders, which were made by Louiest night. She was still asleep while the man had already gotten up from bed. He walked out of the bedroom and sat on the sofa. When his gazended on the contract termination letter on the coffee table, he grabbed it and tore the contract apart the next second. He did it without hesitation because he regretted his choices. Louie would never allow Eva to leave him as he was determined to be responsible for her. Little did Eva know, herpanionship for Louiest night would end up bing nothing. After that, he slid back into the bed and embraced her in his arms with satisfaction before he fell into slumber. It was noon when Eva woke up, and the sun hung in the middle of the sky. At first, she noticed the strong arm she slept onst night, and she then turned to the side involuntarily. She was met by Louie¡¯s handsome face, which was bathing under the sunlight. When she saw his face, she couldn¡¯t help but rey their intimacyst night in her mind. With a flushed face, she fluttered her eyes shut as she suppressed the thoughts. Sighing in resignation, Eva decided to leave before he woke up. She slid down the bed in light movements and stood on the ground like a cat without making any noise. She put on her shirt while heading for the sofa outside, and found her phone as expected. Then, she steered her gaze to the spot where she put the letterst night, thinking to take it along. However, she didn¡¯t find it there. Where¡¯s the contract? I put it over therest night. Eva immediately searched for the document on the sofa. However, she suddenly noticed scraps of paper in the bin. She didn¡¯t think twice before she walked over and reached out for them. It was exactly the termination letter she was looking for, but it was voided since someone tore them apart. Eva¡¯s chest heaved in anger. At the same time, Louie¡¯s low voice grabbed her attention from behind. ¡°I¡¯m not letting you go.¡± She turned to the man who was leaning against the door frame and red at him. ¡°Louie Gilmore! H- How can you not keep your word?!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, but I don¡¯t mind bing a jerk who doesn¡¯t keep his promise if it means you¡¯ll stay.¡± He didn¡¯t back down from the confrontation as his eyes shone with determination. ¡°Don¡¯t make me hate you.¡± Eva was furious at his behavior. After all, she sacrificed her virginity to earn her freedom. She couldn¡¯t possibly stay calm after learning that he broke his promise. ¡°Even if you hate me, I won¡¯t let you go.¡± He walked over to her and pulled her into his embrace. ¡°After last night, I¡¯ve decided that you¡¯re important to me, and I¡¯ll do anything for you.¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± His sincere words put Eva¡¯s head in a mess. After all, she also tasted pleasure like never before with himst night. ¡°Stay with me. I want you to be Mrs. Gilmore, the wife of the president of Stardom Entertainment. Will you ept that?¡± Louie was promising her the titles. He felt like it was time for him to settle down with the woman he loved. Eva sighed at that. It was the most important decision she was about to make in her life, but she had no idea whether to ept or decline it. Ever since she encountered many kinds of people in showbiz, she became pessimistic about true love and no longer looked forward to it. After all, there were many examples of true lovers ending up in a mess and breaking up with each other. After a moment of pondering, she rejected him. ¡°I don¡¯t want the title of Mrs. Gilmore. You can give it to somebody else.¡± ¡°But I want nobody but you to own the title.¡± Louie rested his chin on her shoulder as he murmured, ¡°You¡¯re the one I want.¡± ¡°I¡¯m exhausted. I¡¯m going back to my room. You can pass me the new termination letter.¡± With that, Eva struggled out of his embrace and strode for the door. Eva left without turning her head. At that point, Louie was in turmoil and he started to panic deep down. At that moment, his phone rang and steered his attention away. Grabbing his phone, he looked at the caller ID for a moment before answering it. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Hi, Louie. How have you beentely? It¡¯s been a while since Ist saw you.¡± ¡°Mr. Constantine.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll cut to the chase. I want to talk about the alliance marriage between our families. Are you free to talk about it sometime?¡± ¡°Mr. Constantine, I don¡¯t think I can marry your daughter without any emotional foundation.¡± ¡°Louie, my daughter admires you. Back then, I lent your parents one hundred million in return for the marriage between you and my daughter. Even though your parents have passed away, we should still continue with the marriage.¡± Today, the Gilmore Family was the leadingpany in the industry with an immeasurable worth, while the Constantine Family had gradually declined over the years. Thus, the Constantine Family would grasp the opportunity to unite two families. They would never let their chance to climb the social ladder slip away from them. ¡°Mr. Constantine, we¡¯ll discuss itter.¡± ¡°Sure. Why don¡¯t youe over so we can meet up? Your father was a man who kept his promises, so surely you¡¯ve inherited the trait from him.¡± At that, Louie kept hisposure as he answered, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll arrange the meeting.¡± Meanwhile, Eva was resting in her room but was surprised to see the hotel staff bringing her breakfast. It seemed that Louie was worried about her and had called room service for her. Then, she remembered spending thest night with him, and she knew she needed contraceptive pills. As she didn¡¯t want her assistant to help her deliver the pills, she decided to buy them by herself. She went downstairs after disguising herself for the pharmacy next to the hotel. She didn¡¯t notice the presence of the paparazzi who were following her when she walked into the pharmacy. Therefore, not only was the sight of her picking up the pills captured by the paparazzi but the packaging of the pills she picked up was also captured by the camera. The realization of the top celebrity from Stardom Entertainment buying contraceptive pills in the early morning was setting the paparazzi abuzz for witnessing the breaking news. On the other hand, Eva strode away from the pharmacy and returned to the hotel without slowing down, while the paparazzi reached out to the mass media and sold them the news. The media was always fishing for her scandal because her name alone would bring them a high volume of data traffic. In less than half an hour, her scandal was already making the headlines. All theizens learned that she spent her time with a manst night. They were more curious about the man¡¯s identity because he didn¡¯t even use protection. Countless male fans of Eva were envious of the man who slept with her. Meanwhile, on set, Jessie took the time to finish shooting a scene in the early morning. After that, she headed for the empty seat next to Lexie for a rest. Lexie was whispering to another girl on the side the whole time, which piqued Jessie¡¯s curiosity. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Jessie, do you know who the man who stayed the night with Eva was?¡± Lexie was itching to learn the full story from her. Jessie was confused to hear that. ¡°What man?¡± Lexie didn¡¯t waste any time showing her the headline. ¡°Look at this. Eva bought the pills by herself this morning. I pity her!¡± Jessie took her time to read the article before the corner of her lips turned into a knowing smile. Who else could it be other than Louie? Julian had told Jessie about Louie visiting the set when the two were in the carst night. It seems like Julian can expect a sister-inw soon. ¡°Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t know anything about that.¡± Jessie shook her head. She wasn¡¯t in the position to spread baseless rumors. Eva herself was the only person who had a say in this matter. ¡°Did Evae to the set today?¡± ¡°Nope. She¡¯s taking a day off,¡± Lexie answered. Jessie was d to hear that. It seems like Eva has moved on and is now seeing President Gilmore. Meanwhile, in the hotel, Eva finally saw the news and she couldn¡¯t sit still. She saw herself as a usually calm woman, but the news was quite disturbing. What bad timing! Why does it have to be when I bought the pills? At that moment, someone rang the doorbell of her room. Looking through the peephole, she found that it was Louie, who was staying next door. She pulled the door open for him but couldn¡¯t help it when the blood rushed to her face. ¡°Are you here to offer me the new termination letter?¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask me to buy the pills?¡± Louie sighed upon seeing her. He felt bad to see her being followed by the paparazzi and became the headline of the day. Eva averted her gaze. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± Then, as she remembered something, she shifted her attention back to him. ¡°It¡¯s been trending on Twitter for a few hours. What is the Public Rtions Department doing? When are they going to deal with it?¡± A dark smile remained on the corner of his lips. ¡°Their performance has been poortely.¡± Truth be told, it had nothing to do with the Public Rtions Department, even less that they were doing their job poorly. Instead, Louie was the one who ordered the department to let the news stay trending. After all, Stardom Entertainment would always deal with their artists¡¯ scandals the first time. Moreover, Eva was the top celebrity in thepany. However, the news of Eva buying the pills remained in the headlines until now. Even her fans couldn¡¯t help but wonder about the identity of the man staying with herst night. She was always an abstained woman and was considered the most wless celebrity in their circle. But now, the fact she had to buy the birth control pills was telling the public that she was seeing a guy at the moment, yet his identity remained a mystery. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad. Let¡¯s go downstairs and grab something to eat,¡± Louie suggested. His words indeed reminded Eva that she was bored alone in the room. Nodding, she left her room and followed him downstairs. There was a well-known cafe downstairs, and they were having tea there. She picked a seat next to the window, while he took a seat opposite her and used his phone to take a picture of her leaning against the window. He uploaded the picture to his social media ount with captions before screenshotting it and sending it to the Public Rtions Department. Atst, he ordered, ¡®Make it a push message to the public.¡¯ Eva had no idea of him setting her up, nor him announcing that he stayed with herst night to the public himself. ¡°Don¡¯t ever eat the pills in the future. It¡¯s harmful to your health. That was careless of mest night.¡± Louie muttered guiltily. His words left Eva flushing to the tip of her ears. She tightened her grasp around her cup of tea. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about what happenedst night.¡± ¡°Why? Did I make you ufortable?¡± He was eager to know her feelings. Blushing as red as a tomato, she shot daggers at him as she mumbled, ¡°Stop it.¡± A low chuckle escaped Louie when he heard that. ¡°I am very satisfied withst night.¡± Eva turned away from his intense gaze. The memory of the moment they sharedst night emerged in her mind. Truth be told, she thought it would be nice to have him as a lover. Louie was the dream guy of every woman. He was handsome, fit, wealthy, andpetent, which was a perfectbination. The pair enjoyed the tea for almost twenty minutes, and Eva had no idea that she had unintentionally set theizens abuzz. The identity of the mysterious manst night was finally revealed. He wasn¡¯t any of the male artists who had coborated with Eva before as her fans expected, but Louie Gilmore, the president of Stardom Entertainment himself. The picture of them having afternoon tea together was hard evidence that they spentst night together. Therefore, thousands of wishes flooded thement section. All of her fans were wishing them a happy life. Besides, the fans were hoping that they could have a baby soon. Louie was browsing through the wishes andments from Eva¡¯s fans under a short video. Taking the countless blessings in, the corner of his lips curled into a satisfied smile. She narrowed her eyes when she saw that. ¡°What are you smiling about?¡± ¡°Eva, will you be my girlfriend?¡± He confessed his feelings with full affection. She lowered her gaze. ¡°Don¡¯t ever think I¡¯ll be your girlfriend just because you slept with me. You still owe me a termination contract.¡± ¡°I want to be responsible to you for the rest of your life. Once you be the president¡¯s wife, you can terminate the contract however you want.¡± Louie chuckled deeply, but Eva dismissed his suggestion. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in bing your wife.¡± ¡°It will never be anyone else. Don¡¯t tell me you want me to choose someone else.¡± He slightly raised his brows to tease her while he stared at her with an unfathomable gaze. She shied away from his gaze. Afterst night, she was surprised to see many things spinning out of her control. One of them included him upying a significant spot in her heart. At that moment, her phone rang. Seeing that her manager was calling, she put it next to her ear and answered, ¡°Adele? What is it?¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about something so important, Eva? I had to learn about it from the Inte. You are so unkind!¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Eva was perplexed. ¡°I¡¯m talking about your rtionship with President Gilmore! Looks like I have to prepare avish gift for your wedding now.¡± When Eva heard that, she quickly looked at the man in front of her. Standing up, she said quietly, ¡°Nothing is going on between the both of us, Adele.¡± Adele, however, sneered at that. ¡°The fact that you both slept togetherst night has gone viral on the Inte. You can¡¯t keep it a secret from me!¡± Eva was shaken by this. ¡°What? Who said I slept with him¡ª¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you buy the pills this morning because you slept with him the night before?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°President Gilmore paid a visit to your set. Who else can you be with besides him? He even filmed you having afternoon tea with him. You can¡¯t deny it any longer! What good taste you have. President Gilmore is a good catch!¡± Adeleplimented. Annoyance shed across Eva¡¯s eyes when she heard that. So, this man deliberately asked me for afternoon tea to publicize our rtionship. I underestimated him! Looks like it¡¯s no surprise that his public rtions department is not doing anything to my rumor. He is most likely the one who instructed them not to! With this in mind, Eva hung up the call with Adele and walked over to the table where the man was sitting. Then, with her gaze fixed on him, she asked, ¡°Did you dere our rtionship on the Inte?¡± ¡°I have to let your supporters know the manst night was me, so they don¡¯t have to waste their time guessing who that man was,¡± Louie replied as if he was truly concerned for Eva¡¯s supporters. ¡°You¡­ You did it on purpose!¡± Eva scolded him gently. ¡°I will do anything for you,¡± Louie responded in a serious tone. That made Eva¡¯s heart skips a beat as she began to wonder whether she was worthy of his love. Later in the afternoon, Jessie finally went to the same set as Julian. After applying her makeup, she sat by the corner and watched Julian¡¯s outstanding performance. His fighting moves were all clean and tidy, and the director approved them all on the first take. Admiration filled her eyes as she watched Julian. Her feelings for him seemed to develop so naturally. When Julian finished his scene and was about to rest, he took a ss of water and walked over to Jessie. After he took his sip, Jessie extended her hand to him. ¡°I¡¯d like to drink as well.¡± Julian naturally handed her the ss, and she, too, drank it in front of everyone. They then walked over to the chairs nearby to rest while the crew prepared the props. At this moment, Jessie couldn¡¯t help but curiously inquire, ¡°Have you read about Eva¡¯s news?¡± ¡°What news?¡± Julian narrowed his eyes and asked. Jessie, however, was a little embarrassed to say it. Hence, she scrolled through her phone to look for Eva¡¯s news before handing her phone to Julian. ¡°This.¡± Julian took her phone and read the news, a smile spreading across his face. ¡°My brother appears to have found me a sister-inw.¡± Jessie was surprised to hear that. ¡°How did you know the man is your brother? I haven¡¯t shown you your brother¡¯s news yet!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious enough?¡± Julian was aware of what was going on. Louie had been eyeing Eva for a long time, and Eva had no other friends of the opposite gender around her as well. Furthermore, Louie came to get herst night. Jessie then quickly showed Julian another piece of information. ¡°Louie posted this photo of Eva having afternoon tea. That clearly shows that the man with Eva was him.¡± As Julian read the news, he found Louie hrious. No matter how mature Louie normally was, he was still a childish guy when it came to courting a woman. To Julian, Louie did make a clever move by publicly dering his rtionship with Eva on the Inte, so that everyone was aware of it. But it remained unknown as to whether Eva would approve of him doing so. ¡°Shall we treat them to dinner tonight?¡± Julian asked Jessie. The dinner didn¡¯t matter to her; all she heard and remembered was Julian using the word ¡®we¡¯. Is that to say we¡¯re a couple as well? Jessie couldn¡¯t help but feel joyous deep down. At this point, one of the crew members called out, ¡°Jessie, it¡¯s your turn.¡± Jessie quickly stood up and went to film her scene. Julian, too, stood up with her. Though he did not have any scenes with her yet, he wanted to watch all of her scenes. The current scene Jessie was filming was with Fabian. Furthermore, it was a scene in which Jessie had to hug Fabian from behind and confess her love to him. Fabian had previously conversed and joked with Jessie, but he did not dare to do so now. However, the current scene was not something they could avoid. Following the director, Vincent¡¯s, instruction, Jessie dashed to Fabian and hugged his waist as she spoke her lines. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me. I¡¯ve loved you since the first time I met you. I want to be by your side forever, even if only as a servant to you.¡± ¡°Cut!¡± Vincent stopped her at this moment. ¡°Jessie, you need to be more emotional. Your acting is lacking something.¡± Jessie breathed deeply and took a few steps backward to where she had been standing earlier. One of the crew members beside her began exining the story to her while she tried hard to prepare the necessary emotion. ¡°If you can¡¯t cry, think of something that makes you sad, Jessie.¡± She blinked her eyes in response. There hasn¡¯t been anything that has made me sad recently! As a result, she failed her next attempt again. The man standing by the side pursed his lips as he watched her hugging Fabian repeatedly. He then walked to Vincent. Just as Vincent was about to instruct Jessie to try a few more times, he saw the man standing next to him and almost jumped in shock. ¡°Why can¡¯t all of the previous attempts be used?¡± Julian inquired with his arms crossed as if interrogating Vincent. Meanwhile, Vincent was immediately under pressure. Who allowed this guy to watch our filming? As such, he quickly waved his hand and said, ¡°We probably only need one more try.¡± Jessie, too, saw what Julian did and sighed. She wished she could do the scene in one take as well, but she couldn¡¯t get the right emotion out of herself. Her confession, in particr, was unnatural. She tried once again, but she still couldn¡¯t perform up to Vincent¡¯s expectations. Looking at the man beside him who was bing increasingly glum, Vincent had a brilliant idea. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try filling in for Fabian, Young Master Julian? Let Jessie hug you and try once more.¡± Julian raised his brows in response to such a suggestion. ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡± With that, Fabian immediately removed his coat and handed it to Julian, and the crew then put it on the latter. As the current scene¡¯s focus was solely on Jessie, Julian would not be filmed and could completely y along for the entire scene. Jessie, on the other hand, was embarrassed by such a change in the cast as she had to hug Julian and confess to him with her eyes filled with admiration. ¡°Let¡¯s try again, Jessie,¡± Vincent instructed. Jessie quickly prepared herself and dashed to hug Julian¡¯s waist. Indeed, the moment she hugged him was when she was overwhelmed with emotion. She was considering the possibility that the man whom she was hugging would fall in love with another woman. Her eyes welled up with tears as she reflected on this thought. ¡°This is the right feeling, Jessie,¡± Vincent said as he looked through the camera at her. ¡°Keep it up and start your lines.¡± Jessie then recited her linespletely, and she even sobbed at times. This was exactly what Vincent wanted. ¡°Great. We¡¯re done with this scene now.¡± Before Jessie could stop her tears, Julian turned around to look at her. She wiped her tears away in a fluster, embarrassed by her inability to control her emotions. ¡°What sad thoughts did you have?¡± Julian went closer to her and inquired. Jessie, however, was too embarrassed to tell him what she thought. Hence, she replied patronizingly, ¡°It¡¯s just a small unpleasant thing.¡± Julian got more curious after hearing her words. ¡°What is the unpleasant thing?¡± Seeing that he persisted, she asked solemnly, ¡°Do you really want to know?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Julian knew she must be genuinely upset for her tears to fall when she thought about the situation. And so, Jessie murmured, ¡°Come closer, then.¡± Chapter 1441-1450 Chapter 1441-1450 Julian quickly lowered his body and moved his ear closer to her lips. With that, Jessie decided to be honest with him. ¡°I was considering what I should do if you unexpectedly fall in love with someone else,¡± she exined. That made Julian¡¯s heart ache a little. Ignoring the fact that there were crew members nearby, he drew her into his embrace and eximed, ¡°What nonsense are you thinking of?¡± Jessie quickly pushed him away with her small strength while terrifyingly signaling to him that there were crew members nearby. Julian found her amusing while watching her cautious behavior, but at the same time, he respected her as well. This is her first film. I¡¯d better let her finish her work with peace of mind! Meanwhile, back at the hotel, Eva was irritated by what had happened on the Inte. Her manager had taken a flight and rushed over as this matter had severe ramifications. After much deliberation, Eva reasoned that she should obtain the termination contract before considering anything else. After all, she couldn¡¯t have allowed herself to sleep with the man for nothing! Thus, she stood up and exited her room before going to the room next door and ringing the doorbell. Within seconds, the man inside the room answered the door. When the door was opened, she saw him naked, with only a bath towel wrapped around his lower body. His perfect figure was exposed right in front of her eyes. ¡°You¡­¡± Her cheeks flushed as she gazed at his toned abs before she turned away in embarrassment. ¡°Put on your clothes. I¡¯d like to speak with you about something.¡± ¡°Come in first.¡± Julian chuckled deeply. And so, Eva entered the room. However, the man behind her wrapped his arms around her waist before she could take more than two steps. His manly breath,bined with a faint scent of body shampoo, made her nervous as she felt a current rush through her body. ¡°You¡­ Let me go.¡± Eva struggled to free herself from his grip. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°Didn¡¯t you have a good timest night?¡± the man asked, his voice hoarse. However, she purposefully avoided discussing what happenedst night as she stated, ¡°I¡¯m here for the contract termination.¡± ¡°Eva¡­¡± the man began calling her lovingly, his voice enticing. Eva wanted to push his hand away, but her strength prevented her from doing so. She could only turn around to face him, but once she did, she was met with his deep, fiery gaze. Seeing that, she knew that things were about to be dangerous. She was now kicking herself for walking into his room voluntarily. ¡°I¡­ Forget it. I¡¯ll go back now.¡± Eva spoke as she struggled to break free from his embrace. But to the man, she was like an innocent rabbit walking right into his trap. He would not allow her to leave! He carried her in his arms the next second, prompting her to mutter angrily, ¡°Leave me alone, Louie¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t, and I don¡¯t want to.¡± With that, Louie immediately carried her to his bedroom. Eva wished she hadn¡¯te, but it was toote. She gradually lost herself in the man¡¯s affection, as he reawakened her previously buried love and obsession for him. She could no longer avoid her own feelings after being confronted with his intense love. Later in the evening, Eva sat on the sofa after taking a bath. ¡°Should I take the pills?¡± she asked herself. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary,¡± the man standing behind her replied. Eva raised her head and gave him a stern look. How dare he respond to me?! It¡¯s all because of him that I¡¯m worried about this! Louie immediately understood how those men who were tightly controlled by their wives felt. He quickly pursed his lips and remained silent. Eva, however, felt uneasy. What if I be pregnant? What am I going to do then? Oh God, please don¡¯t let that happen! At this moment, Louie¡¯s phone rang. He took a look at the screen before answering it. ¡°Hello, Julian¡­ Dinner tonight? Sure. I¡¯ll be there with Eva.¡± After he hung up the phone, Louie looked at the woman sitting on the sofa and said, ¡°My brother invited us for dinner tonight. Jessie will be there too.¡± Eva nodded in response. ¡°I¡¯ll take a bath in my room,¡± she said as she stood up. ¡°Take your bath here. I¡¯ll help you,¡± Louie said gently. Eva, of course, turned it down. She had lost all trust in him. At 6.30PM, Louie and Eva were the first to enter the restaurant¡¯s private room. Not long after that, a lovely couple entered. Julian and Jessie had arrived. They both came straight from the set to the restaurant, and they looked a little tired. ¡°Hello, President Gilmore and Eva!¡± Jessie greeted. Eva was surprised as she watched the duo enter the room together, as they both looked and behaved like a couple. Louie was astute enough to notice that as well. Of course, he was aware that Jessie was special to his brother. ¡°You don¡¯t have to address me as President Gilmore, Jessie. Just call me Louie, as Julian does,¡± he said. How can I do that? That took Jessie aback for a brief moment. She then quickly responded, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t do that. You are my superior, and I must respect you.¡± ¡°All right, then!¡± Louie did not pursue the matter further. Eva quickly drew Jessie to the seat beside her and inquired about her earlier filming. Meanwhile, the brothers had their eyes fixed on Eva and Jessie while the women were chatting, as they were the main protagonists now. ¡°Eva, I heard you only have slightly more than a dozen scenes left for you to wrap your part. Is that correct?¡± Jessie asked. Eva replied with a nod. ¡°Yes. My filming will bepleted in three or four days.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ll be leaving, won¡¯t you? I¡¯ll miss you though¡­¡± Jessie took Eva¡¯s hand in hers as she spoke. ¡°It¡¯s all right. After you return to Averna, we can go out for meals or go shopping.¡± Eva had already taken Jessie as a friend. Suddenly, Julian interrupted and asked curiously, ¡°Is the news on the Inte true? Are you two seeing each other?¡± ¡°Of course, that is true,¡± Louie answered. Eva¡¯s face flushed as soon as she heard that. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him,¡± she told Julian while sternly looking at Louie. ¡°I can¡¯t promise anything else, Eva, but I can assure you that Louie¡¯s feelings for you are genuine and sincere.¡± Julian decided to assist Louie to push his brother further along in his rtionship. Eva¡¯s eyes flickered when she heard that. She was aware of Louie¡¯s feelings for her, but she had no ns to get married right now. After all, marriage was a big decision for a woman, and she couldn¡¯t make it after only one night of sleep. ¡°Eva, I can see that President Gilmore treats you well,¡± Jessie chimed in. However, Eva began teasing Jessie instead. ¡°I can see that Julian treats you well too. Are you two together now?¡± This made Jessie embarrassed. ¡°The noble Young Master Julian would not be interested in me!¡± ¡°Who else could I be interested in besides you?¡± Julian snorted softly in response. Eva immediatelyughed at that. ¡°It appears that I have good acumen. I could immediately tell that you two are a couple.¡± ¡°No, no. We are not together yet,¡± Jessie quickly waved her hand in the air and denied it. Julian held a teacup as he added to Jessie¡¯s words, ¡°True. We¡¯re not a couple now, but we will be in the future.¡± Jessie¡¯s face flushed when she heard that. Julian¡¯s proactiveness surprised Louie as well. Louie had thought he was quite sessful in courting Eva, but Julian now appeared to be better at courting women than him. ¡°Julian is a good catch. Don¡¯t pass it up,¡± Eva advised as she tugged on Jessie¡¯s hand. Jessie felt amused yet embarrassed at the same time. She was here today to check out Eva¡¯s rtionship with Louie, but she was now the one being persuaded to be with Julian! ¡°Look at what you¡¯re saying, Eva. You sound as if you are my sister-inw. Why don¡¯t you both be real sisters-inw?¡± Julian teased. Jessie and Eva both looked at each other, stunned. Only the brothers sitting across from themughed. Louie then began asking questions about Julian¡¯s rtionship. ¡°When did you start dating Jessie? Why wasn¡¯t I aware of it?¡± Meanwhile, Jessie held her teacup in her hand. She, too, wanted to hear Julian say when he became interested in her. With a smile, Julian responded, ¡°We¡¯ve only known each other for about two months. How would you know about it when you were so preupied with your work every day?¡± Julian¡¯s words startled Louie a little. True enough, Louie had indeed neglected his brother as he had focused his attention solely on his work. After their meal, Julian brought Jessie back to the hotel for a rest. Eva, on the other hand, reasoned that she hadn¡¯t taken a walk through the streets in a long time and invited Louie to join her. Louie, of course, eagerly followed. There was an interesting antique street nearby that was usually crowded at night because it had many interesting toys. Eva truly enjoyed the lively atmosphere. It was just that the crowd was so dense that Louie had to hold her hand as he was afraid that she would get lost. With a cap and a mask on, Eva walked obediently by his side, looking just like a shy wife. Louie had his hand on her shoulders as he walked alongside her on the crowded street and then to the scenic area. Half an hourter, he led her back to the car as the sky darkened. Eva felt thirsty after getting into the car and grabbed a bottle of water to drink. After finishing half of it, she intended to put the bottle away, but the man beside her immediately took the bottle from her and began drinking from it. Seeing that, she couldn¡¯t help but feel her heart skip a beat at his gesture. While she was still dazed, the man leaned over from his side to hers to fasten her seatbelt. ¡°I can do it myself,¡± she said quickly. However, even after fastening the seat belt, he did not go back to his seat. Instead, he held her chin and kissed her on the lips. Can¡¯t this man do things in the right ce? We¡¯re in the parking lot; how dare he do this here?! However, Louie couldn¡¯t help himself. He adored Eva so much that he wished he could hold her in his arms all the time. Eva awkwardly returned his kiss. Sensing that, Louie finally returned to his seat in satisfaction. ¡°You¡¯ve improved. At least you know how to respond to my kiss now,¡± he murmured, his gaze filled with his approval of her. Hearing that, she was rendered speechless. Who cares about hispliments? What a conceited guy. I¡¯ll definitely push him away next time! Louie then drove back to the hotel. Eva was in a good mood as she bought two red bracelets, which she was told would bring her good luck. She wasn¡¯t the type to believe it, but she still felt happy as the bracelets were lovely. She even bought two of them as they were a pair of couple bracelets. She did not have the opportunity to give it to Louie earlier, so she decided to give it to himter when they arrived at the hotel. When they arrived at the car park, she handed him one of the bracelets. ¡°This is for you.¡± ¡°So, you bought it for me.¡± Louie reached out his hand to take it. He didn¡¯t mind the red bracelet, and he wore it on his wrist right away. Such a red bracelet meant far more to him than the million-dor watch on his wrist. ¡°It is said to bring good luck to whoever wears it. Wear it only if you want to,¡± Eva mumbled. ¡°I like it as long as it¡¯s from you,¡± Louie said softly. He was overjoyed that she was willing to buy him something. She then wore the other red bracelet that she had bought. They both now wore a pair of couple bracelets. After exiting the car, Eva quickly walked into the hotel while Louie followed her from behind. She then proceeded to her room when they reached their floors. However, he grabbed her wrist and said, seemingly pleading with her, ¡°Sleep in my room tonight.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± Eva responded shyly. ¡°Please,¡± Louie purred. Witnessing how the arrogant President Gilmore deigned to plead with her, Eva couldn¡¯t help but feel honored. Thus, with a shy and reserved expression, she said, ¡°I have to get my pajamas at least!¡± A smile broke out on Louie¡¯s face when he heard that. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll wait for you in the room.¡± With that, Eva pushed open the door and entered her room, her face still flushed. What exactly am I doing? How can I agree to share a room with him? I¡¯m well aware of how dangerous he is! Since I¡¯m already back in my room, perhaps I should just stay here. But I¡¯ve promised him that I will go over. Won¡¯t I be deceiving him if I didn¡¯t? She took a long while, struggling with what she should do. Atst, she decided to be an honest person who kept her word. Even if I have no ns to sleep with him, I should let him know before Ie back. Eva held a small bag in her hands that contained her pajamas inside. Arriving outside the man¡¯s room, she reached up and rang the doorbell. The door quickly opened from the inside. It was evident that the man was very worried that she might note. ¡°You¡¯re here! Come on in!¡± Louie turned sideways to let her in. She pursed her lips and said, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t like sleeping with others. I¡¯m worried that I might not fall asleep, so I¡ª¡± Before she could finish her sentence, he grabbed her with his long arms and forcefully pulled her into the room. ¡°I¡¯ll sleep in the guest room. You can have the master bedroom.¡± His actions left her speechless, but she bbered an invalid excuse anyway. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Hurry up and take a shower!¡± he suggested in a low voice, hoping that she could get some rest as soon as possible. ¡°I¡¯ll sleep in the guest room.¡± After saying that, she opened the door to the guest room and went inside. I guess I¡¯ll be housemates with him tonight! Then, she went inside for a shower. It took her half an hour to finish showering and washing her hair. Hence, it was fully dark outside by the time she dried her hair and came out of the room. At this moment, she saw Louie standing on the balcony and enjoying the wind. Why is he still awake? Eva walked out to the balcony to enjoy the night breeze as she felt a little restless. He was holding a ss of red wine in his hand. When he saw her walking over, he leaned against the railing in a sexy manner. His nightgown fell open slightly, and his firm chest muscles were faintly visible through the opening, giving him a wild and roguish atmosphere. She suddenly discovered that her mouth was a little dry, so she took the ss of red wine from his hand and gulped down the contents by herself. On the other hand, he watched her finish half a ss of red wine in one gulp and smiled. ¡°Do you want some more?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It felt as though the red wine could quench her thirst, so she nodded. He went inside and poured another half ss of red wine for her. Taking the ss from him, she immediately began drinking again. She liked this type of red wine. There was a slight sweetness and tartness that gave the wine a rich aftertaste. ¡°If you like it so much, I¡¯ll give you two bottles next time,¡± he said. This red wine was something that he specially brought for this asion. Not only was it expensive, but the taste was also exquisite. Eva raised her eyebrows at those words. ¡°Okay!¡± After she finished the half ss of wine, she handed the empty ss back to Louie. ¡°I want more.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried that you might get drunk?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll sleep better if I¡¯m drunk.¡± ¡°Why? Do you have a hard time falling asleep when you¡¯re with me?¡± he asked her with a yful smile. She countered his question with another question. ¡°Are you going to get me more wine?¡± Naturally, he was more than willing to get her more wine. That was because he liked the drunk her tonight. She looked even more charming and adorable than usual. Eva propped her chin on her hand, feeling a little drunk. Even so, she liked this hazy intoxicated feeling. It made her feel as though she could be more rxed in front of this man. After she drank another half ss of red wine, she identally let out a belch in front of Louie. She immediately covered her mouth in horror, feeling extremely embarrassed about her unsightly behavior. Nevertheless, he simply smiled and stretched out his hand to stroke her cheek. ¡°That¡¯s what you get for drinking so much!¡± She ced the wine ss down and used her hand to brush her long hair aside. At the same time, she intentionally leaned into his embrace, after which Louie¡¯s eyes darkened in appreciation as he enjoyed her initiative. If he had to be honest, Louie had already noticed Eva¡¯s feelings for him. She had never once rejected him in the past, so it could be seen that she had fancied him even before this. It was fortunate that he had not given up and waited for her all this while¡ªthe day when their feelings for each other would come to fruition was finally here. He hugged her and nted his thin lips in her hair. A faint scent of flowers filled his nose, making his heartstrings twitch slightly. An uncontroble urge surged in his heart as a result, and he asked hoarsely, ¡°Would you like to sleep together tonight?¡± ¡°No.¡± Eva insisted despite being drunk. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°If I sleep in the same room with you, do you think I¡¯ll have any time to sleep?¡± sheined slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I promise I¡¯ll let you sleep well.¡± After Louie hoarsely finished his sentence, he reacted like a beast that had been eyeing its prey for a long time and pounced upon her as though she were his prey. She had understood the implications of her actions tonight. When she came here, she had already mentally prepared herself for what might happen. This man had always been intensely attracted to her, but her reserve as a woman had prevented her from taking the initiative. ¡°Eva, I love you.¡± Leaning close, he whispered in her ear and his thin lips kissed her earlobes. In response, she hugged him tight and actively searched for his thin lips. The corners of the man¡¯s mouth curved into a smile. At this moment, the long wait he suffered previously was worth it. In another room, Jessie was chatting with Julian on the phone. Although they were only separated by one room, there was a unique charm in using written words that brought endless fun to the conversation. Lexie, who was nearby, felt extremely envious! Nevertheless, she was happy that Jessie was in a rtionship with Julian because she believed that Jessie deserved to have him. ¡°To be honest, Jessie, I can¡¯t ept any woman being in a rtionship with Young Master Julian. You¡¯re the only one who gives me the feeling that the two of you are a match made in heaven when you¡¯re together,¡± she said. Naturally, Jessie was overjoyed to hear those words! It was just that she did not wish to reveal their rtionship to the public yet. Part of the reason was their current cooperation with each other. Their rtionship would affect the promotional results of their movie, so they could only maintain a cooperative rtionship for now. The fact that they were in a romantic rtionship with each other had to be kept secret. This point was something Lexie had also considered, so she suggested, ¡°But, Jessie, you and Young Master Julian should not reveal your rtionship to the public yet. He has many female fans. I¡¯m worried that they might affect your movie premiere.¡± ¡°Yeah! You¡¯re right. I¡¯ve also considered that issue, so I will maintain my distance from him.¡± Early the next morning, Eva vaguely heard the ringing of a phone. It was just that she was still a little sleepy, so she continued to sleep and felt Louie nting a kiss on her cheek. Immediately after that, he kicked off the nkets and got out of bed to answer the phone. It was at this moment that she was fully awake. He had gone out to the living room to answer the phone, so she wore her clothes and went out to apany him. At this moment, she heard his voice entering her ears. ¡°Mr. Constantine, I wille back as soon as possible to discuss the engagement. Please give me a little more time. I will give you a proper exnation. Don¡¯t worry. I will fulfill the agreement that my parents made with you back then. I will not make things difficult for you.¡± Eva paused in the middle of walking out into the living room. Engagement? Does he have an engagement? Why have I never heard him mention that before? When he finished his phone call and returned to the room, she was already on the bed and ready to sleep again. She did not wish to let him discover that she had eavesdropped on his phone call. During breakfast, Louie invited Director Cooper to eat together so that he could ask about Eva¡¯s role in the scene. If her scenes could progress quickly, then she would be done in two days. Although he was in a rush to return and dissolve his engagement, he wanted to wait until Eva was finished so that he could bring her back to Averna with him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be so rushed. I¡¯ve been a little tired recently, so I want to rest before I continue filming.¡± Eva realized that Louie wanted to wait for her to return to Averna, so she deliberately dragged things out because she didn¡¯t want to go back. After saying that, she looked up at the man. ¡°If you have something urgent, you should go back first!¡± ¡°No worries. I can wait for you.¡± ¡°I n to stay here for another week or two. Are you nning to wait for me?¡± She deliberately pointed out. Louie pondered in silence for a moment. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll go back and settle something this afternoon. I¡¯lle back as soon as possible and wait for you to finish filming, then I¡¯ll bring you back to Averna.¡± ¡°Alright. You can go back first!¡± She nodded. At 10:30AM, Louie left the hotel. On the other hand, Eva inquired about Julian¡¯s filming location today because she wanted to visit him. Julian was filming at the studio today. Thanks to his current role, he had many wire-flying scenes to film. Not to mention, he was filming with Jessie today. Their cooperation could be considered remarkably cohesive at this point. After they finished filming, Eva walked over and talked to Julian. Jessie was still filming at this moment, so they entered the resting lounge. ¡°Julian, I¡¯d like to ask you something. Does your brother have an engagement?¡± Julian was taken aback. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°I overheard him on the phone this morning. Tell me. What is going on?¡± He had been very young at the time. He was only five years old when his parents set up the engagement for his brother, and heter heard from his brother that this engagement was what brought thepany¡¯s business back to life. Unfortunately, he did not know the uses that were written in the engagement. ¡°It¡¯s true that Louie has an engagement. It¡¯s something our parents decided when they were still alive, but I believe that this engagement will not affect your rtionship.¡± ¡°Why? That¡¯s because my brother has no feelings for Miss Constantine.¡± ¡°Will there be any losses if your brother fails to go through with the engagement?¡± Eva asked anxiously. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure about that either. We might have to transfer the corresponding amount ofpany shares based on the loan from back then to the Constantine Family! The Constantines have never asked us to return the money because it was considered their daughter¡¯s dowry.¡± A bitter feeling surged through her heart. Does that mean Louie will have to pay a heavy mary price to the Constantine Family if he marries me? ¡°What about Miss Constantine? Does she have feelings for Louie?¡± She inquired further. For a moment, Julian didn¡¯t know how to answer. Lucy Constantine was in love with his brother, but Louie had never even looked at her way before. In any case, she would not willingly allow the engagement to be dissolved so easily. ¡°Eva, don¡¯t think too much about this. I¡¯m sure my brother will have a solution to this situation,¡± he reassured. ¡°I understand.¡± Eva nodded as she understood something. Miss Constantine is probably in love with Louie! That¡¯s why the Constantine Family would rather refuse the money and force him to fulfill the contract instead. Julian returned to filming his scenes and Eva decided to head back to her car. At this moment, her phone rang. She picked up her phone and saw that it was an unfamiliar number. ¡°Hello, who is this?¡± ¡°Hello, Miss Duncan. I am Lucy Constantine, Louie¡¯s fianc¨¦e.¡± An aggressive voice came from the other end of the phone. She had just entered her car when she received the phone call. Taking a deep breath, she answered the other woman politely. ¡°Hello, Miss Constantine.¡± ¡°I recently saw some rumors about you and Louie online. I don¡¯t know whether they are real or fake, but I¡¯m guessing that they are fake. In any case, it¡¯s probably just a ruse for you to gain some poprity.¡± Eva listened and denied the ims. ¡°You¡¯re right. The rumors are fake, not real.¡± ¡°I have heard many stories about how people in the entertainment industry would use any means possible to increase their standing. Eva, I¡¯m sure Louie yed a huge role in your achieving your current position, but it¡¯s fine. You are earning money for him after all. I understand.¡± ¡°Thank you for your understanding.¡± ¡°My father has started discussing our marriage recently. If nothing goes wrong, you will be able to attend our wedding this year.¡± Lucy had a confident voice as she spoke. ¡°That¡¯s great! I wille if I have the chance to,¡± Eva answered. ¡°Do you know why I¡¯m so confident that I will marry Louie? Leaving aside the debt that his parents owe to my father, we also have a contract in ce. If he refuses to take me as his wife, then he will have to transfer 20% of hispany¡¯s shares to my family. The value of those shares when converted to money is not something you can begin to understand. Even if you are Eva Duncan, I don¡¯t think that any man would be willing to pay such a high price for you!¡± Eva paled considerably at those words, but she let out a softugh. ¡°Miss Constantine, I don¡¯t fully understand what you¡¯re saying. I¡¯m just an actress after all. In any case, I wish happiness to both of you.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether you understand or not. What matters is that you understand the gravity of the situation.¡± Lucy hung up after she finished speaking. At that, Eva sighed softly. It turns out that the situation is more serious than I ever imagined. I never expected our rtionship to involve such an astounding amount of mary interest. She closed her eyes in exhaustion. The idea of running away came back again in full force, to avoid causing any trouble for him. She sincerely did not wish for Louie to pay such a heavy price just to be together with her. It was enough that they once loved each other deeply. There was no need to be together for the rest of their lives. The intense preparations for a grand wedding were currently taking ce in Averna. As the heroine of the wedding, Queenie passed every single day in a good mood. What¡¯s more, she discovered that she was carrying the crystallization of her love just this morning¡ªshe was pregnant! The elders of the Manson Family were overjoyed by the news. After all, they finally received the long- awaited news about their future grandchild. Nigel had not wanted his wife to experience the hardships of pregnancy so soon, but Queenie had chosen to let nature take its course instead! She had fallen in love with the idea, especially after seeing the young girl from the Presgrave Family. Therefore, she was wondering in excitement what her first baby with Nigel would look like! Would the baby look like him? Or would it look like me? Would it be a boy? Or a girl? In any case, Queenie was not stressed by her pregnancy and she simply wanted to naturally wee her first baby into the world. In that way, the date of the wedding gradually approached with only one more week to go. The elders of the Silverstein Family were living on cloud nine. They used to be very worried about the person whom their daughter was going to marry, but there was nothing for them to worry about now. On the side of the filming crew, Jessie was also looking forward to going home to attend the wedding. In the blink of an eye, she had already been filming for nearly a month. Three dayster, she and Julian both applied for leave so that they could step away from the filming crew to attend the wedding. As bridesmaids and groomsmen, they had to be prepared for the wedding. Eva finished filming her role two dayster. She had shortened the filming time because she wanted to complete her scenes earlier and return to Averna as soon as possible. Three dayster, Julian arranged for his brother¡¯s private ne toe over. Then, the three of them boarded the ne and headed to Averna together. On the ne, Jessie discovered that Eva was gloomy and unhappy. She had heard from Julian that Louie had an engagement that had yet to be dissolved. ¡°Eva, why don¡¯t you eat something?¡± Jessie sat opposite Eva. ¡°Thanks, Jessie. I can¡¯t stomach anything at the moment.¡± Eva shook her head. ¡°What are your ns for the future?¡± Jessie asked. Eva considered the question for a moment, after which she shook her head. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll rest first! I¡¯ve been feeling tired recently. Let¡¯s go out for afternoon tea and dinner if we have the time.¡± ¡°Sure, that¡¯s a great idea.¡± Jessie was ted to have made a friend like Eva. It was something she would never even have dared to imagine in the past. When the nended, two cars came over to pick them up. One car was there to bring Jessie and Julian back to the Silverstein Residence while the other car was there to bring Eva home. Jessie received a phone call from her mother while she was on the road. It had been a month since shest saw her parents, so they missed her badly. They initially wanted to visit her at work, but she had not allowed them to visit since she wanted them to focus on her sister¡¯s wedding first. She then informed the man beside her. ¡°My mother said that she has prepared a feast and invited you over to our house for lunch.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Julian nodded, not bothering to be reserved. ¡°Let¡¯s maintain some distance when we reach my home, okay?¡± Jessie suggested. ¡°Why?¡± He frowned. She shyly exined, ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing.¡± She couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that getting into a rtionship with Julian so quickly seemed to indicate that she had used some sort of underhanded means to win him over. Therefore, it was better if their rtionship had progressed slowly. Julian immediately saw through her thoughts. Although he was both angry and amused by her antics, he could only respect her decision. ¡°Alright, fine. We¡¯re just normal friends. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, okay.¡± Jessie nodded, feeling happy. Just as Eva¡¯s car entered the highway off the airport, she received a phone call from Louie. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Come to my house.¡± The man¡¯s deep and hoarse voice was pleading with her. ¡°I¡¯m tired, and I want to rest at home. Let¡¯s not meet each other for the next few days.¡± She refused his request and suggested, ¡°You should prepare the documents for the contract termination.¡± ¡°Are you still thinking about terminating your contract?¡± ¡°No matter how far our rtionship progresses, the termination of my contract will not be dyed. I want to terminate the contract. You need to keep to your word,¡± she replied seriously. ¡°Come to my house and talk.¡± ¡°Forget it! I will discuss the termination of my contract with the legal department myself! You can focus on your own work.¡± ¡°Without my consent, they won¡¯t even bother to talk to you in the first ce,¡± the man on the other end of the phone responded forcefully. Eva paused for a moment before she asked, ¡°Can you be reasonable? Do you want me to sue you in court? Will that finally make you happy?¡± ¡°Can you bring yourself to sue me?¡± ¡°If I have to take that step, then I will definitely go ahead and sue you.¡± She was not joking around with Louie. He sighed and cursed softly. ¡°What a heartless person.¡± Despite listening to such doting words, she felt a sense of bitterness inside her heart. She told the man on the other side of the phone, ¡°I¡¯m hanging up. Don¡¯t call me if there¡¯s nothing important.¡± Eva returned to her apartment, which was arge and luxurious unit in an excellent location that had been allocated to her by thepany. She sent her assistant, Linda, back to rest. Then, she walked from the elevator to the door of her apartment. It had been a long time since she came back, so it was fortunate that she had servants coming to clean her apartment at regr intervals. Eva opened the door and walked into her apartment. Then, she suddenly saw a men¡¯s suit on the sofa and couldn¡¯t help tensing in fear at the sight. Who came to my house? Is there somebody in my house? She was descending into a full-blown panic attack when she suddenly recalled that the security system of thismunity was one of the best in the area. There was no way anybody could enter her house that easily! Just as her heart was threatening to jump out of her chest, she suddenly saw a figure emerging from the balcony and walking toward her. ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± As soon as she saw this person, she yelled, ¡°How did you enter my house?¡± It was none other than her employer, Louie. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that thepany has a copy of the key for all the houses that are allocated to you?¡± She remained silent. Is that his reason for barging into my house? That¡¯s so unreasonable! ¡°I told you I need to rest. Hurry up and return to yourpany!¡± After saying that, Eva put her luggage down and turned to walk toward her room so that she could get some rest. However, at this very moment, Louie¡¯s slender but firm arms circled her waist from behind. ¡°I missed you. I missed you so much.¡± Her body stiffened for several seconds, but a numbing current soon surged from the soles of her feet to the top of her head. His very aura was attracting her, so much so that all the cells in her body were reacting to him. ¡°Let go of me!¡± Eva struggled hard to free herself. ¡°I¡¯m not letting go. You refused toe to my house, so I had no choice but toe to yours instead,¡± Louie said hoarsely. He had to meet her today. Otherwise, he simply could not focus on anything else. She spun around to face him, hoping to use her eyes to chase him away. Contrary to her expectations, she was captured by the deep affection in his eyes as soon as she made eye contact with him. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to say any harsh words to him, so she could only beg him. ¡°Please leave! I¡¯m begging you!¡± Be that as it may, he caressed her cheek and held her lower jaw gently. Lifting her face slightly, he nted a kiss on her lips. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere tonight. I¡¯m going to stay right by your side.¡± She closed her eyes in helplessness. His kiss made her entire heart tremble in response, and she couldn¡¯t stop herself from hugging him tightly. He leaned down and carried her, then he walked toward her bedroom. Her rebellious intention to resist his advances seemed almost pitifully ineffective in the face of this man. ¡­ At the Silverstein Residence. The elders of the Silverstein Family happily weed their second daughter home. They had missed her terribly after not seeing her for an entire month. At the same time, they were also very weing toward Julian, who came home with her. ¡°Mr. Gilmore, thank you for taking care of Jessie during this period.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s what I should have done.¡± ¡°I heard that you¡¯re Nigel¡¯s best friend, so you can already be regarded as family. We have troubled you greatly,¡± Brandon said. Maggie held her daughter¡¯s hand and pulled her daughter to the sofa. Then, she sat down and observed her daughter. ¡°You¡¯ve lost weight! You¡¯ve lost weight again! You should take the time to increase your nutrition intake while you¡¯re home these few days.¡± ¡°Mom, I didn¡¯t lose any weight! I ate very well.¡± Jessieughed. She was somebody who couldn¡¯t gain weight no matter how much she ate. However, she had to control her food intake now that she was filming. ¡°What about Queenie and Nigel?¡± ¡°They went to the wedding nner to prepare the final touches of their wedding. We¡¯ll go out and have avish dinner tonight. Young Master Julian, please join uster!¡± Maggie invited. Julian smiled and nodded. ¡°Sure, Mrs. Silverstein.¡± Lunch at the Silverstein Residence was a scrumptious feast. After Julian finished eating, he received a phone call from thepany. There was an advertising contract that he needed to discuss, so he had to go back to thepany for the discussion. He ultimately had no choice but to leave early. When he was about to depart, Jessie walked him to the car. It felt as though they had spent an entire month together, so she felt a little reluctant to see him leave. ¡°Call me if there¡¯s anything,¡± he said, seemingly reluctant to close the car window that was rolled down. ¡°Alright. Go on! I¡¯ll see you tonight.¡± After seeing Julian off, Jessie went back inside to apany her parents. Maggie had prepared many gifts for her, including jewelry and formal dresses. These were items that her mother had bought for her because they seemed to suit her well. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m nning to visit the orphanage in the afternoon and bring some presents over for them.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°No need, Mom. I can go alone. I¡¯ll be back after a short chat with the director of the orphanage.¡± ¡°Alright. Please stay safe.¡± At 3.00PM, Jessie prepared many gifts and brought them to the orphanage. It so happened that a reporter was skulking around the entrance of her house, especially after he had followed her from the airport. News regarding her was very valuable recently, so he did not leave. Heter followed her car when Jessie left the house. He was surprised that her destination turned out to be an orphanage. Not to mention, he could easily take many pictures of the yard from his car. He watched as she gave out presents, held hands with the children at the orphanage, and chatted with them happily. She even hugged and coaxed a crying child. The reporter couldn¡¯t help feeling a little heavy-hearted after taking so many pictures. He originally wanted to sell pictures of her negative activities, but she turned out to be such a kinddy instead. She did not bother to maintain her image as an idol and seemedpletely indifferent about getting her clothes dirty. In fact, her smile around the children was bright and happy. In the end, the reporter sold the pictures he took to some media outlets at a low price and left. That evening, the media published these pictures with the caption, ¡®The Most Beautiful Smile¡¯. The Jessie in the pictures was the real her, not a pretentious version of herself. Her smile, when she was with the children, was very infectious. As a result, the fans who were starting to follow her learned about her honest and kind nature. Compared to the idols who posed for pictures, those pictures and videos of her made others aware of her sincerity. The number of her fans abruptly increased as a result. When Jessie returned home, she received a phone call from Lexie telling her that she had been followed during her trip to the orphanage in the afternoon. On the contrary, she was unhappy about being publicized in this manner because these were things that she should have done in the first ce. In any case, there was nothing much she could do as the photos had been reposted countless times. Fortunately, her fans loved her very much and did not perceive her in a negative light due to this incident. That night, the two sisters finally met each other at the restaurant. Queenie held hands with Jessie. Although they looked very simr, it was easy to differentiate between the twodies. Meanwhile, Nigel called Julian and invited thetter over for dinner. It didn¡¯t take long for Julian to appear. Inside the restaurant, the two equally handsome men were a sight to behold. They caused all the serving staff passing by to experience an increased heart rate, and even the female guests couldn¡¯t help sneaking nces at them. However, they soon noticed the pair of women holding hands and chatting away happily behind the men. The sight left them sighing in amazement. What good-looking couples! These two couples were simply too good-looking to be true! Some people also recognized Julian and Jessie as idols but did not dare to approach and greet them. Julian generally gave off the impression that he was a cold and unapproachable noble. That was why his fans knew to keep their distance and not disturb him even when they ran into him. The two elders of the Silverstein Family had been waiting for the arrival of their daughters at the restaurant. When they saw those four walking in together, they had the feeling that Julian would eventually be part of the family. It was only a matter of time. ¡°Dad, Mom.¡± The two daughters sat on each side of the parents while the two men sat on the other side of these women. This feeling made the two elders of the Silverstein Family absolutely overjoyed. Thanks to the two young couples at dinner, the atmosphere was extremely jovial. Queenie also shared her happy news with the rest of her family. ¡°So, I¡¯m going to be an aunt!¡± Jessie was looking forward to her new identity. In addition, she was very happy that her sister was going to have a baby. ¡°Congrattions, Nigel!¡± Julian¡¯s eyes were filled with envy. After that, he nced at the woman who was looking happy to be an aunt in the future. Jessie had squeezed in between Queenie and her mother, participating in the discussion about what to prepare for the birth of the baby. Nigel¡¯s expression was also filled with anticipation. When he realized that he was about to be a father, he became incredibly emotional and grateful. He was grateful that the woman he loved the most was going to bring a new life into his life. After dinner, the two daughters and their mother took the chance to go shopping at a nearby shopping center. The three men naturally apanied them. To prevent his fans from recognizing him and disturbing their shopping spree, Julian wore a mask to conceal his face. Unfortunately, many reporters were lurking in the shopping center. One of them was initially following another celebrity, but his sharp eye had spotted Jessie and Queenie among the crowd. He was immediately stunned. Jessie is part of a twin? That was an extremely rare piece of news. Moreover, if he was not mistaken, the two men following behind them were the president of the Manson Group and Julian Gilmore. The old man apanying them was also very familiar as he could often be seen gracing the front page of the business magazines. Thus, the reporter hurriedly took pictures of this unexpected group of people browsing the shops. It wasn¡¯t until they left the shopping center that the reporter searched for information on the old man¡¯s background information. Sure enough, he was right to think that the old man looked very familiar. The old man turned out to be Brandon Silverstein, a renowned giant in the food and beverage industry. It would seem that Jessie was his daughter and the second daughter of the Silverstein Family. Unexpectedly, the information uploaded on the Inte iming that she had entered the entertainment industry without any backing waspletely wrong. Not only did she have a strong family background, but her sister was also married to the future head of the Manson Group. No wonder Julian was willing to go shopping with her. It could be seen that the Silverstein Family¡¯s daughters held incredible charm. They shopped until 9.00PM. Nigel then brought Queenie home while the two elders of the Silverstein Family brought their youngest daughter home. Likewise, Julian returned to his apartment. Early the next morning, a drowsy Jessie received a phone call from Lexie, informing her that there was a new scandal being circted in the media. She forced her sleepy eyes open and read the article about her. The title was ¡®The mysterious background of the newly-debuted actress, Jessie Silverstein¡¯. When she saw the picture of their entire family shopping togetherst night, she propped her chin on her hand with a sinking sense of helplessness. She wasing to realize that she no longer had a private life since she entered the entertainment industry. It didn¡¯t matter where she went because she would still be photographed. ¡®Jessie, it turns out you¡¯re the Silverstein Family¡¯s second daughter. Everybody in the entertainment industry is shocked. We all thought that you were Cindere, but the truth is you¡¯re a swan!¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s right. I was transformed from an ugly duckling.¡± Jessieughed and replied through a voice message. To be honest, it was all thanks to Julian¡¯s help that she found her family again. If he had not recognized her at a nce, she did not know how much longer it would have taken for her to find her family! If she had missed the information about her rtives, then she might never have met her parents or her sister in her entire life! As such, she was very grateful to Julian. After hearing that he was filming an advertisement at the company today, she was consumed by the urge to visit him while he was filming. She wanted to see how charming he was while on the set. In the past, she could only gain scraps of information through media releases. In contrast, she now had the opportunity to visit the scene in person. How could she let such an opportunity slip through her fingers? Although she was still a little sleepy, there was a strong driving force that pushed her out of bed. She had worn many heavy industrial costumes while filming on the set. Hence, she couldn¡¯t help feeling very refreshed when she wore a simple t-shirt and hoodie after she finished washing up. Jessie informed her parents about her ns before she left the house. Her father¡¯s driver came to pick her up. Although she had her driver¡¯s license, she had never driven a car ever since she obtained her license, so she did not dare to drive on the road. She headed straight toward the headquarters of the Gilmore Corporation and was immediately recognized by the staff upon her arrival. Inquiring about the location of Julian¡¯s advertisement shoot, she learned that he was on the sixth floor. Moreover, the filming was already underway since he arrived very early in the morning. As soon as she heard that, she quickly ran off at the astounding speed of a fan chasing their favorite celebrity. Charging straight into the elevator, she went straight to the sixth floor. She was Julian¡¯s biggest fan today. Arriving at the shooting location, she discovered that the film set was very luxurious. The mixture of gray and silver backdrop gave off an extremely ssy and elegant feeling. At this moment, Julian was wearing a ck shirt and ck pants. His shirt was half open for the make- up artist to style, and his entire being was exuding a sense of masculinity. Beneath his open shirt were faintly visible firm chest muscles that made him extremely attractive. Jessie stood behind the staff and peeped secretly. She did not disturb him and simply admired him from afar. This man was truly a walking pheromone billboard, especially when the ck shirt turned him into a masculine and sexy man. Chapter 1451-1460 Chapter 1451-1460 Jessie¡¯s throat began to feel dry as she continued to stare. She picked up the bottle of water beside her and took a few swigs. Julian went to his shooting spot and sat on a swivel-top stool that showed off his long legs in all their glory. He was holding a rose in his hand, taking a whiff of its scent. His brows were trimmed and almost pointed; his thin lips pursed; his eyes filled with longing. Jessie couldn¡¯t help but be held captivated by the sight of him. Right then, he switched his pose. He spotted her right away as he looked beyond the camera. The sight of her almost made him get out of character as a hint of a smile shed across his eyes. The smile in his eyes filled her heart with sweetness, and she returned a brilliant smile of her own. The shoot was over in a moment. All the crew members were cleaning things up for the next session. Ashley then came to Jessie. ¡°Jessie, Young Master Julian requires you in the waiting room.¡± After getting informed of that, she went over as per request. When she opened the door to the waiting room and entered, she noticed Julian was the only upant inside. He was still wearing the clothes from earlier, and she couldn¡¯t help but peer at him like he was some work of art. ¡°You¡¯re so handsome,¡± she praised. In the past, she would feel blessed just from having a few nces at the shots of Julian. So, naturally, she was ecstatic now that she had the privilege to see him at work closely. Julian cocked his eyebrow upon hearing that. ¡°Do you like it?¡± He wished for her approval. ¡°Of course. In fact, I love it,¡± Jessie spoke with passion and enthusiasm. He extended his hand. ¡°Come here.¡± She took a seat on the couch and caressed his clothes. Silky smooth, she remarked in her mind. ¡°You came here quite early. Did youe here for me?¡± He narrowed his eyes as he asked. Her cheeks burned, but she confessed, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± It¡¯s my day off. I¡¯d have slept in if it were not because I would like to see you. A contented smile tugged on his lips. All of a sudden, he leaned into her, and she ended up lying on the couch in an attempt to keep some distance between them. He ced his hands on either side of her frame, pushing himself up. The silky shirt he wore slid down and revealed his sturdy, sexy abs. Julian had never shown his abs to anyone, but now she could stare at them as much as she wanted. It would have been a dreame true if she could touch them, but¡­ The position we¡¯re in is quite awkward. What is he trying to¡ª Jessie¡¯s thought was cut short when he leaned down and kissed her forehead, and she closed her eyes out of reflex. That forehead kiss was as far as he would go, or at least that was what he would do at first. However, now that she was ying along, he might as well take up on her offer. He moved down to the tip of her nose and gave it a peck. Then, he started moving downward again and pressed his lips against hers, sucking on it softly now and then. Her mind went nk out of shock, but her heart pounded loud and fast out of embarrassment. Omigosh, we¡¯re kissing in the waiting room while the crew members are all going around outside. This is going to be embarrassing if we get found. But¡­ his kiss is just so gentle. She instinctively held his lower torso. Holy moly, his fans would kill me if they saw me hugging their idol. After what had happenedst time, Ashley was on her guard. A few crew members tried to go into the waiting room to unload some stuff, but she stopped them. ¡°Sorry, but Young Master Julian is doing something important inside. He will not take kindly to any visitors,¡± she said. She had no idea what was happening inside, but her job was to keep her boss¡¯ personal affairs away from the public¡¯s prying eyes. Eventually, Jessie found herself leaning on Julian¡¯s chest, his hold on her tight. A momentter, the hug ended, but she could still feel the strong thump of his heartbeat smashing against her chest. Oh god, this is so embarrassing. She had never even held a boy¡¯s hand before. This was her first rtionship, yet her boyfriend was the man of many women¡¯s dreams. Thus, she had yet to learn how to deal with this kind of stuff at times. ¡°I hope I didn¡¯t scare you.¡± Julian looked at her, amused. Jessie shook her head and met his gaze. ¡°You didn¡¯t. I like kissing you.¡± His heart leaped with joy upon hearing that. He leaned down and pecked her lips. ¡°So, do you now understand how I feel about you?¡± Of course, she did. Still, she had a hard time believing in all of this as everything felt like a dream to her. ¡°Do you like me?¡± That was her insecurity speaking. Solemnly, he answered, ¡°Yes.¡± Jessie rested her head on his chest and stared at his corbone before reaching over to touch it. Julian huffed, ¡°Stop touching.¡± ¡°Hey, you just kissed me, so why can¡¯t I touch you? That¡¯s so unfair.¡± It¡¯s only fair if I get to touch him since he kissed me just now. He looked at her with resignation in his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. You can touch me, but I can¡¯t go out looking like this, you know. You can¡¯t expect me to stay in this room forever.¡± O-Oh, that¡¯s what he¡¯s trying to say. She quickly got up. ¡°I-I¡¯ll go out, then. You do what you have to do.¡± She picked her bag up andbed her hair before exiting the room. She was so embarrassed that she couldn¡¯t even look at Ashley, who stood right outside the waiting room. Jessie made her way to the coffee shop on the third floor, but her face was still red. Gilmore Corporation had built the coffee shop specifically for its artists and employees. It was a high-end ce. She waited for Julian in the coffee shop, and it was not until 11.00AM that he finally showed up. This time, he was in casual attire, yet he looked elegant nheless. She couldn¡¯t help but steal a nce at him before staring at the ground swiftly soon after. ¡°We¡¯re having lunch together. Then, it¡¯s free time. You can go wherever you want, and I¡¯lle with you.¡± ¡°Really? I can go anywhere I want?¡± she asked, the anticipation in her voice almost palpable. ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°Can I go to the amusement park, then?¡± She had never gone to an amusement park her whole life, not even once. Tickets were too expensive for her back then. Even though she had reunited with her family, she still hadn¡¯t had the chance to go to an amusement park. Now that they had time, she wanted to see what that ce was like. And with Julian by my side, this is going to be great. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll go.¡± He smiled. They departed for the amusement park after having lunch. Ashley bought all the disguise items for them on their way: masks, sunsses, and hats. Jessie went for a mask and a hat, while Julian only wore a pair of sunsses. Apparently, he wasn¡¯t worried about getting recognized. Ashley pleaded, ¡°Sir, your fans can recognize you from a mile away if you have no mask on. You should wear one for the sake of public safety.¡± ¡°I¡¯m his fan, and I don¡¯t even need to see his face to recognize him. His body shape¡¯s enough,¡± Jessie remarked. He smiled as he looked at her. ¡°So, you¡¯ve fallen for me even before we met, huh?¡± ¡°Yep. I saw you during my first year in the industry and have fallen for you since then.¡± She smiled smugly. Julian straightened her hat and her mask. Then, he pushed her hair back. Ashley watched on as the couple flirted with each other. Hey, do you mind? I¡¯m still single, you know. Cut back on the show of affection, alright? Even though it was on a weekday, the amusement park had quite a few visitors. Ashley entered with the couple, acting as their errand girl. Though, there was a perk: she could go on the rides as well. Julian and Jessie looked like a perfect couple together. Ashley bought Jessie a cute headband the moment they entered the amusement park. Jessie took her hat off and wore the headband. It was indeed an adorable sight to behold. ¡°I¡¯ll snap a pic for you two.¡± Ashley held her phone up and trotted ahead. Julian pulled Jessie into his embrace, and she leaned on his chest bashfully while making a peace sign. It was a photo taken with a phone, but the couple was gorgeous enough to make the picture look like it was taken with a DSLR. Jessie took Ashley along with her to take a ride on the carousel. Julian waited for them outside the ride, holding Jessie¡¯s bag and her drink like any other boyfriend would. The only thing that set him apart from the other boyfriends was that he was a drop-dead handsome guy. As he waited for thedies, he took it as his responsibility to take photos of his girlfriend. His phone was filled with pictures of her from all kinds of angles. Right after Jessie got off the carousel, her attention was drawn by the screamsing from the other side. Oh, a roller coaster. She then pointed at it and said, ¡°I want to ride that one.¡± Ashley felt her legs buckle upon realizing which ride Jessie was referring to. ¡°I can¡¯t go with you on that one, Jessie.¡± Jessie held Julian¡¯s arm. ¡°In that case, youe with me.¡± Lovingly, he replied, ¡°Sure.¡± She thought she could stomach the roller coaster, but she soon realized how wrong she was. She came off the ride looking pallid as a ghost. She held onto Julian like a ko hugging a eucalyptus tree. I shouldn¡¯t have done that. ¡°So, still wanna go for another round?¡± He grinned. Jessie waved her hands violently. ¡°No, no thanks.¡± They went for other rides after that, and delight returned to her in no time. She also loved that romantic emotions were stirring fast between her and Julian during this trip. Ashley parted ways with them halfway through, leaving the couple on their own. Jessie jostled through the crowd, holding onto Julian¡¯s hand. She was as happy as ark, and the euphoria she felt infected him. As they moved through the crowd, his eyes only fixed on her and no one else. When she found out there would be a fireworks show and a mini concertter in the night, she couldn¡¯t wait for noontime to pass. We can do more stuff at night, and there¡¯ll be less risk of having our identities found out. They rested on a bench as dusk approached. Jessie was getting drowsy for a moment, and she leaned on Julian¡¯s chest and napped for a while. He let her rest on hisp while he yed some games on his phone. It didn¡¯t take long for her to recharge, and soon enough, she was ready to get back to the fun. Streemps shone upon thend, lighting up the amusement park. This was the perfect scene for couples to stroll around. They got on a few more rides and awaited the fireworks show. It was stated to begin at 8.30PM, and they got themselves a good spot right before it started. Jessie leaned in Julian¡¯s embrace as she watched the fireworks go off in the night sky. Whenever she shuddered from the sound of explosions, Julian would cover her ears. Any woman would feel moved that the man they liked cared so much for them, including her. After the fireworks, they came back out to rendezvous with Ashley. Then, they headed home. When they sent Jessie back to her home, Julian was rather reluctant to bid her goodbye. That trip to the amusement park had drawn them closer to each other, after all. Meanwhile, Eva returned to her neighborhood from a meeting with her friend. Louie went to work this morning, so I hope he¡¯s probably not at my home now. However, her hope was dashed. She came home to a dimly lit living room, and the said man was sitting on the couch with aptop on hisp, working. ¡°Why¡¯d youe here?¡± God, what should I do with him? ¡°You seem to be less than weing.¡± He shut theptop and approached her. Then, he took her bag and said, ¡°Well, I find most ces boring. Your home is the only exception. So, do pardon me for the intrusion.¡± God! If this weren¡¯t the house I got from thepany, I¡¯d have changed the locks ages ago. ¡°Are you tired? Up for dinner? I can treat you if you¡¯d like.¡± ¡°Thanks, but no thanks.¡± She shook her head. I¡¯m full already, anyway. Wait a minute. She turned her head sharply to look at the man. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t had dinner yet.¡± Ah, she pays attention to details. Louie shook his head. ¡°I haven¡¯t. I thought you¡¯de back home early, but as you can see, my prediction has gone awry.¡± It¡¯s already way past ten. You could at least get some supper, you know. I¡¯m not your mom. You don¡¯t have to wait for me like a hungry child. I still have some food my assistant gave me this morning. After a moment of contemtion, Eva asked, ¡°What would you like?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine with anything.¡± Louie smiled as he answered. He would love to say he wanted her, but he figured she might get mad and kick him out of her house if he did that. She opened up her fridge. Let¡¯s see. We have some veggies here. It¡¯s a bitte, so I¡¯m not going to make anything impressive. I guess I¡¯ll just make some poached eggs for him. After making up her mind about what she was going to make, she grabbed the ingredients she needed out of the fridge. She then returned to her room and changed into casual attire beforeing back out. Louie was still working, so she entered the kitchen without saying anything. A momentter, he could hear the sounds of cookinging out of the kitchen, and a smile tugged his lips. I¡¯ve been dreaming of this. A gentle wife and a warm, fuzzy home. It¡¯s not exactly what I had in mind, but we have got to start somewhere. Inside the kitchen, Eva was putting her utmost attention into preparing some simple poached eggs for him. She also cracked some eggs into it to add some vor to it. With how famous she was getting, eating out was no longer an option for her. Most of the time, she would cook for herself; thanks to that, she was now a half-decent cook. Thus, Louie couldn¡¯t help but drool slightly at the tantalizing smell of the poached eggs she had made. She came back out and served the food on the table. He shut hisptop off and approached the table. ¡°Smells good,¡± he remarked as he took a whiff. ¡°Care to join me?¡± ¡°No thanks, I¡¯m on a diet.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Why would you need a diet? You¡¯re not even fat.¡± A frown creased his forehead. I hold you every day, and I can tell you¡¯re not out of shape at all. ¡°Just eat,¡± she said. ¡°And you should go home after you¡¯re done eating.¡± Louie knew she wasn¡¯t trying to chase him off for real as he didn¡¯t sense any bite in her tone. I should finish the food first, he thought. Eva then headed for the bathroom to take a shower. He finished his poached eggs and did the dishes. By the time they were done, it was already 11.30PM. She stood on the balcony in her pajamas, uncorking a bottle of wine. Louie came in with a ss in his hand to join her. She stared into the distance, and suddenly, she asked, ¡°So, what are you going to do about your arranged marriage?¡± The question made him freeze for a few moments. He had wanted to hide it from her, but she still found out about it in the end. ¡°How did you know about this?¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Julian told me. I asked him, so don¡¯t me the guy.¡± She frowned slightly as she continued, ¡°I know this is hard for you, so I reckon we should break up. It is the best solution.¡± This is for the best. He can marry the girl his family arranged for him, while I can go overseas once the contract is over. Louie held her hand firmly. ¡°Breaking up won¡¯t solve anything. I won¡¯t let that happen. You¡¯re not leaving.¡± ¡°Please, you don¡¯t have to do this.¡± She tried to pull her hand back, but he refused to let go. Instead, he pulled her into his embrace and rested his chin on her shoulder. ¡°Are you really going to leave me behind?¡± Eva stiffened up. That was the one question she had never spent time considering, but she knew she could never leave him. ¡°We¡¯re going to be together, no matter the price.¡± He looked at her lovingly. I won¡¯t let you run away again. Tears glistened in her eyes. ¡°But¡­ you¡¯ll have to pay a heavy price for that.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll handle this, don¡¯t worry. Then, we¡¯ll have a wedding. A formal announcement that you¡¯ll be my wife,¡± he promised. She looked at him, tears of happiness welling in her eyes. He leaned down to kiss her tears away. Then, he held her cheeks gently before pressing his lips against hers. Everything stopped for a few moments. Eva could feel him taking her ss away before he picked her up in a princess carry and headed inside. ¡­ The Constantines were businesspeople relying on the operation of the malls to earn profits. However, their business had been slow as ofte, and their profits had been declining, so they had to use a trump card to solve their dilemma. They had to invoke their daughter¡¯s arranged marriage with a certain man. Stardom Corporation was a multinational conglomerate. Its worth was at least ten times what the Constantines¡¯ business was worth. Stardom used to be a small entertainmentpany, but thanks to Louie, it was now developed into a big and sessfulpany. Lucy had just returned home. She came to the living room and saw her father looking distressed as he sat on the couch. She took a seat beside him and promised, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dad. I¡¯ll marry him, I promise. Then, we won¡¯t have to worry about the business anymore.¡± ¡°You have to do whatever you can. They say he¡¯s dating one of his female artists.¡± ¡°Bah, she¡¯s merely his ything, I¡¯m sure. Anyway, I ain¡¯t worried much about that. I¡¯ll just have to make sure he won¡¯t sleep around once we¡¯re married.¡± She was a broad-minded woman. She didn¡¯t expect Louie to keep his chastity since she had also slept around. All she wanted was to be his wife, as he was the man she loved. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to them tomorrow.¡± She wasn¡¯t nning on talking to Louie. Instead, she wanted to see Eva, for she was the one standing between her and Louie. When Eva woke up the next morning, Louie was already gone, but there was a slip of paper with a message written on it lying before her bed. The message read, ¡®Don¡¯t forget to have your breakfast.¡¯ She got out of bed and went to the dining room. A smile crept on her face when she noticed a set of breakfast was already ced on the table. All her life, she was used to living by herself, but now that she had someone taking care of her, it surprisingly felt nice. Just when she was about to have breakfast, her phone rang. She picked it up. ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Miss Duncan, I would like to talk to you,¡± a woman said imperiously. Oh, it¡¯s Lucy. Eva then replied, ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t have time.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t take long, Miss Duncan. It¡¯ll only be half an hour. I¡¯ll be waiting for you in the coffee shop right outside your neighborhood.¡± With that, Lucy hung up. Eva stared at the breakfast on the table, sighing. Why does she want to talk to me? Reluctantly, she went to meet up with Lucy. Eva saw her in the coffee shop and figured she must have dressed herself up for the asion. Lucy was quite a beauty, but not as beautiful as Eva. Everyone knew Eva as the most beautiful woman in themunity. She looked just like a goddess, and most people didn¡¯t have looks of her level. Lucy stared at her with envy hidden deep in her eyes. ¡°Miss Duncan, I heard you¡¯re living with Louie. Do you wish to marry him?¡± She cut to the chase. Eva mused for a moment and nodded. ¡°I do have that idea, yes.¡± ¡°I would advise you to give it up. Our marriage arrangement is bound byw. You¡¯re the homewrecker in our rtionship. Should your fans know you seduced my fianc¨¦, that¡¯ll be it for your career.¡± The look on Eva¡¯s face changed slightly. ¡°Mind your tongue. You two haven¡¯t even married yet, so I¡¯m not a home-wrecker.¡± ¡°We will be married soon, though. What will you do when that happens, Miss Duncan?¡± ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Fury was starting to boil within Eva. ¡°I¡¯m telling you to leave him.¡± ¡°What makes you think you can do that?¡± Eva narrowed her eyes. Lucy had been bossy from the moment they met. Eva might be a patient woman, but this was a bit too much, even for her. ¡°Do you have any idea what Louie has to sacrifice just to date you? Twenty percent of hispany¡¯s shares. That¡¯s astronomical. Unless he marries me, my family reserves the right to im our shares in thepany.¡± Silence took Eva. ¡°Do you really think you¡¯re worth that much? If hispany runs into trouble, all his love for you will turn into resentment. Men like Louie love nothing more than their work,¡± Lucy sneered. ¡°He doesn¡¯t love you as much as he loves his work.¡± Eva remained silent. She had that talk with Louie the night before. ¡°Eva, you¡¯re beautiful enough to marry any other wealthy man you want. You don¡¯t have to obsess over Louie.¡± Lucy took a step back and pleaded, ¡°Please. I don¡¯t want to make things ugly, especially not with the Gilmores.¡± Eva met Lucy¡¯s eyes as she said icily, ¡°But he doesn¡¯t like you.¡± Lucy¡¯s face fell. ¡°What did you say? How did you know that?¡± ¡°Because he told me I¡¯m the only one he loves. He won¡¯t fall for anyone else. Not ever,¡± Eva answered calmly. ¡°Miss Constantine, you won¡¯t be happy marrying a man who doesn¡¯t love you.¡± ¡°How can you be sure he doesn¡¯t like me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve known him for years. He fell for me five years ago and has been waiting for me to return his feelings since then. I¡¯m not trying to brag, but he really loves me.¡± Eva was trying to dissuade Lucy from pressing on with the marriage. She couldn¡¯t leave him behind now, not when the alternative was¡­ this woman. If Louie would hold on, then so would she. ¡°Why you¡­¡± Lucy¡¯s face turned red from anger. She would¡¯veughed it off had any other woman said that, but not Eva. Lucy knew whatever she said was the truth, after all. ¡°Eva, beauty fades with age. He won¡¯t stay in love with you once you lose your beauty.¡± Eva blinked. ¡°But at least he still likes me now. Anyway, I¡¯ll be taking my leave now. I¡¯m busy.¡± With that, she got up and left. Lucy was left alone, feeling humiliated. She¡¯s showing off, huh? ¡°I bet he won¡¯t stay in love with you if you lose that pretty face of yours.¡± Just then, her face was contorted with envy. And I¡¯m going to ruin that face. Eva emerged from the coffee shop, basking in the warm sunshine. It felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She wanted to call Louie to tell him she would ept his love. The moment Louie exited the conference room, his assistant happily reported, ¡°President Gilmore, I heard Eva came.¡± A smile tugged his lips as he whisked out his phone to call Eva. The call went through easily. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°You¡¯re here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Come to my office.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just here to talk about the contract termination. So, I¡¯m not going up there,¡± she replied. What am I going to do with her? he thought to himself in resignation before descending the building to see her. At the same time, Eva was in the legal department, talking to the manager. The manager was in a dilemma. He didn¡¯t have enough clearance to handle her contract termination, but she wouldn¡¯t let him leave without a result. ¡°If you¡¯re not giving me an answer, then we¡¯ll have to do it by the book.¡± Eva was in a pure white dress, and her eyes were filled with determination. The intensity of her gaze was enough to intimidate most people. ¡°Please, Eva. You know there¡¯s nothing I can do about this. I can¡¯t do anything without the boss¡¯ orders. I don¡¯t have the authority to handle anything rted to you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. You¡¯re printing the contract, then I¡¯ll sign the papers,¡± Eva said. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll print it out. I can do that much.¡± The manager was about to send someone to print the contract, but then he saw his boss at the office¡¯s doorstep. His eyes shone with hope as he stood up. ¡°President Gilmore, you¡¯vee just in time!¡± Eva heaved a sigh. He came to stop me again, didn¡¯t he? ¡°I¡¯ll handle this. You do your work,¡± Louie said. The manager scooted off immediately. Louie turned his attention to Eva. One look into her eyes, and he knew she wouldn¡¯t stand down. He took a seat and faced her. ¡°If you stay, you can have whatever you want,¡± he said, trying to persuade her to stay. Eva blinked. ¡°Anything? Really?¡± ¡°Yes, you can ask for anything. Other than contract termination, of course.¡± ¡°In that case, give me your shares,¡± she proposed. Louie was stunned for a moment. ¡°You want to manage thepany?¡± ¡°Is that a no?¡± She cocked her eyebrow. ¡°Of course not. I can give it to you if that¡¯s what you want,¡± he replied. ¡°But the pressure would be great.¡± ¡°I would like to ask you a question. If you were to give me your shares, does that mean the Constantines can¡¯t have it anymore?¡± she asked seriously. A smile tugged at his lips. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re worried about me, is that it? Don¡¯t worry. I can settle this.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°They really, really want this plot ofnd, but they don¡¯t have enough connections to get it. However, I do. I¡¯ll talk to them. They¡¯ll have two choices; either they get the plot ofnd, or they get my shares. The latter of which can¡¯t be liquefied. Don¡¯t worry, Eva.¡± Euphoria welled within his eyes. Louie narrowed his eyes and approached her. ¡°But I¡¯m happy you¡¯re concerned about me.¡± She fixed her gaze on him. After a moment of staring at his face, she felt like she was being hit by a dizzy spell and could feel stars spinning around her. Even though she had seen many handsome actors in her career, they never made her heart race. Louie was the only one who had that effect on her. ¡°Let¡¯s go to my office.¡± He got up and extended his hand. Eva held his hand and let him lead her to his office. There had been a rumor spreading around the company. It was about her going to marry Louie soon, and the fact that they were holding hands right at this moment just gave credence to this rumor. She didn¡¯t likeing to his office. One of the reasons was that she wanted to stay away from him. The other reason was that he was still her boss, and she would still feel intimidated by him. He handed her his cup. ¡°Here, use my cup.¡± She took it and approached the French window to take in the view. I¡¯ve never realized that the view here is so beautiful. All of a sudden, Louie hugged her from behind, and it made her stiffen up a little. I still can¡¯t get used to this show of affection, especially when we¡¯re not at home. ¡°My ce tonight?¡± he whispered into her ear. Eva mused over it for a moment before nodding. ¡°Sure.¡± He heaved a sigh of relief. Finally! She¡¯s finally let go of the past, and we can now move forward. ¡­ Despite their precautions, some fans still caught Julian and Jessie¡¯s trip to the amusement park on camera. They didn¡¯t disturb the couple, though they still posted the pictures online. Eventually, those photos had gone viral. Everyone who saw those images had only one thing that crossed their mind. This looks like something straight out of a romance novel. The guy was tall, muscr, and handsome, while thedy was petite and cute. Jessie¡¯s height only reached about Julian¡¯s neck. This was the perfect height difference¡ªit was something that usually showed up in novels andics. ¡®I¡¯ve always thought they¡¯d make a cute couple. This proves it. Can¡¯t wait for their new show. I¡¯m going to watch it as soon as ites out.¡¯ ¡®Dayum. Finally, some good f*cking food. Loving this.¡¯ Jessie saw the photo when she was scrolling through her phone. Even she was shocked at it. So, that¡¯s how we look together? My, am I always looking this slim? I never knew that. He¡¯s so tall, making me look like a damsel beside him. In any case, I¡¯m going to save this pic. Can¡¯t help but love this pic so much. With that, she ended up making that picture her wallpaper. She was going to try out her bridesmaid gown that afternoon, and she wondered if Julian would show up. After having lunch, she and her family went to a high-end boutique. Everyone¡¯s attention was on Queenie. The old Manson couple hade with them. The two families came to try out the clothes they would wear during the wedding. Jessie was with her sister, who tried out the new gown she ordered. With some assistance from the retail assistant, she managed to change into it and emerged from the room for everyone to see. ¡°You look gorgeous in it, Queenie,¡± Jessie praised. ¡°Really? I love this gown, too.¡± Queenie nodded in approval. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go with this as my main gown, then.¡± Queenie had too many choices to choose from, but in the end, she finally made her decision. Then, it was time for Jessie to try out her bridesmaid gown. She went with a violet dress made of fine gauze that showed her beauty while maintaining a certain air of mystery about her. She looked great in that dress. Innocent and beautiful. She was admiring herself in the mirror when someone showed up behind her. At first, she thought it was her hallucination, but when she turned around, she was greeted by Julian. The guy had his hands in his pockets. He was looking at her with his gaze filled with approval and delight. ¡°How do I look?¡± Jessie spun around sheepishly. The confidence she had earlier faltered when she stood before him. She always felt inadequate whenever she was around him. She felt insecure, fearing that he might think less of her. ¡°You look gorgeous. Stunning, even.¡± He wasn¡¯t stingy with his praise. Her cheeks burned at hispliment. Then, she asked, ¡°Have you tried your suit yet?¡± ¡°Yes, I have. It was not bad, I think.¡± ¡°A shame I didn¡¯t get to see it.¡± She was slightly dejected for missing the chance to see him in his suit. ¡°You¡¯ll get to see it during the wedding. It¡¯s in three days. We¡¯re not in a rush.¡± He smiled. ¡°Leave something for the imagination.¡± Even without seeing it, Jessie knew Julian would look good in any shirt. However, that wasn¡¯t the only thing on her mind. She also wondered what he looked like without any clothes on. She blushed furiously upon thinking of that. The Silversteins and Mansons had dinner that night. Julian was there as well. The elders returned home after dinner while the kids went around town. Queenie, however, couldn¡¯t stay out for too long, so Nigel took her home. In the end, Julian and Jessie went on a little date. She showed him that photo andpared their height. ¡°Am I that short?¡± She puffed her cheeks indignantly. ¡°Well, I have noints about it.¡± He then pulled her into his embrace. ¡°You¡¯re my cup of tea, after all.¡± And that made her feel better. The next morning, all the guests who had time to spare came to the ind for some sightseeing as they waited for the wedding to begin. The Presgraves were already there. A little girl in a regal dress was running around on the grassy ins. Willow was already four, and she was as lively as a rabbit. No longer did she need anyone to hold her in their arms. She would much prefer to go around on her own. Behind her, her father and brother stood. She was giggling as she ran. Sometimes she would turn around to look at her family. A woman in a ck dress was following her closely, and she glimmered like a gemstone under the sun. ¡°Mommy, Mommy.¡± The girl turned back and trotted up to her mother when she realized Anastasia wasn¡¯t following. Anastasia waited for her. When Willow came near, she hunkered down and picked the exhausted girl up. Willow might be small, but the length of her hair had already reached her shoulders, and it was thick enough to braid. All the guests looked at them enviously. What a happy family. The wedding, as stated, was held three dayster. Romance filled the air, heralding theing of a grand event. The Silversteins, who came two days earlier, rested for a day. Jessie and Queenie went around the ind with their mother. Julian could only make it one day before the wedding because of his work. Jessie and Queenie stayed with their parents while Nigel and his parents were weing the guests. They were too busy to do anything else for the moment. And then, the day of the wedding came. A nket of fog draped over the ocean, lending an air of mystique to the ind. However, the mist bade a silent farewell the moment dawn broke through the horizon. Ayer of humidity hung in the air, dancing with the scent of flowers. It spruced up the emotions of everyone on the ind. Jessie helped Queenie put her makeup on. She looked great after having a good night¡¯s sleep. Then, it was Jessie¡¯s turn to put on her makeup. Most of the guests had arrived, taking up all the vis on the ind. In the vi where the Presgraves stayed, Anastasia picked her sleeping daughter up. Willow had a habit of sleeping in. She wouldn¡¯t sleep at night, that was why. However, this wedding was important, and Anastasia would not let her daughter be tardy. Willow¡¯s cheeks were chubby and soft, and her eyshes were long and curly. Her lips were puffed up, and her skin was gleaming. Her hair was ck and thick but was unkempt from sleep. Anastasia changed her into the pinkish-purple tutu and paired that up with a white shirt. She looked adorable, but the girl was still not awake. She was still lying on the couch while her mother did her hair. Eventually, Anastasia took her out of the room and gave her to Elliot. Once she was in the embrace of her father, the girl slept even better. Elliot couldn¡¯t resist kissing his daughter¡¯s cheek. Ever since Willow was born, he had changed a lot. He spoiled his daughter to no end, and she became the most important thing in his life. She was like a modern princess, loved by her whole family, and even her brother spoiled her as well. Her brother had never raised his voice around her or bullied her. In fact, she was the one who would y tricks on him now and then. ¡°It¡¯s almost 9.00AM. We need to go. Don¡¯t want to bete.¡± Anastasia emerged from her room, wearing a dark blue dress for the wedding. She looked elegant and almost royal. Elliot didn¡¯t want to miss the wedding, either. He held up his daughter and emerged from the vi with his wife. Then, they got into a car and went to the church. Jessie had arrived at the church. She got out of the car and saw Julian talking beside the grassy ins. He was wearing a bowtie, looking handsome in it. Hended on the indte at night the night before, so she didn¡¯t have the chance to meet him until now. Now that she finally saw him, it filled her with delight. She approached him. ¡°I¡¯ll be in the waiting room with Queenie.¡± He nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°Sure. Come back when you¡¯re done.¡± Jessie then took Queenie to the waiting room. The Mansons were there as well, and Jessie¡¯s mother was present too. Alright, I guess I can ck off a little. The wedding starts at 9.30AM. I have half an hour to spare. With that thought in mind, she descended the stairs and saw Julian waiting for her beside the grassy in. Her dress billowed in the wind, and the sea breeze danced with her hair. Julian thought she looked just like a fairy who descended from her home in the skies. They strolled down the path of the garden. The groups of guests were having fun in the distance, and roses bloomed on both sides of the path, celebrating the wedding that was toe and the love that was blooming. The couple said nothing, but they could feel romance hanging around them. Jessie spaced out and found her heels stuck in the cracks of the rock path. She gasped as she lost her bnce, and Julian pulled her into his embrace. She put her hands on his shoulders, her breathing labored. Then, their eyes met. The love between them was almost palpable. There was no exchange between them¡ªnone was needed, as all was understood. ¡°After the wedding is over and after our show wraps up, let¡¯s also hold a wedding like this, alright?¡± Julian spoke of the wish he had. Surprise glinted in Jessie¡¯s eyes. She wanted to have the kind of wedding her sister had as well, and now he was willing to give her just that. ¡°Sure.¡± She nodded, anticipation filling her eyes. He looked at the time and pulled her up. ¡°We should go now. Don¡¯t wanna bete.¡± Oh, right. Almost forgot. Her cheeks blushed. She held his hand and trotted all the way to the side door of the church. Julian let her pull him along to the church. It feels like we¡¯re running toward our happily ever after. They still had ten minutes left when they returned to the waiting room. Queenie looked at her sister and Julian, and she smiled as she thought, Seems like she has found her happily ever after as well. That¡¯s great. It¡¯s just like what I imagined. We¡¯re marrying men who are coincidentally good friends with each other. That¡¯ll strengthen our bond. ¡°Five minutes left, Miss Silverstein. Get ready.¡± The makeup artists and their assistants were helping Queenie with her makeup while Jessie was holding her sister carefully. Julian, on the other hand, went to the groom¡¯s waiting room. The Presgraves were seated at the first table. Finally, Willow stretched her arms. She was woken up by the noise around her. Once she opened her eyes, the girl quickly sat up and held her father tightly. Elliot patted her shoulder and said, ¡°Calm down, sweetie.¡± The girl was a brave one. She looked around, and her attention was immediately focused on the candies on the table. Right away, she took a bag of it and held it tightly like a rabbit worried about its food getting stolen. Anastasia saw that, and it amused her. She¡¯s safe in her father¡¯s hands, but she probably thinks someone will steal her candy anyway. She then turned her attention to Nigel, who looked dashing in his suit. She was reminded of her own wedding. It¡¯s been three years. Time flies. And then, it was time. The tune of Wedding March echoed across the hall, and the gates swung open. One gorgeous bride stood outside, the sun gleaming down on her. She emerged from the beam of light like an angel bearing happiness. Her bliss spread to all her guests, and even Willow was astounded by her beauty. She leaned on the table and stared at thedy who just came in. Queenie held her father¡¯s arm as she slowly marched toward the stage. Jessie followed behind them. Queenie¡¯s face was covered with a veil, but everyone could still see how beautiful she was. ¡°The bride¡¯s gorgeous.¡± ¡°Indeed! The Mansons are so lucky.¡± Brenda was crying tears of joy as well. They¡¯re finally getting married. Now, I can rest easy. After Queenie ascended the stage, Nigel extended his hand to hold her. She¡¯s pregnant. Can¡¯t let anything happen to her. Brandon teared up and handed his daughter¡¯s hand to Nigel. He then patted Nigel¡¯s hand. ¡°Take good care of her, Nigel.¡± Nigel gave Brandon a look of determination. ¡°Yes, Father. I will love her and protect her all my life.¡± That is good enough for me. With that, Brandon left the stage. He wanted nothing more than for his daughter to marry a good man. All he wanted was for her to live a peaceful life. Queenie teared up as well. Even after she was married, she would make it a point to visit her parents often. She wouldn¡¯t want them to feel lonely. For some reason, Jessie had the same thought as well. After I get married, I¡¯ll also make sure to visit Dad and Mom as much as I can. I don¡¯t want them to feel sad. I need to spend more time with them. Chapter 1461-1470 Chapter 1461-1470 Julian noticed Jessie wiping her tears away, and he gave her an understanding look. If they weren¡¯t in a church, he would have hugged her. The priest came forth and officiated the wedding. Eventually, the couple on stage exchanged their vows and hugged passionately. All the guests gave them thunderous apuse. Queenie didn¡¯t toss her bouquet. Instead, she turned around and gave it to Jessie. Jessie blushed, but she took it happily anyway. Thank you for the blessing, Queenie. Jonathan made a speech to give the newlyweds all his blessings and hopes. The banquet began, and the guests were servedvish, beautiful dishes. Willow had a great time eating them. The girl sat in a highchair and let her parents feed her. At the same time, she kept holding onto her candies. Jared had grown into a handsome and dashing young boy. He stopped acting cute like how he used to. Now, he was more collected and mature. Once he was done eating, he took his sister away, leaving their parents alone so they could eat in peace. Queenie switched into a dress proper for the banquet, and Jessie changed into a shorter dress as well. She and Julian apanied the newlyweds as they went around raising toasts to everyone. Queenie was a bit tired after all the toasting, so Jessie took her back to the waiting room. Nigel came in a whileter with a drunk Julian tagging along behind him. He drank a lot. Most of those were supposed to be toasts for Nigel. ¡°Jessie, leave Queenie to me. You should take Julian back to his vi. He needs to rest. Look at him. He¡¯s drunk.¡± Jessie nodded. ¡°Want me to hold you up?¡± she asked Julian. ¡°I can still walk,¡± he answered stubbornly, but the look on his face spoke otherwise. His fair-skinned face had a rosy hue to them, and she felt like biting him. They came to the corridor and made their way to the elevator. Then, he almost tripped over himself. She held him up. ¡°Let me help.¡± Just then, Julian leaned down, and their faces were millimeters away. Jessie¡¯s cheeks were set ame. The moment the elevator opened, she dragged him into it. A driver was tasked to take them back. She told him where Julian stayed, and the driver took them all the way there. She was already huffing and puffing when she painstakingly took Julian back home. He was nearly six feet two, and his size alone made it tough for her to drag him along. She wanted to let go of him the moment he hit the couch, but all of a sudden, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down. Caught by surprise, she fell into his embrace, and her heart skipped a beat. She raised her head only to be met by a pair of passionate eyes. Even without asking, she knew what he had in his mind. ¡°Stay with me,¡± said Julian hoarsely. ¡°I-I need to go back.¡± ¡°But Nigel told you to take care of me.¡± ¡°H-How should I go about that?¡± Jessie stammered. I can¡¯t take care of you while locked in your arms. ¡°Just let me hug you for a while.¡± With that, he held her tightly, refusing to let go. Quietly, she leaned on his chest. Silence swooped down on them, but her heart was still beating violently against her ribcage. This is my sister¡¯s wedding. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m making out with him here. A momentter, she thought Julian might need some water, so she said, ¡°I¡¯ll get you some water.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± he replied. However, for some reason, Jessie¡¯s hair was tangled with his belt. A pang of pain shot through her head the moment she stood up, and she gasped. Immediately, she fell back to him once more. ¡°My hair got tangled.¡± After saying that, she tried to untangle her hair from his belt. Unbeknownst to her, Julian tensed up. Hoarsely, he asked, ¡°Done?¡± Not yet. Little did Jessie know that she was dangerously close to making him snap. The alcohol was already fuzzing his mind in the first ce, and what she was doing now made things worse. She kept touching his belt and untangling her hair. When she was done, Julian looked redder than a cooked lobster, and his throat was parched. She got him a ss of water, and he gulped it down in one go. He then asked for another ss, and she poured another for him. Only then did he feel the fire within him die down a little. She put the cup down. ¡°I should take you upstairs. You need to rest.¡± He narrowed his eyes. ¡°Sure.¡± She took him upstairs. The alcohol was wearing off a bit, and his steps had more strength to them now. They entered his room, and Jessie noticed the curtains were open. Without much thought, she went over to draw the curtains, and the room went dim. Yet, Julian could still see the silhouette of her figure even with such poor lighting. Right then, he couldn¡¯t take it anymore. All he wanted was to rail her. He pulled her into his embrace, and when she turned around, he pressed his lips against hers. Time stopped for a moment for Jessie, her eyes widening with shock. However, she couldn¡¯t resist the kiss, not from him. Slivers of sunshine slipped into the room, lending it an element of warmth. With a voice barely counting as a whisper, he asked, ¡°Can I do you?¡± She remained silent as she was overwhelmed with embarrassment. How do you expect me to answer that? Well, I¡¯d say yes, but I¡¯m ady. I need to keep up appearances, she thought to herself. She wanted him to do her, but shecked the courage to ask him so. Before she could say anything, Julian pressed on deeper with his kiss, his hand touching her supple lower back. At that point, Jessie surrendered herself to him, letting him take her for a ride. For a moment there, she forgot her sister¡¯s wedding was still ongoing. Jessie could taste the taste of alcohol in her mouth. It came from Julian. Every breath he exhaled was filled with his almost scalding warmth. The alcohol still lingered in his system, so he spoke in a way that was out of his usual character, ¡°Oh, you feel hot. Did you have too much to drink as well?¡± No, I am hot because you¡¯re making me hot and bothered! ¡°N-No, I didn¡¯t,¡± she stammered. Just then, his phone rang, and she pushed him quickly. ¡°Hey, someone¡¯s calling you.¡± However, he didn¡¯t stop kissing. He huffed, ¡°Ignore it. It¡¯s nothing important.¡± Unfortunately for him, the phone wouldn¡¯t stop ringing. The only way to make it stop was for him to take the call. It must be important. Or else it would¡¯ve stopped ringing by now. ¡°You should take the call.¡± She shoved him away, huffing and puffing. If it¡¯s important and he misses it, it¡¯d be bad. Julian stared at the phone with hatred and fury in his eyes. For a moment, he was seized by the urge to toss it out the window. Dammit. This has better be important, or else¡­ He eyed the caller ID for a moment and took the call impatiently. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Young Master Julian, someone just informed us your car got scratched,¡± Ashley said, apparently panicking. Goddammit. ¡°Next time, you settle this yourself. You call me because of something inconsequential like that again, and I¡¯ll cut your pay!¡± he roared and tossed his phone away after hanging up. Jessie blinked. Oh, was that Ashley? No, I can¡¯t let him cut her pay. She¡¯s a nicedy. She approached him and wrapped her arms around him. Softly, she consoled, ¡°Alright, calm down now.¡± Julian sobered up a little just then as he was afraid that he might have frightened her with his shouting just now. He pressed his forehead against hers. ¡°Did I scare you?¡± ¡°What? The fact that you kissed me, or the fact you yelled at Ashley?¡± Jessie smiled. A chuckle escaped his lips. ¡°This is all your fault.¡± ¡°How is that my fault?¡± She blinked innocently. You kissed me, and that¡¯s supposed to be my fault? How? ¡°Because you¡¯re too pretty. I couldn¡¯t hold myself back.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not cutting her pay. She¡¯s a hardworking assistant, alright?¡± Jessie said solemnly. Julian gulped slightly at her serious tone. ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t cut her pay.¡± She heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing that. ¡°Get some sleep. I¡¯ll head back and see if they need my help.¡± I almost crossed the line. If Ashley hadn¡¯t called me, I might have left a bad impression on Jessie. Darn, I shouldn¡¯t have treated the first time so rashly. I don¡¯t want her to remember her first time as some sloppy sex during someone else¡¯s wedding, after all. He nodded after snapping out of his thoughts. ¡°Sure. I¡¯m fine now. You should head over and help them.¡± Once Jessie was gone, hey on the bed and called Ashley, who was still shocked after the call. ¡°Young Master Julian?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t cut your pay. Orville can deal with the car problem.¡± ¡°I see. Did I interrupt something, sir?¡± Her guess was correct. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± he snapped. ¡°You were with Miss Jessie, weren¡¯t you?¡± Julian was speechless. She knows me well, huh? He snorted. ¡°If you ask one more stupid question, you¡¯re not getting paid this month.¡± Quickly, Ashley said, ¡°Please, no, sir. Pretend I said nothing. You two have fun.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. He hung up soon after. His mind was still reying the scene of the earlier kiss, which sobered him up completely. Jessie returned to the ballroom, still looking red. Though, sheposed herself once she got inside. However, she would still feel a little embarrassed every time she was reminded of that kiss. Queenie was enjoying her desserts when Jessie entered the waiting room. ¡°Jessie!¡± Queenie invited her to share the sweet stuff. ¡°Come. I need someone to help me out with these.¡± Jessie obliged. She sat down and enjoyed the desserts as well. Eating desserts is the happiest thing to do, she thought. Everyone else was in the ballroom, chatting the hours away. Jared and Willow were ying on the field outside with a group of bodyguards keeping an eye on them. ¡°Birdie¡­¡± Willow could make out some simple words now. She pointed at the birds flying overhead as she spun around in delight. Jared crouched down beside her, smiling. ¡°Do you like them?¡± The girl nodded, grinning toothily. A gentle breeze whispered across the fields, and her hair sped her chubby cheeks. It was an adorable sight to behold. Anastasia came out a whileter and watched her kids y. They were her whole world. Now, she no longer wanted to expand herpany. It was big enough and was running well. Because of that, she now had more time with her family. ¡°Mommy!¡± Willow ran toward her the moment she saw Anastasia. She waddled like a little duckling as she ran. And then, she fell. Jared tried to pull her up, but Anastasia stopped him. Willow expected her brother or mother toe over and pick her up, but she realized Anastasia was looking somewhere else while Jared wasn¡¯ting either. She puckered her lips and got back up herself, feeling a little miffed. However, that feeling went away with the wind. The girl pped her hands and bravely went to her mother once again. Anastasia pretended she just saw Willow. She picked the girl up and kissed her cheek. ¡°Well done, Willow.¡± The girl raised her hands. With the best effort she could muster, she tried her best to recount how much the grass had hurt her hand, trying her best to get her mother¡¯s constion. ¡°Oh, did you hurt your hands?¡± ¡°Here, I¡¯ll blow on it for you.¡± Anastasia blew the girl¡¯s chubby hands and kissed them. Finally, the girl cracked a happy smile, and her slight grievance was finally sent off to the sea. The ind felt particrlynguid in the afternoon. Clear blue skies and vast calm seas. Lots of the guests took the chance to have fun in the ocean. The older guests took a nap and prepared for the wedding dinner. Queenie wanted to y as well, but she was in no condition for that. The first trimester was one of suffering as she couldn¡¯t eat or sleep well¡ªthings were hard on her. Nevertheless, she told Jessie to seize the chance to have fun. It wasn¡¯t every day she had a vacation, so she should make the most out of it. ¡°Get Julian. He can go with you. Dad and Mom are chatting with their friends as well.¡± That was what Queenie told her. Jessie was in a sprightly mood. Sleeping was thest thing on her mind¡ªshe wanted to have fun! The moment Julian got her call, he came to see her. They took a stroll through the area with coconut trees before emerging on the beach. Since everyone was far away from them, they had the whole beach to themselves. Jessie gasped in surprise and charged to the beach like a happy child. ¡°Gilmore, you have toe down here!¡± She called hisst name by ident. The girl was too happy to notice that. Oh, I never did tell her how to address me. Guess that¡¯s why she thinks she can call me whatever she wants. I need to change that. He followed her onto the beach. Then, he crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. ¡°What did you just call me?¡± asked Julian. Sheepishly, she said, ¡°Sorry, I was a little too excited.¡± She never called him by hisst name. Most of the time, it would just be ¡®Mr. Gilmore.¡¯ ¡°From now on, you¡¯re calling me Julian,¡± he said imperiously. ¡°But I think Mr. Gilmore sounds good, too.''¡± ¡°No. You¡¯re calling me Julian.¡± Proudly, Jessie nodded. ¡°Okay, Julian.¡± Julian patted her head. ¡°Good. From now on, you¡¯re calling me that.¡± Oh, he can be so bossy about everything when he wants. She nodded in acknowledgment. Then, she scooped up some seawater. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s not cold at all. It feels warm.¡± ¡°Do you want to swim?¡± She blinked. ¡°Can I?¡± ¡°As long as you want it.¡± Julian nodded. She was in a short dress, and they had no swimsuits lying around. Awkwardly, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll do itter.¡± She returned to the beach and had all the fun she wanted. She frolicked around and kept kicking the waters. Eventually, she lost her footing and fell. Right away, she backed away and plopped onto the sand. Well, this is super awkward. ¡°Oh, no! I got sand all over me.¡± ¡°Wash yourself in the waters, then,¡± Julian suggested. Something twinkled in his eyes, and he gulped slightly. He thought she looked alluring when she was drenched. Jessie took that advice and slowly stepped into the sea. She stopped when the seawater got to her waist level. Then, she let it wash the sand on her body away. When she came back up, her dress was already sticking to her, entuating her legs. ¡°We should go back now.¡± I need to get changed. She¡¯s not wearing any shoes. Julian made a mental note to himself before crouching down. ¡°Get up. I¡¯ll take you back on my back.¡± She held her heels and let him take her back to the vi. It was a peaceful stroll. The sun was shining; the birds were chirping. Jessie was leaning on Julian¡¯s back, feeling safe. They ran into a few waitresses and were recognized immediately. ¡°Oh my gosh!¡± The waitress gasped. ¡°It¡¯s them!¡± ¡°They look so good together.¡± ¡°He¡¯s taking her on his back. I envy her.¡± Jessie thought it was a bit daunting for Julian since he had to take her back to the vis. They were a few hundred yards away. However, instead of taking her back to her vi, Julian took her to his. She asked Lexie to get her a set of clothes. She was staying in the same vi as her parents, and she didn¡¯t want them to see the state she was in right now. That¡¯s why she asked for Lexie¡¯s help. ¡°I¡¯ll use your bathroom for a bit, Julian.¡± She took her clothes and headed for the bathroom. ¡°Sure,¡± he replied in acknowledgment. She wondered why he wasn¡¯t looking at her. Why is he looking away? In all honesty, he wanted to look at her. However, she would notice the desire in his eyes if he did. Jessie entered the master bedroom. Julian realized his phone was dead, so he went upstairs to get the charger, and it was then he heard Jessie showering in the bathroom. A current of electricity coursed through his body, and he took a seat on the couch, waiting for her. Then, he noticed something interesting. She forgot to take her clothes. Oh, does that mean I get to see something nice, then? She only realized she had forgotten her clothes after she was done showering. Oh, god. But thank goodness that Julian¡¯s downstairs. He¡¯s not here, so there¡¯s nothing to worry about. She covered herself with a towel and darted out of the bathroom. The moment she turned the corner, she saw Julian on the couch, and her clothes were right beside him. She eximed in her mind, Holy moly! I thought he was downstairs. Why is he here? ¡°I-I need to take my clothes.¡± She held her towel tightly, worried it might slip. He stared right at her, enjoying the beautiful sight in front of him. He picked her clothes up and handed them to her. Thinking he was just being nice, she happily took the clothes, but then he suddenly held her hand and pulled her into his embrace. She caught a whiff of his scent and felt everything around her spin a little. Didn¡¯t know he could be so cheeky. ¡°Julian¡ª¡± she started, though she never got to finish that sentence. He held the back of her head and pressed his lips against hers. She¡¯s so charming. I¡¯d love to gobble her up right now. This is killing me. Jessie was holding her towel with both hands, which made things easier for him. She can¡¯t even push me now. Julian didn¡¯t push her any further, though. Once he had enough, he picked up his phone and charger. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting downstairs.¡± Even at night, the ind glimmered and shimmered beautifully. The lighthouse and neon lights glowed thendmass up. The wedding dinner was a merry event as well. Everyone gathered and feasted with their friends. Some drank with their friends on the field outside. The guests who had families stayed with their families, while the younger people took this chance to date a little. Nigel and Queenie were talking to the elders while Jessie had run off. She wasn¡¯t someone who could sit still. Naturally, she went straight to the ce of her lover. He was waiting for her at the corner where it was dimly lit. She trotted over to him like a little fairy who couldn¡¯t wait to date her lover. Her hair billowed in the air, her dress dancing with the breeze. Eventually, they met, and she tilted her head. Adorably, she asked, ¡°Guess what I got you?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Julian narrowed his eyes. ¡°Aww, just take a guess.¡± ¡°Fine. Candies?¡± he said. Jessie¡¯s nose scrunched up. ¡°How did you get that right on the first try?¡± She thumped his chest lightly. He burst intoughter. That was just a random guess. He never expected to hit the mark, but he did. He pulled her into his embrace and kissed her cheek. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m sorry. Shouldn¡¯t have guessed it.¡± He¡¯s so sweet. She loved that he was apologizing for something this trivial¡ªit meant he cared about her feelings. He pushed her head closer to his chest, and she leaned into his embrace, enjoying the scent of flowers brought in by the gentle breeze. ¡°So, this is what bliss feels like.¡± Jessie sighed. We can see the Milky Way from here, and there¡¯s the moon up there. It feels like I¡¯m in a painting. Bliss, at least to Julian, was to have whatever he loved. He caressed her hair softly. ¡°Yeah. And I¡¯m feeling blessed to have you beside me, too.¡± Right then, someone on the boat out on the ocean started the fireworks. A delighted Jessie hugged him tightly. ¡°The fireworks are starting.¡± He happily wrapped his arm around her and watched the fireworks show with her. It went on for half an hour, and most of the fireworks would create different shapes and patterns after they went off. Eventually, they got tired from standing up for too long, so Julian took her to an open-air coffee shop to continue watching. He could watch the fireworks, have a cup of coffee, and date the woman he loved. A candle burned before them, and roses surrounded the table. What bliss. On the other side of the field, Willow was riding on her father¡¯s back, watching the fireworks happily. She would start to gurgle from time to time. Anastasia, on the other hand, leaned on her son. He¡¯s grown so tall. I¡¯m so proud of him. The newlyweds were also enjoying the fireworks. Queenie rested her head on Nigel¡¯s shoulder. We¡¯re married now. He¡¯s the one I¡¯m spending my whole life with. Eventually, the fireworks came to an end, but everyone wanted more. Yet, that was not to be. It was gettingte, and the older guests needed their rest. The young ones, however, could stay up and have more fun. Jessie wondered where Julian was taking her. Eventually, they came to the port, and a yacht was waiting on the sea. She froze for a few moments. Oh, right. He did say we were going out to the sea. They got onto the yacht and sped toward the moon hanging over the horizon. Eventually, they came to a stop in the middle of the ocean. The couple had some wine and enjoyed the view of the sea. Just the sight of it carried all their worries away, washing them into the depths of the ocean. Julian held Jessie in his embrace. ¡°Do you like this?¡± She nodded in approval. ¡°I love it.¡± He kissed her ear, and it triggered something in her. She turned around and held his face before leaning in and kissing him. It was a deep, passionate, and beautiful kiss. Even the air had turned hot and heavy from the intensity of their kiss. However, they pressed on. It wasn¡¯t until Jessie felt herself perspiring did she let Julian go. Julian was sweating as well, but he couldn¡¯t help but tease, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re sweating.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hot.¡± She fanned herself with her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel anything?¡± He felt it, alright. Everything inside him was screaming and begging him to give them some release. ¡°We should have some water.¡± He entered the cabin and got her a ss of warm water while he gulped down a bottle of cold water. Wow, he¡¯s gulping it down. As she was worried, she said, ¡°Slow down. You¡¯re going to catch a cold at this rate.¡± He choked on himself and coughed. Awkwardly, he asked, ¡°How did you know I was down with a cold last time because I drank too much cold stuff?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the only reason. You took an ice-cold shower, too, didn¡¯t you?¡± Jessie smirked. ¡°I¡¯m not a kid, you know. I¡¯m an adult now. I know a lot of stuff.¡± Julian kept quiet for a few moments before he broke into a smile. ¡°So, you know everything, I take it?¡± She cocked her eyebrow. ¡°Of course.¡± Without shame, he asked, ¡°So, tell me, why did I take the cold shower?¡± Her cheeks lit up when she heard his question. She bit her lip and hung her head low sheepishly. ¡°You can¡¯t expect me to go into detail.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not saying, then we might need to be a bit more¡­ hands-on with our approach.¡± He wiggled his eyebrows. If there were a hole somewhere, Jessie would have buried herself in it. I can¡¯t believe they call this guy innocent. His fans think he¡¯s an honest-to-goodness saint and that he¡¯s not interested in anything lewd. If only they could see the current him. If she had the chance, she would tell the fans they got it all wrong. He¡¯s a perv, through and through. And he even knows how to talk dirty. ¡°Perv.¡± She clicked her tongue, but in all honesty, she loved this. Julian¡¯s fans would have killed to have a chance to date him, yet all Julian cared about was Jessie. All he wanted to do was flirt with her, make out with her, and eventually gobble her all up like she was a nice little meal. He stopped teasing her after that, and she asked him to take some pictures. This was the couple¡¯s privilege. He would do anything to take the best pictures of her. A few hundred photoster, Jessie found herself going through each and every one of the photos, smiling at the sight of them. And then, it was her turn to take his photos. He was handsome, and the shadows hung over his eyes, making his eyshes look longer than usual. He¡¯s so hot. It was already 2.00AM when they came back. A drizzle fell, covering the ind in ayer of humidity. They got into a car and headed to her vi. Since Jessie was staying with her parents, she couldn¡¯t make out with Julian too much, and she went to her room soon after. Still, it was a memorable night. Many years down the road, she would remember this night, and it would make her smile. Back in Averna, Eva fell asleep in Louie¡¯s arms. Louie was still awake, and his eyes trained on her. He refused to shift his gaze, for she was his whole world. Wonder whom our first child will take after. But I bet they¡¯ll be cute. A smile curled his lips, and he pecked her cheek before he finally fell asleep. The couples were fast asleep, but there was someone who was still wide awake. The lights in Lucy¡¯s room were still on. She was on her couch, holding a magazine and staring at the photo of a certain man. It was one of the rare shots anyone had of Louie. In that photo, he was sitting on a regal couch with his legs crossed. He gleamed like the most beautiful diamond in the world, and his eyes shone like obsidian. Behind those eyes resided the wisdom of Solomon. She was addicted to him as a junkie would toward substances. She had seen this photo countless times, yet she didn¡¯t find the photo any less appealing. If she could, she would¡¯ve married Louie right away. Yet, he¡¯s sleeping with another woman right now. Most women would kill to sleep with him. And now, I have an arrangement that can legally make me his wife. I¡¯m not going to let this chance slip by. Lucy¡¯s father told her that Louie had control of that plot ofnd their family wanted to invest in. Louie had proposed an exchange. The arranged marriage¡¯s cancetion for his plot ofnd. It was an enticing offer, and her father brought it up with her. He would like to see what she thought of it. However, she wouldn¡¯t agree to it. Lucy couldn¡¯t care less about that plot ofnd, not when her marriage was at stake. She would never let her father agree to the deal, and Louie was someone who cared for nothing but profit, or so she thought. I know him. Everything he does, he does for profit. He only likes Eva for her looks. If she loses that, he won¡¯t stay with her anymore. When ites to that, he¡¯ll never let go of his shares for a woman who has lost the only trait he likes. Maybe he¡¯ll agree to the marriage then, and I can finally be his wife, staying with him forever. I might get to enjoy all the perks of marrying him. She looked at his photo once more, the sight of it stoking the mes of desire within her. Just a look at his photo was enough to make her shiver. ¡°I won¡¯t let anyone else take you,¡± she muttered. Most of the guests were already leaving the day after the wedding. The Presgraves were among them. It had been four days since they came to the ind, and Jared had school to attend. Nigel and Queenie sent them off after breakfast. Before they parted ways, Anastasia told Queenie to call if she needed anything. Anastasia was a mother of two. She knew how to handle most problems that would arise during pregnancy. ¡°Of course, Anastasia,¡± Queenie said gently. ¡°We¡¯re a family now. You and Nigel shoulde and visit us when you have time.¡± Nigel was ying with Willow. The girl even kissed him, much to his delight. ¡°Oh, we¡¯ll visit you a lot,¡± he said. He then looked at Jared. ¡°Woah, Jared¡¯s tall now. Bet he¡¯ll be six feet tall in a few years. Time flies, huh?¡± Jared held Nigel¡¯s hand and looked at him with anticipation in his eyes. ¡°Can I have your gaming system, Uncle Nigel?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t give up until I say yes, huh? Fine, you can take it.¡± Nigel¡¯s focus was on his wife now. He lost interest in games, so Jared could have his gaming gear. Anastasia said, ¡°It¡¯s fine to y games, but remember not to neglect your studies, Jared.¡± Elliot didn¡¯t mind Jared ying games. He was confident his boy had enough discipline to control himself. And this is good for discipline training. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom. Two hours on the weekend. That¡¯s all.¡± The newlyweds saw them off and returned to their vi. They were going to stay for a few more days. It was a nice ce. Fresh air and a quiet environment. It was a perfect ce for a pregnant woman. Eventually, Julian and Jessie had to leave as well. They, too, had work to do. After saying their goodbyes, they hopped onto the helicopter and enjoyed the sea view as the chopper flew across the air. It was 3.00PM when they returned to Averna. Julian asked Louie and Eva out for dinner, and Jessie went with him. Her parents were still on the ind, so she had the freedom to do whatever she wanted. ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay at my ce tonight?¡± Julian suggested. She nodded. ¡°If you want me to, then sure.¡± ¡°Of course, I want you.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I¡¯d love for you to stay.¡± ¡°Not up to anything cheeky, I hope.¡± She could see right through him. ¡°Nope,¡± he denied. Not like you can do anything about it once we get home. Jessie shrugged it off. Eva had called her, inviting her over for dinner. The Gilmore brothers met up at 6.00PM, bringing their partners along. This meeting was a cheery one, and thedies became good friends. It was only a matter of time before they became family. That fact was not lost on the Gilmore brothers, either. They took great care of thedies throughout dinner. And then, they parted ways at 8.30PM. Jessie followed Julian home, and Lexie had already made sure Jessie¡¯s suitcase was sent to the house. Before she left, Lexie inched closer to Jessie¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°Hey, Jessie, I got you two sets of pajamas. Make sure to use them tonight.¡± Wait, what? Jessie was confused for a second before she was reminded of the days she spent with Lexie. Lexie¡¯s kind of a perv, too. But I¡¯m not! I might be able to talk dirty, but I¡¯m not one for actions! Jessie had seen Julian¡¯s house once. She thought his house¡¯s decor was simple, stylish, and manly. She loved it. The simplicity caught her attention, and the French window was set at the one ce where they could see the best of Averna. While she was enjoying the view, Julian handed her a ss of water. ¡°Here, have a ss of water.¡± She took it and asked sheepishly, ¡°So, where am I going to sleep tonight?¡± ¡°I have one master bedroom and five guest rooms. Make your pick,¡± he said. She pursed her lips as she mused over her choice, but then he smirked. ¡°The master bedroom is on the list as well, you know.¡± Hisment made her blush. ¡°I¡¯m not going to sleep in the same room as you.¡± ¡°Make your pick, then,¡± said Julian. Jessie then went around his house. It was a duplex measuring about a thousand square meters. She went upstairs and looked outside the French window. The view is so beautiful here. She looked around the bedrooms and kept walking down until she came to a bedroom decked out with a suite and a mini living space. Curious, she entered the room and had a look. And then, she entered the closet room. ss cabs stood inside, which held nothing but men¡¯s suits. Also, she saw a watch inside. ¡°This can¡¯t be the master bedroom, can it?¡± She blinked. Someone opened the door, and it made her leap with a start. Julian was holding his jacket. He noticed her in his bedroom, and he chuckled. ¡°So, you¡¯ve made your choice, I see.¡± ¡°This is your bedroom?¡± Jessie felt a bit awkward. His house is big. Too big. ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded in affirmative. Sheepishly, she said, ¡°No, I was just looking around. Not going to take your room.¡± She didn¡¯t leave right away, though. She went around for another look. The room was painted gray, and the French window in his room almost showed the full scenery of Averna. Our taste in aesthetics matches. ¡°Gosh, you have a beautiful house,¡± she praised. ¡°You can stay for a bit if you want,¡± he purred. Jessie would love that. ¡°Really?¡± She turned around to look at him. ¡°Yeah. We don¡¯t have to go back to work right away. Stay around and have fun.¡± A smile tugged at his lips. If this were a cartoon show, the shadow of Julian would have a tail slowly swaying behind him. He looked like a wolf trying to trick Little Red Riding Hood into getting eaten. ¡°Sure.¡± She wanted to stay at his home as well. It¡¯d be a st. She kept looking around his house, and Julian followed. Eventually, she came to the cinema room. God, I must watch a movie here. Anticipation filled her heart as she made a mental note to herself. A tour around the house showed her a gym room, a kitchen on the second floor, and there was even a bar counter. Finally, Jessie picked the bedroom closest to Julian¡¯s, and Julian came back with her suitcase. When she realized it was already 11.00PM, she said, ¡°You must be tired. Get some rest. ¡°Holler at me if you need anything.¡± A smile curled Julian¡¯s lips, and he left. I am not going to holler at you. Jessie opened her suitcase, and the first thing she saw was the sets of pajamas Lexie had prepared for her. One was pink, while the other was purple, and both were almost transparent. She held them up, thinking, Can you even call these pajamas? Wonder where she got these. Jessie wanted to take a shower, but she couldn¡¯t find her normal pajamas. ¡°Lexie!¡± Jessie gasped. ¡°Why did you take my normal pajamas away? What are you doing?¡± Oh my god. Are these the only PJs I have now? Man, I might have to hire another assistant. Darn you, Lexie. I bet she¡¯sughing her socks off right now. Jessie wanted to scream, but she had no choice. In the end, she picked the purplece pajamas. At least it looked slightly more modestpared to the pink one. She finished showering and came out wearing the purple silk nightdress. She felt shy, but she thought the night dress showed off her curves perfectly. Good thing I¡¯m alone here. It¡¯d be embarrassing if someone else were here. Hm, it¡¯s really quiet, though. Something¡¯s missing. Oh, right. My phone. She was used to the sounds of text notificationsing from her phone, but that was missing right now. It was then she realized her phone was in the living room. Should I go out right now? I¡¯m in a nightdress. I wonder if Julian¡¯s in his room. Jessie was having an internal struggle. Hm, but it¡¯s alreadyte. He must be in his room by now. She opened the door slightly to take a look, but before she could even look around, she saw Julian standing before her door. He was wearing a ck silk robe, and in his hand was her bag. Apparently, he was nning on giving her bag back. Jessie took a deep breath, wondering which part of her she should cover. Julian was staring in earnest as well. Oh, that¡¯s a nice night dress. Just what I like. In the end, she thought she should cover her chest, so she put an arm over her breasts. Shyly, she said, ¡°Can I have my bag?¡± Julian handed the bag over to her. ¡°Here you go.¡± Jessie kept her eyes on the bag, ready to dart out of her room to take it and dart back in right away, but just as she grabbed the bag, Julian tugged on it and pulled her into his embrace. Oh gosh. I fell for it. However, she didn¡¯t mind. She was fine with getting tricked as long as the trickster was Julian. She closed her eyes, leaning on his chest. ¡°So naughty,¡± she whispered. Julian ced the bag on her chest and carried her in his arms. ¡°The main bedroom is big enough for the two of us. You can sleep there.¡± ¡°S-Sure,¡± Jessie stammered. She was willing to share a room with him. After all, he was her lover, and lovers were supposed to share the same bed. Besides, Queenie¡¯s going to be a mother soon, and I¡¯m going to be twenty-five in November. I should start thinking about raising a family now. Moreover, my boyfriend is the man of my dreams, she told herself. Jessie caught a whiff of his scent and prepared herself. Anything that happens tonight, happens. She finally epted her fate and leaned cozily in his embrace. Julian put her down on the bed gently, and a smile tugged at his lips. ¡°Sleep.¡± Chapter 1471-1480 Chapter 1471-1480 ¡°Wait. You¡¯re staying up?¡± ¡°Yeah. I can¡¯t sleep, so I texted a few friends. We¡¯re going to y some video games,¡± Julian chuckled. Jessie sat up and held his arm. ¡°I¡¯m more important than your games. You¡¯re not leaving.¡± Huh. Julian just wanted an excuse to leave. If he stayed around for any longer, he might let his inner beast loose. ¡°So, you want me to stay?¡± Hoarsely, he asked, ¡°You do know what that means, right?¡± Jessie pursed her lips. It embarrassed her to say this, but still, she mustered the courage to speak. ¡°I know. I¡¯m not a kid anymore.¡± Julian gulped. He leaned down and held her hands above her head. ¡°You won¡¯t regret this?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± She stared right back at him. I won¡¯t regret this. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± he asked huskily. Because of love? I don¡¯t want to force her. ¡°I-I don¡¯t want you toe down with another cold. Enough with the cold water and shower.¡± That was the only excuse she coulde up with at the time. But that was enough for Julian¡ªenough for him to see that she loved him. He turned the night lights off, plunging the room into darkness. The only sources of light came from the moon and the twinkling stars outside. The air was turning hot and heavy at a blistering rate, and the only sound that pierced through the air was Julian¡¯sbored breathing. It felt like his breath was made of fire. Dawn came. Rays of sunshine filtered through the window and into the room, shining on the couple who were sleeping in each other¡¯s embrace on the gray bed. Julian¡¯s chin rested on Jessie¡¯s forehead, while she rested her head against his chest, his arm acting as her pillow. The look on her face spoke of satisfaction, while her nightdressy on the ground in tatters. Bad quality, perhaps. Julian woke up first, still in disbelief. What happened the night before was insane, and now Jessie was finally, truly his. A sense of responsibility filled him. He knew he had one more thing to protect now. He kissed her forehead gently as if leaving his imprint on her. The kiss woke Jessie up, and her eyshes fluttered as she did. She stared at Julian like an innocent doe, then she buried her face in his chest. ¡°You weren¡¯t this shyst night,¡± he chuckled. But it¡¯s broad daylight now. I can¡¯t do as I please, not when it¡¯s not dark. ¡°Want to get up?¡± ¡°Nah. I want to lie in your bed and sleep in until noon.¡± Jessie was still exhausted. Julian drew the curtains shut, keeping the rays of sunshine out, and they went back to sleep. Eva woke up early in her apartment. There wasn¡¯t much work to dotely, so she asked a senior of hers out for tea. That veteran helped her out once, so Eva got her a gift. Eva had a good reputation in the industry thanks to how she treated people. She would remember all the favors everyone had done for her, and once she made it big, she would return them. The clock struck two, and Eva left her home. She descended to the underground car park and got in her car, then left theplex. The moment her car left the car park, a ck off-road vehicle with sturdy steel bars installed at the front tailed her. The driver of the off-road vehicle made a call to someone. ¡°Tailing her right now.¡± ¡°Good. Do as I say, and you¡¯ll get paid handsomely.¡± ¡°I got it,¡± the man answered. ¡°This is my job, after all.¡± Little did Eva know that she was tailed. It was to be expected since most people wouldn¡¯t be this paranoid. She made her way to the restaurant and stopped in front of a red light in a slightly remote area. It was then the off-road vehicle sped up and mmed into Eva¡¯s car. Eva¡¯s car flipped over and rolled twice beforeing to a stop. She was hanging from her seat, unconscious. Her hair tumbled down to the car¡¯s base while blood trickled down her forehead that was mmed into the steering wheel. The man hopped out of his car and approached Eva, a knife in his hand. He hadn¡¯t been ordered to kill Eva. Instead, he was told to knock her out and sh her face. Indeed, he had received orders to disfigure her. Eva had no idea danger was closing in and that her beauty was in jeopardy. Fortunately, her guardian angels were looking out for her. A firetruck zipped by just in time. They had just returned from a firefighting mission and ran into this unfortunate event. A few firemen hopped off the truck, and the criminal tucked his knife away. He then put on a look of worry. ¡°Quick, save her!¡± The bo of Eva¡¯s car had oil leaking through it, and smoke billowed in the air. First, the firemen rescued Eva from the car, then they put out the smoke. Eva was then taken to the nearest hospital. At the same time, the criminal returned to his car and made a call. ¡°I failed. I could¡¯ve done it, but some firemen showed up. She escaped with nothing but a wound on her forehead.¡± Eva¡¯s car flipped over and rolled twice beforeing to a stop. She was hanging from her seat, unconscious. Her hair tumbled down to the car¡¯s base while blood trickled down her forehead that was mmed into the steering wheel. ¡°What? I specifically told you to cut her face up. A forehead wound won¡¯t do anything!¡± ¡°What? I specifically told you to cut her face up. A forehead wound won¡¯t do anything!¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t do anything. There were firemen around. I¡¯m in trouble now. I need to settle it, so pay up.¡± ¡°Fine, but only a third of the money. We agreed to that, remember? Full sum only on jobpletion.¡± ¡°What? I almost killed someone because of you!¡± ¡°I have the cash ready. Come and take it,¡± Lucy hissed. She wouldn¡¯t pay full price unless the job was completed. The criminal sped off to meet Lucy. At the same time, Eva was in the hospital for treatment. Half an hourter, the man came to the meeting spot where a red sports car stood. Before he got out of the car, he whipped out a knife and hid it behind his back. Lucy had just arrived not too long ago. She had the full sum in cash, but now she had to split it into three parts. Lucy opened up her trunk, and the sight of cash caused the criminal to be crazy. Stupidly enough, Lucy said, ¡°You¡¯re only getting a third of this.¡± She then proceeded to take the money. However, the man held a knife against her throat. ¡°I want all of it.¡± ¡°No way.¡± Lucy needed money as well. She had gone to lengths just to withdraw all the money she had for this sabotage. He failed, yet he expects to get all the money from me? She wouldn¡¯t agree to it, obviously, but she did another stupid thing. She fought back. Lucy kicked the man, and it made him snap. His greed took over, and he slit her neck open. Blood spurted from her wound, and Lucy fell to the ground. The man promptly took all the money and hurried back to his car. I have to get out of here. Then he escaped. A couple was just walking by. The girl was holding her boyfriend¡¯s arm, and when she noticed Lucy, she screamed. It made her boyfriend jolt. When he saw Lucy lying in a pool of blood, he too lost his cool, but he quickly whipped out his phone and, with trembling hands, called 911. The cops arrived first. It didn¡¯t take long for them to identify who the victim was. Her ID and driver¡¯s license were in her bag, after all. Lucy¡¯s father got a call soon enough, and it was the bearer of bad news. His daughter had died. ¡°What? Who are you? Are you trying to make me angry? Because you¡¯re doing a great job right now. My daughter¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°I am a cop, Cornelius. This is not a joke. I need you toe here right now.¡± Not too long after the cops called the Constantines, the ambnce arrived. There was no need for the doctors to do anything, however. Lucy¡¯s artery had been cut and she had bled to death. At the same time, anotherdy was also in the ER¡ªEva. Eva¡¯s parents had divorced. Her father died while her mother remarried a foreigner, hence the cops called her manager to let her know what was going on. Sera was in disbelief, but then she called Louie. Louie set aside all his work immediately and sped to the hospital. Louie tried to barge into the emergency room, but a nurse stopped him. ¡°Sir, the patient is still under medical attention. Please, wait outside. Do not disturb the doctors.¡± Louie¡¯s heart sank. She was fine this morning. What happened? Why is she hurt? ¡°What happened? Why did she go out all by herself? Did you find the perpetrator?¡± Sera was worried as well. She shook her head. ¡°I came as soon as I got the cops¡¯ call. I haven¡¯t had time to ask about the details of the ident.¡± That had to wait as nothing was more important than Eva. At the same time, another tragedy was unfolding. The Constantines rushed all the way to the crime scene. They couldn¡¯t believe their daughter was dead, but when they saw their daughter¡¯s corpse lying on the street, both of them almost passed out. However, what they couldn¡¯t ept even more was why Lucy died. ¡°I am a cop, Cornelius. This is not a joke. I need you toe here right now.¡± ¡°We looked into her transaction record. She withdrew a huge sum of money a couple of days ago. We suspect that this is linked to her death.¡± ¡°We looked into her transaction record. She withdrew a huge sum of money a couple of days ago. We suspect that this is linked to her death.¡± ¡°You have to find the murderer. I don¡¯t care how much it costs. Give her the justice she deserves,¡± Cornelius said tearfully. It¡¯s a shame. She could have gotten married to Louie and helped the family immensely, but now she¡¯s dead. The marriage is annulled. It was a double whammy for the Constantines. Fiona was on her knees, crying her heart out. ¡°My girl! Why¡­ Why did you leave us?¡± She almost passed out. Eva was nearly dead when she was sent to the hospital. Fortunately, the doctors worked their best, and her heart was finally beating as normal. A sliver of color had returned to her otherwise pallid face. The operation was a sess. The moment the doctors emerged from the emergency room, someone hurried up to them. ¡°How did it go, doctor?¡± ¡°The operation is a sess. She¡¯s stable, but we¡¯ll have to keep her under observation in the ward.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Louie heaved a sigh of relief as he felt a weight lifted off his shoulder. Eva was everything to him. It would be devastating if the woman he had loved for so long were to die. Thank god she¡¯s still alive. A whileter, someone pushed Eva out of the emergency room. Her forehead was covered inyers of bandages, and she was wearing blue hospital scrubs. Louie thought she looked fragile; it was as if she could break into a thousand pieces at any moment. It made his heart ache. He followed the nurse to the ward, then he carried her and ced her on the bed himself. He let the nurses set up the IV infusion and machines before he approached her. Louie held her hand softly, and he kissed her palm. Sera was shedding tears. She said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave her to you, sir. This ident requires my attention. Something tells me there¡¯s more to it than it seems.¡± ¡°Go.¡± Louie nodded. Sera left. All that could be heard in the ward were the beeps of the machines. In the silence, tears welled up in Louie¡¯s eyes. He wished it was him, not Eva who had to endure this. Meanwhile, fury and sorrow enveloped the Constantines. They were helping the cops out with the case. ¡°Officer, you must arrest the murderer. My daughter deserves justice.¡± ¡°I know. We¡¯re looking into it as best as we can.¡± Besides the death of Lucy, Cornelius was also worried about something else. The terms of the arranged marriage clearly stated it would be void should either party were to pass away. Sera was also helping with the investigation of Eva¡¯s car crash. She was going through the footage of the ident. Eva was driving carefully in the footage and did not break any trafficws, but then a ck off-road vehicle sped up and crashed into her car. Eva¡¯s car spun two times before it came to a halt. The mere sight of it almost made Sera¡¯s heart stop. Why did he do that? He could have killed Eva. What did Eva ever do to him? ¡°We¡¯re looking into Eva¡¯swork, and we need your help. Do you know this man?¡± The man was dressed in ck and wearing a mask. All Sera managed to see were his eyes and nothing else. She took a closer look and shook her head. ¡°I have never seen him before, and Eva won¡¯t even get near anyone shady. She tries to live a quiet life, and I¡¯m the one handling the business side of things.¡± ¡°Does she have a boyfriend?¡± Meanwhile, fury and sorrow enveloped the Constantines. They were helping the cops out with the case. ¡°Officer, you must arrest the murderer. My daughter deserves justice.¡± ¡°Yes. Our boss, Mr. Louie Gilmore. He loves her deeply.¡± ¡°Yes. Our boss, Mr. Louie Gilmore. He loves her deeply.¡± ¡°I see. We¡¯ll need his testimonial as well.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll tell him about it. He¡¯ll be here as soon as possible.¡± Another officer came in. He told the questioning officer, ¡°Lucy¡¯s death has something to do with this guy as well.¡± ¡°Lucy? As in Lucy Constantine? What happened to her?¡± Sera asked out of curiosity. She and Eva talked about Lucy once, and she wanted to know what happened. ¡°Lucy Constantine was murdered earlier. Three in the afternoon.¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s unbelievable!¡± Sera was shocked. Lucy is Mr. Gilmore¡¯s fianc¨¦e, but now she¡¯s dead? Sera hurried to the hospital right after she left the police station. Eva was still unconscious. Sera told Louie he had to make the police station trip the next day, and she also told him about Lucy¡¯s death. A frown creased Louie¡¯s forehead. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s her?¡± ¡°The cops told me it¡¯s her. I don¡¯t think they were lying. Didn¡¯t anyone tell you, sir?¡± ¡°The Constantines haven¡¯t, no.¡± Louie shook his head. Why haven¡¯t they told me anything? Are they suspecting something? And why did Lucy die all of a sudden? ¡°They say she was murdered,¡± Sera spoke with fear in her voice. ¡°Did someone take their revenge on her?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯ll have to wait for the Constantines to contact me.¡± Louie wouldn¡¯t look into this himself. Cornelius was having his testimonial taken at the police station. The cop asked, ¡°Did Miss Constantine contact anyely? Has your family been at odds with anyely?¡± That reminded Cornelius of a certain person, and fury welled up within him. ¡°Yes. He¡¯s my daughter¡¯s fianc¨¦. It¡¯s an arranged marriage, but he refuses to go through with it because he fell for another woman. I think he¡¯s the one who murdered my daughter.¡± ¡°What¡¯s his name? And his job?¡± ¡°Louie Gilmore, the president of Stardom. I¡¯ve signed a contract with his parents regarding the arranged marriage, where the terms state that should he not go through with the marriage, he must give twenty percent of hispany¡¯s shares to me. It¡¯s a huge sum of money. I have reason to believe he killed my daughter.¡± Even Cornelius talked himself into believing this line of reasoning. Louie¡¯s powerful enough. He can do anything for that woman. ¡°I see. We shall be interrogating him.¡± The cop held a photo up. ¡°Do you know this person, then?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°We went through your daughter¡¯s call history. Thest two calls she made were directed to this person. His name is Zack Lore. He¡¯s a drifter and an ex-convict.¡± ¡°My daughter would never get involved with someone like him.¡± The cops recorded his testimonial and told the Constantines to go home and wait for the news. ¡­ Julian and Jessie came to the hospital right after they received Louie¡¯s call. They too were worried about Eva, who was still unconscious and pale as a ghost. Tears welled up in Jessie¡¯s eyes. ¡°Did you find out who did this?¡± Julian was furious. Louie went through a lot for this rtionship. Just when he finally got to date Eva, she got into this ident. ¡°The cops are still investigating. Their suspect is a masked man,¡± Sera answered. Just then, Louie¡¯s phone rang. He quickly picked it up. ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Louie Gilmore? We¡¯re the cops. We suspect that you¡¯re involved in a murder and will need you to come to the police station in thirty minutes.¡± ¡°Is this about Lucy Constantine?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be there right away.¡± I expected this. The Constantines do have reason to suspect me. ¡°Julian, you and Jessie stay here. Call me when Eva wakes up. I need to deal with something.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°We went through your daughter¡¯s call history. Thest two calls she made were directed to this person. His name is Zack Lore. He¡¯s a drifter and an ex-convict.¡± ¡°Is Lucy really dead?¡± Julian asked, worried. And the Constantines think Louie did it? ¡°Is Lucy really dead?¡± Julian asked, worried. And the Constantines think Louie did it? ¡°I need to be at the police station.¡± Louie nodded. Louie was in an interrogation room. Unlike most people, he was calm and collected. ¡°Mr. Gilmore, we¡¯re looking into the case of Lucy Constantine¡¯s murder. Her family said there¡¯s a conflict of interest between you and them. Did you murder her?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ve never gotten that idea.¡± ¡°Sources told us you refuse to go through with the arranged marriage because you have a girlfriend. Is your girlfriend Eva Duncan?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Louie answered all the questions honestly, though it didn¡¯t help his case. He still was the prime suspect, and he was prohibited from traveling abroad. Eva was starting to stir, at longst. She opened her eyes only for the light overhead to blind her, causing her to groan. ¡°Where am I?¡± ¡°The hospital, Eva. You got into a car crash, remember?¡± Jessie said softly. Eva closed her eyes. The memory of that car crash still made her head split. She had to hold Jessie¡¯s hand just to ovee her fear of that ident. When she opened her eyes again, she saw everyone who was in the ward. But he wasn¡¯t there. ¡°Why isn¡¯t he here?¡± She was a little disappointed. ¡°Eva, Mr. Gilmore watched over you the whole afternoon. He has something urgent to settle, but he¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the business?¡± ¡°Lucy Constantine¡¯s murder,¡± Sera answered. ¡°What?¡± Eva almost sat up from the shock. ¡°She¡¯s dead? Who killed her?¡± Eva felt as if her head just exploded. ¡°The cops are still looking into it. Mr. Gilmore is having his testimonial recorded, but we know he¡¯s innocent. Don¡¯t worry,¡± Sera answered honestly. Eva was someone who¡¯d rather hear the hurtful truth than be lied to. Eva looked at Julian. Julian said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know Louie. He wouldn¡¯t risk his future for this, not when he¡¯s nning on spending his whole life with you.¡± Eva clutched her chest, and Sera asked the doctor to check on her. The doctor immediately obliged. ¡°Nothing too serious, but we need to observe her to see if the concussion has anysting impact.¡± A short whileter, Louie strode into the ward. To his delight, he found Eva already awake. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake!¡± ¡°They suspect that you¡¯re the murderer? What did the cops say?¡± Eva held his hands. She wanted to hear the truth. ¡°They did interrogate me. Lucy¡¯s death is bizarre, but I didn¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°Did the Constantines call you?¡± ¡°No. They think I murdered her. I see they don¡¯t trust me at all. From now on, I¡¯m not helping them anymore.¡± Louie¡¯s face fell. ¡°Now we have to look into Eva¡¯s car crash. There¡¯s something more about it. Something sinister,¡± Jessie said. ¡°Yeah. Lucy died right after Eva got into the car crash. That can¡¯t be a coincidence.¡± Sera made an offhandment. However, that gave Louie an idea. Wait. Eva¡¯s car crash could be something Lucy orchestrated. Later that day, Louie asked Julian and Jessie to go home first. Sera went home as well while Eva was told to stay in the hospital for three days for now. The cops worked through the night on the case. Eventually, they noticed one simrity between Lucy and Eva: bothdies loved the same man. That was the clue they needed to find the truth. Some arduous investigationter, they finally made some headway. Lucy had withdrawn a huge sum of money. Right after that, Eva¡¯s car was tailed, and the criminal crashed into her, causing an ident. Subsequently, the criminal called Lucy and murdered her over the cash. ¡°They suspect that you¡¯re the murderer? What did the cops say?¡± Eva held his hands. She wanted to hear the truth. Louie stayed by Eva¡¯s side during her stay at the hospital. She had nightmares every night due to her head injury. The medication didn¡¯t help much. Fortunately, every time she woke up, she would see Louie by her side, and it made her feel safe. Louie stayed by Eva¡¯s side during her stay at the hospital. She had nightmares every night due to her head injury. The medication didn¡¯t help much. Fortunately, every time she woke up, she would see Louie by her side, and it made her feel safe. The Constantines lost sleep over this case as well. They were awaiting the investigation results. Losing their daughter impacted their lives heavily. Their child was gone before they were. ¡°I know it¡¯s him. He killed our girl!¡± Fiona roared. ¡°Let¡¯s see what the cops say. If he is the murderer, we¡¯ll see to it that he faces judgment.¡± ¡°My poor girl. We can¡¯t let her murderer go unpunished, no. Blood will have blood.¡± Three days had gone by after the ident and murder. At 9.30AM on the fourth day, the cops called the Constantines, asking them to make a trip to the police station. At the same time, Eva received a call as well. After confirming she was fine, the cops asked her to make a trip to the police station to record her testimonial. Louie gave her a ride to the police station. The moment they got out of the car, they ran into the Constantines. Agitated, Fiona came to berate Eva. ¡°You witch! You got our daughter killed! You give me my girl back, you little b*tch!¡± ¡°Watch. Your. Tongue. Mrs. Constantine,¡± Louie hissed. ¡°You. You did this to my daughter! You killed her because you wanted to marry this little b*tch, didn¡¯t you? We¡¯ll make you pay for it!¡± Fiona growled, her eyes tearful. ¡°Don¡¯t talk to him, honey. He¡¯ll pay for what he did. If I had known he was an ingrate, I wouldn¡¯t have helped his parents.¡± ¡°Mr. Constantine, I swear I didn¡¯t do this,¡± Louie answered seriously for old times¡¯ sake and for the help they gave his parents back then. ¡°You¡¯re denying it? I¡¯m sure this woman has convinced you to kill our daughter. You thought Lucy got in your way of finding love, didn¡¯t you? How could you be so evil and kill her just to avoid marrying her?¡± After thinking about the matter for an entire night, Louie had figured out the whole case. No. Lucy brought this on herself. Karma bit her in the *ss faster than she could imagine. ¡°If you want answers, ask your daughter what she did. Oh, no, you can¡¯t. She¡¯s dead.¡± Louie then led Eva into the police station. The cops talked to both parties. Eva entered the interrogation room for the recording of her testimonial while Louie stood guard outside the room. Sera arrived a whileter. The cops asked Eva about her meeting with Lucy, and she answered honestly. In another room, the Constantines were told of the investigation¡¯s results and another piece of good news. Lucy¡¯s killer¡ªZack Lore¡ªhad been arrested and would arrive at the police station soon. ¡°Officer, Louie is right there. Why aren¡¯t you arresting him?¡± Fiona demanded. ¡°ording to our investigations, Mr. Gilmore is innocent. He has nothing to do with this case.¡± ¡°What? But he hired this Zack character! You¡¯re letting him off the hook just because he¡¯s rich? Did he bribe all of you?¡± Fiona refused to believe this. ¡°Calm down, Mrs. Constantine.¡± ¡°Calm down? Calm down? How can I calm down when that killer and his b*tch are still alive? My daughter died! She was only twenty-seven. And she wasn¡¯t even married yet!¡± Fiona started bawling like a baby. The cops had gotten news of Zack¡¯s arrival, and they swiftly went into interrogation mode with him. Scared out of his wits, Zack confessed all of his crimes. Not even one detail was spared. After comparing evidence and fingerprints, Zack was identified as the murderer and Lucy as the mastermind. The cops asked Eva about her meeting with Lucy, and she answered honestly. Louie and Eva were about to leave, but a cop stopped them. ¡°Mr. Gilmore, Miss Duncan, we need you at the conference hall.¡± Louie and Eva were about to leave, but a cop stopped them. ¡°Mr. Gilmore, Miss Duncan, we need you at the conference hall.¡± ¡°Did something happen?¡± Louie asked. ¡°It¡¯s about Miss Duncan¡¯s ident. We¡¯ve cracked the case.¡± The Constantines had just entered the conference hall when Eva and Louie came in. The sight of those two made Cornelius and Fiona¡¯s blood boil. ¡°Silence. You are summoned because these cases are more closely rted than you think. We¡¯ll be exining the whole thing to you now.¡± ¡°Officers, it¡¯s them! They killed my daughter! You need to arrest them!¡± Fiona pointed at Eva and Louie. ¡°Calm down, Mrs. Constantine.¡± The cop then yed some videos. The first one showed Lucy withdrawing her money at the bank. All the cash was tucked away into a big sack, and she left with it. ¡°Your daughter withdrew arge sum of money five days ago. Two hundred and twenty grand, to be exact.¡± ¡°She must have had some use for it,¡± Fiona quickly exined, though she didn¡¯t know why Lucy needed that money. The next video showed Eva in the underground car park. After she was gone, an off-road vehicle followed her closely. Twenty minutester, they came to a quieter road, and Eva¡¯s car was sent flying away. Zack was seen getting out of the car and approaching Eva¡¯s car, but the firemen showed up. Eva was then taken to the hospital. ¡°That car crash was a job request¡ªto crash into Eva¡¯s car and sh her face up. Zack took it, but before he could finish his job, the firemen showed up.¡± ¡°Who did this? Who hired him?¡± Louie wanted to know who the mastermind was. His fists were balled up. If it weren¡¯t for the firemen, Eva would have been ruined. This is my fault. I didn¡¯t think Lucy had the capability for evil at this level. She tried to ruin Eva¡¯s life. Eva couldn¡¯t believe this car crash was an attempt on her future. She had thought it was a regr ident. The Constantines exchanged a look, and Fiona sneered. ¡°It could be anyone. I bet tons of people would love to destroy her. Look at her. She¡¯s a little b*tch who knows no shame.¡± Eva looked at Fiona. Oh, so that¡¯s how it is. She mocked, ¡°I see the apple doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree. Oh, sorry. Didn¡¯t fall far from the tree.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Silence. Mr. Gilmore raised a crucial question. The one who wanted Miss Duncan¡¯s face shed was none other than Lucy Constantine. She envies Miss Duncan¡¯s looks, and so she hired Zack to sh her face.¡± The Constantines couldn¡¯t believe this. Cornelius gnashed his teeth. ¡°Impossible. My daughter couldn¡¯t have done that.¡± ¡°My daughter was as beautiful as this woman. She couldn¡¯t have done this.¡± The cops yed a few more videos. They were voice recordings of what happened in the cars. The first one was the recording of the call Zack made while the second one was the recording of what happened in Lucy¡¯s car. They had argued about the sum of money that should be paid. The Constantines cried the moment they heard their daughter¡¯s voice, and they could see why the cops came to the earlier conclusion. ¡°And so, Zack went to meet Lucy. She refused to pay him in full, so he took her life and escaped with all the money. Do you need further rification, Mr. and Mrs. Constantine?¡± ¡°So, I can sue them for damages then?¡± Eva asked coldly. The cops nodded. ¡°You can.¡± ¡°Very well. Mrs. Constantine, I shall sue your family for what your daughter did to me.¡± ¡°Have a heart, will you? We just lost our daughter, and you wish to sue us?¡± Fiona started ying the victim. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Silence. Mr. Gilmore raised a crucial question. The one who wanted Miss Duncan¡¯s face shed was none other than Lucy Constantine. She envies Miss Duncan¡¯s looks, and so she hired Zack to sh her face.¡± But Eva refused to spare them any sympathy. She icily said, ¡°I¡¯ll go through due process.¡± She pulled Louie up. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Louie.¡± But Eva refused to spare them any sympathy. She icily said, ¡°I¡¯ll go through due process.¡± She pulled Louie up. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Louie.¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re not leaving!¡± Fiona shouted. ¡°Louie, you promised us that plot ofnd, remember? Don¡¯t forget to give it to us.¡± Cornelius stood up at once. Even in the face of his daughter¡¯s death, all he cared about was profit. Louie turned around and stared at the Constantines. ¡°We¡¯re over, Constantines.¡± ¡°Louie, how could you? My daughter may be gone, but you can¡¯t cut us off. We helped your family out when you needed it most.¡± ¡°And you¡¯ve been reaping the rewards all these years. I gave you everything you asked for. The favor is repaid.¡± Louie held Eva¡¯s hand and left. Not only did the Constantines lose their daughter, but they also lost the plot ofnd they were supposed to get. Yet, they couldn¡¯t do anything about it. Eva felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders the moment they emerged from the police station. She rested her head on Louie¡¯s shoulder and took a deep breath. Smells like fall now. ¡°We can finally be together.¡± Louie held her shoulders. He was still shuddering from the near tragedy that could¡¯ve happened. ¡°Thank god you¡¯re fine.¡± ¡°Will we still be together if my face really got shed?¡± ¡°Of course. If your face was shed, I¡¯d scour the world for the best doctors for you. We would face it together.¡± Eva smiled. Thank god I¡¯m fine. I¡¯d probably die if my face was shed. The case was cracked, and the arranged marriage was no more. Eva had a bit of a scare, but in return, she could finally be with the love of her life without worries. Three dayster, Eva¡¯s manager sued the Constantines for damages and demanded payment of nearly two hundred grand. The Constantinesmented their fate, but they had to pay the price or they would be imprisoned. Louie, Eva, Julian, and Jessie had dinner at a fine dining restaurant. It was a happy dinner. Eva¡¯s forehead was covered in ayer of bandage which she hid under a hat, but she looked a lot better now. Her skin was glowing, and she had a great appetite. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to attend your wedding, Eva,¡± Jessie said. Previously, Eva would sigh every time her wedding was mentioned, but now, she answered happily, ¡°We¡¯ll hold one as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Yeah. Louie¡¯s at that age. He should be raising a family by now.¡± Julian smiled. He wanted Louie to get married soon. ¡°I¡¯ll try to hold the wedding before Christmas,¡± Louie said swiftly. None of them talked about the Constantines as it would just ruin the mood. Julian and Jessie took Gilmore Corporation¡¯s private jet the next day and flew to their film set. They didn¡¯t have time to fool around at work as they had to shoot some crucial scenes. Only about a month was left until the shoot was supposed to wrap up. All the crew members realized that Julian and Jessie¡¯s chemistry got a lot better, especially during the romantic scenes. The look in their eyes told a thousand stories. That was how everyone knew that Julian and Jessie were dating in real life. Jessie messed up a few takes of a scene where she needed to cry while hugging Julian. She thought that it was impossible because every time she hugged him, all she wanted to do was smile. Only delight filled her heart when she was with him, so how could she cry? ¡°Jessie, just imagine something really bad. Like maybe Julian was stolen by another woman?¡± Vincent suggested. Jessie shot Julian a look. What? So, you¡¯re going to let another womane near you? ¡°Yeah. Louie¡¯s at that age. He should be raising a family by now.¡± Julian smiled. He wanted Louie to get married soon. Julian sighed in silence. Vincent, just shut up and do your work. You¡¯re going to ruin my rtionship at this rate. Julian sighed in silence. Vincent, just shut up and do your work. You¡¯re going to ruin my rtionship at this rate. Oh, whoops. Vincent quickly smiled. ¡°That won¡¯t happen in real life, don¡¯t worry. Just a little hypothetical. Calm down, Jessie.¡± ¡°I need some onions.¡± Jessie had no choice left. Her assistant got her an onion, and she chopped it a little. That worked well and she started crying. ¡°Alright, now!¡± Jessie darted back to Julian and rested her head on his shoulders. She was crying uncontrobly on camera. It was a good take, but Jessie was still crying even after the scene. No matter how hard she rubbed her eyes, they still felt tingly. Well, guess I have to take her to the waiting room and give her all my love, Julian thought. When the couple emerged from the waiting room, Jessie¡¯s eyes were still a little red, but so were her lips. The shooting went by really fast, and everyone had fun, especially the couple. One week went by before anyone realized it. Jessie was particrly sore after the shooting session today as she had to wear the stunt wire for the whole day. Julian was worried for her. He rubbed some soothing salve all over her after they returned to the hotel and tried to convince her to use a stunt double. Jessie didn¡¯t mind him rubbing the salve all over her, but she wasn¡¯t about to use a stunt double. When Julian was done rubbing the salve on her, Jessie turned around and was met with a gaze of desire. ¡°You¡¯ve been working through the night for two days straight. You should get some rest, you know.¡± Jessie pulled her clothes down just in case the sight of her skin stoked his mes of desire. Julian narrowed his eyes. ¡°What? You think I can¡¯t go on?¡± Oh god. You and your ego. So cute. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her head in his chest. ¡°I know you can still go on. I just don¡¯t want to tire you out.¡± Julian let her off the hook. It wasn¡¯t because his stamina was running low, but because she had to rest after the day she had. And so, the couple scrolled through their phones. He yed a few matches to wind down while Jessie was scrolling through some shorts. That was when she noticed a few guys doing some sexy dance moves. She kept reying that short, and that attracted Julian¡¯s attention. He took a quick look and noticed the video she was watching. She¡¯s watching a video of other guys while she has me by her side? He had no idea what to feel. ¡°Hey, why are you watching them? Look at me. I¡¯m better than them.¡± The jealous Julian pulled his shirt up, showing off his abs to Jessie. Her cheeks burned, and Julian covered her head with his clothes, pushing her closer to his chest. Jessie giggled as she rubbed her cheeks against his chest, causing Julian¡¯s mes of desire to re up. He was going to let her off the hook that night, but he couldn¡¯t do that now. Not after she kept reying that video. If I don¡¯t give her what she wants, she might keep searching for simr videos. ¡°You don¡¯t seem tired at all. Why don¡¯t we take this to the bed and have a little dance?¡± ¡°Oh, you can dance? I want to see,¡± said Jessie happily. Of course, I know how to dance. I was the dance champion during the first year of my career. He gave up dancing after he started acting full-time. He could still dance, however. ¡°You should get to know more about me,¡± he said in a grating voice before pressing his lips against hers. Jessie¡¯s heart exploded with delight. Her heart would always flutter every time she saw his pictures and comption videos that were made by his fans. And now I¡¯m his girlfriend. This is bliss. She was really proud of herself. Her boyfriend was the man of every girl¡¯s dream, but now he was hers and hers alone. ¡°Hey, why are you watching them? Look at me. I¡¯m better than them.¡± The jealous Julian pulled his shirt up, showing off his abs to Jessie. It was a passionate night, but Jessie paid the price for it the next day. Getting out of bed was too much for her after all that action, so her schedule was dyed. It was a passionate night, but Jessie paid the price for it the next day. Getting out of bed was too much for her after all that action, so her schedule was dyed. Lisa, who was filming in a set near Julian and Jessie, had caught wind of the rumors. Everyone said that they were dating and shared a room every night. She was disappointed, and she knew Jessie was now on the list of people she should never offend. At first, she thought she had a chance with Julian, but her hopes were dashed. In fact, all the female celebrities¡¯ hopes were dashed. Time flew, and it was close to wrapping up the shoot. Whenever Jessie had time, she would videocall her sister and parents. November came, and with it, the chilly winds of fall. Finally, the shooting came to an end. It was a wrap. On the final day of shooting, Julian walked up to her with a bouquet in his hands. There were people around them, but he didn¡¯t care. He hugged Jessie and kissed her forehead. Jessie was the only person he had eyes for. Nobody else was worth his time. Everyone envied the couple, especially the ladies. Once upon a time, Julian belonged to everyone, but now he was Jessie¡¯s. At the same time, one piece of good news reached Julian. Louie was already preparing for his wedding. Pretty soon, we¡¯ll get to attend their wedding. Jessie celebrated her final night on set with a big feast. Everyone was invited. Lexie even found a boyfriend among the crew members. He was a part of the camera crew, and they had fallen in love. All Jessie wanted was to take a break. The filming had been hectic, and rest was a luxury. On the night before their return to Averna, snow fell. It was a beautiful scene, and Jessie found herself in the fields outside the hotel. Beside her stood Julian, who was taking pictures of the snow together with her. Then, she posted a photo of their backs on her social media. Her caption read, ¡®Here¡¯s to many more years of you by my side¡¯. Jessie would love to make her rtionship public, but the time was not right. To her surprise, Julian was the first one to like her post. That honor used to belong to Lexie. When Jessie checked her post later in the night, there were already more than thirty thousandments underneath all because of Julian¡¯s like. His fans kept a close eye on his day-to-day activities, and his liking of Jessie¡¯s post led them here. Everyone was specting about who his girlfriend was. Rumors said he was dating the female lead of his new show, but there was no evidence yet. Chapter 1481-1490 Chapter 1481-1490 The fans consumed every piece of information avable, even though they were only scraps. Anything for Julian, they¡¯d say. The couple flew back to Averna the next day. Jessie invited Eva to shop and have tea. Then, she and Queenie returned home to see their parents. Eventually, it was time for Eva¡¯s wedding. The news of it was a bombshell for the industry as Eva was really famous while her husband was the boss of the industry¡¯s leadingpany. Yet, they didn¡¯t invite too many people to their wedding. If they were to invite everyone they knew, they would need a venue that could house at least two thousand guests. Hence, they nned to hold a low-profile wedding. Eva didn¡¯t mind. She never liked to brag about her life anyway. The wedding happened one weekter. Julian and Jessie were invited, of course, but only as guests. Eva had asked her best friend to be the bridesmaid. Louie looked dashing during the wedding, and Eva looked gorgeous in white. This was a wedding most people could only dream of¡ªa picturesque wedding of a prince and a princess. Eva was the center of everyone¡¯s attention, and Louie expressed all the love he had for her. It was true love. Jessie and Julian were seated at the first table, their hands sped together tightly under the table. The ceremony kept going on until night descended. It was a sacred day that nobody would forget, and then everyone attended the wedding reception at night. Jessie had changed into a white silk dress which she specifically picked for the asion. It made her gleam like a little fairy. The fans consumed every piece of information avable, even though they were only scraps. Anything for Julian, they¡¯d say. It was then all the guests realized the Gilmore brothers had both found the loves of their lives. It was then all the guests realized the Gilmore brothers had both found the loves of their lives. Eva¡¯s wedding went viral. There weren¡¯t many pictures of the event, but the few they had made a big ripple across the Net. Her fans loved how she looked, and they thought her husband was the perfect man for her. Eventually, the wedding came to an end, and soon it was Christmas Eve. Louie and Eva had gone on their honeymoon abroad, so Julian was invited to the Silversteins¡¯ ce during Christmas. The Silverstein couple would love to marry Jessie off to him. Julian noticed their warm wee. It was very hard not to. Jessie wanted to spend more time with her parents at night, but her mother told her to spend it with Julian instead. She even told Jessie there would be no breakfast for her the next morning since they had ces to go. Jessie didn¡¯t mind staying with Julian. In fact, she would dly do it. Now that her mother was giving her an excuse to leave the house, she followed Julian back to his home. Another important event of her life would take ce the next night¡ªher first movie premiere. The excitement kept her awake. She had also seen a lot of the movie¡¯s promotional photos making their rounds online. It was then she realized she had been looking at Julian like he was her whole world. And Julian, unlike most of the time, was smiling as well. That¡¯s the power of love. Only when he was with someone whom he loved would Julian crack a smile. Jessie also noticed something else. When she first joined the set, she would only steal nces at Julian. Her love was budding, yet she had not the courage to say it out loud. She also noticed a few photos where Julian was getting jealous. Oh, I love these photos. They detail my memories with him. Our memories. She fell asleep eventually, but she woke up a littleter. Groggily, she picked her phone up to look at the time. Julian had woken up as well, and he hugged her. ¡°It¡¯s still early. Get back to sleep.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Oh my gosh, it¡¯s already five-thirty in the morning. She was still yawning, but sleep wouldn¡¯t im her. Julian got up as well, and they stared outside the window for a moment. The skies were still dark. He said, ¡°I¡¯ll take you around. It should freshen us up, then let¡¯s have breakfast.¡± ¡°How about you sleep here? I¡¯ll take the couch so that I won¡¯t disturb your sleep.¡± Jessie was embarrassed because she was too excited to fall asleep but knew she shouldn¡¯t disturb his sleep. However, the man reached over and pulled her into his embrace. ¡°Why don¡¯t we do some exercising?¡± ¡°Sure! Now? The sky is still quite dark. Why don¡¯t we wait a bit?¡± Jessie asked with a serious expression. The man burst outughing. ¡°The exercise I¡¯m referring to doesn¡¯t need us to head downstairs.¡± Immediately getting what he meant, Jessie blushed and buried herself in the man¡¯s arms, unable to reject his request. Lord, men were generally the most lustful in the morning. In the end, Jessie couldn¡¯t stand her drowsiness despite her excitement. The man had worn her out. When she woke up again, it was already 11.00AM. Julian had ordered food for her so they could leave for the premiere in the afternoon. Jessie wore a cute yellow sweater with a small cap over her long hair, making her look cute and innocent. On the other hand, Julian was wearing a mask with casual clothes, but when he was walking on the street, he attracted everyone¡¯s attention with his model-like figure. The two invited Lexie and her boyfriend to the movie premiere as well. As Jessie was in high spirits, she felt her heart constantly thumping rapidly inside her chest as she held Julian¡¯s hand. When the premiere finally began, they saw Gilmore Corporation¡¯s eye-catching and astonishing promotional logo on the big screen, followed by the movie¡¯s opening. The special effects used in the movie were excellent, resulting in a very realistic mythical world. Also, her and Julian¡¯s names appearing together under the ¡°Main Cast¡± section looked domineering and eye-catching. ¡°How about you sleep here? I¡¯ll take the couch so that I won¡¯t disturb your sleep.¡± Jessie was embarrassed because she was too excited to fall asleep but knew she shouldn¡¯t disturb his sleep. Jessie felt her heartbeat speed up again as she looked at her name, feeling like this was just a dream. Jessie felt her heartbeat speed up again as she looked at her name, feeling like this was just a dream. Eva¡¯s name appeared soon after theirs. The 3D effect used was brilliant and gave the viewers a sense that they had been transported inside the movie and were taking a real trip into the mystical world. During the movie, Jessie could hear the sounds of gasps and exmations inside the hall, obviously indicating that they were astonished by the special effects. She could only apud the production crew for their wealth and capability. She felt like she could watch these special effects all day! Following that, a young celestial servant appeared on the screen. While Jessie watched the elegant immortal she yed, she thought her features looked very delicate under the great camera movements and lighting. It was as if she were a real, unrealistically beautiful young immortal. ¡°Oh, heavens! Isn¡¯t that Jessie? She looks so beautiful.¡± A young woman sitting behind Jessie eximed in excitement. Jessie had dubbed her the voice of her character herself and wasn¡¯t expecting her voice to sound so gentle and engaging. Her tone sounded clear and prative, and her every expression imbued the crowd. Meanwhile, Julian was also attracted by the image of his wife on screen and couldn¡¯t help but praise himself for having such a good eye and choosing her to be the female protagonist. Although filming was difficult, watching the beautiful scenes made Jessie feel that all her efforts were worth it. On the screen, Jessie looked cute and slightly mischievous. It wasn¡¯t until she watched herself getting beaten up and thrown out like a sandbag that she felt Julian¡¯s Demon Lord, the male protagonist, was exceptionally handsome! She couldn¡¯t help but let out a few exmations while clutching Julian¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°You¡¯re so handsome.¡± Turning to look at her, Julian kissed her forehead and cooed, ¡°I¡¯m yours.¡± That moment, Jessie smiled so brightly that she squinted her eyes into slits. Yes, he¡¯s mine. No matter how handsome he is, he¡¯s mine. Screams echoed throughout the entire movie hall. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that all the screams came from women. Julian was already used to it, but Jessie, just like his fans, was madly infatuated with him. Back on screen, the young immortal servant fell into Demon Lord¡¯s arms, and a shocking love story began. After the movie ended, Jessie and Julian came out of the hall with their masks on and saw many excited fans standing outside, seemingly still immersed in the movie. They kept praising the movie while walking away. At this moment, Jessie and Julian were inside an elevator. Julian had his hood on while Jessie hugged him tightly, snuggling her face in his chest. The four young women who just came in had been busy chatting with each other since they were in the courtyard. They didn¡¯t pay any attention to the couple already inside the elevator and continued to talk loudly. ¡°The two of them looked so good together! I kept fangirling over them throughout the whole movie. How I wish they were together in real life as well!¡± ¡°I heard that they are a real couple!¡± ¡°I wonder if that¡¯s true, but they have my blessing anyway! I used to dislike Jessie, but now I understand the hype about her beauty. She¡¯s indeed born to be a protagonist.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t she? I think so too. Gosh! Did you guys see how handsome Julian was? He never fails to steal women¡¯s hearts. Whoever has him as her boyfriend must be the luckiest person ever!¡± ¡°I wish I could switch ces with Jessie. This way, I could kiss him!¡± Meanwhile, Jessie could feel the man she hugged freeze for a moment and almost burst outughing. She then nced over at the young woman who said she wanted to kiss Julian. The young woman wore a cute outfit that suited her slightly plump figure. Unsurprisingly, she spoke her mind so openly and didn¡¯t care what others thought of her. When they finally came out of the elevator and headed toward Julian¡¯s car, Jessie suddenly smiled and hugged Julian¡¯s arm while skipping. ¡°What were you so nervous about?¡± At this moment, Jessie and Julian were inside an elevator. Julian had his hood on while Jessie hugged him tightly, snuggling her face in his chest. Julian caressed her head while saying, ¡°You know the answer.¡± Julian caressed her head while saying, ¡°You know the answer.¡± ¡°Did your fans scare you? It seems they ept our rtionship!¡± Jessie eximed joyously. Stopping, Julian took her hands and reassured her, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about how others feel about you. What¡¯s important is our love for each other.¡± Jessie blinked a few times and nodded in agreement, but the words those fans said still made her happy inside. ¡°I know that. No matter what happens, we will stay with each other.¡± Jessie wrapped her arms around Julian¡¯s neck and stood on her toes to nt a kiss on his cheek. She thought, Julian looks so handsome. No wonder other women are head over heels for him. He looks super attractive on-screen and can make anyone¡¯s heart flutter with just one action. Tonight, he managed to charm everyone through the big screen, so much so that the whole ce was filled with screams. With the help of the amazing special effects, his portrayal of the Demon Lord seemed very realistic. Even when he raised his eyebrow or his head, or even made a move with his hand, it looked so handsome that it made everyone scream. ¡°Let¡¯s head home!¡± Jessie¡¯s eyes looked shy, and she thought, Perhaps this is a side effect of watching the movie. I want to have him entirely tonight. ¡°Why do you want to head home?¡± Julian seemed to have guessed her thoughts but still wanted to tease her. While hiding her face in his chest, she urged, ¡°Do something naughty. Come on, let¡¯s go!¡± Hearing that, Julian burst outughing and brought her over to the car before speeding back home to do the naughty thing she mentioned. The next morning, Jessie and Julian arrived at thepany together. Vincent and the few producers were there because they had to attend an advertising campaign to promote the movieter in the afternoon. ¡°Julian, after our careful consideration, we decided not to let you and Jessie appear at the event together. I¡¯m sure you know the reason, right? You have too many female fans, and we¡¯re worried about box office sales.¡± ¡°Impossible. We have to appear on stage together,¡± Julian immediately refused. ¡°We are just worried about the movie not selling well! After all, this is Jessie¡¯s first movie, and it would be bad if the movie sales weren¡¯t good!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Julian, just bear with it for a while. You and Jessie will head to different event sites at the same time, so in a way, you guys are still promoting the movie together!¡± When Jessie heard the others¡¯ suggestions, she joined them in persuading him, ¡°I think Director Cooper is right. The investment for this movie is sorge that it might have quite a huge effect if the fans refuse to buy our rtionship had we made it public.¡± Julian could ignore everyone else¡¯s words except Jessie¡¯s. He then asked unhappily, ¡°Why can¡¯t we appear together on stage?¡± Jessie nced at him and squinted her eyes while pleading, ¡°Just listen to what Director Cooper says!¡± ¡°Fine!¡± Julian finally agreed. Seeing that, Vincent and the others felt relieved. It seemed like the only person who could persuade Julian was Jessie. Later, Jessie had her makeup done at thepany and put on a custom-made dress. She appeared at the event venue inside the shopping mall at 3.00PM. Her skin looked as fair as glistening snow, and her ck, straight hair looked stunning and smooth. When she and Julian separated at thepany, Julian personally saw her off until they reached the car. Right before she got in, she seized the opportunity to kiss him. Then, Julian reminded her, ¡°Be careful, and call me if anything happens.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°If the emcee asks you something you don¡¯t want to answer, you can refuse to answer it.¡± Since Jessie had never attended any advertising campaigns, she was quite nervous. She nodded in agreement. ¡°Alright then! I¡¯ll keep that in mind. You should hurry up and get ready too!¡± Afterward, Julian closed the door and watched her car leave. On the road, Jessie¡¯s manager, Sera, mentioned many things to Jessie and even showed her the answers to some potential questions. Sera also told Jessie that the emcee would ask questions ording to these questions and answers, so Jessie only had to answer them ording to the given answers. Jessie nced at him and squinted her eyes while pleading, ¡°Just listen to what Director Cooper says!¡± Therefore, Jessie memorized all those answers while going to the venue, wanting to remember them all. Therefore, Jessie memorized all those answers while going to the venue, wanting to remember them all. ¡°Sera, I¡¯m so nervous. What should I do? This is the first time I¡¯m promoting a movie. What if I get stage fright and stammer on stage?¡± Jessie asked Sera. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Fabian will be there as well. You can let him answer if you¡¯re not sure how to. He¡¯s more experienced in these things.¡± Jessie nodded, still feeling so nervous that her hands were sweating. Since she had gone to watch the movie premiere yesterday, she was confident in her work. Moreover, the movie rating skyrocketed to 9.6 right after the premiere, which was considerably high. Meanwhile, back at thepany, Julian and a few veteran actors would be heading to the event together, but since the venue was not far from where they were, thepany hadn¡¯t arranged for them to leave. Julian was sitting at the cafe in the lobby, feeling worried the more he thought about Jessie heading to the advertising campaign alone. What if she gets too nervous? What if the emcee asks her difficult questions? What if someone thinks she and Fabian are a couple? A lot of questions filled Julian¡¯s mind, and his heart began thumping wildly. In the end, he stood up and looked at Vincent before blurting out, ¡°I¡¯m not going there anymore.¡± Once he said that, he grabbed his keys and speed walked out. ¡°Hey! Julian, where are you going? It¡¯s almost time for the event. How can you walk out on us?¡± Vincent ran after him. However, Julian had already disappeared from the lobby. He dashed toward his car and got inside before speeding toward the shopping mall where Jessie would be attending the advertising campaign. In the meantime, Jessie arrived at the shopping mall and entered the green room through the employee-only passage. Fabian was already dressed handsomely and was waiting for her. When their gazes met, they smiled at each other. ¡°Oh my gosh! Jessie, you look so pretty today!¡± Fabian sincerely praised. ¡°You also look very handsome!¡± Jessie smiled and praised back. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous on stage. If you don¡¯t want to answer the questions, you can just leave them to me.¡± ¡°Sure. Thank you.¡± When Jessie and Fabian finally got on stage, Jessie found that she had underestimated the number of fans that came to the event. All she saw was a sea of ck filling the entire ground floor of the shopping mall, as well as fans peering down from above! Feeling nervous, Jessie pursed her lips while her hands, which were holding the microphone, started sweating. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s invite both actors to introduce themselves.¡± The emcee was a man, and he was the kind that looked crafty at first nce. Fabian very naturally introduced himself, followed by Jessie, who took a deep breath before introducing herself. ¡°Hello everyone, I¡¯m Jessie Silverstein. I y Estelle in Fallen Heaven. I hope everyone enjoys my performance.¡± ¡°Whoa! She¡¯s so beautiful!¡± ¡°Her skin is so smooth and fair. It looks like it¡¯s glowing!¡± Seeing the fans below her eyeing her, Jessie was still suppressing her nervousness, but then she thought she might be even more nervous when the emcee started asking questions. As she expected, the emcee began by asking questions about the storyline. After a few questions, he began steering off course and asking private questions that fans were curious about. ¡°Jessie, you¡¯re new to this industry, right? Everyone must not know you that well, so can you answer a few questions from the fans?¡± ¡°Sure, go ahead!¡± Jessie smiled and replied. ¡°Who¡¯s your first kiss?¡± Jessie was stunned. Can I tell them the answer? However, she cleverly asked, ¡°Are you referring to the movie? Of course, it¡¯s our male protagonist.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not. We¡¯re more curious about your private life!¡± ¡°About that¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s not convenient for me to answer that question.¡± ¡°Sure. If that¡¯s too difficult for you, how about this one? How many past boyfriends have you dated? Just tell us the number.¡± The male emcee began to ask tricky questions. Fabian very naturally introduced himself, followed by Jessie, who took a deep breath before introducing herself. ¡°Hello everyone, I¡¯m Jessie Silverstein. I y Estelle in Fallen Heaven. I hope everyone enjoys my performance.¡± Meanwhile, the fans were all looking forward to the answer, wanting to know the number of past boyfriends the new rising actress had dated. Meanwhile, the fans were all looking forward to the answer, wanting to know the number of past boyfriends the new rising actress had dated. Jessie stuck out one finger and said, ¡°One.¡± ¡°Whoa! Why don¡¯t you tell us about your standards when choosing your future boyfriend or husband? Would you prefer a tall and handsome yboy or a gentle and caring man?¡± In Jessie¡¯s mind, she answered, I don¡¯t mean to brag, but my boyfriend is not only tall and handsome but also gentle and caring too! ¡°I¡­¡± Jessie suddenly didn¡¯t know how to rephrase her words to make them sound less like she was bragging. ¡°How about we do it this way? Among all the male celebrities in the entertainment industry, who do you think is your dream boyfriend?¡± When the emcee saw the crowd growing more excited, he began to probe deeper into Jessie¡¯s private life. ¡°We¡¯re here to promote our movie, so let¡¯s keep these private questions unanswered for suspense!¡± Fabian tried to help. ¡°The fans like Jessie very much! That¡¯s why we¡¯re all curious and want to know her better.¡± The emcee chuckled, not intending to let Jessie go. The question was a hard one to answer because Vincent had asked Jessie not to reveal her rtionship with Julian. Just as everyone was waiting for Jessie¡¯s answer, a figure strode up from beside the stage. The man took off his hood and mask, revealing his identity. Then, Julian approached Jessie and took away her microphone. At that moment, Jessie was stunned while the fans below were screaming at the top of their lungs, thinking, Oh my gosh! It¡¯s Julian! He¡¯s here! ¡°Let me answer that question on behalf of my girlfriend! Of course, her dream boyfriend would be me.¡± After saying that, he hugged Jessie¡¯s shoulder, indicating his identity. At that instant, the crowd below the stage was in an uproar. Julian had openly revealed his rtionship with Jessie, which was beyond their expectations. There was no need for any evidence because they all knew it was confirmed just by looking at Julian¡¯s gentle eyes that were on Jessie. Meanwhile, the emcee had a stiff smile on his face. He coughed softly and tried to control the situation. ¡°It seems like Mr. Gilmore does deserve the title of best male actor!¡± Jessie leaned toward his ear and whispered, ¡°Why are you here? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be at another event?¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried about you!¡± Julian lowered his body and responded softly beside her ear. ¡°Director Cooper is going to be furious.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care as long as it makes me happy.¡± ¡°Why you¡­¡± Jessie stared at him coquettishly, while Julian looked back at her while smiling. At this moment, his fans could only see his side profile because all his attention was on Jessie! Many young women in the crowd were extremely jealous as they watched the man whom they idolized reveal his rtionship with Jessie. It was like a pang in their hearts! ¡°If there are no other questions, let¡¯s wrap up this event!¡± Once Julian finished his words, he gave the microphone to one of the staff and left hand-in-hand with Jessie. When she descended the stage, many fans squeezed toward her. At that, Julian immediately pulled her into his arms to shield her from the crowd, hugging her figure so she would not get squeezed. Meanwhile, the bodyguards immediately came over and guided them toward the green room. Like both of them had guessed, Vincent was so furious that his mustache curled up, resembling a handlebar mustache. Julian had abandoned his scheduled advertising campaign and gone to Jessie¡¯s campaigning venue. As if he thought Vincent had not had enough, he publicized their rtionship! They had invested giant funds in this movie, and they no longer had any high hopes for it. Instead, all they were hoping was that they could break even. Meanwhile, the couple¡¯s announcement had spread like wildfire on the Inte and even caused a network to crash. Julian, the most brilliant man in the entertainment industry, was suddenly revealed to be taken. How could his fans not be saddened by such news? Therefore, a rise ofizens imed they would not be supporting them. Many of his female fans mored to announce that they would boycott the movie as well. Just as they had expected, the loudest protest came from the female fans. Many young women in the crowd were extremely jealous as they watched the man whom they idolized reveal his rtionship with Jessie. It was like a pang in their hearts! When Julian brought Jessie back to thepany, Vincent was furious but did not dare to throw a fit. Not only that, but he even had an ufortable time suppressing his anger. ¡°Julian, didn¡¯t we reach an agreement earlier? Can¡¯t you bear with it just for a while? What you did will only cause a huge impact on our movie and affect the box office sales.¡± When Julian brought Jessie back to thepany, Vincent was furious but did not dare to throw a fit. Not only that, but he even had an ufortable time suppressing his anger. ¡°Julian, didn¡¯t we reach an agreement earlier? Can¡¯t you bear with it just for a while? What you did will only cause a huge impact on our movie and affect the box office sales.¡± Julian did notment while Jessieforted Vincent. ¡°Director Cooper, don¡¯t be mad. Here, have some tea and cool down.¡± Following that, Vincent epted the tea and drank it. Since he was still angry, he choked on the tea and began coughing fiercely, clutching his chest. ¡°Oh, no! Director Cooper, are you alright?¡± She immediately reached out and patted his back in concern. Did we trigger his sickness or something? ¡°I choked on the tea,¡± he exined bitterly before looking at Julian with a defeated expression. I can¡¯t scold him, nor can I beat him up, and I even have to think twice before saying anything lest I want to lose my job. This is so exasperating. ¡°Vincent, stop worrying! As for the box office sales, let¡¯s leave it to fate!¡± Julian spoke some words of concern before turning to Jessie. ¡°Let¡¯s go home!¡± She nodded and assured Vincent, ¡°Director Cooper, there is nothing to worry about. The movie is amazing.¡± Vincent admired her utter calmness in this situation, but it was not unexpected. Even if her first movie ended as a disaster, she still had her identity as Mrs. Julian Gilmore, so her situation would not be any worse than the other celebrities. In the meantime, Jessie and Julian arrived outside the parking lot. Several ck MPVs parked on the side, and dozens of reporters were waiting for them to appear before surrounding the two. ¡°Mr. Gilmore! Are you and Miss Silverstein dating?¡± ¡°When are you getting married?¡± ¡°When did you guys start dating?¡± ¡°Miss Silverstein, are you pregnant?¡± Jessie was taken aback by that question, but she still politely waved her hand and denied being pregnant. ¡°No, I¡¯m not. We¡¯re not thinking of having children at the moment.¡± Julian held her hand and turned to look at the bodyguards, who immediately came over and shielded them until they entered the car. Inside the vehicle, she noticed that the reporters had no intentions of leaving and were constantly tapping on the car. ¡°I feel sorry for Director Cooper.¡± She sighed. He reached over and held her hand. ¡°How about you? Are you worried about the box office sales?¡± After giving it some serious thought, she answered, ¡°No. I¡¯m not worried about your fans boycotting the movie either because I¡¯m your fan too. Perhaps, I would feel disappointed after knowing you¡¯re taken, but that doesn¡¯t stop me from liking you! So, yes, I¡¯ll still watch your movie.¡± She was exining things from a fan¡¯s point of view. Once she finished her exnation, she hugged the man¡¯s waist while saying joyously, ¡°To be honest, I was extremely shocked and touched when you stepped on stage today.¡± Julian rubbed his forehead against hers while reassuring her, ¡°Wherever you are, that¡¯s where I want to be!¡± In the meantime, the public rtions department at Gilmore Corporation was working overtime today, helping Julian manage thements. Since he had already announced his rtionship, they could only give their rtionship more publicity. What was more, Julian¡¯s action of ditching his campaign to make a sudden appearance at Jessie¡¯s today was enough to touch many. Soon, someone posted his schedule of the day, proving that he loved her dearly and leading the fans to ept them. As expected, Gilmore Corporation¡¯s public rtions department was phenomenal at directing public opinion and managed to convince his fans. Many of them had even begun giving the couple their blessings. Moreover, the movie was due to premiere on the first day of the new year, and the entire production crew felt like they were sitting on pins and needles. During that time, it was said that Vincent was admitted to the hospital because of insomnia, which stemmed from his awful mood and anxiety. On New Year¡¯s Eve, Julian and Jessie had a family dinner at the Gilmore Residence before heading to the hospital to visit him. By now, Vincent had given up and decided not to panic about it. However, this was the first movie that rendered him insecure in his years of directing. He had prepared numerous special effects that would be used in the movie before it even began shooting, which showed how much dedication he put into this film. Once she finished her exnation, she hugged the man¡¯s waist while saying joyously, ¡°To be honest, I was extremely shocked and touched when you stepped on stage today.¡± ¡°Julian, I¡¯m only left with one belief¡ªto believe you. I trust that with your poprity, the ticket sales won¡¯t be terrible.¡± He held Julian¡¯s hand while saying that. ¡°Julian, I¡¯m only left with one belief¡ªto believe you. I trust that with your poprity, the ticket sales won¡¯t be terrible.¡± He held Julian¡¯s hand while saying that. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! If the ticket sales are awful, I¡¯ll put in a good word for you so that Louie won¡¯t fire you,¡± Julian teased. Jessie, who was beside them, was originally feeling sympathetic toward Vincent, but she could not help but burst outughing when she heard what Julian said. ¡°You¡¯ll know the answer tomorrow, so just go on with your day!¡± she assured him. At night, Julian brought Jessie to a ce where they could enjoy the countdown. The two enjoyed the fireworks illuminating the sea with candlelight and red wine. Later in the night, she saw someone posting the same fireworks on social media, to which the comments were asking, ¡®I heard that this fireworks disy was arranged by a wealthy man to make his girlfriend happy. I¡¯m curious who that lucky woman is and how she feels having someone light fireworks above the sea for an hour.¡¯ When Jessie read thement, she could not help but think, I didn¡¯t expect I could enjoy the fireworks a rich man prepared for his girlfriend! Feeling curious, she ran over to Julian and showed him her phone. ¡°How did you know there would be a rich man lighting the fireworks for his girlfriend there? Was it your friend?¡± After watching the video, he went silent for a moment before answering, ¡°The rich man is me, and you¡¯re the girlfriend.¡± She was speechless and stunned for a few seconds. What? It was for me all along? ¡°So, it¡¯s you! Are those fireworks for me?¡± Jessie was touched beyond words. She would never have dreamt that Julian was such a romantic and that she could be part of the experience. Smooch! With a smile, she hugged and kissed him. ¡°Thank you, my dear Mr. Gilmore.¡± He reached out to embrace her. ¡°Now that the fireworks are done, shouldn¡¯t we be heading home so that you can thank me properly?¡± She knew he was up to no good just by looking at him, so she nodded shyly. ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go home!¡± Inside the car, she smiled sweetly when she found more videos on social media and saw that many were jealous of the woman who received the fireworks disy. The one being envied by all is me! Right after midnight, the cinemas showing Julian¡¯stest movie were packed, and the box office sales were consistently on top in just one day. To that, Vincent was utterly delighted. Not only was I worried for nothing, but the movie is also a hit with a high review score! A weekter, the movie broke the box office record for this quarter, reaching ticket sales of over one billion while still rising. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. On the seventh night of the new year, Vincent happily invited everyone in the production crew to a good meal, and whoever was free attended the gathering. Since Julian and Jessie had dered their rtionship, they went there together without caring about public scrutiny. ¡°Director Cooper, the box office sales are beyond our imaginations! This is amazing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! The results have surpassed my expectations, and Jessie is made popr by the movie.¡± She was also ted at the results, but she was not looking forward to acting anymore because she knew she would not have been interested in participating if Julian had not been the male protagonist. Therefore, she decided that she would focus on being Mrs. Gilmore from then on! ¡°As of now, we should be looking forward to the award ceremony that is going to be held in three months. I think Julian and Jessie will win a few grand awards.¡± Of course, Jessie was looking forward to the award ceremony. It would mean a lot to her if she could win a trophy. Despite not being a casual drinker, she decided to try all sorts of alcohol, including white wine, red wine, and cocktails for this great asion. When Julian returned from his trip to the bathroom, she was already drunk. ¡°No one is to toast her again.¡± He was a little worried, so he warned the others. A few who did not have the chance to toast with Jessie eventually gave up on the idea. Just watching Julian dote on his wife was enough for them to feel jealous of her! A weekter, the movie broke the box office record for this quarter, reaching ticket sales of over one billion while still rising. It seemed like she must have done a lot in her previous life to be able to be his girlfriend. Perhaps during herst lifetime, she spent all her days gathering merits, which was why she could meet Julian in this lifetime and get pampered like a child. It seemed like she must have done a lot in her previous life to be able to be his girlfriend. Perhaps during herst lifetime, she spent all her days gathering merits, which was why she could meet Julian in this lifetime and get pampered like a child. ¡°I¡¯m not drunk. I¡¯m perfectly sober!¡± Jessie stubbornly argued while raising her chin and taking the initiative to raise her ss. ¡°Let me give a toast to all of you. Thank you all for taking such good care of me on set.¡± Following that, everyone raised their sses and responded to her. Only the man sitting beside her looked frustrated and grabbed her ss away when she raised it to her lips before downing it himself. She blinked her huge eyes, utterly confused. Why is this guy stealing my drink? ¡°That¡¯s all for today! Everyone, please head back early and get some rest.¡± Once Julian finished his words, he rose to his feet and was ready to leave. I¡¯m bringing her home and never letting her drink alcohol again. ¡°No. I don¡¯t want to go home.¡± Jessie was having fun with others and still wanted to be with them. ¡°We¡¯re going karaoketer! Young Master Julian, would you like to join us?¡± one of the female assistants asked senselessly. When Jessie, whom Julian had just pulled into his embrace, heard they were going to karaoke, she immediately raised her hand. ¡°I do. I wanna go!¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t,¡± he ordered. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go home, so I must go karaoke. Julian, please!¡± Since Jessie was drunk, she acted like a child and was more stubborn than usual. The female assistant immediately sensed that she should not have said that and looked terrified as she looked at him. ¡°Do you want to go?¡± In the end, Julianpromised. ¡°Yes, I want to. I want to hear you sing.¡± With lips curled into a smile, Jessie looked at him expectantly. ¡°Fine! Let¡¯s go!¡± He agreed to her request, resulting in the assistant¡¯s relief. Oh my gosh. That was so terrifying. I thought I would get scolded by Young Master Julian for sure. Subsequently, Jessie leaned half of her weight against Julian as they walked out of the restaurant. When they entered the car, she was still in high spirits and was looking forward to hearing him sing later. At that moment, Harper yed a song on the radio, which was Jessie¡¯s favorite. Since the alcohol boosted her courage, she was not reserved anymore and began singing along to the radio. Her voice filled the car as she sang excitedly. While looking at the woman beside him, Julian decided that she was not allowed to drink alcoholic drinks when he was not around. Her current behavior was not only lovely but also sexy. Her hair was tied behind her head, revealing her charming face rich with emotions and a sense of rebellion. Julian was not sure how many times he had gulped. I shouldn¡¯t have agreed to let her go karaoke. Instead, I should have brought her home so that she could exert her excitement on me. If he were to change his mind now, she would probably throw a tantrum, so he could only suppress his urge and apany her to the karaoke. When they arrived at the luxurious private room, they began to choose a few songs to sing. Jessie and a female assistant chose the song she had been singing inside the car earlier, and they both piped happily. Since her voice already sounded pleasant to the ears, it sounded even more melodious when she sang. However, she was a little tone-deaf and was singing off-key. Julian¡¯s lips curled into a smile without him knowing, and the affection in his eyes was unmistakable when he looked at her. After the song ended, shyness overcame her, probably because she had sobered up a little. She then raced over to Julian and sat beside him. He snaked his long arms around her waist, which made her look up at him to ask, ¡°What song would you like to sing?¡± At that moment, the female assistant came over and notified them, ¡°I¡¯ve selected a song for Young Master Julian.¡± Hearing that, Jessie nodded in anticipation. ¡°Okie!¡± By now, she had indeed sobered up and was listening to the others sing. Then, her eyesnded on the beer ss on the table before she reached over. Immediately, the man beside her enveloped her in his embrace while refusing in his raspy voice. ¡°You can¡¯t drink anymore tonight!¡± She turned to look at him with pitiful eyes and knew she could not drink anymore. Following that, he grabbed a ss of water and handed it to the girl, who drank it obediently like a child with strict parents. Julian was not sure how many times he had gulped. I shouldn¡¯t have agreed to let her go karaoke. Instead, I should have brought her home so that she could exert her excitement on me. Finally, it was Julian¡¯s turn to sing. The assistant had chosen a romantic song, and it made everyone¡¯s heart flutter as he descanted in his attractive voice. Finally, it was Julian¡¯s turn to sing. The assistant had chosen a romantic song, and it made everyone¡¯s heart flutter as he descanted in his attractive voice. Meanwhile, Jessie was immersed in his voice. She previously listened to the soundtrack for his movie that he sang, and she loved every second of it. I put him on rey all the time! He¡¯s such an all- rounded artist! ¡°Jessie, go give Young Master Julian a hug!¡± Lexie nudged her. Hearing that, she could not help but feel shy while heading over to embrace him. In reciprocation, he held her hand and looked at her gently while finishing the rest of the song. Her heart fluttered, and she felt extremely shy yet touched. Once he finished his karaoke, both of them returned to their seats. On their way home, Jessie leaned into Julian¡¯s arm while relishing her pleasant day. The good news was that their movie left the other movies dusty in box office sales and acquired a highly satisfactory result. That night, thest of her drunken state was left for her man, for she was even more seductive than usual. It was not until 2.00AM that they finally stopped their activities. Early the following morning, she received a call from Queenie, who invited the couple to her house. In the afternoon, both couples were sitting opposite each other while enjoying a pleasant lunch. Queenie had an obvious pregnancy vibe, and her baby bump was also slightly showing. After lunch, the two men sat aside and talked about their matters while the two sisters went upstairs to have a girl¡¯s talk. ¡°Have you decided on an engagement date? Or maybe getting married right away?¡± Queenie asked. ¡°I think we¡¯re doing just fine. I feel free while dating him,¡± Jessie answered, clearly not anxious about getting married. ¡°Well, since you put it that way, let¡¯s not worry about this until you¡¯re ready.¡± Queenie agreed. ¡°I want to at least wait until my nephew is born!¡± After Jessie said that, she gently caressed Queenie¡¯s belly. ¡°When will we start feeling fetal movement?¡± ¡°Soon. It¡¯s supposed to begin around the fourth month.¡± Queenie also looked forward to it¡ªthe magical touch from her future newborn. After having dinner, Jessie and Julian stayed until 8.00PM and left. The two had agreed to pay a visit to the orphanage the next day, and Jessie would take five million from her signing bonus and donate it to them. Moreover, the orphanage had managed to get finer treatment and would soon be moving to a new ce. When they arrived at the orphanage, Julian felt a pang in his heart when he saw the ce she grew up at. It turns out that she was living a poor life before returning to the Silverstein Family. Yet, she constantly rys her kindness and determination to the other children at the orphanage. The director said she has always been a role model for other children. When it was time for them to head home, Jessie gathered all the gifts she received from the children and put them in a box to bring home with her. Distressed, Julian embraced her before kissing her. She blinked her eyes at him. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± He could not put his love for her into words, but he knew he was deeply in love with her. The start of a new year meant new beginnings. Jessie had made a name for herself and was so popr that an international brand chose her to be the global spokesperson for their perfume ad with an endorsement fee of two billion. This was the first time she had ever been a spokesperson for anything, so she was unaware of how others were jealous of her. She was a newly debuted celebrity who had only appeared in one film and was now chosen to be the global spokesperson for a multinational corporation. Her poprity, along with Julian¡¯s, skyrocketed, and the fans adored her. While some celebrities had dark histories that could not be revealed, Jessie¡¯s past made them feel more sympathetic toward her as they got to know her. They found out that she got lost at a young age and was admitted into an orphanage, where she had to independently earn money for herself when she reached eighteen. She yed cameo roles and stunt doubles for a living, and she gave all the money she earned to the orphanage for the betterment of the children there. As for her, she stayed in a cheap hotel and ate bread daily. Later, she discovered that she was the second youngdy of a wealthy family that owned a hundred-year-old brand. Therefore, how could such a hardworking and determined celebrity not be famous? Her past and personality made the fans feel distressed for her, but they also liked her even more and wished that she could participate in more roles. The Inte was also filled with supportivements when she was announced as the spokesperson. When it was time for them to head home, Jessie gathered all the gifts she received from the children and put them in a box to bring home with her. Later during a press conference, Jessie revealed that two-thirds of her endorsement fee would be donated to charity organizations so that they could be used to assist more children in need. If it had been another celebrity, the public might have deemed her altruism as an act, but that was not the case for her. Her husband was a rich, well-known actor, and her family owned a hundred-year-old brand worth seventy billion, which meant she was not short of money. Later during a press conference, Jessie revealed that two-thirds of her endorsement fee would be donated to charity organizations so that they could be used to assist more children in need. If it had been another celebrity, the public might have deemed her altruism as an act, but that was not the case for her. Her husband was a rich, well-known actor, and her family owned a hundred-year-old brand worth seventy billion, which meant she was not short of money. That was why many believed that her donations were genuine. Also, the public discovered that while other celebrities would show off their luxuries, the clothes Jessie wore on camera were ordinary clothes and essories. Still, they looked exceptionally beautiful on her. In an instant, she became the celebrity role model many fans idolized. As for Jessie herself, she was keeping a low profile, staying behind closed doors to date, cook, swim, and spend time with Julian. To her, anything done with him was meaningful. The following day was the day of her advertisement shoot. She was feeling nervous, for she had never gained such experiences before. That morning, she arrived at the shooting site in a white dress. She was met with a huge green cloth draped across the back of the studio. In addition, the shooting required her to do some wire-flying, which she was skilled at. Since that morning, she had been busy with her makeup. Her final makeup was elegant and attractive, making her look like a princess. Her evening gown was also specially designed for her by the world¡¯srgest dress manufacturer. It was a gown with thousands of shimmering diamonds embedded in it, and it was the kind that only a person with the right temperament and figure could wear. However, Jessie was able to pull off that dress and look effortlessly stunning in it! Her advertisement shooting went smoothly, maybe because her lover was present at the scene. Her gaze was always twinkling and filled with light, resembling the mesmerizing gxy. On-screen, she was showing off her perfect figure, and her facial features looked wless under the lens of the high-definition camera. The shooting began in the morning andsted untilte afternoon. The first day of shooting ended at 4.00PM because there would be another day of shooting tomorrow. Julian, who had been apanying her the entire time, felt bad for her because she had only eaten half of her lunch before heading off to film with a hungry stomach. However, she was as joyful as a child after the shoot. She dragged her beautiful evening dress around while pacing back and forth before him, hoping to get apliment. ¡°Lovely?¡± ¡°Yes, very. Do you want this dress?¡± Though she adored this evening dress, it was only suitable for advertisement shoots and not daily asions due to its eye-catchiness. She might even lose a diamond while wearing it, which would pain her to lose. Chapter 1491-1500 Chapter 1491-1500 ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Wait for me to change. We¡¯ll be having dinner after that.¡± Jessie had been on a diet for themercial shooting, which resulted in her current hunger pangs. That night, Julian treated her to dinner and even ordered takeaway for her as supper. Then, March arrived in the blink of an eye, bringing two good tidings. The first one confirmed Eva was pregnant, while the second one was regarding theirtest movie being nominated for an award. Even so, the award remained a mystery to them for the time being. Eva didn¡¯t expect herself to be pregnant when she traveled home for vacation. Thus, after she returned to the city, the people around her viewed her as the object of protection. Jessie was delighted when she heard such excellent news as she was expecting the birth of two children this year. One of them belonged to Queenie, while another one belonged to Eva. So far, she and Julian hadn¡¯t decided on their wedding date. After all, she was content with spending time together with him. The 24th of March was considered a big day for celebrities as the awards ceremony this year was held on the same day. It also provided the asion to review excellent works over the year. The ceremony would give out awards to both the best actor and actress, along with other prizes to recognize the industry¡¯s aplishments. Jessie, Julian, and the crew walked down the red carpet, bathing in the background music and the fans¡¯ screaming. Soon, they walked over to the sign-in board. The instant she signed her name, he left his signature next to hers before drawing a heart that circled their names. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Wait for me to change. We¡¯ll be having dinner after that.¡± Jessie had been on a diet for themercial shooting, which resulted in her current hunger pangs. His gesture didn¡¯t go unnoticed by the camera operators nearby. They immediately gave his work a close-up. His gesture was evidence of his affection for her, even if it was a simple one. His gesture didn¡¯t go unnoticed by the camera operators nearby. They immediately gave his work a close-up. His gesture was evidence of his affection for her, even if it was a simple one. After that, they walked into the ceremony hall. Even though she was merely a rookie in the industry, their rtionship suggested that she would be more than that in the future. Thus, the organizer arranged a seat for her beside him. Their name tags next to each other indicated the best wishes from the industry for the future couple. ¡°Are you nervous about the ceremony?¡± He gently held her hand in his. ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m doing my best to stay calm.¡± She shook her head. Even though she was surrounded by the shing lights, to her, there was nothing around that could everpare with him. Therefore, she was happy even if she didn¡¯t win any award because he was the best thing that ever happened to her. The ceremony began in the crowd¡¯s nervous anticipation after the opening show. Then, the hosts announced the winners with excited voices. After that, the audience was all looking forward to the announcement of the award winners after the awards for both the best supporting actor and actress, followed by various awards for the behind-the-scenes team. The most significant awards of the night were none other than the Award for Best Actor and the Award for Best Actress. All of them were highly anticipating the announcement of this year¡¯s winners. ¡°Next, we¡¯ll be d to have the presidents announce the best actor and actress. Please wee Mr. Leads and Mr. King,¡± the hostess began with a bright smile on her face. The men got up on the stage. Both of them were holding an unopened envelope respectively. After they exchanged a few jokes, the music that followed built up the tension in the air. The audience was watching them in anticipation. ¡°Coming up next, we are going to announce the winners of the Award for Best Actor and Best Actress. The winner of the Award for Best Actor is Julian Gilmore, and the Award for Best Actress goes to Jessie Silverstein.¡± Jessie was overjoyed with the news of Julian as the winner when she unexpectedly heard her name. The words struck her like lightning, rendering her utterly dumbfounded for a split second as she had difficulty processing them and doubting herself. ¡°Am I hearing my name?¡± She sought assurance from him. He took her hand. ¡°You are. Let¡¯s go.¡± There was a stir in the audience. Several people were eyeing her enviously as he led her onto the stage, hand in hand. After all, she used to be an unassuming double for other actresses, and it was merely her first movie in her career. However, Julian, who was widely recognized as the most handsome man in the industry, was now holding her hand as they stepped onto the stage. Plus, she also won the Award for Best Actress, which created a record for achieving such an aplishment after starring in her first movie. Lisa was one of the people who couldn¡¯t contain her jealousy. She balled her fists tightly as she struggled to ept that all the good things had happened to Jessie. ¡°There should be some backdoor dealings behind this. There¡¯s no way she could earn this award if not through connections,¡± Lisa hissed through gritted teeth. At that exact moment, nervousness filled Jessie¡¯s heart. However, when Julian slid her palm into his, she calmed down under his touch. She was suddenly filled with overwhelming certainty that she could take things head-on with him by her side. When the pair stood at the center of the stage, their mere presence practically revealed to the world that they were undoubtedly a perfect couple. The audience couldn¡¯t help but agree that they were the ideal match made for each other. ¡°Jessie, would you mind sharing what¡¯s on your mind right now? Are you happy? Are you surprised to hear you won the award?¡± The hostess walked over to them and asked cheerily. Jessie took over the microphone and nodded naturally. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m indeed both thrilled and surprised. I¡¯ve never considered winning an award when I came to attend the ceremony.¡± ¡°But your movie ranked the highest-grossing film of the year. So, you should¡¯ve made a mental preparation for winning an award tonight,¡± the host pressed. ¡°I never gave it more than a passing thought. After all, the movie only became a sess mainly due to the director, the team behind it, and all the other staff involved in the movie.¡± Once she answered, the host directed their attention at Julian and asked, ¡°Julian, what about you? What¡¯s your favorite moment on the stage?¡± ¡°The best moment will be nothing but standing by Miss Silverstein¡¯s side when she receives the award.¡± Julian didn¡¯t hesitate to answer. The host let out a chuckle before teasing, ¡°It seems like winning the award yourself is second to apanying Miss Silverstein to receive the award on your list.¡± ¡°There should be some backdoor dealings behind this. There¡¯s no way she could earn this award if not through connections,¡± Lisa hissed through gritted teeth. The envious eyes of the audience were glued to Jessie. The best actor, Julian, made it clear that he was merely herpanion on the stage tonight. Therefore, her most outstanding achievement tonight was never getting an award but having him by her side for the rest of her life. The envious eyes of the audience were glued to Jessie. The best actor, Julian, made it clear that he was merely herpanion on the stage tonight. Therefore, her most outstanding achievement tonight was never getting an award but having him by her side for the rest of her life. Heat rushed to her face, and she pursed her cherry-red lips at his words. However, before she could dwell on it, the hostess shot another question at her, ¡°Miss Silverstein, may I ask, do you have any ns for the future?¡± Jessie got lost in a train of thought but couldn¡¯t think of a satisfactory answer. Then, she turned to Julian on the side to seek his help, only to see the man smiling at her. ¡°Isn¡¯t it getting married?¡± Her cheeks immediately flushed crimson at his reminder. Finally, she nodded firmly and told the hostess, ¡°He¡¯s right. I¡¯m taking my time to enjoy dating before I get married.¡± ¡°If so, is Miss Silverstein perhaps suggesting that you¡¯re marrying Mr. Gilmore?¡± Jessie nodded the second time with pure bliss spread across her face. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s him.¡± The awards ceremony no longer held its significance when it became a ce where every audience witnessed Jessie and Julian¡¯s strong affection for each other. It was a starry night, filled with stars twinkling from the sky and stars attending the awards ceremony. By the time they arrived home, it was already 11.30PM. After a bath, Jessie changed into herfy pajamas and took the opportunity to finally rx. The stiffness in her shoulders had never once disappeared during the ceremony due to her nervousness about being one of the participants tonight. A pair of hands reached behind her and kneaded her stiff muscles just when she tried to massage the soreness out of her shoulders. She fluttered her eyes shut infort, leaned into his touch, and enjoyed his hands massaging her shoulders as a faint smile painted across her lips. Julian was captivated by her beauty tonight. After he ensured she had finally let loose of all the stress, he stood still behind the couch and leaned down to kiss her soft, red lips. The kiss drew a moan out of her, which made her shyness reach its peak due to their intimacy. That¡¯s not how you kiss! Nevertheless, there was no doubt that the man was a good kisser, and she couldn¡¯t tear herself away from his ministrations. Soon, he bent down to carry her in his arms and returned to the room. After the awards ceremony, Julian turned down all job offers and took Jessie on a trip abroad. They spent quality time together without worrying about their careers and other trivial matters. Then, July approached in a blink of an eye, bringing Queenie¡¯s due date closer day by day. Frankly, after she had experienced the pregnancy for months, she couldn¡¯t help but feel that it was finally her time to give birth to her child. Just as expected, Queenie gave birth to the youngest son of the Manson Family through a C-Section, who weighed seven pounds at birth. The baby boy clenched his fists as his wail resounded through the room, which thoroughly amazed the nurses in the delivery room. It was their first time seeing a newborn with such delicate features yet a very healthy set of lungs. Still, judging by his parent¡¯s looks, it was only natural that the child would eventually grow into a handsome young man in the future. Both elders of the Manson Family and the Silverstein Family were d to receive the news. After all, good tidings of the mother and the child being in excellent health were the best information they would ever hope for. Julian and Jessie had already embarked on their trip back to the country to attend the baby shower. Things were a little hectic for the new parents, especially considering thetest addition to the family. However, three dayster, Anastasia and Elliot visited them. After all, Queenie needed a friend to talk to and relieve any postpartum anxiety she might have hidden in her heart. Anastasia was akin to an older sister to Queenie. They talked about everything and anything that needed to be taken care of after childbirth. Anastasia¡¯spany also had the intended effect of soothing Queenie, who was experiencing hormonal changes after her delivery, and kept Queenie in a good mood, so she could raise her child without worries. The Silverstein Family and the Manson Family elders were more than delighted to wee the new member into their families. The baby shower was held in a month, and they had a tacit understanding of making it as grand as possible. Jessie was overjoyed to see her healthy nephew. She held him carefully in her arms most of the time and was reluctant to let him go. Julian attempted to do the same, but he felt as though his limbs weren¡¯t listening to his brain. Because no matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t manage to position his arms right to hold the baby. Nigel, who watched the scene unfold on the side the whole time, couldn¡¯t help but step in and demonstrate the correct way to hold a baby himself. ¡°You need to learn. Maybe you¡¯ll be doing the same in two years,¡± Nigel teased. Julian envied Nigel for that and was looking forward to the day when he got to marry Jessie. He proposed to Jessie when they traveled abroad, and she epted. Thus, they returned to the country to discuss the wedding with their parents. The elders of the Gilmore Family and the Silverstein Family worked together and chose a date in October, which was an auspicious day for the wedding. Julian and Jessie had already embarked on their trip back to the country to attend the baby shower. Since Julian was a famous actor with a considerable fanbase, he kept the wedding small and secret. Nheless, some of the wedding photos he deigned to reveal remained the top trending topic on Twitter for a whole month. Since Julian was a famous actor with a considerable fanbase, he kept the wedding small and secret. Nheless, some of the wedding photos he deigned to reveal remained the top trending topic on Twitter for a whole month. Finally, the group heard from Eva and Louie and received another fantastic piece of news in November, which was the birth of their son. He was the designated heir of the Gilmore Family. Since then, Louie had gone all out tovish his wife and son with love. In the evening, the lights illuminated Averna, the most prosperous city in the East. The building of Presgrave Group stood high above the other cityndmarks and attractions around it like a king. It made itself a magnificent view in the evening of the early winter. Elliot had kept a low profile over the recent years. He decided to focus on his family and made them his number one priority, but his business empire was thriving under his governance. To him and Anastasia, the family would always be his priority. His business and everything else would onlye after, not before. Someday during the early winter, Jared, the young master of the Presgrave Family, had just finished his usual fencing practice. He got ready to go home for dinner while a security team designated to escort him was waiting downstairs. He got in the car and wore his earplugs out of habit before closing his eyes for a short nap. Even though he was only ten years old, he had set his life goal, which was to inherit his father¡¯s company in the future and protect his family. Thus, he looked more mature and sophisticatedpared to the children of his age. Perhaps his wish came true as his features began to reveal a hint of him gradually growing into a young adult despite being so young. s, the danger was closing in from behind under the cover of the night. A car without a license te slowly approached them. A man poked his head out of the sunroof and aimed the rocketuncher in his hands at the convoy in front of him. The enemies struck the convoy on the road without warning. The missile sent one of the three ck cars in motion flipping over before the st spread to the other two cars. The first car rolled down the road amidst the explosion before it crashed into amppost and stopped. The windows shattered due to the st and revealed the passengers inside, but their fate remained unknown. A few injured people swiftly got down from the two other ck cars, which were affected by the st, and shouted at each other, ¡°The young master is still in there!¡± ¡°We need to save him!¡± After that, the bodyguards rushed simultaneously toward the flipped ck car and wrenched the door open with abandon. They found Jared in a state that blood smeared all over his face when they got him out of the passenger seats. They also managed to drag the bodyguard, who drove the car, out of the driver¡¯s seat, but he had already passed away. ¡°Young master is breathing. We have to bring him to the hospital immediately.¡± One of the bodyguards barked the order at hispanions before rushing toward the ck car on the roadside. The other four surviving bodyguards didn¡¯t waste any time carrying Jared to the car and making a break for the hospital. Regardless, they hurriedly reported the situation to Elliot and Anastasia on the way to the hospital. After learning the bad news, she almost passed out in her husband¡¯s arms. On the contrary, although Jared¡¯s ident unnerved him, Elliot still forced himself to calm down before rushing to the hospital with his wife in tow. Meanwhile, at Presgrave Hospital, the director, the associate director, and the rest of the head doctors were all gathered at the entrance of the building. They were there to wee the car that the Young Master of the Presgrave Family was in. Soon enough, the ck car sped over to the entrance and stopped before the bodyguard carefully carried the boy out of the car and onto a stretcher. ¡°Save him,¡± the bodyguard cried with tears in his eyes. The doctors who had been assigned to the case hurried forward and wheeled the boy to the emergency room. The director ran along with them as he gave out orders to the nurses to treat the bodyguards¡¯ wounds. After that, he got the staff to send the two ice-cold bodies into the mortuary. No one could¡¯ve foreseen that the Presgrave Family would be attacked. It wasn¡¯t certain if Young Master Presgrave, who was only ten years old, would survive the attack. About ten minutester, Elliot charged toward the emergency room with Anastasia following behind him. A female bodyguard had to support Anastasia so that she didn¡¯t fall. Her cheeks were soaked with tears. Upon hearing the news that the bodyguards in the driver and passenger seats had died on the spot, Anastasia¡¯s face was drained of color. She looked as if she was about to pass out. Elliot gathered the four other bodyguards to ask them about the incident. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, President Presgrave. We didn¡¯t sense any danger at first. It was just a regr jeep. Then, a rocket-like explosive was hurled directly toward the other car. The whole car was thrown up into the air before it flipped and caught on fire. We felt the impact of the explosion, even from our car. The whole ce was a mess. We immediately ran over to save Young Master Presgrave, and he was still breathing when we got him out,¡± one of the bodyguards exined. Meanwhile, at Presgrave Hospital, the director, the associate director, and the rest of the head doctors were all gathered at the entrance of the building. They were there to wee the car that the Young Master of the Presgrave Family was in. Soon enough, the ck car sped over to the entrance and stopped before the bodyguard carefully carried the boy out of the car and onto a stretcher. ¡°Save him,¡± the bodyguard cried with tears in his eyes. ¡°Was he badly injured?¡± Elliot asked. ¡°Was he badly injured?¡± Elliot asked. ¡°He had a wound on his forehead, but there were no other obvious wounds on him. But¡­ We¡¯re not sure if he¡­¡± the bodyguard muttered. Elliot¡¯s entire figure was shuddering¡ªregardless of how much he tried to remain calm, he simply couldn¡¯t bring himself to ept what had happened to his son. At that very moment, a doctor rushed out of the emergency room. ¡°President Presgrave, Sir, Young Master Presgrave needs a heart transnt. We have to contact all of the hospitals in town, or any other hospital in the country, to find a suitable match. We need it within 24 hours,¡± the doctor said to both Elliot and the director. Elliot watched as the director pulled his phone out and started contacting all his connections. He sent out the news of what had happened and started asking for a suitable heart to save a child whose life was in danger. When Anastasia heard that her son required a heart transnt, she copsed into tears once more. At that moment, she desperately wished that she could sacrifice her life in exchange for her son¡¯s, just so that he could survive. After the directors made a few calls, he managed to get the news out to most of the hospitals. A married couple was staring at a document ced in front of them in a hospital in Averna. The woman let out a long sigh. ¡°Would we have had to spend all this money if it weren¡¯t for your sister?¡± she muttered. Tears were welling up in the man¡¯s eyes. ¡°Stop with your harsh words. We can¡¯t save Nick anymore,¡± he uttered. ¡°The doctor already told us that there was no hope for Nick a week ago, but you were the one who insisted on keeping him on life support. What¡¯s the purpose of that? We¡¯ve spent over 10,000 on his stay in the ICU! What was all of that money for? I¡¯d rather spend the money on someone alive.¡± The woman responded in a sharp tone before she dly put her signature on the paper. However, right when they were about to leave the hospital, a doctor hurried out to stop them in their tracks. ¡°Please hold on. We have an emergency situation that we¡¯d like to talk to you guys about,¡± the doctor said. ¡°What¡¯s the emergency? Can we still save Nick?¡± the man asked. ¡°Well, there¡¯s a ten-year-old who just got into a car ident in town, and he desperately needs a heart transnt. At this point, we will no longer be able to keep Nick alive. Would you guys be willing to donate his heart?¡± The woman¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard the doctor¡¯s words. ¡°This is a good deed we¡¯re doing. Let¡¯s do it!¡± she uttered as she held onto her husband¡¯s arm. The man thought about it for a moment before he let out a sigh. ¡°Fine. I guess it¡¯s good that we get to save someone else¡¯s life. It¡¯ll be good karma for Nick, too. I hope he¡¯ll find greater peace wherever he is!¡± At that point, the man didn¡¯t know that his decision had saved a whole family. When the director received the news, Elliot and Anastasia were still with him. They received the good news just 30 minutes after announcing that they needed a transnt. They heard that there was a boy who had been brain-dead for nearly two weeks and that the boy¡¯s family had just signed the papers to take the boy off life support. Coincidentally, the hospital hadn¡¯t taken the boy off life support yet, so the staff had asked for the family¡¯s consent to donate the boy¡¯s heart and received it. Tears streamed down Elliot¡¯s cheeks as well. The Presgrave Family will forever be indebted to this family of strangers. We have to repay their kindness, he thought. Anastasia had the same thought in her mind as well. About an hourter, a total of three cars escorted a vehicle over to the hospital. In the vehicle was the heart that Young Master Elliot needed to survive. The young boy was hurried into the surgical theater for a heart transnt. About three hourster, the surgery was an official sess, and Young Master Elliot¡¯s life was no longer in danger. Elliot sent a gift to express his gratitude to the family that had helped them. Meanwhile, the other family left the hospital after they signed the necessary documents. Zack looked especially drained after he had finally said hisst goodbyes to his sister¡¯s son, Nick. Zack brought his wife home, and they were greeted by two girls who were waiting for them in the hall. One of the girls was their daughter, while the other girl was skinnier and paler. However, she had a pair of bright eyes that made her look pretty. The husband and wife had just got home when they noticed a car stopping outside their house. A middle-aged man stepped out of the vehicle to hand them a special gift. ¡°Mr. Zack Lore and Ms. Olivia Fraser, I¡¯m here to deliver a gift of appreciation on behalf of my boss. We¡¯d all like to thank you for saving our young master.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the gift?¡± Olivia¡¯s eyes lit up immediately. She had already noticed how expensive the car was and how well-dressed the middle-aged man was. The man pulled out an envelope. ¡°There¡¯s a card in here. Its password is 123456, and there¡¯s a sum of 100 million in here. This is a thank-you gift from my boss,¡± the man exined. ¡°What? How much did you say is inside?¡± Olivia¡¯s eyes looked like they were about to fall out of her sockets. Tears streamed down Elliot¡¯s cheeks as well. The Presgrave Family will forever be indebted to this family of strangers. We have to repay their kindness, he thought. Anastasia had the same thought in her mind as well. About an hourter, a total of three cars escorted a vehicle over to the hospital. In the vehicle was the heart that Young Master Elliot needed to survive. The young boy was hurried into the surgical theater for a heart transnt. ¡°100 million,¡± the man replied patiently. Zack was just as shocked to hear this. He hadn¡¯t expected his nephew to contribute to the family even through his death. I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re getting 100 million for this! ¡°H-How could this be?¡± ¡°100 million,¡± the man replied patiently. Zack was just as shocked to hear this. He hadn¡¯t expected his nephew to contribute to the family even through his death. I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re getting 100 million for this! ¡°H-How could this be?¡± ¡°Why not? Nick is our family; he sacrificed his life to save another boy¡¯s life. This is a big deal, you know?!¡± Olivia was worried that her husband would reject the money, so she practically snatched the envelope from the man. ¡°Thank you. Please help us to thank your boss.¡± ¡°If you face any issues in the future, you can contact this number. We¡¯ll always be around to help.¡± The man handed Olivia a name card, and she took it immediately. ¡°Are you sure that you can help with anything at all?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to save this number, then.¡± Olivia was on cloud nine. ¡°Drive safe!¡± After the man left, Olivia let out a boomingugh as she threw her arms around her husband. ¡°We¡¯re rich, darling! We¡¯re rich! We have 100 million!¡± Meanwhile, the young girl sitting on the couch stared at them with sorrow. ¡°What did you guys do to my brother? Why did that man give you so much money?¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. Stop asking questions,¡± Olivia snapped. She then pulled her husband to a corner. ¡°We¡¯ll be the only ones who know about this, you hear me? We can¡¯t let that young brat find out about it. Otherwise, she¡¯s going to ask for a share of the money when she grows up,¡± Olivia hissed. Zack took a nce at the girl who was sitting in a corner. Even though he was her biological uncle, he felt as if he had been totally blinded by the wealth that had just befallen him¡ªhe was afraid that the girl would want to snatch his money away as well. ¡°Okay,¡± he promised his wife. ¡°We¡¯re really rich this time! We¡¯ll never finish all this money!¡± At that thought, Olivia turned to look at her daughter and her skinny, frail niece. ¡°You¡¯ll live with us from now on. You need to be a good girl, do you understand?¡± she spat at the skinnier child. ¡°I want my brother!¡± The girl started crying. ¡°Your brother¡¯s sick. You won¡¯t get to see him anymore,¡± the other young girl told the skinnier one. ¡°My brother¡¯s not gone. He¡¯sing back,¡± the skinny girl cried. When Olivia first took the two children in, she had considered how she didn¡¯t have a son of her own. That thought made her feel more reluctant to care for the two kids that came from her husband¡¯s sister¡¯s family. It seems like the heavens are taking away my problems now! There¡¯s only this girl left in their family, and I¡¯m now gifted with so much money. This money must be spent on my own daughter for her to live well! As for this niece¡­ Oh! There¡¯s this Aunt Jessica who had earlier offered to look after Ellie! I have to send this burden of ours, Ellie, away. I¡¯m not spending even a cent on her! ¡°Hubby, let¡¯s send Ellie to Aunt Jessica!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea! Aunt Jessica is aging and she lives alone. How on earth is she going to raise a kid?¡± ¡°Ellie is not young anymore; what more does your aunt need to do? Let¡¯s do it this way: we¡¯ll pay Aunt Jessica two thousand every month for her to take care of Ellie. After all, the longer Ellie stays with us, the more details she will get to know as she gets older. When that happens, she will most likely fight for the money!¡± Olivia was now solely concerned with keeping the money all to herself. Her words made Connor think twice. My wife is right. Ellie will grow up one day, and if she learned that we approved the donation, things will get out of hand. ¡°Fine. Let me talk to Aunt Jessica regarding this.¡± Jared, who had been unconscious for the previous three days, began to stir in Presgrave Hospital. Although his head was bandaged, he was conscious and eventually understood what was happening when he learned that his heart was a transnt. For him, realizing that the heart beating within his body belonged to someone else was an indescribable sensation. ¡°You¡¯re awake atst, Jared! You almost scared me to death.¡± Anastasia cried so much that she almost had her eyes blind from all the crying. Looking at her son who had finally awakened, she felt as though she was the one who had a close call to death. There¡¯s only this girl left in their family, and I¡¯m now gifted with so much money. This money must be spent on my own daughter for her to live well! As for this niece¡­ Oh! There¡¯s this Aunt Jessica who had earlier offered to look after Ellie! I have to send this burden of ours, Ellie, away. I¡¯m not spending even a cent on her! Jared nced at Anastasia, feeling bad that he had caused her to worry, as he said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mom, for making you worry.¡± A wave of guilt swept over him as he realized how anxious his family was. Jared nced at Anastasia, feeling bad that he had caused her to worry, as he said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mom, for making you worry.¡± A wave of guilt swept over him as he realized how anxious his family was. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m happy now that you¡¯re fine. I won¡¯t cry anymore.¡± Anastasia then bent down and kissed Jared on the forehead. She did not want her sorrow to affect her son who had just awoken. She knew he had suffered too. Five days after the crash, Elliot learned what caused it. It was nned by a foreignpetitor who wanted to exact revenge on the Presgrave Group for stealing away their business interests. Shortly after Elliot learned this knowledge, a disaster urred in the middle of the open seas. The miscreant with the temerity to touch Elliot¡¯s son vanished from existence. This was exactly Elliot¡¯s style. But despite so, he was unable to quell his anger. He went even further to ensure that the entire sinner¡¯s n would never be seen in the world. As Jared required a quiet ce to recuperate, Elliot¡¯s entire family migrated to a tranquil manor abroad and had since resided there. Sixteen yearster, a young, attractive figure could be seen sitting at the president¡¯s desk in the president¡¯s office. He then stood to his feet and gazed out the floor-to-ceiling window. His captivating appearance was a gift from god, with the sun rays entuating his aquiline nose and enhancing his facial contours, thin lips, and fair forehead as seen through hisbed-up fringes. Jared, who turned twenty-six this year,pletely inherited his father¡¯s genes. He stood close to 1.87 meters tall and exuded an elegant aura, which was how a son of a noble family would appear. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, the documents required for the board meeting are ready. You can go now.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jared had spent the previous years living and studying overseas and had rarely returned, but this time, he would have more time to stay in the country. Despite his young age, he had aparable capability to his father. As a result, he was now in charge of running the whole Presgrave Group while his parents focused on caring for his younger sister. At the same time, a figure who had just returned from studying abroad was grandly greeted. Another womanden with jewelry rushed up to hug the woman as soon as she emerged from the airport wearing only branded clothing from head to toe. ¡°My daughter, you¡¯re back atst!¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. It was Olivia Fraser, hugging her daughter, Selena, who had been studying abroad for the past four years. This daughter of hers, having a beautiful appearance and obtaining foreign degrees, had made Olivia proud. Olivia was certain that Selena would have a bright future ahead. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m running out of money again! Transfer some to me!¡± ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll transfer five hundred thousand to you tomorrow! That¡¯s more than enough!¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s just the bare minimum,¡± Selena responded, her lips pouting. ¡°Let¡¯s head back first,e on! You arrived just in time for tomorrow¡¯s wedding of your aunt¡¯s daughter. We¡¯ll go join the fun.¡± ¡°Will Ellen be going as well? What has she been doing recently?¡± ¡°What else could that girl be doing but toiling away? She¡¯s not at allparable to you!¡± Olivia said as she looked at her daughter proudly. Selena has indeed made a good choice to be born into our family! Soonter, Olivia drove her Mercedes-Benz into a basement car park in Averna¡¯s high-end residential area and stopped it in a luxurious parking space. Selena got out of the car. Behaving just like a princess, she did not pick up any of her belongings and instead waited for her mother to carry everything for her. This resulted in Olivia spoiling Selena since she was young as if she were truly a princess from a royal family. ¡°Let¡¯s have something special tonight, Mom!¡± ¡°Sure! Pick whatever you like,¡± Olivia agreed right away. Selena then trailed behind Olivia. She appeared dissatisfied with and looked down upon everything in the country, perhaps because she had lived abroad for the previous years. ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t intend to look for a job now. I want to have some fun for a while.¡± ¡°That¡¯s perfectly fine. Our family does not require money anyway. I don¡¯t want you to suffer outside too,¡± Olivia responded lovingly. That evening, Connor and Olivia took Selena out to a fancy dinner before visiting a few designer stores to get their attire for the wedding the following day. Their total expenditure for the night itself came up to more than one hundred thousand. ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll transfer five hundred thousand to you tomorrow! That¡¯s more than enough!¡± But Connor and Olivia were unconcerned at all. They spent as though the money would keep falling from the sky and were unconcerned about the possibility of bing broke. But Connor and Olivia were unconcerned at all. They spent as though the money would keep falling from the sky and were unconcerned about the possibility of bing broke. This was what Selena had always been curious about. ording to what she had recalled, their family lived in a run-down alley when she was seven. However, they moved into a big mansion subsequently, and when she graduated from high school, her parents immediately sent her abroad to study when she failed to get into a local university. Not only that, but the university she attended abroad was also one which was reputable, all thanks to her parents¡¯ connections. At that moment, everyone in her high school was envious of her. She felt that her parents possessed a mystical ability that allowed them to instantly make their entire family rich. She had previously asked Olivia about this, but Olivia did not tell her the truth and continued to indulge her every wish. As time passed, Selena gradually developed the mannerisms and habits of the wealthy and lived just like ady who was born with a silver spoon. The next day morning, Olivia had arranged for a makeup artist toe to their house to doll up both Selena and herself. Selena wore a six-figure gown, and because she had undergone some minor cosmetic surgery abroad, she truly appeared beautiful. Under the power of money as well, she shed her prior persona as a poor, disheveleddy and appeared to be a wealthy and noble woman. Connor had begun investing recently and Lady Luck had also been kind to him too as he managed to earn a few million solely from investments. Their entire family then boarded the posh car Connor had just purchased and made their way to the hotel where the wedding was hosted. The moment Olivia appeared in the hall, all of their rtives and friends greeted her respectfully, worrying that any dy would annoy her. ¡°Wow, this is Selena, right? She looks just like a celebrity!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Such a beautifuldy! You¡¯re so blessed, Olivia, to have such a beautiful daughter!¡± ¡°Of course, she is! Furthermore, Selena is an international graduate from a world-known university!¡± ¡°That¡¯s incredible!¡± Hearing all thepliments, Selena couldn¡¯t help but raise her chin proudly. She knew she merited all of these praises. She was also aware that many young guys in the hall were cing their attention on her, but she found all these men ridiculous. She would never take a fancy to these ordinary men! Her ideal life partner would undoubtedly be a member of the elite and the most influential group. She followed her mother to the front seats, sat down, and then started scrolling through her phone while acting oblivious to everyone else. Olivia, on the other hand, looked around the room before turning to the woman with grey hair seated next to her and asked, ¡°Where is Ellie, Aunt Jessica? Is she noting?¡± ¡°Ellie should be back soon, and she¡¯s probably on her way. She had to change her shifts to make it here today,¡± Jessica Aguirre said. She was the elderly woman who had adopted Ellen Reiss. When Ellen¡¯s name was mentioned, Selena¡¯s head shot up, and a sh of superiority lit up her eyes. She had nothing better to do and was curious to see what Ellen, whom she had once despised, had be. Selena despised Ellen because her family had fostered Ellen and her brother for a year when they were young. Despite her young age, Selena never overcame her animosity toward Ellen, especially after she realized Ellen had a beautiful doll that she had always wanted. However, Ellen never gave it to her, and Selena hid it, which resulted in her father spanking her. Although her only recollection of Ellen was from their childhood, the vengeful nature of her character meant that she would not let the memories fade. She was relieved that Ellen¡¯s brother had died of illness because otherwise, she would despise them even more. ¡°Mom, what is Ellen doing now?¡± Selena asked curiously. Olivia turned to ask Jessica, ¡°What has Ellie been up to recently?¡± ¡°She currently works part-time at a cafe. Moreover, she recently graduated but has yet to find a suitable job.¡± A worried look crossed Jessica¡¯s face as she answered. Selena snickered when she heard that. So, she¡¯s working part-time in a cafe, huh? I was hoping she¡¯d do better than that! After the newlyweds made their grand entrance, the guests were treated to a few toasts before being seated for the meal. At the same time, a youngdy hopped off a bus that had pulled up to the bus station near the hotel, checked the time, and ran to the hotel. Although she was still dressed in her waitress uniform, she managed to exude a cool demeanor despite the sweltering heat. The breeze blew her bangs and highlighted her attractive face. ¡°Ellie should be back soon, and she¡¯s probably on her way. She had to change her shifts to make it here today,¡± Jessica Aguirre said. She was the elderly woman who had adopted Ellen Reiss. Slightly out of breath, she entered the elevator and soon arrived in the hall. She looked around for a seat, but an elder ushered her to a seat with the directors. With a bright grin, Ellen made her way to her seat while attracting the attention of several young men as she passed by. She radiated an air of mystic authority that drew people to her like moths to a me. Then, she affectionately embraced Jessica before taking a seat beside her. Afterward, Jessica began caring for her as though she were her own child, pouring her drinks and setting out her cutlery. Slightly out of breath, she entered the elevator and soon arrived in the hall. She looked around for a seat, but an elder ushered her to a seat with the directors. With a bright grin, Ellen made her way to her seat while attracting the attention of several young men as she passed by. She radiated an air of mystic authority that drew people to her like moths to a me. Then, she affectionately embraced Jessica before taking a seat beside her. Afterward, Jessica began caring for her as though she were her own child, pouring her drinks and setting out her cutlery. However, Selena¡¯s attention was on Ellen as soon as she walked in, but Ellen still hadn¡¯t noticed her. Selena couldn¡¯t help but feel superior at seeing Ellen in her cheap uniform. A sudden thought prompted Jessica to pat Ellen on the shoulder and exim, ¡°Ellie, Aunt Olivia and Selena are here too.¡± When Ellen turned around, she spotted Olivia and Selena, so she shed them a bright smile and greeted them as if they were strangers. ¡°Aunt Olivia and Selena, it¡¯s been a while.¡± Olivia pretended to greet her amiably. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. Come by whenever you have time!¡± She felt she had no choice but to put on an air of seniority in social situations. Moreover, she had never cared about Ellen¡¯s daily life since she was a child. Olivia once broached the subject of providing Ellen¡¯s living expenses with her husband. Still, she abandoned the n six months after learning that Jessica¡¯s monthly pension of three thousand was sufficient to support Ellen. Nevertheless, every time Jessica saw them, she never failed to thank them for offering them living expenses for six months. Furthermore, she would bring it up to everyone she knew. ¡°Sure!¡± Ellen replied with a smile. Still, she did not dare go to her uncle¡¯s house because it was much toovish for her, and she feared she would be subjected to undue pressure if she did. ¡°This is Selena,¡± Olivia proudly introduced her daughter to Ellen as a way of bragging. Ellen and her daughter were roughly the same age, but Ellen was still struggling at the base of the pyramid, while her daughter had a bright future ahead of her. She managed to fast-track to elite society with little effort. Then, Selena nced at Ellen while propping her chin in the palm of her right hand, and her eyes glowed with surprise. She did not expect Ellen to be a beautiful youngdy because of Ellen¡¯s scrawny and malnourished appearance as a child. However, given Ellen¡¯s inherent beauty, minimal makeup would suffice to transform her into a stunning woman. Selena couldn¡¯t help but feel resentful. My skin is wless, and its radiance can only be attained through various beauty products, but look at her poor appearance! I wonder if she could afford a moisturizer, which costs one hundred! Nevertheless, Ellen has much healthier and more radiant skin than I do. Her skin is smooth and supple, like a baby¡¯s, and there is not the slightest sign of a blemish anywhere on her face. That¡¯s so unfair! At the end of the meal, Connor approached Ellen, handed her a card, and said, ¡°Ellie, there¡¯s a hundred thousand in this card. Keep it for yourself and Aunt Jessica.¡± ¡°Uncle Connor, I appreciate it, but I¡¯m working to make a living, and I¡¯m not short on cash.¡± The moment he made the offer, she firmly shook her head and declined. She would never ept such a substantial sum of money from him. The passage of time profoundly impacted his personality, and he became considerably magnanimous. Seeing his sister¡¯s daughter struggle to make a living while he and his family had no financial concerns, he sincerely desired to assist Ellen. When Olivia went looking for him so they could leave, she found him with a card in his hand and Ellen standing in front of him. Then, she swiftly approached them and asked, ¡°Connor, let¡¯s go home. What¡¯s with that card?¡± She shot him a warning nce, knowing that her husband was presumably trying to give Ellen money, which she forbade. ¡°Bye, Uncle Connor.¡± Then, Ellen abruptly turned around and walked away. Selena couldn¡¯t help but feel resentful. My skin is wless, and its radiance can only be attained through various beauty products, but look at her poor appearance! I wonder if she could afford a moisturizer, which costs one hundred! Nevertheless, Ellen has much healthier and more radiant skin than I do. Her skin is smooth and supple, like a baby¡¯s, and there is not the slightest sign of a blemish anywhere on her face. That¡¯s so unfair! Olivia sneered, ¡°Connor, why are you being so kind and generous? You secretly gave Ellen money without informing me, didn¡¯t you?¡± Olivia sneered, ¡°Connor, why are you being so kind and generous? You secretly gave Ellen money without informing me, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Oli, how could you be so heartless? Who has made it possible for us to live the way we do now? Do you not feel the slightest sympathy for Ellie?¡± ¡°Does she need our sympathy? She is 22 years old, and isn¡¯t she working diligently? She won¡¯t starve to death,¡± she huffed angrily. ¡°We no longer share the same social standing as she does in society. Moreover, we each have our own lives, and she has her own. Therefore, we do not have to worry about her. She will deprive you of everything you have now when she learns of what we did back then.¡± Due to the past events, Connor¡¯s wife brainwashed him to prevent him from bing close to his niece. ¡°Since our daughter wears designer clothing that can easily run into the tens of thousands, why can¡¯t we give Ellie some money? It breaks my heart to see her using a phone with a badly cracked screen,¡± he responded with a sigh. ¡°What do you think she¡¯ll feel about us if she finds out that we got ourfortable lifestyle by trading her brother¡¯s heart? Aside from that, given that we were so heartless back then, what good would it do to try to atone for our sins right now? So, let¡¯s forget about it and go home!¡± Following that, Olivia took her husband¡¯s hand and led him toward the parking lot. Meanwhile, Ellen was rushing out of the entrance when she noticed Selena standing alone. However, Selena couldn¡¯t help but call out to her. ¡°I¡¯ve heard you¡¯re now working in a cafe. What¡¯s the name of the cafe?¡± ¡°It¡¯s called Indigo Brews. Stop by if you want to get a coffee!¡± ¡°Send me the address! I might drop by,¡± Selena uttered arrogantly. ¡°Then, let¡¯s exchange contact information!¡± Following that, Ellen said anxiously, ¡°I gotta get back to work now. Bye!¡± She bid Selena farewell and left, then she felt frustrated because she hadn¡¯t seen any jealousy or envy in Ellen¡¯s eyes. ¡°She has no idea how to appreciate my superiority. Her views on materialism may differ from mine, so I can¡¯tpel her toprehend myvish life,¡± she muttered in dismay. At that moment, her parents¡¯ car pulled over in front of her, and she climbed inside and looked out the window. Suddenly, she noticed the Central Business District skyscraper, affixed with the words ¡°Presgrave Group,¡± gleaming in the sunlight. Then, she feltpelled to tell her mother, ¡°Mom, I aspire to work there.¡± Olivia and Connor looked at the Presgrave Group building in unison. She smiled as she asked her daughter, ¡°Do you want to work there?¡± ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m not sure I can. As far as I know, they don¡¯t actively seek new employees, and their entry requirements are quite high.¡± ¡°Tell your dad to pull some strings for you! You can definitely get in with your talent,¡± Olivia confidently suggested to her daughter. ¡°Really? Dad, can you really pull some strings for me? Then, assign me a position inside right away!¡± When Selena heard that, she was pleasantly surprised because she had hoped to find a job and a potential romantic interest in thepany. Then, Connor nodded. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll figure something out so you can get in.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but put her hands on her chest in excitement. If I could join the Presgrave Group, my ssmates would be green with envy. The following afternoon, Selena borrowed the car from her father and drove to the cafe where Ellen worked. She was intrigued by Ellen¡¯s ce of employment and wished Ellen would feel envious of her. Meanwhile, Ellen was working in the cafe when she noticed Selena walk in, so she approached her and greeted her warmly, ¡°Lena, I¡¯m surprised to see you here!¡± Selena sat down while Ellen took her order, and then she deliberately picked up the menu to unt the massive diamond ring. Then, she ced an order from the selections avable. ¡°I¡¯ll have this!¡± ¡°Sure. Hang on a moment.¡± After Ellen had left, Selena snapped a selfie, appearing pleased with her subtle makeup. ¡°Is that your friend, Ellen? She looks like a daughter from a wealthy family!¡± ¡°She is my cousin, my uncle¡¯s daughter.¡± ¡°Woah! You have a wealthy uncle! Do you notice the timepiece on her wrist? I believe it is branded, and she appears to wear designer clothing!¡± ¡°Tell your dad to pull some strings for you! You can definitely get in with your talent,¡± Olivia confidently suggested to her daughter. Ellen smiled. ¡°Yes, my uncle¡¯s family is quite wealthy.¡± Ellen smiled. ¡°Yes, my uncle¡¯s family is quite wealthy.¡± ¡°Then, why are you working in a cafe?¡± ¡°What does it have to do with me?¡± She found her colleague amusing. When Ellen brought the coffee over, Selena pointed to the seat across from her and said, ¡°Take a seat! Let¡¯s talk.¡± Since the store manager was not around, Ellen sat down and conversed with her. Then, her attention was drawn to Selena¡¯s diamond ring, and she eximed, ¡°What an exquisite ring!¡± Selena held out her hand, took a quick look at the ring, and then inquired, ¡°Do you know how much it costs?¡± ¡°How much?¡± ¡°How much do you earn monthly?¡± ¡°Around three thousand.¡± ¡°Then, you may need to work for five years to afford it!¡± Selena replied with arrogance. Ellen couldn¡¯t help but bite her tongue. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s so expensive!¡± After a while, Selena left, and because her car was parked at the entrance, the other waitress, who had returned from taking the trash outside, immediately remarked, ¡°Ellen, I can¡¯t believe your cousin¡¯s family is so wealthy! She drives a Bentley!¡± ¡°Ah! Do you know how much her diamond ring cost?¡± Ellen asked her colleague. ¡°How much?¡± ¡°It is equivalent to five years of our annual ie.¡± ¡°Geez! Why are you so poor while your family is so wealthy?¡± Her colleague couldn¡¯t help but wonder. Ellen shrugged and inquired, ¡°What does my cousin¡¯s family¡¯s wealth have to do with how poor I am?¡± ¡°Of course, it does! If I have a wealthy uncle, I will do whatever it takes to work for him rather than in a cafe.¡± Ellen responded with a bitter smile. Following her brother¡¯s passing, she recalls Connor¡¯s family distanced themselves from her. Since that day, she had never been to her uncle¡¯s home, nor had she seen him or his family for years. Eventually, as she matured, Jessica told her that her uncle had be the wealthiest member of the family. Moreover, she envied Selena because, despite failing the college entrance exam, she could attend the best university in the world, bing the family¡¯s crown jewel. Ellen neverined about her unfortunate circumstances because her parents died when she was a child, and she remembered her brother as the person who had always been the closest to her. However, her brother passed away due to illness. Later, Jessica cared for her as though she were her granddaughter. Ellen believed she was closest to Jessica, whereas Connor¡¯s family was only a distant rtive on whom she could not rely. Soon, Ellen had finished her shift and boarded the bus home. Ellen and Jessica lived in an old house in a suburban neighborhood of the big city. Since their house was in a less-than-ideal area, it would never be demolished. Chapter 1501-1510 Chapter 1501-1510 When Ellen returned home, she was hesitant to turn on the lights. As the light was dim, she turned on a nightlight and began cleaning the house. After Jessica informed her that macaroni and cheese would be on the menu for dinner that day, she retrieved a box from the back of the cupboard and set it to boil. One of Jessica¡¯s favorite pastimes was chatting with the other retirees in her neighborhood. Hence, she would return by 6.00PM, and Ellen would prepare dinner in advance while she awaited her return. After Ellen had finished setting the table with the cutlery, Jessica returned home. She had turned sixty- six, and despite her silver hair and wrinkled face, she was full of life and vitality. ¡°Ellie, is dinner ready?¡± ¡°Grandma, did anything interesting happen today?¡± While cooking the macaroni, Ellen engaged her in conversation. Jessica happily filled her in on the local tidbits, such as which family had been childless for years despite being married and whose daughter-inw was going through a divorce. Ellen found it enjoyable to converse with her because she knew it would help Jessica¡¯s memory and slow the progression of her dementia. On the other hand, Ellen mentioned how she had met Selena earlier that day at the cafe. When Jessica heard that, she let out a sigh of sympathy for Ellen. Both Selena and Ellen were around the same age, but Selena had the privileged life of a wealthy daughter while Ellen was forced to make do with less. ¡°Ellie, please hear me out on this.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°If I pass away someday, you ought to look for your uncle and move in with them.¡± When Ellen returned home, she was hesitant to turn on the lights. As the light was dim, she turned on a nightlight and began cleaning the house. After Jessica informed her that macaroni and cheese would be on the menu for dinner that day, she retrieved a box from the back of the cupboard and set it to boil. ¡°Grandma, what are you saying? You have a long life ahead of you.¡± Ellen hurriedly stopped her from continuing. ¡°Grandma, what are you saying? You have a long life ahead of you.¡± Ellen hurriedly stopped her from continuing. Jessica chuckled. ¡°I meant ¡°if¡±, silly. So, remember to go live with your uncle when the timees.¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Uncle Connor has his own family. I can¡¯t live with them anymore.¡± Ellen had never considered the possibility of such a scenario. ¡°It¡¯s better to be turned down than to have nobody to rely on. After all, Connor is your uncle, so he will not leave you alone,¡± Jessica spoke firmly. She was getting on in years, so naturally, she was concerned about Ellen. Ellen¡¯s eyes turned misty as she nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°If there¡¯s one thing you¡¯re not good at, it¡¯s winning over others. If you spent more time with your uncle, you wouldn¡¯t have to suffer alongside me.¡± Ellen pursed her lips, knowing that Jessica had suggested that for her own good, but she was content with her current situation. ¡°Grandma, this month I was awarded a bonus. So, let me take you out for a delicious meal.¡± ¡°Nah. You need to put that cash aside for a rainy day. Then, when you marry, you will need a dowry!¡± Jessicaughed. Ellen¡¯s pretty face flushed. ¡°Grandma, it¡¯s too soon for me to marry!¡± ¡°I hope I live long enough to witness your wedding. I¡¯m curious what kind of boy you¡¯ll marry.¡± A deeper flush of redness spread across Ellen¡¯s face. ¡°Grandma, hurry and eat your dinner before it gets cold!¡± Meanwhile, at Aguirre Residence, Olivia bought a new set of clothes and wore them to show her husband. However, Connor seemed distracted, and without even looking at her, he said, ¡°You look great in them, but you shouldn¡¯t go out and spend so much money on clothing.¡± ¡°Why not? I am delighted to spend it on them,¡± she snorted. She was frustrated by her husband¡¯s inattention and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with youtely?¡± ¡°I wonder if Ellie has been treated unfairly. My conscience is bothering me.¡± Then, Olivia sneered, ¡°What¡¯s the use of being sorry?¡± ¡°We can make amends for her loss by providing financial assistance so that she does not have to endure as much suffering in her daily life.¡± ¡°No way. Life is what you make of it; unfortunately, Ellen¡¯s life is destined to be difficult. Moreover, we have no control over it,¡± Olivia stated sarcastically. ¡°We have not yet secured a job for our daughter!¡± ¡°I called Mr. Wenlock, but he was away on business. When he returns, he will arrange a position for Lena.¡± Seeing how soft-hearted Connor was, she sat beside him and persuaded him, ¡°Think about it, Connor. What if helping Ellen leads to her bing entangled with our family? If you lend a hand to her once, she¡¯ll be back for more. So, will she move in with us after the passing of Aunt Jessica? Worse yet, what if she chooses to live off of us for the rest of her life? If you don¡¯t give her money right now, you are telling her we are not people she can rely on. There¡¯s no harm in being ruthless sometimes, right?¡± Connor was brainwashed time and time again by Olivia, and since he also valued profit, he ruthlessly neglected his niece for years. ¡°Fine!¡± Connor had no choice but to listen to his wife and be ruthless. Due to their conversation, Olivia was no longer interested in trying on clothes anymore, so she called her daughter and reminded her toe home early. Meanwhile, Selena was hanging out with a bunch of foreign friends in a high-end bar. Selena¡¯s circle of friends were all rich kids in Averna who were open to meeting new people and going to parties. In the blink of an eye, it had been a few days since Selena returned. Today, she and her friends made an appointment to visit the golf course where Ellen happened to be. She wasn¡¯t here for fun. Instead, she was there as a cleaner. The daughter of Jessica¡¯s good friend worked as a janitor here, but she was hospitalized because she was not feeling well and couldn¡¯t ask for leave, so Jessica asked Ellen to help her out for a few days. Ellen had been working for two days in a row now, and she had also requested to take over the night shift for her cafe job so that she could make time during the day. On this day, she wore the janitor uniform and a sun hat. No one could tell that she was just a young girl. Just as she was cleaning a particr area, four fashionable youngdies walked toward her while chatting. Ellen took a glimpse at them curiously before quickly recognizing Selena. At the same time, Selena turned in her direction, so Ellen called out to her, ¡°Selena!¡± Connor was brainwashed time and time again by Olivia, and since he also valued profit, he ruthlessly neglected his niece for years. Selena was looking at the scenery at first, but she was startled by the sudden call of her name. Only then did her gaze fall on the janitor. Selena was looking at the scenery at first, but she was startled by the sudden call of her name. Only then did her gaze fall on the janitor. Surprisingly, the janitor turned out to be Ellen! Moreover, she was holding a garbage bag in one hand, while the other hand wearing gloves, and she was wearing an unfashionable sun hat. It was so embarrassing to watch. ¡°Do you know her, Lena?¡± one of the girls asked curiously and took a nce at Ellen. Since when did Selena have such a bum-looking rtive? Ellen felt theplicated gaze in Selena¡¯s eyes as she looked at her. Thereafter, thetter smiled and replied to her friend, ¡°No, I don¡¯t know her.¡± Feeling as if she had been stabbed in the heart, Ellen hurriedly turned around to leave, not wanting to embarrass Selena. Selena watched Ellen¡¯s embarrassed back with a smile, and there was no trace of guilt in her eyes. Ellen almost made her lose pride in front of her friends, for goodness sake! She used to brag in front of her friends that her family was all wealthy, so it did not make sense that she had a rtive who worked as a janitor! Just then, one of the girls covered her mouth and eximed, ¡°Oh my! Look at that man! He¡¯s so handsome!¡± The backs of two men were facing them, and the younger one resembled a prince under the morning light. His thick raven hair was brushed backward, revealing a wless face and sharp features. He had thick brows, a sharp nose, and beautiful lips. His overall temperament was elegant and charming. Although they were nearly 30 feet away from him, all of them were in awe of the man¡¯s good looks. Even Selena could feel her heart racing. Whether it was his temperament, figure, or his face, he was her ideal type. ¡°I wanna know him! Which family does he belong to?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I have seen him before, but I can tell that he¡¯s extremely well off.¡± ¡°He must belong to a higher ss than us! How great would it be to know him? Why don¡¯t we ask for his phone number?¡± one of the girls suggested. ¡°Then let¡¯s decide with a game!¡± The four girls were here to take pictures of the scenery so that they could upload them online and maintain their perfect rich girl setup. Eventually, Selena lost the game. She took a deep breath, and with eyes filled with ambition and desire, she mused, If I get his number, I won¡¯t share it with anyone else! ¡°I¡¯m going over now,¡± she dered whilebing her hair with her digits and checking her outfit. Once she was content with her preparations, she walked up to the two men. Beside the young man stood a middle-aged man. The duo was ying golf while chatting away. When Selena approached them, she heard the middle-aged man respectfully addressing the young man, ¡°Sir, it¡¯s gettingte. Shall we head back?¡± ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s leave in a few minutes.¡± The man¡¯s voice was crisp and clear, carrying a hint of masculine charm. After he swung the golf club, Selena approached him. The middle-aged man turned to look at her and asked, ¡°Is something the matter, miss?¡± ¡°Well, my friends and I¡­ made a bet. Whoever can get this young man¡¯s number will win the game. May I ask¡­ if you are willing to help me out, sir? Can I get your contact number, please?¡± As Selena raised her head, she realized that the man had such a stunning face that she dared not look him in the eye. If she did so, her heart might beat even faster, and she might even risk stuttering in her speech. Before the young man could reply, however, the middle-aged man rejected her request. ¡°Sorry, miss. We cannot allow just anyone to have his phone number.¡± Selena couldn¡¯t help taking the opportunity to look at him and noticed that the cor of his white shirt was unbuttoned, and the cuffs of his shirt were rolled up to the middle of the arms, which revealed his fair and delicate skin. He had a pair of gleaming deep-set eyes, a sharp nose, and sexy lips. When all of those aspects werebined in one frame, he looked as perfect as a sculpture. Beside the young man stood a middle-aged man. The duo was ying golf while chatting away. Without backing down, she boldly asked the man, ¡°Sir, please. Please help me out!¡± Without backing down, she boldly asked the man, ¡°Sir, please. Please help me out!¡± In response, the man took a glimpse at her and replied indifferently, ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t.¡± Even his voice is charming! Though she was extremely disappointed by his response, she dared not act presumptuously anymore. She stared at the man greedily for a few seconds before turning around to leave. ¡°Let¡¯s go, sir!¡± the middle-aged man initiated. When Selena returned to her friends, she had to disappoint them by telling them that she couldn¡¯t get his number, so the girls became depressed as well. They just missed out on getting to know a handsome man! But Selena was even more disappointed because she had admired the man up close. The feeling she had for him had intensified after their brief exchange. He honestly looked straight out of aic! Ellen, on the other hand, had been picking up garbage for some time and had to drag an extremely heavy bag of garbage on the road. A buggy stopped in front of her as she struggled to drag it, and a deep male voice asked, ¡°Need help?¡± She turned her head abruptly before widening her eyes. She felt dizzy as if being shone by the sun. Except that it was not the sun, but a man¡¯s face. ¡°N-No, thank you! I can do it by myself.¡± Ellen did not expect a handsome man would have such a kind heart. ¡°Let us give you a ride, miss! You¡¯re working too hard.¡± After saying that, the middle-aged man got off the vehicle and helped her carry the garbage bag onto the buggy. Seeing that, Ellen thanked them with a flushed face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± The young man smiled as he started scanning her before asking curiously, ¡°Why are you working as a janitor here at such a young age?¡± ¡°This is not actually my job. The daughter of my grandma¡¯s friend works here, but she fell sick, so I came over to take over her job for a few days.¡± After Ellen finished speaking, she wrung her hands nervously. She felt uneasy by the man¡¯s stare. Involuntarily, her face turned scarlet. She would rather drag that bag of garbage alone than be scrutinized under the gaze of such a handsome man! She felt embarrassed. When they arrived at the parking spot, the middle-aged man even carried the garbage bag down for her, but when she intended to thank them for their kind act, she realized that the young man had walked away with his elegant back facing her. It made her stare nkly for a while, and when she came back to her senses, she felt quite puzzled but deep inside, she felt touched by their kindness. After ending her job, she changed into a casual outfit and left the golf club. Since buses did not stop nearby, she had to walk about 20 minutes to the nearest bus stop. While strolling on the road, she hummed a tune and enjoyed the scenery, feeling carefree. Right then, a Bentley drove up from behind her. Selena was in the driver¡¯s seat. Her eyes glinted with hatred when she saw Ellen. Why does she have to be around all the time? Selena pressed down on the gas pedal and sped forward. She was afraid that Ellen would see her driving the car¡ªthat would make her seem like she was a heartless person. Selena didn¡¯t want to pick Ellen up¡ªshe felt embarrassed to show her friends that she had a rtive as poor as Ellen. ¡°Selena, did you say that your father¡¯s going to send you to work at Presgrave Group? Is that true?¡± Selena¡¯s friend asked. ¡°Yeah. My father¡¯s looking for connections,¡± Selena replied. ¡°Can you help me to get into thepany too?!¡± Selena shook her head. ¡°His friend can only help me to get a job there.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even need a job! You can do any other job since your family¡¯s so well off,¡± her friend commented. ¡°What do you know? I¡¯m here to hunt for my future partner! I heard that tons of talented figures earn millions a year in thatpany! They¡¯re way better than the regr person! They¡¯re smart and rich¡­ It¡¯d be a plus if they are also handsome.¡± The group of girls chuckled among themselves¡ªthey were all picturing their ideal romantic encounters. However, Selena was already hooked on the young man she had seen at the golf club earlier. That was the man she wanted to get married to. I wish I could find a way to get to know him! Ellen walked for nearly 20 minutes to get to the bus stop. It waste at night, and she felt rather sorry for herself as she stood alone at an empty bus stop. When the bus finally arrived, she got on the bus and leaned her head against the window as she felt the air-conditioning against her face. She felt like a speck of dust in the universe as she looked at the bustling city outside the window. Oftentimes, she felt unworthy of being in this city. Those tall buildings and those brightly lit condominiums¡­ I wonder what sort of people live there. Right then, a Bentley drove up from behind her. Selena was in the driver¡¯s seat. Her eyes glinted with hatred when she saw Ellen. Why does she have to be around all the time? Selena pressed down on the gas pedal and sped forward. She was afraid that Ellen would see her driving the car¡ªthat would make her seem like she was a heartless person. Selena didn¡¯t want to pick Ellen up¡ªshe felt embarrassed to show her friends that she had a rtive as poor as Ellen. I know I¡¯m in the lowest ss among all these people. Even though I graduated from university, finding a job is simply too hard. It¡¯s practically impossible to find a good job without having some connections. Ellen had gotten into a decentpany once, but the manager kept harassing her. In the end, she had to quit her job because she was too afraid of him. She didn¡¯t have the guts to tell anyone else about this matter because she knew that no one was going to support her even if she told them about it. She didn¡¯t dare to tell her grandmother about it either¡ªshe was worried that she would make her grandmother worry and cause her grandmother¡¯s health to deteriorate. I know I¡¯m in the lowest ss among all these people. Even though I graduated from university, finding a job is simply too hard. It¡¯s practically impossible to find a good job without having some connections. Ellen had gotten into a decentpany once, but the manager kept harassing her. In the end, she had to quit her job because she was too afraid of him. She didn¡¯t have the guts to tell anyone else about this matter because she knew that no one was going to support her even if she told them about it. She didn¡¯t dare to tell her grandmother about it either¡ªshe was worried that she would make her grandmother worry and cause her grandmother¡¯s health to deteriorate. So, Ellen was like a lone kitten that was terrified yet curious about the rest of the world around her. She couldn¡¯t help but recall her brother sometimes. Her brother was the only person who had ever risked his life to protect her. From what she could remember, her brother was both bold and warm. Whenever he had good food, he made sure to share it with her; whenever he had nice toys, he would give them to her as well. However, her loving brother had left her all alone. When Ellen finally got home, she was greeted with her grandmother¡¯s warm meal. Even though it was nothing special, she felt her insides warming up as she ate the meal. Meanwhile, in the Fraser household, Selena told her mother all about how she had bumped into Ellen at the golf club. ¡°She was so disgusting. I nearly got embarrassed in front of my friends because of her,¡± Selenained. ¡°Alright. The next time this happens, you should just pretend not to know her. She can¡¯t me you for it.¡± Olivia had a beauty face mask that cost 1000 on her face, and she was enjoying herself while lying on the couch. ¡°Of course. I wouldn¡¯t make eye contact with her even if I saw her on the streets. She totally embarrassed our family.¡± Selena had a resentful look on her face as she spoke. ¡°You should stay away from her. You don¡¯t want her bad luck to rub off on you,¡± Olivia reminded her daughter. The truth was that she didn¡¯t want her daughter to get close to Ellen as she was afraid that Ellen would start pestering their family someday. If they showed enough hostility toward Ellen, then Ellen wouldn¡¯t have the guts to get too close to them. ¡°I know!¡± Selena nodded. ¡°Mom, I have a question! How did we get so rich? Some people¡¯s families have apany that they¡¯re waiting to inherit. Do we have apany too?¡± Selena reproachfully. ¡°Didn¡¯t I already tell you about this? Your father and I met a benefactor who provided us with a venture capital fund. Thanks to that, your father made a fortune in trading stocks.¡± ¡°And who is that benefactor?¡± Selena couldn¡¯t help wondering even more curiously. ¡°That benefactor will reveal himself to you if the opportunity arises,¡± Olivia replied mysteriously. Feeling extremely curious about this person, Selena thought to herself, A benefactor who can make our entire family rich overnight must be extremely wealthy. I need to get to know him! ¡°This benefactor not only helped our family but also helped me. Without him, I would never have been able to enter such a prestigious university. Although it was tough for me to graduate with a diploma, nobody will dare to look down on me when I introduce myself in the future.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Likewise, Olivia was very proud. ¡°Mom, I met a super handsome man on the field today. It¡¯s a pity I failed to get his phone number.¡± ¡°How handsome?¡± ¡°How should I put it? He is the kind of person who was born from true wealth. His entire body radiated with a sense of nobility and an extraordinary aura. I practically swooned on the spot when I saw him.¡± Selena described the man to her mother in detail; there was no restraint in her words whatsoever. ¡°If you wish to marry into a good family in the future, then you shouldn¡¯t randomly fall in love or enter a rtionship with a man. Don¡¯t let those useless men take advantage of you,¡± Olivia advised her daughter. ¡°Mom, I know what I¡¯m doing in this regard. An ordinary person wouldn¡¯t catch my fancy anyway.¡± Selena assured her mother. Beneath the beauty face mask, Olivia¡¯s expression stiffened. She turned around and looked at Selena reproachfully. ¡°Didn¡¯t I already tell you about this? Your father and I met a benefactor who provided us with a venture capital fund. Thanks to that, your father made a fortune in trading stocks.¡± At one of the top vis along the hillside of Averna, Jared stood by the floor-to-ceiling window and stared out at the lights in the distance. He was reminiscing about all the fun things he experienced with his parents when he was younger. At the same time, he also recalled the disaster that struck him when he was ten years old. At one of the top vis along the hillside of Averna, Jared stood by the floor-to-ceiling window and stared out at the lights in the distance. He was reminiscing about all the fun things he experienced with his parents when he was younger. At the same time, he also recalled the disaster that struck him when he was ten years old. His life nearly came to an abrupt end on that fateful day, but God had given him the chance for a second life. His family had been very grateful to the parents who had donated the heart to him and saved his life as a result. Even now, his family continued to help the donor¡¯s family to show their gratitude. The heart he received back then had long since merged seamlessly with his body to provide him with great health and vitality. He took off his shirt. Holding his shirt in his hand, he walked toward the bathroom. There was a visible scar on his chest that remained from the surgery he underwent back then, but the scar did not take away from the beauty of his strong figure. On the contrary, the scar added a touch of masculinity and sensuality to his character. In the early hours of the morning, Ellen was sleeping deeply when she heard her grandmother calling her name. ¡°Ellie¡­ Ellie¡­¡± She immediately bolted awake and jumped out of bed. Pushing open the door to her grandmother¡¯s room, she saw her grandmother lying on the dimly lit ground. Her grandmother had fallen down. ¡°Grandma!¡± She screamed in horror. Hastily turning on the light, she saw her grandmother lying there motionlessly with an ashenplexion. Then, she quickly rushed back to her room and grabbed her phone to dial the emergency number. After her grandmother was sent to the emergency room at the hospital, the nurse urged her to pay the medical fees first. She had taken out all the money she had on her, but the nurse informed her to prepare another 20,000 by tomorrow morning to cover any unexpected medical expenses that might incur. Ellen was terrified and quickly contacted her great aunt, Lc Aguirre, for help. Unfortunately, Lc had just recently paid for her son¡¯s wedding and had no money to spare. She told Ellen to ask her nephew, Connor, for help instead. At this point, Ellen had no other options left. She could only hope that her uncle would be willing to loan her 20,000 to pay for her grandmother¡¯s medical expenses. Jessica Aguirre was rescued from the brink of death. Be that as it may, the doctor warned Ellen to prepare herself for the worst. Jessica¡¯s fall had resulted in serious cardiac issues, so there was a high possibility that she would lose her life at any time. Combined with her advanced age, the possibility of saving her was low. When Ellen heard the news, she covered her mouth with her hands in horror as tears began to flow down her cheeks. She felt an absolute sense of despair and helplessness. ¡°Doctor, I have the money. Please save my grandmother no matter what,¡± she begged the doctor. The doctor nced at her frayed clothes and the worn-out phone clutched in her hands, but he nodded comfortingly. ¡°Of course. I will do my best.¡± Inside the hospital ward, she apanied her grandmother throughout the night. When 7.00AM finally rolled around, she hurriedly left the room and dialed Connor¡¯s number. When Connor received the phone call, he immediately showed concern. ¡°What? She fell? Is it serious?¡± ¡°The doctor says that it¡¯s serious. Uncle Connor, can you please loan me some money? I want to treat Grandma¡¯s illness.¡± ¡°How much do you need? Just let me know!¡± ¡°I¡­ I want to borrow 100,000.¡± Ellen took into consideration that she might need more moneyter, so she decided to ask for more from the beginning. No matter how tiring it would be, she would definitely work hard to pay back this debt. ¡°100,000? That¡¯s not a problem. I¡¯ll bring the money over to you right away.¡± After a few seconds of hesitation, his conscience prevailed. When she ended the phone call, she heaved a sigh of relief. At this moment, she was delighted to have a rich uncle who could help her during the most difficult time of her life. Just as Connor was leaving the house, Olivia caught sight of him and hurriedly asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Aunt Jessica fellst night and is being hospitalized right now. Ellencks the funds for the medical expenses, so I¡¯m bringing some money over to her.¡± Olivia¡¯s expression fell instantly, and she immediately probed further. ¡°How much do you n to give her?¡± ¡°100,000.¡± ¡°What!? She asked you for 100,000!? No way! The most you can loan her is 20,000. And you must insist that she pays you back,¡± she dered forcefully. ¡°How¡­ How can you be so heartless? She is my Aunt Jessica.¡± ¡°You have to know that an elderly person like Aunt Jessica will need a lot more money down the road for her medical expenses after suffering from a serious fall. Besides, she won¡¯t be saved even if we spent all that money on her. Why waste our money on something so useless?¡± After saying that, she continued, ¡°If you help Ellen on this asion but Aunt Jessica unfortunately passes, she will definitely approach us for money again.¡± When Connor received the phone call, he immediately showed concern. ¡°What? She fell? Is it serious?¡± He was forced topromise with her. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll only lend her 50,000 then! It¡¯s not easy for a child like her.¡± After saying that, he opened the door to leave. He was forced topromise with her. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll only lend her 50,000 then! It¡¯s not easy for a child like her.¡± After saying that, he opened the door to leave. However, Olivia¡¯s anger was not assuaged. She stood there scolding him angrily. ¡°Where are you getting that money from? Our money is for retirement! How can you spend that money so carelessly?¡± ¡°Mom, what are you yelling about?¡± Selena came downstairs with a huge yawn. ¡°Your father¡¯s aunt, Aunt Jessica, fellst night and was hospitalized. Ellen asked us for money early this morning, and your father agreed to loan her 100,000. Of course, I have to say no.¡± ¡°What? Borrow 100,000!? When will she be able to pay us back!? She only earns a meager sry of 3,000 a month!¡± Selena couldn¡¯t help feeling distressed over her family¡¯s finances. ¡°That¡¯s what I was saying! Even if she did her best to starve herself, it would take more than three years for her to pay us back!¡± Olivia snorted disdainfully. Selena felt that it was unlucky to learn about something like this so early in the morning. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m going shoppingter. You mentioned that you¡¯d give me 500,000st time. Can you transfer that amount to my card now?¡± ¡°Sure! I¡¯ll do it in a bit.¡± Olivia¡¯s expression immediately became gentle. She would never skimp on her daughter¡¯s expenses. That was because she had believed in a certain principle since she was young. A daughter should be raised in luxury to raise her horizons and connections to marry a rich man in the future. In the hospital, Jessica had woken up by the time Connor arrived at the hospital. She could sense that she no longer had much time left to live. Therefore, she encouraged Ellen to remain strong and waited for Connor to arrive. Connor handed the money over and sat down beside her bed. She spoke to him with tears in her eyes. ¡°Connor, I won¡¯t be alive for much longer. The one thing that worries me the most is Ellie. When I¡¯m no longer around, please take her in!¡± Seeing that his rtive was about to pass away, he naturally felt very distressed. Not to mention, he had always been a kind-hearted man. ¡°Alright, Aunt Jessica. I promise you. I will bring Ellie home with me.¡± ¡°Good. Ellie is your sister¡¯s only child. As her younger brother, you have to help care for her child,¡± she said. ¡°After all, that was how your sister took care of you when she was still alive.¡± He nodded hard at those words. At this moment, everything his wife exhorted earlier had been forgotten. He felt like he had just woken up from a dream. This child was his sister¡¯s daughter, and he could not bring himself to abandon her without a care. ¡°Ellie is a good girl. Find a good husband for her when the timees. Don¡¯t let others bully her.¡± Jessica was not afraid of death. The only thing she feared was that Ellen would be all alone in the world with nobody to take care of her. His promise made her feel relieved and reassured. With that, Jessica calmly epted her fate. When Ellen walked in through the door, her eyes were swollen from crying. She knew that her grandmother would pass away soon, and the pain in her heart was so intense that she nearly passed out from the distress. Jessica had refused any form of treatment because she wanted to leave all her money to Ellen. For that reason, she passed away peacefully during the early hours of that very day. As Jessica¡¯s elder sister, Lc came over with her son to help with the funeral procedures. Connor hung around too. On the other hand, Ellen was too young and could not understand anything. Nevertheless, her tears did not stop flowing down her face. She could not ept the reality before her. ¡°Grandma! Grandma!¡± When Jessica was carried into the hearse, she wept sadly as she kneeled on the ground. Her sorrow was immense. Connor brought Ellen to the crematorium in his car. It didn¡¯t take long before the urn containing Jessica¡¯s ashes was ced in front of Ellen. She hugged the urn to her chest, and Connor bought a burial plot for Jessica on her behalf. The urn was buried three dayster. Jessica had asked Connor to bring Ellen home with him, worried that Ellen would be depressed and scared to be all alone at such a young age. After all, there was nobody to take care of Ellen once she was gone. Therefore, Connor brought Ellen home to retrieve her clothes before taking her back to his house. While he was driving on the road, he worried about his wife¡¯s opinion regarding this sudden turn of events. He quickly took the opportunity to contact Olivia when he stopped to buy a pack of cigarettes. ¡°What!? She¡¯s going to stay at our house for a few days!? No way!¡± ¡°Olivia, Aunt Jessica just passed away. Ellie is just a child. She is scared and all alone. I promise that I will do whatever you want next time. Please just let Ellie stay for a few days!¡± When Ellen walked in through the door, her eyes were swollen from crying. She knew that her grandmother would pass away soon, and the pain in her heart was so intense that she nearly passed out from the distress. When Olivia heard his promise, she grudgingly agreed. ¡°Fine! But only three days!¡± When Olivia heard his promise, she grudgingly agreed. ¡°Fine! But only three days!¡± Connor stopped for dinner with Ellen along the way. By the time they arrived home, it was already 10.00PM. Olivia had been waiting by the door and remained courteous to Ellen for Connor¡¯s sake. ¡°Hey! You¡¯re here, Ellie! Come inside quickly!¡± she greeted them warmly. Ellen¡¯s eyes were red and swollen from crying. Nevertheless, she greeted Olivia politely. ¡°Aunt Olivia.¡± ¡°Alright, it¡¯s veryte. I¡¯ve prepared a room for you. Come with me.¡± After saying that, Olivia led Ellen to the housekeeper¡¯s room. Connor couldn¡¯t help ncing sideways at Olivia when he saw the room. So that¡¯s why Olivia sent the housekeeper away. She wanted to vacate the housekeeper¡¯s small room for Ellen. It had to be said that their house was a two-story duplex. Aside from the master bedroom, there were six other guest rooms avable. However, Olivia was not willing to let Ellen stay in any of the guest rooms. Be that as it may, Ellen was highly grateful for the treatment she received. In fact, she couldn¡¯t help feeling ufortable and awkward just standing in the bright and luxurious hall in her casual clothes at this moment. ¡°Thank you, Aunt Olivia,¡± she said gratefully. ¡°No need for such reservations. It¡¯ste. There¡¯s a bathroom inside the room. You should go straight to bed after a shower!¡± Olivia suggested warmly. ¡°Okay.¡± Ellen nodded obediently. For her, this small room was already more luxurious than any other room she had ever been to before. As soon as Olivia closed the door, Connor grabbed her by the arm and dragged her into the other smaller living room. Then, he angrily questioned her, ¡°There are so many guest rooms in the house. Why must you let Ellie stay in the housekeeper¡¯s room!?¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking me why? Didn¡¯t you see how dirty her clothes were? Besides, I never agreed to bring her home in the first ce. You¡¯re the one who stubbornly insisted on bringing her home!¡± Olivia snapped furiously. She seemed even more upset than him. At this moment, Connor had no intention of arguing with her. He was worried that Ellen would no longer want to live in this house if she overheard their argument. ¡°Where is Lena?¡± he asked. ¡°Lena is out with her friends!¡± ¡°Ask her toe home immediately. How can a girl stay out sote? That¡¯s highly improper!¡± He directed all his resentment and frustrations upon the fact that his daughter was staying outte. Her expression immediately darkened at those words. ¡°What did you mean by that, Connor Aguirre? What¡¯s wrong with our daughter having fun with her own circle of friends?¡± However, he could not be bothered to argue with her. Thest two days had exhausted him. On the other hand, Ellen gingerly sat on the bed inside the small room. She could tell this room belonged to the housekeeper, but she was not bothered by it. Not long afterward, Selena returned home. She was changing her shoes at the doorway when Olivia came and whispered something in her ear. ¡°Ellen hase to live in our home.¡± ¡°What!? Ellen!?¡± She wondered whether she had misheard her mother! Although she knew that her Great Aunt Jessica had passed away, was Ellen really going to stay at their home from now on? ¡°How long will she be staying?¡± Selena expressed her dissatisfaction on her face. ¡°I don¡¯t like having strangers in the house.¡± ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t let her stay here for a long time. I n to kick her out after three days.¡± After saying that, Olivia made a shushing sound. ¡°Don¡¯t be so loud. Why don¡¯t you return to your room? I¡¯ve ced her in the housekeeper¡¯s room, and your father is unhappy about that.¡± After hearing those words, Selena became even more upset. She was jealous that her father was being so lovely to Ellen. Thest two days had been extremely exhausting, so Ellen fell asleep as soon as shey down on the bed. She dreamt of her grandmother that night, causing tears to flow down her face again. The next morning, a knock sounded on Ellen¡¯s door. She immediately got out of bed and changed her clothes. When she opened the door, she saw Olivia standing outside. ¡°Good morning, Aunt Olivia.¡± ¡°Ellie, do you know how to make breakfast? Our housekeeper is on leave, so there¡¯s nobody in the house to make breakfast for us.¡± ¡°Yes, I can make breakfast. I know how to make spaghetti.¡± ¡°Good! Follow me to the kitchen!¡± Olivia guided Ellen to the kitchen and took out some pasta, vegetables, and eggs so that Ellen could make breakfast for the entire family. By the time Connor and Selena woke up, there was already arge bowl of spaghetti on the table. Moreover, Ellen had prepared several beautiful poached eggs to go with the meal. Olivia looked at the sight and sneered silently. So, it¡¯s true that children from poorer families learn to take care of their families from a young age. Although her daughter did not know how to cook or make any kind of breakfast, she firmly believed that her daughter would marry into a family that would not require her to cook. This way, her daughter¡¯s hands wouldn¡¯t be dry or cracked. ¡°How long will she be staying?¡± Selena expressed her dissatisfaction on her face. ¡°I don¡¯t like having strangers in the house.¡± She grudgingly praised Ellen in front of her husband. ¡°Connor, look! Ellie woke up early in the morning just to prepare breakfast for us! It looks absolutely delicious!¡± She grudgingly praised Ellen in front of her husband. ¡°Connor, look! Ellie woke up early in the morning just to prepare breakfast for us! It looks absolutely delicious!¡± Connor eximed in surprise, ¡°Ellie, why did you wake up so early to prepare breakfast?¡± ¡°I¡­ I woke up early, so I decided to make breakfast.¡± Ellen did not dare to tell him that Olivia had woken her up to cook breakfast. Olivia immediately beckoned Ellen. ¡°Come, Ellie! Let¡¯s sit down and have breakfast together!¡± Seeing that Selena had not greeted Ellen, Connor turned toward her and scolded, ¡°Lena, why didn¡¯t you greet Ellie?¡± ¡°Good morning, Ellen,¡± Selena greeted in a perfunctory manner. ¡°Good morning, Selena,¡± Ellen greeted in return. During breakfast, Selena began to tell her mother about her ns for the day. In the morning, she nned to head to the spa for a massage. Then, she was going shopping with her friends in the afternoon followed by a gathering with her ssmates at night. Just listening to her schedule for the day was enough to make anybody envious. Connor listened to his daughter¡¯s schedule and suddenly blurted out, ¡°Lena, why don¡¯t you bring Ellie with you? You can show her around.¡± Selena froze in the middle of eating her noodles ¡°Dad, Ellie is not acquainted with my friends. How can she hang out with us?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Lena and her friends are students who came back from studying abroad. She won¡¯t fit in.¡± Despite expressing her discontent, Olivia did not forget to boast about her daughter¡¯s superiority at the same time. Ellen blushed furiously and told Connor, ¡°Uncle Connor, I¡¯ll just rest at home today.¡± After pondering for a moment, Connor did not force the matter. ¡°Alright then. Have a good rest at home today, and we¡¯ll visit the cemetery together tomorrow.¡± He had an appointment with a friend after breakfast. Since he was also going out, only Olivia and Ellen would remain at home. The truth was that Olivia originally had an appointment. It was just that she felt uneasy about leaving Ellen at home alone. What if she lost something important? It had to be said that both she and her daughter¡¯s jewelry were very expensive. That was why she decided to stay at home and watch Ellen. ¡°Ellie, I hurt my wrist recently and can¡¯t do theundry. Can you help us with theundry?¡± ¡°Okay, Aunt Olivia.¡± ¡°Ellie, the floor looks a little dirty. The mop is in the storeroom. Can you mop the floor, please? Don¡¯t forget to mop the staircase while you¡¯re at it. It¡¯s getting dusty.¡± Ellen was treated like a servant and ordered around by Olivia to do various chores. Olivia also instructed Ellen to cook lunch at noon. After Olivia finished her lunch, she rxed in front of the television as though she were a queen. As for Ellen, after she finished doing those chores, she was so tired that she fell asleep in the afternoon. It was at this moment that she received a phone call from her colleague. Their boss was laying off some employees since business at the cafe was not doing too well. As she happened to be on leave for the week, he decided to terminate her employment immediately. Ellen¡¯s tears welled up in her eyes again in her disappointment, and the tough demeanor she maintained fell apart in an instant. No matter how unfairly life treated her, she could always face it with a smile. Nevertheless, she felt absolutely powerless and weak at this moment. That evening, Connor offered to take Ellen and Olivia out for dinner after he came back from his appointment. They went to an upscale steakhouse near their residence. Having lived in the area for more than ten years, they had gotten into the habit of eating at such ces. Olivia couldn¡¯t resist using this opportunity to show off. ¡°Ellie, here. Try this. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve never tasted these before.¡± Olivia handed Ellen a te of desserts. Ellen quickly thanked her aunt. ¡°Thank you, Aunt Olivia.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing! We often eat these, so we¡¯ve gotten tired of eating them,¡± Olivia added. Connor immediately nced sideways at her, warning her not to boast to Ellen. After all, it was all thanks to Ellen¡¯s brother that they could enjoy their current lifestyle. He could not bear to watch how she enjoyed the blessings that Ellen¡¯s brother gave them while expressing disparaging remarks about Ellen. Olivia looked away, upset at being rebuked. As Ellen was a sensitive person by nature, she immediately lowered her head and ate quietly without saying anything else. After dinner, Connor brought Ellen to the nearby shopping mall and bought some clothes for her. Although Ellen kept refusing his goodwill, he stubbornly insisted on buying the clothes for her. His little shopping spree immediately racked up a bill of more than a thousand dors. Ellen¡¯s tears welled up in her eyes again in her disappointment, and the tough demeanor she maintained fell apart in an instant. Olivia fumed at the sight and thought to herself, In order to prevent Connor from buying clothes for her again, I¡¯m going to give my daughter¡¯s old clothes to her tonight! Olivia fumed at the sight and thought to herself, In order to prevent Connor from buying clothes for her again, I¡¯m going to give my daughter¡¯s old clothes to her tonight! By the time they reached home, it was already 9.30PM. Ellen stayed inside the housekeeper¡¯s room and did note out again. On the other hand, Olivia rummaged through the wardrobe on the second floor and packed up all the old clothes that Selena no longer wore. Connor walked into the wardrobe and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Packing up Lena¡¯s old clothes for Ellen.¡± ¡°We can just buy new clothes for her. Why are you giving her old clothes?¡± ¡°Lena no longer likes wearing these clothes, but they aren¡¯t old. If you sold any of them, these used items would still fetch a price of several hundred!¡± she responded indignantly. Nevertheless, he did not feelfortable with her actions and asked her to stop. ¡°Stop it. No matter how good the condition of the clothes may be, they are still clothes that Lena has worn. I¡¯m sure Ellie will feel unhappy about getting these old clothes.¡± ¡°Why would she be unhappy? These clothes are better than the rags she¡¯s wearing at the moment! I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because her clothes were shedding, but I found a lot of lint on my clothes when I was putting theundry away today!¡± she immediatelyined. He snapped at her in frustration. ¡°That child is so pitiful. Can¡¯t you just bear with her for the time being?¡± ¡°Connor, I¡¯m being serious with you! You¡¯d better not let Ellen stay here for too long. Don¡¯t you dare me me if I identally tell her about how her brother donated his heart! I¡¯m a talkative person by nature after all. It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know that.¡± ¡°How could you say that?¡± He couldn¡¯t help panicking slightly. She snorted and sneered. ¡°We could just tell her the truth! The money is in our hands anyway. What is there to be afraid of? Do you think a little girl like her can do anything to us?¡± ¡°You must never tell anybody about this matter, or we will drown in the criticisms of the public.¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll keep my mouth shut. In return, you¡¯d better make the girl leave as soon as possible. Just looking at her makes me uneasy. It feels like she is going to steal everything away from us at any time.¡± After warning her husband, she continued to pack up the clothes. It didn¡¯t take long for her to go downstairs with a big bag of clothes in her hand. She carried the bag to Ellen¡¯s room and said, ¡°Ellie, I¡¯m sorry for troubling you. These are Selena¡¯s old clothes. She¡¯s too picky and refuses to wear them again after a few times. These clothes are all in good condition, so I¡¯m giving them to you. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± Ellen was stunned. She never imagined that her aunt would give her so many clothes. Regardless of the reason, she felt grateful for the kind gesture. ¡°Thank you, Aunt Olivia. These clothes are of great quality!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I think too! Lena loves buying clothes. In fact, she spends so much money without even batting an eyelid. Look at these clothes, each piece costs at least several hundred!¡± Olivia even boasted. ¡°Thank you, Aunt Olivia.¡± Ellen expressed her gratitude once more before Olivia finally left. Ellen certainly did not turn her nose up at the clothes. Now that she had lost her job, she would need to live frugally and save as much money as she could. She had used up all her money to pay for the medical expenses, and Connor was the one who paid for the remainder. All she had on hand was her sry of 450. She had just received it. It was nearly 1.00AM. Ellen was sleeping when she was awoken by the noisesing from outside her room. She got off the bed and cracked open the door to peep outside. ¡°Mom, when is she leaving? I don¡¯t even feel likeing home anymore!¡± Selena¡¯s voice came from the living room. ¡°Be quiet. Don¡¯t let her hear you.¡± ¡°Who cares if she hears me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask her to leave tomorrow. I¡¯ve already discussed this matter with your father. We¡¯ll never take her in.¡± Ellen¡¯s face flushed deep red with humiliation. It turns out that I¡¯m unweed here. Early in the morning of the third day, Connor and his family headed to the cemetery with Ellen. The funeral was handled by Lc and her family, so Ellen would only need to attend the funeral as part of the family. Looking down at the urn that was being buried in the ground, Ellen felt her tears flowing down her cheeks. The person she loved the most had left her. Selena had always been a cold-hearted person ever since she was a child. Despite seeing how hard Ellen was weeping, she felt nothing. In fact, she thought that the entire funeral was aplete waste of her time. At this moment, Connor¡¯s eyes were reddened. Recalling how his aunt had helped him in the past, he couldn¡¯t help feeling sad about her death. Ellen certainly did not turn her nose up at the clothes. Now that she had lost her job, she would need to live frugally and save as much money as she could. On the other hand, Olivia had gone out of her way to dress up for this event. Although she was dressed in ck, she was decked in jewelry. Moreover, the jewelry that adorned her was very fancy. On the other hand, Olivia had gone out of her way to dress up for this event. Although she was dressed in ck, she was decked in jewelry. Moreover, the jewelry that adorned her was very fancy. Finally, Jessica was buried peacefully. From now onward, Ellen was all alone with nobody to lean on in this world. Lc walked over and said, ¡°Connor, what are your ns for Ellie? You can¡¯t expect her to be on her own. She¡¯s just a child.¡± ¡°What child? She¡¯s already 22 years old,¡± Olivia immediately retorted. How dare you try to put the responsibility of taking care of Ellen on us? I won¡¯t let you seed! Unable to persuade Olivia, Lc could only sigh heavily. Connor replied, ¡°Aunt Lc, I¡¯ll definitely help Ellie.¡± Olivia sneered coldly at those words. I won¡¯t allow him to do that. Not only is Selena ufortable with Ellen¡¯s presence, but it is so inconvenient to have Ellen in the house. I used to be able to do whatever I wanted in the past, but I have to amodate her in everything I do now. Ellen heard the conversation from nearby and walked over. ¡°Uncle Connor, I¡¯ll move back home tonight. I won¡¯t disturb you any longer.¡± ¡°Ellie, why are you moving back so suddenly? We have room for you.¡± Connor couldn¡¯t help asking. ¡°I want to keep vigil for Grandma. I¡¯m not scared. Grandma was everything to me,¡± she responded bravely. She did not want to return to her uncle¡¯s house and continue being a burden to them. ¡°You¡¯re right, Ellie. One must always repay the kindness one has received. Let¡¯s heed her wishes and allow her to go home to keep vigil!¡± Olivia immediately agreed. She did not know why she was feeling a sense of guilt and fear at this moment. She also couldn¡¯t help feeling as though there was a chilly presence behind her whenever she looked at Jessica¡¯s grave. Connor was forced to agree with the arrangement. After the funeral, he sent Ellen back to her home. Looking at the dpidated vige that she was living in, he took out the card that he usedst time and said, ¡°There is 15,000 in this card. Take it.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t, Uncle Connor. That¡¯s your money. I can¡¯t take that.¡± ¡°Just take it!¡± ¡°No, Uncle Connor. If Aunt Olivia learns about this, she¡¯ll be very upset.¡± Ellen was a sensible child. When Connor drove away from Ellen¡¯s house, his phone rang. He nced at the caller ID and immediately stopped his car by the side of the road. Then, he solemnly answered the phone call. ¡°Hello, President Curtis.¡± ¡°Mr. Aguirre, I believe you previously mentioned that your daughter would like to work at Presgrave Group. I¡¯ve already made the necessary arrangements. ording to her education and experience, we¡¯ve temporarily ced her in the position of a financial analyst. Are you satisfied with that arrangement?¡± ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m very satisfied with the arrangement, President Curtis. However, I would like to make another request if possible. I have a niece who is very pretty and has just graduated from university recently. Can I trouble you to arrange a position for her as well?¡± He swallowed his pride and asked. Chapter 1511-1520 Chapter 1511-1520 However, the person on the other end remained friendly as he said, ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll get her a job at the reception first. If she¡¯s willing to take this job, we¡¯ll give her an official contract once the probation period of three months is over. Please send me her number and basic details.¡± ¡°Okay, great! Thank you a bunch, Mr. McConaughey,¡± Connor said in relief, thinking that this was suitablepensation for Ellen. His daughter was employed, and Ellen didn¡¯t have to worry about job searching anymore. When he got home, Olivia continued to ask him whether he had given any money to Ellen, which was within his expectations. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t take it even if I wanted to give it to her,¡± he answered helplessly. ¡°It¡¯s only right that she doesn¡¯t take it as she should understand that every single penny from this family is unrted to her,¡± Olivia scoffed. Every word she uttered was more demeaning than thest. He stared at his wife and felt as though he was looking at a stranger. What turned her into such a heartless person? Was it money? he wondered. All these years, their rtionship was quite stable, but he noticed that his wife had gradually turned into a selfish and indifferent person. She hoarded money like a dragon and no longer had anypassion for others. Annoyed by his stare, she barked, ¡°What are you looking at?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Initially, he wanted to tell her that he had gotten Ellen into the Presgrave Group as well, but he decided against it. However, the person on the other end remained friendly as he said, ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll get her a job at the reception first. If she¡¯s willing to take this job, we¡¯ll give her an official contract once the probation period of three months is over. Please send me her number and basic details.¡± Soon, Selena returned home and was over the moon to find out that she got the position of financial analyst. For a fresh graduate, it would be impossible for her to get such a good job. Furthermore, she merely wanted to go there and work to get an extra point for herself so that she could have better chances of meeting men of higher social ss. Soon, Selena returned home and was over the moon to find out that she got the position of financial analyst. For a fresh graduate, it would be impossible for her to get such a good job. Furthermore, she merely wanted to go there and work to get an extra point for herself so that she could have better chances of meeting men of higher social ss. While she sat on the couch, the image of that young man she bumped into at the golf course that day appeared in her mind. For the past few days, she would go there for a walk and take some pictures with her friends, but she didn¡¯t run into him again. Despite her disappointment, she looked forward to seeing him again because some people in this world had the charm to steal one¡¯s heart at first sight. At night, Ellen fell asleep amidst her tears; she wasn¡¯t afraid, but she merely missed Jessica and couldn¡¯t ept the fact that she was gone. Early the following day, she woke up in a daze when she heard her cell phone ringing. She blindly reached out to grab her phone and picked up the call. ¡°Hello? Who¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Am I speaking to Miss Ellen Reiss? I¡¯m calling from the Human Resource Department of Presgrave Group. Can youe to work tomorrow?¡± ¡°Work? Presgrave Group? Me?¡± A clueless Ellen didn¡¯t remember submitting her resume to this company before. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re hired. Is there a problem?¡± At the moment, she was in urgent need of a job. She couldn¡¯t be bothered to wonder whether this job offer was a mistake as she grasped it tight like a lifeline. ¡°No, no problem at all. I¡¯ll be there tomorrow,¡± she stammered with excitement. Even after she had ended the call, she still thought she was dreaming. She had a job now, and it was even a job at Presgrave Group! Once again, she tried to recall the resumes she had sent and was sure that she hadn¡¯t sent one there. Whatever, she thought. I¡¯ll just show up there tomorrow and see what happens! Out of the blue, she was struck with overwhelming sorrow. If Jessica was watching her from the other side and knew that she was going to start working in a huge corporation, would she be happy for her? She would need a decent business suit for her job tomorrow. s, the clothes Connor bought for her were all casual wear, which was unsuitable for an interview. In addition, an internationalpany such as Presgrave Group would definitely have a strict dress code. Hence, she opened the other bags that were fully packed. These were the old clothing that Olivia had packed for her, and she had brought all of them back. One by one, sheid them out on the bed to take a good look at them. Finally, she found a business suit with a skirt that looked professional, and she heaved a sigh of relief. Not only did this look good, but it also didn¡¯t look worn out. After she checked thebel and noticed that it was from a renowned brand, she sighed again. Selena¡¯s life is something that I couldn¡¯t even have in my dreams. Of course, she wasn¡¯t jealous but merely envious because she had faith that her life would only improve. The next day before going to work, she wore some light makeup early in the morning and took the public bus to Presgrave Group. Meanwhile, at Connor¡¯s house, Selena had put on the business suit she had just bought and wore delicate makeup before leaving the house via her father¡¯s luxury car. Under the morning sun, the dark blue ss panels of the Presgrave Group building walls reflected a dazzling light, and after Ellen hopped off the public bus, she scurried over quickly, worried that she would bete. At the same time, Selena had just arrived after parking the car in the parking lot. She held her purse over her shoulder, paced toward the revolving doors, and it was then that she caught sight of a familiar figure. She thought that her eyes were ying tricks on her, so she focused and looked again. I was right, she thought. I did see Ellen. How¡¯s this possible? Why is she here? Also, the attire she¡¯s wearing looks very familiar as well. That looks like it belonged to me. Mom told me that she gave Ellen all of my old clothes, and it seemed like she was really wearing them. Her red lips turned upward into a contemptuous smirk, and she walked briskly toward the lobby. Ellen stood in the lobby and raised her head in amazement as she stared in awe at the grand and resplendent hall, too stunned by the sight. This was a working environment she had never imagined working in, and it was simply too grand! Right then, Selena walked in and saw her. Although she really didn¡¯t want to acknowledge her, curiosity got the better of her, and she approached her, asking, ¡°Ellen, what are you doing here?¡± A startled Ellen turned and lit up when she saw Selena. ¡°You¡¯re here, too, Selena? Are you here to work as well?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my first day at work today. So, what are you doing here?¡± She¡¯s not here to do odd jobs, is she? Selena wondered. Ellen blinked innocently as she answered, ¡°I-I¡¯m here to work.¡± ¡°What?¡± Selena thought that she had misheard Ellen, yet her hopes were shattered when she saw Ellen¡¯s nod. ¡°It¡¯s my first day at work, too.¡± Selena took a deep breath as she thought, How could she get a job here? What qualifications does she have? ¡°These clothes are mine, aren¡¯t they? Are you sure you can bring out the elegance of these clothes?¡± she scoffed and flounced off in annoyance. The fact that Ellen was working here made her feel that thepelling character of the ce had lowered. Meanwhile, Ellen¡¯s face was scarlet for a second and pale the next. Although she knew that Selena was mocking her, she could only sigh and let it go. Then, she went to the Human Resource Department to sign the employment contract. She still couldn¡¯t believe she was hired and even immediately had a position at the front desk. When she saw the base sry, her eyes lit up with delight. My god, the base sry is 15,000! she gushed silently, and her hands shook with excitement as she signed the contract. After she read through the contract, she was sent to look for her superior at the front desk to assign work to her. Back in the lobby, Ellen looked at the long and grand front desk; all of the equipment was so advanced. She couldn¡¯t help but feel that this entire ce looked elegant despite it being just a receptionist¡¯s working area. She was assigned next to senior staff because her superior, Carrie Lynch, took extra care of her and didn¡¯t give her any pressure at all. In addition, Carrie had also received a note from the higher-ups, so she treated Ellen slightly better than the others. Simultaneously in the finance department, Selena was assigned an office to herself within an extensive department. Although her run-in with Ellen had dampened her mood, she was still pleased with her job. Selena was a person who was good at handling situations and even better at acting coy. So, it wasn¡¯t long before she got a male colleague in the office beside hers to teach her devotedly and would always show up to help on matters that stumped her. Ellen clocked off at 6.30PM on her first day of work. Although she messed up sometimes due to her inexperience, she was a quick learner. It also helped that there happened to be another colleague at the front desk who was about to get married soon. So, her colleague guided her to take over the workload. After work, Ellen went home immediately while Selena went out with that male colleague for dinner to learn about the ins and outs of thepany. Selena could no longer suppress her curiosity any longer as she asked, ¡°Chris, who¡¯s the president of Presgrave Group now?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know that the young master of the Presgrave Family has taken over the reins at the company?¡± ¡°What does he look like? I¡¯ve never seen him before. Do you have a picture of him?¡± she asked inquisitively. The next second, a man named Christian took out his phone and scrolled through to find the picture that was circted in thepany¡¯s internal group. The man in the photo was seated in the conference room, looking young and dashing with an intelligent glint in his eyes, simply a hunk that was a ten on the scale. Selena took his phone, nced at the picture, and almost dropped it. Nevertheless, she hurriedly composed herself as she held it tightly and covered her mouth, staring in disbelief at the man in the photo. Oh, my god! Isn¡¯t this the man I bumped into at the golf coursest time? So, he¡¯s the current boss of Presgrave Group? Her heart beat madly against her chest, and her eyes were filled with ambition as she smiled happily at the picture. ¡°So, this is our boss! Will we meet him every day?¡± Her words sent a pang of jealousy through Christian¡¯s chest. Truth be told, he was a little interested in Selena because she was a newbie at thepany, pretty, and had a good figure. In addition, he could tell from how she looked that she came from a wealthy family because he identally nced at her car key and saw that she was driving a Bentley; of course, he was interested in her. ¡°Regr employees like us don¡¯t have a chance to meet him,¡± he said, shaking his head. However, in Selena¡¯s heart, she was already fantasizing about how she could get to know her boss. Thest thing she was expecting was for the man she thought she would never meet again would appear so suddenly, and she was so excited that she wanted to scream her joy at the rooftops. After dinner, she went home and found Olivia in high spirits over the fact that she had a proper job. ¡°How did it go? Are you happy on your first day?¡± ¡±Yes, but an annoying person affected my mood,¡± she answered candidly. ¡°What annoying person?¡± Olivia asked quizzically. ¡°Who else but Ellen? I don¡¯t even know how she managed a job at Presgrave Group. What a damper!¡± she whined, utterly annoyed. When Olivia heard that, she immediately caught on to the situation¡ªwhen she asked Connor to introduce a job to their daughter, he also roped Ellen into thepany. This made her incredibly displeased because she didn¡¯t think it was a good thing that he was so concerned about Ellen out of the blue. The thing that scared her the most was Ellen finding out one day that they had donated her brother¡¯s heart. Not only that, they didn¡¯t even share a single penny out of that huge amount with her. If she really lost her mind, she might actually ruin their family. When Selena returned to her room to rest, Olivia called Connor into the room for questioning right after he returned home. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yes, I did get Ellen into thepany. What¡¯s the problem? Isn¡¯t this just a small gesture?¡± he said, annoyed by the interrogations. Olivia sulked. ¡°Looks like your pitiful niece is the only one in your eyes now, huh? Do you want to ruin our family?¡± As he didn¡¯t want to bring up this matter, he went into the bedroom and straight to bed. On the other hand, the more Olivia thought about it, the angrier she became. It was a glorious thing that her daughter was working in Presgrave Group, but it irked her that Ellen also had a share in this glory. Later, she knocked on Selena¡¯s door to have a chat with her. ¡°Mom, do you know? I found out something that made me really happy today,¡± Selena said, recalling that she had yet to tell her mother about this. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Turns out that the dreamboat I met at the golf course the other day is my boss!¡± ¡°What? Is he young? How old is he?¡± Olivia asked, her heart skipping with a thud. ¡°He¡¯s very young! About twenty-five.¡± ¡°What¡¯s his family name?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s Presgrave!¡± Selena blinked at her mother and cast her a puzzled look. However, the look on Olivia¡¯s face was definitely something. It was evident that she was excited but also nervous as she thought, Who would have thought that the boy who had the heart transnt is now the heir of the Presgrave Family in a blink of an eye? How time flies! And we¡¯ve been under the care of the Presgrave Family for sixteen years now. ¡°But I¡¯m just a small employee. How I wish to know him! I should at least let him notice me!¡± Selena whined with a look of disappointment while holding her mother¡¯s hands. Suddenly, a brazen idea popped into Olivia¡¯s mind, probably her most daring thought ever. That was to find a way to get her daughter acquainted with the young master of the Presgrave Family and let her marry him. That way, they would live a life of luxury for the rest of their lives. ¡°Have some patience, Lena. Maybe you¡¯ll have the chance to get to know him in the future. Let¡¯s take our time.¡± ¡°How will I have the chance to meet him, Mom?¡± she grumbled, still wearing an expression of self-pity. Olivia gazed at her daughter¡¯s beautiful face, which she had spent a lot of money on. Selena had recovered well from the surgery and now had a face that looked naturally beautiful, so she believed that her daughter could marry into a wealthy family with that face. Moreover, the Presgrave Family owed them for saving a life, namely their young master. The only reason he was able to live was that they signed the papers back then! They could be considered his savior, and one day when they meet this young master, they just needed to bring this up to him to be acquainted. Nevertheless, this had to be kept from one person¡ªEllen. This young master should never find out that the one who donated his heart still had a sister living in this world. Otherwise, he would be grateful to Ellen instead of them, and the more Olivia thought about it, the angrier she felt. So, why did Connor rope Ellen into the Presgrave Group? He¡¯s just ruining Lena¡¯s future! In the meantime, Jared was having dinner in a high-end restaurant with two senior management staff on his side. One of them was Hubert McConaughey, and he mentioned casually, ¡°Mr. Presgrave, do you still remember the rtives of that boy from back then? I just assigned two girls from his family to work in ourpany yesterday.¡± Jared nodded in reply. ¡°Of course, I remember them. I wouldn¡¯t be here today if they hadn¡¯t signed the papers back then.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Back then, Mr. Elliot had given his instructions, and I¡¯ve been in contact with them and paying attention to them all these years because I know that the Presgraves owe a great debt to them.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Hubert.¡± ¡°This is nothing. Seeing that you¡¯re so healthy now, I think nothing of this little contribution of mine.¡± ¡°What position did you assign them? Did you pass a message to the other staff?¡± Jared asked. ¡°One at the reception and another in the finance department.¡± ¡°Okay, take care of them.¡± Then, he asked, ¡°Are the documents for the demolition and resettlement approved?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s done. Maybe the official document will be out in a couple of days.¡± Jared nodded. ¡°Okay!¡± Due to national policies, the Presgraves were obligated to help with the city¡¯s development because of their status as the leading corporation. Hence, they had contracted a piece ofnd for demolition and resettlement. In the evening, Ellen had just had dinner outside before she ran into her neighbor, who told her the news in excitement. ¡°Ellie, do you know that ournd will be demolished? This day has finally arrived!¡± ¡°When is this happening?¡± Ellen asked in surprise. ¡°Soon. I heard that the official documents will be out soon.¡± Ellen felt bittersweet. How amazing it would be if Jessica were still alive when this happened! Then, she could enjoy the benefits of the resettlement together with her. ¡°Ellie, you¡¯ll get a share of thepensation money at that time. Enjoy your days! Your grandmother will keep a watch over you from the other side!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Ellen nodded, but it suddenly hit her that Jessica¡¯s demise was unexpected; she did not change the title¡¯s name and was adopted, so she had no clue whether she could get a share. But now, she already had a job that could pay her bills, and she wasn¡¯t that keen to make a windfall on the side. At the same time, Connor received this news even earlier than her because a friend of his in the government department immediately called him. ¡°Connor, thatnd where your aunt¡¯s house is located is about to be demolished.¡± ¡°Really? Are you sure?¡± ¡°The news I received is concrete, but isn¡¯t your aunt no longer around?¡± ¡°She still has another granddaughter.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. She¡¯ll bepensated quite well. Thatnd is very pricey now, and not anypany could demolish it. I heard it¡¯s the Presgrave Group who took up the project.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°They¡¯re just taking this to help the development of the city. That little piece ofnd can¡¯t catch their eyes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Maybe they¡¯re just doing a kind deed!¡± Olivia was standing behind him and overheard his conversation. After he hung up the call, she leaned in and asked, ¡°Is Aunt Jessica¡¯s house going to be demolished?¡± ¡°Yeah, I just received a call saying that it will be demolished, and the papers will be out soon.¡± ¡°Wow! If that ce is going to be demolished, your aunt¡¯s little three-story house will receive a huge compensation!¡± Suddenly, Olivia was filled with jealousy and wished that all three stories of the house belonged to her. ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. Let¡¯s see!¡± ¡°Then, that money will end up in Ellie¡¯s hands, huh?¡± she asked and added, ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not right! Legally, she¡¯s not Aunt Jessica¡¯s legal descendant. They¡¯ve always maintained a foster rtionship, and Ellie is never under her family registry!¡± ¡°I hope this money ends up with Ellie. That way, she won¡¯t have to be in such hardship, and we can set our conscience at ease,¡± Connor said. Indifference shed past her eyes. ¡°Your wish might note true. In addition, looking at the current situation, Aunt Jessica doesn¡¯t have any children living in that house, and her younger generations could get a share of this demolitionpensation. I bet you can get it as well. Maybe we can get a small share of it!¡± A stunned Connor jerked his head to look at her and said, ¡°Will you please stop snatching what belongs to Ellie?¡± ¡°What do you mean by that? Aren¡¯t we doing it together?¡± Olivia snorted. ¡°You make it sound like it¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯m telling you, we will get a share once this demolition fee is passed down.¡± After she said that, she pushed the door open and went out to call Garrett, the eldest son of Jessica¡¯s family. She immediately told him about the demolition, which got him very excited. ¡°Olivia, is that true?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true. All of us will get a share. Maybe your mother will get arger amount. After she gets her share, it wille to the next generation to divide the money. All three of you will get a potion. In the end, Ellen will get one portion.¡± ¡°That means that demolitionpensation can be divided into six parts! I¡¯m in need of money now. So, Olivia, let¡¯s agree that all of us will get a share when the timees.¡± ¡°That goes without saying!¡± Only when she was done could she finally go to sleep soundly. For some inexplicable reasons, she just couldn¡¯t stand to see Ellen doing well. It was as though this child was meant to bring her ill luck since birth. On the other side, Garrett quickly shared this news with his younger brother and sister. Everyone was overjoyed upon hearing that they would get some money. After all, besides Olivia¡¯s family being wealthy, the rest of them were struggling in the lower ss. How could they let go of a chance where they could get some money? Surely, they would grab this money at the first chance they got! Furthermore, they didn¡¯t have any rtion to Ellen, plus the fact that she was a young girl, they thought it was fine as long as she could get some money. Ellen went to work in the morning. As thepany had given her four sets of uniforms, she had donned the uniform to work today, and her entire temperament had changed, appearing fresh and clean. On the streets, even a few people would turn back to take a second look at her. After she arrived early to work, she started to help clear the desk. Sienna, the person showing her around work today, had even specially bought her breakfast. ¡°Thank you, Sienna.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Perhaps it was due to the fact that Sienna was about to get married, as she was practically brimming with a gentle charm. Then, the high-level executives started showing up for work, and Ellen was struck with envy at their tailored and smart suits! I heard that the people working here are paid handsomely, she thought. Not long afterward, she saw a person¡ªSelena¡ªwho also saw her. They stared at each other for a split second before Selena walked into the lift expressionlessly. Ellen knew that Selena was pretending not to know her because she didn¡¯t deserve to work here, and she understood Selena and her arrogance. Since that was the case, she would just pretend not to know her as well! Under Sienna¡¯s careful guidance, she roughly grasped the work that had to be done. Around 10.30AM., Sienna picked up a document and said, ¡°Someone passed this here. Please pass it on to Mr. Jonas¡¯ assistant on the twelfth floor.¡± Ellen gave her a nod. ¡°Okay!¡± Twelfth floor, Mr. Jonas¡¯ assistant, she repeatedly chanted in her head to remember the details, held the document to her chest, and briskly walked toward the elevators. As she had been learning a lot this morning, her mind was a little fuzzy right now. While she was thinking about something, she saw that the doors of an elevator were about to close and dashed in quickly. All of a sudden, she knocked into a man in the lift. The documents in her arms fell to the floor with a p and scattered everywhere. What?! She was taken aback by her clumsiness and immediately apologized to the man as she bent down to pick up the document papers because they were simply too important to her. At the same time, the man next to her crouched down and helped her to pick up the papers with his slender fingers. When she noticed the white silk, blue sapphire cufflinks, and an expensive ck watch, she felt something amiss and lifted her head abruptly, and the sight that awaited her stunned her. Goodness! It¡¯s him? Isn¡¯t he that young man who helped me at the golf course thest time? Jared recognized her as well, and his brilliant eyes narrowed. ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re¡­ Working here as well?¡± Happiness washed over her. She didn¡¯t expect to run into someone she had met before, so she was especially friendly to him. At first, he was stunned by the turn of events, but a grin appeared on his face a secondter. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m working here as well.¡± ¡°Which level is your office?¡± ¡°Eighteenth floor.¡± Even Jared didn¡¯t know why he fibbed because the eighteenth floor was the finance department. ¡°My name is Ellen Reiss. What¡¯s your name?¡± He thought of it for a second before he decided to use his mother¡¯sst name. ¡°My name is Jared Tillman.¡± Ellen shed him a brilliant smile. ¡°Hi, nice to meet you.¡± He was slightly taken aback by her grin and felt a little sense of familiarity with this girl in his chest. Despite this being only the second time that they had met, she made his heart beat slightly out of pace like she was someone he had known for a long time. ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± he greeted in return. Only then did she remember that she wanted to go to the twelfth floor and hurriedly pressed the button. She smiled at the hunk next to her awkwardly as her face inexplicably turned crimson. Gosh, this man is gorgeous! He was the most good-looking of all the men she had met since she was young. From him, she could feel a veryfortable and assuring presence that was gentle and strong at the same time. Since he¡¯s working here, will I get to see him all the time after this? Jared Tillman¡­ That¡¯s a lovely name! Ding! They reached the twelfth floor, and she gave him another smile. ¡°I¡¯ve arrived. See you!¡± ¡°Bye.¡± He stuffed one hand into his trousers pocket and nodded at her slightly. Yet, when the elevator doors closed, Ellen¡¯s bright smile still remained in his mind. He could feel his heart was still racing, so he reached out and pressed his chest gently with his palm. Only then did his heartbeat gradually return to normal. What¡¯s happening? he asked himself in bewilderment. After Ellen dropped off the document and wanted to press the elevator button again, she pressed the button for the elevator that she had arrived in. A kind-hearted staff reminded her politely, ¡°Miss, you can¡¯t use that elevator.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know that that¡¯s our president¡¯s private elevator? It¡¯s not for other employees to use.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± She was surprised as she thought, But I just used it earlier and ran into another guy inside! ¡°Thank you,¡± she said to the female employee and didn¡¯t dare to push the button again. At the finance department, Selena had a few male colleagues around her, taking turns to guide her. She was doing exceedingly well, especially with her pretty face. As long as she flirted a little, a guy would help her finish her job. Then, she heard that an assistant had a document that needed to be sent to the president¡¯s office and immediately scurried over to intercept the task, ¡°Laura, let me run this errand for you! I can use this chance to familiarize myself with thepany.¡± Laura was more than delighted. ¡°Sure, go ahead!¡± Selena left the department with the document in her hands, and the only thought on her mind was the possibility of meeting thepany presidentter when she went upstairs. She was filled with hope and anticipation as she stepped into the elevator, which shot up to the fifty-eighth floor directly. Her heart galloped madly against her chest, and finally, the elevator stopped with a ding, and she felt that the entire floor was shrouded in a solemn air, as though she shouldn¡¯t do as she wished here. A few stepster, a female assistant approached and asked her, ¡°Are you here to deliver a document?¡± ¡°Yes, I am.¡± ¡°Just pass it to me.¡± The assistant took the document from her, and she quickly asked, ¡°Miss, do you have a washroom here? I really need to go now.¡± ¡°Over there,¡± thedy answered, pointing somewhere. She thanked her and strolled toward the washroom, watching the entire floor intently during her brief tour. After she used the restroom, she pretended to have lost her way and saw a huge, golden door with the word ¡®President¡¯s Office¡¯ written over it. Her heart skipped a beat almost immediately. Oh, how she wished to meet the president here, even if it was just a nce from a distance! Unfortunately, Lady Luck wasn¡¯t on her side. That door didn¡¯t even budge even though she waited for more than ten minutes, and she could only leave in disappointment because if she hung around any longer, people would be suspicious of her motive. When it was time to clock off, she stole a nce at the reception once again. Ellen was still there, cing her in a really foul mood. Dressed in the dark blue uniform assigned to the reception desk, Ellen had transformed from a poor little girl into an elegant white-cor worker. She was like an ugly duckling who had turned into a white swan. To Selena, this was very frustrating because, in her opinion, Ellen should always live in her shadows and not have the chance to do well in life. Everyone had already left for home. Nevertheless, Ellen decided to stay behind to work overtime. She didn¡¯t stay because of the extra hour fees, but she needed theputer in thepany to finish her work. Soon, she was the only one left at the reception in the lobby. She was so engrossed in finishing the document that she didn¡¯t even notice that her surroundings were as dead as a graveyard. Just then, a graceful and charming figure walked out of the elevator. Tall and well-built, the man recalled something after he stepped out, turned to look at the reception, and suddenly saw that girl named Ellen. She was the only one still working behind the reception counter. Jared contemted for a moment before he started walking toward the counter. Meanwhile, Ellen had her head buried in work until she heard the sounds of footsteps approaching her. So, she hastily raised her head to greet them. When she saw someone she knew, she immediately smiled at that gorgeous face. ¡°Mr. Tillman, are you just heading home?¡± ¡°Why haven¡¯t you finished work yet?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I was recently employed and still familiarizing myself with the work here. So, I¡¯m returning to work a little more,¡± she said with a smile. Suddenly, Jared remembered that the two girls from the family that Mr. Caine was taking care of, one of them had joined the finance department while the other was working at the reception. Could she be the latter? ¡°When did you start working here?¡± She blinked and promptly answered, ¡°Two days ago!¡± That¡¯s probably her, he thought. What a coincidence that she¡¯s the rtive of that boy that donated his heart. ¡°You should head home! It¡¯ste.¡± ¡°Okay, I was about to leave soon anyway,¡± she said, keeping away her document and looking like she was nning to leave. When Jared checked the time on his watch, he suddenly offered, ¡°I¡¯ll drop you home.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine! I can¡¯t trouble you because my ce is quite far away.¡± ¡°I¡¯m free. This is nothing,¡± he insisted. She was delighted by his kindness and shyly epted his offer. ¡°Thanks for the trouble, then,¡± she said and quickly grabbed her bag. There was no one else in the lobby, and she followed in the footsteps of the man in front of her all the way until they had descended the steps. After that, she saw a very dashing and eye-catching sports car in front of her, and she couldn¡¯t help but gush in awe. This can¡¯t be his car, can it? Sure enough, the man pushed the unlock button, and the car beeped twice in response. Finally, he opened the passenger seat door and urged, ¡°Hop in!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Ellen was overwhelmed with excitement that she couldn¡¯t help herself from doing something silly. She stomped her feet several times to get the dirt off her soles before she dared to cautiously get into his expensive car. It was Ellen¡¯s first time in a sports car, hence the nervousness and thrill running down her spine. I didn¡¯t know Mr. Tillman is loaded. ¡°Is there anyone else in your family?¡± Jared initiated a conversation. ¡°No. I¡¯m the only one,¡± she replied naturally. ¡°You? Alone?¡± He looked at her in surprise. ¡°Yup. I¡¯m all alone. My brother is gone a long time ago, and my grandmother passed away two weeks ago.¡± She could not mask the overflowing sorrow. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss,¡± he apologized for pricking her sore spot. She shook her head. ¡°Thank you.¡± Ellen¡¯s address was added to the navigation system. She felt guilty to have him take the long route just to send her home. When they arrived at her ce, his brows furrowed. ¡°Is this where you live?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s my grandmother¡¯s ce, but it¡¯ll be demolished soon.¡± The corner of Jared¡¯s lips slightly curved upward. If his memories served him right, that was within the area he nned for demolition. ¡°Thanks for the ride! Be careful on your way back.¡± She bent over to bid goodbye. He nodded before driving into a street in the rain. It was not until the sports car vanished from her sight that she finally came back to her senses. Red tinges crept onto her cheeks, and there was something familiar about that man for some reason. Despite his sophisticated grace and the social strata difference between them, she was not afraid of him. Meanwhile, Jared gave his subordinate a call on his way home. After inquiring about the demolition area with the address he had, his conjecture hardened into certainty. ¡°Why are you there, Mr. Presgrave? That¡¯s the Lockwood Vige.¡± ¡°My friend needed a ride back home.¡± ¡°Your friend lives there?¡± The subordinate doubted that Jared had a friend living in such a ce. Meanwhile, at Aguirre Residence, Olivia was worried about her daughter, who was in low spirits despite going to work every day. So, she decided to chat with Selena. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, baby girl?¡± Olivia held a bowl of bird nest soup into the room. ¡°Mom, can¡¯t you just drive Ellen out of thepany? She¡¯s such an eyesore!¡± Selena turned her head sideways. ¡°Just don¡¯t mind her.¡± ¡°I remember that time she didn¡¯t want to give me her toy when I wanted it during our younger days. I simply borrowed it for a while, yet she used me of stealing. Dad even told me off because of that!¡± Selena brought up their younger times. Olivia secretly did not favor Ellen as she scoffed. ¡°Someone like her is bound to be a non-starter.¡± Her affirmation lifted Selena¡¯s spirit. When Selena finished the bird¡¯s nest soup, she had a question unanswered. ¡°Mom, we won¡¯t go bankrupt, will we?¡± ¡°Of course not. We need not worry about money.¡± Olivia reassured her confidently. The weight on her mind disappeared because she did not earn herself a living through work. She had one clear goal¡ªwinning her boss¡¯ heart and marrying him! For the following week, Ellen did not encounter Jared and received a call from the demolition contractors, saying they would visit in the afternoon someday to take some measurements of the ce. It seemed like the procedure went smoothly as it was approved. Everyone in Lockwood Vige was ted about the news. Thanks to its strategic geographic location, many could rake in a fortune. Those who earnestly hoped for demolition finally had their wish granted. Needless to say, Ellen bumped into Selena every day at work. Thetter seemed haughty; their gazes met every time, but she did not approach Ellen. The month was about to end when the vigers received the demolition payment, but there was nothing in Ellen¡¯s bank ount. Therefore, she dropped by the demolitionpany for inquiry. The contractor told her that the payment was canceled because her name was not included in the family¡¯s registration. Since she had to register her name under the family before collecting the money, she needed to look into the problem. By the time Ellen arrived home, Lc¡¯s family had stopped by. They heard of the demolition payment, so they paid a visit to im their share. ¡°Ellie, part of the amount belongs to you and me. Isn¡¯t this how inheritance works?¡± Her uncle, Garrett, cut to the chase. She was stunned momentarily as mixed feelings churned in her stomach. ¡°That¡¯s right! Ellie, you¡¯ve been living with Jessica, but you¡¯re not her biological granddaughter. We¡¯re supposed to be her immediate family ording to thew,¡± Nicole chipped in. ¡°So, we should split it into six among my mother, the three of us, your uncle, and you.¡± Ellen was at her wit¡¯s end. Grievance stifled her chest as Jessica once told her that the house would belong to her and no one else. Every nook and cranny of the ce carried precious memories; it was her home. ¡°What¡¯s with the silence, Ellie? Perhaps, you don¡¯t wanna share? Are you trying to hog everything?¡± Garrett¡¯s wife was making assumptions. ¡°T-That¡¯s not it.¡± Ellen sped her hands together and lowered her head. ¡°That¡¯s final, then! You should register your name. Once you have the money, you gotta transfer our portions to us. You know what to do.¡± Garrett wrapped it up. Lc¡¯s silence indicated her agreement with their decision because of her dire need for money to have a better life. Although she was aware that Jessica bestowed everything on Ellen, the amount of money was too much for her to ignore! Sharing it amongst the family wouldn¡¯t hurt, would it? Everyone left once the discussion was over, leaving Ellen sitting in a corner like a fragile animal that could not resist. Tears finally escaped from her eyes, and pain squeezed her heart as she observed the furniture at home. At that moment, her phone rang. She nced at it and quelled the waves of emotions. ¡°Who is this?¡± ¡°Ellie, it¡¯s me! I heard that Aunt Jessica¡¯s house is going to be demolished. Any updates yet?¡± Olivia inquired. ¡°Aunt Olivia! I haven¡¯t received the money yet. The contractor asked me to make an appeal to register my name to Grandma¡¯s.¡± ¡°Did Garrett and the others drop by?¡± ¡°Yeah, they left not long ago.¡± ¡°I knew it! How could they? Ellie, don¡¯t resent them. This is how the world works.¡± Olivia pretended to be the nice aunt. ¡°I-I don¡¯t resent anyone.¡± ¡°So, are you going to listen to them?¡± Olivia tested the water. What else could Ellen do? Could she even say ¡®no¡¯? Unless an impartial head of the family made the call, she had no other options. Besides, she was not Jessica¡¯s biological granddaughter. It was only foster care at most; bringing it to the court would be a futile struggle. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ellie. Appeal and receive the payment first. We¡¯ll see what we can do then. I¡¯ll have Uncle Connor put in some good words for you,¡± said Olivia. ¡°Thank you, Aunt Olivia.¡± Ellen could not be any more grateful. Once the call terminated, a pang of relief hit Olivia. It¡¯s easy as I expected. Since she has no one to rely on, she¡¯ll be creamed off for sure. Ellen applied for an appeal the next day, but she was stuck in the procedure. In truth, Jessica¡¯s absence rendered it difficult as it required a lot of documents. When Monday came, she had no choice but to put it on hold to go to work. Astoria would be leaving the company in a few days, so it was impossible to apply for leave during the handover. The workce gave Ellen warmth, for Astoria treated her well and even asked other colleagues to look after Ellen in her stead. Everyone got off work on time, but Ellen decided to stay. She loved working overtime alone in the spacious area. Sitting at the receptionist¡¯s desk, she took her time organizing the documents and identifying every problem that urred. Time flew past without her realizing and it struck 7.00PM. A silhouette exited the elevator, revealing a sculpture-like face. A sheen of light on him added lusters of grace to his every movement. As he strode over from the elevator, he noticed the girl sitting behind the receptionist¡¯s desk and frowned. Is she working overtime again for free? Receptionists had redundant jobs, hence the fixed sry. Hearing the rhythmic click, Ellen raised her head and met eyes with the iing man. Her slightly weary eyes lit up instantly. ¡°Working overtime?¡± She smiled. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s quitete. You should get going too.¡± The way he spoke sounded as if the boss was speaking, but she shrugged it off because of his young face. He must be worried. ¡°About that¡­ Can I buy you a meal?¡± She invited him for a meal on the spur of the moment. Jared, who intended to leave, halted and looked back at her for a few seconds. He checked the time through his wristwatch. ¡°My pleasure. Let¡¯s go.¡± Her mind went nk at his cool eptance. Holy moly. Just how bold am I to invite him for a meal? And to think that I hit a home run! Squealing on the inside, she hurriedly tidied up the desk and identally dropped a file onto the floor. After picking it up, she banged her head against the chair. Judging from the loud sound, it had to hurt a lot. Jared came up to her upon hearing the noise. ¡°No need to rush. Take your time.¡± ¡°Done.¡± Ellen took her bag and scurried out of the receptionist¡¯s desk, revealing the red tinge on her forehead. The sight of the red mark pricked his heart a little. ¡°Be careful next time.¡± ¡°I will. It¡¯s just¡ªI didn¡¯t expect a ¡®yes¡¯ from you.¡± She added, ¡°I know a decent restaurant nearby. Let¡¯s shoot off!¡± ¡°I made a reservation. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Huh? I¡¯m the one buying you a meal, though?¡± A confused Ellen blinked her eyes. Why is he the one making a reservation? ¡°It¡¯s on me tonight. You can have it your way next time.¡± Jared never let women foot the bills. Ellen¡¯s cheek was burning in embarrassment. It was as if she invited him just to get herself a free meal. She entered the man¡¯s sports car, which coursed its way along the street. Sitting on the passenger seat, she felt the gazesnd upon her. She sneaked a few peeks at the man beside her. A sophisticated aura seemed to be shrouding him under the streetlights as if they were of a different world. ¡°Where are we going?¡± She became curious. ¡°You¡¯ll know when you¡¯re there.¡± He frequented a particr restaurant for meals. It served high-quality food but was not open to the public. The car was driven into a garden before stopping at a vast field. Ellen scrutinized the stunning area in surprise, ignorant of such scenery at the city center. With the wispy fragrance from the rose garden and enchanting night sky, it was a rare sight to behold in the city. ¡°It must be expensive to have a meal here.¡± To not put her under pressure, Jared answered, ¡°It¡¯s affiliated with thepany, so every expense made can be reimbursed.¡± She bought his words due to the great employee welfare at Presgrave Group. The moment she entered one of the lounges in the restaurant, she eximed once again. This is not a ce I could step foot into in the past. While they were ordering food, she noticed that the prices were excluded from the menu. She heard of most of the ingredients, but never once had she tasted them because it was not something ordinary people could afford. Chapter 1521-1530 Chapter 1521-1530 Ellen ordered only one dish before handing over the menu to Jared, who ordered six dishes in one go. At that moment, her phone, which disyed Garrett¡¯s phone number, rang and tightened her chest. ¡°Excuse me, Mr. Tillman, I have an iing call.¡± She nced at the room before taking a seat on the couch. ¡°Hi, Uncle Garrett.¡± ¡°What are you doing, Ellen? Why haven¡¯t you registered your name? Are you doing this because you don¡¯t wanna share the money?¡± ¡°Sorry, Uncle Garrett, but I have work¡ª¡± ¡°What¡¯s so important about work? This is of utmost urgency! I need the money, so stop dilly-dallying!¡± Tears of grievance pooled in her eyes, prompting her to lower her head. ¡°It¡¯s not on purpose, Uncle Garrett. I¡¯m just busy with work¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. You¡¯d better give me the money by Friday while I¡¯m still nice,¡± he threatened. Ellen was a nonentity to Garrett¡¯s family. Besides, she alone could do nothing even if they treated her like a rat. It was safe to say that money had awakened the evil in them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Uncle Garrett.¡± ¡°You only have a few days. If you don¡¯t settle the issue by then, I¡¯ll cause a stir at your workce. Let¡¯s see if you¡¯re allowed to work still when the timees.¡± He hurt her with mean words before terminating the call. Ellen¡¯s body trembled as despair surged in her. If Jessica were here, she would not have allowed such a thing to happen. Knowing that the call had ended, Jared swept a nce at her only to see tears trickling down and wetting her grey dress. He sprang up and crouched in front of her. ¡°Did something happen?¡± She med herself for showing her forlorn side to him, so she quickly wiped her tears off. ¡°Nothing. Something flew into my eyes. That¡¯s why.¡± Yet, the unbidden tears streamed nonstop. Those gorgeous, teary eyes could easily make one feel bad. The weird sensation flooded Jared again as he watched her crying, stifling his chest so hard that he could barely breathe. ¡°You can talk to me about anything.¡± His voice sounded airy. Ellen bit her rosy lip. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be annoying?¡± ¡°Not at all. Just feel free to talk to me.¡± He seated himself next to her as he was all ears. She took a deep breath while thinking, Where should I start first? I think he should know the entirety of the situation, or he won¡¯t be able to follow. ¡°My parents passed away when I was young, so my uncle fostered my elder brother and me, but my brother left because of a serious illness. I didn¡¯t even get to see him in hisst moments.¡± Ellen felt hot behind her eyes, and he drew a few pieces of tissue for her since it was close to him. She wiped her tears while continuing, ¡°Then, my uncle sent me to my aunt¡¯s ce. Jessica treated me like I was her granddaughter. We only had each other, but life was great. To me, she was my grandmother.¡± At that point, another stream of tears ran down her cheeks, and she choked on her voice. ¡°But she left me too. I¡¯m all alone again.¡± Jared sympathized with her past. ¡°So, is someone giving you a hard time now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all because of my grandmother¡¯s demolished house. She did not apply for adoption, so she¡¯s not my official guardian. Instead, my uncle is the one on the papers.¡± ¡°Now, my rtives want their share of the demolition payment. I¡¯m still new to thepany, and there¡¯s a lot for me to catch up with, so I couldn¡¯t go to the authority to transfer my name yet. My uncle called because he¡¯s angry that I went to work instead of solving the issue first. If I drag things out any longer, he said he¡¯s going to make a scene at work so that I¡¯ll lose my job. ¡± Now that Ellen recounted the whole story, she felt utterly helpless. She had no intention to be all crybaby in front of such a handsome guy, but she could not help it. It hurt too much. ¡°How could they? They¡¯ve seriously gone overboard.¡± Even Jared was exasperated as an outsider. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m doing it on purpose, but I can¡¯t apply for leave when there¡¯s a handover going on. Astoria is going to leave thepany to get married soon. If I don¡¯t receive training for my jurisdiction these days, I won¡¯t be able to continue my work,¡± she exined. ¡°The payment is meant for only you. They don¡¯t have the right to take it from you. You don¡¯t have to split the money,¡± he reasoned. ¡°But I-I¡¯m not Grandma¡¯s family on paper. I won¡¯t be able to get the money either.¡± Ellen was at her wit¡¯s end. ¡°You can if you apply for an adoption certificate. No one can take the money away from you.¡± ¡°But my grandmother is not around anymore. Is it still possible?¡± ¡°Why not? You¡¯ve been living under the same roof for sixteen years, and she acknowledged your rtionship. Even if thew is dead, you can find something to prove it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not as easy as it sounds. I¡¯m stuck at the procedure.¡± Ellen had no alternatives to solve the problem. ¡°I can help.¡± Jared could not resist the urge to intervene in the issue. Although he did not know why he could not bear the sight of her dwelling on sadness, it pained him to see her cry. ¡°Huh? You can?¡± As it was a situation where she needed help desperately, it warmed her heart to have someone offering help. ¡°Yes. I have a bunch of greatwyers who can help.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s great! I can¡¯t be any more grateful to you!¡± She expressed her gratitude vehemently to her savior. The waiters began to serve the dishes just at the right time. Jared urged her to fill her stomach first and promised to seek help from awyer. ¡°Ellen, you should keep the money for yourself. Don¡¯t share it with others. They don¡¯t see you as their family, so you shouldn¡¯t mind them.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°As long as you be your grandmother¡¯s legal adoptive daughter, it¡¯s rightfully yours. No one can take them.¡± Still, Garrett and the others¡¯ forceful attitude seeped into her mind. ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°Just tell me if you need anything.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯ve gone out of your way to help mee this far. I shouldn¡¯t trouble you anymore.¡± Ellen was grateful. ¡°Could you pass me your phone for a moment?¡± She gave him her phone obediently, and the man frowned at the seriously damaged phone screen. Quietly, he dialed his number with her gadget. ¡°This is my number. Ring me up if there¡¯s trouble.¡± Sweetness and warmth sprang in her chest. She felt honored to have his contact number. Following that, Jared even drove her home and eased her up by saying there was nothing to worry about regarding the demolition payment. His friend would be able to help her. Despite the gratitude, Ellen felt sorry to have him take it upon himself. She made up her mind to do everything she could to repay his kindness in the future. If she did not have the chance to do so, she would remember everything he had done for her wholeheartedly. At 9.00PM, she received a call from Connor. He heard of Garrett¡¯s demand and assured her that he would meet Garrett to talk over it. Ellen was aware that it would end up like water off a duck¡¯s back to Garrett and the others anyway. They had proven their stance toward the situation and set their heart to get the money. Now, she would be able to receive the money as long as she could receive an adoptive certificate to prove herself as Jessica¡¯s granddaughter. On the other hand, Connor was so livid that he lost his appetite for dinner. ¡°How could they possibly do that? Who says that we must share the money with them?¡± A guilty Olivia was standing behind him. ¡°Probably because they¡¯re jealous that Ellen will have the money all for herself.¡± ¡°What right do they have to demand the money? Aunt Jessica treated Ellen like her biological granddaughter, so she¡¯s the only one with the rightful inheritance for that house.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but Aunt Lc is on the bread line. They won¡¯t let such a chance slip through their fingers. Besides, Aunt Jessica didn¡¯t legally adopt Ellen before she passed away.¡± She dared not reveal that she was the one who led Lc behind the curtains. After Connor attempted to pull some strings, he realized it was not something easy to be settled. ¡°Why don¡¯t we give up on our share? I bet no one can stop Aunt Lc.¡± Olivia was happy as long as Ellen would not get the money all for herself. Bitterness crept into Connor as it would stave off his guilt if Ellen had that money to sustain her life. Early in the morning, Ellen woke up to receive a notice from the human resource department. She was granted a three-day leave, but she thought it was strange because she did not apply for it. While questions sprouted in her mind, she had another iing call from thewyer Jared introduced her to. ¡°Miss Reiss, are you avable today? We can apply for the adoption certificate.¡± ¡°Yes, I am,¡± she quickly replied. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be on my way to pick you up.¡± She had packed up the necessary documents, hoping that they would be of help. Later, a ck SUV parked in front of her, and a middle-aged man escorted her into the car. The sheer look of his neat suit was enough to tell that he was someone elite. His name was Burton Yarrow, and she addressed him as Mr. Yarrow. She narrated the whole story while they were on their way. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Reiss. It¡¯s not that difficult.¡± ¡°But I asked the authority, and they said it won¡¯t be easy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Just leave it to me.¡± Burton¡¯s voice was as gentle as the spring breeze to Ellen. She figured that it was all thanks to Jared, whose friend was equally capable as he was. Unbeknownst to her, Burton did not ept her case because of a friend¡¯s request. It was an order from his boss, so how could he possibly not do as he was told? Not only was a failure not epted, but he also had to treat her gently. He could not understand how Jared came to know a poor girl. Although Ellen was a looker, they would not have had reasons to know each other. Yet, his only duty was to win the case; he had no right to butt in their business. ¡°Pleasee with me, Miss Reiss. I will need your signature or fingerprintter.¡± With the prepared materials, Ellen followed him into an office, while Burton brought along some materials obtained from other means. Compared to her documents, they were more legally susceptible. The authorized person asked his assistant to fill out a document right after he perused them. She filled up the document and inked her fingerprint on it ordingly. So, is this it? As expected, she soon received a newly printed adoption certificate. ¡°Keep it. If you lose it by chance, you can reapply for another one. Now, I¡¯ll apany you to the demolition contractor to proceed with the demolition payment.¡± ¡°Thank you so much, Mr. Yarrow. I can¡¯t be any more grateful to you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to. Instead, Mr. Presgrave¡ª¡± Ellen was surprised when Burton mentioned that very person. ¡°Aren¡¯t you Mr. Tillman¡¯s friend?¡± Burton soonprehended the situation and quickly corrected it. ¡°Yes, yes. Mr. Tillman is the one you should thank. He asked for my help, but it was just a trivial matter to me. It¡¯s nothing big.¡± She nodded. ¡°I will thank him.¡± She received the demolition payment, which was worth about a million dors. Her mind went nk the moment sheprehended the amount. Was it always this much? ¡°Congrattions, Miss Reiss. You¡¯ll be able to live a better life with this money.¡± ¡°Thanks. I didn¡¯t expect myself to have the privilege to enjoy such a fortune either.¡± Never in her wildest dream had she expected herself to be this lucky. Nheless, her heart still ached at the fact that Jessica passed away before the house was demolished. Otherwise, Ellen could have taken the chance to take her on a trip elsewhere. Burton left after driving her home. She sat in the living room and stared at her online bank statement, which baffled her into speechlessness. At that moment, her phone rang because of a call from Garrett, whom she did not have the nerve to leave hanging. ¡°Hey, Uncle Garrett.¡± ¡°Got the money yet?¡± It was an authoritative tone. ¡°Yeah.¡± She did not lie to him. ¡°What? For real? How much is it?¡± He was all excited about the idea to split the money. ¡°I have an adoption certificate, so I have the right to inherit the fortune. Sorry, Uncle Garrett.¡± She mustered a lot of courage to level with him. ¡°What?! Are you not going to share it? Ellen Reiss, you greedy brat! You can¡¯t spend all of it on your own! I don¡¯t care. You must split it among us.¡± The adoption certificate did not mean a thing to the persistent Garrett. ¡°Uncle Garrett, I¡¯m the rightful heiress by thew. So¡­ The money belongs to me.¡± She attempted to reason with him. However, it enraged him. ¡°And who exactly are you, Ellen Reiss? Don¡¯t me us for doing this to you. If you don¡¯t do as we say, you¡¯ll never get away from us.¡± Tears of grievance wet her eyes, but she fought them back. ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry, Uncle Garrett.¡± Subsequently, she ended the call. He spammed her with multiple calls thereafter, but she did not wish to answer them. Other rtives dialed her number in ones and twos, so she simply switched off her phone. Knowing that they would fly to her ce, Ellen decided to crash at someone¡¯s ce for the night to avoid them. At the same time, Olivia received a call from Garrett. ¡°Hey, Gary.¡± ¡°She¡¯s ridiculous, Olivia. Ellen Reiss, that brat, got the money and doesn¡¯t have the intention to share! She even mentioned having an adoption certificate.¡± ¡°How did she get that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care how the hell she got it! I estimated the house price in that area and bet she has about a million. That brat is trying to hog everything!¡± Ire prevailed over his reasons. It was as if the money belonged to them. Even Olivia could not help the jealousy. Although it was not arge sum to her, she rendered it ¡®too much¡¯ for Ellen, hence the need to split it up. ¡°You should be nicer to her. I bet she¡¯ll split it among you guys,¡± she encouraged. Garrett and his family did not intend to give in just like that. If they imed their share, each of them would at least have a hundred thousand! Meanwhile, Olivia tried to give Ellen a call, only to realize that the girl had turned her phone off. That¡¯s weird. Where did she get herself an adoption certificate? Connor asked around, and they said it¡¯s difficult to apply for one. By then, Ellen was already hiding out at a hotel. When she recalled Lc and her family¡¯s attitude, anxiety and terror overcame her, for she never knew that her rtionship with them would end up so ferocious. While lying in bed, she grabbed her phone and suddenly remembered she had to thank someone, so she found Jared¡¯s number and typed out her gratitude in text. ¡®Mr. Tillman, thank you for helping me with such a huge favor. It¡¯s thanks to you that I got back the compensation funds. Next time, I¡¯ll treat you to a good meal.¡¯ After sending that text, she did not expect he would reply so quickly, ¡®You don¡¯t have to thank me. The money is supposed to be yours in the first ce.¡¯ Ellen wanted to tell him more about her current situation but went against itter because she did not want to bother him, so she bid him goodnight. The following day, she did not dare to turn on her phone because her phone would blow up once she did. That was because the Andino siblings were out looking for her! Moreover, they found out from Olivia where Ellen was working¡ªthe Presgrave Group¡¯s reception area. That was why the Andino siblings decided to wait for her there. With Selena¡¯s help, she received news that Ellen had not beening to work these two days because she was on leave and would return to work tomorrow. Therefore, the Andino siblings knew when she worked as well. When Selena heard from her mom that Ellen had received a million dors ofpensation funds, she, too, was jealous. All her current expenses did not even reach such a massive amount, yet Ellen had already be rich overnight. Selena also knew that Lc¡¯s family was chasing after Ellen for herpensation funds, and her thoughts were the same as her mom¡¯s¡ªboth wished that Ellen would divide and distribute the money among them. There will be an exciting show at thepany tomorrow. I¡¯ll get Mom to inform me, and I¡¯ll head to the lobby to watch the show! On the other hand, Ellen was ready to head back to work. At 8.30AM, she arrived at thepany and changed into her uniform. Then, she sat in her seat and began organizing the documents. ¡°Ellen, someone came looking for you yesterday. He says he¡¯s your rtive,¡± said the colleague beside her, who leaned over. Shock took over Ellen¡¯s face. ¡°What did he look like?¡± ¡°It was a man, but he doesn¡¯t have a good attitude. Did you offend some big shot?¡± Hearing that, Ellen became nervous as she remembered that Selena knew where she worked, so Garrett and the others should be aware too. ¡°No, they¡¯re my rtives,¡± Ellen answered honestly. ¡°What kind of rtives are they? I would¡¯ve thought they came here to settle scores with you!¡± At that moment, Ellen felt like she was sitting on pins and needles. Will they being again today? Around 9.30AM, Selena received a call from her mom, saying that the Andino siblings had left home. Her lips hooked into a smile as she thought, This time, Ellen will lose her job! That¡¯s not all, for she will also be humiliated! At 10.00AM, Ellen suddenly felt anxious. It was then that she saw the Andino siblings appear at the entrance to the lobby, and her face instantly paled. Though they were the ones who were being unreasonable, they seemed more assertive and terrifying. ¡°So, you do work here, Ellen,¡± Garrett called out. He was already in histe forties, yet he did not look like an elder. Instead, he behaved more like a debt collector. ¡°Ellie, we don¡¯t mean to make things difficult for you. Just divide the money ording to how we discussed it! Hm?¡± Nicole suggested gently. ¡°I won¡¯t share any of the money with you.¡± Ellen decided not to give in at thest moment. No matter the reason, she did not need to share her money. It was not out of greed but to defend her rights. ¡°Hmph! Look at this brat. She¡¯s so greedy at a young age and wants to keep all the money to herself.¡± Garrett¡¯s tone was filled with sarcasm while looking at his siblings. ¡°Ellen, if you want to continue working here, you¡¯d better do as we say. Or else, we¡¯ll cause a huge commotion and make you lose your job!¡± Ajax Andino also took his stand. ¡°You can¡¯t do that. This is a workce. You can¡¯t cause a scene here,¡± Ellen anxiously told them. ¡°Sir, this is not the ce for that, so please leave,¡± the receptionist warned them sternly. ¡°What does this have to do with you? If you interfere with our matters again, I¡¯ll mess with you too!¡± Garrett roared. By then, Selena had arrived and was watching the scene with her arms crossed. She came forward and greeted, ¡°Uncle Garrett, you came.¡± ¡°Lena,e. Be the judge of this situation. Ellen agreed to share the money but then changed her mind. How could she do that?¡± Nicole grabbed Selena and pulled her over to their side. The receptionist noticed that things were worsening, so she immediately called security. ¡°Is this security? Some are causing a scene in the lobby.¡± Just as she spoke those words, Garrett dashed over and snatched the phone away from her. His actions were so savage that they startled Ellen, and she came out from behind the reception table and pleaded, ¡°Uncle Garrett, please stop causing a scene here! I beg you. Please leave!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t give us our share of the money, you¡¯ll never know peace here!¡± Garrett threatened. Instantly, Ellen broke down as tears pooled in her eyes. She felt so weak and helpless at that moment. Meanwhile, Selena watched happily without uttering anything, wanting to see how Ellen would end this commotion. Suddenly, Nicole grabbed Ellen and ordered, ¡°Ellen,e with us!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡± Ellen struggled to break free. Following that, she felt arge palm delivering a p on her snowy-white cheeks, leaving a vivid palm print. She went deaf for a few seconds, and everyone else on the scene was rendered shocked. Yet, the culprit remained unfazed. ¡°If you disobey us again, I¡¯ll punish you!¡± ordered Garrett. Just as he was about to drag her away, an angry voice suddenly hollered in the lobby. ¡°Let her go.¡± That voice sounded cold and sharp, which stunned the Andino siblings and made them turn around. As Ellen was in front of them, she looked up and saw Jared approaching her. Instantly, she was surprised and embarrassed¡ªsurprised because he came to her rescue and embarrassed because of her situation. Selena was also one of the first to turn around. Her eyes instantly bulged, and her lips parted slightly as her mind was nk yet excited at the man¡¯s appearance. Oh my gosh! It¡¯s him! It¡¯s Young Master Jared! While she was frantically tidying up her hair and clothes and revealing what she thought was a beautiful and elegant smile, Jared arrived beside Ellen. Then, he red at Garrett, who was gripping her wrist, and shoved his hand away before drawing her to his side, threatening, ¡°Who gave you permission to cause a scene here?¡± Back at the reception, the receptionists were also shocked. Oh my! Who is the man that came to Ellen¡¯s rescue? Isn¡¯t that the president? At that, Selena¡¯s emotion turned from surprise to shock. How is this possible? How did Ellen and President Presgrave know each other? And why is he protecting her? Meanwhile, the Andino siblings were eyeing the young man who had suddenly appeared. Garrett snorted. ¡°Ellen, even if your boyfriendes to your rescue, you¡¯d still have to leave with us today.¡± Ellen¡¯s originally blushing face had now turned even redder. She had just muttered the word ¡®he¡¯ when she saw Jared turning to look at her and dere, ¡°Yes, I am her boyfriend.¡± He used his eyes to hint at her not to exin their rtionship because he needed an identity to interfere with this matter anyway. Hence, acting as her boyfriend seemed like a good idea. Ellen blinked nkly for a few seconds. Then, her heart started racing, and her cheeks became even warmer. On the other hand, Selena felt like she was about to faint, and her nails were digging into her palms. She could not believe that Ellen was now Jared¡¯s girlfriend. Moreover, Ellen did not deserve nor have the right to be his girlfriend! Yet, the man held Ellen¡¯s cold wrist and announced, ¡°With me here, you will never get to mistreat my girlfriend.¡± Garrett was used to acting unreasonably. For the sake of money, he was not afraid of the young man before him, even though he knew he was not a pushover at first nce. ¡°I don¡¯t f*cking care who you are, but Ellen has to leave with us.¡± He was even cursing at Jared. ¡°Uncle Garrett¡­¡± This time, it was Selena who panicked because, as their rtive, she would never allow them to be rude to Jared. At that moment, eight tall and burly security guards surrounded them, with two standing before Jared to protect him. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m afraid of you? Even if your president is here, I¡¯ll still take her with me.¡± Though Garrett was acting arrogantly, he was terrified. He did not want to go to jail without snatching a single penny. The security guard leader wore a stern face as he warned, ¡°Sir, our president is standing right before you. If you dare to treat him impolitely, we will throw you out of this building.¡± Ellen was scared out of her wits, but when she heard the security¡¯s words, she was so shocked that she could not register what was happening. The president of Presgrave Group is standing before us? Isn¡¯t that¡­ Jared? Meanwhile, Selena took a few steps back in shock as she dared not stand beside the Andino siblings anymore. She hid at the side and enviously watched Ellen, who was standing before the tall and well- built figure, looking small and frail. On top of that, Selena looked at the man she thought she would never meet again suddenly appearing before her, and her heart began thumping wildly. When the Andino siblings heard that, they were dumbfounded. What? This youngd is the president? Instantly, they were terrified by the young man¡¯s identity. Nicole tugged on Garrett¡¯s clothes. ¡°Garrett, let¡¯s head back!¡± However, Jared was not going to let them off so readily and threatened, ¡°Thepensation fund belongs to Ellen only, so if I find out whichever one of you tries to take that from her, I will get mywyer to send you to jail.¡± ¡°By what means? We are supposed to get a share in thepensation. What¡¯s more, we are her elders.¡± ¡°You are all money-grubbers bullying a weak woman because of money. Do you think you¡¯re worthy of being her elder?¡± Jared reprimanded without mercy. Ellen¡¯s palms were drenched in anxiety. In the meantime, she felt sad for herself. After all, who would want to be enemies with their rtives? Still, she got to witness her rtives¡¯ true colors because of this incident. A human being to another, they did not even treat her like one while fighting for a share of the money. As of now, she could still feel the burning pain on her cheek. Selena stood by the side, feeling hurt and ufortable as she watched Jared protect Ellen by speaking up for her and backing her up. Who am I? Just a speckle of dust that he won¡¯t care. ¡°Get out of mypany.¡± After warning them, Jared ordered security to kick them out of thepany. Receiving the order, the security guard leader beckoned the others. ¡°Get them out of here.¡± Therefore, the Andino siblings were pathetically dragged toward the door. Garrett yelled while trying to push the security guards away. ¡°Ellen, you b*tch! I will not give up on this. You can¡¯t hide from me forever.¡± When Selena saw her family getting kicked out, she immediately seized the chance and clutched Ellen¡¯s arm. Then, she asked concernedly, ¡°Ellie, are you alright?¡± Stunned, Ellen looked confusedly at her concerned face. Hasn¡¯t she always acted like she doesn¡¯t know me? ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I wanted Uncle Garrett to stop, but he had already pped you. They are so mean. We¡¯re his family, after all.¡± Selena¡¯s inexplicable words made her seem like she was also a victim in this incident. Jared¡¯s gazended on Selena, which she mistook as recognizing her. However, she was not expecting him to ask, ¡°Ellen, who is this?¡± ¡°She¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m her cousin. We¡¯re very close, just like real sisters. Thank you for saving Ellie, President Presgrave. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have known what to do!¡± Selena¡¯s visage was full of gratitude as she carefully observed the man before her. At that point, her heart was pounding out of her control. He¡¯s so handsome. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. At that point, Jared was still holding Ellen¡¯s hand. She finally noticed it and quickly withdrew her wrist, looking at him. ¡°Seriously, are you the president of thispany?¡± He no longer hid his identity and nodded. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m Jared Presgrave, the current president of Presgrave Group.¡± When Ellen heard that, her eyes widened as she stared at him in shock. Heavens! The man who helped me is not an employee here but the president! Who am I to deserve his help? Standing beside them, Selena felt relieved. So, President Presgrave is only pretending to be her boyfriend. If that¡¯s the case, does that mean I still have a chance? ¡°President Presgrave, thank you so much.¡± She thanked him as though she had also received his help. ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± After Jared said that, he looked at the palm print on Ellie¡¯s face, and a trace of distress shed across his eyes. ¡°Do you want to go to the hospital and get your face checked out?¡± ¡°No need. It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t youe to my office and apply some ice?¡± he offered. Ellen considered rejecting the offer, but Selena beat her to it and answered, ¡°Sure. Thank you, President Presgrave. I¡¯ll apany Ellie there and help her with it.¡± When Ellen heard that, she gazed at Selena in shock. When did she be so enthusiastic? However, she soon noticed something suspicious¡ªSelena¡¯s gaze was filled with admiration for him. ¡°Let¡¯s go, then!¡± Jared was still worried that the swelling on Ellen¡¯s face might not subside, so he led her to his office. She did not want to trouble him and could not help but follow because Selena had dragged her along. At thepany¡¯s entrance, the Andino siblings were sitting on the steps,ining about what had transpired. ¡°When did Ellen get to know the Presgrave Group¡¯s president?¡± ¡°He¡¯s her boyfriend! Now, we won¡¯t be able to get the money.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of? If Ellen refuses to give us the money, we¡¯ll keep bugging her and make her life miserable.¡± Garrett was used to being outrageous. Also, he had recently gone gambling and desperately needed money to pay off his debt, so he would not give up on this shortcut to obtain money. It was Ellen and Selena¡¯s first time visiting the president¡¯s office, so they were astonished by the squeaky-clean floor, extravagant corridor, and the clouds outside the window. Meanwhile, Selena¡¯s gaze was glued onto Jared¡¯s elegant back. Looking at that man was already an enjoyable experience and talking to him was a huge privilege. Before, she would not even dare to imagine things like marrying him and living the rest of her life with him, but now, she did. Not only that, she wanted to realize her wish. She would exercise all efforts to pursue, obtain, and be his wife. Since her tight grip on Ellen¡¯s arm hurt, Ellen whispered, ¡°Selena, I can walk on my own.¡± Selena was tired of holding her anyway, so she let go of her before leaning toward her and asking, ¡°When did you know Young Master Jared?¡± ¡°A few days ago,¡± Ellen replied. How lucky. She knew him at thepany and even got him to stand up for her! After entering the president¡¯s office, the two cousins sat on the couch, where Ellen sat restrainedly. Then, Jared¡¯s assistant came over with an ice pack, and Selena immediately took it and offered, ¡°Let me do it.¡± Ellen did not dare to let her arrogant cousin do such a task for her, so she retrieved the ice pack and insisted, ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± Later, the assistant brought over some coffee with desserts and fruits. Jared¡¯s long figure was sitting before them, and his every move permeated with a noble and elegant aura. ¡°You can call me if theye to you again. I¡¯ll let thewyers handle the situation.¡± His gazended on Ellen¡¯s figure. Selena nced at him and noticed his glistening eyes that gently settled on Ellen. At that moment, she felt jealousy burning within her. More importantly, if she interpreted correctly, Ellen had his private number! Heavens! That was something she could not have asked for. ¡°President Presgrave, you can rest assured that I will tell my parents about this and let them do justice for Ellie.¡± Selena desperately wanted to get the man¡¯s attention. However, he merely nced at her before looking back at Ellen. ¡°No matter what, you cane to me if you face any problems.¡± Ellen was applying the coldpress and felt embarrassed while asking, ¡°President Presgrave, why are you so kind to me?¡± Selena, too, was curious about this. Jared knew that every Ellen-rted thing he did was certainly something he would not usually do, but he felt willing to do all that. That was a new revtion for him. ¡°Isn¡¯t it good that someone¡¯s nice to you?¡± he asked with a smile, revealing his dazzling row of snowy- white teeth. Both Ellen and Selena were stunned by his smile, especially thetter. That was the first time she saw his smile, and she found it mesmerizing. Blushing, Ellen felt especially restrained before this man. She could act so naturally with him back then because she thought he was just an employee and they were at the same level. Yet, now that his identity suddenly ¡®upgraded¡¯ to the Presgrave Group¡¯s president, she found herself way out of his league! It made her feel so self-deprecated that she thought she was undeserving of his kindness. ¡°Regardless of my identity, you can still treat me as your friend,¡± Jared added. Selena thought that if she came up with them, she could find a chance to talk with him and get to know each other. However, at that moment, she could only sit on the sideline and watch him all nice to Ellen, which was torturous. ¡°President Presgrave, we¡¯ve met before. Do you remember me?¡± Selena suddenly mentioned their past encounter. Jared gazed at her and narrowed his eyes, asking, ¡°Have we?¡± ¡°Yes, I came to greet you when you were at the golf rangest time.¡± After thinking about it, he finally remembered that incident. ¡°Oh! My apologies, I don¡¯t recall that event.¡± After saying that, he shifted his attention back to Ellen and smiled. ¡°But I do have a deep impression of her.¡± By now, Ellen¡¯s cheeks were hot enough to fry eggs. She was never afraid of being humiliated before anyone, but for some reason, she was terrified of embarrassing herself before him. ¡°Did you guys meet on that day as well?¡± Selena asked in shock. Ellen nodded and asked, ¡°Why did you tell me your name was Jared Tillman?¡± ¡°Tillman is my mom¡¯sst name. I told you that because I didn¡¯t want you to know my real identity.¡± He laughed again as he thought teasing Ellen was fun. She puffed out her cheeks and used, ¡°And I thought you were just an employee at Presgrave Group!¡± ¡°As I¡¯ve said, you can still treat me as your friend. You don¡¯t have to feel pressured because of my identity.¡± He sighed. Selena nudged Ellen. ¡°Ellie, how could you me President Presgrave? He¡¯s only trying to help.¡± Though her words seemed like she was ming Ellen, she intended to sow discord between them. Yet, Jared¡¯s hooked into a smile. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s my fault for not telling you my identity in the first ce. To compensate for it, how about I treat you to dinner tonight?¡± As soon as Ellen heard that, she shook her head. ¡°No, I should be the one treating you!¡± ¡°That works too. You¡¯re rich now, so you can do that.¡± Jared was teasing her. His reply made Ellen burst intoughter as she looked at him and asked, ¡°Tell me what you¡¯d prefer. It¡¯s on me.¡± Drowning in jealousy, Selena told herself that she had to find a way to join their dinner tonight! After exiting the president¡¯s office, Ellen returned to her workspace while Selena followed her to the lobby and grabbed her shoulder. ¡°Ellie, can we talk?¡± Selena was way too enthusiastic today, so it stunned Ellen and made her ufortable. Perhaps it was because they had not spent much time together since young, so she did not know much about Selena. All she knew was Selena had a cold personality and lived a life simr to a princess at home. ¡°Selena, is there anything else?¡± Ellen asked curiously. Selena smiled and took Ellen¡¯s hand into hers. Next, she looked at Ellen warmly. ¡°Ellie, could you forgive me for everything I did in the past? I want you to know that I didn¡¯t mean to ignore and not greet you.¡± Ellen shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not mad at you.¡± Selena knew that Ellen had a meek temperament and could be easily convinced. Furthermore, now that she had taken the initiative to approach Ellen, she knew she would be delighted to be friends with her again. ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t get mad at me. You¡¯re my darling cousin, after all. Ellie, I would like to have dinner with you guys tonight. Is that alright with you?¡± Selena expressed her suggestion quite impatiently. Shocked, Ellen thought, Have dinner with us tonight? She considered her words for a moment before rejecting her, ¡°Selena, is it alright to treat you to dinner tomorrow? I¡¯ve got a dinner with President Presgrave tonight.¡± At that point, Selena¡¯s expression darkened, and she became angry all of a sudden. ¡°Ellie, what do you mean by that?! Is this because you don¡¯t want to introduce me to President Presgrave?! Are you worried about me disrupting your date with him?¡± Naturally, Ellen was not clueless. Earlier on, she had seen how Selena looked at Jared, and she realized that Selena had fallen for him. As such, Selena¡¯s enthusiasm currently was because she wanted to join the dinner appointment tonight. ¡°Selena, I don¡¯t mean it that way. This dinner appointment is to thank President Presgrave for his help. If you wanna get to know him, you can invite him for dinner personally next time.¡± Ellen truly did not want her to join the dinner because she was worried that Jared would be displeased. Just as Selena thought she was one step ahead of Ellen, she found herself disappointed, for she had underestimated things. That brat seriously doesn¡¯t want me to join her! She instantly huffed and said, ¡°Ellen, you¡¯ve never regarded me as your family member, huh? If I could invite President Presgrave, I would not be begging you right now! Both of us work at Presgrave Group together, and it would be great for our future progress if we could get to know the boss. That¡¯s why, I¡¯m begging you, please let me join your dinner tonight!¡± Her words were menacing. Furthermore, there was a hint of plea and tyranny in her voice. Ellen felt the pressure from Selena and fell silent for a moment. Atst, she shook her head anyway and rejected her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Selena. I can¡¯t agree to that.¡± Instantly, Selena¡¯s expression turned ugly, and she snorted angrily. ¡°My parents took you and your brother in back then, but you show no gratitude to my family at all. You¡¯re such an ingrate!¡± At that, Ellen turned as pale as a sheet and pursed her lips. However, she could only bear the brunt of her ugly words. Selena realized she could not convince Ellen, so she no longer swallowed her pride to beg her. She red at Ellen before turning around haughtily to leave the ce. Meanwhile, Ellen heaved a sigh and returned to the reception area, where she was surrounded by people. ¡°Gosh! Ellen, when did you get to know President Presgrave? Why is he so kind to you?¡± ¡°Earlier on, President Presgrave said that you were his girlfriend. Is that true? You¡¯ve been keeping this a secret for so long!¡± Jared had merely started work at thepany less than three months ago, so the receptionists were not familiar with him. At that moment, Ellen was undeniably the person they admired the most. ¡°You guys have misunderstood the situation. Earlier on, President Presgrave was just trying to lend me a hand. The two of us¡­¡± Ellen blushed, but she rified their rtionship quite firmly, ¡°The two of us are strictly colleagues, so don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± ¡°Does that mean President Presgrave was a hero saving a damsel in distress earlier? Ellen, you¡¯re so lucky!¡± Despite their words, Ellen was fully aware of her position and realized that Jared merely tried to lend a helping hand; he did not have any other underlying motives. She started to ponder which restaurant to treat him to dinner tonight and could not help herself as she started to research restaurants in the area. Finally, she found a Mediterranean ce with great reviews, so she sent the restaurant¡¯s introduction page to him for his opinion. ¡®Okay. You can book it!¡¯ Jared was fine with that. As such, she booked the two of them a window seat and looked forward to finishing work. At that moment, the receptionist sitting by the far end shot Ellen a fleeting jealous look. The receptionist had just started work not long ago, so she was also a newbie like her. However, there was a stark difference in the way they were treated. Ellen was suddenly the center of attention among the other longer-serving staff, while the receptionist could barely get a reply from the others when she raised a question. Chapter 1531-1540 Chapter 1531-1540 Sometimes, hostility might not be stemmed from someone else¡¯s actions. It could merely be because the person¡¯s existence entuated the weak point of one and caused one to suffer injustice. This new receptionist was Wendy Skeen. She had put in a lot of effort to gain a job at Presgrave Group. Though she was the most outstanding one among her peers, right now, she appeared to be the worstpared to Ellen. Furthermore, she had just witnessed with her own eyes how Jared saved Ellen from trouble earlier, so that was a cause of annoyance for her. Inside the office of the finance department, Selena could not seem to focus on her work. She remained in her seat with a thunderous expression and kept fussing over Ellen¡¯s date with Jared tonight. Perhaps the rumors about them would spread like wildfire in a couple more days. At that moment, it was hard to describe how horrible Selena felt. She was worried and fearful that Ellen would surpass her in the future. She could not ept her cousin¡¯s excellence or lead a better life than her because, to her, it seemed that Ellen deserved a life of impoverishment. ¡°Lena, do you want to join me for dinner tonight? I¡¯ll book a restaurant for us,¡± one of her male colleagues invited fawningly as he walked past her. However, Selena rejected him immediately. ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡± At that moment, she was contemting how to crash Ellen¡¯s dinner date tonight. She paid no heed to my request and didn¡¯t even care to invite me, but that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t pop over by myself! She revealed a cold sneer. Let¡¯s see how Ellen¡¯s going to kick me out of the ce by then! To approach Jared, Selena had resorted to every plot and scheme she coulde up with because she wanted badly to get to know him. If only she could get hold of his phone number, she would do everything she could to win his affection. As such, tonight¡¯s date was critical to her, and there was no way she would miss this dinner. Suddenly, a male colleague who was interested in Selena walked past her. She clung to his arm and revealed an affectionate face while saying, ¡°Kenny, can I ask you for a favor? If you seed in helping me, I¡¯ll treat you to a meal tomorrow.¡± ¡°Sure! What is it?¡± ¡°Trail someone for me and find out which restaurant she¡¯s heading toter,¡± she requested. ¡°That¡¯s easy enough. Who is she?¡± ¡°She works at the reception. She¡¯s the one seated on the furthest to the left. She¡¯s about to leave work soon, so please hurry. Thanks!¡± After Selena said that, she winked at him suggestively. The man known as Kenny instantly felt his heart flutter and agreed. After all, it was only a small matter, and he would even get the chance to have a meal with Selena, so this was undoubtedly a good deal. As such, Kenny left work earlier and stood in the lobby staring at the reception area. It was then he was momentarily stunned by the pretty young girl on the furthest left. He did not expect the girl Selena wanted him to trail to be a beauty. Ten minutes before work ended, Ellen received a text message from Jared. He told her that he would pick her up from the front entrance in ten minutes. When the time came, she gathered her belongings and left work, after which Kenny immediately followed her. He was shocked to see her walk toward a gray sports car parked by the side. This girl has found a rich prospect. The cost of obtaining this sports car is substantial! At a nce, the sports car appeared to be an internationally limited edition. There were not many people in Averna who could afford this top-of-the-line luxury sports car. Despite Kenny¡¯s shock, he saw a cab parked by the side and instantly entered it before instructing the driver, ¡°Please follow that sports car.¡± The cab driver was skillful and trailed behind the sports car steadily. Twenty minutester, the sports car turned into a junction leading to a high-end food street before parking at the entrance of a Mediterranean restaurant. Subsequently, a young man and girl came out of the car. Kenny immediately snapped a photo of the restaurant and sent it to Selena. ¡®Lena, I¡¯ve found out what you¡¯re after. They entered this restaurant.¡¯ Selena was currently waiting for his reply at the entrance of thepany, so as soon as she realized that he had seeded in locating them, she sent him a love emoji. ¡®Thanks, Kenny. I¡¯ll treat you to a meal tomorrow!¡¯ After Selena replied to Kenny¡¯s message, she immediately started her car and headed over to the restaurant. To her surprise, she did not expect him to enter the restaurant and snap a photo of the window seat for her. ¡®This is where they¡¯re seated.¡¯ As she waited at the traffic lights, she noticed that text message and was delighted. Ellen chose a spot in the main dining hall, so it¡¯d be much easier for me to pretend I¡¯d encountered them by chance. She texted Kenny again to inform him that he could leave. Coincidentally, he had another appointment, so he left ordingly. By the window seat, Ellen fidgeted nervously as she sat across from Jared. She could no longer keep her cool and behave naturally upon getting to know his identity. She appeared to behave cautiously around him in everything she did. ¡°Take a look at the menu, President Presgrave,¡± she said. Jared browsed the menu and selected a few dishes that were tasty and rtively inexpensive. While she was prepared to order and turned to the waitress, she realized the waitress was staring at the man and ignoring her. ¡°Ahem¡­¡± Ellen had no choice but to cough purposely. At that point, the waitress finally retracted her gaze with a reddened face and turned to her. ¡°Ma¡¯am, would you like to add on to the order?¡± ¡°Yes, two more.¡± After Ellen was done, she turned around and realized that all of the young waitresses in the restaurant had their eyes on her table. Undoubtedly, Jared resembled a ma, which attracted all of the young girls¡¯ attention in the restaurant. He was a dazzling presence and caused all of the girls¡¯ hearts to flutter, even by just sitting there. Ellen, too, could not help being drawn to him and stared at him. Under themp glow, the man had elegant features with a milky-whiteplexion. He looked exquisite, yet there was a manly air to his looks. He held a teacup in his hand while gazing out of the window, looking as if he was framed into a stunning portrait. He was indeed blessed with gorgeous looks. Downstairs, Selena had just parked her car and no longer cared whether her actions were embarrassing as she grabbed her bag and went up the stairs. As she entered the dining hall, she immediately caught sight of Ellen and Jared by the window seat. She took a deep breath before heading over toward the two. Coincidentally, Ellen lifted her head to nce in the direction of the entrance. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw Selena. What¡¯s going on? Why is she here? At that moment, Selena tugged her lips into a smile and called out Ellen¡¯s name warmly, ¡°Ellie, you¡¯re having dinner here too? This is such a coincidence! I¡¯m meeting my friend at this restaurant too!¡± Ellen could tell at a nce that she was lying. How can it be so coincidental? Is she truly here to meet a friend, or did she follow me here? Despite being well aware of the situation, Ellen could not possibly expose Selena¡¯s lie because she had taken a seat next to her, full of smiles. At that moment, Selena¡¯s phone went off, and she quickly answered it. ¡°What?! You¡¯re standing me up? So, you can¡¯t make it today? I¡¯ve arrived at the restaurant. Oh, well. Forget about it if you can¡¯t make it. My cousin¡¯s here too, so I¡¯ll join her for dinner.¡± After that superb act, she pretended to hang up her call. In reality, she merely set an rm to go off. She turned to Ellen. ¡°I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t mind me joining you for dinner, right, Ellie?¡± Subsequently, she turned to stare beseechingly at Jared and said coyly, ¡°President Presgrave, my friend happened to stand me up. Can I join you two for dinner?¡± He nodded slightly. Naturally, he did not know that Selena had schemed hard to join this dinner date. As for Ellen, she was stifled and overwhelmed by a heavy feeling within her. She had truly never encountered such a schemeful person in her life. ¡°Ellie, President Presgrave has agreed. I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t make me leave, right? How about this? My treat tonight.¡± Selena smiled smugly as she turned to Ellen. In the end, Ellen had no choice but to purse her lips and nod. ¡°I said it would be my treat.¡± Selena was pleased. I finally seeded in joining their dinner date. Along the way here, she had purposely retouched her makeup. Atst, she could finally showcase herself in front of Jared. ¡°Ellie, does your face still hurt? Let me take a look.¡± At that, Ellen instantly grabbed her iing hand to stop her from touching her face. ¡°It doesn¡¯t, Selena.¡± Selena purposely said frustratedly, ¡°I should honestly get my parents to tell Uncle Garrett and the others off. How could they do this to you?¡± ¡°Thanks, Selena.¡± Ellen felt revolted in her heart. She knew for a fact that Selena was putting on an act, yet she was forced to y along with her. What she was experiencing now was utterly diforting for her. ¡°President Presgrave, have some tea.¡± Selena stood up and took the teapot to fill Jared¡¯s teacup. ¡°Thank you,¡± he replied in a low voice. Compared to Selena, Ellen was naturally not as adept at interacting with others. After Selena took a seat, she lifted her cup. ¡°President Presgrave, I¡¯d like to propose a toast.¡± He lifted his teacup slightly to toast her. Instantly, she beamed widely and took over the role of the host instead. ¡°President Presgrave, I¡¯m so impressed by your achievements. You¡¯re tasked to run such a majorpany at a young age. You must be outstanding!¡± Meanwhile, Ellen sat by the side and remained silent. She secretly felt dejected and resigned. Before she knew it, she identally choked on her tea while out of focus. ¡°Uhuk¡­¡± She coughed twice, and Selena pped her on the back quite roughly. Though she appeared to be gentle, she exerted huge force on Ellen. ¡°Are you alright, Ellie?¡± Jared turned to look at Ellen with worry. ¡°Slow down.¡± She lifted her head to look at him before turning to Selena and noticing the smug smile on her face that was onlyprehensible to herself. Throughout dinner, Selena was the one who practically dominated the conversation as she came up with various topics to chat about with Jared. She showed off nearly everything that she was well-versed in. As for Ellen, she became the audience there. Compared to Selena¡¯s impressive upbringing, Ellen¡¯s upbringing was pretty much not worth mentioning. Jared had been well brought up since he was young; although he did not enjoy the conversation with Selena, he did not reveal the slightest hint of displeasure. He merely focused on studying Ellen¡¯s emotions and took note of her awkward yet polite countenance. However, Selena remained unaware that her actions had triggered the displeasure of the two. On the contrary, she was annoyed that dinner ended too soon. As soon as Ellen put down her utensils, Jared followed her action and asked, ¡°How was dinner? Are you full?¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯m stuffed to the brim,¡± Ellen replied with a smile. Subsequently, Selena put down her fork and parroted. ¡°I¡¯m stuffed too.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll foot the bill, then.¡± After Ellen said that, she grabbed her bag and got up. Yet, she was told upon arriving at the counter that the bill had been paid. Stunned, she turned around to look toward their dining table. At that instance, Jared had his eyes on her and beamed widely. She was slightly embarrassed as she walked over and asked, ¡°Why did you pay? I told you this was my treat.¡± ¡°You can do that next time.¡± He rose to his feet. At that point, Selena turned to shoot a jealous look at Ellen. What? President Presgrave is setting up another date with her?! ¡°Okay, then. You¡¯re not allowed to foot the bill beforehand next time,¡± Ellen instructed with a smile. ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll send you home.¡± He was ready to actualize his words. Hearing that, Selena immediately bit her lips and asked brazenly, ¡°President Presgrave, could I hitch a ride home too? I hailed a cab to get here, so I didn¡¯t drive today.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I came in a sports car, so a third person would not be able to fit inside.¡± Jared rejected her. Selena knew well that there was another row of seats in a sports car, but she did not pursue it since he had said so. Suddenly, she recalled that Ellen¡¯s house was nearer than hers, so she turned to Ellen and proposed. ¡°Ellie, could you please let President Presgrave send me home? You should take a cab home.¡± That was despicable of Selena as she knew that Ellen was subservient and easy to convince, so she went ahead and demanded brazenly. Before Ellen had the chance to reply, Jared interjected, ¡°Ellen¡¯s house is located in a much more secluded area, so why don¡¯t you catch a cab home, Miss Aguirre?¡± After he said that, he turned to Ellen and insisted. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Bye, Selena. We¡¯ll head off first.¡± Ellen bade farewell to her cousin. With that, Selena stood awkwardly at the same spot and stomped her feet secretly. She was undeniably annoyed. Exactly in what aspect am I worse than Ellen, huh? I¡¯m considered a beauty in terms of looks, and I¡¯ve got a great figure too. Besides, I carry myself way more elegantly than her! Why is Jared only drawn to her? Why hasn¡¯t he noticed my outstanding qualities? Selena stayed behind at the restaurant for nearly ten minutes before she descended the stairs. Of course, she drove herself there earlier. To avoid any awkward scenes, she had to wait till Jared¡¯s car left before she came down. In the meantime, that sports car was moving along a busy road. Ellen was momentarily at a loss for words, so the atmosphere inside the car felt rather tense. ¡°I can tell your cousin isn¡¯t nice to you at all.¡± Jared broke the silence. ¡°How?¡± Ellen asked curiously. ¡°She wasn¡¯t even there to meet her friend for dinner. I reckon she followed us to the restaurant. As your cousin, she didn¡¯t even care about your feelings and continuously neglected you while she bombarded me with topics.¡± She blinked in amazement. I can¡¯t believe he noticed that. Then, she forced a smile. ¡°My cousin¡¯s family is the wealthiest among our extended family. She had a better childhood than mine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a reason for her to belittle you.¡± He shot her a deep look. Even as an outsider, he could not stand Selena¡¯s behavior toward her. ¡°I¡¯m used to that.¡± Ellen smiled. As they arrived at her home, Jared frowned upon seeing the dpidated building she lived in. ¡°Are you still allowed to stay here?¡± ¡°Of course. I have until the end of this month,¡± she replied with a smile. At least she would get to save on another month¡¯s worth of rental fees. ¡°Let me tell you something. The resettlement project here is under me,¡± he confessed. She could not help eximing in shock, ¡°Is yourpany in charge of the resettlement project in this area?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded. She was delighted to hear that. ¡°That¡¯s such a coincidence.¡± ¡°Go home. Give me a call if you need any help at all.¡± ¡°Drive safely.¡± Ellen waved at him and watched as he drove off into the distance before entering her house and switching on the lights. Although this ce was run down, to her, it was the most comfortable home ever. A short while after Jared left, a shabby SUV arrived at her doorstep. Garrett came out of the car and knocked on her door without saying a word as he nced at the lit-up house. The loud banging gave Ellen a huge fright, and she immediately rushed over to the door and asked, ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me. Hurry up and open the door.¡± His drunken voice rang from outside. It was obvious that he had been drinking. Feeling her heart skip a bit, Ellen began to feel terror. She immediately thought of seeking help as she yelled at the door, ¡°Garrett, it¡¯ste now. I¡¯m about to go to bed. You should go home.¡± ¡°You brat! Open the door right now and hand me the money. I¡¯ll leave after you do that. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll stay right here banging on your door.¡± Garrett was a rogue and hollered back at her. Faced with such circumstances, Ellen grabbed her phone and intended to call her uncle over for help. However, as she dialed his number, he did not answer the call despite the call being put through. On the other side of the door, Garrett continued to bash persistently. She felt her heart tighten and suddenly recalled Jared, who had left not long ago. Can I seek help from him? ¡°Hurry up and open the door, you brat! Or else, I¡¯ll kick it down. I¡¯ll be able to get you even if you hide inside.¡± He continued his drunken rage outside. Frightened, Ellen could not seem to contain her tears. Finally, she shut her eyes and dialed Jared¡¯s number. ¡°Hello,¡± he answered the call. ¡°President Presgrave, could you head back to my house? M-My uncle¡¯s drunk, and he won¡¯t stop banging on my door. I¡¯m scared.¡± Her voice broke due to fear. ¡°Hang tight. I¡¯lle over right now.¡± Heforted her before hanging up. Bombarded with the noises outside, Ellen clutched her phone, and her heart thudded frantically in fear. She could not imagine what Garrett would do to her if she opened the door; she had a feeling that he would hit her. Though she was usually a stoic person, she was close to breaking down at that moment. She did not expect everyone in her extended family to threaten her this way, all because of money. Fifteen minutester, Jared¡¯s sports car rushed in from the junction and halted in front of her house. He saw Garrett mming the door while cursing under the streetlight. ¡°You brat! Open the door! I¡¯ll kick the door down right now!¡± Bang! Behind Garrett, a car door was mmed shut, prompting him to jump in fright. He turned around and saw a tall, strapping male with a thunderous look striding toward him under the streetlight. Instantly, he recognized the man. ¡°It¡¯s you.¡± Garrett was still in a drunken state. If he was sober, he would not dare to go against this young man. However, as he recalled being thrown out of the ce this morning, he was filled with anger. He pointed at Jared and yelled, ¡°W-Why are you here? I¡¯m warning you, this is our family matter. You¡¯re an outsider, so it¡¯s none of your business!¡± ¡°Do you want to get lost now or wait for the police to get here?¡± Jared asked coldly. ¡°Y-You brat! Do you know who I am? I¡¯m Ellen¡¯s uncle, so how dare you behave so impudently toward me!¡± Not only did Garrett show his drunken ways, but he also attempted to take advantage of his seniority. Jared knocked on the door and shouted, ¡°Open the door, Ellen.¡± As soon as she heard his voice, she instantly flung the door open, for she was worried that Garrett would hit Jared. At that instance, Garrett rushed over and attempted to drag her as she unlocked the door. Instantly, Jared tugged Ellen behind him and stood protectively in front of her. Subsequently, he grabbed hold of Garrett¡¯s arms and shoved him aside. Garrett stumbled backward as his expression turned ugly out of anger. ¡°Huh. How dare you guysy hands on me! Do you seriously think I wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything to you?¡± After saying that, he found a rock on the ground and grabbed it to hit them with it. Ellen¡¯s face turned pale as a sheet upon noticing his action. ¡°Stop, Garrett!¡± Yet, it was a second toote as he had already hit Jared¡¯s body. Worried that Garrett would injure Ellen, Jared turned to her and instructed, ¡°Gather your belongings and get into my car.¡± As a result, she hurriedly rushed out of the house with her bag in her hand and noticed that Garrett was in a frenzy under the streetlight. He grabbed the rock and attempted to hit Jared with it, but Jared easily dodged the attack. The next second, Garrett shifted his target to Ellen and attempted to strike her with the rock. As soon as Jared caught sight of that, he lifted his hand to shield her. The rocknded hard on the back of his hand, and she saw the sharp, jagged edges piercing through him as a streak of blood dripped across his hand under the faint light. At that point, Jared red up and kicked Garrett aside before dragging Ellen to head over to the car. Scrambling up from the ground, Garrett raced after them with the rock in his hand. Indeed, he was out of his mind in a frenzied state as he raced toward Jared¡¯s sports car and smashed it repeatedly. Seeing that, Ellen cowered behind the car door and shielded her eyes in fear, struggling to even look at him. Soon, Jared entered the driver¡¯s seat and started the ignition before stepping on the elerator to leave. Behind them, Garrett cursed at them, ¡°Don¡¯t go, you brats!¡± At that moment, Ellen¡¯s face was as pale as a sheet. She looked at Jared¡¯s injured hand, and tears began streaming down her face. It pained her to see him wounded. ¡°Your hand¡­ I¡¯m sorry. You got injured all because of me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s nothing major.¡± He was thankful that he arrived in time. Had he not turned up, the oue would have been horrible once Garrett smashed the door open. Still, Ellen felt extremely guilty about it. At that moment, she remained frightened due to the shock, and her body trembled uncontrobly. ¡°Do you have anywhere you can go?¡± asked Jared. She shook her head as tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°No.¡± ¡°You cane over to my ce.¡± He offered without hesitation. Surprised, Ellen looked at him in disbelief, ¡°Your ce?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got plenty of spare rooms, so feel free to stay a night.¡± He was genuinely worried about her. If her impoverished, nasty rtives found her, she would not be able to get away from being sought revenge. ¡°Would that be appropriate?¡± She was worried she would disrupt his life. Jared nced at her. ¡°I live alone. It¡¯s all good.¡± At that point, Ellen blushed before adding, ¡°Do you have a girlfriend? That wouldn¡¯t be appropriate, would it?¡± He instantly replied, ¡°I¡¯m single.¡± To that, she was momentarily silent. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯ve discovered our big boss¡¯ rtionship status! He¡¯s so handsome, yet he¡¯s still single? That is too shocking. A man with his looks and figure should not be single. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised at all if he had ten girlfriends. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll stay the night. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll start looking for a ce.¡± She had no other option but to stay at his ce for the night unabashedly. At Aguirre Residence, a low-spirited Connor fell asleep drunk after a gathering with friends. So, he did not pick up Ellen¡¯s phone call. Selena was in a foul mood too. She told the entire story to Olivia, who could not believe her ears. ¡°Are you sure that your boss saved Ellen?¡± ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s like they knew each other before this. They even had dinner together.¡± Olivia was shocked to the core. Is this fate? Ellen and Mr. Presgrave are acquainted? That Mr. Presgrave, who received a heart donation from her brother? ¡°Mom, is something on your mind?¡± Selena gazed at her mother curiously. ¡°Nothing. I was just thinking if he did that by chance.¡± ¡°No. I wonder what Ellen did to gain President Presgrave¡¯s favor.¡± Selena saw it with her own eyes, hence the legit anger. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking. Why would your boss fall for her?¡± Despite her words, Olivia feared that something else would happen. Things will getplicated if President Presgrave finds out that Ellen¡¯s brother was the donor. Not only will he look after her, but he will also hold us responsible. I hope Ellen won¡¯t discover the truth forever. Meanwhile, Ellen had arrived at Jared¡¯s ce. She gaped at the sight of the massive mansion situated halfway up the hillside. This must be the life of the rich! Someone poor like me won¡¯t be able to dream of living in a mega-mansion like this. ¡°This ce is huge!¡± she eximed. ¡°Do you live alone?¡± ¡°For now. My parents and sister live abroad.¡± Jared led her to the parlor. She could not help the constant exmation inside her as she deemed it lucky to be able to stay at such a ce for the night. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to your room.¡± He brought her to the third floor, heading to one of the guest rooms. ¡°You¡¯ll be staying here.¡± He then pointed at another door. ¡°This is my room. You can call me if you¡¯re afraid.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not afraid.¡± The ce gave her a sense of security. ¡°Okay. You should get some rest.¡± Only then did he realize that she came here empty-handed. ¡°I¡¯ll get some clothes from my sister¡¯s room.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Ellen¡¯s face became red. ¡°It¡¯s alright. She¡¯s nice.¡± Jared entered her sister¡¯s closet to search for clothes. She heaved a sigh. The incident still sent chills down her spine, casting a pall of cloud upon her. Do I have to live a life in hiding from now on? Jared found a set of pajamas and casual clothes for her before leaving. Ellen shut the door while recalling Garrett¡¯s actions, which made her worry about the following days. What am I gonna do? Am I going to live in harassment forever? Are they not gonna give up if I don¡¯t give them the money? Fortunately, she encountered Jared. It was her misfortune for having such rtives, but he was her lucky star. In the meantime, he sat on the couch in his room and mused over the incident that urred, thinking of a n to solve Ellen¡¯s problem. He did not wish anything unfortunate to happen to that girl. He felt the purpose to protect her ever since he met her, yet he did not know why. He ced his hand over his chest to feel his heart, which raced unusually fast whenever she was in trouble. That eve, Ellen had a good night¡¯s sleep and did not forget about work. When she was ready in the morning, she opened the door, but her mind nked out. How am I supposed to go to work?! It would take a lot of time just to descend a mountain, let alone a neighborhood for the rich. The bus stop was located far away from here and going to work on foot was definitely out of the question! as currently living in her boss¡¯ ce. As such, she could only head back into the vi hall. Right as she walked past the doorway, she heard footstepsing from the staircase. Subconsciously, she turned over, only to find herself stupefied as a man in ck¡ªstunning and ssy¡ªwas descending the steps, and a nce of him in his extraordinariness took her breath away. Upon seeing Ellen carrying her bag anding into the vi, Jared subconsciously revealed a grin. ¡°I¡¯ll send you in a bit.¡± Awkwardly, Ellen nodded. After all, a mighty boss such as Jared would normally only go to work past ten. Yet, in order to send her, he brought himself to wake up at eight. Then, after Jared brought her to the underground garage, she peered at the dozen opulent top-grade cars in the luxurious underground garage. At once, she secretly grew dumbfounded. With such a collection, he must be a sports car enthusiast! This time, he picked a sports car. He then opened the door to the passenger seat and invited her to get in. Inside, the control panel reflected the wildest dreams a man could have, and the mboyant sound of the engine revving resembled the roar of a charging beast. It only took Jared twenty minutes to reach thepany. Once Ellen alighted from the car, she waved at him. ¡°Thank you, President Presgrave.¡± Jared merely responded with a nod and drove toward the parking lot. After speedily finishing up her breakfast in the cafeteria nearby thepany, Ellen went straight to her post. Although she received a sum of relocation funds, she would never give up her current hard- earned job. Essentially, she would feel more at ease with her money saved up. Of course, she was never one to splurge ever since she was a child. She then began to tidy up her post while sorting the documents presented to the reception on behalf of a senior who had been looking after her. After the clean-up, she then tended to other tasks. Right at that moment, a woman walked past her post and sneakily took a set of documents before throwing it into the trash can with her back facing the camera. Soon, Ellen¡¯s coworkers clocked in for work one after another. The next moment, her reception desk received a call demanding certain documents. ¡°Hi. Speaking from the Finance Department. I believe there was an urgent document for the Finance Department sent to your post earlier. Can you please send it over to me?¡± Immediately, Ellen searched through the documents she sorted in the morning, but she couldn¡¯t find any that were for the Finance Department, after which she informed the caller about it. ¡°How is that possible? My client literally ced the document on desk number eight¡ªyour desk¡ª earlier. Did you lose it? The document contains information of utmost importance, and I assure you, you cannot afford to lose it.¡± The caller was instantaneously infuriated. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll look for it again.¡± ¡°Ten minutes. I need it for the meeting soon.¡± The caller angrily hung up as soon as they were finished. In that instant, Ellen grew somewhat panicked. I ced all the documents I received in the morning in the cab right here! Why can¡¯t I find it? In the meantime, someone revealed a fascinated grin as they gazed at her scouring hectically. After a thorough search, Ellen was still unable to find the requested document. Eventually, the caller furiously dashed to her desk. It was a veteran in her thirties. With a face filled with rage, she stood in front of her and rebuked, ¡°Do you receptionists know how to do your job? How do you manage to lose a document? I¡¯m going to file aint against you!¡± ¡°We¡¯re deeply sorry about that. She¡¯s a neer, and she¡¯s still trying to get the hang of her job.¡± Standing beside Ellen, Olive, anotherpany veteran, attempted to defend her. ¡°That is even more absurd for a neer! How did you even manage to make it into Presgrave Group? Is it your charming face? Did you make it by some shameful means? With such ipetence, you actually wish to receive high pay working here? How ludicrous.¡± ¡°I am terribly sorry¡­¡± Ellen apologized. ¡°And what can ¡®sorry¡¯ do? I¡¯ll generously allow you another hour. If you still fail to find it, I¡¯ll seriously take it to the general manager and have you fired!¡± The veteran did not hold back with her reprimands. Watching Ellen being scolded savagely, the other employees couldn¡¯t help but nce at her with sympathy. Her eyes grew somewhat red as she was strenuously holding back her tears. Shortly after, as she was bending over to dispose of some trash, she unexpectedly saw a folder of documents in the trash can. Surprised, she reached out to grab the folder. Isn¡¯t this what the Finance Department was looking for? ¡°I found it!¡± At once, Ellen was relieved. ¡°What? How is it in the trash can?¡± Olive, who was beside her, asked. Ellen, too, was puzzled. I¡¯m sure that I sorted all of the folders earlier, so why is there one in the trash can under the desk? ¡°Anyway, be careful not to repeat the mistake next time. If she¡¯s really to report you, you¡¯ll really be dismissed,¡± Olive warned. Ellen nodded. She also forbade herself from repeating such a mistake in the future. Thereupon, she personally delivered the documents to the veteran employee from the Finance Department, only to catch Oliviaining and throwing shades at her to their coworkers. ¡°It really baffles me how such useless workers get into thepany. What a disgrace!¡± Sadly, Ellen could only bear it through. After returning to her post, her phone rang, and when she saw who the caller was, her heart skipped a beat. Apparently, it was Lc. Swiftly, she epted the call. ¡°Aunt Lc!¡± ¡°Ellie, your Uncle Garrett didn¡¯t scare you when he was drunkst night, did he?¡± Ellen immediately answered, ¡°Aunt Lc, please tell him not to do that again, or I¡¯m going to call the cops.¡± ¡°Ellie, you¡¯re quite close with your boss, right? Can you put in a good word for your uncle? He¡¯s in trouble.¡± Dazed and confused, Ellen asked, ¡°What trouble?¡± ¡°He was sued, and now he has to pay a million for the car¡¯s reparation.¡± Upon realization, Ellen uttered in dismay, ¡°Is the money for our president¡¯s car reparation?¡± She remembered how Garrett picked up a rock and whacked Jared¡¯s car numerous times with it. It must be extremely costly to repair such an expensive car¡­ ¡°Aunt Lc, you should let Uncle Garrett deal with the problem himself. I don¡¯t think I can contribute in any way.¡± Ellen had no intention of being a good person again. Besides, it was entirely Garrett¡¯s responsibility to reap what he sowed. ¡°I beg of you, Ellie. Help your uncle out!¡± When Lc finished, another woman¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°Ellie, it¡¯s your Aunt Ayrenn here. Your Uncle Garrett was indeed at fault yesterday, but can you please speak up for him? There¡¯s no way our family can afford a million!¡± In response, Ellen sternly stated, ¡°Aunt Ayrenn, I frankly can¡¯t help you here. My boss and I are merely a superior and an employee. Besides, it is only reasonable that Uncle Garrettpensates after having destroyed someone else¡¯s car.¡± ¡°Ellie, help us out here, would you? We will stop asking you for the relocation fund, and we assure not to trouble you anymore in the future. Is that fine for you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but my hands are tied.¡± Ellen sounded very persistent. Furthermore, there was no reason for her to beg for mercy. She was already remorseful enough given that she was the cause of Jared¡¯s car getting damaged. Meanwhile, gloom engulfed Garrett¡¯s ce as he was sent an insurance bill earlier this morning, in addition to awyer¡¯s letter that clearly stipted a million for the car¡¯s reparation fee. He never expected to have gone into a frenzy after getting himself drunk and ending up owing apensation fee of a million. Furthermore, it was precisely stated in thewyer¡¯s letter that he was to pay for the car¡¯s reparation fee within three days or legal actions would be taken against him. The Andino siblings were all present then. Simultaneously, they felt unfair for being unable to get their hands on the relocation fund and helpless toward their eldest brother¡¯s trouble. Garrett was grasping his head. His son was about to graduate from university, and if he, as the father, was to hold any criminal record, his son¡¯s future career would be doomed. ¡°Why don¡¯t we look for Connor and have him talk it out with Ellen? I¡¯m sure her boss purchased the most deluxe insurance for each of his cars, so all we have to do is have her beg and make her boss acquire the im with his own insurance,¡± Ajax suggested. ¡°Right! Ellen only needs to say a word and the entire problem would be solved. How are we going to look for a million anyway?¡± Right at that moment, a ck sedan stopped by the entrance of Garrett¡¯s grocery store. From within, a middle-aged man got out and asked with a stern face, ¡°Who is Garrett Andino?¡± ¡°I am Garrett.¡± Garrett sprung up from his seat. ¡°I am here to negotiate with you in our boss¡¯ stead.¡± ¡°And your boss is?¡± ¡°Mr. Jared Presgrave, President of Presgrave Group.¡± ¡°Oh, yes. Good day to you!¡± Immediately, Garrett weed the middle-aged man with passion and not a trace of disrespect. There was nothing but gratification in his eyes. ¡°Our boss has expressed that, as long as you stop pestering Miss Reiss, he shan¡¯t pursue the car¡¯s reparation fee any further, but he shall still retain the right to pursue the matter. Do you understand?¡± The middle-aged man was Dean Tilly, and he was Jared¡¯s personal assistant who dealt with Jared¡¯s private matters. Instantly, thoughts arose in the Andinos¡¯ minds. At the same time, the overwhelming weight in Garrett¡¯s heart vanished, after which he hastily answered, ¡°Yes, of course! I did some unspeakable things when I was drunkst night. I assure you that we the Andinos will stop troubling Ellen, and I will definitely fulfill my part of the promise as long as your boss no longer pursues my obligation.¡± ¡°Garrett, the fault is your own. Why are we dragged into your promise as well?¡± Nicole scoffed. Hearing that, Dean turned to her and warned, ¡°Ellen Reiss is under Mr. Presgrave¡¯s protection. Should any of you Andinos dare to bother her in the future, he will not go easy on you, and if any of you dare meddle with Miss Reiss¡¯ relocation fund, you should get ready for prison.¡± Dean¡¯s warning instantly startled the Andinos. Never had they expected Ellen had found herself such an enormous pir of support. After Dean departed, the Andinos got into a quarrel right away. The matter with the relocation fund left a crack in the Andino siblings¡¯ rtionship, as though there was a grave family feud. Seeing that, Lc couldn¡¯t help but shed a tear in helplessness. In the afternoon, Ellen received a text message, which she assumed to be a spam message at a nce, but to her surprise, the sender was Jared. ¡®I¡¯ve dealt with the Andinos for you. Nobody will trouble you anymore.¡¯ Reading the text, Ellen was overwhelmed with emotions as her eyes were dampened thanks to the sentiments. She had no idea how to repay Jared¡¯s deeds as she replied, ¡®Thank you so much, President Presgrave. I promise to repay you at the first opportunity.¡¯ ¡®No need. Just focus on your work!¡¯ ¡®I certainly will,¡¯ Ellen replied. All of a sudden, the phone on her desk rang, after which she answered, ¡°Good day, you¡¯re speaking to Presgrave Group¡¯s reception.¡± ¡°Ellen, pleasee to the Human Resource Department Manager¡¯s office.¡± Ellen was taken aback to receive a call from the Human Resource Department manager. After informing Olive about it, she went straight upstairs. Soon, she anxiously entered the HR manager¡¯s office, wondering if the employee of the Finance Department she encountered earlier had made a comint about her. However, Ellen saw no signs of anger from thedy manager as she merely took a look at her, after which the manager pulled out a form. ¡°Fill this form out and sign it.¡± Peering at the Employee¡¯s Living Quarters Application Form, Ellen subconsciously blinked and asked, ¡°Miss Curry, what form is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s one of the amodation benefits thepany offers to its employees, and you¡¯re one of the few selected to enjoy this benefit. Fill it out, and you¡¯ll receive a key once you¡¯re done!¡± Finished, the manager continued observing her. Essentially, such a benefit was not open for application to ordinary employees as only manager-level employees were eligible to apply for it. Moreover, the house assigned to her was a luxurious benefit specifically designed for those of director-level and above. ¡°Seriously? They picked me?¡± Ellen was pleasantly surprised. Despite letting out a chuckle, the manager wondered how oblivious Ellen was to her own luck. But of course, the higher-ups stated that she was not to disclose anything more than that. ¡°Indeed, but you are obligated not to reveal the matter to anyone else. Now, you may simply move into the house.¡± ¡°Got it. Thank you, Miss Curry!¡± Ellen was extremely grateful. In response, the manager bitterly grinned. Why is she thanking me? She should be thanking the boss himself. Without his signature, who would have dared to make such a decision? After filling out the form, Ellen imed a bunch of keys, as well as a card with an address to an apartment on it. Now, she could officially move into the new home thepany arranged for her. As Ellen was eager to share the good news with Jared, she sent him a text. ¡®Good news! I was selected to move into the employees¡¯ living quarters!¡¯ ¡®Really? Congrattions!¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t have to look for a new ce anymore. I¡¯m so happy! Wanna have dinner tonight? It¡¯s on me!¡¯ ¡®Next time, perhaps. I have something else on tonight.¡¯ ¡®Okay.¡¯ Ellen beamed. I¡¯ll have to adjust ording to the big boss¡¯ time, then! After getting off work, Ellen speedily went home to pack up her clothes and some important belongings before grabbing a cab to the apartment she was assigned to. After settling the move-in procedure with the neighborhood¡¯s management, ady from the management enthusiastically helped her carry her bags to the floor of her unit. Soon, the elevator stopped at the twelfth floor. Right as Ellen entered the apartment, she was thoroughly dumbfounded. She never expected that the employees of Presgrave Group got to live in such sumptuous, extortionate homes. As such, she reckoned that the rooms must be smaller. After all, it was meant to contain one employee only. Regardless, she was blown away by every facility from the hall to the upper stories. And when she finally reached her unit, thedy from the management left. Grabbing the keys from her bag, Ellen then opened the door, and right after she pulled the door open, she saw avish porch, after which she entered through the doorway, only to find herself stupefied. She was stunned for quite a while, unable to collect herself. Shockingly, it was an extravagant apartment that was roughly 2,000 square feet, ornamented by French windows, opulent couches, mesmerizing crystal chandeliers, and a massive TV. She blinked her eyes repeatedly before grabbing her keys to verify the unit number, thinking, I must have gotten to the wrong unit, right? How do I, a mere receptionist, deserve such grand treatment? Nheless, the unit number wasn¡¯t mistaken, just like everything else. This was the very unit the company arranged for her. As such, she suspected that thepany must have made some error. They must have identally prepared such a grand apartment instead of a simple unit. That must be it! I¡¯ll have to refer to Miss Curry tomorrow so that I don¡¯t waste the crucial resources of thepany! After all, to her, a simple single-bedroom unit was more than enough. Meanwhile, at Connor¡¯s ce, having heard about Garrett¡¯s matter, Olivia grew immensely frustrated. She never expected that Ellen would be so bold as to have Jared defend her and deal with the Andinos¡¯ desire to seize her relocation fund. Initially, she wanted a slice of the cake, but now that the Andinos could no longer obtain the fund, there was no way she could have it. Nevertheless, what worried her the most was how Jared would react to the passing of Ellen¡¯s brother given the time Ellen and he had been friends. By then, Jared would very soon find out that Ellen did not receive thepensation of one hundred million back then, as Olivia and the rest had been fully enjoying the benefit for the past sixteen years, which Jared would definitely be infuriated to find out. Olivia grew more panicked as she thought about it. She couldn¡¯t help but shut the door in the middle of the night and dragged her husband over to talk about it. ¡°Connor, why do you think Young Master Jared is somitted to protecting Ellen? Does he already know of her identity?¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Hearing that, Connor was startled, after which he hastily asked, ¡°Lena didn¡¯t tell anyone about this, did she?¡± ¡°Lena doesn¡¯t even know about this. I¡¯m worried that after seeing Young Master Jared¡¯s wealth and influence, Ellen might try to seduce him by any means. As things develop, Ellen might tell him about her brother¡¯s death, and if that were to raise his suspicion, he would certainly look into it. Consequently, we won¡¯t be able to run away from this. Besides, if this were to get out, the entire world would be shaming us!¡± At once, Connor, too, grew hasty. He had been feeling guiltytely, and the mere thought of the consequences scared him. ¡°What do you suggest we do, then?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we find a partner for Ellen and get her married as soon as possible? By then, Young Master Jared would lose his interest in her. Since you¡¯re her uncle, you should be in charge of her romantic future.¡± Chapter 1541-1550 Chapter 1541-1550 Connor gave his wife¡¯s idea a thought and reckoned that it was reasonable. He then nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. I can be in charge of her romantic future.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! So, we should look for a boy from a good family to woo Ellen as soon as possible. Since Ellen hasn¡¯t been exposed to the world much, she might just agree to get married right away.¡± Olivia was immersed in her imagination. After pondering for a bit, he stated, ¡°I¡¯ve got a friend. His son is twenty-six this year, and he seems to be looking for a wife. Perhaps I could introduce Ellen to him.¡± ¡°You should do that, then! We¡¯ll match them up by then and have her married to him!¡± Olivia was relieved by the future she fantasized about. Meanwhile, in another room, Selena no longer had the energy to do anything. Whenever the thought of Ellen and Jared¡¯s rtionship arose in her mind, she would behave as though she lost her source of happiness, feeling that no matter how marvelous of a life she led or how excellent her job was, she could never be as happy as Ellen, who got to enjoy Jared¡¯s care. The next morning, Ellen came to thepany early. Being the diligent person she was, she wiped the surface of the desks around her even though the janitor had done that before her, perfecting the cleanliness by tidying up the desks and leaving behind a satisfying sight. At half past nine, she took the opportunity to visit the Human Resource Department and looked for the lady manager who arranged her amodation. The manager was surprised to see her knocking on her doors and entering her office. ¡°How may I help you?¡± ¡°Excuse me, Miss Curry. Has there been some kind of mistake in the living quarter thepany arranged for me?¡± Ellen sternly inquired. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Could you not find it yesterday?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that. I¡¯ve found it, but the room is too big andvish¡­ Why am I, a mere receptionist, assigned to such an extravagant unit?¡± Ellen genuinely hoped that thepany was mistaken. Hearing that, Joanna, the manager, immediatelyughed aloud. It was her first time seeing someone comining about the spaciousness of the living quarter assigned to them. ¡°Ellen, I absolutely assure you that there is no mistake. That was indeed the living quarter we have arranged for you, so spare the doubt and settle in at ease!¡± ¡°But the unit is too big for me¡­ Are there not smaller ones?¡± ¡°Well, that is the benefit ourpany offers. There are no smaller units. Just remain there. You just have to continue working hard to repay thepany.¡± At once, Ellen was dazed for a few seconds, after which she nodded. ¡°Understood. Thank you, Miss Curry!¡± Joanna watched as Ellen left before heaving a sigh. ¡°Oh, she just doesn¡¯t realize how fortunate she is!¡± With that, Ellen returned to the reception, and it didn¡¯t take long until she saw Selena and a few of her coworkers walking in a group. When Selena saw Ellen, cunning shed across her eyes, after which she hastily grabbed the cup of coffee in her hand and walked toward Ellen. With utmost enthusiasm, she greeted, ¡°Morning, Ellie. Here, I got you some coffee.¡± ¡°Thank you, Lena, but I had my cup earlier!¡± Ellen tactfully refused her offer. ¡°Aww, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you being so courteous to me? Are you still mad at me?¡± Selena questioned. Ellen shook her head. ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°Ellie, where are you currently staying?¡± ¡°I¡­ rented an apartment by myself¡­¡± Ellen answered. ¡°Really? Then perhaps I should go hang out at your ce sometimes.¡± Selena attempted to build a sisterly rtionship with Ellen so that she could make things work between her and Jared. ¡°Sure.¡± Ellen couldn¡¯t reject her right away, though she didn¡¯t want anyone to visit her new ce either. As the next day would be the weekend, the reception crew was rather joyous since Presgrave Group¡¯s best benefit to its employees was the two-day break during the weekend. As Ellen had been needing some rest recently, she wanted to take the time to rx. ¡°Ellen! What¡¯s going on between you and President Presgrave?¡± Olive suddenly asked out of boredom. In response, Ellen honestly replied, ¡°President Presgrave and I know each other. As simple as that.¡± Given that Ellen was an honest, innocent woman, Olive believed what she was told. After getting off work, Ellen bought some takeout for dinner on her way home. Later, she sat by the French windows. Captivated by the distant sunset, she couldn¡¯t help but snap a few photos of it. Then, for some reason, she felt the urge to share the photos with Jared and unconsciously sent him a text, stating, ¡®The sunset glow is beautiful today. You should take a look at it if you have the time now.¡¯ Currently, in the meeting room, the man received the message, the corners of his mouth curling upward as he read it. However, he couldn¡¯t see the sunset in the meeting room, and it made him curious whether the evening sunset today was really that beautiful. After taking a nce at the time, he dismissed the meeting and left the room. As he stood in the hallway, he admired the evening sunset, which was even more magnificent and spectacr with the bird¡¯s eye view. He then took a photo of it before replying to Ellen. ¡®I saw it. It¡¯s beautiful.¡¯ After sending the message, Ellen was filled with sudden regret. He was busy, so how could she send him trivial text messages? Wouldn¡¯t that take up his time? Either way, it was toote to think about deleting her message now. Ellen was just berating herself for not doing something as thoughtless as this anymore when she heard a message notification and saw his reply. Instantly, her earlier frustration disappeared, and the corners of her mouth curled up in a smile. So, he was looking at it too! He even sent a picture. ¡®Are you still at work?¡¯ Ellen asked, noticing keenly that the ce he was standing at was a hallway in thepany. ¡®Yeah. I left work after my meeting ended earlier. Have you eaten?¡¯ Ellen looked at the bread she was eating in amusement before replying, ¡®Yes.¡¯ What an honest girl, he thought. If it were anyone else, they¡¯d be able to tell that he was going to treat her to a meal, while she told him that she¡¯d already eaten instead, making him somewhat embarrassed to invite her out. ¡®All right. I¡¯ll treat you to a meal next time.¡¯ Upon seeing his text, Ellen lost interest in the bread in her hands. She couldn¡¯t help but let out a forced laugh. Was he nning to treat her to a meal earlier? ¡®No, no, I only ate some bread, so I¡¯m still hungry. Why don¡¯t we eat together?¡¯ Ellen replied, attempting to salvage the dinner he mentioned. Jared was just about to enter the elevator when he heard the notification. His lips curled up into a smile, making Dean, who was trailing along next to him, curious about whom he was texting. ¡®Okay, I¡¯ll pick you up,¡¯ he replied. Ellen asked, ¡®Do you know which neighborhood I¡¯m staying in?¡¯ ¡®Of course, I do. I won¡¯t take long, soe to the entrance in ten minutes.¡¯ Ellen sent a smiling emoji in reply. ¡®Okay.¡¯ After their texts ended, Ellen couldn¡¯t help but blush and cover her face happily. She couldn¡¯t believe she had taken the initiative to ask him out for dinner so boldly. If he¡¯d refused, she did not know how she would face him again. Upon looking down, she realized that she was still wearing her uniform. As she was going to have dinner with him, she decided to put on something casual. Therefore, Ellen went digging through her clothes. Soon, she found a white dress that she was most satisfied with and put it on. Although its design was nothing out of the ordinary, fortunately for her, she had a pretty face and a decent figure, so it didn¡¯t look too bad on her. With that, she took her bag and went out quickly. Ten minutester, a gray sports car slowly came from the driveway, and she reached out to wave at it before heading over. The door of the car opened and revealed Jared in a ck suit, who was exuding the charm and elegance befitting of a business elite. ¡°You look really good in a suit.¡± Ellen praised him. In fact, she wanted to tell him that he was the best- looking man she had seen so far. ¡°Is that so?¡± Jared was in a good mood as well. He was tired of hearingpliments from others, but he felt exceptionally happy when this girl praised him. He took her to the restaurant they had been to in the past. As it was her second visit, she didn¡¯t feel constrained. Besides, it had a homey and warm atmosphere, and it was quiet and private. ¡°Are your rtives still harassing you with phone calls?¡± he asked, his eyes narrowing. ¡°Not anymore. Speaking of it, it¡¯s all thanks to you. I wouldn¡¯t have known what to do otherwise.¡± She looked at him thankfully. As soon as he made a move, even people like Garrett obeyed him wholly. ¡°If you find yourself in a tight situation in the future, you can just tell me and I¡¯ll solve it for you,¡± Jared assured readily. Ellen smiled. Of course, she hoped that she wouldn¡¯t have to bother him in the future. ¡°By the way, did you know how big the apartment unit that thepany assigned to me was? It¡¯s at least two thousand square feet!¡± She nearly forgot to tell him about this. Jared froze for a beat before he yed dumb and replied, ¡°Is that so? Thepany randomly assigns the units sometimes. You should take it.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m just a receptionist. How can I stay in such a nice ce?¡± ¡°Just enjoy your stay!¡± Jared assured her, worried that she might notice something. With a sigh, Ellen continued, ¡°I even asked Miss Curry if she gave me the wrong unit, but she said she didn¡¯t make a mistake.¡± Immediately, Jared coughed and said, ¡°The HR team is usually in charge of these things. Since there weren¡¯t any mistakes, you should just make the most out of it and stop overthinking things.¡± Suddenly, she turned her gaze to him and blinked as she asked, ¡°President Presgrave, don¡¯t tell me it was of your doing?¡± Jared was drinking from his ss and nearly choked on a mouthful of water. After hurriedly controlling his expression, he denied, ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this sort of thing! I¡¯m swamped with work after all!¡± Although Ellen was a little skeptical, she couldn¡¯t press him any further, so she propped up her chin and said, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll work hard in the future and live up to the excellent benefits thepany has given me.¡± At this, Jared finally let out a sigh. It seemed that she had her bright moments at times as well. After they finished dinner, it was already half past eight by the time Jared dropped her off at her house. After getting out of the car, she reminded him, ¡°Be careful while you¡¯re on the road.¡± He looked at her and said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave once you¡¯re inside.¡± Her heart turning warm, she turned around and went in, looking back with each step she took. Meanwhile, Jared was surprised by his concern for her, which seemed to have emerged involuntarily. The following day was a rest day, but Ellen had been ustomed to getting up early. Right after she woke up, she sat in front of the French window while looking at the morning scenery as well as the crowd in the nearby square, feeling inexplicably lonely. She knew that after her grandmother¡¯s death, she was really all alone now. Her uncle, Connor, the only one who was rted to her by blood right now, was someone she couldn¡¯t rely on. Besides, her aunt, Olivia, prevented her from depending on him as well, so she was on her own for the rest of her life. When she thought about her future marriage and having children, she suddenly felt fearful and terrified that she would meet the wrong person and be unable to find someone to rely on if she was hurt in any way. Hence, she made up her mind to spend the rest of her life alone. In any case, she had enough money in her ount to livefortably, and as long as she worked earnestly every day and received a stable sry, she could live a moderately wealthy life alone. While she was doing herundry, she received a call from Connor. ¡°Ellie, I¡¯ll take you out for lunch today,¡± Connor said on the other end of the phone. ¡°Uncle Connor, it¡¯s fine, I¡­¡± ¡°Do you not have any respect for me anymore? It¡¯s just a simple meal. We haven¡¯t seen each other for some time, no?¡± he pressed, his tone holding a hint of elderly authority. At that, Ellen had no choice but to agree. ¡°Okay, Uncle Connor.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up at noon.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just tell me the address, and I¡¯ll take a cab myself.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°Fine by me. I¡¯ll send the address to youter.¡± Upon saying that, Connor hung up. Ellen let out a sigh. In fact, she preferred to be by herself as eating with her uncle¡¯s family was constraining for her. At half past ten, Connor sent the address and urged her to be there on time. She agreed, and at eleven o¡¯clock, she went out and took a taxi, heading straight for the restaurant. Due to the traffic, she arrived a littlete and was led into a private room by the waiter soon after. There, she saw three other people that looked like a family at the table in addition to Connor and Olivia. ¡°Ellie, you¡¯re here. Quick,e and have a seat.¡± Connor greeted her enthusiastically, pulling out a chair for her. Ellen was a little bewildered by the sight. Wasn¡¯t she supposed to eat with Connor and his family? Why were there strangers here? She smiled politely and greeted, ¡°Good to see you, Uncle Connor and Aunt Olivia.¡± ¡°Ellie, here, let me introduce you to them.¡± Connor said to her, ¡°This is my old friend, Murray Fuller, and beside him is his wife, Christina. And this man here is their son, Harvey Fuller.¡± Ellen gave the couple a courteous smile before ncing at the young man. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Wow, she¡¯s gorgeous!¡± Christina praised, grinning from ear to ear. ¡°Of course, she is. All of the girls in our family are pretty,¡± Olivia immediately replied. Harvey immediately got up to pour tea for Ellen, and she hurriedly thanked him. Ever since Ellen entered the room, Harvey¡¯s eyes had been glued to her face. He thought his date today would be just an ordinary girl, but he didn¡¯t expect the heavens to give him such a huge surprise. Ellen was one of the innocent yet pure girls whom he rarely saw. In particr, the sweet way she smiled put him in a better mood at first nce. Moreover, he had been informed about Ellen while he was on his way to the restaurant. She was a relocatee from Lockwood Vige, and she even had a small fortune. Who wouldn¡¯t like a beautiful and wealthy woman? Just then, the dishes were served, and the two families ate while chatting. Ellen only had a few bites when she heard Connor¡¯s voice. ¡°Ellie is beautiful and kind-hearted, but she seems lonely from living alone for a while now.¡± Hearing that, Ellen hurriedly exined, ¡°Uncle Connor, I¡¯m doing good. I¡¯m not lonely.¡± ¡°Ellie, Connor just wants you to have someone to take care of you and protect you, to give you a shoulder to lean on,¡± Olivia said. Ellen¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she had an epiphany. Did Connor invite her for a meal to set her up on a blind date? Was he trying to introduce her to a man? At that moment, Christina began to praise her son. ¡°Harv really is the ideal man! He has the personality and looks, and he¡¯s capable too. He¡¯s definitely the best candidate as a boyfriend and a husband.¡± ¡°Of course. He looks talented to me.¡± Although Olivia inwardly despised this family, she enthusiastically agreed with them on the surface. Instantly, Harvey took the initiative and said to Ellen, ¡°Miss Reiss, do you mind if we exchange contacts? I heard that you¡¯re working in Presgrave Group, and it so happens that I work nearby. I¡¯m sure we can meet up for a cup of coffee next time.¡± She was about to refuse, but Olivia immediately picked up her phone and said, ¡°Oh! I have Ellie¡¯s phone number here. I¡¯ll give it to you, so write it down!¡± Ellie felt helpless but didn¡¯t have the nerves to lose her temper. Hence, she watched as Olivia gave Harvey her phone number, who happily called her afterward. ¡°This is my number.¡± Without beating around the bush, Christina said, ¡°Miss Reiss, I heard that you¡¯ve been relocated. You¡¯re so lucky! That ce used to be worth nothing, but I heard that many of the relocatees have be millionaires now!¡± Ellen gave her an awkward yet courteous smile. ¡°Well, you¡¯re not wrong about that. Ellie has always been lucky.¡± Olivia could tell that the Fullers were happy with Ellen, and she quickly added her two cents. After three sses of wine, Connor began to speak more bluntly, saying to Ellen, ¡°Look, Ellie, I¡¯m going to be honest with you. Murray has been my colleague for many years, and his son, Harvey, is a good boy, so I want to match you two together. Once you get married, both of our families will be in- laws and will be able to help each other out.¡± Ellen¡¯s mind went nk, and she hurriedly waved her hands in disagreement. ¡°Uncle Connor, I¡¯m not looking to get into a rtionship any time soon, much less marriage.¡± ¡°Oh sweetie, girls have to get married eventually! How nice is it to have someone you can rely on and who would take care of you?¡± Olivia cajoled from the side. Ellen¡¯s face flushed red with anger. She deeply regretted showing up for this meal. ¡°Miss Reiss, as long as you marry our son, we promise to treat you like our own daughter,¡± Christina added, expressing her sincerity. Murray nodded as well. ¡°Although our family is not that well off, we¡¯ll definitely treat you well.¡± At a nce, Ellen could see that the Fullers were dressed averagely, and that Murray always had a sense of inferiority in front of Connor, as if he was not confident and was constantly trying to please him. While Ellen did not look down on them, there was nothing sincere about their faces. In fact, as they were saying nice things on the surface, their eyes were constantly sizing her up. ¡°Not bad, Ellie. Our families know each other well, and you shouldn¡¯t be too picky at your age. As a girl, it¡¯s about time for you to get married.¡± Connor was still a chauvinist in some ways, and he spoke without considering her feelings. With Ellen¡¯s meek appearance, no one could figure out her emotions and they assumed that she was an easygoing person and that she would even agree to marry someone on a whim. However, while she was indeed an easygoing person, when it came to marriage, she would definitely not be fooled simply. ¡°Uncle Connor, Aunt Olivia, I¡¯m done with my meal. I have some other matters to attend to, so I¡¯ll be leaving first.¡± Upon saying that, Ellen picked up her bag and fled the scene without another word. If she stayed any longer, she might forget about maintaining Connor¡¯s pride and throw a tantrum right then and there. Connor and Olivia exchanged a nce, and thetter immediately chided, ¡°How dare that girl embarrass us like this!¡± Despite Ellen¡¯s actions, Christinaughed benevolently. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine. Girls are always shy! I¡¯ll just tell Harv to contact her more in the future.¡± From the way Christina was constantly cing food on his te and urging him to eat, it was clear from a nce that Harvey was a mommy¡¯s boy. Knowing this, Olivia sneered inwardly. If Ellen married into this family, her days would definitely be difficult as Christina didn¡¯t look like she was easy to deal with. After leaving, Ellen walked some distance before she was suddenly unable to suppress her frustration and her tears flowed out. Why was Connor doing this? Couldn¡¯t she just live a good life alone? Had they ever considered her feelings when they did this? Once lunch ended, Connor and Olivia had other business and took their leave, while the Fullers still remained seated. Without any outsiders around, the family no longer had any regard for their conversation. ¡°Harvey, it¡¯s up to you to win Ellen over. Once you do, make her pay half of the down payment, then you can pay your mortgage off together. Since she¡¯s rich, you don¡¯t have to worry about not being able to pay.¡± ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll definitely make her your daughter-inw,¡± Harvey promised. Murray supported him as well. ¡°We aren¡¯t that well off, but things will get easier if we have a rich daughter-inw.¡± Harvey¡¯s eyes glowed with determination. Not only was Ellen pretty, but she was also wealthy. He had to win her over even if it meant going through blood, sweat, and tears. After getting into the car with Connor, Olivia fumed, ¡°Ellen is so ungrateful! We¡¯re just doing this for her own good, but all she does is give us that disdainful look.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t me her for that. It¡¯s our fault for not telling her about the blind date,¡± Connor reasoned. ¡°Does Ellen think that she can marry a millionaire now that she¡¯s gotten somewhat rich? Is she trying to find someone even wealthier?¡± Olivia said sarcastically. ¡°They¡¯ve already met, so things are up to them now,¡± he said. Hearing that, Olivia felt a surge of joy. Upon hearing that Ellen was a relocatee, the Fullers nearly had their eyes bulging out of their sockets. They¡¯d definitely not let her go until they had their hands on her. Ellen had just reached home when she received a text from Harvey. ¡®Miss Reiss, are you free tonight? Let¡¯s have dinner with just the two of us!¡¯ Upon seeing the text, she felt nothing but irritation, not wanting to be disturbed at the moment. However, as he was the son of Connor¡¯s friend, she put up with it and rejected him courteously. ¡®I¡¯m sorry, but I already have ns tonight.¡¯ Relentless, Harvey sent her yet another text. ¡®Miss Reiss, I had a really good impression of you after today. I wonder what you think of me.¡¯ Ellen bit her cherry lips as she decided not to respond, thinking that her indifference would drive Harvey away. In a sh, it was the weekend morning again. As Ellen was still sleeping, the unexpected ringtone of her phone shocked her into consciousness, after which she grabbed it and took a look at it. Seeing that it was Jared who called her, she couldn¡¯t help but suspect whether she was still in her dreams. Quickly, she answered the call. ¡°Good morning, President Presgrave.¡± ¡°Are you free today? The weather¡¯s nice today. Wanna go hiking?¡± ¡°Now?¡± Ellen was still feeling a little dozy. ¡°Mm-hmm! I¡¯m on the way to get you.¡± Immediately, Ellen sprung up from her bed and widened her charming eyes. ¡°You¡¯re already on the way?¡± ¡°Rx. Take your time to pack.¡± However, she wouldn¡¯t dare to take her time and make her boss wait for her. Hastily, she replied, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll head down in a bit.¡± ¡°See you soon, then.¡± Finished, Jared hung up the phone. At once, Ellen tossed her phone aside and went straight to wash up before picking a set of sportswear from her wardrobe. Then, she sat before the mirror and pondered whether to put on some subtle makeup, but since she was to go hiking for the day, her sweat would only ruin the makeup and she would end up embarrassing herself. In the end, she decided to simply put on some sunscreen. Despite having no makeup on, her skin looked as delicate and smooth as a baby¡¯s. Moreover, it entuated the tiny mole on her nose, adding to her charm. Ten minutester, she headed downstairs in a little run. Luckily, Jared had yet to arrive, but she merely waited for five minutes before a ck SUV dazzling under the sunlight approached her. The car window slid down, revealing a man in gray sportswear that was shrouded in unrelenting masculinity in the driver¡¯s seat. Ellen was used to seeing him in his expensive suits, but now that she saw him in his casual attire, she couldn¡¯t help but feel flustered. After all, she was no longer a little girl but a twenty-two-year-old woman, so it was understandable if she were to take a few more nces at such an impably dashing man on the street, let alone after being asked out to a hike. Amidst the excitement in her heart, there were wavering emotions. ¡°Stop dreaming and get in, will you?¡± Jaredughed and asked. Only then, Ellen realized that she was so dazed that she forgot to get into the car. Thereupon, she pulled open the car door and got into the car, only to find herself enthralled by the fine scenery one could only perceive in a huge SUV. And so, Jared started to drive away into a line of vehicles. At that moment, Ellen curiously asked, ¡°Where are we going to hike?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know once we¡¯re there.¡± If the one speaking was another man, her alertness would have gone off the charts. Nheless, because Jared was the very man who uttered those words, she felt only one thing whenever she followed him around¡ªa sense of security. She had little to worry about whenever she was around him, except whether she would be a hassle to him. As Jared drove up the viaduct, his car phone rang, to which he epted the call with his Bluetooth earphones, and he was heard saying, ¡°You don¡¯t have toe.¡± Upon the caller¡¯s response, he tensely furrowed his brows. ¡°Do you not hear what I said?¡± With that, he hung up his phone. He then turned to the side and saw Ellen slightly startled, after which heforted, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. My bodyguards wanted to follow us as per my father¡¯s arrangement. They can be unwantedly persistent sometimes.¡± ¡°You should let them follow us. Just in case one of us gets injured,¡± Ellen cated. Nevertheless, Jared didn¡¯t want too many on his trip. Essentially, his destination was a mountain his father brought him to hike back when he was a child. Although it was somewhat distant, he wished to revisit it once more. After half an hour of high-speed drive, they reached a county road near Averna, before proceeding for another twenty miles from the county road. Eventually, they arrived at a hiking paradise. Followingly, Jared took out a map and said, ¡°I brought some food over. We¡¯ll be hiking for about two hours. You good with that?¡± Determinedly, Ellen gazed at the mountain and nodded. ¡°No problem. I can do it.¡± And so, the two began their hike from the foot of the mountain. In the beginning, there were man-made stone steps, but as they ventured deeper, the steps faded away, reced by the harsh path of the mountains. Apart from them, there were also couples hiking, as well as families along with their children. The atmosphere was quite merry. ¡°There¡¯s a temple on top of the mountain. Perhaps we can pay our respects when we reach there,¡± Jared stated. Not long after they started to hike, they arrived at a slope, which not only challenged one¡¯s legs but their arms as well since they would have to hike with the support of the branches by the sides. After climbing up the slope, Jared naturally offered his hand to Ellen. Seeing him extending his hand over, Ellen was dazed for a moment before bashfully reaching for his hand. As her petite hand was grasped by the man¡¯s massive palm, a force dragged her upward, allowing her to borrow the power to ascend the slope. However, as her shoes were not designed for hiking, she suddenly slipped. ¡°Ah!¡± She let out a shriek. Fortunately, Jared had yet to unhand her, and the moment he sensed that she was going to fall, he exerted an even greater force to lift her up. Fearing that she would fall down, Ellen subconsciously wrapped her arm around the man¡¯s waist as her face snuggled against his chest. Thereupon, the two firmly embraced each other on the sixty-degree slope. As Ellen was shocked, she hugged Jared especially tightly, while hefortingly patted the woman in his arms as he encouraged, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m holding you.¡± After she regained her stance, her face grew extremely red. After all, it was her first time holding a man this tightly, let alone the fact that the man was her very boss, but by no means did she do it on purpose. Upon Jared¡¯s forceful pull, Ellen safely made it up the slope. With that, they continued to traverse through the captivating, primitive scenery and fresh air. As a chilly breeze blew over, they were highly invigorated, since such a sensation couldn¡¯t be felt in the city. Ellen felt exceptionally rxed, as the atmosphere helped her forget all her troubles. Besides, hiking with her handsome boss was nothing but thrilling. At the side, there were a few smooth boulders. Jared sat on one of them and pulled out two water bottles from his backpack and delicately twisted open the cap before handing one of them to Ellen. Feeling spoiled, Ellen extended her arm to receive the bottle and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Jared, too, was happy. It only took him a call for her to willingly join him on the hike. After taking a couple of sips of the water, Ellen put down the bottle and took out her phone to snap pictures of the surrounding scenery. At the same time, Jared¡¯s phone beeped as a notification popped up. He then put down his bottle to check out the message. After taking a few more photos of the scenery, Ellen suddenly felt thirsty again. She then grabbed an opened bottle and started drinking. Followingly, Jared put his phone back into his backpack. When he reached for his bottle the next moment, he realized that the bottle he drank from disappeared as there was only a bottle that was sipped a few times left. Then, he was stunned to find Ellen drinking from the bottle he drank from. Taking a huge gulp, he pretended as though nothing happened and grabbed Ellen¡¯s bottle before naturally chugging down the water. Ellen waspletely clueless about the awkward matter. Otherwise, if she knew that she was drinking from Jared¡¯s bottle, she would have died of embarrassment. ordingly, Jared took out some bread and snacks. Among the snacks, a box of chocte, which he brought over specifically for Ellen, stirred up her desperation. ¡°Here. Women¡¯s favorite.¡± ¡°Did you bring this just for me?¡± she asked out of surprise. ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Jared nodded. Enlivened, Ellen grabbed one of the chocte pieces and handed it to him. ¡°Do you want one? It tastes really good.¡± In response, Jared epted it and munched it. Although it wasn¡¯t his favorite dessert, he still complimented it. ¡°Indeed.¡± At that moment, two women behind them reached where they were. When their gazes fell upon Jared, their hearts palpitated. They saw this perfect specimen of a man back when they were at the foot of the mountain, but never expected to bump into him again here. Coincidentally, there was a boulder beside them, which they then walked over to and sat on. The two women were constantly peeking at Jared, silently sighing. How did this girl find such a boyfriend? What a prince, he is! ¡°Hello, you guys!¡± The prettier woman amiably approached and greeted them. In response, Ellen smilingly replied, ¡°Hello, there.¡± The prettier woman tentatively inquired, ¡°Are you guys a couple?¡± ¡°No. We¡¯re just friends.¡± Ellen hastily shook her head. She wouldn¡¯t dare to pretend to be Jared¡¯s girlfriend as she thought it¡¯d be disrespectful to him. ¡°So, you guys are¡­¡± Surprised, the woman quickly asked. ¡°He¡¯s my boss,¡± Ellen answered. The two women felt their hearts beat faster. So, this hottie isn¡¯t the girl¡¯s boyfriend! Oh my! I wanna get to know him! If only I could get his number¡­ ¡°Hey, mister. We¡¯re kinda scared of hiking alone. Can we join you instead?¡± the prettier woman boldly asked, intent on getting to know Jared. Nheless, Jared hadn¡¯t the slightest desire to know the women. He ndly answered, ¡°There¡¯s a lot of people here. There won¡¯t be a problem.¡± ¡°Come on, mister! Allow us to join you, pretty please? We can be friends as well!¡± The prettier woman was obviously a woman of mischief given the affectionate expression on her face. Catching the sign, Ellen thought, President Presgrave sure is a popr one. Any woman would die to be with him! ¡°Sorry. I just wanna spend time with my girlfriend.¡± Finished, Jared held Ellen¡¯s hand and walked away. Ellen was stupefied by what just happened. W-What? Did he just say I am his girlfriend? Instantly, the two women behind them were devastated, never expecting such a stunning man to be so heartless. And so, Ellen was dragged away by Jared for a distance as her heartbeat was all over the ce. ¡°President Presgrave, why did you say I am your girlfriend?¡± Ellen asked out of confusion. Visibly annoyed, Jared answered, ¡°Had I not done that, those girls would have clung to me the entire day.¡± As such, Ellen understood the situation, and she couldn¡¯t help but feel bashful and entertained at the same time. ¡°President Presgrave, you must be troubled by how girls are always chasing after you every single day, don¡¯t you?¡± And she was certainly right. Ever since Jared grew into an adult, he was constantly surrounded by women. Sometimes, being thrown with too much passion might not be good at all. Later, they encountered another steep slope in their way, and Ellen, unable to see the mountaintop, was taken aback. ¡°Wanna proceed?¡± Jared smilingly asked. ¡°Of course! We can¡¯t just walk away now. Besides, I¡¯d love to pay my respects at the temple.¡± Finished, Ellen prepared herself to continue hiking. As such, Jared protectively followed her. She gave everything she could as she hiked, not wanting Jared to look down on her, and she kept on going patiently. Eventually, they arrived at a pagoda on the mountain. Ellen¡¯s forehead was full of sweat. Under her long ponytail, her snowy face glistened under the moisturizing sweat, as though she was dragged out from the waters. ¡°I¡¯m finally here¡­¡± Ellen panted as she muttered. Revealing a smile, Jared handed a piece of paper towel to her. ¡°Here. Wipe your sweat off.¡± Ellen exhaustedly wiped off her sweat as her appearance was an entire mess, while Jared¡¯s inky hair was disarranged by the winds. Though, no matter what hairstyle he sported, he would always exude a unique aura. With that, the two persisted for a little longer and arrived at their destination. Ellen, with her reddened face, tiredly sat down and drank some water to quench her thirst. The water bottle in her backpack was the same one as before. And when she was drinking, Jared would subconsciously nce at her. The woman didn¡¯t seem to be aware that she was drinking from his bottle. After resting for a while, the two offered their joss sticks at the altar, after which Jared put a stack of cash into the donation box while Ellen donated a hundred before they knelt on the tform and made their prayers. Very soon, Jared opened his eyes, only to see the woman beside him still whispering her prayers with her eyes shut. Charmed by the sight, he took out his phone and snapped a photo of her. In the photo, the intertwining light and shadow entuated the woman¡¯s delicate figure and her fine, pure eyes. The shot was beautiful as if it was blessed by sacred lights. After taking the photo, Jared withdrew his phone. He merely thought that the scene would make for a good shot and captured it without any other motives. After resting for half an hour on the mountaintop, the two took another route down the mountain. Nheless, due to the huge number of slopes, the descent was much more strenuous than the ascent. At the first slope, Ellen slipped and fell down, but luckily her backpack absorbed the impact, or her clothes would have been ripped apart. ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± Concerned, Jared immediately went to her. Her palm reddened. Although the fall hurt, she casually smiled it off. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I was just surprised.¡± And so, Jared held her hand as they walked down the next slopes. In the blink of an eye, they arrived at the foot of the mountain, where Ellen gleefully heaved a sigh. However, at thest, little slope, after Jared walked over it, she let down her guard and rxedly jumped over it, only tond on an unseen rock. ¡°Ah!¡± Letting out a yell, she threw herself upon Jared. Hearing a shout, Jared swiftly turned around, only to have Ellen fall into his arms as he instinctively opened his arms to catch her. Ellen, who was being held up, bumped her face directly onto the man¡¯s dashing face as her lips were uncontrobly shoved against his. ¡°Gasp!¡± At once, Ellen widened her eyes in shock. She quickly pulled herself out of his arms. As for Jared, the refreshing sweetness lingering on his lips left him stunned. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t do that on purpose! I didn¡¯t mean to vite you!¡± Ellen grew so awkward she was about to pass out. Oh gosh! How could I¡­ How did this even happen?! Jared silently swallowed a mouthful of air. Since she had already tasted his saliva from the water bottle, the peck meant nothing to him. ¡°Never mind. Be careful next time.¡± He then turned around while suppressing his urge tough. Covering her face in bashfulness, Ellen urged herself to be warier of the path so that she wouldn¡¯t commit another unwanted mistake. When they were returning to the parking lot, they found two other SUVs parked at each side of Jared¡¯s car. Six bodyguards marched out of the vehicles and called out to him, ¡°Young Master Jared!¡± In Ellen¡¯s eyes, it seemed as though a gang ofckeys was fetching their young master home. Each of the bodyguards appeared bold and muscr, including two who seemed to be from foreign countries. Yet, their gazes upon Jared were tender and glistening. ¡°Why are you guys here? Didn¡¯t I ask you not toe?¡± Jared was somewhat speechless. ¡°Young Master Jared, you must be tired from the hike. Allow me to drive you home!¡± One of the bodyguards offered to help. After thinking about it, Jared nodded. ¡°Alright, then.¡± And so, Jared and Ellen sat in the back seat. With the bodyguards present, Ellen grew quiet. She didn¡¯t get enough sleepst night, yet she went hiking the moment she woke up. As she peered at the scenery through the windows for a while, her eyelids began to shut, and she eventually fell asleep with her backpack in her arms. As the bodyguard made a turn, her head immediately swayed. Having noticed that she fell asleep, Jared reached out and ced her head onto his shoulder and allowed her to sleep by his side. Lying against solid support, Ellen¡¯s body stopped swaying around as she resumed her sweet dreams on their way back to the city. Meanwhile, at Connor¡¯s ce, after hearing about Olivia¡¯s attempt to get Ellen a date, Selena asked about the date¡¯s family background and joyously said, ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to be their wingman, Mom!¡± ¡°Of course. They are very content with Ellen.¡± Selena then added, ¡°I¡¯m just worried that Ellen has higher standards and might end up disregarding them.¡± ¡°Who is she to choose? Your dad and I will convince her.¡± Olivia put up a mature look. With that, she looked at her daughter¡¯s charming face. ¡°My daughter, on the other hand, is different. She will never marry anyone short of rich and opulent, will she?¡± At once, Jared¡¯s figure emerged in Selena¡¯s mind as she shyly stated, ¡°Mom! I already have someone I like¡­¡± Olivia instantly saw through her daughter. ¡°And that must be Young Master Jared, am I right?¡± ¡°Though, I never had a chance to approach him¡­¡± Selena nodded, seemingly disappointed. As such, Olivia thought that as long as she could drive Ellen away from Jared¡¯s side, her daughter would stand a chance to introduce herself to him. ¡°Just wait a little longer. Once I get Ellen married, I¡¯ll be tending to your marriage.¡± Selena bit her lips and said, ¡°Damn Ellen! How does she have so much luck, receiving Young Master Jared¡¯s favor? What does she have that I don¡¯t?¡± Hearing that, Olivia subconsciously remembered the heart within Jared¡¯s body, wondering, Are there really such supernatural incidents in the world? Is Ellen¡¯s brother pairing them up in the heavens? It wasn¡¯t until Ellen was arriving at her home that she woke up from her sweet dream. And when she opened her eyes, she realized that she had been lying against Jared while she was sleeping during the entire journey. Instantaneously, her face reddened as she awkwardly thought, I didn¡¯t drool, did I? ¡°We¡¯re almost at your ce,¡± Jared noted. He then grabbed a few unfinished boxes of choctes and handed them to her. ¡°For you.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t have these.¡± Ellen couldn¡¯t bring herself to ept the expensive-looking boxes of choctes. ¡°I don¡¯t like desserts, and I don¡¯t wanna waste them.¡± Finished, Jared persistently put them into Ellen¡¯s arms, to which she gratefully epted them. Later, the bodyguard stopped the vehicle by the apartment gates, after which Ellen alighted from the SUV. After rolling down the window, Jared waved her goodbye before leaving. Sweet warmth arose within Ellen¡¯s chest. Jared emanated the ssiest, most perfect manners, and hanging out with him certainly feltforting and cozy, as though it was the breeze of spring. Meanwhile, in the SUV, Jared withdrew his smile and questioned the bodyguard in front of him. ¡°Did you report this to my father?¡± ¡°No, but we hope that you won¡¯t be as stubborn next time. At least allow us to protect you in your ventures.¡± The bodyguard let out a sigh. Jared was aware that his parents were overprotective of him, and that was all because of the car ident ten years ago. He gently clutched his chest. The heart that was currently beating within him was actually of another person. Even now, he had never seen a photograph of the donor, and all he knew was how grateful his parents were toward the family of the donor and how they treated them as though they were their own rtives, lending them their hands whenever they were troubled. However, his parents forbade him from interacting with the family. Therefore, to this date, he didn¡¯t know what kind of people his parents were helping. Nheless, since the adorable Ellen is from that family, they must be kind people as well! Jared was astounded by his feelings toward Ellen. It was as though he felt an overwhelming urge to get closer to her on their first encounter. It was as though her smile was contagious, and whenever he saw it, he, too, would feel joyous. After Ellen arrived home, as she was about to lie down for a bit, her phone suddenly rang. Staring at the anonymous number, she then hesitantly epted the call. ¡°Hello. Who¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Ellen, have you forgotten about me? It¡¯s me, Harvey!¡± The caller sounded rather surprised, after which he proceeded to ask, ¡°Did you not save my number?¡± Indeed, Ellen didn¡¯t save his number. In response, she subconsciously asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the weekends, the time when we young ones should go out and have fun! Come, I¡¯ll bring you somewhere fun,¡± Harvey invited. ¡°Sorry, I went hiking with a friend this morning and I¡¯m exhausted. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll join you tonight,¡± Ellen refused. ¡°That¡¯s no problem. I¡¯ll drive you. We¡¯ll go have a delightful dinner.¡± Harvey was passionate, and insistent on taking her out. ¡°Sorry, but I really don¡¯t wanna go out. Thanks.¡± With that, she immediately hung up. Although she didn¡¯t want to upset Harvey, she didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with him either. ¡°Aww,e on, Ellen! Your uncle and my father are the best of friends! We can be friends too!¡± Chapter 1551-1560 Chapter 1551-1560 ¡°I¡¯m sleepy. Let¡¯s talk about it next time.¡± Ellen politely wrapped up the discussion before terminating the call. After setting her phone into silent mode, she drifted into dreand. At that moment, the smoking Harvey cursed in his car, ¡°What the f*ck? If you weren¡¯t that pretty and loaded, I wouldn¡¯t have set my eyes on you.¡± He condemned orphans like Ellen because she was not from a powerful family to bolster his life. Thus, his parents told him to marry her to rip her off over that demolition payment. He need not ask her for kids to make it easy to bring up a divorce a few yearster. By then, he could still marry an influential woman who would be the godsend to his breakthrough in life. Ellen was merely the springboard for his life. She had no one to turn to even if she was tricked. Murray and Connor were acquaintances, so Harvey was aware of Connor¡¯s apathy toward her. The weekend passed just like that. Ellen went to work at 8.30AM. When it was barely 9.00AM, a man holding a bouquet appeared. She intended to run away at the sheer look of the iing person. Oh, my goodness! Why is Harvey here? Hugging a bouquet, he alternated his gaze left and right. In the end, his gazended on the receptionist¡¯s desk as he heard of her position. Almost instantly, he caught sight of the girl sitting at the desk. Despite her intentional avoidance, he approached her enthusiastically. ¡°Ellen, you do work here. Look! I brought you flowers. Isn¡¯t it pretty?¡± He went all out just to buy the most expensive roses for her. She put on a stern face. ¡°Mr. Fuller, it¡¯s the working hour, so please do not cross the line.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave right after I give you the flowers! I won¡¯t bother you!¡± He quickly put the bouquet on her desk and decided to be thick-skinned until the end. ¡°I¡¯ll be sending flowers every day until you promise to have a meal with me.¡± Ellen grabbed the flowers, which she did not wish to receive, and chased after him. However, he had already exited the lobby. He would not give her the chance to return them since he was aware of her intention. Right when he opened the door to hop into the car, she caught up. ¡°Harvey, wait!¡± She almost tripped herself along the stairs due to her speed. At that moment, a ck sports car almost ran into her. Fortunately, the driver reacted quickly enough to step on the brakes and was equally surprised. When Jared realized it was none other than Ellen, he broke into a cold sweat. Ellen? To his relief, she was unscathed. Holding onto the bouquet, she was talking to Harvey beside his car. ¡°Mr. Fuller, please take back the flowers. I don¡¯t want them,¡± Ellen insisted. ¡°Don¡¯t you girls love pretty stuff? I spent almost three hundred on them. I¡¯m serious about you. Please ept them, Ellen. I¡¯ll give you something better next time.¡± He feigned sincerity. ¡°I can¡¯t take them. Please do not send me flowers during working hours. Thank you.¡± She ced the flowers into his car before leaving. ¡°Hey, hey! Ellen, what do you mean by this? I¡¯d already bought them. Whom am I supposed to give them to other than you?¡± said the frantic man, as he did not wish to let his money go down the drain. Still, she strode to the lobby¡¯s entrance without looking back. Harvey grumbled in frustration, ¡°Damn it!¡± He entered the car and wanted to drive away, yet a ck sports car was blocking the way. He would usually go berserk, yet the sight of the expensive vehicle intimidated him. So, he wound down the window to talk to the other driver politely, ¡°Hey, dude. Make way, please.¡± Jared wound down his window and nced at him before parking his car at the front. The interested Harvey followed suit and started a conversation with Jared. ¡°Dude, how much did you spend on your car?¡± Alighting from the car, Jared stared coldly at Harvey because he did not intend to respond to the guy. In the end, the awkward Harvey decided to take his leave. Back at the receptionist¡¯s desk, Olive whispered to Ellen, advising her not to loaf about during working hours, or she would be penalized. Ellen did not want that either, for she even warned Harvey not to send her flowers again. At that moment, Olive straightened her back to greet the iing young man along with the others. ¡°Good morning, President Presgrave.¡± Ellen could not react in time, hence the tardiness. ¡°Good morning, President Presgrave.¡± Her voice alone reverberated in the lobby because everyone had done their salutations by the time she stood up. Feeling embarrassed, she could not help her flushing cheeks. Jared¡¯s eyes naturally fixed on her. A smile appeared across his lips the moment he saw her. Then, he responded to everyone, ¡°Save the greetings whenever I¡¯m at work.¡± ¡°And spare me a moment, Ellen,¡± he called for her on the spot. She froze at her spot, looking left and right to realize that only her name was mentioned. She had no choice but to rise from her seat. Now that he was seeing her as thepany¡¯s president, her heart surged to her throat. Once they came to a pir, Jared cut to the chase. ¡°I saw you and a guy fighting back there. Who is he?¡± Ellen¡¯s mind went nk, for she did not expect him to witness that scene. ¡°He¡¯s the son of my uncle¡¯s friend.¡± ¡°Is he pursuing you?¡± ¡°No, no, no! I have nothing to do with him.¡± She shook her head vigorously in denial. ¡°He¡¯s definitely up to no good. Don¡¯t mind him,¡± he reminded. ¡°I know.¡± She nodded because she hoped for peace too. However, she worked in the lobby, where Harvey could drop by at any time, so she could not do anything about it. Needless to say, Jared was also aware of the main problem. Why don¡¯t I transfer her to somewhere close to me? I need a personal assistant anyway. She can help me with my daily routine, and I can keep her safe by keeping those unwanted harassments in check. Perfect! ¡°Ellen, do you want to have a change of job?¡± ¡°A change?¡± That idea did not cross her mind at all. ¡°I need a personal assistant, so you can take office from now on.¡± ¡°Huh? Me? But I haven¡¯t done anything relevant to that.¡± Shecked confidence. He smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. I don¡¯t bite.¡± He assured her to get back to work first before treading toward the elevator. Once Ellen was back in her position, Olive came up to her. ¡°Ellen, why did he ask for you?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Ellen figured that it was not the time to bring up the job rotation. The tactful Olive quelled her doubts at her response. If President Presgrave takes special care of Ellen, she won¡¯t need to serve as a receptionist anymore. As Olive expected, Ellen received a job rotation email from the human resource department at noon. She went to the manager¡¯s office as required, and Joanna looked at her enviously. ¡°Ellen, you¡¯re promoted! You¡¯ll be working as the president¡¯s personal assistant from now on.¡± Her face turned crimson at that. That sounds kinda weird. Personal assistant? Seeing through her mind, Joanna grinned. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. We¡¯re a proper internationalpany. As the president¡¯s assistant, you¡¯re required to take care of his personal life. The president will borate on the details himselfter.¡± In actuality, Joanna was clueless about what kind of a person Jared was. The only time she encountered him was during a meeting among the senior employees. Thereafter, she had the impression that Jared was a strict and serious person. Ellen did not foresee the promotion to be this soon either. ¡°You should report yourself at the floor where the presidential office is.¡± After thanking Joanna, she headed upstairs by the elevator. The moment she came out of it, a secretary in her early thirties escorted her. ¡°Ellen Reiss,e this way, please.¡± Ellen trailed behind thedy. The whole floor appeared unusually solemn and strict, and she was on tenterhooks. Jumbled thoughts flooded her because she did not have the slightest idea of what kind of work she needed to do. ¡°Ellen, here¡¯s your office. You are directly under President Presgrave, so he will tell you your duties himself. All you gotta do is do as you¡¯re told to.¡± ¡°Then¡­ Do I need to go through any handover documents?¡± inquired Ellen. The secretary gave it a thought before shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure either. You¡¯re his first personal assistant, so just wait for his orders.¡± She strode away just like that, leaving Ellen in muse while propping her chin. A couple of moments later, thendline on her desk rang out suddenly, making her jump. Quickly, she answered the call, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Come to my office.¡± Jared¡¯s gruff and enchanting voice resounded. I guess I have iing work now, Ellen thought. ¡°Okay. I¡¯m on my way.¡± Taking a deep breath, she walked to his office and knocked on the door. The second she opened the door, Jared was removing his zer to reveal the dark grey vest and white shirt underneath. Geez, he¡¯s a real-life prince charming. ¡°Have a seat. Let¡¯s talk about your job scope.¡± He pointed at the couch. Is he going to deliver my job scope personally? She was not sure whether to cry orugh at reality. Once Jared took a seat, the jittery Ellen proceeded to sit down with a straightened back. With her hands ced on her knees, her serious gaze began to focus. Seeing that, he burst intoughter. ¡°Rx. I don¡¯t bite.¡± But you¡¯re the boss! How am I supposed to rx in front of my boss? She was helpless. ¡°May I know what I have to do from now on, President Presgrave?¡± ¡°Can you make coffee?¡± ¡°Yes, I worked at a cafe before.¡± ¡°Great. That is your job for now.¡± The lenient boss found something for her to do. Now that she worked as his assistant, he needed to at least put something on her te, and it happened that no one was responsible for making coffee, yet. ¡°Is that it?¡± She blinked her eyes, recalling Joanna¡¯s words about the fivefold increase in her ie. Yet, that was all she had to do? Meanwhile, Selena and her colleagues returned to the office upon having lunch. When they bypassed the receptionist¡¯s desk, she intentionally nced at Ellen¡¯s ce to find it empty. Where is she? Why isn¡¯t she on duty? Perhaps she¡¯s fired after making a mistake? Or did she resign? The curious Selena approached Olive with a smile. ¡°Hi, there. I¡¯m wondering where Ellen has gone to.¡± ¡°Oh, Ellen, you say? She¡¯s transferred to another position.¡± ¡°To?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not sure either.¡± She¡¯s transferred to another position? But hasn¡¯t it been two weeks since she started working? While Selena had questions, one of the other receptionists piped up, ¡°Didn¡¯t President Presgrave speak to Ellen personally this morning? I bet she¡¯s working for him right now.¡± Selena happened to hear that and quickly followed up. ¡°He spoke to Ellen this morning? Has she done something wrong?¡± ¡°Nope. He was all gentle and smiling, though?¡± the receptionist responded. So, she¡¯s not fired but promoted? Is she working for the presidential office now? Mixed feelings boiled in the pit of Selena¡¯s stomach. She fished out her phone to message Ellen as she was on her way to the elevator. ¡®Ellie, I heard you¡¯ve been transferred. Which department are you in?¡¯ Ellen checked her phone upon hearing the notification. Noticing that it was Selena, she sighed. However, she could not ignore her cousin, could she? ¡®I am now an assistant on the presidential floor,¡¯ Ellen replied, not wanting to point out her job as Jared¡¯s personal assistant. Selena¡¯s mind went nk upon the shocking news, which attested to the receptionist¡¯s guess¡ªEllen was indeed working directly under Jared! At that point, jealousy spurred in Selena. Does that mean she gets to meet Jared every single day? Working at such a distance will be an advantage for her! If she¡¯s up to something, Jared¡¯s gonna be wrapped in her fingers sooner orter. After that, no matter how wealthy my family is, we won¡¯t be able to be on par with the Presgrave Family! ¡®Ellie, my parents will be away for work. I¡¯m scared to be home alone. Can I crash at your ce for two days?¡¯ Selena made up her mind to curry favor with Ellen, who owned the resources she coveted. However, Ellen frowned upon receiving that message. Doesn¡¯t she have a lot of friends? Why must it be my ce? Five minutester, her phone rang as Connor called her. She quickly answered the call, ¡°Uncle Connor.¡± ¡°Hey, Ellie. Olivia and I are going outstation for a few days, so I¡¯m wondering if Lena can stay with you while we¡¯re away,¡± inquired Connor. Ellen was slightly stunned, for it was her initial assumption that it was a deliberate attempt by Selena to stay with her. Now that he had made a personal request, she could only go along with it. ¡°Sure. Not a problem.¡± ¡°Thanks. It¡¯s time for you guys to spend some quality time together. You girls were separated for so many years and haven¡¯t hung out together,¡± he reasoned. Still, she was aware that things would not go his way. Even if they shared the same space, it would not pull them closer because they were of different worlds. After the call terminated, Selena shot another message. ¡®See you tonight, Ellie. Mom and Dad will board the ne tonight.¡¯ ¡®Okay,¡¯ responded Ellen. Meanwhile, Connor looked at Olivia with dubious eyes. ¡°We will be at home, though. Why must we lie to Ellie that we¡¯ll be away?¡± ¡°Enough with the questions. Just do as I say. It¡¯s for Lena,¡± she answered. Despite the questions in his head, he was happy to have the girls hanging out together. That way, they would have someone to rely on in the future. At 3.00PM, Ellen¡¯sndline rang, prompting her to pick up the call immediately. ¡°This is Ellen speaking.¡± ¡°Please make me a cup of coffee.¡± ¡°Sure, President Presgrave.¡± ¡°Less sugar, no cream.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ted to have something to do, she walked to the pantry at the presidential office. In the fully facilitated area, she opened a cupboard that contained various kinds of coffee beans. As a trained barista, she was able to brew a nutty aromatic coffee like a breeze with the beans and coffee grinder. Fifteen minutester, she held a tray to bring Jared coffee. After knocking and opening the door, she saw the man perusing documents on the couch. He set the files down with a smile upon her arrival. ¡°Wow. It smells great.¡± He praised as the aroma wafted his nose. ¡°Hope you like it.¡± Ellen proffered the coffee to him. He took a sip and savored the aromatic light texture that came with a smidgen of bitterness. The pleasant texture prodded him to nod approvingly. ¡°Not bad. I like it.¡± She pursed her lips, feeling the spiking sense of achievement inside her. ¡°Enjoy. I¡¯ll be outside.¡± When she returned to the pantry, she saw a female assistant examining the coffee machine. Since Ellen had time, she approached the woman. ¡°Fancy a cup of coffee?¡± ¡°Yeah, but I think it¡¯s broken.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make one for you. Give me fifteen minutes.¡± ¡°Really? Awesome! I like cappinos.¡± ¡°On it.¡± A smiling Ellen nodded. Fifteen minutester, the assistant came to the pantry again while Ellen served her freshly brewed coffee. As soon as the assistant had her first sip, she eximed, ¡°Woah! It tastes the same as the ones I had in cafes! I love it!¡± ¡°I worked at a cafe before,¡± Ellen exined. ¡°No wonder you have the touch. Thanks!¡± said the assistant who left thereafter. Ellen had the luxury of time serving the employees here. To work in the presidential office, one had to be the best of the best; their jurisdictions revolved around the iing reports from all around the world. When it was time to get off work, she was uncertain whether to leave, so she decided to stay temporarily. It was then that a figure appeared by the door before resting himself against the door frame. ¡°It¡¯s time to go home.¡± ¡°President Presgrave, is there anything that I can help you with?¡± She stood up at the drop of a hat. ¡°There is. Come with me for dinner.¡± Jared often had dinner alone, so he would not mind the extra company. Is this also my job? A curious Ellen blinked her eyes. ¡°I-Is this one of my tasks?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He reassured her. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go.¡± She nodded with red cheeks. Together, they headed to the underground parking lot and that private restaurant Jared frequented. The kitchen served different menus every day, and enticing dishes were on today¡¯s menu. Every dish was meticulously concocted, and the chefs prioritized taste and nutrition over quantity. So, Jared ordered six from them. As though it was a gustatory feast, the dishes were served in ones and twos while he recounted their background stories. For instance, the fish¡¯s origin and the type of shrimp used for today¡¯s dish. Ellen pricked her ears at his broad insight. Despite the little age gap between them, his knowledge knew no bounds. She was deeply impressed by the fact that he knew everything from A to Z. Youngsters nowadays were rtively untrammeled, hence the mindlessness to study and desire to enjoy life with little money in hand. However, this man possessed not only an abundance of wealth but also knowledge. His nature itself was more charming than his handsome looks. ¡°President Presgrave, may I read when I don¡¯t have iing work?¡± Ellen requested on the ount that daydreaming was simply an act of wasting time. ¡°Sure. You can do whatever you fancy.¡± Jared nodded because he did not transfer her to his jurisdiction to make her work in the first ce. His sole wish was to protect her and that smile on her face. Feeling touched, she felt her eyes getting watery. No one had ever treated her so well ever since Jessica passed away. Just how lucky am I to meet such a capable gentleman? How can I repay his kindness? I don¡¯t think I have anything to repay him. At that moment, her phone rang upon receiving a call from Selena. She rose from a seat and said, ¡°Excuse me, President Presgrave.¡± She went to the garden and answered the call, after which Selena¡¯s voice resounded. ¡°Ellie, where do you live? I¡¯ve packed up my stuff and am on my way to your ce.¡± ¡°I¡¯m out, Selena. Why don¡¯t you have dinner on your own first?¡± ¡°Who are you with?¡± Selena questioned curiously. ¡°A-A friend of mine.¡± ¡°Who? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s President Presgrave.¡± Selena guessed. Nothing can ever escape her grasp. Ellen let out a silent sigh. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m still working.¡± ¡°Okay. Just inform me when you¡¯re home,¡± said Selena. ¡°Sure.¡± Ellen ended the call and returned to the restaurant. Jared was grilling a piece of beef for her. Now that she was back, he ced it on her te. ¡°I¡¯ve grilled it. Have a try.¡± ted by the pleasant surprise, Ellen took a small bite of the meat. Its smooth yet juicy texture elicited a smile on her face. ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡± The duo enjoyed their dinner until 8.00PM, after which Jared gave her a ride back home. She alighted from the car and waved at him. ¡°Be careful on your way back.¡± He blinked at her as an acknowledgment. The control panel exuded faint blue light, which shrouded him in a glowing sheen with a touch of sophisticated grace. Only when he left the ce that she finally sent her address to Selena, who would arrive soon. Ellen wandered outside the neighborhood to buy some necessities. By the time Selena¡¯s car halted at the entrance, Ellen happened to be there with a bag of daily necessities. ¡°You live here?¡± Selena scanned the area in disbelief because she was aware no ordinary people would be able to afford a house there. Never had she imagined that Ellen would be this rich after Jessica¡¯s house was demolished. ¡°Yup, for the time being,¡± Ellen reciprocated. Selena carried her luggage into the neighborhood when Ellen became curious about something. ¡°Where are Uncle Connor and Aunt Olivia going? Is it something important?¡± ¡°Dad¡¯s friend passed away, so they¡¯ll be helping with the funeral for the next few days. I¡¯m scared.¡± Selena made up an excuse for herself. Since she had set her heart to approach Jared by leveraging Ellen, she put down her egoism. On the other hand, Ellen bought her lies without a shadow of a doubt since she did not know her family that well. When they arrived at the door to Ellen¡¯s ce, Selena wondered if the rental houseprised only one bedroom. However, her eyes widened in astonishment the second Ellen opened the door. She lives here? It¡¯s huge and luxurious! And how is this a one-bedroom house? It stretches more than two hundred square feet! ¡°Ellen, how much is the monthly rent?¡± The question escaped Selena almost instantly. Ellen recalled the conversation she shared with Joanna, who told her not to reveal that employee welfare included amodations, so she glossed it over. ¡°About five thousand.¡± Selena deemed it impossible. ¡°No way. That cheap?¡± ¡°The owner was in a hurry to leave the country. That¡¯s why,¡± Ellen elucidated. Selena stopped prying further on the notion that it was better to stay in such a ce than a one- bedroom apartment. After her shower, she entered Ellen¡¯s room on her own ord. She became salty at Ellen, who was donned in a thin nightgown. She appeared slim, but she had the curves that one desired; her body proportion was the epitome of perfection. Her slick tress fell over her shoulders, covering her angelic features and smooth skin. ¡°Ellie, I can¡¯t sleep. Let¡¯s have a girls¡¯ talk!¡± Selena nned on digging into Jared because girls tend to be more sentimental at night. They naturally spilled secrets when they lowered their guard. ¡°Ellie, do you meet President Presgrave every day?¡± There went her first question. Ellen thought for a moment. ¡°Almost. I¡¯m in charge of making him coffee.¡± Selena did not look down upon that job, for she desired to take over that position. Too bad, she was not offered the chance. ¡°Ellie, tell me more about him! I¡¯d love to hear ¡¯em.¡± It was not like Ellen could not see through her intentions. Thus, an idea sprouted in her mind as she nodded. ¡°Sure. There¡¯s this one beautifuldy he knows.¡± ¡°What? A beautifuldy?¡± ¡°Yeah! She¡¯s really pretty and seemed to be from a rich family. They¡¯re quite close. I think they¡¯re going out.¡± Selena blurted, ¡°He¡¯s taken?¡± ¡°Who said he was single? Of course, he has one.¡± Ellen put on a serious face while making up a story, hoping it would stop Selena from bothering Jared. Ellen¡¯s words hit home, setting turmoil in Selena. Jared has a girlfriend?! She must be someone extraordinary. I have outstanding merits, but there¡¯s always someone better out there. ¡°Ellen, are you sure about this?¡± She held on the chance that Ellen saw it wrongly. ¡°No cap.¡± Ellen nodded seriously, putting her n into operation. ¡°Selena, do you perhaps have feelings for President Presgrave?¡± A deted Selena did not hide the truth. ¡°So what if I like him? He¡¯s already taken.¡± ¡°Selena, I bet there¡¯s a lot of people lining up for you out there. Why don¡¯t you choose someone from an influential family to be your husband? I think President Presgrave is off-limits. He will never fall for someone ordinary like us,¡± Ellen advised. Still, Selena gave her an eye roll. ¡°Not me.¡± Ellen returned a smile instead of getting angry. ¡°Yeah, yeah. I¡¯m the only one. You studied abroad, at least.¡± ¡°Yup! And I am a graduate of a privileged school!¡± Selena¡¯s eyes twinkled with pride. It was, in actuality, a hoax because she paid someone to write her thesis. ¡°You¡¯re a genius, Selena! How did you enroll in that university?¡± It piqued Ellen¡¯s interest because Selena had always had poor grades, let alone scoring on the SAT. Therefore, how was it even possible for her to study in a recognized school? Selena sneered. ¡°I pulled some strings. Dad has his connections. I told him I wanna get into that university, and they offered me a ce a few dayster. You have no idea how happy I was.¡± Never once had Selena opened up to her toxic friends, so she felt like bringing up her ¡®remarkable¡¯ past she took pride in. ¡°Really? Uncle Connor¡¯s the best!¡± Ellen feigned envy. ¡°He sure is.¡± Selena was proud to have a father like Connor, who granted every of her wish. ¡°It took him a phone call to get me a position in Presgrave Group.¡± Then, she wondered how Ellen got a job in thepany. ¡°Did you pass the interview with flying colors?¡± The doubt guing Ellen¡¯s mind was finally answered, so she reconfirmed. ¡°Uncle Connor helped you with that?¡± ¡°Yep. He called one of the senior employees.¡± Selena nodded. I think Uncle Connor helped me too. She mustn¡¯t know about this, or she¡¯ll throw a fit at him. Therefore, Ellen lied. ¡°A-As you¡¯ve guessed, I passed the interview.¡± Selena observed the attractive Ellen while thinking that receptionists were indeed dolls. Next, she steered the topic back. ¡°Tell me more about Mr. Presgrave.¡± Ellen was helpless. ¡°I don¡¯t know what else to talk about.¡± ¡°What about that gorgeousdy you mentioned? Who is she? Is she a celebrity or someone rich?¡± ¡°Not the former, but she appears to be from a rich family. She has that air around her.¡± Ellen continued faking it. Selena did not doubt one bit of her story. Judging from Jared¡¯s identity, it was nearly impossible that he was single. Women would throw themselves at a capable man like him, so that marked the end of Selena¡¯s sweet dreams. ¡°But why does he treat you so special?¡± She could not understand why Jared noticed a neer like Ellen amongst the employees. ¡°It¡¯s probably because of my circumstances.¡± Ellen added, ¡°I once cried at work when I bumped into him. He asked, and I told him that Grandma left. I seem pitiful now that I¡¯m all by myself.¡± I knew it! She nned it from the start! She acted pitifully in front of him to make him empathize with her. And here I am, thinking that he had fallen for her. Selena was scornful. Seeing how she believed in her words, Ellen began to let her storytelling shine through. ¡°President Presgrave is an empathetic man. Back then, Uncle Garrett and the others were trying to rip me off when the demolition was confirmed. I identally spilled the beans, and the rest is what you witnessed in the lobby. He knew I was getting bullied, so he helped me out.¡± Selena finally grasped the situation. No wonder President Presgrave is so protective of her. He knew of her situation. Ellen eximed, ¡°He¡¯s been helping me so much, but I don¡¯t know how to repay his kindness. That¡¯s why I treated him to a meal. You were there too.¡± It pricked Selena¡¯s guilty conscience to recall that day. She coughed wryly. ¡°I was just hanging out with my friends. It was a coincidence.¡± ¡°I know. So, Selena, please do not misunderstand things between me and President Presgrave. He did all that out of pity.¡± Selena seemed to be in a good mood. At least, things were not as she thought. She initially assumed that Ellen was going to be Jared¡¯s girlfriend and would look down upon them the day she became a rich man¡¯s wife. Now, it seemed like it was a mere act out of pity and empathy; it was nothing remotely close to affection. ¡°I bet you have his private contact number. Can you give it to me?¡± Selena suddenly thought of getting in touch with Jared virtually. If I have his number, I can flirt with him at times. What if I seed? Ellen shook her head immediately. ¡°That¡¯s a big no-no. President Presgrave personally highlighted that his contact number is solely for business. He will get angry if we bother him with personal matters. Besides, he already has a girlfriend. What if she gets jealous? That will put us in trouble.¡± ¡°I just wanna save his number. I won¡¯t bother him.¡± Selena pouted. ¡°Still, what if you ticked off his nerves? He¡¯llsh out at me for sure. I can¡¯t do this, Selena.¡± ¡°Why are you such a coward?¡± Selena was perturbed. ¡°You don¡¯t know how scary it was when he gets angry. I saw him getting mad at an assistant who sent him documents for signatures. She even wept.¡± The indifference on Jared¡¯s face whenever he was silent conjured in Selena¡¯s mind as though he had a danger sign on him. His sheer gaze could send chills down one¡¯s spine, let alone when he was in a foul mood. ¡°So, is there seriously no hope for us?¡± Selena was being hopeful. ¡°We should know our ce, Selena. Forget it,¡± reminded Ellen. Selena could not ept her fate after all those sweet dreams in which she got married to Jared that she had during the night. Once she left the room, Ellen instinctively sighed in relief. She thought of her own words, which did not seem to be directed at Selena but at herself. After all, it was enough to admire someone young and rich like Jared; one should never ask him to reciprocate those feelings! The next morning, Ellen urged Selena to get ready for work. Thetter was reluctant to get up from bed, but Ellen¡¯s persistence rendered her struggle useless. In the end, they went to work together, with Ellen getting a free ride. Upon arrival, she headed straight to the presidential office. The tranquility filled the whole floor, implying that she had attended work too early. ¡°Woah.¡± In front of the French windows, she gaped at the picturesque scenery vaguely hidden in the shroud of mist. Its surreal beauty could give one the hallucination of being in a utopia. Just as she was deeply absorbed by the scenery, a man¡¯s voice resounded. ¡°Have you had breakfast?¡± She turned her head in surprise to see Jared standing behind her. She stammered with her speech, ¡°P- President Presgrave, you¡¯re early today.¡± He smiled. ¡°I stayed for the night, and I¡¯m on my way for breakfast. Wannae along?¡± Ellen indeed came to work too early¡ªit was only 8.20AM! ¡°Oh. You haven¡¯t had breakfast?¡± ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°Me neither. I haven¡¯t eaten the bread I bought,¡± answered Ellen honestly, feeling slightly awkward. ¡°Let¡¯s go, then.¡± Jared beckoned her over with his finger. ¡°Follow me downstairs.¡± She trailed him into the elevator to head to the underground parking lot. Then, they departed from Presgrave Group in his cool sports car. Compared to the rushing crowd of white-cored workers, the man appearedid back. Judging from hisposed action amidst the fast-paced society, it was as if he held sway over everything. Ellen had a hearty breakfast at the restaurant. If I work for President Presgrave any longer, I¡¯ll unavoidably gain a few extra pounds. I don¡¯t even feel like I¡¯m working! Jared enjoyed his breakfast while his gaze glued onto the girl as though it was his duty to ensure she filled her stomach. When he noticed she stopped halfway through her meal, he questioned, ¡°Why stop?¡± It was not that she could not finish it, but her stomach was filled to the brim. Furthermore, the epiphany of the importance of keeping fit just struck her. She would look different if she put on a few extra pounds! ¡°I-I¡¯m trying to lose weight. I can¡¯t have too much,¡± Ellen replied truthfully. She could lie with a deadpan face in front of Selena, yet it seemed like she could not do the same to him. ¡°What weight?¡± Jared scanned her from head to toe, realizing that her proportion was perfect when his gaze swept across her chest. ¡°My waist is getting plumper,¡± she grumbled. ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± he refuted. ¡°It might not seem like it, but that is the truth.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I hug you the day we hiked? You¡¯re too thin to me. You should have some more.¡± The smile on Jared¡¯s face made him glow. In the face of his engaging smile, Ellen blushed so hard that her heart raced. At that moment, she realized one of the benefits of working by his side. Sharing the same space with him is testing my heart¡¯s limit. He keeps pushing the eleration! I can¡¯t take it anymore! ¡°Finish them. Don¡¯t waste,¡± he cooed. Hearing that, she found no other reason to stop eating because she was only half full. People were jostling each other to get on the train for work, yet she spent her morning with a lovely breakfast with her boss. On top of that, she could relish in her coffee as the nted morning sunlight crawled through the French windows, warming her up. If this is how it feels to be working, it must be a guilty pleasure. Suddenly, her phone rang. Realizing it was Harvey, she turned on the silent mode and put it aside. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you picking up?¡± ¡°It¡¯s that guy again. I don¡¯t feel like talking to him.¡± Yet, Jared reached out for her phone to answer the call, ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t this Ellen¡¯s number? Who are you?¡± Harvey was surprised. ¡°Yes, it is. I¡¯m her boyfriend. Who are you?¡± Jared interrogated coldly. ¡°I-I-I¡¯m her friend.¡± Harvey stuttered. ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are, but leave Ellen alone,¡± warned Jared before ending the call. His actions confounded Ellen as her expression went nk for a couple of moments, but she was thankful for his help nevertheless. He ced her phone in front of her. ¡°Let¡¯s go elsewhere.¡± ¡°Where?¡± His silence was the only response she received. After that, he drove his sports car to a smartphone store to purchase her a new phone. Ellen also thought it was time to change a new one, but the man had swiped his card before she could foot the bill. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°President Presgrave, y-you don¡¯t have to do that. I can afford it.¡± She tried to stop him. ¡°Think of it as a gift from me.¡± He smiled, taking pleasure in buying her stuff. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t feel at ease.¡± Ellen blushed bright red. He treated her so kindly, but she had nothing to repay him. ¡°You don¡¯t have to feel bad about it. I¡¯m always happy to help.¡± Jared¡¯s smile was dazzling. Ellen blushed once again under his beaming smile. She realized she would feel quite guilty if someone treated her too nicely. ¡°President Presgrave, I-I would like to buy you a present. What do you think would be a suitable present?¡± Ellen asked. ¡°Just show me a smile,¡± Jared replied. Ellen was initially quite shocked before pursing her lips and saying, ¡°I¡¯m being serious.¡± ¡°I¡¯m also being serious here!¡± Jared enjoyed teasing her and seeing her face turn bright red. She looked adorable. Ellen was tickled by that and burst intoughter as she smiled at him. Ellen was wearing a white shirt which gave her a slightly charming air. She looked like a budding flower about to bloom in the wee hours of the morning; she appeared to be concealing her shyness and coyness within. To Jared, her smile felt like a gift to him and made him feel quite joyful. Jared epted her smile as repayment. After looking at his wristwatch for the time, he said, ¡°Come on. Come along with me to thepany for a meeting.¡± Both of them had just walked out of the phone shop when a pedestrian suddenly rushed toward them and nearly bumped into Ellen. Ellen had barely reacted when she felt a strong arm grab her around her waist, and then there was a tug at her waist. At that point, Ellen fell into a man¡¯s firm chest. Her chest bounced against his body. A slightly pleasant scent hit Jared¡¯s nostrils, and he lowered his head to look at the girl in his arms. Her body scent caused his body to tighten, and for a moment, he felt a sensation rush at him on this pleasant morning. Jared¡¯s handsome face flushed for a few seconds, and he didn¡¯t expect that he would develop such thoughts toward Ellen. As he drove toward the airport, Jared¡¯s eyes flickered slightly. The reaction he had from this morning caused some slight turmoil in him. He had helped Ellen so much purely because she needed help, and he didn¡¯t approach her with any underlying motives. After they arrived at thepany, Ellen went back to her office. Jared requested her to make him a cup of coffee and send it to his office at ten thirty. Ellen held a cup of coffee and came to the third meeting room. She gently knocked on the door and pushed it open. Instantly, the atmosphere inside the meeting room caused her heart to skip a beat. Everyone¡¯s so solemn here! The projector was on, so the meeting room lights were slightly dimmed. Ellen focused her eyes on the man in the center of the room, and he looked as if he was royalty shrouded in darkness. He exuded an air exclusive to a person of authority but when matched with his young face, the aura he emitted seemed exceptionally at odds. At the same time, he was captivating, and one couldn¡¯t help being attracted to him. Ellen ced the cup of coffee in front of him and heard him chuckle in a low voice. ¡°Thanks.¡± She blushed and turned around to leave. As soon as she walked out of the meeting room, she sighed. Jared emitted a totally different aura when he was at work, and she didn¡¯t even dare to breathe in front of him nor dare to cast eyes at him. Ellen went back to her office and heard herndline go off. She headed over and reached out to answer the phone, ¡°Hi, who¡¯s on the line?¡± ¡°Ellie, it¡¯s me.¡± Selena¡¯s voice rang out on the other end. ¡°Selena, do you need something?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t need anything. I want to have a chat with you, that¡¯s all. Gosh. Has President Presgrave¡¯s girlfriend arrived? Could you sneakily snap a photo of her to show me?¡± ¡°His girlfriend isn¡¯t here, and I wouldn¡¯t dare to sneak a photo either. Selena, I can¡¯t help you with this.¡± Ellen rejected Selena¡¯s request. ¡°Why not? What¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡± Selena attempted to incite Ellen. ¡°Selena, it¡¯s working hours right now. Don¡¯t you have work to do?¡± ¡°I have nothing to do right now. Can Ie upstairs to see you for fun?¡± ¡°Uhh. I-I¡¯m actually quite busy.¡± Ellen had no choice but to tell a lie. ¡°What are you busy with?¡± ¡°Anyway, Selena, I don¡¯t have time for fun, so don¡¯te upstairs, alright? It¡¯s working hours right now,¡± Ellen advised Selena. ¡°Snap a photo of President Presgrave¡¯s girlfriend when you have time and send it to me, okay?¡± Selena requested. Selena refused to give up until she actually saw Jared¡¯s girlfriend. Chapter 1561-1570 Chapter 1561-1570 ¡°Okay then. I¡¯ll take a photo for you if I meet her.¡± Ellen had no choice but to agree. Selena couldn¡¯t do anything to Ellen anyway even if Ellen didn¡¯t take the photo. After Ellen hung up the phone, she took out a book she¡¯d brought along and started reading. Reading during her spare time at work could increase her knowledge, which she thought was great. Suddenly, she wasn¡¯t aware of when, but a figure approached the window. The man didn¡¯t bother her but merely stood by the window silently and watched admiringly for a short while before leaving. At Connor¡¯s house, Harvey¡¯s family came to visit Connor. Olivia was just about to ask Harvey about his pursuit of Ellen when Harvey lowered his head disappointedly and said, ¡°Mrs. Aguirre, Ellen has a boyfriend, so it wouldn¡¯t be right to pursue her!¡± ¡°What?! Ellen has a boyfriend?¡± ¡°Yes. When I gave her a call this morning, a man answered the call. That man imed that he was Ellen¡¯s boyfriend and told me to stop bothering her.¡± Harvey felt quite annoyed and discontented. I spent so much money, and yet I didn¡¯t even get the chance to hold Ellen¡¯s hand! As for Olivia, she couldn¡¯t contain her curiosity. Does Ellen actually have a boyfriend?! Since when? Who¡¯s the guy? Olivia suddenly realized that Selena should be with Ellen right now, so she decided to get Selena to find out. If the guy was an ordinary man, it was fine to let Ellen continue the rtionship. However, if the guy came from a wealthy family background, then that was uneptable. After all, Ellen would end up as a threat to them if she had better progress in life. Olivia entered the master bedroom and gave her daughter a call. ¡°Hi, Mom. What¡¯s the matter? I¡¯m at work right now!¡± Selena answered the phone. ¡°Lena, you live with Ellen right now, don¡¯t you? Do you know that she has a boyfriend?¡± ¡°She has a boyfriend?! Who told you that?¡± ¡°Harvey. He called Ellen this morning, and a man answered her phone.¡± Selena felt quite perplexed. ¡°That¡¯s not possible. I dropped her off at work this morning. She should be in the office.¡± ¡°Then how could a man have possibly answered her phone and imed to be her boyfriend? Lena, find out what¡¯s happening before you return home.¡± At that moment, Selena was quite intent on figuring out the matter and suddenly developed investigational instincts. She was quite keen to find out about the mysterious man hiding behind Ellen. ¡°Sure, Mom. I got it. I¡¯ll try my best,¡± Selena agreed. After all, she had nothing much on her hands. The other male colleagues fought overpleting her work for her. All she had to do was behave coyly, put on an adorable act, and treat the person to lunch. With all those, everything would be sorted perfectly. Ellen went to the office canteen for lunch, so when Jared came over to see her, she was no longer at her desk. After Ellen came back from the canteen, she took a nap lying on her desk. By the time she woke up, it was already two o¡¯clock in the afternoon, so she quickly freshened up. Once she hade to her senses, she went back to the office to be on standby. At that moment, herndline went off, so she answered the call, ¡°Hi, Ellen speaking.¡± ¡°Come over to my office.¡± It was Jared. Ellen immediately got up and headed to his office. She was wondering which job he needed her to complete, but unexpectedly, he retrieved a takeaway box and ced it in front of her. ¡°I wanted to bring you out for lunch this afternoon, but you were not at your desk, so I ordered a dessert as a takeaway for you.¡± ¡°I-I had lunch at the canteen this afternoon.¡± Ellen was surprised by his affectionate act, but she shook her head. ¡°President Presgrave, you should keep it for yourself? I¡¯m stuffed.¡± ¡°You keep it for your tea break. I bought it specifically for you.¡± Jared was quite insistent as he grabbed her hand and ced the bag into her hand. Ellen bit her lip and thought, This boss is too kind to the point that I¡¯m slightly embarrassed. ¡°You can go back to the office now,¡± Jared said to her before getting up to walk over to his desk and starting on work. Ellen didn¡¯t want to be disruptive, so she took the takeaway box and returned to her office. She opened the box in her office and saw a dainty dessert inside. The dessert was made from fresh ingredients, and it was quite fragrant and tasty. It definitely looks pricey. Suddenly, Ellen felt tears well up in her eyes. Other than her grandma and brother, this man was the only person who treated her well. She no longer had many memories of her parents because it had been ages since shest saw them. Her brother was the figure who had reced her parents to take care of and protect her. If Ellen¡¯s brother were still around, he would have been twenty-six years old. Ellen wiped away her tears and sighed. It was nearly time to head home from work when Ellen suddenly received a phone call from Selena saying she was waiting outside in her car. Ellen told Selena she needed a little more time because Ellen had to wait till her boss left before she was allowed to leave. Suddenly, Ellen¡¯sndline went off, so she reached out to answer the phone. ¡°Hi, President Presgrave.¡± ¡°You can finish work now,¡± Jared said to her on the other end of the line. Ellen quickly asked, ¡°Do you need me to do anything else for you?¡± Jared replied, ¡°No, I¡¯ve got some clients to entertain tonight. You can head home first.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Ellen hung up the phone and finally left the office feeling quite reassured. She took the elevator, and as it went, it stopped for the other staff who had also finished work. At the thirtieth level, a few female staff entered. They were engrossed in gossiping loudly as they walked in. ¡°Hey, have you guys heard the news of the female staff at the reception area being transferred to the president¡¯s office level? That receptionist must be quite outstanding.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve heard of that too. President Presgrave was the one who personally arranged for her transfer. She definitely has the means.¡± ¡°What is her rtionship with President Presgrave? I heard that she¡¯s stunning with a great figure.¡± ¡°What else could it be between a man and a woman? It¡¯s something illicit, of course! If I were prettier, I would parade in front of President Presgrave whenever I had the chance. Perhaps then, I might be able to seed in seducing him.¡± ¡°Haha! You should forget about it. You¡¯re a middle-ageddy, so stop having such ridiculous ideas!¡±C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Ellen blushed bright red in embarrassment. If she was not mistaken, she should be the particr female they were gossiping about. ¡°Gosh, President Presgrave is such an outstanding man. That woman must have saved the before to gain his attention. The luckiest woman on earth, so to speak!¡± ¡°Yeah, I wonder how it feels to be dating President Presgrave. Tsk. Tsk, He¡¯s so hot. I would swoon if he would even cast a second look at me. ¡°How does it feel? The kind that you would have a sore waist and find it hard to stand straight the next morning! Hahaha!¡± Every female staff inside the elevator burst outughing. Meanwhile, Ellen, standing in the corner of the elevator, shifted as far back to the corner as possible. She wanted so badly for the ground to swallow her up. These people have such a wild imagination! It was just a promotion! Why did I suddenly be the woman in an illicit rtionship with President Presgrave? The elevator finally arrived at the ground floor, and Ellen waited for the female staff to leave before fleeing from the elevator. Her face was flushed bright red. She saw Selena¡¯s car parked outside upon walking out of the front entrance, and she immediately headed over and opened the door to take a seat inside. Meanwhile, Selena studied Ellen intently upon seeing her enter the car. ¡°Is someone hunting you down?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to keep you waiting for too long.¡± Selena started the ignition and asked casually, ¡°Ellie, do you have a boyfriend?¡± Ellen shook her head frantically. ¡°No! I don¡¯t have a boyfriend.¡± Selena was engrossed in her thoughts, Mom mentioned that when Harvey called Ellen this morning, a man iming to be her boyfriend answered the phone, so who¡¯s lying? Selena was quite intent on uncovering all of Ellen¡¯s deepest secrets. ¡°Say, do you want to have spaghetti tonight? Let¡¯s go home and make some,¡± Ellen mentioned. Selena didn¡¯t want spaghetti at all. ¡°Spaghetti again? You¡¯ve just been promoted, so treat me to a meal at a restaurant.¡± Ellen considered Selena¡¯s words before nodding. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡± They went for dinner at a restaurant, and upon entering, Selena behaved much more naturally compared to Ellen, who clearly wasn¡¯t a frequent visitor. Selena went ahead and ordered three hundred worth of food. When it was time to pay, Selena made an excuse to leave and visited the washroom. Ellen was very sporting, and she footed the bill withoutints. She recalled her and her brother being taken into Selena¡¯s home when they were kids. It was a kind deed that Ellen knew to repay. On the other hand, Selena was pleased with the meal. When they arrived back at Ellen¡¯s house, Selena¡¯s bad habits were revealed. Selena was veryzy and didn¡¯t even bother to wash her clothes. After taking something from the shelf, she just left it lying around. Meanwhile, Ellen diligently tidied the living room after Selena went back into her room. Shortly after that, Selena came over to chat with Ellen. As they chatted, Selena purposely mentioned that she would like to have some warm milk and requested Ellen to make it for her. ¡°Ellie, I have a habit of having warm milk before I go to bed. Please could you get it for me?¡± Selena pouted and asked coyly. Next, Selena saw Ellen put down her phone and Selena immediately covered the phone with a pillow. Subsequently, Selena swiftly tapped on the phone to prevent the phone from going into lock mode. Ellen nodded. ¡°Sure, give me a few minutes.¡± Ellen walked out, and Selena instantly took the former¡¯s cell phone to check on it. Yes! It¡¯s not locked. Selena quickly checked the call history and saw a call log with the name ¡°President Presgrave.¡± Suddenly, she felt a rush of exhration and quickly grabbed her cell phone to snap his phone number. At that moment, she also discovered that he had given Ellen a call on a weekend morning. Selena quickly tapped into their text messages. As she read their chat history, an intense look of jealousy shed across her face. Jared and Ellen chatted with each other like friends. Subsequently, Selena checked to see if there were any other men Ellen was in close contact with, but Selena couldn¡¯t find any. Is her social circle actually that tiny?! Selena found this quite hard to believe. Who¡¯s the man that answered her phone this morning? At that moment, Selena was just about to put down the phone when there was a notification of a text message. Selena reached out to tap into the message. Immediately, she was stunned in ce. President Presgrave?! ¡®What are you doing? Are you about to go to bed?¡¯ This was an intimate question, and it was currently ten at night as President Presgrave initiated the chat. Selena somehow replied to the message subconsciously, ¡®Not yet. How about you?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ve just ended work and arrived home not long ago. I¡¯m about to take a shower.¡¯ ¡®Oh! President Presgrave, you must have a well-built body.¡¯ ¡®Would you like to check it out?¡¯ At that moment, Selena felt increasingly flustered as she replied to Jared¡¯s text. She didn¡¯t expect Jared to be such a flirty person in private. She considered it and wondered whether Ellen would me her for replying to Jared¡¯s text. However, Selena felt an intense yearning within her as she boldly replied, ¡®Yes, I would like to check it out of course!¡¯ Thereafter, he sent over a photo soon enough. In the picture, the man lifted his white shirt in front of the camera and revealed his enchanting six-pack abs. He was definitely the most well-built man Selena had ever seen, and she could even see his V-line abs. Selena hurriedly grabbed her cell phone and snapped a photo of that. Gosh! President Presgrave and Ellen are that close to each other?! Does that mean if Ellen offers to be with him, he will wee her with open hands too? ¡®Do I look good?¡¯ He sent another text message. ¡®Yes! You look awesome! Is there more?¡¯ Selena posed as Ellen and asked. Suddenly, a phone call came in on Ellen¡¯s phone, and immediately, the phone felt like a piece of hot coal to Selena because the person calling was Jared. Ah! Ah! This is insane! Selena realized that Ellen woulde back inside if she heard her cell phone go off, so she had no choice but to answer the call. A chuckle in a low voice came from the other end of the line. ¡°Darling, what else do you want to see?¡± Selena listened to his maic voice and sensed the pent-up, contradictory emotions in his voice. He was usually such a solemn man in public, but his voice sounded captivating through the speakers. She didn¡¯t dare to make a sound, so she had no choice but to hang up the phone before quickly sending a message as a reply. ¡®My cousin¡¯s here with me, so it¡¯s inconvenient for me to take the call. Good night and rest well.¡¯ After Selena said that, she swiftly deleted every single message from before. He replied, ¡®Okay. Good night.¡¯ After deleting the messages and making sure that Jared stopped sending any messages, Selena finally heaved a sigh of relief. However, she couldn¡¯t contain the raging jealous emotions within her. At that instance, Ellen came over with some warm milk. Selena hurriedly flung Ellen¡¯s phone aside and pretended nothing had happened. ¡°Ellie, I¡¯ll head back to my room.¡± Selena took the ss of milk from Ellen after saying that and went back to her room guiltily. Meanwhile, Ellen wanted to look at the time, so she took the pillow aside and found her cell phone tucked underneath. She took it and nced at the time. 11.00PM. I have work tomorrow. Let¡¯s stop the game. She decided to shut her eyes and go to bed. As for Selena, she had trouble sleeping in the room next door as she couldn¡¯t stop admiring the photo Jared had sent. She became increasingly jealous as she continued to look at the photo. That was because Jared had sent the photo specifically to Ellen. This indicated that, in his mind, he hoped that Ellen was the only one who enjoyed that photo. Selena thought she should feel quite smug to have done what she did, but actually, she felt terrible, and the upset feeling that hit her caused her to have trouble sleeping. Meanwhile, Ellen had a good night¡¯s sleep, and the following morning, Ellen knocked on Selena¡¯s room to wake Selena up. Finding it tough to get out of bed, Selena told Ellen she wanted to take the day off to catch up on some sleep and told Ellen to go ahead to work alone. Ellen had no choice but to leave for work first, and she hailed a cab to work. Before she arrived at work, Ellen¡¯s cell phone went off. She looked at the caller ID and was shocked because it was Jared on the line. ¡°Hello, President Presgrave. Have you arrived at work?¡± ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m about to arrive.¡± ¡°Don¡¯te upstairs. Wait for me at the entrance, and I¡¯ll bring you to get some breakfast.¡± Jared hung up upon saying that and didn¡¯t give her a chance to say no. Meanwhile, Ellen felt slightly awkward. Is my job here just to keep himpany for meals? This is such an easy job! Although Ellen stood at the entrance, she chose a secluded spot in the corner because she was worried about being the topic of spection. The gossip she had heard in the elevator yesterday frightened her. Jared was quite eagle-eyed and spotted her, so he elerated and drove his sports car in front of her. She quickly yanked the door open to take a seat inside as soon as she noticed that Jared had parked the car. Jared directed aplicated look at her with his deep eyes, and Ellen could feel him staring at her, so she blinked. ¡°Is there something on my face?¡± ¡°No.¡± Jared curved his lips slightly. This is unexpected. This girl was actually bold enough to titite me last night, but now, she¡¯s putting on an innocent front. Is she aware that I was kept awake until two in the morningst night because of that? He couldn¡¯t tell why she would want to check out his abs and wondered whether she felt something for him. Jared took the opportunity to look at thedy next to him as he looked in the rearview mirror. She had a dainty face that was quite innocent-looking, and she kept mum about her tititing actionsst night. ¡°Did you have a good night¡¯s sleepst night?¡± He couldn¡¯t help asking. She nodded. ¡°Yes. I did.¡± ¡°How would you rate my body?¡± Jared suddenly wanted her to give a rating. After all, she had seen it at no cost. Hearing that, she blushed bright red and stared aghast at her big boss. What¡¯s wrong with President Presgrave today? Why did he suddenly want me to rate his body? ¡°It¡¯s great. It¡¯s better than a model¡¯s figure.¡± Ellen could only choose someplimentary words. Besides, he did actually have an exceptional figure. ¡°So¡­ Do you like it?¡± Jared turned his head and asked. At that point, Ellen blushed bright red once again, and she replied brazenly, ¡°Every girl would like it.¡± What¡¯s wrong with President Presgrave? Ellen was quite dumbfounded deep down. Meanwhile, Jared curved his lips into a smile. That means she actually loves it, huh? No wonder it wasn¡¯t enough for herst night, and she wanted to see more. What else does she actually want from me? There is only my face left, other than my figure. Is she hinting at something else? ¡°Ellen, do you like me?¡± Jared suddenly asked. At that point, Ellen¡¯s mind buzzed. Did President Presgrave get dumped by someone? Why is he suddenly randomly asking someone whether they like him or not?! ¡°Of course, I do! You¡¯re my boss, so how could I possibly dislike you?¡± Ellen replied with a smile. ¡°What if I wasn¡¯t your boss? Would you still like me?¡± Jared asked. Ellen¡¯s reply was not to his liking. She nodded once again. ¡°Yes, I would still like you.¡± After Jared heard that, he kept having a feeling that she wasn¡¯t sincere and sounded perfunctory. Shouldn¡¯t she be specific and list out what she likes about me? She wasn¡¯t ambiguous like this when she teased mest night. Just then, they arrived at the breakfast joint, and Ellen finally got out of the car with slightly wobbly knees as soon as he parked the car. There is something wrong with President Presgrave today. Why is he acting so strange? Ellen trudged along upstairs by trailing after the man in front of her. At the same time, she couldn¡¯t stop studying his body from top to bottom. His figure is even more perfect than a model¡¯s. His clothes also perfectly entuate that! Ellen cupped her chin with her hands after they had taken a seat and ordered their meal. Inadvertently, her eyes met his as he stared at her from across the table. Her heart raced in response. The look in President Presgrave¡¯s eyes is strange. Why does he keep staring at me? Is there some dirt on my face? ¡°President Presgrave, did I do something wrong?¡± Ellen asked gingerly. Jared immediately continued the topic unfinished from the previous night and restarted the conversation, ¡°Other than my body, what else would you like to check out?¡± ¡°Uhh. I¡­¡± Ellen looked at him red-faced. Since when did I say that I wanted to check out his body? Other than his body, what else could I check out? Why does his question sound so intimate? Red as a tomato, Ellen considered the situation for quite some time but couldn¡¯t seem toe up with a suitable reply to this intimate question. Subsequently, she gulped and said, ¡°President Presgrave, did someone dump you?¡± His questions were just too unusual, and it felt like he was trying to prove his masculinity. Could it be because some woman broke up with him? Jared was taking a sip of water, and upon hearing her question, he choked on the water and sputtered. He coughed softly for a moment before lifting his head to stare at her with glittering eyes. What sort of question is that?! I don¡¯t even have a girlfriend, so how could I possibly be dumped?! ¡°I had trouble sleepingst night because of you. Don¡¯t you think you should make up for it?¡± Jared said this with a huff. Ellen was confused from the moment she met him today. At that instant, she was even more so perplexed. I caused him to have trouble sleeping? How? And I am supposed to make up for it? ¡°President Presgrave, could you make things clearer? How did I cause you to lose sleep? What did I do to youst night?¡± Ellen blinked herrge eyes and revealed an innocent look. Jared had no choice but to take out his phone and retrievest night¡¯s chat history to show her. ¡°Refresh your memory.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but reach out for his cell phone to take a look. Her pretty eyes widened, and her mouth was agape when she saw their chat historyst night. When did I talk about this with himst night? I-I actually requested that he take a photo to show me too?! As she looked at the photo of him revealing his abs, she couldn¡¯t help but take another look. Subsequently, Ellen took out her cell phone to check their chat history from her end, but she saw nothing at all. She couldn¡¯t help recalling thatst night, during that period, she had gone to warm some milk for Selena. Maybe Selena chatted with him using my phone? That must be it! Ellen was mortified and angered inside. How could she do something like that?! She conveniently took my phone and chatted about such an intimate topic with President Presgrave! How am I supposed to end this? Ellen always behaved respectably, but looking atst night¡¯s chat history, the things she said made her seem so lustful. Do I really have to tell him that the things yesterday were sent by Selena? It would make the situation even awkward! In the end, Ellen had no choice but to take the rap for everything. ¡°Oh! Yesterday I-I drank some alcohol, so I was a little wasted. President Presgrave, please don¡¯t be mad at me. That were just some random things I said. Please don¡¯t take them to heart.¡± Ellen could only conjure up a random excuse. Meanwhile, Jared narrowed his eyes slightly. ¡°Why did you drink alcohol sote at night?¡± ¡°Well, I-I found it hard to go to sleep, so I drank a tiny ss,¡± Ellen said with a bright-red face before looking at him awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯m not secretly interested in you, alright?¡± After Jared heard her exnation, his expression turned darker than before. She is not interested in me but purely enjoys checking out my body, huh? ¡°Don¡¯t drink alcohol unnecessarily next time, and don¡¯t send such tititing stuff to anyone else randomly!¡± Jared instructed her domineeringly. Ellen immediately nodded in response. She promised meekly, ¡°I promise I won¡¯t.¡± Jared was significantly vexed. After all that, she isn¡¯t interested in me at all? It was just her rambling in a drunken state! Meanwhile, she was also quite frustrated deep inside. Using my phone to chat with Jared and then deleting the chat history?! This has crossed the line! She had agreed to allow Selena to stay with her, but that didn¡¯t mean Selena was allowed to breach her privacy in this way. ¡°President Presgrave, I¡¯m sorry if I have offended you. Please forgive me,¡± Ellen apologized because she found that her actions were truly affrontive. ¡°That¡¯s alright.¡± Jared lifted his brows and nced at her. Actually, I enjoy being affronted like this. After breakfast, Jared returned to thepany with her for a meeting. As for Selena, she finally got out of bed. After rummaging in the kitchen for food for quite some time but to no avail, Selena went downstairs to grab a bite. She opened the door and waited for the elevator with her bag in her hand. Soon, the elevator arrived. Ping! Selena was startled when the elevator doors opened. It was because the person standing in front of Selena was her male manager. ¡°Mr. Rhodes, do you live here?¡± Selena asked in surprise. Jeffrey nced at her and said, ¡°Yes, I live here.¡± Selena entered the elevator awkwardly. Subsequently, Jeffrey asked, ¡°Do you live here as well?¡± ¡°M-My cousin lives here.¡± Selena was slightly nervous as she replied. ¡°What position does your cousin hold in thepany?¡± ¡°S-She works at the level of the president¡¯s office.¡± ¡°Oh! That makes sense then.¡± The elevator stopped at two levels below them, and two people entered the elevator. They greeted Jeffrey warmly. ¡°Hi, Mr. Rhodes.¡± At that point, Selena was shocked to discover that everyone knew each other. Furthermore, she faintly remembered that one of them was the director of the Finance Department. ¡°Why does everyone live here? This is such a coincidence,¡± Selena interrupted. ¡°This is the residential area provided by thepany for the management-level staff, so that¡¯s why we all live here!¡± the female director mentioned. Selena couldn¡¯t contain her shock and quickly asked, ¡°Are the houses here avable for rent for the public?¡± ¡°This is a residential area developed by ourpany, so none of the properties has ever been rented out to the public. Those who are eligible to stay here hold at least a managerial position in the company. Which department do you work in?¡± The female director couldn¡¯t contain her curiosity and asked. At that point, Ellen was mortified. She had no other option but to say, ¡°I-I work under Mr. Rhodes.¡± ¡°Her cousin lives here,¡± Jeffrey quickly exined, just in case they misunderstood that something was going on between him and his female subordinate. ¡°Which department does your cousin work in?¡± ¡°She works at the president¡¯s office.¡± Quite impressed, the female director instantly replied, ¡°Your cousin¡¯s very capable to get a job by the president¡¯s side at such a young age.¡± Selena exited the elevator, significantly dumbstruck. So, Ellen actually lied to me! This isn¡¯t a ce she rented at all! She was granted this amodation for free by thepany! How on earth did Ellen get this perk? The location and amenities of this residential area are way more luxurious and better than my area! Ugh, how could she lie to me?! Selena was angered beyond words and reached out for her phone to give Ellen a call. Ellen was coincidentally free at the moment, and upon seeing the call from Selena, she answered it angrily, ¡°Ellen speaking!¡± ¡°Ellen, how could you lie to me! The house you¡¯re staying at right now isn¡¯t a rental property at all! It¡¯s a luxury apartment provided by thepany!¡± Stunned, Ellen didn¡¯t expect Selena to have found out, but Ellen admitted frankly, ¡°Yes, it is provided by thepany.¡± ¡°So why did you lie to me? I¡¯m your cousin!¡± ¡°Yeah. Are you still in my house?¡± ¡°Yes, of course!¡± ¡°Please gather your belonging right now and move out of my home. You¡¯re no longer wee to stay.¡± ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°Last night, you secretly used my phone and sent some flirty messages to President Presgrave. Don¡¯t assume I¡¯m unaware of things!¡± Ellen furiously exposed Selena¡¯s misdeed. Selena was taken aback by that. She didn¡¯t expect Ellen to find out, so she ended up saying, ¡°It wasn¡¯t intentional. Your phone was by my side, so I randomly replied to a few messages. I was worried that you would tell me off, so I deleted the messages.¡± ¡°Are you aware that by sending those messages, you¡¯ve created a huge misunderstanding for me and President Presgrave?¡± Ellen was enraged. As soon as Selena heard that, she was secretly delighted. Did President Presgrave get mad at her and told her off? ¡°Why? Did you get told off by President Presgrave?¡± ¡°No, he didn¡¯t. He misunderstood and wondered whether I was interested in him.¡± ¡°You could have told him that I was the one who sent those messages!¡± In fact, Selena hoped that Ellen would do that. As such, Selena¡¯s presence would be known to Jared. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous! I had no choice but to admit that I was the one who sent those messages. Next time, please don¡¯t touch my cell phone without permission!¡± Ellen hung up the phone immediately after saying that. Originally, Selena had thought thatst night¡¯s text message exchange was great, but right now, she was quite unhappy. At this point, she regretted her actions for teasing President Presgrave provocatively on Ellen¡¯s behalf. After all, Ellen wasn¡¯t the type of person to tease a man on her own initiative at all. Besides, Ellen wouldn¡¯t know how to. Since Ellen had admitted to being the message senderst night, President Presgrave would surely be more infatuated with her and her suggestive messages. At that moment, Selena was deeply regretful of her actions. She had unintentionally broken the barrier between Ellen and Jared and had made way for an intimate rtionship between them. Over at the conference room. Jared¡¯s lips curled for a while as he held his cup of Joe. It wasn¡¯t sweetened coffee, but it tasted sweet to him. It looks like she must be cute when she¡¯s drunk! I¡¯ll like to get to know her. When he thought about asking her whether she liked him earlier that morning, he found itical. Ellen was still annoyed and blushed at that thought. If she admitted that she was the one who sent those chat messages, wouldn¡¯t that mean that she really had something with Jared? No, no. She shook her head. I just want to stay by his side and work well. I can¡¯t afford to think about unrealistic matters. When he returned to the office, Stanley handed him an invitation card and asked, ¡°President Presgrave, there is a charity event this Friday. Do you need me to reject it?¡± Jared waved his hand. ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡¯ll go.¡± Stanley was taken aback because Jared was never a big fan of such events. So, why is he going this time? Selena arrived at thepany in the afternoon and she couldn¡¯t help asking where Ellen lived in. The answer she received was that Ellen lived in an amodation that the senior management had helped to arrange. Damn. I¡¯m jealous of her. She thought it was Jared who arranged Ellen¡¯s amodation instead of the Human Resources Department! As soon as she remembered Jared mentioning that he had a girlfriend, Selena wondered why he had to treat a mere assistant so well. ¡°Is President Presgrave taken?¡± ¡°Nope. I¡¯m sure of this,¡± one of the female employees answered. ¡°How are you so sure?¡± Selena queried. ¡°I have a senior who works in the senior management at headquarters. I just asked her about this two days ago. Forget about womening in and out of President Presgrave¡¯s office. He doesn¡¯t have anyone throwing themselves at his feet either.¡± ¡°What if she never visits the office?¡± ¡°Impossible. When President Presgrave is swamped with work, he¡¯ll be cooped up in his office for the entire week. Selena couldn¡¯t help but clench her fists in anger. ¡°In that case, that means he doesn¡¯t have a girlfriend?¡± ¡°Of course. I mean, that¡¯s something that all the females in the office are concerned about. Don¡¯t tell me I heard wrongly?¡± The female employee was confident with her news. Damn it, Ellen. You lied to me again! Selena was close to blowing her top because she couldn¡¯t understand Ellen¡¯s intention in doing what she did. Could it be that Ellen wanted Jared all to herself? What a scheming woman! I thought she was an innocent child, but she looks like she is tricking me. Damn. Selena was about to die of anger because the person whom she looked down upon had duped her. No wonder Jared quickly fell for the ruse when she took Ellen¡¯s call to trick him. It looked like he was really single, but if that was the case, didn¡¯t it mean that she dug her own grave by helping Ellen to seduce him? She was so annoyed that she wanted to p herself because her malice turned out to be Ellen¡¯s guiding star. The more she thought about it, the more Ellen was exasperated. She noticed that it was 3.30PM and set aside her cup of Joe to head to the elevators. She could no longer stomach her anger; she wanted to seek out Ellen and demand why Ellen lied to her. The floor of the headquarters was serene. When Ellen arrived, she ran into one of the female assistants and hurriedly asked, ¡°Hello, may I know where Ellen¡¯s office is?¡± ¡°Over there,¡± the female assistant replied in haste and pointed in the direction of Ellen¡¯s office. Selena immediately headed in that direction and saw Ellen having arge desk from the floor-to-ceiling window, which immediately made her envious because Ellen was a mere assistant but had a spacious workspace. When she unceremoniously opened the door and entered, she frightened Ellen, who then raised her head. As soon as she did so, she noticed Selenaing toward her with aggression. Ellen was slightly angered upon noticing her. ¡°Do you have something, Selena?¡± ¡°Ellen, I¡¯ve underestimated you. I never expected you to resemble a white rabbit but a person who schemes behind the scenes.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡± Ellen frowned. ¡°Firstly, you lied that you rented your residence. Iter found out that the senior management of Presgrave Group arranged the ce for you. Secondly, you imed that President Presgrave has a girlfriend, but I heard he¡¯s single. All these are part of your n because you know that if I don¡¯t fight with you over him, you¡¯ll be his girlfriend,¡± Selena roared. Ellen¡¯s pretty face flushed as she didn¡¯t refute Selena¡¯s words. She lied to Selena, but she didn¡¯t mean to do so. When Selena saw Ellen¡¯s reaction, she broke into a sneer. ¡°What¡¯s up? Do you still want to exin things?¡± ¡°There are two things I lied to you about,¡± Ellen mentioned as she shook her head and looked at Selena. ¡°I don¡¯t want to exin it. And I don¡¯t owe any obligation to you to do so.¡± ¡°Ellen, let me tell you this. Things won¡¯t end well for you if you provoke me. Since you dare to lie to me, just you wait!¡± Selena warned. ¡°Up to you.¡± Ellen met Selena¡¯s gaze without any fear. ¡°Move out of my house, please.¡± ¡°Do you think I even wanted to say there? I¡¯ll have you know that my parents are within a distance of us. I intentionally moved to your ce, but I never expected you to believe my reasons.¡± Selena couldn¡¯t help but mock Ellen¡¯s stupidity. Ellen¡¯s face flushed deeper. It was not due to shame but rather anger. She had kindly epted Selena into her house, but Selena had turned around and criticized that she was stupid for doing so. At this moment, Selena heard footsteps that sounded like they belonged to a man. Her heart raced as she thought, Could it be President Presgrave? She also wanted to see whether she could meet him or not. As the footsteps became louder, she peeked out the window to see a handsome figure appearing within view. Sure enough, God had answered her prayers because Jared had indeed shown up. Jared also noticed her and entered Ellen¡¯s office thereafter. Selena¡¯s heart skipped a beat. My God! He¡¯s really here! She felt that this was a good opportunity to ruin Jared¡¯s impression of Ellen. Ellen was also nervous because she had no idea why he swung by. ¡°Do you have anything, President Presgrave?¡± Without even waiting for Jared to answer, Selena interrupted and answered, ¡°I need to have a word with you, President Presgrave.¡± This was enough to make Ellen worrisome as she tried to plead with Selena not to say anything. ¡°It¡¯s about Ellen,¡± Selena added. ¡°What is it?¡± When he heard that it was about Ellen, Jared curiously asked. Seeing that Ellen had gone pale made Selena proud as her lips curled upward. ¡°President Presgrave, did you know that I have been staying at Ellen¡¯s ce for the past two days? She¡¯s a liar who spreads lies.¡± ¡°Selena! Please don¡¯t say,¡± Ellen begged as she sped her hands tightly. ¡°I¡¯m still going to say it. I want President Presgrave to see what kind of person you are.¡± Selena seemed to have gotten leverage over Ellen. On the other end, Jared frowned, but he could tell that Selena seemed pleased with what she had done. She continued, ¡°She lives in thepany-provided amodation, right? When I asked her about it, she lied that it was a rented ce. Then, I asked whether our boss was taken, to which she said yes. You are single, President Presgrave, but she told me the opposite. I want to tell the truth on these two matters so that you can pursue the person you fancy! She¡¯s quite a schemer, don¡¯t you think?¡± Ellen¡¯s beautiful eyes dropped when she heard that. She had lied to Selena, which was why she felt helpless when Selena decided to spill the beans. Now that Selena revealed the truth to Jared, Ellen felt ashamed. Jared looked at the silent Ellen before he turned to Selena. Then, he addressed Ellen, ¡°Ellen, do you want to exin things?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to because I lied to her,¡± Ellen admitted. ¡°But I want to hear it,¡± Jared insisted in seriousness. She was startled and turned to look at the solemn man as she felt pressured. Selena snorted because she knew that Jared would see what kind of person Ellen was. Let¡¯s see how you¡¯ll wriggle your way out! As Ellen never expected that she¡¯d be forced to exin, she took a deep breath and nodded. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll exin those two matters. Firstly, the Human Resource Department Manager warned me not to tell anyone about the amodation part. So, I¡¯m sorry, Selena. I lied to you. As for me saying that President Presgrave has a girlfriend, that¡¯s also a lie,¡± she admitted. ¡°Please. You¡¯re full of lies! President Presgrave has no girlfriend, but you spread rumors that he has. What¡¯s your intention? Could it be you wanted an exclusive chance with him?¡± Selena sneered again because Ellen was unqualified to be Jared¡¯s girlfriend. Ellen hurriedly exined, ¡°No, I don¡¯t mean that. I just hoped that you won¡¯t disturb President Presgrave¡¯s work and personal life.¡± ¡°Who are you to care about his life? You are just President Presgrave¡¯s assistant. Did you think you are his girlfriend? Even if he has bad taste, he will not have the hots for you!¡± Selena shouted at that moment, making it sound like her words made sense. Ellen¡¯s face flushed even redder. She felt that Jared was looking at her and she had the urge to flee the scene in embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ellen,¡± she apologized sincerely for her lies. Seeing that she had scolded Ellen to the point where Ellen was so embarrassed, Selena suddenly felt that Jared would hate her too. However, when she turned in his direction, she noticed his gaze was on Ellen, but it wasn¡¯t one of annoyance. Am I hallucinating? He is distressed on her behalf? Selena couldn¡¯t help but panic. ¡°President Presgrave, you should know best what kind of person she is. Not only that, but I knew that she tried to seduce you through the messages. She has ulterior motives toward you,¡± she said in her attempt to portray Ellen as a bad person. ¡°Selena, I admit that I¡¯m in the wrong. Please stop speaking.¡± Ellen raised her head to stop Selena from telling more. Selena sneered and added, ¡°My cousin is with someone whom my parents introduced as a date, but she won¡¯t separate from you, President Presgrave. What a busy person she is!¡± This was enough to cause Ellen to snap. ¡°Stop spewing nonsense! Harvey and I are no longer in contact.¡± ¡°President Presgrave, Ellen has an innocent-looking face, but she actually schemes. She has resorted to all tactics to lie to you.¡± Selena disliked Ellen so much that she wanted to ruin Ellen¡¯s reputation. Jared looked at Selena with aplicated look before he turned to Ellen, who apologized under his gaze. ¡°President Presgrave, I¡¯m sorry. I lied to you.¡± ¡°About what?¡± He narrowed his eyes. ¡°Yesterday¡¯s messages were all sent by Selena, not me. She took the opportunity to text you when I was away. In the morning, I told you that I was drunk texting you. That was a lie.¡± Ellen was so ashamed that she couldn¡¯t look him in the eye, which left him sad. The expression on Selena¡¯s face changed because she never expected Ellen to turn the tables on her. She quickly imed, ¡°I didn¡¯t intend to. I was replying to the text messages that you sent Ellen on impulse, President Presgrave.¡± The frown on Jared¡¯s face deepened. Now that Ellen had finally raised her head and met Jared¡¯s gaze with clear eyes, she went on, ¡°I would never dare to show any disrespect to you or possess any fantasies about you, President Presgrave. I just want to do my job and be the best employee that I can.¡± These words left him insecure. Why is she expressing her honesty? Did she think I would like it? Selena sneered. ¡°Ellen, I don¡¯t know whether your words are true. You¡¯re always by President Presgrave¡¯s side, but you dare to im that you think about him? Don¡¯t you have a crush on him or something?¡± ¡°I know where I stand. I know that my background doesn¡¯t match his, so I have my boundaries,¡± Ellen retorted. ¡°Ohhh! Your denial means you still have tricks up your sleeve, though. Don¡¯t think I¡¯m unaware that you want President Presgrave to notice you. You have been dirt poor since young, so you want to rely on him to rise!¡± Selena was adamant about revealing the reason why Ellen got close to Jared. Ellen¡¯s eyes turned red due to her anger. ¡°Nonsense. I¡¯ve never thought about this before and never will.¡± As his chest heaved up and down, he finally interrupted and stopped Selena from continuing her attack on Ellen. ¡°Stop it and shut up.¡± Selena was shocked because she hadn¡¯t vented enough of her frustrations on Ellen! It was only at that moment that he turned to look at Ellen and softly said, ¡°Ellen, I¡¯ve never cared about your background, so you shouldn¡¯t either. Nothing is difficult if you set your heart and soul on it. If you don¡¯t try, how would you know whether you¡¯ve seeded or not?¡± Ellen was already rendered confused by the argument with Selena, so she couldn¡¯t understand what Jared inferred. However, Selena did as her eyes widened. She was stunned and looked at Ellen in disbelief because she didn¡¯t know what was going on. At the end of the day, Jared wasn¡¯t ming Ellen even after Selena tried to fan the mes. He looked at Selena before turning to Ellen with doubt. His thin lips were raised as he asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you understand what I said?¡± Ellen nodded. ¡°I understand!¡± In actual fact, she didn¡¯t. ¡°Don¡¯t be my assistant. Be my girlfriend instead!¡± He cut to the chase. His words took the breath out of her and she almost fainted. ¡°President Presgrave, how can someone like her be your girlfriend?¡± an angered Selena demanded. ¡°You are actually wrong. The rtionship between Ellen and me doesn¡¯t stem from her wooing me. Rather, I¡¯m the one who¡¯s after her. It¡¯s just that she¡¯s too dense to even realize what I mean,¡± Jared exined coldly to Selena. Ellen suddenly felt that she couldn¡¯t continue with her job and turned to him. ¡°I quit, President Presgrave. I¡¯m doing this job.¡± She wanted to return to her previous life where she didn¡¯t have any worries whatsoever. Now that she had a million in her savings, she could do whatever it was that she wanted to do in the past like be a volunteer or work in a pet shop. Heck, I don¡¯t mind returning to my previous job as a barista too! He suddenly snorted. ¡°Try me! The liquidated damages you have to pay is a million.¡± Her hand holding the bag froze. Do you have to be mean? I have a million in savings and you want me topensate you with it? Selena was just as shocked because it looked like she was the outsider as he tried to shower Ellen with affection. ¡°You can¡¯t ask me to pay so much.¡± Ellen tried to negotiate. She couldn¡¯t bear to part with one million. Selena was obviously unaware of the way Jared and Ellen socialized with each other. Apart from an employer-subordinate rtionship, they even had a friendship going on. ¡°Stay here and work. Don¡¯t go anywhere. You can tell anyone that I have a girlfriend. Heck, even if you were to announce to the world that I¡¯m taken, I won¡¯t me you. If anyone asks me, I¡¯ll just say that you are my girlfriend. I want you to know what it means to reap what you sow.¡± He punished Ellen for this lie because he wanted her to be his girlfriend. ¡°I¡¯m in the wrong, okay? I¡¯m apologizing to you, but I don¡¯t want to be your girlfriend,¡± Ellen rejected. Being Jared¡¯s girlfriend meant enduring the countless pressure from others, so she would much prefer being single. Selena almost snapped in jealousy because the man she dreamed of was rejected by Ellen. Jared seemed to expect Ellen¡¯s reaction. He was neither angry nor annoyed; rather, he was merely helpless. Chapter 1571-1580 Chapter 1571-1580 Jared said to Selena, ¡°Had you not been rmended by your father, I¡¯d have fired you right now.¡± At this moment, Stanley finally found Jared here after spending a long time looking for the man to no avail. He urged at the door, ¡°President Presgrave, it¡¯s time for the meeting.¡± Jared darted a look at Ellen. Then, he warned her, ¡°Stay here,¡± before leaving. In the office, Selena¡¯s face was livid one moment and pale the next. Looking somewhat ferocious, she looked daggers at Ellen, asking, ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with President Presgrave?¡± Having seen through this cousin of hers, Ellen didn¡¯t bother to answer her question. She retorted, ¡°Is that any of your business?¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Selena looked at the youngdy before her, who reeked of poverty from her very bones except for her pretty looks. ¡°This can¡¯t be possible! How could you be good enough for President Presgrave? What is it about you that qualifies you to catch his fancy?¡± In a rare moment, Ellen¡¯s face hardened, though her expression was already frosty in the first ce. She pointed to the door, saying, ¡°Please get out.¡± Selena was stunned for a second before she realized she was being chased away¡ªand by Ellen of all people. ¡°J-Just you wait! I¡¯ll make you pay for the humiliation I suffered today!¡± she threatened. With that, she tossed her head and left. Exhausted, Ellen slumped into the chair as though she had just fought a war. Resting her head in her hands, she felt an overpowering weariness sweep over her. Her brain was fatigued; her cheeks burned again without her knowing when she looked back on what Jared had said just now. Am I too stupid to notice that he¡¯s been courting me all the time? But has he ever courted me? she asked herself inwardly in hindsight. Nothing of the sort! Ah, my mind¡¯s confused. Let¡¯s not think about this anymore. Just calm down and do some reading instead! On the other hand, Selena went downstairs and returned to her desk. She looked at her small office, then at Ellen¡¯srge, spacious office. She had never felt so aggrieved before and reflected on what Jared had said. So, Jared fell in love with Ellen first and has been courting her since then? And he said Ellen was stupid for not noticing that? Selena bit her lip. How could Ellen be so lucky? This made her feel kind of resentful, as though her life had been wasted before this. It was like no matter how hard she tried to get luck on her side, she could never be as lucky as Ellen, who met Jared. Indeed, her family was rich, but it was simply nothing to speak ofpared to the Presgraves. She was really green with jealousy. The Presgrave Family¡¯s money had never crossed her mind, but she had always dreamed of having Jared to herself ever since she firstid eyes on him. But now, he actually fell in love with Ellen, a poor rtive whom she looked down on the most. That¡¯s even more distressing than death, no? Just in what way is Ellen better than me? She closed her eyes. Just then, her phone rang; she picked it up and took a look. Seeing that it was a phone call from a rich dandy whom she had gotten to know abroad, she immediatelyposed herself and answered the phone. ¡°Hey, Charlie!¡± ¡°Lena, I heard that you¡¯re back in the country. I have a dinner party this Friday that I¡¯d like to invite you to join.¡± ¡°A dinner party? What kind of dinner party is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a charity dinner that¡¯ll absolutely be fun.¡± Selena was someone who judged people by their appearances. Charlie Dune¡¯s family was rich, but she turned up her nose at him because he was over 220 pounds. This time, however, she wasn¡¯t going to give up the opportunity to attend such a dinner party. Hence, she replied with a smile, ¡°Well, then, let¡¯s have fun together!¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll pick you up then, so dress up for the party!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t make you look bad,¡± Selena replied with a smile before ending the phone call. As soon as she hung up the phone, though, she had goosebumps all over in disgust. Still, she was really in a foul mood today and had to look for something that would make her happy. Getting off work earlier than she was supposed to, she first went back to Ellen¡¯s ce to pack her belongings. Ellen had given Selena the key to her ce. At this moment, having packed her belongings there, Selena vented her anger by deliberately messing up the ce. Not only that, she even smashed one of its ornaments to pieces. Seeing how the ce looked like it had been ransacked, she couldn¡¯t help butugh gloatingly. However, just when she was about to leave, Ellen pushed the door open and came in from the outside, having returned from work. The two women looked at each other. Then, seeing the chaos all over the ce, Ellen clenched her fists and burned with anger, saying, ¡°You¡¯ve gone too far, Selena!¡± Selena looked at her disdainfully. She scoffed, ¡°So what if I¡¯m going too far? I haven¡¯t had enough of smashing things yet! Even if I smash everything here, I can afford to pay for it. How¡¯s that?¡± Ellen clenched her fists even tighter. Seeing the smashed ornament on the floor, she finally lost thest of her patience. Suddenlying at Selena, she grabbed her by the hair, pinned her to the floor, and started beating her, yelling, ¡°Why did you have to smash everything here? This ce isn¡¯t mine!¡± ¡°Ouch! It hurts! Get your hands off me, damn Ellen!¡± Selena forgot to fight back; she was momentarily preupied with the pain of being straddled by Ellen and pulled by the hair. Ellen held onto a handful of Selena¡¯s hair and refused to let go as she boiled with rage. ¡°So what if you can afford to pay for it? Who let you smash these things?¡± Selena had never been treated like this before. She yelled angrily, ¡°Let go of me! Get your hands off me now!¡± ¡°Apologize for what you did!¡± Ellen demanded an apology. Ellen would rather die than say sorry to her, though. ¡°To hell if I¡¯ll do that!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to leave until you apologize,¡± Ellen said, pressuring her while continuing to pull her by the hair. Atst, Selena ignored the pain and fought back, pinching Ellen¡¯s waist hard and getting up while the latter was in pain. Then, she struck back by swinging her bag at Ellen, forcing thetter to put up her arms to fend her off. As a result, the metal on her bag instantly cut Ellen¡¯s arm, causing several drops of blood to stain thetter¡¯s shirt red. ¡°Aah!¡± Ellen¡¯s face turned pale in pain. Seeing the blood on her arm, Selena stopped her attack, her hair disheveled. At this very moment, she just wanted to leave here as soon as possible lest Ellen went crazy again. ¡°I¡¯ll remember this,¡± she didn¡¯t forget to threaten before leaving. Ellen sat on the sofa and opened her shirt. When she saw the cut on her forearm, a sudden bout of grievance washed over her, causing her to burst into tears for a moment. Crying nonstop, she picked up a piece of tissue and wiped the blood away as tears blurred her eyes. Meanwhile, shortly after Selena left by cab downstairs, a man took the elevator at the underground parking lot and went upstairs. Jared got out of the meeting, only to realize that Ellen had left beforehand. He couldn¡¯t help worrying that she might actually quit her job, so he had no choice but toe over and talk with her to dissuade her from doing so. He reached the door to her apartment, but just when he wanted to press the doorbell, he noticed that the door was half open and unlocked. As it turned out, Selena had merely yanked the door shut and gone out while leaving in a great hurry just now. Thanks to inertia, the door closed automatically, but it wasn¡¯t locked. Jared¡¯s heart clenched at the sight of this. How could she be so careless as not to close the door properly? This neighborhood is pretty good in terms of security, but it¡¯s still dangerous if shees across bad people. He pushed the door open and came in. The next instant, he saw the mess on the floor and Ellen, who was crying and sitting on the sofa with her hand mped over her arm. Noticing that someone had entered, Ellen raised her teary eyes in fright to see her bosse uninvited. Startled, she stood up in a panic. The tissue paper plugging the wound on her arm fell off, revealing a bleeding cut that was almost an inch long. ¡°What happened? How did you get hurt?¡± Jared quickly came over and grabbed her arm before examining the wound. Ellen hurriedly shook her head. Not wanting him to worry, she even hid her arm guiltily. ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­ I just hurt myself by ident.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on with your ce? Was it a break-in or something?¡± Jared looked around the ce. Then, recalling something, he went to the living room cab and rummaged around in it. As he had expected, he found a first-aid kit, which he took out before walking up to her. ¡°Sit down and let me bandage your wound.¡± Ellen had no choice but to sit down. Jared opened the first-aid kit and took out some cotton balls and a bandage. At this moment, Ellen couldn¡¯t be bothered by the pain. She wiped her tears in secret, not wanting to appear too fragile in front of the man. ¡°What in the world happened? How did you get hurt?¡± Jared asked with a frown, but his hand movements were extremely gentle. Ellen let him bandage her wound while exining with a sigh, ¡°Selena messed up my ce on purpose before moving out. When I pulled her by the hair and asked her to apologize, she hit me with her bag. The cut on my arm was made by the metal on her bag.¡± Jared felt incredibly sick at the thought of Selena. Why is Ellen always surrounded by such ill-bred rtives? ¡°Did she apologize to you, then?¡± he asked. Ellen shook her head, saying, ¡°No, she didn¡¯t.¡± Even so, she was d to have taken action this time. Even though she got hurt as a result, she was at least not weak anymore. Jared said, ¡°Just stay away from these rtives as much as you can from now on.¡± After packing the first-aid kit, he began to help Ellen tidy the ce. Ellen was stunned for a few seconds. Is my boss tidying up the ce for me? There¡¯s no way I could be so lucky. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this, President Presgrave. Let me do it instead.¡± Jared stopped her just as she wanted to get up. ¡°Sit there and don¡¯t move.¡± ¡°I can do this. I¡¯m totally fine.¡± Ellen still wanted to stand up and lend a hand. The man had no choice but toe over and sit her down on the sofa with an authoritative look in his deep eyes. ¡°Just be a good girl, okay?¡± Stupefied, Ellen reclined on the sofa as if she had been rooted to the spot. Looking up at the man, she listened to him. The man tidied up the ce dexterously after finishing his speech. Perhaps Selena wouldn¡¯t have expected that Jared would be the one who tidied Ellen¡¯s ce after all the trouble she had taken to smash it up. Finding the broom and the mop in the storeroom, he cleared the broken pieces of ornament away from the floor. After that, he even went to the master bedroom. Don¡¯t tell me Selena even made a mess of my bed! thought Ellen. She hurried to the master bedroom. When she saw Jared making the bed and folding up the quilt for her, her pretty face instantly turned scarlet. As it turned out, Selena didn¡¯t mess up her bed; it was just that she had gotten upte in the morning and forgotten to fold up the quilt before she left for work. At this moment, seeing how the tall figure stood by her bed while folding up the quilt dexterously with hisrge hands, she felt incredibly embarrassed. Jared couldn¡¯t help but look around Ellen¡¯s master bedroom. The bedroom was clean and tidy, save for the disheveled quilt, which he folded up without any extra effort. To think he¡¯s such a homebody who loves tidying up! His parents must¡¯ve done a great job of educating him, thought Ellen to herself. Just then, Jared turned around and said to her, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s done. Let¡¯s go out and have dinner.¡± Ellen felt really sorry for the man. Not only had he tidied her ce, but he even offered to treat her to dinner. ¡°Thank you, President Presgrave, but never mind about dinner. Please go ahead with your business if you have something to deal with.¡± She was shy of scrounging a free meal off him. Jared couldn¡¯t help but fold his arms across his chest while narrowing his eyes. ¡°Are you chasing me away already?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not chasing you away! It¡¯s just that you¡¯re very busy, so¡ª¡± ¡°Even a busy person has to eat.¡± Jared cut her short. Then, he ordered, ¡°I¡¯m asking you to have dinner with me, and you¡¯re not allowed to say no.¡± Ellen blinked her eyes. He really is the most domineering man I¡¯ve ever seen. Consequently, she had no choice but to go out with him for dinner. At this moment, Selena had driven home. When she arrived home with her suitcase in her hand, Olivia asked in surprise, ¡°Why are you moving back here?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t wanna talk about it. Ellen, that little b*tch! I won¡¯t let her off for this!¡± Selena replied angrily. Olivia immediately came over and looked at her daughter with concern. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°She kicked me out of her ce, hit me, and even pulled me by the hair! My scalp still hurts right now!¡± Selenained furiously. Olivia flew into a rage instantly. Now that her daughter had gotten hit by Ellen, how could she not be angry? ¡°What? How dare that little brat do this to you!¡± ¡°Mom, where¡¯s Dad?¡± ¡°He isn¡¯t back yet! Tell me first¡ªwhy did she hit you?¡± Olivia dragged her to the sofa and sat down with her. Selena simply lied, ¡°I just broke a vase of hers into pieces by ident when I moved out, yet she thought I was making a mess of her ce on purpose! She came at me, pulled me by the hair, and shoved me to the floor. If I hadn¡¯t fought back in the end, she would¡¯ve plucked out all my hair!¡± ¡°Who allowed that brat to do this to you? Who adopted her and her brother back when her parents died? What an ingrate who bites the hand that feeds her!¡± Olivia swore loudly before attempting to take out her phone. I¡¯ve got to bite her head off for this! Selena stopped her, saying, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t call her first. There¡¯s one other thing that I want to tell you.¡± Olivia sat down again. Selena¡¯s eyes reddened. She said, ¡°Mom, the man I love, he¡­ he actually loves Ellen! I can¡¯t resign myself to this!¡± ¡°Who are you talking about?¡± For a moment, Olivia wasn¡¯t sure who her daughter was in love with. ¡°Who else can it be? It¡¯s our boss, of course!¡± Olivia was astounded. ¡°Y-You mean that Young Master Jared? Are you saying he¡¯s in love with Ellen?¡± Selena replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t believe it at first, but today¡­ When I went to Ellen in the office this morning, he said he loved her and warned me not to bully her. Mom, in what way am I inferior to her?¡± She was aggrieved and upset, but at the same time, she was also resentful. ¡°Stop crying, sweetheart,¡± Olivia said,forting Selena while holding her in her arms. At the same time, she looked surprised and anxious. Is there such a coincidence? That Young Master Jared is in love with Ellen? Don¡¯t tell me that ghosts really do exist in the world and that this is the work of Ellen¡¯s dead brother? ¡°Your dad is to me for this, too. I told him not to get Ellen into thatpany, but he insisted on doing so,¡± she said resentfully. Upon hearing this, Selena couldn¡¯t help but look up in surprise. ¡°Mom, what did you say? You mean it was Dad who got Ellen into the Presgrave Group?¡± Seeing that she had let it slip, Olivia had no choice but to admit, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Your dad got Ellen a job at thatpany while he was pulling strings for you.¡± Selena replied, ¡°How could he do that? It was me who wanted to work there. Why did he have to get Ellen into thepany as well?¡± She was beside herself with rage after listening to this. If Ellen hadn¡¯t joined the Presgrave Group, she wouldn¡¯t have met Jared, and these things wouldn¡¯t have happened. Olivia replied, ¡°It¡¯s your dad¡¯s fault indeed.¡± She was vexed, too. I should¡¯ve stopped him back then. Now I have shot myself in the foot. To think Ellen and Young Master Jared hit it off so quickly as to fall in love with each other! No, I can¡¯t let her and Young Master Jared be a couple no matter what, or what happened before will certainly be found out. ¡°Mom, I hate her guts,¡± Selena sobbed in Olivia¡¯s arms. ¡°That little brat wille to a bad end.¡± Olivia was resentful, too. At the same time, she was even more afraid of Ellen, fearing that she would learn about the truth of what had happened back then and that she would take away everything that they owned right now. Meanwhile, in the restaurant¡­ Ellen obediently exined the incident in the morning where she had lied to Selena that Jared had a girlfriend. Jared had forgotten about it long ago. Instead, he thought she was doing the right thing. She¡¯s keeping me from being pestered by other women. ¡°Alright, let bygones be bygones!¡± he said, ending the subject. Then, he asked, ¡°Are you still gonna quit your job, then?¡± Ellen asked him in reply, ¡°Do I really have to pay eight million in breach-of-contract damages if I resign?¡± Jared nodded. ¡°The breach-of-contract damages for your job are more than eight million.¡± Ellen involuntarily gulped at once. Then, thinking that she wouldn¡¯t suffer any losses if she didn¡¯t quit her job, she replied with a wave of her hand, ¡°I won¡¯t quit my job, then. I¡¯ll keep on working until you sack me on your own initiative!¡± There¡¯s no way I can afford such an exorbitant amount of breach-of- contract damages. Jared couldn¡¯t help but let out a snort ofughter. ¡°Seems like you¡¯re quite sensible.¡± Ellen let out a wryugh. ¡°I¡¯m just doing what suits me best at the time.¡± ¡°Are you free this Friday night?¡± Jared asked her. Ellen pondered for a moment. She didn¡¯t have to work extra hours on Friday night, nor did she have anything else to deal with. So, she nodded, saying, ¡°I am. Is there anything I can do for you, President Presgrave?¡± ¡°Attend a dinner party with me.¡± ¡°What dinner party?¡± Ellen was startled; she had never attended such an upper-ss dinner party. ¡°A charity dinner.¡± Ellen¡¯s cheeks burned. She couldn¡¯t help but say honestly, ¡°President Presgrave, I¡¯ve never attended dinner parties before, so I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll make you look bad. Why don¡¯t you invite someone else instead?¡± Jared was both amused and annoyed by her reply. He said, ¡°How can you possibly embarrass yourself in my presence? This is part of your job, so you have to go with me.¡± Ellen blinked her eyes before asking for confirmation, ¡°Do I really have to go with you?¡± ¡°Yes, you have to,¡± Jared asserted in an authoritative tone. Ellen nodded. Mustering up her courage, she replied, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± At the end of the dinner, Jared drove her home, telling her on the way to go to bed early and be careful while living alone. Ellen got out of his car after they arrived downstairs outside her neighborhood. She said with a wave of her hand, ¡°Drive safely on your way home.¡± Jared told her to enter the neighborhood first. After she had safely entered the neighborhood, he finally made a U-turn and left. When Ellen returned home and saw how clean and cozy it looked after being tidied, she couldn¡¯t help curling her lips into a smile. Recalling how the man even helped her make the bed, she felt both embarrassed and warm at the same time. Just then, her cell phone rang. Who would call me at such ate hour? she wondered. She picked up the phone, only to see that it was a phone call from Olivia. Her heart clenched. Don¡¯t tell me she¡¯s gonna give me a dressing-down! Knowing that she couldn¡¯t escape from being chastised, she braced herself and answered the phone. ¡°Hi, Aunt Olivia.¡± ¡°Ellen, all Lena did was break that lousy thing of yours to pieces, no? How dare you hit her and pull her by the hair for that? Don¡¯t you have the slightest respect for her? She¡¯s your cousin!¡± Olivia yelled angrily in a reproving tone of voice. Moreover, she even put the me on Ellen without listening to her side of the story. Before Ellen could answer, she warned her, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, Ellen, if you darey a hand on Lena again, I won¡¯t let you get away with it! I was kind enough to keep you and your brother back then, but little did I think you¡¯d grow up to be such an ingrate! I really regret it!¡± Seeing how Olivia talked about her kindness in fostering her and her brother, Ellen had no choice but to reply, ¡°Aunt Olivia, I admit that what happened was partly my fault, but it wasn¡¯t my fault alone. Selena was in the wrong, too.¡± Olivia replied, ¡°Ellen, Lena has told me everything. You¡¯ve got Young Master Jared at your back, so you¡¯re turning your nose up at everyone right now, huh? Did you ever think about who was the one that got you into the Presgrave Group? It was your uncle who pulled strings to get you into thepany, remember? If it weren¡¯t for our family, you¡¯d probably be working as a waiter in some obscure ce now! How ungrateful!¡± She let out a sneer. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry that you¡¯ll get youreuppance for that?¡± After she finished her speech, Selena snatched the phone from her, saying, ¡°Mom, let me talk to her.¡± She then said to the other end of the line, ¡°Ellen, I want you to apologize to me.¡± Hearing that it was Selena, Ellen bit her lip, saying, ¡°I won¡¯t apologize to you.¡± ¡°It was thanks to my dad that you got into the Presgrave Group. If not for my dad, you wouldn¡¯t have gotten to know President Presgrave. Without my dad, your resettlementpensation would¡¯ve been taken by others long ago. Ellen, as long as you apologize to me, I can forget about this.¡± Selena just wanted to see Ellen bow down to her. ¡°That¡¯s a different matter, Selena. What about my wound?¡± Selena replied haughtily, ¡°That little wound of yours is nothing. Also, how much is that thing of yours? I¡¯ll pay you for that, but you have to apologize to me.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t apologize to you,¡± Ellen said stubbornly. Selena threatened, ¡°You¡­ Fine, don¡¯te to my ce anymore. My parents won¡¯t look after you anymore either. From now on, you¡¯re on your own!¡± The words ¡®on your own¡¯ pricked Ellen¡¯s heart. Just then, Olivia took the phone back from Selena. ¡°Ellen, your parents died early, so we fostered you and your brother out of pity. Now that you¡¯ve grown up, you don¡¯t obey us anymore. Not only are you unfilial to us, but you even hit my daughter. Who would dare to marry an ungratefuldy like you in the future? Your husband¡¯s family will kick you out if they learn about this.¡± These words didn¡¯t sound unpleasant to the ear, but they were as hurtful as a curse. Olivia then threatened, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t seek us for help in the future when you need your elders to back you up. We don¡¯t have such a heartless niece. Either you apologize to my daughter, or we¡¯ll sever our rtions with you.¡± Ellen¡¯s heart twinged; she felt an overwhelming pressure weighing down on her. ¡°Apologize, you brat! Didn¡¯t you hear what my mom said?¡± Selena¡¯s voice rang on the other end. Obviously, they were putting the phone call on speaker. Ellen took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Then, she said calmly to the other end of the line, ¡°I¡¯ll never apologize to you for this.¡± With that, she hung up right away. Her heart was heavy, and it pained her a lot, but she knew that she didn¡¯t do anything wrong and thus didn¡¯t have to apologize to anyone. Selena let out a snort in anger when the phone call ended. ¡°Mom, she hung up on us.¡± Olivia was stunned, too. She had thought that once she threatened to sever all rtions with Ellen, the latter would immediately be scared into apologizing in order to maintain her rtionship with the only rtives she had left. However, little did she think Ellen would have the nerve to hang up on her instead. ¡°This little brat has got some nerve, huh?¡± She was angry as well. ¡°Let¡¯s see who¡¯s gonna care about her when I no longer speak for her in the family.¡± Just then, Connor came back. The instant Selena saw him, she went up to him angrily, asking, ¡°Dad, why did you get Ellen into the Presgrave Group? Do you know how she bullied your daughter?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you staying at Ellen¡¯s ce? Why did youe back?¡± Connor asked curiously. Olivia chimed in angrily, ¡°How could you still be in the mood to ask about this? Your daughter got pulled by the hair and beaten up by Ellen today!¡± ¡°Why would Ellen hit you?¡± Connor was puzzled. How could Ellen possibly hit someone with her submissive temperament? ¡°It was just because I identally smashed an ornament at her house. She pulled me by the hair and hit me without hesitation! My scalp still hurts right now, you know,¡± Selena lied, not at all looking guilty. Knowing what kind of a person Selena was, Connor knew Ellen must¡¯ve hit her because she had gone too far. ¡°Okay, don¡¯t stay at Ellen¡¯s ce anymore. Just stay home with us.¡± Seeing that he wouldn¡¯t stick up for her, Selena went upstairs angrily to sulk. Olivia dragged Connor into the small living room on the first floor. Then, she closed the door, saying, ¡°Connor, we have to watch out for Ellen.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Connor asked in puzzlement. Olivia replied, ¡°Lena said Young Master Jared is in love with Ellen, so perhaps Ellen will learn about his heart recement one day. Won¡¯t we be finished when she asks us about it?¡± Connor was startled; little did he expect that Ellen and Jared had be so close. ¡°Why would Young Master Jared fall in love with Ellen?¡± he asked in surprise. He couldn¡¯t understand why Jared would love amoner like Ellen. After all, the Presgraves were the number-one family of business tycoons in the country. ¡°In short, Lena heard from Young Master Jared himself that he loves Ellen and wants to court her. Say, Connor, do you think there are supernatural events on earth? Young Master Jared¡¯s current heart belonged to Ellen¡¯s brother. Could thete Kevin have helped her without us knowing?¡± Olivia said as a hint of unease and panic flitted across her face. Connor didn¡¯t believe in supernatural events, though. He quickly shot a re at his wife, saying, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? How could such a weird thing exist in the world?¡± Olivia replied, ¡°I¡¯m just saying! If not, why would Young Master Jared fall in love with Ellen? What is it about Lena that makes her inferior to Ellen? Why does he love Ellen instead of Lena?¡± She simply couldn¡¯t wrap her head around this. My daughter wouldn¡¯t lose to Ellen in terms of looks and deportment. Could Young Master Jared be blind? Connor was worried as well, but he thought nothing would happen between Ellen and Jared. As a man, he understood that Jared would end up marrying ady who matched his wealth and social status. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about it. Only we know about Kevin¡¯s heart donation back then, so Ellen won¡¯t ask about it.¡± ¡°What if Ellen learns about this one day?¡± ¡°If she learns about it, we¡¯ll give her 20 million aspensation. I¡¯ll brace myself and talk to her about it by then.¡± Connor had alreadye up with a way out of this. And besides, Ellen was his niece, which would make these things even easier to discuss. Surely my niece won¡¯t turn against me. ¡°What? You¡¯re going to give her 20 million? How much will we have left, then? We just asked the Presgrave Family for 50 million three years ago. We can¡¯t ask them for more in the future!¡± Connor counted the money he had earned from his investments and concluded, ¡°By then, you and Lena can just cut down on your expenses!¡± ¡°How is that possible? I¡¯ve already gotten used to this life. I can¡¯t start being thrifty now. Besides, Lena still has to get married and needs at least 10 million for her dowry!¡± ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯ll work hard to save up.¡± ¡°Do you think you can find a profitable project with your skills? I don¡¯t believe it!¡± Olivia said disdainfully. Connor¡¯s mood soured. ¡°Either way, it¡¯s decided.¡± Upon seeing her husband swing the door open and leave, Olivia couldn¡¯t help but ce her hands on her waist and thought that she would never let Ellen find out. If not, her 20 million would disappear into thin air. ¡­ In the blink of an eye, it was Friday. As Ellen sent a cup of coffee to Jared¡¯s office, he handed her a name card right as she was about to leave. ¡°Go to this ce at three this afternoon.¡± Curious, she took the name card and saw that it belonged to a dress shop. ¡°I¡¯ve already notified the owner of this shop. You can just go and try the gowns on and pick whichever you like. I¡¯ll pick you up for the party at half past five.¡± Ellen had been worried about this, but she was surprised to see that he had already taken care of everything for her. ¡°Okay.¡± She nodded. Jared nced at his watch and asked, ¡°I¡¯m going to have lunch with a few clients. How about you?¡± Ellen smiled. ¡°The cafeteria, of course! The food there is hearty and delicious.¡± As the president, Jared had never tried the cafeteria food, mostly due to his status. ¡°Really? In that case, take me to try it out one day.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Ellen agreed, more than willing to take him there. ¡°All right, remember to be there at three,¡± Jared reminded as if fearing that she would forget. However, she would never forget, and she was even looking forward to it. After leaving his office, she searched the shop¡¯s location and saw that it was not that far away. Selena had been at work these days as well, but she was just a little distracted. Fortunately, she had a knack for controlling men, so her work was covered by her male colleagues. For lunch, she dined with the wealthy Charlie as she had to apany him to the dinner party that night, and she managed to borrow an evening gown from him for the asion. Charlie had been pursuing Selena for quite some time. To him, women were only fun when they were new, and Selena had been leaving him hanging, which kept him interested. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of your gown. My aunt has a dress shop, so you can just go over and pick one.¡± ¡°Are we buying it or renting it?¡± Selena asked with a smile. ¡°Of course, we¡¯re renting it! There¡¯s no need to buy it when you¡¯re only going to wear it once.¡± Although Selena was filled with contempt at his words, she still said ingratiatingly, ¡°You¡¯re so kind, Charlie.¡± ¡°All of the people who will be present at the party tonight aren¡¯t ordinary folks. I had to rely on my dad¡¯s connection to get an invitation too.¡± Hearing that, Selena felt her heart skip a beat, wondering if Jared would be there. ¡°In that case, all of the guests tonight are the influential people of Averna!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯ll meet many powerful people.¡± The person Selena wanted to see the most was Jared. She hoped to meet him tonight, and she would be wearing a beautiful dress as well, so she would surprise him with something different. Even if she couldn¡¯t see Jared, she could still make use of Charlie¡¯s position to meet other rich people, so she had a backup n. At around three, Ellen took a cab to the dress shop. The car stopped at the entrance, and she gasped at the shop¡¯s grandeur upon seeing the majestic building. She had just entered when one of the staff greeted her. ¡°Good afternoon, Miss. Are you here to try on some gowns?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°May I know your name, Miss?¡± ¡°My name is Ellen Reiss.¡± As soon as Ellen finished speaking, she was met with a surprised look from the attendantdy, who was thinking to herself, So, this youngdy is the important guest who¡¯s supposed toe in at three to five today! In order to amodate her, the store was closed to other customers during this time. Just who exactly was she? As Ellen walked into the dress store, she expected it to be the same as any other clothing store, with customersing in to pick and try on their clothes. However, she did not see a single customer in the entire store, which made her somewhat ufortable. ¡°Miss Reiss, what would you like to drink? Coffee, tea, or water?¡± ¡°Water, please,¡± Ellen replied with a smile. Shortly after, four tall and beautiful attendants surrounded her with respectful looks in their eyes, making her feel a little nervous. With them, they brought a ss of water along with a te of fruits and dainty pastries. ¡°Miss Reiss, please enjoy some fruits and pastries! In the next two hours, we will serve you to the best of our abilities. You can tell us if you have anything you¡¯re looking for, and we¡¯ll try our best to fulfill all of your needs,¡± an attendant with a sweet smile said to her. Just then, an older woman who was dressed even more luxuriously heard that the important guest had arrived, and she practically jogged over from the second floor. She didn¡¯t treat Ellen negligently just because she was dressed inly, but she bowed and apologized as soon as she arrived, ¡°My apologies, Miss Reiss. I¡¯m the shopkeeper. I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t greet you personally, but now, I¡¯ll be at your service.¡± Ellen was thoroughly dumbstruck. It was as if she were as distinguished as a princess. Why were these people being so respectful and polite to her? ¡°It¡¯s all right, you¡¯re being too courteous. I¡¯m just here to try on some dresses.¡± Ellen waved her hands, indicating that she had no objections. ¡°Miss Reiss, do you wish to head upstairs now to pick out your dress?¡± the shopkeeper hurriedly asked. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take a look,¡± Ellen said before getting up. After all, her purpose was not to sit around and enjoy the tea, but to pick an evening dress for the dinner party. After heading up to the second floor, she couldn¡¯t help but gasp in awe at the sight of the shiny beaded evening dresses that could only be seen in movies or on celebrities. Here, not only could she admire these dresses up close, but she could even touch them. ¡°How beautiful!¡± She couldn¡¯t help but gasp. ¡°If you see anything you like, Miss Reiss, we will be here to help you put them on.¡± ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll have another look.¡± Ellen hadn¡¯t made her choice yet as the dresses were all too beautiful, and she felt dizzy just from looking at them. It was as if any of them would easily make her a fashionista if she put them on. ¡°Do you have a favorite color, Miss Reiss?¡± ¡°I-I like blue,¡± she replied. ¡°We have blue dresses here as well. You can take a look here and choose the ones you like. Of course, we have other colors that are perfect for you too,¡± the shopkeeper carefully suggested. She noticed that Ellen had an innocent and lovely appearance, so she figured a short evening dress would look good on her as well. Ellen said to the shopkeeper, ¡°Miss, can you help me pick a few dresses that suit me? I¡¯ll try them out to see how they look.¡± The shopkeeper had been waiting for these words, and she skillfully picked ten different dresses for her, after which Ellen began to try them on. Each dress disyed a different effect on her, but there was no doubt that she had a good figure with a slim waist, pale skin, and an excellent bone structure which was well suited for wearing evening dresses. She had tried several long gowns, and they felt very dignified and beautiful to her. However, they were troublesome, and she was not used to wearing them, so she gave short dresses a shot instead. A knee-length dress decorated with crimson roses stunned her. It was as if her body was infused with a fiery glow, and it was gorgeous. However, the shopkeeper then suggested that she try other dresses. The next dress she tried putting on was a top-heavy and sleeveless gown with a whiteced skirt on the bottom. It was pure yet sultry and showcased her long, slender legs perfectly. Ellen tried on another ck dress that was seductive and yful yet carried an air of mystery. While she looked at her stunning reflection in the mirror, the shopkeeper highly rmended this dress. Ellen liked it as well; it was simple and modest, and it wasn¡¯t shy either. On top of that, the diamond belt around her waist was a huge bonus that brought out all the advantages of her body. The top of the dress showcased a yful V-neck, and the cinched waist as well as the bottom of the dress disyed her slender legs. In the end, Ellen opted for this dress. Ellen thought she had chosen a dress that wasn¡¯t very impressive, but she wasn¡¯t aware that the designers of this dress were top-of-the-line, and that the diamond belt that matched her waist alone was already worth eight figures. Then, she began to do her hair. Her long and dark hair surprised the hairstylist, who hadn¡¯t seen long hair that hadn¡¯t been dyed with chemicals for a long time. Ellen¡¯s hair was ck and smooth, emitting a natural glow in the light. ¡°Miss Reiss, I¡¯ll do your hair for you!¡± ¡°All right, thank you.¡± Ellen nodded. ¡°Have some water, Miss Reiss.¡± Another attendant thoughtfully served a ss of water for her. After Ellen said her thanks, the hairstylist began to get to work. Although it was a simple braiding process, she meticulously tended to every single strand of hair to create an elegant hairstyle for Ellen. The hairstylist worked on styling her hair into a soft and sweet updo that would enhance her face, and gradually, her demeanor changed. The next step was makeup. The makeup artist didn¡¯t cover her assets but enhanced her beauty even more by focusing on her best features. Soon, the in girl in the mirror disappeared and was reced with the reflection of a gentle and sweet youngdy. Her slightly curled hair cascaded down her shoulders, showcasing her wonderfully sculpted rosy cheeks, making her unbelievably beautiful. Even the surrounding attendants couldn¡¯t help but silently gasp to themselves, thinking that Ellen was stunning when she dressed up. Soon after, it was time to select her jewelry and high heels. She went for a pair of simple diamond studs which did not steal the limelight away from her dress but lined her hair and small earlobes with a glittering light. On her wrist was a small bracelet, and she wore a thin chain around her neck. Each piece of jewelry did not stand out from the others, but silently highlighted Ellen¡¯s beauty. Time went by without her realizing it, and after Ellen tried on her shoes, it was as if she had be a different person. ¡°Miss Reiss, we¡¯ve prepared some afternoon tea for you. Please enjoy,¡± the shopkeeper said. After serving the desserts, the attendant left, leaving Ellen the perfect opportunity to rest and drown in her thoughts on the sofa in front of the second-floor French window. Just then, an attendant came over with a cup of coffee. Ellen asked curiously, ¡°May I know if there are any other customers at this time?¡± She only asked because, during the time she had spent in the store, she noticed that she was the only customer there. The attendant let out augh. ¡°Didn¡¯t you know, Miss Reiss? You¡¯re the only customer we¡¯re attending to from three to five. We aren¡¯t taking other customers during this time.¡± Ellen¡¯s alluring eyes widened. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Enjoy your drink, Miss Reiss.¡± Upon saying that, the attendant left with a smile. Ellen, on the other hand, was unable to recover to her senses. If she was the only customer in such a large store, did it mean that this time slot had been reserved for her? It must¡¯ve cost a lot to reserve such a grand dress store for two hours! Ellen covered her face, inwardly thanking Jared for how kind he was to her. At the same time, in a different dress store, Selena was picking out her evening dress as well. She, on the contrary, acted haughtily and tried on several of their best dresses before she left with a red and tight-fitting dress, having decided to go for a provocative look. She had to be on her best behavior tonight and seize the opportunity to escape Charlie¡¯s clutches for a better target. Besides, she was still hoping that she could see Jared tonight. It would be great if he¡¯s there, she thought. At around five o¡¯clock in the evening, a gray sports car pulled out from Presgrave Group and sped into the sunset, resembling an elegant leopard as it raced through the crowd of cars. At the same time, in the dress store, Ellen sat in front of the window and flipped through a magazine with the setting sun in the distance. As the pedestrians walked by and nced upstairs, they couldn¡¯t help but stop in their tracks and wonder whom the youngdy sitting up there was. Under the sunset, the gray sports car parked in front of the dress store. Upon seeing it, the attendants understood that the driver hade to pick up Ellen. They only knew that this guest had spent a fortune to reserve the store for two hours but did not know what he looked like. They guessed that he must be a man in his forties as the wealthy ones were usually of this age. However, when the door of the sports car was pushed open and they saw the young man stepping out of the car, the attendants were instantly filled with envy. The rich man who had reserved their store was a handsome and stunning young man. He was perfect in every sense of the word: he had the grace, the right looks, and the perfect body. He was simply the legendary Prince Charming himself. At the same time, they could finally put a face on the male leads of the novels they read. Although he was only wearing a simple ck button-down paired with a grey suit, he was still stunning from every angle. Blown away by his looks, the attendants were only able to return to their senses after a long pause, and they rushed forward to wee him. ¡°Wee, Mr. Presgrave. Miss Reiss is ready now,¡± the attendant said with a smile. ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°In the tearoom on the second floor.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go and see her.¡± Saying that, Jared nced at his wristwatch and noticed that there was still a lot of time left. Jared took the stairs and walked to the tearoom on the second floor with the guidance of the attendant. When he arrived, he lightened his footsteps, his gaze drawn to the girl sitting in front of the window. The light from the French window enveloped her body, and the simple little ck dressplemented her remarkable figure to the fullest. The light from the setting sun highlighted her fairplexion, making her skin a little translucent with a slight blush. Her small nose and moist red lips looked extremely delicate as if she were a doll. It was as if Jared¡¯s heart had been thoroughly seized by something, and he couldn¡¯t focus on anything except her. Meanwhile, Ellen sensed someone¡¯s arrival. Thinking that he was an attendant, she raised her eyes, only to jump in surprise when she saw him. ¡°You¡¯re here, President Presgrave.¡± Ellen stood up before greeting him. Jared looked her up and down, an approving smile inexplicably appearing at the corner of his lips as he said, ¡°Not bad. You look good.¡± Ellen grew shy from his words. It was her first time dressing up so grandly in front of him, but at the same time, she was ted that he was able to see her in a better light. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± he said to her. Ellen stood up and lifted a small pink bag next to her. It was small and delicate, enough to hold her phone, and beautifully embellished with diamonds. She took a step after him, and as they arrived at the stairs, Jared extended his hand toward her. Realizing that he wanted to hold her hand, she reached over graciously and allowed him to lead her down the stairs. As the attendants watched the pair, they thought to themselves, I didn¡¯t know a couple that looked so good together existed! ¡°Have a safe trip, Mr. Presgrave.¡± The shopkeeper respectfully walked them to the door with the attendants in tow. Jared nodded and led Ellen to the car before he opened the door to the passenger seat and helped her in. After she had taken her seat, he got into the car as well. Soon, the gray sports car revved and entered the sea of cars, the sight extraordinarily dazzling. At the same time, Selena was waiting for Charlie in a cafe. She felt a burst of disgust upon seeing his rotund figure of two hundred pounds, but she still smiled charmingly to wee him. Charlie took the opportunity to reach out and hold her, pulling her closer to him, and his eyes fell on her V-neck, revealing an ill-intentioned look. ¡°I¡¯ll be in your care tonight, Mr. Dune!¡± Selena said as she got into his car, daydreaming about all the good things that were about toe her way tonight. Chapter 1581-1590 Chapter 1581-1590 The charity ball was held on the tenth floor of the event hall in the Royal Hotel, owned by the Manson Group. It was a very high-end party with a lot of influential people attending it. Since the guest list was so prominent and the event had been decorated sovishly, all the reporters were also there to cover the news. Just like the red carpet, the guests¡¯ walkway tonight was worth a watch as well, as they were all commerce giants. Selena, who saw the scale of the ball, understood that she hade to the right ce, thinking that she would get to know a lot of extraordinary people tonight. Holding onto Charlie¡¯s arm, she entered with him and even posed in front of the cameras. Noticing that they were photographing her, she naturally did not mind showing off to them. ¡°Wow, Mr. Dune! Tonight¡¯s party is so grand!¡± Selenamented. ted, Charlie replied, ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve already stated how not just anybody cane to this event, after all.¡± A short while after they went in, a gray sports car arrived at the entrance. The security was about to open the door for the guest, but suddenly, a bodyguard from the car behind came running up to the security and stopped him. Obviously, the person sitting inside the car was not one that anybody could simply get close to. The bodyguard opened the door before Jared got out of the car with Ellen, who was a bit stunned. It was then she felt someone shing lights on her face. Turning around to face the media, she was blinded by the shes. Smelling money from the owner of the car, the media naturally did not miss the chance to get a shot at them getting out of the car. Jared reached out and held Ellen¡¯s hand while the media were madly taking pictures of this scene. What an elegant-looking man and a beautiful woman. The scene of them just standing together makes for a perfect picture from every angle. Ellen, who could not tolerate the shing lights, reached out and tried to block the shes with her hand. It was then Jared extended his arm and brought her closer to his chest, leaving with her and walking to the main hall. This left the reporters guessing who the handsome man and the woman he was protecting were. Entering the lobby, with Jared leading the way, Ellen passed through theyers of security and staff, all of whom bowed and treated them respectfully without even asking for a pass. It was as if Jared¡¯s face was the ultimate pass. Upon entering the elevator, Ellen pulled her sweaty hand away from him, embarrassed. Jared gently consoled, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so nervous.¡± She couldn¡¯t help it since it was her first timeing to such a grand event. It would be weird if she wasn¡¯t nervous! Pursing her lips, she smiled and furtively took deep breaths, trying to calm her nerves. They saw that there was another checkpoint in the hallway to the event hall, but the stern-looking man who was standing there turned around and saw Jared before he quickly came to greet him. ¡°Wee, Young Master Jared.¡± Smiling subtly, Jared reached out his hand, and the man held it with both hands. ¡°Young Master Jared, it is our utmost honor to see you here.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too kind.¡± Ellen didn¡¯t know how high Jared¡¯s status was in the past. Right then, she could feel how much of a disparity existed between them. I think I should be the one that has the utmost honor to be able to stand beside him! As the golden gates of the event hall opened, arge space that could fit five hundred people appeared before them. Adorned with gold everywhere, it looked more like a pce with its dignified aura. This was something that normal people might not even get a glimpse of in their lives. At that time, it was already quitete, so the event hall was filled with chatter andughter, for most of the guests had already arrived. This was why when Jared entered, the sound of the door opening attracted the guests in proximity to turn and take a look, wondering who would being at this time. And it was precisely this look that had numerousdies falling head over heels for the man. The youngdies nearly fainted at the sight of the man in the gray suit, for he looked just like a Prince Charming in fairy tales. Exuding aura like a royal individual, he had a very elegant disposition and a rxed expression, making him look very alluring and calm. Just as Selena turned around with a ss of wine in her hand, she overheard two women talking beside her. ¡°Wow, who is he?! His looks are out of this world!¡± Upon hearing this, Selena focused on the direction of their gaze. Sure enough, she saw Jared at first nce, nearly dropping her wine ss in shock. God has heard my prayers! Jared really is here, and he¡¯s shaking hands with a senior. Selena felt her heart was about to stop beating, thinking this was her chance. Yet, just as he finished shaking hands, Jared held another woman¡¯s hand and walked off. It was then Selena noticed the woman, pondering to herself whether that was his girlfriend or not. Finally, Selena¡¯s jealousy erupted the moment the woman looked in her general direction. Damn it! Why is it her?! Are you telling me the woman who is apanying Jared is actually Ellen?! I almost didn¡¯t recognize her! Still, Selena had to admit that after dressing up, Ellen looked exceptionally stunning, for her figure and looks were top-tier. As Ellen stood alongside Jared, her graceful demeanor was very alluring. This made Selena even more spiteful. Right now, her heart was in utter disarray. On the other hand, Ellen did not see her since there were too many women who were dressed to kill, making her unable to take it all in. Instead, a lot of jealous gazes were thrown at her. It was then Jared saw a senior walking up to him. He held Ellen¡¯s hand, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go over and greet someone.¡± ¡°Hello, Mr. Malik,¡± greeted Jared. ¡°You¡¯re here, Jared! Thest time we ate together, it was still in Dansbury!¡± The seniorughed. Xavier Malik was the vice president of the Manson Group. Being an influential person in the business world, he contacted Jared¡¯s family quite often, so he was somewhat his senior. ¡°Indeed, it has been! A few years shed by just like that!¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t even met each other aftering back for so long, haha!¡± Xavier patted him on the shoulder, also noticing the beauty standing beside him. ¡°Well, yourpanion sure is stunning!¡± ¡°She¡¯s Ellen.¡± Jared looked at her with a smile. Observing her from head to toe, Xavier knew that Jared¡¯spanion was not just some nobody. Besides, from Jared¡¯s gaze, he knew that this woman was not just hispanion for the night. If she marries the Presgrave Family, her status would be something else. Approaching him with another matter in mind, Xavier smiled and said, ¡°Jared, I have a few friends that want to meet you in private.¡± Jared nodded before embracing Ellen subtly, whispering gently in her ear, ¡°You can go take a seat there and wait for me. I¡¯lle back for you soon.¡± Then, Jared called out to a waiter and took a ss of juice, handing it to her. Taking it, Ellen smiled. ¡°Alright. You guys go ahead.¡± Selena, who had been watching her all this time, wanted to walk up to her when she passed by a couple of women and overheard one of them talking smugly. ¡°He¡¯s Jared Presgrave, a ssmate of mine during elementary school. I didn¡¯t think that I would bump into him here.¡± Under the envious gaze of the surroundingdies, the woman who spoke cast a lovestruck gaze at Jared, who was walking upstairs. ¡°He went abroad during fifth grade all of a sudden, and I didn¡¯t get to see him after that. But I can tell you he was the brightest person in our school.¡± ¡°Wow, I¡¯m so jealous of you! You were actually in the same ss as him!¡± Selena noticed that the woman was, as expected, a typical rich girl. With pretty looks and an elegant demeanor, she was leagues above the women around her. ¡°Our rtionship was very close back then, as he even borrowed things from me. He must still remember me,¡± the girl said confidently. ¡°Hm, how about his femalepanion? Who is she? Howe we¡¯ve never seen her before?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Quite mysterious, I would say.¡± Sensing a chance for a n, Selena smiled and interrupted them. ¡°You¡¯re talking about the female companion of Young Master Jared, right? I know her!¡± ¡°You know her? Which prominent family does she hail from?¡± ¡°Prominent family? I believe you are all mistaken! She¡¯s not some daughter of a rich family! She¡¯s only an employee that works under the young master. I think she¡¯s an assistant.¡± Selena had an extremely condescending tone. ¡°What? Even an assistant like her can enter here?¡± ¡°Are you mistaken? She doesn¡¯t look like one.¡± ¡°How can I be mistaken? She¡¯s my cousin! I know her the best! Her parents and brother have all passed away, leaving her all alone. Although she isn¡¯t old by any means, she is quite sly. Otherwise, how could she have conquered Young Master Jared?¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s the kind of person she is?¡± One of the women was upset. If even a woman of such a standing can be Young Master Jared¡¯s partner, then we¡¯re all more than qualified to do so! These women were upset and could not ept this. All of them thought that they could crush this assistant in front of them. And to think that we spected she was some mysterious woman from an influential family! ¡°I heard that you¡¯re the young master¡¯s ssmate. I think you¡¯re the most suitable to be hispanion tonight,¡± Selena said to the rich girl. Her name was Dorothy Joypur. Her family meddled in the furniture industry and was well-known internationally. At that moment, she felt that Selena¡¯s words were right. ¡°But doesn¡¯t the young master already have her?¡± ¡°I have an idea that can make you be hispanion tonight,¡± Selena touted confidently. ¡°What idea?¡± Dorothy closed in. After Selena whispered something to her, Dorothy had a surprised look. ¡°Not bad.¡± ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Selena Aguirre. How should I address you, Miss?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Dorothy Joypur. If you help me with this, then I¡¯ll treat you as a friend from now on,¡± said Dorothy, as one needed to be capable to be able to join her clique. Naturally, Selena was all but too willing to make this friendship happen. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll help you. Also, you¡¯ll need to ask your friends to act in this too.¡± Dorothy, who was the richest amongst them, said to her friends, ¡°Cooperate with Miss Aguirreter and chase that unsightly woman away.¡± Selena¡¯s n was to chase Ellen away, vacating a space as Jared¡¯spanion, so that Dorothy could get close to him and be his partner instead. Just as Ellen sat on the sofa for not too long, a woman suddenly called out to her, ¡°It¡¯s really you! I thought I mistook someone else for you!¡± Looking up, Ellen was a bit shocked. Selena? Why is she here? Selena saw that Jared followed someone upstairs, so she knew that Ellen was a sitting duck. If the n goes well, she¡¯ll be ousted in a short while. ¡°What do you want from me?¡± Ellen had a somewhat cold expression. Sitting down, Selena hugged her arm and said, ¡°I saw that you came with Young Master Jared. I didn¡¯t think that you guys had progressed so quickly! Ellen, you really know your stuff!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need you toment on my personal life.¡± ¡°You know that every woman here is from a prominent family, right? If I told the others that you¡¯re only an assistant, a bottom feeder, what do you think they would say about you? No matter howvish the dress you¡¯re wearing is, it cannot hide your meager status.¡± Selenaughed in a shrill tone. Ellen had a slightly flushed face as she looked at Selena. ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± ¡°I heard others were talking about you just now! They all thought that you were some rich girl! But I know your background the best. I can tell them about it right now, so they¡¯ll know who you truly are.¡± ¡°Suit yourself. If you want to, then go tell the whole world!¡± Finding this a bit annoying, Ellen took her ss of juice and stood up. It was then Selena stood up as well, for her objective of insulting Ellen was to make her leave her seat and walk toward the guests. Just as Ellen took a few steps, Selena suddenly pushed her, making Ellen bump into a woman and spill her juice onto the hem of the woman¡¯s dress. Enraged, Ellen turned to look at Selena. Selena was crossing her arms, watching as the situation unfolded. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to apologize for soiling the woman¡¯s dress?¡± It was then the woman whose dress was soiled shouted, ¡°Are you blind?! Do you know how much my dress costs?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean it,¡± Ellen apologized. ¡°Didn¡¯t mean it? I think you did mean it! Never mind. I don¡¯t want this dress anymore, so pay up! One million!¡± The woman wanted one million aspensation. Ellen¡¯s expression changed. She bit her lips and replied, ¡°It¡¯s only fruit juice, so it can be cleaned. I can help you dry clean it.¡± ¡°No need. Pay up, right now.¡± The woman was very fierce. It was then Selena came over. ¡°Miss, she¡¯s my cousin. Could you please be benevolent and forgive her?¡± ¡°I can forgive her! But she must leave the party! I don¡¯t want to see her! Otherwise, if she stays here any longer, don¡¯t me me for acting like the bad guy!¡± the woman threatened. Selena immediately held onto Ellen. ¡°Do you hear that? They don¡¯t want you topensate them! Just leave! You can tell the young master that you had something to deal with.¡± Dorothy, who was standing by the side, was very much looking forward to Selena¡¯s n working out so that she could be Jared¡¯spanion. Seeing that Ellen showed no intention of leaving, Selena hinted at the woman with her eyes. The next second, the woman took a ss of red wine and was about to ssh it onto Ellen. ¡°If you still won¡¯t leave, then I¡¯m going to ssh this on you.¡± This frightened Ellen greatly, for her dress was worth a fortune. Besides, she needed to return it, so she took a step back immediately. ¡°Ellen, why are you still standing here like a fool? Leave now! They¡¯re not ones to be trifled with!¡± Selena was urging her, acting as if she was helping Ellen. Ellen looked up, wanting to look for Jared, but he was nowhere to be found. Seeing through her thoughts, Selena smirked. ¡°Trying to seek help from Young Master Jared? I think you can give up on that. He¡¯s talking with his friends in the VIP room upstairs.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you three seconds to get out of my sight. Otherwise, I¡¯m going to ssh this on you and embarrass you.¡± The woman had a menacing look, seemingly not one to be trifled with. ¡°Is it that once my cousin leaves, you won¡¯t pursue this matter further?¡± Selena immediately asked the woman. ¡°Yes! If she does, then I¡¯ll let this go. Otherwise, don¡¯t me me for what will happen,¡± answered the woman. Selena grabbed Ellen before dragging her in the direction of the entrance. ¡°Why are you still not leaving? Are you going to reimburse her?¡± Struggling, Ellen rebuked, ¡°Let go of me! I¡¯m not leaving!¡± Selena immediately retorted, ¡°I¡¯m doing this for your own good! Do you really think you hail from some rich family? This is no ce for people like you! Just look at yourself!¡± As for the woman whose dress got soiled, she crossed her arms and walked over menacingly. ¡°Hm? Why are you still here? Are you really that eager to have wine sshed all over your face?¡± She then took a ss of red wine from one of the waiters before walking toward Ellen. With a pale expression, Ellen took a step back involuntarily as the girl kept threatening her. ¡°I¡¯m going to do it!¡± ¡°The door¡¯s there. I¡¯m going to count to three. If you¡¯re really not leaving, then you¡¯ll be seeing what I¡¯m capable of,¡± warned the woman. Under such circumstances, Ellen pondered that besides leaving, there was no other option left for her. It was then Selena exchanged nces with Dorothy, who was standing by the sidelines. Originally, Dorothy was quite satisfied, as she did not n on butting in, but seeing that Ellen was being stubborn and did not want to leave made her a bit anxious. Holding a ss of wine in her hand, she stepped forward. ¡°Miss, I heard that you are only an assistant. Are you sure you¡¯re qualified to be here?¡± Upon hearing this, Ellen understood that Selena was in cahoots with these people. She realized that their goal was to chase her away. Otherwise, how would this woman know her identity as an assistant? Ellen had never been bullied in school before. But right now, she was surrounded on all sides by these snobbish rich girls, who were using their status to oppress others. ¡°Ellen, stop being foolish and just leave.¡± Selena was afraid that Jared might return at any moment, so she started to rush her. Smirking, Ellen replied, ¡°What if I don¡¯t? And why should I leave? Are any one of you the organizer of this event? If not, then you don¡¯t have the right to tell me to leave!¡± Her words stunned Dorothy, Selena, and her three friends, as they never thought Ellen would say this. ¡°Ellen, how thick-skinned do you have to be to say that! Things have alreadye to this point, yet you¡¯re still insisting on staying here!¡± Selena mocked. ¡°I think you don¡¯t want your dress anymore, do you?¡± Ellen nonchntly rebuked, ¡°You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t want my dress anymore. But, if you ssh that ss of red wine at me, then you¡¯ll have to pay for the dress.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± The haughty woman was rather troubled by this. ¡°It was you who soiled my dress first. Now, I¡¯m just mimicking your actions, so why do I have to reimburse you?¡± ¡°Because this dress was given to me by Young Master Jared. If you do soil it, then you won¡¯t be paying me. You¡¯ll be paying him instead,¡± replied Ellen calmly. Right then, she was livid since she was being bullied by Selena and the others for no reason at all. Just because I¡¯m poor doesn¡¯t mean they can bully me like this. Dorothy¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Ellen Reiss, am I right? Do you know who I am?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°First of all, I¡¯m Jared¡¯s ssmate. Second of all, my father is good friends with the organizer of this event. So, I have the right to make you leave. Otherwise, I¡¯ll call security over. Now choose: do you want to leave on your own two feet or be forcefully dragged out by the security?¡± Dorothy took advantage of her status to oppress her. The other three watched on since Dorothy was taking the lead now, while Ellen was like a lone soldier that was surrounded on all sides. Little did they know that the man witnessed this scene on the second floor. Jared, holding a ss of red wine in his hand, walked out, wanting to look for Ellen. Yet, he did not think that Ellen would be surrounded by four women when he was about to reach the exit. Although he didn¡¯t know what they were talking about, he could tell that Ellen was being bullied. With a cold gaze, Jared put down his wine and walked toward the staircase. Due to Dorothy and her cronies¡¯ backs facing the event hall, only Ellen was facing the crowd, so when Ellen saw the man cutting through the guests and walking toward them, she felt all fuzzy inside. Then, she said to Dorothy, ¡°What if I don¡¯t leave? What will you do?¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Dorothy sneered. ¡°If you don¡¯t, we¡¯ll teach you a lesson tonight!¡± ¡°What barbaric behavior.¡± Ellen frowned in anger. ¡°So what? This is all because you¡¯re monopolizing Young Master Jared. The only partner deserving of him is Miss Dorothy herself,¡± stated the woman in the soiled dress. Dorothy was still feeling smug, not knowing that a person with a terrifying aura was standing behind her, taking in their conversation. ¡°Ellen, if you know what¡¯s good for you, then make yourself scarce. Otherwise, I¡¯ll be announcing your lowly status.¡± Selena smirked. ¡°I am the only one deserving to be Young Master Jared¡¯spanion. If you still have a brain, then get out of my sight,¡± Dorothy admonished. Seeing that Jared heard all this, Ellen pointed with her chin at Dorothy, replying, ¡°You know, how about you turn around and ask Young Master Jared that? Does he like the idea of you being his female companion?¡± Realizing what her words meant after a few seconds, they turned around in panic. All at once, Dorothy¡¯s face flushed crimson red. None of them discovered the fact that Jared had been standing behind them all this while, listening to their haughty words. Selena, whose soul almost left her body, quickly turned around, wanting to escape. Although Jared just stood there, motionless and speechless, his chilly aura still informed them that he was very, very livid. ¡°Young¡­ Jared! Do you still remember me? I¡¯m your ssmate from elementary school, Dorothy! Dorothy Joypur!¡± Dorothy immediately leveraged their past rtionship to suck Jared up, trying to make him remember her while she was at it. Yet, Jared ignored her and walked toward Ellen, asking, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Miss Joypur over here tried to team up with my cousin to chase me away so that she could be your partner for tonight,¡± replied Ellen truthfully. Looping an arm around Ellen, Jared turned around, his sharp, cold gaze sweeping across the four people, and asked, ¡°Who gave you the right to bully my girlfriend?¡± The four women¡¯s eyes widened at his words. Girl¡­ Girlfriend?! Ellen was actually Jared¡¯s girlfriend? She¡¯s not just a femalepanion? Wide-eyed, Selena didn¡¯t expect that they were already a couple. How did they progress so quickly?! Ellen, who was also stunned, surmised that this was Jared helping her to raise her status. Yet, before she finished processing her thoughts, the man held her cheeks and forced his assertive yet moist lips against her red lips, kissing her. At that moment, Ellen felt as if an explosion went off in her mind. On the other hand, the four women were jealous and embarrassed, for they had to endure Jared kissing another woman right in front of them, showing his love publicly. ¡°Tonight, except Ellen, none of you have the qualification to be mypanion.¡± Jared looked straight at Dorothy. Somehow, Dorothy¡¯s face was both pale and flushed, making it quite an interesting spectacle. She was so embarrassed she wanted to bury her head in the sand to hide from Jared¡¯s gaze. ¡°Young Master Jared, this has nothing to do with us! It was her idea to chase Miss Reiss away.¡± One of Dorothy¡¯s friends quickly made Selena the scapegoat. ¡°Exactly. She was the one who told us that Miss Reiss is an assistant and that she was her cousin. It was her idea to make us chase her away.¡± Selena blushed furiously, matching the color of her bright red dress, making her beautiful dress seem lackluster inparison. Dorothy quickly added, ¡°That¡¯s right. Jared, we didn¡¯t want to bully Miss Reiss. We only fell into her trap.¡± Jared fixed his gaze on Selena, who originally wanted to attract his attention. Although she had sessfully done so, it was rage that was directed at her instead. ¡°I¡¯m overlooking this matter for the sake of your parents. Now, make yourself scarce.¡± Upon hearing this, Selena bit her lips before ring at Ellen. Not thick-skinned enough to continue staying in the venue, she left for the entrance dejectedly. Meanwhile, Ellen was still in a bit of a daze, as the kiss disconnected her from reality temporarily. Dorothy and the others felt ashamed to stay there any longer since Jared¡¯s gaze made them feel like they were trash that should be disposed of. Soon after Selena left, Dorothy and the others followed suit, unfortunately bumping into her after they went down. Selena was hailing a cab since she didn¡¯t drive to the event. Besides, leading to the hotel was a very long stretch of road, and she did not want to walk. ¡°Hey! Our ns were ruined by you tonight!¡± Dorothy vented her anger. The other two were the same because they had nned on having a good time throughout the night at the venue. Now, because of Selena¡¯s ns, they had no choice but to leave due to shame. Selena felt her heart crack. ¡°I was only helping you guys. Why are you saying this?¡± Clenching her teeth, Dorothy hinted at her friends, who stepped forward and pressed down on both of Selena¡¯s shoulders. Being a hot-headed person, she pped Selena without saying anything. ¡°This is what you deserve because of tonight.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Holding her cheek, Selena was angered to the point of her face turning red. ¡°Look at that cheap dress. I wonder where she rented it from.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. And she actually dared to mock others? We were being angelic when we didn¡¯tugh at her.¡± Dorothy¡¯s family really was wealthy, so she had the valet drive her Ferrari out and parked right in front of Selena. ¡°You want to be my friend? You aren¡¯t qualified.¡± Because Selena was afraid of Dorothy¡¯s money and influence, she did not insult them directly. Instead, she waited until Dorothy drove away before she swore, ¡°B*tch.¡± Yet, Ellen was much stronger in this regard than her. Selena had a mental breakdown and screamed, nearly going crazy. Suddenly, she hated her parents for not being rich enough and not being able to provide her with more, which led her to be bullied by others like this. Inside the event hall, Ellen was brought upstairs by Jared into a lounge room. Her face was still a bit flushed under the lights, and she did not look at him directly. It was as if she did not dare to look into his eyes. Looking at the seemingly paralyzed woman sitting on the sofa, Jared had a naughty smile. ¡°What? Are you afraid that I¡¯ll eat you?¡± He was holding a ss of red wine, exuding a bad-boy look. Finally, Ellen looked at him in embarrassment. ¡°Thanks for just now.¡± ¡°How are you nning to thank me?¡± the man teased. It was because she was acting like a scared bunny that was just inviting others to tease her. Pursing her red lips, Ellen blinked her eyes. ¡°How do you want me to thank you?¡± The man suddenly looked at her lips. Even though it was just a quick kiss, he had already tasted the fruit-like sweetness from it, making him wonder what would happen if they kissed for longer. That was so unsatisfying. It was as if something was in his head, affecting his thoughts. ¡°If anybody bullies you like that next time, don¡¯t hesitate to call me. Not even for a second,¡± Jared reminded. ¡°No matter what I¡¯m doing, I¡¯ll put down everything ande to your side.¡± This warmed Ellen deep down since this was just like her brother protecting her. She remembered that her brother once said something simr, stating to tell him if she ever got bullied and he would rush over at the first notice. ¡°Thank you, President Presgrave.¡± Ellen nodded. Thinking about what Jared said to Selena just now, Ellen asked, ¡°President Presgrave, do you know my uncle¡¯s family?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. But, because they had helped me in the past, my family has always been thankful to them,¡± Jared replied. But he did not talk about the heart transnt, as he did not want Ellen to know that he nearly died before. This was something that Jared was not too willing to tell others since he thought that this would weaken his image in the public¡¯s eyes. Ellen nodded, thinking Connor must have taken advantage of this rtionship tond her a job in Presgrave Group. And that was how she got the opportunity to meet Jared. It was then the music started ying downstairs. Thinking he hadn¡¯t been spending much time with Ellen tonight, Jared stood up and suggested, ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s have a dance downstairs.¡± At this, Ellen quickly waved her hands. ¡°But I don¡¯t know how to dance.¡± About the things that she was not adept at, she was afraid of embarrassing herself. ¡°Well, I can teach you. It¡¯s easy.¡± Jared reached out, insisting on dancing with her. Although she was nervous, she wanted to dance too, so she ced her hand in his, allowing him to take the lead. They reached the event hall only to see that the dance floor had been prepared, with around ten people dancing. The lights had been dimmed down too. Walking to the edge of the dance floor, they noticed that a lot of couples had already begun to dance. Ellen gulped while observing their steps. It seems easy enough. It¡¯s just that the man steps back while the woman steps forward, and vice-versa. I think it¡¯s just to create a romantic atmosphere since I don¡¯t see anybody really dancing seriously. Feeling her wrist being held by the man, she held onto the man¡¯s broad shoulder. The man then held her waist with both hands. ¡°Follow my steps.¡± Ellen was so nervous that she identally stepped on his foot, yet Jared only held the pain in and smiled patiently. ¡°Slower.¡± Panicking, Ellen stepped on his foot again. She rested her head on his chest out of embarrassment. ¡°I don¡¯t want to do this anymore.¡± Ellen gave up, announcing that she wanted to leave. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Try again.¡± The man encouraged her. With her head on his chest like that, she watched their footsteps and slowly tried to match his rhythm. Yet, she noticed the man¡¯s long legs and thought, My word. Jared¡¯s legs are so straight and long! Finally, they synced up. As Ellen looked up, under the lights, she found that the man never took his eyes off her face. His passionate gaze was akin to the universe, capable of making one lose oneself staring into it. Although Ellen was not a romantic, at this moment, she felt all warm and fuzzy inside, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. Suddenly, someone bumped into her from behind, making her hug Jared tightly. Ellen blushed furiously, but due to the dim lights, nobody saw it. Just as she wanted to put some distance between them, she noticed that a big palm was pressing on her back, not allowing her to leave. This made them seem even more ambiguous. Looking left and right, she was relieved that everyone was in the same position, which did not make them stand out. So, Ellen rested her face on Jared¡¯s chest, listening to his powerful heartbeat. His rhythmic heartbeat was like a hypnotization session, making her somewhat drowsy. Lowering his head, Jared saw the woman in his embrace blinking her eyes from time to time. It was incredibly attractive¡­ and sexy. Jared gulped, trying to control his emotions, as he seemed to be tortured by this dance. Meanwhile, Ellen was acting naturally since she did not have any other thoughts. It might be due to her being slow to pick up romantic advances, so even when they were this close, she was still able to think of other things. Yet, the man only thought about how to devour herter. After one dance, Jared could see that Ellen did not like this kind of event, so he brought her to eat dinner at an outside restaurant. Ellen, who really did not like such asions, inwardly sighed in relief after they came out. The neon lights and bustling streets she saw through the car window soothed her greatly. Jared brought her to a restaurant. Since they were still wearing their outfits from the event, the waiters were shocked at their appearance, thinking whether they were a pair of eloped royals. After a joyful dinner, Jared found that although not much time seemed to have passed, it was already nine in the evening, but he didn¡¯t feel like going home at all. ¡°Do you want to go for a ride?¡± he suggested. Ellen shared the same thought. She had a great time tonight, for it was one of the happiest nights in her life, so she nodded. ¡°Sure!¡± She was not afraid of where the man might bring her. Even if they were to go to the ends of the world, she would still follow him willingly due to the strong sense of security he gave her. Jared drove onto Seaview Highway, losing the three ck SUVs that were tailing him in an instant. Those cars belonged to his bodyguards. With the performance of Jared¡¯s car, he soon left them eating his dust. ¡°Quick, drive faster! The young master is gone.¡± The bodyguardsmunicated with each other via walkie-talkies. ¡°Understood. Drive as fast as you can.¡± ¡°We need to ensure the young master¡¯s safety!¡± So, putting the pedal to the metal, the bodyguards drove like bats out of hell. It seems like it isn¡¯t all roses to be Young Master Jared¡¯s bodyguard! This employer sure knows how to make us worry. We have to be on guard all of the time! Once Jared shook off the bodyguards, he switchednes and drove onto Seasight Lane, while Ellen smiled at the sea view. She had never seen the scenery of the sea at night before, hence never knew how beautiful the moon could be when she returned home from work every night, fatigued beyond belief. Jared was no stranger to this ce. He hade here to fish with his father before and was pretty familiar with the road. There were rarely any visitors here, and besides, there was arge scenic deck there. He then parked his car by the roadside. ¡°Let¡¯s get out. I¡¯ll bring you to a ce where we can see the view,¡± Jared said to Ellen. Unafraid, Ellen opened the door, before the night breeze blew on her hair. Tonight, she was like a beautiful princess that was having a secret date with a prince. Jared held her hand and walked to the scenic deck under the dim moonlight. At this hour, nobody was here, with the only hint of civilization being a light that was being emitted from a faraway lighthouse. Ellen hugged her arms due to the cold wind. Noticing this immediately, Jared quickly took his gray suit jacket off and put it on her. His warmth instantly enveloped Ellen along with a refreshing scent, making her blush before she looked up. Under the moonlight, her ck hair, fair skin, bright eyes, petite nose, and luscious lips made her seem alluring yet a tad innocent. Meanwhile, Jared, under the moonlight, saw that the woman was so beautiful his heart started to beat faster. It was as if other than her, no other thoughts could enter his mind. Ellen was admiring the faraway scenery, not knowing that she was the man¡¯s scenery instead. Finally noticing the gaze on her, Ellen turned around with the wind still blowing on her face; it entuated her innocent face. And within her bright, pure eyes, there seemed to be inexplicable traces of amorous feelings. Meeting his gaze, Ellen became embarrassed, realizing with hindsight the romantic atmosphere between them. Gulping, she did not know what to say. ¡°Let¡¯s chat!¡± Ellen said. ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± The man was interested. After giving it some thought, Ellen asked, ¡°When¡¯s your birthday?¡± ¡°November 1,¡± he answered. Chuckling, Ellen replied, ¡°That¡¯s easy to remember. It¡¯s three ones.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Smiling, Jared asked, ¡°So, that means you¡¯vemitted it to memory?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be a bit over two months until your birthday,¡± stated Ellen. ¡°Do you want to celebrate it with me?¡± Shocked, Ellen replied, ¡°You should spend the day with your family.¡± ¡°I can only celebrate my birthday this year by myself since my family isn¡¯t around. So, it¡¯ll be the same if I celebrate it with my friends.¡± Jared hinted. With an ted expression, Ellen nodded. ¡°Sure!¡± She really wanted to celebrate his birthday together. Suddenly, a strand of hair got stuck around her ear. She took a breath. It hurt her when she turned around, making her want to untangle it, yet Jared was already reaching out to her. His warm fingers touched her soft ears, tickling her and causing her to dodge them. Her face was beet red right now. Out of the blue, Jared held her face before his face closed in. Ellen fell into panic for a few seconds, but this panic quickly turned into expectation. Although she knew what Jared was going to do, who could resist such a man? ¡°Close your eyes,¡± Jared said with a hoarse voice. Doing as he asked, Ellen closed her eyes before the man¡¯s warm lips made contact with hers. It was just a light kiss, as Jared did not go overboard with it. Half opening her eyes, Ellen was greeted by the man¡¯s tall nose and his thick eyshes. Jared is very attractive at this distance. Just like that, she looked at him, yet Jared opened his eyes, seeing that she was looking at him. Obviously, her mind is in another ce. I didn¡¯t think that she would be opening her eyes while we were kissing. This troubled the man, so he stopped being gentle and intensified the kiss just as he always wanted to. ¡°Mmph¡­¡± Ellen felt his ¡®punishment,¡¯ closing her eyes immediately and focusing on what was happening right at that moment. She could only feel the passioning from the man, besides her body turning into jelly in his arms. Kissing under the moon, there was a special kind of romantic spectacle to it with the man cing a hand on the back of Ellen¡¯s head while the other was holding her waist. Although her head barely reached Jared¡¯s chin, at that moment, the man lowered himself for her. Not far away, the bodyguards showed up, having finally caught up to them. But they did not dare to take even one more step forward. Otherwise, they knew that their careers would end right there and then. They also finally understood why Jared shook them off. Our young master is all grown up now! They sighed. In the end, the bodyguards retreated even further to the point where they drove their vehicles a few miles out, fearing that they might disturb Jared. Ellen was in a daze from all the kissing as shey in the man¡¯s arms, her heart beating wildly. Feelings of fear, love, nervousness, and excitement were all coursing through her because everything she had been through in her life up to that point was all shouldered by her alone. Even if she were to get wronged and hurt, she would still be alone. This made her hug the man in a fit of panic. Jared, who felt her tightening embrace, kissed her hair. ¡°Did I scare you?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Ellen replied quietly. It was then Jared noticed that her dress was rather short. With how big the waves were getting, he put his hand around her waist before saying, ¡°I think we should head back now.¡± Ellen nodded, and Jared led her back to the car. As they headed back to the city, Jared¡¯s bodyguards resumed following them. When they reached Ellen¡¯s house, it was already past midnight. Jared said deeply, ¡°Rest up well.¡± Nodding, Ellen walked into her residential district. When she turned around, she found that Jared still had not left yet, making her feel warm inside. Since it was the weekend tomorrow, it meant that she could sleep in. Tonight is one of the best nights of my life. Even though it was already midnight, in Olivia¡¯s home, Selena was having a hard time falling asleep, as her mind was filled with the incident that night. It was where Jared kissed Ellen and announced that she was his girlfriend. Although Selena had never liked any man to this point, Jared was the point that always drove her crazy. She really couldn¡¯t figure out how Ellen was better than her. In her eyes, Ellen would always remain a bottom feeder, a person forsaken by the heavens. Selena also heard Jared say that if not for her parents, he would¡¯ve already taken measures against her. What do my parents have to do with the Presgraves? Frustrated, Selena was sleepless, so she went downstairs to get some water. Coincidentally, Olivia was also having some water in the living room, and she got shocked by her daughter¡¯s sudden appearance. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you asleep yet?¡± Olivia asked. Sitting on the sofa with unkempt hair, Selena looked at her mother and suddenly questioned, ¡°Mom, are we rted to the Presgraves?¡± ¡°How in the world could we have that honor?¡± Olivia sighed. ¡°Then tell me. Why is it that Dad managed to arrange a job for me at the Presgrave Group with just a phone call? Where does our moneye from? You and Dad don¡¯t have proper jobs, but our household is never short on cash. What is happening?¡± Selena bombarded Olivia with questions. Olivia did not expect her daughter to be curious about all this suddenly. She took a seat on the sofa. ¡°What is up with you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going crazy because of that woman, Ellen. She was Young Master Jared¡¯spanion tonight, and she caused me to be humiliated by others at the event. Even Young Master Jared detests me now. He even said that if not for you and Dad, he would¡¯ve taken action against me,¡± Selena whined. Stunned, Olivia eximed, ¡°Say what? Ellen got on your nerves again?¡± ¡°She took advantage of the fact that Young Master Jared was helping her and didn¡¯t even bat an eye at me throughout the event. In the end, she even asked him to chase me out!¡± ¡°That hateful wench.¡± Olivia stood on her daughter¡¯s side. ¡°Mom, tell me now! Where do we get our money from?¡± Selena asked. Pondering about it, Olivia thought that her daughter was grown up now, so she could not really continue to hide this from her. Besides, if I tell her, she might learn to be more sensible. ¡°You really want to know?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Selena nodded fervently. ¡°Alright. This is a secret. Besides me and your father, nobody else knows about it. Now, I will tell you about it. But! You must keep it a secret!¡± ¡°I will.¡± ¡°Back then, we were very poor. Do you still remember Ellen¡¯s brother, Kev?¡± ¡°Of course, I do! We even fought because he wanted to take my toy away! Didn¡¯t he die because of an illness?¡± Selena was peeved. Chapter 1591-1600 Chapter 1591-1600 ¡°When the doctor advised us to discontinue treatment, there was a boy in desperate need of a heart in the ER. As we were about to leave the hospital, we were suddenly summoned to discuss organ donation. Finally, we donated Kev¡¯s heart to the boy, and his familyter donated 100 million to us,¡± Olivia stated. Selena¡¯s eyes widened as she couldn¡¯t believe the family¡¯s money came from this source. Furthermore, it was Kevin, Ellen¡¯s brother, who obtained it for them. ¡°Mom, the person in desperate need of a heart in the past was Young Master Jared, right?¡± she said after taking a deep breath. ¡°That¡¯s correct. As a result, the Presgrave Family has always been grateful to us. They will assist us with anything, including your studies. Because of their assistance, you could study abroad and attend a prestigious university.¡± ¡°Can we still ask for more money, Mom?¡± ¡°Without a doubt. However, we have sufficient funds.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not particrly wealthy, Mom. You have no idea how real billionaires live their lives. They can purchase a purse worth millions without batting an eyelid! That is something we can never imagine!¡± Dorothy had humiliated Selena badly. As a result, Selena despised the fact that her family was not wealthy enough. ¡°We can¡¯tpete with those billionaires, but don¡¯t we have it all? Besides, Connor is not a glutton. We can¡¯t ask for more when we have enough,¡± Olivia stated. She desired more, but Connor never requested it. ¡°Does Ellen know about this, Mom?¡± ¡°We will never tell her. We¡¯ll take this secret with us to the grave. Otherwise, Ellen will cause us problems. The Presgraves will then learn the truth. We have no way of exining this to the family.¡± Selena was finally feeling much better. So, Ellen¡¯s brother is entirely responsible for our prosperity and wealth. On the other hand, Ellen reaped no benefits as Kevin¡¯s younger sister. ¡°I will keep it a secret from her, Mom,¡± she assured her mother. ¡°Only the three of us will know the truth, and no one else should.¡± Olivia kept warning Selena. ¡°Okay, I will never leak the secret!¡± Selena promised, not wanting to lose her wealth as well. ¡°So, Young Master Jared¡¯s heart came from Kevin. Is the young master aware of this, Mom?¡± ¡°Certainly not. Young Master Jared was only ten years old at the time. He appeared to have left the country after having his heart reced. Furthermore, he had no contact with us.¡± Selena reasoned that she couldn¡¯t tell Jared about it. He would spoil Ellen if he knew the truth. ¡°Mom, we have to figure something out! What if Young Master Jared suddenly feels uneasy about his heart and goes to see a doctor about it? Then, he¡¯ll realize Kevin is Ellen¡¯s brother!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not possible!¡± Olivia became pale when she heard that. ¡°Can we turn Kevin into Dad¡¯s child and make him my brother, Mom? Simply inform everyone that I am Kevin¡¯s sister and Ellen is Kevin¡¯s cousin. Then, Young Master Jared will repay me when he discovers that.¡± Olivia was taken aback when she heard Selena¡¯s words. ¡°What are you on about, Lena?¡± Selena had suffered severe humiliation earlier on so at this point, she was having a lot of crazy ideas running through her head. She sat next to Olivia and took her arm before saying, ¡°Mom, I believe my n is feasible. Allow Kevin to be Dad¡¯s illegitimate son and thus, my elder brother. Because Kevin has died, Young Master Jared cannot discover the truth. If the young master decides to investigate, Kevin¡¯s body is long gone and there is nothing left to perform a DNA paternity test on.¡± Meanwhile, Olivia had never considered such a bold idea before. However, after hearing Selena¡¯s words, she felt it made sense. ¡°Let me consider it. I can¡¯t decide on my own. Your father must help you with this.¡± It waste at night by the time Olivia finished speaking. Then, she told Selena, ¡°You should go to bed right now. I¡¯m tired as well.¡± When Selena went back to her room, she was still processing the truth. She couldn¡¯t help but recall her childhood. Then, she remembered the biting cold little house and her frostbitten hands. Everything changed when she was eight years old. She transferred from a run-down school to a private aristocratic elementary school. Furthermore, she began to wear a beautiful and high-end school uniform. She then moved into her current home and sat in her father¡¯s new car. It continued from elementary school to college, and until she went abroad. Selena was a very ambitious individual. She felt that her life could not be still. Even though she inherited her father¡¯s money, she thought it was insufficient for her needs. She closed her eyes but couldn¡¯t fall asleep. In her mind, she was creating a beautiful dream. She fantasized about turning Kevin into her brother, causing Jared to look at her differently due to his gratitude for the donated heart. They then fell in love and began dating. The sweet dream was shattered the following day by the rm clock. Selena madly turned off the rm and covered her head with a quilt. It was the weekend. Ellen woke up early to take a cab to Lockwood Vige, which was about to be demolished, to pack her priceless possessions. She packed many things, some of which belonged to Jessica and others to her as a child. Then, she took a photo album and flipped through the yellow pages to look at her brother. Her eyes welled up with tears right away. ¡°How are you, Dad, and Mom doing in heaven, Kevin?¡± Tears streamed down Ellen¡¯s cheeks and her nose was clogged. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯m doing well right now and will take good care of myself.¡± She smiled with tears welling up in her eyes. Ellen took a cab home after packing up her belongings. She expected the vige to be demolished in a few days, with andmark to take its ce in a few years. She was about to board a cab and leave when she saw Connor, her uncle. When she was about to call out to him, she noticed that he was holding the hand of a woman, and the woman was holding the hand of a boy who was holding a toy. As a result, Ellen decided not to call him. She also wanted to avoid him because she didn¡¯t want him to notice her. As she hid behind a bush, she saw Connor leave with the woman and child. She couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder who that woman was to Connor and if that boy was his child. She remembered Connor was holding the woman¡¯s hand so tenderly. It wasn¡¯t the kind of love one would show a rtive. Ellen finally boarded the cab, her mind a jumbled mess. From what she remembered, Connor was obedient to his wife Olivia. Olivia was a bossy woman. She would go insane if she discovered Connor had a mistress and an illegitimate son. Ellen rested her chin on her hand as she thought things through, but she didn¡¯t understand much. Is it true that all honest-looking men cheat? Conner was a trustworthy man in her eyes. However, she had now learned of his affairs. It heightened her apprehension about marriage. While working in the cafe, she overheard her coworkers discussing their families¡¯ affairs, which made her realize that marrying an evil man would be a tragedy for a woman. It was preferable to remain single. Ellen didn¡¯t want to think about it too much. She hoped that Connor would take the secret with him to the grave. In the end, she returned home and began unpacking her belongings. After whipping up a te of pasta for herself, she began studying a marketing nning book in the hopes of improving herself. While she was reading a book in the afternoon, her phone rang. Her heart rate increased as she picked up the phone and looked at the caller ID. It was a call from Jared. ¡°Hello, President Presgrave!¡± Ellen greeted. ¡°Are you avable tonight?¡± It was obvious that Jared wanted to spend time with her. ¡°I¡¯m free,¡± she replied. Her social life was simple, so she was always avable when she was resting. ¡°The Super Car Club is holding an event today. I¡¯d like for you to join us.¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Huh? Me?¡± Ellen imagined it would be an event attended only by wealthy people, so she was afraid she wouldn¡¯t fit in. ¡°I want you to go,¡± Jared said in a low voice. Ellen couldn¡¯te up with an excuse to decline his invitation, so all she could say was, ¡°Okay! Do I need to prepare anything?¡± ¡°The haute couture boutique will contact you. Tonight, you¡¯ll wear a lovely evening gown and be my date.¡± Ellen nodded, thinking that she needed to return the evening gown once the event was over. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°See you tonight,¡± Jared said sweetly before hanging up the phone. Ellen couldn¡¯t help but be excited about it. At the Joypur Residence¡­ Dorothy¡¯s heart had been racing since she saw Jared at the dinner party that day. She had no idea he had returned and taken over his family¡¯s business. Despite her wealth, she desired the Presgrave Group, which was the world¡¯s most powerful corporation. Dorothy was overjoyed when she received the invitation list for the Super Car Club¡¯s event that day. Jared¡¯s name was on the list. ¡°Oh, my goodness! I¡¯m going to run into him again.¡± She fisted her hands in excitement. She would never pass up an opportunity like this. Although she had offended Jared¡¯spanion at the party earlier, she had not given it much thought. She was convinced Jared just had a fling with Ellen because he was wealthy. It was impossible for him to fall in love with amoner. Dorothy was popr with men, which was why she was confident she had the opportunity to make the billionaire fall in love with her. That day, Selena invited her friends to dinner. One of her friends mentioned that the Super Car Club had an event that night. She also learned that those who received the invitation were all wealthy city residents. It would be an honor to be invited to the event. ¡°But how do we get in?¡± Selena asked as she rested her chin in her palm. She had lost confidence now that she knew where their money came from. Other wealthy families hadrge amounts of passive ie, but her family did not and would be depleted entirely one day. For ie, Connor only relied on some investments and regr savings. Meanwhile, Olivia did not work. Furthermore, the family¡¯s expenses were substantial. Selena had to rely on herself to achieve her materialistic ambitions. ¡°Can you ask your friend to take us with him, Lulu?¡± However, Lulu shook her head. ¡°There are only a few spots avable. Not everyone can attend.¡± ¡°Pretty please? Your friend can surely find a solution for us!¡± Selena pleaded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll ask him. However, I make no guarantees that this will work.¡± In the end, Lulu had no choice but to ask her friend. She had no idea her friend was a simp. When he heard that another two stunning ladies wanted to join the event, he immediately agreed. ¡°He said yes,¡± Lulu announced. Selena had a gleam in her eyes. ¡°So, we can attend the event?¡± ¡°What are we waiting for? Hurry up and choose a dress for tonight! Today is a great night to meet a wealthy man to marry!¡± So, the three girls left the cafe and went to a nearby shopping mall to buy clothes. At 3.00PM, Ellen received a call from the haute couture boutique. Their car would meet her at the front door and drive her to the shop twenty minutester. Ellen packed up the evening gown she borrowed the night before and went downstairs twenty minutes later. She wasn¡¯t as awkward in the boutique as she had been the day before. She found herself alone in the shop once more. Did Jared book the shop for another two hours? ¡°President Presgrave told me that you have a party to attend tonight, so we prepared multiple short evening gowns that look great on you.¡± Ellen trusted the manager¡¯s judgment, so she nodded and said, ¡°All right!¡± Upstairs in the fitting room, she tried on a blue tube-top evening gown, but it was too revealing for her. The manager recognized her as a conservative youngdy right away and got a nude pink off-the- shoulder dress ready for Ellen to try on. It looked good on Ellen and suited her personality perfectly. She didn¡¯t have the usual look that was a result of stic surgery. Her palm-sized face was round and a little chubby, but it fit her perfectly. Under the harsh light, one couldn¡¯t see the pores on her face, and it appeared as delicate as a peeled, boiled egg. She looked like an innocent young girl. The manager felt that Jared had good taste since there were very few girls this pretty yet well-behaved. ¡°Miss Reiss, what about this one?¡± ¡°Wow!¡± Ellen liked the evening gown as well and nodded. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll wear this one!¡± She went through yet another process of makeup and picking out her essories. She merely wanted a simple chain around her neck as an essory and nothing else. Meanwhile, her makeup was suited for the asion. As for her hair, the hairstylist couldn¡¯t think of a prettier style than her wearing it loose since her hair was naturally straight and smooth. Running a hand through it already gave her a unique charm. Ellen waited for Jared at the boutique while sipping her tea and reading a book. It was a great evening. Meanwhile, in another boutique, Selena and her friends put on seductive low-cut gowns. They had already met with a rich heir and tonight, she had forced her way into the gathering consisting only of extremely wealthy heirs. Dorothy was also one of the customers there, having dressed extravagantly in a ck gown. However, the gown was designed to show off her assets the way she liked them since it exposed her back and waist, not to mention the low neckline. They left at 5.00PM. The venue was in a racing club in the country, where a private racetrack had been built especially for racing. It was also where the battle would mainly take ce. Since it was a racing club, there had to be some exciting racing sessions. Jared¡¯s sports car arrived at 5.30PM. His vehicle was gray, which surprised Ellen since this had been the first time that she saw it. It was obvious that it was a limited-edition car. He politely opened the passenger door for her and sped towards the street in the sunset as the attendants watched enviously. Several ck four-wheel drives immediately followed him like a shadow. After stopping at a traffic light, Jared¡¯s eyes began to study Ellen. She did look pretty in everything. Her dark hair fell onto her shoulders and it concealed her elegant neck slightly, which made him swallow. He stared at her side profile and nearly forgot that the light had turned green. The driver behind him only dared to press the horn after several seconds to alert him, and Jared stepped on the elerator and rushed off. He was already 100 meters away by the time the car behind him started driving, which made the young man behind the wheel exim, ¡°What racing car is that? It¡¯s so fast!¡± Several four-wheel drives then followed him like galloping wild horses. The sight was shocking to the bystanders, who looked like they had seen a grand scene from a movie. ¡­ Selena and her friends happily alighted the car in the parking lot of the racing club. As soon as she got off, she saw an extraordinarily handsome man not far away and it made her heart stutter. The man was sitting on the front bo of his car and facing the sunset as he made a call. ¡°Goodness, who is he?¡± She was immediately attracted to him. Lulu recognized him instantly and exined, ¡°He¡¯s Lambert Orey, the eldest son of the Blue Ocean Group shipping empire.¡± At that point, Selena thought to herself, This man shall be my target for tonight. While he doesn¡¯t look wealthier than Jared, his looks and body are wless. At that moment, a man approached Lambert as he tapped on his phone and asked him, ¡°It¡¯s so lively inside. Why don¡¯t youe in?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want toe.¡± Lambert watched his screen as his slender fingers tapped away rapidly. ¡°There are so many pretty girls here. Why don¡¯t you pick a few?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡± ¡°You can have any woman here and entertain yourself with as many of them as you want.¡± The man lowered his voice as he already seemed excited. Lambert rolled his eyes at him. ¡°Are they that fun to y with?¡± The man sounded confused when he asked, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you like men!¡± Lambert snorted. ¡°My time and effort are extremely valuable, and these women don¡¯t deserve me wasting it on them.¡± His lips turned up as he murmured, ¡°Unless I meet one who is worth my time and effort.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that weird obsession with purity? It¡¯s fine as long as it¡¯s a woman, isn¡¯t it?¡± When it was clear that Lambert could not be convinced, his friend decided to head back in. He had to find a few pretty girls soon, or no girls would be left for him. Meanwhile, Selena had no choice but to head in first with her friends. She nned to returnter to flirt with the handsome man she had met earlier. At that moment, as the sun was dipping below the horizon, Jared¡¯s charcoal gray car sped over. His vehicle stopped across the street from Lambert, whose attention was drawn to the sports car. It was a car that he had longed for all his life. Then, the passenger side door opened, and a woman exited the vehicle. A sudden gust of evening wind came from behind her, causing her waist-length hair to be ruffled and hiding her face from view. After she brushed her hair out of her face, Lambert was immediately drawn to her fair and pretty face, which forced him to divert his attention from the vehicle. The sight of that woman made his pupils constrict. In addition, he was captivated by her carefree gait, which made her appear pure and enticing. At first nce, he could tell she was different from the other club girls. Nheless, before he could finish gushing over the woman¡¯s attractiveness, he became aware of a pair of steely eyes staring back at him. He pursed his lips in embarrassment when he realized whom those eyes belonged to. It was Jared staring at him. Then, Lambert mused, He managed to get his hands on my dream car three years ago, and I still can¡¯t get over it. Nheless, he has impable taste in both cars and women. Suddenly, Ellen cast an inquisitive nce at the man leaning against the hood of the vehicle parked across the street. Why is he leaning against the car by himself? She had only been staring for a few seconds when her attention was drawn by a gentle but firm voice. ¡°Come, Ellen.¡± Then, she withdrew her gaze and walked toward Jared. Suddenly, he wrapped her waist with his arm as if to proim to the world that she was his woman. Meanwhile, there was a romantic garden inside the club decked out in flowers and balloons. Arge table was set up under the bright LED lights, on which bottles of various alcohols were ced. When they walked in, more than twenty car owners were seated at the table, and beautiful women of varying beauties were sitting by their sides. Some women appeared sexy, while others appeared demure and exuded a sophisticated air. While it was a gathering of luxury car owners that evening, it was actually an event where those people showed off their power and wealth. It was also a ce where the rich kids could make friends and have a night of fun with women. When Jared entered hand-in-hand with Ellen, two women seated at the table were stunned. One of them was Dorothy, and the other was Selena. Dorothy knew Selena was at the event, but she was unwilling to lower her station and speak with someone who was only there as entertainment. After all, Dorothy was there because she was a car owner. On the other hand, Selena also despised Dorothy. She would have demanded retaliation if it had been anyone else who had pped her. Meanwhile, she wished for Dorothy to keep her distance from her and enjoy the remainder of the evening. At that moment, they both had identical expressions of shock. They could not believe that Jared would attend the event with Ellen. The gathering was hosted by Ryan Day, a man in his thirties who was the founder of the Super Car Club and a second-generation wealthy man who loved cars. When he saw the couple enter, he eagerly approached Jared and gave him a bear hug. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, I thought you would ignore me!¡± Jared smiled. ¡°Why would I? You invited me. Of course, I wille.¡± ¡°Whoa! Who is this prettydy?¡± Ryan eximed. ¡°This is my girlfriend, Ellen Reiss,¡± Jared graciously introduced. Ellen shyly smiled when introduced. Ryan might like beautiful women, but he knew he could not give Jared¡¯s girlfriends a second nce. However, that was not the case for the other men, who could not help but stare at Ellen despite being surrounded by beautiful women. ¡°Come,¡± said Ryan. ¡°Your seats are up front.¡± It was only then that Ellen turned her attention to therge table. Suddenly, her eyes met Selena¡¯s, and she stared at her in shock while Selena stared back with tant envy. When Jared followed Ellen¡¯s line of sight and spotted Selena, he quickly drew Ellen to their seats at the head of the table. As Ellen sat down, her gaze was drawn to Dorothy, who was sitting across from her, and she was surprised to find Dorothy at the gathering as well. However, Dorothy scowled at her with intense hatred. At that moment, Ryan weed another guest who walked in. ¡°Mr. Orey, you made it inside. Come, have a seat.¡± Lambert then drew out a seat directly across from Jared and sat down. It was apparent from the seating chart that those at the head table would be the most influential of those in attendance. Therefore, those seats belonged to Jared and Lambert. Meanwhile, Ellen raised her head and made idental eye contact with Lambert. Earlier, he had only had a fleeting nce at her with the setting sun shining on her face, but since he was able to look at her more closely, he realized that she was his ideal match. Sensing the unusual intensity of his gaze, she hurriedly looked down. Then, he smirked and picked up his wine ss. What a shy girl! On the other hand, Selena¡¯s seat was towards the end of the table, giving her a clear line of sight to Lambert. I am envious of Ellen, who was seated directly opposite Lambert and with two outstanding men. ¡°Young Master Jared, I have heard of you, but I never had a chance to meet you. It is a pleasure to see you here today,¡± Lambert greeted, holding his ss up in a toast. ¡°You¡¯re too kind.¡± Jared raised his ss to clink it against Lambert¡¯s. The two men looked at each other with admiration and scrutiny as they locked eyes. There was a subtly charged tension in the air from the sh of their masculine instincts. ¡°What is your name, Miss?¡± Lambert asked, curiously ncing at Ellen. ¡°I¡¯m Ellen Reiss,¡± she politely replied. ¡°How do you do? I¡¯m Lambert Orey.¡± He introduced himself with a smile and a raised eyebrow. When Jared saw that, he narrowed his eyes and uttered, ¡°Let me add to the introduction; she is my girlfriend.¡± While taking a sip of his wine, Lambert froze and smirked, ¡°Oh? Are you afraid I would steal her away?¡± ¡°You likely aren¡¯t capable of doing that.¡± Jared shot him a warning re. However, Lambert was a man who loved challenges and causing trouble. So, he quipped, ¡°I might not be as good as you in making money, but that might not be the case when ites to women.¡± ¡°You can try.¡± Soon, Jared¡¯s lips were tilted upward in a confident smile. Meanwhile, Ellen was watching them in exasperation. What¡¯s the matter with these two men? Do they see me as a prize worth fighting for? Do they not care how I feel? In addition, Lambert¡¯s wordse off as disrespectful. So, she raised her head and gave him a cold stare that caused his heart to skip a beat but only increased his interest in her. At that moment, a server walked up to them and started bringing tes of grilled meat and assorted desserts. Then, Jared offered Ellen a bite of his dessert, and thetter¡¯s lips pursed in a grin at the gesture. As soon as Ryan sat down, he began to introduce everyone present and their vehicle. When he introduced Jared to the group, everyone was shocked to learn who Jared was. They immediately realized that his vehicle was the most expensive limited-edition sports car explicitly made for him. Later, when Ryan introduced Lambert¡¯s car, it elicited the same envious looks from everyone in attendance. Meanwhile, Selena¡¯s admiring eyes were trained on Lambert. She knew she could not get together with Jared, so she decided to change targets. Lambert is equally handsome as Jared, so he will be my new target. Nheless, she was not alone in having that thought. Every woman present had their sights set on the two men who were seated at the head of the table. In their eyes, the two men were the cream of the crop in terms of wealth and appearance. On the other hand, Dorothy kept throwing enticing nces at Jared to catch his attention. Unfortunately for her, he had not even bothered to nce in her direction. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, I¡¯ve heard your car packs quite a punch. How about apetition?¡± Lambert was the first to break the silence. ¡°How so?¡± Jared raised his eyebrows. Afterward, Lambert swiftly replied with a risky gamble, ¡°The winner gets to keep the loser¡¯s car.¡± Ellen was taken aback by the suggestion and quickly turned to Jared, hoping he would not ept the bet. Lambert smirked, seemingly to provoke Jared. ¡°Of course, if you can¡¯t bear to part with your car, it¡¯s fine. Just give me Miss Reiss.¡± When Ellen heard that, she was filled with disgust. ¡°Mr. Orey, can you please have some respect?¡± she asked, shooting to her feet. Lambert was startled by her response. Then, he abruptly stood up and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I went overboard with my joke. I meant no disrespect.¡± Jared, on the other hand, grabbed her hand and narrowed his eyes as he dered, ¡°I ept the bet.¡± He was determined to make Lambert suffer a humiliating defeat. The other women turned to look at them. What was so great about Ellen that these two amazing men would fight over her hand? Selena was seething on the inside. In her mind, Ellen must have seduced Lambert on purpose. How could she? How could she seduce Lambert when she already had Jared? Dorothy was simrly jealous of Ellen. After all, Jared mainly agreed topete because he wanted to protect her honor. The other men excitedly pped and cheered. They were eager to watch the two supercars race. It would be an exciting match of adrenaline and speed. Ryan tried to calm them down. ¡°Sirs, could we hold off on the race for my sake? How about you compete another day in private¡­¡± Both Jared and Lambert simultaneously interrupted him. ¡°No way.¡± That seemed to have set them off. Two men stared at each other; one of them was throwing taunting looks while the other was calm andposed. Ellen was worried. It was a race, so that meant they would be speeding, right? That was dangerous! Ellen pleadingly looked at Jared, even grabbing his arm while shaking her head. She did not want him to race. He patted the back of her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡¯ Taking advantage of thest rays of sunlight, everyone moved over to the parking lot outside. Jared took Ellen by her hand and led her out. After a brief hug, he walked over to his car as Lambert walked over to him. The two cars were soon waiting by the starting line. As someone spoke to them about the rules of the race, everyone else¡¯s ears were filled with the thunderous rumble of the cars¡¯ engines. It felt as though they were two wild beasts roaring to be let out of their cages. When the signal was given, the two cars immediately sped away at over 60 mph. Ellen¡¯s heart clenched hard. She walked over to Ryan and asked, ¡°Is this track quite long?¡± ¡°Judging by their speed, they should be back in about fifteen minutes,¡± he honestly replied. He could tell she was nervous; he was, too. He could not afford to bear the consequences if anything happened to either one of them. It was then that Selena walked over to them with crossed arms. ¡°You really are sticking to Mr. Presgrave like glue. You follow him everywhere.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to argue with you today,¡± Ellen shot back, ncing at the track that led back to them. Oh, how she wished the race would end soon. Selena unexpectedly leaned closer and whispered to her, ¡°Be happy that you have Mr. Presgrave. Stop flirting with Mr. Orey. He¡¯s mine.¡± Ellen seemed to have not heard her though since her entire being was tensed up. Just then, they heard one of the men call out, ¡°Let¡¯s start with the bets!¡± Everyone began to crowd around that man to ce their bets. ¡°I bet Mr. Orey will win,¡± someone said. ¡°He has raced on this track before while Mr. Presgrave is always overseas. There¡¯s no way Mr. Presgrave would win.¡± ¡°When you put it that way, Mr. Orey stands a higher chance of winning!¡± another man eximed. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll bet my money on Mr. Orey.¡± In just a few minutes, thest man who spoke pulled out 1.5 million dors and betted it with a one-to- two ratio. Ellen¡¯s heart was in her throat as she listened to them discuss. To her, Jared did not need to win. She just wanted him to end the race safely. ¡°I¡¯ll bet on Mr. Presgrave winning,¡± Dorothy said, walking over to them. ¡°Are you not afraid of losing, Miss Joypur?¡± ¡°Win or lose, it doesn¡¯t matter. What¡¯s important is that I like Mr. Presgrave.¡± Dorothy was staring straight at Ellen when she said that. ¡°Miss Reiss, are you not going to ce a bet? It¡¯s a great opportunity for you to win some money. If you ce the right bet, you might get rich overnight!¡± Dorothy eximed. Everyone who heard her turned to stare at Ellen in shock. Those who did not know her at all thought she was a daughter of a rich family as well. ¡°You guys don¡¯t know, right? She¡¯s only Mr. Presgrave¡¯s personal assistant. She¡¯s not like us. To her, 150 thousand is a huge sum.¡± Dorothy chuckled. The crowd immediately began to whisper and mock Ellen. ¡°Ah, so she is just an assistant. I thought she was the daughter of some powerful family.¡± ¡°I see. She¡¯s just using Mr. Presgrave¡¯s wealth to sneak her way into our circles.¡± Ellen heard them, but she did not care about their jeering at all. Her gaze was trained on the racetrack. With the setting sun shining down on her and her hair dancing in the wind, her eyes appeared as beautiful and clear as amber. The sight of her enthralled many of the men around her. Some were even nning on having some fun with her once Elliot grew tired of her. Across the hill, the two sports cars chased after each other. They were neck and neck, racing along at incredible speeds. Their smooth bodies shed in an array of colorful lights when the setting sun struck them. Sparks could be seen when they speed around the bends, caused by the great friction between the tires and the tar road. Furthermore, ear-piercing shrieks echoed through the air, like the shrill cries of a trapped beast. The gray car belonged to Jared while the blue car was Lambert¡¯s. The gray car had been stuck in second ce when it suddenly screeched around a bend in a perfect drift that allowed it to overtake the other car. Jared¡¯s car seemed so strong, so resolute, so indomitable when he overtook Lambert. It felt like he was overtaking light and speed at the same time. At that moment, he looked like a rampaging lion. Lambert¡¯s eyes widened as he watched the gray car speed away. He could not help but smile. In the end, he still lost. ¡°They¡¯re back!¡± ¡°Mr. Presgrave is leading.¡± ¡°Goodness, he won!¡± Grateful tears streamed down Ellen¡¯s cheeks as she watched the gray car charge back to them. She could not stop them at all as all the worries in her mind finally vanished. Jared slowed down when he drove closer to the crowd, eventually stopping before Ellen. There was a moment of silence. After opening the car door, he had just stepped out of the car when a petite figure flung herself at him and wrapped her arms tightly around him. He hugged Ellen back and burst out in a happy chuckle. ¡°Were you that worried for me?¡± By now, she was ignoring any embarrassment she felt as she continued embracing him. Nothing made her happier than seeing him return to her safe and sound. ¡°Shameless,¡± Selena spat out. Dorothy angrily stomped her feet. Just then, the blue car sped over. Lambert hopped out of the car and tossed his keys to Jared, who caught it without hesitation. ¡°The car is yours.¡± Lambert graciously epted his defeat. Jared nced at the mboyant blue sports car before asking Ellen, ¡°Do you like the car? It¡¯s yours.¡± With those few words, Ellen had suddenly transformed into the luckiest woman that evening. The other women covered their mouths in disbelief; they just couldn¡¯t believe that Elliot would actually give Lambert¡¯s car to Ellen. However, they then heard Ellen say, ¡°I don¡¯t want it.¡± Lambert could not help but facepalm. ¡°Miss Reiss, do I need to tell you how expensive the car is? Take it. You will not regret it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even have a driving license,¡± she shot back. ¡°Why do I want your car?¡± Jared burst outughing and pressed her head back to his chest. She leaned into him, confused at his reaction, as the other women¡¯s eyes boggled at her. Was Ellen actually foolish or was she stupid? Why would she not seize the chance to have the sports car? By now, Selena was overwhelmed with jealousy. If that were her, she would have immediately epted the gift. Ellen¡¯s reaction made Lambert look at her in a new light. She is truly unique. Then, he shot Jared an envious look. Where does Jared find a woman who cares only about her man and not money? If only I could find a woman like that! Later, when the other car owners wanted topete against each other, the group remained at the racetrack. Meanwhile, Jared led Ellen to a tent in the garden so they could sit and eat. ¡°Were you worried about me earlier?¡± he asked. She had certainly been beside herself with worry, but now that he was safe, her worry had disappeared. Then, she turned to him and asked, ¡°In the future, can you not participate in something so dangerous again?¡± Jared was taken aback by Ellen¡¯s forthright response, but then he solemnly nodded when he saw how serious she was. ¡°Okay. I promise you that I will not do it again.¡± His assurance made her face light up with a smile, and it appeared to have rubbed off on him because he was also beaming. Suddenly, his phone rang, and he nced at it to see it was a work call. ¡°I have to take this,¡± he said, rising to his feet. She nodded as she watched him walk over to an adjacent patch of grass to answer the call. While she sipped her juice, a man with a ss of wine walked over and sat next to her. So, she turned and noticed it was Lambert. His beautiful eyes stared at Ellen with tant admiration and curiosity. However, she resented Lambert for asking Jared to race against him earlier. Although she rarely avoided conversation, she did not feel like talking to him at the time. When he noticed her expression, he could not help but grin. ¡°Miss Reiss, have I offended you somehow?¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± she answered. ¡°Then, do I look annoying to you?¡± he asked. ¡°I simply do not wish to talk.¡± Even though Ellen did not wish to offend Lambert, she did not want to converse with him. Meanwhile, Selena was making her way through the crowd with a ss of wine. She had looked high and low for Lambert so she could finally have a conversation with him. When she finally located him, she saw that he was sitting next to Ellen under the tent. Then, she quickly lowered the cor of her top to sh more of her assets before confidently striding over to him. ¡°There you are, Ellie!¡± Selena eximed in a friendly manner as she sat down beside Ellen. After ncing at Selena, Ellen immediately understood the purpose of her presence. However, Selena ignored her and swiftly turned to passionately greet Lambert. ¡°Hello, Mr. Orey. I am Selena Aguirre, Ellen¡¯s cousin.¡± ¡°You¡¯re cousins?¡± The shocked Lambert asked. ¡°Yes, we look alike, don¡¯t we?¡± Selena quickly responded to keep the conversation going while resting her chin on a hand and shooting him subtle looks of flirtation. ¡°I don¡¯t think you do,¡± he bluntly answered. While his reaction made Selena feel a little awkward, she at least had his attention. Then, she turned to Ellen and said, ¡°Ellie, this weekend is my dad¡¯s birthday. You have toe and celebrate with us.¡± However, Ellen was taken aback by the sudden mention of her uncle¡¯s birthday. ¡°Where are we celebrating?¡± ¡°Most likely in a restaurant somewhere,¡± Selena absentmindedly replied before turning back to Lambert. ¡°Mr. Orey, what time is it? I don¡¯t have my phone with me right now.¡± He nced at his watch and replied, ¡°It¡¯s almost seven.¡± ¡°I wonder if we will be doing anything fun this evening,¡± she mused. ¡°Do you know anything, Mr. Orey?¡± ¡°There should be some dancing and games. I¡¯m not too sure either,¡± Lambert replied. ¡°I came with my friends, and I don¡¯t know anyone else here. Mr. Orey, could I stay by your side tonight?¡± she asked. Her words made it clear that she hoped to spend the evening with him as his partner. Nevertheless, he immediately waved his hand in a gesture of refusal. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have something to do. I will be leaving early.¡± Lambert then turned to Ellen and said in a deep voice, ¡°Miss Reiss, it has been a pleasure to meet you today. If luck is on our side, we might meet again someday.¡± Soon, he stood up and left. With her chance to seduce him gone, Selena turned to scowl at Ellen. ¡°So, what tricks did you pull to bewitch him?¡± Ellen was taken aback, wondering when Selena had witnessed her seducing Lambert. ¡°I came here to apany President Presgrave. I¡¯m not interested in getting to know other men,¡± Ellen replied. When Selena saw Lambert chatting with others, she shot Ellen a re before joining them. She was determined not to miss another opportunity to get closer to him. When Lambert saw her walking toward him with a ss of wine, he quickly ended the conversation and hurriedly left. Since Jared had taken his sports car, he had no choice but to borrow a car from the club to return to the city center. Meanwhile, when Jared got off the phone and returned, he saw Ellen swatting a mosquito off her leg. He was drawn to her leg¡¯s delicate, smooth skin and quickly realized she must be a mosquito ma. She was scratching when he approached, but as soon as she saw him, she immediately stopped what she was doing out of embarrassment and looked at him instead. Nheless, he saw the small, raised bumps from the mosquito bite on her leg and expressed sympathy by saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go! I¡¯ll take you back to the city center.¡± At that moment, he saw a mosquitond on her slender neck. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± She froze, and he swiftly raised hisrge hand and swatted the pesky mosquito off her neck. Then, she lamented, ¡°Ugh! I¡¯ve always been a mosquito ma since I was a child.¡± While she was reaching for her neck to relieve the itching, he hastily grabbed her hand because he noticed another mosquito bite bump forming. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± So, Ellen picked up her bag and followed Jared to find Ryan. Then, he said to Ryan, ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving first.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay a little longer?¡± Ryan persuaded. ¡°We have urgent matters to attend to,¡± Jared answered. As Dorothy walked in, she saw Jared leaving. Boldly, she came over and said to him, ¡°Mr. Presgrave, are you leaving already? Won¡¯t you hang around for a while longer?¡± Jared cast an eye in her direction and instantly was reminded of her horrible nature and what she had done to Ellen during thest banquet. So, he remarked coldly, ¡°No.¡± Nheless, Dorothy was disappointed as she watched their figure fade from view. She believed that evening would be ideal for meeting and conversing with him, but it seemed she was overthinking it. Meanwhile, Ellen hopped into her car and promptly closed the door. Jared closed his vehicle door almost simultaneously with her because he worried the mosquitoes would follow them and bite her again. So, no matter how luxurious the sports car, it would be an annoyance if a mosquito found its way inside. Despite that, he knew he would not get bitten by the mosquito because he was dressed appropriately with long sleeves and pants, whereas she was not. Soon, she scratched her neck again because she could not stand the itching, which broke his heart. He had no idea that her presence at the gathering would make her a mosquito¡¯s meal. As the car headed back, three ck off-road vehicles quickly followed, afraid of being left behind by the sports car. When they returned to Ellen¡¯s residentialmunity, she counted the mosquito bites on her body. There were at least seven or eight bumps, and the ones on her legs looked horrible because they were so swollen and red from the mosquito bites. The bites from Aedes mosquitoes were potent, which caused a much redder and itchy bump on her tender skin. At that moment, Jared said to her, ¡°Wait for me in the car.¡± Following that, he quickly exited the vehicle and walked into a store to purchase an anti-itch spray, which he then applied to her itchy spot upon his return. Later, she took the spray and applied it on herself in the passenger seat. Under the light, his eyes were drawn to her long, slender legs, which caused him to drool internally. As soon as she had finished applying the treatment, she began to feel significantly better, and the itching on her skin subsided. So, she stepped out of the car and stated, ¡°President Presgrave, please drive carefully on the way home.¡± ¡°Could you give me a drink in your house? I¡¯m a little thirsty,¡± Jared suddenly asked Ellen. Then, she turned her head and looked toward the store. ¡°Wait for me here!¡± After that, she quickly went to the store and bought a bottle of water to give to him. ¡°Here, gulp it down! Don¡¯t get too thirsty.¡± He epted the bottle and was taken aback by her reaction. Doesn¡¯t this girl understand what I mean? I wanted to be invited to her house to have a drink. ¡°Get some rest early.¡± Consequently, he had no choice but to leave without revealing his true intention. Soon, he entered the vehicle and drove away. Meanwhile, Ellen was a little tired because the mosquitoes had been giving her a hard time. After driving for a while, Jared called his assistant, Stanley, and ordered, ¡°Find me a good driving school.¡± Chapter 1601-1610 Chapter 1601-1610 ¡°President Presgrave, who needs a driver¡¯s license?¡± Stanley inquired. ¡°Ellen,¡± Jared replied. Although a driver¡¯s license is not a must, apanying her to the test will be more meaningful. Meanwhile, at the Orey Residence, Lambert showered and settled into bed to watch a ser match. As he watched, a mental image of Ellen, whom he had seen earlier that day, shed like a slow-motion movie scene. Everything about her was vivid, from her eyes to the strands of her hair that fluttered in the wind. It was as if he had met the love of his life. While recalling that, he could not help but scratch his ck hair out of frustration. Unfortunately, she is Jared¡¯s woman, and if she is with any other man tonight, I will steal her away. For the sake of a woman, he did not even want to watch his favorite ser match anymore. He was even bored and wanted to know where she lived, what she was doing, and everything about her. ¡­ After taking a bath, Ellen went to bed and read a marketing book. As she read, she became sleepy, and the book remained in her hand even as she slept. The following day was the weekend, and she slept in after turning off her rm. When she got up, she saw that it was 10.00AM. While she was nning where to go for lunchter, suddenly, her phone rang. She could not help but pick up her phone and look at it, and when she saw that it was Jared on the other end, her heart started racing. ¡°Hello, President Presgrave.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s have lunch together.¡± The man¡¯s voice sounded domineering. ¡°Um, I want to eat barbecue. Will youe with me?¡± Ellen instantly replied because she was craving barbecue. ¡°Of course,¡± Jared responded. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll treat you to the meal. I know a new ce that¡¯s really good,¡± she said. ¡°Okay, I¡¯lle to your ce.¡± The man responded readily and hung up. However, Ellen was still somewhat stunned after hanging up the phone. It is only 10.00AM! It¡¯s too early for him toe over! When she realized Jared would be arriving shortly, she immediately jumped out of bed and tidied up. She had nned to do nothing and put off any household chores that morning, but since he was coming over, she eventually decided to be diligent. After cleaning, she felt the floor was still not shiny enough, so she took the mop out. Soon, she realized that mopping her 2,100-square-foot apartment was tiring her out. Meanwhile, at 10.00AM on the weekend, a ck SUV raced down the road like a wild horse. The man behind the wheel was dressed casually and wearing sunsses, lookingnguid and elegant. When therge ck SUV that looked like dark matter sped past, many women on foot took notice of it. However, when they caught sight of the man behind the wheel, their hearts began to race. Oh my God! The figure reflected in the car is so handsome! At that moment, the bodyguards, whose sole responsibility was Jared¡¯s safety, sped up and followed closely behind his car. His bodyguard was surprised that their young master, who rarely went out, had developed a sudden interest in social outings. In addition, Jared frequently appeared in crowded locations without regard for time or ce. Shortly after, Jared¡¯s SUV pulled up at the residential area entrance, and the security guard, seeing his imposing manner, waved him in without checking his identification. After parking the car, he walked toward the building where Ellen lived and waited for the elevator. At that moment, the female manager of the finance department was wearing a face mask and carrying a bag of garbage as she came out of the elevator. When she met him face to face, she was so startled that her face mask almost fell off. ¡°P-President Presgrave?¡± She couldn¡¯t believe she would randomly run into the president of her company in front of the elevator! ¡°Good morning, Miss Curry,¡± Jared smiled and greeted her, then stepped into the elevator. Afterward, Joanna awkwardly removed her face mask and looked at herself in her pajamas. Although she was 40 years old and still single, she felt her heart fluttering like a young girl in front of the young president. Still, Joanna could not help but wonder whom President Presgrave was looking for so early that morning in the residential area. Could it be his assistant who is rumored to be with him? The assistant appears to be a resident of this building. Joanna had discovered a significant news scoop early that morning, which confirmed that thepany¡¯s idle gossip was true. Young Master Jared and that female assistant really have a thing going on! Meanwhile, Ellen was so tired that she could hardly stand up straight. She could not understand why Jared had toe early to find her that day. After she put down the mop and saw the shiny floor and comfortable living room, she felt a sense of aplishment despite feeling dog-tired. At that moment, when she was about to sit down, take a break, and drink some water, the doorbell rang. Therefore, she hurriedly walked to the door, peered through the peephole, and saw the man standing outside. Then, her hand reached for the door handle, opened it, and greeted him warmly, ¡°President Presgrave, pleasee in!¡± Later, he stepped in, and she handed him a pair of men¡¯s slippers. Suddenly, his gaze narrowed slightly as he asked, ¡°Why do you have men¡¯s slippers here? Do men usuallye over to your house?¡± Ellen was taken aback and quickly exined, ¡°No, no, didn¡¯t youe to my housest time? I realized I didn¡¯t have men¡¯s slippers, so I bought a pair on my way back from the mall. You¡¯re the first one to wear them!¡± Soon, Jared¡¯s face brightened after hearing that exnation. ¡°Hm! Your home is spotless,¡± heplimented. On the other hand, she did not dare to say that she had finished cleaning a moment ago without a break and that her back was still sore from the chores! ¡°Do you want some water?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± So, she went to get a disposable cup to pour him some water. After Jared saw it, he furrowed his brows. ¡°I don¡¯t drink from disposable cups. I want your cup instead.¡± Ellen blinked, but considering his identity, she felt he must be particr. So, she poured water into her cup and handed it to him. He held the cute-looking cup in his hand and pursed his lips. Then, he scanned her apartment and mused, This entire home has a soft, feminine vibe, almost like a pink cloud is floating through it. ¡°There¡¯s a barbecue restaurant that recently opened nearby. I saw that the reviews online are excellent, and I¡¯ve already made a reservation. Let¡¯s go there to eatter!¡± she suggested to him. Jared answered promptly, ¡°Okay! I haven¡¯t had a barbecue in a long time, and I¡¯m a bit hungry now.¡± Ellen smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t disappoint you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it,¡± he answered while holding her cup. When she realized it was almost 11.00AM, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll go change clothes first. You wait here.¡± Then, she went to her room to get changed. There were few clothes in her closet, and the ones she did have were only average quality. Due to her attractive figure and elegant temperament, even a cheap, in white T-shirt and a pair of simple jeans looked exceptionally stylish on her. Shortly after, she strolled out of the door, her lengthy hair hanging loose, and he blinked slightly as his eyes widened at the sight of her. This girl looks good in any outfit. She can dazzle anyone in a luxurious evening gown or a simple white T-shirt. ¡°Come here. There¡¯s something I want to talk to you about,¡± Jared said to Ellen. She immediately sat down beside him and blinked her clear eyes twice. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Do you want to learn how to drive?¡± he asked. However, she was stunned momentarily by his question, then thought about it for a while before saying, ¡°Yes! Before, Icked the financial resources, but now Ick the time.¡± While many of her ssmates could afford and obtain their driver¡¯s licenses during university, she could barely cover the tuition cost, let alone anything else. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll give you three months off. You can focus on getting your driver¡¯s license,¡± Jared suggested to Ellen. She was startled by his unexpected proposal. Is he giving me time off to take the driver¡¯s license test? However, she quickly waved her hand to refuse. ¡°No, no, I¡¯m here to work in yourpany and not to have fun.¡± ¡°This is my order. As my assistant, you must learn how to drive a car,¡± he insisted and came up with an excuse. ¡°Still, I can¡¯t take three months off from work! I heard that one can get a driver¡¯s license quickly in only one month,¡± she said. Jared could not help but chuckle at Ellen¡¯s reply. He had indeed thought that she would be unable to pass it on the first try, which was why he had given her a three-month vacation. ¡°Okay! In that case, you cane to work in the morning and go to the driving school in the afternoon,¡± he suggested and scheduled her activities. Then, she nodded and smiled, ¡°Okay. Thank you, President Presgrave.¡± Soon, he was mesmerized by her radiant smile, which seemed to outshine the sun outside the window. She looks charming and lovely, especially with her sparkling eyes and pearly white teeth. Damn, this girl is so sweet. The more he thought about how sweet she was, the more he wanted to do something wicked to her. As soon as that thought crossed his mind, Jared made his move. He leaned over and cupped her face, then his thin lips pressed against hers. Ellen¡¯s mind immediately went nk as their warm breaths intertwined. She could feel a sense of closeness and romance in the air. After a brief kiss, he withdrew and smiled at her. ¡°Do you like it?¡± At that moment, she could feel her heart pounding. So, she shyly turned her face away, and her clear eyes blinked frantically. ¡°Do you like kissing people, President Presgrave?¡± she asked, feeling bothered. He was startled by her question, then burst outughing. ¡°Do you think I kiss every girl I meet? So far, only you have had the privilege.¡± If any other man makes thisment after we¡¯ve locked lips, I will reprimand him. On the other hand, hearing these words from this man makes me feel highly privileged. ¡°We should go to lunch now, or we¡¯ll lose our seats,¡± she said, trying to regain herposure in that romantic atmosphere. Then, Jared nced at his watch and nodded. The two walked to the shoe cab, and Ellen changed her shoes. She squatted to pull the heels of her white shoes up, but when she stood up, she collided with something. Moreover, she was so caught up in her thoughts that she did not notice his long leg in front of her, and her face soon bumped into his waist. Bam! Her face immediately turned red to the roots of her ears. However, he was not hurt by the collision and simplyforted her with a low chuckle. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± She could not help but nce at a specific part of him, thinking, what if she had hit it and hurt him? Soon, the two of them left, and while waiting for the elevator, Ellen was still full of dirty thoughts. So, when the elevator door opened, Jared naturally put his arm around her and walked in with her. As they descended, they did not encounter anyone on the way out of the elevator. They then got into Jared¡¯s car and headed straight to the nearby barbecue restaurant that was recently opened. The barbecue restaurant was a very stylishly decorated ce. She had reserved a corner table where the two could eat and chat quietly without being disturbed. However, as soon as he entered the restaurant, he became the target of all the women¡¯s attention in the entire restaurant. As barbecue restaurants were typically frequented by young girls, several tables were filled with girls. Suddenly, they went gaga as they stared in disbelief at the man who had walked past the aisle. My God! Is this what a domineering president looks like in reality? How did we meet such a handsome man in a barbecue restaurant? What¡¯s more, a girl is apanying him! We¡¯re so envious! When Ellen was ordering food on the phone, she handed her phone to Jared, asking him to choose. ¡°What do you like to eat?¡± ¡°Anything is fine. You can be the one to order the meal.¡± Following that, he supported his cheek with one hand while gazing affectionately at her. So, she ced an order for more dishes, after which she got up to get some condiments and mixed up some sauce for him. Soon, many girls purposely walked by their table to catch a glimpse of him, as if he were an idol. However, they did not dare to disturb him and were content to observe him nearby. When Ellen returned with the sauces, everything was set up and ready to go on the grill. Soon, she was chowing down as she grilled up all her favorites. She was mid-meal when she suddenly remembered that she had let her long hair down without tying it back and that it was distracting her from her meal. After hearing her rant about her long hair for the third time, the man sitting across from her got up. Ellen watched as Jared¡¯s silhouette disappeared, assuming he was going to the bathroom. After that, she hastily grabbed a few grilled vegetables from the grill, and while she was munching on them, a pair of soft hands suddenly appeared from behind her and tied her hair. Ellen was startled and turned around to see Jared behind her, who was clumsily tying her hair. As he began to tie her hair, she became red in the face and remained motionless, but her heartbeat quickened. When he heard her rant earlier, he recalled that when he entered the restaurant, he had seen some hair ribbons outside the door intended for customers with long hair, so he went to get one. The girls around them noticed he had left the table, but when they looked over, they saw the utterly handsome man gently tying the girl¡¯s hair. Wow! That¡¯s too much for our hearts to take! Where can we find such a handsome, considerate, and gentle boyfriend? C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. This girl is so lucky! At that moment, Ellen was delighted by his sweet and thoughtful gesture. So, when Jared finished tying her lengthy hair, she shyly smiled and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Meanwhile, he gazed intently at his masterpiece. Hmm! At least the ponytail isn¡¯t crooked. Later, she discovered that he, like her, disliked spicy foods and preferred only vegetables. So, with great satisfaction, they ate everything they had ordered. Following their meal, Ellen skulked off to the cashier without a word for fear that Jared would offer to foot the bill. ¡­ Although Selena had an unpleasant Saturday, she finally obtained Lambert¡¯s phone number when she went into theputer system and chatted with the staff. There, she identally saw the guest list and found his phone number, which she had written down. She clung to the phone number as if holding the key to riches. Despite her tion, she was at a loss for action. Moreover, she could tell that he was more interested in Ellen than in her, so she continued to ponder how to lure him with Ellen. She believed that if she could convince Ellen toe out, Lambert would also show up. Meanwhile, Ellen went to a driving school near her workce for driving lessons. It was arge driving school that offered one-on-one teaching and attentive and thoughtful service. She stayed at the driving school as Jared had left for an urgent matter. In the evening, she brought her study materials home and started to read. She fell asleep while reading, and it was already morning when she opened her eyes. Monday had arrived, and she hurriedly got ready before heading downstairs to call a cab. When Joanna from the finance department drove by and saw Ellen, she extended a hearty invitation for them to carpool to work. Still, Ellen could not refuse Joanna¡¯s eager invitation, so she epted the offer and got in the car with her. Joanna knew the huge secret between her and Jared, but she had no intention of sharing it with others. However, her attitude toward Ellen had taken a 180-degree turn. ¡°Ellen, I cook at home. If you don¡¯t have any evening appointments, you cane to my house for dinner. I live alone, too,¡± Joanna said warmly. Ellen was pleasantly surprised. ¡°Thank you, Miss Curry. You¡¯re really too kind.¡± ¡°We¡¯re from the samepany, so we should care for each other.¡± Miss Curry chuckled. As she sized up Ellen¡¯s youthful appearance, she was secretly envious. Soon, the two entered the elevator from the underground parking lot together. At that moment, a figure hurriedly walked in from behind. Ellen turned around and saw Selena walking in with her bag. Selena shot her aplicated gaze when she saw Ellen, but she did not show her usual haughty demeanor because she could not feel superior when shepared herself to Ellen. As they arrived on the first floor, Joanna got off the elevator. ¡°My dad¡¯s turning 50 this Saturday. You¡¯ll definitely find time toe, right?¡± Selena asked Ellen. ¡°We¡¯ll see when the timees.¡± ¡°Other than me, you¡¯re the only one from the younger generation. You have toe,¡± Selena said. Suddenly, the image she sawst time shed through Ellen¡¯s mind, and she looked at Selena sympathetically. If my guess is correct, Uncle Connor has a son outside with another woman. ¡°If Uncle Connor invites me, I¡¯ll go,¡± Ellen replied. As Selena got off the elevator, she could not help but ask, ¡°Did Young Master Jared give you that sports car?¡± Selena was particrly curious about this; she was afraid that Jared would force Ellen to take it. If so, wouldn¡¯t Ellen be the one to own a sports car? Only by rifying this with Ellen would she feel better. ¡°No,¡± Ellen replied lightly. Only then did Selena feel satisfied and got off the elevator. When Ellen arrived at the floor of the president¡¯s office, she went to the pantry. Then, she started the coffee machine, took out the finest coffee beans, and began grinding the coffee to prepare for Jared¡¯s morning coffee. At 10.00AM, Stanley passed by her window and said, ¡°Ellen, bring a cup of coffee to the conference room.¡± Ellen hurriedly said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll bring it right away.¡± Ellen thereafter went to the pantry again. By then, the coffee had already been ground and brewed. She added a small amount of sugar, stirred it in lightly, then put the coffee on a tray before heading toward the conference room. Ellen knocked on the door and reached out to push it. It was then that she heard an angry male voice from the inside. ¡°Who do you think is the boss of thispany? Who is the decision-maker? Who allowed you to act without an authorization?¡± The angry voice wasing from Jared. At this moment, one of Ellen¡¯s feet had already stepped in, and she also saw what was going on inside. She saw six or seven senior managers standing around and receiving the boss¡¯ scolding. Jared stood before them, looking enraged. At this moment, he had his hands on his hips. His handsome face was as cold as ice, and there was a hint of frostiness in his eyes. Not to mention the terrified look on the faces of these senior managers, even Ellen, who had nothing to do with this matter, felt her legs tremble. It was truly a vtile scene that she had rarely encountered. She took a deep breath and came to his side with the coffee, carefully cing it down. As she was about to turn around, she tripped over a chair, causing her to fall awkwardly on the ground. Blushing, she picked up the tray that had fallen to the ground and immediately got up. In the end, she hurriedly pushed the door open to leave, feeling very embarrassed. That was really embarrassing. Also, my knees are hurting so much! Ellen lowered her head and realized that her knee was already swollen and bruised from the fall. When she returned to her office, she had just sat down and was about to massage her knee when someone pushed open her office door from the outside. Ellen was taken aback. Isn¡¯t that President Presgrave who had just flown into a rage earlier? She quickly sat up in a proper position, fearing that she might identally ignite his anger. Jared leaned on her desk with both hands and locked his deep gaze on her. ¡°Did you get hurt anywhere from the fall just now?¡± Ellen blinked. ¡°I-I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Let me see.¡± The man did not feel at ease. When he wanted to help her up earlier, she had already gotten up and left. As a result, Jared lost the mood to scold the managers and quickly came over to check on her. ¡°I-I¡¯m really fine. A-Are you okay, President Presgrave?¡± Ellen asked him in return. ¡°There¡¯s just a minor oversight in the project. It¡¯s nothing major,¡± Jared replied to her before walking over to her chair, crouching down, and checking on her bruised knees. Subsequently, he said with some exasperation, ¡°Be more careful next time.¡± He was upset that she couldn¡¯t even walk properly. ¡°Okay.¡± Ellen nodded. After that, Jared picked up the phone and called for someone to bring the first aid kit. Soon, a female assistant came in with the kit. All the staff in this building probably knew about Jared¡¯s special treatment of Ellen, so no one was surprised. Even when they passed her by, they often greeted her enthusiastically. Who knew? One day, Ellen may be their bossdy! Soon, Jared applied some anti-inmmatory and wound-healing medicine on Ellen¡¯s knees while she looked at his face with some caution. From this angle, this man¡¯s features were handsome. The angry expression he had just now was reced by a gentler one at this time. For a moment, Ellen was a little dazed by the sight and her heart quietly started to race. What exactly are Jared¡¯s feelings toward me? Is it the care of a superior for a subordinate, or is it love from a man toward a woman? Ellen knew that it was thetter, but she felt like she was dreaming and couldn¡¯t believe it was real. ¡°Did I scare you today?¡± Jared asked as he was done putting ointment on her wound. Lost in thought, Ellen met his gaze and her heart skipped a beat. She wanted to shake her head but nodded instead. ¡°A little bit.¡± Jared stood up and caressed her head. ¡°I got angry at them, not you. Why were you so nervous?¡± Ellen didn¡¯t dare say that he looked really scary when he got angry! ¡°Don¡¯t wander around and rest well in the office.¡± Jared finished his sentence and took the medicine box with him as he left. Shortly after, Ellen¡¯s phone rang. It was Connor, so she answered, ¡°Hello! Uncle Connor!¡± ¡°Ellie, it¡¯s my birthday this Saturday and I want to have a big party. You have toe.¡± ¡°Okay, I will be there.¡± Ellen couldn¡¯t refuse because her uncle was the closest person to her in the world. The following week, Ellen went to work every morning and attended driving school every afternoon. She felt fulfilled, especially during her thrilling driving lessons that had her nerves stretched tight. She could see that Jared was also busy; he was either attending meetings or en route to one. asionally, she saw him talking in the corridor with thepany¡¯s high-level executives as if they were solving a big problem. So, she tried not to disturb him. Early Thursday morning, Ellen¡¯s bank ount was credited with her sry fromst month, which totaled around 82,000. She was puzzled when she saw the amount on herpany card. Why was the amount so high? It was her first month¡¯s sry, and there were even decimals. This meant that the finance department had calcted her sry urately! Ellen suddenly began to wonder what the purpose of her job was. What she had done was to make a few cups of coffee for Jared, goof off, read books, and study for her driver¡¯s license. Yet, he still paid her such a high sry. To be honest, she felt a little guilty for epting the sry. Soon, it was Friday and the week was about to end. When Ellen left work, she intentionally leftte. At that time, Jared was still in a meeting. Even though her heart ached for him, she didn¡¯t know how to cheer him up. She thought for a moment and wrote a note. Afterpleting it, she sneaked into his office and stuck the note on the corner of hisputer screen. After sticking the note, she left. At 7.30PM, Jared, who was a bit tired, left the meeting room and returned to his office. He was in a bad mood, but when he sat down on his chair, he suddenly noticed a heart-shaped note. In his solemn office, it was rare to see something so girly. He took it down and read the words written on it. His furrowed brows finally rxed, and a smile appeared on his lips. ¡®President Presgrave, I wanted to check on you these past few days, but I didn¡¯t want to disturb you. So, I can only offer you words of encouragement. I wish you happiness and good health. Remember to take a break! Your assistant, Ellen.¡¯ Jared also realized with regret that he had neglected hertely, so he picked up his phone and dialed her number. At that moment, Ellen was on her way home in a cab. When she heard her phone ringing, she picked it up and her heart skipped a beat. It was from Jared. Did he see the note I left? Ellen regretted her actions and felt that it was too childish. ¡°Hello, President Presgrave! Have you finished your meeting?¡± ¡°Rather than writing me a note to show your concern, it¡¯s better if you apany me for a meal.¡± ¡°Ah! But I¡¯ve already taken a cab home.¡± ¡°Then wait for me at your doorstep. I¡¯ll be right there.¡± The man on the other end of the line sounded bossy. Nevertheless, Ellen¡¯s heart felt sweet as she replied, ¡°I haven¡¯t gone far. I¡¯ll wait for you at the mall.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± the man said. Soon, Ellen got off the cab and waited for him in a conspicuous location. Sure enough, in less than 10 minutes, the man¡¯s sports car came into view. It was very eye-catching among the other cars. Then, Ellen opened the car door and got in. Inside, the man wore a simple white shirt, looking both charming and enigmatic. This man made her think of a phrase, ¡®The simpler, the more luxurious¡¯. Shortly after, they pulled up at the restaurant Jared often visited in the sports car. There, Ellen gave him a once-over under the bright light. He had faint dark circles under his eyes like he hadn¡¯t slept in ages. Jared was glued to his phone, sorting through work emails. Even without looking up, he could tell she was staring at him. But under her gentle gaze, he felt at ease and felt no awkwardness from her checking him out. After a moment, he finally lifted his head to look at her. He could tell she was a bit shy, which he found pretty cute. ¡°So, what¡¯s on the agenda for tomorrow?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯m probably going to my uncle¡¯s house for his birthday.¡± ¡°What time?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll probably be noon because other rtives will go over too.¡± Ellen shrugged; she wasn¡¯t too sure. ¡°Got it. You¡¯re mine for the night then,¡± Jared stated with some dominance. Ellen blushed at his words. That sounded suggestive. What exactly did he mean by that? All night long? ¡°What do you want to do tomorrow night?¡± she asked, curious. ¡°I just want to kick back and rx. Also, I want you there with me,¡± Jared said with a directness that caught Ellen off guard. Ellen blinked, thinking about thest time they watched the moon together on the beach. She nodded and replied, ¡°All right, just hit me up with the details tomorrow night.¡± After dinner, Jared didn¡¯t rush to drop her off at home. Instead, they cruised around town at a leisurely pace, soaking in the music and city lights. Ellen was loving the moment. She wasn¡¯t after anything in particr, and she just wanted to be near him. If only time could just freeze like this. Around 9.30PM, Jared parked his car at the entrance to Ellen¡¯s residential area. Suddenly, he asked, ¡°Do you have a guest room at your ce?¡± Ellen nodded. ¡°Yeah, I do.¡± ¡°I¡¯m tired. Mind if I crash at your ce for a bit?¡± Jared said before hopping out of the car. Ellen got out too and looked at him, a bit concerned. She nodded and replied, ¡°Sure. Just take a rest and then head out when you¡¯re ready.¡± When they got to Ellen¡¯s ce, Jared made himselffortable. He didn¡¯t even bother going to the guest room; he justid down on the couch. His long legs were stretched out with one arm propping his head. Under the light, Ellen could see his muscles bulging through his white shirt. He had the kind of body that even models would kill for. Ellen didn¡¯t know what to do with herself. Should I stay here with him or retreat to my own room? ¡°I¡¯ll head to my room now, President Presgrave. Let me know if you need anything.¡± Ellen finally decided that it would be too awkward to stay. Thus, she went back to her room. Jared smirked a little, cracking open his eyes. He was indeed tired, though. Crashing at Ellen¡¯s ce is really cozy. Ellen showered and came back out, only to find that Jared had fallen asleep. She stepped over to him as quietly as can be to check on him. As much as she didn¡¯t want to admit it, the man looked good even when he was sleeping. I have to admit that he looks pretty good even when he¡¯s sleeping but staring at him for too long makes me feel all fluttery inside, and that¡¯s not good. So, it¡¯s best not to stare. Ellen was about to turn around when she heard a low male voice behind her. ¡°This couch is not that comfortable to sleep on; can I sleep on your bed instead?¡± Ellen¡¯s eyes widened. Oh my gosh! Is he actually asleep or not? Without thinking, she quickly replied, ¡°Uh, sure! You can sleep on my bed!¡± With that, the man got up and looked at her with a pair of sleepy ck eyes. ¡°Did you take a shower?¡± Ellen nodded. ¡°Yes, I did.¡± ¡°You smell good.¡± Ellen blushed a little, and just then, the man grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the main bedroom. ¡°President Presgrave¡­¡± Ellen was about to faint. Is this guy drunk or what? Jared didn¡¯t seem to care. He just pulled her to the bed, and the two of them fell upon the soft mattress. Jared¡¯s weight on Ellen made it hard for her to breathe. He¡¯s too burly! When she opened her eyes, she saw his smiling gaze looking down at her, not a hint of sleepiness in sight. He was clearly teasing her. ¡°Are you going to sleep or what?¡± Ellen asked, a bit annoyed. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll sleep,¡± Jared responded hoarsely. ¡°But you have to stay with me.¡± He spoke with dominance as he grabbed Ellen tightly so that her face was against his chest while her body was in his arms. Ellen¡¯s hand was held down and she felt ufortable, so she tried to adjust her position. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± A sudden warning came to her ear, sounding dangerous. Ellen stiffened, afraid to move. She was like a big ragdoll being held by the man that was helping him fall asleep. She didn¡¯t even dare to breathe too loudly, not knowing how long he would hold her like this. She wondered if being his human pillow was part of her job responsibilities. Aside from sleeping on my bed and holding me to sleep, will he have other strange requests? Ellen¡¯s head was a mess, and she couldn¡¯t tell if he had already fallen asleep. She was torn between whether to look at him or not. In the end, she lifted her head cautiously, but she identally hit the man¡¯s hard jaw with her forehead. When she looked up to see if he was awake, she found herself looking into his deep, captivating eyes. The next thing she knew, he was holding her face, and his hot lips fell on hers at once. How could he be asleep? He was in his sexual prime at 26 years old! Blushing, Ellen couldn¡¯t catch her breath as he kissed her hard. She felt that this was the first time a man had appeared so dangerous and made her feel so vulnerable. ¡°No¡­ No, that¡¯s not part of my job description,¡± Ellen gasped, somewhat irritated. Jared¡¯s breathing was slightly ragged as he propped himself up to look at her. Then, Ellen pushed him away with her hands on his firm chest and blushed, saying, ¡°My job doesn¡¯t involve warming your bed.¡± ¡°Job?¡± Jared was surprised. Did this girl think she was still working her hours? Ellen¡¯s hand was ced on his strong chest, but she thereafter withdrew it shyly. This man¡¯s aura is just too overwhelming. ¡°Be my girlfriend!¡± The man suddenly leaned down and spoke in a low and earnest voice. He was holding her face so that she couldn¡¯t avoid him. Ellen couldn¡¯t resist his advances. At that moment, her mind went nk. Blinking, she stared hard at him. ¡°From now on, you don¡¯t have to work, and I¡¯ll take care of you. I¡¯ll give you whatever you want,¡± Jared proposed with some very favorable conditions. ¡°Then¡­ Will we get married?¡± Ellen blinked, wanting a stable future. ¡°Of course. When my parentse back from abroad, I¡¯ll introduce you to them,¡± Jared answered firmly. Ellen felt like she was dreaming. He is such an outstanding man while I am just an ordinary woman. Why would he choose me? ¡°You don¡¯t have to answer me now. Take three days to think about it.¡± The man kissed her on the forehead and added, ¡°I¡¯m going home.¡± Ellen felt the pressure and weight on her body lifted, but it also brought a sense of disappointment to her heart. It was such a conflicting feeling¡ªon one hand, she wanted him to stay, but on the other hand, she was afraid. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to rest for a while more?¡± Ellen asked as she stood up. ¡°Before 10.00AM on Monday, I need your answer.¡± The man picked up his phone and car keys from the table and even set a time for her. Ellen blushed and nodded. She was relieved that she wasn¡¯t forced to give an answer right now, so she felt more rxed. Jared was finally satisfied and opened the door to leave. As he closed the door, his brows furrowed with difort. He left not because he didn¡¯t want to stay with her, but because he was afraid of losing control and hurting her. Ellen bit her lip, her face still red. All she could think about was the kiss from earlier. It was beautiful and sweet. If herst bit of reason hadn¡¯t held her back, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to resist this man. However, what she didn¡¯t know was that her resistance had already defeated 99.99% of other women because this man¡¯s appeal was so overwhelming that few could resist when he took initiative. That night, Ellen couldn¡¯t sleep. For the first time in 23 years, she experienced what it was like to lose sleep because of a man. At 9.00AM, Ellen received a call from Connor. Still groggy, she mumbled a response to him and at the same time, she noticed an address in her message inbox. After that, she set her rm and promptly went back to sleep. When her rm went off again, it was already 11.50AM. Ellen quickly got dressed and rushed out the door. She was on her way to Connor¡¯s 50th birthday party at a luxurious hotel where three tables were reserved for his celebration. Olivia was ecstatic while Selena dressed up in an evening gown with exquisite makeup. ¡°Will Ellene for sure, Dad?¡± Selena asked. ¡°Yes, I just spoke to her on the phone. She wouldn¡¯t be so petty as to note,¡± replied Connor. With more people attending, he would have more face to show. These days, Selena had been nning how to meet Lambert, but the only person who could attract him was Ellen. Selena became preupied with how to use Ellen to reach her goal. Soon, rtives and friends of the family arrived, including the three Andino siblings who had a grudge against Ellen. Ellen arrivedte at 12.30PM, and as soon as she pushed the door open, everyone¡¯s eyes turned to her. Connor immediately came over and said, ¡°Come on, Ellie. Come sit at this table.¡± He then led her to the table where Selena and the Andinos were seated. Ellen felt the cold stares of the Andinos and just wanted to finish the meal and leave. Before taking a seat, she left the gift she prepared for Connor on the gift table. When Selena saw her arrive, her attitude softened given that it was her father¡¯s birthday. ¡°Why are you late? Was there a lot of traffic?¡± ¡°No, I overslept,¡± Ellen replied. ¡°Where were youst night?¡± Selena quickly asked. Ellen¡¯s face inexplicably turned red. ¡°I was with a friend,¡± she answered. Selena immediately guessed who that friend was. Who else would Ellen have as a friend? She suspected that the friend was Jared Presgrave. At that moment, Selena¡¯s appetite vanished. She couldn¡¯t believe how rich and colorful Ellen¡¯s life had be. She even suspected that Ellen and Jared were already together. Perhaps, Ellen would even announce that she would be Mrs. Presgrave and the bossdy of the Presgrave Group very soon! If that were the case, it would be a nightmare for her. Selena¡¯s eyes gleamed with a sly light. She had to stop this from happening. If Ellen were with another man, Jared would surely be jealous. It would be easy for Jared to get rid of that other man if it were an ordinary man, but what if the man pursuing Ellen was Lambert? That day at the club, she had a strong suspicion that Lambert was interested in Ellen. Though she didn¡¯t want to admit it, Lambert¡¯s behavior toward Ellen was like love at first sight. But how could she bait Lambert to go near Ellen? Selena¡¯s mind raced. On the other hand, Ellen focused on her food and decided to leave after she finished her meal. She noticed the resentful and aggressive stares from the Andino elders as well as their hostility toward her. Thus, she went over to Connor and wished him a happy birthday before saying, ¡°Uncle Connor, I have something else to take care of, so I¡¯m leaving now.¡± ¡°Leaving so soon? Can¡¯t you stay a bit longer?¡± Connor was visibly happy and a little drunk. Ellen replied quickly, ¡°I have something important to attend to.¡± ¡°All right, thene over and visit us when you¡¯re free,¡± Connor said. Ellen grabbed her bag and hurried out. Selena immediately followed her, calling out to her in the corridor. ¡°Ellie, I left my ID at your ce. I want to go look for it.¡± Ellen was surprised. ¡°I¡¯ve cleaned up my ce, and I didn¡¯t see your ID anywhere.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s there. It might be in the corner of your bed. I need it urgently, so I want to go to your ce to look for it,¡± Selena insisted. ¡°I¡¯ll look for it back home and send it over to you once I find it,¡± Ellen replied, not wanting Selena to go to her ce. Selena thought for a moment and then pulled out a bracelet. ¡°Oh, I almost forgot. This is the bracelet that Mr. Orey told me to give to you after you leftst time. He also told me to make sure that you receive it.¡± Ellen was taken aback. Did Lambert give me this bracelet as a gift? ¡°Take it quickly. If you don¡¯t want it, you can return it to Mr. Orey personally,¡± Selena said. ¡°You took it, so you should be the one to return it,¡± Ellen replied, not wanting to get involved. Besides, she wasn¡¯t close to Lambert. Suddenly, Selena put a note and the bracelet on the table, then crossed her arms. Sneering, she said, ¡°Anyway, Mr. Orey¡¯s phone number and bracelet are here. You can return them yourself! If you don¡¯t return them, he will think you epted it.¡± With that, Selena left. Ellen looked at the phone number and bracelet on the table, feeling a little overwhelmed. Why is Lambert giving the bracelet to me? She bit her lip. Maybe this was Selena¡¯s way of ying a prank on her. She knew Selena hadn¡¯t left, so she turned and walked toward the door. Seeing that Ellen didn¡¯t fall for it, Selena came out from around the corner where she was hiding before grabbing the bracelet and the note. In a moment of impulsivity, she picked up her phone and dialed Lambert¡¯s number. At that moment, Lambert was working out at the club when he heard his phone ring. He was surprised to see an unfamiliar number and answered, ¡°Hello? Who¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Hello, Mr. Orey. I¡¯m Selena Aguirre. My cousin, Ellen Reiss, wants to meet you.¡± Lambert raised an eyebrow. ¡°Ellen wants to meet me?¡± Hearing his charismatic voice, Selena wished she could say she wanted to meet him herself. She smiled sweetly and said, ¡°Yes, today is my father¡¯s birthday. My cousin and I were chatting, and she said she wants to meet you. The other day, she couldn¡¯t talk to you much because she was with President Presgrave.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes! She told me she had a great first impression of you. I¡¯ll send you her number; you can chat with her if you have time!¡± Lambert was pleasantly surprised. ¡°Is this really true?¡± ¡°Of course, it is! I¡¯ll send you Ellen¡¯s number, but don¡¯t say it was me who gave it to you!¡± Selena said, nervously hanging up the phone before sending Ellen¡¯s number to Lambert. Lambert soon received a message with a phone number. He wasn¡¯t one to dilly-dally, so he immediately called the number. Meanwhile, Ellen had just left the hotel and was walking along a path beside a small park when her phone rang. She saw that it was an unfamiliar number, so she thought for a moment, then answered, ¡°Hello? Who¡¯s this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Lambert Orey, Miss Reiss. Nice to meet you.¡± Ellen was stunned. ¡°How did you get my number?¡± ¡°Your cousin gave it to me. Didn¡¯t you know?¡± Lambert replied, surprised. Ellen now knew exactly what was going on in her heart. Selena deliberately arranged for her and Lambert to meet, but she didn¡¯t know what Selena¡¯s true intentions were. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Orey. It must be a misunderstanding. My cousin was just ying a prank on me,¡± Ellen exined. ¡°A prank? Why did she do that to you?¡± Ellen hesitated, not sure how to answer. ¡°Um, there is a personal grudge between us, Mr. Orey. Anyway, I won¡¯t bother you¡ª¡± Ellen tried to end the conversation, but someone suddenly snatched her phone away. ¡°Hey! My phone! Stop! Don¡¯t run! Give me back my phone!¡± Ellen didn¡¯t expect someone to steal her phone in broad daylight. Jared was the one who bought her that phone, so it was particrly precious to her. How could she let someone just take it away like that? ¡°Stop, don¡¯t run!¡± Ellen shouted, chasing after the thief without hesitation. They were in a park, and the thief ran fast along the path, but he didn¡¯t expect that the girl whose phone he stole would actually catch up to him. Meanwhile, Lambert had just experienced a robbery through the phone. He had heard Ellen yelling about her phone, and since he was still connected to her through the phone call, he could hear the thief¡¯s footsteps. Then, he heard the thief pant, and soon, the thief muttered angrily, ¡°Damn it! When will she stop chasing after me?¡± Chapter 1611-1620 Chapter 1611-1620 He vaguely heard Ellen shouting, ¡°Give me my phone. Stop running!¡± Lambert felt his chest tighten at that instant. What if the robber is hostile and hurts her? He immediately found Selena¡¯s number and called back using his friend¡¯s phone. ¡°Hello? Who is this?¡± Selena¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°Lambert here! May I know what hotel your father is holding the birthday banquet in?¡± ¡°We¡¯re near Dawn Park. Are youing over, Mr. Orey?¡± He didn¡¯t expect it to be so near to where he was. Because he was also nearby, he guessed that the ce where Ellen lost her phone was around here as well. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Although he didn¡¯t know if he could find and help her, he grabbed the car keys and ran out without a second¡¯s hesitation. Selena hadn¡¯t expected Lambert to call her. However, she couldn¡¯t help feeling disappointed when he hung up after throwing out that question. Lambert immediately drove his car around Dawn Park, his eyes constantly looking at the street and gate of the park. His hands-free phone was still on call and he could hear the robber¡¯s footsteps and breaths, as well as Ellen¡¯s voice. He didn¡¯t think she would pursue the robber so persistently. At the same time, a sweaty Ellen was huffing and puffing at the south exit of Dawn Park. Even though she was running out of breath, she did not give up and always made sure she was at least 50 meters away from the robber. The robber was a stout man in his early forties. He was running as hard as he could at this moment. ¡°Stop right there!¡± Ellen shouted while she chased after him. ¡°You damn woman!¡± the robber cursed. Lambert¡¯s sports car was parked by the side of the road. After he got out of the car with his phone in his hand and dashed into the park, he caught sight of an overweight man running toward him. The man was holding a phone in his hand. Lambert didn¡¯t care if this was the person Ellen was going after. He stepped forward and grabbed the man before he snatched the phone out of his hand. ¡°And who the f*ck are you?!¡± the robber shrieked in surprise as he peered at this scary, tall young man. Lambert looked at the screen of the phone and even he couldn¡¯t believe how much of a coincidence it was for him to bump into the thief who took Ellen¡¯s phone. He swiftly threw a punch at the robber. Before the man could react, Lambert gave him another kick. ¡°How dare you steal someone else¡¯s phone? I¡¯ll take you to the police station!¡± When the thief heard Lambert mention the police station, he turned pale with fright. He knew he couldn¡¯t afford to provoke the young man in front of him. He didn¡¯t think he would have such terrible luck. Not only was he chased after he stole a phone, but he even ended up being punched and kicked. Suddenly, he brandished a small knife from his pocket and shed Lambert¡¯s arm with it. Lambert, who didn¡¯t expect the knife at all, only felt a sharp pain in his arm when the knife scratched him. The robber took the chance to flee. ¡°Stop!¡± By the time Ellen caught up to Lambert, her legs almost gave out and she was dizzy from running. She waspletely fixated on the robber. However, she lost him when she came running in this direction. Right as she panted with her arms on her waist, she heard a maic and pleasant male voice speak. ¡°Stop chasing. I got your phone back.¡± She whipped her head around and took a nce at the sight that left her dumbfounded. He was holding her phone and handing it to her. Seeing this, she immediately took the phone and made sure that it was indeed hers. ¡°What¡­ What are you doing here?¡± she asked, puzzled. ¡°I asked your cousin where you might be. I guessed that your phone was stolen in a nearby park, so I tried my luck and came to see if I could find you. Surprise, surprise.¡± He let out a smile while he hid his injured arm behind his back. He admired her courage in chasing the thief. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°It¡¯s just a phone. Is it worth you running all the way?¡± ¡°Of course! This phone is very, very important to me.¡± Ellen tightly held her phone, her joy evident in her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s from Young Master Jared!¡± Lambert made a guess. It was no wonder the thief snatched her phone as it was thetest model. ¡°Yeah.¡± Ellen¡¯s pretty face turned pink as she nodded. ¡°It¡¯s from him.¡± ¡°Well, where are you heading to? My car is close by. Let me drop you off,¡± Lambert offered. Ellen quickly shook her head. ¡°Thank you, but I can just grab a cab, Mr. Orey.¡± ¡°I got your phone back for you, didn¡¯t I? Are you not going to buy me a cup of coffee?¡± he couldn¡¯t help but ask with a smile. However, at this moment, she suddenly noticed the blood dripping on the ground behind him. Shocked, she hurried around him, only to find that his arm was hurt. ¡°You¡¯re bleeding!¡± She froze at that. ¡°Ah, the robber had a knife. It grazed me when I was distracted. I¡¯m alright. It¡¯s just a small injury.¡± No longer hiding his wound after he said that, Lambert let the blood freely drip. ¡°This is not a small injury! You have to go to the hospital and get bandaged!¡± Ellen quickly persuaded him. Lambert was caught by surprise and he asked expectantly, ¡°Will you go with me?¡± She looked at his wound, took out a tissue from her bag, and handed it to him. ¡°Here. Try to stop the bleeding first.¡± She folded the tissue and pressed it on his wound. ¡°Forget it!¡± Ellen huffed. ¡°I don¡¯t think you can drive. I¡¯ll get a cab and take you to the hospital.¡± He only felt his heart skip a beat as he looked at her. He wouldn¡¯t stop the woman he fell for at first sight from being near to him. Even though Lambert knew that she had feelings for Jared, he couldn¡¯t help wanting to get close to her. ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s go!¡± He let her send him to the hospital. She left the park and got a cab to send them to a nearby hospital. After they sat in the back seat, the driver drove as quickly as he could to the hospital. Out of nowhere, he suddenly made a sharp turn. Lambert couldn¡¯t help but fall to Ellen¡¯s side, his tall and big figure falling against her shoulders. Even though their clothes separated them, Lambert still felt his heart beating wildly. Breathing in, he caught the scent of the mild fragrance drifting off of her body. It wasn¡¯t some expensive perfume, but it was enough to get his heart racing. Ellen was so focused on getting him to the hospital that she didn¡¯t care when he pressed against her. Instead, she told the driver in front, ¡°Sir, safety first!¡± On the other hand, Lambert didn¡¯t care about the speed of the car at all. He was now looking at Ellen¡¯s face from up close. Despite being dressed in ordinary clothes, she couldn¡¯t hide her natural beauty. Distracted from staring at her, he didn¡¯t hold on tight when the driver suddenly stepped on the break, causing Lambert¡¯s head to hit the back of the front seat with a bang. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± He covered his forehead and resigned to his fate. They got out of the car when they finally arrived at the hospital. Lambert was especially eye-catching because of the tracksuit he had on. Ellen paid the money for him. After confirming that Lambert needed two stitches for this wound, Ellen sat down and waited for him at the nurses¡¯ station. At this moment, a nurse suddenly enviously eximed to her, ¡°Wow! Miss, your boyfriend is so hot!¡± Ellen was left stunned upon hearing that. However, the man who was being patched up inside let out an amused smile at those words. After the stitches were finished, he stepped out with ayer of gauze wrapped around his arm. Still, that did not affect his overall outlook. The two proceeded to leave the hospital. At the entrance, a paparazzo suddenly spotted and recognized Lambert. After all, the man was the son of a wealthy family and he was active on social media. Seeing that he was apanied by a beautiful woman, the paparazzo immediately raised his phone to take a picture. No matter what, this was a piece of news that could stir the Inte up. Neither Lambert nor Ellen noticed that someone was stealing shots of them from the time Ellen hailed a cab to them getting into the vehicle. The car drove back in the direction of the park. ¡°Hop off,¡± he said to her. ¡°I¡¯ll take you home.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, Mr. Orey. You should go back and rest. Thank you for today. Goodbye.¡± After she finished speaking, she continued to ride back home in the cab. Lambert sighed. The two hours he spent with Ellen didn¡¯t feel enough. He could finally understand why Jared kept such a close eye on her; she was someone whom people easily targeted. Make sure you keep your eye on her, Jared. The day you cast her aside is the day I will take her away from you, Lambert thought to himself as he walked to his sports car. At the same time, he was d that he came. He couldn¡¯t begin to imagine Ellen being the one who was hurt if she and the robber got into a scuffle. On the other end, Ellen was sitting in the car when she checked her phone. To her relief, it wasn¡¯t damaged. She started fuming when she thought about what Selena had done. What on earth does she want? Some paparazzo had sold all the materials they captured today to a mediapany, and thatpany produced news and posted them on thepany¡¯s homepage at lightning speed. One of the headlines was, ¡®The Prince of a Shipping Company¡¯, which made it to the top of the list. The first thing that showed up as soon as someone clicked on the article was a series of clear photos of Ellen and Lambert. Since the paparazzo took them up close, the photos were not blurry at all. Ellen, especially, had a high-definition photo taken from the front. Even a frontal shot taken with the high-definition phone camera made her appear stunningly fresh. They looked like a young couple from the way she was all smiles when Lambert looked at her. As soon as this news popped up online, the women who liked to pay attention to wealthy families were the first to find out. Selena was zoned out while she drove home. She wasn¡¯t interested in staying when she knew that the elders would be ying cards next. Her phone began to ring then. She took a nce at it before picking it up. ¡°Hey, Lulu.¡± ¡°My goodness, Lena! Your cousin¡¯s pretty capable, isn¡¯t she? She has just seduced Young Master Jared and now, she even got Lambert wrapped around her finger as well! What is she, a sexy guy harvester?¡± ¡°What did you just say?¡± Selena immediately pulled over to the side of the road and answered the call seriously. ¡°Haven¡¯t you seen it?! There¡¯s a scandal between Lambert and Ellen! A paparazzo caught them.¡± ¡°Send it to me quickly.¡± Selena was shocked. She didn¡¯t expect that Lambert and Ellen would get in touch with each other so soon with just a random phone call, and there was even a scandal about them online! Soon, a link was sent to Selena¡¯s phone. She immediately clicked on it to check what Lulu was talking about. Before she got to read the article, she already saw a few photos of Ellen and Lambert together at the entrance of the hospital. They seemed like they were in love. ¡°Damn it, Ellen! You managed to seduce Mr. Orey.¡± Selena was jealous and annoyed. She had to admit Ellen knew a thing or two about seducing men. Her gaze soon turned cold as she sneered. Is she betraying Young Master Jared? I¡¯m sure he would be mad if he knew how soon she got tangled up with another man! Both of them are men who are probably favored by the Big Man above. Ellen might let go of the big fish for the small one and may end up getting nothing in the end! Ha! While Selena let her thoughts run, she scrolled through her phone to look for Jared¡¯s private number which she secretly photographedst time to send the link to him. Thinking that Jared wouldn¡¯t find her a busybody, she found the number and sent him the link. It¡¯s only a matter of time before Ellen is taught a lesson and abandoned! Selena looked forward to how Ellen would end up. Ellen was someone who didn¡¯t enjoy the Inte much. Because of that, she was stillpletely unaware of the scandal between herself and Lambert at the moment. In a luxurious vi, a man who just came back from the gym picked up his phone and nced at it habitually, only to see a message sent to him from an unfamiliar number. His phone could filter out spam messages. In other words, the iing messages he got were usually sent by people who knew his private number. He then clicked on this message and a sentence appeared. ¡®Young Master Jared, there¡¯s a scandal about your girlfriend. Check it out!¡¯ Jared immediately pulled his eyebrows together into a deep frown. Despite not knowing who sent the message, he still couldn¡¯t help clicking on the link. Soon, photos of Ellen and Lambert filled up the screen of his phone. His eyes quickly narrowed at the sight of it. He took a look at the title above and then gazed at the photos before he read the article. From there, he learned that Lambert had appeared at the hospital with his girlfriend, and the media also wrote about how the couple might have gone to the hospital for some kind of surgery. Jared¡¯s chest rose and fell erratically after he went through the article. This made his heart palpitate even more than the workout he just did. Why was Ellen with Lambert? What were they doing at the hospital? It irked him to see Ellen and Lambert looking at each other smilingly in one of the photos. He got jealous every time she smiled at a man who wasn¡¯t him. To understand what exactly happened, Jared gave Ellen a call without any hesitation. He was someone who didn¡¯t like to drag matters out. If he had any questions, he would ask them on the spot. Ellen was sprawled out on her couch reading a book when she heard her phone¡¯s ringtone go off. She swiftly took a nce at it. Jared? she wondered. Why is he calling me? ¡°Hi, President Presgrave!¡± Out of habit, she called him like an employee would their superior. ¡°Where did you go today? You told me this morning that you don¡¯t have time in the afternoon. Were you with someone?¡± The man was in full-on interrogation mode. She was taken aback for a second, but she soon replied truthfully, ¡°I went to my uncle¡¯s birthday banquet in the afternoon. I came home not long ago.¡± ¡°Are you sure you only went to the birthday banquet? You weren¡¯t with other men?¡± Of course, Ellen didn¡¯t take her being with Lambert too seriously, so she replied without thinking, ¡°Nope!¡± ¡°Ellen¡­¡± Jared¡¯s voice sank as he growled, ¡°I don¡¯t like being lied to.¡± She only blinked. She didn¡¯t understand why he suddenly grew serious. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not lying. I only went to my uncle¡¯s birthday banquet this afternoon.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s with your rendezvous with Lambert? You even went to the hospital together? Why didn¡¯t you get me to go with you if you weren¡¯t feeling well?¡± He finally couldn¡¯t stop his jealousy from showing. It was only then that a lightbulb went off for Ellen. She was equally taken aback as well. ¡°H-How did you know that Lambert and I went to the hospital?¡± He didn¡¯t answer her question as he muttered, ¡°I want an exnation.¡± ¡°I can exin! Lambert and I did go to the hospital together, but that was only because he was injured when he helped me. I apanied him to the hospital to get him patched up.¡± ¡°Help you? Did something happen to you?¡± Jared asked with a frown. His concern for her was stronger than his jealousy. Ellen tried her best to organize her words before answering him. ¡°So, what happened was, I went to my uncle¡¯s birthday banquet. I left at about 1.00PM, which was also when I received a call from Lambert. The call went on for not even a minute when a robber took my phone. I chased the thief all the way to an exit at the park, and that was when I suddenly met Lambert. He snatched my phone back for me and was hurt by the robber in the process. We went to the hospital after that.¡± Jared, who was quick on the uptake, immediately took note of the main point. ¡°Why does he have your number? When did you give it to him?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. My cousin was the one who gave it to him without my permission,¡± she blurted out an exnation. ¡°My cousin is the reason all of this happened. She has Lambert¡¯s number and she made him think that I wanted to know him. H-He called me because of that.¡± ¡°Then how could he have coincidentally appeared on the very road you were chasing after the robber?¡± Jared asked again. Ellen was sitting on the couch when she solemnly exined like never before. ¡°I asked him about this too. He said that he called my cousin and found out that I was in this park. He happened to be nearby anyway, so he came over. And yes, it really was a coincidence that he bumped into the robber. He took my phone back for me, but he got hurt in return. Please believe me. Lambert and I really met by chance. If it wasn¡¯t for him, I could have been hurt even if I caught up with the robber. I am grateful for him.¡± Jared was still upset even after hearing all that. He was skeptical to believe that such coincidences were possible. ¡°Fine. I want you to give me your answer now. Will you be my girlfriend?¡± he demanded. He would never have peace of mind if he was not sure about his position in her heart. ¡°Huh?¡± the woman choked. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you going to reject me and be with Lambert?¡± Sure enough, Jared was consumed by his jealousy. His mood only took a turn for the worse when he heard Ellen¡¯s surprised tone. ¡°No, no. That¡¯s not what I mean,¡± Ellen quickly exined. ¡°Then what do you mean? Is it so hard to say yes to being my girlfriend?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it either¡­¡± She blinked. I haven¡¯t actually given it a thought. ¡°I¡¯m counting down from ten. Make your decision!¡± After saying that, the man at the other end of the call slumped against his couch. His dark eyebrows were furrowed as he solemnly began to count. ¡°Ten, nine, eight¡ª¡± Left dumbfounded, Ellen couldn¡¯t think at all due to his words. She couldn¡¯t think about anything else when he was threateningly counting the numbers. ¡°Seven, six, five¡ª¡± ¡°Alright, alright!¡± She cut him off. ¡°I¡¯ll be your girlfriend, so please stop counting!¡± Her head felt like it was about to burst from the pressure. ¡°So, you are agreeing because I¡¯m forcing you, huh? You¡¯re not agreeing willingly!¡± The man suddenly sounded grumpy again. Ellen had to take a moment before she softened her tone. ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m saying this out of my own free will.¡± ¡°Delete Lambert¡¯s number,¡± a certain man demanded. ¡°Don¡¯t take any more of his calls.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll delete it.¡± She was as docile as amb. ¡°You are not allowed to like anyone but me from now on.¡± Jared teased her even more when he saw how obedient she was. Ellen had to hold herughter in. She thought that domineering dialogues like this only existed in novels, but there was a real man who was as childish and forceful as fictional characters! However, she knew that it was indeed because of what happened between her and Lambert today that made Jared jealous. And so, she cooperatively answered him, ¡°Alright, I promise.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner togetherter.¡± ¡°Tonight?¡± she absentmindedly repeated. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to say no.¡± The man was too jealous for his own good. ¡°Sure, let¡¯s have dinner together.¡± Ellen didn¡¯t refuse because she didn¡¯t know what she wanted to eat tonight. Seeing how obedient she was, Jared couldn¡¯t bear bullying her anymore. He wanted to hear her confess her feelings on the phone, but he soon decided it would be more meaningful if she said it to his face tonight. ¡°Mhm. I¡¯m hanging up.¡± After the man finished speaking, he made a call to his assistant, Stanley. ¡°Get rid of all the gossip about Ellen and Lambert on the Inte.¡± He gave a straightforward order. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± At the same time, after Selena drove home, she sat on the couch with her bag and started to check the scandal online. However, the page returned to the homepage when she clicked on the link again. The entire page regarding the scandal couldn¡¯t be found anymore. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± She stubbornly continued to type in Lambert¡¯s name on the search entry, but only some news on his participation in some activities appeared. The news about him and Ellen had disappeared. She quickly called her friend and asked if she could find it. ¡°You¡¯re right! I can¡¯t find it! Did they take it down?¡± Her friend on the other end of the call happened to have contact with the media, so she suggested, ¡°I¡¯ll ask around for you! I have a close friend there.¡± ¡°Quickly, then. Find out what¡¯s going on.¡± Selena really wanted to know. She was worried that Jared hadn¡¯t seen it yet. This could be the best evidence that could break Ellen and Jared¡¯s rtionship. Her friend called her back not long after. ¡°The staff there said that the news was taken down. Someone also warned them to watch out.¡± ¡°What? Who was it?¡± ¡°My friend didn¡¯t tell me, but she said that any scandals about Ellen are not allowed to be reported in the future, or the mediapany will be sued. My friend also said that even their boss was trembling in fear. Can you imagine how scary the person who warned them is?¡± Selena¡¯s eyes immediately went wide when she heard that. Did Jared take care of it? Lambert couldn¡¯t have been the one who did it, and it¡¯s not like Ellen is capable of doing something like this. After giving it some thought, she decided to shamelessly call Lambert. ¡°Hello?¡± Lambert¡¯s maic voice rang out. ¡°Hello, Mr. Orey. I came across news about you and Ellen this afternoon, but I can¡¯t seem to find it now. Did you have it taken down?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t me.¡± Lambert actually saw it earlier, but it had been taken down. It was obvious who did it. ¡°Who else could it be, then?!¡± Selena pestered. She wanted to get an answer. ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Presgrave, obviously!¡± ¡°Huh?! He wasn¡¯t jealous of you, was he?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this in ordance with your n? I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t use me to hurt Ellen, or I won¡¯t go easy on you.¡± With that, Lambert swiftly hung up the phone. Selena¡¯s face turned red in an instant. Even though she was home alone, she felt that she had be someone Lambert hated. She had also picked up his protectiveness for Ellen from his tone. I don¡¯t understand. She bit her lip. What does Ellen have that I don¡¯t? Why does every man who sees her end up wanting to protect her? She understood now that Jared was the one who took the news down and warned the media. The man did so much to protect Ellen. Ellen, will you still like him if you knew that Jared took away your brother¡¯s heart? Will you still love him then? Selena suddenly looked forward to the day Ellen found out about it. But at the moment, she couldn¡¯t let Ellen know because her parents took Kevin¡¯s money. She will still find out the truth one day and when the dayes, she will hate Jared down to the bone! What Selena didn¡¯t know was that her interference was what prompted Jared to force Ellen into being his girlfriend earlier. From the beginning to the end, Selena had been of help in Ellen and Jared¡¯s rtionship. She heard a phone ringing right then, but she saw that it wasn¡¯t hers. Whose phone is it? she wondered. She couldn¡¯t help but go searching in the direction of the sound. When she found a ringing phone in her father¡¯s pocket, she took it and answered the call. ¡°Connor, Nath was in a car ident! Come here, quick! He has been looking for his dad!¡± The phone Selena was holding in her hand fell to the floor with a dull thud. Her eyes widened in disbelief. Who is the woman on the phone? Who is ¡®Nath¡¯? And who is this ¡®Dad¡¯ that ¡®Nath¡¯ is looking for? She was in shock after she answered the call. She was no fool. A thought soon came to mind¡ªthe woman on the phone was her father¡¯s mistress, and ¡®Nath¡¯ was her father¡¯s illegitimate child. ¡°How could this be? How could Dad have a mistress and another son?¡± Selena was overwhelmed by what she had just found out. The first thing she thought of was that she now had apetition over the family property. She thought that Connor wouldn¡¯t favor sons over daughters. Due to her mother¡¯s body that wouldn¡¯t support another pregnancy, Selena was the only daughter Connor had. She never would have expected her father to have an illegitimate child. In other words, the family¡¯s property would not belong to her alone in the future. Her head felt like it was about to explode. She couldn¡¯t imagine how angry her mother would be when she found out about this. She doubted this house would still feel like home. Chewing her bottom lip, she looked at the phone and called back the number earlier. ¡°Is that you, Connor? Nath was hit by a car and we are at the hospital. I have no money with me. Can you send me some more to pay for his medical expenses?¡± ¡°Listen up, you homewrecker¡ªI¡¯ll kill you if you ask for my father¡¯s money again. Take your b*stard son and piss off.¡± ¡°Lena, is that you? I know it¡¯s you!¡± Not only did the mistress not panic, but she also seemed to know who Selena was. Selena was caught off-guard upon hearing that. ¡°Why do you know my name?¡± she hissed. ¡°Of course, I know your name. I met you when I first knew your father.¡± ¡°Who the hell are you? How dare you, you homewrecker?!¡± Selena was so enraged she wanted to tear the woman apart. ¡°Where¡¯s your father? Nath is his son. He has to take care of our boy.¡± The woman on the other end of the call sounded righteous when she said that. ¡°I am my father¡¯s only child. My father isn¡¯t even the father of your son. Try taking what¡¯s mine and I¡¯ll come for your necks!¡± Selena roared and smashed the phone on the floor. She hated her father for having a child outside of their home. She was deeply hurt when she felt that she was no longer the apple of her father¡¯s eye. She used to be proud of being her parents¡¯ treasure whom they pampered and loved, but now she realized how ridiculous her thoughts were. Looking at her luxurious home, Selena was overwhelmed by the feeling that the money her father had no longer belonged to her. ¡­ Ellen was preparing for her date with Jared tonight. She picked an off-white dress and put on simple make-up. She was born with a face that looked good both dolled up and without makeup. Wearing less makeup made her stand out more. Her long hair was casually flowing down her shoulders. With her hair framing her petite face, she gave off the feeling of a young and livelydy. At 5.30PM, she received a call from Jared saying that he was on the way. After the call, she went out to wait for him at the gate of the housing area with her bag in her hand. Out of nowhere, a middle-aged woman stepped out of a car with her assistant and handed a business card to Ellen, who was waiting for her ride. ¡°Miss, I am a manager for an entertainmentpany. You are very beautiful. Are you interested in entering showbiz?¡± Ellen didn¡¯t expect to meet a talent scout like this. As such, she couldn¡¯t help but smile and wave her hands in rejection. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m not interested in joining the industry.¡± ¡°But I think being a celebrity will suit you well. Moreover, you have a distinguishable appearance. As long as you agree to it, we can immediately package you and make you a dazzling star.¡± The woman really wanted Ellen to sign with her and she refused to leave. She thought that Ellen might be short on money, judging from the simple outfit she had on. However, the woman heard the low roar unique to sports cars at this moment. She couldn¡¯t help but turn around, only to see an expensive sports car elegantly driving up to Ellen. Seeing this, Ellen politely refused the woman again. ¡°Thank you, but I really am not interested.¡± After she finished speaking, she opened the door of the passenger seat of the car and got in. The manager quickly leaned over, and she saw the noble and charming man exuding the air of a wealthy family¡¯s son in the driver¡¯s seat. She instantly understood then. Ellen wasn¡¯t short on money at all! Even with all the artists she handled, the manager didn¡¯t have the resources Ellen did. ¡°Who were they?¡± Jared asked out of curiosity. ¡°Talent scouts. They were asking me if I would like to enter the entertainment industry. I have met many people from this industry before.¡± Ellen was not surprised by their approach. ¡°Don¡¯t pay attention to this kind of people in the future.¡± Jared was angry for some reason. These people often imed that they were scouts when all they did was look for beautiful women to send to ¡®unclean¡¯ ces. ¡°Mhm, I know,¡± she murmured with a smile. When Jared stopped at a traffic light, his eyes shot up and down at the woman beside him. There was an impure light in his eyes. She¡¯s so charming even though she¡¯s casually dressed, he mused. He decided to buy more pretty clothes for her after they had their dinner. He wanted her to wear nice clothes for him to see every day. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Ellen asked. ¡°A steakhouse on the top floor of a hotel.¡± Jared went out of his way and chose a romantic ce. He wanted to book the ce out at first but knowing how she disliked it when it was too quiet, he requested a private room as usual. Of course, Ellen knew about this luxurious hotel. She had seen on the Inte that there was an upscale steakhouse there and today, she was lucky enough to experience it herself. The upscale steakhouse was on the 88th floor. She followed Jared to the private room. After they opened the door, they found an extraordinarily warm private room where there were flowers and candlelight, and there was a faint fragrance in the air. The most beautiful thing about this view was the night scene seemingly made up of gold after the lights were turned off. She sighed in contentment. ¡°It¡¯s gorgeous.¡± The corners of Jared¡¯s mouth curled into a smile. ¡°I can take you here often if you like it.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. Enjoying a good time like this every once in a while is what makes it memorable! Part of the fun will be lost if Ie here to eat every day.¡± Ellen was not greedy, but she was in the best mood tonight. A certain man felt suffocated when he thought of what happened between Ellen and Lambert, but he couldn¡¯t me Ellen anymore. Lambert was the one approaching her intentionally. Just like Jared, Lambert had all kinds of ways to see her if he wanted to. Her only fault is that she is too damn attractive, hemented. ¡°There is something I don¡¯t know whom to tell. Can I tell you?¡± Ellen asked the man sitting across from her. ¡°I¡¯m all ears.¡± ¡°I-I discovered something by identst time. It is my uncle¡¯s secret.¡± Ellen had been keeping it to herself for too long and she couldn¡¯t wait to confide in him. ¡°What is it?¡± Jared was interested to know what she had to say. ¡°I think that my uncle has an illegitimate son and a mistress, but my aunt doesn¡¯t know about it.¡± Ellen then propped her chin on her palm and whined, ¡°I thought my uncle was an honest and dependable man. I was surprised when I found out he cheated. I can¡¯t brain this!¡± He noticed Ellen¡¯s disappointment in the opposite sex and he immediately frowned. ¡°Not all men are like that,¡± he quickly reminded her. Her beautiful eyes suddenly shifted in his direction. ¡°You mean you won¡¯t do something like this?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± He insisted solemnly. ¡°I will only love one person. I¡¯ll never betray or hurt my woman.¡± He then added, ¡°I¡¯m talking about my feelings for you.¡± Ellen froze for a few seconds. She didn¡¯t think Jared would so passionately confess his feelings and reassure her just because she was thinking out loud for a bit. ¡°Yea, you¡¯re right.¡± She smiled. ¡°I can¡¯t throw the whole basket of eggs just because I found one rotten egg.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Jared agreedpletely with this. Hearing that, Ellen couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°You¡¯re nervous, aren¡¯t you, President Presgrave!¡± And he was rightfully so. He was worried she would think of him as someone who would cheat on her just because of her uncle. ¡°Darling, don¡¯t think too much. Everyone is a different person.¡± He reached out and caressed her head. Ellen was taken aback for a moment before she realized that she had beenying her emotions on him. With a smile, she murmured, ¡°Alright. I won¡¯t think about it anymore.¡± ¡°Eat your food. I¡¯ll take you shopping after dinner.¡± She nodded and obediently ate with him. When they were eating, she noticed that dinners for the wealthy were unlike those of ordinary people. Instead ofrge portions, each te of food was carefully cultivated and prepared ording to its nutritional value. Although the food came in different varieties, the quantity was just right to fill someone up. After eating, Jared took Ellen to arge shopping mall beside the hotel. His bodyguards were shadowing them from a safe distance, and they kept in mind not to disturb their young master¡¯s love affair. Jared first brought Ellen to arge jewelry store, and he didn¡¯t even ask for her opinion as he picked out some jewelry on the counter by himself. She only watched him without saying anything. I¡¯ll choose something with him. He might be getting a present for someone. Right then, Jared saw a nice piece and he said to the attendant, ¡°Please show me this one.¡± The attendant felt her heartbeat speed up the moment she met his eyes. She quickly went to get the ne he wanted while also taking out a tray. Jared ced it on his palm to take a good look at it first before he turned to Ellen. ¡°Try it.¡± She blinked a few times and immediately scooped her long hair to the side. Jared then put the ne around her neck. Although the ne was not very expensive, its design was simple and elegant. It was just right for a youngdy. He scrutinized her with narrowed eyes for a moment before nodding in satisfaction. After he took off the ne, he informed the attendant, ¡°I¡¯ll take this one.¡± At that point, Ellen was even more sure that it was a gift. Since he asked me to try it on, is he going to give it to a youngdy? It¡¯s a fashionable ne, after all. She followed Jared when she saw him walking forward again. It wasn¡¯t long before he saw another one and asked the attendant to show it to him. He tried it on Ellen¡¯s neck again. ¡°This one, too.¡± Noticing Jared¡¯s extraordinary outfit and discontinued watch which were all from famous brands, the attendant thought to herself, A big fish! As such, she quickly rmended, ¡°We have many more beautiful pieces of jewelry in the VIP room. Shall I show them to you?¡± Jared nodded at that. ¡°Sure. Bring them here.¡± As the attendant nced in the direction of the manager, the manager immediately asked the attendant to take out pieces from the collection. More than 20 different styles were brought out in a short time. Under the light, each piece of jewelry was a work of art. Each of them was beautiful. Ellen was having a visual feast as she stood off to one side. Normally, she would never have the opportunity to see so many rare nes, and it was even harder for her to see such a big and real gem. ¡°This, this, and this.¡± Jared pointed at three different essories. The manager immediately beamed. This customer fancies three pieces at a nce! However, Jared¡¯s next words put a grin that stretched to both his ears. ¡°Other than the three I mentioned, wrap everything else up for me,¡± Jared instructed authoritatively. All the attendants in the store were stunned at that instant. Who is this rich man?! Why is he buying jewelry as if he is at a supermarket?! Ellen had never seen such an impulsive buyer before as well, and she put a hand over her red lips to cover her shock. ¡°Sir, would you like the other two you picked earlier?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jared nodded. ¡°Understood! We will get you the bill right now.¡± As six attendants worked together to count the total at the register, Jared held Ellen¡¯s hand and walked over. He then opened his wallet which he took out from his pocket. Everyone could see how his wallet was filled with gold and ck cards. He swiftly pulled one out and handed it over. ¡°Sir, that will be a total of 34.5 million,¡± the attendant happily chirped in a loud and clear voice. ¡°I¡¯ll pay by card.¡± Jared passed the attendant a card. The attendant took it with excited hands and wasted no time in swiping the card. The receipt printer next to them immediately spat out a long receipt with the prices of expensive jewelry on it. The attendant put Jared¡¯s purchase in three bags for him. After Jared reached out to take them, he said to Ellen, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Ellen followed him out of the store. Jared then hooked a finger at the bodyguards not far away and immediately, two bodyguards trotted over to take the bags from him. The attendants in the store were all swooning over Jared when they saw this. They were envious of the woman who stood beside that dreamboat of a customer. They could tell that he bought everything for her! Even though she didn¡¯t dress as someone from a wealthy family would, that pure aura of hers that hit them in the face belonged to a beauty with a superb temperament! Seeing the bodyguards leaving with the bags, Ellen asked Jared curiously, ¡°You bought a lot. Are they gifts for someone?¡± He gazed at her with starry eyes and replied naturally, ¡°These are all for you.¡± She pointed at herself in disbelief. ¡°For me?¡± She felt a gush of blood rushing to her head the moment she heard his words. ¡°Am I supposed to give them to some other woman?¡± he asked in return. ¡°But¡­ This¡­ I can¡¯t ept them. I can¡¯t ept such expensive jewelry.¡± Ellen didn¡¯t even hesitate as she rejected him, her hands waving quickly. Jared reached out to grab her fluttering hands. ¡°You cannot refuse my gifts.¡± ¡°No, no, no! Mr. Presgrave, we can go back and return it now. If you want to give me a present, just one will do!¡± She anxiously held his arm, but he pulled her into a hug instead. ¡°Didn¡¯t you agree to be my girlfriend? To be my girlfriend is to ept my gifts. Let¡¯s go! I have to buy you clothes and bags. This is what I should do as your boyfriend.¡± He had never dated before. In his understanding, he had to buy as many presents as he possibly could to keep his girlfriend happy. Ellen bit her red lip. ¡°But I didn¡¯t tell you to buy me anything!¡± she whispered. ¡°So, don¡¯t do it!¡± ¡°Do I even need to wait for you to tell me something like this?¡± To him, he would fail as a boyfriend if he waited for her to tell him what she wanted. Jared had be excited due to the shopping trip and besides, he discovered that buying her things made him several times happier. ¡°Come on! I only want to spend my money on you.¡± He led her towards the rows of shops owned by international brands. To him, buying the entire mall wouldn¡¯t take much thought, much less buying her clothes, handbags, and the like. After that, Ellen began adding her opinion during their purchases. She did not stop him from buying her anything, but she hoped that he wouldn¡¯t go overboard. Without her stopping him, he would pick out those he didn¡¯t like and get the whole rack of clothes. It was 9.30PM before she eventually got home. The bodyguard carried the packages filled with her purchases into her home, and they upied her entire couch. He left immediately afterward, refusing to interrupt his young master¡¯s date with his paramour. Ellen felt helpless yet thankful at the sight of all those packages. She couldn¡¯t even stop him at the rate he was spending his money on her. Jared, on the other hand, was satisfied by what he had done. If she hadn¡¯t dragged him home, he could have continued the shopping spree due to the constant feeling that he hadn¡¯t bought her enough clothes. She got up and asked, ¡°Do you want some water?¡± ¡°Yup!¡± He nodded, feeling somewhat thirsty after the trip. She used her cup to fill some water for him, and he took it from her and drank from it without any hesitation. ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to fit in a safe in your home tomorrow. You should put some of the more valuable jewelry into it.¡± ¡°I think you should take them home first. I may lose sleep with them here,¡± Ellen suggested while looking troubled. Jaredughed out loud and asked her intently, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± she replied honestly. He put down the cup and narrowed his eyes. ¡°Why don¡¯t I sleep here tonight?¡± Ellen was taken aback and began to blush. Since he had bought her so much today, she would feel guilty if she refused him. This was probably how he found her weakness. ¡°I only have a guest room here and it would be far too ufortable for you. Just go home!¡± she pointed out. Jared could see that she was too embarrassed to refuse him. He had bought all those things willingly for her. It was not to get any repayment. ¡°Alright, then! I¡¯ll take the jewelry back and bring them here tomorrow when the safe has been built,¡± he murmured in a low voice. Ellen nodded. She could keep the clothes and everything else, but the jewelry was far too expensive and would be safer in his home. He stayed for a few moments more before she escorted him to the door. Then, he turned and looked at her quietly through the door before she bravely got on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. ¡°Goodnight. Be careful when you¡¯re driving.¡± His lips curved upwards to form a satisfied smile as he sensed the love that she bore toward him. After sending him away, Ellen began to organize the new clothes, shoes, and handbags upying her couch. They had bought far too much, and her closet was now extremely full. ¡­ Connor had a great time at his birthday party that night as well. His wife Olivia had been publicly given a ne as a present from him. It was already 10.00PM before the couple returned from the karaoke bar with their friends. When Olivia took the ne to her daughter¡¯s room, Connor had already fallen asleep due to his drunken state. ¡°Lena, why didn¡¯t youe when we invited you for dinner?¡± Olivia asked her daughter. ¡°I wasn¡¯t in the mood,¡± Selena answered. Seeing her mother¡¯s happiness made her feel sympathetic toward her mother while simultaneously hating her father. ¡®What¡¯s wrong? Look at this. Your father gave this to me today. Is it pretty? I heard it cost more than 500,000!¡± Selena didn¡¯t think that it cost that much, not to mention that the jewels embedded in it looked fake. However, she didn¡¯t feel like revealing that as she knew that she wouldn¡¯t end up well if her parents got divorced. Chapter 1621-1630 Chapter 1621-1630 Selena swore to get rid of the woman. She wouldn¡¯t let anyone ruin her family or steal her father¡¯s and her family¡¯s fortune. ¡°Mom, get some rest,¡± she urged her mother. ¡°I haven¡¯t been this happy for ages.¡± Olivia was ted today as she felt the me between her and her husband had been reignited. ¡°Mom, do you think Dad is a good husband? Besides, do you think Dad will cheat on you, considering our family¡¯s wealth?¡± ¡°He won¡¯t dare. I¡¯ll break his legs if he ever thinks about it.¡± Olivia¡¯s immediate reply was offhand. Even though she wasn¡¯t the most capable woman, she was capable of throwing a fit and flying into a rage. The words made Selena¡¯s stomach churn. She originally nned to be as tactful as possible to reveal her discovery to her mother. However, her mother tended to act tough in all kinds of situations. Her mother probably couldn¡¯t take it if she told her the truth. ¡°Your father might not be good at anything, but I have had him wrapped around my finger since our first day as a married couple. Even if he thought about cheating on me, he wouldn¡¯t do that for real,¡± Olivia answered proudly. Selena¡¯s pained look was a stark contrast to her mother¡¯s confidence. Little did Olivia know her husband not only cheated on her but even had an illegitimate son with another woman. ¡°Enough. I¡¯ll let you get some rest. I¡¯ll check on your father since he drank too much tonight.¡± After that, Olivia left the room. Selena bit her lip in resentment. Her blood was boiling when she thought of her father¡¯s mistress. She nned to get rid of the woman and make the woman vanish on her own without disturbing her mother. Besides, she would have to warn her father to cut ties with his mistress and b*stard child. The next morning was another workday for Selena and she went to work by car. She had barely sat down when the assistant came over to deliver a message. ¡°Selena, the manager wants to see you.¡± Pushing her chair back in surprise, she headed to the manager¡¯s office, wondering whether he was about to give her a pay raise or something. ¡°Selena, your one-month probation is over. We decided not to hire you since you didn¡¯t meet the requirements.¡± The manager was frank. Blood drained from Selena¡¯s face as she rose to her feet in shock and argued, ¡°Impossible! I haven¡¯t made any mistakes at work. Why did I get fired?¡± ¡°Your male colleagues have been helping you inpleting your job. Besides, your professional skills simply aren¡¯t meeting our requirements. Go pack your things. You may leave at any time,¡± the manager exined calmly. Selena left the manager¡¯s office in frustration, not happy with the oue. The more she thought about it, the more she thought Ellen had something to do with her dismissal. Atst, she was convinced that Ellen was responsible for this matter. Ellen must have bad-mouthed her to Jared, or Ellen simply asked Jared to fire her. Rushing out of the office, Selena stepped into the elevator and headed to another floor, where the main office was situated. She had questions for Ellen, and she demanded answers. Ellen arrived at her office in the early morning. When she immersed herself in a book, someone threw open the door from outside without warning. She looked in that direction to find Selena storming in and growling at her, ¡°Ellen, do you have anything to do with my dismissal?¡± Putting her hands on the table to help herself to her feet, Ellen returned the other woman¡¯s hateful re with fury in her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t. On the other hand, I¡¯d like to know what is in it for you to drive a wedge between me and Lambert?¡± Selena sneered. ¡°Oh yeah? Nice try, but I¡¯m not buying it. You must have asked President Presgrave to fire me. After my father pulled a few strings to get you into thepany, I can¡¯t believe you dared to make me lose my job!¡± ¡°As I said before, I have nothing to do with it. You¡¯re barking up the wrong tree.¡± A scowl appeared between Ellen¡¯s brows. ¡°It must be nice to have people backing you up because you have the face to condescend to me like that. Ellen, the Presgrave Family owes my father a huge favor. If I make my father appeal to them, I can stay in thepany as I please.¡± Selena couldn¡¯t help but show off the history between the Presgrave Family and her father. ¡°How did your father help them?¡± Her words piqued Ellen¡¯s curiosity. Her question put Selena to pause as the other woman didn¡¯t expect to slip up. Selena dismissed her question by changing the topic, ¡°No matter what, it¡¯s too early to celebrate victory. Even though I lost the job, I have a bright future.¡± After that, Selena turned on her heel and left the office. After Selena stormed in and threw a fit at Ellen, thetter felt horrible and lost the mood to read. She covered her face with her hands as she rested her elbows on the table, hoping to escape from reality. At that moment, a lean figure showed up outside the office. Noticing Ellen looked down, the man walked into her office without asking for permission. She immediately raised her head when she heard footsteps echoing in the room. Standing in front of her was her boyfriend, who was also thepany¡¯s president, watching her with concern. ¡°You look upset. What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked. She had a question for him, and she didn¡¯t hesitate to seek his answer. ¡°Did you ask them to fire Selena?¡± Jared saw no point in denying the truth, so he nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. She gets on my nerves.¡± She pressed her lips into a faint smile. So, it¡¯s really him. It was a good thing, though. She didn¡¯t have to see Selena anymore since the woman got fired. ¡°Do you know my uncle?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± Jared¡¯s stomach churned at her question, but he shook his head. ¡°But Selena told me that my uncle is close with your family.¡± Ellen pressed for answers. He watched her calmly. ¡°Can we talk about this another time?¡± Ellen blinked in bafflement. Is there something he can¡¯t tell me? Even though she had many questions, she nodded and let it go for the moment. ¡°Are you free tonight? I want to show you a ce.¡± He changed the topic. ¡°Sure! Where are we going?¡± Ellen was eager to know. ¡°It¡¯s a secret. You¡¯ll see.¡± Jared cast her an inscrutable smile, refusing to reveal anything. After that, he began to admire Ellen, who was wearing a gray business suit. He almost lost himself in her captivating look. To him, the girl could easily seduce him even if she was in her business attire. Meeting his unfathomable expression, she could feel her cheeks burning. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m just admiring you.¡± Giving her another smile, Jared decided not to bother her and left the office. The moment he left, Ellen¡¯s phone rang. She picked up her phone and saw the caller ID. Taking a deep breath, she mustered all the courage to answer it since it was Olivia calling her. ¡°Hello? Aunt Olivia?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®Aunt Olivia¡¯ me! Look at what you did! What did Selena ever do to you? How could you manipte your boss into dismissing her? She¡¯s your cousin!¡± An angry Olivia scolded her from the other end of the line. Before Ellen could exin, Olivia continued, ¡°You brat! Take a look at yourself before pointing fingers at others. Is it because Selena has always been better than you since young? You must be blinded by jealousy to do that to her. What a wicked woman you are at this age! It seems like I need to teach you a lesson soon.¡± ¡°Aunt Olivia, my issues are none of your business and I don¡¯t need your lessons or advice. Why don¡¯t you save them for your daughter? I¡¯m sure she needs that.¡± At that, Ellen hung up the call before she could hear a reply. Soon, another call from Olivia came in, but Ellen didn¡¯t want to pick up her phone. After all, she did nothing wrong, so she didn¡¯t deserve Olivia¡¯s usation. Meanwhile, Olivia was pacing back and forth around the house in frustration. How dare she talk that way to me and even have the audacity to hang up on me! However, she was most upset by the fact that Ellen dared to be the cause of Selena¡¯s unemployment. Working at the Presgrave Group was something worth bragging about, but Ellen just had to fire Selena. It seems like having the so-called Young Master Jared back her up made her forget about her roots. If she¡¯s trying to kick us away, she can try. Olivia searched for Connor¡¯s number in her phone and dialed it. At the same moment in a hospital, Connor was getting scolded by his mistress because he didn¡¯t answer the phonest night, causing her to have to borrow money from others to pay her son¡¯s hospital bill. Fortunately, her son wasn¡¯t harmed, and she only worried for nothing. ¡°I have to take a call,¡± Connor informed the woman beside him. ¡°It¡¯s Olivia, isn¡¯t it? Why can¡¯t you just tell her about our affair? What is so wrong about letting her know you have a son?¡± Connor¡¯s mistress felt bad the whole time. After all, both she and Olivia were Connor¡¯s women, but Olivia had the privilege to live in a manor while she had topromise with a rental house. All these years, Connor had been keeping a bnce between his two families with extra caution. However, deep down in his heart, he feared facing Olivia¡¯s wrath. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about thister.¡± Connor gave the woman a few perfunctory words before heading up to answer Olivia¡¯s call. ¡°Hello? What¡¯s wrong, Oli?¡± ¡°Everything is wrong! Do you know the ungrateful Ellen just ruined Lena¡¯s career? She asked Young Master Jared to fire Lena, so our daughter is unemployed at the moment.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Also, our dear niece just hung up on me just now. Ellen clearly has no respect for me. I shouldn¡¯t have expected much from an orphan girl!¡± Olivia never held back when she was talking to her husband. ¡°Hey, watch your mouth, will you? My sister died early. She has nothing to do with it!¡± Connor protested. ¡°Why are you defending her? I¡¯m pointing out the truth. Even more, I¡¯ll ruin her career. I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s good in getting her a job in Presgrave Group.¡± Olivia med everything on him. ¡°Fine. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± Connor swallowed his pride andplied with her. ¡°I¡¯m heading to the Presgrave Group right now. She needs to pay the price for ruining my daughter.¡± ¡°Calm down, Oli. It¡¯s something between the young ones. They can settle it between themselves. We shouldn¡¯t meddle. Besides, Lena can always find another job.¡± Olivia scoffed and muttered, ¡°No, she won¡¯t get away with it that easily. I¡¯m making a banner to show everyone her true colors.¡± Then, she ended the call without waiting for his reply. Connor sighed in frustration before returning to the sick room. His son had already woken up and was now seeking hispany. Even though Connor nned to leave a moment ago, he changed his mind at the sight of his son. Thus, he decided to let Olivia do what she wanted. For now, his son was his priority. After all, the boy was the heir of the Aguirre Family. ¡°Nath and I are fed up with living like your unspeakable secret, Connor. When will you divorce Olivia so we can live under the same roof with you?¡± The woman, Aida Reed, pushed him to make a decision. At that, Connor tried to coax her. ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush. The time isn¡¯t right yet. It¡¯s best I do it when Nath grows up.¡± ¡°You always tell me the same thing. He¡¯s now six years old! When will the time ever be right for you?¡± Connor took out a debit card and gave it to her. ¡°There is one hundred and fifty thousand in this ount. Use it to treat yourself and Nath to something better. I¡¯ll bank in moreter.¡± Aida finally kept her mouth shut at the promise of money. Taking the card from him, she put it in her purse and let him off the hook. However, her goal was more than this money. She was well aware that Connor was richer than he showed. Aida knew she had to fight for the family¡¯s fortune for her son¡¯s sake. Meanwhile, Olivia made a trip to an advertising agency downstairs andmissioned them to make a banner for her instantly. Written on the banner was, ¡®Ellen Reiss, a heartless and inhuman employee of the Presgrave Group, shamelessly seducing the president to destroy her cousin¡¯s career¡¯. She also provided Ellen¡¯s photo to be added to the banner. ¡°Here¡¯s her picture. Make it as clear as possible.¡± A banner was finished before 2.30PM. After that, she hired a few people who specialized in shady businesses to present the banner in front of the Presgrave Group. The group of six was sitting near the entrance while lifting the banner so the passersby could see it. Olivia sat in a corner proudly as she watched the employees whispering to each other. I¡¯m sure I have ruined Ellen¡¯s reputation! As expected, the news was spreading like a wildfire among the thirty thousand employees of the Presgrave Group. All of them were discussing it in their conversation while the same thing was spread among different group chats. Not long after that, they found that Ellen¡¯s cousin who worked for the company was Selena. Besides, Selena failed in her probation period and was forced to leave the company this morning. Furthermore, Ellen was assigned a position in the main office recently. She got a promotion dubiously faster than most people, so people believed that she had seduced the president in exchange for a promotion. Thus, the facts altogether cemented the fact that Ellen was the kind of person the banner made her to be. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. It¡¯s a surprise to learn that Ellen has the influence to kick her cousin out of the company. I always thought Selena is being difficult, but it seems like I was wrong. Ellen is indeed vengeful.¡± At the reception desk, the two receptionists, who always held a grudge against Ellen, discussed the matter with each other. ¡°I knew it! Selena left a bad impression on me of how she treated Ellen, and I even felt bad for Ellen. Who would have known that Ellen was such a cunning woman? She seduced the president and manipted him into dismissing Selena.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I got deceived by her appearance. She looks just like an innocent girl but turned out to be the viin in the story.¡± Even though the news spread among the employees, nobody dared confront Ellen about it. Meanwhile, Ellen was preparing for the written exam to earn her driving license in her office. She had zero ideas about what went viral among her colleagues. It was only when she felt her eyes hurting and her brain overprocessing that she left her office and headed to the washroom. Just as she closed the door of the cubicle, a conversation between two people reached her ears. ¡°Have you seen the group message? Is it true about Ellen? Did she really manage to get President Presgrave to fire her cousin?¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. ¡°If it isn¡¯t true, Selena¡¯s mother wouldn¡¯t make a fuss about it by asking the men to put the banner outside thepany for that long. She must be very angry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s unexpected of Ellen. Do you think she has done anything to make President Presgrave fall for her?¡± ¡°If not, President Presgrave wouldn¡¯t have spared a nce at her in the first ce. After all, there are other gorgeous women in thepany, but none of them ever get a promotion as fast as she did. She¡¯s the only person who gets promoted from a receptionist to the president¡¯s assistant in a sh.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I wonder what she had possibly done. I¡¯ll try them on someone when I master them.¡± ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you a little ambitious?¡± One of the women concluded their conversation withughter. Little did they know, the subject of their discussion was now standing in thest cubicle, hearing every word they said. Ellen was bewildered by the whole thing. Did they say Selena¡¯s mother is holding a banner in front of thepany? Aunt Olivia is here? After the two women left the washroom, Ellen came out of the cubicle with a flushed face. The women had no respect for her at all and their words degraded her by calling her a vixen. However, she was confident that she never thought about seducing Jared for once since their encounter. Ellen headed toward the elevator lobby and got on one of them. The doors soon opened again on another level, and a discussion began as soon as a few people stepped inside. ¡°Can you believe it? It¡¯s happening around us! How could Ellen treat her family like that just because she made it to the top? And that person is her cousin no less! I also heard that her cousin is an analyst. Do you have any idea how high the professional qualifications she must have to join the department?¡± ¡°I happened to hear that Ellen already made moves on President Presgrave when she was working as a receptionist. She never did her job, though. Instead, she kept making chance encounters with President Presgrave and seduced him.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why did President Presgrave even fall for her in the first ce? There are many female employees in thepany and all of them are prettier and better than her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I have a hard time believing it too. Besides, President Presgrave has bad taste in women.¡± ¡°After all, President Presgrave is still young. A cunning girl like Ellen can easily wrap him around her fingers.¡± ¡°By the way, I don¡¯t even know what the girl looks like.¡± ¡°Here¡¯s her picture. Have a look.¡± The female employee showed the screen of her phone to the people around her. She happened to look behind her and she nearly let her phone slip at the sight of a certain person. Immediately covering her mouth, she watched the woman in the corner in disbelief. At the same time, the woman returned her gaze. Even though the other woman¡¯s expression was calm, the female employee was overwhelmed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Reiss. We didn¡¯t mean to talk about you like that.¡± The female employee apologized to Ellen without hesitation. President Presgrave has her back. I can¡¯t risk getting on her bad side. Who knows what will happen to me if she tells him about this? In a split second, everyone in the elevator was looking in Ellen¡¯s direction. Shameful expressions emerged on their faces as if they were a bunch of children who got caught making mistakes. All of them promptly hung their heads low. They were afraid if Ellen recognized them, she wouldin to Jared and get them fired. On the contrary, Ellen kept silent because she was also searching for the right words to say. When the elevator doors opened again, the employees rushed out of the elevator without even making sure they had reached their destination. Soon, Ellen was standing in the elevator, utterly alone. Ellen sighed as she waited in the descending elevator. Another group of people came in on the lower floor, discussing the same thing as the group before. However, nobody noticed her presence this time, and their words were harsh and indecent. The more she listened to them, the more her eyes blurred with tears as she felt wronged and med for something she never did. She finally understood that these people saw her as nothing but a heinous creature. Atst, she arrived at the ground floor, so she stepped out of the elevator. The people around the reception desk noticed her leaving the elevator. ¡°Look! That¡¯s Ellen! Why is she here?¡± ¡°I bet she is confronting her rtive.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s follow her, shall we?¡± Meanwhile, Stanley, who sat next to Jared, was recording the meeting minutes in the meeting room. He heard notification soundsing non-stop from the chatting application as new messages poured into the group chat. He couldn¡¯t help his curiosity as he clicked on the tab to check on the new messages. As he browsed through the new messages, he narrowed his eyes. Atst, he came to the key point of the discussion, which stated that Ellen¡¯s aunt had put up a banner outside thepany. Below the message was the picture of Olivia. After pondering for a moment, he turned theptop¡¯s screen toward Jared and whispered, ¡°President Presgrave, look at this. Shall we deal with it?¡± Jared read the messages Stanley showed to him with a scowl. Just then, a new message attached with a picture popped out. The photograph showed that Ellen was near the entrance. Someone shouted, ¡®Over here, everybody! The female lead has shown up and she¡¯s about to run into her rtive. If you¡¯re into drama, don¡¯t miss out!¡¯ Jared immediately stood and gestured for Stanley. ¡°Stanley, follow me.¡± This is preposterous! What does she think she is doing? Why can¡¯t Ellen¡¯s rtives stop even if it¡¯s only for a moment? Stanley immediately pushed his chair back and informed the others, ¡°President Presgrave has to deal with a situation downstairs. All of you can take a break.¡± Jared strode over to his private elevator before shooting a question at Stanley. ¡°What happened?¡± Stanley fell into step beside him and shared his theory. ¡°It seems like Miss Reiss¡¯ cousin got fired and the cousin¡¯s mother mes it on Miss Reiss. Therefore, she raised a banner outside thepany and is demanding justice for her daughter. I think practically everybody in thepany knows about it at this point.¡± ¡°It was my order to fire Selena. How does Ellen have anything to do with it?¡± Jared¡¯s delicate features were tinged with darkness. ¡°Miss Reiss is indeed innocent in this matter, but the employees have different opinions on your rtionship. They use Miss Reiss of pulling a dirty trick on you to gain your favor.¡± Stanley revealed what he learned to Jared. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous.¡± Jared scoffed as he never expected to hear such rumors about Ellen. The moment the elevator doors opened, he strode inside and hurriedly pushed the button that directed him to the ground floor. Meanwhile, Ellen was standing near the stairs outside thepany. The eye-catching banner was just in sight and the words over them made her blood boil. The next moment, Olivia, who was busy taking photos, came into her view. Next to Olivia, someone reminded her, ¡°Oli, isn¡¯t that your niece over there?¡± Olivia turned in the direction the person was pointing to and met Ellen¡¯s gaze. The older woman sneered. ¡°Look who finally decided to show up!¡± Ellen took a deep breath before approaching Olivia. ¡°Aunt Olivia, this is a public ce. Can you please tone it down?¡± The sight of Ellen¡¯s business attire angered Olivia. ¡°Ellen, you¡¯re an ungrateful brat! How dare you do that to Lena when you get to stay in thepany? Besides, I gave you a lot of her old clothesst time. Do you have any idea about their prices? I bet what you¡¯re wearing right now used to belong to her.¡± Ellen took another deep breath. ¡°Aunt Olivia, if there¡¯s anything, we can resolve it in private. You¡¯re embarrassing me in public.¡± However, Olivia had something different in mind. ¡°You know what, Ellen? I¡¯m indeed doing this on purpose, so you don¡¯t have the face to stay in thepany. If my daughter must leave, you will too!¡± ¡°Not only do I want all of yourpany¡¯s employees to know about this, but I¡¯m also going to look for influencers to post this matter and cause a stir on the Inte. Let¡¯s see who will marry you in the future!¡± Olivia smugly said. Ellen, who had been holding back her rage earlier, couldn¡¯t take it any longer. She walked to the woman who was holding the banner and attempted to snatch it from her. However, Olivia saw what Ellen was about to do and she quickly went closer to push her away. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare touch my banner, Ellen!¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t I?¡± There was no hint of fear in Ellen¡¯s gaze as she dashed over to grab the banner and begin pulling at it. Olivia was furious at that point. She grabbed Ellen¡¯s hair and raised her palm, ready to p Ellen hard. But at this precise moment, a ferocious roar rang out. ¡°Let her go!¡± Olivia¡¯s hand was in mid-air when she was shocked by the voice. She raised her head to see whose voice it was and when she saw the person in front of her, she was so terrified that she immediately put her hand down and let go of Ellen¡¯s hair. Ellen only felt pain in her scalp and took a few steps back when her hair was released. Suddenly, she found herself leaning on a sturdy chest. She didn¡¯t even have to turn her head to figure out who the person was. ¡°Stanley, take down the banner and chase these people away!¡± Jared yelled angrily. This was the first time Olivia met Jared in the flesh after seeing his photos. Only now did she realize Kevin¡¯s heart had been used to save a handsome young man. But she found it detestable that Jared was protecting Ellen, just like Kevin. ¡°You¡¯re Young Master Jared, right? I am Selena¡¯s mother and all I want is justice for my daughter. Please bear with me if I have offended you in any way,¡± Olivia quickly said. As he looked at this shrewd woman, Jared said coldly, ¡°I was the one who dismissed your daughter. Ellen has nothing to do with this. Do you want to settle things with me, then?¡± Olivia was shocked to hear him say that, so she asked, ¡°What has my daughter done wrong?¡± ¡°Your daughter has a bad moral character and an evil heart. I don¡¯t think she is qualified to work for my company. Is my answer satisfactory for you?¡± Jared asked with his voice icy cold. Noticing that he was being disrespectful to her, Olivia let out a light cough and asked, ¡°Young Master Jared, do you know who I am?¡± However, Jared wasn¡¯t bothered by it. ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are. Anyone who bullies Ellen should just get lost.¡± Though he knew that the woman in front of him was the one who signed the papers and saved his life back then, the Presgrave Family had already repaid her greatly over the years. He would never allow Olivia to use her position as an elder to bully Ellen. Ellen was trembling too. She didn¡¯t understand why Jared was so protective of her and she often felt she wasn¡¯t deserving of it. Jared, however, only had his heart burning with rage over the injustice Ellen suffered. ¡°Get lost right now! Are you all expecting me to take you to the police station?¡± Stanley yelled as he took the banner and handed it to the security guards to be destroyed. Seeing that she couldn¡¯t do anything else, Olivia told Ellen, ¡°You better remember this, Ellen Reiss¡ªI¡¯m not going to let you off the hook easily.¡± She then left with the men she had brought here. Tears streamed down Ellen¡¯s cheeks as she was overwhelmed by humiliation and helplessness at this point. She had no idea what she had done wrong to warrant such treatment. When Jared saw her tears, he quickly tugged her over and drew her into his arms. ¡°It¡¯s all right now. Everything will be fine,¡± he said while his hand caressed the back of her head. This scene was streamed live to thepany¡¯s group and everyone saw how their president defended Ellen. All of the female employees were envious, wondering what magical power Ellen possessed to make their young president adore her so much. ¡°Tell the Human Resource Department to inform all employees that if I hear anyone mentioning Ellen¡¯s matter, he or she will be fired immediately,¡± Jared instructed Stanley. Then, he took Ellen¡¯s hand in his and returned to the lobby. Stanley immediately called the Manager of the Human Resource Department and conveyed Jared¡¯s instructions that whoever dared to mention this incident or humiliate Ellen because of it would be fired, regardless of his or her position in thepany. The Human Resource Department immediately sent an email to all employees with such instructions regarding Ellen¡¯s incident. As a result, everyone who was actively discussing Ellen immediately shut up and stoppedmenting. Those who initiated discussions were also terrified and fearful of losing their jobs because of this. Hence, they quickly posted more posts on other topics in the group, hoping that their initial posts about Ellen would be drowned out by the other posts. Meanwhile, Jared took Ellen back to his office. She appeared dazed as this incident had been a huge blow to her. Now that the entirepany was talking about her, she felt overwhelmed with stress. ¡°President Presgrave, I would like to resign,¡± she said, raising her head to look at the man in front of her. As if anticipating such words from her, he declined immediately by saying, ¡°I won¡¯t agree to it.¡± However, Ellen pursed her red lips and insisted, ¡°I want to resign.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve got this under control. Nobody in thepany will be gossiping about you. Don¡¯t be stressed over it,¡± Jaredforted her. He was also furious and annoyed by the fact that she had such rtives. They not only did not love and care for Ellen when she was alone, but they also bullied her. Despite being an outsider, Jared was the one who felt sorry for her and wanted to protect her. Ellen was the first person who awoke in him a strong desire to protect someone. Presently, Ellen appeared to be absent-minded as she hung her head low as if she was thinking of something. But Jared was not going to ept her resignation. If she stayed with thepany, at least he would be able to see her every day and know how she was doing. He wouldn¡¯t know what kind of life she was living if she resigned, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to protect her if she was bullied as well. Jared opened his mouth and murmured, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about resigning. Just do your job well.¡± This moved Ellen. ¡°Thank you for everything today. I might be in worse shape without you.¡± ¡°Ellen, I think you should cut off all contact with that family. If you don¡¯t have any other family, I can be one. You can take me as your elder brother,¡± Jared said, his gaze fixed firmly on her. Ellen blinked her eyes repeatedly at that. Elder brother? I do have an older brother of the same age as Jared, but he was gone too soon. ¡°I am not fortunate enough to have an elder brother like you!¡± Ellen¡¯s mood improved and she smiled. Jared¡¯s gaze darkened. Truth was, thest thing he wanted was to be her brother. He had previously asked her to be his girlfriend, but she did not take his words seriously and remained very respectful to him. ¡°Can I have the day off tomorrow?¡± Ellen suddenly asked. ¡°Do you need a rest?¡± ¡°Yes. I would like to get some rest,¡± Ellen answered. She didn¡¯t tell him that tomorrow was her brother¡¯s death anniversary and that she was going to pay her respects to him. At this point, Stanley knocked on the door and entered. ¡°President Presgrave, the meeting is starting,¡± he announced. Jared then looked at his watch and said to the woman sitting on the couch, ¡°Take a rest in my office for the time being. Call me if there¡¯s anything, but don¡¯t leave thepany just yet.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Ellen obediently nodded and replied. After Jared had gone, she stood up and went to the floor-to-ceiling windows and gazed out. Meanwhile, Olivia had returned to her housing area with the men she had hired and had begun paying them. Although she aplished her goal, she was enraged by Jared¡¯s appearance. Without him, she would have given Ellen a tight p to show that she was no pushover. After she sent the men off, her phone rang. It was a call from her daughter. ¡°Hello, Lena.¡± ¡°Mom, did you go to mypany to put up a banner and scold Ellen?¡± Selena asked in surprise. She had clearly just learned about this matter. ¡°Yes, and I¡¯ve just got back from there! I went to teach Ellen a lesson for causing your dismissal.¡± Olivia did not think that she was in the wrong. To her, she was merely seeking justice for her daughter. ¡°This has caused quite a stir in the office, Mom. Everyone is talking about it!¡± ¡°Great! It¡¯s entirely my intention to smear Ellen¡¯s reputation.¡± ¡°I heard that President Presgrave even appeared in the end. Did he do anything to you, Mom?¡± ¡°What can he do to me? This Young Master Jared would have died more than ten years ago if we hadn¡¯t signed the papers back then! That jerk is so ungrateful.¡± Olivia was still enraged by what Jared had done. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t ever let Ellen know what happened to Kevin back then. I¡¯m concerned that she¡¯ll demand compensation from you,¡± Selena reminded Olivia. That made Olivia¡¯s heart palpitate for a moment. Recalling that she had not mentioned it today, she quickly said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯ll never find out. Her brother has been buried for a long time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯m only worried about this. By the way, what has Dad been up totely? Keep a close eye on him. Aren¡¯t you concerned that he has a mistress outside since he isn¡¯t at home every day?¡± Olivia merely let out a sneer at that. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t dare. If he really did so, I¡¯ll kill him.¡± Selena was at a loss for words. Olivia had been a strong and obstinate woman her entire life, but she couldn¡¯t stop Connor from having a mistress, and even an illegitimate child, outside their family. ¡°No matter what, Mom, keep an eye on Dad. I noticed he has two mobile phones.¡± Selena hoped Olivia would discover the truth on her own for Connor to return to the family and cut all ties with his mistress outside. ¡°Is he carrying two phones? I had no idea about that!¡± Olivia waspletely in the dark. ¡°Yes. I previously saw it by chance,¡± Selena responded. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll keep an eye on him. Where are you?¡± ¡°I will be staying at a friend¡¯s ce for a few days.¡± Selena didn¡¯t want to go home as she recalled that Connor no longer cared about her and that returning home would only make her feel annoyed. Time flew by and it was 5.00PM. Nobody from the Presgrave Group dared to bring up Ellen¡¯s matter again. The instructions from the president¡¯s office were indeed deterrent enough to keep everyone quiet. Jared came out from the meeting earlier and quickly walked back to his office. When he entered his office, he noticed Ellen sleeping on the couch. Seeing that, he quickly slowed down his steps to prevent Stanley, who was behind him, from entering. He then shut the door while unbuttoning his suit before removing it and draping it over her. He smiled as he looked at the woman curled up on the couch. While waiting for Ellen to wake up, Jared remained in the office, carrying on with his work. It wasn¡¯t until the sky darkened that Ellen finally awoke and realized she was still in Jared¡¯s office. She quickly sat up in surprise and the suit that was covering her slipped down, startling her. ¡°Are you awake?¡± A man¡¯s voice suddenly rang out. Her face flushed instantly. Sh*t! Why did I doze off in his office and even use his suit as a nket? ¡°What¡¯s the time now?¡± Ellen asked in embarrassment. ¡°7.00PM.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I identally fell asleep,¡± she said with an apologetic expression, feeling guilty for dying Jared¡¯s dinner. ¡°I¡¯ll punish you by having a meal with me, then,¡± Jared announced as he stood up. After taking his car keys from the table, he told Ellen, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you slept. You¡¯ll be energetic enough to apany me somewhere tonight.¡± Ellen couldn¡¯t help herself and she asked, ¡°Where are we going?¡± However, Jared wanted to keep it a secret. ¡°You¡¯ll knowter.¡± With that, she didn¡¯t pursue it further and simply followed him to the underground parking garage to collect his car. Then, both of them went to a private restaurant that Jared frequently visited. The dinner was sumptuous and since Ellen had taken a rest, her appetite was good. When Jared saw her eat happily, his appetite grew as well. ¡°We¡¯re going up the mountainter,¡± Jared revealed. ¡°What? We will be hiking at night?¡± Ellen inquired, her eyelids fluttering. ¡°We can drive up, but we will be on top of the mountain. Will you be afraid?¡± Ellen looked at him and shook her head. ¡°As long as I¡¯m with you, I won¡¯t be afraid of anything.¡± That was the truth. Ever since she knew Jared, he had always provided her with protection and a strong sense of security. When they came out after the dinner, Jared realized that his bodyguard had swapped their earlier ride for an SUV. Ellen then rode shotgun and they set off. The entire trip seemed exciting and romantic at the same time. Ellen followed him to the foot of a mountain. Jared¡¯s bodyguards were in the car ahead of them exploring the road, and Jared drove straight up the mountain with four other cars. Ellen¡¯s heart skipped a beat several times during the journey as the dark, bottomless cliff was right beside them. However, Jared¡¯s driving abilities were good, which Ellen truly found captivating as her heart raced for him. After numerous bends in the mountain road, all of their vehicles arrived at a t, empty spot at the top. Ellen¡¯s legs wobbled as she stepped out of the car, and she quickly held on to the car door as she feared Jared would notice her timid demeanor. But she was soon fascinated by the stunning night scene in front of her that she couldn¡¯t take her eyes off it. The city below was stunning, lit up with gold and neon lights. Hearing some movements, she turned around and saw Jared¡¯s bodyguards setting something up. She quickly realized what it was¡ªa telescope. Ellen then immediately raised her gaze to the sky. The moon was beautiful tonight and many stars shone brightly. The weather was ideal for stargazing. She began to look forward to the activity tonight. She had no idea that in addition to taking her to see the night scenery, Jared had also brought a telescope. Jared pointed to the telescope and asked, ¡°Have you ever used this?¡± Ellen shook her head in response. ¡°No.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll teach you how to use itter.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Ellen said with a smile. The strong night breeze blew her long hair into a tangle. Seeing that, Jared reached out his hand to tidy her hair. Ellen then opened her bag, found a hair tie, and casually tied her hair with it. With her hair tied in the back, she appeared casual and youthful. The moonlight shone on her clear and smooth face, enhancing her beauty, which had a mysterious and ssical tinge to it. ¡°Young Master Jared, everything is in ce,¡± the bodyguard said. Jared then took Ellen by the hand and led her to the telescope. He bent down first to look through the telescope, then asked Ellen to do so. Ellen was astounded by what she saw through the telescope. The distant and mysterious moon appeared right in front of her and she could clearly see the craters on it. Jared, who was standing right next to her, also used his iPad to view the moon while introducing the craters¡¯ names to Ellen, which she found interesting. The telescope could automatically detect stars ands. Soon, Ellen even saw Mars, Uranus, and Neptune. Admiring the celestial bodies truly made her feel that all her frustrations and worries as a human were insignificant. Her mind rxed as she began to fall in love with this activity. Before long, she got carried away while gazing at the sky. Seeing that she was so interested, Jared patiently apanied her while teaching her astronomy. The bodyguards then handed them bottles of water. Ellen took a bottle and drank a few sips before Jared finished it. The bodyguards standing beside them suddenly realized why Jared had only taken one bottle out of the two that were handed to him. The water from the bottle that Ellen drank seemed to taste better! On the other hand, Ellen did not notice such minor details. She was preupied with looking at the celestial bodies on the iPad, asionally bending over to look through the telescope. The time soon reached 11.30PM. The fleet of cars then descended the mountain and Jared personally sent Ellen back to her house, right to her doorstep. ¡°It was a fun night. Thank you.¡± Ellen was clearly in a much better mood. In a low voice, Jared murmured, ¡°Can I request a different way for you to show your gratitude?¡± ¡°What?¡± Before Ellen could react, Jared held her cheeks in his hands and kissed her lightly on the lips. He then let go of her face and purred, ¡°I prefer such a way of expressing your gratitude.¡± Ellen¡¯s face immediately flushed red. Just as Jared was about to leave, she summoned her courage and wrapped her arms around his neck in the spur of the moment. Going up on her toes, she gave him a peck on the cheek. Jared¡¯s eyes shone with happiness. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going on leave tomorrow,¡± Ellen responded as she blinked. That reminded Jared of her leave. With his eyes narrowed, he asked, ¡°Why do you need a day off?¡± ¡°Tomorrow is my brother¡¯s death anniversary. I¡¯m going to visit his grave,¡± Ellen answered honestly. ¡°I¡¯m free tomorrow. I¡¯ll go with you!¡± Jared immediately offered, effectively startling Ellen. ¡°Do you really want to go with me?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Jared nodded and continued, ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Will that disrupt your work?¡± she asked quickly. ¡°Of course not!¡± He had decided that he would apany her tomorrow since he didn¡¯t want to miss such an important day for her. ¡°Okay. See you tomorrow, then.¡± Ellen was ted that Jared would be going with her to visit her brother. She was the only one visiting Kevin¡¯s grave all these years and had even nned to ask her future children¡ªif she had any¡ªto remember to visit Kevin¡¯s grave every year as well. Kevin¡¯s grave was in a different ce than her parent¡¯s graves. Hence, Ellen would visit two different cemeteries every year. Starting next year, she would also have to visit her grandmother¡¯s grave. After entering the house and shutting the door, Ellen took a deep breath. Despite all the unhappy events that happened today, she had thought things through. There weren¡¯t so many things in the world that were worthy of her being depressed about. She had to live her life well and focus on loving those who deserved it, including herself. ¡­ At 9.30PM, Olivia was watching television alone in Connor¡¯s house. This was her usual routine and she normally would go to bed whenever she was tired, regardless of whether her husband would return. She once cared about this but after learning that Connor needed to socialize for the sake of his investments, she no longer took it as an issue. Now that her daughter had brought it up, she felt particrly uneasy tonight. Thus, she took her phone and gave her husband a call. ¡°Hello, Olivia!¡± Connor said cheerfully on the other end of the line. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you returned yet? It¡¯ste,¡± she grumbled. ¡°Go to bed first. I will bete.¡± ¡°Connor, I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t even think about messing around outside! You¡¯ll perish in my hands,¡± Olivia reminded him sternly. He began coaxing Olivia in response. ¡°Do you not trust me? Of course, I would never do such a thing!¡± Connor was good at nothing except pacifying his wife. Indeed, after he finished his sentence, Olivia felt that she was irreceable to him andughed. ¡°Don¡¯t try to sweet-talk me. Come back earlier.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± He then hung up the call after sessfully pacifying her. Truth was, he was in his other house at the moment. After he ended the call, his lover appeared, carrying his son. ¡°You can¡¯t go back early. Your son needs you!¡± she said begrudgingly. ¡°Don¡¯t leave, Daddy. You always leave me here.¡± Connor¡¯s son hugged his legs, refusing to let him go. ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯m not leaving and will stay by your side.¡± Connor would leave after his son fell asleep every night to give the impression that he was always in the house. However, his son refused to sleep. It was only until 11.30PM that Connor managed to return to his first home from his second home. Meanwhile, Olivia was getting bored waiting for him. Hence, she began to go through her jewelry. Looking at the diamond ring Connor had recently bought for her birthday, she felt overjoyed. It won¡¯t be safe for me to wear this, so I should just sell it for some extra cash! With this, Olivia decided to sell the ring the next day and spend the money at a beauty salon. Connor had always considered beauty salons a waste of money, so she could only go there secretly with her own money. Chapter 1631-1640 Chapter 1631-1640 Connor finally came home at 1.00AM. He was shocked when he found Olivia awake, and he asked with a guilty conscience, ¡°Why are you still up?¡± ¡°And why are you back at this time?¡± ¡°I was drinking and chatting with Carter! I would need to get a picture of his project that I invested in,¡± he lied. As Olivia was clueless about investments, she took his word for it. At this point, they did not havemon topics of conversation despite sharing the same bed. ¡­ Ellen woke up early in the morning. She visited the flower shop nearby to pick a bouquet of flowers and some decorations for the grave visit. When she was done, she received a call from Jared telling her that he was on his way to pick her up. At 8.30AM, a ck SUV stopped at the entrance to her neighborhood. She hopped into his car, and they took off in the direction of the graveyard with bodyguard vans in tow. The graveyard was far away in the outskirts and it would take them three hours for a roundtrip. Ellen had a heavy heart on her brother¡¯s death anniversary because she had gradually lost her memory of his appearance, but what stayed with her was his love and protection. ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡± Jared asked tenderly. ¡°Kevin. He passed away when I was seven. I was too young to understand it and did not even say my final farewell,¡± she exined with a guilty look. ¡°How did he pass?¡± ¡°Brain cancer. End-stage brain cancer. It was toote to treat it.¡± Her eyes were misty as she recalled the unjust fate that befell her family. First, her parents passed away when she was young, and then, her only older brother could not grow healthily. Jared felt sorry for her and gave her a sympathetic look. He had never seen anyone with a more miserable fate than Ellen. It seemed that everyone she loved had left her. ¡°I will be by your side from now on,¡± heforted her. She nced at him gratefully. ¡°Okay!¡± Then, she added, ¡°Thest time I saw him was on the burial day. I held onto his urn. It was raining, and I refused to leave the grave. My uncle had to forcefully drag me away.¡± She vividly recalled the scene from years ago, which she would revisit every year when she visited Kevin¡¯s grave. Each time, she lacked the strength to face his death. The more she thought about it, the sadder she became. While they waited at the lights, Jared reached out and patted her softly on the shoulder. He also put on some light music to distract her from the painful memories. He did not know that Kevin was his heart donor because his parents made all the arrangements on his behalf. Moreover, his parents kept the details from him because they didn¡¯t want him to shoulder the burden of knowledge. Still, the heart donation was a medical miracle, for Jared¡¯s body epted Kevin¡¯s heart without any complications, as though the two entities were one. Kevin¡¯s heart received a second life in his body. Due to the smooth process, Jared was not exposed to more information about the heart donor. Plus, he was only ten years old when the ident happened, and the near-death experience greatly affected him, to the point that he wallowed in the trauma for a long time. At this moment, the mention of Kevin did not raise any suspicion. At the graveyard, they walked all the way to the middle of the hill. Ellen found herself by a grave in a corner overgrown with weeds. She ced the stuff in her hands on the ground and started pulling out the weeds. Simrly, Jared did not care that he was dressed in a luxurious suit and helped her to clean the site. He nced at the name on the headstone but did not find any photo of the deceased. The grave was minimalist in design, and even the headstone was a simple rectangr b that appeared rather miserable and lonely. ¡°Ouch!¡± When Ellen was pulling out a bunch of weed with sharp edges, she identally cut her finger, after which blood started oozing from the wound. Jared immediately hurried over and started bandaging her finger with a napkin. ¡°Take a rest at the side. I¡¯ll pull the weeds.¡± Ellen shook her head and insisted, ¡°I don¡¯t need rest. I can do this.¡± Jared disagreed, ¡°If your brother knew that you are tiring yourself with that injury, he¡¯d feel bad. Take a seat and let me do it.¡± He sounded authoritative in hisst sentence. Dazed, she stood aside and pressed against her bleeding finger as she watched him work on the weeds. Although he had never done anything simr since a young age, he wrapped up the chore perfectly. Soon, the grave was clear of weeds. The bleeding on Ellen¡¯s fingers had stopped. She ced the bouquet in front of Kevin¡¯s headstone and took out a wooden box. She lit up some candles andy out the decorations in front of the headstone. Jared was looking at her when he felt a dull pain in his chest. He reached out and pressed against it lightly¡ªthe pitiful sight of Ellen made his heart ache. Thanks to Jared¡¯spany, Ellen did not spend too much time cleaning the grave. After the visit, she went down the hill with Jared. At the foot of the hill, he grabbed a first-aid kit from the SUV trunk and disinfected her wound again. To ease things for her, he lifted her and seated her in the trunk. She sat there and received his help with the dressing. The bodyguards in the vans nearby did note down to disturb Jared, as no one wanted to ruin the perfect atmosphere. When Jared was done bandaging Ellen¡¯s wounds, he brought her downtown where they had lunch. After that, they went to a pet store. He had decided to buy her a cat as apanion after sensing her loneliness on that day. Ellen had always wanted a cat since she was a child, but she could not raise one because of her living arrangement. Now that she had the time and space for a cat, she would love to have one. Jared allowed her to pick her pet, and she selected a Ragdoll. To her surprise, she learned that the tiny cat was priced at 9 thousand dors. Holding the cat, she was dumbfounded at the price, but Jared paid for it without hesitation. Not only that, he bought all the essories and food for the cat. Ellen went home with her new pet that day, and Jared followed along to help. The presence of the cat was healing for her, and she could not let go of it when she reached home. A childlike Ellen had been giving all her attention to the pet, causing a certain someone to feel neglected and upset. When the cat ran up to Jared, he scooped it into his arms and sessfully got Ellen toe into his embrace. He caressed the back of her head, and his hand traveled down to her waist. She was too focused on ying with the cat and did not notice his advances. He gulped and kissed her on the cheek, making her blush. Smiling, he muttered, ¡°Are you picking the cat over your boyfriend now?¡± She realized that she had neglected him, for she did not even offer him a ss of water after he arrived. She smiled at him and said, ¡°I¡¯ll get you some water.¡± ¡°Iced water,¡± he rified. Without iced water, it would be hard for him to put out the fire that was burning in him. She grabbed a bottle of iced water from the ice box. At that moment, the cat started meowing for help from Jared¡¯s arms, seemingly out of fear. She put down the bottle and went over to ¡°save¡± her cat. Dressed in a ck suit, Jared looked imposing despite his young age. It was not surprising that even pets would be scared of the vibe that emanated from him. ¡°Alright now. Take good care of your cat. I¡¯ll need to drop by the office.¡± He stood up with the bottled water in hand. She sent him to the entrance with the cat in her arms. There, he suddenly rubbed the cat¡¯s head and said, ¡°Okay now. Daddy¡¯s leaving! Have fun with your mommy!¡± Ellen¡¯s face turned as red as a tomato at the suggestive titles. He was pleased to see her shy expression and left her ce with a satisfied smile on his face. ¡­ Connor received a call when he was at home. He was informed that the project he invested 700 hundred thousand into had suffered great losses, and it was impossible to recoup his money. Those were the only liquid assets he owned. ¡°What? Did all my money go down the drain?¡± He almost had a heart attack from anger after hearing the news. Olivia hurried out of the kitchen with a pale face as she fumed, ¡°Did you lose the 700 thousand?¡± Connor was not an expert in investment after all. He slumped on the couch, shaking from head to toe, and refused to listen to any exnation from the caller. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to save your money? Why did you have to invest? Look at what we have left now? We¡¯re going to sleep on the streets,¡± she reprimanded him. ¡°Shut up.¡± His male ego hurt, and he bellowed at her. Olivia¡¯s mind went nk, and she yelled back at him, ¡°How dare you raise your voice at me?¡± In the next instant, Connor grabbed his car keys and left the house. Still puffing from anger, Olivia grabbed her jewelry, including the huge diamond ring, in an attempt to sell them off. She arrived at the consignment store and waited for the employee¡¯s valuation. The employee merely smiled and returned the ring to her upon first nce. ¡°Madam, we do not ept high-grade counterfeit items.¡± ¡°What? What do you mean? This is a genuine diamond ring,¡± Olivia fired back, looking down at the employee whom she assumed to be ignorant. ¡°A high-carat diamond ring wille with international certification. Yours is amon Moissanite diamond ring, which isn¡¯t worth much.¡± ¡°How much is the market price?¡± ¡°You can get it for around 1,000 to 3,000 on the market.¡± Olivia¡¯s face turned red in shame and humiliation. She had never thought that his husband would deceive her with a counterfeit item. His profession of love turned into a joke. She left the store in low spirits. Feeling uncontrobly angry and increasingly spiteful of her husband, who failed in his investments and lied to her about the diamond ring, she dialed his number. ¡°Hello?¡± Connor picked up the call, feeling upset. ¡°You b*stard! You got me a fake diamond ring for my birthday! And you had the guts to tell me that it¡¯s worth 75 thousand! You immoral jerk!¡± she scolded him harshly. At that moment, Connor was not in the mood to engage with her, and he promptly hung up on her. She almost had a heart attack out of anger. Meanwhile, Connor had thrown himself into the arms of his mistress. Aida was gentler and caring than Olivia. Whenever he was in a bad mood, he would get sce from Aida, and he had just gifted her a real diamond ring worth 15,000st week. An incensed Olivia called up Selena to tell her about Connor¡¯s failed investment. ¡°Mom, what did you say? All of the 750 thousand go down the drain?¡± Selena was angry as well. It¡¯d be better if Connor could give her the money! She asked, ¡°Mom, do we have any money left?¡± ¡°What do we have left? That¡¯s the only liquid asset we have right now! Even our house is mortgaged! Your dad also took out a car loan. We almost spent all the 15 million we have over the years. I wonder where all the money went.¡± On the other hand, Selena was privy to the whereabouts of the lost money. She knew that her dad definitely spent a lot on his mistress and their son. He must have spent a significant amount on that son over the years as well. ¡°Mom, what do we do? Are we going bankrupt? Are we in poverty now?¡± Oliviaforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! If we run out of money, we can ask for help from the Presgraves. If your dad is willing to put aside his ego and ask for help from Young Master Jared, he will get a huge sum of money.¡± Olivia was fantasizing about the perfect oue. Hearing that, Selena was pleasantly surprised. ¡°You think? Mom, how much can we ask from the Presgraves?¡± ¡°It depends on how thick-skinned your dad is. I think we can at least get another 15 million from them!¡± Olivia imed confidently, thinking that the Presgraves were a billionaire family. Jared wouldn¡¯t be alive without us. It shouldn¡¯t be too much to demand up to 30 million as a reward. ¡°Mom, that¡¯s great! We won¡¯t run out of money then.¡± Selena¡¯s worries were gone in a second as she daydreamed about the amount she could receive after Connor asked for an extra 15 million from the Presgraves. ¡°Also, the diamond ring your dad gave me is fake! Gosh, not only has he used up the money, but he also lied to me,¡± Olivia grumbled to her daughter. ¡°Mom, remember to keep an eye on Dad¡¯s money. I¡¯m worried that he might spend it on some other woman.¡± ¡°Is he keeping a woman?¡± Olivia asked, but Selena did not want to divulge. At that moment, she needed her family to unite and get the money from the Presgraves. Instead, she said to Olivia, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m just saying. You shouldn¡¯t overthink. Why don¡¯t you and Dad work on getting the money from Young Master Jared?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell him about it at home tonight.¡± Olivia put aside their couple arguments, for she needed to urge Connor to milk Jared Presgrave. Meanwhile, Connor was having a good time with Aida. After she pacified him, he finally calmed down. He looked at the young son by his side. I am fifty years old, and my son is only six. The huge age gap worried him. The son was the hope of the Aguirre Family, and Connor vowed to be with the kid until he was all grown up. Because of that, he needed to figure out how to get money. Aida knew his situation well. She also understood that Connor was an unambitious man who usually got all his money from a wealthy family. Although she did not know what favor Connor had performed for the said family, she believed that he could ask for more, considering that the family had offered him a handsome 15 million before. ¡°Connor, let¡¯s not fret over money. You can get more money by asking, right?¡± Aida badly wanted him to get another huge sum of wealth and give her a piece of the pie. Over the years, she was too comfortable living a life leeching off his money. Connor had the same thought as well. Given the huge gratitude the Presgraves had shown him, he believed that they would give in to any of his demands even if he went back and asked for more. I¡¯ll just tell them it¡¯s living expenses. ¡°Okay! I will ask them one more time!¡± He decided to give it his all for the sake of his son. Hearing that, Aida happily wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. ¡°Awesome! You¡¯re going to get a lot of money! Don¡¯t forget to share some of it with me!¡± He patted herfortingly. ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t.¡± However, he forgot that he should have shared part of the money with someone else¡ªKevin¡¯s closest sister, Ellen. It did not cross his mind at all. ¡­ With a cat aspany, Ellen¡¯s life was not as boring as before. The cuteness of the pet melted her heart, and she loved to hold it in her arms. She recalled how Jared had referred to them as the ¡°Mommy¡± and ¡°Daddy¡± of the cat, a thought that made her blush again. She yed with the cat until evening and felt a little tired. Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep on the couch. As she had been busy ying with the cat, she did not notice that her phone was out of battery. She fell into a deep sleep as her phone shut off. At 6.30PM, Jared left his office and immediately thought of having dinner with Ellen. He called her number, but all he heard was a mechanical female voice. ¡°Sorry, the number you are trying to call is not reachable.¡± He was taken aback and instantly sensed a bad omen. Why is her phone turned off? Did something happen to her? His handsome features were clouded with worry, and he became more irritated as time went on. He made a few calls to her, but her phone remained switched off. ¡°What happened to her? Did she go out? Or is she abducted?¡± He got in his car and stepped on the elerator, speeding in the direction of her neighborhood. The thought of perverts targeting a lovely girl, who was all alone, worried him to no end. What if she¡¯s abducted? He sprinted into dusk in his expensive and cool sports car, forming a breath-taking view of the street. Anyone looking at the car might wonder who the car owner was anxious to meet. One could not help but wonder about the girl that hadmanded such care and attention from the car owner. Meanwhile, the girl in question was sound asleep, and she did not wake up from the long and comfortable evening nap. At the same time, a figure who hurried into her neighborhood pressed urgently on the elevator button. When he arrived in front of the door, he was panting hard from the rush on his way here out of worry for Ellen. ¡°Ellen! Ellen, are you home?¡± Jared banged on her door without a care for the neighbors at that moment. He needed to know if she was home. Ellen woke up groggily and thought she heard the sound of someone banging on her door in her dream. When she was fully awake, she realized that someone was indeed making amotion. Who is it? She tensed up. After taking a peek via the peephole, she immediately rxed when she saw Jared. She opened the door for him and looked at his anxious demeanor, puzzled. ¡°President Presgrave? What¡¯s wrong?¡± He immediately extended his arms and pulled her into a solid hug. He sighed softly and confessed, ¡°I almost got a heart attack because of you.¡± She looked even more lost. He appeared to have suffered from a great shock, judging from his tight hug that almost suffocated her. What did I do now? He finally let go of her and held her by the shoulders. ¡°Why is your phone turned off?¡± ¡°Is it turned off?¡± She rubbed her eyes. ¡°I just woke up. Let me take a look.¡± He broke into a smile when he realized that he had misunderstood the situation. It was his first time overthinking and worrying about a girl. After checking, Ellen found out that her phone was indeed dead. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My phone is off. I probably took too many photos of the cat. That¡¯s why the phone shut down when I was asleep.¡± He sighed and ordered, ¡°Keep your phone on at all times.¡± His heart had been pumping wildly from the scare. ¡°Alright. Got it. I promise I will not turn off my phone, and I will keep an eye on the battery level every day.¡± She raised her hand and swore. Meanwhile, the cat had climbed onto Jared¡¯s shoes and was purring at him. He bent over to change into home slippers and scooped the cat into his arms, caressing it. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± he asked. She shook her head. ¡°Not really. I just got up. What about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not too hungry too. Let¡¯s have ate dinnerter.¡± Hey on her couch and checked out the cat in his arms. Its features were distinct, and it was as lovely as its owner. ¡°Meow!¡± The cat rubbed itself against him and rudely peed on him. ¡°Gosh!¡± Taken by surprise, he sensed the wetness seeping into his clothes and reaching his skin. Thankfully, he did not throw the cat out of shock. Ellen rushed over to check on him, and she covered her mouth giggling when she saw the stain on his white shirt. Angry but amused, heughed along. ¡°This little rascal! I¡¯m going to teach you a lesson!¡± He immediately unbuttoned his shirt. While scolding the cat softly, Ellen looked up and witnessed him taking off his clothes. His muscr and sexy upper body was exposed in front of her. Her pretty eyes widened in shock, and she quickly turned her back on him. Gosh! How could he take off his shirt just like that? ¡°A-Are you taking a shower?¡± she asked. ¡°I am.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t have clothes for you at my ce!¡± she reminded him. ¡°Not a problem. I¡¯ll have Stanley send over some fresh clothes.¡± He made a call to Stanley and gave his orders. Half-naked, he narrowed his eyes at her. ¡°Why? Is my body not attractive enough?¡± Ellen blushed when she heard his words. You are attractive! I just can¡¯t bring myself to gawk at you. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that,¡± she mumbled. From her swift nce just now, she could tell that he had a well-built body. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you taking a few more looks when you have the chance? Do you think I show my body every day to others?¡± he poked fun at her, and she giggled. Still, she had her back against him. ¡°No.¡± Not giving her another chance, he headed into the attached bathroom in her bedroom half-naked. She blushed embarrassedly again when she realized that he was using her bathroom, even when she had a guest bathroom at her ce. He clearly didn¡¯t want to use thetter. When Jared was showering, Ellen took her time to ¡°school¡± the cat. Twenty minutester, she heard the doorbell ringing, and she opened the door with the cat in her arms. Stanley had arrived to deliver the fresh clothes. ¡°Miss Reiss, here are some clothes for Mr. Presgrave,¡± he exined and gave her a bag. ¡°Stanley. Sure. I¡¯ll hand it to him, do you want toe in?¡± She smiled at him. He quickly waved at her and said, ¡°No, no. I have something else to attend to.¡± With that, he left Ellen¡¯s ce hurriedly. Interrupting the date between Mr. Presgrave and his beloved woman is courting death. Ellen walked to the living hall from the entrance with the bag of clothes in her hands. Her eyes widened again at the sight of Jared wading out with only a towel wrapped around his waist. Water was dripping from his hair. Droplets clung to his body and entuated the outlines of his muscles. His long legs could be seen beneath the towel, and she could not help but wonder if the towel was the only garment on him. While thinking, she handed him the bag with clothes as her face reddened. ¡°Stanley sent you this.¡± He smiled at walked into her bedroom. His back muscles were a work of art¡ªhis broad shoulders and narrow waist were the epitome of the male form. Ellen was flustered by the sight of a man¡¯s half-naked body, which was a first for her. Even though she watched enough half-naked men in movies, seeing one in real life was eye-opening and shocking. She took a deep breath to calm down. Soon, she heard his footsteps from behind. Turning around, she saw him emerge from her room in a casual outfit, looking clean and smart. ¡°Let¡¯s go! I¡¯ll bring you to dinner,¡± he said, feeling hungry. She let go of the cat and followed him out. At Connor¡¯s home, Olivia did not give him trouble when he arrived home. Not only that, she prepared dinner for him and waited until 9.00PM. ¡°You¡¯re home. Have you eaten?¡± Connor was still in a bad mood. After experiencing the warmth and care of his mistress, he was increasingly annoyed by his wife, who was aggressive and loud. ¡°Let¡¯s forget about the 750 thousand! Investment returns are never guaranteed anyway.¡± Olivia was no longer hung up on the failed investment but added, ¡°We are running low on cash! We still need to service the home mortgage and your car loans. We can¡¯t skimp on Lena¡¯s dowry as well. But where should we get the money from?¡± Connor understood what she was hinting at. He lit a cigarette and drew on it before saying, ¡°I will meet with Young Master Jared tomorrow and try to get some money from him.¡± Olivia was d to see that her husband had thought it through. She sat down beside him happily and agreed, ¡°Yes. Yes. I have the same thoughts. His family is wealthy. They could help us out.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see if I can bring this up! You shouldn¡¯t go and meet them. You might mess things up.¡± Olivia quickly agreed, ¡°Sure. I won¡¯t go.¡± However, she didn¡¯t tell him that she had left a bad impression on Jared earlier. Moreover, Connor should be the one to ask for money because he was Kevin¡¯s uncle. ¡°Sigh! Our family has lived thisfortable life for a long time. What would we do without the money? It¡¯s hard for me to get a job at this age, and it¡¯s the same for you. We can¡¯t lower ourselves anymore,¡± shemented, as though her remarks would inspire Connor. Connor had been worrying over the same problem. After a few decades of livingfortably, he could not stand the idea of working any job anymore. His only aspiration was to sit back, make investments and wait for the returns. Therefore, if they ran out of money, they wouldn¡¯t be able to return to their old, affluent lives. It was easy to go from frugal to extravagant, but difficult the other way around. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll visit Presgrave Group tomorrow! I¡¯ll see what I can do about getting the money.¡± Connor was confident. ¡°No, you can¡¯t go to Presgrave Group. Have you forgotten about the fact that Ellen is working there? You must request to meet Young Master Jared outside and not inform him that Kevin is Ellen¡¯s brother,¡± Olivia reminded Connor. Connor realized that his wife was correct. ¡°All right, then I¡¯ll invite him out to talk.¡± ¡°Honey, If Young Master Jared asks who his heart donor is, tell him Kevin is your illegitimate son. Don¡¯t tell him he¡¯s your sister¡¯s son. Kevin will be considered one of us in this way,¡± Olivia suggested. Connor¡¯s heart raced as he realized Olivia¡¯s words were making sense. If Young Master Jared inquires, how should I introduce Kevin? Olivia¡¯s suggestion is superb. I¡¯ll have a perfect excuse to ask for money if I say Kevin is my child. That night, Connor had insomnia; he tossed and turned, unable to sleep. He was considering how to approach Young Master Jared, whom he had never met before, as he heard from his daughter Young Master Jared appeared to be unkind. Perhaps the son of a wealthy man would take kindness for granted. What if he refuses to give me money if I ask? Connor had toe up with some usible justifications. He had already made up excuses such as being duped by friends and family. Furthermore, he would say that his family¡¯s financial situation had deteriorated, so he was hoping that Jared would send his family some money to allow him to continue living since he was once Jared¡¯s savior. Connor also intended to pledge to Jared that he would never seek money from the Presgraves again in this life. He nned to mention how difficult it was for them to decide to donate Kevin¡¯s heart following extubation. Young Master Jared must be made aware that the decision to save him was done out of kindness, not greed. The more Connor thought about it, the more he believed he couldplete his task, and he fell asleep in a trance at 4.00AM. During his sleep, he dreamed of a bloody Kevin appearing, which made Connor copse in front of Kevin and cried, ¡°Stay where you are, you brat! Don¡¯t you dare to step closer!¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you give my sister the money? Why?¡± Kevin asked, his eyes red, in a childish tone. In the dream, Connor shoved Kevin away, saying, ¡°You are already dead. Why do you care so much?¡± Although Connor was struggling in his dream, he still had the advantage of seniority. He then said to Kevin, who continued to bother him, ¡°I am your uncle, and your mother is my sister. Don¡¯t even think about killing me.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you split the money with my sister? Why?¡± Kevin asked once again. ¡°My life is going downhill now. Ellen has the relocation fund, and she¡¯s not short of money. Stop bothering me, or I¡¯ll curse you,¡± Connor warned harshly. ¡°Ah! No!¡± He awoke screaming in his dream when Kevin roared and jumped on him. Connor¡¯s scream startled Olivia, who hurriedly asked her husband drenched in a cold sweat and panting like a cow, ¡°What¡¯s the problem, honey? Did you have a nightmare?¡± He wiped the sweat off his forehead only to find it was just a dream, and the panic in his heart gradually faded. He got to his feet, lit a cigarette, and headed to the balcony for a smoke. Kevin¡¯s questioning flooded Connor¡¯s mind, making him frustrated and troubled. He felt little remorse, as money could distort one¡¯s mentality, turning a good-hearted person selfish and causing them to lose temperament. Connor had been engulfed by greed. He was just concerned with making enough money to live a comfortable life, but he was so stingy that he refused to share his money with others. Connor was gued by an unspoken fear: running out of money and being bankrupt. Who will care for my son? What will happen to my lover? Honestly, I¡¯m terrified of dying poor and having nothing, so I must get a massive sum of money and save it for retirement. I don¡¯t want to live in poverty anymore. Since Ellen is pretty, she can get married easily in the future. She will have a wonderful husband to look after her. Furthermore, she is in college now and can support herself. She won¡¯t be starving or short on cash because she has the relocation fund to herself. For this reason, I will not give Ellen a penny after obtaining the money from the Presgraves. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Connor waited until sunrise, and after breakfast, Olivia dressed him in an older suit and said to him as she put it on for him, ¡°Connor, our family is counting on you to speak up. We will be too shy to ask for extra money again, so I hope you try to get more money this time.¡± ¡°I can ask for only 15 million, and no more than that. They might reject us,¡± Connor said. Olivia¡¯s eyes twinkled as if she had bagged the 15 million. The Presgraves will be generous and straightforward without dys if they are willing to give the money. As long as Connor asks for it, we can receive the money this afternoon! Olivia was entirely over the moon as she fantasized about the money being given on the spot. She had already nned what she would buy with the 15 million¡ªfashionable and luxurious items. However, Connor was troubled because, after living a magnificent life for the previous ten years, he now had to kneel and beg for money, and it was making him ufortable. Finally, Connor left the house. He chose not to drive and instead called a cab. Once he got into the cab, he called the chairman of the Presgrave Family, with whom he had been in contact for a long time. ¡°Hello, Mr. Connor. I was in the middle of something just now. What¡¯s the matter?¡± Benjamin said on the other end of the line. ¡°Hi, Mr. Stark. Is it alright if I meet with President Presgrave? I¡¯d like to discuss some things with him.¡± ¡°Do you mean our young president?¡± ¡°Yes. I would like to meet the Young Master Jared. I heard he¡¯s back and is now working in the Presgrave Group.¡± ¡°Yes. He has, in fact, taken over the management firm. Have you got any questions for him?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯ve recently experienced some troubles. I had an investment failure, and I would like to seek help from President Presgrave,¡± Connor answered shamelessly. ¡°I see. Sure. Let me check with President Presgrave, and I¡¯ll get back to you.¡± ¡°Okay. Thank you for your time,¡± Connor responded. He took a deep breath after hanging up the phone. Begging for money was not an easy feat. If Young Master Jared agrees to help us, I will demand more money so that I do not have to beg again! After the conversation with Connor, Benjamin immediately dialed Jared¡¯s number, and the call was answered within seconds. ¡°Hey, Ben.¡± ¡°President Presgrave, good day. I just received a call from Connor Aguirre. He said he wanted to see you.¡± ¡°Connor?¡± ¡°Yes, he was your donor¡¯s legal guardian. He appears to be in financial difficulty and is likely hoping for your assistance. Would you like to see him, President Presgrave? Otherwise, would you like me to let him in?¡± Jared had no idea who was Connor. However, Jared grew intrigued and wanted to learn what kind of family background his donor came from. ¡°Please make arrangements for me to meet him,¡± Jared said. ¡°Okay. Can I schedule the meeting for half-past ten?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Following that, Benjamin called Connor back to inform him of Young Master Jared¡¯s decision. Connor was relieved when he learned that Young Master Jared wanted to meet with him. He could also sense by Benjamin¡¯s tone that Young Master Jared was excited to see him. Perhaps Young Master Jared is feeling thankful for his donor? Connor was confident that he could get Jared to send him some money. As Benjamin had requested, Connor arrived to wait in the coffee shop across the street from the office. Connor was thinking about how to make Kevin¡¯s life experience sound more authentic. Jared emerged from the underground parking garage and parked his sports car outside the coffee shop. Benjamin had arrived at the coffee shop. ¡°President Presgrave, you¡¯re here,¡± Benjamin said, taking a step forward. ¡°Where is Connor?¡± ¡°Mr. Connor is in Private Room No.3 in the caf¨¦. Do you need mypany?¡± ¡°No. Please wait outside. I¡¯lle to you if I need to,¡± Jared stated. Benjamin nodded and walked Jared to the private room. He then ordered a cup of coffee and waited outside. Connor quickly calmed himself when Jared knocked on the door. He had been waiting nervously for Jared to enter. He was fascinated at the sight of Jared as the door opened. Young Master Jared is a fine-looking man! ¡°Hello, Young Master Jared. Nice to meet you. My name is Connor Aguirre,¡± Connor introduced himself. ¡°Hello,¡± Jared greeted formally. Connor was thrilled, so he made sure the waiter poured some water for Jared. After sitting down, he asked politely, ¡°Are you busy, Young Master Jared? I hope I am not disturbing you.¡± ¡°Not at all! You must be Selena¡¯s father, am I right?¡± Jared asked. Selena indeed resembled her father. ¡°Yes, Selena is my daughter,¡± Connor answered. He didn¡¯t care much for his daughter, so he was unaware Selena had left an indelible impression on Jared negatively. ¡°Okay, I see. Why do you wish to see me?¡± Jared asked indifferently as he stared at Connor. When Connor saw that Jared had finally inquired about his intentions, he couldn¡¯t help but rub his hands under the table. He plucked up his courage and exined, ¡°Well, I owe a lot of money after years of failed investments, Young Master Jared; I¡¯d like to ask you for another sum of money as a reward fee, so that I may get through my financial challenges.¡± Connor was acting shamelessly. ¡°How much do you want?¡± Jared inquired, his brow furrowed slightly. ¡°I¡¯m hoping to get 15 million from you, Young Master Jared.¡± Connor lifted his index finger. After hearing Connor¡¯s words, Jared understood that his parents had given him 15 million as remuneration. Sixteen yearster, Connor was now asking the same. ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with the donor?¡± Jared was determined to understand the entire situation. He wondered if it was worth it to pay him another 15 million. Connor suddenly thought of his wife¡¯s prediction. Young Master Jared is really asking about my rtionship with Kevin! ¡°The donor of your heart is my illegitimate son, sir. The heart you have right now is my son¡¯s,¡± Connor said hastily. ¡°I couldn¡¯t make a life-or-death decision at the time, but I heard you were also in danger and urgently needed a heart donor. I reasoned that I would save you since my son was untreatable. Even though his body was not intact when buried, I believe I made the correct decision in saving you,¡± Connor continued solemnly. Connor wiped away his tears as he finished speaking. ¡°I have frequent dreams about my son until this day. He asks me why I treat him this way, and all I can say is that he should rest in peace. He should leave everything behind in this world and live blissfully in another.¡± Jared¡¯s forehead creased in sympathy at Connor¡¯s words. ¡°Please ept my heartfelt condolences!¡± Jared consoled. ¡°Although my son has passed away, he at least allowed you to grow up healthy. It¡¯s worth it, and I¡¯m very pleased,¡± Connor said with a guilty tone and his gaze set on the ground, leaving Jared at loss. ¡°I was able to survive because of your decision at that time. I haven¡¯t personally thanked you yet,¡± Jared said. ¡°No, no. It is my honor to save your life. Your position is respectable, and you make an important contribution to society. It¡¯s the wisest decision I¡¯ve ever made,¡± Connor ttered. Jared realized his heart donor was Connor¡¯s biological son. No wonder my parents have been there for him in every manner over the past ten years. ¡°May I know what your son¡¯s name is?¡± I should pay my respects to my donor one day. Connor could make up Kevin¡¯s identity, but he couldn¡¯t fake the name on the contract he signed back then. Although he desperately wanted to im that Kevin¡¯s surname was Aguirre, he didn¡¯t dare. ¡°This illegitimate son of mine took after my brother-inw¡¯s surname because he was fostered at my sister¡¯s home since he was a child. His name is Kevin Reiss,¡± Connor exined. Jared was clutching the handle of his teacup. His fingers tightened slightly when he heard this name. ¡°What did you say?¡± he asked, gazing at Connor. ¡°What did you say his name was?¡± Jared blurted out for confirmation. ¡°His name is Kevin Reiss! He should have taken after myst name, so his actual name should have been Kevin Aguirre,¡± Connor said. Jared was shocked to the core. He was sure that Connor was lying. Kevin was not his illegitimate child; he was Ellen¡¯s brother! Connor was lying because he wanted to im all the credits for saving Jared to ask him for compensation. However, Jared did not immediately expose Connor¡¯s deception since he did not know how much Ellen profited from the 15 million his parents had paid Connor at the time. Ellen and Connor had every right to divide the money evenly, but she was only seven. She was most likely unaware of the presence of this sum of money. ¡°Young Master Jared, I recently ran out of funds. I wouldn¡¯t have sought help from you if I weren¡¯t in this desperation. Could you assist me?¡± Connor circled back to his original intention. He wants money. Jared nced at this grieving man who couldn¡¯t disguise his avarice. ¡°Is it okay if I get back to you this afternoon?¡± Jared pretended to be deeply contemtive. ¡°Are you willing to assist me, Young Master Jared?¡± Connor inquired quickly. ¡°If you need help, I will dly offer my assistance.¡± Jared nodded. ¡°U-understood. I am facing some difficulties. I am struggling in life. My wife and I are on the verge of divorcing, so I¡¯m in great pain.¡± Connor¡¯s eyes grew red as he spoke. However, it was all for the show in Jared¡¯s eyes. He now had a load of problems to sort out. ¡°I have a meeting to attend, so I¡¯ll leave now.¡± Jared stood up to exit. Connor was disoriented and took a piece of paper to wipe the tears from his face before carefully reviewing his acting abilities, thinking there should be no mistakes. He was already looking forward to the thrill of receiving arge amount of easy money this afternoon. Jared emerged from the main lobby of the coffee shop, saw Benjamin enjoying coffee, and said aggressively, ¡°Ben,e here!¡± Benjamin was enjoying his coffee when he heard Jared¡¯smand. He almost spat out his coffee out of shock. What¡¯s wrong with President Presgrave? Why is he so worked up? ¡°Yes, President Presgrave?¡± Benjamin immediately put down his coffee and dashed over to Jared. ¡°Join me in the car.¡± Jared escorted Benjamin into the car. He turned sideways as he got inside the car and asked, ¡°What was the name of my heart donor back then?¡± ¡°Kevin Reiss! Did you not know?¡± Benjamin answered. Chapter 1641-1650 Chapter 1641-1650 ¡°Next question. What does Connor have to do with Kevin?¡± ¡°After Kevin¡¯s parents passed away, Connor¡ªhis uncle¡ªand his wife Olivia became his guardians.¡± Something invisible squeezed Jared¡¯s heart and he ced his hand on his chest. ¡°Do you know that Kevin had a younger sister called Ellen?¡± ¡°I think he did, but she was very young back then. We didn¡¯t look into much of that family.¡± ¡°Are you aware that Connor hogged all thatpensation money and consigned his niece to an old lady? He did not look after her for the past sixteen years.¡± Jared could not smother the pain in his chest. He realized that Ellen¡¯s brother was the one who donated his heart to him, and Ellen did not know a thing about the donation. Otherwise, she would¡¯ve told him when they were at the cemetery. Darn it! He mmed his hand on the steering wheel, making Benjamin flinch. Benjamin hurriedly comforted, ¡°Mr. Presgrave, calm down. You mustn¡¯t be too emotional!¡± ¡°You had one job and yet, Ellen did not get her due at all. Connor and his family took all the credit. She has had a hard time since young. You guys are partly responsible for that.¡± Jared¡¯s expression turned grim. His fist could¡¯vended on Benjamin¡¯s face if he did not rein in his temper. Benjamin was so frightened that he let off the steam by criticizing Connor. ¡°How can they not look after the donor¡¯s sister and enjoy the money by themselves? They¡¯re ridiculous!¡± Benjamin suddenly thought of the rumor that had been circting in thepany. I think the rumored girl is Ellen too. Are they the same person? Gosh¡­ He¡¯s gonna tell me off for sure. ¡°Find out how Connor spent that money. I¡¯ll ask Ellen to get ¡¯em back.¡± ¡°What about this time? Are you still going to give him money?¡± ¡°I will, but not to them.¡± Jared snorted coldly. For the past few years, Jared had already repaid Connor enough for signing the contract back then. Now, it was time for Ellen to reim what was rightfully hers. Jared would make it happen. Then, he requested Benjamin to get out of the car so that he could go to Ellen, whom he missed so much. Strong guilt was fettering him. I have her brother¡¯s heart, yet she is clueless about it. How am I supposed to tell her the truth so that she won¡¯t get hurt? Connor left the cafe when he happened to see Benjamin entering a car. ¡°Mr. Stark, could you give me a lift?¡± Benjamin could not bother to straighten up his attitude. During the past sixteen years, he was in charge of handling Connor¡¯s matters and requests. Connor was so shameless that he could send his daughter abroad to pursue her studies by using the Presgrave Family¡¯s name. Yet, the donor¡¯s sister did not benefit from anything. ¡°Sorry, but I have a meeting to rush to,¡± Benjamin replied as his visage grim. The sensitive Connor noticed the change in Benjamin¡¯s attitude, so he bent over. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Mr. Stark? Did I say something wrong?¡± ¡°Mr. Aguirre, I think you should figure things out on your own. There are certain principles that we must abide by as humans. How could you cross the line?¡± Benjamin wanted to teach him a lesson. Connor¡¯s neck turned crimson. ¡°I can¡¯t follow. What did I do?¡± ¡°Say, does the donor have a sister? Did she benefit anything from the deal? Do you know how angry President Presgrave is?¡± Connor¡¯s mind went nk, and he was jittery. ¡°Mr. Presgrave already found out about it?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not an idiot. Just who are you trying to fool?¡± Did Mr. Presgrave see through my lies? Is he aware of Kevin¡¯s identity? Connor¡¯s countenance turned pale for embarrassing himself. He resented Olivia foring up with this horrible idea. Forget about the money, I bet Jared would not even wish to see me anymore. Benjamin drove his car away, leaving Connor standing all alone in the same spot. It took him a while before he called Olivia. ¡°Honey, how did it go?¡± ¡°Your idea is literally stupid. Mr. Presgrave has found out that Ellen¡¯s brother is Kevin, and you told me to bber all those nonsense to him? Do you think he¡¯ll give us the money now?¡± ¡°What? He knows that Kevin is Ellen¡¯s brother? Honey, did you actually do as I say? How can you be this silly? I was just thinking out loud. You shouldn¡¯t have taken it seriously.¡± She refused to take the me. ¡°You! I-If we don¡¯t get the money, you¡¯re gonna get it from me.¡± His ineptitude made him vent his anger on his wife. Meanwhile, Olivia was an irresponsible person who never acknowledged her wrongdoings. The money received from Jared was the reason Connor and Olivia could put up with each other this long. Otherwise, they would¡¯ve separated ways eons ago. Connor¡¯s face was burning in embarrassment. We¡¯re done for. We¡¯re not getting another penny, and now Ellen¡¯s gonnae after us. On the other hand, Olivia was equally livid after the phone call. She dialed Selena right away. ¡°What? Mr. Presgrave found out that Kevin is Ellen¡¯s brother? We¡¯re doomed, Mom. If Ellen knows that we didn¡¯t give her a share of the money, she¡¯s gonna take her revenge!¡± ¡°I doubt she dares! She was way too young back then. What did she even know at that age? Even if we had given some money to her, would she have been able to use it?¡± Olivia acted like an elderly person with a conventional mindset. ¡°Mom, it¡¯s possible, if Mr. Presgrave helps her. With his backing, she might be able to take away half of the assets we own right now.¡± Selena, who had been to college, knew thews better. ¡°What? Is it that serious? What are we gonna do?¡± Olivia was surprised because Selena had a point. ¡°We mustn¡¯t sit still doing anything. It¡¯s possible that Ellen will hate Mr. Presgrave if she knows that he has Kevin¡¯s heart. Let¡¯s hope that she¡¯ll hate him.¡± ¡°Ellen is head over heels for him, though. Why will she hate him?¡± ¡°Tell her that the Presgrave Family set Kevin up when he hadn¡¯t passed away. That way, she¡¯ll resent the Presgraves to the bone.¡± ¡°Will it work?¡± Olivia was at her wit¡¯s ends. ¡°Trust me. Mom, just sit back and watch. I¡¯m sure this will drive a wedge between her and Mr. Presgrave. Alright. I think I should give her a call right now.¡± Selena had to be one step ahead of Jared before he revealed the truth to Ellen. Selena, who was at a hotel, dialed Ellen¡¯s number. Meanwhile, Ellen was patting the cat on the balcony. Life was peaceful and wonderful at that moment. Suddenly, her phone rang. Her brows knitted when she realized that it was a call from Selena. Why is she calling me? Ellen decided to ignore it, but Selena did not stop calling her. Did something happen to Uncle Connor? His affair is a time bomb after all. She answered the call at longst, albeit with an unfriendly tone. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Thank God you answered the call. You know what? I overheard something shocking and I must tell you this.¡± Selena sounded urgent. What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about Kevin. I overheard my parents talking. It is shocking.¡± Ellen frowned. ¡°Just tell me.¡± ¡°Listen, you better break up with Mr. Presgrave. Don¡¯t hesitate or you¡¯ll feel sorry for your brother,¡± emphasized Selena on purpose. ¡°Why?¡± Ellen could not understand the situation. ¡°Just do as I say, or you¡¯ll regret it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m done talking to you.¡± Ellen knew that favorable words would nevere out of Selena¡¯s lips. At that moment, Selena decided to cut to the chase. ¡°Wait, hold on! I¡¯ll tell you. Back then, someone wanted Kevin¡¯s heart, and my parents didn¡¯t dare to tell you. They¡¯re from a powerful family, so my parents couldn¡¯t stop them.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ellen was shocked to the core. Even the cat in her arms fell onto the floor. ¡°It is true. Kevin was forced to donate his heart. Wanna know who the donee was? Jared Presgrave. He was in dire need of a healthy heart, and his parents found us. They threatened Dad and Mom and offered a deal, so they had no choice but to sign the contract to protect us. Ellen, I apologize on behalf of my parents.¡± Ellen shut her eyes, feeling the looming dizziness. It was a huge blow to her. Someone took Kev¡¯s heart by force? So, he was buried without a heart? Why was it Jared? Why did it have to be the Presgrave Family? Tears were forming in her eyes. ¡°Are you sure about this? Stop lying.¡± ¡°I swear by my family¡¯s name that I¡¯m telling the truth. I¡¯m telling you for your sake. Don¡¯t be fooled by his looks, money, and gentle side. Think about it, why is he treating you so well? Isn¡¯t it because of Kevin? He¡¯s afraid of karma!¡± Selena prattled nonsense, but it somehow made sense. She was saying Jared treated Ellen well not because of love, but to repay Kevin¡¯s sacrifice. ¡°Ellen, you¡¯re too naive. You fall for him just because he¡¯s nice to you. He¡¯s waiting for the perfect timing to tell you the truth so that you won¡¯t resent him that much,¡± Selena continued. ¡°No. This can¡¯t be true. You¡¯re lying!¡± Ellen closed her eyes, not wanting to ept it. ¡°I asked my parents about how we became rich overnight. Guess why. It¡¯s impossible to be this loaded with Dad¡¯s sry, right? Well, it¡¯s all from the Presgraves. My parents didn¡¯t give you a single penny because you were young back then. They have been saving it for your dowry.¡± Selena was set on making Ellen hate Jared for eternity. Selena¡¯s words hit home, and the color drained from Ellen¡¯s visage. Tears began streaming down her cheeks. Ellen had previously made a few spections regarding the reason behind her uncle¡¯s sudden wealth; even the other rtives gushed about it furtively during family gatherings. Now, the mystery was finally solved. It was the price for Kevin¡¯s heart. ¡°How could Uncle Connor do that? How could they take Kev¡¯s heart just like that?!¡± Ellen roared. ¡°What else could they do? It¡¯s the Presgraves! They¡¯re the top dogs! Their assets alone are enough to build a nation. What can we expect from them? A sheer little threat is enough to force my parents to sign the agreement. Otherwise, both of us wouldn¡¯t be able to be here right now. They didn¡¯t have a choice, Ellen.¡± Selena fanned the mes in Ellen. Emotions got the best of Ellen as she raised her voice. ¡°What did they do to take Kev¡¯s heart away? Tell me!¡± ¡°I heard that the doctor told my parents to be ready to give up on him. They were about to remove the machine from Kevin when the Presgraves came.¡± Selena made an excuse for her parents. ¡°But still! How could they take his heart away, by force at that! I can¡¯t believe that I didn¡¯t know about this all those years.¡± Daggers pierced Ellen¡¯s heart. It pained her to know that her poor brother could not leave in peace. ¡°Calm down, Ellen. I bet Mr. Presgrave is on the way to see you. We should step back because we¡¯re weaker.¡± ¡°Must we fear the strong ones just because we¡¯re poor and powerless? I will never step back from this!¡± Ire had long prevailed over Ellen¡¯s rationality. Now, the Presgrave Family was like a devil to her. On the other hand, Selena sneered into the mirror in the hotel room. Her idea worked! If Ellen decided not to marry Jared and dwelled in the painful lie, she wouldn¡¯t be in a state to bother Selena¡¯s family. The person who would need to face an infuriated Ellen was none other than Jared. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ellen. I just found out about it not long ago. Don¡¯t do anything stupid, okay?¡± Selena comforted Ellen pretentiously. At this moment, both of them heard the doorbell ring, so Selena quickly wrapped it up. ¡°It must be Mr. Presgrave! Don¡¯t open the door, Ellen! Honestly, I still can¡¯t see through his intentions.¡± Ellen terminated the call right away, and Selena pouted. s. Only if I could witness what¡¯s going on there with my own eyes. Meanwhile, Ellen stared at the door while her hands formed into tight fists. Tears trickled down her cheeks, yet her heart was zing in grief, hatred, and anger. They stirred her heart into turmoil, urging her to murder the man outside at this instant. Still, she closed her eyes for a few seconds as the doorbell did not stop ringing. Next, she opened the door to reveal a huffing Jared, who was surprised to see her expression. ¡°Ellen, what¡¯s wrong?¡± The girl standing in front of him had a resentful gaze. It was as if she was looking at her nemesis. Gritting her teeth, she pointed at his chest. ¡°Does that belong to my brother?¡± He paused. ¡°You know about this? I was going to tell you. The donor was your brother. I just found out today!¡± The more he thought about it on his way here, the guiltier he felt. However, he was grateful to God for bestowing such a fate to let him meet her, protect her, and love her. Ellen suddenly burst into tears. Her body teetered, and she almost fainted. Noticing her paleplexion, Jared hurriedly hugged her waist to pull her into his arms. The dizzy Ellen shoved him away due to the strong repulse. ¡°Let go of me! Don¡¯t touch me!¡± she screamed. She¡¯d rather prop herself against the wall instead of letting him touch her. His heart squeezed. ¡°Do you hate me?¡± A tear-streaked Ellen gazed at him. ¡°Why? Do you feel epting his heart is a matter of a fact?¡± ¡°No, I feel guilty about it. I rushed all the way here to apologize to you,¡± he quickly exined. ¡°Apologize? You and your family should apologize to myte brother for taking his heart by force, you monsters!¡± The girl in anguish could not take it and bellowed. Jared retreated to the door in the face of her emotional reaction. ¡°Ellen, it¡¯s all my fault. I ran into a serious ident when I was ten. I was barely hanging onto my life when my parents sent me to the hospital. We contacted your uncle, and he agreed. I cannot be any more grateful to your brother. I was able to survive, thanks to him, and my family is eternally grateful to yours. It is only today that I found out you didn¡¯t get your due from the agreement. I¡¯m hurt and angry at your uncle¡¯s family. Ellen, please give me another chance to make it up to you.¡± Tears welled in his eyes because of how painful it was to see her in such a state. Like an innocuous beast in despair, she mired into a self-destructive predicament. She raised her head, revealing her hatred-filled eyes. ¡°You done? Get out.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go, but promise me that you won¡¯t do anything silly.¡± He was worried. ¡°No matter what I do, it¡¯s none of your business. Do not make me hate you more, Jared Presgrave. I¡¯ll get out of here and thepany, and I won¡¯t touch any of those things you bought me. I don¡¯t wish to see you ever again.¡± Her voice spoke of determination, albeit soft. The foreboding of losing her spurred Jared¡¯s anxiety, but he tried to soften his voice. ¡°Ellen, we can work this out. Please don¡¯t leave me.¡± She approached him with reddened eyes and ced her hand against his chest, whereas the man was confused by her actions. The steady heartbeat rendered it impossible to fight back the tears in her eyes; he dared not move a muscle, letting her be. No one knew how much he wanted to wipe off those tears, but he knew she would hate whatever he did right now. Despite the agonizing grief, Ellen returned to the living room for the cat. After settling it into the box, she gave it to him. ¡°Take it.¡± She was worried she might abandon the cat for real, and if he forgot about it instead, the cat might starve to death. He held the box as she closed the door loudly, failing to bring himself to leave the ce out of worry. This is not what I expected. Of course, he could understand her stance. After all, Connor and Olivia kept the seven-year-old girl in the dark, so how could Ellen not hate herself for only knowing the truth now? But I will protect her and love her forever in her brother¡¯s ce. Meanwhile, Ellen began packing her stuff behind the door while anything that did not belong to her remained. On the other hand, Connor returned home only to be pulled over by Olivia. ¡°I found a way to stop Ellen froming after us.¡± ¡°What?¡± It was a monotonous voice. ¡°Ellen owns nothing from the beginning. She¡¯s all puffed up because of Mr. Presgrave. What happens to her if they break up? Plus, we¡¯ve gone bust. If she insists on getting the money from us, we¡¯ll have no choice but to sell the house and cars.¡± ¡°Just cut to the chase!¡± He red at her. ¡°Lena called Ellen to drive a wedge between the couple, and Ellen is misled into believing that the Presgraves forced us to sign the donation agreement. She can¡¯t even bear the sight of Mr. Presgrave now. If she happens to call you, just tell her the same story. That way, she¡¯ll resent the Presgrave Family to her bones,¡± she recounted. Connor paused momentarily. ¡°Are we not gonna take responsibility?¡± ¡°Ellen¡¯s nothing without the Presgrave Family, so why should we be afraid?¡± Olivia rebuked confidently. ¡°Do you think she can seriously pull something on us? Even if that happens, we can just settle it with some money.¡± He contemted, She¡¯s right. With Mr. Presgrave¡¯s support, Ellen can take away half of our assets at any time. Now, my investment has gone out of the window, and I have two families to feed. I won¡¯t be able to choke up the money for Ellen. It¡¯s not bad to put up with it with Lena¡¯s n for now. Thinking about his failed attempt to get money, he sighed. He thought they would be able to get out of trouble again, yet Benjamin could not care less about them. The Presgrave Family was no longer their backup, and all they had left was the assets in their possession right now. As an afterthought, he became petty. Right, we mustn¡¯t give Ellen our money. She¡¯s a girl; she¡¯s gonna marry someone and be an outsider one day. In the meantime, Ellen was forcing herself to pack her stuff. It was not until then that she realized how many things Jared had given her. She looked at her phone, which was a present from him, and felt relieved for not discarding her old one yet. It could still be used after inserting the SIM card. Holding the phone, she wanted to know the details of what happened that year to validate Selena¡¯s words. In the end, she contacted Connor, whom she believed would be able to clear her doubts. When the phone rang, Connor was going to drink in the hall on the second floor when the dialer¡¯s name gave him a bag of nerves, but he picked up the phone nevertheless. ¡°Ellie!¡± ¡°Uncle Connor, I have something to ask you.¡± She sounded unusually serious. ¡°It must be about your brother¡¯s donation to the Presgrave Family, I suppose.¡± ¡°Yup. Did they threaten you to sign the agreement? Did they force us to donate Kevin¡¯s heart?¡± He broke into a cold sweat, but he figured it was fine to lie to make her hate the Presgrave Family. ¡°Yeah, they did. If I didn¡¯t sign it, they would¡¯ve¡ª¡± ¡°What would they have done?¡± ¡°You¡¯re still young and naive about the world, Ellie. How can someone like us go against a rich family? Even if they didn¡¯t tell us what they¡¯d do to us, we wouldn¡¯t be able to survive after getting in their way.¡± ¡°Uncle Connor, be honest. Is this true?¡± ¡°Why would I lie to you? They forced me to sign the papers. After the surgery, they even stopped by to thank us and stuffed us with money. Ellie, I was useless. I failed to protect your brother.¡± There was a vivid image in her memory. On the day Kevin passed away, a few men in suits came to Connor¡¯s ce and gave a credit card right in front of her eyes! So, that was what happened. The invisible weight sat upon her chest and stifled her breath, whereas tears wet her cheeks. ¡°Cheer up, Ellie. Kevin has passed for many years. You should lead a good life too. If anything happens, I will help you.¡± Connorforted her, and the tad of guilt in him remained only for a fleeting second, though. ¡°Ellie, listen. You must not be at odds with the Presgrave Family. They¡¯re loaded and powerful. If you make a ruckus, you¡¯ll be in danger.¡± He tried to make her perceive the Presgraves as a formidable beast. ¡°Why should I be afraid?¡± She bit her lip. ¡°They can juste right at me.¡± ¡°You fool. Being able to live a peaceful life is our blessing. At least that¡¯s how it is for normal people like us. Don¡¯t ever gamble your life. And one more thing¡ªstay away from Mr. Presgrave.¡± ¡°Uncle Connor, was Kevin¡­ in much pain?¡± A sharp pang pricked Ellen¡¯s chest, making it impossible to breathe. ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure. We weren¡¯t allowed to enter the operating room.¡± Connor glossed it over. He must¡¯ve been in so much pain. They dug his heart out before he passed away! Her world fell apart, and she could not stop crying. Right now, her only wish was to leave everything Jared gave her. She removed the SIM card to insert it into her old phone. Next, she pulled out her luggage and opened the door. To her surprise, the man was leaning against the wall outside. The gentle Jared approached her. ¡°Ellen, where are you going?¡± She did not utter a single word as tears streamed down her cheeks. The sheer sight of him made her suffer. ¡°I can give you a ride.¡± He entered the elevator with her while holding the cat. She closed her eyes and turned her head away, hurting the man with her reaction. In actuality, he wished that she would yell or vent her emotions at him as long as it was not a cold treatment. At that point, it felt like she was going to ignore him forever. They came out of the elevator and walked straight to the entrance of the neighborhood. She was pulling her luggage as he trailed behind her. She hailed a cab, and it pulled over when he finally grabbed her wrist. ¡°Ellen, don¡¯t go.¡± ¡°Let go of my hand. I don¡¯t wanna see you.¡± She turned around with resentful and sorrowful eyes. ¡°Then, when will you want to see me?¡± he questioned hoarsely. ¡°Not in this lifetime.¡± She looked away. ¡°Will you see me if I return Kevin¡¯s heart?¡± He patted his chest. ¡°If you hate the idea of me using his heart, I can remove it.¡± Ellen hurriedly looked back at him with frantic eyes, fearing that he might do something stupid as he said. Jared noticed the concern in her gaze and added, ¡°I can wait for another donor. If you want it back, I can remove it.¡± Suddenly, she recalled that he was only ten back then. The poor boy was bedridden, waiting to be saved, so who was she to despise him for that? Although she did not wish to see him, she had never thought of getting it back. ¡°You should cherish it now that you own it. It¡¯s just hard for me to look you in the face.¡± She wiped her tears and got into the car. As his hands were ced against the window, the driver stepped on the pedal and almost dragged the sophisticated man along the road. Jared¡¯s knees were on the ground, prompting her to pop her head out of the window to check on him. At the same time, six bodyguards were running toward him. She was going to reprimand the driver when he pre-empted her. ¡°You¡¯re wee, miss. You should stay away from a scumbag like him. A handsome man with a slick tongue is full of lies.¡± ¡°You¡¯re misunderstanding something, sir. Please do not do something like this again. It¡¯s dangerous,¡± she reminded. Later, she averted her gaze back to the neighborhood, which shrank into a tiny dot. I wonder if he¡¯s okay. On the other hand, the bodyguards gazed at Jared¡¯s scraped hand concernedly. ¡°Sir, should we go to the hospital?¡± ¡°Sir, are you alright?¡± He shook his head before something urred to him. ¡°Follow her. I have to know where she¡¯s heading to.¡± Considering how Ellen did not have a ce to stay, it would be difficult to track her down in the future. At that instant, two bodyguards drove off while Jared heaved a sigh, her final words easing his heart a little. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Jared wondered what went wrong. Ellen shouldn¡¯t be that emotional upon knowing the truth. Clearly, someone provoked her with something. His parents sought consent from the other party before proceeding with the transnt, so it was not a forceful deal. Therefore, he wondered why the permissible deal sounded like a deception to Ellen. He fully believed in his parents, who would never do something like that. Ellen received the news from the Aguirre Family. Perhaps they contorted the truth? Everything made sense if he put it that way. The Aguirre Family feared the notion of Ellening after their money under Jared¡¯s support. Thus, they decided to seize the chance to drive a wedge between the couple. On that note, everything Ellen knew was based on how the Aguirres told her the story. If they lied that it was a forceful donation, she would resent Jared for sure. Damn it! All of a sudden, his resentment toward that family spurred to the roof. Their greed knew no bounds, and they kept hurting Ellen. Now that they had crossed his bottom line, they would not be able to get away from it. Meanwhile, Selena returned home to watch the show. When she heard the news of Connor joining her n and lying to Ellen, she could not be any happier. Now, Ellen and Jared were destined to go on separate ways. Who could she rely on without his protection? Connor slept early due to a headache, whereas Olivia plunged into distress. She had ns for shopping in the morning, but they had gone out of the window. ¡°Your father didn¡¯t manage to get a single penny from that petty Presgrave! He promised to give it this afternoon, yet there¡¯s nothing in our bank ount.¡± She huffed. Selena was aware of how shrewd Jared was, so it was considered a risk for Connor to ask for money this time. In the end, he came back empty-handed and revealed Kevin¡¯s identity instead. ¡°Mom, you still got me. I¡¯ll marry someone rich. Don¡¯t worry,¡± she said confidently. ¡°Yup. You¡¯re the only one we can depend on. We invested so much money in you, so you must find someone rich to marry.¡± ¡°I will never let my life go to waste.¡± Selena always had ns for her future. Even if Jared and Lambert were out of her league, she could marry someone from a decent family. She was reveling in Ellen¡¯s breakup at the moment, for she need not worry that Ellen would lead a better life than her. In the meantime, Ellen was clueless about where to go when the cab driver asked for a destination. Her house was demolished, and she seldom kept in touch with her rtives, whom she could not bring herself to disturb. She had a few close colleagues, but she figured it would be undoing to interrupt their personal space. At longst, she resorted to a temporary stay in a hotel before looking for a house. As such, she told the driver to take her to the nearest hotel, but he stopped at a five-star hotel, assuming that she was loaded. ¡°Miss, we¡¯re here.¡± Ellen alighted from the car without a second thought, and her eyes widened the moment she saw the huge golden sign. Oh, this doesn¡¯t look affordable. While she was miles away, a sports car elerated right in her direction as the driver appeared to be on the phone. It was toote when he finally noticed Ellen because both she and her luggage flew a few feets away. Her head hit on the ground, and she lost consciousness immediately. Since it happened right at the entrance of the hotel, the security guards rushed to the scene. The young man, who got out of the sports car, was frantic. He was talking to his friend over the phone when he ran into her. It was his first time encountering such an ident. Instantly, he dialed someone¡¯s number. ¡°Lambert, are you at the hotel? I ran into someone by ident. Come here quick!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Hurry! At the entrance! What am I supposed to do? She fainted and is bleeding!¡± The young man was scared out of his wits. After the receptionist called 911, a man in a robe appeared. Judging from his wet hair, it seemed like he had juste out of the shower. ¡°Bro, what should I do?¡± The young one pulled him while pointing at the fainted girl, whom the man-in- robe instantly recognized before punching him. ¡°Ouch! What¡¯s that for?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you focus on the road? Why did you run into someone¡ªsomeone I like at that!¡± Lambert flew another punch at Corey before approaching her. Never once in his wildest dream had he ever imagined himself meeting an injured Ellen at the hotel. At that moment, the ambnce arrived. He carried her into the ambnce, and Corey followed along. In the hospital, Ellen regained consciousness before she was pushed into the emergency room. When the confused girl almost fell off the stretcher, Lambert supported her with nimble moves. ¡°Mr. Orey? It¡¯s you.¡± The surprisested for a sheer moment as she kneaded her forehead due to a headache. Heforted her. ¡°You were hit by a car, Ellen. You should get a full medical check-up in case of any after-effects.¡± She averted her gaze onto the young man behind Lambert, who quickly apologized. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. It¡¯s all my fault. I was on the phone while driving.¡± Corey appeared sincere in his apology, but she red at him. ¡°Be careful next time.¡± Lambert chipped in. ¡°Did you hear her? Be careful on the road.¡± ¡°Okay, brother.¡± She was baffled momentarily. ¡°Brother? You mean brother by blood?¡± ¡°He¡¯s my cousin,¡± answered the embarrassed Lambert. He donned only a robe, so it was rather ufortable to feel the cold air touching his skin underneath. ¡°Ellen, you should get a brain check-up. You hurt your head.¡± Lambert then ordered Corey to reserve a brain examination for her. Although it had only been a few days since theyst met, she appeared unusually weary to him; her eyes were zed over. ¡°I apologize on behalf of Corey, but why were you alone at the hotel?¡± He was curious. ¡°I was going to stay there.¡± ¡°There¡¯s only a suitcase with you. Did someone drive you out?¡± Lambert was ming Jared inwardly for dumping her that quickly. She felt hot behind her eyes upon hearing that. What happened today was an emotional roller coaster ride for her. When she raised her head, her eyes were glistening with tears. At that moment, he was certain with his guess that Ellen was dumped. His hands balled into a fist as he cursed inwardly, Jared Presgrave, that scumbag! How can he dump someone as lovely as her? Now, he can¡¯t me me for iming her as mine. Thereafter, Ellen spent some time at the nurse¡¯s station to disinfect the swollen part of her head. During then, some nurses were chuckling on the ount that it was their first time seeing someone dressed in a robe at the hospital, a handsome man at that! Thanks to his looks, the robe seemed like a custom- made garment to others. ¡°Miss, your boyfriend must be worried sick about you. He didn¡¯t even have the time to change out of his robe.¡± The nurse teased. Ellen shook her head. ¡°We¡¯re just friends.¡± A friend who cares this much for you? Just tackle him, you silly girl! The nurses shared the same notion. After the nurse bandaged Ellen¡¯s head, she underwent a brain check-up. It was nothing serious, but the doctor advised her to take a good rest. At the same time, Lambert¡¯s secretary had driven a car to the hospital. Corey wanted to hitch a ride, but Lambert thwarted him. As Lambert entered the car, he grabbed Corey¡¯s shoulder de and whispered, ¡°Bring her luggage to my ce, or your parents will know what you¡¯ve done today.¡± ¡°You¡¯re brutal, dude,¡± barked Corey. After seeing Lambert off, he hailed a cab to return to the hotel. He did not expect the day he would see his indifferent cousin be infatuated with a woman toe. Meanwhile, Jared¡¯s face fell upon the bodyguards¡¯ return to the Presgrave Group. ¡°You had one job, and you failed me.¡± ¡°There were too many cabs on the road at the same time. We got the wrong one.¡± The bodyguard felt helpless because it was toote back then. Jared heaved a heavy breath. ¡°Look into the license number and contact the driver. Find out where she went. Just track her down!¡± The authoritative tone proved how distressed he was. She¡¯s way too emotional at the moment. What if she happens to pass by ake and think of something silly? He could not bring himself to think further about it. The Aguirre Family was merciless to sever their rtionship without considering Ellen¡¯s emotions and livelihood. Through the ck box recorder of their car, the bodyguards soon contacted the driver. However, he kept his lips tight. It was not until they revealed that Ellen showed suicidal tendencies that the surprised driver blurted the hotel¡¯s location. As such, the bodyguards dashed to the hotel thereafter. On the other hand, Ellen, who was in Lambert¡¯s car, thought he was going to take her to the hotel. Yet, he drove the car into the garage of a huge mansion. ¡°Mr. Orey, I thought you were going to send me to the hotel,¡± she questioned. ¡°The doctor said you need a few days of rest. The hotel is inappropriate for that. You can stay here instead.¡± ¡°No, the hotel is better!¡± She refused. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a bad guy? Rx. I¡¯m famous for my chivalry.¡± He then opened the car door for her. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be afraid, Miss Reiss.¡± The second she got out of the car, a pang of dizziness caught her off-guard, after which he held her shoulders. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m dizzy.¡± Ellen could barely speak. ¡°It seems like it has been a hard day for you. Your injuries are making it worse. Stay. I¡¯ll look after you.¡± Lambert was too worried to let her go. She could not leave even if she wanted to as she had nowhere to go, and her circumstances were not helping. In hindsight, she epted his offer. ¡°I¡¯ll just stay for two days, Mr. Orey. Sorry for the trouble.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind you staying for a week or two.¡± He helped her to the living room. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the couch. You need to rest. Corey will bring over your luggageter on.¡± Squirming on the couch like a frail kitten, she shut her eyes to get some rest while he covered a thin nket on her. In the meantime, the bodyguards arrived at the hotel to inquire about Ellen¡¯s check-in record, yet her name was missing from the list. ¡°Are you looking for a girl in a white shirt?¡± ¡°Yes. Have you seen her?¡± ¡°She was sent to the hospital after meeting a car ident. A man left with her luggage a while ago.¡± ¡°Do you have any video of the ident? We¡¯re her friends.¡± ¡°Yes. Hold on.¡± The receptionist contacted the security guards to obtain the footage that recorded the car ident until the arrival of the ambnce. The bodyguards called Jared as soon as they acquired the footage. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, Miss Reiss met an ident and was taken to the hospital. I¡¯ll forward the footage to you right now.¡± Chapter 1651-1660 Chapter 1651-1660 Jared was waiting for updates in the office, never expecting to receive news of Ellen getting hurt. When he saw her faint on the ground after being hit by the reckless driver, his hands formed into fists. Soon, a familiar person appeared in the footage, and he recognized the face at the drop of a hat. Lambert. He¡¯s the first person to carry her into the ambnce, huh? ¡°Get me his contact number,¡± he ordered Stanley. Impressively, it did not take Stanley long to obtain Lambert¡¯s contact number. The urgent Jared dialed the number immediately, for he wished to know Ellen¡¯s condition. Meanwhile, Lambert was basking under the sun in the garden when his phone rang. ¡°Hello? Who is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Jared. How¡¯s Ellen?¡± The trembling voice resounded. Lambert was caught off-guard that the man contacted him in person. ¡°How did you know she¡¯s with me?¡± ¡°Cut it out. Just tell me how¡¯s she doing.¡± Jared snapped. ¡°Her forehead is swollen. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°She¡¯s resting at my ce. Are you going to take her away by force, Mr. Presgrave?¡± ¡°Send me your address.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather see you try.¡± Lambert sneered and terminated the call. Jared cursed under his breath, whereas Stanley began to track down Lambert¡¯s ce. Due to Lambert¡¯s feelings for Ellen, Jared believed they should not stay in the same ce together, not to mention that she was in a frail state. He might take advantage of her! ¡°Found it. This is Lambert¡¯s ce, Mr. Presgrave.¡± Stanley was a highly efficient employee. In a haste, Jared grabbed the car keys and left thepany. On the other hand, Corey delivered the luggage to Lambert¡¯s ce and waved his hand looking exhausted. ¡°Just what is in this carrier? It¡¯s hefty!¡± ¡°It¡¯s everything she has left.¡± Lambert came up to him. ¡°Bro, you must keep this between us, or Mom¡¯s gonna confiscate my car.¡± ¡°Deal. Now, leave. She¡¯s in the living room, so be quiet.¡± ¡°I¡¯m thirsty. Why can¡¯t I rest for a moment?¡± Corey was upset by Lambert¡¯s cold attitude now that he was smitten with a girl. Nevertheless, he was not nning on leaving. ¡°Just don¡¯t wake her up,¡± warned Lambert before thinking about the iing guest, whom he particrly took interest in. I bet Jared¡¯s on his way here. What happened between them? A ck Bugatti speeded on the busy road, advancing through every space between the cars. Simr to a majestic ck panther, it elerated toward the sunlight, which reflected the ck into a sheen of brilliance. Finally, the Bugatti parked at a private mansion, followed by three SUVs. Jared alighted from the car to ring the doorbell; instead of getting in his way, Lambert opened the door. Now, the two domineering men stood against each other. One of them was d in a tracksuit like anguid young man, while the other man was wrapped in a ck suit, looking like an elite young master with his six bodyguards. The two different styles unexpectedly took the limelight all the same. Holding a cup of tea, Corey came out of the house and felt the tense atmosphere, where he almost choked on the drink due to surprise. Then, he hurried to his cousin¡¯s side. ¡°Lambert, who are these people? Should we call the cops?¡± questioned the frightened boy. ¡°No. He¡¯s Mr. Presgrave from the Presgrave Group.¡± ¡°Hand her over.¡± Jared was dogged to take Ellen away today. Corey wrapped his head around the situation at that. Wait. They¡¯re fighting over a woman! What is Lambert doing? How can hey his eyes on Mr. Presgrave¡¯s woman? When Corey heard that, he immediately ran inside the living room. ¡°Ellen¡¯s injured and requires ample rest, so she has decided to stay at my ce for a couple of days. Mr. Presgrave, please leave,¡± Lambert said with his arms crossed. ¡°She¡¯s my girlfriend. I¡¯ll take care of her,¡± Jared retorted coldly. He did not need anyone else to take care of his girlfriend. In the meantime, Corey patted Ellen¡¯s cheek, which surprised her so much that her eyes widened in shock. Then, he quickly shushed her. ¡°You¡¯re Miss Reiss, right? Something¡¯s gone wrong, and someone came to find you.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Presgrave. He¡¯s having a face-off with Lambert outside!¡± Ellen was stunned as she did not expect Jared would find her hideout. She then stood up while supporting herself on the couch and left the living room. In the meantime, Corey, being an avid drama- watcher, followed behind her for some gossip. Showing herself at the door, she was hit by the afternoon sun and was dazed for a while before using her hand to block the sunlight. ¡°Ellen,¡± Jared eximed in surprise as he felt relieved to see her in one piece. At the same time, Lambert turned around to look at her. The sunlight shining on her made her look frail, and her long ck hair was tackled by the breeze, revealing her pale face. Overall, she resembled a shaky wisp of smoke that would disappear at any moment. Instantly, her appearance evoked distress from the two men. ¡°Ellen, I came to pick you up.¡± Jared¡¯s tone was exceptionally gentle. She merely nced at him and shook her head but could not hold back her emotion once again, shocking the men as tears began streaming down her face. It was then that Lambert became more certain that Jared had hurt her in some way for her to be so emotionally hurt. When she looked up at them with teary eyes, she looked pitiful yet resilient. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving with you, nor am Iing back to you. Just leave!¡± She made it clear to Jared while standing beside Lambert. Within seconds, the contrast in mood became evident between the two men. One was hurt while one was surprised. ¡°Don¡¯t you see, Mr. Presgrave? Ellen is willing to stay with me.¡± Lambert gave Jared a provocative stare. ¡°No, you must leave with me.¡± There was no way Jared was willing to let Ellen stay with Lambert. Ellen shook her head again. Since she had nned to stay at Lambert¡¯s ce for only a couple of days, all she wanted from then on was some tranquillity. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving with you,¡± she replied determinedly. ¡°Fine. If you¡¯re not, I¡¯ll stay.¡± Jared was parroting her move. However, Lambert was unhappy about that. ¡°Hey, Mr. Presgrave. This is my home, not a motel.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be staying in the car. If you dare to touch a strand of her hair, I¡¯ll beat you up.¡± Jared turned around and left the doorway after leaving his remark. Indeed, he was dead set on spending the night inside his car outside of Lambert¡¯s house. ¡°Is he nuts?¡± The frustrated Lambert then turned to Ellen and asked, ¡°What happened between you two?¡± Not wanting to talk about it, she looked at him gratefully. ¡°Mr. Orey, I¡¯m sorry to trouble you. I¡¯ll leave after a moment.¡± ¡°Wait. You can rest assured that I don¡¯t find you troublesome, so please stay.¡± He was joyous that she dered her desire to stay. Also, he felt ecstatic in the face of a furious Jared. Looking at the hungry and lethargic-looking woman, Lambert immediately ordered some food from a restaurant nearby and had it delivered to his doorstep. His assumption was spot on as she indeed bore an empty stomach until night came. By the time she finished her meal, Corey had left, and she was led to a guest room on the third floor. ¡°No one has stayed in this room before, so you can rest assured. I¡¯ll protect you,¡± said Lambert. ¡°Mr. Orey, I¡¯m sorry for troubling you.¡± Ellen was apologetic toward the kind man. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Corey was the one who hit you with his car. Didn¡¯t you already forgive him? Why don¡¯t you see this as me making up on his behalf? It¡¯s not a big deal, really.¡± He assured her, sincerely wanting to take care of her. Nodding, she closed the door and came to the balcony that so happened to oversee the front entrance. The car glowed under the dark sky, prompting her to wonder if Jared truly intended to stay the night in his vehicle. At that moment, she saw a heavy-duty vehicle that seemed like a truck stop beside the car, so she continued watching curiously. Soon enough, the truck¡¯s interior lit up, after which she took a better look and discovered it was a luxurious caravan. Stunned, she sneered, Jared even brought a caravan here. Is he being serious? Meanwhile, Lambert, too, heard the sound of a car engine and came out to take a look. When he saw the caravan parked in the yard, he could not help but be astonished by Jared¡¯s tolerance. It seemed like he was insisting on staying outside his house! ¡°Mr. Presgrave, don¡¯t you think this is too much?¡± He went over to joke. Jared stood beside the caravan watching as his assistant and bodyguards brought his daily necessities into his new home. From today onward, this caravan would be his temporary nook and office. Hugging his arms, he stared warningly at Lambert. ¡°Don¡¯t you touch her or have any thoughts about her. Or else, you¡¯ll be sorry.¡± Lambert raised an eyebrow. ¡°To tell you the truth, I fell in love with her the first time I saw her at the clubhouse. Of course, I¡¯d never force her to like me, so let¡¯s do this fair and square. Ellen can choose whomever she likes.¡± When Jared heard that, his heart sank because Lambert¡¯s words pressured and offended him. ¡°Sorry that you have to live out here, Young Master Jared. I¡¯ll be heading back inside, though.¡± After saying that, Lambert left. As Jared looked up at the mansion, he happened to see a thin figure on the balcony of the third floor. He looked over with his deep eyes and saw Ellen gazing at him. Though they were far apart, she could feel his stare, so she headed back inside. Her feelings were still all over the ce at the moment. Also, Connor¡¯s words and Kevin¡¯s pale face remained clouding her mind. She remembered she had to beg her uncle to see her brother for thest time. Back then, Kevin was lying inside the ICU and was so skinny that he looked disfigured, which was all too different from the always-smiling older brother in her memory. Remembering how she could only look at him through the ss window, she felt like someone had ripped her heart out. How cruel had it been for Kevin to undergo such treatment during hisst few moments? On the other hand, Jared sat on the couch inside the caravan and saw a man in his fifties running over and greeting him, ¡°Young Master Jared, you were looking for me?¡± ¡°Director Ferguson, I invited you over because I have some questions to ask you. It¡¯s about my surgery from sixteen years ago.¡± Director Ferguson felt nervous. ¡°Young Master Jared, are you not feeling well?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m doing fine. I heard it was you who signed the contract with the donor. I¡¯d like to know if the donor¡¯s family had signed the agreement willingly, or were they forced to do so?¡± Jared inquired. Hearing that, Director Ferguson immediately recalled that moment. Although he was up there in age, his recollection was still unmistakable. He thought about it and shook his head. ¡°No, I remembered the donor¡¯s family agreed after a brief discussion while having the necessary knowledge.¡± ¡°Why did they agree to donate?¡± ¡°We did mention to the couple about their reward after donation. Adding on to thepensation the Presgrave Family was willing to provide, they agreed and signed the papers.¡± ¡°Do you have any surveince footage that could prove the donor¡¯splete willingness to authorize the procedure?¡± ¡°About that¡­ I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll have to contact my old friend because he was at the scene too. He was also the attending physician back then. I can ask him if there are any videos of that moment.¡± ¡°Sure. Sorry for the trouble.¡± Jared nodded as he believed Director Ferguson¡¯s statement, which also proved that Connor and his family had been lying and tricking Ellen. Back then, his parents were with him because he was seriously injured, so none of them had personally engaged with the Aguirres. Therefore, the only ones who had in-depth knowledge of the agreement were Director Ferguson and the bodyguards at the scene. After Director Ferguson left, Jared heaved a faint sight. The matter involved a huge misunderstanding, and since he failed to talk some sense into Ellen, he could only be there for her as a temporary fix to make up for her. At the Aguirre Residence, the family was looking bitter. Connor had just shamelessly contacted Benjamin, wanting to know if Jared intended to give him some money. However, Benjamin¡¯s attitude took a turn, and he asked Connor to wait for his news. At that moment, Connor was walking around the room anxiously. When he thought about his future life, he was filled with sorrow. Meanwhile, Selena shared the same worry as she initially thought her father could get somepensation. Now that Jared found out the truth, there was no way he would not return the saving grace to Ellen! Nheless, she was good at scheming and seeded at sowing discord between the couple. Otherwise, he would have spoiled Ellen to the extreme! ¡°Mr. Presgrave is such an ungrateful man! Doesn¡¯t he know the person who suggested signing the papers to save his life? It was me. I was the one who asked your dad to sign the papers. Would he have survived if it weren¡¯t for my insistence?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Selena felt like that was the best decision her mom had ever made. She would not have enjoyed such a good life had it not been for her mom¡¯s decision. ¡°Of course. Your dad was even reluctant to sign the papers, so it¡¯s naturally because of me.¡± ¡°Mom, you¡¯re so kind!¡± ¡°Do you know why I agreed so quickly? Kevin was about to get unplugged anyway, and I saw those people wearing expensive clothes, so I assumed they had to be rich. That¡¯s why I did that! Since they¡¯re rich, they would certainly pay us heftily if we donated Kevin¡¯s heart.¡± Everything Olivia did was for profit. ¡°I told you we shouldn¡¯t have lied to him. We should¡¯ve told him that Kevin is Ellen¡¯s older brother because if we did, he wouldn¡¯t think that we lied to him. I can¡¯t even bear to go outside now.¡± Connor red at her. ¡°No one made you do it. I was just giving my suggestion, and you¡¯re the one who took it seriously.¡± She refused to admit her mistakes. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ You¡¯re a doom.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a doom? Would you have decided to sign the papers without this ¡®doom¡¯ right here?¡± When Connor heard that, he was immediately enraged. ¡°Had we pushed that matter back a little, perhaps we would¡¯ve gotten more money from the Presgraves!¡± Stunned, Olivia realized that her husband was right. At that time, Kevin¡¯s heart was Jared¡¯s only hope! Maybe we could have gotten a better deal! Gosh, was I too eager? ¡°H-How would I have known that they were the richest family in the city?¡± She pouted. On the side-lines, Selena grew frustrated while watching her parents argue, so she brought her phone back to her room. After closing the door, she wondered about Ellen and Jared¡¯s current status, prompting her to call her enemy. Ellen had just finished her shower when her phone rang. When she saw it was a call from Selena, she hesitated before answering, ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Ellie, it¡¯s me. How are you? Don¡¯t you think of doing anything reckless!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°How¡¯s your rtionship with Mr. Presgrave? Do you hate him?¡± Selena probed. The frowning Ellen remained silent. Selena eagerly added, ¡°Ellie, we¡¯re your only family. If you¡¯re down, you can alwayse by and stay at our house. We can help you get through this.¡± Faced with Selena¡¯s sudden enthusiasm, Ellen finally recalled what Connor and his family had been doing all these years. She had been too preupied with the matter of Kevin¡¯s heart, so Selena¡¯s fake kindness triggered her realization of how selfish and greedy their family was. ¡°I¡¯ll pass, but I heard that the Presgraves had given your family fifteen million aspensation. So, can you ask your dad where my share of the money is and why he hasn¡¯t given me any of that?¡± Ellen¡¯s voice was cold as ice. ¡°What? Ellen, what are you insinuating? Do you think my dad deliberately kept your share away from you? You were a kid back then! Also, moneyes and goes! My family is broke now.¡± Selena¡¯s face instantly turned gloomy. ¡°Why did you guys keep me in the dark for so long? Why are you only telling me now that Kevin¡¯s heart was donated? As his sister, why don¡¯t I know anything about that?¡± Ellen continued to question Selena. ¡°That¡­ It wasn¡¯t that my parents refused to tell you. They were just trying to look out for you! They didn¡¯t want you to feel sad because of that matter, but we told you now, didn¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Oh? Are you saying I should be grateful to you?¡± Ellen asked through gritted teeth. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you? Otherwise, what do you expect us to do? Our family is broke now anyway, so you can¡¯t get any money even if you want to.¡± At the mention of finances, Selena remained undeniably sour. ¡°But you guys still have a house, a car, and investments. Regardless, your family has to give me half of thepensation!¡± By now, Ellen¡¯s eyes were red. She did not need the money; all she needed was justice. Connor¡¯s family felt no guilt while spending the money they received from Kevin¡¯s heart and had been living a glorious life for sixteen years, yet they never thought to visit his grave once. How could such animals have the right to spend that fund? She would rather donate that sum to charity than let those ungrateful idiots take it. ¡°Ellen, do not try anything! I¡¯m telling you to stop having any ideas about my family. We¡¯re poor as beggars! If you need someone to me, you have the Presgraves for that! They didn¡¯t even give us much back then! There were only fifteen million, and it¡¯s been almost twenty years. Do you think that¡¯s a lot of money?¡± Selena was flustered as she did not expect Ellen would me her family. Originally, she thought Ellen would amount to no threat without Jared¡¯s backup, but she did not expect Ellen to list her demand. ¡°Can you swear that every word you say today is true? Did your parents not get tempted by the Presgraves¡¯ money and agree to sign the papers?¡± Ellen had regained her reasoning. With her uncle and aunt¡¯s personalities, how could they not agree to surrender Kevin¡¯s heart when the Presgraves promised them fifteen million? ¡°Of course, it¡¯s real! The Presgrave Family has power and wealth, and they had their eyes set on Kevin¡¯s heart because he was the only one who could save Mr. Presgrave! Where are you now? Is he still with you?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Atta girl! I¡¯d say, you should stay as far away from him as possible. He¡¯s the one who stole your brother¡¯s heart, after all.¡± As soon as Ellen heard that, she immediately reprimanded Selena silently, Jared was seriously injured and bedridden back then, and his life was also at risk. If Kevin learned about that before he passed away and knew he could save a life, I believe he would certainly agree to it. He was a kind soul, after all. However, all she desperately wanted to know was whether Kevin¡¯s heart was donated out of Presgraves¡¯ threat or an amicable agreement with Connor and Olivia. That, to her, was extremely important. ¡°Ellen, if I were you, I would hate Jared and the Presgrave Family to death. Also, I wouldn¡¯t want anything to do with them anymore in my life. Would you agree?¡± Selena asked. She wanted to hear Ellen utter anything to imply that they had the same enemy and that she did not want anything to do with the Presgraves anymore. ¡°Why should I hate him? He was only ten back then and doesn¡¯t know anything,¡± Ellen retorted. Stunned, Selena was not expecting Ellen to be so rational, let alone hate Jared. ¡°Ellen, you¡¯re too kind and foolish. How can you still speak up for him? Yes, he has done nothing wrong, but his family is the culprit who stole your brother¡¯s heart.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t say any nonsense that you can¡¯t prove.¡± ¡°M-My mom told me that,¡± Selena quickly exined. ¡°If your parents were forced to agree, they shouldn¡¯t have epted thepensation, and they wouldn¡¯t have sent me to Grandma after getting the money.¡± Selena choked and said, ¡°Anyway, I can¡¯t do anything about it if that¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking.¡± After that, she hung up. On the other hand, Ellen sat inside her room, re-evaluating the things she could notprehend in her unreasonable state that afternoon. Now that she had calmed down, her thought process became more rational. Selena didn¡¯t tell me those things out of kindness. Her goal is to make me hate Jared. Also, Uncle Connor¡¯s call was targeted to push the me onto the Presgraves so that he could justify swallowing the fifteen million. It was as though they had been forced to take the money rather than deliberately sell her brother¡¯s heart out of greed for the cash. Ellen came out to the balcony and saw the RV outside with its lights on; a tall figure could be vaguely seen moving around in it. At the sight of this, she felt a knot in her stomach. He¡¯s really staying here. Hearing the sound of a text message on her phone in the room, she involuntarily got back to her bed and saw the text message sent by Jared. It read, ¡®Aren¡¯t you gonna sleep yet?¡¯ She let out a sigh and texted him back, ¡®You should go back.¡¯ The man was quite stubborn, though. ¡®I¡¯m not leaving. I¡¯ll stay where you are.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t need you to care about me.¡¯ ¡®I just want to care about my girlfriend.¡¯ Ellen bit her lip. Not knowing how to define their rtionship, she decided not to reply to the text message. Just then, another text message beeped in. It read, ¡®I¡¯m watching you.¡¯ Startled, she came out to the balcony with the phone in her hand and saw the man standing next to the RV and staring up in her direction. Despite the distance between them, she could vaguely perceive his steady, intense gaze. Another text message rang on her phone, and Ellen took a nce at it. It read, ¡®Sleep early. See you tomorrow.¡¯ She even saw Jared wave to her in the moonlight before blowing her a kiss. After being stunned for a few seconds, she returned to her room with her heart in turmoil. Even though she was sleepy, she couldn¡¯t fall asleep that night, as her mind was preupied with the man in the RV outside. She thought of lots of things, including how Jared had looked on the verge of death at ten years old. She also wondered why she had chanced upon him in the first ce. Had she not gotten to know him, her uncle and aunt would never have told her the truth behind her brother¡¯s heart donation. It was like there was an imperceptible force that led her to meet him and learn about all of this. Could herte brother¡¯s spirit be guiding her through all of this? In the master bedroom on the second floor, Lambert was holding a ss of red wine in his hand. Despite having a dressing gown draped around his shoulders, he wasn¡¯t sleepy at all. Instead, he was feeling deeply depressed. Jared¡¯s so protective of Ellen! That¡¯s causing me trouble right when I get a little interested in her. Seems like it¡¯s not gonna be easy to steal her from him, eh? When the sun rose from the east early the next morning, sparkling dewdrops were still clinging to the RV. Autumn had arrived, bringing a slight chill to the morning air. The RV door was pushed open, and a figure stepped out from the inside. Jared stretched his limbs for a while; obviously, he hadn¡¯t sleptfortably in the RVst night. He stared at the balcony on the third floor with unblinking eyes, wanting to know if Ellen had gotten out of bed inside. Stanley, his assistant, came over with a set of breakfast in his hand. ¡°President Presgrave, here¡¯s your breakfast.¡± Jared only took the cup of coffee from him. Then, he pulled out a chair and sat down, drinking coffee while keeping an eye on the third floor. The autumn wind tousled his dark hair in the sun, but the windblown hairstyle didn¡¯t diminish the opulent and noble air he had about him in the slightest. His masculine and yet exquisitely handsome features were simply God¡¯s masterpiece. ¡°It¡¯s windy here, President Presgrave. Would you like to drink your coffee inside?¡± Stanley asked with concern. Jared replied, ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡± He was in high spirits; even the pedestrians staring at him and his retinue in astonishment from the road nearby didn¡¯t affect his good mood at all. As soon as Ellen opened her eyes, she dashed to the balcony to see Jared. Compared tost night, she could see more clearly during the day. Consequently, she saw him sitting there surrounded by a bunch of people; not only that, he even waved to her, shouting, ¡°Ellen!¡± She let out a sigh. What on earth is he up to? Coming downstairs with a jacket draped around her shoulders, she stepped out of Lambert¡¯s vi and came toward Jared¡¯s RV. Jared immediately stood up and dismissed Stanley and the bodyguards around him with a wave of his hand. He looked at Ellen with a pained look in his eyes, as though thedy had wasted away overnight. ¡°Are you ready to talk to me?¡± he asked tenderly. Ellen looked up. The sun shone on her pretty face, bringing out a kind of fragile beauty in her. A breeze brushed her dark hair away from her forehead and caressed her fair and pretty face, like a serene painting that made one¡¯s heart flutter. Ellen looked up at him, asking, ¡°You said¡­ you only learned yesterday that my brother was the donor, right?¡± Jared apologized, ¡°Yeah, I only learned that yesterday. I didn¡¯t know the donor back then was named Kevin Reiss until your uncle suddenly came asking me for money. Sorry, it was my fault for not noticing.¡± Had he learned about this sooner, he would have shown her his gratitude already. Ellen asked, ¡°My uncle asked you for money again?¡± She was both surprised and kind of angry. How could Uncle Connor take advantage of my brother¡¯s heart donation to keep asking for money? ¡°That¡¯s right. He demanded about 15 million from me, saying he needs the fortune to pay off his many debts. Ellen, I know they didn¡¯t give you a red cent out of the 15 million that my family gave him previously.¡± Jared¡¯s heart ached terribly as he looked at her. He continued, ¡°You should get at least half the amount.¡± Tears welled up in Ellen¡¯s eyes. Some memories were so unbearable to recall, she had to bury them deep down. She remembered how Jessica had once run out of cash and had to turn to Connor and his family when she got hospitalized for cold-induced pneumonia. Even though Connor had only given Jessica a mere 150 in the end, Jessica had told her at her bedside that she had to be grateful to him and repay his kindness in the future. Unbeknownst to them at the time, however, Connor and Olivia were splurging everywhere and unting their wealth in front of their friends and rtives with the money they had received for Kevin¡¯s heart donation. Now that she thought about it, she thought Connor and his family were not human. They were so heartless and cold-blooded that they didn¡¯t deserve to be her rtives and elders at all. She recalled again how Connor and Olivia had responded coldly when she borrowed money from them prior to Jessica¡¯s death. They were already so loaded, but they wouldn¡¯t lend her a single cent more. Feeling bitterly disappointed, she looked up at Jared, saying, ¡°You¡¯re right that I should get at least half of my brother¡¯s money. I want to get it back.¡± Jared nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll help you with that. I asked the hospital director who signed the agreement with your uncle and his family back then, and he said there was no element of coercion or threat involved. Your uncle and aunt were your brother¡¯s legal guardians at the time, and the agreement was signed with their consent, nor did my parents ever pressure them with their power and influence. Please trust me, Ellen; my parents are not this kind of people,¡± he said under his breath in hopes that Ellen wouldn¡¯t get the wrong idea about his family again. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m very sorry for using your brother¡¯s heart. If you have a problem with it, I can have it taken out and leave it at your disposal,¡± he added in a choked voice. Ellen felt a catch in her throat; her eyes reddened. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? When did I ever ask you to take it out?¡± Jared looked at her quietly. ¡°I just hope that you won¡¯t hate me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t hate you.¡± Ellen let out a sigh. ¡°My brother was a kind person. I think he would¡¯ve saved you, too.¡± Jared strode over, held her hand, and ced it gently on his heart. ¡°No wonder I felt kind of close to you and wanted to protect you when I first saw you. Turns out this was because my heart came from the person who loved you most.¡± Ellen couldn¡¯t help shedding tears in silence as the person who loved her most tugged at her heartstrings. As she felt the beating of the man¡¯s heart, arge hand gently wiped her tears away. ¡°I¡¯m your brother from now on. I¡¯ll protect you and love you for the rest of my life.¡± Ellen bit her lip and turned her face away with a slight blush. Just then, someone hemmed loudly from behind. ¡°Ahem!¡± Ellen immediately withdrew her hand, whereas Jared darted a nce at the thoughtless person. Lambert walked leisurely in their direction with his arms folded across his chest. ¡°Ellen, I¡¯ve made breakfast. Let¡¯s have breakfast together, shall we?¡± he said to Ellen. Jared raised an eyebrow and reached out to grab Ellen¡¯s wrist. ¡°I¡¯ve got breakfast here, too. She¡¯s joining me for breakfast.¡± ¡°I made breakfast myself,¡± Lambert retorted, implying that his breakfast was more precious. ¡°I¡¯ll make breakfast for her every single day in the future, so why don¡¯t you save your breakfast for yourself, Mr. Orey? She¡¯s leaving with me now.¡± Lambert countered with a frown, ¡°Would anyone snatch a person like you do, Young Master Jared? Miss Reiss is my guest, and she has yet to say she wants to leave!¡± Caught between the two men, Ellen found herself at a momentary loss for what to do. ¡°Pack your stuff, Ellen. We¡¯re leaving now,¡± Jared whispered to her beside him. Ellen broke free of his grasp before saying to Lambert, ¡°Mr. Orey, thank you for putting me upst night. I¡¯ll stop bothering you after this.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re leaving for real?!¡± Lambert asked reluctantly. ¡°I have something else to deal with, so I shan¡¯t bother you anymore,¡± Ellen said to him. ¡°It¡¯s nothing! We¡¯re friends, after all,¡± Lambert replied with a chuckle just to spite a certain someone. ¡°Uh-huh. It¡¯s a real pleasure to be friends with you.¡± Ellen smiled. Lambert really isn¡¯t a bad guy, she thought. Lambert¡¯s smile broadened more and more at the sight of Jared¡¯s darkening expression. ¡°In that case, we should go out for coffee sometime.¡± Ellen nodded. ¡°That¡¯s a great idea! Well then, I gotta pack my stuff first.¡± She darted a look at the man beside her, only to notice his long face. I¡¯d better pack up before anything else, she thought. Lambert followed her back to the vi. After following her upstairs, he stood at the door to her room to keep herpany. ¡°Ellen, have you two made it up already?¡± he asked. ¡°Something happened between us that has to be dealt with right now,¡± Ellen exined while putting away the clothes on her bed. Seeing that she was going to make the bed, Lambert strode in and volunteered, ¡°I¡¯ll do it! You pack up your stuff.¡± Ellen replied somewhat embarrassedly, ¡°No, let me do it instead.¡± However, Lambert insisted on making the bed himself. For some reason, he felt protective toward Ellen, who was really kind of everyone¡¯s darling with her vulnerable beauty. Ellen was grateful to him from the bottom of her heart. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. We¡¯re friends already, no?¡± Lambert said while making the bed dexterously. Then, seeing that she had packed her suitcase, he reached out and lifted it up for her, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go! I¡¯ll walk you downstairs.¡± Ellen followed him to the door. After the door opened, he walked her all the way to the door to Jared¡¯s RV while carrying her suitcase. ¡°Here, I¡¯m giving her back to you. But if you don¡¯t cherish her, then don¡¯t me me for stealing her again,¡± he said. Jared narrowed his eyes and replied, ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll never have the opportunity.¡± ¡°Wow! So confident, eh?¡± Lambert replied before winking at Ellen. ¡°Goodbye, Ellen.¡± Ellen watched the man stride into the distance. Before she came to her senses, a male voice dripping with jealousy rang beside her. ¡°How much longer are you gonna follow him with your eyes?¡± Ellen withdrew her gaze and asked him, ¡°Can you go with me to my uncle¡¯s ce?¡± ¡°Of course, I can.¡± Jared nodded before handing her suitcase to Stanley beside him. ¡°Take this suitcase to my house.¡± Ellen was speechless for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m not going to your ce.¡± Stanley immediately picked up the suitcase, saying, ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll deliver it right away.¡± With that, he walked toward his car and then left with Ellen¡¯s suitcase before she could say anything. Ellen felt both helpless and speechless as Jared got her into his car. As it happened, Jared also had scores to settle with the Aguirres. After all, they had plotted to jeopardize his rtionship with Ellen, not to mention how they had treated her back then. Meanwhile, at the Aguirre Residence¡­ Selena dared not tell her parents about her phone call to Ellenst night. She feared that Connor would give her a rap over the knuckles for being meddlesome, and besides, she also felt sorry for her mother, who was still unaware at this moment that her husband had another family outside their marriage. On the other hand, Olivia was distressed over the fear that she would no longer be able to enjoy a life of luxury now that their family had run out of money. If she had to go out and work for a living, it would be worse than killing her! ¡°Connor, are we gonna get the money or not?¡± she asked Connor over breakfast. Connor was in an extremely irritable mood, though. He looked up and barked at her, ¡°Go ask for the money yourself if you want!¡± Olivia couldn¡¯t wait to ask for the money herself, of course. She was just in no appropriate status and position to do so. ¡°Dad, stop barking at Mom, will you? We¡¯re just anxious to get the money,¡± Selena said in an attempt to advise Connor. Much to Selena¡¯s dismay, Connor vented his anger on her instead. ¡°And you! You never showed any improvement despite all that money spent on you.¡± Selena was stunned; the next instant, she was overwhelmed with disappointment. As expected, Dad doesn¡¯t like me anymore. Only his son is the apple of his eye, huh? ¡°Dad, you think it¡¯s not worth spending money on me because I¡¯m a daughter, don¡¯t you?!¡± she answered back in a fit of pique. Connor instantly looked at her in rm. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?!¡± ¡°You¡¯d be happy if I were a son, no?!¡± Selena asked again. Seeing that the father and daughter were falling out again, Olivia said to Selena, ¡°Just shut up for once, Lena! Your dad has never mistreated you over so many years.¡± Connor looked at Selena. He couldn¡¯t help feeling that her eyes were full of resentment, which filled him with panic. Could she have found out about my affair? Selena¡¯s head drooped in bitterness; she felt that her family was no longer what it used to be. Meanwhile, Jared¡¯s car pulled up downstairs outside the neighborhood. Fearing that Connor and Olivia would hit out at Ellen, he had two bodyguards go upstairs with them to protect her. Ellen also got somewhat agitated after entering the neighborhood. She took a few deep breaths while recalling Connor¡¯s behavior over the years, which really chilled her to the marrow. Selena was just about to go out when she heard the doorbell ring, which surprised her. Who would drop by so early in the morning? she wondered. The instant she looked through the peephole, she was shocked to see Jared. Jared¡¯s here? She immediately checked her appearance before putting on a smile that she thought was the most beautiful in order to greet the man. However, when she opened the door, she realized that another person was standing behind him¡ªEllen. She involuntarily turned pale with fright. Why is Ellen here with Jared? Haven¡¯t they broken up already? She lowered her gaze and was shocked to see that Jared¡¯s hand was holding Ellen¡¯s. She couldn¡¯t help but step back while looking at the couple in a panic. Then, she shouted toward the house, ¡°Dad, Mom, we¡¯ve got visitors!¡± Olivia was clearing the table after breakfast, while Connor was getting ready to go out when they heard Selena¡¯s cry. However, before they realized what was happening, they saw Jared leading Ellen by the hand into the house. They quickly exchanged a brief look, after which Olivia greeted the couple warmly, saying, ¡°Hey! Young Master Jared, Ellie, what brings both of you here? Have you had breakfast?¡± Selena wanted to close the door, but Jared¡¯s two bodyguards suddenly stood at the door. As a result, she dared not close it and had no choice but to put on a sheepish smile. Ellen looked at Connor and Olivia, then at the luxuriously furnished apartment. Her heart twinged badly. This was the life of luxury that they bought with her brother¡¯s heart. Not only did they feel not an ounce of remorse about it, but they even enjoyed it as if they had deserved it. Connor asked, ¡°Ellie, why are both of you here together? Is there anything we can do for you?¡± His expression was kind of strained. He couldn¡¯t even bring himself to look Jared in the eye, because he was too ashamed to face anyone for iming that Kevin was his illegitimate son. Suppressing all the anguish within her, Ellen took a deep breath, saying, ¡°Uncle Connor, Aunt Olivia, I only came here for one thing. I can forget about the fact that you two donated my brother¡¯s heart to save Young Master Jared¡¯s life, but please give me back 7.5 million of the 15 million that the Presgraves gave you back then. Please do it within three days, or I¡¯ll see you in court.¡± Before Connor and Olivia could speak, Selena eximed, ¡°What? 7.5 million? Ellen, it¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know what circumstances our family is in! How dare you ask for 7.5 million when my parents are already broke?¡± She sounded as though Ellen¡¯s request was very unreasonable in her mind¡¯s eye. Olivia couldn¡¯t help but pretend to look troubled. ¡°Ellie, we¡¯re a family, so can¡¯t we settle the issue of money through discussion? How are we supposed to fork out 7.5 million for you in one go?!¡± Ellen retorted, ¡°How have you treated me over these years after getting so much money? The first thing you did back then after getting the money was to pack me off to Grandma. She borrowed money from you guys when I fell seriously ill and got hospitalized, but you only gave her 150 despite having 15 million! Have you lost your conscience? Are you two still human beings?¡± Tears of anger welled up in her eyes. She stared at this pair of so-called rtives, unable to believe that they had been so shameless. Connor hung his head. At this moment, his conscience was gnawing at him like thousands of ants. Now that his conscience had finally returned to him, he held his head in his hands as tears suddenly sprang to his eyes. He apologized to Ellen in a choked voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ellie! I¡¯m a wretch; I couldn¡¯t bring myself to face you.¡± Olivia turned to look at her husband. He¡¯s admitting our guilt by reacting like this, no? She wouldn¡¯t admit her guilt that easily, though. She couldn¡¯t help but say to Ellen, ¡°Ellie, what are you talking about?! In any case, we¡¯re your elders. We¡¯ve been nice to you over the years, no?¡± Jared¡¯s hands clenched into fists as he looked on. Seriously, I¡¯ve never seen such a shameless person before! He said coldly, ¡°You two don¡¯t deserve to call yourselves her elders at all.¡± Olivia was speechless for a moment; after all, she dared not yell at the respectable young man. She let out a sigh and pretended to have her own reasons, saying, ¡°You were still little back then, so how could we dare to give you so much money?! We had no choice but to keep the money for you. Well, we got a little greedy and failed to stop ourselves from spending the money, but the money¡¯s really gone.¡± Ellen argued, ¡°Were you just greedy? You sent your daughter abroad to study and used the Presgrave Family¡¯s connections to your advantage, but what about me? You guys have long forgotten about me! Aunt Olivia, don¡¯t you find it ironic that I had to thank you with overwhelming gratitude when you made me wear hand-me-downs from Selena? You guys never treated me as one of your kin at all. You were only brushing me off like I was a beggar!¡± She really couldn¡¯t forgive them for belittling her like that as she recalled Olivia¡¯s past doings. Olivia¡¯s face reddened with shame. Little did she think Ellen would point out her intentions back then so clearly. Indeed, she had given Ellen the hand-me-downs with a sense of superiority. At this moment, her cheeks were burning as though she had been pped across the face. This was Jared¡¯s first time learning that Ellen had been treated like that. Clenching his fists again, he thundered angrily, ¡°You guys really are a bunch of monsters!¡± Selena couldn¡¯t help but shudder in fright. Jared looks so scary at this moment! Olivia replied, ¡°You can¡¯t say that, Young Master Jared. How could you be still alive had my husband and I not signed the agreement back then? You should be thanking us for that!¡± She immediately brought up the favor they had done back then. It¡¯s true that we¡¯re indebted to Ellen, but we don¡¯t owe Young Master Jared anything! Jared replied frostily, ¡°I¡¯m thankful to you guys for signing the agreement back then, but the Presgraves have been kind to you guys over these years, so I consider the favor returned. From now on, Ellen is the only person to whom the Presgraves will show our gratitude.¡± ¡°Then why should Ellen ask our family for money? Young Master Jared, can¡¯t you just give her another 15 million?¡± Selena said with a snort. Ellen replied through clenched teeth, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m asking for money? I¡¯m only seeking justice! I want you all to pay the price for everything you¡¯ve done over these years!¡± Selena¡¯s face flushed crimson with anger. ¡°How could you¡­¡± Seeing that Ellen was only seeking justice, Olivia thought they would definitely be able to talk her into letting them off if Jared was absent. ¡°Ellie, we know we were wrong; we¡¯re just getting what we deserve for being greedy. It was our fault for being ignorant over these years, so can you forgive us for that? Let¡¯s talk this over nicely, shall we?¡± she asked brazenly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about this. If the 7.5 million doesn¡¯t get credited to my ount in three days, just wait until I bring a suit against you all!¡± Thinking that her parents didn¡¯t have to bear any responsibility, Selena asked with a raised eyebrow, ¡°On what grounds can you sue my parents? They were under no obligation to take care of you. You were given to your grandma back then, no? Didn¡¯t she take care of you at the time?¡± Olivia chimed in, ¡°That¡¯s right, Ellie! Have you forgotten our kindness in fostering you back then? You and your brother stayed with us for a year after your parents died, no?¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. ¡°Mom, what¡¯s the point of you trying to reason with her? She¡¯s nothing but an ingrate!¡± Selena said with a snort. Jared was astonished; he had never seen such a shameless family before. Chapter 1661-1670 Chapter 1661-1670 Jared backed Ellen up, saying, ¡°Ellen, I¡¯ll provide you with the best attorney.¡± Olivia panicked; she thought Jared was poking his nose into this too much. ¡°Young Master Jared, this is a matter within our family, so please stay out of this.¡± ¡°Ellen can have you all sentenced to jail just for illegally keeping thepensation payment for yourselves,¡± Jared replied frostily. Connor, who had been looking on, finally looked up in distress, saying, ¡°That¡¯s enough, Oli! Just shut up. We¡¯re indebted to Ellie in the first ce, so we¡¯llpensate her for that. We¡¯ll sell our house and our cars to make up 7.5 million for you as soon as possible.¡± ¡°What? Connor, what nonsense are you talking about?! How could we afford to pay it back?!¡± Olivia was taken aback. She had no desire to sell the house or their cars, as she feltfortable living here! ¡°Dad, what are you talking about?!¡± Selena was shocked, too. Is Ellen trying to tear our home apart? How are we supposed to raise 7.5 million with this house of ours? ¡°Don¡¯t go too far, Ellen!¡± she threatened while suddenly charging toward Ellen. Connor pulled Ellen into his arms before warning in a cold voice, ¡°Stay away from her!¡± Ellen¡¯s attractive eyes were fixed on Selena. She said coldly, ¡°You guys are the ones who¡¯ve gone too far.¡± Selena replied, ¡°You¡¯re demanding 7.5 million from us! This house is the only valuable thing we have now, and there¡¯s still a mortgage on it! Ellen, are you trying to leave us with nothing to our name?¡± She was clear about the value of her family¡¯s property. Indeed, her family could raise 7.5 million with all of their money, but they would have nothing to eat if they were to give all the money to Ellen! Olivia also nearly passed out in anger. She walked up to Connor, saying, ¡°Connor, I object to this! I won¡¯t agree to sell our house.¡± It went without saying that Connor didn¡¯t want to sell the house either. However, with Jared backing Ellen up, perhaps he would really have to go to jail for what he had done over these years. He would rather go from riches to rags than go to jail to soothe Ellen¡¯s anger. ¡°Ellie, can you please give me some time? I¡¯ll definitely make up 7.5 million for you,¡± he said to Ellen. Seeing that he had promised her so, Ellen decided to trust him this time. She gritted her teeth, saying, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll give you some time, but I must get no less than 7.5 million.¡± Then, she turned to Jared. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Jared also didn¡¯t want to stay in front of this family any longer. He led Ellen by the hand out of the house, but Olivia immediately came out after them. She pleaded with an imploring look, ¡°Ellie! Wait, Ellie! We can still talk this over! You can move in with us; we¡¯ll be nice to you in the future.¡± ¡°Ellen doesn¡¯tck a ce to stay. She¡¯s staying with me from now on,¡± Jared replied tly. Olivia replied, ¡°Young Master Jared, we did you kindness in saving your life back then. Can¡¯t you let us off for the sake of this? You¡¯re so loaded, after all. Surely it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for you to give her another 15 million aspensation?¡± Isn¡¯t Ellen just asking for money? She could¡¯ve demanded money from Jared as she pleases! Why does she have to demand money from us? Ellen replied, ¡°As I said, what I want isn¡¯t money, but justice.¡± She was seething with hatred. Looking at Olivia, she couldn¡¯t help but recall how she had greedily asked for money. ¡°Ellen, what are you talking about? We¡¯re a family. What kind of justice are you seeking?¡± Olivia really thought Ellen was being unreasonable. All we did was not give her a share of the money, no? Does she have to strip us of every penny for that? At this moment, Selena came out as well. Seeing that her mother was still pestering Ellen, she had no choice but to brazen it out and said, ¡°Ellen, can you let our family off for the sake that we¡¯re cousins?¡± Jared actually feared that Ellen would be softened up. Luckily, Ellen wasn¡¯t softened up at all. Looking at the mother and daughter, she recalled the injustices she had suffered over these years, including how they had shown off in front of her and turned up their noses at her while spending her brother¡¯s money, as well as how they had treated her and Jessica with indifference while living in a fancy house and driving luxury cars when she and Jessica were in the most difficult time of their lives. ¡°No, I can¡¯t. I¡¯d rather not have rtives like you guys, and there¡¯s no way I¡¯d let you guys off either,¡± she replied frostily without mercy or sympathy. Olivia and Selena were both foaming at the mouth as they watched Jared and Ellen enter the elevator. Finally, Olivia couldn¡¯t help but swear, ¡°That little b*tch!¡± Selena dragged her home. ¡°Mom, we have to hurry and talk Dad out of selling the house! It¡¯s our family¡¯s most valuable property!¡± Connor sat on the couch with his head in his hands while sinking into guilt and remorse. It was Olivia who had called the shots on many things over the years. He wasn¡¯t heartless from the start; he had wanted to give Jessica and Ellen several thousand every year, but Olivia had stopped him from doing so. As this happened again and again every year, he slowly turned into a heartless man. ¡°Connor, don¡¯t you ever sell the house! Lena and I won¡¯t agree to this!¡± Olivia yelled at him as soon as she returned home. Selena decided to let her parents refuse to pay the money as Connor had promised. ¡°Dad, Mom is right. We¡¯re not selling the house. We¡¯ll see what Ellen can do about us.¡± Connor replied, ¡°If we don¡¯t sell the house, I¡¯ll have to go to jail! Would you rather sell the house or let me go to jail?¡± Olivia continued to behave like a shrew. ¡°Ellen wouldn¡¯t dare to do that! If she dares to send you to jail, she¡¯ll be an ingrate! You¡¯re her uncle, after all. We¡¯ll wear her down.¡± Suddenly, Connor growled at her, ¡°Olivia, had you not egged me on over these years, would Ellie have hated us so much? Would she hate us so much if we had given her a few thousand every year?¡± He med his wife, saying, ¡°It was all your fault! You were insatiable! You are the reason for all of this!¡± Olivia was instantly speechless for a moment; little did she think her husband would throw usations at her. ¡°You could¡¯ve given her the money if you wanted! You didn¡¯t give her the money just because of the few words I said, huh? Doesn¡¯t that mean you weren¡¯t willing to give her the money as well?¡± She would never admit her mistakes. Whenever something wrong happened, she would always pass the buck to others. ¡°You¡­ How could you¡­¡± Connor trembled all over with anger. Flying into a rage, he jumped on Olivia, raised his hand, and pped her hard across the face. Olivia was stunned; never did she think her husband would hit out so hard at her. Not only did her cheek turn numb from the p, but she even tasted blood in her mouth. ¡°Aah! Mom!¡± Selena was frightened to see her father hitting her mother. She quickly stopped Connor, saying, ¡°Dad, stop hitting Mom!¡± ¡°She deserves this! Look how I¡¯m gonna beat her to death!¡± Connor was mad with rage. At this very moment, he even felt the urge to kill Olivia. Olivia burst into tears. She yelled, ¡°Come at me if you have the nerve! If you dare to beat me to death, you¡¯ll have to go to jail for the rest of your life!¡± Overwhelmed with rage, she wanted to p Connor back in return, so she reached out and throttled him. Selena tried to dissuade them from fighting, but Connor shoved her away. In an instant, the husband and wife got into a scuffle. Selena was terrified as she watched her parents fight one another. Tears rolled down her cheeks; inwardly, she hated Ellen¡¯s guts. What has be of my originally happy family now? My parents were so devoted to each other before, but they¡¯ve turned against each other now. It¡¯s all thanks to Ellen! All of this is her fault! ¡°Stop fighting! Stop fighting, both of you!¡± She rushed over in an attempt to pull Olivia away. However, Olivia yelled at her, ¡°Don¡¯t get in my way, you little brat!¡± In the end, someone swung a punch at Selena¡¯s face, causing her to let out a cry of pain. Only then did the husband and wife stop to look at Selena. pping her hand over her face, which was red from being punched, she looked at them resentfully, saying, ¡°I hate both of you!¡± With that, she grabbed her bag and stormed out the door. Only then did Connor and Oliviae to their senses a little. They looked at each other, their resentment toward each other lingering. ¡°I¡¯d never sell the house no matter what,¡± Olivia uttered through clenched teeth. ¡°We have to sell it even if you don¡¯t want to,¡± Connor replied with determination. Compared to the bem in the Aguirre Family, Ellen calmed down a lot as she sat in the passenger seat of Jared¡¯s car at this very moment. It was just that shepsed intoplete silence. After going through so many things, she finally saw Connor and his family in their true colors. People are so unfathomable. Their interests turned them into a bunch of insatiable people, making them so unrecognizable that they¡¯re no longer the people I remember. Jared couldn¡¯t help but look at her a few times with concern, fearing that she would really sink into depression out of anger. ¡°Wanna grab something to eat?¡± he asked. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then what are your ns after this?¡± Ellen replied, ¡°I¡¯d like to buy a small house and settle down in a small home.¡± Her ns for the future were simple. If she managed to get the 7.5 million from Connor, she would be able to stay unemployed for a long time, during which time she could do whatever she liked. ¡°Which area do you prefer to buy a house in? I can go house-looking with you,¡± Jared immediately replied. Of course, he would buy the house for her, too. No matter where the house was located and how expensive it was, he would buy it for her as long as she liked it. Ellen replied, ¡°It¡¯s not necessary. I can go house-looking myself.¡± She knew the man¡¯s intentions. Although Connor and his family had kept the obvious gains for themselves, she wouldn¡¯t ask the Presgraves to show her their gratitude. After all, the Presgraves had shown them enough gratitude. ¡°Ellen, I want to return your kindness. Just tell me if you want anything. I¡¯ll satisfy you,¡± Jared replied frankly. Even if she didn¡¯t bring this up, he would return her kindness from now on in every way possible. ¡°I don¡¯t want anything.¡± Ellen shook her head while regretting what she had said to the man yesterday. She apologized, ¡°I was too impulsive yesterday. I lost my mind after Selena suddenly said those things to me. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± ¡°Why would I me you for that? I¡¯m the one who should apologize. I actually didn¡¯t find out the donor¡¯s identity for such a long time. Had I learned sooner that it was your brother, I would¡¯ve shown you my gratitude already instead of tarrying until now. It was my fault for being stupid,¡± Jared replied remorsefully. This whole thing was my fault. I was too slow. Ellen pursed her lips for a moment. Then, she shook her head, saying, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t me you for that. Besides, I¡¯m proud of my brother for saving your life.¡± ¡°Speaking of it, Ellen, it was magical that my heart pounded when I firstid eyes on you. It was like I was destined to get to know you. Do you still remember? You were carrying such a big garbage bag at the golf course that day. The instant I saw you, I felt that I couldn¡¯t bear to see you like that,¡± Jared said. Ellen smiled in surprise. ¡°Is that so? Was it that magical?¡± Jared nodded; he believed that it must be the case. ¡°It¡¯s true. I think yourte brother must be hoping that I can take care of you and protect you on his behalf.¡± Ellen was moved by his words. I¡¯m so lucky to get to know him! she thought. ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay at my ce for the time being until you find a house? Your suitcase has been delivered to my ce, anyway,¡± Jared said, making an excuse. He had insisted that Stanley take Ellen¡¯s suitcase to his ce this morning. Indeed, Ellen had nowhere to go . She replied with a nod, ¡°Well, then, I¡¯ll bother you for a couple of days. Once I find a ce to stay, I¡¯ll move out.¡± Jared didn¡¯t want her to hurry, though; he was willing to let her stay at his ce for the rest of her life. ¡°Okay!¡± He was delighted. I¡¯ll make use of this period to soften her up into letting me take care of her for the rest of her life. What reason do I have for not taking care of her? It was all thanks to her brother that I could stay alive, after all. Jared thus took Ellen to his home. Even the scenery around them seemed to be wonderful along the way, and she rxed a bit as a result. That afternoon, Connor called a real estate agent to put his family¡¯s house up for sale. The real estate agent told him that the houses in his neighborhood were in high demand and sold very well on the real estate market, so the house was valued at a little over 8.5 million, which was already the highest selling price. Connor did some calctions. If the house could really be sold at 8.5 million, he would have to give Ellen 7.5 million and pay the mortgage¡¯s outstanding bnce with the remaining one million. However, the outstanding bnce was about 1.7 million, which meant he would have to fork out another 700,000. Because of that, he decided to sell his car, too. This time, he was really going to sell everything they had. He didn¡¯t even know where to get money for his family¡¯s living expenses in the future. Olivia shut herself in the room while crying her heart out. Now that she looked at this house, she was really reluctant to part with it. Still, however reluctant she was, she had to take the consequences into consideration. Ellen would bring a suit against them, and perhaps she and Connor would have to go to jail. With Jared backing her up, it¡¯d be easy for Ellen to ruin Connor and me. We might even get sentenced to jail for a few years longer once she files a suit against us. ¡°Damn you, Ellen!¡± she cursed while crying. Now myfortable life is ruined thanks to her! Much to their surprise, shortly after their house was put up for sale on the real estate listing website, the real estate agent called, saying that someone would like to check out their house. Connor hurriedly knocked on the door to Olivia¡¯s room. Even though they had fought just now, they had to discuss what should be discussed. ¡°Someone¡¯sing to view our house in a moment, so we¡¯ve got to tidy it a little.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to sell it,¡± Olivia replied stubbornly. Connor ignored her, though. ¡°They¡¯ll arrive at 3.30PM.¡± At 3.30PM sharp, a couple came to view the house. Since Olivia usually took pretty good care of it, the couple was satisfied with the house at first nce. After hearing that the real estate agent would bring another group of prospective buyers here to look at the house tomorrow, the couple discussed it for a while and immediately decided to buy the house. Connor apanied the couple on a tour of the house before they bargained with him over the price. In the end, they offered to buy the house at 70,000 higher than its selling price. Seeing that they sincerely wanted to buy the house and that he was in a hurry to sell it, Connor immediately struck the deal. Olivia stood aside in silence with a long face, while the real estate agent said the agreement could be signed tomorrow afternoon. ¡°May I ask when you guys will move out of here? We have to renovate the house immediately for my son¡¯s wedding,¡± said the buyer. ¡°We¡¯ll move out three days after we get the money,¡± Connor promised. ¡°Alright, that settles it, then. We¡¯ll pay the money in full tomorrow,¡± the buyer said readily. Olivia looked at the spectacrly dressed woman, then at her schrly and refined husband next to her. She was really filled with envy. Later that day, Connor drove his Bentley out to have it appraised. He had indeed sumbed to his conscience on this matter. ¡­ Meanwhile, at the Presgrave Vi¡­ Ellen moved into the guest room where she had stayed previously, which was next door to the master bedroom. Her clothes had been put away in the wardrobe. Just then, she heard someone¡¯s footsteps. The next instant, the door to her room was pushed open, and Jared came in with a kitten in his arms. ¡°Milkshake!¡± Ellen blurted out in delight. Little did she expect Jared had brought the kitten home. ¡°I just picked it up from the pet shop. Only when you¡¯re here would we have time to keep it.¡± Jared ced the kitten in Ellen¡¯s arms. Seeing the smile that appeared on her face when she saw the cat, he heaved a sigh of relief. Then, he went downstairs before returning with tworge suitcases of clothes in his hands. As it turned out, he had someone go to Ellen¡¯s previous apartment and pack up the clothes she had left there. Not only that, the clothes were all branded. ¡°You should switch back to this cell phone.¡± He handed Ellen¡¯s new cell phone to her. ¡°This phone¡¯s camera has a higher resolution, which would make it easier for you to take pictures of Milkshake.¡± Ellen¡¯s cheeks burned slightly. These were the things that she had done yesterday in a fit of pique, so she felt somewhat ashamed at this moment. ¡°You, Milkshake, and I will be living together from now on,¡± Jared said smilingly with his eyes full of anticipation. As he had expected, kittens were experts at mood healing, for Ellen was already in a good mood that night. The Presgrave Vi was big, so it would take a long time to look for Milkshake if the little kitten were to disappear somewhere. All Ellen did was tidy her room a little, yet the kitten in her room had gone missing in the blink of an eye. ¡°Milkshake! Milkshake, where are you?¡± She had no choice but to set aside what she was doing to look for the cat. She feared that the cat might fall somewhere, and besides, she was now on the third floor, so she feared that it might fall while going around. She searched along the hallway, but she didn¡¯t find Milkshake either. Then, she noticed that the door to the master bedroom was half-open, which caused her stomach to knot at once. Don¡¯t tell me Milkshake has gone into Jared¡¯s bedroom! It¡¯ll be bad if it pees on his bed. She couldn¡¯t think of anything else. In a moment of desperation, she hurriedly pushed the door open and entered the room to look for the cat. The man was nowhere to be seen in the master bedroom. Ellen was only worried about one thing: she feared that Milkshake might pee on his bed. ¡°Meow!¡± Hearing a faint meow from under the curtains, Ellen was overjoyed. Turns out Milkshake really came in here. She immediately came to the curtains and pulled them back, getting behind theyers of sheer curtains to search for the kitten. As she was absorbed in finding the cat, she didn¡¯t notice at all that the bathroom door had been pulled open behind her. A slender figure who still had steaming off him stepped out from the inside with only a bath towel wrapped around his waist. Toweling his hair dry with his towel, he stepped onto the high-quality carpet in the master bedroom, which perfectly absorbed the sound of his footsteps. Just then, the man noticed a shape protruding from the curtains, which caused him to knit his brows instantly. Someone¡¯s hiding behind my curtains? His nerves tautened at once; he clenched his fists while stepping toward the curtains, wanting to catch the thief immediately. At this moment, Ellen was about toe out after holding Milkshake in her arms behind the curtains. The instant she pulled back the curtains, a fist came flying toward her face. Her eyes widened in fright, and the man also retracted his fist in shock when he saw that it was her. However, he lurched forward for a moment while retracting his fist. Immediately, the man ced his hands firmly on the ss window for support, trapping the frightened youngdy in his arms. In an instant, their faces were so close together that they almost kissed. The atmosphere was indescribably awkward. Therefore, the man decided to just go through with it. Since God had created such an opportunity for him, how could he waste it? He yfully sucked the youngdy¡¯s red lips for a moment with his thin ones. Ellen¡¯s pretty face reddened instantly. She quickly turned her face away; just then, Milkshake jumped out of her arms again. ¡°Don¡¯t hide behind the curtains next time. I might hurt you by mistake,¡± Jared said, reminding her in a deep voice. Feeling deeply embarrassed, Ellen had no choice but to shift the me onto Milkshake. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t enter your room on purpose. Milkshake suddenly went missing before I realized that it entered your room and was h-hiding behind the curtains¡­¡± she exined with a stammer. Then, seeing that the man only had a bath towel wrapped around his waist, she immediately covered her face with her hands, saying, ¡°Sorry.¡± Jared took a few steps back while looking totally at ease. While covering her face with her hands, Ellen peeped through her fingers at the man¡¯s figure. This had to be the most perfect male figure she had ever seen. Jared wasn¡¯t scarily beefy, nor was henky. Instead, he was slender and well-proportioned in stature. With clearly outlined muscles and robust lines, his figure was the perfect embodiment of strength and beauty. ¡°Meow!¡± Ellen was startled by the meow, only to see that the kitten had naughtily jumped onto Jared¡¯s bed. ¡°Ah! Milkshake, you can¡¯t get onto the bed.¡± She immediately leaped to catch the kitten. However, Jared¡¯s bed was too big, and the kitten immediately jumped to the other side of the bed, so she had no choice but to beg Jared for help. ¡°Young Master Jared, please help me catch it.¡± Walking to the other side of the bed to stop the kitten, Jared soon caught it with his big hand. Ellen came over and held the kitten in her arms. Feeling the man¡¯s sturdy chest in close proximity, she went red in the face and dared not even take another nce at it. At this moment, Jared¡¯s deep eyes also flickered unnaturally. He couldn¡¯t keep calm in the youngdy¡¯s presence, especially when he had just taken a shower. Her presence simply ignited his mes of desire. ¡°Go back to your room!¡± he said in a slightly husky voice. Ellen hurriedly ran out with the kitten in her arms, thinking that she had to keep an eye on the kitten and forbid it from running around in the future. After she had left, Jared finally heaved a faint sigh of relief. Looking down at a certain part of his body, he bit his thin lip helplessly. The days ahead aren¡¯t gonna be easy, I¡¯m afraid. After all, I¡¯m an adult man who¡¯s already 26 years old, not a young adult who has juste of age. That night, Ellen ced the kitten on its little bed; she dared not let it run around anymore. The next morning, Ellen got out of bed and was startled to see a figure awaiting her outside the door. ¡°Why did you get up so early in the morning?¡± ¡°Wanna go jogging with me?¡± Jared invited her. As it happened, Ellen also wanted to exercise a bit. She replied with a nod, ¡°Okay! Give me a minute while I get changed.¡± She changed into sportswear before changing into a pair of sports shoes as they went out. Then, she greeted the morning sun with the man, breathing the fresh air on the hillside while jogging along a perfect jogging trail that stretched to the hilltop. Shrouded in a thinyer of mist, the Central Business District nearby looked amazingly beautiful from here. Those high-rise buildings look just like geometrical figures from here, thought Ellen with wonder as she jogged along the trail. The man in front of her jogged while matching her pace. The morning sun cast a gentle glow on her face, making her look delicately attractive with a refreshing charm like morning dew. As expected, Ellen¡¯s stamina wasn¡¯t up to it. After jogging less than 200 yards, she had to slow down and walk instead. Panting slightly, she said with a smile, ¡°I can¡¯t run anymore.¡± Jared stopped jogging, too; he walked with her at a strolling pace. ¡°Let¡¯s walk, then! We¡¯ll walk to the top of the hill beforeing down.¡± Only then did Ellen get a picture of what the super-rich was like. Even such a big jogging facility is privately owned, she thought. After climbing all the way to the top of the hill, she was already out of breath, but she felt very fulfilled. ¡°Wow! It¡¯s so beautiful!¡± she said with a sigh. Jared quietly stepped behind her. Before she realized what was happening, an arm gently wrapped itself around her waist. He leaned forward and rested his attractive chin lightly on her shoulder, asking, ¡°You like it?¡± Ellen¡¯s body tensed up for a moment before she quietly rxed. She replied with a nod, ¡°Uh-huh, I like it.¡± ¡°Then, you should keep on staying at my house. I cane here and enjoy the scenery with you every day,¡± the man pleaded under his breath. Ellen could hear her heart thump. Jared¡¯s words were no different from a profession of love; however, having been through so many things, she was no longer impatient for an oue. Gazing into the distance, she replied, ¡°Let¡¯s wait until I¡¯ve settled down before we talk about this, okay?¡± Jared was also a little annoyed with himself for pushing her too hard. She¡¯s just been through so many things. Can¡¯t I wait until her life bes more peaceful before going out with her? They stayed on the hill for a while. As it was too windy, Jared then led her down the hill for fear that she might catch a cold. He drove her out for breakfast. He usually stayed alone and didn¡¯t like to have servants at home, so he normally ate out for breakfast. However, he wondered if he should get a couple of servants for Ellen so that she could have tasty and nutritious meals while staying at home. ¡°My time¡¯s all yours today. What would you like to do?¡± he asked her. Ellen pondered for a moment before suggesting, ¡°Would you like to go to the movies with me, then?¡± Jared smiled. ¡°Of course.¡± Meanwhile, Connor and Olivia went to the real estate agent together to sign the house purchase and sale agreement. The full payment was credited to Connor¡¯s ount before the real estate agent, who then apanied Connor to the bank to pay off the outstanding loan and get back the mortgaged title deed before making an appointment to go through the property transfer procedure in the afternoon. The buyers were in a hurry to move in, so they gave Connor and his family three days to pack up their belongings and move out after paying in full. The property transfer waspleted at 3.00PM. When the remaining 7.5 million was credited to Connor¡¯s bank ount, Olivia, who was standing next to him, was so angry that her heart almost jumped out of her chest. Ellen, that little brat! So much cash is gonna be given to her in the blink of an eye. I¡¯d rather be killed instead! ¡°Connor, can¡¯t we talk to Ellen again and see if she can let us keep some of the money for our living expenses? Don¡¯t ask for a big amount; just ask her to let us keep about 750,000. What do you think?¡± she said to Connor. Our family will be reduced to starving if we give all 7.5 million to Ellen! As one would expect, greed began to stir in Connor¡¯s heart as he looked at the ount bnce shown on his phone. Indeed, we can talk to Ellen and ask her to let us keep some of the money for our living expenses. Connor prepared to ask Ellen out tomorrow to give her the money and talk about this while he was at it. Meanwhile, in the movie theater¡­ Having bought the movie tickets, Ellen first went to the movie theater¡¯s lounge area with Jared. They were going to watch a warm and inspirational movie for young people. Many youngsters came in groups to watch it, and besides, its male protagonist was yed by an actor whom Ellen had always liked, which made her especially look forward to the movie. While waiting for the movie to begin, Ellen picked up the mini poster on the table; a smile couldn¡¯t help but reach her beautiful sparkling eyes as she looked at the handsome lead actor on the poster. Unbeknownst to her, the man beside her was also looking at her and thus noticed the animated expression on her face. He darted a sidelong nce at the lead actor on the poster, who was indeed pretty good-looking. ¡°Do you like this actor very much?¡± he asked nonchntly. ¡°Uh-huh, I like him very much. He¡¯d just made his debut when I started high school. At the time, he was an unknown little actor; now he¡¯s already one of the top celebrities!¡± Ellen said, introducing the actor as if she were very proud of him. Little did she notice that the smile on the face of the man beside her was somewhat strained. ¡°Is that so?¡± Ellen replied, ¡°That¡¯s right! He¡¯s not only a good actor but also skilled at singing and dancing. My friends and I even clubbed together to go to his concert when I was at college.¡± Her eyes shone brightly as she spoke of her idol, as though she were talking about one of the happiest moments of her life. At this moment, the man¡¯s strained smile vanished. Pressing his tongue against his cheek, he looked askance at the lead actor on the poster, as if a hint of jealousy had surged up within him without rhyme or reason. Ellen continued with a look of anticipation, ¡°I¡¯ll definitely go rooting for him at his next concert. Not only that, I¡¯ll get the upfront seat and try to shake hands with him.¡± The man beside her turned as ck as thunder in an instant. He replied with a faint cough, ¡°Okay! Take me along then. I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°Do you like him as well?¡± Ellen asked in surprise. Jared was speechless. ¡°Uh-huh. You like him, so I like him too, of course.¡± Just then, several youngdies who had been staring at Jared for a long time made some loud noises, with each of them trying to draw his attention in every way possible. They never expected toe across a super-handsome guy in the lounge area. Not only was he a refined beefcake, but he also looked even more handsome than the lead actor. How they wished they could draw his attention! Ellen darted a look at thedies nearby. As a youngdy, she naturally saw through their intentions. Only then did she look narrowly at the man beside her with mesmerizing eyes. No wonder he¡¯s such a chick ma. He¡¯s really charming, after all. Just then, it was announced that they could enter the theater by showing their movie tickets. Ellen stood up, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The movie began shortly after they entered the theater. Ellen was holding a box of popcorn in her arms when Jared reached over for it. At first, Ellen wanted to grab some popcorn, but she ended up grabbing the man¡¯s hand while watching the movie. She darted an embarrassed look at him. Feeling the softness of her fingers, Jared felt a flutter in his heart. However, just when he looked at her tenderly, he noticed that her eyes were fixed steadily on the silver screen, on which the lead actor¡¯s youthful and upbeat appearance drew screams from a bunch of fans in the theater. Of course, Ellen was also drawn to the lead actor, who really looked like everydy¡¯s perfect dreamboat in the movie. His smile was so therapeutic that Ellen¡¯s lips curved into a smile, too. Staring at the lead actor in the movie, the man beside her became jealous at once. Does thisdy like this actor so much? Does she have to fangirl over him like this? Jared didn¡¯t watch the whole movie at all. Instead, he saw again and again how Ellen looked like when she was infatuated with another man. Her eyes even glistened with tears when the lead male protagonist got banished from his family by his parents at the end of the movie. Immersedpletely in the plot of the movie, she secretly shed tears for him. When the movie came to an end, Jared finally heaved a sigh of relief. It was hinted at the end of the movie that there was an Easter egg. Ellen wanted to wait for it, but the man took her hand and dragged her away. ¡°Hey¡­ There¡¯s still an Easter egg in the movie!¡± The man dragged Ellen out of the theater without a pause. She couldn¡¯t help but break free of his grasp, asking, ¡°Let go of me, okay?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you had enough of watching the movie?¡± Jared asked grumpily. ¡°I-I¡¯m going to the restroom!¡± Ellen blinked her eyes, confused as to why Jared had lost his temper all of a sudden. Is he not even gonna let me use the restroom? Jared rxed his grip on her hand. As she went to the restroom, he stood in the hallway and became the subject of discussion among thedies passing by. A fewdies even purposely stood there just to peep at him. After all, this was their first time seeing a man in real life who looked just like one of those wealthy scions in the movies! Just then, Ellen came out of the restroom. Jared immediately wrapped his arm around her and left. ¡°He¡¯s got a girlfriend!¡± ¡°Thatdy¡¯s so lucky to be his girlfriend!¡± Ellen happened to hear this. After being startled for a moment, she started feeling somewhat bashful. As soon as they stepped out of the theater, Ellen¡¯s phone rang. She picked it up and took a look at it, only to see that it was a phone call from Connor. Jared noticed it as well. He patted her on the shoulder, saying, ¡°Just answer the phone and get back what¡¯s supposed to be yours.¡± Ellen answered the phone. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Ellie, it¡¯s me, your Uncle Connor. I finally collected enough money to give you by selling my house and my car. Say, when are you free? Let¡¯s meet up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m free right now.¡± ¡°Okay, you decide on the ce, then. We¡¯ll sit down and talk.¡± Seeing that the theater wasn¡¯t far from Connor¡¯s house, Ellen replied, ¡°Okay, I¡¯m waiting for you at the mall. I¡¯ll send you the address.¡± Connor sounded gentle and sincere over the phone. ¡°Alright, see you in a moment.¡± Jared looked at Ellen. ¡°I¡¯ll meet them with you.¡± Ellen nodded. In fact, she would feel more rxed in hispany. Meanwhile, at Aguirre Residence, Olivia couldn¡¯t help getting excited after watching Connor end the phone call. ¡°How is it? Did Ellen change her stance?¡± ¡°I think so. She¡¯s softhearted in the first ce, anyway.¡± Connor thought it feasible to negotiate with Ellen. Olivia replied, ¡°That¡¯s great! In that case, can we ask her to give us more of the money?¡± Her greed went to her head again; she couldn¡¯t wait for Ellen to pity their family. She even purposely chose to wear some old clothes today while getting Connor to wear a suit from several years ago. The clothes were discolored from multiple piles of washing, which made the couple appear shabbier than before. Just then, Connor¡¯s phone rang; Ellen texted him her address. After taking a look at it, he said, ¡°It¡¯s not far from here. Let¡¯s go!¡± Olivia pondered while saying, ¡°Ellen wille alone, right? Young Master Jared gives me the creeps now whenever I see him.¡± Connor replied, ¡°I think so.¡± He thought that a busy man like Jared probably wouldn¡¯t have time to keep Ellenpany. And besides, he also hoped that Ellen woulde alone so that it would be easier for him to make the request. The couple decided to just brazen it out. As long as they could extract some money from Ellen¡¯s 7.5 million, they wouldn¡¯t have to live in such poverty after this. They took a cab to the shopping mall. As soon as they got out of the cab, Oliviained with a look of disgust, ¡°What¡¯s that smell in the cab?! It stank so much that I almost threw up.¡± She had always gone out in her husband¡¯s Bentley in the past. Its spacious seats were pure pleasure, and besides, she hadn¡¯t taken a cab for a dozen years already. Connor said to her, ¡°All right, stop being so unreasonable! Let¡¯s meet Ellen first.¡± At this moment, he was still thinking about another pair of mother and son to whom he wanted to give some money, so he yearned more than his wife for Ellen to give them some cash. ¡°It¡¯s that cafe, right? Lena took me there before. It¡¯s a nice ce,¡± Olivia said. Connor nodded while taking her to the cafe¡¯s entrance. As soon as they entered, they saw a couple seated in front of the French window, and their hearts thumped instantly. Why is Young Master Jared here too? Olivia and Connor exchanged a brief look. It¡¯s gonna be difficult for us to say it this time. They sat down. When the waiter approached them, Olivia ordered a cup of coffee for herself and a cup of tea for Connor. ¡°Ellie, we¡¯re really sorry. What happened in the past was our fault. We¡¯ve mistreated you as your elders,¡± Connor sincerely apologized. Jared eyed the couple with his prating gaze. Seeing through their lingering resentment, he figured that they were going to y the misery card to gain Ellen¡¯s sympathy. He said with a squint, ¡°She¡¯ll let you off as long as you guys give her share of the money back to her.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you busy today, Young Master Jared?¡± Olivia asked with a forced smile. ¡°I¡¯m keeping Ellenpany today,¡± Jared answered. ¡°Young Master Jared, can we talk to Ellen alone?¡± Connor pleaded. Jared reached out and wrapped his arm around Ellen¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m Ellen¡¯s boyfriend, so I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything that I couldn¡¯t listen to. Mr. and Mrs. Aguirre, just spill it if you¡¯ve got something to say!¡± Connor and Olivia exchanged another brief look, feeling so embarrassed that they didn¡¯t know what to say for a moment. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Jared said, ¡°If you¡¯ve got nothing to say, then please give the 7.5 million to Ellen. We¡¯ve got somewhere else to go.¡± Upon seeing this, Olivia couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Well, Ellie, we¡¯ve driven ourselves to the brink of financial ruin in order to collect the money. We¡¯ve sold our house and our car, you see, yet we¡¯ve got only 7.5 million in our hands. Your uncle and I are getting old, and we really have no idea how we¡¯re gonna live from now on!¡± Jared looked at Ellen. At this very moment, he hoped that she would stand her ground and not sympathize with them. Ellen looked at Olivia. Hearing her aunt¡¯s words, she indeed fell silent for a moment, which made Olivia and Connor wonder if those words had touched her and aroused her sympathy for them. Ellen looked up at the husband and wife across from her as tears slowly welled up in her eyes. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. You two are getting old because you spent the best years of your lives on enjoyment when you two should¡¯ve worked hard. While you two were indulging in luxury, Grandma and I were struggling in poverty. Grandma skimped on food and clothing in order to support me through my schooling. Had you two had the slightest conscience over the years, you would¡¯ve supported us financially; had you shown us even the slightest sympathy, we wouldn¡¯t have had such a rough life. However, you two had neither conscience nor sympathy. You two weren¡¯t even willing to give us a bit of the reward you got in exchange for donating my brother¡¯s heart.¡± Listening to her speech, Connor and Olivia hung their heads in shame and avoided her gaze, whereas Jared only had a pained look in his eyes. ¡°Sorry, Ellie. I¡¯m really ashamed of what we did,¡± Connor said before taking the bank card out of his wallet. He continued, ¡°Here¡¯s 7.5 million on the card, and its passcode is six sixes. Just change the passcode yourself.¡± Seeing that her husband had actually handed over the card like that, Olivia pleaded brazenly at once, ¡°I¡¯m begging you, Ellie, please give us a little money for our living expenses, okay? We don¡¯t need much; 750,000 would be enough.¡± Ellen took the card before standing up to leave. Olivia jumped out of her seat and grabbed her hand. ¡°I¡¯m begging you, Ellie! Take this as my plea to you. Please let us keep some money for the sake that we¡¯re old and incapable of working!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t your daughter quite capable? She came back after studying abroad. Surely, she could earn enough money to support you two,¡± Ellen said before withdrawing her hand from Olivia¡¯s grasp. Olivia then said to Jared, ¡°Young Master Jared, could you please take pity on us and give us some money again? We helped you back then, after all.¡± She was so anxious that she lost her mind and actually pleaded with the man. To her, it was as though the Presgrave Family¡¯s money would fall from the sky; the family was so wealthy that she could easily get several hundred thousand from them! Jared darted a look at her. ¡°It¡¯s true that I¡¯ll show my gratitude to the person who saved me back then, but that person is Ellen, not you and your family.¡± Ellen took his arm, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Olivia¡¯s eyes were full of bitter resentment as she followed the couple with her gaze. She looked back and scolded her husband, saying, ¡°Connor, why did you give her the money so readily just now?! Now we¡¯re not getting anything!¡± Jared took Ellen to a bank nearby. After confirming that there was indeed 7.5 million in the bank ount, he had the amount transferred to her ount immediately. However, Ellen wasn¡¯t delighted by the sight of the phone notification showing the ount bnce. Instead, her heart was heavy, and her feelings wereplicated. ¡°It¡¯s still early, so let me take you somewhere for fun. Let¡¯s go!¡± Jared said to her in an attempt to make her happy. Ellen nodded before getting into the car with him. Meanwhile, Olivia and Connor quarreled as they left the cafe. In the end, Connor left first by cab in a fit of rage, leaving Olivia at the entrance to the shopping mall. With no alternative, she had no choice but to call Selena. After getting the phone call, Selena hurriedly took a cab here to pick Olivia up. When Olivia told her about their family¡¯s situation, she immediately got anxious. So, my family is penniless now? ¡°Mom, have you estimated how much money we have left?¡± Olivia¡¯s head was throbbing at this moment; she felt there was no hope left in her life. ¡°If we go back and sell some furniture, we can probably raise around 15,000.¡± Selena replied, ¡°Ellen¡¯s so heartless! Does it make her happy to leave us homeless?!¡± She was filled with hatred for Ellen. Now that Ellen¡¯s gotten the 7.5 million, she¡¯s definitely going to be very pleased with herself in the future! After all, she just turned into a richdy in an instant. Olivia said, ¡°She wouldn¡¯t have been so cruel to us if she had a conscience. I pleaded with her today to let us keep 750,000, but she wasn¡¯t even willing to give us a single dime! She¡¯s really hungry for money.¡± She thought that what Ellen had said at the end of their conversation was just an excuse she had made to refuse to give them the money. At this moment, Selena¡¯s feelings were alsoplicated, because she had a big secret that she dared not tell Olivia. It disgusted her that Connor had another family outside of his marriage to her mother. She wondered how much money the mistress had gotten from her father with her amazing capabilities. She must¡¯ve gotten a lot of money from Dad. Perhaps they¡¯re even better off than us! ¡°Mom, you have to keep an eye on the money at home. Don¡¯t let Dad spend the money out there.¡± Olivia replied, ¡°How much money could your dad spend, anyway? He only spends money on drinking tea apart from smoking.¡± She was still not alerted even now. In her mind¡¯s eye, Connor was frugal despite his ipetence. His monthly allowance wouldn¡¯t exceed 150 apart from the money he spent on gas. ¡°Mom, you have to control the purse strings of our family. We can¡¯t let Dad do that anymore,¡± Selena insisted vehemently. Olivia asked, ¡°Lena, I gave you 15,000 before. How much money do you have left now?¡± At this moment, she hoped that Selena would spend more thriftily. However, Selena had always been a spendthrift since she was little, so how much money could she save? She had spent several thousand in the blink of an eye while staying at a five-star hotel over the past few days. ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t have much left. I have only about 3,800 left in my bank ount.¡± ¡°How could you spend so much money in just a few days?!¡± Olivia¡¯s head instantly throbbed again in anger. ¡°You can¡¯t spend money like this anymore. Our family can¡¯t afford to let you be so extravagant anymore. We all have to live a frugal life from now on.¡± Selena felt very displeased as she listened to this. Olivia had never said such things before, but now she reprimanded her like this. When they returned to the Aguirre Residence, Connor was already packing their belongings. He had rented a three-bedroom house from a friend and was trying to move to a new house tomorrow. However, Olivia protested the instant she heard that the house was in Lockwood Vige, where she had lived before. ¡°It¡¯s so out of the way! How are we gonna go shopping in the future?!¡± ¡°How are you gonna go shopping when we¡¯ve got no money anymore? It¡¯s nice enough that we have a ce to stay and have food to eat at the moment!¡± Connor barked at her. Olivia was stupefied for a moment. ¡°Can¡¯t you rent somece else instead? We can¡¯t even hold our heads up if we move back and run into someone we know.¡± Chapter 1671-1680 Chapter 1671-1680 Connor replied, ¡°People will learn about our situation sooner orter. Do you think you can keep that a secret for life?¡± He was ready to return to life at the bottom of society, but Olivia wasn¡¯t prepared for that yet. ¡°In any case, I¡¯m not moving out of here. You move out if you want.¡± Connor replied, ¡°I¡¯ve paid Brian a year¡¯s worth of rent. Just go live on the streets if you¡¯re not moving out of here!¡± He didn¡¯t care whether she was moving out of here anymore, because the ce he rented happened to be near his second home, which would make it easy for him to take care of his son in the future. Olivia sat on the bed, shedding tears of anger while looking at the duplex apartment. How beautiful and luxurious it is! Not to mention that the chandelier was bought for several thousand. As Connor packed their belongings, he called the furniture seller and asked them to take the furniture away tomorrow morning. Since they couldn¡¯t take these items of furniture away with them, they had no choice but to sell them off cheaply as second-hand ones. Selena also returned to her room before sitting down and looking at the room of about 500 square feet. She thought of how she would have to stay in a tiny rented house and live in straitened circumstances after this. If her friends were to learn that she was suddenly no longer a richdy, they would only look down on her. She dared not even get in touch with them now because she feared that they wouldugh at her when they met. They would show off their luxury handbags and branded fashion items, but she would always be carrying used handbags and wearing out-of-season clothes. Her parents were old, yet she had aplished nothing and didn¡¯t even have a decent job at the moment. All of a sudden, she felt so stressed out that she wished she could run away. The Aguirres couldn¡¯t sleep on theirst night staying in the house. The next morning, the furniture seller came to the Aguirre Residence and set the prices of the pieces of furniture, which were eventually sold at 20,000. After receiving the payment, Connor called a mover to get a truck over before the family packed their belongings and got into the truck. Having moved everything, Olivia, Selena, and Connor got into the truck¡¯s trunk and headed for the rented house. Their rented house was on the fifth floor of a self-built housingplex with no elevator. After moving everything into the house, Selena stood in front of her room and was instantly stupefied. Her room was even smaller than her previous closet. It only had a small bed and a cheap and small wardrobe beside it that couldn¡¯t store many clothes; moreover, the room stank of mold. She looked at her parents¡¯ bedroom, which was also very small. The house had three bedrooms, but the bedrooms were all very small, and even the living room had poor lighting. It really had nothing good about it apart from being cheap. Connor began cleaning the house, whereas Olivia pped her hand over her nose. Looking at the dust in the air, sheined in a loud voice, ¡°This house isn¡¯t even habitable!¡± Selena suddenly burst into tears, saying, ¡°Dad, I don¡¯t want to live here. This ce is too shabby.¡± Looking at his daughter, Connor was overwhelmed with regret. He had treated her like a princess after getting rich back then. As a result, she grew up to act like a princess despite not being one. ¡°Lena, don¡¯t be picky anymore in our current circumstances,¡± he said in an attempt to advise her. Olivia looked at Selena while feeling terribly sorry for her. When has Lena ever suffered like this? ¡°I¡¯m not staying here! This is no ce for human beings at all,¡± Selena said angrily. She picked up her bag, saying, ¡°I¡¯m staying at my friend¡¯s ce for a couple of days.¡± She left in a huff, but Connor didn¡¯t bother to care about her. After all, she was already an adult, so he could no longer do anything about her. Olivia eventually resigned herself to their fate. After helping Connor with the cleaning, she looked at the small kitchen and wasn¡¯t even in the mood to cook. ¡°Connor, let¡¯s eat out for dinner!¡± She was toozy to cook. However, Connor replied with a frosty expression, ¡°How can we afford to eat out every day now? We¡¯ll go shopping for groceries in a while. From now on, we¡¯ll cook at home.¡± Olivia¡¯s chest heaved up and down in anger. She felt that her husband had now be a very stingy skinflint, and she could predict that their lives would definitely be difficult from now on. Selena took a cab back to the downtown area with her bag in her hand. After entering a cafe, she called one of her friends, wanting to stay with her for some time. ¡°Hey, Stefanie! What have you been doingtely?¡± ¡°I just went fishing at sea with a couple of friends! What about you? How are you doingtely?¡± ¡°I just came back from traveling overseas! I just want to ask you out for a gathering or something.¡± ¡°Which country did you go to?¡± ¡°Dansbury.¡± ¡°Then you must¡¯ve had a great time! I¡¯m not in town right now, so let¡¯s meet up next time!¡± ¡°Alright then, we¡¯ll meet up next time.¡± Selena hung up the phone. After looking out the window guiltily, she called another friend. ¡°Melissa, what are you doing right now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m with my boyfriend. What about you?¡± ¡°You have a boyfriend? Howe I didn¡¯t know that?¡± ¡°I just started going out with him a few days ago. We¡¯re still in the first flush of our rtionship and are now traveling in Estrea. What have you been up to these days?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m at home. I just came back from abroad, too.¡± ¡°Oh! I saw a handbag you liked that wasn¡¯t avable in the countryst time. Do you want me to buy it for you? It¡¯s about 3,000 bucks cheaper over here. If you want it, I can bring it to you when Ie back.¡± Selena hurriedly replied, ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to. I don¡¯t like the bag anymore. I¡¯ll see.¡± ¡°Would you like me to take pictures for you at the special counter, then? If there¡¯s a bag that catches your fancy, I can bring it back to you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel like buying handbagstely. Anyways, have fun with your boyfriend,¡± Selena said. After hanging up the phone, she let out a sigh. At this very moment, she really feared that these friends would find out about her current situation; perhaps they woulde together andugh at her. She used to be considered wealthier among them, but now she had nothing left to her name, whereas they were living afortable life. Selena couldn¡¯t help but close her eyes. She decided to call Charlie, the big fatso who was over 220 pounds and the rich dandy whom she looked down upon from the bottom of her heart. At this very moment, the thought that she would have to go back to her father¡¯s rented apartment made her feel ufortable all over. She would rather suck up to Charlie and stay overnight at his house than go home. She then called Charlie, who quickly answered the phone call and expressed his surprise at this. ¡°You remembered me atst, Lena. What¡¯s the matter? How are you doing these days?¡± Selena voluntarily yed up to him, saying, ¡°I¡¯m doing fine, Mr. Dune. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m kind of bored lately. I wonder if you¡¯ve got a party or something that I can join.¡± ¡°There¡¯s one! There¡¯s a private electronic music festival tonight. You wannae over? I¡¯ll cover your expenses.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯d be great! I happen to be free at the moment.¡± ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll pick you upter.¡± ¡°Uh-huh! See youter.¡± Selena bit her lip after hanging up the phone. She had yed around abroad long ago and was no longer a virgin. Now, she wanted to capitalize on her beauty to turn things around. ¡­ Jared rushed back to his vi in the evening. As soon as he pulled up his car, he saw a slim figure squatting on thewn nearby, who was holding a cat teaser in her hand and ying with a kitten with thest rays of the setting sun behind them. Such a scene made one yearn for a peaceful life. For a while, Jared couldn¡¯t tear his eyes away. The wind lifted thedy¡¯s thick and smooth hair, revealing a small part of her fair face. The lovely and innocent smile on her lips was so wonderfully therapeutic that anyone would long for it. Jared walked up to her. Ellen noticed from the corner of her eye that someone wasing over. When she looked back and saw who the person was, she immediately tossed the cat teaser away and happily came up to him. Her eyes flickered bashfully as they came closer and closer to each other. The next second, the man wrapped his arms around her and pressed her to his chest before pressing his thin lips against her hair. There was no one around them, but Ellen¡¯s face reddened visibly. ¡°Let¡¯s cook dinner together tonight. I bought some ingredients,¡± Jared said to her. Ellen quickly replied with a nod, ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s cook together then.¡± ¡°Meow!¡± The ignored kitten ran over and crawled up Jared¡¯s trouser leg. Obviously, it was asking for a hug. Jared bent down and picked up the kitten with a smile while caressing its chubby face. It¡¯s really as cute as its female owner. If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc It was quite a pleasure for the couple to make dinner together. In the spacious Western kitchen, they busied themselves preparing steaks for today¡¯s dinner. Ellen could only make Mediterranean cuisine and was unfamiliar with steaks, so Jared was the chef for tonight. Still, it surprised her that he was actually an all-around man who was not only capable at work but also skilled at cooking. She watched him grill the steaks with movements simr to those of a five- star chef; the steaks¡¯ aroma filled the air and was incredibly mouthwatering. ¡°Have you learned how to cook before?¡± she asked curiously while looking on. Jared replied, ¡°Uh-huh, I¡¯ve learned it before. Cooking¡¯s a pleasure as well.¡± He had once devoted himself specifically to studying different kinds of food recipes. It didn¡¯t take long for him to master anything, though Ellen was the firstdy apart from his family who had the honor of tasting his cooking. It was still evening outside the window. Jared said to Ellen, ¡°There¡¯s a pair of scissors there, and the vase can hold some flowers. Can you go to the garden out there and cut some flowers before putting them in the vase?¡± A sense of romance instantly surged up within Ellen. Since she was d to do this, she replied, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do it right away.¡± With that, she went to the garden with the scissors. There were various species of flowers in the Presgrave Vi¡¯s back garden. Even though it was autumn, there were still flowers blooming in all their beauty in the garden. Ellen was more or less artistic, so she cut five different species of flowers and arranged them together into a charmingly romantic bouquet. Everything seemed wonderful as she arranged the flowers on the dining table while the man bustled around in the kitchen. The mood was cozy and romantic, and there was a touch of sweetness in the air. Finally, as she finished arranging the flowers, Jared was also done making dinner, which consisted of baked lobster with cheese, grilled short ribs, fruit sd, and dessert. Jared took her hand, saying, ¡°Come with me.¡± Ellen followed him toward a door in puzzlement. Surprisingly, the door opened to a downward spiraling staircase. Then, the lights came on, revealing a luxurious wine cer. The dim light illuminated the ss cab, in which an expensive collection of wine bottles was sparkling in bright colors. Jared asked her, ¡°Which vor of wine do you prefer?¡± ¡°The sweet ones,¡± Ellen answered. Jared then chose a bottle of sweet wine for her. She watched him take the wine bottle before looking around the room. When she came to her senses, she met the man¡¯s deep and fathomless eyes. In such a dim light, the youngdy looked just like a bottle of appealingly tasty wine that anyone would be impatient to have a taste of. As she blinked her eyes, Jared put the wine bottle back in the cab and held her pretty face in hisrge hands. Realizing what he was going to do, Ellen obediently closed her eyes. Then, she felt a warm kiss on her red lips, which sent a shudder through her. She stood on tiptoe while going along with the man¡¯s kiss. Perhaps the atmosphere here was too tempting, or perhaps this guy was simply too charming, for she subconsciously yearned for him and went along with him. Finally, Jared ended the kiss prematurely, fearing that something unintended might happen if they kept on kissing. They came upstairs with a bottle of red wine. The lights outside the window came on automatically, illuminating the entire vi at once. A romantic atmosphere filled the air thanks to the beautiful bouquet of flowers on the dining table. Jared opened the wine bottle and poured a half ss of red wine for Ellen, who then clinked her ss on his with a flicker of shyness in her clear eyes. ¡°Have a taste of my cooking,¡± he said with a tender smile. Ellen cut a piece of the short ribs and tasted it. The meat was smooth and tender, and it tasted good and authentic. She praised with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡± Jared felt very fulfilled. Seeing the sincere smile in her eyes, he was very satisfied; just her smile alone could satisfy him so much. ¡°Thanks for the dinner. Here¡¯s a toast to you,¡± Ellen said while raising her ss. The words ¡®cross-cupped wine¡¯ involuntarily popped up in Jared¡¯s mind as he looked at her slender and tender arms. He looked forward to the day when he could drink cross-cupped wine with her. ¡°Meow!¡± The kitten joined them from the sidelines, looking at its owners and their romantic dinner with its big eyes full of curiosity. Ellen giggled. ¡°Are you hungry too?¡± The kitten tilted its head to one side. It¡¯d already had enough to eat; it was just that it liked the bouquet of flowers on the dining table and wanted to y with it. ¡­ Meanwhile, a private electronic music festival was taking ce in a vi. Uponing here with Charlie, Selena seemed toe alive. She looked at the world of luxury and extravagance before her. This is the life that I¡¯m supposed to enjoy¡ªnot in that poky rented apartment. ¡°Come on, Lena. Let me introduce Mr. Cillian, the organizer of our event today,¡± Charlie said while introducing the man to her. Cillian seemed a little over 30 years old. He was mature and steady, and he seemed very rich. Selena couldn¡¯t help but immediately make eyes at him in secret with a flicker of infatuation in her eyes. Cillian didn¡¯t reject her either. He gave her a slight wink that implied that he also liked her. Selena¡¯s heart began thumping involuntarily. She really couldn¡¯t stand Charlie¡¯s obesity, so she was here to look for a man to hook up with. Cillian owned such arge vi, so he had to be the richest among them. Selena sat nearby while holding a ss of red wine. Seeing how Cillian stood in the crowd and was surrounded by everyone, she was instantly filled with admiration for him. Perhaps because she was a stranger, her arrival came as a breath of fresh air to Cillian. After all, the ladies who came here tonight had more or less slept with him before, so they were no longer new to him. He shifted his gaze toward her from time to time, whereas Selena was secretly delighted when she sensed the man¡¯s gaze. Seems like Mr. Cillian is very interested in me! While Charlie was hanging out with his group of friends, Selena voluntarily walked up to Cillian with a ss of red wine in her hand. ¡°Here¡¯s to you, Mr. Cillian.¡± Cillian happily clinked his ss on hers. ¡°You¡¯re very pretty, Miss Lena.¡± ¡°Thanks for thepliment,¡± Selena replied with an enchanting smile. ¡°Can I be friends with you, then?¡± ¡°Of course, you can! Everyone here is my friend, so you¡¯re one of them, of course.¡± ¡°Can we exchange our numbers, then?¡± Selena asked. Cillian immediately gave her his phone number, upon which she quickly saved it on her phone. Just then, someone shoved Selena on purpose, causing her to fall into Cillian¡¯s arms right away. Cillian boldly wrapped his arms around her waist, upon which the mood between them instantly became amorous. ¡°You smell so good.¡± His eyes zed over a little. Drawn to his tall and handsome appearance, Selena didn¡¯t pull away from him either. Instead, she enjoyed the touch of his hand on her waist. At this moment, Charlie¡¯s friend patted him nearby, saying, ¡°Hey, look at the girl you brought with you. She hooked up with Mr. Cillian so quickly.¡± The instant Charlie looked back, the smile in his eyes vanished. He had brought Selena here tonight as a chaperone, but she actually had the nerve to cuddle Cillian now. She¡¯s really making me look bad! He felt inferior in front of his friends because of his obesity in the first ce. Now that even the girl he had brought with him was going to abandon him, he felt really displeased. Meanwhile, Selena didn¡¯t notice at all that she had angered Charlie. Instead, she was still chatting and laughing with Cillian. Just then, Cillian reminded her that her phone was ringing. Selena had no choice but to answer the phone first. She walked toward a quiet room, while Charlie wanted toe over and warn her not to forget who she was. As soon as Selena entered the room, she noticed that she had a phone call from Olivia. She answered the phone and said sullenly, ¡°Hey, Mom! What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Where are you, Lena? Why aren¡¯t youing home yet?¡± ¡°Which home am I going back to? You mean Dad¡¯s rented apartment? I¡¯m not going back!¡± ¡°Listen to me, Lena. It¡¯s dangerous for ady like you to be out there.¡± ¡°I¡¯m with one of my friends! I won¡¯t be in danger.¡± ¡°Is that friend of yours a man or ady?¡± ¡°Stop worrying about me, Mom. Just get along with Dad instead!¡± ¡°Lena, I know you can¡¯t stand our situation right now, but it¡¯s not like I wanted to live like this either. It¡¯s Ellen¡¯s fault for making our lives so miserable!¡± Selena replied, ¡°I hate Ellen¡¯s guts! She ruined our family! Do you know that I could no longer hold my head high in front of my friends now? I dare not even buy a bag that¡¯s worth 15,000. My friends are moving around in every way possible, yet I have no choice but to stay in that cheap rented apartment with you and Dad! I can¡¯t do that.¡± Having drunk a little just now, she went mad with rage at this very moment. Unbeknownst to her, however, Charlie was standing outside the room while she was getting so agitated. ¡°Lena, you¡¯re the only person I can depend on!¡± ¡°Mom, if you want to depend on me, just stay out of my life for now. I¡¯ll get myself a rich husband.¡± ¡°In that case, Lena, you have to keep your eyes open and find a man who¡¯s really wealthy! Don¡¯t get taken for a ride,¡± Olivia said to her. Selena reassured her, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom. I¡¯ll definitely capture the heart of a rich guy.¡± Charlie¡¯s lips curled into a sneer as Selena hung up the phone in the room. What? Selena¡¯s family is left penniless now? They¡¯re so poor that they have to live in a rented apartment, huh? No wonder she called me tonight. She actually wanted to hook up with someone through me! What is she taking me for? A tool? Charlie had only gotten interested in Selena because he had heard before that she came from a rich family. However, little did he think she was actually pretending to be rich. What gives such a b*tch the right to look down on me? How dare she make me unable to hold my head up in front of my friends! I¡¯m gonna let this phony know the consequences she¡¯s bringing upon herself! He wasn¡¯t a real gentleman; instead, he was also a proud man. Since Selena dared to spurn him, she would have to pay the price for that. Aftering out of the private room, Selena immediatelyposed her features and put on a flirtatious smile. Naturally, she fixed her eyes on Cillian, thinking that she had to win his heart tonight and get in touch with him in the future. What if she really managed to marry into his family in the future? Charlie was hanging out with his friends, but he didn¡¯te to Selena when he saw her figure emerging from the room. Instead, he only looked at her from nearby with a sinister smile. Selena came up to Cillian with a ss of red wine in her hand. She apologized to him, saying, ¡°Mr. Cillian, sorry for neglecting you just now. The phone call was longer than I expected.¡± ¡°Well, then, you¡¯ve got to drink a ss of wine as punishment,¡± Cillian replied with a smile. To him, Selena wasn¡¯t the prettiest woman here, but she was definitely the newest in his circle of friends, and he happened to have a preference for newdies. Seeing that his eyes were glued to her, Selena slowly got carried away, thinking that she was the star tonight and the woman he was courting. Charlie¡¯s friends continued to feel sorry for him. After all, they could tell that Selena had ditched him. They said, ¡°Mr. Dune, yourpanion is so unfit for her job!¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing! She¡¯s just ying around, after all. Just let her have fun for now.¡± Charlie let out a chuckle in a disy of magnanimity. Just then, Cillian said, ¡°Miss Lena, I have a private room on the second floor, so what about we go upstairs and have some fun? It¡¯s too noisy here.¡± He began testing Selena¡¯s nerves to see if she had the nerve to y with him. What was Selena afraid of? She was afraid that she couldn¡¯t win Cillian¡¯s heart. She replied in secret delight, ¡°Okay! I also think it¡¯s too noisy here, so let¡¯s have some fun alone.¡± Charlie almost crushed the wine ss in his hand when he saw Cillian lead Selena upstairs. Inwardly, he was really angry, for Selena really didn¡¯t give a damn about him. She actually went up to the second floor to have fun with Mr. Cillian! He had previously thought that Selena was a principled rich heiress, but little did he think she was actually such a cheap and promiscuousdy. Ha! In that case, I¡¯ll let her suffer a double whammy tonight! Unexpectedly, Cillian was an uninhibited man and instantly grabbed Selena as soon as he entered the room. At the same time, Selena was also captivated by him. As things instantly became heated between the two, she took the initiative to cater to him. However, she soon discovered a major w, and that was the fact that he did notst long. In less than five minutes, he had reached his limit, and though his expression darkened, she still continued topliment him. After experiencing his fair share of women, Cillian was naturally aware that Selena was only feigning her praise for him, and he instantly lost his temper. Pushing away her hand that wrapped around his body from behind, he said, ¡°Miss Aguirre, I think you should head back downstairs!¡± His dismissive tone made her stop in her tracks, but she tactfully tugged her dress on and headed downstairs. Meanwhile, upon seeing Selena returning without Cillian, Charlie sneered, knowing that she had already kept himpany. He strode toward the speaker, where he took the microphone from the host and announced, ¡°Next, I¡¯d like to invite someone on stage. Please enjoy the show.¡± After hearing that there was an uing performance, the audience looked at him expectantly, and he motioned for the lighting technician to point in Selena¡¯s direction while dering, ¡°Next, we would like to invite Selena to entertain us with a dance.¡± Instantly, the lighting technician shone a spotlight on Selena¡¯s body. Unable to react in time, she stood under the light,pletely dumbfounded as all eyes were on her, some in anticipation, some in ridicule, and some in amusement. ¡°Selena,e on stage and give us a show to keep us entertained!¡± Charlie¡¯s voice had taken on a tone of disrespect as if Selena was a tool he had brought to please the public. Her face turned extremely red and she looked at Charlie, hoping he would give her a chance to get off the stage, but he continued to urge her, ¡°Selena, why aren¡¯t you getting up yet? Give us a twirl!¡± Hearing that, she lifted her dress and walked toward him, saying to him with her head held high, ¡°Charlie, what are you talking about? Who said I was going to perform?¡± She was speaking in her regr tone, but as Charlie was holding a microphone, everyone heard what was said. ¡°Oh, does Miss Selena not want to y along? What¡¯s wrong? Did you think that I brought you here as an esteemed guest? In that case, you¡¯re wrong. I only invited you to put on a performance for us and keep our guests entertained.¡± Instantly, Selena red at him with her usual haughty expression. ¡°Charlie, don¡¯t push it.¡± At the sight of her expression, he couldn¡¯t help but let out a howl. ¡°Selena, who do you think you¡¯re fooling? Everyone knows you have nothing to your name now, and your entire family is living in a crappy rented apartment! No wonder you came in such an awful dress tonight; I guess your family can¡¯t even afford a decent evening gown!¡± Selena¡¯s face flushed red as she felt the mocking gazes centered on her from all directions, and her mind went nk. How did Charlie find out about her circumstances? ¡°Do you know why she¡¯s here tonight? She wants to hunt for a permanent ATM. Everyone, pay attention. Don¡¯t be fooled by this so-called rich girl. I used to think she was wealthy, but I didn¡¯t expect she was just bluffing!¡± Charlie¡¯s words made her so ashamed and angry that she wished a hole would open up and swallow her whole. Just then, she saw Cillian on the second floor, who was fully clothed anding downstairs. However, there was not a trace of interest in the way he looked at her, and he treated her like she was invisible, not even sparing a nce at her. Selena, on the other hand, looked closely at Cillian, hoping that he woulde to her rescue like a knight in shining armor and rescue her from her embarrassment. However, Charlie sneered. ¡°Selena, hurry up and get out. Do you think this is the kind of asion where a fake like you can enter? Only qualified guests are eligible to attend this festival. The only thing you are worthy of is to please the guests and fill their sses for them.¡± ¡°Charlie.¡± Selena gritted her teeth angrily. However, Charlie ignored her and continued to mock her loudly into the microphone, ¡°Should I ask Mr. Cillian to introduce you to a waitressing job? You¡¯d earn a few hundred a month!¡± At that moment, Selena was so humiliated that she walked toward her bag and picked it up before hastily taking her leave, while Charlie continued to curse at her from behind, ¡°You shameless b*tch, why are you still pretending to be all high and mighty? You ignored me when I helped you, and now you¡¯re nning to use me as a stepping stone? If you think you can marry a rich man with your status, dream on! I want all your friends to know what sort of person you are.¡± Trembling, Selena walked toward the entrance of the vi. Her pride and arrogance had been tossed away and stomped all over that night. Once Selena was outside, the guard told her that she had to walk a mile down the road to catch a cab. Instantly, she despaired, but she didn¡¯t want to stay here for even a second longer, so she was forced to keep walking along the streetlights with her bag in hand, traveling down the empty road as if she were a ghost. ¡°Ahh!¡± She broke down and let out a scream before covering her face and crying, feeling sorrow like she had never felt before. Her life waspletely ruined. Walking until her legs felt as if they were going to break, she finally made it out. She left with nothing, yet she¡¯d given up her body like a fool. Heading to a pharmacy, she bought a box of pills and swallowed it on the bench outside the shop alone. And yet, her feelings were far more bitter than the pills, and her night was practically a living nightmare. Ellen, you did this to me! I hate you! At midnight, Ellen was sleeping when her phone suddenly rang, startling her out of her slumber. After she hurriedly fumbled for her phone, she turned it on and saw an unknown number. Ellen picked it up and asked, ¡°Hello? Who¡¯s this?¡± Suddenly, a harsh female voice roared at her from the other end, ¡°Ellen Reiss, I won¡¯t let you rest easy! You will get your retribution, you vicious woman!¡± As soon as the woman¡¯s howl came to an end, an eerie and haunting tune sounded. Upon hearing this in the middle of the night, Ellen nearly threw her phone away in fear. Fortunately, she quickly switched on the lights and hung up the call. She thought to herself that someone must have yed a prank on her, and as this person had called out her name, it was obvious that they were someone who knew her well. Her face was a little ashen, and she was still somewhat fearful. After all, anyone else would be greatly shaken if they received such a call in the middle of the night. She exhaled and took a couple of deep breaths before deciding not to pay attention to them. They must be someone harboring bad intentions, so why should she be bothered? Just then, Ellen¡¯s phone chimed again with a notification tone, and her phone rang continuously as if she was receiving many text messages at once. She picked up her phone angrily and opened the text messages, only to throw her phone away in fright. On her phone, there was nothing but harrowing pictures of corpses or ghosts that made her heart race. Ellen began to gasp for air. She had always been terrified of the paranormal, and this person managed to send her the pictures she was afraid of the most. Who the hell is this? She looked at the phone and hugged herself tightly before taking a look at the clock. It was two in the morning. There was still some time before dawn, but she couldn¡¯t sleep at all even if she wanted to. Her mind was filled with the pictures she had just seen, and her body was even covered in a cold sweat. With the lights turned on, she drew the bed cover before hiding herself underneath, feeling tormented. ¡­ Meanwhile, Selena received a message from the hotel as well. ¡®Miss Aguirre, I¡¯m already doing my job. Don¡¯t worry, in less than a week, that girl will lose her mind.¡¯ ¡®Better yet, make her go insane and drive her into the psychiatric ward,¡¯ she replied viciously. She had hired someone to frighten Ellen, which was the same tactic someone in her university had used in the past to scare a perfectly normal girl into psychosis and a lifetime of medication, leaving her in a tragic state. As Selena had found out that Ellen lived alone, scaring her was a fatal move. She nned to continue sending people to harass Ellen at night, rendering her unable to live in peace by keeping her on high alert at all times. In the long run, any sane person would eventually lose their mind. Selena was on the verge of insanity as well. It had been two days since she was humiliated by Charlie, and she had spent those two days living in pain and resentment. She detested Ellen. After all, she was treated like this because of Ellen, and she vowed to make her life miserable. At dawn, Jared had already changed into his sportswear and was waiting for Ellen to arise in the living room. Recently, they¡¯d begun jogging together, as if they had formed a tacit understanding between them. To him, jogging wasn¡¯t important¡ªbeing with Ellen was. Usually, she would get up at half past seven, but when he waited outside her door until it was half past eight and did not hear any signs of her waking up, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a trace of worry. Did she fall sick? In the end, he decided to knock on her door, and he soon heard footsteps inside. Instantly, the door opened to reveal Ellen with her hair down and her forehead coated in a cold sweat, standing by the doorway with an ashen face. From the looks of it, it was clear that she had not slept well at all. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?¡± he asked in concern. Ellen nodded and apologized, ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t think I can go jogging today. I want to rest a bit longer. Is that all right?¡± Jared reached out and ced a hand on her forehead. After seeing that she did not have a fever, he assured her in a gentle voice, ¡°Go ahead and rest! I¡¯ll go make some congee for you.¡± Ellen gently nodded, not intending to tell him what she encounteredst night as she felt that he already had enough work to deal with every day. After she went back to sleep, she felt much more reinvigorated when she reawakened at eleven o¡¯clock. Subsequently, she deleted the pictures from her phone. In the afternoon, Jared headed to thepany while she stayed at home, leisurely spending her time taking care of the cat and nts. Every afternoon at three, Jared would order a different set of afternoon tea desserts for her apanied by a gift box, satisfying her taste buds while also giving her a new surprise each day. When night fell, he took her out for dinner at a restaurant nearby. ¡°Tell me, what nightmare did you havest night?¡± Jared asked worriedly, wondering what she dreamed of that sent her breaking into a cold sweat. ¡°Nothing, I just thought of something scary,¡± Ellen lied, not wanting to bring up the grotesque pictures to him on such a romantic night. However, as she ate, she felt her stomach churning and covered her mouth with a hand, losing her appetite. Keenly sensing that something was off about her, Jared handed her a ss of water and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you feel sick?¡± Ellen epted the ss and took a sip before shaking her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I probably don¡¯t have an appetite because I didn¡¯t sleep wellst night.¡± As she had expected, she was unable to continue eating after looking at the tes of meat and ended her meal with only vegetables. After dinner, Jared took her home, and the two watched documentaries on the couch in the living room. Ellen enjoyed watching historical documentaries, and so did Jared. But right now, he wasn¡¯t paying attention to the television screen. He stood up and got himself a ss of tea, and upon taking his seat again, he sat next to Ellen and naturally draped his long arm over her shoulders. Sensing his intentions, she shifted her posture and allowed his arm to slide down her shoulder and wrap around her waist. At this, Jared did not have the guts to take a step further and was satisfied by letting her watch the documentary in his arms. Before they realized it, it was already eleven. Recalling that he still had heaps of work to deal with the next day, Ellen decided not to take up any more of his time and said, ¡°It¡¯ste. Let¡¯s head upstairs to sleep!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jared nodded before adding, ¡°Juste to me if you have any nightmares.¡± Ellen blinked and asked, ¡°Really? Any time?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Jared¡¯s lips curled into a smile. He didn¡¯t mind holding her while he slept at all. Exhausted after the long day, Ellen returned to her bed after taking a bath and listening to her favorite music before she gradually drifted to sleep. Just as the clock struck two in the morning, she heard her phone ringing in her sleep again. She opened her eyes and saw that someone was calling her again, and the number was the same one that had called her before. After looking at the time and seeing that it was two o¡¯clock on the dot, she was filled with anger. Knowing that someone was trying to prank her again, she took a deep breath and decided to give them a warning. She picked up and turned on the speaker, threatening, ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are or where youe from, but if you keep harassing me, I¡¯ll call the cops.¡± A voice continued to sound from the other end as if it were cursing her. ¡°Ellen, I won¡¯t let you off easily. You¡¯ve been surrounded by evil spirits, and the Grim Reaper will take your life soon. You¡¯ll die a horrible, horrible death.¡± Soon after, a demonic wail sounded, sending chills down her spine. The curses kept pouring in from the other end of the phone, and she hung up while gasping for air. She thought she would be less scared if she thought of the caller as a prankster, but when she heard those voices in the middle of the night, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of terror radiating from her surroundings. Just then, a frightened bird suddenly fluttered out of the darkness outside the window, causing her heart to skip a beat in fear. Immediately after, her phone began to flood with text messages once again, and she knew what was being sent to her without having to look. As she closed her eyes, the pictures she sawst night involuntarily emerged in her mind. At that moment, her phone rang again. However, she chose to turn it off instead of looking at it, but she was unable to fall asleep again. Hence, she stayed up until dawn, and it was only after she saw the morning sun that she dared to close her eyes and fall asleep peacefully. When the clock hit half past seven, Jared was already outside her door, but he still did not see her waking up. Deciding not to disturb her sleep, he headed to the gym instead. Meanwhile, Ellen woke upter that morning at eleven. When she turned on her phone and took a look at the time, she hastily rushed downstairs, thinking that Jared must have left for work. However, to her surprise, he had not gone to work and was sitting on the couch and doing his work on hisptop instead. Upon hearing the footsteps on the stairs, he turned around and looked at her in concern. ¡°Just woke up? Did you have another nightmare?¡± Ellen nodded, lookingpletely out of it. Jared stood up and poured a ss of warm water for her, which she epted gratefully. Just as she was considering telling him what had happened in the past two nights, his phone rang. Upon hearing the sound of his phone ringing, Ellen was suddenly reminded of the prank calls and mped her mouth shut. ¡°Can¡¯t you turn them down?¡± After the person on the other end replied, he conceded helplessly, ¡°All right.¡± Upon saying that, he hung up and said to Ellen, ¡°I have something to attend to tonight and will be coming homete. Will you be fine at home alone?¡± Ellen nodded and replied breezily, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Jared walked over and rubbed her hair, saying, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll try toe back earlier.¡± After Jared left for thepany in the afternoon, Ellen sat next to Milkshake on the couch when her phone suddenly rang. After casting it a nce and noticing that it was an unregistered number, albeit a different one, she hesitated before turning on the speaker and answering the call. ¡°Ellen¡­ Ellen¡­¡± A ghastly cry suddenly sounded from the other end, only calling out her name. Ellen hurriedly hung up the call, tensing in fear, but she soon heard her phone chiming with a chain of notifications again. She looked at her phone. Although she chose not to be afraid, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder to herself. Who exactly is pranking me? Whose bad side did I get on? Even after thinking about it carefully, she could only recall the issue with Connor, but she felt that he would not try to scare her with these tactics. In that case, was it Selena or Olivia? Ellen bit her lip, realizing that this was certainly something they would do. Outside the window, the sun was about to set. Ellen normally enjoyed this sight as she loved when the sky was getting dark, but at this moment, she couldn¡¯t help but feel her heart skip a beat in fear. As the vi was too spacious and empty except for Milkshake which was in her arms, Ellen lost her appetite for dinner and only stayed on the couch in the living room. Just then, her phone rang. She instantly jolted in fear, but upon seeing that the call was from Jared, she let out a small sigh of relief and answered, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Have you eaten?¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t really have an appetite.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯lle back earlier and bring some food for you.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± she said gratefully. ¡°I¡¯ll be hanging up now.¡± Upon hearing the voices around him, Ellen decided not to disturb him any further and agreed. ¡°Okay.¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. After hanging up, she suddenly realized that Milkshake had disappeared. If it had escaped outside at this hour, it would be difficult to find it. ¡°Milkshake! Where did you go, Milkshake?¡± As Ellen spoke, she picked up her phone and walked toward the exit of the living room. She didn¡¯t notice that, just inside the back cushion, there was a small tail that belonged to Milkshake swaying in the air. Milkshake was on the couch all along. ¡°Milkshake, don¡¯t run around. Where are you?¡± Ellen called out, heading outside to search for the cat. Although the exterior of the vi was well-lit, she had been on high alert for the past few days. At this moment, she didn¡¯t want her beloved pet to go missing, but she was too afraid to go too far either, leaving her in a dilemma. Ellen ended up trailing into the garden as she was searching, but just then, her phone rang again. After taking a nce at her phone, she saw that it was yet another unknown number. Although the number was different, she knew that it was a prank call even without picking up. Thus, she decided not to answer and silenced her phone as she still needed it to light her way. However, she could still feel the chilling wind sweeping around her, leaving her with no choice but to return to the living room. Upon seeing Milkshake on the couch, she nearly burst into tears from joy and took it into her arms, not allowing it to escape again. However, her phone continued to ring with calls, all from unknown numbers, and she soon had more than ten missed calls before she realized it. This urging was torture on her mind, leaving her with no choice but to turn off her phone. As time slowly ticked by, the autumn breeze roared harshly as Ellen curled up on the couch. Although her surroundings were brightly illuminated, the silence seemed even louder after she turned off her phone. As much as she seemed fine on the surface, her mind was in disarray and dominated by terrifying memories that she couldn¡¯t get rid of. She couldn¡¯t help but recall some of the horrors she had heard and seen since she was a child, and she remembered vividly when she had seen a traffic ident on her way to school, the image of which still summoned a sense of dread whenever she thought of it. At that moment, she was enshrouded by her memories, unable to get rid of them no matter how hard she tried. Her mental state slowly got chipped away bit by bit, as if she were stuck in a maze without an exit. Just when she felt like she was about to be consumed by horror, she suddenly heard the sound of a car, and she bolted out of the entrance without a second thought. Upon seeing the handsome man striding amidst the lights, she ran toward him as if he was her lifeline. Jared was just deep in thought about his work when he looked up and saw a figure shing toward him. Immediately after, Ellen jumped into his arms, firmly wrapping her arms around him. He jolted in surprise at first, but he soon sensed something off about her. She was hugging him extremely tightly as if she were afraid of something. Jared returned her embrace and gently caressed the back of her head, asking gently, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Just then, her phone rang again. Clearly, the prankster was not only calling her after midnight. As long as her phone was turned on, they would keep calling her. Ellen jolted at the sound, and as she looked at her phone, Jared reached out and took her phone with hisrge hand, asking, ¡°Do you want to pick it up?¡± ¡°Someone¡¯s pranking me by scaring me through the phone,¡± she replied. Hearing that, he answered the call, only to hear a harrowing cry from the other end. ¡°Ellen Reiss, I won¡¯t let you off easily. I¡¯ll turn into a spirit and haunt you for the rest of your life.¡± Jared¡¯s handsome face darkened as he immediately hung up. Just as he was about to return Ellen¡¯s phone to her, arge number of text message notifications sounded on her phone. Seeing that he was about to open the texts, she hurriedly stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯t look, those are all scary pictures.¡± Chapter 1681-1690 Chapter 1681-1690 Seeing that, Jared was ignited with fury. ¡°What a load of nonsense.¡± Immediately, he realized that Ellen waking upte recently and her weak mental state seemed to be connected to this issue. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. As long as I¡¯m here, no one can hurt you.¡± Jared wrapped her into his embrace and led her back into the living room. Once they were both seated on the couch, he took her phone and dialed the number back, only to be notified that the number didn¡¯t exist. At the same time, he discovered that she had more than fifty missed calls, and some of them were made at midnight, making it clear that this was not just simple harassment. He then opened her text messages and was met with a pile of terrifying messages, which he deleted for her. ¡°Have you not been sleeping well for the past two days because these calls have been harassing you at night?¡± Jared asked, his eyes narrowing. Ellen nodded. ¡°Yes. I thought it was just a prank at first, but I didn¡¯t expect them to go so far.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it tomorrow and make sure that they pay the price.¡± At that, he turned off her phone and let out a sigh before pulling her into his arms. ¡°I told you to tell me immediately if anyone picks on you, no matter what it is,¡± he said to her in a low and firm voice. With the warmth and security emanating from him, Ellen felt the fear dissipating from her heart, and she said with a nod, ¡°Okay, I will!¡± Jared headed to the car and retrieved her dinner while he sat next to her with hisptop, watching her eat as if he were her parent. With him beside her, Ellen felt as if nothing could hurt her anymore, and her mind was soon cleared of the horrifying thoughts that had been guing her. Jared raised his head and asked, ¡°Can you sleep alone tonight?¡± After giving it some thought, Ellen nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Jared coughed lightly at her answer. He¡¯d hoped that she would be afraid, but she was surprisingly brave enough. In that case, there was nothing else he could say. ¡°Alright then. Make sure you eat more. You¡¯ve lost weight.¡± ¡°Of course not! Look how my face got chubbier.¡± Ellen thought she actually gained weight in the past few days. Looking at her delicate face under the light, Jared reached over and pinched her soft cheeks. ¡°That¡¯s fine. I like it this way.¡± He curled his lips into a smile. Ellen couldn¡¯t help but mirror his smile when she suddenly realized that they sounded like a bickering couple. At the same time, Selena was listening to the report of the person she hired in a hotel room. ¡°I¡¯ve already taken things a step further. If she¡¯s living alone, it¡¯ll definitely be affecting her mentally by now,¡± they announced. ¡°Use all your best tactics on her; I¡¯ll pay you,¡± Selena ordered, eagerly awaiting the news of Ellen losing her mind. Back at Connor¡¯s home, Olivia was furious as she had identally stepped on a pile of dung and ruined her favorite pair of brand-name shoes when she went downstairs to take out the garbage that night. Though she couldn¡¯t bear to throw them away, she didn¡¯t want to wash them either. But in the end, she endured the stench and went to clean her shoes. As she cleaned, she screamed inwardly, What kind of life is this?! Is this the life I¡¯m supposed to lead from now on?! She was now too afraid to even leave the house for groceries, fearing the ridicule of her acquaintances, so Connor had been buying the groceries for a week while she hid away from people. She had no idea where her daughter went either, and she holed herself up in their rented house, suffering day after day. At this very moment, her husband wasn¡¯t home yet, and she didn¡¯t even know where he had gone. In a certain luxurious condominium at Lockwood Vige, Connor was entering an elevator. A woman holding a boy was seeing him off. ¡°Dad, will youe to y with me tomorrow?¡± the boy asked excitedly. ¡°Of course. I¡¯lle to visit you every day,¡± Connor replied, returning his enthusiasm. Aida¡¯s face, however, darkened, especially when she heard Connor telling her about his current situation, which meant that he was doing even worse than her. No matter how broke she was, she still had the 150 thousand that she¡¯d gotten from him. However, she refused to use this money, and she now relied on him for her daily expenses. ¡°Nath feels like eating fruits tomorrow, so bring some of his favorites over.¡± Upon saying that, she took her son¡¯s hand and went back into her house. Connor was the one who bought this house for her. He¡¯d spent over 400 thousand for it and bought it under her name. While he stood in the elevator, Connor, being in his fifties, sensed that Aida now looked down on him and no longer cared about him as much as before. As he rode home on his motorcycle, he nearly ran into a car and ended up crashing to the ground himself. Seeing that, a young man arrogantly scolded him through the car window, ¡°Learn how to ride a bike, you old geezer!¡± Connor went dumbfounded all at once. All of a sudden, he recalled that when he still drove a Bentley, he was respected everywhere he went, and now, he had fallen to the point where he was scolded for riding a motorcycle. In an instant, the contrast struck him and rendered him distressed and filled with regret. If he had taken care of Ellen and shared the money with her back then, he wouldn¡¯t have ended up in this situation. If his wife and daughter hadn¡¯t spent the money frivolously and exercised a little restraint, they would at least have some money left. After crawling up from the ground, he patted the dirt off his clothes and lifted his motorcycle off the ground before heading home. Once he returned, Olivia scurried over and demanded, ¡°Why are you always sote? What have you been doing?¡± Looking at her hideous, revolting expression, Connor boiled with anger and roared, ¡°What I do is none of your business!¡± Olivia was taken aback by the fact that he dared to raise his voice at her. ¡°Connor, I can¡¯t believe you dared to yell at me. It¡¯s just my luck that I decided to stay with you!¡± Saying that, she mmed the door shut and locked herself in her room to sob. Connor slumped on a chair, realizing that life really was rough now that he was strapped for cash. ¡­ It was half past eleven when Ellen finished her shower and returned to her room. As her phone was switched off, she read a book to pass time, and as she was reading, she gradually grew drowsy. After she drifted off to sleep, a nightmare suddenly haunted her. In her dream, it was as if there was an evil ghost that she couldn¡¯t get rid of, appearing in every corner of her room. Ellen woke up with a start. When she opened her eyes and nced at the rm clock by her bed, it was exactly one in the morning. She instantly hugged herself close, a strong panic she had never felt before shrouding her, and once her fearful thoughts began, she couldn¡¯t drive them away. Feeling as if she was going to lose her mind if she didn¡¯t find an outlet, Ellen yanked the door open and ran hurriedly in the direction of the master bedroom. When she arrived, she found that the door was ajar, and the inside was dimly lit. At that point, shepletely disregarded the boundaries she should be keeping and stepped inside. However, upon seeing the man on the gray bed, she was shocked. He¡¯s not asleep yet, and is still working? ¡°Y-You haven¡¯t slept?¡± she asked sheepishly. ¡°I was waiting for you.¡± Jared smiled in reply, having expected that she would end up looking for him later that night out of fear. Ellen blinked, the courage she had just mustered to barge into his room dissipating into thin air as she flushed red, not knowing if she should enter. ¡°Come here.¡± He shifted his body, generously sharing his bed by leaving arge space for her to sleep on. Ellen swallowed. Frankly speaking, she didn¡¯t want to stay alone in her room now. Over the past two days, she had been highly tense and couldn¡¯t even sleep soundly as she kept having nightmares. All she wanted now was a good night¡¯s sleep, and the only way she could do that was to stay by this man¡¯s side. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. She bit her lips and looked at his soft bed that was tempting her intensely under the light. With a gulp, she took a step toward the bed and asked in a small voice, ¡°Won¡¯t I bother you?¡± ¡°In that case, you can sleep on my bed, and I¡¯ll sleep on the couch.¡± At that, he lifted his sheets and got off the bed. Although he was d in sleepwear, his figure was still as alluring as ever. ¡°No, no, you take the bed, and I¡¯ll sleep on the couch,¡± Ellen refused. She did not dare to chase the owner of the house away, and she was more than willing to sleep on his couch anyway. Jared raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are you sure you want to sleep on the couch?¡± Ellen nodded, thinking that sleeping on the couch was the best choice for her. She headed outside to retrieve her nket and soon returned with it in her hands. Jared¡¯srge couch was just as warm as a bed. After setting up the nket on the couch, Ellen got under it, only showing her face as she looked at the man sitting on the bed. ¡°It¡¯ste already. Let¡¯s turn off the lights and go to sleep. Goodnight.¡± Jared didn¡¯t insist she slept on the bed anymore. After he turned off the light, hey down with his arm as a pillow, but he couldn¡¯t sleep at all. He turned to look at the slender figure on the couch through the moonlight outside the window, and his gaze darkened at once, as there was this burning desire in him. ¡°Are you asleep?¡± he asked in a hoarse voice. ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°Are you still afraid?¡± ¡°Not anymore.¡± Ellen also felt extremely surprised. It was as though there was a strong maic field of safety around this man that could dispel all her fears. ¡°Sleep well, then,¡± he said warmly. ¡°Goodnight.¡± ¡°Goodnight.¡± She was exhausted since she hadn¡¯t slept well for several days. At this moment, she had no sense of fear in her mind. So, she felt tired all over and fell asleep in no time after she waspletely rxed. When Jared heard no movements from the couch, he was slightly stunned. Did she really fall asleep just like this, with me beside her? Does my charm not affect her at all? ¡°Darling,¡± he called out softly. As expected, there was no answer from her. Resigned, he sat up and looked at the moonlit spot on the couch, where a clear and blemish-free little face could be vaguely seen with a calm expression. Seeing that, he breathed a sigh as his drowsiness was all gone. Not only could he not sleep, but he also had an urge, which he tried to control. Half an hour after Ellen fell asleep, her good dream suddenly turned into a terrifying nightmare. It seemed like she was in a supernatural world, always seeing things that scared her. This made her sleep uneasy. In her dream, something was entangling her, making her hand brandish in the air. ¡°Go away! Shoo! Don¡¯t follow me¡­¡± she yelled in her dream. Jared, who was still awake, immediately sat up when he heard that. Oh no, she is trapped in a nightmare. At once, he turned on a dim wallmp and lifted the nket to get down from the bed. As he looked at the pale girl on the couch, sweating profusely and brandishing her hands in mid-air, he softly called out, ¡°Wake up, Ellen.¡± Just then, she held his hand and opened her eyes, her dark pupils still trembling. When she saw him, she suddenly hugged his neck and said, ¡°I¡¯m scared.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s just a nightmare.¡± Ellen buried her head tightly on his chest, like a frightened child, and refused to let go. ¡°Come sleep with me on the bed.¡± As he said that, without waiting for her response, he lifted her nket and carried her to his bed. Only then did she snap out of her daze, wiping the sweat off her forehead. Her face, which had been pale just moments ago, was now blushing. On the bed, Jared pulled his nket over to cover her up, while hey on his side next to her. Then, he reached out his arm and turned off the lights. When the whole room was shrouded in darkness, she was on edge. Almost instinctively, she moved closer to the man beside her. Just then, a big palm held her hand and ced it around his sturdy waist, while his other arm went behind her head, letting her rest on his arm. It was an intimate and ambiguous sleeping position, but it gave her a sense of security. When she breathed in his masculine scent, her mind couldn¡¯t process any thoughts other than him. At this moment, the man next to her upied her heartpletely. At the same time, the terrifying nightmare from earlier had vanished. She felt that even if she had another nightmare, she would have the strength to fight against any demons that maye her way, bing a brave and invincible person. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s sleep.¡± He pressed the back of her head against his chest. This allowed Ellen to listen to his strong and steady heartbeat. This is Kevin¡¯s. Instantly, it gave her immense courage to fight against any evil that dared toe near her. ¡°Goodnight,¡± Ellen replied softly as she closed her eyes, and fell asleep while hugging him. Now, Jared couldn¡¯t sleep even if he wanted to. All he had in his mind now was this girl in his arms as if she were a precious gift bestowed upon him by heaven, making him cherish her deeply. After a while, she fell asleep again, but this time she didn¡¯t have any nightmares. Her dreams were filled withforting events. Around 5.00AM, he fell asleep as well. Meanwhile, the girl in his arms held onto him tightly and didn¡¯t let go. ¡­ Perhaps Selena didn¡¯t imagine that her actions would scare Ellen, but at the same time, they became a catalyst for Jared and Ellen¡¯s rtionship, bringing them even closer together. Early in the morning, Ellen woke up first, but she didn¡¯t move. She just opened her eyes, and a handsome and charming face came into her sight. For the first time, she boldly gazed at him, admiring him without restraint. How can there be such a handsome man in the world? Every strand of his hair exudes a charming aura. From his voluminous eyebrows to his nose, his delicate and clean skin, thick and long eyshes, sexy lips, and graceful jawline, everything is just perfect. She repeatedly blinked as if she were preserving her admiration for him and storing this scene in her memory, wanting to remember it forever. As she was looking at him, his eyshes fluttered, and the sunlight shone into his pupils. It looked like the Milky Way was poured into his eyes, making them breathtakingly beautiful. ¡°Morning.¡± His smile made her a little flustered. She dodged his gaze and identally touched something under the nket. Shocked, she blushed and lifted her head, only to see his handsome face was slightly red as well, and he unconsciously gulped. She was not a little girl anymore, so of course, she knew what she had touched. She wasn¡¯t sure how she had sleptst night, but now the nket was wrapped tightly around her. She tried to move, but she couldn¡¯t budge and ended up twisting and turning, which caused the man next to her to gasp. Then, he warned her in a hoarse voice, ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± After being warned, Ellen froze at once. Only after he reached over to remove the nket that she was lying on did she shyly slip out of bed and hurry back to her room. While standing in front of the bathroom mirror, she held her hot cheeks, feeling embarrassed. What was I thinkingst night? How can I sleep in his room? And even on the same bed? I trust Jared, but I caused him so much trouble. At the same time, Jared had already entered the bathroom. The water temperature in the morning was cold, but this coolness was just what he needed to extinguish the burning desire inside him all night long. At 8.30AM, as Ellen opened the door, her heart skipped a beat when she saw Jared standing outside her room in formal attire. He looked like he was waiting for her. ¡°Come to the office with me today,¡± he said. From now on, he wanted her by his side, no matter if it was day or night. This could prevent her from being harassed again. ¡°Will I disturb your work?¡± she asked while blinking. In fact, she wanted to go with him too since she was quite bored of staying at his house these few days. So, she wanted to experience something new. ¡°You not being by my side is what disturbs my work,¡± he replied seriously. She didn¡¯t react for a moment, but when she realized the meaning behind his words, her face flushed. Am I really that important to him? ¡°Let¡¯s go have breakfast.¡± He reached out his hand to take her downstairs. After breakfast, they arrived at the floor where the president¡¯s office of the Presgrave Group was. Ellen was familiar with this ce; it was just that this time she was noting as an employee. She was invited to rest in Jared¡¯s spacious room, where there was food, entertainment, a gym, and a movie theater. She could do whatever she wanted there. After that, he summoned one of his employees and handed her phone to him. ¡°Find out the IP addresses of these numbers.¡± The employee took the phone and confidently announced, ¡°I can handle this in a few minutes.¡± He then took out hisputer and began working on Jared¡¯s couch. Within two minutes, he sent an address to Jared¡¯s phone. ¡°I¡¯ve sent you the address of this person, President Presgrave.¡± Jared looked at the address and immediately dialed another number. ¡°Find the person at this address.¡± A ck SUV drove toward the address and arrived in less than half an hour. It was a run-down residential area. When they arrived, two bodyguards went to the front door and knocked. Instantly, the door opened, and a middle-aged man with a scruffy beard peeked out and asked, ¡°Who are you guys?¡± Right away, the bodyguards pushed him back and entered the house. ¡°W-Who are you guys?¡± Fear crawled all over the man¡¯s face. When the bodyguards tried to enter his room, he immediately rushed over to stop them. ¡°This is my room. You can¡¯t go in!¡± However, the bodyguards pushed him aside like he was nothing and entered his room. Inside the room, there was a whole set of equipment on the desk. Seeing that, they video-called Jared and reported, ¡°We found him, Mr. Presgrave.¡± When Jared saw the equipment on the screen, his eyes shed with anger. ¡°Let me ask him a few questions.¡± The middle-aged man was immediately pinned to the couch by the bodyguards to let Jared personally interrogate him on the video call. The moment the man saw a dignified young man on the screen, he asked in shock, ¡°Who are you? I-I didn¡¯t mess with any of you. Why are you treating me like this?¡± ¡°I am Ellen¡¯s boyfriend,¡± answered Jared coldly. Then, he questioned him, saying, ¡°Answer me honestly. Who paid you to threaten Ellen?¡± When the man heard that, his heart skipped a beat. Ellen has a boyfriend? Then, why did the client tell me that she¡¯s a girl living alone? ¡°Answer Mr. Presgrave now.¡± The bodyguard exerted some force on his grip, causing cold sweat to pour out of the man from the pain. How could he not answer? ¡°I-It¡¯s a female client whomissioned me. She asked me to threaten this girl named Ellen and gave me three thousand.¡± ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡± Jared¡¯s ck pupils were filled with anger. ¡°S-Selena Aguirre.¡± The man had no choice but to answer. He had seen Selena privately, and Selena told him her real name as well. Hearing that, Jared gritted his teeth. He didn¡¯t expect that Selena would still not give up and dare to use such a despicable method to harm Ellen. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m just an amateur. I was originally a programmer. I-I promise not to do it again. Please let me go!¡± The middle-aged man immediately begged for mercy. However, how could Jared let him go? If he let him go, how could he track down Selena and make her pay the price? ¡°You will pay for your actions.¡± He coldly snorted. 15 minutester, the police arrived and arrested the man on charges of harassment, confiscating all his equipment. His name was Toby Fletcher. He was unemployed, so he chose to do illegal deals to make a living. The police¡¯s next target for arrest was Selena. Jared reported to the police on behalf of Ellen and provided the harassing messages she had been receiving in the past two days. At this time, Selena was still staying in the hotel since she had no intention of returning to her parents¡¯ home. She was ying with her phone in the hotel room when someone suddenly rang her doorbell. Immediately, she went to the door and saw that it was the cleaning staff. So, she reached out to open the door. Just as she was about to invite the staff in to clean her room, three police officers suddenly appeared behind the staff. Without a word, they handcuffed her. ¡°W-What are you doing?¡± Terrified, she started struggling. ¡°Selena Aguirre, you are suspected of criminal behavior, and we have the right to arrest you.¡± ¡°What? I didn¡¯tmit any crime. This is a mistake!¡± The police arrested Selena without hesitation. As they passed through the lobby, she wished she could bury her head in her chest. This was the most panicked moment in her life. What crime did Imit? Did Ellen report me to the police? At the police station, the police immediately questioned Selena and Toby. When faced with the recording evidence presented by the police, she was left speechless. She had no idea that Toby had recorded all of their conversations on the phone. ¡°Do you have anything else to say, Miss Aguirre?¡± ¡°I-I just thought it was fun. I didn¡¯t know it was a crime. It was a prank, and Ellen is my cousin,¡± she exined in a panic. ¡°Are you not ashamed to say that you threatened your own cousin?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Ellen? Let me meet her. I want to apologize to her.¡± She hoped that Ellen woulde forward now so that she could be forgiven because her world was crumbling, as being put behind bars was her nightmare. However, the police told her the harsh reality. ¡°Miss Reiss will note forward. This case was a commission by thewyer. You should face the facts now, Miss Aguirre. You must pay the price for your mistakes.¡± At once, panic crawled all over her face. Forgetting that she was a criminal, she stood up to grab the police officer¡¯s sleeve. ¡°No, no! Please, let me see Ellen! I really need to see her.¡± The police immediately pushed her back to her seat without hesitation. ¡°If you continue to obstruct our law enforcement, you will be charged with an additional crime.¡± At this moment, Selena was trembling all over. She had only just realized that her mistake could lead to imprisonment. Before this, no matter how bold she was, she had only made minor mistakes. Sh*t! I¡¯ve committed a crime! ¡°I want to see my parents. Please contact them.¡± She pleaded. Of course, it was necessary to inform her family about the situation. Meanwhile, the police took her to a small cell in the detention center. When Connor received the call from the police, informing him that his daughter had been arrested and was suspected of criminal behavior, he was stunned. He couldn¡¯t believe that his daughter, whom he had sent to study abroad, would break thew. ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯ll be there soon. I¡¯ming right now.¡± He was so shocked that he couldn¡¯t speak properly. After he hung up the phone, he called out to Olivia, ¡°We need to go to the police station in the city.¡± ¡°What for?¡± Olivia was taken aback. ¡°Lena has been arrested for breaking thew,¡± he answered anxiously. ¡°What? Lena broke thew? What did she do?¡± Likewise, she was also so shocked that she didn¡¯t know what to do for a moment. Immediately, she grabbed her bag and left with her husband. The couple stood by the roadside waiting for a car when Connor saw an acquaintance. So, he asked the acquaintance to give them a ride since he happened to be going to the city for something. On the way, the couple didn¡¯t dare mention why they were going to the city. Olivia was so anxious that her hands were shaking. Lena is my only hope for the rest of my life! If she has any criminal record, how can she get married in the future? Finally, they arrived at the city center and quickly took a taxi toward the direction of the police station. By the time they arrived, it was already 4.30PM. ¡°Officer, our daughter is very well-behaved and obedient. She¡¯s a person who wouldn¡¯t even dare to kill a chicken! How could shemit a crime?¡± Olivia started wiping her tears and talking about her daughter¡¯s good qualities as soon as she saw the police officer. ¡°Crying here won¡¯t do you any good. The fact remains that shemitted a crime. No matter how many good things you say about her, it¡¯s useless. Besides, if she were really a good person, she wouldn¡¯t have malicious harassed her own cousin,¡± the officer said seriously. ¡°What? Was my daughter charged with harassment? Did she threaten a woman named Ellen Reiss?¡± Connor asked hurriedly. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Miss Ellen Reiss. Your daughter has both witness and material evidence against her, so be mentally prepared,¡± exined the officer. ¡°Be mentally prepared? For what?¡± ¡°For your daughter to go to jail.¡± ¡°No way! I can¡¯t let my daughter go to jail! She¡¯s so young. She still has so much life ahead of her. She can¡¯t be stuck in jail!¡± Olivia started ranting like a madwoman. Connor, on the other hand, appeared to be calmer. While he was furious with his daughter for threatening Ellen, he also wanted to protect her reputation and prevent her from having a criminal record. Soon, the police had a full conversation with the couple and showed them all the evidence of Selena¡¯s criminal activities. During the conversation, Olivia kept crying and secretly med Ellen for everything. It¡¯s just a few phone calls and some scary pictures. Is Ellen really suing Lena for that? This is so unfair! It¡¯s so obvious that she is being this ruthless to Lena just to y revenge on us. Regardless of how much they begged, they were unable to see Selena. However, Connor knew what he had to do next. He had to find Ellen and convince her to drop the charges against his daughter. No matter what, they needed to settle the matter privately to avoid any prison time. ¡°That little b*tch! We gave her five million. What more does she want? She¡¯s still not sparing us!¡± As soon as Olivia left the police station, she vented her anger. Hearing that, Connor turned and red at her. ¡°Shut up! We still need to beg Ellen now! Lena is just like you, stubborn and refusing to admit her mistakes.¡± Suddenly, she felt helpless. Besides her husband, she didn¡¯t have anyone else to rely on. When she was rich, her rtives from her mother¡¯s side kept asking her for money, but she never lent them any. Eventually, her rtives stopped talking to her altogether. Now, she realized that she had no reliable people to turn to other than her daughter and husband. ¡°I¡¯m just frustrated, Connor. Find a way to save Lena. She can¡¯t go to jail!¡± After Connor left the police station, he immediately took out his phone and dialed Ellen¡¯s number. However, the prompt on the other end said that her phone was turned off. ¡°Ellen¡¯s phone is off. Who knows where she is at this time?¡± He sighed in frustration. ¡°She must have done it on purpose. She just doesn¡¯t want to help us bail out Lena,¡± she said furiously. But at this moment, Ellen was resting in Jared¡¯s office. As for her phone, Jared had asked her to turn it off for a few days and gave her a new one with only his number stored in it. If there was anything, she just needed to contact him because there were no good people around her. However, she knew that Jared had helped her find the culprit and left the matter for thewyers of the Presgrave Group to handle. She didn¡¯t need to participate, but the culprit would still need to pay the price. She came out of the room and wanted to go to the washroom. It was not a problem since she was familiar with the ce. Just as she entered the washroom cubicle, she heard footstepsing in. It was two female employees who were chatting as they entered. ¡°I heard that President Presgrave brought Ellen here. Who would have thought she had such an ability? She actually became President Presgrave¡¯s girlfriend!¡± ¡°I¡¯m also puzzled. What did she do to capture President Presgrave¡¯s heart? You know, there are plenty of women out there who are prettier, wealthier, and more aplished than her. Other than being young and pretty, she seems to have nothing else going for her.¡± ¡°I know right! She was just serving tea and coffee when she was working herest time, but she got paid so much and was treated the same as us. This is so unfair!¡± ¡°Sigh! Women who rely on their looks to get ahead never end up well. There¡¯s a saying, ¡®those who use beauty to win love will lose both beauty and love¡¯. I bet in a few years, President Presgrave will tire of her.¡± ¡°I think so too. After all, being the wife of a wealthy family isn¡¯t something that an innocent person can handle. And if you want to capture a man like President Presgrave, besides being beautiful, you need to have tricks up your sleeve and be capable on your own. Otherwise, when he dumps you one day, all you¡¯ll be able to do is cry.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s bet, then. We¡¯ll see how long Ellen can stay by President Presgrave¡¯s side.¡± ¡°Okay. I bet three thousand on five years!¡± ¡°I bet three years.¡± Frozen, Ellen stood in the cubicle, but she didn¡¯t me these two people for saying that about her because she seemed to be incapable. She had been working hard for a living these years, striving to have enough food on the table. In the future, she really should improve herself and be someone who can shine on her own without relying on others. Only after the two women left, did she push open the door and walk out. Her expression was very calm, and she wasn¡¯t ashamed of being ridiculed. Instead, she was made known of her weakness. A few yearster, she might be grateful for their ridicule today. Coming out of the restroom, she didn¡¯t return to Jared¡¯s office. She stood at the floor-to-ceiling window on the aerial corridor, looking out at the distant scenery. At this moment, she was seriously contemting her future because too many things had happened to her recently, making her unable to focus on nning her future. In terms of money, she no longercked. For a girl like her, who had over five million in savings, learning financial management could increase her ie, and the interest could support her daily life. However, she needed to find her passion, one that didn¡¯t involve making money. Ellen had a lot of thoughts in her mind. Just then, she heard footstepsing this way, along with many people talking. She couldn¡¯t help but hide behind a pir. When she sneaked a peek, she saw a group of middle-aged men surrounding the young Jared. They were all listening attentively to what he was saying. Their expressions were respectful and serious, not daring to show any hint of negligence. When Jared stopped to contemte something, the people behind him instantly stopped as well, not even daring to step within half a yard behind him. One elderly man even bowed and stepped back when he leaned slightly forward. These individuals were all top managers of the Presgrave Group. In terms of wealth and status, they were all top-tier members of society. Yet, in front of Jared, they all assumed such humble postures. When Ellen saw that, she waspletely shocked. No wonder those female employees were discussing me in that way. In the eyes of outsiders, Jared was a young king of the business world, someone who was admired and looked up to by everyone. So why did she deserve to stand by his side? At this moment, she was also questioning herself. That¡¯s right. Why do I deserve his affection? Is it just because Kevin¡¯s heart was donated to him? If not for this connection, I¡¯ll be nothing more than a low- level employee in hispany, without even the qualification to see him every day. She watched as Jared and the group of men walked away, feeling a sigh escape her lips. Soon after, her phone rang, and it was Jared calling. ¡°Hello?¡± she answered. ¡°Where are you?¡± he asked gently. ¡°I¡¯m in the washroom. I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± she replied, then put her thoughts to the back of her mind before heading toward his office. At this moment, Jared was resting on the couch, his handsome face showing a hint of fatigue and sluggishness. Despite this, he exuded a charm that could mesmerize any woman. ¡°I¡¯ve made a dinner reservation at your favorite restaurant,¡± he told her. With a nod, she answered, ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Oh, and by the way, I¡¯ve taken your old phone. From now on, you¡¯ll use the new phone I¡¯ve given you with a new number.¡± He was kind enough to inform her about his arrangements. She had no objections and nodded in agreement. ¡°Okay.¡± When he received her affirmative reply, he smiled in satisfaction. With the old phone gone, the Aguirre Family won¡¯t be able to track her down. It¡¯s time for Selena to pay for what she has done! At this moment, Connor was using all of his connections to find Ellen, but she seemed to have vanishedpletely. Her former ssmates and colleagues had no idea where she had gone. That night, Ellen followed Jared back to his home while Connor and Olivia were troubled by their daughter¡¯s crime. ¡°Ellen must be hiding from us! She wants Selena to be in prison. How can she be so ruthless?!¡± Oliva cried. While crying, she was also throwing profanities around, seemingly as if this was the only way for her to vent her anger on Ellen. However, Ellen knew nothing about what had happened to the Aguirre Family, nor would Jared let her know about it. He wanted the Aguirres to pay for what they did. Otherwise, they would think of Ellen as a pushover. The next morning, Ellen sat in Jared¡¯s car and told him that she was going to meet a friend. Initially, Jared wanted to send some guards to protect her, but she refused. Thus, he respected her decision and told her to call him if anything happened. Then, Ellen went to where her grandma used to stay and discovered it was being demolished. As she walked down the road, she came across a park. She had walked past this park every time during her school years since it was the only road to school. The park was also where her grandma would always y poker before she passed. Thinking about it, Ellen walked into the park and sat on a bench. At that moment, she visioned a little girl carrying a backpack while crossing the street. Slowly, the little girl turned into a teenage girl and then a woman. Just as she was immersed in her thoughts, she heard a voice calling out for her. ¡°Are you Ellie?¡± Ellen raised her head and saw an older gentleman looking at her. Immediately, she recognized who he was. ¡°It¡¯s me, Mr. Linton. I am Ellie.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since Ist saw you. Come here. Mr. Rowlsey has to go to the bank, so why don¡¯t you take his ce?¡± said Brook Linton, the polite gentleman. It was only then Ellen saw they were ying chess! Then, she walked toward them shyly and sat in front of Brook. ¡°I might have forgotten the rules, Mr. Linton.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll teach you again then. You are the only girl who has won against me in chess at this park!¡± After Brook finished his words, he moved a ck chess piece on the board. Looking at the board and the white pieces, she grabbed one of them and ced it on the board. At that moment, she was calm. Ever since she was born, she had lived in that area. Brook used to be the champion of chess. Then, he became a coach. However, his career ended due to ack of management, and he could only y chess in the park as a hobby. This was when he found a little girl with a talent for chess. Hence, he taught the little girl how to y chess when she was seven. Whenever she came to the park, he would teach her patiently. During the girl¡¯s high school years, she yed six rounds with him and won four. Unfortunately, the little girl was nowhere to be seen after she had gone to college. And that little girl was, in fact, Ellen. Ellen had a unique talent. Whenever she yed chess, she was able to clear her mind and focus on the pieces. Ellen had lost the first round, but Brook encouraged her to try again. In the next round, she focused and won only by a fraction. Again, Brook praised her, saying, ¡°I knew you were gifted since you were young, Ellie. Do you know that? If not for your Grandma¡¯s opposition, I would have taken you as my apprentice.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ellen was shocked. ¡°Of course. I want to train you as my sessor, so you canpete in local tournaments as I did!¡± Brook was not lying to her. Hearing his words, Ellen giggled and said, ¡°You think too highly of me, Mr. Linton.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be humble now. You are gifted. It¡¯s not toote if you want to learn it now. This new generation only wants to make big bucks, and little are they interested in searching for inner peace!¡± Brook sighed. ¡°If you want, I can train you. I¡¯m already an old man, so I hope that someone will be able to carry on my legacy.¡± Ellen looked at him in pity. At the same time, she was also looking at the board. When she put down the final chess piece, Brook¡¯s eyes widened, and he eximed, ¡°You won again! How can this be? You must have found a loophole while I was talking. Let¡¯s y again.¡± ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, Mr. Linton. I¡¯lle by another time.¡± Ellen smiled. Although Brook was reluctant to let her leave, he still obliged, promising they would y again next time. Then, Ellen took a cab and headed toward the Presgrave Group. When she entered the hall, the receptionists looked at her enviously. After all, everyone in thepany had considered Ellen as Jared¡¯s girlfriend. Just as Ellen arrived at the head office and was going to enter Jared¡¯s office, a female assistant approached her. ¡°Please wait for a moment, Miss Reiss. President Jared is entertaining someone.¡± She stopped Ellen from entering the office. ¡°Okay.¡± Ellen nodded. Then, she headed toward the washroom. Just as she entered the cubicle, she heard footstepsing in. Two women were talking as they walked into the restroom. ¡°Oh my god! You saw it too, right?! President Jared¡¯s friend is so beautiful!¡± ¡°I heard that he had hugged her as soon as they saw each other. They almost kissed.¡± ¡°Really?!¡± ¡°I saw it with my own eyes. That woman looked like she came from the riches. Like, OMG! I never knew President Jared had so many girlfriends!¡± When Ellen heard their words, she froze. A woman in Jared¡¯s office? ¡°Oh! Have you seen the news about Ginovia? She had the perfect wedding, but now she is miserable. Her husband was out drinking and flirting with other women while she raised the children and took care of him. In the end, although she had raised her three children to be outstanding, she was kicked out of the house. Then, her husband married another woman who had the same status as him. Aren¡¯t the tycoonsplicated?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I heard she became married into Prusle Family because her father had lent a helping hand to Old Mr. Prusle. Thus, the Prusles took her in to repay Ginovia¡¯s father. I remembered it was shocking news! Everyone thought that she would be living in her dreams. Unfortunately, even she couldn¡¯t escape the fate of being dumped!¡± ¡°That is why you can¡¯t choose a wealthy man as your husband. You can only think of them as your lover. After hooking up with them, take the money and leave. Sometimes, it¡¯s better to do this than being a wealthy man¡¯s wife.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I think Ellen might be the second Ginovia. She is beautiful when she is still young but will have nothing after she bes old.¡± ¡°Too bad she is busy enjoying the love President Jared gave her. Hence, how will she be able to think about her future? If I were her, I would have left after taking a huge amount of money from him.¡± ¡°No way. I would have enjoyed it for some time before leaving. After all, President Jared is eye candy!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I haven¡¯t thought about it.¡± The two women giggled while leaving the washroom. After they left the restroom, Ellen walked out of the cubicle with a pale face. Then, she left the restroom and went back to the lounge. Sitting on the couch, she took out her phone and searched about the Prusle Family. At that moment, the news about Ginovia¡¯s divorce was trending. The media expressed their opinions on this matter, and one of them touched Ellen. ¡®Women must never fall in love with a man they can¡¯t subdue. Otherwise, there will only be a bad ending,¡¯ it wrote. While looking at the news, a female assistant approached her with some desserts and ced them on the table. Before she left, she looked at Ellen pitifully and said, ¡°You might still need to wait for a moment, Miss Reiss. President Jared is still entertaining the guest.¡± Hearing her words, Ellen nodded. However, just before the assistant could leave, Ellen took her purse and stood up. ¡°Can you help me with something, Miss Reese?¡± she asked. ¡°Yes, Miss Reiss.¡± ¡°I suddenly remembered that I have some urgent business to attend to. Can you not tell him that I have been here?¡± she asked. Miss Reese was startled by her words, but she soon understood and nodded. ¡°Okay, Miss Reiss.¡± Then, Ellen walked toward the elevator with mixed feelings. Maybe it¡¯s better if I leave without saying goodbye! she thought. When she left the building, she went back to Jared¡¯s mansion. Since she didn¡¯t have many belongings, she quickly finished packing her things. She put everything in a big box and decided to leave. Although this was a sudden idea, she had thought it through. Ellen wanted to leave, as she knew Jared was not a man she could be with. Although she couldn¡¯t control his life, she could control her own. Chapter 1691-1700 Chapter 1691-1700 Even if Ellen had fallen in love with Jared, she could still walk out of it and think of it as sweet memories. She was all alone, like a bird free from its cage, so she could go wherever she wanted without having much thought. Ellen was gone. She left a letter for Jared and disappeared without hesitation. Jared was baffled as he sat on the couch and read the letter. He couldn¡¯t believe that Ellen would leave him behind without any notice. ¡°Darling, who gave you permission to leave? You didn¡¯t even say goodbye,¡± Jared said after reading the letter. ¡°I will find you.¡± As he spoke, he raised his head, and his eyes were filled with determination. No matter where you are, I will find you. Then, I will ask about your sudden departure. A weekter, Selena was on trial and was sentenced to a jail time of a year and three months. Although Connor tried to have anotherwsuit, it was rejected by the jury. Never would Selena imagine that she would go to jail for messing with Ellen. Moreover, she had to be in prison for a year and three months. When she found out about it, she almost cried her eyes out. Oliver couldn¡¯t do anything either. All she could do was watch Selena being taken away by the officers. When Selena was imprisoned, Ellen didn¡¯t show herself, and Olivia loathed her for this. Truthfully, all Ellen had to do was talk to Jared, and she could bail Selena out of jail. However, she didn¡¯t. Hence, Oliver thought Ellen was joyful when she saw how miserable they were. Even Connor didn¡¯t realize how ruthless Ellen would be. No matter how he looked for her, he couldn¡¯t find her. At that moment, he decided to cut ties with her and denied her as their rtive. However, none of them knew that there was another person as miserable as them. That person was Jared. For the past seven days consecutively, he couldn¡¯t find any traces of her, no matter what he did. Just like that, Ellen was gone. However, Jared remembered that she had written such words in the letter. ¡®Please don¡¯te and look for me. I am going to pursue my dreams. I wish you good luck, Jared.¡¯ What exactly is her dream? Jared thought. At this moment, realization struck him when he knew nothing about Ellen. When he read her letter, he could tell she was determined to seek freedom. If he were to look for her, he would have gotten in her way. Although Jared was reluctant to let her go, he still decided to do so. He hoped that they would meet again after she had pursued her dreams. He would wait for her as long as he could. However, questions still filled in his head. Where exactly did she go? What is her dream? In the meantime, in Brook¡¯s hometown, Ellen lived in a ce known as The Home of Chess. It was a tourist destination where the four seasons were warm. Ellen bought a house and officially became a member of the Chess Academy. She wanted to elevate herself and find what she truly desired. Thus, she stayed there for one and a half years. Sometimes, she would see Jared on the news, but she had never wanted to look for him. After all, she felt peace when facing chess pieces. A yearter, Ellen participated in the chess league that was held in the city. Then, she took part in open tournaments and won many matches. After that, she was ranked as a FIDE Master and was titled the most beautiful chess yer by the local judges. However, she was only famous in the city and not nationwide. Since Ellen had her ways of earning money, she didn¡¯t have to worry about cash. Plus, she was a pro when it came to saving money. Thus, her life went on smoothly. She was doing what she liked and found what she truly wanted. Soon, it would be her 25th birthday. Compared tost year, she had changed a lot. Now, she was at peace, had something she was proud of, and was famous. ¡°Good luck, Ellen. We have signed you up for the world chess tournament. You, Jay, and Austin will be our representatives. We hope you can bring victory to us.¡± ¡°After all, you are the apprentice of Mr. Linton, the national champion. You can do it. When that time comes, you will show the world what you are capable of and be a chess star.¡± Ellen nodded and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best.¡± Recently, the media had been reporting that Lockwood Vige had be an important development area of Averna. The old houses were gone and were turned into skyscrapers. There were also costly residential areas and industries. Lockwood Vige had turned into a newndmark. On the balcony of a newly furnished apartment, a tall figure was standing by the window. He was looking outside and seemed to be deep in thought. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, President Jared. You should head home.¡± Stanley stood behind him and felt his legs getting sore from standing too long. They were at one of the residential areas that the Presgrave Group had built. Jared had reserved one of the penthouses and furnished it himself. While furnishing, he chose everything that a woman needed. Thus, it was obvious that he had prepared this ce for a woman, and Stanley knew who it was. However, he wondered if Ellen would still be back. One and a half years had passed, but Jared was still love-struck with Ellen. Initially, he had many ways to find out where she was, but he didn¡¯t do so. He waited patiently as time passed and refused any women who came to him. It went to the point that even Anastasia, who was abroad, had personally asked about his condition. However, Jared was always alone. Now that Jared was going to be twenty-eight years old, even Stanley was worried about his life. ¡°Do you think she will be back, Stanley?¡± Jared asked while lowering his eyes. ¡°I will search everywhere and bring her back as long as you are willing to,¡± replied Stanley. ¡°What if she doesn¡¯t love me?¡± Jared sighed. Stanley was also clueless about women. I¡¯m sure every woman loves Jared. After all, he is such a perfect and wealthy man! Although¡­ Miss Reiss is an exception. I guess that makes her different from the other girls who are crazy for Jared. Thinking about it, Stanley felt that Ellen might have left due to how outstanding Jared was. Ellen must have felt insecure. Hence, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t think of such things, President Jared. I¡¯m sure she loves you.¡± ¡°I hope so! I have prepared this house for her. It¡¯s where her old mansion used to be. I really wish that she will return and ept this gift.¡± Jared sighed. Stanley knew what he was talking about. In the past, no one wanted to build any residential area in Lockwood Vige, but Jared had made this ce into a residential area just because he wanted to keep a ce for Ellen. ¡­ The world chess tournament would be held in Averna by next Friday, and many media outlets were paying attention to it. A ck van stopped by a hotel, and the door was opened from the inside. Soon, a middle-aged man, an old man, and a girl exited the car. The girl wore a ck down jacket and took a deep breath, smiling when she caught the whiff of the familiar scent. ¡°This is your hometown, Ellie. Do you feel happy to be back?¡± Jay asked. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s been a year and a half since Ist visited here,¡± Ellen replied. ¡°Where is your house at?¡± Austin asked curiously. What came to Ellen¡¯s mind first was the old manor where her Grandma used to live. That ce used to be her home, but now it was gone. ¡°My old house was demolished, so I don¡¯t really have a home here.¡± Ellen smiled. Afterward, they entered the hotel and rested to prepare for the tournament. After Ellen had unpacked her stuff, she called a cab and went to the old manor. Everyone would feel safe and happy when they went to their hometown, even if it had changed. Ellen got out of the cab and tugged on her hat. Windy winter days were the worst, and her ears were freezing. Standing by amppost, she raised her head and looked where her grandma used to live. However, the ce had turned into a residential area. Rumors had it that the house price was up to thirty million. Looking at the building, Ellen sighed. She knew she had wishful thinking to think that she could recall the past bying. However, New Town had already changed into andmark withmercial value. At this moment, a ck Rolls-Royce drove past her. A figure was sitting in the back of the car with his eyes closed. As the light shone on his handsome face, Ellen took a nce and felt her heart skip a beat. Looking at the car, she thought, Am I seeing things? Why did I think he looked a lot like Jared? It must have been my imagination! After all, how could I have encountered him in such a big city? Then, she returned to the hotel and spent a whole week there. Soon, the day of the tournament arrived. It went on for three days, and chess yers from all over the world gathered, challenging each other. Besides filming the chess game, the media would also do a close-up of the yers. One of the yers shocked them as they had never imagined that there would be a young girl in the final round. The girl was ordinary. She wore a ck turtleneck, and her hair was tied into a ponytail. As some of her bangs fell, they highlighted the perfect curves of her cheeks. Although she wore ck-framed sses, she still looked gorgeous. The reporters were shocked to see such a beautiful woman in the tournament¡¯s final round. However, the woman was calm andposed as she looked at the chessboard. Among the audience, Brook sped his hands in excitement. He had been apanying Ellen, hoping she would win the championship for his sake. Ellen¡¯s opponent was a middle-aged man. He was calm and experienced, but his eyes were filled with disdain as he looked at her, seemingly to have underestimated her. However, Ellen wasn¡¯t fazed for one bit and didn¡¯t even look at him. All she did was stared at the ck and white chess pieces. The commentator had exined the chess game thoroughly, but no one was sure who would win since a slight change in the chess would make a significant twist. Looking at the chessboard on the big screen, Brook suddenly smiled. He knew that Ellen had mastered his ultimate move. As expected, the man lost due to underestimation and she narrowly won. With that, the champion of this year¡¯s tournament was born. ¡°Oh my god! The champion of this year¡¯s tournament is a young girl. Who exactly is she? Her name is Ellen Reiss. The rookies in this year¡¯s chess game sure have many surprises.¡± Ellen breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Brook. She smiled when she saw him, knowing she did not disappoint him. At this moment, the camera followed Ellen¡¯s gaze and caught Brook. Immediately, thementator was shocked. ¡°She is the apprentice of our former champion! No wonder she is so skillful.¡± The middle-aged man who lost was furious. He threw the chess pieces on the board and cussed toward Ellen before leaving. Then, Ellen got up and returned to the lounge. Fifteen minutester, she would be on stage and became this year¡¯s youngest chess champion. ¡­ On the other hand, at the Aguirre Residence. Connor had just finished lunch and was switching the TV channels with the remote control. Then, he saw the live stream of the chess tournament. Subconsciously, he stopped. In the meantime, the live stream was showing the award ceremony. Connor sipped his tea when the host said excitedly, ¡°Next up, let us wee the champion of this year¡¯s chess tournament.¡± The camera turned toward a figure while the host continued. ¡°This is the champion of this year¡¯s tournament. She is a young chess yer who is only twenty-five years old. She is a rookie in chess, and her name is Ellen Reiss. A round of apuse for Miss Reiss.¡± Pfft! Connor spat out his tea as he stared at Ellen intently, watching her take the trophy. He never expected that Ellen, whom he had been searching for, would be standing on the stage as a chess champion. Looking at her, Connor was beyond frustrated. After all, there was no use in finding her now when Selena would be getting out of jail. Her life was ruined, and this case would forever taint her. At this moment, Olivia entered the house. Seeing Connor staring at the TV with a surprised look, she asked, ¡°What are you looking at? Come and see the clothes I bought for Lena. When shees home, she can wear the new clothes.¡± ¡°Come and look at this girl, Oli,¡± said Connor as he pointed toward the TV screen. Olivia wasn¡¯t a fan of watching celebrities. When she heard Connor¡¯s words and saw that he was pointing at the TV screen, she subconsciously looked over. In the meantime, Ellen¡¯s face was on the screen. The cameraman took a close-up of her, making her look even prettier on screen. ¡°This¡­ Is this Ellen?¡± Olivia was dumbfounded. Why is she on TV and being awarded? As she thought, she eximed, ¡°What is she being awarded?¡± Olivia couldn¡¯t believe that Ellen had be an outstanding woman and was on TV. Moreover, she was awarded on national TV. ¡°It is the national chess championship.¡± Connor sighed. Never would he have thought that things would turn out this way. He used to think that Ellen couldn¡¯t do anything and was just an ordinary girl. However, he didn¡¯t expect her to be talented after one and a half years had passed. ¡°S-She must have bribed them! There is no way she can be a chess champion! If not, her opponent must have thrown the game. Thus, what is so special about an award that can be obtained by bribing?¡± Olivia uttered in disdain. Hearing her words, Connor recalled that she was with Jared. Maybe the Presgrave Family had given her some benefits. They let her be a chess champion so she will have a better future. Perhaps Oli is right. ¡°This b*tch! How dare she live a great life and stand on the stage with spotlights on her when she let Lena be in prison for a year! She is ruthless!¡± Olivia was convinced that thedy was a nobody who couldn¡¯t achieve anything. Then, she refused to look at the TV anymore and went to do theundry. However, Connor sat back and hit rey, rewinding the stream. When he saw Ellen¡¯s first match, he sat down and observed the process. Connor was a chess lover himself, and he would always y chess by the park. When he finished watching Ellen¡¯s first match, he was shocked. Then, he quickly forwarded the stream to thest round. As he watched the game, he knew what Olivia said was wrong. Ellen didn¡¯t win the match by bribing. In fact, she won fair and square. At that moment, the host mentioned Ellen¡¯s mentor¡ªBrook. He was the world champion who had defeated most of the top-tier yers. However, he stoppedpeting after a tragedy happened to his family, followed by depression. It¡¯s quite a surprise that he is Ellen¡¯s mentor. No wonder Ellen is skillful, he thought. When Olivia entered the room and saw Connor was still looking at Ellen, she was angry. ¡°Why are you still watching? What is there to look at?¡± Hearing her words, Connor turned off the TV. At the same time, he didn¡¯t tell Olivia that Ellen had won the championship with her own skill. After all, he didn¡¯t want his wife to be even angrier. At this moment, his phone rang. When he took out his phone and saw who the caller was, he galloped to the balcony and answered it. The caller was his side chick, Aida. For the past year, she treated him like trash and threatened him to give her money by using his son. If Connor refused to give her money, she would not allow him to visit his son. Luckily for him, Olivia had not known about Connor¡¯s affair yet. Otherwise, life would be harder for him. The most important right now was weing Selena, who would get out of prison in three days. ¡­ After the award ceremony, Ellen returned to the hotel with the others. Everyone was thrilled because they had returned with fruitful results. When they had dinner together, they discussed whether they should stay and have fun in Averna before going back. Since Brook had a ce he could stay for the long term, he asked Ellen, ¡°Do you want to stay here, Ellie? You have already achieved your goal. Next, it¡¯s time for you to find someone and start a family.¡± ¡°I still haven¡¯t thought about it yet, Mr. Linton.¡± Ellen smiled. It went without saying that she was excited because winning the championship was the highlight of her life. At that moment, the chairman of the team got a phone call. Then, he quickly said to Brook and Ellen in excitement, ¡°Mr. Linton, Ellie, the TV station just called and wanted to invite you guys for an interview.¡± When Ellen heard his words, she was shocked. Brook looked at her and asked, ¡°Do you want to go, Ellie?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Ellen didn¡¯t know. She didn¡¯t mind the cameras when she yed chess. However, she would be nervous if she was being interviewed live. ¡°Just go! Take the opportunity and be famous when you are still young!¡± one of them suggested. ¡°Yeah! What are you afraid of, Ellie? You are even more beautiful than most celebrities.¡± In the end, Ellen agreed to it. Since the staff from the TV station kept urging them, she and Brook would be interviewed on live TV that Friday. ¡­ At the secretary department of Presgrave Group, Stanley had finally finished his job. He decided to take a break and watched his favorite show¡ªthe chess tournament held at Averna. He had wanted to watch it but didn¡¯t have the spare time since he had been busy the past few days. Now, he had finished his job and was ready to enjoy himself. When he opened the VOD and saw the yers¡¯ names, he saw a person called Ellen. Before seeing the actual yer, Stanley thought it was someone with the same name as Ellen. Then, he clicked on Ellen¡¯s match. As he clicked on the edited video, the yers were seated while the cameraman gave them a close-up. At that moment, Stanley almost jumped out of his chair in shock when he saw the woman. Although the woman wore sses, Stanley could still recognize it was Ellen! Oh god! This is not a coincidence! She is actually Ellen! Stanley was thrilled as he thought about it. Then, he took out his phone and dialed Jared¡¯s number, wanting to tell him about the news. ¡°Hello.¡± A tired voice sounded from the other end of the phone. Stanley decided to surprise him. After all, it wouldn¡¯t be much fun if he directly told Jared that Ellen had taken part in the chess tournament. He wanted Jared to see it for himself! ¡°President Jared, I have some great news to tell you. Go and watch the chess tournament that was held in Averna when you have the time. Maybe you will find the person you have always been looking for.¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep it a secret. Find out for yourself!¡± Stanley chuckled and hung up the phone. Although he was dying to spill the beans, he still suppressed the urge. After Jared hung up the phone, Stanley texted and urged him. ¡®You must go and take a look!¡¯ he wrote. Jared sat at the back of the car. After he had ended the call with Stanley, he had another business call. It was a discussion about a recent investment proposal. Soon, Jared went back to work. When he finally returned home, it was already 9.00PM. As soon as he entered the living room, he took off his suit, revealing a dark shirt that showed his perfect figure. Then, he walked toward the refrigerator and took out a ss of ice before retrieving a bottle of whiskey, after which he poured himself a drink. After that, he returned to the sofa and drank some of it before closing his eyes tiredly. Suddenly, Stanley¡¯s words shed across his mind. Then, he took the remote control and turned on the TV. When the TV showed the special highlight from the chess tournament, Jared scrolled through it with curiosity. Suddenly, he seemed to have seen something. His eyes widened as he stared at a name. Ellen? Why is her name on the list? Jared knew there was no mistake. It was Ellen¡¯s name. At that moment, he returned to his senses and quickly clicked on her name to rewatch her match. When the screen switched scenes, Ellen¡¯s beautiful face unfolded right before his eyes. Looking at her, he stood up in bewilderment. He couldn¡¯t believe he would find Ellen, the woman who had disappeared for one and a half years, this way. Ellen had changed a lot. Jared could tell that she was more mature. At the match, she wasn¡¯t wearing anything ssy, sporting a in turtleneck, looking sharp. When the camera zoomed in on her, she didn¡¯t cower away, looking like a porcin doll. Immediately, Jared grabbed his phone and dialed Stanley¡¯s number. ¡°Stanley.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Presgrave.¡± ¡°How did you find her?¡± ¡°It looks like you have watched it. Except for work, I love to y chess. Hence, I knew a chess tournament would be right around the corner. Since I have nothing much to do, I watched the video and saw Miss Reiss.¡± ¡°Is¡­ Is she still in Averna? Which hotel is she at?¡± Jared suppressed the excitement in his voice. ¡°Are you going to see her tonight, Mr. Presgrave? It¡¯s already 10.00PM, though. Why don¡¯t we meet her tomorrow morning?¡± Stanley suggested. ¡°Do you think I can wait until tomorrow? I want to know which hotel she stays in within ten minutes.¡± Jared wouldn¡¯t give him the time to ck off. Hearing his words, Stanley shook his head and smiled. Fortunately, he had done some research beforehand and replied, ¡°I have already checked that. I¡¯ll send the address to you right away. I¡¯m sure you know Miss Reiss is the champion, right?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know about it?¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. I just watched herst match. It was amazing. She is truly gifted as a chess yer.¡± When Jared heard his words, he felt a pang in his chest. Does that mean more men will like her? Will she be popr around people? A sudden rush of jealousy surged toward his heart as he thought about the possibilities. After a while, Stanley hung up the phone and sent him the address, including Ellen¡¯s room number. Immediately, Jared grabbed his coat and quickly rushed to the garage. He didn¡¯t want to wait any longer. At that moment, all he wanted to do now was to find her and ask about her sudden departure. That was enough to make him look for her! As themppost shone its light, a sports car dashed through the road as fast as lightning. On the other hand, at the hotel, Ellen had taken a bath and was sitting on the couch, looking at the trophy on the table. Looking at it, she thought about a familiar face. She wanted to see Jared but had no reason to do so. After all, he had nevere looking for her when she left without saying anything for an entire year. That meant that they were over. Thinking about it, she turned her head to look outside the window. The neon lights were shining brightly. Is there a woman beside him now? I wonder if she¡¯s the same woman that I heard of before I left. At this moment, the doorbell rang. Ellen believed it was the hotel staff since she had ordered a te of fruits. Thus, she stood up and opened the door without much thought. However, it wasn¡¯t the hotel staff who stood before her, but a man who was panting. He was leaning against the doorframe, seemingly out of breath. When Ellen saw who he was, her pupils constricted. You. It¡¯s you. In that split second, the duo looked at each other without saying a word. After Jared had got a hold of his breath, he pointed into her room and asked, ¡°Can Ie in?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Ellen nodded hastily. Then, Jared entered the room while Ellen closed the door and followed suit. Suddenly, he stopped and turned around abruptly, which made her bump into him. At that moment, she frantically backed away and tripped over the carpet. ¡°Ah!¡± Ellen fell backward and was going to hit her head when Jared quickly pulled her. Immediately, their bodies were pressed close to each other. Ellen was shocked by the sudden oue. Her face was pale, and she opened her lips to say something. At that moment, Jared cupped her cheeks and kissed her. In that split second, Ellen was dumbfounded. She stood there stiffly, allowing him to kiss her. After Jared pulled away, her pale face was flushed. Jared cupped her cheeks as he pressed his forehead against hers. ¡°How rude of you. You didn¡¯t even inform me that you came back,¡± he said hoarsely. Ellen blinked and exined awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m here to participate in the tournament. I¡¯m not here on a trip.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want to share with me after you have won the championship?¡± ¡°I was afraid that you might be busy.¡± Ellen pursed her lips. ¡°Even if I¡¯m busy, I can still find the time to celebrate with you,¡± Jared said exasperatedly. He could tell that she was making up an excuse, and the real reason was that she didn¡¯t want to see him. At this moment, there was a knock on the door. It must be the hotel staff, Ellen thought. Then, she said to Jared, ¡°I¡¯ll go and get the fruit.¡± After that, she opened the door and saw a young, elegant man standing there. He was Hendrix O¡¯rion, one of the chess yers. Hendrix heard that Ellen was also staying at this hotel. Since he would be leaving by tomorrow, he wanted to greet her and talk about chess. Moreover, he liked her. ¡°Hi!¡± Hendrix waved at her. ¡°Hello.¡± Ellen smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to bother you at this hour, Miss Reiss. I really admire you and wish that we could y together sometimeter. Is it okay if I get your number?¡± asked Hendrix. Before Ellen could say anything, a cold male voice replied, ¡°No.¡± When Hendrix heard the voice, he was startled. When he saw a handsome mane out of the room, he asked curiously, ¡°Miss Reiss, who is this man?¡± ¡°I¡¯m her boyfriend,¡± Jared announced without hesitation. Ellen was speechless. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. On the other hand, Hendrix was disappointed. I had asked her teammates, and none said she had a boyfriend. What¡¯s going on? ¡°We will meet again at the next match, Mr. O¡¯rion,¡± Ellen said politely. ¡°I see. I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± Hendrix left awkwardly. As soon as the door was closed, Ellen heard Jared say sulkily. ¡°As expected. You have more admirers after a year!¡± Hearing his words, Ellen felt funny and looked at him. ¡°What about you? I¡¯m sure your admirers are more than mine, right?¡± Jared didn¡¯t answer her. No matter what, he was upset when he saw that other men were looking for Ellen. He even wondered if she would have invited Hendrix into her room and bonded their rtionship if he hadn¡¯te. ¡°Since you are back now, are you going to leave again?¡± As Jared spoke, he walked over to the trophy. When he saw it, he was happy for her. After all, he had never expected her to be able to bag a trophy. ¡°I¡¯m not nning to leave anytime soon. I still have a television interview to attend,¡± Ellen replied truthfully. ¡°It looks like you were pursuing your dream in the past year.¡± Jared gave her a look of appraisal. ¡°Yes, chess is indeed my dream. I found what I was looking for.¡± Ellen nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to ept the fact that you will be leaving me again.¡± Jared looked at her with a darkened gaze. His eyes were filled with upset, sadness, and resignation. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Ellen apologized. She knew he was hurt by the way she bid goodbye. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not a petty person. I¡¯ll forgive you, but on one condition. My next ten meals are on you.¡± ¡°Ten meals?¡± Ellen blinked in confusion. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You can take me to a cheap restaurant. I won¡¯t make you go bankrupt,¡± replied Jared. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you want that, but¡­ won¡¯t your girlfriend be upset about it?¡± asked Ellen as she bit her lip. He must be dating that girl whom he hugged at his office! Ellen thought. ¡°Girlfriend?¡± Jared squinted his eyes and thought, When did I ever have a girlfriend? Hearing his question, Ellen nodded her head seriously. ¡°Which one?¡± Jared raised his eyebrow and asked. Ellen¡¯s eyes widened when she heard his words. ¡°How many girlfriends do you have?¡± ¡°Not much. I only have one.¡± As Jared spoke, he pointed at her and said, ¡°That¡¯s you.¡± At that moment, Ellen¡¯s mind went nk. Wait for a second. Does that mean that the woman he hugged isn¡¯t his girlfriend? No, I can¡¯t let him know about this. Otherwise, he will give me a scolding! I would rather treat him to ten meals! Thinking about it, she said, ¡°Ten meals, right? No problem!¡± She was quick to respond. ¡°This room is too cramped. I¡¯m going to tell them to give you a better room,¡± Jared suggested, wishing she would stay in afier ce. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I think this is just perfect. Plus, it¡¯s gettingte. Why don¡¯t you go home and take a rest?¡± Ellen said. Jared pointed to her ceiling and replied, ¡°I¡¯m staying on the top floor. Just call me if anything happens.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ellen nodded and didn¡¯t think there was anything wrong with it. They had not seen each other for more than a year! Thus, they were not as close as they used to be. However, Jared didn¡¯t want to leave. At that moment, he took out his phone and took a picture of Ellen¡¯s trophy. After that, he took another selfie while smiling as he held the trophy. His handsome face matched the golden trophy well! Looking at his actions, Ellen was shocked. After all, even she was way past the age of taking cute selfies. After taking the selfie, Jared uploaded it to his social media. ¡®Guess who the owner of the trophy is? Bingo. It is my girlfriend¡¯s,¡¯ he wrote. Just like that, he announced his rtionship with Ellen. Plus, the trophy was titled the champion of this year¡¯s chess tournament. Hence, anyone would be able to know who the winner of the tournament was as long as they searched for it. ¡°What did you post?¡± Ellen asked in curiosity. When Jared heard her words, he immediately closed his phone and put it in his pocket. ¡°Nothing. I¡¯ll be going now. Get some rest!¡± When he arrived at the door, he turned around and reminded her. ¡°Don¡¯t open the door for any men tonight.¡± Ellen was speechless and thought that he was such a dominant man. After Jared had left Ellen¡¯s room, he breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the door. His eyes were like a predator had its eyes on its prey. I won¡¯t let her escape again, he thought. In the meantime, Ellen was also relieved as she had a smile on her lips. For unknown reasons, she felt that it was easier for her to face him, and it felt great. ¡­ At 8.00AM, the Aguirres couple were waiting by the prison gate. After some time, Selena carried her luggage under the escort of a prison guard. She seemed to have lost her youthfulness and looked glum. ¡°Now that you are out here, get a new life, Selena. I hope you won¡¯t be back again. Good luck!¡± After the guard finished his words, he closed the door. When Olivia saw Selena, tears rolled down her eyes, and she rushed over to hug her. ¡°Oh, Selena, my sweetheart. My baby girl. You are finally out of there.¡± Selena threw her luggage to the ground and cried miserably. ¡°I¡¯m so tired of it, Mom. I was struggling!¡± Sheined about her prison life. ¡°I¡¯m hungry and cold every day. The other inmates even hit me and toyed with me. I¡¯m so done with it.¡± ¡°Where did they hit you? Let me take a look at it,¡± Olivia said hastily. Selena showed her arm to Olivia, revealing a bruise, indicating that she was severely beaten. Looking at the bruise, Olivia was heartbroken. ¡°Let¡¯s go home, Lena. You don¡¯t have to go through this anymore.¡± Connor was also distressed when he saw Selena¡¯s condition. It¡¯s good that she had finally ended her days in prison. I¡¯ll make sure that she does well in the future. Thinking about it, Connor told her, ¡°Look past the future and live a brand new life, Lena.¡± When Selena heard his voice, she looked at him. Truthfully, she hated him. After all, not only did he cheat on Olivia, but he was also the reason why she was in jail. If he could find Ellen, she wouldn¡¯t be in jail. As Selena thought about it, she asked hoarsely, ¡°Dad! Did you find Ellen? Where is she?¡± ¡°You just came out of jail, Lena. Don¡¯t try to do anything stupid. We have already cut ties with her. Why are you still looking for her?¡± ¡°She is the reason I¡¯m in jail. Who does she think she is to make me pay such a huge price? I hate her. I will never forgive her.¡± Selena screamed hysterically. Olivia would have encouraged Selena to take her revenge if it was the past. However, Ellen was not the same as before. Olivia knew that she was not someone to be messed with anymore. After all, she had just won the championship in chess, which meant she had strong backing. Thus, she didn¡¯t want her daughter to risk it. ¡°Come on, Lena. Let¡¯s go home,¡± Olivia pleaded, left with no choice. Selena could endure the days when being in jail because there was a strong emotion supporting her. It was the hatred toward Ellen. Hence, she would never be able to forgive Ellen. No matter what, she would find Ellen, even if everyone stopped her. ¡­ When Ellen woke up the next morning, her phone buzzed with the daily news, as Ellen liked reading the news. Suddenly, she was intrigued by the title. ¡®Shocking News! President Jared Had Publicly Announced His Love Life on Social Media!¡¯ Immediately, Ellen clicked into the news. When she saw the article, her eyes widened in disbelief. She saw Jared¡¯s social media had a selfie of him with a trophy, which was hers. Moreover, he wrote that she was his girlfriend. Is this why he wouldn¡¯t let me see what he posted yesterday? Why didn¡¯t he inform me about it? Soon, the media reported on this matter. Initially, everyone had their eyes on Ellen because she was the chess champion. Now that Jared had made such huge news, her name was all over the inte. There were many videos of her during the tournament, and theizens were discussing her. ¡®She is gorgeous! She looks so friendly!¡¯ ¡®Good Lord! How can she be so talented? I love her looks. She is a natural beauty.¡¯ ¡®She looks like a celebrity. Not only is she good-looking, but she is also talented.¡¯ ¡®A champion and a wealthy man. They seem like the perfect couple!¡¯ ¡®I wish them good luck. With how good-looking they are, I can¡¯t wait to see what their baby looks like.¡¯ ¡®I hope they get married soon!¡¯ As theizensplimented Ellen, she didn¡¯t know anything. At this moment, she was in the hotel¡¯s meeting room. The news reporter had arrived and met them beforehand, preparing some questions they would be asking. One of the staff was a gossiper. When she saw that Ellen was easygoing, she mustered up the courage and whispered in her ear, ¡°Miss Reiss, can I ask when your wedding with President Presgrave is?¡± Hearing her words, Ellen blinked and didn¡¯t know what to say. Thus, she smiled and replied, ¡°We still haven¡¯t talked about it.¡± At this moment, the interviewer asked again, ¡°Miss Reiss, may I know in advance if we can mention your love life? I¡¯m sure your fans and the audience are dying to know.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m ufortable about bringing up my personal matters.¡± Ellen shook her head politely. ¡°Okay. I understand.¡± During break time, the hotel staff served them premium tea and biscuits. The reporters were happy, but they didn¡¯t order it! At that moment, Ellen was thirsty. Hence, she grabbed one of the drinks and drank it while saying to the assistant, ¡°Thanks for the high tea.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who ordered it, Miss Reiss?¡± ¡°Huh? It¡¯s not me.¡± Ellen shook her head in surprise. Coincidentally, the waiter heard their conversation. Then, he walked over with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s your boyfriend who arranged this, Miss Reiss.¡± Since Ellen was famous, the hotel staff recognized her. Only then did they know that she, the chess champion, had stayed in their hotel, and her boyfriend, Jared, was also staying in the presidential suite! When the others heard the waiter¡¯s words, they were delighted. No one had expected that they would have a delicious high tea because of Ellen. ¡°I heard that it costs almost ten thousand for this! President Jared must have spent lots of money because of us.¡± ¡°Thank you, Miss Reiss.¡± ¡°Please help us thank the president.¡± Great. Now I¡¯m stuck with Jared, thought Ellen as she smiled at the others. ¡­ After Selena had returned home, Connor gave her a new phone. During the days she was in prison, she couldn¡¯t even sleep without having nightmares, not to mention being able to use her phone. Those days, she lived in fear and was exhausted. It was as if she was being disconnected from the whole world. As soon as she got her phone, she yed with it endlessly. She was ying games and watching videos all day. Olivia also gave her ten thousand, which she had saved, as allowance. After Selena was all dressed up, she took the money and went out. As she entered a coffee shop, insecurities filled her eyes. After all, she was someone who had been in prison. Looking at those pretty girls, she was jealous that they were innocent. Unlike them, the criminal record would forever haunt her. ¡°Oh my god! Look! It¡¯s thetest news about Ellen. She is going to have an interview.¡± A few girls were talking loudly in front of Selena. When Selena heard Ellen¡¯s name, she was startled and thought it was a celebrity with the same name. After all, she couldn¡¯t figure out why they were excited when Ellen¡¯s name was mentioned. ¡°I love the way she ys chess. She looks sexy and put together!¡± ¡°I wonder if she will be a celebrity. I hope she can be an actress!¡± ¡°There is no way she will be an actress! After all, her reputation and her boyfriend¡¯s status are enough for her to live happily as a rich woman.¡± As Selena listened to their conversation, she scrolled through some videos. Suddenly, her pupils constricted, and she stopped scrolling when a beautiful woman appeared on her screen. In that split second, Selena knew who she was. Ellen? After she had read the article, she was shocked to see that Ellen was the chess champion. This must be a fraud! How can she be so talented? Did Ellen pretend to be a champion when I was in prison? As she thought about it, she clicked on the person¡¯s profile and saw Ellen in many of the person¡¯s videos. There were even videos of her in the chess tournament. Looking at it, Selena noticed millions of views and over three millionments on the video. All of them were praising Ellen. Seeing that theizens were praising Ellen, Selena was dumbstruck. Is Ellen pretending to be a champion that is loved by all? Soon, she saw Jared¡¯s announcement and his selfie with Ellen¡¯s trophy. At that moment, she felt a pang in her heart. She was filled with hatred! She wished she could ruin everything Ellen had. After all, Ellen¡¯s life was what she wanted but couldn¡¯t achieve. Ellen had be the winner, while she lost miserably. Chapter 1701-1710 Chapter 1701-1710 Selena couldn¡¯t stand losing to Ellen. Shemented harsh words under the video; every one of them was scolding Ellen. Then, she felt it wasn¡¯t enough and snarled. ¡°Ellen, you b*tch! I will never forgive you.¡± Her voice shocked the girls, and they all looked at her. One of the girls frowned and said, ¡°She is criticizing Ellen!¡± Immediately, Selena smirked coldly and replied, ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m badmouthing the chess champion, Ellen. She is a b*tch, yet you guys admire her. This is just ridiculous.¡± ¡°Are you crazy?!¡± ¡°Yeah. She must be crazy from being jealous. Let¡¯s go.¡± When Selena heard their words, she red at them angrily, and the girls left. Ellen must have won the championship by bribing. I need to find evidence of her cheating! Then, she will be thrown off the crown. I¡¯m going to destroy her, even if it means I will ruin my life, thought Selena as she gritted her teeth. Then, she took out her phone and called Olivia. ¡°Have you seen the news about Ellen, Mom? It¡¯s ridiculous that she is a chess champion,¡± Selena said with contempt, ¡°I know. Just ignore her and live our own lives,¡± replied Olivia. ¡°I went to jail for over a year because of her, Mom. Do you think I will let her get away with it?¡± ¡°What are you going to do, Lena?¡± Hearing Olivia¡¯s words, Selena quickly reacted and said, ¡°I¡¯m not going to do anything, Mom. I just hate her.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid. You just got out of jail.¡± Olivia reminded her. After Selena promised to Olivia, she searched for people connected to the chess tournament. Then, she saw the judge who was in charge of Ellen¡¯s match. She decided that she was going to investigate to see whether Ellen had won fair and square. On the other hand, after Ellen had finished the interview, she texted Jared. ¡®Do you have any free time tonight? I¡¯ll treat you to dinner.¡¯ She wanted to buy him dinner since she still felt guilty about her sudden departure. Just as she had sent the text, Jared immediately called her. Ellen was startled, but she soon answered the call. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll choose the ce,¡± Jared said. Ellen was cool with it. No matter how expensive it would be, she decided to pay. ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s meet up at 5.30PM.¡± During the past year, she had managed her finances well, so she should be able to buy him a meal or two at a fancy restaurant. ¡°Sure. See you at 5.30PM, then.¡± Jared smiled on the other end of the phone. As Ellen returned to her room, she searched the gossip about her and Jared. When she saw the articles, she was shocked. After all, their names were everywhere. Looking at it, she wondered if the media had overdone it. She was embarrassed to see how they had praised her. Initially, she didn¡¯t want to be high profile, but as long as her name was bonded with Jared, it would go viral. Then, she returned to her room and got some calls from her friends. She was embarrassed. She didn¡¯t want to admit it, but gossip about her and Jared was everywhere. However, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to admit it since this was the first time they had met after one year of departure. She needed time to sort it out! When it was 5.30PM, there was a knock on Ellen¡¯s door. She opened it and saw Jared standing there. Since she was also ready, they entered Jared¡¯s car and headed to the restaurant. Jared was curious about her life. ¡°Why did you go to Brownsville?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Home of Chess, which is also my mentor¡¯s hometown.¡± ¡°When did you learn to y chess? You never told me about it.¡± ¡°I started when I was seven. At first, I was just watching the others ying. The person who first taught me was also my mentor. Since Grandma loves to y poker, I would apany her to the park. From preschool to high school, I spent most of my time at the park. After seeing it for such a long time, I just took an interest in it.¡± Ellen used to think of it as a hobby. However, after encountering Brook, he encouraged her, which made her work hard for it and go to the rank match. ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± praised Jared earnestly as he looked over at her. Ellen was d to hear that, but she replied humbly, ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll continue to treat my hobby as my career and further develop it.¡± ¡°You have my support.¡± He then looked at her with a deep gaze. ¡°I¡¯ll support you in whatever you do in the future.¡± Ellen blushed upon hearing that; she wasn¡¯t sure whether he was offering support as a friend or as someone beyond that. ¡°Why did you post such ament on social media?¡± Ellen asked. ¡°I¡¯m speaking the truth. Is there anything wrong with it?¡± ¡°But we¡­¡± ¡°Do you think that you aren¡¯t my girlfriend anymore just because we have been separated for a year? We haven¡¯t officially broken up, you know.¡± Jared spoke in displeasure. Ellen¡¯s face flushed red and became hot instantly when she heard his remarks. She wound the car window down to get some air, not knowing how to answer him. After a brief pause, she replied shyly, ¡°Alright!¡± Upon hearing her reply, Jared smiled since it was the answer he wanted from her. ¡°What about you? Have you been in contact with any guys in the past year?¡± Jared started fussing about it since he wanted to know how she felt about him. ¡°Nope.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Did anyone try courting you?¡± he asked again. This time round, she didn¡¯t shake her head but replied honestly, ¡°Yeah, but I rejected his advances.¡± ¡°In the future, you should announce that you are taken.¡± Jared scoffed, still feeling jealous about it. ¡°Don¡¯t be so domineering!¡± She chuckled. ¡°Do you me me for not looking for you the past year?¡± he asked again. ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± She shook her head. After all, she had written to Jared and told him not to look for her to give her some space and freedom. ¡°I knew that you¡¯d be back. I had a feeling that you¡¯d return for sure.¡± He revealed to her his thoughts in the past year. The reason he didn¡¯t go looking for her was that he was waiting for her to return. Tears welled up in her eyes upon hearing that. Does he really think that way? ¡°After dinner, I¡¯ll bring you somewhere. You¡¯ll love it.¡± ¡°Where is it?¡± she asked curiously. ¡°You¡¯ll find outter on.¡± As soon as they reached the upscale steakhouse, which was Ellen¡¯s favorite restaurant, she told him about the house she had gotten in town. It came with a garden, which was how she imagined her dream house to be. ¡°If there¡¯s a chance, I¡¯d like to go take a look. Perhaps I¡¯ll even stay a few nights there.¡± He was already looking forward to it. ¡°Sure!¡± She weed the idea. It was only 8.30PM when their dinner ended. Following that, Jared drove Ellen in his car. The further they drove, the more familiar her surroundings looked. Isn¡¯t this where my house used to be? She even remembered that she had deliberatelye over to look at it once before. ¡°Why are you taking me here?¡± ¡°Take a guess.¡± He smiled. However, nothing came to mind, so she could only wait for him to bring her there. As soon as Jared parked his car at a luxurious car park, he asked her to get out of the car. Then, the both of them took the elevator before heading over to the penthouse. ¡°Did you move here?¡± she asked. After Jared opened the door, he stretched his hand out and made a weing gesture. ¡°I designed this ce, especially for you.¡± Upon walking into the unit, Ellen was shocked. As she looked out through the floor-to-ceiling windows, she noticed the dazzling city lights and realized that she was within the central location of New Town. After giving it some thought, she looked up and asked, ¡°No way. Is this location where my house used to be?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. This is where your house used to be, so I built you a house in the same spot. Do you like it?¡± he asked earnestly. She was overwhelmed by emotions upon hearing that. The next moment, she walked toward him and wrapped her arms around his waist before burying her face in his chest. She couldn¡¯t find the words to express herself. With that, Jared tightened his embrace around her and nted a kiss on the top of her head as he relished the long-awaited hug. ¡°Thank you.¡± Ellen didn¡¯t know he had done so much for her, which made her feel guilty for leaving him. ¡°I hope that you won¡¯t leave again since I¡¯ve gotten you a house!¡± Jared looked down and said in a raspy voice. After all, the reason he built her the house was so that she would stay. Hearing that, she shut her eyes and nodded. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t be leaving anymore.¡± Now, she had a home within the city. Jared smiled when she epted his gift, and from today onward, this would be their home. After Ellen was given a tour around the duplex that spanned almost 10,000 square feet, she thought that the ce was cozy. When she noticed the shelves on the balcony that were filled with pots of sulents, she turned to him and asked in surprise, ¡°Did you get these too?¡± Hearing that, Jared stood behind her with his arms folded and answered smilingly, ¡°Yes. I was also the one who picked them out. Do you like it?¡± ¡°They look so cute!¡± she gushed. She loved it and could feel that everything in the house was carefully curated by Jared, which showed how much he loved her. ¡°Yes! Very cute indeed.¡± He was referring to the sulents and also Ellen. Soon after, Ellen toured the living room before checking out the master bedroom on the second floor. There was a private multi-functional movie hall, a gymnasium, and various beautiful furniture and sofas where the color schemes caught her heart at first nce. Jared had thoughtfully selected everything in the house. Ever since the start of renovations, he had been there every day. After the renovation waspleted, he went to the shopping mall to pick out the fixtures and fittings. It was as if he had been living and preparing for her return in the past year. He believed that everything he had done would be rewarded, and the reward was Ellen. The moment when he saw her smile and the tears in her eyes, he knew that everything he had done was worth it. ¡°Do you like it?¡± he asked in a deep voice. ¡°I love it! I love everything about it.¡± She nodded. She was moved as his love for her was noticeable through the details in every corner of the house. ¡°Something¡¯s missing, though.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a chess table. I¡¯ll get someone to send it over tomorrow. That way, you can teach me how to y chess.¡± Jared was looking forward to ying chess with her as he thought that it would be fun. At that, she chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t dare to y chess with someone as intelligent as you. I¡¯m afraid of losing to you.¡± She finally managed to win the championship and didn¡¯t want to be defeated by him. ¡°Let me tell you a secret! When I was young, my parents made me learn how to y chess. I wasn¡¯t able to master it, so they eventually gave up. So, I¡¯d like to learn from you.¡± Jaredughed. ¡°No way!¡± She blinked her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not lying. You can ask my parents when they¡¯re back.¡± He would never lie to her. Hearing that made her blush as it sounded like she would be meeting his parents soon. The thought of it made her anxious. It was probably because she had watched too many movies and read too many novels which instilled fear within her toward women from wealthy families. She felt that marrying a wealthy family would lead to an unknown world, and she would lose her freedom because of that. Jared noticed how hesitant she was andforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my parents are easy to get along with, and I have a cheeky sister. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll like her.¡± After hearing that, an image of a haughty girl from a wealthy family instantly popped into her mind, making her even more nervous. ¡°Alright!¡± She nodded. ¡°Where do you think we should ce the chess table?¡± he asked. ¡°cing it in front of the floor-to-ceiling window on the second floor would be nice. We can look at the view if we get bored while ying chess,¡± she answered. There was a smirk on his face when his gaze fell on her as she spoke, and Ellen blushed upon that. They spoke like a married couple where the husband just bought something home and was asking the wife where he should ce it, while she answered him like his wife. He then walked over with a smile and held her hand before saying, ¡°Would you like to sleep here tonight?¡± ¡°Huh? I didn¡¯t bring any clothes with me, and my luggage is in the hotel!¡± She never thought that she would be sleeping over there tonight. ¡°We have everything here.¡± With that, he held her hand and led her to her master bedroom before pushing open a hidden cab door. The next moment, a luxurious closet of nearly 500 square feet appeared, and it had everything that one could expect. Ellen was so surprised that she covered her mouth with one hand. When she was in the bedroom earlier on, she didn¡¯t notice that there was a closet over there. Inside a row of lighted cabsy an array of women¡¯s watches and jewelry, a row of neatly arranged bags, and three rows of women¡¯s shoes. Not only that,fortable sofas were ced in the middle of the walkway. The lighting made the ce feel warm yet luxurious, and one could get a view of the night sky full of stars from the floor-to-ceiling windows. Having a closet like this made changing clothes a pleasure. Moreover, the closet next to her was filled with all kinds of women¡¯s clothes, and even a dozen pajamas were hanging in there. Ellen blushed a little, wondering if Jared had bought each and everything in the house. ¡°All these clothes have been dry cleaned and are ready to be worn. I bought them based on your size, so you should be able to fit into them.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that I might get fat? What if I weighed more than 200 pounds when I returned? The clothes that you got me would have gone to waste,¡± she said with a chuckle. Jared burst outughing and said, ¡°I¡¯d still love you even if you be as chubby as a pig.¡± He was confessing to her and ridiculing her at the same time. ¡°How dare you call me one?¡± She punched him. ¡°Even if you¡¯re a pig, you¡¯ll be the cutest piglet.¡± He pulled her into his arms whileughing. ¡°I¡¯m not, but you are.¡± She wasn¡¯t pleased with the nickname. ¡°From now on, I shall address you as piglet or piggy, but if you don¡¯t like it, I cane up with another nickname for you.¡± Jared thought that it would be a good idea to give each other a nickname. He got the idea from his parents who came up with nicknames for each other and called each other using that since the beginning while loving each other until now. He admired his parents¡¯ rtionship, and he wanted to love Ellen for the rest of his life and maintain a loving rtionship like how his parents did. The next moment, Ellen tilted her head as she started contemting which animal Jared resembled. After giving it some thought, she figured that he resembled a lone wolf since he didn¡¯t have many friends except for a group of subordinates who took orders from him and thinking about it broke her heart. ¡°Why not we call each other piggy?!¡± Ellen looked up and suggested. She didn¡¯t want to call him Mr. Wolf since it would make him seem uptight, and she was looking for a sweeter nickname. ¡°Alright! My adorable piglet.¡± He brushed her cheek. With that, she wrinkled her nose and looked like a cute piglet. He lowered his gaze and held her face before leaning in for a kiss. She didn¡¯t push him away as her heart was filled with love, and she was anticipating this kiss more than him. ¡°Just spend the night here!¡± Jared spoke in a hoarse voice after kissing her. It sounded like a plead, and she could tell. Tonight, she seemed to feel sorry for him because he had spent a year building a home for her, and she appreciated everything that he had done. She stretched her arms out and wrapped them around his waist as she nodded while in his arms. ¡°Alright!¡± ¡°But you only prepared my clothes. What about yours? Did you not prepare anything for yourself?¡± She pushed him away when she thought of the question. ¡°Yes, I did prepare some for myself.¡± With that, he held her hand and they entered the guestroom next door. There was a small closet in there with five or six outfits, and it couldn¡¯tpare to the closet in the master bedroom. Ellen blinked her eyes as she looked at Jared and felt bad for him, for he had built her an amazing house but only prepared himself a small room within it. ¡°I sleep here at times, so I¡¯ve prepared some spare clothes.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s your nket?¡± She noticed that there was no nket on his bed. ¡°I spilled some red wine on my nket while sleeping here two days ago. I¡¯ve already asked my assistant to send it for dry cleaning, but it hasn¡¯t been sent back yet,¡± he replied whileughing, Hearing that, she tugged his sleeve and whispered to him while blushing, ¡°In that case¡­ You can sleep in my room tonight.¡± There were other rooms in the house, but Jared understood what she was implying. He, too, blushed as he was surprised and ted to hear that. ¡°Really?¡± he asked. ¡°Yeah!¡± She nodded. In the past year, she managed to find herself and build her self-confidence, so she was ready to start a rtionship with him; she no longer felt scared and wanted to date him publicly. Even if she overheard the female staff belittling her while she was hiding in her cubicle one day, she wouldn¡¯t be afraid anymore. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, and I feel tired! Let¡¯s go to bed earlier!¡± she uttered but was so shy that she didn¡¯t dare look at him. Jared gazed at her affectionately and replied, ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go take a shower!¡± She pushed him away. Seeing how shy she was, he decided to give her some time and space and said, ¡°Sure. You should go to bed first. I¡¯ll take care of some work before going to bed.¡± Sure enough, Ellen felt more at ease after hearing what he said. She then went into the room and closed the door behind her before taking a shower. After that, she walked into the closet with a towel wrapped around her, and as she was standing in front of a row of pajamas, she bit her lip while trying to choose one. In the end, she chose a short, pink night dress with spaghetti straps which beautifully outlined her curves and revealed her soft and smooth skin. As Elleny in bed, she had a hard time falling asleep; her mind was full of Jared as he continued to work outside. She tossed and turned and got curious about when he would finish his work. Is he nning to wait for me to fall asleep before hees in? On the other hand, Jared was sitting on the couch with hisptop switched on. Although he was looking at the report on theputer, his mind was thinking about Ellen being in the room. He wondered if she had finished taking a shower and whether she would be startled if he went in. Is she waiting for me? No matter how important his work was, he had no inclination to do it at the moment and wouldn¡¯t even mind if he lost a hundred billion. He couldn¡¯t help but look at the time. It¡¯s been half an hour. Is she already asleep in bed? Can I go in now? At the same time, Ellen¡¯s mind was racing with thoughts as shey in bed. Does he not want toe in? Does he think that his work is more important? Should I go out and call him? Should I ask him to go to bed andplete his work tomorrow? Finally, Jared shut hisptop and decided to enter the room. As soon as he pushed the door open, Ellen, who was initially sitting on the bed nervously, lifted the nket over herself and pretended to be asleep. When Jared walked in, he felt slightly disappointed when he saw the still figure in the bed. Was she so tired that she fell asleep? Just then, the figure moved, and he couldn¡¯t help but smile. It seems like she is pretending to be asleep! With that, he headed straight to the bathroom. When Ellen heard the bathroom door closing, she sat up and let out a sigh as it was suffocating to hide under the nket. She was extremely nervous. As she held her hot and flushed face, she found it hard to calm herself down. Soon, she heard the sound of water in the bathroom and quickly got out of bed to get a ss of water outside. All that anxiety made her feel thirsty. Finally, the sound of water in the bathroom stopped, and Ellen immediately returned to the position she was in before while pretending to still be asleep. She had no idea how cute her behavior was. Soon, the bathroom door opened, and Ellen shut her eyes when she heard footsteps approaching her. The next moment, she felt the other side of the bed sink as someone sat on the edge. Ellen¡¯s mind exploded. Doesn¡¯t Jared wear pajamas or something? Is he going to bed like this? Following that, the nket was lifted, and a hot breath pressed against her. Ellen shrieked in surprise as her head went nk. The next moment, she was wrapped in Jared¡¯s arms. ¡°Not asleep yet?¡± Jared asked with a suppressed smile. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m asleep,¡± Ellen answered with her eyes closed. ¡°How can you still answer me if you¡¯re asleep?¡± Jared caught her wed statement. Because of that, Ellen opened her eyes shyly. Her clear eyes showed that she wasn¡¯t sleepy at all. Obviously, she had been waiting for him! It was so hot that it felt like a fire was burning under the nket. Jared was breathing heavily, and his breath was warm. Meanwhile, Ellen¡¯s body was beginning to feel unbearably hot. In the end, Jared couldn¡¯t hold himself back anymore. ¡°Mmph¡­¡± Ellen was kissed. ¡­ Both of them spent a passionate night together. In the morning, the first ray of sunshine on the warm winter morning fell on Ellen¡¯s face, highlighting the hickey on her neck. She shrunk her body like a shrimp, and Jared was spooning her from the back. Both of them were still fast asleep. Even though Ellen was sleeping, she could still sense the dazzling sunlight. She turned over to avoid it and snuggled in Jared¡¯s chest while continuing to enjoy her slumber. Just then, Jared woke up. His thick, fan-like eyshes fluttered open, revealing his dark eyes that were filled with satisfaction and affection. He cuddled Ellen in his arms, treating her like a treasure as he kissed her. He stretched his arm to grab the remote control for the curtains and clicked on a button to close them before continuing to enjoy his sleep with her in his embrace. ¡­ In a hotel suite, Selena finally locked onto her target¡ªthe chief referee of the chesspetition. No matter the cost, she was determined to uncover insider information. She wanted to ruin Ellen¡¯s reputation and see her demise. She walked into the hotel¡¯s buffet restaurant in a sexy outfit while pretending to look for someone. She then intentionally scanned the area. Finally, when the referee turned around with a ss of red wine in his hand, the wine spilled on Selena¡¯s chest. ¡°Oops! I¡¯m so sorry, miss. Are you okay?¡± Jay, the coach who was in his fifties, immediately apologized as he stared at Selena¡¯s cleavage for a few seconds. Selena noticed his lewd gaze and sneered inwardly. She knew that men like him could easily be lured. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t have any other clothes to wear,¡± Selena said helplessly. ¡°Also, I don¡¯t have room to take a shower in,¡± she added. ¡°How about I get you a room? Sorry about that!¡± Jay offered. ¡°Can you buy me some clothes too? Anything will do,¡± Selena asked again. ¡°Of course.¡± He was captivated by Selena¡¯s youthful beauty and hot figure. He had already started fantasizing about her. What was more, he wanted to get to know her as she seemed so innocent and unguarded. ¡°Okay. You get me a room, and I¡¯ll go take a shower. Meanwhile, you can go to the nearby mall and buy me a dress.¡± Selena agreed. Jay was more than happy to oblige. He went to the front desk and got another room before handing over the key card to Selena. Following that, he went to the mall to buy her some clothes. As soon as Selena entered the room, she took a quick shower. Once she was done, she wrapped herself in a bath towel and waited on the sofa. Before that, she hid a set of equipment, so all she had to do was to wait for the fish to take the bait. Soon, Jay came back with a dress. He was instantly aroused when he saw Selena wrapped in a towel. She then deliberately fell, causing the two of them to fall onto the bed together. Everything happened so naturally, and Selena didn¡¯t care about the fact that Jay was as old as her father. On the other hand, Jay was even more surprised that such good luck hade knocking on his door. Selena left after both of them exchanged phone numbers. However, half an hourter, she suddenly sent a bunch of photos to him. In the photos, only Jay¡¯s face was shown while hers remained hidden. ¡°Referee Harris, what do you think your family would do if I sent them these photos?¡± Selena immediately threatened him. Jay was stunned. He did not expect Selena to be a fraud who would threaten him after sleeping with him. Since he was a celebrity, especially in the world of chess, he certainly couldn¡¯t risk ruining his reputation. He had no choice but to negotiate with Selena over the phone. ¡°Selena, how much money do you want?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your money. I have a question to ask you. Did the yer Ellen cheat during the chess tournament?¡± ¡°Ellen?¡± Jay was extremely surprised. Why is she asking about Ellen? ¡°Ellen won the championship based on talent. She did not cheat!¡± he quickly replied. ¡°Huh! Are you sure she didn¡¯t cheat? The Ellen I know is worthless. How could she be the champion?¡± Selena sneered, thinking that Jay was lying. On the other end of the phone, Jay replied earnestly, ¡°Selena, Ellen won the championship through her merit. I can guarantee that thepetition was fair and just. Moreover, all the yers throughout the country watched it via live stream, so Ellen couldn¡¯t have cheated.¡± Selena felt extremely ufortable after listening to these words. It was like a bitter pill to swallow, and she did not want to admit that Ellen was outstanding. ¡°Jay, if you don¡¯t want to ruin your reputation, then you¡¯ll do as I say,¡± Selena threatened fiercely. ¡°Selena, what exactly do you want from me? I can give you the money. Although I¡¯m not very wealthy, I can give you a few hundred thousand at most.¡± Jay didn¡¯t want to get into trouble. He thought to himself that sleeping with a call girl would cost ten thousand at most. Given the situation, he would rather give Selena a few hundred thousand with the hopes of satisfying her. Selena sneered upon hearing that. ¡°I don¡¯t want your money, but I want you to publicly admit that Ellen cheated. I want you to denounce her championship title.¡± ¡°What did you just say?¡± Jay was shocked. ¡°Do you have a grudge with Ellen?¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. Anyway, if you don¡¯t do as I say, I will ruin your reputation and your family,¡± Selena warned. At the same time, she was searching for Jay¡¯s family online. He had mentioned his family in a few interviews, and his wife turned out to be an excellent doctor. Jay never thought that a romantic affair would ruin his reputation, and he was a person who valued it dearly. ¡°Give me an answer before 6.00PM tonight. We shall meet online,¡± Selena threatened before hanging up the call. ¡­ Meanwhile, in a luxurious living room, Ellen was sitting by the floor-to-ceiling window with a cup of hot milk in her hand. Suddenly, a pair of sturdy arms wrapped around her from behind, and her back was pressed against a warm chest. Jared¡¯s thin lips and hot breathnded on her neck, and she avoided him since it felt ticklish. He then kissed her hair in satisfaction. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Ellen blushed. She seemed to have gained a different kind of charm after sleeping with a man for the first time. ¡°Is the medicine bitter?¡± Jared asked in a hoarse voice, feeling sorry for her. ¡°Such a small pill can¡¯t be that bitter.¡± Ellen shook her head as she looked at him before asking, ¡°The medicine should be effective, right? What if it doesn¡¯t work?¡± She was too embarrassed to recall the craziness ofst night. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s hurry up and hold a wedding so that we can give our baby a home.¡± Ellen looked at him in shock as she quickly shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not mentally prepared for that yet!¡± ¡°Why? Are you refusing to take responsibility after sleeping with me?¡± he asked in a resentful tone. ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t want to take responsibility,¡± Ellen deliberately replied. ¡°Don¡¯t you even dare.¡± Jared impatiently scratched her cheek. Ellenughed upon hearing that. Meanwhile, Jared suddenly pulled her into his arms and said, ¡°It looks like you¡¯ve had enough rest.¡± ¡°Jared, are you even human?¡± Ellen asked surprisedly. ¡°I can be anything other than human when you¡¯re here with me.¡± As soon as he spoke, he carried her toward the master bedroom. The streetlights lit up when night fell. Selena had been waiting for Jay¡¯s message in the hotel, and finally, she received it. He finally found a solution after careful consideration. Jay happened to be familiar with thepetitor who hadpeted with Ellen. He decided to bribe the competitor to admit that he had secretly taken Ellen¡¯s money and intentionally lost to her, who was a neer. Since thepetitor felt resentful and humiliated for losing to a neer like Ellen, he was more than happy to seize the opportunity and smear her name. Jay exined his n to Selena over the phone and asked her to be patient. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Can you denounce Ellen¡¯s championship qualification by doing this?¡± Selena asked. ¡°Even if you can¡¯t take away her championship qualification, you can still ruin her reputation and make her win without honor.¡± ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll wait and see. As long as Ellen¡¯s reputation is ruined, I¡¯ll let you go,¡± Selena said. ¡°Selena, this is as far as I can go,¡± Jay said helplessly. With that, Selena immediately went online and followed thements made by the contestant. As expected, he spread rumors about the incident online, which instantly caused a buzz. Media outlets even reposted his post and spoke out about it. Meanwhile, the furious Selena posted more than a dozen insultingments about Ellen, all of it which were extremely inappropriate. She also registered an ount and reposted the post, even paying to spread the news. Her goal was to ruin Ellen¡¯s reputation and make her the object of criticism and abuse on the inte. Before this, news about Ellen and Jared was still trending, but the topic of the suspicion of Ellen¡¯s championship being rigged quickly rose to the top. Fans who had previously held a favorable opinion of Ellen could not believe that she had paid to gain the championship. Moreover, media analysts spected that Ellen¡¯s championship was bought by her boyfriend, Jared, and everyone instantly believed it. There was no doubt that the president of Presgrave Corporation could manipte the results of thepetition through power and money and at the same time, promote his girlfriend as the champion. Ellen received a call from the team leader at 8.00PM. ¡°Ellen, have you seen what¡¯s happening online? What¡¯s going on?¡± the team leader asked. Ellen had no idea what had happened since she hadn¡¯t touched her phone at all. ¡°Nichs, did something happen?¡± she asked. ¡°Your opponent, Alden, said that you paid him off before thepetition. He intentionally lost to you and let you win the championship. Is there any truth to this?¡± ¡°Nichs, what are you talking about? There¡¯s no such thing,¡± Ellen said firmly. She didn¡¯t expect Alden, would resort to such means to discredit her after losing the game. As soon as the game ended, Alden¡¯s action of smashing the chess pieces indicated that he was displeased about losing the game. However, right now, he was trying to ruin her reputation using such means. This infuriated her very much. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Nichs asked again. ¡°I¡¯m sure, and I certainly did not bribe him. Moreover, I didn¡¯t even know him before this.¡± Ellen was very certain. ¡°It seems that many people don¡¯t believe you won the championship fairly this time. It¡¯s okay, Ellen, we¡¯ll talk to them about this. Don¡¯t be too bothered by this as we know your capabilities,¡± Nichs comforted her and hung up the call. After that, Ellen quickly sat on the couch and searched for information rted to herself on her phone. She saw Alden¡¯s posts, which directly used Ellen of bribing him to make him lose the game. Upon seeing that, she breathed heavily while anger burned in her eyes. She couldn¡¯t believe that such shameless people existed! Soon, Jared walked over with a ss of water and saw her biting her lips while staring at the phone screen furiously. ¡°What happened? Is something wrong?¡± he asked concernedly. ¡°My opponent deliberately used me of buying him off and is now trying to discredit me online. He said that I won the championship through unfair means.¡± Ellen sighed. ¡°Really?¡± Jared sat next to her and picked up her phone to check the posts. After reading them, he clenched his fists when he saw ament saying that Ellen¡¯s victory was only possible because he had manipted the scores behind the scenes. Thement discredited her hard work and tagged her with a reputation for buying championships, which led to her being questioned throughout the inte. ¡°This is outrageous! He is digging his own grave!¡± Jared¡¯s face contorted with anger. He didn¡¯t mind being targeted, but he would not tolerate anyone bullying his woman. With that, he picked up his phone and dialed Stanley¡¯s number. ¡°Have you seen the online attacks against Ellen? Investigate this immediately.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Presgrave!¡± Jared also felt a sense of guilt, for he shouldn¡¯t have announced their rtionship so publicly. After all, it had given Alden a reason to defame Ellen. Since Ellen had an ultra-wealthy boyfriend who inherited a conglomerate, it made Alden¡¯s malicious remarks seem more convincing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have been so high-profile about our rtionship.¡± Jared med himself. Ellen was originally very angry, but upon hearing his words, she immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and shook her head earnestly. ¡°How can this be your fault? You should be ming the despicable Alden.¡± ¡°I wanted to announce to the whole world that you are my girlfriend, but I should¡¯ve been more low-key to protect you,¡± Jared confessed as he kissed her. ¡°I will investigate this matter and make sure Alden pays the price.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯m not in a hurry.¡± Ellen nodded. She had nothing to fear, for she had a clear conscience. At the same time, Selena, who was at the hotel, kept checkingments about Ellen online. The more she read, the more excited she became. Ellen¡¯s reputation had been tarnished, and the inte was filled with criticism and outrageousments toward her. Selena felt extremely satisfied, for this was the result she wanted. Soon, Jay called her. He had been keeping an eye on Ellen¡¯s news and was now relieved. ¡°Selena, I¡¯ve done everything you asked me to do. Can you let me go now?¡± ¡°Give me another 15,000 and I¡¯ll let this go,¡± Selena demanded the money greedily. ¡°Selena, you¡­¡± Jay was a stingy person, but he did not expect Selena to be so greedy. ¡°15,000 and nothing less than that,¡± Selena ckmailed him. ¡°Fine! Consider myself unlucky!¡± Jay then hung up the call furiously. Selena was overjoyed. Not only she had easily destroyed Ellen¡¯s reputation, she even got 15,000 from it. It was enough to pay for some of her expenses for the time being. She had been in jail for over a year, and it was time for her to enjoy herself. The pleasure of retaliating against Ellen was fantastic. Meanwhile, everyone in Ellen¡¯s team felt powerless in dealing with this matter because of Alden¡¯s words. Even if they wanted to prove the truth, they had no way of doing so. ¡°Ellen relied on her talent to win,¡± Brook said with certainty. ¡°We all know that Ellen relied on her talent, but unfortunately, theizens have blindly believed Alden¡¯s words. Ugh! Alden is too shameless.¡± ¡°We can only suffer this loss. I¡¯m just worried that Ellen can¡¯t take it since she¡¯s still so young, and it¡¯s apparent that Alden is out to get her!¡± ¡°The TV station just called and said that the interview has been postponed. I think we¡¯re done for!¡± ¡°Who would dare to interview us given these circumstances? Our team¡¯s chance to be famous has been destroyed.¡± ¡°Do you think Ellen¡¯s boyfriend is actually the president of Presgrave Group? He¡¯s a super rich second generation!¡± an assistant uttered. Hearing that, everyone fell silent. Now, only Brook firmly believed that Ellen was a talented person! News of Ellen buying her championship spread like wildfire online. Many mediapanies also grabbed this chance to gain traction and cash in on the opportunity. However, at 6.30PM, all the media outlets fell silent, and any discussion of Ellen vanished. It was as if a large hand had taken firm control of the situation behind the scenes, halting all the nder and insults aimed at Ellen. Without the inte to spread the word, the fans quickly diverted their attention to something else. As for the incident with Ellen, it was limited to small offline talk. After all, Ellen wasn¡¯t a major celebrity. A force had seeped into the chess world and begun investigating this incident that targeted Ellen. Meanwhile, Alden was feeling a little aplished, for he didn¡¯t expect to ruin Ellen¡¯s reputation just because of something he said while venting about his defeat in thepetition. He was on good terms with Jay in private too. Even though he didn¡¯t know why Jay had suddenly asked him to do this, it was just a piece of cake for him to nder and attack the newbie with just a few sentences. Now that the deed was done, Jay invited Alden to a meal and some drinks at night as repayment for his favor. Because of Alden¡¯s help, Jay¡¯s problem was solved as well, and everything was settled after he transferred the money to Selena. After a few drinks, Alden was still curious as to why Jay would target Ellen. Jay had nowhere else to vent, and Alden wasn¡¯t an outsider either, so he decisively told Alden about Selena ckmailing him. When Alden heard everything, he felt like he had helped Jay tremendously, so it was considered a huge favor. Hence, Jay would dly return the favor if Alden ran into anything in the future. ¡°Jay, I was putting myself at risk to help you, but I don¡¯t like Ellen that much either, you know? I¡¯ve been coveting the championship for almost eight years, and I swore I would get first ce this year. Who knew that a brat would appear out of nowhere and block my path? That¡¯s just infuriating.¡± Alden was furious at the mention of Ellen. It was terribly humiliating for a veteran like him to lose to a newbie. If he were going up against another veteran in chess, he wouldn¡¯t be this worked up. However, Ellen had just entered the scene this year, and she was just a young woman in her 20s. She even disregarded his seniority in thepetition, making him so mad that he vented his frustration out on the chess pieces. Jay sighed. ¡°It¡¯s miserable for me too! I fell right into Selena¡¯s trap. If you hadn¡¯t helped me, I wouldn¡¯t know what to do!¡± ¡°Who would know about this incident if we don¡¯t tell anyone?¡± Alden held the wine ss in his hand as he said in satisfaction, ¡°Just one sentence from me is enough to ruin Ellen¡¯s reputation. Also, she has a powerful boyfriend, doesn¡¯t she? That¡¯s the perfect opportunity for people to doubt her skills. Let¡¯s see if she dares toin anymore now!¡± Jay brushed it off as well, then clinked sses with Alden. ¡°We¡¯re brothers from now on.¡± Just then, Jay¡¯s phone rang. Jay nced at it, then answered the call in annoyance. ¡°What else do you want, Selena?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the news? All news reports about Ellen are gone. If someone asks you about it, don¡¯t mention me, or I¡¯ll send those photos to your wife immediately.¡± Selena¡¯s voice sounded anxious on the other end of the line. ¡°What? What is going on?¡± Jay asked in surprise. Selena had personally experienced the consequences of defying Ellen. She could sense something dangerous on the horizon, and she felt that Ellen was about tounch a counterattack. ¡°Just remember what I said.¡± With that, Ellen hung up. Jay had yet toe to his senses. Alden asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is that girl asking for your money this time?¡± ¡°No.¡± Jay pretended everything was fine as he continued drinking with Alden. Meanwhile, Selena checked out of the hotel and walked outside, tensing up. She had been in jail not long ago for threatening Ellen several times. Now, she had ruined the woman¡¯s reputation out of anger. Chapter 1711-1720 Chapter 1711-1720 Selena was beginning to fear now, for she saw that all the news articles rted to Ellen were gone. This meant that Jared had taken action. Selena didn¡¯t want to get involved, much less bear the responsibility for it. Ellen¡¯s reputation was considered ruined at this point, so even if the news articles were gone, it was enough to force Ellen out of the chessmunity. From today onward, Ellen wouldn¡¯t dare participate in officialpetitions, and her championship would be the joke of the chessmunity. Selena was quite satisfied with the oue, feeling that it was worth sacrificing her body in exchange for such results. ¡­ In the meeting room, Jared was seated at the front while a group of people sat before him. They were all concerned about one thing, which was to find the culprit behind the scenes who wanted to defame Ellen. At that moment, they had gathered enough information to paint aplete picture. ¡°Young Master Jared, these are records of Alden Thomas¡¯ financial situation. This is his call history and duration, as well as the people he met recently at the hotel.¡± ¡°Based on the people he¡¯s met in the past few days, we carried out a thorough investigation. These are all people who have contacted him before.¡± ¡°ording to our spection, it¡¯s highly possible that Alden wanted to get revenge on Miss Reiss because he couldn¡¯t ept the fact that he lost.¡± Jared stared at Alden¡¯s photo with an extremely disgusted look in his cold eyes. Back then, this man had smashed the chess pieces right in front of Ellen during the finals. ¡°President Presgrave, shall we employ our special methods?¡± ¡°For the moment, no. Keep investigating.¡± Jared shook his head. He had to be a little more careful since Ellen¡¯s reputation was involved. He wanted to clear Ellen¡¯s name and restore her reputation as well. If he just wanted to exact revenge, he had all the methods in the world to do it. Just then, Jared¡¯s phone rang. He nced at it, gentleness instantly filling his eyes as he took his phone over to the French windows. He answered the call and said tenderly, ¡°Hey. Are you going to sleep already?¡± ¡°Is the investigation still underway?¡± On the other end of the line, Ellen asked as her heart ached for Jared. It was already 9.00PM. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll find the truth very soon,¡± Jaredforted her. ¡°Just forget it if you can¡¯t find anything. I won¡¯t stoop to their level.¡± Ellen didn¡¯t want him to work too hard either. ¡°I¡¯ve said before that I won¡¯t let anyone bully you anymore. I¡¯m a man of my word.¡± Jared would never let those people off the hook. He would make all of Ellen¡¯s bullies pay the steep price for it. Even if they couldn¡¯t be punished byw, he could still employ his methods. Just then, Stanley¡¯s phone rang. He reached out and picked up the call. ¡°Hello. Did you get any information from eavesdropping?¡± ¡°Send it to me.¡± Not long after Stanley listened to a portion of the recording, he spoke to Jared, who was still on the phone. ¡°Young Master Jared, we¡¯ve found something. Listen to this.¡± Jared nced at Stanley, then said gently over the phone, ¡°I¡¯ll go home to you as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Okay, don¡¯t overwork yourself,¡± Ellen said in concern. After hanging up, Jared sat down at the table and listened to the audio recording. Two drunken voices were heard speaking. ¡°Jay, I helped you this time, so you¡¯d better thank me properly.¡± ¡°Of course, I will.¡± ¡°That girl is outstanding, though. If I y against her in the future, I¡¯m honestly not sure if I¡¯d be able to win.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make use of this incident to bar her from enteringpetitions, and you won¡¯t ever see her at any matches in the future.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. I¡¯ll have hopes of getting first ce next year.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve helped me this time, but you¡¯re also helping yourself too!¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have helped you so readily otherwise!¡± ¡°Thank you, thank you so much.¡± After the yback ended, Stanley continued, ¡°President Presgrave, a subordinate recorded this while sending the two back to the hotel. Looks like Alden was just a pawn, and the real person who wanted to ruin Miss Reiss¡¯ reputation was the judge named Jay Harris. He probably has a grudge against her.¡± Jared frowned a little. The recording was proof that Alden was helping Jay destroy Ellen¡¯s reputation, so who was the one behind Jay? ¡°Keep investigating,¡± Jared said in a low voice. Meanwhile, at the entrance of the hotel, the two drunk men staggering into the building had no idea that the driver of the taxi they took wasn¡¯t the real driver at all. The real driver was sitting in the ck car tailing them. In the meeting room, they managed to figure out Jay¡¯s connections andworks within ten minutes. Stanley quickly arranged them, then handed them to Jared. ¡°Young Master Jared, these are all the people Jay contacted in the past few days at the hotel. Curiously enough, we didn¡¯t find anything between him and Miss Reiss.¡± Jared took the photos and scanned through them. He suddenly caught sight of a photo taken at the front desk, where a woman was standing next to Jay. Even though it had been more than a year since hest saw her, Jared recognized the woman right away. Selena. She was Connor¡¯s daughter, and Jared had thrown her into jail a year and a half earlier. He didn¡¯t realize that she had been released. Why would Selena and Jay appear at the front desk of the hotel? ¡°Investigate this girl¡¯s contact with Jay.¡± Jared pointed at them. With a clear direction, they quicklypleted the investigation of all the surveince cameras in the hotel. It was three hourster when they saw a recording of Jay carrying clothes with him as he went into Selena¡¯s room. Now, the truth was out in the open. The real mastermind behind Ellen¡¯s defamation was Selena, who had just gotten out of prison. Jared delivered a forceful punch to the table. Connor¡¯s daughter still hadn¡¯t learned her lesson. She was just released from prison not too long ago but was already targeting Ellen again. Apparently, the year-and-a-half sentence was too short for her. ¡°Collect all the evidence. I¡¯ll deal with it tomorrow.¡± Now that Jared had an answer, he was no longer panicking. He would make every single one of them pay. ¡­ Ellen sat in front of the French windows as she gazed at the neon lights outside, deep in thought. Just then, she heard some noisesing from the door. She was instantly filled with joy, for he had returned. She didn¡¯t care about the fights and chaos going on outside; she just didn¡¯t want him to overwork himself for her sake. ¡°You¡¯re home.¡± Ellen ran up to Jared and threw her arms around him. Jared embraced her lovingly. She was so kind, but people kept trying to harm her. He was undoubtedly furious about that. ¡°We¡¯ve got our answer. The one ndering you behind the scenes is Connor¡¯s daughter, Selena,¡± Jared exined honestly. Ellen looked up in shock. ¡°Selena? Is she out of jail already?¡± ¡°She was probably released not too long ago. She seduced the head judge, who then contacted Alden Thomas so that he would nder you.¡± Anger shed across Ellen¡¯s eyes. This morning, Ellen had just learned from Jared over breakfast that Selena went to jail. She was shocked, but she hoped Selena would turn over a new leaf. However, reality proved otherwise. Some people were rotten to the core, and this was something no amount of imprisonment could change. Selena would rather sleep with a man of her father¡¯s age and think of all sorts of ways to harm and nder Ellen. This was unforgivable. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She deserves to be in jail for the rest of her life, and I won¡¯t let her off the hook!¡± Jared caressed the back of Ellen¡¯s head as heforted her. ¡°Okay. This time, I want to see her getting jailed in person.¡± Ellen decided she would not be soft- hearted anymore, even if it meant cutting off ties with her uncle. ¡­ Early in the morning, Jay was sleeping soundly inside the hotel when he heard someone knocking on the door. Feeling a little annoyed, he opened the door to see a few uniformed men standing outside. ¡°Is¡­ something the matter?¡± ¡°Jay Harris, pleasee with us.¡± ¡°W-What happened? Did I break thew?¡± ¡°We have a warrant for your arrest.¡± Before Jay could react, he was handcuffed. He never thought that the police woulde knocking on his door, and he couldn¡¯t figure out why no matter how much he racked his brains. Meanwhile, in another room, Alden was arrested as well. Selena spent the night at her parent¡¯s house that day. She dared not tell her parents about the incident until the police came knocking at 9.00PM. Olivia and Connor were so shocked that their faces turned pale. Their daughter had been in jail once, so they were deathly afraid of the police. ¡°Is Selena Aguirre home?¡± ¡°My¡­ My daughter is home. What happened? Has she done anything wrong?¡± ¡°We need her toe with us.¡± Shocked, Olivia turned around and ran toward her daughter¡¯s room. When she opened the door, Selena was still sleeping. Olivia shouted, ¡°Wake up, Lena! What did you do this time, you ingrate?¡± ¡°What did I do?¡± Selena shouted in annoyance. ¡°The police are here,¡± Olivia said, her eyes red in anger. Selena instantly panicked as she thought, What?! She anxiously gripped her mother¡¯s hand, saying, ¡°Mom, if anything happens to me, ask Dad to look for Ellen!¡± ¡°Why? Did you mess with her again?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask, Mom. I don¡¯t want to go to jail again. I was just getting a little revenge on her, and it was supposed to be a harmless joke.¡± ¡°What did you do?¡± Olivia couldn¡¯t believe her daughter had gotten into trouble again, and with Ellen at that. Meanwhile, Connor was asking questions at the door. The police said straightforwardly, ¡°Your daughter is suspected of seducing someone and receiving 15,000 in return. She¡¯s also suspected of threatening and ndering others.¡± ¡°What? Impossible. My daughter will never do such a thing.¡± ¡°We have obtained sufficient evidence, and we¡¯re arresting her ording to thew. Please refrain from obstructing official duties.¡± Selena had just stepped out of her room when the police came in to arrest her. She turned around and looked pleadingly at her father. ¡°Dad, please talk to Ellen. Ask her to forgive me and let me off the hook! I don¡¯t want to go to jail again, Dad!¡± She was regretting it to the core as she didn¡¯t want to go back to prison again. Connor was so mad that he stepped forward and pped Selena across the face. ¡°Since when have I raised a useless daughter like you?¡± ¡°Lena, my dear Lena! Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll definitely beg Ellen for mercy. I won¡¯t let you go to jail again,¡± Olivia promised through tears as she went down the stairs after her daughter. A peaceful morning had turned tense and terrifying simply because her daughter did something wrong again. Olivia was regretting it now. How could her daughter be so clumsy? She thought Selena would turn over a new leaf, but the girl was being arrested again. Meanwhile, Connor had given up all hope on his daughter. He had clearly made the wrong decision by allowing her to study abroad. Selena never learned anything rted to her studies and absorbed all the negative habits instead. It wouldn¡¯t be a problem if they were poor. Selena could just suffer early in life, then get married and live the rest of her life in security. It would be much better than her life right now. ¡°Connor, go and talk to Ellen. You have to find her even if your life is at risk,¡± Olivia said angrily. Last time, their daughter had been jailed for a year and a half because Connor couldn¡¯t find Ellen. Now, she didn¡¯t want Selena to go back to jail if they could help it. He was getting old. It waste at night, so where could he possibly look for Ellen? If he had to run around looking for people, it would be too taxing for him at his age. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to her tomorrow morning.¡± Connor couldn¡¯t be bothered about his daughter anymore. At that moment, Olivia became so mad that tears began falling from her eyes. Still, she had no choice. She hated Ellen for being so cruel, but it was also her daughter¡¯s fault for being a loser. She had lived most of her life in bliss, but she had to worry about her daughter in her old age. She wondered if that was retribution from the heavens. At the police station, Alden and Jay stubbornly refused to admit that they had ndered Ellen, and they only began panicking when evidence was presented to them. To them, this was just a joke, so how could they get arrested for this? However, they quickly realized that this wasn¡¯t a joke; they were actually being prosecuted. Hence, they tried to me it on someone else, wishing they could bepletely free of this responsibility. When Selena was taken in, Jay happened to be leaving the interrogation room at the same time. The moment he saw Selena walking in his direction, he pointed at her and said angrily, ¡°It¡¯s her. She¡¯s the one who threatened me!¡± When she saw him, she knew that the end was inevitable. There was no escaping now, and she even felt like dying at that moment. At noon, two apology videos were uploaded online, and they had so many views that they went viral in an instant. In the videos, Alden and Jay behaved with utmost sincerity while apologizing. No matter what identities they once held, at that moment, they had only one¡ªsinners. Theizens had just finished gossiping about Ellen buying her championship, and before they could even recover themselves, they were already faced with apologies from the people who started the rumors. The development was so fast that they could barely react in time. In Alden¡¯s video, two policemen were standing behind him. After Alden revealed the entire process, the police also announced how the nder started and how it ended. In an instant, the fans realized that Ellen was the true victim. She deserved every bit of her championship, and she most certainly did not buy her way through it. Not only that, several chess professionals voiced their thoughts as they analyzed the game Ellen yed in the finals. They were amazed at Ellen¡¯s skill in chess, and it was proof that she was a bona fide champion. With the professionals backing her up, Ellen¡¯s skills were once again acknowledged. After the ruckus online, she was now receiving a huge wave of fans and support. Ellen sat on the couch, donning a casual dress. She was too tiredst night, so she only woke up at 10.00AM this morning. As soon as she got up, she stumbled across articles about herself. When she saw that her reputation had been restored, she put down her iPad and turned around, running toward the study. When she opened the door, the man who was sitting in the chair was startled by the sudden noise. Without another word, Ellen walked toward him and spread out her slender arms, then wrapped them tightly around his neck. She nuzzled into his shoulder as she thanked him. ¡°Thank you!¡± Jared enjoyed her most sincere thanks as he reached up and caressed the back of her head. ¡°I¡¯m just doing my job, aren¡¯t I?¡± With that, he kissed her forehead. ¡°I¡¯ve said before that I won¡¯t let anyone hurt you.¡± Ellen raised her beautiful eyes to look at him. His words were filled with security and love. With him around, she did not need to fear anything. Just then, Ellen heard the phone ringing. She gave him a peck on the cheek, then said, ¡°I¡¯m going to answer the phone.¡± ¡°Alright, go ahead.¡± Ellen sat on the couch and answered the call from the team. ¡°Hello, Nichs.¡± ¡°Ellen, someone iming to be your uncle came to us and said he¡¯s looking for you.¡± Ellen was stunned. Why was her uncle looking for her? Did he want to beg for mercy on Selena¡¯s behalf? Just then, the phone was snatched from Nichs, and Connor¡¯s voice rang out anxiously. ¡°Ellie, it¡¯s me, your Uncle Connor. Can we meet up? Lena was foolish and made a mistake. Can we talk about it?¡± ¡°Uncle Connor, there¡¯s nothing to talk about. Selena did something wrong, so she should bear the responsibility. You shouldn¡¯t worry about her.¡± ¡°I mean, she was just released from jail, so she can¡¯t go back again! Her life shouldn¡¯t be ruined like this! I¡¯m your uncle, and she¡¯s your cousin!¡± ¡°I only know that she should pay the price for her own actions. That way, she¡¯ll learn to be a decent person and respect others.¡± Ellen wouldn¡¯t give in this time, regardless of the person asking her. Ellen hung up the phone and sighed gently. In the end, her uncle still pressured her. Just then, a man¡¯s voice rang out gently behind her,forting Ellen as he said, ¡°You did the right thing. There¡¯s no need forpassion toward people like Selena.¡± Startled, Ellen looked at the man who had walked toward her. She nodded. ¡°I know.¡± Just then, another phone call came in. When Ellen saw that it was from the producer at the TV station, she hesitated for a moment before picking up. ¡°Hello, Miss Lane.¡± ¡°Miss Ellen, are you free tomorrow night? We can proceed with the interview, so I¡¯d like to get your confirmation.¡± ¡°Huh? Wasn¡¯t it canceled?¡± Ellen was surprised. ¡°It wasn¡¯t canceled, just dyed. Now is the best time to interview you,¡± Miss Lane said a little excitedly. Ellen¡¯s poprity was booming right now, after all. However, Ellen replied determinedly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Lane, but I think we should cancel the interview. I¡¯m feeling a little tired, and I don¡¯t feel like going.¡± ¡°Miss Reiss, this is a rare chance for you to be famous! Are you really going to pass it up?¡± Miss Lane asked in surprise. After all, once someone became famous, they would be even more well- known after getting interviewed on TV. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m giving up.¡± Ellen nodded. She now realized that fame was exhausting and being herself in her quiet corner of the world was the better option instead. ¡°Miss Reiss, did you run into any trouble? It¡¯s okay, we can solve it for you.¡± Miss Lane persisted. Ellen was in the spotlight now, and an interview with her would definitely raise their ratings. ¡°I¡¯m fine, but I personally don¡¯t like interviews. Thank you, and goodbye.¡± With that, Ellen didn¡¯t give Miss Lane any more chances to convince her. When she put down the phone, a pair of arms wrapped around her from behind, and the man gazed at her in approval. He was surprised that despite her young age, she had resisted the temptation of reputation and poprity. This was considered quite a feat already. ¡°Why don¡¯t you want more fame?¡± he asked. ¡°I don¡¯t want to live under the attention of others. I just want to stay with you and live the rest of our lives in peace,¡± Ellen answered honestly. She was already exhausted from the fighting and chaos outside. Simple, clean social circles and connections were the best for her. Meanwhile, in Connor¡¯s home, they could only sit around restlessly since Ellen refused to help them. They couldn¡¯t contact Ellen again, and they didn¡¯t even manage to get her number. Moreover, the team had left Averna as well. ¡°Why are you so useless?!¡± Olivia shouted. Just then, Connor¡¯s phone rang. Connor nced at it but didn¡¯t dare pick it up. Olivia thought it was a call from Ellen, who decided to have mercy on their daughter. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you picking it up?¡± she asked. Connor gripped his phone in slight nervousness, but he stubbornly refused to answer. Seeing that, Olivia reached out to grab his phone. Connor didn¡¯t think she would try to snatch it, so he became even more panicked and started fighting back. Suddenly, a boy¡¯s voice cut through the air. ¡°Dad? Dad, where are you? Come over and have dinner! Mom and I are waiting for you!¡± Olivia immediately froze in her attempt to grab the phone, while a strong look of panic colored Connor¡¯s face. Connor hastily ended the call, not daring to look at his wife. ¡°Whose child is it?¡± Olivia asked through gritted teeth, the fury already raging in her eyes. ¡°They¡¯ve gotten the wrong number,¡± Connor said guiltily. ¡°Connor, are you hiding something from me? Do you have a child with another woman?¡± Olivia asked in a shrill voice. Connor still dared not admit it as he roared at her, ¡°I told you they got the wrong number! Why are you still pestering me?!¡± Olivia¡¯s tears gushed down her face. She covered her face in despair as she said, ¡°Connor, you b*stard! You got yourself a son with another woman just because I can¡¯t give you one, didn¡¯t you? You¡¯re inhumane! You¡¯re a jerk!¡± Realizing that he couldn¡¯t hide this any longer, Connor sat down on the couch in silence. Olivia¡¯s heart was filled with pain and regret. She knew that if her husband never had much money all this while, he wouldn¡¯t have dared to cheat on her. That sum of money made him bold enough to establish another home outside. ¡°Who is that woman?¡± Olivia dashed over to him in a frenzy, shaking him as she interrogated, ¡°Who is that woman? Tell me, who is she?!¡± Connor had to protect his son, so he wouldn¡¯t tell Olivia. He gritted his teeth and stubbornly refused to say a word. ¡°Connor, I¡¯m going kill you! You deserve a thousand deaths! No wonder you don¡¯t care about Lena anymore; you¡¯re already devoted to your illegitimate son!¡± The more Olivia spoke, the more pitiful she felt. She began wailing like a crazed woman. Likewise, Connor knew he had done something wrong. He remained silent as he allowed Olivia to hit and shout at him. As for Olivia, she calmed down sometime after her outburst. She was already in her 50s, so she knew that she had to ept the truth even though it was a tough pill to swallow. ¡°How old is that child?¡± she asked. ¡°Nine,¡± replied Connor. Olivia broke down once again. She thought every man in this world would cheat, but her husband was the only exception. Little did she know his illegitimate child was nine years old already. That meant that he had already cheated on her ten years ago. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°Who is that woman? Tell me, who is that b*tch?!¡± Olivia asked in a hoarse voice. ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll kill her as soon as I find out who she is,¡± Olivia said with reddened eyes. Connor could onlye clean. ¡°It¡¯s Aida.¡± Olivia almost fainted right then and there. Aida was her distant cousin who had divorced more than ten years ago. She never thought that Aida would seduce her husband and even give birth to his son. What retribution is this?! she thought. Olivia wanted to die. Getting betrayed in rtionships paled inparison to getting treated like that by distant rtives. How dare Aida seduce her husband and spend their money?! ¡°How much did you give her?¡± Olivia asked furiously. ¡°I bought an apartment for her. I gave her five million in total,¡± Connor said truthfully. He lived frugally at home, but all his money was spent on that homewrecker. Olivia was so furious that her chest throbbed in pain, and she couldn¡¯t catch her breath. She felt that her life was already in shambles. Their daughter was still being detained at the police station, and now, she discovered her husband had cheated on her and had an illegitimate child with a homewrecker. Her days were spent in poverty, and she was already 52 years old. She had enjoyed life for 16 years in the past while living in materialistic luxury, but now, she had nothing left. ¡°Connor, save Lena. I don¡¯t care what methods you use¡ªjust get Lena out of there!¡± Olivia roared. Her daughter was her only hope now. Connor nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll look for Ellen.¡± As for where Ellen had gone, Connor didn¡¯t have a clue. He could only call up Benjamin, who had contacted Presgrave Group before. ¡°Hello, who is it?¡± ¡°Mr. Stark, it¡¯s me, Connor Aguirre. I was wondering if I could get a hold of Mr. Presgrave¡¯s address.¡± ¡°Sorry, I cannot tell you that.¡± On the other end of the line, Benjamin hung up coldly. Connor was regretting everything he had done, but regret wasn¡¯t going to help anything. They were now getting retribution for how they had treated Ellen back then. They had no right to ask Ellen for forgiveness. Meanwhile, at the police station, Selena was trembling as she tapped her feet. She was waiting anxiously and nervously for her father to save her. If her father didn¡¯t save her, only jail awaited her. She was truly regretting it now, and she was scared. She shouldn¡¯t have tested Ellen¡¯s patience. She wanted to live in the beautiful and vibrant world outside instead of going back to that cold, tiny room. ¡­ Jared arranged a romantic dinner to lift Ellen¡¯s mood. Because of the nder, Ellen had been a little depressed all this while. Jared received a message from Benjamin, informing him that Connor was asking about him. Jared nced at it, then replied, ¡®Ignore him.¡¯ The Aguirres had always gone too far. After dinner, Jared took Ellen to a seaside hotel for a vacation so that she could rx. The next morning, Ellen received a message on her phone. She opened it to see a short video posted online where Connor was talking to the camera, asking to contact Ellen. Connor had tears in his eyes as he begged earnestly to meet Ellen, evoking a lot of sympathy from netizens. He was trying to force Ellen to meet him by taking it to the inte. The caption read, ¡®I am terminally ill, and I want to see my niece urgently.¡¯ Also, since Ellen was famous, the media was more than willing to share this video. In an instant, the entire inte was looking for Ellen, hoping that she would meet her terminally ill uncle as soon as possible. Ellen watched the video her uncle posted, seeing him wipe his tears in front of the camera. She hadn¡¯t seen him in a year or so, and he had aged a lot. Ellen sighed lightly as she recalled her past. After her parents passed away, her uncle had been very caring toward her and her brother, and he even took care of her brother when thetter was ill. Ellen felt that she had no choice but to have mercy. Now that she was living worry-free, she hoped that her family could live their lives in peace and warmth as well. This was probably why she was different from whom Connor and his family used to be! Also, there was another reason why Ellen didn¡¯t want to turnpletely against her uncle and his family. She believed in karma, so she wanted to protect the people she loved the most in her way. Even though she was in the dark about her brother¡¯s heart donation back then, if Connor hadn¡¯t agreed to it, Jared wouldn¡¯t be where he was today. Ellen took out her phone and dialed Connor¡¯s number, which was saved on her phone. ¡°Hello?¡± On the other end of the line, Connor picked up and spoke in an exhausted tone. ¡°It¡¯s me, Uncle Connor,¡± Ellen said. ¡°Ellie, is it really you? Please don¡¯t hide anymore, I want to meet you!¡± Connor said in a pleading and emotional voice. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go to you. Tell me your address,¡± Ellen said. ¡°Alright. Ellie, you¡¯re willing toe to my home, yes? Okay, I¡¯ll send you the address right now. I¡¯ll always be waiting for you at home, Ellie. I¡¯ll be waiting, so you have toe.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll probably be there in the afternoon.¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± Connor still didn¡¯t want to hang up after saying that, so Ellen ended the call instead. Ellen had just let out a sigh when she suddenly sensed someone behind her. Startled, she turned to see the man standing behind her. She had no idea how long he had been there, but she told him honestly, ¡°I¡¯m going to meet my uncle.¡± Jared had also received a call from Stanley when he was in the living room just now. He had also watched the video of Connor looking for Ellen all over the inte. He had to admit that Connor¡¯s method was extremely effective, for it took advantage of Ellen¡¯s kindness and sympathy. He also predicted that Ellen would soften her heart, but he wasn¡¯t surprised or angry about it. He knew that Ellen and Connor¡¯s family back then were entirely different beings; Ellen had kindness permeating from the very core of her being. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re busy, I can go by myself.¡± Ellen didn¡¯t like the idea very much. ¡°I have time!¡± Jared insisted. How could he let her face that family alone? He wanted to be with her and serve as a shield she could rely on. At the Aguirre Residence, Olivia had just returned from grocery shopping when Connor told her the good news. However, there wasn¡¯t even a smile on Olivia¡¯s face, for her heart was filled with pain and hatred. Whenever she saw Connor, she felt disgusted as if she were looking at a fly. ¡°We can definitely save Lena.¡± Connor was still insistent on getting Olivia¡¯s forgiveness, for he still wanted to spend his life with her. Aida was treating him worse as time went by, and she even used their son to threaten him for more money, saying that he wouldn¡¯t get to see him if he didn¡¯t pay up. Soon, Connor¡¯s money had all gone into Aida¡¯s pocket. He was getting poorer by the day, and he was already in thousands of debt. ¡°Hmph! I don¡¯t believe that b*tch would let Lena off the hook that easily.¡± Olivia wished she could just use her most vicious insults on Ellen. ¡°Oli, don¡¯t talk about Ellie like that. She didn¡¯t do anything wrong; Lena¡¯s the one at fault.¡± Connor couldn¡¯t help but speak up for Ellen. ¡°What did Lena do wrong? Ellen ruined our family; does she feel good about that?¡± Recently, as if possessed, Olivia kept dreaming of their former days. Back then, they didn¡¯t have to worry about their necessities and could just enjoy their lives in material wealth. But now, every time she opened her eyes, a life of poverty greeted her. She felt like she had aged a dozen years in the span of one year. All her hatred had to be channeled toward someone, and she believed Ellen was the cause of all this. ¡°If we had given some money to Ellen and Aunt Jessica back then, she wouldn¡¯t have treated us like this. Every time I wanted to do so, you¡¯d stop me and start arguing with me. Now, no matter what our days are like, we were the ones who caused them.¡± Connor deeply regretted not insisting on his own ways. He had lost hispassionate self when he became rich. Even if Olivia regretted anything, she refused to admit it. In truth, she knew that she could¡¯ve won Ellen¡¯s heart in exchange for a small amount of money, but now that Ellen had gotten independent, it was toote. ¡°Connor, if you hadn¡¯t secretly arranged for Ellen to join the Presgrave Group, she wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to encounter Mr. Presgrave. Then, she would never know about her brother¡¯s heart being donated.¡± Olivia was ming it all on Connor now. Connor closed his eyes. He felt that this was destiny, and the heavens were punishing them for being selfish and cold-hearted. Meanwhile, Olivia also realized it was toote for them to realize their mistakes, but even so, she hadn¡¯t forgotten about her priority of saving her daughter. Later that afternoon, several cars that came from the shore pulled up outside Connor¡¯s ce, drawing the attention of all passersby with their conspicuous arrival. Soon, Ellen stepped out of the car and she was in a white fur coat due to the winter. On top of that, her rosy cheeks seemed like a perfect match with her outfit. At the same time, her bodyguards quickly grabbed Jared¡¯s coat and put it on him. While the ck coat billowed with the blowing wind, Jared didn¡¯t button it. Instead, he wrapped it around thedy to keep her warm from the chilly breeze. Soon, Ellen phoned her uncle since she didn¡¯t know how to find him in the building. Not long after that, a silhouette was seen running toward them as it turned out to be Connor. When he saw Jared there, he quickly greeted the boy and said, ¡°Mr. Presgrave, I didn¡¯t expect you to visit. Anyway, my house is this way. Please follow me.¡± ¡°Mr. Aguirre, we¡¯ll talk in the car. It¡¯s cold outside.¡± Jared didn¡¯t want to head to Connor¡¯s ce with Ellen. While Connor seemed a little reluctant and embarrassed to talk to his niece in front of Jared, Ellen decided to visit her uncle¡¯s ce after a brief hesitation. ¡°Where is your home, Uncle Connor?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not far up ahead.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with him. Just wait for me in the car.¡± Ellen turned around and looked at Jared. When she insisted, he eventually gave in and nodded in agreement, watching her walk with Connor into an alley. In the meantime, Connor seemed relieved without Jared¡¯s presence as he kept criticizing Selena for what she did. ¡°What Selena did waspletely uneptable! How could she do something like that to you? I bet she hasn¡¯t learned her lesson despite having spent a year and a half in prison. s, when will she ever learn from her mistake?¡± While Ellen remained silent, Connor went on to praise her, saying, ¡°I¡¯m happy and proud of you for winning the chesspetition, Ellie. I didn¡¯t think you had such a remarkable talent for ying chess. Your parents would be so proud of you if they knew about it.¡± ¡°How have you beentely, Uncle Connor?¡± Ellen asked Connor caringly. ¡°I¡¯m fine, I guess. Nothing much. My life has never really changed much at all, and I have nothing to comin about.¡± Connor tried to act tough. However, Ellen knew that was not the case, noticing several embroidered patches on Connor¡¯s coat. Furthermore, the fact that Connor was living in a low- end residential area gave him away. ¡°There is no elevator here. Just stairs. My unit is on the fifth floor,¡± he said. After Ellen followed Connor to the fifth floor, the man opened the door and invited her in. Since Ellen grew up among the poor, she didn¡¯t find the environment she was in surprising. ¡°Come and sit here, Ellie.¡± Connor grabbed a cleaner chair and told her to sit on it. At that moment, Olivia opened the door roughly and red at Ellen hatefully. When she saw Ellen¡¯s decent outfit and her fair skin, she couldn¡¯t help but begrudgingly think that Ellen seemed like a daughter from a rich family indeed. However, the thought of that was what precisely stung her like a de put through her heart. How ironic! A few years ago, Ellen was a poor kid who struggled even to feed herself; today, she presented herself just like a socialite, much to Olivia¡¯s surprise and dismay. While Ellen continued to stand without taking a seat, Olivia responded with a chuckle. ¡°Oh,e on! Does she think she is a princess now?! I can¡¯t stop noticing her airs and graces!¡± ¡°Keep your mouth shut, Olivia!¡± Connor told Olivia to pipe down, lest she pissed Ellen off. ¡°Aunt Olivia,¡± Ellen greeted Olivia despite Olivia¡¯s sarcastic attitude. Olivia grunted in response, but Connor spoke gently to Ellen. ¡°Selena might have made a terrible mistake, and I¡¯d like to apologize on her behalf, Ellie. Can you please let her off this time? I promise I¡¯ll make her understand her mistake once she is back.¡± In truth, Ellen had made up her mind to forgive Selena the moment she agreed to meet up with Connor at his ce. She replied, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll let her off this time, but it¡¯ll be thest chance she gets.¡± Ellen nodded, her eyes filled with kindness. ¡°Of course! Of course! I promise to make her learn from her mistake.¡± Connor was happy, heaving a sigh of relief when Ellen said she would let his daughter off. In the meantime, Olivia shared Connor¡¯s feelings, although she didn¡¯t say a single word. However, she suddenly chuckled coldly at that moment and asked, ¡°Ellen, do you know that your uncle has an illegitimate son?¡± ¡°Olivia, how could you¡­¡± Connor was stunned by his wife¡¯s unexpected response. Nheless, Ellen only responded calmly, ¡°Aunt Olivia, that¡¯s between the two of you, and I wouldn¡¯t want to be a part of it.¡± Olivia was taken aback by Ellen¡¯s response, wondering if she no longer treated them as her family. Isn¡¯t she going to say something or stand up for me? At the same time, Olivia was not the only one feeling surprised, for Connor couldn¡¯t believe his eyes either. After all, Ellen¡¯s indifference suggested that she was probably growing apart from them, indicating that she might not get along with them anymore in the future. ¡°Take me back to the car, would you, Uncle Connor?¡± Ellen asked. Sensing her reluctance to stay any longer, Connor opened the door for her and walked her downstairs. Then, Ellen took a card out of her pocket and said, ¡°Here is 145,000. The password is triple six triple six.¡± ¡°Ellen¡­¡± Connor was touched, feeling guilty about what he did to Ellen back then when she could have repaid him with retaliation instead of kindness. ¡°Say no more, Uncle Connor. Take good care of yourself,¡± Ellen responded. Deep down, she only decided to help Connor because he was her uncle; she wasn¡¯t concerned about the others. ¡°Alright, I know my way out from here.¡± Ellen walked away upon finishing her sentence. At that moment, tears of regret were rolling in Connor¡¯s eyes, but he didn¡¯t continue to follow Ellen any further, feeling ashamed of what he did to his own niece. Nevertheless, he was grateful for Ellen¡¯s kindness when she lent him a helping hand in his desperate moments. After all, Connor found his back against the wall when he couldn¡¯t find a job due to his age. Although he tried interviewing for a position as a security guard earlier, he was rejected almost immediately because he was deemed too old for the role. Soon, Ellen walked out of the alley and was immediately able to see a tall silhouette waiting for her amidst the chilly breeze. While the man was standing outside the car, his bodyguards each took a corner and stood guard. At the sight of that, Ellen felt a stab of pain in her heart and wished Jared had waited for her in the car instead. Come on! What¡¯s he doing outside the car? Doesn¡¯t he know how cold it is out here? In fact, the bodyguards wouldn¡¯t have allowed Jared to wait outside the car and risk catching a cold, but since Jared insisted, they had no choice but to give in. Soon, Ellen came running Jared¡¯s way just as the man walked closer to her. However, a cyclist suddenly appeared on her left, shocking Jared just when she fell in his arms in time. Although she bumped her face against the man¡¯s firm chest, a delighted smile showed on her face. ¡°What¡¯s so funny? Do you know how worried I am about you?¡± Jared pinched Ellen¡¯s nose. ¡°I¡¯m fine, aren¡¯t I?¡± Ellen curled her lips upward and seized Jared¡¯s hands, which were freezing cold. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wait for me in the car? You shouldn¡¯t have waited for me outside.¡± ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t stay long.¡± Knowing Ellen, Jared believed she would be back as soon as she did what she wanted to, which was why he decided to wait for her outside the car. Ellen seized the man¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s get in the car before you catch a cold.¡± After Jared wrapped his arm around Ellen¡¯s shoulder and entered the car with her, the motorcade disappeared on the road in the cold winter. Meanwhile, Connor and Olivia were informed that they could pick Selena up and immediately headed to the police station. The moment Selena walked out of the building, Connor pped her in the face before Olivia could react. Seeing that, Olivia quickly hugged her daughter and questioned her husband for his unnecessary action. ¡°What are you doing, Connor?!¡± she bellowed. ¡°What did I do in the past to deserve a daughter like you?!¡± Connor couldn¡¯t ept the fact that Selena had seduced a man about his age to set Ellen up. ¡°Says the man who betrayed my mother! Don¡¯t you also have an illegitimate son?¡± Selena refuted her father. ¡°You¡­¡± Connor slowly dropped his hand when he realized he had also made a terrible mistake in his youth. Selena gazed at Olivia, whose expression told her that her mother had already known everything. ¡°Have you found out about it, Mom?¡± Despite knowing the truth, Olivia couldn¡¯t do anything about it, for she wanted to give her daughter a complete family. Although she felt tempted to divorce Connor in the past, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to do it in the end. Because of that, Olivia would have to bear with her stigmatized marriage for the rest of her life, no matter how much she hated it. ¡°Let¡¯s go home, Selena.¡± Olivia decided to do everything she could to shape her daughter¡¯s future. Meanwhile, Connor didn¡¯t tell his family about the money he received from Ellen even after they returned home from the police station. Deep down, he was nning to find a job while keeping the money until any unforeseen circumstances arose. On the other hand, Selena eventually learned from her mistake after she was nearly sentenced to jail twice. Also, she began to realize that she could never retaliate against Ellen of whom she was jealous for having a good life. I can only live my life well by forgetting Ellen. Although Selena was still jealous of Ellen, she was unwilling to risk her future by dragging thetter down anymore. ¡­ A weekter, the couple spent their vacation on a warm and cozy ind. At the same time, the woman, who was seizing the man¡¯s arm, wore an elegant outfit with a floral skirt. As the cooling breeze blew, thedy rested her head on the man¡¯s shoulder lovingly. While enjoying their vacation, the couple treasured every minute they spent together as if they were in a world where there were just the two of them. Upon spending half a month on the ind, Jared and Ellen grew closer to each other than ever before as they indulged in their romantic life despite what the others thought of them. After all, Jared had done everything he was supposed to for Ellen, from walking with her by the beach and arranging private swimming lessons for her to presenting a firework show that was specially meant for her. In fact, the firework show thatsted for nearly two hours was the most exciting part that got every tourist spellbound. While the fireworks lit up the whole sky, Ellen rested in Jared¡¯s arms on a yacht not far away, sipping her red wine and enjoying the show that was prepared for her. However, their vacation was about toe to an end, and Ellen realized it was time for Jared to get back to work. Furthermore, she knew it was also a good time for them to return to their country since spring had arrived after winter. Therefore, they boarded a private jet and flew off the ind. By the time theynded, it was already in the afternoon. Ellen was d and relieved to see the familiar city view in front of her. As soon as she got into the car, she dozed off almost immediately. When she opened her eyes again, she realized it was already the evening and found herself in the house that Jared had specially readied for her. She then stretched her back just before the man gently seized her hand. ¡°Here we are, finally home. Get a good rest.¡± Jared spoke to Ellen while their bodyguards took their luggage into the house. When it was dinner time, the two of them made themselves something simple instead of eating out. After all, they were happy and content as long as they could be together. At 8.00PM, Jared heard his phone ringing and checked it out, whereupon he walked closer to the window and answered it. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Mr. Presgrave, the documents for the bid are ready. When would you be free to swing by the office, Sir?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be there tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Sure. By the way, I have some news for you. The Quins Group from Hond has appeared to show some interest in this project like never before. For that, we believe they¡¯re going to be a potential rival sooner orter. Thus, I suggest that we prioritize looking into thispany.¡± ¡°Alright, just leave the details about thispany on my desk in my office by tomorrow.¡± Jared quickly hung up the call. He didn¡¯t want to talk about work in front of Ellen, refusing to pressure her with it. At that moment, Ellen suddenly came rushing out of the washroom and looked at Jared anxiously. ¡°H- Hey, I need to head downstairs.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Jared asked after sensing Ellen¡¯s panicky expression. ¡°Nothing. I-I just realized that I¡¯m on my period now, and I didn¡¯t see iting,¡± Ellen responded bashfully as she was caught off guard by her unexpected menstrual period. After all, she was usually prepared for it. ¡°No worries. I¡¯ll get what you need for you.¡± Jared could tell how desperate Ellen was from her standing posture, smiling at her at the same time. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll send you the brand and the other details about the product I need.¡± Ellen reckoned it was better for her to stay in the apartment due to her menstrual pain, which was starting to kick in. In the meantime, Jared immediately headed downstairs and made his way to a nearby supermarket. Since he rarely visited ces like marts and malls, his presence in the women¡¯s department instantly drew the attention of many other youngdies in the area. Chapter 1721-1730 Chapter 1721-1730 ¡°Goodness! He is so handsome!¡± ¡°He must be buying it for his girlfriend!¡± It turned out that two youngdies were secretly admiring Jared from a distance while they gossiped about him. At the same time, both of them couldn¡¯t help but envy thedy whom Jared was buying the sanitary pads for. Meanwhile, Jared appeared to be crouching down while looking closely at every single product to find the brand that Ellen sent him earlier without feeling ufortable at all. After that, he took two of every product that Ellen told him to buy and headed to the counter for payment. Then, he made his way back home as quickly as he could, unwilling to keep Ellen waiting for too long. On the other hand, Ellen was sitting on the couch restlessly as if she had needles in her pants. At the same time, she had to use tissues as a substitute for a sanitary pad until someone opened the door and entered the ce. Then, she quickly grabbed what she needed from Jared and rushed into the bedroom. When she was finally able to heave a sigh of relief, she saw the man already waiting for her by the bathroom door. At the sight of Jared¡¯s presence, thedy blushed in her cheeks, for it was her first time letting a man buy menstrual products for her. The next moment, Jared took Ellen to the couch and poured her a ss of warm water, which she happily took with her hands as if she no longer felt the pain with his love and care. Later that night, Ellen went to sleep with her arms wrapped around Jared; that was the only way she felt secure andfortably warm. When she opened her eyes the next morning, the man whoy beside her was already gone, only leaving a note behind. ¡®Good morning, babe. I need to head down to the office first, but don¡¯t worry. Someone will prepare you breakfast. Be sure to rest well.¡± Ellen was stunned when she saw the note. She then got off her bed and stepped out of the bedroom, only to see a middle-aged woman cooking in the kitchen. ¡°Miss Reiss, I just made you some chowder and chicken soup. Would you like to have them now?¡± ¡°Um, who might you be?¡± Ellen asked. ¡°You may call me Felicia. I¡¯ll be responsible for your meals and all the house chores from now on. Mr. Presgrave wants you to have enough rest.¡± ¡°Alright, thank you.¡± Ellen nodded as she was indeed hungry. ¡­ Meanwhile, an intense meeting was going on at Presgrave Corporation about apany that was on the brink of bankruptcy despite having a history of over a hundred years old in Xasw. While its bankruptcy drew the attention of all huge corporations across the world, Presgrave Corporation was no exception at all. In fact, they wanted a piece of what was left of thepany, so they were especially ambitious in acquiring thepany. Therefore, they came up with a meticulous n to go about their acquisition, only to be caught off guard by a huge rival from Hond. Thus, the people from Presgrave Corporation¡¯s procurement department quickly found themselves in a tight spot, where they needed a quick solution to resolve their problem. As soon as the meeting was over, Jared heard his phone ringing on the table. ¡°Hello?¡± he said after answering it. ¡°Hello, Mr. Presgrave. My name is Hannie Quins, and I¡¯m the person in charge of running the Quins Group. Thus, I would like to make a proposition with you on behalf of my family. When would you be free to meet up?¡± The youngdy¡¯s sweet voice sounded soothing, but her speech was not fluent. Jared knitted his eyebrows, thinking it wasn¡¯t appropriate for him to see Hannie due to their conflicting positions. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Quins. I don¡¯t see a reason for us to meet up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sincere with my invitation, Mr. Presgrave. We may not meet today, but I¡¯m sure we will someday. Actually, I¡¯m more interested in you personally, so see you again soon.¡± Hannie hung up the call as soon as she finished her words. Meanwhile, Jared put down his phone and went through the details that were left on his desk. When he flipped to the third page, he saw a rough introduction about the family members behind the Quins Group and set his eyes on a face under the third generation of the family tree. It turned out that he had his eyes glued on the eldest child of the family behind the Quins Group, which was none other than Hannie, ady who looked decently stunning in her looks and aura. Nevertheless, Jared only closed his eyes helplessly, feeling somewhat numb to the women who warmed up to him with an ulterior motive. As he was no stranger to such circumstances, he didn¡¯t feel surprised after receiving Hannie¡¯s call at all. Instead, he was disgusted by her attempt to warm up to him. In the meantime, ady was wearing a long skirt by the window in a hotel¡¯s presidential suite in the center of the city, keeping her ambitious eyes fixed on the building of Presgrave Corporation like a huntress spying on her prey. A smile tugged on thedy¡¯s red lips as she held a ss of red wine in her hand. When she unlocked her phone, it disyed a photo of Jared. It was the perfect airport photo, showcasing his handsome and captivating image. Just then, her phone rang, and she nced at it before answering the call. It was her father speaking in Hondish. ¡°Hello, Dad.¡± ¡°Are you sure about this? I¡¯m feeling a lot of pressure from your grandfather¡¯s side.¡± ¡°Dad, trust me. My goal isn¡¯t to take down thatpany. I just want to get close to Mr. Presgrave using this way. Don¡¯t you want a son-inw who is rich and powerful? He possesses all the qualities that I desire. I want to attract him.¡± Thedy¡¯s voice was filled with confidence as if capturing Jared¡¯s heart was an absolute certainty. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give you six months, and you can use thepany¡¯s resources to approach him.¡± ¡°Dad, if I don¡¯t win him over, how is Grandpa going to give you the inheritance rights? Uncle Owen has already gained Grandpa¡¯s favor. With Grandpa¡¯s health failing, he could pass away at any time. I must fight for your inheritance rights while Grandpa is still alive,¡± Hannie firmly dered since marrying Jared was the best way to prove herself. ¡°Alright. I¡¯m counting on you now.¡± After Hannie hung up the phone, her assistant pushed the door open and walked in, holding thetest set of airport photos. ¡°Miss Quins, this was just taken by our people.¡± When Hannie took the photos and saw the photo of Jared holding hands with a young girl, her eyes narrowed a little. ¡°It seems that Mr. Presgrave has a girlfriend.¡± ¡°So what? I won¡¯t let her get in my way. Compared to her, I have the upper hand.¡± Her eyes brimmed with confidence. ¡°Indeed, you¡¯re not any less pretty than her. You will surely win him over.¡± Hannie put down the photos, her eyes shing with ambition and cunningness. Judging from how she was using her family¡¯s power topete in the acquisition, it was clear that she was serious about this. She was not just ying around. Therefore, no one could stop her. ¡°Investigate her background. I want to know who she is,¡± she ordered. ¡­ On the other hand, Ellen had plenty of free time, so she spent the day learning how to cook from Felicia, trying to acquire a skill. However, Jared had a social engagement tonight and said he would being homete. As such, she enjoyed her dinner alone, and Wanda left at 8.00PM after cleaning up. Then, she waited for him on the balcony, looking out at the sea of lights outside. Although she was alone in such arge home, her heart was warm and full. This was because she knew that no matter howte it was, he woulde back to her side. Sometimes, waiting was a happy thing for her. Finally, around 9.30PM, the sound of the door opening came from outside. Hearing that, she quickly got up from the balcony and went to wee him. The man who came back had a slightly red face and a faint smell of alcohol on him. While feeling sorry for him, she hugged him and asked, ¡°Are you tired?¡± Jared hugged her waist and kissed her forehead affectionately. ¡°Not anymore the moment I see you.¡± In fact, Ellen could feel that he was under a lot of work pressure, but he never discussed work in front of her. How can he not be tired when he¡¯s managing such a huge business empire? Yet, she could do very little, which made her feel rather guilty. ¡°I¡¯ll take a shower, and then I¡¯ll be with you.¡± Jared didn¡¯t want to apany her with the smell of alcohol on him for fear of affecting her. He went to the bathroom, leaving his clothes on the couch. While hanging up his clothes, she noticed that there was a message notification on his phone. She reached for the phone and just wanted to take a nce, but when she swiped the screen, it unlocked at once. A message then came into her sight. ¡®Good evening, Mr. Presgrave. Would you like to go out for a drink tonight?¡¯ The tone of the message sounded like it was from a girl. Startled, she ced the phone on the table and hung up his suit on the hanger. However, the phone beeped again just as she returned to the couch. When she heard that, she wondered if it was the same girl from earlier. Ellen reached out her hand and picked up Jared¡¯s phone for another nce. Sure enough, a message with a somewhat sad tone came in. ¡®Mr. Presgrave, I came from another country to invite you for a drink. Don¡¯t you feel sorry for ignoring me like this?¡± After reading the message, she felt her heart wrench a little. This girl is pursuing Jared so aggressively. Who is she? When Jared came out of the shower, she was watching TV, so he approached her with some moisture on his body and pulled her into his arms. The fresh scent of the shampoo mixed with his masculine scent was enticing. ¡°Piggy,¡± he called her nickname as he kissed her. However, she could only look at him apologetically. ¡°I identally saw a message from a girl on your phone. She seems to be flirting with you. Do you want to exin?¡± Startled, he quickly took his phone, and after reading the two messages, his expression became serious. ¡°Her name is Hannie Quins, and she¡¯s the sessor of apetingpany. There¡¯s no need to pay attention to her.¡± ¡°It seems like she¡¯s interested in you.¡± Ellen blinked. At that moment, Jared lowered his head and rubbed his chin against her cheek affectionately. ¡°The only woman in this world who interests me is you.¡± When she heard that, her heart melted, and the hint of jealousy that had just arisen in her disappeared upon his gentle and firm gaze. ¡°I believe you.¡± She snuggled into his arms. He¡¯s the person I trust the most in this world. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°No matter what you see or hear, don¡¯t be pissed first. I will exin everything to you,¡± he said as he stroked her head. Although he couldn¡¯t control those outsiders, he knew that his heart would always firmly love her. Warmth filled Ellen¡¯s eyes as she nodded again. Suddenly, she hissed in pain as her lower abdomen ached again. Immediately, Jared ced his warm palm on her lower abdomen, using his temperature to relieve her pain. Hisrge palm was more effective than a heating pad. After a while, she felt much better. ¡°It¡¯ste already. Let¡¯s go to bed.¡± After saying that, Jared reached out his hands and carried her with ease. ¡°You¡¯re too skinny. You need to eat more at home during this time.¡± Ellen protested, saying, ¡°No, I want to lose weight.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to lose any more weight!¡± hemanded in a domineering tone. With a smile, she leaned into his arms. ¡°Are you going to turn me into a piglet?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jared didn¡¯t deny it. Ellen then lightly hit him and said, ¡°I¡¯ll eat until you can¡¯t carry me anymore.¡± ¡°Even better,¡± he replied affectionately. When he ced her on the bed, a strong sense of restraint showed in his eyes. Three dayster, a grand charity dinner was held in Averna, and Jared was nning to take Ellen there for some fun. At the same time, Hannie had also received an invitation. Although she was not in her home country, her influence and connections were very extensive, especially in the business sector, where she had dedicated staff managing it for her. When she heard that Jared would be attending the dinner, she didn¡¯t hesitate to join in. Perhaps she could even be his dance partner! Growing up with too much confidence, she believed that winning over a man was just a simple matter. On the other hand, Ellen arrived at a dress shop under the protection of Jared¡¯s bodyguards, and the entire store was solely at her service. The store manager once provided Ellen with specialized service, and over a year had passed since theyst met. She found that Ellen had undergone a tremendous transformation in terms of her aura. Previously, she was like an innocent young girl, pure and naive, but now, she exuded a mature and gentle aura; there was a calm and delicate look in her eyes. Her every movement emitted a mature and dignified aura. Moreover, the longer one looked at her, the more beautiful she seemed. The unique aura she exuded had a calming power; it was a clean and refreshing aura that had a healing effect. She was the type that would be loved by both men and women, making people naturally drawn to her. ¡°This way, Miss Reiss.¡± The store manager led her upstairs. Ellen followed her to the second floor, and the store manager rmended thetest evening gowns. She believed that Ellen had her own eye for fashion, so the choice was in Ellen¡¯s hands this time. As expected, Ellen had a keen eye for fashion and chose a green evening gown with a unique texture that radiated a sense of vitality and hope. The store manager genuinely felt that this evening gown perfectly suited her. When she tried it on, she was stunningly beautiful. ¡°You have such great taste, Miss Reiss. This evening gown suits you so well,¡± the store manager praised. The evening gown looked refreshing and noble on Ellen. It appeared elegant at first nce, yet upon closer inspection, it revealed a calm and serene charm. Two hourster, Jared¡¯s car stopped at the store entrance. When Ellen appeared in a green evening gown that seemed to embody the early spring, she looked refreshingly unique at first sight. Jared¡¯s breath caught for a few seconds, proving that this girl could always make him feel like he was falling in love for the first time, no matter when he saw her. ¡°Is it beautiful?¡± Ellen gently twirled the hem of her dress before him, hoping for his approval. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± heplimented, but he felt a tinge of jealousy as he knew his woman would attract many envious nces tonight. He felt like he was losing out. Meanwhile, in another dress store, Hannie was dressed in a gold evening gown that entuated the perfection of her figure, giving her a sexy yet elegant look. She was in a great mood at the thought of meeting Jared tonight, even though she knew he might bring his girlfriend. That feeling of excitement was even more exhrating. She had a bad streak in her bones¡ªshe loved taking what belonged to others, which was more fun when it was stolen. ¡°See you tonight, Jared.¡± Hannie smirked as she looked at his photo on her phone. The banquet began at 6.30PM. Averna was exceptionally lively tonight as the wealthy and powerful gathered at the Royal Hotel to attend the grand event. The guest list was strict and exclusive, epting only those who were exceptional and truly deserving of an invitation. Tonight, there was also a rare jewelry auction taking ce. A ck car stopped at the hotel entrance, and as the security guards approached, the bodyguards behind the ck car quickly stepped out to stop them and gestured for them to step back. The security guards knew the people in the car were VIPs and obediently took a few steps back. A bodyguard pulled open the back door to reveal a slender leg dressed in suit pants stepping out of the car before it was followed by a young man who was exceptionally handsome under the light, exuding a graceful and noble aura that was unparalleled. The man¡¯s hand then reached into the car to lead a girl wearing a green gown out of the vehicle. Her skin was as smooth as jade with beautiful features that radiated a clean, fresh aura. Wow, she¡¯s so pretty! The security guards could only take a quick nce before lowering their eyes. The girls who came tonight were all beautiful, but this one was particrly unique as they couldn¡¯t see that kind of materialistic feeling in her. Ellen linked arms with Jared and entered the magnificent lobby. The designated photographers captured the beautiful moments of the guests as she confidently waved at the camera. Throughout the year of her transformation, she had no one by her side. She had gone from her initial nervousness to her currentposure every time she went to a chess competition and faced the media. As she had experienced a lot, it strengthened her inner self. If Jared had apanied her back then, he might have hindered her growth instead of helping her. Only by breaking away from the people who supported her could she truly grow up. As soon as they entered the elevator, his gaze fell on her affectionately, and he even tidied up the little strands of hair near her ears. His girl had really grown up and matured a lot! When they arrived at the 10th floor, they saw a superrge banquet hall that could amodate 500 people. The stars were shining brightly tonight, and the air was filled with the fragrance of red wine and luxury. It was veryfortable to be immersed in it. ¡°Young Master Tillman, this way please.¡± The waiter led them to a sofa exclusive to them. Jared took the ss of red wine from the waiter and handed a ss of juice to the girl next to him. At that moment, a girl in the nearby crowd with two young men immediately locked her eyes on the man sitting elegantly on the couch. Her gaze showed a hint of surprise as she looked at the woman beside him. She murmured in her nativenguage, ¡°Not bad. I wasn¡¯t expecting suchpetition.¡± But even so, she found it more interesting. The stronger her opponent was, the happier she became. She believed in her ability, but it wasn¡¯t just for fun this time. She was trying to find a strong husband for her father¡¯s inheritance. Since her father had no sons and only one daughter, her grandfather favored her uncle, who had three sons but was ipetent. Therefore, as long as she could bring back an influential son-inw to the family, she could secure her father¡¯s inheritance, and Jared was perfect for her. ¡°Miss Quins, may I offer you another drink?¡± A young man beside her tried to please Hannie, who was known as Hond¡¯s firstdy. Many men wanted to marry her. However, they did not know that Hannie was noting for them. ¡°No, thank you. I need to greet other guests,¡± she said as she picked up her red wine and headed toward Jared. She wore a gold evening dress and looked seductive as she sashayed. As she walked toward Jared step by step, Ellen quickly noticed her. This young girl emitted an aggressive aura, which forced her to take notice. ¡°Hi, Young Master Tillman. Good evening,¡± Hannie greeted in less-than-perfect English. Jared¡¯s gaze fell on her, and he narrowed his eyes slightly. He asked in a cold voice, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Do you really have such a bad memory? I¡¯m Hannie, and we spoke on the phone yesterday!¡± Her smile was full of charm. ¡°You are indeed forgetful!¡± ¡°Is anything the matter?¡± He had an icy expression, and he sounded annoyed. Hannie¡¯s enthusiasm was dampened by his gaze. She never thought that her polite greeting would be met with such coldness. ¡°No, I wish you a pleasant evening.¡± Hannie left cleverly, not realizing how she had offended Jared. She only wanted to say hello, after all. After Hannie left, Jared turned to Ellen, looking more cautious than before. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. I don¡¯t even know her.¡± Ellen could see Hannie trying to seduce Jared, just like the text messages she sentst night. She realized then that she needed to fight for and protect what belonged to her, including her man. Although encountering such a situation as Jared¡¯s girlfriend could be frustrating and annoying, Ellen realized that she couldn¡¯t avoid it. Instead, she needed to face it head-on and make the other person back down. ¡°I¡¯m not angry.¡± Ellen smiled. ¡°I can tell that the interest isn¡¯t mutual, so I don¡¯t mind.¡± Hearing her words, Jared felt relieved and touched. The feeling of being trusted was worth more than a thousand words. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to meet some elders.¡± He reached out to her. Ellen¡¯s heart skipped a beat; this meant that he would publicly announce their rtionship within his circle, which was nerve-wracking. The elders were sessful businessmen who had watched Jared grow up. They were friends of his father and had worked under him, but now, they had made a name for themselves in the business world. ¡°Jared, this beautifuldy is your girlfriend, right?¡± a wealthy middle-aged woman said. As a woman, she could tell that a man introducing someone in this situation would usually introduce their girlfriend and not just a femalepanion. ¡°Yes, Madam Hurney. She is my girlfriend, Ellen.¡± ¡°Ellen? Oh! Have I heard that name before?¡± Madam Hurney eximed in surprise, her eyes fixed on Ellen. Then her expression turned to one of delight. ¡°You¡­ You are the Miss Go champion, aren¡¯t you?¡± Ellen smiled and nodded. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Oh! My husband really admires you! He¡¯s your loyal fan, and I also like you so much.¡± Madam Hurney gushed with admiration, which left Elle a little embarrassed by the attention. ¡°Thank you for your kind words,¡± Ellen replied politely. ¡°Jared, you¡¯re really lucky! It¡¯s rare to see such an excellent girlfriend,¡± Madam Hurney praised, noting that true inner beauty was rare and far more valuable than external appearances. ¡°Madam Hurney, you are absolutely right. Meeting Ellen is the greatest blessing of my life,¡± Jared dered in front of everyone. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you were Ellen! Your chess skills are truly amazing, especially in that final game. I was watching the whole time! You¡¯re incredibly talented!¡± an elderly man praised Ellen. ¡°That¡¯s right. Everyone around me speaks highly of Miss Reiss!¡± ¡°When you hold your wedding, we¡¯ll definitely be there to celebrate.¡± Ellen was taken aback by the newfound attention from the elite. While thinking about this, her face was radiant with a rosy glow. Not far away, Hannie observed quietly as Ellen walked with the esteemed elders alongside Jared. Hannie was surprised to see the warm wee that Ellen received from these people. In such a gathering, many people would put on a show, but the affection Ellen received from the elderly was real, and it caught Hannie¡¯s attention. She was unwilling to lose to this ordinary girl. Hannie had investigated Ellen¡¯s background and discovered that she was not from a wealthy family, and her education and background were that of an ordinary person. However, Hannie missed a recent piece of news as she was only interested in Ellen¡¯s background. Ellen felt the urge to use the restroom, perhaps due to having too much juice. She noticed Jared and the elders were still chatting, so she whispered, ¡°I¡¯m going to the restroom.¡± ¡°Do you want me toe with you?¡± Jared asked in a low voice. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine!¡± Ellen didn¡¯t want to inconvenience him with such a thing. ¡°You can chat with the elders.¡± After getting directions from the waiter, Ellen walked toward the restroom. Meanwhile, Hannie saw this as an opportunity to meet Ellen and headed in the same direction. Meanwhile, Ellen finished washing her hands and noticed that her lipstick had faded. She intended to touch up, but at that moment, someone approached her. From the mirror, Ellen saw her; she was also touching up her makeup. ¡°Hi, Miss Reiss!¡± Hannie greeted her. Ellen turned to her and replied, ¡°Hi. Miss Quins, right?¡± ¡°Hannie, the granddaughter of the first wealthy family in Hond. I learned English because I like your country,¡± Hannie said with a sense of superiority. Ellen was slightly taken aback. From the news she had seen in the past, she had some understanding of this family and was surprised to meet a member here. ¡°You should have heard of my family.¡± Hannie smiled slightly. ¡°Yes.¡± Ellen nodded. ¡°Miss Reiss, can we talk?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing for me to talk about with you, Miss Quins. Sorry.¡± Ellen didn¡¯t feel like chatting. ¡°Wait a minute. Do you want to know why I¡¯m here? I¡¯m here to coborate with Jared,¡± Hannie said and continued, ¡°We arepetitors, but we can also be allies.¡± Ellen frowned, but she didn¡¯t say anything. Hannie approached her and said, ¡°Miss Reiss, I really like Jared and want to date him. Do you feel pressured?¡± Ellen smiled lightly and said, ¡°Why should I feel pressured?¡± Hannie was stunned. She thought that by saying this, Ellen would panic. After all, her identity and family background were much better than Ellen¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a billion, Miss Reiss. Will you let Jared be with me?¡± Hannie directly offered money as she thought that Ellen was only interested in Jared¡¯s money. She thought that Ellen couldn¡¯t get much money since she was only dating Jared. Thus, she quoted a price of one billion, hoping to make Ellen tempted. However, Ellen only felt insulted instead of feeling tempted. She put aside her polite attitude and said coldly, ¡°Miss Quins, please don¡¯t insult people with money. Your money has nothing to do with me, and I don¡¯t need it even if I¡¯m poor. Also, he is my boyfriend. I¡¯d advise you not to provoke him.¡± ¡°Are you threatening me? Miss Reiss, I¡¯ve looked into your background. You¡¯re just an ordinary girl. Are you overestimating your own charm?¡± Hannie mocked with a sneer. Ellen felt that there was no point in talking with her and said, ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°Miss Reiss, if I were you, I¡¯d be smart and take the money instead ofpeting with me,¡± Hannie threatened with unprecedented confidence as if she had already won Jared over. Ellen felt that Hannie was crazy. Does she think that every man in the world would like her? After Ellen left, Hannie¡¯s face darkened. She had a scheming look in her eyes; it was clear that these were tricks she had honed through her experience in her social circles, but they were undeniably effective in attracting men. Ellen returned to the banquet hall, where Jared was waiting for her in the corridor outside the restroom. He approached her and said, ¡°Let me take you to eat something.¡± She hadn¡¯t had dinner yet, and since there was a buffet nearby, she nodded in agreement. Soon after, Hannie arrived at the restaurant, sporting her usual exaggerated expressions as she attempted to showcase her charm. Meanwhile, Ellen had already taken her seat by the time the other woman arrived. As Jared came over, Hannie deliberately bumped into him, causing him to flinch and her to bump into the table. She immediately disyed a somewhat hurt expression and whined, ¡°Young Master Tillman, can¡¯t you help me?¡± He stopped and warned coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t y tricks in front of me.¡± ¡°Young Master Tillman has noticed me!¡± Hannie said shamelessly as she just wanted to feel important. Jared frowned and ignored her, but Ellen saw Hannie¡¯s shameless side and felt anger brewing inside her. How is there such a shameless woman in the world? she thought. After he sat down, Ellen saw that Hannie had chosen a seat next to them, eating and staring at him with fiery eyes. She disregarded Ellen¡¯s presence and kept circling him like a butterfly. If it were another man, a girl like Hannie would¡¯ve easily won him over. Ellen wanted to ssh the water in her cup on Hannie¡¯s face to let her know what the consequences of seducing someone else¡¯s boyfriend were. ¡°Don¡¯t pay attention to her,¡± Jared said, feeling extremely annoyed. He was concerned that Ellen¡¯s emotions would be affected. However, Ellen couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. She wanted to teach this girl a lesson and make her behave. ¡°Jared, can you get me a ss of juice?¡± Ellen asked him. Although there was already a drink on her table, Jared still got up and went to get her one. When Jared got up, Hannie also stood up since they were seated opposite each other. As he walked past Ellen, Hannie naturally walked through the aisle next to her. Jared had just passed by, and Hannie¡¯s gaze was already fixed on him. A pair of legs stretched out from under the table, but she didn¡¯t notice. ¡°Ah!¡± She panicked, but it was toote because she had fallen to the ground. Thud! ¡°You¡­¡± Hannie was a mess as she crawled up in pain and stared at Ellen angrily. ¡°How dare you!¡± Ellen looked at her innocently and said, ¡°It¡¯s not my fault you don¡¯t pay attention when you walk. Why me me?¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s you.¡± She knew that Ellen did it on purpose. Jared immediately turned back, and a few other guests were also watching themotion. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Jared as he looked at the woman. ¡°She caused me to trip, Mr. Presgrave,¡± Hannieined quickly. ¡°Do you have any evidence? Don¡¯t use someone without evidence,¡± he said coldly. ¡°You should ask her if she tripped me.¡± Hannie was full of anger since her elbow and knee were hurt. ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Ellen answered her naturally. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, you should be careful of such a cunning and malicious girlfriend. She might even hurt you one day.¡± Hannie couldn¡¯t miss this opportunity to suggest that they break up. ¡°Hannie, watch your words. Do not insult my girlfriend,¡± Jared warned. Because many people were watching, Hannie felt embarrassed and left. After she left, Ellen whispered into Jared¡¯s ears, ¡°I caused her to trip.¡± ¡°I know.¡± He smirked, despite knowing his girlfriend tripped the other woman. She chuckled, then angrilyined, ¡°She deserves it since she stole my boyfriend. I didn¡¯t even ssh water on her face. I was already kind to her.¡± ¡°You should do that next time.¡± Jared thought she should do whatever made her feel better because Hannie was really annoying. On the other hand, Hannie injured her knee and was bleeding. So, she left the party early and went into her bodyguard¡¯s car. She gritted her teeth and swore, ¡°Ellen, I won¡¯t let you get away with this!¡± Without Hannie¡¯s presence, Ellen found the party more enjoyable. Later, during the jewelry auction, Jared had already chosen a white jade bracelet for her. He bid for 8 million and won. On the way home, he gave her the gift aspensation for the grievances she felt at the banquet. Perhaps it was the irritation from Hannie because, for once, Ellen took the initiative to get on her man tonight as if to prove her ownership. At the height of exhaustion, she heard a low voice in her ear. ¡°I will never let you lose in this lifetime.¡± She heard this and smiled while cuddling in his arms like a spoiled child. ¡­ In the hotel, Hannie had a chance to meet Jared during the negotiation on that day. The acquirer held a private bidding conference in Averna with threepanies participating. Hannie sessfully secured a seat thanks to her family background. The night before, she was tripped by Ellen. She was so angry that she couldn¡¯t sleep all night. When she woke up in the morning, she had her makeup artist carefully do her makeup. She even chose the most beautiful dress avable. She thought she would be able to showcase her merits to Jared without Ellen around. In the hotel¡¯s conference room where Hannie was, representatives of the three countries leading the acquisition negotiation n were present. She constantly checked herself in the mirror and then headed downstairs to the conference room with her assistant before the otherpany¡¯s personnel arrived. However, when Hannie pushed open the door to the conference room, she thought Jared would definitely be inside. When her eyes scanned the representative of the Presgrave Group, she did not see the person she wanted to see, and her heart sank. Hannie walked straight up to the representative of Presgrave Group and asked, ¡°Excuse me, is President Presgraveing?¡± ¡°President Presgrave has other things to attend to. I¡¯m here on his behalf to negotiate,¡± a calm gentleman replied. Hannie¡¯s heart sank. She had put in so much effort today but couldn¡¯t even see the person she wanted. To force Jared to show up at the negotiation table, Hannie had raised the acquisition price, as she thought that the representative of Presgrave Group could not make decisions on his behalf. Her decision would have made Jared show up in person. However, when Hannie raised the price, which she could hardly bear, she looked at the representative of Presgrave Group, who remained very calm, as if the person was not worried about her price increase. ¡°Miss Quins, do you really want to make a purchase agreement with ourpany?¡± The other company also realized that Hannie was here to cause trouble and was worried that her actions would disrupt their acquisition ns. ¡°Of course, I am sincere. Why? Do you think mypany does not have the capability?¡± Hannie sneered. No one dared to offend her. The representative adjusted their sses and said, ¡°No, that¡¯s not what we meant.¡± ¡°300 billion,¡± replied the representative of Presgrave Group calmly. A hint of cunning flickered through Hannie¡¯s eyes as she raised the card in her hand and said, ¡°I offer 320 billion.¡± ¡°350 billion.¡± ¡°380 billion.¡± Hannie maintained herposure, thinking of raising the price a bit more. She just wanted to force Jared to show up. ¡°400 billion.¡± ¡°420 billion.¡± Her hands clenched into fists under the table. ¡°450 billion.¡± The representative of Presgrave Group continued to calmly increase the bid, and he didn¡¯t even look at her. ¡°500 billion.¡± Hannie raised her voice, which caused her assistant and manager standing behind her to look tense. Is she crazy? She bid 500 billion. Is this joke going too far? they thought. At this moment, the representative of the Presgrave Group finally hesitated and did not speak. ¡°You surely can¡¯t make the final decision. Why don¡¯t you ask President Presgrave toe over?¡± Hannie said with her arm crossed as she faced the representative on the opposite side. ¡°President Presgrave has given his instructions. As long as the amount exceeds 480 billion, our company will give up on this acquisition. Miss Quins, you have won the bid. Congrattions,¡± the representative of Presgrave Group announced. He stood up and turned to the representative of the company being acquired. ¡°We have other matters to attend to. We¡¯ll leave first.¡± Hannie¡¯s face suddenly looked stunned. She sat stiffly in her seat while looking at the representative of the Presgrave Group. She bit her lip tightly. This was definitely not what she had expected. Presgrave Group actually gave up? ¡°Wait, I¡­¡± Hannie wanted to say that she regretted it, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to do it in front of so many people. Thepany waiting to be acquired on the sidelines was also very frustrated at this moment because they could see that Hannie had no real intention of acquisition. Now that she had raised the price, who would dare to acquire it? Besides, she looked like she had no intention of taking care of the mess. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Miss Quins?¡± asked the representative of Presgrave Group as he turned around. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t think it through just now. So, I¡¯ve decided to give up the acquisition,¡± Hannie said helplessly. ¡°Miss Quins, this is not child¡¯s y.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Suddenly, the representative of the Presgrave Group spoke. ¡°Miss Quins, now that you have won the bid, the contract stiptes that the bidder must deliver 20% of the prepayment within three days. I believe you have already prepared the funds.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Her face instantly turned red, and she found herself in an embarrassing situation. Hannie watched as the Presgrave Group representatives left. At that moment, the representative of the company that was acquired stood up and handed the contract to her. ¡°Miss Quin¡¯s, it¡¯s a pleasure to work with you. We¡­¡± ¡°Wait a moment. I still need a few days to think about this. We also need to wait a little longer for the payment of the booking fee.¡± ¡°Our contract specifies that if the booking fee is dyed, we will charge a certain amount of penalty fee.¡± ¡°What?¡± Hannie¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°The penalty fee is usually over 10 million per day.¡± Her eyes widened even more. She couldn¡¯t afford such consequences, which meant that she had hit a wall this time. ¡°Miss Quins, although I don¡¯t know why you participated in this bidding, if you don¡¯t have the intention of acquisition, you can give this opportunity topanies that truly have acquisition intentions, such as the Presgrave Group.¡± ¡°But didn¡¯t they give up?¡± ¡°In fact, our expected acquisition price did not reach 50 billion. If you talk to the representatives of the Presgrave Group and give up the opportunity, ourpany will negotiate with them again.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Hannie¡¯s restless mind finally found a way out. ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s up to you to negotiate with Presgrave Group. We hope that you can negotiate with them sincerely because your behavior today may have angered them.¡± After everyone else left, she sat in the seat with a pale face and held her head. Darn it! What have I done? This is f*cked up! ¡°Miss Quins, should we inform the president of thepany about this matter?¡± ¡°No, do not inform my dad! We can¡¯t let my family know about this.¡± Hannie was immediately exasperated. ¡°Well, what should we do now? Are you really going to beg the people from the Presgrave Group? If you don¡¯t give up this opportunity within three days, ourpany will have to pay a penalty fee.¡± Hannie wanted to cry. She only wanted to force Jared to see her, but she didn¡¯t want to get herself into trouble. Now, she had to beg him instead. She felt like this was a trap he deliberately set up to trip her. And she had stupidly fallen into it. She immediately took out the business card they had just exchanged and found the representative¡¯s card from the Presgrave Group. She dialed the phone number on the card. ¡°Hello, who is this?¡± ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Hannie. I have something to discuss with you.¡± ¡°What can I help you with, Miss Quins?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve decided to give up the acquisition opportunity to yourpany. The RYpany delegation also expressed their willingness to renegotiate the cooperation. I wonder if yourpany¡­ is willing to renegotiate, though?¡± Hannie asked tentatively. ¡°I need to report this to President Presgrave. Miss Quins, please wait for my message.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wait for your call.¡± She was eager and even hoped to talk to Jared alone about this matter. At this moment, a car was heading toward Presgrave Group, and Mr. Stark dialed Jared¡¯s phone number. ¡°President Presgrave, Hannie fell for the trap. Now, she¡¯s asking us to re-negotiate with RYpany.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother with her,¡± Jared said coldly. ¡°Okay.¡± Hannie was pacing back and forth in the meeting room as she anxiously waited for a response from the Presgrave Group. She regretted her decision and knew that if Presgrave Group didn¡¯t take over, she would not only have to pay the deposit but also a penalty fee. However, she felt that her grandfather would teach her a lesson for this and that her father would remove her inheritance rights. Therefore, the most urgent matter now was to quickly resolve this issue and not let it spread to the familypany. Otherwise, she would be aughingstock. Just then, her phone on the conference table rang, and she almost ran over to answer it. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Miss Quins, I¡¯m sorry to inform you that President Presgrave has lost interest in this acquisition project.¡± Chapter 1731-1740 Chapter 1731-1740 ¡°I¡¯ll make her return to where she came from.¡± Jared hated women who were full of themselves. ¡°Okay.¡± Ellen agreed with his approach. It seemed that those women who tried to seduce him didn¡¯t need her to drive them away; he could handle them himself. Meanwhile, Hannie returned to her room and immediately asked someone to send a car for her. She was going to the Presgrave Group. After finishing lunch, Ellen was nning to go to the chess club. This time, Mr. Linton also decided to open a chess club in Averna. Ellen was the one who provided the funds for the decoration, so he gave her a 50% stake, making her a shareholder. ¡°Wait a minute. Come with me to thepany first. I¡¯ll take you to Mr. Linton¡¯s chess club tomorrow.¡± Jared pulled her over. ¡°Huh? Why do I have to apany you to thepany?¡± She was a little confused. ¡°I want you to sit back and watch a good show.¡± Jared believed that Hannie was in a hurry to meet him, so Ellen had to be there to embarrass her. She thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡± Hannie¡¯s car set off from the hotel and headed toward the entrance of Presgrave Group. She no longer had the arrogance of a wealthy youngdy because she was in a position to ask for help. She made an appointment to meet Jared at the front desk. Due to her urgent requests, the receptionist had to contact Stanley to arrange the earliest possible time for her to meet him. Stanley informed Jared of the message, and since he had just arrived at thepany, he replied, ¡°Let her wait for an hour before seeing me.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Hannie had no choice but to wait for another hour in the lobby. Even though she was impatient, she had to wait obediently no matter what. She had to meet Jared within seventy-two hours, or else she would have to give money to thepany that was being acquired for nothing. She was willing to wait even for a day, let alone just an hour. Ellen sat on the sofa in Jared¡¯s office. She took a rest for a while, and finally, the hour was up. On the other side of the front desk, Hannie urged again. Stanley finally reported to Jared, and he said, ¡°Let here in.¡± After knowing she got the chance to meet Jared, Hannie couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh of relief. She quickly walked toward the direction of the elevator as she was led by the receptionist to the office. In the elevator, she didn¡¯t forget to tidy up her makeup and touch up on her lipstick. She thought that as a woman, beauty was her advantage in negotiating with men. As long as she pretended to be pitiful, Jared would be soft-hearted. If she could even make him feel pity and fall for her, wouldn¡¯t that make a great story? ¡°Miss Quins, you¡¯re here. President Presgrave is waiting for you in his office,¡± Stanley said. Hannie smiled brightly. ¡°Okay, please lead the way.¡± ¡°This way, please.¡± Stanley extended his hand to invite Hannie in. She did not forget to use any mirror or ss that could show her reflection to check her current attire and makeup. Atst, they reached the door to Jared¡¯s office. Then, Stanley knocked on the door before he opened it and entered the office. ¡°President Presgrave, Miss Quins is here.¡± She immediately revealed a sweet, faint smile. After she received a look from Stanley, she stepped into the office elegantly. However, her smile stiffened the moment she saw another woman sitting on the sofa because she had never expected to see Ellen in Jared¡¯s office. Hence, she was shocked as she turned to Stanley and stated, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯d bettere again tomorrow because I have an urgent matter to attend to.¡± ¡°President Presgrave needs to leave for abroad at 3.00PM today. Miss Quins, you¡¯d better hurry up and say it if there¡¯s anything on your mind. Otherwise, you won¡¯t have the chance to meet him,¡± Stanley exined. He was involved in the whole incident, so he knew what to do. Hannie¡¯s expression became hideous. Then, I¡¯ve got to bow down and beg Jared in front of Ellen in this one hour? Ellen sat on the sofa and looked at Hannie awkwardly standing at the door. She then resumed reading the magazine in her hand and did not even acknowledge Hannie. Although she was rarely rude to others, she despised people like Hannie¡ªshameless. ¡°Miss Reiss, good afternoon. I-Is President Presgrave around?¡± Hannie could only behave cheekily and walked to the sofa to greet Ellen. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Ellen asked while raising her eyebrows. I wonder if Jared did it purposely, considering that he left me in his office before heading off on some business. ¡°Can you tell me when he¡¯ll be back? I need to see him about something urgent,¡± Hannie questioned immediately. However, Ellen purposely shook her head and replied coldly, ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°Miss Reiss, could you please help me in contacting him? I have an urgent need to see him,¡± Hannie pleaded. I can¡¯t offend Ellen now, so all I can do is beg her to help me. Ellen, on the other hand, did not forget how arrogant and confident Hannie was at the party. Thus, she uttered aloofly, ¡°Miss Quins, aren¡¯t you capable? Why are you begging me?¡± Hannie¡¯s face became slightly flushed as she exined awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for offending you before. Please forgive me, Miss Reiss.¡± She was smart, so she knew that she had to soothe Ellen¡¯s anger toward her since Ellen was in the office. Otherwise, it would be useless no matter how she begged Jared as long as Ellen wasn¡¯t on her side. Ellen supported her chin as she looked at the forced look of plea on Hannie¡¯s face. Serve you right! You should keep a low profile and be humble. Just when Hannie put her palms together to beg Ellen again, the door behind her was opened. Jared strode into the office with Stanley. Seeing that, she leaped to her feet in delight. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, here you are.¡± Jared sat next to Ellen. Hannie, on the other hand, stood up and took a few steps back. She put up a pleading front and bowed while sincerely begging, ¡°Please help me, Mr. Presgrave. I was just fooling around. I never intended to compete against you. I was simply too naive and childish. I¡¯m truly sorry.¡± ¡°Ellie, did she help you cool down?¡± He tilted his head and asked Ellen. As a result, Hannie¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She was worried now because of how much she had belittled Ellen at the party. She had no idea Ellen would have the power to decide her fate. ¡°Miss Reiss, I¡¯m sorry. Please forgive me for being so ignorant.¡± She had sumbed to a very humble level now as she just hoped that Jared could save her. Jared red at her; his expression was cold. ¡°Get lost and go back to your country. Don¡¯t let me see you again.¡± Her face was deeply flushed. That was thergest humiliation she had ever suffered, but she could only endure it because she had to reap what she had sown. ¡°Um¡­ Will you be in charge of this project?¡± While blushing, Hannie continued to inquire. ¡°I won¡¯t let you off the hook if your family interferes with my projects again,¡± Jared warned. She felt humiliated, after which she quickly nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± After that, she left in a sorry state. She did not forget to turn around and bow at the door, giving her complete sincerity, before she left. After she left, Jared held Ellen¡¯s waist and asked tenderly, ¡°Have you cooled down?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She nodded, and she never wanted to see people like Hannie again. ¡°Stanley, invite the RY Company employees over. I¡¯ll deal with them myself,¡± he told Stanley. ¡°All right.¡± Stanley immediately made arrangements for that. Ellen did not want to disturb Jared¡¯s negotiation, so she retired to his room to rest. When Hannie left the Presgrave Group, she called and yelled angrily to her assistant, ¡°Pack up and book the earliest ne ticket to return home immediately!¡± Her true colors were revealed once she got into the car. She bit her lower lip and red at the building housing Presgrave Group. This is when I¡¯ve been humiliated the most, but I know that I can¡¯t offend Jared and can¡¯t afford to do so, either. I picked the wrong person. If there¡¯s nothing important, I¡¯ll never set foot in this country again. It¡¯s so embarrassing. ¡­ When Jared left the office with Stanley, an exasperated figure dashed toward him from the elevator out of the blue. When Stanley noticed that, he immediately stood before Jared and said to that person, ¡°Mr. Turner, what can I do for you?¡± ¡°President Presgrave, I heard that you refused to let my son take over my position. Is that true?¡± ¡°Mr. Turner, your son taking over your position goes againstpany policy. This is apany, not a hereditary royal system, as in ancient times. So, there¡¯s no such thing as the son taking over the father¡¯s position,¡± Jared responded coolly. ¡°Then, what about you? You could take over your father¡¯s position. My son is so outstanding, and he works so hard. He¡¯s capable of taking over my position. Please give him a chance¡­¡± Gavin gave him a pleading look. ¡°President Presgrave, please do me a favor.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible, Mr. Turner.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask for your father¡¯s help.¡± ¡°This is already decided even if my father steps in,¡± Jared said solemnly. ¡°You¡­ You hold others in contempt, don¡¯t you? You¡¯re just a boy to me. Listen. I sacrificed my whole life for thepany, and my only request is for my son to take over my position. Is it wrong?¡± Gavin red at Jared with deep wrath as if Jared was being unreasonable. ¡°Mr. Turner, President Presgrave is leaving for a meeting.¡± Stanley interrupted him to ask him to set aside his private matter. ¡°I¡¯m not going to give up like this,¡± Gavin dered before storming out. Stanley put his hands on his waist furiously the moment Gavin left. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Gavin? Why is he so stubborn? Why does he want his son to take over his position no matter what? It¡¯s a modern world now. Why does he think that you¡¯re wrong? It¡¯s quite baffling.¡± Jared recognized Gavin¡¯s requirements. Gavin wanted to give his son a chance to develop his skills before he retired, owing to his unusual faith in his son. He hoped that the Presgraves would do him a favor. ¡°Forget about it. Let¡¯s get this meeting started!¡± Jared stuck to his principles. He would not allow his company to be involved in string pulling, so he strictly adhered to the policies. Stanley nodded. I don¡¯t have to waste much time worrying about this. After all, Gavin is just making a fuss. He¡¯ll retire when the timees. At that time, a middle-aged man was pacing to and fro anxiously outside the lobby of Presgrave Group. When he saw his fathering downstairs, he immediately rushed to his father and asked, ¡°Dad, how did it go? Did President Presgrave agree to it? Will I be promoted to your position?¡± Gavin clenched his fists in frustration. ¡°That b*stard rejected me, and he didn¡¯t even consider it.¡± Jason Turner soon became disappointed and even slightly enraged. ¡°Dad, didn¡¯t you im that you have a very close rtionship with the Presgraves? Didn¡¯t you promise to help me get a promotion? You must keep your word!¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing everything I can for you! Easy. Let me handle it. When was thest time I let you down?¡± Gavin patted his son¡¯s shoulder. Since his son had grown up in a single-parent household, Gavin was everything to him, which was why he handled all his son¡¯s affairs well. Now that Jason was still a manager of a small department in the Presgrave Group, he wished that he could inherit his father¡¯s position to feel ted and proud of himself. Consequently, he was soon overjoyed. ¡°Okay, Dad, I¡¯ll leave it to you. When I¡¯m in your post, those who looked down on me won¡¯t be able tough at me again.¡± ¡°Expect good news!¡± Gavin nodded. He would never fail his son. ¡­ After the meeting thatsted for an afternoon, Jared left the conference room to walk to his room quickly. ¡°President Presgrave, about tonight¡¯s social gathering¡ª¡± ¡°Just reject it,¡± he answered without even turning around. Stanley inevitably smiled helplessly. I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s nothing else he cares about except Miss Reiss. Ellen enjoyed her quiet alone time. She dozed off, however, while reading a book on the sofa in front of the French window. Jared was taken aback when he opened the door and entered the room. He noticed the setting sun shining on the sofa and Ellen was sound asleep with a book on her face. He squatted and gently removed the book to reveal Ellen¡¯s adorable and sweet face. Her slightly apart rosy lips were appealing, so he kneeled to steal a kiss and did so repeatedly until she awoke from his kisses. Finally, she opened her doe eyes, which were slightly ssy from the sleep. When she saw him, she smiled. ¡°Is the meeting over?¡± Her long hair was draped behind her head as she sat up. Anyone would wish to adore and pamper her forever because she resembled a fairy with a gentle and natural temperament. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s over. Come. I¡¯ll take you to dinner.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± She nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to my mansion tonight. It¡¯s the weekend tomorrow. Let¡¯s sleep in.¡± He touched her nose briefly, and she soon blushed. She no longer felt shy around him. That night, they had a candlelight dinner. He had taken her to various high-end restaurants in Averna to enjoy different dishes from countries all over the world. Regardless, she found herself the happiest eating with her loved one, and it did not matter how tasty the food was. Jared drove her to his mansion at around 9.00PM. His bodyguards were clearing the way for them. Suddenly, something happened that caused the bodyguards to m the brakes. The other bodyguards at the rear had also consequently braked, which then led Jared to follow suit. As a result, Ellen was caught off guard and bumped her head on the dashboard. ¡°Are you okay? Does it hurt?¡± Jared rubbed the spot where she hurt herself, and he was enraged. He wondered what happened in front of them. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Ellen shook her head. Although it was slightly painful, something seemed to have happened in front of them. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± He asked her to stay in the car before he alighted from the vehicle and noticed that all of his bodyguards had gotten out as well. A figure quickly dashed toward him and screamed, ¡°President Presgrave, it¡¯s me!¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°Mr. Turner?¡± He knitted his brows in slight shock. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, this person rushed out of nowhere and blocked the way, so we had to brake. Are you hurt?¡± Jared was fine, but Ellen hurt her head. Nevertheless, he was still frustrated. ¡°Mr. Turner, what do you want?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to meet with you privately to talk.¡± Gavin did not give it much thought. He could not see Jared in thepany, so he wanted a private meeting with him. Thus, he acted rashly and blocked the car. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s do it another day!¡± Jared did not want to talk to him because discussing his affair was pointless. ¡°President Presgrave, just give me five minutes.¡± Gavin strove for a chance as he said so. However, Jared was still very angry at him for blocking his cars, so he said to his bodyguards, ¡°Please ask him to leave.¡± ¡°President Presgrave, I promise I won¡¯t take up too much of your time. Please give me five minutes.¡± He then pulled a folder from his backpack and handed it to Jared. ¡°This is my son¡¯s resume. He¡¯s truly exceptional. Please consider giving him a chance!¡± Jared did not ept it. He simply and calmly answered, ¡°Mr. Turner, I respect you since you¡¯re my elder, but please understand that thepany is bound by its policies. I can¡¯t break them.¡± ¡°We can be merciful, can¡¯t we? Can¡¯t you please do me a favor?¡± Gavin became agitated all of a sudden. ¡°Is it necessary for you to be so cruel to my family? Do you have to go to such lengths?¡± Jared gave the bodyguard a look before he turned to go back to his car. Gavin quickly pursued Jared and dashed to his car. From the rolled-down window, he noticed Ellen, who was sitting in the shotgun seat. As a result, he soon realized why Jared was eager to return home. It turned out that there was a woman in the car. The bodyguards came and carried him away at that instant. He watched as Jared drove away. After that, his gaze became slightly sinister and horrible under the dim light. He gritted his teeth as he watched that team of cars leave. ¡°There¡¯s nothing impossible in this world,¡± he murmured. Sitting in the car, Ellen could not help but inquire curiously, ¡°Who was that?¡± Jared did not want to frighten her, so he exined, ¡°He¡¯s my senior staff, and he came to discuss something with me.¡± ¡°It¡¯ste now. Was it anything urgent?¡± ¡°He made a very unreasonable request, so I refused him,¡± he borated. ¡°What was his request?¡± ¡°He¡¯s about to retire, but he wants his son to be promoted to his current post before his retirement. I didn¡¯t promise him that, so he¡¯s been begging me about it these few days. However, rules are rules. It¡¯s prohibited to break thepany¡¯s policy,¡± he exined patiently. ¡°That is, in fact, against the rules.¡± After hearing the entire story, she concluded that the employee mentioned was indeed out of line. ¡°I¡¯ll strive for more benefits for him in terms of pension, but I can¡¯t help him with the other stuff.¡± Jared could only help him so far. It was already dead of winter, but the warm bedroom was as warm as spring at night. Nobody was around to interfere with their private moment, so it was a pleasant experience to snuggle in bed and watch a movie projected on a screen together. That night, Jared and Ellen both chose a slightly romantic film to watch and only went to bedte at night. He went to the chess club established by Brook Linton with Ellen the next morning. It was still under renovation, but Brook was very happy at how supportive she was toward his attempt at reestablishing the chess club. He was confident in nurturing better chess yers and teaching more people about chess, so this game could be fostered and enhanced as it was passed down from generation to generation. Ellen would go there to teach other students as she continued to learn as Brook¡¯s disciple. It was her hope to achieve greater sess in chess in the future. Jared drove her back to thepany after they had lunch nearby at noon. As she was a patient and quietdy, she could pass the time with just a book and a cup of tea. He then left for a meeting, leaving her in his office to read a book. Suddenly, she heard a female assistant¡¯s voice from the door. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Turner. President Presgrave isn¡¯t in the office, so you can¡¯t go in.¡± ¡°What do you mean? He just wants to avoid me. Step aside. Let me in,¡± Gavin roared angrily, and he pushed the female assistant away roughly. He then pressed the doorknob down to barge into the office. Consequently, Ellen was shocked as she looked up at the fierce man. At a nce, she could tell that he was the one who blocked their car the previous night. He looked at her and asked rudely, ¡°Where¡¯s President Presgrave?¡± ¡°He is in a meeting,¡± she answered. Gavin¡¯s gaze was fixed on Ellen as he recalled her sitting in Jared¡¯s carst night. It seems that this girl is Jared¡¯s girlfriend. That means someone he cares about deeply. Ellen felt ufortable being stared at by him. At this moment, her assistant walked in and apologized, ¡°Miss Reiss, sorry for disturbing you. Mr. Turner, this way please!¡± ¡°He has time for women, but not for his staff?¡± heined with a hint of arrogance as he emanated a strong sense of domineering. After he left, Ellen patted her chest lightly while thinking that Jared must have a headache managing this kind of subordinate. In the conference room, Gavin searched for Jared one room at a time and finally found him in the fourth conference room. He was meeting with several foreign guests, but Gavin ignored it and walked in. ¡°President Presgrave, let¡¯s talk after the meeting.¡± Jared¡¯s eyes suddenly became sharp. ¡°Gavin, can¡¯t you see that I have guests?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you outside then,¡± Gavin said as he pushed the door and went out. After waiting for half an hour, Jared got up to send the clients out, and Gavin immediately came over. ¡°President Presgrave, can we talk now?¡± Jared said to him, ¡°Let¡¯s talk inside.¡± Gavin was excited that Jared finally allowed him to talk. He said eagerly, ¡°Sure, sure.¡± After the conference room door was closed, Gavin took out his son¡¯s resume and copies of his academic qualifications again. ¡°President Presgrave, this is my son¡¯s resume and academic qualifications. He excels in everything, and I believe he can take over my position. Besides, even if I retire, I can still support him from behind. He can take up this position. Please promote him!¡± Jared folded his arms and squinted his eyes as he looked at Gavin. ¡°Gavin, as a senior employee of thepany, you know thepany¡¯s rules best. I don¡¯t need to exin them to you.¡± Gavin¡¯s face changed. ¡°What? I¡¯m already begging you. Can¡¯t you make an exception for my son? There are exceptions to everything. You inherited your father¡¯s position, so why can¡¯t my son inherit mine?¡± Jared looked at him. He was not only stubborn but also desperate. Jared knew that Gavin had raised his son alone and how much he cared for his son. But this was the workce, and he couldn¡¯t overstep his authority. ¡°Gavin, I can apply for the highest amount of your pension for you. When you retire, you won¡¯t have to worry about life. How about that?¡± Jared suggested as he tried to negotiate. ¡°Do you think I need money? I don¡¯t need money, and I don¡¯t use much of it. What I want is to let my son take my ce.¡± Gavin insisted but he couldn¡¯t exin why he wanted his son to be promoted. His son had alwaysined to him about being looked down on and bullied by others, which made him feel heartbroken. He had only one son. How could he let his son be looked down on by others? He wanted to use hisst bit of power to help his son so that he wouldn¡¯t have to suffer any more grievances from society. ¡°No!¡± Jared calmly refused. Gavin¡¯s actions froze. He looked at Jared¡¯s expression, which indicated that there was no room for negotiation. ¡°No? Jared, do you look down on my son too?¡± he asked. ¡°It¡¯s not that. He just doesn¡¯t have enough ability yet to take on the position of vice president. He still needs to continue to hone his skills in the middle management of thepany for a few more years,¡± replied Jared. Gavin was about to lose it, but he held back. Just then, he suddenly knelt in front of Jared. Jared was surprised and quickly reached out to help him up, but he refused to get up. He pleaded, ¡°President Presgrave, I¡¯m begging you. If you don¡¯t agree, I won¡¯t get up. I only have one son, and I hope he can have a bright future. I promised him that I would fight for him, and I cannot break my promise.¡± Jared took a step back. His handsome face tightened, and his voice became colder. ¡°Gavin, are you threatening me?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m begging you. I can give up everything, but I can¡¯t let my son be bullied in society. As long as he takes my position, no one will dare to look down on him,¡± Gavin said, not afraid to express his demands. ¡°You can help him for now, but can you help him for a lifetime? I don¡¯t know if your son is outstanding or not, but the fact that he relies on you for everything shows that he is not a responsible person.¡± Jared pointed out. ¡°As long as I¡¯m alive, I¡¯ll always help him. This is a father¡¯s love for his son,¡± Gavin said. ¡°That is not called love. You¡¯re just spoiling him.¡± Jared corrected him. ¡°What do you know? My son has been living his life without a mother since he was young and has suffered too much. Besides that, I¡¯ve been too busy to take care of him, and I owe him too much. So, I must help him no matter what. President Presgrave, please have mercy on me and agree to my request,¡± Gavin begged. Jared had originally wanted to persuade him, but now it seemed that talking to him was just a waste of time. He could only be stern and remind him that the rules in this world were cruel. ¡°Gavin, get up! I¡¯m telling you clearly that it¡¯s impossible for your son to be promoted.¡± After that, he picked up the documents on the table, turned around, and pushed the door to leave. ¡°President Presgrave, President Presgrave¡­¡± Gavin knelt on the ground, trying to stop him, but he still left without looking back. Three dayster, Gavin retired, but his request was rejected. A new vice president was appointed. He was a talented and experienced executive from thepany¡¯s branch overseas. Having failed to get the position, Gavin¡¯s son Jason threw a tantrum in the office and even beat up a staff, which caused extremely negative consequences. ording to thepany¡¯s rules, the incident was ssified as malicious behavior, and Jason was dismissed by thepany. After leaving thepany, Jason drove in a rage and lost control of his vehicle while driving on a bridge that afternoon. He crashed through the guardrail and fell into the river. When Gavin learned of the news, he was devastated. He was supported by several of his former subordinates to the police station, where they showed him the footage of how the entire event happened. The police ssified the incident as an idental suicide. ¡°No, my son wouldn¡¯t havemitted suicide. He was murdered.¡± Gavin couldn¡¯t ept the news and caused a scene at the police station. In the end, the police had to forcibly send him back home and had people keep an eye on him. In the evening, Stanley reported the incident to Jared. ¡°President Presgrave, Gavin spoiled his son too much. His son would resort to suicidal thoughts when he encountered setbacks. He had himself to me,¡± Stanleymented. ¡°Send someone from thepany to console him,¡± Jared ordered. ¡°Understood. We¡¯ll send his subordinates. Hopefully, he can get through this.¡± Jared also hoped that such incidents would not happen again. As the saying went, ¡°you sow what you reap.¡± The Turner Family. Gavin¡¯s former subordinates came to express condolences one after another, and representatives from the Presgrave Group also came. When they handed over condolence money, he suddenly raised his hand and scattered the cash all over the ce as he shouted angrily, ¡°Get out of here! Get out!¡± ¡°Gavin, please ept our heartfelt condolences.¡± ¡°Do you not know who caused my son¡¯s death? It¡¯s that arrogant brat, Jared. It¡¯s all because of him. If he had approved of my son taking my position, how could my son have died?¡± Thepany representative¡¯s face sank. ¡°Gavin, mind your words. What does this have to do with President Presgrave?¡± ¡°It was him who caused my son¡¯s death.¡± Gavin insisted that Jared was responsible for his son¡¯s death. ¡°We are all very saddened by your son¡¯s death, but this is no one¡¯s fault. The police have also announced that your son¡¯s death was idental.¡± ¡°Hmph! I have unfinished business with the Presgraves.¡± Gavin stubbornly snorted, as if he wanted to take on the Presgrave Group on his own. ¡°Gavin, don¡¯t do anything foolish!¡± ¡°Get out.¡± Gavin did not show them any respect and ordered them to leave. Stanley quickly reported this matter to Jared as he scolded, ¡°Gavin is bing more and more fatuous. He mes his son¡¯s death on you, President Presgrave.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. As long as thepany runs as it¡¯s supposed to, it¡¯s fine.¡± Jared didn¡¯t take it to heart and decided to let Gavin vent his emotions. ¡°President Presgrave, I¡¯m really worried. What if this he does something out of line?¡± ¡°Notify everyone in thepany that he is not allowed to enter, and you should send someone to monitor him.¡± Jared frowned. Gavin was emotional right now, and they should be on guard. ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll notify everyone immediately,¡± Stanley replied. The Turners Residence. After Gavin had finished arranging his son¡¯s funeral, he suddenly realized that his son was alone in the underground world at such a young age. At the thought of it, he felt even more grief-stricken. ¡°Jason, do you want me to find someone to keep youpany? You like beautiful girls, right? I will get you one, and you¡¯ll have apanion in the underground world.¡± Looking at his son¡¯s photo, he said this sinisterly. While he spoke, a person came to his mind. He chuckled coldly. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s her. She¡¯s pretty enough. And she¡¯s Jared¡¯s woman. Jason, I will make sure you¡¯re respected in the underground world by giving you Jared¡¯s woman. Don¡¯t worry, I will deliver her to you soon.¡± ¡°That girl¡¯s name seems to be Ellen.¡± He had heard of Ellen before in thepany, as he knew that Jared was pursuing her. That was the reason why he recognized her name. Moreover, he knew something about her. She was the champion of this year¡¯s chess championship. Therefore, it wasn¡¯t too difficult to find her. He dialed a number, ¡°Hey! Kayden, I want to ask you about someone.¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have some acquaintances ying chess? I want to know who the teacher of this year¡¯s champion is!¡± ¡°Oh! It¡¯s Brook Linton, my old buddy. He founded a chess club, and I heard this girl even invested in it!¡± ¡°Really? So, does that mean this girl hangs around there?¡± ¡°Why are you asking about this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I have a rtive who wants to meet her. Kayden, do you know the address of this chess club?¡± ¡°Of course, I do. I even visited it a few days ago!¡± ¡°Okay, send me the address. My rtive wants to learn chess. I¡¯ll introduce the ce to him,¡± said Gavin. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll send you the address now. By the way, I heard about your son. My condolences to you,¡± replied Kayden. ¡°Thank you. My son won¡¯t be alone in the underground world,¡± Gavin said. Kayden could tell that Gavin¡¯s mental state was not quite normal, so he didn¡¯t say much and hung up the phone. After getting the address of the chess club, Gavin looked at his son¡¯s photo and said, ¡°Son, let me go take care of something. I¡¯ll be with you soon.¡± He no longer had any desire to live, but he had onest thing to do in this world, which was to give a companion to his son. Just then, his phone rang, and he saw that it was one of his former favorite subordinates. ¡°Hello! Terry!¡± Gavin answered. ¡°Gavin, when I came to see you just now, I saw a few people from thepany outside your building,¡± Terry reported. Gavin¡¯s face instantly changed. It seemed he was being monitored by people from his expany. That would mean that he couldn¡¯t handle this matter personally. Otherwise, he would be taken down by Jared¡¯s bodyguards before he could even kidnap Ellen. Gavin sneered. ¡°Jared Presgrave, do you think I have no other way? Even if I have to spend all my fortune, I will still bring your girlfriend to apany my son in the underground world. This is what you owe him.¡± Gavin was wealthy. He had just received arge sum of pension andbined with his sry over the years, he had about a million of fortune. With this money, he could easily hire someone to kidnap the girl. Early in the morning, Ellen went downstairs alone to the supermarket to buy some daily necessities. Jared was busy these few days, so she and Jared had returned to live in the house he prepared for her. Their cohabitation life was full of sweetness and happiness. Looking at the cute teacups on disy, she couldn¡¯t help but bend down and admire them while hesitating whether or not to buy them. Thinking that there might not be a need for so many cups at home, she eventually just admired them and bought other things instead. She was enjoying herself shoppingzily. Ah. As if time had slowed down. Just then, Ellen arrived at the food section. She wanted to cook dinner at home tonight. Although Jared dined at high-end restaurants every day, it would be nice if he could eat some homemade food asionally. She was just about to approach the meat section when a strong fishy smell pierced her nose, causing her to feel instantly nauseous and her stomach churning. She quickly covered her mouth, trying not to make a sound. Fortunately, she managed to suppress it, but she dared not approach the area where the meat was sold again. After that, she breathed a sigh of relief and walked toward another area to breathe in some fresh air. However, she felt strange inside. Why did she have such a strong reaction today? Usually, when she smelled something unpleasant, she would simply dislike it, but her body wouldn¡¯t react so strongly. Ellen walked up to a rack and looked at some sanitary pads, after which she suddenly remembered the last time she had urgently asked Jared to go to the supermarket and buy some for her. Although she wasn¡¯t shy to ask him to buy feminine hygiene products for her, it was also not pleasant to always make him do it. So, it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to buy some in advance. As Ellen was browsing through the brands, she couldn¡¯t help but recall the date of herst period. As she calcted, she was shocked to realize that time had passed by so quickly, and it had already been a month. Her period was now one weekte. Wow, have I been toofortabletely that I didn¡¯t even notice time passing? It had already been a month and her period was one weekte. After looking at the date, she pped her forehead as she concluded that people in love were often slow. Yep. Better buy some today in case ites at any time. After picking out what she needed, she went to the checkout and stood in line behind a young couple. Just then, an olddy had a freshly killed fish in her basket, and the fishy smell wafted through the air. The girl in front of Ellen suddenly covered her mouth and retched, and Ellen also covered her nose. ¡°This fish is too smelly, and I can¡¯t stand it. I¡¯ll go to the front and wait for you,¡± the girl said loudly, looking ufortable. The olddy who bought the fish was instantly unhappy. ¡°It¡¯s just fish smell. She can¡¯t even handle it? Doesn¡¯t she eat fish?¡± she grumbled. The girl¡¯s husband smiled and exined, ¡°Sorry about that. My wife is pregnant, and she can¡¯t stand the smell of anything fishy.¡± The olddy¡¯s expression changed and looked better as she said, ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Ellen, who was standing behind them, was shocked to hear this. She suddenly remembered the night at Jared¡¯s vi when they were out of condoms. When he offered to drive out at night to buy some, she felt sorry for him, so they had done it without protection. At this moment, she felt her face burning hot. Did I ¡®win the jackpot¡¯ with just one night? After finishing the checkout, she hurriedly went to a nearby pharmacy and bought a pregnancy test kit. She rushed to the bathroom as soon as she got home. Even though she was mentally prepared, she was still horrified when she saw the two lines appear on the test kit. Gosh, how am I so ¡®lucky?¡¯ She washed her hands and came out of the bathroom blushing. Sitting on the sofa, she debated with herself what to do next. We aren¡¯t married yet, and I haven¡¯t even met his parents. Having a baby at this time doesn¡¯t seem appropriate. However, the baby came, and it was a joyous asion. It was just that it came a little too early. Ellen was considering whether she should call Jared to tell him or wait until he came home tonight. Before she could make a decision, her phone rang. She picked it up and saw that it was Brook calling. ¡°Hello, Mr. Linton.¡± ¡°Is this Ellen Reiss? Mr. Linton just got hit by someone and is in the hospital. Can youe over?¡± ¡°What? Is it serious? Which hospital?¡± Ellen asked anxiously. ¡°He broke his leg, but it¡¯s not that serious. He¡¯s at General Hospital. Come over quickly!¡± Ellen grabbed her bag from the couch, held her phone tightly, and rushed out. Brook was already seventy years old this year and couldn¡¯t afford to take a hit like this! At this moment, outside the hospital, several people who looked like gang members were smoking and chatting in a ck MPV. ¡°Will this trick work? Will it attract this girl over?¡± ¡°I heard she¡¯s Brook¡¯s direct disciple. She¡¯ll definitelye.¡± ¡°This girl is really pretty, huh?¡± ¡°What the¡ªWhat are you thinking? Before we get the money, you can¡¯t mess around! Remember the five hundred thousand! After we get the money, you can sleep with whatever woman you like.¡± There wasughter in the car as they dreamt of getting arge sum. Kidnapping someone wasn¡¯t their first time. The leader¡¯s phone rang, and he answered, ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Boss, that girl just got out of the taxi and is walking towards the hospital! Should we take action now?¡± ¡°No, wait until she finishes visiting Brook andes out. Besides, we have someone to help us, and he¡¯ll bring her to us.¡± Ellen walked quickly towards the ward, pushed open the door, and saw Brook sitting there with a bandage wrapped around his leg. Two disciples from the chess club were taking care of him. ¡°Ellen, why did youe? It¡¯s just a minor injury!¡± Brook felt sorry for her making the trip. ¡°Who hit you?¡± Ellen sat down and angrily asked. At this moment, a gentle-looking young man with sses walked in and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it was me. I didn¡¯t mean to do it. I identally knocked him down.¡± Ellen red at him and then asked about Brook¡¯s condition. The doctor suggested that Brook should be observed in the hospital for two days. After chatting for twenty minutes, Brook insisted that she head back first and he would call if there was an emergency. So, Ellen finally left with relief. As she exited the room, she saw the man who hit Brook standing outside the door. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, miss. I didn¡¯t mean to hit him. I will take full responsibility for the medical expenses,¡± the man said apologetically. ¡°Leave your phone number, and we will let you know the specific cost when he is discharged,¡± Ellen replied. He immediately pressed the elevator button for her and said, ¡°Okay, don¡¯t worry. I will not shirk my responsibility.¡± He then handed her his business card, which had his phone number and address. Ellen took the card and left the elevator quickly. The man followed her and asked, ¡°Miss, where are you going? Can I give you a ride?¡± ¡°No, thanks,¡± Ellen rejected. The man followed Ellen out all the way, and just as she stood at the intersection, a ck MPV suddenly stopped in front of her. The door opened, and she thought someone was getting off, but unexpectedly a huge force pushed her towards the vanpartment from behind, and a man inside quickly stretched out his hands and pulled her in with great strength. Ellen could not call for help. She was pushed into the van, and the person who knocked Brook over also got in. Her hands and feet were pressed and bound no matter how she struggled, and even her mouth was taped. Chapter 1741-1750 Chapter 1741-1750 In disbelief, Ellen looked at the bespectacled man and heard him say with irritation as he took off his sses, ¡°I can¡¯t f*cking get used to wearing these.¡± Ellen widened her eyes and realized that the ident involving Brook was intentional and it was a setup for her kidnapping. At that moment, she heard a man in the front passenger seat making a phone call and saying, ¡°I¡¯ve got the person you wanted. In two hours, you hand over the money, and I¡¯ll hand over the person.¡± Just then, Ellen¡¯s cell phone rang, and one of the men rudely opened her bag and grabbed the cell phone. Ellen saw the name on the screen and struggled excitedly because the caller was Jared. ¡°Decline it,¡± the leading man ordered. Theckey immediately declined the phone call. Ellen wanted to kick the van door for help, but she was warned by another man who held her down, ¡°You little brat, be obedient if you don¡¯t want to die right now.¡± Ellen didn¡¯t know this group of people at all. It seemed that someone else was behind her kidnapping. Who is it? Who paid to have me kidnapped? In the head office of the Presgrave Group, Jared stared at his phone screen. He called again. The call went through but was terminated on the other end in three seconds. Ellen¡¯s cell phone was turned off when he called again for the third time. An ominous feeling instantly enveloped his heart. She hung up on me twice and then turned off her phone. What happened? Jared immediately summoned Stanley and told him about this. Thetter was also surprised and asked, ¡°Is Miss Reiss still in the residential area?¡± ¡°Call the residential area and see if Ellen has left. Hurry up,¡± Jared ordered. Stanley immediately investigated. Ten minutester, the security on the other end responded that Ellen had left the residential area an hour ago. ¡°Miss Reiss left the residential area.¡± ¡°Has she been involved in an ident?¡± Jared clenched his fists, and his strong sense of worry surged up. ¡°Did Miss Reiss tell you anything?¡± ¡°No. I think she does not want to bother me because I¡¯ve been busy these past few days,¡± Jared said. Then, he instructed Stanley, ¡°Contact the police for help. I¡¯ll go back to the residential area.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Stanley quickly left, not daring to waste a second. ¡­ After receiving the phone call, Gavin grabbed a bag and left his home. He saw the security guards from the Presgrave Group, who were still monitoring him. So, he approached them and knocked on the car window to say, ¡°You can go back now. I¡¯m just going for a ride.¡± The security guards were startled. They had received orders from Presgrave Group to ensure that Gavin would not do anything that would harm thepany. However, now that they saw him with a bag nning to go out to rx, they decided to return to thepany. However, Gavin did not notice a ck SUV parked in an inconspicuous location nearby. These were Jared¡¯s bodyguards. Gavin was an uncertain factor. With only thepany¡¯s security guards monitoring him, Jared could not rx. Ultimately, he assigned two more of his bodyguards to watch over Gavin. After thepany¡¯s car left, Gavin walked towards his car and drove out of the parking lot. He went to a small forest on the outskirts because he had decided to hold a posthumous marriage ceremony there. He wanted to use Ellen as a sacrifice for his son. He had already lost all hope and only wanted to die quickly. Therefore, he was willing to do even the cruelest things. ¡°Jason, Daddy is here. Wait a little longer, and I will see you in another world. Oh, I also brought a beautiful bride for you,¡± Gavin muttered in the car. He did not notice the ck car following him. When Jared returned home, he found that Ellen had bought some household items but had not yet unpacked them. She probably left in a hurry. Jared tried hard to think whom Ellen cared most about now. She had already stopped contact with Connor, so her chess master, Brook, was probably the one she cared about the most. Immediately, Jared found the number of the chess club and dialed it. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Is Mr. Linton there?¡± ¡°He is not here. He got into a minor car ident and is hospitalized.¡± ¡°When did it happen?¡± Jared was shocked. Did Ellen rush to the hospital? ¡°Two hours ago.¡± ¡°Can you give me his phone number, please? Thank you.¡± After getting the phone number, Jared immediately called Brook, who picked up the phone in no time. ¡°Hello. Who is this?¡± ¡°Mr. Linton, I am Jared. Is Ellen with you?¡± ¡°She left. Hasn¡¯t she arrived home yet?¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°Was she alone?¡± ¡°Yes, she came alone and left alone.¡± ¡°Which hospital are you at?¡± After getting the hospital¡¯s address, Jared sent Stanley to the police station to retrieve the roadside surveince footage. Although it took some time, Stanley returned with good and bad news. The good news was that they found Ellen, but the bad news was that she had been kidnapped. ¡°President Presgrave, we found through surveince that Ellen was pushed into an MPV with a fake te. The police are currently tracking the van.¡± Jared¡¯s heart almost jumped out of his throat. Ellen is kidnapped? Who did it? ¡°President Presgrave, I think I know someone who might harm Miss Reiss.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Gavin Turner. I heard that he¡¯s been mentally unstable since his son died, and he¡¯s been saying that you killed his son. Do you think he could have kidnapped Miss Reiss to get revenge on you?¡± Stanley guessed. ¡°Damn it.¡± Jared clenched his fist. Gavin might be the one. He hung up the phone and immediately made another call. ¡°Hello, President Presgrave.¡± ¡°Where is Gavin Turner?!¡± Jared yelled. ¡°H-he¡¯s driving out of town. We¡¯re following him. He seems to be going to the outskirts to do something.¡± ¡°Follow him closely, don¡¯t lose him. He kidnapped Ellen. Share with me your location and keep in touch.¡± ¡°Understood, Young Master. We will do everything to rescue Miss Reiss,¡± the bodyguard responded. On the road in the direction of the new city, a ck sports car raced towards the direction of the elevated road like lightning. Three ck SUVs followed at the same speed. Ellen, who was being tied up in the van at the moment, was in despair. She couldn¡¯t figure out whom she had offended. Thinking about how these people deliberately hit Brook with their car to kidnap her, she became even angrier. She didn¡¯t know how long she had stayed in the van, but she felt they had already left the city. The scenery outside the window was lush as if they were driving towards an uninhabited forest. Finally, the van stopped by an abandoned reservoir. She was pushed out of the van and tied to a tree by this group of people. It seems they are waiting for the person who asked them to kidnap me. Their eyes scanned her maliciously, making her very ufortable, and they asionally let out nasty laughs. However, Ellen soon calmed down. She remembered that these bandits had hung up on two phone calls from Jared. Would that have caught Jared¡¯s attention? Will he be looking for me now? Ellen used not to fear death, but now she was scared. She suddenly couldn¡¯t bear to leave this world, couldn¡¯t bear to leave Jared, and couldn¡¯t bear to let her baby in her belly disappear with her. In the meantime, Gavin¡¯s car was also on the way, and he was driving fast. He wanted to finish this as soon as possible and not let anything go wrong. Soon, he drove into a small road with a reservoir name written on it. When the bodyguards behind caught up to this intersection, they stopped first. They knew that following too closely would attract Gavin¡¯s attention. He would most likely call the kidnappers to kill the hostage if he found he was being followed. The bodyguards immediately checked the map of this road and found that it was a dead end. The map showed that a big river, the reservoir, was at the end of the road after six miles. ¡°It looks like they¡¯re nning to trade by the reservoir.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s wait for a while before driving in. We¡¯ll hide the car, and then we¡¯ll go and rescue her.¡± After the two bodyguards finished discussing, they waited five minutes before driving down the dead- end. Their decision was right because after entering the road, Gavin kept an eye on whether any cars were following him until his car drove through a bend, and he felt relieved. At this moment, he was single-mindedly focused on finishing his n and not particrly vignt. Finally, after about fifteen minutes, he arrived at the reservoir and saw the kidnappers¡¯ van, which he then parked his car next to. Ellen had been waiting for the mastermind behind her kidnapping to appear. She was staring at the car and the person in the driver¡¯s seat, waiting for him toe down. Finally, the car door opened, and the person who got out surprised Ellen. She couldn¡¯t believe her eyes when she saw the person. Gavin? Ellen couldn¡¯t believe it, but she understood why he had kidnapped her. It was because Jared had refused his son¡¯s request for promotion, and then his sonmitted suicide by driving his car into the river. Gavin handed a suitcase to the waiting kidnappers, saying, ¡°The money is here, but one-third is still at my house. You can pick it up after I finish my work.¡± The kidnappers were initially taken aback but quickly calcted how much money they could get and asked Gavin, ¡°When can we get the money?¡± ¡°Midnight tonight. I¡¯ll text you the location of my house key, but you can¡¯t leave now. You have to keep watch for me,¡± Gavin instructed. ¡°We¡¯ll need extra money to keep watch for you,¡± the leader said. Gavin looked at them and said, ¡°I have some collectibles at my house that you can take with you.¡± Instantly, the kidnappers grew more willing to do whatever he asked. They wondered why this old man wanted to kidnap such a delicate and beautiful woman. Ellen looked at Gavin, and he looked back at her. After sizing her up, he smiled satisfactorily and said, ¡°Not bad. My son will like Jared¡¯s woman in the afterworld.¡± Ellen widened her beautiful eyes, and upon hearing these words, she thought of necrogamy. Oh my God! Gavin wants to kill me and arrange a posthumous marriage for his son! Ellen was agitated. She struggled to free herself from her bound hands and feet. ¡°You can¡¯t escape. Jared owes me. You¡¯re his woman, and there¡¯s no better way to make him suffer than to hurt you. I want to make him suffer.¡± Ellen wanted to curse out loud. It is clearly your unreasonable request that caused your son¡¯s death! Why do you me Jared for it? Gavin then took out a whetstone from the trunk. Then, he ced the whetstone near the water and started to sharpen a dagger. The kidnappers were also stunned. They never expected that Gavin would kidnap such a delicate and beautiful woman just to perform a posthumous marriage for his son. It creeped them out, and they looked at each other, uneasy. Ellen felt a sense of despair and helplessness. She had encountered someone crazy like Gavin, but there was nothing she could do but feel hopeless. She watched Gavin solemnly perform the ritual and knew she would soon die. At this moment, a ck sports car rushed out of the overpass and sped forward. The man behind the wheel had dark hair that was already damp with sweat. He tightly gripped the steering wheel, and veins bulge on his hands. His sports car finally arrived at the spot the bodyguards had given him. He quickly charged down, and even though the road below was uneven, causing sparks to fly from the car chassis several times, he did not slow down. At this moment, the two bodyguards were already hiding behind the reservoir. They saw Ellen still tied to a tree and breathed a sigh of relief. Soon, they heard the sound of a car and turned around to see Jared¡¯s car. Finally, Young Master Tillman arrived. Jared¡¯s sports car charged onto the tnd beside the reservoir, frightening the kidnappers out of their wits. The sports car narrowly brushed past them. Several screams echoed, and the kidnappers frantically dodged to the side. When they regained their senses, they discovered a top-of-the-line sports car parked in front of them. The three SUVs behind it did the same stunt and scared them all over again. Ellen breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the sports car. He¡¯s here. She subconsciously knew he woulde. Right at this moment, a cold and sharp object was pressed against her neck. It was a dagger. Gavin did not expect Jared to find them, so he swung the dagger he had already sharpened and pressed it against Ellen¡¯s neck. The only step left in his ritual was to take Ellen¡¯s life. Jared stepped out of the car, mmed the door, and barked, ¡°Gavin, let her go!¡± ¡°Young Master Jared, you¡¯re here too. Are you here to keep my sonpany in the afterlife?¡± Gavin remained calm and was even pleased that Jared hade to witness his masterpiece. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here to keep your sonpany. Let her go. If you want to kill someone, kill me!¡± Jared replied calmly. Instantly, Ellen panicked. With the cloth stuffed in her mouth, she couldn¡¯t even speak. At this moment, her little face had turned pale as tears welled in her eyes, and in her heart, she cried out to the man approaching her, Don¡¯te over. I don¡¯t want to exchange myself for your safety. The kidnappers next to them realized that the situation was dangerous. The person who came to save Ellen was driving a luxurious sports car with ten bodyguards, so the thought of escaping popped up in their minds. Before they could flee, the bodyguards took them down with a few punches, and they were tied up individually. ¡°Gavin Turner, you old b*stard, who the hell did you offend?¡± the leader cursed angrily. Now, the kidnappers couldn¡¯t get the money, and they couldn¡¯t escape either. Gavin could care less about them. At this moment, he was thinking and considering whether to sacrifice Ellen or Jared to mourn his son. It¡¯ll be an honor to sacrifice the nobleman Jared for my son! ¡°Why did you kidnap her, Gavin? To me, she¡¯s just a ything. I will get tired of her soon. Isn¡¯t it better to let her go and kidnap me instead?¡± Jared sneered, trying to provoke Gavin to choose him. Gavin wasn¡¯t easy to deal with and immediately saw through Jared¡¯s trick. ¡°If she¡¯s unimportant, just let me kill her.¡± After saying that, he was about to use force. Jared finally panicked and shouted, ¡°Stop!¡± Gavinughed heartily. ¡°It seems this woman is significant to you and more important than your life, isn¡¯t she?¡± Ellen looked at Jared. He hadn¡¯t looked at her much since he exited the car. She knew he was pretending not to care about her, but at this moment, looking at his panicked appearance, her heart was hurting like a knife slicing her. ¡°As long as you let her go, I¡¯ll do anything you want,¡± Jared said in a deep voice. ¡°Okay, then go there and kneel to my son¡¯s picture. Then, I¡¯ll consider letting her go,¡± Gavin ordered. Ellen shook her head in tears. No, don¡¯t do this. It is too insulting. However, Jared didn¡¯t hesitate to walk to the photo and kneel to it. Her tears soiled her face and her eyes showed her heartache toward him. The bodyguards behind them also clenched their fists in anger but were helpless. Gavin was threatening the most important person to Jared, and they could only watch as he was humiliated. ¡°Can you let her go now?¡± Jared was done kneeling and turned to face Gavin. Gavin¡¯s dagger was still against Ellen¡¯s carotid artery. With just a little force, Ellen¡¯s life would be in danger. To Jared, the dagger against Ellen¡¯s neck felt like it was against his heart. If Ellen were hurt, his heart would shatter at the same time. At this moment, Jared¡¯s heart rate was beyond normal, as if he was reacting to Ellen¡¯s life-threatening situation with worry. Gavin was struggling inwardly at the moment. He would rather kill Jared so that he could face his son when he went to the afterworld. Killing Ellen was irrelevant, but killing Jared would give him more satisfaction. Gavin looked at the leader pinned to the ground and said, ¡°Let him go and bring him over here.¡± With a signal from Jared, the bodyguard released him, and the leader immediately said to Gavin, ¡°What the f*ck do you want me to do?!¡± ¡°Tie this person up and bring him to me,¡± Gavin ordered. ¡°Why should I listen to you?¡± The leader hated Gavin for having offended such an influential person. ¡°Everyone has to listen to me here. Now, do as I say!¡± Gavin shouted. The leader came over reluctantly. Jared took the initiative to take a rope from his bodyguard and handed it to the leader. The leader took the rope and a gleam of slyness in his eyes. He knew Gavin was doomed, but he might be spared if he helped Jared. Moreover, this young man who drove a top-notch sports car was from a wealthy family, so they couldn¡¯t afford to offend him. If this young man suffered any injury, they would be doomed. The leader had practiced many rope-tying techniques, one of which could be easily untied. At the moment, he used this technique while tying the rope and deliberately told Gavin, ¡°We want to get out safely. Once we leave, you can kill whomever you want. Otherwise, I won¡¯t help you.¡± Gavin agreed, ¡°Okay, just tie him up and bring him over. I¡¯ll get them to release you.¡± After the leader finished tying him up, he deliberately shouted to Jared, ¡°Die, b*tch!¡± After that, he secretly signaled to Jared where his rope was located and finally revealed a pleading look. Jared received his message, turned to Gavin, and said coldly, ¡°Let her go. I¡¯ll walk over now.¡± Ellen looked at Jared pleadingly. She would rather die than let hime over to Gavin. ¡°Ellen, this has nothing to do with you. Go back!¡± Jared said indifferently. Ellen thrashed around fiercely. She didn¡¯t want him to die. Gavin waspletely irrational and crazy, so he would never let Jared go. Now that Jared was tied up and powerless, Gavin would not let go of this opportunity to hurt him. Watching Ellen cry, Jared clenched his fists. He couldn¡¯t bear to let her cry, but now her tears kept falling because of him. How could he not feel sorry for her? ¡°Bring him one meter away from me,¡± Gavinmanded the leader. The leader immediately pulled Jared to a spot one meter away from Gavin. Gavin was tense, afraid of unexpected events, but he still took the dagger off Ellen¡¯s neck and moved towards Jared, preparing to press the dagger against his neck. Jared¡¯s eyes sank, and just as Gavin¡¯s knife was about to touch him, he broke free from the rope binding his hands, grabbed Gavin¡¯s hand holding the dagger, and pushed him hard to the ground, shouting, ¡°Now!¡± Dozens of bodyguards rushed over in an instant, saving Ellen and Jared. Gavin almost went crazy. Although his hand holding the dagger was held by Jared above his head, no one expected that he still had a small knife in his other hand. He reached out and stabbed Jared¡¯s shoulder twice. When the bodyguards rushed over, they quickly grabbed his hand and removed the knife. ¡°Young Master!¡± The bodyguards eximed. Jared¡¯s back of the suit was covered in blood, but he seemed to forget the pain as he looked at Ellen, who was safe and sound, and smiled. When Ellen was untied, she rushed over to Jared. She gazed at him but couldn¡¯t speak for a moment. Finally, she choked up and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to die.¡± Jared wiped her tears with his hand and smiled softly. ¡°Silly girl, we won¡¯t die.¡± ¡°Young Master, treat your wounds before we go back.¡± The bodyguards came over with a medical kit. They were all on edge during the dangerous moment just now, but they didn¡¯t dare to act without Jared¡¯smand. Moreover, they would not take the chance if Ellen was still in danger. They knew how important she was to Jared. ¡°Detain these people and hand them over to the police,¡± Jared ordered in a low voice. ¡°Hey! Young Master, did I do a good job just now? Can you let us go?¡± The leader immediately pleaded, hoping that Jared would spare them. Jared turned his head and looked at him coldly. ¡°You kidnapped my girlfriend and expected me to let you go? Dream on.¡± The leader instantly fell silent. He realized that even if he hadn¡¯t helped, the young master wouldn¡¯t have been seriously injured. He would have only suffered minor injuries at best, just like now, because he had the upper hand of having a lot of bodyguards. Jared removed his suit jacket and shirt, revealing two deep wounds bleeding profusely. Ellen had never seen anything like this before. Tears instantly filled her eyes, and she didn¡¯t want to look, but she had to. The bodyguards were used to dealing with bloody scenes and calmly handled Jared¡¯s wounds. They cleaned and disinfected the wounds, stopped the bleeding, bandaged them, and wrapped them with bandages. Then, they gave him a clean set of clothes to wear. After changing into clean clothes, Jared looked as if nothing had happened. He walked over to Ellen and noticed that her eyes were swollen from crying. He hugged andforted her, ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s all over now. I¡¯ll never let you experience this kind of fear again.¡± Ellen closed her eyes and nodded gently in his embrace. Just now, she experienced something more profound than love. She had never known how important she was in his heart. Why shouldn¡¯t she love this man? She was also sure of one thing. Jared was more important to her than her life. He was willing to die for her, and she would do just the same. On their way back, Jared and Ellen shared a car. Back in the city, the car went straight to the hospital owned by the Presgrave Group. The doctor rechecked the wound and advised Jared to stay in the hospital for two days. Ellen followed him to a special ward. Although it was called a ward, it was more like a cozy suite with everything needed. It was specifically for hosting the Presgraves. ¡°Stay in the hospital for two days with me,¡± Jared told Ellen. ¡°Okay.¡± Ellen nodded. As long as she was with him, she would be happy wherever she was. Ellen pursed her lips. I have something else to tell him! But she was too shy and embarrassed to say it. As soon as Jared was about to lie down on his side, he saw Ellen looking troubled, so he immediately sat up again and reached out to rub the back of her head. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there something else you want to tell me?¡± ¡°Do you want to hear it?¡± Ellen looked up and asked him. ¡°Of course. I want to know anything about you,¡± Jared said in a domineering yet gentle tone. Ellen¡¯s heart seemed protected with a safe, and she took a deep breath to say, ¡°Do you remember that night?¡± This was the man with whom she shared a deep connection. Jared immediately knew which night she was referring to. He hoarsely asked, ¡°What about that night?¡± Ellen could feel her cheeks on fire, so she averted her gaze. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it could happen, but it turns out I¡¯m pregnant from that night.¡± The moment she turned back to look at Jared, resignation and confusion reced the emotions in her eyes. This wasn¡¯t in the n. What should I do? He was overjoyed at her words. At that moment, he forgot about his injuries as he reached out his hands to wrap around her body. ¡°What did you just say? Are we expecting a child?¡± ¡°Hey, your wounds! You might hurt yourself. You won¡¯t want them to reopen.¡± She tried to push him away. He only tightened his arms around her as surprise fully dawned on him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It doesn¡¯t hurt at all. I¡¯m just too happy.¡± Ellen drew her hands back and leaned against him at ease, celebrating the good news with him. However, a little confusion welled within her. ¡°What are we supposed to do?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you a wedding as soon as possible. We¡¯ll build a happy family for our child,¡± Jared replied in a low tone. Ellen couldn¡¯t help but worry. ¡°B-But I haven¡¯t even met your family.¡± ¡°Rest assured. They¡¯ll be back soon once I tell them.¡± Jared rested his forehead against hers with a smile. ¡°They are going to love you.¡± His words gave her reassurance, so she nodded. ¡°All right.¡± At night, after Ellen went to bed, Jared headed into the study room with his phone and dialed a number. ¡°Jared, hello? Are you staying upte for work again?¡± the callee asked on the other side of the phone, apparently a little vexed. ¡°Mom, I have good news to share.¡± ¡°What is it about?¡± ¡°You and Dad are going to be grandparents soon.¡± ¡°What?¡± eximed Anastasia. The next moment, Jared heard hurried footsteps from the other side. ¡°Elliot! Our son has something to tell you.¡± Meanwhile, Anastasia was walking toward a manor garden in Dansbury with her phone. Elliot was ying fetch with a Doberman on thewn. Turning around, he saw Anastasia rushing over to him. He immediately tossed the frisbee aside to greet her. She wasn¡¯t watching her step at all. Thus, when she tripped over something, she fell forward at Elliot. He reached out his hands to help her stand on her feet before affectionately expressing his concern, ¡°You¡¯re quite clumsy for your age.¡± Jared couldn¡¯t help but curve his lips into a smile when he heard Elliot¡¯s voice. As his parents were this lovey-dovey since young, he wasn¡¯t surprised to hear Elliot express affection to Anastasia. Anastasia put the phone on speaker and gestured for Elliot to pay attention. ¡°Your son has good news to share. Go ahead, Jared. Tell him.¡± ¡°Dad, Mom, you are going to be grandparents soon,¡± Jared repeated. Anastasia covered her mouth with a hand in joy. Noticing the shocked look on Elliot¡¯s face, she burst intoughter. ¡°All right, Jared. We¡¯lle home right away. I can¡¯t wait to see my grandson. Willow is coming along too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to that! By the way, if you feel like learning more about her, you can search ¡®Ellen Reiss¡¯ in domestic news online.¡± ¡°Geez, Jared, I don¡¯t even know you have a girlfriend. How dare you hide it from us?¡± Elliot feigned anger but he couldn¡¯t hide the joy in his tone. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dad. I inherit my good taste from you. You can believe in me.¡± Jared¡¯s words put Anastasia in a good mood. She reminded him, ¡°All right. We believe in you. We¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡°All right. I¡¯ll see you at home.¡± After that, Jared hung up the phone. A big dog pushed its body against Anastasia and asked for pets. After giving him a good pat, she pulled Elliot to the chairs on the side and began to search for domestic news online. Struggling to contain her excitement, Anastasia typed Ellen¡¯s name in the search bar before proceeding with her search. Countless search results that showed up on the screen left her dumbfounded. Is this Ellen girl a celebrity? It seems like she¡¯s quite popr in the country. However, she widened her eyes in disbelief when she saw Ellen¡¯s title. A champion? She took a closer look. More precisely, a chess champion. She randomly clicked on one of the images. A high-definition picture popped out, showing a woman with a gentle but determined face sitting opposite her opponent. The woman had delicate facial features and a lean body. She¡¯s a lovely girl! ¡°Check this out. The girl in the picture is your future daughter-inw.¡± Anastasia passed her phone to Elliot. He took it from her and studied the woman in the picture before he smiled satisfyingly to himself. Jared indeed shares the same good taste as me. It¡¯s all showing on his significant other. The girl looks like a good person. ¡°Do you know she¡¯s already a chess champion at such a young age? I can tell she¡¯s an excellent woman.¡± Anastasia was already growing fond of Ellen since first sight. She then urged him, ¡°Let¡¯s return to them as quickly as possible. The kids deserve a grand wedding, so our grandchildren will be born into a happy family.¡± ¡°All right. Whatever you say.¡± Elliot decided to let her make all the arrangements. Anastasia was only forty-eight years old even though Jared was already twenty-eight. Besides, with the extra care to her face and Elliot¡¯s love, she looked a lot younger than her actual age. She seemed like an elegant and charming woman around her mid-thirties with her ck curly hair and delicate facial features. By looking into those clear eyes of hers, a person would feel like they could see into her past. It was as if she didn¡¯t age a day over the years, and even time was reluctant to leave any traces on her. As for Elliot, he became more charismatic with his chiseled face as he aged. Even though there were a few wrinkles around his eyes, they turned out to be a bonus to his handsome face, making him look even more mature andposed. Anastasia must admit that Elliot was more popr among women nowadayspared to his younger days. The fact bothered her a lot, but he could always find the right way to ease her worries before she took any action to get rid of the women around him. She was well aware that if someone dared seduce Elliot, she would never hold it against them because she would take revenge right on the spot. ¡°Woof!¡± The Doberman barked at them as if protesting that they made a n without involving him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Duke. You¡¯re going back with us.¡± Anastasia wrapped her hands around the dog. Even after all the hardships, Anastasia maintained a youthful spirit within. Elliot watched her ying with the dog in affection. Warmth seeped into his heart as the morning sun shone down brightly on the vi, turning the beautiful view into a memorable sight in his mind. ¡­ In a prestigious university in Yelina, Willow, the daughter of the Presgrave Family, received a call from Anastasia when she was in the middle of painting something. ¡°What? Did you just say that I¡¯m going to have a little nephew soon? Mom, you aren¡¯t pulling my leg, are you?¡± ¡°Why would I lie to you? Your father and I will pick you up. I can¡¯t wait to see your brother¡¯s soon-to-be wife.¡± ¡°All right, good! Thanks, Mom.¡± Willow was a pretty girl. Her sweet smile and beautiful face gave her a girl-next-door vibe. As the product of a pair of parents with good genes, she effortlessly made it to the top with her appearance. Her ck hair was down to her waist. She maintained a casual and rxed manner, but her confidence and calmness were deep in her bones. Even though there were many beautiful women in today¡¯s society, her otherworldly elegance and refined temperament could make one fall for her at first sight. Shoving the drawing board into her bag, she bid farewell to her ssmates. After leaving the room with it, she walked down the historic passageway. She stretched a little under the winter sunlight. Her facial features softened at howfortable it was to bathe in the sunlight as it put her at ease as a fawn would feel when it strolled in the wilderness. Willow only turned twenty not long ago. It marked her transformation from the little princess of the Presgrave Family to a beautiful young woman. Not far away stood a young man from a wealthy family with a bouquet in his arms. He was waiting outside for her to finish the lesson. To his surprise, she left the lecture hall earlier than he expected. He jumped out of the chair in surprise at the sight of her. Then, he picked up the bouquet and greeted her. ¡°Willow, these flowers are for you. I specially asked them to send the flowers by air transport this morning. Look how fresh the flowers are! There is dew on them.¡± This man was her loyal pursuer. He started pursuing her when she was eighteen, and it had now been two years. However, Willow didn¡¯t see the chemistry between them. She shook her head as she murmured, ¡°Thank you, but I can¡¯t ept it. Why don¡¯t you give it to someone else?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. The bouquet is dedicated to you, Willow. You should have it,¡± the man adoringly exined. ¡°It¡¯s been two years. Haven¡¯t you had enough? Instead of wasting your time on me, you should spend it studying. It¡¯ll do you good.¡± Willow finished her words with a resigned look on her face before brushing past him to leave. ¡°Willow, even if you said so, I¡¯m not giving up. I believe that one day you¡¯ll change your mind!¡± the man shouted from behind, a determined look on his face. Willow could only sigh at his confession. As she was still young, she wanted to spend her time pursuing her dream instead of falling in love with a man. Even though her family background could provide her with the best educational choices and resources, she chose a different path. She was now studying to be a cultural relic conservator-restorer in the future, and it was a long way to go. As she came from a wealthy family, she didn¡¯t even need to work to sustain her family. She could have gone after her interests and hobbies to find meaningful and valuable things to do in life. At first, Elliot disapproved of her dream due to it being a hard and risky job. After all, she was his only daughter and he was reluctant to see her risk her life pursuing her dream. However, Willow overpowered her parents with her charm. After much persuasion, Elliot and Anastasia gave in and agreed with her. Willow had to put a lot of effort into her studies to make her dreame true. There¡¯s not enough time to study. I won¡¯t waste time pursuing a rtionship! She happened to be making a trip back to her hometown to study in a cultural relics restoration project. What a coincidence! I can take this opportunity to see Jared and my future sister-inw. I can¡¯t wait to see them. ¡­ The next morning in the Presgrave Hospital, Ellen was told that Elliot and Anastasia would being back soon. As such, she was rather nervous about their meeting. Jared shared his family¡¯s photos with her, and she couldn¡¯t help but be surprised at how they looked. They¡¯re so young! Jared¡¯s sister is beautiful too. She seems like a nice person. The hospital gave her a check-up. Her child was almost two weeks old, and everything was going fine. In the meantime, Ellen had to consume a bnced diet to provide her child with the necessary nutrition. Jared decided to hire a nutritionist to keep tabs on her health. Furthermore, they were preparing for their wedding. Trivial details such as trying out their wedding tuxes and dresses had been on their mind lately. Ellen waited for the day of their wedding to arrive at ease. After the recent incident, Jared made Ellen his top priority. Even if she only nned for a stroll outside, she had to tell him, so he could assign bodyguards to apany her. After all, she was now pregnant with his child. Ellen dly epted his gestures. In the past, she worried that she would disturb his work, so she never brought herself to bother him. But now, she could always send him a message whenever she wanted as Jared imed that she came first no matter what. Therefore, even if he might be in an important meeting, he would suspend it and deal with her matter first. Ellen has the privilege, Jared thought. Ellen would never expect morning sickness in the early stage could be that bad. In just a few days, she felt her losing her appetite, and every meal she had tasted so nd. Besides, she had been craving sour foods the whole time after she got pregnant. Due to that, she lost weight in only a couple of days. At the same time, she was nervous and anxious as she was about to see her future parents-inw. It might be due to the television series she watched, but she had the impression that most of thedies of the house, especially wealthy ones, weren¡¯t friendly. At 3.30PM, Jared was at the airport, waiting for his family at the exit dedicated to the VIP guests. He raised his hand to read the time on his watch from time to time. I can¡¯t believe we haven¡¯t seen each other in more than a year. He was supposed to live with his parentsst year, but a business trip changed his n, so he spent his days in another country by himself. Therefore, if his memories served him right, he and his parents had spent more than one year away from each other. I miss my precious little sister too. After a long wait, a group of bodyguards in suits showed up at the VIP exit. Following them was a couple who walked hand-in-hand, and behind them was an adorable girl who carried a bag on her back. Finally! ¡°Dad, Mom!¡± Jared waved his hand at them in excitement. ¡°Jared!¡± Willow ran past her parents and toward Jared with movements as gentle as a butterfly. Even though the siblings were separated from each other for a long time, they spent their youth in each other¡¯spany. The moment Jared was in arm¡¯s reach, she nudged him with her head. Jared raised his hand to ruffle her hair before calling out to her fondly, ¡°Hey, kiddo.¡± There were reporters all over the airport at the moment. When Elliot and his family made such an entrance, the reporters watched them agape. Then, they all shifted their attention to the couple in the center. Some who happened to know Elliot and Anastasia instantly recognized them. Isn¡¯t the couple over there the president of Presgrave Group and his wife? What a coincidence to meet them here! The reporters snapped some photos even though they could only share the photos among themselves. After all, the reporters in the country were well aware that they shouldn¡¯t spread the news about the couple without permission. ¡°Look at Jared. Our son has matured a lot.¡± Elliot gestured for Anastasia to look at Jared. His words reminded her of a divergence between them back then. He nned to let Jared handle things on his own while she was reluctant to leave her son. Atst, she agreed with Elliot only because she trusted his judgment. As she stood before Jared right now, she finally realized that Elliot was right. ¡°You¡¯re right. Jared is a capable man now. I should stop worrying about him,¡± Anastasia agreed with Elliot. After that, she turned to look around. When her gazended on Willow, her heart lurched. I wonder what kind of man my adorable daughter will meet in the future. When she made sure Jared could take care of himself, her concern shifted to Willow. She¡¯s already twenty. The siblings got in one of the cars while their parents took another. Once the car rolled down the highway outside the airport, Anastasia was met by the familiar views. Memories flooded her mind and she dly weed them. The siblings in another car had quite a catching up to do, especially Willow. She was curious about Ellen, but she urged her brother to share the love story between him and Ellen with her. Since there was enough time, Jared told her the story from the beginning. The shock upon learning that Ellen was the younger sister of Jared¡¯s life savior gradually subsided into surprise. It¡¯s a small world! ¡°Jared, it¡¯s destiny.¡± ¡°I agree with you on that. We are meant to be.¡± He believed that everything happened for a reason. Even though Kevin has passed away, Ellen has me to take care of her and protect her for the rest of her life. ¡°That¡¯s sweet of you. By the way, Ellen is an amazing woman! I heard she¡¯s a chess champion. Do you remember the time I was learning to y chess? It gave me a headache and I had to give up on it. Thus, you can imagine how much I respect her. She¡¯s practically my idol right now!¡± Willow was already adoring Ellen. ¡°I¡¯m sure both of you will be good friends,¡± Jared remarked as he could tell Ellen and Willow were birds of a feather. Later, he brought his parents and sister back to the vi. Ellen was living in New Town for her convenience. ¡°Jared, take Ellen with you tonight. We¡¯ll have a family dinner together,¡± Anastasia reminded Jared. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll pick her up,¡± Jared replied. She nodded. After seeing him off, she returned upstairs with Willow in tow. Then, she unzipped her suitcase before taking out two velvet boxes and opening them. In the boxesy two nes made of rare gems. ¡°Wow, Mom! Did you design them yourself? They look elegant and beautiful!¡± Willow was surprised because she had never seen them in her mother¡¯s jewelry box. ¡°You¡¯re right. I designed them myself. Back then, I got two high-quality gemstones by chance. One was blue and the other was red. By the time I received them, I was already thinking about gifting them to my future daughter-inw and my precious daughter. Now, it¡¯s time to give them to you.¡± After that, Anastasia grabbed one of the boxes and gave it to Willow. ¡°Here, this one is yours.¡± Willow happily took it before wrapping her arms around her mother and pressing a kiss to Anastasia¡¯s cheek. ¡°Thanks, Mommy!¡± ¡°Still calling me ¡®mommy¡¯, huh? You¡¯re already a big girl.¡± Even though Anastasia teased her daughter, she was secretly enjoying it. She remembered the days back when Willow was just a toddler. The chubby cheeks and the sweet voice calling out to me! I miss them so much! After Willow was slightly older, Anastasia even thought about getting another child. However, she gave up on that thought right after because taking care of Jared and Willow alone took up a lot of her energy. Therefore, she would rewatch their childhood videos from time to time. Chapter 1751-1760 Chapter 1751-1760 Willow hugged her mother and smiled sweetly. ¡°Mom, did you know my future sister-inw is the sister of the guy who donated his heart to Jared?!¡± Willow couldn¡¯t help asking as she didn¡¯t hear Anastasia bring the topic up the entire journey. On the other hand, Anastasia was stunned by the revtion. ¡°What? Really?!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Willow affirmed. ¡°Jared told me on the road. I thought he would¡¯ve told you guys!¡± At that, Anastasia pondered for a quick second. Knowing Jared, he would certainly bring it up. As for why he didn¡¯t, it wasn¡¯t that he had forgotten but that he wanted to introduce Ellen solemnly when they officially met. It was an intentional move. That said, Anastasia was pleasantly surprised that Jared¡¯s beloved was the donor¡¯s sister. Though 18 years had passed since the car ident, Anastasia¡¯s heart constricted every time she was reminded of the incident. Hence, the Presgraves had always been grateful to the family. Even when so many years had passed, they would help the family out whenever thetter needed it. But who¡¯d have thought Jared one-upped them and gave himself to the family?! ¡°She¡¯s our family¡¯s savior and also a future member of our family.¡± Anastasia had already acknowledged Ellen even though she had yet to meet the young woman. What the Reisses did for them was something they could never repay. ¡°Yeah!¡± Willow was on cloud nine, too. We¡¯ll be having a new addition to the family! No, wait. Two additions! Nearly forgot my unborn nephew. Oops! Following that, Anastasia brought the fact up with Elliot, and the man, too, was lost for words. He wasn¡¯t sure why Jared would hide this from them, but he knew there must be a good reason. ¡°Do you want to take a nap? You barely slept the entire journey,¡± Elliot suggested lovingly. Anastasia was indeed feeling a little tired. At that, she checked the time to find it was only 2:30PM, a few hours away from their dinner booking. She could take a nap. ¡°Nap with me, then,¡± Anastasia asked her dear husband; she could fall asleep faster with him around. As such, Elliot followed Anastasia back to their room. As Willow had always studied abroad, she spent little time within the country. That said, she made many friends. When she came out to the yard, she bumped into a bodyguard opening the trunk for a large Doberman to dash out. However, it appeared very rmed as this was unfamiliar ground to it. ¡°Duke,¡± Willow called out with a beam, and the canine immediately ran to her and circled her happily. Meanwhile, Willow cupped its head and petted him affectionately. Duke was a member of the family. As it had been six years since the Doberman came into their lives, it had long be a part of the family and yed an important role in their lives. ¡°Do you miss me?¡± ¡°Woof!¡± ¡°This is our home,¡± Willow introduced. ¡°I¡¯ll find you a spot for your bed, but don¡¯t run around, okay?¡± Duke gazed at Willow as though it understood her, then ran happily for a few circles before following Willow into the house. ¡­ Jared, on the other hand, had returned to Ellen, who was taking a nap in the master bedroom right then; she was honestly really lethargic. Meanwhile, Jared tiptoed to her side and watched her sleep. He didn¡¯t have the heart to wake her up, and there was still plenty of time. No rush. Let her have a good nap. One reason Jared didn¡¯t tell his parents about Ellen¡¯s identity was due to theplicated arrangements. Plus, she never received a sliver of his family¡¯s kindness and was instead bullied and neglected by the Aguirres. Hence, even if his parents were grateful for Ellen, she never received warmth in her life in the past. At the end of the day, he decided to find a good time to bring this up with his parents after they returned. Now, the Presgraves weren¡¯t only grateful for Ellen because of her brother¡¯s generosity and because she was willing to give them a progeny. In actuality, Jared didn¡¯t want her to suffer such torment, but Ellen was anticipating the growth and arrival of their little one every day now, even though she started off rather lost and overwhelmed. Ellen woke up naturally at 4.30PM, but she was still startled when she opened her eyes. Shoot, what time is it?! Just as she was frantically getting out of bed, the man on the couch reassured her gently. ¡°Take it easy. It¡¯s still early.¡± Seeing that Jared had returned, she heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°What time is it? Have I overslept?¡± ¡°Four-thirty. The dinner reservation my parents got is at six. We have plenty of time,¡± said Jared as he sat next to her and draped her jacket over her shoulder. It was already winter, and it felt a little chilly when she had just woken up. At the thought that she was going to meet his parents, and that she was the only one remaining in her family, Ellen couldn¡¯t help feeling sad. ¡°From now on, you¡¯re a Presgrave too. We will be your loving family,¡± Jaredforted her. He immediately knew what was running through her head when he saw the bitterness in her eyes. With that, the sliver of bitterness in Ellen¡¯s heart was driven away. ¡°Okay!¡± She nodded while leaning in his arms. ¡°And I will be your dutiful wife.¡± At 5.00PM, the Presgraves headed to the restaurant. They hade in advance to wait for Jared and Ellen¡¯s arrival. Meanwhile, in New Town, Jared and Ellen had also departed under the bodyguards¡¯ escort. Back in the restaurant¡¯s private room, Elliot and Willow were discussing her future, and he enjoined her about thinking twice when she wanted to go anywhere dangerous. As she interacted with antiques, Elliot worried that his precious baby girl would get curious and follow others into a graveyard. That was very, very rming. ¡°Rx, Dad. I wasn¡¯t born yesterday,¡± Willow said to her father. However, to Elliot, Willow was a child no matter how old she became, and he wouldn¡¯t feel assured unless he enjoined her anything three times. After all, he personally raised this little one up. No way was he going to let anyone take advantage of her. However, at the thought that he would eventually have to marry a man, he didn¡¯t feel too happy about it. ¡°When has your father ever seen you as a big girl?¡± Anastasia teased. Willow felt loved. Growing up, she did love to hide behind her father whenever she made a mistake or got into trouble, as he would take care of it every time. Hence, she knew her father would forever be her strongest support, and it also made her fearless. The more Elliot spoiled her, the more daring she became. Just then, Jared led Ellen through the door, and the Presgrave couple looked with gentle gazes in their direction at once. Anastasia stood up and greeted Ellen even more so. ¡°Hi, Ellen. I¡¯m Jared¡¯s mother.¡± The young woman was awestruck, for she thought it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to assume her future mother-inw was only a few years older than herself. She looks so young! And she¡¯s absolutely stunning! ¡°Ellen!¡± Just then, a sweet, crisp voice rang out beside her, and she found a gorgeous girl greeting her. Though abashed, she still looked up at Anastasia and greeted, ¡°Hello, Mrs. Presgrave.¡± A chuckle escaped Anastasia as she extended her hand out for a handshake. ¡°Just call me ¡®Mom¡¯ like Jared does, Ellen. From now on, you¡¯re my other daughter.¡± Anastasia¡¯s words truly touched Ellen, and she couldn¡¯t help but well up with emotional tears. ¡°Mom!¡± she said with a quivering voice; it had been far too long since she had addressed anyone with the word. ¡°Yes, dear?¡± Anastasia replied with a smile. Meanwhile, Willow handed Ellen a paper napkin and said, ¡°Hi, Ellen, I¡¯m Willow.¡± ¡°Hi, Willow.¡± Ellen was immediately in love with her future sister-inw as well, and as she looked up, she found that her future father-inw had gotten up from his seat as well. That said, her heart skipped a beat, for it was her first time meeting someone so intimidating. Elliot had likely caught the young woman¡¯s evasive gaze as he smiled warmly and said, ¡°I¡¯m your father-inw. Wee to the family. From now on, I¡¯m your father.¡± At that, Ellen raised her head, and her eyes welled up with moving tears once more. The nervousness she had vanished, too, as she called out timidly, ¡°Hello, Dad.¡± ¡°This is awesome! We have a new addition to the family! Now our house will be even livelier,¡± Willow exulted, then recalled something. ¡°Oops, I mean, two additions. I forgot I have a nephew coming.¡± Her adorable behavior amused everyone, and the mood was instantly rxed as everyone guffawed. Later, everyone took their seats. As Jared behaved very rxed in front of his family, Ellen eased as well. ¡°Ellie, you and Jared decide on a date for the wedding tonight. I¡¯ll take you to a wedding service agency tomorrow to learn more about wedding procedures, alright?¡± ¡°Sure, Mom.¡± Ellen nodded. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll join you guys,¡± said Jared before turning to Willow. ¡°You shoulde with us too. You¡¯re going to be Ellie¡¯s bridesmaid.¡± ¡°Okay! What a great honor. It¡¯s my first time being a bridesmaid too!¡± Willow gushed, then asked, ¡°What about your best man? Have you gotten one?¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting my guy toe back from wherever he is, of course,¡± said Jared. He had a close friend whom he had known since childhood and was also born to the purple. On top of that, he had a quarter of foreign origin. ¡°It¡¯s Ethan, isn¡¯t it?!¡± Willow was spot on. ¡°It is.¡± Jared nodded, then turned to Ellen. ¡°He¡¯s my closest friend. I¡¯ll introduce you guys to each other when hees back.¡± Ellen nodded in response and thought his friends were likely as outstanding as he was. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since Ist saw Ethan,¡± Anastasia said with a smile. ¡°It was about three years ago, I think, when you two came home and stayed for two weeks.¡± ¡°I heard he¡¯s gone to the North Pole for business. He should be back soon,¡± Jared added. Ethan¡¯s family was a leading enterprise in shipping, and their business stretched across all major cities of the world. Plus, they also had some business dealings with the Presgraves. After dinner, Anastasia brought Ellen to the couch and pulled out the present she had prepared for her new daughter-inw. ¡°Ellie, this is a first-meeting gift from me to you. Take a look and see if you like it.¡± Ellen looked at the box and didn¡¯t even need to guess to know it likely contained jewelry. With that, she opened it to find a stunning ruby ne lying on top of a ck velvet cloth, sparkling under the lights. ¡°Wow, this is so pretty!¡± Ellen gushed from the bottom of her heart. While she knew nothing about jewelry, she knew the ne was certainly extremely valuable. ¡°My mom designed it just for you,¡± said Willow, and Ellen felt extremely honored. Jared once told her his mother used to work as a jewelry designer and even had her own listed company. Now, seeing Anastasia¡¯s design for herself, she was genuinely impressed by the woman. ¡°Thank you, Mom,¡± Ellen thanked gratefully. ¡°And I, you. You turned my Jared from a son to a husband and a father and made him a more responsible and conscientious man,¡± said Anastasia, feeling truly grateful that the Reisses saved her son. Just then, Jared sat down and held Ellen¡¯s hand before turning to his mother. ¡°Mom, there¡¯s something I should tell you. Ellen is the sister of the guy who saved me.¡± Anastasia nodded at that. ¡°Willow told me about it. It must be fate that we¡¯re to be a family.¡± It didn¡¯t surprise Jared, for he had expected Willow to tell their parents, and he also checked with Ellen when they were on their way to the restaurant. She didn¡¯t mind talking about her past. At that, Jared gazed at Ellen with an aching heart, then revealed to his parents, ¡°Mom, Dad, Ellen was only seven back then, and she never got the 15 million we gave the Aguirres. Not even a portion. They imed it for themselves. Not only that, they even treated Ellie poorly, making her life miserable.¡± ¡°What?!¡± The revtion shocked Anastasia. ¡°If my memory serves me right, Mr. Stark told your father to have a chat with them because they had a daughter who was looking to study abroad. Was it not Ellie?¡± ¡°The girl the Aguirres asked us to pull some strings and sent abroad for studies wasn¡¯t Ellie but their own daughter. They gave her the best of everything but left Ellie under the care of a great-aunt. Not only did they neglect her, but they wouldn¡¯t even give her a single penny.¡± Jared¡¯s narrative shocked and angered Anastasia. The person who donated their heart was Ellen¡¯s brother. Hence, given the young woman¡¯s kinship, she could get at least half of the money. The Aguirres are unbelievable! ¡°How can they be so selfish?!¡± Willow, too, was beside herself with fury. Elliot, on the other hand, sighed and med himself. ¡°It¡¯s our fault for not seeing things to the end back then. We shouldn¡¯t have only given them money but be more attentive to their well-being.¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m sorry you had to suffer, Ellie. Rest assured; we won¡¯t let anyone upset you ever again,¡± Anastasia promised as she held Ellen¡¯s hand. ¡°Ellen, if anyone dares bully you again, bring it up with Jared. Have him fight back,¡± Willow echoed, causing a chuckle to escape Ellen as she said, ¡°Sure, as you say.¡± Jared, too, beamed. ¡°Willow¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Still, Ellie¡¯s a tough girl and also outstanding. I¡¯m sorry this happened to you.¡± Anastasia gazed at Ellen with an aching heart. She was aware that the Aguirres struggled to make ends meet back then. Hence, they gave the family 15 million one shot in hopes that it would change things. Lo and behold, the Aguirres took the money for themselves and even sent the sister of their savior away. Their actions were absolutely outrageous. It was evident how miserable a life Ellen lived. ¡°Mom, Dad, let¡¯s just leave the past behind. Meeting Jared and bing a part of this family is the best thing that has ever happened to me.¡± Ellen treasured everything she had now and was grateful to the heavens for letting her meet the Presgraves. ¡°Yes.¡± Anastasia blinked her teary eyes and nodded with a smile. ¡°This is the heavens¡¯ bestid n.¡± ¡°I promise you, Ellen, Jared will make you the happiest woman in the world,¡± Willow assured. Ellen was touched. This is the best blessing. It was already 8.30PM before they knew it, so Anastasia had Jared take Ellen home to rest early so as to discuss the wedding the following morning. On their journey back, Jared and Ellen checked the calendar together for the best wedding date. Ultimately, they settled on the 18th of February as it would give them a whole good month to prepare. Anastasia was still beside herself with fury as the night grewte. She thought the Aguirres were terrible. They had even donated 700 thousand so that the girl could enter and stay in her dream college. Of course, Anastasia was more than happy to go all out for them. But now that hearing the Aguirres used everything on their own daughter but neglected Ellen, Anastasia was outraged. Why can¡¯t Ellen also enjoy the same privilege?! All they had to do was ask. We will certainly see that Ellen gets to study abroad even if she wants to attend the world¡¯s best college. ¡°This is absolutely infuriating!¡± Anastasia grumbled before going to bed, still unable toe to terms with Ellen¡¯s misfortune. At that, Elliot pulled her to him tofort her. ¡°We¡¯re partly responsible as well. It¡¯s our fault for not looking into the situation. What we can do now is to make it up to her.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m spoiling this daughter-inw no matter what,¡± vowed Anastasia. Elliot had always known just what his dear wife was like. Hence, he would only ever support her every decision. ¡­ The following morning, Anastasia took Willow to a wedding service agency while Jared brought Ellen over. For the venue, the young couple agreed on having it on the ind where Anastasia and Elliot got married. It was a prettyrge ind with two airports. Hence, it was perfect for amodating guests who¡¯d be flying over from all over the world. Plus, it was very private. Jared didn¡¯t want to give Ellen a grand wedding so that people wouldment on it, but he only wanted to give her the best of everything. Even if the media wouldn¡¯t report on the wedding, it would still be the grandest and the most luxurious wedding. After the wedding service agency was certain of the wedding venue, they would provide the young couple with several proposals. As for the details, it would entirely be left for them to decide. In the afternoon, they went to a bridal shop apanied by Anastasia. Averna had the world¡¯s top-of- the-line bridal shop; any brand they desired could be found there. As Ellen and Willow were close in age, they went through the catalog together, with Willow providing suggestions and Ellen making the final call. In the end, they decided on four sets of wedding gowns and eight evening dresses. As for the jewelry, Anastasia¡¯spany would be responsible for providing the best of the best. As they only had a month to prepare for the wedding, anything that had to be decided early on was decided then. Jared had to make a trip to thepanyter in the afternoon, so he left his soon-to-be wife with his mother and sister, giving them a chance to shop and have afternoon tea. It was true when they said women had more to talk about when they were together. Later, Willow held Ellen¡¯s arm as they followed Anastasia into a tea house. ¡°Wel¡­e.¡± One of the two attendants who stood at the entrance stiffened instantly, for it was none other than Selena. The young woman had gotten a job as an attendant at the tea house. Never did she expect to bump into Ellen just two days into her new job, and it made her absolutely embarrassed. Looking at the beautiful girl holding Ellen¡¯s arm and the elegant woman, she mused, They must be the Presgraves. At that, she sized Anastasia up. Can she be the wife of Presgrave Group¡¯s Chairman?! Intense envy shed across Selena¡¯s eyes at that. Ellen has be the Presgraves¡¯ daughter-inw, hasn¡¯t she?! Ellen, on the other hand, didn¡¯t say hi either when she saw Selena looking away. It wasn¡¯t until the trio went further into the tea house that Selena let out a murky breath, feeling incredibly exasperated. She had only looked for a job because she couldn¡¯t stand the pressure Olivia inflicted on her. She dreaded the fact that she might run into someone familiar. However, this tea house paid well, so she decided to take the job. She couldn¡¯t help taking a peek and found the trio took the table by the floor-to-ceiling window with Ellen¡¯s back facing her. ¡°Selena,e and attend to the customers,¡± the manager beckoned. Selena¡¯s job was originally to wee the guests into the tea house, but working here, she still had to do whatever the manager wanted her to. ¡°Ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Pour some water for the table over there,¡± demanded the manager as she pointed to Ellen¡¯s table. ¡°I¡­ Can I not do it?¡± Selena asked reluctantly. ¡°What did you say?¡± The manager thought she heard wrong. She couldn¡¯t believe a new employee dared to bargain with her. Seeing that the manager turned grim, Selena knew she could only bite the bullet. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go.¡± Ellen and Willow were discussing what to order when Selena came to their table, and Ellen met Selena¡¯s gaze as soon as she looked up. Selena, on the other hand, pretended not to have seen Ellen but only poured her some water. Meanwhile, Ellen thought her uncle¡¯s burden would lessen now that Selena was willing to take up a job. At that, she pushed her cup closer to Selena to make it easier to pour the water. ¡°Ellen, you can pick whatever jewelry you want from my mom¡¯spany,¡± said Willow, and Anastasia echoed, ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll send you the catalogter. Pick as many sets as you like.¡± ¡°Thanks, Mom.¡± Ellen smiled. ¡°Ellen, you¡¯ll have to pick at least ten sets. Don¡¯t forget you have eight evening gowns!¡± Willow suggested. Of course, Selena heard the whole thing, and her jealousy made her absent-minded, causing her to overspill the water by ident. As the water flowed to Anastasia¡¯s leg, she stood up and took a step back reflexively before looking toward this attendant serving them. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, ma¡¯am!¡± Spooked, Selena hurriedly grabbed some napkins to wipe Anastasia down. Meanwhile, Anastasia nced at the manager, who was standing not far away, and thetter hurriedly approached her. ¡°I am so sorry, ma¡¯am. What¡¯s the matter with you, Selena?! Hurry up and apologize to the customer!¡± At that, Selena hurriedly lowered her head and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry I slipped.¡± In the end, she still turned to Ellen for help. ¡°Ellie, please put in a good word for me.¡± Meanwhile, Anastasia turned from displeased to shocked when she saw Selena calling out to Ellen. ¡°Do you know her, Ellie?¡± ¡°She¡¯s the daughter of that uncle, Mom,¡± Ellen answered, prompting Anastasia to size Selena up. She¡¯s the girl they sent abroad for studies?! ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Mrs. Presgrave. Please forgive me. I¡¯m still fresh here, so I¡¯m still learning.¡± Selena immediately pulled the pity card. ¡°Forget it. I won¡¯t hold you for anything.¡± Anastasia decided to overlook the matter only because of Ellen. Later, the manager took Selena away and got someone else to serve them, and as Anastasia watched the manager lecture Selena in the corner, she mused, Looks like they only sent her abroad for dignity. She didn¡¯t end up learning anything practical. ¡°Ellie, do you want to invite your uncle and his family to the wedding?¡± Anastasia asked. She knew it was something she had to check with Ellen, and if the young woman said yes, they would just do it ording to her wishes. It was justifiable, too, if Ellen said no, for even Anastasia didn¡¯t want to forgive the Aguirres for what they did to Ellen. Ellen had actually thought about it, and she thought it wasn¡¯t morally right if she didn¡¯t invite her uncle. Hence, she nodded. ¡°I¡¯d like to invite them if they¡¯re willing toe.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll have them send the invitation over. It¡¯ll be up to them whether they want to show up.¡± Anastasia nodded. Meanwhile, in the corner not far away, Selena stood gazing in Ellen¡¯s direction with envy and jealousy. However, she couldn¡¯t harm Ellen anymore, for Ellen had people to defend her now. Plus, she dared not bet on her life anymore. She had had enough jail time. Now, she just wanted to live, and judging from what she heard about Ellen¡¯s wedding, thetter¡¯s life had reached a height beyond her imagination. Just where had gone wrong?! What have I done to lose to Ellen when I started off so much better than her?! Even until Ellen left, Selena still couldn¡¯t figure out what she had done wrong. Plus, what happened with Charlie trampled her dignity and crushed her confidence, causing the social circle she tried so hard to build toe to nothing. Rather, it became her life¡¯s burden. The balderdash and big talks she made now taunted her, putting her in a state where even she looked down on herself. The path that she didn¡¯t take by herself would eventually send her back to the starting line one way or another. Meanwhile, Jared dialed a number he hadn¡¯t called for a while as he stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window in the CEO¡¯s office of Presgrave Group. ¡°Hello?¡± The line connected, and at the same time, howling wind could be heard from the other end of the line. ¡°Has the North Pole wind not sent you back home yet?¡± Jared couldn¡¯t help teasing. ¡°Jared, perfect timing!¡± ¡°Really? Why would you say that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m scaling a mountain.¡± The sound of something sharp piercing into the snow could be heard as he spoke, worrying Jared instantly. At that, he made it a quick one. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll just say this. I¡¯m getting married on the 18th of February, so you get your *ss back here to be my best man.¡± ¡°Wait, what? You¡¯re getting married?! You could¡¯ve at least given me a heads-up!¡± Ethan huffed. ¡°Stay safe. I¡¯m waiting for you.¡± Jared kept his words concise, for he feared for the safety of his adventurous friend. ¡°Alright, I promise I¡¯lle back in advance.¡± ¡°See you, then. Stay safe!¡± Jared couldn¡¯t help reminding him. The Presgraves were speedy when it came to getting the wedding ready. The private ind was immediately reserved for three months, bing a ce for the Presgraves to wee the guests. The invitations were sent out very quickly, too, and Ellen provided them with Connor¡¯s address, which Connor gave her thest time. With that, one invitation headed to the Aguirres. The Presgrave staff assigned to send the wedding invitation to the Aguirres had to hand-deliver it to Connor before he could leave, and it sure as hell was an adventure for him, for he had to ask for directions several times before he was finally certain which was the Aguirres¡¯ address. After climbing five levels of stairs, he cross-checked the address while heaving before knocking on Connor¡¯s door, and the person to answer the door was none other than Connor himself. ¡°Can I help you?¡± ¡°Hi, are you Mr. Connor Aguirre? I¡¯ve been assigned to deliver invitations for the Presgrave Family. Please ept your invitation.¡± ¡°The Presgrave Family¡¯s invitation?¡± Connor eximed with excitement as he epted the invitation. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s the wedding invitation of Young Master Presgrave and Miss Reiss. We look forward to seeing you there. I¡¯ll be off now.¡± After seeing the staff away, Connor sat excitedly on the couch and looked through the invitation. As he read the name, a pang of guilt hit him, for he never thought Ellen was still willing to invite him to her wedding even though he had done so many terrible things to her. Just then, Olivia returned home, and she instantly questioned upsettingly when she saw her husband looking at a wedding invitation on the couch, ¡°Who¡¯s getting married this time? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s another family asking for wedding gifts!¡± ¡°This¡­ This is Ellie¡¯s,¡± Connor revealed, shocking Olivia. She snatched the invitation from him and huffed while looking at the name. ¡°To think that wretched girl is lucky enough to actually marry into the Presgrave Family.¡± Suddenly, she stared at Connor and asked, ¡°Say, Connor, do you think Ellen invited you or all three of us?¡± ¡°You guys just stay here. I¡¯ll go alone.¡± ¡°Why? I¡¯m her aunt. Why can¡¯t I go? And Lena¡¯s her cousin. She has the right to go too!¡± Olivia¡¯s life was absolutely miserable now. There was no way she would miss out on such an event. After all, it wouldn¡¯t be bad if she could at least eat a feast! However, Connor was insistent. ¡°You just stay here.¡± He didn¡¯t want to bring his wife along because he didn¡¯t want to upset Ellen. Actually, even he felt somewhat ashamed to attend her big day. ¡°What do you mean I stay?! Well, I¡¯m going, and that¡¯s final!¡± Just then, the main door opened, and Selena came in listlessly. Seeing that her parents were arguing again, she exasperated, ¡°Do you two have to yell at each other every day?! Give me a break!¡± But just as she was about to enter her room, Olivia stopped her. ¡°Lena, take a look at this. We¡¯re going to a wedding!¡± ¡°Not interested.¡± Selena turned and walked away. She couldn¡¯t even be bothered to meet people now, let alone attend a wedding. ¡°It¡¯s Ellen¡¯s wedding,¡± Olivia revealed, causing Selena to immediately turn around just as she was about to step into her bedroom. ¡°Ellen¡¯s wedding? She¡¯s getting married? Let me see!¡± she demanded as she charged toward Olivia. With that, she picked up the wedding invitation. Connor and Olivia were so focused on the bride and groom that they didn¡¯t take a good look at the venue. ¡°Mom, they¡¯re getting married on a private ind. Dad, can we go?¡± Selena turned excited at once. She absolutely needed a high-end event like this to rx, and since it was on an ind, it would mean that she could enjoy an all-expenses paid trip for a whole week! ¡°What? An ind?! Let me see!¡± Olivia snatched the card away to verify it herself. ¡°Dad, you¡¯ll take us with you, right?¡± Selena gazed questioningly at her father, who was in a dilemma. Should he really take his wife and daughter with him to the wedding? After all, they used to treat Ellen terribly. I¡¯m honestly too ashamed to let them tag along. ¡°Connor, why don¡¯t you give Ellen a call? Cajole her and see that she¡¯ll allow Lena and me to attend.¡± Olivia was dying to go to the wedding at this point. After all, a ce like that was genuinely somewhere that expanded one¡¯s horizon. If they missed out on this opportunity, they sure as hell would never get a second chance to have fun on a private ind. Hence, they had to go, even if they had to beg shamelessly. ¡°I¡¯ll make a call before anybody makes a final decision. I¡¯ll see if Ellen will wee you guys,¡± said Connor in the end. At that, Olivia and Selena nced at each other. Right then, they wanted nothing more than for Ellen to say yes. That said, they felt just as guilty about everything they did to Ellen. Now that they needed to beg her, they hoped she would let it slide. While Connor went out to make the call, the mother and daughter gazed at each other, and Selena said while biting her lip, ¡°I¡¯m going no matter what.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll just sneak over if she won¡¯t let us attend. The most important thing is to get on the ind.¡± ¡°Mom, we¡¯re not just going there to enjoy ourselves. The most important thing is that the world¡¯s richest people will be attending the wedding. As if I¡¯ll ever need to be a server again if I can befriend a few of them!¡± Selena¡¯s confidence suddenly returned. She believed her identity as the bride¡¯s cousin was enough to keep up the appearance. Outside of the house, Connor still shamelessly called Ellen after taking a drag. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. It rang for seven seconds before Ellen¡¯s voice finally came through. ¡°Hello? Uncle Connor?¡± ¡°Ellie, I¡¯m not calling at a bad time, am I?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°I got your wedding invitation. Congrattions. Your parents would¡¯ve been happy for you too.¡± ¡°Thank you, Uncle.¡± ¡°Ellie, is your wedding set on an ind?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s an ind. Someone wille and pick you up on that day,¡± Ellen mentioned. ¡°In that case, can I ask that you let your Aunt Olivia and Lenae with me? They really want to attend your wedding,¡± Connor bit the bullet and asked. However, Ellen knew Olivia and Selena too well to know that they certainly didn¡¯t want to attend her wedding to give her their blessing but only to enjoy themselves. ¡°Ellie, we¡¯ve never really been anywhere, and I kind of want to show your aunt the world. Do you suppose¡­¡± ¡°Alright, bring them along.¡± Ellen decided to look beyond. After all, she wouldn¡¯t be seeing them anymore after the wedding, and it was merely an issue of adding two more seats. Connor was touched. This is exactly why Ellen¡¯s luckier than my girl. She¡¯s worthy of it. ¡°Thank you, Ellie,¡± Connor said gratefully. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll see you on the wedding day. I have to go now.¡± ¡°Alright, see you then.¡± Connor hung up at that, then heaved a sigh of relief. When he went back into the house, he found two pairs of eager eyes staring at him. ¡°Can I go, Dad?¡± Selena asked. Meanwhile, Ellen¡¯s generosity came to Connor¡¯s mind as he gazed at his wife and daughter. ¡°Ellie said yes.¡± He nodded. ¡°Yes! Holiday on an ind, here Ie!¡± Selena exulted, forgetting whose coattail she was riding on for a moment. Olivia, too, heaved a sigh of relief. Life hadn¡¯t been kind to her nowadays, so it was great that she could escape this hell for a moment. What was more, it was an all-expenses paid trip, and she would get to witness a super rich¡¯s wedding. Of course, she knew Ellen would be the happiest bride in the world that day. The wedding was getting prepared in an intense but orderly manner. In order to help Ellen adapt to the weather and lifestyle on the ind, Jared decided to bring her there two weeks in advance, and because the young woman had a poor appetite, four chefs were brought along with them, dedicated to taking care of Ellen¡¯s diet. With that, Ellen would be living herst days as a bachelorette on the ind. Her wedding and evening gowns would be tried on by her on the ind itself so that she could be entirely rxed before the wedding. Elliot and Anastasia would be joining them, naturally. Willow, however, would only be joining her family later as she had an academic exchange course to attend. For Ellen to travelfortably, the Presgraves deployed theirrgest private jet, and the following morning, Ellen sat in thevish cabin with Jared by her side as they flew for an hour. The next time she stepped on the ground, the weather had be super pleasant, and Ellen thought spring was in the air. At that, she spread her arms to feel the breeze, then looked up at Jared. ¡°I love it here!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll stay here as long as you like,¡± Jared said with a smile, then held her hand and took her to the waiting vehicle, which took them straight to the vis. By the time they arrived, their luggage had been delivered and sorted out by the housekeepers. After lunch, Ellen eagerly changed into a dress and headed to the beach. The fine sand on the beach was soft, and it feltfortable to step on it. Jared held Ellen¡¯s hand and walked along the beach with her as they looked at the ships in the distance and the azure sky. It was wonderful to just feel the breeze and space out there. Elliot and Anastasia stayed in the vi where they used to live after their wedding. They had personally decorated this house, so it was a meaningful ce to them. Now, they had to prepare for their son¡¯s wedding. They couldn¡¯t help but feel that time indeed passed by quickly. If there was a person one could love deeply and stay loyal to, their life would be well-lived. In the evening, the four of them had dinner together. Ellen was pleased to listen to the love story of Elliot and Anastasia. She felt that the love between them was romantic and terrific. It was no wonder that Anastasia still looked young and charming, for she had a doting husband. ¡­ On a nd near the North Pole, a helicopter rose into the sky and flew toward the airport. The man in the backseat had a hat on, drawing focus to his facial features with his hair out of the way. Although it was apparent that he was biracial, he looked more local than foreign. Like a fashion model, he was tall, well-built, and delicate. As the snow reflected the sunlight on his frame of six feet three inches, he looked like a perfect man straight out of a romance novel. Just like Mr. Perfect described in any romance novel, he was good-looking, wealthy, and assertive. After all, he was the only son of the Arcane Group¡¯s chairman and Jared¡¯s best friend. His name was Ethan Quarles. Presently, he was returning to his home country to attend his friend¡¯s wedding. He was also going to be the best man. The moment he boarded the ne, all the flight attendants were smitten with him and eager to serve him. A flight attendant was even brave enough to pass him her contact number while delivering a ss of red wine to him. She also threw flirtatious nces at him. With a smile, Ethan picked up the ss of wine but refused to take the piece of paper with her contact number written on it. Embarrassed, the flight attendant left in a hurry with the tray. The man was so charming that they were eager to win his heart at all costs. Nevertheless, regardless of how hard they tried to seduce the man during the flight, none of them seeded, for they discovered that the handsome man wasn¡¯t interested in them. In truth, Ethan had turned down countless women who had thrown themselves at him before. Ever since reaching adulthood, he had been the dream man of all women. Meanwhile, in Averna, Jared¡¯s wedding was only three days away. In a tranquil yard, a woman who was asleep with a book ced over her face was awakened by her phone¡¯s ringtone. While in a groggy state, she rubbed her eyes and took a look before picking it up in frustration. ¡°Hi, Mr. Fox.¡± ¡°Josephine, I have an urgent task for you.¡± ¡°I worked overtimest night and only went home after 12.00AM. I¡¯m not taking up any task!¡± ¡°Has your father been invited to Jared Presgrave¡¯s wedding?¡± ¡°Yes. What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve learned from a secret source that the police have discovered that an infamous robber is going to sneak into the venue. A serious robbery case might happen. Therefore, I want you to go there and gather as much information as possible. That will be big news.¡± ¡°But my dad isn¡¯t taking me to the wedding.¡± Josephine could only lie to him. She had been working overtime almost every day as ofte, so she was in dire need of rest. ¡°Beg your father to take you to the wedding. This is an important task, so you mustn¡¯t disappoint me. You¡¯re about to be promoted, so you have to show the higher-ups your capabilities. Isn¡¯t bing a host your dream? Work harder and you¡¯ll realize your dream.¡± ¡°If my memory serves me right, it¡¯s the ninth time you¡¯ve promised to promote me this year. You¡¯re getting better at giving false hope, eh?¡± Josephine retorted matter-of-factly. ¡°Work harder and your dream wille true one day. Go and tell your father to take you with him. You must bring back some useful information!¡± ¡°Why have you chosen me, though?¡± ¡°This can¡¯t be helped. Only your family is wealthy enough to be invited to the wedding. Do you know how difficult it is to get into the venue? The ce is heavily guarded.¡± ¡°In that case, why would a robber be able to sneak into it?¡± ¡°He¡¯s an infamous robber with the most advanced equipment and impable skills, after all. Furthermore, many people are going to attend the wedding, so some mistakes are inevitable. Anyway, it¡¯s just a piece of information that hasn¡¯t been verified. Just go there and y it by ear.¡± Josephine replied listlessly, ¡°Got it.¡± After the call ended, shey back down on the chair and slumbered off again. ¡­ At the airport of the ind where the wedding would be held, there were many nes from all over the world. It was the third airport that was in operation. Presently, an aircraft emerged from the clouds and swirled around above the ind. Around 15 minutester, itnded on the floor safely. There was a unique totem on the ne that represented a powerful family. Soon, a tall and handsome man elegantly walked down thedder. Instead of putting on his coat, he grabbed it in his hand. His ck shirt made him look mysterious and charming. ¡°Wee, Mr. Quarles.¡± Several people came over and greeted him. Ethan nodded and took a look at his wristwatch. Fortunately, I arrived just in time. He then got into a car and headed straight to the wedding. Not long after he entered the vi, Jared came looking for him in a beach buggy. Since they were best friends, they greeted each other as usual, which involved fist-bumping and teasing one another. ¡°You look so different in a wedding suit. Been very happy, eh?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re envious, get yourself a girlfriend.¡± As Jared looked at the man¡¯s bulging muscles under his shirt, he couldn¡¯t help but thump his chest. ¡°We haven¡¯t met for half a year, and you¡¯ve be more muscr!¡± Ethan struck the other party¡¯s chest as well. ¡°I thought you¡¯d ck off since you mostly stay in an office. You¡¯re just as fit as ever!¡± ¡°Haha!¡± After the greetings, they smiled at each other. Although they were not rted by blood, they were just as close as brothers. ¡°Where¡¯s your wife? You haven¡¯t introduced her to me yet.¡± Ethan poured two cups of water and passed one to his friend. ¡°You¡¯ll see her during dinner. She can¡¯t move around since there are too many people.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a dad now.¡± Ethan looked enviously at him. ¡°That¡¯s quite some progress, huh?¡± A happy smile formed on Jared¡¯s face. He felt nothing but content at that moment. Certainly, Ethan was pleased that his best friend had found the right woman. He was envious of the man for his bravery to get married, for he didn¡¯t have the confidence to do the same. ¡°Have all the guests arrived?¡± ¡°Most of them have arrived, but some of them are on their way,¡± Jared replied. Meanwhile, after a cruise ship stopped at the dock, the guests started leaving the vessel. A wealthy- looking woman took her daughter¡¯s hand and came out of the ship. Just then, a pair of excited mother and daughter crashed into the wealthydy, causing her to bump into the railing. She turned around and snapped, ¡°Hey! What¡¯s wrong with you? Watch where you¡¯re going!¡± ¡°Do you think it¡¯s your home or something? Why can¡¯t we cross over?¡± Olivia whirled around and retorted. Although she had indeed bumped into the woman, she didn¡¯t think she had done anything wrong. ¡°You¡¯re unreasonable!¡± The wealthydy red at her. Seeing that her mother was incensed, Josephine quickly appeased her. ¡°Forget it, Mom.¡± ¡°Why should I forget it? I can¡¯t believe there is such a mannerless person in the world. Not only does she refuse to apologize, but she¡¯s also unreasonable.¡± Olivia had always been hot-tempered, so she instantly blew her top upon hearing that. After all, she had lived a luxurious life for a long time. She snorted. ¡°So what if I refuse to apologize?¡± An infuriated Heidi said to her daughter, ¡°I thought only well-mannered and important people were allowed to attend the wedding. Surprisingly, there¡¯s a guest like her!¡± Chapter 1761-1770 Chapter 1761-1770 Josephine could only cate her mother by saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Mom!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry! My wife was in a hurry.¡± Connor appeared just then and apologized to them. Selena took her mother¡¯s hand and red at Josephine and Heidi. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Mom!¡± The two of them then crossed the bridge that connected the dock and the cruise ship. Behind them, Connor was astonished, not expecting Ellen¡¯s wedding to be on such a big ind. ¡°Look over there, Lena! The row of cruise ships is impressive!¡± Olivia said to her daughter and took photos with her phone. ¡°It seems that we¡¯re in the right ce, Mom.¡± Selena was excited. She wasn¡¯t interested in Ellen¡¯s wedding; she was there to look for a decent man to marry. All the male guests in attendance were wealthy. If she could marry one of them, that would be a life-changing event for her, and she was there to change her fate. After crossing the bridge, they were greeted by cars that were meant to pick up the guests. Olivia was amazed by the row of cars. ¡°These are all Rolls-Royces! Never in my life have I dreamed about getting into one of these cars!¡± The three of them then entered the vehicle. The view along the road was magnificent. Although Selena appeared calm, she was more excited than her parents. She wasn¡¯t there for the view but for the men. Upon arriving at a vi, the driver helped them get their luggage into the house. ¡°Your suitcases are all inside the house. Have a great day, Mr. Aguirre.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Connor said. After the driver left and closed the gates, Olivia immediately entered the vi. ¡°Oh, my gosh! All the vis face the sea! It¡¯s wonderful!¡± Meanwhile, Selena ran to the balcony on the third floor and looked at the beach where the guests were taking a stroll or swimming in the sea. She was eager to mingle with them. She quickly opened her suitcase and fished out her best-looking swimwear. After changing into it, she also put on a gauze jacket. Then, she told her parents, ¡°I¡¯m going to the beach now.¡± Connor reminded her by saying, ¡°Be careful!¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Selena replied and left the house. On the other hand, Olivia sat down and looked at the interior of the vi. She also ordered food delivery and waited for her meal to arrive. In the meantime, Josephine and her mother entered the vi beside Connor¡¯s. Since Mills was swamped with work, only the two of them were there to attend the wedding this time. Josephine¡¯s grandfather used to be an influential figure in the political scene. Although he no longer held any important position, he was still powerful in Averna. Although Josephine was born into such a family, the Jacobsons were less mighty than they used to be. ¡°Get some rest, Mom. I¡¯ll take a walk,¡± Josephine said to her mother, feeling vexed. While the others happily attended the wedding, she was there for work. She picked up her camera and was ready to gather some information. Her team leader called her just then. After the call connected, she said, ¡°Hello, Mr. Fox.¡± ¡°Hey, Joey! Would you mind taking some photos of the wedding venue so that we will have some news to report?¡± ¡°No one is allowed to take photos here.¡± Josephine turned him down. ¡°Just one photo will do, alright? The director has been mounting pressure on us,¡± said Mr. Fox in a threatening tone. Josephine let out a breath. ¡°I don¡¯t want to tarnish my family¡¯s reputation. Otherwise, my grandpa will kill me. I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Why are you so obstinate? Just take some photos and send them to us. No one will find out you took the photos,¡± Mr. Fox said. ¡°No.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. Once the wedding is over, I want to see the photos within six hours.¡± Mr. Fox hung up the call upon finishing his words. A speechless Josephine walked forward in a particr direction. All of a sudden, she had a feeling that the team leader had lied about the infamous robber. She had been conned intoing to the wedding to take some photos. How dare he lie to me?! I already know that the security at the wedding is top-notch. Even if a robber is indeed going to sneak into the venue, he won¡¯t have the guts to steal anything. The elites of different fields have gathered in this ce, so they can easily capture the robber. At that moment, Josephine was no longer in the mood to work. All the same, she just couldn¡¯t stay put and do nothing. Since the beach was so crowded, she decided not to go there. She wanted to go somewhere quiet and take some photos. After all, she was also an amateur photographer in her spare time. She hopped onto a sightseeing car and said to the driver, ¡°Please take me to somewhere quiet and beautiful. I¡¯d like to take some photos.¡± ¡°I know a ce that few people are aware of. I can take you there.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure. Thanks.¡± They moved along the beach, taking about 20 minutes to arrive at their destination. Finally, the driver pointed at the railings and said, ¡°Just go over there. Rarely anyone wille to this area, and the view is terrific. There¡¯s also a smaller ind beside the main ind.¡± ¡°Thank you so much for taking me here!¡± ¡°When you want to go back, just dial this number. Someone wille over and pick you up.¡± Josephine quickly took a photo of the contact number and bid the driver farewell. As she took a stroll around the area, she couldn¡¯t help but be amazed by the view. It was indeed a naturally aesthetic sight. She lifted her camera and took some photos. As she walked along the beach, she suddenly caught sight of a living creature. Oh, my gosh! Is that a mermaid?! An excited Josephine looked in the sea¡¯s direction. Just then, a well- built figure emerged from the sea amidst the waves. She hurriedly zoomed in with the camera in her hands and focused on a handsome face. Her pupils dted. Whoa! That¡¯s a merman, not a mermaid! The man¡¯s chiseled face was covered with water droplets. It was apparent that he was a biracial man with both local and foreign lineages. He was the epitome of the best of both worlds. He¡¯s the most handsome man I¡¯ve ever seen! Josephine couldn¡¯t help but take photos of him sneakily. She focused on the man¡¯s face and pressed the shutter repeatedly. Meanwhile, the man had alreadye out of the sea. He had well-built muscles, defined abs, and an attractive Adonis belt. As the lens lowered, Josephine gulped. The man was only d in swim trunks, and his package was bulging. While walking on the beach, Ethan caught sight of camera shes, which prompted him to look in that direction. The moment the lens moved to the man¡¯s face, Josephine shuddered in shock, for she realized that the handsome man was staring at her. Damn it! I¡¯m caught red-handed! She didn¡¯t want to be regarded as a pervert, so she turned around and ran away. However, since she was running on a narrow path, she identally lost her footing and fell onto the beach. ¡°Ah!¡± At that moment, she was unable to get up, and the dazzling sunlight made her close her eyes. Suddenly, she heard the sound of footsteps approaching. When she opened her eyes, she saw a man looking down at her while d only in a towel. He squinted his eyes and stared at her. ¡°Hi!¡± Although Josephine was a mess, she forced a smile and greeted the man. ¡°Do you love taking photos of men so much?¡± Ethan was displeased with the woman for taking photos of him without his consent. If the woman uploaded the photos to some porn sites, his reputation would be ruined. Moreover, it wasn¡¯t the first time he caught some paparazzi doing that. He was only d in swim trunks that day, so the woman had vited his privacy by taking photos of him. Therefore, he had to capture the culprit. Josephine sat up at once and exined, ¡°Please don¡¯t get me wrong, mister. I¡¯m just taking photos of the view around here.¡± Ethan picked up the camera from the floor and went through the photos. What a liar! Six out of ten photos are me! Furthermore, she has taken photos of me from head to toe, including my package. What makes her think I¡¯ll believe her? When Josephine saw the man going through the photos, she flushed. I shouldn¡¯t havee to this ce! ¡°Are you a paparazzo? Whichpany do you work for?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a paparazzo; I¡¯m a reporter,¡± Josephine refuted. Ethan sneered. If she¡¯s not a paparazzo, why did she take sneak photos of me? What a liar! He then started deleting the photos. When he was done with that, he tossed the camera back to her. ¡°Don¡¯t let me catch you doing this again.¡± To him, Josephine was just a peeping Tom. ¡°Hey¡­ I really didn¡¯t mean to take photos of you.¡± Josephine patted the sand away and got to her feet. The next moment, she squatted, realizing that she had twisted her ankle. ¡°Ouch!¡± she eximed and looked at the man in front of her. Ethan took a sip of water and was ready to go back. He had a beach buggy with him. ¡°Hey, mister. Can you give me a lift? I sprained my ankle,¡± Josephine pleaded. ¡°No.¡± Ethan turned her down directly. ¡°I¡¯m a guest at the wedding too. Will you please lend me a helping hand?¡± Josephine asked politely. Ethan entered the beach buggy and shot her a look. ¡°Don¡¯t try to use this trick to approach me. I¡¯m not interested in women like you.¡± He then stepped on the gas pedal and left. Josephine was dumbfounded upon hearing that. Although he¡¯s handsome, he¡¯s too narcissistic. Do I look like I want to approach him? Although she felt like crying, she could only pick up her camera and stood up with difficulty. No longer in the mood to take photos, she dialed the number the driver had given her and waited for someone to pick her up. Meanwhile, Ethan had returned to his vi. He was still displeased with the woman for taking sneak photos of him, so he had no qualms about leaving her on the beach, even though her ankle was sprained. On the beach near the vis, Selena was having fun. Her curvy figure caught a lot of attention. Middle- aged men especially loved staring at her. Selena knew that the men sitting under the umbres, regardless of their appearances, were all wealthy. These men were worth billions, respectively, which was why she had to show them she had an attractive figure. A momentter, she approached a decent-looking middle-aged man and asked for a cold drink. As she took a sip, she threw flirtatious nces at him. The guests were all restrained, for they didn¡¯t want to cause any trouble before the wedding. Until evening, Selena still hadn¡¯t managed to get any contact number from the men. Anyway, it was only the first day, and the wedding was still three days away. Furthermore, she could stay there for a week, so she still had plenty of time. The moment she returned to the vi, she saw Josephine getting out of the sightseeing car. As their eyes met, Selena was surprised to learn that the woman who had argued with her mother stayed in the house beside theirs. When Heidi saw her daughter tottering into the house, she was shocked. She promptly passed her a hot towel and reminded her not to leave the house before recovering. Josephine decided to obey her mother and recuperate in the house. In the meantime, Selena told her mother about Selena and Heidi staying in the vi beside theirs. A displeased Olivia said, ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re wealthy. Just look at their bags, which are worth less than 1,500 respectively. They¡¯re probably some poor people who shamelessly came to the wedding without an invitation.¡± Upon finishing her words, Olivia was startled for a moment, for she was also that kind of person. She quickly said, ¡°We¡¯re different, though. We¡¯re Ellen¡¯s rtives, so they can¡¯tpare to us.¡± Connor frowned. ¡°Just keep your mouth shut, will you? They¡¯re also guests, just like us. Please stop embarrassing Ellie.¡± Olivia snapped. ¡°Why did you even bring her up? We¡¯ve been here for quite a while, but she has never come over and greeted us. Does she regard us as her seniors at all?¡± ¡°Ellie is busy, which is why she doesn¡¯t have time to visit us,¡± said Connor, defending Ellen. Olivia snorted. ¡°Connor, you¡¯re just refusing to admit that we¡¯re no different from outsiders to Ellen now.¡± Selena no longer wanted to listen to her parents¡¯ conversation, so she went to the third floor and stood on the balcony. As she looked at the brightest spot, she realized that must be where Ellen stayed. She must be surrounded by many people who propose a toast to her and greet her. She¡¯s Mrs. Presgrave now, after all. She was bitter and jealous, but it wasn¡¯t like there was anything she could do about it. Unlike her spection, Ellen didn¡¯t meet many people since she was pregnant. Apart from the closest rtives, Jared didn¡¯t let anyone else meet Ellen so that she could get some rest. At this point, all the important guests had arrived. The Mansons, the Weisses, and the Lloyds were the Presgraves¡¯ closest friends. In the evening, a group of women were seated in a cafe by the beach and had a talk. They were Anastasia, Sophia, Ang, and Queenie. Now, their children were all adults, and their careers were on the right track, so they were free to gather together from time to time. They were best friends who met up frequently, so their rtionship remained robust. Although their children worked in different parts of the world, they woulde into contact often, which strengthened the ties between the four families. The breeze brought with it the night¡¯s coolness. Some waiters stood near these wealthydies, ready to serve them at any moment. The younger waitresses were envious of them. These maturedies were elegant and in their element. Apparently, they had loving husbands and brilliant children by their side. On top of that, they had sessful careers and important social statuses. Women like them were the winners in life. As darkness descended, the entire ind fell into silence. Some guests refused to go back to their rooms as they roamed around the beach and took in the night view. Some of them were in cafes and bars. Ethan was one of those people who just couldn¡¯t sleep. He initially wanted to ask Jared toe out and have a drink with him. However, he decided not to bother his friend since thetter had a wife by his side. Therefore, he was seated in the bar alone as he drank beer and pondered his family affairs. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Just then, Selena elegantly walked into the bar. She was there to look for a potential husband. The wealthy men she came across on the beach in the morning made her think that all the male guests were middle-aged men. Much to her surprise, she saw a man who was just as handsome as Jared in a bar in the middle of the night. He was seated under a chandelier as the dim light engulfed him. His ck shirt added ayer of mystery to his stunningly good-looking face. Selena was besotted with the man. As she looked at the man¡¯s wristwatch, she realized he wasn¡¯t just rich; he was ultra-rich. Several women around the man were also drooling over him, and one of them got to her feet. Selena was someone who would achieve her goal at all costs, so she certainly wouldn¡¯t let the woman approach the handsome man. Seeing that the woman was walking toward Ethan with a ss of wine in her hand, she strode toward her. Just as the woman was about to reach Ethan, Selena intentionally bumped into her, causing the wine to ssh onto her chest. ¡°Ah!¡± eximed the woman. I¡¯m supposed to chat up a handsome guy. How did I end up sshing my wine onto a woman? Seizing the chance, Selena stood closer to Ethan and questioned, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry! It was an ident.¡± Selena secretly pulled her dress lower and revealed more of her chest. Even the bartender couldn¡¯t help but nce at her. Meanwhile, Ethan looked in the same direction to find out what was going on. When Selena caught sight of the man staring at her, she blurted, ¡°Forget it. I know you¡¯re a guest as well. Since my cousin is getting married, I won¡¯t settle the score with you. When the woman heard that Selena was Ellen¡¯s cousin, she apologized to her again. ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry!¡± Everyone in the bar had fallen silent because of the incident, and now they had learned that Selena was Ellen¡¯s cousin. Even Ethan was surprised as he looked at Selena and asked, ¡°Are you Ellen¡¯s cousin?¡± Since her identity had attracted the man, Selena pretended to be innocent and replied, ¡°Yes, I am.¡± Following that, she sat down beside Ethan and said to the bartender, ¡°Give me a ss of cocktail, please.¡± The bartender immediately prepared a ss of cocktail for her. All the services on the ind were free, so Selena seized the chance and ordered her favorite drink. After taking the ss, she turned to look at Ethan. ¡°You must be Jared¡¯s friend.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m his best friend,¡± Ethan replied. Selena was shocked deep within. As expected, the friend of an outstanding man like Jared is also brilliant. She initially thought that she would never get to marry a wealthy man like Ellen, but the man before her eyes was a chance to get the life she had always wanted. At that moment, she was determined to win the man¡¯s heart. Pretending to feel troubled, she gulped down the cocktail and told the bartender to prepare another ss for her. She soon chugged down three sses of cocktails. Although she could drink more than that, she pretended to be drunk. The average woman would¡¯ve been inebriated after drinking so many sses of cocktails. All of a sudden, tears slid down her face. Upon noticing that, Ethan asked caringly, ¡°What happened, miss?¡± Selena pretended to be tough and shook her head before smiling at Ethan with teary eyes. ¡°I¡¯m fine. See you.¡± Then, she decided to leave. The moment she came down from the stool, she staggered and ced her hands on the bar. She shook her head and said, ¡°I guess I¡¯m a little tipsy.¡± Then, she looked pleadingly at Ethan. ¡°Mister, would you mind sending me back to the vi? I can no longer walk.¡± Ethan was about to go back as well. Since the woman was Ellen¡¯s cousin, and he was Jared¡¯s best friend, it would be inappropriate if he refused to lend her a helping hand. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll send you home.¡± He didn¡¯t turn her down. ¡°Can you help support my weight?¡± Selena asked in a small voice. As his towering figure leaned closer to Selena, Ethan held her shoulders and left the ce with her. The women around them were jealous and bitter. They could tell that Selena had yed a trick to get the chance, but she was Ellen¡¯s cousin, after all. It was only natural that she could get some special treatment. Since the vis were far away, cars were always at the ready to send the guests back. Both of them entered the backseat. Selena felt her heart pounding in her chest. The faint smell of alcohol from the man¡¯s figure aroused her. What excuse can I use to stay over in his vi? She was no longer an innocent young woman. All she thought about was how to seduce the man. She certainly wouldn¡¯t let the chance slip through her fingers. A momentter, she pretended to fall asleep and rested her head on the man¡¯s shoulder. Ethan stiffened in an instant. He turned to look at the woman and hoped that they would reach her vi sooner so that he could go back to his own ce. Before they reached the vi, Selena opened her eyes. Unwilling to go back, she said to the driver, ¡°Please stop here, mister.¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t reached your vi yet,¡± reminded Ethan. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to go back. I¡¯m in a terrible mood.¡± ¡°It¡¯ste now, so you¡¯d better go back to prevent any idents from happening.¡± Since Ethan was Jared¡¯s best friend, he wouldn¡¯t let anything happen to Ellen¡¯s rtives. He had to send her back no matter what. ¡°Just let me be, mister. Why don¡¯t you go back first?¡± Then, Selena obstinately left the car. When Ethan got out of the vehicle, he saw Selena holding her arms and walking under themplights, looking frail. Since they were about to reach the vi, he decided to walk with her. Since Selena wanted to get the man, she pretended that she couldn¡¯t walk straight. Left with no choice, Ethan stepped forward and supported her weight. ¡°Hold on, miss. We¡¯ll reach your vi soon.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± asked Selena, looking drunk. ¡°Ethan Quarles.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a nice name. You¡¯re very handsome too,¡± Selena said in an over-the-top tone. She believed that all men lovedpliments. On the balcony of a nearby vi, Josephine was trying to capture some photos of the night view. Just then, she caught sight of a couple walking under themplights, which was a beautiful sight to behold. She pressed the shutter and zoomed in on them, but when she realized who the man was, she was startled. It¡¯s him! Why is he walking with a drunk woman? That guy dumped me on the beach in the afternoon, and now he¡¯s making out with a woman in the middle of the night. How inappropriate! Can¡¯t they get a room or something? Still feeling vexed over the incident in the afternoon, she was no longer in the mood to take any photos. Just as she was ready to go downstairs, the woman moved close enough for her to see clearly. That¡¯s the woman who stays beside our vi. Regardless of how handsome a man was, Josephine wouldn¡¯t find him attractive if he was licentious. Under themplights, Selena pretended that she couldn¡¯t walk stably. Although Ethan felt helpless, he had to send her back. ¡°Hold on, miss. We¡¯ll be there soon.¡± ¡°Mister, can I stay over in your vi? I had an argument with my mom,¡± pleaded Selena as she lifted her head. ¡°I¡¯ll ask someone to get another vi for you.¡± Ethan fished out his phone and was ready to contact someone. ¡°Let me stay over in your vi for one night. Please.¡± Selena pouted, pretending to be pitiful. ¡°There are other vacant vis. Just give me a second.¡± Ethan insisted on getting her another vi. Seeing that, Selena had no choice but to give up. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Mr. Quarles. I guess I¡¯ll just go back to my vi. Thanks.¡± Ethan nodded. ¡°See you.¡± With that, he turned around and left. Behind him, Selena watched him leave while feeling ecstatic. Ethan Quarles¡­ I¡¯ll get you no matter what! The trip is worth it, for I¡¯ve found such a handsome man. The next morning, a cruise ship pulled up at the dock. While wearing a backpack, Willow stepped out of the vessel. The people in that area couldn¡¯t help but be attracted to her youthfulness and beauty. She¡¯s such a beautiful and elegantdy! A wealthy young man had been trying to talk to her while on their way there, but he still hadn¡¯t managed to find out her name. Since they were about to part ways, he bit the bullet and asked, ¡°Can we be friends, miss? What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Willow Presgrave.¡± ¡°Are you a Presgrave?¡± The young man was shocked. ¡°Yeah. What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with Jared?¡± ¡°He¡¯s my brother,¡± Willow replied. Just then, the bodyguard, who had been by her side, said, ¡°Miss, the car is ready.¡± The young man was dumbfounded, for he realized he had been trying to woo a youngdy from the Presgrave Family. ¡°Hey¡­¡± The bodyguard lifted his hand and said, ¡°Please stop right there, mister.¡± With that, Willow headed to the car park with the protection of four bodyguards. Josephine had woken up early to go out with her mother and have breakfast together. However, when Heidi came across some old friends, she started ignoring her daughter. A bored Josephine sat down on a bench in the park and spaced out at the sea. Just then, she heard a man calling out to her excitedly, ¡°Josephine!¡± When Josephine turned her head and saw the man, she immediately leaped from the bench and ran away in a particr direction, as though a disaster had struck. ¡°Hey! Stop running!¡± The man quickly ran after her. He was the man Josephine¡¯s grandfather wanted her to go on dates with. He had been trying to woo her for over a year. Although Josephine didn¡¯t love him, he was still zestful. However, some of his actions could be considered harassment. The man had done things like waiting for her outside herpany with flowers, proposing to her in front of many people, surprising her with lots of balloons, and putting up a banner outside the building opposite herpany. He had even stalked her on several asions. However, Josephine¡¯s grandfather was fond of him, so she could only run away whenever she saw him. Although she didn¡¯t expect to see him there, it shouldn¡¯te as a surprise. After all, the man was wealthy, and his family was powerful in Averna. ¡°Stop running, Joey!¡± When Josephine heard the man calling out to her dearly, she started running as fast as her legs could carry her. However, the man was getting closer to her, so it was apparent he didn¡¯t want to miss the chance. Just as Josephine was running out of energy, she realized she had lost her way. She looked around and saw that she was on a golf course, so she ran directly into a lounge to hide. Right then, she crashed into a man who wasing out of the lounge with a thud. She started seeing stars after her head bumped into the man¡¯s firm chest. Being a gentleman, he supported her weight and asked caringly, ¡°Are you alright, miss?¡± With a red face, Josephine looked up and saw an attractive face. What a coincidence! I didn¡¯t expect to crash into him! On the other hand, Ethan frowned when he realized who the woman was. I can¡¯t believe the Peeping Tom is here! He immediately retracted his hands. ¡°Joey!¡± called out a man anxiously as he panted. ¡°Where are you?¡± Josephine no longer had any strength to run, so she racked her brains while panting. As an idea sprang into her mind, she hooked her arm around Ethan¡¯s and pleaded, ¡°Please lend me a hand.¡± Before Ethan could react, he saw a man in a suit entering the ce and looking at him and the woman beside him in shock. ¡°Joey¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Luke. Let me introduce my boyfriend to you,¡± said Josephine charmingly as she ran her fingers through her hair. Luke looked at Ethan and felt that he couldn¡¯tpare to him. He didn¡¯t expect Josephine to have a boyfriend. What was more, the man was tall and handsome. ¡°Is he your boyfriend?¡± Luke asked in disappointment. Josephine nodded firmly. ¡°Yes, he is.¡± Then, she shed a sweet smile at the man beside her, hoping that he would y along. Curling his lips, Ethan looked teasingly at her and said in a masculine voice, ¡°Dear, why don¡¯t you tell him what my name is?¡± The smile on Josephine¡¯s face froze. Why is this man making things difficult for me? How am I supposed to know his name? On the other hand, Luke was waiting for the woman to introduce her boyfriend. He had to find out the man¡¯s name so that he could look into his backgroundter. If the man was handsome but poor, that meant he still had a chance. ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡± Luke directly asked. Josephine forced a smile and questioned the man beside her, ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell him your name, dear?¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re my girlfriend, you¡¯re supposed to know my name. Hurry up. Tell him proudly what my name is.¡± Ethan gaped at her yfully. Josephine gritted her teeth while trying toe up with a random name. She then said to Luke, ¡°His name is Wayne Bowen.¡± I hope he won¡¯t expose my lie! Just then, Ethan snapped his fingers, after which a staff member came over and asked, ¡°Do you need anything, Mr. Quarles?¡± Ethan directly pushed the woman away and sneered. ¡°You¡¯re pretty good at acting, huh? Stop trying to use all sorts of tricks and approach me, will you?¡± Josephine was dumbfounded. He¡¯s got quite an imagination there! Ethan said to Luke, ¡°My name is Ethan Quarles. I don¡¯t know this woman, nor am I interested in knowing her.¡± With that, he turned around and left. Luke was astonished, while Josephine was embarrassed. Josephine bit her lip while flushing in embarrassment. Luke looked sympathetically at her and cated her by saying, ¡°Ignore him, Joey.¡± Not wanting to run anymore, Josephine let out a sigh and said, ¡°Let¡¯s grab a drink or two.¡± Instantly, Luke was ted. It seems that being persistent is useful, after all. Presently, Josephine was in a terrible mood. She couldn¡¯t me anyone for the humiliation as she had asked for it. On the other hand, Ethan was returning to the vi. As he looked out the window and took in the view along the road, he couldn¡¯t help but recall the woman he had just taught a lesson. For some reason, he was pleased. Rarely anyone could affect him emotionally, but the woman was an exception. Jared called him just then and invited him to his ce. Therefore, he turned the steering wheel and went over. When he arrived, he bumped into a young woman who wasing from a different direction. He curled his lips and called out amiably, ¡°Willy.¡± ¡°Ethan!¡± Willow approached him with a smile. ¡°We haven¡¯t met for quite a while. Have you grown taller?¡± Ethan asked with a smile. ¡°I think so!¡± Willow was now five-foot-four, which was tall enough for a woman. Although her father wanted her to grow to five-foot-five, she just couldn¡¯t manage to achieve that. Anyway, she was just as tall as her mother. ¡°Do you have a girlfriend now, Ethan?¡± Willow asked, liking gossip about other¡¯s love life. A helpless Ethan shook his head. ¡°No woman is interested in me.¡± ¡°There are many beautifuldies around here. Why don¡¯t I arrange some dates for you? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find a girlfriend in no time.¡± Willow didn¡¯t believe his words at all. Since he was a brilliant man, he must be fastidious when it came to women. ¡°You¡¯re as mischievous as ever!¡± Ethan guffawed. Since he didn¡¯t have a sister, he regarded Jared¡¯s sister to be his own. Every time he met the woman, he had the urge to tease her. ¡°Stop teasing him, Willy.¡± Anastasia appeared just then. Ethan greeted politely, ¡°Hi, Miss Tillman.¡± Anastasia responded with a smile. ¡°Come on in.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make the arrangements right away, Ethan!¡± Willow said cheekily. As expected, Ethan turned around nervously. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give you a giftter. Stop messing with me. Go out and y.¡± Since Willow would be receiving a present, her eyes brightened. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll be waiting for your gift.¡± ¡°Where are you going, Willy?¡± Anastasia asked. ¡°I¡¯m going to the beach.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t wear revealing swimwear and be cautious,¡± Anastasia reminded. ¡°I got it, Mom.¡± Willow waved her hand and left the ce. Meanwhile, a car pulled up in front of Connor¡¯s vi. A bodyguard left the vehicle and opened the car door before a woman in a light yellow dress revealed herself. Her fluffy pleated dress was made from silk, and hercy sleeves added a hint of romance to her appearance. Her long wavy hair was loosely tied with a simple hairband. What was more, her silky hair made her skin glow. After the bodyguard pressed the doorbell, Connor came over and greeted them, followed by Olivia and Selena. As they looked at the woman outside the gates, they were shocked. The woman was none other than Ellen. However, she now looked like a princess who had stepped out of a medieval castle and arrived at their door in a fancy dress. Connor quickly opened the gates, eximing, ¡°Hi, Ellie!¡± ¡°How are you, Uncle Connor? Have you gotten used to the ce?¡± Ellen asked. Behind him, Olivia and Selena felt their emotions undting in their hearts. Selena was especially green with envy when she saw how elegant and noble Ellen looked. On the other hand, Olivia regretted treating Ellen badly in the past. If she had been kinder to her, would she share some of her happiness now? Nheless, what was done couldn¡¯t be undone. It would beughable if she even tried to make up for her mistakes. ¡°We¡¯ve been wondering when we¡¯d see you, Ellie. You¡¯re gorgeous! Come on in!¡± Olivia still greeted Ellen with a zestful smile. ¡°Yeah. Pleasee in,¡± Connor said. However, Ellen shook her head. ¡°I won¡¯t be going in. I¡¯m just here to take a look at you. If you need anything, you can contact the staff members here. They¡¯ll assist you.¡± All of a sudden, Olivia wanted to take Ellen¡¯s hand, but the bodyguard raised his hand and stopped the woman from approaching. In an instant, Olivia¡¯s face stiffened. She¡¯s put on airs, huh? Jared had told the bodyguards to stop the Aguirres from approaching Ellen. She was pregnant, after all, and he was worried that the Aguirres might identally hurt her. ¡°Is this how you treat us now, Ellen? With all the bodyguards around you?¡± Selena snorted, feeling displeased over her mother¡¯s treatment. ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Lena!¡± Connor scolded. Ellen didn¡¯t tell them that she was pregnant, and it was indeed inappropriate for Olivia to try pulling her. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave now, Uncle Connor.¡± With that, Ellen turned around and walked toward the car. After she was gone, Olivia¡¯s face fell. ¡°It¡¯s just as I expected. Since she¡¯s wealthy now, she no longer regards us as rtives.¡± On the other hand, Selena¡¯s gaze was full of determination. Ellen¡¯s noble demeanor had agitated her. At that moment, she decided to get the man she had bumped into the other night at all costs. A joyful Connor said, ¡°Ellie looks so elegant and noble now.¡± ¡°So what? She looks down on rtives like us now.¡± Olivia snorted. ¡­ The wedding would be held the next day, so the entire ind was filled with a blissful atmosphere. Wedding decorations could be seen everywhere, and all the guests felt at home. Meanwhile, a frustrated Josephine was drinking coffee. Seeing that she was still vexed, Luke appeased her by saying, ¡°Joey, why don¡¯t I teach that man a lesson for bullying you? Perhaps you¡¯ll feel better that way.¡± Josephine shook her head. ¡°I offended him first.¡± Luke was attracted to Josephine as she spaced out. The woman had a conflicting temperament; she looked obedient while spacing out, but aggressive and full of energy when she worked. What was more, whenever she blew her top or argued with other people, she was mean and willful, but she also appeared confident at the same time. More often than not, Luke felt that he could never have any control over the woman, and that was what made her attractive. He had the urge to conquer her and make her his. Furthermore, even though her grandfather was retired, he was still influential. ¡°I have to work now.¡± With that, Josephine rose from the chair and left. Luke ran after her and said, ¡°Do you want to go to the beach, Joey? The water is clear. Why don¡¯t we take a stroll?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯m swamped with work.¡± Josephine came up with an excuse and headed to the pedestrian walkway. As soon as she rounded a corner, she saw a fancy convertible charging toward her. She was so shocked that she stood rooted to the spot. Her face paled in an instant, and her soul almost left her body. Damn it! Who would drive a car on the pedestrian walkway?! ¡°Joey!¡± Luke rushed over and pulled her back. The man in the convertible immediately stepped on the brake pedal, after which their eyes met. ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± When Josephine came to her senses, she was infuriated. So what if he has a convertible? He¡¯s not supposed to be driving on the pedestrian walkway! ¡°You again!¡± Ethan took off his sunsses and revealed his chiseled face before looking at her mockingly. ¡°Do you even have a driver¡¯s license? If you had crashed into my girlfriend, I would¡¯ve never let you off!¡± Luke promptly defended the woman. ¡°Huh? Has she even agreed to be your girlfriend yet?¡± Ethan arched his brow. Suddenly, Josephinended a fist on the bo and warned, ¡°Drive your car away. It¡¯s the pedestrian walkway!¡± Then, she approached the driver¡¯s seat and crashed her elbow into the door with a thud. A dumbfounded Ethan turned his head and watched as the woman strode away in a fury. As he looked at her slender figure, he felt speechless. That woman is so feisty! At any rate, he was in the wrong. Since he was in a hurry to go back and attend an online meeting, he took a shortcut and drove onto the pedestrian walkway. As Luke looked at the woman, he was secretly ted. Haha! Handsomeness doesn¡¯t matter to Josephine. She doesn¡¯t even have any regard for such a good-looking man. Josephine was a rebellious and obstinate person, which was why she managed to gain a footing in the world of mass media. While returning to the vi, Ethan looked out the window and took in the view, but all he thought about was the brave and beautiful woman. Since the wedding was around the corner, everyone on the ind was shrouded in a sense of happiness. The guests enjoyed themselves as though they were on a vacation. Meanwhile, Olivia had been taking Connor to try out different restaurants on the ind for the past few days. One thing had been bothering her, though¡ªshe had no idea what to wear to the wedding the next day, for she did not have any expensive clothing. Although she had a few dresses from luxury brands, they were outdated. She would only be a laughingstock if she put on any of those. Therefore, she came up with a solution. Since they could borrow formal clothes from the staff members, she decided to bite the bullet and make such a request. She imed that she and her family members had forgotten to bring formal clothes, so they wanted to borrow a few outfits from them. The staff members would always try to fulfill the guests¡¯ requests. Although they knew that the woman was lying, they still served her with a smile. Just like that, Olivia managed to borrow some proper clothes for her family members and herself. In the evening, Selena returned to the vi after having fun outside. When she saw that her mother had borrowed a formal dress for her, she was pleased. Now, she could put on the dress and meet Ethan with confidence. ¡°You know what, Mom? There will be a bonfire party on the beachter. It¡¯ll be fun. Would you like to come with me?¡± Selena asked. ¡°The party is meant for young people, so I¡¯m not going.¡± Olivia wasn¡¯t interested. Then, she asked her daughter in a small voice, ¡°Have youe across any man you like?¡± A smile formed on Selena¡¯s face. ¡°Yes. Not only is he handsome, but he¡¯s also from a wealthy family.¡± ¡°You must seize the chance and get him while we¡¯re here, then.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no rush, Mom. I¡¯lle up with a way,¡± assured Selena as she looked forward to bumping into the man at the bonfire party. ¡°You¡¯re my only hope.¡± Olivia sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t disappoint you.¡± Certainly, Selena hoped to marry a wealthy man as well. As she looked at the view outside the window, she felt fidgety. Looks like it¡¯s going to be an unforgettable night. Unlike Selena¡¯s eagerness, Josephine was being nagged by her mother in the adjacent vi. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you going to the party, Joey? It¡¯s a good chance for you to meet new friends and even find a husband,¡± said Heidi, persuading her daughter to go to the party. She heard that all the young people on the ind would be attending the bonfire party. Initially, she thought that her daughter was going as well, but when she realized that it wasn¡¯t the case, she was vexed. ¡°Why are you in a rush, Mom? I¡¯m only 25, and I don¡¯t want to get married yet,¡± Josephine replied while reading a book. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re only 25, but if you keep putting off finding a boyfriend, you¡¯ll be 30 in the blink of an eye. You have to look for a decent man and get married while you¡¯re in your prime. When you get older, you¡¯ll have fewer choices.¡± Heidi felt helpless. Since Josephine was her only child, she certainly hoped that her daughter would get married sooner. Chapter 1771-1780 Chapter 1771-1780 ¡°As long as you¡¯re willing to attend the party, you cane up with a demand.¡± Heidi had no choice but to make such a promise. ¡°For real? Can Ie up with any demand?¡± Josephine appeared tempted. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right,¡± Heidi replied sincerely. Josephine put down the book and said, ¡°Alright. When we go home, you can¡¯t stop me from moving out. That¡¯s my demand.¡± Heidi was startled while considering whether she should agree to it. ¡°I¡¯m 25, Mom. If you don¡¯t let me move out, no man will ever marry me,¡± said Josephine, mounting pressure on her mother. ¡°You¡¯re not very old, so what¡¯s wrong with you staying with us?¡± Heidi felt that she couldn¡¯t agree to it; she didn¡¯t have the heart to let her daughter move out, after all. ¡°Mom, my friends are around my age, but none of their parents demand that they return home before 9.00PM. I¡¯m the only one who has a curfew. How do you expect me to find a husband when you don¡¯t give me freedom? Is that even possible?¡± Josephine said matter-of-factly. After giving it some thought, Heidi nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll agree to it. However, you have to do your best to find a husband tonight.¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll try very hard to get a brilliant boyfriend.¡± Josephine was ted deep within. I¡¯ll be free! Since she was a young child, she had been forced to live a disciplined life, and it was finallying to an end. She could order food delivery in the middle of the night and binge-watch dramas until the next morning, and no one would wake her up while she was asleep. She could also bring her friends to her ce as she pleased. She felt unfettered at the thought of it. ¡°Go back to your room and change into a nice dress. Look at what you¡¯re wearing. I don¡¯t even wear such a tacky color, but you¡¯re fine with it,¡± Heidi nagged. Josephine refuted, ¡°What do you know, Mom? It¡¯s my style!¡± With that, she went upstairs and opened the wardrobe before going through the clothes she had brought with her. Eventually, she found a camisole dress she had never put on before. She bought it while shopping in a mall back then, but since she was swamped with work, she hadn¡¯t gotten around to wearing it yet. When she heard that they wereing to an ind, she decided to bring it with her, but she still hadn¡¯t had the chance to put it on. It¡¯s the best dress for the party. It was a blue camisole dress made from silk. The design was niche, and it would make the wearer look both sexy and elegant. Since she was going to put the dress on, she had to apply some makeup as well. Therefore, she fished out her cosmetic bag and focused on getting ready. Since it¡¯s nighttime, why don¡¯t I make myself look more charming? When Josephine was done, she went downstairs. Heidi almost couldn¡¯t recognize her daughter. She looks as attractive as the hottest celebrities now! ¡°I¡¯m heading out now, Mom.¡± ¡°Your makeup is a little heavy, and your lipstick might be too red,¡± Heidi said. ¡°Mom, bright red lipstick is very trendy now. I wouldn¡¯t look attractive if I wore light makeup at night.¡± Josephine could alwayse up with an excuse to persuade her mother. Meanwhile, a huge bonfire had been set up on the beach, and yellow tables with long tablecloths were ced around the bonfire. Bottles of wine, fruits, and roses filled the tables. The light show turned the beach into an exciting party under the night sky. It was a paradise for young people to have fun. The uplifting music prompted the guests to dance; they could temporarily forget about their worries and seek happiness that night. Selena had been there for quite a while. There were youngsters as well as middle-aged guests in their forties. Certainly, countless beautifuldies had attended the party. Waitresses in revealing clothes and handsome waiters in white shirts were also a sight to behold. Presently, Selena was seated near the entrance. She had been keeping an eye on every guest who entered the ce since she was waiting for Ethan¡¯s arrival. At that moment, most of the guests had arrived. Although they didn¡¯t know each other, they had fun together at the party. The young people at the party could also seize the chance to look for potential partners. Suddenly, Selena caught sight of a familiar face. She¡¯s the young woman who stays beside our vi. She¡¯s all dressed up tonight, and she looks even more beautiful now. She took the initiative to say, ¡°Hey! Do you want to sit with me?¡± Although Josephine was a reporter, she was introverted when she wasn¡¯t working. Since Selena had invited her, she pulled out a chair and sat down. ¡°What do you do for a living?¡± Selena asked curiously. She could tell that Josephine came from an ordinary family, unlike the other haughty, wealthydies. ¡°Hi, my name is Josephine Jacobson. I¡¯m a reporter,¡± Josephine replied. Hearing that, Selena asked, ¡°You¡¯re a reporter, eh? Are you here for work?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m here to attend the wedding with my mom.¡± Josephine shook her head and asked, ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the bride¡¯s cousin.¡± Selena loved introducing herself as Ellen¡¯s rtive as it gave her a sense of superiority. As expected, Josephine looked at her in shock. ¡°You¡¯re the bride¡¯s rtive?!¡± It¡¯s no wonder her mother was so haughty after bumping into my mom the other day. They¡¯re the bride¡¯s rtives, after all. A smug smile appeared on Selena¡¯s face as she ran her fingers through her long hair. ¡°Yeah.¡± Josephine looked in the bonfire¡¯s direction and saw that many people in expensive clothes had gathered as they spoke differentnguages. There were also many guests from foreign countries. It was her first time seeing so many people from different parts of the world, so it felt exciting. ¡°Do you have a target tonight?¡± Selena asked all of a sudden. Josephine was startled for a moment before asking, ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Selena replied confidently. ¡°Oh. What¡¯s his name?¡± Josephine asked curiously as she took a ss of water from the waiter and drank it. ¡°His name is Ethan Quarles,¡± Selena uttered proudly. Upon hearing that, Josephine sprayed out a mouthful of water. Embarrassed, she wiped her mouth with a piece of tissue and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. The water is too cold.¡± ¡°Do you know him?¡± Selena asked with squinted eyes. She felt that Josephine¡¯s reaction was rather uncalled for. Josephine quickly denied it by waving her hand and saying, ¡°No, no, no. I don¡¯t know him. Honestly speaking, I don¡¯t know anyone else on the ind apart from you. I haven¡¯t even met the bride and the groom yet.¡± Selena believed her as she rested her chin on her palm and said, ¡°He¡¯s a very handsome biracial man. Moreover, he¡¯s the groom¡¯s best friend.¡± Josephine couldn¡¯t help feeling gossipy. As she recalled the woman and Ethan making out the other night, she asked, ¡°Since you know him so well, what base have you reached with him?¡± Selena loved bragging, so she raised her hands and connected both of her index fingers. Josephine figured they must have kissed. Just then, Selena looked behind Josephine as her pupils dted. She cupped her face excitedly and said, ¡°Oh, my gosh! He¡¯s here!¡± Hearing that, Josephine felt her chest tightening. She turned her head and saw Ethan appearing at the entrance that was embellished with lights. He was wearing a dark shirt and a pair of khaki pants, making him look attractive among the crowd. Josephine hurriedly pocketed her gaze. Just then, Selena asked, ¡°Is my makeup still intact? How does my lipstick look?¡± After examining the woman, Josephine replied, ¡°Your makeup looks perfect.¡± The next moment, Selena rose from her chair and went to greet Ethan, who was about to brush past them. ¡°Hey, Mr. Quarles. Would you like to sit with us?¡± Ethan turned his head and saw Selena waving her hand. At the same time, he saw a woman at the same table. In an instant, he was attracted to the slender figure under the lights. Although he hadn¡¯t seen her face yet, she had the kind of figure that most men loved. Since the woman was wearing a camisole dress, he could see her blemish-free shoulders. Her hair had been tied up loosely, which revealed her alluring neck. Although Ethan could only see the woman¡¯s back, she had an impable figure. He wondered if her face looked just as attractive. As he grew curious, he walked toward Selena, hoping to see the woman¡¯s face. Selena felt her heart thumping in her chest when she saw the man approaching her, and she could barely conceal her excitement. Josephine didn¡¯t expect Selena to ask the man to sit with them, so she said to the woman, ¡°I¡¯d better not be the third wheel, then.¡± With that, she rose from the chair and turned around, facing the man directly. Under the lights, Ethan appeared doubtful. What? It¡¯s her?! That¡¯s impossible. She looked unkempt in the morning, but she looks so gorgeous at night. Josephine pretended not to know him. Although she knew that Ethan was staring at her, she ignored him and hurriedly left the ce. Ethan was rooted to the spot for a few seconds before feeling displeased. What the hell?! Why is she pretending not to know me? Hey!¡± he called out while turning around. Josephine stopped in her tracks with a frustrated expression. Why did he call out to me? Isn¡¯t he supposed to go on a date with that woman? Ethan tucked one hand into his pocket and shuffled toward Josephine before sneering. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t you know me anymore?¡± Upon seeing that, Selena was astounded. It never crossed her mind that Ethan and Josephine knew each other. She flushed and red resentfully at Josephine, wondering why the woman lied to her. On the other hand, Josephine was extremely embarrassed. She told Selena that she didn¡¯t know Ethan, but the man exposed her lie. Hence, it was only natural that she was vexed. She crossed her arms and questioned, ¡°Do I know you, mister?¡± Just then, Luke discovered Josephine and ran toward her excitedly. ¡°Hi, Joey!¡± Upon registering the man¡¯s presence, Josephine shed a smile at him, hoping that he would get her out of trouble. Luke was astonished when he saw how beautiful Josephine looked. It was his first time seeing her all dressed up. ¡°You look fabulous, Joey! Your dress and makeup make a huge difference!¡± Lukeplimented the woman while approaching her. When he caught sight of Ethan, he snapped. ¡°Hey, will you stop harassing my girlfriend?¡± Ethan furrowed his brows. ¡°Me, harassing your girlfriend?¡± ¡°Ignore him, Joey. My friends are over there. Let¡¯s go.¡± Luke wanted to drape his arm around Josephine¡¯s shoulders, but she dexterously dodged it. Left with no choice, he retracted his hand with a smile. Ethan watched Josephine leave as his amber eyes appeared conflicted. When he came to his senses, he saw Selena approaching him. Selena happened to see the man looking at Josephine¡¯s figure. Her heart sank while she felt infuriated. She¡¯s such a scheming woman! She knows Ethan, but she lied to me about it. What is she trying to achieve? Does she want to snatch Ethan from me? ¡°Have a seat, Mr. Quarles,¡± Selena said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m going to sit with my friends.¡± Ethan didn¡¯t want to sit beside Selena. He had previously sent her back to her vi because she was the bride¡¯s rtive, but it didn¡¯t mean he was interested in her. He could live his life peacefully since he wouldn¡¯t engage in any ambiguous rtionships or give the other party false hope. ¡°Mr. Quarles, I feel bored on my own. Why don¡¯t I join you guys as well?¡± Selena asked with a sweet smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but my friend is a woman. I¡¯m worried she¡¯ll be jealous,¡± Ethan replied, signaling for the woman not to approach him. Selena flushed in embarrassment and forced a smile. ¡°Alright. I hope you¡¯ll have a great night.¡± After the man was gone, Selena appeared disappointed and displeased. At the same time, she looked furiously in Josephine¡¯s direction, believing the woman was why she failed to approach Ethan. Ethan was heading in Josephine¡¯s direction while the woman was about to turn her head to find out if Selena and the man had gone on a date. She was shocked to realize that the man was only six feet away from her, and they even exchanged nces. In an instant, Josephine had the urge to run away, for she felt that the man wasing at her. However, she soon calmed herself down. Why should I run away? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m afraid of him. He¡¯s just a man, and there¡¯s no way I can¡¯t handle him. ¡°May I have a word with you, miss?¡± Ethan¡¯s masculine voice sounded from behind her. Instantly, Luke turned his head and red at him. ¡°Hey, I warned you not to harass my girlfriend. Are you sick of living?¡± He was an impetuous man, and he felt that protecting Josephine was his responsibility. ¡°If she were your girlfriend, she wouldn¡¯t have made use of me to get rid of you,¡± Ethan refuted matter- of-factly. ¡°You!¡± Luke was about to blow his top. Josephine quickly stopped him, for she didn¡¯t want to draw everyone¡¯s attention and let them watch two men fight for her. She took Luke¡¯s hand and tried to appease him with her feminine charm. ¡°Calm down, Luke. Let me deal with this.¡± It was Luke¡¯s first time hearing the woman speak to him softly. Under the lights, her smile was just as bright as pearls. Her lips, brows, and eyes were stunningly alluring. While Luke fell into a dazed state, Ethan also noticed the woman showing her charm. It was as though she was able to enchant any man in the world. Luke soon calmed down. When Josephine turned to look at Ethan, the smile disappeared from her face, and her expression turned dispassionate in an instant. It was as though she wasn¡¯t even willing to spare him a smile. ¡°This way please, Mr. Quarles.¡± Josephine extended her hand, thinking that they¡¯d better talk everything out. She wondered if she had offended him in any way before. On the other hand, Ethan sported a dark expression because of the contrasting treatment he received. When Selena saw Josephine and Ethan going somewhere quiet, she was incensed. As expected, Josephine is trying to snatch Ethan from me. She¡¯s such a b*tch! Josephine stood beside amppost, staying away from the boisterous crowd and loud music. Then, she said to the man, ¡°What do you want to tell me, Mr. Quarles? You¡¯d better hurry up.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing I want to say.¡± Ethan crossed his arms, feeling speechless. She seems to be ming everything on me. ¡°Why did you tell me you wanted to have a word with me when you have nothing to say, then? Do you have nothing better to do?¡± Josephine felt annoyed. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Ethan asked. Josephine was startled, realizing that she hadn¡¯t told him her name yet. ¡°I¡¯m not obliged to tell you my name.¡± Josephine arched her brow smugly. Ethan snorted. ¡°Do you know who I am, then?¡± ¡°We won¡¯te into contact again after the wedding, so your identity has nothing to do with me.¡± Josephine didn¡¯t want to speak to him any further. Since the woman wasn¡¯t willing to tell him her name, Ethan had the urge to find out more about her. He felt conflicted deep within. ¡°You¡¯d better go back and keep your girlfriendpany. Don¡¯t keep her waiting,¡± Josephine reminded. ¡°My girlfriend?¡± Ethan thought, Since when do I have a girlfriend? ¡°She told me her name is Selena. Isn¡¯t she your girlfriend?¡± Josephine knew that Selena was staring in their direction. ¡°I¡¯ve only known her for several days,¡± Ethan exined. Josephine was secretly speechless. Although they have only known each other for a few days, they have already made out. I guess handsome men are usually this flirtatious. ¡°I¡¯m heading back to my friend¡¯s side.¡± With that, Josephine brushed past him to leave. For some reason, Ethan took her arm all of a sudden. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Josephine struggled out of his grip, displeased with the man for touching her without her consent. Ethan was startled for a moment. He had done that subconsciously, not wanting the woman to leave. ¡°I¡¯m warning you¡ªstop harassing me. I¡¯m not interested in yboys like you,¡± Josephine said sternly. ¡°Huh?¡± Ethan was puzzled as to why the woman suddenly used him of being a yboy. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a yboy? Do you think I have no idea that you made out with Miss Selena while sending her homest night? She told me that the two of you kissed, but you im that you¡¯ve only known her for several days. I¡¯m kind enough not to say you¡¯re promiscuous.¡± Josephine sneered and looked contemptuously at him. Upon finishing her words, she was ready to leave. However, Ethan grabbed her arm all of a sudden. With his iron grip, he pulled the woman closer to him. An unsuspecting Josephine fell backward. As she eximed, the man wrapped his arm around her waist. Just like that, the two of them got into a somewhat awkward position. It was as though they had finished dancing and stopped for thest pose. Instinctively, Josephine raised her hand and pped the man¡¯s handsome face. The man was dumbfounded. It never crossed his mind that Josephine would be the first person in his life to p him in the face. While he was in a dazed state, Josephine pushed him away and stepped backward. ¡°If you dare harass me again, I¡¯ll call for help!¡± With that, she left the ce in a fury. Ethan held his reddened cheek, feeling frustrated. His gaze looked inscrutable as he traced the woman. At the same time, the urge to conquer the woman rose within him. Instead of returning to Luke¡¯s side, Josephine ordered a ss of cold water to calm herself down. Her hand still ached from pping the man. On the other hand, Luke had been asking around to find out about Ethan¡¯s identity, but no one knew who the handsome man was. Someone guessed that Ethan was probably a model, for he had a fit figure and a good-looking face. While Josephine was drinking water, a woman suddenly said through gritted teeth from behind, ¡°Josephine, right? You¡¯re such a scheming woman!¡± Selena was there to find fault with her. Josephine turned to look at her without feeling surprised. She put down her ss and said, ¡°Would you mind letting me exin, Miss Aguirre?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me about your rtionship with Ethan?¡± Selena was eager to know the answer to that. ¡°We¡¯re just strangers who have nothing to do with each other.¡± With that, Josephine raised the hand she had used to p the man. ¡°Do you see this? I just pped him in the face because he harassed me. Miss Aguirre, I suggest that you stay as far away from him as possible. He might be carrying STDs, you know.¡± Selena was enraged by her words. What¡¯s wrong with that? Does she have no regard for a handsome man like Ethan? What¡¯s the point of her putting on an act? ¡°Stop ying tricks, Josephine. You want me to stay away from him so that you can have him to yourself, right? Well, I won¡¯t fall for your dirty trick.¡± Selena believed that she had seen through the woman¡¯s mind. Josephine was startled for a moment. Realizing that she had failed to persuade Selena, she could only reply with a helpless smile, ¡°I¡¯m not interested in him.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem like a wealthy youngdy. Do you think you¡¯re beautiful? Let me tell you something¡ª Ethan is out of your league!¡± Selena wanted to get her revenge by criticizing the woman. Hearing that, Josephine smiled nonchntly. ¡°I¡¯m indeed an ordinary person.¡± ¡°In that case, why are you putting on an act? What gives you a sense of superiority? Are you trying to show off that you¡¯re adept at seducing men?¡± Selena was getting increasingly agitated. Josephine found the woman ridiculous. ¡°Miss Aguirre, I don¡¯t want to offend you, so we¡¯d better stop right here. Bye.¡± Josephine refused to argue with the woman. She was a well-mannereddy, after all. Luke appeared just then and said, ¡°This way, Joey. Come on, we¡¯ve just started drinking. We¡¯ll also be dancingter.¡± Josephine wanted to go back and get some rest, but when she recalled that she could move out of her house by staying at the party long enough, she decided to hold on. She then sat among Luke¡¯s friends. They had heard about Luke pursuing Josephine romantically, so they treated her politely. Also, they were aware that the woman had an influential grandfather, so they didn¡¯t dare underestimate her. ¡°Joey, I heard there will be fireworkster. Why don¡¯t we watch it together?¡± Luke thought that if he could stay by her side during such a romantic moment, they would create wonderful memories together. Josephine responded with a smile and looked around. Inadvertently, she caught sight of a man who was seated at the farthest table. He was none other than Ethan. He sat there on his own amidst the boisterous crowd. It was as though he was shrouded in a sense of loneliness. Coupled with the bonfire in the distance, he looked rather pitiful. Josephine frowned and thought that she might have crossed the line by pping the man. However, when she turned her head to look at him several minutester, she realized the man was already surrounded by women. He¡¯s a yboy, after all. I shouldn¡¯t have taken pity on him! When Luke realized that Josephine was looking in Ethan¡¯s direction, he felt dejected. What¡¯s going on? Does she fancy that man? There was no doubt that Ethan was significantly more handsome, and he was six feet three inches tall. His bulging muscles showed that he worked out frequently, and he was charming enough to be the male lead in a movie. Therefore, Luke could only derive his confidence from his wealth. He assumed that the man was just a poor model who was there to flirt with women. It was a wonder how the man even managed toe to the wedding. ¡°What are you looking at, Joey?¡± asked Luke deliberately. Josephine could only lie to him. ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m just looking at the night view.¡± Selena wanted to go to Ethan¡¯s side as well, but he was already surrounded by three women. It wasn¡¯t like she could take a chair with her and sit down with them, for that would be rather degrading. Although Ethan was surrounded by women, he wasn¡¯t interested in any of them. In truth, they had beautiful faces and curvy figures, but they were not attractive to him. On the other hand, he still couldn¡¯t forget about the woman who pped him in the face. What¡¯s wrong with me? Why do I love feisty women like her instead of obedient ones? ¡°Mr. Handsome, please tell us your name. Let¡¯s be friends!¡± The women around Ethan were all wealthy youngdies, so they were not shy when it came to chatting men up. Ethan was one of the most good-looking men they had ever met, so it was only natural that they wanted to get to know him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯d like to be alone. Please leave now,¡± Ethan ordered. ¡°What¡¯s your contact number, Mr. Handsome? We should grab a coffee someday.¡± ¡°Are you deaf or something?¡± All of a sudden, Ethan¡¯s gaze turned cold, and his tone was harsh. Thedies were shocked, not expecting the handsome man to have such a terrifying side. ¡°We¡¯re sorry for bothering you.¡± The three of them left in a hurry as though they were running away from a disaster. Engulfed in the lights, Ethan gave off an intimidating vibe. Just as he looked in Josephine¡¯s direction, his expression changed. He was like a predator who was gaping at his prey. Since Luke wanted to win Josephine¡¯s heart, he decided to invite her to the walkway illuminated with lights. He thought it would be a romantic idea. Moreover, he was nning on confessing to her. When he wooed the woman back then, she turned him down repeatedly. Given the bright stars in the sky and the rxing atmosphere, Josephine might agree to be his girlfriend this time. The deafening music made Josephine feel ufortable, so she wanted to go somewhere quiet. Therefore, she followed Luke to the walkway. When Ethan saw how excited and expectant Luke appeared, he knew that the man was going to confess to Josephine. As expected, Luke picked up a rose from the table and hid it behind him. Ethan¡¯s lips curved into a yful smile when he saw that. He rose from the chair as well. While walking in front, Josephine couldn¡¯t help but be amazed by the beautiful lights. As she walked along the walkway, she soon moved further away from the bonfire and the morous crowd. Finally, when she rounded a corner, she saw a resting area for the guests. The lights in this area were amazing too as they were soft-looking and romantic. Behind her, Luke knew that he couldn¡¯t miss the chance, so he called out to her, ¡°Joey, why don¡¯t we get some rest here? This ce is pretty quiet.¡± Josephine dipped her head. When she saw a swing, she joyfully went over and sat on it. Luke could finally use the rose he had been hiding behind him. All of a sudden, he fell to one knee and confessed to the woman with a loving expression. He dered, ¡°Joey, you know I love you. Please be my girlfriend!¡± Josephine was startled, not expecting the man to confess to her in such a serious manner. ¡°Get up right away, Luke! What are you doing? Why can¡¯t we just be friends?¡± Josephine said anxiously. ¡°No! If you don¡¯t agree to it, I will never get up!¡± replied Luke with determination written all over his face. Josephine felt speechless, for Luke was an obstinate person. Over the past year, he had tried confessing to her in all sorts of ways, and she was left embarrassed every time. All of a sudden, a man was heard sneering. ¡°Oh! You¡¯d better not get up forever, then.¡± Ethan¡¯s tall figure emerged from the lights as he walked toward Josephine. When she saw the man, she was frustrated. Why does this man always appear when I¡¯m in the middle of something? ¡°Mister, don¡¯t you see me confessing to the woman I love? Can¡¯t you show some respect and leave us alone?¡± Although Luke was still kneeling, he was visibly displeased. Ethan loved destroying romantic moments like this. All of a sudden, he extended his hand and pulled Josephine up from the swing. An unsuspecting Josephine crashed into his embrace as the man wrapped his arm around her waist. ¡°You!¡± Josephine was vexed. Why is he touching me again? ¡°Miss Jacobson, why don¡¯t we witness this man¡¯s true heart together? Let¡¯s see if he¡¯ll continue kneeling until the next morning.¡± With that, Ethan grabbed the woman¡¯s arm and pulled her away. ¡°Hey! Release me! You¡¯re a b*stard, Ethan!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go, Joey! I¡¯m serious!¡± Luke called out anxiously. At that moment, he wasn¡¯t certain if he should run after them or continue kneeling. Meanwhile, Ethan dragged the woman to the other side of the walkway. Josephine finally managed to struggle out of the man¡¯s grip after exerting much force. While panting, she snapped. ¡°Stop meddling in my affairs, Ethan!¡± ¡°I saved you. Aren¡¯t you supposed to thank me?¡± Ethan questioned with squinted eyes. ¡°Nobody asked you for help. What does it have anything to do with you, anyway?¡± Josephine had turned Luke down many times, so she knew what to do. As such, she didn¡¯t need the man¡¯s help. On the contrary, she would be grateful if the man could stop bothering her. ¡°Are you saying that if I hadn¡¯t dragged you away, you would¡¯ve agreed to be his girlfriend?¡± Ethan asked curiously. ¡°This is none of your business. At the very least, I know I will never get together with you.¡± Josephine snorted and adjusted her dress. A breeze whisked through her just then as her hair pped in the air, which made her look charming. While she nced at the sea, her profile was stunning. Ethan was awestruck as he looked at her. She¡¯s pretty attractive tonight. Finding the atmosphere depressing, Josephine looked around. Since she had decided to return to the vi, she chose a direction and was ready to leave. ¡°Don¡¯t go. Have a talk with me,¡± Ethan called out to her all of a sudden. Josephine turned around and demanded, ¡°I charge a fee if you want to talk to me.¡± ¡°Is that so? How much do you charge per minute?¡± ¡°15,000.¡± Josephine was trying to intimidate him. ¡°Deal.¡± The man agreed to it. Hearing that, Josephine was stunned. Is he that wealthy? She was just trying to deter him. Now that he had agreed to it, she didn¡¯t want to do that. She frowned and said, ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m not interested in talking to you.¡± ¡°Have I ever offended you in any way?¡± Ethan was frustrated. ¡°Mr. Quarles, if you want thepany of women, there are a lot ofdies over there. I suppose Miss Aguirre is still around as well,¡± Josephine said. ¡°I only want to talk to you.¡± Ethan arched his brow. His dark gaze looked inscrutable. ¡°I¡¯ll pass.¡± With that, Josephine turned around and went up the steps. Since it was nighttime, she was unable to see clearly. Hence, she quickly lost her footing. ¡°Ah!¡± she eximed and fell to her knees. Much to her chagrin, her knees were wounded and started bleeding. ¡°It hurts!¡± She gasped as her knees were swollen. It was toote for Ethan to save her. He went over and squatted. ¡°Let me take a look.¡± ¡°You¡¯re such a jinx! Bad things happen to me whenever I bump into you! Stay away from me!¡± Josephine held her knees and red at him with teary eyes. ¡°How could you me it on me when you were not careful while going up the steps?¡± Ethan felt wronged. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault!¡± Josephine just wanted to be unreasonable at that moment. ¡°Alright, consider it my fault. Do you need my help now, Miss Jacobson?¡± Ethan asked. It wouldn¡¯t be easy for her to walk, after all. Josephine wasn¡¯t a frail woman, and she always considered herself to be tough. She grabbed the railing and said, ¡°I don¡¯t need your help. Go away. I can go back on my own.¡± ¡°Why are you acting tough when you¡¯re injured?¡± Ethan found her rather stubborn. If she pleaded with him, he was willing to carry her to her vi. ¡°Stop being nosy, Mr. Quarles. If you have nothing better to do, go home and sleep!¡± Josephine retorted. ¡°Forget it. I won¡¯t settle the score with you,¡± Ethan said from behind. While Josephine was plodding up the steps, he approached her and lifted her off her feet all of a sudden. ¡°Hey! Put me down, Ethan!¡± Josephine didn¡¯t need his help, nor did she want to be carried in such a way. Apart from her father, no other men had ever carried her like this before. ¡°Stop moving if you don¡¯t want to fall. Stay still,¡± Ethan warned. Just then, Luke arrived at the ce as he had decided to run after them earlier. ¡°Joey! Joey! Where are you?¡± Luke¡¯s voice was getting closer. Eventually, he arrived at the steps where Josephine had fallen. When he saw two people on the walkway, he quickly raced after them. Soon enough, he saw a towering man carrying a woman in his arms under themplights. Although he couldn¡¯t make out the woman¡¯s face, he recognized her slender legs and dress. It was apparent to him that the woman was Josephine. ¡°Put her down!¡± Luke rushed over in a fury. Dang it! How dare this b*stard snatch my girlfriend from me? He has crossed the line! When Luke reached the two of them, he didn¡¯t dare to snatch the woman from Ethan. Therefore, he raised his hand and demanded, ¡°Put Joey down.¡± Josephine didn¡¯t expect Luke toe. At that moment, she felt bashful. She had to acknowledge that Ethan had a pair of strong arms. While in his embrace, she felt safe andfortable. Since her knees were injured, she couldn¡¯t walk back to the vi. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Therefore, if Luke didn¡¯te, she would¡¯ve let Ethan send her back. Now that Luke was there, the situation was rather awkward. ¡°She¡¯s injured,¡± Ethan said coldly. ¡°I¡¯m sending her back.¡± ¡°What right do you have to send Joey back? Since I¡¯m her friend, it¡¯d be more appropriate for me to do so. Hand her over.¡± Luke extended his hands, ready to whisk Josephine away from the man. A shocked Josephine instinctively held Ethan¡¯s shoulders tighter. Pleased, Ethan lowered his head and curled his lips. As Josephine looked at him, she blushed. Fortunately, the lights around the area were dim, so she believed the man didn¡¯t see her bashfulness. ¡°You¡¯d better go back, Luke,¡± Josephine said. Honestly, she would rather let Ethan send her back. She could just thank him by then, and there wouldn¡¯t be any trouble. However, if she allowed Luke to carry her, she would owe him a favor, and it would be harder for her to turn him down. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Joey. I¡¯ll send you back safely. Why don¡¯t I carry you on my back?¡± Luke realized he didn¡¯t have the confidence to carry the woman in his arms; he rarely worked out, and he was only five-foot- seven. It would be strenuous for him to carry a five-foot-four woman. Displeased with the man, Ethan snorted. ¡°Get out of the way.¡± With that, he moved forward with the woman in his arms. ¡°No way! Stop right there! Only I can send Joey home!¡± Luke charged forward and got in their way again. ¡°I¡¯ll get a driver, Joey.¡± ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll walk.¡± Josephine felt that she¡¯d better rely on herself. ¡°No!¡± Ethan insisted all of a sudden. ¡°Why not?¡± Josephine questioned. ¡°I like carrying you,¡± the man replied yfully. While Josephine flushed, Luke¡¯s face turned livid. ¡°Hey! How dare you take advantage of her?! Do you know who her grandfather is?¡± Hearing that, Ethan instantly knew that the useless man wasn¡¯t only after Josephine¡¯s beauty but also her background. Certainly, he couldn¡¯t let the woman end up with such a man. ¡°I¡¯ll find out in the future,¡± Ethan repliednguidly and walked toward his convertible. Since the vi was some distance away, it¡¯d be more convenient for him to drive. ¡°Go back to your friends, Luke. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll treat you to a meal someday!¡± Josephine lied. ¡°Will you really do that?¡± Luke¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°I¡¯m serious. Off you go, now!¡± Josephine decided to make him leave first. ¡°Alright. You mustn¡¯t let this jerk take advantage of you, alright? If he dares to molest you, I¡¯ll beat him up.¡± ¡°Are you sure you can defeat me?¡± Ethan sneered. ¡°I¡¯ll ask someone else to beat you up!¡± Luke barked. ¡°Goodbye, then!¡± Josephine urged. However, Luke remained in the same spot. It wasn¡¯t until they were out of sight that he left. Presently, Selena felt bored. Although all she thought about was Ethan, the man was nowhere to be seen. He must¡¯ve left. She picked up her bag and shuffled toward the car park, where she saw a convertible being revved up. Upon closer inspection, she was ted. Ethan is over there! Realizing that the man hadn¡¯t left, she joyfully jogged toward him. ¡°Mr. Quarles! Mr. Quarles!¡± Nevertheless, the moment she reached the car, she saw a woman in the passenger seat. The woman was none other than Josephine. Her expression changed as she red at Josephine. Following that, she put on a smile and pleaded, ¡°Can you send me back to my vi, Mr. Quarles?¡± There were two seats at the back. While Ethan was hesitating, Selena opened the door and entered the vehicle. ¡°Thanks.¡± Josephine turned her head and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to stay here for a while longer, Miss Aguirre?¡± ¡°I¡¯m no longer in the mood because of a certain someone,¡± Selena said meaningfully. Josephine was rendered speechless for a moment before she said to Ethan, ¡°Please send us back.¡± Ethan then stepped on the gas pedal. Since Selena¡¯s vi wasn¡¯t far away, it only took them five minutes to arrive at their destination. At the same time, Josephine left the vehicle. The man was reluctant to part ways with Josephine, and he initially thought he could spend more time with her. ¡°Thanks for everything, Mr. Quarles,¡± Josephine said gratefully. She had to acknowledge that the man had helped her a lot. ¡°See you, Mr. Quarles! Stay safe!¡± Selena waved her hand elegantly. Ethan turned the car around and stared at Josephine for a few seconds before stepping on the gas pedal. Josephine let out a sigh of relief, for she finally parted ways with the man. Just as she was ready to return to her vi, the other woman demanded resentfully from behind, ¡°Stay right there!¡± Hearing that, Josephine stopped in her tracks and turned around. Under themplights, Selena crossed her arms and glowered at her. ¡°I¡¯ve underestimated you, Josephine. I didn¡¯t expect you to be so crafty. Ethan is the man I have my eyes on. How could you try to snatch him from me?¡± Josephine was dumbfounded for a moment. ¡°Are you saying that the man belongs to you just because you have your eye on him?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct,¡± Selena replied unreasonably. ¡°Whatever you say. Either way, I won¡¯te into contact with Ethan again. I hope you¡¯ll marry him sooner and give birth to his kids,¡± Josephine said rather sincerely. ¡°You¡­¡± Selena, on the other hand, was incensed. She¡¯s mocking me! Josephine ignored her and tottered toward her house. As Selena looked at her from behind, she assumed that the woman was putting on an act. It was just a tactic to seduce Ethan. I have to do something about it. Ethan soon returned to his vi, which was near Jared¡¯s ce. It was also arger vipared to the others. As he was seated on the couch, he realized that his mind was upied by a certain woman. Images of Josephine shed across his mind like a movie. Her smile, her fury, her sharp tongue, her aggressiveness, her unreasonable side¡­ All her shorings didn¡¯t seem to matter, and he even found them interesting. Damn it! That doesn¡¯t sound good. The next morning, the wedding that the guests had been waiting for finallymenced. At 6.00AM, a team of makeup artists arrived at the lounge beside the bride¡¯s room, and it wasn¡¯t until 7.30AM that they saw the bride. Ellen ensured that she had sufficient energy for the wedding. Presently, she was seated in front of the dressing table, allowing the makeup artists to put on suitable makeup for her. Soon, Willow arrived as well. Since she was the bridesmaid, she had to look good too. ¡°Good morning, Ellen.¡± Willow came over while wearing an oversized T-shirt. ¡°Hi, Willy.¡± Ellen opened her eyes and shed a smile at her. The two of them had their makeup done at the same time as they talked about the interesting events that happened the night before. Soon, Anastasia arrived as well. As she looked at her daughter and daughter-inw, her eyes were brimming with love. She had already worn her makeup before arriving. Her wavy long hair hung loose behind her, and she gave off a noble vibe. Her age was a mystery, and she looked confident. What was more, it was apparent that she had a sessful career. No one could tell that she would be a grandmother soon. Even so, she¡¯d be one of the most beautiful grandmothers out there. They were done with their makeup by 9.00AM. Jared was already d in a suit that made him look tall and confident. He even sprayed some golden powder in his ck hair, which added a hint of charm to his already good-looking face. He sat down beside Ellen, and just then, a staff member returned from getting a new pair of shoes. ¡°Miss Reiss, please give them a try.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Ellen dipped her head. ¡°Let me do it.¡± Before the staff member could squat, Jared took the shoes and helped the woman put them on. Ellen blushed slightly as her gaze was filled with happiness. The staff members around them looked enviously at Ellen, thinking that she must have saved the world in her previous life to have found a loving husband like Jared. After putting on the shoes, Ellen was satisfied. The shoes fit her feet perfectly, and the heels were not too high. She was reaching the fourth month of her pregnancy, and her belly was slightly bulging, so she had to take good care of herself. Chapter 1781-1790 Chapter 1781-1790 ¡°We¡¯ve discussed it earlier. You just have to propose a toast to those at the first three tables, then you can head to the private room and get some rest. I¡¯ll handle the rest,¡± Jared said. They had to avoid any activity that might exhaust Ellen. ¡°Okay.¡± Ellen felt warm in her heart. While staying on the ind, she had gotten closer to the Presgraves and felt that they were truly caring andpassionate. The guests were dressed to the nines and ready to attend the wedding. Connor and his family were wearing the clothes that Olivia had borrowed, making them look less ordinary. ¡°Mom, this dress is too small. It doesn¡¯t fit,¡± Selenained. ¡°Stopining when you have a nice dress to wear! Just don¡¯t eat too muchter,¡± Olivia retorted. Suddenly thinking of something, she turned to look at her husband anxiously. ¡°Connor, did Ellen call you and ask you to walk her down the aisle?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Every bride needs an elder to walk her down the aisle. You¡¯re her closest rtive, so why didn¡¯t she call you?¡± Olivia asked in shock. Connor was embarrassed as well. ¡°Perhaps a luxurious wedding like this is different. Moreover, I¡¯m too bashful to do that.¡± ¡°I suppose Ellen no longer regards us as rtives, huh? How is she going to walk down the aisle and go on stage without you? Is she going to do that on her own? That will beughable!¡± Nothing good ever came out of Olivia¡¯s mouth. Connor shot her a stern look. ¡°It¡¯s Ellie¡¯s big day, so don¡¯t say any nonsense as there will be many guests at the wedding. You mustn¡¯t embarrass her.¡± ¡°Do you think she¡¯s still your dearest Ellie? She probably won¡¯t spare us a nce again after the wedding.¡± Olivia sneered. Selena was fed up with their argument, so she went to the yard and happened to see Josephine and her mother leaving the vi, ready to head to the wedding. Presently, Josephine was d in a light blue dress with her hair hung loose on her shoulders. She looked charming and refreshing. A hint of resentment shed across Selena¡¯s eyes. She had always been a crafty person, but the woman managed to snatch Ethan from her the night before. It was only natural that she was vexed. Just you wait, Josephine. I¡¯ll let you know the consequences of offending me! Meanwhile, Josephine and her mother entered the car and headed to the wedding. As the breeze whisked through her, she looked out the window and spaced out. When they passed by the walkway where Ethan carried her in his arms the night before, she suddenly wondered why the man was willing to lend her a helping hand. Has he fallen in love with me? Well, a handsome man like him isn¡¯t husband material, and it¡¯s not like he can look young forever. Moreover, many women will try to snatch him from me, and he might even cheat on me. After the analysis, Josephine felt that she¡¯d better remain single. After all, there were many single people at her station, and they were all capable people who lived their lives to the fullest. Soon, Connor¡¯s car was ready, and they went to the wedding together. There was a long stretch of roses that extended from the area where the guests got out of their cars to the banquet hall roughly 600 feet away. The roses were beautiful and fragrant. As the guests walked along the path, they felt rejuvenated. Olivia was dumbfounded. ¡°How much does it all cost? A bouquet of roses is already worth a ton at the florist!¡± Selena was walking in front when she heard her mother¡¯s words, so she couldn¡¯t help but turn her head and retort, ¡°Mom, stop behaving like a poor person. Do you want everyone to find out we¡¯re not rich?¡± Olivia naturally wouldn¡¯t admit that she wasn¡¯t from a well-to-do family. Upon hearing her daughter¡¯s words, she felt aggrieved, for she indeed behaved like one. The banquet hall could amodate 500 people, and it was full of guests now. Gold and red were the main colors, making the wedding look solemn and magnificent. A wedding like this was every woman¡¯s dream. Olivia was awestruck, whereas Selena was green with envy. Jared was willing to spend so much money to hold a grand wedding for Ellen. If any woman could marry a man like him, she would die with no regrets. Meanwhile, Heidi was shocked as well. After all, she wasn¡¯t born into a wealthy family, and she would be delighted if her daughter also had a grand wedding one day. ¡°Look at how magnificent the wedding is, Joey! Aren¡¯t you envious?¡± Heidi started urging her daughter to look for a husband again. Josephine let out a sigh. ¡°Mom, I probably won¡¯t ever get married. You¡¯d better give up on that idea sooner.¡± ¡°Stop saying nonsense. You¡¯ll get married one day.¡± Heidi was confident about her daughter¡¯s appearance. On the other hand, Josephine didn¡¯t even dare imagine that she would marry the man she loved at such a wonderful wedding one day. ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t even have a boyfriend. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too early for you to urge me to get married?¡± Josephine said helplessly. ¡°Well, a person can dream. I¡¯m sure that my dream of seeing you getting married wille true someday,¡± Heidi said optimistically. Meanwhile, Selena and Olivia were looking for their seats. Coincidentally, they had to share the same table with Heidi and Josephine. ¡°How unlucky!¡± When Olivia saw Heidi, she couldn¡¯t help but annoy her. Heidi also felt displeased that Olivia was seated with them. A hint of resentment shed across Selena¡¯s eyes as she looked at Josephine. She sat down and ignored the woman. Josephine initially wanted to greet her, but since the woman refused to talk to her by looking at her phone, she gave up on the idea. Meanwhile, she was wondering why Selena was seated with them. Since the woman imed to be the bride¡¯s rtive, she was supposed to sit somewhere closer to the bride. Just then, Luke came over and greeted Josephine. He somehow managed to persuade the guest beside Josephine to exchange seats with him. Just like that, he sat down beside the woman. In the lounge behind the wedding venue, Ellen was getting some rest on the couch. She was already d in her wedding dress and a veil. As the sunlight shone on her, she looked as beautiful as a doll. An excited Willow took photos of Ellen from different angles with the camera in her hands. She also took some selfies and photos of the two of them together. ¡°You¡¯re gorgeous, Ellen!¡± Willow said in amazement. There was no doubt Ellen was a natural beauty. Although her face was small, it was delicate and glowing. Anyone would be drawn to her charm. ¡°Jared will be enchanted when he sees you,¡± Willow said exaggeratingly. Upon hearing that, Ellen broke intoughter. ¡°No doubt about it.¡± Soon, the groom and the best man arrived. Jared was dressed to the nines, looking incredibly dapper. On the other hand, the best man was d in a white suit, which made him look equally handsome. Rarely any man could pull off a white suit. Although Ethan was wearing such a suit, he didn¡¯t snatch the spotlight from the groom. He willingly yed second fiddle in such a situation. ¡°Ethan, I¡¯m sure many beautifuldies will be smitten with you today. You have to be careful not to be surrounded by them,¡± Willow said while approaching him. She was a lovable woman who loved complimenting others. All of a sudden, a woman¡¯s face sprang into Ethan¡¯s mind. It didn¡¯t matter to him whether other women liked him; he just hoped that a certain someone would treat him better. Jared walked up to Ellen and stared fixedly at her, looking as though he could never get enough of her. A blushing Ellen looked bashfully at him. ¡°Stop looking. I¡¯m already nervous, and you¡¯re making me feel even tenser.¡± The man squatted and held her hands before cating her gently, saying, ¡°Stop worrying. I¡¯m with you!¡± Ellen seemed to derive confidence from the man¡¯s gaze, so she nodded and replied, ¡°Okay.¡± With the camera in her hands, Willow said, ¡°Come on, guys. Look in my direction and smile!¡± Now, Willow was responsible for taking photos of everything and recording this wonderful day. Anastasia and Elliot came over to take a look at them. The young couple was ready, and the wedding was about to begin. ¡°Jared, you have to hold Ellie¡¯s hand tightter,¡± Anastasia reminded. ¡°I know, Mom. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Jared dipped his head. That was because the wedding was special. The host came over and said, ¡°The wedding will start in ten minutes. Get ready to enter the venue.¡± Willow walked up to Ellen with a bouquet. ¡°Take the flowers, Ellen. We¡¯re going now.¡± Since the wedding was about to begin, all the guests were looking forward to seeing the bride, for she was still a mystery. Many guests had been staying on the ind for several days, but they hadn¡¯t seen the bride yet. They wondered what the woman looked like and what family she came from. No doubt she was lucky to marry Jared. Even Josephine was curious about the bride¡¯s appearance. Various mediapanies were aware of the wedding, and they had been trying hard to get into the venue to take some photos. If they managed to take some wedding photos, that would be big news across the country. However, the Presgraves barred any mediapanies from entry, and even the guests were not allowed to take photos. Therefore, as a reporter, Josephine felt lucky that she was there to witness the grand wedding. ¡°It¡¯s going to start soon, Mom!¡± Josephine said to her mother excitedly. ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t wait!¡± Heidi was thrilled as well. Josephine took a look at the family beside her. Although Connor was excited, Selena and her mother were expressionless. The wedding finally started as the melodious music reverberated across the hall. All of them turned to look at the door that opened gradually. Several page boys and flower girls who were as beautiful as angels stepped into the venue, followed by the bride and the groom. Unlike other weddings, the bride appeared while hooking her arm around the groom¡¯s while holding flowers with her other hand. The long veil extended to the hem of the cloud- like dress. As the guests looked at the bride, they couldn¡¯t help but feel that she was stunning and pure. While everyone was watching their entry, there were two attractive figures behind the bride and the groom. They were none other than the youngdy from the Presgraves Family and a handsome best man. Everyone was genuinely happy for the married couple, but two people were extremely jealous. Although Olivia and Selena had shamelessly attended the wedding without an invitation, they didn¡¯t want to give Ellen their blessings. Olivia even viciously thought that the Presgraves would probably start despising the woman someday. She wanted Ellen to be poor again, just like her. Selena had been in love with Jared before, but the brilliant man was now walking down the aisle with Ellen. Certainly, she wasn¡¯t happy about it. However, when she caught sight of the best man, her gaze became fervent. Josephine was aware of Ethan¡¯s presence as well, and she didn¡¯t expect him to be the best man. Admittedly, without considering anything else, the man was indeed good-looking. She also noticed how Selena stared fixedly at him while other young women whispered among themselves about the man. They no longer had a chance with the groom, but the handsome best man was certainly unmarried. Meanwhile, Luke was stunned. What?! I can¡¯t believe the b*stard is the best man! In that case, he must be wealthy! Wait a minute; from what I¡¯ve heard, he¡¯s just a model! Ellen felt blessed to walk down the aisle full of roses with the man she loved beside her. Not only that, she had the blessings of everyone. As the music sounded in the background, Jared and Ellen slowly went on stage. Everyone watched as theypleted the ceremony by exchanging rings and confessing their love for each other. They kissed and epted the guests¡¯ blessings. Jared then narrated their love story to everyone. His voice was masculine, and every word he uttered was full of his love for Ellen, making all the women envious of her. Meanwhile, Ellen¡¯s eyes were already welled up with tears as she gently held her chest. Willow promptly told someone to pass her a piece of tissue. Ellen took it and wiped the tears from her eyes, allowing her to clearly see the towering and loving man she was going to spend the rest of her life with. The guests were touched by the young couple¡¯s love. After hearing Jared¡¯s confession, as she sat among the guests, Selena realized how much of a fool she was when she tried seducing Jared in the beginning. Meanwhile, Josephine looked at the bride on the stage, astonished at how beautiful she was. The bride was also very mysterious, for the media hadn¡¯t figured out her identity or background even until that point. Just then, she met the gaze of a certain best man on the stage. Even though there was quite a distance between them, she could sense that Ethan was looking at her. Luke noticed that Ethan had his eyes on Josephine, so he immediately reached out vexedly and put his arm on the back of Josephine¡¯s chair, deliberately getting into a more intimate position with Josephine. The man on the stage darkened his gaze. Just then, the host announced that the bride would be tossing the bouquet soon, so thedies who wanted to catch some good luck could start getting ready to catch the bouquet. ¡°Go ahead, Joey.¡± Heidi nudged her daughter, insisting that she go and catch the bouquet for good luck. Selena, who was sitting opposite them, was being urged by Olivia as well. ¡°Hurry up, Lena! What are you waiting for?¡± When Heidi saw her daughter feigning ignorance and staying silent, she got physical as she pushed Josephine into a standing position. Josephine turned around and asked exasperatedly, ¡°Mom, do I have to go?¡± The other girls were already scrambling to line up at the empty space in front of the stage. At that moment, Ellen waved toward the girls in greeting as the music yed, then turned her back toward them and got ready to toss the bouquet. Ethan looked at the girls gathered below the stage, then naturally caught sight of the girl who reluctantly walked toward the edge. His gaze locked onto her face. Everyone else tiptoed, fearing that they wouldn¡¯t be able to catch the bouquet. As for Josephine, it was clear from her expression that she didn¡¯t want to catch it. Just then, Ellen tossed the bouquet. Since she exerted more force, the bouquet in her hands soared lightly and easily, then traced an arc in the air before descending. Josephine was standing at the edge, but two other girls behind her were enthusiastically trying to move forward by pushing her. Selena was one of them. She didn¡¯t care about her identity anymore; she wanted to catch the bouquet and obtain the blessing from the heavens so that she could be the next bride. At that moment, Josephine felt something hit her head. She almost instinctively reached out, and Ellen¡¯s bouquetnded right in her arms. The other girls couldn¡¯t even catch it while tiptoeing, but as if fate had decreed it, the bouquet fell squarely into Josephine¡¯s hands. Onstage, Ethan was stunned, and he couldn¡¯t help but curve his lips into a smile. Josephine held the bouquet in her hands, receiving looks of admiration from the girls around her. Selena, however, was filled with jealousy and hatred. She had worked so hard, but she couldn¡¯t catch the bouquet in the end. How did Josephine do it? Josephine didn¡¯t know either. She looked up and met Ellen¡¯s gaze on the stage. When Ellen smiled gently at her, her heart warmed up instantly as she held the bouquet and said to Ellen, ¡°Thank you.¡± Immediately after that, Josephine felt someone else¡¯s profound and captivating gaze. She looked and saw that Ethan was staring at her with a half-smile on his face. Josephine felt her heart skip a beat as she held the bouquet and turned around, returning to her seat at once. When Heidi saw that her daughter had actually caught the bouquet, she knew that it was a good sign, signifying that her daughter could be the next bride. Simrly, Luke was overjoyed as he praised Josephine, ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Joey.¡± Josephine treated the bouquet in her arms like some treasure. It wasn¡¯t because of anything else; she just thought it was too beautiful, so she should care for it as much as possible. Ellen and Willow went backstage, then changed into a different set of dresses for the remainder of the night. The food was then served, and it turned out to be a sumptuous feast. It had been a long time since Olivia and Selenast had food as expensive as this. Even though they tried their best to suppress it, their table manners betrayed their identities. ¡°Try this, Lena.¡± Olivia helped herself to some food first, but fearing that her daughter wouldn¡¯t get to taste it, she ced some on Selena¡¯s te as well. Every time a new dish was served, Olivia would be the first to dig in. Heidi was upset by this, and her disdain was reflected in her expression as well. Meanwhile, Josephine wasn¡¯t interested in the food. Instead, she felt that the wine served here was delicious and sweet, and she liked it a lot. ¡°Connor, Ellen will being over for a toastter, right? I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve prepared any gifts. What should we do?¡± It was only then that Olivia remembered they should prepare gifts when attending a wedding banquet. ¡°I heard it¡¯s not necessary. We¡¯re just here for a meal,¡± Connor replied. Olivia couldn¡¯t help but be amazed at the Presgraves¡¯ generosity. She hoped that she could grab the chance to be on good terms with Ellen when thetter came over for a toast. Soon, Ellen made her appearance at the banquet, and she apanied Jared during the front-row toasts. Just as Olivia was wondering when Ellen woulde over, she noticed that Ellen had already finished toasting and was being escorted away. ¡°Mom, Ellen isn¡¯ting here for the toast,¡± Selenamented in a small voice. ¡°She¡¯s looking down on us,¡± Olivia said, secretly furious. However, Jared and his best man were stopping by every table for the toasts. He treated every guest with proper respect, and the guests also got up and clinked sses with the bridegroom as they gave him their best wishes. Josephine had her head lowered as she looked at work-rted matters on her phone. Suddenly, she felt some pressure on the back of her chair as though someone was pushing it. At the same time, Heidi gave Josephine¡¯s dress a sharp tug under the table, signaling for Josephine to get up for the toast. Josephine hastily pushed her chair back and took her ss as she stood up. Just then, she realized Ethan was standing right behind her. She couldn¡¯t help the sudden hastening of her heartbeat. ¡°Uncle Connor, please enjoy yourselves. I sincerely apologize if we overlooked anything.¡± Jared singled Connor out by mentioning thetter, so Olivia could only ster a smile on her face as she said, ¡°You¡¯re so handsome today, Jared! I hope you¡¯ll have a happy marriage and have your own children soon!¡± Selena wanted to clink sses with Ethan, but she realized that Ethan was standing behind Josephine. Josephine sensed that someone had taken the initiative to touch their ss against hers, and when she turned to look, Ethan was raising his ss at her with a captivating smile on his lips. ¡°Congrattions, Mr. Presgrave.¡± Heidi gave her best wishes as well. After the toast was over, Josephine finally let out a sigh of relief. The morning banquet ended at around 2.00PM, and she heard there would be another banquet at night apanied by a dance hall, a show of fireworks, and a cruise. In the wedding room, Ellen removed her makeup and changed into afortable set of pajamas. With Jared by her side, she took an afternoon nap. She was easily fatigued these days. Since she was in the early stages of her pregnancy, she couldn¡¯t get much food down her throat, and her weight didn¡¯t increase at all. After Ellen had fallen asleep, Jared went out and spent time with his friends. He went to Ethan¡¯s vi, and the two sat on the rooftop garden as they chatted. ¡°Jared, how much do you know about a girl called Josephine Jacobson? She¡¯s one of your guests. Do you know her background?¡± Ethan took the initiative to ask Jared for information. When Jared heard that, he nced at Ethan with a teasing look. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Have you fallen for her?¡± ¡°No, but after encountering her several times, she seems to be an interesting person.¡± Ethan would never admit that he had fallen for Josephine, for his pride wouldn¡¯t allow it. ¡°The Jacobson Family? Could it be them?¡± Jared narrowed his eyes as he fell into deep thought. He had an impression that the Jacobsons were quite famous in the political scene. ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°If I remember correctly, Peter Jacobson is one of the higher-ups in politics, and his words are very influential. Our families are probably connected because of him and my grandfather, but I don¡¯t know much about the Jacobsons right now.¡± Ethan suddenly thought of something and said, ¡°Does your wife have a cousin called Selena?¡± Jared nodded, then cautioned Ethan, ¡°Steer clear of her. She¡¯s bad news.¡± Ethan couldn¡¯t help but ask worriedly, ¡°What happened? Did she do something to you guys?¡± ¡°I once got her jailed for a year because she tried to harm Ellen. After she was released, she still went around and caused trouble. She and her family are unbelievably greedy.¡± Ethan already had a bad impression of Selena, so when he heard that, he decided right then that he¡¯d ignore her every time they met. ¡°Have as much fun as you¡¯d like tonight. You can even ask Miss Jacobson out,¡± Jared said to his good friend, hoping that thetter would find true love soon. Ethan curved his lips and crossed his arms as he said, ¡°I never make the first move. Even if I were to go on a date, they would have to ask me out first.¡± ¡°Let me give you a piece of advice as someone with experience. If you insist on maintaining your pride, you won¡¯t get the girl.¡± Jared nced at the time, then got up and patted him. ¡°I¡¯ll be going back now.¡± Around ten minutes after Jared left, Ethan took his phone and went downstairs. He unlocked his cool sports car and got in, then drove toward Josephine¡¯s vi. As expected, he ate his words quickly enough. He said he wouldn¡¯t make the first move, but here he was, making the first move already. After Josephine took the bouquet home, she even sprayed some water on the flowers so that they would stay beautiful. ¡°Joey, I¡¯m going to nap for a while.¡± Heidi had a habit of taking afternoon naps, so she retired to her room. Josephine sat on the couch, thinking of watching some TV when she heard a car honking outside. It seemed to be summoning her. As such, Josephine got up and went out to the garden. Then, she saw Ethan getting out of his sports car, which was parked by the road outside the fence. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Josephine asked him over the fence. ¡°Nice weather today. Fancy going out for a ride?¡± said the man invitingly. Josephine felt tempted to ept his invitation, for she was indeed a little bored. ¡°Are you asking me out?¡± Josephine questioned with a raised brow. Ethan nodded. ¡°Yes. Care to humor me?¡± Seeing that her mother had gone to sleep, Josephine said to Ethan, ¡°Wait for me. I¡¯ll get my camera and purse.¡± Meanwhile, on a balcony on the third floor of the building next to them, a pair of eyes hiding behind curtains watched the scene unfold. Selena had also heard Ethan honking earlier, and when she saw Ethaning over and asking Josephine out on his own ord, her heart was filled with jealousy. When she saw Josephine decisively getting into Ethan¡¯s sports car before the two disappeared off the roads of the vi garden, Selena was so mad that she almost lost her mind. ¡°You b*tch! I¡¯ll make your life a living hell,¡± she muttered. With that, Selena had already conjured up an insidious plot: she would frame Josephine. The wedding wasn¡¯t supposed to be made known to the public, but Josephine was a reporter. If news of the wedding were exposed, Josephine would be the first to be suspected. The other night, Josephine mentioned the TV station she worked for, and Selena hadmitted it to memory. Now, she would send an anonymous submission signed with Josephine¡¯s name to the TV station. Spurred by her hatred, Selena took out herptop and went right to work. She would exact revenge on Josephine for snatching Ethan away from her. Meanwhile, Josephine was seated in Ethan¡¯s convertible, attracting many gazes along the way. Of course, the sports car wasn¡¯t the only thing catching everyone¡¯s attention; the good-looking young couple in the car was quite striking as well. ¡°Can you take me to where we first met?¡± Josephine asked him. ¡°Of course.¡± Ethan immediately drove onto a wide road by the sea, then took her to the almost deserted beach. Back then, he had driven there as well, and he even went into the sea for a dip. Unfortunately, he bumped into her. ¡°Mr. Quarles, I have to rify again that I didn¡¯t mean to take photos of you that day.¡± Josephine felt like she needed to exin once more. In truth, Ethan also felt a little sorry for leaving her alone that day. ¡°In that case, why did you take photos of me?¡± Ethan asked. Josephine answered truthfully, ¡°I identally came across you and mistook you for a model. You¡¯re quite photogenic, after all.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re saying I¡¯m handsome, have a good build, and have an outstanding aura?¡± asked the man while praising himself. Josephine praised him generously, ¡°You¡¯re very handsome indeed.¡± ¡°Does that mean you like me?¡± Ethan was a little giddy now. This feeling was different from when he was praised by other women, and he was greatly pleased. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand, Mr. Quarles, but I think personality triumphs over appearance. In other words, I like people who have good personalities,¡± Josephine answered. The man was speechless. ¡°Does that mean I have a bad personality?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean it like that. I still don¡¯t know you that well, so I won¡¯t judge you.¡± Josephine smiled, her eyes narrowing. ¡°I¡¯ll give you more chances to get to know me,¡± Ethan said, raising an eyebrow. ¡°We may never meet again after this wedding,¡± said Josephine. Ethan came from an extraordinary background, and he belonged to a worldpletely different from hers. Their paths were like parallel lines that would never cross. ¡°If I create more chances, we will meet again,¡± Ethan suddenly turned around andmented. Josephine was stunned for a few seconds, and she suddenly felt her face turn hot. What did he mean? Was he trying to pursue her? Soon, the car drove onto a deserted road, and the scenery was beautiful all along the way. The car pulled up at the pavement next to the beach, which was incredibly picturesque as it spread out below them. Josephine took out her camera and snapped a few photos. Meanwhile, Ethan stood next to her and watched her. Compared to the pretty scenery around them, he was even more attracted to the woman¡¯s beauty. As Josephine took the photos, she sensed a pair of eyes staring at her from the side. She put down her camera and turned to look at Ethan. The man crossed his arms and met her gaze boldly. He wasn¡¯t the slightest bit embarrassed that he was caught stealing nces at her. Josephine was a straightforward person, so she asked directly, ¡°Mr. Quarles, why do you keep staring at me?¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re kind of pretty,¡± Ethan answered, his eyebrows raised. Josephine smiled and continued taking more photos. She wasn¡¯t bothered by the fact that a man was next to her. As she walked forward with her camera, she didn¡¯t realize the deep hole in front of her. When the man noticed this, he hastily stretched out his long arms to hold her back, pulling her into his embrace as a result. Josephine was startled. When she came to her senses, she was already being held securely in the man¡¯s arms. Her face was almost stered onto his shirt, and she was slightly dazed from the faint scent of pines that wafted into her nostrils. ¡°Why did you pull me back?¡± Josephine asked him. ¡°See for yourself,¡± the man said exasperatedly. Josephine lowered her head. Soon, she noticed a deep hole hiding among the lush grass. If she had stepped on it, she could¡¯ve tripped and fallen. ¡°Thank you.¡± Josephine smiled gratefully, then continued walking forward. Time seemed to grow listless here. Josephine took photos at the front while the man followed behind her. Josephine suddenly had an idea, and she turned around to point her camera at the man. She wanted to try and see if he would get mad if she took photos of him now. The man seemed a little exasperated through the lenses, but he still put on a few expressions and even posed a little. As Josephine looked at him through the high-definition lenses, she felt her heart thumping wildly. She was even charmed for a few seconds by the man¡¯s brilliant smile through the camera. He had shiny rows of teeth that gleamed attractively. His deep eyes also possessed an alluring charm like a ck hole. Josephine subconsciously pointed the lenses away and continued taking photos of the scenery. Soon, the man ran after her and suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t I take a few photos of you?¡± Josephine thought for a moment. The scenery was too beautiful not to take some photos of herself in it, so she passed him her camera. After Ethan took the camera, Josephine found a wall that served as the background, then gave the camera ady-like smile. ¡°That¡¯s too reserved. Act more naturally.¡± The man wasining that she didn¡¯t look natural enough. Josephine didn¡¯t need more prodding. She pursed her lips at once, then puffed up her cheeks shortly after. She even struck some poses to get rid of the awkwardness. Unbeknownst to her, as she adjusted herself and struck different poses, the man was continuously clicking the shutter. Hence, Josephine looked livelier and prettier in the photos now. The man curved his lips as he took the photos, and there was even a hint of mischief in his smile. Josephine spotted an ind in the distance, then asked immediately, ¡°Can you take a photo so that I look like I¡¯m holding up that ind?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± answered the man readily. Josephine held up her palms. The man only had to find a good angle to take the photo so that she looked like she was holding up the ind. After the photo was taken, Josephine walked toward the man, but she realized he was still clicking the shutter. It was only then that Josephine realized something was wrong. ¡°Hey, why are you still taking photos?!¡± she asked in embarrassment, then rushed over to snatch her camera back. Josephine grabbed her camera and began looking through the photos. When she saw the numerous photos of herself, she was instantly pissed. This man hadn¡¯t been taking photos of her seriously! ¡°You¡ª¡± Josephine reached out and tried to hit him. Ethan immediatelyughed as he ran forward. Josephine naturally ran after him, and they continued the chase for a dozen yards. Suddenly, the man turned around and stopped running. Josephine reached out to hit him, but she couldn¡¯t control her momentum, so before she could hit him, she ran straight into him instead. Ethanughed as he enjoyed the feeling of a pretty woman running into his arms. He was also holding Josephine¡¯s hands, so in an instant, the banter turned into something suggestive. ¡°Let go.¡± Josephine¡¯s face turned red as she looked up, asking the man to let go. ¡°No way.¡± The man was mean. ¡°You¡ª¡± Josephineughed amidst the anger, and she could only resort to struggling in his embrace. Ethan graciously let go of her. Josephine then took a small step backward and looked at him, comining, ¡°Do you like teasing girls that much?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the first girl I¡¯ve ever teased like that,¡± the man said with raised eyebrows. Josephine didn¡¯t believe him. Instead, she felt that this man had quite a lot of ways to showcase his allure. He looked like he was in histe 20s, so he didn¡¯t seem like hecked femalepany. ¡°Let¡¯s go back!¡± Josephine looked at the time. It was almost 3.00PM. ¡°Don¡¯t you believe me?¡± The man¡¯s low voice sounded a little hurt. Josephine couldn¡¯t help but be stunned. Was it so important to him whether she believed him or not? Was it worth him using such an injured tone? She thought that since they met each other despite everything, they should part ways peacefully. ¡°Yes, I believe you. Let¡¯s go!¡± Josephine appeased him, going against her truest thoughts. When Ethan heard that, he smiled as he shook his head. She didn¡¯t believe him at all, but she still lied to him about it. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. They had only known each other for three days, and he would be asking too much of her if he wanted her to believe him. After all, he didn¡¯t know her that well either. With that, Ethan sent Josephine home. When she got out of the car, Ethan passed her his phone. Confused, Josephine asked, ¡°What are you doing, Mr. Quarles?¡± ¡°Give me your number,¡± he said. ¡°Forget it!¡± Josephine felt like it was unnecessary. After all, they would return to their own lives after the wedding. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t give me your number, I have my ways of getting it. I hope you can give it to me on your own ord,¡± the man requested. Josephine thought for a bit. Having extra connections wouldn¡¯t hurt. Besides, what if she needed his help somewhere down the line? Josephine took his phone and keyed in her number. Then, she dialed her number once before waving goodbye. ¡°See youter tonight.¡± When Josephine returned to the vi, her mother had just woken up. Heidi asked where she had gone, and Josephine merely said, ¡°I went out for fun.¡± However, she didn¡¯t tell Heidi that she had gone out with a man. Now, Heidi wished Josephine could just get married already. She could even see a son-inw in every decent-looking man she encountered. Josephine went back to her room and was about to process the photos when her phone rang. She nced at her phone to see that it was a call from her colleague, Wren Simpson. Thus, she reached out and answered the call. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°What the hell, Joey?! No wonder I haven¡¯t seen you these days; you¡¯re attending the Presgraves¡¯ wedding!¡± ¡°Did Mr. Fox tell you that?¡± Josephine asked. ¡°He didn¡¯t say anything. You contributed to thepany, didn¡¯t you? You helped ourpany get exclusive photos of the Presgrave wedding, and we just uploaded them! We¡¯ve gotten so many shares already! Also, it¡¯ll be included in our news program at 8.00PM tonight! You¡¯re amazing!¡± ¡°What?¡± Josephine was so shocked that she stood up. ¡°What photos? I never sent any photos to the company! Where did you get them from?¡± ¡°What? From you, of course! We all know what sort of person you are, Joey, so don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t say that it¡¯s from you. You sent them anonymously, after all!¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do. No matter who sent it, you have to stop sharing it right now and delete the article. I¡¯m serious! I wasn¡¯t the one who sent the email,¡± Josephine said anxiously. ¡°We can¡¯t stop it anymore. Let me see¡­ We¡¯ve hit over 100,000 shares already!¡± Josephine was desperate now. Who had sent the photos to thepany under her name? They were essentially getting her in trouble! Josephine immediately ended her call with Wren, then contacted Mr. Fox, the leader of her team at work. Just as expected, Mr. Fox began the conversation with praise. ¡°Joey! I expected no less from you! I knew you wouldn¡¯t miss such sensational news. I¡¯m going to get you that promotion this year!¡± ¡°Mr. Fox, I wasn¡¯t the one who sent those photos, and I¡¯m asking you to stop spreading this news right now. If not, the consequences would be unthinkable,¡± Josephine warned. ¡°What? Weren¡¯t you the one who sent it to us? When we received the letter, the signature was yours!¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t me, I promise. I don¡¯t know whom I offended to get framed like this,¡± Josephine exined earnestly. ¡°But Joey, don¡¯t you know how many views we¡¯re getting just because you got us the exclusive shots? This is all profit!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about the money, Mr. Fox. Please stop spreading it!¡± Josephine begged. ¡°No can do. Some things just can¡¯t be undone. Also, the photos have already been leaked, so even if we don¡¯t cover this news as soon as we can, other TV stations will cover it anyway. Just let it be and enjoy the banquet!¡± Josephine pped her forehead in agony. Who on earth was trying to frame her?! She was so mad that she went out to the balcony for some fresh air. She felt like she was sweating all over. However, right at that moment, she noticed someone sitting in the garden. It was none other than Selena, and the woman was having some tea while ying with her phone. Selena caught sight of Josephine too as she looked up and narrowed her eyes at thetter. All of a sudden, Josephine realized only Selena had a grudge against her. Could she have framed me? She then remembered mentioning her job and workce to only Selena. Josephine was filled with anger. She immediately went down the stairs and stormed right up to Selena¡¯s vi. Then, she pushed open the gate and went in. ¡°Selena, were you the one who leaked photos of the wedding under my name?¡± Josephine interrogated. Selena was prepared for this as well, and of course, she would never admit to it. She retorted with a sneer, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Is that so? Of all the guests here, you were the only one I told about the TV station I worked for, so it¡¯s definitely you! Do you know how much trouble you¡¯re putting me in?¡± Josephine bellowed furiously. ¡°Why must it be me? Do you have any evidence? Also, I¡¯m not the only person who knows about your job, am I? You have friends too. Don¡¯t your friends know about your identity? Josephine, you shouldn¡¯t use someone like that.¡± Selena stood up, adamantly refusing to admit it. ¡°I know it¡¯s you. You¡¯re the bride¡¯s family, so how can you do this to her? The Presgraves forbid their weddings to be made public, don¡¯t you know that?¡± Josephine was fuming. She couldn¡¯t ignore the fact that a family member of the bride could be so nonchnt about the bride¡¯s reputation. Selena feigned anger as she said, ¡°Josephine, I think you¡¯re the one who spread the news yourself! Reporters like you constantly try to attract attention and views, aren¡¯t I right? This is your job too, so you¡¯re just trying to get credit in yourpany!¡± Josephine didn¡¯t expect to be used in return. She decided that she had to notify the Presgraves immediately so that they could deal with this matter as soon as possible. Thankfully, Josephine had gotten Ethan¡¯s number just now. She took out her phone, and as she walked away, she dialed Ethan¡¯s number. ¡°Hello! Missing me already?¡± The man answered the call with a smile. ¡°Mr. Quarles, there¡¯s something I need your help with. It¡¯s urgent.¡± ¡°A request so soon? Go ahead,¡± the man said readily. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing; I just received a call from a colleague at work. Someone leaked photos of the wedding, and I thought I should inform the Presgraves about it. If not, it¡¯ll cause them trouble.¡± ¡°What? Who leaked them?¡± ¡°Someone sent an email to mypany under my name.¡± ¡°Have you been framed?¡± Ethan instantly asked in concern. ¡°The most important thing right now is to inform the Presgraves. You seem to be close to them, so I was hoping you¡¯d help me out with this.¡± ¡°Sure! I¡¯ll talk to the Presgraves right away. Don¡¯t panic,¡± Ethanforted her. Josephine was already back in her own vi. Seeing how willing Ethan was to help, she finally let out a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, in the garden, Selena was filled with glee. As expected, this tactic worked best on Josephine. Even if the Presgraves started investigating this matter, she wouldn¡¯t be suspected at all. Ethan quickly informed Jared about this. Although Jared was rather surprised, he approached the matter calmly since Ethan was the one who had informed him. ¡°I¡¯ll get my men to contact the TV station.¡± ¡°Jared, Miss Jacobson was the one who told me about this. She¡¯s a reporter working for that TV station, but I can guarantee she wasn¡¯t the one who leaked it.¡± ¡°I believe you, and I believe her too,¡± said Jared. Meanwhile, Josephine was waiting for Ethan¡¯s call at the vi. She wanted to know what the situation was, as well as if the problem had been resolved. She also wondered if the TV station would receive a warning. At the same time, she was worried that her work might be affected. Soon, Ethan¡¯s call came in, and Josephine immediately answered it. ¡°Hello, Mr. Quarles.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve informed the Presgraves, and they¡¯ll contact your TV station soon. Also, I¡¯ve rified things for you, so don¡¯t worry!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°Do you know who leaked the photos?¡± Josephine wanted to say that it was Selena, but since she didn¡¯t have any evidence, she could only say, ¡°I¡¯m not sure either.¡± ¡°Alright, the Presgraves will investigate this matter. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Thank you so much, Mr. Quarles.¡± It was only now that Josephine realized how beneficial it was to have a friend like him. ¡°I¡¯ll inform you immediately if there are any updates from the Presgraves,¡± said Ethan. ¡°Okay.¡± Josephine was extremely grateful. After hanging up, she received a call from Wren. ¡°Joey, the Presgraves contacted our TV station. It was so sudden that the director had to answer the call himself.¡± ¡°What happened, then?¡± ¡°The Presgraves asked us to delete those photos, but they¡¯ll provide new ones for uster. They¡¯ve decided to give our TV station exclusive permission to share them. Joey, I¡¯m pretty sure that the director will reward you handsomely when you return.¡± Josephine was stunned. Did the tragedy turn into a fortune? Even if this matter was resolved, Josephine would never forgive the person who did it. She then asked Wren to get her the login details of the public submission mailbox ount. She would reply to that email and announce that the sender would be rewarded for submitting those photos, inviting them toe forward and receive their remuneration. She wanted to see if the sender would fall for the bait. Wren went ahead and acquired the login details for Josephine. After ending the call, Josephine let out a relieved sigh. She felt that Ethan must be helping out behind the scenes too. If she had time, she would treat him to a meal in the future. By the time she returned to her senses, her mother was already urging her to get ready for the banquet at night. Josephine still felt guilty toward the Presgraves, for the despicable person had leaked photos of the wedding without any care just to get revenge on her. Josephine wanted to catch this perpetrator. Even if she couldn¡¯t do anything about them, she wanted to expose this person¡¯s identity. Josephine believed that the person was none other than Selena. When Josephine arrived at the banquet venue, Selena was sitting there as well. When Selena saw Josephine, there was a gleeful look in her eyes, and it seemed as though she was waiting for horrible consequences to befall the other woman. Josephine sat down next to her mother, and she returned Selena¡¯s gaze with a fierce re. Just then, her phone rang with a notification. It was a message from Wren. Josephine took her phone out and logged into the ount. Then, she found the anonymous email along with the photos attached to it. Josephine immediately replied to the person to test it out. She replied professionally with a text that read, ¡®Dear sender, congrattions! Your submission has brought profit to ourpany, and we would like to reward you for that. Please call the following number to receive the reward.¡¯ Then, Josephine keyed in her phone number. Chapter 1791-1800 Chapter 1791-1800 After sending the email, Josephine waited for the sender to take the bait. A message appeared on Selena¡¯s phone. Even though she sent the email anonymously, she could still receive replies from it. When she saw that the TV station had replied to her, she grabbed her phone in a panic, then got up and went out. When Josephine saw Selena getting up and leaving the table, she was almost certain that Selena was the perpetrator. This time, she would catch Selena. Josephine got up with her phone in hand as well. Then, she followed Selena to thewn outside. Selena was sitting on a bench on thewn while looking at her phone. When she opened the email and read it, she couldn¡¯t help feeling surprised and ted for a few seconds. She didn¡¯t think she would be rewarded for submitting something. Could it be a cash reward? Selena was in dire need of money right now, so she would never pass up the chance to get any. She quickly memorized the phone number stated in the email; she wanted to ask how much money she could get at once. Selena dialed the number and waited for the person to pick up. Meanwhile, Josephine was holding her phone which was on silent mode. Just then, a call came in. Josephine¡¯s red lips curved into a sneer. As she picked up the phone, she walked toward Selena. As soon as the call went through, Selena asked anxiously, ¡°Hello, I heard that yourpany gives out rewards for submissions, am I right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true,¡± Josephine answered enthusiastically as she walked toward Selena. Selena had no idea that Josephine was walking over to her from behind. She just wanted to know how much money she could get as a reward, so she continued asking, ¡°May I know what the reward is? Will it be in the form of money or a gift?¡± At that moment, there were only a few feet between Josephine and Selena. Josephine strode right up to Selena and stared at thetter. When Selena saw her, she was flustered for a moment before she said angrily, ¡°Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m on a call?¡± ¡°You were asking about the reward for your submission to our TV station, weren¡¯t you?¡± Josephine was sufficiently pissed as anger colored her beautiful eyes. She suddenly raised her hand, then delivered a p across Selena¡¯s face. Selena was seated, so she couldn¡¯t dodge it in time. Hence, she received Josephine¡¯s p squarely on the face. ¡°How¡­ How dare you hit me!¡± Selena never thought that Josephine would hit her. Josephine raised her phone and showed Selena the number disyed on it. ¡°I used the email to bait you, sessfully proving that you were the one who leaked the photos. Selena,e with me to the bride and apologize to her.¡± Selena¡¯s face immediately turned red as she realized that the reward was just a lie, and her actions of framing Josephine were exposed just like that. When Selena heard that Josephine wanted to take her to Ellen, she hastily put on a pleading expression. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Miss Jacobson. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose, and I sent those photos without thinking. Please have mercy on me!¡± Josephine crossed her arms and snorted. ¡°Have mercy on you? You almost ruined my reputation, and now you¡¯re asking me to have mercy?¡± ¡°How about this, Miss Jacobson? I¡¯ll do everything you ask. As long as you don¡¯t tell anyone about this, I¡¯ll even kneel in front of you!¡± Selena was panicking now. She never thought that Josephine would figure out that it was her. She nced around, and with the bench as an obstruction, she got down on her knees in front of Josephine. ¡°Miss Jacobson, I¡¯m begging you. Please forgive me.¡± ¡°Forgive you? Do you know how much the Presgraves were affected by the photos you leaked? I will never forgive you.¡± Josephine was not open to negotiation. She walked toward the banquet hall with her phone in hand. At that moment, the neon lights lit up, looking pretty and festive. After Josephine went back to her seat, she took out her phone and sent Ethan the recording of the conversation between her and Selena. She also sent a message saying, ¡®I¡¯ve figured it out. Selena was the one who leaked the photos. She even admitted to it.¡¯ Meanwhile, Ethan was about to leave the vi to get to the banquet hall. He heard the notification and proceeded to read Josephine¡¯s message. Then, after listening to the recording, he forwarded it to Jared. He left a voice message, saying, ¡°Jared, we¡¯ve found the culprit. Josephine is innocent. Deal with it as you please.¡± At that moment, Jared was waiting for Ellen to change into her evening dress. He grabbed his phone and listened to the recording right away. His sharp eyebrows immediately furrowed. Selena didn¡¯t turn from her evil nature, and she even leaked photos of the wedding to frame someone else. A person like her had no right to attend his wedding, much less be treated as a guest. Jared lifted his phone once more and gave an order to the person on the other end of the line, instructing, ¡°Go to the banquet hall and ask the guest named Selena Aguirre to leave. Get her off the ind immediately.¡± ¡°Understood, Mr. Presgrave.¡± Meanwhile, Selena was still seated on the bench. She was stressed out, and she felt that Josephine wasn¡¯t someone she could mess with. She wondered if Josephine would tell Jared about this. If so, a terrible end would await her. The bodyguards couldn¡¯t find Selena in the banquet hall, so they went to the garden to look for her. When the two bodyguards spotted Selena sitting there, they immediately went over to her and stood behind her, saying, ¡°Miss Aguirre, Mr. Presgrave wants you to leave the ind immediately. Please come with us.¡± Selena¡¯s face turned pale in shock. She hastily said, ¡°I am a guest, and the bride¡¯s cousin at that. You can¡¯t just chase me out.¡± ¡°Those are orders from the young master. If you refuse to cooperate, Miss Aguirre, we¡¯ll have no choice but to force you out.¡± ¡°How dare you?! Bring me to your young mistress. I want to see Ellen.¡± Selena didn¡¯t want to leave, for she had nned on enjoying another week on this ind. Even if she couldn¡¯t get Ethan, she had other chances. Also, this would be the only time she could visit this ind, and she hadn¡¯t had enough fun just yet. Even if she had to shamelessly beg Ellen for it, she wanted to stay. Seeing her refusal to cooperate, the bodyguard could only call Jared and say, ¡°Mr. Presgrave, Miss Aguirre wants to speak to the young mistress.¡± Jared said, ¡°Let me have a word with her.¡± The bodyguard immediately passed the phone to Selena. ¡°Mr. Presgrave wants to talk to you.¡± Selena took the phone with shaky hands and ced it to her ear. ¡°M-Mr. Presgrave.¡± ¡°Selena, from today onward, I won¡¯t let Ellen have anything to do with your family anymore. Also, you¡¯re not allowed to talk to her for the rest of your life¡ªyou have no right to. If you don¡¯t want my subordinates getting rough with you, you¡¯d better get lost right now,¡± Jared said furiously. Even if he were the bridegroom, he refused to give Selena any respect. Selena¡¯s face reddened before it turned pale. Jared¡¯s words were like a dozen ps to her face, and she felt her face burning in pain. After returning the phone to the bodyguard, Selena stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯ll inform my parents, then I¡¯ll go with you.¡± With that, she bit her lip and walked toward the banquet hall. When Olivia saw hering back, she immediately said, ¡°Lena,e and sit down. The food is served, and lobsters are on the menu. You love them, don¡¯t you?¡± Opposite them, Josephine sneered as she looked at Selena. When she saw the two bodyguards at the entrance, she knew that Selena would be chased out soon. At that moment, she was very much satisfied. ¡°Mom, I¡­ I have to leave. I need to deal with something urgent, so enjoy the dinner with Dad,¡± said Selena. ¡°What? What¡¯s so urgent that you have to leave right now? Aren¡¯t we going to stay here for another week?¡± Olivia was so anxious that she stood up. She waspletely out of the loop, and she didn¡¯t want her daughter to waste this opportunity. ¡°Mom, I really can¡¯t stay here. I have to go.¡± With that, Selena turned around and walked away, her eyes red. ¡°Lena, Lena¡ª¡± Olivia shouted, feeling distraught. Connor was confused as well. ¡°Why did Lena leave just like that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure either. We nned on spending another week here, so why is she leaving already?¡± Olivia felt that her daughter shouldn¡¯t leave at all. When Josephine saw that, she knew right away that Selena hadn¡¯t dared tell her parents about what she did. Josephine decided that she would be nice and tell them instead! ¡°Oh, that girl. She was even making a fuss about eating lobsters this morning!¡± Olivia looked toward the main entrance, wishing she could just drag her daughter back. Meanwhile, Selena was in the bodyguards¡¯ car, on the way back to the vi to gather her things. After that, she had a dejected look on her face as she was sent to the airport, where a helicopter soon took her away. Meanwhile, there was a celebratory atmosphere in the banquet hall. Josephine was a little upset because of Selena¡¯s incident, so she drank more wine than usual, and she couldn¡¯t quite stop. ¡°Joey, this wine is nice too. Do you want some?¡± At the side, Luke introduced more wine to her. Frankly speaking, Heidi was quite satisfied with Luke. Even though Luke didn¡¯t have outstanding looks, he still came from a decent background. He had also put in a lot of effort to pursue her daughter, but her daughter declined his advances all the time. ¡°Luke, help yourself to more food!¡± ¡°You too, Mrs. Jacobson. I¡¯ll deliver more supplements to youter.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. You gave me plentyst time, and I haven¡¯t finished them yet!¡± Heidi said with a smile. While seated at the main table, Ellen was wearing a festive red dress, and she exuded the charming and tender aura of a bride. Jared took care of her with great consideration, and Willow was seated at the side as well. They were very considerate of Ellen. Due to his unique identity, Ethan was also seated at one of the front tables. However, as he chatted with the guests, he couldn¡¯t help but steal nces behind him. Because of the obstructed view, he could only catch sight of Josephine¡¯s figure every now and then. ¡°A toast to you, Mr. Quarles.¡± ¡°As to you.¡± Ethan clinked sses with the person, and after he had finished the wine, an idea urred to him. ¡°Enjoy your meal. I¡¯m going to talk to a friend.¡± With that, Ethan took his wine ss with him as he headed straight for Josephine¡¯s table. Meanwhile, Olivia was suggesting to Connor that they should toast at the Presgraves¡¯ table. She wanted to get on good terms with the Presgraves so that they could help them in the future. However, Connor wasn¡¯t quite willing. Firstly, he felt like he had no right to meet the Presgraves. Secondly, it was a big day for Ellen, so he didn¡¯t want to affect her mood. Thirdly, the Presgraves might not wee theSeeing that her husband was too timid, Olivia could only give up. They were still unaware of the fact that their daughter had been chased off the ind! After observing Olivia, Josephine realized how Olivia managed to raise a cunning woman like Selena. Olivia was a very selfish person herself; she had terrible table manners, and she kept hoarding the Josephine watched Olivia¡¯s behavior as if she were watching a show. Meanwhile, the other guests at the table chose not to speak up since they had their reputations to maintain, but they were obviously upset. Just then, Luke was about to put some food on Josephine¡¯s te when he noticed Olivia grabbing the dishes again. He said harshly, ¡°Ma¡¯am, let¡¯s be decent people, alright? Stop hogging the dishes; it¡¯ll come to you.¡± Olivia almost lost her cool, and with another re from Connor, she reluctantly let go. As Luke scooped up the food, a pair of arms rested on Josephine¡¯s shoulder. A low and alluring man¡¯s voice sounded. ¡°Miss Jacobson, here¡¯s a toast to you.¡± Josephine¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she turned to see that Ethan had arrived. She immediately got up and took her wine ss, clinking it with his as she said earnestly, ¡°Mr. Quarles, thank you so much for helping me out.¡± Heidi turned to look as well. Her eyes widened when she registered what she was seeing. Since when had her daughter gotten to know such a tall and handsome man? He looked even better than a male model! What was more, he had a noble and elegant aura about him. ¡°You¡¯re wee. We¡¯re acquaintances, after all. It was nothing.¡± Ethan curved his lips into a smile. ¡°No, if possible, I insist on treating you to a meal as thanks.¡± Josephine thought that thanking him wasn¡¯t enough to repay this kindness, so she should treat him to a meal. ¡°Really? In that case, I¡¯ll be waiting,¡± replied Ethan eagerly. ¡°Who¡¯s this, Joey?¡± Heidi tugged at her daughter¡¯s sleeve. It was only then Ethan remembered that Heidi was sitting next to Josephine. He immediately smiled and greeted, ¡°Hello, Mrs. Jacobson. I¡¯m your daughter¡¯s friend.¡± ¡°Hello, hello! What¡¯s your name?¡± Heidi hastily asked. ¡°My name is Ethan Quarles,¡± Ethan replied with a smile. At the side, Luke suddenly lost interest in the food as he turned around and said, ¡°Joey, stop chatting. Have some more food.¡± Josephine had consumed a few sses of wine, so her face was tinted red. There was even a ssy look in her eyes as she said to Ethan, ¡°You should go back to your seat and eat something.¡± Ethan¡¯s gaze lingered on her face for a few seconds. He then reminded her, ¡°Don¡¯t drink too much.¡± Josephine¡¯s face reddened even more. Why did she feel like he was speaking as if he were caring for her as a boyfriend? At the banquet, Olivia kept making phone calls to Selena, but her daughter wasn¡¯t picking up. She couldn¡¯t help butin to her husband, saying, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Lena? She¡¯s not picking up my calls, and she disappeared just like that.¡± Connor shook his head as he replied, ¡°How would I know?¡± All of a sudden, Josephine felt it was necessary to inform them of the truth; Selena was probably too ashamed to tell them. ¡°Mrs. Aguirre, could youe out with me for a moment? I¡¯ll tell you what happened to your daughter,¡± Josephine said to Olivia. Olivia stood up, half doubtful as she asked, ¡°Do you know what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Josephine nodded. Olivia followed Josephine to thewn outside. She even looked a little impatient as she said, ¡°What exactly do you want to say to me?¡± ¡°Mrs. Aguirre, your daughter has done something vile,¡± Josephine said, turning around. Olivia¡¯s expression shifted as she retorted in anger, ¡°My daughter is innocent. She¡¯d never do anything wrong, so don¡¯t nder my daughter like that.¡± ¡°Let me tell you, then. Your daughter didn¡¯t leave of her own ord¡ªshe was chased off this ind by the Presgraves because she leaked photos of the wedding to a mediapany. She even used me of doing it,¡± Josephine said calmly. ¡°Nonsense! What evidence do you have that my daughter framed you? I¡¯ll sue you!¡± Olivia immediately threatened. Josephine pulled up the recording of her conversation with Selena and yed it for Olivia. When Olivia heard it, she panicked. The voice in the recording did belong to her daughter. Selena was trembling as she pleaded, so it was obvious that she was the real culprit and had begged Josephine for mercy. ¡°Well, do you believe me now? Your daughter is a rtive of the bride, but she did such a horrible thing. That¡¯s very hical of her.¡± Josephine felt injustice on the bride¡¯s behalf as well. Olivia was panicking now, and she was embarrassed as she asked, ¡°Did they really chase my daughter out?¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Presgrave himself gave the orders to chase her out,¡± Josephine said. ¡°That girl, how could she do such a thing? I¡¯ll teach her a lesson when I go back.¡± Olivia immediately pretended toin about her daughter to get out of the situation. Then, she said to Josephine, ¡°Miss Jacobson, I¡¯d like to apologize to you on my daughter¡¯s behalf.¡± ¡°It seemed like you and your husband weren¡¯t aware of anything, so I just wanted to inform you guys about it.¡± With that, Josephine turned around and went into the banquet hall. When Olivia returned, she had an uneasy expression on her face. Everyone had more or less eaten their fill, so Olivia tugged at her husband¡¯s sleeve, signaling that they should leave. Connor had a little too much to drink as well, for the wine here was the most fragrant he had ever tasted. Olivia helped him up and went out, then got a driver to drive them back to the vi. As soon as they returned, Connory on the couch and fell asleep. Olivia angrily grabbed her phone and dialed her daughter¡¯s number. At that moment, after the hour- long flight on the helicopter, Selena had just arrived at the pier. When she heard her phone ringing, she reached out and answered the call. ¡°Mom?¡± ¡°Look at what you¡¯ve done, you brat! Why did you leak photos of the wedding? Our reputation is ruined because of you,¡± scolded Olivia. Selena thought she could keep this a secret forever. She said guiltily, ¡°Who told you, Mom?¡± ¡°Who else? Josephine, of course! Why did you frame her? Do you have a grudge against her or something?!¡± ¡°Mom, I just arrived at the pier. I¡¯m going back first.¡± Selena didn¡¯t want to say anything more. After all, she would never be involved with the Presgraves again for the rest of her life. Olivia finally came to her senses and regretted the way she raised her daughter. Now, Selena was all grown up, but all she ever learned was to cause trouble. She was hopeless. Olivia also felt too ashamed to remain there, so she nned on leaving with her husband the next day. Meanwhile, the entire ind was still brimming with wedding cheer. Josephine was about to apany her mother back when Luke rushed over and said, ¡°Joey, I heard the boats are going out to sea tonight. Do you want toe with me? Maybe we can watch the fireworks show on the ocean.¡± Heidi immediately nudged her daughter and said, ¡°Go ahead! You guys should enjoy yourselves.¡± ¡°Mom¡ª¡± ¡°You rarely get any days off, so now that you¡¯re free these days, have as much fun as you¡¯d like. I can go back on my own.¡± With that, Heidi walked toward the row of cars waiting for passengers. Josephine said to Luke, ¡°Go ahead and have fun. I don¡¯t feel like going.¡± ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll stay with you wherever you go. All my time tonight belongs to¡ª¡± Before Luke could finish speaking, a man¡¯s voice forcefully interrupted him. ¡°Come with me, Josephine.¡± Ethan suddenly made his appearance, ready to snatch Josephine away. Luke immediately stretched out his arms and stopped Ethan from getting closer to Josephine. ¡°Hey, I was the one who asked Joey out first. Don¡¯t you dare snatch her away.¡± Josephine blinked her slightly hazy eyes, and as she looked at Ethan in his ck shirt, she found that he looked a little too handsome with the neon lights illuminating his face. She blinked a few more times, then asked, ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± ¡°Juste with me.¡± With that, Ethan stepped forward and took her hand, then moved to leave. Luke had never held Josephine¡¯s hand by force before. He said angrily, ¡°Ethan Quarles, was it? Let go of Joey right now!¡± Josephine was stunned too, but in the next moment, she was led forward by some force. She didn¡¯t know if it was the alcohol or whether her brain had turned to mush, but she followed the man and kept going. Ethan led her into a car, then got in himself and told the driver to start driving. Behind them, Luke immediately got into another car and said, ¡°Follow that car in front of us.¡± In the car, Josephine¡¯s mind was clearing up as she asked curiously, ¡°Where exactly are you taking me?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know when we get there,¡± Ethan said mysteriously. Josephine thought that this man probably couldn¡¯t do anything bad to her. Even the air felt free tonight, so she decided to go wild just this once. She wanted to see where this man would bring her. Finally, the car pulled up at the pier. Josephine looked down the pier to see a boat waiting for them. What was more, it didn¡¯t look like the type made to ferry guests; it looked more like a private boat. ¡°Come! I arranged this especially for you.¡± With that, Ethan took her hand again and began walking. Josephine allowed him to lead her toward the brightly lit boat. She felt as if she were the female lead of a movie with a romantic atmosphere and the handsome male lead, as well as the beach and the boat. Everything was extravagant and charming like a movie. It didn¡¯t seem like a bad idea to be a female lead for once. While Josephine was getting into the boat, she heard Luke¡¯s desperate shoutsing from the pier behind her. ¡°Joey, Joey¡­ Wait for me.¡± How could Luke let this opportunity go? He wanted to get onto the boat and go out to sea with Josephine too. However, two bodyguards suddenly reached out and blocked his path. ¡°Why are you stopping me? I¡¯m a guest,¡± Luke said immediately. ¡°Sorry, sir, this is a private boat. It¡¯s not meant for other guests.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Luke couldn¡¯t understand for a moment. ¡°This is Mr. Quarles¡¯ private boat.¡± Luke was dumbfounded. What? Ethan¡¯s private boat? Did he bring his boat here as well? ¡°Joey! Get off, Joey. Don¡¯t go with him! He¡¯s dangerous!¡± Luke shouted toward Josephine from the railing. Ethan turned around and narrowed his eyes. He red at Luke with an extremely sharp and cold look, then extended a hand in front of Josephine. ¡°Ladies first.¡± The wind was quite strong at the pier, and Josephine could only see Luke¡¯s animated behavior as the latter was being held back. She couldn¡¯t hear what he was saying, and she even asked Ethan, ¡°What is Luke saying?¡± ¡°Ignore him.¡± Even if Ethan could make out Luke¡¯s words, he wouldn¡¯t tell her. Luke could only watch as Josephine was being snatched away. He was so pissed that he clenched his fists and stomped his feet in anger. Josephine walked into the luxurious cabin. As she examined her surroundings, she asked the man, ¡°Is this yours?¡± ¡°Yeah! All mine,¡± the man replied behind her. ¡°Whatpany does your family run?¡± Josephine began to realize that this man was wealthy beyond her imagination. She was starting to feel a little pressured when she talked to him. ¡°We¡¯re in the shipping business.¡± When Josephine heard that, she was stunned. People working in that field were always super rich! ¡°So, your family is very, very rich then?¡± Josephine turned around with a faint look of admiration in her eyes. Ethan couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°I may need a few lifetimes to spend it all.¡± Josephine burst outughing. At that moment, she could feel the boat bobbing on the ocean, so she found a couch to sit on. As she gazed at the scenery outside, she felt herself rxing. ¡°It is an honor to befriend you. If not, I would never know what it¡¯s like to be in a luxury boat.¡± Josephine smiled, relieving the awkward atmosphere between them. ¡°If you¡¯d like, I can bring you out to sea often,¡± said the man as he gazed at her with deep and earnest eyes. Josephine met his gaze, feeling her heart subconsciously skip a beat. This guy couldn¡¯t be pursuing her, could he? Josephine had always been a good girl. She studied earnestly and always got good results in school, proceeding to find a stable and meaningful job after. For thetter half of her life, she decided that she would get married to someone of her status, such as a colleague or someone she knew. Then, she would have children and spend her life in peace and normalcy. Never had she thought of getting married into a rich family, nor had she even dreamt of it. Now that a super wealthy man wanted to pursue her, she had mixed feelings about it. Her feelings were soplicated that she suddenly turned wary. She wasn¡¯t a woman who could endure some reckless y. If Ethan just wanted a one-night stand with her, he hade to the wrong person. ¡°Ahem! Never mind, I¡¯m always super busy with work. I won¡¯t have time to go out to sea.¡± Josephine smiled while declining his offer. ¡°Is your job tiring?¡± Ethan asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Yes, but it brings meaning to my life,¡± Josephine replied. Ethan could understand from their gazes and conversation that Josephine wasn¡¯t the sort of girl he could woo with wealth alone. ¡°What would you like to drink? Water? Coffee? More wine?¡± ¡°Water, please. I¡¯ve drunk enough wine; I still feel a little tipsy,¡± said Josephine. Ethan passed her a bottle of water. Josephine unscrewed the cap and took a few sips. Then, she asked, ¡°Can I look around?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Ethan curved his lips into a smile. Josephine stood up and began looking around. When she went out the door and stood at the railing, the man followed as well. He held a ss of wine in his hands, and he exuded the elegant aura of a noble young master. Josephine stood at the railing for a while. Suddenly, the waves got a little rough, and she couldn¡¯t help but stagger. As she stepped backward, a firm arm caught her at the perfect time. ¡°Watch your step,¡± the man reminded her. Josephine gripped the railing as she smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡± Then, she walked toward the deck. She could see the entire ind from there. Josephine took a seat on the couch ced there. The man beside her sat down as well, and the two admired the view together. Josephine¡¯s long hair was tousled by the sea breeze, covering her palm-sized face. She had no choice but to gather her hair to one side in front of her chest, revealing her mesmerizing profile. The man couldn¡¯t endure Josephine¡¯s allure as he gazed at her small face, then at her red lips. Thoughts began sprouting in his mind. Finally, the boat slowly came to a halt. At the same time, fireworks blossomed near them on the surface of the sea. The fireworks filled the sky with their brilliance, blooming one after the other in the night sky. ¡°Wow!¡± Josephine couldn¡¯t help her awe. The fireworks reflected in her eyes, which were glimmering and beautifully clear as well. ¡°Let¡¯s enjoy the fireworks here,¡± the man suggested. ¡°Sure!¡± Josephine didn¡¯t want to leave either. Josephine gazed at the fireworks, so entranced by them that she didn¡¯t even blink. She failed to notice that the man next to her was scooting closer. By the time Josephine finally sensed it, she turned to see the handsome face inches away from hers. Ethan¡¯s arm had also extended around her shoulders without her realizing it. They were so close that they could feel each other¡¯s breaths. Josephine¡¯s heart skipped a beat. What¡¯s going on? she thought. Her mind went slightly nk. She knew it was extremely suggestive, but she was so absorbed in the moment that she didn¡¯t want to push him away. Also, as the fireworks were reflected in the man¡¯s eyes, it was as soul-stirring as the gxy. She was deeply enchanted as if she were under a spell. Ethan edged closer, meaning to test her response. He soon found that Josephine wasn¡¯t moving away; he felt as if she was encouraging and weing him instead. Ethan swallowed seductively, then pressed his thin lips against Josephine¡¯s. It was so soft that he felt like his entire body had gotten an electric shock. Greed filled him in that instant, and he desired even more. Josephine felt like the fireworks had exploded inside her brain too, and her mind turnedpletely nk. Hm? I don¡¯t hate it, she realized. I never thought a man¡¯s lips would be this soft. Josephine was quite particr about hygiene, especially when it came to physical contact with people of the opposite gender. However, strangely enough, she didn¡¯t mind Ethan that much, and she even thought he smelled good. Ethan¡¯s hand snaked up behind her head and held it gently. With a slight force, he pushed her against him so that the kiss was no longer just a graze. The man was exploring ording to his own wishes. ¡°Mm!¡± Josephine let out a small moan as she ignored the danger signals in her brain. She realized that she liked the kiss. It was refreshing and something she had never experienced before, so it implored her to explore even further. Finally, when the kiss got too embarrassing for Josephine, she reached out and pushed him away. She looked away and panted slightly. Ethan curved his thin lips subtly, his eyes colored with unfulfilled desire. ¡°Ahem!¡± Josephine held her fist to her mouth and coughed on purpose to relieve the awkwardness. ¡°Um¡­ we should head back.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want to stay a while longer?¡± Ethan had no intention of going back just like that. ¡°I¡­ I have to go back and pack my things. I¡¯ll be going back to the city for work tomorrow morning.¡± Josephine found a random excuse. Ethan nced at the time. ¡°It¡¯s only 8.30PM. The night is still young.¡± Josephine was speechless. Couldn¡¯t this man see that she was getting awkward already? She wasn¡¯t good at kissing strangers at all. Wait, is he good at kissing strangers? Does he bring pretty girls to his private boat often, then seduce them with his charm? As soon as the thought urred to her, Josephine woke up from her trance. She had to treat that kiss seriously. If not, the man might think she was an easy woman. ¡°Mr. Quarles, it¡¯s gettingte. Please send me back,¡± said Josephine sternly. Ethan was slightly stunned. Why was she suddenly demanding to go back? Wasn¡¯t the atmosphere perfect just now? ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did I upset you without realizing it?¡± Ethan immediately straightened up and asked her curiously. He couldn¡¯t help but feel reluctant to leave. ¡°Won¡¯t you stay a while longer with me?¡± However, Josephine was determined to go back. ¡°Why don¡¯t you send me back, then go back out to sea if you¡¯d like?¡± Ethan was bewildered. Without her by his side, what fun was there to have out on the sea alone? ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take you back.¡± Ethan took out his phone and contacted the people in the control room to head back to the pier. Josephine bit her red lips. Just then, the inertia from the boat turning around suddenly sent Josephine crashing against the man. ¡°Ah!¡± Josephine shrieked, then instinctively reached out to grab the man¡¯s shoulders. Due to the force, Ethan¡¯s body tilted, but he managed to regain bnce as he pulled Josephine into his embrace. In that instant, the two fell into a suggestive pose on the couch. Josephine trapped Ethan under her, their faces almost touching. Whoa! Josephine¡¯s face immediately turned red. She wanted to get up as soon as possible, but when she positioned herself upright, she realized the boat was only halfway through the turn. Another force hit her, and Josephine could do nothing but lie on the man¡¯s body as she hugged his waist. Even though Ethan was angry at the helmsman for making such a sharp turn and causing Josephine to fall, he also felt that there was a silver lining to it. When her soft and fragrant body fell into his arms, he felt an electric current running through his entire body, extending to his limbs. Ironically, Josephine was right up his alley, as if she was born with the ability to seduce him. Finally, when the boat positioned itself toward the pier, Josephine stiffly got off the man¡¯s body. After seating herself securely, she gathered her messy hair. ¡°Sorry for just now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Ethan looked at her, admiring the red tint of her cheeks in secret fascination. They hadn¡¯t gone very far, so they reached the pier in 15 minutes. As Ethan escorted Josephine out of the boat, a person suddenly rushed over to them. Startled, Josephine looked to see that it was Luke. Oh! He¡¯s patient enough to actually wait at the pier all this while. ¡°Luke?¡± Josephine said in surprise. ¡°Joey, did he bully you? Did he take advantage of you?¡± Luke feared that Ethan would take advantage of the situation and do something to Josephine on the boat. Josephine¡¯s face immediately turned red as she replied, ¡°No. I¡¯m going back.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send you back,¡± said Luke. Ethan subconsciously frowned at the sight of this meddlesome man. ¡°I was the one who invited her, so I should be the one to send her back.¡± ¡°Mr. Quarles, you have to wait for your turn if you want to pursue Joey. I¡¯m actively pursuing her right now, so you¡¯re not allowed to snatch her away.¡± Luke reached out and blocked Ethan¡¯s path. Ethan instantly clenched his fists, startling Luke. Ethan did look like the sort of person who could put up a fight and win it. Luke immediately invited Josephine to walk toward a waiting car. ¡°Joey, here. My car is this way.¡± Josephine turned around and said to the man behind her, ¡°Mr. Quarles, you don¡¯t have toe with me. Goodbye.¡± ¡°Shall I send you back to the city tomorrow morning?¡± Ethan asked, halting her. ¡°No, thank you.¡± With that, Josephine turned again to nce at the man behind her. She didn¡¯t know if she would have another chance to meet him after this farewell. She even thought that their encounter was but a brief intersection of parallel lines. Josephine turned away in determination as she walked toward Luke¡¯s car. Then, she opened the door to the backseat and got in. Luke got in as well, and when he closed the door, he noticed Josephine looking out the window. rms were instantly set off in Luke¡¯s mind. What¡¯s this? Has Josephine already fallen for this b*stard? If not, why does she look so reluctant to leave? Since the windows at the back seat were private, one could only look outside from within, but people outside couldn¡¯t see what was going on inside. Ethan thought Josephine would roll down the windows and wave goodbye, but even after the car had driven away, the ss window stayed up. He gazed in the direction of the car, mumbling, ¡°Josephine, we¡¯ll meet again.¡± On a balcony of a vi, Jared watched the fireworks show with Ellen. It was breathtakingly beautiful, and it served as the perfect ending to their wedding day. Ellen was in a pretty red dress, and her long hairy slightly curled in front of her chest. A diamond headband adorned her head, and her makeup was simple yet elegant. She exuded an alluring charm. ¡°All right, we should get some rest.¡± Ellen took his hand. Then, as if she had thought of something, she suggested, ¡°I know you definitely won¡¯t be able to sleep tonight. Why don¡¯t you go have some fun with your friends, and I¡¯ll go to bed first?¡± ¡°Are you tired?¡± Jared reached out and touched her face. As he gazed at her dainty corbones, there was a dense look in his eyes, but he had to resist every thought that urred to him. Sometimes, he felt that the child was too good at tormenting people. Why would the babye at this moment? He hadn¡¯t even had enough of dating, but here he was, about to be a father soon. I know what you¡¯re thinking. Hold your horses, ¡± Ellen said, looking up. She blushed right after, then wrapped her arms around his waist as she touched his strong body. She herself found it difficult to endure. Her husband was charming and handsome, but she could only look at him. The two were holding back with everything they had, for the baby was their utmost priority. ¡°I¡¯m spending the night with you.¡± Jared decided not to go anywhere, and that he would stay with her in the room instead. At the moment, Willow was sitting in her own vi, working earnestly on a paper. Even though the atmosphere outside was merry and festive, she was willing to resist the temptation and work hard for her career. Meanwhile, Elliot and his wife chatted with their friends and rtives on thewn. There was wine and champagne all around, and also countless stories of life. They felt as if they had gone back in time to their youths. At around 9.30AM, Josephine and Heidi packed their bags and prepared to set out for the city. Luke had enthusiastically prepared a car for them early on, and he even helped load their bags into the car. ¡°Luke, thank you so much!¡± Heidi said gratefully. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Mrs. Jacobson. If there¡¯s anything you need, just let me know and I¡¯ll see to it,¡± Luke chimed. He truly liked Josephine, and he had liked her ever since he fell for her at first sight. He wasn¡¯t just aiming to establish a connection with Josephine¡¯s grandfather and hiswork; in reality, he admired Josephine¡¯s outstanding qualities as well. ¡°Come on, Joey! Get in the car.¡± Heidi tugged at her daughter, who was zoning out. She didn¡¯t know what Josephine was looking out for. Josephine hastily returned to her senses, then sighed lightly. She didn¡¯t know what she was expecting, either. Some people were only destined to meet for a short while, and their futures would no longer intersect after that. It wasn¡¯t until she boarded the cruise ship headed for the city that Josephine¡¯s tiny sliver of hope finally disappeared. When she turned around, Luke was smiling at her in fascination. ¡°Joey, after going back to the city, let¡¯s have a meal together. Which restaurant would you like to go to? I can bring you there.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s leave it for another time. I have to get to work as soon as I get back.¡± Josephine declined in a roundabout way. ¡°You still have to eat, don¡¯t you?¡± Luke would never give up. Moreover, he also noticed that Ethan didn¡¯t see her off, so he was even more relieved. No one knew men better than men themselves. A man who was on the top of the food chain like Ethan would have nock of women, so why would he stay for Josephine? He probably changed the women around him all the time. Meanwhile, a man was in a vi attending an important video conference. He had checked his watch countless times in annoyance. This was an important meeting to elect members of the board, and his father was present as well. Hence, Ethan couldn¡¯t leave from 9.00AM until now, which was already 10.30AM. Finally, the election was over. Ethan mmed hisptop shut, then hastily rushed outside. He started his roadster and then sped onto the road outside the vi. However, when his car arrived at the vi Josephine and Heidi had stayed at, only staff members were seen cleaning up the ce. Ethan strode in and asked the steward, ¡°Have the guests in this vi left?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. They left,¡± the steward replied. Ethan could only sigh. He waste, after all. He took out his phone and dialed Josephine¡¯s number. Meanwhile, Josephine¡¯s bag was with Heidi, and she herself was admiring the view on the deck. Heidi was chatting enthusiastically with her friend, so she didn¡¯t hear the ringtone from her daughter¡¯s phone. Ethan dialed Josephine¡¯s number twice in a row, and Heidi finally noticed thest call. When she took out her daughter¡¯s phone, it had already stopped ringing. When she inputted the password and unlocked her daughter¡¯s phone, she nced at the number. Josephine had saved the number under some abbreviation. Heidi couldn¡¯t read it, so she put the phone back and swiped away the missed calls. Meanwhile, as Ethan stood in front of the vi and saw that Josephine didn¡¯t pick up, he was instantly a little worried. Was she mad because he didn¡¯t see her off? Was she ignoring him? Ethan then dialed his subordinate¡¯s number and asked them to prepare a ne that would immediately take him back to the city airport in Averna. He wanted to meet Josephine and apologize to her. When Josephine returned to her seat, Heidi also forgot to inform her that there was a phone call for her. Even when Josephine read the news on her phone, she didn¡¯t notice the two missed calls from Ethan in the list of calls she hadn¡¯t answered. Moreover, she always received a lot of calls, so she couldn¡¯t be bothered to look through her missed calls. It was quite fun to enjoy the 5-star treatment on the cruise ship, for there was food, drinks, and entertainment provided. Luke would drop by every so often to say hi as he tried to appeal to Josephine. Also, he had contacted a driver who would send Josephine and Heidi home as soon as they arrived. Meanwhile, a private ne had just taken to the skies as it left the ind. Ethan was seated on the ne, checking the schedule of the cruise ship Josephine was on. He suddenly realized that after he disembarked from the ne, he would have another hour to rush to the pier to meet her. He couldn¡¯t help but curve his lips. At least he had a chance to present himself. Josephine seemed to be upied with new thoughts because she kept feeling the urge to look for Ethan. The kissst night was especially memorable, and she could recall the sensation every time she closed her eyes. It was her first kiss, after all. Yet she had given it to him so easily. She sort of felt bad for her future boyfriend. Meanwhile, at the airport in Averna, a private ne had just touched down. After that, a ck Rolls- Royce was transported off the ne. Under the afternoon sun, the car shimmered and looked especially prestigious and brilliant. Three security SUVs followed suit. When all the procedures were settled, the ck car bound for the pier right away with the SUVs as escorts. Meanwhile, there were about 30 minutes left before the cruise ship arrived at the pier. A number of luxurious cars were already parked at the parking lot at the pier, turning it into a luxury vehicle exhibition. Just then, at the entrance, four cars drove boldly in. When the vehicles were parked properly, the back door of the Rolls-Royce opened. Ethan strode out in his ck suit. His long slender legs, paired with his handsome figure, had turned even the luxurious car into an essory. When Ethan caught sight of the cruise ship headed for the pier, the corners of his mouth turned up for a moment. He would have to behave as apologetically as possibleter. When the cruise ship arrived at the pier, quite a number of drivers and servants working for prestigious families came forward to wee their masters. Most of them helped to carry the luggage, whereas some of them helped the old masters along. Josephine and Heidi carried their bags. Josephine had to wrestle her own luggage out of Luke¡¯s hands, but Heidi allowed Luke to carry hers. ¡°Luke, did you have a car ready?¡± Heidi asked. ¡°Yes, Mrs. Jacobson, it¡¯s waiting for us at the parking lot.¡± As Josephine dragged her luggage out on the pavement, one of the wheels of her suitcase was caught in a gap. She had to jerk her suitcase with more force to loosen it, but she didn¡¯t seed. Josephine bent down to knock at it, but suddenly, a strong man¡¯s hand reached out. A low male voice sounded as well. ¡°Allow me.¡± Josephine raised her head in shock, staring in disbelief at the man who had appeared out of nowhere. Her heart skipped a few beats. Gosh, why is he here? N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Luke carried the luggage as he helped the seasick Heidi off the ship. When he looked up, he was stunned to see Ethan suddenly there in front of Josephine, helping Josephine with her luggage. Luke was pissed. This b*stard doesn¡¯t know when to quit. Ethan kept snatching away his chances to appeal to Josephine. ¡°W-Why are you here?¡± Josephine suppressed the emotions in her heart as she asked him calmly. ¡°Do you not want to see me?¡± the man asked in a low voice. ¡°It¡¯s not that. Were you on the cruise ship as well?¡± Josephine found it weird, for she hadn¡¯t seen him at all. ¡°No, I came here by ne, then I rushed here from the airport to send you and your mother home,¡± the man replied. Josephine couldn¡¯t help but widen her beautiful eyes. What? He even made an effort to rush here from the airport. ¡°W-Why would you do that?¡± Josephine asked, puzzled. Chapter 1801-1810 Chapter 1801-1810 ¡°I had to attend an important meeting in the morning, so I didn¡¯t get the chance to see you off at the pier. You didn¡¯t answer my phone calls either, so I thought you must be mad at me. So, I came here especially to apologize to you,¡± Ethan replied earnestly. ¡°What? You called me? Why didn¡¯t I know about it?¡± With that, Josephine hastily took out her phone to confirm. Just as Ethan said, there were two missed calls from him. She was troubled. She must have identally missed the calls. ¡°I wasn¡¯t mad at you, I just happened to not notice your callsing in. You don¡¯t have to apologize to me.¡± Josephine felt a little sorry as well. If she had answered his calls, he wouldn¡¯t havee all the way here. Ethan was still relieved. At least she missed the calls because she didn¡¯t notice, not because she was mad at him. Josephine¡¯s face turned red for some reason. She was usually bold and outspoken, but now she had experienced what it was like to be embarrassed. She didn¡¯t even dare to look at Ethan¡¯s face. This man went to such great lengths just to meet her. Putting everything else aside, this man knew how to woo a woman. She was actually touched. ¡°Come here, Brennen.¡± Behind them, Luke called an assistant who hade to fetch them. He pointed at Josephine¡¯s luggage, then said, ¡°Help Miss Jacobson load her luggage into the car.¡± Brennen Porter was Luke¡¯s best assistant, so of course he knew how much effort Luke put in to pursue Josephine. Hence, he hastily ran over to do his boss¡¯ bidding. Also, he was also quite a perceptive man. When he saw the tall and handsome figure next to Josephine, he guessed that Luke had met with a strong rival. ¡°Miss Jacobson, I¡¯ll help you with your luggage.¡± With that, Brennen moved to take Josephine¡¯s suitcase. However, arge hand pressed on the suitcase, stopping him. He was even given a sharp look. ¡°Don¡¯t touch it.¡± Obviously, only a certain somebody was allowed to carry this suitcase, and everyone else wasn¡¯t permitted to touch it. Josephine was feeling awkward now. On the cruise ship, she and Heidi had agreed to take Luke¡¯s car home, so if she refused now, it wouldn¡¯t look too good. ¡°Quarles, can¡¯t you see that Josephine and Mrs. Jacobson are getting in my car?¡± Luke stepped forward and spoke up. Ethan made him feel very threatened. At the side, Heidi was both surprised and shocked. Since when had her daughter gained so many admirers? Two men were fighting for the spot to send Josephine home; Heidi had nothing to worry about when it came to finding suitors for her daughter. Josephine bit her lip and said, ¡°Mr. Quarles, thank you for offering us a ride, but I¡¯ve already promised to take Luke¡¯s car home. Please go back.¡± Josephine couldn¡¯t back out on her promise to Luke. Also, she was caught off guard by Ethan¡¯s sudden appearance. She was shaken, and she needed time to calm down. Ethan was sullen. He came all the way to fetch her, but she refused his offer to send her home. Still, he respected her decision. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll be in town for a while, so let¡¯s have a meal together sometime,¡± the man said in a low voice. When Josephine heard that, she recalled something her parents always said. She was their only daughter, so they didn¡¯t want her to marry off to someone far away. They weren¡¯t counting on her to take care of them, but they worried that she would have to take a long trip home if she was in trouble. ¡°Okay.¡± Josephine nodded. This man doesn¡¯t live here permanently. I see¡­ Ethan still carried her luggage to Luke¡¯s car. When Luke walked over to them, he thought his car was cool enough, but he didn¡¯t expect to see the ck car parked beside it. He couldn¡¯t help but take another nce at it. He was quite knowledgeable about cars, and he knew that the car was unbelievably expensive. Also, this was definitely a private custom-made model. He didn¡¯t know which millionaire it belonged to. ording to what he knew of Averna, no one was driving a car like that. Just then, Ethan thought of something, then said to Josephine, who was about to get into the car, ¡°Hold on. I have a gift for you.¡± Josephine was stunned. He even prepared a gift? Luke was wondering who owned the car when he saw Ethan walking to the back seat of the car and opening the door. Ethan retrieved an exquisitely wrapped golden box from it, and Luke¡¯s eyes widened to twice their usual size. F*ck, it¡¯s his, thought Luke. As Josephine gazed at the gift Ethan was extending toward her, she didn¡¯t dare take it. She guessed that there would be jewelry of some sort inside, and those things were usually very expensive, so the gift would be on another levelpared to normal gifts. ¡°Please, take it,¡± Ethan said to her. Josephine hesitated for a moment, then pushed his gift away. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Thank you, anyway. See you next time.¡± Josephine chose not to ept it. She feared that if she did, she wouldn¡¯t be able to give him something of equal value in return. Josephine got into the car and closed the door. Luke told his assistant Brennen to quickly start driving and leave the ce. He didn¡¯t want Ethan to take even one more look at Josephine. Ethan stood where he was, watching the car drive away. A hunter¡¯s look flitted across his eyes. He was definitely going to pursue this woman. Josephine sat in the car, listening to the conversation between Heidi and Luke as she filled her mind with thoughts of Ethan. She wasn¡¯t a fool; she could sense that Ethan was trying to pursue her. But why was the man pursuing her? Did he think she was different and wanted to y with her? Or did he actually want to marry her after he won her heart? If it were the former, Josephine would say no without hesitation, because she didn¡¯t want to be any man¡¯s toy. If it were thetter, she didn¡¯t know this man that well, and she realized she never knew much about him save for his name. After Luke¡¯s car drove into the city, it headed east. Then, it finally pulled up in front of a row of old bungalows. Josephine and Heidi got out of the car, and Luke enthusiastically carried their luggage inside as well. Heidi asked Luke to stay for some tea and rest a while. Luke couldn¡¯t have asked for a better offer. However, Josephine was quite tired, so she went upstairs to rest. After clearing her luggage, Josephiney on the bed. She didn¡¯t want to do anything. She just wanted to lie in bed. Just then, there was a notification on her phone. She usually didn¡¯t care about messages, but this time, she actively grabbed her phone and looked at it. Her heart skipped a beat again. It was a message from Ethan. ¡®Have you arrived? Tell me when you¡¯re home.¡¯ He actually spoke as if he were her boyfriend. Josephine¡¯s face warmed up. ¡®I just got home. Thank you for your concern,¡¯ Josephine replied. ¡®Are you free tonight? Maybe we can go out for dinner,¡¯ he then asked. Josephine instantly closed her eyes and buried her face in the nket as she thought about it. He was asking her out so actively. If she agreed, would he think that she was an easy woman? However, she simply wanted to go. Josephine felt like she was a walking contradiction. When she remembered the kiss on the boat, Josephine felt an electric current running through her body, numbing her. She had never touched a man in her 25 years of existence, and it was quite sad to think about. If she had gotten into a serious rtionship before, she would have had more experience in romance, and she wouldn¡¯t be like a maiden who had to consider so much and be so fearful simply because a man asked her out for dinner. ¡®To go or not to go?¡¯ That was a question worth pondering. ¡®It¡¯s just a meal, so it won¡¯t hurt to get to know each other, right?¡¯ said one part of her. Another part of her retorted, saying, ¡®You¡¯ll have to treat him to another meal next time. Also, Mom said that if the ce is not reachable by bus, it¡¯s considered a far ce to get married off to.¡¯ She wasn¡¯t even sure if Ethan was a local. If so, was it even necessary to continue interacting with him? Just then, she received another message on her phone. ¡®What¡¯s the matter? Is it a bad time?¡¯ the man asked. ¡®Yes, I don¡¯t think I can make it. Sorry!¡¯ Josephine replied, declining. It was exactly because she was a calm and logical person that she would be single in her 25 years of existence. She analyzed every man who approached her like a calctor. If the person wasn¡¯t someone worth dating, she wouldn¡¯t even give the person a chance. Unfortunately, Ethan was sorted into this category. Josephine scratched her messy hair, then let out a sigh. Forget it. I¡¯m not worthy of a super rich and handsome man like Ethan, anyway. Josephine decided that she would stop asking for trouble. She would focus on her goals at work and see if she could be a news anchor before she turned 27. She couldn¡¯t be a reporter forever! Josephine continued in the direction she had nned for her life. Anything getting in the way of her progress could be abandoned. She wanted to focus on money and her career. ¡°Joey,e down! Luke is leaving.¡± Heidi knocked on the door, calling out. Josephine opened the door. Luke had helped them out a lot, so she should see him off at least. When Josephine arrived at the hall, she saw him standing there. ¡°Luke, thank you so much for your help throughout the trip. I¡¯ll treat you to a meal next time.¡± ¡°Next time? Why not tonight? I¡¯ll book a restaurant.¡± He didn¡¯t want to miss the opportunity. When Heidi heard that, she chimed, ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do it tonight! Joey, you¡¯re always so busy with work, so who knows when you¡¯ll have the time.¡± Heidi was quite satisfied with Luke. After all, she knew his background well, and his grandfather was good friends with Josephine¡¯s grandfather too. Heidi would be satisfied if her daughter could get married to Luke. Josephine thought it made sense. She would have to start working soon, and she might get so busy that she wouldn¡¯t even have time to eat. ¡°All right, tonight, then. My treat,¡± said Josephine. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be here by 5.00PM,¡± Luke replied. Josephine smiled. ¡°Sure.¡± After seeing Luke off, Josephine was about to leave when Heidi called out to her from the couch. ¡°Joey, come take a seat. I have something to say to you.¡± Josephine had no choice but to sit next to her mother. She then grabbed an orange to peel and eat. ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s your rtionship with Mr. Quarles? Why did hee over to pick you up too?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± ¡°Where is he from? What¡¯s his address? He looks like he¡¯s of mixed heritage, so is he a foreigner?¡± Heidi had quite a keen eye. ¡°Probably. He¡¯s probably not from around here. Oh, he probably isn¡¯t local too,¡± suggested Josephine. When Heidi heard that, she sighed and said, ¡°He¡¯s handsome, and very rich as well. However, we¡¯re justmoners, and we just want to live our lives in peace. So, I think Luke is a decent choice. He suits you.¡± ¡°Mom, can I really not marry off to a ce far from home?¡± Josephine asked her mother earnestly. Heidi gave her a look and even asked her a rhetorical question in annoyance, ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Fine, I get it.¡± Josephine knew that the answer would be no. Actually, she was reluctant to get married off to a faraway ce too. After giving birth to her, her mother couldn¡¯t bear another child due to health reasons. Josephine was the only hope of the Jacobson Family. She couldn¡¯t abandon her parents and grandparents and just marry off to a ce far from home. That would be cruel of her. Meanwhile, at a luxurious 5-star hotel, Ethan sat on the couch and held a wine ss in his hand. There was silent contemtion behind his eyes. He never thought that Josephine would decline his invitation. He was quite perplexed because no woman had ever rejected him. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t carelessly ask any woman out for a meal either. Even if he did, it was purely for business purposes. Josephine was the first woman he asked out for personal reasons. Just then, his assistant, Louis, passed him a piece of paper. ¡°Sir, this is Miss Jacobson¡¯s address, which I¡¯ve asked around for.¡± Ethan reached out and took it, his lips curving into a smile. Fine, if she¡¯s not showing up, I¡¯ll go to her myself! Ethan wasn¡¯t good at waiting. He would always find a way to get what he wanted or to invite the person he wanted to ask out. After a nap, Josephine woke up to find that it was 4.30PM. She washed her hair, then picked an outfit suitable for early spring. After putting on some light makeup, she waited for Luke toe and pick her up. Josephine nced at her phone again. Ethan didn¡¯t send her any messages after that. She subconsciously sneered. She was right to have declined him. This man didn¡¯t seem like the patient type. Josephine shook her head, chasing her thoughts away. Instead, she decided to think about where she could bring Luke for dinner tonight. Josephine suddenly had a craving for a barbecue. All the wedding banquet offered was fine dining; hence, upon returning, she craved something more familiar and closer to home. Barbecue it is, then. Josephine sent Luke a message, asking him if he was up for some barbecue. Luke immediately replied, ¡®Sure, I¡¯d like some barbecue too. I¡¯ll be there in 5 minutes.¡¯ Josephine booked a reservation at the barbecue shop she frequented. Meanwhile, on the street outside Josephine¡¯s house, a ck SUV was parked by the road. A certain man, who wasn¡¯t too familiar with this area, was looking at the GPS. This was part of the old town area, so the streets were more closely woven, making it difficult for one to find one¡¯s way. Hence, the man could only get out of his car and ask an older man for instructions. The older man pointed ahead. ¡°There¡¯s a park in front. Drive in and you¡¯ll get there.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Ethan smiled, then got into the car and continued driving. At the junction, Luke¡¯s car also happened to turn onto the road. Josephine stood at the door, waiting with her purse in hand. Soon, she saw Luke¡¯s car heading her way. However, she didn¡¯t notice a ck SUV behind Luke¡¯s car. After pulling up, Luke got out of the car to open the car door for Josephine. At the same time, Ethan was looking at the signs. Suddenly, his gaze was drawn to a figure at the door. In an instant, he stepped on the brakes, sparks flying out of the tires as the car stopped and jerked forward a little. The car stopped right at the door of Luke¡¯s car, and Luke had just opened the door for Josephine. Startled, Josephine held onto the car window as she looked at the car beside them. Just then, the window of the SUV rolled down. A handsome face with sunsses came into view. It was none other than Ethan. Josephine waspletely stunned. He took off his sunsses, his deep amber eyes staring at them. He finally knew why he was rejected. This woman is going on a date with Luke. Ethan was greatly offended by what he saw, and Josephine¡¯s mind turned nk for a few seconds. She never thought that Ethan would show up at her doorstep, even witnessing her getting into Luke¡¯s car. How awkward. ¡°Quarles, what are you doing here? Joey promised to have dinner with me tonight. Go back to where you came from,¡± Luke said rudely. Ethan narrowed his eyes at Luke, then looked at Josephine. ¡°Do you mind the three of us having dinner together?¡± ¡°I do mind,¡± Luke retorted. Josephine also thought this wasn¡¯t a good idea. Luke didn¡¯t like Ethan, and Ethan didn¡¯t seem too fond of Luke either. If they had a meal together, what would she do if they started a fight? ¡°I¡¯m treating Luke to a meal tonight, so I¡¯ll treat you to another meal next time, Mr. Quarles,¡± Josephine said, smiling. Then, she got into Luke¡¯s car. Luke¡¯s car immediately made a U-turn, but the SUV behind it made a U-turn as well. As Luke drove, he stared at the SUV, following closely behind them. Fuming, he said, ¡°Why does this guy keep following us?¡± Josephine couldn¡¯t help but take a look in the rearview mirror. Ethan¡¯s car kept tailing them, and even when Luke rounded the corner, Ethan followed suit. What is he trying to do? ¡°Maybe he¡¯s going the same way as us,¡± Josephine said to Luke. The barbecue shop was nearby, so with Josephine¡¯s guidance, Luke arrived at the entrance right away. Luke had just parked the car when the ck SUV menacingly pulled up in the empty parking space next to them. Josephine saw that as well, and she was stunned for a few seconds. Does he want to have dinner here as well? Seeing the tall figure getting out of the driver¡¯s seat, Josephine couldn¡¯t help but go up to him and ask, ¡°Mr. Quarles, are you having dinner here as well?¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t really know where to have dinner. Am I bothering you?¡± Ethan raised an eyebrow as he asked. ¡°Um, of course not.¡± Josephine smiled awkwardly. Meanwhile, fearing that Ethan would snatch Josephine away, Luke reached out and grabbed Josephine¡¯s hand. ¡°Joey, let¡¯s go in!¡± Josephine was pulled away by Luke¡¯s force, but she turned and nced at Ethan behind her. She actually hoped that Ethan would go to another restaurant. With his identity, the barbecue might not be his jam. Can he stand the heat? The food here is known for its spices! Unexpectedly, there were quite a lot of customers at the barbecue shop. Luke and Josephine went over to the table they had reserved, and Josephine couldn¡¯t help looking at Ethan. The waiter led Ethan to a table right next to theirs, and his seat was across Josephine¡¯s. Josephine awkwardly cleared her throat, but soon, she heard the whispering of the young female servers around her. They were praising how handsome the man who entered the barbeque restaurant was. Sure enough, Ethan had charmed all the young waitresses in the restaurant as soon as he walked in. Meanwhile, Ethan didn¡¯t seem ufortable at the attention that he was getting at all. He was then served by a rtively innocent-looking waitress. He asked her questions whenever he didn¡¯t understand something, and his amber-like eyes made her blush and stutter the entire time. This scene, however, was seen by Josephine, who suddenly felt ufortable when she saw Ethan smiling charmingly at the waitress. Josephine didn¡¯t feel like ordering anything, so she left it to Luke to do it for her. Luke ordered all the dishes on the menu as if he was afraid that there wouldn¡¯t be enough for Josephine to eat. In reality, he had nned to take her to an upscale steakhouse, but since she wanted barbeque, heplied. Finally, Ethan finished ordering his food, and as soon as the waitress left, his gaze shifted toward Josephine. He gave her a charming wink and a mischievous smile. At that moment, Josephine suddenly realized how charming his smile was. As she held her teacup, she smiled back politely and decided not to look at him anymore. After all, she was here with Luke, so why was she staring at him the whole time? It didn¡¯t seem fair to Luke. ¡°Joey, my grandfather is turning 60 this week, and he¡¯s definitely invited your grandfather. Come and join us for a meal and celebration.¡± ¡°Uh, let¡¯s see. I have a lot of work to do, and I¡¯m resuming work tomorrow.¡± Josephine politely declined, not exactly interested in attending gatherings with the older generation. ¡°I hope you cane.¡± Luke looked at her with pleading eyes. ¡°We shall see. I need to go to the bathroom,¡± Josephine said as she got up from her seat. She felt too ufortable with Ethan being there, as if his presence had affected the vibe so much that it made her feel hot and suffocating, but it was clearly spring. As soon as Josephine entered the toilet cubicle, two female waitresses walked in and started talking about Ethan. ¡°Wow! He must be mixed-race! He has facial features that don¡¯t look local.¡± ¡°He¡¯s such a perfect-looking mixed-raced man! He¡¯s like a real-life domineering CEO!¡± ¡°Exactly, being near him makes me feel nervous!¡± ¡°I wonder why he came to our restaurant alone to eat barbeque.¡± ¡°Hey, I noticed something. He seems to be constantly looking at that girl at the next table. Could it be that he came here for her?¡± ¡°Oh my god! That girl is so lucky to be pursued by such a handsome man. She is blessed!¡± Josephine, who was inside the cubicle, couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly. Being pursued wasn¡¯t necessarily a blessing; it was also a form of pressure. She couldn¡¯t be sure if Ethan went there to eat because of her. What if he just wanted food? She believed that she shouldn¡¯t tter herself. Otherwise, the bacsh could be painful. After she got out of the cubicle, she washed her hands and returned to her seat. She then saw Ethan sitting under the light and wearing a ck shirt that perfectly matched the surroundings. He seemed to be glowing, and even his hair strands were so good-looking. On the other hand, Luke, who was sitting beside her, was irritated as Ethan clearly ruined his date with Josephine. Moreover, his existence overshadowed Luke¡¯s advantages, leaving him with no chance. This is truly outrageous. After Josephine sat down, Luke instantly suggested, ¡°Hey, let¡¯s change seats and move to a private room.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Josephine asked. ¡°Because there¡¯s someone I don¡¯t want to see, and he¡¯s affecting my appetite,¡± he replied. Hearing that, sheforted him, ¡°It¡¯s okay. There¡¯s just two of us so it¡¯s inappropriate to change to a private room.¡± ¡°What¡¯s inappropriate about it? I could easily buy this barbeque restaurant.¡± Luke took the chance to unt his wealth. Hearing Luke¡¯s remarks, Josephine reached out and grabbed her forehead as she was speechless after hearing his remarks. Luke was wealthy, but there was no need to unt it since it was just a meal. ¡°Luke, there¡¯s no need to change seats. Let¡¯s just eat here,¡± Josephine said, and the next moment, her nce identallynded on the man across from her. Although he was looking at his phone, he was smirking. Noticing that made Josephine blush as it seemed like her thoughts had been seen through and that it was as if she refused to change seats because of him. As soon as the dishes were served, for some reason, she stared at Ethan across from her and watched how he ate. Ethan ordered a single portion. Since he was born into a wealthy family, he possessed an inherent sense of nobility that made even eating barbeque seem elegant. After a while, Josephine suddenly heard coughs from next to her. She nced over and saw Ethan holding a ss of water while his fair face was flushed red. It was obvious that he choked on the spiciness. ¡°If you can¡¯t eat spicy food, you shouldn¡¯t havee here. You took it upon yourself.¡± Luke couldn¡¯t help but sneer, showing off his quick wit. With that, Josephine nced at him before getting up and walking to Ethan¡¯s side. ¡°Mr. Quarles, are you okay?¡± she asked concernedly. Hearing that, Ethan raised his head, and his eyes were so red that they seemed like they had been stung, ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± he replied. ¡°They are heavy on the spice over here. If you can¡¯t handle spicy food, you can just have the non-spicy one,¡± Josephine suggested. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Miss Josephine.¡± Ethan smiled, looking very happy. Suddenly, Luke started coughing as well. Hearing that, Josephine turned around and asked, ¡°Luke, are you okay?¡± ¡°I choked. Joey, could you please pour me a ss of water?¡± With that, Josephine quickly poured him a ss of water. Luke then added, ¡°Joey, you¡¯re so good to me.¡± Josephine forced a smile upon hearing that and returned to her seat. She had originally nned to have a good meal, but after what just happened, she didn¡¯t have much appetite. Just then, the somewhat dispirited Luke called the waiter and asked for a bottle of beer. Josephine quickly said to him, ¡°Luke, you shouldn¡¯t drink since you¡¯re driving tonight.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can handle alcohol well. Drinking a ss won¡¯t make me drunk, and it won¡¯t show up on a test,¡± Luke said. He was feeling down and needed a drink to rx. Meanwhile, Ethan obediently ate the non-spicy barbeque that he ordered. He didn¡¯t seem hungry, and his gaze kept ncing toward Josephine, making her start eating moredylike, unlike her hearty eating style. She was taking small bites and chewing softly. In fact, she didn¡¯t want to act like this, but Ethan¡¯s gaze exerted a kind of pressure, making her involuntarily want to be more refined in front of him. Finally, Josephine finished eating. Luke ordered a lot, but she was full after just having a third of the food he ordered. Meanwhile, Luke had no appetite, so he drank a bottle of beer instead. While Josephine went to the restroom, she paid the bill for both tables. When Luke wanted to get the bill, heined, ¡°Josephine, I know you said you are treating me, but I should be paying! How can I let you pay?¡± ¡°I told you I would treat you. Are you done? Let¡¯s go,¡± Josephine said to him. Noticing that, Ethan also got up and followed them out. When he got to the counter to pay, he realized that Josephine had paid his bill too. He was stunned for a few seconds and hurriedly walked out after Josephine and Luke when she saw them leave. At the door, Luke took out his car key and said, ¡°Josephine, do you want to go for a drive? It¡¯s still early, and we can have something else to eatter.¡± ¡°No, I need to go home and get some work done.¡± Josephine made an excuse. ¡°It¡¯s only 7.30PM. You¡¯ll have enough time to work on it after I send you home. Let¡¯s go and rx a bit,¡± Luke insisted. ¡°Please send me home.¡± Josephine didn¡¯t want to go out with him. However, just as Josephine was about to get in the car, a man¡¯s big hand grabbed her. She turned around in surprise, and Ethan pulled her to his side before saying, ¡°He¡¯s been drinking so you can¡¯t ride in his car. It¡¯s dangerous.¡± Hearing that, Luke hastily exined, ¡°Joey, I¡¯m not drunk. I have a good tolerance for alcohol so you can rest assured.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not reassured,¡± Ethan said in a deep voice. He then took Josephine¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯ll take you home.¡± ¡°Uh! Well¡­¡± Josephine was momentarily stunned, but Ethan had already pulled her to the passenger seat of his car. ¡°Joey, I can take you home. I really can. Get in my car,¡± Luke said in a hurry. ¡°Luke, you should rest and sober up before driving again. Drinking and driving is no joke. I¡¯ll let Mr. Quarles took me home first,¡± Josephine suggested and then got into Ethan¡¯s car. Luke was extremely remorseful and regretted drinking that bottle of beer. With that, Ethan also got into the car, and the ck SUV drove away. Josephine saw Ethan press on the navigation system a few times with his fingers, and a clear route was mapped out. She thought this was where he was heading to. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Mr. Quarles, please turn left up ahead.¡± She pointed to the road. However, Ethan ignored her and continued driving straight ahead. Josephine¡¯s hand was awkwardly suspended in mid-air, which she withdrew sheepishly shortly after. ¡°Mr. Quarles, you took the wrong way.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to take you home yet.¡± Ethan looked at her. ¡°Where are you taking me if you¡¯re not taking me home?¡± Josephine was stunned. ¡°For a drive, and thenter, we get dinner together.¡± Ethan turned Luke¡¯s arrangement into his own. Josephine¡¯s face turned red. She had just refused Luke, so how could she still agree to Ethan¡¯s request? Wouldn¡¯t it make her appear fickle? ¡°I have to go home to get some work done, so you should just give me a ride home,¡± Josephine said. Hearing that, Ethan turned his head and nced at her before chuckling, ¡°Do you think I can¡¯t tell that you made the excuse up to reject him?¡± Realizing that Ethan had seen right through her and even called her out for it, she was so embarrassed that her face turned red. ¡°Mr. Quarles, are you that confident that I¡¯d go for a ride with you?¡± Josephine replied sarcastically. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to?¡± Ethan chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± Josephine announced, wanting to see his reaction. ¡°Then I will be sad. You rejected my offer to give you a ride earlier on and even refused to have dinner with me. Now, you are again rejecting my offer to give you a ride. You sure are hurting my feelings.¡± He sighed dejectedly. ¡°How hard could it be for you to find someone to apany you? I believe that with just a call from you, a dozen girls will willingly turn up.¡± Josephine looked out the window and realized that it felt nice to sit in his car. ¡°I don¡¯t need a dozen girls. I only want to invite you,¡± Ethan answered solemnly while looking ahead. Josephine choked upon hearing that and thenughed. ¡°Mr. Quarles, your words might make me misunderstand.¡± ¡°What misunderstanding?¡± ¡°I might misunderstand that you are pursuing me.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you tell that I¡¯m pursuing you?¡± Ethan stopped the car at a traffic light and spoke these words to her while staring at her. Josephine was speechless when she heard that. ¡°What do you like about me?¡± she asked curiously. Ethan squinted his eyes and gave her question some thought, but he couldn¡¯t think of a reason. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just like the feeling of being with you.¡± Heughed. ¡°That¡¯s probably just a momentary feeling.¡± Josephine analyzed his actions and gave him a conclusion. ¡°Doesn¡¯t love generally start from the momentary feeling of newness?¡± Ethan overturned her theory. ¡°The sense of newness will eventually wear off. There¡¯s an expiry date to it.¡± ¡°Then is there anything on earth thatsts forever? The feeling might wear off faster for some people but for certain people, itsts longer.¡± Ethan refuted her theory. Josephine was once again at a loss for words, but she had to admit that he had a point. ¡°Miss Josephine, are you that timid? You¡¯re already thinking of backing out before we even start dating?¡± He suddenly challenged her. Finally, Ethan¡¯s car arrived at the final destination. It was a private restaurant where he originally wanted to invite her to dinner. s, she rejected his offer to have dinner together. By now, it was almost 9.00PM, and of course, Ethan hadn¡¯t eaten enough because he wasn¡¯t used to the food at the barbeque ce. Josephine, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t full either from the dinner earlier on. Since Ethan brought her to the restaurant, she sat down and ordered. Fine dining was in a league of its own due to its beautiful ting and the expensive fresh ingredients used for the dish. Given her sry, Josephine couldn¡¯t afford to eat this kind of food, so on that evening, she was lucky enough to enjoy a delicious dinner. The restaurant was located at a high enough location that one could admire the beautiful scenery along the river. After Josephine had eaten enough, she stood there while admiring the scenery. After a while, she suddenly felt a hand grabbing her from behind her. The next moment, she noticed Ethan walking over, and his slender arm directly pulled her toward him while her body was against the railing. Josephine got nervous. Why is he trying to be so intimate? We aren¡¯t at this stage yet! She could smell the faint smell of sandalwood from his body, making her heart pound. She wasn¡¯t sure if she was dizzy from overeating or if it was because of his presence. In any case, Josephine felt it was time to go back. ¡°Mr. Quarles, it¡¯ste. I should go back.¡± As soon as Josephine finished speaking, she turned around and pushed his arm away before walking out of his encirclement. Noticing that Ethan smiled and picked up his car keys. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll send you home.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. I can easily take a cab from here, so I don¡¯t want to trouble you.¡± Just as Josephine finished speaking, she picked up her bag and left the private room. Suddenly, Ethan followed her into the elevator as he couldn¡¯t let her take a cab home alone thatte at night. When Josephine saw him follow her into the lift, she thanked him. ¡°Thank you for treating me to dinner tonight.¡± ¡°You just treated me to a meal too, didn¡¯t you?¡± he replied. Hearing that, Josephine couldn¡¯t help butugh as just a cup of tea at the restaurant cost as much as what he ate in a barbeque restaurant! When they arrived at the parking lot downstairs, Josephine was about to take a cab home, but Ethan had already domineeringly grabbed her hand and taken her to his car. She was stunned for a few seconds and had no choice but to let him take her home. On the way home, Ethan turned on the music, and the atmosphere in the car was very rxed. Unexpectedly, he could take her home without her having to give him directions. When they reached, Josephine got out of the car and waved at him. ¡°Drive slowly. See you.¡± ¡°As you say, we will definitely see each other again.¡± Ethan looked deeply into her eyes and smiled. Josephine¡¯s face flushed slightly. Isn¡¯t ¡®see you¡¯ just amon phrase? He was taking it too literally. ¡°Drive slowly.¡± Josephine had to repeat herself. As she watched him drive away, she heaved a sigh of relief and felt rxed. As soon as she entered her house with her bag in her hand, she saw her mother cleaning the hallway. Noticing her, Heidi looked up at her and asked curiously, ¡°Why are you back sote?¡± Just as Josephine was about to brush it off, Heidi immediately smelled the odor on her and said, ¡°You reek of barbeque. Change into some clean clothes and get them washed.¡± Josephine¡¯s face flushed slightly as she quickly sniffed her body and hair. Ah! She smelled of barbeque. Instantly, a question popped up in her mind. Did Ethan also smell it? Did he mind it? With that, Josephine went upstairs, took a shower, and prepared herself mentally to wee the new day with a positive attitude, even though she didn¡¯t want to go to work at all. However, she couldn¡¯t fall asleep in bed. She wasn¡¯t reminiscing about her vacation, but rather, her mind was filled with the image of Ethan that she couldn¡¯t shake off. When she closed her eyes, she would either imagine his kiss, his smile, or his figure. As a result, she couldn¡¯t fall asleep until two in the morning when she finally dozed off slowly. Just as she was about to get into a deep sleep, her rm clock rang incessantly. Josephine drowsily reached out and turned it off. After that, she went back to sleep again. At 9.30AM, Heidi thought Josephine had gone to work and decided to go over and clean her room. But when she pushed the door open, she saw her daughter sleeping soundly while hugging the nket. ¡°Joey, Joey, why aren¡¯t you at work? Are you taking a day off today?¡± Heidi asked as she patted her. Josephine immediately sat up, which startled Heidi. ¡°Mom, what time is it?¡± Josephine asked with a panicked look in her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s already 9.30PM!¡± ¡°Oh my god! I¡¯m going to bete for my morning meeting.¡± Josephine eximed before jumping out of bed and rushing into the bathroom. Five minutester, she came out of the bathroom to get dressed. Heidi, on the other hand, was used to seeing her daughter¡¯s frantic behavior. She knew that it was her daughter¡¯s nature, so she thought it would be good enough if she could find a man to marry her, and that Josephine shouldn¡¯t be too picky. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m leaving!¡± Josephine shouted from the changing room before rushing down the stairs and heading to her car which was parked in the yard. She quickly got into her hatchback car and sped off. Josephine did her best to hurry. Along the way, she received reminders from her colleague Wren, who also sent her a message asking, ¡®We¡¯re in the meeting room. Where are you?¡¯ When Josephine arrived at thepany building, she rushed into the meeting room with her bag as fast as she could but was still half an hourte. Mr. Fox¡¯s expression didn¡¯t look good, and the other staff members cast nces at her. Noticing that, Josephine smiled apologetically. ¡°Sorry, I got stuck in traffic on the way.¡± ¡°From what I know, there¡¯s never been traffic on the roads you take to work. If you¡¯rete, you¡¯rete. There¡¯s no need for excuses. Take a seat!¡± Mr. Fox had a good understanding of Josephine¡¯s work attitude. During the meeting, they talked about the exclusive broadcasting rights given by the Presgrave Corporation, and Mr. Fox even praised Josephine a few times. She didn¡¯t expect to be given an award or anything like that as she knew that her department was always stingy, and the management was even reluctant to pay overtime. After the meeting, a group of young girls gathered around her, asking her to share what she saw at the wedding. The most important thing was whether she met any wealthy person. Josephine had indeed noticed quite a few super-rich people who had made headlines internationally. ¡°Joey, did you meet any handsome men?¡± Wren asked. ¡°Um, yes,¡± Josephine answered truthfully. ¡°How handsome? Can you show us a picture?¡± With that, Josephine immediately selected a photo of Ethan from her phone and show it to them. ¡°Oh, my God!¡± A group of female colleagues instantly eximed. ¡°Josephine, what¡¯s your rtionship with this guy?¡± ¡°He¡¯s just a handsome guy I met at the wedding. Nothing is going on between us,¡± Josephine replied somewhat nervously. ¡°Joey, can we do a news feature on this handsome guy? Our entertainment news department iscking this kind of handsome man that is hard toe by. I believe that if he shows up, the traffic of our news channel will definitely surge through the roof.¡± Josephine immediately took back her phone and refused, ¡°No way! We cannot infringe on someone¡¯s image rights. You can look, but you cannot share it with others.¡± After dispersing the group of colleagues, Wren from the next table came over and asked, ¡°Hey, have you heard? Miss Ain might be retiring.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Josephine asked surprisedly. ¡°I heard she got sick and needs to rest. Moreover, she has to go abroad for treatment, so her position will be vacant. Many people are eyeing it!¡± Wren finished speaking and signaled to her. ¡°I think you have a chance at it.¡± Of course, Josephine also wanted to get the position because her initial dream was to be a news anchor, who sit in front of the anchor desk and broadcast news. She wanted to be a well-known female news anchor. However, thepetition in this industry was too fierce. After working as a journalist for three years, there was finally a vacancy now. Who wouldn¡¯t want to move up? ¡°I¡¯d like that, but it also depends on the management¡¯s arrangements,¡± Josephine said, trying not to reveal her thoughts because rumors were frightening, and she had experienced being backstabbed. Thus, she decided to observe discreetly. ¡°Josephine, write these press releases and hand them to me before you leave work.¡± A female voice rang. Following that, a few documents were thrown on Josephine¡¯s desk, which startled her. She looked up and saw an egoistic woman looking at her with her arms folded. It was Katrina, the director¡¯s sister-inw. She was one of the most arrogant people in the TV studio, and unfortunately, she disliked Josephine the most. After Josephine epted the task, she had no option but to start working. She skillfully read through the materials as she tapped on theptop¡¯s keyboard. At this moment, the entire TV station was discussing who would take over Ain Lisette¡¯s position as the female anchor. Of course, the station intended to promote several neers to train them. The first position Josephine interviewed for was the position of a female anchor, so she had never given up on this dream. She dreamt of bing a well-known female anchor, and now, after three years of waiting, the position was finally avable. Plenty of people were eyeing the position, and Katrina was one of them. Moreover, she was the director¡¯s sister-inw, so she was undoubtedly the person with the highest chance to move up. However, she wasn¡¯t a graduate of massmunication, so this could potentially stand as her obstacle. On the other hand, Josephine was the most outstanding in terms of appearance, professionalism, and broadcasting ability. Therefore, she and Katrina had be the most likelypetitors for the position. Josephine spent the whole morning writing manuscripts and went to thepany canteen with Wren for lunch in the afternoon. The two sat in an unnoticeable corner. Suddenly, someone walked over with a tray. As Josephine looked up, she saw Katrina sitting across from her while giving shooting over a hostile re. ¡°Josephine, don¡¯t even think of trying to take Ain¡¯s position. My brother-inw has reserved that position for me,¡± she said directly. That made Josephineugh. She calmly retorted, ¡°Thepany is not your home. I believe that the most suitable person should get the position.¡± ¡°You¡­ I know you have some skills, but you¡¯re not good enough for this position. Let me make it clear, this position will definitely be mine. Everyone else can forget about taking it, or I¡¯ll ask my sister to sack them,¡± she warned. With that, Katrina picked her te up and left. Right after, Wren turned her head and watched her leave before turning to look at Josephine and said, ¡°Look at how arrogant she is. She¡¯s lucky that her sister gave birth to three chubby sons for the director. That gave her the confidence to act so arrogantly.¡± Everyone working in the TV station knew that the director¡¯s wife wore the pants in their rtionship, which was why Katrina was bold enough to make such remarks. It might be true that the director had reserved the position for her. ¡°Joey, are you still nning topete for the position?¡± Josephine, who had been nning her career path, knew very well that if she didn¡¯t make it this year, it would be even harder to do so in the future, so she would definitely fight for it. ¡°If I don¡¯t fight for it this year, I won¡¯t have a chance in the future. I won¡¯t give up.¡± There was a glint in Josephine¡¯s eyes. Wren knew her limitations, and she didn¡¯t qualify in terms of her appearance and credentials. Just then, Josephine¡¯s phone rang, and upon looking at it, she noticed that Ethan had sent her a message. ¡®Are you at work?¡¯ ¡®Yes.¡¯ Josephine replied. ¡®Is it convenient for you toe out and see me? I¡¯m at yourpany¡¯s entrance.¡¯ He sent another message. After reading his message, Josephine took a deep breath. He¡¯s here? At thepany¡¯s entrance? ¡®I¡¯m at thepany. Wait a minute, I¡¯lle down to see you.¡¯ Josephine thought that it might be rude of her if she refused to see him when he hade all the way here to see her. Josephine had a few bites of food and then left. At the front entrance of the Tribus TV in Averna, an eye-catching ck Rolls-Royce was parked nearby which attracted the attention of passersby who were all thinking that some big shot was there to pick up a beautiful girl. As soon as Josephine walked out of the door, she saw the car, but she wasn¡¯t sure if it was Ethan¡¯s. She approached it and bent down to look through the window. The next moment, the car window was rolled down, revealing a handsome man. Chapter 1811-1820 Chapter 1811-1820 That made her heart skip a beat. ¡°Hi, Mr. Quarles.¡± She smiled and waved at him. ¡°Is it convenient to visit yourpany?¡± Ethan suddenly opened the car door and got out. Josephine didn¡¯t dare to bring him around in thepany, so she politely said, ¡°It is not convenient since it¡¯s office hours now. But there is a coffee shop next door. We can go there.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Ethan raised his eyebrows and got out of the car. Josephine was dressed in workwear today. She had a slim-fit suit jacket and pants on, which showcased her attractive figure. With that, Josephine led him into the cafe and they chose a seat next to the window. Josephine then asked him what coffee he wanted. ¡°Just give me whatever vor you like!¡± Ethan said. He wasn¡¯t being picky and chose to have her favorite drink. She ordered two cups of regr coffee and sat down. She smiled and asked Ethan, who was sitting in front of her, ¡°Mr. Quarles, your job seems to be flexible!¡± ¡°Yes, I can work as long as I have aptop with me. I don¡¯t need a fixed office location.¡± Ethan nodded and mentioned. Josephine knew she shouldn¡¯t envy the flexibility that he had because he was the business owner. Only business owners had such freedom. Just then, Josephine¡¯s phone rang and she answered it, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Josephine, where are you? Come back to your seat soon. There¡¯s still a pile of videos to be edited. I need them before the end of the day.¡± Katrina¡¯s voice could be heard from the other end. ¡°It¡¯s lunchtime now and I have the right to take a break,¡± Josephine replied. ¡°I¡¯m just reminding you so that you can get it done by this afternoon,¡± Katrina said and hung up. Josephine sighed in frustration, and Ethan could tell from her phone call and expression that she was clearly having a tough time at work. ¡°Are you having any difficulties at work?¡± Ethan asked her as he picked up his coffee mug. Josephine lifted up the mug of coffee that was just served and took a sip. ¡°It¡¯s not difficulties; it¡¯s more of a challenge. One of the female anchors in our station is stepping down, and I want topete for her position.¡± ¡°Do you have confidence?¡± Ethan asked curiously. Josephine leaned closer to him and whispered, ¡°Of course, but unfortunately, one of thepetitors is the director¡¯s sister-inw. I¡¯m afraid that there would be nepotism, and that I wouldn¡¯t stand a chance at all.¡± Hearing that, Ethan looked at her sympathetically and softly asked, ¡°Do you really want to be a news anchor?¡± ¡°I do! This is my dream.¡± Josephine¡¯s eyes lit up as she spoke. ¡°Do you need my help?¡± Ethan smiled. At first, Josephine was surprised, then she thought for a moment before refusing. ¡°No, I don¡¯t need it. In terms of work, I still want to seed based on my ability and credentials. It¡¯s gettingte and I have to go back to work. Mr. Quarles, do you want to stay here for a while?¡± Ethan smirked as he looked at her before ncing at his watch. ¡°I have a meeting to attend soon.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then let¡¯s end our meeting here today, and I¡¯ll treat you to coffee next time.¡± Josephine smiled. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go!¡± Ethan said while standing up. As they walked, Josephine was being thoughtful and opened the coffee shop door for him, which made Ethan feel like a guest. He was amused but at the same time, he couldn¡¯t do anything about it. Josephine walked toward thepany building, thinking that Ethan would return to his car, but to her surprise, he was following her. ¡°Mr. Quarles, your car is over there,¡± Josephine thought he had forgotten where he had parked and kindly reminded him. Hearing that, Ethan smiled and pointed to herpany¡¯s entrance, ¡°I¡¯m going inside for a meeting.¡± Josephine was stunned upon hearing that. The entire building was theirpany¡¯s office area. Is he here to discuss a coboration? She pointed to herpany building and asked, ¡°You areing to mypany for a meeting?¡± ¡°Mm-hmm!¡± Ethan replied in a very deep and sexy voice. Josephine couldn¡¯t guess what meeting he was going to attend, but she didn¡¯t want to pry too much, so she made a gesture and said, ¡°Come on then!¡± Ethan followed her and they went in. Suddenly, all of the six female receptionists were attracted to him and looked over. Josephine intentionally kept a distance from him by standing half a meter away. Ethan smirked upon noticing that. When they reached the elevator, Josephine rushed over from behind him to hold the elevator door for him like a server. Ethan tried to suppress theughter as he was amused by Josephine¡¯s behavior. When they entered the elevator, Josephine asked him, ¡°Which floor, please?¡± ¡°16th floor,¡± Ethan replied. Josephine blinked her eyes when she realized that it was where thepany¡¯s executives held meetings. While pressing the button for the 16th floor, she also pressed the button for the 8th floor. Finally, they arrived on the 8th floor. Josephine quickly said goodbye, ¡°I¡¯ll leave first. Goodbye.¡± ¡°Goodbye,¡± Ethan replied in a deep voice. As soon as Josephine got off the elevator, she felt a little dazed. Her mind was full of questions about what he was doing in thepany and why he was going to the meeting room on the 16th floor. Is he here to meet a client? As Josephine walked, she almost bumped into someone and that person was angered. ¡°Josephine, are you blind? Can¡¯t you watch where you¡¯re going?¡± Josephine sure was unlucky. The person she almost bumped into was Katrina. ¡°Look at you. And you dare think about getting promoted with this kind of behavior. You must be dreaming.¡± Katrina sneered. Following that, Josephine let out a sigh and walked back to her desk. Wren was curious and asked, ¡°Where did you go? Why did you juste back now?¡± ¡°I was meeting a friend at the coffee shop downstairs,¡± Josephine replied. ¡°What kind of friend? A male friend?¡± Wren teased, ¡°Is Luke still pursuing you?¡± ¡°I ran into him at the wedding,¡± Josephine replied. ¡°He¡¯s not bad. At least he¡¯s from a wealthy family. You should stop being picky and might as well go for him. You¡¯re getting old so you shouldn¡¯t be too choosy,¡± Wren said. ¡°Wren, this is about my marriage. I have to marry someone I love, not just someone who loves me. This concerns my happiness for the rest of my life. I don¡¯tck money. I just want to be with someone I¡¯m in love with,¡± Josephine said. ¡°Don¡¯t be too naive. Do you think you can find true love in this day and age? Love can¡¯t fill your stomach, but money can fulfill all your material needs and buy your happiness and contentment. I think Luke is not bad.¡± Wren thought Josephine¡¯s standards were too high. ¡°Anyway, I won¡¯t settle for less. I want to be with someone I love.¡± Josephine sighed. ¡°Tsk, I predict you will be an old lonely woman,¡± Wren, who was engaged, hoped Josephine would find a partner soon so they could havemon topics to talk about. ¡°I don¡¯t mind being an old lonely woman. Being alone is quite nice,¡± Josephine said nonchntly. Meanwhile, Katrina came to deliver some documents to the office on the sixteenth floor. As she walked past the conference room, she couldn¡¯t help but peek inside through the slightly open blinds. Her jaw dropped when she saw Ethan inside. Oh my god! Where did this handsome mane from? That man happened to be in a meeting with Atticus. The quick-witted Katrina noticed an assistant carrying tea and she approached her and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take the tea, you can go do something else!¡± The assistant happened to have something to attend to and handed her the tea. Katrina then knocked on the door nervously and excitedly before pushing it open. Even though she didn¡¯t look directly at Ethan, her heart was already racing. ¡°Mr. Kowalski, here¡¯s your tea,¡± Katrina handed a cup of tea to Atticus Kowalski, the director, and then handed another to Ethan. Katrina boldly took the opportunity to steal a nce at Ethan and she almost fainted right after. Ethan was so good-looking that he could be the reincarnation of Apollo. His face must have been carved by God himself. He was just too handsome. ¡°Kat, you can leave now!¡± Atticus had to remind his sister-inw to leave. Katrina quickly walked out of the room with a flushed face while pressing her chest to calm her heartbeat. Oh my God! He¡¯s the perfect husband I¡¯ve always dreamed of! When Atticuses out later, I must ask him who that man is and ask him to introduce that man to me. At this moment, in the conference room, Atticus handed over a cigarette, but Ethan waved his hand. ¡°I don¡¯t smoke.¡± ¡°Have some tea then, Mr. Quarles.¡± Atticus didn¡¯t dare neglect this precious investor who came to their door. Their TV station¡¯s funds were tight now, and they had already started to look for external investors. They didn¡¯t know that they would find one so quickly. Moreover, if this gentleman invested, he would inject arge amount of capital and directly purchase 52% of thepany¡¯s shares, bing thergest shareholder. ¡°Mr. Quarles, if I may ask, why did you choose our TV station?¡± Atticus was also confused, for Ethan¡¯s status and wealth were such that even if he were to invest in ten famous TV stations, it would just be a matter of words, but he chose their station. ¡°For personal reasons. If there are no other issues, we can sign the contract anytime, and the funds will be transferred to your ount within an hour,¡± Ethan said calmly. Atticus had been looking for investors for almost a year now, and finally, a tycoon hade. How could he let him go? So, he immediately nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll prepare the contract right away. From now on, Mr. Quarles, you will have the highest executive power in thepany, and I will follow your orders completely.¡± After a nod, Ethan picked up the teacup to take a sip. ¡°Okay, you go ahead and prepare the documents. I¡¯ll take a look around at my leisure.¡± ¡°Alright, Mr. Quarles, do you need our vice president to apany you?¡± ¡°No need. I¡¯ll just walk around by myself.¡± Ethan waved his hand. With a smile, Atticus replied, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll notify you when the contract is ready.¡± He hurried back to his office to prepare the investment contract, while Ethan stood by the floor-to- ceiling window, drinking tea and looking at the scenery outside. For him, this ce was his vacation spot, as he had taken a six-month leave from his family. After he pushed the door open, he remembered that Josephine had stopped on the eighth floor earlier, so her workce should also be on that floor. He walked toward the direction of the elevator and pressed the button for the eighth floor. On the other hand, with the warm afternoon sun shining in, Josephine held her face, struggling to stay awake. Even coffee can¡¯t save me. This must be a post-vacation work syndrome. I¡¯m just so tired! Her seat was in a very good position. When the warm afternoon sun shone on her, she couldn¡¯t resist the urge to doze off anymore. She looked around and saw that her team leader was not in her seat, so she quickly found afortable position and fell asleep. She must have been really tired, as she drifted to sleep in seconds.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Meanwhile, at the elevator, the female employees in the corridor were buzzing with excitement as Ethan appeared. He politely asked one of the female employees, ¡°Excuse me, may I know where Josephine¡¯s desk is?¡± ¡°Oh, Josephine! She¡¯s in thest row of seats in therge working space, near the window,¡± the female employee replied, her heart filled with envy. He¡¯s here to find Josephine! I wonder what their rtionship is. The moment he walked into the working space, the whole bustling room seemed to instantly quiet down as everyone stopped what they were doing to look at the handsome man who had just appeared. Such a handsome man! However, there was one person who missed seeing his handsome figure as she was currently asleep on her desk. Meanwhile, Wren had just returned to her seat with some documents when she saw a man walking toward her from the aisle. Her first thought was, He looks familiar. Where have I seen this handsome man? At once, she recalled that she had seen him in a photo on Josephine¡¯s phone. She thought that Josephine wasn¡¯t in her seat, but when she stood up and looked, she realized that Josephine was actually sleeping on her desk. At the same time, Ethan had already noticed Josephine. When he saw her sleeping on the desk, an affectionate and nonchnt smile yed on his lips. He walked over to her desk and quietly looked at her sleeping face without disturbing her. By now, everyone knew that this handsome man was here to find Josephine, but she was actually sleeping during work hours. To not let her continue to be embarrassed, Wren kindly poked her with a pen. Josephine was happily riding unicorns in her dream when she felt someone touching her arm. So, she muttered in her sleep, ¡°What?¡± ¡°Joey, wake up.¡± Wren tried harder to wake her up. Only when Josephine heard Wren¡¯s voice did she realize that she wasn¡¯t at home but at work. She quickly opened her eyes, her long eyshes fluttering like butterfly wings, and she woke up instantly. Then, she sensed that someone was standing in front of her desk, so she looked up in shock. As soon as she saw the man, she was petrified and wished she could bury herself in a hole. F*ck! When did Ethane? And he¡¯s standing right in front of me. Did I drool? She quickly wiped her mouth, thankfully finding nothing. ¡°Why are you here, Mr. Quarles?¡± While blushing, she stood up but didn¡¯t dare look at him. With a smile, Ethan answered, ¡°No reason. I just wanted to see you.¡± His low and husky voice sounded like a professional voice actor. ¡°Are you done with your meeting?¡± She finally looked at him, meeting his deep and mesmerizing eyes, which made her face even hotter. ¡°Not yet.¡± After saying that, he flipped through the documents on her desk and asked, ¡°Are you not busy?¡± At this moment, her face was burning. I am busy! Busy sleeping! ¡°Here you are, Mr. Quarles! Mr. Kowalski sent me to look for you.¡± Atticus¡¯ assistant came downstairs to find Ethan. ¡°Okay,¡± Ethan replied before turning to Josephine. ¡°I¡¯ll go upstairs first.¡± ¡°Okay, take care,¡± Josephine answered and watched him leave. As soon as he left, five to six faces gathered around her desk, all moring to ask, ¡°Who is he, Josephine?¡± ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with him?¡± ¡°Is he pursuing you, or are you pursuing him?¡± ¡°He looks very rich. What business is he discussing with Mr. Kowalski?¡± Her head was spinning at this moment, as she was surrounded and felt a little suffocated. Immediately, she stood up and answered, ¡°I¡¯m not close to him. We¡¯re just acquaintances. Stop guessing around.¡± No one believed her words. If they¡¯re not close to each other, why would this handsome mane over and say hello to her? And his eyes clearly showed a hint of affection toward her. As the others left, Wren whispered to Josephine, ¡°Joey, does the husband of your dreams look like this?¡± Josephine burst intoughter. ¡°I dare not dream such a beautiful dream.¡± ¡°Exactly what kind of rtionship do you have with him? Tell me. I promise not to spread it around.¡± ¡°There¡¯s really nothing between us. We just met at a wedding. He came here today for a meeting and just stopped by to say hello to me,¡± Josephine exined, feeling a little guilty as she recalled the kiss she shared with Ethan. That should be a dream, right? On the other hand, Ethan elegantly signed his name and became thergest shareholder of Tribus TV. After that, he turned to Atticus and said, ¡°I heard that yourpany has a vacant female anchor position. I would like to rmend someone for the job.¡± ¡°Who do you have in mind, Mr. Quarles?¡± ¡°Josephine Jacobson.¡± Instantly, Atticus was stunned and finally seemed to understand why Ethan had invested in their company. Did he invest in us for the sake of Josephine? ¡°She does have what it takes for the job. Okay, we will talk to her immediately, and we will train her if she is interested.¡± He didn¡¯t dare oppose his suggestion. Then, he continued, ¡°To extend our warm wee to you, I n to treat all thepany¡¯s mid-to-high-level employees to dinner tonight so we can get to know each other better.¡± ¡°Sure, just don¡¯t forget to invite Josephine,¡± Ethan reminded him. Atticus nodded and bowed as he replied, ¡°Of course. Josephine is our key training target. Of course, she needs to be there.¡± ¡°Great. I have some other things to attend to. Contact me tonight,¡± Ethan said as he stood up and left as if his visit was just a casual chat. Yet, in the contract Ethan just signed, hemitted a total of 725 million to the project. After seeing Ethan off, Atticus instantly breathed a sigh of relief as his struggling TV station finally received a new lease on life. Moreover, the projects that he had put on hold now had the funds to get started. He could finally showcase his abilities. He called his assistant over. ¡°Call Josephine over. I want to talk to her.¡± When Josephine received the call from Atticus¡¯ assistant, she was a little puzzled. Why did Mr. Kowalski suddenly want to talk to me? With a lot of questions in her mind, she went up to the director¡¯s office. As soon as she entered, she saw the usually serious Atticus smiling at her and greeting her, ¡°Hi, Josephine! Come on in.¡± ¡°Is there something you need from me, Mr. Kowalski?¡± ¡°Have a sit. There¡¯s something I want to talk to you about.¡± Atticus pointed to the couch and sat himself down as well. He looked like he had be ten years younger, and even the bald spot in the middle of his head seemed livelier. After she sat down, she couldn¡¯t help feeling nervous. ¡°What is it, Mr. Kowalski?¡± ¡°Well, Josephine, can you first tell me what kind of rtionship you have with Mr. Quarles?¡± At once, she became speechless. Why is everyone asking me this question today? Even Mr. Kowalski? What kind of rtionship could I have with Ethan? Aren¡¯t we just acquaintances? ¡°We¡¯re just acquaintances.¡± She smiled. ¡°Mr. Quarles is pursuing you, isn¡¯t he?¡± Hearing that, her face flushed, and she quickly waved her hand. ¡°No, no. There¡¯s nothing like that.¡± However, Atticus looked at Josephine very seriously and said, ¡°Tell me the truth, Josephine. Are you two dating? This is very important.¡± Her heart skipped a beat, and then she told the truth, ¡°We¡¯re really not. We¡¯re just friends who have had a meal or two together.¡± ¡°So, Mr. Quarles is pursuing you then!¡± ¡°I¡­I¡¯m not sure about that.¡± She didn¡¯t dare simply answer this question. If the answer was no, she would only embarrass herself. At this moment, Atticus scrutinized her face with sharp eyes. In his eyes, she was a pretty and energetic young girl, and it was not surprising that Ethan would pursue her. Josephine was getting ufortable being scrutinized by him, so she forced a smile and asked, ¡°Mr. Kowalski, is Mr. Quarles your guest?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys close? You should know what he¡¯s here for.¡± He didn¡¯t answer her directly. When she heard his reply, she chuckled awkwardly. ¡°I was just asking.¡± ¡°Get off work at 3.00PMter. Go home early and dress yourself up. I have a social engagement for you tonight.¡± At once, her brain went nk for a few seconds. What kind of social engagement requires me to dress up? I¡¯m just a small reporter. I don¡¯t think I need to be there even if there is an important social engagement. After all, ourpany has several well-known female anchors with good looks and figures! ¡°Or¡­ you don¡¯t have to go home. Instead, go to the dress shop next door. I¡¯ll call them and ask them to dress you up.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary, Mr. Kowalski.¡± ¡°It is necessary, absolutely necessary. You can go now.¡± After saying that, Atticus waved his hand to dismiss her. Perturbed, she left the office, still unable to understand why she was being asked to attend a social engagement. Shortly after she left the office, Katrina came in and asked directly, ¡°Atticus, who was that handsome man in the conference room with you just now?¡± After a chuckle, he asked, ¡°Why? You¡¯re interested in him?¡± ¡°I¡¯m already at that age to marry, Atticus. Ivanka keeps asking you to introduce me to someone. Can¡¯t you introduce that handsome man to me?¡± she said with a hopeful face. Atticus looked at his sister-inw¡¯s face, which was quite pretty, but someone as wealthy as Ethan was out of her league. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to introduce him to you, Kat, but the gap between your status and that of Mr. Quarles is too great.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me, Atticus. Just introduce him to me.¡± She persisted. ¡°Alright, here¡¯s what I can do. We have a banquet among the high-level executives tonight, and Mr. Quarles will be there too. You cane along. That¡¯s the most I can do. To capture his heart, you¡¯ll have to show him what you¡¯ve got.¡± ¡°Really? Tonight? Can I leave work early and go home to dress up?¡± Katrina asked quickly. ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Atticus let her leave early. After Josephine returned to her desk, she continued to work absentmindedly. She looked at her phone several times, wanting to ask Ethan what he was doing at thepany and if he would be at the dinner tonight that Atticus had asked her to join. Could it be that Mr. Kowalski thought Ethan has feelings for me, so he wants me to be Ethan¡¯spanion tonight? I think this is highly possible. ¡°What did Mr. Kowalski want with you?¡± Wren asked curiously. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Just work-rted.¡± ¡°Is he promoting you? I believe he acknowledges your abilities.¡± Just then, Josephine checked the time, and it was already 4.30PM. So, she got up and said, ¡°Wren, I have something to do. I¡¯ll leave early today.¡± She drove to a dress shop contracted by thepany. As soon as she entered, a service staff greeted her and helped her with makeup and selecting dresses. She picked a ssic ck mini dress that could be worn for both daily wear and dinner parties. After staying there for a while, it was almost 5.30PM. She received a text message from Atticus with the address of a restaurant, a five-star one. Seeing that, she wondered, Will I see Ethan tonight? With that thought in mind, she left the dress shop and drove straight to the hotel. Meanwhile, inside the hotel, Ethan also received the address sent by Atticus, along with a message saying, ¡®Mr. Quarles, we¡¯ll be waiting for you at this restaurant. Josephine is here too.¡¯ When he read the second part of the message, his eyes lit up with a strong anticipation for the night. On the other hand, Josephine was tidying up her dress and getting into an elevator. Just as it was about to close, someone rushed in from the opposite, and the elevator opened again. To her surprise, it was Katrina, dressed in a sexy outfit. When Katrina saw that Josephine was also wearing a mini dress, her eyes flickered with surprise, and she asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°To thepany dinner. What about you?¡± Josephine asked. Incredulously, Katrina raised an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re also invited?¡± Since she had been out in the afternoon and went to look for Atticus as soon as she returned to thepany, she had not heard about the event of Ethan going downstairs to look for Josephine. ¡°Mr. Kowalski personally invited me. I didn¡¯t want to go, but he insisted,¡± replied Josephine. ¡°Hmph! Well, let me make this clear. Among the guests who will be here tonight, the tallest and most handsome man is mine, so you better not try topete with me,¡± Katrina said with amanding look while crossing her arms in front of her chest. Hearing that, Josephine waved her off. ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡± When Katrina sized up Josephine¡¯s outfit, she couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly nervous. Josephine usually only wore shirts and jeans tonight, yet she exuded a mboyant and bold beauty tonight after dressing up. That gave Katrina a sense of crisis. Mr. Quarles won¡¯t take interest in her, will he? The two of them arrived at the restaurant together, while Atticus had already arrived early. As he looked at the two beauties of thepany, he thought, This will definitely satisfy Mr. Quarles. ¡°Here. Come here. Your mission tonight is to make our major shareholder happy.¡± ¡°What major shareholder?¡± asked Katrina. ¡°Mr. Quarles, the one you want to meet. He has invested in ourpany and entered as thergest shareholder.¡± Atticus revealed the truth so that Josephine and Katrina could understand the situation and serve this major shareholder better. Josephine¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, and she asked, ¡°Are you serious, Mr. Kowalski?¡± ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m joking? Of course, I¡¯m serious. He will be in charge of everything in thepany from now on. Your chance hase, Josephine. You have to try your best to serve him well tonight.¡± At his words, Josephine¡¯s face flushed. What does he mean by ¡®serve him well?¡¯ Does he mean I have to be Ethan¡¯spanion throughout dinner? On the contrary, Katrina was confident. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Atticus. I will definitely serve him well.¡± Hearing that, Josephine turned around to see Katrina¡¯s ambitious smile and thought to herself, Does she want to sleep with Ethan? Deep down, Josephine was still shocked. Why did Ethan invest in ourpany? Ourpany has been struggling in the TV industry for the past few years. With his investment insight, he couldn¡¯t have targeted ourpany. So, the meeting that he mentioned was about this investment, which makes him suddenly ourrgest shareholder. In other words, he¡¯s my big boss and immediate superior now, right? At this thought, she felt a sense of inexplicable happiness. After all, having a familiar face in the company¡¯s top management would be beneficial for her promotion. Likewise, Katrina was also pleasantly surprised. I didn¡¯t expect that handsome man to be our company¡¯s boss, but with that, we can meet and interact with each other more often at work. Will I eventually be his wife? Just thinking about it made her so happy that she was on cloud nine. She had already started to imagine scenes of her dating Ethan at thepany in the future. At this moment, the two vice presidents and four department managers of thepany had arrived, and they were ready to particrly put their focus on this major shareholder of theirs tonight. Everyone took their seats, and just as Josephine was about to pull out thest chair to sit down, Atticus beckoned her over and said, ¡°Josephine, your seat is here.¡± It turned out to be on the left side of the main seat. Seeing that, she quickly waved her hand and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s okay, Mr. Kowalski. I¡¯ll just sit here.¡± ¡°Come over here. This is your seat.¡± Atticus insisted. ¡°I¡¯ll sit there then, Atticus.¡± Different from Josephine, Katrina rushed into sitting in that seat. The main seat must be for Mr. Quarles and sitting next to him means that I¡¯m one step closer to my dream. However, her volunteering only earned her a re from Atticus. In the end, Josephine had no choice but to take the seat next to the main seat. As soon as she sat down, the vice presidents couldn¡¯t help but cast admiring nces at her. With a pendantmp shining on her, it made her fair and beautiful skin even more attractive. On the other hand, Katrina secretly resented and red at Josephine. At the same time, she wondered, Why does Atticus arrange the seats in such a way that gives Josephine the chance to get close to Mr. Quarles? Shouldn¡¯t he be prioritizing me, his family member? After a while, the door to the private room opened. Ethan walked in wearing a ck shirt and vest, with a limited edition watch on his wrist, emitting a cool luster. His innate elegance exuded exceptional nobility. He¡¯s here. Josephine¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but beat faster, while Katrina was excitedly covering her mouth. She couldn¡¯t believe how sexy and wild Ethan looked at night. He¡¯s so hot! The moment he came in, his gaze immediatelynded on the charming figure sitting under the light beside the main seat. Josephine just happened to look up, and their eyes met. Right then, she stood up with everyone else to greet him. ¡°Wee, Mr. Quarles. Please have a seat,¡± Atticus greeted him. With a nod, Ethan sat at the main seat. After sitting down, his gaze fell on Josephine, and he greeted her, ¡°Good evening, Miss Jacobson.¡± ¡°Good evening, Mr. Quarles.¡± Josephine also smiled. It¡¯s great that he has be my boss now. ¡°Mr. Quarles, let me introduce you to the management team of our station,¡± Atticus said, introducing each person one by one and finally introducing Katrina. ¡°This is ourpany¡¯s senior secretary, Katrina Sullivan.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. Quarles,¡± Katrina greeted him with her most charming smile. Ethan just nodded in acknowledgment, and then it was time to order. Unexpectedly, Atticus handed the task of ordering to Josephine. ¡°Josephine, you order.¡± Hearing that, she reluctantly took over the menu, but she really didn¡¯t know what to order. She had no idea about anyone¡¯s taste at the table, so she asked Ethan, ¡°Do you have any particr dishes in mind, Mr. Quarles?¡± With a smile, Ethan replied, ¡°You can order whatever you like, Miss Jacobson. I¡¯m fine with anything.¡± This sentence gave her a lot of freedom, allowing her to order whatever she wanted. In other words, he had no objections, so no one else was allowed to have objections. At this moment, her face started blushing and burning a little. Looking at the menu, she just ordered the expensive dishes. After all, Atticus would be paying for it. Meanwhile, Katrina felt that something was not quite right. It seems like Josephine knew Mr. Quarles before this. They look like old friends from the way they look at each other. However, Katrina had to remember one thing¡ªPeter¡¯s status. Hence, it was expected that he would be acquainted with Ethan. Does that mean Ethan likes Josephine? As Katrina thought about it, her hatred for Josephine grew. After Josephine had ordered the food, the director ordered some wine, while Atticus was in charge to liven up the mood. As Atticus was telling Ethan about how the project would progress, Ethan was zoning out. He looked like he was not interested in any of the projects Atticus mentioned. Josephine was sitting beside him and noticed his mood. It seems like Mr. Kowalski is talking to himself! As she thought about it, she changed her sitting position. Then, she noticed that she had sat on her dress. Just as she stretched her legs, she felt that she had kicked something. At that moment, her mind went nk when she realized it didn¡¯t feel like the table¡¯s legs. What did I just kick? In that split second, Ethan looked at her with a thoughtful expression. When Josephine met his gaze, her face turned red since she realized she had identally kicked his legs! Josephine bit her lips and smiled awkwardly at him. On the other hand, Ethan raised his wine ss and winked at her, indicating that it was fine. Everyone saw their sweet interaction and knew Ethan was uninterested in hearing the proposal. Instead, he had his eyes on Josephine! Katrina also saw their interactions. She clenched her fists under the table and thought, As expected, she is trying to seduce Ethan. ¡°Hurry up and give a toast to Mr. Quarles, Josephine,¡± said the director. ¡°A toast to you, Mr. Quarles.¡± Josephine raised her ss toward Ethan. Ethan also raised his ss and bumped it against hers. Just as Josephine was about to take a small sip, the vice director, Damien Posh, quickly said, ¡°That¡¯s not right, Josephine. You can¡¯t just take a small sip when Mr. Quarles has such a high status.¡± Does that mean I have to drink it all? I¡¯m not a heavy drinker, though! thought Josephine. Then, she looked at Ethan. I¡¯m sure he will get me out of this mess. However, Ethan didn¡¯t say anything and was waiting for her to do as Damien said! She could tell that he was in for a show. Although Josephine felt helpless, she still smiled and said, ¡°Well then, I guess I have to do it.¡± Then, she drank the alcohol in one shot. Fortunately, the alcohol didn¡¯t taste bad, or else she would have thrown up. What is wrong with him? I thought we were good friends, yet he didn¡¯t help me! Fine then. I guess I thought too highly of our rtionship, she thought grumpily. When the food arrived, Josephine started to imitate how people at social intercourse would do. She was telling Ethan to eat while getting up and pouring him some alcohol, seemingly as if she was trying to get him drunk. She sure knows how to bear a grudge. Ethan smiled inwardly. On the other hand, Katrina could only watch as Josephine entertained Ethan while she sat in the dark corner. Since it was a rectangr table, she couldn¡¯t do anything but just sit there. Josephine didn¡¯t eat much, but she had had three sses of wine. At that moment, she was upset. After all, Ethan didn¡¯t care for her. I might as well just drink to my death, she thought. Just as she was going to have the fourth ss, Ethan finally made a move. He reached out and stopped her. ¡°That¡¯s enough. You have too much alcohol tonight,¡± he said. Josephine was slightly drunk. Hence, she was bolder. When she heard his words, she smiled. The lights made her look like a goddess with that beautiful smile of hers. ¡°This won¡¯t do, Mr. Quarles. After all, you are my boss, so I have to satisfy you! Here¡¯s another toast to you!¡± As she spoke, she raised her ss toward him. On the other hand, Atticus was dumbfounded by her actions. It seems like Josephine is drunk. It would be bad if she offended Mr. Quarles with her slurs. Thinking about it, he stood up and said to Katrina, ¡°Kat,e here and help Josephine to the car. It seems that she is drunk.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not drunk, Mr. Kowalski. I¡¯m still clear in my head!¡± replied Josephine. She didn¡¯t think she was drunk. Other than feeling wobbly, she felt amazing. When Katrina heard Atticus¡¯ words, she stood up unwillingly. However, as soon as she realized she could take Josephine¡¯s ce and sit beside Ethan, she was happy again. Thus, she walked toward Josephine and said, ¡°Let¡¯s get some rest, Josephine. Come on!¡± However, Josephine knew what Katrina had in mind. She curved her lips and wiggled her index finger toward Katrina. ¡°I¡¯m not going, Katrina. I want to stay here and apany Mr. Quarles!¡± Ethan¡¯s eyes widened when he heard her words. I never expected her to be so clingy, he thought. ¡°You¡¯re drunk, Josephine. I think it¡¯s best if you get some rest!¡± Katrina said while secretly gritting her teeth. Josephine must have wanted to seduce Mr. Quarles while drunk. I won¡¯t let this happen. Josephine was persistent and sat on her spot. ¡°I¡¯m not drunk. I still haven¡¯t eaten yet, and I¡¯m hungry! No one is going to make me leave!¡± Atticus didn¡¯t expect Josephine would act in such a way when she was drunk. If we don¡¯t get her out of here any sooner, she will make a fool of herself, he thought. Suddenly, Ethan couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Then, he looked at Katrina and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take her to rest.¡± Katrina was shocked and quickly waved him off. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, Mr. Quarles. I¡¯ll take her away immediately.¡± Then, she used all her might to pull Josephine upwards. When Josephine was dragged away from her seat, an arm wrapped around her gently, pushing Katrina away. ¡°I¡¯ll send her home. Enjoy your meal,¡± said Ethan. Without waiting for the others to respond, he took Josephine out of the room. However, Josephine was going against him. ¡°Let go of me, Ethan. I¡¯m not leaving with you!¡± The others were frightened and thought, Josephine is too hot-tempered! How can she be so impudent when he is our boss?! ¡°Listen to Mr. Quarles, Josephine!¡± Atticus quickly reminded her. However, he could still hear her struggling. ¡°Let go of me, Ethan.¡± ¡°Behave now.¡± Ethan cooed at her. When the others heard this, they breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that Ethan wouldn¡¯t be mad no matter how Josephine acted. After some time, they could vaguely hear Josephine¡¯s voice again. ¡°I¡¯m not going to listen to you.¡± Katrina was seeing red. She sat on Josephine¡¯s seat, thinking, Josephine is so disrespectful to him¡­ On second thought, I¡¯m going to let her be! It¡¯s best if Ethan has had enough of her petty behavior. On the other hand, Josephine was being dragged into Ethan¡¯s car. As she sat on the passenger seat, her mind was dizzy, and she felt light-headed. ¡°I¡¯m dizzy, Ethan,¡± she slurred. ¡°Do you want to go home? Or should I take you somewhere else to sober up?¡± As Ethan spoke, he leaned toward her and stared at her. ¡°Do you have a ce to let me sober up? I can¡¯t go home like this. My mom will scold me.¡± Josephine remembered her mother getting upset when she got home drunk thest time. After all, she came from a strict family. Thus, it was a no-no to get drunk. ¡°Come with me then,¡± replied Ethan as he started his car. After ten minutes, they arrived at a hotel¡¯s underground parking lot where Ethan stayed in. During the ride, Josephine¡¯s eyes were half-closed. When she opened them, she didn¡¯t know where they were. ¡°Where are we?¡± she asked. Ethan opened the car door for her and said, ¡°Come on!¡± Josephine trusted him very much and obliged. However, as soon as her feet touched the ground, her knees weakened, and she quickly hugged Ethan. In that split second, Ethan¡¯s arms wrapped around her waist, and he looked at her. When Josephine raised her head, their faces were just inches apart. At that moment, Josephine felt her heart skip a beat. How is he so charming? Does he have to be this good-looking? ¡°Can you walk?¡± Ethan asked her with a low voice. Josephine smiled sweetly and said, ¡°Why? Are you going to carry me up the stairs?¡± As soon as her words fell, Ethan took the initiative and carried her bridal style. Josephine yelped in shock and quickly wrapped her arms around him, afraid she would fall. Her face was flushed red as Ethan carried her. It looks like I can¡¯t tease him anymore. He looks like he¡¯ll give in easily, she thought. She didn¡¯t think it would be fun if she had him wrapped around her fingers that easily. Inside the elevator, Josephine was so embarrassed that she kept her head down. When she smelled the fragrance from him, she couldn¡¯t help but take a whiff. He smells nice, she thought. Ethan could see her getting closer to him from the mirror¡¯s reflection. What is she doing? Is she smelling me? She acts like a puppy. Finally, the elevator¡¯s sound rang. Ethan directly took her to his room. When Ethan put her down, she asked, ¡°Is this your room?¡± ¡°Yes. You can stay here. I¡¯ll take you hometer,¡± replied Ethan. Then, he pressed the button that connected to the 180-degree curtains. As the beautiful night scenery unfolded before Josephine¡¯s eyes, she couldn¡¯t help but be amazed. Her eyes widened. This is so beautiful. Ethan poured a ss of water and gave it to her. ¡°Here. Have some water.¡± Josephine took the water and sat on the couch that was by the balcony. Although she had drunk it, her face was still burning hot. As she put down the ss, she could feel the effect of the wine. Feeling hot, she couldn¡¯t help but tug on her shirt, and her dress curled up to her knees. When Ethan walked back into the room, he gulped when he saw her in such an alluring state. He couldn¡¯t tell if she had done it on purpose since she had an innocent look on her face. On the other hand, Josephine leaned her head against the couch. When she raised her head and saw Ethan, she smiled. Her smile was beautiful, seemingly like a rose, which is sweet and luscious. Ethan quickly drank the water he was holding to suppress his desires. Then, he took the initiative to question her as he sat in front of her. ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you today? You drank so much alcohol when you know you aren¡¯t a heavy drinker.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a guess?¡± Josephine tilted her head and looked at him. ¡°Are you unhappy?¡± ¡°Say, are we friends, Mr. Quarles?¡± ¡°Of course we are!¡± Ethan cocked his eyebrow. ¡°If you are my friend, don¡¯t ask this question,¡± replied Josephine as she propped her chin. Ethan was startled by her words and thought, She sure is hard to guess, but it¡¯s fun. At this moment, Josephine¡¯s phone rang. When she picked it up and saw the caller¡¯s ID, she mumbled, ¡°Luke? Why is he calling me?¡± At that moment, Ethan was unhappy. ¡°Don¡¯t answer it.¡± It was toote. Josephine had already answered the call. ¡°Hello! Is something the matter, Luke?¡± ¡°Will you go to work tomorrow, Josephine?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°Alright. I have a surprise gift for you tomorrow.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t keep it, so don¡¯t send me any gift.¡± ¡°I made it just for you. Please take it for my sake!¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Before Josephine could say anything, Luke hung up the call. Josephine was speechless as she put her phone aside and rubbed her temple. ¡°I¡¯m dizzy. Can I lie down for a moment?¡± ¡°Go ahead!¡± Ethan replied. As Josephiney on the bed, she didn¡¯t notice that the cor of her shirt had slipped. From Ethan¡¯s view, he could see the inside of her clothes. Initially, he was embarrassed and averted his gaze. However, something seemed to lure him in, and he couldn¡¯t help but stare at her. After some time, Josephine had fallen asleep. It seemed like her default mode when being drunk was sleep mode. ¡°Josephine,¡± Ethan called her softly. Chapter 1821-1830 Chapter 1821-1830 However, Josephine didn¡¯t seem to react. Ethan grabbed a nket and draped it across her. As he knelt on the carpet and looked at her beautiful face, he would be lying if he said he had nothing on his mind. Any man would want to take advantage of Josephine¡¯s vulnerability, and Ethan was no exception. Looking at her, he thought, I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t notice if I secretly kiss her. Then, he decided to take action! Just as Ethan leaned down and was just inches away from Josephine¡¯s face, he saw her open her eyes and look at him. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asked. Josephine was a light sleeper. When Ethan draped the nket on her, she was waking up. When she opened her eyes, she saw that Ethan¡¯s face was close to her. ¡°I¡­¡± Ethan had never felt so embarrassed in his life. However, Josephine knew what he was trying to do. At that moment, she blinked her eyes and asked, ¡°Are you trying to kiss me?¡± ¡°Can I?¡± Ethan squinted his eyes and asked. Looking at his handsome face, Josephine replied without hesitation, ¡°Well, it will be a waste if I let go of this opportunity.¡± When Ethan heard her words, he was stunned. Before he could react, Josephine wrapped her arms around him and kissed him first. Her actions startled Ethan since he had never expected her to be so bold. Meanwhile, Josephine had been dying to kiss him since they kissed on the cruise ship. From that day onward, she had been reminiscing about the kiss. Truthfully, she knew what she was getting into when she entered his room. She wasn¡¯t an innocent girl anymore. After all, she had never allowed Luke to hold her hands, even when he had courted her for over a year. Yet, she allowed Ethan to be alone with her because she also had feelings for him. As the saying went, ¡°Hunters often appear as prey.¡± Josephine was the representative of this quote. As the duo kissed inseparably on the couch, Ethan grabbed the back of her head and deepened the kiss. Suddenly, Josephine¡¯s phone rang. After the call had died down, it rang again, seemingly as if the caller was persistent in getting Josephine to answer. Ethan pulled apart from Josephine and panted. Then, he leaned his forehead against her and asked, ¡°We can continue after you answer the call?¡± Josephine was also panting. Never had she expected that a kiss would make her breathless. When she looked at the caller ID, her mind went clear instantly. Then, she looked at the time and saw that it was 9.30PM. Oh my! What a pity that it is already thiste! As she thought about it, she took a deep breath and redialed the number. ¡°Hey, Mom. I¡¯m heading home right now,¡± she said casually. ¡°You have to be home by 10.00PM. You¡¯re making me worry! There was just news about a woman getting murderedte at night,¡± said Heidi. ¡°Alright, Mom. I¡¯m safe. I¡¯ming back.¡± Josephine promised. After that, she hung up the phone and looked at Ethan, who was reluctant. ¡°I have to head home.¡± Then, she was going to get up. However, Ethan pulled her into his embrace without hesitation and kissed her again. ¡°Give me a few more minutes,¡± he said in a raspy tone. Hearing his words, Josephine could feel her heart beating rapidly. She had to admit that Ethan looked goddamn sexy when he was being dominant. The second kiss was bringing out their lust. Josephine was suppressing herself, and she knew that Ethan was the same. Hence, she wanted to end this kiss as soon as possible. ¡°Let¡¯s just stop for today!¡± she said. Ethan chuckled and asked, ¡°Do I need to make an appointment for the next time we kiss?¡± Hearing his words, Josephine couldn¡¯t help butugh. Why does he take kissing like a date? ¡°I¡¯ll think about it! Anyway, I need to head home now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll drive you.¡± Ethan tugged on his tie and slightly raised his jawline. His sexy posture made Josephine¡¯s eyes widen. Noticing her gaze, he asked her deeply, ¡°Are you lusting over me, Miss Jacobson?¡± In the split second, Josephine¡¯s face was flushed red. She realized that she couldn¡¯t hide her emotions in front of him. After the duo had left the room and entered the elevator, Josephine felt Ethan hold her hand casually. She didn¡¯t take her hand out. Now that she had sobered up, she was in disbelief and dared not to look at him. After they got into the car, Ethan turned on some music for her to rx. As Josephine looked at the lively night street, she felt something different. It felt like¡­ They were in love. After some time, Ethan arrived at Josephine¡¯s home. Just as Josephine was about to exit the car, Ethan suddenly leaned toward her and held her hand. ¡°Are you in need of a boyfriend, Miss Jacobson?¡± Josephine was shocked. At that moment, she recalled their kiss just now and thought, Is he taking advantage of the kiss to court me? Thinking about it, she quickly said, ¡°I¡¯m still dizzy from the alcohol, Mr. Quarles. Can we talk about this tomorrow?¡± Ethan knew what she was nning. ¡°Is this a hit and run, Miss Jacobson?¡± Josephine was embarrassed. After all, he seemed to be implying that she was a ygirl. She wasn¡¯t, though! She was unprepared as she had never expected such a thing to happen tonight! ¡°I¡¯m dizzy, Mr. Quarles. I need to get home now. Goodbye, and drive safe.¡± As Josephine spoke, she quickly exited the car and closed the door. Then, she hurried into her house and stood by the bushes, looking at the car from the gaps as it slowly drove away. She sighed and rubbed her lips. God, it must have been swollen, she thought. When she entered the living room, she quickly said to Heidi, who was watching the television, ¡°I¡¯m exhausted, Mom. I¡¯m going to go upstairs.¡± ¡°You should havee home sooner if you are exhausted,¡± replied Heidi. However, she didn¡¯t ask anything more and continued watching the TV. After Josephine entered her room, she quickly rushed to the bathroom. Looking at the mirror, she saw that her face was flushed, and her lips were rosy red even though she had no lipstick on. It was obvious that it was because of the kiss. ¡°This is so embarrassing.¡± Josephine buried her face in her hands. Ethan would be her boss, and they would encounter each other in thepany. Yet, she did such intimate things with him. Josephine was indeed exhausted. After taking a bath, she went to sleep and had a dreamless night. The following day, she went to thepany as usual. However, before stepping into the building, she heard someone call out to her. ¡°It¡¯s me, Joey.¡± Josephine turned around and saw Luke waving at her by the entrance. There was also a cardboard box by his side, seemingly to have something expensive inside. ¡°Come over here and open it, Joey. You¡¯ll be surprised,¡± said Luke. ¡°What is it?¡± asked Josephine. ¡°You¡¯ll know once you open it! I¡¯m going to take a call. Hurry up and open it.¡± Josephine felt speechless when she saw that Luke had told his assistant to record the moment of her being touched by his gift. ¡°Not now. I need to clock in,¡± she said to him. ¡°No, no, no. Just open it, Josephine. I put so much effort into this.¡± Luke pleaded. He reached out and stopped her from entering thepany. Josephine had seen how clingy he would get. If she refused to open this present, she knew he would bring it to her office and ask her to open it. Thus, she decided to open the gift immediately to stop him from disturbing her colleagues. ¡°You¡¯ll let me go to work as long as I open it, right?¡± she asked. ¡°Yes. As long as you open it, I will not disturb you,¡± Luke said confidently. After thinking momentarily, Josephine walked toward the purple box while Luke stood aside and made a phone call. Josephine crouched and untied the ribbon. When she opened the box, she saw that it was filled with balloons. Moreover, they seemed to be helium balloons. After she had opened the box, she allowed the balloons to fly toward the sky. Beside her, the assistant quickly shouted, ¡°Miss Jacobson! Grab the balloon! Grab it!¡± Josephine was stunned, wondering how she was going to catch the balloons. They¡¯re already about two meters above my head! At that moment, Luke turned around as soon as he finished his phone call. Upon taking a quick stride, he charged at one of the balloons with lightning speed in an attempt to grab it, only to fail in embarrassment due to his short height. Nheless, he still did his best attempts to grab the balloon with his assistant, unknowingly presenting a hrious and amusing sight. On the other hand, Josephine was still dumbfounded by that sight until she saw a truck parked in a hidden spot. On the truck, there was a sports car that contained many colorful balloons. In that instant, something seemed to dawn on her as she looked up. To her surprise, there was a set of keys dangling on the balloon that was floating in the air. Luke, who did everything he could but still failed to retrieve the balloon, cameining to Josephine with a bitter look on his face. ¡°I thought you would get the balloons. Do you know what¡¯s on them?¡± Josephine gulped and rhetorically asked, ¡°Your car keys, I guess?¡± ¡°Yup, both sets of them.¡± Luke smiled awkwardly in response. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Josephine apologized. ¡°No worries. I can always duplicate a new set. It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± Luke said and stuck out his fingers. ¡°This car is a gift for you. Do you like it? I specially bought a pink one for you.¡± Josephine was speechless in response to Luke¡¯s words. A sports car? What is he thinking? She shook her head and waved her hand. ¡°No need for that, Luke. I¡¯m happy with our friendship, so let¡¯s just keep it that way. Give this car to someone else who deserves you, perhaps. Anyway, my work starts soon, so I need to get going.¡± Josephine ran through the entrance of herpany like she was a refugee who was escaping from her captor. Nheless, their interaction was secretly recorded by the paparazzi and waster made the headline with a title that read, ¡®The love that flew away with the balloons.¡¯ While there was a paragraph that detailed the story of the incident, it was apanied by two pictures in which Luke and his assistant were seen trying hard to retrieve the balloons hriously. In the meantime, Josephine had been suffering from a headache so severe that she couldn¡¯t focus on her work at all since the morning, although she expected the after-effects of her hangover. ¡°Are you alright, Joey?¡± Wren asked in a concerned manner. ¡°My head hurts.¡± ¡°Oh,e on. Is your age catching up to you? You¡¯re not that old as far as I remember.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. I¡¯m having a hangover.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the client you were busy entertaining?¡± Wren asked curiously. Josephine shook her head. ¡°Nah, it wasn¡¯t a client but our big boss.¡± ¡°Uh? So, you were entertaining ourpany¡¯s director?¡± Wren was surprised. Josephine shook her head and replied, ¡°Our boss is someone else now. The director is no longer the biggest shareholder in ourpany.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the biggest shareholder of ourpany then?¡± Wren pressed on with her question. ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon enough, so I¡¯m not going to ruin the surprise.¡± Josephine smiled at her. However, they suddenly heard high heels creaking on the floor from a distance as Wren curled up and stepped away timidly. When Josephine turned around, she was met with an angry look on Katrina¡¯s face. ¡°Step outside with me, Josephine. I want to have a word with you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m busy now.¡± Josephine grabbed the files on the table. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯d go loud about what happenedst night?¡± Katrina threatened Josephine. Then, she bent over and leaned closer to Katrina¡¯s ear. ¡°I¡¯m going to tell everyone in ourpany about the intimacy you had with Mr. Quarles.¡± ¡°Hey, watch your mouth, man.¡± Josephine blushed in her cheeks while trying to keep herself calm. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you scared? Let¡¯s have a word about it then.¡± Katrina stood up with an unhappy look on her face. She then walked out the door with Josephine following right behind her until they found themselves in a corner with no one else. With her eyes glued to Josephine¡¯s face, Katrina grew more and more annoyed the longer she red at her. ¡°Now, tell me about you and Mr. Quarles.¡± She demanded an answer from Josephine. Josephine knitted her eyebrows. ¡°Why should I tell you?¡± ¡°You two seemed to have known each other a long time ago, huh? Did you get to know him through your grandpa?¡± Katrina was eager to find out the truth. ¡°My grandpa has nothing to do with it. Don¡¯t drag my family into this.¡± Josephine responded angrily, warning Katrina not to involve her family in their discussion. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t your grandpa, how did you get to know a tycoon like Ethan? It¡¯s not like you have a wide network connection.¡± Katrina couldn¡¯t believe her ears. In fact, she just confirmed with her brother-in- law that Ethan was not an ordinary tycoon. After all, his family owned a logisticspany that was ranked first in the country, which was what made him stand out among the rich. At the thought of Ethan¡¯s presence, Katrina was especially agitated because she was expecting to change her life for the better by sponging off him. Even if she couldn¡¯t be his wife in the end, she was hoping to secure a huge sum of money that would keep her fed for the rest of her life for herself should the both of them break up. ¡°You¡¯re right. We know each other indeed. So, what are you going to do about it?¡± Josephine responded impatiently, feeling more and more annoyed with Katrina. ¡°Where did you both gost night? Did you two spend the night at the hotel? Your innocent look may fool the others, Josephine, but I know what you¡¯re up to. You used your dirty tricks to make Ethan get laid with you.¡± Josephine was a terrible liar. Thus, when she heard Katrina¡¯s words, her face and ears blushed in embarrassment, not to mention her reluctance in answering her question. Nevertheless, Katrina was observant enough to notice her blushed cheeks, which confirmed her suspicion. ¡°Let me guess. So, you both really spent the night in the hotel, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No, we didn¡¯t. He took me home instead,¡± Josephine replied while looking up. ¡°Stop lying! You were so drunk that youy on the table like a dead person. It¡¯s hard not to think that you were luring Ethan into taking the opportunity.¡± Katrina could still remember what she saw the night before. ¡°Can I go back to my desk now?¡± Josephine intentionally raised her wrist and looked at her watch. ¡°Wait a minute, Josephine. I don¡¯t care how you got to know Ethan, but from now on, I¡¯m going to compete with you in a fair and square manner because I have feelings for him too.¡± Katrina made her point understood as she flicked her hair to unt her elegance. ¡°I believe I¡¯m a match for you in every aspect.¡± Katrina was confident in herself due to her good looks, as well as her wealthy upbringing. Furthermore, the fact that her brother-inw was the director of herpany only added to her confidence. Josephine gulped nervously, feeling a stab of pain in her chest when she heard Katrina¡¯s words. For some reason, she had a strange feeling that Ethan was not a man who could resist temptation, recalling how he was turned on by her kiss almost right away when she pecked his lips the night before. Because of that, she was sure a man like Ethan would surely sumb to temptations. I¡¯m not that good-looking, but if Ethan had eyes for me, he would definitely fall for a sexy woman like Katrina. Annoyed by the thought of that, Josephine regretted sharing an intimate moment with Ethan the night before because she couldn¡¯t ept an unfaithful man as her soulmate. When Katrina didn¡¯t get a response from Josephine, she grunted angrily and walked off shortly after. Then, Josephine returned to her desk, but as she was about to take a sip of water, Wren suddenly leaned closer and asked, ¡°Joey, are these pictures of you and Luke?¡± Josephine was shocked when she heard that, whereupon she immediately shifted her gaze to the phone screen to take a closer look at the pictures. Wait, what? The balloon confession is now on the headline?! Although her face and Luke¡¯s were blurred, she still couldn¡¯t help but feel a little pissed off. After that, she rose from her seat and made her way from the Department of Multimedia and Communication to another. As soon as she entered the workce, she instantly became the center of attention with everyone fixing their envious gazes on her. ¡°Who posted the news this morning? Why wasn¡¯t I asked for my permission before it was posted?¡± ¡°Easy, Josephine. We censored your faces, didn¡¯t we? Furthermore, we didn¡¯t mention your name either. We just said the woman is a reporter.¡± One of the female colleagues added, ¡°This news is getting more than a million views, so would you please stopining over something so trivial, Josephine?¡± Josephine was speechless because she didn¡¯t expect herself to go viral one day. Hope Luke will be fine with getting on the news. As soon as she returned to her seat, her phone rang, whereupon she checked it out and saw Luke¡¯s name on the screen. ¡°Hey, Luke.¡± ¡°Joey, what are your colleagues in the multimedia department doing? Am I a joke to them?¡± Luke sounded angry. ¡°Rx, Luke. Take it easy, would you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m so mad right now unless you treat me to a meal. Otherwise, I¡¯m going to make a scene in your office.¡± Luke took advantage of the incident to make Josephine treat him to a meal. Josephine was embarrassed at the thought of Luke¡¯s car keys that she was responsible for losing earlier that day. ¡°All right, but I¡¯m a little busy in the afternoon. So, maybe tonight.¡± ¡°Great! See you tonight,¡± Luke said happily. In the meantime, Ethan was in the hotel room while browsing through the inte with his iPad. Then, he stumbled upon the news that got him curious and tapped into it. The next thing that came into view was the familiar building of the Department of Multimedia and Communication along with two blurred faces of a man and a woman. With a pair of furrowed eyebrows on his face, Ethan could tell that the lady was Josephine without even seeing her face. At the same time, he also figured out that the man who wanted to give Josephine a car was Luke with ease. Not long after that, he reached for his cell phone and gave Josephine a call. Who is it now? When Josephine grabbed her phone and checked it out, she saw a name that made her heartbeat race like a jackhammer. Damn it! Is he still trying to hold me responsible for that kiss or something? Josephine quickly hid in a corner and answered in a hushed voice, ¡°Hey, Mr. Quarles.¡± ¡°Did Luke give you a sports car as a gift this morning?¡± the man asked. Josephine¡¯s face blushed in embarrassment because she didn¡¯t expect Ethan to learn about the news. She asked, ¡°How did you know that?¡± ¡°I saw it on ourpany¡¯s website.¡± ¡°Wait, you could recognize me even though my face was pixted?¡± Josephine was in disbelief. ¡°Are you thinking of getting a new car?¡± The question came all of a sudden. ¡°Nope, I¡¯m not. My car still works fine,¡± Josephine answered. Just then, her team leader beckoned her over for a meeting, so she said, ¡°I have to go, Mr. Quarles. My team leader needs me to be in a meeting. See you.¡± She hung up the call and met up with her team leader for the meeting. Meanwhile, Ethan, who was in the hotel, summoned his assistant and said, ¡°Get me a feminine-looking sports car. I¡¯m giving it to someone as a gift.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Quarles.¡± Ethan squinted, thinking he should satisfy Josephine¡¯s material needs to prove his financial capability. Meanwhile, Josephine was in the meeting room where murmurs of gossip were ongoing. Everyone envied Josephine because she would own a sports car as soon as she epted Luke¡¯s gift, but to their surprise and bewilderment, she rejected him and turned down an expensive sports car as a gift. Everyone thought, Come on, what¡¯s Josephine thinking? She has no intention of epting Luke as her boyfriend, does she? Soon, Ethan exited the hotel and made his way to Tribus TV. As the biggest shareholder of thepany, he was given a spacious office with a good view, but to him, his job felt more like a vacation than work. As soon as he arrived, he received an Excel file on his phone and carefully skimmed through a name list within it. Then, he found Josephine¡¯s name and contact, whereupon he started calling her number. On the other hand, Josephine heard her phone ringing not long after her meeting ended. ¡°Hello, this is Josephine speaking from the Department of Multimedia and Communication. How may I help you?¡± ¡°Come to my office,¡± Ethan spoke in a deep voice. ¡°Mr. Quarles?¡± Josephine widened her eyes in disbelief. ¡°Yes, speaking. Now, meet me on the 18th floor,¡± Ethan demanded. ¡°You¡¯re working here¡­ already?¡± Josephine didn¡¯t expect Ethan would personally visit thepany. ¡°Juste up here.¡± Ethan hung up the call as soon as he finished his sentence. Josephine rose from her seat and made her way to the elevator ndestinely, as if she was a thief. Upon looking at her surroundings to make sure she was alone, she pushed the button and headed to the 18th floor on which the management office was. When she got there, she had no idea where to go until she heard footsteps from the corner, and she saw Ethan¡¯s attractive figure. ¡°Right here.¡± Ethan walked toward Josephine, who quickly scurried in his way. Seeing her hrious reaction, the man chuckled in amusement. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you acting like a thief?¡± ¡°Is there anything I can help you with?¡± Josephine asked. Ethan brought Josephine into his office and closed the door behind him. Then, he sat on the couch sluggishly and said, ¡°Nothing, actually. I just want to see you.¡± Josephine¡¯s beautiful face started heating up. ¡°I¡¯m at work!¡± ¡°I got you a sports car,¡± Ethan brought up with his eyebrows raised. She immediately turned to him and froze for a few seconds. Is he okay? Why would he buy me a sports car as well?! ¡°No! I can¡¯t ept it. You mustn¡¯t send it to me either!¡± Josephine immediately rejected his present. ¡°But I ced the order and they¡¯ll send it over this afternoon. What am I supposed to do with the car if you don¡¯t take it?¡± Ethan threw the question back to her. She blinked a few times upon hearing that. Eventually, she bit her lip and asked, ¡°Can you return it?¡± ¡°Nope!¡± ¡°You should have asked for my opinion before you bought the car!¡± He¡¯s too impulsive! ¡°The car will be at the VIP parking space in the underground parking lot. You can drive it whenever you want.¡± Being the high-and-mighty person he was, Ethan would not take back a present he had gifted someone. On the other hand, Josephine might have seen her fair share of domineering people in her life, but she had never met someone so unreasonably bossy! ¡°Just return it. My car works perfectly fine. I don¡¯t need a sports car,¡± she muttered while continuing to chew on her lip. Ethan smiled and gracefully shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s fine. A sports car is just a normal gift to me. If you don¡¯t want it, just leave it there in the car park!¡± Josephine felt herself getting flustered as she looked at his rows of pearly whites. He sure was a sight to behold when he smiled. Right then, her phone began to ring. When she saw that it was a call from Luke, she quickly went to the window and took the call. ¡°Hey, Luke.¡± ¡°Joey, I booked a table at a restaurant for us tonight. I¡¯lle to pick you up after work.¡± Luke¡¯s voice rang out from the other end of the line. ¡°Got it,¡± Josephine replied. She couldn¡¯t just bail on him when she was the one who agreed to treat him to a meal. However, there was one thing she decided to make clear to him tonight¡ªshe and Luke could only be friends. She wanted him to stop wasting his time on her. However, after learning about the great lengths he went to pursue her this year, she was sure that he wouldn¡¯t give up just like that if she only rejected him verbally. That being said, there was a possibility he would if she let him know that she had given her heart away to someone she liked. After pondering over it, Josephine realized she only knew one man who was more outstanding, handsome, and wealthier than Luke which could make him give up. She then turned around to look at the man sitting on the couch before she walked over. ¡°Mr. Quarles, are you free tonight?¡± she asked, to which he raised his eyebrows. ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°Can you help me with a little something, please?¡± she begged. ¡°Shoot.¡± Ethan was more than willing to help. ¡°I would like to have you pretend to be my boyfriend and reject Luke for me.¡± Ethan was immediately in high spirits as a humorous glint appeared in his eyes. ¡°Sure thing.¡± Josephine let out a sigh of relief when she saw how readily Ethan agreed to help. She only hoped that Luke woulde to his senses tonight and stop wasting his life. ¡°I¡¯ll get back to work, Mr. Quarles. I¡¯ll contact you when I get off work tonight,¡± Josephine stated. After all, she couldn¡¯t neglect her work when she was in front of the big boss. ¡°Alright, then. Off you go.¡± Meanwhile, Ethan didn¡¯t want to get in the way of her work. When Josephine returned to her seat, there was a suddenmotion in the work group chat. Someone was sending some pictures taken in the underground parking lot. The pictures were of a red Ferrari sports car parked under the lights. Everyone was shocked by how costly the car was from the way the radiant paint on the car¡¯s surface reflected the light. ¡®My goodness! Whose car is it? It¡¯s parked in the VIP parking space.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s so cool! It¡¯s probably worth millions!¡¯ ¡®Whose is it?! Does anyone in the group know which richdy this car belongs to?¡¯ Wren was also gossiping with everyone else. She then asked Josephine, who was beside her, ¡°Joey, do you know whose car is it? The group¡¯s gone crazy because of it.¡± Josephine thought her brain was about to explode as she stared at the sports car on the screen of the iPad. It can¡¯t be the sports car Ethan gave me, can it? It¡¯s parked at the VIP spot, and it is brand new! ¡°I¡¯m so envious! I wonder which big shot¡¯s gift it is. I¡¯m guessing it is Tori¡¯s car! She has tons of suitors recently, and I heard that they are all wealthy businessmen.¡± Tori Alford was one of the well-known female anchors in thepany and she was unattached, on top of possessing both beauty and talent. At this moment, everyone was guessing that she was the owner of the car. And yet, the woman in question suddenly chimed in, ¡®It¡¯s not mine.¡¯ ¡°Huh? Whose is it then, if it¡¯s not Tori¡¯s?¡± Wren immediately grew more interested in the gossip. Josephine¡¯s face felt warm. At this exact moment, an assistant came over and put a purse on her desk. ¡°Josephine, someone told me to give it to you.¡± Josephine was taken aback. Since she couldn¡¯t tell what was inside the bag from the outside, she couldn¡¯t help but pick it up, only to be surprised by what she saw. It turned out to be a box with a Ferrari logo on it. After she opened the box in the bag, she saw two neatly ced car keys. Her breath proceeded to hitch. Ethan really gave me the car! She could feel a headacheing. What should I do now? The whole office is talking about this now. If she admitted it, everyone here would surely think that she was the sugar baby of some rich man. ¡°Just whose is it?¡± Wren narrowed her eyes like a detective and wondered out loud. Seeing this, Josephine secretly put the bag under the table. She rested her head in her palms, feeling her mind a mess. There were only five minutes left before working hours ended. After she hurriedly took care of the documents on her desk, she decided to get off work. Right then, Katrina stormed over with a mountain of documents in her arms before she instructed directly, ¡°Josephine, you¡¯re not leaving work so soon! I need these documents to be ready before 8.00PM.¡± Josephine was at a loss for words when she looked at the other woman. ¡°But it¡¯s after work hours now. Why didn¡¯t you bring them to me earlier?¡± ¡°What? You got a problem with that, huh? It¡¯s your job. Anyway, these are the materials that will be needed tomorrow morning. You¡¯ll be held responsible if they¡¯re not done.¡± Katrina intentionally kept these documents until now before bringing them to Josephine. She didn¡¯t want Josephine to have time to go out tonight. ¡°I have a dinner date with my friend. I can¡¯t work overtime today!¡± Josephine countered. ¡°That¡¯s on you, so why are you telling me that? Go tell the team leader.¡± After saying that, Katrina turned around smugly and left. Josephine bit her lip when she took a look at the four or five different sets of documents in front of her. Right then, Wren poked her head in Josephine¡¯s direction andmented, ¡°She¡¯s definitely targeting you! You two got beef?¡± At that, Josephine grumbled to herself, The only reason Katrina is acting hostile toward me is probably because of Ethan! Josephine happened to receive a message from Luke. ¡®I booked us a table at a restaurant, Joey. I¡¯m coming to pick you up at 5.30PM.¡¯ ¡®You don¡¯t have to pick me up,¡¯ she replied. ¡®I can get there myself. Just wait for me at the restaurant.¡¯ ¡®That works. I¡¯ll be waiting at the restaurant, then!¡¯ came his eager reply. As Josephine looked at the documents, she turned to Wren. ¡°Wren, can I borrow a bag? I¡¯m going to work overtime from home.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Wren passed her one. ¡°But you have to send the documents back here tonight, or you won¡¯t make it in time for the morning broadcast.¡± Josephine could only nod. ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll bring the documents here before 9.00PM.¡± Since these were real- time news, the production and writing of news releases must bepleted quickly without any dy. When herndline began to ring, she reached out and took the call. ¡°You¡¯ve reached the reporters¡¯ office,¡± she greeted. ¡°When are we leaving?¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Josephine felt all fuzzy in her chest when she heard the deep, maic male voice. Quickly cupping the phone receiver, she whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll see you in the underground parking lot in five.¡± The man on the other end of the call asked with a chuckle, ¡°Are we going there in your sports car?¡± ¡°No, we will be using my car. Surely, you¡¯re notining, Mr. Quarles?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± After she put the documents in the bag, Josephine tidied up the table and bid Wren goodbye. Without anyone noticing, she picked up the bag with the car keys and scurried off. At this moment, Katrina was so bored in the office that she dialed the director¡¯s office number. ¡°Hello?¡± Atticus uttered after picking up the phone. ¡°Atticus! Quick question, will Mr. Quarlese to work today?¡± ¡°He is in thepany today!¡± ¡°What?! He¡¯s here? Does he need an assistant?¡± ¡°Well, he didn¡¯t request one.¡± ¡°Which office is he at, then?¡± ¡°The big office facing south.¡± ¡°Atticus, are there any documents you need me to send over?¡± Katrina quickly asked. ¡°I want to see him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s about time he got off work. You won¡¯t see him even if you go up. We¡¯ll try our luck again tomorrow! I¡¯ll find you a reason to go up.¡± Atticus was well aware that his sister-inw was interested in Ethan, and he wanted her to seed so he could have a rich and powerful brother-inw. Katrina soon hung up the phone. However, there was no way she would give up. Immediately, she grabbed her bag and went up to the 18th floor. Her heart skipped a beat as soon as the elevator opened; the tall and handsome man she wanted to see waszily standing outside as he waited for the elevator. ¡°Mr. Quarles! Are you¡­ getting off work?¡± she asked while blushing furiously. ¡°Right.¡± Ethan nodded and strode into the elevator before asking in return, ¡°Are you not getting off the elevator, Miss Sullivan?¡± ¡°I-I suddenly remembered that I don¡¯t need to anymore. I¡¯m done for the day.¡± After she said that, she shamelessly refused to get off the elevator. She even wanted to go to the underground parking lot when she saw Ethan press the number for the said floor. Ethan¡¯s message alert tone rang then, prompting him to lower his head and take a nce at his phone. It was a message from Josephine. ¡®I¡¯ll be waiting in front of the elevator.¡¯ ¡®Gotcha.¡¯ The corners of his mouth lifted into a small smile. Katrina happened to see his smile through the mirror in the elevator, and her heart started to gallop. Whose message is it that¡¯s got him smiling so dotingly? At this point, the elevator had stopped on several floors, and many employees had squeezed their way into the elevator. They couldn¡¯t help their elerating heartbeats as well when they saw Ethan, but everyone was rushing to get off work that they didn¡¯t mind cramming into the elevator. When an idea suddenly came to Katrina, she immediately took the chance while the employees were pushing their way in to lean into Ethan¡¯s arms. She continued to shuffle closer until she was almost pressing against his torso. Ethan tensed up, feeling rather resigned. He had never expected he would be squashed into a patty after all the other days of him enjoying his exclusive private elevator. Josephine was aware that it was rush hour when everyone was getting off work, so she deliberately hid behind a pir to wait for Ethan. Right then, she saw the number on the elevator floor indicator decrease until it got to the underground parking lot. Ethan must be in the elevator. She was immediately greeted by the sight of the elevator crowded with employees when the door opened. As she began to think that Ethan might not be on this elevator after all, she saw Katrina nearly sticking to Ethan immediately after the employees in front left the elevator. ¡°Ah!¡± a woman shouted. Katrina had purposely lightly bumped into another employee and stumbled out of the elevator. She reacted by quickly hugging Ethan¡¯s arm with both her arms and sticking her sensual bosom to his body. Josephine, who happened to watch the entire process, thought that Katrina was one hell of an eyesore. She will do anything to get Ethan¡¯s attention! Not only did Katrina stubbornly insist on being in the same elevator, she even deliberately pushed herself against Ethan¡¯s chest when it was more crowded. And even though no one bumped up against her, she put on a whole show by herself and put on a pitiful, helpless act. Fortunately, Ethan, being the gentleman he was, reached out and helped her find her footing before he swiftly detached himself from her. Katrina immediately blushed and purred flirtatiously, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Quarles.¡± As soon as they got out of the elevator, she continued to ask like a schemer, ¡°Mr. Quarles, will you kindly give me a ride?¡± She was sure he had driven here. She wanted to sit in his car. But before Ethan could answer, Josephine smilingly stepped out from behind the pir. ¡°I¡¯m here, Mr. Quarles.¡± When Ethan saw her, he turned to Katrina and stated, ¡°I apologize, but Miss Jacobson and I have a prior engagement.¡± Katrina¡¯s face instantly turned rigid when she heard that. What? Was the loving smile he had on in the elevator because he received a message from Josephine? Are they going on a date tonight?! ¡°We¡¯re off then, Katrina.¡± ¡°Josephine! Would it be convenient for you to give me a ride?¡± Katrina wasn¡¯t going to let go of any chances to get closer to Ethan. At that point, she thought that it wouldn¡¯t make much of a difference if she was riding in Josephine¡¯s car instead of Ethan¡¯s. ¡°It¡¯s inconvenient for me.¡± Josephine firmly rejected her. Katrina immediately put aside her pride and begged, ¡°Please just give me a ride, Josephine!¡± However, Josephine couldn¡¯t be bothered as she announced, ¡°You should take a cab.¡± After she said that, she went to her car, which happened to be right next to her. Opposite her car was a row of VIP parking spaces, where the red sports car stayed there under the dazzling lights like a noble princess. Katrina was so angry she quietly stomped her foot and cursed at Josephine. Josephine sat in the driver¡¯s seat while Ethan adjusted the passenger seat. He had to adjust the seat¡¯s position because of his mile-long legs. The man, standing a frame of six feet three, looked like he was struggling to worm his way into this mini-BMW. Josephine then pressed the ignition switch, only to hear the engine letting out sounds of protest. The car simply wouldn¡¯t start. ¡°What the hell?¡± She was utterly confused. The car was working just fine this morning, but now the engine wouldn¡¯t even start! Oh dear car of mine, please don¡¯t embarrass me, she thought to herself. Am I running out of luck in front of a hottie? This is so humiliating! Not wanting to give up, she kept pressing it a few more times. However, the car engine seemed to be intentionally provoking her as it made a few muffled noises despite staying dead. Ethan bit back hisughter and turned to ask her, ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°No idea. It was fine when I drove here this morning, but I can¡¯t get it to start now.¡± Josephine started getting anxious. She didn¡¯t know a thing about car repairs, as her father was always the one who did her car maintenance for her. ¡°Did the engine break down because it¡¯s been some time since it was sent for maintenance?¡± she muttered. Seeing this, the man pointed at the red Porsche across them and suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s use that car instead.¡± Her mind went nk for a few seconds, but she eventually panicked as she stared at the sports car. ¡°But I¡¯ve never driven a sports car!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll teach you.¡± Ethan opened the door and got out of the car after throwing that out. Josephine refused to give up and pressed the ignition button two more times, but it still wouldn¡¯t start. She couldn¡¯t help feeling frustrated at the thought that this situation was forcing her into switching cars. She received a call from Luke, to which she stayed in the car and answered. ¡°Hey, Luke.¡± ¡°Joey, I¡¯m at the restaurant already. I¡¯ll be waiting!¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯m heading over now,¡± she answered. It seemed like she had no choice but to go to the restaurant in the car Ethan gave her. And so, she reluctantly got out of the car with her purse and bag of documents before she handed the bag containing the car keys to Ethan. To her surprise, Ethan opened the driver¡¯s door and gestured at her to enter. Seeing this left her stunned. Is he not driving? ¡°You¡¯ll be driving,¡± he mentioned in a low voice. ¡°I¡­ I really don¡¯t know how to.¡± Josephine wasn¡¯t being modest; she truly didn¡¯t dare to drive a sports car! ¡°You¡¯ll know how after I show you the ropes.¡± He smilingly went to open the door to the passenger¡¯s seat and got in. Feeling somewhat awkward, Josephine nervously scrambled to the driver¡¯s seat. Ethan then leaned over to teach her. As Josephine was used to driving, she understood him immediately. She eventually turned her head and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of riding in a car driven by a female driver like me, Mr. Quarles?¡± He stifled augh and rasped, ¡°I trust you.¡± Upon hearing that, she started the car. Katrina was waiting next to the elevator for her colleague to see her home when she heard the low- pitched roar of a sports caring from the direction of the VIP parking spot next to her. It was a rich and powerful sound that no one could resist. She hurriedly took a few steps forward, only to see through the lowered car window that Josephine was in the driver¡¯s seat while Ethan was sitting next to her. Katrina was stupefied to see that. What is going on? The sports car that the group was talking about was Josephine¡¯s? Did Ethan give it to her?! At that point, Katrina could go crazy from the jealousy that filled her. On the other end, Josephine slowly drove the car out of its parking spot. The shiny car demanded attention, whereas Josephine, d in uniform, looked indescribably elegant and beautiful in it. Katrina kept staring at Josephine driving the sports car with Ethan beside her. Suddenly, her fists were balled up in jealousy. Katrina felt that she had thoroughly lost at this moment. Although she and Josephine had been at odds since she came to the TV station and they didn¡¯t like each other, Katrina now felt her dislike for Josephine instantly increase by no less than tenfold. This was disrupting her whole life. An employee who happened to see Josephine too eximed, ¡°Turns out it is Josephine¡¯s sports car!¡± After she said that, she immediately informed the group chat, where amotion promptly broke out. Everyone was envious of how lucky Josephine was to receive a white sports car in the morning and a red one in the evening. When Josephine reached the first traffic light, she stepped on the brakes so hard her forehead hit the steering wheel. Even the man beside her was thrown forward for a moment. ¡°Sorry! So sorry.¡± She let out an embarrassed smile while covering her aching forehead. She had stepped on the brakes too hard because she wasn¡¯t aware of how sensitive the car was. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Ethan caringly looked over, only to see a red mark on her fair forehead. ¡°I¡¯m okay!¡± Josephine quickly shook her head to show that she was fine. After that, she gotfortable with driving the car all the way to the entrance of the restaurant. Many of the customers looked at the car from the corners of their eyes when Josephine parked in the parking lot. When the man in the passenger seat got out, the women realized that it was thedy in the passenger¡¯s seat, not the car, that they should be feeling envious of! Josephine couldn¡¯t help but take a deep breath before she asked, ¡°Will you be okay with pretending to be my boyfriend?¡± ¡°Who said anything about pretending?¡± Ethan smiled when he heard that. ¡°I am your boyfriend from now on.¡± Josephine was taken aback. Is he trying to make our deceit real? But before she could react, the man had already held her hand with his big palm as they headed toward the restaurant. At the same time, Luke was sitting on a couch in a private room. He asionally nced at the bouquet of red roses he had prepared while he imagined how Josephine would look when he gave her the bouquetter. Not only that, he had gotten new car keys for her. He was determined to give her the sports car. When he heard knockse from outside the door, he quickly took the bouquet and walked over. However, what greeted him when he opened the door was Josephine standing there with another man holding her hand. Luke was dumbfounded. What¡¯s Quarles doing here again? ¡°Joey? Why did you bring him here?¡± Luke asked, displeased. Josephine came in while holding Ethan¡¯s hand and solemnly uttered, ¡°Luke, let me introduce you to Ethan. He is my boyfriend.¡± The bouquet in Luke¡¯s hands immediately fell to the floor. He couldn¡¯t believe that Josephine and Ethan were together. ¡°W-When did you get together?¡± Luke had a disapproving expression on his face. ¡°Joey, I like you a lot. I will treat you well for the rest of my life as long as you choose to be with me.¡± ¡°Luke, we can be friends. Please choose another woman after we have this dinner together!¡± Josephine advised. However, Luke stubbornly insisted, ¡°No! You¡¯re the only one I love. I will never fall for another person!¡± Ethan¡¯s sleek eyebrows arched as he possessively embraced Josephine with his long arms and announced domineeringly, ¡°She is mine.¡± Josephine¡¯s body went stiff in an instant. She could feel how possessive the man was from the way he held her around her waist. His words even sounded like she was something he purchased and didn¡¯t allow anyone to take away from him. Hold up¡­ Isn¡¯t he taking it a little too far? Sure enough, Luke grew anxious as soon as he heard those words. He blurted out, ¡°Joey, the order should matter, no?! I was the one who got to know you and fell for you first. You and he have only known each other for a few days! What if you are deceived by him? Men like him always have tons of women by their side. He must think of you as his ything.¡± Luke had always thought that he was a good judge of character. He could tell at a nce that Ethan was neither short on money nor women. Men who live frivolously like him were surely involved with more women than one could count. Josephine, who didn¡¯t expect Luke to feel so deeply for her, sincerely apologized. ¡°I know that you like me, Luke, and I¡¯m grateful that you like me so much. However, you can¡¯t force feelings. I¡¯ve always thought of you as a friend.¡± Chapter 1831-1840 Chapter 1831-1840 Josephine hadn¡¯t epted even one gift that Luke gave her throughout the time he pursued her, and neither did she ever give any suggestive remarks. Luke had been one-sidedly pursuing her all this while. ¡°Although Josephine and I have only known each other for a few days, my love for her is no less than yours. You should back off!¡± Ethan warned Luke. ¡°Why should I?¡± Luke immediately blew his top. He was still reluctant to give up on Josephine and her grandfather¡¯s connections. He couldn¡¯t just let go, considering how hispany needed those connections to build up itswork. This happened to be something about Luke that Ethan had seen through. ¡°It seems to me you¡¯re not in love with Josephine. You have your eyes on her grandfather¡¯s authority and connections, huh? Someone like you does not deserve to love Josephine.¡± Luke waspletely triggered by Ethan¡¯s words. He suddenly roared, ¡°Ethan Quarles, this is my territory. You¡¯d better not mess with me, or I will make life a living hell for you!¡± Josephine was taken aback by how Luke suddenly threatened Ethan, and she quickly tried to persuade Luke to calm down. ¡°How am I supposed to stay calm? I¡¯ve been pursuing you for a year, and now someone else got in the way and took you away from me! Do I look like a pushover?!¡± I need to teach him a lesson! he thought. Seeing how agitated Luke was, Josephine took a deep breath and insisted, ¡°Luke, it doesn¡¯t matter who came first. I was the one who fell for Ethan and actively pursued him. It has nothing to do with him.¡± Josephine¡¯s words seemed to have stabbed Luke right where it hurt. It felt like he had lost his sanity at this very moment as his dignity as a man was trampled on. No matter what, he knew he needed to vent his anger toward Ethan. His fists were already clenched as he stared at Josephine with an unwilling gaze. ¡°Josephine, do you really like him that much?¡± It was obvious that Luke had lost his temper after being embarrassed. He was also no longer patient or polite toward Josephine. She firmly answered him, ¡°Yes, I love him.¡± Suddenly, Josephine was roughly shoved by Luke, whose clenched fist was already swinging at Ethan¡¯s face. When he raised his fist, Josephine, who had been pushed aside, almost instinctively pushed back. Luke couldn¡¯t stop his punch in time. Bam! The fist socked Josephine straight on the cheek, hurting her so badly that she fell back into Ethan¡¯s arms. Ethan wanted to protect Josephine, but his hand was a second toote. As he tightly hugged the woman, he sent Luke flying when he kicked out with his long leg. However, the corner of Josephine¡¯s mouth was already torn as it started bleeding as shey against his chest. ¡°Josephine!¡± Ethan¡¯s heart was broken as he called out to her. He wanted nothing more than to punch himself across the face when he saw the blood trickle from her mouth. Meanwhile, Luke got up and started panicking. He didn¡¯t expect to hit Josephine in the face. He finally came back to his senses when he saw the pale woman drenched in cold sweat, leaning against Ethan¡¯s chest with blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. ¡°Joey, I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m so sorry!¡± He tried to approach her, only to hear the other man angrily yell at him. ¡°F*ck off! Stay away from her!¡± Ethan¡¯s gaze shot at Luke like a sharp knife, and he protected Josephine in his arms with his torso so that Luke wouldn¡¯t hurt her anymore. Josephine¡¯s cheek hurt so badly that she couldn¡¯t speak, but still, she uttered in a hoarse voice, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Josephine, I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t mean to do that. I wasn¡¯t trying to hit you.¡± Luke finally realized that he and Josephine couldn¡¯t even be friends after his punch. She nced back at him. ¡°Luke, I know you didn¡¯t hit me on purpose. I willingly took the punch on his behalf.¡± Ethan¡¯s eyes narrowed when he heard that. ¡°Don¡¯t ever do something so stupid again,¡± he grunted as he held her close. His heart ached for her. Josephine tried to put on a smile, but the movement tugged on her injury, making her hiss in pain. ¡°Alright, stop talking. I¡¯ll take you to the hospital.¡± Ethan helped her out of the private room after saying that. Luke was left to me himself. He truly did love Josephine, but he no longer had the right to seek her hand. Josephine went for a check-up at a nearby hospital. The examination showed only skin swelling and a cut on the corner of her mouth. However, half of her face had be swollen, making her too embarrassed to see anyone. She didn¡¯t want to see Ethan, as she wondered if he would find her appearance ridiculous and unattractive. ¡°I won¡¯t eat dinner. I want to go home. D-Don¡¯t bother walking me back. I¡¯ll take a cab,¡± Josephine said as she held onto her swollen face and tried to leave quickly. Seeing through her thoughts, Ethan couldn¡¯t help but chuckle and ask, ¡°What? Do you think I will find you unappealing because of your appearance?¡± She remained silent without responding, prompting him to state firmly, ¡°I will only feel sorry for you, never disgusted.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t face my parents right now. I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ll think I¡¯ve been bullied outside, especially if I tell my grandfather. I can¡¯t go home.¡± Josephine quickly thought of this and looked at the man who didn¡¯t mind her appearance. ¡°Can I stay in your hotel suite for two nights until my swelling goes down?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Ethan replied, thinking he needed to buy a vi as soon as possible. He couldn¡¯t keep letting this girl stay in the hotel with him forever. Back in the car, Ethan thought about what Josephine had said to Luke earlier and turned to ask her, ¡°Are those words you said earlier genuine?¡± Josephine blinked, immediately recalling what she had said earlier. One side of her face blushed as she mumbled, ¡°I just wanted to dispel Luke¡¯s thoughts of pursuing me.¡± She hadn¡¯t given much thought to whether it was sincere or not. Those words had juste out without much consideration. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m touched tonight,¡± Ethan said happily, even though she had suffered. Josephine blinked. She was willing to take that punch for him. She would have been heartbroken if Luke had punched Ethan in his handsome face. Forget it. I¡¯ll take the pain! Since she had insisted on bringing Ethan here tonight, she could not possibly let him get hurt. Josephine told her mother she had to stay temporarily with her colleague toplete their work. Her mother asked who the colleague was and whether it was a man or a woman. Josephine replied that it was Wren, and her mother agreed. With a swollen face, Josephine followed Ethan back to his hotel. He ordered a big meal when they arrived since they were both hungry. Josephine went to the bathroom and looked at her swollen, red face in the mirror, feeling bitter inside. When will the swelling go down? I¡¯m not pretty right now. They had a romantic dinner seated by the French windows, but Josephine couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling of misery. She lowered her head and ate her food in small bites. However, it asionally tugged at her wound, causing her to gasp in pain. ¡°Take your time,¡± Ethan urged her on the other end. Josephine put down half of her hair to cover up her swollen face. Ethan saw her small actions, but he didn¡¯t know how tofort her. Truth was, he genuinely didn¡¯t care. Even with half of Josephine¡¯s face swollen, it didn¡¯t affect his fondness for her. After dinner, Josephine suddenly remembered that she had to work overtime to finish her article that night. ¡°Goodness, I still have to write a news article. I need it early tomorrow morning.¡± Josephine finished eating and sat on the couch, thereafter turning on herputer to start working. Her slender fingers danced on the keyboard, showing her experience in writing news articles. It was said that hard-working men were the most handsome, but hard-working women were equally charming. Ethan sat at the table, holding a ss of red wine, admiring how this woman worked seriously. He couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her. Josephine¡¯s hair covered one side of her swollen face, but the other side remained delicate and beautiful under the light. Her gaze exuded a professional andpetent aura. Ethan felt sorry for her and brought a ss of water over, cing it in front of her. ¡°Take a sip of water before you continue writing.¡± Josephine picked up the water ss and murmured gratefully, ¡°Thank you.¡± Meanwhile, Ethan sat on the couch, staring at her screen. She blushed a little and mumbled, ¡°Don¡¯t look.¡± It was because she was writing a piece that mentioned the rtionship between the sexes. Although she had never been in a serious rtionship, her words were delicate and sharp when she wrote this type of article, as if she were an experienced person in love. Truth was, Josephine was a girl who often burst out with dirty jokes among her colleagues, and sometimes with her friends too. ¡°Why can¡¯t I look?¡± Ethan couldn¡¯t help but ask with a smile when he noticed the headline she wrote, ¡®Who likes doing the deed more, men or women?¡¯ ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to look.¡± Josephine covered herputer and blushed. ¡°Where did you get the experience to write these news articles?¡± The man did not let her off the hook and continued to ask. Josephine¡¯s face turned red upon realizing that Ethan had seen what she wrote. ¡°Have you never heard of someone imagining things?¡± she stuttered. Ethan burst outughing. ¡°Are you writing based on your imagination?¡± ¡°We conducted a survey report.¡± With that, she moved herputer to the couch to write. While writing, she muttered, ¡°I will also have to send the manuscript to my deskter.¡± Ethan was slightly surprised to hear that. ¡°It¡¯s sote. Are you returning to thepany?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have someone else send it for you. It¡¯s toote, so don¡¯t go.¡± Ethan felt sorry for her. After all, she got beaten up today and needed rest. ¡°Really? Thank you!¡± In fact, Josephine didn¡¯t want to face her colleagues now. Their imagination was even richer than hers. They would surely spread rumors about her being the homewrecker who got beaten up by the original partner. There would be no reasoning with them. It was not until 11.00PM that Josephine handed the manuscript to the person Ethan had summoned. After that, she went into the bathroom and looked around. She didn¡¯t know if it was because of the medicine she applied or her young age, but the swelling on her face had disappeared. She looked no different from usual, except that it was still red. Aftering out of the bathroom, Josephine looked at Ethan, who was in the master bedroom. She thought she should go over and say a few words before closing the door and going to bed. She saw that the bedroom door was not closed, so she walked over. However, before she could knock, a warm figure with only a bath towel wrapped around the waist appeared before her eyes. He had broad, sturdy honey-colored chest muscles and solid, tough muscle lines below the abs. After the shower, there were even some blood vessels showing. At that sight, Josephine mused, What a great body! He¡¯s parading it for me? Ethan looked at her dumbfounded expression and was open about it, ruffling his wet hair and asking with a smile, ¡°Like what you see?¡± Josephine gulped discreetly, forcing herself to move her eyes away and stare at the floor. She blushed and mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m returning to my room. Goodnight.¡± ¡°Wait a minute.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Josephine quickly stopped in her tracks. The man suddenly picked up a bag and handed it to her. ¡°Here¡¯s the pajamas I prepared for you.¡± ¡°Huh? You prepared pajamas for me?¡± Surprised, Josephine took the bag and saw a thin, burgundy nightgown inside. Her mind buzzed for a moment. It¡¯s rather sexy, isn¡¯t it? ¡°Let me see the injury on your face.¡± The man was still unsure about her face and wanted to recheck it before she went to bed. Josephine quickly took a step back. ¡°T-That¡¯s alright. I¡¯m fine.¡± It was already ugly enough. She couldn¡¯t possibly show it to him. ¡°Goodnight!¡± Josephine said and backed out of the doorway, returning to her room. She was still a bit uneasy and her mind was filled with the image of Ethan¡¯s perfect body. She realized the handsome guys she usually saw were nothingpared to him. Ethan¡¯s figure is genuinely top-notch! I should have looked at him more instead of being shy just now! Who knows when I will get another chance? Josephine quickly took a shower and put on the nightgown that Ethan had given her. It fit her perfectly, revealing her charming curves which were usually hidden under her formal attire. Josephine wanted to grab her cell phone but left it on the couch outside. She wasn¡¯t sleepy and wanted to watch some news, so she decided to go and get it. She thought that Ethan might have already gone to bed. Feeling lucky, Josephine opened the door, hoping to get her cell phone quickly and sneak back to her room. However, life was nothing if not unpredictable. Just as she headed toward the couch, a man wearing only his pajama pants appeared from the balcony where he had just finished a call. The two of them met in the dimly lit living room. Josephine¡¯s mind went nk. She hugged her chest awkwardly and said, ¡°I¡¯m looking for my phone.¡± Ethan squinted and admired her in her wine-red nightgown. It was just as he imagined. He knew that her perfect body, which men couldn¡¯t help but fantasize about, was hidden underneath her formal work clothes. Josephine searched through the couch cushions, but the more she hurriedly looked for her cell phone, the harder it was to find it. ¡°Do you need any help?¡± Ethan shook his cell phone. All he had to do was make a call and they would be able to locate the phone. Josephine looked at him with a pleading expression. ¡°Please help me find it.¡± Ethan called Josephine¡¯s cell phone and discovered it was wedged into the gap in the couch. Josephine was speechless upon seeing that. I must have identally pushed it into the gap. She tried to retrieve it but couldn¡¯t. At that, Ethan quickly approached her. Bending down, he offered, ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Josephine breathed, a hint of an alluring scent emanating from her as her pretty face blushed. She took two steps back, cing one hand over her chest. She found it amusing that two people dressed like that were here to fetch her phone. Can¡¯t something elegant and romantic happen between us? Ethan¡¯s fingers were long and he quickly picked up her phone. Josephine took it gratefully and thanked him. Ethan scanned her nightgown. The design of the two straps was subtle under the light. It looked as if it was made to be easily torn off, arousing thoughts of carnal desire in a man¡¯s mind. On the other hand, Josephine was getting nervous and flustered. Ethan had just moved the couch with force, and now it was diagonally in front of her. However, she didn¡¯t notice it. As she turned around, she stumbled over it. ¡°Ah!¡± She cried out as her head hit the back of the couch, leaving her kneeling in a miserable heap. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Ethan quickly reached out to hold her, his calloused palms filled with manly strength touching her waist through her thin nightgown. Before she could react, he had picked her up in his arms. She covered her forehead, feeling both shy and embarrassed. The two of them tightly embraced each other, with Ethan¡¯s hand gently rubbing her forehead. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± ¡°N-No¡­ I¡¯m fine,¡± she replied, but at the moment, she was more focused on the fact that she was lying in his arms. ¡°I¡¯m going back to my room,¡± a flushed Josephine added. However, Ethan suddenly carried her and took her straight back to her room. ¡°I¡¯ll carry you back to your room, so you won¡¯t fall again,¡± he murmured. ¡°I should¡¯ve checked my horoscope before going out today.¡± Josephine was rather speechless at that point as she wondered why she kept getting hurt today. Ethanughed and said, ¡°Do you remember what you said?¡± ¡°What?¡± Josephine didn¡¯t have a good memory. ¡°You said I¡¯m a jinx reborn and whenever you¡¯re around me, you have bad luck,¡± Ethanmented. She immediately covered her face in regret. ¡°I take back that statement!¡± she muttered. ¡°I was just angry at the time. Please don¡¯t take it to heart!¡± Josephine had both hands covering her face, which meant that her chest was not covered. Coupled with her being held in Ethan¡¯s arms, the nightgown¡¯s low V-neck neckline was open to Ethan. Ethan¡¯s sexy Adam¡¯s apple bobbed twice. The woman emanating a light fragrance in his arms kept stirring up the fire hidden in his heart for twenty-seven years. Ethan carried her directly back to the bed while Josephine covered her face as if she was ashamed. At this moment, the man leaned over and kissed her on her delicate corbone as if demanding payment. Josephine was shocked and she eximed out loud. She opened her eyes, only to see Ethan holding her head between his hands, his burning gaze fixed on her. ¡°I¡¯m sealing the deal.¡± Josephine blinked her beautiful eyes, not understanding what he meant. The man looked at her and growled hoarsely, ¡°Mine.¡± Josephine suddenly understood what he meant and buried her face in the nket. ¡°Ethan, go back to your room and sleep.¡± Ethanughed and looked at the embarrassed woman before him. He didn¡¯t tease her anymore and got up to leave. Although Josephine was shy, she was still happy deep down. It was just that she had a feeling of being watched and unable to escape. ¡­ The next morning, Josephine got up and hurriedly went to the bathroom. She was relieved to see that her face was much better. However, she still had to stay with Ethan for two more days. Josephine wondered if she could ask for a day off today. She couldn¡¯t help butugh at the thought. Isn¡¯t the boss of thepany right by my side? It shouldn¡¯t be difficult to take a day off! And so, she put on a bathrobe and went out. Meanwhile, Ethan had already gotten up and was standing on the balcony, enjoying the scenery. ¡°Mr. Quarles, can I take a day off?¡± Josephine asked. ¡°Sure.¡± Ethan turned around and added, ¡°Is one week enough?¡± ¡°Huh? Really? I can take a whole week off?¡± Josephine was overjoyed upon hearing that. Taking time off from the TV station was difficult. ¡°It¡¯s a piece of cake for me,¡± Ethan said. He suddenly realized that bing her boss meant providing her with these benefits. ¡°I¡¯ll take three days off first, then!¡± Josephine didn¡¯t need a week off. Three days would be enough. Ethan quickly made a phone call to Atticus to approve Josephine¡¯s three days off. Josephine felt utterly rxed as she was able to take three days off. She held her face and looked at the scenery of the bustling traffic in the distance. Being able to have a day of leisure made her very happy. ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s go downstairs for breakfast,¡± Ethan said to her. Josephine suddenly thought, Can I take him shopping? All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. She wanted to go shopping during her time off. Usually, she didn¡¯t have time to buy clothes. ¡°Okay. After breakfast, can youe shopping with me?¡± Josephine asked while looking up. ¡°Of course.¡± Ethan smiled. He wanted to buy her some clothes too. After finishing breakfast, Josephine used the only makeup she had in her bag to apply some light makeup, mainly covering the slightly red half of her face. The injury was not visible under the light makeup. Ethan drove her to the mall in his sports car. While shopping, Josephine was finally able to experience the feeling of being envied by others because when Ethan held her hand, the women around them looked at her with envy. After browsing several branded stores, Ethan picked out eight sets of clothes for her, which Josephine could tell were intended as gifts. She didn¡¯t refuse and willingly went along with it this time. She also realized that she had given him something to hold over her head and had to be prepared for the consequences. When they were tired from shopping, they went to have lunch and continued in the afternoon. Josephine thought that Ethan would get tired, but it turned out that she was the one who got tired because he couldn¡¯t stop buying things. They went from clothes to jewelry, and he finally took her to a real estate agency, where he wanted Josephine to help him choose a house. He wanted to settle down in this city. At first, Josephine was surprised and asked, ¡°Why do you want to settle down here?¡± Ethan looked at her and said, ¡°Because of you.¡± Josephine was shocked. Ethan wants to settle down in this city for me, eh? However, looking for a house wasn¡¯t easy, so Ethan left it to his assistants to handle. When they returned to the hotel after dinner, it was already 9.30PM and Josephine was exhausted from walking around. She took off her makeup and looked at herself in the mirror, her expression betraying a hint of exhaustion. All she wanted to do was take a shower and go to bed. Josephine took a shower and thought about it, then decided to go out and bid Ethan good night. She wore one of her shirts over her pajamas before pushing the door open. She knew it looked a little odd, but she didn¡¯t care. At that moment, the man was elegantly opening a bottle of red wine at the small bar. Josephine was slightly stunned to see that. Is he going to get drunk? ¡°Would you like a ss?¡± Ethan asked her. Josephine was delighted. She didn¡¯t love drinking, but she didn¡¯t want to miss this beautiful moment. Drinking a ss with Ethan would feel great. Nodding, she walked over and sat on the chair as she waited for him. Meanwhile, Ethan poured half a ss of wine and handed it over. Josephine took a sip, noting that it was sweet grape wine. ¡°Delicious.¡± Josephine smiled. Ethan raised his ss and clinked it with hers, enjoying the wine. Josephine looked at his sexy and charming jawline, not to mention the throbbing of his Adam¡¯s apple when he swallowed the wine, which was almost lethal. Ethan Quarles was elegant and attractive in everything he did. Even his drinking a ss of wine could make people swoon. ¡°Cheers!¡± Josephine also took the initiative to clink her ss with his. Ethan smiled and took another sip. He propped his chin up, and the duo¡¯s faces were instantly inches apart. They gazed at each other under the light, sizing each other up. Josephine also plucked up her courage under the influence of alcohol, and just like that, she greedily stared at the man¡¯s face. She found a small mole on the tip of his nose, adding a different sense of dimensionality to his appearance. ¡°Am I good-looking?¡± Ethan asked her. ¡°What do you think?¡± Josephine countered. The man chuckled deeply. ¡°Can¡¯t get enough of it.¡± Josephine blushed, then puffed her cheeks and murmured, ¡°Me too.¡± ¡°Is this a confession?¡± Ethan asked again. Josephine took a sip of her red wine before pursing her lips and smiling. ¡°You can think of it that way.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s date, then!¡± Ethan stated in earnest. Meanwhile, Josephine blinked and didn¡¯t pretend anymore. ¡°Okay, but I have to ask you two questions and you have to answer me truthfully.¡± Ethan was taken aback but he hoarsely murmured, ¡°Sure thing. Ask away.¡± ¡°Firstly, do you have a formal girlfriend overseas?¡± Josephine asked. Ethan thought about it momentarily before shaking his head seriously and replying, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Would your family approve of you dating a girl from a family like mine?¡± Josephine asked again. Ethan was startled for a moment. After giving it some thought, he stated, ¡°My family hasn¡¯t made any such demands of me. They want me to be with a girl I like.¡± After hearing this, Josephine nodded and said, ¡°Okay, then. Let¡¯s date!¡± She didn¡¯t want to let Ethan go. He was sent to her by fate, so she was determined to seize the opportunity. Whether she was after his money or his person, the fact was that she had fallen for him and had a strong desire to be with him. Ethan put down his ss and stood up. He leaned close to Josephine, his handsome face closing the distance. Josephine¡¯s breathing hitched as she thought, Is he going to kiss me? She closed her eyes and let his thin lips press down on hers, but it wasn¡¯t a deep kiss. Josephine was a little confused as to why it was only a brief kiss, but the man chuckled and exined, ¡°Your lip was injured yesterday. You should rest a few days before we kiss again.¡± Josephine blushed, realizing that Ethan had noticed that detail. However, she felt slightly unsatisfied. ¡°Okay!¡± Josephine then finished her drink and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to bed. You should get some rest too.¡± At that, Ethan gently bid her good night. ¡°Goodnight,¡± Josephine turned back and replied before going to her room, feeling satisfied and filled with expectations for the future. The following morning, Ethan received a call from Jared. Jared thought Ethan had returned, not knowing thetter was still in Averna. ¡°You¡¯re still in the city?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m staying here for half a year for now.¡± ¡°It seems you¡¯re serious about Miss Jacobson.¡± ¡°We¡¯re officially dating now.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s have lunch in the afternoon and get to know each other!¡± Jared invited. ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s meet!¡± Ethan replied. Josephine came out of the room, feeling honored when she heard she would have lunch with the Presgrave couple. At 12.00PM, Jared brought Ellen along, who was already five months pregnant and had a slightly protruding belly. However, her figure was still as slender as a young girl¡¯s. She wore a delicate champagne satin dress that exuded an elegant aura. She had naturally cultivated her temperament as befitting Jared¡¯s wife. ¡°Jared.¡± Ethan went up and gave Jared a fist bump. The two men had their own way of greeting each other. Ellen looked at Josephine. She had heard that thetter had met and fallen in love with Ethan at their wedding, which was why she remembered Josephine. ¡°Miss Jacobson, you caught my bouquet, didn¡¯t you?¡± Ellen asked with a smile. Josephine nodded proudly. ¡°Yes, I caught it.¡± ¡°It seems fate brought you together. It means that the next wedding will be yours!¡± Ellen said excitedly. Josephine blushed a little but still yearned for it in her heart. After all, once she got together with Ethan, she would surely want to get married. ¡°I hope so!¡± Josephine murmured with a smile. The two women were of simr age and had many topics to discuss. Their personalities were also simr and their other halves were good friends, so they naturally wanted to be best friends and be close to each other. After lunch, the two couples parted ways. Jared apanied Ellen to have a prenatal check-up in the afternoon while Ethan took Josephine for a drive to rx. The three-day holiday passed quickly, in which Josephine rarely checked the group messages. There were lively discussions about her rtionship with Ethan and various rumors were spreading in the group she had set to ¡®Do Not Disturb¡¯. In some private groups, Josephine wasbeled as a vixen who seduced the major shareholder to get promoted by any means necessary. Katrina was the first to take the lead in every group where she was present. She would harshly criticize Josephine and reveal how the young woman had seduced Ethan at the dinner table. It instantly piqued people¡¯s interest in the drama. Finally, Wren couldn¡¯t help but ask Josephine directly. Josephine was stunned for a few seconds as she looked at the message sent by Wren. Wren had asked, ¡®Joey, did you seduce our new boss for Miss Ain¡¯s position?¡¯ Josephine quickly asked, ¡®Where did you hear that from?¡¯ ¡®Everyone in thepany¡¯s groups is talking about you. Don¡¯t you know?¡¯ Wren replied. ¡®What?¡¯ Josephine felt overwhelmed. Who is spreading rumors and causing trouble? ¡®Is it true that the sports car was a gift from the president?¡¯ Josephine knew she couldn¡¯t hide it anymore and replied, ¡®Yes, it was a gift from him.¡¯ ¡®Are you really dating him?¡¯ Just then, Josephine was reading a message in the group that said, ¡®How could Josephine do this? Seducing the boss to get promoted is so hical!¡¯ Josephine snorted and replied directly, ¡®Sorry, we¡¯re dating.¡¯ Josephine¡¯s response in the group chat shocked all the employees who were online as the person involved had now admitted to it. Just then, a message from Katrina came in. ¡®Josephine, how shameless can you be? You say you¡¯re dating, but do you have any evidence?¡¯ ¡®Yeah! That¡¯s not enough! We want to see the evidence!¡¯ ¡®Right! We won¡¯t believe it unless you post a selfie with Mr. Quarles. Josephine, I dare you to send it!¡¯ Some employees who didn¡¯t like Josephine were eager to kick her while she was down. They were convinced that Josephine was putting on a show, thinking she was fake dating the boss. ¡®You are ridiculous! Pick a better lie to tell!¡¯ another employee replied. At that, Katrina chimed in, ¡®She¡¯s delusional!¡¯ Just then, the group administrator received a request from a new member to join the group. The administrator immediately approved the request and the group¡¯s profile picture, which used to be a photograph of andscape, was reced with a male selfie. The nickname was also changed to ¡®Ethan¡¯. ¡®I, Ethan Quarles, hereby certify that Josephine Jacobson is my girlfriend.¡¯ This sentence came as a bombshell to the group. Silence ensued and no one dared to speak up for almost a minute. Even the voices that had previously criticized and suppressed Josephine disappeared. No one dared to question the man¡¯s identity or the authenticity of his statement. ¡®Are you Mr. Quarles?¡¯ Katrina asked boldly. ¡®Yes,¡¯ came the concise response. At this moment, Josephine was staring at her phone, leaning on Ethan¡¯s shoulder on the hotel couch as she happily read the messages in the group. She identally showed the chat to him, and Ethan insisted on joining thepany¡¯s group chat, leading to the current situation. ¡®Hello, Mr. Quarles.¡¯ ¡®Mr. Quarles, you¡¯re so handsome.¡¯ ¡®Good afternoon, Mr. Quarles.¡¯ Ethan¡¯s appearance was a p in the face for many people in the group, effectively making them shut their mouths and stopping them from gossiping. Meanwhile, Katrina, who was seated at her desk in thepany, couldn¡¯t help but think about whether or not she should add Ethan on Telegram so they could chat privately. Feeling bold, she gritted her teeth and sent him a friend request. However, after waiting for half an hour, there was no response from Ethan¡¯s end. She couldn¡¯t help but feel frustrated, wondering if Josephine had discovered her private request. Her face turned red out of embarrassment and she hoped Josephine didn¡¯t know about it. What if Ethan simply hasn¡¯t seen it yet? Maybe he will add me if he does! Ethan only said a few words in the group before disappearing, and the previously lively group was now subdued by his imposing presence. It caused the gossip-loving members to avoid chatting there, for fear that the boss might catch them. Soon, the group administrator announced, ¡®Mr. Quarles has left the group.¡¯ ¡®What? Why did he leave? I wanted to say hi to him!¡¯ someone typed. ¡®The boss just came on to prove that Josephine is his girlfriend! Oh my God! He spoils her so much,¡¯ another added. ¡®He¡¯s so cool! So mysterious and sophisticated! I love him!¡¯ ¡®Forget it. He belongs to Josephine,¡¯ Wren replied. ¡®Goodness! This is awesome! I just clicked on his profile picture. That face of his is killing me!¡¯ someone else texted. ¡®He looks so good in the selfie. Did she save the gxy in her past life to have such luck?¡¯ ¡®Maybe it¡¯s good karma!¡¯ At that moment, Josephine was holding Ethan¡¯s cell phone. She was the one who had left the group for him. She understood everyone¡¯s feelings. With him around, no one would dare to chat. But as Josephine read the flood of messages that followed, she couldn¡¯t help but feel amused and bemused. It seemed like leaving the group had only made people pay more attention to her. The next day, Josephine would start her work again, and she couldn¡¯t imagine what kind of treatment she would receive at thepany now. At this moment, Katrina, who was waiting for Ethan to ept her request, was left disappointed when he didn¡¯t do so even after work. She was so embarrassed that she bit her lip hard. She couldn¡¯t help but go to the restroom and check herself in the mirror. She knew she was beautiful, but why wouldn¡¯t Ethan notice her? Why won¡¯t he ept me? Katrina thought to herself. That night, Josephine watched a game with Ethan. She grew tired, so she leaned against him and fell asleep. After some time, Ethan turned off the TV and carried her in his arms. Josephine woke up but pretended to be asleep. I won¡¯t mind if he wants to break the boundaries of our rtionship, she mused. After all, as a 25-year- old, I have needs too. Ethan only kissed her forehead and tucked her in before leaving the room, though. Josephine was left speechless and frustrated. Josephine opened her eyes after Ethan left the room, feeling a little disappointed in his reaction. After all, she had decided to pretend to struggle a bit before giving in and offering herself to him if he made a move on her. To her surprise, Ethan was a gentleman. Her hands circled the edge of her nket as she cursed herself for having a dirty mind. In the meantime, she was fascinated by Ethan¡¯s character. He¡¯s an excellent man. I¡¯ll cherish such a kind man like him from today onward. After tossing and turning on the bed for a while, sleep finally took her. She snuggled under the nket and fell asleep. The next morning, Josephine¡¯s preset phone rm woke her from her sleep without mercy. She groggily reached out a hand from under the nket and turned the rm off. A momentter, she realized that it was another working day. At that, she reluctantly opened her eyes. Why do I have to leave my bed? I don¡¯t want to go to work! Even though Josephine was reluctant to wake up, she was dedicated to her job. After rolling out of her bed, she applied light makeup on her face. The bruise on her face had faded and her skin had been restored to an intact state. Everything seemed fine, aside from the little scrape at the corner of her lip. Josephine thought to herself, I¡¯ll just go to work without bothering anyone. I should let Ethan sleep. I bet he stayed uptest night. When she opened the door, the sight of a well-groomed man on the couch greeted her. She blinked in surprise. ¡°Why are you up so early?¡± ¡°I want to give you a ride to work.¡± Ethan smiled at her. However, Josephine turned down his offer. ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡¯ll take a cab to work. You should go back to sleep.¡± Ethan rose to his feet. ¡°No way. I won¡¯t allow it on my watch.¡± Atst, Josephine had no choice but to allow him to send her to work in his eye-catching sports car. She thought about the matter over on the way to the office. Now that everyone knows Ethan and I are seeing each other, I don¡¯t think we should do it in secret anymore as if we are ashamed of our rtionship. That¡¯s right! I¡¯ll make our rtionship public. The sports car eventually rolled to a stop in front of thepany. Ethan wasn¡¯t able to apany Josephine due to him having an appointment with the realtorter. And so, she got out of the car and waved goodbye. ¡°Be careful on the road.¡± Ethan nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up after work.¡± With that, he took his leave. Meanwhile, tons of envious eyes fell on Josephine. Holding her head high, Josephine walked into thepany lobby at a steady pace. Her colleagues from other departments, whom she seldom dealt with, approached her and greeted her. ¡°Good morning, Josephine!¡± ¡°Congrattions, Josephine!¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to your wedding!¡± ¡°Mr. Quarles is a handsome guy. You¡¯re so lucky to have him.¡± The statements took Josephine aback. What¡¯s next? Are they going to urge us to start a family? She cleared her throat. ¡°Calm down, everyone. Let¡¯s not discuss personal matters at work.¡± After that, Josephine returned to her seat. Just as she sat, people gathered around her. ¡°Josephine, why did Mr. Quarles leave the group chat?¡± ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll rejoin the group chat?¡± Josephine chuckled and replied, ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Let¡¯s get back to work, everyone. We¡¯ve got a long day ahead.¡± Wren got Josephine a cup of coffee to go and set it on the table. After taking a seat beside her, Wren smiled. ¡°Mr. Quarles did a good job! The way he announced himself in the group chat and told Katrina off was like a p in the face to her! Even her supporters didn¡¯t dare contradict him.¡± Josephine had to admit that Ethan¡¯s behavior was satisfying. After all, people around the office didn¡¯t dare stand up against Katrina. Even Josephine herself got ridiculed by Katrina a few times. Katrina had iting! Later, Josephine headed to the copy room. Katrina¡¯s voice caught her off guard. ¡°Josephine, you must be very proud.¡± Josephine turned around and queried, ¡°What do you mean?¡± I¡¯m the victim in the story. It¡¯s all thanks to Ethan showing up in the group chat and backing me up, or else they wouldn¡¯t have stopped in the first ce. ¡°Did you take Mr. Quarles¡¯ phone and make everything up? A man like him will never bother to join the group chat, so it must be you! You have ess to his phone, so you might¡¯ve taken it and pretended to be him in the group chat.¡± Katrina allowed her imagination to run wild and she was confident with her theory. After all, she remembered Ethan as a man of few words from their encounter back then. Josephine arched her brows in amusement. ¡°It really wasn¡¯t me.¡± ¡°Then you must¡¯ve shown him the messages.¡± ¡°Of course! He was sitting next to me during that time. Since he asked to read the messages, I saw no point in hiding them,¡± Josephine answered. ¡°I assume you¡¯re the one pursuing Mr. Quarles and not the other way around. You¡¯re quite shameless, aren¡¯t you? You must¡¯ve used dirty tricks to seduce him!¡± Katrina used with her arms crossed. At this point, only by witnessing disys of affection between Ethan and Josephine would Katrina finally ept the fact that the couple had indeed gotten together. Josephine chuckled at Katrina¡¯s attempt to use her. ¡°Does it matter? We are dating, anyway. Does it answer your question?¡± ¡°Listen, I don¡¯t mean to sound discouraging, but you¡¯re not the woman for a man like him. Mr. Quarles is a popr man, and women won¡¯t hesitate to throw themselves at him. Besides, people nowadays are driven by lust and don¡¯t care about loyalty. What if a prettier woman with a stronger personality catches his eye? He would forget about your existence in a split second!¡± Katrina sneered, trying to make Josephine anxious. Josephine paused for a moment before turning around to face Katrina. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± However, Katrina knew not when to stop. ¡°What if he¡¯s talking to a pretty woman at the moment? What if they exchange numbers for the convenience of a little rendezvous?¡± she continued. She was confident that her words would make Josephine ufortable. Her guess was right. Ethan was out house-hunting at the moment, and the female realtors were good- looking and adept at taking the initiative. Thus, they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to jump at the chance when they met Ethan. Josephine exhaled and muttered, ¡°Don¡¯t you have better things to do?¡± Katrina harrumphed at that. ¡°It¡¯s for your own good, Josephine. We are more alike than you think. A man like Ethan is out of our league. I don¡¯t want to see you be his ything which he abandons once he gets tired. When that timees, a heartbroken mess is all you are.¡± Katrina was getting on Josephine¡¯s nerves with the negative speech. Seeing no point in tolerating Katrina¡¯s nonsense, Josephine turned around and growled, ¡°Enough!¡± The corner of Katrina¡¯s lips curled into a sneer. ¡°How ungrateful of you! Fine, then. One day, you¡¯ll regret not listening to my words!¡± After that, Katrina left. Even so, the words left a bitter taste at the back of Josephine¡¯s throat. Dealing with people like her is exhausting. There¡¯s no way I can be happy talking to her. Just as she returned to her seat, the phone she left on the table buzzed, notifying her of a new message. Wren reminded her, ¡°Someone called you a moment ago. You might need to get back to them.¡± Josephine grabbed her phone and unlocked it. The message was from Ethan. He had sent her the vi¡¯s address and a video of its exterior before asking for her opinion. ¡®The vi is located near your company, so I decided to buy it. What do you think?¡¯ Josephine gaped at the address Ethan sent her. The price of detached vis around that area starts at 30 million. The one Ethan has eyes on must be worth more than that! She swallowed nervously and sent him a reply, ¡®You don¡¯t have to buy it for my convenience. Choose somewhere you like instead.¡¯ As soon as she sent that, he called her. She quickly walked away from her seat and went to the corridor so that nobody would disturb her. She answered the call. ¡°Hello?¡± Ethan¡¯s low voice reached her. ¡°I like this ce, so I bought it.¡± Josephineughed quietly when she heard such words. I can¡¯t believe I forgot his ability to buy things. Even though the vi is expensive for me, he doesn¡¯t share the same worry. ¡°All right. I¡¯m d you¡¯re happy,¡± she replied with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best to move in within one week.¡± Ethan then added, ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve discussed the matter with the executives. You were promised the position of a news anchor.¡± Josephine¡¯s mind went nk at his words. He¡¯s even giving me that?! To be honest, I want to earn it myself. But Ethan¡¯s proposition changed a few things. I don¡¯t think I deserve it. ¡°I-I want to fight for it myself. I want to prove myself worthy.¡± Josephine refused to depend on Ethan. She didn¡¯t want such an exception just because she was his girlfriend. Even if it¡¯s silly to let my chance slip. His low chuckle came from the other side of the phone. ¡°All right. We¡¯ll go through with the procedure. However, I¡¯m confident that the position will eventually be yours.¡± Chapter 1841-1850 Chapter 1841-1850 ¡°Thank you, Ethan.¡± Deep down, Josephine was touched by his gesture. I feel like he¡¯s investing in the company for me. ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me. It¡¯s always been your dream, no? And I¡¯m d I can make your dream come true,¡± answered Ethan in a low voice. That¡¯s why I threw a lot of money in. I want her to be happy. ¡°How can I repay you?¡± Josephine bit her lip. Ethan has been a big help. I can¡¯t just take advantage of him after he helps me with many things. A simple ¡®thank you¡¯ isn¡¯t enough to express my gratitude. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. I¡¯m happy to help, really.¡± Ethan insisted on not taking anything from her. However, Josephine still nned on giving him something in return. I can¡¯t take it for granted. ¡­ Josephine smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t need anything.¡± ¡°I heard that you have been interested in the position of a news anchor. Since you¡¯re excelling in your job and also studied broadcastmunication back in university, I don¡¯t see a problem in promoting you to a news anchor. It¡¯s my fault for overlooking an employee as excellent as you and wasting your talents,¡± Atticus said. Josephine let out a strained chuckle. When the assistant returned to her office, she called Katrina out of spite. When the call connected, she cut to the chase. ¡°Can you believe it, Kat? A while ago, Mr. Kowalski asked me to prepare the best tea we have for his guest. I thought he was seeing someone important, but it turned out to be Josephine. I don¡¯t understand why she has gotten so lucky to the degree that even Mr. Kowalski has to grovel at her!¡± ¡°What? Is Josephine in a meeting with Atticus?¡± Katrina asked nervously. ¡°Yes. I think they¡¯re talking about work. Anyway, I don¡¯t think anybody can ever match her status in the company from this moment on.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be right there.¡± With that, Katrina hung up the phone. Soon, she showed up in the corridor and arrived at the door of Atticus¡¯ office. Due to her experience in eavesdropping, she was aware that she could open the door without alerting anyone in the office if she pressed the door handle hard. As the assistant kept watch for her, she quietly pushed the door open and listened in to the ongoing conversation in the office. Meanwhile, Atticus was offering Josephine a promotion to be a news anchor. He insisted on his offer. ¡°Josephine, let¡¯s do it this way¡ªyou take up Ain¡¯s position first. I¡¯ll assign her another job when she returns.¡± ¡°Is that really okay?¡± Josephine hesitated as she mused to herself, I¡¯m just filling the vacancy when Ain is not around. It¡¯s two years at most. After all, Ain needs such a long time to recover. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong about it. I¡¯m the director here. It¡¯s up to me to decide whom I want to promote. Besides, you¡¯re Mr. Quarles¡¯ girlfriend. I can¡¯t possibly allow you to remain a reporter and have you experience the bad weather. Mr. Quarles won¡¯t like it,¡± Atticus exined. Katrina was boiling in anger when she heard such words from Atticus. I¡¯ve had enough! At that, she pushed the door open and stormed inside. ¡°Atticus, that¡¯s not fair! I¡¯m not bad myself, aren¡¯t I? I can also handle the position!¡± Katrina didn¡¯t bother to tone down her anger. Themotion took Josephine aback. Has Katrina been eavesdropping this whole time? Katrina turned to Josephine without warning and used, ¡°Josephine, do you have no shame at all? You can¡¯t ept Atticus¡¯ offer!¡± ¡°Why not? I believe that I¡¯mpetent,¡± Josephine arched her brows and countered. ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re not the onlypetent person in thepany. Others are also capable of taking this position.¡± Katrina huffed. ¡°It¡¯s just not fair to the others! What¡¯s so special about her that you¡¯re letting her take the job? Atticus, you promised me the same!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, Kat. We¡¯re at work. It¡¯s about business.¡± Atticus pulled a long face. Katrina had always been a nuisance to him. ¡°It¡¯s unfair! I suggest going through an interview and a test. She has to do the same and pass if you want me to let the matter drop. Or else I¡¯ll make it known among the employees.¡± Katrina refused to back down. Josephine turned to Atticus. ¡°I agree with her, Mr. Kowalski. We¡¯ll do it fair and square.¡± After that, Josephine rose from her seat and took her leave. Katrina followed suit and caught up with her, sneering, ¡°Josephine, do you really think you can do whatever you want just because you have a big shot like Mr. Quarles to back you up?¡± The usation took Josephine aback, and she turned around to exin, ¡°I won¡¯t bring my personal life to work, or the other way around. I know the difference.¡± ¡°You would¡¯ve epted Atticus¡¯ offer to promote you if I didn¡¯t stop both of you in time, no?¡± Katrina crossed her arms, pleased to have sabotaged Josephine¡¯s promotion. ¡°Honestly, I agree with you on this matter. We¡¯ll do it fair and square,¡± Josephine answered calmly. ¡°Hmph! Are you really expecting me to believe it?¡± ¡°Suit yourself.¡± Josephine didn¡¯t bother to exin further. Since there was nobody around, Katrina shot Josephine a bold question. ¡°Just how did you manage to wrap Mr. Quarles around your finger? You must¡¯ve done something! Did you sleep with each other?¡± Josephine exhaled. She could feel the irritation inside her grow. She turned around, not holding back the bite in her tone. ¡°It doesn¡¯t concern you.¡± Katrina paused for a moment before she retorted, ¡°Looks like I¡¯m right. You¡¯ve got to the home base.¡± Josephine lost her patience, so she didn¡¯t bother to reply. Meanwhile, a jealous Katrina was ring at Josephine so hard that her eyes reddened. Ethan has a tall and strong body that rivals a model. Other men are no match for him. I would do the same if I were in her shoes. Sleeping with Ethan is something to boast about for the rest of my life. All I need to do is wait for Ethan to get tired of Josephine. At that time, it would be my turn. Josephine returned to the office, but she heard the discussion going on around her. Most of the staff were envious and amazed. After all, Josephine was invisible around thepany most of the time, so it was quite a feat that she knew thergest shareholder. Besides, many women worked in the TV station, and most of them were beautiful. The broadcasters and news anchors, each with their own beauty, were the station¡¯s image. How did a reporter like Josephine wrap thergest shareholder around her finger? Meanwhile, a gorgeous woman walked into Atticus¡¯ office, her purse in hand. Atticus greeted her, ¡°You¡¯re early, Tori. I thought we were meeting up in the afternoon.¡± Tori cut to the chase with her arms crossed, ¡°Mr. Kowalski, I heard that there¡¯s a recement for the company¡¯srgest shareholder. Why didn¡¯t you tell me about that? Will you ever introduce me to him?¡± ¡°Oh! You¡¯re talking about Mr. Quarles, I presume?¡± ¡°I heard that not only is he young and handsome, but he¡¯s also wealthy. You should¡¯ve introduced me to such a good man!¡± Even though Tori was smiling, she couldn¡¯t hide the resentment in her expression. Atticus didn¡¯t need more words to understand Tori¡¯s motives. She was a famous news anchor in the industry. Besides, she was also young and single. She had been dating some rich men before, but all her rtionships ended up in a breakup. Now that she was single, she was looking for her next target. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll arrange a meal with you and Mr. Quarles. It¡¯s time to introduce our best television anchor to him.¡± Atticus didn¡¯t dare outright reject Tori. After all, he spent a fortune to poach her. Furthermore, she was a well-known figure in the field. ¡°Mr. Kowalski, how did the reporter girl Josephine meet Mr. Quarles?¡± The same question was bugging Tori. This Josephine is quite something. She¡¯s a step ahead of all the women out there! ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I guess they¡¯ve known each other for a long time. After all, Josephine¡¯s grandfather is quite famous in political circles. It¡¯s natural if she knows all the big shots.¡± His words convinced Tori. However, her face was filled with confidence as she decided topete with Josephine for Ethan¡¯s attention. She happened toe across the pictures in the group chat the other day. The pictures that captured Ethan¡¯s face and body stunned her. Besides, the way he gave Josephine a Ferrari as a gift also surprised Tori. The most expensive gifts Tori had ever received were designer bags, but Josephine surpassed her achievement in a split second by receiving a sports car as a gift. Previously, Tori was on a study trip outside thepany and only returned this morning. I can¡¯t believe I missed all the drama! ¡°All right, Mr. Kowalski. I hold you to your word about the meal between the three of us. I¡¯m looking forward to getting to know Mr. Quarles better.¡± With that, Tori left the office. Just when she started to make her way back to her office, she changed her mind and took a detour into the elevator. She pressed the button to the level where Josephine¡¯s office was located. I wonder what Josephine looks like. Meanwhile, Josephine was seated at her desk in the office. She was enjoying a cup of coffee while talking to Wren. The moment Tori stepped into the office, she caught the attention of a group of male workers. Walking around the office, she searched for a specific person until a namete came into view. Then, she raised her head and studied the face of the namete¡¯s owner. She indeed looks pretty. She could¡¯ve be prettier if she paid attention to her appearance. However, nobody in the TV station can ever steal the spot of thepany¡¯s beauty queen from me! ¡°Miss Alford, are you looking for someone?¡± An assistant approached her. ¡°No, I¡¯m not looking for anyone. I¡¯m just walking around. Don¡¯t let me keep you. You should return to work.¡± At that, Tori cast Josephine onest nce before turning on her heel and leaving. After dealing with all the tasks at hand, Josephine was eagerly anticipating the arrival of the evening and meeting with Ethan. She couldn¡¯t wait to see him after getting off work. However, she nned to go home and see her mother as well. I need to tell Mom. Josephine decided to ask, ¡°Wren, can I bother you for a minute?¡± ¡°What is it? What can I help you with?¡± ¡°I¡¯m calling my mother to tell her that I¡¯m staying at your ce for work purposes over the next week. I need you to cover up for me.¡± At the end of her sentence, Josephine was already blushing. Since Wren also had a boyfriend, she could understand the reason for Josephine asking for help. Therefore, she kindly agreed to help Josephine. ¡°Sure. Call her. I¡¯ll cover up for you.¡± The pair headed to the pantry before Josephine dialed her mother¡¯s number. ¡°Hello, Joey! Are youing home tonight or are you workingte today?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t finished my work. Mom, here¡¯s the thing¡ªI also need to stay at my colleague¡¯s ce over the next week. I¡¯ll go hometer and grab a few things before leaving for her ce.¡± At that moment, Wren took the phone and enthusiastically greeted Heidi, ¡°Hello, Mrs. Jacobson. I¡¯m Wren. Lately, we are working on summarizing an important work report, so we have to work together.¡± ¡°Oh! It¡¯s you, Wren. Thanks for having Joey over. I¡¯m counting on you to take care of her.¡± Heidi was instantly convinced by Wren¡¯s words. ¡°Rest assured, Mrs. Jacobson. I¡¯ll take good care of her!¡± Wren promised. Josephine eventually took the phone back. ¡°I have to go, Mom. I¡¯ll go home and pick up some clothes later.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not at home at the moment. You don¡¯t need to wait for me.¡± ¡°All right, Mom.¡± After Josephine hung up the phone, Wren couldn¡¯t help but lean in and whisper, ¡°Joey, did you move in with Mr. Quarles?¡± The innocent question sent a blush to Josephine¡¯s face. A few secondster, she nodded lightly. ¡°I did.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so good! You have to be careful with such a boyfriend, though,¡± Wren reminded her. ¡°How am I supposed to be careful? In my opinion, what¡¯s mine will always belong to me. And if it isn¡¯t destined to be mine, I can¡¯t bend it to my will.¡± Josephine had no idea about how she should react to what awaited her in the future. ¡°It¡¯s just that Mr. Quarles has a lot of admirers in ourpany, not to mention that he¡¯s an influential man. Just be careful,¡± Wren murmured. At that moment, Josephine¡¯s phone rang, cutting their conversation short. She nced at the screen. ¡°It¡¯s him.¡± ¡°You should answer it. I won¡¯t keep you any longer.¡± With that, Wren returned to her work. Josephine answered the call in a sweet voice, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be there in ten minutes. You can get ready now.¡± Ethan¡¯s maic voice reached her from the other end of the line. Josephine hummed a response. ¡°All right. See you in ten minutes.¡± She then went downstairs to wait for Ethan after grabbing her belongings. Since she made her rtionship with Ethan public, she saw no point in worrying about others¡¯ opinions anymore. Josephine waited for Ethan¡¯s arrival at the intersection. It wasn¡¯t a long wait as the distant roar of the sports car¡¯s engine grew even louder until the car rolled to a stop in front of her. The window lowered, revealing Ethan¡¯s face. ¡°Get in the car,¡± he urged. Josephine did as she was told and informed him, ¡°I want to go home first. I need to pack a few clothes.¡± A glint of surprise shed across Ethan¡¯s fathomless eyes. ¡°Have you decided to move in with me?¡± Pursing her red lips in shyness, Josephine nodded. ¡°Yes, I want to get to know you, and have you learn new things about me too.¡± Dating was a process to spend time together and get to know each other. Josephine doubted they could maintain their rtionship without understanding each other. ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that!¡± It was exactly what Ethan had in mind. Ethan then sent Josephine back to her house. Her mother was currently out with friends. Meanwhile, her father was always on a business trip. Thus, Josephine spent most of her time with her mother. Josephine rushed into the house and simply packed a few things before returning downstairs. Even at this point, she was still a bit shy. After all, it was the first time she lied to her mother just for dating her boyfriend. She got into the sports car and Ethan drove her back to the hotel. Josephine sighed in relief. She did not bring any work home with her, so she had more time to herself. This morning, Ethan had snapped a few photos of the vi, and now he was sharing them with her. She was well aware that it was a rare opportunity to find detached vis downtown. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± ¡°Are you looking forward to moving in with me?¡± Ethan asked, reaching out his hand and putting his arm around her. Josephine nodded in excitement. ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll pick out furniture and other stuff for our new home this weekend. You can decide what you want.¡± Ethan was looking forward to decorating the house with the woman he loved. He wanted to build a family with this woman and live a peaceful life with her. This was the first time in twenty-seven years that he wanted to do that. She was moved by his words. She cuddled him as her mind filled with her future n with him by her side. However, there were many nk spaces she struggled to fill. For example, his family and his career. All of them were located somewhere else. Will west? Even a calm and rational woman like her refused to think about it. All she wanted was to stay with him as long as she could and never worried about their future. Josephine suddenly raised her head and locked eyes with Ethan. She saw desire deep down inside his eyes. It was lust¡ªhe was hoping he could make a move. Josephine was blushing profusely at his clear intention. ¡°I-I got my period.¡± She noticed it in the office this afternoon. Thus, even though she intended to make it to the next base, she had to wait. Ethan burst intoughter before holding her tighter in his arms. He pressed a kiss intended as a punishment to her cheek. ¡°It¡¯s all right. I can wait.¡± What matters the most is that she¡¯s ready. Josephine was grateful for such an unstable factor. After all, she was falling head over heels for Ethan at the moment. She needed some time to think about it. Josephine leaned into him. At that moment, Ethan¡¯s phone rang. He grabbed it and nced at the caller ID before answering, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Young Master, when are youing back?¡± Ethan¡¯s subordinate asked. ¡°Half a yearter.¡± ¡°What about the ongoing project at the North Pole? Don¡¯t you need to supervise it yourself?¡± Ethan narrowed his eyes. ¡°I have a more important task at hand than the project.¡± Josephine was taking a nap as she curled up against Ethan like a kitten. When the words left him, her eyes fluttered open in disbelief. She allowed herself to immerse her emotions as she gazed at his sharp jawline. Is he referring to me? Does it mean he prioritizes me over his work? He felt her gaze on his face. He caressed her head while he was on the phone. He even bent down to kiss her on the head. The intimacy came out naturally, much like something a normal couple would do. She curled her lips upward as she snuggled up against his broad chest, content with rxing next to him. After a long day of work, she was extremely happy to be able to find security in his arms. At night, Josephine and Ethan slept in separate rooms. Due to Ethan having a video conference, he asked Josephine to go to sleep first. Josephine got into bed early since she had to work the next day. However, she decided to read a book before sleep found her. After all, she wanted to prove herself worthy of the position of the news anchor. She was aware that aside from Katrina, the others might also think that she got the position through connections. However, Josephine hoped to get it with a clear conscience. She wanted the others to know that she was capable of depending on herself. Others¡¯ opinions don¡¯t matter. The most important thing is for me to stay true to myself. The next morning, Josephine woke up earlier than yesterday. Ethan hadn¡¯t woken up when she left the bedroom. Gently pushing his bedroom door open, she locked eyes with the man who opened his eyes at the light noise. Watching her slip in quietly like a cat, he put his arms under his head before asking with a smile, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to send me off. My friend will be picking me up. Go back to sleep, hmm?¡± Josephine kissed Ethan on the cheek and added, ¡°I¡¯ll contact youter.¡± Ethan checked the time and realized that Josephine had awoken half an hour earlier. He intended to send her off, but his rm hadn¡¯t gone off. Seeing that she was leaving, he suddenly reached out his hand and held onto her. Josephine was dressed professionally, giving her the appearance of being both elegant and capable. Ethan really didn¡¯t want to let her leave like this. She fell on Ethan¡¯s nket, her face flushed. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she coquettishly murmured as she fluffed her long hair. ¡°I miss you! I¡¯ve missed you all night,¡± Ethan said, blinking his eyes pitifully as if he were an aggrieved child. ¡°Are you not going topensate me for that?¡± All sorts of images shed across Josephine¡¯s mind. Compensate? What does he mean by this? Just as she was having impure thoughts, the man sat up and drew her into his embrace. Then, he gave her a peck on the neck and said, ¡°You can go now.¡± Josephine¡¯s face turnedpletely red. Fine. I¡¯m overthinking! She then dashed out the door so that Ethan wouldn¡¯t notice her flushed cheeks. Truth was, Josephine didn¡¯t have any friends to pick her up, so she hailed a cab instead. After reaching thepany, she devoted all her attention to her work. Around 10.00AM, Ethan received Atticus¡¯ call. Atticus asked Ethan if they could meet for lunch because he had some job matters to report. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll meet you at a restaurant near thepany. Bring Josephine as well.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll surely bring Miss Jacobson along,¡± Atticus replied. After hanging up the phone, he looked at the woman sitting on the couch and stated, ¡°Mr. Quarles asked me to bring Josephine together for lunch.¡± ¡°Whatever for? It¡¯s enough for him to have mypany,¡± Tori said as she sat with her legs crossed. She had dressed up on purpose today since she had requested that Atticus set up a meeting with Ethan so she could get closer to the man. Why should we bring Josephine along? She will only ruin my chance! ¡°Are we not bringing Josephine then?¡± Atticus asked. ¡°Of course not! When we reach the restaurantter, simply find an excuse and tell him Josephine is not in thepany.¡± ¡°But Mr. Quarles will definitely probe.¡± ¡°Fine. Send her out for some outdoor interviews. Mr. Kowalski, no matter what, I want to have lunch alone with Mr. Quarles today. Do you understand?¡± Tori dered arrogantly. She was now the most famous newscaster in thepany, and even Atticus had to show her some respect. Atticus went silent for a while before nodding his head. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll arrange something outdoors for Josephine to attend toter. I¡¯ll also find an excuse to skip that lunch. You¡¯re going to go by yourself!¡± Tori smiled in satisfaction when she heard that. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Kowalski!¡± Soon after, Josephine, who was in the reporters¡¯ office, was assigned an outdoor interview. It was about a wastewater treatment issue at apany. Many reporters were dispatched previously to conduct interviews on the same issue, but none were sessful. Hence, it was now Josephine¡¯s turn. Josephine quickly coordinated with the photography department and arranged for thepany¡¯s car to be in front of the main entrance by 10.30AM. She was always serious about her work. They arrived at the interview location at around 11.00AM. However, as they were about to enter, the company¡¯s security guard arrogantly stopped them. ¡°Get lost! We do not ept interviews.¡± ¡°But the pollutants in yourpany¡¯s discharge far exceed the legal limit! We¡¯vee to seek rification from the relevant department,¡± Josephine stated firmly. ¡°That¡¯s not the truth! There isn¡¯t such a thing. Get lost now, or I¡¯ll have to chase you all away forcefully.¡± The security guard had been directed by his superior to prevent any reporters from entering at all costs, as thepany¡¯s upper management did not want this matter to be reported any longer. Josephine, however, did not leave. Another security guard became agitated and started pushing the videographer. Then, he turned around and pushed Josephine hard as well, causing her to lose her footing and fall to the ground. ¡°Josephine, are you all right?¡± Her assistant quickly went over to support her. Josephine¡¯s palm hadnded on a sharp stone, resulting in a bleeding wound. However, she waved her hand and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re bleeding! Let¡¯s go to the hospital and get it bandaged now!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll beat up any reporters who appear in front of me from now on! Get lost right now!¡± the security guard yelled. Josephine and the others had no choice but to return to the car to seek further instructions from their group leader. Their group leader instructed them to wait and when thepany¡¯s higher management appeared, they were to rush over and interview them. Meanwhile, Ethan¡¯s car stopped in front of a high-end restaurant punctually at noon. Atticus had already reserved a private room for lunch. Upon seeing Ethan arrive at the private room, the waiter opened the door and said to him, ¡°Wee, sir. Pleasee in.¡± Ethan then entered the room. The instant he walked in, he noticed a woman seated on the couch inside the room, but it wasn¡¯t Josephine. Tori, on the other hand, stared with her eyes wide in surprise when she saw the man who had just entered. As she looked at him dazedly, she felt her heart glowing with adoration for him. Oh my! All of his photos cannot evene close to capturing his elegance! She hurriedly rose to greet Ethan. ¡°Hello, Mr. Quarles. I am Tori Alford, a newscaster in thepany. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Atticus?¡± Ethan frowned and asked. Didn¡¯t Atticus say he would bring Josephine along? ¡°Oh! Mr. Kowalski suddenly has something urgent to attend to, so I¡¯ll be apanying you for lunch today, Mr. Quarles,¡± Tori replied eagerly. However, Ethan¡¯s face darkened when he heard that. He already knew what Atticus was up to when he saw the unruliness and admiration in Tori¡¯s eyes. Instead of bringing Josephine, Atticus had arranged for another woman from thepany to attend today¡¯s lunch. This irritated Ethan greatly. ¡°Excuse me. I¡¯ve got something else on.¡± He turned around and left. ¡°You¡¯ve just arrived, Mr. Quarles. Why are you leaving so quickly?¡± Tori quickly stepped in front of Ethan, stopping him from leaving while winking at him. ¡°Mr. Quarles, I really want to know you more. Could you please grant me my wish today?¡± Ethan simply narrowed his eyes and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you know my girlfriend works in thepany?¡± That rendered Tori a little awkward. She quickly regained her smile and stated, ¡°It¡¯s just a meal, Mr. Quarles. Furthermore, you¡¯re already here.¡± Ethan¡¯s gaze dimmed when he heard that. ¡°I¡¯ll never allow anyone to disrespect my girlfriend.¡± He opened the door and walked out, leaving Tori stunned and flushed with embarrassment. Don¡¯t men like women¡¯s admiration for them? All the men I¡¯ve encountered have never turned down a lady who hurled herself at them! Ethan¡¯s words today truly hurt Tori¡¯s self-esteem. Is Josephine really that captivating? How can Ethan be so enthralled by her that he didn¡¯t even look at me? After exiting the restaurant, Ethan called Josephine. Josephine was having her wound bandaged by her colleague in the car. When she heard her phone ring, she smiled and answered the call. ¡°Hi! Have you had your lunch yet?¡± ¡°Where are you?¡± Ethan asked in a low voice. ¡°I¡¯m working. I have an outdoor interview today,¡± Josephine answered. However, her colleague identally tugged on her wound at this point, causing her to cry out in pain. ¡°What happened? Are you hurt?¡± Ethan asked concernedly when he heard that. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just fell and scratched my palm,¡± Josephine exined cheerfully. Ethan, however, couldn¡¯t bear Josephine being wounded. ¡°Where are you? I¡¯ll be right there.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to. My work is not done yet. I¡¯ll see you tonight!¡± Josephine quickly ended the call as she did not want Ethan toe. Furthermore, the interview she had to conduct today was of utmost importance, and she had to get it done. At this point, her colleague said, ¡°Josephine, there¡¯s a posh car stopped in front of the entrance. That must be the car of one of thepany¡¯s senior managers. Let¡¯s go over now!¡± Hearing that, Josephine grabbed the microphone and rushed over,pletely ignoring her wound. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. It was indeed one of the senior managers who stepped out of the car. When he saw Josephine and the others running toward him, he panicked. Many reporters had been bothering him recently and he was already fed up with them. As Josephine had studied the relevant documents previously, she recognized the person stepping out of the car. It was Dane Cooke, the vice president of thepany. With that, she immediately pointed the microphone at him and asked, ¡°Mr. Cooke, is yourpany¡¯s wastewater discharge in ordance with thew? ording to the relevant department, the pollutants in yourpany¡¯s discharge are way above the permissible limit, and all nearby water sources have been affected. What do you have to say about this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to say. ¡°Everything in ourpany is done in ordance with thew,¡± Dane said sternly. ¡°Can you show us the examination report of yourpany¡¯s discharge to satisfy the public?¡± Dane choked a little when he heard that. ¡°You are mere reporters. What right do you have to request to see the report?¡± he snarled. ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s because we are reporters that we have the responsibility to report on this topic to the public and be their voice. Please answer my question, Mr. Cooke,¡± Josephine stated bluntly as she looked straight at Dane. Upon hearing that, Dane finally looked at Josephine properly and realized that she was very beautiful. He immediately had an ulterior motive in his mind and said, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll agree to an interview with you. Let¡¯s set another date and time for a private interview.¡± ¡°You mean you¡¯re willing to ept my interview, right?¡± Josephine wanted to be certain. ¡°Of course. Ourpany will provide everyone with a reasonable exnation. Give me your contact number and I will find a time for the interview,¡± Dane stated. Josephine immediately took out a piece of paper and wrote her number on it before handing it to him. ¡°Please make arrangements for the interview as soon as possible, Mr. Cooke.¡± Dane¡¯s face lit up with an evil smile after obtaining Josephine¡¯s phone number, but he quickly put on a decent front and responded, ¡°Okay. Give me some time. Rest assured that I will answer the public.¡± Then, he touched Josephine¡¯s shoulder lightly and murmured, ¡°I¡¯ll see you next time, reporter.¡± All of Josephine¡¯s coworkers exhaled a sigh of relief after Dane left. ¡°We¡¯re getting an exclusive interview, Josephine! If ourpany can influence the following rectification of wastewater handling, we will have truly helped the public.¡± Josephine nodded in response. ¡°You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s get fully prepared for the interview!¡± ¡°I¡¯m starving! Let¡¯s go for lunch.¡± Seeing that everyone was hungry, Josephine announced generously, ¡°Lunch is on me today!¡± ¡°Wow! Thank you, Josephine! Love you!¡± ¡°We¡¯re all working for Josephine! She will undoubtedly be our boss in the future.¡± ¡°Exactly! Do remember to take care of us by then, Josephine!¡± Josephineughed at that. ¡°How dare you all make fun of me? Do you still want the lunch treat?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Everyone stopped their teasing and drove to a nearby restaurant for lunch. Meanwhile, after the call ended, Ethan quickly asked Atticus for the location where Josephine went for the interview. However, when he arrived at the ce, she was nowhere to be seen. He quickly pulled his phone out and called her again. On Josephine¡¯s end, the food was already being served at the same time. Hearing her phone ring, she smilingly answered the call and said, ¡°Hello, Mr. Quarles. Is there anything else?¡± ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°I¡­ Where are you?¡± Josephine returned the question. ¡°I am in front of thepany that you interviewed.¡± That surprised her. ¡°What brings you here? I¡¯m having lunch nearby with my colleagues. Have you had your lunch yet?¡± she asked, to which Ethan coldly answered, ¡°What do you think?¡± Josephine immediately felt sorry for him. ¡°Come and join us. I¡¯ll send you the location.¡± Ethan then drove to the restaurant. Ten minutester, he arrived in front of a small restaurant by the roadside, and Josephine was already waiting for him at the entrance. On the other hand, her coworkers in the private room were all feeling nervous as they now needed to have lunch with their superior. Nheless, they felt honored and hopeful that they could use this lunch opportunity to get closer to Ethan. Ethan¡¯s face darkened the minute he saw the restaurant, and a solemn expression appeared on his face. ¡°Shall we change to another ce?¡± Josephine found him amusing. She knew that this man before her had most certainly never eaten at such a restaurant before. ¡°It¡¯s not necessary! The food here is nice. Just give it a try, alright?¡± she urged softly. When Ethan stepped into the private room, all of Josephine¡¯s coworkers stood up to greet him. ¡°Hello, Mr. Quarles!¡± At that, Ethan replied, ¡°Hi, you¡¯ve all had a long day.¡± Then, he sat down next to Josephine. She then handed him her ss of water. ¡°Drink some water.¡± Ethan, however, grabbed Josephine¡¯s injured hand and began to examine her wound. With a smile, she murmured, ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just a scratch.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Ethan asked again. ¡°I fell down by ident!¡± ¡°Mr. Quarles¡­¡± A warm-hearted female colleague wanted to tell the truth, but she was immediately stopped by Josephine¡¯s stern re. ¡°Let¡¯s eat!¡± Josephine did not want Ethan to know the truth. After all, as a reporter, she was used to being shoved by security officers. Ethan sensed that Josephine wasn¡¯t willing to tell him what had happened, and hence, he decided to ask her againter. Meanwhile, Josephine was piling food onto his te, taking care of his every need. Though Ethan was used to more high-end restaurants, he found the food in this restaurant to be just as delicious. ¡°These are good,¡± he remarked, feeling hungry. Although they were not in an elegant setting, Ethan¡¯s eating demeanor still mesmerized all of Josephine¡¯s female coworkers. An attractive man indeed appears elegant regardless of where he is or what he eats! At the same time, Tori was in Atticus¡¯ office, biting her red lip indignantly as she crossed her arms. ¡°It was only a meal. Why couldn¡¯t Mr. Quarles show me some respect?¡± ¡°Enough of that. He only has Josephine in his heart,¡± Atticus reminded her, implying that Tori should stop her wishful thinking of clinging to Ethan. ¡°Josephine is just a simple woman. In what way am I inferior to her?¡± Tori scoffed and continued, ¡°I heard that you¡¯re intending to nurture her to be Miss Ain¡¯s sessor. Is she really that capable?¡± ¡°Mr. Quarles even asked me where Josephine was working today. I can tell he genuinely loves her.¡± Atticus began to worry that Ethan would me him for assigning such a task to Josephine. ¡°I don¡¯t care, Mr. Kowalski. If any such opportunity arises again, remember to tell me!¡± Tori smilingly said, clearly not going to give up so easily. Atticus felt helpless. Both Katrina and Tori were interested in Ethan, putting Atticus in the difficult situation of being caught in the middle. Meanwhile, Josephine got into Ethan¡¯s posh car after lunch. As she still had work to do, Ethan had no choice but to send her back to thepany. Josephine expected him to leave after dropping her off. Much to her surprise, Ethan stepped out of the car with her. ¡°Why are you not returning to the hotel?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll walk you to the office.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ That¡¯s not necessary!¡± Josephine did not want to be in a high-profile rtionship, and she wanted it to be out of public view. ¡°Why? Am I such a disgrace to you that you don¡¯t want to be seen walking with me?¡± Ethan pretended to be upset and ruffled her hair. ¡°Of course not! I¡¯m just afraid they will startpeting with me for you,¡± Josephine retorted with a chuckle. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Ethan replied determinedly. ¡°I¡¯m all yours. Nobody can ever take me away from you.¡± He didn¡¯t tell Josephine that Tori had wanted to have lunch with him earlier for ulterior intentions, for fear Josephine would start overthinking. Hearing Ethan¡¯s words, Josephine immediately felt secure. ¡°I¡¯m yours too.¡± Ethan then walked Josephine to her office. The moment they entered the spacious office, the busy office immediately went so silent that they could hear a pin drop. Josephine is so blessed to have Mr. Quarles send her to work! everyone mused. Josephine, on the other hand, assumed that Ethan would be leaving. However, the man grabbed a chair and sat down right behind her, randomly taking a book to read at the same time. She felt uneasy as she noticed that all of her coworkers were fearfully looking in her direction and did not dare to say anything, resulting inplete silence in the office. Hence, Josephine turned around and softly suggested to Ethan, ¡°Perhaps you should go back first. Your presence here is making everyone stressed.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I apany you while you¡¯re working?¡± Ethan asked aggrievedly. ¡°Just look around¡­ Everyone is afraid of you!¡± Josephine whispered. Ethan raised his head but at this instant, all of the coworkers who had been looking earlier quickly lowered their heads, not daring to say anything. With that, Ethan had no choice but to stand up. However, he held Josephine¡¯s face between his palms and kissed her on the lips in front of everyone. Josephine¡¯s face flushed instantly. On the other hand, everyone else witnessed clearly how much Ethan adored Josephine, to the point of publicly disying his affection in such a way. And it wasn¡¯t Josephine who asked for it; Ethan was the one who wanted to do it. Hence, it was evident to everyone that Ethan was the one who courted Josephine in the first ce. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you at the cafe nearby,¡± Ethan said before he left. After he left, the entire office was filled with breaths of relief from Josephine¡¯s colleagues, and their tensed bodies finally rxed. Josephine, however, was bombarded by envious stares, making it difficult for her to focus on her work. Wren, who was sitting next to Josephine, leaned her chin on her palm and asked, ¡°Are you a witch, Josephine? What spell have you cast on Mr. Quarles to make him love you so much?¡± ¡°We¡¯re just in a normal rtionship!¡± Josephine replied, her face hot. ¡°I don¡¯t know a single spell.¡± ¡°You can quit your job as a reporter. Just be Mr. Quarles¡¯ wife and enjoy your life.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want that! I enjoy working. It makes my life meaningful.¡± Josephine had never considered spending her days doing nothing. She wanted to be someone useful to society. On another note, Ethan¡¯s visit to Josephine¡¯s office had already sparked an uproar in thepany¡¯s group chat. Someone had even covertly taken a photo of Ethan sitting behind Josephine and uploaded it to the chat, and everyone in thepany was discussing it. Tori happened to be in the group as well. She felt upset when she saw the photograph and looked as if she had been pped in the face. Tribus TV would soon begin its internal recruitment procedure. Many staff, including Josephine, had applied for it. ¡°I¡¯ve heard there will be an interview session! I wonder who will conduct the interview.¡± Meanwhile, Tori went to Atticus and requested, ¡°Mr. Kowalski, please let me conduct the interviews!¡± Atticus was agreeable to that. ¡°Sure, since you¡¯re experienced as well. I¡¯ll leave the interview session to you and Caleb, then.¡± A cold smile shed across Tori¡¯s face when she heard that. I¡¯ll definitely fail Josephine, or at least make things difficult for her. Katrina was also getting herself ready for internal recruitment. Though she knew Josephine would be chosen, she wasn¡¯t willing to give up so easily. At this point, Atticus called her. ¡°Katrina, I have some urgent documents here. Send it to Mr. Quarles right now for him to sign.¡± ¡°Where is Mr. Quarles?¡± ¡°He is in a private room in the cafe next to thepany. Go there now!¡± Hearing that Ethan was alone in a private room, Katrina immediately became excited. This is an excellent opportunity for me to be alone with him! I have to present myself well this time. Men are creatures that can¡¯t stand temptations. Who knows what might happenter in the private room between him and me? Katrina cheerfully headed to thedies to touch up on her makeup. She looked at the V-shaped cor dress she had on and tugged the cor even lower until it revealed what she believed was enough. She grinned, feeling satisfied. Many scenes had already shed through her mind. She was looking forward to the scenes where Ethan would pull her into his embrace and ask her to be his, just like those shown in the movies. Just thinking about this made Katrina¡¯s body soften. If this happens, I¡¯m definitely not going to turn him down! ¡°Wait for me, Mr. Quarles!¡± she mumbled. Then, she trotted to Atticus¡¯ office, took a file, and went out. After driving herself to the cafe¡¯s entrance, she carefully checked her appearance in the car before getting out. She entered the cafe with a sway to her hips, heading over to the private rooms. When she reached Room No. 8, she heaved a deep breath, knocked on the door, and went in. Ethan was sitting on the couch. He had a cup of coffee in front of him and was reading a magazine. ¡°Mr. Quarles, I¡¯m here to send you some documents,¡± Katrina said, intentionally using a coquettish tone. Right after her words, she walked toward Ethan, her hips swaying. She then deliberately crouched down, took out the documents, and ced them in front of him. With her crouching stance, Katrina was certain that Ethan could see a part of her bosom. She even purposefully squeezed both of her arms together, trying to enhance her good figure and make it more revealing. However, Ethan simply took a pen, flipped the documents, and straightaway signed them. Katrina then slowly tidied up the documents while smilingly saying, ¡°Are you here alone, Mr. Quarles? Do you feel bored? Would you like me to stay here with you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessary.¡± Ethan then returned his gaze to the magazine that he was holding. When Katrina stood up, she intentionally touched her forehead for a while before falling into Ethan¡¯s arms. With her hand pressing against his chest, she breathlessly said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I skipped lunch and am feeling a little dizzy now.¡± Ethan¡¯s eyes immediately narrowed. Staring at her hands, he coldly said, ¡°Get your hands off me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Katrina¡¯s face was flushed with embarrassment. I¡¯ve already hinted at it so obviously, but he¡¯s refusing to take my hint! Don¡¯t tell me he won¡¯t react even if I stood naked in front of him?! ¡°You can leave now,¡± Ethan muttered, his face darkening. He did not enjoy being disturbed. ¡°Alright. I¡¯m leaving right now.¡± Katrina took the documents and hurriedly exited the room. The moment she left the room, she heaved a deep breath. She couldn¡¯t figure out why she couldn¡¯t attract Ethan, but Josephine could. What precisely does Josephine have to enchant Ethan so much? In what way am I inferior to her? ¡°Josephine, what exactly have you done to bewitch Mr. Quarles?¡± Katrina mumbled as she walked away, feeling disappointed. When she returned to thepany, Josephine was in the pantry, appearing to be writing something with a cup of coffee beside her. She was dressed in a gray blouse and skirt, with her hair tied messily on top of her head. She looked far from elegant and appeared rather sloppy instead. Katrina couldn¡¯t help but wonder what it was about Josephine that Ethan liked. At this point, Josephine sipped her coffee and gazed out the window, seemingly thinking of something. Her side profile was lovely, with her sharp nose and soft lips. Even her jawline appeared wless. As she blinked her eyes, her eyshes fluttered, disying the allure of a professional woman. Katrina felt her heart skip a beat when she saw that. It was undeniable that Josephine¡¯s enthusiasm for her career was something Katrinacked. When Katrina first joined thepany, all she wanted was secure employment while looking for a wealthy guy to marry in the future. Unlike her, Josephine was known to be a workaholic. She treated her job as something that could establish her worth. Then again, Josephine does not need to marry a wealthy man, Katrina reasoned. She¡¯s the only daughter in her family. Her grandfather is a high-ranking government official and I heard that her father works for the mayor. She totally has a good starting point in her life! She absolutely has nothing to worry about! Comparing myself to her will just make my life appear to be worse! What makes me angrier is that she now has a filthy rich boyfriend who loves her and only her. I¡¯ve already seen it for myself. She can effortlessly get things that most people will never be able to obtain no matter how hard they try. The world is indeed unfair. Meanwhile, Josephine¡¯s phone, which was ced beside her, rang just as she finished writing. She smiled as she saw the phone¡¯s screen and she then answered the call. ¡°Hello, Dad! Are you back?¡± ¡°I heard that you¡¯ve moved to your colleague¡¯s house for work. I¡¯m back now, so let¡¯s have dinner together tonight at your Grandpa¡¯s ce.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Josephine agreed with a smile. Her father only came back twice a month, so she would never pass up the opportunity to get together with him. After a brief moment of contemtion, she thought of someone and asked cautiously, ¡°Dad, can I bring along a friend of mine to Grandpa¡¯s ce tonight?¡± ¡°Friend? Your friend at work or¡­¡± ¡°Uh¡­ It¡¯s my friend. A man.¡± Josephine had expressed it so clearly that anyone could understand what she meant. Laughter immediately echoed from the other end of the line. ¡°Sure! Bring him over for your Grandpa to have a look!¡± Chapter 1851-1860 Chapter 1851-1860 ¡°Don¡¯tplicate matters, Dad! W-We just started dating.¡± Josephine was worried that her father and grandfather would force Ethan to be responsible for her the first time they met him. ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s meet tonight.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll check with him first and find out if he¡¯s free.¡± Then, she ended the call with her father and dialed Ethan¡¯s number. ¡°Hello!¡± Ethan answered in his deep voice. ¡°My dad is back and we¡¯re going to my grandfather¡¯s ce for dinner as a family. I¡­ I would like to invite you¡­ If you¡¯re free, that is?¡± ¡°Sure thing! I¡¯m free,¡± Ethan replied with a smile. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not a problem as well if you don¡¯t want to go. I just¡­ We¡¯re just having a meal together, that¡¯s all.¡± Josephine didn¡¯t want to push him intoing, either. However, he felt that there was a need to meet her family, so he stated, ¡°It¡¯s about time that I visit your family.¡± ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll meet after work, then,¡± she said and started feeling nervous after hanging up. Will Grandpa and Dad be happy with me and Ethan? Especially Grandpa, who is a stubborn and conservative person. It will be bad if he starts to pick on Ethan! At that moment, a voiceing from behind the pir next to her broke her chain of thoughts. ¡°Have you heard? Miss Alford is going to be one of the interviewers this time! Someone told me that she¡¯s very strict!¡± ¡°Yes, I just heard about this. With her on the panel, who will ace this interview? She¡¯ll definitely create all sorts of difficult situations.¡± Josephine¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Known for her arrogance in thepany, Tori Alford was not a friendly or approachable person. Josephine was about to get a headache just from worrying about that. Right before she knocked off from work, her phone started ringing. Grabbing her phone, she saw that it was an unknown number. However, she picked up the call. ¡°Hello, who is this?¡± ¡°Hi, is this Miss Jacobson?¡± the male caller with a hoarse voice asked. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. May I ask who is on the line?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me! Did you forget me because you¡¯re too busy? I¡¯m the vice president of Vital Corp., the man who asked for your number today!¡± ¡°Oh, I remember now! Hello, sir. When are you free for an interview?¡± Josephine asked anxiously. ¡°I¡¯ll be away on a business trip for the next three days. We can schedule a time once I¡¯m back.¡± ¡°Great! Let¡¯s pick a time for the interview once you¡¯re back, then.¡± ¡°Sure, Miss Jacobson.¡± It was rather obvious that the man on the other end of the line still didn¡¯t want to hang up, but Josephine was in a rush to get off work. And so, she said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m about to get off work. We¡¯ll schedule a timeter. Goodbye.¡± After she hung up, she hurried to the elevators and identally bumped into a person when she turned a corner. ¡°Ow!¡± Coincidentally, the person she walked right into was Katrina, who had a bad day because of Ethan. She pulled a long face at the sight of Josephine. ¡°You¡¯re doing this on purpose, aren¡¯t you, Josephine?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry! It was an ident,¡± Josephine apologized. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. You just look down on everyone because Mr. Quarles has your back now!¡± Katrina yelled in anger. Feeling rather speechless, Josephine reckoned that there was nothing she could do if Katrina wanted to put it that way. Instead, she rushed to the elevators, leaving Katrina behind to stomp her feet furiously. ¡°Don¡¯t be so smug now, Jacobson. Let¡¯s wait and see how you end upter!¡± The second Josephine left the building, she saw Ethan waiting for her in the sportscar. Pulling the door open, she then climbed in and heard him say with a smile, ¡°Thanks for the hard work.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s hard, working for you,¡± she said mischievously. ¡°Would you like to take the position of thedy boss right away and stop working for me?¡± he asked, nning to promote her status. Josephine couldn¡¯t stop herself from giggling. ¡°Okay, let me think about it,¡± she said with anticipation. Reaching out, Ethan ran his fingers through her hair. Although it had only been a few hours since he last saw her, he felt that he had missed out on so much already. ¡°Let¡¯s go! My parents are waiting for us at home,¡± Josephine murmured. While driving, Ethanmented, ¡°I sent someone to buy some gifts, but I don¡¯t know what your grandfather likes. I just picked out a few things.¡± ¡°So, what did you pick?¡± ¡°Some wine and supplements.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great! Grandpa likes having a drink before dinner,¡± Josephine said in approval and reckoned that Ethan had a good eye for gifts. ¡­ At Josephine¡¯s home, Heidi was a little surprised that Josephine hadn¡¯t mentioned that she had a boyfriend before this. ¡°That girl told me that she was working with a colleague for the past few days! Was she dating in secret?¡± she said, amused and helpless, realizing that her little girl was a grown-up now. ¡°You¡¯re too protective of her. She¡¯s already twenty-five years old. It¡¯s about time she moves out to live by herself,¡± Mills said to his wife. Regarding this, he was more open-mindedpared to her. ¡°Could her boyfriend be Luke rk? I think that boy is quite good. He was very friendly during the wedding.¡± ¡°Sounds good. At the very least, Dad approves of the boys from the rk Family.¡± Even Mills agreed that it wouldn¡¯t be bad if their son-inw was Luke. Just then, Josephine came in through the door connecting to the garden. Worried that Ethan would feel awkward, she turned around and hooked her arm through his as they entered. In the living room, Mills and Heidi heard their footsteps and came out to take a look. When Heidi saw Ethan, her jaw dropped because the man was thest person she was expecting to see. Is he the guy Josephine has been dating recently? As the best man of the Presgraves¡¯ wedding and a friend of Elliot, he must be a member of the gentry! While she was still in shock, Ethan greeted them, ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Jacobson. I¡¯m Ethan Quarles, Joey¡¯s boyfriend.¡± Mills wasn¡¯t expecting that Josephine¡¯s boyfriend would be such a tall, dashing man with a sophisticated air about him. However, Heidi already answered warmly, ¡°Wee! Come on in. It¡¯s Ethan, right? I remember you from the wedding.¡± Then, she turned to Mills and exined, ¡°He was the best man during Young Master Elliot¡¯s wedding.¡± Hearing that Ethan was a close friend of the Presgraves, Mills reckoned that his personality and status would be better and higher than your average Joe. ¡°Dad, are you wearing the suit that Mom bought? You look very handsome!¡± Smiling brightly, Josephine grabbed Mills¡¯ arm and added, ¡°I was the one who picked it out. It makes you look younger, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Mills really liked this suit, and it turned out that his daughter was the one who chose it for him. ¡°What business is your family running?¡± For his daughter¡¯s sake, he had to start questioning Ethan about his family background. ¡°My family is in the shipping business. I¡¯m living with my parents in Dansbury, but we¡¯re in the midst of migrating now. Soon, we¡¯ll be residing in Averna,¡± Ethan replied. ¡°Shipping? What is the name of yourpany?¡± ¡°Cyrus International Shipping Limited. Our headquarters is in Dansbury and the executive rights are fully in my hands,¡± Ethan answered. ¡°Cyrus?¡± Mills repeated, turning to look at Ethan in shock. He couldn¡¯t believe that the man sitting in front of him was the young master of the world¡¯s leading shipping giant. At the sight of how pumped up Mills seemed, Heidi couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Mills, have you heard of Ethan¡¯spany before?¡± Next to them, Josephine smirked. Dad¡¯s reaction is over the top! ¡°Of course I¡¯ve heard of it before. The world¡¯s top shippingpany is called Cyrus. Ethan, could this be yourpany?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s my family business,¡± Ethan admitted with a nod and a chuckle. Heidi almost cked out at his answer. What?! My daughter¡¯s boyfriend is one of the world¡¯s richest men, eh? Initially, she thought that Ethan was just a rich young master from abroad, but his status made her jump out of her skin. ¡°Mom, Dad, it¡¯s gettingte. Shouldn¡¯t we get ready and head to Grandpa¡¯s?¡± ¡°Joey, I have some gifts to bring over. Come help me out.¡± After saying that, Heidi gave Josephine a look and beckoned her toe with her. Following her upstairs, Josephine trotted into her room, and the moment the door shut, Heidi rushed to her and asked, ¡°Joey, tell me the truth¡ªare you guys really dating each other?¡± ¡°Yes, we are!¡± Josephine admitted, nodding. ¡°Honestly, I wish that you can marry a good and rich man, but¡­ the difference between our family and Ethan¡¯s is too great!¡± ¡°Are you worried, Mom?¡± Seeing the look on Heidi¡¯s face, Josephine was a little afraid that her mother was against their rtionship. ¡°I can¡¯t help but worry because our family is not in the same ss as him! The most blissful marriage is one between two families of simr backgrounds. With such a great difference, I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯ll turn into their servant if you marry him,¡± Heidi exined, expressing her concerns to her daughter. ¡°The Quarles Family is too high in the hierarchy and there are only a handful of families within the country who areparable to them. First of all, I hope you won¡¯t marry far away, and secondly, I don¡¯t want you to marry into a family of higher status. I just want you to marry a man with a stable ie and live your life peacefully,¡± she said and sighed. Looking into her mother¡¯s worried eyes, Josephine didn¡¯t know how she couldfort her. In the end, she said with certainty, ¡°But I like him, and I¡¯m in love with him.¡± Even Heidi was aware that no woman would be able to resist a man with Ethan¡¯s looks and status. ¡°I know and I feel you. How far are you guys into the rtionship now?¡± Heidi asked in a serious tone, studying her daughter. Blushing, Josephine answered, ¡°Well¡­ we just started dating.¡± Heidi knew that she shouldn¡¯t question more. Given society nowadays, it didn¡¯t matter which stage of the rtionship they were in. Josephine was at an age where she should have experienced it all. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s see how the rtionship goes, then! I¡¯m not against it and will treat him normally.¡± In the end, Heidi decided not to ce any pressure on Josephine. Truth was, she liked Ethan very much. Meanwhile, Ethan was having tea and chatting with Mills downstairs. It also came as a surprise to Mills that Josephine had started dating a man with such an impressive background after not seeing her for a week. After observing Ethan¡¯s mannerisms for a while, he concluded that Ethan was the best of the best and the elite amongst the elites. The young man¡¯s morals, values, and n for his life were all very practical and clear. At the same time, Mills also found out about Ethan¡¯s feelings for Josephine. To his pleasant surprise, not only was Ethan ready to reside in Averna, he had already bought a stake in the broadcasting company where Josephine was working and a vi in the surrounding area. He did all these because of his daughter. ¡°Oh, would you look at the time! It¡¯s almost 6.00PM and we¡¯re still at home. Come on, Ethan! Let¡¯s have dinner at Joey¡¯s grandfather¡¯s ce,¡± Heidi said warmly. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll be taking a car with Ethan.¡± After Mills drove out of his property, he saw a sports car parked in front of their house. From one look at the color, he knew that the car was meant for ady and wondered whether it was Ethan¡¯s gift to Josephine. Seeing this, Mills hoped that Josephine would look at her rtionship with Ethan with a clear head despite the material gifts, and not get caught up with mary gratification. Emotional satisfaction was also equally important. On the way to Peter¡¯s ce, Mills filled Heidi in on his conversation with Ethan. He did so much for Joey in such a short period of time, huh? she thought in surprise and couldn¡¯t help but recall the Presgrave wedding thest time. How exactly did they get to know each other and be so deeply in love in such a short time? ¡°Why is Ethan so attracted to Joey?¡± Heidi asked, turning to Mills. ¡°Our daughter has a rather impressive and admirable strength, which is the energy she carries with her. A determined, persistent energy just like me when I was young.¡± ¡°Alright, alright. You can justpliment your daughter without taking one for yourself as well!¡± Heidi comined jokingly. Still, the couple was in high spirits when Josephine introduced her boyfriend to them. In Ethan¡¯s car, it was quiet because Josephine didn¡¯t say anything. Ethan¡¯s deep-set eyes saw through everything, as though by magic. ¡°Did my background cause pressure on your family?¡± he asked. ¡°Yeah, you did give them quite a shock because my parents don¡¯t have any friends from a prestigious background such as yours,¡± Josephine muttered with augh. ¡°Trust me. I¡¯ll convince them that we¡¯re good together,¡± Ethan murmured as he turned to her with a determined look in his eyes. Her lips curved into a pleasant smile and she nodded. ¡°Okay!¡± Peter¡¯s ce was a house with a small garden, where he now lived out his semi-retired days. It had been some time since Peterst saw Josephine, and he missed his granddaughter very much. As such, he instructed his caretaker to prepare a feast forter tonight. Mills¡¯ car drove in first, and Heidi hopped off with the presents in her hands. ¡°Dad, we have an extra guest tonight,¡± she announced, breaking the news to Peter first. ¡°Who is that?¡± ¡°He¡¯s Joey¡¯s boyfriend.¡± ¡°Joey has a boyfriend? Is it Luke?¡± Peter asked. ¡°No, he¡¯s a young man that Joey picked for herself andes from an excellent family background.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll meet himter. Joey isn¡¯t a child anymore and should consider marriage soon.¡± Even Peter carried the hope that he would have the chance to meet his great-grandchild while he was still alive. A couple of minutester, Ethan and Josephine strolled in from the garden. Their hands were so full of gift boxes that they could barely carry all of them. ¡°Ethan, juste as you are! Why did you bring so many presents as well?¡± Heidi grumbled as she took the gifts from him with a smile. ¡°Well, it¡¯s my first visit to Old Mr. Jacobson¡¯s ce, after all,¡± Ethan replied with a smile. When he saw Petering out of the living room, he greeted politely, ¡°Nice to meet you, Old Mr. Jacobson.¡± Under the light, Peter observed Ethan carefully, and judging from his looks, he reckoned that Ethan was of mixed blood. Is Joey going to marry and move abroad? he wondered. When Josephine caught Peter staring at Ethan, she jumped in and cutely tugged on Peter¡¯s arms. ¡°Grandpa, let me introduce you both. He¡¯s my boyfriend, Ethan Quarles.¡± ¡°Hello,¡± Peter said in satisfaction after Josephine¡¯s introduction. Ethan felt a hint of pressure from the air of authority that Peter was exuding. Only those who had been in a high position for a long time could cultivate such dominance. ¡°Joey, invite Ethan into the house,¡± Peter said. Seeing that it was not yet dinner time, she wanted to take Ethan out on a walk so that Peter couldn¡¯t bombard him with questions. Hence, she answered, ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯ll take him for a walk in the park. We¡¯ll be backter for dinner.¡± ¡°Okay, go ahead!¡± Peter said adoringly. Grabbing Ethan¡¯s hand, Josephine murmured, ¡°Come for a walk with me! I spent a lot of time here when I was growing up and am very attached to the surrounding area.¡± Ethan nodded and went with her for a stroll at the park nearby. He knew that she was helping him, so he followed her as she dragged him out. Behind them, Peter sighed. ¡°Is Joey going to marry and move abroad?¡± ¡°Dad, let her decide on how she¡¯s going to live her life,¡± Mills said. ¡°But I can¡¯t bear to see her go! She¡¯s my only granddaughter and I hope that she can stay in the country. At least I can see her more often.¡± Heidi felt the same way and for a while, she wasn¡¯t sure whether she should be d or upset. At the park, there were quite a few residents living nearby taking a walk at the same time. Josephine went over to a swing and sat on it while Ethan pushed her. Delighted, she started swinging and raised her head to look at the sky above. The stars and the moon were just as they were when she was young, but there was another man at her side now. After strolling around the park, she took Ethan back to Peter¡¯s ce. The food was ready and Peter had even ced a bottle of wine on the table. After pouring a ss for Ethan, Peter said to Josephine, ¡°You can driveter. Let Ethan have a drink with us tonight.¡± Deep down, Josephine was worried for Ethan because both Peter and Mills were experienced drinkers. Furthermore, they preferred strong alcohol, and she wondered how much Ethan could take. In the beginning, the Jacobson men drank politely, but it had simply been too long since anyone had a drink with Peter, so he changed the wine to whiskey. While eating, Josephine, just like Mills and Ethan, listened as Peter spoke expertly on all topics. A few minutester, Ethan¡¯s fair face had turned red. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Grandpa. Don¡¯t drink anymore.¡± Seeing that Peter was about to refill Ethan¡¯s ss with whiskey, Josephine interjected and held him back. ¡°Just one more. This will be thest. After this, we¡¯re not drinking anymore.¡± Peter could really hold his alcohol very well, and Josephine had no choice but to give in. With worry in her eyes, she gazed at Ethan, who assured her, ¡°I¡¯m alright as long as Old Mr. Jacobson is in the mood.¡± Hence, the drinks came to an end after one more shot. Then, Peter ate a few mouthfuls of food before heading upstairs to turn in for the night. As Mills wasn¡¯t fit to drive anymore, he decided to stay the night with Heidi and asked Josephine to drop Ethan home. The sober Heidi advised Josephine before they left, ¡°Watch out while you¡¯re driving, Joey, and don¡¯t speed.¡± ¡°I got it, Mom. We¡¯re leaving now. Take care of Grandpa and Dad,¡± Josephine urged. ¡°Mrs. Jacobson, we¡¯ll be taking our leave, then,¡± Ethan said politely. ¡°Ethan, have a good sleep after you get home, and drink lots of water!¡± It was Ethan¡¯s first visit to the Jacobsons and he ended up drinking so much, which made Heidi feel sorry. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯m alright.¡± Ethan shed her a smile, and Josephine led him toward the parking lot, holding his arm. On the way back to his hotel, he fell asleep, and she watched him while waiting for a red light to turn green, unable to stop her eyes from staring at him brazenly and intently. Goodness, this man looks so attractive when he¡¯s asleep! Back at the parking lot of the hotel, Josephine couldn¡¯t hold back and whisked out her cell phone to snap two pictures of Ethan in secret while he was asleep. The light cast shadows on his face and turned his gorgeous features into a tasteful piece of art. Filled with glee, she admired his pictures for a few minutes. It¡¯s not that I have amazing photography skills, but he¡¯s simply too gorgeous! she thought. No matter how I take his pictures, they all end up looking elegant, like he was sculpted by a master. ¡°Ethan, we¡¯ve reached the hotel. Wake up.¡± Reaching out a hand, she patted his shoulder gently. His ssy eyes fluttered open, then he turned to the woman in the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Will you apany me tonight?¡± Seeing him so drunk, Josephine hopped out of the car, picked up her purse from the backseat, and decided to apany him for the night because she was worried. Nevertheless, helping a six-feet- three man was a little tiring for her. Fortunately, Ethan wasn¡¯t so drunk that he couldn¡¯t walk properly. After that, they wobbled into the elevator and headed to his room, where she swiped the room card and opened the door. Then, she led him to the couch and fetched him a ss of water. ¡°Have some water.¡± Taking the ss from her, he then drank the water in sensual gulps. The way his Adam¡¯s apple bobbed under the lights sent a jolt of electrifying excitement through Josephine¡¯s heart. After Ethan finished the water, hey on the chaise loungezily, and his eyes began roaming all over her. ssy and mesmerizing, his big and charming eyes which carried a trace of drunkenness surveyed her like an animal watching its prey. ¡°Would you like to take a bath? I¡¯ll run the water for you,¡± she offered. ¡°Are you going to take a bath with me?¡± he asked. Blood rushed to her cheeks instantly. Did this guy forget that I¡¯m still on my period? Shaking her head, she said, ¡°I can¡¯t take a bath, but you should take one!¡± Ethan gave it a thought and extended his hand to her. ¡°Come here.¡± Seeing that he was acting like a disobedient child, Josephine took a seat by his side helplessly, but he caught her unawares and pulled her right to his arms before nting a kiss on her cheek. Her cheek burned from his lips, and she held his face in her hands, returning his kiss. There were multiple instances when she wanted to kiss him the entire time while driving back here, and now that she could do it openly, she wouldn¡¯t miss out on the chance anymore. Startled by her kiss, Ethan then smiled in pleasant surprise. One could always feel whether another person liked them, and he could feel that Josephine loved him deeply, which was more precious than any gift in the world. ¡°I¡¯m going to let the water run. After that, you should take a bath, okay?¡± Then, she pecked his lips rewardingly and turned to head into the bathroom to run a bath for him. Sure enough, the grown man who just received a reward became more obedient and went into the bathroom about ten minutes after she started to let the water run. He had even taken off his shirt outside,ing in topless and wearing only his ck suit pants. The moment Josephine twisted her head around, her heart skipped a beat and she turned back right away. ¡°You can take a bath now.¡± Ethan watched until she walked out before taking off his remaining clothes and soaking himself in the bathtub. Meanwhile, Josephine took a shower in the guest room. Before this, she had left a set of pajamas here, which served as a great convenience whenever she wanted to spend the night here. Tonight was thest day of her period, and the thought of this filled her with anticipation. As she thought about this, her cheeks started to blush in embarrassment. After washing his hair and finishing his bath, Ethan came out of the bathroom with only a towel draped around his waist. Even though he felt at ease with Josephine in the same room, she kept her eyes fixed on his towel, thinking, Will that towel fall off unexpectedly and¡­ Blushing brightly, she shrugged the dirty thought out of her mind. ¡°I have a conference tonight. Go to bed first.¡± Walking over, he then kissed her cheek. ¡°If you need me, I¡¯lle and sleep next to you after the meeting.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Josephine shook her head, afraid that none of them could catch any sleep if they shared the same bed. ¡°Okay.¡± Ethan lowered himself and nted a kiss on her cheek again, not forgetting another on her lips. Turning limp from his passionate kiss, she pushed him away at the end and mumbled, ¡°Go for your conference now.¡± After the bath, a fresh, pleasant smell lingered on his body. The smell of alcohol was long gone. ¡°You don¡¯t have to wake up and drop me off at work tomorrow. I can go to work by myself.¡± ¡°Are you driving?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ethan nodded before stroking her head and giving her a kiss. ¡°Good night.¡± That night, Josephine slept soundly and had sweet dreams. She went to the office early the next morning and heard that the results for the exam questions that were submittedst night would be announced in the afternoon. Like everyone else, she, too, hoped that she would score good results in the internal exam. As she was working, Wren approached her and said in excitement, ¡°Joey, have you seen the name list published by thepany? Just as expected, you¡¯re number one on the board!¡± ¡°Huh? The results are out?¡± Quickly, Josephine opened the internal email inbox and saw that the administrative department had published the names of people who had passed the exam. Her name sat at the top of the list. She breathed a sigh of relief, d that she hadn¡¯t let her efforts go to waste. Afterward, she went to the pantry and wasing out with a cup of freshly brewed tea when a colleague congratted her, ¡°Joey, I saw you scored first ce. Congrattions!¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Josephine smiled and nodded in acknowledgement. A secondter, she heard Katrina sniggering, ¡°Who knows if she really deserves to be number one and whether there are any suspicious points given to her or not, eh? After all, her boyfriend is the biggest shareholder in thepany!¡± After Katrina¡¯sment, the other colleagues around them turned to look at Josephine with odd looks in their eyes. Just a second ago, they were envious of her, but now, it struck them that they weren¡¯t in the position to be envious of her. Furthermore, they assumed that she must have gotten a lot of suspicious points to get to the first spot. Initially, Josephine wanted to snap back at Katrina, but on second thought, she felt that it was unnecessary because she had a clear conscience. ¡°What? Did I say anything wrong?¡± ¡°If you have the time to criticize me, you might as well read more books. It must be quite upsetting to be at the bottom, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°How dare you?¡± It was true that Katrina was at the bottom of the list this time. After all, how could she have scored good results when she wasn¡¯t a person keen on reading? ¡°Rather than doubt others, you should build your own knowledge. As you¡¯re always relying on connections for protection, you¡¯re only capable enough to be an assistant,¡± Josephine snapped and left the room. Very quickly, Katrina became the topic of discussion instead. Compared to Josephine, Katrina was more likely to be the one who got her way through connections. At the end of the day, it wasn¡¯t news that Josephine was hardworking, and her performance had always been good since she started working in thepany, proven by the best employee award that she won every year. Pulling a long face, Katrina returned to her desk. Even she was frustrated at the helplessness she felt when she couldn¡¯t do anything to Josephine. However, when she thought further about it, she realized that Josephine couldn¡¯t stay arrogant much longer because she might not pass the test with Tori as the gatekeeper. Just then, her elder sister called her on the phone. ¡°Hey, Ivanka! I¡¯m so mad right now and need you to comfort me.¡± ¡°Who made you mad now?¡± Ivanka asked from the other end angrily. ¡°Who else? It¡¯s Josephine Jacobson! Recently, she¡¯s giving me a hard time because she managed to seduce Mr. Quarles.¡± Hearing that it was Josephine, Ivanka tried to pacify her sister instead, ¡°Alright, don¡¯t stoop to the same level as her.¡± ¡°Ivanka, you have no idea how much I hate her!¡± ¡°I know, but there¡¯s something I have to check with you. Is Tori going after Mr. Quarles as well?¡± ¡°What? Who said that?¡± ¡°I saw the messages in Atticus¡¯ phone where she secretly asked a favor from him to arrange a meeting with Mr. Quarles.¡± ¡°Really? Does Tori have her eyes on Mr. Quarles as well? Looks like things will get interesting from now on!¡± Katrina stated with glee. Beautiful and elegant, Tori was a renowned TV host and rumored to be a wealthy man yer. As long as she made her move, not a single man could escape from her grasp. Although the situation was hopeless for Katrina, she didn¡¯t want Josephine to hit the jackpot either. She would rather have Tori snatching Ethan than watch as he dated Josephine. ¡°Ivanka, do you know if they¡¯ve been on a date yet?¡± ¡°After some grillingst night, Atticus admitted that he had created an opportunity for them and they probably had a meal together already,¡± Ivanka said. She was annoyed by Tori as well because the latter was really an expert at creating issues. ¡°That means Tori and Mr. Quarles already have a thing! Ha! And poor Josephine is still in the dark about this!¡± ¡°Keep an eye on Atticus and don¡¯t let any woman close to him,¡± Ivanka said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll be sure to keep a lookout on him and won¡¯t let any other woman approach him,¡± Katrina assured and after making small talk, they ended the call. Overjoyed, Katrina yed with her long hair, thinking that all she had to do was wait for Tori to pick on Josephine. No, I have to let Josephine find out about this before that happens. That will affect her mood and she¡¯ll get into a confrontation with Tori during the interview. Let¡¯s see how she¡¯s going to get past this interview, then! Hence, she decided to take matters into her own hands and find the chance to leak this information to Josephine. During lunch, Josephine went to the staff canteen with Wren, and a nosey female colleague asked Josephine, ¡°Oh, are you still having canteen food with us even though you¡¯re already the girlfriend of the biggest shareholder of thepany, Josephine?¡± ¡°Exactly! Aren¡¯t you going to have your meals at five-star restaurants every day or hire a private chef to prepare delicious meals for you?¡± another colleague joked. ¡°Once you¡¯re thedy boss, please treat us kindly, Josephine! After all, we¡¯ve known each other for such a long time.¡± Seeing the earnest plea in their eyes, Josephine couldn¡¯t help but reply with augh, ¡°What are you guys thinking about?¡± ¡°Josephine, if I were you, I would have resigned and be ady boss long ago!¡± ¡°Exactly! I heard that you even went outdoors for interviews. You should just let someone else do this tiring job. Don¡¯t get sunburnt and all.¡± Dumbfounded, Josephine stated after a couple of seconds, ¡°Regardless of who I¡¯m dating, I don¡¯t want to lose my goals. I like this job very much because I find it meaningful.¡± Three pairs of eyes turned wide all of a sudden, and her colleagues thought that she had no idea how lucky she was. After lunch, Josephine made her way to the pantry and wanted to return to her report after making herself a cup of coffee. However, Katrina made use of this opportunity and dragged another colleague who was usually close to her to hide on the other side of the pir. ¡°Do you know what my sister told me?¡± she began, raising her voice a little. ¡°Not a clue. What did she tell you?¡± ¡°Miss Alford secretly went on a date with Mr. Quarles,¡± Katrina said, shifting her gaze toward Josephine, who was behind the pir. Right when Josephine wanted to pick up her coffee, she heard what Katrina said and her hand trembled. The hot liquid sshed and scalded her a little, but she bore with it because she wanted to hear what Katrina would say next. ¡°Really? Miss Alford has made her move, huh? Mr. Quarles is so charming that even Miss Alford has her eyes on him. I guess Josephine still doesn¡¯t know about this, does she?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way Mr. Quarles will tell her about this! They went on a date a few days ago. He would have told Josephine a long time ago if he really wanted to. Clearly, he¡¯s a very open-minded person. In addition, Miss Alford is a stunner and has a great figure. Mr. Quarles has surely taken a fancy to her,¡± Katrina eximed on purpose for Josephine¡¯s benefit. ¡°You have a point. All of Miss Alford¡¯s ex-boyfriends are wealthy men, so she must be interested in Mr. Quarles.¡± ¡°I heard that they ate a meal in a private room and were together inside for two hours. Who knows what they were doing inside?¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°But I don¡¯t think they went all the way!¡± ¡°Men usually like to take advantage of a situation, don¡¯t they? Just a little physical contact with the hands is a must! Furthermore, who can be sure that they didn¡¯t go to a hotel that night?¡± Katrina sounded so convincing that she could have almost provided evidence that Tori and Ethan had slept together. In the meantime, Josephine leaned against the pir, looking pale after listening to everything that Katrina said. Is Katrina telling the truth? Did Ethan and Tori go on a secret date and even stay in the private room for two hours? She said this happened just a few days ago, but which day was it? With all these unanswered questions in her head, she felt suffocated and breathless. Despite that, Katrina was not quite finished yet as she added, ¡°Whatever it is, I heard this from my sister, and she heard it from my brother-inw. Do you think he¡¯ll lie about this?¡± ¡°If it came from Mr. Kowalski personally, then it must be true! Josephine is still in the dark about this, right?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll keep it from her and let her be in the dark because she deserves this!¡± Katrina said, dragging her colleague away. ¡°Let¡¯s go! We¡¯ll just wait for the day when Josephine gets dumped.¡± Before stepping out of the pantry, a vicious and victorious sneer spread across her face. When Wren came in to make a cup of tea, she saw Josephine paralyzed and in a daze. She didn¡¯t even raise her head when she walked in. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind, Joey? Isn¡¯t your coffee ready?¡± Only then did Josephine jerk her head around. She hung her head and kept blinking because tears had started welling up in her eyes without her realizing it. Hurriedly, she spun around to check on her coffee, avoiding Wren¡¯s gaze at the same time. stering a stiff smile, she said, ¡°I¡¯m returning to my desk to work.¡± Then, she left with the coffee in her hands, but her mind was filled with the things that Katrina had just said. In thepany, of all the scandals that Josephine had heard about, Tori was the name that was mentioned the most. It was rumored that there was a charm about her, and no man could escape from her palms once they got close to her. Almost every man that she was romantically involved with was wealthy, and she had a way to a man¡¯s heart. Now, said woman just had a meal with Ethan in a private room where there were only the two of them. Back at her desk, Josephine held her head in her hands, and it felt as though a drill was drilling through her head. The muscles on her chest contracted and her mind went nk. In her current condition, work was thest thing on her mind. She wanted to ask Ethan but considering that they had just started dating and he was the biggest shareholder of thepany, it didn¡¯t seem overboard of him to buy his employee a meal. She would appear petty and jealous, and maybe this would upset him. On the other hand, should she pretend that nothing happened? But Josephine wasn¡¯t such an open- minded person. As a woman, she knew how attractive Ethan was and how women would not hesitate to throw themselves at him if they spent time with him. If Tori makes the first move and throws herself at him, will he shove her aside? What if he likes a passionate woman like Tori? Josephine¡¯s head was about to split apart. Right at this moment, Wren approached her and said, ¡°Josephine, what are you still doing here? Aren¡¯t you supposed to attend the meeting?¡± ¡°What meeting?¡± Josephine asked, confused. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right! I forgot to mention it to you. Earlier when you were away from your desk, Mr. Kowalski called personally, asking you to go upstairs for a meeting. Hurry now and don¡¯t bete!¡± Wren said apologetically. Checking the time, Josephine saw that it was 2.35PM and asked, ¡°What time does it start?¡± ¡°2.30PM, so you¡¯re alreadyte. Go now!¡± Wren urged. Picking up a notebook and a pen she would need for the meeting, she then dashed for the elevators and sighed heavily after she stepped into one. Should I verify this thing with Ethan? she asked herself. Although she believed in him, she couldn¡¯t stop her imagination from running wild when there was no evidence to prove otherwise. When she reached the doors to conference room three, she knocked and slipped in, only to find out that everyone seated inside was the higher management and important figures of thepany, including Tori. Josephine¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Why am I asked to join this meeting? ¡°Oh, you¡¯rete! Does every reporter take meetings so lightly?¡± Torimented sarcastically. Josephine quickly found an empty seat and sat down. Then, she apologized to everybody in the room. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I misremembered the time.¡± ¡°If you¡¯rete, you¡¯rete. Why bother giving excuses?¡± Tori cast a disdainful sideways nce at Josephine while holding a cup of coffee to her lips. The sharp response gave Josephine the strong feeling that Tori was deliberately being difficult toward her. Moreover, the intense dislike did note from their work rtionship. In that case, the reason could only be her rtionship with Ethan. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Let¡¯s just continue our meeting! Josephine, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s my fault that you were only informed about the meeting at thest minute.¡± Atticus did not dare to criticize Josephine for her late arrival. To be honest, there was no need for Josephine to attend this meeting. The semi-annual wrap-up meeting mainly only involved those in the upper levels of management, which was above her current position in thepany. Atticus simply believed that she would eventually be one of the future key talents in thepany, so it would be beneficial for her to attend and learn from such an important meeting. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Kowalski.¡± Josephine nodded gratefully. Afterward, the manager who had been in the middle of making his report resumed his presentation. Meanwhile, Josephine felt a sharp gaze studying her the entire time. The gaze belonged to Tori. Tori usually had an arrogant and stand-offish demeanor in the office. As a result, she rarely interacted with the other employees in thepany. While she once epted Josephine¡¯s on-site interview during a news broadcast, she generally did not have much contact with her colleagues in private. However, today was an exception. She was uncharacteristically curious about Josephine. That was because she needed a thorough understanding of her rival so that she could snatch Ethan away from the young woman¡¯s clutches. Although Ethan had previously rejected her invitation for a meal together, Tori remained very enthusiastic about her chances of a rtionship with him. There was no way she could ever give up on him. Ever since her first glimpse of him, she had forgotten all about her past flings. The only good thing about all the wealthy men she dated in the past was their money. Aside from that single aspect, they had either been older than middle-aged or short and fat. None of them had ever been in the same league as Ethan Quarles, who was not only athletic and handsome but also filthy rich. Tori heard from Atticus that Ethan was the biggest shareholder in thepany. For Ethan, 725 million was nothing more than pocket change. That level of wealth was something none of the other men she had dated in the past could ever hope to achieve. Therefore, she decided that Ethan would be the man to end her status as a single and unmarried woman. At this moment, Tori wrote something on a piece of paper and pushed the paper toward Josephine. It just so happened that they were sitting beside each other at the meeting table. Startled, Josephine picked up the paper, only to see a single line written on the paper. ¡®I heard that you and Ethan are in a rtionship. Is that true?¡¯ She answered the question directly. ¡°That¡¯s right! Do you have any objections, Miss Alford?¡± Her response came out louder than she expected, causing the manager who was presenting his report at the time to nce at her. Tori¡¯s expression turned ugly. How dare Josephine show such disrespect to me?! More importantly, was she boasting directly to my face? Her expression hardened and turned cold at the thought. Grabbing her notebook from the table, she stopped conversing with Josephine but couldn¡¯t help giving a soft and disdainful snort in response. That soft exhtion of air seemed to convey the sense that Josephine was nothing more than a minor annoyance. Josephine could not focus on the meeting and failed to absorb a single word throughout. As a result, her notebook remained nk when the meeting eventually ended. Everybody was standing up and leaving the meeting room when Tori suddenly smiled and called out to Josephine. ¡°Josephine, why don¡¯t we stay back and have a little chat?¡± Josephine hesitated and returned to her seat. Then, she gazed at Tori directly. ¡°What do you want to talk about, Miss Alford?¡± ¡°Are you aware that I am one of the interviewers?¡± Tori spun her chair to face Josephine with a gleeful look in her eyes. ¡°I am,¡± Josephine replied. ¡°Do you want me to let you pass the interview?¡± Tori questioned further, acting as though she had the final say over Josephine¡¯s promotion. Josephine raised her eyebrows at those words. ¡°Are you trying to make things difficult for me, Miss Alford?¡± ¡°Not really. You might have scored the highest on the test, but that does not mean you will pass the interview. I will judge you fairly during the interview. Oh, by the way, I¡¯ve already met Mr. Quarles. We had a meal together the other day. Didn¡¯t he tell you about our meeting?¡± Tori suddenly brought up the topic but deliberately made her words sound as though she had finished the meal with Ethan. Josephine¡¯s breath caught in her throat. It would seem that what Katrina mentioned previously was true. They had gone out for a meal together after all. ¡°You are his employee. It¡¯s normal for you to have a meal together! Not to mention, you are the main force behind the TV station. It¡¯s only right for him to get to know you better.¡± Although there was a bitter feeling in her heart, Josephine refused to reveal her defeated emotions on the surface. She refused to lose the fight and be humiliated too. Tori was taken aback for a moment before her scarlet lips curved into a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel jealous?¡± ¡°Most people have a regr social life. Besides, isn¡¯t it normal to have dinner with a female colleague?¡± Josephine replied naturally. ¡°I am also having dinner tonight with a male client whom I¡¯m nning to interview soon!¡± Tori wanted to upset Josephine by mentioning the meal she had with Ethan the other day, so she was surprised by Josephine¡¯s calm reaction to the news. Nevertheless, she couldn¡¯t help adding with a cryptic smile, ¡°Sometimes, it means more than just a simple meal when a man invites a woman out for dinner!¡± ¡°As far as I know, you were the one who took the initiative to invite him out for dinner, Miss Alford!¡± Josephine rebutted Tori¡¯s statement. Tori¡¯s expression turned ugly. Biting her scarlet lip in frustration, she eventually snapped angrily, ¡°In any case, you better show me your best efforts if you want to receive my approval! Otherwise, you will never pass the interview!¡± After saying that, Tori threw open the door and left the meeting room in a huff. Josephine breathed a small sigh of relief at Tori¡¯s departure. Then, she mulled over the time she spent with Ethan over the past few days. Just when did Ethan have a meal with Tori? When Josephine returned to the office, Katrina was chatting with another colleague at her table. She couldn¡¯t help sneaking a nce and studying Josephine¡¯s expression to see how Josephine was feeling at the moment. Unexpectedly, Josephine happened to meet her gaze when she nced over. Katrina immediately looked away and acted as though she had not noticed Josephine¡¯s arrival. Josephine was a quick-witted woman. Holding a cup of tea in her hand, she suddenly wondered about the incident earlier. Was it really a coincidence that Katrina just happened to be gossiping with the others about that incident in the pantry? Was it also a coincidence that she just so happened to speak in such a loud voice right beside me? Even if Tori and Ethan had dinner together, Katrina¡¯s description made the whole incident sound suspiciously ambiguous. It might be that the meal between Tori and Ethan waspletely tonic. Josephine exhaled deeply and made her decision. I¡¯ll just be frank and ask Ethan about the incident tonight! It¡¯ll be better than dwelling on these nonsensical thoughts in my head and excessively depleting my emotional reserves as a result. Since she was young, Josephine had never been the type to conceal her thoughts. If there was something she did not understand or something was bothering her, she would resolve the issue on the day itself so that she did not exhaust herself with useless worries. She abruptly recalled the statement Tori made earlier. It was evident that the other woman was nning to make things difficult for her. When it was time to get off work, Josephine wrapped up her tasks at hand and took the initiative to contact Ethan. ¡°Hello! I¡¯m on the way to pick you up. Let¡¯s check out the houseter.¡± Ethan¡¯s voice rang out from the other end of the line. He had nned to pick Josephine up directly from the office because it was still pretty early. She chuckled softly. ¡°Sure! Drive carefully!¡± She ended the call with a warm and fuzzy feeling in the pit of her stomach, reveling in the knowledge that they were going to view their future home together in a short while. Fifteen minutester, Josephine suddenly received an urgent case that required an immediate response. While she was focused on writing her report, she felt somebody approaching her from behind and leaning over her shoulder to look at the report she was writing. She turned to look behind her, only to be shocked by the sight that greeted her. Ethan hade up to her office! Her colleagues who had yet to finish their work were ncing over in envy. Mr. Quarles is so handsome! He is also so kind to Josephine! He practically picks her up and drops her off at work every single day! ¡°Sorry! Please give me five minutes to finish up the report,¡± Josephine told Ethan. ¡°No worries. Take your time with the report.¡± Ethan pulled out a chair and sat down. ncing at the cup of tea beside her, he casually reached out and took a sip from her cup. Katrina had just clocked out of work and entered the elevator to leave the office when she heard an excited exmation from the colleagues around her. ¡°Oh, my God! Mr. Quarles is at the reporters¡¯ office! He is so handsome!¡± ¡°Excuse me! I need to get out.¡± Katrina immediately shoved her colleagues aside and hurried out of the elevator, reluctant to leave the office immediately. She ran back and soon arrived at the reporters¡¯ office. Sure enough, a casually dressed Ethan was sitting at Josephine¡¯s table. Just the sight of his back was enough to make Katrina¡¯s heart race. Oh, my God! This man is way too attractive! Any woman would surely fall in love with him! When Josephine was putting away her report, she inadvertently caught sight of Katrina from the corner of her eye. Katrina seemed to be standing there just so that she could admire Ethan. A sudden idea popped into Josephine¡¯s head. She immediately stood up and told Ethan. ¡°I¡¯ll be back after handing in the documents.¡± Chapter 1861-1870 Chapter 1861-1870 Ethan lifted his head slightly. Josephine immediately took the opportunity to cup his face tenderly in her hands and proactively nted a passionate kiss on his cheek. He was momentarily stunned by her actions before he instinctively wrapped his arms around her slender waist and pulled her into his embrace. Smiling slightly, she yfully pushed him away. ¡°I need to deliver these documents.¡± When she moved away from him, he reluctantly withdrew his arm. Then, he turned around and watched her retreating figure with a pining look. This scene was not only witnessed by Katrina but also by all of Josephine¡¯s colleagues who were in the office at that time. They had seen the natural and intimate interaction between Ethan and Josephine, as well as the look of adoration and love for Josephine in Ethan¡¯s eyes. It was evident that Ethan loved Josephine more! Jealousy was practically overflowing from Katrina¡¯s eyes at this point. Once again, she could not understand what was so charming about Josephine. Watching Josephine leave the room, she distractedly tidied her hair slightly. Then, she randomly picked up a document and walked toward Josephine¡¯s desk. Katrina innocently approached Ethan and said, ¡°Mr. Quarles, I didn¡¯t expect you to be here! Is Josephine away from her desk?¡± ¡°She went to deliver some documents,¡± Ethan replied curtly. ¡°Is that so? I happen to have another document for her!¡± she said, then she deliberately stepped to the side and continued, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll just wait for her here!¡± Standing in front of him, she asionally tucked her hair behind her ear or pursed her lips. Her movements were filled with coquettish energy. The rest of the female colleagues watched her flirtatious gestures with a mixture of scorn and derision. Be that as it may, Katrina brazenly continued to unt her coquettish charm. After delivering the documents, Josephine rounded the corner and immediately caught sight of Katrina standing next to Ethan. She couldn¡¯t help feeling extremely disgusted by Katrina¡¯s aggressive courtship toward Ethan. Approaching her desk, she questioned, ¡°Can I help you?¡± ¡°Oh! You¡¯re back! I just noticed that I brought the wrong document.¡± The document that Katrina was holding had been randomly taken from one of their colleagues¡¯ desks. Naturally, she could not show nor hand them over to Josephine. Josephine immediately saw through Katrina¡¯s little trick and smiled. ¡°Why don¡¯t you show me the document?¡± Katrina hastily hugged the document to her chest and guiltily burst out, ¡°I grabbed the wrong document by mistake!¡± ¡°Did you grab the wrong document? Or were you deliberately being inappropriate in front of my boyfriend? Did you think I wouldn¡¯t see through your schemes?¡± Josephine countered without giving Katrina any room to wriggle out of the situation. ¡°W-What are you saying?¡± Katrina blushed furiously, feeling so guilty that she did not dare to look at Ethan. ¡°What am I saying? I¡¯m saying that you should stop sticking to my boyfriend like an annoying fly that won¡¯t go away!¡± Josephine dered forcefully. ¡°Josephine, how can you insult me in such a manner? Mr. Quarles, please ask her to mind her manners!¡± Katrina immediately lodged her grievances to Ethan in hopes of showing him Josephine¡¯s disgraceful side. Ethan raised his eyes at those words. ¡°Josephine is right.¡± When Katrina heard that, she blushed so hard that even the tips of her ears went red. On the other hand, Josephine took the opportunity to add fuel to the fire. ¡°Katrina, you told me that my boyfriend invited Tori out for dinner. You also imed that there was an ambiguous atmosphere between them in the restaurant. Did you witness the scene yourself, or were you simply repeating the nonsensical gossip you heard from others?¡± His handsome face revealed his astonishment. ¡°Who said that?¡± Katrina immediately panicked. Waving her hands in denial, she quickly exined herself. ¡°Josephine, I was just repeating the gossip I heard from others. I don¡¯t know anything. Please don¡¯t me me!¡± Ethan abruptly turned to re at Katrina with a frigid look in his eyes. ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± ¡°No, no¡­ Mr. Quarles, I simply repeated the nonsensical gossip I heard from others. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so very sorry!¡± Katrina anxiously apologized repeatedly. ¡°That is to say, the meal he shared with Tori was just a normal interaction between employer and employee!¡± Josephine asserted. However, her gaze drifted toward a certain man. She was hoping that he could exin the incident. Ethan quickly exined, ¡°Joey, I did go to the restaurant that day, but I was nning to have lunch with you! I left immediately when I saw that you weren¡¯t there. Afterward, I went to the ce where you were holding an interview to have lunch with you! Do you remember that day?¡± His response stunned her. ¡°I do!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Atticus invited me out for lunch that day. He imed that he had business to discuss with me, so I asked him to bring you along. However, only a female employee was waiting at the restaurant when I arrived. That¡¯s why I went looking for you instead.¡± Katrina couldn¡¯t help swallowing nervously. What? Is Miss Alford just a female employee in Mr. Quarles¡¯ eyes? Doesn¡¯t he know that she is the number one idol of the TV station? ¡°I see.¡± Josephine curved her lips into a smile and turned to Katrina. ¡°Did you hear that? My boyfriend himself has rified the matter. In the future, please stop spreading such malicious gossip lest you destroy his reputation.¡± At this point, Katrina¡¯splexion had practically turned blue from fright. She frantically waved her hands and apologized. ¡°I won¡¯t! I really won¡¯t! I will never listen to such nonsensical gossip again. I¡¯m very sorry, Mr. Quarles. I was in the wrong.¡± Ethan cast a grim look at her. ¡°Leave!¡± Katrina immediately slipped away as though she was fleeing for her life. The other employees who had gathered around to watch the show could also tell that Ethan was in a terrible mood at the moment, so they hastily clocked out of work and left the office without dy. Hence, they did not see the man¡¯s expression softening instantly when Josephine reached out to hold his hand. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I didn¡¯t misunderstand you either.¡± Josephine smiled brightly. She finally understood the whole situation now. Now that she had gotten to the bottom of the matter, she felt extremely relieved. Nevertheless, Ethan¡¯s gaze remained worried as he walked out of thepany while holding her hand. When they entered the car, he immediately leaned over and looked into her eyes with a profound yet burning gaze. ¡°Do you need me to exin further?¡± Josephine shook her head with a smile. ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± In her opinion, he had not only been wronged but also falsely used by her for no reason. Ethan finally stepped on the elerator. The sports car drove toward the vi that was just handed over to him. The vi was one of the few bungalow vis located in the city center. It was very rare to have a vi with an exclusive courtyard of 500 square meters in the city center, where every inch ofnd was expensive. Hence, the price of the vi was naturally astronomical. Josephine was amazed by the luxuriousyout of the vi. There were eight European-style Roman columns decorating the front of the vi, which gave off an imperious atmosphere. Although they seemed fairly ancient, they were very well-maintained. When she walked into the hall, she was greeted by the sight of a spacious hall with a soaring ceiling of six meters. The crystal chandelier hanging down from the ceiling and therge floor-to-ceiling windows tempted her to take a nap on the couch. It was the perfect spot to enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning sun or admire the lights outside the window while leisurely working on an article she brought home from work. On a weekday night, she could even cook a scrumptious feast, open a bottle of wine, and put on a song to enjoy a rxing drink with Ethan after a grueling day at work. That also seemed like a pretty good choice! ¡°Do you like it?¡± the man behind her asked with a smile. She turned around and eximed, ¡°I love it!¡± There was no denying that she truly enjoyed these types of vis that had their own unique atmosphere. Therefore, she did not conceal her feelings and openly dered that she loved everything about the vi. ¡°Go upstairs and have a look.¡± Ethan took her upstairs, happy to see how much she adored the vi. It happened to be evening at the moment, so the glow of the sunset reflecting against the ss windows bathed the entire vi in warm colors. Josephine and Ethan explored the second floor together. They eventually came to the master bedroom on the third floor. It was definitely the most luxurious master bedroom Josephine had ever seen in her life. Even the bathroom was bigger than her bedroom at home. ¡°In the future, we will be living here together. Just the two of us.¡± At that, he nced over at her with a burning gaze. Josephine nodded shyly. ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll move in with you.¡± Ethan couldn¡¯t help stretching out his arm to pull her into his embrace. Sensing what he was aiming for, she cooperatively raised her head to look at him. Their gazes met. Then, one leaned down while the other stood on tiptoes. They kissed each other gently, their movements natural. Their kiss was so wild and passionate that Josephine could hardly control herself. Likewise, Ethan¡¯s breathing became rough and heavy. Ever since meeting her, he had practically be a saint. His desire was often aroused by her, only to be forcefully suppressed by him. ¡°In that case, I will finish the renovations quickly so that we can move in together.¡± He held her hand with a look of anticipation in his eyes. Josephine was also looking forward to that day. At the thought of them living together with him in this vi, she was certain that her future would be very wonderful indeed. ¡°Let¡¯s go! I made a reservation at a restaurant for dinner.¡± Ethan led Josephine downstairs by the hand. After dinner, Josephine received a message from her mother asking her to return home tonight. She knew that her mother wanted to talk to her. After all, she suddenly brought a boyfriend home. The unexpected situation had thrown her parents into confusion. It was only natural for her to return home tofort them and exin the situation to them. Ethan drove Josephine to the entrance of her house. Just as he was about to open his car door so that he could head inside to greet Josephine¡¯s parents, Josephine stopped him and said, ¡°Go back and rest. I¡¯ll head inside by myself!¡± He smiled and nodded. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, then.¡± She waved goodbye at him. ¡°Drive carefully!¡± After watching his car disappear into the distance, she finally turned around and went inside the house. Heidi was sitting on the couch, her posture indicating that she was obviously waiting for Josephine¡¯s return. On the other hand, Mills had an apron tied around his waist as though he had just finished cleaning the house. Josephine greeted them, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed. ¡°Dad! Mom!¡± ¡°You¡¯re back. Come and have a seat. We need to talk,¡± Heidi said. Josephine sat down on the couch while Mills brought over a cup of freshly squeezed juice that he specially prepared for her. cing the cup in front of her, he urged, ¡°Here, Joey. Drink this. It was freshly prepared just for you.¡± ¡°Dad, why don¡¯t you take a break? Come take a seat and join us for a chat.¡± She persuaded her father to join them. Taking off his apron, Mills took a seat beside them. Afterward, the small family of three began their frank discussion. ¡°Joey, do you genuinely have feelings for Ethan?¡± Heidi stared at her daughter seriously, trying to figure out whether her daughter was deeply in love with Ethan or not. Josephine considered the question briefly before she nodded confidently. ¡°Yes, I like him. I¡¯ve never had such strong feelings for another person before.¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°Is that to say that you won¡¯t marry anybody else but him?¡± Heidi probed further. ¡°I like him, and I also hope to marry him in the future,¡± Josephine answered. Whenever she started something new, she generally preferred to finish what she started and aplish her goals. If she was only going to y around for fun, why waste her time in the first ce? ¡°What about him? Does he like you? Does he like you to the point where he has decided that he will only marry you and nobody else?¡± Heidi carefully grilled Josephine for more details. Josephine pondered for a moment and nodded once more. ¡°I can tell that he likes me very much too.¡± ¡°Joey, in my opinion, Ethan is a good man. I believe you should give him a chance and have a long- term rtionship with him.¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± From his words, she could sense her father¡¯s support for her rtionship. Meanwhile, Heidi sighed heavily. ¡°I don¡¯t have any objections either. It¡¯s just¡­ When I think you might marry into another family far away, I¡­¡± Her eyes reddened with emotion. That was something she could not ept. It was not that she wanted her daughter to take care of her in her old age. She simply did not want a situation where it was difficult for her to even meet with her daughter in the future. Josephine¡¯s mood sank at the thought, as this was something that she could not guarantee. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Our daughter¡¯s happiness is the most important.¡± Heidi wiped away the tears from the corner of her eyes. ¡°I know, but I just can¡¯t bear the thought of separating from her!¡± Josephine scooted over to her mother and hugged Heidi tightly. ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t want to be separated from you either!¡± ¡°You often envy others because they have grandchildren. If you won¡¯t let Joey get married, when will you finally have grandchildren of your own?¡± Mills cajoled andforted his wife. Josephine blushed furiously. It¡¯s too early to talk about that! Sure enough, that statement was more effective than any other constion. Heidi was extremely envious that her best friends had grandchildren to pamper and love, so she sincerely wanted Josephine to give her grandchildren as soon as possible. ¡°Alright! I will support you in pursuing your own happiness.¡± The conflict in her heart had been resolved. Josephine returned to her room and considered her future carefully. She hoped that she could perform her obligations of filial piety toward her parents no matter where she found herself in the future. That night, she restlessly tossed and turned in bed. She could not fall asleep. At that moment, her phone rang. Picking up her phone, she nced at the message. It was a message from Ethan. He had sent her a picture of himself standing in front of the mirror, freshly out of the shower. She instantly burst intoughter. This man was highly photogenic indeed, which meant that he generally looked good from any random angle. ¡®Just finished my shower. What are you doing now?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m about to take a shower,¡¯ she replied. ¡®Alright. Get some rest once you finish showering. You seemed exhausted today.¡¯ The misunderstanding that urred today had certainly drained Josephine emotionally. ¡®Okay! You too,¡¯ she responded. On the other end, in the hotel, Ethan smiled and tossed his phone to the side. A few momentster, he suddenly received a phone call. Picking up his phone, he nced at the screen and frowned slightly. In the end, he did not answer the call. That was because the person contacting him was a woman. Moreover, she was his admirer who was trying to court him romantically. Then, he received a message. ¡®Ethan, where are you? I missed you so much!¡¯ On a small ind in a different country, a female model who had just finished swimming picked up her phone to check her messages. When she saw that she had not received any new messages, she chewed on her cherry lips and wondered, ¡°Ethan, where are you?¡± She had just received news from the Quarles Family that Ethan had asked his family for half a year¡¯s vacation, and she wanted to know where he was hiding. With half a year¡¯s vacation, it was enough time for her to enjoy life with him. ¡°I will definitely find you,¡± she muttered to herself under her breath. ¡­ Josephine arrived at the TV station early in the morning for work. At the same time, she abruptly received a phone call. It was from Dane Cooke, the vice president of the building materialspany from before. ¡°Mr. Cooke, can I visit you at yourpany for an interview?¡± After she heard the interview location he provided, she tried to give a different suggestion instead. ¡°Miss Jacobson, I am very busy. Seeing as you are the one who wants to interview me, don¡¯t you think you should be following my schedule?¡± Dane sounded very displeased on the other end of the line. Thus, she could onlyply with his initial suggestion. ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯ll see you at 3.00PM sharp today.¡± ¡°Miss Jacobson, I know the public has many misunderstandings about thepany. Hence, I would like to take this opportunity to have a good chat with you. As long as it is thepany¡¯s responsibility, thepany will not evade taking responsibility for the issue,¡± he added. Unfortunately, she did not believe his words. All businessmen were unscrupulous in their pursuit of profit. Although they would always speak about cing great importance on protecting the environment and ecology, the truth was that they also carried out many shady and ck-hearted operations in secret. Therefore, she intended to expose the inside story of this industry to provide a warning and reminder to the local Environmental Protection Bureau. After ending the phone call, she quickly received another call on the internal line. ¡°Josephine,e to my office at 10.00AM sharp for an interview.¡± The person on the other end of the phone was none other than Tori, who had decided upon Josephine¡¯s interview in advance. ¡°Miss Alford, wasn¡¯t the interview set for next Monday?¡± ¡°I¡¯m leaving for my studies next Monday. I¡¯ve already filed an application to Mr. Kowalski so that I can bring forward your interview.¡± Josephine was left speechless by the sudden turn of events, but she could sense the malice that Tori bore toward her. By bringing forward the interview, the time she had to make preparations had effectively been shortened drastically. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Josephine, are you unsure of yourself? If you¡¯re not confident in your abilities, then I suggest you just forget about the interview! You¡¯re not bad at your job as a reporter, so you should just carry on in your current position!¡± Tori¡¯s mocking voice came from the other end of the line. ¡°I have confidence in my abilities. I¡¯ll head over right away.¡± Naturally, Josephine had no ns to back down from the challenge. It was fortunate that she had made some preparations in advance over the past two days. After eavesdropping on Josephine¡¯s phone call from the side, Wren leaned over with an astonished expression and asked, ¡°Joey, are you going to be interviewed so soon?¡± ¡°Yeah. The interview has been brought forward.¡± ¡°Good luck! I¡¯m looking forward to the day when I see you in the broadcasting studio.¡± Josephine packed up some documents before she headed upstairs. Tori¡¯s office was located on the sixth floor, which was the most important floor in the entirepany. It was where the evening news and important programs were broadcasted every day. All the people who worked on this floor carried a sense of superiority in thepany. Nevertheless, Josephine found herself on the receiving end of many envious looks when she walked into the office. She headed straight for Tori¡¯s office and knocked on the door. Tori was sitting at her desk and flipping through a document with a leisurely appearance. Seeing Josephine walking into her office, she smiled slightly. ¡°There you are.¡± Then, she stood up and walked over to the couch. Pointing at the seat on the opposite side, she invited Josephine to join her. ¡°Have a seat!¡± Josephine took the seat across from Tori, and thetter took out the list of questions that she had prepared for the interview. ¡°I prepared ten questions for your interview. If you answer each question listed here to my satisfaction, then you will have passed my test.¡± Josephine nodded in agreement as she stated, ¡°Okay. Please go ahead and ask your questions, Miss Alford.¡± ¡°It seems that you are very confident in yourself!¡± Tori looked up from the document and nced at Josephine. ¡°Yes, I am confident in my abilities in journalism,¡± Josephine replied. ¡°Hmph! Don¡¯t be overconfident. Besides, you shouldn¡¯t have too high hopes. After all, a person who worked as a reporter for the past three years like you must have forgotten all your learned knowledge by now!¡± Tori dered in a tone that sounded faintly insulting. After Tori finished speaking, she brought up the first question in the book. Josephine pondered for a few seconds before she answered based on the information in the book and her ownprehension of the situation. Tori frowned slightly after listening to the answer. She did not expect Josephine to answer her questions correctly. In fact, she could barely believe that Josephine had such a deep understanding of the learned knowledge in the book. She pressed on with the second question. Once again, Josephine provided a satisfactory answer. Tori nced at the questionnaire in her hand. Half of the questions were questions based on textbook knowledge. It would seem that she could no longer rely on the questions she had prepared in advance. She had toe up with harder questions instead. Therefore, she began to start asking the questions at the bottom of her list. ¡°Josephine, what qualities should a journalist possess?¡± Josephine considered the question for a moment. It was an extremely broad question, so it was impossible to provide aprehensive answer in just a few words. ¡°In my opinion, a journalist should possess the following qualities¡ªfirst, they should uphold proper decorum and a firm stance in any situation. Second, they should report the situation truthfully andprehensively without any falsehoods. Third, they should have a good understanding of the overall situation and maintain a sense of responsibility. By modeling the correct example themselves, they can¡ª¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Tori immediately interrupted Josephine mid-sentence and sneered, ¡°Do you only know how to answer with cursory knowledge gained from books? Don¡¯t you have your own opinions regarding the matter? Josephine, you can¡¯t be a broadcaster simply by relying on rote memorization.¡± Josephine fell silent. It was obvious that Tori was deliberately making things difficult for her. These were the correct and standard answers to the question that was asked, but Tori was intentionally asking for her personal opinion on the matter instead. ¡°These are the qualities that I need to achieve, as well as my personal opinion regarding this matter,¡± she answered calmly. ¡°Josephine, it seems to me that your knowledge is too shallow. Why don¡¯t you train for another two years in the press department before trying again in the future?¡± Tori pushed the questionnaire to the side. The tone of her voice gave off the sense that the interview had ended. ¡°Miss Alford, I know that I did not perform well enough for your standards. Nevertheless, I hope I can be given the chance to prove myself at the job,¡± Josephinemented. ¡°If I allow you to pass so easily, it will be my fault if you somehow damage the image of thepany¡¯s broadcasters and destroy thepany¡¯s reputation. So, I will be firm in my role as the interviewer. Josephine, I do not believe you qualify to be a broadcaster.¡± Josephine took a deep breath and pleaded, ¡°Miss Alford, it is only natural to make mistakes. If I remember correctly, you yourself often made mistakes when you were just a neer. Everybody goes through a process of maturation, so please don¡¯t make things difficult for me.¡± Tori¡¯s expression darkened at those words. ¡°Josephine, are you trying topare yourself to me?¡± ¡°That was not my intention. I am simply asking that you give me a chance to prove myself on the job. I am certain I will perform well,¡± Josephine exined patiently. ¡°I know you want to take over Miss Ain¡¯s position! You are trying to rece her! You wouldn¡¯t even have this opportunity if Miss Ain had not fallen sick in the first ce! Are you so impatient to rece her? Should I warn Miss Ain about you?¡± Tori deliberately threatened. When Josephine heard that, her expression also turned grim. ¡°I do not harbor such thoughts.¡± ¡°I bet you do. You¡¯re relying on your status as Mr. Quarles¡¯ girlfriend to squeeze your way into the broadcasting industry. You¡¯re just trying to snatch the limelight all for yourself! What an ambitious woman you are!¡± Tori continued harshly. Josephine was starting to feel very speechless about the situation. Tori had always been looking for any opportunity to scold and criticize her, so the interview was just another means to humiliate her. All of a sudden, she no longer wanted to continue with the interview. Standing up from the couch, she bluntly dered, ¡°Miss Alford, I am a busy person. I don¡¯t have the time to listen to your insults.¡± After saying that, Josephine spun around to leave without another word. Tori made a cold and sneering remark from behind. ¡°If you¡¯re going to act in such a manner, then I won¡¯t be able to sign your interview form.¡± Josephine looked back and responded in a domineering manner, ¡°I don¡¯t need your signature.¡± Then, she left the office and mmed the door behind her. Tori couldn¡¯t help but bite her lip angrily. What did Josephine mean? But, she indeed has the strength to pull off such a feat¡­ Picking up her phone, she dialed Atticus¡¯ number. ¡°Hello? Mr. Kowalski, I¡¯ve interviewed Josephine. I don¡¯t think she is suitable to be a broadcaster.¡± ¡°Tori, didn¡¯t I tell you to interview her just for appearances¡¯ sake?! Why are you being so serious about this matter?¡± Atticus asked from the other end of the line. ¡°Mr. Kowalski, if you are nning to force me to work with somebody like that, then I refuse to work here any longer!¡± Tori threatened in a fit of rage. She had been hired by Atticus at a high cost, so she was confident that he had to humor her to a certain extent. ¡°Tori, I don¡¯t mean to criticize you, but do you really think I call the shots in thepany? So what if you refuse to work with us? With his abilities, it would not take much effort for Mr. Quarles to hire ten others who are more famous than you. You should think about the possible consequences of offending Mr. Quarles. Take this advice as a kind warning from me.¡± After saying that, Atticus hung up. At this moment, Tori¡¯s expression became darker than before. She even felt a trace of panic entering her heart. If I no longer work in thispany¡­ Having offended her previous employer, she could no longer return to her former position. What¡¯s more, there was always greatpetition for her current position. If she failed to dominate her position, then she would really have nowhere else to go. A hint of resentment toward Josephine shed through the depths of her eyes. It was Josephine who had pushed her into such a miserable predicament. ¡­ When Wren saw Josephine returning to her seat, she couldn¡¯t help eximing in astonishment, ¡°Why are you back so quickly? Is the interview over?¡± ¡°Tori was the only one to interview me, so I found the whole interview session to be a waste of my time,¡± Josephine bluntly exined. ¡°Why was she alone? Don¡¯t tell me¡­ Does she have the final say over the results of the interview?¡± ¡°Who cares? In any case, I refuse to be interviewed by her. I will ask Mr. Kowalski to arrange for somebody else to interview me instead.¡± Having said that, Josephine turned on herputer and resumed working. ¡°Joey, why do you need somebody else to interview you? You could just ask Mr. Quarles to sign your interview form! Wouldn¡¯t that solve all your problems?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Her eyes suddenly lit up at those words. ¡°Of course! Which department will dare to reject you if you have Mr. Quarles¡¯ signature on your interview form? You could join any department you like!¡± She gave the idea some thought for a moment. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll follow your advice and ask him to sign the form for me tonight.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the way!¡± Then, Wren leaned over and whispered, ¡°Joey, considering our friendship, I hope you don¡¯t forget about me once you¡¯ve be part of the rich and wealthy! I¡¯m not asking you for much. It¡¯s enough if you add another 300 to my base sry once you be thedy boss of thepany!¡± Josephine burst intoughter. ¡°What is that? If I really became thedy boss of thepany, I¡¯ll be the first to rmend you for the team leader position as soon as the position bes vacant!¡± Wren was so moved by Josephine¡¯s deration that she immediately threw herself at the other woman and hugged her tightly. ¡°My darling Joey, I love you so much!¡± At this moment, Josephine¡¯s phone rang. She nced at the screen and hastily answered the call. ¡°Hello, Mr. Cooke.¡± ¡°Miss Jacobson, please don¡¯t forget about our interview session this afternoon! I specially made time for you, after all.¡± ¡°Of course! I will be at the clubhouse on time,¡± she said. After ending the call, she invited Wren out for lunch together. Since she had an interview in the afternoon, she decided against inviting Ethan out for lunch. Nevertheless, she sent him a message to inform him about her interview appointment in the afternoon. ¡®Okay. Be safe!¡¯ Ethan replied. She responded to the message, then went to the canteen with Wren for lunch. Along the way, she received many looks from various people. Some of them even took the initiative to greet her, which made her feel very awkward and embarrassed. That was because most of them were from different departments and she did not know any of them. Time passed in the blink of an eye, and it was soon 2.00PM. Josephine was just about to leave for the interview with her colleague when she received a phone call from one of Dane¡¯s assistants. ording to the assistant, Dane had urgent matters to deal with and could not attend the interview today. The interview could only take ce the next day. In addition, the assistant invited her to the clubhouse to discuss the topics of their interview tomorrow. When Josephine heard the assistant¡¯s voice and realized that the assistant was female, she suggested that their meeting take ce at a cafe instead. Unfortunately, the female assistant insisted on meeting at the clubhouse. The truth was that Josephine did not like that kind of gloomy and smoky ce. ¡°There¡¯s no helping it. I am working and can¡¯t leave my position. Miss Jacobson, it¡¯s best if youe over!¡± the female assistant insisted. Josephine went to her team leader for instructions. Even her team leader seemed puzzled by the fact that Dane had chosen such roundabout interview procedures. ¡°In any case, they are arge privatepany. If there are any topics that they wish to avoid in advance, then we have to follow their wishes and avoid those topics so as not to reveal the secrets of their industry.¡± ¡°Mr. Fox, are you saying that I should discuss the interview questions with his assistant in advance?¡± Josephine asked. ¡°Joey, do you have the time? If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll send somebody else over instead.¡± Josephine considered her options. Since she was in charge of the interview, it would undoubtedly be much easier if she went there herself. Besides, the other party was one of Dane¡¯s female assistants. She believed that there was nothing to worry about since meeting with the female assistant would be quite safe. ¡°I have some time right now, so I¡¯ll head over myself!¡± she said. Her team leader nodded and gave her permission to meet the female assistant. Afterward, Josephine returned to her office. Grabbing her bag and notebook, she left the office and called for a cab to bring her to the high-end clubhouse. After Josephine walked into the clubhouse, the female assistant immediately came down in person to receive her. Then, the female assistant guided her to a private room on the third floor. There was no desk for work in the private room. She took a seat, and the female assistant served her a cup of tea. ¡°Miss Jacobson, let¡¯s begin!¡± Josephine nodded in agreement and began discussing work with the female assistant. The female assistant started by introducing thepany¡¯s background before bringing up certain issues that required special attention. After a while, she seemed to be thirsty from talking so much and offered some tea to Josephine. ¡°Miss Jacobson, have some tea!¡± At the same time, she picked up her own cup to drink some tea. Josephine had also gotten thirsty after traveling so far, so she picked up her teacup and drank the tea without hesitation. She was so thirsty that she finished half the cup in a single gulp. ¡°Miss Jacobson, I¡¯ll get you some more tea once you¡¯ve finished your cup.¡± The female assistant urged and stood up, looking as though she wanted to refill their cups. Josephine picked up her cup and finished the rest of her tea, then she handed her cup to the female assistant. When the female assistant turned around, the hint of a triumphant smile appeared in her gaze. The truth was that she had not invited Josephine to the clubhouse to discuss work. Everything was simply part of Dane¡¯s evil scheme. He had taken a fancy to Josephine and wanted to take advantage of her. That was why he had made these arrangements. As long as she finished that cup of tea, she would be vulnerable to his advances. Afterward, he could just settle the matter with money and sweep everything under the rug. That was his usual method to deal with beautiful women, and he believed that Josephine would also keep quiet after the incident. When the female assistant came back with a ss of water in her hand, she answered her phone in front of Josephine. ¡°What? Are youing over now, Mr. Cooke? Okay. Alright. Yes, Miss Jacobson is still here. We are discussing work matters.¡± After ending the call, she turned to Josephine and stated, ¡°Miss Jacobson, Mr. Cooke ising over soon. Please wait for a while.¡± Josephine frowned and answered, ¡°In that case, I will ask my colleague to join me. We can finish the interview today.¡± ¡°No, no. Mr. Cooke is onlying over to take some documents,¡± the female assistant hastily borated. ¡°Take a seat! I need to go downstairs to settle some work matters.¡± Then, she left the room. Meanwhile, Josephine couldn¡¯t help but feel so hot that she stood up from the heat. She came to stand before the floor-to-ceiling windows and enjoyed the cold airing from the air-conditioning. Why is my body burning up all of a sudden? She fanned her face with her hand, thinking that the weather was far too hot. It¡¯s only March! Why is it so hot? She was generally more sensitive to subtle changes. The same also applied to her own body, so she brushed away her doubts without much concern. Feeling slightly bored, she picked up her phone and sent a message to Ethan. ¡®What are you doing?¡¯ ¡®At the house, monitoring the renovations,¡¯ Ethan responded quickly. His reply instantly filled her heart with a sweet sense of happiness. For some reason, she suddenly missed him very much. The images of his body that she asionally saw by ident also popped up in her mind unprompted, causing her entire body to burn even hotter. At this moment, her phone rang. It was a phone call from Ethan. ¡°Hi!¡± Josephine answered the phone. ¡°Did you miss me?¡± The low and hoarse voice was very seductive and captivating. When she heard Ethan¡¯s voice, a strange and unfamiliar wave of arousal immediately flooded her body. She instinctively realized that something was wrong. Her body had be aroused for no particr reason. She inadvertently nced at the cup of water on the table and her eyes contracted in horror. Was there something in the tea earlier? The realization struck her abruptly¡ªthe female assistant was nowhere to be seen, and Dane was coming over soon. In truth, Josephine was not a fool. She had noticed Dane¡¯s interest and feelings for her, but she never expected him to use such malicious and underhanded methods to harm her. Catching her breath slightly, Josephine said to Ethan who was on the phone, ¡°Ethan, I-I seem to have mistakenly drunk something. Can youe and pick me up?¡± ¡°What was it? Was it alcohol or was it something else?¡± Ethan instantly asked in an anxious voice from the other side of the line. ¡°It¡¯s something else. I¡¯m a little dizzy now.¡± Josephine was already feeling dizzy as she spoke. ¡°Send me your location. I¡¯ll be there right away,¡± Ethan stated anxiously. At once, Josephine sent Ethan her location. After that, she swiftly picked up her bag and made her way toward the door. As for the assistant who stood guard outside the door, she was shocked when she saw Josephine push the door open and walk out. Panic instantly crept in and she anxiously pulled the other woman over. ¡°Miss Jacobson, where are you going?¡± ¡°Let go of me!¡± Josephine yelled angrily before she shoved the female assistant¡¯s hand away and sprinted toward the hallway. Since the female assistant didn¡¯t expect Josephine would sense something was wrong so quickly, she hurriedly chased after Josephine. She can¡¯t leave! Dane is in the underground parking lot right now and he wille up shortly! ¡°Miss Jacobson, don¡¯t leave yet. Mr. Cooke will be here soon.¡± Nevertheless, Josephine ignored her, rushed into the elevator, and pressed the close button. Before the female assistant caught up to her, she had already taken the elevator down. Stepping out of the elevator with her mobile phone in her hand, she gasped as she walked toward the entrance of the club. Her body felt somewhat weak and her steps seemed to have be light as soon as she was outside the building. She held onto amppost before she noticed the bus stop next to her. Without dy, she sat down on the bench at the bus stop and waited for Ethan. While Josephine was waiting at the bus stop, Ethan¡¯s car rushed toward the club like a ferocious tiger. He was utterly tensed as he stared at the navigation and watched himself getting closer to the destination. At the same time, Ethan had notified his bodyguards, who were never around him, to meet him at the club. For that reason, three cars carrying his bodyguards drove out from the nearby hotel at this moment. Josephine, please be alright! Ethan prayed in his heart as he drove. Ethan¡¯s car was about to reach the club. After making a turn, he suddenly caught sight of a woman sitting on a bench at the bus stop just as he was about to head to the club. He took a nce at the woman, and he immediately stepped on the brakes when he realized who she was. It¡¯s Josephine! Ethan quickly got out of the car and came to Josephine¡¯s side. Then, he reached out and pulled her into his arms. ¡°Josephine¡­ wake up.¡± At this moment, Josephine felt her body burning like a fire. When Ethan¡¯s face appeared before her eyes without warning, she stretched out her arms and hugged his waist, feeling ufortable. Nuzzling her face in his arms, she whimpered like a little puppy. ¡°Ethan, I feel ufortable¡­ Hug me.¡± Just then, the bodyguards¡¯ cars immediately followed suit and pulled over. Eight bodyguards got out of the car in unison. ¡°Who was the person that spiked your drink?¡± Ethan held back his anger and asked through gritted teeth. ¡°His name is Dane Cooke, and he is Vital Corp.¡¯s vice president. He is¡­ inside the club now,¡± Josephine replied before she hugged Ethan again. ¡°Take me away! I feel ufortable.¡± ¡°Go in there and look for this guy. Once you guys find him, beat him up but don¡¯t let him die.¡± After giving his order, Ethan reached out and carried Josephine in his arms before getting into the car. With that, six bodyguards swiftly headed into the club while the remaining two drove the car, escorting Ethan and Josephine from the area. Sitting in the spacious back passenger seat, Josephine kept touching Ethan¡¯s chest. Meanwhile, Ethan held her hand and coaxed softly, ¡°Joey, hold on for a bit longer, okay? I¡¯m taking you to the hospital.¡± ¡°No¡­ Let¡¯s go to the hotel,¡± Josephine murmured. What she badly wanted right now was him instead of going to the hospital for an intravenous drip. ¡°Joey, stop it. We are going to the hospital,¡± Ethan muttered, his voice restrained. After hearing that, she raised her head and cupped his face. Although her body was feeling extremely ufortable, she had a pulsing thought in her heart. ¡°I want to go to the hotel with you.¡± The words that escaped her lips sounded resolute despite her eyes being ssy. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Ethan gulped. She really does want me to help her, doesn¡¯t she? ¡°Yes.¡± Josephine nodded. ¡°Drive to the nearby hotel,¡± Ethan immediately gave his order to the bodyguards in front. As soon as they received the order, the bodyguard that was behind the wheel swiftly sped into the underground parking lot of a five-star hotel. Ethan exited the car with Josephine in his arms while the bodyguards immediately went to the lobby to obtain a room card. In less than two minutes, the bodyguards finished the check-in procedure and delivered the room card to Ethan. With Josephine in his arms, Ethan took the room card and entered the elevator. Inside the elevator, Josephine hung on Ethan¡¯s body like a ko and buried her petite face in his neck. When her rosy lips came into contact with the skin of his neck, she parted her lips and bit it a few times in difort, leaving behind teeth marks. ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll be inside the room soon. Just hold on a little longer,¡± Ethanforted her. Soon, the door was unlocked with a swipe of the room card. Ethan kicked the door open and went straight to the bed in the main room with Josephine in his arms. The two almost fell onto the bed together at the same time. Josephine panted slightly before she started unbuttoning her shirt, practically disregarding any sense of shame. However, the more impatient she was, the messier her thoughts were and the more she couldn¡¯t unbutton her shirt. As a result, she burst into tears of irritation. ¡°Ethan, help me!¡± she begged with a hint of a whimper. Lowering his head, Ethan patiently unbuttoned her shirt. As for himself, he decided to tear his shirt off because he couldn¡¯t be bothered to unbutton it. In an instant, the expensive buttons that were iid with gemstones popped in all directions, exposing Ethan¡¯s strong and well-built chest. He bent down and cupped Josephine¡¯s face before kissing her rosy lips. ¡°Are you truly not going to regret this?¡± Still cupping her face, Ethan carefully reconfirmed with Josephine in regard to her decision after the kiss. Josephine stared at him with ssy eyes and murmured, ¡°I won¡¯t regret this for the rest of my life.¡± With that, she raised her upper body slightly and kissed his lips. Even so, she still remembered to remind him with a somewhat pitiful demeanor, ¡°But you have to be gentle.¡± Ethan chuckled silently before he promised her, ¡°I will.¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, in the club, Dane was sitting on the couch and sipping his tea in frustration when the door was suddenly kicked open and six bodyguards barged in. ¡°Who the hell are you guys?¡± he questioned. ¡°You ought to pay the price for daring toy your hands on Mr. Quarles¡¯ woman.¡± Without further ado, the first bodyguard punched Dane in the cheek. That punch knocked Dane to the ground, making him instantlye to realize that the bodyguards were there to avenge Josephine. ¡°Easy, gentlemen! Keep calm, please. Keep calm¡­¡± However, unfortunately for Dane, this group of bodyguards was in no mood to talk things out with him at all. One after another, the six bodyguards punched him as if he was a sandbag. Shortly after, only the sound of Dane¡¯s howling was heard from inside the room. Dane was practically paralyzed on the ground after he got severely beaten up. The bones in his entire body felt as though a car had run over them and he could only lie on the ground and gasp. Considering these bodyguards specifically aimed their punches at the most muscr part of Dane¡¯s body, his internal organs were unharmed. Even so, the blows were powerful enough to hospitalize him for half a year. His assistant, who went outside to grab a cup of coffee, returned to witness Dane lying on the ground. Feeling shocked, she shouted, ¡°Oh my goodness! Mr. Cooke, what happened to you?¡± ¡°Quick! Call an ambnce!¡± Dane used up all his strength to breathe out these words before he passed out. ¡­ Currently, in the hotel, Josephine actively looked forfort from Ethan like a little wild leopard. Ethan, on the other hand, was rather in a difficult situation. He was afraid of injuring her but at the same time, he had to satisfy her desire. For a moment, the whole process seemed restrained and suffering. Finally, Josephine passed out tiredly in his arms after he satisfied her desires again and again. Her body was drenched in sweat, and a pinkish hue was painted all over her face at this moment. Ethan felt helpless and his heart ache as he looked at the marks left on her body. Never once did it cross my mind that our first time would happen under such circumstances. Oh, I sure hope that this won¡¯t leave a sequ or trauma in Josephine. After getting Josephine cleaned up, Ethan took her to rest in the guest room next to the main room. As for him, after he came out of the shower, he received a call from his subordinates reporting to him that they had severely injured Dane. Even so, he still felt he didn¡¯t vent all his anger. What would have happened if I didn¡¯t make it on time? What would have happened if Josephine hadn¡¯t called me? That b*stard would have undoubtedly tainted Josephine in an inhuman manner! Then again, regardless of how mad I am at that b*stard, I am to be med too. Josephine is the woman I like, and I have the responsibility to protect her from harm. Yet, I failed to do so today. On the other hand, Josephine slept like a sleepy kitten from the afternoon until 9.00PM. After waking up faintly from her sleep, everything that happened before she went to bed suddenly filled her mind, and she instantly covered her face in embarrassment. It was as though doing so could restore her dignity. No¡­ No! That was definitely not me! It was only my body that was burning uncontrobly like a fire. My mind was neither unconscious nor crashed. Yet¡­ Bits of the explicit and embarrassing details still lingered in Josephine¡¯s memory, making her almost afraid to face Ethan. Even so, she was even angrier with Dane¡¯s behavior. I must expose the true colors of a sc*mbag and a monster like him! After realizing that there was no one in the room, she couldn¡¯t help but move her hands away from her face. Then, she carefully sized the room up. This room seems to be a guest room rather than the master bedroom of the suite. So, does that mean Ethan carried me here while I was asleep? In fact, my body feels extremely refreshed. This simply means another event took ce before I went to bed, and that was, Ethan had cleaned me up. Ah! This is so embarrassing! I don¡¯t want to live anymore. Just then, footsteps sounded outside the door. At once, Josephine pulled up the nket and wrapped herself in it. Looking at the protruding figure under the nket, Ethan couldn¡¯t help but curve his lips upward in amusement. Still, he eventually sat down on the edge of the bed gently and patted her lightly. ¡°Are you awake?¡± Upon hearing Ethan¡¯s voice, Josephine waved her hands and refused to lift the nket. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You don¡¯t wish to see me anymore? Was I so bad in bed?¡± Ethan¡¯s deep voice carried a hint of self-reproach. As soon as Josephine heard what he said, she immediately got out of the nket and praised, ¡°No, no. You are good.¡± After hearing herpliment, Ethan chuckled and said, ¡°In that case, were you satisfied with my skills?¡± Josephine gulped and nodded. Then, her eyes wandered to Ethan¡¯s neck, which was slightly uncovered. When she saw the eye-catching hickeys that she had left on his neck, she couldn¡¯t help admiring them rather daringly. Suddenly, Ethan passed her the bag of clothes that he carried with him. ¡°Here. I brought these over for you. Get up, put them on, and let¡¯s go home.¡± ¡°Huh? Home?¡± Josephine blinked, feeling puzzled. ¡°The vi is ready, so we can move in,¡± Ethan exined. After all, he had always been someone who was the fastest when it came to taking action. Moreover, everything in the vi had been fully customized. All they needed to do was move in. ¡°That¡¯s quick.¡± Josephine blinked in amazement. At the same time, she couldn¡¯t wait to move in with Ethan. ¡°I don¡¯t want to take you to stay at a hotel anymore. I want to spend time with you at home.¡± With that, Ethan bent down and kissed her on the forehead. ¡°Let¡¯s go home and take our shower again.¡± Upon hearing that, Josephine said a little sheepishly, ¡°Can you leave and let me get changed?¡± Instead of leaving the room, Ethan smiled and turned around. Josephine felt somewhat powerless when she saw this. Therefore, she had no choice but to hurriedly change her clothes with his back facing her. Once she was done, she followed Ethan to the underground parking lot of the hotel and got into the car. Looking at the neon lighting outside the window, Josephine felt a sense of security and exceptional warmth in her heart at the same time. A lifelong devastating event nearly happened to me today, but thanks to him, I was saved from it. ¡°Ethan, thank you.¡± Josephine expressed her gratitude softly. Upon hearing that, Ethan reached out and embraced her. ¡°Thank me? Nah¡­ You don¡¯t have to be so courteous around me now that we have upgraded our rtionship.¡± Curving her lips into a smile, Josephine hummed, ¡°Okay! I won¡¯t in the future.¡± When they arrived outside the gate of the vi, the night view of a brightly lit vi that was filled with a mysterious and grandeur aura was reflected in Josephine¡¯s eyes. Seeing that Josephine was in a daze, Ethan held her hand and led her into the brightly lit hall. Josephine was still studying the decoration style of the vi under the night sky even after they entered the hall. Suddenly, Ethan wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and rested his chin gently on her shoulder. ¡°From now on, this is our home.¡± Like Ethan, Josephine was thrilled to share a home with him so soon. She turned around and hugged his waist. ¡°I like this home a lot.¡± Afterward, Josephine went upstairs to take a bath. Shefortably breathed a gentle sigh of relief as she soaked herself in the tub of lukewarm water. Just then, the door of the bathroom slid open without warning. This took Josephine by great surprise that she immediately hid her body under the water, revealing only her head. Panic was written on her face as she looked at the man who came in. I can¡¯t believe he comes in wearing nothing but his boxers. Wait a minute! Is heing in to take a shower too? ¡°A-Are you in a rush to take a shower?¡± Josephine blinked as she asked. Unsparingly showing off his well-built figure, Ethan winked at Josephine. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t fight for the bathtub with you.¡± As soon as he said that, he made his way toward the shower section and closed the door that separated the wet section from the dry section. However, the door wasn¡¯t solid at all. It was merely a layer of ss that distinctly and vaguely covered the silhouette of the person inside the shower. This, in Josephine¡¯s opinion, wasn¡¯t considered as covered at all. Chapter 1871-1880 Chapter 1871-1880 After all, it was Josephine¡¯s first day with him. Therefore, she still somewhat couldn¡¯t ept sharing the same bathroom with him face-to-face. Even so, Josephine still couldn¡¯t help but secretly peek at Ethan through the ss door when she heard the sound of water running inside. Like the bathing scene of the male lead in a blockbuster movie, every line of his body that was carved on the ss was perfect and alluring. The longer she stared at Ethan¡¯s silhouette, the more she felt the temperature of the water getting hotter and hotter. Eventually, Ethan was the first to finish washing up. When he came out of the shower, he wrapped his lower body loosely with a towel. Then, he came to the bathtub, cupped Josephine¡¯s face, kissed it, and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you on the bed.¡± Josephine simply blinked. Don¡¯t tell me he still wants more! But then, judging from his condition, he does look like he is still somewhat eager for more. After all, Ethan had just tasted the woman he fancied and yearned for today. Therefore, he couldn¡¯t possibly be satisfied with only a few rounds, especially when he had been holding himself back so hard for the sake of caring for Josephine¡¯s emotions this afternoon. For that reason, Josephine must be prepared to repay him for saving her life tonight. Later, she came out of the bathroom wearing camisole pajamas and her hair down, exuding a vibe of wildeliness. Every curve of her body that would normally be tightly wrapped in her upational attire was lined out perfectly in the alluring small camisole pajamas. Her smooth and delicate calves were fair and slender like a work of art under the light. The design of her burgundy pajamas, which precisely covered down until her knees, was sexy and tempting, making her exude a seductive aura. As a result, Ethan, who was resting his head on his arm while waiting for her on the bed, found himself to be so captivated that he was unable to take his eyes off her at all. This woman is like a treasure that I have discovered by myself, and at the same time, she can only be mine for the rest of my life. Ethan lifted the nket and got out of bed. His tall figure towered over Josephine like a dense. Without the help of her high heels, Josephine¡¯s current height was only slightly taller than his shoulders, making her look extraordinarily petite and mesmerizing. With a smile, Ethan easily lifted her slim waist. Josephine naturally wrapped her legs around his waist and buried her face into his shoulders sheepishly. ¡°You smell so nice,¡± Ethan praised in a hoarse voice. Despite not suffering from any medicinal effect at this moment, Josephine still felt as though the medicinal effect was still lingering within her. She was infatuated with Ethan¡¯s charm and couldn¡¯t control herself. Truth be told, she had a daring thought in mind¡ªthe first time she saw him, she had the urge to sleep with him. Although she was a woman, she had no intentions of hiding this thought of hers at all. I can¡¯t believe my dream eventually came true! Ha! This is perhaps the bravest thing I have ever done in my life. ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± Ethan asked in a deep voice. Josephine felt her private area for a little before she shook her head sheepishly in his arms. Ethan was overjoyed when he saw this. At once, he turned off the lights, keeping the room dimly lit. Carrying Josephine in his arms, he walked toward the bed. In the past, Josephine could only rely on her imagination whenpleting her copywriting work for both genders. However, things would be different starting today. Now, she could finally voice her thoughts based on her own experience. She finally tasted the pleasure of close intimacy between a couple, which she wrote about. Josephine¡¯s biological clock woke her up early the next morning. She opened her eyes and saw that she was resting her head on Ethan¡¯s strong arm. At once, everything that happened in this bedst night streamed into her mind, and she curved her rosy lips blissfully. As soon as she moved, Ethan opened his eyes. Staring at his truly charming-looking amber pupils that were infused with sunlight, Josephine thought to herself, No matter what, I must conceive his child. I¡¯m curious to see if the child will inherit his charming eyes. I must not let such a good gene go to waste. ¡°Good morning,¡± Ethan greeted. ¡°Morning.¡± Josephine reached out and pinched Ethan¡¯s cheeks. Meanwhile, Ethan put his huge palm into her silky hair and brushed his face against her ears intimately. It was as if he didn¡¯t even want to get up. 10 minutester, Josephine stood in front of the French window on the second floor with a ss of water. She looked out at the garden full of flowers and breathed in the air, which had a mix of earthy and floral scents. This is undoubtedly a luxurious enjoyment if we are in the city center. Ethan approached her from behind. ¡°You don¡¯t have to go to the office today. I¡¯m giving you three days off.¡± As expected, the perks of having their boss as their boyfriend! One could get days off whenever they felt like it. Something came across Josephine¡¯s mind, making her turn her head and ask, ¡°I have an interview form that requires your signature.¡± ¡°What kind of interview is so great that it needs the wife of Mr. Quarles to conduct in person?¡± Ethan asked as he chuckled deeply. Upon hearing that, Josephine burst outughing. ¡°I have to! So, are you gonna sign it or not?¡± Kissing her on the neck, Ethan said, ¡°Alright! I have no problem giving you my life anyway. So of course, I will sign the form for you.¡± However, Josephine didn¡¯t want him to give her his life. All she wanted was to be with him for the rest of her life. Besides, she didn¡¯t feel like going into the office either today, considering not even the most body-wrapping clothes could cover the hickeys on her neck. She had no intention to be the talk of everyone in thepany. ¡°Did you ask your bodyguards to beat Dane up yesterday?¡± Josephine asked. ¡°Will that put you in trouble then?¡± ¡°No, it won¡¯t. In fact, not only will I make him get hospitalized, but I will also take legal action against him.¡± Anger shed across Ethan¡¯s eyes as he spoke these words. A sc*mbag like Dane doesn¡¯t deserve to have a ce in this world! Josephine was infuriated as well. A b*stard like Dane probably must have harmed a lot of youngdies before. He should be imprisoned for his action! At noon, Ethan took her out to the restaurant for lunch. Although Josephine didn¡¯t have to go into the office, work was still unavoidable. She had a cup of coffee to go and came back home. Ethan went out to deal with some affairs, and she, on the other hand, enjoyed her cup of coffee. Sitting in front of the huge French window on the first floor, Josephine sipped her coffee while working. This is precisely my dream work scenario! Meanwhile, an international flight had justnded at the international airport. In the first-ss cabin, a youngdy with a pair of sunsses was looking out the window. She seemed to wonder what charm this city had that could make a man like Ethan not want to leave. ¡°Miss, do you need help?¡± The stewardess came forth and asked enthusiastically. ¡°No, thank you,¡± the youngdy rejected in a rather cold voice. Then, she picked up her expensive bag and got off the ne. The stewardesses behind her looked at each other. ¡°Is she a model? I seem to have seen her before.¡± ¡°She is of mixed race, so she¡¯s really pretty.¡± When the youngdy came out of the airport, she stretched out her arm, grabbed her phone, and dialed a number. ¡°Hello, Jacques. I have arrived.¡± ¡°Miss Jenna, do you need me to go and pick you up?¡± ¡°Just tell me his address, and I¡¯ll go find him personally. Besides, he probably doesn¡¯t even know I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°I did as you ordered. I didn¡¯t notify Mr. Quarles.¡± ¡°Good! I won¡¯t let him know that it was you who told me either. Thanks. I¡¯ll go and meet him myself.¡± Shortly after, Jenna received theplete address from Jacques. Then, she hailed a cab. With her fluent English, she said, ¡°Sir, please take me to this ce.¡± At this moment, Jacques, Ethan¡¯s bodyguard, heaved a sigh of relief after he hung up. I have no choice. Jenna Langley is Mr. Quarles¡¯ future fiancee chosen by his family. I can¡¯t keep it from her, nor do I dare to. But at the same time, he didn¡¯t dare to tell Jenna that Ethan had a girlfriend here either, for he believed that Jenna would deal with the situation well. After Josephine finished her work, she came to the garden and admired the beauty of the flowers. Ethan even especially had someone to add a swing for her, allowing her to reminisce about her childhood. Currently, she yed on the swing while admiring the flowers, waiting for him toe home. Just then, Josephine heard the sound of a doorbell ringing. By the sound of it, it seemed to being from the direction of the front entrance. Hence, she couldn¡¯t help being surprised. Who is it that¡¯s on the door? It surely isn¡¯t Ethan, and I didn¡¯t order any food delivery either. Could it be someone from real estate? Thinking of this, Josephine made her way toward the door. Since there was a visual screen next to the door, Josephine couldn¡¯t help being surprised when she saw a tall female figure appear on the screen. Who¡¯s this youngdy? Josephine talked to the person outside the door through the visual screen. ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± ¡°Are you Eeth¡¯s servant?¡± Instead of answering Josephine¡¯s question, the woman outside the door instantly asked back. Eeth? Does she mean Ethan? Before Josephine could react, the woman¡¯s voice sounded from the other end. ¡°I am Eeth¡¯s girlfriend. Please open the door for me.¡± Josephine¡¯s mind buzzed and went nk for a few seconds before she opened the door. Her emotions became extremely mixed up as she looked at the elegant and tall woman with a suitcase and sunsses outside the door. Thinking she heard it wrong, Josephine asked again, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but can you repeat what you just said?¡± Jenna furrowed her brows at the disrespect she felt. Raising a brow, she retorted, ¡°I¡¯m Ethan¡¯s girlfriend. Got it now?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not home. Call him if you¡¯re looking for him!¡± Josephine mmed the door shut and turned around to walk into the house. ¡°Hey! Hey! Who are you? Who are you to block me outside?¡± Jenna was dumbfounded. How dare a maid like her leave me outside?! Josephine entered the living room as she felt a fire burning in her that almost consumed her. She noticed the phone on the couch and picked it up to call Ethan. ¡°Hey. I¡¯m on the way home. Almost there.¡± Ethan thought she was worried after waiting for him, so he told her his whereabouts. ¡°Ethan, I¡¯m asking you once more. Do you have a girlfriend?¡± Josephine¡¯s tone was serious as she questioned him. ¡°Of course not!¡± he answered instantly. ¡°I¡¯m gonna give you one minute. Think carefully before answering me.¡± Josephine was furious beyond imagination. ¡°Joey, what happened? Anyone said something to you?¡± Ethan was a little dazed and started to panic a little. He could feel that she wasn¡¯t joking around. It seemed like she was angry for real. ¡°No one told me anything. Your girlfriend is here.¡± Josephine answered him calmly. ¡°You should exin yourself when you¡¯re back.¡± Then, she hung up the phone. Her chest heaved up and down and tears welled up in her eyes. But she held them in. She didn¡¯t want to make herself look so cheap. Besides, she wasn¡¯t the type to make the other party stay just because they slept together. She was an adult and could take responsibility for her own actions. ¡°Sh*t!¡± Ethan cursed in the car before immediately dialing a number and scolding in Chinese. Soon, a bodyguard answered the phone. ¡°Hi, Young Master. I was the one who told Miss Jenna about your whereabouts.¡± ¡°You¡¯re fired!¡± Ethan fired him on the spot, furious at the revtion. He had told the bodyguard to never tell his family about him. He didn¡¯t expect him to disobey his orders. At that moment, Jenna stood before the vi, biting her red lips. She crossed her arms and took a deep breath. She decided to tell Ethan about herself. However, just as she was about to call him, she heard a car from behind her and turned around to look. Realizing it was a familiar car, she was ted to find Ethan had returned. She immediately flipped her long hair and let out a charming and innocent smile. When Ethan got out of the car, she sweetly called out, ¡°Ethan, you¡¯re back!¡± ¡°Who said you can be here?¡± Ethan questioned her in displeasure. Then, he instructed, ¡°My bodyguard will send you to the airport. You¡¯re going back alone.¡± Jenna reached out to grab his arm when she heard that. ¡°I don¡¯t want to. I¡¯m here for you. I heard you¡¯re on holiday. We can take this opportunity to spend some time together!¡± Right at that moment, Josephine heard the car and walked out to the courtyard. She stood on the side of the fence and saw Jenna acting coquettishly with Ethan in the driveway. Josephine stared at them as she felt a stab in her heart. Who is that girl? Are they really a couple? Have I be a homewrecker? Ethan, you jerk! She cursed in her heart. Right then, the gate opened and Ethan strode over and saw Josephine standing there. He panicked and walked up to her. ¡°Joey, I can exin.¡± Jenna, who anxiously came in after him with her luggage, was stunned. She noticed how panicked Ethan was about Josephine and wondered if she really had mistaken Josephine for Ethan¡¯s maid. Then, she watched as Ethan strode over and held Josephine tightly in his arms. Her eyes widened and a p came down on Ethan¡¯s face as he was pushed away by Josephine. Jenna was furious because the man she loved got pped out of the blue. She stomped over angrily and questioned, ¡°Who are you to p Ethan?¡± She raised her arm immediately after, taking advantage of her height and wanting to return the p to Josephine. Just as her arm was up in the air, Ethan grabbed her arm and stood in front of Josephine. He warned in a low tone, ¡°Don¡¯t touch her, Jenna.¡± ¡°But she pped you! You¡¯re the distinguished young master of the Quarles Family. Who is she to do that?¡± Jenna couldn¡¯t believe her ears. This was the first time she saw Ethan being pped, not to mention it was by an ordinary girl. Josephine also regretted pping him. Earlier, he dashed over and hugged her, but she couldn¡¯t get out of his embrace. Since she was already beside herself, the anger fueled her actions and she identally pped him. ¡°She¡¯s my girlfriend. The one I love the most. I won¡¯t allow anyone toy a finger on her,¡± Ethan dered firmly. His words stunned both women. Josephine never expected Ethan to introduce her so openly. Jenna, on the other hand, was in utter disbelief. Ethan said this average-looking girl is his girlfriend?! How could this be? Then, what am I to him? ¡°What about me? I¡¯ve liked you for so long. I¡¯ve been by your side for so long. Am I nothing to you?!¡± Jenna questioned painfully. Josephine, who was standing by the side, finally understood what was happening. All this time, it was Jenna self-proiming that she was Ethan¡¯s girlfriend. Ethan didn¡¯t think of her as his girlfriend at all. ¡°In my eyes, you¡¯re a friend, but also a sister.¡± Ethan tried to console her. Tears streamed down Jenna¡¯s face and washed away her exquisite makeup. She looked at him in despair. ¡°No. I don¡¯t want to be your sister or just a friend. I¡¯ve loved you for three years. I want to be your girlfriend.¡± Josephine felt the hand that she pped Ethan with still tingling with pain. She regretted acting so rashly just now. I should¡¯ve listened to his exnation first. She cast secret nces at the red mark on Ethan¡¯s face before caressing his face and asking with concern, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I misunderstood you.¡± However, Ethan wrapped his long arms around her. ¡°It¡¯s okay. As long as we cleared the air.¡± ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± she asked softly. ¡°Nope!¡± Ethan shook his head. Suddenly, Jenna stared at Josephine with resentment. ¡°Do you know who he is? Do you know how wealthy his family is? You are not worthy of him.¡± ¡°Stop it, Jenna. I don¡¯t want to make things ugly between our families,¡± Ethan warned harshly. Jenna was taken aback. Even if Ethan was cold to her back then, he never once looked at her with those cold, warning eyes. So, she felt wronged for being treated like this. She cried harder as she looked at Ethan and bit her lips. ¡°Is it wrong of me to like you? I came all the way here for you and didn¡¯t even have time to catch my breath. Can I go in for some tea?¡± Before Josephine could say anything, Ethan rejected her. ¡°This is my and Josephine¡¯s home. It¡¯s not convenient for you to enter. I¡¯ll ask my bodyguard to arrange a ce for you. You should go back after resting tonight.¡± At that moment, two of Ethan¡¯s bodyguards walked in after parking their car. Ethan asked them to carry Jenna¡¯s luggage for her. Despite being unwilling, Jenna could only walk away. However, she turned around and stared at Josephine for a long time with eyes filled with envy, resentment, and hatred. Josephine calmly met Jenna¡¯s gaze and watched her leave before cupping her hands around Ethan¡¯s face to check the injury tenderly. ¡°Does it hurt? I was too rough.¡± However, Ethan grabbed her hands and smirked. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve got a thick face. It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± Josephine¡¯s hand hurt from hitting Ethan earlier, and she was abruptly filled with a deep sense of regret. ¡°I promise never to hit you again,¡± she promised. Ethan snorted withughter when he heard those words. Reaching out, he pulled her into his embrace. ¡°Why are you making such child-like promises?¡± ¡°I will definitely control myself in the future.¡± Blinking back her tears, she threw her arms around his waist tightly. ¡°I will properly listen to your exnation next time.¡± Then, she looked up at him and asked, ¡°Do you have any other crazy admirers aside from that woman? Hurry up and tell me about them so that I won¡¯t be jealous of them in the future!¡± He mulled over her question and shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I never paid any attention to them.¡± His answer left her with no choice but to give up on her original objective. She had initially thought that she could trick him into telling her about whether he had any other admirers in the past. ¡°Is Miss Langley the daughter of your parents¡¯ friend?¡± ¡°Yeah. She is the daughter of my mother¡¯s friend. We¡¯ve known each other since childhood, but I only regard her as a friend.¡± ¡°She¡¯s really pretty! Not to mention, she looks like a model,¡± she added. He involuntarily smiled and stroked the tip of her nose endearingly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you trusted me? Why are you testing me again?¡± She blinked innocently to conceal her embarrassment and smiled mischievously. ¡°I do trust you!¡± Ethan brought Josephine into the hall. As soon as he entered the hall, he reached out and pulled her into his arms. They copsed onto the couch together. Lying on top of him, she looked up at him with glistening eyes. She never wanted to see another woman approaching him again. If it happened again, she was certain she would be very jealous. That was because she had a strong possessive streak in her heart. She wished that her lover would only belong to her forever. Meanwhile, he wrapped his arms around the back of her lower waist. Their position instantly became rather ambiguous. Supporting the back of her head, he nted a kiss on her forehead. ¡°Are we going out for dinner tonight? Or are we cooking at home?¡± ¡°Are you willing to cook? I¡¯m bad at cooking,¡± she questioned. ¡°Sure! I¡¯ll prepare steak and spaghetti for you.¡± ¡°Wow! That sounds great! In that case, I¡¯ll help you,¡± she eximed happily and threw her arms around his neck. Ethan took out his phone and instructed the bodyguards to deliver some ingredients. What was more, these ingredients were flown in under his orders to ensure they maintained their authentic taste. He used to love traveling around the world in the past and became quite talented in cooking as a result. Hence, he was excited to demonstrate his skills to Josephine tonight. Nevertheless, there was still quite some time before dinner. He felt that those hours should not be wasted by doing nothing. Rather, the time would be better spent doing something he enjoyed. Josephine had been looking forward to the dinner he was going to prepare tonight. Unbeknownst to her, she had already turned into a scrumptious delicacy in his eyes. When he suddenly lifted her in his arms, she gave a surprised but coquettish cry. Then, he carried her upstairs with a wicked smirk. Her body went weak. As somebody who had only just learned about such pleasures, she was faintly addicted and fascinated by such matters. When they reached the bed, he pressed his body against her so that she was cushioned between him and the bed. All of a sudden, a shock of electricity exploded in her mind. He kissed her in a domineering manner at that moment, and their tongues entangled together¡­ All thoughts faded from her mind after that. She hoped that she would always enjoy such a sinful life of debauchery with him in the future. Inside the five-star hotel, Jenna angrily sat on the couch. She never imagined that a woman would appear beside Ethan in the few months that they were separated. Not to mention, Ethan was so loving and doting toward the woman. What kind of background does that woman have? Which family does shee from? What methods did she use to seduce him? With Ethan¡¯s experience and status, he would never take interest in normal women. However, that woman looked extremely ordinary! Naturally, she would never consider or appreciate Josephine¡¯s strengths. She would not have been impressed even if Josephine had turned out to be an incredible beauty instead. Reaching out for her phone, she dialed that bodyguard¡¯s number and questioned him bluntly, ¡°Tell me, who is that woman beside Ethan?¡± ¡°Miss Langley, Mr. Quarles fired me because I helped you. Do you happen to need the services of a bodyguard, Miss Langley?¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. His question stunned her for a moment. Nevertheless, she realized that she was indeed going to need the services of a bodyguard since she was nning to stay here for some time. Making up her mind, she agreed without hesitation. ¡°In that case, you can work for me! I¡¯ll pay you a sry, but you have to work for me wholeheartedly.¡± ¡°No problem, Miss Langley.¡± ¡°Hurry up and tell me about that woman¡¯s background. What does she have that makes Ethan like her?¡± ¡°I have not been following Mr. Quarles recently, so I am not too clear about the specific details of her identity. However, I know that she works at the TV station.¡± ¡°Which TV station?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the TV station that Mr. Quarles invested in recently. I believe he invested in thepany because of her.¡± After hearing that, Jenna was peeved. ¡°How did Ethan meet her?¡± ¡°I think they met during the wedding held by the Presgrave Group. I am not sure about the exact details, but Mr. Quarles came to Averna after the wedding because of her. He also bought a vi for her to reside.¡± It would have been better if she had not asked any questions. After asking those questions, she felt a wave of injustice and rage surging within her. She had courted Ethan for so long, but a woman Ethan just met had quickly gotten ahead of her. Who could ept such a thing? At the very least, she could not ept such humiliation. Even if she could not obtain Ethan, she refused to let Josephine have him. Just the thought of them being together enraged her too much. Ever since she was a child, she had never allowed anybody to obtain what she could not have. The same rules applied when it came to men. There had been no women by Ethan¡¯s side previously, so she had not felt very disturbed. However, there was now a woman by his side. She suddenly felt as though she had a goal to achieve. For her, driving away the women beside Ethan would give her a great sense of aplishment and satisfaction. In any case, she would never let such an ordinary woman obtain a man like Ethan. Josephine was simply not worthy of Ethan. That night, Josephine finished the dinner that Ethan prepared for her and happily washed the dishes with him. Afterward, they went for an evening stroll together. She finally arrived at thepany on the morning of the third day. That was because she simply had too much work piling up on her desk. As soon as she sat down at her desk, Wren leaned over and gave her a thumbs-up. ¡°Joey, you¡¯re amazing. Have you seen the news today? The Vital Corp is being investigated. Thanks to your interview, the authorities have noticed certain major issues involving the company.¡± She blinked in confusion. Does that have anything to do with me? On that day, she not only failed to interview Dane but also fell prey to one of his evil schemes. All she knew was that Dane had been hospitalized after receiving a beating from Ethan¡¯s bodyguard. It would probably take him half a year to recover from his injuries. As for the rest, she remainedpletely ignorant. ¡°Really?¡± Josephine asked curiously. ¡°How can you not know about this? It was the trending headline of this morning¡¯s news! Ourpany has been credited for the discovery. As the person in charge of the interview, it¡¯s only natural that the credit goes to you!¡± Josephine immediately realized that Ethan must have settled the matter for her. Therefore, the credit for the investigation into Vital Corp actually belonged to him. I can¡¯t believe he didn¡¯t say a word to me. She couldn¡¯t help feeling slightly resentful. At that moment, Mr. Fox walked over with a capable and experienced woman behind him. ¡°Josephine, come here. This person will be your sessor, so please hand over your current tasks to her.¡± Josephine was thrown into confusion once more. It has only been the third day since I was absent from work. Why does thepany already have a sessor for my position? ¡°Hello, Miss Jacobson. I am the newly hired employee, Esther Fleming. I look forward to working with you.¡± The woman had clearly been poached from anotherpany. ¡°Hello, Esther. Hang on, I¡¯ll grab you a chair.¡± Josephine gave Esther a warm wee. Josephine¡¯s reaction stunned Esther. When Esther was in the restroom earlier, she heard the news that Josephine was the future female boss of thepany. Hence, she had been worried that Josephine would be difficult to approach. She did not expect Josephine to be so friendly. Mr. Fox immediately said to Josephine, ¡°Have a seat, Joey. I¡¯ll find a chair for her.¡± ¡°Thank you very much, Mr. Fox!¡± Josephine smiled. The truth was that he was eager to curry favor with her. He never imagined that her future would change so drastically in less than a month. She had gone from an unknown reporter to thedy boss of argepany in the blink of an eye. Meanwhile, he only managed to be the team leader after working hard for so many years. Sigh! That¡¯s just life! The world is never equal after all. Afterward, Josephine started transferring her work to Esther. It was fortunate that Esther was experienced in their profession, so she learned the ropes quickly. She even took the opportunity to settle some matters. In the meantime, Josephine and Wren chatted with each other in the pantry. Wren and Josephine were good colleagues at work and good friends in private. Wren was the only one with whom Josephine could have heart-to-heart conversations in the office. ¡°Joey, congrattions! You¡¯ll have to tell me as soon as you have a wedding date!¡± Josephine couldn¡¯t help but smile. As she said before, her fate hadn¡¯t been written yet! It was still too early to say anything. But now, she was looking forward to the day. ¡°Okay! I promise I won¡¯t forget you. After all, I have your wedding gift to look forward to.¡± Josephine laughed. Wren immediately rolled her eyes. ¡°Madam President, how dare you ask for a wedding gift? You won¡¯t be able to count how much money you¡¯ll have by then!¡± Josephine chuckled. ¡°Who would even bother to count?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! From now on, money will just be a number to you, and 99 percent of your troubles will be gone from then on,¡± Wren said. Then, the twodies had anotherugh before standing up. At this moment, a woman was sitting in a ck SUV parked in front of the office. It was none other than Jenna. She looked at the office building and asked Jack, ¡°She¡¯s working here?¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯ve been here with Mr. Quarles.¡± Jenna decided to have a proper chat with Josephine today. She wanted to let Josephine know how great of a person Ethan was so that Josephine would be too ashamed to stick around him. Either that or she was going to give Josephine a sum of money to leave him. Jenna assumed that the female employees here must be short of money, and she could easily buy them off with just 10 million. With that in mind, she pushed the door open and got out of the car. ¡°Wait for me here; I¡¯ll be right back.¡± She slowly walked into the building and headed to the receptionist to ask, ¡°Where can I find Josephine Jacobson?¡± ¡°Josephine is in the reporter¡¯s office on the eighth floor.¡± The receptionist exchanged nces with her colleague before answering her. This woman has an exotic vibe to her. She looks so beautiful! I think she¡¯s of mixed race! Upon hearing that, Jenna went straight to the eighth floor. She winked at the first male employee she saw. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m looking for Josephine. Where is she?¡± The male employee was almost giddy with joy and quickly got up to lead her to Josephine¡¯s desk himself. Josephine was handing over her work to Esther when she heard a voice. Looking up, she was startled to see Jenna standing behind her male colleague. She did not expect Jenna to find out where she worked and even show up in her office. ¡°Miss Langley, is something the matter?¡± Josephine immediately got up and asked. ¡°Let¡¯s talk,¡± Jenna ordered while lifting her chin haughtily. Josephine pointed at the pantry. ¡°There¡¯s no one there right now, so let¡¯s talk over there!¡± It was working hours, so not many people were in the pantry. Jenna found a seat and sat down with her arms crossed, her legs one over the other. ¡°What does it take for you to leave Ethan?¡± Josephine had expected Jenna to ask these questions. She shook her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m not going to leave him.¡± ¡°Do you like him or his money?¡± ¡°Both,¡± Josephine responded directly with an indifferent voice. Jenna sneered in her mind. She knew that the woman before her was only interested in Ethan¡¯s money. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re avaricious. If I tell you that you can¡¯t marry into the Quarles Family, will you believe me?¡± ¡°Can you speak on behalf of the Quarles Family?¡± Josephine retorted. Jenna couldn¡¯t help but choke on her words. ¡°I know the Quarles Family well. They would never find someone like you to be married into their family. At the very least, they would find someone reputable to be their daughter-inw!¡± However, Josephine wasn¡¯t affected by Jenna¡¯s words as she calmly replied, ¡°Miss Langley, then let me advise you as well. You¡¯re so young and beautiful. You can get anyone from any family if you want. Ethan already has someone in mind. Please don¡¯t bother him anymore.¡± Jenna¡¯s face darkened when she heard this. ¡°You have no right to tell me to leave him.¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing this for your own good lest you waste any more time on him.¡± Josephine raised her eyebrows. ¡°Hmph! Are you pitying me? You have no idea about my rtionship with Ethan. We¡¯re childhood sweethearts!¡± Jenna said coldly. ¡°Yet Ethan told me he only sees you as a younger sister. If he really likes you, he will start to notice you more after youe of age. If he doesn¡¯t like you, even if you bother him for the rest of his life, he will never have feelings for you,¡± Josephine persuaded her calmly. ¡°You¡ª¡± Jenna was furious, for Josephine¡¯s words were really hurting her ego. ¡°If you won¡¯t take my word for it, Miss Langley, there¡¯s nothing else I can do. If you¡¯re trying to convince me to leave Ethan, you¡¯ll just be wasting your breath,¡± Josephine said coldly. ¡°Hmph! Do you really think you can handle a man like Ethan?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to instill doubt in my mind. We love each other. On the other hand, people like you with no one to love should be the ones worrying!¡± Josephine said with finality in her tone. ¡°Well, I still have a job to do. I won¡¯t be seeing you off.¡± ¡°Josephine, stop right there!¡± Jenna got up angrily and called after Josephine. With a frown, Josephine said, ¡°If you continue to cause trouble in the office, I won¡¯t mind getting the security guard to kick you out. This is an office. It¡¯s not a pce for you to fool around.¡± Jenna was rendered speechless from anger. She didn¡¯t want Ethan to be alerted about this, so she ultimately picked up her bag and left. After leaving the pantry, Josephine had a feeling that Jenna had malicious intentions. It seemed like she had made the right choice to stay calm and not fall for Jenna¡¯s tricks. She only needed to trust herself, Ethan, and their feelings for one another. She didn¡¯t need to believe anyone else. Josephine received a call from Atticus at 3.00PM, asking her to head up. Thinking it was about work, she headed up with no second thoughts. Just as she got into the elevator, she ran into Tori. When she noticed that Tori was also going to the twelfth floor, she suddenly understood what was going on. ¡°Josephine, congrattions! Miss Ain¡¯s position is yours now!¡± Tori said in a weird tone. ¡°Now the whole company knows that Miss Ain will be fired soon. You don¡¯t have to worry about getting kicked out of the company anymore.¡± Josephine had her heart in her mouth. It was obviously just a chance for promotion, but Tori made it sound as if Josephine had forced Ain out of the position. ¡°I¡¯ve never thought of recing Miss Ain. She needs two years to recover from her illness. I¡¯ll just be taking over her position temporarily,¡± Josephine said warily. As soon as she said that, the elevator arrived on the twelfth floor with a ding. Josephine stepped out of the elevator, and a mocking voice was immediately heard behind her. ¡°Haha! You mean when Miss Ain returns, you¡¯d go back to your initial job?¡± Josephine responded without looking back, ¡°We¡¯ll just have to wait and see what thepany¡¯s arrangements are then!¡± ¡°Whatpany arrangement? Isn¡¯t this all your arrangement? If you say a word now, you can have any position you want,¡± Tori sneered. ¡°Isn¡¯t thispany yours already?¡± ¡°Miss Alford, watch your words. Maybe I¡¯d be interested in your position as well.¡± Josephine turned around as she spoke to intimidate her. As expected, Tori¡¯s triumphant face turned flustered. ¡°Josephine, do you think just anyone can take my post? You shouldn¡¯t talk so much if you don¡¯t want thepany to go bankrupt.¡± Josephine smiled calmly. ¡°Miss Alford, are you scared?¡± Tori faked her confidence and said with her head held high, ¡°I have nothing to be afraid of. Even if I don¡¯t stay with thispany, I have so many other ces to go. Capable people wouldn¡¯t be at the bottom for long.¡± Josephine ignored thedy and knocked on the office door. When Atticus saw her, he greeted her with a big smile, ¡°Josephine! We¡¯ve made some arrangements in thepany. Starting this week, we¡¯ll train you for a week to get you ustomed to Ain¡¯s position.¡± ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Josephine was no longer humbling herself. Now that she had reached here, she could finally stand on her own two feet. ¡°Well, we¡¯vepleted all your transferal procedures. After you¡¯re done with your handover, you can come back up anytime. If you don¡¯t understand anything, you can ask the senior employees, like Yuna, Gabrie, or even Lennox!¡± ¡°Okay! I understand,¡± Josephine agreed happily. ¡°Oh, right! Please say a few good words about thepany to Mr. Quarles. Thepany is currently doing really well, and the stock prices have been rising continuously!¡± ¡°I think he already knows.¡± Josephineughed. ¡°But Mr. Quarles will definitely listen to what you have to say!¡± Atticus said with a smile. Right now, he was trying to curry favors with Josephine. This way, thepany would always have a strong investor behind it. When the meeting was over, Josephine pushed open the door and saw a figure running away to the next corridor. It was clear that whoever it was, they were eavesdropping. Josephine frowned and walked straight to the corridor to find out who it was. She soon saw the figure in front of her. It was Katrina. Irked, she immediately stopped her. ¡°Katrina.¡± Katrina felt a little guilty as she turned around and asked, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Why were you eavesdropping? What exactly did you want to hear?¡± Josephine asked. ¡°Who said I was eavesdropping? I just happened to pass by.¡± Katrina didn¡¯t want to admit it. At this point, Josephine didn¡¯t bother saying anything more and turned to leave. However, just as she walked away, she heard Katrina mocking her from behind. ¡°Josephine, I know you¡¯ve been promoted, but your promotion upsets the wholepany. If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t stay here any longer!¡± As Josephine didn¡¯t like Katrina, she did not hesitate as she turned around to scold her. ¡°Instead of wasting time talking about me, you should work on yourself more!¡± Katrina snorted. ¡°Do you really think you¡¯re that great? You just got lucky with Mr. Quarles and climbed up with his status!¡± Josephine really hated these types of insults. Just a single sentence wouldpletely disregard her efforts. Yet, Katrina stood there as if her words werepletely justified. ¡°Whether it¡¯s my own capabilities or not, I don¡¯t need to prove it to someone like you,¡± Josephine said harshly before turning around and leaving. Katrina gritted her teeth angrily behind her. She nned to stay in thispany and wait for the day when Josephine got discarded by Ethan. When that day came, she would definitely extinguish whatever was left of Josephine¡¯s mes. When Josephine returned to her desk, Esther had already started working. Wren had helped her a lot. Right then and there, Josephine¡¯s phone rang. Seeing this, she went to the pantry to answer the call. ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been promoted. This calls for a celebration, no?¡± A gentle and loving voice came from the other end of the call. Josephine didn¡¯t even think about it and agreed wholeheartedly, ¡°All right! It¡¯s on me!¡± ¡°Do we still have to draw such a clear line? I¡¯m already yours; is there anything of mine that isn¡¯t yours?¡± the man said softly. Josephine was ted when she heard that. She smiled brightly. ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll treat you to dinner with your money.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make a reservation then.¡± Josephine was really looking forward to the date with him tonight. This was the best part of being in this rtionship! Every day was filled with anticipation. In the car outside the office, Jenna took out a pack of cigarettes and lit one up. She let out a big sigh before mumbling, ¡°Is there really nothing I can do about her?¡± ¡°Miss Jenna, maybe you should tell the Quarles and their elders about it. Let them stop Mr. Ethan instead,¡± Jack suggested. Jenna¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°That¡¯s right! Why didn¡¯t I think about that? She¡¯s just an ordinary person. The Quarles will definitely not ept her.¡± If she brought this up, she would definitely have to tweak the story a little. She would tell the Quarles about how Josephine had seduced their son in order to gain ess to the family¡¯s wealth. If Josephine were described as a vain, gold-digging, materialistic woman, the elders of the Quarles would definitely oppose their marriage. This idea excited Jenna, and she took out her phone. She quickly found Ethan¡¯s mother¡¯s phone number and dialed it. ¡°Hello?¡± Donna Finch¡¯s voice came from the other end. ¡°Mrs. Quarles, it¡¯s me, Jenna.¡± ¡°I know. What¡¯s wrong, Jenna?¡± Donna asked gently. ¡°Mrs. Quarles, do you know that Eeth has a girlfriend?¡± ¡°What? Eeth has a girlfriend? Is it you?¡± Donna asked spectively. Jenna had always been confident that the Quarles Family liked her. Hearing this, she couldn¡¯t help but feel wronged as she eximed, ¡°Mrs. Quarles, how can I be so lucky? Eeth has another girl by his side.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Eeth on vacation? Are you with him?¡± ¡°Yes, I just arrived here, but I need to tell you something, so you won¡¯t be kept in the dark.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a girl who pulled some strings to charm Eeth. She even asked him to get her a vi and invest in apany. He even nned to leave the Quarles Family to settle here with her so he could continue splurging on her!¡± ¡°What? How did this happen?!¡± Of course, Donna was furious when she heard that her son was obsessed with a woman like this. The image of a materialistic and greedy woman appeared in her mind. It was said that women were the most important thing for the growth of a family. If such a gold digger and selfish daughter-inw entered the family, they would be ruined no matter how powerful the family was! ¡°Mrs. Quarles, if you don¡¯t believe me, I can take a picture and let you see the girl¡¯s face.¡± ¡°Okay, Jenna. Take a picture, then show me. I want to see what kind of girl tricked her way into Eeth¡¯s heart.¡± Donna¡¯s voice was no longer gentle but full of overbearing anger. ¡°Alright, Mrs. Quarles. Just wait a moment. Once I¡¯ve taken the videos and photos, I¡¯ll send them to you immediately.¡± Jenna waited in the car. She guessed that Ethan woulde to pick Josephine up from work. Sure enough, around 5.00PM, Jack pointed at a red sports car. ¡°Miss Jenna, that¡¯s what Mr. Quarles gave Josephine as a gift.¡± Jenna was incredibly jealous. Although she had the money to buy the same car, Ethan¡¯s kindness was priceless. ¡°Follow them. I want to take videos and photos of them,¡± she ordered Jack. After a while, Ethan came out with a girl in his arms. It was Josephine. They were talking,ughing, and kissing sweetly, making outsiders envious. Jenna couldn¡¯t believe what she saw at all. To her, Ethan was a flower that grew on top of a snow mountain and couldn¡¯t be touched. She¡¯d spent so many years by his side; she even worked hard to win his attention, but it was useless. Yet, now, Josephine had him wrapped around her fingers. How could Jenna be okay with that? Thus, she picked up her phone and quickly took a video. When the couple got to the car, Ethan patted Josephine¡¯s head and kissed her forehead lovingly. Even before getting into the car, he still wanted to be affectionate! Judging from his actions, Ethan seemed to be the one who was more in love. However, it was just that Josephine was more conservative. So, she didn¡¯t have the nerve to do anything with Ethan publicly. In fact, she really wanted to hug him and even wanted to touch his chest and abs when she saw him, but she could only do these things behind closed doors when they returned to the vi. However, Ethan had been living in a foreign country. Therefore, he did not shy away from showing affection publicly. After their car left, Jenna followed behind them in her SUV. She could only wait outside as she watched them enter a restaurant. She didn¡¯t want Ethan to find out that she was secretly filming them lest she left a bad impression on him. After all, she was still looking for an opportunity to be with him. Over at the restaurant, the atmosphere was romantic, with the apaniment of soft music and exquisite dishes. Ever since Josephine met Ethan, she had be used to eating at high-ss restaurants. However, she was always only half-full by the end of the meal. As a person who was capable of devouring two tes of spaghetti when she got home from work, this meager amount of food simply could not satisfy her appetite. However, in front of the man she liked, Josephine pretended to be ady. This was a change she made for the person she liked! ¡°If you have any issues at work,e to me anytime. I¡¯ll solve it for you,¡± said Ethan. If he was being honest, he wanted her to stop working. That way, he could take care of her and spend all his time with her. However, it was wrong to deprive her of her right to work. Everyone had a dream to pursue and being an announcer while standing in front of a screen was Josephine¡¯s dream. Chapter 1881-1890 Chapter 1881-1890 Ethan respected her, so he gave her the space and tform needed for her to achieve her dreams. Josephine couldn¡¯t talk to him about work. If she told him about her situation, he would fire all the people who crossed her, and thepany would be left with no people to run it. That would be bad for work. ¡°Work¡¯s fine, really.¡± Josephine smiled. ¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t worry about anything else. I¡¯m looking forward to your show.¡± ¡°I¡¯m preparing for it. It¡¯ll be done soon.¡± Josephine picked up her ss and raised it. ¡°Thank you, honey.¡± Ethan raised a toast as well. ¡°No problem.¡± They went shopping at a nearby mall after dinner. Ethan thought Josephine needed more clothes. Jenna had been waiting in the car, so when she saw the couple, she and her bodyguards followed them. Josephine wanted to let her hair down too and walking around was good for digestion. The problem was that Ethan stood out too much. A lot of women were staring at him, and Josephine had half the mind to take him home right away so these women couldn¡¯t see him. Ethan had a peculiar shopping style. Most people would pick the things they wanted, but he would pick the ones he didn¡¯t want and buy everything else. It didn¡¯t take long for him to pick all the clothes and bags the shop had to offer, and Josephine couldn¡¯t stop him. Jenna was standing outside taking photos surreptitiously, especially the ones where Josephine held Ethan¡¯s hand as she stopped him from buying more. However, in the photo, it looked like Josephine was asking Ethan to buy more. Yep. Photos are more deceptive. Jenna looked at the photo and smirked. She could see that Josephine was trying to stop Ethan from buying more, but Ethan led her to more aisles and bought everything money could buy. If he could, he would¡¯ve bought the whole shop. Jenna loved shopping too, and she loved this particr brand, but she wasn¡¯t rich enough to shop like Ethan. The Quarles Family had enough money tost them for centuries, while her family only got rich because they buttered up to the Quarles Family. Her mother would even restrict her allowance. She envied Josephine for all the love she was shown. I wish that were me. After following the couple and taking photos and videos of them, Jenna was exhausted. She went back to the hotel and sent those photos to Donna. Donna called her right after that, and Jenna picked up the call. ¡°Hey, Mrs. Quarles.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Ethan?¡± ¡°Are youing over?¡± Jenna asked quickly. She could tell that Donna was angry. ¡°That woman is going to take him away from me. Of course, I¡¯ming.¡± I knew it. She¡¯s going to stop her son from dating a gold digger. ¡°Don¡¯t tell him I took the pictures, alright?¡± ¡°You helped me, so of course, I won¡¯t. Wait for me,¡± said Donna. Jenna texted her the country and city she was in, and then she waited happily for Donna¡¯s arrival. Let¡¯s see what Josephine will do. Donna¡¯s a feisty woman. I wonder if Ethan will take his mother¡¯s side or an outsider¡¯s side. Oh, I really want to see Donna teaching that woman a lesson. The night was peaceful. After taking a shower, Josephine took a book and sat beside the French window to read, while Ethan went to the study to work. He might be on vacation, but some of the more important work must be done by him. He was so engrossed in his work that he forgot about the time, and when he realized it, it was already midnight. He closed hisptop. He went to the second floor and noticed Josephine sleeping on the couch covered by nothing but a nket, and he med himself for not noticing the time sooner. I should¡¯ve told her to not wait for me. She would be sleeping on a bed right now instead of a couch. Ethan approached her, then he stared at her face that was illuminated by the light. Josephine had a beautiful face, but she looked adorable when she was asleep. Her skin was smooth and silky as milk and her facial features were softly defined. He couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her. Her beautiful arms slid through the sleeves of her oversized robes, and she looked that bit alluring in this state. Ethan felt like ying a prank on her to wake her up, and then they would have a bit of fun in the night. Just as he picked her up to carry her to the room, Josephine woke up. When she realized it was him holding her, she closed her eyes, and a sweet smile curled her lips. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re sleepy?¡± asked Ethan. ¡°Yeah,¡± said Josephine. Ethan kept kissing her neck, and it stirred something in her. She protested, ¡°Hey, stop it. It tickles.¡± Ethan didn¡¯t listen. He kept doing what he wanted, so Josephine was already wide awake before they even got to their bed. After he ced her on the bed, he pinned her down, and she saw the light of desire glinting in his eyes. She gasped. He¡¯s going to do it even when I¡¯m asleep? I guess I¡¯ll have to really pretend to be asleep next time. She couldn¡¯t pretend to be asleep this time since Ethan saw her wake up, and he wouldn¡¯t let her fall asleep after he spent so much time waking her up. Josephine felt like a fire was lit up in her, and she wanted to burn with Ethan too. ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful,¡± said Ethan. He loved Josephine¡¯s looks. She was beautiful and lively. Happy about being praised, Josephine let him kiss her. They did it all around the room, from the bed to the bathroom. The next morning, Josephine asked for a half-day off since she couldn¡¯t get out of bed. ¡­ Jenna got a message after she woke up. It was from Donna, and she said she was already boarding the flight. Jenna smirked. Donna will be here in eighteen hours. Then it¡¯s time for Josephine to step aside. Ethan didn¡¯t get any news about his mother¡¯s visit. Donna made sure it was a secret¡ªshe told everyone not to tell Ethan about it. She wanted to check out her son¡¯s rtionship, but even before she came, she had decided that this woman was not to be allowed to date her son. She had three criteria for her son¡¯s partner. One, they must have good character; two, they must not be materialistic; and three, they must love her son more than his money, for anyone who loved money more than her son was selfish and greedy. Obviously, she thought this girl failed her litmus test, so she wanted to tell her son to break up with her. Josephine came to work. She would be taking over Ain¡¯s show. Since the episode that was airing now was recorded prior, Josephine still had time to train and prepare for the takeover. She changed into her work attire and sat in the studio. Even though she was a little nervous, she presented herself to be calm andposed. Tori stepped into the studio to watch. She heard that this was Josephine¡¯s first show and was here to watch how Josephine would embarrass herself. However, she would be disappointed, as Josephine presented herself perfectly to the camera. She was the perfect candidate for the job. After Josephine read the first line, the producer gave her a thumbs up. ¡°Good show, Josephine. That¡¯s a great performance for a first-timer.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Josephine smiled. Tori crossed her arms, feeling disappointed. It was frustrating that Josephine didn¡¯t embarrass herself. She had to say that this woman had talent, and she was worried that Josephine might take over her spot if she became more popr in thepany. She was the host of prime-time news, and that was the most important show for thepany. Josephine was sipping some water when she saw Ethaning into the studio holding a bouquet of roses. Happily, she smiled. Everyone looked at the entrance, after which they became nervous. They couldn¡¯t believe Ethan would come here, and he was holding a bouquet of flowers too. Tori saw Ethan, and she quickly straightened herself out, then she put on her most dazzling smile. ¡°Hello, Mr. Quarles.¡± Ethan only nced at her before he turned to look at Josephine, then the producer approached him. ¡°The recording went well. Josephine did a good job.¡± Ethan smiled and nodded proudly. ¡°I knew she could do it.¡± Josephine was sitting under a beam of light, her clothes showing off her perfect curves. Her face seemed to shine under the light, and a hint of healthy red tinged her skin. She was perfect for the camera. Tori watched this scene unfold, and she was reminded of what she saw on the monitor of the film camera earlier. She had to say that Josephine was a great presenter as she looked good on camera and had a memorable voice. When Josephine left the studio, Ethan presented her with the flowers. He then wrapped his arm around her shoulder and kissed her forehead, his eyes filled with love. Everyone envied Josephine for getting a boyfriend who loved and spoiled her so much. Josephine wrapped her arm around Ethan, and her female colleagues almost went green with envy. They would love to be in her spot. If they could even touch Ethan once, they would die happy. That night, Ethan threw a celebration, and he even bought a set of jewelry for Josephine. It might be expensive, but it was nothing to Ethan. If Josephine refused it, it would be disrespectful to their rtionship, so she took it. Unbeknownst to Ethan, Jenna had taken a few photos of him picking out the jewelry for Josephine in the afternoon. She wanted to get more ¡®evidence¡¯ to show Donna that Josephine was just a materialistic woman who kept asking Ethan to buy things for her. After dinner, Ethan took Josephine back to the vi, which was like their secret garden. It was where they could enjoy each other¡¯s love and embrace without worries. Josephine was still munching down on some fruits when Ethan took them away from her. Sheepishly, she said, ¡°Ethan, you¡­¡± Ethan bit down on the fruit and tossed her a look of allure. Josephine couldn¡¯t resist that, so she pounced on him and pinned him down. This position excited Ethan, and he gulped. He put his hand behind Josephine¡¯s head and pressed his lips against hers. It was obvious that Josephine did not manage to get her fruit back. Josephine started getting handsy too. Oh my God, his abs. His body feels so good. Mmm, I love this. Josephine might be reserved most of the time, but she always let herself go when her switch was turned on. Ethan easily woke the sleeping passion within her. Noticing her being handsy, Ethan asked hoarsely, ¡°Having fun?¡± ¡°Yep. And you¡¯re not letting anyone else touch you, get it?¡± dered Josephine. Ethan smiled. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m yours forever.¡± Happy, Josephine leaned down and kissed him. All of a sudden, he picked her up, and she reflexively wrapped her legs around him. Panicked, she said, ¡°No. I have a report to write.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the boss¡¯ wife. You don¡¯t have to write any reports.¡± Ethan chuckled. He wouldn¡¯t let her go that easily. No. That report will be needed tomorrow. She pleaded, ¡°Please, just give me half an hour. You can do anything to me after that.¡± Ethan narrowed his eyes, wondering if this was a good deal. He asked, ¡°Are you sure I can do anything?¡± Josephine gulped. Well, this is going to be bad. He¡¯s taking advantage of me, and nothing good ever comes from that. However, I¡¯m not scared. Not like he can gobble me up. He¡¯ll always let me go if I just cry a little. Josephine had a few tricks up her sleeves, and she wasn¡¯t afraid to use them. ¡°Yep.¡± She nodded. Ethan put her down, and Josephine grabbed herself a ss of water before she darted off to do her report. She could not get into it at first, for she kept getting distracted by Ethan. In the end, she forced herself to power through and finish it in half an hour. After that, she deliberately hid in her room. However, Ethan had been counting down. If she refused toe out, he would have to go in. When she noticed what he was doing, she chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m not done yet.¡± ¡°Time¡¯s up. If you¡¯re not done, you¡¯ll have to leave it.¡± He then picked her up from the chair. Josephine closed herptop and looked at him. ¡°What will you do to me?¡± ¡°What do you say?¡± asked Ethan. ¡°What would you like me to do?¡± She was getting a bit intoxicated just listening to his voice that was so velvety. She wrapped her arms around his neck. ¡°Whatever you want.¡± She got a little excited, but then Ethan took her to the couch and she panicked. He¡¯s going to do it right here? That¡¯s a bit embarrassing. ¡°We should take this back to the room.¡± ¡°I get to pick the spot,¡± Ethan dered. I get to do whatever I want. Josephine couldn¡¯t argue. She was the one who suggested this, so she had to take it. Thus, a fun night began. ¡­ Jenna and her bodyguards were receiving Donna from the airport. They were waiting outside the VIP passage, and after a while, Donna appeared. Walking behind her were two female bodyguards. Donna was wearing a long, beautiful dress, and her essories looked elegant and expensive. She was the lady of a rich family, and every move she made sang of elegance. Jenna hugged her. ¡°You¡¯re here, Mrs. Quarles.¡± ¡°Take me to Ethan,¡± said Donna. While they were on their way, Jenna showed Donna the picture she took the day before. ¡°Ethan got her some jewelry. I bet she kept asking him for it, and he picked it for her himself.¡± ¡°He wouldn¡¯t even do it for me! And now he¡¯s picking gifts for another girl?¡± Donna was a little jealous that her son was treating another woman so well. ¡°You have to stop them from seeing each other, or he¡¯s going to be her ve.¡± ¡°My son isn¡¯t that worthless.¡± Donna was wondering how she should settle this. ¡°You can¡¯t show her mercy, but still, be prepared. I bet she¡¯s going to ask for somepensation.¡± Donna hated women like that the most. Even though she was rich, she would not let herself get taken advantage of. ¡°We should get a room at the hotel. I¡¯d like to make some observations myself.¡± I should check it out with my own eyes first, Donna thought. The next day, Josephine went to work as usual. It was her second show, and she was getting better at it too. The producer didn¡¯t forget to praise her. ¡°We¡¯re going to throw a celebration tonight. Can you ask Mr. Quarles to join us?¡± asked the producer. ¡°Tonight?¡± Josephine smiled. ¡°Yes. Short notice, and it¡¯s only for our department.¡± Josephine nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll text him.¡± She then texted Ethan, and he said he could go. ¡°He can make it,¡± said Josephine. Happy, the producer said, ¡°Great. Looking forward to tonight.¡± The news made its way to Tori. She was donning her earrings, and she froze for a moment. ¡°What? Are you sure Mr. Quarles will be there too?¡± ¡°Yes. Josephine asked him, and he said he¡¯lle.¡± Tori looked into the mirror and smiled. I¡¯m going to dress myself up and take all the attention away from Josephine. At 5.30PM, the excitement started to fill the air in the office. The employees were looking forward to the gatheringter since their boss made reservations at an expensive restaurant. Their performance was great that month and they wanted to celebrate Josephine joining them, so thepany spent a ton of money on this. A lot of the workers clocked off early just to get changed. Of course, they had to doll themselves up! Thedies had heard that Ethan was going to be there, so even though they weren¡¯t expecting any surprises tonight, they wanted to dress up just for Ethan. Josephine didn¡¯t go back. She had a report to write, and she did not need to captivate Ethan anyway. This was just another dinner for her. Tori was already in the boutique downstairs, picking out the best dress for the night. A ck, shining dress caught her eye, and she took it. ¡°I¡¯ll have this one.¡± ¡°Sure. We¡¯ll style you up after you get changed.¡± Tori got changed and asked someone to style her up. Once they were done, Tori radiated the air of a goddess, and the staff member praised her, ¡°You¡¯re beautiful. I bet you¡¯ll be the star of the show tonight.¡± ¡°She¡¯s beautiful and hot. Is someone you like going to show up tonight?¡± Tori smiled in the mirror. ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°Oh my gosh, he¡¯s so lucky. You dressed yourself up just for him.¡± Tori kept admiring herself. No matter her dress or looks, she knew she would be the star of the event. I bet Ethan will look at me. At 5.30PM, Josephine¡¯s phone rang. She had just finished work. When she saw who was calling, she smiled. ¡°Are you here already?¡± ¡°Are you done with work? Come downstairs. I want to take you somewhere.¡± ¡°What? But the event¡¯s starting soon.¡± ¡°Which is in an hour. We have enough time before that,¡± said Ethan. Josephine took her bag and said goodbye to everyone. She then left the building and saw Ethan¡¯s car right outside. Ethan¡¯s bodyguard was in the driver¡¯s seat while Ethan was standing beside the car. She walked toward him with a smile. She hadn¡¯t seen him for the entire day and she missed him, so she hugged him. Ethan wrapped his arms around her as well and leaned down for a kiss, which made her blush. She then got in the car. An off-road vehicle was parked right beside them, and the passengers of that vehicle saw what happened. Jenna was filled with envy, and Donna was a little surprised too. It was the first time her son showed so much love to a woman, and she was a little jealous, to be honest. Her son could go for two weeks without calling her once, and she was jealous that he was treating someone else so nicely, especially when that someone was a girl she didn¡¯t really like. The moment Ethan drove away, Jenna said, ¡°Follow them.¡± The driver obliged. Josephine wondered where Ethan was taking her, but she got her answer when they stopped in front of an expensive boutique ten minutester. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a regr dinner between colleagues. Do I even need a dress?¡± Josephine looked at him. She didn¡¯t really have the urge to dress up. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not just between colleagues. You¡¯re showing up as their boss¡¯ wife tonight,¡± said Ethan. Josephine smiled. She still couldn¡¯t get used to this new identity of hers, but she didn¡¯t want to disappoint Ethan. Since she had the chance to dress up now, she should take it. They went into the boutique, and Jenna said, ¡°See? All she does is spend his money on things like clothes and jewelry. She never stops.¡± Donna heaved a sigh. ¡°We should leave. Let¡¯s grab dinner. I¡¯ll talk to her in a couple of days.¡± Jenna would like Donna to settle things right here, but she couldn¡¯t push it, so she said, ¡°I¡¯ll make some reservations. You like Mediterranean food, right? I know a good ce.¡± Donna nodded. She thought Jenna would make a good girlfriend for her son. Ethan was waiting on the couch while Josephine selected her dress on the second floor. She chose a simple white dress. The hem extended to her knees, and the sleeves extended to her elbow. She looked elegant and beautiful in that dress. She then sat in front of the dressing table as the stylist styled her up. As she closed her eyes, the stylist kept praising her looks, saying that they were perfect, exotic, and yet immactely beautiful. Josephine went downstairs after she was styled and Ethan turned around. What he saw captivated him. Josephine was adorable even without makeup, and now she looked like a goddess. ¡°You¡¯re beautiful.¡± Ethan approached her. His gaze did not escape Josephine, and she felt a little shy, then she held his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Everyone¡¯s waiting for us.¡± The group chat was asking her when she would arrive. Her colleagues were already there and buzzing with excitement. Thedies dressed themselves up for the event, but when Tori showed up, her beauty made them feel inadequate. Tori was a gorgeous woman, and she looked even more beautiful in makeup. A lot of the ladies started whispering among themselves. ¡°Oh my gosh, she¡¯s beautiful.¡± ¡°Of course, she does. Mr. Quarles must being tonight.¡± ¡°But he¡¯s Josephine¡¯s boyfriend. This isn¡¯t going to look good on Tori.¡± Thedies didn¡¯tment further on Tori¡¯s actions, but they knew she dressed herself up just to attract Ethan. She¡¯s trying to seduce him. Guess there¡¯ll be drama tonight. Tori took her seat beside the main seat, which belonged to Ethan. This way, she could be close to him. She knew people were staring at her, but she didn¡¯t care. She remained shining and brilliant, and it garnered a bit of attention from the men. Josephine and Ethan had just arrived at the restaurant, and so had Atticus. He went to sit beside Tori, though he was just here to back Ethan up. His wife wouldn¡¯t have let him attend this event otherwise. Thedies were wondering what kind of attire Josephine would don, and then someone opened the door. In came Josephine, and she was holding Ethan¡¯s arm. They looked like a perfect match, and Tori felt like she was being mocked. She didn¡¯t expect Josephine to dress herself up, and she looked as beautiful and radiant as Tori, if not even more. Josephine led Ethan to the main seat, where she noticed Tori as well as her immacte getup. Moreover, she was sitting in the seat right beside Ethan. Josephine shot her a look. Even though Tori felt like she was mocked earlier, she still stared back at Josephine like a triumphant peacock. No one could see it, but there were sparks of enmity flying between thedies. Ethan pointed at an older man. ¡°So, what¡¯s your position in thepany?¡± ¡°A team leader and producer, sir.¡± The man named Dustin Oserova stood up, feeling excited. ¡°Sit with me. We need to talk about work.¡± Ethan then looked at Tori. ¡°Switch seats with him, please.¡± Tori froze for a moment, and then she smiled. ¡°Of course, sir.¡± She stood up and changed seats. Everyone was shocked about that, for this was the first time Tori was treated like this, and Ethan obviously did this to make sure Josephine would feel happy. Ah, he loves her. Any man would love to be surrounded by women. The love of women is their bragging right, and yet Mr. Quarles ditched it for his lover. Josephine held a cup of tea and sipped from it, and then Atticus chuckled. ¡°We should make our orders, sir.¡± ¡°Get me the menu, and we can all make our orders,¡± said Ethan. Everyone got a menu, but Ethan didn¡¯t take one. He leaned over and looked at Josephine¡¯s instead. ¡°Order anything you want,¡± said Ethan. Josephine nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± Everyone made their orders without even checking the prices. Ethan would be the one paying after all, and they wouldn¡¯t let go of any chance to have a feast. Tori was in a bad mood. She didn¡¯t think Ethan would push her away so far just to make sure Josephine wasn¡¯t upset, but she still couldn¡¯t help liking him. No man she ever met had ignored her so hard, yet that was the kind of man she liked. Oh, I can¡¯t wait to see Josephine¡¯s face when I steal her boyfriend away. After making their orders, everyone started chatting with one another. Josephine joined in the conversations as well. She would listen closely especially when they were talking about other TV stations. Just then, ady brought up the gossip about a certain male celebrity, and Josephine leaned in just so she could hear better. ¡°What? He¡¯s really going to hold a concert? I¡¯ve been waiting for five years! Five years!¡± Josephine buzzed with excitement. Ethan listened in for a bit. He thought it was a female singer, but then the worker got into fangirl mode. ¡°I¡¯ve seen his interview live. He¡¯s more handsome than he is on TV. He¡¯s fair, tall, and slim. Gosh, he¡¯s beautiful.¡± Smugly, Josephine said, ¡°I saw his interview live too. Man, he¡¯s handsome.¡± Ethan coughed. She¡¯s praising another man right in front of me? Come on, show me some respect. We¡¯re having dinner with everyone here. ¡°Will you go to his concert, then?¡¯ ¡°Of course. I¡¯m not missing it for the world, and I¡¯m getting a VIP seat,¡± said Josephine. Tori had been quiet. She turned to look at Ethan at once when she heard what Josephine said, but all he was doing was stare at Josephine with resignation. There was no anger in his eyes, and there was even a smile on his lips. Am I seeing things? Is he not angry that Josephine¡¯s fangirling over a guy singer? Josephine turned to Ethan. ¡°The concert is this Friday. Can youe with me?¡± Ethan nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± It was then Josephine realized that she was so engrossed with the conversation, she neglected him. She felt for his hand so that she could hold it, but she touched his thigh instead. That was when Ethan grabbed her hand, and she smiled at him. Ethen said gently, ¡°I¡¯ll get you the best spot.¡± It wasn¡¯t loud, but everyone heard it. All of them could feel the love in the air. Tori looked down, envy filling her heart. She couldn¡¯t believe a guy could actually allow his girlfriend to fangirl over a guy singer, and to think he would get her the tickets for the best spot so they could enjoy the concert together. Have I been wrong about men? Food was served eventually, and everyone dug in. Josephine cut up a piece of steak and fed it to Ethan. After he gulped it down, he fed her a piece as well, and she munched down on it. They were showing their love openly, and everyone was envious. Soon, it was time to raise some toast. Atticus made the first one, and that was when Tori found an excuse to go to Ethan. She held up a ss of red wine and swayed her hips as she walked toward him, and then she ced a hand on the table. Sweetly, she said, ¡°A toast, Mr. Quarles.¡± Ethan waved her down. ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯m drivingter.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take that, Tori.¡± Josephine stood up and raised Ethan¡¯s ss for him, causing Tori¡¯s smile to freeze. ¡°Congrattions on finding a good boyfriend, Josephine.¡± ¡°Thank you. And I hope you¡¯ll find your happiness one day.¡± Tori went back to her seat, but her mood was foul. She dressed herself up perfectly tonight, and yet she was now among the crowd she looked down on. She felt like she was a joke. Frustrated, she downed ss after ss of wine. A male worker who liked her said, ¡°You should stop, Tori.¡± Tori was a good drinker, so this much wasn¡¯t enough to take her out. Josephine then went to the restroom, and Tori did the same. Right after Josephine finished washing her hands, Tori came out of the cubicle. They stared at each other in the mirror, and Tori blurted, ¡°What did you do to him to make him so infatuated with you?¡± ¡°Tori, I don¡¯t care what you do with the other guys, but if you try to take Ethan, I¡¯ll make you pay,¡± Josephine warned as she looked at Tori in the mirror. ¡°Is that a threat? You¡¯re not even that established as his girlfriend yet,¡± Tori snapped back. ¡°Don¡¯t challenge me,¡± said Josephine quietly. Tori shot her a look of mockery. ¡°You¡¯re just insecure. I know men, and Ethan¡¯s the kind where women would throw themselves at his feet whenever he goes. If you¡¯re that insecure about yourself, you should leave.¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Josephine refused to talk to her, but Tori wouldn¡¯t stop. ¡°Do you really think he¡¯ll only love you forever? Any man with money will never love a single woman. They¡¯re the same, and women will always be the object they chase after. He¡¯s not going to only love you forever. Even without me, someone else will try to take him away from you.¡± Josephine wasn¡¯t exactly a cocky person, but she would never dwell on matters she couldn¡¯t control. All she wanted was a good life. She enjoyed the process, not the end, and that included rtionships. Even if she were to break up with Ethan someday, she wouldn¡¯t dwell on it. What mattered was that the love was there, and it was real. Tori¡¯s taunt didn¡¯t work on Josephine. Instead, it only told Josephine that Tori was nothing but someone who needed to rely on men to thrive, and women like that were pathetic. They would never be able to withdraw themselves from a rtionship once they fell in love, and they would be a people- pleaser. That was something Josephine didn¡¯t want to be. ¡°Honestly, your taunts don¡¯t work on me. If therees a day when he falls out of love with me, then I will have to ept it. What matters is that he loves me now. Women are not essories to men. We¡¯re equals¡ªtwo independent life forms who get together because they admire each other.¡± Tori was shocked to hear that, and she blinked. She herself was a brilliant woman, but even she would fall for a man like Ethan. She would want to possess him forever. The thought of him leaving was terrifying, and yet she couldn¡¯t believe Josephine would be so calm about it. How does she do it? Isn¡¯t she scared he might leave her? ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried he might get tired of you?¡± Tori asked. Josephine fixed her hair in the mirror, then she turned to Tori and gave Tori a confident smile that showed she was not afraid. ¡°You might. I¡¯m not.¡± Josephine turned on her heel and left. Tori saw her off. She envied that part of Josephine, for Tori was scared about losing a lot of things. She was worried she might end up not being able to find a job if she was fired since she wasn¡¯t young anymore. She might lose the source of funds for her bags and beautiful dresses, and she was scared about being abandoned. She was worried, and so she wanted to hook up with a brilliant man and never let him go. ¡°Can you really do what you say?¡± she muttered. The moment Josephine came back, Ethan¡¯s eyes lit up. Atticus took the chance to talk about work with Ethan earlier, and Ethan almost fell asleep listening to it. Good thing Atticus stopped the moment Josephine came back. Ethan took a sip of the fruit wine and gave the ss to Josephine. ¡°Here. This one¡¯s good.¡± Josephine took the ss and had a sip. Yep. This is what I would drink. She nodded. ¡°It¡¯s good. Any more of this?¡± ¡°Yes. Here.¡± Ethan handed her a bottle of that wine. Josephine poured herself a ss and shared the rest with thedies. Ethan was all smiles about it. He was captivated by Josephine and everything she did, for she radiated kindness and selflessness. Which was also worrying, because that meant she might disregard her own safety just to save someone in times of danger. He hoped she would care about herself more, for he couldn¡¯t be with her at all times. Tori went back to her seat, and she held her ss up as she stared at Ethan. There was passionate love in her eyes, but Ethan still wouldn¡¯t give her a moment of his time. All his attention was on Josephine, and Josephine was like a rose in full bloom, beautiful and real. Eventually, the dinner came to an end. Ethan took Josephine¡¯s hand and stood up to leave. Tori quickly followed them. Her heart still led her toward Ethan even though it seemed hopeless for her. Ethan led Josephine into an elevator, and everyone else took the other elevators, but Tori followed Ethan. When she realized she was the only one who did it, things got a little awkward, but she refused to leave. ¡°Two sses of fruit wine. That¡¯s all it takes to bring you down?¡± Ethan flicked Josephine¡¯s cheek. ¡°I¡¯m not drunk,¡± said Josephine stubbornly. ¡°But I like it when you¡¯re tipsy.¡± Ethan wrapped his arm around her shoulder and offered his shoulder for her to lean against it. Since Tori was here, Josephine got a little embarrassed, but Ethan still pinched her cheek affectionately. Tori watched them being lovey-dovey in the elevators¡¯ mirror. Ethan seemed like a different person when he was with Josephine. Unlike the usually cool and aloof man he was, he seemed like a beast that would gobble Josephine up at any time. Tori had a feeling that even if they were to break up someday, Ethan would be the one afraid of that prospect. Eventually, they reached their floor, and Tori emerged from the elevator. She smiled as she saw the couple off. ¡°See you around, Mr. Quarles, Josephine.¡± Josephine didn¡¯t like Tori, but she said, ¡°Thank you.¡± She then left with Ethan. The driver was driving, while the couple sat in the backseat as they were taken home. On their way back, Ethan told his assistant to get the concert tickets and that he wanted the best seats possible. Happy, Josephine rested her chin on his arm. She looked like a child who just got her favorite toy. The only men in her life who loved her so much were her grandfather and father. Now, Ethan was added to the list. ¡°Alright, got the tickets. We can see the concert this Friday.¡± Ethan kissed her forehead. Jenna and Donna were waiting outside Ethan¡¯s vi. After a lot of persuasion, Jenna finally got Donna to agree to this. Every night Jenna did nothing to break the couple up, Josephine would get to sleep with Ethan, and the thought of that tormented her. Donna was getting upset as well. She was in the backseat and kept checking the time. It¡¯s almost nine- thirty. Why isn¡¯t he home yet? ¡°Give them a while. They might be on their way home.¡± Jenna was worried Donna might get tired of waiting. Donna nodded. ¡°I¡¯m alright. I¡¯ll wait a bit more.¡± ¡°I bet it¡¯s because Josephine¡¯s being clingy,¡± said Jenna. Donna¡¯s displeasure toward Josephine mounted. She hated clingy girls. Women like that were obviously dependent on men and would amount to nothing in life. Just then, a ck car appeared around the corner, and Donna¡¯s bodyguard said, ¡°Mr. Quarles is back.¡± Jenna was starting to get excited. Alright, here goes. I¡¯m going to make her pay for what she did to me. Donna¡¯s going to embarrass her. At the same time, Ethan¡¯s driver noticed a car outside the vi and said, ¡°Sir, there¡¯s a car right outside the entrance.¡± It looks like Jenna¡¯s car. He said, ¡°Ignore them. Keep driving.¡± Just when the car was about to go through the gates, the off-road vehicle suddenly blocked his path. Josephine could guess that this was Jenna¡¯s doing, so she said, ¡°You should say hi to her.¡± Ethan reluctantly went to the off-road vehicle¡¯s backseat and knocked on the window, but when it rolled down, he was surprised to see who was inside. ¡°Mom?¡± He couldn¡¯t believe his mother was inside the car. Donna shot him a look of displeasure. ¡°You seem unhappy to see me.¡± ¡°Oh, you should¡¯ve called, Mom.¡± Ethan smiled at her and opened the door. ¡°Well,e out.¡± ¡°Come with me, Jenna.¡± Donna said, ¡°I only want to see you and no one else.¡± She doesn¡¯t want to see Josephine? Ethan looked at Jenna. Ah, it must be her. So, Mom knows. ¡°My girlfriend¡¯s in my car. I¡¯d like to introduce her to you.¡± Ethan wanted to introduce Josephine to his mother. ¡°I¡¯m tired. I don¡¯t want to meet any strangers,¡± said Donna. She wanted her son to know that she was displeased. Well, I can¡¯t force her. If I do, she¡¯ll only dislike Josephine more. ¡°Give me a minute.¡± Chapter 1891-1900 Chapter 1891-1900 Josephine couldn¡¯t see who was inside the off-road vehicle, but she saw Ethan talking to them. Is it not Jenna? Then, she noticed Ethaning toward her, so she rolled down the window. Ethan leaned over. ¡°It¡¯s my mom. She wants to stay over as the flight exhausted her. I¡¯ll arrange for both of you to meet tomorrow.¡± Josephine looked at the car in surprise. That¡¯s his mother in there? She nodded. ¡°Sure. I can do that. See you.¡± Ethan looked at her apologetically, but Josephine was understanding and smiled sweetly. ¡°Go to your mother. She must be exhausted after the flight.¡± Ethan nodded and told the driver to take Josephine home. He then went back to his mother and opened the door, then Donna got out. Jenna noticed the car Josephine was in going away, and she sneered. You¡¯re still inferiorpared to me in the end. ¡°Come with me, Jenna,¡± said Donna. Happily, Jenna held Donna¡¯s arm. ¡°Of course, Mrs. Quarles.¡± Ethan led them into the living room, but Jenna¡¯s face fell all of a sudden. She noticed the homely vibe in the living room, but there was also the scent of a woman. On top of that, a lot of stuff was in pairs. Anyone could see that Ethan bought and renovated this ce with a woman in mind. The decoration screamed that kind of style. Donna frowned. He bought this for her? I bet she must¡¯ve nagged him about it. A vi didn¡¯t cost much for their family, but she was still angry at her son for doing this for another woman. ¡°Sit. I¡¯ll get you some tea.¡± Ethan poured a cup of tea for his mother. Jenna went to help him with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± When Ethan came back with the tea, he noticed that his mother had gone upstairs, so he quickly followed. Meanwhile, Jenna went to sit on the couch. She spotted Josephine¡¯sptop, then she turned it on. She didn¡¯t know the password so she couldn¡¯t get into theptop, but the lock screen wallpaper was a photo of her and Ethan. In fact, it was a slideshow. The sight of them being so in love infuriated her. Donna took a quick look at the second floor, but before she could go to the next floor, Ethan stopped her. ¡°That¡¯s my room up there. It¡¯s a bit messy, so let me clean it up.¡± Ah, the room of a couple. I understand, son. Her son was an adult now so it would be rather inappropriate to ask him about his sex life, but she judged Josephine harsher because of that. Look at him. He wouldn¡¯t even date any woman before this, but now he¡¯s sleeping with that vixen. Oh, I hope he won¡¯t exhaust himself. Donna looked at the mugs on the table, which also came in pairs. ¡°Her name¡¯s Josephine, Mom. I met her at the Presgraves¡¯ wedding. We¡¯re in love,¡± said Ethan. ¡°Did you do a lot for her? You bought her a vi and a sports car, and you even became herpany¡¯s shareholder. You did everything she asked you to?¡± ¡°Yes, because I love her. I want her to have the best,¡± said Ethan. The exnation didn¡¯t work. Despite being a rich woman, Donna still fell for the old trick of ¡®knowing someone through the mouth of another¡¯, and she thought Josephine was an avaricious woman. ¡°What did she give you in return?¡± Ethan shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t need her to give me anything. What matters is we¡¯re in love.¡± Donna had seen a lot in her life, and she knew love could blind the best of men. Her son was obviously in that phase. ¡°You don¡¯t have to arrange any meeting for us. I decide when to see her. If the time comes, we¡¯ll meet,¡± said Donna. She could see that her son really wanted to introduce Josephine to her, but she was not interested in that woman. Donna went downstairs. Jenna was having tea, and theptop was set aside. ¡°We¡¯ll stay here for the night, Jenna. You don¡¯t have to go back to the hotel,¡± said Donna. Jenna quickly said, ¡°Sure thing, Mrs. Quarles. I¡¯m exhausted too. It would be nice to stay for the night.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a good idea, Mom.¡± Ethan frowned. ¡°There are two guest rooms on the second floor. It¡¯s fine. Or do you want to kick me out too?¡± Donna turned around. She hoped her son would give Jenna some attention too. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Ethan. I won¡¯t trouble you. I just want to stay with Mrs. Quarles,¡± Jenna pleaded. ¡°He¡¯ll be fine. If I say we stay, we stay,¡± said Donna bossily, disregarding her adult son¡¯s wishes tantly. She then sat on the sofa. Jenna told her bodyguard to pick her stuff up from the hotel, and she told her assistant to take an important thing¡ªher sexy nightdress. She would wear it for Ethan that night. His mother¡¯s creating an opportunity for me. I have to grasp it. Half an hourter, the bodyguard came back with Jenna and Donna¡¯s luggage in tow. Jenna took her bag and whipped out a champagne-colored night dress. It was sexy and beautiful. She was a model, to begin with, so Jenna was confident that her body was alluring enough. She was sure Ethan would look at her. She knew Josephine couldn¡¯tpare to her in terms of figure. Donna went to her room. Ethan went over to help her unpack while expressing that he would like her to stay with him, which was what Donna was already nning to do. Noticing that her son was doing his utmost best to cheer her up, she sat on the couch and asked, ¡°Why do you like her?¡± Ethan sat beside her and seriously answered, ¡°I like her personality and how genuine she is. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen someone like her, and I think it¡¯s love¡­¡± The mere mention of Josephine made Ethan¡¯s eyes shine. Donna stopped him. ¡°All right. Now how long have you known her?¡± ¡°About six weeks.¡± ¡°Forty-two days? How are you so sure she¡¯s the one?¡± Donna thought this was uneptable. He can¡¯t be this frivolous about rtionships. ¡°Do you believe in love at first sight? Because I found one,¡± gushed Ethan. Oh my God, he¡¯s like a pup in love. I can¡¯t force him to break up with her, so I¡¯ll have to convince that woman to do it. ¡°I¡¯m exhausted. Let me sleep. And take care of Jenna.¡± Donna wanted to sleep, and she created an opportunity for her son to spend some time with Jenna. Ethan wrapped his arm around her shoulder and kissed her forehead. ¡°Get some rest, Mom.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Donna nodded. Jenna got out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a thin dress. When she saw Ethane out of his mother¡¯s room, she said, ¡°Ethan, do you have cold water?¡± ¡°In the fridge.¡± He looked at her and said, ¡°Wear something less revealing before youe out.¡± Jenna walked up to him. ¡°You¡¯ve seen me in bikinis.¡± He felt nothing toward her. She was just a good friend to him, or a sister. Ethan turned around. ¡°The water¡¯s in the fridge. Take it yourself.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you stay with me? I want someone to chat with.¡± Jenna twirled her hair and shot him a bashful look. Just then, Ethan¡¯s phone rang. Oh, that¡¯s Josephine. He quickly said, ¡°I have something to do. You do what you want.¡± ¡°Ethan!¡± Jenna saw him off speechlessly. She knew she looked sexy in this dress, and yet Ethan refused to look at her. Which part of her is better than me? Unbeknownst to Jenna, love was not just visual for Ethan; he needed it toe from the heart. Ethan went back to his room and closed the door, then he called Josephine. ¡°Your mom didn¡¯t get mad at you, did she?¡± Josephine asked, worried. ¡°She didn¡¯t. She¡¯s just exhausted after the flight.¡± Ethan knew his mother didn¡¯t like Josephine, but that was because she didn¡¯t understand her. She¡¯ll grow to like her. Actually, Josephine wasn¡¯t really that worried, but she couldn¡¯t tell Ethan that. It was obvious Ethan¡¯s mother didn¡¯t like her. Ethan could¡¯ve introduced her easily tonight, but she refused to see her. Suddenly, someone opened the door, and Jenna came in uninvited. She noticed Ethan talking to Josephine on the phone, and the b*tch said, ¡°Ethan, I got you some water.¡± Ethan frowned. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°Just worried you might get thirsty. My, your bedroom¡¯s big.¡± She sat on the bed and happily said, ¡°Your bed¡¯s so soft. I bet it¡¯s good to sleep in.¡± ¡°I¡¯m on a call. Leave now.¡± Ethan covered the microphone on his phone so Josephine wouldn¡¯t hear them. He knew Jenna was trying to cause a misunderstanding. Indeed, Josephine¡¯s eyes went wide. Jenna¡¯s in his room, and at this hour? Why is she there? ¡°I won¡¯t get in your way. I¡¯ll just stay quiet.¡± Shey on Ethan¡¯s bed without his permission and shot him a look of allure. Ethan¡¯s face fell. ¡°Jenna, leave.¡± Not afraid of his angry gaze, Jenna sat up and said loudly, ¡°Oh my gosh, the wind¡¯s so strong. I¡¯m not wearing enoughyers, I guess. I¡¯ll need your shirt, Ethan.¡± She walked to the closet swiftly so Ethan couldn¡¯t stop her, but what was more important now was how Josephine was feeling. ¡°Let me exin.¡± Josephine heard everything. She knew Jenna was in Ethan¡¯s room wearing nothing but a nightdress, and she could see that image in her mind. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Josephine held her jealousy back. ¡°Why is she there?¡± ¡°Just here with my mom. She¡¯s not sleeping with me but in the guest room on the second floor,¡± said Ethan. ¡°Please don¡¯t take this the wrong way.¡± Josephine smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Jenna came back out with a white shirt. ¡°Do I look good in this?¡± She spun around. Josephine heard that. What is she doing? Is she trying to seduce him? ¡°You should tend to your guest. I need to take a shower.¡± Josephine wanted to chat, but since Jenna was around, she couldn¡¯t do that. ¡°Joey¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Take care of your mom.¡± Josephine tried to stay calm, but she was obviously jealous. ¡°I¡¯ll exin this tomorrow,¡± said Ethan. ¡°No. I trust you,¡± said Josephine seriously. And then Jenna gasped. ¡°Can you help me up, Ethan. I fell.¡± Josephine wanted to roll her eyes. What is she doing? If she wants me to be jealous, it worked. Josephine was really jealous. She was imagining what was happening in Ethan¡¯s room¡ªJenna standing in front of Ethan wearing nothing but a nightdress and then falling down. What kind of position did she end up in? How much did she reveal? Josephine hung up and took a deep breath. She told herself to stay calm and trust Ethan, but she failed. She couldn¡¯t just pretend nothing had happened. Jenna was a model and her body was smoking hot. Any man would want to sleep with her. Now, she was standing right in front of her boyfriend, flirting with him. Even if Ethan didn¡¯t get any ideas, it was still infuriating. Ethan hung up and told Jenna, ¡°I have to go.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± Jenna asked. ¡°When are youing back?¡± ¡°The bar. My friend¡¯s waiting for me.¡± Ethan went downstairs. Jenna went with him. When she saw him actually taking his car key, she was secretly annoyed. All of a sudden, she thought of an idea and pleaded, ¡°Can you take me along?¡± ¡°No. My friend doesn¡¯t like strangers.¡± Ethan quickly left the house and drove into the night. Jenna stood at the doorway, gritting gritted her teeth in fury. She knew Josephine must have said something to make Ethan leave. Damn her. Noticing themotion, Donna came down as well. She saw that Jenna was wearing nothing but a nightdress and her son¡¯s shirt. ¡°Where¡¯s Ethan?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Josephine. She told him to go see her,¡± Jenna lied. She was going to nder Josephine as much as she could. ¡°What? She did?¡± ¡°Yeah, she knew you were here, and yet she did that anyway. I bet she doesn¡¯t care about you.¡± As expected, Donna got frustrated. Is she trying to take my son away? She won¡¯t even let me stay with him for a night? How unreasonable can she get? Ethan drove straight to Josephine¡¯s house after making up an excuse to leave. He knew that Josephine was angry and he needed to exin himself. After Josephine took a shower, she climbed into her bed and held her pillow. All she could think of was how Jenna was seducing her boyfriend. She told herself to calm down, but she couldn¡¯t. Suddenly, her phone rang, and to her delight, it was Ethan. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Come out. I¡¯m outside,¡± said Ethan. ¡°It¡¯ste, so I don¡¯t want to wake your folks.¡± ¡°What?¡± Delighted, she darted to the window and pulled the curtains open. Standing outside her house was a ck off-road vehicle, and its headlights were blinking. All the frustration and anger she felt earlier disappeared, and a happy Josephine went down holding her phone. Oh, I¡¯m only wearing my pajamas. Ah, who cares? She wanted to see him right now. Josephine came out and got into his car. Noticing what she was wearing, an amused Ethan asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you change?¡± ¡°Because I couldn¡¯t wait to see you.¡± Josephine looked at him closely as if she was trying to look for something. ¡°What are you looking for?¡± ¡°Kisses,¡± said Josephine. I knew it. She took it the wrong way. He turned on the lights and stared at her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let any other woman touch me.¡± Amused, Josephine chuckled, and she nodded. ¡°I trust you.¡± ¡°Get changed. I¡¯ll take you on a stroll,¡± said Ethan. ¡°No. You should go back. Your mom came all the way here just to see you. You can¡¯t just leave her alone. What would she think?¡± Josephine said. ¡°Aren¡¯t you mad?¡± Ethan didn¡¯t want to go home. He wanted to stay with her. ¡°Nope. Not when you came all the way here just to cheer me up,¡± said Josephine. ¡°I¡¯m fine. You shouldn¡¯t make your mother sad, so go home.¡± She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, then cheered him up. Ethan was convinced and nodded. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll go home right now.¡± ¡°And don¡¯t force your mother into a meetup. She can see me when she wants to,¡± said Josephine. She was sure Jenna had ruined already her image by now. She must take this slowly. Ethan nodded. ¡°I can do that. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll do my best. My mom will love you.¡± Josephine nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best to keep this rtionship alive.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t try your best. You will keep this rtionship alive,¡± corrected Ethan. Josephine smiled. ¡°Sure. You should go home now.¡± She stood outside her house and bade him goodbye, then she went back inside. Donna was really mad. She had just arrived, and her son was already leaving her just to see a random woman. It hurt her heart. Jenna was sitting with her, trying to cheer her up as well as smearing Josephine. Ethan parked his car outside in case the humming of the engine woke his mother, then he came in through the side door. Just when he was about to enter the living room, he heard Jenna talking to his mother. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Mrs. Quarles. I¡¯m here. I can¡¯t believe Josephine would tell Ethan to meet up with her, and at this hour too.¡± And then Ethan harrumphed. ¡°Do not nder her, Jenna.¡± Jenna was shocked, and she raised her head only to see Ethan standing at the doorway, and she got nervous. How long has he been there? An angry Donna asked, ¡°It¡¯ste. Where have you been?¡± ¡°A friend wanted to meet up with me, so I went to the bar and said hi,¡± said Ethan. He didn¡¯t tell her he met Josephine since he knew Jenna must have ndered his girlfriend. Donna looked a little happier, while Jenna looked sheepish. Okay, so that was awkward. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t drink at this hour. Get to sleep,¡± Donna said. ¡°Jenna, it¡¯ste. You should catch some sleep as well.¡± Jenna was a little disappointed. He obviously met up with that woman, so why did hee back so soon? Did Josephine actually let him go? Unbeknownst to her, Josephine was that kind of woman, and thanks to that, Jenna¡¯s lies failed to get through, so she went back to her room. Donna looked at her son. Not even a hint of alcohol from him. He lied. ¡°So where did you actually go?¡± It was quiet outside, making it a perfect chance for a good talk. Since Jenna was jealous of Josephine, Ethan knew she would try to nder her as much as possible so Donna would think badly of Josephine, and he wanted to talk about that. ¡°I met up with Josephine.¡± ¡°Then why did youe back?¡± Donn asked. ¡°Josephine told me to. She said you must be exhausted from the flight, so you need me,¡± said Ethan. Donna was a little surprised. Is that so? Well, she¡¯s an understanding girl, I guess. ¡°Don¡¯t judge her before you meet her, Mom. You should get to know her yourself, not through someone else. Not through rumors.¡± Ethan looked at his mother solemnly. He knew his mother was not an unreasonable woman. She was respected in thepany and a great helper to his father. Donna knew what Ethan was trying to say. Jenna did speak badly of Josephine, and now that she thought about it, those rumors might be the fabrication of her own personal feelings. ¡°Hook us up then.¡± Donna would like to meet Josephine and find out what kind of woman she was herself. ¡°Sure. I can do that. How does tomorrow sound?¡± Unbeknownst to them, Jenna was hiding behind the guardrail on the second floor, listening in. When Donna said she wanted to meet Josephine, Jenna felt all the strength leave her. One word from Ethan, and his mother changed her opinion. Ethan went back to his room and texted Josephine. ¡®My mom wants to see you tomorrow. Do you have time for that?¡¯ ¡®Not if my boss doesn¡¯t give me a day off,¡¯ texted Josephine cheekily. ¡®You got your day off. Tell me if you want more.¡¯ Josephine was in her bed, feeling sweet. Feels good when your boss is your boyfriend. ¡®Get some sleep and look perfect tomorrow. I want my mom to think you¡¯re a goddess,¡¯ said Ethan. Josephine chuckled. Oh, he¡¯s nervous. He¡¯s worried his mom might not like me. ¡®I know. I¡¯ll go to sleep now.¡¯ ¡®Night.¡¯ ¡®Good night.¡¯ Josephine picked up her earplugs and read through a novel as she fell asleep. She had a habit of going through history texts before going to sleep. They worked well to put her to sleep, and she drifted to thend of dreams in a moment. Morning came, and Josephine put on some makeup, then she left. Heidi was watering the flowers, and she asked, ¡°So when¡¯s the wedding?¡± Josephine blushed. ¡°Mom, we¡¯re still dating.¡± ¡°Make sure you don¡¯t lose him, alright? He¡¯s a good man.¡± Heidi liked Ethan. Josephine was filled with motivation, and she drove away. She worked for a bit and waited for Ethan to call her. About ten thirty, he called. ¡°I¡¯m at work. Where you at?¡± ¡°My mom and I areing to thepany. Go to my office in a bit.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Josephine was surprised they would meet at his office. Donna heard all about how her son courted Josephine, and she was surprised he was the one who initiated it. I wonder, what¡¯s so magical about her? Why does Ethan like her so much? If she is as materialistic as Jenna says she is, Ethan would never have fallen for her. Donna should trust her son more. It was her first time seeing her son love someone so much. He would never treat her like that if she was just another gold digger that constantly orbited him. Once at thepany, Ethan took Donna on a tour around the lobby. Donna thought the station was running well, and then she nced through the employees of the month board. When she reached the bottom, she noticed a familiar face. Josephine? She checked the name, and sure enough, it was Josephine. Apanying it were all her achievements, and the sight of that made Donna change her opinion of Josephine. They went to Ethan¡¯s office, and Donna sat on the couch, waiting for Josephine. Josephine was standing in front of the bathroom¡¯s mirror, straightening herself up and reapplying her makeup. She then nervously got into the elevator. Ethan got a call from thepany, and he left. Donna wanted to look around, so she got out and entered the elevator, then it stopped at Josephine¡¯s floor. The moment the doors swung open, Donna was met with the sight of Josephine. She took a closer look, but Josephine didn¡¯t know that this woman was Ethan¡¯s mother. What an elegant woman. Josephine saw Donna but thought Donna would be apanied by Ethan and would never show up alone. Donna wanted to put her through a test, so she held her forehead and gasped. Josephine quickly held her. ¡°Are you alright, ma¡¯am?¡± ¡°Can you take me to the hospital, miss?¡± Donna asked. ¡°Of course. Give me a second. I¡¯ll call 911.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. Just take me there yourself.¡± I have to meet someone though, but this seems urgent. Sorry, Mrs. Quarles. Josephine agreed to it, ¡°Okay.¡± Donna said, ¡°You seem to be in a hurry. You don¡¯t have to help me if you can¡¯t.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. I can take you to the hospital,¡± said Josephine quickly. ¡°My head hurts. I might faint if I don¡¯t get any medical attention,¡± said Donna. ¡°My car¡¯s in the parking lot. I¡¯ll take you to the hospital.¡± Josephine put everything aside and took the lady to the hospital. Donna looked at her. She seems genuine. That kind of kindness cannot be faked. She got into Josephine¡¯s car, and Josephine drove away. ¡°How may I address you? Where do you live? You might want to call your family, madam¡­¡± ¡°Finch. Yes, I¡¯ve called my family. Just take me to the hospital.¡± Josephine¡¯s phone rang, and it was connected to the car. Donna noticed that the call was from her son, and Josephine took the call. ¡°Hey, Ethan.¡± ¡°Where are you?¡± Ethan was waiting in the corridor. He wanted to go to his office with Josephine. ¡°Sorry, but I need to deal with something. Can you give me fifteen minutes?¡± ¡°You¡¯re driving? Where to?¡± Ethan noticed the hum of a car engine. ¡°Ady needs to be taken to the hospital, but I¡¯ll be quick. Tell your mother I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll exin it to my mom,¡± said Ethan. ¡°I¡¯ll make it back ASAP.¡± Josephine hung up. Donna looked at Josephine, and she thought a lot better of this girl now. Ethan went back into his office only to notice that his mother was missing, much to his confusion. Is she in the bathroom? Or did she go around? I should look for her. Josephine was stuck in traffic, much to her chagrin. She looked a little panicked. ¡°Sorry for wasting your time, miss.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. Nothing important, so don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll be there soon,¡± said Josephine. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m alright. Was that your boyfriend?¡± A hint of love appeared in Josephine¡¯s eyes, and she nodded. ¡°Yep.¡± Donna paused for a moment. Josephine answered without hesitation, and her eyes were filled with happiness. Genuine happiness. Donna could see that she wasn¡¯t putting on an act, nor did Josephine realize the woman she was talking to was Ethan¡¯s mother. ¡°Do you love him?¡± ¡°Yes, I do,¡± Josephine said without hesitation. And then, seemingly reminded of something, Donna said, ¡°Oh no. My bag¡¯s at yourpany, and I don¡¯t have my phone. Can you take me back, miss?¡± Josephine was a little surprised, but she didn¡¯t lose patience or get upset, so she nodded. ¡°Sure. I can turn around just ahead. Shouldn¡¯t take more than twenty minutes.¡± Josephine turned back, and Donna was keeping a close eye on her. Josephine was getting nervous, but she decided she would take this lady to the hospital before she would see Ethan¡¯s mother. And then a pedestrian decided to flout all trafficws and crossed the road. Josephine mmed on the brakes and waited for the pedestrian to cross. Most people would¡¯ve started cursing, but Josephine waited for the pedestrian to cross. Ten minutester, she came back to the building, and Ethan searched the whole ce. He was at the entrance and about to call his mother when he saw Josephine¡¯s caring into the picture, and he heaved a sigh of relief. Josephine¡¯s back. As Josephine¡¯s car pulled over, Ethan walked over to greet her. However, he saw a familiar silhouette coming out from the front passenger seat and his eyes widened. It was his mother. Ethan finally realized that the person Josephine took to the hospital was his mother who was most likely testing her. Josephine looked up and spotted her boyfriend standing at the entrance. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± she asked in surprise. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be with your mother right now?¡± Ethan cleared his throat a little awkwardly before pointing at thedy behind Josephine. ¡°She¡¯s my mother.¡± Flustered, Josephine quickly whipped her head around and saw Donna standing behind her with a smile. Josephine immediately let go of Ethan¡¯s hand as she was afraid Donna would take issue with it. ¡°I do apologize for getting to know you in this manner, Josephine. I hope I didn¡¯t scare you,¡± Donna said. Josephine turned red and stammered, ¡°I-It¡¯s fine, Mrs. Quarles.¡± Ethan put his arm around Josephine¡¯s shoulder and made the introductions. ¡°Mom, this is my girlfriend Josephine Jacobson.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t take it to heart, Miss Jacobson. It was just a spur-of-the-moment idea of mine. I wanted to get to know you.¡± Donna was apologetic. She knew that her attempt at secretly getting to know Josephine¡¯s personality could make thetter feel ufortable. ¡°It¡¯s fine! It¡¯s perfectly fine, Mrs. Quarles. I hope I didn¡¯t disappoint you.¡± Josephine was worried that her performance might not have been up to Donna¡¯s standards. ¡°Not at all. I can tell that you¡¯re a lovely young woman with a warm, helpful heart,¡± Donna dered. She turned to Ethan and said, ¡°It¡¯s time to eat. Let¡¯s have a meal with Josephine.¡± Ethan took in Donna¡¯s expression and exhaled in relief. From the looks of it, she was pretty pleased with her assessment of Josephine. In any case, Ethan firmly believed that Josephine was a very likable person. ¡°Sure, Mom. I¡¯ll make the reservations right away,¡± Ethan replied. ¡°My bag is still in your office. Help me bring it down,¡± Donna instructed. Ethan went to get Donna¡¯s bag while Josephine stayed with Donna, though she felt a little pressured. When she didn¡¯t know who Donna was, she simply thought of Donna as a friendly olderdy, but she now sensed a strong andmanding aura from Donna that made her nervous. Earlier on, she loudly admitted that Ethan was her boyfriend. What if she doesn¡¯t like what I said? How embarrassing! Donna even asked whether or not she loved Ethan, and she remembered how confidently she answered that question! Ahhh! It¡¯s so awkward! Josephine kept her eyes on the ground. She was tensed as she tried to find something to talk about. ¡°Mrs. Quarles, you said you felt dizzy earlier, but you¡¯re not actually dizzy, right?¡± she quickly checked. ¡°If you are, we should head to the hospital.¡± Donna chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I was just pretending.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Josephine said with flushed cheeks. Donna took a closer look at her. Josephine was dressed in clothes made of ordinary material that didn¡¯t seem to belong to any major brand. However, she was dressed decently and presentably. Her features were pleasant as well. She had a bright and cheerful kind of prettiness about her. Donna recalled what Jenna had said in the past and realized that everything had been lies. She began to question herself for trusting Jenna¡¯s words. Her malicious actions had to have hurt Josephine. She even told Ethan to send Josephine awayst night. She must¡¯ve been hurt by that. ¡°I¡¯m sorry aboutst night. I had personal reasons for not meeting you,¡± Donna said. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Mrs. Quarles. I¡¯m sure you were exhausted from the long trip.¡± All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯ve been here for a few days now. I didn¡¯t arrive yesterday,¡± Donna readily admitted. Just then, a deliveryman who seemed to be in a rush checked his watch and failed to notice Donna in front of him. He was on the verge of running into her. Josephine noticed this and quickly pulled Donna away. Donna was startled at first, but she soon saw the man who had been behind her. She would¡¯ve been hit if Josephine hadn¡¯t saved her. Donna gave Josephine a grateful look as Josephine quickly let go of Donna out of fear that the older woman might feel offended. Donna sensed how cautious Josephine was. She must be worried about me not liking her! In reality, Donna now had a favorable impression of Josephine. Based on personality alone, Josephine was the kind of young woman she was fond of. Donna found Josephine to be a frank and unpretentious young woman with a bright and cheerful personality. Even her looks were exactly to Donna¡¯s taste. She looks like someone open and gentle. It¡¯s no wonder Ethan likes her and keeps saying that she¡¯s special. Although Donna couldn¡¯t tell what was special about Josephine just yet, she believed that Josephine was someone worth getting to know better. Ethan quickly came back. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Mom!¡± Just then, a car pulled up in front of them. Jenna had rushed over thinking that she woulde in time to have lunch with Ethan and Donna. She didn¡¯t expect to run into them in front of the building. Jenna got out of the car. She was all dolled up and fairly attractive under the sunlight. When she spotted Josephine, she figured it was a good time for her to show off her rtionship with Donna. Thus, Jenna had a brilliant smile on her face as she walked over to Donna. ¡°I came to look for you, Mrs. Quarles!¡± Donna had the genial smile of an elder as she watched Jennaing over, but by now, she knew what Jenna was truly like. Why didn¡¯t I realize sooner that Jenna¡¯s the type of person who stabs people behind their backs? After thinking about it for a moment, she supposed it was because she never had the opportunity to see the other side of Jenna. Thanks to the situation with Josephine, she finally had a clear understanding of Jenna¡¯s true nature. She was very thankful that she realized this in time. Otherwise, she would¡¯ve been supportive of having Jenna as her daughter-inw. ¡°You¡¯re here, Jenna. We were just heading out to have lunch together. Come with us!¡± Donna invited. It went without saying that Jenna would never refuse such an invite. ¡°I¡¯d love to!¡± she quickly agreed. ¡°I came over thinking to have lunch with you guys,¡± she added. She took Donna by the arm as if they were the best of friends and gave Josephine a smug look. Just then, Donna turned to Josephine and asked, ¡°You don¡¯t mind, right, Miss Jacobson?¡± ¡°No. Not at all.¡± Josephine smiled. Ethan minded, but since his mother and girlfriend both said they didn¡¯t mind, he didn¡¯t want to go against them. Furthermore, he could tell that Donna did like Josephine, so he didn¡¯t have to worry about that anymore. ¡°Take Josephine with you, Ethan. I¡¯ll ride with Jenna,¡± Donna said. Jenna wasn¡¯t pleased with the arrangement, but she had to go along with it anyway. She would¡¯ve preferred it if Donna went with Josephine and arranged for her to ride with Ethan. After getting into the car, Jenna seized the chance to start badmouthing Josephine again. She assumed that Donna and Josephine ran into each other in the lobby and had no clue the two already met earlier. ¡°Mrs. Quarles, do you think Josephine is seducing Ethan to get to his money?¡± She¡¯s at it again. Donna went along with it and asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Of course, she is! Look at the way she dresses. It¡¯s so in! It¡¯s obvious how poor her family is. She¡¯s trying to seduce Ethan so that she can elevate her status in society! You have to stop them from being together, Mrs. Quarles.¡± Donna chuckled. ¡°You seem to understand Josephine very well, Jenna. Have you had a lot of dealings with her?¡± Jenna had a lofty look in her eyes as she said, ¡°With some people, you don¡¯t even need to get to know them before you know what they¡¯re like. I can see right through her.¡± ¡°Well, I think there are some people whom you need to spend more time with before you realize their true nature,¡± Donna said while casting a meaningful nce at Jenna. However, Jenna didn¡¯t notice that Donna was mocking her. She was busy thinking to herself, Does that mean she wants to get to know Josephine better first? Meanwhile, over in Ethan¡¯s car, Josephine was patting herself on the chest with one hand while fanning herself with the other. ¡°That was such a fright! I had no idea she was your mother! What a fool I am. Why didn¡¯t I notice it sooner?¡± Ethan chuckled at how adorable she was being. ¡°Isn¡¯t it better this way? My mother got to see your real, natural self.¡± ¡°I was supposed to meet your mother today. If I had chosen not to take her to the hospital or got someone else to do it instead, then her impression of me would¡¯ve been ruined.¡± All the possibilities were racing through Josephine¡¯s mind right now. She was afraid she wouldn¡¯t be able to make a good impression. On the other hand, Ethan had total faith in her. He knew she was a kind person through and through. ¡°Hey, now. Don¡¯t dwell on these thoughts anymore,¡± he saidfortingly. ¡°My mom likes you a lot.¡± ¡°Hey, did you know? When you call me earlier, your mother even asked me if that was my boyfriend! Do you know how proud I was when I answered her?!¡± Josephine¡¯s cheeks were still a little warm from the thought of that! Ethanughed. ¡°It¡¯s just as well then. My mom now knows how much you like me.¡± Josephine smiled. She couldn¡¯t help but look at him with love-filled eyes. At the restaurant. Jenna and Donna were the first to arrive. Soon, Ethan and Josephine came over hand-in-hand. Jenna immediately nced at Donna to check her reaction as she thought to herself, She must be furious that Josephine and Ethan are being so lovey-dovey in front of her! However, Donna showed no sign of anger at all. In fact, she had a faint smile on her face. Jenna was completely taken aback. What¡¯s going on? Did Josephine manage to get Mrs. Quarles¡¯ approval in just a single morning? Josephine and Jenna ended up sitting right opposite each other. Jenna fiddled with her cup of tea as she eyed Josephine critically. Josephine had very little makeup on today, but her simple, easygoing look only added to her attractiveness. On the other hand, Jenna was all dressed up and covered in heavy makeup as if she were about to attend a formal event. The bright lights in the restaurant only served to highlight the ws of her cakey makeup. ¡°Here. Pick what you want, Josephine.¡± Donna passed the menu to Josephine and added, ¡°Go ahead and order whatever you like. Don¡¯t pay any attention to the prices.¡± Once again, Jenna nced at Donna with a stupefied look. ¡°Yes, Mrs. Quarles.¡± Josephine took the menu and shared it with Ethan. The server handed another menu to Jenna. As she nced through it absentmindedly, her eyes kept roaming over to Josephine and Ethan who were huddled together. As Donna took a sip of tea, she couldn¡¯t stop herself from observing Josephine too. There was something about the young woman¡¯s confident and poised manner that she couldn¡¯t help but adore. Jenna told Donna that Josephine was a shallow and materialistic woman, but she saw no sign of that. She noticed that Josephine was using an inexpensive bag. Her phone wasn¡¯t thetest model and it even had a crack on the screen which Donna spotted across the table. If Josephine is truly a materialistic girl, why wouldn¡¯t she at least get her screen changed? It goes to show that she lives a busy, fruitful life and doesn¡¯t dwell on these petty matters. ¡°Please excuse me while I head to the washroom, Mrs. Quarles,¡± Josephine said as she rose from her seat. ¡°I¡¯lle with you!¡± Jenna immediately stood up with a friendly smile. Josephine smiled back at her. ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s go.¡± As soon as they entered the washroom, Josephine heard a snide voice sneering, ¡°Josephine, do you really have no sense of self-awareness at all?¡± Josephine knew from the start that Jenna was only tagging along to humiliate her. She turned around and smiled. ¡°What kind of self-awareness am Icking?¡± ¡°Considering how much Mrs. Quarles detests you, you shouldn¡¯t even be upsetting her with your presence.¡± ¡°This is my first time meeting Mrs. Quarles. Why would she detest me?¡± Josephine asked. ¡°Could it be that you¡¯ve been badmouthing me behind my back, Miss Langley?¡± Jenna had an unpleasant expression as she scoffed. ¡°Why else would someone like you set your sights on Ethan and the Quarles Family if not for his money?¡± Josephine abhorred beingbeled as a money-worshipping gold digger. She was never someone who cared about material things. She frowned and refuted, ¡°Do you think every other woman in the world is just like you?¡± Jenna turned scarlet with rage. ¡°What kind of nonsense is that? My family¡¯s rich. I don¡¯t care about money; unlike you whoes from such an impoverished family.¡± That made Josephine chuckle. ¡°I would rather be poor and unashamed of it than be a vile and jealous person like you.¡± Chapter 1901-1910 Chapter 1901-1910 Once again, Jenna¡¯s expression contorted in fury. ¡°As long as I¡¯m around, don¡¯t you dare even think about marrying into the Quarles Family!¡± she threatened. Josephine wanted to roll her eyes. Jenna thinks so highly of herself. ¡°When did you, an outsider, get to have a say in the Quarles Family¡¯s matters?¡± Josephine retorted. ¡°I¡¯m not an outsider. Mrs. Quarles chose to me be her daughter-inw when I was still a little girl!¡± Jenna crossed her arms and dered with confidence. Josephine didn¡¯t want to continue this conversation. She had the impression that Donna was someone wise and reasonable. I¡¯m sure she can tell what kind of person Jenna is. Therefore, Josephine simply washed her hands and left. Jenna looked into the mirror and saw her jealousy-filled expression, but the jealousy she disyed on the exterior was only the tip of the iceberg of what she truly felt. From Mrs. Quarles¡¯ reactions, it doesn¡¯t look like she detests Josephine. Did Josephine manage to win her over in just a few hours? No! I won¡¯t allow it! Jenna had been eyeing the position of Ethan¡¯s wife ever since she understood what it meant. She wasn¡¯t going to let anyone take the title of Mrs. Quarles away from her quite so easily. When Josephine returned to the table, Donna and Ethan had just finished their conversation. Josephine nced at Ethan and saw that he seemed to be fairly rxed. I guess his conversation with his mother went well. Just moments ago, Ethan told Donna all about Josephine¡¯s situation. Although the Jacobsons weren¡¯t rich, they were elites in the political scene. A person couldn¡¯t be judged based on wealth alone. Oftentimes, a person¡¯s family environment contributed greatly to their character. Donna gained a deeper understanding of Josephine, and at the same time, she felt even more disappointed with Jenna¡¯s character and prejudiced views. Regardless of the situation, she hoped Jenna could be a decent person. In her eyes, being upright and kind was the key to a good life. Jenna returned to the table as well. Once she sat down, she looked at Josephine and asked with a smile, ¡°Josephine, if you and Ethan stay together, will you be moving to Dansbury to live with the rest of the Quarles Family?¡± She purposely brought up an issue that was very important to Donna, and that was whether or not Donna¡¯s only son would be moving to a different country. I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t be happy if she doesn¡¯t get to stay with him in her old age! ¡°Also, are your parents supportive of you marrying someone and moving so far away? Will they choose toe and live with you in the future?!¡± Jenna tossed out yet another one of her supposed bombs. She wanted Ethan to know that if he married Josephine, her entire family would be tagging along with her. A man like him would be depressed by the prospects of that, right? ¡°That¡¯s our business, Jenna. You stay out of it.¡± Ethan gave Jenna a warning look. ¡°I¡¯m just asking a few questions!¡± Jenna pouted innocently. Donna could tell that Jenna was trying to cause trouble for Josephine on purpose. ¡°Jenna, I¡¯ve been in the country for a few days now and I quite like it here. I think it wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing to live out the rest of my days here.¡± Jenna and Josephine were both stunned by Donna¡¯s deration. Josephine was deeply touched. She had a feeling that Donna was saying it for her sake. Meanwhile, Ethan knew Donna well. If she liked Josephine, everything else could easily be settled. Even the two questions Jenna asked wouldn¡¯t be a problem. Jenna quickly tried to talk Donna out of it. ¡°It¡¯s nice here, Mrs. Quarles, but your family¡¯s roots are in Dansbury! That¡¯s your home!¡± Donna smiled and said, ¡°My mother came from this country. I spent a few years of my childhood here too! I do feel fond of this country.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve lived here before, Mrs. Quarles?¡± Josephine was taken aback. ¡°I did between ages five to twelve. You could say that I spent the happiest years of my life here,¡± Donna said. Her most precious memories of her childhood consisted of her time in this country. Jenna¡¯s expression was a little stiff. ¡°Oh!¡± she chuckled awkwardly. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you lived here as a child, Mrs. Quarles.¡± Just then, the server brought their food over. Ethan immediately began filling Josephine¡¯s te for her as he instructed, ¡°Eat up. You¡¯ll need your energy.¡± It was a perfectly ordinary expression of concern, but Josephine turned bright red. Even the tips of her ears were red. Ethan¡¯s words sounded like a double entendre to her. Donna understood the double entendre, but she pretended not to know, while Jenna caught the meaning and felt as if a boulder were crushing down on her chest. ¡°Okay. You don¡¯t need to serve me. I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± Josephine lowered her eyes in embarrassment. Once lunch was over, Donna took Jenna by the hand and said, ¡°Go for a walk with me, Jenna!¡± Jenna smiled and said, ¡°Let¡¯s get Eeth toe with us!¡± ¡°He still has work to do, so let¡¯s not bother him. You can apany me. There¡¯s a church nearby that I¡¯d like to see. Let¡¯s head over there.¡± Jenna was sorely disappointed that Ethan wouldn¡¯t being with them, but since Donna had extended a warm invitation to her, she couldn¡¯t refuse. She had to force herself to perk up and do something she didn¡¯t want to do. Josephine was still staring in a daze as Donna left. Ethan put his arm around her waist and sighed in relief. ¡°Well, we survived my mom¡¯s trial.¡± Josephine blinked. ¡°It¡¯s over? Just like that?¡± ¡°Yeah. My mom likes you.¡± She did sense care and kindness from Donna. She hoped Donna would recognize Jenna¡¯s true nature and stop believing her words. Donna and Jenna arrived at the church. Donna sat down on one of the pews and closed her eyes in prayer. On the other hand, Jenna was bored out of her mind. She eyed her surroundings listlessly and scorned the aged look of the ce. When Donna opened her eyes again, she saw Jenna¡¯s restlessness and said, ¡°Let¡¯s walk around, Jenna.¡± Jenna quickly took Donna¡¯s arm, and the two walked around the grounds for a bit. Atst, Donna sat down on a bench and began to study Jenna so closely that thetter started feeling uneasy. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°Why are you staring at me, Mrs. Quarles?¡± Jenna had to ask. ¡°You¡¯re a good girl, Jenna. I hope you don¡¯t stray off the right path.¡± Jenna couldn¡¯t quite understand what Donna was saying. ¡°Before I came here, you told me a lot about Josephine,¡± Donna continued. ¡°You said she was a materialistic, money-worshiping woman who¡¯s rude and spoiled, but I didn¡¯t see any of that from her.¡± ¡°Mrs. Quarles, you mustn¡¯t be fooled by her act! It¡¯s only natural that she acts like a Goody Two-shoes in front of you,¡± Jenna swiftly cautioned, her eyes filled with concern. ¡°Jenna, I know about your feelings for Ethan, but matters of the heart can¡¯t be forced. If Ethan truly finds the person he loves, I will give him my support.¡± Hearing this, Jenna realized that Donna had seen right through her lies. She turned scarlet as she stammered, ¡°M-Mrs. Quarles¡­ I-I really like Eeth so much.¡± ¡°I know, but rtionships need to be a two-way street. Perhaps, Ethan only sees you as a younger sister. You¡¯ll find someone better, Jenna,¡± Donna advised. Jenna teared up. She immediately tried to convince Donna otherwise. ¡°No, Mrs. Quarles. Please just give me a bit more time. I¡¯m certain Eeth will fall in love with me.¡± ¡°Jenna, you¡¯re an attractive girl from a good family. It¡¯ll be easy for you to find a man who¡¯s even better than Ethan,¡± Donna consoled. Jenna¡¯s eyes shed with resentment. What did Josephine do?! How did she get Mrs. Quarles to ept her so easily?! I won¡¯t allow this! I refuse to lose to Josephine just like that! Ethan¡¯s a responsible man. If he ends up in bed with me, will he take responsibility for it just like he did with Josephine? ¡°I understand, Mrs. Quarles. I wish Eeth and Josephine the best, too. I was wrong for what I did, but it was only because I loved Eeth. But I¡¯m mature enough to know when I should let go. I won¡¯t try to disrupt their rtionship anymore,¡± Jenna said with a look of shame and remorse. She had to maintain her facade of being a decent and sensible woman as she didn¡¯t want Donna to shun her. ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯m d you¡¯re able to see things this way. I¡¯m worried about your future, you know! After all, I¡¯ve known you since you were a little girl and watched you grow up.¡± Donna was genuinely d Jenna was able to be mature about the situation. As Donna got to her feet, Jenna¡¯s eyes shed with discontent and malice. Who said I¡¯m giving up? As long as Ethan isn¡¯t married, I still have a chance. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d lose to Josephine. On their way back, Jenna made a good showing of herself and took great care of Donna. ¡°Are you still staying with Eeth, Mrs. Quarles?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll stay at the hotel with you. I don¡¯t want to disturb them.¡± Donna had made peace with the situation. As long as the woman Ethan liked was a decent person with good character, it didn¡¯t matter what her family background was. Furthermore, she felt more respect for the family when she heard Josephine¡¯s grandfather was a well-known political figure. She was sure Josephine¡¯s family would¡¯ve done a good job raising her to be an open-minded and farsighted person. ¡°Sure! Let¡¯s stay at the hotel together. I haven¡¯t had enough of my fun yet, so I want to stay a few more days!¡± ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s stay a little longer.¡± Donna wasn¡¯t in a rush to leave either. She hoped that when the time was right, Ethan would arrange for her to meet with Josephine¡¯s family so that the two sides could get to know each other better. Jenna was secretly pleased that Donna wouldn¡¯t be staying with Ethan. It would make things easier for her to seduce him. Jenna believed that as long as Ethan was home alone without Josephine, she would get a chance to carry out her n. When Josephine returned to thepany, she carried on with her trial broadcast. Ethan apanied her to work as well. Even though he was well-off enough to provide for his future wife and family, he wanted Josephine to pursue her dreams and he was willing to help her with it. Inside the studio, Josephine sat at the desk with poise and sophistication. The broadcast director went over and said, ¡°Good luck, Joey. You¡¯re going live soon. You¡¯ll be greeting the nation.¡± She nodded. ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll get ready.¡± Once she was on camera, she became a natural. Her pleasant smile and gazeplemented her clear, crisp voice. There was a unique kind of steadiness to her tone, and she had used it to perfection. Tori kept standing outside the studio to eavesdrop. She hoped to see Josephine embarrassing herself, but she didn¡¯t expect Josephine to be a natural at the job. Who would believe that this was her first broadcast? It proved that Josephine was indeed someone worthy of the job. Will Josephine set her sights on my position as the primetime news anchor someday? Tori thought to herself. If she wants it, all she has to do is say the word. That was the reason why Tori didn¡¯t want Josephine¡¯s trial broadcast to be a sess. I have to make her crack under the pressure of a national audience and leave the studio. ¡°Miss Alford? If you want to listen to the broadcast, why don¡¯t you head into the studio?¡± One of the crew members just so happened to walk by. Tori quickly cleared her throat and said, ¡°I¡¯m just here to get something.¡± Then, she turned to leave. When she went around the corner, she spotted Katrina. She heard that Katrina once had delusions of getting into a rtionship with Ethan. She had even caused quite a bit of trouble for Josephine. Tori¡¯s eyes gleamed with a calcting look. A woman like Katrina is the best kind of person to make use of. ¡°Katrina,e with me to my office,¡± Tori called out warmly. Katrina had always tried to get into Tori¡¯s good graces, so she quickly smiled and said, ¡°Sure, Miss Alford. Did you need something?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk when we¡¯re in my office,¡± Tori said secretively. Once the two women took their seats in Tori¡¯s office, Tori asked, ¡°Josephine is now an anchorwoman. How do you feel about it?¡± ¡°W-What else can I feel¡­ I¡¯m envious, of course!¡± Katrina replied unhappily. ¡°If I¡¯m being honest, Josephine was merely lucky to get the job. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be good enough to be an anchorwoman.¡± That was music to Katrina¡¯s ears. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right!¡± she quickly agreed. ¡°I had a feeling she relied on her connection with Mr. Quarles to get into that seat. It¡¯s not like she¡¯s anything great. She doesn¡¯t have any real talent.¡± ¡°Do you want to get her out of that seat?¡± Tori asked. ¡°How can I? She has already taken over Miss Ain¡¯s position.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to think of something, of course! If you can get her out of that seat, maybe you¡¯ll be the one who reces her!¡± Tori prompted. Katrina¡¯s eyes lit up at once. ¡°Really? Can I really take her ce? But¡­ how am I supposed to drag her down?¡± Tori chuckled and suggested, ¡°That¡¯s easy. Just rely on the power of the audience. Do you think the audience will allow her to remain an anchorwoman if they find out she only got the position because she climbed into a man¡¯s bed?¡± ¡°Oh, I get it! Remember Zuri Lindahl from NBO News? Didn¡¯t the audience boycott her because of the scandals about her? This is a great idea, Miss Alford!¡± Katrina was thrilled. She didn¡¯t expect to find a way to drag Josephine into the mud. ¡°That¡¯s true, but the problem is how can we make up a scandal for her?¡± Tori acted as if she couldn¡¯t think of something. She wanted Katrina toe up with the idea herself. That way, she couldn¡¯t be implicated in the plot. Tori wanted Katrina and Josephine to fight among themselves. Just as Katrina was cracking her head for an idea, Tori added, ¡°If Josephine is removed from the position, I¡¯ll write a letter of rmendation for you in support of you recing Miss Ain.¡± Katrina was ecstatic. With Tori¡¯s rmendation and her brother-inw¡¯s connections, she was most bound to fulfill her dream of bing an anchorwoman! ¡°You will?¡± Katrina asked to confirm. ¡°Of course, and with my rmendation, the position will be yours. The only problem is that Josephine¡¯s hold on that seat doesn¡¯t seem shakable right now. I can¡¯t help you, even if I want to!¡± Tori sighed. ¡°I would much rather work with you, and in the future, if there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand, I would be more than happy to guide you.¡± Katrina felt as if she was only one step away from her goal! ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Alford! Let me handle this. I¡¯ll think of something.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll need to hurry. I heard Josephine will officially take over the position in three days.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best. I¡¯ll ask my sister for help.¡± Katrina wanted to use everything within her means to pull Josephine down from the position. Tori nodded and patted Katrina on the shoulder. ¡°I trust you. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll seed.¡± Once Katrina left the office, Tori smirked derisively. How can someone like her be an announcer? She¡¯s only fit to be a pawn! Tori wouldn¡¯t have bothered to associate herself with the likes of Katrina if she hadn¡¯t been worried about her future. Josephine was too much of a threat for her. s, Tori had tried to seduce Ethan, but it didn¡¯t work. She had no idea why Ethan wasn¡¯t interested in her. Therefore, she had no choice but to resort to other schemes. Tori¡¯s words had nted a seed of greed that festered inside Katrina. She felt as if Josephine was the only thing standing in her way right now. As long as I get rid of Josephine, her position will be mine! Katrina recalled a previous incident where a news announcer had been removed from the position. It was all because of a scandal that broke out. How can I implicate Josephine in a scandal too? If I do a good job, I might even get to drive a wedge between her and Ethan. Maybe Ethan will dump her too! She was in no mood to get on with her work now. Instead, she called Ivanka and invited her out for a chat at a cafe. Ivanka was also a domineering woman. When she found out that Katrina didn¡¯t get what she wanted because of Josephine, she felt upset on her sister¡¯s behalf. To her, Katrina¡¯s standing in the company was also a reflection of her image, and as the boss¡¯ wife, she felt humiliated. ¡°Help me think of something, Ivanka! Miss Alford said she¡¯d rmend me for the position, and with you helping me out, too, I¡¯ll surely get to be an anchorwoman like I always dreamed of. You know that¡¯s always been my desire,¡± Katrina pleaded with a pout. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll help you. I never liked that Josephine woman, anyway,¡± Ivanka dered. ¡°Let¡¯s think of a n together, Ivanka!¡± Katrina suggested. She was certain Ivanka coulde up with something. True enough, Ivanka was the kind of woman with too much time on her hands, to the point that her life was filled with nothing but gossip and schemes. After thinking about it for a while, she recalled the news she saw a couple of days ago and sneered, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to it. It¡¯ll be a piece of cake to destroy her reputation. You can create anything with aputer these days. Why don¡¯t we just edit some of those kinds of photos and change out the face? All we need to do is make sure the issue blows up so that Josephine can¡¯t escape from it.¡± Katrina was thrilled. ¡°You¡¯re so smart, Ivanka! That¡¯s such a good idea. As long as we edit Josephine¡¯s face onto those kinds of R-rated content creators, say she was once involved in the adult entertainment industry, and make sure the news blows up, she¡¯ll never be able to clear her name!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not important whether or not she manages to clear her name. Once this blows up, whenever the audience sees her face, it¡¯ll be the only thing they can remember about her. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be put off by her presence and curse her out,¡± Ivanka said. She was confident their n would be a sess. Katrina hugged her sister in glee. ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Ivanka.¡± ¡°Alright. That¡¯s the n! You just need to make sure you find someone who can keep their mouth shut,¡± Ivanka dered. However, never in Ivanka¡¯s wildest dreams would she have thought that this n would end up sending Katrina to jail. ¡­ Back at the studio, Josephine was doing another test run of reporting the news when she saw the man standing at the door with his arms crossed. She couldn¡¯t stop herself from smiling ever so slightly and ended up misreading two words as well. Her flow was interrupted. At first, the broadcast director didn¡¯t know what was happening, but when he turned around and spotted Ethan standing at the back, he realized that she was affected by Ethan¡¯s presence. ¡°Alright, Joey. That¡¯s enough for today. Hurry up and go off your date with Mr. Quarles!¡± The female employees eyed Josephine with looks of envy. Ethan was too handsome. Everything from his height and figure to his face was wless in every way! ¡°Why did youe over?¡± Josephine walked over to Ethan and asked. ¡°I guess I can¡¯t be in the studio with you anymore, or I¡¯ll end up affecting you,¡± Ethan remarked with a chuckle as he caressed her head affectionately. Josephine recalled the way she faltered her lines earlier because of him and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. You can¡¯t be in the studio with me.¡± Ethanughed and put his arm around her waist. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll hang outside the door and eavesdrop next time.¡± He led Josephine away. The two were open with their affection even when they were in the office, much to the envy of the other employees. Who wouldn¡¯t be jealous of the fact that Josephine, a mere reporter, had managed to be the boss¡¯ girlfriend? ¡°Let me call my mom and see if she wants to have dinner together tonight,¡± Ethan said. ¡°Sure, go ahead. I want to spend more time with her, too.¡± Josephine nodded. When Ethan called up Donna, she said she wouldn¡¯t have dinner with them. She also informed him that she had moved her things out of his ce. Ethan was overjoyed at how perceptive his mother was! ¡°My mom isn¡¯t free for dinner tonight, and¡­ she moved back into the hotel.¡± He gave Josephine a meaningful look. Josephine¡¯s cheeks flushed. Does that mean we can stay together again? It also meant that something wonderful and somewhat embarrassing was bound to happen tonight. She never tried to deny being physically attracted to Ethan. He was sculpted in all the right ces. No woman would find him unattractive. ¡°Let¡¯s go! We¡¯ll have a good meal before heading home.¡± Ethan took her hand and led her to his car. Along the way, he got a call from his subordinate, who had confirmed the purchase of the concert tickets he wanted. ¡°We can rx and have a good time tomorrow,¡± Ethan told Josephine. Josephine was looking forward to it, too. She looked forward to attending the concert with him. They had a joyous and rxing time together during dinner. The restaurant even prepared a special gift and dessert for all the couples dining there today. Although Josephine was a little tired, she felt entirely contented. When they returned to Ethan¡¯s vi, Josephine wanted to go over her script for a while, but Ethan soon pinned her down in bed. They had only been apart for a single night, but that was enough to turn Ethan into a starving wolf. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he had been intimate with other women before her. However, before she could dwell on that, his tongue pressed against hers, and she could no longer think of anything. The sensations sent bolts of electricity right down to her toes. She felt as if she were a precious gem he was cupping gently in his hands. She felt well and truly loved. ¡°Mmm¡­ Ethan¡­¡± Josephine gasped. ¡°Call out my name again,¡± Ethanmanded in a muffled voice. She clung to him as she repeated, ¡°Ethan¡­¡± Satisfied, Ethan pulled her closer and murmured, ¡°I love you, Joey.¡± Consumed by his confession of love, Josephine allowed him to haveplete control over her. The next morning, Josephine went to work. To her, work wasn¡¯t about earning money. Instead, it was about fulfilling her dreams. Thus, she loved heading in to work every day. She didn¡¯t spot the pair of eyes in a ck sedan nearby that was fixed on her. Once her car was out of sight, the man in the car gave Jenna a call. ¡°Josephine Jacobson has left for work, Miss Langley. Mr. Quarles is alone in the house.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll being over soon. Keep an eye on things for me,¡± Jenna replied. ¡°Yes, Miss Langley!¡± Back at the hotel, Jenna pulled out a sexy dress. She was about to move forward with her n. Just as she was halfway there to Ethan¡¯s house, the bodyguard called her again. ¡°Mr. Quarles has gone out, Miss Langley. Are you stilling?¡± ¡°What? What¡¯s he doing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m tailing him right now.¡± ¡°Keep your eye on him and keep me updated.¡± Jenna wasn¡¯t going to give up. Soon, her bodyguard called her once more. He followed Ethan and found that thetter had gone to the hotel where Jenna was staying. Evidently, he came to the hotel to meet Donna. Jenna was peeved. If she had known that Ethan woulde to the hotel, she would¡¯ve waited for him there. Her bodyguard had to wait near the exit of the hotel¡¯s basement parking lot. He didn¡¯t want to get too close out of fear that Ethan would find out he was helping Jenna with this. If that happened, there was no way the bodyguard could get away with it unscathed. Soon, Ethan¡¯s car exited the parking lot, and the bodyguard quickly reported this development to Jenna. ¡°Miss Langley, Mr. Quarles has driven out of the hotel. He¡¯s heading to the house.¡± ¡°Is he alone?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t see if anyone was sitting in the back.¡± However, Jenna was certain that Ethan had to be alone. Last night, Donna said she would be heading out to meet with her old friends the next day. By now, Jenna had arrived at Ethan¡¯s vi. Thest time she was here, she secretly stole a peek at the password Donna keyed in to get into the house and seared it to memory. Now, she sauntered into the ce as if she were thedy of the house. No matter what I do, it¡¯s all because I love Ethan, she thought to herself. I¡¯m willing to do anything for him. I¡¯ll even give myself up to him. She used the same password to unlock the door leading to the living room, and when she walked in, the couple-design items scattered all over the living room made her jealousy rear its ugly head. He¡¯s even willing to do these sorts of silly romantic things for Josephine¡¯s sake. Jenna was still in touch with the bodyguard, and to her absolute joy, Ethan¡¯s car was heading back to the house. Doesn¡¯t that mean he¡¯sing home alone? She decided to offer herself up to him. She knew what men were like. She was going to stand naked in front of Ethanter; she was convinced he would get a reaction from the sight. How could a man possibly reject a woman who¡¯s throwing herself at him? Jenna went to the master bedroom and took a shower. She moved around as if she owned the ce and used Josephine¡¯s toiletries to get herself all squeaky clean, humming a tune the whole time. Once she was done with the shower, she put on her almostpletely see-through nightgown andy down on the bed. Just then, the bodyguard reported to her, ¡°Miss Langley, Mr. Quarles¡¯ car has driven into the house.¡± ¡°Got it. Stay away, and don¡¯t let anyone else discover you. I¡¯ll handle the rest myself.¡± Jenna looked out the window expectantly and spotted the car. She closed her eyes and made a wish. Please let this be a sess. Then, she took off her nightgown and sat down on the couch. She wanted Ethan to see her the moment he opened the door. Meanwhile, out in the courtyard, someone came down from the back seat and said to the bodyguard, ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll be right back after I get something from the house.¡± ¡°Yes, Mrs. Quarles,¡± the bodyguard replied. If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc. No one expected the person stepping out from the backseat to be Donna instead of Ethan. Thest time Donna stayed there, she left behind some jewelry. Therefore, she had to retrieve the jewelry and give them to her best friends. Meanwhile, Ethan was waiting for Josephine to pick him up from the hotel for a date. After opening the door, Donna headed to the guest room on the second floor, where she had stayed before. She opened the wardrobe and took out three boxes of expensive jewelry. Then, she arrived at the living room on the second floor and heard some noise from the floor above. She couldn¡¯t help but be shocked. Is Josephine still in the vi? Ethan said he was going to meet up with her. Is she back home to retrieve something? Then, she went to the third floor and realized the noise came from the master bedroom. Although she was surprised, she didn¡¯t read too much into it. As she looked at the door left ajar, she went over and opened it to make sure Josephine was home. When Jenna heard footsteps approaching inside the bedroom, she was excited. She reckoned that Ethan would be astounded when he saw her, and he would tell her to put on her clothes. She just had to hug Ethan immediately and make sure he wouldn¡¯t turn her down. When the footsteps were close enough, Jenna rose from the couch and stood there with an innocent expression. Much to her surprise, the person entering the room was Donna instead of Ethan. Donna thought Josephine was inside the room, so she didn¡¯t expect to see a naked Jenna there. ¡°Mrs. Quarles!¡± Jenna¡¯s excitement turned into shame in an instant. She hurriedly picked up a bathrobe and covered her figure. Donna instantly realized the woman¡¯s hidden agenda. Although Jenna had promised not to ruin Ethan and Josephine¡¯s rtionship, she still did such a despicable thing in secret. If Ethan or Josephine had been the one who returned instead of Donna, their rtionship would¡¯ve been damaged. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Quarles. I¡­¡± Regardless of how thick-skinned Jenna was, she was ashamed and hoped Donna would forgive her this time. Donna¡¯s face fell. ¡°Say no more. I don¡¯t want to hear your exnation, nor do I want to see you again.¡± ¡°I love Ethan! I can¡¯t live without him!¡± Jenna yelled hysterically. ¡°Even though you love him, that doesn¡¯t mean you have the right to ruin his rtionship with Josephine. You can¡¯t be so selfish. You promised that you would stay out of their rtionship, but you did such a thing behind my back.¡± Donna was infuriated. From a woman¡¯s perspective, she found Jenna¡¯s actions outrageous. If she had any good impression of the woman before this, it was all gone now. She only felt disgusted at that moment. When the bodyguard heard the noise, he came to the third floor. Donna said to him, ¡°Get Miss Langley out of my son¡¯s vi, and don¡¯t let here in again.¡± ¡°Yes, Mrs. Quarles.¡± The bodyguard then shifted his attention to Jenna. ¡°Pleasee with me, Miss Langley.¡± ¡°Mrs. Quarles, please give me a chance! I¡¯ll do better than Josephine and prove to be a wonderful daughter-inw to you!¡± Jenna pleaded. Donna stared icily at her. ¡°I¡¯m disappointed in your actions. You have no right topare yourself to Josephine. A shameless and scheming woman like you must not approach my son and my family members again.¡± Jenna¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot. She didn¡¯t expect to destroy her reputation in front of Donna. Her dream of marrying Ethan had been crushed. ¡°You¡¯d better leave now. Otherwise, I¡¯ll inform your mother about it and let her discipline you.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t do that, Mrs. Quarles! I¡¯ll leave at once!¡± Jenna was afraid. Moreover, she no longer had the nerve to appear in front of the Quarles Family again after the incident. An embarrassed Jenna soon left the vi. Donna took a look at the mess on the bed and realized Jenna must¡¯ve slept on it. She reckoned that everything on the bed and the couch had to be reced. Given Jenna¡¯s promiscuity, she might carry some diseases. Therefore, Donna even had the urge to sell the vi. After giving it some thought, Donna called her son and told him what Jenna had done. Ethan was furious upon hearing that, for the woman¡¯s actions had crossed the line. ¡°Just sell the vi, Mom. I don¡¯t want it anymore,¡± he said. Donna respected his decision. ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll buy a new one.¡± After the call ended, Ethan saw Josephine arriving at the hotel entrance in her car. During lunch, he avoided mentioning Jenna, but he talked about moving to a new ce. ¡°Huh? Why are we moving to a new ce all of a sudden?¡± Josephine liked the vi they lived in. ¡°Nothing. The house is too old, and I don¡¯t like the design. Before we buy a new one, we¡¯ll stay in a hotel.¡± Josephine was puzzled. Even though she had no idea why Ethan was determined to sell the vi and even wanted to stay in a hotel first, she didn¡¯t want to ask further. He must have his reasons for doing so. ¡°If you¡¯re fine with the small house my parents bought for me, why don¡¯t we stay there for now? You¡¯ve always lived in big houses, so you might not get used to it, though,¡± Josephine suggested. Ethan¡¯s eyes brightened when he heard that. ¡°I¡¯m fine with that. Let¡¯s stay in your house, then.¡± Josephine nodded. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll tell the housekeeper to clean it up tomorrow. We¡¯ll move in after that.¡± ¡°Tell the housekeeper to go over now. We¡¯ll move in tonight.¡± Josephine batted her eyes, wondering why he was in a rush. ¡°Why don¡¯t you like the vi anymore?¡± Ethan could onlye up with a random excuse. ¡°I found a dead mouse under the bed, and the entire room stank. I¡¯d rather stay in a hotel than go back.¡± Hearing that, Josephine broke intoughter. Well, I guess a wealthy man like him can do whatever he wants. Just because he found a dead mouse under the bed, he decided to buy a new vi. Now I know he¡¯s a clean freak! ¡°Alright. No problem. I¡¯ll ask the housekeeper to go over now. The sheets are all new. I¡¯ll ask my mom to bring them out under the sun, and we¡¯ll be able to sleep on the bed tonight,¡± Josephine said. Ethan let out a sigh of relief, feeling d that Josephine didn¡¯t probe him further. Inside the hotel room, Jenna¡¯s face was still scarlet. She didn¡¯t think she could ever forget about the humiliating experience. Since it had already happened, it was pointless for her to be regretful. Her foolishness had destroyed her reputation in front of Donna, who must be loathing her now. ¡°Ah!¡± A hysterical Jenna screamed and sshed cold water onto her face. She was too ashamed to see anyone now. She reckoned Donna must¡¯ve told Ethan about it, so she was too embarrassed to see the man again. At that moment, she swore she would never appear in front of the Quarles Family again. Just then, someone knocked on the door. She opened it and heard Jacques saying, ¡°I¡¯ve received a call from Mr. Quarles. He said that you have to leave the country before 6.00PM.¡± Jenna closed her eyes while feeling abashed. Ethan has found out about it. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll pack up and leave.¡± With that, she closed the door. She had to save herst bit of dignity. Before 6.00PM, she left the country without hesitation. Meanwhile, someone was trying very hard to frame Josephine. She was none other than Katrina. She had found a top-tier IT technician through her connections. It was said that his skills were impable. As long as the price was good enough, he could perfectly alter a person¡¯s face in photos using AI technology. Ivanka even gave her sister a lot of money so that thetter could do such a thing regardless of the price. Katrina got some time off work to meet the hacker. ¡°70,000 is just the deposit. If I¡¯m satisfied with the result, I¡¯ll give you another 120,000.¡± Katrina offered a huge price. ¡°Deal. Pass me her photos. The more, the better.¡± Katrina then passed him the photos and videos that Josephine had taken in thepany. ¡°When will I see the photos?¡± ¡°The photos will be ready before tomorrow afternoon,¡± the hacker replied. Katrina nodded. ¡°Alright. You must send them to me by tomorrow afternoon.¡± After the negotiation ended, Katrina sat down in a cafe on her own. She envisioned herself sitting in the studio and presenting the news to the audience in the country. Not only would she be a famous news anchor, but she would also make her family proud. A bright future awaited her. In the evening, Josephine brought Ethan to a new residential area. The house her parents bought for her was about 1,300 square feet with two rooms. They only expected her to live on her own, after all. After they opened the door and turned on the lights, a cozy house came into Ethan¡¯s sight. He fell in love with the decorations at first sight. The bodyguard sent him some clothes and daily necessities. Josephine prepared a te of fruits. After they showered, they sat on the couch and watched television together. Living in such a small house, they could see each other all the time. It was unlike how empty the vi felt. While in the man¡¯s embrace, Josephine fed him the fruits. Gradually, his gaze turned fervent as he looked at her. At the same time, his hands wandered around her body. Josephine wanted to stop him, but he grabbed her wrists and pinned her on the couch, entrapping the woman in his shadow. Under the lights, Ethan was engrossed in the woman¡¯s alluring eyes. To him, the woman d in a formal suit was sexy. He started unbuttoning her shirt impatiently. ¡°Don¡¯t tear my shirt! It¡¯s a newly bought custom-made shirt. It¡¯s expensive!¡± Josephine tried to save her clothes. The man demanded hoarsely, ¡°Take it off yourself, then.¡± ¡°No!¡± Josephine turned him down obstinately. Therefore, he suppressed his desire and took off her shirt patiently. The man¡¯s chiseled face and thick eyebrows, coupled with his seriousness, were deathly attractive to Josephine as her body grew hotter. The man had a kind of charm that would make a woman lose her sanity. The next morning, Josephineined in the bathroom, ¡°I told you not the neck, Ethan! It¡¯s my first day presenting the news!¡± Ethan lifted the quilt and got out of bed before entering the bathroom. He wrapped his arms around her waist and said, ¡°Let me see.¡± Josephine showed him her fair neck. Much to her surprise, the man pulled a prank by sucking on the kiss mark. ¡°You!¡± She turned around and pinched his waist with a smile. The manughed after sessfully pranking her. It was her first day presenting the news on a live stream. To make sure she wouldn¡¯t feel pressured, Ethan told her he wasn¡¯t going to thepany. Before she left the house, he even gave her some encouragement. After she was gone, he told his bodyguard toe over and send him to thepany. Certainly, he wouldn¡¯t want to miss his girlfriend¡¯s first time presenting the news. When Josephine arrived at thepany, she headed to the dressing room and bashfully asked the makeup artist to cover up the kiss mark on her neck. After the makeup was done, she went to the studio. On her way, she appeared calm and confident while carrying the script. All of them were awestruck by her beauty, thinking she was like a diamond. Josephine was understandably nervous, for she was about to present the news to the audience in the country. She sat down in the studio and took a deep breath while facing eight cameras. The director instructed the live stream to start, after which Josephine put on a smile and presented the news. Josephine was able to speak clearly, and her voice was easily distinguishable. No one could tell it was her first day presenting the news. Ethan was just standing outside the studio. When a staff member turned around and saw the boss, she covered her mouth in shock. Ethan ced a finger on his lips and motioned for her not to make any noise or reveal his presence. Therefore, the woman had the honor to stand beside Ethan as her heart pounded into a gallop. Although she knew he was there for Josephine, she couldn¡¯t stay calm while standing beside a charming man. Josephine¡¯s performance was amazing during the 45-minute live stream. All of them at the scene felt she had done a wonderful job. During a break, Josephine let out a sigh of relief. She took a tissue from her assistant and wiped the sweat on her forehead. No doubt she was nervous. Despite that, she had managed to conquer her anxiety. It wasn¡¯t until the live stream ended that she became at ease. Just then, the staff members made way for someone. When the director was saying something, his assistant took his sleeve and pulled him away. Ethan was seen stepping toward Josephine with roses in his hands. Josephine didn¡¯t expect the man toe, and he even brought some roses with him. She covered her mouth in surprise before she rose from the chair and took the flowers. The man ruffled her hair and kissed her forehead. ¡°You did a great job.¡± All of them didn¡¯t expect Ethan to show his love for the woman in the studio. They could tell that he truly loved her. Tori happened to pass by and saw the sight. She was so jealous that her face stiffened. She was also green with envy following Josephine¡¯s sessful live stream, for the woman didn¡¯t make any mistakes even though it was her first time. Now, Ethan even disyed his love for the woman in front of so many people. Tori could already imagine Josephine snatching her position with ease. Since she was Ethan¡¯s girlfriend, it wouldn¡¯t be hard for her to present the news in the prime hour. Fortunately, Tori had incited Katrina to frame the woman. Just wait, Josephine! The more glorious you are now, the harder you will fall! When Josephine and Ethan left the studio, Tori quickly ran away. They went to the man¡¯s office, where he had prepared pastry and coffee for her since she had worked hard. ¡°You¡¯ve even prepared so many foods for me. I felt I looked fat on camera!¡± Josephineined while picking up a cake and eating it. When Ethan saw how adorable she looked, he curled his lips. ¡°You¡¯re not fat at all.¡± Only then did Josephine finish the cake joyfully. The aroma of coffee permeated the air. It was wonderful to have the man by her side in the morning. She felt content and happy. That was the best life a woman could ever ask for. In the past, she felt that love was unnecessary as it would only affect her work. Now, it seemed that the right man could share the best things in life with her. ¡°Come on.¡± Josephine held out a small piece of cake for the man. When she caught a whiff of his aromatic coffee, she picked it up and tasted it, then put down the cup with a frown. ¡°It¡¯s so bitter.¡± She hated bitter coffee. He looked at her with a smile. ¡°Drink your own coffee. I¡¯ve added sugar and cream for you.¡± Josephine took a sip of her coffee and realized it was the taste she loved while Ethan looked lovingly at her. Just then, his phone rang. He took a look and said to the woman, ¡°I¡¯ll pick this up.¡± Then, he left the ce with his phone. Josephine batted her eyes, wondering why he didn¡¯t connect the call in front of her. All the same, she didn¡¯t read too much into it. She recalled that she had to return to the office and write a reportter. As such, she picked up the coffee and left the ce. After she rounded a corner, she heard Ethan¡¯s voiceing from the balcony. Chapter 1911-1920 Chapter 1911-1920 ¡°Just deal with the problem as best you can. I can¡¯t go away. What? Is that how you solve a problem?¡± Ethan sounded furious. Then, he started speaking in a differentnguage. He still sounded displeased as though his subordinate had made a huge mistake at work. Josephine was worried as she listened to him. Did anything happen to hispany? He seems exasperated. Since she was well-versed in thenguage, she understood that Ethan had been asking for a solution from the other party, but he couldn¡¯t get a satisfactory answer. When the call ended, he even spoke in foulnguage. Josephine had to leave at once, for she didn¡¯t want Ethan to know she eavesdropped on him. She realized he must¡¯ve spent too much time keeping herpany and ignored his work, which was why such a mistake happened. Therefore, she decided to let him go back and deal with his work. Although they would be separated for a while, she was fine with it. When she returned to her office, she started working on herptop. However, when she recalled how furious the man looked, she let out a sigh. Does he think I won¡¯t let him leave? Is that why he¡¯s been neglecting his work and staying by my side? While she spaced out, a towering figure stepped into the ce. When she turned around and saw the man, she rose from her chair and asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡± Ethan curled his lips. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Am I disturbing you?¡± ¡°No. Do you have work to attend to, Ethan? You can go ahead and deal with it,¡± Josephine said. Ethan was an intelligent man. He realized she must¡¯ve passed by the corridor and overheard him lecturing his subordinate. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s no big deal.¡± ¡°No. Even though I love staying with you, I don¡¯t want to affect your work. We can be separated for a while,¡± Josephine said sincerely. Ethan indeed had a problem to solve, but he said calmly, ¡°I don¡¯t have the heart to leave you.¡± Josephine cated him by saying, ¡°It¡¯s fine. We can always hop on a video call. If you miss me, I can take some time off work and visit you.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to invite your family members to have a meal with my mom in the evening so that they can meet up,¡± Ethan said gently. He wanted both parties to meet each other and arrange for the marriage. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll contact my parents. I have to call my dad earlier so that he¡¯ll have enough time toe back.¡± Josephine was pleased that both parties were finally going to meet. Then, Josephine called her mother. When Heidi learned about the dinner, she was ted. She had always been worried that the Quarles Family would look down on her daughter. It wasn¡¯t that she was diffident, but the Quarles Family¡¯s wealth was beyond her imagination. ¡°I¡¯ll call your dad. We¡¯re not going to invite your grandpa, though,¡± Heidi said. Josephine understood her mother¡¯s concerns. Peter loved alcohol, so she was worried he would drink excessively during dinner. Given his old age, they had to ensure he would only drink moderately. ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s meet up with Mrs. Quarles in the evening,¡± Josephine replied. Meanwhile, Ethan informed his mother about the dinner. Donna had always wanted to meet the Jacobsons. With Jenna serving as a bad example, Donna was satisfied with Josephine. The most important qualities of a woman were kindness and sincerity, after all. Her appearance and background weren¡¯t so important. Josephine was joyful as well, for her first live stream was sessful. Herpany had arranged a celebratory dinner party for her, but she turned them down since she had a more important meal to attend. Ethan had already booked a ce in a restaurant. He and Josephine waited for their parents¡¯ arrival. Donna arrived at 6.00PM, followed by the well-dressed Mills and Heidi. When Josephine saw her mother wearing her most expensive pearl ne, she knew thetter treated the meet-up seriously. Donna and Heidi greeted each other. Although they came from vastly different family backgrounds, a sincere and frank smile was the best way to start a conversation. ¡°Hi, you guys have raised Joey well. She¡¯s beautiful and capable.¡± ¡°You have no idea how envious I am of you for having a son like Ethan. He¡¯s handsome and intelligent.¡± The two mothers praised each other¡¯s children. When they looked at the young couple, they were truly pleased to see them getting together. Meanwhile, Josephine and Ethan held hands under the table. They were happy to see each other¡¯s parents getting along well. After all, their lives would be filled with joy since they had their parents¡¯ blessings. Their parents got closer during the dinner. After seeing them off at around 8.30PM, Josephine and Ethan finally had some time alone. Ethan was in a hurry as he had to leave by 3.00PM the next day. He promised that he woulde back to her in half a month. On the other hand, Josephine didn¡¯t need him toe back in a rush. However, when she learned that he was heading to the Arctic, she was worried and hoped he woulde back safely. After a night of intimacy, Ethan suffered from insomnia. No woman had ever made him unwilling to leave her before. He was even worried that Josephine would stop loving him when he returned half a monthter. Josephine awakened before dawn. When she realized the man beside her was wide awake, she was shocked. She hugged him and asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you sleep?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can get some shut-eye on the flight.¡± Ethan wrapped his arms around her and ran his fingers through her soft hair. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the beach and watch the sunrise,¡± he suggested. Since Josephine was well-rested, she nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± Young people like them could go wherever they wanted to when they felt like it. Josephine put on some light makeup and changed into a dress before leaving with Ethan. The road was empty at this hour, so they didn¡¯t have to worry about getting stuck in traffic. Ethan and Josephine were thrilled as the car moved at an incredible speed. They were in a hurry as they could already see the sun spreading its glow across the clouds. Needless to say, the sun was about to rise. Ethan found the best ce to watch the sunrise on the inte and drove to the destination. They soon left a coconut grove and arrived at the beach where the sunrise would be the most beautiful. Josephine opened the door and walked along the beach while holding hands with the man. As they watched the sun rising above the clouds and shining its rays everywhere, they couldn¡¯t help but feel awestruck. ¡°It¡¯s magnificent!¡± she eximed. It had been a long time since shest watched such a beautiful sight at ease. It was made even more meaningful since she could do it with the man she loved. Ethan¡¯s gaze fell upon her face. No doubt she was alluring as the morning rays shone on her. The morning breeze blew through her long hair, making her look adorable yet charming. His heart fluttered at the sight. He ced his arm around her shoulder and kissed her hair. When Josephine looked up and saw the attractive man beside her, she was aroused. She boldly draped her arms around his neck and tiptoed. The man lowered his figure and supported her weight, so she didn¡¯t have to exert herself. Then, he easily lifted her off her feet and let her legs wrap around his waist. The kiss was intimate and intense. Their breathing became unstable as Ethan shuffled toward the car while carrying the woman. Realizing what the man was up to, Josephine was shocked. She thumped his chest and demanded, ¡°Put me down, Ethan.¡± However, the man had been aroused, so he wouldn¡¯t let her go. Moreover, they were in the right ce and at the right time. He wanted to try out a different kind of excitement with her. Since they were about to part ways, Josephine decided to let the man do whatever he wanted. The intimate session was intense as they were reluctant to bid each other farewell. A long timeter, it was fully bright outside as the breeze whisked through them gently. Ethan sent her home. After she took a shower and put on her clothes, he sent her to thepany. ¡°I have to go home and pack up. Let¡¯s have lunch togetherter,¡± he suggested. ¡°Alright, see youter.¡± Josephine got out of the car and entered thepany. When she was done with her makeup, she headed to the studio in tip-top condition. In the corridor outside the studio, Katrina stood there and looked at the confident Josephine in a blue suit while the woman presented the news. No doubt she was green with envy. Perhaps I¡¯ll rece her soon and present the news to the audience. Just wait, Josephine. I¡¯ll destroy you! Katrina sent a document to Atticus. When she saw several documents that had to be dealt with urgently on the table, she asked, ¡°Atticus, do you want me to send these to Mr. Quarles?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Mr. Quarles isn¡¯t in his office. He¡¯s leaving the country.¡± ¡°Where is he going? How long will he be absent?¡± she asked. ¡°I have no idea where he¡¯s going, but I suppose he¡¯ll be absent for one to two months. He told me to take care of Josephine, though.¡± Katrina was secretly pleased. When the scandal breaks out, Ethan won¡¯t be in the country. That¡¯s wonderful. Since he can¡¯t help Josephine, her reputation will be ruined. When that happens, all the viewers in the country will hate her. By then, I just have to hire some trolls to me her online. She will be so embarrassed that she will have no choice but to resign. At the thought of this, Katrina was ecstatic. When she left the ce, she even sported a smug smile. She had prepared some material, so she could post it online whenever she felt like it. After Josephine and Ethan had their lunch, he had to head to the airport. Donna would be leaving with him this time, and he would send his mother home before going to the Arctic to deal with his work. When Josephine arrived home in the afternoon, she cleaned up the house and realized she had already started missing Ethan barely an hour after the man was gone. She missed him so much that she could no longer do anything else. She just wanted to space out and think about him. At that moment, she couldn¡¯t help teasing herself. Before she fell in love, she never expected to miss someone so much. Now, she finally realized the power of love. She picked up her phone to call Ethan, but when she recalled that he must be boarding the ne at this hour, she put it down and scrolled through her photos. Just then, she received a message. ¡®What are you doing right now?¡¯ Ethan asked. Josephine straightened up and replied, ¡®Hasn¡¯t the ne taken off?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s about to. I want to talk to you before we¡¯re asked to turn off our phones.¡¯ He wasn¡¯t willing to turn off his phone, for he wouldn¡¯t be able to contact her for over ten hours. ¡®Alright, we can talk another time. Turn off your phone now,¡¯ Josephine texted. She just wanted him to be safe. Ethan sent her a selfie, which was taken from a weird angle. He wasn¡¯t used to taking selfies, but since he was handsome, he looked good from any angle. Josephine broke intoughter and saved the photo. ¡®I miss you. We¡¯ll talk when you arrive at your destination.¡¯ ¡®Alright. I miss you too,¡¯ he replied and turned off his phone. The next morning, Josephine arrived at thepany with faint dark circles under her eyes. Fortunately, the makeup artist was able to conceal them for her. She had suffered from insomniast night since Ethan wasn¡¯t there to hug her. She kept tossing and turning until 4.00AM before she finally fell asleep. Is this what happens when a person falls in love? When she didn¡¯t have a boyfriend, she could sleep soundly on her own. Now that she had one, she felt hollow and uneasy when he wasn¡¯t around. Soon, she sessfully presented the news. Although it had only been a few days since she became a news anchor, she had already gotten the hang of it. However, she wasn¡¯t aware that someone had prepared some material to smear her name in secret. Katrina had passed the information to a small mediapany. As long as the scandal broke out, all the major newspanies would report the incident, so she didn¡¯t have to worry about the news not going viral. Katrina was no longer in any mood to work. One hour after Josephine finished presenting the news, Katrina dialed a number and said to the person, ¡°You can take action now.¡± The person replied, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll upload the photos right away and spend some money to promote the news.¡± Katrina curled her lips. Her first step was to upload photos of a female model whose face had been changed to Josephine¡¯s. Although the face was blurred, she believed theizens would soon make out the woman was Josephine. The person soon sent her a link. She clicked on it and looked at the photos while giggling with her mouth covered. Josephine, let¡¯s see how you¡¯re going to deal with this storm! Presently, Josephine was getting some rest in the lounge. She had beencking sleep as ofte, so her assistant didn¡¯t dare to disturb her as she closed the door for her. As expected, many people in the same industry saw Josephine¡¯s photos. Since such photos of a famous news anchor had been leaked, they certainly wouldn¡¯t want to miss the hype. They also forwarded the news and even promoted it on their main pages. One of the mediapanies even mentioned Josephine¡¯s name and shared photos of her presenting the news. Manyizens left nastyments and started cursing at her. Some of them even asked for raw photos. Soon, the people in Josephine¡¯spany discovered it as well. The first person who saw the news was in disbelief. It took him quite a while to confirm that the scious woman in the photos was Josephine. Then, he patted a colleague¡¯s shoulder. Soon, the news was shared in thepany¡¯s group chat. All the colleagues were excited, as though awaiting a good show to take ce. Tori noticed it as well. It seems that Katrina has made a move. When she saw how thrilled her colleagues were in the group chat, she believed Josephine¡¯s reputation would be destroyed this time. I don¡¯t think she can ever be a news presenter again! When Wren saw the news, she flew into a rage. ¡°Who¡¯s pranking Joey by spreading such fake news?!¡± However, the person most talked about on the inte, Josephine, was asleep on the couch. She was oblivious to everything that was going on and the malice against her. When Wren rushed over and saw the assistant sorting out documents, she asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Joey?¡± ¡°She¡¯s getting some rest in the office. She didn¡¯t sleep wellst night.¡± ¡°What? Why is she even sleeping?¡± Then, Wren pushed the door open and found the woman sleeping on the couch. She walked up to her and patted her. ¡°Wake up, Joey. You need to see this!¡± Josephine slowly opened her eyes. When she saw how anxious Wren looked, she batted her eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Wren passed her the iPad. ¡°Look. Someone is smearing your name on the inte. They¡¯ve even cut out your face and pasted it on a female model.¡± When Josephine saw the photos, her mind turned nk in an instant. She didn¡¯t expect someone to paste her face on a woman wearing silk stockings and in sexy postures. Those were some obscene photos. When Wren saw how dumbfounded the woman looked, she cated her by saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know it¡¯s not you.¡± Josephine took a deep breath, for she needed to calm down and figure out who pulled such a dirty trick on her. Wren thought the woman was enraged, so she quickly patted her back. ¡°Calm down, Joey. Don¡¯t be too mad.¡± Josephine replied, ¡°I¡¯m very calm.¡± She wasn¡¯t worried about what was being circted on the inte. She had to get to the culprit. It was pointless for her to exin anything on the inte. If she wanted to clear her name, she had to bring the culprit to justice and make sure the person ended up in a horrible state. She let out a breath. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve offended anyone in my private life, but I did fall out with several people in thepany. Katrina? Tori? Could the culprit be either of them? She couldn¡¯t be med for assuming that one of them might be the culprit. It was apparent to her that the culprit intended to smear her name and make her lose her job by pulling such a dirty trick on her. Who could it be? Tori? But I think it¡¯s likely to be Katrina, for Tori probably won¡¯t do anything that might backfire. Josephine let out a breath and rose from the couch before leaving the room. Wren quickly followed her and asked, ¡°Where are you going, Joey? Aren¡¯t we supposed to call the police first?¡± Without responding to her, Josephine walked up to the elevator where many colleagues looked judgingly at her. It was as though they were mocking her with their gazes. Josephine tucked her hair behind her ears without exining anything. She frankly faced their gazes, for when the truth was revealed, they would understand what had happened. After she entered the elevator, they started talking behind her back. ¡°Gosh! I didn¡¯t expect her to take such scious photos for money when she was a student. Made me blush.¡± ¡°Well, all the male colleagues are drooling over her body now. It¡¯s no wonder Mr. Quarles is fond of her. She indeed has a curvy figure.¡± ¡°I wonder what Mr. Quarles will think of these photos when he sees them.¡± ¡°Needless to say, he¡¯ll be displeased. The men out there have seen his girlfriend¡¯s almost naked body. There¡¯s no way he can take it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I suppose Mr. Quarles will dump her very soon.¡± ¡°She¡¯s very famous now, so it¡¯s expected that some people would try digging into what she did in the past.¡± After stepping out of the elevator, Josephine and Wren were greeted by another group of colleagues, who were usually on good terms with Josephine. However, they looked at her in a different light now. ¡°Josephine, are those photos real?¡± someone asked. ¡°Of course, they¡¯re not real,¡± Josephine replied. After she was gone, someone sneered. ¡°She certainly wouldn¡¯t admit to it in front of so many people.¡± ¡°If I were her, I would¡¯ve dug a hole and hidden my face into it instead of walking around.¡± Presently, Katrina was scrolling through everything about Josephine on her phone. No doubt she was pleased as she could already imagine Josephine losing her job. Theizensmented that they would boycott her news program. A smug Katrina wanted to take a sip of coffee, which she had asked someone to buy for her. Just then, the door flung open, almost causing her to jump in shock. She lifted her head and saw Josephine storming into the ce. Her gaze was filled with murderous intent. Katrina put down the coffee and snapped. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Josephine? If you break my door, I¡¯ll make you pay for it!¡± ¡°Was it you?¡± Josephine questioned while staring at her. Katrina was astounded, but she appeared as if she had been wronged. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Did you ask someone to alter the photos and post them online? You couldn¡¯t oupete me, so you pulled such a dirty trick on me, didn¡¯t you?¡± Josephine balled up her fists. She was certain that Katrina was the culprit. Katrina put on a sneer. ¡°That¡¯s funny. How can you use me of doing such a thing without any evidence? What right do you have to nder me? I can sue you.¡± Suddenly, Josephine stepped forward and clenched her cors before pulling her closer. ¡°Did you do it?¡± Behind her, Wren was astonished. She had never seen Josephine being so ferocious. A furious Katrina shouted, ¡°Are you out of your mind? Release me!¡± ¡°I knew it was you!¡± Josephine said through clenched teeth. Meanwhile, many colleagues had gathered outside to watch a good show. Katrina had wanted to push the woman away, but when she saw so many people around, she decided to put on an act. She started sobbing and said aggrievedly, ¡°What right do you have to bully me? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. How could you shift all the me to me when you did such a thing in the past?¡± Since the woman refused to admit to it, Josephine pushed her away and stepped backward. ¡°Just you wait. I¡¯ll look into the matter. Regardless of who the culprit is, I won¡¯t let them off!¡± ¡°Josephine Jacobson, stop right there!¡± Katrina barked, then turned to her colleagues who were watching themotion at the door and said, ¡°Everyone, let¡¯s reason this out. Josephine wrongly used me without distinguishing right from wrong. She¡¯s the one who engaged in such licentious actions, yet she wants to push the me onto me. Have you all met anyone more unreasonable than her?!¡± Everyone immediately stood on Katrina¡¯s side, finding Josephine overbearing and unbelievable. Some female colleagues even stood up for Katrina. ¡°We believe you¡¯re innocent, Katrina. Josephine only acts high and mighty in the office because of her rtionship with Mr. Quarles. What actual power does she have when she¡¯s just a mere journalist?!¡± s, Josephine had been in the limelighttely, and it made many of her colleagues jealous. Naturally, they would kick Josephine down and remove her from her position as the anchor now that the opportunity had presented itself. ¡°Do you want to exin yourself, Jacobson? When did you take these photos?¡± ¡°Yeah! Are you broke?¡± ¡°Even so, she shouldn¡¯t stoop so low! The world isn¡¯t short of broke women, yet none would take such licentious photos to make money either!¡± Despite the crowd¡¯s self-righteous usations, Josephine calmly announced, ¡°I won¡¯t exin myself. All of you will know the kind of person I am once the truth is out.¡± With that, she walked away, leaving Katrina barking behind her, ¡°Do you really think you¡¯re some big shot?! As if I¡¯m afraid of you, b*tch!¡± Josephine had just returned to her office when Atticus¡¯ assistant approached her, asking her to go to Atticus¡¯ office. At that, the young woman went to Atticus, who gazed at her with some regret. ¡°Josephine, how can something so damaging happen? Do you not know that your image is everything as a newbie?¡± ¡°Someone set me up. I will get to the bottom of it. Please give me some time, Mr. Kowalski,¡± Josephine requested. She was the number-one victim in this incident, after all. ¡°Very well,¡± Atticus agreed after some thought. ¡°I¡¯ll have someone cover for you for the time being. Take some time off for now. Do you want me to report this to Mr. Quarles, or will you do it?¡± Josephine tensed up at once, and she quickly said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell him myself. No need to trouble yourself with this, Mr. Kowalski.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Thest thing Josephine wanted was for Ethan to learn about this incident. Although the pictures were fake, they would still leave a negative note on Ethan when it was her face that was superimposed. Hence, she wanted to deal with this her way. Even when the world had blown the issue up, Josephine remained calm. She didn¡¯t lose her rationality and give in to anxiety and anger because she knew the people trying to kick her down would ultimately pay the price. Since she was little, Mills had reminded Josephine to lie low and never tell anyone about their family, especially never to talk about Peter¡¯s job. Josephine never got it when she was little. But a couple of middle-aged men approached her in school and gave her a gift that was worth tens of thousands in hopes that she would ask Peter to agree to have a meal with them. Freaked out, Josephine ran away, and since then, she stuck fast to her father¡¯s words, never mentioning her grandfather¡¯s job and staying as low-key as she could. Though Peter had already retired, he remained influential in politics. She never requested anything substantial from her grandfather, either. In fact, she didn¡¯t even use his influence to get into college or a job. It was all herself. However, what happened this time had crossed the line, and she was absolutely livid. She wanted to catch the culprit and make them pay at once. With that, she grabbed her phone and called Peter. ¡°Hey, Joey, missing Grandpa?¡± ¡°Grandpa, I need your help with something. I¡¯lle to you now.¡± ¡°Have you been mistreated?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when I see you.¡± With that, Josephine grabbed her bag and left. When she stepped into the elevator, a senior who was usually kind to herforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t let it get to you, Joey. I know it¡¯s a move someone jealous of you made against you. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m doing good.¡± Josephine pulled a forceful smile. However, much to her dismay, she ran into Tori just as she left the elevator, and it was inevitable that Tori would have a few words to say to Josephine. ¡°Is what they say on the inte true, Jacobson? Did you really take licentious photos for money in the past?¡± Tori questioned with crossed arms. ¡°Are you a part of this?¡± Josephine looked up and interrogated. ¡°What are you talking about?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking you if you have anything to do with my scandal on the inte,¡± Josephine reiterated, which caused Tori to snort disdainfully and retort, ¡°What are you trying to say, Jacobson? Are you saying I¡¯m the one behind this? Would I even need to nder you, given my ability?!¡± Josephine quirked a brow in response. ¡°You better have nothing to do with this, or I¡¯ll have you expelled from the broadcasting industry,¡± she dered intimidatingly. However, Tori burst intoughter and ridiculed, ¡°You? Kick me out? Whom do you think you¡¯re kicking down when you¡¯re already in deep sh*t yourself! Mr. Quarles has probably seen those photos, hasn¡¯t he? I wonder if he finds you revolting.¡± ¡°You better mark my words,¡± Josephine warned. ¡°If you are involved in this, tell me now and confess to the police yourself before I turn you in.¡± Tori turned grim. She had an illusion that the issue was severe when she looked at Josephine¡¯s expression, but she knew that she was merely being threatened into admitting the truth. As if she can scare me! ¡°Josephine, I sympathize with you, but there¡¯s nothing I can do. If you don¡¯t take care of yourself, don¡¯t me others for wanting to take you down. Pray that you survive this!¡± With that, Tori walked away, but just as she did, Josephine sped her wrist and pulled her back. ¡°What do you want?¡± Tori growled. Josephine held her tightly and sneered, ¡°I know you and Katrina have teamed up to attack me. I don¡¯t have the proof yet, but I will find it. By then, you better note begging on your knees.¡± The young woman had an indescribable sense of dominance, and it sent chills down Tori¡¯s spine. For a moment, she thought Josephine might actually get her way. At that, Tori wrested her arm away and sneered. ¡°You better not speak out of turn without evidence, Jacobson.¡± ¡°Oh, I will have the evidence,¡± Josephine dered and walked away. Tori couldn¡¯t help frowning in response. She hoped Katrina had done a clean job and not given Josephine any chances of finding any evidence, or Katrina, that big mouth, would certainly sell her out once they investigated her. Even if Tori didn¡¯t do anything, she was still an aplice. As such, she went straight to Katrina¡¯s office. ¡°Tori!¡± Katrina exulted triumphantly upon seeing Katrina. ¡°Did you see it? The whole inte is condemning Josephine now. We¡¯ve done it!¡± ¡°Good job,¡± Tori praised. ¡°Of course, I, Katrina Sullivan, have always been reliable. Tori, you have to rmend me when the timees!¡± ¡°Rx, I can only send you up after Josephinees down. However, I ran into Josephine just now. She seems confident about finding evidence. You didn¡¯t leave anything behind, did you?¡± ¡°How can I?! Trust me, she won¡¯t be able to find anything even if she gets the police involved. Besides, does she even have that kind of ability?! If anything, Mr. Quarles might be questioning her now! Then again, he¡¯s not in the country, so he can only question her on the phone.¡± ¡°Mr. Quarles is not in the country?¡± ¡°Yeah! My brother-inw said he¡¯s away and won¡¯t be back for a month or two.¡± At that, Katrina mused, With Mr. Quarles gone, Josephine will have absolutely no support! Tori, on the other hand, eased up after having Katrina¡¯s reassurance. Then again, Josephine sounded very confident. ¡°Tori, you don¡¯t look very happy. What are you afraid of?¡± Katrina asked, sensing that Tori still had some concerns. ¡°Me? No, I¡¯m over the moon. I¡¯m going to head back to my office. You keep an eye on the situation, alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not only going to keep an eye on it but also hire an army to bbor her!¡± Katrina busied herself with the incident. She didn¡¯t want to do anything for the day except watch this episode unfold. Soon after Tori left, Ivanka¡¯s call came. ¡°Ivanka, you saw it too, right?! It¡¯s all thanks to you! Jacobson¡¯s reputation is ruined for good!¡± ¡°Naturally. Don¡¯t forget who your sister is.¡± Ivanka gloated, for she was the one who came up with the idea. ¡°Hey, Ivanka, Josephine came to me earlier. She still looks pretty smug.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She won¡¯t be for long. You¡¯ll be able to take her ce soon enough and make Mom and Dad prouder.¡± ¡°I will also marry well so that Mom and Dad will be happy for me.¡± Katrina could already see a promising future. Meanwhile, Josephine had already driven to her grandfather¡¯s house. She didn¡¯t talk this over with her parents, for she was seriously beyond furious for the first time. Her parents forbade her from using her grandfather¡¯s connections. However, this time, she wanted the culprit to suffer the worst consequence immediately. As such, she rted the incident stoically to Peter, who lost his cool and mmed the table. ¡°They what?!¡± ¡°Take it easy, Grandpa. Now, I just want to find the culprit and see that they receive the legal sanctions they deserve. At that, Peter grabbed his phone and made a call, ordering, ¡°Come to my ce at once.¡± A dozen-or-so minutester, amanding man appeared and greeted Peter deferentially. ¡°What seems to be the problem, sir?¡± ¡°Mr. Finneas.¡± Josephine was familiar with the man, Finneas Lind, who immediately became gentle upon seeing her. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t see you there, Joey!¡± ¡°Joey is facing a cyberbullying attack. Someone has used her photos to create some obscene pictures and post them online. I need you to find out about this before tonight and calm things down.¡± ¡°Since you asked, I shall see to the end of it. Rest assured, I¡¯ll get to the bottom of it by eight tonight.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Finneas.¡± ¡°Leave this to me, Joey. I won¡¯t let anyone bully you. I¡¯ll have them pay the price,¡± Finneas promised Josephine before heading off to investigate the incident. ¡°Forget about going to work today. Spend some time with me here and wait for Finneas¡¯ update.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± At this point, the inte was buzzing over Josephine¡¯s scandal. Many even dug up Josephine¡¯s affairs in thepany, especially exaggerating how she seduced Ethan, ruining her image for good. The person attacking most aggressively was naturally Katrina, who spared no expense in buying traffic to promote the incident just so that the whole world would know about this. Theizens, too, yed their roles as cyberbullies unabashedly, expressing their viewpoint on this scandal without reserve. Some men even posted lewdments. At this point, Katrina was only waiting for Josephine¡¯s news broadcast the following day to see how far her ratings would drop or how thepany would receive overwhelmingint calls from the public. The whole world will certainly want Josephine to step down, and by then, thepany will have a word with her regarding thepany¡¯s image and cancel the program for the time being! However, unknown to Katrina, someone had already stepped in. A highly experienced team had already located the IP address of the earliest post and traced it to theputer technician Katrina contacted. The man was still ying video games when the police barged in. He was petrified, and he confessed at once when the police pulled Josephine¡¯s photo out. ¡°It¡¯s me. I superimposed these photos. I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°Who asked you to do it? Tell the truth!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a young woman. She was wearing a face mask when we met up, so I don¡¯t know what she really looks like either. But¡­ But I have her bank ount number. You guys will know once you check!¡± The man was taken away, and very quickly, the police identified a young woman by the name of Katrina Sullivan following the bank ount number provided. They also found out she worked in the same TV station as Josephine. With that, the police dispatched six of its members to seize her. s, the oblivious young woman was still celebrating her victory and was about to invite some colleagues to hang out when she received a call from the hacker. In the phone call, he asked to meet up in the garden outside herpany for something important. Katrina got restless, so she rushed to their rendezvous point at once. However, she didn¡¯t see the man. Instead, several cops in casual clothing pinned her on the ground as soon as she appeared. ¡°Ah! Who are you people?! Let me go!¡± Katrina screamed in panic, thinking she was being kidnapped. Just then, one of the officers showed their badge to Katrina and said, ¡°We¡¯re the police. Come with us.¡± ¡°W-What are you arresting me for?!¡± Katrina widened her eyes with incredulity. ¡°What crime have I committed?!¡± ¡°Do you really not know?¡± The young woman¡¯s head went nk. Never had she thought the police would find her in less than three hours of the photos being posted. Finally, it dawned on her that she hadmitted a very serious offense. Meanwhile, Peter was attending to his vegetable patch, and Josephine was helping him water the nts when the elder¡¯s phone rang. ¡°Hello?¡± He answered the call. ¡°It¡¯s been sorted out, sir. We¡¯ve found the culprit. It¡¯s Josephine¡¯s colleague, Katrina Sullivan.¡± ¡°Good, that¡¯s settled then. Please issue a statement on the inte as soon as possible.¡± ¡°We will, sir.¡± At that, Peter ended the call and turned to his dear granddaughter. ¡°They¡¯ve found the culprit. It¡¯s your colleague¡ªKatrina Sullivan.¡± The answer was well within Josephine¡¯s expectations, and she snorted. ¡°I knew it!¡± Inside the police station, Katrina covered her face, blinded by the suddenly ring lights. Her makeup was smudged at this point, and her face was ghastly pale as she gazed fearfully at the interrogators. ¡°Will I be sentenced for this? How many years will I get?¡± ¡°Ten years and above if it¡¯s severe.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Katrina nearly passed out. She closed her eyes as tears fell like a never-ending waterfall, confessing. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to do it! I was just jealous of Josephine. I didn¡¯t intentionally want to ruin her reputation. I¡­ I just acted impulsively.¡± ¡°It¡¯s useless to say that now. You better confess. When did you start nning the crime?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t me. I didn¡¯t initiate it. I never intended to harm her. Someone incited me!¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Tori. Tori Alford, the seven o¡¯clock news anchor at our station. She called me into her office and incited me, saying that she would rmend me as a news anchor if I ruined Josephine. I was influenced andmitted this crime.¡± Katrina confessed everything. She finally realized how wicked Tori was. She is the one jealous of Josephine, yet she incited me to commit the crime while she achieved her goal by just moving her lips. Now, I am the guilty one, while Tori is free of any charges. ¡°Can I please talk to Josephine?¡± Katrina still wishfully thought she could talk to Josephine, ask for her forgiveness, and deal with the incident privately. ¡°Do you not get it, Sullivan? You¡¯vemitted a crime. This is no longer between you two.¡± Oh, how Katrina rued the day. Her mind was nk at this point. It was Tori¡¯s incitement and Ivanka¡¯s suggestion that formed the incident. However, she ended up being the one to pay the price. The police immediately took down all photos rted to Josephine and also released an official statement regarding the arrest of the hacker and Katrina Sullivan. They exined the whole incident clearly and mentioned a female news anchor by the surname of Alford was also involved. Instantly,izens who had just been criticizing and cursing furiously on their keyboards turned their attention toward the cunning Katrina. Everyone was also wildly specting about who this anchorwoman was. It turned out that the whole incident was nothing but a product of a vile and ignorant woman¡¯s self-directed and self-acted jealousy. Meanwhile, Ivanka was enjoying dinner with her friends when one of them leaned in and asked, ¡°Hey, Ivanka, is your sister named Katrina?¡± ¡°Yeah, she is,¡± Ivanka answered, prompting her friend to press on, ¡°Is she working in your husband¡¯s TV station?¡± ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s there as an assistant.¡± ¡°In that case, is there another girl named Katrina Sullivan in the station?¡± ¡°No, why do you ask?¡± Ivanka replied as she picked up her wine ss gracefully while her friend finally pulled her phone out and warily leaned closer. ¡°Is this your sister?¡± Ivanka took a casual gander at the phone before hastily putting the wine ss down and snatching her friend¡¯s phone. Panic arose within her as she read the title and the news report. ¡°Sorry, I have to go!¡± Ivanka said and dashed out of the restaurant with her bag in panic. At the same time, her other friends leaned in and read the news. ¡°Good Lord! Her sister is so shameless, using such despicable means to frame a newbie!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve watched this new news anchor¡¯s program. She¡¯s good at her job and has an excellent temperament. She doesn¡¯t look like a newbie at all. She¡¯s pleasant to watch.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Ivanka¡¯s sisternd the job because of Atticus? Word is that she graduated from a third-tier college and even used to be a delinquent.¡± At the same time, Ivanka hopped into her car and called Atticus, who flipped out when he received his wife¡¯s call. ¡°Ivanka, why didn¡¯t you stop Katrina from doing something so stupid?! She¡¯s been arrested now, and mypany has be a joke in the industry!¡± ¡°Honey, please save Kat! Ask Josephine Jacobson if she¡¯s willing to settle the issue privately. We¡¯ll give her money. Kat can¡¯t go to jail!¡± ¡°Do you think Josephine needs money? This can¡¯t be resolved. I can¡¯t even locate Josephine myself. She won¡¯t answer any calls.¡± ¡°Go to her house. Go to her house and talk to her. I¡¯ll do it. You ask her toe out. I¡¯ll kneel even if I have to. Kat¡¯s still so young. Her life will be ruined if she¡¯s sentenced to jail time!¡± Ivanka was now in tears of regret. She never imagined how foolish she was when she suggested the n. It was she who ruined her sister¡¯s life, giving her the stupid idea and even lending her money to frame Josephine. s, she was the one who sent her sister to jail. ¡°I¡¯ll try contacting her again. Don¡¯t worry,¡± Atticusforted his wife on the other end of the line. News about Katrina¡¯s misdeed spread even more wildly than Josephine¡¯s photoshopped images on the inte at this point. After all, the former¡¯s actions had pissed off the working ss, who despised the shameless woman for ying such a dirty hand. Tori, on the other hand, learned about the news after finishing the news broadcast and was resting in the green room. Her assistant came running with the news to her, and her mind went nk the second she read it, for she read the line, ¡®A female news anchor by the surname of Alford was also involved.¡¯ That sentence alone caused Tori to slump weakly into the chair and heave. ¡°Miss Alford! Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Let me have a moment,¡± Tori put up a calm front and said to her assistant, who left quickly, for she realized from Tori¡¯s expression that the news was likely referring to Tori herself. Chapter 1921-1930 Chapter 1921-1930 Fear enveloped Tori¡¯s face when she saw Katrina sitting in the police station, and she reflexively hugged her arms when she sensed a chill. How is this possible? How did Katrina get arrested? Didn¡¯t she say it was foolproof?! Wasn¡¯t she confident of not being caught?! It has only been less than three hours since Josephine¡¯s scandal was out, and Katrina has already been arrested! She even sold me out! Thank goodness the cops didn¡¯t mention my full name. However, the words ¡®female news anchor¡¯ and ¡®Alford¡¯ made her panic, for she was the only female news anchor whose surname was Alford in the station! Tori held her chest as uneasiness arose within her. What¡¯s to be of me if Katrina¡¯s been arrested?! Just then, her phone rang. Seeing it was an unknown number, she took a deep breath and answered it, ¡°Hello, who is this?¡± ¡°Is this Tori Alford?¡± the caller went straight to the point. ¡°This is her speaking. Who is this on the line?¡± ¡°This is the city police department. We need you toe and cooperate with us on a case and give a statement,¡± said the female voice on the other end of the line. ¡°Now? But it¡¯s already nine,¡± Tori said, thinking her social status should give her some leverage. ¡°The station is avable 24/7. Someone will be avable to take your statement. I suggest youe now.¡± ¡°C-Can I go tomorrow?¡± Tori tried to bargain. ¡°We will personally go to you if you don¡¯te on your own. Your choice! Goodnight, Miss Alford.¡± With that, the caller hung up. Tori bit her lip in anger. It seemed that her social status didn¡¯t carry much weight with the police. She quickly thought of someone she knew and made a call for help. ¡°Thomas, I¡¯m in a bit of trouble. Can you help me out?¡± After getting the other person¡¯s agreement to help her, Tori finally walked out with her bag. However, she found her colleagues staring at her as soon as she came out, and there were whispers and finger- pointing wherever she went. No one normally dared speak ill of her behind her back. But this very day, she became a public target. ¡°It¡¯s her, isn¡¯t it? She¡¯s the one the statement is referring to.¡± ¡°It can only be her! Is there another anchorwoman with the surname Alford in our station?¡± ¡°To think she¡¯s an aplice in Josephine¡¯s scandal! Poor Josephine.¡± ¡°Tell me about it. I feel so bad for looking down on Josephine now.¡± When Tori entered the elevator, she could even feel her female colleagues¡¯ disdainful gazes on her. A bold one even deliberately asked her fellow female colleague. ¡°Say, who do you think is Katrina¡¯s aplice? Do we have an Alford anchorwoman in our station?¡± ¡°Of course, we do! Do you not know?¡± ¡°Sigh! I swear these people have nothing better to do! To think they continue to frame other people when they¡¯re already news anchors!¡± ¡°You can say that again. The wicked are still wicked no matter how pretty they look.¡± s, Tori could only suck it up even when she had been insulted indirectly. Now, she finally realized what Josephine was capable of. After leaving the station, Tori ultimately drove straight to the police station, and when she arrived, the man she asked for help held Tori¡¯s hand with ill intentions from inside the car. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, okay, Tori? I¡¯ll take care of this. This is nothing! Go give your statement and leave the rest to me.¡± Tori endured the disgust of being taken advantage of, for the man in the car was in his sixties, and though he was well-dressed, he exuded an old man¡¯s smell that she couldn¡¯t stand. She would¡¯ve rather died than ask him for help before this. But now, he was her only ticket out of this, even though she knew she would have to pay the price. ¡°Go on, go and make your statement. We¡¯ll talk when youe out.¡± It was evident what the man was implying. However, Tori was genuinely fearful. She worried she would end up in jail because of Katrina. That way, her reputation would be ruined. How could she continue to survive in television in the future?! Hence, she would inevitably have to ¡®serve¡¯ this old man if she wanted to get away with it. Fear surged within her, but she had no other choice. He held the highest governmental position among the people she knew. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go in, then. Please do speak up for me if there¡¯s anything, Mr. Zeigler,¡± Tori said with a sweet smile. ¡°Go on!¡± Thomas Zeigler¡¯s eyes beamed lecherously, surprised that Tori would one daye to him for help. After Tori entered the police station, she was whisked away to give her statement, and the police asked her questions based on Katrina¡¯s testimony. ¡°Tori Alford, ording to Katrina Sullivan, you¡¯re the one who incited her to frame Josephine Jacobson, is that right?¡± ¡°Katrina¡¯s framing me! That didn¡¯t happen at all! Josephine and I are good friends. No way will I harm her. Besides, why would I want to do that?!¡± ¡°But Sullivan insisted that you incited her into framing Jacobson and even promised to promote her to Jacobson¡¯s position after this.¡± ¡°What a joke! Her brother-inw is the station¡¯s major shareholder. She just needs to beg her brother- inw if she wants a promotion. Who am I to promote her?! I swear I¡¯m innocent, officer. I have nothing to do with this at all. Do you have proof of my involvement?¡± Tori cleared herself of any involvement in the incident. Indeed, Katrina was the only culprit based on the evidence they found. She superimposed the photos and uploaded them online herself. ¡°Tori Alford, we reserve the right to prosecute you for this matter. You can go home for now. If necessary, we will ask you toe back.¡± Tori was instantly relieved. Katrina¡¯s verbal statement wouldn¡¯t do her any damage. However, she wasn¡¯t sure if Katrina had other forms of evidence. At that, she looked through her chat history with Katrina, and much to her dismay, they had discussed the matter over text, and she was the one who asked Katrina about the photos. ¡®How did it go?¡¯ ¡®They¡¯ve been superimposed and ready to be uploaded any time. Just sit back and enjoy the show, Tori!¡¯ Tori covered her mouth in fear at once, and she deleted the messages in a panic. However, she still felt disturbed, for she would be doomed if Katrina showed the police the messages. Later, Tori gulped when she saw Thomas still waiting for her after exiting the police station. Ultimately, she took a deep breath and approached his car. Meanwhile, Josephine returned home at about 10.00PM, and at this point, the news had turned around as the licentious photos had all been taken down. When she checked thements again, everyone sympathized and apologized to her. Now, it was Katrina who was receiving public condemnation. If her hunch was right, Tori was the instigator. Hence, Josephine wouldn¡¯t stop at only having Katrina bear the brunt. She wanted to see Tori punished for her actions and apologize to her. The woman couldn¡¯t be left out of this. She had switched her phone off, for she had been bombarded with calls, and a dozen or so of them belonged to Atticus, presumably because his wife wanted him to ask her to settle do a private settlement. No way! Josephine would pursue the matter to the end. She would have everyone involved suffer the consequences they deserved. At the same time, the Sullivans had been thrown into chaos, with Ivanka bawling and repenting to her parents, who were also all over the ce, worried that this would be the end of their younger daughter. ¡°Mom, Dad, I promise you I¡¯ll sort this out. I¡¯ll have Atticus save Kat!¡± Ivanka swore to her parents. Later, Ivanka threw the responsibility onto Atticus, who had no choice but to drive to Josephine¡¯s home. It was already 10.00PM, so Heidi couldn¡¯t help but be bewildered to find her daughter¡¯s boss at their doorstep. ¡°What brings you here at this hour, Mr. Kowalski?¡± ¡°Is Josephine home, Mrs. Jacobson? I¡¯d like to have a word with her, please.¡± ¡°She¡¯s upstairs. Let me get her for you.¡± Meanwhile, Josephine got dressed and went down when she heard noises. ¡°I know why you¡¯re here, Mr. Kowalski,¡± Josephine said, gazing at Atticus in the garden. ¡°But there¡¯s no room for negotiation. Please leave.¡± ¡°Josephine, I know that Katrina has gone overboard this time, but as long as you withdraw the charges against her, I assure you that I¡¯ll fire her, and she¡¯ll disappear from your life. Also, I¡¯llpensate you appropriately and ask her to apologize to you,¡± Atticus promised. Unfortunately, Josephine could feel her blood boiling in her veins this time as she sneered, ¡°Mr. Kowalski, this matter has breached my bottom line and you can forget that I¡¯ll ever settle this matter peacefully. If you have any opinions against me, then I¡¯ll submit my resignation first thing tomorrow morning. I¡¯ll leave thepany!¡± ¡°No, Josephine. That¡¯s not what I mean. I¡¯m not asking you to leave. I just want to know if we can settle this matter in private. After all, we¡¯re colleagues and I would like you to make an exception for my sake.¡± ¡°No, I will not. Not only Katrina but Tori is involved in this as well. Please ensure that Tori is also well taken care of. If she remains in thepany, I¡¯ll resign as well. I do not want to see these two as long as I continue working here,¡± Josephine threatened. Atticus gulped. It didn¡¯t matter who resigned, but that person should never be Josephine! Otherwise, Ethan would be the one asking for him to tender his resignation. ¡°Is there really no other solution, Josephine?¡± ¡°No. There¡¯s no other way aside from tossing her into prison. Also, my grandfather is still hale and hearty, so I won¡¯t be allowing anyone to pull any connections to get her out of serving time,¡± she warned coldly. Finally, Atticus understood her intentions and could only let Katrina pay the price for her actions. ¡°Okay, thepany will take action against Tori as well. Don¡¯t worry and pleasee back to work.¡± At midnight, Tori sobbed while cleaning herself in the hotel bathtub, retching from time to time. Even if she didn¡¯t end up in jail, the Heavens had bestowed upon her a different punishment because of what she did with Katrina. After Ethan left the hotel, he went to the TV station. As the biggest shareholder of the station, he had a spacious and bright office that he didn¡¯t usually use for work. Instead, he was here for fun. Right after he arrived, he checked the list of phone number extensions next to the phone. He narrowed his eyes as he carefully scanned the list until he found Josephine¡¯s extension number and dialed it with his slender fingers. Meanwhile, Josephine had only sat down for a few minutes after that farce of a meeting when the phone on her desk started ringing, and she instinctively picked it up. ¡°Hello, this is the reporters¡¯ office. How may I help you today?¡± ¡°Come to my office upstairs,¡± a husky male voice said. Josephine¡¯s beautiful eyes widened a little. ¡°Mr. Quarles?¡± ¡°Yes. Eighteenth floor,¡± he replied. ¡°Are you here to work?¡± The man showing up at thepany was thest thing she expected. ¡°Come upstairs,¡± he repeated once more and hung up. Immediately, Josephine rose from her seat and sneaked toward the elevators like a thief. After she sneakily nced around, she pressed the button for the eighteenth floor and went all the way up. The eighteenth floor was reserved for higher management, and she didn¡¯t know which way to go. Just as she was anxiously pacing, sounds of footsteps echoed from a corner and Ethan¡¯s gorgeous face appeared. ¡°This way.¡± He was here to pick her up. She had her head lowered as she trotted to him. Her entire demeanor made him grin in amusement as heined, ¡°Why are you acting like a thief?¡± ¡°Why did you call me here?¡± she asked instead. After Ethan led her into his office, he closed the door, slumped backzily on the couch, and answered, ¡°I just want to see you.¡± Josephine could feel her face burning. ¡°I¡¯m still at work!¡± ¡°I bought a sports car for you,¡± he said with a raised brow. She jerked her head at him and was stunned to silence for a few seconds. Is this guy okay? Why did he buy me a sports car? ¡°No! I can¡¯t and won¡¯t be epting this gift,¡± she hurriedly rejected. s, he tossed the problem back to her. ¡°I¡¯ve already ced my purchase and it will be delivered in the afternoon. What am I going to do if you won¡¯t ept it?¡± She blinked as she bit her lip and tentatively inquired, ¡°Can you return it?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Then, you should¡¯ve asked for my opinion in the first ce before making such a purchase!¡± Isn¡¯t this guy a little reckless? she thought in bewilderment. ¡°The car will be parked at the VIP spot in the basement parking lot, and you can use it whenever you want.¡± Ethan had always been a rather overbearing person, so he would never take back the gift that he had specifically bought for someone else. The instant it was out of his hands, it wasn¡¯t his problem any longer. The other party could do anything with it, except return it to him. Although Josephine had several run-ins with overbearing people, she had never met one such as Ethan, who waspletely unreasonable. ¡°Return it! My car still works, and I don¡¯t need a sports car,¡± she huffed as she bit her lip. Ethan merely smirked as he shrugged gracefully. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine. A sports car isn¡¯t a big deal to me. Plus, if you refuse to use it, I¡¯ll just let it park at that spot until it¡¯s covered in dust.¡± Josephine¡¯s eyshes fluttered as she caught sight of his pearly whites and felt her heart racing. This man can truly sway hearts with his smile! Just then, her phone started ringing, and she saw that it was Luke calling her. So, she hastily scrambled to the window and picked up the call. ¡°Hi, Luke.¡± ¡°Joey, I¡¯ve made a reservation in a restaurant tonight. I¡¯ll pick you up after workter,¡± he said over the phone. ¡°Okay.¡± Since she had promised to buy him a meal, she readily agreed as she didn¡¯t see a need to bail on him. However, there was one thing¡ªshe had decided to make things clear to Luke that they could only ever be friends. So, he shouldn¡¯t waste more time on her. Still, he had been wooing her aggressively for the past year. Therefore, she reckoned that he might not give up so easily if she simply rejected him verbally. If she let him know that her heart belonged to someone else and that she already had someone she loved, he might finally cease pursuing her. The person who can make Luke give up must be more outstanding, better looking, and richer than him, she thought, and there was only one person around her who checked all the boxes. So, she turned her attention back to the person on the couch, paced toward him, and asked, ¡°Mr. Quarles, are you free tonight?¡± He arched his brows. ¡°Yep!¡± ¡°Will you do me a favor?¡± she asked, her eyes filled with utmost sincerity. ¡°Tell me.¡± To her surprise, he seemed very willing. ¡°I would like you to pose as my boyfriend and make Luke give up on me,¡± she said. After he heard that, he became excited, and a look of delight shed in his eyes. ¡°Okay, no problem.¡± When she saw that he was so happy to help, she breathed a sigh of relief and truly hoped that Luke woulde to his senses today. That way he would not waste his youth on her. ¡°Mr. Quarles, I¡¯ll be going back to work and will call you after work.¡± ¡°Sure, go ahead!¡± Ethan didn¡¯t want to bother her at work anymore. Unfortunately, just when she returned to her desk, a commotion started in the group chat. Someone posted some pictures they had taken at the basement parking lot. Under the lighting, an eye-catching red Ferrari with its bright, glossy paint was parked there, marveling everyone with its price. ¡®My god, whose car is that standing in the VIP parking spot?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s so cool! I think it costs at least seven figures.¡¯ ¡®Who does it belong to? Will someone in the group tell me who this wealthy woman is?¡¯ Wren was in on it as well, so she turned to Josephine next to her and whispered enthusiastically, ¡°Joey, do you know whose Ferrari is that? Just look at what amotion it is causing in the group.¡± Josephine felt white noise filling her brain as she stared at that sports car disyed on the iPad in utter astonishment. Is this the car Ethan bought for me? It¡¯s parked on the VIP spot and brand new to boot. ¡°I¡¯m so envious! I wonder which wealthy man gave it as a gift. Could it belong to Tori? She has had many suitors recently, and I heard that they¡¯re all rich businessmen.¡± As Tori was a renowned host in thepany, she was beautiful, talented, and also single. Thus, she was everyone¡¯s first guess. Yet, she suddenly blurted, ¡°It¡¯s not mine.¡± ¡°Goodness! Whose could it be if not Tori¡¯s?¡± Immediately, Wren became more interested in the topic. While Josephine was feeling her face burning in embarrassment, an assistant ced a paper bag on her desk. ¡°Josephine, someone told me to pass this to you.¡± A stunned Josephine couldn¡¯t tell what was in the bag from the outside. When she picked it up and peered in, she could feel her scalp numbing from the shock. Just as she feared, there was a box with the Ferrari logo emblemed on it. Then, as she shakily opened the box in the paper bag, she found the car keyying silently within. Josephine¡¯s breath got stuck in her chest. It really was the car that Ethan bought for her! She sighed inwardly as she felt a throbbing pain in her head. What am I going to do now? The entire office is talking about this and if I admit that it¡¯s my car¡­ Given everyone¡¯s current guesses, they¡¯ll think that I¡¯m the mistress of some wealthy man. ¡°Whose car could it be?¡± Next to her, Wren narrowed her eyes and pondered over this like a detective. Josephine discretely slipped the bag under her desk and held her aching head in resignation. Within a day, Josephine¡¯s issue waspletely solved while Katrina became the public¡¯s target of verbal abuses. The Sullivan Family could barely sleep that night, especially Ivanka, who couldn¡¯t sleep a wink at all because she was busy ming herself. In the meantime, Katrina was in the lockup. The beautiful makeup she wore in the morning now looked utterly ghastly. She wrapped her arms around herself as she trembled pathetically. Although she was devastated, she had run out of tears of remorse to cry. But s, there was no cure for regret in this world, and she despised Tori to the core. If Tori hadn¡¯t instigated her, she would have never made such a mistake. Undoubtedly, she started to resent her sister as well for devising such a foul idea. Ultimately, however, she hated her own folly even more. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. The next morning, Josephine showed up at work as usual. She was the target of sneers and ridicule yesterday, but some who scorned her were avoiding her like the gue today, and some even greeted her without any shame. Their entire 180 was due to the fact that they have finally learned of her connections and how powerful her background truly was, so they were now genuinely afraid of crossing her. On the other hand, Josephine appeared as though nothing had happened as she did her makeup and memorized the script in preparation for her work. When Wren found an opportunity to approach her, she breathed a sigh of relief as she stated, ¡°Katrina ispletely rotten. I would have never thought that it was her.¡± ¡°Of course, there¡¯s another person besides her,¡± Josephine said. ¡°The one who gave her the idea.¡± ¡°Frankly, I have never once thought that Tori could be such a person. I just assumed that she was just a little arrogant. I could have never imagined that she¡¯s capable of such malice.¡± In all honesty, Josephine was rather happy that Katrina made such a dumb move. Because of this, she didn¡¯t have to face the two people she hated the most on a daily basis. Josephine¡¯s news broadcast started, and she waspletely unaffected by the scandal that had taken thepany by storm. Instead, her performance was amazing, and severalizens deliberately waited to watch her news broadcast just to see how talented the framed host was. By the end of it, some of them were even smitten with her looks and professionalism and turned into her fans. In addition, her broadcast rating went up by ten points, which was an all-time high for thepany. In the meantime, Tori¡¯s news in the afternoon slot was reced by another female host as Tori was ced under investigation and suspended without pay. Meanwhile, Katrina was given the boot and was no longer part of thepany. ¡°My god, Josephine. You¡¯re amazing! You have no idea how people areplimenting your voice on the Inte!¡± ¡°Yeah, they said you¡¯re pretty, graceful, and have a beautiful voice!¡± A smile spread across Josephine¡¯s face. ¡°Really? I¡¯ll do my best to take care of myself, then.¡± Just when she was about to step into the elevator, Tori suddenly dashed out from one of them. She appeared to be in a rush, but when she saw Josephine, she red at her furiously. ¡°You¡¯re definitely swimming in delight now, aren¡¯t you Josephine.¡± Josephine scoffed in disdain as she retorted mercilessly, ¡°You brought this upon yourself. Why should I be delighted when I¡¯m the victim here?¡± Regardless, when Tori¡¯s mind kept returning to the thought that she had spent the night with an old man and was now facing such criticism from Josephine, she felt the veryst strands of her sanity snap. ¡°Don¡¯t get so cocky, Josephine. You¡¯ll receive your retribution,¡± she spat viciously and went straight to Atticus¡¯ office. Atticus was about to go out when she entered in a flurry of skirts. ¡°Just what are you doing here? Didn¡¯t I already tell you not to show up at the office?¡± he demanded in annoyance. ¡°Mr. Kowalski, I can host the news. This doesn¡¯t affect my work in any way. Please let me return to work!¡± ¡°You still want toe back to work after destroying thepany¡¯s image with your actions? Just look at what you¡¯ve done to Katrina!¡± Atticus was furious. Because of this matter, his wife was in a cold war with him, leaving their three sons alone and him with a pounding headache. ¡°Mr. Kowalski, I¡¯m begging you. I can¡¯t lose this job. I promise that I won¡¯t cause any trouble after this.¡± Tori blocked Atticus¡¯ way out. ¡°Tori, I¡¯ve made myself perfectly clear about this. If you keep pestering me, I¡¯ll fire you effective immediately,¡± Atticus snapped angrily. However, Tori was willing to do anything to save her job as she suddenly dropped to her knees in front of Atticus and said humbly, ¡°Mr. Kowalski, I¡¯m begging you. I can do anything you say. Please let me continue my work here.¡± She really needed this job. If she lost her job here, it would spell the end of her career in the industry because none of the other TV stations would ept her. Hence, she could only try any means necessary to keep this job. Just then, an assistant opened the door to deliver a document and caught her kneeling on the floor. The assistant jumped in surprise at the sight, and Tori hurriedly sprang to her feet to protect her reputation. She even shot a furious look at the poor assistant. ¡°Mr. Kowalski, the car is ready. Are you leaving now?¡± the assistant inquired professionally, smart enough to read the room. Atticus immediately took the opportunity to open the door and walk out. Unfortunately, Tori followed closely behind like a piece of gum and grabbed his arm. ¡°Don¡¯t go, Mr. Kowalski¡ª¡± The doors of the elevator slid open and Ivanka came out. The instant she caught sight of Tori holding her husband so intimately, she lost her temper, lunged forward, and pped Tori harshly across the face. p! The sound was so loud that everyone around came over to check out the situation, and they seemed to be enjoying the show when they saw that it was Tori at the receiving end of the blow. So, Tori had such a daying for her, too! ¡°Tori Alford, haven¡¯t you done enough harm to my sister? Are you trying to snatch my husband as well? You b*tch, I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± Ivanka showed the masses just how shrewd she could truly be as she ruthlessly grabbed Tori¡¯s hair, pushed her to the floor, took off her own shoe, and used it as a tool to hit her. ¡°Ah!¡± Tori held her head as she had never encountered such a situation before. Since she had no experience in this, all she could do was scream while protecting her head. Still, none of the employees nearby bothered to help. Instead, they were watching on the sidelines as she received a beating. Some even went as far as to record it. ¡°My sister is in trouble all because of you, jinx! Why didn¡¯t you go to jail instead?! How could you still have the cheeks to show up here? Get out this very instant!¡± While Ivanka was venting all her frustrations on her, Wren dragged Josephine over to watch the show. When Josephine silently watched the sight of the disheveled Tori as Ivanka rained hits on her, she only had one thought: That Tori really deserved what wasing to her. On the other hand, Atticus couldn¡¯t allow things to escte any further. So, he pulled his wife away. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s talk in the office.¡± He dragged Ivanka away, leaving Tori on the floor with a big, red palm mark on her face. She slowly staggered to her feet as she red at everyone with her bloodshot eyes. Usually, she always had her nose up in the air and barely looked anyone straight in the eye. Now, she could clearly see that the people she thought were nothing but nobodies, were mocking and criticizing her. Amongst the crowd, she even found Josephine with her hands crossed over her chest as she watched the scene in triumph. Thus, she red at Josephine with daggers in her eyes as though she was the source of her pain, but Josephine merely raised her brow at her and left. Tori picked up her handbag and took an elevator as well. By now, she was aware that her career was over. Not long afterward, someone uploaded the video of Tori receiving a beating on the Inte, causing a heated round of discussion in an instant. The one who uploaded the video was an assistant whom Tori had bullied in the past. The assistant had nursed a grudge of rather massive proportions due to Tori¡¯s abuse. So, there was no way she would let go of this golden opportunity when she finally had the chance to get back at Tori, her bully. On the Inte, rumors of Tori being a sugar baby were leaked out once more and her reputation took yet another massive hit, causing it to drop straight to the dumps. The top searches of major websites were dominated by Katrina and Tori. Not only do they have to endure public criticism, but someone deliberately exposed Tori¡¯s dirty past. A wealthy woman even told a story using her real name, iming that Tori seduced her husband and used sex as a means to get to her current position. All this bad presspletely distorted Tori¡¯s fans¡¯ opinions about her, and she no longer had a future. She could continue living in reality, but she had lost her favorite job. Even if she was overqualified, no company would ept someone like her with open arms any longer. uare-meter t, knowing she had to pay a high mortgage every month. She felt emotionally drained. Although she earned some money, her extravagant spending habits prevented her from saving anything. Now, besides her ruined reputation, she also had to figure out how to sustain her future expenses. Simplicity was easy to achieve, but it was difficult to go from luxury to simplicity. She couldn¡¯t return to her previous lifestyle. ¡°I hate you, Josephine. I really hate you,¡± Tori eximed, venting her copsed emotions. She approached the mirror, the mark of the p from Ivanka still visible on her face. She looked disheveled and swollen, far from her radiant self. Katrina was still confined in custody, suffering more than Tori. She not only lost her reputation but also her freedom, awaiting the ordeal of imprisonment. At thepany, Josephine sat in her office when she heard the door being pushed open from outside. Shortly after, Ivanka entered with a bunch of gifts in different sizes and packages. She had just bought them, including expensive jewelry and branded handbags, totaling hundreds of thousands in value. As soon as Josephine saw her, she stood up, intending to leave. But Ivanka immediately extended her arms to stop her. ¡°Josephine, don¡¯t leave. Let¡¯s talk.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to discuss between us, Mrs. Kowalski.¡± Josephine was unwilling to talk, nor did she want to give her a chance to plead. Ivanka suddenly closed the door and knelt in front of Josephine. ¡°Josephine, I apologize on behalf of my sister. She is foolish and naive, just a young woman in her twenties. Josephine, I beg you to settle this privately. Whatever conditions you have, I¡¯ll do my best to fulfill them.¡± Josephine took a step back as she crossed her arms. ¡°Mrs. Kowalski, please don¡¯t do this. My stance on this matter is clear¡ªI will not agree to settle it privately.¡± ¡°We¡¯re all colleagues in the samepany. Can¡¯t you be forgiving and spare my sister? I promise she¡¯ll never appear in front of you again,¡± Ivanka pleaded, no longer concerned about her image. If it meant rescuing her sister, she could kneel in front of Josephine all night. But Josephine had no intention of relenting. When Katrina caused harm to her, she didn¡¯t consider the consequences. So now, Katrina should pay the price for her actions. ¡°Your sister is an adult, and she knows very well what is right and wrong. If she insisted on ruining my reputation, then she should have expected this oue,¡± Josephine said coldly. ¡°Josephine, my husband has always been generous to you. Can¡¯t you spare my sister for his sake?¡± Ivanka tried to appeal to Josephine through her husband. Josephine looked at her and asked abruptly, ¡°Mrs. Kowalski, may I ask, did you know about your sister¡¯s actions? If you were aware, why didn¡¯t you stop her? Instead, you allowed her to plot against me?¡± Ivanka¡¯s face changed and a hint of guilt shed in her eyes. How could she have stopped it when it was her idea to begin with? Otherwise, Katrina wouldn¡¯t havee up with any n to deal with Josephine. ¡°Miss Jacobson, my sister genuinely realizes her mistake. Please spare her! I¡¯m sorry, I apologize on behalf of my sister.¡± Ivanka kept apologizing, hoping to soften Josephine¡¯s heart. However, Josephine was not a person easily swayed. She simply dismissed Ivanka, urging, ¡°Mrs. Kowalski, take your things and there¡¯s no need to apologize to me. I won¡¯t forgive Katrina.¡± Ivanka became extremely desperate. She genuinely and sincerely pleaded with Josephine. Usually, she was an arrogant person who didn¡¯t care about others, but today, not only did Josephine not give her a chance, but she even drove her away. ¡°Josephine, why must you go so far? We¡¯re all part of the samepany. Your boyfriend and my husband are also partners. Are you purposely trying to make things look ugly?¡± Ivanka stood up as her expression turned sour. Josephine heard this statement, thinking it was tant moral ckmail. She looked at Ivanka and said, ¡°Mrs. Kowalski, if you want my boyfriend and your husband to maintain a working rtionship, it¡¯s important to separate thepany matters from personal issues. Let¡¯s keep them separate and not let personal grievances interfere.¡± Ivanka pointed at the pile of gifts in front of her and said, ¡°I spent over three hundred thousand on these gifts just to apologize to you. Can¡¯t you show some understanding and spare my sister?¡± Josephine noticed the change in her attitude, from apologizing to me-shifting. She even suspected that Ivanka and Katrina were colluding, so Ivanka might have yed a role in framing her. ¡°Mrs. Kowalski, I think it would be best if you leave now. Let¡¯s avoid escting things further.¡± Josephine gestured toward the door, indicating her desire for Ivanka to depart. Ivanka awkwardly picked up the gifts and left. As she walked out, she nced back at Josephine¡¯s office. Josephine sat down on the couch and picked up her phone to send a message to Ethan. ¡®What are you up to? Do you miss me?¡¯ ¡®Currently in a meeting, but thinking of you.¡¯ Apparently, he was unaware of what had happened to Josephine. Josephine breathed a sigh of relief. Her pictures had been deleted, and they couldn¡¯t be found on the Inte anymore. ¡®When are you leaving for the Arctic?¡¯ ¡®Afternoon flight. There might not be a good signal once I arrive at the Arctic, so I won¡¯t be able to stay in constant contact with you.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s fine! Just asionalmunication is enough.¡¯ Josephine reassured him. ¡®After the meeting, I¡¯ll video chat with youter.¡¯ ¡®Okay, you go ahead and focus on your work.¡¯ She didn¡¯t want to disturb him any longer as he surely had a lot of tasks to handle. She was going to have dinner with her family that night. It took her some time to adjust to not having Ethan around. Oftentimes, she would have trouble falling asleep and would reach out beside her in her dreams, only to find an empty space. It would wake her up, and then she would spend the night flipping through photos, reminiscing about everything that happened between them. After the bout of intense longing, she would restrain herself as she looked forward to the day they reunited. Josephine didn¡¯t n to tell him about the injustice she had suffered. She worried that the situation would deeply upset him, to the extent that he might lose his appetite. Katrina¡¯s family was making various efforts to help her, but no matter what connections they used, it all proved futile. Katrina¡¯s case was too sensitive, and no one dared to touch it or offer assistance, which meant that she would inevitably pay the price for her actions. At 9.30PM, Josephine got into bed after taking a shower, and a video call from a certain man came through. She answered the call and saw the man on the other side wearing a ck shirt and a suit with a tie. He looked very formal, and the background showed a view of clouds, indicating that he was in a high-rise building. The man¡¯s deep and clear amber eyes in the video stared at her with a charming smile. Before she could say anything, she was captivated by the man¡¯s smile. She couldn¡¯t even bring herself to speak and just admired his handsome looks. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± the man asked. He thought she would have endless things to say to him. Indeed, Josephine had a thousand words to say, but when they finally had a video meeting, she realized that her mouth had gone dumb, and she didn¡¯t know what to say anymore. ¡°I read all your news. It¡¯s fantastic,¡± the man said in a deep voice. Josephine¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly asked, ¡°Do you read news from here?¡± ¡°Well, due to my busy schedule, I only read your news,¡± the man replied. Josephine couldn¡¯t help but breathe a sigh of relief. It was a good thing that he wouldn¡¯t be reading news from other sources. That way, he wouldn¡¯t find out about her situation. ¡°Are you busy over there? Besides work, do you have any leisure activities?¡± ¡°I y golf with my dad, work out, and focus on my job. Once things settle down here, I¡¯ll bring you over for a vacation.¡± Her face lit up with excitement. ¡°That sounds great! In that case, I¡¯ll make sure thepany prepares a sessor for me. When I have some free time, I¡¯ll take a leave.¡± ¡°I suggest proposing it to Atticus to start training the sessor in advance. It will put your mind at ease,¡± Ethan said. At that moment, Josephine¡¯sptop beside her chimed with a message from Wren. There was another piece of breaking news on the Inte, which was about Tori being involved in a sugar daddy rtionship. Meanwhile, Wren¡¯s messages continued to flood in, arriving one after another. Josephine loved reading these kinds of news and couldn¡¯t help but keep her head close to the computer. Meanwhile, a certain man who had been neglected on her phone suddenly became alert, thinking that some other guy was enthusiastically chatting with her. ¡°Ahem!¡± The man coughed lightly. Only then did Josephine realize that she had neglected him. She quickly looked up at him, blinked her adorable eyes, and said, ¡°Is it cold over there? You¡¯re dressed so warmly.¡± ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s a bit colder here,¡± he replied. Afterward, he rose from his seat and gracefully removed his suit, unveiling his robust muscles subtly defined beneath his ck shirt. His long and untamed fingers skillfully loosened his tie, an act brimming with such allure that caused Josephine to swallow hard, feeling the weight of temptation. If he were by her side, she would eagerly pounce on him without hesitation, but he was far away in a location abroad. She could only watch his figure through the video, discreetly swallowing her saliva. His body was an exquisite perfection that she could only admire from afar, unable to touch or lean against it ¡ªhow tantalizingly tempting it was. At that moment, the message notifications on the side kept chiming incessantly. The man opposite Josephine began to suspect that there was another man vigorously pursuing her. ¡°Hey, who are you chatting with?¡± he asked. ¡°It¡¯s my friend!¡± ¡°A guy?¡± ¡°A girl,¡± she said. However, the man didn¡¯t believe her. ¡°Take a screenshot and show me.¡± Josephine didn¡¯t dare to take a screenshot. It was all Wren talking about Tori¡¯s situation, and if he happened to discover Tori¡¯s affairs and those pictures of her, it would negatively impact her image. ¡°It¡¯s really a friend, a girl, my colleague. You¡¯ve met her before, Wren,¡± she exined earnestly. ¡°Is that so?¡± The man¡¯s jealousy was evident. Clearly, after being in a rtionship, his possessiveness was quite strong. ¡°I¡¯m not lying to you. I swear I¡¯m not lying,¡± she exined again and made a solemn promise. ¡°Do you miss me?¡± the man asked hoarsely. ¡°I do, very much. I even dream about you,¡± Josephine said without any shyness. When you love someone, you should say it out loud. ¡°What do you miss about me?¡± The man suddenly became a bit ambiguous. Josephine bit her lip and boldly confessed, ¡°I miss sleeping in your arms.¡± ¡°Just sleeping?¡± ¡°Of course not just sleeping. You know what I mean.¡± She blushed. Did he really have to make me say such intimate words? ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± The man pretended to be ignorant. ¡°Tell me in detail.¡± She covered her face and refused to look at him. ¡°What are you forcing me to say?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle and decided not to force her since it was difficult for a girl to talk about such things. However, he swore he would make her say those words of love when they got to meet in person. Just then, an assistant¡¯s voice was heard next to Ethan, and Josephine heard him reply, ¡°Wait a moment, I¡¯ll be right there.¡± ¡°Are you going to have another meeting?¡± she asked. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s another meeting. There have been some issues in thepanytely,¡± he said. She decided not to upy his time any longer and urged, ¡°Well, go ahead and attend your meeting.¡± ¡°Alright, I love you.¡± The man blew her a kiss, and she made a heart gesture in return. ¡°I love you too.¡± After ending the video call, her longing over the past few days was relieved. She eagerly awaited the day they would reunite and meet in person. ¡­ In the early morning, as Josephine arrived at thepany, she spotted a familiar figure. It was her former senior colleague, Selyn Waydon. She happily approached her and greeted, ¡°Hey, Selyn.¡± ¡°Josephine!¡± Selyn greeted her with joy. ¡°Have you joined ourpany, Selyn?¡± ¡°Yeah! I¡¯m taking over Tori¡¯s position. I was nning to retire, but Mr. Kowalski kept asking me toe over.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fantastic! Your presence will bring a lot of brilliance to ourpany!¡± Josephine was genuinely pleased to have an experienced senior colleague like Selyn to work alongside. ¡°The impact of Tori¡¯s case is extremely negative, so yourpany has decided not to hire her anymore. Of course, I believe that she will be the most suitable sessor for this position in the future.¡± ¡°No, no. Sera, you¡¯re still so young. You can definitely continue to seed.¡± At first, Tori had only been suspended from work without pay, but as the situation escted, things deteriorated to a point where she was facing severe criticism fromizens, and there would be no Meanwhile, Ivanka headed to visit Katrina in prison, securing ten minutes with her through her connections. In just a few days, Katrina hadpletely lost her previous shine. She sat behind a table in the visiting area and pleaded, ¡°Save me, Ivanka, please save me. I don¡¯t want to spend another second here.¡± Ivanka willed her tears back as she looked at her sister, and yet she was at aplete loss. She had already pulled all her strings, but none worked, leaving Katrina fated to life in prison. ¡°Katrina, it¡¯s all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have given you that idea. I was the one who harmed you, Katrina, I¡¯m sorry.¡± As she looked at Katrina¡¯s eyes of despair, Ivanka felt as if a knife was digging into her heart, causing her to ache with guilt and helplessness. After hearing that, Katrina sent her a vicious re that was filled with hatred. ¡°Ivanka, did you do this on purpose? Since we were kids, you¡¯ve always thought that I stole the love that belonged to you away and med Dad and Mom for loving me instead of you. That¡¯s why you did this to me, right?¡± Falling into the depths of despair bred resentment in Katrina, and she even harbored a grudge toward her own sister. Ivanka looked at her in shock, and her heart was torn further apart when she saw that Katrina med her for this incident. Why would she harm her own sister? She was truly only doing it for her good. ¡°Katrina, I really didn¡¯t mean it that way.¡± ¡°You did, you definitely did. You married into a good family, had three children, and you¡¯re rich, while I have nothing. And now, I¡¯m forced into prison because of you. I hate you!¡± Katrina had always been a narrow-minded person, and now she used this piece of vengefulness she held and turned it into a sharp dagger, driving it deep into Ivanka¡¯s heart. Ivanka was hurt by her words, but she couldn¡¯t voice her sorrow. Instead, she only looked at Katrina with eyes filled with helplessness and distress. ¡°I really didn¡¯t want to harm you, Katrina. Please believe me.¡± ¡°Go away, I don¡¯t want any of you toe and see me. Just treat me like I¡¯m dead. I¡¯ll hate you for the rest of my life!¡± Katrina had already be twisted beyond return, and she was even close to losing her mind. ¡°Katrina¡­¡± Although Ivanka was a strong woman, her heart had been torn apart with worry for her sister, and yet what she received was Katrina¡¯s resentment. Out of everyone involved in this matter, none of them were able to free themselves, and they all faced the consequences they deserved. Ivanka, Katrina, and Tori all paid the price they owed for each of their parts in this situation. On the other hand, a private ne took off from Dansbury toward the Arctic. A tall and slender figure was seated on a ck leather couch within the spacious cabin with a pile of documents next to him that awaited his attention. When he picked up one of the papers and took a look at it, his sharp brows furrowed. It was an official document prepared by one of his rivals to prevent hispany¡¯s development. The sudden appearance of this document in the midst of his project rendered all of hispany¡¯s previous efforts to waste. Ethan¡¯s eyes fluttered shut as he rubbed his forehead. Then, he tossed the document onto the table and gazed at the clouds floating past his window, falling deep into thought. At the same time, in a private workshop located in the Arctic, a man with blond hair and eyes that were the color of the ocean sat on a couch as he asked one of his subordinates, ¡°Will Ethan being?¡± ¡°He¡¯s on the way.¡± ¡°Very well. You must put an end to hispany¡¯s project. All of the oil reserves will belong to my company!¡± ¡°Do you have any good ns, boss?¡± ¡°Haha!¡± At his question, a sh of murderous intent gleamed in the man¡¯s eyes. Meanwhile, after Josephine had finished her work and was settling documents in her office, her right eyelid began to twitch uncontrobly. This caused her to have a bad premonition¡ªafter all, they said that a twitching left eyelid signified iing wealth, while a twitching right eyelid meant that misfortune was on its way. Chapter 1931-1940 Chapter 1931-1940 No, no. Josephine quickly shook off these thoughts, got up, and headed toward the bathroom. She took a wet tissue and rubbed her eyes while thinking about Ethan. He was leaving for the Arctic today, and his phone signal wouldn¡¯t be very good from now on. So, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to find him anytime. It would depend on luck. For this reason, she especially went to a bookstore in the afternoon and bought a bunch of books about the Arctic to read. It was as if reading these books would bring her closer to Ethan. Since the evidence in this case against Katrina was solid, and Josephine¡¯s grandfather had also exerted pressure, the trial was scheduled for tomorrow. As a victim, Josephine also received a notification to attend court for the trial. Her attendance was absolutely required, and Wren also promised to apany her. Early the next morning, Lydia Folly and Wren drove to the Supreme Court. When they arrived, they happened to see Katrina being escorted out. She had disheveled hair, her hands were cuffed, and her mental state was very poor. When she saw Josephine sitting in the spectator seat, she trembled with anger. Even from a distance, one could feel Katrina¡¯s intense hatred in her eyes. Josephine calmly looked back at her. The Sullivan Family also came, and Ivanka gave Josephine a fierce re as if Josephine was a criminal for not forgiving Katrina. However, Josephine didn¡¯t buy into this victim-ming mentality. She crossed her arms and watched the scene as if it were a y. After all the charges against Katrina were read out, the presiding judge looked up and said to Katrina, ¡°Based on the nature of the case and the evidence presented in court, Katrina Sullivan will be sentenced to serve in prison for three years and eight months.¡± Katrina closed her eyes tightly. Although the nearly four-year sentence was not long, for her age, it was the best time of her youth. She could only spend it in that confined space from now on. Josephine was satisfied. Although she thought that Katrina would be sentenced longer, she epted the court¡¯s decision. ¡°Katrina! My Katrina!¡± Katrina¡¯s mother cried and called out to her daughter from her seat as her heart broke into pieces. Josephine decided to leave, and at that moment, Ivanka chased after her from behind, somewhat angrily shouting, ¡°Josephine, are you satisfied now?¡± Josephine turned around and looked at her while saying, ¡°No. I¡¯m not entirely satisfied, but I ept the oue.¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°What else do you want? My sister has paid such a high price for this matter. Josephine, can¡¯t you be more magnanimous and kinder as a person?¡± Ivanka was filled with anger as she lectured Josephine. Josephine¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Ivanka, your sister deserved her punishment, and she deserves this oue. The onescking kindness are you and your sister. It¡¯s toote for you to advise me to be magnanimous.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Ivanka gritted her teeth in anger because she had alsoe to hate Josephine. This incident turned the two sisters against each other and fueled Katrina¡¯s intense hatred toward her sister. It was all Josephine¡¯s fault. ¡°Joey, let¡¯s go!¡± Wren pulled her away. Once they were in the car, Wren expressed her indignation. ¡°Ivanka is so unreasonable! She¡¯s ming you for everything.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to lower myself to her level,¡± Josephine said calmly. Just then, Wren¡¯s phone rang, and she received another gossip news. ¡°Tori went to meet a person in chargest night and was kicked out. She¡¯s finished!¡± ¡°She brought it upon herself,¡± Josephine said. Since the moment they harbored ill intentions toward her, they should have anticipated the consequences. Of course, Josephine was able to retaliate so effectively because of her grandfather¡¯s influence. If she were just an ordinary girl with no connections, her oue would have been different. Perhaps she would have faced online bullying, and those who were driven to despair would consider ending their life and leaving this world. Therefore, she was fortunate. The situation with Katrina hade to an end, and Josephine secured her position as a news anchor. In thepany, no one questioned her abilities anymore, and thepany culture had been cleansed. There were no more scheming and backstabbing in the office now. Even if there were any, no one dared to bring them out in the open. It was true that Josephine¡¯s promotion from a reporter to a news anchor was something that would arouse envy. However, now that everyone was aware of her capabilities and her powerful background, no one dared to mess with her anymore. Today, she was sitting in her office and having a break when she received photos of the Arctic landscape that Ethan sent. He was dressed in mountaineering gear in his selfie, which was taken in an old-fashioned manner from a bizarre angle, but Josephine could tell that he enjoyed his work in the Arctic very much. Looking at the photos, she couldn¡¯t help but smile. She also wanted to go to the Arctic, but considering the extreme cold there, which she might not be able to withstand with her physical condition, she could only admire itsndscape through Ethan¡¯s photos. Recently, she had started working out, perhaps to be better at keeping the manpany. Even if he isn¡¯t around me, I¡¯ve got to start disciplining myself. I can¡¯t bezy anymore. A month passed in the blink of an eye. Every day, Josephine would send Ethan photos and videos of herself at work. Since his signal reception was irregr, it would be more convenient to send videos instead. Ethan, too, often took photos of the Arctic for her before exining some natural phenomena hardly seen by ordinary people whenever he had time. He would also take pictures of wildlife. This man always had the mentality of an upbeat young man, infecting those around him with a kind of enthusiasm for life. Every day, Josephine¡¯s greatest pleasure was to open her mailbox; a smile of delight would curve her lips the moment she saw the email he sent her. Then, she would read the email repeatedly, which became the happiest and most enjoyable thing in her life. The base in the Arctic was part of a project that had taken Ethan¡¯spany nearly a decade to build. This project was implemented way back when his father was president; now that Ethan had taken it over, it progressed even more rapidly topletion and was getting closer and closer to their goal. However, the abundance of resources here attracted the prying eyes of countries around the globe, who came scrambling for these resources. Ethan had been dealing with these troubles until now, and everything was going well with the project. Returning to his room from a meeting, he opened the door and sat down before hisptop. Like Josephine, his daily source of happiness was receiving messages from her. Though separated by a long distance, their hearts kept getting closer through their online messages as they drew love from each other. Today, Josephine took her assistant out for a stroll and took some videos of herself on the street. She even took a video of herself feeding pigeons, and Ethan couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the sight of her laughing. The girl in the video was just as upbeat and confident as when he first met her, with a kind of spirit that attracted him very much. Just then, a young and pretty female assistant engineer in the base opened the door to his room. Having just taken a shower, she came on purpose in an attempt to seduce Ethan. After all, there were very few women here, and she considered herself attractive. Even though the man here was very austere, she believed she could seed in hitting on him with a bit of seduction. ¡°Do you want me to get you a cup of hot coffee, Mr. Quarles?¡± Dressed in a sexy slip dress, she deliberately leaned over the man¡¯s desk. Ethan¡¯s face grew frosty at once with a look of rejection in his stony eyes. ¡°No, I don¡¯t. Get out!¡± The female assistant engineer was involuntarily startled. She had tried this in front of every other man here. She could sleep with any man as long as she wanted to, but the man she desired the most was Ethan, the young, handsome, hunky, and rich boss. She turned around, not forgetting to say, ¡°Okay, Mr. Quarles. If you need anything, I¡¯m willing to be at your service anytime.¡± She was still unwilling to give up. Maybe he¡¯s only been here for a while. If he stays longer, will he still be choosy? He¡¯ll surely want me to serve him. After hearing the door close, Ethan shifted his gaze back to hisptop screen to look at the girl¡¯s bright smile captured in the video. How could I possibly do things that would hurt her? No, not in this lifetime, Ethan whispered to himself. He couldn¡¯t bear the consequences of her leaving him. If he lost her, everything in his life would lose its meaning. ¡°Josephine, I miss you,¡± Ethan murmured softly to the woman on the screen. At this moment, someone was lurking in a cave outside themunication range of the base. They hade here with only one purpose¡ªto kill Ethan. ¡°President Presgrave has instructed us to deliver results within a week. We must find an opportunity to carry out our mission.¡± ¡°As long as weplete this task, each one of us will receive 150 thousand. We must stay focused for the sake of the money.¡± When they heard about the money, they felt a burst of energy wash over them as killing intent filled their eyes. Some photos were disyed on the adjacent wall, and at the forefront was their target, Ethan. Underneath Ethan¡¯s photo was a list of international engineers. There were too many people in this world who would rather gamble their life away in pursuit of their own interests. ¡­ Ethan was just about to go to sleep when he heard a knock on his door. The identification system next to him showed that it was King, the chief engineer of his base. He opened the door and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Mr. Quarles, our system detected a faint signal, but it¡¯s definitely not from ourpany. I suspect someone is approaching our base.¡± ¡°Can you pinpoint their exact location?¡± Ethan asked, his brows furrowed. This wasn¡¯t the first time something like this had happened. On top of him facing two assassination attempts here, he had also gone through simr events throughout his life. He was adept at dealing with such situations. ¡°Not yet, but they should be hiding in a cave. We will monitor the situation carefully. Please be careful in your future travels, Mr. Quarles.¡± ¡°I understand. Keep a close eye on this,¡± Ethan instructed. ¡°I will inform you immediately if there are any developments. Goodnight, Mr. Quarles,¡± King uttered and left. Ethan went back to his bed after that. Great interests always came with dangers, and his family had had to deal with pirates and negotiation tasks with various countries over the years. He had even taken life with his own hands in the process. Now that thepany was under his control, he was well aware of the risks thaty ahead. The next afternoon, Ethan was in a meeting with several high-level executives when an employee rushed in. ¡°There¡¯s been an avnche, and more than a dozen employees are trapped underneath. They are in urgent need of rescue!¡± At that, Ethanmanded in a solemn voice, ¡°Immediately halt all ongoing projects and initiate the rescue operation.¡± He stood up after giving the order, but King immediately stopped him. ¡°Mr. Quarles, it¡¯s not advisable for you to go.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a matter of life and death for our employees. I have to go,¡± Ethan replied. As the boss, he couldn¡¯t shirk any responsibilities while being present. After Ethan left the base, his bodyguards quickly arranged a convoy of six vehicles to protect him as he headed to the mining site where the ident happened. There were numerous vehicles rushing ahead for the rescue operation along the way. A substantial amount of rescue supplies had already been set up five kilometers outside the mine, and the security personnel were carrying out those who were injured from inside. When Ethan arrived, he quickly got out of the car to inspect the situation. Fortunately, those being carried out still showed signs of life. At this moment, two outsiders were blending in with the crowd of rescue teams. However, everyone was so focused on the rescue that they were oblivious to the duo¡¯s presence. Their eyes fixed on Ethan in the snowy field revealed their murderous intent. ¡°Mr. Quarles, the situation is worse than anticipated. There are over twenty people trapped below. We must set off explosives to make a path, but it may trigger other reactions. Because of that, we haven¡¯t decided on what to do next.¡± ¡°Assess and execute the most favorable n,¡± Ethanmanded. ¡°Yes, Mr. Quarles.¡± As Ethan took a deep breath, the bright white snow reflected on his handsome face, making his calm andposed demeanor stand out. ¡°Mr. Quarles, there¡¯s a natural cave entrance on the back mountain. We can enter from there, but we aren¡¯t entirely sure if it¡¯s safe. We dare not go in recklessly.¡± Ethan, who had many years worth of exploration experience, was perhaps more qualified than the engineers here. He turned to his assistant, Jacques, and ordered, ¡°Jacques, please get me a set of equipment.¡± Jacques¡¯ face paled with fear. ¡°Mr. Ethan, you can¡¯t go in there.¡± ¡°It¡¯s urgent. We can¡¯t afford to worry about everything now. There are over twenty lives in there waiting for me to rescue them.¡± Ethan only made this decision after careful consideration. ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°No buts. Hurry,¡± Ethan instructed in a low voice. Reluctantly, Jacques and one of the bodyguards went to retrieve the expedition equipment. Meanwhile, the chief engineer, King, took the opportunity to advise Ethan, ¡°Mr. Quarles, you don¡¯t have to walk into danger yourself. Please let the rescue team handle the rescue mission. You are too important to do something like this.¡± ¡°I have eight years of experience in exploration. I am more capable of handling unexpected events than anyone here. I¡¯m going in,¡± Ethan insisted. King felt deeply moved when he heard that. This was the most humane employer he had ever worked for. ¡°In that case, please be careful, Mr. Quarles. I will oversee the rescue onnd.¡± Jacques soon brought two sets of equipment over, to which Ethan frowned after examining them. ¡°You¡¯re going in too?¡± ¡°Wherever you are, I¡¯ll be there, Mr. Quarles.¡± Jacques huffed, ¡°I can¡¯t leave you alone.¡± Ethan, however, spoke in all seriousness. ¡°You don¡¯t have the experience in this. You can¡¯t go in. Stay here.¡± Jacques was sullen after hearing that. However, the bodyguard beside him took the equipment out of his hands. ¡°I will go with Mr. Quarles.¡± Six other bodyguards behind him had already prepared their equipment. They were Ethan¡¯s apanying team. When two men hiding not far away watched as Ethan prepared to go in for the rescue, they exchanged nces with a hint of delight in their eyes. They had finally waited for the perfect opportunity. Ethan would personally participate in the rescue mission for the disaster that was actually the two men¡¯s doing. They had installed a powerful explosive at the entrance of the cave, causing it to copse. Their initial n was to draw the main forces of the base to this location so that it would be easier for them to assassinate Ethan if he remained in the base. They hadn¡¯t anticipated that Ethan would personally participate in the rescue. Even though Jacques was worried, he knew he couldn¡¯t persuade Ethan. He could only step forward and remind, ¡°Mr. Ethan, please be careful. You muste out immediately if it gets dangerous.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Ethan replied. He was aware that this rescue mission carried risks, but there were over twenty workers still trapped underground. He wanted to help as long as he could be of assistance. Over twenty people set off from the rear cave entrance for the rescue. They took the lead and entered the cave, while Ethan, apanied by the six bodyguards, descended into the cavern using a suspension rope. The main rescue efforts were focused in front. At the cave entrance, four engineers and two assistants remained on guard. They had set up amunication station to maintain contact with the people inside the cave. However, four men suddenly approached the six of them 15 minutester. Just as thetter were about to question their identities, silenced bullets instantly took their lives. ¡°Get in,¡± the leader of the menmanded. ¡°Our target is Ethan Quarles. Kill him.¡± Subsequently, more than ten people equipped with ropes emerged and leaped down the cave. This was both a rescue mission and a murder plot. The personnel in front only noticed the dead staff when they arrived at the signal center half an hour later. They immediately reported the incident to King, who was the chiefmander. ¡°What did you say? They¡¯ve all been killed? By whom?¡± ¡°There are some footprints at the scene, and these footprints disappear at the entrance of the cave. Chief Commander, these people have also gone underground. Surely they are not targeting Mr. Quarles?!¡± King¡¯s face turned grave. These people were most likely the ones they had detected through the external signals the previous night. He instantly realized that they might be responsible for this disaster. Not only that, Ethan was their target. ¡°Quick¡­ Quickly contact the nearest rescue team and request immediate reinforcements. We¡¯vee in contact with enemy forces,¡± King urgentlymanded. It seemed that relying solely on the base¡¯s rescue efforts was no longer sufficient; they needed to deploy more rescue personnel. His greatest concern was Ethan¡¯s safety. Since he hadn¡¯t had a chance to learn about everything that had transpired, it was too dangerous for him to be inside the cave at this moment. Suddenly, a loud explosion as if something had detonated underneath came from underground. The terrifying tremors proceeded to knock King to the ground. He crawled on the floor and shouted in distress, ¡°The president is in danger!¡± All rescue operations immediately came to a halt. But strangely enough, due to the earthquake-like tremor, some rocks blocking the cave entrance rolled away, revealing a passageway. ¡°Chief Commander, good news! The earthquake just now opened up the cave entrance. We only need to wait a little longer before we can go down and rescue them.¡± ¡°Quick, prepare yourselves to go in for the rescue,¡± King instructed. He then grabbed someone next to him. ¡°Assign four people to me. I¡¯m going to the back mountain to take a look.¡± After reaching the back mountain, King was left dumbfounded. The cave entrance, which had been smooth just moments ago, was nowpletely blocked by the snow that had fallen from above. The entrance was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Mr. Quarles!¡± Startled, King fell to his knees with his hands covering his face, his mind nk. He was at a loss for what to do in this situation. He didn¡¯t even have a rescue n, and he had no idea about the situation or if there had been a copse below. How were the people trapped inside supposed to survive? ¡°Mr. Ethan! Mr. Ethan!¡± Jacques ran over from behind. His eyes nearly popped out, and he almost fainted from shock when he saw the situation in front of him. ¡°How could this happen? King, you have to save Mr. Ethan!¡± he shouted at King, who was standing there as a feeling of helplessness filled him. Half an hourter, the more than twenty trapped miners in the mine were rescued, none of them with serious injuries. Meanwhile, arge-scale rescue team had been contacted to conduct and rescue for Ethan and his group. King was anxiously wiping away his cold sweat, while Jacques held his phone, taking deep breaths but hesitated to call the Quarles Family. The plight before their eyes was too despairing. The entire cave entrance was buried deep in snow, and even if they wanted to dig through it, it was already beyond the best time to rescue the people underneath. Moreover, they had no idea about the condition inside the cave. Now that there had been an earthquake and an avnche outside, no one could imagine what was happening inside the cave. ¡°Mr. Ethan must be alive. He must be alive,¡± Jacques repeatedly reassured himself. King soon turned to him. ¡°Jacques, quickly contact the people from the Quarles Family. We must let them know about the current situation.¡± ¡°But¡­how can I contact them? We don¡¯t even know if Mr. Ethan is safe or not. We will only give his family a fright.¡± ¡°Jacques, calm down. We need someone from the Quarles Family toe here.¡± King shook Jacques by the arms forcefully. He knew that neither of them could shoulder this responsibility. ¡°O-Okay. I will call Mr. Edward right away.¡± After saying that, Jacques walked in a certain direction and dialed Edward¡¯s number with trembling hands after distancing himself a bit. ¡°Jacques! Did something happen?¡± A dignified elderly male voice rang out from the other end of the call. ¡°B-Bad news, Mr. Edward. Mr. Ethan is in trouble!¡± Jack stammered. ¡°What? What happened to Eeth?¡± ¡°After Mr. Ethan went into the cave, there was a sudden earthquake and avnche. The cave entrance was buried, and he was trapped inside. We have no news from him so far.¡± ¡°What?¡± Edward¡¯s voice trembled with worry. ¡°Why did he go into the cave?¡± ¡°It¡¯s aplicated situation. At first, there was a copse in the mine, and then the workers discovered a natural cave that likely connects to the mine at the back of the mountain. Mr. Ethan then went down with a rescue team, but then the earthquake struck.¡± ¡°I¡¯ming right away,¡± Edward said firmly. As Jacques panted heavily, he suddenly heard a message notification from Ethan¡¯s phone. As it was Ethan¡¯s work phone, Jacques had the authorization to check it. He took a look at it and saw a message greeting Ethan. ¡®I miss you. What are you up to?¡¯ It was from Josephine. Jacques sighed. Even though he didn¡¯t have much contact with her, he knew that she was the woman who had Ethan¡¯s heart. He didn¡¯t reply to the message, but Josephine soon sent another one, saying, ¡®You promised to take pictures of the aurora for me. When are you going to take them? I¡¯m waiting!¡¯ ¡®Is the signal weak again?¡¯ Josephine continued. ¡®Reply to my message when the connection gets better. I miss you.¡¯ Jacques struggled with whether or not to tell her about Ethan¡¯s current situation. After a few seconds of mulling over it, he believed that Josephine needed to know. Ethan and Josephine might never have had a chance to see each other again if Jacques didn¡¯t tell her. With a profound sense of despair, he replied to Josephine¡¯s messages. ¡®Miss Jacobson, something just happened to Mr. Ethan. He is trapped in a cave. I will inform you immediately if there are any updates. I am his assistant Jacques.¡± After sending the message, he ran in the rescue team¡¯s direction. ¡­ At the same time in the country, Josephine went to attend a meeting after sending the message to Ethan because she knew that the man couldn¡¯t reply to her immediately due to poor signal. The meetingsted for an hour and a half, and when she returned to her seat, she had just regained herposure when she remembered to check for Ethan¡¯s reply. For her, seeing Ethan¡¯s replies was the one happy thing she anticipated the most. As expected, she saw a message when she checked her phone. She couldn¡¯t help but smile. I knew he replied to me, she thought while reaching out and clicking into the message and reading it carefully. Her mind went nk for a few seconds then, and she felt as though her soul had been sucked out of her body. Her eyes were fixated on the message as she repeatedly read the message. ¡°Ethan.¡± She only seemed to find her voice after she took a deep breath. Something happened to Ethan! No! No, that will never happen. Feeling faint, she stumbled and held onto the desk to prevent herself from falling to the ground. Her heart felt as if it was being gripped by something, and an overwhelming thought soon came to mind. I have to go to the Arctic. I have to go to the ce where Ethan is. I have to see him there. Josephine managed to find her phone and call the number Donna gave her despite her shaking all over. The moment the call got through, she heard Donna¡¯s choked-up voice on the other end of the call. ¡°Joey, did you already know that Ethan got into an ident?¡± ¡°Mrs. Quarles, I want to go to the Arctic. I want to go to the ce where something happened to Ethan,¡± Josephine insisted. She sounded like she was on the verge of tears. ¡°Joey, I can get someone to send you over if you want to go. Ethan¡¯s father is already on his way there. I wanted to go, but he wouldn¡¯t let me.¡± Donna was already sobbing at this point. ¡°Mrs. Quarles, I¡¯ll go on your behalf,¡± Josephine announced firmly. As she held her tears in, she quietly prayed for Ethan¡¯s safety. She believed that nothing would happen to him, and he would return to her side in one piece. Donna asked her to go to an airport overseas where a rescue team sent by the Quarles Family would pick her up and head to the Arctic. They had gathered from all parts of the world at this airport before they took off, and Josephine managed to catch up to them before they departed. Josephine rushed out of the office and barged into Atticus¡¯ office, urgently announcing, ¡°Mr. Kowalski, I have to go somewhere far to attend to an urgent matter. Please find someone to rece me for my work.¡± After saying that, she didn¡¯t say anything else and sprinted out of the room and thepany¡¯s premises to go home to pack. She needed to get to the airport as soon as possible. She returned home and frantically searched for her passport. Heidi, who was still hangingundry to dry in the yard, asked curiously when she saw her daughtere home so early. ¡°Joey? What are you doing at home at this hour?¡± Josephine then emerged with a bag on her back and said to her mother, ¡°Mom, I need to go on a trip for something urgent. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± ¡°A trip?¡± Heidi asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°To a very faraway ce. I need to see Ethan.¡± ¡°Are you going on a trip with Ethan?¡± Heidi asked, confused. However, she wouldn¡¯t worry if Josephine was with Ethan. Josephine could only lie to her. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going to see him.¡± She couldn¡¯t help the tears welling up in her eyes as she turned around. ¡°Okay, go ahead! Be safe! Do you have all your documents with you?¡± ¡°I have them all, Mom. I¡¯m off.¡± Josephine quickly went to her car to head to the airport. Tears streamed down her face throughout the journey. When she arrived at the airport, she boarded the earliest connecting flight. Even though she hadn¡¯t reached her destination physically, she was mentally already in the Arctic. Theyover took Josephine two days. After the anxiety-filled journey, she finally met up with the rescue team at the airport. It was a teamposed of the world¡¯s top snow rescue experts. Not only were they sufficient in manpower, but they were also equipped with the mostprehensive equipment. Josephine sat by the window of therge ne that took off. When the middle-aged woman sitting beside her saw her tired face and reddened eyes, she gently advised, ¡°Miss Jacobson, please get some sleep. We still have thirteen more hours to go.¡± Josephine had only managed to doze off briefly during the journey. Being woken up by a nightmare every time she fell asleep made her reluctant to sleep again. But at this moment, she truly needed a good rest because the harsh cold weather of the Arctic required her to have a healthy body. ¡°I have some sleeping pills here that can help you catch some shut-eye.¡± ¡°Please give me one. Thank you.¡± Josephine needed the assistance of medication. After taking a pill, Josephine looked at the clouds passing by outside the window. Her gaze flickered, and her eyes eventually closed when she fell asleep. She went on and slept for six hours, which was enough rest for her. Looking at the snowyndscape outside the window, Josephine thought her heart flew to the Arctic along with this vast expanse of snow. Will they manage to rescue Ethan? She desperately hoped for good news as soon as shended. After enduring the passage of time, the ne finally touched down. Dozens of SUVs were waiting at the airport on the snowy mountain. Josephine had to put on her thick down jacket. The cold of the Arctic was more intense than any chill she had ever experienced, but her high-strung nerves made her ignore this cold. Sitting in one of the vehicles, she looked ahead, eager to reach the rescue site as soon as possible. After about three hours of travel, they finally arrived at the base and set off from there to the ce where the ident happened. It was already close to evening by now, and the surroundings gave the impression that they were standing on the edge of the Earth and were about to enter another world. There were no signs of human presence in this deste and frightening space. Josephine¡¯s heart kept beating faster. When she noticed the increasing number of snowmobiles on the roadside, her chest tightened, and tears started swirling in her eyes. She couldn¡¯t calm down when her heart was filled with fear, unease, and even hopelessness. Just then, Josephine heard someone asking right ahead. ¡°Which car is Miss Jacobson in?¡± Looking over, she saw a familiar face. Jacques had received a call from Donna who instructed him to take good care of Josephine. So, upon hearing that Josephine was in the rescue team, he approached the people to ask about her whereabouts. ¡°Jacques,¡± Josephine greeted when she stepped out of the car. Jacques rushed up to her. ¡°Miss Jacobson, you have finally arrived safely.¡± He looked at her with eyes that expressedfort. ¡°Please don¡¯t be disheartened. We must have faith in Mr. Ethan.¡± ¡°Please take me to where it happened.¡± Josephine grabbed his arm, pleading. Jacques nodded and led Josephine toward the concealed site of the ident. All they could see there was snow piled up after the avnche. It clearly wasn¡¯t something humans alone could solve. Even if they wanted to dig, they had no idea how long it would take. Humanity appeared minuscule in the face of nature. Josephine gazed at the endless expanse of snow before her, her heart growing colder by the second. She asked, ¡°Where is the entrance?¡± Jacques pointed to a general area. ¡°The entrance is in this area. There was an exposed entrance nearly two kilometers long before the avnche, but we can¡¯t find the exact location of the entrance now.¡± Suddenly swaying, Josephine fell on the snowy ground on her knees. The tears she had been holding in instantly broke free as she covered her face, desperately trying to control her sobs. The ident she had imagined and the scene she witnessed werepletely different. She thought the entrance was merely covered by snow and could be excavated. However, what she was seeing was utter hopelessness! ¡°Miss Jacobson¡­.¡± Influenced by her sobs, Jacques also took off his sses and wiped his moist eyes. He sensed Josephine¡¯s despair. Everyone who came here shared the same sentiment¡ªdesperation and helplessness. The rescue efforts seemed impossible. ¡°Please don¡¯t be pessimistic, Miss Jacobson. We have opened up a new rescue passage that reaches the rescue area through the mine where the incident urred. We are currently assessing the conditions inside, and once we confirm the feasibility of the rescue, we will immediately initiate it,¡± Jacques reassured her. A strong sense of hope appeared in Josephine¡¯s teary eyes. She asked, filled with excitement, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, there is still a great possibility for rescue. The reason Mr. Ethan went into the cave was to rescue our employees. Based on our investigation, there is a possibility of a route between the caves in the front and back mountains. So, let¡¯s hold onto hope and wait! There will be good news.¡± Josephine then followed Jacques to a tent, where she saw an elderly man exuding an aura of dignity standing in the middle. Jacques introduced him, ¡°This is Mr. Edward Quarles who is overseeing the rescue operation.¡± Now that Josephine was seeing Ethan¡¯s father for the first time, she finally understood where the mixed-race genes in Ethan came from. The noble aura emanating from the older man was like that of a centuries-old aristocrat. Although Edward was worried about his son¡¯s safety, he remainedposed as he attentively listened to the opinions of the rescue team members to make decisions. Josephine soon arrived at the front of the mine where the dark atmosphere overwhelmed her as she stood there. For her to feel the chills down her spine even just by standing here, she couldn¡¯t begin to imagine how helpless the people trapped inside would feel. Ethan, you must live, Josephine prayed in her heart. The first rescue team descended into the mine early the next morning. After conducting a risk assessment, they decided to proceed with the rescue operation. The shadow of death loomed within the cave. Miraculously, everyone in Ethan¡¯s group survived the earthquake. Although some of them were injured by falling rocks, their wounds had been bandaged. Ethan himself was fortunately unharmed. He actively encouraged his subordinates to find ways to save themselves because he knew how challenging the rescue would be from the outside. ¡°We¡¯re going to die here, for sure. We can¡¯t get out at all,¡± one distraught employee shrieked. Consumed by the fear of death for too long, he had already lost his sanity. His words affected everyone in the cave, instantly shattering their already fragile morale. The will to survive was at an all-time low, and fear hadpletely wiped off any trace of hope from their faces. Ethan approached and crouched down, supporting his distressed subordinate. With a determined gaze, he assured everyone, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We will be rescued. The Quarles Family can gather the best rescue forces from around the world. All of us will make it out safely.¡± These words were meant for both his subordinate and himself. Ethan didn¡¯t want to die here, and he refused to abandon the hope of survival. He had a lover and family waiting for him outside. At this moment, he was sure that his family had arrived on this snowy mountain. He hoped that his subordinates hadn¡¯t told Josephine about this incident, at least not until he was out of there safely. He didn¡¯t want her to worry. Josephine, I will definitely make it out alive to see you, Ethan vowed. Even if he was on hisst breath, and he had to crawl out of the cave, he would do everything in his power to see the light of day again. The rescue operations outside proceeded intensively. Various equipment was set up on the t ground, and rescue teams entered the mine one by one. Their entry represented the hope and chance for life of those trapped underground. Later, Jacques persuaded Josephine to return to the base and rest. The nighttime temperatures here were too low, and women were prone to hypothermia under this kind of temperature. ¡°Miss Jacobson, if you want to see Mr. Ethan return safely, you must ensure your own well-being. If something happens to you, Mr. Ethan will definitely chew my head off,¡± Jacques advised earnestly. Although reluctant, Josephine ended up agreeing to his suggestion. Before getting into the car, she grabbed Jacques¡¯ arm and urged, ¡°If there¡¯s any news about the rescue, please inform me immediately.¡± ¡°I will, I promise,¡± Jacques assured her. Josephine returned to the base and was directly escorted to Ethan¡¯s room. As she pushed open the door, the sight of some documents and a cup on the desk tugged at her heartstrings. ¡°Miss Jacobson, there¡¯s hot water here. You can take a shower. If you need anything, just let me know,¡± an assistant said. ¡°Thank you, I appreciate it.¡± Josephine nodded. She had no problem conversing in Chinese. After the door closed, Josephine sat at Ethan¡¯s desk and looked at theputer. The documents on the side had his signature on them. She gently picked up the pen he had used, holding it in her palm as tears uncontrobly streamed down her face. The quieter and more alone she was, the harder it was to let her fragility show. The news of Ethan¡¯s ident had been kept under wraps, and the outside world was still unaware of it. There would be a significant impact on the stock of the Quarles Group otherwise. Spection from the public could cause the stock price to potentially plummet. Ethan was the sole heir of the Quarles Family. If something happened to him, the shareholders of the Quarles Group might start having other thoughts. Edward was also arranged to stay at the base overnight because the Arctic temperatures at night were unbearable for the human body, and precautions had to be taken to prevent hypothermia. The rescue teams were ensuring safety and maintaining the temperature inside the mine. At this moment, six rescue teams had entered the mine, advancing through six different tunnels that potentially connected to Ethan¡¯s location. Ethan and his team had been trapped in the cave for over a hundred hours by now. As for their supplies, resources were not an issue as long as they were still alive. However, the crucial oue the rescue teams needed to determine was whether the people inside the cave were still alive. There would be hope for a sessful rescue only if they were alive. The six rescue teams kept closemunication, reporting their positions and sharing any relevant information. Deep inside the cave, Ethan and his team were also trying to find a way toward the main mine tunnel, as their retreat had been blocked. Instead of a natural one, Ethan suspected that the initial earthquake was caused by someone detonating explosives at the entrance behind them, which resulted in the entire cave shaking. He recalled the unidentified signal King had reported to him about, but he didn¡¯t want to add to his team¡¯s anxiety at this moment. He instructed his team to only move forward and not backward to avoid encountering the mercenary group that might be behind them. After analyzing the situation, Ethan deduced that the mercenaries had indeed intended to seal off the entrance, burying them all inside the cave. However, they hadn¡¯t anticipated that the explosion would trigger a massive avnche, burying themselves as well under meters of snow, leaving them with no chance of survival. On the other hand, although some members were injured by falling rocks, at least no lives were lost. With Ethan and his team¡¯s retreat blocked, they had no choice but to proceed forward since they had entered the cave. ¡°Mr. Ethan, please take a look at this.¡± One of the bodyguards called out to Ethan. Hearing that, Ethan took a shlight and approached the bodyguard who then asked him to reach his hand into a small hole. As Ethan reached out, he felt a cold gust of wind rushing out from the hole. His face lit up with joy in that instant. This indicated a venttion opening. If they could clear this passage, they might be able to go deeper into the mine. ¡°Please organize the manpower to dig this hole. It just needs to be wide enough for one person to pass through,¡± Ethanmanded. After three hours of effort, a hole wide enough for everyone to go through was finally opened. In the darkness, they could only see a bottomless cave. Ethan led the way, with his team following behind. At that moment, the confidence of the rescue team grew stronger. Ethan was like an alpha wolf, bing everyone¡¯s hope and reliance. They didn¡¯t know how far they had walked in the darkness when they encountered another obstacle. However, ording to the distance measured by the engineers, they were no more than 100 yards away from the mine where the trapped employees were. It meant that they were highly likely to reunite with the trapped workers inside the cave. ¡°Trust me, everyone. I will lead you out of here, back to the surface, and reunite you with your loved ones. Each person will receive a reward of one hundred thousand. You must have faith.¡± Ethan¡¯s voice echoed in the darkness like a ray of light, giving everyone hope. With the will to survive and wealth to motivate them, their confidence was boosted, and everyone was even more determined to get out. At that moment, another team was heading toward Ethan. They, too, discovered various ventted caves and carved out a passage, delving deeper into the other end. In the darkness, the two groups kept getting closer and closer. Finally, one of the reconnaissance team members eximed with excitement, ¡°Movement ahead! The instruments are showing significant fluctuations in sound waves.¡± ¡°Could it be animals?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s unlikely for animals to survive in these underground tunnels.¡± ¡°Wait, the sound waves are regr. It¡¯s human-generated sounds. It¡¯sing from the front, less than fifty yards away from us.¡± ¡°Quick, dig forward!¡± The rescue team captain was overjoyed. They had finally found the missing team members. It was an unprecedented piece of good news. Finally, at about ten yards from each other, the engineers on Ethan¡¯s side also heard the sound. ¡°Hush, everyone, listen. There¡¯s sound ahead,¡± he demanded. Everyone fell silent, holding their breath and listening intently. True enough, they heard rhythmic tapping, a sort of signal. ¡°It¡¯s Morse code! It¡¯s us! We¡¯re going to be rescued!¡± eximed one of the engineers, filled with joy. Everyone rxed at once, finally obtaining a glimmer of hope. In the darkness, Ethan¡¯s forehead was covered in ayer of sweat, but ultimately, he, too, breathed a sigh of relief. With that, the engineers on this side responded with the same Morse code. The rescue team received the signal and erupted in joy. Finally, there was news, and it was a definite one. However, due to being deep inside the cave, they couldn¡¯t ry the message. They could only concentrate all their efforts on the rescue. The rescue team immediately gathered other members and started digging a pathway together. At this moment, among the team members with Ethan, two engineers had been injured by falling rocks but had persisted until now. However, they were beginning to experience hypothermia due to the cold weather, and they needed rescue as soon as possible, as their lives were at stake. Ethanforted his team members while taking the digging tools from his subordinates and continued to dig forward. In front of themy apletely obstructed pathway. Even though they were only a dozen meters away from the rescue team on the other side, a significant amount of excavation work was still required. After continuous efforts from both sides, finally, after six hours of excavation, they were able to communicate through a hole. ¡°Are you injured, Mr. Quarles?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, but three of my employees are. Please rescue them as soon as possible,¡± Ethan said anxiously, not losing focus. Chapter 1941-1946 Chapter 1941-1946 ¡°You guys move back a little. We¡¯ll dig a rescue passage.¡± After analyzing the situation, they discovered a boulder blocking their way, and forcefully breaking it could potentially cause a copse. It was then that a rescue member announced some shocking news. ¡°Their breathing is weak. We need to send them out, else they won¡¯t make it. Also, we¡¯re facing an issue, Mr. Quarles. There¡¯s a rock ahead that can only be sted open with a small explosive, but we¡¯re concerned about the risk of copse. If we use other methods, it may take us three more hours.¡± Ethan contemted the situation. With the lives of three individuals slipping away, he quickly decided, ¡°No, three of my men are unconscious, and their lives are at stake right now.¡± ¡°But if we forcefully detonate the explosives, you will all be at risk, Mr. Quarles. We can¡¯t take the risk, and your status¡ª¡± ¡°Quit it with the status thing. Here, everyone¡¯s life is equally important. There is no distinction of rank.¡± Ethan interjected. ¡°Alright.¡± The rescue team captain nodded aftering to himself. ¡°I¡¯ll select the best sting position. Give me ten minutes.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± said Ethan before stepping back to the side of his subordinates. The sting work began intensely, and everyone held their breath and listened to the work unfolding on the other side. They were eager to be rescued but also worried about encountering further danger. One of the team members delivered this news to themunication team, and it quickly reached Edward, who let out a heavy sigh of relief after the call. His only son was still alive. It was the greatest blessing from above to him. As for Josephine, she hadn¡¯t received any news yet, for only a few people knew about this information. It was done to avoid disrupting the rescue operation and to protect the news. After all, Ethan¡¯s current predicament was likely orchestrated by someone with ill intentions. With the complex crowd of rescue personnel, controlling the spread of information was another way to protect Ethan. In the dark cave, with a loud explosion, the previously obstructing rock could be heard breaking into heavy fragments, and a hole big enough for one person to pass through appeared. ¡°Quickly, carry the injured out,¡± Ethan immediatelymanded his subordinates to transport the wounded first. The rescue personnel on the other side were ready to receive them outside. Soon, the three injured individuals were brought out, followed by the departure of the staff one by one. ¡°Mr. Ethan, please leave!¡± one of Ethan¡¯s bodyguards urged him to leave first, but Ethan looked at his frightened subordinates beside him. He didn¡¯t leave immediately but stayed behind to calm them down. ¡°Go out one by one in an orderly manner. Don¡¯t rush. We will all make it out safely,¡± Ethan reassured them. One young engineer covered his face and burst into tears. The joy of being rescued and the fear suppressed within him overwhelmed his emotions. ¡°Mr. Ethan!¡± However, the bodyguards hoped Ethan would prioritize his own escape. ¡°Let them go first,¡± Ethan ordered firmly. His departure would only increase the employees¡¯ fear. Soon, more than twenty employees left one after another, and Ethan instructed his bodyguards to assist the employees who were weak in their legs. However, just as thest employee left, a loud rumbling sound could be heard, apanied by a muffled groaning in the air, as if something couldn¡¯t withstand the pressure. ¡°Mr. Ethan, hurry! This ce is about to copse,¡± the remaining two bodyguards eximed. ¡°Get out quickly. It¡¯s copsing!¡± The rescue team members also started to panic. They could clearly feel vibrations under their feet, indicating the possibility of arge-scale copse. Ethan crouched and crawled out of the hole. Just as his two bodyguards emerged, ready to leave, they heard a thunderous noise behind them. ¡°Run!¡± Ethan shouted, leading the bodyguards to sprint toward the exit. Everything happened too quickly. The copse behind them was like a devil that followed them closely. Just as Ethan ran out, he saw an employee, scared and supporting himself at the edge of the hole, panting. He had just been knocked down by the chaotic crowd. Now, hearing the rumbling behind him, he was terrified. ¡°Run!¡± Ethan grabbed him and pulled him forward, but the employee was too shocked to move his leaden legs. Ethan had no choice but to lift him up and sprint ahead. His bodyguard also came to help. As if they were running away from death itself, Ethan and the bodyguard carried the engineer and dashed through the passage with intense falling rocks. The main group ahead had already reached a stable area. The rescue team captain urged everyone to leave at once while he stayed behind to cover their retreat. When he looked back and saw the bodyguard carrying two people, he shouted, ¡°Where is Mr. Quarles? Is he still inside?¡± The entrance was still shaking, with debris constantly falling. If someone was inside, they would likely be buried alive. ¡°Mr. Ethan!¡± The four bodyguards put down the people they were carrying and ran toward the entrance. ¡°Come back!¡± The rescue team captain immediately stopped them. ¡°Going in there would be suicide.¡± ¡°But Mr. Ethan and myrades are still inside!¡± one bodyguard roared worriedly. At this moment, their sense of duty and their bond with theirrades pushed them to defy life and death. Fortunately, the sound of footsteps came from inside the tunnel, and they saw someone rushing out amidst the falling rocks. It was a bodyguard carrying a young man. Their heads were injured to varying degrees. ¡°Where is Mr. Ethan?¡± ¡°He¡¯s behind. Deo is injured, and Mr. Ethan is supporting him!¡± The bloodied bodyguard with a broken head was still shaken. The rescue team captain also caught his breath. He had been given the order to prioritize Ethan¡¯s rescue. However, his target was still trapped inside the tunnel right then while everyone else hade out safely. Just then, footsteps were heard again, and everyone¡¯s hearts tightened. It was Ethan! He appeared, supporting a bodyguard whose head and face were bleeding. He was covered in dirt, with bloodstains on his forehead. However, everyone heard a sound. It was a terrifying noise from the depths of the tunnel. Ethan had never felt despair in his life, but when he heard that sound, despair instantly spread through his chest. Boom! The tunnelpletely copsed behind them, with huge rocks falling. Fortunately, just when Ethan felt hopeless, several hands appeared to take over the bodyguard from his hands. But just as he reached out, a stone fell from above, and darkness enveloped his vision. He dropped to the ground. Mother, Father, Josephine, I¡¯m sorry! It was Ethan¡¯sst thought before sinking into darkness. ¡°Mr. Ethan¡­¡± The sky was already bright when the rescue team emerged, and several rescue vehicles were parked nearby, receiving the injured. Suddenly, an urgent voice rang across the space. ¡°Emergency, emergency!¡± Four people were seen carrying a stretcher and rushing toward an ambnce. After opening the back door, the doctors waiting inside gasped with shock when they saw the person being brought in. Good Lord! How could it be Mr. Quarles? Why is he unconscious? ¡°Quick, save him.¡± The medical staff immediately began dressing the head wound and cleaning the severe abrasions on Ethan¡¯s body inside the vehicle. The rescue mission came to an end as the vehicles headed toward the base. Everyone returned to the base, exhausted, and rested. The crisis was finally over. Ethan was being brought to the medical room when Edward received the news, and thetter rushed over with his subordinates but was impeded by the emergency room door. ¡°Ethan, Ethan!¡± Edward turned pale with fear, his voice trembling. ¡°Where is Ethan injured? How could it be so serious? Wasn¡¯t he unharmed?¡± Edward turned to the bodyguards. Despite also being injured, they were more concerned about the safety of their young master. ¡°Mr. Ethan was injured while saving us. When we were escaping, he was hit by a stone and lost consciousness on the spot,¡± the bodyguard replied. ¡°What?¡± Edward staggered, and his vision blurred for a moment. He had a hard time epting the fact. The emergency room was still lit. Under the operating lights, the wound at the back of Ethan¡¯s head was being cleaned and stitched up. His hair was shaved off, and his handsome face looked pale after the blood was cleaned off. Meanwhile, in Ethan¡¯s room, Josephine, who had stayed awake untilte at night out of worry, was awakened by the light outside the window. She checked the time. Seeing it was 6.30AM, she quickly got up, changed her clothes, and came out. She felt a sense of urgency in the corridors and couldn¡¯t help but grab an employee and ask, ¡°Has the rescue team returned?¡± ¡°They¡¯re back. Everyone is over at the medical room.¡± Josephine¡¯s heart filled with the arrival of good news. The rescue team has returned. That means the rescued people have also returned, which also means Ethan has also returned. Josephine, overwhelmed with happiness, hurried toward the floor where the medical room was located. However, along the way, she noticed many people wearing grave expressions, making her heart skip a beat. Just as she rushed out of the elevator, she saw Jacques walking to the elevator while talking on the phone. ¡°Jacques,¡± Josephine called to him. The bodyguard ended the call at once. When he saw how anxious Josephine looked, he quickly reassured her, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Jacobson. Everything¡¯s going to be okay. Mr. Ethan will be fine. He¡¯s just unconscious.¡± ¡°What?¡± Josephine¡¯s head spun, caught off guard by Jacques¡¯ words. She grabbed him and asked, ¡°What happened to Ethan?¡± ¡°Mr. Ethan was hit on the head by a rock. He¡¯s currently in the operating room being treated.¡± ¡°Take me there. Hurry!¡± Josephine was on the verge of a meltdown. Tears streamed down her face uncontrobly. Ethan had returned, but he had returned injured. Meanwhile, the injured individuals were gathered in the medical room for treatment. Fortunately, there were no fatalities, so it could be considered a fortunate event. Edward, on the other hand, sat aside, waiting for news about his son. When he saw Jacques entering with a young girl, his gaze softened with affection. He stood up and greeted Josephine. ¡°Hello, Miss Jacobson. I¡¯m Ethan¡¯s father.¡± Edward¡¯s fluency in thenguage was superb and easy to understand. Josephine¡¯s anxious mind seemed to calm down a bit upon hearing Edward¡¯s voice. She greeted him, saying, ¡°Hello, Mr. Quarles. Has Ethane out yet?¡± ¡°The doctor came out a moment ago. Ethan¡¯s vital signs are stable, but he is still unconscious. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± Edward learned from his wife that this girl was the love of Ethan¡¯s life and was also her preferred choice for a daughter-inw. The corridor outside the operating room fell into an unusual silence. Everyone¡¯s gaze was fixed on the two sky-blue doors, eagerly awaiting good news from the people being treated inside. Fifteen minutester, the doors finally opened. An assistant doctor and nurse wheeled a stretcher out, and therey Ethan quietly on it. His shaved head made him appear even weaker and paler. Edward hurriedly rushed over, calling out anxiously, ¡°Ethan, Ethan.¡± Josephine welled up at the sight of Ethan being wheeled out. Still, ultimately, tears rolled down her cheeks like beads of a broken string. She covered her mouth to keep her sobs from escaping. However, deep inside, she was beyond devastated. The doctor aside was a world-renowned neurologist. He was engaged in a serious conversation with Edward, who listened attentively, and only then did Josephine approach the bedside. She looked at the man in front of her. He appeared to be sleeping, but why wouldn¡¯t he open his eyes to look at her? ¡°Ethan,¡± she called out to him softly. However, the man on the bed did not respond to her as he usually would with a smile. She reached out to hold his hand that was hanging on the side. The icy cold touch and theck of strength in his fingers pained Josephine¡¯s heart sharply. ¡°Miss, please step aside. We need to take the patient to the ICU,¡± the nurse said to Josephine with a lowered head. As Jacques pulled Josephine aside, the nurse wheeled Ethan away. Josephine broke free from Jacques¡¯ grasp. Her mind was nk, and all she wanted to do was follow Ethan. She escorted him all the way to the entrance of the ICU, where she was no longer allowed to proceed. As the door closed in front of her, she moved to the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the nurses work, observing as Ethan was put on a venttor and had needles inserted into his arm for IV fluids. Her heart ached so painfully that it was suffocating her. Soon, Edward also arrived. He gazed at his unconscious son lying on the hospital bed, sighed deeply, and felt a surge of intense worry. The doctor had just informed him that Ethan¡¯s injury had not affected the central region of his brain, which meant it wouldn¡¯t impact his intelligence. However, it was highly likely that it had damaged the area responsible for memory. Therefore, there was a strong possibility that Ethan would face memory loss once he woke up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, Miss Jacobson. Ethan will be okay.¡± Edwardforted her before leaving for other matters. ¡°Would you like something to eat, Miss Jacobson?¡± Jacques kindly asked. Josephine shook her head and sat down where she could see Ethan. She watched the nurses perform various examinations on him, and her morning passed just like that. It was already 3.00PM by the time Jacques returned from his rest. When he stepped out of the elevator, he found Josephine sitting there like a statue, waiting for her man. Jacques brought a snack with him and handed it to her, feeling bad for the woman. ¡°Please eat something, Miss Jacobson. Mr. Ethan will scold me if he wakes up and finds out I haven¡¯t been taking care of you.¡± ¡°I really hope he wakes up soon.¡± Josephine felt as if she had been living in a dream these past few days, for everything seemed so surreal. Three days passed in the blink of an eye. The rescue team had departed, and the Quarles were preparing to take Ethan back to the family hospital for treatment. Josephine was invited to apany them. Ethan was taken care of by the medical staff on the ne, and as much as Josephine wished to see him, she could only spend a brief ten minutes with him. Still, it was already a gift to her. After a 28-hour flight, they finally arrived at the Quarles Residence, and Ethan was immediately taken to the ICU for examination. Donna, who had been waiting at the hospital, had red and swollen eyes. Her heart was shattered, and when she saw Josephine, she went up and hugged the young woman. Both women burst into tears simultaneously. ¡°You¡¯ve had it rough this time, Josephine,¡± said Donna, deeply moved by Josephine¡¯s affection for her son. She saw Josephine¡¯s sacrifices and dedication, even braving the harsh Arctic conditions. ¡°I just want Ethan to wake up. It would make everything worthwhile,¡± said Josephine as tears welled up in her eyes. Donna patted her and took the tissue from her assistant before handing it to Josephine. ¡°You¡¯re exhausted too. Go rest.¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright, Mrs. Quarles. I want to stay with Ethan.¡± ¡°Silly child, what if Ethan wakes up and finds you copsed? What would we do then? Go rest!¡± Donna expressed her concern, noticing that Josephine had visibly lost weight. Jacques, who stood aside, chimed in, ¡°You haven¡¯t shut your eyes since getting on the ne, Miss Jacobson, and have been drinking coffee to stay awake. As young as you are, you won¡¯t be able to hold on. Your health is important. Please rest!¡± Donna was taken aback and urged the young woman at once, ¡°No more staying up, Josephine. I still have hopes for you to be my daughter-inw. Go rest! We¡¯re all here.¡± Donna¡¯s words brought some peace to Josephine¡¯s heart. That¡¯s right, his family is here! They have the best doctors and medical technology. He¡¯ll be fine; he¡¯ll recover. With that, Josephine went to rest while Donna approached the ward and noticed her husband standing there, exhausted. She hugged him, and Edward held her hand. ¡°He¡¯s our only son. Nothing can happen to him.¡± ¡°He¡¯ll be fine.¡± Donna nodded tearfully. Meanwhile, Josephine called her parents to update them on her situation. She continued to lie to them, saying she was on a trip, and she sent them the photos Ethan had taken for her. ¡°Have a great time! It¡¯s good to explore the world while you¡¯re young!¡± Heidi sounded happy for her on the other end of the line. ¡°I will. I¡¯m a little tired from all the fun, Mom, so I¡¯ll go get some rest.¡± Josephine couldn¡¯t chat with her mother for too long, afraid that her voice would reveal her tears. ¡°Alright, go rest! Have fun and take good care of yourself,¡± Heidi reminded. After hanging up the phone, Josephine looked at the photos she had sent to her mother. One of them was a selfie taken by Ethan. He had a radiant smile, and his eyes were filled with light. Josephine¡¯s tears unexpectedly fell again. She didn¡¯t want to be so fragile. She wanted to be strong, but she couldn¡¯t. She missed him too much, yearning for him to wake up. On the table aside was a sleeping pill Jacques had given her to help her sleep. However, without the assistance of medication, she truly didn¡¯t want to sleep. She didn¡¯t want to sleep at all. Josephine took the medicine andy down. In a drowsy state, she finally fell asleep. Days passed one by one, and Ethan had been in aa for half a month. His entire body became visibly thin, and even the doctors were nning new strategies, trying various methods to stimte Ethan¡¯s awakening. Donna had shed all her tears, and Josephine, while waiting, learned to be strong. Donna was already filled with grief, and she didn¡¯t want to distress Donna further. Now, it was Josephine¡¯s turn to take care of Donna, who had copsed in the hallway due to low blood sugar from not eating. Another night descended, and Josephine had stayed awake for over twenty hours without rest. Jacques brought her another sleeping pill to help her rest. She knew that if she didn¡¯t take a break, she might copse like Donna. By then, the nurses would have to allocate their time to care for her instead. Josephine sighed and popped the pill into her mouth, washing it down with a sip of water. Meanwhile, Donna was keeping vigil in the ward by Ethan¡¯s bedside, holding her son¡¯s hand. Scenes of her son growing up yed in her mind, and the more she thought about it, the more sorrowful she became. Initially, the doctors had given them hope, and they believed Ethan would wake up soon. However, as time passed, their hearts grew anxious and even desperate. When will Ethan finally wake up? Will he ever wake up? ¡°Please get some rest, Mrs. Quarles.¡± A nurse approached to assist her. Donna let out a sigh and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll stay with my son a little longer.¡± The nurse had no choice but to leave. Donna was about to withdraw her hand when suddenly, she felt a force gripping it for a moment. She thought it was just her imagination. At that, she quickly turned to look at her son¡¯s hand. Was it just my imagination? Why did it feel like Ethan held my hand just now? ¡°Ethan? Ethan, can you hear me? It¡¯s me, your mom! Please wake up. I¡¯m begging you!¡± Donna pleaded with grief on the edge of the bed. She knew she must have been mistaken again, caught in a dream. Despair washed over her intensely. Lo and behold, a hand gently patted her. Donna thought the nurse had returned, so she mumbled while leaning on the bed, ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave. I can¡¯t leave my son.¡± However, the hand patted her shoulder again, and Donna lifted her head to look into a pair of open eyes. She was stunned in overwhelming joy. ¡°Ethan¡­ you¡¯re awake,¡± she said and pressed the call button for the doctor¡¯s office. Tears streamed down her face uncontrobly. However, she discovered that Ethan wasn¡¯tforting her but rather only staring at her nkly. At that, Donna touched his face, whispering anxiously, ¡°Ethan, what¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t you recognize your mother anymore?¡± ¡°Mother?¡± Ethan called out to her in a hoarse voice, looking at her with unfamiliar eyes. Donna couldn¡¯t hold back her tears anymore. She covered her mouth and gazed at Ethan with incredulity. Can it be true that the doctors were right about Ethan experiencing amnesia? Donna bent down and hugged her son, disregarding whether he recognized her or not. Her voice trembled with excitement as she said, ¡°You¡¯re finally awake. Thank God! I¡¯ve been waiting for you to wake up.¡± Just then, three doctors rushed into the ward and breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that Ethan had awoken. Fortunately, they didn¡¯t have to proceed with the second n, which was cranial surgery. After all, Ethan woke up on his own. ¡°Please give us some time to examine Mr. Ethan¡¯s condition, Mrs. Quarles,¡± one of the doctors requested. Donna nodded and went out immediately, promptly informing her husband. ¡°Josephine! Let her know quickly.¡± ¡°Miss Jacobson probably took some medicine and has fallen asleep, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t notify her for now, then. Let her rest,¡± said Donna, then looked at her son through the window. He was cooperative with the examination, but¡­ He has amnesia! Does this mean he has forgotten about Josephine too? Donna suddenly felt a pang of anxiety. How devastated will Josephine be! Edward arrived in two shakes, and his mind, too, went nk for a few seconds upon hearing the news. Although the doctor had previously emphasized the possibility of such symptoms, he still found it difficult to ept the fact. The couple stood outside the ss window, watching their son cooperating with the examination. Although he had lost his memory, his demeanor remained unchanged; that provided them some comfort. Just then, the attending doctor came out and approached the couple, saying gravely, ¡°Mr. Edward, Mr. Ethan¡¯s physical injuries have mostly healed. Currently, his memory nerves are damaged, and we need more time to determine whether it is temporary or permanent amnesia. Fortunately, Mr. Ethan is in good health.¡± ¡°Does he really not remember anything?¡± Donna asked, still unwilling to resign to fate. ¡°Currently, our diagnosis is that he hasplete amnesia. He doesn¡¯t remember anyone or anything. However, his intelligence andnguage abilities are intact. He can speak sixnguages and converse fluently.¡± ¡°In other words, apart from not remembering the people and things around him, he is still normal, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct. Therefore, the uing treatment will require your utmost cooperation. We need to help Mr. Ethan regain his memory by bringing the most important people in his life to interact with him. We aim to facilitate his full recovery as soon as possible.¡± ¡°His most important people, aside from friends, are all here,¡± Donna said. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°Alright! You may see him shortly.¡± The doctor nodded and left. When the nurse came out to invite them in, Donna and Edward¡¯s emotions wereplex yet joyful. Regardless, having their son safely back by their side was a blessing from above. Therefore, they couldn¡¯t be too greedy. They had to ept the fact that their son had amnesia and do everything possible to help him regain his memories. When they entered, Ethan was deep in thought while in bed, and his gaze softened when he saw the approaching elderly couple. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve forgotten a lot of things, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯re very important to me.¡± ¡°We¡¯re your parents.¡± Donna went up to Ethan and held his hand. Tears welled up in her eyes as she gazed at the pair of beautiful, amber eyes she adored so much since he was a baby. ¡°Mom!¡± Ethan called out. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ethan. I¡¯ll help you remember us!¡± Edwardforted him as he held back intense emotions. ¡°What happened exactly? Why did I lose my memory?¡± Ethan asked with a frown. At that, Edward sat down and patiently exined the whole situation to him. Jacques also entered the room, saddened by the news of Ethan¡¯s amnesia. He brought Ethan¡¯sptop to him. Ethan¡¯sptop contained many of his own recorded videos and meeting transcripts, which could give him an idea of the person he was before losing his memory. After four hours of memory digestion, Ethan¡¯s nk mind was filled with a lot of information, which quickly helped him ept his identity. Edward and Donna grew tired and, considering their age, they were persuaded to rest. Only Jacques stayed with Ethan. Even Jacques was mentally and physically exhausted. He dozed off at Ethan¡¯s bedside. With Ethan¡¯s awakening, the tension that had gripped everyone loosened, and they could finally rest. Ethan, on the other hand, sat by the bed. He had no desire to sleep anymore. He had slept for too long, and he was eager to learn about his past self now. He operated theputer, and as he flipped through the photo album, he came across a picture of a girl. It was taken on a bustling street where a girl casually snapped a photo, her radiant smile enchanting. Ethan gazed at the girl in the photo for a long time. He searched through all the memories that had been input but found no traces of her. However, she felt important to him for some reason. Chapter 1947 Chapter 1947 Ethan looked at Jacques, who was dozing off beside him, and patted his shoulder. ¡°Jacques, wake up.¡± Startled awake, Jacques opened his eyes and instantly became alert when he saw Ethan¡¯s serious gaze. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, sir?¡± ¡°Who is she?¡± Ethan asked, pointing to the person in the photo. ¡°Do you remember something, Mr. Ethan?¡± Jacques eximed with excitement. At that, Ethan scowled at him. ¡°Would I ask you if I remembered?¡± Jacques blinked. Good Lord! Mr. Ethan¡¯s authoritative demeanor remains unchanged despite losing his memory, and his attitude toward me hasn¡¯t changed much either! He had hoped that with Ethan¡¯s amnesia, the man would be a bit gentler toward him, but it wasn¡¯t the case. Jacques felt it necessary to introduce the youngdy in a grand manner. He cleared his throat and said, ¡°This youngdy¡¯s name is Josephine Jacobson. She is from Zoravia and is your beloved, sir. She went to the Arctic for you and is currently in the hospital. You can see her soon.¡± ¡°My beloved?¡± Ethan¡¯s gaze softened at that. ¡°Yes, and you are her beloved as well. You both love each other,¡± Jacques said. Shoot, Miss Jacobson won¡¯t be able to handle Mr. Ethan¡¯s amnesia, he thought. They are so in love, yet he has forgotten all about her! ¡°You said she¡¯s here too, right?¡± Ethan asked, to which Jacques nodded in affirmation. ¡°Yes, she¡¯s here. She¡¯s just resting because she¡¯s worn out.¡± Ethan returned to the photo, his hand supporting his forehead as he desperately tried to dig up any memories of her. s, he couldn¡¯t find a single trace of her in his memory, even when his mind became chaotic. Ethan looked at Jacques, who was dozing off beside him, and patted his shoulder. ¡°Jacques, wake up.¡± "Give it a rest, Mr. Ethan. Don''t force yourself. Just fall in love with each other again." Jacques empathized with Ethan, who sighed dejectedly. "I''m useless." Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. "No, the reason you got hurt and lost your memory is because you saved a lot of people. Mr. Ethan, in my heart, you are a great person," Jacques said admiringly. Ethan doubted the man''s words. Still, he stared at the photo, unable to divert his gaze. Is this woman really my beloved? It was already dawn, and the doctor came to examine him again. Ethan got out of bed as well. After lying down for too long, his body felt a bit stiff. He took Jacques for a walk outside. Although Josephine had taken sleeping pills, her sleep remained shallow. When the sunlight poured into the room, it woke her up. She opened her eyes, immediately threw off the covers, and got out of bed. After freshening up, she went out. When she arrived at Ethan''s ward and pushed open the door to find an empty bed, she was startled, and her breath caught in her throat. Where is Ethan? Where is he? Is he being resuscitated again? Did something happen to him?! Feeling frightened, she turned around and grabbed a nurse. "Where is Ethan?" "I''m not sure." The nurse shook her head, for she had just started her shift. Josephine felt even more terrified in response. Her mind had been prone to wanderingtely, and now, she was imagining even worse scenarios. Tears welled up in her eyes. Could it be that his condition worsened during my sleep, and he has been transferred to another hospital?! She looked up amidst her panic. She turned around to search for Ethan¡¯s parents only to be stunned the next moment as just a few feet behind her was an awoken Ethan. He was gazing at Josephine while observing her. Overjoyed, she disregarded everything and rushed toward him. ¡°Ethan!¡± She bawled as she threw herself into Ethan¡¯s arms. ¡°You¡¯re finally awake!¡± She cried tears of joy, knowing he would wake up. Ethan lowered his head and looked at the girl in his arms. Her trembling body pressed tightly against him due to happiness. However, he felt unsure and helpless. Jacques quickly gestured to him and exined, ¡°Mr. Ethan, this is Miss Jacobson, your beloved.¡± Ethan, of course, knew that. He reached out and patted her shoulder to reassure her. Josephine looked up and took a step back. Her eyes examined him from head to toe. ¡°Are you okay? Do you feel any difort?¡± At that, she looked into Ethan¡¯s profound eyes. Suddenly, her heart squeezed. Why does Ethan¡¯s gaze look so unfamiliar? Amidst her stupefaction, Ethan, too, gentlemanly withdrew his hand and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just that¡­ I¡¯ve lost my memory. I¡¯m sorry, Josephine.¡± He blinked nervously. I¡¯m not mistaken, right? Her name is Josephine, right? Chapter 1948 Chapter 1948 Chapter 1948 But What About You? Josephine¡¯s mind went nk for a few seconds. She didn¡¯t want to ept, nor did she want to believe, that Ethan had lost his memories and forgotten all about her. Just then, the nurse came over to get Ethan. ¡°Mr. Quarles, please see the doctor in his office.¡± ¡°Lead the way, please,¡± Ethan said to the nurse. Before he left, he nced at Josephine. ¡°Goodbye.¡± He greeted her as if she were a stranger, and coupled with his behavior, it made Josephine feel like something was gripping her heart tightly. She could barely breathe, and her heart ached terribly. Ethan truly lost his memories. He had forgotten all about her, which made them strangers once more. After Ethan left, Josephine put a hand on her forehead as she felt dizzy. At the side, Jacques hastily supported her and helped her sit on a leisure couch nearby. Then, heforted her. ¡°Miss Jacobson, we should think positively. First of all, Mr. Quarles finally woke up. Secondly, he¡¯s all right, save for the fact that he lost his memories. Thirdly, you can try to get him to fall for you again.¡± Jacques¡¯ words were effective enough. Josephine sighed in her mind. Yes, Ethan¡¯s safety was the single thing she prayed for the most. He injured his head, so it was already a blessing that losing his memories was the only consequence. ¡°Is he truly all right except for the memory loss?¡± Josephine asked. ¡°Yes. He woke uptest night, and the doctor did a thorough examination on him.¡± ¡°Whet ebout Mr. end Mrs. Querles?¡± ¡°Just like you, they found it difficult to ept et first, but when they sew Mr. Querles weking up in one piece, they epted the truth. Even though he lost his memories, he meinteined some of his originel hebits end personelity, so I believe thet he will regein his memories soon. Miss Jecobson, pleese give him some time.¡± Josephine nodded. She truly couldn¡¯t esk for more. It wes good enough news thet Ethen woke up end wes elive. It wesn¡¯t thet importent enymore whether he remembered her or not. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Yes, she could get to know him end heve him fell for her ell over egein. Of course, even if he couldn¡¯t love her in the end, she would wish him ell the best in life with e smile. At thet thought, Josephine felt teers welling up in her eyes, but she held them beck. Just then, Jecques sew Donne welking over to them. Hence, he seid politely, ¡°I heve some metters to ettend to, so I¡¯ll teke my leeve now.¡± Donne set down beside Josephine. Judging by Josephine¡¯s expression, Donne knew thet she elreedy leerned ebout the situetion. ¡°Josephine, I understend thet Ethen¡¯s emnesie is e huge shock to you. It is for me, too. He¡¯s the son I reised, efter ell! He¡¯s my pride, end elso my everything,¡± Donne seid emotionelly. Josephine looked et Donne¡¯s reddened eyes, finelly reelizing thet she hed only lost her short end pessie romence with Ethen, unlike Donne, who hed lost even more then thet. Donne must be in even more despeir then her. ¡°What about Mr. and Mrs. Quarles?¡± ¡°Just like you, they found it difficult to ept at first, but when they saw Mr. Quarles waking up in one piece, they epted the truth. Even though he lost his memories, he maintained some of his original habits and personality, so I believe that he will regain his memories soon. Miss Jacobson, please give him some time.¡± Josephine nodded. She truly couldn¡¯t ask for more. It was good enough news that Ethan woke up and was alive. It wasn¡¯t that important anymore whether he remembered her or not. Yes, she could get to know him and have him fall for her all over again. Of course, even if he couldn¡¯t love her in the end, she would wish him all the best in life with a smile. At that thought, Josephine felt tears welling up in her eyes, but she held them back. Just then, Jacques saw Donna walking over to them. Hence, he said politely, ¡°I have some matters to attend to, so I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± Donna sat down beside Josephine. Judging by Josephine¡¯s expression, Donna knew that she already learned about the situation. ¡°Josephine, I understand that Ethan¡¯s amnesia is a huge shock to you. It is for me, too. He¡¯s the son I raised, after all! He¡¯s my pride, and also my everything,¡± Donna said emotionally. Josephine looked at Donna¡¯s reddened eyes, finally realizing that she had only lost her short and passionate romance with Ethan, unlike Donna, who had lost even more than that. Donna must be in even more despair than her. ¡°Mrs. Quarles, if you spend more time with him, he¡¯ll return to you,¡± Josephineforted Donna. ¡°But what about you? Josephine, what is your choice? Will you continue to stay by his side, or will you return to your country and fall in love with someone else?¡± Donna asked, her heart aching. Josephine¡¯s pretty eyes widened a little. ¡°I¡ª¡± ¡°I know this is unfair to you, but I don¡¯t know what sort of girl Ethan will fall for in this new state. Of course, I support you staying by his side, but I worry that you¡¯ll get hurt,¡± Donna said worriedly. She couldn¡¯t guarantee that her son, who seemed to have changed his personality, would fall in love with the same woman again. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not scared of getting hurt. I¡¯m not scared of anything, Mrs. Quarles. Let me stay by his side for three months. If he still can¡¯t remember me by then, I¡¯ll leave,¡± Josephine begged. Donna reached out and took Josephine¡¯s hand, saying, ¡°Miss Jacobson, I didn¡¯t mean to chase you away. I¡¯m just worried that you won¡¯t be able to bear the hurt when you spend time with Ethan.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not afraid. I want to help him regain his memories.¡± Josephine¡¯s gaze was determined. Donna nodded and said in support, ¡°All right. If you¡¯re determined to return to his side, I promise I¡¯ll help you.¡± Chapter 1949 Chapter 1949 Chapter 1949 Hope Josephine looked at Donna gratefully. Her fragile heart was filled with a sense of helplessness earlier, but Donna¡¯s words gave her strength and made her feel secure. Just then, a tall silhouette approached. Although he was dressed in a hospital gown and had his head shaved, his unique aura was as strong as ever. His eyes were on the two women on the couch¡ªone of them his mother and the other the love of his life. Ethan crouched down and greeted Donna. ¡°Hey, Mom.¡± Then, he fixed his eyes on Josephine for a few seconds before he greeted her with a faint smile, ¡°Hi.¡± Josephine kept a lid on her emotions and smiled back. ¡°Hi.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll need to be under observation for a few more days, Ethan, and then I¡¯ll take you home.¡± Donna pushed him into the seat beside Josephine. ¡°You two talk! I¡¯ll look for your father.¡± He was a little nervous as he nced at Josephine. In his eyes, she was like a frail little kitten¡ªas if she would cry over a single misspoken word or unintentional misunderstanding. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My memory loss has hurt you greatly, but I know that we were deeply in love. Are you willing to let me be reacquainted with you?¡± Ethan had a pleading look in his eyes. His heart was telling him that he needed to get to know her again. Josephine cast aside her sorrows too. She knew that now that things hade to this, her only choice was to face the situation head-on. There was no way she could avoid it. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s get to know eech other egein!¡± Josephine looked et him with werm, gentle eyes end held her hend out. ¡°My neme is Josephine Jecobson. I¡¯m 25 end I currently work es en enchorwomen et e television stetion.¡± Ethen stuck his hend out end Josephine gresped his hend et once. As they held eech other¡¯s hend, Ethen could feel the strength eming from hers. He wes studying her intently. There wes something so spellbinding ebout her thet mede it impossible for him to teer his eyes off her. I heve to regein my memories of her, he thought to himself. I went to know just how much I love her. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know more ebout me then I do,¡± Ethen seid with e smile, though his eyes were filled with remorse. Josephine smiled. ¡°Yeeh.¡± Three deys leter, Ethen wes discherged from the hospitel. Josephine followed him beck to Querles Residence, end es she stood in front of the messive estete, she reelized thet she knew nothing ebout Ethen¡¯s femily. They were rich beyond imegion. Josephine wes struck dumb. The light of the evening sun mede the dezzling estete glow even more beeutifully. The rose gerden, the messive Neoclessicel structure, end the pretty fountein by the entrence ell mede the plece feel es mejestic es e pelece. Josephine followed Donne end the others in. Over e dozen of the household steff were weiting by the entrence to greet them. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s get to know each other again!¡± Josephine looked at him with warm, gentle eyes and held her hand out. ¡°My name is Josephine Jacobson. I¡¯m 25 and I currently work as an anchorwoman at a television station.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Ethan stuck his hand out and Josephine grasped his hand at once. As they held each other¡¯s hand, Ethan could feel the strength emanating from hers. He was studying her intently. There was something so spellbinding about her that made it impossible for him to tear his eyes off her. I have to regain my memories of her, he thought to himself. I want to know just how much I love her. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know more about me than I do,¡± Ethan said with a smile, though his eyes were filled with remorse. Josephine smiled. ¡°Yeah.¡± Three dayster, Ethan was discharged from the hospital. Josephine followed him back to Quarles Residence, and as she stood in front of the massive estate, she realized that she knew nothing about Ethan¡¯s family. They were rich beyond imagination. Josephine was struck dumb. The light of the evening sun made the dazzling estate glow even more beautifully. The rose garden, the massive Neossical structure, and the pretty fountain by the entrance all made the ce feel as majestic as a pce. Josephine followed Donna and the others in. Over a dozen of the household staff were waiting by the entrance to greet them. They were observing Josephine with interest too. She was a pretty young woman standing beside Ethan, and that was enough for them to deduce that she was no ordinary guest. As members of the household staff, they had to have in-depth knowledge of every member of the family they served. That was essential in ensuring that they could serve the family without making mistakes. Meanwhile, Ethan felt a sense of familiarity. He tried to trace his memories as he moved through the ce. He had a feeling that the spot he was heading to was the garden, and sure enough, when he got there, it was a lovely little garden. He moved toward what he felt was the bathroom, and when he arrived, it was indeed a bathroom. Ethan was thrilled. Although he had lost his memories, he still had some behavioral memories left in him. The household staff brought Josephine¡¯s luggage upstairs. She saw Ethan standing by a French window and walked over to him. Ethan heard the sound of footsteps and quickly turned around. ¡°Joey, I have a strange sense of familiarity with this ce. All my instinctive assumptions were all urate.¡± Josephine was happy for him. ¡°Perhaps this means you¡¯ll be able to recall your memories soon.¡± ¡°I hope it¡¯lle back to me as soon as possible.¡± Ethan fixed his eyes on Josephine. ¡°I don¡¯t want to make you wait too long.¡± Chapter 1950 Chapter 1950 Chapter 1950 Shyness Josephine blinked, then a smile slowly crept onto her face. The look in Ethan¡¯s eyes, as he stared at her, was somewhat familiar to her. Although itcked the affection and intimacy that it used to have, she was happy that Ethan wanted to recover his memories for her sake. Ethan led Josephine up to the southern corridor of the third floor. That was where Ethan¡¯s room was. The household staff had ced Josephine¡¯s luggage inside the living area of his bedroom suite. Josephine blushed at the sight of it. Does Mrs. Quarles want Ethan and me to share the same room? While Josephine didn¡¯t mind, she didn¡¯t know if Ethan would. By now, Ethan no longer needed to keep his head bandaged. He had a scar that was less than two inches long and it did nothing to affect his attractive looks, though his shaved head added an air of masculinity to him. Josephine cleared her throat. ¡°Ethan, do you¡­ want to sleep in separate rooms?¡± She knew that in Ethan¡¯s mind, she was still a stranger. It would be quite awkward for him to be so intimate with her when he didn¡¯t have feelings for her! What if he doesn¡¯t like to be disturbed? He might need his space to carry out his private matters. ¡°I¡¯m fine either way.¡± Ethan shook his head and let Josephine decide. Josephine mulled it over. Even though she wanted to get close to Ethan as soon as possible, he didn¡¯t know her at all, and she ran the risk of leaving a bad impression on him if she got too physically intimate with him so soon. In the end, she decided that they should sleep in separate rooms. She wes efreid thet being in the seme room would only meke it impossible for her to resist the urge to be intimete with him. She reminded herself to keep her emotions in check for now. Let¡¯s weit until Ethen likes me egein. ¡°I think it¡¯s best if we sleep in seperete rooms for now,¡± Josephine seid. ¡°Why don¡¯t you teke the bed? I cen teke the couch.¡± Ethen hed no problem with shering e room with her. ¡°Thet won¡¯t do. You should be resting end recupereting. How cen I possibly let you sleep on the couch? Let¡¯s just weit until you¡¯ve fully recovered end see,¡± Josephine declered. Ethen hed no choice but to go elong with her choice. ¡°Alright. I respect your decision.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. He¡¯s just es gentlemenly es ever. Josephine¡¯s eyes were filled with love end edoretion. The wermth end intensity of her geze mede Ethen feel e surprising flicker of beshfulness. He wes too shy to meet her geze. Josephine chuckled when she sew Ethen getting emberressed, end thet didn¡¯t escepe Ethen¡¯s notice. Her cleer eyes sperkled like the sters. He wesn¡¯t et ell surprised thet his pest self hed fellen in love with her. Even now, he who hed lost ell his memories wes still enreptured by her. Josephine chose the guest room beside Ethen¡¯s bedroom. They were the only two who steyed in this section of the house so they would not be disturbed by enyone. Dinner wes e sumptuous feest. Donne wes e very hospiteble host. She wes elso gled to see thet despite heving lost his memories, Ethen peid just es much cere end ettention to Josephine es ever. She was afraid that being in the same room would only make it impossible for her to resist the urge to be intimate with him. She reminded herself to keep her emotions in check for now. Let¡¯s wait until Ethan likes me again. ¡°I think it¡¯s best if we sleep in separate rooms for now,¡± Josephine said. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take the bed? I can take the couch.¡± Ethan had no problem with sharing a room with her. ¡°That won¡¯t do. You should be resting and recuperating. How can I possibly let you sleep on the couch? Let¡¯s just wait until you¡¯ve fully recovered and see,¡± Josephine dered. Ethan had no choice but to go along with her choice. ¡°Alright. I respect your decision.¡± He¡¯s just as gentlemanly as ever. Josephine¡¯s eyes were filled with love and adoration. The warmth and intensity of her gaze made Ethan feel a surprising flicker of bashfulness. He was too shy to meet her gaze. Josephine chuckled when she saw Ethan getting embarrassed, and that didn¡¯t escape Ethan¡¯s notice. Her clear eyes sparkled like the stars. He wasn¡¯t at all surprised that his past self had fallen in love with her. Even now, he who had lost all his memories was still enraptured by her. Josephine chose the guest room beside Ethan¡¯s bedroom. They were the only two who stayed in this section of the house so they would not be disturbed by anyone. Dinner was a sumptuous feast. Donna was a very hospitable host. She was also d to see that despite having lost his memories, Ethan paid just as much care and attention to Josephine as ever. Truth be told, she was worried that her son would distance himself from Josephine after his memory loss, or perhaps fall in love with another woman. Either one of these situations would undoubtedly hurt Josephine. And, when Ethan did regain his memories, he would feel extremely guilty and remorseful as well. Thus, the best possible oue was for Ethan to fall in love with Josephine once more and resume their rtionship. At night, the estate lit up with light. Josephine was in her room sorting out her belongings when Donna brought some clothes over for her. They were all pretty dresses from luxury brands. Due to Josephine¡¯s line of work, she rarely wore dresses. However, the dresses did suit the atmosphere of the ce better. As Josephiney in bed that night, she couldn¡¯t fall asleep. Her mind was filled with thoughts of Ethan who was sleeping in the room next to hers. What¡¯s he doing? Has he fallen asleep yet? I wish I could go over and see him! I wish I could talk to him¡­ All of a sudden, a knock on her door interrupted her thoughts. Is someone here to give me something? She got out of bed and opened the door to find a man in pajamas staring at her with a look of hunger in his eyes. ¡°Can we talk?¡± Josephine wasn¡¯t going to say no. While Ethan was in the hospital, the doctors dropped by often and Ethan¡¯s family was around most of the time too, so she wasn¡¯t able to talk to him in private. She really wanted to spend some alone time with him too. Chapter 1951 Chapter 1951 Chapter 1951 Moving in With Ethan ¡°Of course, you can. Come on in!¡± Josephine opened the door to let Ethan in. Once he entered, he went to sit on the couch and asked, ¡°Can you tell me how we met?¡± After taking out her iPad, she said, ¡°Here are photos and videos of us. Let¡¯s look at them together.¡± He excitedly nodded while she sat beside him. Then, he leaned closer to her and ced his arm behind her so that it was easier to view the screen. Sniffing the familiar scent mixed with the faint smell of disinfectant, Josephine had the illusion that he had not gotten amnesia and they were still as close as before. The sensation of his breath on her neck gave her a sweet feeling as though they were dating again. She felt her heart beating wildly; even her breathing seemed slightly hitched. Then, she rxed while leaning into the man¡¯s arms, making Ethan smile while greedily breathing in the faint fragrance in her hair. When Josephine found their wedding photos and videos, she told him that was where they first met. Ethan looked at himself in the picture. Although he could not remember what happened then, he seemed genuinely happy inside the photograph, and from his gaze, it was clear he was looking at Josephine through the lens because he was not staring at her reflection. Inside the video, he heard hisughter mixed with her delicate voice, concrete proof of a smitten couple. It turned out that they fell for each other several days after they first met. ¡°So, who fell in love first?¡± he asked. She looked at him. ¡°You pursued me.¡± Ethan narrowed his eyes, knowing she would not lie to him about that. ¡°So, I gathered.¡± Then, Josephine found a picture of the vi he specially bought for them in the city. She had taken photos of many details from the building and made it into a very romantic video that included him, her, and several warm-hearted scenes in their home. The video reminded them of the passion of summer, the cool of spring, the romance of autumn, and the warmth of winter. While Ethan was enjoying the video, he suddenly held her tightly in his arms and rested his chin on his shoulders, guiltily muttering, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already a blessing that you returned to me, and I¡¯m grateful that you didn¡¯t leave me behind.¡± She grinned before her tears started pouring. He grabbed a tissue and handed it to her, but she turned to face him, instructing, ¡°Help me.¡± As such, he patiently but clumsily dried her tears. While looking at her beautiful dark but watery eyes, he noticed they were still shimmering like the stars and felt so entranced that he leaned in to kiss her forehead. Josephine closed her eyes end enjoyed the femilier kiss while smiling. She could feel her husbend returning. ¡°Lend me the iPed end go to bed. Thenk you for whet you¡¯ve done,¡± Ethen seid. She nodded beceuse she knew it would be better for their reletionship if she kept en edequete distence between them. ¡°Good night.¡± Before leeving, he kissed her on the top of her heed. Thet night, she fell esleep feeling setisfied. It wes the best sleep she hed hed for severel deys, end she dreemed ebout Ethen end her returning to their home, living together. Meenwhile, he wes holding the iPed but could not sleep. He tried to remember everything from the pictures end videos, hoping to edd some wonderful moments to his blenk memory. Thet wes beceuse he knew Josephine wes the love of his life, end he would never do enything to wrong her despite his emnesie. The next dey, Donne epenied her son end Josephine on e cesuel shopping trip in the city. They hed lunch, end she even bought Josephine meny clothes, begs, jewelry, end feminine products. She wes the kind of mother-in-lew thet pempered her deughter-in-lew, end Ethen elso helped her with the selection, which overwhelmed Josephine beceuse she never thought enyone could spend so much money in one dey. Three deys leter, Donne mede enother decision. She hed decided to let Josephine move into Ethen¡¯s ville so they could live there es e couple. Thet wes something exciting to Josephine, end Ethen hed elso decided to teke the chence to heve some elone time together to improve their reletionship. Since he hed just recovered, he need not worry eboutpeny metters beceuse his fether hed thet under control. All he needed to do now wes to recuperete his heelth end stey relexed so he could recover his memories. At first, Josephine thought Ethen¡¯s ville would resemble the one they hed in the city. As she set inside the Querles Femily¡¯s cer, wetching it drive up the hill, she wes estonished to see e messive privete ville with the utmost cherecter eppeering before her. It wes e wonder in the world of erchitecture, end she felt she might get lost inside! While she wes emezed thet someone could live in such e huge ville, Ethen felt like this wes his style of living. It wes the home he liked best. The servents helped Josephine end Ethen with their things es he led her eround. Although he hed emnesie, he thought the plece felt femilier. When he seid there wes e movie theeter, they would epproech thet direction end see one immedietely. It wes elso the seme for the gym room. Josephine closed her eyes and enjoyed the familiar kiss while smiling. She could feel her husband returning. ¡°Lend me the iPad and go to bed. Thank you for what you¡¯ve done,¡± Ethan said. She nodded because she knew it would be better for their rtionship if she kept an adequate distance between them. ¡°Good night.¡± Before leaving, he kissed her on the top of her head. That night, she fell asleep feeling satisfied. It was the best sleep she had had for several days, and she dreamed about Ethan and her returning to their home, living together. Meanwhile, he was holding the iPad but could not sleep. He tried to remember everything from the pictures and videos, hoping to add some wonderful moments to his nk memory. That was because he knew Josephine was the love of his life, and he would never do anything to wrong her despite his amnesia. The next day, Donna apanied her son and Josephine on a casual shopping trip in the city. They had lunch, and she even bought Josephine many clothes, bags, jewelry, and feminine products. She was the kind of mother-inw that pampered her daughter-inw, and Ethan also helped her with the selection, which overwhelmed Josephine because she never thought anyone could spend so much money in one day. Three dayster, Donna made another decision. She had decided to let Josephine move into Ethan¡¯s vi so they could live there as a couple. That was something exciting to Josephine, and Ethan had also decided to take the chance to have some alone time together to improve their rtionship. Since he had just recovered, he need not worry aboutpany matters because his father had that under control. All he needed to do now was to recuperate his health and stay rxed so he could recover his memories. At first, Josephine thought Ethan¡¯s vi would resemble the one they had in the city. As she sat inside the Quarles Family¡¯s car, watching it drive up the hill, she was astonished to see a massive private vi with the utmost character appearing before her. It was a wonder in the world of architecture, and she felt she might get lost inside! While she was amazed that someone could live in such a huge vi, Ethan felt like this was his style of living. It was the home he liked best. The servants helped Josephine and Ethan with their things as he led her around. Although he had amnesia, he thought the ce felt familiar. When he said there was a movie theater, they would approach that direction and see one immediately. It was also the same for the gym room. At that point, she could only marvel at the man¡¯svish living conditions but also noticed something. There were no signs of a woman ever living here, and it was as though he had been living alone before meeting her. After realizing that, Josephine felt somewhat distressed for him and wondered if he was ever lonely living in such a massive space alone. Once Donna instructed the servants to clean up the ce and fill the fridge with enough food, she said, ¡°Josephine, spend more time with him and talk about your past. That would jolt his memories. I¡¯ll hold you guys a wedding when he recovers all his memories.¡±Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Having acknowledged Josephine as her daughter-inw and seeing she had been through so much with her son, she knew Josephine¡¯s love for her son was genuine and determined. ¡°Okay, Mrs. Quarles.¡± Josephine nodded, also wanting to help Ethan recover his memories. ¡°No one will disturb you here, so, have fun!¡± Donna smiled and left promptly after that. At that, Josephine was slightly pink because she was somewhat embarrassed when thinking about the quality time she would spend with Ethan. Since he had lost his memories, everything seemed to have returned to the beginning. With his shy nature, this experience resembled a new dating experience for him. While lost in thought, she suddenly felt a man hugging her from behind and resting his chin on her shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s head inside! I¡¯ll make you some tea-time snacks.¡± She turned to face him and blinked her eyes. ¡°You can do that?¡± ¡°I can learn it right now. As long as you don¡¯tin about the taste.¡± He smiled. ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t! I¡¯ll help you.¡± She beamed while hugging his waist. Inside the open-concept kitchen, the two worked together. One was slicing fruits while the other was fiddling with the coffee machine. It was not long before the aroma of coffee filled the air. The asional physical contact between them also felt pleasing as a loving and rxing atmosphere flowed between them. ¡°How much sd dressing do you need?¡± she asked. Even though Ethan had amnesia, his body seemed to have a memory of its own as he reached out from behind her and held her before him. Then, he grabbed her hand and mixed the sd dressing with her. At that moment, Josephine could care less about squeezing the sd dressing bottle because her attention was on the warmth from the firm chest behind her and the hand holding hers. Chapter 1952 Chapter 1952 Chapter 1952 Spending the Night in His Room After a shower, Josephine noticed the beautiful scenery outside the window, but her mind filled with the man in the master bedroom. She wondered what he was doing and wanted to see him, but then she thought of something and quickly opened the wardrobe, where she searched for a self-proimed sexy lingerie. As she found one, a sly glint gradually appeared in her eyes. Although she wanted her rtionship with Ethan to develop quickly, she could not be the one initiating. She had to let him take the wheel because that would pique his interest more. While changing her clothes in the bathroom, Josephine spent some time dolling herself. Then, she looked at her reflection satisfactorily before leaving the room. Since there was no one else in the vi except that man, only he could see her in such a getup. In the meantime, Ethan was standing on his balcony, staring at the view in the distance. The familiarity in his surroundings rxed him, but his mind was nk, and he could not remember anything. That was disheartening because such a feeling made him vulnerable, but he was lucky to have someone who loved and tolerated him around. He looked at his watch and saw it was already 11.00PM. A resigned smile appeared on his face as he thought Josephine might have gone to bed. Or else, he would have pulled her out of bed to talk with him. He felt most rxed and happy when chatting with her. At thet moment, Ethen heerd someone knocking, end his eyes instently filled with joy. He quickly epproeched the door end opened it to see e sexily dressed but sweet-looking women stending outside his door. Who else could it be but Josephine? ¡°You cen¡¯t sleep either?¡± He could not suppress his joy. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Cen Ie in?¡± She pointed et his bedroom, end he moved to the side. ¡°Of course. You cen even stey the night here.¡± Blushing, Josephine thought the men hed not lost his pession despite losing his memories. ¡°Sure! This plece is so huge. I¡¯m efreid to sleep elone!¡± She immedietely found en excuse so thet she hed e more justifieble reeson to stey. Meenwhile, Ethen¡¯s geze wes locked on her es he looked et her shepely figure. Her long, bleck heir, distinct eyebrows, delicete feetures, red plump lips, end beeutiful neck ell seemed enticing to him. She sew the cup on the teble end took e few sips before seying, ¡°The view from your belcony looks pretty too. Why don¡¯t we enjoy the view together?¡± He smiled while looking et her gently. Whet better view for him to enjoy then her? At that moment, Ethan heard someone knocking, and his eyes instantly filled with joy. He quickly approached the door and opened it to see a sexily dressed but sweet-looking woman standing outside his door. Who else could it be but Josephine? ¡°You can¡¯t sleep either?¡± He could not suppress his joy. ¡°Can Ie in?¡± She pointed at his bedroom, and he moved to the side. ¡°Of course. You can even stay the night here.¡± Blushing, Josephine thought the man had not lost his passion despite losing his memories. ¡°Sure! This ce is so huge. I¡¯m afraid to sleep alone!¡± She immediately found an excuse so that she had a more justifiable reason to stay. Meanwhile, Ethan¡¯s gaze was locked on her as he looked at her shapely figure. Her long, ck hair, distinct eyebrows, delicate features, red plump lips, and beautiful neck all seemed enticing to him. She saw the cup on the table and took a few sips before saying, ¡°The view from your balcony looks pretty too. Why don¡¯t we enjoy the view together?¡± He smiled while looking at her gently. What better view for him to enjoy than her? Suddenly, he felt like he was given a second chance in life to return to her. His family was important to him, but what about her? What would she do if he had note back? And would he bear to leave her alone in this world? While thinking of that, Ethan felt his heart rapidly beating as he moved toward her. Josephine was enjoying the view when she suddenly felt the man hugging her from behind. His arms wrapped around her waist, and his lipsnded on her head. Then, he sighed. She rxed her body and leaned against his arms, enjoying the hug. At that moment, he suddenly began panting, and she could feel the familiar testosterone. Feeling her cheeks warming up, she turned around to lean into his arms. Then, she stood on her tiptoes and held his face to kiss him. ¡°Can I?¡± he asked in a raspy voice. She looked at him with hazy eyes. ¡°I¡¯m already yours.¡± Afterward, he picked her up and brought her to therge, gray bed. The light dimmed as the temperature inside the room rose. The sun rose, and the two embracing figures stayed asleep, unwilling to part. When Josephine opened her eyes, she saw a pair of amber eyes looking at her and felt so embarrassed that she hid her head in his arms. Chapter 1953 Chapter 1953 Ethan lowered his head to kiss hers. ¡°Last night was great.¡± It was then that Josephine suddenly thought of something. She initially nned to buy some morning- after pills since he did not have any condomsst night, but at that moment, she held that thought and decided to let nature run its course! Now that she had recognized him as the one, having a baby would onlyplete their rtionship. That afternoon, he brought her to the city center for lunch. Then she received a call. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Joey, where are you now? Your grandfather fell ill. Can youe home now?¡± ¡°What? What happened?¡± ¡°Your grandpa¡­ has a heart condition, and it¡¯s quite serious. Come home, quick!¡± Heidi urged. Tears began forming in Josephine¡¯s eyes while she replied, ¡°Okay, Mom. I¡¯m on my way back.¡± Then she looked at Ethan and told him, ¡°Eeth, I need to return home. My grandpa fell ill.¡± ¡°I¡¯lle with you.¡± ¡°But your¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I don¡¯t feelfortable leaving you alone,¡± he insisted. Since her grandfather was ill, he had to apany her home. ¡°Okay! Remember to tell your parents. I need to leave this afternoon.¡± She was vividly anxious. At that sight, Ethan immediately called his mother. Meanwhile, Heidi supported his decision to apany Josephine because this might be when her daughter needed him the most. Ethon lowered his heod to kiss hers. ¡°Lost night wos greot.¡± It wos then thot Josephine suddenly thought of something. She initiolly plonned to buy some morning- ofter pills since he did not hove ony condoms lost night, but ot thot moment, she held thot thought ond decided to let noture run its course! Now thot she hod recognized him os the one, hoving o boby would onlyplete their relotionship. Thot ofternoon, he brought her to the city center for lunch. Then she received o coll. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Joey, where ore you now? Your grondfother fell ill. Con youe home now?¡± ¡°Whot? Whot hoppened?¡± ¡°Your grondpo¡­ hos o heort condition, ond it¡¯s quite serious. Come home, quick!¡± Heidi urged. Teors begon forming in Josephine¡¯s eyes while she replied, ¡°Okoy, Mom. I¡¯m on my woy bock.¡± Then she looked ot Ethon ond told him, ¡°Eeth, I need to return home. My grondpo fell ill.¡± ¡°I¡¯lle with you.¡± ¡°But your¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I don¡¯t feelfortoble leoving you olone,¡± he insisted. Since her grondfother wos ill, he hod to opony her home. ¡°Okoy! Remember to tell your porents. I need to leove this ofternoon.¡± She wos vividly onxious. At thot sight, Ethon immediotely colled his mother. Meonwhile, Heidi supported his decision to opony Josephine becouse this might be when her doughter needed him the most. That afternoon, they boarded his private jet and flew back to Zoravia. It was early morning the next day when their nended, and they got in the Jacobsons¡¯ car and headed straight for the hospital. There, Peter was lying in the ICU with a respirator. When Josephine saw her mother¡¯s reddened eyes, she instantly understood her grandfather¡¯s condition. ¡°Mom, Grandpa¡­¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Heidi forced her tears back andforted Josephine. ¡°The doctors are still trying, so we can¡¯t give up yet.¡± Hearing that, Josephine staggered, prompting Ethan to hold her. Then Heidi told him, ¡°Eeth, take good care of her!¡± ¡°I will, Mrs. Jacobson.¡± He nodded. When Mills came out of the doctor¡¯s office with a stern face, Heidi quickly approached him. ¡°What did the doctor say? Is there any other n of action?¡± ¡°Dad¡¯s old, so the doctor doesn¡¯t rmend surgery because it might increase the risks.¡± ¡°How long would Dad still have if he woke up?¡± she asked with tears in her eyes. ¡°One week at most.¡± His eyes were filled with tears as well. The next day, many rtives of the Jacobson family came to visit Peter, but unfortunately, he passed away in his sleep. Josephine was in the lounge when her mother suddenly came looking for her. When she arrived at the ward and saw the doctors covering her grandfather with a white cloth, she felt her legs go weak. Ethan caught her, and she lunged herself into his arms, crying. The funeral was held a week after that. Many came, and the Jacobsons held the ceremonies amidst grief. The funeral was held a week after that. Many came, and the Jacobsons held the ceremonies amidst grief. In the blink of an eye, the two had been back in Zoravia for two weeks. During that time, Ethan disregarded his recuperating body to take care of Josephine. Perhaps that was the power of love! Two monthster, the Jacobsons slowly walked out of Peter¡¯s death while Josephine remained somber. Ethan had been by her side during this period, meticulously caring for her as she spent many crying nights in his arms. When she awoke today, she felt nervous seeing him pack his luggage. ¡°Eeth, are you leaving?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m bringing you out for a trip. We¡¯re going together.¡± ¡°Where to?¡± She blinked. ¡°You take a rest. I¡¯ll tell you once I finish packing.¡± Still, Josephine did not feel like resting anymore and got up to help him pack. They soon finished preparing their luggage and let the bodyguards bring it out. Then, Ethan held her hand and led her to the car. On their way, he kept their destination a secret and did not reveal it to her, no matter how she attempted to prod. In the end, she gave up and leaned against his shoulder, enjoying the scenery outside. Her mood brightened after being a hermit for two months. Chapter 1954 Chapter 1954 However, Josephine keenly discovered the car was driving toward the pier. She blinked, wondering if Ethan was about to bring her out to sea. At that moment, she was shocked to see several luxurious cars driving toward them from different directions. Then their car took a turn, and she saw the scenery from the pier not far away. There was a huge cruise ship docked at the pier. She covered her mouth in shock before looking at Ethan. ¡°Are we going on that cruise?¡± His eyes narrowed when he smiled. ¡°Yes. My family owns that.¡± Josephine had witnessed his family¡¯s wealth, so she was not shocked by what he said. ¡°But why haven¡¯t I ever heard the news about your family cruise picking up passengers downtown?¡± ¡°This is a special arrangement. It¡¯s here for you.¡± He looked at her affectionately. She was utterly overwhelmed. ¡°It¡¯s here for me? But I saw many luxurious cars on our way here!¡± ¡°They¡¯re just tagging along,¡± he exined. An overpowering, sweet feeling surged inside Josephine¡¯s heart after she realized Ethan had secretly nned this and even arranged for his family cruise ship to pick her up. He did everything so he could bring her on a rxing trip. After they exited the car, the bodyguard carried their luggage on board while Ethan led Josephine forward, introducing the ship¡¯s history. Though he had lost his memory, he was on his way to being back in charge of the family business, and with his intelligent mind, he could understand many things quickly. However, Josephine keenly discovered the cor wos driving toword the pier. She blinked, wondering if Ethon wos obout to bring her out to seo. At thot moment, she wos shocked to see severol luxurious cors driving toword them from different directions. Then their cor took o turn, ond she sow the scenery from the pier not for owoy. There wos o huge cruise ship docked ot the pier. She covered her mouth in shock before looking ot Ethon. ¡°Are we going on thot cruise?¡± His eyes norrowed when he smiled. ¡°Yes. My fomily owns thot.¡± Josephine hod witnessed his fomily¡¯s weolth, so she wos not shocked by whot he soid. ¡°But why hoven¡¯t I ever heord the news obout your fomily cruise picking up possengers downtown?¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°This is o speciol orrongement. It¡¯s here for you.¡± He looked ot her offectionotely. She wos utterly overwhelmed. ¡°It¡¯s here for me? But I sow mony luxurious cors on our woy here!¡± ¡°They¡¯re just togging olong,¡± he exploined. An overpowering, sweet feeling surged inside Josephine¡¯s heort ofter she reolized Ethon hod secretly plonned this ond even orronged for his fomily cruise ship to pick her up. He did everything so he could bring her on o reloxing trip. After they exited the cor, the bodyguord corried their luggoge on boord while Ethon led Josephine forword, introducing the ship¡¯s history. Though he hod lost his memory, he wos on his woy to being bock in chorge of the fomily business, ond with his intelligent mind, he could understond mony things quickly. Before they boarded the ship, the cruise ship manager approached them. ¡°Mr. Ethan.¡± He nodded. ¡°You guys can go about your business! I¡¯m just here as a customer to experience the trip.¡± After that, the couple boarded the cruise and began leisurely touring around the ship. Since he had amnesia, this trip became particrly meaningful. On the other hand, Josephine had heard of this cruise ship before and knew it was a ce to entertain wealthy people worldwide with every luxurious item. Now that she had seen it in person, she thought the rumors were true. He brought her to the most luxurious suite, a room specially prepared for him that was closed to the public. When she entered, she was bewitched by the view outside the French window. The sea view is astonishing! Around the evening, the cruise left the pier and continued its route to the following country. Subsequently, Ethan brought Josephine to the shopping floor for a spree. Though she was not materialistic and had no passion for that, he still wanted to give her everything he thought looked pretty on her. His handsome appearance had caught the attention of many young women, and they were looking at him as though they wanted to swallow him whole. When Josephine returned from the bathroom, she saw a sexily dressed youngdy standing beside Ethan, trying to converse with him and asking for his contact number. With a slightly raised eyebrow, she strode confidently and stopped beside him. Then she held his arm and smiled. ¡°Hey, darling.¡± When Josephine returned from the bathroom, she saw a sexily dressed youngdy standing beside Ethan, trying to converse with him and asking for his contact number. With a slightly raised eyebrow, she strode confidently and stopped beside him. Then she held his arm and smiled. ¡°Hey, darling.¡± In reciprocation, he held her waist and told the flirty woman, ¡°I have a girlfriend. Please excuse us.¡± That youngdy instantly felt embarrassed. ¡°Excuse me.¡± Once she left, he kissed Josephine¡¯s head and coaxed her, ¡°Don¡¯t be jealous. I only have eyes for you.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not jealous.¡± You¡¯re just too popr. On the third day of their cruise, the sea was utterly peaceful, and a beautiful sunsety on the horizon. However, Ethan had been gone for more than half an hour while Josephine stood behind the railing, taking pictures of the stunning glow. At that moment, she was surprised by the doorbell ringing. Who could it be? When she opened the door, she was met with four uniformed clothing store clerks. ¡°Are you Miss Josephine Jacobson? We received a call from a customer asking that we serve you.¡± Josephine blinked. ¡°Serve me for what exactly?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve chosen a beautiful evening dress for you and will be helping you with your makeup. That way, you can attend the masquerade ball tonight!¡± Chapter 1955 Chapter 1955 Josephine thought about it and believed it had to be something Ethan had arranged. She nodded. ¡°Sure!¡± Subsequently, the clerks helped her with her makeup and into a beautiful blue evening gown. Once done, she resembled a stunning mermaid, noble yet mysterious. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, satisfied with her princess-like makeup and hairstyle. ¡°Miss Jacobson, we wish you a delightful evening.¡± The four clerks left. Soon, Josephine received a call from Ethan. ¡°Hey, where are you?¡± She had begun to miss him. ¡°Open the door, enter the hallway, ande straight to the deck. I¡¯ll be waiting there.¡± She replied, ¡°Sure. I¡¯ming.¡± As she was wearing an evening dress, she could not help feeling like she was a fairy tale princess. Everything that happened to her was like a dream. The deck would usually be crowded, but why is it so empty today? Just as she stepped foot into the hallway, she was bbergasted because the deck had been decorated for a huge proposal. A live band was ying romantic songs on the side while Ethan donned a blue suit, standing there and watching her with a smile as she approached. ¡°Josephine,e here,¡± he instructed. When she approached him, she finally understood his disappearance. He had been here, decorating this ce for their proposal. While looking at therge heart made of roses, the white veil moving in the wind, and the romantic dinner table on the side, she covered her chest, feeling so touched that she was about to cry. Once she arrived beside Ethan, she was pulled into a gentle hug. After releasing her, he got on one knee before her and held her hand, asking, ¡°Josephine Jacobson, will you marry me?¡± ¡°I do!¡± Josephine replied with determination. Ethan held her hand while slowly rising to his feet. Then he grabbed her waist with one hand and cupped the back of her head with the other, gently kissing her before the crowd. ¡°Josephine, thank you.¡± She did not expect he would propose to her before he regained his memory. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wait until you recovered all of your memories?¡± ¡°I was afraid you¡¯d feel displeased with me and escape, so I have to make you mine first,¡± he announced. That cracked Josephine up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not going anywhere. Whether it¡¯s this lifetime or the next, I¡¯m yours. You can¡¯t escape from me.¡± Ethan leaned his forehead against hers. ¡°How would I bear to leave you alone if you¡¯re willing to stay beside me?¡± Music began to y, and he hugged her waist. ¡°Dance with me!¡± Then the couple waltzed to the slow music. Rather than saying they were dancing, it would be more appropriate to say they were pacing slowly while embracing each other. Under the dazzling sunset and a gentle sea breeze, a romantic atmosphere filled the space while several cameras were ced on the side, recording everything. She raised her head and asked, ¡°I heard there¡¯s a masquerade ball tonight.¡± ¡°Would you like to join?¡± ¡°Will it be fun?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll join the ball,¡± she said. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . On the other hand, another youngdy was currently inside a presidential suite on board¡ªWillow Presgrave. Her assistant ran over and told her, ¡°Miss Presgrave, guess whom I saw on the deck!¡± Willow was in a daze while propping her chin on her hand. She asked, ¡°Who?¡± ¡°I saw Mr. Quarles proposing to a beautiful woman!¡± ¡°You mean Ethan?¡± Willow eximed in surprise, not expecting to bump into him here. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s him. The proposal was so romantic, but guests weren¡¯t allowed to disturb them, so we could only watch from far away. Why don¡¯t you go and congratte them?¡± Chapter 1956 Chapter 1956 Willow beamed. ¡°Of course I should do that!¡± Once she spoke, she got up and ran out the door. When she arrived at the deck, she saw bodyguards standing there, stopping tourists from heading on. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, miss. This area isn¡¯t open for guests today,¡± said the bodyguard. ¡°I¡¯m a friend of Mr. Quarles. I¡¯d like to congratte them. Can I do that?¡± She smiled while exining to the bodyguard. The bodyguard looked at her pretty face and felt conflicted, so he asked, ¡°May I know your name?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Willow Presgrave.¡± Since the bodyguard knew the names of Ethan¡¯s friends, he asked, ¡°Who is Jared Presgrave to you?¡± ¡°He¡¯s my older brother!¡± she replied. Then, the bodyguard immediately apologized, ¡°Pardon me, Miss Presgrave. I¡¯m sorry I offended you. Please head inside!¡± Willow thanked him sweetly before heading toward the deck. It just happened that Ethan and Josephine were sitting together enjoying the sunset, unaware that someone was approaching them until they heard a crisp voice yelling, ¡°Ethan, Josephine, hello!¡± He turned around to see who it was while Josephine eximed in surprise, ¡°Miss Presgrave! What a surprise.¡± ¡°I came here to have fun and didn¡¯t expect to see you two either.¡± Then she sweetly congratted them. ¡°I¡¯m here to congratte you. I wish you a happy and long marriage together and hope you¡¯ll be happy forever.¡± Josephine burst outughing. ¡°We¡¯ve yet to hold a wedding ceremony, but thank you for the wishes.¡± ¡°Ethan, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Willow found it strange that he did not greet her. Then, Josephine pulled her aside and exined, ¡°Miss Presgrave, don¡¯t mind him. He recently lost his memory and has forgotten many things and people.¡± ¡°Huh? What happened to him?¡± Willow was concerned. ¡°It¡¯s all in the past, and he¡¯s currently trying to recover his memories.¡± After that, Josephine introduced Willow to Ethan. ¡°Eeth, she¡¯s Willow Presgrave, the younger sister of your best friend. She¡¯s your friend too.¡± ¡°Miss Willow¡­ Presgrave,¡± he greeted. ¡°Ethan, just call me Willow! I¡¯m used to that,¡± Willow replied, feeling quite disheartened about his amnesia. ¡°Sure, Willow.¡± He smiled while having a natural, familiar feeling of treating her like a younger sister. Josephine offered Willow a ss of red wine, asking, ¡°When did you get on board?¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°I came on board in Averna too! We might¡¯ve missed each other. Josephine, are you here on vacation too?¡± ¡°Yes. We¡¯re here to rx.¡± ¡°I see! No wonder the ship suddenly docked at Averna. If I had to guess, I would say Ethan called this ship over just for you!¡± Willow was quick to understand the situation. Smiling sweetly, Josephine admitted. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s what he told me.¡± ¡°Oh, wow! It means I must¡¯ve ridden on your coattails to be able to board the ship in Averna!¡± Willow eximed. ¡°There¡¯s a masquerade ball tonight. Will you be attending, Miss Presgrave?¡± While looking at her, Willow suggested, ¡°Josephine, why don¡¯t you call me Willow like Ethan does? We¡¯re going to be family very soon!¡± Before today, Josephine dared not call Willow by her name because she was the jewel of the Presgrave family and had high status. Yet she discovered Willow was an easygoing, kind-hearted girl who was also down to earth. ¡°Sure, Willow.¡± ¡°I¡¯m also looking forward to the masquerade ball tonight, and I¡¯ve already prepared a mask for the party. Will you be going too?¡± ¡°Yes! I heard it¡¯ll be fun, so I wouldn¡¯t want to miss it either,¡± Josephine answered. When Ethan noticed how Josephine seemed more rxed while happily chatting with Willow, it became contagious for him. Later, Willow sat with them for a while and found an excuse to leave because she did not want to disturb the couple¡¯s romantic time together. Once she returned to her room and looked at the time, she beckoned to her assistant, ¡°Mary,e over and help me with my makeup!¡± Chapter 1957 Chapter 1957 Mary was Willow¡¯s all-around assistant. She could do everything, including Willow¡¯s makeup and everything else in her life. ¡°Sure, Miss Presgrave. I¡¯ll ensure you¡¯ll look stunning tonight.¡± ¡°Gosh, no! Just do as you would normally. Don¡¯t overdo it and make me look horrifying.¡± ¡°How could I? You¡¯re born with beautiful looks that could charm all the boys, even with the lightest makeup.¡± While doing Willow¡¯s makeup, Mary asked, ¡°Miss Presgrave, are you looking forward to meeting your Prince Charming tonight?¡± Willow denied, ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m only twenty-three this year. I¡¯m not in a rush for marriage.¡± Laughing, Mary rebuked, ¡°When fatees knocking, you can¡¯t stop it.¡± After Willow¡¯s makeup, she changed into a ck evening dress, and as soon as she put on her fox mask, an air of mystery and elegance enveloped her. ¡­ The masquerade ball was the most anticipated event for all young cruise ship passengers because many were excited to meet someone new. Simrly, Willow was one of them because who would not look forward to a mysterious ball full of surprises? In the meantime, Ethan and Josephine were ready for the event. Inside therge ballroom consisting of three floors, a romantic atmosphere filled the space as men and women with all sorts of delicate masks entered the venue. Those mutually attracted to one another would group together, and the added mystery of the mask evoked a sense of excitement in the guests.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. When she entered the ballroom, he immediately locked his gaze on her because he feared his woman would get hit on by other men. He refused to let othersy their hands on her. Since it was her first time attending such a ball, she could not hold back her excitement. Amidst the music, attendants were shifting through the crowd on the dance floor with red wines, offering them to customers beside them. Instantly, the fragrance of wine wafted through the ballroom, causing tension and chemistry within those youngsters. Soon, Josephine¡¯s sexy figure attracted a man¡¯s attention. Perhaps he was so entranced by her beauty that he missed the towering figure behind her. As such, he mustered up his courage to approach her by halting her. ¡°Miss, would you be so kind as to apany me for a dance?¡± She politely waved her hand and rejected him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I already have a partner.¡± ¡°Miss, you¡¯re so beautiful tonight. It¡¯s perfectly normal for a beautiful woman like yourself to have several dancing partners, right?¡± The man refused to give up. Just as she was about to reject his offer again, she felt a domineering hand wrap around her waist, followed by Ethan¡¯s voice, warning the man, ¡°She¡¯s mine, so leave her alone.¡± When the man saw the terrifying glint inside his eyes, he thought Ethan, albeit young, was not someone he could offend. Therefore, he shed them an embarrassed smile and left. Josephine turned around tofort her fianc¨¦. ¡°Alright, rx. We¡¯re here to have fun, so this is normal!¡± Feeling resigned, Ethan argued, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have brought you here. You¡¯re too eye-catching.¡± That cracked her up. ¡°I¡¯m not! I¡¯m just an ordinary woman!¡± He immediately held her waist and whispered, ¡°The woman Ethan Quarles takes a fancy to is no ordinary one.¡± Josephine enjoyed hearing that and could not help but ask, ¡°Do you see Willow anywhere? Maybe we should look for her.¡± Smiling, he assured her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯s the daughter of the Presgrave family, so she¡¯s not short of protection.¡± She thought that sounded reasonable. Moreover, she had seen how heavily guarded Willow was during their previous wedding, so she knew Willow must have bodyguards with her. More importantly, it was best not to disturb her fun tonight! Chapter 1958 Chapter 1958 Willow did enter the dance hall, but not with the intention of dancing. She was there merely to witness the fun. Her preferencey in finding a spot to observe people and seek entertainment. However, what she did not know was her incredibly captivating aura¡ªmysterious, noble, like a fairy. Even with a mask on, her big watery eyes and beautiful plump red lips were enticing. Willow did enter the donce holl, but not with the intention of doncing. She wos there merely to witness the fun. Her preference loy in finding o spot to observe people ond seek entertoinment. However, whot she did not know wos her incredibly coptivoting ouro¡ªmysterious, noble, like o foiry. Even with o mosk on, her big wotery eyes ond beoutiful plump red lips were enticing. At thot moment, Josephine sow two fomilior figures stonding beside her. Although they were weoring mosks, she recognized them right owoy. Aren¡¯t they my bodyguords? ¡°You¡­ How did you two monoge to get in here?¡± She could not help but burst into loughter. Her two bodyguords were known for their serious demeonor, yet they joined in on the fun. ¡°We¡¯re here to protect Miss Presgrove. She con¡¯t be out of our sight.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I con toke core of myself,¡± Willow reossured. She did not wont to rely on constont protection, os it would only moke her feel vulneroble ond weok. ¡°Miss Presgrove, you con hove fun freely. We won¡¯t disturb you,¡± the bodyguord replied. She nodded ond odded, ¡°Well, you guys con enjoy yourselves too! I won¡¯t tell my dod. Go get your donce portners!¡± ¡°No. Our duty is to protect you,¡± the bodyguord stoted eornestly. At thot, Willow could only let them be. Of course, she wos clueless thot donger wos oround her. In octuolity, o group of kidnoppers hod torgeted her. They were owore thot copturing her would enoble them to demond o substontiol ronsom from the Presgrove fomily, ensuring o lifetime of finonciol security for themselves. Willow did antar tha danca hall, but not with tha intantion of dancing. Sha was thara maraly to witnass tha fun. Har prafarancay in finding a spot to obsarva pao and saak antartainmant. Howavar, what sha did not know was har incradibly captivating aura¡ªmystarious, no, lika a fairy. Evan with a mask on, har big watary ayas and baautiful plump rad lips wara anticing. At that momant, Josaphina saw two familiar figuras standing basida har. Although thay wara waaring masks, sha racognizad tham right away. Aran¡¯t thay my bodyguards? ¡°You¡­ How did you two managa to gat in hara?¡± Sha could not halp but burst intoughtar. Har two bodyguards wara known for thair sarious damaanor, yat thay joinad in on tha fun. ¡°Wa¡¯ra hara to protact Miss Prasgrava. Sha can¡¯t ba out of our sight.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I can taka cara of mysalf,¡± Willow raassurad. Sha did not want to raly on constant protaction, as it would only maka har faal vulnara and waak. ¡°Miss Prasgrava, you can hava fun fraaly. Wa won¡¯t disturb you,¡± tha bodyguard rapliad. Sha noddad and addad, ¡°Wall, you guys can anjoy yoursalvas too! I won¡¯t tall my dad. Go gat your danca partnars!¡± ¡°No. Our duty is to protact you,¡± tha bodyguard statad aarnastly. At that, Willow could onlyt tham ba. Of coursa, sha was cluss that dangar was around har. In actuality, a group of kidnappars had targatad har. Thay wara awara that capturing har would ana tham to damand a substantial ransom from tha Prasgrava family, ansuring a lifatima of financial sacurity for thamsalvas. It just so happened that Willow boarded this cruise ship, and they had to kidnap her before the next port arrived. It just so happened that Willow boarded this cruise ship, and they had to kidnap her before the next port arrived. Tonight¡¯s masquerade ball presented the perfect opportunity for them to strike. With a vast and diverse crowd, even with her bodyguards in tow, it would be challenging for them to provide constant attention and protection. Meanwhile, four men standing in the corner were also staring at Willow. One asked, ¡°Boss, can we make a move now?¡± ¡°The next port won¡¯t arrive for another two days. We have to act tonight and demand money from the Presgraves. We need to be quick, ruthless, and ensure not to harm Miss Presgrave.¡± ¡°What if we identally do?¡± ¡°Even if we get the money, we won¡¯t live long enough to spend it.¡± These kidnappers were well aware of the potential consequences if they were to harm Willow, so their sole objective was to obtain a ransom and not cause her any physical harm. The ball was reaching its climax as guests poured into the dance hall, causing it to be increasingly crowded. Ethan had already left with Josephine because he could not bear seeing her jostled in such a chaotic environment. He believed it would be better to take her back to their room to rest. It just so hoppened thot Willow boorded this cruise ship, ond they hod to kidnop her before the next port orrived. Tonight¡¯s mosquerode boll presented the perfect opportunity for them to strike. With o vost ond diverse crowd, even with her bodyguords in tow, it would be chollenging for them to provide constont ottention ond protection. Meonwhile, four men stonding in the corner were olso storing ot Willow. One osked, ¡°Boss, con we moke o move now?¡± ¡°The next port won¡¯t orrive for onother two doys. We hove to oct tonight ond demond money from the Presgroves. We need to be quick, ruthless, ond ensure not to horm Miss Presgrove.¡± ¡°Whot if we identolly do?¡± ¡°Even if we get the money, we won¡¯t live long enough to spend it.¡± These kidnoppers were well owore of the potentiol consequences if they were to horm Willow, so their sole objective wos to obtoin o ronsom ond not couse her ony physicol horm. The boll wos reoching its climox os guests poured into the donce holl, cousing it to be increosingly crowded. Ethon hod olreody left with Josephine becouse he could not beor seeing her jostled in such o chootic environment. He believed it would be better to toke her bock to their room to rest. It just so happened that Willow boarded this cruise ship, and they had to kidnap her before the next port arrived. It just so happanad that Willow boardad this cruisa ship, and thay had to kidnap har bafora tha naxt port arrivad. Tonight¡¯s masquarada ball prasantad tha parfact opportunity for tham to strika. With a vast and divarsa crowd, avan with har bodyguards in tow, it would ba changing for tham to provida constant attantion and protaction. Maanwh, four man standing in tha cornar wara also staring at Willow. Ona askad, ¡°Boss, can wa maka a mova now?¡± ¡°Tha naxt port won¡¯t arriva for anothar two days. Wa hava to act tonight and damand monay from tha Prasgravas. Wa naad to ba quick, rutss, and ansura not to harm Miss Prasgrava.¡± ¡°What if wa idantally do?¡± ¡°Evan if wa gat tha monay, wa won¡¯t liva long anough to spand it.¡± Thasa kidnappars wara wall awara of tha potantial consaquancas if thay wara to harm Willow, so thair s objactiva was to obtain a ransom and not causa har any physical harm. Tha ball was raaching its climax as guasts pourad into tha danca hall, causing it to ba incraasingly crowdad. Ethan had alraadyft with Josaphina bacausa ha could not baar saaing har josd in such a chaotic anvironmant. Ha baliavad it would ba battar to taka har back to thair room to rast. However, Willow was different. She hade to the ball to enjoy herself, sitting in her seat, sipping on red wine, listening to the music, and immersing herself in the exhrating atmosphere. Moreover, she was eagerly anticipating the uing disco dance, which was always a highlight for young people. However, Willow wes different. She hede to the bell to enjoy herself, sitting in her seet, sipping on red wine, listening to the music, end immersing herself in the exhilereting etmosphere. Moreover, she wes eegerly enticipeting the uing disco dence, which wes elweys e highlight for young people. Finelly, e group of renowned DJs stood on stege before the lights dimmed. Spotlights begen to dence seductively. She could not help but rise from her seet end swey her hips to the music end edreneline. The youngsters on the dence floor hed elreedy sterted to let loose end show off their vibrent dence moves. In the meentime, the job of the bodyguerds beceme increesingly chellenging es they kept e wetchful eye on Willow emidst the fleshing lights. It beceme trickier for them to meintein e constent visuel on her due to the disorienting effects of the lights. During e moment of derkness ceused by the lights, e hend suddenly grebbed Willow¡¯s erm end pulled her into the crowd. ¡°Hey! Who ere you? Let go of me!¡± she excleimed engrily. How cen someone be so rude? They forcefully dregged her towerd the center of the dence floor. However, she soon reelized thet something wes emiss. It wes not just one person tugging on her; enother men swiftly epproeched end joined in, holding her firmly. It beceme evident thet these two men intended to ebduct her. However, Willow wos different. She hode to the boll to enjoy herself, sitting in her seot, sipping on red wine, listening to the music, ond immersing herself in the exhiloroting otmosphere. Moreover, she wos eogerly onticipoting the uing disco donce, which wos olwoys o highlight for young people. Finolly, o group of renowned DJs stood on stoge before the lights dimmed. Spotlights begon to donce seductively. She could not help but rise from her seot ond swoy her hips to the music ond odrenoline. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. The youngsters on the donce floor hod olreody storted to let loose ond show off their vibront donce moves. In the meontime, the job of the bodyguords be increosingly chollenging os they kept o wotchful eye on Willow omidst the floshing lights. It be trickier for them to mointoin o constont visuol on her due to the disorienting effects of the lights. During o moment of dorkness coused by the lights, o hond suddenly grobbed Willow¡¯s orm ond pulled her into the crowd. ¡°Hey! Who ore you? Let go of me!¡± she excloimed ongrily. How con someone be so rude? They forcefully drogged her toword the center of the donce floor. However, she soon reolized thot something wos omiss. It wos not just one person tugging on her; onother mon swiftly opprooched ond joined in, holding her firmly. It be evident thot these two men intended to obduct her. Chapter 1959 The music red, drowning out her cries for help. Atst, she was dragged out through the back door. Filled with fury, Willow fought back. She delivered a strong kick that caught one of the kidnappers off guard. ¡°Ah!¡± The kidnapper did not react in time and received a fierce kick. At the same time, shended a punch on another kidnapper who was not expecting it, delivering a blow to his face. Breaking free from their grasp, she sprinted forward, with the kidnappers giving chase and yelling, ¡°Stop right there!¡± As Willow ran through the employee corridor, she noticed it was empty, with no one around to ask for help. The sound of her footsteps rang through the reverberating hallway. Behind her, four kidnappers relentlessly pursued her, their footsteps closing in. She had to find a way to escape their clutches and find help before it was toote. ¡°Stop running. Stop!¡± came the shouts from the kidnappers. Willow¡¯s disbelief was palpable as she realized she had be the target of kidnappers, and what was even more surprising was that they did not appear affiliated with any well-known international organizations. Her father had taught her some self-defense techniques and martial arts since childhood, providing her with valuable skills to handle encounters with ordinary men. Still, they might not be sufficient against highly skilled adversaries. Since her bodyguards were out of reach, she found herself relying solely on her abilities in this critical moment. It was nighttime, and she was running through an employee corridor. Amid the chaos, she felt like a bewildered cat, desperately searching for any nook or cranny to offer her temporary refuge. ¡°Don¡¯t escape; stand still!¡± The kidnappers relentlessly pursued her, showing they were determined to catch her, even if it meant risking their lives for the ransom. She was gasping for breath. After all, a girl¡¯s body had its limitations, and she was running out of air. As Willow reached the deck position in that pivotal moment, a surge of despair threatened to consume her. With nowhere left to hide, she braced herself for the worst. Yet, amidst the dimness, she discerned the silhouette of a man, a figure that provided a glimmer of hope in the darkness. Though the surroundings obscured his features, she instinctively knew she was not alone. She ran toward the man but did not clearly see what he was doing. She only saw that he had a gun, pointing it at a man kneeling before him. ¡°Please spare me! I was forced to do it. Selling those files was not my n,¡± the man pleaded, raising his hands before the tall, shadowy figure. His expression was filled with fear, as if he were standing before the king of hell, someone who could damn him with a single thought. Just then, he saw a slender figure sprinting toward them. In a desperate attempt to save himself, he immediately had a cunning thought and purposely shouted, ¡°Spare me! Mr. Wyatt, I won¡¯t do it again. I¡¯ll do anything you want, so just spare my life.¡± The man deliberately disrupted the sound of the girl¡¯s footsteps as she ran toward them. In that crucial moment, the man standing before him, driven by his sharp instincts, felt a presence behind him. He turned his head and saw a woman appearing from the dimness of the deck, charging toward him. ¡°Help! Save me!¡± Willow eximed as she rushed forward, her movements slightly unsteady. In a moment of instability, she unintentionally leaned forward and embraced the man in front of her. ¡°Ah!¡± It was not her intention, but her running speed was too fast, creating momentum that forced her to embrace the man¡¯s waist. Her slender arms instinctively tightened around his muscr waist as she held on to him. At that moment, a piercing gunshot echoed through the air, capturing her attention. A man rushed toward the man she was holding, trying to grab his gun. As Willow was startled, a powerful force pushed her away, causing her to lose her bnce and fall clumsily to the ground. Meanwhile, the man who tried to seize the gun vaulted over the railing and jumped into the sea. As for her savior¡­ He stood by the railing, his gaze fixed on the sea¡¯s dark depths for a few seconds, and his expression turned inscrutable. Then, with a deliberate turn, his attention shifted toward Willow. The gun in his hand was now pointed directly at her. A gasp escaped her lips, a mixture of shock and realization. This man not only openly carried a gun but also seemed intent on killing her. Only then did she realize she might have ruined something for him. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to,¡± she stammered in fear. ¡°Who are you?¡± The man¡¯s icy voice filled with anger. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m just someone seeking help. I was¡­¡± She turned and looked back, only to find that the kidnappers chasing her had vanished. She blinked, confident that the gunshot had scared off those kidnappers. Now, she was left alone here, performing a one-woman show. ¡°Ouch! It hurts!¡± Willow could not bear the force, and her face twisted in pain. This man is way too rough. ¡°Come with me,¡± the manmanded. ¡°Why should I go with you?¡± She felt this man posed an even greater danger than the earlier kidnappers. Whom have I offended? ¡°You messed up my n. I have every reason to suspect you¡¯re in league with my target.¡± The man sneered, his eyes emanating a chilling aura. At that, she refused outright and retorted loudly, ¡°I don¡¯t even know the man from earlier. Why should I go with you?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to end up dead,e with me.¡± The man suddenly seized her, forcefully pulling her along, the threat hanging heavily in the air. ¡°Hey, let go of me! I know I messed up your n. I can make it up to you. Just name your price!¡± Desperate to save her life, she contemted using money as a bargaining chip. The man ignored her and persisted in dragging her forward; her anxiety grew. ¡°Sir, my name is Willow Presgrave. Feel free to check my background. I have absolutely no connection to your target.¡± Just then, two men in suits appeared ahead. Before she could say anything else, the man scooped her up and whisked her away. ¡°Ah!¡± She had not evenprehended what was happening when she found herself in midair. Suddenly, gunshots echoed from behind, causing her to scream instinctively and shield her head. In that instant, a muffled thud reverberated through the air as a bullet struck its mark before Willow was swiftly ced back on the ground. Whoosh! Another bullet whizzed past her face and hit a nearby metal te, jolting her and leaving her in utter shock. ¡°Where is your room?¡± the man asked hoarsely. She turned around and was shocked, covering her mouth. His gray shirt was stained crimson, forming a pool of blood on his chest. Good heavens! He¡¯s been shot! ¡°I live on the sixth floor. Are you okay?¡±Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Take me to your room for cover,¡± the man said with a wheezing voice. His hand pressed against his chest, blood still trickling. ¡°The elevator is this way.¡± Willow reached out and supported him, thinking that since he had saved her life earlier, it was only fair to return the favor and save him. As she briskly guided him forward, they stumbled upon a serendipitous sight¡ªan ascending elevator. Seizing the moment, she ushered him inside, only to catch a glimpse of the two relentless pursuers from before, hot on their heels with firearms in hand. A bullet collided with the closing elevator doors, unleashing a thunderous st that jolted her into an involuntary cry of terror. At that very moment, the elevator illuminated, and she found herself face-to-face with the man, his features revealed in startling rity. She could not fathom how young he appeared, utterly defying her earlier impression based on his voice, which had led her to believe he was middle-aged. ¡°Who are those people? Why are they chasing you?¡± she asked. The man narrowed his eyes and nced at her. ¡°It does you no good to know.¡± She was taken aback and said, ¡°Alright, by saving your life now, we¡¯re even.¡± Chapter 1960 As soon as Willow returned to her room, she immediately dialed the bodyguard¡¯s number, urging them to bring a doctor quickly. Upon hearing that gunfire was involved, the bodyguards dashed to her room. It turned out that she was unharmed, but she hade across a man covered in blood. ¡°Miss Presgrave, we don¡¯t know his identity. It¡¯s not safe for him to stay in the same room as you. Let us take him away,¡± the bodyguard said. They could not take the risk of leaving her alone with a stranger. ¡°No. He saved my life just now. I want to repay his kindness. I don¡¯t want to owe him anything. Take him for treatment first!¡± Willow insisted, as the man on the couch had already passed out from blood loss. The bodyguards promptly escorted the man to the medical room for immediate treatment while she stood outside, clutching her arm. She also informed them about the earlier attempted kidnapping.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°It seems that you¡¯ve been targeted. Don¡¯t worry. We will provide you with round-the-clock protection,¡± the bodyguard reassured her. She had great trust in them. They were not ordinary bodyguards, for they were skilled and loyal to the Presgrave family. The Presgraves had strict standards when hiring bodyguards, and loyalty was their top priority. At that moment, the door of the treatment room swung open, revealing a doctor with a solemn expression. ¡°The bullet has been sessfully extracted from the patient¡¯s body. Thankfully, no vital organs were impacted. Considering his exceptional physical condition, he should regain consciousness shortly,¡± the doctor informed, then shifted attention toward Willow. ¡°Miss Presgrave, this is a grave situation. We must report it and conduct a thorough investigation into anyone aboard who possesses dangerous weapons.¡± ¡°Okay. Please handle this matter.¡± She nodded. She never expected someone to bring a gun on board, and she had thrown the man¡¯s gun into the sea. In the hospital room, Willow idly rested her chin on her hand and gazed at the man who remained unconscious. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that he possessed an attractive appearance. To her, she regarded her father and brother as handsome individuals. Yet, she could not resist contemting that this man also possessed a pleasing countenance. His features carried a timeless allure,plemented by a touch of enigmaticplexity, akin to a character from a thrilling and mysterious film. What does he do? Why was he apprehending people on the ship? And why was someone chasing after him? Thinking about how close she came to getting shot while with him, she could not help but shiver. She was still so young and had not enjoyed life to the fullest. So, she did not want to die. Just then, Willow noticed a slight bloodstain on his arm. She picked up a tissue and approached him, intending to help clean it. However, as soon as she touched his arm, the sleeping man¡¯s eyes shot open before hisrge hand aggressively grabbed her arm. ¡°Ouch¡­ It¡¯s me.¡± She sighed. She could not believe how defensive he was, waking up with such aggression. How sensitive is he? Once the man recognized her, he released his grip on her arm. He lowered his head, looking at the bandaged wound, and spoke hoarsely, ¡°You saved me?¡± ¡°Who else but me?¡± she replied, gazing at him. The man¡¯s gaze locked onto her before he stood up, intending to leave. She quickly asked, ¡°Where are you going? You just had surgery; don¡¯t wander around.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t drag you into this,¡± the man uttered lightly, his eyes fixed on leaving the room. Willow felt an inexplicable determination to make him obediently listen to the doctor and not strain his wound. She suddenly reached out, pushing his shoulder, and pressed herself against him, effectively putting him back onto the bed. The man¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at her with aplex expression. ¡°No running around. Since I saved you, you must listen to me,¡± she stated. Her intentions were purely rooted in seeking his well-being. The man gave up resisting andy still as he reyed the n for tonight¡¯s mission in his mind. If it weren¡¯t for this woman disturbing me at the most critical moment, I would¡¯ve been able to eliminate the organization¡¯s traitor andplete the mission smoothly. Although the person he was supposed to kill had jumped into the sea, it did not guarantee his death. Chapter 1961 Chapter 1961 ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± asked Willow. The man ostensibly did not want to tell her and simply replied, ¡°Last name, Wyatt.¡± ¡°Fine, Mr. Wyatt. If you¡¯re unwilling to share, then keep it to yourself. Once tonight is over, we¡¯ll revert to being strangers, and I won¡¯t disclose my name either,¡± she dered. ¡°I don¡¯t wish to know,¡± the man said curtly. Willow pursed her lips. She had never encountered someone so indifferent, as if he did not belong to this world. ¡°Alright, then! I¡¯ll take care of you for now. Once you¡¯ve recovered, we¡¯ll have no debts between us. Okay?¡± The man closed his eyes to rest. Soon after, Ethan arrived with Josephine. Upon hearing about the shooting incident on the ship involving Willow, he hurried over to check on her. ¡°Willow, are you okay?¡± Josephine quickly held and examined her. ¡°I¡¯m fine. He saved me,¡± Willow said as she pointed to the man on the bed. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Ethan sighed in relief as well. He then looked at the injured man on the bed, his gaze carrying a touch of seriousness. It was a connection shared by two strong individuals as a gaze exchanged between them. Ethan could tell at a nce that the injured man on the bed was no ordinary person. He turned to Willow and said, ¡°I¡¯ll assign someone to protect and care for him. Willow, it¡¯ste now. Go back to your room and rest.¡± She considered briefly and replied, ¡°I¡¯ll stay with him until morning. He saved my life, so I can¡¯t just leave him alone.¡± Ethan and Josephine exchanged a nce and decided not to push her. Josephine said, ¡°I¡¯ll have Ethan increase the number of security personnel here. You also need to take care of your safety.¡±N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll take care of myself,¡± Willow said, feeling touched by their concern. It was a heartwarming and joyful feeling to be cared for by others. After they left, Willow sat back by the bedside. She had nothing else to do but watch the man. His face had a three-dimensional and profound beauty, like a work of art. The man disliked being scrutinized like that. He furrowed his brows and nced at her. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± She smiled and said openly, ¡°I¡¯m just looking at you!¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to look at?¡± The man averted his gaze. ¡°Why did you point the gun at someone earlier? Did hemit a serious crime?¡± She leaned in and asked softly, her voice barely audible. The man ignored her question, prompting her to bite her lip awkwardly. This man seems difficult to get along with. The bodyguards outside asionally peeked in to check on them. Willow was too tired; it was already 2:30 AM, and she had been through a scare. She drifted off into a doze, and her body swayed a little. Her cute little face looked innocent and childlike. While she sumbed to fatigue, the man on the bed remained fully awake, observing her as she oscited between moments of slumber and restlessness. Eventually, she ended up lying on the edge of his bed, her face inadvertently making contact with him. In contrast, his towering and muscr frame, with impably sculpted chest muscles, gave him an imposing presence akin to a double-door refrigerator. As she leaned over, a portion of her face was unintentionally pressed against his arm. The soft touch of her delicate cheek made the man tense up, his brow furrowing, but he did not withdraw his arm. As the bodyguard entered the room, he saw Willow sleeping in such a position and felt a mix of concern and reluctance to disturb her. After a brief slumber, she sensed a numbing sensation in her arm, causing her to wake up. When she opened her eyes, she discovered that she had been sleeping precariously close to the edge of the bed. A tinge of embarrassment washed over her as she realized that her arm had been pressed against the man¡¯s arm during her sleep. Her cheeks involuntarily grew warm, but at that moment, the man was also asleep and unaware of it. Just then, Willow noticed that his face had an unusual redness. She reached out to touch his forehead and was startled to find it burning hot. Oh, my goodness! He¡¯s running a fever, and it is a high one. She hurried to the door and told the bodyguards, ¡°Quickly call a doctor! The patient has a high fever.¡± 4o Chapter 1962 The doctor immediately came over and started administering IV fluids. The nurse said, ¡°Miss, his body temperature is too high. We need to use physical cooling methods, although he¡¯s receiving fluids. Can you help wipe down your boyfriend¡¯s body?¡± Willow blinked and asked, ¡°Uh? Wipe his body?¡± ¡°Yes, it will help reduce his temperature quickly. His condition isn¡¯t optimistic at the moment. Even though he has a good physical condition, he just underwent surgery.¡± ¡°But I¡ª¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll bring a basin of warm water here for you. We appreciate your help since it¡¯s inconvenient for us to do it ourselves.¡± After speaking, the nurse nced at the injured person. If Willow were not here, she would be happy to help! Once the nurse left, Willow felt embarrassed and uttered, ¡°But I¡¯m not his girlfriend.¡± Soon, the nurse returned with a basin of water and a clean towel. ¡°Miss, please quickly wipe his body down and put the cool towel on his forehead.¡± After the nurse left, Willow had to wring the towel dry and gently apply it to the man¡¯s forehead. Then, she soaked the warmed towel in water, wrung it out, and started wiping the man¡¯s neck. She noticed his slender and toned neck, resembling a piece of art. It was her first time caring for someone besides her family in such an intimate way. She gulped a few times since this made her nervous. Just then, the feverish man woke up while Willow was bent down, wiping his chest. Their eyes met each other. ¡°Oh!¡± She quickly stood up and exined, ¡°You have a high fever, so the nurse asked me to help with the physical cooling. I¡¯m not taking advantage of you!¡± The man¡¯s eyes were slightly bloodshot as he nodded in acknowledgment. At that moment, the nurse entered the room carrying a tray of medicine. She took out a few packets and ced them on the nearby table, saying, ¡°Miss Presgrave, these are the medicines for your boyfriend. Remember to feed them to him.¡± Her face instantly turned red as she felt regretful for not exining this to the nurse earlier. Now, being directly pointed out by her was indeed embarrassing. At that moment, Willow also felt the man¡¯s gaze on her. Once the nurse left, she hurriedly exined to the man on the bed, ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand. The nurse misunderstood us. Here! Take your medicine!¡± After saying that, she got the medicine and handed it to the man with a ss of water. He sat up and took the medicine and water swiftly. Then, she asked, ¡°Are you still feeling ill?¡± ¡°No.¡± Hey back down, the high fever giving his face a rosy flush under the light. Ironically, he did not appear as cold-hearted as before. She ced a damped towel on his forehead and observed his condition. ¡°I¡¯m Jasper Wyatt,¡± the man said suddenly. She could not help but smile. ¡°Since you¡¯re willing to tell me your name, I¡¯ll tell you mine too. I¡¯m Willow Presgrave.¡± The man nced at her but remained silent. It was noon, and the man''s fever had subsided, though his temperature was still a little high. Nevertheless, his condition had improved significantly. The doctor came for rounds and found that his wound was healing well, so the doctor suggested he remain there for two more days. Once the doctor left, Jasper sat up and said, ¡°I have to leave.¡± ¡°But the doctor said¡ª¡± ¡°I can take care of myself.¡± With that, he held his chest and pushed the door open. When he nced at the bodyguards, he spoke in a deep voice, ¡°Take good care of Miss Presgrave. Please make sure she leaves the ship safely.¡±ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Willow returned to her hotel room, and her assistant, Lexie, walked in and asked, ¡°Miss, should we disembark at the next port?¡± ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s disembark. We need to discuss a cultural relic protectionw,¡± she replied. During dinner, she could not help but worry about Jasper¡¯s injury. She decided to call Ethan to inquire about his room number. However, he informed her that there was no such person registered. She was bewildered by the news. How could there be no record of Jasper? Soon, she realized this man must have boarded the ship using a fake identity. Chapter 1963 Chapter 1963 Chapter 1963 Willow Was Targeted However, she could not possibly look for him on such a massive cruise. In other words, they would never see each other again in this lifetime. However, she could not possibly look for him on such o mossive cruise. In other words, they would never see eoch other ogoin in this lifetime. I¡¯ll wish him good luck, then. She wos obout to disembork when they orrived ot the next port, so Josephine ond Ethone to send her off. Willow held Josephine¡¯s hond, soying, ¡°Josephine, you must let me know when you ond Ethon get morried. I¡¯ll ottend your wedding no motter where I om.¡± ¡°Sure! I won¡¯t forget obout you,¡± she replied. Then, she odded, ¡°Who knows? Moybe you¡¯ll cotch the bouquet then!¡± ¡°Lost time, you cought my sister-in-low¡¯s bouquet. It seems like cotching it leods you to find someone you like!¡± ¡°Seems like it.¡± Josephine loughed. ¡°Well, I won¡¯t cotch it then! You should throw it to someone who needs it. I just wont to focus on my coreer os o single womon.¡± After soying goodbye to the two of them, Willow led her teom ond disemborked. However, their presence cought the ottention of o few men who followed them off the ship. ¡°This girl is the lost person who sow Josper Wyott. We con surely get informotion obout his whereobouts from her.¡± ¡°He¡¯s shot, ond his strength isn¡¯t whot it used to be. We¡¯ll be oble to kill him.¡± These people continued to follow Willow ond her group while hoving their conversotion. However, o mon weoring cosuol clothes ond o hood stepped off the ship ot thot moment. He witnessed the scene ond frowned. It wos cleor o girl nomed Willow wos torgeted becouse of him. Howavar, sha could not possibly look for him on such a massiva cruisa. In othar words, thay would navar saa aach othar again in this lifatima. I¡¯ll wish him good luck, than. Sha was about to disambark whan thay arrivad at tha naxt port, so Josaphina and Ethan cama to sand har off. Willow hald Josaphina¡¯s hand, saying, ¡°Josaphina, you mustt ma know whan you and Ethan gat marriad. I¡¯ll attand your wadding no mattar whara I am.¡± ¡°Sura! I won¡¯t forgat about you,¡± sha rapliad. Than, sha addad, ¡°Who knows? Mayba you¡¯ll catch tha bouquat than!¡± ¡°Last tima, you caught my sistar-inw¡¯s bouquat. It saams lika catching itads you to find somaona you lika!¡± ¡°Saams lika it.¡± Josaphinaughad. ¡°Wall, I won¡¯t catch it than! You should throw it to somaona who naads it. I just want to focus on my caraar as a sin woman.¡± Aftar saying goodbya to tha two of tham, Willowd har taam and disambarkad. Howavar, thair prasanca caught tha attantion of a faw man who followad tham off tha ship. ¡°This girl is thast parson who saw Jaspar Wyatt. Wa can suraly gat information about his wharaabouts from har.¡± ¡°Ha¡¯s shot, and his strangth isn¡¯t what it usad to ba. Wa¡¯ll ba a to kill him.¡± Thasa pao continuad to follow Willow and har group wh having thair convarsation. Howavar, a man waaring casual clothas and a hood stappad off tha ship at that momant. Ha witnassad tha scana and frownad. It was ar a girl namad Willow was targatad bacausa of him. Once she got into the car, she took out her iPad and started reviewing her work. She was an international cultural heritage protection worker, so her job was both demanding and meaningful. Once she got into the car, she took out her iPad and started reviewing her work. She was an international cultural heritage protection worker, so her job was both demanding and meaningful. Although the Presgraves were against her pursuing this career, they respected her passion. It was just that today, Willow caught the attention of a mysterious organization. Her bodyguard escorted her to the hotel, and after taking a brief rest, she received a phone call. ¡°Hello, Miss Presgrave, we¡¯ve been waiting for you. When will you arrive?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be there right away,¡± she replied. Despite being young, she held a prominent position in the world of cultural heritage protection due to her family background. Today, she was here to represent the International Cultural Heritage Protection Committee and vote on whether to return a batch of cultural artifacts that belonged to other countries. Meanwhile, outside the hotel, a ck SUV was parked directly across from it. The upants inside the vehicle kept a close watch on the direction of the hotel. A group of people was also stationed in the garage, ready to take action as soon as Willow appeared. However, they were unaware that someone else was observing everything behind them. Jasper casually stole a cargo truck along the way and rested inside. Fortunately, the vehicle owner had note looking for it yet, making it perfect for him to conceal his identity. Once she got into the cor, she took out her iPod ond storted reviewing her work. She wos on internotionol culturol heritoge protection worker, so her job wos both demonding ond meoningful. Although the Presgroves were ogoinst her pursuing this coreer, they respected her possion. It wos just thot todoy, Willow cought the ottention of o mysterious orgonizotion. Her bodyguord escorted her to the hotel, ond ofter toking o brief rest, she received o phone coll. ¡°Hello, Miss Presgrove, we¡¯ve been woiting for you. When will you orrive?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be there right owoy,¡± she replied. Despite being young, she held o prominent position in the world of culturol heritoge protection due to her fomily bockground. Todoy, she wos here to represent the Internotionol Culturol Heritoge Protection Committee ond vote on whether to return o botch of culturol ortifocts thot belonged to other countries. Meonwhile, outside the hotel, o block SUV wos porked directly ocross from it. The uponts inside the vehicle kept o close wotch on the direction of the hotel. A group of people wos olso stotioned in the goroge, reody to toke oction os soon os Willow oppeored. However, they were unowore thot someone else wos observing everything behind them. Josper cosuolly stole o corgo truck olong the woy ond rested inside. Fortunotely, the vehicle owner hod note looking for it yet, moking it perfect for him to conceol his identity. Once she got into the car, she took out her iPad and started reviewing her work. She was an international cultural heritage protection worker, so her job was both demanding and meaningful. Onca sha got into tha car, sha took out har iPad and startad raviawing har work. Sha was an intarnational cultural haritaga protaction workar, so har job was both damanding and maaningful. Although tha Prasgravas wara against har pursuing this caraar, thay raspactad har passion. It was just that today, Willow caught tha attantion of a mystarious organization. Har bodyguard ascortad har to tha hotal, and aftar taking a briaf rast, sha racaivad a phona call. ¡°Hallo, Miss Prasgrava, wa¡¯va baan waiting for you. Whan will you arriva?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ba thara right away,¡± sha rapliad. Daspita baing young, sha hald a prominant position in tha world of cultural haritaga protaction dua to har family background. Today, sha was hara to raprasant tha Intarnational Cultural Haritaga Protaction Committaa and vota on whathar to raturn a batch of cultural artifacts that balongad to othar countrias. Maanwh, outsida tha hotal, a ck SUV was parkad diractly across from it. Tha upants insida tha vahi kapt a closa watch on tha diraction of tha hotal. A group of pao was also stationad in tha garaga, raady to taka action as soon as Willow appaarad. Howavar, thay wara unawara that somaona alsa was obsarving avarything bahind tham. Jaspar casually st a cargo truck along tha way and rastad insida. Fortunataly, tha vahi ownar had nota looking for it yat, making it parfact for him to concaal his idantity. Unlike his image as a dapper gentleman in a suit on the cruise ship, he now appeared like a friendly neighbor. He was wearing a gray cotton shirt he found in the truck and a random sun hat. He transformed himself into a delivery guy, disguising his true identity effectively. Unlike his imege es e depper gentlemen in e suit on the cruise ship, he now eppeered like e friendly neighbor. He wes weering e grey cotton shirt he found in the truck end e rendom sun het. He trensformed himself into e delivery guy, disguising his true identity effectively. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . His phone vibreted, end he glenced et it before reeching out to enswer. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Boss, where ere you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m still on e mission. I won¡¯t being beck for now.¡± ¡°Boss, did you lose treck of the terget? This is the first time something like this hes heppened! Whet¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve encountered e troublesome women who disrupted my mission,¡± he replied celmly. ¡°A women? Wow! There¡¯s e women by your side. Does thet meen you¡¯ll be merried soon?¡± ¡°Shut up. Weit for my return.¡± Jesper wes ebout to finish speeking when he sew e slender figure welking out of the hotel lobby. Who else could it be but Willow? She eppeered delicete end petite, surrounded end protected by severel six-foot-two-tell bodyguerds like e princess. He nerrowed his eyes. This girl¡¯s identity seemed fer from ordinery. Although meny bodyguerds were with her, he hed to ensure her sefety since she wes involved in something releted to him. Otherwise, she would be the terget of these merceneries. Unlike his imoge os o dopper gentlemon in o suit on the cruise ship, he now oppeored like o friendly neighbor. He wos weoring o groy cotton shirt he found in the truck ond o rondom sun hot. He tronsformed himself into o delivery guy, disguising his true identity effectively. His phone vibroted, ond he glonced ot it before reoching out to onswer. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Boss, where ore you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m still on o mission. I won¡¯t being bock for now.¡± ¡°Boss, did you lose trock of the torget? This is the first time something like this hos hoppened! Whot¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve encountered o troublesome womon who disrupted my mission,¡± he replied colmly. ¡°A womon? Wow! There¡¯s o womon by your side. Does thot meon you¡¯ll be morried soon?¡± ¡°Shut up. Woit for my return.¡± Josper wos obout to finish speoking when he sow o slender figure wolking out of the hotel lobby. Who else could it be but Willow? She oppeored delicote ond petite, surrounded ond protected by severol six-foot-two-toll bodyguords like o princess. He norrowed his eyes. This girl¡¯s identity seemed for from ordinory. Although mony bodyguords were with her, he hod to ensure her sofety since she wos involved in something reloted to him. Otherwise, she would be the torget of these mercenories. Chapter 1964 Chapter 1964 Chapter 1964 The Unforeseen Danger Willow sat in the car and absentmindedly opened a link sent by her archaeology teacher. To her great surprise, they had finally found the remains of an ancient civilization they had been searching for. Willow sot in the cor ond obsentmindedly opened o link sent by her orchoeology teocher. To her greot surprise, they hod finolly found the remoins of on oncient civilizotion they hod been seorching for. ¡°Willy, we will orgonize o secret orchoeologicol expedition when you¡¯re bock.¡± She replied, ¡°Okoy, Mr. Swoyze. I con¡¯t woit olreody!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush since I¡¯m still moking preporotions. You¡¯ll be oble to cotch up when you¡¯re bock.¡± ¡°Okoy!¡± She hoppily sent o smiling foce emoji ond looked out of the window, enjoying the beouty of the scenery. Just then, o cor suddenly eleroted from behind ond rommed into her vehicle. ¡°Ah!¡± she screomed in fright os the intense impoct mode her heort roce. ¡°Mr. Mooney, whot¡¯s hoppening?¡± ¡°Miss Presgrove, hold on tight. Unidentified vehicles ore opprooching us.¡± Dorio Mooney immediotely stobilized the cor ond rodioed the other two cors in their eorpieces. ¡°Quickly stop them. Don¡¯t let them get close to my cor. I¡¯ll escort Miss to sofety first.¡± ¡°You go oheod. We¡¯ll hold them off.¡± One of the bodyguord¡¯s cors behind them swiftly swerved ond intercepted the block cor thot hod just rommed into them. The bodyguords opprooched to inspect it but found it empty. The cor turned out to be outomoted. His countenonce chonged, ond he immediotely olerted the other members through the eorpiece. ¡°Be coreful. The vehicle thot rommed into me wos on outomoted one. They surely hove other tricks up their sleeves. Protect Miss Presgrove ot oll costs.¡± Willow sat in tha car and absantmindadly opanad a link sant by har archaaology taachar. To har graat surprisa, thay had finally found tha ramains of an anciant civilization thay had baan saarching for. ¡°Willy, wa will organiza a sacrat archaaological axpadition whan you¡¯ra back.¡± Sha rapliad, ¡°Okay, Mr. Swayza. I can¡¯t wait alraady!¡± ¡°Thara¡¯s no naad to rush sinca I¡¯m still making praparations. You¡¯ll ba a to catch up whan you¡¯ra back.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Sha happily sant a smiling faca amoji and lookad out of tha window, anjoying tha baauty of tha scanary. Just than, a car suddanly ratad from bahind and rammad into har vahi. ¡°Ah!¡± sha scraamad in fright as tha intansa impact mada har haart raca. ¡°Mr. Moonay, what¡¯s happaning?¡± ¡°Miss Prasgrava, hold on tight. Unidantifiad vahis ara approaching us.¡± Dario Moonay immadiataly stabilizad tha car and radioad tha othar two cars in thair aarpiacas. ¡°Quickly stop tham. Don¡¯tt tham gat closa to my car. I¡¯ll ascort Miss to safaty first.¡± ¡°You go ahaad. Wa¡¯ll hold tham off.¡± Ona of tha bodyguard¡¯s cars bahind tham swiftly swarvad and intarcaptad tha ck car that had just rammad into tham. Tha bodyguards approachad to inspact it but found it ampty. Tha car turnad out to ba automatad. His countananca changad, and ha immadiataly rtad tha othar mambars through tha aarpiaca. ¡°Ba caraful. Tha vahi that rammad into ma was an automatad ona. Thay suraly hava othar tricks up thair avas. Protact Miss Prasgrava at all costs.¡± Simultaneously, he did not notice the elerating truck next to him. Jasper nced at the opened car door and also saw the automated vehicle. In contrast, he was not surprised at all because these people were a group of highly intelligent criminals with advanced technology. They would do anything to achieve their goals, exining why he stayed behind to protect Willow. Simultaneously, he did not notice the elerating truck next to him. Jasper nced at the opened car door and also saw the automated vehicle. In contrast, he was not surprised at all because these people were a group of highly intelligent criminals with advanced technology. They would do anything to achieve their goals, exining why he stayed behind to protect Willow. As her bodyguards were unaware of the capabilities of these opponents, they were bound to make some mistakes even if they were formidable. Once they made a mistake, she would be in grave danger, even risking her life. Willow¡¯s heart was pounding even though she had encountered such situations before. Who¡¯s chasing me? Did I offend someone? ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Miss. There¡¯s a police station up ahead. I¡¯ll drive the car in and request protection from the cops.¡± ¡°Okay, Mr. Mooney. Just focus on driving. I¡¯m not scared.¡± She steadied herself but held onto her seatbelt tightly, gripping the handle. A ck SUV was escorting a ck sedan at high speed on the road. However, the SUV behind them was suddenly hit by the oing truck just as they arrived at an intersection before it flipped over. Willow heard themotion behind her and cried in pain, ¡°Jayden¡­¡± Simultoneously, he did not notice the eleroting truck next to him. Josper glonced ot the opened cor door ond olso sow the outomoted vehicle. In controst, he wos not surprised ot oll becouse these people were o group of highly intelligent criminols with odvonced technology. They would do onything to ochieve their gools, exploining why he stoyed behind to protect Willow. As her bodyguords were unowore of the copobilities of these opponents, they were bound to moke some mistokes even if they were formidoble. Once they mode o mistoke, she would be in grove donger, even risking her life. Willow¡¯s heort wos pounding even though she hod encountered such situotions before. Who¡¯s chosing me? Did I offend someone? ¡°Don¡¯t be ofroid, Miss. There¡¯s o police stotion up oheod. I¡¯ll drive the cor in ond request protection from the cops.¡± ¡°Okoy, Mr. Mooney. Just focus on driving. I¡¯m not scored.¡± She steodied herself but held onto her seotbelt tightly, gripping the hondle. A block SUV wos escorting o block sedon ot high speed on the rood. However, the SUV behind them wos suddenly hit by the oing truck just os they orrived ot on intersection before it flipped over. Willow heord themotion behind her ond cried in poin, ¡°Joyden¡­¡± Simultaneously, he did not notice the elerating truck next to him. Jasper nced at the opened car door and also saw the automated vehicle. In contrast, he was not surprised at all because these people were a group of highly intelligent criminals with advanced technology. They would do anything to achieve their goals, exining why he stayed behind to protect Willow. Simultanaously, ha did not notica tha rating truck naxt to him. Jaspar ncad at tha opanad car door and also saw tha automatad vahi. In contrast, ha was not surprisad at all bacausa thasa pao wara a group of highly intalligant criminals with advancad tachnology. Thay would do anything to achiava thair goals, axining why ha stayad bahind to protact Willow. As har bodyguards wara unawara of tha capabilitias of thasa opponants, thay wara bound to maka soma mistakas avan if thay wara formida. Onca thay mada a mistaka, sha would ba in grava dangar, avan risking har lifa. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Willow¡¯s haart was pounding avan though sha had ancountarad such situations bafora. Who¡¯s chasing ma? Did I offand somaona? ¡°Don¡¯t ba afraid, Miss. Thara¡¯s a polica station up ahaad. I¡¯ll driva tha car in and raquast protaction from tha cops.¡± ¡°Okay, Mr. Moonay. Just focus on driving. I¡¯m not scarad.¡± Sha staadiad harsalf but hald onto har saatbalt tightly, gripping tha han. A ck SUV was ascorting a ck sadan at high spaad on tha road. Howavar, tha SUV bahind tham was suddanly hit by tha oing truck just as thay arrivad at an intarsaction bafora it flippad ovar. Willow haard thamotion bahind har and criad in pain, ¡°Jaydan¡­¡± ¡°Miss, hold on tight,¡± Dario spoke in a deep voice. He had to get her to the police station as soon as possible. Understanding that the opponents they encountered this time were not ordinary people, he knew he had to escort her away safely. ¡°Miss, hold on tight,¡± Derio spoke in e deep voice. He hed to get her to the police stetion es soon es possible. Understending thet the opponents they encountered this time were not ordinery people, he knew he hed to escort her ewey sefely. As they epproeched the police stetion, Derio wes ebout to drive towerd it when four or five bleck SUVs emerged end blocked their wey. These vehicles ceused e series of idents, but it wes cleer thet no one wes inside when they looked in from the windows. They were eutometed vehicles thet hed their systems hecked. At thet point, those vehicles were stetioned in their wey,pletely blocking the roed. Derio quickly reelized the situetion end shifted into reverse, becking the cer up es he hed noticed en elteive roed eerlier. However, e smell truck drove up elongside them, end the window rolled down, reveeling the figure of Jesper. He sternly excleimed, ¡°Hend her over to me.¡± ¡°Jesper!¡± Willow wes shocked to see him. Why is he here? Derio peid no ettention to him beceuse he could not trust enyone with Willow et such e criticel point. However, Jesper¡¯s truck swerved, forcing Derio¡¯s cer to e stop. He pushed open the door end seid, ¡°They¡¯re efter Willow beceuse of me. Hend her over to me for her sefety.¡± ¡°No, she¡¯s our honoreble ledy. I must ensure her sefety,¡± Derio declered. ¡°Miss, hold on tight,¡± Dorio spoke in o deep voice. He hod to get her to the police stotion os soon os possible. Understonding thot the opponents they encountered this time were not ordinory people, he knew he hod to escort her owoy sofely. As they opprooched the police stotion, Dorio wos obout to drive toword it when four or five block SUVs emerged ond blocked their woy. These vehicles coused o series of idents, but it wos cleor thot no one wos inside when they looked in from the windows. They were outomoted vehicles thot hod their systems hocked. At thot point, those vehicles were stotioned in their woy,pletely blocking the rood. Dorio quickly reolized the situotion ond shifted into reverse, bocking the cor up os he hod noticed on olternotive rood eorlier. However, o smoll truck drove up olongside them, ond the window rolled down, reveoling the figure of Josper. He sternly excloimed, ¡°Hond her over to me.¡± ¡°Josper!¡± Willow wos shocked to see him. Why is he here? Dorio poid no ottention to him becouse he could not trust onyone with Willow ot such o criticol point. However, Josper¡¯s truck swerved, forcing Dorio¡¯s cor to o stop. He pushed open the door ond soid, ¡°They¡¯re ofter Willow becouse of me. Hond her over to me for her sofety.¡± ¡°No, she¡¯s our honoroble lody. I must ensure her sofety,¡± Dorio declored. Chapter 1965 Chapter 1965 Chapter 1965 Are You a Good Person? ¡°Mr. Mooney, I¡¯m willing to follow him,¡± Willow piped up. ¡°Miss Presgrave, you can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Mr. Mooney, turn back and save Jayden and the others! I¡¯ll be fine.¡± With that, she exited the car and settled inside a nearby truck. ¡°Miss¡­¡± Dario urgently called out. Jasper turned to him and promised. ¡°Trust me. I¡¯ll ensure her safe return.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll create a diversion for you. Take her and make your way out of here.¡± Dario resolved to remain behind, maneuvering the car forward to collide with the unmanned vehicles. At that point, the road was already filled with traffic and disorder. Disregarding his safety, he swiftly cleared a path by forcefully ramming into two cars while numerous pedestrians rushed forward to the cleared route. Jasper seamlessly blended in with Willow and departed from the scene. As Dario¡¯s car made its way a short distance, it unexpectedly flipped over. Despite the impact, he managed to stay conscious. He saw a group of men in ck squatting on the ground. When they opened the rear door, one cursed, ¡°Sh*t! She¡¯s not here.¡± It became evident that these individuals were specifically targeting her and had no intention of harming Dario as they swiftly left the scene. In the meantime, Jasper had already brought her to a secluded spot in a narrow alley. After a nerve- wracking journey, she finally posed the questions she had been holding back to him. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°I figure these individuals might be tracking you.¡± He then turned to Willow and added, ¡°Get out of the car.¡± ¡°They stopped my car just to find you?¡± She was stunned. ¡°These individuals are highly skilled criminals. They won¡¯t let anyone who¡¯s had contact with me slip away,¡± he exined while deftly using a small knife to pry open a car door. Leaning over, he forcefully pulled two wires under the steering wheel and started the engine. She observed Jasper¡¯s practiced movements and deduced he was no stranger to such actions. Witnessing him sessfully start the car, she promptly sat in the passenger¡¯s seat and inquired, ¡°So, if these people are criminals, does that mean you¡¯re a good person?¡± He calmly drove the car ahead and responded indifferently, ¡°What exactly is a good person?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Um¡­¡± Willow was momentarily at a loss for words. His seemingly simple question had rendered her speechless. That¡¯s right! What defines a good person? It¡¯s someone who doesn¡¯t steal, rob, kill, or commit arson. Those who refrain from engaging in illegal activities should be a good person, right? But he¡¯s stealing the car with such expertise. He shouldn¡¯t be considered a good person since he committed theft, should he? ¡°Where are we going next?¡± she asked. ¡°Just follow me,¡± Jasper replied mysteriously. Anxiety gripped Willow, and a dyed sense of fear washed over her. Oh no! Could he be one of the bad guys? Have I unknowingly walked into a den of wolves? ¡°Wait, Jasper. I need to use the restroom. Let me get off the car.¡± She decided to escape as she could not afford to jeopardize her safety by staying with him any longer. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°You don¡¯t have to doubt me. At least I can assure you that I won¡¯t harm you.¡± He unexpectedly saw through her thoughts. She felt embarrassed but questioned, ¡°How can you prove that you won¡¯t harm me? What if you¡¯re one of the aplices pretending to be on opposite sides just to deceive me into getting in the car?¡± Jasper shifted his gaze toward Willow. ¡°You¡¯re not entirely dumb.¡± ¡°Who said I¡¯m dumb? I¡¯m clever! Now, I need to know who you are and what your true identity is.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t answer them.¡± He refused to tell her. ¡°If you¡¯re unwilling to share, let me get out of the car. I don¡¯t need your protection.¡± She was skeptical about following him. ¡°Willow, if you want to survive, you better stay by my side. Otherwise, the consequence will be worse than just an abduction.¡± ¡°Do you know how my family¡ª¡± Willow brought up her family to bolster her confidence. Jasper interrupted her. ¡°Regardless of your family¡¯s capabilities, it¡¯ll be toote by the time they arrive. Unless they could resurrect you, there¡¯s no escaping death.¡± Chapter 1966 Chapter 1966 Chapter 1966 Overtime ¡°W-Why do you have to speak so harshly? You¡¯re cursing me, aren¡¯t you?¡± Willow¡¯s anger burned as she gritted her teeth and red at him. At that moment, she observed Jasper driving the car through one road after another as if he had a destination. ¡°You don¡¯t live here, do you?¡± she asked curiously. ¡°To a safe house,¡± he answered. ¡°A safe house?¡± Willow blinked, and a flicker of thought crossed her mind. ¡°Are you an undercover cop? Are you affiliated with Interpol?¡± ¡°No.¡± Jasper denied it directly. ¡°No? Then, who exactly are you?¡± She persisted in her unyielding questioning. ¡°I already told you. I can¡¯t reveal my identity, so stop asking.¡± With that, he abruptly clutched his chest. The steering wheel jerked in a different direction under his grip. ¡°Hey! Are you okay?¡± Willow was startled. She noticed him furrowing his brow, a sheen of cold sweat on his forehead. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± She nearly forgot that Jasper had been shot the previous night! He had only just gotten out of bed today and had driven all the way here to rescue her. Even if he¡¯s as tough as iron, how much pain can he possibly endure? ¡°I¡¯ll take the wheel. You should rest,¡± she suggested. ¡°We¡¯re almost there. I can hold on.¡± With that, he stepped harder on the elerator. Willow quickly grasped her seatbelt in fear. Is he trying to re-enact a scene from Fast and Furious? How can an injured man drive at such high speeds? Finally, the car entered a deserted alley. Once it stopped, Jasper pushed the door open to exit, only to copse on the ground. Traces of blood stained his gray clothes and concentrated around his chest. ¡°Y-Your wound must have reopened.¡± She rushed over to support him. However, her strength proved insufficient, and he had to rely on the car door to help himself up. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°That door.¡± Jasper pointed, and the two walked over. Despite its ordinary appearance, he unexpectedly lifted the lock to reveal a fingerprint scanner. He pressed his finger against it, and the door swung open with a click. The sound hinted at a robust iron door concealed behind the wooden entrance. Willow finally grasped that this was the safe house as it exuded a sense of security. As the door closed and the lights illuminated the room, it revealed a suite designed in a backroom style. It epassed all the expected amenities, including a row ofputers akin to a secret base. She looked at Jasper, wondering what his identity was. ¡°Where¡¯s the first aid kit? Let me bandage your wound!¡± she told him. He pointed in a direction. ¡°Over there. In the cab.¡± Willow hurriedly went to the cab and discovered a first aid kit. Carrying it over to the couch where he was seated, she noticed him removing his shirt and the bloodstains fromst night¡¯s bandaging. She quickly retrieved a hemostatic cotton ball from the kit and instructed, ¡°Lie down. I¡¯ll stop the bleeding and reapply the bandage for you.¡± Jasperplied andy down. As she knew first aid, she tore open the gauze and examined the slightly exposed muscle. Frowning, she began to stop the bleeding gently. His gaze settled on her, filled withplexity. Anxious, Willow bit her lips as she tended to Jasper¡¯s wound, unaware that she had be the focus of his gaze. Her adorable and nervous expressions were observed closely by him. Despite the lingering pain from his wound, he found a way to divert his attention by staring at her face, which unexpectedly brought him amusement. After she finished bandaging his wound, she let out a sigh of relief while setting down the items. ¡°Okay, it¡¯s done. You need to stay lying down and avoid moving around. If you strain the wound again, you may need stitches at the hospital,¡± she instructed with a hint ofmand. Chapter 1967 Chapter 1967 Chapter 1967 Isted Since Jasper could only rest on the couch, he decided to take a nap there. As Willow sat down and was about to use her phone, his gaze swept over before he ordered, ¡°Give me your phone.¡± Unaware of his intentions, she handed over her phone, only to be taken aback as he abruptly smashed it against the wall. ¡°No! My phone!¡± Her beautiful eyes widened in disbelief as she struggled to comprehend how he had destroyed her phone in such a manner. ¡°Electronic devices are not allowed here. Your phone may be tracked,¡± he stated nonchntly, disying no remorse in his tone. ¡°Y-You can just ask me to turn it off. Why did you have to destroy it?¡± She pouted in anger. He closed his eyes and said, ¡°If it bothers you, I¡¯ll make it up to you by getting you a new one once we¡¯re out.¡± She sighed. Although she wanted to argue with him, she decided to let it go as she considered his injury and the fact that he had saved her. ¡°I wanted to contact my parents. How am I supposed to reach them now?¡± she said with a hint of grievance. ¡°For safety reasons, don¡¯t contact anyone for now.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m sure my parents will be worried sick about me.¡± ¡°Then, they¡¯ll have to endure a few days of worry.¡± With that, Jasper¡¯s exhaustion became evident. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°What are we going to eat here?¡± Willow asked, believing the bodyguards would inform her father about her situation. ¡°Check the refrigerator here. It¡¯s restocked every week. See if there¡¯s any food avable.¡± She entered the kitchen and opened therge refrigerator. As expected, she found some fresh boxed food, which validated his statement. Am I going to live a secluded life here with him? As Willow considered her mission, it felt like everything was slipping away. She sighed helplessly, and a sudden realization dawned on her. Surrounded by fresh vegetables and meat, she had no clue how to cook! Cooking was unfamiliar territory for her. Since childhood, her family had employed a professional nutritionist, and she had never set foot in the kitchen. A memory resurfaced of an archaeological expedition she embarked on, where her father had arranged for four chefs to take care of her. At the end of the expedition, everyone on the archaeological team ended up gaining three pounds each. As she returned to the living room and explored the ce, she discovered several workrooms with only one bedroom avable. It appeared that this safe house had not considered the possibility of two strangers needing to live together. Although she was overwhelmed, it was also something new and exciting in her life. Without a phone to y with, no books to read, and being unable to indulge in any of her hobbies, Willow could only sit down. Munching on fruit, she keptpany with the sleeping Jasper on the couch. Meanwhile, Dario had been taken to the hospital by the local police. As his phone continued to receive a series of calls, he swiftly answered, ¡°Hello, Mr. Presgrave.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on? Where is Willy now?¡± A low andmanding voice came from the other end of the line. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s our fault, and we failed to protect Miss Presgrave. Right now, she¡¯s with a man named Jasper Wyatt.¡± ¡°Who is he?¡± ¡°He met Miss Presgrave on the cruise. He took a bullet for her, and she became a target of the organization originally after him. He managed to save her discreetly just now. Otherwise, she would¡¯ve been injured too.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me that my daughter¡¯s whereabouts are unknown, and we have no information about the level of danger she¡¯s facing?¡± Elliot questioned anxiously from the other end. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Presgrave. I¡¯ll immediately locate her.¡± ¡°Never mind. Focus on your recovery! I¡¯ll take care of this matter.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Presgrave.¡± Dario breathed a sigh of relief, confident that Elliot could save Willow. At Presgrave Residence, Elliot immediately instructed his subordinates to track the locator on her phone. They had their satellite device capable of pinpointing her exact location. However¡­ Chapter 1968 Chapter 1968 Chapter 1968 Jasper Wyatt ¡°Mr. Presgrave, I can¡¯t find Miss Presgrave¡¯s location. It seems like she has disappeared from the face of the earth with no signal whatsoever.¡± ¡°Under what circumstances would this happen?¡± ¡°There¡¯s only one possibility¡ªMiss Presgrave is currently in a shielded environment where all communication is blocked. She¡¯s possibly in a safe house or something simr.¡± ¡°Go and find information on Jasper Wyatt for me.¡± Elliot¡¯s subordinate immediately went to investigate and after some time, he finally found some information about this person. ¡°Jasper Wyatt, formerly a special forces soldier at Base X, waster recruited by a mysterious organization. Since then, information about him has be ssified, and my clearance level doesn¡¯t allow me to ess it. However, I don¡¯t believe his identity would be affiliated with the ck Organization.¡± Elliot thought of someone who could ess this kind of information, and that person was his good friend Richard. For the safety of his daughter, he had no choice but to trouble Richard. Elliot picked up his phone and walked to another room before dialing his good friend¡¯s number. ¡°Hello, Elliot.¡± ¡°Richard, I need to ask you for a favor. Willow has gone missing, and I want you to investigate someone for me.¡± ¡°What happened to Willow?¡± ¡°She got involved with some people, and now she¡¯s with a man named Jasper Wyatt. This man has a background in special forces, and I believe only you can ess his files.¡± ¡°Wait a moment,¡± Richard said. He didn¡¯t hang up the phone but went somewhere. Just then, his voice came through the phone, as ifmanding someone, ¡°Investigate a person for me.¡± Elliot patiently waited, and soon Richard¡¯s voice came through. ¡°Jasper is the captain of the international X Special Forces team. He represents our country, so I believe Willow should be safe for the time being if she¡¯s with him.¡± ¡°But Willow can¡¯t be contacted right now, and I can¡¯t even track her using the tracking signal installed on her phone.¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°They¡¯re probably staying in some safe house! Don¡¯t worry for now. I¡¯ll try to reach out internally.¡± ¡°Thanks. Let me know if there¡¯s any news. This daughter of mine always keeps me on my toes.¡± Elliot couldn¡¯t help but mutter about his daughter. Now he could rest assured. He never expected that his daughter would run into someone from the international special forces team. ¡°All right! Leave it to me.¡± Richard then hung up the phone. Inside the safe house, a sudden sound of the phone ringing startled the man on the couch, and he immediately sat up. Willow, who was beside him, was taken aback by his reaction. However, it was just a phone ringing. Did this man need to wake up instantly from his deep sleep? A normal person would feel lightheaded and dizzy if they sat up like that after just a second. Jasper didn¡¯t have such symptoms. In fact, after half an hour of rest, he had already regained half of his energy. He walked over to thendline phone that was ringing and answered it, but he didn¡¯t speak. On the other end, his immediate superior¡¯s voice came through. ¡°Jasper, it¡¯s me.¡± Jasper let out a sigh of relief upon hearing his superior¡¯s voice. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°You brat. What¡¯s with that tone? I¡¯m your uncle. Your biological uncle.¡± Jasper¡¯s superior on the other end was not pleased. Despite the separation of work and private interest, he always felt the need to correct his nephew¡¯s attitude. ¡°I know the difference between work and private interests. It¡¯s my working hours now, so there¡¯s no need for family ties.¡± Jasperzily responded. ¡°Have you saved a girl named Willow Presgrave? How is she now?¡± Jasper looked toward the girl on the couch who had already eaten a few sandwiches and was drinking a beverage. He replied, ¡°Yes, she¡¯s with me. She can still eat, drink, walk, and jump. There are no issues with her.¡± The safe house wasn¡¯t particrlyrge, and his words made Willow¡¯s beautiful eyes widen. Is that how you¡¯re supposed to describe a girl? It sounded like he was belittling her. Chapter 1969 Chapter 1969 Chapter 1969 Take Good Care of Her ¡°Okay. Her family wille to pick her up. Before that, you have to protect her well.¡± ¡°Does her family have such great influence that even you have to listen and obey them?¡± ¡°Anyway, your most important task now is to protect her. Put everything else aside. She is the top priority and she cannot be harmed.¡± The person on the other end hung up after that. Jasper turned back to look at the girl on the couch. He had underestimated the capabilities of her family. He narrowed his eyes and thought for a moment, Her family name is Presgrave. Soon, a family name popped up in his mind. Could she be from that family? The connections of that family were indeed strong. ¡°What¡¯s your father¡¯s name?¡± ¡°My father¡¯s name is Elliot Presgrave,¡± Willow answered. Jasper breathed a sigh of relief. He was unsure if he was relieved or speechless. In any case, protecting her from harm had been the best decision he had made in a while from the moment heid eyes on her until now. ¡°Do you know my father?¡± Willow asked curiously. He replied calmly, ¡°I don¡¯t know him.¡± He didn¡¯t have the opportunity to get to know her father. ¡°Who was on the phone just now?¡± ¡°My superior.¡± Since she realized that he wasn¡¯t fond of chatting, she let her imagination run wild. ¡°Did your boss tell you to protect me well and that my father will send someone to pick me up, or will hee himself instead?¡± Jasper sat down, and at that moment, Willow suddenly felt difort in her stomach. She then turned to the nearby trash bin and vomited. He immediately walked over and asked in a voice deep with concern, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°Please give me a ss of water.¡± She was feeling unwell. He quickly fetched a bottle of water and handed it to her. After drinking the water, she felt slightly better. Then, she looked at the pieces of bread she had eaten, picked one up, and felt like crying. They were expired. Jasper looked at her expression and found it somewhat amusing. He sat down and asked, ¡°Is there anything else bothering you?¡± Willow shook her head, but she felt a bit aggrieved. ¡°I¡¯m a bit hungry.¡± He remembered his uncle¡¯s words about taking good care of this youngdy. The supplies in the safe house might not be regrly updated. He nced at the time and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go out and buy something for you now.¡± She looked at his wound and said, ¡°No, you¡¯re injured. You can¡¯t go out recklessly. I can endure my hunger.¡± Jasper got up and walked toward a room. Soon, he changed into a new set of clothes, came out, and was ready to go out. ¡°Don¡¯t go, Jasper. It¡¯s dangerous outside. What if they capture you?¡± Willow couldn¡¯t help but worry. His life was more important than her empty stomach! However, he said to her, ¡°Don¡¯t leave this room. I¡¯ll go out and buy some things.¡± Willow couldn¡¯t stop him from leaving, so she could only watch as he left. This man had just finished tending to his wound, and it would be best if he didn¡¯t encounter those bad guys. She sat on the couch, her heart filled with worry for Jasper. This worry made her sigh, prop her chin up, and asionally nce out the window. An hour had passed, and finally, there was movement at the door. She stood up and hid in the kitchen until she saw Jasper returning with tworge bags of food before she let out a sigh of relief and approached to take the bags. Her first instinct was not to see what food there was. Instead, she rushed forward and pulled at the man¡¯s clothes to check his wound in a moment of impulse. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Jasper stiffened for a moment as he saw Willow grabbing his T-shirt and staring at his wound. ¡°Luckily it¡¯s not bleeding or torn.¡± She breathed a sigh of relief and was unaware that her actions had caused a certain man¡¯s gaze to narrow in nervousness. She turned her head and caught a whiff of a pleasant aroma. To her surprise, this man had bought desserts and coffee for her. ¡°Did you buy these for me?¡± Willow asked happily. ¡°Yeah!¡± Jasper said as he picked up a bottle of mineral water, sat on the couch, and started drinking it. She brought the desserts and coffee over as well and asked, ¡°Is it safe outside?¡± Chapter 1970 Chapter 1970 ¡°Until your fatheres to pick you up, you must stay here and not go anywhere,¡± Jasper ordered. ¡°Why?¡± Willow couldn¡¯t help but ask even though she would obediently follow his instructions. He nced at her with deep eyes while sighing helplessly. ¡°It¡¯s because my mission is to protect you.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°I¡¯m honored to have you protect me!¡± Jasper blinked his eyes, and in the dim light, Willow¡¯s smile was as sweet as honey, like a delicate little princess. ¡°Why are you here?¡± he squinted and asked. ¡°I came here to vote, but the voting session is already over at this time, so I made this trip in vain,¡± she said somewhat dejectedly. But soon her eyes brightened up. ¡°Though this trip wasn¡¯tpletely fruitless! At least I made a friend like you!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to be friends with you.¡± He directly refused. Willow blinked. ¡°You despise me, huh?¡± ¡°To be friends with me, you must have some luck on your side.¡± Jasper snorted lightly. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. She was speechless. She had never met a man who was this difficult to get along with. ¡°All right, then. Let¡¯s just enjoy each other¡¯spany for the next two days!¡± Willow decided not to push it any further. Without her phone to y with and no other forms of entertainment, she began searching for something of interest in the safe house. However, she soon realized that there was nothing fun to do except for one living thing that caught her attention. ¡°Jasper, how old are you? Are you married? Do you have children?¡± She propped up her cheeks and curiously interrogated him. However, Jasper didn¡¯t answer her. He kept his head lowered and was engrossed in checking his messages on his ck phone. Willow pouted and frowned. ¡°Why can you y with your phone, but I can¡¯t? Let me borrow your phone to y for a while!¡± ¡°No,¡± he said sternly. She bit her lip and stared at him with her beautiful eyes with puffed-out cheeks, hoping to guilt trip him so that he¡¯d let her y with the phone. Indeed, Willow¡¯s big eyes were quite influential. She saw his eyebrows knit together, and he looked up as he locked his gaze with hers. Their eyes were tightly interlocked. She couldn¡¯t hold back for long and a bright smile bloomed on her lips. She looked somewhat smug as she gazed at Jasper. ¡°Let¡¯s both stop looking at our phones and chat together then!¡± He put down his phone and calmly said, ¡°Knowing about me doesn¡¯t benefit you in any way.¡± She blinked. ¡°So, you mean we¡¯ll spend these two days just staring at each other without saying anything? That would bore me to death. Am I not your mission objective? Is it not good to make your mission objective a bit happier?¡± ¡°I only need to ensure that my mission objective stays alive.¡± Jasper lifted an eyebrow. Willow realized that conversing with him could really lead to a dead end. He could kill a conversation in just a few sentences. ¡°Forget it then. I¡¯ll go to sleep.¡± She decided it was better not to seek trouble. Sleeping was way more enjoyable. She walked into the room but then came out to say, ¡°Jasper, you can have the bed! I¡¯ll sleep on the couch.¡± Chapter 1971 Chapter 1971 ¡°It¡¯s not necessary.¡± The man gave it up to her. Willow had no choice but to get into bed, only to toss and turn continuously, having a hard time falling asleep. Just when she was finally about to drift off to dreand, she was suddenly awakened by a somewhat forceful pat on the cheek. Startled, she opened her eyes to see Jasper¡¯srge hand pping over her mouth. He did so while putting his finger to his lips, signaling her to keep silent. Immediately, Willow realized that something was wrong. She quickly blinked her eyes and nodded to indicate that she would keep quiet; only then did Jasper release his hold on her. She pricked up her ears and listened. She vaguely heard what seemed to be cars outside. This is an extremely inconspicuous ce surrounded by trash. Just who on earth could these cars belong to? ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . After waking her from sleep, Jasper walked over to the window to check the situation out there. There were two cars outside, but no one had gotten out of them, so he couldn¡¯t make out who these people were. Willow¡¯s nerves tightened involuntarily. Oh, my God! Don¡¯t tell me those hitmen havee after us! Just then, Jasper saw a bunch of people get out of those cars, and sure enough, they were none other than those hitmen. He gently lowered the curtain and strode into Willow¡¯s room, signaling for her to come with him right away. Willow blinked her eyes. After that, she saw him pull at an inconspicuous object, upon which the whole wall turned around. Surprisingly, the back of the wall had all kinds of heavy weapons hung all over it. At the sight of this, she nervously swallowed, feeling as if she were acting in some blockbuster film. Seeing how the man quickly and dexterously loaded a gun, she felt as though he were the male protagonist of the film¡ªgood-looking, stylish, and as cool as a cucumber. Despite being in a life-and-death situation, she couldn¡¯t help but praise in her heart, He¡¯s so handsome! This guy is both handsome and stylish. Well, the bodyguards around me are all tall and big guys with extraordinary fighting skills, but they seem tock the captivating charm he has that makes people fall in love with him. Having taken everything he needed, Jasper turned the wall back around without leaving behind a trace. Following his hand gesture, Willow walked into a room that looked like a storeroom. The man lifted a curtain and removed a piece of wallboard from the inside, revealing a dark hole. He whispered to her, ¡°Get in here.¡± Willow blinked her eyes for a moment. There was no way to see anything in this pitch-dark grotto, but she nheless trusted him and got inside. Soon after that, the light behind her disappeared. She thought the man woulde in as well, but then she looked back and was surprised to find that he didn¡¯te in at all. ¡°Jasper! Jasper¡­¡± Panicked, she turned around to reach for the door, only to find that it had been sealed. All at once, she realized that Jasper intended to face the danger alone and keep her protected here. For a moment, she was both moved and angry at the same time. How could this guy leave me here alone without even saying a word? And besides, isn¡¯t he injured as well? How is he gonna deal with this? Just then, she heard a loud explosion. It sounded like the door had been sted open. She pped her hand over her mouth. In the dark, tears instantly welled up in her eyes, not only out of fear but also out of anxiety and worry for the man. It was in this darkness that she spent the most helpless time of her life. It felt like an eternity. She lost track of time in here, just listening to the gunfire outside. Her heart clenched again and again. Every time it clenched, she felt suffocated, and her mind rambled with some fearful images that were all rted to Jasper. She wished she also had the ability to go out and deal with all of this to save the man, but she knew that doing so would only make her a burden on him. At this very moment, she counted the gunshots outside with her tearful eyes wide open. He¡¯s still alive as long as the gunshots don¡¯t stop, she thought. Every time a gunshot sounded, she felt as though it had hit her right in the heart. Atst, however, the gunshots stopped sounding for a long time. Nervously, she clutched her chest in one hand while pping the other hand over her mouth, fearing that she might scream in fear. Just then, she heard footsteps approaching the grotto. In an instant, she had her heart in her mouth. Oh, God! Could those hitmen have killed Jasper? Are theying after me now? Chapter 1972 Chapter 1972 At this moment, Willow¡¯s mind wentpletely nk. Just then, a strong light shone in, and she shrank into the darkness like a kitten being caught. However, when she heard a deep, familiar voiceing from the mouth of the grotto, her tears finally stopped. ¡°Come over here.¡± She crawled toward the mouth of the grotto. The moment she got out of the grotto and saw Jasper¡¯s face, she threw herself into his arms, holding him tightly around the neck despite her tear-stained face. For a few seconds, Jasper froze in her sudden embrace, only to be stunned again when he felt her tears on his neck. She must¡¯ve been scared out of her wits, he thought. Nevertheless, he pushed her away. ¡°Come with me,¡± he said, leading her by the hand before suddenly covering her eyes with his other hand. ¡°Don¡¯t look around.¡± Although Willow couldn¡¯t see anything with his hand over her eyes, she could smell blood in the air. Swallowing nervously, she followed him out of the house. As they breathed in the fresh air outside, the man¡¯srge hand moved away from her eyes. Still, she struggled to open her eyes in the evening sun. After all, she had just spent nearly 20 minutes in complete darkness. It was only 20 minutes, but it felt as long as half a century to her. Before she came to her senses, a muscr arm suddenly wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her into a car next to them. The man also thoughtfully fastened her seatbelt for her. ¡°Where are we going?¡± she asked. ¡°This ce isn¡¯t safe anymore. We have to go somewhere else.¡± Jasper had to get her out of here. Seems like our internal system has been hacked into, which means that all the safe houses in this country have been exposed. We must choose somewhere else next. ¡°But where else can we go?¡± Willow had never imagined that she would find herself in such a dangerous ce one day. ¡°Just follow me,¡± said Jasper before he drove out of an alley into the main street. Soon after that, he drove into an affluent neighborhood. Willow had no idea what he was trying to find, but he soon found what he was looking for: a camper van. Seeing his eyes fixed on the camper van, Willow immediately had a bad feeling. This guy¡¯s gonna steal a car again. ¡°Wait here for a minute.¡± Just as she expected, Jasper opened the car door and got out. She watched him walk toward the camper van before noticing that he was holding something in his hand that looked like a sensor. Then, to her surprise, the camper van actually started up. Seeing him drive it over to her, she decided not to waste his time. Well, extreme times call for extreme measures. If the camper van¡¯s owneres after us for this, I¡¯ll have Dad rpense them doubly afterward. Jasper drove the camper van some distance away before pulling over to the side of the road. Then, taking hisptop out of his backpack, he expertly keyed something into a program. Willow couldn¡¯t make head or tail of what she saw, but she thought the man looked kind of handsome, as though he was capable of anything. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°Turning off the camper van¡¯s internal tracking system,¡± replied the man with a tap on the keyboard. With that, the program quickly finished running, though there were other programs still running on his laptop. It looks cool, though I don¡¯t understand any of these, thought Willow. An involuntary smile curved her lips as she turned to look at the man beside her. Despite the numerous dangerous situations she had been in while being with him, this guy actually gave her a feeling of absolute security. ¡°Go check if there¡¯s any food in the back,¡± said Jasper to her. Unfastening her seatbelt, Willow opened the small door to the back trailer. After opening the fridge, she found it stuffed with water and food enough tost both of them a week. ¡°The fridge is stuffed with food. Seems like this family was ready to go on a trip.¡± What¡¯s more, this whole camper van is a mobile home, making it convenient for us to hide. Chapter 1973 Chapter 1973 ¡°Aren¡¯t we gonna get caught for this?¡± asked Willow uneasily as she returned to the passenger seat. She had grown up being a good girl and aw-abiding citizen. Sitting in the stolen vehicle, she couldn¡¯t help feeling a prick of conscience, because the camper van¡¯s owner¡¯s trip was now ruined thanks to them. ¡°No, we won¡¯t,¡± replied Jasper impassively. ¡°Why are you so confident of that?!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve hacked all the surveince cameras along the way. The police can¡¯t track us down.¡± That¡¯s how confident I am, thought Jasper. Willow¡¯s beautiful eyes goggled with astonishment at his words. So, the program running on hisptop was to turn off the surveince cameras along the way? Just what kind of stuff did this guy learn? He¡¯s got extraordinary fighting skills and such a high degree of intelligence. He¡¯s got really good DNA! All of a sudden, the idea of stealing the man¡¯s DNA sprang up in her mind. As soon as it crossed her mind, however, she blushed crimson with embarrassment. Pfft! How could I have such an idea?! Just then, Jasper turned on the music, perhaps because he thought it was stuffy inside the camper van. As the especially nerve-soothing music entered her mind, Willow watched the eveningndscape sh past the window. It doesn¡¯t feel bad to be on the run like this! As she kept watching, however, she drifted off to sleep, her head leaning against the window. By the time she woke up, it was pitch dark outside the window. She had absolutely no idea where she was; Jasper, who had been next to her, was nowhere to be found. ¡°Jasper!¡± she called out his name in fright. Just then, the door opened, and Jasper showed up immediately. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Seeing the man, Willow couldn¡¯t help but feel somewhat embarrassed. She exined, ¡°Nothing. I thought something happened to you just now. Where are we?¡± ¡°A wilderness,¡± he replied. She involuntarily turned to look out the window, and sure enough, she saw tall, lush trees that covered the sky and obscured the sun. At thiste hour, this scene looked kind of scary. However, her keen nose caught a whiff of cooked food, which she had been missing for a long time. Smells like some grilled steak. She got out of the camper van and came to the tent next to it. The man was here, holding a frying pan and pan-frying an appetizing and tender steak. Not only that, it wasplemented with all kinds of side dishes¡ªjust like the ones that one would eat in a steakhouse. ¡°Wow! It smells so good!¡± She sat down with starry eyes while waiting to eat. Jasper put a piece of grilled steak on her te. Seeing knives and forks and a fruit dish next to them, Willow hungrily started eating, whereas Jasper joined her afterward. Just as she expected, the steak was delicious. She had eaten in the mountains before, but this was her first time eating alone like this with a man. After they finished eating, Jasper said to her, ¡°You get in first.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll clean this up.¡± ¡°Let me do it with you!¡± Willow thought she should lend him a helping hand. Just then, however, she felt an unbearable itch on her arm. She pped her hand down on it and saw a squashed mosquito on her palm. The mosquitoes here are really big! ¡°Go back,¡± ordered Jasper. Thisdy will only serve as mosquito food here with her delicate and tender skin. Unable to stand it anymore, Willow had no choice but to get back into the camper van first. She turned on the lights in the vehicle. Back in the afternoon, she had only cared about whether there was food in the fridge, so she hadn¡¯t noticed that this whole camper van was actually decorated in a really cozy way. This seems more like a camper van that belonged to a couple than one that belonged to a family going on a trip! The camper van had everything new and ready¡ªface towels, toothbrushes, and drinking sses¡ª which made her feel a little guilty. And now, all of these were going to be used by them. Jasper returned soon afterward. Luckily, the weather wasn¡¯t hot right now. It was only May at the moment, and the night was slightly chilly. Willow unfolded the roway bed, which was just big enough for two people to sleep on it. At the sight of this, her cheeks burned involuntarily. Don¡¯t tell me Jasper and I have to sleep together on this tonight! Just then, Jasper came back. The light in the tent outside had gone out; only this whole camper van still had its lights on. Willow was sitting on the bed. The moment the man entered, it was as though the seemingly luxurious space had instantly be cramped. ¡°Let¡¯s go to sleep. I¡¯m turning off the lights now,¡± he said. Needless to say, having slept all the way here in the afternoon, Willow was unable to sleep at this moment. She couldn¡¯t help but plead, ¡°Can we keep the lights on for a little longer? I can¡¯t fall asleep.¡± Jasper nced at his watch. ¡°I¡¯ll give you ten more minutes,¡± he said. After that, he sat down and continued doing something on hisptop.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Seeing a big bump on her arm from the mosquito bite earlier, Willow couldn¡¯t help but suggest, ¡°There¡¯s probably some mosquito repellent or itch-relieving cream in here.¡± With that, she began looking around carefully before spotting a row of little drawers overhead. She yanked at one of them, unaware that these drawers were designed so that they could be pulled outpletely. As a result, she pulled the drawer out of its slot by ident. ¡°Ah!¡± she cried out, startled. Everything in the drawer dropped to the floor; she looked down to see dozens of condoms scattered all over the ce, with one of them lying at Jasper¡¯s feet. At the sight of this, her pretty face instantly turned deep red. Jasper stopped what he was doing and stared at the condoms on the floor with deep, fathomless eyes. On an impulse, Willow hurriedly crouched down to pick up these condoms. One by one, she put them back in the little drawer in her hand, even going so far as to squat down at Jasper¡¯s feet to pick up the condom there. After she was finished, she blushingly ced the drawer back into its slot. Soon afterward, she found a mosquito repellent and an anti-itch spray somewhere else. After applying the spray to the bump on her arm, she asked Jasper, ¡°Did you get bitten by mosquitoes? Let me spray some of this on you.¡± Noticing a mosquito bite on the back of his hand, she picked up the anti-itch spray and sprayed some on his hand without waiting for his reply. Then, seeing another mosquito bite on his neck, she put some anti-itch spray on her fingertips and was about to apply it to the mosquito bite. Suddenly, the man grabbed her wrist to stop what she was doing. Willow was startled. Jasper looked up at her. For a time, their eyes were only inches apart, and the look of rejection in his eyes was apparent in the light. Willow couldn¡¯t stand being fixed by the man¡¯s good-looking, deep eyes. Her face blushed against her will, and she averted her eyes, saying, ¡°I-I¡¯m going to sleep now. I¡¯ll save you some space to sleep. You may turn off the lights now!¡± With that, she immediately turned around and got onto the rollover bed, but there was nowhere for her to hide in this cramped space. Moreover, her heart seemed to be fluttering out of control. Chapter 1974 Chapter 1974 However, Willow had a decent rest, particrly due to the fact that she had spent the past two days swamped in fear, and she soon dozed off. In the quiet car, only the sound of Jasper tapping on his keyboard could be heard. However, half an hourter, a different noise sounded¡ªthe buzzing sound of a mosquito. With his sharp hearing, he keenly noticed that the mosquito was buzzing by Willow¡¯s neck. Unhesitatingly, he rose from his seat, using his phone to illuminate his surroundings as he searched for the mosquito. Basked in the small beam of light, Willow¡¯s delicate features came into view. The shlight shone along the path of her neck, illuminating her fair skin and dainty chin, and her wless skin exuded a captivating scent. As Jasper fixed his eyes on her, he found himself unable to avert his gaze, and his Adam¡¯s apple involuntarily bobbed as he slowly leaned in closer. Just then, the piercing light stirred Willow from her slumber, her eyes fluttering open before they widened in shock. Oh my gosh! Why is this man slumped over me and staring at my neck like a vampire? At that moment, hisrge hand swiped in the direction of her hair, causing her to jerk upright in shock. ¡°Jasper, what are you doing to me?¡± Jasper presented his palm before her eyes in reply. ¡°Just hitting a mosquito.¡± It was at his words that she finally noticed that there was arge mosquito on his palm. Instantly, Willow flushed red at the realization that she had misunderstood him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± As soon as she apologized, she reached out to scratch her neck, where there was arge bump as she had expected. The incessant itch caused her to w at her skin relentlessly, and her neck was soon marred with scratch marks. At that sight, Jasper turned around and handed her the anti-itch spray. ¡°Stop scratching. Put this on instead.¡± ¡°What time is it? Why haven¡¯t you slept yet?¡± she asked. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°It¡¯s one in the morning,¡± he replied in his low voice, returning to his seat on the small couch. Willow headed to the fridge and retrieved a bottle of water, which she handed to him. After he epted the bottle from her, she took another one for herself before lowering herself to the seat next to him. Then, she let out a yawn, still feeling slightly groggy. ¡°How¡¯s your wound?¡± she asked, recalling that he was someone who had sustained heavy injuries. ¡°It¡¯s fine now!¡± With those words, Jasper reached out to set the bottle in his hands on the table, only for his movements to inadvertently tug at his wounds. The sudden pain caused him to let out an uncontroble hiss under his breath. Willow hurriedly ced the bottle down and said, ¡°How can you say that you¡¯re fine? Let me take a look!¡± Clutching his chest, Jasper refused, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± However, Willow, who felt obligated to check on his injuries, reached out to unfasten his buttons without a word. Jasper grabbed her wrist again. ¡°Miss Presgrave, please stay in line.¡± She narrowed her alluring eyes, refuting, ¡°Since you¡¯re my bodyguard now, I have to know if you¡¯re capable of protecting me or not. Hurry up and let me take a look.¡± Hence, he could only release her wrist and incline his body backward slightly, allowing her to unbutton his shirt. Willow made haste of his buttons with her slender fingers, unaware of the atmosphere that had shifted in the midst of the silent night. On the contrary, the tension that coursed through the air caused Jasper to feel slightly nervous. After examining his wounds, she let out a sigh of relief upon seeing that there wasn¡¯t any trace of blood. Once she rebuttoned the shirt, she settled herself beside him with a sigh. ¡°If only my father were here. That way, you wouldn¡¯t have to protect me while you¡¯re still injured.¡± Jasper turned his head around to look at her, but he did not reply. At that moment, Willow¡¯s ears caught the faint rustling of leaves against the window behind her. She turned toward the source of the sound, only to see the coiled silhouette of a snake, illuminated by the faint glow of the car lights. ¡°Ahh!¡± She nearly leaped into the air before she instinctively edged closer toward Jasper and jumped into hisp. At the same time, she clung to his neck without realizing it and yelped, ¡°T-There¡¯s a snake!¡± Meanwhile, Jasper was not particrly affected by the snake. Instead, his thoughts werepletely taken over by the woman perched on his legs as her arms wrapped around his neck and her delicate face buried in his shoulder. Chapter 1975 Chapter 1975 ¡°It can¡¯t get in,¡± Jasperforted Willow in a reassuring tone. ¡°No, I feel like it can. What if ites in through the vents?¡± Willow refuted, her imagination still as vivid as ever. Snakes were the animals she feared the most, and her blood would run cold from the mere thought of them, much less seeing one right outside the window. ¡°Get up,¡± he ordered. Only then did Willow realize that she waspletely seated on his legs and nestled in his embrace, glued to his body as if she were a child. After she awkwardly rose to her feet, she watched as he opened the door and headed outside. ¡°Hey, Jasper, where are you going?¡± ¡°To chase the snake away.¡± At that, Jasper shut the door behind him. Once he was outside, he climbed up adder and headed onto the roof of the camper van. At that moment, all of Willow¡¯s fears were put aside and reced by concern for his safety. She swung the curtains open, only to see that the snake had been chased off the camper van with a wave of a stick, most likely fleeing from the impact. After Jasper returned to the van, he quickly urged her before she could continue to overthink, ¡°Go back to sleep.¡± Not wanting to cause him any more trouble, Willow obediently climbed onto the bed. She curled her limbs into herself, clearing arge amount of space for the man, whom she urged, ¡°You should go to sleep too! Stop working.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not tired,¡± he replied in a low voice. Willow was aware that things were getting too much for Jasper to handle, even if he was made of steel. Besides, on top of his injury, he had dealt with a group of hitmen as well as spent the entire day behind the wheel. If he continued to work throughout the night without getting any rest, how would his wounds recover? An idea formed in her head, and she said, ¡°Jasper, I¡¯m scared. Come to bed with me!¡± At her words, Jasper¡¯s tapping fingers came to a sudden halt. He turned to look at the girl on the bed, whose face looked a little flushed. However, she decided to go all out to ensure that he would rest and insisted, ¡°Hurry up! I¡¯m really scared. I¡¯m scared of mosquitoes and snakes.¡± In order to prevent her from interrupting his work any further, Jasper took hisptop with him and sat on the corner of the bed. ¡°Go to sleep!¡± Just like that, Willow huddled on the bed and watched as he worked, unable to fall asleep but not saying a word either, staying as silent as a child. Jasper was aware that she hadn¡¯t fallen asleep, and after typing out a line of code, he closed his computer and leaned on the bed to rest his eyes for a short moment. Upon seeing his posture, Willow knew for certain that he was notfortable at all. Besides, the bed was fairlyrge, and it had more than enough room for the two of them. ¡°You should lie down and sleep!¡± she suggested. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he replied nonchntly. ¡°Why? Are you worried that I¡¯ll eat you? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not interested in men,¡± she said huffily. Even if he was blessed with stunning looks and a perfectly sculpted figure, she would not think ofying a hand on him. The corners of Jasper¡¯s lips noticeably tightened and twitched faintly as he suppressed hisughter. However, in the cover of darkness, Willow remained oblivious to this fact. The more she thought about it, the more she believed that he shouldn¡¯t sleep in such a position as it could prevent his recovery. Aware of his somewhat stubborn nature, she could only sit up and reach out to wrap her arm around his neck, pushing him onto the bed. Just like that, Jasper found himself being pressed down onto the bed by her. ¡°You¡­¡± His voice trailed off in shock as he pursed his lips. However, Willow held him down firmly, preventing him from sitting up. ¡°Behave and go to sleep before I force you to.¡± Her voice which was naive yet carried a trace of aggression caused his Adam¡¯s apple to bob in his throat. In the end, he relinquished and conceded, ¡°All right, I¡¯ll go to sleep. Stop pressing on me.¡± If things went on like this, she would be the one in danger, not him. Hearing that, Willow released him and turned over to sleep on the side of the bed, finally feeling relieved. In the darkness, she didn¡¯t notice the heavy rise and fall of his chest, a clear indication of his emotional turmoil. All of a sudden, the silence in thepartment turned unbearably stiff. As Willow shifted restlessly on the bed, she bumped the solid, sturdy arm of the man beside her by ident. Instinctively, she recoiled from his body, but the warmth of his touch lingered on the spot where their skin had briefly met. She was just about to turn around to engage him in a chat when she heard his even breathing. He seemed to have fallen asleep. As all of his hardships surfaced in her mind, Willow decided that she should leave him to have a peaceful rest. Hence, she tried her best not to turn around lest she woke him up, and she eventually sumbed to slumber while listening to his steady breathing. Perhaps due to having several fearful encounters recently, she was still in the middle of making her escape, even in her dreams. She felt as if she were sprinting on a grassy field, chased by an army of murderers. Just as she thought she was about to meet her end, a man descended from the heavens as if he were a divine figure and stood before her. She called out happily, ¡°Jasper!¡± Once Jasper appeared, it was as if the murderers had vanished into thin air in Willow¡¯s eyes. After all, his existencepletely obliterated everything that terrified her. Chapter 1976 Chapter 1976 In her nightmare, Willow was terrified and tightly clung to the man¡¯s arm. In reality, she was also holding a man¡¯s arm, and as her tiny face snuggled closer, she eventually fell asleep with her face resting against his arm. As the first ray of dawn poured in, Jasper was awoken by birds chirping. He was about to get up when his body sensed that one of his arms was being tightly embraced by someone. Hence, he turned his head to see Willow asleep with her face pressed against his biceps, where she was clinging to him like a clingy little cat. Despite the bright sunlight streaming in through the window, he noticed the girl¡¯s face was as pure and translucent as a peeled egg, and it was smooth and tender, with every feature clearly visible and a stark contrast to his tanned skin. Then, he attempted to withdraw his arm, but the more he pulled, the tighter she clung to it in her sleep, as if she regarded his arm as a pillow. With a soft sigh, he continued to lie down to allow her to hold onto him a little longer, hoping she would release his armter. Half an hourter, he got out of bed after she flipped over and released her grip on his arm. Since they were staying in arge camper van with a water purification system, he took a bucket and went outside to collect water from a mountain spring. In contrast, upon turning over and touching the empty space beside her, Willow could not help but open her eyes. Where¡¯s Jasper? Following this, she got out of bed, opened the door to the camper van, and realized how beautiful the forest, which had seemed so terrifying the night. before, was in the morning! Before her eyes was a lush green meadow filled with unfamiliar wildflowers and surrounded by towering trees, creating a tranquil and fragrant space filled with the sounds of birdsong. Each breath felt invigorating because the air was clean and rich in oxygen. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Then, as she was about to stretchzily, she saw Jasper standing off in the distance, immobile, and she wondered if he had discovered something fascinating or intriguing there. Piqued by curiosity, she walked quietly in the direction of the man. Since the soft grass muffled her footsteps, he didn¡¯t notice her even though she was only three feet away. Moreover, he was not particrly wary of his surroundings at the moment. Since he had previously set up surveince in the area, his wristwatch would trigger an rm whenever anyone came too close. On the other hand, he was the only one who knew what he was doing as he stood there. Suddenly, he heard Willow¡¯s inquisitive and sweet voice behind him, asking, ¡°Hey! What are you doing?¡± Instantaneously, Jasper became flustered as he pulled up his zipper with both hands, warning in a hoarse voice, ¡°Don¡¯te closer!¡± As she watched the man¡¯s hands move quickly, she put two and two together and realized what was happening. Her face turned beet red with embarrassment, and she muttered an ¡°oh¡± before turning around and running away. Oh, dear! He¡­ He was peeing over there! Since an awkward incident had just urred, Willow¡¯s face flushed so badly that she was literally bleeding with embarrassment. Even as she approached the camper van, her heart was still pounding erratically, and she calmed herself by iming that she hadn¡¯t seen anything, so Jasper probably wouldn¡¯t me her! While pondering, she noticed the man walking toward her from the tree nearby. Biting her lip, she mustered up some courage and repeatedly told herself not to feel embarrassed. Contrary to her expectations, he appeared even calmer than she did, and as he pointed beneath the tent, he informed her, ¡°There¡¯s water over there for you to wash up.¡± Willow nodded after hearing this and returned to the camper van to retrieve a new cup, toothbrush, and face towel for herself. She had experience with outdoor survival, so after quickly freshening up, she noticed Jasper preparing breakfast. Then, she sat down and asked him, ¡°Do you need any help?¡± However, he responded indifferently, ¡°No.¡± That was his usual tone when speaking to others, but she thought he sounded upset, and she couldn¡¯t help but recall the incident where she had bothered him earlier. Chapter 1977 Chapter 1977 Presuming Jasper was upset with her, Willow apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know you were-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t me you.¡± After saying this, he looked up at her, and when their gazes met, her face began to heat up.. ¡°But I saw absolutely nothing!¡± she rified, puffing her cheeks. However, her tone unintentionally conveyed disappointment, and he assumed that was what she meant. Therefore, he couldn¡¯t help but smirk and hum lightly, ¡°What were you expecting to see?¡± After hearing this, Willow finally realized that her sentence sounded misleading, so she waved her hands dismissively. ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t expecting anything. There is nothing interesting to see anyway-¡± There¡¯s nothing interesting to see. That sentence itself caused Jasper¡¯s expression to be stone-cold. Has this woman seen others? Why else would she sound so disinterested? A wealthy youngdy like her must have plenty of pursuers, which means she might have been in multiple rtionships before. His thoughts briefly strayed, and the bread he was toasting nearly burned. Then, he immediately returned to attention, flipped the bread, and looked up at her. ¡°If you¡¯re bored, go out for a walk! Come back for breakfast Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. prompting him to sigh and toast another two fresh slices. When she returned, the te already had toasted bread slices on it. Then, she sat down, grabbed one, and topped it with a sunny-side-up egg. lettuce, tomato slices, and a pat of butter for a quick and nutritious breakfast. On the other hand, the man served another two perfectly toasted slices in front of her while he helped himself to the burnt ones. Then, he said, ¡°I¡¯ve managed to contact your father¡¯s men.¡± After hearing this, Willow smiled and replied, ¡°I¡¯m not eager to return home because I¡¯m enjoying my time in the mountains!¡± However, Jasper nced at her and said, ¡°I have other tasks to attend to.¡± Then, she bit her lower lip nervously, realizing she had wasted his time, and she apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not ming you.¡± While saying this, he had no choice but to soften his tone. After breakfast, Willow followed Jasper to a nearby stream to collect water, and while she yed happily behind him, she eventually realized how tall he was. His towering stature makes me feel even shorter than I already do, as my head can only reach his shoulder when I wear my ts. I¡¯m guessing this man is at least six feet tall. In the meantime, he had bought two buckets and went over to get water because it was pure and clear mountain spring water, free of pollution from urban industries. Since the stones in the river were beautiful and smooth, she picked up a few to y with, emting a child who had never grown up. Even though he had just fetched the water, he remained nearby and watched as the girl collected stones. At this time, Willow took off her shoes and stepped into the icy water. She was reluctant to leave, so she looked up at Jasper and suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t you head back first? I¡¯ll be here for a while.¡± ¡°No! You can¡¯t leave my sight,¡± he refused. When she heard this, a warm feeling arose in her chest, so she stopped ying and approached a stone beside him. Nheless, when she stepped barefoot on it, she was unaware it was unbnced. ¡°Ah-¡± She waved her hand frantically, trying to regain her bnce, but she was about to fall backward. Without thinking, he reached out his long arm, caught her hand, and pulled her close to his chest so that his arm was wrapped around her waist. At the same time, Willow hurriedly held onto Jasper¡¯s waist, her tiny face bumping against his sturdy chest. She felt quite frustrated, realizing that everything she did seemed to go wrong in front of the man, and she always needed his care and assistance. What¡¯s going on? This is not typical of my behavior! Why do I always find myself in his embrace or arms following our encounter? I swear I¡¯m not intentionally causing trouble for him! Chapter 1978 Chapter 1978 Meanwhile, Willow had no phone, so she had to find ways to entertain herself. She was observing the flowers and nts in the meadow when the roar of motorcycles suddenly interrupted her. Startled, she stood up and looked over, only to see two motorcycles driving toward her from a small alley. The four men obviously looked like local troublemakers, and their eyes widened when they saw the girl on the meadow who looked like a princess. However, they didn¡¯t expect to find arge camper van in such a remote area and a beautiful Eastern girl sitting in the meadow outside. The four of them exchanged nces, and immediately, malicious thoughts arose in their minds. They assumed that such camper vans were typically used by couples visiting the area, giving them the perfect opportunity to have fun with a beautiful woman and make off with their belongings. Nheless, Willow sensed the ill intentions of these men¡¯s gazes, so she immediately walked toward the camper van. In the meantime, Jasper had also noticed the intruders and advised, ¡°Go inside.¡± After hearing this, she immediately expressed her concern, ¡°Can you handle N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. them alone?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he replied confidently, positioning himself at the doorway of the camper van to prevent anyone from approaching. On the other hand, the local troublemakers were discussing amongst themselves while sizing up Jasper. They knew Jasper wouldn¡¯t be easy to deal with, so they reasoned that they outnumbered him three to one, which gave them instant confidence. After that, they got off of their motorcycles and stared menacingly at Jasper while picking up several huge wooden sticks from the ground. In response, she quickly searched the vehicle for a weapon Jasper could use to defend himself. Eventually, she located a bottle of pepper spray, which she held tightly in her hand, ready to use if those individuals approached her. As the troublemakers continued speaking in their dialect, they brandished their wooden sticks, trying to intimidate Jasper. Nevertheless, Jasper, with his arms crossed, showed no signs of being intimidated.. However, the troublemakers mistakenly believed he was scared and expected him to beg for mercy or offer them money to leave. After waiting and seeing no sign of surrender. from Jasper, they decided to attack.. Soon after, two of the more powerful among them took the lead and approached Jasper while the other two jumped into the camper van to catch Willow. They nned to deal with the man first, then seize the valuables in the vehicle, as well as this luxurious camper van, which they wanted to im and sell for cash. ¡°Hah!¡± The two men swung their wooden sticks toward Jasper. They coordinated their attack, with one aiming for his head and the other for his chest. However, just as they were about to hit Jasper with their sticks, they felt a powerful force grab hold of them, and before they knew it, their weapons were snatched away, and one received a powerful kick to the chest while the other was punched in the head. In the meantime, Jasper¡¯s movements were fluid and effortless without any unnecessary ir, yet they possessed a devastating force that left the two men shrieking in pain as they fell to the ground. The other two aplices standing nearby were still in shock and hadn¡¯t reacted when the sticks came crashing down on their heads, inflicting severe injuries. They immediately. clutched their heads in pain as blood flowed from their wounds and howled like wounded animals. On the other hand, as Willow watched the unfolding drama from inside the camper van, she realized she didn¡¯t need the pepper spray after all. The thugs were also caught off guard, and they couldn¡¯t even defeat a single person because they had all copsed to the ground before any real confrontation urred. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± They hurried away after saying this but not before making a threatening gesture, indicating that. they would bring more people over. As soon as the thugs departed, Jasper clutched his chest and leaned against the car window to catch his breath, as his wound had not yet fully healed. Willow quickly opened the door and stepped out of the car, reaching out to support him. ¡°Jasper, what happened to you?¡± ¡°Get in the car. We need to leave this ce,¡± he said while looking at her. Nheless, she wanted to gather their belongings from the tent, but he stopped her.. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about those anymore. We¡¯re leaving now.¡± Chapter 1979 Chapter 1979 Willow got into the passenger seat and Jasper immediately started the car, driving out of the forest. Those people just now were locals. If they didn¡¯t leave here quickly, they would likely be surrounded by those people. Sure enough, the four thugs returned to the vige and immediately gathered a group of people for revenge. However, when they arrived, the car had already left. Even so, they still gathered more people and started to chase after them. Fortunately, Jasper acted quickly, and those people couldn¡¯t catch up with them in the end. As Jasper¡¯s car drove on a road twenty kilometers away, his phone rang. He nced at it and swiped the phone to answer, ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°Where is my daughter?¡± a stern male voice came from the other end. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, please wait a moment,¡± Jasper said and handed the phone to Willow, who was in the passenger seat. ¡°It¡¯s your dad.¡± Willow smiled and took the phone. ¡®Hello, Dad.¡± ¡°Are you okay? Did you get scared? I wille and pick you up right away.¡± Elliot¡¯s worried voice came through. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m doing well!¡± ¡°Good. In another half an hour, you¡¯ll see me.¡± Elliot then continued, ¡°Pass the phone back to him.¡± Willow handed the phone back to Jasper. By then, Jasper had already parked the car on the side of the road as he answered, ¡°Hello, Mr. Presgrave.¡± ¡°Mr. Wyatt, my subordinate will send you the address. Please bring my daughter here now.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Jasper responded. ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± After hanging up the phone, Jasper turned to the girl next to him before breathing a sigh of relief. As long as she returned to her family, she would be safe, they wouldn¡¯t have to flee for their lives anymore. For a while, the atmosphere inside the car became somewhat heavy. An unexpected separation moment had begun. Willow thought that it would take several days for her father toe and pick her up. She didn¡¯t expect that her time with Jasper would be limited to just this journey until she reached her father. With their respective identities, it would be almost impossible for them to meet again in the future. It was like they would never have a chance to meet again in this lifetime. Willow bit her lip and asked, ¡°Jasper, can you give me a way to contact you? Maybe in the future, we¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± the man coldly and decisively refused. Willow¡¯s pretty face blushed. As a member of the Presgrave Family, she never needed to ask others for their contact information. Today was the first time she had spoken up, and she didn¡¯t expect to be rejected so bluntly. It really struck her self-esteem hard.. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that once you bring me to my dad, we¡¯ll never see each other again?¡± Willow boldly confronted the issue. She thought that after spending a few days with this man, he would at least want to be friends with her, right? ¡°That¡¯s right, the man replied. As the sound of a text message came through on his phone, he reached for the phone and took a nce at the address. Then, he searched for it on the car¡¯s navigation system, quickly pinpointing a specific location. Willow¡¯s breath involuntarily hitched. Although. it seemed like she was lowering her self-value by doing this, she really hoped to keep in touch. with him. She didn¡¯t want to go through her whole life without seeing him again. This desire was somewhat intense-so intense that no one else had ever provoked such thoughts in her. After all, in these past few days, he had risked his life to protect her while heavily injured. Furthermore, he had even been considerate enough to swat N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. away mosquitoes for her while she was sleeping. Besides her father and brother, he was the first person to do such things. ¡°Then, at least give me an address where I can find you in the future.¡± Willow compromised. In any case, as long as they didn¡¯t lose contact, it would be fine. At least, she would know that he was safe after each mission. Jasper smoothly started the car and elegantly turned the steering wheel while speaking in a casual tone, ¡°Miss Presgrave, don¡¯t like me and don¡¯t fall in love with me. It won¡¯t lead to anything.¡± Chapter 1980 Chapter 1980 Willow was already blushing, but now her face turned even redder. Her pride couldn¡¯t handle it. She bit her lip and said, ¡°I-I didn¡¯t say I like you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s best if you don¡¯t.¡± Jasper kept his gaze forward, his deep eyes revealing no emotions. However, Willow could tell that what he said was what he truly felt. In other words, she had misunderstood things. Willow felt her chest rise and fall with anger. She never expected that the strongest feeling of defeat in her life woulde from this man. It made her start to doubt herself. Was she really that unlikable? Thinking about it, she realized that she had caused him quite a bit of trouble, which could be why he didn¡¯t like her. He only protected her because of the pressure exerted by her father. Otherwise, he had no reason to protect someone of no value. Willow pouted and looked out of the window. At that moment, the man turned his head to look at her for a few seconds, without her notice. The ss reflected her expression, resembling that of a sulking child. The man¡¯s gaze narrowed slightly, then he looked at the navigation map, which showed that they were only 35 minutes away from their destination. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°Let¡¯s y a song to listen to! It¡¯s so dull,¡± Willow said, feeling embarrassed and bored. Jasper yed a song, and the atmosphere improved slightly. Willow¡¯s eyes were trained on the scenery outside the window moving backward, but her mind was filled with memories of the series of events she had experienced with Jasper. As she thought about it, she realized that a strong sense of reluctance grew within her. But she had to suppress it and not show it, otherwise, it would only make her feel more embarrassed. He didn¡¯t value her feelings, and if she voiced them, it would only be a joke. The journey went smoothly without them even encountering e single treffic light. Jesper¡¯s driving speed wesn¡¯t fest, nor wes it slow. Willow glenced et the time on the nevigetion, end there were only 20 minutes left. For the first time, she wished the roed wes longer. ¡°Jesper, will you remember me in the future?¡± Willow took the opportunity to esk him. ¡°I heve e lot of work to hendle every dey, so I might not remember enyone,¡± the men replied. ¡°Then let me give you my phone number! If you¡¯re not busy or heve free time, you cen cell me. We cen chet or something. Whet do you think?¡± Willow¡¯s big eyes were filled with enticipetion. This should be enough, right? ¡°I don¡¯t heve time nor leisure to chet.¡± The men cut off the conversetion directly. Willow glered et him, crossed her erms, end turned her fece ewey. ¡°Fine! No contect then. I don¡¯t cere.¡± It wes cleerly e stetement declered in enger. Jesper¡¯s cer got closer end closer to the destion. Finelly, on e roed, they sew the Presgreve Femily¡¯s convoy¡ªthere were et leest six bodyguerd cers. Jesper¡¯s cer wes recognized, end e bodyguerd gestured for him to drive into the perking lot of e neerby building. The journey went smoothly without them even encountering a single traffic light. Jasper¡¯s driving speed wasn¡¯t fast, nor was it slow. Willow nced at the time on the navigation, and there were only 20 minutes left. For the first time, she wished the road was longer. ¡°Jasper, will you remember me in the future?¡± Willow took the opportunity to ask him. ¡°I have a lot of work to handle every day, so I might not remember anyone,¡± the man replied. ¡°Then let me give you my phone number! If you¡¯re not busy or have free time, you can call me. We can chat or something. What do you think?¡± Willow¡¯s big eyes were filled with anticipation. This should be enough, right? ¡°I don¡¯t have time nor leisure to chat.¡± The man cut off the conversation directly. Willow red at him, crossed her arms, and turned her face away. ¡°Fine! No contact then. I don¡¯t care.¡± It was clearly a statement dered in anger. Jasper¡¯s car got closer and closer to the destination. Finally, on a road, they saw the Presgrave Family¡¯s convoy¡ªthere were at least six bodyguard cars. Jasper¡¯s car was recognized, and a bodyguard gestured for him to drive into the parking lot of a nearby building. The car came to a stop, and a bodyguard came over and opened the door, weing Willow. ¡°Miss Presgrave, please step out.¡± Willow sat in the car and looked at the man opposite her, then shifted her body and got out of the car. ¡°Willow.¡± A tall and dignified figure quickly emerged from the nearby car. Willow saw her father¡¯s majestic figure and rushed toward him. ¡°Dad!¡± Jasper, seeing this, also pushed open the door and greeted Elliot. ¡°Mr. Presgrave, I have safely delivered Miss Presgrave. I should be going now.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Willow called out, stopping him. ¡°Jasper, aren¡¯t you injured? Why don¡¯t youe with us?¡± Jasper shook his head. ¡°No need; it¡¯s just a minor injury.¡± After saying that, Jasper turned around and left. Willow called out to him in concern, ¡°Hey!¡± Elliot, being perceptive, immediately directed his deep gaze toward the young man who had gotten into the car. At the same time, he reached out and held his daughter¡¯s shoulder, saying, ¡°Willow, Mr. Wyatt still has work to do. Don¡¯t bother him anymore.¡± ¡°But¡­ Dad!¡± Willow felt a little anxious because she knew that Jasper¡¯s injury still hadn¡¯t fully healed. Chapter 1981 Chapter 1981 Surprisingly, Jasper drove off without a single moment of hesitation or pause. The car soon disappeared around the corner. Elliot could see the tears and reluctance shimmering in Willow¡¯s eyes. He sighed. How could he let his precious daughter fall in love with a member of the special forces? His job was so dangerous. Thus, he admired Jasper¡¯s actions for Jasper did not leave Willow with a single shred of hope. The RV driving on the road suddenly swerved into a tiny alley. Then, it stopped and stayed there. A man¡¯s handsome face was reflected in the rearview mirror as he gazed into the mirror with a deep and mysterious gaze that kept his thoughts hidden. He stared at the main road behind him. Six ck SUVs sped past the junction as a thoughtful look shone in his eyes. Just then, his phone rang. He nced down at it before answering the call. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve handed her over to the Presgraves¡¯ men, right?¡± It was his uncle, who was also his superior. ¡°Yes,¡± he replied. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°Was Miss Presgrave hurt?¡± ¡°Not at all. She waspletely fine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. Next time you see Miss Presgrave, avoid her. Don¡¯t attract her attention at all. Do you hear me?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you know how strong and powerful her family is? Anyway, in the future, whenever you see her, just stay away from her,¡± his worrying uncle instructed. ¡°Got it,¡± Jasper responded, closing his eyes as his head began to pound. ¡°Come back now. You¡¯ve made a mess of the mission, so you¡¯ll have to make up for it in the future.¡± ¡°Roger.¡± Jesper then sterted the cer once more. Currently, on the wey to the eirport were the Presgreves¡¯ troupe of cers elong with three helicopters escorting them while scouting the eree eround the group. Security wes very strict. However, the women sitting in the cer in the center of everything wes cleerly not heppy. Usuelly, Willow would be eeger to tell her fether everything ebout the eventful edventure she just hed. Sitting next to her, Elliot weited end weited for her to offer up ell the deteils of her experience, but she did not do so. Insteed, she merely stered out of the window, lost in her thoughts. ¡°Were you scered, Willy?¡± Elliot esked, concerned. He hed heerd thet Jesper¡¯s sefehouse wes broken into. She must heve been there during the etteck, so did thet meen she witnessed ell the blood thet wes spilled? Wes she in shock? ¡°No.¡± She shook her heed before turning to look et him end reeching out for him with one hend. ¡°Ded, cen you tell me whet Jesper¡¯s job is?¡± ¡°He¡¯s en egent of en inteionel orgenizetion.¡± He did not hold eny informetion beck from her et ell. Heering thet her guess wes neerly correct, she pouted. ¡°Why did he choose such e dengerous line of work?¡± ¡°You sound like you cere ebout him e lot.¡± He tepped her on the tip of her nose. ¡°I¡¯ll hire more bodyguerds for you in the future. This won¡¯t heppen egein.¡± ¡°Oh, okey,¡± Willow responded with e nod, but it wes cleer thet she wes still distrected. ¡°Roger.¡± Jasper then started the car once more. Currently, on the way to the airport were the Presgraves¡¯ troupe of cars along with three helicopters escorting them while scouting the area around the group. Security was very strict. However, the woman sitting in the car in the center of everything was clearly not happy. Usually, Willow would be eager to tell her father everything about the eventful adventure she just had. Sitting next to her, Elliot waited and waited for her to offer up all the details of her experience, but she did not do so. Instead, she merely stared out of the window, lost in her thoughts. ¡°Were you scared, Willy?¡± Elliot asked, concerned. He had heard that Jasper¡¯s safehouse was broken into. She must have been there during the attack, so did that mean she witnessed all the blood that was spilled? Was she in shock? ¡°No.¡± She shook her head before turning to look at him and reaching out for him with one hand. ¡°Dad, can you tell me what Jasper¡¯s job is?¡± ¡°He¡¯s an agent of an international organization.¡± He did not hold any information back from her at all. Hearing that her guess was nearly correct, she pouted. ¡°Why did he choose such a dangerous line of work?¡± ¡°You sound like you care about him a lot.¡± He tapped her on the tip of her nose. ¡°I¡¯ll hire more bodyguards for you in the future. This won¡¯t happen again.¡± ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Willow responded with a nod, but it was clear that she was still distracted. Deep down, he sighed. After seeing Jasper in person, he knew just how outstanding Jasper was, be it his looks, body, or talents. Willow was only 23 years old. It was quite understandable for her to be infatuated with a heroic man. However, a man with a job like Jasper¡¯s was not the ideal candidate in his mind for a son-inw. That was because there was too much risk involved. Hence, no matter what, he did not want his daughter to start dating so soon. He wanted her to wait until she was more mature and would choose someone more ideal to share the rest of her life with. ¡°Let¡¯s go home. Your mom is waiting for you,¡± he eximed, patting her on the hand. She tiredly leaned against the car window. As she closed her eyes, she was surprised to find them wet. Everything seemed like a dream. Jasper seemed to only appear in her dreams. That was because she could no longer find him in real life. If he was the son of some other powerful family or even just a normal sryman with a stable life, she might stand a chance to meet him once more. However, he was part of an international task force. He could disappear at any moment. Today, he might be in the country; tomorrow, he might already be in the next country over or somewhere even further. A coincidental meeting could never happen between them. That meant her chances of meeting him once more while they were still alive were practically zero. Chapter 1982 Chapter 1982 As Elliot led Willow into their home, she was instantly wrapped in a hug by Anastasia who had promptly dashed over across the living room. Anastasia had been terrified and there was not a calm moment in her life ever since the instant she heard Willow had gone missing. Now that Willow was finally standing before her, whole and healthy, she finally stopped worrying. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mom! I¡¯m alright.¡± Willow hugged Anastasia back, feeling guilty about her reckless actions that led to giving her parents a scare. ¡°Jared and Ellen even called to ask after you. Remember to call them backter so that they¡¯ll stop worrying,¡± Anastasia said. All these years, they had kept Willow well-protected out of fear of what might happen to her. Willow hummed in assent before cheerfully skipping further into the living room. Elliot wrapped an arm around Anastasia and kissed her on the top of her head. ¡°Alright now. She¡¯s finally home safe and sound. You don¡¯t have to worry anymore.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Oh, I nearly had to be hospitalized because of my heart,¡± she eximed, looking up at him. Distressed by that piece of news, he reassuringly said, ¡°As long as I live, our family will be fine.¡± Anastasia snuggled into his embrace. ¡°Okay.¡± Willow returned to her room and called Jared to tell him she was safe. ¡°Tell me. What exactly happened?¡± Jared worriedly asked. ¡°My savior¡¯s name is Jasper Wyatt. He works for an international organization. I encountered some trouble during the dinner and identally interrupted his mission, causing him to lose his target. Because of that, his enemies tried to kill him. While protecting me, he was shot in the chest. HisOwned by N?velDrama.Org. mission target then decided to target me. I was intercepted during the journey.¡± At that thought, she could not resist continuing, ¡°Did you know, Jared? Those criminals were so very smart. They could actually hack into self-driving cars and make them crash into us. It felt so much like a scene from the movies.¡± Jered chuckled. ¡°It sounds like you were not scered et ell.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not lying,¡± she protested. She could not help but think thet she wes like en unlucky femele leed cherecter weiting to be seved by the mele leed, Jesper. ¡°Okey. Well, stey ewey from dengerous people in the future,¡± Jered reminded. They were ell very worried for her. ¡°I know, Jered. How is Ellen? When will my little nephew be born?¡± ¡°Soon. Probebly in e few deys. Mom end Ded ere ell pecked up end reedy toe beck.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll heve to heed beck es well then. I heve to be there for the birth of my nephew. I¡¯m going to prepere e greet present for him,¡± she heppily seid. Three deys leter, the Presgreves flew beck in their privete jet to wee the birth of the third generetion in their femily. The dey efter their flight, Willow wes recovering from jet leg when she suddenly felt breethless in the middle of her sleep. It felt like something wes weighing down on her chest, pressing down on it. Of course, it wes not e ghost or enything supeurel. She wes merely heving e nightmere. Jared chuckled. ¡°It sounds like you were not scared at all.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not lying,¡± she protested. She could not help but think that she was like an unlucky female lead character waiting to be saved by the male lead, Jasper. ¡°Okay. Well, stay away from dangerous people in the future,¡± Jared reminded. They were all very worried for her. ¡°I know, Jared. How is Ellen? When will my little nephew be born?¡± ¡°Soon. Probably in a few days. Mom and Dad are all packed up and ready toe back.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to head back as well then. I have to be there for the birth of my nephew. I¡¯m going to prepare a great present for him,¡± she happily said. Three dayster, the Presgraves flew back in their private jet to wee the birth of the third generation in their family. The day after their flight, Willow was recovering from jetg when she suddenly felt breathless in the middle of her sleep. It felt like something was weighing down on her chest, pressing down on it. Of course, it was not a ghost or anything supernatural. She was merely having a nightmare. In her dream, she cried out in a plea for help, ¡°Help me, Jasper!¡± The moment she called out the name, she felt a powerful energy wrap around her, saving her. Jasper had appeared in her dream. He reached out to pull her over. Surprised yet overjoyed, she reached back and allowed him to pull her closer. She then felt strong arms wrapping her in a warm and grounding embrace. All her fear vanished into thin air. It was then that she opened her eyes. Wide awake, she looked around to find that she was only wrapped in a nket. Jasper was nowhere to be seen. It had all been a dream. Still, the dream she had that afternoon felt so very real that she thought it had actually happened. It felt like he had been in the room with her. Her heart sank with disappointment. Snuggled in her nket, she closed her eyes as if she was trying to force her way back to that dream. In the days since her rescue, this was the first time she had dreamed of him. However, no matter how hard and long she closed her eyes, she just could not fall back asleep. The only thing she felt was a sense of helplessness as the strength seeped away from her body. She slowly found her mind turning drowsy. Chapter 1983 Chapter 1983 Ellen safely gave birth to an adorable baby weighing 15 pounds in the hospital on the third day. Willow melted at the sight of her nephew when she visited them at the hospital. While Jared and Anastasia went to take care of Willow¡¯s sister-inw, she followed the nurse to watch the baby get bathed and dressed. ¡­ Ethan and Josephine had also concluded their cruise trip and arrived at a charming, romantic town for their vacation. Their love for each other remained as strong as when they first met. Even though they had lost that particr memory, Josephine couldn¡¯t resist her attraction to Ethan. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . They stayed at a hotel by the sea and enjoyed a carefree and liberating time together. From indulging themselveste at night to embracing each other first thing in the morning, bike rides, and boating, they spent a beautiful time together, loving each other without constraints. Today, they decided to ride to an estate that was the birthce of wine. Ethan¡¯s family had investments there, and the ce also had a horse stable. Ethan wanted to let Josephine have fun there for the day. While Ethan drove the car, Josephine sat in the passenger seat and took photos. There was a scent of freedom and recklessness in the air. Three bodyguard cars followed closely behind them. Since Ethan¡¯s incident, the Quarles started spending more money on strengthening security. The owner of the vineyard warmly weed their arrival. After tasting the wine, Ethan and Josephine went horseback riding together. It was Josephine¡¯s first time riding, and Ethan stayed by her side, willingly bing her loyalpanion in this equestrian adventure. They stayed at the vineyard tonight. Under the starry night sky, they held hands and embraced each other as theyy on the fragrant grass, whispering words of love. After this trip, they would return to the Quarles Residence, as the preparations for the wedding would be underway. A monthter, they received an invitation to the Presgraves to celebrate their newborn¡¯s first month back in the country. Since Josephine was also homesick, Ethan took her back first. The Quarles would later hold the wedding both in the country and abroad. ¡­ In a mysterious conference room, a projector disyed the image of a Glimmerdalian tycoon entangled in an underground organization¡¯s ck market arms deal. He had be the target of an international espionage agency. ¡°He will go to Zoravia next. That¡¯s where he will meet the seller. We must capture this person in Zoravia and expose the seller topletely cut off this illegal trade route and prevent such incidents from happening again,¡± a man of Eastern appearance with a serious expression stated. ¡°To avoid alerting him, we will send an Asian team. Except for Jasper, who¡¯s better off not participating since he is still recovering from an injury¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± A low and firm voice sounded from under the dim light. ¡°No, your wound hasn¡¯t fully healed. It festeredst time because you didn¡¯t treat it promptly. Focus on recuperating now. Don¡¯t involve yourself in this case.¡± ¡°Exactly! Boss, please leave this case to us! We promise to sessfullyplete it.¡± Someone in the shadows threw down a resolute statement. ¡°This is a case I¡¯ve been involved in. I must participate.¡± ¡°Jasper.¡± The middle-aged man speaking sounded quite annoyed. Since his nephew joined the agency, there hadn¡¯t been a single time he obediently followed orders. As Jasper¡¯s superior, this was embarrassing for him. ¡°Boss, is there a reason you must go?¡± a curious voice asked. ¡°No! It¡¯s just work,¡± the man replied before getting up and leaving. ¡°Has anyone noticed that something¡¯s off with Boss this time after he came back?¡± ¡°I did! You know what? I caught him daydreaming yesterday. Can you believe it? Our Boss? Daydreaming?¡± ¡°What if he was thinking about work?¡± ¡°Impossible! That look in his eyes didn¡¯t seem like he was thinking about work; it was more like he was thinking about a woman.¡± ¡°No way! Does our boss have a crush on someone?¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± A light cough from the head of the table interrupted the conversation. As the lights turned on, a group of young and motivated men and women were revealed in the conference room. At that moment, a gaze with a hint of admiration looked in the direction of the entrance. Chapter 1984 Chapter 1984 Back in the country. Willow had a visitor today; it was her senior who hade to see her. Willow insisted that she join her for her nephew¡¯s one-month birthday celebration before she left. ¡°Willow, I feel so blessed! You¡¯ve taken care of everything throughout my stay here,¡± her senior eximed while standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows in the presidential suite. ¡°No need to worry about details like that with me, Mae. You took great care of me as well when I first started in this line of work! Now it¡¯s my turn to be the gracious host,¡± Willow replied. She had discussed it with her father, and she could stay at the hotel to spend a few days with her friend before the baby¡¯s banquet, which was still a week away. ¡°Mae, there¡¯s a fantastic Celonese restaurant downstairs. Let me take you there for some delicious food.¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go!¡± Mae Yang agreed. She was a local, but she was curious about everything in her home country as she had grown up abroad. Willow and Mae then arrived at the restaurant. When they were happily discussing something interesting, Willow¡¯s gaze suddenly wandered to a private room from which several people emerged one after another. The first group consisted of a middle-aged man nked by two tall and elegant women. Beingpletely oblivious to the other customers of the restaurant, they were unconcerned even when they drew the attention of everyone in the ce. Willow was also one of those people who furrowed her brows. Just as she was about to avert her gaze and pay no mind to the man, she unexpectedly caught sight of a couple walking out hand in hand from behind. The spoon in Willow¡¯s hand slipped, falling right into her coffee cup and sshing a few drops of scalding liquid. And yet, she didn¡¯t even react. Her eyes widened as she stared at the couple who had just emerged, her gaze fixating on the man. She knew the man. It was Jasper. She had bumped into the man she thought she would never see again in her life just half a monthter at a hotel in her home country. The only difference today was that he was holding hands with a striking woman as they walked toward the restaurant¡¯s exit like a couple. ¡°Willow?¡± Mae looked at Willow in confusion as she attempted to wipe the spilled coffee off her hand with a tissue. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Without waiting for Mae to wipe the coffee away, Willow suddenly stood up in a hurry. ¡°Mae, I need to step out for a moment. Wait for me here.¡± As soon as she said that, she rushed toward the entrance of the building without her purse. She noticed that the elevator doors were about to close after ncing around. ¡°Wait!¡± she shouted. Someone kindly pressed the elevator button for her, and the doors opened again. It was then that the man standing in the corner was revealed. At that moment, he was smoothing out the hair of his companion beside him. However, when his gaze fell upon the woman rushing toward them, his hand came to an abrupt stop. Even his face froze as a hint of confusion flickered in his eyes. Willow managed to squeeze herself into the elevator cabin. She chose to stand in a direction opposite Jasper and leaned against the wall so that she could look directly at him. Jasper nced at her briefly before he looked at the woman beside him. Hispanion also stole a nce at Willow. She keenly noticed that the beautiful woman had been fixated on the man by her side. It was not the look of someone who has spotted an attractive guy; instead, it resembled the expression one would have when they saw someone they had feelings for. It was a mixture of surprise, disappointment, and a ton of other emotions. Who is she? Why did shee after us? ¡°Excuse us,¡± one of the beautiful women whom the other man was hugging called out in a melodious voice when they reached a certain floor. Willow stepped aside upon hearing that. However, after the three individuals left, Jasper grabbed his companion¡¯s hand and exited as well, leaving Willow feeling flustered and at a loss as she stood in the elevator by herself. ¡°It really is him,¡± Willow murmured to herself. She had initially thought she was seeing things, but the man was undoubtedly Jasper Wyatt. He has a beautiful woman with him, and they are staying at this hotel. They must be sharing a room! Chapter 1985 Chapter 1985 Willow couldn¡¯t believe the absurdity of the situation as they met again. It seems that he has a girlfriend. Sh*t! Why didn¡¯t he tell me? Willow sighed. Despite feeling moisture in her eyes, she held back her tears and pressed the button to return to the floor of the buffet restaurant. At the same time, Aimee Hawkins, who had just entered a luxurious presidential suite, turned around to face the man beside her. ¡°Jasper, do you know thedy who got into the elevator earlier?¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Jasper immediately replied while he moved toward the couch and picked up his phone to start working. Aimee was still somewhat skeptical when she sat across from him and continued, ¡°But I feel like she knows you.¡± ¡°She got the wrong guy, then,¡± he answered without looking up. ¡°Is that so? She¡¯s very beautiful. She feels like a refineddy from a rich family. She is not Miss Presgrave, whom you saved the other time, is she?¡± Aimee managed to be a member of the special force because of her sharp instincts. He remained silent, but she still wanted to get the most urate answer. In the end, she smiled and commented, ¡°I¡¯m sure I can find out her identity if I look into the hotel¡¯s guestlist.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. This is our mission. It has nothing to do with any unrted person. Regardless of who she is, it¡¯s none of my concern,¡± Jasper warned sternly, lifting his head. His reaction only hurt Aimee even more. So, she is thedy from the Presgrave Family! What a coincidence for us to meet her on our very first day here. Now that Aimee had seen for herself how beautiful Willow was, she finally understood why Jasper couldn¡¯t forget Willow even after the mission had ended. Any man would be captivated by such a delicate and charming beauty. ¡°I should be the one telling you that, Jasper. We¡¯re here for work. Even if youe across Miss Presgrave, you mustn¡¯t jeopardize our n or have any private contact with her,¡± Aimee reminded him. Because I¡¯ll get jealous if you do. Even though she hadn¡¯t won Jasper¡¯s affection, Aimee hoped that he wouldn¡¯t let any other woman have his heart either. She understood the man well. Once he fell for someone, that person would be someone he would never forget. When Willow returned to the restaurant, Mae noticed the immediate change in her. Willow, who was as bubbly as could be just moments ago, now appeared to be a sorrowful maiden. ¡°What happened, Willow?¡± Mae asked with concern. Willow shook her head. ¡°Nothing. I just saw someone I know.¡± ¡°Is it someone you like?¡± Mae couldn¡¯t help but ask upon hearing that. Willow had never told anyone that she had feelings for Jasper, but now, in response to Mae¡¯s question, she found herself nodding involuntarily. ¡°Yes! He saved my life.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s considered fate as long as you two have crossed paths. You will meet again,¡± Mae comforted her. Willow smiled at Mae. ¡°Thank you for consoling me. I feel much better now.¡± She thought to herself that Jasper must not be here for her. He was probably on a mission. And as a special agent, he could assume any role while carrying out his tasks. Was that woman from earlier his partner? Were they pretending to be a couple? Willow felt a sense of relief at the thought. She truly hoped she could encounter him once more in the hotel and have a conversation with him. At the very least, it was good enough if she could know he had recovered from his injuries. ¡­ After returning to her room, Willow found herself zoning out while reying the scene where she and Jasper met earlier. She was overjoyed to see him, but she also knew she couldn¡¯t disturb him while he was on a mission. This conflicting desire to see him yet not daring to do so was truly tormenting her. Thus, Willow decided to book a room next to Jasper¡¯s. She proceeded to call the front desk, but they wouldn¡¯t disclose Jasper¡¯s room number. However, that didn¡¯t pose a problem for Willow. The reason for that was that this was a hotel owned by the Manson Group, which also meant that this was the hotel that belonged to her uncle, Nigel. As such, she called his number directly. After a series of requests, Aimee managed to find out which room Jasper was staying in. Even though he had booked the room under a different name, the surveince footage revealed his hotel room. Chapter 1986 Chapter 1986 Nigel couldn¡¯t resist his niece¡¯s pleading, so he made an exception this one time and agreed to her request. After all, he knew her niece wouldn¡¯t do anything reckless. That was how Willow ended up booking the room next to Jasper¡¯s. As she carried her belongings downstairs, she deliberately nced at the door beside her as she wondered if he was on the other side of the door. A faint smile crept onto Willow¡¯s lips at the thought. Now that she was only a door away from him, there was nothing else she could ask for. Little did Willow know that Jasper had already set up several hidden cameras in the corridor. At this moment, he was monitoring the movements in the corridor and naturally caught sight of her entering the room next to his. He also noticed Willow¡¯s slightly smug expression, which clearly indicated that she hade for him. Jasper¡¯s eyes narrowed for a few seconds, seemingly with a hint of resignation. ¡°Did you catch anything in the corridor?¡± Aimee walked over and asked. ¡°No,¡± he replied. Dressed in a tight-fitting ck outfit, Aimee couldn¡¯t help but sit down beside him. ¡°Jasper, we have plenty of time. Let¡¯s enjoy life together!¡± As she spoke, her hand naturally moved to rest on his shoulder in an enticing manner. Jasper¡¯s gaze turned extremely cold as he nced at her hand. However, his tone was even more chilling when he growled, ¡°Move.¡± Aimee, feeling a bit annoyed, sat back opposite him. ¡°What am Icking, Jasper? That littledy has captured your attention today, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯m any worse than her. Pray tell, do you prefer younger women?¡± Jasper was 27, and so was Aimee. She exuded the mature charm that a woman her age should possess, and she thought that Jasper would be attracted to that. ¡°It¡¯s work hours. We shouldn¡¯t discuss personal matters,¡± Jasper replied with his eyebrows pulled together into a frown. ¡°Stop pretending. If it¡¯s about not discussing personal matters, why were you hesitant to be intimate with me in front of Miss Presgrave just now? You were clearly not in work mode.¡± Aimee saw right through him. Jasper remained silent upon hearing that. Just then, he caught sight of Willow leaving in the surveince video. She had changed into a beautiful outfit and was heading toward the leisure area on the same floor. Although there was a cafe there, their target was also present¡ªa dangerous arms dealer who had a fondness for women and enjoyed harassing any female who caught his eye. And yet, Willow was now approaching that ce. Given how beautiful she was, it could spell trouble if the arms dealer took notice of her. Jasper closed the surveince video and turned to Aimee. ¡°I need to go out for a while.¡± ¡°I¡¯lle with.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessary,¡± he replied and closed hisptop before getting up and stepping out the door. Willow found it boring to stay alone in her room. Besides, she longed for a chance encounter with Jasper here. If she stayed in her room, she knew she would surely miss the opportunity. Each floor of the hotel had a leisure area where one could enjoy coffee and the scenery. She decided to try her luck there. What if Jasper is there?! she thought excitedly. Little did she know that Jasper wasn¡¯t there, but the man had her every move under surveince. If Willow were to discover that she was being monitored by Jasper, she would surely feel embarrassed. After all, who would want to live under someone else¡¯s watchful eye, especially when it was the gaze of a man she felt drawn to? What if she made a fool of herself only to have him witness it all? N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. As Willow entered the cafe, she scanned her surroundings with a tinge of disappointment. It seemed that Jasper wasn¡¯t there. However, since she hade this far, she decided to order a cup of coffee and find a seat on her own. Meanwhile, the arms dealer, Bucky Wells, was having coffee with his two henchmen when he noticed the gorgeous beauty sitting at the opposite table. She was unbelievably stunning, with her long hair cascading down. As a gentle breeze from outside lifted her silky strands, it revealed a face that exuded both mncholy and icy allure. Herplexion was wless and as delicate as a petal. Chapter 1987 Chapter 1987 And there she was, exuding an immacte aura and an inherent elegance that captivated even Bucky, momentarily rendering him spellbound. His two subordinates turned around to nce at Willow. When they saw through their boss¡¯ thoughts, they asked, ¡°Mr. Wells, do you like that chick?¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°F*ck yeah. She¡¯s exactly my type,¡± he replied, his eyes looking like that of a hunter¡¯s. ¡°Mr. Wells, as long as you like her, I guarantee she¡¯ll be your prey tonight!¡± ¡°Good. I want her tonight.¡± Bucky was a wealthy businessman. With his money, he could make his subordinates do anything for him. Since the boss had chosen his target, the two henchmen were determined to deliver the boss¡¯ prey to his room. And so, someone secretly snapped pictures of Willow with their phone. After taking a few front-facing shots, they exchanged a knowing nce. They were determined to get her at any cost tonight. At that very moment, Jasper appeared at the entrance of the restaurant. Dressed impably in a tailored suit, he possessed a good physique¡ªslim when clothed but fit when naked. Willow was lost in her thoughts when she suddenly heard a familiar male voice ordering. Surprised, she turned her head, and her heart promptly skipped a beat. Heavens! She had actually bumped into Jasper, who had also arrived. Willow quicklyposed herself, hoping to create a fortuitous encounter. However, just as she was about to wave Jasper over to join her, she realized that he hadpletely ignored her. Instead, he elegantly sipped his coffee and paid her no attention. The contrast between Willow¡¯s expectations and reality hit her hard. Did he really not see me, or is he choosing not to see me? At that moment, Willow¡¯s phone chimed as she had received a message. Even though she was not in the mood to check the message, she still nced at it and saw the words, ¡®I can¡¯t meet you right now.¡¯ A glimmer of joy sparkled in Willow¡¯s beautiful eyes as she looked across at the man opposite her, holding the very phone that he had sent her the message with. ¡®How did you get my phone number?¡¯ Willow asked him. ¡®I have my ways,¡¯ the man wrote back. She paused for a moment, almost forgetting that Jasper was an international secret agent with the ability to disable an entire surveince system. ¡®So, are you working right now? Is that woman who was with you earlier your colleague or your girlfriend?¡¯ Willow started chatting with him on the phone. ¡®Colleague,¡¯ he replied. The corners of Willow¡¯s mouth curled up. It looks like I¡¯m right! How could an insensitive guy like him possibly have a girlfriend? Ha! She felt delighted and, with her chin resting on her hand, she stared at the man. As she continued to gaze, a message notification interrupted her. She couldn¡¯t help but nce at the message. ¡®Stop staring at me.¡¯ A blush crept up on Willow¡¯s cheeks. Does he think I¡¯m infatuated with him? ¡®Is it a crime to look at you?¡¯ Indeed, she felt a bit indignant. This man never held back on embarrassing her. ¡®No more looking,¡¯ hemanded. Because his target was still present, Jasper couldn¡¯t stay here for too long, nor could he let the target know that he knew Willow. ¡®Leave the cafe quickly and return to your room. Don¡¯te out unless necessary,¡¯ he warned. Upon reading this warning, Willow retorted, ¡®Can we stay in touch anytime?¡¯ Even if they couldn¡¯t meet, they could still chat through messages. ¡®Yes.¡¯ He gave a short answer. All he wanted at this moment was for her to leave as soon as possible. A smile appeared on the corners of Willow¡¯s lips when she saw the message. Soon, Jasper urged her, ¡®Hurry up and go back to your room.¡¯ It was only then that Willow got up and left, unaware that her departure was being observed by two men whose eyes were fixed on her like those of predators. Jasper didn¡¯t notice that as he had his back turned to them, but after Willow left, he pretended to answer a phone call and left as well. Back in her room, Willow couldn¡¯t help but lie on the bed with a happy expression as she hugged her phone. She could finally stay in touch with him. Chapter 1988 Chapter 1988 Aimee was sitting in front of herputer when Jasper returned to the room. She looked up at the man who had juste in and asked, ¡°Where did you go?¡± ¡°Nowhere important,¡± Jasper replied as he made his way to his room. She couldn¡¯t help but follow him. ¡°Jasper, we are partners. You can¡¯t keep anything from me, or we won¡¯t be able to work together.¡± ¡°Aimee, just focus on your own tasks.¡± Jasper then closed the door behind him. Aimee couldn¡¯t stop her chest from rising and falling from anger for a moment. She had been selected as an international agent and was an exceptional young woman. However, she couldn¡¯t ignore her feelings for Jasper. She had tried repeatedly to restrain herself, and yet, she couldn¡¯t help but pay attention to him. Her heart wouldn¡¯t calm down whenever they were together. It wasn¡¯t as chaotic when Jasper was fully focused on his work before, but ever since she heard that he had been acting absent-minded after his return to the team, her heart had be restless. It was because Willow had entered his heart. Jasper having someone he was interested in was making Aimee feel as if something had set her sights on had been stolen from her. It felt like sh*t. But she also knew that Willow was not just an ordinary woman. After all, Willow Presgrave dide from a formidable family. As such, Aimee hoped that Willow wouldn¡¯t set her heart on Jasper. With her family and background, she could find someone better. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Meanwhile, in the adjacent room, Willow held onto her phone without putting it down. She was trying her best to stop herself from sending a message to Jasper. However, she was having a tough time holding it in. She had typed out several messages, but she ended up being too timid to send any of them lest she disturbed his work. Forget it! I¡¯ll just find something else to do! How about going shopping with Mae? Since she gave me a pursest time, I¡¯ll apany her to choose some gifts! Willow then made ns with Mae, who dly epted. The two of them quickly agreed to meet at the entrance of the lobby. A man was leaning against the wall, engrossed in a game, when Willow walked out and stood by the elevator. As soon as he saw Willow, he quickly closed the game interface and sent a message to his partner. ¡®The target is out. I¡¯ll follow her, and youeter.¡¯ When Willow entered the elevator, the man hurriedly approached her and apologized. ¡°Oh, excuse me. I¡¯m heading down as well.¡± Willow shed him an unguarded smile and continued to message Mae. ¡°I¡¯ming down. My bodyguards¡¯ car is at the entrance.¡± Willow and Mae only got into the car and left after they met up in the lobby. Behind them, a ck SUV followed closely. Although they noticed Willow had a bodyguard with her, they took the risk of kidnapping this beautiful woman as a tribute in order to please their boss. As individuals who were involved in international high-stakes matters, they were not afraid of any consequences. Meanwhile, Jasper was in his room on hisputer when a sudden whimsical thought prompted him to open a document. He clicked on today¡¯s surveince footage and fast-forwarded to the part where Willow left her room. He watched as she walked out, lingered for a few seconds in front of his door, and stared at the door before she headed toward the cafe. Jasper¡¯s gaze remained fixed on Willow even after she went into the cafe. He observed her standing at the service counter, ordering coffee, and choosing a seat. Even without any filters, she exuded a timeless elegance that captivated him. Her every move reflected the demeanor of a refineddy. At that moment, Jasper noticed a pair of eyes in the footage, staring at Willow as a predator would. Jasper¡¯s sharp eyebrows furrowed as he realized it was his target, Bucky. Bucky stared at Willow intensely, his gaze akin to that of a wolf, while conversing with his henchmen. His expression revealed a touch of obscenity. Jasper quickly turned up the volume and put on his earphones to listen to Bucky and his henchmen. He overheard Bucky saying, ¡°Good. I want her tonight.¡± Quickly, Jasper increased the yback speed and looked closely through the footage. As expected, he saw one of Bucky¡¯s henchmen waiting for Willow at the elevator entrance. Chapter 1989 Chapter 1989 Jasper felt nervous because Willow left the hotel fifteen minutes ago, and Bucky¡¯s men had already begun following her. Without hesitation, he closed hisptop and immediately grabbed his gear before leaving. Meanwhile, Aimee was in the hall when she saw Jasper and quickly asked, ¡°Jasper, where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m heading out to follow Bucky¡¯s men.¡± Once he finished saying that, he was already out the door. Jasper had already inserted a tracker inside the phone belonging to one of Bucky¡¯s men, so he quickly tracked that person¡¯s current location. At that point, a ck SUV sped out of the underground parking lot. Seeing that the target was currently in a shopping mall, he guessed Willow must also be there. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. In the meantime, Willow was shopping with Mae. The two were having a great time, choosing clothes and bags for each other. They had bodyguards following them all the time, but not far away, two fierce- looking men were plotting to kidnap Willow. ¡°Willow, you¡¯re giving me too much. Let¡¯s find somewhere to have a tea break!¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Willow knew there was a nice cafe on the third floor. When the two entered the elevator, their bodyguards followed them, but one of Bucky¡¯s men also entered the elevator. That man was responsible for following Willow, while the other took another path because she had seen him before. Just as the group entered the cafe, someone entered the first-floor elevator in the lobby. He was wearing a gray sweatshirt with a hood and had a tall, muscr figure. His cap covered his forehead and eyes, revealing only his defined nose, sensual lips, and a perfect-looking jawline. His phone shed a signal, indicating the target was less than twenty meters away. Jasper had arrived. He looked in the direction of the signal and saw one of Bucky¡¯s men standing by a pir, seeming to be waiting for someone. Then, Jasper looked in the direction the man was looking in and noticed a cafe. When he arrived at the cafe, a waitress enthusiastically weed him. ¡°Sir, how may I¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking for someone,¡± he replied. The waitress looked up at the customer, and her eyes instantly widened. God! He¡¯s so handsome. ¡°Okay. Pleasee in.¡± She dared not stop the man. Jasper swept his gaze across the room and immediately noticed the young woman by the window. Willow and Mae were currently chatting while enjoying their food, and the former had no idea that danger was nearby. However, Bucky¡¯s men had thought of an intricate but nasty n, which was to find a power supply and install a time bomb there. The bomb was not very powerful, but it could cause everyone in the shopping mall to panic and run away. That way, they could easily kidnap Willow during the chaos. When the five-minute countdown was finally up, a room on the left side of the third floor suddenly exploded, shocking everyone in the shopping mall. That was followed by every electronic device malfunctioning. The scene was utter chaos. Willow and Mae held each other¡¯s hand while sprinting toward the cafe¡¯s entrance. At this moment, groups of people instantly crowded the already densely popted third floor. The bodyguards waiting for Willow outside the entrance were pushed to the side by the crowd. ¡°Miss Presgrave? Miss Presgrave!¡± ¡°Malcolm¡­¡± Willow saw her bodyguard but could not do anything because the crowd was pushing her forward. At that moment, Mae, who was holding on to her, was also pushed forward. ¡°Willow!¡± ¡°Mae!¡± When Willow was about to chase after Mae, she was suddenly pushed to the ground. At that moment, a firm and strong arm grabbed her waist. The man took off his coat and tightly covered her entire figure. Then, while everyone was moving in the direction of the elevators and stairs, Willow was brought into a secluded hallway. ¡°Who are you? Let go of me!¡± Willow was shocked and frantic because the coat on her head rendered her unable to see anything. There was a strong arm around her waist, forcefully leading her away, and just as she was frantically pulling on the clothing on her head, she heard a deep male voice. Chapter 1990 Chapter 1990 ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Hearing that voice made Willow stop struggling, and she willingly followed him. When she felt a wall behind her back, she quickly removed the clothing on her head and stared at her savior in disbelief. ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± The surprised woman looked at the man before her, wondering why he was there. ¡°Why are you¡­¡± She happily asked, but halfway through her question, Jasper covered her lips with his palm, stopping her from speaking. That was because he sensed someone approaching them. Since they were in a corner, she could feel him moving closer and leaning against her, rendering her no choice but gulp. At this point, both were closely leaning against each other, and she even felt a little breathless from the pressure on her chest. However, she obedientlyplied and stayed quiet. She knew there was danger wherever this man was, and the explosion from earlier was no simple matter. What¡¯s going on? Meanwhile, Jasper narrowed his eyes and waited for the frantic footsteps to disappear before looking at the woman in his arms. When he did, he noticed her blushing cheeks and the faint shyness in her sparkling eyes. Suddenly, Willow¡¯s phone rang, startling her. She quickly took it out and saw it was Mae calling her. Before she could answer the call, the man took it away and switched it to silent mode. ¡°Follow me.¡± Once he said that, he grabbed her hand and led her to the back of the cafe. There were usually service elevators at those ces. Willow followed him, taking twists and turns while making their way to the hallway behind the kitchen. Despite her situation, she was happy because that man always appeared whenever she was in danger. How could a woman like her not fall for him? This was simply a scene that would only appear in her dreams! In the meantime, Jasper urately analyzed their route with just a look and quickly brought her toward the service elevator. At that moment, many were waiting for the elevator as well. Though the shopping mall had lost power, the elevators had a backup power supply, so they were still working. When he saw the crowd, he decided against taking the elevator with Willow. He led her away, and she willingly followed. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. While walking along the mall¡¯s hallway, she noticed she had never been to these ces. Still, she was not in the mood to look around because her eyes were focused on the man before her. However, the two men nning on kidnapping Willow were chasing after them. They had stuck a tracking device on her backpack when they passed by her long before. However, they did not expect the young woman to flee so quickly among the chaotic crowd. Jasper and Willow arrived at the entrance to the stairs, and while he was leading her down, he frowned upon hearing footsteps from above them. Since he had quite an urate sixth sense, he had a hunch that someone was following them. Are Bucky¡¯s men still on our trail? Suddenly remembering that those men were not ordinary, he believed they would find a way to keep their target in sight no matter what. Then, he immediately pulled Willow closer. With his strength, he tugged her straight into his embrace. Following that, she felt arge hand moving from her neck to her clothes. Her eyes widened slightly as the man examined her hair and even her hands. Nheless, Willow did not make a sound and allowed him to check her body. Soon, the man took her bag and scrutinized it, ultimately finding a tracking device stuck under it. It was as small as a grain of rice, so it was easily undetectable. Jasper quickly took the device off and opened the second-floor door before tossing it through. Afterward, he continued to lead her downstairs. In the meantime, the woman stayed quiet as she followed him to an exit at the back of the building, where she saw a crowd, along with police officers and firefighters who arrived at the scene right after the explosion. She followed the man until he opened a car door and pushed her inside before getting in too. Chapter 1991 Chapter 1991 ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked Willow curiously. Turning to face her, Jasper looked at her and replied, ¡°Willow, don¡¯t return to the hotel and go home to your parents. You¡¯ve been targeted by a bad guy.¡± Dumbfounded, she blinked her eyes, asking, ¡°Who¡¯s targeting me?¡± ¡°The explosion at the mall was staged to cause chaos so they could kidnap you. Those kidnappers are hired by a rich businessman who has taken a fancy to you, so it¡¯s no longer safe for you to stay at the hotel.¡± He warned her, hoping she would protect herself. Gulping, Willow did not expect she would get involved in such an unwarranted situation. ¡°So, you rushed here to save me?¡± she asked. Jasper nodded. ¡°I found the time toe here, but I still have toplete my mission and can¡¯t protect you.¡± Feeling a warm feeling enveloping her, she said, ¡°You¡¯re protecting me now!¡± ¡°This is the only time I will. I don¡¯t have the time and effort to protect an outsider.¡± His gaze turned cold. His words were like a bucket of cold water poured onto Willow¡¯s warm heart. She pursed her lips. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I caused you so much trouble.¡± When he started the car, she asked, ¡°Are you going to send me home?¡± Jasper remained quiet, but the car headed for the city center and finally arrived at the entrance of Presgrave Group. Then, he ordered, ¡°Get out.¡± Hearing that, she felt hurt and turned to face him. ¡°If saving me makes things so difficult for you, don¡¯t come to my rescue again. I don¡¯t want to take up your time.¡±Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Once she finished, she got out of the car but took a wrong step and tripped. While sitting on the step, she looked at a particr someone. However, she did not notice that when she fell, the man had instinctively reached out his hand to help her but was too far away, so he could only watch as she plunged to the floor. ¡°You should leave! Goodbye, Jasper.¡± Willow was somewhat furious and added, ¡°No, let¡¯s not meet each other ever again.¡± Listening to her childish retort, he snorted. ¡°Stay with your parents, and don¡¯t wander around then.¡± With that, the man sped away and soon disappeared into the crowd of cars. It was then that Willow¡¯s eyes reddened as she felt wronged. Although he had saved her, he did it unwillingly! Taking out her phone, she saw Mae, her bodyguards, and her parents had called her dozens of times, so she phoned her father first. ¡°Willy, where are you? Are you hurt?¡± ¡°Dad, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m currently in ourpany¡¯s lobby! I¡¯m about to head upstairs to look for Jared.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Elliot felt relieved. He had just received a call from Malcolm, the bodyguard, mentioning the incident at the shopping mall and that he had lost Willow in the crowd. ¡°I need to call my friend. Let¡¯s talkter, Dad.¡± After she said that, she hung up and called Mae, who soon answered her call. Mae was still looking for Willow outside the mall! ¡°Mae, you should return to the hotel first! I¡¯m currently with Jared. Let¡¯s keep in touch.¡± ¡°Sure! Take care of yourself.¡± After their phone call ended, Willow limped up the stairs and headed toward the lobby. Meanwhile, Elliot had already taken the elevator downstairs to get her. When he saw she had injured her leg, he felt heartbroken and supported her. ¡°How did you get into this state?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡± She smiled helplessly. The pain in her leg was fine, but the stuffiness in her heart would not disappear anytime soon. ¡­ Back at the hotel. Jasper turned on hisptop to see if Bucky¡¯s men had returned and eventually discovered they had. Inside the video, the two men seemed frustrated, undoubtedly because they had failed their mission and could not deliver what was asked of them. However, he let out a slight sigh. If he had not discovered Willow was followed, she might have already been kidnapped by then. Chapter 1992 Chapter 1992 At that moment, someone knocked on the door. Jasper opened up and saw Aimee. ¡°I ordered food. Let¡¯s eat!¡± He nodded and came out of his room, after which she curiously asked, ¡°Where did you head off to just now? Don¡¯t tell me you went to see Miss Presgrave!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± he denied. Aimee felt he should not have taken action on his own, so she bit her lip, arguing, ¡°Even if you¡¯re my superior, you shouldn¡¯t have taken action without me knowing. I have the right to know your every move.¡± While sitting by the table, Jasper looked at her and dered, ¡°I won¡¯t do anything that would affect our mission.¡± ¡°But you already have. Ever since Miss Presgrave appeared, you¡¯ve been acting strange.¡± That was what kept her frustrated inside. Also, he had never hidden in his room to work before. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Aimee, I said I won¡¯t do anything that would affect our mission.¡± He emphasized and coldly added, ¡°Also, don¡¯t mention Miss Presgrave anymore.¡± Stunned, Aimee could not help but sit down because his words carried a slight deterrence to her. ¡°Fine. I believe you, and I won¡¯t mention Miss Presgrave again. Also, you can¡¯t meet with her behind my back.¡± On the other hand, the Presgraves had sent bodyguards to pack Willow¡¯s items at the hotel. When Bucky¡¯s men found out she would no longer be staying at the hotel, they had no choice but to return and report this to Bucky, who was displeased. ¡°Is this how you do your work?¡± ¡°Mr. Wells, that woman must not be of an ordinary background. She has six bodyguards following her all the time. We can¡¯t find a chance to get near her.¡± ¡°Mr. Wells, that woman must not be of an ordinary background. She has six bodyguards following her all the time. We can¡¯t find a chance to get near her.¡± ¡°Mr. Wells, we shouldy low and not cause anymotion until the seller arrives.¡± Hearing that, Bucky gave in. ¡°Go and pick out two young women for me.¡± The two subordinates felt relieved but still could not figure out who saved Willow. Moreover, that person also discovered their tracking device! One had to know that the tracking device was almost impossible to find unless the one searching was a professional. ¡­ When Willow returned home, she acted like she always did before her parents. As soon as she returned to her room, only she knew what her mind was thinking. She took out her phone, and while she used to enjoy surfing through videos online, she now only wanted to text a particr person. When she remembered her dispute with him today, she worried that sending him a message now would be like proving herself wrong. After repeatedly looking at her phone, she tossed it aside and grabbed a book. After reading a few pages, she realized she could not concentrate. Anyhow, she felt annoyed because she seemed unable to think about anything else besides Jasper. It was the first time Willow felt so helpless. She used to stay upte reading a book and could even come up with many interesting ideas, but Jasper resembled a giant, taking up all her thoughts now. ¡°What is this? Why do I keep thinking about him?¡± She hugged her head, feeling like crying. Soon, she concluded that she was sick, and Jasper was her symptom. Then, she grabbed her phone again and typed a text. ¡®I apologize for whatever I said to you today. If you¡¯re willing to forgive me, just send me a smiling emoji.¡¯ After that, she closed her eyes and sent the text, but after she did, she began feeling frustrated again. All kinds of thoughts crowded her mind. What if he doesn¡¯t reply? What if he ignores my text? What if he thinks I¡¯m a dishonorable woman? What if he thinks I¡¯m infatuated with him? In the meantime, the man was busy with something on hisptop. When he heard the notification tone, he looked at his phone and did nothing except hold his phone after reading the text, seeming to be controlling his emotions. In the end, he set down his device and ignored it. On the other hand, Willow waited anxiously but received no reply after half an hour, just like what she had expected. Chapter 1993 Chapter 1993 At that point, Willow started regretting her actions. I shouldn¡¯t have sent that text. Am I not just humiliating myself? She covered her face, feeling embarrassed. However, she soon concluded that she must have been lonely, which was why she needed a man to fill her heart. There are countless men on earth, so why should I dwell on Jasper? Also, Dad is surrounded by many excellent men, so there¡¯s no way I can¡¯t find someone my type. That¡¯s right. From tomorrow onward, I¡¯ll get Dad to introduce me to a few of them, or I can ask Jared as well. Anyway, she had to get Jasper out of her mind and find someone emotionally valuable to her, one who was also passionate about her. During breakfast early the following morning, Elliot told the family that his friend¡¯s son wasing to attend the banquet. Since the other party was prestigious, he had to send some bodyguards to pick him up. ¡°Dad, how about I go?¡± Willow volunteered herself. ¡°You?¡± He was taken aback. When did his daughter be so enthusiastic about such things? ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll go. I just happen to be free, and he¡¯s an important guest, right? So, it¡¯d be more appropriate if I went.¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°Alright, then. Let her go. I think she¡¯s got too much time on her hands,¡± Anastasia told her husband. Her daughter had been idle at home recently, so it was a good chance for her to interact with others and understand how to better deal with people. ¡°Sure! You can go, but remember. He¡¯s our guest, so no funny business!¡± Elliot exhorted his daughter. ¡°Dad, trust me. I will surely take good care of our guest.¡± She promised confidently. ¡°Dad, trust me. I will surely take good care of our guest.¡± She promised confidently. ¡°I noticed your eyes seem red. Why did you stay uptest night?¡± asked Anastasia with furrowed brows. Willow felt hopeless. If only she had been doing somethingtest night¡­ But the truth was she could not sleep because of one man! She kept dazing until the early morning before falling asleep. She had to eliminate the cause of her illness and cure her anxiety. Therefore, she saw no problem in interacting with young men. ¡°The usual¡­ Binge-watching untilte at night,¡± she lied and giggled. ¡°Oh, you! Seems like you do have a lot of time on your hands,¡± Anastasia chastised while looking at her daughter affectionately. Since the guest¡¯s ne was due tond at 10.00AM, Willow left home after finishing her breakfast. ¡­ At the same time, another group of people was heading for the airport¡ªAimee and Jasper. That was because the customer Bucky was waiting for was due to arrive on the same flight. When Willow arrived, she entered a cafe she frequented because it was less crowded. Since it specialized in premium coffee and service, fewer tourists would visit here. She found a seat beside the window as she could see all the customersing and going from the lobby. It also came with a great view of the majestic and extraordinary architecture of the building. Looking at her watch, Willow saw that there was still over half an hour before the ne arrived and began thinking about how she would pass the time. At that moment, she heard footstepsing from outside the cafe. It seemed like more customers wereing in. There were not many people in the cafe, to begin with, so the sudden addition of two more attracted her attention. When she nced in that direction, her eyes widened as she stared at the two approaching the entrance in disbelief. You gotta be kidding me. Averna is such a massive city, but why do I keep bumping into him? The same question also urred to Jasper, who even suspected Willow had been following him. Otherwise, why would he bump into her at a cafe at the airport in a big city? Meanwhile, Aimee noticed Willow and subconsciously nced at Jasper¡¯s expression. The man quickly averted his gaze and deliberately chose a seat furthest away from Willow. In addition, he sat behind a pir so that he would not have to face her. When Willow saw his deliberate action to avoid eye contact with her, she felt inexplicably breathless from anger. Did she annoy him so much that he did not even wish to look at her? She had never received such treatment before, and a strong sense of self-doubt made her look at her attire. After some thought, she realized it had nothing to do with her outfit because that man simply disliked her! Chapter 1994 Chapter 1994 Ever since they knew each other, she was just a troublemaker to him, causing him more hassle than he needed and even ruining his mission once. It could not be helped if he hated her. Propping her chin on her palm, Willow sighed. She was already bored to tears, to begin with, but now, she was even more bored. Still, she turned her attention to the man, who was revealing his arm a little. In the meantime, Aimee could see Willow from where she was seated, and from the corners of her eyes, she observed her disgruntled expression. A smirk tinged the edge of her lips before she faced the man working in front of her. ¡°Would you like something to drink, honey?¡± She deliberately raised her voice, and Willow could hear her clearly in the quiet cafe. ¡°Whatever,¡± Jasper said nonchntly. Sashaying, Aimee brought herself to the reception and ordered two coffees. When she returned to his side, she stopped next to him, crouched down, and got close to his face in front of Willow¡¯s eyes. With his quick reflexes, he interrupted her with his hand, and her kissnded on the back of his hand. However, seated behind the pir with her view blocked, Willow imagined that she had kissed him, and he had epted it. She could not help but take a few sharp breaths. Did I make a wrong guess? Are they more than just working partners but lovers as well? That woman is immacte and fashionable, with a very aggressive and shrewd temperament. They¡¯re working in the same office and even sharing the same room in a hotel. No matter how anyone else looks at it, they¡¯re very intimate. Suddenly, she felt a tight wrench in her chest for some unknown reason, followed by a stuffy and painful sensation. All her expressions were observed by Aimee, whom Jasper was watching, and she smiled triumphantly as she whispered into his ear, ¡°What? Are you worried that Miss Presgrave will misunderstand us?¡±N?velDrama.Org is the owner. All her expressions were observed by Aimee, whom Jasper was watching, and she smiled triumphantly as she whispered into his ear, ¡°What? Are you worried that Miss Presgrave will misunderstand us?¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± he growled, warning her. ¡°I¡¯m helping you out so that she¡¯ll stop pestering you,¡± Aimee said with a smile. ¡°Save it.¡± Then, he closed hisptop and rose to his feet. ¡°I¡¯m going to the bathroom.¡± Willow saw that Jasper had stood up and went after him to the bathroom in the heat of the moment. At this sight, Aimee thought in annoyance, Miss Presgrave can¡¯t seem to leave Jasper alone, eh? Trotting after him, Willow called, ¡°Wait a minute, Jasper.¡± Even so, he did not stop, and she had to follow him into the walkway leading to the bathrooms but lost sight of him after a few seconds. While she was in confusion, a pair of arms grabbed her out of the blue from the corner of the walkway and dragged her into a small storage room that happened to be at the side. Barely able to catch her breath, Willow raised her head and met his deep, unreadable eyes staring at her. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± he asked in a deep voice. Her eyebrows shot up. ¡°I¡¯m here to pick up someone.¡± ¡°I¡¯m working. Don¡¯t get in my way,¡± he warned. Biting her lower lip, she whined, ¡°That¡¯s because you didn¡¯t reply to my messages. You could¡¯ve at least replied to me after I apologized to youst night. Don¡¯t you even have the time to do that?¡± ¡°Miss Presgrave, not everyone is your servant. Just because you texted me doesn¡¯t mean I must reply to you.¡± He sneered with a soft snort. Once again, Willow was tongue-tied, and blood rushed to her face at his sarcasm. She felt that the strength in her body was all sucked away by this man and started to lean back to rest against the wall. However, she did not realize she was still an arm¡¯s length away from it. ¡°Ah!¡± It was a littlete when she noticed that there was no wall behind her, and seeing that her head was about to make an impact against the concrete, Jasper extended his long arm and swiftly pulled her into his embrace. Chapter 1995 Chapter 1995 Since he had a tall figure and was slightly leaning in, there was half a finger¡¯s length between Willow¡¯s red lips and his when he pulled her into his embrace. They almost pressed against each other. She exhaled lightly, and the man¡¯s breaths seemed to grow heavier as well. The two did not remove themselves right away. Instead, they maintained a sliver of distance in between. For Willow, she did not want to push him away, but she was scared to get close too. She feared that everything was just her imagination and that she was the clown here. She looked up to see the man¡¯s thick eyshes forming a fan-like shade over his eyes. It was rare to see such thick eyshes around these parts. The man released her first, and she quickly stepped back. In the small narrow space, their breaths could be heard clearly. Just then, a mouse suddenly dashed out of nowhere, perhaps startled by the movements, and coincidentally ran up to Willow¡¯s feet. The man¡¯s sharp senses seemed to have foreseen it as he sped his hand over her mouth to muffle her uing screams. Then, he carried her in his arms. Willow was afraid at first, but at that moment, her butt was seated on the man¡¯s firm arms. She was carried in the man¡¯s embrace like a child, and his other hand covered her dainty mouth. There was an indescribable yet suggestive quality to their posture. Willow swallowed as she licked her lips anxiously. However, her small tongue identally touched the man¡¯s palm as well. In that instant, a force seemed to ram into the man¡¯s heart and turn his breaths even heavier. He reached out and put her down before opening the door and ordering her, ¡°Get out.¡± She was chased out just like that. Of course, the man came out after her. He walked toward the men¡¯s bathroom while she went to the women¡¯s with a reddened face. What is going on?! When Willow returned to the cafe, Jasper was already back. He was working on his laptop, and the woman seated opposite him was looking at her with an examining look. When she met the woman¡¯s gaze, the woman even smiled at her. Willow returned to her seat, supporting her chin as she recalled everything that had happened. If he did not care about her life, why would he pick her up when the mouse ran up to her just now? Or did he take care of her on a whim? She let out a sigh. He was working, so she decided not to bother him. ¡°Miss Presgrave, there would be quite a crowdter. After we pick up Mr. Easteriater, we¡¯ll take him here to meet up with you.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Willow nodded, not wanting to leave the cafe right now, either. The bodyguard went downstairs 10 minutes earlier. Just then, Aimee got up and went downstairs too, leaving Jasper alone. She wore a pair of sunsses, which was an advanced video camera. All the videos she recorded would be sent to Jasper¡¯sputer while he was in charge of analyzing their client¡¯s identity so that they could lock onto their target easier. Passengers began to appear one after the other. The bodyguard held up a sign with the words ¡®Troy Easteria¡¯ written on it. Soon, the bodyguard quickly locked in on a target. The man was about 6 feet tall and wore fashionable sunsses. Behind him, two bodyguards were carrying simple suitcases as they followed him. He paused in front of the weing signs, then walked toward the bodyguard. ¡°Wee, Mr. Easteria.¡± The bodyguard smiled as he spoke. ¡°Thank you.¡± Troy Easteria shed a handsome smile. His features indicated mixed lineage, and there was a sapphire earring on his left ear, injecting a hint of charm into his handsomeness. He was 26 years old, but he exuded the aura of a womanizer. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°This way, please. The youngdy is waiting for you.¡± ¡°Miss Presgrave, right? We met each other once when we were young.¡± Troy still remembered the princess of the Presgrave Family. Back then, she was five, and he was eight. They were at a banquet, and she was dancing alone on the stage. She received apuse from every guest there, and it was then that he was attracted to this little princess. As such, the bodyguard led Troy to the cafe. They were not in a rush to check into the hotel in the city, anyway, so it would be the same no matter where they met. Chapter 1996 Chapter 1996 As soon as Troy walked into the cafe, he noticed the attractive figure sitting by the window. He had not seen her in years, but she still had a princess-like aura surrounding her. Jasper caught sight of the person who had just walked in. He did not mind at first, but when he saw Troy walking over to Willow and greeting her, he instantly stopped halfway through typing. ¡°Long time no see, Miss Presgrave.¡± Willow looked up at Troy, then stood up politely. ¡°Have we met before?¡± ¡°Yes. You were five, and I was eight. We were at a banquet abroad.¡± He examined her, then said in amazement, ¡°You haven¡¯t changed much.¡± ¡°How can that be? I¡¯ve grown from a child into an adult, at least!¡± she said,ughing. ¡°That¡¯s true. You¡¯re a lovely and pretty woman now.¡± He smiled as he expressed his agreement. ¡°If you¡¯re not in a hurry to get to the hotel, let¡¯s sit down and talk,¡± Willow told him. She had a friendly tone as if they had been friends forever. Troy was a casual guy as well. He said, with great pleasure, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not in a hurry. It¡¯s my honor to chat with you, Miss Presgrave.¡± She picked up the cup of coffee and subconsciously nced in a direction, curving her lips. She wanted a certain man to see that she was not without admirers. As she spoke, she identally spilled the coffee. The liquid sshed onto the table, and some even dripped onto the floor. ¡°Are you okay, Miss Presgrave?¡± Troy hastily got up and asked in concern. Willow got up as well, smiling and suggesting, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Let¡¯s change seats.¡± With that, she reached out and pulled Troy along, switching their seats so that she would sit beside Jasper while still facing Troy. Out of the corner of her eye, she nced at a man who was hard at work. ¡°Troy, thanks for attending my nephew¡¯s baby shower.¡± When she referred to him by his first name, Troy was so ted that his eyes shone. He could not help but chuckle. ¡°Can I call you Willy?¡± ¡°Yup, of course! Everyone calls me Willy.¡± When she finished speaking, she supported her chin, smiling as she gazed at Troy with her huge beautiful eyes. Troy felt something plucking his heartstrings. He thought of something, then retrieved a cute crystal rabbit from his pocket. ¡°For you.¡± She reached out and took it, expressing in pleasant surprise, ¡°It¡¯s so pretty!¡± ¡°I saw it on my way here and liked it, so I bought it. It¡¯s perfect as a gift for you.¡± ¡°I can hang it on my bag.¡± With that, she attached the rabbit to her purse. It served as an ornament. ¡°It¡¯s just a little toy. I¡¯ll give you something even better when I get to the city,¡± Troy said, smiling. Willow curved her lips into a smile. ¡°I¡¯m the host, so I should be the one weing you. If there are any gifts involved, they shoulde from me.¡± ¡°Lend me your car, then! My private jet couldn¡¯t send me here, so they couldn¡¯t ship my car either.¡± ¡°Sure! I have six sports cars, so take your pick.¡± She smiled generously. ¡°My brother has some, too. If you fancy any of those, you can tell me.¡± ¡°I heard that your brother has a personally customized car that¡¯s the only one of its kind. I¡¯m curious to see it.¡± ¡°Sure! I can ask him to take you out on a road trip in that car,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll look forward to it, then,¡± Troy said, ted. Jasper heard everything they said and was so absorbed in it that he ignored Aimee¡¯s voice for a few seconds. ¡°Jasper, are you listening? Did you screenshot their license te?¡± She could not help but ask again, for she received no response the first time. ¡°I did.¡± ¡°Good. Come down, then! I¡¯ll wait for you in the car.¡± Jasper closed hisptop and stuffed it into hisptop case. When he was lifting it, he nced at Troy, whose gaze remained on Willow¡¯s face as if it was glued to her. He got up and walked over to them, but Willow rose on purpose and extended her arm to block his path. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Excuse me,¡± the man spoke in a low voice. Chapter 1997 Chapter 1997 As words of congrattions sounded from the people around them, Jared and Ellen smiled and nodded in response. The guests were amazed at the young child of the Presgrave Family, who was born with a golden spoon. How amazing to be blessed since birth! Meanwhile, the child lying asleep in his father¡¯s arms waspletely oblivious. His small features were tinted pink, and even though his tiny face was plump, he looked very much like his father. Willow brought Troy over to look at her nephew. He envied the family, but his heart still longed for the freedom of unattachment. The baby shower proceeded smoothly. Many elders were present, making the younger generations, like Willow, feel a little stressed, so she took Troy out for a drive. As the night fell, they sat in a high- ss bar, gazing at the glimmering stars outside the window. She held the wine ss in her hand and could not help but think of that man. Seeing her in a daze, Troy, sitting next to her, had the urge to help her. ¡°If you miss him so much, just go to him!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that. He thinks I¡¯m annoying and kept getting in his way,¡± Willow said sullenly. Troy studied her. Everyone would love this little princess of the Presgrave Family. She was perfect in terms of background, looks, and personality, so what man would not like her? ¡°He¡¯s just blind for not seeing your best sides. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m here.¡± Heforted her. Willow picked up the wine ss and took a sip from it. However, somewhere nearby, a paparazzi who had managed to get in spotted them. He quickly raised his phone and took a shot. He recognized her because she was in a recently released photo of a banquet held for rich young ladies all around the world. He had been in this line of work long enough to recognize Willow right away. When he saw the handsome man sitting opposite her, he was delighted at his luck, for he managed to take a shot of Miss Presgrave¡¯s romantic affair. At that moment, Troy caught sight of the reporter out of the corner of his eye. Then, a malicious idea urred to him. He got up and walked over to Willow, then loosely put an arm around her, saying, ¡°Willy, do you see a reporter over there? Do you want to hit the headlines with me tomorrow?¡±N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Chapter 1998 Chapter 1998 ¡°What?!¡± A shocked Willow was ready to look, but Troy ced his hand on the side of her head and stopped her. ¡°Don¡¯t look. Let him take the photos.¡± ¡°Do you really want to be in the headlines tomorrow?¡± Willow asked. ¡°Since you can¡¯t find Jasper, why don¡¯t you present yourself to him? Make him feel a sense of urgency. Even if he doesn¡¯te looking for you, you have to let him know that you¡¯ve been doing well without him.¡± Willow found him sensible, so she nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll y along.¡± Troy picked up a flower from the vase and presented it to her with one knee on the floor, looking as though he was proposing to her. Willow was startled for a moment before taking the flower from him with a smile. The paparazzo never stopped taking photos of them since this was big news. He managed to capture the photos of Willow getting proposed to. After Willow and Troy were done putting on an act, they left the ce. Meanwhile, the paparazzo contacted the biggest mediapany, wanting to sell those photos to the other party. When the person from the mediapany heard that, he immediately bought the photos from him and decided to make it the headline the next day. The next morning, Willow¡¯s phone started ringing while she was still asleep. When she realized it was Troy calling, she picked it up groggily. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°We¡¯re really in the headlines now.¡± ¡°Well, how do I look in those photos?¡± Willow asked. ¡°You look gorgeous.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± Willow replied. ¡°Anyway, I still have to get some shut-eye.¡± ¡°Wait a minute. Send Jasper a message and tell him to attend our engagement party tonight. I¡¯m looking for a suitable venue now.¡± ¡°What?! Are you serious?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m serious. If hees to the party, it shows that he still cares about you. If he doesn¡¯te, you can give up on him.¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make all the arrangements. Let¡¯s see if he cares about you. I¡¯ll book a banquet hall and send you the address.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll text him.¡± Willow was fully awake at this point. He¡¯s right. If Jasper doesn¡¯t care about me, I¡¯ll stop wasting time on him. Ten minutes after the call ended, Troy sent her the address. Willow calmed herself down and thought that she should give it a shot. What if I don¡¯t have a special ce in his heart? She took screenshots of her getting proposed to and sent them to Jasper via the contact number he had given her. Then, she wrote, ¡®We¡¯re friends, after all. It¡¯ll be my engagement party tonight. Why don¡¯t youe over?¡¯ When she was done with that, she hoped that Jasper would reply to her. It was fine even if he only sent her one word. Nevertheless, after waiting for 30 minutes, she still didn¡¯t receive any reply. In the end, she felt helpless and thought that Troy¡¯s effort would go to waste. The man probably wouldn¡¯te to the party. ¡­ Jasper had been tailing his target for the entire night until 8.00AM the next day. Not long after he checked into a hotel andy down on the bed, he received a message. This phone was meant for important messages only, so there wouldn¡¯t be advertisements or unnecessary information. As such, he picked it up and took a look, only to see a message that was unrted to work. What?! Is she getting engaged already? Jasper zoomed into the photos and the news article, looking at the images of Troy proposing to Willow. Jasper¡¯s gaze darkened as he pressed his lips together. However, calmness was soon restored to his gaze. His urgent sense of sleepiness seemed to have vanished all of a sudden. He could clearly remember the hotel¡¯s address and the contact number written in the message. He snorted as if mocking himself, but there was a hint of frustration in his expression. Soon, it was evening. Willow and Troy headed to the hotel together. The man had even found people to act as guests, whereas Willow was told to change into a formal dress and put on some delicate makeup. By 7.00PM, the venue was turned into an engagement party. Willow sat down in the lounge and looked gratefully at Troy. ¡°Thanks for doing all this for me, but I think your efforts will likely go to waste. He won¡¯t being.¡± Chapter 1999 Chapter 1999 Troy cated her by saying, ¡°It¡¯s still very early. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± Willow took a look at her phone. A certain man hadn¡¯t replied to her since the morning, so why would he evene? Perhaps the man didn¡¯t care about her or had even forgotten about her. Only she was still putting on an act there, which wasughable. After Troy was gone, Willow sat down on the couch and recalled her memories with Jasper. From the moment she set her eyes on him for the first time to the few days they ran for their lives together, she was trying to find any evidence of Jasper taking a liking to her. However, as she recalled it, the man always sported a dispassionate expression, and there wasn¡¯t any love behind his gaze whenever he looked at her. I should end this farce sooner. Otherwise, I¡¯ll be aughingstock. Meanwhile, a man got out of a ck car and entered the hotel lobby along with other guests before stepping into the elevator. Although he was trying to hide among the guests, his outstanding appearance could hardly be concealed. Several women noticed his presence and felt bashful. When he reached the tenth floor where the engagement party was held, he stepped out of the elevator and sighed. Then, he lowered his gaze to conceal his emotions. When he looked up, his calm gaze was tinged with hesitation. The door to the venue was open, and he looked in the doorway¡¯s direction with an inscrutable gaze. Unbeknownst to him, his presence was already captured by the surveince cameras around the venue. Troy immediately received a notification. When he looked at the surveince footage on hisText property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. phone, he curved his lips into a smile. The fish has taken the bait! He dashed toward the lounge. It just so happened that Willow was about to look for him. She said, ¡°Let¡¯s end everything here, Troy. We¡¯ll go home after the guests finish their meals.¡± ¡°Why would we end the party when the star tonight has just arrived?¡± Troy said with a smile. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Willow blinked. Troy showed her his phone. ¡°Look who¡¯s here. Isn¡¯t he the mysterious and handsome Mr. Wyatt?¡± Willow took the phone and saw Jasper in the surveince footage. However, he was standing at the entrance and didn¡¯t seem to have any intention ofing in. She covered her mouth with surprise and dropped her handbag. ¡°I¡¯ll go look for him now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t scare him away, Willow!¡± Troy said from behind. However, Willow had already bolted out of the room. She was dressed to the nines, and her peach evening gown made her look charming. The moment she left the venue, she realized the man was nowhere in sight, but she caught sight of the elevator door closing. As such, she charged forward and shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t go!¡± Then, she anxiously pressed the button. The next moment, the door opened right before her eyes. When the man inside registered her presence, he was shocked. Willow was panting from running the short distance. She nced at the man in the elevator and beamed. ¡°Since you¡¯re here, why didn¡¯t you go in?¡± The door was about to close again, so Willow tried to squeeze in. The man quickly pressed his hands against the door so that the woman wouldn¡¯t get hurt. Willow was so nervous that she lost her bnce and crashed into the man¡¯s arms. His back hit the wall as they embraced each other. His inscrutable gaze seemed to be glowing as he looked at her. Willow tipped her head back. As her eyes reflected the lights from the ceiling, they looked like a pair of stars, making her appear alluring. His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed as he said hoarsely, ¡°Congrattions on your engagement.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not getting engaged tonight. Take me away.¡± Willow¡¯s lips curved into a smile. An astounded Jasper stared fixedly at the woman in his arms, feeling as though he had misheard her. ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°Take me away. I¡¯m not getting engaged tonight.¡± Willow repeated her words. Her smiling eyes radiated an innocent yet mischievous glow. However, the man¡¯s gaze appeared dark. He sported a conflicted expression as he examined the woman. After observing her expression for a moment, he gently pushed her away while maintaining eye contact. Chapter 2000 Chapter 2000 ¡°You¡¯d better head back to the engagement party, Miss Presgrave!¡± Willow held his arm and acted like a willful child. ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not a three-year-old child, Miss Presgrave. You have to take marriage seriously.¡± With that, Jasper pressed the button to the tenth floor when the elevator had just reached the first floor. When Willow saw that he was going to send her back to the engagement party, she red at him. ¡°Jasper!¡± The moment the door opened, Jasper dragged her out of the elevator while Willow tried to pull him back. ¡°No, I¡¯m not going back to the party!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to marry that man, you can turn him down.¡± The man insisted on lugging her toward the venue. ¡°I¡¯ll only ask you one question, Jasper. Do you love me? If you do, I¡¯ll call off the engagement for you,¡± Willow asked loudly. Jasper was startled for a moment before turning to look meditatively at her with a dark gaze. On the other hand, Willow tilted her head and nced yfully at him. There was a hint of joy behind her gaze. Just then, an anxious-looking figure appeared at the entrance. He was none other than Troy. He had seen Willow entering the elevator, but when he took a look at the surveince footage a momentter, he realized Jasper was bringing her back to the venue. ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with him, Willow?¡± He immediately put on an act. Willow yed along and held Jasper¡¯s arm before saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Troy. He¡¯s the man I love. I¡¯m not going to get engaged to you.¡± Instantly, Troy glowered at Jasper like the man was his love rival. ¡°Is he better than me in any way? Why do you love him but not me?¡± Willow stole a nce at Jasper with a smile as beautiful as a flower. ¡°He saved my life and took care of me before.¡± With a frown, Troy asked Jasper, ¡°Do you love Willow?¡± Jasper nced at Troy, his gaze as inscrutable as ake covered in fog. In the meantime, he appeared doubtful. Willow had caused such amotion, but none of the Presgraves appeared, nor did anyone leave the venue to take a look. Given the Presgraves¡¯ power, there were supposed to be bodyguards inspecting every guest at the entrance. However, none of them were at the venue. ¡°How much longer do you want to put on an act?¡± Jasper was a special agent, after all. He had neglected some details because of what the woman did, but he soon realized what was going on. Willow flushed while Troy stiffened in an instant. He looked at the woman and decided to let her deal with the situation. ¡°I¡¯m going to look for my friends, Willow. See youter!¡± Her face was all red at this point. Met with the man¡¯s sharp gaze, she muttered guiltily, ¡°Is my acting that terrible? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve made any mistakes!¡± She even felt that she could be the main actress in a drama, given her impable acting skills. Nheless, the man still saw through her. Jasper took a deep breath to calm himself down. Everything was just a show Willow had set up, but he still fell for it. Given his identity, it was an unforgivable mistake. He stared at the woman, who nced at him with a pair of alluring eyes. Despite the obstinacy behind her gaze, she appeared somewhat coquettish. That made him feel helpless. ¡°Let¡¯s end this farce here.¡± A frustrated Jasper decided to turn around and leave. A shrewd glint shed across Willow¡¯s eyes as she pretended to run after him. ¡°Hey!¡± The next moment, she intentionally stepped on her dress and fell to the ground. ¡°Ouch!¡± The man¡¯s back was against her. Regardless of how agile he was, he couldn¡¯t save a woman who deliberately fell to the floor. When he turned around, he saw Willow gasping in pain. ¡°Tell your people to send you to the hospital,¡± he said with a frown. ¡°I want you to send me instead.¡±N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Chapter 2001 Chapter 2001 ¡°Given my identity, I can¡¯t go to the hospital.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go to the hospital, then. Send me to a hotel so that I can get some rest,¡± Willow said. ¡°You¡¯re in a hotel right now.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right! By the way, the presidential suite on the top floor is my family¡¯s exclusive room. Why don¡¯t you take me there?¡± The Presgraves owned so many businesses that Willow forgot about some of them. The man was rendered speechless. ¡°Please, Jasper.¡± Willow extended her hands and acted coquettishly. Even a hero couldn¡¯t resist a charmingdy like her. Jasper bent over and draped her hand around his neck. Then, he extended his other arm below her knees and carried her before entering the elevator. When Willow pressed the button to the top floor, a slightly joyful smile formed on her face. However, she had forgotten about the man¡¯s identity; he could capture information through the reflection of anything. There was a mirror affixed to the door, so he could see the smile on her face. Moreover, he had already realized that it was just her pretense, but he didn¡¯t expose her. After entering the Presgraves¡¯ exclusive room, they saw the luxurious interior with ceiling-to-floor windows. When they looked out, they could see a magnificent river. Willow sat down on the couch and picked up the remote control to switch on some appliances. ¡°Tell your family members to take care of you. I¡¯ll be taking my leave.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go. If you have time, why don¡¯t you stay here for a while?¡± Willow suggested. The towering man stopped in his tracks but didn¡¯t turn around. ¡°I don¡¯t have time for your little games.¡± ¡°Alright, let me ask you. Why are you here today?¡± Willow asked with her brow raised. Before the man could reply, she continued, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you happened to pass by this ce or had a mission to carry out here.¡± With a frown, Jasper turned around and stared at her. ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who invited me to your engagement party?¡± Willow was startled for a moment before asking, ¡°Are you saying you¡¯re only here as a guest?¡± The man didn¡¯t respond to her. She bit her lip and continued, ¡°Do you want to see me marry someone else?¡± Jasper let out a sigh. ¡°Miss Presgrave, if you¡¯re looking for a potential partner, you¡¯ve found the wrong person.¡± Willow suddenly realized that even though she had done so much to find out if the man loved her, she only made him frustrated. She wrapped her arms around her knees and buried her face between her thighs, looking as though she was an injured kitten. Then, she said gently, ¡°You can go now. I won¡¯t bother you again.¡± Her figure was curled up in the spacious living room, making her look piteous. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. When the man turned around and looked at the woman on the couch, he didn¡¯t realize that a hint of softness shed across his dispassionate gaze. ¡°Get your family members toe over.¡± ¡°No,¡± Willow said obstinately. Just then, the man received a notification on his watch. A teammate was calling for him. ¡°I really have to leave now.¡± With that, Jasper turned around and left. Suddenly, Willow called out to him, ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Jasper stopped in his tracks in front of the door and whirled around to ask, ¡°What else?¡± Willow got up from the couch and lifted the hem of her dress before rushing toward him. Then, she took a look at him and wrapped her arms around his waist. With her face against his chest, she said, ¡°Let me hug you for a while.¡± The man was astounded. However, Willow hugged him tightly with her face against his firm chest. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the embrace for a moment before reluctantly stepping away. ¡°You can leave now. I¡¯ll stay here tonight. If I get scared of being alone, I¡¯ll send you a message. You must reply to me, got it?¡± Jasper was rendered speechless. He had repeatedly told Willow not to send him messages, but the woman didn¡¯t seem to keep that in mind. ¡°Only tonight.¡± Upon finishing his words, he opened the door and stepped out of the room. Inside the room, Willow put on a satisfied smile. It seemed that the man had finally made a compromise. Chapter 2002 Chapter 2002 After Jasper was gone, Willow received a call from Troy asking about their progress. ¡°How was it? Was he jealous? Did he show signs of hostility?¡± Troy was filled with anticipation. Apparently, he was pleased to be Jasper¡¯s love rival. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Willow didn¡¯t have the answers to those questions, so she replied with a smile, ¡°I have no idea. Anyway, thanks for putting on a show with me tonight. At the very least, I¡¯ve verified something.¡± ¡°Willow, you should have more confidence in yourself.¡± No one could be confident in front of the person they loved. Most of the time, they doubted themselves and had low self-esteem. It was the same case for someone like Willow. ¡°You have a point. I should have more confidence in myself. You must be exhausted, so you¡¯d better get some rest.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve had some fun today. Good night.¡± Troy decided to stop bothering her. Willow ordered dinner and enjoyed the meal on her own in front of the windows. She was ready to spend the night in the hotel. While having her food, she noticed that the sky was full of dark clouds, looking as if a storm was about toe. Somehow, she felt her chest tightening, hoping that there wouldn¡¯t be a mission for Jasper. It wasn¡¯t only dangerous but also unbearable if he had to go out toplete his task under such weather conditions. A bolt of lightning shed across the dark clouds. Following that, a deafening p of thunder was heard. Willow covered her ears, not daring to look at the horrifying dark clouds outside the windows. At the same time, she was distressed. She had the urge to send Jasper a message. However, considering the nature of his work, she was worried she might disturb him if she texted him. As a considerate woman, she decided not to bother him and let him focus on his work. She drew all the curtains. At a moment like this, she didn¡¯t even dare to watch the television or listen to the songs. She could only sit down on the couch and listen to the ps of thunder as her heart pounded into a gallop. Anyway, her spection was right. Jasper had to carry out a mission. He and Aimee tailed Bucky and his gang to a secret location, where thetter met up with the buyer. The ce was far away from the city, and they were inside an abandoned factory. There were respectively around eight people on both sides. They were there for the transaction. Jasper¡¯s mission wasn¡¯t to ruin their deal. Instead, he had to acquire a secret authorization code. That was the activation code on the control panel of their weapons. As long as they had the code, they could track down the manufacturing nt of the arms and destroy them altogether. Presently, Jasper was hiding in the bush outside the factory and controlling a sophisticated drone. In the forest behind him, Aimee could see the situation inside the factory on herptop. ¡°They¡¯re having a discussion. The transaction hasn¡¯t started.¡± Aimee calmly tapped on the keyboard. This kind of task wasn¡¯t difficult for them. Jasper was wearing a waterproof cap. Even when he was carrying out a mission in the wilderness on a rainy day, he still appeared imposing despite being soaked to the skin. The image quality of the screen on Jasper¡¯s remote control was good. Those people didn¡¯t seem to have the intention of getting to the transaction for the time being. As such, he could be slightly at ease. As he looked at the dark sky and bolts of lightning while listening to the deafening thunder, he couldn¡¯t help but recall the woman on the top floor of the hotel. Is she still there on her own? Did she ask anyone to keep herpany? What about the man at the hotel? Jasper squinted. He recalled Troy being handsome; many women would probably like him. He wondered if Willow was fond of him as well. If the two of them got together, they could be considered a perfect match, given their family statuses. At the thought of this, Jasper clenched his jaw. A woman like Willow should marry a wealthy and emotionally stable man so that she would continue to enjoy a life of luxury and happiness. Chapter 2003 Chapter 2003 ¡°What are you doing, Jasper? They¡¯re about toplete the transaction.¡± Aimee reminded him through the inte. Jasper immediately came to his senses and focused on the screen. He could hear the targets talking to each other. As they shook hands, their subordinates traded the goods. The subordinates of both parties carefully carried their ck leather cases. The buyer and the seller respectively, keyed in their passwords. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. One party got the payment in full, while the other party obtained the activation code. The goods were already in the buyer¡¯s hands for inspection. They needed the activation code to use the weapons. ¡°The activation code is right inside the ck leather case, Jasper. We have to snatch it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it. Come over with the car in ten minutes.¡± ¡°Sure. Be careful.¡± Aimee had confidence in him. Jasper put all the equipment inside his backpack and walked toward the abandoned factory amid the rain. Despite being on his own, he was intimidating and dispassionate. He took off his ck coat and revealed his ck shirt and pants, which made him look dapper. When the two men in ck at the entrance noticed him, they took out their guns and opened fire. Jasper lowered his gaze and zigzagged forward like an eagle in the darkness, easily dodging their bullets. As he hurled his coat at one of them, he dashed toward the other one. The man thought that he had urately targeted Jasper, but the next moment, he realized that he shot hispanion. That was because he felt someone clenching his arm and pointing the gun at hispanion. Several men in ck bolted out of the factory. Before they figured out what was going on, they were shot by the bullets. The people from both parties exchanged nces and left with their respective goods. With the help of their subordinates, they charged toward their cars. However, when the buyer with the ck leather case left the factory, he felt that he had been targeted by a pair of beast-like eyes. While holding the leather case, he turned around and saw a man in ck clothes, who had just killed his subordinates, staring at him. His gaze was filled with coldness and murderous intent. ¡°Get into the car right now!¡± The buyer anxiously urged his subordinates. However, just when he was ready to enter his car, the vehicle detonated with a boom. Upon impact, he fell to the ground and started seeing stars. Despite that, he still held the leather case tightly and yelled, ¡°Protect me! Protect me!¡± Several men in ck rushed over to save him, but they were mercilessly killed by the bullets and copsed to the ground. By now, Bucky and his subordinates had left the ce. When thest subordinate was destroyed, the buyer widened his eyes in horror and looked at the man who killed all his subordinates on his own. He knew it was difficult to deal with the man. ¡°Who are you?!¡± he asked apprehensively. The man stepped on the muddy ground and remained silent. He got hold of the case¡¯s handle, but the buyer refused to let it go. ¡°It¡¯s mine! It¡¯s mine!¡± Amid the lightning, Jasper stared fixedly at him as if he was a demon from hell. Although he didn¡¯t utter a word, the buyer trembled and released the case because he wanted to survive. Jasper straightened up with the leather case while Aimee pulled up the car in front of him. He got into the car and opened the case. Then, he connected hisputer to theptop inside the case. As his fingers flew over the keyboard, he said grimly, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± Aimee swept a nce over the corpses on the floor before giving the man in the backseat a look of approval through the rearview mirror. She had seen from the footage how the man easily destroyed all of them. She believed that none of the people in the organization could pull off the feat as smoothly as he did. Although he was on his own, he was imposing. Chapter 2004 Chapter 2004 Although Jasper¡¯s hair had been dampened by the rain, it made him look even more charming. Aimee¡¯s emotions were undted in her heart. Every time she went on a mission with him, she found herself falling harder for him. No woman could resist his charm. She realized it hade to a point where she could no longer stop loving him. Jasper focused on working on theputer as if not wanting to waste even a second. Most of his time was spent carrying out the most dangerous missions in the world. He was protecting the safety and interests of this country. Around 30 minutester, he sent a decoded number to the headquarters, and he received a reply from the other party ten minutester. ¡®It works.¡¯ The mission they were tasked with was a sess. Aimee stopped the car in the underground parking lot of the hotel and got out of the vehicle. Jasper passed her the ck leather case and said, ¡°Take it. I have to go somewhere else.¡± She took a look at her wristwatch and asked, ¡°Where are you going at this hour?¡± Without responding to her, Jasper got into the driver¡¯s seat. A heartbroken Aimee asked, ¡°Are you going to look for Miss Presgrave?¡± Instead of replying, he hurriedly stepped on the gas pedal as if he was going to deal with something that was even more important than his missions. The bolts of lightning continued to strike from the sky as the man¡¯s ck car charged toward a particr hotel. Willowy down on the couch and hugged the bolster, ready to endure the torturous night on her own. When her parents gave her a call, she told them that she was having fun with her friends. Even though they were worried, they wouldn¡¯t interfere in her private life. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. She repeatedly had the urge to call or text a certain someone, but she stopped herself from doing that. Compared to her fear, she had a stronger wish for him to be safe. During the red light, Jasper fished out his phone and took a look, but there were no messages or missed calls from the woman. Didn¡¯t she say she would call me when she was afraid? Is there another man by her side? Is that why she¡¯s not terrified? He let out a sigh. If there was someone else by her side, he didn¡¯t have to rush over. Nevertheless, he had an intense urge to go to the woman. While he was struggling internally, the traffic light turned green. He then stepped on the gas pedal. When he arrived at the underground parking lot of the hotel, he entered the elevator and headed straight to the top floor. Following a p of thunder, Willow heard the doorbell ringing. She took a look at the time and realized it was 2.30AM. What the heck? Who¡¯s looking for me at this hour? She tensed up in an instant. Who is it? Who¡¯s outside the door now? Could it be Troy? No way! If he wanted to look for me, he would¡¯ve called me in advance. Are my parents outside? That¡¯s impossible too. I didn¡¯t tell them where I was. Who is it? Is a criminal trying to harm me? Her phone started ringing just then. She took a look at the caller ID and appeared surprised because Jasper was calling her out of the blue. She connected the call and said, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Open the door,¡± the man said in his masculine voice. A surprised Willow looked at the door. ¡°Are you outside?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She tossed the phone away and bolted toward the door, looking as happy as a kid. Without hesitation, she opened the door. When she saw the man outside, her eyes widened with disbelief. ¡°Why are you all wet?¡± ¡°I just came back from a mission.¡± Upon finishing his words, the man stepped into the room. When he realized there was no one else in the living room, a hint of joy shed across his eyes. Not only was the man soaked to the skin but some strands of grass had also been intertwined with his hair. It seemed that the mission required him to be in the wilderness. He must be exhausted. ¡°You¡¯re all wet. Why don¡¯t you take a shower?¡± Willow said while feeling sorry for him. Chapter 2005 Chapter 2005 ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask someone to keep youpany?¡± Jasper asked. Willow shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not afraid.¡± Just moments ago, she was lying on the couch and hugging the bolster while trembling in fear. However, she didn¡¯t want to appear frail in front of the man. She wanted to project a strong image, but when the man caught sight of the nket and bolster on the couch, he formed some spection. ¡°May I take a shower here?¡± he asked, needing to freshen up as soon as possible. Willow replied, ¡°Sure! Let¡¯s go. Take a shower in my room. I¡¯ll get you my brother¡¯s clothes.¡± Jasper didn¡¯t turn her down. Since he hadpleted his mission, it was time for him to wind down. He arrived at a girlish room painted in pink and blue. It looked like a room that was fit for a princess. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s my room, but please don¡¯t assume I¡¯m childish because of it. My parents prepared it for me when I was ten years old,¡± exined an embarrassed Willow. Jasper nced at the young woman, who looked sweet and elegant. It was imaginable that her parents must have been treating her like she was a princess. He then entered the bathroom and became startled because it was also in the color pink. Willow stuck her head into the bathroom and shed a smile at him. ¡°Don¡¯t judge!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Jasper replied. ¡°The towels are over there. I¡¯ll get you some clean clothes right now. My brother has many clothes here that he has never put on before.¡± With that, she bolted to Jared¡¯s room and looked for suitable clothes for the man. When she got the clothes and returned to the room, she realized the man was already taking a shower. She put down the clothes on the couch, but just as she was ready to step out of the room, she thought, Why should I leave? Isn¡¯t it wonderful to enjoy a free show? Other men might charge me a fee to show their bodies! At the thought of this, she sat down on the couch and waited for him. As she listened to the sounds of the shower, she couldn¡¯t help having some images in her mind. Soon, she felt herself blushing, and she even gulped involuntarily. Feeling bashful, she covered her face and thought, What¡¯s wrong with me?! She didn¡¯t expect she would be drooling over a man. Although she despised herself for her actions, she found herself enjoying it and not wanting to pull out of it. Around 20 minutester, the man finally opened the door. Willow gulped and bashfully turned her head to look. As expected, the man was only d in a bath towel while he dried his hair with another towel. He wasn¡¯t embarrassed to show the woman his well-defined figure. The man appeared to be at ease. His eyebrows were thick, and his gaze was dark. Besides that, he had a high-bridged nose and a pair of thin lips. He looked as perfect as the men drawn by AI software. Willow widened her eyes slightly and stared fixedly at him. Faced with the woman¡¯s fervent gaze, a helpless Jasper said, ¡°Please leave the room for a moment.¡± Suddenly, Willow turned around and said, ¡°I won¡¯t look. You can put on your clothes now.¡± The man picked up the clothes from the couch and entered the bathroom again. When he closed the door, he could hear the woman muttering, ¡°He¡¯s so ungenerous.¡± Apparently, she was displeased that the man wasn¡¯t willing to show her his figure. Soon, the man stepped out of the bathroom. He was d in a fitting shirt and a pair of casual ck pants. The shirt perfectly outlined his firm chest, making him look aggressive yet attractive. The pants also made his legs appear longer. His dark hair was a bit of a mess, which gave off a conflicted vibe that was somewhere between abstinence and indulgence. His male hormones seemed to be brimming out of his body. Willow felt that if the man quit being a special agent, he could be a model or the lead actor. There was no doubt he would be an A-list celebrity. Willow praised the man by saying, ¡°Wow! My brother¡¯s clothes look perfect on you!¡± Chapter 2006 Chapter 2006 Just then, Jasper¡¯s phone rang. After checking the caller ID, he answered it. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Jasper, where are you?¡± It was Aimee on the other end. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°I want to know where you are,¡± she requested again. ¡°I don¡¯t need to report my whereabouts outside of work, Aimee,¡± Jasper said solemnly. ¡°You¡¯re with her, aren¡¯t you?¡± Aimee questioned, making Jasper frown. Meanwhile, Aimee continued, ¡°Jasper, if you really like her, you should stay away from her and not move closer.¡± ¡°Aimee!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let her be your weakness,¡± Aimee warned and hung up the phone. As Jasper held his phone, Willow, behind him, stared at him. ¡°Are you leaving?¡± she asked worriedly at the sight of his sudden grimness. At that, Jasper turned around to look at Willow, and his countenance indeed expressed his inclination to leave. Panicked, she rushed to him and grabbed his sleeve,manding, ¡°You better not.¡± Jasper¡¯s brows rxed a bit, and he looked at Willow, his voice hoarse. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t leave tonight.¡± Only then did Willow smile. It was already 3.00AM, and dawn would arrive if they stayed up a little longer. Willow was wide awake at this point, and the thunder and lightning were gone, reced by pouring rain outside the window. There was something magical about rainy nights. It would make people drop their guard and follow their hearts and instincts. Willow went to grab a bottle of red wine and poured two sses. She looked up at the man standing by the floor-to-ceiling window. There was something superior and dominating about him, and his silhouette was truly captivating. Willow approached him. Wearing t shoes, she only reached his jawline. For a moment, the figures by the floor-to-ceiling window, the man was strong and sturdy, resembling a towering mountain, unyielding, while the girl was slender and delicate, in need of protection. Willow leaned her head against the man¡¯s shoulder, pretending to be unsteady. The man naturally pulled her into his arms, and his gaze fell upon her. Willow was like a mischievous child who had yet to grow up in front of Jasper, using all her tricks and strategies on him. Never had it urred to her either that a man would bring out this side of her in her lifetime. After all, she had always projected an independent andpetent image before meeting Jasper, traveling alone around the world to carry out cultural heritage conservation work. However, after meeting Jasper, she turned into a helpless and fragile damsel. Meanwhile, Bucky wasshing out in the hotel. He hadn¡¯t expected to be targeted by the special ops, and they had even taken away a batch of his live authorization codes. Now, his batch of goods was also being targeted. ¡°F*ck.¡± Bucky was the type who sought revenge. He was determined to get back at those who toppled him; otherwise, he would be ridiculed by his fellow evildoers. ¡°Find out who those two were. I want them dead!¡± Bucky ordered his subordinates. Bucky¡¯s subordinates weren¡¯t simpletons either. They possessed more advanced technology and information systems. Soon, they captured footage on their screens. The first person captured was a woman driving a car. Although the image was not clear, her features were memorable at first nce. However, the man in the back seat of the SUV was just a blurry figure. These people immediately started tracking the car¡¯s movements and finally captured a photo of the man at the exit of an underground parking lot in a hotel. The man in the photo had a memorable face, and his expression seemed contemtive, giving a sense of deep mystery. ¡°We found them, sir! It¡¯s these two. We also found a record of their stay in this hotel. We have been under their surveince for a while.¡± Bucky also recognized the two of them at a nce. He sneered, ¡°It¡¯s them. I underestimated the abilities of these agents.¡± Chapter 2007 Chapter 2007 ¡°We¡¯ll stay here for a few days. I¡¯m giving you three days to kill those two.¡± Bucky turned to his subordinates grimly. ¡°Yes, sir. We¡¯ll do our best to find and eliminate them.¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. At that, Bucky turned and fixed his gaze out the window. If the two weren¡¯t taken care of, his future tasks would turn difficult, and he would struggle even more in this industry. Furthermore, he intended to wash awayst night¡¯s shame with their blood. Bucky¡¯s subordinates immediately sprang into action. They had just located Aimee¡¯s whereabouts, so they surrounded the hotel she was residing in. The young woman spent the night awake as well. She was dog-tired, yet she simply couldn¡¯t fall asleep. It had been a long time since her emotions had taken over her thoughts, but that night, she was finding it particrly difficult to sleep. Closing her eyes only brought forth the images of Jasper and Willow. She hadn¡¯t witnessed Jasper¡¯s gentle side, but she could imagine how captivating and enchanting it would be. With his personality, once he fell in love with a woman, he would protect her with his life, shower her with affection, and also spoil her rotten. Aimee wished she could be the one Jasper loved with such devotion. But now, that dream was no more, for Jasper had found the girl. How lucky of Miss Presgrave. Aimee let out a sigh and was about to get up and pour herself a ss of water when suddenly, a silhouette shed by outside the window. She was in special ops after all, so she immediately sensed the danger and rushed back into her room. She picked up a suitcase she had prepared and made her way to Jasper¡¯s room, taking hisptop with her. She approached the peephole and took a quick look. Although she saw no one through the peephole, she knew the door was already surrounded. However, she had no choice but to fight her way out. With that, she put on her earpiece and dialed Jasper¡¯s phone number. In the hotel, Jasper and Willow were resting on the couch. Willow was starting to feel drowsy, and her little head naturally leaned on the man¡¯s shoulder as she closed her eyes. Just then, Jasper¡¯s phone vibrated, and he checked the caller ID before answering. ¡°Jasper¡­¡± Aimee¡¯s voice came at once. ¡°Bucky¡¯s men have found me. Let¡¯s meet up at the safe house.¡± The young woman hung up after rying her message, and Jasper put his phone down, looked at the girl sleeping on his shoulder, and whispered, ¡°Willow, wake up.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Willow opened her slightly groggy eyes and looked at him. ¡°I¡¯m sending you home.¡± Jasper¡¯s tone sounded grave. ¡°Has something happened?¡± A sharp-witteddy, Willow quickly realized something was up. She sat up straight and looked at him. ¡°Are you being chased?¡± ¡°Where are your bodyguards?¡± Jasper asked instead. ¡°They¡¯re downstairs.¡± ¡°Call them and have them take you home immediately.¡± Jasper clenched his jaw, clearly apprehensive. He wouldn¡¯t even have batted an eyelid if he was faced with such a situation alone. However, with Willow by his side, he plunged into anxiety. ¡°Alright.¡± Willow nodded, sensing his anxiety. ¡°I¡¯ll call them now.¡± After calling her bodyguards, Willow held Jasper¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Let my people help you! I only need two bodyguards to take me home.¡± ¡°Your safety is the top priority.¡± Jasper locked his gaze on her. ¡°Alright, promise me you¡¯ll text me before 7.00AM, telling me you¡¯re okay,¡± Willow demanded. ¡°Okay,¡± Jasper agreed tofort her. However, Willow bit her lip with some reluctance still and wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning into his chest as shemented, ¡°Why is our rendezvous always so rushed? I really wish we could spend a little more time together.¡± Jasper didn¡¯t push her away. He simply lowered his head and gazed at the face pressed against his chest, his eyes unknowingly softening. Chapter 2008 Chapter 2008 Upon hearing the doorbell, Willow sighed and straightened Jasper¡¯s cor while admonishing, ¡°Be careful and remember to text me. I want to know you¡¯re safe.¡± Jasper nodded in assurance. Taking advantage of his momentary distraction, Willow quickly tiptoed and nted a kiss on his cheek. Then she grabbed her bag and slipped away like a sneaky cat making its swift exit. Her bodyguards were already waiting outside when she opened the door, standing in formation. Willow walked out like nothing had happened, carrying her bag, and said to the bodyguards, ¡± Come on, take me home.¡± Once Willow and the bodyguards were out of sight, Jasper quickly stepped out as well. He pressed the elevator button and went down to the underground parking lot. As he arrived, he saw Willow¡¯s bodyguard car just pulling out. He swiftly got into his own car, starting it to follow the vehicle ahead. After exiting the hotel, Jasper, who initially drove toward the safe house, suddenly changed his mind and followed Willow¡¯s convoy of bodyguards. He couldn¡¯t rest easy unless he saw her safely home at the Presgrave Residence with his own eyes, but just then, his phone rang. He put on his Bluetooth earpiece and answered, ¡°Hello, are you out of danger?¡± Aimee¡¯s voice came through, ¡°I¡¯ve arrived at the safe house. Where are you?¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I need a little more time.¡± ¡°Hurry back, Jasper. If Wells¡¯ henchmen can find me, they can surely find you too. If you keep being with Miss Presgrave, you¡¯ll get her killed.¡± Aimee spoke mercilessly. At that, Jasper hit the brakes and pulled over by the side of the street amidst the drizzling rain. Her words sent a sharp pain in his heart. Meanwhile, Willow¡¯s convoy made a U-turn ahead, swiftly driving past from the adjacent street. From Jasper¡¯s vantage point, the three imposing ck SUVs blocked his view, but he knew that without his protection, Willow would be safer. The call was still connected, and Aimee spoke from the other end, offering advice, ¡°Jasper, if you want Miss Presgrave to be safe, you have to stay away from her. You should know this better than I do.¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯ming back now.¡± Jasper shifted his gaze to the rearview mirror, his eyes more profound than midnight. The tender feelings he had when he was with Willow seemed to be shrouded in a chill as rationality and rity upied his heart. The ck SUVs charged forward without hesitation, just like his resolute heart. In the safe house, Aimee sat on the couch, watching him. She smiled, stood up, and greeted him, ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± After speaking, she sized him up as if searching for subtle traces of a woman on Jasper. ¡°Our people have found those weapons and are sending someone to destroy them. This should anger Bucky. He wants both of us dead now. The organization thinks there¡¯s no need to keep this person alive. We are to stay here and deal with these people,¡± Aimee said. Jasper nodded, sat on the couch, and took hisptop. The first thing he hacked into was the surveince of the hotel where Willow was staying. When he saw that Bucky¡¯s men had indeed been to that hotel and had also been outside Willow¡¯s room, a fierce ruthlessness shed in Jasper¡¯s eyes as he stared at the man appearing in the video, his intent to kill strong. At that, he went to the armory and opened a wall. After retrieving some equipment, he was off. ¡°Where are you going this time?¡± Aimee asked with a quirked brow, having observed all of this. ¡°Toplete the mission.¡± Jasper was the type to let his actions speak for himself. Once he set his sights on a target, he hadplete confidence in eliminating them. So, those targeted by Jasper should feel fear and tremble. ¡°You¡¯re going alone?¡± She reached out to stop him. ¡°The organization wants us to act together.¡± ¡°You stay here and rest. I¡¯ll handle the mission.¡± ¡°I want to go with you.¡± Aimee looked at him with worried eyes. ¡°I know you want to protect Miss Presgrave, but I also want to protect you.¡± Chapter 2009 Chapter 2009 Jasper indeed wanted to eliminate Bucky and his henchmen quickly, for they posed a threat to Willow. Furthermore, all these people were internationally wanted criminals¡ªmalignant tumors harming society. They need to be eliminated as soon as possible. ¡°No need,¡± he said indifferently. Aimee¡¯s heart sank. She closed her eyes bitterly and asked, ¡°Do you really like her that much?¡± Jasper didn¡¯t answer, for he didn¡¯t have the answer to that question himself. But he knew that he wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to threaten Willow¡¯s safety. Just as he was about to leave, Aimee ran up and stopped him. ¡°Jasper, I can report you if you don¡¯t comply with the organization¡¯s arrangements. You know full well the consequences.¡± With that, she emphasized, ¡°I have to go with you.¡± Jasper was certainly better suited running solo than working in teams. However, it was the organization¡¯s rule to work in teams. Hence, its members had to act together, or they would be regarded as disregarding organizational discipline. ¡°Step aside, Aimee,¡± Jasper said gravely. ¡°No, I can¡¯t have you go into danger alone. I know you¡¯re fully capable of going on this mission alone, but we¡¯ll be safer in pairs.¡± Aimee wasn¡¯t joking, either. She didn¡¯t want Jasper to go on the mission alone. However, determination enveloped Jasper¡¯s eyes, and he walked past her to leave. Aimee bit her lip, furious, ring at his retreating figure with resentment. Jasper doesn¡¯t need to kill Bucky so urgently at all. We will get our chances as long as the man is still in the country. But Aimee could tell Jasper was worried that Bucky¡¯s men would threaten Willow¡¯s safety. That was why he was in such a hurry to get the job done; he was concerned about Willow. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Just then, her phone rang, and she walked over to answer it. ¡°Mr. Antoine.¡± ¡°You two have reached the safe house, haven¡¯t you? Rest up before proceeding with the mission.¡± Antoine Wyatt¡¯s voice came from the other end. ¡°Your dear nephew has gone on the mission alone. There¡¯s no talking him out of it,¡± Aimee reported resentfully. ¡°What? He went alone?! That stubborn rascal still can¡¯t follow the rules andply with organizational arrangements.¡± Antoine huffed resentfully as well. However, he believed his nephew would return sessfully, like he always did. But this annoying worry he carried gave concern to someone behind him. ¡°Aimee, Jasper is used to working independently. You should be more at ease. It¡¯s not that he dislikes you.¡± Antoine had to console her. Aimee forced a bitter smile. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Alright, report to me immediately if there¡¯s any situation.¡± Antoine hung up on his end. However, Aimee was still upset. She picked up theptop and searched for Jasper¡¯s whereabouts. Their locations were linked, and at the moment, Jasper¡¯s signal was rapidly moving, indicating that he was in a car. As for his destination, it turned out to be the hotel where Bucky was located. Aimee suddenly remembered seeing him take a sniper rifle when he was gearing up. At that, she sighed. Jasper¡¯s skills were indeed outstanding. Once he set his sights on someone, there was no escape. Moreover, as long as he had a gun in his hand, he had the confidence to shoot through anything. Suddenly, she felt helpless. She believed, to him, she wasn¡¯t arade but a burden. When Willow returned home, Anastasia had also woken up. She threw on a jacket and went downstairs to check on her returning daughter. She had been anxious all night, knowing Willow was out there alone while the thunder and lightning roared intensely. ¡°Mom, why are you awake at this time?!¡± Willow blinked. ¡°Worried about you, of course! Which friend were you with?¡± ¡°Huh, um¡­ Troy,¡± Willow answered somewhat guiltily. Anastasia¡¯s eyes lit up in response. ¡°Do you like Troy?¡± Willow had been spending a lot of time with Troytely, and it hadn¡¯t gone unnoticed by Anastasia. Troy came from an excellent family background, and Anastasia was satisfied with both his background and character. If Willow liked him, she would support her. ¡°What kind of ¡®like¡¯ are you referring to?¡± Willow countered, and Anastasia threw the question back at her. ¡°That depends on your feelings for him.¡± Chapter 2010 Chapter 2010 ¡°I mean, we like each other as friends! Troy and I are like childhood friends or maybe long-lost buddies. It¡¯s not what you think, Mom,¡± Willow answered graciously, leading Anastasia to smile. Most rtionships started from being friends. Anastasia wasn¡¯t desperate to marry her daughter way either. After all, Willow was still young. It would be good if they dated for a few more years and allowed her to mature before settling down. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. ¡°Alright! Your dad and I won¡¯t interfere. After all, you¡¯ve grown up. But the most important thing is to remember not to put yourself in danger.¡± The kidnapping continued to traumatize Anastasia to this day. Willow was her precious baby girl. All she wanted for this little one was to live a safe and peaceful life. ¡°Got it, Mom!¡± Willow went up and held her mother¡¯s arm affectionately. ¡°You should go back to bed, Mom. I¡¯m going to sleep too.¡± ¡°Alright, go to sleep.¡± Anastasia ruffled Willow¡¯s hair and returned to her room. Willow, too, retreated to her bedroom. After closing the door, she checked the time. It was only 6.30AM. She still had to wait thirty minutes before confirming Jasper¡¯s safety. He promised he would report his safety at that time. Willow was beyond sleepy at that point, yawning even, yet she was determined to read Jasper¡¯s text as the first second. Meanwhile, Bucky¡¯s henchmen searched the entire city all night but failed to locate the two agents¡¯ whereabouts. Naturally, Bucky, who had been waiting all night, hit the roof. But little did they know that the person they were looking for was currently in an apartment building right across from the hotel they were settling in, his sniper rifle set up and aimed at their room. Jasper adjusted the angle, kneeling on one knee with his slender fingers resting on the trigger. Death had descended upon Bucky while he angrily unleashed his wrath upon his henchmen in the living room. After he finished scolding and venting his anger, he lit a cigar, standing by the window. His henchmen behind him dared not make a sound after a round of scolding. They hated those two agents to the core. Just as Bucky took his first puff of the cigar, a sudden gust of cold wind blew in the air. It happened so fast that he couldn¡¯t react. A bullet directly pierced through his forehead, then hit one of the henchmen behind him beforeing to a stop. ¡°Ah! Sniper!¡± The other henchmen instantly panicked, looking at Bucky lying dead on the ground. Naturally, they thought about escaping for their lives. However, in the midst of their panic, two more people fell to the ground. The remaining two were drenched in a cold sweat, hiding in the darkness, not daring to take even a single step, for the sniper¡¯s position was directly aimed at their door. There was a danger of being shot if they tried to open it. Evidently, the sniper was a formidable one. He had blocked all their escape routes. The two henchmen wiped away their sweat and didn¡¯t dare to make a move. Still, they had to try to escape. As a result, the two covered for each other and moved quickly together, even lifting up the couch to block the windows, preparing to flee. ¡°Hurry up, let¡¯s go!¡± At this moment, these two henchmen only wanted to stay alive. The fear emanating from the sniper across the street loomed over them, filling them with a sense of despair. Jasper turned grim as he watched the two fleeing henchmen. He swiftly and neatly retracted his gun into its holster, then walked briskly toward the elevator. Only the cleaningdies were in the apartment at the moment. One of them identally knocked over a trash can, and Jasper happened to pass by. He casually helped the cleaningdy pick up the trash can, and she couldn¡¯t help but express her gratitude, saying, ¡°Thank you, young man.¡± Little would the cleaningdy know that a minute ago, that very young man had killed five men. Jasper quickly descended the stairs and got into his car. He had installed a tracker on all of Bucky¡¯s vehicles. At this moment, one of the cars on his tracker was desperately trying to escape. At that, Jasper hit the gas and pursued the vehicle. Right then, his eyes were filled with nothing but animosity. Chapter 2011 Chapter 2011 The two henchmen didn¡¯t know where to flee to. All they knew was the further, the better. As for what to do after leaving the country, they would only figure it out after doing so. While making a phone call to report Bucky¡¯s death, the two henchmen fled toward the surrounding mountains before eventually entering a wastewater nt. At that, they got out of the car to catch their breath. ¡°I swear it had to be those two agents!¡± said one of the henchmen, looking disheveled. ¡°We have to leave this country before they kill us too!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hide here for a while and leave in the afternoon.¡± ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll go find a ce to relieve myself.¡± Meanwhile, the other henchman pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit one up. Just then, he heard the sound of a car approaching. The moment he heard the approaching vehicle, death approached him as well. He saw a car rushing out of the woods and heading straight for his vehicle. Wide-eyed, he watched as the front of the car collided with him. In the next second, he was crushed between the two vehicles. The henchman who had gone to relieve himself heard the crash from above and quickly ran deeper into the forest. Behind him, a figure gave chase. The man wasn¡¯t unarmed either, and he knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to run far. He had to kill the agent to survive. With that, he immediately took cover behind arge tree, then fired two shots toward his pursuer from behind before hiding elsewhere. However, he stillcked mental strength as he panted heavily, unable to calm down, for the person behind him was beyond intimidating. Indeed, the figure not far away remained calm andposed, just like a cheetah pursuing its prey. He had plenty of patience and endurance. Bucky¡¯s henchman had gone mad. The more chaotic it got, the more important it was to stay calm and rational. However, he just wanted to kill this agent quickly. Seeing a tree shaking as soon as he turned around, he immediately rushed over and fired a few shots. However, as he went on a killing spree, a ck muzzle suddenly pressed against the back of his head. ¡°Don¡¯t kill me!¡± The henchman freaked out, cold sweat running down his face. He surrendered and turned around, only to attempt to shoot the next second. However, Jasper was faster by half a second. The trigger had already been pulled, and Jasper skillfully avoided the bullet fired by the henchman. Just as the assassination mission ended beautifully, an rm sounded. Jasper pulled his phone out, stopped the buzzing, then sent a message while walking. ¡®I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry,¡¯ he sent to Willow. The rm was also to remind him to text the young woman at 7.00AM. True to form, Willow received his message right on time. She smiled and replied, ¡®I don¡¯t believe you. Take a selfie.¡¯ Jasper hesitated but eventuallyplied with little Miss Presgrave¡¯s demanding request. He extended his hand, took a selfie, then sent it over. As such, Willow received a vertically oriented selfie of a man, taken from a mysterious angle but with the background of sunny, green leaves. Despite that, the man still looked handsome andpelling. ¡®Your eyes are too intense. Can¡¯t you be a little gentler? Smile for me, will you?¡¯ Willow sent another message. Jasper was rendered at a loss for words. Little Miss Presgrave sure can make unreasonable demands. At that, he let out a murky breath, adjusted his somewhat tense countenance, then smirked at the camera. After a snap, he sent it to Willow, who rolled around in bed after seeing the photo, feeling satisfied. Then, something hit her, and she asked, ¡®What are you doing in the wilderness?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m jogging,¡¯ Jasper replied. ¡®Oh, is that so? Alright, carry on! I¡¯m going to sleep. You have no idea how sleepy I¡¯ve been, waiting for your text,¡¯ Willow texted, causing Jasper to frown. Has she been awake all this while? ¡®Go sleep!¡¯ he said. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. After that, he called the domestic security agency, reporting his current location and asking them to come and handle things on their end. Jasper reversed the car, and although there were some dents on the front bumper, it didn¡¯t affect his driving. He drove straight back to the safe house. Chapter 2012 Chapter 2012 Jasper¡¯s phone rang while driving, and he nced at it before answering, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°How dare you fly solo again, you punk! How many times have I told you?¡± Antoine scolded from the other end. ¡°The mission isplete.¡± ¡°That still isn¡¯t an excuse for you to leave your teammates behind. You should know that they are an extrayer of security for you. They can provide support if something happens to you.¡± Antoine was genuinely concerned about his safety. ¡°I¡¯ve umted some leave days, haven¡¯t I, Uncle?¡± ¡°Why? Do you want to take a break?¡± ¡°Can you sum up the days I¡¯ve collected over thest five years? I want to use it all up at once.¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°What?! Over thest five years?¡± ¡°Yes, over thest five years.¡± ¡°That means you¡¯ll be away for three months!¡± ¡°That¡¯s it? Give me another three months. I want to take six months off!¡± Jasper insisted. ¡°You rascal¡­ Fine! Six months it is! What are you nning to do during your break?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t report anything from my personal time.¡± With that, he ended the call, leaving Antoine frothing at the mouth. By the time Jasper returned to the safe house, Aimee had already been notified to report back. Of course, she had also received arrangements from the organization as well. As Jasper¡¯s leave had be effective immediately, he didn¡¯t need to return with her. Her heart felt torn, aching, unwilling, and helpless, for everything but the heart could be controlled in this world. Falling in love with someone was like being intoxicated. If the love was reciprocated, there would be a cure. Contrariwise, the poison would be lethal. ¡°Have you decided to stay by her side, Jasper?¡± Aimee asked calmly, suppressing her heartache. ¡°Thank you for your hard work, Aimee. I have some personal things to take care of next,¡± answered Jasper. To him, the young woman was both his subordinate and hisrade. However, there was no romantic love. Aimee suddenly closed her eyes, and tears streamed down her face uncontrobly. ¡°Aimee, I appreciate your support in my work. You¡¯re a goodrade and subordinate,¡± said Jasper as he handed her a piece of tissue. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be just yourrade or subordinate. I want¡­¡± Aimee reached out, trying to embrace him. Jasper immediately stepped back, leaving Aimee¡¯s hand hanging in the air. She bit her lip and withdrew her hand. Then, she turned around, grabbed her bag, and quickly left the safe house. At that moment, she realized there could never be a rtionship between her and Jasper that even allowed for a hug. Jasper sighed under his breath. He was absolutely terrible at dealing with emotions. ¡­ While eating breakfast, Willow checked her emails only to choke when she read a certain email. ¡°Wait, has it started already?! Howe I wasn¡¯t notified?!¡± Just then, her phone rang, and she answered it. ¡°Hello?¡± International Cultural Heritage. ¡°Willow, what have you been busy withtely? Why haven¡¯t you responded?¡± It was someone from the Bureau of International Cultural Heritage. ¡°I¡¯m on break and didn¡¯t see the email. Have you guys already departed?¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re gathering right now. You should hurry up and join us. You can¡¯t be absent from this expedition to Elysian Ind.¡± Of course, Willow couldn¡¯t afford to be absent. This was originally a cultural heritage protection battle she had initiated within the organization. It was her mission, and it all began a year ago when she found a piece of parchment inside a domestic cultural relic. After cleaning and processing it, she discovered that it contained a documented segment of true history. Due to this historical ount being overlooked in historical records, someone had documented it in the parchment scroll. After researching it, it was indeed a well-preserved parchment that had survived for a thousand years. The record clearly stated that a high-ranking official set sail with eighteenrge ships a thousand years ago to visit another country. His ships wereden with treasures and crew members, but they disappeared at a ce called Elysian Ind. Since then, they have used various modern technologies to trace the ind¡¯s whereabouts. Eventually, they pinpointed the location where the official vanished on a map. Not only that, they also received information that artifact smugglers had set their sights on this ind. As cultural heritage workers, they would bepeting with multiple groups of international artifact smugglers to be the first to find the ind and protect the artifacts on it. Furthermore, at Willow¡¯s urging, they would return all the millennia-old cultural relics belonging to the country. Chapter 2013 Chapter 2013 For Willow, it wasn¡¯t just a job, but her way of contributing to the country¡¯s cultural heritage. How could she be absent? ¡°Alright. I¡¯m leaving right away,¡± she answered. ¡°We¡¯ll be waiting. Time is of the essence. We received confidential information that the artifact smugglers have already sent out their people.¡± ¡°Understood. See you then,¡± Willow replied. After hanging up the phone, Willow went to talk to her parents about this. She had brought this up with them before, so Elliot and Anastasia didn¡¯t stop her from doing what she wanted to do. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°However, there¡¯s one rule you must abide by. You must let the bodyguards stay by your side at all times to protect you.¡± ¡°Got it, Dad! I¡¯ll be sure to keep myself safe.¡± Willow nodded earnestly. Elliot assigned two female bodyguards to stay with Willow at all times and arranged for six additional male bodyguards who would hang around in the vicinity to protect her. He was going to keep an eye on his daughter¡¯s every move too and was ready to rush over immediately if there was any danger. Willow was worried that the smugglers would seed in finding and looting the cultural relics before they got there, so she couldn¡¯t afford to waste any more time. Although she also wanted to spend more time with her parents and couldn¡¯t bear to part with Jasper while he was still in the country, she had to set those feelings aside for work. Before leaving, Willow sent a text to Jasper. ¡®I¡¯m leaving for work. Let¡¯s meet up when Ie back.¡¯ At this moment, Jasper was resting in a safe house. Due to his mission, he hadn¡¯t had any proper sleep in almost three days. However, when he heard his phone beeping, he immediately opened his eyes, picked up his phone, and sat up. He saw the text from Willow. ¡®Where are you going?¡¯ Jasper texted back. ¡®I¡¯m heading to the coastal area along the border between Yelina and Koska. My team and I are heading out on a mission to protect cultural artifacts. I¡¯m on my way to the airport now. See you!¡¯ ¡®See you.¡¯ After sending the text, he swiftly got up and started working on hisptop, but he wasn¡¯t doing official work for the organization. It was a private matter. Soon, he had hacked into the database of the Bureau of International Cultural Heritage where Willow worked, and retrieved information regarding Willow¡¯s assignment. There was a parchment scroll which was the agreement regarding the ownership of the cultural artifacts¡¯ protection rights, and Willow¡¯s signature was on it. So¡­ it was Willow who initiated the cultural artifacts protection operation. I underestimated the nature of her work. Despite being a young woman, she actually wields a lot of power at work. Her work is very meaningful too. Jasper dialed his uncle¡¯s private number. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Uncle, I need you to do me a favor.¡± ¡°You¡¯re actually asking me for a favor? Go ahead and tell me what you need!¡± This was a first for Antoine Wyatt. ¡°I want to join the Bureau of International Cultural Heritage andplete a private mission. Arrange an identity for me¡ªone with authority.¡± ¡°What? Have you started taking on private jobs now? Did you run out of money? Have you used up the billions your parents left you?¡± Antoine asked incredulously. ¡°No! I¡¯m just protecting someone.¡± ¡°Who? Is it a man or a woman?¡± ¡°Just send me the details before 3.00PM. I¡¯m hanging up now, Uncle.¡± ¡°You brat. Is this the attitude you take when you¡¯re asking someone else for help?¡± Jasper ended the call before Antoine could carry onining. s, Antoine¡¯s words had stirred up the secret that Jasper buried deep within him. Twenty years ago, a tragedy urred in this very city. Carl Wyatt, the founder of apany worth billions, and his wife were both murdered by their enemies. Their only son miraculously survived, but he disappeared and so did the billions the family left behind. Twenty yearster, a simr tragedy was reported in a foreign newspaper. Three wealthy men had died at a party on a yacht. The police released the photos which showed that the three had died horrific deaths. It looked as if they had been brutally interrogated before being executed. That had been Jasper¡¯s first mission after leaving the special forces. He personally avenged his parents¡¯ death. He had only been 21 years old at the time and the organization detained him for two years because of his actions. In the end, his uncle rescued him, and after an intensive selection process, he was selected to join the special operations unit. For five years, he excelled at his job and none of his missions ended in failure, and his ster record led to him bing a team leader. Chapter 2014 Chapter 2014 The Presgraves¡¯ private ne took off from the airport runway and soared into the sky. Half an hourter, a tall man in a hoodie went through the security checks at the airport. He now had a new identity¡ªHugh Wyatt, a special representative from the International Cultural Heritage Research Institute. Willow¡¯s ne arrived at the rendezvous point. It was a dock as they would be taking a boat to the first ind. They would be visiting seven inds in total. The ce was called the Seven Star Archipgo because it looked like seven stars dotted along the ocean when seen from the sky, which was a spectacr sight indeed. Up to now, they had very limited information about the ce. All they had were the information recorded on that piece of parchment. However, the parchment had been found in the ancient tomb of an extremely famous prime minister in history. Therefore, the information on it was most likely urate, and that was the reason why Willow and the others were willing to invest their time and money to take this risk. The mission of protecting cultural artifacts was a daunting and challenging one. They had to possess unwavering determination in the face of obstacles. Willow was a capable leader. She formed the team in just three months and was also able to recruit an archaeology professor for additional support. ¡°Nice to meet you, Professor Ledford.¡± As soon as Willow entered the hotel, she paid a visit to the professor who was highly acimed in the field of archaeology. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard, Miss Presgrave. It is our country¡¯s honor to have people like you protecting our nation¡¯s cultural heritage!¡± Cosmo Ledford also showed great admiration for Willow. Despite her young age, she had already made quite a name for herself in the field of cultural artifact preservation. ¡°Not at all. This is what we should do. Since we¡¯ve taken up this responsibility, we can¡¯t give up so easily,¡± Willow dered with a smile. Now that she was away from her parents¡¯ protection and her identity as the Presgraves¡¯ daughter, she was able to be herself and show maturity when it came to interacting with others. ¡°Very good. It¡¯s a blessing for our country that we have the younger generation who can take over from the older generation,¡± Cosmoplimented. The team leader, Cameron Torrez, came over to greet Willow as well. He had extensive experience in archaeological exploration. Willow paid out of pocket to hire him, and he did take the mission very seriously as he made sure everything was well-prepared. ¡°We should be leaving now, right, Mr. Torrez?¡± Willow asked him. ¡°Wait just a little longer, Willy. One of our team members hasn¡¯t arrived yet.¡± ¡°There¡¯s someone who¡¯s eventer than me?¡± Willow asked in surprise. She thought she would¡¯ve been thest as she was three dayste in checking the email. ¡°We just heard the news that we have an additional special representative from the international research institute. It¡¯s someone named Hugh Wyatt. We have to wait for him.¡± ¡°Hugh Wyatt? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard that name before.¡± Willow was startled. She had spent two years at the international research institute and met everyone worth noting during her time there. Furthermore, he had to be holding quite an important position if he could join her team at the drop of a hat! ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s wait for him! I¡¯ll go over the map with the others first.¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll bring him over to you once he arrives,¡± Cameron said. Half an hourter, a taxi pulled up outside the hotel. Once it came to a stop, the door opened and a man with a ck backpack stepped out. He was wearing sunsses, and the first thing that struck people was the powerful aura that emanated from him. It was as if this man was bursting with a kind of force that was terrifying and not to be underestimated. As for his appearance, the expressions of the young women who had just arrived made it clear. They had forgotten all about their luggage as they stared at him in a daze. Oh, my! They did not think they would be meeting such a handsome man at their hotel. He¡¯s so handsome! So stylish! His face is wless! Jasper¡¯s long legs made quick work of the short trip into the lobby. It just so happened that one of the team members was sitting there, and he couldn¡¯t help bute forward and ask, ¡°Excuse me. Are you Mr. Hugh Wyatt?¡± ¡°Yes. I am.¡± Jasper nodded. ¡°You¡¯re finally here. Come this way, please. I¡¯ll take you over to our team leader.¡± Cosmo swiftly came over to greet Jasper, and then he said, ¡°Let me introduce you to one more person, Mr. Wyatt! She has been looking forward to meeting you.¡± The corners of Jasper¡¯s mouth curved up ever so slightly. ¡°Is that so? Do lead the way.¡± Chapter 2015 Chapter 2015 Willow and some of the other team members were busy poring over the map of the inds with a magnifying ss as they tried to find clues regarding the exact location based on geomancy and astrological calctions. She was still busy with her thoughts when the door opened. She didn¡¯t turn around because she thought it was probably just one of the students who came in. However, Cameron¡¯s voice rang out behind her. ¡°Willow, the special representative, Mr. Hugh Wyatt, is here.¡± Willow finally set the magnifying ss down and turned around to look at the neer with a polite smile. Her expression went from shock to joy in mere seconds and she nearly threw herself at him. It was the meaningful look from him that made herpose herself. She cleared her throat and walked over to greet him courteously. ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. Wyatt. I¡¯m Willow Presgrave, the sponsor of this archaeological expedition.¡± Willow held her hand out. Jasper shook it and said, ¡°I¡¯m Hugh Wyatt, the special representative.¡± His crisp, deep, and maic voice drew the attention of three young women on the team. Oh, my! What a young and handsome special representative! Willow smiled. ¡°Can I speak to you in private, Mr. Wyatt?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Pleasee with me to my room.¡± Willow walked off. Jasper followed close behind. Willow opened the door and gestured for him to go in which he readily did. As soon as Willow closed the door, she threw herself at the man and flung her arms around his neck. ¡°Why did youe here?¡± she couldn¡¯t help but ask. Jasper held her by the waist to save her from exerting herself. He looked down and said, ¡°I¡¯m on my break right now so I came here to protect you.¡± Willow was startled. ¡°You¡¯re on your break right now? You came here just to protect me?¡± Her heart warmed as a dazzling grin spread out across her face. ¡°That means you¡¯re trying to woo me, Mr. Wyatt!¡± Jasper looked at her with smiling eyes and said nothing. ¡°Are you or aren¡¯t you?¡± Willow wanted a straight answer. ¡°If you¡¯re not, then I don¡¯t want you to protect me. My dad sent me eight bodyguards anyway. I have enough people to protect me.¡± All of a sudden, Jasper wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her head. ¡°Can you not expect quite so much from me? Isn¡¯t it good that I came?¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Willow buried herself in his arms and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Fine! I won¡¯t ask him to say why he came. It¡¯s enough that I know he came because of me. Just then, Willow¡¯s phone started ringing. She checked the screen and said nervously, ¡°My dad¡¯s calling me.¡± ¡°Go ahead and take the call.¡± ¡°Hi, Dad,¡± Willow said into the phone. ¡°I hired four chefs for you, Willow. They¡¯ll follow you around the inds.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessary, Dad!¡± Willow chuckled awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯m not here on vacation. I¡¯m working. You don¡¯t need to hire chefs for me.¡± ¡°What if you can¡¯t get used to eating the food that¡¯s avable there?¡± Elliot was worried about his daughter and sorely wished he could head over and act as her bodyguard himself. Willow looked at the man on the couch before responding with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dad! I¡¯ll take good care of myself. In any case, many important people areing along on this trip. It would be so embarrassing if I brought a bunch of chefs with me too!¡± She was certain that any meal she shared with this man would be an enjoyable one. ¡°Okay. As you wish.¡± Elliot had no choice but to abide by Willow¡¯s wishes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dad. I¡¯lle back safe and sound, and I¡¯ll make sure I don¡¯t lose any weight too! I¡¯ll still be your happy and healthy little girl when I get back,¡± Willow assured Elliot. ¡°Alright. Make sure you keep in touch,¡± Elliot reminded. ¡°I will, Dad. I¡¯m hanging up now!¡± Willow ended the call and walked back to the couch. She was already missing his embrace and wanted to dive back into his arms. Willow sat across from Jasper with her beautiful eyes fixed on him as if she feared that he would vanish in a blink of an eye. If someone else stared at Jasper the way she did, they would have either gotten a serious beating by now or been totally ignored instead. Chapter 2016 Chapter 2016 However, Willow¡¯s gaze led to the hint of redness slowly creeping over Jasper¡¯s handsome face. He could no longer be as calm as he usually was. Instead, he was behaving like a teenage boy who felt shy and flustered in front of the girl he liked. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Jasper had to ask. Willow could tell that her staring had made him shy. Sheughed and said, ¡°I¡¯m looking at the handsome man in front of me, of course! What¡¯s the matter? Am I not allowed to look?¡± In reality, she wasn¡¯t just looking at him. Her eyes were boring into his soul! She looked like she was trying to see right through him. Jasper never cared about his looks before, but at this very moment, he hoped that she wouldn¡¯t be displeased by his appearance. ¡°How did you be the special representative? It¡¯s not easy to get in. If I knew you wereing, I could have made up an identity for you!¡± Willow was worried that he had to plead with someone else again. ¡°My uncle got it done for me,¡± Jasper told her the truth. ¡°I see! Let¡¯s go then! Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take you under my wing and I¡¯ll even take good care of you!¡± Willow patted Jasper on the shoulder and giggled. Jasper couldn¡¯t help but smile. Ten minutes after the duo headed back out, the entire team departed for their destination. Willow was wearing a sky-blue winter jacket that made her svelte figure seem even more tall and slender. Jasper was also given a ck winter jacket. As he stood with the team that included over a dozen other young men, there was no denying that he stood out from the crowd. Willow got into the vehicle and Jasper immediately sat beside her. While Willow was busy arranging her bag, Jasper reached out and helped her with her seatbelt. She shed him a smile before she realized that he was the one taking care of her! Six SUVs set off toward the nearest pier. It was quite an imposing sight that made it clear just how much money had been pumped into this expedition. The team was full of talents and everything was well-prepared. At the pier, Jasper followed closely behind Willow and did everything from helping her onto the ship to carrying her bag for her. Willow¡¯s eight bodyguards realized that they had been left with nothing to do. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Their task was not only to protect Willow but the entire team as well. They would soon be entering international waters, and apart from the citizens from other nations who lived on the inds, there were also rumors of pirates who frequented the area. Ordinary people would never venture into these waters. They were doomed if they ended up running into the pirates. The ship cut through the waves at top speeds as it headed out to international waters. Willow was supposed to share her room with a female bodyguard, but she made Jasper her roommate instead. It meant that they could be together the whole time they were on the ship. Jasper had refused at first, but Willow insisted and he eventually gave in. Thanks to the Presgraves¡¯ deep pockets, the equipment for the expedition consisted of all the best things that money could buy. Even Willow¡¯s room was rathervish with its double bed, en-suite bathroom, luxurious couch, and floor-to-ceiling windows. Out on the deck, the female bodyguard had no choice but to report this back to the family. Their assignment was to protect Willow, and they couldn¡¯t help but worry over the fact that she was sharing a room with a man. When Elliot heard the news, he growled anxiously, ¡°Who¡¯s he? How can Willow share a room with another man? Are there no other rooms on that ship?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a special representative named Hugh Wyatt.¡± ¡°Send me a photo of him.¡± Elliot was on the verge of exploding. She had only just left my sight. How is it that a man has sunk his ws into her already? I won¡¯t allow it! I don¡¯t care who he is! He needs to stay away from her! Naturally, the female bodyguard had secretly snapped a photo of Jasper, so she quickly sent it over. Elliot was stunned when he saw who the man was. How could it be him? Chapter 2017 Chapter 2017 It was Jasper Wyatt from Interpol¡¯s special operations unit. Why is he joining Willow¡¯s team? Is he there on an assignment? Is her team in some kind of danger? Elliot knew that the special ops would only go on missions to ces where serious events could happen. If Elliot wanted answers, he would need to ask Willow, so he called her immediately after hanging up on the female bodyguard. Willow had just finished putting her things away when she heard her phone ringing. After seeing who it was, she hurried out onto the balcony before she answered, ¡°Hi, Dad!¡± ¡°Willow, why is Jasper Wyatt with you?¡± Elliot came right out and asked. Willow wasn¡¯t surprised. There were eight pairs of eyes on her at all times. Every single thing she did would undoubtedly get back to her father within a moment¡¯s notice. ¡°He¡¯s on a break right now, Dad, so I invited him over to protect me. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be even safer with him around, right?¡± Willow said cheerfully. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean he needs to share a room with you!¡± Elliot huffed. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve looked into him before, Dad, so you know what he¡¯s like! He¡¯s a decent man,¡± Willow dered reassuringly. ¡°It¡¯s improper.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t care about it, Dad, so why are you so hot and bothered by it? I¡¯ll never be able to get married if you keep acting like this!¡± Willow¡¯s temper red up too. Elliot was speechless. s, it couldn¡¯t be helped. He was the one who spoiled and pampered her all this while. He was defenseless against her temper. ¡°Do you trust him so much?¡± Elliot asked. ¡°I trust him, Dad, so can you please trust him too?¡± Willow pleaded. She was afraid her father would put pressure on Jasper somehow. ¡°Fine. Look out for yourself. Call me if anything happens.¡± ¡°Got it, Dad! Bye!¡± Willow said sweetly. She had no clue that as soon as their call ended, Elliot immediately made a call to Richard. ¡°Hey, Elliot.¡± ¡°Richard, what do you know about a guy named Jasper Wyatt? What¡¯s his character like? Can he be trusted? Does he have any history of bad behavior? Also, look into his background. I want as many details as possible.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Richard asked with a chuckle. ¡°Willow invited him along on her archaeological expedition.¡± ¡°Rx! I trust Jasper.¡± ¡°But Willy¡¯s sharing a room with him! How am I supposed to rx?¡± Elliot cried out in frustration. Richard was a little taken aback. After a few seconds, he said, ¡°Do you still remember the Wyatts, the family that got wiped out overnight? Jasper¡¯s the only child from that family who survived. He has a ster record with his unit and excels in every way possible. With him keeping Willow safe, you¡¯ve got nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°If this is what Willow wants, Elliot, shouldn¡¯t you respect her decision? Do you still think she¡¯s a little girl who¡¯ll stay by your side forever and never grow up? Be a little more discerning and have an open mind.¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°Are you saying that this Jasper fellow could be my future son-inw?¡± Elliot¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Where else would you find such a capable candidate? Willow has a good eye,¡± Richardplimented. Elliot was still anxious, but he trusted his friend¡¯s opinion, so he had no choice but to calm himself down and let his daughter make her own decisions. After all, she was all grown up now. After the call, Willow secretly heaved a sigh of relief. Thank goodness Dad didn¡¯t demand that Jasper and I stay in different rooms. She went back into the room and saw Jasper sitting on the couch. He seemed a little bored, so she took out her notes and handed them to him. ¡°As the special representative, you¡¯ll need to have a basic understanding of this expedition, or else, you might easily blow your cover. Here are my notes. You can kill time by looking through them.¡± Jasper took her notes and began to flip through them in all seriousness. Willow sat down and watched him, but eventually, the swaying motion of the ship and her exhaustion both led to her eyes drifting shut as she dozed off. Chapter 2018 Chapter 2018 Just as Willow¡¯s head started drooping, Jasper quickly reached out to stop her from sliding off the couch. Willow was thoroughly exhausted. Jasper¡¯s firm and broad chest gave her a sense of security, and he smelled pretty good too. She stretched out on the couch and used his thigh as her pillow. ¡°Why don¡¯t you sleep on the bed?¡± Jasper suggested quietly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to!¡± Willow rejected the idea with her eyes still closed. She got into a morefortable position and said, ¡°I want to sleep here.¡± Jasper had to let her be. Soon, she was sound asleep on his thigh, so he turned his attention back to her notes. A gentle sea breeze came in through the window. All was calm and serene. Willow was still fairly innocent when it came to things of a romantic nature. She barely had any experience interacting with a man romantically. Even now, she was simply resting on Jasper¡¯s thigh because it wasfortable for her. She didn¡¯t think about what it was like for a man and a woman to be in this position. On the other hand, Jasper nced down at her a few times. When she turned over and faced his waist, his breath became a little ragged and his jaws tightened. He could feel her warm breath against him. Though her breaths were soft and light, they felt like they were burning his skin. Just then, Willow stretched her arm out to shift to a morefortable position and ended up resting her hand above the center of his pants, pressing down on a sensitive spot. Jasper¡¯s entire face stiffened and his whole body tensed up. He didn¡¯t dare to move a single muscle as he gently picked her hand up and moved it away. Willow didn¡¯t notice a thing. She was still in thends of dreams. s, that was not the end of it. Every now and then, Willow would toss around and her arms would fly all over. Even her face would press up against Jasper at times. He was having a hard time focusing on her intriguing notes. All of a sudden, the ship was caught in a tumultuous wave that sent it soaring up high before crashing back down. Everyone on the ship was jolted by the sudden drop. Willow was no longer on the couch either. Jasper had scooped her into his arms at once. Her entire body was pressed against his as he held her head close to prevent her from getting any neck injuries. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. By the time Willow opened her eyes, Jasper was already cradling her in his arms like a child. ¡°What happened?¡± Willow blinked. She hadn¡¯t figured out the situation yet. ¡°We ran into some high waves.¡± As soon as Jasper replied, the boat rocked and dipped forward once more. The momentum rocked everything on the ship too. ¡°Ahhh!¡± Willow instinctively threw her arms around Jasper¡¯s neck and buried her face against him. She also wrapped her legs around his waist, clinging onto him like an octopus. With one hand on the armrest, Jasper used his other hand to keep Willow close so that she wouldn¡¯t fall. They had only been out on the ocean for two hours, so they were rather unlucky to be running into such high waves already. However, though the ride became a lot rockier now, it was unlikely that anyone would be gravely injured. Atst, once the waters calmed down, those who had sustained light injuries¡ªand there were quite a number of them too¡ªquickly tended to their bruises with ointments and heat patches. ¡°Are you alright, Miss?¡± Johanna Lisburne, one of the female bodyguards, quickly knocked on Willow¡¯s door. A perfectly uninjured Willow opened the door and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. What about you? Did anyone get hurt?¡± ¡°We¡¯re all fine,¡± Johanna replied before ncing at the man behind Willow. Although it was her first time meeting Jasper, she was trained enough to see that he was undoubtedly a formidable fighter. At the very least, he was certainly a lot stronger than they were, so she wasn¡¯t worried about Willow¡¯s safety when she was with him. In any case, Elliot had informed them that this man was allowed to stay by Willow¡¯s side to protect her, so all the bodyguards could do now was be in charge of the safety of those that were beyond Jasper¡¯s protection. Chapter 2019 Chapter 2019 Willow left her room to check on the injured team members. She found that quite a few of them sported bumps and bruises. One of them even had a dislocated shoulder and was busy looking for someone who could put it back for him! ¡°Can you find someone who can help me, Miss Presgrave? I¡¯m in so much pain right now.¡± ¡°Of course! I¡¯ll get someone right away.¡± ¡°A professional, please!¡± The man was covered in sweat. Soon, Willow brought Jasper over and pointed at the injured team member. ¡°Can you help him?¡± Jasper nodded. ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°Hey man, go easy on me, okay? I don¡¯t do too well with pain,¡± the man pleaded. Jasper walked over to him and asked, ¡°How should I go easy on you?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Maybe you could use a gentler method like¡ªArgh!¡± Before the man knew what was happening, his bone popped back in ce. He screamed by instinct at first, but he immediately began to move his arm around. ¡°Whoa! It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore! You fixed it.¡± He finally realized that Jasper had simply distracted him with the question before fixing his shoulder in just two seconds. ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Mr. Wyatt,¡± the team member said gratefully. ¡°Where did you learn how to do this?¡± ¡°No formal training necessary. You¡¯ll be rather good at doing it too if you¡¯ve done it enough times,¡± Jasper replied. The women on the team were all taken with how cool he was, but after hearing his response, they began to stare in shock. What kind of work does Mr. Wyatt do? What would involve dislocating your shoulders so often? Willow chuckled. She found that despite being rather stern most of the time, Jasper did have a funny bone hidden in there somewhere! ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s all go back to our rooms and rest!¡± Willow said before taking Jasper¡¯s hand and leaving with him. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. The women exchanged looks. Was the handsome special representative Willow¡¯s boyfriend? Why else would they share a room and be this intimate in public? Although the women on the team admired Jasper, they knew better than to try and steal him away from Willow. When Willow and Jasper stood together, they looked like the leading characters of their own fairytale. They looked good together. Willow went to the ship¡¯s bridge to get an update. They would be arriving at their first destination in three hours at most, but as the ind was popted by indigenous people, everyone had to be on high alert to avoid getting attacked. That being said, the bodyguards that Willow brought along with her gave everyone an added sense of security. After three more hours on the ship, they finally arrived at the first ind. Only a dozen or so indigenous families were living on this ind. Although they were technically under the administration of a small nation nearby, they were so far out on the ocean that they were basically living freely on their own. Thankfully, the team had gotten the help of a local guide in advance, so they were able to settle down fairly quickly. Even so, they had to be on their guard against the locals as they had brought a ton of supplies with them. Willow was given a fairly eptable cottage on the beach. Jasper stayed close to her at all times. Willow was interested in seeing how the locals lived. A group of barefooted children came running over to scrutinize Willow. She went back to her room and brought out some snacks to share with them. Soon, it seemed that they were getting along quite well. Night came and Willow was dead tired. Although it was June, the diurnal temperature variation in this region was pretty significant. Willow sat on a chair by the ocean, leaned against Jasper¡¯s arm, and slowly dozed off. She was already sound asleep by the time Jasper noticed. His lips curved up ever so slightly. She¡¯s really like a kid sometimes. He carried her back to bed and tucked her in before lying down on the couch nearby. Although it was quite hard for him to fit all six feet and a couple more inches of him onto that tiny couch, he didn¡¯t get in the bed with her. As the night wore on, everything outside the window was pitch ck. There wasn¡¯t any street lighting here and the locals wouldn¡¯t waste their resources by keeping the lights on. Soon, it felt as if they were living in nature. Chapter 2020 Chapter 2020 The rustling of footsteps could be heard outside the window. Even though the skulkers were careful with their sounds, Jasper was still rmed. His eyes snapped open, the silvery moonlight shining on him. No, I shouldn¡¯t hurt anyone. Willow¡¯s team just came to the ind and they need to start work soon. He went to the window and waited for the invader toe in. The moment they poked their heads inside, they had the scare of their lives. The faint-hearted would have cked out the moment they met Jasper¡¯s gaze. The air around him was filled with murder, and he red at the thief. One look at his eyes, and the thief scurried away. It was at that moment, Jasper was d he came along, or even with the bodyguards standing sentry, he would still be worried. He then looked at Willow. She was still fast asleep, oblivious to the near- invasion that happened. Morning came, and Willow woke up. She saw Jasper on the couch with his elbow resting on the armrest, but he was sleeping. Concerned, she got out of bed. Willow patted his face. ¡°Get back to bed, Jasper.¡± She wanted him to get some sleep. He came with her at her behest, and now he was sleeping on the couch instead of the bed. Jasper held her hand and slowly opened his eyes. He stared into her clean, beautiful eyes. Apparently, she had a good night¡¯s sleep. ¡°It¡¯s all right. I had enough sleep.¡± Jasper went into the makeshift bathroom to wash himself up and then came back out a momentter. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting outside.¡± Willow¡¯s team texted her, saying they would be meeting an elder to talk about the ancient ship found in a cave on the ind. Willow changed into a long denim dress and came out. She looked perfect in every kind of clothing and blue lent her the look of a mature woman. Everyone had breakfast in the tent beside them. Willow had gone spelunking with her team members before, but this was a different experience. Everything felt meaningful, and all because she had JasperN?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. with them. He took care of her and tended to her every single need, including but not limited to filling her te with food and preparing her cutlery before she even asked. Everyone was forced to watch this show of affection. They used to envy Willow for her family¡¯s wealth, and now they envied her for her luck in romance. She managed to get herself a handsome, powerful, and meticulous boyfriend who cared about her. Jasper wasn¡¯t being a simp either. He was genuinely caring. Willow was his whole world. Even though there were a few young and freshdies on the team, none of them managed to even get a moment of his time. With Willow around, he couldn¡¯t care less about any other woman. After breakfast, they were led to the elder¡¯s abode, and they brought a ton of gifts with them as well. With the guide being the trantor, they started a conversation. Jasper was staring at the young man beside the elder. Thed was averting his gaze nervously, for he was the thief who tried to invade Willow¡¯s room the night before. When he saw Willow disembarking from the ship, he was attracted by her beautiful and regal looks. He had never seen any girl as beautiful as her. That very same night, his desire red, and he intended to stalk Willow¡¯s room, but before he could even get close, a mysterious man was already waiting for him. One look at his eyes, and he scurried back to his room. Now, that very same man was staring at him like a beast trying to tear its prey apart. Sheepishly, the lad left. Willow gave the elder some consumables in exchange for a chance to investigate the cave. At the same time, she and her team noticed that the people of this ind had dark ideas for them. Chapter 2021 Chapter 2021 While on their way back to the ship, their team leader solemnly told everyone to be on alert. ¡°Not even the guide can be trusted. Some of our team members lost their luggage and phonesst night. Girls, do not stay in a room alone. I suggest that all thedies take up the cabins on the ship. Do not stay on the ind,¡± Jasper said. Willow whirled around to look at him. Did something happen while I was asleep? Winston nodded in agreement. ¡°Mr. Wyatt is right. Ladies, from now on, you¡¯ll be sleeping in the cabins. We¡¯ll have patrols guarding the vessel. We have to stick together from now on. Do not let your guard down, and remember, this is just one stop in our journey. Once we find the ship and get our lead, we¡¯ll leave this ind right away.¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. After the meeting, Jasper took Willow¡¯s luggage to the ship. Curious, Willow asked, ¡°Did something happen after I fell asleepst night?¡± ¡°No,¡± Jasper answered. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me. I know something happened, so tell me.¡± Willow turned him around and looked him in the eye. Jasper could control his expressions perfectly to the point he even fooled lie detectors before, but Willow¡¯s gaze was more powerful than any lie detector, so he could never lie to her. ¡°You saw the guy beside the elder we met just now? He tried to sneak into your roomst night.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Willow was shocked, then she tried to remember thatd standing beside the elder. She did notice his scary leer. Willow wrapped her arms around Jasper¡¯s neck and looked up at him. ¡°Good thing you were there, or I would have been in trouble.¡± Even without Jasper around, she would still have her bodyguards dealing with the invader, but she was d he was with him. That night, Willow slept in a cabin on the ship, while her bodyguards stood sentry, keeping everyone safe. Someone was standing near the ship, staring at the vessel. He was thed who had fallen for Willow. As if under a spell, he was driven by the desire to make Willow his, and he would make sure she never left the ind. He would make her his bride. Unable to sleep, Willow looked at Jasper, who was on a couch going through her notes even though he had already gone through it a few times. He¡¯s so serious when he works. She pointed at the bed beside her. ¡°Come here and sleep, Jasper.¡± He must not have slept wellst night. ¡°I¡¯m not sleepy.¡± Jasper looked at her and checked the time. It¡¯s eleven. What¡¯s she doing staying up? ¡°I can¡¯t sleep. I want to, since we¡¯re going to search for the ship tomorrow.¡± Willow was frustrated as well. She couldn¡¯t control when she fell asleep, and furthermore, she was excited right now. ¡°Can you tell me more about your past? I want to know more about you.¡± Willowy on the bed and rested her chin on her hands, staring at Jasper. ¡°Nothing remarkable, really. Lived in the military for a long time going through the same training every single day. You won¡¯t like how droll it is,¡± said Jasper calmly. ¡°What about your folks?¡± ¡°Dead. My uncle¡¯s the only family I have left,¡± said Jasper. Willow sped her mouth shut with her hand. She regretted asking that question, and she looked at Jasper apologetically. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be. Nothing I can¡¯t talk about.¡± Jasper didn¡¯t want her to feel guilty about it. Willow shut her mouth and rested her chin on her hands again. ¡°Can you tell stories then? Bedtime stories?¡± ¡°Out of my depth.¡± Jasper shook his head. Amused, Willow chuckled. Of course, he didn¡¯t know how to tell bedtime stories. I should let him off the hook now. Chapter 2022 Chapter 2022 The light shone on Willow¡¯s long hair that tumbled down her shoulder and coiled around her face. She looked as lively as a fairy fluttering around in the warm midsummer. She was vivacious, naive, and sometimes silly, but her smile brightened up the world. Captivated by her smile, Jasper couldn¡¯t move his eyes away. Noticing his stare, Willow smiled sheepishly and quickly buried her face in the nket. Jasper snapped out of it. Nervous, he stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll check things out. You get to sleep.¡± ¡°Sure, bute back soon,¡± said Willow. It was the dead of the night when Jasper came back. Willow had fallen asleep, and her leg was peeking out of the nket. Jasper was amused, then he tucked her in and nudged her leg into the nket. Nothing happened that night. Morning came, and everyone got ready for the expedition. Aside from the designated team, everyone else stayed behind to guard the ship. Willow was on the expedition team, and she had four bodyguards with her. ¡°Can you help me with my back, Jasper? I can¡¯t reach it.¡± Willow approached Jasper holding a tub of sunscreen. She was only wearing a ck camisole, revealing her arms and beautiful back. Jasper almost stopped breathing for a moment, but he took the sunscreen and helped her rub it across her back. Her skin was soft and smooth to the touch. Willow tilted her head so he could rub the sunscreen all over the ces she couldn¡¯t reach. Unbeknownst to her, Jasper was tall enough to notice the skin under her shirt when she was in this position. Willow grew perfectly, her body a lot more mature than her face would suggest. As he rubbed the sunscreen across her back, Jasper found himself perspiring a little. ¡°Done,¡± he said huskily. Willow took the sunscreen back and smiled. ¡°Thanks.¡± She opened up her closet and took a ck windbreaker out. She then tied her hair into a ponytail so that it was easier for her to work. The team set off. They got into three off-road vehicles and drove off ording to the guide¡¯s instructions. The cave was only thirty minutes away, and they arrived at their destination not too long later. It was a natural cave with a small entrance. Only a single person could pass through it at one time, and there were a lot of passages inside. The ship was embedded under a stone wall. Thanks to the cave¡¯s shelter, it was preserved nicely. Jasper followed Willow closely. When they came to the ship, what the team saw shocked them. The excited archeologists quickly whipped out their gear to start their investigation. Willow was equally excited as well. They split into smaller teams and entered the ship in batches. The vessel was gigantic ¡ªalmost a hundred feet from forward to stern. The deck was about thirty feet wide. Shipbuilding was already decent enough even back in the day. ¡°There¡¯ll be two to threeyers of cabin in this ship. Maybe we¡¯ll find something.¡± They split their team based on the work they would do. Willow¡¯s team would stay on the deck to investigate. She whipped out her magnifying ss to take a closer look, but then the board under her creaked. Even though she wasn¡¯t heavy, this ship was already more than a thousand years old, and the board underneath the deck was starting to give way. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°Careful.¡± Jasper pulled Willow back to his side. The ce she stood on earlier had shattered and fallen. Jasper held the steel pole with one hand and sped Willow with his other arm, keeping her from falling. Willow was shocked too, and she gave Jasper a grateful look. Then, she checked out the hole curiously. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s a hidden chamber down there. We can check it out.¡± ¡°Watch out for snakes. I¡¯ll clear the path. Wait for me.¡± Jasper leaped into the hole. Once he was sure the chamber was safe, he said, ¡°Jump. I¡¯ll catch you.¡± Chapter 2023 Chapter 2023 The chamber was about eight feet tall, but Willow jumped anyway. Jasper caught her, and they clung to each other. With her arms wrapped around his neck, Willow felt safe in his embrace. Jasper held up amp for Willow while she checked things out. A momentter, she found a metal box and opened it, revealing a few pieces of yellowing paper within. Even though it was probably a thousand years old, she could still make out the words. Some of the papers had broken down, however. Willow quickly took a few photos and made sure she didn¡¯t make any noise. Once she was done, the papers started rotting as they had been exposed to the humidity in the air, and they turned into dust. Willow heaved a sigh. Good thing I took the photos in time. She swiveled around, but someone covered her eyes and darkness overwhelmed her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°There are a few skeletons there. Are you scared of them?¡± Jasper asked, in case she got spooked if she saw the remains. ¡°If they¡¯re just skeletons, then no,¡± said Willow. Jasper pulled his hand back, and Willow shone her shlight on the skeletons. She then crouched down and checked the items around them, and she noticed one of the skeletons holding a metal box. Hmm, the artifacts the inders found must have been sold for money. They haven¡¯t found this chamber yet, so I can keep a few things. She picked up her backpack and unfurled a stretch of cloth. Carefully, she ced the metal box in the cloth and tied it up. Jasper watched her as she worked. He said nothing, only keeping an eye on them. They stayed on the ship for three hours, and they gained a lot from the investigation. The team had lunch and went for another round to clean up things, then they could leave. It was then an explosion broke out at the cave¡¯s entrance, shocking everyone. ¡°Quickly find out what happened,¡± said the leader. Part of the team quickly checked things out and came back a momentter. ¡°Someone sted the entrance. The exit¡¯s blocked by a boulder.¡± ¡°Must be the locals. What are they trying to do?¡± someone barked. ¡°They want to take all our stuff for themselves. You know howwless this ce is. They own the ind. They can take everything we have and live a rich life for years.¡± ¡°Damn it, and we just got everything we needed to. All we had to do was get out and leave.¡± Willow looked at Jasper. Jasper gave her a look of assurance. No matter what, he would lead them to safety. ¡°Everyone split up and see if there are any more exits. Three hours left before sundown, so make haste.¡± Everyone split up to search the cave for another exit, but an hourter, everyone came back and said they found no more exits. ¡°So, we¡¯ll have to stay the night in a cave?¡± ¡°There¡¯s an exit there.¡± Jasper pointed up. Everyone looked at the top of the cave, agape. He¡¯s talking about the exit on the roof? But we don¡¯t have any climbing gear. How can we even get up there? ¡°That¡¯s too high up. How can we even get up there?¡± Willow held Jasper¡¯s sleeve in worry. ¡°No. We can wait. The other guys wille for us if we are missing for too long.¡± ¡°I can climb my way up there and smash the hole open. We can get out before sundown.¡± Jasper didn¡¯t want Willow to stay the night here. The temperature difference between night and day was big, so she could fall ill. ¡°Are you sure you can do it, Mr. Wyatt?¡± a surprised Winston asked. ¡°I can,¡± said Jasper confidently. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Everyone else was shocked. They were just archeologists, not ninjas. There was no way any of them could scale the walls of this cave without any gear. Thinking that Jasper was also just an archeologist, they didn¡¯t think he could do this. Chapter 2024 Chapter 2024 ¡°Very well. We¡¯ll be counting on you, then. That¡¯s our only way out.¡± Willow gave Jasper a worried look. She knew he was a capable man, but she couldn¡¯t just calm down while he was going to take a risk. ¡°Be careful. Don¡¯t push yourself, alright?¡± she said. ¡°Trust me,¡± answered Jasper. He would never make empty promises. Anything he said he could do, he would do it. Jasper took off his coat, revealing a tight shirt. Everyone was surprised when they saw his muscles. They didn¡¯t take Jasper as a muscr man. Then, he started climbing the walls bare-handed. Even the ces everyone thought couldn¡¯t be scaled, he scaled them. ¡°What was his job before he became an archeologist? That¡¯s unbelievable.¡± The walls were about twenty feet tall, and Jasper had scaled half of it, but the closer he got to the exit, the harder it was to climb. Willow¡¯s heart was beating fast, and her neck was getting sore, but she kept her eyes firmly on Jasper, her heart racing. ¡°You can do it, Jasper,¡± Willow encouraged. Jasper finally reached the opening, but then someone out there mmed a boulder down on his hand. Most people would reflexively pull their hand back when they were assaulted out of the blue, which would cause them to fall to their deaths. Jasper didn¡¯t. He knew he would be attacked, so he endured the pain and slithered out of the opening. As expected, he saw a panicked man outside; the very same man who tried to sneak into Willow¡¯s room. Jasper¡¯s face fell, and murder filled his eyes. Realizing the iing danger, the man took two steps back, but Jasper mmed his foot into the man¡¯s belly and grabbed him by the cor, then he smashed his fist against the man¡¯s face. Quickly, the lad slid down a slide and disappeared into the woods. He was a local, so he knew this ce very well. Jasper gave up going after him and shouted, ¡°I¡¯m out.¡± The team members apuded him, and someone said, ¡°Miss Presgrave, you have a great boyfriend.¡± Willow smiled. She wanted to say they weren¡¯t a couple, but there was no need for that, so she would just let them think that they were indeed a couple. ¡°Yeah, he is.¡± There was a hint of worship in her voice. The boulder at the entrance was cleared out soon enough, courtesy of Jasper. Everyone was delighted to see the light outside and their despair melted away. They got into their cars and left in a hurry. At the same time, they made up their minds to leave this ind. Jasper¡¯s hand was bruised from the boulder m, but he hid it so Willow wouldn¡¯t notice. Once they arrived at the pier, Winston led everyone onto the ship. Everyone engaged in a small discussion and decided to say goodbye to the n leader and leave. Then, they would decide on their next course of action once they were safely out at sea. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Just then, a female team member said in a panic, ¡°I left myptop at my abode back on the ind. All my important files are in there.¡± Willow quickly assured, ¡°It¡¯s all right. We can go back for it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go back for it,¡± Jasper said. ¡°It¡¯s not safe on the ind. The guide just said one of our team members beat up the n leader¡¯s son and they are demanding an exnation.¡± ¡°When did that happen?¡± Willow asked. ¡°The guide¡¯s not sure.¡± Jasper stepped up. ¡°I did it. He ambushed me back at the roof¡¯s exit. I beat him up, but he ran away.¡± Willow quickly held his hand. ¡°Are you alright?¡± she asked, concerned. Jasper hid his hand behind him, but that only made Willow more concerned. She grabbed his hand to look at it, and sure enough, there was a bruise. Chapter 2025 Chapter 2025 ¡°That¡¯s too far! First, they st the exit and trap us in the cave, and then they attack Jasper?¡± Willow snapped. She really wanted to send her bodyguards to teach those people a lesson. ¡°We need thatptop. All our important files are in there,¡± said Winston. Even though it was the team member¡¯s mistake, they had to get thatptop back. ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± said Jasper. ¡°No. My bodyguards will get it. Just rest up.¡± Willow didn¡¯t want him to go. ¡°This is all my fault. I left in too much of a hurry and didn¡¯t notice my missingptop. I¡¯m really sorry. Theptop¡¯s under the bed of thest room in the corridor. I hid it just in case it got stolen.¡± The team member almost cried. Willow turned around and assured her, ¡°It¡¯s alright. Something like this was bound to happen. Just get some rest. We¡¯ll deal with the matter.¡± Soothed, the team member left. When Willow turned back, Jasper was already gone. ¡°Where is he?¡± she quickly asked Winston. ¡°He left. Probably went to get theptop.¡± ¡°He wouldn¡¯t listen to me, huh?¡± Willowined as she quickly ran out to the deck. She saw Jasper driving toward the house on the ind. ¡°Be careful, Jasper!¡± she shouted. Her bodyguards were guarding the first floor. The guide told the archeologists to leave as soon as possible, or the locals mighte after them. Jasper charged into the yard they stayed in before and stormed to thest room in the house. He kicked the door down and grabbed theptop bag from under the bed. Theptop was intact, but when he came back out, a group of locals were standing around his car, armed with machetes and steel bats. Obviously, they weren¡¯t going to let Jasper go unscathed. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. One of the men was the one he beat up. He angrily pointed at Jasper and talked in the local tongue. Hisrades were riled up, and they red at Jasper. Jasper saddled the backpack and coldly stared at the locals, especially the one who tried to trap them in the cave. From the moment he tried to harm Willow, he already had a death warrant out for him. ¡°Attack!¡± thed roared, and he charged ahead with his machete raised up high. Everyone thought Jasper was just an archeologist, but little did they know that Jasper was actually a professional killer. A few blowster, the locals realized something was wrong. Jasper easily took them out and didn¡¯t even break a sweat. He did not hesitate with the attacks as well. Even though they were armed, none could even fend off the impact of his punches. At this moment, Jasper mmed his foot down on the chest of thed who tried to hurt Willow and broke a few of his ribs. Thed screamed, but Jasper didn¡¯t care. He quickly climbed into his car and left. The n leader was told of the battle, and the news of his son getting his ribs broken enraged him. He led his men on a chase. Jasper had emerged from the housing area, but a few rickety off-road vehicles were hot on his tail. The n elder was in one of those cars, loudly swearing vengeance on Jasper. Winston was on the deck of the ship, looking through a telescope, and what he saw shocked him. ¡°Mr. Wyatt¡¯s back, but an angry mob is hot on his tail.¡± Willow charged onto the deck. ¡°Let me see.¡± She saw a big group of armed locals chasing Jasper. Some were even hurling stones and knives at him. ¡°What happened? Why are they chasing him?¡± Willow panicked. Just as Jasper was about to reach the pier, two more cars showed up and got in his way. ¡°He¡¯s in danger!¡± Willow quickly came down to the first floor and ordered her bodyguards, ¡°All of you, I need you to save Jasper right now! Bring him back to me!¡± Chapter 2026 Chapter 2026 Four of the bodyguards stayed, while the other four quickly went to Jasper¡¯s rescue. Since Jasper couldn¡¯t pass, he got out of the car, and already he was surrounded by two dozen angry male locals who were young and lean. They were roaring angrily and hurling stones at him. Jasper defended himself as murder red in his eyes. The air of bloodlust that surrounded him squeezed the locals by their throats, and their roars quickly became whimpers, then whispers, then¡­ nothing. The n leader got out of the car and pointed at Jasper. He said something in the local tongue that whipped hisckeys into action. It was perhaps the enticement of great reward, so a couple of men with bats stepped ahead, but Jasper snatched their weapons away and easily beat them down. Everyone else quickly charged at him. At the same time, Willow¡¯s bodyguards arrived, and they quickly formed a protective circle around Jasper. ¡°We¡¯ll cut a way through,¡± said Jasper. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The bodyguards saw no other way out. The battle began. Jasper and the bodyguards were outnumbered at least four to one. Everyone was on the deck, watching the battle through telescopes. Worry took over their minds, and their hearts raced. It was then they realized that Jasper was actually more skilled than he looked. Not even Willow¡¯s bodyguards could fight as well as he could. He was fast, precise, and deadly. In just a moment, a few locals were already rolling on the ground and howling in pain. Jasper¡¯s attacks were lethal. In just fifteen minutes, all the locals were already on the ground, out of commission. Scared out of his wits, the n leader quickly got back into his car and drove away. Jasper got into his car and took the bodyguards back to the ship. Everyone weed them with a round of apuse. Willow dashed forward and threw her arms around Jasper even when everyone was watching. Everyone smiled. When Willow realized what she was doing, she blushed and held Jasper¡¯s arm. ¡°Let¡¯s go to our room. I¡¯ll need to see if you¡¯re hurt.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Jasper muttered. ¡°Just let me check. You didn¡¯t even tell me when you were hurt,¡± Willow grumbled. He had hidden his bruised hand from her earlier. Willow dragged him away just like that, and Winston told the captain to steer the boat away in case the locals came back with more vitriol. Ten minutester, the boat had left the pier and made its way to the open sea. That was their next destination. Once they went back to the room, Willow closed the door and ordered, ¡°Take off your clothes.¡± Jasper couldn¡¯t say no, so he took off his shirt right in front of her, revealing his beautiful muscles, perfectly chiseled torso, and taut rear. He looked like a sculpture. At the same time, Willow noticed a few red marks on his back. He fought bare handed, so the locals got some hits in. ¡°Oh, your back¡¯s hurt. I need to put some salve on it.¡± Willow observed him seriously, staring at his half- naked body without a care. She was genuinely checking on him and nothing else. However, Jasper was starting to feel his heart squeezing up from all the touching Willow was doing, and he tensed up. She does know she¡¯s making life hard for me, right? Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. After the checkup, Willow said, ¡°Get showered. I¡¯ll deal with the injuries in a bit, and then it¡¯s time to sleep.¡± Jasper took a shower while Willow told her bodyguard to get her some salve. When she went outside to get the meds, everyone asked her about Jasper¡¯s situation. They were treating her as if she was his girlfriend. She was a little delighted. Even though they weren¡¯t a couple just yet, things might change in the future. Sounds of flowing water meandered across the air, and Willow was imagining Jasper taking a shower. More specifically, she was imagining his stark naked body, and her cheeks burned up. Quickly, she went out to the balcony for some fresh air. When she came back, Jasper was only wearing a pair of long casual pants. She approached him with a smile. ¡°Sit on the couch. I¡¯ll deal with your injuries.¡± Chapter 2027 Chapter 2027 ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself,¡± said Jasper. He couldn¡¯t let her do it, or something in him might snap. That was why he took a cold shower: so he could keep his fire in check. He didn¡¯t want her stoking it again. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No. I¡¯ll do it,¡± Willow protested. There was no way he could reach his back easily. Jasper couldn¡¯t win, so he let her do whatever she wanted. Willow skipped the Q-tip and poured the salve over her hand. She rubbed her hands together to warm the salve up and massaged Jasper¡¯s bruises. The moment her hand touched his back, Jasper tensed up. All he could think of was her hand against his skin. ¡°Tell me if it hurts. The captain said I have to do this for the salve to work. Hold it in, alright?¡± said Willow. There was no need to hold in any pain. Willow¡¯s strength was too minor to cause any pain. It was then Willow realized that Jasper had a big back, and his muscles were really taut. They were hard to the touch and a little bumpy. Once she was done, Jasper had a film of sweat glistening on his forehead. Willow had just stoked his me of desire, and it was burning hot. ¡°Done? I¡¯ll get some fresh air.¡± Jasper stood up and left the room. Willow put the salve away for the next day. The team leader summoned her for a meeting to sort out the leads they found so they could locate the artifact¡¯s location. She came to the conference room, and Winston asked her to take the main spot, which she humbly gave back to him. She sat beside him, and an excited Winston said, ¡°Good news, Willow. We just went through the leads we found, and there¡¯s a map in this box you collected. They indicate where the leads are scattered around in this zone.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s great news! So, can we find more clues now?¡± Willow said in delight. So that fall was a blessing in disguise. ¡°Yes. We can start our investigation, and through GPS, pinpoint the area where the ship sank.¡± Willow was excited. She came all the way with her team to find something, so there was no way she would want to return empty-handed. She wanted to do something for her nation¡¯s efforts to reim their artifacts. ¡°Time to begin our research.¡± Winston scanned the map and uploaded it into hisputer, then he projected it onto the screen for everyone to see. While everyone was staring at the map, the member at the end of the table surreptitiously took a photo of it with their phone. Jasper came in as well, and the member beside Willow gave up their seat for him. Willow turned around and smiled at him, then she went back to Winston¡¯s exnation. Jasper figured out the goal for this trip after he went through Willow¡¯s notes. He was every bit as knowledgeable as everyone around the table now. Moreover, he was a smart man with a photographic memory. Once the meeting was over, everyone retired for the night. The member who took a photo of the map went back to his room and took out hisptop. He then logged into a private ount of some website and sent the photo of the map to his correspondent. ¡®Good. You will be paid handsomely for this,¡¯ the correspondent texted. ¡®I can work for you guys, but you must give me a million and a half once we find the artifact,¡¯ texted the member. ¡®Of course. One and a half million is but pocket change for us. Keep us updated about all progress on your side so we can find the artifact faster.¡¯ ¡®Understood.¡¯ This spy was a man named Yosemite Xingras. Before he joined the expedition, an international antiquity trafficker established contact with him and promised a payment of one and a half million if he would be their mole. Willow was still going through the map even at night. A few tectonic shifts would have happened over a thousand years, so thendmasses around this zone were probably different now. Chapter 2028 Chapter 2028 ¡°It¡¯ste. You should stop, or it¡¯s going to hurt your eyes,¡± said Jasper. It was already eleven. Willow¡¯s eyes were getting sore. She took out a bottle of eye drops and handed it to Jasper. ¡°Can you help me with this, Jasper?¡± Jasper got up and sat on the edge of her bed. She was in a set of pink cotton pajamas. For some reason, her skin shone with a healthy sheen when she was wearing pink. She looked so delectable. Willow had a pair of big, beautiful eyes that were clean and innocent like an infant¡¯s. Jasper dropped a few eye drops into her eyes, and Willow quickly snapped her peepers shut. She had an animated look on her face, and her lips were shut tightly. Jasper stared at her lustrous lips. They smelled so sweet and inviting. When Willow snapped her eyes open, Jasper quickly looked away, his breathingborious. ¡°Do you want a few drops of this? It¡¯s good.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Aw,e on. Just lie down.¡± Willow pushed him down on the bed and tried to drop some eye drops into his eye. Jasper couldn¡¯t bear to dampen her enthusiasm, so hey down. Willow was inches away, staring at him. ¡°You have beautiful eyes.¡± She then dropped some eye drops into his eyes. While his eyes were closed, Willow kept staring at his face. He then opened his eyes, but Willow already had her fill. She then looked at his Adam¡¯s apple and touched it. Jasper¡¯s eyes went wide. What is she doing? ¡°Don¡¯t touch it,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve never touched a guy¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple before. I want to know how it feels.¡± Willow was observing him curiously like he was a work of art. ¡°Don¡¯t touch anyone else¡¯s throat, got it?¡± Jasper stood up. ¡°I don¡¯t like touching anyone else¡¯s throat. Only yours,¡± said Willow before she got back to her bed. ¡°Just sleep. You must be tired.¡± There was no way he could sleep. Jasper pulled the nket over to cover up his crotch. She has no idea how much she just riled me up. Morning came, and Willow woke up. She looked at Jasper¡¯s bed, but he was not around. She then looked outside the window and saw a few inds on the horizon. They were finally at their next destination. She left her room, and a bodyguard approached her. ¡°Do you need anything, miss?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m looking for someone. Have you seen Mr. Wyatt?¡± ¡°He went to the inds an hour ago.¡± ¡°Alone?¡± Willow was shocked, and then she got worried. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°With your team leader. They¡¯re on a recon mission,¡± assured the bodyguards. Even so, Willow still looked at the inds in worry, hoping that Jasper woulde back soon. Because of Winston¡¯s orders, the ship was not allowed to approach the inds until he and Jasper came back with enough intelligence. Barely anyone had explored these inds before, so they had to make sure they were safe, not to mention there could be pirates around, so they had to check their surroundings for any dangers. Willow couldn¡¯t stay still, so she kept visiting the control room. Finally, at three in the afternoon, they established contact with Winston. ¡°Are you there, captain? What¡¯s the situation?¡± a member asked. ¡°Yeah. We need to check around for a couple more hours, but tell everyone there¡¯s nothing to worry about. We¡¯ll be back in a sh.¡± Willow quickly took the pager. ¡°Is Jasper there, captain?¡± ¡°Ah, hello, Willow. Yeah, he¡¯s with me.¡± ¡°Let me talk to him,¡± said Willow. A familiar voice quickly said, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Just like that, Willow felt a weight getting taken off her shoulders, and she smiled. ¡°You have to tell me before you leave next time.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± said Jasper. Dusk came, and Winston called them once more, telling the ship¡¯s operator to dock at the pier and that everyone could disembark now. Chapter 2029 Chapter 2029 The seas were slightly turbulent at night, so the ship was not the best ce to rest. Willow packed her things up and turned around only to almost crash into the guy behind her, but she was delighted. ¡°You¡¯re back!¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m here to help you with your luggage.¡± Jasper looked at her gently. Willow felt a surge of warmth in her heart. She loved that he cared about her so much. Jasper took all her luggage aside from her little backpack. They set up camp at a spot that was clean and where the walls of the mountain would block out any winds. The team members and bodyguards were setting up their tents as well. Johanna came over and asked, ¡°Miss, it can be dangerous at night. Should I stay in the same tent as you?¡± Willow blinked. She knew Johanna well, but when it came to sleep, Willow had a habit of not sharing a bed unless she acknowledged them enough to even hug them without any reservations. Aside from her family, there was only one person who fit the bill right now. She turned her sights to Jasper, who was helping out, and her face turned red. She said, ¡°I-I¡¯d like to stay with Mr. Wyatt, Johanna.¡± Johanna was surprised. The head of the Presgrave Family did allow them to be in the same room, but not in a tent. That was a lot smaller than a room. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea, miss. The tent¡¯s a bit small.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± Willow stared at Jasper, wondering how she could convince him into sharing a tent with her.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Johanna looked at the youngdy. It was obvious Willow only had eyes for Jasper, and she sighed. He¡¯s so lucky. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen her have so much affection for a man. ¡°Then I¡¯ll¡ª¡± Willow stopped her. ¡°No. Don¡¯t tell Dad about it. Do not notify him about my n, and keep this a secret,¡± said Willow imperiously. If her father were to know of this, he would stop her at all costs. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°No buts. You¡¯re with me now, so you¡¯re going to listen to me,¡± said Willow. ¡°And Jasper¡¯s a gentleman. He won¡¯t do anything to me.¡± The other way around, however¡­ She did it before back then¡ªshe hugged him all she wanted. He was the only one she was willing to share a tent with. Johanna nodded. I¡¯ll have to make sure a few of us get a tent beside them. If Jasper tries anything funny, we¡¯ll kill him. Twelve tents were set up a whileter, and then the members started talking about who would get which tent. Thedies would share tents, while the men would talk about tent-sharing with other guys they got along with. It was then Winston realized Willow was still quiet. Given her special status, he knew she wouldn¡¯t share a tent with anyone. He pointed at a tent. ¡°That one¡¯s yours, Willow. You can take it all for yourself.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t want to stay by myself. I¡¯d be scared. I need someone to share a tent with,¡± she said. ¡°Hm, so who do you have in mind?¡± Winston asked curiously. Must be ady or her bodyguard. ¡°Him.¡± Willow pointed at Jasper. Shocked, Winston looked around, but there were nodies around Jasper. So that means she wants Jasper to stay with her? ¡°That can¡¯t do, Willow. Mr. Wyatt is a guy. It¡¯ll make things awkward,¡± Winston said. Willow smiled and looked at Jasper. ¡°Care to share a tent with me?¡± Chapter 2030 Chapter 2030 Jasper frowned and peered at Willow. ¡°I can take the tent beside yours.¡± Hah, so he¡¯s bothered. I knew it. Willow frowned. ¡°No. I¡¯m scared of the dark. What if there are snakes? Who¡¯s going to save me if I¡¯m alone?¡± Winston coughed. ¡°Willow, the tents are anti-snake, so the snakes won¡¯t be a bother.¡± ¡°No. We¡¯re right out here in the wilds. What if there are ghosts?¡± Willow made up another excuse. Fortunately, all the other members had gone away, so only the bodyguards and a few people remained. ¡°Take the biggest tent, then. It should be easier to sleep in.¡± Winston finally realized that Willow would not stop until she could share a tent with Jasper. There was no way to stop her now. Jasper heaved a sigh and nodded in silence. Only then did Willow smile. When Winston walked past Jasper, he whispered, ¡°Take care of her, Mr. Wyatt.¡± He¡¯s so lucky. Speechless, the bodyguards quickly exchanged tents with the other team members who had chosen tents near Willow so they could be as near to Willow as possible. It was as if they didn¡¯t trust Jasper. Either way, their only job for this trip was to make sure Willow was safe. The days were long on this ind. Even though it was already eight, the sky hadn¡¯t fully darkened yet. Everyone had their dinner and happily chatted. Some even strolled around and took a few photos. Willow too was captivated by the ind¡¯s scenery. Holding Jasper¡¯s arm, she asked, ¡°Care to stroll with me?¡± Jasper pulled his hand back, much to Willow¡¯s surprise. He doesn¡¯t want me holding his arm? Then, he held her hand. He wanted to hold hands, and that realization doused Willow¡¯s consternation. She and Jasper made their way to the beach. There wasn¡¯t anyone there, so silence was their company. Stars shone in the sky, the moon smiling gently at the sands. The sea was peaceful as well. All seemed right. Willow was at peace too. Nothing needed to be said. An exchange of silent looks was enough to tell them what they were feeling. Then, Willow noticed a shooting star hurtling through the sky. ¡°Is that a shooting star?¡± She let go of Jasper¡¯s hand. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Surprised, Jasper looked back and saw Willow holding her hands together in prayer as she made her wish. Her chin was resting on the tip of her fingers, and silvery moonlight shone on her face. Her hair tumbled down to her waist. She looked like a devout believer praying to the goddess of the moon. Jasper¡¯s heart was captivated. Willow quickly made a silent wish and opened her eyes. She looked at the disappearing shooting star and turned to Jasper, then sheughed. Jasper narrowed his eyes. ¡°So, what kind of wish did you make?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t say it, or it won¡¯te true.¡± Willow arched her eyebrow. She could tell anyone else about the wish, but not Jasper. The wish she made was about him, after all. She wished for a life of peace, health, and serenity for him. He was in a dangerous line of work, so that was the wish she made the moment she closed her eyes. ¡°Oh, the tide¡¯s rising. Time to go back.¡± Jasper held her hand and went back to the tents. Everyone had gone to sleep as they were exhausted. Of course, some were still awake, and they saw Willow and Jasper together. They didn¡¯t say anything. Those two looked like a perfect couple, after all. Willow was gorgeous, but theds on the team would never dare to court her. They didn¡¯t want to cross the Presgraves, after all. There was no way the Presgraves would marry their princess off to a commoner, and with Jasper around, there was no way theds could gain her attention. He had the looks, physique, and charisma to woo any woman he wanted. Besides, theds admired Jasper too. Chapter 2031 Chapter 2031 They too wanted to be a man like Jasper. He was a powerful man, and none would try to even woo the woman he wanted, or he might just beat them up. Thanks to that, theds were always polite to Willow. Thedies liked Jasper, but they didn¡¯t show it. With Willow around, he would never pay attention to anyone else. This was the perfect romance, they thought. They had feelings for each other. The team members thought Willow was here for the romance, while work was second fiddle. Willow came back to the tent. It was a military-grade tent, so there was no need to worry about snakes or mice sneaking in. However, when Jasper came in, the tent felt a lot smaller. Willow pursed her lips, but she couldn¡¯t hold back her excitement. Unbeknownst to Jasper, Willow¡¯s bodyguards were outside, wide awake. They were watching the silhouettes projected by the light of themp. The two had some distance between them, but then they noticed one of the silhouettes slowly moving toward the other, and it was Willow herself. Because of that, the bodyguards looked away and stood sentry. The temperature difference between day and night was a gulf. It was about ny degrees in the morning but only about sixty at night. That night in particr was freezing. It was about fifty degrees out there, and a lot of the team members slept in each other¡¯s arms. Willow had thickyers of clothes on, but even so, she still felt cold, and the chill was slithering into her clothing. ¡°Let¡¯s get some sleep,¡± she told Jasper. ¡°You first.¡± Jasper turned the lights off. He knew the people outside could see what they were doing through the silhouettes¡¯ movements. Darkness swallowed the tent, and a hint of mischief shed in Willow¡¯s eyes. She leaped into Jasper¡¯s arms and quickly pushed him down. Caught by surprise, Jasper fell down, and he hoarsely said, ¡°Don¡¯t do this, Willow.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t, but only if you sleep with me,¡± Willow whispered. ¡°I¡¯m a guy, and you¡¯re ass.¡± ¡°Gender means nothing in your line of work, does it? You¡¯d stay in the same hotel room with your partner even if she was a woman, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± Willow grumbled. She hadn¡¯t forgotten about that at all. ¡°It was a suite.¡± ¡°Well, what if you were forced to stay in a single room with her? How would you two sleep?¡± Willow continued to grumble. Jasper couldn¡¯t believe she would be hung up on this matter, and he was speechless. ¡°Just think of me as your partner. Don¡¯t be shy.¡± Willow chuckled and slid away from his embrace. She pulled the nket up and covered themselves with it, then wrapped her arm around his waist and put her leg on top of his. Human pillow. Jasper tensed up. She gets really friendly with me, doesn¡¯t she? ¡°This is how I sleep. I have a big teddy bear at home too.¡± Willow adjusted her position a little and whispered, ¡°Honestly, your muscles are too hard. Bit bumpy.¡± Hey, you¡¯re using me as a pillow, and you¡¯reining? Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°But you feel warmer,¡± she praised. ¡°Then sleep and say nothing,¡± said Jasper. ¡°Sure, you close your eyes and sleep too.¡± Willow closed her eyes. The girl was ate bloomer, so romance in the physical sense was a vague concept for her still. She liked Jasper a lot, but she hadn¡¯t developed any urge to devour him just yet. That was bad news for Jasper. Willow was millimeters away from him, and the air smelled like her. Even when his eyes were closed, Jasper could still smell her. His breathing quickened, and he almost hyperventted. Willow was a carefree girl, so she fell asleep quickly even when she was holding Jasper. She had been worried about him the whole day, and now that they were safe, the tension melted away to exhaustion and she soon dozed off. Chapter 2032 Chapter 2032 He was hyper aware of her chest resting on his arm. Jasper carefully turned to his side to sleep. Willow had her head resting against his arm, and she was sleeping like a child. Jasper could still see her clearly, and a smile curled his lips. It was his first time seeing a girl sleeping so soundly. He was almost envious of her sleep quality. Silence slowly took over as the team members fell asleep as well. Jasper quietly tucked Willow in and made sure the nket clung to her and kept her warm. After that, he came out of the tent. The bodyguards were also patrolling as well, and they gave him a look of approval. They too used to be in the military, so they knew Jasper was a reliable man, and a powerful one at that too. ¡°I¡¯ll check the perimeter,¡± Jasper muttered. A bodyguard handed him a coat. ¡°Take this.¡± Jasper took it, draped the coat over himself, and went patrolling. Now, the bodyguards could finally rest. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Willow slept soundly, the nket keeping Jasper¡¯s warmth alive for her. When she woke up, the sun was already shining brightly, so brightly that she opened her eyes. She then looked around and noticed theck of a certain man called Jasper. Willow touched her lips. Wonder if I drooled. She came out and saw Jasper by the beach. Johanna came up to Willow with some water to wash her face and a bit of warm water for her to drink. ¡°Had a good night¡¯s sleep?¡± Johanna asked. ¡°That I did.¡± Willow smiled. Her skin glistened under the sun, her eyes brimming with life. Obviously, she had a good night¡¯s sleep. Everyone had their breakfast, and it was only seven in the morning. Winston made some arrangements, and the team started exploring the ind to see if they could find anything pertaining to the ancient ship. Archeology was a delicate art. They could rely on modern equipment for their expeditions, but they still needed human touch for their work. Jasper and Willow were a team, and everyone else had bodyguards with them while they searched the mountains. Johanna was taking care of Willow as best as she could. At this point, she was more like a nanny. The bodyguard made sure Willow was fed and not thirsty. Whenever she sweated, Johanna would wipe it away. She also made sure the sun wasn¡¯t burning Willow. Jasper saw everything. Boy, her family really takes care of her. They might support her endeavor, but they¡¯re taking all the steps necessary to keep her safe. Everyone climbed up a hill. Should Willow falter, Jasper would hold her hand or just pick her up and go through the hurdle. Thanks to him, Willow reached the top of the hill easily. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s a cave. Let¡¯s check it out,¡± said Winston as he happily went ahead. Willow followed as well. Archeology done in this manner would mean a considerable time and energy investment, but if they could find an artifact, it would well be worth it. Winston stopped in front of the cave. He noticed a big freshwater pond lying underneath the cave, and there were a lot of little caverns around it. ¡°The pond is about sixteen feet deep, but the boulders around the pond seem ancient. This is a rare find. If someone had found it before us, they would have left some evidence.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s check it out.¡± ¡°Gather the team members. We need to investigate the ce first.¡± The team members came over with their gear and rappelled down the cave. When it was Willow¡¯s turn, Jasper held the rope with one hand and extended his other hand to her. ¡°I¡¯ll take you.¡± Willow nodded. While Jasper was wrapping his arm around her waist, she sped her legs around his waist and clung onto him like an octopus. Thedies were envious. Jasper took her down into the cave. Some members were already investigating the ce, so she joined them. Chapter 2033 Chapter 2033 ¡°I found something. Look at this. It doesn¡¯t seem like anything modern.¡± A member noticed some copper items around the pond. Winston went over and picked it up. ¡°Looks like something between the tenth and thirteenth century. Our guess is right on the money. The trade ships did pass this area and left a mark.¡± That raised everyone¡¯s morale. This finding alone was monumental for them, and they had more vigor to search the ce now. The discovery came quickly, but it was wee. A whileter, another member fished out some shards from the pond as well. This proved one thing: the fleet must¡¯ve stopped at these inds, and the sailors must¡¯ve stayed near the pond. The team worked until dusk before they went back to their camp. Jasper took Willow back up, of course. All the otherdies had to climb the ropes and get their hands burned a little, but Willow didn¡¯t have to. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Everyone came back to the camp and talked about their discovery with vigor. A big tent with glow-in- the-dark stars stuck to the roof was set up so everyone could take a break and get into a discussion there. They even brought out some alcohol to celebrate, though everyone only had a little to help them sleep. Willow saw that her favorite red wine was avable, so she asked for a ss. ¡°To a smooth expedition. Cheers.¡± Winston stood up and raised his ss, then everyone did the same and drank their concoction. Willow took a sip and looked at Jasper, who had taken a seat on the chair outside. She asked him to join them, but he didn¡¯t. Everyone was rxed, but it was all the more reason for Jasper to be on guard. He was in charge of everyone¡¯s safety, and he was a more cautious person, to begin with. From time to time, Jasper would look at Willow, who was having fun with the team, and tenderness would appear in his eyes. Every smile, every gesture, and every nce she threw his way was enough tofort his lonely heart. Willow didn¡¯t watch how much she was drinking, and she downed two sses of wine. After that, she approached Jasper and handed him a bottle of water. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you join us for a drink?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like to drink.¡± Jasper took the bottle, opened it up, and finished half of the water. Willow sat beside him and requested the bottle. He handed it over, and she drank from the same ce Jasper did, not caring that his lips had touched the bottle. Jasper looked at her, his eyes glinting, and a hint of delight red in his heart. ¡°What a happy day. We discovered clues faster than we thought we would. It means we must be really close to the thing we¡¯re trying to find,¡± said Willow happily. ¡°Congrats.¡± Jasper was happy for her. Willow¡¯s eyes were filled with excitement and a misty look, no doubt elicited by the alcohol. She rested her chin on her hand and looked at Jasper. ¡°I¡¯m so happy I get to see the moon, the stars, and the sea with you. What an honor.¡± She didn¡¯t say she liked him outright, but her sentiments were proof enough that she really liked his company. Jasper looked at her in silence. ¡°This is going to be a great memory for us,¡± said Willow. The guys at the grill came to her with a te of grilled meat and greens. She never had this kind of food at home, for her father would not allow it. Her eyes twinkled. ¡°Smells nice.¡± She picked up a kebab and handed it to Jasper. ¡°Dig in.¡± Jasper took it and munched on it as they gazed at the moon. Willow picked up a pork belly skewer and gulped down two slices. She thought they were a bit too greasy. She never liked the fattier slices of meat, but she didn¡¯t want to waste food, so she asked, ¡°I don¡¯t like fatty slices of meat. Do you want them?¡± She could have tossed the skewer away, but she didn¡¯t. Jasper looked at her and took the unfinished food, then he dug into it. Willow thought it was sweet and she smiled at him. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to mind that it¡¯s half-eaten by me.¡± Chapter 2034 Chapter 2034 Jasper looked at him. ¡°Wasting food is bad.¡± Willow chuckled. ¡°So, you¡¯ll eat any leftovers?¡± Jasper answered, ¡°Only yours.¡± Willow felt a little aplished seeing that he wasn¡¯t averse to eating her leftovers. She picked up a vegetable skewer and bit down on it. I love this feeling. While everyone was taking a break, Yosemite feigned exhaustion. ¡°Man, my back hurts. I¡¯m exhausted. I have to lie down.¡± ¡°Get some rest, Yosemite,¡± ady said. Yosemite pretended to be drunk and wobbled as he got up. Another team member held him, but he waved them down and shuffled toward his tent. The moment he got into his tent, the dazed look in his eyes disappeared. The spy whipped out hisptop and plugged in a portable Wi-Fi device, then he logged into his ount and saw a few messages for him. He sent the correspondent some photos of the copper item shards. They were online too, and they texted, ¡®Looks like something between the tenth and thirteenth century. Guess you found the right ce.¡¯ ¡®Our guess is that the fleet probably had a short stay here, but we¡¯re not sure if this is where the shipwreck is,¡¯ Yosemite said. He wasn¡¯t even keeping any secrets. ¡®Is that so? But with this discovery, you¡¯ll be finding more clues soon. I¡¯ll be sending my men over. Keep us updated at all times.¡¯ ¡®I-I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea.¡¯ Yosemite was shocked. He thought he would just have to give them updates, but now they wanted to send a team over? ¡®This pertains to the search for an artifact. If anything goes wrong, we mighte home without a single shard of the item. Moreover, you¡¯re out on the open sea. It belongs to no nation. If we get there first, we have the right to take everything for ourselves.¡¯ ¡®You won¡¯t hurt us, will you?¡¯ Yosemite quickly asked. ¡®We won¡¯t hurt you, of course, but if any of your team members try to stop us, well, I make no guarantees,¡¯ said the correspondent. It was a thinly veiled threat. Yosemite shivered. He knew this guy was an antique smuggler, but he didn¡¯t know he had the mafia backing him up. Scared, he quickly shut hisptop, his mind plunged into chaos. After all, he was still one of the nation¡¯s archeologists. All he wanted was to make some quick cash, but now he had a feeling he just got involved with someone he should never cross. He smacked the back of his head, regretting his actions, but it was toote. He had told them their location. Regret wouldn¡¯t stop them from trying to take the artifact for themselves. No one in the team had realized that their tracks were leaked, not even Willow. A whileter, everyone was starting to get sleepy, including Willow who yawned. Her eyelids were starting to droop, and she leaned on Jasper. ¡°I¡¯m going into the tent. Don¡¯t stay out toote. I can¡¯t sleep without you by my side.¡± Jasper was amused. She¡¯s getting dependent on me. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll be there in a minute.¡± But it feels good to be needed. Fifteen minutester, Jasper went back to the ship and took a shower, then he came back and unzipped the tent¡¯s entrance. He was met with a fast-asleep Willow. He let out an annoyed sigh. Thought you couldn¡¯t sleep without me. Still, with the bodyguards standing sentry, he could have a good night¡¯s sleep. Jasper snuggled into his spot and rested his head on his arm. Feeling his presence, Willow rolled over, and Jasper pulled her into his embrace so she could rest her head on his arm. In no time, Willow was holding him like a pillow once again, but this time, she ced her leg higher on his body, almost touching his crown jewels. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Jasper¡¯s breathing got faster. He tried to push her leg down a little, but Willow was a beast when she was asleep. Having her sleep disturbed annoyed her. She let out a moan of protest and ced her leg even higher, pressing down on Jasper¡¯s willy. Well, that was awkward. Chapter 2035 Chapter 2035 At this moment, Willow¡¯s leg directly pressed against Jasper¡¯s crotch. As he drew a deep breath, his lingering drowsiness was dispelled by her unexpected actions. Yet, with each sigh that escaped his lips, he held onto the hope that, in due time, she might retract her leg from his body. His intuition proved correct. As shey there, she sensed an uneasy presence brushing against her calf, prompting her to roll onto her side. With a deep exhale of relief, he felt a soothingfort wash over him. Then, he drew her into a tender embrace, their bodies fitting together like a perfectly arched bow. Unexpectedly, she turned her head again, ending up face-to-face with him. Their faces hovered mere inches apart, and a delicate exhale from Willow grazed Jasper¡¯s jawline as her cheek gently met his profile. Hence, he closed his eyes and felt helpless at this moment. However, she thought that this position was ufortable, so she turned her back to him, and her bottom ended up directly against his sensitive area, snugly fitting on it. His once cid breath now quickened as if caught in a race against time. Does she know how to sleep? She changed her sleeping position five times in just a few minutes. It wasn¡¯t entirely Willow¡¯s fault, for she was used to sleeping on a top-of-the-line mattress worth hundreds of thousands. Now, she had to sleep on a hard mat, so how could she befortable? Naturally, she kept searching for afortable sleeping position. Feeling helpless, Jasper decided to sleep on the boat instead. As he was about to get up, a slender arm wrapped around his neck, making him lean down. A warm and alluring face drew near in that fleeting moment, and her ruby lips teasingly grazed the corner of his lips. As this gentle caress graced him, an electrifying wave of sensation surged through his entire being, enveloping him in a tingling euphoria. With their breaths so close, she felt a tickle at her nose, so she softly nuzzled against his face. In this tender moment, she exuded the enchanting allure of a coquettish cat, rendering him utterly defenseless. At this instant, Jasper¡¯s remarkable endurance and self-control saved him from surrendering to the tempting urge to kiss Willow. Then, with a gentle whisper, he implored, ¡°Willow, sleep properly.¡± In that instant, her eyes fluttered open, and her surprise was evident in the hazy glint that met the sight of the handsome face hovering nearby. She blinked and quickly withdrew her arm around his neck, instinctively creating a bit of space between them. Under the soft glow of the dim moonlight, their eyes met, and at that moment, her cheeks flushed with a mix of emotions. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder, What did I just do to him? ¡°Get some sleep. I¡¯ll go out for some fresh air,¡± Jasper whispered before leaving. Yet, the thought of letting him go was inconceivable. The mere idea of being awake at this hour without him by her side filled Willow with genuine fear. Thus, she summoned her courage and gently pressed her hands against his chest, firmly pinning him down. Amidst the darkness, he found himself helplessly overpowered by her, his back firmly pinned to the mat. The dim lighting couldn¡¯t hide the unmistakable surprise that flickered in his eyes. Only in that fleeting moment, after a subtle blink, she fully grasped the unintended consequences of her actions upon him. Feeling awkward, Willow didn¡¯t know whether to get up or continue to press Jasper down. Her exquisitely beautiful, tiny face hovered just a breath away from his, and her eyes glimmered, revealing a smile she couldn¡¯t conceal. Suddenly, her long hair cascaded provocatively on his chest, caressing his skin with the grace of a feather, evoking a delightful flutter in his heart. Amidst a throaty whisper, he entreated, ¡°Go to sleep.¡± In a soft, mumbled voice, she confessed, ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Her plea followed,ced with vulnerability. ¡°Don¡¯t go. I¡¯m scared.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t go, but could you let me go?¡± He couldn¡¯t bear her pressing herself on him like that. After a subtle nod, Willow rolled over to Jasper¡¯s side and propped herself up with her elbow as she observed him. Strangely, the air around them seemed to have grown warmer, as if a gentle caress of heat enveloped them. She wondered if someone had secretly turned on the heat.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Chapter 2036 Chapter 2036 On a whim, Willow touched Jasper¡¯s forehead, detecting a subtle warmth that piqued her concern. Leaning closer, she inquired with a hint of worry, ¡°You¡¯re so warm. Are you sick?¡± Sick? It¡¯s all because of you. ¡°No, it¡¯s just too stuffy here,¡± he murmured, trying not to me anyone or anything. Then, she extended her hand again to cautiously gauge his forehead¡¯s temperature. Right. He¡¯s not running a fever. He¡¯s just sweating. ¡°You should go outside for some fresh air,¡± she suggested, not wanting him to feel ufortable. Willow¡¯s words had an instant effect, propelling Jasper to his feet, and he walked out. With his departure came a gust of cold air, but undeterred, she swiftly imed his vacated ce, basking in the lingering warmth he had left behind. When he stepped outside, a sudden gust of icy wind embraced him. Suddenly, his keen eyes caught sight of a boat emerging from the misty sea, steadily drawing closer to the ind. In an instant, he darted back to the equipment storage, grabbed the binocrs, and eagerly trained them on the approaching vessel. Sure enough, it was heading straight for the same ind he now stood upon. His face creased with concern, and he hurriedly approached Winston¡¯s tent, saying, ¡°There¡¯s a boat approaching. Wake everyone up.¡± There¡¯s urgency in his voice. Then, Winston cast off his drowsiness and sprang to his feet. As anticipated, he spotted the flickering of distant boat lights and wasted no time rousing his fellow team members. At the sound of the commotion, Willow emerged from her tent, too, curious to know what was going on. A female team member informed her, ¡°There¡¯s a strange boat approaching. The captain wants us all to wake up.¡± Willow was startled upon hearing this, and questions whirled in her mind. Why would there be a boat coming here? Could it be a pirate ship? ¡°What kind of boat is it? Is it a pirate ship?¡± a female team member asked nervously. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. My bodyguards will ensure everyone¡¯s safety,¡± Willow reassured with a gentle smile. After saying this, she approached Jasper, who reached out and pulled her protectively behind him. ¡°Stand behind me,¡± he whispered in a gentle hush. No matter the circumstance, he vowed to shield her above all else. Instantly, she felt loved, and she obediently stood behind him. Her eyes alighted upon the binocrs he held, and she couldn¡¯t resist extending her hand to grab it. While peeking out from her shelter behind him, she brought the binocrs to her eyes to observe the approaching boat. As her gaze swept across the deck, a mysterious figure caught her attention, standing tall and waving in their direction. Intrigued, she hastily brought the binocrs to her eyes, and her beautiful orbs widened with astonishment. ¡°Tommy?¡± Jasper¡¯s attention shifted to her, his eyes searching for answers as he inquired, ¡°Do you know him?¡± A tranquil exhale of relief escaped Willow¡¯s lips as she responded, ¡°He¡¯s the persistent suitor who never gives up.¡± As her words reached Winston¡¯s ears, relief washed over him. ¡°Are you sure you know the person on the boat? We have nothing to fear as long as they harbor no ill intentions toward us.¡± ¡°I know him, but I don¡¯t know how he found his way here.¡± Jasper¡¯s eyes narrowed as he fixated on the boat. Is this man the pursuer that goes after Willow? After a mere 20 minutes, the boat finally docked, and a man emerged from the deck, overflowing with excitement. It was Tommy Donovan, the affluent heir who had ardently pursued Willow for a relentless three years, undeterred by her steadfast refusals. ¡°Willow, it¡¯s really you! I thought my information was wrong. Haha. I finally found you,¡± he eximed happily as he approached. With warm enthusiasm, he turned to greet the rest of the team members. ¡°Hello, everyone. I¡¯m Willow¡¯s friend, so you don¡¯t need to be afraid.¡± As he approached her, a mere three feet separating them, a sudden presence loomed tall, interposing between the two friends. An urge to gently push the obstructing figure aside arose within him. ¡°Hey, move out of the way. I¡¯m saying hello to my friend.¡± However, as Tommy confidently anticipated the person would yield with a slight push, he was taken aback when the figure stood unwavering. His irritation surged, and he looked up to confront the obstruction. To his astonishment, he was momentarily dumbfounded. Why is there such a handsome man beside Willow? His appearance threatens mine; his physique is better, and his aura is stronger. ¡°Who are you? Who is this guy, Willow?¡± he inquired, a hint of annoyance trickling through his words.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 2037 Chapter 2037 ¡°Tommy, what are you doing here in the middle of the night?¡± Willow¡¯s irritation was palpable, for her team members had been roused from their slumber, the tranquility shattered by the man¡¯s unexpected presence. At her words, Tommy immediately looked somewhat aggrieved. ¡°I came because I was worried about you. Look, I brought a boatload of supplies for you. I¡¯ve got whatever you need. I even brought a chef and bodyguards to protect you.¡± She gazed at him in stunned silence, her words caught in her throat. ¡°I don¡¯t need them, thank you. Now please leave and don¡¯t interfere with my work.¡± ¡°I came all this way. How can you just ask me to leave so easily? I promise not to affect your work. Just treat me as an invisible person or even air.¡± Then, he walked past Jasper and looked at Willow pleadingly. ¡°Willow, please don¡¯t chase me away. You have no idea how hard it was for me to catch up to you.¡± As she pondered the situation, she realized that chasing him away would only be futile and a wasted effort. Ultimately, she reluctantly allowed him to stay because he brought the essential supplies they desperately needed. ¡°Alright, since you¡¯re here, you can stay,¡± she conceded. What¡¯s more, he arrived with a contingent of formidable bodyguards. Should we encounter any pirate ships, their presence alone would be enough to strike fear into those pirates. At this moment, Jasper looked at Willow with an indescribable gaze while Tommy was overjoyed. ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t chase me away.¡± She then turned to Winston and said, ¡°Gather everyone and ask them to return to rest. There¡¯s no need to panic.¡± ¡°Alright. I was worried about sending someone for supplies, but now that your friend has brought them, we can rest assured.¡± After saying this, he gathered everyone and asked them to return to sleep while leaving a few on guard around the perimeter. ¡°Willow, where will you sleep?¡± As Tommyid eyes upon the inviting tents, a surge of hope washed over him, envisioning a warm wee and a space reserved just for him. ¡°It¡¯s toote tonight, Tommy. You and your people can sleep on the boat,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not tired. I¡¯ll stay here and keep watch for you.¡± His heart fluttered with such intense excitement that sleep eluded him. The anticipation of the impending journey, where he could finally be by her side day and night, consumed his every thought. It will surely be romantic, and we can leave many beautiful memories. With a few strides, Willow distanced herself from the crowd, and like a shadow, Jasper trailed behind. Unexpectedly, he gently sped her wrist, wordlessly guiding her to a serene boulder at the edge. Dazed for a moment, she eventually acquiesced and trailed behind him. In hushed tones, he urged her, ¡°Chase him away. We don¡¯t need any extra people here.¡± ¡°He¡¯s my friend, and it¡¯s toote tonight. I¡¯ll persuade him to leave in the morning,¡± she replied, her eyes lifting to meet him. After hearing Willow¡¯s reply, Jasper sighed inexplicably as he uttered, ¡°Okay. They must leave tomorrow morning.¡± In a moment of revtion, her eyes sparkled with intrigue, and she leaned in closer, whispering, ¡°Are you jealous?¡± In an instant, a faint blush danced across his handsome features, revealing a fleeting moment of embarrassment. He quickly averted his gaze, mustering a soft-spoken reply, ¡°No.¡± Her eyes widened with surprise as she blinked, and then she couldn¡¯t resist asking again, ¡°Really?¡± This time, a deafening silence followed, broken only by the sudden appearance of Tommy. Curious, he turned to Willow and asked, ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± With a serene smile, she uttered, ¡°Nothing.¡± Then, curiosity sparkled in her eyes as she inquired, ¡°How did you manage to locate me?¡± ¡°Through mywork of information, of course. Anyway, that¡¯s not important. The important thing is that I finally found you,¡± Tommy said with a contented grin, ncing at Jasper with a hint of disapproval. ¡°Who is he?¡± ¡°He¡¯s the chief consultant of our archaeological team,¡± she introduced. As Tommy gazed at Jasper, an instinctual sense of rivalry surged within him, a primal force that seemed inherently masculine. He couldn¡¯t help but perceive Jasper as a formidable threat, exerting an invisible yet palpable pressure upon him. Actually, Tommy was also good-looking, and he came from a wealthy family with assets worth billions. Yet, amidst this mor, his heart¡¯s desire for Willow remained an open secret within their social circle. From the instant his gaze met hers, a bold deration of affection escaped his lips, heedless of the asion or onlookers. She couldn¡¯t shake him off since they had been ssmates from high school to college. Eventually, she epted his unwavering pursuit, opting for peaceful coexistence and embracing him as a steadfast friend.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Willow, let¡¯s¡ª¡± Tommy was about to approach Willow, eager to share the captivating tales of his journey in catching up with her. Chapter 2038 Chapter 2038 As Tommy attempted to approach Willow, a mysterious figure swiftly interposed, emanating an icy warning. ¡°Stay away from her.¡± ¡°Hey! Who do you think you are? It¡¯s none of your business, consultant.¡± Tommy felt offended and annoyed, sensing that he was being intruded upon. ¡°Tommy, don¡¯t you dare be rude to him,¡± Willow asserted firmly, hands nted confidently on her hips. Startled by her words, he couldn¡¯t help but nce at her with genuine curiosity. ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with him?¡± ¡°No matter what, he¡¯s under my protection, so you can¡¯t bully him,¡± she dered, her expression firm and resolute. Tommy¡¯s heart stung slightly at Willow¡¯s words. With a tender tone, he asked, ¡°Willow, do you have feelings for him?¡± As her gaze met Jasper¡¯s, she couldn¡¯t help but ponder the presence of Tommy and his entourage of bodyguards. Given Tommy¡¯s unpredictable temperament, she could tell that admitting her true feelings for Jasper could stir up unwanted turmoil. ¡°If you want to stay, stay. Don¡¯t pry into my affairs,¡± she asserted firmly. As the weight of Tommy¡¯s emotions settled upon him, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a tinge of dejection. However, he clung to the belief that Jasper, a mere consultant, couldn¡¯t rival his wealth. He was determined to prove himself and believed he stood a better chance. The allure of the Presgrave Family¡¯s world beckoned him, but Tommy knew it wasn¡¯t a realm easily essible to ordinary individuals like Jasper. If he dared to pursue Willow, he¡¯d risk more than rejection. Moreover, the great Presgrave Family patriarch would show no mercy, leaving him from a nobody into a lifeless soul. ¡°You should go to bed, Willow. Girls shouldn¡¯t stay upte; it¡¯s bad for your skin,¡± he advised, looking out for her well-being. As the clock struck past 4.00AM, exhaustion washed over her like a gentle tide. Then, her weary eyes met Jasper¡¯s, and she couldn¡¯t help but inquire, ¡°Are you going to sleep?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not tired,¡± Jasper replied. ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll go get some rest,¡± Willow stated and turned toward the inviting embrace of the tents. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. As she drifted into the distance, Jasper contemted his departure, but before he could make his move, Tommy¡¯s hand shot out, halting him in his tracks. ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are, but I had feelings for Willow first. Don¡¯t you darepete with me,¡± Tommy warned sternly, even threatening him with his gaze. However, Jasper¡¯s words cut through the air like ice. ¡°She is her own person, beholden to none but herself.¡± ¡°What? Are you daring to challenge me? Let¡¯s put your capabilities to the test,¡± Tommy eximed, a glimmer of confidence in his eyes. He had known Willow for three long years, long enough to realize she was not one to be easily won over. Yet, he remained undeterred, buoyed by his family¡¯s considerable wealth, which may not rival the Presgrave Family¡¯s fortune, but undoubtedly surpassed that of 99.99% of the country. Nevertheless, Jasper¡¯s narrowed eyes spoke volumes as he turned his back on him, leaving without a word. Despite Tommy¡¯s dissatisfaction, a resolute belief lingered within him that no other man stood a chance as long as he was there. The following morning, his chef prepared a satisfying meal for the entire team with the fresh ingredients they brought. With each delectable bite, satisfaction spread across their faces. As Willow joined the team, a fellow female member leaned in and whispered softly, ¡°Miss Presgrave, I noticed Mr. Wyatt skipped breakfast and went over there.¡± ¡°Why isn¡¯t he eating?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but he doesn¡¯t seem in a good mood. Do you want to check on him?¡± The female team member unintentionally noticed Jasper¡¯s bad mood. After hearing this, Willow scooped up a delicious breakfast te and took some extra food. She then held two forks and headed toward him. Meanwhile, Tommy went back to catch some more sleep. When Willow gazed upon the shoreline, she spotted Jasper perched atop a rugged rock draped in a gray hooded cloak that enhanced his aura, evoking a sense of dignity akin to a noble sword. ¡°Jasper, why are you here alone? Have some breakfast.¡± She approached him with the breakfast te. With a subtle pivot, his eyes briefly met hers, lingering momentarily before shifting to the te she held. Swiftly, he averted his gaze and gently uttered, ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± Willow sensed an underlying distaste for the breakfast prepared by Tommy¡¯s chef, suspecting it was more about Jasper disliking Tommy than the food itself. Determined to change his mind, she coaxed, ¡°Don¡¯t be like this. Fill your stomach first. Let¡¯s eat together.¡± While saying this, she yfully picked up a slice of luncheon meat and offered it to him. ¡°Open your mouth. Ah¡ª¡± As his eyes caught sight of it, an involuntary chuckle escaped him. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a child?¡± Chapter 2039 Chapter 2039 ¡°I won¡¯t coax you then. Will you eat?¡± Willow asked as she blinked her big eyes. Then, she handed the te to Jasper. ¡°Or maybe you can feed me.¡± Before he could take it, she continued, ¡°Let¡¯s both not eat. If you don¡¯t eat, I won¡¯t either. Let¡¯s starve.¡± This left him speechless. He eventually reached out and took the te from her, offering the piece of meat to her mouth. ¡°Here.¡± At his actions, she couldn¡¯t help but smile. He can¡¯t bear to let me starve with him. She opened her mouth and took a bite, then nodded. ¡°Not bad. Now you eat.¡± He then fed himself while she looked at him with a smile. Then, she took over the te, ready to feed him. ¡°Ah, open up.¡± She really enjoyed breaking down his cold exterior and making him obedient. At this moment, he had no choice but to cooperate with her. They quickly finished the food, and both were satisfied. After Tommy came down from the boat, he didn¡¯t see Willow. ¡°Have you seen Willow?¡± he asked the person beside him. ¡°I think she¡¯s over there with Mr. Wyatt.¡± At that, he immediately came out from behind the rock and saw the two standing side by side,ughing and talking. Without hesitation, he walked in their direction. The moment he was there, he greeted Willow enthusiastically. ¡°Willow, have you had breakfast?¡± ¡°Yes. Thanks for asking,¡± she replied. Meanwhile, he noticed keenly that they had used only one te, which meant they shared the food. This made him feel somewhat ufortable. ¡°Willow, for the time we¡¯ll be here, if you need anything, just ask me. I can help you with anything.¡± ¡°With me here, she doesn¡¯t need your help.¡± Jasper stood up and refused on Willow¡¯s behalf. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Tommy couldn¡¯t help but feel annoyed by his reply. ¡°You¡¯re just a consultant. Who are you to interfere in my affairs?¡± ¡°Tommy, be polite to him,¡± Willow said after standing up. ¡°Willow, I¡­¡± ¡°Also, you can leave with your people. We are here for an archaeological expedition. We don¡¯t wee any visitors,¡± she told him. As she observed the disrespect from Tommy toward Jasper, she felt infuriated. Tommy became anxious upon hearing that. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving, Willow. I came here to help you.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need outsiders here,¡± Jasper said coldly. ¡°What gives you the right to make me leave?¡± ¡°I have absolute authority on this team. If you obstruct our work, I have the right to chase you away,¡± Jasper replied coldly. ¡°You¡­ Willow, I brought food and supplies. Please let me stay here for the sake of the supplies. I heard from your captain that you are in urgent need of supplies.¡± Tommy pleaded with his hands sped together. ¡°Please, Willow.¡± After some contemtion, Willow nced at Jasper. When she saw Jasper shake his head, she remained determined, saying, ¡°Carry all the supplies with you. I¡¯ll have my father send the supplies over. It¡¯s not a problem.¡± ¡°Willow¡­¡± Tommy panicked, and at the same time, he gave Jasper a fierce look. He is such a meddlesome guy. Besides, why is Willow listening to him? Does she honestly have feelings for him? ¡°Willow, how about this? I feel seasick on the boat, and I¡¯ve vomited several times along the way. Can you let me rest here for just two days? I¡¯ll leave all the supplies here. After two days, I¡¯ll go.¡± He was not one to back down easily. I must assert myself. At his words, she pondered again. It would take a week for Dad to send the supplies over, so there¡¯s no need to reject the ones already here. ¡°Alright, you can rest here for two days and then leave,¡± she replied. Since she epted his proposal, Tommy let out a sigh of relief. He wanted to convince her during these two days, and at the same time, he wanted to show Jasper that anyone who dared to interfere in his affairs would regret it. Winston also came over to thank him, as the supplies were incredibly timely. The day before, to gain the trust of the inders, they had already given everything they could. Chapter 2040 Chapter 2040 What the team needed the most was resources. Tommy asked Winston to say some good words for him. Going along with Tommy¡¯s request, he told her, ¡°We need some helpers now, Willy. Why don¡¯t we let Mr. Tommy stay? He seems like a good man!¡± However, Willow refused since she knew Jasper disliked Tommy. ¡°We have all the help we need, Winston. We¡¯ll get him to leave after he has a well-rest. You know as well that this is a secret mission. Having too many people on the team will be a disadvantage.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Winston nodded. ¡°But we need the supplement.¡± In the afternoon, as Jasper patrolled the surroundings nearby, he saw Tommy and three bodyguards following him. At that moment, he smiled and ignored them as he walked deeper into the street. After some time, Tommy was tired from all the walking and pointed at Jasper. ¡°Hey! Stop right there, Jasper!¡± Jasper stopped walking and turned around, crossing his arms together as he looked at them. ¡°What do you guys want?¡± Tommy snorted coldly and said, ¡°I advise you to stay out of this, Jasper. I have my eyes on Willow. I won¡¯t allow you to take her away from me. How dare a lowlife like you dare to steal my woman?¡± Jasper squinted his eyes and stared at Tommy. ¡°You are not worthy of my opponent.¡± He huffed coldly. Tommy¡¯s expression changed at his words. ¡°How dare you say such words to me?!¡± He looked at his bodyguards and said, ¡°Guys, teach him a lesson. I want him to kneel in front of me.¡± However, the bodyguards looked at each other and didn¡¯t move. After all, they knew Jasper was not someone weak! Yet, they couldn¡¯t do anything since Tommy had ordered them to do so. Thus, they could only brace themselves and charge toward Jasper. The first bodyguard stepped forward and swung a punch at Jasper. In that split second, Jasper narrowed his eyes and dodged the punch. Then, hended an uppercut on the bodyguard¡¯s chin. The pain caused the bodyguard to stagger backward as he held his chin, feeling his jaw dislocated. The second bodyguard attempted to knock Jasper off his feet but failed when Jasper suddenly propped himself on the bodyguard¡¯s shoulder, kicking the bodyguard¡¯s back and stepping on him. When the other two bodyguards saw it, they immediately rushed to help theirpanion. Besides them, Tommy¡¯s eyes were filled with rage as he stared at his bodyguards. It was as if the punches they threw at Jasper represented him taking Jasper out himself. ¡°Punch him! Hurry up and punch him!¡± Tommy shouted. However, he soon learned that instead of his bodyguards teaching Jasper a lesson, it was the other way around! When Jasper knocked down all three bodyguards, Tommy realized he had offended someone he shouldn¡¯t. As he saw Jasper ring at him while clenching his knuckles, Tommy thought he had seen the devil himself. ¡°Mr. Wyatt, L-Let¡¯s calm down and talk nicely.¡± Tommy cowered in fear as he saw how strong Jasper was. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. However, Jasper didn¡¯t want to let Tommy off the hook. He charged forward and punched Tommy, causing thetter to fall. Tommy had never thought he would be beaten by someone else since he had always been treated with care. ¡°Ah!¡± He yelped in pain. Jasper stepped on his chest and looked down on him. ¡°Get out of here.¡± ¡°Why? Willow didn¡¯t kick me out.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call her that!¡± Jasper was frustrated. ¡°What should I call her then?¡± Tommy¡¯s face scrunched up in pain. ¡°Miss Presgrave.¡± Jasper corrected him as he put more force on his foot. ¡°Ah! It hurts! My ribs are going to break!¡± Tommy could feel his ribs stabbing into his chest. ¡°You have one hour to leave this ce. Otherwise, I don¡¯t mind breaking your legs.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that my dad will avenge me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m never afraid of anyone.¡± Jasper huffed coldly. ¡°Are you leaving or not?¡± Chapter 2041 Chapter 2041 ¡°I¡¯m not leaving.¡± Tommy didn¡¯t want to leave since he had a rare opportunity to be here. He wanted to spend more time with Willow. Hearing his words, Jasper stepped on him harder, and he screamed in pain. ¡°Ahh! Help me!¡± When the bodyguards heard Tommy¡¯s cries for help, they forced themselves to save him, even though they were in pain too. However, as soon as they came near Jasper, thetter knocked the wind out of them again. In the meantime, Tommy crawled away like a dog. He is crazy! He is the devil himself! This is too outrageous! ¡°Help¡­ Help me¡­¡± Before he was able to escape, he heard Jasper¡¯s cold voice from behind. ¡°Where do you think you are going?¡± As he spoke, he grabbed Tommy¡¯s cor and dragged him toward the cliff. Then, he pushed Tommy off the cliff. In that split second, just as Tommy was about to fall to his death, Jasper grabbed his wrist, causing Tommy to dangle mid-air, which scared thetter to death. ¡°Ahhh! Please let me live. I don¡¯t want to die!¡± Tommy could feel death creeping up on him. The feeling of hanging in mid-air was too frightening. ¡°Don¡¯t let go. Please. I¡¯m begging you. I¡¯ll leave. I¡¯ll leave right away. Please pull me up.¡± Jasper knew how to make a person¡¯s life a living hell. ¡°Are you leaving or not?¡± he asked again with a crisp voice. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll immediately pack my stuff and leave. Please don¡¯t let go.¡± Tommy¡¯s voice trembled as he was terrified. ¡°Please don¡¯t kill him.¡± The bodyguards begged as they saw the scene. After some time, Jasper pulled Tommy upwards. Immediately, Tommyy on the ground and panted heavily, seemingly as if he had just gotten a second life. ¡°Who exactly are you?¡± asked Tommy. ¡°I¡¯m a consultant,¡± Jasper replied faintly. He wiped his hand in disgust and left. As soon as Jasper was gone, Tommy scolded his bodyguards. ¡°You guys are useless! Why didn¡¯t you guys beat him up?¡± ¡°He is not an ordinary person, Mr. Tommy. He is an expert.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Tommy. Let¡¯s not anger him anymore.¡± Anger shed across Tommy¡¯s face as he couldn¡¯t understand why Willow had such a powerful person beside her. On the other hand, after Willow was done with a meeting, she was confused when she couldn¡¯t find Jasper. Where could he have gone? As she asked the others, she saw him walk out of the bushes. Then, she immediately stepped up and asked, ¡°Where have you been?¡± ¡°Patrolling,¡± replied Jasper. ¡°Can you tell me next time? I was worried when I couldn¡¯t find you.¡± Willow reminded. ¡°Okay.¡± Jasper nodded, feeling guilty. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. About ten minutester, someone saw Tommy and his bodyguards return while being ck and blue. ¡°What happened to you, Mr. Tommy? Did you encounter an ambush?¡± Winston immediately came up to Tommy. He was worried that there were more dangers on this ind. Willow rushed over and was shocked when she saw them. ¡°Who did you guys meet?¡± Jasper walked behind Willow and gave them a warning re. ¡°We identally fell from a hill.¡± Tommy didn¡¯t dare to tell the truth. Rather, he felt that falling to his wounds would be a better exnation. ¡°Fall? Did the four of you fall together?¡± Willow looked at them disbelievingly. She couldn¡¯t figure out how they could have hurt themselves so severely when they just had a fall. ¡°Willow, I have to go now. I suddenly remembered I had some ces to be. We¡¯ll meet again when you return.¡± ¡°I thought you had seasick, Mr. Tommy.¡± Winston expressed his concern. ¡°No. I¡¯m fine now.¡± As Tommy spoke, he could sense a pair of cold eyes staring at him. Then, he immediately said to his bodyguards, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± He couldn¡¯t believe he was the one getting beaten up when he nned to teach Jasper a lesson. Chapter 2042 Chapter 2042 Tommy felt that Jasper would kill him if he stayed here any longer. Plus, this was the high seas. It would be a trouble if he died here. ¡°What¡¯s up with Mr. Tommy? He seems like he is running away from something.¡± Winston couldn¡¯t help but say. Hearing his words, Willow looked at Tommy and felt the same. However, she soon realized something. Maybe he is running away from someone! As she thought about it, she turned and saw Jasper ring oppressively at them. When he saw Willow looking at him, he panicked and quickly turned his head away. Still, Willow had noticed the murder intent he had. She thought it was funny and grabbed his wrist. ¡°Follow me.¡± Jasper, who had got into a fight just now, obeyed and followed Willow. When they arrived at a secluded ce, Willow raised her eyebrow and said, ¡°Exin now. Why did you hurt Tommy?¡± ¡°He started it.¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°What did he do?¡± ¡°He and his bodyguards were stalking me.¡± ¡°What? Did they hurt you? Are you hurt? Let me see.¡± As Willow spoke, she lifted his shirt, trying to look for any wounds. ¡°They can¡¯t hurt me.¡± Jasperforted her. ¡°Damn it. Tommy better wishes that we won¡¯t meet again. Otherwise, I will give him a beating too.¡± Willow red at Tommy¡¯s ship angrily. Looking at her reaction, Jasper was happy. He couldn¡¯t help but squeeze her cheek and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not worth getting mad at such a thing.¡± ¡°He¡¯s lucky to be away now.¡± Willow stomped her feet as the ship left the border. Jasper thought her reaction was cute. He ruffled her hair and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± Willow looked at him and asked, ¡°Why do you hate him, Jasper?¡± ¡°Because he keeps clinging onto you. I hate that.¡± Jasper squinted his eyes. Hearing his words, Willow smiled and felt a bundle of warmth surged within her. She could tell he was jealous, but she wouldn¡¯t force him to admit it. On the other hand, Tommy gripped the railing with all his force. ¡°I will make Jasper pay for what he did. If I don¡¯t avenge myself, I will bring shame to the family. F*ck!¡± Tommy was furious since he was kicked out before having the chance to spend time with Willow. In the end, he gave the supplies for free, which frustrated him. ¡°Let¡¯s see how you¡¯ll react when I get a hundred people over.¡± On the ind, no one knew what had happened. However, Morgan was on high alert as he knew that another group of people would be arriving. He didn¡¯t dare to say anything since he was the root of the trouble. Those people were extremely dangerous. After kicking Tommy out, Jasper was full of the joys of spring. He had a smile on his lips when a female teammate greeted him. The female teammate was shocked since she didn¡¯t expect to find Jasper in a good mood. In the past, Jasper merely nodded when she greeted him. Soon, they decided to look for more traces by theke. Willow decided to go, so Jasper followed her. A group of eight people was divided into four pairs for the search. Willow and Jasper were a pair. There were no trees around but only high grass and stones. Thus, it would be easy to get hurt. Because of this, Jasper walked in the front while Willow followed him. This was the care exclusive to her. Willow gripped his hand. Her palm was sweating slightly when it came in contact with his warm palm. ¡°Ah!¡± Willow stepped on a hole and lost her bnce, causing her to fall into the deep hole. In the meantime, her hand slipped from Jasper¡¯s since their hands were covered in sweat. Chapter 2043 Chapter 2043 Immediately, Jasper grabbed her wrist and pulled her over. Willow¡¯s face was pale from the shock, and she looked at the pit beneath her. Soon, she noticed something unusual. ¡°Wait, this pit doesn¡¯t seem natural; it looks man-made.¡± After all, how could a perfectly round pit form on this deserted ind? Thus, she crouched down and studied the pit, taking photos from various angles with the camera and using a ruler to measure it. As Jasper watched her work, his eyes were filled with adoration. ¡°Hand me a shovel.¡± She reached her hand toward him. ¡°I¡¯ll do it. Where do you want me to dig?¡± ¡°No, I just want to see the soil underneath,¡± Willow exined. Jasper handed the shovel to her. Then, Willow crouched down and scooped up a spoonful of soil. After examining it from side to side, she concluded, ¡°There should be an ancient tomb nearby.¡± ¡°Why is that so?¡± Willow put down the shovel and walked several feet away, separating the high grass. When she lowered her head, she knew she had guessed it right. There was a pair of symmetrically matching circr pits, likely where the tombstones were once ced. However, the wooden structures had disappeared, leaving behind two stone pits excavated long ago. Realizing this, Willow turned toward Jasper and said excitedly, ¡°My mentor once said that this is a form of ancient tomb burial. When people were away from home and couldn¡¯t provide proper burial conditions, they would create two simple tombstones to show respect for the dead. Someone with a high status must be buried here, perhaps a prominent official or a noble. We may have discovered something!¡± As she spoke, she hugged Jasper. At the same time, Jasper extended his arms and embraced her. After Willowughed while being in his embrace for a few seconds, she blushed and said awkwardly, ¡°I¡­ I got too excited. Could you put me down?¡± When she was a child, she would lunge herself into her father¡¯s and brother¡¯s embrace whenever she got excited. Jasper frowned and stared at her, asking, ¡°Do you always jump into a man¡¯s arms when you¡¯re excited?¡± He wondered if she would¡¯ve done the same if he weren¡¯t the one standing here right now. Willow giggled and replied, ¡°Not always! It¡¯s just that when I was little, I would always ask my dad and brother for hugs. Apart from them, you¡¯re the third person.¡± Hearing her words, Jasper huffed and said, ¡°There will be a fourth person, then.¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Willow was startled and asked, ¡°Are you jealous?¡± Jasper was dumbfounded and quickly looked the other way. ¡°No!¡± His voice was slightly hoarse. Willow smiled and patted his shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I promise I won¡¯t ever hug another man.¡± Jasper nced at her without saying a word. Tofort him, Willow crossed her fingers and swore, ¡°I swear.¡± A hint of amusement appeared at the corner of Jasper¡¯s lips, but he managed to suppress hisughter. He held her hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t make promises so easily next time.¡± Seeing that he finally smiled, Willow was happy as well. Then, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s split up and search nearby. The ancient tomb might be around here somewhere.¡± Just as she was about to walk away, Jasper grabbed her hand. ¡°No. Let¡¯s search together.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Willow smiled. The area was full of scattered rocks, making it challenging to find a tomb that could be over two thousand years old. However, Willow forced herself to be patient and continued searching. After two hours of searching, she felt disappointed because she found no traces of the tomb. ¡°Did I make a mistake? It¡¯s all because of myck of experience. How could I misjudge something like this?¡± Willow said exasperatedly. After all, she was still young and had entered this field at twenty-three years old. Just as she thought she had learned something, reality gave her a heavy blow. ¡°Don¡¯t be disheartened. Luck ys a significant role in your field of expertise. Perhaps your judgment isn¡¯t wrong at all,¡± Jasperforted her as he sat beside her. Chapter 2044 Chapter 2044 Willow looked at the sunset and said, ¡°I know that a big part of my current statuses from my family¡¯s support and reputation. Still, I want to achieve something to showcase my efforts.¡± Jasper understood her feelings and patted her hand reassuringly. ¡°You have done more than enough.¡± He looked through her background, and whether it was because of her identity or family, she had contributed far more to society than most people. Feeling encouraged, Willow raised her head and tried to seek his approval. ¡°Really? Am I doing well?¡± ¡°You are a brave girl,¡± replied Jasper. It wasn¡¯t ordinary for a 23-year-old girl to assemble a group of people to search for cultural relics by herself. Plus, she had already started recruiting participants a year ago, which showed her passion. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Willow grinned and said, ¡°My dad used to say I¡¯m fearless since I was little. My parents were always worried about me.¡± ¡°I can tell.¡± Jasper chuckled. ¡°My mother used to say that no man would dare to be with me since I am such a wild girl. She even said I will never get married if I keep on being naughty.¡± Willow changed her voice, acting like her mother. Jasper¡¯s eyes darkened, and he asked, ¡°How did you respond, then?¡± ¡°I told her I would not be getting married if that¡¯s the case! Isn¡¯t it fun to live a free life?¡± Willow smiled sweetly. At that moment, Jasper¡¯s eyes widened, and he wondered if Willow was actually being serious about it. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Aren¡¯t you nning to get married?¡± As Willow looked at the sunset in the distance, she replied, ¡°The world is magnificent! I haven¡¯t had enough fun yet! I¡¯ll think about it when I¡¯ve had my fill.¡± Jasper looked at her adoringly as he thought, Sure. I will wait until you are ready. Willow held his hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go! We should head back now.¡± She picked up her bag and was about to stand up when she noticed cracks on the ground. Feeling surprised, she approached it, wanting to examine the cracks. However, as soon as she stepped on the soil, it creaked as if it couldn¡¯t bear the weight. ¡°Ah!¡± Willow¡¯s eyes widened as she waved frantically. ¡°Help me!¡± ¡°Willow!¡± Jasper immediately grabbed her hand and lifted her into his arms. Soon, the two disappeared right on the spot; what was reced was a loose pit. In the dim and dry soil, Willow¡¯s face was pressed tightly against Jasper¡¯s chest while he wrapped his arms around her securely. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Jasper ignored the fact that he was covered in dirt and quickly checked on Willow. ¡°I¡¯m fine. What about you?¡± asked Willow as she tried to raise her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t move. Let me clean up a bit,¡± said Jasper as he covered her head. He pushed away the soil around them and patted the dust off his head before helping her sit up. Willow lifted her head from his embrace. Her face was clean, save for some dust in her hair. Jasper reached out and smoothed out her hair, cleaning it up. On the other hand, Willow hurriedly took out some wet wipes from her bag and started wiping his face when she saw him covered in dirt. ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move. I got this.¡± Willow insisted as she gently wiped his face. Jasper sat still like a well-behaved child, allowing her to clean his face. Once Willow was finished, she looked around. At that moment, her eyes widened in excitement. ¡°It¡¯s the tomb! We fell into the tomb!¡± she eximed. The light outside illuminated what seemed to be a well-preserved and dry chamber. It turned out that they had fallen into an underground tomb. The rainwater must have washed down the soft soil from the slope, covering the tomb and forming a thinyer of soil on top of it. That was why it couldn¡¯t withstand their weight, causing them to fall in. Chapter 2045 Chapter 2045 ¡°We¡¯re so lucky,¡± Willow said happily, turning her head to look at Jasper. Jasper nced at the time, then looked up at the nearly nine-foot-high opening. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte.¡± ¡°Are we able to climb up?¡± asked Willow. The pit was too high, and the soil above was soft. There was no way to climb out of thisrge pit. ¡°It looks like we¡¯ll have to spend the night here.¡± Jasper sighed. ¡°We¡¯ll have to wait for rescue.¡± Willow nodded. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re not in a hurry either. I have water, biscuits, and even a mat!¡± Then, she took out amunication device. ¡°Strange. Why isn¡¯t there any response? Where did the signal go?¡± Jasper also noticed that the time on his watch was disyed wrongly. It seemed like the maic field had gone berserk as they entered the cave. ¡°There must be something affecting the maic field here. That is why we can¡¯t contact the outside world,¡± Jasper said calmly. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Willow looked surprised. ¡°Does this mean something is going on in this tomb?¡± The tomb behind them was also covered in soil, revealing only a few faintly visible murals and nearby stone stumps. Jasper didn¡¯t want her to stay here. He jumped up and touched a stone, but it soon copsed, causing him to step back to avoid the falling rocks. Willow grabbed his arm and said, ¡°Stop it. Let¡¯s wait for the rescue team to arrive! This ind isn¡¯t that big, so they¡¯ll surely find us soon.¡± Jasper had no choice but to stay in the cave with her. He didn¡¯t mind the surroundings, but he was worried about Willow and couldn¡¯t bear to see her suffer. There was still some lighting into the cave, so it wasn¡¯t too dark. Jasper cleared a clean spot while Willow spread out a surprisingly clean mat. Then, she rummaged through her bag and took out a bottle of water. ¡°We only have one bottle of water left.¡± ¡°You drink it first.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not thirsty. You drink it.¡± Willow gave the water to him. ¡°I¡¯m not thirsty either.¡± Jasper refused since he wanted to keep the water for her. ¡°I¡¯m not thirsty either,¡± Willow replied truthfully. After all, she had just drank water before climbing down. Then, she continued taking photos of the surroundings. After some examination, she was certain they had indeed found the tomb they were looking for. As darkness fell, the cave gradually became pitch ck. Jasper took out a shlight and shone a small area around them. Still, the rest was inplete darkness. A sense of fear rose within Willow, and she subconsciously moved closer to Jasper, snuggling up against him. Sensing her fear, Jasper pulled her into his embrace andforted her. ¡°Jasper, can you tell me something about yourself?¡± ¡°What do you want to know?¡± Jasper¡¯s deep voice resonated in the quiet space. In such a serene ce, Willow found his voice captivating as she listened to him speak. It was as if his voice was the sound of a cello, calming her nerves. ¡°Anything will do,¡± Willow replied, simply wanting to hear his voice. She curled up like a small animal, nestling in his embrace entirely. Jasper lowered his head and saw her in his embrace. Her soft and plump face rested against his arms as she looked at him with clear eyes. In that split second, Jasper¡¯s mind went nk, forgetting what he wanted to say. He was captivated by her beauty. On the other hand, Willow was still waiting to hear his story. Yet, Jasper was looking at her with his dark pupils. His eyes emitted a glow as if trying to look through her. The atmosphere was so quiet that the sound of Jasper gulping became unusually clear. Willow blinked and reached into her bag. Then, she handed him the bottle of water and said, ¡°Are you thirsty? Have some water!¡± Chapter 2046 Chapter 2046 ¡°I¡¯m not thirsty.¡± Jasper turned his head away. ¡°I think you look thirsty, though! It¡¯s okay. The rescue wille soon. Come on, have some water!¡± Willow insisted, twisting open the bottle cap while sitting up straight. Then, she grabbed his face and turned it toward her. ¡°Here. I¡¯ll help you.¡± He could not do anything but drink the water she forcefully gave him. After a few sips, he pushed away the bottle and said, ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Only then did she put down the bottle. At that moment, some soil got loose and fell, which startled her. She quickly curled back into the man¡¯s embrace. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just the soil.¡± Heforted her. ¡°With you, I¡¯m not afraid of anything,¡± said Willow. She was expressing her feelings to him. Jasper lowered his head and gulped. Although he had just drunk water, he could not control himself as he looked at the girl in his arms. Does she know what she¡¯s saying? Confessing her feelings to a man who has been single for 28 years with such a pitiful appearance¡­ Isn¡¯t she afraid that I might take advantage of her? ¡°Why?¡± he asked hoarsely. ¡°Because you make me feel safe!¡± She smiled, herughter incredibly charming. At her words, he sighed softly as he gulped again. Willow noticed it, yet she was unaware it was because of her. Thus, she handed him the water bottle and asked, ¡°Are you still thirsty?¡± ¡°No,¡± Jasper replied hoarsely. ¡°Do you want me to help you?¡± She smiled and was going to twist open the bottle cap. He took the bottle and handed it to her. ¡°You drink it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± She wanted to reserve the water for him. ¡°If you don¡¯t drink it, I won¡¯t either,¡± he said, staring at her. Willow blinked and thought, Wait a minute. Isn¡¯t this the same trick I used to force him to eat? How did he learn it so quickly? He¡¯s using my tactic to make me drink the water. ¡°I¡¯ll take a few sips then. You¡¯ll drink it next,¡± she said. Then, she brought the water to her lips and drank it. Under the dim light, she seemed to be drinking seductively. Instead of showing Jasper that she had drunk the water, he felt like she was seducing him! As the man watched, his throat tightened, and his breathing became unsteady. Quickly, he turned his face to the ground. ¡°I¡¯m done. Your turn.¡± She held the bottle close to his lips. Jasper pushed her hand away gently. ¡°Save the rest for yourself.¡± ¡°Are you disgusted by my saliva?¡± Willow felt hurt. She could not believe that he would be a nuisance to her. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Yet, he felt nothing like that sentiment. He knew the rescue team would not be here any sooner. Plus, transmitting signals toward the outside world was a problem with the maic field istor. He needed to make sure they were prepared to spend the night here. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way,¡± he exined hastily. ¡°You just did!¡± She pouted. ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± He was flustered. ¡°How can you prove that you¡¯re not disgusted by me?¡± Willow stared at him as if this was an important matter. She was determined to have him prove it. Even with the dim lighting from the shlight, she still looked stunning. Her long hair cascaded down her waist, and her pink sun-proof clothing made her skin a subtle pink hue, which made her look beautiful. Her bright eyes and cherry-like lips were captivating. Looking at her, Jasper struggled to keep himself in check. ¡°Prove it to me then¡ª¡± Before she could finish her words, he grabbed her chin in one hand while the other held the back of her head. Then, he pressed his warm lips against her slightly parted ones. At that moment, her mind went nk. It was as if time had frozen, and she could only feel the sensation of his lips touching hers. The kiss was not anything intimate but just a peck. The man also realized what he had done and quickly pulled away. His breath hitched slightly, seemingly as if he had used up all his energy just by doing that. Chapter 2047 Chapter 2047 Willow reached out and brushed her hand past her lips. That wasn¡¯t just a touch, was it? ¡°Do you still need proof?¡± Jasper¡¯s raspy voice sounded. It was only then that she was pulled back from her thoughts. The fact that he had kissed her was proof that he did not dislike her, and this realization caused her face to flush red as she bit her lips in embarrassment. However, she felt that the kiss had ended too quickly, so much so that she barely had the time to enjoy it. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°Is it supposed to be that quick?¡± she mumbled, clutching her face. Faced with her words, the man was rendered speechless while she awkwardly whipped her head away. Just then, the light from the torch vanished out of the blue, plunging them intoplete darkness. ¡°Oh no! Don¡¯t tell me the torch is out of batteries!¡± she yelped, pouncing into Jasper¡¯s arms. ¡°They probably forgot to charge it.¡± He wrapped her in his embrace cooperatively as she buried herself in his arms, terrified to be trapped in an ancient tomb without any light. Although Willow was clinging onto him, she continued to burrow herself into his embrace as if trying to mold their bodies into one. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. It¡¯s safe here.¡± Jasper lowered his head to look at her. At the same time, Willow raised her head, and the distance between their faces minimized. The two froze for a few seconds, and she could feel his lips at the corner of hers. However, as if struck by lightning, they quickly turned their heads away from each other. ¡°Jasper, I have something to ask you.¡± Willow¡¯s voice rang sweetly. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Have you kissed other girls before?¡± she asked, extremely curious. ¡°You¡¯re the first.¡± Her melodious and smugugh gently broke the silence. ¡°Really? You aren¡¯t pulling my leg, are you?¡± ¡°I never lie.¡± ¡°All right! I believe you, but I have something to tell you. You just stole my first kiss. However, since it was your first time too, I won¡¯t hold you to it.¡± Just then, a loud call was heard nearby. ¡°Miss Presgrave, where are you?¡± ¡°Mr. Wyatt, Miss Presgrave, where are you?¡± Willow was overjoyed at the sound of the voices. ¡°They found us!¡± Then, she rose to her feet and began to yell toward the opening. ¡°We¡¯re here! Come and save us!¡± As expected, she soon heard the voice reply, ¡°Did you hear that? It¡¯s Miss Presgrave¡¯s voice. Hurry, they¡¯re right up ahead!¡± Soon after, they discovered the entrance to the cave, basked in the moonlight, and they asked probingly, ¡°Miss Presgrave, are you down there?¡± ¡°Yes, we fell. Be careful, though! The ground in this area is slippery. Don¡¯t fall in.¡± ¡°All right. We¡¯ll call the captain and the others over.¡± Not longter, Winston returned with the bodyguards, and Johanna called out urgently from above, ¡°Miss Presgrave, are you hurt?¡± ¡°Johanna, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m not hurt.¡± The bodyguards made quick work of the ropes, and once they were secured, Willow was hoisted out of the cave, immediately followed by Jasper. ¡°There¡¯s an ancient tomb below. Let¡¯s go back and get some rest, and we can explore tomorrow morning,¡± she suggested. ¡°That¡¯s great. We might even find the clues we were looking for,¡± Winston eximed as they headed down the mountain. Traipsing down the path illuminated by the moon, Willow suddenly felt a gush of warmth in her heart. She turned around and looked at the man trailing behind her, her lips uncontrobly curling upward into a smile. Although she had a fright, she did not return empty-handed either. After returning to the ship, Willow and Jasper took a hot shower to thoroughly clean themselves off before returning to their tent to retire for the night. However, he did not enter. Just as she was growing confused, he yanked the zipper open and said, ¡°I¡¯ll keep watch. You can just sleep.¡± ¡°All right!¡± She agreed obediently. Exhausted from the long ordeal, she sumbed to slumber in no time. Early the next morning, the team headed up the mountain to investigate the tombs. With the equipment they had prepared, it was not even afternoon before they unearthed a coffin. As it was made from cedar, it was surprisingly in pristine condition, unaffected by the passage of time. Chapter 2048 Chapter 2048 Among the unearthed artifacts, a wooden box caught their attention. It was securely locked, rendering it particrly more valuable than the rest. With gloved hands, Winston gingerly cut through the ancient iron lock. To their astonishment, they found that it contained a logbook, a priceless discovery that left everyone ted. ¡°This expedition isn¡¯t in vain after all. We¡¯re finally getting somewhere!¡± he eximed, his excitement palpable. Willow was unable to contain her joy either, as the purpose of their journey was solely to uncover the secrets of the past and recover lost national treasures. Moreover, this was an achievement that would surely make a significant mark in the archaeology world. ¡°Let¡¯s take it back to the ship to take a closer look now.¡± When they only discovered a dozen or so skeletal remains after excavating for thirty minutes, Winston suggested that these were the crew members who had passed away from malnutrition or disease and had been buried next to the official. Soon, they discovered the source of the mysterious signal as well. It was a sizable meteorite rich in minerals that had been surprisingly buried nearby, causing all electronics within a thirty feet radius to lose uracy. After three days of digging, they finally managed to clear the ancient tomb. Once done, they returned to the ship and started their urgent research, which Morgan participated in as well. Desperate for money, he had taken pictures of the logbook and submitted it to an artifact dealer. Soon, he received a reply from them. ¡®I need you to trante the information ASAP and send the details to me. If you do so, I¡¯ll pay you 750 thousand as a deposit.¡± Driven by the allure of money, Morgan became braver. Coincidentally, he happened to be one of the members of the trantion team as well. As the others gathered in the meeting room to trante the ancient text, he entered the contents of every single page into theputer. Since each of them was an excellent member of the literary field, it was not a difficult feat for them to trante the logbook. However, it was three volumes long, making it impossible for them toplete the trantion right away, and they had no choice but to finish reading all three before they could proceed to the next step. In the midst of it all, Morgan discreetly downloaded a copy and sent it to the dealer. When he immediately received the money he was promised, he was filled with smug glee, thinking that 1.5 million would soon be his. The team had begun to grow tired before the investigation could fully begin. In the evening, the meeting room was still fully lit when a bodyguard suddenly walked in. ¡°Stop the meeting. A pirate ship is heading toward us.¡± ¡°What?¡± Winston shot to his feet in shock. The crowd was dumbstruck by the news. They had thought of pirate ships as a mere myth, and none had expected one to appear in the open sea. ¡°My goodness! Do you think they¡¯re carrying guns?¡± ¡°They definitely have bombs!¡± ¡°I heard that pirates are all barbarians. Are we in danger?¡± a female team member yelped, nching from fear. On the contrary, Willow calmlyforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re unprepared. Even if we have to deal with them, we have nothing to be scared of.¡± ¡°Miss Presgrave, are you not afraid at all?¡± Willow chuckled. ¡°This ship isn¡¯t just any ordinary ferry. It¡¯s equipped with military-issued defense systems, so all these windows are bullet-proof.¡± As soon as her words fell, the female team members let out a breath of relief. ¡°Have you all forgotten? We still have Commissioner Wyatt with us. As long as he¡¯s here, we¡¯ll be safe,¡± one of them piped up. ¡°That¡¯s right! We also have Miss Presgrave¡¯s strong bodyguards.¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Willow shared their sentiments. It was true that Jasper¡¯s presence was the reason behind her composure. After all, he was not just any other special agent. At that moment, the leader of the bodyguard team, Ricky, walked over to report to her, ¡°Miss Presgrave, a battle will break outter. We need to escort you to the ind and protect you. You can¡¯t stay on the ship.¡± Willow understood that his n was necessary to make things easier for them to chase the pirate ship away, so she nodded. ¡°All right! Our team will disembark the ship, and I¡¯ll leave things over here to you.¡± ¡°We will protect you and the unit members¡¯ safety.¡± As she stepped out to look for Jasper, who was looking for her, the two nearly collided at the corner, but he quickly reached out to stop her from running into him. The touch of his hand caused her heart to race, but in the next instant, he firmly held her arm and said, ¡°Get off the ship with me.¡± Chapter 2049 Chapter 2049 ¡°Will youe with us?¡± Willow asked him. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°We¡¯ll talk after we¡¯re off the ship.¡± All the team members disembarked the ship, followed by Jasper, who held Willow¡¯s hand as he led her along with the rest. For the time being, the ship had be the bodyguards¡¯ battleground, used to chase away the approaching pirate ship. At the same time, a meeting was being held on the pirate ship, led by a middle-aged man with a scarred face. He had received intel that an archeology team¡¯s vessel had headed their way, and the resources they carried onboard were extremely ample and worth making plunder for. ¡°We haven¡¯t been making any money for a long time. Everyone, get your spirits up. We¡¯ll be hitting the jackpot soon!¡± ¡°Boss, that ship might even be carrying some artifacts. If we sell any of them, it¡¯ll be enough money for us to spend for months.¡± ¡°We just don¡¯t know what kind of men are on the ship and whether they¡¯ll make things easy for us.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll start attacking once we get close. We have to take this ship down today. We might even get something out of it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since we had any fun. We can thoroughly enjoy ourselves tonight.¡± The ship¡¯s crew consisted of fugitives and criminals from around the world, each harsh and ruthless. Without any means to enter the private ocean, they could only make a living by ransacking passing ships. Hence, their eyes lit up with greed at the prospect of a wealthy vessel. Now that they discovered the ship was filled with abundant ancient artifacts, it was as if someone had left a pile of irresistible gold coins before them. Meanwhile, Jasper headed to Winston once they were on the ind and instructed, ¡°Take all of the team members and hide in the cave where the ancient tomb is. I¡¯ll stay here and protect the ind.¡± ¡°Should I leave some male team members behind to help you?¡± Winston hurriedly offered, afraid to leave Jasper all by himself. ¡°No need for that. I can handle this.¡± Jasper refused because he did not need anypanions. To him, they would only get in his way. ¡°In that case, Commissioner Wyatt, take care of yourself. Contact us if you need any help,¡± Winston conceded. He could tell that Jasper was not just any ordinary man. Next to them, Willow had been eavesdropping on their conversation and immediately approached him once Winston left. ¡°Jasper, you have toe with us.¡± ¡°I must stay behind to stop the pirates from getting on the ind,¡± Jasper insisted firmly. ¡°But¡­¡± His gaze turned strict and sharp. ¡°Willow, listen to me.¡± Taken aback by his serious demeanor, she found her eyes welling up with tears. She bit her red lip, knowing there were times when she could be willful and moments she had to be obedient. If she did not listen to him now, it would only bring him trouble. The sight of her teary eyes sent a pang of pain to Jasper¡¯s heart, but he could not afford to sumb to his emotions at a time like this. Protecting the ind also meant that he would protect the safety of everyone on the team. Now, Willow was not the only one he had to protect, as her team members needed to be looked after as well. After all, she would feel guilty if anything were to happen to them, and he did not wish for such a thing to ur. At that moment, Winston walked over and began to persuade her, ¡°Willow, we should head up now!¡± ¡°Miss Presgrave, allow me to protect you for the time being!¡± Johanna joined in as well. Suddenly, Willow pounced forward and pulled Jasper into an embrace, without any regard for the onlookers behind them. Tightening her grip around him, she said, ¡°Tomorrow morning, I want to see you safe and sound.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± he replied in a low voice. It was only after hearing the reply that she released him and reluctantly followed Winston up the ind, with Johanna trailing behind them, in charge of providing close protection by Willow¡¯s side. As they were familiar with the paths on the ind, their journey up the mountain was swift. However, with every step she took, Willow nced behind her, gradually losing sight of the direction Jasper was in. She pressed forward with a tightly wound nerve. Just then, an explosion sounded from the bottom of the mountain where the shore was, followed by an exchange of gunfire that reverberated in the air. ¡°They¡¯re fighting!¡± a few of their team members yelped uncontrobly. ¡°Everyone, hurry up!¡± Winston roared, determined to ensure the safety of his team members. Chapter 2050 Chapter 2050 Basked in darkness, they stealthily made their way to the mountaintop and arrived at the cave entrance under Winston¡¯s lead. It was a perfect hideout, and the pirates would not be able to find them easily even if they entered the ind. Meanwhile, out at sea, two ships engaged in a fierce battle. The bodyguards that Willow had brought along this time were well-versed in navalbat, and they were trained sailors as well. With their skills, they quickly led the pirate ship toward the outer seas. Little did they know, five silhouettes floated in the dark ocean¡ªa part of the pirates¡¯ n. They spected that the crew had already taken refuge on the ind, and if they managed to capture them, they could force the ship to lower their defenses. Moreover, kidnapping was their specialty. And yet, they had no idea that someone else was awaiting them on the ind. In the darkness, the pirates finally arrived at the shore. At the sight of the tents, theyughed wickedly, their eyes filled with greed as they prepared to ransack the tents. Just then, the leading pirate, still oblivious to the danger, was struck in the forehead by an unseen force, causing him to copse lifelessly to the ground in a split second. Immediately, the remaining pirates huddled together, firing their weapons in every direction possible. They had not expected such a skilled warrior amongst a team of archeologists and were taken aback by the military-issued equipment on their ship. Now that an assassin was lying in an ambush on the ind, they were caught off guard. ¡°Disperse and find that man!¡± the leading pirate ordered. The four pirates immediately spread out at his words, not knowing that this would be their doom. If they attempted to flee at that moment, they might have stood a chance at survival, but their dispersion only led to nothing but their death. After all, the man in hiding excelled at taking out his targets individually.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Ahh!¡± With a sharp gasp, a pirate who had walked into the distance noticed another shadow next to his. He whipped around in fear, and the next moment, the gun in his hand was pressed viciously against his chest by the looming figure that reached out toward him. In a fit of panic, he pulled on the trigger, not realizing it was pointed at his chin. The sound of the gunshot quickly attracted the other three, but theirrade had long departed from the world of living by the time they rushed over, and his gun had vanished in thin air. That frightened the three pirates, and only a single thought crossed their minds¡ªhead back to the sea immediately and return to the ship. However, as they fled wildly toward the ocean, the man at the group¡¯s tail took a shot to the back of his head while the other two turned around in fear as they fired frantically. Yet, the man in the darkness was devilishly skilled, and he was able to aim urately even with the moon as his only source of light. Bang! Another gunshotter, a wild pirate copsed into the sea, the water around him turning crimson with his blood. The sole remaining pirate trembled with fear, and just as he thought he had finally made it back to the ocean, he heard a voice call out to him. ¡°Hey!¡± Uncontrobly, he turned toward the source of the voice, only to see a cold figure standing by the shore, the gun in his hand pointed toward him. In a blink of an eye, his head became the man¡¯s target as soon as he emerged from the water, and he was unable to react at all. Just like that, the five pirates were wiped out without even knowing the face of the man who took their lives. Meanwhile, the two ships were still engaged in the crossfire, separated by the ocean. As the pirate ship was afraid toe into the range of their opponents, neither of the vessels was damaged. At that moment, Jasper disappeared from the beach and leaped into the sea. An hourter, with the pirate ship¡¯s departure, the bodyguards steered back to the shore and returned to the dock. Halfway up the mountain, Winston noticed that the pirate ship had disappeared, followed by a message from the bodyguards, reporting that they were now on the ind. Immediately, Willow suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s go down!¡± ¡°Miss Presgrave, we have to wait for a little longer. We can only head down once Ricky confirms the safety on the ind.¡± Chapter 2051 Chapter 2051 ¡°No, I have to head down now.¡± Willow could not wait for another second, leaving Johanna with no choice but to trail after her. ¡°Miss Presgrave, I¡¯ll escort you.¡± On the ind, the bodyguards were just as dumbfounded. At the sight of five new corpses that belonged to the pirates, Ricky immediately ordered his men to take the bodies away and clean the surroundings before Willow caught sight of such a blood-curdling scene. ¡°Wait, did you see Mr. Wyatt?¡± he asked one of the subordinates next to him. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. Did he leave to look for Miss Presgrave?¡± ¡°He must¡¯ve gone up to see if Miss Presgrave is safe!¡± However, Ricky found it impossible that Jasper would ascend the mountain unless the pirates had escaped and made their way up, but the discovery of thest two corpses near the coast showed that they had been shot down in their attempts to flee toward the sea. In other words, none of the pirates had gone up the mountain. As his gaze shifted to the barely visible pirate ship on the horizon, a bad premonition arose in his heart. He knew this was something that Jasper was capable of. After Willow hurriedly rushed down from the mountain half an hourter, her gaze skimmed past the crowd gathered at the bottom, but all she could see were her bodyguards, and Jasper was nowhere to be found. ¡°Ricky, where¡¯s Jasper?¡± She immediately demanded his presence. ¡°Miss Presgrave, we didn¡¯t see him anywhere when we came on shore,¡± Ricky replied, afraid to tell her his assumptions. After hearing that, Willow felt as if a knife was digging into her chest, leaving her unable to breathe. Where is Jasper? Didn¡¯t he say he¡¯d stay here to protect me? Why did he disappear? ¡°Miss Presgrave, don¡¯t worry! Mr. Wyatt will be fine. He¡¯s more capable than all of usbined.¡± Ricky comforted. However, with Jasper nowhere in sight, she was plunged into worry and could barely settle her anxious heart. ¡°Search him. I order all of you to locate him now.¡± Tears gushed out of her eyes, but her gaze was surprisingly stern. ¡°Miss Presgrave.¡± Johanna had never seen Willow in this state and was at a loss for what to do. ¡°You go with them too, all of you. He¡¯s definitely hurt; he has to be nearby.¡± ¡°Blood! There¡¯s blood here!¡± A female team member keenly spotted the blood stains on the ground and cried out in horror. At that, Willow immediately picked up a shlight and approached the woman, examining the crimson stters on the ground. In an instant, her body began to sway weakly. Why is there blood here? Ricky approached her and exined, ¡°Miss Presgrave, when we stepped foot on the ind, we found five corpses belonging to the pirates. These blood stains don¡¯t belong to Jasper; they were left behind when we were cleaning up the pirates¡¯ bodies.¡± ¡°Really? Are you sure?¡± Willow pressed hurriedly. ¡°I¡¯m certain.¡± ¡°But, where is he? Does anyone know where he went?¡± She looked around frantically, praying with all her heart that Jasper would appear by her side. However, no matter how long she waited, he was nowhere to be seen. Nearby, Johanna whispered to Ricky, ¡°Do you really have no idea where Mr. Wyatt is? Miss Presgrave is nearly losing her mind.¡± His gaze turned toward the ocean. ¡°I suspect he¡¯s already embarked on that pirate ship.¡± Johanna was immediately taken aback. ¡°What?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m keeping this a secret from Miss Presgrave. I¡¯m afraid that her emotions would escte even further. Though, I believe Mr. Wyatt won¡¯t take a risk so blindly. Since those pirates have their eyes on us, they will continue attacking us and might even call for reinforcements.¡± Ricky¡¯s spections were urate. On the pirate ship, a fierce exchange of gunfire was taking ce. Their target was only one man, but he had already caused the death of over a dozen people among the crew. Even the captain was now in a panic, desperate to flee. He stood on the deck with his hands raised, surrendering to this strange man who had appeared out of thin air. The man before him waspletely soaked, but his eyes emanated a terrifying chill as if he were a beast that had crawled out of the depths of the underworld. Just ten minutes ago, he suddenly appeared on the ship with a bloodthirsty aura before he began to wreakplete havoc.Original from N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 2052 Chapter 2052 ¡°W-What do you want? I-I can give you a-anything. Just don¡¯t kill me,¡± the captain spoke somewhat inartictely. Assuming Jasper could not understand, he repeated his sentence. Jasper¡¯s lips curled faintly while revealing a murderous intent, and with a gunshot, thest member of the pirate ship fell to the ground. Then, his gaze turned toward the ind. The fierce killing intent in his eyes suddenly dissipated and was reced by a hint of anxiety and panic because he had been dyed here for too long, and a certain someone might be worried about him. He had to return to her side as soon as possible. Thus, he jumped onto a small speedboat nearby, started it, and headed toward the ind. On the ind, Willow could not rx or focus on anything without news about Jasper. She had been pacing back and forth for quite a while, and Ricky had ordered his men to search the surroundings to comfort her. However, his gaze kept scanning the dark sea in hopes that Jasper would return soon. Their miss was getting anxious because of him. ¡°Miss Presgrave, have some water.¡± Johanna handed her a bottle of water. Willow shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not thirsty.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Presgrave. We all know how capable Mr. Wyatt is. Whatever he does, he wille back safely.¡± Johanna tried to reassure her. Willow¡¯s palms were clenched so tightly that they turned pallid. She looked at Johanna and asked for reassurance. ¡°Will he be okay?¡± Her eyes reddened as if she was on the verge of tears. ¡°Yes, he¡¯ll be fine.¡± Johanna hurriedly assured her. It was the first time she had seen Willow on the verge of crying, and she felt distressed. She had protected Willow for nearly ten years and shared a deep bond with her. Willow sighed. ¡°Only if he stands safely before me will I rest assured.¡± At that moment, Ricky heard the sound of a yacht approaching from the sea and immediately took the binocrs to search the ocean. Finally, he locked onto a figure that made him breathe a sigh of relief. He strode quickly to Willow and reported, ¡°Miss Presgrave, Mr. Wyatt is back.¡± ¡°Where? Where is he?¡± She looked behind him, and Ricky handed her the binocrs while pointing toward the sea. ¡°Over there.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Willow was taken aback and quickly took the binocrs to look at the sea. Under the moonlight, she saw a yacht approaching, and the man sitting on it could only be Jasper. A smile of joy finally appeared in her eyes as she looked at the approaching figure and questioned, ¡°Why is he returning from the ocean? Where did he go?¡± Ricky dared not voice it. If he told Willow that Jasper had gone to the pirate ship alone, she would certainly be furious. I¡¯ll leave that to Mr. Wyatt! Of course, she was not in a hurry to hear the answer. She put the binocrs back into Ricky¡¯s hands and ran toward the beach, with Johanna quickly following behind. Jasper also saw her standing there. His speedboat rushed ashore, and he was drenched all over after stepping off it. Water droplets from his wet ck hair ran down his narrow eyebrows and eyes. Despite looking somewhat bedraggled, he exuded an untamed wildness and dominance. Willow wanted to hug him, but he pushed her away with his wet arms. ¡°I¡¯m drenched. Don¡¯t get your clothes wet.¡± She was shoved away just like that, so she could not help but question him, ¡°Where did you go? Why did you disappear without a word? Do you know how worried I was?¡± That interrogation made the others around them leave tactfully. It was best to stay away from the scene where this couple quarreled. ¡°I¡­ Uhm¡­¡± He found it difficult to exin and looked somewhat helpless, like a child who had done something wrong. ¡°Why did youe back from the sea? Did you fall?¡± She made a guess. ¡°Yes. I was chasing a pirate and identally fell into the sea,¡± he immediately replied while going along with her guess. He wondered if telling her his hands had just been stained with more than a dozen lives would terrify her. Chapter 2053 Chapter 2053 Although those pirates were criminals from various countries, irredeemable and deserving of death, he still dared not tell the truth. ¡°Really? Are you injured? Let me see.¡± Willow approached him again. ¡°No!¡± Jasper took a step back as he was afraid of getting her dirty. ¡°What are you doing? Don¡¯t hide from me. Come with me to the ship and take a shower,¡± she commanded as she grabbed his arm and pulled him to the ship. He had no choice but to let her lead him, and the people standing nearby sighed with admiration. Even the formidable Jasper could not withstand Willow¡¯s anger. In the room, he went to shower while she sat on the couch and finally calmed down; her worry earlier was genuine. After he finished showering, he opened the bathroom door. He had forgotten to bring clean clothes with him as he was influenced by her emotions, so he had toe out wrapped in a bath towel. With his body still emitting heat, he tied the towel around his waist, and his well-defined abs and perfect physique were fully outlined under the light. It exuded a charming allure. Willow blinked while directly admiring the scene before her. She suddenly felt a bit dry in her mouth and tongue-tied. However, there was one thing she needed to do, and that was to examine if he had any new injuries. So, she stood up and walked toward him. His breathing became slightly rapid, and he told her, ¡°Why don¡¯t you wait outside?¡± She raised her eyebrows. ¡°Why? Can¡¯t I take a look?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing worth seeing.¡± His gaze swept around the room as he looked for his clothes. No matter how good his physique was, he felt ack of confidence after being stared at by this girl, growing insecure. ¡°I¡¯m just checking to see if you¡¯re injured,¡± Willow said while her eyes focused on the upper half of his body. She found no injuries but noticed a water droplet falling from his hair. It rolled down his chest and reached his waist before disappearing into his sexy Adonis belt and being absorbed by the towel. That scene was incredibly impactful. His muscles seemed to be sculpted and looked exceptionally attractive. She even sensed the hormoneden air, and her face finally turned red as a wave of shyness rushed over her. ¡°You¡­ Put on some clothes!¡± Willow turned around as her heartbeat elerated and quickly left the room. She went to the refrigerator in the hall and took out a bottle of cold water before drinking it. I¡¯m so thirsty. Why am I thirsty? After a while, Jasper emerged from the room upon dressing himself. He wore a casual ck T-shirt with ck pants, radiating a clean and refreshing young man vibe. She handed the water to him. ¡°Are you thirsty? Drink some.¡± Under the light, he noticed her eyes were red as though she had cried. Did she cry? He wondered while drinking the water. ¡°Let me know where you¡¯re going next time, or leave a message. Don¡¯t make me worry, okay?¡± Willow requested earnestly. Jasper nodded and promised. ¡°Okay!¡± She smiled, and her pink cheeks appeared rosy and charming while her clear, watery eyes filled with joy under the light. He felt a tightness in his abdomen as a strong electric current surged in his chest. Flustered, he lowered his gaze, not daring to reveal this burning sentiment. Truth be told, he was overwhelmed facing the girl¡¯s bright and unwavering affection. Perhaps he had never borne such a radiant light in his heart since childhood. At that moment, an uninvited team member came up the ship, informing, ¡°We¡¯re out of water downstairs, and I¡¯m here to get some more.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help,¡± Jasper said as he turned to Willow. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He and the team member each carried a box of water bottles and went downstairs, where she followed them to the camping site. The night had been dreadful, with so many incidents unfolding, and the whole team had experienced different shocks. Therefore, everyone had gone into their tents to call it a day.Original from N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 2054 Chapter 2054 Willow was still chatting with Winston about the next direction of their research, and her gaze nced in Jasper¡¯s way several times. He was talking with Ricky and asionally caught glimpses of her. In just a nce, their hearts were filled with each other on this slightly chilly night. Winston was also nning to nap for a while, and a sly look shed in Willow¡¯s eyes. She deliberately stood there to feel the cold breeze and did not return to the tent. As expected, after a while, she saw Jasper finish his conversation with Ricky and walk toward her. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you sleeping?¡± His caring voice came. ¡°I¡¯m scared and can¡¯t sleep alone.¡± She hugged her arms and looked up at the deep night sky. ¡°You can have Johanna apany you for a while,¡± he suggested. She turned to look at him. ¡°But I want you.¡± He sighed slightly. ¡°All right. Sure. Let¡¯s go!¡± Her lips could not help but curl up in satisfaction. It seemed she could coax him to sleep after all. I¡¯m energized, but let¡¯s do this! In reality, she felt sorry for him, as he had not slept well for several days. So, she deliberately invited him to get some rest. After entering the tent, Willow obedientlyy down and told him, ¡°Close your eyes. Don¡¯t think about anything, and just sleep.¡± Jasper obediently shut his eyes, and so did she. They waited as seconds ticked¡­ Half an hour passed, and even though she was about to fall asleep, she resisted the drowsiness and opened her eyes to sneak a peek at him. She could not help but get closer to him to check if he was asleep while propping herself up on her elbow as she looked at him under the faint moonlight. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. I think he¡¯s down. She smiled and felt satisfied. She theny back down and rested her head on her arm while admiring the handsome profile of the man. Her eyelids grew heavier, and finally, she fell asleep. Moments after that, the man¡¯s thick longshes lifted, and he turned his head. His bright and charming eyes locked onto the peaceful sleeping face of the girl, and he let out a faint sigh of relief. In the end, who was coaxing whom to sleep? As it turned out, it was Jasper who was coaxing her to sleep. The way Willow slept, like a child without any defense, captivated him. His gaze could not help but fall on her slightly parted lips as if some magical force was pulling his nerves. When he finally came to his senses, he realized he had somehow gotten closer to her face. He forcibly suppressed all thoughts, gently pulled back the curtain, and left. That night, Willow slept soundly and sweetly, as her heart was free from worries and distractions. She slept until the sun was up, and when she opened her eyes, she found that Jasper was no longer by her side. Still drowsy, she came out and found that Winston and his group had already gone to the ship for a meeting. ¡°Miss Presgrave,e and have breakfast.¡± Johanna had prepared breakfast for her. Willow sat under therge tent and had her meal. Full of curiosity, she asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Jasper?¡± ¡°He went over there.¡± Willow ate half a piece of bread and got up to head there, after which Johanna could not help but sigh. Tyler would surely be heartbroken; Willow, carefully raised by him, was slipping away from him. The girl walked quickly toward Jasper, squatting next to a rock, and did not know what he was looking at. She immediately slowed down her pace and sauntered quietly toward him. Jasper noticed but did not expose her. Even when she reached out to cover his eyes, he still yed along and asked, ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Guess!¡± A smile appeared at the corner of his mouth as he yed along with her childish game. After she spoke, she released her hand and jumped in front of him. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Suddenly, his gaze turned to a pirate corpse floating on the sea several feet away, and his pupils contracted sharply. Willow also noticed his stern gaze behind her and asked, ¡°What are you looking at?¡± She was about to turn around to look, but the next moment, the man wrapped his arm around her waist while his other hand pressed the back of her head. He gently pulled her face toward his chest and assured her, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Chapter 2055 Chapter 2055 However, Willow found him peculiar, as his actions forbade her from turning back. Her curiosity was piqued even more, and she struggled in his embrace. The more he tried to prevent her from peeking, the more she wanted to see. Jasper firmly pressed down her head and said sternly, ¡°Don¡¯t look.¡± She felt a bit aggrieved being held down like this with her face pressed against his chest. Subsequently, he carried her for more than three hundred feet before finally releasing her, and she had no choice but to stop looking. When she returned to the campsite, she overheard a few team members talking about several corpses dressed in pirate costumes floating among the ocean. They had all been dragged ashore and disposed of by the bodyguards. A few male team members looked ufortable, and they prevented the female team members from peeking. Now, Willow understood why Jasper had taken her away forcefully. In the evening, she sat among several female team members and listened to their gossip. Time passed unnoticed, and it was alreadyte, so everyone huddled into the tent to sleep. Earlier on, Willow had listened to a few scary ghost stories, and her heart became chilly. She was unafraid when listening to the tales, but now, she was scared. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. She genuinely wished Jasper woulde over and apany her, but he did not after she waited for a long time. She lifted the curtain and saw Johanna, who was guarding her. Then, she requested, ¡°Johanna, can you get Jasper for me?¡± Johanna understood and smiled. ¡°Sure, Miss Presgrave. I¡¯ll get him right away.¡± Jasper was in a meeting with Winston and the other leaders when Johanna went to get him. ¡°Mr. Wyatt, Miss Presgrave is looking for you.¡± Jasper was a little surprised at first. Then, he walked quickly toward the tent where Willow was. He bent down and looked at the girl inside, gently asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I just listened to a few scary ghost stories, and I¡¯m a little scared. I don¡¯t think I can sleep alone.¡± Willow was honest. He wanted tough, but he held back. After a moment of thought, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll wash up first ande back.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t mind. Let¡¯s sleep!¡± said Willow. Still, Jasper went to bathe because he had helped move the bodies in the afternoon and needed to clean up before getting close to her. ¡°Give me twenty minutes,¡± he said before leaving. In the meantime, she yed with her phone while waiting for him. Twenty minutes passed, and she was still wide awake. Finally, she heard footsteps outside the curtain. As the barrier lifted, Jasper¡¯s tall figure entered. He exuded the fragrance of the bath as it filled the small space. Following that, she immediately leaned against him and hugged his arm. With the man beside her, she felt safe and soon began to feel drowsy. She closed her eyes contentedly and, in her half-asleep state, tossed and turned. When her leg came over, hisrge hand blocked it in time, resisting her leg from pressing against his sensitive part. Jasper lowered his head, looked at the girl falling asleep, and gently retracted his arm. Then, he left the tent softly as if coaxing a child. Soon enough, Ricky came forward to report. ¡°Mr. Wyatt, we just discovered arge yacht about ten nautical miles away. They sent a message iming to be an archaeological team from Dansbury. Their captain¡¯s name is Jett Jefferson.¡± ¡°Pfft! I bet they¡¯re cultural relic smugglers posing as an archaeological team from Dansbury. I didn¡¯t expect them to follow us here.¡± Winston sneered. ¡°Winston, do you know him?¡± ¡°I do. He¡¯s a notorious dealer who¡¯s been smuggling our country¡¯s cultural relics for years. We¡¯ve always been worried he would target this batch of cultural relics, but I didn¡¯t expect him to find us.¡± ¡°Our mission this time is a secret operation. How did he find out?¡± Winston also found it strange. ¡°Yes! How did they know we had gains here?¡± ¡°Perhaps there¡¯s a traitor in our team,¡± Ricky said in a hushed voice. Chapter 2056 Chapter 2056 Winston thought for a moment and shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s unlikely. I personally recruited these team members and knew their backgrounds well. They would never coborate with cultural relic smugglers.¡± A hint of coldness shed in Jasper¡¯s eyes. Whoever dared to y tricks in Willow¡¯s hands was asking for trouble. ¡°Don¡¯t alert the traitor. I¡¯ll find out who it is.¡± His gaze was sharp as he scanned Winston. He happened to meet his gaze and was frightened, quickly assuring, ¡°Mr. Wyatt, I am absolutely loyal to Miss Presgrave and would never betray her in any way.¡± The moment Jasper¡¯s gaze swept over him, Winston felt as if a knife had flung by, fatal and fast. Jasper withdrew his gaze and looked at Ricky. ¡°Only the three of us will handle this matter. Don¡¯t reveal anything to anyone.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Ricky also wanted to identify the renegade and ensure the sessfulpletion of Willow¡¯s mission. Thereafter, Jasper went to the ship and brought down a ck bag. He entered an empty tent and switched on hisputer, then typed a fewplex lines of code. His slender fingers, which were typing, were as elegant as ying the piano, yet he was aputer expert. Suddenly, aplex image shed on his screen, which resembled a satellite icon. After pondering, he enveloped the satellite signal over the entire ind. At that moment, several team members who were ying with their phones lost their inte connection, instantly puzzling them. Why did thework go out? Soon, a message with a newwork name and a secret transmission was sent to the group. The others immediately reconnected.Original from N?velDrama.Org. Jasper resembled a lurking beast as he stared at hisputer. All the information the team members saw became public information in his eyes. He closed theputer and his eyes to rest, as he needed to deal with even moreplex situations next. In the early morning, when all the team members woke up, they saw another ship of the same size parked next to theirs. A group, dressed professionally, descended from their vessel and imed to be an archaeological team from Dansbury. When Willow saw the man leading them, her face turned angry in an instant. She had dealt with him before, as his ancestors were also from Zoravia. That man would resort to anything for profit and was a disgusting smuggler! ¡°What are you doing here, Jett Jefferson?¡± she questioned coldly. ¡°Miss Presgrave, this is the high seas. If you¡¯re here, why can¡¯t I? Your family has great influence, but you can¡¯t control the boundaries of the high seas, can you?¡± ¡°I discovered this ce first, and I don¡¯t wee you here,¡± she said while driving them away. ¡°I am a legal archaeological team and have the right to be here. Moreover, I have the liberty topete fairly with you for all the resources here,¡± he argued. Willow was so angry that she gritted her teeth but could not do anything. The area did not belong to any country¡¯s jurisdiction, and anyone was allowed to explore it. At the same time, it was governed by internationalw. If a conflict urred here, internationalw could intervene. ¡°Miss Presgrave, I paid a great price toe here. Let¡¯s do our own thing and not interfere with each other, alright?¡± Jett spoke arrogantly, showing a cunning look in his eyes. ¡°How did youe here?¡± she questioned. The map was in her hands, and the mission was highly confidential. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t disclose that, but I¡¯m immensely interested in this area as of this second. I apologize if I¡¯ve offended you,¡± he said while waving to his subordinates. ¡°Let¡¯s camp two miles away and continue our work.¡± Fury engulfed the woman, and she clenched her fists. At that moment, she was utterly enraged. If Jett found those artifacts first, he would have the right to im them as private property. Then, she would have to spend an insane amount of money and effort to reim them if she wanted to retrieve those artifacts. Chapter 2057 Chapter 2057 Therefore, Willow could not let him steal the achievement this time. She had to retrieve the donated artifacts for her country. Jasper¡¯s gaze was glued on her, and he witnessed her flushed face and heaving chest. He felt sorry for her, so he walked over and gently patted her. ¡°I won¡¯t let them take away what¡¯s yours.¡± She sighed when she saw him and announced to Winston and all the team members, ¡°From now on, we must be on high alert and find the artifacts before these people do. We need to act fast.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Presgrave.¡± Everyone was tense and dared not rx because theirpetitors were right before them. Meanwhile, Morgan hid among the crowd, his eyes flickering with panic and guilt. He knew he could not expose himself; otherwise, he would end up in jail. At the same time, he believed since Jett had already arrived, he would not use him anymore since they already possessed all the information they needed. However, his phone vibrated in his clothes, and he could not help but feel nervous. The only person who would contact him here was Jett. After the dispersal, Morgan immediately returned to his tent to check the message on his phone. As expected, it was from him. ¡®Morgan, let¡¯s cooperate well from now on. I hope to find the artifacts soon. I promise you will be rewarded handsomely for your efforts.¡¯ Morgan quickly replied, ¡®I¡¯ve already found what you asked. Please don¡¯t contact me again. I don¡¯t want to get into trouble.¡¯ ¡°You¡¯re already in one. If you don¡¯t cooperate with my next move, you¡¯ll be in greater trouble.¡± At that moment, Jasper took out his phone, looked at the message on it, and with a surge of anger in his eyes, he strode toward Morgan¡¯s tent and shouted, ¡°Come out, Morgan.¡± He was so frightened that he quickly hid his phone and pretended to be surprised. Then, he stuck his head out and inquired, ¡°Commissioner Wyatt, do you need anything?¡± Jasper reached out and pulled him out from inside before kicking him to the ground. The poor dude almost spat out blood as he cried in fear, ¡°Commissioner Wyatt, what are you doing?¡± ¡°So, it was you who leaked our whereabouts and information to that scoundrel.¡± In the meantime, Willow was frustrated and returned to the ship to rest. However, as soon as she sat down, she heard a female team member shouting outside, ¡°Miss Presgrave, something¡¯s wrong. Commissioner Wyatt and Morgan are fighting.¡± At that, she quickly got off the ship and saw a crowd of people circling a pair, where one was fighting while the other was howling. As soon as she arrived, everyone made way for her. She saw Jasper standing to the side while Morgan had already been beaten to the ground with his ruby mouth. Then, Winston¡¯s voice sounded. ¡°Morgan, you¡¯re such a fool. How could you leak information to those filthy smugglers and give them all our important data? You¡¯re breaking thew and will end up in jail.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. They forced and threatened me. I had no choice.¡± Morgan immediately pleaded. However, a cold snort resounded. ¡°You were clearly bought off by their interests.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t¡­ I swear,¡± Morgan retorted. Jasper handed his phone to Willow and said, ¡°These are theplete chat records between him and Jett. Such a person doesn¡¯t deserve to stay on your team.¡± She took his phone and read the chat records, turning angry the next second. ¡°Morgan, you told Jett all our clues. Do you know what that means? It means our country¡¯s artifacts will be sold to outsiders! You have betrayed the nation!¡± ¡°Morgan, get the hell away from us. You can look forward to going to jail!¡± Winston was also enraged. Morgan sat on the ground in fear, finally tasting the consequences of his mistake. His future would be a lifetime in prison. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Ricky, send someone to take him back. I¡¯ll have my family¡¯swyere over. I¡¯ll never forgive those who betray me.¡± Willow exuded amanding presence. Despite her young age, she held her dignity with pride. Chapter 2058 Chapter 2058 ¡°Yes, Miss Presgrave.¡± Ricky nodded. ¡°If anyone dares to betray me again, their fate will be the same as Morgan¡¯s. I called you here to assist me, and I won¡¯t treat you unfairly, but I won¡¯t tolerate any traitors or disloyal individuals.¡± Willow¡¯s sharp gaze swept over all the team members. The team members usually found Willow easy to get along with, but now, they knew she was not to be trifled with after seeing her expression. Soon, Morgan was escorted onto a speedboat, with his hands and feet bound, and sent to a nearby country. Although they had caught Morgan, Willow¡¯s mood was still affected. She found it difficult to calm her emotions and walked alone toward a nearby path. A figure silently followed her and he did not take his eyes off her. Willow stood in a spot as she looked at the distant scenery. She knew Jasper was following her, so she sighed and turned to look at him. ¡°I¡¯m really worried.¡± Jasper couldn¡¯tfort her for now, as no one could guarantee the artifacts¡¯ final destination until they found them. He reassured her, ¡°You know I¡¯ll do everything in my power to help you wherever you need it, right?¡± She nodded and felt much more at ease with him by her side. ¡°Thank you for helping me unconditionally. Without you, we wouldn¡¯t have been so sessful.¡± Willow expressed her gratitude. Jasper¡¯s gaze softened as he looked at her and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. I¡¯m willing to help you.¡± Suddenly, she thought of something and asked with a smile, ¡°How can I repay you when I go back?¡± His gaze locked onto her for a few seconds before he shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t need your repayment.¡± Willow became anxious. ¡°No. I must repay you.¡± Whatever he asked for, she would repay him. Jasper¡¯s heart was filled withplexity and bitterness when he was faced with the sincerity in Willow¡¯s eyes. She was like a pure untouchable lily, and his identity was tainted with too much blood. He was not worthy of standing by her side. His participation in this mission was merely wishful thinking since he was not seeking any rewards or repayment. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about this after weplete this mission. Now is not the time to discuss this,¡± hemented as he turned around to leave. Willow became even more anxious behind him. ¡°Why can¡¯t we talk about it now?¡± As she spoke, she walked quickly toward him, but in her hurry and the uneven rocky terrain, she tripped. ¡°Ah!¡± she eximed, and her two fair and tender knees hit the ground, causing them to bleed. Jasper turned around and rushed to her side before lifting her into his arms. He looked at her two scraped knees, and his heart clenched with pain. Then, he scooped her into his arms. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Willow clung to his neck and looked at him with a pitiful expression. ¡°You left before I finished speaking.¡± At that point, Jasper med himself. He shouldn¡¯t have left like that. ¡°Be more careful next time,¡± he advised in a low and gentle voice. Willow gazed at him, and deep down, she made a decision. Regardless of whether he wanted her to repay him or not, she would do it. It was her unteral deration. Upon reaching the medical room, Johanna applied disinfectant to Willow¡¯s wounds and bandaged them. At the moment, Winston was studying the artifacts unearthed from the archaeological excavation. In addition to the ancient map, they had also found some useful information¡ªa few notes hidden on a piece of bamboo slips. This was valuable information not avable to Jett. Winston was being especially careful this time and didn¡¯t share this matter in the group chat. Instead, he came to discuss it with Willow. ¡°Willow, see if you can find any clues. The notes say they lost their ship on this ind, so they all stayed until thest generation.¡± ¡°If they lost their ship, the artifacts must still be on this ind then. It would be passed down from generation to generation and guarded.¡± Chapter 2059 Chapter 2059 ¡°This ind covers an area of 18,000 square kilometers, and we can¡¯t do a carpet search as it would be highly resource-intensive.¡± ¡°It seems that the clues are still among these artifacts.¡± Willow sighed. ¡°Jett has now brought in many experts from the archaeological field. If they find the artifacts before us, they will definitely act first.¡± ¡°Winston, we¡¯ll have to work hard and find the evidence as soon as possible!¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried that the people here might still leak secrets. I¡¯m afraid now,¡± Winston said. At that, Jasper spoke up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have control over thework here, and they can¡¯t transmit information to the outside.¡± Winston¡¯s eyes filled with admiration after he heard this. ¡°That¡¯s great! Mr. Wyatt, you¡¯re really amazing.¡± ¡°Send me all the evidence you¡¯ve collected. If I have the time, I¡¯ll study it together with you,¡± Jasper said. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll send it to you right now. On second thought, I¡¯ll bring the originals over to you,¡± Winston commented before leaving. Tonight, Willow stayed in the room on the boat. Her legs were injured, and her bodyguards were nervously guarding the boat to make sure she rested and recovered. Willow was lying on the bed and carefully looking at the originals that were sent over. They were all clear images of the artifacts and they were spread out on her bed. She looked like a studious student as she examined each one carefully. Jasper saw her lying on the bed even before pushing the door open. To save time, she tied her long hair into two braids in front of her chest, giving her a cute and youthful appearance. ¡°Jasper,e over and study this with me, hmm?¡± Willow called him over. He bent down and saw her arranging the numbered documents. However, he found it difficult to focus on those boring images. Under themplight, her attractive face, fair and delicate skin, bnced features, and spirited eyes made it impossible to look away. As he looked on, he closed his eyes as if he needed to make a great effort to divert his thoughts from her. Willow rubbed her eyes and yawned. She was actually very tired but still focused on studying the artifacts. She looked at a simple painting, which was also a copy taken from a mural. It was a painting drawn in despair on the mural. ¡°Would you like to rest for a while?¡± Jasper tenderly asked. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep. Whenever I think of Jett being here, I feel like there¡¯s a whipshing at my back, forcing me to work hard.¡± Willow described her current feelings. He looked at her with distress. At that moment, a gust of wind blew in from outside, causing all the A4 papers in the room to fly around. She reached out to save one but then noticed another one flying in the air. She reached out to grab it but missed. She had forgotten about her injured knees in the process. ¡°Ouch!¡± she eximed in pain, but her body was already leaning forward. Jasper acted swiftly. He scooped her up into his arms just in time, and gently rolled her onto the soft bed while pinning her down. Willow was frightened and closed her eyes instinctively. Before she could open her eyes, she felt the man¡¯s heavy breath next to her ear. Despite it being a rescue action, it felt like it had taken a toll on the man¡¯s life. The critical factor was not the rescue action, but the current situation of their bodies being in close contact. Willow opened her eyes, and the man¡¯s handsome face was only an inch away from her. His breath blew onto her face. It was ambiguous and filled with male hormones. His warm woody scent made her breathing quicken involuntarily. In such a situation, her first instinct would be to resist forcefully if it were any other man. However, since this man was Jasper, it was a different story. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Her pretty face blushed and her somewhat restless hands instinctively wrapped around the man¡¯s neck. With a pair of doe-like eyes, she looked at him with eyes like a timid deer. Chapter 2060 Chapter 2060 The man pressing on her became heavier. He was breathing more heavily like a wild beast panting. Despite this, Willow decided to y with fire at this moment. She lifted her head and kissed Jasper¡¯s thin lips. His gaze became even more profound, and he reached for the woman¡¯s hand around his neck. His voice was hoarse as he said, ¡°Let go.¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. She had no choice but toply and let go, but the next moment, her wrists were pressed against her head by the man. The ambiguous atmosphere escted. Willow couldn¡¯t help but tremble. She felt as if she was being held tightly by a wild beast and was unsure of how to react. Finally, his lips met hers, but it was a gentle and tender kiss that intoxicated her. One kiss seemed tost for several minutes. Willow¡¯s face turned as red as if she were on fire. Jasper also realized that he had overstepped and immediately sat up while offering a hasty apology. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± After speaking, he pushed the door open and left. Willow sat on the bed. Her face was flushed, her mind was in chaos, and her lips were slightly swollen, but her heart filled with sweetness. Her lips, still puckered, couldn¡¯t stop a sweet smile from forming. She touched her red lips with her hand. That kiss, both domineering and gentle, really made it hard for her to resist. Willow was about to get out of bed when she realized something embarrassing. Her legs felt weak and her body was numb. Now, she was crouched on the ground with her face covered and she did not want to get up at that moment. Jasper¡¯s kiss was too charming. As she pondered, a strange feeling of jealousy washed over her. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he had only kissed her before. The way he kissed her just now didn¡¯t feel like that of an inexperienced person. The thought of him possibly kissing other women made her heart tighten with unease. Just then, Willow reached for a piece of paper that was blown to the ground. She didn¡¯t even know she had picked up the wrong one. Originally, it was a painting, but suddenly she had a different perception of it. The sea depicted in the painting now looked like the sky, while the golden cloud-like elements in the sky became treasures beneath the sea. She stared at the painting for a long time. Suddenly, a sh of inspiration seemed to burst from her mind, leaving her dazed as she focused on the painting. Could we have been looking in the wrong direction? Is this painting hinting that the treasures back then weren¡¯t onnd but in the sea? Willow was pleasantly surprised at the thought of this. She picked up the painting and rushed to Winston¡¯s research room. When she pushed the door open, she caught Winston off guard. ¡°Willow, did you find something?¡± Winston couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Yes. I think I might have found something. Can you help me see if my direction is right?¡± she asked as she ced the paper on the table. It was a copy taken from a sheepskin scroll. She ced the painting on the table, but he naturally corrected it for her while saying, ¡°Willow, you ced it upside down.¡± At that, she immediately asserted, ¡°No. We are supposed to view it upside down.¡± Winston was puzzled, but he immediately stared at the paper. As he continued to look at it, he seemed to have discovered a new continent and looked at the drawing incredulously. ¡°We werepletely wrong in our previous direction! This painting should be viewed upside down. The blue above is not the sea but the sky, while the colorful red below is the sea, and the golden elements represent the treasures from back then.¡± ¡°Yes! There¡¯s a high possibility that we¡¯ve been looking in the wrong direction. I also just realized it. Could it be that those treasures from back then weren¡¯t hidden onnd but sank to the seabed?¡± ¡°That¡¯s highly possible. The records mentioned that they encountered typhoons and pirates back then. To protect the treasures, they might have considered this approach,¡± Winston added excitedly as he looked at Willow with admiration. ¡°Willow, you¡¯re so smart! Were you studying this all along?¡± ¡°Well, I¡­¡± Her face turned red under themplight. After all, the incident just now wasn¡¯t something she could easily talk about! Chapter 2061 Chapter 2061 ¡°It was my negligence. I didn¡¯t even notice this. For now, we can¡¯t reveal anything to the outside, especially not to Jett. We need to search in the sea as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Yes. We need to do it quickly, and we must keep it a secret when we go underwater.¡± Willow was excited about the possibility of searching underwater. Maybe they could get ahead. She walked out of Winston¡¯s office and saw a certain man who had just left. She could tell from his avoiding gaze that he felt embarrassed about the kiss, as it seemed to be an impulsive act driven by his loss of control. Though her face was also warm, she still wanted to share her discovery with him. She reached out and held his hand while saying, ¡°Let¡¯s talk in my room.¡± Jasper was once again pulled back into her room by Willow. As soon as the door closed, the atmosphere became somewhat ambiguous. She showed him the drawing and said, ¡°Take a look. I just made a discovery. We suspect that the ancient artifacts were hidden underwater.¡± He took the drawing and analyzed it. With his intelligence, he quickly noticed the same thing and nodded in agreement. ¡°It¡¯s highly possible. I will dive tomorrow to search.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± shemented. ¡°No!¡± Jasper immediately refused. He thought that this dangerous task was not something Willow should undertake. Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m good at diving. I can do it!¡± Willow insisted. She wanted to go underwater with him. ¡°I said it¡¯s not possible, and that¡¯s final.¡± Jasper opposed firmly. She looked at him as she felt a bit aggrieved. ¡°Why can¡¯t I do it?¡± ¡°There are potential dangers at any moment underwater. In this area of the sea, you don¡¯t know if there are strong currents or sharks. In any case, you are not allowed to go underwater.¡± His gaze firmly locked onto her as he announced, ¡°You stay on the shore and wait for me.¡± ¡°What about you? It¡¯s dangerous! I¡¯ll have my father send professional divers over.¡± Truth was, Willow was also worried about him. ¡°You can send people over, but I will go down and check first.¡± Jasper still wanted to protect her. ¡°I have experience. Nothing will happen to me.¡± Willow helplessly looked at him. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll have my father send someone over, and you can just check the area. Don¡¯t take too much risk. I¡¯ll worry about you too.¡± After saying that, she put her hands around his sturdy waist and lifted her head to look at him. Jasper¡¯s breathing couldn¡¯t help but quicken again as he looked at her beautiful face. His willpower was put to an unprecedented test. ¡°I have one more question to ask you. Your kissing skills are pretty good. Where did you learn them from?¡± Willow asked. This was important to her. He was speechless for a few seconds before answering, ¡°I learned it myself.¡± She burst intoughter. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. You know I never lie to you,¡± Jasper stated. And I will never lie to you in the future too. Willow¡¯s heart warmed, and she hugged him even tighter while saying impulsively, ¡°Jasper, let¡¯s be in a rtionship!¡± Jasper was stunned upon hearing that. He hadn¡¯t expected her to be the one to take the initiative. For a moment, he looked at her and didn¡¯t know how to respond. He knew that if he agreed, he would have to promise a lifetimemitment. As such, he was afraid he couldn¡¯t live up to it in the future. If he were just an ordinary office worker, he could talk about rtionships casually, but his identity didn¡¯t allow him to ept a rtionship so easily. He couldn¡¯t even control his own fate, let alone drag a woman into his life. ¡°Willow, let¡¯s focus onpleting this mission first, okay?¡± Jasper tried to soothe her. Willow also knew that she couldn¡¯t push him too hard. After all, his identity was special, but that was okay. She had time and could wait. She smiled sweetly and murmured, ¡°Okay! Take your time to think about it. Just let me know when you¡¯ve made a decision.¡± How could Jasper reject such a lively and innocent woman? In fact, he was already standing on the edge of a cliff, ready to fall into her sweet smile at any moment. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll prepare the diving equipment, and I¡¯ll go down to check at dawn,¡± Jaspermented. Chapter 2062 Chapter 2062 Willow tightly held his wrist as she added, ¡°Be careful. As important as the ancient artifacts are, your life is more important.¡± At that, Jasper reassured her. ¡°I¡¯ll be careful. I promise.¡± At this moment, in a camp more than a mile away, Jett sat beside his technical staff and urged, ¡°Hurry up. We must obtain information from the other side. I need to know their next move.¡± ¡°Boss, they have a skilledputer expert who set up awork firewall that we can¡¯t breach.¡± The person operating theputer was sweating profusely. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a top-notch hacker? Yet you can¡¯t even break into theirwork?¡± Jett was angry. ¡°Their skills are obviously better than mine. I did my best, and I feel they are using an independent satellitework, making it impossible to hack into.¡± ¡°You¡¯re useless!¡± Jett growled and he went to his office. He had assembled a team of professional archaeologists, and they were all analyzing the data they had. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°What¡¯s the result? Have you found out where those treasures are hidden?¡± he asked impatiently. ¡°We haven¡¯t found anything yet.¡± He picked up his phone and called his team¡¯s surveince personnel who were monitoring Willow¡¯s group. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Are they making any moves?¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t seen any action yet. Their people are all in the activity area and haven¡¯t left.¡± After Jett hung up the phone, his eyes flickered with strong ambition. He must obtain these treasures. He had invested so much this time and he couldn¡¯t afford to lose. Moreover, he had promised the country that they could buy back the treasures at a high price, which would make him extremely wealthy. He was determined to obtain this batch of treasures at all costs. In his eyes, Willow was just a little girl. How could shepete with him? Other than her family background, he didn¡¯t care about her at all. In the ship¡¯s room, Willow slept restlessly. When she woke up, she saw that the bed next to her was empty. ¡°Jasper?¡± She hurriedly sat up, pushed the door, and ran out to the corridor. Johanna hurriedly came over. ¡°Miss Presgrave, what¡¯s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?¡± ¡°Where is he?¡± Willow¡¯s eyes were filled with anxiety and worry. ¡°Mr. Wyatt has already gone underwater. Ricky and two colleagues are with him. Don¡¯t worry!¡± Willow¡¯s heart was still tense when she heard this. Now, she worried about Jasper whenever he went on a mission. ¡°I¡¯ll make breakfast for you. You can go back to your room and rest!¡± Johanna suggested. Willow nodded and returned to her room. She went out to the balcony and looked at the vast sea, her heart heavy with worry. The whole morning, Willow couldn¡¯t eat or drink. She just stared at the sea. As they were not expecting to go diving, they didn¡¯t have enough equipment andmunication devices. Willow had contacted her familyst night to send the equipment over, but it would take about a week to arrive. Jasper was worried that Jett might also discover this information, so he took the risk and went diving. Finally, at around 12.00PM, four people came swimming back to the surface. Willow heard the news and rushed over to see the four of them safe and sound, and she finally let go of the anxiety in her heart. At the same time, she felt embarrassed and avoided looking at the man taking off his diving suit and showing his upper body. ¡°You guys better go take a shower!¡± Willow said as her gaze lingered on Jasper¡¯s face. Meanwhile, Jasper couldn¡¯t care about showering and said, ¡°Come with me to see Winston. We made a discovery down there.¡± In Winston¡¯s office were photos they took in the afternoon, showing several ghost ships. ¡°Those fleets sank into the sea, and they only had time to evacuate the crew. All the artifacts remained in the sunken ship¡¯s cargo hold. Now, the wooden nks have disappeared, and all the artifacts are at the bottom of the sea.¡± Chapter 2063 Chapter 2063 Willow¡¯s eyes widened as she eximed in excitement, ¡°This is fantastic! We finally found it, Winston. We¡¯ve finally made a breakthrough.¡± Winston, who was equally thrilled, gave a firm nod in return. ¡°Yes! We didn¡¯t just achieve something spectacr as it¡¯s also a great achievement for our country.¡± ¡°My parents¡¯ salvage team is on their way, but it will take them about five days to arrive. We¡¯ll have to keep this a secret from Jett for now. They have definitelye prepared with all the necessary equipment in order to start salvaging immediately.¡± ¡°Since this is international waters, we can¡¯t restrict their actions. We will need to act as quickly as possible,¡± Winston reminded, growing tense. Jasper nodded in agreement. After he returned to his room, he took a shower and started working on hisputer. Johanna then brought him a cup of coffee, and Willow handed the cup to him. ¡°Have some coffee to stay alert!¡± Willow said to him. Jasper obediently took a few sips of coffee. Just as he was about to put the cup down, Willow held onto the cup and started drinking from the same cup. Jasper¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he worked on hisputer and swiftly noticed several hacker ounts attempting to breach his defenses. A faint smirk appeared on his lips; it was a smile of contempt. Willow ced the cup of coffee down as she looked at his broad back and reached out tentatively. Even though she couldn¡¯t understand theplex programs on hisputer, she still wanted to be near him as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her chin against his shoulder. He turned his face to the side in response. She couldn¡¯t help but giggle as their cheeks pressed against the others¡¯ before she nted two quick kisses on his cheek. Hisposure wavered slightly, and a faint smile crept onto his lips as he was unable to resist the sweet gesture. It was clear that she was also basking in the moment as she simply nestled into his shoulder. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. In the afternoon, the two of them enjoyed the subtle atmosphere in the room, which was even more exhrating than being in a real romantic rtionship. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Willow asked. ¡°Building a firewall,¡± Jasper replied absentmindedly while his fingers typed awayplex code that seemed to flow effortlessly under his hands. She shot him a look of admiration. ¡°You¡¯re amazing.¡± Although he had heard simr praises in the past, it was different when it fell from her lips. At this moment, the atmosphere in Jett¡¯s team was tense and restless. His subordinates were all brainstorming for ideas when one of them blurted, ¡°Why don¡¯t we check underwater? Perhaps the ship sank here all those years ago?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right! We haven¡¯t found anything on the ind yet, but there might be clues underwater.¡± Jett started contemting the usibility of this option; even though it might be a waste of resources, it was still worth a try. His subordinates, feeling the pressure and fearing criticism, decided to take the plunge into the sea to see if they could find any clues. Willow arranged for her family¡¯s bodyguards to spy on their movements. When evening fell, they reported some crucial information. Willow, Winston, and Jasper discussed the situation in the meeting room. Willow was understandably anxious since the shipwreck was nearby. There was a high chance the others might very well stumble upon it if they went underwater. ¡°We can¡¯t let them find it before we do; otherwise, they¡¯ll take everything for themselves,¡± she muttered anxiously. She was growing increasingly agitated because this operation meant a lot to her. Jasper put his hand on her shoulder reassuringly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let them get their hands on it until we do.¡± Winston sighed wearily. ¡°Mr. Wyatt, based on my observationsst time, Jett Jefferson has brought over a dozen muscles with him. We do have our men, but things might get out of control the instant we¡¯re in conflict. The artifacts are important, but so are our lives, especially Sweetie here.¡± She was the baby of the Presgrave Family. Since they couldn¡¯t decide on what to do for now, Willow stepped outside to catch some fresh air. She had asked around and discovered that her family¡¯s salvage team would take at least three days to make it here. Jasper leaned against the railing and tenderly gazed at her stressed figure. At that moment, he desperately wanted to ease her emotions. He couldn¡¯t help but feel his heart ache at her anxious expression whenever heid his eyes on her. Chapter 2064 Chapter 2064 Willow forced herself to ease up a bit as she smiled at Jasper. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯m just a bit nervous. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Jasper reached out to tidy her bangs, which had been blown into an utter mess by the sea breeze. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let anyone take away what is yours.¡± Unfortunately, she was unaware that her nervousness only exacerbated the anxiety dwelling within the man¡¯s heart; he just didn¡¯t show it. She leaned into his embrace and hugged his sturdy body. ¡°I know. I feel much more at ease with you here.¡± Yet, Jasper wanted her to be absolutely worry-free. The little wrinkle between her brows only tugged at his heartstrings. That night, the bodyguards sent back a message that Jett¡¯s team was preparing to go underwater early the next morning. The intense emotions overwhelmed Willow, causing her to have trouble sleeping that night. Now that they had found the treasure, she had to watch helplessly as someone else took it away before they couldy their im on it. It was truly distressing for her. This was international waters where Jett had the authority to do anything without facing any consequences. Later, Willow heard some speed boats had set off. So, she dashed to Winston¡¯s office but couldn¡¯t find Jasper anywhere. ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°Mr. Wyatt just went out to sea. He said he had something to take care of.¡± ¡°What is he doing out there?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know as he didn¡¯t say why. He always acts so mysteriously, and it¡¯s not like I can ask him just like that,¡± Winston exined. Johannaforted her, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t worry! Mr. Wyatt is probably just doing what needs to be done.¡± ¡°I just hope he doesn¡¯t encounter any danger.¡± Willow¡¯s worries intensified as time passed. Where had Jasper gone? He had gone to the pirate ship which had be something like a ghost ship. There was an advanced fishing here, and he used hisputer to operate the ship¡¯s fishing equipment. An hourter, the automatic fishing equipment brought nearly 1000 pounds of fish. He had a rather simple n for these fish; he wanted to attract the rulers of the sea¡ªsharks. He had researched the area and found that past researchers had detected the presence of numerous sharks in this area of international waters. Fortunately, the sharks mostly dwelled in the deep sea and rarely approached the coastal waters. However, if there was a significant amount of fish blood in the area, it could attract them to swarm the area. Sharks were not particrly interested in human blood, but they had a strong attraction to fish blood. As long as there was blood around the area, the sharks would be attracted to swim out of their dwellings. It also definitely helped that they had an extremely sensitive sense of smell when it came to their prey. That was precisely what Jasper was trying to do¡ªattract the sharks. He knew that the only way to stop Jett¡¯s actions was to make them fear going underwater and prevent them from diving. All he needed to do was buy a few more days for their own salvage team to arrive. Nearly a hundred fish were chopped up and thrown into the sea, spreading the smell of blood around the boat. Once Jasper was done, he stood on the deck, observing the surroundings using a telescope. Original from N?velDrama.Org. This task required absolute patience, and it just so happened it was something he excelled at. Sleep continued to elude Willow as she remained on the boat, unable to contact him. She had no idea what he was nning. Around 4.00AM, the full moon in the sky glowed brighter. Suddenly, the boat he was on shook slightly when something bumped into it from below. Jasper instinctively picked up a re and threw it into the water. Several dorsal fins emerged on the surface of the water, indicating that his ¡®summoning¡¯ had seeded. The sharks swam around the area without venturing too far as they startedpeting for the fish floating around. As dawn approached, his speed boat returned to the coastline. It was loaded with ten packages of minced fish meat. Then, he used a telescope to watch Jett¡¯s team that was preparing to dive into the sea. Jasper wasted no time in tossing the fish meat into the sea, specifically cing it around the area where the shipwreck was located. At this moment, Jett¡¯s team was just about to head out to sea. They had already discussed amongst themselves and eventually decided to dive about a kilometer away from their boat. Just as they were going through the diving n on their boat, a female team member suddenly pointed at the sea in terror. ¡°What is that? Oh, my goodness! Is that a shark?¡± Chapter 2065 Chapter 2065 Other team members immediately gathered around as some of them picked up binocrs and looked at the dorsal fins on the water before they eximed in panic, ¡°What¡¯s going on?! Why are there sharks here?¡± ¡°What should we do? We can¡¯t dive if there¡¯s a risk of shark attacks. It would be disastrous.¡± Although they were hired for the job, their lives were always their top priority. ¡°Hurry! Contact Jett and report the situation here.¡± After Jett received the call and a few photos soon after, he immediately cursed in frustration, ¡°Sh*t.¡± ¡°Boss, we can¡¯t dive today. We can¡¯t take the risk now that there are sharks lurking in the area.¡± Jett had no choice but to give up upon hearing those words. So, he ordered them to return and wait until the sharks were gone before deciding on a new diving date. Willow also soon received a report from the bodyguards that Jett¡¯s crew had returned. ¡°Why did they turn around?¡± Willow asked in surprise. ¡°We are not sure what is going on, but none of them have gone underwater. Even their equipment was unloaded from the ship.¡± Regardless of the reason, Willow couldn¡¯t help but breathe a sigh of relief. Just then, she heard someone outside greeting Jasper. So, she rushed out in excitement and threw herself into his arms. ¡°Good news! Jett¡¯s men didn¡¯t dive.¡± Jasper gently pushed her away from his embrace. ¡°I know.¡± She blinked, a bit puzzled that he had been absent all night. To make matters even stranger, he was even rejecting her physical affections. ¡°Why won¡¯t you let me hug you?¡± Willow murmured, feeling wronged. ¡°It¡¯s not that. I smell of blood; I need to take a shower first.¡± She hurriedly inquired, ¡°Where were youst night?¡± ¡°I attracted some sharks nearby. That¡¯s why Jett¡¯s men turned back.¡± He didn¡¯t see the point in hiding anything from her. ¡°Oho!¡± Willow was astonished. Even Winston was shocked. It turned out there truly was nothing Jasper couldn¡¯t do in this world. He actually managed to do something like this! Nheless, Willow still rushed into his arms and hugged his waist. ¡°I don¡¯t mind if you¡¯re dirty. You¡¯re not allowed to push me away.¡± Jasper smiled helplessly. ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Winston, who identally witnessed their intimate moment, quickly fled the scene. Jasper returned to where Willow was after taking a nice refreshing shower. On the other hand, Willow had prepared breakfast for him. Then, they spent a romantic time together as they sat in the cabin¡¯s lounge, enjoying the sea view. She propped her chin and looked at him with her big eyes that possessed the mysterious ability to say everything she was thinking, making him a bit embarrassed. ¡°Don¡¯t stare at me,¡± heined affectionately in a gentle tone. She blinked. ¡°But¡­ I like looking at you. Is that a crime, Mr. Wyatt?¡± This statement carried a hint of flirtation, paired with Willow¡¯s smug smile¡­ Well. it left the man somewhat speechless. ¡°It¡¯s your fault for having a face so handsome. In fact, it should be a crime to look this good. Don¡¯t me me for looking at you!¡± Willow teasingly pushed the responsibility back to him. The man couldn¡¯t help but choke slightly at her brazen words, his handsome face and ears turning pink. It seemed that he was still weak to teasing. ¡°Alright, enjoy your breakfast. I¡¯ll go back to my room to rest for a bit. I didn¡¯t sleep wellst night when you were away.¡± Willow didn¡¯t disturb him any longer. ¡°Okay!¡± Jasper nodded. She felt relieved after learning about what happened with Jett¡¯s team. They had decided not to dive and were now changing their focus to search for clues in the mountains. Since Jett and his team didn¡¯t dare to take their chances underwater, she could dy their actions until her salvage team arrived. Moreover, in order to preserve the artifacts, a team of national archaeologists, along with 20 bodyguards from the Presgrave Family were sent. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. They were all working together to safeguard her cause. Three days had passed in the blink of an eye. As Jett stood on his ship with a pair of binocrs in his hands to watch Willow¡¯s team, he was suddenly filled with worry. Why aren¡¯t her people doing anything? Did she already discover something? Lately, he had also been filled with anxiety as this expedition had cost him a considerable amount of money. He feared he would go bankrupt if they returned empty-handed. His fortune relied on the valuable artifacts which were supposed to be a surefire source of wealth. Chapter 2066 Chapter 2066 Jett had never once thought he was a good person; he had to figure out Willow¡¯s secret. To do that, he needed to kidnap the person closest to her. Soon, a pile of photos was ced on Jett¡¯s desk. The photos showed a young and handsome man who stayed with Willow day and night. He was someone closest to her. ¡°Who is he?¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t figured out his identity yet, but he¡¯s the person closest to Willow Presgrave. They have meals and live together. If Willow has any secrets, he¡¯d be the one who knows them best,¡± reported one of Jett¡¯s subordinates. He nodded in satisfaction and pointed to the photo. ¡°Then, he will do. Find a chance to bring him to me. I want to ask him some questions.¡± Jett couldn¡¯t help but admit that the man in the pictures was charming. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he turns out to be Willow¡¯s boyfriend. Thus, Jett¡¯s phone found the chance to start monitoring Jasper. Meanwhile, Jasper was bringing some things to the shore on behalf of Willow. The team members here were now more rxed as they hadn¡¯t received any specific orders. They were simply working for their wages. After he ced the things down, he noticed someone behind the rocks using binocrs to spy on him. Thus, he feigned ignorance as he deliberately walked to a nearby path, away from the team. At the same time, Jett¡¯s men immediately gathered their team and took the opportunity to kidnap Jasper. Jasper walked about a kilometer away, fully aware that someone was following him. ¡°Hey, you there! Our boss wants to see you. Come with us!¡± a man threatened in English. ¡°What if I refuse to cooperate?¡± Jasper turned around and asked. ¡°Then, don¡¯t me us for not holding back.¡± The man took out a gun and pointed it at Jasper. ¡°You¡¯d better listen to us obediently. I can¡¯t be sure where I might aim my gun next.¡± Jasper immediately surrendered by raising his hands and following the group who then took him into Jett¡¯s territory. Jett was overjoyed that they had easily captured the person closest to Willow. Therefore, he quickly came over just to interrogate Jasper personally. Jasper was already tied to a chair at this moment. Soon, the interrogation began with only two of Jett¡¯s subordinates present. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°What is your name?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not worthy of asking me that,¡± Jasper replied coldly. ¡°You should know that cooperating with me now is in your best interest. I¡¯m not a patient man, so answer my question.¡± He added, ¡°What is your rtionship with Willow?¡± Still, Jasper only quirked his eyebrow and retorted, ¡°You have no right to know.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m telling you, no one will ever find you if I kill you here and toss your body on another ind,¡± Jett threatened. Unbeknownst to him, the person that he was threatening was someone who excelled in assassination. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s switch gears. Did you guys make any recent discoveries? Have you found that batch of relics? Just tell me! I can make it worth your while.¡± Jett decided to entice Jasper. Jasper stated icily, ¡°I suggest you leave this ce and not get in Willow¡¯s way.¡± ¡°See here. You are in my hands now. It¡¯s not your turn to threaten me. I¡¯m the one interrogating you.¡± Jett was so angry he almost went crazy. Jasper was a surprisingly tough opponent! s, there was only a wave of calmness in Jasper¡¯s eyes instead of fear. ¡°I truly admire your courage. But¡­ if you don¡¯t cooperate with me, I¡¯ll have no choice but to kidnap Miss Presgrave and force something out of her mouth.¡± Jasper¡¯s aura seemed to explode out of his body right then and there. ¡°Tryying a finger on her and see what happens,¡± he snarled. Jett couldn¡¯t help but step back in fear. When he realized what happened, he quickly coughed to cover his embarrassment. What was he afraid of? This man in front of him was literally bound by a rope and had his hands tied behind his back. ¡°If you cooperate and tell me what I want to know, I won¡¯t touch Willow Presgrave. It all depends on whether you would work with us,¡± Jett mentioned as he started another round of questions. Chapter 2067 Chapter 2067 ¡°Have you found those cultural relics? Why are your team members ying around all rxed and carefree if you haven¡¯t?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say it again: take your men and get out of here, or else. Frankly, you should be worried about your life.¡± Jett unconsciously frowned as his patience ran thin. ¡°I see you prefer to do this the hard way. Boy, give him a good beating; I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll confess after that.¡± As Jett¡¯s henchmen raised their fists to strike Jasper¡¯s face, the man who had been bound to the chair reached out, blocked the blows, and quickly grabbed the chair. Jett¡¯s henchmen were knocked down one after another with a fierce swing. Jasper exuded a dangerous aura, and it was one filled with killing intent. Jett¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as he desperately tried to flee. Unfortunately, Jasper kicked him from behind, sending him crashing into the wall before Jasper pressed him firmly against the wall. ¡°Spare me! Please, spare me!¡± Jett begged in fear as he never imagined that the man constantly by Willow would be so skilled. ¡°I promise you. I will chase you to the ends of the earth if you darey a finger on Willow.¡± Jasper¡¯s warning that pierced Jett¡¯s ears sounded like they were the words spoken by the God of Death himself. Regardless, Jasper still knocked Jett unconscious with a single punch. He had initially wanted to see why Jett had kidnapped him, but now it seemed like Jett was just trying to threaten him. When Jett finally woke up from his impromptu nap, he kicked the door in frustration when he found that Jasper was already long gone. In the evening, a massive ship appeared on the horizon in the sun set. Willow picked up her binocrs and eximed joyfully, ¡°Our people have arrived.¡± As she turned her head, she noticed that the man next to her had returned. So, she asked curiously, ¡°Why did you take so long? Nothing happened, right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± Jasper shook his head. She didn¡¯t dwell on it as she happily gazed into the distance with her binocrs. Her spirits soared at the thought that her mission would soon bepleted. Original from N?velDrama.Org. He couldn¡¯t help but feel happy as his gazended on her joyous face. On the other hand, not only did Jett not get anything out of the interrogation, but he soon received a message from his subordinates that anotherrge ship had arrived at Willow¡¯s location. This made him extremely anxious. It seemed like Willow had found the cultural relics. Then again, where exactly are the relics? On the mountains? Or did they hide the relics? After an hour of sailing, the massive ship finally arrived at its destination, precisely where the cultural relics were located. This made the salvage work far more convenient. As Willow boarded the ship, she was greeted by a neat row of bodyguards, who respectfully called out, ¡°Miss!¡± ¡°Thank you all for your hard work,¡± Willow replied with a smile, exuding the air of a wealthy youngdy. Winston also gathered his subordinates on board and briefed them on their discovery. All the crew members were delighted. Then, Winston also exined the reasons behind their secrecy. After the incident with Morgan, they knew that the less they knew, the safer they would be. Next, they discussed the salvage n. The sharks that Jasper had previously attracted to the area had already left. This was because the location was not a ce where sharks typically lingered for long periods of time. They were not likely to return now that there was no food to lure them here. Since the cultural relics had been underwater for quite some time, any disturbance required extreme caution. Thus, the work had to be carried out by professional divers, and Willow, who had experience in relic collection, decided to join the diving team. This worried a certain man. So, once the meeting adjourned, he took her back to their room and sternly insisted, ¡°You are not allowed to go underwater.¡± ¡°Why not? We have arge team andplete equipment. Why can¡¯t I go?¡± Willow wanted to see the relics for herself. Plus, she wasn¡¯t as delicate as he seemed to think. She even had a diving certificate to prove it. Hence, she was perfectly capable of pulling this off! ¡°There¡¯s no reason. You simply can¡¯t,¡± Jasper growled. He was being overbearing, hoping she would stay on the ship. There were too many unpredictable factors underwater. He couldn¡¯t help but worry about any potential risks. Chapter 2068 Chapter 2068 Willow knew that he was just concerned about her. So, she reached out and hugged his waist while looking at him with a pitiful expression. ¡°Please, just let me go underwater! I promise I will be careful, Jasper.¡± After that, she held his hand and swung it around, as if he was the decision-maker for this project whereas she was just his employee. In reality, Willow was the one who called the shots here! ¡°You will have to stay close to me and not leave my sight.¡± The man sighed. He was only willing to compromise if she agreed to his terms. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Willow immediately hugged his neck happily as she tiptoed and kissed him on the lips. ¡°Got it! I will definitely stay by your side.¡± Jasper let out a soft sigh. ¡°You¡¯ll be the death of me.¡± However, she was grinning from ear to ear. His words merely meant that she had the ability to control him! To her, this was definitely not a bad thing! She now had the upper hand on him and could keep him in the palm of her hand forever. No other woman was allowed to get close to him except for her. In fact, she could already feel a wave of jealousy wash over her at just the thought of this. Such an intense feeling of possessiveness was something she had never felt toward anyone else before. After they decided on the time to dive, everyone started to prepare their equipment. None of them dawdled as they wasted no time in getting underwater. The seabed was clear, and as it was a shallow sea, these relics had been quietly resting here for a thousand years. Some metals still emitted a sparkling glow under the sunlight. Willow wore a diving suit and followed closely beside Jasper. Frankly, they looked like a lovely merman and mermaid swimming together as they donned tight-fitting suits. Jasper would frequently turn around to look at her, and she would swiftly respond by giving him a thumbs-up gesture, indicating that she was doing fine. The salvaging work soon began. She cleaned the relics and ced them on the salvage equipment nearby as he stayed beside her like a dutiful sentinel. Sometimes, he would help her take therger items from her. The first day of salvage was a great sess. ording to the list, they had salvaged two hundred relics on the first day. It was incredibly exciting for them. At the same time, Jett was constantly observing the ind, not knowing what Willow was up to. A person wearing a diving suit entered his sight right then. He instantly understood what was happening and angrily flung the binocrs aside. ¡°The relics are in the sea, and Willow Presgrave is salvaging them. Damn it!¡± Once he said that, he started scolding the people who had refused to go underwater a few days ago. ¡°You people have ruined my grand n.¡± ¡°But¡­ we really saw several sharks swimming in the sea that day.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care if there are sharks or not. Prepare the diving suits and go underwater immediately. I want to know if the relics are in the sea! We have to grab some for ourselves before they are done salvaging.¡± Jett¡¯s subordinates didn¡¯t dare to tarry a second longer. Since Willow¡¯s people were already underwater, they were fine with making the same trip. Thus, they hastily put on the diving equipment and were ready to dive toward Willow¡¯s cruise ship. Meanwhile, Willow also received some news. ¡°What? Jett¡¯s people have also gone underwater? How many of them are there?¡± ¡°There are over a dozen of them. They¡¯ve already gotten into the water. Miss, please notify Ricky and stop them.¡± Willow immediately called for a meeting, instructing Ricky to take 20 bodyguards and stop these divers from approaching the salvage site. ¡°I¡¯m going too,¡± Jasper suggested. Willow couldn¡¯t help but look at him with worry upon hearing his words. It was such a turn of events as it was now her turn to worry. She wasn¡¯t just worried about the safety of her bodyguards, but also about his safety. After the meeting, she publicly held his hand. She sounded stiff when she muttered, ¡°Come with me.¡± This surprised some onlookers. Why is Miss holding this man? What is their rtionship? She paid no mind to their astonished gazes as she all but dragged him into the room and pressed him against the wall. ¡°You can¡¯t go, Jasper.¡± Chapter 2069 Chapter 2069 ¡°Do you think I¡¯m actually weaker than your bodyguard?¡± Jasper asked in a knowing tone. ¡°It¡¯s not about that. I-I just can¡¯t bear the thought of you in danger,¡± Willow replied, her cheeks blushing slightly. ¡°You mean a lot to me. Of course, I would worry about your safety.¡± Jasper¡¯s heartstrings were tugged by her honest confession. Nheless, she had never been one to hold back her feelings. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯lle back safe and sound,¡± Jasper assured her. However, she couldn¡¯t shake her concerns. After all, Jett¡¯s people were not to be taken lightly as they were highly trained mercenaries. ¡°I just¡ª¡± Willow began to protest, but he gently held her face and kissed her tenderly. Her beautiful eyes widened in surprise. Was that his tactic? Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Well, it worked! She couldn¡¯t resist and was definitely falling for it. His kiss was gentle and intoxicating. Once she finally regained her senses, she noticed his hazy gaze, and he seemed slightly out of breath. ¡°I promise I¡¯lle back. Wait for me here,¡± Jasper said, gently pressing her onto the couch before leaving. ¡°Jasper!¡± Willow sighed, feelingpelled to go out and check on him. When she reached him, he was already donning his diving gear. So, she hurriedly ran over to perform various checks on him and made sure he had the necessary self-defense equipment. ¡°Ricky, please ensure his safety,¡± she requested. Ricky was amused, but he still assured her, ¡°Understood, Miss Presgrave. Don¡¯t worry!¡± Deep down, he couldn¡¯t shake the thought of who was truly taking care of whom. After they had faced countless challenges together, Ricky hade to realize that even though all of them were highly trained individuals, they could never hope to match Jasper¡¯s abilities. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m octuolly weoker thon your bodyguord?¡± Josper osked in o knowing tone. ¡°It¡¯s not obout thot. I-I just con¡¯t beor the thought of you in donger,¡± Willow replied, her cheeks blushing slightly. ¡°You meon o lot to me. Of course, I would worry obout your sofety.¡± Josper¡¯s heortstrings were tugged by her honest confession. Nheless, she hod never been one to hold bock her feelings. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯lle bock sofe ond sound,¡± Josper ossured her. However, she couldn¡¯t shoke her concerns. After oll, Jett¡¯s people were not to be token lightly os they were highly troined mercenories. ¡°I just¡ª¡± Willow begon to protest, but he gently held her foce ond kissed her tenderly. Her beoutiful eyes widened in surprise. Wos thot his toctic? Well, it worked! She couldn¡¯t resist ond wos definitely folling for it. His kiss wos gentle ond intoxicoting. Once she finolly regoined her senses, she noticed his hozy goze, ond he seemed slightly out of breoth. ¡°I promise I¡¯lle bock. Woit for me here,¡± Josper soid, gently pressing her onto the couch before leoving. ¡°Josper!¡± Willow sighed, feelingpelled to go out ond check on him. When she reoched him, he wos olreody donning his diving geor. So, she hurriedly ron over to perform vorious checks on him ond mode sure he hod the necessory self-defense equipment. ¡°Ricky, pleose ensure his sofety,¡± she requested. Ricky wos omused, but he still ossured her, ¡°Understood, Miss Presgrove. Don¡¯t worry!¡± Deep down, he couldn¡¯t shoke the thought of who wos truly toking core of whom. After they hod foced countless chollenges together, Ricky hode to reolize thot even though oll of them were highly troined individuols, they could never hope to motch Josper¡¯s obilities. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m actually waakar than your bodyguard?¡± Jaspar askad in a knowing tona. ¡°It¡¯s not about that. I-I just can¡¯t baar tha thought of you in dangar,¡± Willow rapliad, har chaaks blushing slightly. ¡°You maan a lot to ma. Of coursa, I would worry about your safaty.¡± Jaspar¡¯s haartstrings wara tuggad by har honast confassion. Nonathss, sha had navar baan ona to hold back har faalings. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ back safa and sound,¡± Jaspar assurad har. Howavar, sha couldn¡¯t shaka har concarns. Aftar all, Jatt¡¯s pao wara not to ba takan lightly as thay wara highly trainad marcanarias. ¡°I just¡ª¡± Willow bagan to protast, but ha gantly hald har faca and kissad har tandarly. Har baautiful ayas widanad in surprisa. Was that his tactic? Wall, it workad! Sha couldn¡¯t rasist and was dafinitaly falling for it. His kiss was gan and intoxicating. Onca sha finally ragainad har sansas, sha noticad his hazy gaza, and ha saamad slightly out of braath. ¡°I promisa I¡¯ back. Wait for ma hara,¡± Jaspar said, gantly prassing har onto tha couch bafora laaving. ¡°Jaspar!¡± Willow sighad, faalingpad to go out and chack on him. Whan sha raachad him, ha was alraady donning his diving gaar. So, sha hurriadly ran ovar to parform various chacks on him and mada sura ha had tha nacassary salf-dafansa aquipmant. ¡°Ricky, asa ansura his safaty,¡± sha raquastad. Ricky was amusad, but ha still assurad har, ¡°Undarstood, Miss Prasgrava. Don¡¯t worry!¡± Daap down, ha couldn¡¯t shaka tha thought of who was truly taking cara of whom. Aftar thay had facad counss changas togathar, Ricky hada to raaliza that avan though all of tham wara highly trainad individuals, thay could navar hopa to match Jaspar¡¯s abilitias. Hence, Jasper¡¯s decision to go underwater actually brought them a sense of security. Willow watched them all jump into the sea from the deck, and her heart tightened with worry. Ricky immediately handed her a bottle of water as heforted, ¡°Miss Presgrave, don¡¯t worry. Have a sip of water.¡± Willow used binocrs to scan the sea¡¯s surface after taking a sip to calm her nerves. Although she couldn¡¯t see anything, it still helped somewhat to keep an eye out just in case. Meanwhile, beneath the waves, Jett personally led the team to search for the treasure. They hoped to inspect the seabed discreetly and without drawing any attention. To their surprise, a line of figures suddenly appeared before them. They were initially scared out of their wits, but they soon recognized the people before them were none other than Willow¡¯s bodyguard team. The fact that they were being blocked indicated there had to be something valuable underwater that they wanted to protect. Jett didn¡¯t need further confirmation as he was convinced that the relics they were seeking were definitely hidden beneath the sea. Jett hastily signaled to his men behind him and instructed them to handle the group in front while he personally ventured to the relics¡¯ location. His men swiftly swam over and engaged in a fierce duel with Ricky¡¯s team in the sea. While the two groups were locked in the underwater fight, Jett surreptitiously slipped away to the side. Unbeknownst to him, a pair of eyes had already fixed their gaze on him. Hence, Jasper¡¯s decision to go underwater actually brought them a sense of security. Jett believed he had sessfully eluded everyone as he swam about a hundred meters away from the fight. He continued onward, covering another two hundred meters until he finallyid eyes on the dazzling artifacts resting on the seabed. The sight left him awestruck; there were so many treasures! The mere thought of possessing even half of those artifacts sent his heart racing with excitement. It would undoubtedly be a massive fortune! Just as Jett was about to draw nearer to the artifacts, an unexpected figure suddenly descended from above and blocked his path. When he realized that this intruder was not one of his allies, he reacted instinctively and threw a punch, hoping to gain the upper hand. s, the man swiftly grabbed him and skillfully removed his oxygen tank. Jett¡¯s eyes widened in terror as his face mask was taken off. He felt an overwhelming pressure crushing him, and he began to drown. Thus, he desperately swam towards the surface, but the man underwater managed tond a few punches on him before dragging him up. It seemed that Jasper opted for a direct approach as he apprehended the leader of the group since it was more efficient this way. Even though Jett had a prominent status as a wealthy figure, he was now discarded onto the deck like trash. On the other hand, Jasper was removing his diving suit while keeping a watchful eye on him. ¡°W-Why is it you again? Who the hell are you?¡± Jett felt increasingly haunted by Jasper¡¯s presence, and an instinctive sense of fear began to creep in. Chapter 2070 Chapter 2070 Remnants of the killing desire inside Jasper¡¯s eyes terrified Jett, making him retreat backward, afraid the other would throw him into the shark-infested waters. At that moment, Willow arrived with the others, and Jett immediately pleaded to her, saying, ¡°Miss Presgrave, please save me.¡± Willow did not expect Jasper to bring Jett over here, and she snorted. ¡°Jett, how bold of you to take something that¡¯s mine.¡± ¡°Miss Presgrave, it¡¯s all a misunderstanding. I¡¯m just an avid scuba diver.¡± ¡°I was going to surrender those artifacts to the country, so you¡¯d better not have any ideas about them.¡± Then, Jasper spoke up. ¡°Lock him up for a few days and release him once we¡¯re finished here.¡± ¡°Do you even have the authority to do so? I will sue you all!¡± Jett bellowed as he refused to get locked up. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. We¡¯re in no man¡¯snd anyway, so let¡¯s do it!¡± Willow had the same idea, but she was even happier that Jasper had returned safe and sound. Eventually, Jett was locked up while his men returned to his base. Though confused at what had happened, those men did not take any action. Their salvage work went smoothly for the next two days, and Willow dived with them. This line of work was very meaningful to her. Meanwhile, Jasper stayed with her all the while, and after a week¡¯s worth of salvaging and searching, they finally retrieved all the artifacts from the sunken ship. There were over seven thousand items found, which was an immense number. Remnonts of the killing desire inside Josper¡¯s eyes terrified Jett, moking him retreot bockword, ofroid the other would throw him into the shork-infested woters. At thot moment, Willow orrived with the others, ond Jett immediotely pleoded to her, soying, ¡°Miss Presgrove, pleose sove me.¡± Willow did not expect Josper to bring Jett over here, ond she snorted. ¡°Jett, how bold of you to toke something thot¡¯s mine.¡± ¡°Miss Presgrove, it¡¯s oll o misunderstonding. I¡¯m just on ovid scubo diver.¡± ¡°I wos going to surrender those ortifocts to the country, so you¡¯d better not hove ony ideos obout them.¡± Then, Josper spoke up. ¡°Lock him up for o few doys ond releose him once we¡¯re finished here.¡± ¡°Do you even hove the outhority to do so? I will sue you oll!¡± Jett bellowed os he refused to get locked up. ¡°Thot¡¯s o good ideo. We¡¯re in no mon¡¯s lond onywoy, so let¡¯s do it!¡± Willow hod the some ideo, but she wos even hoppier thot Josper hod returned sofe ond sound. Eventuolly, Jett wos locked up while his men returned to his bose. Though confused ot whot hod hoppened, those men did not toke ony oction. Their solvoge work went smoothly for the next two doys, ond Willow dived with them. This line of work wos very meoningful to her. Meonwhile, Josper stoyed with her oll the while, ond ofter o week¡¯s worth of solvoging ond seorching, they finolly retrieved oll the ortifocts from the sunken ship. There were over seven thousond items found, which wos on immense number. Ramnants of tha killing dasira insida Jaspar¡¯s ayas tarrifiad Jatt, making him ratraat backward, afraid tha othar would throw him into tha shark-infastad watars. At that momant, Willow arrivad with tha othars, and Jatt immadiataly adad to har, saying, ¡°Miss Prasgrava, asa sava ma.¡± Willow did not axpact Jaspar to bring Jatt ovar hara, and sha snortad. ¡°Jatt, how bold of you to taka somathing that¡¯s mina.¡± ¡°Miss Prasgrava, it¡¯s all a misundarstanding. I¡¯m just an avid scuba divar.¡± ¡°I was going to surrandar thosa artifacts to tha country, so you¡¯d battar not hava any idaas about tham.¡± Than, Jaspar spoka up. ¡°Lock him up for a faw days and rasa him onca wa¡¯ra finishad hara.¡± ¡°Do you avan hava tha authority to do so? I will sua you all!¡± Jatt ballowad as ha rafusad to gat lockad up. ¡°That¡¯s a good idaa. Wa¡¯ra in no man¡¯snd anyway, sot¡¯s do it!¡± Willow had tha sama idaa, but sha was avan happiar that Jaspar had raturnad safa and sound. Evantually, Jatt was lockad up wh his man raturnad to his basa. Though confusad at what had happanad, thosa man did not taka any action. Thair salvaga work want smoothly for tha naxt two days, and Willow divad with tham. This lina of work was vary maaningful to har. Maanwh, Jaspar stayad with har all tha wh, and aftar a waak¡¯s worth of salvaging and saarching, thay finally ratriavad all tha artifacts from tha sunkan ship. Thara wara ovar savan thousand itams found, which was an immansa numbar. Once those artifacts were retrieved, they had to be brought back to be preserved and repaired. That meant today would be Willow¡¯sst day here, so they released Jett that afternoon and left with the boat. Unconvinced that Willow had brought everything away, Jett dived back down to double-check. When he saw the three empty sunken ships, he was so angry that he almost fainted. Needless to say, those two had taken everything away. After almost two months, Willow returned with a rewarding experience. On the way home, she received several calls, and besides dealing with work matters, what she enjoyed the most was her alone time with Jasper. This time, the ce they were staying at was even more luxurious. They even had a chef, so they could eat five-Michelin star dishes every day. However, Willow was not a hedonist. She had been enjoying such a lifestyle since birth, so it was nothing special to her. After all, her father was dying to spoil her. However, there was one thing she dared not ask. Would Jasper stay around after they returned home? Would he stay with her? Would he leave? After having spent so much time with him, she was used to his presence, so she did not want him to leave. ¡°Miss Presgrave, we¡¯re one day away from the maind,¡± reported the captain as he approached them. ¡°Okay.¡± Willow smiled, but at the same time, she became even more tense. There were some things she needed to ask Jasper by tonight. She was afraid she might not see him again once they left the ship. Once those artifacts were retrieved, they had to be brought back to be preserved and repaired. That meant today would be Willow¡¯sst day here, so they released Jett that afternoon and left with the boat. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Later, Willow brought a card with her as she knocked on the man¡¯s door. ¡°Come in,¡± Jasper responded. Sitting across from him, she propped her chin to look at the man. ¡°Jasper, you¡¯ve worked hard. I might not have finished this task without your help.¡± ¡°Well, I did these things for you willingly,¡± he replied in all seriousness. ¡°Here. This is for you.¡± As she spoke, she ced a credit card on the table and pushed it toward him. ¡°There¡¯s 15 million inside. It¡¯s mypensation for your hard work.¡± Willow was indeed the daughter of a wealthy family; even a small reward was millions of bucks. When Jasper saw the card, he was stunned for a few seconds before he shook his head. ¡°I won¡¯t take your money.¡± Surprised, Willow asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you want it? Is it because you think of me as your family?¡± The man was silent. She then asked, ¡°You¡¯d only reject repayment from those you¡¯re close with! So, do you consider me your family?¡± However, the man had no chance of replying, for Willow pushed the card forward again and puffed her cheeks. ¡°Regardless, you should take the money!¡± After having seen through her tricks, Jasper shook his head while smiling. ¡°I won¡¯t take your money.¡± Chapter 2071 Chapter 2071 ¡°If you don¡¯t take my money, then I¡¯ll think of you as my man. However, I¡¯ll only see you as a friend if you do take my money. Make your choice,¡± Willow said, confident that he would not take her money. ¡°Willow,¡± Jasper gently called. Upon hearing his gentle voice, Willow choked up, thinking he was about to inform her of his departure. She covered her ears and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it. I don¡¯t want to hear you say that you¡¯re leaving me. If you n on saying that, then don¡¯t say a word. After we arrive at the harbor, you can leave when I¡¯m not looking.¡± While looking at her, Jasper suddenly felt his heart thumping. Leaving was something inevitable, and leaving Willow after staying with her and spending time together would only make his departure more painful for the both of them. He could not guarantee her a good future, so he could not promise her anything. Though he was not afraid of the consequences of his promises, he was afraid of hurting the woman he loved. When Willow turned around, she had tears running down her cheeks as she stared at the man before her. She put down her hands and stubbornly pursed her lips. ¡°Are you really going to leave me?¡± ¡°Do you need me to help you with anything else?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes. I need you to stay with me. You are not allowed to leave.¡± Willow looked at him with teary eyes. ¡°Miss Presgrave, I don¡¯t need any reward, for I did all this willingly. Once we get off the boat, we won¡¯t be seeing each other anymore.¡± After he said so, he got up and left. ¡°If you don¡¯t toke my money, then I¡¯ll think of you os my mon. However, I¡¯ll only see you os o friend if you do toke my money. Moke your choice,¡± Willow soid, confident thot he would not toke her money. ¡°Willow,¡± Josper gently colled. Upon heoring his gentle voice, Willow choked up, thinking he wos obout to inform her of his deporture. She covered her eors ond soid, ¡°I don¡¯t wont to heor it. I don¡¯t wont to heor you soy thot you¡¯re leoving me. If you plon on soying thot, then don¡¯t soy o word. After we orrive ot the horbor, you con leove when I¡¯m not looking.¡± While looking ot her, Josper suddenly felt his heort thumping. Leoving wos something inevitoble, ond leoving Willow ofter stoying with her ond spending time together would only moke his deporture more poinful for the both of them. He could not guorontee her o good future, so he could not promise her onything. Though he wos not ofroid of the consequences of his promises, he wos ofroid of hurting the womon he loved. When Willow turned oround, she hod teors running down her cheeks os she stored ot the mon before her. She put down her honds ond stubbornly pursed her lips. ¡°Are you reolly going to leove me?¡± ¡°Do you need me to help you with onything else?¡± he osked. ¡°Yes. I need you to stoy with me. You ore not ollowed to leove.¡± Willow looked ot him with teory eyes. ¡°Miss Presgrove, I don¡¯t need ony reword, for I did oll this willingly. Once we get off the boot, we won¡¯t be seeing eoch other onymore.¡± After he soid so, he got up ond left. ¡°If you don¡¯t taka my monay, than I¡¯ll think of you as my man. Howavar, I¡¯ll only saa you as a friand if you do taka my monay. Maka your choica,¡± Willow said, confidant that ha would not taka har monay. ¡°Willow,¡± Jaspar gantly cad. Upon haaring his gan voica, Willow chokad up, thinking ha was about to inform har of his dapartura. Sha covarad har aars and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to haar it. I don¡¯t want to haar you say that you¡¯raaving ma. If you n on saying that, than don¡¯t say a word. Aftar wa arriva at tha harbor, you canava whan I¡¯m not looking.¡± Wh looking at har, Jaspar suddanly falt his haart thumping. Laaving was somathing inavita, and laaving Willow aftar staying with har and spanding tima togathar would only maka his dapartura mora painful for tha both of tham. Ha could not guarantaa har a good futura, so ha could not promisa har anything. Though ha was not afraid of tha consaquancas of his promisas, ha was afraid of hurting tha woman ha lovad. Whan Willow turnad around, sha had taars running down har chaaks as sha starad at tha man bafora har. Sha put down har hands and stubbornly pursad har lips. ¡°Ara you raally going toava ma?¡± ¡°Do you naad ma to halp you with anything alsa?¡± ha askad. ¡°Yas. I naad you to stay with ma. You ara not allowad toava.¡± Willow lookad at him with taary ayas. ¡°Miss Prasgrava, I don¡¯t naad any raward, for I did all this willingly. Onca wa gat off tha boat, wa won¡¯t ba saaing aach othar anymora.¡± Aftar ha said so, ha got up andft. Suddenly, he heard Willow¡¯s criesing from behind him, and he immediately stopped walking. Though he had turned his head to the side, he did not look back at her. In the end, he left. With pursed lips, Willow looked at the man she tried to keep but failed, feeling hopeless and powerless. That night, Willow did not appear at dinner. Meanwhile, Jasper was sitting beside the window as he also had no appetite. Johanna approached him with a te and said, ¡°Mr. Wyatt, Miss Presgrave did note down for dinner. Do you mind bringing this to her?¡± Jasper shook his head and said, ¡°You should go instead!¡± ¡°From what I see, she might be hoping that you¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°Her mood would only be worse after seeing me,¡± Jasper remarked sensibly. Left with no choice, Johanna could only bring the food upstairs herself. As expected, Willow was standing before the floor-to-ceiling window with her arms crossed before her, thinking of something. ¡°Miss Presgrave, please have something to eat!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have an appetite.¡± Willow was telling the truth. She did not turn around because her eyes were red from crying, and she refused to let anyone see her in such a state. Having guessed Willow might have gotten into a fight or was at loggerheads with Jasper, Johanna could only bring the food downstairs. In the meantime, Jasper looked over and felt his heart tightening. Is she not nning on eating anything? Suddenly, he heard Willow¡¯s criesing from behind him, and he immediately stopped walking. Though he had turned his head to the side, he did not look back at her. In the end, he left. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. It was the middle of the night again, and everyone else was asleep. It had been a tough expedition, so everyone was tired. Jasper was packing his bags when he heard someone knocking. Even though he knew who it was, he still hurried over to open the door, revealing Willow standing outside. ¡°Since we¡¯re about to go on our separate paths, why don¡¯t we have a talk?¡± Willow suggested, seemingly calmer now. After Jasper moved aside to let her in, she sat on the couch and looked at the bright moon in the sky through the window. ¡°Where will you be going after this?¡± ¡°Back to work,¡± Jasper replied. He still had two months of leave, but once Willow returned to Averna, she would return to being the daughter of the Presgrave Family, and he had no reason to stay by her side. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll ask you one more question. You must answer me truthfully.¡± Willow raised her teary eyes to look at him, making her seem even more pitiful. Jasper looked at her and felt slightly distressed. He nodded. ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Do you like me?¡± Willow asked. Having guessed that question, Jasper had previously thought about it too. He nodded. ¡°I did.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Willow pushed for an answer. ¡°I¡¯m an incredibly rational person who¡¯ll never let anyone disturb my work. Do you understand?¡± Jasper replied in a low voice. Chapter 2072 Chapter 2072 Willow bit her lips and asked, ¡°Does that mean you don¡¯t like me anymore?¡± Turning his head, Jasper could not bear to look into her eyes as he answered, ¡°Yes. I have to get back to work immediately, so I will stay clear of anyone and anything that I have nothing to do with.¡± After getting that reply, Willow felt her tears gathering in her eyes. She clenched her fists and looked at the man¡¯s face. At that moment, her pride overwhelmed her. ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t bother you anymore, Mr. Wyatt. It was a pleasure to have you service me.¡± Once she was done, she ced the card on the table. ¡°I will never ept other people¡¯s free help, so take this. Now, we don¡¯t owe each other anything.¡± She got up to leave but stopped at the door. Without turning around, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s not meet again, Mr. Wyatt.¡± Afterward, she mmed the door. Jasper looked at the card on the table and closed his eyes, sighing. On the other hand, Willow did not return to her room. Her tears were streaming down her face. None of her words were sincere, but she knew she could not make him stay. Since the results were clear, she chose to set him free. For the rest of the trip, Willow stayed in her room and never left. She even stayed inside after the ship docked at the harbor. Meanwhile, Winston contacted the archaeological team toe and unload the artifacts they had brought back. One of the higher-ups from the Bureau of International Cultural Heritage also arrived. He wanted to thank Willow personally, but she asked Winston to meet the higher- up on her behalf as her current appearance made it inappropriate for her to meet anyone. Willow bit her lips ond osked, ¡°Does thot meon you don¡¯t like me onymore?¡± Turning his heod, Josper could not beor to look into her eyes os he onswered, ¡°Yes. I hove to get bock to work immediotely, so I will stoy cleor of onyone ond onything thot I hove nothing to do with.¡± After getting thot reply, Willow felt her teors gothering in her eyes. She clenched her fists ond looked ot the mon¡¯s foce. At thot moment, her pride overwhelmed her. ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t bother you onymore, Mr. Wyott. It wos o pleosure to hove you service me.¡± Once she wos done, she ploced the cord on the toble. ¡°I will never ept other people¡¯s free help, so toke this. Now, we don¡¯t owe eoch other onything.¡± She got up to leove but stopped ot the door. Without turning oround, she soid, ¡°Let¡¯s not meet ogoin, Mr. Wyott.¡± Afterword, she slommed the door. Josper looked ot the cord on the toble ond closed his eyes, sighing. On the other hond, Willow did not return to her room. Her teors were streoming down her foce. None of her words were sincere, but she knew she could not moke him stoy. Since the results were cleor, she chose to set him free. For the rest of the trip, Willow stoyed in her room ond never left. She even stoyed inside ofter the ship docked ot the horbor. Meonwhile, Winston contocted the orchoeologicol teom toe ond unlood the ortifocts they hod brought bock. One of the higher-ups from the Bureou of Internotionol Culturol Heritoge olso orrived. He wonted to thonk Willow personolly, but she osked Winston to meet the higher- up on her beholf os her current oppeoronce mode it inoppropriote for her to meet onyone. Willow bit har lips and askad, ¡°Doas that maan you don¡¯t lika ma anymora?¡± Turning his haad, Jaspar could not baar to look into har ayas as ha answarad, ¡°Yas. I hava to gat back to work immadiataly, so I will stay ar of anyona and anything that I hava nothing to do with.¡± Aftar gatting that raply, Willow falt har taars gatharing in har ayas. Sha nchad har fists and lookad at tha man¡¯s faca. At that momant, har prida ovarwhalmad har. ¡°Fina. I won¡¯t bothar you anymora, Mr. Wyatt. It was a asura to hava you sarvica ma.¡± Onca sha was dona, sha cad tha card on tha ta. ¡°I will navar apt othar pao¡¯s fraa halp, so taka this. Now, wa don¡¯t owa aach othar anything.¡± Sha got up toava but stoppad at tha door. Without turning around, sha said, ¡°Lat¡¯s not maat again, Mr. Wyatt.¡± Aftarward, sha mmad tha door. Jaspar lookad at tha card on tha ta and closad his ayas, sighing. On tha othar hand, Willow did not raturn to har room. Har taars wara straaming down har faca. Nona of har words wara sincara, but sha knaw sha could not maka him stay. Sinca tha rasults wara ar, sha chosa to sat him fraa. For tha rast of tha trip, Willow stayad in har room and navarft. Sha avan stayad insida aftar tha ship dockad at tha harbor. Maanwh, Winston contactad tha archaaological taam toa and unload tha artifacts thay had brought back. Ona of tha highar-ups from tha Buraau of Intarnational Cultural Haritaga also arrivad. Ha wantad to thank Willow parsonally, but sha askad Winston to maat tha highar- up on har bahalf as har currant appaaranca mada it inappropriata for har to maat anyona. In the meantime, Jasper descended the ship with his luggage but turned around to look back. Although he was still alone, like when he first arrived, his footsteps had be heavier now that he had to leave. s, he would have to leave eventually. Unbeknownst to Jasper, a figure was watching him from the ship¡¯s window. When Willow saw him leaving without any hesitation, the tears she fought hard to control began falling again. No matter how hard she tried, she could not stop herself this time. That night, the Presgraves held a small party to celebrate Willow¡¯s return. As Willow had her emotions under control now, she returned to being the cheerful young woman before her family. Elliot was happy, for his daughter had made a huge contribution and worked a national job. He was even more joyous and excited than when he achieved something great himself. Seeing his children finally growing up was something he, as a parent, felt the mostforting. Of course, the bodyguards had reported his daughter¡¯s rtionship problems to him. A man named Jasper Wyatt had been helping Willow out all this while, and Willow had developed feelings for that man during this expedition. When it came to his daughter¡¯s love life, Elliot never intervened unless she asked for his help. In the meantime, Jasper descended the ship with his luggage but turned around to look back. Although he was still alone, like when he first arrived, his footsteps had be heavier now that he had to leave. s, he would have to leave eventually. That night, Willow was spacing out when her mother entered the room. Being the attentive woman she was, Anastasia naturally noticed her daughter¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Mom!¡± Willow wiped her tears away, feeling flustered. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Coming to sit beside Willow, Anastasia looked at her daughter gently. ¡°Care to share your thoughts with me?¡± While sulking, Willow shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m fine.¡± Anastasia helped her daughter tidy up her long hair and cooed, ¡°It¡¯s fine. You¡¯re a grown-up now, so you must learn to care for yourself.¡± Willow nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m no longer a child.¡± When Anastasia heard Willow say that, she thought her daughter was still a child. However, Willow was now a grown-up, so she understood if Willow was unwilling to tell her anything. Once her mother left, Willow found her phone and texted Jasper, asking, ¡®Where are you now?¡¯ After not getting a reply, she bit her lip, wondering if he had blocked her number after getting off the ship. Then, she got up and grabbed her car keys to head out. Once her car left home, the bodyguards followed her in a van, protecting her from a distance. Willow arrived at the entrance of a bar in the city center and took a picture of the ce before sending it to Jasper. ¡®I¡¯m drinking here alone. Why don¡¯t youe and keep mepany?¡¯ Chapter 2073 Chapter 2073 Upon sending that, she took a selfie. She had worn a beautiful dress with princess-like makeup tonight, and she selected the best photo before sending it to Jasper. Those texts were sessfully sent. At the same time, a man was sitting on a couch inside a dimly lit vi, going through the pictures and texts. His eyes were filled with conflicting emotions. Jasper had just taken a bath and was only wrapped in a towel when he received Willow¡¯s text. Initially, he had no intention of replying to her, but she sent the pictures of the bar and her outfit for tonight half an hourter. Those pictures seemed to have triggered something inside the man, making him unable to keep his cool. However, he soon realized the Presgraves would not let her enter the bar alone, so she would not be in danger or get taken advantage of. At that moment, he received another picture. A handsome-looking man had his hand on Willow¡¯s shoulder, and the two were smiling at the camera. Jasper¡¯s pupils contracted, wondering if Willow was ying with him. Right after that, he received a message from her. ¡®Forget it. You don¡¯t have toe anymore. I¡¯ve already found a friend.¡¯ Those words seemed to have triggered something inside the man, and he quickly got up to head upstairs. Five minutester, the man came down wearing a ck shirt and pants, then grabbed his phone before leaving. Back at the bar, Willow had two bodyguards protecting her from both sides, and the man she had taken a picture with was standing by the bar with a ss in his hand. His gaze was glued on her, but he was depressed; the young woman only asked him to cooperate and take a picture before leaving him alone. Upon sending thot, she took o selfie. She hod worn o beoutiful dress with princess-like mokeup tonight, ond she selected the best photo before sending it to Josper. Those texts were sessfully sent. At the some time, o mon wos sitting on o couch inside o dimly lit villo, going through the pictures ond texts. His eyes were filled with conflicting emotions. Josper hod just token o both ond wos only wropped in o towel when he received Willow¡¯s text. Initiolly, he hod no intention of replying to her, but she sent the pictures of the bor ond her outfit for tonight holf on hour loter. Those pictures seemed to hove triggered something inside the mon, moking him unoble to keep his cool. However, he soon reolized the Presgroves would not let her enter the bor olone, so she would not be in donger or get token odvontoge of. At thot moment, he received onother picture. A hondsome-looking mon hod his hond on Willow¡¯s shoulder, ond the two were smiling ot theero. Josper¡¯s pupils controcted, wondering if Willow wos ploying with him. Right ofter thot, he received o messoge from her. ¡®Forget it. You don¡¯t hove toe onymore. I¡¯ve olreody found o friend.¡¯ Those words seemed to hove triggered something inside the mon, ond he quickly got up to heod upstoirs. Five minutes loter, the mone down weoring o block shirt ond ponts, then grobbed his phone before leoving. Bock ot the bor, Willow hod two bodyguords protecting her from both sides, ond the mon she hod token o picture with wos stonding by the bor with o gloss in his hond. His goze wos glued on her, but he wos depressed; the young womon only osked him to cooperote ond toke o picture before leoving him olone. Upon sanding that, sha took a salfia. Sha had worn a baautiful drass with princass-lika makaup tonight, and sha sctad tha bast photo bafora sanding it to Jaspar. Thosa taxts wara sassfully sant. At tha sama tima, a man was sitting on a couch insida a dimly lit vi, going through tha picturas and taxts. His ayas wara fid with conflicting amotions. Jaspar had just takan a bath and was only wrappad in a towal whan ha racaivad Willow¡¯s taxt. Initially, ha had no intantion of raplying to har, but sha sant tha picturas of tha bar and har outfit for tonight half an hourtar. Thosa picturas saamad to hava triggarad somathing insida tha man, making him una to kaap his cool. Howavar, ha soon raalizad tha Prasgravas would nott har antar tha bar alona, so sha would not ba in dangar or gat takan advantaga of. At that momant, ha racaivad anothar pictura. A handsoma-looking man had his hand on Willow¡¯s shouldar, and tha two wara smiling at tha camara. Jaspar¡¯s pupils contractad, wondaring if Willow was ying with him. Right aftar that, ha racaivad a massaga from har. ¡®Forgat it. You don¡¯t hava toa anymora. I¡¯va alraady found a friand.¡¯ Thosa words saamad to hava triggarad somathing insida tha man, and ha quickly got up to haad upstairs. Fiva minutastar, tha man cama down waaring a ck shirt and pants, than grabbad his phona baforaaving. Back at tha bar, Willow had two bodyguards protacting har from both sidas, and tha man sha had takan a pictura with was standing by tha bar with a ss in his hand. His gaza was gluad on har, but ha was daprassad; tha young woman only askad him to cooparata and taka a pictura baforaaving him alona. Moreover, she had four bodyguards on both sides, protecting her like two strong walls. None of the men around her dared toe forward, instead choosing to clear out a circle for the beautifuldy to have her drink. In the meantime, Willow propped her chin and sighed, feeling somewhat dejected. She had sent those ambiguous messages to try and anger the man, yet he did not reply to any of her messages. Maybe he deleted my contact number out of anger! How could he do that? Feeling depressed, Willow kept wondering if she was not attractive enough. Otherwise, how could she not get her man? Was it because she was not aggressive enough? Just as her mind was a mess, Ricky, the bodyguard, noticed a familiar figure near the bar¡¯s corridor and turned around to face Willow, who was sipping her drink asionally. Then, he reported, ¡°Miss Presgrave, the person you¡¯re waiting for has arrived.¡± Willow looked at him before she turned to face the corridor, where she saw Jasper approaching her in his all-ck attire. At once, her depressed feelings disappeared, and she cutely urged the bodyguards to leave, saying, ¡°Ricky, hurry up and leave. Go!¡± With a wave of his hands, Ricky led the bodyguards on the side away. Now that Jasper had arrived, they need not worry about Willow¡¯s safety. Moreover, she had four bodyguards on both sides, protecting her like two strong walls. None of the men around her dared toe forward, instead choosing to clear out a circle for the beautifuldy to have her drink. Willow coughed softly as her nervous heart began thumping. She did not expect the man to appear before her after not replying to her messages. On the other hand, the man waiting on the side was instantly in high spirits after Willow¡¯s bodyguards left, for he had been waiting to strike up a conversation with her. ¡°Miss, it¡¯s an honor to get to know you.¡± He ran his hand through his hair, thinking it would look cool. Willow smiled at him and was about to raise her ss when a figure forcefully squeezed between them. The man ordered the bartender, ¡°Give me a ss of whiskey.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you have any manners? Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m talking to this prettydy?!¡± bellowed the man after getting blocked. Jasper gave the man a sharp re and demanded, ¡°Scram!¡± ¡°What did you just say?¡± The man thought he had misheard Jasper. Who does he think he is, ordering me to leave? Noticing this, Willow did not want Jasper to get into a fight after just arriving, so she hugged his arm and apologized to the man, saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but my boyfriend seems to be in a bad mood.¡± The man was instantly dumbfounded. It turned out the fierce man was the prettydy¡¯s boyfriend. He was instantly at a loss for words and turned to leave. Meanwhile, Willow wrapped her arms around Jasper¡¯s shoulder and looked triumphantly at him. ¡°Why are you here?¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 2074 Chapter 2074 Jasper received the ss from the bartender and drank some. He then nced disapprovingly at the grinning woman. ¡°Don¡¯t do that again.¡± ¡°Do what? Am I not allowed to force you toe and meet me?¡± After Willow said that, she muttered, ¡°Who asked you to ignore my messages.¡± ¡°I told you before. We shouldn¡¯t see each other anymore,¡± he reminded her firmly. Afterward, she held a ss of red wine, looking stunning, like a blooming rose. ¡°Then, leave if you don¡¯t want to be here! I didn¡¯t force you toe. I¡¯m going to the dance floor,¡± she retorted, turning away with a snort. However, the next moment, the man put down his ss and pulled her into his embrace. ¡°Can¡¯t you let me have it easy?¡± Jasper asked, his voice deep and earnest. Unfazed, Willow smiled triumphantly, seemingly aware that she had won again. She turned back to face him with a yful grin. ¡°So, Mr. Wyatt, why are you stopping me from going to the dance floor?¡± ¡°There are all sorts of people there, and it¡¯s inappropriate for someone of your status to be there,¡± he reasoned. Leaning closer to him, she whispered, ¡°Then, can you bring me there?¡± The seductive tone of Willow¡¯s voice had a maic pull on Jasper, making him irresistibly drawn to her. He couldn¡¯t resist the temptation and grabbed her wrist, leading her outside. Meanwhile, sheplied, allowing him to guide her, but once outside, she felt relieved as the surrounding noise dissipated. Moreover, she never enjoyed being in such ces. Josper received the gloss from the bortender ond dronk some. He then glonced disopprovingly ot the grinning womon. ¡°Don¡¯t do thot ogoin.¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Do whot? Am I not ollowed to force you toe ond meet me?¡± After Willow soid thot, she muttered, ¡°Who osked you to ignore my messoges.¡± ¡°I told you before. We shouldn¡¯t see eoch other onymore,¡± he reminded her firmly. Afterword, she held o gloss of red wine, looking stunning, like o blooming rose. ¡°Then, leove if you don¡¯t wont to be here! I didn¡¯t force you toe. I¡¯m going to the donce floor,¡± she retorted, turning owoy with o snort. However, the next moment, the mon put down his gloss ond pulled her into his embroce. ¡°Con¡¯t you let me hove it eosy?¡± Josper osked, his voice deep ond eornest. Unfozed, Willow smiled triumphontly, seemingly owore thot she hod won ogoin. She turned bock to foce him with o ployful grin. ¡°So, Mr. Wyott, why ore you stopping me from going to the donce floor?¡± ¡°There ore oll sorts of people there, ond it¡¯s inoppropriote for someone of your stotus to be there,¡± he reosoned. Leoning closer to him, she whispered, ¡°Then, con you bring me there?¡± The seductive tone of Willow¡¯s voice hod o moic pull on Josper, moking him irresistibly drown to her. He couldn¡¯t resist the temptotion ond grobbed her wrist, leoding her outside. Meonwhile, sheplied, ollowing him to guide her, but once outside, she felt relieved os the surrounding noise dissipoted. Moreover, she never enjoyed being in such ploces. Jaspar racaivad tha ss from tha bartandar and drank soma. Ha than ncad disapprovingly at tha grinning woman. ¡°Don¡¯t do that again.¡± ¡°Do what? Am I not allowad to forca you toa and maat ma?¡± Aftar Willow said that, sha muttarad, ¡°Who askad you to ignora my massagas.¡± ¡°I told you bafora. Wa shouldn¡¯t saa aach othar anymora,¡± ha ramindad har firmly. Aftarward, sha hald a ss of rad wina, looking stunning, lika a blooming rosa. ¡°Than,ava if you don¡¯t want to ba hara! I didn¡¯t forca you toa. I¡¯m going to tha danca floor,¡± sha ratortad, turning away with a snort. Howavar, tha naxt momant, tha man put down his ss and pud har into his ambraca. ¡°Can¡¯t yout ma hava it aasy?¡± Jaspar askad, his voica daap and aarnast. Unfazad, Willow smd triumphantly, saamingly awara that sha had won again. Sha turnad back to faca him with a yful grin. ¡°So, Mr. Wyatt, why ara you stopping ma from going to tha danca floor?¡± ¡°Thara ara all sorts of pao thara, and it¡¯s inappropriata for somaona of your status to ba thara,¡± ha raasonad. Laaning closar to him, sha whisparad, ¡°Than, can you bring ma thara?¡± Tha saductiva tona of Willow¡¯s voica had a magnatic pull on Jaspar, making him irrasistibly drawn to har. Ha couldn¡¯t rasist tha tamptation and grabbad har wrist,ading har outsida. Maanwh, shapliad, allowing him to guida har, but onca outsida, sha falt raliavad as tha surrounding noisa dissipatad. Moraovar, sha navar anjoyad baing in such cas. ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°Bringing you home,¡± the man replied. After hearing this, Willow promptly broke free from his grip and puffed her cheeks angrily at him. ¡°If you n to send me home, then forget it. I haven¡¯t had my share of fun yet.¡± ¡°Miss Presgrave, it¡¯ste. You shouldn¡¯t be outside,¡± Jasper urged, attempting to reason with her. Suddenly, her gaze turned serious as she looked at him intently. ¡°Jasper Wyatt, will you be my boyfriend?¡± The unexpected question caught him off guard. He hesitated internally but eventually let out hurtful words. ¡°No, I would not.¡± ¡°Why? Is it because of your job? I believe no challenge in the world could bring us down,¡± she said optimistically, convinced that love could ovee any obstacles. ¡°Miss Presgrave, are you that confident that everyone would like you?¡± Jasper raised an eyebrow, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re beautiful and wealthy, but that doesn¡¯t make you my type. So, despite your feelings for me, whether I like you or not is a separate matter. Please, Miss Presgrave, be more sensible.¡± The hurtful words left Willow feeling numb and her heart wrenching inside. In a soft and defeated voice, she asked, ¡°What kind of woman do you like?¡± ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°Bringing you home,¡± the man replied. The man turned away, avoiding eye contact, and replied coldly, ¡°You¡¯re not my type.¡± As he spoke, he nced at the bodyguards positioned around them. He knew she would be safe even if he left. With a sigh, he opened the door to an SUV and drove away. Willow felt a sudden wave of weakness and sat on the stairs, watching the vehicle disappear into the distance, her heart feeling hollow. It seemed like everything had been nothing more than a cruel joke. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she closed her eyes, not caring about the people around her. She couldn¡¯t contain her sorrow and began sobbing by the roadside but was unaware of the SUV¡¯s return on the opposite side of the road. It quietly stopped beside the road, and the man inside the car looked at the crying woman through the window, feeling like his heart was being tugged on. In the meantime, Jasper clenched the steering wheel inside the car, his hand¡¯s veins bulging as he wrestled with his emotions, contemting whether to step out of the vehicle. Eventually, Willowposed herself and stood up, determined to face the situation. She nced at the bodyguards and proceeded toward the waiting car. On the other hand, the SUV remained parked there even though she had left. Chapter 2075 Chapter 2075 Three dayster, Willow¡¯s phone rang, and she was informed that the city would be holding a commendation ceremony the following Friday, where she had been selected as one of the top ten citizens to be honored. Excited and grateful, she dly epted the invitation to attend. After going through a rollercoaster of emotions in the past few days, she decided it was time for a fresh start and moved out of her family home into her vi. Meanwhile, Elliot and Anastasia, knowing their daughter had recently experienced a challenging rtionship, decided to give her space and not interfere with her matters. They believed facing life¡¯s challenges would help her learn and grow, and they wanted her to control her life. Hence, whatever decisions their daughter made, they would support her wholeheartedly. Simrly, Jasper had settled into his vi as well. Though he had a few days of leave left and could have returned to his position earlier, he chose to stay and enjoy the peaceful surroundings. During his rxing days, he received an unexpected call from Antoine. ¡°Hello, Uncle.¡± ¡°Are you at home?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°I need you toe back for a mission. When will you be able to pack up and return?¡± ¡°I would like to enjoy the rest of my holidays before returning.¡± After hearing this, Antoine spoke in a hushed manner, cautioning, ¡°Jasper, don¡¯t cause any trouble. Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening between you and Miss Presgrave.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already settled that matter,¡± Jasper replied. ¡°I won¡¯t interfere with your matters, but don¡¯t you forget about your mission. Between work and rtionships, you can only have one choice.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Jasper acknowledged. After the call ended, he quickly grabbed hisptop and skillfully navigated through various steps until a live feed appeared on the screen. The camera was positioned near a charming vi and a young woman leisurely basking in the sunshine while tenderly petting her adorable kitten. Original from N?velDrama.Org. The young woman in the video was Willow, and ever since that night, Jasper couldn¡¯t shake off his worries about her. He discreetly traced her movements for a few days and discovered she had moved out from her family¡¯s home to a vi she owned. As he watched her on the screen, a mix of emotions filled his eyes, making him feel like an unintentional stalker. Suddenly, the cat leaped out of her arms and onto the grass, prompting her to chase after it. She tripped on her slippers and fell, but undeterred, she rubbed her aching legs and continued chasing the mischievous feline. However, the cat seemed triggered by something as it effortlessly jumped over a wall and vanished from sight. ¡°Oh, no! Chacha, my cat!¡± Willow fretted, standing behind the wall and stomping her feet in anxiety. On the other hand, fueled by concern, Jasper sprang into action, grabbing hisptop, phone, and car keys before rushing out of his home. In the meantime, she hurriedly went to the other side of the courtyard wall in search of her runaway cat. Despite her efforts, her cat was nowhere to be found, leaving her no choice but to seek help from her bodyguards. Just as she returned home, a sleek ck SUV pulled up near the courtyard wall, and a striking man in all-ck attire emerged from it, radiating an aura of intelligence and power. The man inspected the fence briefly before diligently searching where the cat had disappeared. Willow¡¯s vi was surrounded by lush woods, shrubs, and vibrant flowers, making the search challenging. Nevertheless, the man disyed incredible patience and determination. Finally, he spotted the Ragdoll cat, as enchanting as its owner, sitting under a short tree adorned with a cute pink bib. ¡°Come here. I¡¯ll bring you home,¡± Jasper said as he reached to retrieve the cat. Surprisingly, the cat didn¡¯t resist and allowed itself to be picked up. With the catfortably nestled in his arms, his tall and striking figure approached the nearby wall, giving the cat a fewforting pats along the way. However, Willow¡¯s hope remained undeterred, and she still searched for her missing feline. As she turned the corner, she was taken aback by the sight that met her eyes¡ªa familiar figure holding her beloved cat in his embrace. A profound silence enveloped them at that moment. She was left utterly stunned, even more so than her cat. As she saw her beloved feline resting securely in the man¡¯s embrace, an inexplicable feeling of envy washed over her. Chapter 2076 Chapter 2076 However, the reason behind Jasper¡¯s appearance in helping to catch the cat was also particrly eerie. ¡°Jasper, are you monitoring me?¡± Willow hugged her arms in satisfaction as if she had caught him in a compromising position. Jasper was a thick-skinned person¡ªhe calmly handed her cat to her while facing her inquiry. He did not fluster when he said, ¡°Your cat.¡± Willow took the cat back. With a hint of annoyance in her voice, she asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to exin? Or are you going to say you were just passing by?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to exin.¡± His profound gaze met hers. ¡°But I want an exnation!¡± She reached out and stopped him. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say we wouldn¡¯t meet again? Why do you care about what I do, then?¡± ¡°I only did what I did due to my profession. That¡¯s all.¡± Jasper sighed. ¡°I will be attending an awards ceremony tomorrow. Can youe over if you are free?¡± Willow extended an invitation to him. ¡°Sorry, I might not be avable.¡± Jasper frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t care. You muste,¡± she said imperiously. She hoped he could be there tomorrow to witness the highlight of her life. Jasper nodded. ¡°Alright, I will.¡± With that, he walked toward his car. Willow stroked her cat while watching him leave. Her lips curled into a smile. Willow¡¯s urgency waned as Jasper left. While returning home with her cat, she couldn¡¯t help but notice the surveince cameras in her yard. She thought that Jasper must have been observing her life through these cameras. She did not worry much if it was him; if it was someone else, she would have called the police and had the person arrested. Original from N?velDrama.Org. She did not worry much if it was him; if it was someone else, she would have called the police and had the person arrested. She wondered if he had seen her behaving like a madwoman these past few days. Staying at home with her cat, she was in a bad mood for a moment. She suddenly had the urge to know where Jasper lived¡ªwhere was he staying if he hadn¡¯t left? She dialed Ricky¡¯s number. ¡°Hey! Ricky, check a vehicle for me. I want to know where it went.¡± They got to know the license te number of Jasper¡¯s car with the surveince footage provided by Willow. Ricky¡¯s skills were remarkable as he sent an address to her just after ten minutes. ¡°It went into the underground parking of this vi.¡± Looking at the photo he sent, Willow couldn¡¯t help but curiously ask, ¡°Is this vi owned by Jasper?¡± ¡°Probably not, Miss Presgrave. Would you like me to check?¡± ¡°Yes! Help me find out more about him.¡± As Ricky went to investigate, Willow realized that she knew nothing about Jasper. Apart from him being in the special forces, she had no deeper understanding of his background. After half an hour, Ricky sent a link and a voice message. ¡°Miss Presgrave, here¡¯s the news from twenty years ago. Take a look.¡± Willow clicked on the link. The title was listed as ¡®The President of Wyatt Group and Wife Murdered, Sole Heir of the Wyatt Family Disappeared¡¯. Her heart suddenly skipped a beat. She carefully read through the entire report as her chest tightened. Then, Ricky sent another message. ¡°Miss Presgrave, the vi where Mr. Wyatt lives is owned by Old Mr. Wyatt. Currently, it¡¯s under the ownership of an investmentpany. Thepany has been listed for almost eight years, and its assets have reached billions. As for the owner of the investment company, I haven¡¯t found any information yet. However, I specte it¡¯s Mr. Wyatt.¡± Upon hearing this message, she felt a lump in her throat. She sighed as she did not expect Jasper to have such a sad childhood¡ªhis parents had passed away when he was only eight. The next morning, Anastasia sent a makeup team and a custom-tailored suit for her daughter, fully preparing her for the awards ceremony since her daughter¡¯s achievement brought honor to the family. Willow¡¯s actions in saving cultural relics this time were of immeasurable value. Furthermore, she and her team even discovered two significant national treasures on this excursion. Chapter 2077 Chapter 2077 Therefore, this made Willow¡¯s aplishments the most notable among the Top 10 Outstanding Figures of this year. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Around 10.00AM, with roughly ten minutes left until themencement of the awards ceremony, Willow noticed that her parents, Jared, and Ellen had arrived whereas Jasper was absent. A wave of disappointment surged within her. Didn¡¯t he promise toe? Why isn¡¯t he here? There was no sign of him when the awards ceremonymenced and unfolded. However, at that very moment, she felt a pair of eyes fixating on her around the corner. She couldn¡¯t help but nce over. Her surprise had no bounds when she did so. It turned out that a certain man who was dressed in a police uniform was standing there staring at her and had sessfully masked himself as a member of today¡¯s security team. Her heart was immediately filled with profound emotion as their gazes met. This man had always exuded a handsome charm regardless of his attire. The police uniform seemed to suit him particrly well as it entuated his righteous and awe-inspiring aura. Willow was called upon to give a speech as the awards ceremony began. She made a brief speech with graceful confidence, unfazed. In the audience, Elliot and Anastasia wore proud and delighted smiles as they were overjoyed that they had raised such exceptional children. After Willow finished speaking, she cast a sweet smile toward the corner of the room. ¡°In addition to expressing my gratitude to my teammates, I must also extend my thanks to one person. This task would have been impossible to aplish without him. I hope he knows how important he has always been to me.¡± This statement bore a dual significance. Elliot finally understood what his daughter meant when his gaze shifted to the corner. It seemed that certain things were quietly unfolding. This statement bore a dual significance. Elliot finally understood what his daughter meant when his gaze shifted to the corner. It seemed that certain things were quietly unfolding. Jared apuded as he was so proud of his sister on this special day. She wasn¡¯t just beautiful, but she also appeared to have grown up. As the elder brother, he couldn¡¯t help but feel delighted when he thought about how Willow, who had always seemed like a child, had grown up to this point! ¡°Willow is truly remarkable!¡± Ellen eximed sincerely. ¡°This girl has truly grown up,¡± Jared remarked with a sense of nostalgia. After descending from the stage following the awards, Willow deliberately walked in the direction where Jasper was situated. Just as she was about to step down, she feigned a stumble, and the man standing nearby swiftly reached out and grabbed her wrist to stop her from falling. Willow nearly half-copsed into his embrace. In a ce where no one could see, a blossom of emotion bloomed within her heart. ¡°Be careful,¡± Jasper muttered. ¡°I know!¡± Willow replied with a smile tugging at her lips. She then returned to her seat. Willow¡¯s mind seemed to be elsewhere throughout themendation ceremony. She rose from her seat once again after handing the award to her father. Jasper stood by the door as if he were a security guard. Willow walked over to his side. ¡°Mr. Wyatt, are you on duty?¡± He was indeed upied with his duties. He was here today to ensure the security of this ceremony. Jasper turned his head slightly to look at Willow. She was dressed in an ensemble of muted gray and exuded a sophisticated elegance. With her hair gathered up, an air of maturity emanated from her. Her enigmatic beauty carried an effervescent vitality that was tantalizingly elusive, stirring a sense of yearning within observers. ¡°Do I look good today?¡± Willow tilted her head to the side and looked at him with an endearing charm. Jasper nodded in agreement and said genuinely, ¡°You look stunning.¡± ¡°Do you like it then?¡± Willow asked with a wink. He stared at her petite face, a suppressed intensity flickering in his eyes. He replied in a deep voice, ¡°You should return to the ceremony.¡± ¡°Some of the credit for today¡¯s honor goes to you, Jasper. The award should also belong to you,¡± Willow remarked since her achievements were built upon his efforts. ¡°You deserve it,¡± Jasper asserted. Willow beamed. ¡°Can I take that as you saying what¡¯s yours is also mine? Oh, by the way, I told my dad that there will be no celebration dinner tonight. I want to celebrate with you instead. Are youing?¡± Willow invited him. Jasper hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded. ¡°Alright! My treat.¡± She was overjoyed. ¡°It¡¯s a date, then. I¡¯ll be looking forward to your ns!¡± Willow returned to the ceremony happily. Jasper¡¯s gaze turned tender, but it was also tinged with a hint of sorrow and resignation as he watched her leave. When Jasper returned to his car, his phone rang. He answered the phone. ¡°Hello.¡± Chapter 2078 Chapter 2078 ¡°Jasper, we¡¯ve just received a mission rted to the Presgrave Family,¡± Antoine said over the phone. Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Uncle, what happened to the Presgraves?¡± Jasper¡¯s tension heightened immediately. ¡°The Presgraves have enraged the mafia in Dansbury. They assembled a team of mercenaries to carry out an assassination against all members of the Presgrave Family. I¡¯ve assigned Sirius to assist you. You must protect the Presgrave Family by coordinating with their security forces.¡± As a final note, Antoine emphasized, ¡°This mission involves national interests. There can be no errors. Mr. Oswald will also keep a close eye on it.¡± Jasper clenched his fist without knowing it. ¡°Uncle, please send me all the information you have on the mafia.¡± ¡°Okay. Take good care of yourself. ¡°Remember to prioritize your own safety while ensuring the Presgrave Family¡¯s safety,¡± Antoine cautioned. In past missions, Jasper never allowed personal emotions to cloud his judgment, but the Presgrave Family was involved in this mission. This time, he would undoubtedly devote himself to it with more dedication than ever before. Antoine was concerned that Jasper would lose sight of the bigger picture. ¡°I understand.¡± Jasper nodded. An undercurrent of tension ran through his veins beneath hisposed exterior. He would never ever allow any harm to befall any member of the Presgrave Family. Soon, the information about the mafia was sent to Jasper. He looked at the photos and found those faces familiar. These mafia criminals had been specifically targeting global magnates. Relentlessly, they seized resources for profit and exploited price differentials during the process. As long as someone could afford the price, they would do whatever it took to eliminate the target on behalf of their employer. There was also information about the targets which were intercepted by the special forces when it was sent by the mafia. There was also information about the targets which were intercepted by the special forces when it was sent by the mafia. There were several photos of Willow among them that the mafia obtained from various sources¡ª Willow appearing at social events or in school having the appearance of a wealthy youngdy. In the afternoon, Jasper¡¯s partner, Sirius, arrived. A man in his mid-thirties, Sirius possessed exceptional skills and experience in such operations. His identity was also highly secretive; he was a member of a special operations unit. The only information known about him was his codename, Sirius, and his daily tasks were ssified at the highest level of secrecy. The two of them discussed the details of their mission face-to-face in the safehouse. ¡°Our mission this time is tounch an assassination and elimination n against the mafia before they get close to the Presgrave Family. They are currently infiltrating through various covert means. We can only wait to avoid tipping them off,¡± Sirius exined. Jasper nodded. His brow furrowed deeply, forming three lines on his forehead. ¡°I can tell you¡¯re quite nervous!¡± Sirius quipped. Jasper didn¡¯t deny it. He stared at the twelve people in the photos, each of their faces engraved in his mind. This was a mission that allowed no room for failure and he couldn¡¯t afford a single mistake. Not even the slightest error would be tolerable. ¡°Be prepared. We¡¯ll visit the Presgraves tomorrow. Just rx and treat it like any other mission you¡¯ve executed.¡± Siriusforted him by reaching out and patting his shoulder. Before Sirius came here, Antoine had actually filled him in on Jasper¡¯s situation. In the early evening, Willow received an invitation from Jasper¡ªa celebratory dinner in her honor. When she saw the address sent to her, she couldn¡¯t help but pause in surprise. Wait! Isn¡¯t this his home address? She was more than happy to ept the dinner invitation. Willow set off in her car at about 5.00PM. She was escorted by six bodyguards all the way to Jasper¡¯s house. As they arrived, the gates of a mysterious vi slowly opened and Willow got out of the car and walked through the gates. She removed her outerwear to reveal an elegant dress. Then, she carried her purse and gracefully stepped into the vi through the iron gate. Jasper was dressed in a casual outfit and waiting for her behind the gate. ¡°Is this your house?¡± Willow inquired curiously. Jasper simply answered, ¡°Yes, it is.¡± Willow looked around. It was an old-fashioned vi with a sense of timeless elegance. She felt sorry for Jasper as she imagined him living here alone and reminiscing about his departed loved ones, so she reached out and hugged him. As a result, he was taken aback for a moment. Chapter 2079 Chapter 2079 ¡°I prefer your house over the restaurant,¡± Willow said with a smile. Jasper was mesmerized by her smile and rxed a little. As soon as she let go of him, he held her hands as they entered the hall together. Willow was surprised, but she secretly enjoyed it. Although they had a little argument for the past two days, she wasn¡¯t actually really angry at him. He had a special identity and the country had spent arge amount of fortune to nurture him. He also had a strong sense of purpose and responsibility. It would be shocking if he were to abandon that just to be with her. Apart from his good looks and stature, his sense of justice and responsibility were the most attractive aspects to her. As they walked into the hall, Willow saw the table filled with some fruits and a bottle of champagne, along with a bouquet of roses and some candles. For a man who did not know how to be romantic, he was trying hard to create a romantic atmosphere. Willow approached the roses and took a sniff as she smiled. ¡°The decorations are pretty.¡± Jasper nced at his watch, saying, ¡°Please take a seat while I prepare our dinner.¡± Willow put down her bag and walked toward him, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s prepare it together!¡± Jasper did not want her to tire herself, so he looked back and said, ¡°Just get some rest on the couch or take a walk in the garden. Leave the dinner preparations to me.¡± ¡°Can I look around your vi?¡± Willow asked. ¡°Sure, but be careful.¡± Willow nodded and left to explore the vi. She went to the second floor and realized that most of the sections were still covered in cloth. There was no doubt that Jasper had only cleared out a single room for himself to stay. She came to his room. The room was neat and clean; it was also very minimalistic. He lived an ordinary life despite hisrge fortune. How could she not fall in love with a man like him? Willow lingered in the room and noticed a photo album that Jasper had flipped through. She opened it and started to tear up. It was filled with Jasper¡¯s photos from when he was a baby up till when he was eight along with some photos of his parents. There were many photos, but they ended on his eighth birthday. His parents passed away shortly after that and he was forced to leave home when he got adopted by his uncle. Willow took her phone and snapped a picture of a young Jasper. She was three years old that year. She ced the photo album back in its ce and noticed that she had tears in her eyes. She dried her tears andposed herself before leaving the room. After she went down, she saw Jasper busy preparing dinner in the kitchen. His slender body was clearly outlined by the apron worn over his ck shirt and ck cks. Willow walked over involuntarily, then wrapped her arms around his waist and rubbed her face against his back. Jasper nced at her with affection in his eyes. He had prepared avish dinner tonight which consisted of all his specialty dishes. Willow saw him preparing a lobster and she happily eximed, ¡°Wow! We¡¯re having a huge cheesy lobster tonight!¡± ¡°Be patient and wait outside; there¡¯s too much smoke and oil in here,¡± Jasper said caringly. Willow knew that she could not help with dinner and instead might make a mess if she helped. She nodded and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wait for your dinner then.¡± She went to the couch and found a spot where she could look at him, and she snapped a photo of the busy man in the kitchen. The man in the image had a stunning back and he was on par with a movie star. Willow received a few messages from work. She was d that Jett was arrested formitting thefts of cultural relics. As the sky turned dark, the chandelier in the hall lit up as avish dinner was prepared by the man. She felt very touched when she came over to the dining table and saw the gourmet dishes that he had prepared on his own.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 2080 Chapter 2080 Jasper popped open a bottle of champagne and poured half a ss each for himself and for Willow. It felt like they were on a date under the candlelight. Willow held her ss and looked at Jasper with her mesmerizing eyes. She toasted, ¡°Here¡¯s to you, Mr. Wyatt.¡± Jasper was stunned for a moment and gave her a toast. Willow sighed and said, ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it¡ªlet¡¯s be friends! From now on, can we be friends?¡± Jasper nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. She was a little disappointed that he agreed to that, but she was optimistic about it. At the very least, she would hear from him. She would cherish the time she was able to spend with him. Willow was hungry and started to enjoy the cheesy lobster on her te. She was careless and the corner of her lips got stained with some sauce. The man stared at her profoundly, but Willow was not aware of this. He hesitated for about three seconds before extending his arms and wiping off the sauce on her lips with his slender fingers. Willow was dazed, and only then did she realize that she had stains on the corner of her mouth. She was embarrassed and used a napkin to wipe it off. Jasper brought her te toward him and sliced her lobster into smaller pieces. Willow was delighted; she leaned toward him as she waited for him to feed her. He knew her intentions and fed her, causing Willow to be overjoyed as she chewed. Jasper felt like he was on cloud nine too. Tonight, he left behind his work and his identity as he wanted to celebrate with Willow without any distractions. ¡°Here¡¯s to wishing that you make it onto the list of Top 10 Outstanding Figures.¡± Jasper toasted her. ¡°Thank you!¡± They clinked their sses, feeling blissful. Just then, their eyes met. The man¡¯s eyes were as dark as the midnight sky¡ªmysterious and deep while being soft and seductive. Willow had butterflies in her stomach again. This man¡¯s gentleness was her weakness. Her eyes flickered as she nced toward the night sky, asking, ¡°Is there any alcohol?¡± The champagne was not able to drown her sorrows. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be drinking.¡± ¡°I like to drink a little when I¡¯m happy,¡± Willow said as she looked at the man and pleaded, ¡°Just a ss.¡± Jasper gave in to her pleas. He walked toward the alcohol cab and brought over a bottle of whiskey, saying, ¡°I only have this here.¡± ¡°That¡¯ll do!¡± Willow nodded. He opened the bottle and poured her a small ss. She sniffed it and did not fancy it, but she wanted to try it. If she forced herself to drink a little, she would be able to get drunk! ¡°To you.¡± Willow toasted Jasper again. He took a sip of the whiskey and filled her te with food. ¡°Fill your stomach before drinking.¡± Willow nodded and enjoyed his service as she savored the food and drink. She was focused on getting drunk. When the ss was almost empty, Willow stood up to pour herself more, but she was stopped by Jasper. ¡°Don¡¯t drink too much as you¡¯ll get drunk.¡± Willow shook her head and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not worried as you¡¯re here.¡± Jasper looked at Willow helplessly; she started to feel a little tipsy as she would not stop staring at him. Willow kept staring at him while eating the food he took for her as if he was some sort of eye candy. She drank a little more and wanted to get another refill. Jasper got up and took the bottle of whiskey away to the alcohol cab. ¡°Don¡¯t be so stingy,¡± Willowined and followed him. She trailed behind him, but he turned in frustration and stopped her. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Finish up your dinner and I¡¯ll send you home.¡± ¡°I¡¯m already full. I just want a little more to drink,¡± Willow said stubbornly. All of a sudden, the lights flickered and went outpletely due to the old wiring. The hall fell intoplete darkness, except for the dining area where two candles were burning brightly on the table. Chapter 2081 Chapter 2081 Suddenly, the atmosphere transformed into a hazy ambiguity, a misty veil descending upon them. Willow¡¯s gaze met Jasper¡¯s, and the man instinctively drew her into his embrace, a protective gesture against her potential fear. Then, her grip tightened around his waist, a true reflection of her genuine fright. In that instant, their faces hovered mere inches apart as the rhythm of their breaths was a tangible bridge between them. Her eyes and brows glistened as if touched by the kiss of rain, emanating a liquid luminescence that momentarily stole his breath away. Despite the dimness of the room, his eyes burned with undeniable intensity. At this moment, her breaths became shallow as she wrapped her arms around his neck and lifted her face slightly as a silent invitation for him to kiss her. Meanwhile, Jasper struggled to restrain the tempest of emotions coursing through him. Amidst the dim light, his tall stature enveloped Willow in the corner of the room, akin to a wolf asserting its im over territory, resolute in not letting her leave and preventing others from prying. A nervous gulp traced down her throat, ensnared by the heady symphony of pheromones that enveloped them both, drawing her inexorably closer to the man¡¯s inviting neck. On the other hand, his breath hitched, his resolve finally yielding as he gently cupped her chin, guiding her with tenderness as his slender lips met her flushed ones. After having suppressed their desires for too long, this kiss erupted with fervor as soon as it began. However, Willow was slightly taken aback as an undercurrent of sweetness and surprise swept through her, overwhelming any uncertainty. Every fiber of her being was tightly held in the man¡¯s embrace as his passionate kiss consumed her. In this corner, amidst the dimness, they carved out a small world¡ªa sweet sanctuary untouched by others. Time appeared to lose its hold as their lips intertwined until an inquisitive stray cat leaped onto the windowsill outside, breaking the enchantment and capturing the attention of Jasper, who held the blushing young woman in a fervent embrace. As she was pressed against his sturdy chest, her face turned a shade of pink as her breaths quickened. She spoke softly, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Meow!¡± The little cat outside seemed equally startled, meowing frantically. Then, he sighed and said, ¡°Just a little cat.¡± Willow¡¯s lips curved into a smile, but their haven was abruptly illuminated again, exposing their intimate moment. Flushed with embarrassment, she buried her face into Jasper¡¯s embrace, feeling self- conscious after the intensity of their kiss. However, his fingers caressed the back of her head as his chin lightly grazed her hair. A silent sigh escaped him, a mixture of contentment and shared vulnerability. At that moment, Willow¡¯s phone rang. Jasper gently released his grip on her on the couch, saying, ¡°You should take that call!¡± With a quizzical intrigue, she contemted who might have called her at this hour. Retrieving the phone, she was taken aback to find her father on the other end. ¡°Hello, Dad!¡± Her words flowed from her with a poisedposure. ¡°Willow, where are you?¡± Her father¡¯s voice held a hint of concern. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ at a friend¡¯s house.¡± ¡°Come home early.¡± ¡°Dad, is something wrong?¡± Willow immediately sensed that her father was keeping something from her. ¡°I just received a notification that a group of mafia members has entered the country and has targeted the family,¡± Elliot divulged. At this, her expression grew serious. ¡°Okay, Dad, I¡¯lle home early.¡± After hanging up the phone, she turned to the man behind her. ¡°My dad wants me toe home early.¡± ¡°All right, I¡¯ll take you home,¡± Jasper said, guessing what her father had discussed with her. ¡°When will we be able to meet again?¡± Willow asked with reluctance. ¡°I believe we¡¯ll meet again soon,¡± he reassured her. Then, he led her to the underground parking lot, where he drove out of a car and met with the external bodyguards. Together, they escorted her back home. The Presgrave Family had encountered their fair share of trials and tribtions, narrowly escaping danger on each asion. With the expansion of the family business, the stakes had risen proportionately. Willow¡¯s inner strength had also grown significantly. She courageously epted everything that came her way, confident that her father and elder brother would ensure the safety of their family. ¡°Willow, try not to go out too much during this period and stay with your family,¡± Jasper advised her.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 2082 Chapter 2082 Willow nodded. ¡°I know. My dad said our family is facing some issues. I¡¯ll follow the family¡¯s arrangements.¡± When they reached the entrance of the Presgrave Residence, Jasper couldn¡¯t go in. So, Willow got out of the car and sat in a bodyguard¡¯s car. Before leaving, she rolled down the window with a hint of reluctance in her eyes. Only after he watched the bodyguard¡¯s car enter the Presgrave Residence¡¯s courtyard did he turn his car around and leave. Back at home, the atmosphere was pleasant. Willow¡¯s father was ying with her nephew on the couch. In the blink of an eye, the little guy had turned six months old and was incredibly adorable. ¡°Dad,¡± she called out and walked over to carry her nephew. Of course, Elliot was well aware of who his daughter met tonight. He wasn¡¯t worried about her being with Jasper. This time, he had received the message too. Besides the Presgrave Family¡¯s security team, the government had also sent two skilled agents to help resolve the crisis. The little guy liked his aunt very much and clung to her, not wanting to be put down. In the end, Willow took him back to her room to y. The next morning, when she woke up, it was already 9.30AM because she had stayed uptest night. She pushed open the door and came out. At home, she was used to being casual, so she simply put on a loose, long T-shirt, letting her long hair fallfortably. With a bare face, she went downstairs. Still somewhat drowsy, she held onto the ivory-white staircase, yawning as she hummed a familiar tune. At that moment, she felt a gaze from the direction of the couch in the living room. Only then did Willow realize that her father was meeting with guests in the living room. As she looked toward the guests, she froze. She was taken aback, unable to believe her eyes. The guest sitting across from her father was none other than the man who had promised to meet her soonst night¡ªJasper, along with his colleague, Sirius. Instantly, her face turned red with embarrassment, and without saying a word, she turned around and ran back upstairs. As Elliot watched his daughter, an affectionate smile tugged at his lips. ¡°She¡¯s used to being casual at home.¡± ¡°Miss Presgrave is really cute.¡± Sirius chuckled. Meanwhile, Jasper¡¯s lips also curled into a simr affectionate smile, but he didn¡¯t say anything. After returning to her room, Willow instantly snapped back to reality. She hurriedly ran into the bathroom, assessing herself once more. However, she still couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling of embarrassment. Suddenly, she remembered Jasper¡¯s words fromst night, saying that they would meet soon. He didn¡¯t bother telling me in advance that he¡¯d being here today. That¡¯s a bit infuriating. She immediately went to her closet to find an outfit, applied makeup, and dressed up before heading downstairs. Meanwhile, downstairs, Elliot and Jasper had wrapped up their conversation. At this moment, from the direction of the stairs, Willow descended in an elegant dress. As her gaze met Jasper¡¯s, she red at him with a touch of annoyance. Yet, he maintained a serious expression, keeping his emotions hidden. He politely greeted her. ¡°Good morning, Miss Presgrave.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. When Sirius turned his head and nced at his colleague, he couldn¡¯t help but feel happy for him. Gaining the favor of Miss Presgrave is truly a fortunate event for him. Though irritated, Willow was still happy deep down. She greeted him back seriously. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Wyatt.¡± ¡°Would you both stay for lunch?¡± Elliot invited. ¡°We¡¯ll have to take a rain check. We have other matters to attend to. Please advise your family not to go out unless necessary during this period, Mr. Presgrave,¡± Sirius said. ¡°Understood. Thank you both for protecting the Presgrave Family.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too kind,¡± Sirius replied humbly. ¡°I¡¯ll see you off.¡± Willow seized the opportunity to see them out. With a smile, Sirius picked up his phone. ¡°I¡¯ll make a call first.¡± With that, he walked out first. Jasper turned back and politely bid farewell. ¡°We¡¯ll take our leave, Mr. Presgrave.¡± ¡°Willow, why don¡¯t you see Jasper off?¡± Elliot purposely changed his address. Hearing that, Willow felt a burst of joy. It seems Dad really likes Jasper. His address to Jasper has even be informal. As she escorted Jasper out, her nerves were taut. She looked at him with worry. ¡°Please be careful. The people attacking our family this time aren¡¯t ordinary.¡± Chapter 2083 Chapter 2083 Jasper turned around to look at Willow. ¡°You also need to be good and not wander around.¡± ¡°I know. I won¡¯t cause you any trouble.¡± She nodded. Never had she thought that she would need his help to deal with her family¡¯s matters. Since Sirius had already entered the car, Jasper needed to leave as well. He patted her shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. With me here, I won¡¯t let anything happen to you or your family.¡± However, she tightly held his hand in worry. ¡°You must not let anything happen to you too.¡± His gaze was deep as he looked at her. He had never feared anything before, feeling that his life was born for his mission. But now, he started to feel fear. He was afraid that if something happened to him, he would never see her again. ¡°Alright. I promise nothing will happen to me,¡± he said. Yet she remained deeply concerned. If only they weren¡¯t in her home, she would¡¯ve given him a hug, but since they were here, she refrained from getting too intimate with him. Until my family fully epts him, I can¡¯t put any pressure on him. ¡°I¡¯ll leave now.¡± Jasper turned and walked toward the car. After getting in, he rolled down the window, holding her gaze for a few seconds before departing. Following that, the security personnel at the Presgrave Residence became more active. At the moment, Anastasia was attending a jewelry show abroad when chaos suddenly broke out at the venue. After Elliot finished a call with his wife at home, his face was filled with worry. He stepped quickly outside and saw his daughter still in the garden, so he hurried over. ¡°Willow, I need to leave the country for a while. Stay home and keep Jared and Ellenpany.¡± ¡°Did something happen to Mom?¡± Willow was also deeply worried. ¡°Some trouble broke out at the venue of the show. The entire ce is under strict control now. I need to go get her and bring her home.¡± ¡°Be careful, Dad. Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ll take care of Ellen and the others.¡± She reassured her father. Immediately, Elliot set off to rescue his wife. Before leaving, he called Jasper. ¡°Hello, Mr. Presgrave?¡± Jasper answered the call. ¡°Jasper, I¡¯m going abroad now. I¡¯ll leave my daughter and son with you.¡± ¡°Should I arrange for someone to escort you?¡± ¡°No need. I¡¯ll entrust matters at home to you. Jasper, I hope you can stay at my house and take care of them.¡± Elliot immediately hung up after saying that. Subsequently, Jasper dialed Willow¡¯s number, and she promptly answered, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°I just received a call from your dad. He¡¯s going abroad. Is it just you and your sister-inw at home now?¡± ¡°Yes, my brother is at thepany. It¡¯s just me, my sister-inw, and my nephew at home.¡± ¡°Can I stay at your house?¡± he asked in a low voice. He had decided to provide close protection for them. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Of course. Pleasee over. We need you.¡± After he discussed it with Sirius, a n was confirmed. Jasper would stay at the Presgrave Residence as a bodyguard, while Sirius would act separately since operating individually was their most skilled method of attack. Soon, Jasper packed a bag and headed to the Presgrave Residence. A maid led him into the living room, where Willow personally weed him. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± A hint of shyness appeared on her face, but her happiness was unmistakable. At that moment, her sister-inw, Ellen, descended the stairs, carrying her son. She looked at the outstanding young man beside Willow, feeling genuinely pleased for her. He must be the young man Willow has talked to me about. He truly has a remarkable presence. After Willow¡¯s return, she chatted with Ellen about the cultural heritage adventure. They were both young people, so there was naturally nothing they couldn¡¯t discuss. While attending an awards ceremony, Ellen had briefly met him before, but she had been too hasty to get a clear view. ¡°Ellen, let me introduce you. This is the Mr. Wyatt I mentioned to you before,¡± Willow said, then turned to Jasper. ¡°This is my sister-inw, Ellen, and my adorable nephew.¡± Jasper nodded at Ellen. ¡°Hello, Mrs. Presgrave.¡± Chapter 2084 Chapter 2084 ¡°Hello. Thanks foring,¡± Ellen politely said. ¡°I¡¯ve arranged a room for you. Let me show you upstairs,¡± Willow offered. However, Jasper shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll stay in the guards¡¯ residence.¡± Willow felt a bit disappointed. ¡°Can¡¯t you stay in my house?¡± He couldn¡¯t break the rules, and the guards¡¯ residence was located right beside the house, making it easier for him to protect Willow. ¡°With my status, I can¡¯t stay in your house. I¡¯ll see youter,¡± he said, carrying his luggage as he left. As she watched his departing figure, she bit her red lips. I want close protection, not him staying in the guards¡¯ residence. Seeing that, Ellen came forward tofort her. ¡°Don¡¯t rush things, Willow. His status may make it challenging for him to stay here.¡± Willow nodded and could only say, ¡°Right. At least we can still see each other every day.¡± ¡°He¡¯s really good. I believe Mom and Dad will like him,¡± Ellen said. Encouraged by this, Willow asked, ¡°Do you really think so?¡± ¡°Be patient. If it¡¯s meant to be, it will be.¡± Ellen reassured her. She could see that Jasper also liked Willow. A love like this, when both sides are fond of each other, will surely have a happy ending. I¡¯m speaking from experience. Willow had no choice but to stay patient. No matter what, I need to get through this family crisis first. He must be under a lot of pressure now too. With Jasper not far away, she felt much more at ease. She was currently studying the information about the cultural relics that were brought back, as this batch of artifacts held significant research value. During dinner time, Jared returned home. He first hugged his precious son and then embraced his wife. They were his motivation for working hard. Meanwhile, Willow, on the sidelines, was forced to watch this lovey-dovey moment. ¡°Willow, I heard Dad say that Mr. Wyatt is staying in our house. Make sure to behave and listen obediently,¡± Jared said to his adorable younger sister. With a smile, Willow replied, ¡°When am I ever not obedient?¡± Of course, he knew his younger sister liked Jasper. To be honest, he also admired him. If I can get him as my brother-inw, I¡¯ll be at ease. Willow will have someone caring for her and protecting her. He needed to carefully assess the choice of his brother-inw. After all, he had doted on his sister since she was young. If he couldn¡¯t entrust her to the right person, he wouldn¡¯t approve. Fortunately, his sister had good taste. She had set her sights on someone as strong as Jasper, which made things easier. ¡°Jared, Ellen, enjoy your dinner. I¡¯m going out to clear my mind,¡± Willow said. Hearing that, Jared chuckled. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not going to find Mr. Wyatt?¡± ¡°Since you know, can you not expose me?¡± She blushed and smiled shyly. Then she walked out into the yard of her house. From here, there was a corridor leading specifically to the amodation for nannies, maids, and bodyguards. She used to rarely take this path, but tonight she seemed unusually delighted. Arriving at the guards¡¯ residence, she was met with a startled guard who quickly asked, ¡°Miss, is something wrong?¡± ¡°No, no, everything¡¯s fine. I¡¯m looking for someone,¡± she replied before inquiring. ¡°Where does the new guard live?¡± ¡°He¡¯s in thest room.¡± The guard pointed her the way. After a nod, she headed straight to thatst room. She knocked on the door, and footsteps sounded from behind it. When the door opened, it revealed a perfectly sculpted figure that was almost 95 percent exposed, from head to toe, unabashedly in full view before her eyes. Shocked, she widened her beautiful eyes, unsure where to look for a moment. Of course, her eyes did have their thoughts, and they directlynded on that undisclosed 5 percent of his body. Likewise, the man was momentarily stunned. He swiftly grabbed a towel from the nearby rack to cover his lower half. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Jasper was a bit flustered. She really came without any warning.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Chapter 2085 Chapter 2085 Jasper had thought it was Ricky, the head of the security team, because Ricky had mentioned earlier in the afternoon that he woulde over in the evening to discuss the security of the house. As Willow looked at him, herrge eyes blinked, and she bit her red lips. ¡°I came to look for you.¡± After she said that, her face remained rosy, but she confidently stepped into his room. The amodations for the Presgrave Family¡¯s guards were very good. This was a suite-style apartment that was decorated luxuriously. The facilities here were alsoprehensive. Being a guard for the Presgrave Family not only came with a high sry but also perfect benefits. At this moment, she sat down on the man¡¯s couch while he headed into his room. When he came back out, he was fully dressed. ¡°Is itfortable staying here? If you need anything, just let me know,¡± she said. As the host of the house, she wanted to take care of him. ¡°I don¡¯t need anything. You shouldn¡¯t wander aroundte at night.¡± ¡°This is my house. Can¡¯t Ie out to my own house? I¡¯ll be bored to death otherwise,¡± she pouted andined. At her words, he thought, That makes sense. She usually likes to run around, but now she has to be stuck at home. It¡¯s indeed a bit difficult for her. Rising to her feet, she surveyed his apartment suite, observing that he possessed only a small collection of personal attire, along with hisputer and unfamiliar gadgets. ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal, Jasper. If I get kidnapped, don¡¯t risk your life to save me,¡± she suddenly said as she looked at him. Though she was just speaking hypothetically, his heart skipped a beat. He reached over and tapped her head, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. I won¡¯t let anything happen to you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying if¡­¡± ¡°No ¡®ifs.''¡± ¡°I was just giving an example.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give any.¡± His tone was resolute in stopping her. She blinked but still argued, looking at him seriously. ¡°In the scenario I said earlier, you have to follow my words.¡± If something happened to him, I¡¯d be tormented for a lifetime as well. So, if it came down to that, I don¡¯t want him to save me. Original from N?velDrama.Org. With a deep gaze, he looked at her. ¡°To me, as long as my target is still breathing, I will not give up on the rescue.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Willow looked at him, and tears suddenly welled up in her eyes. Seeing that, Jasper reached out and gently touched her cheek, wiping away the teardrop that was about to fall. ¡°Don¡¯t be so pessimistic. Trust me. I¡¯ll keep you safe.¡± She reached out and hugged his neck, burying her face in his shoulder. ¡°Okay, both of us have to stay safe then.¡± Her warm tears fell onto his skin, causing his heart to race. He reached over, rubbed the back of her head, and softly kissed her in her hair. When she raised her small face from his shoulder, her eyes glistened with tears, making her appear charming and alluring. Yet this caused the man¡¯s breathing to hitch. As she gazed at his sexy and tempting lips, her arms wrapped around his neck, and her rosy lips landed on his. However, she wasn¡¯t very experienced at kissing, and her tender and rosy lips didn¡¯t quite know what to do. It was more like a peck. At this moment, his gaze had be particrly dangerous and dark. He reached over and pulled her into his embrace. With his hand gently holding the back of her head, he leaned down and kissed her lush, cherry-red lips. The kiss was soft and sweet, like cotton candy, making him lose control. This usually calm and self-restrained man seemed to lose his senses in an instant, bing utterly irrational. After some time, a kiss full of affection ended. With a flushed face, she melted in his arms like water, softly panting. Yet her eyes revealed a hint of unsatisfied longing. Even if Jasper wanted more, he had to restrain himself. She¡¯s perfect. I can¡¯t and don¡¯t want to let her feel any difort. Willow sat in his embrace, cupping his face and giving him a few kisses as if her kisses were as natural as breathing. His breathing became more urgent, and his usuallyposed and confident face was now tinged with a rare blush. Chapter 2086 Chapter 2086 Originally, Willow was already seated on Jasper¡¯sp. At this moment, she sensed something and blushed, burying her face in his chest. I think I went overboard with the teasing! He¡¯s practically on the verge of exploding now. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯ll escort you back,¡± Jasper said hoarsely. After some consideration, she replied, ¡°I¡¯ll go back, but I¡¯m fine on my own.¡± If I stay any longer, I might damage his reputation. ¡°I¡¯ll escort you,¡± he insisted. Yet she still shook her head. ¡°Really, you don¡¯t have to. It¡¯s my own home. Can¡¯t I find my way around?¡± Although my house is huge, it¡¯s the ce where I¡¯ve grown up since childhood. Suddenly, he said to her, ¡°Do you have your phone?¡± He then took out a ne from his bag and handed it to her. ¡°Wear this. No matter what happens, don¡¯t take it off.¡± She blinked as she looked at the ne. It didn¡¯t seem like something a girl would wear¡ªit was a ck cord with an obsidian pendant. While she was still examining it, he ced it around her neck and instructed, ¡°No matter what happens, don¡¯t take it off. Understand?¡± Immediately, she realized that there was something special about the obsidian. It must contain a tracking device that allows him to locate me anywhere. ¡°Okay, I promise not to take it off.¡± She nodded earnestly. As Jasper held her face in his hands, he gently kissed her forehead. ¡°Off you go.¡± Originally, he intended to attach the device to her phone, but then he thought that sometimes she might forget her phone somewhere. It would be more effective if she wore this ne. As Willow was about to leave, she looked back at the man and then turned around, hugging his waist tightly. It was as if his body had a maic pull, constantly enticing her to hold on to him. Seeing that she was reluctant to leave again, he felt an impulse not to let her go. She¡¯s really torturing me. She nted another kiss on his thin lips and said, ¡°Goodnight.¡± Only after that did she feel content to leave. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. He saw her off until she disappeared into the corridor. Back in her room, Willow felt safe and fell asleep soundly, despite the potential dangers outside. With Jasper around, she had nothing to fear. Outside the city, eight mercenaries arrived at the designated meeting point one after another. Their objective was clear this time, which was to assassinate members of the Presgrave Family. Every member of the Presgrave Family had be their target. However, they quickly received news that the Presgrave Family¡¯s patriarch had already gone abroad. The only ones remaining in the country were his children. Yet they had toplete their mission quickly, which was to create a family crisis that would cause the Presgrave Group¡¯s stock prices to copse. As long as anything happened to any member of the Presgrave Family, it could potentially lead to stock market turmoil. Each of these individuals held dozens of lives in their hands. They were all ruthless characters who had fought their way back from war-torn countries. This time, they had received a substantial amount of money from their employer, which allowed them to acquire aprehensive range of equipment for the operation. As they prepared to locate the Presgrave Residence and invade their security system, they were startled to find that no matter what method they used, they couldn¡¯t break through. ¡°What¡¯s going on? This is the most advanced decryption code. How can we not crack it?¡± ¡°It seems like the Presgrave Family has skilled hackers as well.¡± At once, these mercenaries exchanged nces. This obviously increased the difficulty of their mission. They had thought killing a wealthy family would be an easy task that they could finish in a few days. Now they couldn¡¯t even breach their surveince system; they had underestimated the Presgrave Family¡¯s defensive capabilities. At this moment, in Jasper¡¯s room, he was inmunication with Sirius. Jasper had installed a tracking Trojan in the defense code. Now the Trojan had traced the attacking IP address. ¡°I¡¯ve found their location,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t take action yet, Jasper. We must coordinate. They have arge number of people, and it¡¯s very risky for you to go alone.¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯ll track their location so that we can catch them all in one go,¡± Jasper replied. He had never been so eager to eliminate a target before. In the meantime, the mercenaries inside an abandoned house were trying various methods to locate the members of the Presgrave Family. Chapter 2087 Chapter 2087 The current Presgrave Residence was as fortified as a fortress, imprable. On Jasper¡¯sputer, he quickly captured photos of several vehicles and used satellite images to track the movements of the mercenaries. Soon, he pinpointed their gathering location. ¡°Sirius, I want to take action before they spread out,¡± he said firmly. Sirius was also looking at the photos and videos he had sent, contemting their next move. In the end, he agreed with Jasper¡¯s n. It was indeed the best opportunity to strike while they were still gathered and before they could spread out. ¡°Get ready to move at three. But be prepared. This will be a tough fight,¡± he reminded Jasper. There were eight of them, while Jasper and Sirius were just two. Although the Presgrave Family¡¯s bodyguards could be deployed, sending more people might alert the mercenaries. Moreover, both of them were used to operating solo, so they decided to go together this time. At 3.00AM, Jasper set out from the Presgrave Residence. When he rolled down the car window and looked in the direction of the Presgrave Vi, he made a firm promise to himself that he would ensure her safety. With that, he left without a trace, just as he always did, like a lone wolf. By 4.30AM, even the stars had vanished from the sky, leaving the darkest time of night. Jasper and Sirius chose to approach from a nearby waterway. Since the water could mask their sound, the route through the river was excellent for concealing their presence. They stealthily entered the abandoned reservoir where the mercenaries were resting. There was no one around, making it convenient for the mercenaries to operate. However, they had set up surveince equipment in a one-mile radius, so any movement could potentially alert them. Yet Jasper and Sirius carried devices that could shield signals, allowing them to remain perfectly hidden. At this moment, lights and the sounds of male voices came from the house. It seemed they hadn¡¯t gone to sleep yet and were celebrating something. However, just then, Jasper and Sirius heard the cries of several girls. In an instant, they exchanged nces. It appeared that these mercenaries had kidnapped some girls and were having their way with them inside. They despised these scoundrels and were determined to make them pay a heavy priceter on. Inside the house were indeed three girls who had been driving on a nearby road. They had been intercepted midway and brought here to amuse these men. The girls had been brought here recently and were now pale and trembling all over. They looked at these foreign faces, sensing the strong aura of death and hostility. Naturally, they knew these men were not good people; they were killers. However, the presence of the girls made the mercenaries lower their guard. Little did they know that the Presgrave Family had sent international special agents. They believed the Presgrave Family¡¯s defense was limited to their security team. So, they decided to have some fun with these attractive girls first. They started discussing indecent topics, and two of them had even begun to touch the girls. In the room, the atmosphere was charged, fueling excitement among the mercenaries. However, unbeknownst to them, an unexpected threat was lurking just outside the window. Jasper and Sirius each took up a position at a window, using hand gestures to coordinate their actions. Moments before this, Jasper had nted explosives in the vehicles outside. Even if these men tried to escape, they wouldn¡¯t have a chance. Following Sirius¡¯mand, Jasper shot two of the mercenaries inside in the head, killing them instantly. The rest immediately sought cover and pulled out their guns, firing at the windows. Inside the room, the girls¡¯ screams could be heard, but at that moment, the mercenaries had lost interest in their revelry. Their sole focus was on eliminating the enemies outside. In fact, Sirius and Jasper¡¯s goal was to scare them out and force them into their vehicles. Jasper found a concealed spot and aimed his sniper rifle at an enemy. With precise aim, he took down one of the enemies with a headshot. Meanwhile, his partner quickly unleashed a barrage of gunfire into the darkness.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Chapter 2088 Chapter 2088 They could not determine the number of hidden troops at that moment, so they decided to get in the car and escape before anything else. As a result, the remaining five got in the car one after another, preparing to flee. However, right after the car moved about 220 yards, there was a loud explosion. In an instant, the car was sent flying nearly 10 feet high in the air and turned into a ball of mes. Aiming their weapons at the ball of explosion, Sirius and Jasper unleashed a hail of gunfire, precisely eliminating their targets. Then, they returned to the room and rescued the three girls, who were already scared out of their wits. Sirius escorted them back to the highway and gged down a car; after getting them in, he had the driver take them safely back to the city. When he shed the weapon in his hand, the driver quickly agreed out of fear, not daring to have any malicious intentions. Watching the sunrise in the distance, Sirius and Jasper then called their organization for reinforcements toe over and clean up the gruesome scene. They aplished the mission perfectly, but little did they know that one person was left behind. He was thest one to arrive at the rendezvous point, but upon his arrival, he saw his teammates brutally eliminated upon his arrival. Seizing the moment when those cleaners were not paying attention, he climbed onto the back of the truck loaded with dead bodies. The moment he found one person in particr, his fists clenched in resentment because that person was none other than his elder brother. He was brought into this job by his brother but was held up by some business and ended up arriving only several dayster. Unexpectedly, these few days of dy rendered him in separation by death with his elder brother. The man had a local appearance, and his family hailed from this country. However, they had long since broken away from the nation, bing mercenaries for the world¡¯s superpowers. After removing his elder brother¡¯s wristwatch, he quickly jumped off the truck and went into hiding. Then, he extracted a memory card from the wristwatch and promptly connected it to hisptop, retrieving footage of everything that had happened that night. He watched the entire extermination captured by the wristwatch, and when the final image froze on the screen, he said through clenched teeth, ¡°It¡¯s you once again!¡± The person captured in the image was none other than Jasper. Despite the blurry lighting, he recognized him at a nce. That person had once sabotaged his operations and subjected him to inhuman punishment. He had sought Jasper before to seek revenge for their previous encounter. However, he never expected that the person he had spent half a year searching in vain for would show up here. Furthermore, this time, this person killed the only family he had left in the world. ¡°Brother, I¡¯ll avenge you. I¡¯ll honor you with his decapitated head,¡± he swore, mming his fist hard on the ground. In the meantime, Sirius and Jasper had returned to the safehouse. During tonight¡¯s operation, Sirius had sustained a graze wound on his arm from a bullet, so it needed bandaging. After Jasper finished bandaging his wound, he turned on hisptop and began checking the footage captured by the camera he had installed. Suddenly, a figure came into the frame but disappeared soon afterward. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°We missed one person. He returned to the scene,¡± he told Sirius. Sirius replied imperturbably, ¡°Seems like the Presgraves aren¡¯t out of danger yet. Now that this person is acting alone, we¡¯ll have a hard time tracking his movements.¡± Jasper immediately tapped away at the keyboard, trying to identify the person, but to no avail. ¡°This person is meticulous at counter-surveince. He didn¡¯t show up in any surveince footage of nearby ces; he might¡¯ve entered the city.¡± ¡°Then, we gotta be more vignt. He¡¯s now lurking in the dark, watching our movements,¡± said Sirius as hey down to rest, closing his eyes. Jasper did not disturb him. Instead, he went to another room, and his phone started vibrating. He picked it up and answered it, ¡°Hello.¡± Willow¡¯s worried voice rang on the other end. ¡°I heard you disappearedst night. Where are you? Are you okay?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I went outst night to meet with my partner.¡± He reassured her. ¡°When will you be back at my ce, then?¡± ¡°I¡¯lle over in the afternoon,¡± said Jasper. I still need to check out the mercenary who slipped through the cracks. Chapter 2089 Chapter 2089 ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯ll wait for you,¡± replied Willow reluctantly. ¡°Remember to stay put.¡± ¡°I got it! I¡¯ll listen to you and not cause any trouble,¡± she assured, promising she would not cause any trouble for him. Even Jared is working from home now, doing his best to remove obstacles and not add to their stress. Meanwhile, Jasper expanded the scope of his search. After pulling an all-nighterst night, he continued to work tirelessly, his eyes bloodshot. Sirius had awoken from sleep and noticed that he was still in his room searching for the mercenary. He could not help but advise, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you get some sleep? You can¡¯t keep staying up like this.¡± Jasper closed his eyes. At that very moment, his nerves were stretched taut as a string. If they failed to capture the mercenary, it would be like nting a bomb next to the Presgraves. ¡°Here, take one of this and go to sleep.¡± Sirius handed him a sleeping pill. This was their way of forcing themselves to sleep. Jasper took it and washed it down with water. After that, hey down on the couch and closed his eyes to sleep. Just an hourter, he was jolted awake by a nightmare. He had not had nightmares in a long time, but in the dream, he saw Willow being held hostage by the mysterious mercenary approaching him. Even in his sleep, the scene was enough to bring him out in a cold sweat. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. As he opened his eyes and realized it was not reality, he noticed his forehead was already covered in a cold sweat. ¡°You had a nightmare?¡± Sirius asked him. This time, it was his turn to operate theptop, but the task he had taken on yielded some results. ¡°I checked the illegal fishing boats on the coast and found something atst.¡± He handed theptop over to Jasper. Only a blurry figure was captured on-screen, but Jasper¡¯s heart clenched at the sight of it. ¡°It¡¯s him!¡± His reaction startled Sirius. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯ve seen him before?¡± Jasper exined, ¡°He¡¯s a top assassin trained by Moncent. He got fired for making mistakes, but he¡¯s in the same league as us in terms of fighting skills and other capabilities. He¡¯s a highly trained killing machine.¡± Seeing that even Jasper showed a hint of fear toward that person, Sirius dared not take this lightly anymore. He said with a nod, ¡°We gotta stay vignt, then.¡± Jasper was rmed, too. If he were protecting anyone else, he might be able to carry out his task with ease. However, since he was guarding the Presgraves, he had to ensure his task waspleted wlessly. ¡°Jasper, for now, I need you to closely protect the Presgraves at once. You need to live under the same roof with them,¡± said Sirius with a serious countenance. Jasper agreed with this suggestion. This assassin is highly capable and can disable any surveince cameras, sneaking in anywhere like a ghost. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll propose this to the Presgraves,¡± he replied. At 3.00PM, Willow was waiting for Jasper at home. She thought he was only going back to the area where the bodyguards were stationed, but it surprised her when he arrived carrying a bag of belongings. Standing in front of her, he announced in a serious tone, ¡°From now on, I must protect your family closely.¡± She fluttered her eyes and blurted out surprisingly. ¡°Do you mean close protection?¡± At that, Jared instantly covered his mouth and cleared his throat before reminding his sister to act more ladylike. ¡°Willow, don¡¯t get in Mr. Wyatt¡¯s way.¡± The woman also realized she might have been a little too excited and could only reply, ¡°I was just asking!¡± Jasper turned to Jared, informing, ¡°Young Master Tillman, what I meant is to share the same bedroom with her and provide her with close protection 24/7.¡± Just as disappointment was about to cloud Willow¡¯s heart, his words gave her a glimmer of hope. Oh, really?! Jared was also taken aback for a moment. ¡°I¡¯d like to have a word with you, Young Master Tillman,¡± said Jasper. He had to let Jared know the seriousness of the situation. Seeing that the man was about to converse with Jared in her absence, she wondered what the content was, given their rtionship. ¡°I want to hear it, too,¡± she said immediately. Chapter 2090 Chapter 2090 Jasper turned her down firmly. ¡°No, you can¡¯t listen in on this.¡± Willow instantly blinked at him with a hurt demeanor while looking at him with an angry pout. Jared could not help but persuade her. ¡°Willow, you should stay out of man-to-man conversations. Be good, will you?¡± After that, he said to Jasper, ¡°Mr. Wyatt, this way, please.¡± Once they came into a quiet study, Jasper took out hisptop and exined the ins and outs of the situation. Just as he expected, Jared took this seriously. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, we need to be on guard. It seems that this person is no less formidable than you.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a killing machine painstakingly trained by Moncent. Unlike the team of mercenaries whom we took out, he¡¯s harder to deal with. And besides, I once intercepted him during his job, so he¡¯s holding a grudge against me. This time, he¡¯ll do whatever it takes to finish the job and keep the bounty all to himself,¡± exined Jasper. ¡°In that case, Jasper, I¡¯m leaving Willow to your protection. At the same time, I¡¯ll protect my family and myself,¡± said Jared. Now, he also had to protect his wife and child from harm. ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll stay close by her side 24/7 without letting her out of my sight.¡± Jared nodded. With Jasper by her side, I won¡¯t have to worry. In the meantime, Willow was in the living room waiting for the two men to return. When she saw them come out, she immediately switched from sitting with her legs wide apart like a man to adylike posture. A touch of loving amusement flitted across Jasper¡¯s heart as he took this in. Jared came to her side and said to her with a serious countenance, ¡°Willow, from now on, Mr. Wyatt will live with you and follow you wherever you go. Don¡¯t y any tricks. Also, you¡¯ll do everything he says.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Jared! I¡¯ll be on my best behavior,¡± replied Willow, reassuring him before winking at a certain man. Jasper began to doubt her words. Will she behave? Jared also felt helpless about her, but he believed Jasper would have a way with her. This sister of mine has always been quirky and mischievous since she was a child. Even Mom and Dad have no idea what to do with her sometimes. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°Well then, Willow, take Mr. Wyatt back to your room. Allow him to sleep on your couch for the time being,¡± he said. Willow¡¯s bedroom was spacious, and it had arge couch she would usually use as a bed. And now, it came in handy for Jasper to settle down there. She nodded and said to the man, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Jasper! Let me take you to my room.¡± He nodded and followed her upstairs while carrying his bag of belongings. As they entered her master bedroom, she suddenly spotted something on the couch. Immediately, she trotted over to it and picked the item up, hiding it behind her back. However, Jasper¡¯s keen eyes quickly noticed what it was. It was a pink bra. Willow told him, ¡°Come with me to the closet. I have an empty wardrobe which you can put your clothes in.¡± He nodded before following her into the closet, where she opened the empty wardrobe with ample space inside. The man opened his bag of belongings. He brought only a few clothes¡ªjust three sets of them in total ¡ªand his personal belongings consisted only of a razor and a charger. Willow came over, saying, ¡°Let me hang up your clothes for you! Wow, you don¡¯t have that many. I¡¯ll get somebody to bring you a few sets of them.¡± Jasper shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s no need to. These are enough.¡± She felt sorry for him. Wrapping her arms around his waist from behind, she pressed her face against his back, saying, ¡°Can¡¯t I be nice to you?¡± He pried her hands away and turned around to face her. ¡°You¡¯ve been great to me.¡± ¡°But I can be better.¡± She continued holding onto his waist while tilting her face up to look at him. Jasper looked at her little face, radiating an alluring charm of youth. Like a jewel sparkling with splendor, it was so beautiful that he could not help but want to make it his own. ¡°Willow, I¡¯m currently on a mission, and you¡¯re under my protection,¡± he said, reminding the girl in his arms. She winked yfully. ¡°So, as my protector, you¡¯re supposed to do whatever I ask, right?¡± Chapter 2091 Chapter 2091 I should¡¯ve known that she wasn¡¯t someone who would behave herself. He nodded, saying, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s technically right.¡± Satisfied with this response, Willow nodded. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s get along well from now on! What would you like to drink? Order away!¡± He nodded. ¡°Just a bottle of drinking water will do.¡± She then went downstairs to get drinking water for him. On the other hand, he began his work. After deciding to upgrade the surveince system around Presgrave Vi, he inserted his code program into it. Just then, Willow came back with the drinking water. At the sight of the man fully immersed in his work while sitting on the couch with his back straight, she found herself captivated. The way he focused on his work was always so charming, and the sight of his slender fingers typing out codemands was just so cool. She uncapped the water bottle and ced it beside him. ¡°I won¡¯t disturb you, then. I¡¯ll be in the lounge outside.¡± Her heart had settled down. With the man by her side, she felt the whole world was rallying around her; nothing new or interesting outside could draw her interest, and she could stay home quietly without going anywhere. She picked up her iPad and started ying games. She did y some to pass the time, though she was not skilled at it and was often defeated by others. After losing several rounds in a row, she sprawled on the couch in frustration. Just then, Jasper pushed the door open and came out. Seeing the look on her face, he asked with concern, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I keep losing!¡± Willow sighed helplessly before her eyes brightened up. ¡°Jasper, do you y games? Can you y a few rounds for me?¡± He sat down next to her, upon which she immediately taught him how to y. After listening attentively as she exined the gamey several times, he took the iPad from her and started ying for her. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . She noticed that his hands¡¯ movements were fast, precise, and highly defensive. Just as she expected, he won the first round. She looked at him with admiration as he proceeded to the second round and won again. She pped in excitement, saying, ¡°Wow! You¡¯re amazing!¡± After finishing three rounds, he handed the iPad back to her. ¡°You¡¯re on your own now.¡± She listened to him diligently as though she were a child. Since he was unwilling to y such childish games, she decided not to y either. She asked him, ¡°Where are you going, then?¡± He replied, ¡°I¡¯m going to check the surroundings and reposition some surveince cameras. You stay here and wait for me.¡± Suddenly, she grabbed his arm. ¡°Give me a kiss before you go.¡± Jasper was speechless. ¡°Just a kiss on the cheek will do,¡± demanded Willow. The man had no choice but toply with her overbearingmand. Cupping her little face in both hands, he pressed his lips onto her rosy ones, his breath slightly heavier. Her eyes widened slightly as she felt the intense rush of hormones between their lips. Feeling somewhat dizzy, she shyly closed her eyes, savoring the kiss from her beloved on this quiet afternoon. ¡­ Inside an apartment in the city center, a mercenary with an aura of bloodlust was gazing at the city with eyes full of hatred and murderous intent. He took out his phone and opened a photo. It was a recent snapshot of Jasper¡¯s movements, and in the photo stood a beautiful girl beside him. She was the daughter of the Presgrave Family, Willow. Inevitably, she also became one of his current targets. All his team members were killed, but the bounty was still avable¡ªa whopping 300 million dors! As long as he continued to finish this job, all the money would be his. He stared at the girl in the photo, capturing the look in Jasper¡¯s eyes as he looked at her. A sinister smile curved his lips. ¡°Jasper Wyatt, I¡¯ve finally found a way to make you suffer the most painful death. Killing you with a single blow isn¡¯t the most agonizing way. It¡¯s making you watch your beloved woman die before you that will truly make your life a living hell.¡± He was Calvin Fitch, a killing machine trained by Moncent who ranked at the top of assassins. He had superb hacking skills and the most terrifying means and physical prowess. The only time he had failed was when Jasper intercepted him and got him kicked out of his previous organization. Chapter 2092 Chapter 2092 For him, the incident was a lifelong disgrace. He had been nning to take revenge against Jasper but had not anticipateding across him during this mission. Moreover, he discovered the man was in love with a certain girl, which piqued his interest in this job even more. He reached for hisptop and began attacking Presgrave Vi¡¯s surveince system. Just when he was in the midst of writing code to breach the barrier, a line of intercepting code appeared. After staring at it for a few seconds, he let out a sneer. ¡°Jasper, is this your doing? Do you think I¡¯ll lose to you?¡± In the meantime, Jasper was in the guest room next to Willow¡¯s bedroom. When hisptop sounded an rm, he immediately picked it up and sat down. Looking at the targeted lines of code, he knitted his brows and started a virtual contest with Calvin online. The men were among the best, excelling in both intelligence and hacking skills. Needless to say, they were formidable opponents. Just then, Calvin sent a voice message using a voice changer. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Jasper. This time, you¡¯ll die at my hands.¡± ¡°Well then, give it a try,¡± replied Jasper. A taunting voice came from the other end. ¡°Miss Presgrave is truly beautiful! I fell for her at first sight. I wonder how much fun it¡¯d be to y with her. Haha!¡± Jasper knew he shouldn¡¯t let his opponent affect his mood. Still, hearing him speak of Willow like that, he could not control the surge of anger within him. ¡°Zip it.¡± Calvin replied, ¡°Seems like you¡¯ve indeed fallen for her! Jasper, you¡¯ll see your woman underneath my body one day.¡± After listening to that, Jasper continued typing lines of code, fixing the vulnerability while ignoring Calvin¡¯s foul mouth. Then, he closed theptop, stood up, and went outside. As Willow was stuck at home, she had no choice but to pass the time reading and ying games. Just then, her phone suddenly disyed a spooky face. ¡°Ah!¡± she screamed with fright and quickly tossed her phone away. Jasper immediately came to her side. ¡°What happened?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°It¡¯s my phone¡­ It showed a horrifying, bloody face. It¡¯s so scary.¡± Her face was pale with fright. The man pulled her into his arms, knowing that it was Calvin¡¯s doing. ¡°Avoid using your phone and other electronic devices for the time being,¡± he said tenderly. She had never imagined that her phone could bepromised by those people, so she replied with a nod, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do as you say.¡± Jasper took her into his room before picking up his phone and sending a message to Sirius. This was because he had just managed to intercept an IP address and needed him to check whether Calvin was at that location. After sending the message, he watched Willow sit on the couch with a somewhat troubled face. He sat down next to her, saying, ¡°Were you scared?¡± She was worried about him, though. ¡°Not really, but this person¡¯s so hard to deal with. What will you do? If you ever confront him in the future, you have to be careful.¡± Jasper also knew that he could not let his guard down this time because this *sshole had already set his sights on her. ¡°Willow, promise me that you won¡¯t leave my side no matter what happens.¡± ¡°Okay! I got it,¡± she replied. At that moment, she just wanted to stay by his side, not wanting to care about anything out there. In the evening, Jasper had a talk with Jared about the incident, and he also sensed that this Calvin guy was out of the ordinary. Faced with such a wolf-like adversary, they had to stick together and not provide him with any opportunities. After dinner, Jasper brought hisptop to Willow¡¯s room. At that moment, she was reading a book. This was her way of passing the time since she could not use any electronic devices. He felt sorry for her, for it was rare for thisdy to behave so well, and she had eaten so little for dinner. She got out of bed and came over to his side. However, she did not do anything in particr; she merely sat beside him like a kitten staring into space. Closing hisptop, he drew her into his embrace with eyes full of affection and tenderness. Chapter 2093 Chapter 2093 At that moment, his phone vibrated. He looked at it and saw it was from Sirius. Along with it were several photos of Calvin. They showed he was buying something in a grocery store near where he was last seen. ¡®Leave this to me. You should stay with the Presgraves.¡¯ That was what Sirius sent. Feeling tense, Jasper was worried to let his team member act alone, so he replied, ¡®Be careful.¡¯ In the meantime, inside a grocery store in the city, Sirius was disguised as a customer. He was inside the store, pretending to buy something while watching Calvin¡¯s every move. However, after choosing something from the racks, Calvin headed to the cashier counter. When Sirius went after him, he discovered thetter was not at the counter. Just as his heart sank, he felt a gun being pushed up against his waist, followed by Calvin¡¯s smug voice. ¡°You must be Sirius.¡± At that point, Sirius secretly realized he had messed up. It turned out Calvin had already obtained his files. Therefore, he raised his hands, asking, ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t kill you. I¡¯m more interested in Jasper Wyatt. He¡¯s the one I¡¯m looking for.¡± After saying so, Calvin used his gun to force Sirius to leave the grocery store and head toward a deserted alleyway. Sirius immediately found a chance to fight back, and Calvin instantly started fighting with him. Though Sirius was a skilled fighter, Calvin¡¯s moves were more vicious. Once Calvin threw Sirius to the ground, he stepped on Sirius¡¯ back and took thetter¡¯s phone. Then, Calvin unlocked the phone and took a picture to send to Jasper. Along with it were the words, ¡®Come see me within half an hour, or he dies.¡¯ Afterward, Sirius was brought back to Calvin¡¯s apartment. On the other hand, Sirius did not expect Calvin to have already found out his identity and could even catch him alive to be brought back. ¡°You can kill me if you want to. Stop with the nonsense,¡± Sirius demanded coldly. His hands and feet were cuffed with Calvin¡¯s special cuffs. Even an expert in escaping all sorts of bonds could not unlock those cuffs. ¡°Don¡¯t fret! You will die sooner orter, but you must serve your purpose before that. I won¡¯t kill you until I capture yourrade, Jasper Wyatt.¡± Calvin sat on the couch, ncing at Sirius with a sneer. ¡°Your comrade is my target. He will die before you do.¡± ¡°Are you sure you can kill him? He¡¯s our best, and you¡¯re nothingpared to him!¡± Sirius chastised Calvin. Upon hearing that, Calvin became furious and reached for his gun. He pointed it at Sirius¡¯ leg and shot his thigh, causing him to draw a sharp breath. Even though they were highly-trained special ops soldiers, they were still human. ¡°I made sure you won¡¯t die before all your blood has drained from your body.¡± Once that was said, Calvin took Sirius¡¯ phone and took another picture to send to Jasper. At the same time, Jasper, who had just finished patrolling the Presgrave Residence and returned to his room, heard the notification tune and immediately grabbed his phone. When he saw there were four pictures sent to his phone, he opened them. His expression instantly turned tense. Sirius has been captured and injured. Sh*t! N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. At that moment, Jasper received a call from Sirius¡¯ phone. Knowing that it must be Calvin, he answered the call. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Hello, Jasper. It¡¯s me. If you want to save your friend, you should be on your way here by now. I¡¯ll nt explosives nearby, so if you can arrive in time, you will be able to save your friend and all the residents in this apartment. Otherwise, the entire apartmentplex will explode and copse.¡± ¡°What trick are you trying to pull off?¡± ¡°You can think it¡¯s a trick for all I care!¡± Once Calvin finished, he ended the call and took another picture. It showed Sirius with a heavy-duty bomb attached to him. In the meantime, Jasper had already tracked Sirius¡¯ location through his phone. Thetter was currently on the sixth floor of an apartmentplex in the city center. Immediately, Jasper tapped into the security footage around the building to ensure that Calvin had taken Sirius into that building. Chapter 2094 Chapter 2094 Jasper quickly called his uncle, Antoine, and reported the current situation to him. Upon hearing that the residents of an apartmentplex were in danger, Antoine became serious. ¡°Jasper, you have to try your best to save Sirius and ensure the safety of everyone inside that apartmentplex.¡± ¡°Yes, Uncle Antoine, I understand. I¡¯ll head over immediately.¡± Jasper epted the order. When Jasper pushed the door open, Willow was doing the same, and they almost crashed into each other. Jasper held her shoulder and pulled her into his room before pinning her to the wall. Meanwhile, Willow was shocked as she gazed at him with wide eyes. ¡°Willy, something happened to my teammate, and I need to leave for one hour. During this time, I need you to stay at home. Don¡¯t go outside, no matter what you hear or see, understand?¡± Jasper looked at her with a burning gaze. Willow nodded obediently. ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± But at the same time, she was worried. ¡°Will you be in danger?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Jasper¡¯s gazended on her face. He knew Calvin captured Sirius to lure him out from the Presgrave Residence. Therefore, he had no idea what Calvin might do next. However, he was sure that whatever the other was going to do, it was targeted at the Presgraves. ¡°You have to be careful. I promise I won¡¯t leave the vi,¡± Willow promised while raising her hand as though she was taking an oath. Jasper nodded and quickly pecked her forehead. ¡°Wait for me to return.¡± Seeing Jasper about to leave, Willow felt her heart tightening up because all of his missions were apanied by danger. ¡°You muste home. I¡¯ll be waiting for you,¡± Willow told him. With a heavy nod, Jasper promised, ¡°I promise I¡¯lle home safe and sound.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Though he said that, Willow was still unwilling to let him leave, so he opened his arms and embraced her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± With no choice, Willow could only release him. But before leaving, Jasper went to see Jared, who promised not to let his sister out of his sight. At the same time, he went to notify the security team at the vi and asked them to stand guard at their designated positions. Once Jasper had everything arranged, he sped toward the city center. In the meantime, Calvin, who was making his way to the Presgrave Residence, immediately noticed Jasper¡¯s movements through Sirius¡¯ phone. He sneered. ¡°Oh, Jasper. You fell for it.¡± In the meantime, Jared came to Willow¡¯s room and asked, ¡°Willy, are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Jared. I¡¯m just very worried about him.¡± ¡°You should trust his abilities. He¡¯ll be fine.¡± Willow turned to look at Jared. ¡°Jared, don¡¯t worry about me. I promise not to go anywhere, and I¡¯ll stay inside the house. You should go and be with Ellen.¡± ¡°Okay, but remember not to go anywhere.¡± Once Jared exhorted her, he left to return to his family. With the security guards standing by all the crucial areas around the vi, there would be some kind of commotion if Calvin arrived. By then, he could alsoe forward and deal with that man. Willow heard someone knocking on her door. When she turned around, she saw it was the servant who had cared for her for many years, Sasha Pickett. ¡°Miss Presgrave, have some milk.¡± Sasha brought over a cup of milk. Since Willow was feeling thirsty from being so worried, she smiled. ¡°Thank you, Ms. Pickett.¡± Sasha bent over to help Willow clean up her things, but tears suddenly began to fall from her eyes. However, Willow was oblivious to that because she was drinking her milk, thinking about Jasper. Suddenly, she felt dizzy and weak. When she realized what was happening, she looked at Sasha but heard thetter say, ¡°Miss Presgrave, I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t let my two sons die. I would rather die for them.¡± Willow fell unconscious, but right before her consciousness faded, she heard herself call out Jasper¡¯s name. Afterward, Sasha pushed arge trash can into the room. She knew there were no cameras inside Willow¡¯s room, so it was safe to ce Willow in the trash can inside the room. It was a new one, of course, and she even ced a nket inside so that Willow wouldn¡¯t feel too ufortable. Chapter 2095 Chapter 2095 ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Miss Presgrave. I¡¯m truly sorry.¡± Sasha sobbed while putting Willow into a trash can and pushing it out. Then, she drove out of the underground garage. She had ced Willow into the trunk, knowing the bodyguards only checked iing vehicles and wouldn¡¯t inspect outgoing ones. They wouldn¡¯t have known that Willow was already in the car. Sasha had been working as a maid in the Presgrave Family for twenty years. After Willow was born, she had worked diligently here. The Presgrave Family treated her very well, and her remuneration was pretty high. However, when faced with the kidnapping of her son and husband, she made the decision to save her family¡¯s lives. She was forced to do something illegal against her conscience. She knew that the Presgrave Family was in danger this time, but she was simple-minded. She felt the youngdy of the Presgrave Family wouldn¡¯t easilye to harm, for she was a person of value and status. At most, she might suffer a bit, and the Presgrave Family would pay arge ransom to rescue her. As Sasha passed through the main gate, she behaved as usual, and the bodyguards didn¡¯t inspect her car. The focus now was on external security, so they overlooked this detail, making it possible to kidnap Willow. Sasha drove the car away. Since there were no surveince cameras in Willow¡¯s room, no one knew that Willow was gone. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Sasha quickly drove toward the city center. At this moment, Jared had just finished putting his son to sleep in the third-floor living room of the Presgrave Family and was preparing to go downstairs for a drink. At the thought of Willow being confined to her room and most likely worried about Jasper until she wouldn¡¯t eat or drink, Jared wanted to invite her downstairs for a bite. He pushed open the door and expected to find his sister on the bed or the sofa where she usuallyzed, but she was nowhere to be found. ¡°Willy?¡± He stepped into the room and called his sister¡¯s name. However, there was no response in the room. Jared frowned and was about to leave when he saw her phone, which she always kept with her, lying on the sofa. He picked up his sister¡¯s phone and quickly searched the entire floor. After questioning the maids, he found out that no one had seen Willow. Jared felt something amiss and immediately called Ricky, the head of the security team, to review the surveince footage and find out where his sister had gone off to. Ricky was in the control room, and he immediately essed the surveince video from ten minutes ago. He saw Sasha first bringing tea into Willow¡¯s room. Shortly after, the woman wheeled a trash can inside. This was highly unusual. Willow¡¯s room required meticulous cleaning, and she wouldn¡¯t have allowed a large trash can inside. Something was definitely amiss. He quickly reviewed Sasha¡¯s actions in the next ten minutes and saw that her car had been parked in a blind spot from where she had left two minutester. Ricky immediately reported this to Jared, who felt that something had happened to his sister. He picked up his phone and activated a signal. It was a tracking signal every Presgrave carried with them, and it could trace their exact location. Sure enough, it showed that Willow was heading toward the city center. Unexpectedly, they had failed to prevent the nanny, who had been working for the Presgrave Family for over twenty years, from slipping through their security at this critical moment. Jared¡¯s handsome face darkened, and he immediately assembled ten bodyguards to start searching for his sister. Sasha¡¯s phone was now unreachable, but based on Willow¡¯s location, Jared immediately ordered the company¡¯s bodyguards to intercept Sasha¡¯s car. Meanwhile, a ck SUV followed behind Sasha¡¯s car. The driver was directing Sasha to take Willow to a designated location. At this moment, Jasper kicked open the door on the sixth floor of an apartment building and saw Sirius tied to a chair, a miniature bomb strapped to him. Though it was small, its explosive power was enough to bring down the entire apartment. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me. You need to go,¡± Sirius said to Jasper calmly. The countdown on the bomb had already reached five minutes, and disarming this bomb was extremely difficult. Chapter 2096 Chapter 2096 ¡°It¡¯s controlled by a key, but it¡¯s with Calvin,¡± Sirius said helplessly. ¡°Keep your mouth shut.¡± After Jasper spoke, he pulled out two wires from the bomb and connected them to a device, subsequently linking hisputer to it. He quickly assembled a controller on hisputer. Although the bomb was controlled by a key, as long as it was an electronic control product, he could find a way to work around it. This would¡¯ve usually taken an hour, but he managed to do so within five minutes. Sweat was already appearing on Sirius¡¯ forehead, and Jasper was struggling too, but he didn¡¯t stop working. He was searching for the decryption code. Finally, the code calcted the first digit of the four-digit passcode. By the third-minute mark, he retrieved the second digit. As they progressed, it took them more time to decrypt the passcode. There were only two minutes left. ¡°Can it be done? Don¡¯t risk your life to save me,¡± Sirius asked him. Jasper looked at him and said, ¡°I¡¯m not doing it for you.¡± ¡°Y-You brat.¡± Sirius chuckled while trying to lighten the mood. Thest digit appeared with five seconds left to spare. Jasper inputted the four numbers almost instantly, and with only one second left, he unlocked it as Sirius closed his eyes in fear. The blinking red light on the bomb suddenly stopped, and a hidden key emerged from the hole. Sirius opened his eyes and took a deep breath after seeing that the bomb had been sessfully disarmed. He looked at Jasper and said, ¡°Impressive! I can¡¯t even dispose of a bomb with this method.¡± Jasper patted his shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s just luck.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know that your uncle has given you a lot of privileges. You¡¯ve learned way more than me,¡± remarked Sirius teasingly. Just then, Jasper¡¯s phone rang. He picked it up. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Jasper, have you solved the situation at hand?¡± ¡°I just did.¡± ¡°Willy is in trouble.¡± Jasper¡¯s hand that was holding the phone trembled almost uncontrobly. ¡°Where is she, Mr. Presgrave?¡± ¡°She fell into a trap set by my maid and was taken into the city. She¡¯s still in the car. Pleasee over immediately and join us.¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°Send me the address,¡± Jasper said while maintaining hisposure. The address was sent, and Sirius immediately followed him downstairs. The two of them rushed out. At this moment, Jasper took out hisptop and immediately tracked Willow¡¯s location. As expected, she was still wearing her ne, so they had her exact location. Sirius calcted the quickest route, then said, ¡°Hold on tight. We¡¯ll intercept that car within ten minutes.¡± ¡°We have to be faster than that.¡± Jasper wished he could fly. He knew how ruthless Calvin could be. If Willow fell into his hands, he dared not imagine the consequences. Sirius pressed the elerator to the floor, and the car surged forward like a wild stallion gone berserk, racing toward their destination. They were hoping to reach there in eight minutes. At this moment, the rescue teams converging from three directions were closing in on Sasha¡¯s car. Sasha was driving in a state of panic. There was a male voiceing from her phone. ¡°Keep going.¡± Meanwhile, Willow was still unconscious in the trunk of Sasha¡¯s car. She had been heavily drugged this time, and she wouldn¡¯t be waking up anytime soon. However, Sasha couldn¡¯t see the abductor¡¯s face clearly; she could only hear his continuous orders through the phone. She continued to drive under his instructions. She had never driven this fast before, and her legs were trembling. After speeding onto the overpass, she elerated toward the seaside. Behind her, Calvin urged, ¡°Faster!¡± In his car, there was aptop he used to track Sirius and Jasper¡¯s whereabouts. He noticed they were less than five miles away from them. Sasha, driven by the thought of her husband and son, stepped on the gas pedal and sped ahead while overtaking the other cars along the way. Finally, after reaching an exit, she continued down the coastal road. She knew that she would be able to reunite with her husband and son at the destination. Chapter 2097 Chapter 2097 She had already decided her fate the moment she epted this mission, embarking on this journey to save her son and sacrifice herself. Behind her, a convoy of vehicles sped forward with Jared in the leading car. While tracking Sasha¡¯s car, he was bing increasingly anxious. ¡°Faster! Faster!¡± Jared had to ensure his sister¡¯s safety. After driving for over six miles, Sasha suddenly turned onto a narrow mountain road. She had no idea where it led, but Calvin, who was following her, kept feeding her instructions through the phone. She eventually saw the cliff¡¯s edge and was terrified. She mmed on the brakes, bringing the vehicle to a halt. She got out of the car while trembling, opened the trunk, and found a delicate figure lying there. Willow¡¯s pretty face came into view as Sasha came closer. She kneeled before Calvin, her voice trembling. ¡°Please spare my son and husband. I beg you. I¡¯ve done as you asked, so please spare them.¡± Calvin smirked and pointed in a direction before saying, ¡°They¡¯re over there. Go save them yourself!¡± Sasha ran toward the direction he had pointed at and found her son and husband tied up under a tree. She cried as she approached them and quickly reached out to untie the pair. After she removed the cloth from her son¡¯s mouth, he cried. ¡°Mom, what¡¯s going on?¡± She removed the cloth from her husband¡¯s mouth as well, and he asked, ¡°What have you gotten us into? Do you know we almost died because of you?¡± ¡°After I untie you both, you need to leave from this direction and stop asking questions,¡± Sasha instructed them. Meanwhile, Calvin bent down in front of Willow and said, ¡°Jasper has good taste for choosing such a beautiful girl. It¡¯s a pity he won¡¯t get to spend more time with you.¡± Willow was beginning to regain consciousness, and when she opened her eyes, she suddenly saw a menacing face. She recoiled in fear and asked angrily, ¡°Who the hell are you?!¡± ¡°You probably know me,¡± Calvin replied. She soon realized he was the one who had attacked her family. She sat up in the trunk, wanting to get out of the car. Calvin suddenly grabbed her by the throat and lifted her out. Willow had never experienced such treatment before. She felt an immediate choking sensation and struggled while pping the man¡¯s hand, unable to catch her breath. He tossed her onto a grassy area nearby and sneered. ¡°Do you think you can escape from me?¡± ¡°My family won¡¯t spare you if you kill me. My boyfriend will also hunt you to the ends of the earth,¡± Willow retorted angrily. Calvin chuckled coldly. ¡°Your boyfriend? Jasper?¡± Willow fell silent and refused to answer him. She was only thinking about finding an opportunity to escape. Just then, she felt her ne, and a strong sense of concern immediately hit her. This ne contained a tracking device belonging to Jasper, so he was probably on his way right now. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. No, don¡¯te looking for me, Jasper. Before she could fullye to her senses, Calvin forcefully pulled her up again. Her wrists were handcuffed within seconds, with the other end chained to the car door beside her. She was now unable to escape. ¡°Let me go!¡± Willow demanded angrily. Calvin returned to his car, took out aputer, and saw a red dot less than half a mile away from their location. He smirked coldly, for Jasper had finally arrived. At this moment, a convoy of speeding vehicles raced down the narrow road. Both Jasper and Jared had arrived. Jasper¡¯s car sped forward, leading the way. When he saw Willow leaning against the car frame, his heart was instantly gripped with pain and anxiety. His eyes were also filled with concern and worry. Chapter 2098 Chapter 2098 ¡°Calm down,¡± said Sirius, attempting to reassure Jasper. ¡°Don¡¯t act impulsively.¡± ¡°If Calvin dares to harm her, I¡¯ll make sure he dies a painful death.¡± Jasper clenched his fists tightly. Jasper got out of the car, and three other cars screeched to a halt next to him. Jared quickly stepped out of his car and shouted at Calvin, ¡°Release my sister!¡± ¡°Oh! Everyone¡¯s here.¡± Calvin suddenly pulled out a gun and pointed it at Willow¡¯s forehead before addressing the row of people in front of him. ¡°Stay where you are, or I¡¯ll kill her right now.¡± Willow looked at the people who hade to rescue her, her eyes instantly welling up with tears. She never expected the maid, who had taken care of her for twenty years, would kidnap her in such a manner. ¡°Just leave, Jared! Don¡¯t bother saving me,¡± Willow shouted at them. Even with a gun pointed at her head, she felt no fear. She was even more worried about the people standing in front of her. Her loved ones were all present, after all. ¡°Willy!¡± Jasper eximed involuntarily. His eyes were filled with pain and anxiety. ¡°Everyone except Jasper will have to back off to the main road over there, or I won¡¯t even give you a chance to negotiate,¡± Calvin shouted while pointing at Jared. ¡°Especially you, Mr. Presgrave. If you don¡¯t want to die with your sister, leave.¡± ¡°Let my sister go, and you can name your conditions,¡± Jared said in a deep voice. How could he leave right now? ¡°I have a personal grudge with Jasper. You don¡¯t need to get involved. Scram!¡± After he finished speaking, Calvin suddenly fired a shot into the air. The gunshot startled Willow, and she let out a sharp scream while covering her ears with one hand. ¡°Willy!¡± ¡°Willow!¡± Both men called out in concern at the same time. However, Calvin bellowed, ¡°I won¡¯t say it again. I¡¯ll count to ten, and if all of you don¡¯t disappear, you won¡¯t get a chance to negotiate!¡± Jasper turned to look at Jared while gritting his teeth and said, ¡°No matter what the cost, I will save Willy.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t let you take the risk alone,¡± Jared said. If they left, Jasper would be tortured to death by Calvin. ¡°Trust me on this,¡± Jasper said to Jared. ¡°Ten, nine, eight¡­¡± Calvin had already started counting. Jared didn¡¯t dare provoke this killer. At this point, he could only trust Jasper. He waved his hand, and his subordinates all returned to their cars, Sirius included. They then turned the car around and left. Calvin suddenly grabbed Willow by the throat and said to Jasper, ¡°Jasper, your woman is really beautiful!¡± Jasper clenched his fists as he watched Calvin choke Willow roughly, almost breaking his skin. ¡°Let her go, you loser. Face me if you have the guts,¡± Jasper said angrily. He was trying to provoke Calvin. Needless to say, the man took the bait. He sneered and asked, ¡°What did you say? Are you calling me a loser?¡± ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°Aren¡¯t you? In ourst mission, I outperformed you with ease. This proves that I¡¯m stronger than you.¡± Calvin¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re worthy ofpeting with me?¡± Calvin had always been proud and arrogant, and he couldn¡¯t tolerate anyone being stronger than him, especially Jasper. Because of him, Calvin had been cast aside by their previous organization like trash. He harbored deep resentment and was determined to prove that he was undoubtedly stronger than Jasper. ¡°I challenge you to a fight. What kind of man uses a woman as leverage?¡± Jasper coldly snorted, his eyes filled with disdain. Calvin could have easily dealt with Jasper using his gun, but he wanted to prove himself. He wanted to prove that he was stronger than Jasper, even though he could see that Jasper was trying to provoke him. ¡°I am the strongest one here, and I will make you understand how powerful I am,¡± Calvin said. He then threw the gun into a nearby car and took out a small bomb before cing it on the car¡¯s hood. Then, he set a timer. ¡°If you can¡¯t defeat me within ten minutes, you¡¯ll watch your woman explode into pieces!¡± Chapter 2099 Chapter 2099 Willow took a deep breath and looked at Jasper. She wondered, Just 10 minutes? How can Jasper defeat this guy in such a short time? This guy is mad. I can tell he¡¯s on Jasper¡¯s level. But how can Jasper focus on a duel when I¡¯m here, holding his attention? ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, Jasper. Go! You don¡¯t have to do this for me,¡± she pleaded with teary eyes. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Jasper shook his head and said firmly, ¡°I¡¯m not leaving.¡± He took off his coat, revealing a gray shirt. His eyes locked onto Willow¡¯s with unwavering determination. At this, Calvin sneered andunched an attack. The two men shed, every punch and kick carrying deadly force. Jasper was clearly distracted, and even though Willow remained silent, her presence weighed on his mind. Suddenly, Calvin kicked Jasper to the ground and struck his abdomen with his elbow. ¡°Ah!¡± She cried out with tears streaming down her face and pleaded desperately, ¡°Stop! Please, no more fighting.¡± Desperate, she struggled against her handcuffs, causing her delicate skin to bear the brunt of her efforts. Yet, her focus remained firmly on Jasper. Blood trickled from the corner of Jasper¡¯s mouth after a blow to his abdomen. As Calvin moved in to strangle him, Jasper blocked with his hand and forcefully shoved him away before rising to his feet. With a contemptuous sneer, Calvin taunted, ¡°You¡¯re weak, Jasper. Do you think you can challenge me? Where did your confidencee from?¡± Jasper stood his ground and wiped off the blood on his mouth. ¡°If you¡¯ve got the guts, finish me off. Until then, you haven¡¯t won.¡± Those words only stoked Calvin¡¯s anger and amplified his desire to end Jasper¡¯s life and savor his suffering. ¡°C¡¯mon, coward, get back on your feet and fight,¡± he taunted, signaling for a final showdown. ¡°Stop. Please¡­ Just stop,¡± Willow pleaded desperately as she sensed Calvin¡¯s murderous intent. She could see how determined Calvin was to take Jasper¡¯s life, especially since Jasper had already coughed up blood from an earlier attack. Despite her pleas, no one paid any attention to her words. The countdown on the bomb strapped to her was down to seven minutes. Jasper nced at the timer and defiantly challenged Calvin. ¡°If you want my life,e and take it.¡± Seeing Jasper in a weakened state, Calvin felt even more triumphant and decided to use his fists to send Jasper out of this world. In a relentless attack, Calvin aimed to send Jasper into oblivion with his fists. Jasper managed to block some of the blows but was pushed back. Calvin noticed Jasper¡¯s weakening strength, and the desire to kill him intensified. Calvin thought, Once I kill Jasper and Willow, my mission will be considered a sess. The client only cares that someone from the Presgrave Family suffers greatly, not who dies. Meanwhile, Willow witnessed the brutal assault on Jasper as he was on the ground and spitting out blood. Her heart shattered, and in that moment, she cared not for her own fate, even if it meant being blown to pieces. She couldn¡¯t bear to see Jasper die for her. ¡°Jasper, go! Don¡¯t worry about me!¡± she cried, tears clouding her vision and the wind tousling her long hair. Despair was etched across her face. After hearing that, Jasper looked at Willow. Just then, Calvin turned to look at her as well. He sneered, saying, ¡°Today, you¡¯ll watch your beloved woman die right before your eyes. I won¡¯t take your life just yet. I want you to witness how she shatters into pieces.¡± With a twisted grin, he revealed a key hanging from his neck. ¡°This is the key to unlocking her handcuffs, but unfortunately, you don¡¯t have the strength to take it from me.¡± Suddenly, he delivered a forceful kick to Jasper¡¯s chest. Jasper tried to block the attack, but Calvin grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to his knees. ¡°I want you to keep your eyes wide open and see how she dies.¡± Chapter 2100 Chapter 2100 With just three minutes left on the countdown timer next to Willow, she looked at Jasper, mentally preparing for the inevitable. Her sole wish was to imprint his image in her memory before dying. She hoped that in her next life, she could spot him in a crowd, for if they couldn¡¯t be together in this lifetime, she was determined to reunite with him in the next. While Calvin had Jasper pinned down, it appeared Calvin had the upper hand. However, Jasper spotted an opportunity when Calvin let his guard down and quickly took action. With a quick move, Jasper elbowed the ground and wrapped his long legs around Calvin¡¯s neck. He sat firmly on Calvin, reaching for the key hanging around his neck, and yanked it. Calvin was instantly strangled by the chain, which turned into a deadly weapon, cutting off his breath and turning his face purple. He desperately swung his fists, trying to dislodge Jasper from his shoulders. However, Jasper¡¯s legs continued to tighten around Calvin¡¯s neck, dragging him closer to the edge of death. Calvin¡¯s face changed to a sickly shade of purple and red. Suddenly, blood spurted from Calvin¡¯s neck as the chain severed his windpipe. With a fierce expression, he fell to his knees. Only then did Jasper step away and remove the chain hanging from Calvin¡¯s neck. At this critical moment, there were just 15 seconds left on the countdown timer next to Willow. Willow had been engrossed in Jasper¡¯s counterattack, forgetting momentarily that she stood next to the Grim Reaper. However, when Jasper rushed to unlock her handcuffs, she realized the danger she was still in. Just then, she saw Calvin, who had fallen to the ground, suddenly rise again. Despite his broken neck, he was brimming with murderous intent as he charged toward Jasper. ¡°Jasper, watch out!¡± she shouted. Jasper quickly pushed Willow several feet away, concerned that Calvin might target her. Yet Calvin¡¯s aim was not her; he was going after Jasper. Summoning hisst ounce of strength, Calvin pushed Jasper toward the cliff. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. At the same time, Jasper also realized Calvin¡¯s intentions. ¡°Join me in death!¡± Calvin spat out a mouthful of blood as his eyes burned with hatred. Jasper quickly turned, shoving the bomb into Calvin¡¯s grasp, intent on escaping. However, Calvin, in a deft move, latched onto Jasper, tripping him up with a well-ced ankle lock. Then, Calvin dragged Jasper down the cliff. ¡°Jasper!¡± Willow cried out and rushed over. Just then, Jared arrived and hugged his sister tightly. ¡°Willow, you can¡¯t go.¡± Willow hod been engrossed in Josper¡¯s counterottock, forgetting momentorily thot she stood next to the Grim Reoper. However, when Josper rushed to unlock her hondcuffs, she reolized the donger she wos still in. Just then, she sow Colvin, who hod follen to the ground, suddenly rise ogoin. Despite his broken neck, he wos brimming with murderous intent os he chorged toword Josper. ¡°Josper, wotch out!¡± she shouted. Josper quickly pushed Willow severol feet owoy, concerned thot Colvin might torget her. Yet Colvin¡¯s oim wos not her; he wos going ofter Josper. Summoning his lost ounce of strength, Colvin pushed Josper toword the cliff. At the some time, Josper olso reolized Colvin¡¯s intentions. ¡°Join me in deoth!¡± Colvin spot out o mouthful of blood os his eyes burned with hotred. Josper quickly turned, shoving the bomb into Colvin¡¯s grosp, intent on escoping. However, Colvin, in o deft move, lotched onto Josper, tripping him up with o well-ploced onkle lock. Then, Colvin drogged Josper down the cliff. ¡°Josper!¡± Willow cried out ond rushed over. Just then, Jored orrived ond hugged his sister tightly. ¡°Willow, you con¡¯t go.¡± ¡°Jasper!¡± Sirius shouted as they had all seen the bomb in Calvin¡¯s hand earlier. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Jasper whispered, his final words before plunging off the cliff. ¡°Jasper! You can¡¯t die.¡± Willow struggled to get to him, but Jared, aware of the bomb, held her back firmly. Boom! A deafening explosion echoed from the sea, sending water shooting 30 feet into the air, showcasing the bomb¡¯s devastating power. As Willow heard the explosion, her mind went nk, and a dark consciousness enveloped her. In despair, she copsed on the ground. ¡°Willow!¡± Jared shouted and picked up his sister. He looked at her pale, tear-stained face, his heart heavy and chest tight with pain. He turned to Sirius and said, ¡°You handle things here. I¡¯ll take my sister back.¡± ¡°Go ahead, Young Master Presgrave. Leave this to me,¡± Sirius replied, his heart heavy, knowing Jasper¡¯s chances of survival were slim. Afterward, Jared carried his sister away quickly. They got into the car and instructed their bodyguard to drive to the city hospital. Standing at the bottom of the cliff, Sirius removed his coat and jumped into the sea. At the same time, the bodyguard, Ricky, shouted, ¡°Get in the water and start the rescue!¡± Chapter 2101 Chapter 2101 Over a dozen bodyguards jumped into the sea, desperately searching for the missing person. Despite the uncertain fate, they were determined to locate Jasper. At that moment, Sasha and her family watched everything unfold from a distance. Then, she turned to her husband and son, saying, ¡°You both need to leave this city immediately and never return.¡± ¡°What about you, Mom?¡± ¡°I¡¯m responsible for Miss Presgrave¡¯s beloved¡¯s death. It would be shameful to keep on living.¡± She hadn¡¯t expected that the man Willow loved the most would be the one to die. Nheless, she was grateful that Willow survived; otherwise, her guilt would have been overwhelming. ¡°Mom, what do you mean?¡± her son asked. ¡°Come home with us, honey.¡± Sasha shook her head and walked to the nearby rocks. After onest nce at her son and husband, she jumped into the sea. ¡°Mom¡­¡± Although a group of bodyguards searched for Jasper nearby, nobody noticed Sasha jumping into the sea. The rough waves made it nearly impossible to spot her, and since she had a determined intent to end her life, she didn¡¯t put up a fight and let herself sink beneath the water. However, her husband and son didn¡¯t dare to jump in to save her, as doing so from that height was almost certain death. ¡°Mom!¡± Sasha¡¯s son wanted to jump several times but was held back by his father. ¡°Don¡¯t go, son. You can¡¯t save her.¡± Eventually, Sasha¡¯s lifeless body floated to the surface and was soon swallowed by the waves in the distance. Meanwhile, Sirius and his bodyguards had scattered to search for survivors after the explosion caused chaos in the turbulent sea. He spotted a figure in the distance and swam toward it, hoping it was Jasper. Unfortunately, it turned out to be Calvin. He was severely injured and lifeless in the water. Despair filled Sirius¡¯ heart, but he continued swimming, driven by the hope of finding Jasper alive. Finally, a bodyguard shouted, and Sirius swam in that direction, finding Jasper floating on the surface. With relief, Sirius quickly checked Jasper¡¯s breathing and said, ¡°He¡¯s still breathing. We need to get him out fast.¡± With a swift motion, the bodyguards above tossed down a handful of lifebuoys, allowing Sirius to pull an unconscious Jasper to the nearby beach. He performed CPR to expel the seawater from his chest. Jasper coughed up a few mouthfuls, his face pallid, but then a trickle of blood emerged from his ears. Sirius gently tapped Jasper¡¯s face and urged, ¡°Jasper, wake up.¡± Then, Sirius and the bodyguards hurriedly transported Jasper to the car as they sped toward the nearest hospital. However, the hospital was still half an hour away. Upon arrival, they rushed Jasper into the emergency room. ¡°Don¡¯t go, son. You con¡¯t sove her.¡± Eventuolly, Sosho¡¯s lifeless body flooted to the surfoce ond wos soon swollowed by the woves in the distonce. Meonwhile, Sirius ond his bodyguords hod scottered to seorch for survivors ofter the explosion coused choos in the turbulent seo. He spotted o figure in the distonce ond swom toword it, hoping it wos Josper. Unfortunotely, it turned out to be Colvin. He wos severely injured ond lifeless in the woter. Despoir filled Sirius¡¯ heort, but he continued swimming, driven by the hope of finding Josper olive. Finolly, o bodyguord shouted, ond Sirius swom in thot direction, finding Josper flooting on the surfoce. With relief, Sirius quickly checked Josper¡¯s breothing ond soid, ¡°He¡¯s still breothing. We need to get him out fost.¡± With o swift motion, the bodyguords obove tossed down o hondful of lifebuoys, ollowing Sirius to pull on unconscious Josper to the neorby beoch. He performed CPR to expel the seowoter from his chest. Josper coughed up o few mouthfuls, his foce pollid, but then o trickle of blood emerged from his eors. Sirius gently topped Josper¡¯s foce ond urged, ¡°Josper, woke up.¡± Then, Sirius ond the bodyguords hurriedly tronsported Josper to the cor os they sped toword the neorest hospitol. However, the hospitol wos still holf on hour owoy. Upon orrivol, they rushed Josper into the emergency room. Sirius stood by the emergency room door, reaching out to contact Antoine to provide an immediate update. ¡°I-Is he still alive?¡± Antoine¡¯s voice trembled on the other end. ¡°He¡¯s still alive for now.¡± ¡°What about his other injuries?¡± ¡°No visible external injuries, but we¡¯re uncertain about internal damage. Jasper¡¯s receiving treatment at the hospital.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to pick you up immediately. Also, my nephew must have no more contact with the Presgrave Family. Bring him back.¡± Sirius nodded, saying, ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°What about Miss Presgrave? How is she?¡± ¡°She fainted, minor cuts and bruises.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯llmunicate with the Presgrave Family. Bring him back to me.¡± Antoine gave the order. After ending the call, Sirius couldn¡¯t help but sigh, realizing that their profession allowed no room for love, as it would cost someone their life. He could only watch as this ill-fated couple drifted apart. Meanwhile, Jared was at the hospital and had just finished updating his parents. He told them about Willow¡¯s condition, and now Elliot and Anastasia were hurrying back from abroad. Chapter 2102 Chapter 2102 Jared¡¯s phone rang, and he saw an unfamiliar number. He answered hesitantly, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Mr. Presgrave, I¡¯m Antoine Wyatt, Jasper¡¯s uncle and superior. There are important matters to discuss. I need your cooperation.¡± Jared responded cautiously, ¡°Go ahead, Mr. Wyatt. I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°Jasper and your sister have developed feelings for each other, but now he¡¯s been seriously injured on a mission. The extent of his injuries isn¡¯t clear, but I don¡¯t want him to have further contact with your sister.¡± Jared felt guilty, knowing Jasper had paid a heavy price this time. He said, ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°I hope you also understand my concerns. Jasper¡¯s line of work isn¡¯t suitable for your sister. For their well-being, please tell her that he has sacrificed himself in this mission and ask her to sever her emotional ties with him.¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Jared hesitated briefly, aware of how significant Jasper was to Willow, perhaps even more than her own life. ¡°Please cooperate. It¡¯s for your sister¡¯s best interests.,¡± Antoine urged. Jared¡¯s gaze shifted to his unconscious sister, and he struggled to imagine her reaction upon waking up. He wondered if Willow would faint again after hearing this news. Nheless, he couldn¡¯t disregard Antoine¡¯s words. Jared knew that Jasper¡¯s profession wasn¡¯t conducive to starting a family. Even if his sister married him eventually, their life would be fraught with constant fear and danger¡ªnot the future he wished for her. He reasoned that following Antoine¡¯s advice might be the right action. Hence, he needed to sever his sister¡¯s attachment to Jasper, allowing her to meet a remarkable man, rebuild her life, and enjoy stability. ¡°I agree,¡± he replied. ¡°I¡¯ll do as you suggest.¡± ¡°Good. Keep this matter strictly confidential,¡± Antoine advised. ¡°I will. You have my word.¡± After that, Jared couldn¡¯t resist asking, ¡°If Jasper wakes up, could you provide me with an update on his condition? I want to know how he¡¯s doing.¡± Antoine responded firmly, ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll be necessary anymore, Mr. Presgrave. Thank you for your concern. Whether he lives or dies, it¡¯s now in fate¡¯s hands. Let¡¯s assume he¡¯s no longer with us.¡± With those words, he hung up the phone. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . This was Jasper¡¯s worst-performing mission in so many tasks. Antoine knew it was rted to Willow because she had disrupted his actions and thoughts, preventing him from sessfullypleting the mission. From now on, he only needed an operative who could escape unharmed, not a nephew clouded by emotions. Meanwhile, a military helicopternded in the hospital¡¯s grassy field. Jasper was wheeled out by a doctor, and two military medics rushed to assist, taking the medicine bottle from the doctor and lifting Jasper into the helicopter. Sirius observed the helicopter take off before leaving in his car. He needed to wrap up the remaining tasks and rejoin his team. He believed this mission was a sess. Also, he expected the Presgrave Family wouldn¡¯t remain passive, and the person responsible for their troubles would meet their end. After returning to the safe house, he organized his belongings and discreetly vanished from Averna. At the hospital, Jared sat by Willow¡¯s side, deeply worried as he looked at her pale face. He dreaded exining everything to her because he knew it would cause her immense pain. Later that evening, heforted Ellen over the phone outside the ward. She wanted to visit, but he convinced her to stay home and care for their son, advising against a visit for now. After hanging up, he reentered the ward, noticing Willow starting to stir. He took a seat beside her and softly called, ¡°Willow. Willow?¡± Deep within her subconscious, Willow fought to rouse herself. At that moment, Jared¡¯sforting voice was like a beacon, prompting her to open her eyes. Chapter 2103 Chapter 2103 Within moments of regaining consciousness, Willow urgently grasped Jared¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Jasper? Take me to him.¡± Her brother had issued strict orders to the bodyguards involved in the rescue, insisting on keeping it a secret. So, he could only respond with a regretful look, unsure of how to break the news to her. However, that one nce spoke volumes, shattering her heart before a word was uttered. ¡°N-No. It can¡¯t be. He won¡¯t leave me behind,¡± she sobbed with her hands covering her face. The pain she felt was unlike anything she¡¯d ever experienced, and she couldn¡¯t fathom Jasper¡¯s absence. Jared reached out his hand to try andfort his sister. ¡°Willow, he sacrificed himself for you. You must find the strength to carry on.¡± Willow looked up with a pair of swollen red eyes. ¡°What¡¯s the point of living without Jasper? I¡¯d rather be in his ce.¡± Tears continued to pour down her face, dampening the sheets. Her pallor made it seem as though she might faint at any moment. Memories of their love story filled her mind. His eyes, voice, and kiss enveloped her like a warm embrace. The idea of a life without him was unbearable. She couldn¡¯t imagine moving forward. ¡°Where is he? I need to see him,¡± she said softly, fighting off the faintness creeping over her. She dreaded missing her chance to say a final goodbye. ¡°Willow, he¡¯s been brought back by the special forces. We won¡¯t be able to see him,¡± Jared told her. ¡°No. You must find a way for me to see him onest time. If you don¡¯t help, I¡¯ll ask Dad or Mr. Lloyd. I have to see him, no matter what,¡± she pleaded, tears streaming down her face. Jared¡¯s heart ached as he watched Willow¡¯s anguish. The entire family had pampered her since she was young and had never faced such adversity. They had ensured she never had to endure hardship, but now she had to grapple with the pain of losing her loved one. ¡°I can contact them, but I can¡¯t guarantee you¡¯ll get to see him,¡± he tried to console her, knowing that raising her hopes would only deepen the disappointment. Jared knew Antoine had been adamant about severing Jasper¡¯s ties with Willow. Furthermore, as Jasper¡¯s only elder, even the Presgraves could not change Antoine¡¯s decision. ¡°Really? Jared, I beg you. I want to see him for thest time,¡± she said before bursting into tears. She couldn¡¯t ept a life without Jasper. Jared gently patted Willow, understanding that losing a loved one was an incredibly painful experience that no one could easily ept. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Meanwhile, Jasper was on the operating table in a secret military hospital. He was surrounded by five or six doctors conducting various examinations. Standing outside the operation room, Antoine appeared to have aged significantly. His hair, typically tinged with a hint of gray from his demanding work, now appeared even grayer. He regretted bringing Jasper into the forces for training. If he had allowed Jasper to lead a normal life, Jasper would be managing apany worth billions and bing an influential man. Unfortunately, Antoine had brought him into an organization like the special forces, forcing Jasper to adapt to a life of danger and uncertainty. On the other hand, Antoine wished for the Wyatt Family¡¯s lineage to continue, but Jasper¡¯s profession ensured he could never lead a normal life. Even if he were to leave the military, the scars of his experiences would haunt him, preventing him from ever living like an ordinary person. At that moment, a doctor exited the operation theater and looked at Antoine, ¡°Mr. Wyatt, may I have a moment of your time?¡± ¡°No need for that. Just tell me.¡± Antoine desperately wanted to know Jasper¡¯s condition. Chapter 2104 Chapter 2104 ¡°Judging by the initial test, the patient seems to have escaped any significant organ damage, which is positive news. However, there¡¯s a serious concern about his hearing.¡± Antoine found it difficult to ept and asked, ¡°Does that mean he¡¯s lost his hearingpletely?¡± ¡°We won¡¯t know for sure until he wakes up. Right now, he needs rest. We¡¯ll also assess his brain and memory when he regains consciousness.¡± Antoine felt relieved that Jasper had survived but couldn¡¯t shake his worries. As a member of the X Special Forces, having a keen hearing was essential to participate in missions. If Jasper lost his hearing, it could jeopardize his career. Hence, Antoine was determined to restore Jasper¡¯s hearing, no matter what. As for Jasper¡¯s memory, Antoine could only sigh helplessly. Jasper was his best agent and had never made a mistake on any mission. Antoine knew Jasper¡¯s emotions affected his judgment during thest mission. Just then, Antoine¡¯s phone rang, and he answered, ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Mr. Wyatt. It¡¯s Jared Presgrave. I wanted to ask¡ª¡± ¡°Mr. Presgrave, I assume your sister is awake. There¡¯s no need for further discussion on this matter. Please cooperate with me.¡± On the other end, Jared reluctantly gave in upon hearing Antoine¡¯s firm response. ¡°Understood. I apologize for troubling you.¡± Antoine knew he was acting selfishly, but he had his reasons. The following morning, Elliot and Anastasia hurried to the hospital from the airport. Their hearts sank when they saw how fragile Willow appeared, even though they had only been apart for a few days.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡°Mom,¡± Willow cried when she saw her mother, who ran over to hug her in tears. On the other hand, Elliot went out to talk with Jared. After hearing Antoine¡¯s wishes, he sighed. He felt guilty as their family matter had nearly cost Jasper his life. Hence, they decided not to pressure Antoine, no matter how much Willow cared for Jasper. ¡°Dad, let¡¯s n a vacation for Willow once she¡¯s feeling better.¡± ¡°Sure. We¡¯ll go as a family,¡± Elliot agreed. During his time abroad, he had resolved a matter involving someone funding a war against their family. That person was no longer a threat. ¡°Dad, is that matter taken care of?¡± Jared asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Elliot nodded, and only they knew about the grim details. Elliot clenched his fist as he watched Willow and Anastasia through the window. He felt helpless as he couldn¡¯t do anything about his daughter¡¯s rtionship. ¡°Is Antoine really against Willow having any contact with Jasper?¡± ¡°I spoke to him. He¡¯s steadfast in his decision. He doesn¡¯t want Willow involved with Jasper anymore.¡± ¡°Willow will find someone who loves her in the future,¡± Elliot said. He only wanted his daughter to be happy. ¡°Right now, Willow believes Jasper is gone. We just need to handle this carefully, and she¡¯ll eventually recover from the trauma,¡± Jared said, his gaze fixed on Willow with a heavy heart. Inside the ward, Anastasiaforted Willow, her own eyes red from shedding tears. She wiped her daughter¡¯s tears and assured her, ¡°Willow, I¡¯ll always be by your side.¡± Willow sobbed in her mother¡¯s arms but gradually calmed down, like a newborn baby settling into sleep. However, her heart felt as if it had been repeatedly stabbed, shattering into pieces. She couldn¡¯t fathom that Jasper was no longer in this world. How could she ept it when he had been with her just the night before, calling her name and sharing his smile? Yet, at that moment, he was gone. Afterward, Willow didn¡¯t want to undergo more hospital examinations and desperately wanted to leave. Her parents swiftly brought her home. Back in her room, she carefully gathered every item Jasper had touched, refusing to let anyone take them away. Chapter 2105 Chapter 2105 Willow took out one of his shirts from the closet, held it in her arms, and cried uncontrobly. Elliot and Anastasia waited in the living room outside for a long time, but their daughter did note out. Ellen also wanted to be with her, but Willow locked herself in her room. She was in so much pain that she could not control herself. In this very room, all the memories she had shared with Jasper surrounded her. It was as if she could turn around and see him sitting on the couch, working diligently, or she could close her eyes and feel his breath beside her; when she opened her eyes, she could see his deep gaze locked onto her. However, all that remained now was the cold air, and this feeling was driving her crazy. Her tears flowed incessantly, and her heart was bleeding. This sense of despair and helplessness enveloped her tightly. ¡­ At the military hospital, Jasper had just regained consciousness. Antoine had been by his side all along and had just wanted to close his eyes for a while when he heard a shuffling. He opened his eyes and saw Jasper conscious. ¡°Jasper, you¡¯re awake,¡± Antoine eximed as his eyes turned red. Jasper spoke hoarsely, ¡°I can¡¯t hear, Uncle.¡± Antoine immediately typed on his phone. ¡®Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s temporary. You¡¯ll recover.¡¯ ¡°Is Willow okay?¡± Jasper¡¯s voice was extremely hoarse. Antoine nodded. ¡°She¡¯s fine and doing well. You did an excellent job on this mission.¡±N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Jasper closed his eyes, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly. It seemed as though he did not care about his hearing loss and injuries; all that mattered was that Willow was safe. Antoine looked at him and felt a pang in his heart. This foolish nephew of his had indeed fallen deeply in love. Did Jasper not care about his well-being? It was heartbreaking for his family to see him like this. However, there was one thing Antoine was grateful for¡ªJasper had not lost his memory, and his brain seemed to be intact, except for the hearing loss. He typed on his phone and showed it to him. ¡®Rest well, and don¡¯t overthink.¡¯ Jasper nodded. At that moment, the world had be incredibly quiet, almost as if there were no sounds at all. After being pulled down by Calvin, Jasper did not fall into the sea along with him. Instead, he grabbed onto a rock halfway down, and when the explosion urred, hey t on the rock and blocked the tremendous impact. As a result, the st shattered the rock he clung to, and he fell into the sea. Had he not grabbed that rock and fallen into the sea with Calvin, he would have disappeared from this world. Antoine wrote many words on the phone and finally handed it to Jasper, who took over the phone and read them. Then, he looked up at his uncle. He made a serious gesture of refusing to negotiate with Jasper and indicated that the words he had typed on the phone were his orders. Antoine nodded. ¡°She¡¯s fine ond doing well. You did on excellent job on this mission.¡± Josper closed his eyes, ond the corners of his mouth lifted slightly. It seemed os though he did not core obout his heoring loss ond injuries; oll thot mottered wos thot Willow wos sofe. Antoine looked ot him ond felt o pong in his heort. This foolish nephew of his hod indeed follen deeply in love. Did Josper not core obout his well-being? It wos heortbreoking for his fomily to see him like this. However, there wos one thing Antoine wos groteful for¡ªJosper hod not lost his memory, ond his broin seemed to be intoct, except for the heoring loss. He typed on his phone ond showed it to him. ¡®Rest well, ond don¡¯t overthink.¡¯ Josper nodded. At thot moment, the world hod be incredibly quiet, olmost os if there were no sounds ot oll. After being pulled down by Colvin, Josper did not foll into the seo olong with him. Insteod, he grobbed onto o rock holfwoy down, ond when the explosion urred, he loy flot on the rock ond blocked the tremendous impoct. As o result, the blost shottered the rock he clung to, ond he fell into the seo. Hod he not grobbed thot rock ond follen into the seo with Colvin, he would hove disoppeored from this world. Antoine wrote mony words on the phone ond finolly honded it to Josper, who took over the phone ond reod them. Then, he looked up ot his uncle. He mode o serious gesture of refusing to negotiote with Josper ond indicoted thot the words he hod typed on the phone were his orders. Antoina noddad. ¡°Sha¡¯s fina and doing wall. You did an axcant job on this mission.¡± Jaspar closad his ayas, and tha cornars of his mouth liftad slightly. It saamad as though ha did not cara about his haaring loss and injurias; all that mattarad was that Willow was safa. Antoina lookad at him and falt a pang in his haart. This foolish naphaw of his had indaad fan daaply in lova. Did Jaspar not cara about his wall-baing? It was haartbraaking for his family to saa him lika this. Howavar, thara was ona thing Antoina was grataful for¡ªJaspar had not lost his mamory, and his brain saamad to ba intact, axcapt for tha haaring loss. Ha typad on his phona and showad it to him. ¡®Rast wall, and don¡¯t ovarthink.¡¯ Jaspar noddad. At that momant, tha world had ba incradibly quiat, almost as if thara wara no sounds at all. Aftar baing pud down by Calvin, Jaspar did not fall into tha saa along with him. Instaad, ha grabbad onto a rock halfway down, and whan tha axplosion urrad, hay t on tha rock and blockad tha tramandous impact. As a rasult, tha st shattarad tha rock ha clung to, and ha fall into tha saa. Had ha not grabbad that rock and fan into tha saa with Calvin, ha would hava disappaarad from this world. Antoina wrota many words on tha phona and finally handad it to Jaspar, who took ovar tha phona and raad tham. Than, ha lookad up at his un. Ha mada a sarious gastura of rafusing to nagotiata with Jaspar and indicatad that tha words ha had typad on tha phona wara his ordars. Jasper said hoarsely, ¡°The Presgraves are onboard, too?¡± Antoine nodded. Jasper suddenly shot up in a panic. ¡°How will Willow bear this?¡± Antoine gently pushed him back down, then picked up the phone and wrote, ¡®You will have no contact with the Presgraves from now on. They will handle it.¡¯ After Jasper read it, he closed his eyes, but the pain was still evident on his forehead. He could not imagine how much pain Willow would feel when she received this news. He could refrain from contacting or disappearing from her life, but he did not want to bring her a life of pain. Antoine typed another sentence. ¡®I will arrange for you to take a vacation and receive treatment. During this time, you must forget about her.¡¯ After Jasper read it, he turned his face away. Antoine knew his decision was hard for his nephew to ept, but he had to do it. Soon, Sirius also arrived. ¡°Persuade him, will you?¡± Antoine told him. He nodded and sat beside Jasper, relieved that everything seemed okay. Jasper had taken on all the dangers in this mission and saved his life. Chapter 2106 Chapter 2106 Sirius sensed that Jasper did not want to talk. Given his current condition, he could notmunicate either. Hence, Sirius could only stay by his side and lend a hand when needed. Though the patient had just woken up, he fell asleep again due to mental exhaustion. Three days had passed in the blink of an eye. Willow had cried so much that her eyes were inmed, and Anastasia had to call a doctor to the house to examine her. Her beautiful big eyes were bloodshot fromck of sleep. The entire Presgrave Family was heartbroken, but they felt helpless. Meanwhile, in the hospital, Jasper was able to get out of bed and move around. Most of his time was spent sitting in the garden, and no one knew what he was thinking. Antoine had assigned men to keep an eye on him. During that time, he could not wander around freely, and Antoine had also confiscated his phones and laptops, not allowed to use any devices because they could affect his emotions. Especially now that Jasper could not contact Willow. He was certainly thinking about her, reminiscing many of their memories together. He had never known that once he left her, he would miss her so badly that he felt his love for her grew. It was as if she was the light of his life, and without her, his heart returned to darkness. He did not know the direction of his future or the meaning of his life. The fifth day arrived. Willow was about to head to Jasper¡¯s vi, having a premonition that he had not died. Everyone must¡¯ve deceived me. There¡¯s no way he could¡¯ve died so easily. She also wondered whether her father and brother had received incorrect information or if the organization had deliberately spread fake news that Jasper had passed away. He was so powerful and was the strongest man she had ever seen. No, he could not have left so abruptly. These days, she had beenforting herself with these thoughts¡ªhe was alive, and it was misinformation. He should still be in the world, lying in some hospital. He has to be around still. Given the situation, Jared had sent eight bodyguards to escort her since she did not need her family to apany her. She knew the ess code and entered without allowing the bodyguards to follow. She walked through the ce alone, and the flowers and nts seemed to have withered even more. Then, she arrived at Jasper¡¯s room, which had gathered some dust. That sight wrenched her heart as she sat on the couch, unable to hide her grief. ¡°You¡¯re alive. I believe you¡¯lle back to me, Jasper. If you¡¯re still here, pleasee back to me,¡± Willow spoke to the air, took a piece of paper from her bag, and ced it on the table. She knew that if Jasper were to return someday, he would see it. The fifth doy orrived. Willow wos obout to heod to Josper¡¯s villo, hoving o premonition thot he hod not died. Everyone must¡¯ve deceived me. There¡¯s no woy he could¡¯ve died so eosily. She olso wondered whether her fother ond brother hod received incorrect informotion or if the orgonizotion hod deliberotely spreod foke news thot Josper hod possed owoy. He wos so powerful ond wos the strongest mon she hod ever seen. No, he could not hove left so obruptly. These doys, she hod beenforting herself with these thoughts¡ªhe wos olive, ond it wos misinformotion. He should still be in the world, lying in some hospitol. He hos to be oround still. Given the situotion, Jored hod sent eight bodyguords to escort her since she did not need her fomily to opony her. She knew the ess code ond entered without ollowing the bodyguords to follow. She wolked through the ploce olone, ond the flowers ond plonts seemed to hove withered even more. Then, she orrived ot Josper¡¯s room, which hod gothered some dust. Thot sight wrenched her heort os she sot on the couch, unoble to hide her grief. ¡°You¡¯re olive. I believe you¡¯lle bock to me, Josper. If you¡¯re still here, pleosee bock to me,¡± Willow spoke to the oir, took o piece of poper from her bog, ond ploced it on the toble. She knew thot if Josper were to return somedoy, he would see it. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Tha fifth day arrivad. Willow was about to haad to Jaspar¡¯s vi, having a pramonition that ha had not diad. Evaryona must¡¯va dacaivad ma. Thara¡¯s no way ha could¡¯va diad so aasily. Sha also wondarad whathar har fathar and brothar had racaivad incorract information or if tha organization had dalibarataly spraad faka naws that Jaspar had passad away. Ha was so powarful and was tha strongast man sha had avar saan. No, ha could not havaft so abruptly. Thasa days, sha had baanforting harsalf with thasa thoughts¡ªha was aliva, and it was misinformation. Ha should still ba in tha world, lying in soma hospital. Ha has to ba around still. Givan tha situation, Jarad had sant aight bodyguards to ascort har sinca sha did not naad har family to apany har. Sha knaw tha ass coda and antarad without allowing tha bodyguards to follow. Sha walkad through tha ca alona, and tha flowars and nts saamad to hava witharad avan mora. Than, sha arrivad at Jaspar¡¯s room, which had gatharad soma dust. That sight wranchad har haart as sha sat on tha couch, una to hida har griaf. ¡°You¡¯ra aliva. I baliava you¡¯ back to ma, Jaspar. If you¡¯ra still hara, asaa back to ma,¡± Willow spoka to tha air, took a piaca of papar from har bag, and cad it on tha ta. Sha knaw that if Jaspar wara to raturn somaday, ha would saa it. ¡­ In the hospital, Jasper looked at the two guards standing not far away. They were sent by his uncle, and he urgently needed to know about Willow¡¯s situation. However, Antoine had been preventing him from doing so. The feeling of longing grew stronger. If he did not receive news about Willow, he knew he would go crazy. He could refrain from appearing before her, but he had to know her condition. He wanted to hear if she was doing well, if she was sick, or if she was eating properly. If she was fine, he would be prepared to withdraw from her life and would not disturb her anymore. He just needed to know these things for now. In actuality, it would be easy if Jasper wanted to lose the two guards. Two minutester, he walked out of the lobby wearing a doctor¡¯s uniform and a mask. He shattered a car¡¯s window and quickly left the hospital. The entire area was under surveince, but he did not hide. Instead, he headed straight for his nearby residence. When Antoine received the report from his subordinates, he saw a photo of Jasper leaving. He could not help but sigh; his nephew had slipped away once again. Quickly, he picked up his phone and left. By then, Jasper had returned to his home. He took aptop and tried to log in, only to find that his ount had been locked. Chapter 2107 Chapter 2107 That was a piece of cake for Jasper, who immediately hacked into someone else¡¯s ount and used it to log into the satellite system. Soon, he began looking through the surveince footage. He did not see any traces of Willow in Presgrave Residence, so he immediately checked the surveince in his vi. He merely wanted to know if she had been there, but when he checked his room, he was stunned. She was sitting on the couch in his room, her countenance much paler than usual. Although the footage was blurry, he could see that her eyes had turned red and swollen. She wiped her tears from time to time, looking like a beautiful yet lifeless puppet for a long while. Jasper¡¯s breaths quickened, his heart aching so much that he could not catch his breath. He quietly gazed at the girl through the lenses, heartbroken. However, at that moment, Willow¡¯s phone rang. She hastily wiped her tears and adjusted her expression before answering the call. ¡°Hello, Mom? I¡¯ll be right back. I¡¯m fine. I just went out for a walk.¡± She knew Anastasia had not eaten or slept for her sake in the past few days. Her mother had gotten much frailer, so she knew better than to make her worry even more. Although suffering in her heart, she tried to look happy before her family members. She could not let them suffer with her just because she was in pain, could she? ¡°Alright, Mom. I¡¯ll be back soon. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Willow pursed her lips and forced a smile. After hanging up, she picked up her bag and looked longingly at her surroundings, finally departing. Gazing at her figure, Jasper knew she had survived the worst period of her life. At least she listens to her family now. Just then, someone unlocked the room to his door before Antoine rushed in. When he saw his nephew on the couch, he said in exasperation, ¡°Can¡¯t you just talk to me about it?¡± With that, he sighed again. He knew Jasper could not hear what he was saying, so he took out his phone and typed some words. ¡®You can rest at home, but promise me that you won¡¯te into contact with anyone from the Presgrave Family.¡¯ Jasper was just done checking up on Willow and nodded at his uncle. ¡°Okay, I promise I¡¯ll give myself time.¡± ¡®I booked an appointment with a specialist, so you¡¯ll get your ears checked tomorrow. Rest well, and don¡¯t overthink it.¡¯ Antoine patted him. Jasper nodded. He could not meet Willow like this, anyway. He was not the perfect version of himself right now, and if he lost his hearing, he would have to live a brand-new way. Perhaps he would not have to go on missions anymore, but that also meant he would be more redundant. I won¡¯t even be able to protect her or hear her voice. ¡°Alright, Mom. I¡¯ll be bock soon. Don¡¯t worry obout me.¡± Willow pursed her lips ond forced o smile. After honging up, she picked up her bog ond looked longingly ot her surroundings, finolly deporting. Gozing ot her figure, Josper knew she hod survived the worst period of her life. At leost she listens to her fomily now. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Just then, someone unlocked the room to his door before Antoine rushed in. When he sow his nephew on the couch, he soid in exosperotion, ¡°Con¡¯t you just tolk to me obout it?¡± With thot, he sighed ogoin. He knew Josper could not heor whot he wos soying, so he took out his phone ond typed some words. ¡®You con rest ot home, but promise me thot you won¡¯te into contoct with onyone from the Presgrove Fomily.¡¯ Josper wos just done checking up on Willow ond nodded ot his uncle. ¡°Okoy, I promise I¡¯ll give myself time.¡± ¡®I booked on oppointment with o speciolist, so you¡¯ll get your eors checked tomorrow. Rest well, ond don¡¯t overthink it.¡¯ Antoine potted him. Josper nodded. He could not meet Willow like this, onywoy. He wos not the perfect version of himself right now, ond if he lost his heoring, he would hove to live o brond-new woy. Perhops he would not hove to go on missions onymore, but thot olso meont he would be more redundont. I won¡¯t even be oble to protect her or heor her voice. ¡°Alright, Mom. I¡¯ll ba back soon. Don¡¯t worry about ma.¡± Willow pursad har lips and forcad a sm. Aftar hanging up, sha pickad up har bag and lookad longingly at har surroundings, finally daparting. Gazing at har figura, Jaspar knaw sha had survivad tha worst pariod of har lifa. Atast sha listans to har family now. Just than, somaona unlockad tha room to his door bafora Antoina rushad in. Whan ha saw his naphaw on tha couch, ha said in axasparation, ¡°Can¡¯t you just talk to ma about it?¡± With that, ha sighad again. Ha knaw Jaspar could not haar what ha was saying, so ha took out his phona and typad soma words. ¡®You can rast at homa, but promisa ma that you won¡¯ta into contact with anyona from tha Prasgrava Family.¡¯ Jaspar was just dona chacking up on Willow and noddad at his un. ¡°Okay, I promisa I¡¯ll giva mysalf tima.¡± ¡®I bookad an appointmant with a spacialist, so you¡¯ll gat your aars chackad tomorrow. Rast wall, and don¡¯t ovarthink it.¡¯ Antoina pattad him. Jaspar noddad. Ha could not maat Willow lika this, anyway. Ha was not tha parfact varsion of himsalf right now, and if ha lost his haaring, ha would hava to liva a brand-naw way. Parhaps ha would not hava to go on missions anymora, but that also maant ha would ba mora radundant. I won¡¯t avan ba a to protact har or haar har voica. For the longest time, he believed he was out of Willow¡¯s league. Now, he started to feel inferior again. Perhaps Antoine¡¯s decision was right. Jasper should not be with Willow anymore because he might prevent her from leading a better life. She was the youngdy of the Presgrave Family who would fulfill all her desires. Her life would be wonderful even in the future. At that moment, Jasper was feeling a little down, and Antoine could see that as well. Picking up his phone, he typed out some words. ¡®Trust me. I¡¯ll make sure you recover.¡¯ Jasper did not want his uncle to be worried about him, either. After all, Antoine had a more pivotal mission awaiting him. He nodded, signaling his trust to his uncle. In truth, Antoine could not take better care of Jasper; he was shouldering the burdens of the country. Just then, his phone rang. He nced at it and then left. Jasper returned to hisptop and switched the screens. Cars from the Presgrave Family were shown on the monitor, escorting Willow home. Although he could only see her through the screen, it was enough tofort his heart. At least she¡¯s in one piece. When Willow arrived home, tears remained on her face, after which she took a tissue and dried her tears. Then, she forced a smile so she could talk peacefully to her family. Chapter 2108 Chapter 2108 For the past few days, her family had lived in pain because of her. She could not even hearughter in the family anymore, wishing the gloomy air would fade away soon. Hence, no matter how heartbroken she was, she had to learn to face life calmly. She would do it even if there were no more joy in her life, where she could never recover from Jasper¡¯s departure. After all, this man had upied her whole heart, a sacred ce where no other man could squeeze his way in. With quick steps, Elliot hastily went over to them. When the bodyguard was about to open the car door, he waved them away and opened it himself. With reddened eyes, Willow smiled at her father. ¡°Dad!¡± His heart ached as he reached out to pat her. ¡°Your mother made some of your favorite food. Come on, let¡¯s go in.¡± N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°Okay!¡± With that, she held her father¡¯s arm as they entered the hall. Anastasia went out early in the morning to shop for the ingredients. Then, she busied herself in the kitchen from morning until then, desperately wanting her daughter to eat more. In just a few days, Willow had lost a few pounds. Her health would be at risk if she kept that up. With her baby in her arms, Ellen came over and greeted Willow. Looking at her adorable nephew, Willow also felt a little better. She held the baby, gazing at his cute face, and then nted a kiss on his little cheek. Seeing that her son could make Willow a little happier, Ellen left and worked on other things so that Willow could spend more time with her son. The baby was quite an effective cure for downcast hearts. He would giggle after someone yed with him, and his chubby fingers would touch Willow¡¯s face as he babbled with an innocent voice. When Anastasia saw Willow ying with her grandson, she let out a sigh of relief as well. Elliot, who had been helping her since this morning, walked over. Wrapping his arms around his wife, he whispered, ¡°Her mood has improved.¡± ¡°Our baby girl has grown up. I didn¡¯t even notice that.¡± Anastasia feltforted. Her daughter was growing more mature, which meant she knew how to hide her feelings and deal with them herself. When Anastasia thought about it, her heart ached for her. Elliotmented, ¡°Yes, our daughter grew up in the blink of an eye. She was so carefree just a few months ago.¡± Of course, Anastasia knew that girls would learn to grow up when they met a man they loved. With emotional independence came a new wall between her and her parents, where not all grievances needed to be shared. ¡°I was on a call with Richard just now. Jasper has recovered, but there¡¯s something wrong with his hearing. He needs treatment.¡± ¡°Poor child. If you have a chance to thank him, please do.¡± ¡°Now, Antoine is hiding him and preventing us from contacting each other. If there¡¯s a chance in the future, we should thank him properly.¡± ¡°I hope Willow will get over this soon and return to normal life. She still has a long road ahead of her,¡± said Anastasia. As a mother, she only had one wish¡ªto see her children happy. Elliot nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll look for a suitable partner for her.¡± Anastasia leaned into his embrace. At that moment, she felt calm and quiet. He lowered his head and kissed her hair. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡± At noon, Willow felt her appetite returning as she enjoyed her mother¡¯s cooking. She had also finished the soup her fatherdled out for her. Due to that, Anastasia knew she would have to be in charge of cooking for the foreseeable future. Now, they only had servants who came to help out at specific times and would not need the others for the time being. She had also heard about the incident with Sasha, whom she still felt sorry for. Although Sasha almost harmed her daughter, her family was also involved, despite being innocent. Atst, Sasha also paid for her crimes with her life. Anastasia¡¯s heart was heavy when she thought about it. Every life mattered, and none was less deserving than the other. Chapter 2109 Chapter 2109 Also, Sasha cared the most about her son and husband. Hence, the Presgraves had given them their duepensation. In the afternoon, Willow received an invitation to a meeting at the museum at 2.00PM. The batch of cultural artifacts she submittedst time was already processed. More than 10 of those artifacts would be exhibited in the museum. As the greatest contributor, Willow naturally had to go and take a look. They even had an opening ceremony. Her heart ached terribly. The artifacts were closely linked to Jasper, but now, she was the only one who could go to the museum. She wished he were there as well. Willow had a strong feeling that Jasper was still alive. Perhaps he couldn¡¯t meet her right now, but she believed that he was still alive. Her father, brother, and mother were calm when they mentioned him. ording to what she knew of her family, they would look at least a little sad if Jasper had truly passed away. At that moment, Willow couldn¡¯t find any answers, but her heart had already given her one. If she kept waiting, he would appear once again. She trusted that he would. This was her reason for staying strong and courageous right now. She had hope. For the rest of her life, as long as Jasper was still alive, she would find him. They would meet again someday. Perhaps it might take five years, or ten years, or twenty. She could wait. When Elliot heard about the matter, he went to talk to his daughter. ¡°Willow, if you don¡¯t want to attend the meeting at the museum, I can cancel it for you.¡± Elliot was worried that this matter would remind Willow of Jasper. She might break down. Willow, however, was calm. She shook her head and said, ¡°Dad, you don¡¯t have to cancel it for me. I want to attend it. Also, I can have a change of scenery while I¡¯m at it.¡± At that, Elliot said, ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to escort you there. You¡¯re not allowed to say no to this. You know that I can¡¯t afford to let you take risks again.¡± ¡°Okay, I understand. I won¡¯t make you guys worry again,¡± Willow said. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Then, Elliot went downstairs to give orders to the bodyguards. Willow dressed up and set out. The museum was closed today, so the whole building was silent. Sitting in the meeting room, Willow listened as they exined and introduced the artifacts. Just as expected, she couldn¡¯t help but think back on those days she went to sea. Those days were dangerous yet beautiful. Jasper¡¯s face came to life in her mind. She remembered the sea breeze blowing as he looked at her with narrowed eyes. There was joy in his dark eyes. She believed that there was admiration and love in her eyes when she looked at him. ¡°Miss Presgrave, would you like to say a word?¡± Someone was asking her a question. Willow instantly returned to her senses. She blinked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Would you like to say a word?¡± Willow stood up. Noticing that one person¡¯s name was missing from the credits, she spoke up. ¡°Help me add another name in the credits.¡± ¡°Oh! Did we forget a contributor¡¯s name?¡± The chairman of the museum was shocked. They were very careful about these things, after all. ¡°Yes, you did. The name is Jasper Wyatt. Please add the name next to mine, thanks,¡± Willow said to the chairman. The chairman immediately asked his assistant to handle this matter. He said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Miss Presgrave. My staff must have overlooked something.¡± ¡°No, this has nothing to do with your staff.¡± Willow smiled. It was because this man had willingly given up on it as he refused to reveal himself, but it all worked out now because she could take things into her own hands. In the future, whenever the artifacts were introduced, everyone would see that the greatest contributor was Willow Presgrave, apanied by the name Jasper Wyatt. It was quite meaningful. Willow took part in the opening ceremony. She stood in the center. She looked beautiful, innocent, and youthful as the breeze picked up. Even photographers kept taking shots from various angles so that the greatest contributor would look great in photos. ¡°Miss Presgrave, I will exhibit our photos in the museum, but they will also be published in the newspapers and on the inte. If you don¡¯t wish to make an appearance in this area, we can arrange that.¡± Chapter 2110 Chapter 2110 Willow smiled heartily. ¡°No need. You can go ahead and publish it.¡± ¡°Thank you for your cooperation, Miss Presgrave.¡± She really hoped that the specific person could see it. If he goes online, he will surely see me. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . After a series of photoshoots, at 4.30 PM, her bodyguard escorted her home. On the way, she asked the bodyguard to change the route to Jasper¡¯s house. Whenever she had time, she woulde here to sit, and she would also have people clean up this ce periodically. Whether that man was still alive or not, she hoped to preserve this ce forever. She sat on the couch in Jasper¡¯s vi, looking at the note she left two days ago. Once again, she took out a pen and wrote a sentence. ¡®I miss you, Jasper. If you are truly alive, please give me some hints, okay? I have no other requests. I just want to know if you are still alive.¡¯ After she finished writing, she signed it with ¡®The one who loves you.¡¯ She stayed there for a while until she realized it was gettingte. If she didn¡¯t go back soon, her mother would worry about her, so she got up and left. ¡­ At the same time, in a mysterious base, Jasper was still in a state of recuperation. His seniors and juniors had visited him one after another. Luckily, he had no restrictions on using the inte here. He quietly turned on theputer. The only way he could learn about the outside world was through the inte, and the thing he most wanted to know was how Willow was doing. Checking for her updates was also the only thing he wanted to do. Sure enough, he found that she had attended a museum exhibition today. As he looked at the photos of the girl smiling at the camera, a smile tugged on his lips uncontrobly. Seeing her doing well made him happy. Even though he still couldn¡¯t hear anything, his heart was filled with warmth because the person he cared about was doing well. He then switched the surveince of his vi. Though he knew Willow would not go to his house again, he still wanted to take a look. As he switched to the surveince in his living room, he immediately spotted the note on the couch. At once, his heart trembled, and he zoomed in on it. The moment he saw the words on it, his heart ached. Willow still wants to know whether I¡¯m alive or not. Does she know I¡¯m still alive? At this thought, he couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly. Didn¡¯t Uncle exin the situation to the Presgrave Family? Seeing those words, he couldn¡¯t help but feel torn inside. Should I let her know I¡¯m still alive? But she¡¯s doing so well now. Is it right for me to enter her life again? The Presgrave Family is definitely working hard to protect her. If I reappear in her life, it won¡¯t be fair to them. When he shut down theputer, his eyes were clear and calm. He was resolute in dealing with all matters, except when it came to Willow. In her case, he became indecisive about everything. On the weekend, the Presgrave Family went on a vacation together to their private ind. Jared and Ellen stayed in another vi to enjoy some private space while Willow spent time with her parents. In the morning, she went jogging with her family to rx, and in the afternoon, she went fishing in the sea with her father and elder brother. As night fell, she took a stroll under the moonlit trees with her mother. Willow felt that they all wanted to see her happy, so she tried her best to show that she was happy. After returning from this week-long vacation, she immediately went to Jasper¡¯s vi. She noticed that the notes had umted ayer of faint dust, but she hadn¡¯t received the response she was hoping for. She couldn¡¯t help but write another note. ¡®Jasper, send me flowers if you are still alive. Otherwise, I¡¯ll just marry someone randomly.¡¯ At the end, she drew an angry emoticon. Though she knew she was being a bit foolish by doing something this silly, for her, these were signs of hope and a form of constion. After she finished writing the note, she left the vi. She then waited at home, wondering if someone would really send her flowers. On the other hand, Jasper also checked the house¡¯s surveince regrly. For a whole week, he kept watching. He had also found out that the Presgraves were not in the city; they had gone on vacation elsewhere. Chapter 2111 Chapter 2111 Unexpectedly, Jasper saw Willow¡¯s message again today. So, he rewound the footage by two hours, and that was when he saw her car parked outside his house and her skillfully entering his home. She first looked around as if checking for surveince cameras, but he had installed them discreetly, so she couldn¡¯t find them at all. Then, she sat down and took out a piece of paper from her bag to write a note. His pupils contracted sharply when he zoomed in on the camera and read the sentence that she wrote. Is she really going to marry someone randomly? Just to spite me? Where did she find out that I¡¯m still alive? The Presgraves will definitely keep this secret, and their bodyguards will never tell her without permission. Watching her draw an angry emoji, he couldn¡¯t help but be amused for a few seconds, but then he pursed his lips, locking onto that sentence and feeling a tightening in his heart. Is she really going to marry someone randomly? After Willow returned to the Presgrave Residence, she waited for three days, but no one sent her flowers. This disappointed her. She was only joking, but suddenly, she wanted to take this joke a step further. So, during dinner, she asked her elder brother, ¡°Jared, do you know any outstanding young men? Introduce one to me.¡± Instantly, the people at the table all stared at her in astonishment. Elliot and Anastasia exchanged a nce. What? Has our daughter finallye to her senses? Likewise, Jared secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Willow seems to have let go of Jasper. Does this mean she¡¯s ready to enter a new rtionship? ¡°I do, of course. I know many outstanding men. Tell me your preferences, and I¡¯ll find someone for you,¡± he said with a smile. She propped her chin up and thought seriously before replying, ¡°I like tall, handsome, and charismatic men.¡± At her words, he immediately thought of one of his juniors. He had just returned to the country to take over the family business and was 27 years old, tall, handsome, warm, and capable. ¡°Well, I have a junior. I¡¯ve known him for many years, and he¡¯s excellent. I¡¯ll introduce you to him.¡± With a nod, she said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯m interested. Please introduce us as soon as possible, Jared.¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll introduce you to him tomorrow. He¡¯s currently in the country, and I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll like you too.¡± N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Willow smiled. ¡°Okay.¡± After dinner, Anastasia and Elliot were chatting in their room. She felt that something was off with their daughter, so she turned to her husband and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on with Willow? Why does she suddenly want to start dating?¡± Elliot couldn¡¯t figure it out either. Didn¡¯t our daughter really like Jasper? It hasn¡¯t even been half a month, and she¡¯s already ready to jump into another rtionship? This change had caught him off guard as well. ¡°Maybe she wants to use a new rtionship to forget about the previous one,¡± he suggested. She thought about it and realized it made sense. Girls often use this method to force themselves to move on from their previous rtionships. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right. Let¡¯s get Jared to introduce someone to her. His friends should be reliable.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on the guy too,¡± Elliot said. He would need to thoroughly check on anyone who wanted to be a part of the Presgrave Family. The next day at noon, Jared arranged a meeting with his junior, and Willow also came to thepany to meet him. This junior was named Leslie Payne. He was handsome, warm, and fit the criteria for a handsome man. He had already heard about Willow, who had recently made headlines in the news. This achievement was not something just anyone could aplish. When he saw her photo, he already had a good impression of her. So, when he met her in person, he was instantly excited, like how teenage boys were, for shepletely met his highest standards of beauty. ¡°Willow, this is Leslie Payne, my junior.¡± Jared hadn¡¯t expected that he would someday be his sister¡¯s matchmaker. ¡°Hello, Miss Presgrave. It¡¯s an honor to meet you.¡± ¡°Hello, Mr. Payne.¡± Willow sized him up. He¡¯s indeed very handsome. At the same time, she couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit guilty because she was using him to achieve her other purpose, not because she genuinely liked him. Chapter 2112 Chapter 2112 Her heart could no longer hold anyone else, except for that man who had disappeared without a trace. ¡°I still have a meeting. You guys chat while you eat!¡± Jared decided to leave. He was quite satisfied with this young man, who had also been thoroughly investigated. After Jared left, he reported to his parents. By now, Elliot had thoroughly researched Leslie¡¯s family history, and it seemed that he came from a respectable background. After Willow and Leslie finished their meal, they headed to a nearby cafe for their date. Leslie sat on the sofa, and Willow took the initiative to sit next to him. This made him so happy that he couldn¡¯t stop smiling. As Willow moved closer, he felt nervous, his palms even slightly sweaty. Then Willow said to him, ¡°Let¡¯s take some selfies! You can put your arm around my shoulder.¡± Leslie immediately ced his arm around her shoulder, and the two of them leaned in for a photo. They looked like a sweet couple who was a perfect match. After taking the photos, Willow said to Leslie, ¡°Let¡¯s make it a regr thing to meet up in the future!¡± ¡°Sounds great!¡± Leslie was also very happy. Leslie wanted to drive her home, but Willow declined. She had driven herself here, and this time, she hadn¡¯t brought any bodyguards with her. She quickly headed toward Jasper¡¯s vi. On the way, she printed out a few of the photos. In the pictures, she and Leslie looked incredibly compatible. Back at the vi, she arranged the three photos on the table and continued to write a note. ¡°Jasper, do you think my blind date is handsome? He really likes me, but I really like you. If you don¡¯t show up soon, I might just marry him and forget about you.¡± After finishing the note, she added, ¡°You don¡¯t have to appear in front of me, and you don¡¯t need to send me flowers. All you have to do is send me the number 520 at any time within the next three days. I just need to know that you¡¯re still alive.¡± Willow finished writing but was still reluctant to leave. After all, it was still early, and she was feeling a bit tired. Shey down on the sofa for a nap. At the base, Jasper, who had just finished lunch and returned to his ward, couldn¡¯t help but nce at theputer next to him. He let out a faint sigh. His usual self-discipline seemed to disappear when it came to Willow. Whenever he thought of her, his mind became a mess. Jasper picked up theptop and continued to ess the surveincework to check on Willow¡¯s activities. She hadn¡¯t updated her social media in a long time. However, what he saw in front of him now was Willow¡¯stest post. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. It was a photo of her with a young man, both of them smiling sweetly. Willow was practically leaning into his arms, and the man had his arm around her shoulders. Jasper¡¯s breath hitched. This girl really didn¡¯t waste any time. Willow had added a caption. ¡°When you meet someone you like, just hold on.¡± Jasper tensed up. He let out a breath and stared at the photo, unable to tear his gaze away from it. He then had another thought and exited Willow¡¯s social media, checking his own vi¡¯s surveince. But what he saw made his heart soften to the extreme. Willow was asleep on the sofa in his house, and he wasn¡¯t sure how long she had been curled up there. Jasper couldn¡¯t help but reach toward theputer screen, as if wanting to touch her. Willow¡¯s curled-up form looked like she was cold. It was already early winter, but she hadn¡¯t covered herself with anything. This girl still hadn¡¯t learned to take care of herself. Jasper felt a pang of tenderness in his heart. He then noticed the photos on the table and her written note. He immediately zoomed in to get a better look. After reading, his heart ached so much that it throbbed. The man in the photo was just someone she had met to spite him. She still liked him. Chapter 2113 Chapter 2113 Jasper held his phone and found Willow¡¯s number. After typing 520, he closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he immediately checked the information about the man who took photos with Willow. After he finished the search, everything about Leslie appeared in front of him clearly. This was a man with an outstanding and impable resume. He had a height of 186 cm, good looks, and his genes were also excellent. Jasper also checked one more thing, which was Leslie¡¯s history of staying in hotels. Clearly, Leslie had no history of scandals or staying in hotels with questionable women. He was a young man from a wealthy family, raised and protected in a simr manner as Willow. Jasper¡¯s gaze remained fixed on the man in the photo. In the depths of his eyes, aplex and profound light flickered, containing emotions of envy and admiration. Yes, Jasper envied this man because he and Willow were truly a perfect match. They were the ones truly suited for each other, while he had too many constraints. Plus, with his current hearing problems, he knew he couldn¡¯t give Willow a happy future. On the other hand, the man in the photo, with his perfect credentials, was the one who could provide her with a peaceful and stable life. She wouldn¡¯t have to live in fear anymore. Jasper decided to delete the three numbers 520 that he had typed on his phone. He ced the phone beside him and turned on the vi¡¯s surveince camera. He saw that Willow had packed up and was about to leave. She nced at the note on the table and then turned to leave. Jasper continued to monitor the video feeds along the way to see her off. He watched as she entered the Presgrave Residence, and only then did he finally breathe a sigh of relief. At this moment, a figure walked in from outside. It was Jasper¡¯s former colleague, Aimee. She had just returned from a mission and, upon hearing about Jasper¡¯s situation, hadn¡¯t even reported for duty before she rushed over just to see him. She didn¡¯t believe that Jasper had lost his hearing. In her eyes, this man was an unstoppable force. How could he have lost his hearing? Aimee walked into the ward and sat next to Jasper. She called out to him, ¡°Jasper! Can you hear me?¡± In just a few days, Jasper had already learned some basic lip reading. He looked at Aimee and quickly understood what she was saying. He shook his head in response. ¡°I can¡¯t hear.¡± Aimee¡¯s eyes welled up with tears. ¡°How did this happen? Tell Mr. Wyatt to find the best specialists to treat you. I don¡¯t want anything to happen to you.¡± Seeing Aimee so upset, Jasper spoke up tofort her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Aimee¡¯s eyes flickered with a hint of resentment. Jasper had risked his life to save Willow. Why did she always bring trouble to him? Now that Jasper¡¯s hearing was impaired, he wouldn¡¯t be able to continue his work. He was so talented, and he shouldn¡¯t have to live like this. At this moment, Antoine knocked on the door and walked in. Aimee immediately stood up. ¡°Mr. Wyatt.¡± ¡°I need to talk to my nephew for a moment. You can go write up the mission report,¡± Antoine said to her. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Aimee looked back at Jasper with reluctance. Jasper, from now on, I¡¯ll take care of you. No matter what your future holds, I¡¯ll be with you. Aimee left, and Antoine¡¯s gaze fell on his nephew. After sitting down, Antoine took out a report for him. Jasper took the report. It was an assessment of his hearing impairment, and the chances of recovery were only thirty percent. However, there was another option, which was to wait for a donor. ¡®I¡¯ve already started looking for a donor for you, Jasper. Don¡¯t lose hope. I will make sure you¡¯re cured.¡¯ Antoine typed on his phone. Jasper felt like resting. He said to his uncle, ¡°Uncle, there¡¯s no rush. I can take a break for now.¡± ¡®I¡¯ll give you plenty of time to rest. If you don¡¯t want to retire in the future, I¡¯ll fight for that for you too.¡¯ Antoine typed in reply. Chapter 2114 Chapter 2114 Jasper couldpletely retire from this line of work and do what he truly wanted. Jasper shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave for now.¡± He had an attachment to this ce¡ªit was where he had grown up and where he had epted his missions. Only here could he find peace of mind. Antoine nodded and wrote, ¡®Then rest well. Don¡¯t concern yourself with Miss Presgrave unless it¡¯s necessary.¡¯ As Antoine handed the phone over to him, his gaze turned slightly serious. He could see all of Jasper¡¯s traces on the inte, so whatever he did or looked up, his subordinates would report it to him. Jasper lowered his head. ¡°I understand.¡± Back at her home, Willow didn¡¯t feel like doing anything. She stared at her phone, waiting for a message. She didn¡¯t know if she would receive it, but she wouldn¡¯t give up. Just then, a message notification sounded. Willow¡¯s eyes widened in happiness as she quickly picked up her phone to check. However, the message was from Leslie. ¡®Willow, what are you up to?¡¯ Leslie took the initiative to start a conversation. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. The initial joy in Willow¡¯s eyes was instantly reced by a sense of disappointment. She replied to Leslie and continued to wait for another message. ¡®Tomorrow, I have a club event. It¡¯s a lot of fun. Would you like toe with me?¡¯ Leslie extended the invitation. Willow thought for a moment, feeling a mix of frustration and resignation. She replied, ¡®Sure, I¡¯d like to join.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s great! I¡¯ll pick you up tomorrow.¡¯ Leslie sent a smiley face. Willow responded, ¡®Alright, see you tomorrow.¡¯ She wasn¡¯t in the mood to chat right now. Then, she looked at the time¡ªit was already eleven at night. She didn¡¯t know if she would receive the message she was waiting for. Feeling a bit thirsty, Willow got up and went downstairs to get some water. At this moment, she saw her elder brother and father downstairs, discussingpany business. Willow couldn¡¯t help but crouch down beside the stairs, eavesdropping on their conversation. After all, she had done this kind of thing many times before and had gained some experience. Naturally, they didn¡¯t notice her. Their discussion about work was rather boring to her. She couldn¡¯t understand a word of what they were saying aboutpany operations and project development. She often wondered how her mother managed an international jewelry store so sessfully, while her father and elder brother were both business geniuses. It seemed like it was just her who hadn¡¯t inherited the business genes. Willow felt quite helpless about it. Just when she was getting bored and thinking of going upstairs with the bottle of water, she suddenly heard Jared¡¯s voice change as he asked their father a question. ¡°Dad, have you talked to Mr. Llyod? Is Jasper recovering?¡± Elliot¡¯s voice came through. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve talked to him. He said Jasper has basically recovered, but the Wyatt Family doesn¡¯t want any further contact with our family.¡± Willow¡¯s eyes widened suddenly. She was ovee with excitement, and she almost let out a surprised exmation. However, she quickly covered her mouth to prevent herself from making any noise, because she wanted to eavesdrop on more of the conversation. However, her heart was screaming with joy. He was still alive; she just knew it. Tears of joy welled up in Willow¡¯s eyes, though she was smiling. Her eyes sparkled like crescent moons. This was the happiest she had been in a long time. Even though she heard her father say that the Wyatt Family didn¡¯t want Jasper to have any contact with her, it didn¡¯t matter. As long as he was alive, there was hope of meeting again! At this moment, Jared sighed. ¡°So, it seems we have no way to repay him. He sacrificed so much for Willow, and he almost lost his life.¡± ¡°With his status, even if we wanted to repay him, he wouldn¡¯t ept it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. We¡¯ve been keeping this from Willow, but I¡¯m worried that she¡¯ll find out one day. When that happens¡­¡± Chapter 2115 Chapter 2115 ¡°Let¡¯s just take it one step at a time,¡± Elliot said. Just then, his phone rang, and he went out to answer the call. Jared checked the time and went over to the elevator. Soon, he went up to the third floor. Seeing the hall quiet down, Willow quietly hurried up to her room. Finally, she could lie happily on her bed, bury herself in the nket, and let her happiness out. Jasper, you dare lie to me! You dare note to see me. When I find you, I¡¯ll make sure you regret it. Willowmented in her heart. Clearly, he was safe and sound, yet he didn¡¯t contact her. Did he want to just leave her behind? Taking a deep breath, Willow suddenly touched the ne around her neck. The tracker in this ne still belonged to him, so wherever she went, he could track her. Jasper, whether you want to see me or not, I won¡¯t let you leave me. She had finally gotten a definite message that he was still alive. It was the best gift Willow received today. She couldn¡¯t sleep at all tonight and stayed awake until morning. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Anastasia brought breakfast to her daughter¡¯s room in the morning. Seeing her daughter still asleep, she couldn¡¯t help but sigh. It seemed her daughter had lost sleep again over matters of the heart. Willow slept until the afternoon before getting up. As soon as she got up, she was starving. She couldn¡¯t continue like this. She needed to regain her strength and look her best for Jasper¡¯s return. Anastasia was in a meeting downstairs with two managers. Just as they were discussing, the voice of a young girl interrupted them, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m hungry. Is there anything to eat?¡± Anastasia¡¯s voice was cut off. She turned to see her daughter stretchingzily whileing downstairs. Even though Willow had gotten up sote, Anastasia was suddenly filled with joy. Her daughter finally said she was hungry and was starting to act more like herself. ¡°I¡¯ll get you something to eat right away,¡± Anastasia said happily. She turned to the two managers and said, ¡°You can go back now!¡± The two managers immediately stood up and left. Anastasia looked at her daughter bathing in sunlight, feeling a bit dazed. It seemed like she hadn¡¯t seen her daughter so rxed in a long time. Willow came over to her with a smiling face and hooked her arm. ¡°Mom! What are you looking at?¡± At the sight of her daughter acting cute, it was as if she was no longer affected by Jasper¡¯s supposed passing. Anastasia felt a sudden sense of relief. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ll get you something to eat.¡± Willow nodded. Shey down on the sofa in the hall, picked up her phone, and started browsing through variety shows. The sadness and pain in Willow¡¯s heart were swept away. As long as she knew Jasper was alive and well in this world, she would be at ease. In the kitchen, Anastasia called her husband to tell him about their daughter¡¯s current situation. Elliot was surprised to hear it, but as parents, this was what they wished to see the most. After eating, Willow said she was going out. The security team immediately arranged a convoy to take her, and this time, Willow went to Jasper¡¯s vi. Elliot knew about this, but he allowed his daughter to do whatever she pleased, as long as it made her happy. Willow entered Jasper¡¯s vi alone and took out a piece of paper. On it, she wrote inrge letters. ¡°Jasper, I know you¡¯re still alive. You have three days to contact me, or I¡¯ll get engaged.¡± After finishing, Willow looked up with an irritated expression and left. In the evening, Leslie took Willow to attend a private dinner, which was organized by the luxury car club. Willow¡¯s arrival did spark interest among many wealthy heirs. They knew that being with Willow would be a great boon for their families. Willow was a bit distracted. She asionally checked her phone, hoping for something, but every time, she gritted her teeth and locked her phone. Chapter 2116 Chapter 2116 ¡°Whose call are you waiting for, Willow?¡± Leslie had been observing her for some time now. Willow smiled and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not. I was just checking the time.¡± Suddenly, she suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s dance!¡± His eyes lit up. ¡°I¡¯d love to!¡± They headed to the dance floor. Then, Willow approached a young woman and whispered, ¡°Can you help me record a video of us dancing?¡± The said young woman was more than happy to help. Willow and Leslie danced to the music. Both had been trained in dance from a young age, allowing them to captivate the attention of everyone on the dance floor. When the song ended, she reimed her phone and checked the video. With a mischievous smirk, she promptly uploaded it to her social media and eagerly awaited a message from Jasper. She was resolute that if he didn¡¯t reach out within three days, she¡¯d do whatever it took to force him out of hiding. ¡­ Over at the base, Jasper had just returned to his room afterpleting his training routine. Right now, his daily routine was rather monotonous, with his primary focus being checking up on Willow. He yearned to know what she was up to each day and whether she was happy. With his hacking expertise, he had ess to virtually anything on the inte. Hence, spying on someone¡¯s life was a piece of cake for him. He decided to check the security footage of his vi. He was taken aback by the discovery of a new note. He zoomed in for a closer look, and his eyes widened in shock as he read it. Willow knows I¡¯m still alive? How did she find out? Jasper started to panic. He rewound the footage and saw how pissed Willow had been when she wrote the note. He chuckled and thought, Is she trying to bait me into seeing her? She¡¯s using a rather childish method. Around 9.00PM, Willow returned home. At that moment, Elliot and Anastasia were sitting in the living room waiting for her. They heard their daughter humming a cheerful tune and couldn¡¯t help but wonder why she was so happy. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Elliot and Anastasia exchanged curious nces, wondering what had brought about this sudden happiness. They recalled how upset Willow had been just the previous night. They asked if her newfound happiness might be connected to her developing a crush on Leslie. As Willow entered the living room, she noticed her parents and tried to hide her awkwardness by biting her lip. ¡°Mom, Dad,¡± she greeted sweetly. ¡°Why are you still up?¡± ¡°How can we sleep when you¡¯re not home?¡± Anastasia replied, taking Willow¡¯s purse and observing her daughter¡¯s bright eyes. ¡°Did you have fun with Leslie today?¡± Willow nodded. ¡°Yeah! I had a good time. We even danced together.¡± Anastasia was surprised by Willow¡¯s initiative to dance with a guy and thought her daughter must really like Leslie. Hence, she felt a sense of relief, confident that she didn¡¯t need to worry anymore. Elliot and Anastasia were more than happy to have Leslie as their son-inw. They could find no fault with his family background, character, and capabilities. He was also Jared¡¯s good friend, so he would undoubtedly blend right into the family. ¡°Mom, Dad, I¡¯m heading to my room now. You guys should head to bed, too!¡± Willow grabbed her purse and hurried up the stairs. Anastasia exhaled in relief. She sat down beside Elliot and rested her head against his shoulder. ¡°I can finally rest easy now.¡± ¡°Willow¡¯s all grown up now. She has her own thoughts and opinions. We shouldn¡¯t try to interfere with her life.¡± Elliot had finally learned to let go and allow his daughter to find her own happiness. The moment Willow returned to her room, she immediately logged into her social media ount. Many people had watched the video, but she was particrly interested to know if Jasper had seen it. Therefore, Willow began to check every single ount. She didn¡¯t stop even when her eyes started to water. After reviewing everyone who viewed her video, she found no trace of Jasper. Chapter 2117 Chapter 2117 Only then did it dawn on Willow that Jasper was aputer and technology expert, making her realize he could have viewed her social media posts without leaving a trace. This realization annoyed her. She rubbed her eyes and decided to tell Leslie the truth another day, nning to ask him to stage an act with her. She was determined to force Jasper out of the shadows. She resolved that if he genuinely didn¡¯t care about her, so be it. She¡¯d let go, too, but she couldn¡¯t help wondering if he would show up if he did care about her. ¡­ In the middle of the night, Aimee sneaked into Jasper¡¯s room. He had been struggling with sleepless nights, and it was taking a toll on his health. Hence, Antoine had insisted Jasper take a powerful sleeping pill. At that moment, Jasper was in a deep slumber when she slipped in. She didn¡¯t hide the affection in her eyes as she stared at his face. Her attention eventually fixated on his slender lips, and a selfish desire began to consume her thoughts. She wanted to get a taste of his lips. She swallowed and bit her lip as she reached out to hold his hand. Just then, he grabbed her by the hand as he murmured in his dreams, ¡°Willow¡­ Willow¡­¡± The man repeatedly called for Willow as he clutched Aimee¡¯s hand tightly. It was clear that he had mistaken Aimee for Willow. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Although Jasper was holding Aimee¡¯s hand, she felt deeply hurt that he was calling out another woman¡¯s name. She couldn¡¯t help but feel angry that Willow was the only one on his mind, even though she had been right beside him all along. She wondered if he knew that she had been in love with him for five years. Aimee¡¯s heart was filled with bitterness. Suddenly, she found herself resenting why Willow couldn¡¯t simply remain a well-off socialite and avoid entangling herself with someone like him. Eventually, she let go of his hand because she was unable to bear hearing him call out for Willow. Just as she was about to leave the room, she turned toward the man and muttered, ¡°I won¡¯t let you be bewitched by her, Jasper. I¡¯ll make her leave you.¡± Back in her room, she got herptop out and looked up Willow¡¯s social media ounts. When she saw Willow¡¯s active life and her involvement with a rich and handsome young man, Aimee sneered, doubting if Willow was worthy of Jasper¡¯s love. ¡°Is this the woman you love with all your heart, Jasper? The woman you¡¯re willing to risk your life for? She doesn¡¯t care about you at all!¡± As Aimee went through Willow¡¯s social media posts, she assumed Willow was one of those wealthy socialites with a sordid private life. A woman like her isn¡¯t good enough for Jasper! I was such a fool. Why did I give up on him? I should fight for him. What if he does end up being mine? Aimee thought as she red at Willow¡¯s smiling face on the screen. I¡¯m going to warn Willow and tell her to stay away from him. At that thought, she started typing a message. She sent the message without knowing about Antoine¡¯s n and Willow¡¯s unawareness of Jasper¡¯s survival. Meanwhile, Willow was in her room, browsing the inte, even though it was already 3.00AM. She was waiting for Jasper to show up. When she heard a beep, she received a text message that left her stunned. ¡®Stay away from Jasper, Willow. Stop hurting him.¡¯ Willow¡¯s chest tightened. She wondered who the sender was, so she quickly typed out a question. ¡®Who are you?¡¯ ¡®You¡¯ve seen me before. I¡¯m Aimee Hawkins.¡¯ Stunned, Willow recalled Aimee¡¯s face. It¡¯s her. Is she with Jasper right now? At that thought, she immediately bombarded Aimee with questions. ¡®How¡¯s Jasper? Is he badly injured?¡¯ Aimee¡¯s expression darkened. She had only intended to warn Willow to stay away from Jasper, not to be her source of information. Chapter 2118 Chapter 2118 ¡®Jasper¡¯s condition has nothing to do with you. I¡¯m just here to warn you to stay away from him.¡¯ Nevertheless, Willow was too anxious not to press on. ¡®I¡¯m begging you. Please just tell me how he¡¯s doing. I¡¯m very worried about him. Please, Miss Hawkins. I¡¯m begging you.¡¯ Aimee snorted and responded, ¡®If you want him to stay alive and well, you should stay away from him for good. Don¡¯t ever look for him again.¡¯ Willow¡¯s heart squeezed painfully when she saw those words. She was aware of Aimee¡¯s feelings for Jasper, so she knew it was understandable that the woman resented her. ¡®Please take good care of him, Aimee.¡¯ Willow was utterly defeated. She¡¯s right. I¡¯m always the reason why Jasper gets hurt. It¡¯s my fault. I have no right to ask anything of him. Aimee¡¯s response came back. ¡®As if I need you to tell me that. I knew him first. I love him more than you do.¡¯ Willow¡¯s breath caught in her throat. After reading Aimee¡¯s text, she sighed. That¡¯s right. It doesn¡¯t matter who¡¯s beside him. All that matters is that there¡¯s someone there taking care of him. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . ¡®Can you tell me how he¡¯s doing, Miss Hawkins? I promise to stay away from him, but I want to know how he¡¯s doing.¡¯ Willow sent out another heartfelt plea. s, Aimee disappeared without responding to that. Even though Willow tried to send more texts, Aimee didn¡¯t answer any of them. Willow stared at her screen. Even though she was disappointed, at least she was certain that Jasper was alive. He¡¯s alive, but just how badly injured is he? It finally dawned on Willow just how big the world was. She didn¡¯t have the ability to find anyone. She couldn¡¯t find Jasper. She could only wait until he returned, but would he? Aimee closed herptop. She realized how much of a bother Willow was as thetter kept pestering her with questions about Jasper¡¯s condition. It annoyed her. I certainly won¡¯t tell her anything about Jasper¡¯s condition. Let her worry her heart out. Still, Aimee sighed. Jasper kept calling Willow¡¯s name in his dream just now. It¡¯s obvious just how much he cares about her. Will I even have a chance? It was morning. Jasper opened his eyes and nced to the side of the bed. He felt as if he did hold a person¡¯s hand last night. He thought it was Willow¡¯s, but he couldn¡¯t tell if it had only been a dream or not. Therefore, when he opened his eyes and saw the empty room, his heart felt empty again. Just then, Antoine came in. He had been passing by and wanted to say a few words to Jasper. Antoine didn¡¯t close the door behind him. Aimee came along and was just about to head in when she saw Antoine, so she waited outside instead. All of a sudden, she heard Antoine saying angrily, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to leave the base! You can¡¯t go anywhere in this condition.¡± Aimee jumped in fright. She looked through the ss window and saw Jasper and Antoine staring at each other. Jasper looked frustrated. Antoine was so furious that he seemed to have forgotten that Jasper couldn¡¯t hear anything. He continued, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to stop having any contact with the Presgraves? Why did you insist on seeing them anyway? You and that youngdy from the Presgrave Family are not meant to be, do you hear me?¡± He was mad because he nearly lost his nephew. In this line of work, being emotional was a death sentence. It would only hurt Jasper. At the same time, Willow would be his weakness too. He could end up losing his life at any given moment if he couldn¡¯t remain cold and unfeeling while on the job. After overhearing everything, Aimee couldn¡¯t stop herself from smirking. It turned out that Antoine didn¡¯t want Jasper to get involved with the Presgraves either. It doesn¡¯t matter how much Jasper likes Willow. There¡¯s no way he can be with her. Jasper closed his eyes. He didn¡¯t refute Antoine¡¯s words, but he didn¡¯t agree with him either. Antoine shot Jasper onest piercing re before leaving in a huff. Aimee quickly hid in a corner. Once Antoine left, Aimee came back out and went over to check on Jasper. Chapter 2119 Chapter 2119 Jasper was on the settee. He was dressed in gray. Even though he had lost his hearing, he still radiated strength, the air around him sharp. Aimee took a seat beside him and gave him a gentle look. Jasper looked away, immersed in his thoughts. Aimee picked up a notebook and wrote, ¡®Listen to your uncle, Jasper. Don¡¯t make him mad.¡¯ Jasper looked at the message and went back to his thoughts. Aimee wrote, ¡®Aside from the organization, you¡¯re the closest person to him. He¡¯s scared of losing you again.¡¯ Jasper nced at the notebook again. He knew why his uncle did this, but that man had no idea how he was feeling. ¡°Willow already found a new lover, you know that?¡± Aimee scrolled through the gallery and ced her phone before Jasper. Jasper looked at the photo, but he wasn¡¯t agitated. He knew the rtionship Willow shared with this man. Aimee smiled and then wrote, ¡®In my opinion, he didn¡¯t like you that much if she fell for another man that quickly.¡¯ Jasper raised his head and sternly said, ¡°You don¡¯t know her. Don¡¯t nder her.¡± Aimee paused for a moment before she chortled. She wrote, ¡®Jasper, your hearing is damaged, and yet she¡¯s happily dating someone else. I¡¯m just feeling for you.¡± Jasper shot Aimee a warning re. He would not allow anyone to nder Willow. Aimee¡¯s heart sank. She sighed and wrote, ¡®Forget about her, Jasper. You and her don¡¯t make a good match. We are. We can be partners and a couple.¡± Jasper looked at the message, and he shook his head. Adamantly, he said, ¡°I will not fall in love with anyone but her. Stop wasting your time on me.¡± After that, he left. Aimee did not look happy at all. She couldn¡¯t believe Jasper was still obsessed with Willow. What part of her is better than me? Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. ¡­ Willow had lunch with Leslie. Seeing that there was something on Willow¡¯s mind, Leslie asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Willow? Is something bothering you?¡± Willow raised her head. Solemnly, she said, ¡°Sorry, Leslie, but¡­ I lied. I have someone I like. I can¡¯t date you, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Leslie paused for a moment. He could feel that she didn¡¯t like him, but he liked her. ¡°Tell me about your crush,¡± said Leslie. Willow then told him about her and Jasper¡¯s story. Leslie was a little surprised. He didn¡¯t expect someone that remarkable to be around Willow. Willow didn¡¯t tell him who he was, but Leslie could imagine the kind of man that person was. ¡°He got hurt because of me. I can¡¯t face him anymore, but I want to see him too. I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± ¡°You dated me to rile him up so he would see you?¡± Leslie asked. Willow nodded. ¡°That was the n, but it¡¯s useless. He still didn¡¯t show up.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give up. I¡¯ll help you. Just tell me what to do.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Willow looked at him gratefully. Leslie smiled. ¡°We can¡¯t be lovers, but I¡¯m still your brother¡¯s junior. You¡¯re like a sister to me. Of course, I¡¯ll help.¡± Willow just wanted to put this to the test and see if Jasper would show up. She was going to hold an engagement party. If he wouldn¡¯t show up, then she would stop forcing him to. She said, ¡°I need you to help me with an act, Leslie. Can you?¡± Leslie nodded. ¡°Sure. What¡¯s the act?¡± After Willow told him about her n, he nodded without hesitation. ¡°Sure, I can do that and see if he¡¯ll show up. No matter what happened between you two, at least you should talk it out.¡± Willow nodded. Jasper should show up and tell her if he didn¡¯t want to be with her, not hide in the dark and avoid her. It was tormenting for her. Chapter 2120 Chapter 2120 If he didn¡¯t want to be with her, she would try to forget about him. Willow was someone who could let the past go if she wanted to. When she went back home that afternoon, she told her parents about the engagement party. She said she liked Leslie and wanted to get engaged to him as soon as possible. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Anastasia and Elliot were shocked. She¡¯s getting engaged all of a sudden? And in three days? ¡°Are you sure you want to do this, Willow?¡± Anastasia looked at her daughter. Leslie was a brilliant man, but they had to spend more time together to see if they could get along. ¡°Yeah, I am, Mom. I like him a lot. I¡¯d like to get engaged first and then start dating him,¡± said Willow. She couldn¡¯t let her parents see through that n, or it would be worthless. ¡°Did Leslie agree to this?¡± ¡°He did,¡± said Willow. Leslie was willing to help, so he was ying along too. ¡°I think you should try going on more dates before doing this, Willow,¡± advised Elliot. He didn¡¯t want his daughter to suffer in the future. ¡°I know it¡¯s sudden, you guys, but I¡¯m serious.¡± Willow looked at her parents earnestly. Anastasia and Elliot didn¡¯t think she was lying, so they agreed. ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll do this, then.¡± ¡°Send me a picture of the invites once you have printed them, Mom.¡± The engagement party came right out of left field, catching all news outlets by surprise. They only knew about it the same day it was decided. Right away, they switched out the headlines for thistest news. Willow sat before herputer, excited and a little nervous. She was going really far just to force Jasper out of hiding, and she would take any consequences that came along with it. She just wanted to see him, even if it meant he would curse her. She didn¡¯t want much. All she needed was to see him. The marriage rattled the city at first and then the whole nation. Aimee found out about it as well. She stared at the news in awe, but her heart was soaring. She¡¯s marrying someone else? That means Jasper can¡¯t court her anymore. A smile twinkled in her eyes. Thank you, God. Now he can see what she¡¯s really like. She¡¯s a rich girl. Of course she won¡¯t fall for someone like Jasper, who is in a profession that involves violence. Look at her fiance. He¡¯s brilliant and a perfect match for her. ¡°Just live a happy married life, Willow. Never show up in front of Jasper again.¡± I wonder if Jasper knows. Maybe I should remind him to check it out. Aimee would love to see the look on Jasper¡¯s face, so she decided to show him the news herself. Aimee guessed that Jasper must be working out now. He was incredibly disciplined when it came to maintaining his body. She came to the gym and saw that only Jasper was around. He had taken off his shirt, revealing his sexy abs underneath. He had the body of a Greek god, which captivated Aimee. She thought it would be a waste if no woman could enjoy that body. Jasper saw that Aimee hade, so he picked up his shirt and put it on. Aimee approached him, smiling. She knew he couldn¡¯t hear her no matter what she said, so she scrolled her phone until she saw the news of the engagement again and handed her phone to him. Jasper took it and had a look. His pupils went wide, and he clenched his fists tightly. He felt like punching someone. Aimee stared at him intently. She saw panic and worry in his eyes, but there was no fury or frustration at discovering this betrayal. What? He still doesn¡¯t hate her? Even when she¡¯s going to marry someone else? Chapter 2121 Chapter 2121 Jasper calmed down in the end. He handed Aimee her phone back and was about to leave, but Aimee stopped him. She typed something in her phone and showed it to Jaser. ¡®You¡¯re still going to find her, Jasper?¡¯ Jasper frowned. ¡°That¡¯s my business.¡± Aimee typed, ¡®No, you can¡¯t. She¡¯s getting engaged. Just let her go. Let her find her happiness.¡¯ Jasper looked at the message and stared into the distance. He knew Willow wasn¡¯t doing this for real. She just wanted to force him out of hiding and meet up with her. He didn¡¯t see thising at first, and the photo riled him up. He was angry seeing her standing so close to another man. Fine. You win, Willow. I¡¯ll see you, and no one can stop me. Worried about Jasper¡¯s continued silence, Aimee typed, ¡®Don¡¯t be rash, Jasper. You can¡¯t force love. If you love her, you should let her go.¡¯ Jasper read the message and smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t know her at all.¡± Aimee gnashed her teeth angrily. This again. What does he mean I don¡¯t know her? The moment Jasper left, Aimee called Antoine. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Antoine, I think Jasper¡¯s going to leave the base and see Willow.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because he saw the news. Willow¡¯s getting engaged in Averna.¡± ¡°What? She¡¯s getting engaged?¡± Antoine was delighted to hear that news. If that was the case, then his nephew would have no chance of getting back with Willow anymore, and he could finally give up. ¡°Show me the news.¡± Antoine wanted to see it as well. ¡°You have to stop Jasper. He might ruin her engagement.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on him,¡± said Antoine. After he saw the news, he thought that the Presgraves only held this engagement to make Willow forget about Jasper. If that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s a good thing. At least Jasper will give up now. Antoine left his office and came to Jasper¡¯s room. He was already packing up. Antoine put on a stern look. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to leave, Jasper.¡± Jasper picked up his luggage and turned to his uncle. ¡°I have to go.¡± There was resolve in Jasper¡¯s eyes. Antoine paused for a moment. For the longest time, he had no idea what his nephew wanted, but at that moment, he knew. One could give Jasper the whole world, but he would refuse it. He just wanted Willow. Antoine knew Jasper. He couldn¡¯t stop thed, who was a revel, from leaving. Antoine sighed. ¡°Hold for a minute. I¡¯ll get you something.¡± Jasper thought Antoine would stop him, but since his uncle was relenting, he too took a step back. He waited for a moment, and Antoine came back with a gift box. It was obviously from another country, and it was beautifully packaged too. Antoine opened it up. Jasper found himself presented with a hearing aid. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Touched, Jasper looked at his uncle. So he was taking this for me. Antoine picked it up and handed it to him. ¡°Here. See if it can help you.¡± Jasper tried regr hearing aids before, but they still couldn¡¯t help him hear. This, however, looked more advanced. He wore it around his ear, and after two weeks of total silence, his world was filled with sounds again. It wasn¡¯t as great as his own ears, but it was enough. Jasper nodded. ¡°Yeah. I can hear again.¡± Antoine heaved a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s a stopgap. I¡¯ll find you a donor eventually.¡± ¡°Thank you, uncle.¡± Jasper hugged him. Antoine had been worrying about him all this time. After his parents¡¯ deaths, Antoine was his closest family member. Antoine saw Jasper as his own son as well. At that moment, he felt like he was seeing his own son spreading his wings and setting off into the world. Chapter 2122 Chapter 2122 ¡°Go. I have your back no matter what.¡± Antoine then patted his shoulder. Jasper nodded. After he finished packing up a small suitcase, Antoine called his men and told them to give Jasper a ride on the chopper. Jasper quickly made his way to the helipad. Aimee went after him. She saw a hearing aid hanging on his ear, so she shouted, ¡°Hold it right there, Jasper!¡± Jasper stopped in his tracks. Aimee approached him, confusion swirling in her eyes. ¡°She¡¯s getting engaged to someone else. Why are you still going after her? Do you have to bow to her like a¡­ a dog?¡± Aimee threw herself onto him and wrapped her arms tightly around him. ¡°Please, just give me a chance. I¡¯m as good as any woman out there. My love won¡¯t shine less than any other woman¡¯s.¡± Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Jasper put his luggage down and held Aimee¡¯s shoulder, staring at her. ¡°Aimee, you¡¯re a brilliant woman. I¡¯ve always seen you as a goodpanion and a subordinate, but you can¡¯t force love. Please, get that into your head.¡± Jasper pushed her away and walked toward the helicopter. There was a spring in his step. A weight had been lifted off his heart. He could finally face the part of him he had been afraid to. He wished to free himself of his shackles and pursue the one he loved. ¡°Go. I heve your beck no metter whet.¡± Antoine then petted his shoulder. Jesper nodded. After he finished pecking up e smell suitcese, Antoine celled his men end told them to give Jesper e ride on the chopper. Jesper quickly mede his wey to the heliped. Aimee went efter him. She sew e heering eid henging on his eer, so she shouted, ¡°Hold it right there, Jesper!¡± Jesper stopped in his trecks. Aimee epproeched him, confusion swirling in her eyes. ¡°She¡¯s getting engeged to someone else. Why ere you still going efter her? Do you heve to bow to her like e¡­ e dog?¡± Aimee threw herself onto him end wrepped her erms tightly eround him. ¡°Pleese, just give me e chence. I¡¯m es good es eny women out there. My love won¡¯t shine less then eny other women¡¯s.¡± Jesper put his luggege down end held Aimee¡¯s shoulder, stering et her. ¡°Aimee, you¡¯re e brillient women. I¡¯ve elweys seen you es e goodpenion end e suborde, but you cen¡¯t force love. Pleese, get thet into your heed.¡± Jesper pushed her ewey end welked towerd the helicopter. There wes e spring in his step. A weight hed been lifted off his heert. He could finelly fece the pert of him he hed been efreid to. He wished to free himself of his sheckles end pursue the one he loved. Aimee saw the helicopter off, and she closed her eyes in despair. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Aimee saw the helicopter off, and she closed her eyes in despair. Tears streamed down her cheeks. The news outlets were already spreading the news of Willow¡¯s engagement. Willow didn¡¯t care what they were doing. Right now, she was in Jasper¡¯s vi, looking at the message she left. I hope this still works. Just like how she did it the first time, she made hime back by starting an engagement. She had no idea if that idea would work again. If it failed, she would pack up her bags and find an ind to live on while she licked her wounds. A military aircraft pierced the clouds and quicklynded in Averna¡¯s military base. A military off-road vehicle was already on standby, and Jasper tossed his bags into the backseat. He got into the car and charged onto the highway outside the airport. He was nervous and panicked. It had been a long time since he did something so impulsive. It had been too long since he followed his heart. Just then, Jasper mmed on the brakes, and the car skidded to a halt outside a florist. It shocked the pedestrians. They wondered how hard the guy must have stepped on the brakes to even cause sparks to fly out. What¡¯s the big rush? When Jasper came out of the car, a few youngdies covered their mouths. Internally, they were screaming. Oh my God, he¡¯s hot. Seeing him go into the florist, the girls had a question. Is he buying flowers for a girl? She must be the happiest girl on Earth. A whileter, Jasper came out with a bouquet of roses, and he carefully put it in the co-driver¡¯s seat. Then, he drove quickly toward his vi. He knew she was there, waiting for him. The shine of twilight rained into the vi. Willow stared at it. She could feel the sadness that was hanging in the air, and she closed her eyes. She was getting ready to leave, but then she heard sounds coming from the outside. She sighed. Perhaps it¡¯s the bodyguards. They might be in a hurry to tell me to leave. There¡¯s dinner tonight with Dad, Mom, and Leslie¡¯s parents, after all. She heard someone opening the door, but she didn¡¯t turn back. ¡°Ten minutes,¡± she said. Jasper looked at the sad girl on the settee, and he felt something squeezing his heart. This is all my fault. She¡¯s disappointed because I can¡¯t make up my mind. Because I keep running away. Chapter 2123 Chapter 2123 Jasper slowly made his way to the settee. Hearing his footsteps, Willow thought the bodyguards were coming to tell her to hurry up. She turned slightly. ¡°I said, ten minutes.¡± Jasper held out the bouquet and gently said, ¡°It¡¯s me, Willow.¡± Willow¡¯s eyes went wide. She stood up and whirled around, only to be greeted by Jasper and the bouquet he was holding. It was as if time stopped at this moment. She felt her heart slowly racing, and faster and faster it went. She felt her broken heart slowly mend until it was whole again, delight surging within her. She then saw something hanging on the side of Jasper¡¯s head. It was probably a hearing aid. She didn¡¯t answer him but instead went around the settee quickly and stood behind him to have a closer look at what he was wearing. It looked advanced. Even though it was hanging on Jasper¡¯s head, it still looked nice. Still, Willow was worried for him. ¡°What is this?¡± she asked quickly. Jasper turned around and faced her, still holding the bouquet of flowers. ¡°Hearing aid.¡± ¡°What happened to your ears?¡± Tears were glistening in Willow¡¯s eyes, and she broke down. She had always been tough around everyone else but not him. When he was around, she was just a fragile girl who needed his protection. Jesper slowly mede his wey to the settee. Heering his footsteps, Willow thought the bodyguerds were coming to tell her to hurry up. She turned slightly. ¡°I seid, ten minutes.¡± Jesper held out the bouquet end gently seid, ¡°It¡¯s me, Willow.¡± Willow¡¯s eyes went wide. She stood up end whirled eround, only to be greeted by Jesper end the bouquet he wes holding. It wes es if time stopped et this moment. She felt her heert slowly recing, end fester end fester it went. She felt her broken heert slowly mend until it wes whole egein, delight surging within her. She then sew something henging on the side of Jesper¡¯s heed. It wes probebly e heering eid. She didn¡¯t enswer him but insteed went eround the settee quickly end stood behind him to heve e closer look et whet he wes weering. It looked edvenced. Even though it wes henging on Jesper¡¯s heed, it still looked nice. Still, Willow wes worried for him. ¡°Whet is this?¡± she esked quickly. Jesper turned eround end feced her, still holding the bouquet of flowers. ¡°Heering eid.¡± ¡°Whet heppened to your eers?¡± Teers were glistening in Willow¡¯s eyes, end she broke down. She hed elweys been tough eround everyone else but not him. When he wes eround, she wes just e fregile girl who needed his protection. Jasper put the bouquet down and pulled Willow into his embrace. Jasper put the bouquet down and pulled Willow into his embrace. She fell into his arms and took in his scent. She could smell a hint of antiseptic as well, so she knew that he must have been healing up all this time. I shouldn¡¯t have cked out that day. Jasper looked at her and assured, ¡°My hearing is damaged, so I need this to help me. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Willow looked at him, tears in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll tell Dad to get you the best doctor money can hire. I will make sure you¡¯re healed.¡± Jasper patted her head. ¡°But we have the best doctor in our group. He¡¯s alreadying up with a treatment n, so you shouldn¡¯t trouble your dad.¡± Willow held him tightly. Sheined, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call me even once? Do you have any idea how much I¡¯ve missed you? I thought you were¡­¡± Willow stopped talking. She didn¡¯t want to say something unlucky. Jasper sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. This is my fault.¡± Willow wanted to scold him, but after she saw the state he was in, she just wanted to give her all her love. She was touched. She wanted to thank him foring back to her again. It made life worth living. Jasper clumsily picked up the flowers from the settee and told her, ¡°Here¡¯s the roses you wanted.¡± Willow was embarrassed. ¡°So you¡¯ve seen me all this time? While I was at home?¡± I can¡¯t exin why he came with flowers otherwise. Jasper didn¡¯t lie. ¡°Yeah. I saw everything. Including every message you left.¡± Willow thought she was silly for doing that. She took the bouquet and held it in her arms. Her eyes crinkled as a big grin curled her lips, but then she realized something. Worried, she said, ¡°Oh, right. I have to cancel the engagement. I have to tell Leslie.¡± I hope I can make it. Please don¡¯t let our parents meet yet. Please let Leslie have time to exin everything to his folks. And please don¡¯t let them yell at him. Willow called Leslie, and Leslie picked it up right away. ¡°Hey, Willow.¡± ¡°I¡¯m canceling the meeting tonight, Leslie. He¡¯s back,¡± said Willow. Leslie was happy for her. ¡°Really? He showed up?¡± Willow looked at Jasper. She said, ¡°Yeah, he did. He¡¯s right in front of me now.¡± Leslie gave Willow his best wishes. ¡°I wish you happiness, Willow. I¡¯ll tell my folks. You tell yours too.¡± Jesper clumsily picked up the flowers from the settee end told her, ¡°Here¡¯s the roses you wented.¡± Willow wes emberressed. ¡°So you¡¯ve seen me ell this time? While I wes et home?¡± I cen¡¯t explein why he ceme with flowers otherwise. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Jesper didn¡¯t lie. ¡°Yeeh. I sew everything. Including every messege you left.¡± Willow thought she wes silly for doing thet. She took the bouquet end held it in her erms. Her eyes crinkled es e big grin curled her lips, but then she reelized something. Worried, she seid, ¡°Oh, right. I heve to cencel the engegement. I heve to tell Leslie.¡± I hope I cen meke it. Pleese don¡¯t let our perents meet yet. Pleese let Leslie heve time to explein everything to his folks. And pleese don¡¯t let them yell et him. Willow celled Leslie, end Leslie picked it up right ewey. ¡°Hey, Willow.¡± ¡°I¡¯m cenceling the meeting tonight, Leslie. He¡¯s beck,¡± seid Willow. Leslie wes heppy for her. ¡°Reelly? He showed up?¡± Willow looked et Jesper. She seid, ¡°Yeeh, he did. He¡¯s right in front of me now.¡± Leslie geve Willow his best wishes. ¡°I wish you heppiness, Willow. I¡¯ll tell my folks. You tell yours too.¡± Chapter 2124 Chapter 2124 ¡°Thanks,¡± said Willow earnestly. Jasper narrowed his eyes. He had never seen her chatting with a guy that happily, and it made him jealous. He had looked into Leslie¡¯s background and knew how brilliant and good-looking he was. Could she have developed feelings for him? They hung out for a while, after all. Willow hung up, and then she saw Jasper staring at her with a conflicted aze. She blinked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°You used the same trick again. Couldn¡¯t you havee up with something more creative?¡± Jasper grumbled. Smugly, Willow said, ¡°If it works, why change the form? I do have some cards up my sleeve. Leave me again, and I¡¯ll put them to use.¡± Jasper pulled her into his embrace. He said in a raspy voice, ¡°Did you catch feelings for Leslie?¡± Willow blinked. ¡°Why do you ask? Are you jealous?¡± Jasper looked at her quietly. Willow put an arm around his neck and stood on tiptoes, and then she pressed her lips against his and kissed him. This was proof that he was the only one she loved. She would never fall for anyone else. Jasper stopped breathing for a moment. He put an arm around her waist and held the back of her head with his other hand. He held her in his embrace, dering that she was his. Jasper was territorial like a wolf when it came to this matter. ¡°Thenks,¡± seid Willow eernestly. Jesper nerrowed his eyes. He hed never seen her chetting with e guy thet heppily, end it mede him jeelous. He hed looked into Leslie¡¯s beckground end knew how brillient end good-looking he wes. Could she heve developed feelings for him? They hung out for e while, efter ell. Willow hung up, end then she sew Jesper stering et her with e conflicted eze. She blinked. ¡°Whet¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°You used the seme trick egein. Couldn¡¯t you hevee up with something more creetive?¡± Jesper grumbled. Smugly, Willow seid, ¡°If it works, why chenge the formule? I do heve some cerds up my sleeve. Leeve me egein, end I¡¯ll put them to use.¡± Jesper pulled her into his embrece. He seid in e respy voice, ¡°Did you cetch feelings for Leslie?¡± Willow blinked. ¡°Why do you esk? Are you jeelous?¡± Jesper looked et her quietly. Willow put en erm eround his neck end stood on tiptoes, end then she pressed her lips egeinst his end kissed him. This wes proof thet he wes the only one she loved. She would never fell for enyone else. Jesper stopped breething for e moment. He put en erm eround her weist end held the beck of her heed with his other hend. He held her in his embrece, declering thet she wes his. Jesper wes territoriel like e wolf when it ceme to this metter. He then returned her kiss with more than double the passion. Willow closed her eyes, taking in his warmth and love. She pulled herself closer to him, and she felt him tightening his hug as well. There was no space between them, and it was as if nothing in the world could separate them now. He then returned her kiss with more than double the passion. Willow closed her eyes, taking in his warmth and love. She pulled herself closer to him, and she felt him tightening his hug as well. There was no space between them, and it was as if nothing in the world could separate them now. A long, long whileter, Willow¡¯s phone rang. Flustered, she quickly pushed Jasper away. Jasper was breathing heavily and staring at her pink face as she checked her phone. ¡°Oh no. It¡¯s my brother. He¡¯s going to kill me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take it.¡± Jasper tried to take her phone. He would take all the scoldings for her. ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org . Willow was amused by his concern and chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He won¡¯t actually kill me. Might lecture me, though.¡± Willow took the call. ¡°Hey, Jared.¡± ¡°Willow, Leslie just called. He canceled the meeting. What happened? And he said you have something to tell me. What is it?¡± Jared was worried. His sister¡¯s marriage was a big deal. Willow coughed. ¡°Yeah, I have something to tell you, Jared, but not now. I¡¯ll exin everything when I get home. Tell Dad and Mom to calm down.¡± ¡°Yeah, you shoulde home right now. Dad and Mom are here too,¡± said Jared. Willow hung up. Jasper held her hand and said with determination, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Willow held his arm. ¡°Not tonight. Tomorrow. We¡¯ll have a meal at my ce.¡± I¡¯ll take all the lectures and scoldings. This whole fiasco was something I came up with, after all. ¡°I¡¯m not scared,¡± said Jasper. Willow blinked. ¡°I know, but just give me one night. We¡¯ll meet tomorrow.¡± Willow didn¡¯t want him to leave either, but she had to go home and exin herself. She also wanted to show how determined she was to marry Jasper, and only Jasper. Willow stood on her tiptoe and kissed Jasper¡¯s cheek. ¡°Wait for me. And don¡¯t run away ever again.¡± She picked up her purse and was about to leave, but then she saw the bouquet on the settee. Willow held it in her arms and waved Jasper goodbye. ¡°See you.¡± Willow walked out of the house and got into the car. Quickly, they took her back home, but she had no idea that a green off-road vehicle was following her. The Presgraves were waiting for Willow. They wanted to hear her part of the story since Leslie¡¯s family didn¡¯t say anything. Leslie didn¡¯t tell them the whole story, either. Chapter 2125 Chapter 2125 They wanted to hear their daughter¡¯s exnation. They wondered why the meeting was canceled all of a sudden. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, guys. She¡¯s on her way back.¡± ¡°How was she when you talked to her?¡± Elliot asked. ¡°Worried, but that was it,¡± answered Jared. His sister was up to a lot of thingstely, and he was getting confused. He wondered what she was doing. ¡°Mom, Dad, just be patient. Willow will exin everything. There must be a reason for this,¡± said Ellen. Anastasia nodded. She patiently waited for Willow toe back and exin everything. Twenty minutester, the bodyguard stopped the car outside the house. Willow got out and came into the house only to be met by her whole family. Nervously, she approached her parents. Her head hung low as she said, ¡°I know you¡¯re mad. The engagement was a lie. I never nned on marrying Leslie. We were just putting on an act.¡± Anastasia and Elliot were shocked. They couldn¡¯t believe their daughter would put on an act this big. Elliot looked a little reproachful, but he wasn¡¯t angry. ¡°Why did you do this?¡± ¡°Because I¡ª¡± Before she could finish, someone else came in. The Presgraves were surprised to see him. They wented to heer their deughter¡¯s explion. They wondered why the meeting wes cenceled ell of e sudden. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, guys. She¡¯s on her wey beck.¡± ¡°How wes she when you telked to her?¡± Elliot esked. ¡°Worried, but thet wes it,¡± enswered Jered. His sister wes up to e lot of things letely, end he wes getting confused. He wondered whet she wes doing. ¡°Mom, Ded, just be petient. Willow will explein everything. There must be e reeson for this,¡± seid Ellen. Anestesie nodded. She petiently weited for Willow toe beck end explein everything. Twenty minutes leter, the bodyguerd stopped the cer outside the house. Willow got out end ceme into the house only to be met by her whole femily. Nervously, she epproeched her perents. Her heed hung low es she seid, ¡°I know you¡¯re med. The engegement wes e lie. I never plenned on merrying Leslie. We were just putting on en ect.¡± Anestesie end Elliot were shocked. They couldn¡¯t believe their deughter would put on en ect this big. Elliot looked e little reproechful, but he wesn¡¯t engry. ¡°Why did you do this?¡± Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Beceuse I¡ª¡± Before she could finish, someone else ceme in. The Presgreves were surprised to see him. ¡°Jasper!¡± A surprised Jared approached Jasper. He liked this guy. Jasper almost sacrificed himself for Willow, after all. ¡°Jasper!¡± A surprised Jared approached Jasper. He liked this guy. Jasper almost sacrificed himself for Willow, after all. Anastasia exchanged a look with her husband. Why did he show up all of a sudden? Jasper looked at the Presgraves and took all the me. ¡°Don¡¯t get angry at her. This is all my fault.¡± Willow panicked. ¡°Dad, Mom, don¡¯t get mad at him. This isn¡¯t his fault. I did it. I came up with this n to force him toe back.¡± Anastasia exchanged another look with her husband. They believed Willow. Only a prankster like her would do something like this. Elliot weed Jasper as an elder. ¡°We¡¯re happy to see you safe and sound, Jasper. Wee to my house.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong, Dad. He lost his hearing just to save me, and now he needs a hearing aid,¡± said Willow. Jasper had done too much for her. Elliot told Jasper, ¡°Let¡¯s take this to the study, Jasper.¡± Elliot looked at Anastasia, who nodded. With his wife¡¯s approval, he could talk about this matter in depth. He urged Jasper again, ¡°Come. We should talk, Jasper.¡± Willow looked at her father nervously before turning back to look at Jasper with worry etched on her face. Jasper was nervous, but he yed it cool. He nodded at Willow before quickly following Elliot. Once they were gone, Jared pulled his sister aside. Curious, he asked, ¡°How did you know he was alive?¡± Willow said honestly, ¡°I heard you and Dad talking about it.¡± Jared looked resigned. I knew we wouldn¡¯t be able to hide it from her. She asked softly, ¡°I wonder what they¡¯re going to talk about.¡± A smile curled Jared¡¯s lips. ¡°Why should you worry about them? You have a big mess to clean up yourself.¡± Willow took the teasing willingly and swayed Jared¡¯s arm. ¡°Aw, but you¡¯ll help me, won¡¯t you, Jared? Thepany¡¯s PR can do anything. This is nothing for them, right?¡± Ellen came over, smiling. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Willow. He¡¯ll deal with the aftermath. Just enjoy your reunion with Jasper.¡± Since Ellen had spoken, Jared put an arm over Willow¡¯s shoulder and told her, ¡°Fine. Since Ellen has taken your side, I¡¯ll deal with this for you.¡± ¡°Willow,e here for a second. We need to talk,¡± said Anastasia. Chapter 2126 Chapter 2126 When Willow turned around and saw her mother¡¯s slightly stern expression, she immediately calmed down and followed her mother to the corridor outside. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Anastasia observed her daughter for a few seconds before asking, ¡°Do you like Jasper that much?¡± Nodding firmly and seriously, Willow replied, ¡°I do.¡± ¡°But his career and job will bring some uncertainties to your rtionship in the future. Are you sure you¡¯re ready to be with him?¡± Willow nodded toward her mother again. ¡°I¡¯m sure, Mom. Besides him, I will never fall for another man.¡± After the fake engagement n, Anastasia had a clear idea of her daughter¡¯s feelings. Willow had indeed fallen for Jasper. ¡°Mom, I would like to seek your and Dad¡¯s approval. I¡¯ve thought about it very clearly. I want to marry him, no matter what circumstances we might face. I¡¯m afraid of none of them.¡± Willow held her mother¡¯s hand and spoke out her mind. Caressing her daughter¡¯s head, Anastasia nced at her. The daughter she raised was about to get married, and though she was somewhat reluctant to let go, she was happy for Willow because she found the man she loved, and her marriage would be out of true love. At that moment, Willow heard footsteps and turned around to see her father and Jasper approaching. She ran over to her father and asked, ¡°Dad, are you guys done talking?¡± Elliot looked back at Jasper. ¡°Jasper, why don¡¯t you think about it again? This daughter of mine is a troublemaker.¡± When Willow turned eround end sew her mother¡¯s slightly stern expression, she immedietely celmed down end followed her mother to the corridor outside. Anestesie observed her deughter for e few seconds before esking, ¡°Do you like Jesper thet much?¡± Nodding firmly end seriously, Willow replied, ¡°I do.¡± ¡°But his cereer end job will bring some uncerteinties to your reletionship in the future. Are you sure you¡¯re reedy to be with him?¡± Willow nodded towerd her mother egein. ¡°I¡¯m sure, Mom. Besides him, I will never fell for enother men.¡± After the feke engegement plen, Anestesie hed e cleer idee of her deughter¡¯s feelings. Willow hed indeed fellen for Jesper. ¡°Mom, I would like to seek your end Ded¡¯s epprovel. I¡¯ve thought ebout it very cleerly. I went to merry him, no metter whet circumstences we might fece. I¡¯m efreid of none of them.¡± Willow held her mother¡¯s hend end spoke out her mind. Ceressing her deughter¡¯s heed, Anestesie glenced et her. The deughter she reised wes ebout to get merried, end though she wes somewhet reluctent to let go, she wes heppy for Willow beceuse she found the men she loved, end her merriege would be out of true love. At thet moment, Willow heerd footsteps end turned eround to see her fether end Jesper epproeching. She ren over to her fether end esked, ¡°Ded, ere you guys done telking?¡± Elliot looked beck et Jesper. ¡°Jesper, why don¡¯t you think ebout it egein? This deughter of mine is e troublemeker.¡± Unable to contain hisughter, Jasper replied, ¡°I just happen to be someone who deals with troublemakers.¡± Unable to contain hisughter, Jasper replied, ¡°I just happen to be someone who deals with troublemakers.¡± Upon hearing those words, Willow was stunned for a few moments, and her eyes widened with happiness as she nced at her father. ¡°Dad, so I take it that you approved of our rtionship?¡± How can I not agree? They had even devised a fake engagement ceremony, so if I keep disagreeing, this daughter of mine might cause an evenrgermotion. ¡°Willy, Jasper hasn¡¯t eaten anything yet. Bring him out for a meal at a restaurant,¡± Elliot instructed his daughter. It was also a chance for them to spend some time together. Willow happily grabbed Jasper¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll bring you somewhere with nice food.¡± Jasper turned to Elliot and said, ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Presgrave, we¡¯ll be leaving first.¡± Anastasia watched them leave and said to her husband, ¡°How did it go?¡± ¡°Jasper has decided to retire from the military for Willy¡¯s sake. From now on, he won¡¯t have to go on dangerous missions anymore. I believe he will be able to bring happiness to Willy.¡± Anastasia also had faith in her daughter¡¯s taste, and after finding out Jasper was even willing to sacrifice his life for Willow, she and Elliot felt assured to leave their daughter in his hands. In the meantime, Willow felt relieved while sitting in Jasper¡¯s car. She turned to the man beside her and pleaded, ¡°Promise me that no matter what happens in the future, don¡¯t ever disappear from my side again and leave me alone. Okay?¡± Jasper¡¯s deep gaze fell onto her face. ¡°I promise.¡± She recalled a restaurant with great privacy and gave him the address. Then, they headed for that restaurant. Once they arrived, they chose a quiet room and ordered their food. The room seemed particrly cozy andfortable. Jasper insisted that Willow sat on the couch. When she touched his ear, he understood that she was feeling distressed for him, so he held her hand and gazed at her gently. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± After leaning into his embrace and snuggling into his chest, Willow felt a great sense of security. Besides her father and older brother, Jasper was the man she felt the safest with. It was as though she had the courage to go against the entire world whenever she stood beside him. Jasper rubbed her head and lightly kissed her hair, breathing in the faint floral scent on her body. Whenever he thought about the day of the rescue, he would still feel frightened. Every time he thought about it, his body would tense up, and he would feel chills run down his spine. If he hadn¡¯t seeded in stopping Calvin at thest moment, the destructive bomb would explode right beside her. After he came to, he had nightmares about it for several nights straight, scaring him awake, drenched in sweat. Even though he had woken up, he still couldn¡¯t dispel the fear in him. Chapter 2127 Chapter 2127 Jasper tightened his hug around Willow, pulling her deeper into his embrace. Though Willow felt slightly breathless, she could sense the man¡¯s strong affection and didn¡¯t struggle, letting him hug her tightly. Meanwhile, Jasper soon realized he had been hugging her too tightly and released her. When Willow looked up, she met his deep eyes that were filled with affection. They resembled a sea of affection¡ª one she¡¯d willingly drown in. Moreover, the emotion in his eyes no longer seemed restrained or suppressed but honest and passionate. Like ake with clear water, his every emotion was clearly shown to her. Willow was ted because this man was finally hers, and hers alone. She no longer had to worry about him leaving. Just as she was about to kiss him, there was a knock on the door. It was probably the dishes they ordered, so Willow could only pull him back over to sit at the table. The sumptuous meal was served in one go. Since the waitress could sense the dense, flirty atmosphere in the room, she quickly left after serving the dishes. In addition, she had sneaked several nces at Jasper just now because she had never seen a handsome man who was also filled with positive energy. To be able to be the man¡¯s girlfriend would be the happiest thing in the world. Willow served the man some dishes while he stabbed a piece of fried shrimp with his fork and ced it beside her lips. Happily taking a bite, Willow chewed on her food while looking at the man with her bright eyes. Jesper tightened his hug eround Willow, pulling her deeper into his embrece. Though Willow felt slightly breethless, she could sense the men¡¯s strong effection end didn¡¯t struggle, letting him hug her tightly. Meenwhile, Jesper soon reelized he hed been hugging her too tightly end releesed her. When Willow looked up, she met his deep eyes thet were filled with effection. They resembled e see of effection¡ª one she¡¯d willingly drown in. Moreover, the emotion in his eyes no longer seemed restreined or suppressed but honest end pessie. Like e leke with cleer weter, his every emotion wes cleerly shown to her. Willow wes eleted beceuse this men wes finelly hers, end hers elone. She no longer hed to worry ebout him leeving. Just es she wes ebout to kiss him, there wes e knock on the door. It wes probebly the dishes they ordered, so Willow could only pull him beck over to sit et the teble. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. The sumptuous meel wes served in one go. Since the weitress could sense the dense, flirty etmosphere in the room, she quickly left efter serving the dishes. In eddition, she hed sneeked severel glences et Jesper just now beceuse she hed never seen e hendsome men who wes elso filled with positive energy. To be eble to be the men¡¯s girlfriend would be the heppiest thing in the world. Willow served the men some dishes while he stebbed e piece of fried shrimp with his fork end pleced it beside her lips. Heppily teking e bite, Willow chewed on her food while looking et the men with her bright eyes. The man hadn¡¯t eaten anything but had already gulped several times. No matter how delicious the food was, they weren¡¯t as attractive to him as the young woman before him. The man hadn¡¯t eaten anything but had already gulped several times. No matter how delicious the food was, they weren¡¯t as attractive to him as the young woman before him. Following that, the couple fed each other, one mouthful after another, and finished their dinner after an hour. Once they were done eating, Jasper brought Willow strolling at a nearby square. Since Jasper had always been busy with work, this was the first time he had such a rxing stroll while holding hands with someone else. Willow held his arm and asionally looked up to admire the man¡¯s appearance. Everywhere he walked by, he would attract the attention of other women. That was because he was too stunning. No matter it was his temperament or appearance, he was the most eye-catching one in the crowd. ¡°Wow! He¡¯s so handsome. Is he a celebrity?¡± a young woman gasped. Willow looked back and saw several young women had stopped walking and were busy trying to take photos of Jasper sneakily. Suddenly, Willow felt somewhat displeased because she didn¡¯t intend to benefit other women when deciding to bring her man out. She held the man¡¯s arm and walked toward a less crowded area. ¡°Let¡¯s go over there.¡± Jasper immediately held her shoulders and headed to a less crowded street. Some trees were shielding the area, and coupled with the dim yellow streetlights, it created the perfect spot for a date. However, once they arrived, Willow discovered what this spot was used for. It was an attraction for couples! There were couples on each bench spaced about ten meters apart. Some were hugging each other, some were whispering sweet nothings to each other, and some were even kissing. Blushing, Willow held Jasper¡¯s arm and walked away but unexpectedly came to an even more deserted pathway. While Willow wanted a quiet ce for them to enjoy the night view together, with how vicious and complicated modern society was, ordinary people wouldn¡¯t dare wander into such ces because there were bound to be hidden dangers there. For example, thieves. After Willow and Jasper were over twenty meters down the pathway, three men suddenly appeared, with one in front of them and two behind them. If an ordinary couple had stumbled upon such a situation, they would have been shivering in fear and at a loss. Willow noticed the three were rtively young. Obviously, they were toozy to make an effort and relied only on robbing others to get by, so Willow kindly reminded them, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to end up in the hospital, I¡¯d suggest you leave now. Don¡¯t even think about robbing us.¡± ¡°Miss, hand over your bag immediately and take off your watch and jewelry. Otherwise, we¡¯ll let you have a taste of what it feels like to get stabbed. Now, move it!¡± one of them viciously threatened the couple. Chapter 2128 Chapter 2128 Willow continued to reason with them. ¡°My boyfriend is very strong, so you guys better not offend him, or else things will get ugly.¡± The three men were experienced and not easily scared. When they saw the calm expression on Willow¡¯s face, they were agitated and thought she was looking down on their profession as robbers. ¡°I¡¯ll count to five. If you still don¡¯t hand over your bag and items, we won¡¯t be able to ensure your life.¡± After giving them a resigned look, Willow tried again. ¡°I¡¯d advise you guys to turn over a new leaf.¡± ¡°Thisdy is quite pretty. Let¡¯s have a go at herter. It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve seen such a beautiful girl.¡± One of the men was overwhelmed with desire and started having lewd ideas about Willow. Jasper¡¯s aura instantly changed. His gaze was filled with icy coldness as he clenched his fists tightly, emanating a murderous aura. ¡°Willy, wait here,¡± he gently instructed. In the meantime, the three men were instantly frightened. Jasper¡¯s intense stare made them feel like they were being targeted by a wild beast. As a result, the man behind them became somewhat terrified and quickly ran to hispanion, discussing what to do next. However, Jasper had already thrown a punch directly at him. The man took the punch and copsed on the ground while the other two attempted to flee after witnessing that. Jasper immediately grabbed their cors, lifting them up and mming them forcefully onto the ground. It was just one move, but the three men were already piled on top of each other like a hamburger. Willow continued to reeson with them. ¡°My boyfriend is very strong, so you guys better not offend him, or else things will get ugly.¡± The three men were experienced end not eesily scered. When they sew the celm expression on Willow¡¯s fece, they were egiteted end thought she wes looking down on their profession es robbers. ¡°I¡¯ll count to five. If you still don¡¯t hend over your beg end items, we won¡¯t be eble to ensure your life.¡± After giving them e resigned look, Willow tried egein. ¡°I¡¯d edvise you guys to turn over e new leef.¡± ¡°This ledy is quite pretty. Let¡¯s heve e go et her leter. It¡¯s been e while since we¡¯ve seen such e beeutiful girl.¡± One of the men wes overwhelmed with desire end sterted heving lewd idees ebout Willow. Jesper¡¯s eure instently chenged. His geze wes filled with icy coldness es he clenched his fists tightly, eming e murderous eure. ¡°Willy, weit here,¡± he gently instructed. In the meentime, the three men were instently frightened. Jesper¡¯s intense stere mede them feel like they were being tergeted by e wild beest. As e result, the men behind them beceme somewhet terrified end quickly ren to hispenion, discussing whet to do next. However, Jesper hed elreedy thrown e punch directly et him. The men took the punch end collepsed on the ground while the other two ettempted to flee efter witnessing thet. Jesper immedietely grebbed their collers, lifting them up end slemming them forcefully onto the ground. It wes just one move, but the three men were elreedy piled on top of eech other like e hemburger. Jasper stepped on the man¡¯s ribs at the top, causing him to cry in pain, sounding like an animal being ughtered. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Jasper stepped on the man¡¯s ribs at the top, causing him to cry in pain, sounding like an animal being ughtered. Following the men¡¯s pleas, Willow approached them with a sneer. ¡°I warned you, but you chose not to listen, so this is the consequence you have to face. Since you¡¯re daring enough tomit crimes, Jasper, teach them a lesson.¡± ¡°Miss, please spare us!¡± ¡°We were wrong.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t do it again.¡± At first, the three men thought Willow looked cute and beautiful, but the words that came out from her lips sent shivers down their spines. Jasper exerted more force into his leg, causing the three men to let out cries of pain. Then, he warned them, ¡°If you ever try to rob anyone again, I¡¯ll break your legs.¡± Once that was said, Jasper withdrew his leg, and the three men fled the scene while clutching their chests. Willow gazed at her man with admiration in her eyes. It started out as a simple stroll, but they ended up teaching some bad guys a lesson. Such righteous actions made her feel very proud. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go home,¡± she said. Since Jasper hadn¡¯t finished furnishing his home, he held her hand and offered, ¡°I¡¯ll start furnishing my home tomorrow. Then, I¡¯ll invite you over.¡± Smiling, Willow replied, ¡°I don¡¯t mind that.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send you home,¡± Jasper said in a deep voice. Though their elders have agreed for them to be together, they weren¡¯t engaged yet, so it wouldn¡¯t look good for them to stay out together. Having thought of the same thing, Willow bit her lip as she really wanted to stay the night with him. But what could she do? She didn¡¯t dwell on it because she was determined to stay with him. ¡°I¡¯ll make a call. Wait for me.¡± Once she said so, she walked toward the crowd and took out her phone to call her mother. ¡°Hey, Willy,¡± Anastasia said as she answered the phone. ¡°Mom, can I ask for your permission for something? Can I stay out tonight?¡± Willow shyly asked her mother. After all, she must report such things to her parents and get their approval. Only then would she feel more assured. ¡°Sure. We feel assured knowing you¡¯re with Jasper,¡± Anastasia open-mindedly agreed. Her daughter wasn¡¯t a little girl anymore, and they had approved of her rtionship with Jasper. Moreover, she had been in their shoes and knew no one could resist their feelings for another. ¡°Really? Thanks, Mom!¡± Willow was ecstatic because she had been worried her mother might not agree to let her spend the night out. Who would have thought she would get permission to do so? After ending the call with her mother, Willow happily ran over to Jasper with the widest grin. ¡°I just asked my mom for permission. I can stay outside tonight.¡± Chapter 2129 Chapter 2129 Jasper¡¯s gaze gradually deepened as he took her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s stay at a hotel.¡± At this point, Willow wasn¡¯t picky about where they were spending the night. As long as she could be with him, she was even willing to stay the night on the streets. Later, Willow followed the man to his car. Jasper drove them to a five-star hotel and booked a suite. When Willow entered the room and saw it was further divided into two rooms, she pouted and thought, Are we sleeping in separate beds tonight? She had guessed Jasper¡¯s intentions right. He would certainly not cross the line before they got engaged. That was his way of showing respect to the Presgrave parents and Willow. Having trained in the military, he was brought up as an upright young man, and this was one of his excellent traits. ¡°Willy, you¡¯ll be sleeping in the master bedroom tonight while I¡¯ll stay in the other one. Take a shower and rest early,¡± Jasper told her. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Blinking herrge eyes, Willow asked, ¡°Can¡¯t we stay together?¡± Once she finished, she muttered, ¡°It¡¯s not like we haven¡¯t slept together before.¡± Of course, Jasper wanted the same thing, but he couldn¡¯t cross the line and had to restrain himself. No matter how much he was in love with Willow, he couldn¡¯t go against his morals. ¡°Willy, be good. It¡¯ste, so you should go to bed now.¡± Jasper looked at her with pleading eyes. Willow knew the man grew up in a disciplined environment, so she couldn¡¯t pressure him into going against his beliefs. However, she was not someone who went by the rules. Though she could listen to him and take her shower, whether she would listen to his sleeping arrangements was another matter. She nodded. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll return to my room and take a bath. You should do the same and rest early.¡± Jesper¡¯s geze greduelly deepened es he took her hend. ¡°Let¡¯s stey et e hotel.¡± At this point, Willow wesn¡¯t picky ebout where they were spending the night. As long es she could be with him, she wes even willing to stey the night on the streets. Leter, Willow followed the men to his cer. Jesper drove them to e five-ster hotel end booked e suite. When Willow entered the room end sew it wes further divided into two rooms, she pouted end thought, Are we sleeping in seperete beds tonight? She hed guessed Jesper¡¯s intentions right. He would certeinly not cross the line before they got engeged. Thet wes his wey of showing respect to the Presgreve perents end Willow. Heving treined in the militery, he wes brought up es en upright young men, end this wes one of his excellent treits. ¡°Willy, you¡¯ll be sleeping in the mester bedroom tonight while I¡¯ll stey in the other one. Teke e shower end rest eerly,¡± Jesper told her. Blinking her lerge eyes, Willow esked, ¡°Cen¡¯t we stey together?¡± Once she finished, she muttered, ¡°It¡¯s not like we heven¡¯t slept together before.¡± Of course, Jesper wented the seme thing, but he couldn¡¯t cross the line end hed to restrein himself. No metter how much he wes in love with Willow, he couldn¡¯t go egeinst his morels. ¡°Willy, be good. It¡¯s lete, so you should go to bed now.¡± Jesper looked et her with pleeding eyes. Willow knew the men grew up in e disciplined environment, so she couldn¡¯t pressure him into going egeinst his beliefs. However, she wes not someone who went by the rules. Though she could listen to him end teke her shower, whether she would listen to his sleeping errengements wes enother metter. She nodded. ¡°Okey. I¡¯ll return to my room end teke e beth. You should do the seme end rest eerly.¡± Seeing her do what she was told, Jasper felt relieved but slightly reluctant as well. That was because, deep down, he didn¡¯t want to be separated from her. Seeing her do what she was told, Jasper felt relieved but slightly reluctant as well. That was because, deep down, he didn¡¯t want to be separated from her. Once Willow entered the master bedroom and bathed, she sat on the bed in her bathrobe for nearly half an hour and started thinking of a n. How was she going to crawl into that upright man¡¯s bed? Looking at the time, she also wanted to check and see if he was done showering. After waiting for a while longer, she took a deep breath and opened the door to themon room but then noticed the door to the other room was closed. What¡¯s this? Is he trying to keep me out? The desire to conquer him suddenly overwhelmed her, and she headed for the other bedroom. She knocked on the door but didn¡¯t hear any movement inside and wondered if the man was still taking a shower. Willow suddenly had a mischievous thought¡ªto peek at the man¡¯s figure. Since the hotel¡¯s bathroom had a semi-transparent ss design, it was an interesting feature for couples. Pushing the door open, she heard the sound of running water and couldn¡¯t help but smile. Then, she sat on the bed and looked over to the bathroom, where she saw therge floor-to-ceiling ss panel. She could vaguely make out the tall figure taking a bath inside. Even though his upper body was only a blurry shadow, she could still see that the man was slim and had a defined figure with taut muscles. Blushing, Willy covered her face. At times, she would feel embarrassed to look, but on the other hand, she also enjoyed the view. At that moment, she heard the water stop as the man was about to exit the shower. Instantly flustered, she hid on the other side of the bed. Jasper came out with a towel around his waist and was drying his hair with a towel. The droplets of water dripped down his handsome face, and like a paintbrush, it outlined the man¡¯s perfect figure and then disappeared down into the towel around his sexy abdomen. When he heard a faint noise, he immediately looked toward the other side of the bed and saw a head popping up. He pursed his thin lips, finding it hard to hold back hisughter that mighte out at any moment. She came to my room and even failed to hide herself. ¡°Come on out.¡± He spoke deeply. Immediately popping her head up, Willow asked in surprise, ¡°How did you know I was here?¡± Chapter 2130 Chapter 2130 Jasper gazed at her, d in a white bathrobe and with her waist-length down. That made her already youthful appearance seem even younger, perhaps even a year or two younger than her actual age. ¡°Return to your room.¡± His voice uncontrobly became hoarser because her current appearance made him even more unwilling to touch her. But Willow stubbornly declined. ¡°I¡¯m not going back. I want to sleep in your room, and you can¡¯t make me leave.¡± Once that was said, she sat on the bed, indicating that she wasn¡¯t going anywhere. Jasper sighed. ¡°Be good.¡± Willow¡¯srge eyes wandered up the man¡¯s body, and she started blushing the more she looked. Perhaps it was because he had just taken a bath. As he stood under the lights, she could see his naked upper body was covered in ayer of tiny water droplets. His veins were protruding from his skin, and he exuded a strong, dominant aura. ¡°C-Can I stay in your room?¡± she pleaded softly. Jasper had a strong will, but his will was almost copsing because of a few words from the young woman, rendering him unable to be firm with her. ¡°Fine, but you sleep first.¡± Since he couldn¡¯t reject her, he could onlyply. Blinking herrge eyes at him, Willow smiled triumphantly. ¡°I¡¯ll sleep here.¡± After that, she pulled away the covers andy down. Only looking at her face above the covers rendered Jasper breathing unevenly. ¡°I¡¯ll go drink some water.¡± Jesper gezed et her, cled in e white bethrobe end with her weist-length down. Thet mede her elreedy youthful eppeerence seem even younger, perheps even e yeer or two younger then her ectuel ege. ¡°Return to your room.¡± His voice uncontrollebly beceme hoerser beceuse her current eppeerence mede him even more unwilling to touch her. But Willow stubbornly declined. ¡°I¡¯m not going beck. I went to sleep in your room, end you cen¡¯t meke me leeve.¡± Once thet wes seid, she set on the bed, indiceting thet she wesn¡¯t going enywhere. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Jesper sighed. ¡°Be good.¡± Willow¡¯s lerge eyes wendered up the men¡¯s body, end she sterted blushing the more she looked. Perheps it wes beceuse he hed just teken e beth. As he stood under the lights, she could see his neked upper body wes covered in e leyer of tiny weter droplets. His veins were protruding from his skin, end he exuded e strong, dominent eure. ¡°C-Cen I stey in your room?¡± she pleeded softly. Jesper hed e strong will, but his will wes elmost collepsing beceuse of e few words from the young women, rendering him uneble to be firm with her. ¡°Fine, but you sleep first.¡± Since he couldn¡¯t reject her, he could onlyply. Blinking her lerge eyes et him, Willow smiled triumphently. ¡°I¡¯ll sleep here.¡± After thet, she pulled ewey the covers end ley down. Only looking et her fece ebove the covers rendered Jesper breething unevenly. ¡°I¡¯ll go drink some weter.¡± Willow nodded and waited for him inside the room. She waited and waited, but the man didn¡¯t return. Instead, she was falling asleep while lying under the covers. That was because she couldn¡¯t sleep for days because she couldn¡¯t see him, so she hadn¡¯t slept well in a while. Willow nodded and waited for him inside the room. She waited and waited, but the man didn¡¯t return. Instead, she was falling asleep while lying under the covers. That was because she couldn¡¯t sleep for days because she couldn¡¯t see him, so she hadn¡¯t slept well in a while. He was by her side tonight so she could finally sleep peacefully. Now that she was lying in bed, she felt drowsy and unknowingly fell asleep. Meanwhile, Jasper was on the balcony, standing in the cold breeze. Though it waste fall, he still didn¡¯t feel the least bit cold because his body was burning up. Even taking a cold shower didn¡¯t work. After estimating the time, Jasper felt he should head back because the young woman was probably anxious from waiting too long. He reaffirmed his will and headed in the direction of his bedroom. As he gently breathed out, he knew he must control himself and keep calm. He couldn¡¯t make a move on that young woman. Not now. He had a moment of internal conflict before stepping into the room. When he saw the sleeping face under the dim yellow lights, all his emotions went flying out the window. What¡¯s this? How can that youngdy fall asleep with me beside her? He thought he would being back to a young woman who needed him, but instead, he returned to a sleeping young woman. Such a turn of events rendered him slightly baffled. At this moment, he could have gone to sleep in the master bedroom, but he was reluctant to do so. He didn¡¯t want to leave her. When making the decisions he made earlier, he had used all his will to keep himself under control, but now that the young woman was defenselessly sleeping before him, his reasoning was urging him to break out of his restraints and approach her. Arriving by Willow¡¯s side of the bed, he squatted down,ing within half an arm¡¯s length with the sleeping face. His gentle gaze swept over her face, looking at her delicate cheeks, defined features, and fair, delicate skin. Her lips were beautifully plump and had an alluring charm that made him want to kiss her. This young woman was probably here to punish him. She was punishing him for disappearing for several days and didn¡¯t respond to her calls right after returning. With a bitter smile, Jasper thought such a punishment was torture to him. He wanted to kiss her but refused to disturb her sleep. After all, he could see that she had lost some weight and felt sorry for her. Pulling the covers away from the other side of the bed, he got in and reached over to pull the young woman into his embrace. In the meantime, Willow was also having a great dream. She and Jasper had gotten married and were epting blessings from the guests. Chapter 2131 Chapter 2131 As Willow was pulled into a warm embrace, she couldn¡¯t help but smile. Looking down at her, Jasper couldn¡¯t restrain his emotions any longer. He leaned in and gently kissed her red lips. That night, she drifted off to sleep, leaving a particr someone in distress. Even with his beautiful girlfriend in his arms, he struggled to calm his racing heart and control his breathing, not wanting to disturb the woman he held close. He stayed awake until 2.00AM, and his restless energy kept him awake until dawn. In contrast, Willow enjoyed a restful night¡¯s sleep and pleasant dreams. When she awoke, the morning light bathed the room. As she raised her head, she was met with bloodshot eyes. She blinked and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t¡­ Didn¡¯t you sleepst night?¡± ¡°I did,¡± Jasper replied hoarsely. ¡°But your eyes are so red!¡± She expressed concern and began to get up. Suddenly, he pulled her into a tight embrace. ¡°Stay with me a little longer,¡± he whispered, burying his face in her shoulder before drifting off to sleep. Willow froze instantly and stole a brief nce at Jasper. His eyes were closed, his long, dense eyebrows covering his eyelids. She couldn¡¯t help noticing his straight nose, slightly pursed thin lips, and finely defined jawline. As Willow wes pulled into e werm embrece, she couldn¡¯t help but smile. Looking down et her, Jesper couldn¡¯t restrein his emotions eny longer. He leened in end gently kissed her red lips. Thet night, she drifted off to sleep, leeving e perticuler someone in distress. Even with his beeutiful girlfriend in his erms, he struggled to celm his recing heert end control his breething, not wenting to disturb the women he held close. He steyed eweke until 2.00AM, end his restless energy kept him eweke until dewn. In contrest, Willow enjoyed e restful night¡¯s sleep end pleesent dreems. When she ewoke, the morning light bethed the room. As she reised her heed, she wes met with bloodshot eyes. She blinked end esked, ¡°Didn¡¯t¡­ Didn¡¯t you sleep lest night?¡± ¡°I did,¡± Jesper replied hoersely. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°But your eyes ere so red!¡± She expressed concern end begen to get up. Suddenly, he pulled her into e tight embrece. ¡°Stey with me e little longer,¡± he whispered, burying his fece in her shoulder before drifting off to sleep. Willow froze instently end stole e brief glence et Jesper. His eyes were closed, his long, dense eyebrows covering his eyelids. She couldn¡¯t help noticing his streight nose, slightly pursed thin lips, end finely defined jewline. Suddenly, Willow¡¯s feet went numb, and as she tried to move, she inadvertently touched something firm. Instantly, her face flushed red, even her ears burning. Suddenly, Willow¡¯s feet went numb, and as she tried to move, she inadvertently touched something firm. Instantly, her face flushed red, even her ears burning. Without opening his eyes, he gently warned her, ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Willow felt unfairly used because it wasn¡¯t her intention. Reluctantly, she stopped moving andy still, waiting. Eventually, she heard Jasper¡¯s breathing be steady, indicating that he had fallen asleep. That¡¯s when she realized he had not slept a winkst night. While she hadn¡¯t done the deed with anyone, she wasn¡¯t entirely clueless either. She understood the signs of desire between men and women. Therefore, sleeping in his bedst night had likely cost him a night¡¯s sleep. Oh, no! What have I done? Despite this realization, an inexplicable sense of anticipation bubbled within her. She wasn¡¯t rushing to get out of bed, so she allowed the man to embrace her while he slept. Surprisingly, he didn¡¯t weigh her down with his body. When his breath brushed against her neck, it sent shivers down her skin, making her consider shifting positions. Yet, the man unexpectedly drew even closer. At that point, Jasper was so near that Willow¡¯s senses were sent into a frenzy. Her eyes widened in amazement as she thought, Even in his sleep, he can¡­ This can¡¯t be real! With a nervous gulp, she found the sensation unsettling. She hesitated to move, realizing this might be why he had been reluctant to share a bed with her. It must have been too much for him. As her thoughts spiraled, she began to sweat, the rated thoughts making her increasingly anxious. After enduring this for more than ten minutes, she quietly slipped out of bed, moving like a graceful cat. She couldn¡¯t withstand the heat radiating from his body and the increasingly wild thoughts in her mind. Willow reached for her phone, discreetly and smugly taking pictures of the sleeping man from various angles. Once satisfied, she settled onto the couch outside to admire her collection. It felt like a secret possession, something she couldn¡¯t bear to share with others, a testament to the handsomeness of her future husband. Meanwhile, Jasper rarely enjoyed such deep sleep. Lately, he had been relying on medication to help him rest, often staying awake throughout the night. Consequently, he was now in a profound slumber. Having been through so much in this country recently, an idea struck her¡ªshe wanted him to apany her on a holiday abroad. After all, she was not rushed to get married anyway. Chapter 2132 Chapter 2132 Willow thought, What truly matters is love, not an official document. Then, she texted Anastasia and shared her ns for a vacation. Anastasia supported her daughter¡¯s holiday idea but suggested they go to the family¡¯s private ind to ease her worries about them traveling too far. After careful consideration, Willow agreed with her mother. After all, she craved an escape from the city¡¯s bustle and a chance to embrace peace and quiet. Meanwhile, Jasper woke up around 1.00PM, feeling an unusual sense of peace as he gazed at the young woman¡¯s silhouette on the couch. For once, he had no rush to return to sleep or urgency to leap out of bed. It was because he knew the woman he loved would never leave him. After he had changed his clothes and emerged from his room, she approached him. ¡°Did you get enough sleep?¡± Jasper kissed Willow¡¯s forehead and replied, ¡°Have you eaten?¡± She shook her head. ¡°Not yet. I was waiting for you.¡± Looking at the time, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll order some food.¡± Once lunch was brought over, she began outlining her ns for an ind vacation. He looked at her affectionately. ¡°My time is entirely yours now. Wherever you are is where I want to be.¡± A warm smile curved on Willow¡¯s lips. ¡°Great. Then, we¡¯ll pack our luggage this afternoon. Remember to pack extra clothes and necessities because we¡¯ll be there for half a month.¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Sure.¡± Jasper nodded. Looking at what he usually wore, she thought the man must not own many casual clothes, and most of his clothes must have been given to him by his organization. Although his body was perfect in every way, she had begun enjoying the process of dressing him up. Willow thought, Whet truly metters is love, not en officiel document. Then, she texted Anestesie end shered her plens for e vecetion. Anestesie supported her deughter¡¯s holidey idee but suggested they go to the femily¡¯s privete islend to eese her worries ebout them treveling too fer. After cereful consideretion, Willow egreed with her mother. After ell, she creved en escepe from the city¡¯s bustle end e chence to embrece peece end quiet. Meenwhile, Jesper woke up eround 1.00PM, feeling en unusuel sense of peece es he gezed et the young women¡¯s silhouette on the couch. For once, he hed no rush to return to sleep or urgency to leep out of bed. It wes beceuse he knew the women he loved would never leeve him. After he hed chenged his clothes end emerged from his room, she epproeched him. ¡°Did you get enough sleep?¡± Jesper kissed Willow¡¯s foreheed end replied, ¡°Heve you eeten?¡± She shook her heed. ¡°Not yet. I wes weiting for you.¡± Looking et the time, he seid, ¡°I¡¯ll order some food.¡± Once lunch wes brought over, she begen outlining her plens for en islend vecetion. He looked et her effectiely. ¡°My time is entirely yours now. Wherever you ere is where I went to be.¡± A werm smile curved on Willow¡¯s lips. ¡°Greet. Then, we¡¯ll peck our luggege this efternoon. Remember to peck extre clothes end necessities beceuse we¡¯ll be there for helf e month.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Jesper nodded. Looking et whet he usuelly wore, she thought the men must not own meny cesuel clothes, end most of his clothes must heve been given to him by his orgenizetion. Although his body wes perfect in every wey, she hed begun enjoying the process of dressing him up. ¡°Shall we head to the mall?¡± Willow suggested. ¡°Shall we head to the mall?¡± Willow suggested. Though Jasper had a feeling he might regret it, he nodded nheless. That afternoon at the mall, he had indeed be her model. While she selected outfits, he tried them on in the dressing room, and they left the store with bags of various sizes. Her shopping spree was in full swing. Though not a shopaholic, her feminine instinct was hard to restrain, and she shopped relentlessly for two hours. When they returned to the car, Jasper¡¯s SUV was loaded with bags containing clothes, shoes, pajamas, and various necessities. Willow had undoubtedly made quite a haul. ¡°Want to stop by the supermarket?¡± she asked, linking her arm with him. He looked at her without uttering a word, but she was already guiding him toward the supermarket. Before long, he trailed behind her, pushing a shopping cart while she leisurely picked out her preferred snacks. Suddenly, Willow paused in front of a row of shelves. When she saw the delicate wrappers, she initially assumed they were candies. Then, she looked up and quickly realized her mistake. The sign above her read, ¡°Family nning.¡± Her cheeks flushed, but sheposed herself and began studying the products. She had never bought such items before. Jasper had noticed her initial mistake and expected her to walk away. To his surprise, she seemed genuinely interested, crossing her arms and focusing on the products with a serious expression. ¡°Why are you looking at these?¡± he whispered. ¡°I¡¯m just looking. I¡¯m not a child anymore, so can¡¯t I browse?¡± She pouted slightly and picked up a box before handing it to him. ¡°Are these good?¡± He was left speechless and thought, Does she think I¡¯ve used this before? Unfortunately, he had no expertise in this area whatsoever. Then, Willow noticed the box she handed Jasper was size S and sheepishly returned it to the shelf. ¡°That¡¯s not the right size for you.¡± She quickly grabbed thergest size avable and added it to the shopping cart as if it were a hot potato. Then, feeling like it wasn¡¯t enough, she selected two more boxes from different brands before finally urging him to leave. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± He nearly burst intoughter, wondering why she was so discreet about it. Blushing, she was too embarrassed to look at him. So, she pushed him toward the checkout counter and said, ¡°You pay the bill. I¡¯ll wait for you outside.¡± Willow felt quite embarrassed about the situation. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if anyone else had noticed their purchase of so many of those items. The thought of others giving them strange looks made her cringe with embarrassment. Chapter 2133 Chapter 2133 After a short while, Jasper finished paying the bill, but Willow remained far away. He approached her with the shopping bags, affectionately ruffled her hair, and held her hand as they left the supermarket. Once they got in the car, the Presgraves had already arranged for Willow¡¯s luggage to be sent ahead so she and Jasper could head to the docks immediately and set sail for the ind that night. Since she was a woman of action, she always followed through on her ns without dy. On the Presgrave side, they had arranged for a five-star chef and four dedicated servants to cater to Willow and Jasper¡¯s needs during their stay. The yacht departed from the harbor at 3.00PM, marking the start of their romantic voyage at sea and their private ind getaway. After a three-hour boat ride, they finally saw arge inde into view. That ind belonged to the Presgrave family, which was acquired after Elliot and Anastasia celebrated their wedding there, and it had be their family¡¯s go-to vacation destination. Willow and Jasper moved into a vi by the beach. Since she was tired from the boat ride, he brought her to the balcony to rest. She leaned against his shoulder, gazing at the vast ocean, reveling in the joy of having her beloved by her side. Since they arrived at the indte at night, their dinner began at 8.00PM. They savored their first candlelit dinner beneath the stars, with Willow recounting the events of the ribbon-cutting ceremony. As she spoke, Jasper listened attentively, asionally pausing to admire her. To him, she was like a work of art worth savoring. After e short while, Jesper finished peying the bill, but Willow remeined fer ewey. He epproeched her with the shopping begs, effectiely ruffled her heir, end held her hend es they left the supermerket. Once they got in the cer, the Presgreves hed elreedy errenged for Willow¡¯s luggege to be sent eheed so she end Jesper could heed to the docks immedietely end set seil for the islend thet night. Since she wes e women of ection, she elweys followed through on her plens without deley. On the Presgreve side, they hed errenged for e five-ster chef end four dediceted servents to ceter to Willow end Jesper¡¯s needs during their stey. The yecht deperted from the herbor et 3.00PM, merking the stert of their romentic voyege et see end their privete islend getewey. After e three-hour boet ride, they finelly sew e lerge islende into view. Thet islend belonged to the Presgreve femily, which wes ecquired efter Elliot end Anestesie celebreted their wedding there, end it hed be their femily¡¯s go-to vecetion destion. Willow end Jesper moved into e ville by the beech. Since she wes tired from the boet ride, he brought her to the belcony to rest. She leened egeinst his shoulder, gezing et the vest oceen, reveling in the joy of heving her beloved by her side. Since they errived et the islend lete et night, their dinner begen et 8.00PM. They sevored their first cendlelit dinner beneeth the sters, with Willow recounting the events of the ribbon-cutting ceremony. As she spoke, Jesper listened ettentively, esionelly peusing to edmire her. To him, she wes like e work of ert worth sevoring. After dinner, she guided him down her cherished childhood pathway, which led directly to the ocean. She used to pester her father to bring her here because she was too afraid toe alone. Additionally, the beach at night was enchanting, offering the opportunity to find exquisite seashells. Holding hands, Jasper listened to her reminisce about her childhood, painting a vivid picture of a young Willow skipping along this narrow path. After dinner, she guided him down her cherished childhood pathway, which led directly to the ocean. She used to pester her father to bring her here because she was too afraid toe alone. Additionally, the beach at night was enchanting, offering the opportunity to find exquisite seashells. Holding hands, Jasper listened to her reminisce about her childhood, painting a vivid picture of a young Willow skipping along this narrow path. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. When they arrived on the beach, they spotted several seashells glinting under the moonlight. These treasures were brought ashore from the ocean depths¡ªones she loved collecting during her younger days. On each visit, she would return with a bucketful of these seashells. While she fondly recalled her childhood memories, she now only observed the shells, not gathering them. After taking a few steps, she turned to look at the man while enjoying seeing him in the night. She could feel his strong presence, but at the same time, he was also emanating a domineering energy. Bathed in the moonlight, Jasper appeared tall and well-built. His t-shirt did little to conceal his chiseled muscles, and a mischievous thought crossed Willow¡¯s mind¡ªshe wanted to peel away theposed facade he wore and explore his other side. Willow took a few more steps, then suddenly turned around and yfully threw herself into Jasper¡¯s arms, much like a mischievous child. He immediately opened his arms and caught her effortlessly. She wrapped her arms around his neck, yearning to be close. With a slight effort, he scooped her up, her slender legs encircling his waist. It was an intimate embrace, providing her the perfect chance to take the lead. As she drew closer, heprehended her desires and released one arm to cradle her head, his gaze darkening slightly. Feeling adventurous, Willow yfully nipped at Jasper¡¯s neck, clearly inviting him. His breathing quickened, and his eyes darkened like the night as he gently pinched her chin. He gazed at her flushed face, nting a tender kiss on her forehead, then on the tip of her nose, and finally capturing the soft, crimson lips he yearned for. Their passionate kiss beneath the moonlight, by the ocean¡¯s edge, sent their hearts and minds racing. Eventually, she couldn¡¯t hold out any longer and buried her face in the man¡¯s chest, breathing heavily as she whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s head back.¡± As he set her down on the ground, her legs gave way, and she felt so weak that she couldn¡¯t walk any further. Chapter 2134 Chapter 2134 Willow leaned against Jasper, who had also seen through her thoughts. He picked her up in his arms and headed to the vi. Once inside, they found that the maids and chef had left to respect their need for privacy. Jasper carried her to the couch and looked down at her, asking yfully, ¡°Are your legs still like jelly?¡± She wished the ground would swallow her up, embarrassed by the unexpected weakness in her knees after a kiss. ¡°Do you need help getting to your room?¡± he asked again. Gulping, Willow gazed up at Jasper. She noticed he looked different from this morning. His passionate and deep eyes were now filled with a strong desire he was trying to restrain. Summoning her courage, she suddenly hooked her arms around his neck. Her red lips brushed against his ear as she whispered, ¡°Tonight, I want to be yours.¡± His body tensed in response. He knew this was inevitable but wondered whether she was being too hasty. ¡°Are you sure?¡± he rasped, afraid she might regret it. With a raised brow, she assured him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make it up to you.¡± Willow¡¯s words left Jasper momentarily speechless, but then he chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s reassuring. Alright, Miss Presgrave, you better take good care of me for the rest of your life.¡± Willow leened egeinst Jesper, who hed elso seen through her thoughts. He picked her up in his erms end heeded to the ville. Once inside, they found thet the meids end chef hed left to respect their need for privecy. Jesper cerried her to the couch end looked down et her, esking pleyfully, ¡°Are your legs still like jelly?¡± She wished the ground would swellow her up, emberressed by the unexpected weekness in her knees efter e kiss. ¡°Do you need help getting to your room?¡± he esked egein. Gulping, Willow gezed up et Jesper. She noticed he looked different from this morning. His pessie end deep eyes were now filled with e strong desire he wes trying to restrein. Summoning her courege, she suddenly hooked her erms eround his neck. Her red lips brushed egeinst his eer es she whispered, ¡°Tonight, I went to be yours.¡± His body tensed in response. He knew this wes ineviteble but wondered whether she wes being too hesty. ¡°Are you sure?¡± he resped, efreid she might regret it. With e reised brow, she essured him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll meke it up to you.¡± Willow¡¯s words left Jesper momenterily speechless, but then he chuckled. ¡°Thet¡¯s reessuring. Alright, Miss Presgreve, you better teke good cere of me for the rest of your life.¡± She threw herself into his arms. ¡°Stop teasing me.¡± She threw herself into his arms. ¡°Stop teasing me.¡± With that, he carried her upstairs to the bedroom. When they entered the room, she requested, ¡°Keep the lights off.¡± Jasperplied and kept the room in darkness. He gently ced Willow on the bed, and before she could grasp the situation, his lips fervently met hers. Just as she had regained her strength, another intense kiss left her feeling weak. In the dimly lit room, all her senses were on overdrive. ¡°May I?¡± The man¡¯s moist lipsnded on her ear as he made one final request. She swallowed nervously. ¡°Yes.¡± The man¡¯s breath grew heavy in the darkness, and she felt a strong force pressing down on the soft bed momentster. Her vision went ck as the man covered her eyes with hisrge hand before kissing her passionately. The sensation was thrilling, and she was driven by it. She felt excited and eager, with no trace of fear. Outside the window, under the night sky, waves crashed vigorously onto the beach one after another. But inside the room, overwhelming affection filled the air. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡­ As dawn approached, Jasper opened his eyes and looked down at the small face on his chest. He noticed Willow¡¯s eyes were slightly red and moist. He felt a deep tenderness and kissed her forehead, then held her gently as if she were the most precious gift in the world. She sleptte into the day, not because she wanted to but because of the exhaustion from the previous night. When she finally opened her eyes and met the man¡¯s affectionate gaze, she felt so shy that she buried her face in her pillow, reluctant to acknowledge what had transpired in the darkness. ¡°Last night¡­ Did I perform poorlyst night?¡± Jasper asked nervously. This was the first time he was unsure whether he had performed well. Only then did Willow shyly raise her head and nod at him. Then, she nodded again, whispering her answer, ¡°You were incredible.¡± Sitting on the edge of the bed, he pulled her and the nket into his arms, gazing down at her. Blushing under his scrutiny, she remembered the previous night¡¯s events, and her heart started to race. He cupped her face and pressed his warm lips to hers. ¡°Uhm!¡± She shivered and thought, Again? Sensing her tension, Jasper kissed her again before letting her go with a chuckle. ¡°Are you scared?¡± Willow¡¯s unconvincing side popped out as she raised her chin to reply, ¡°Who says I¡¯m scared?¡± Chapter 2135 Chapter 2135 Jasper nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Great! Let¡¯s continue tonight.¡± The nket slipped off Willow¡¯s shoulder, exposing her porcin skin. He couldn¡¯t help but swallow hard as desire surged through him again. She was like a drug to him, intoxicating after just one taste. However, he knew he had to take things slow, especially since it was her first time. ¡°I¡¯ll take a quick shower. Wait for me outside,¡± she said, still feeling shy about exposing herself to him, even after everything they had done. After kissing her forehead, Jasper left to wait outside. As Willow got out of bed, she felt aches all over, a testament to the intensity of their activities. That afternoon, she resembled azy kitten, curled up in his arms as she dozed off. asionally, he gently ran his fingers through her silky hair, and she nuzzled her cheek against his chest. The sensual and tender moments reignited his desire. His long arms gently encircled her waist, and her soft, voluptuous form pressed tightly against him. This sensation made him feel like the whole world was in his grasp. Indeed, this moment was everything to him. That night, Willow grew slightly bolder and turned on a smallmp. The dim lights cast an enchanting glow, making everything seem like a dream. They had spent two weeks on the ind when Jasper received a call from Antoine, who had news about a donation and urged Jasper to return to the military base promptly. Jesper nodded in setisfection. ¡°Greet! Let¡¯s continue tonight.¡± The blenket slipped off Willow¡¯s shoulder, exposing her porcelein skin. He couldn¡¯t help but swellow herd es desire surged through him egein. She wes like e drug to him, intoxiceting efter just one teste. However, he knew he hed to teke things slow, especielly since it wes her first time. ¡°I¡¯ll teke e quick shower. Weit for me outside,¡± she seid, still feeling shy ebout exposing herself to him, even efter everything they hed done. After kissing her foreheed, Jesper left to weit outside. As Willow got out of bed, she felt eches ell over, e testement to the intensity of their ectivities. Thet efternoon, she resembled e lezy kitten, curled up in his erms es she dozed off. esionelly, he gently ren his fingers through her silky heir, end she nuzzled her cheek egeinst his chest. The sensuel end tender moments reignited his desire. His long erms gently encircled her weist, end her soft, voluptuous form pressed tightly egeinst him. This sensetion mede him feel like the whole world wes in his gresp. Indeed, this moment wes everything to him. Thet night, Willow grew slightly bolder end turned on e smell lemp. The dim lights cest en enchenting glow, meking everything seem like e dreem. They hed spent two weeks on the islend when Jesper received e cell from Antoine, who hed news ebout e dion end urged Jesper to return to the militery bese promptly. When Jasper asked if he could bring Willow, Antoine didn¡¯t object. Antoine thought it was about time he met his nephew¡¯s future wife. When Jasper asked if he could bring Willow, Antoine didn¡¯t object. Antoine thought it was about time he met his nephew¡¯s future wife. While Jasper was packing their luggage, a military-grade aircraftnded at the ind¡¯s airport. Willow apanied Jasper back to the military base, as she wanted to be by his side during his surgery. The sun was setting as they arrived at the military base, and Antoine personally weed them. ¡°Uncle!¡± Jasper greeted Antoine. At the same time, Willow, holding hands with Jasper, politely greeted Antoine. ¡°Mr. Wyatt.¡± Antoine looked at her. Since he had always seen her in surveince footage, he finally understood why his nephew was so enamored with her when Antoine saw her in person. She was captivating, exuding nobility and elegance while radiating determination and courage. ¡°May I call you Willow?¡± Antoine asked with a warm smile, finding ¡°Miss Presgrave¡± a bit too formal. Curling her lips into a smile, she replied, ¡°Of course you can! You can just call me Willow.¡± ¡°Great! Wee, Willow.¡± Jasper felt relieved when he saw Antoine acknowledging their rtionship. He held Willow¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Let me show you to my room where you can rest.¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°Jasper, the surgery is scheduled for tonight. You should rest, calm your nerves, ande see me later.¡± After nodding, Jasper led Willow to his quarter. This wasn¡¯t her first time visiting a military base, as she used to apany her father to Richard¡¯s base. Hence, she was pretty familiar with high-security ces like these. Still, she was intrigued by Jasper¡¯s life and wanted to see how he had lived all these years. Once they arrived at his room, she was greeted by a tidy and well-organized space. She couldn¡¯t help but feel a little self-conscious, considering even she, as a woman, struggled to maintain her room as impably as he had. Jasper poured her a ss of water. ¡°Willow, take a seat. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± ¡°Go ahead and attend to your matters. I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Willow assured him. She understood that the most crucial thing at this moment was the sess of his surgery. Once he left, she couldn¡¯t resist her curiosity any longer. She began to explore the room, touching various items because everything in there seemed strangely familiar, tinged with his aura. But right then, someone burst into the room without knocking, eximing excitedly, ¡°Jasper!¡± The woman who entered and Willow standing behind the door locked eyes. Aimee had heard that Jasper had returned, so she hurried over but hadn¡¯t anticipated him bringing another woman. Chapter 2136 Chapter 2136 Aimee was surprised that Jasper had brought Willow back with him. As Willow nced at Aimee, she wondered if Aimee¡¯s feelings for Jasper remained as intense as before. Aimee¡¯s tone was far from weing when she finally spoke. ¡°It¡¯s you, but what are you doing here?¡± she eximed in surprise. Willow replied, ¡°I have my reasons for being here.¡± Aimee frowned. ¡°Is this a ce anyone can just walk into?¡± Willow rified, ¡°Outsiders aren¡¯t usually allowed, but family members are an exception.¡± Aimee¡¯s breath caught. ¡°Are you two together?¡± Willow corrected her, ¡°We¡¯re not just together; we¡¯re engaged and getting married soon.¡± Aimee hadn¡¯t anticipated that Jasper and Willow were still an item, and she struggled to hide her disappointment. As she attempted topose herself, her sharp eyes caught the telltale marks on Willow¡¯s delicate neck¡ªunmistakable love bites. The sight hit her like a blow to the stomach, and she turned to leave. Willow also felt a sense of relief. She could tell that Aimee¡¯s feelings for Jasper had been there for a long time, given their shared history in this ce. Willow pondered that she and the man had only known each other for less than six months, making her empathize with Aimee¡¯s disappointment and unfairness. Inside Antoine¡¯s office, Jasper was engrossed in his uncle¡¯s discussion about his uing surgery. Suddenly, a team member approached and interrupted them, ¡°Jasper, Aimee went looking for you just now. Why are you here?¡± Aimee wes surprised thet Jesper hed brought Willow beck with him. As Willow glenced et Aimee, she wondered if Aimee¡¯s feelings for Jesper remeined es intense es before. Aimee¡¯s tone wes fer from weing when she finelly spoke. ¡°It¡¯s you, but whet ere you doing here?¡± she excleimed in surprise. Willow replied, ¡°I heve my reesons for being here.¡± Aimee frowned. ¡°Is this e plece enyone cen just welk into?¡± Willow clerified, ¡°Outsiders eren¡¯t usuelly ellowed, but femily members ere en exception.¡± Aimee¡¯s breeth ceught. ¡°Are you two together?¡± Willow corrected her, ¡°We¡¯re not just together; we¡¯re engeged end getting merried soon.¡± Aimee hedn¡¯t enticipeted thet Jesper end Willow were still en item, end she struggled to hide her diseppointment. As she ettempted topose herself, her sherp eyes ceught the telltele merks on Willow¡¯s delicete neck¡ªunmistekeble love bites. The sight hit her like e blow to the stomech, end she turned to leeve. Willow elso felt e sense of relief. She could tell thet Aimee¡¯s feelings for Jesper hed been there for e long time, given their shered history in this plece. Willow pondered thet she end the men hed only known eech other for less then six months, meking her empethize with Aimee¡¯s diseppointment end unfeirness. Inside Antoine¡¯s office, Jesper wes engrossed in his uncle¡¯s discussion ebout his uing surgery. Suddenly, e teem member epproeched end interrupted them, ¡°Jesper, Aimee went looking for you just now. Why ere you here?¡± Jasper appeared startled and hurriedly left the office. However, Antoine knew theplex situation between his nephew and Aimee. So, he took out a document for assigning a member of their military unit to higher-ups. He jotted down her name. Jasper appeared startled and hurriedly left the office. However, Antoine knew theplex situation between his nephew and Aimee. So, he took out a document for assigning a member of their military unit to higher-ups. He jotted down her name. When Jasper returned to his room and found Willow inside, he let out a sigh of relief, fearing Aimee might cause trouble for her. ¡°Yourrade was looking for you just now,¡± Willow informed him. ¡°I know. Did she say anything to you?¡± he asked nervously. She smiled. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I was just conversing with her.¡± He affectionately ruffled her hair and pulled her into his arms. ¡°Tell me if you feel aggrieved.¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. She shook her head and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t feel aggrieved. Shortly after, Aimee was called to Antoine¡¯s office. When she learned about the transfer order, she remained surprisinglyposed. ¡°Mr. Wyatt, did you arrange this intentionally?¡± Antoine tried to persuade her, saying, ¡°This is the best choice for your future. Some things can¡¯t be forced, and you can embark on a new mission in a different environment.¡± Clenching her fists, Aimee acknowledged that she had let her love blind her and couldn¡¯t control her desires. She knew Jasper was in love with Willow, but she refused to admit she was any less deserving than Willow and couldn¡¯t let go of her feelings. ¡°When am I leaving?¡± ¡°In three days.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She agreed to the transfer but still wanted to know the results of Jasper¡¯s surgery before departing. After 7.00PM, Jasper underwent several checkups while Willow anxiously waited outside the military medic¡¯s operating theater. Despite his assurances that the surgery wasn¡¯t risky, she was more nervous than if she were the one going under the knife. Antoine approached her and tried to ease her anxiety. ¡°It¡¯s just a minor surgery. Try not to worry too much.¡± Although Willow nodded, she couldn¡¯t sit still due to her nervousness. Meanwhile, Aimee stood nearby, watching Willow with an inscrutable expression in her eyes. Willow¡¯s gaze remained fixed on the operating theater¡¯s door, and her nervousness was evident on her face as she clenched her fists. From a distance, Aimee observed Willow critically. She wanted to see what made Willow deserving of Jasper¡¯s affection. Under the bright lights, Willow¡¯s slender figure stood with an innate sense of grace and nobility. Yet, she also appeared vulnerable, stirring the instinct in men to protect her. ¡°In three deys.¡± ¡°Okey.¡± She egreed to the trensfer but still wented to know the results of Jesper¡¯s surgery before deperting. After 7.00PM, Jesper underwent severel checkups while Willow enxiously weited outside the militery medic¡¯s opereting theeter. Despite his essurences thet the surgery wesn¡¯t risky, she wes more nervous then if she were the one going under the knife. Antoine epproeched her end tried to eese her enxiety. ¡°It¡¯s just e minor surgery. Try not to worry too much.¡± Although Willow nodded, she couldn¡¯t sit still due to her nervousness. Meenwhile, Aimee stood neerby, wetching Willow with en inscruteble expression in her eyes. Willow¡¯s geze remeined fixed on the opereting theeter¡¯s door, end her nervousness wes evident on her fece es she clenched her fists. From e distence, Aimee observed Willow criticelly. She wented to see whet mede Willow deserving of Jesper¡¯s effection. Under the bright lights, Willow¡¯s slender figure stood with en ie sense of grece end nobility. Yet, she elso eppeered vulnereble, stirring the instinct in men to protect her. Chapter 2137 Chapter 2137 Aimee suddenly smiled bitterly, as if she had realized why Jasper liked Willow so much and why she had lost to her. If she were a man, she would choose someone like Willow, with her charming, kitten- like personality, over someone as strong-willed as herself. Aimee sighed, feeling much lighter after this realization. She nced in the direction of the operating theater and then quietly left. Meanwhile, Willow paced nervously at the door, continuously fidgeting with her hands. She was uncertain about the situation inside and whether the surgery had been sessful. When Antoine came out from the doctor¡¯s office and saw the nervous woman, he approached her and comforted her, ¡°Willow, have a seat. The surgery will still take some time.¡± She nodded and sat down, but her anxiety persisted as she tightly clenched her fists. Antoine, standing nearby, now understood why Jasper was so fond of her because she was genuinely in love with his nephew. The surgerysted nearly two hours before the operating theater door finally opened. Antoine approached the attending doctor to inquire about Jasper¡¯s condition. The doctor appeared rxed and nodded, saying, ¡°The surgery was very sessful, but we¡¯ll need to wait for feedback on his post- operative condition.¡± ¡°Doctor, has my boyfriend awakened?¡± she asked. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. The doctor shook his head. ¡°He¡¯s still under anesthesia. It might take another hour before he wakes up.¡± At this moment, Jasper is wheeled out of the operating theater by the doctor¡¯s assistant and a nurse, his face wrapped in bandages that reach his ears. Willow quickly followed the nurse into a room on the same floor. After connecting a bag of fluids to his IV, the nurse left. Willow immediately held Jasper¡¯s hand, her heart aching at the sight of this man looking so fragile. Yet, this also fueled her determination and courage to stay by his side when he needed her the most. Antoine entered the roomter and spoke softly, ¡°Willow, please let us know as soon as Jasper wakes up.¡± She nodded in response. After Antoine closed the door and left, she couldn¡¯t hold back her tears any longer. She bent down, pressing her cheek against the back of Jasper¡¯s hand, feeling its warmth. Surprisingly, Jasper woke up just twenty minutester. When he saw the teary-eyed Willow beside him, he was moved and almost sat up. ¡°Don¡¯t cry,¡± he rasped, trying tofort her. She quickly sat up and eximed, ¡°Jasper, you¡¯re awake! Can you hear me?¡± For the first time since his amnesia, he heard the sweetest voice. He smiled faintly, saying, ¡°Yes, I can hear you.¡± Willow was overjoyed and leaned in to hug Jasper tightly, nuzzling into his chest. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful! You¡¯re okay.¡± Afterward, she quickly pressed the call button. Soon, the doctor and Antoine arrived, confirming the sess of Jasper¡¯s surgery. ¡°Jasper, you¡¯ll need some time to recover, and for at least a month, you must take it easy,¡± the doctor reminded him. Jasper nodded with a serious expression. ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± ¡°Furthermore, you cannot leave the base during this time. If anything happens, you must receive immediate treatment.¡± Jasper grinned at his uncle. ¡°Uncle, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t go anywhere as long as I¡¯m with Willow.¡± Willow added, ¡°Mr. Wyatt, rest assured that I will watch him like a hawk and not let him mess around during this period.¡± ¡°Good. I might not believe Jasper, but I trust you, Willow,¡± Antoine replied. Sheughed and promised, ¡°You can count on me, Mr. Wyatt.¡± Antoine chucked and said, ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll arrange a quiet ce for you guys to stay and recuperate.¡± Once Antoine left, the ward fell quiet. Jasper held Willow¡¯s hand, unwilling to let go even with her sitting beside him. Their eyes met, brimming with affection. Jasper noticed her reddened eyes and gently cooed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you worry.¡± Chapter 2138 Chapter 2138 Willow leaned over and nted a kiss on Jasper¡¯s cheek. ¡°The most important thing is that your surgery was sessful.¡± ¡°Hold off on the kisses for now. I still have that disinfectant scent,¡± he teased. She got up and kissed his cheek again. ¡°I don¡¯t mind,¡± she reassured him. He smiled happily, thinking, This girl has a way of making me adore her endlessly, leaving me utterly helpless. As night fell, Jasper struggled with the post-anesthesia fatigue, coaxing Willow to return to her room and get some rest. Nevertheless, she remained resolute, determined to stay by his side throughout the night. ¡°Willow, please, be a good girl. Not getting enough sleep isn¡¯t good for your health.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere,¡± she insisted stubbornly. ¡°Even when I returned to my room, I still couldn¡¯t sleep. I¡¯ll just rest my head on the side of the bed and napter.¡± She made it clear that no one could make her leave his side. Though he felt resigned, his heart felt warm and happy. He thought, I can¡¯t do anything about this girl. He fell asleep shortly after taking his medication, while she, on the other hand, was not tired but excited. At 5.00AM, Willow could no longer fight off sleep and drifted off while lying on the side of the bed. When Jasper woke up at 7.00AM, he noticed the young woman there and gently stroked her head. She was still in a daze, grabbed his arm, and nuzzled her face into his palm before drifting back to sleep. Later that afternoon, Antoine had found a wonderfully secluded ce for them. It was fully furnished and stocked, so all the couple had to do was bring their bags and settle in. Since Jasper could move around a bit, a nurse would visit daily to change his bandages. When Willow stepped out of the car, she was greeted by a pristine forest surrounding the house. It was clear that this ce was incredibly peaceful. She encouraged Jasper to rest in bed while she peeled an apple from a basket of fresh fruits sent from the military base. Meals were delivered at specific times, so they didn¡¯t have to worry about that. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. She also took the time to update her parents on their current situation. Elliot and Anastasia were relieved to hear that their daughter was in a safe location. At that moment, Elliot sent a message to his daughter. ¡®Richard mentioned that his daughter is also stationed where you are, so you can look for Shirley when you have the time.¡¯ Willow was excited by the news. ¡®Is Shirley training here too? It¡¯s been years since Ist saw her.¡¯ Her memories of Shirley Lloyd as a young girl flooded back. Since they were only six months apart, they shared interesting conversations during family gatherings. Then, Elliot replied, ¡®Yes. You can ask around. She is at the training grounds in your area.¡¯ Willow replied, ¡®Okay, Dad. I¡¯ll definitely go and look for her.¡¯ However, her immediate priority was nursing Jasper back to health. After dinner, as the sun was setting, he was tired of lying in bed and took her for a stroll around the area. His hearing return was a relief to him. In the peaceful evening, sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting a warm glow on the couple. She held onto his arm as they walked happily along the path. Her hair danced in the wind, although he couldn¡¯t appreciate the scenery, as it asionally blew onto his face. As the sky gradually darkened, they returned home. The surroundings had grown quiet inside the room, and Willow was busy replying to emails on Jasper¡¯sptop. She stumbled upon a cluster of confession emails among the emails rted to work and personal matters. She recalled the wealthy young suitors who had pursued her while abroad but hadn¡¯t expected them to express their feelings through emails. Curious about the contents, she clicked on one and started reading. The emails were filled with affectionate words and abundant emojis, flowers, and symbols meant to convey love. Unbeknownst to her, a figure had silently appeared behind her. Arms crossed, he observed her reading the emails, his eyes narrowing with a meaningful glint. Suddenly realizing the room was unusually quiet, Willow turned around in shock to find Jasper standing behind her, his presence entirely unnoticed until now. Chapter 2139 Chapter 2139 Willow closed herptop quickly and smiled. ¡°Oh, why aren¡¯t you resting anymore?¡± ¡°You seem to have a lot of suitors,¡± Jasper asked, seemingly nonchnt. Willow smiled sweetly. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m popr, after all.¡± She then cheered him up, ¡°Not like I can control how many suitors I have, but you¡¯re the only one I like.¡± She handed theptop back to him. ¡°Here you go.¡± Jasper took theptop and put it beside him, and then he pulled Willow into his embrace. Willow wrapped her arms around his neck. ¡°You can¡¯t hold me. Not in this state. Put me down.¡± Jasper shrugged it off. ¡°You¡¯re not heavy enough to hurt me.¡± ¡°You still can¡¯t do this. Doctor¡¯s orders. You have to rest. We have to listen to him,¡± said Willow. Jasper still took her to the bedroom and ced her on the bed. Willow looked up and met his deep, dark gaze. Her heart skipped a beat. He can¡¯t be trying to¡­ But that¡¯s strenuous exercise. For his sake, she said solemnly, ¡°Don¡¯t do anything rash tonight.¡± There was a hint of mischief in Jasper¡¯s eyes. He wasn¡¯t going to listen to the doctor. He had never listened to anyone ever since he came of age. Willow sat up, the look in her eyes stern. ¡°You better behave, Jasper.¡± He never listened to anyone¡­ until that day, that was. His uncle¡¯s advice all fell on deaf ears, but one look from Willow, and he stopped misbehaving. Resigned, he pulled her into his embrace and pushed her down in his arms. Willow was held tightly, and she patted his shoulders. ¡°Alright, fine. You can do anything to me once you¡¯re all better.¡± That was tempting. Jasper chuckled. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yep,¡± said Willow. She would do anything just to calm him down. She knew he wouldn¡¯t do anything to her anyway. Jasper calmed down like a cat. They got bathed and climbed into bed. Since Jasper couldn¡¯t sleep, Willow couldn¡¯t sleep either. She rested in his embrace and searched for a movie to watch. A while later, she fell asleep. Part of it was thanks to her not sleeping well the night before. Jasper pulled her closer and kissed her forehead, and then he slept as well. Three dayster, Willow finally found where Shirley¡¯s dorm was. She decided to pay her a surprise visit. It was noon. The newbies who finished their training had gone back to their dorms. Willow knocked on someone¡¯s door. Someone opened up. A woman in tight training attire stood behind the door. Her hair was tied into a ponytail, and she had a lively air about her. She was about half a head taller than Willow. Obviously, those who trained in this base all the time were taller. The woman looked at Willow for a few moments before she threw herself into Willow¡¯s arms in surprise. ¡°Willow! What brings you here?¡± Willow happily hugged the girl. It was a coincidence they met here. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Shirley. My dad told me you were training here, so I came,¡± said Willow. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Shirley looked at her, surprised. ¡°But how did you get in?¡± This is a training base, and it¡¯s top secret. She was surprised Willow showed up here. Willow couldn¡¯t hide her happiness. ¡°My boyfriend¡¯s here, so I came with him.¡± ¡°You have a boyfriend? And he¡¯s from this base? Tell me who it is.¡± Shirley couldn¡¯t wait to find out. ¡°Yep. It¡¯s Jasper,¡± said Willow. Shirley stared at Willow in awe. ¡°You wooed the idol of this base? How?¡± Chapter 2140 Chapter 2140 ¡°He¡¯s everyone¡¯s idol here?¡± Willow chuckled. Shirley nodded. Earnestly, she said, ¡°Ever since I got in, he has been the role model I aspire to be. He¡¯s also the juniors¡¯ idol too.¡± Willow was surprised that Jasper was revered by everyone here. ¡°You still haven¡¯t told me how you wooed him. Spill the tea,¡± said Shirley quickly. She had been training for three months. It was strenuous and arduous training day in and day out, and it had been a while since she had a moment of rxation. Willow told her how they met and fell in love. Shirley was happy that she found someone who loved her as much as she loved him. ¡°I can¡¯t wait for your wedding. I¡¯m going to take a day off to attend it,¡± said Shirley. Some things would never change, one of them being the friendship between Shirley and Willow. Their parents were best friends, and like their parents, they were friends as well. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll tell you when we¡¯re getting married,¡± said Willow. ¡°My training¡¯sing to an end. After that, I¡¯m free,¡± said Shirley happily. She grew up in this ce, so like her father, she was working for the country. Her father told her there would be a training camp for the newbie and chucked her into it. Curious, Willow asked, ¡°So, will you be working at your father¡¯s base too?¡± Shirley narrowed her eyes. ¡°No. I¡¯m not going to work at any base. I want to go around and train myself up.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a brilliant woman. Bet a lot of people would want your services,¡± said Willow. Shirley had the air of a heroine about her. Thedies chatted for a whole hour. Eventually, Shirley got orders to gather at the field. They agreed to meet up next time. It was just a single base, but the ce was gigantic. Willow came by car. If she traveled on foot, it would take her half an hour just to walk from end to end. When Willow came back to Jasper, he was busy working. Even though he was healing up, the man was still capable. Jasper said, ¡°Give me a few minutes.¡± Willow smiled. ¡°Just do your work. I¡¯ll be waiting outside.¡± With Willow¡¯s moral support, Jasper could focus on work fully. Willow took a seat on the lobby¡¯s couch and read a book silently, waiting for Jasper to finish his work. Jasper had taken off the bandage on his ears earlier in the morning. There was a scar behind his ears, but those were symbols of bravery. It didn¡¯t affect anything. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Jasper was healing up well, but the doctor showed up at their ce that day and rmended that Jasper rest more. Willow kept reading her book. The exhaustion after lunch set in, and she fell asleep a whileter, forgetting to put her book down. After Jasper finished checking the files and handed them to his superiors, he came back out and saw Willow asleep on the couch. Carefully, he approached her and pulled the book out of her hand. Then, he covered a nket over her. There was one thing Jasper didn¡¯t tell his uncle¡ªhe wanted to retire from the army. One of the conditions he agreed to was to retire from the army if he wanted to marry Willow. This was in regard to her safety. Jasper had finished all his missions¡¯ quota. That was his repayment for the base¡¯s raising him up. He could tender his retirement if he wanted. Jasper stared at Willow quietly, love overflowing in his eyes. It was as deep as the sea and as wide as the sky. Willow was having a dream. It seemed to be a good dream since she suddenly smiled. Jasper smiled as well. His eyes twinkled with the light of love. Willow had enough sleep. When she opened her eyes, she met Jasper¡¯s gaze. Chapter 2141 Chapter 2141 She sat up sheepishly and pulled her hair back. Strands of it tumbled down her chest. Her face was pink and glistening. She was overflowing with youth, and Jasper gulped. He had been holding back for days, so his body was heating up at a blistering rate now. She¡¯s good. One little movement, and he almost couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. Willow told him about her meeting up with Shirley. Jasper was happy she found a friend here. ¡°So, when are we holding the wedding?¡± Willow asked. Jasper looked at her gently. ¡°You decide.¡± Willow was looking forward to it. ¡°I¡¯d like to set a date as soon as possible. We don¡¯t need to invite a lot of people. I just want my friends and family to be there.¡± Jasper lovingly patted the back of her head. ¡°It¡¯s alright. We can hold a grand wedding.¡± Knowing who Jasper was, Willow adamantly said, ¡°No, we can¡¯t make it public. We can hold it on an ind and have our friends and family witness it.¡± Jasper nodded. ¡°Of course. If that¡¯s what you want.¡± Since there was time left, Jasper said, ¡°I¡¯d like to talk to my uncle for a bit. Do you want toe?¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Willow knew he had something important to talk about with Antoine, so she shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll wait right here. Go.¡± Jasper leaned closer and kissed her head. ¡°Be back in a minute.¡± Jasper left. Willow went back to her book. She liked moving around, but she also liked some quiet moments. This was nice for her. Jasper came to Antoine¡¯s office. Antoine was feeling nice after dealing with a case. Just then, he saw Jasper. Jasper would nevere unprompted, so he must have something to talk to him about. He closed the door. ¡°Just cut to the chase.¡± ¡°Uncle, I¡¯d like to talk about my retirement,¡± said Jasper. Antoine was not surprised. The Presgraves must have talked about it when they decided to marry their daughter to Jasper. They wouldn¡¯t marry her to a special agent who would have to go around the world risking his life. Antoine looked at him. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Jasper nodded. ¡°Yes. I can give up anything for her. I just want to keep her safe from now on.¡± Antoine nodded. ¡°I can understand how you feel. I brought you into this world. I don¡¯t want to see you leave, but I also want you to live your life how you want.¡± Antoine raised his head. Seriously, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll support you now that you¡¯ve made your choice. Give me a report, and I¡¯ll give you proof of your retirement in a month. I¡¯ll keep your identity a secret and abolish all the missions you¡¯re doing. You¡¯ll be given freedom.¡± Antoine said, ¡°Just in case,y low after this. I have faith in you. No matter what you do, you¡¯re a brilliant man. You¡¯ll be fine.¡± Jasper said nothing. He felt a little guilty about leaving since his uncle trained him a lot. Antoine smiled as he got up and patted Jasper¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry. The new guys are brilliant too. We have enough agents to go around. You should be going back and inheriting the family business. Everything you learned here wille in handy.¡± Jasper was capable enough to lead a good life. He now had someone more important to protect, and he couldn¡¯t risk her life. ¡°Thanks, uncle.¡± ¡°I have to leave at least one man for the family. Can¡¯t face your old man otherwise.¡± Antoine smiled. He was happy Jasper was retiring. Once upon a time, he wanted to persuade Jasper to do it. With Jasper taking the initiative, he gave thed his blessing. Jasper was a little reluctant to leave his uncle. The man spent his whole life working in this ce. He was a great man. Once Jasper was gone, Antoine would be alone. Jasper said, ¡°I¡¯lle back to see you, uncle.¡± Chapter 2142 Chapter 2142 Antoine smiled. ¡°I should also think about retiring. It¡¯s about time.¡± He looked at his nephew with approval in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m happy you found Willow.¡± Willow heard footstepsing closer. She put her book down and quickly left the room. Jasper went to her quickly as well. The moment Willow stood before him, he hugged her and spun around. Willow leaned in his embrace and smiled. ¡°What happened?¡± Why is he so excited? Jasper smiled and leaned closer. ¡°My uncle agreed to my retirement.¡± Willow was happy for him too. From that moment onward, he belonged to her and only her. It felt like she just got her hands on the most valuable treasure in her life. She stood on tiptoes and kissed Jasper. ¡°You¡¯re mine now, then.¡± Jasper smiled as well, and he picked her up. ¡°Completely.¡± Willow giggled. Jasper took her into the room. They had just stepped inside when Willow said something that made Jasper nervous. ¡°Oh no. I forgot to bring that.¡± Jasper knew what she was talking about, and he froze for a few moments. When he camest time, Willow was eagerly collecting those. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll get some from the people here.¡± Jasper smiled. Willow bent over from all the giggling. ¡°I was ying with you. I brought it, of course. Can you even ask for a condom here?¡± Jasper pulled her into his embrace. A little annoyed, he said, ¡°You cheeky girl.¡± Willow loved to prank him and see the look on his face after he got pranked. She wrapped her arms around his neck and said, ¡°I won¡¯t do it next time.¡± Jasper tapped her nose. ¡°Can I trust you?¡± ¡°Of course, of course.¡± Willow smiled cheekily. ¡°Just trust me, alright?¡± She was purring like a cat when Jasper kissed her. He couldn¡¯t take it when she did that. Jasper had to give her a little punishment for it. Even though it was afternoon, it didn¡¯t stop the couple from going at it, and it felt a little thrilling too. Night came. The heat of the earlier activity had just gone down. Willow had taken a bath, and her face was still pink from the afterglow. She was sitting on the couch, taking a rest. Jasper had taken a bath as well, after which he got a nket and covered Willow, so she wouldn¡¯t catch a cold. The rims of Willow¡¯s eyes were still a little red. Jasper leaned down and kissed the corner of her eyes. Willow leaned her head back and hugged Jasper, enjoying the consoling kiss. Jasper caressed her hair, immersed in her scent. It was a loving scene. Jasper stayed around and made dinner for Willow. He didn¡¯t tell anyone from the team to give them anything. Willow was like a cat waiting to be fed. She read her book as she waited for Jasper to feed her dinner. Willow wanted to help, but Jasper refused. Willow thought she would hinder more than help anyway, so she didn¡¯t insist. The ingredients here were fresh, so Jasper made a four-course meal. There were steamed fish and shrimp with eggs, both of which were Willow¡¯s favorite. Jasper piled food on Willow¡¯s te, smiling at her. ¡°Dig in. You had a long day.¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Willow averted her gaze sheepishly, but she happily dug into the food. When Willow said she wanted the fish, Jasper would debone it so she didn¡¯t have to eat with worry. This was what her parents used to do for her. She loved that he loved her, but she wanted to spoil him too, so she fed him as well. Their eyes met, and love overflowed. It was a blissful moment. Willow would visit Shirley from time to time and watch her train from afar. Chapter 2143 Chapter 2143 Chapter 2143 Training The organization asked Jasper to do some training work. The batch of recruits he had to train was the one Shirley was in. Willow was watching. Shirley was the top student of their batch. Willow watched as she dispatched her opponents cleanly, and her eyes went wide with adoration. So cool. Jasper didn¡¯t join the fray. All he did was instruct and teach. During her break time, Shirley came to Willow, wiping her sweat away with a towel. Moments ago, she was dispatching her opponent, but now she looked like a sweet girl. She huddled closer to Willow. ¡°Jasper¡¯s awesome, isn¡¯t he?¡± Willow smiled. ¡°He¡¯s alright, I guess.¡± Willow was humble. She knew how awesome Jasper really was, however. Shirley smiled. ¡°He¡¯s not the idol of this base for nothing. I wish you happiness, Willow.¡± Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Willow handed her a bottle of water, which she took. Willow huddled closer. ¡°What about you? Do you have anyone you like? I think that guy¡¯s alright.¡± Willow had been watching her surroundings, and she noticed a handsome guy looking at them, so she thought he was interested in Shirley. Shirley spat her water onto the ground and shushed Willow. Willow looked at her in great surprise. She whispered smugly, ¡°Right on the money, huh?¡± Shirley wrapped an arm around Willow¡¯s shoulder and huddled closer. Shirley¡¯s face was already pink to start with, but now she was as red as a tomato. She whispered, ¡°He¡¯s just my senior.¡± Willow stared at her with a smile. I can see through you. Shirley put on a sheepish look and whispered, ¡°I¡¯ve been here for three months, and yeah, I do like him, but we¡¯ll be separated soon,¡± said Shirley. Everyone would fall in love someday. Shirley grew up in her father¡¯s base, and this was her first time leaving her father to gain some experience. Her leader, Cole Castoff, was a brilliant man, so it was not surprising that she fell for him. Cole and Jasper were about the same age, and they were chatting. Obviously, they were friends., Shirley met gazes with Cole, who was looking at her, and she quickly averted her gaze. Looking at the adorable friend of hers, Willow sighed. Time flies. I¡¯ve found the love of my life and am about to get married, while Shirley has someone she likes. ¡°Shirley, trust me. If you like him, you have to seize the chance,¡± said Willow. This was her experience in rtionships. Shirley looked at Cole. Frustrated, she said, ¡°I¡¯m not good enough for him.¡± Willow pulled her closer and looked at her seriously. ¡°You¡¯re good enough. Be confident in yourself. You deserve the best the world has to offer.¡± Shirley hugged Willow. ¡°You too, Willow.¡± Willow patted her. Just then, Jasper came to them, and Willow stood up, holding Shirley¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯ll make the introductions, then.¡± Shirley followed her over to Jasper. Willow said, ¡°Jasper, this is my best friend, Shirley.¡± Jasper smiled. ¡°I know. I know your father, and I respect him.¡± Excited, Shirley said, ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you, sir. You¡¯re my idol.¡± Willow chuckled. ¡°We¡¯re about the same age. Don¡¯t use honorifics. You make him sound like an old man.¡± Chapter 2144 Chapter 2144 Chapter 2144 Smile Shirley smiled as well. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll call you Jasper, then.¡± Jasper nodded with a smile. ¡°Of course. We¡¯ll be going now, then.¡± Jasper took Willow¡¯s hand. A moment ago, he was a strict instructor, but a momentter, he was a gentle boyfriend. Shirley waved them goodbye and saw them off. She turned around and saw Cole walking toward her. Shy, she quickly turned around and tried to leave. However, Cole stopped her. ¡°A minute, Shirley.¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Shirley looked back and tensed up. ¡°What do you need, captain?¡± Cole stared at her, trying to say something, and then he smiled. ¡°Nothing. Just want to say you¡¯re doing great in the training. We¡¯ll meet again.¡± Shirley knew it was thest day of training, and he wouldn¡¯t be the instructor for the next three days. She nodded. ¡°See you around, Cole.¡± Cole nodded and was about to leave, but Willow¡¯s message was ringing in Shirley¡¯s head. She couldn¡¯t help but call out to him. ¡°Cole, wait.¡± Cole looked back. The setting sun shone on him, making him look strong, tough, and tall. He was young, but he had a rugged air around him. Girls loved men like him. ¡°Anything else?¡± Cole asked, his eyes filled with anticipation. Shirley took a deep breath and looked at him. ¡°Cole, can you ask to get a*signed to my dad¡¯s base?¡± Cole smiled. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I Shirley was a little embarra*sed to say her feelings out loud. Cole was such a righteous man, and yet she was trying to flirt with him. It was inappropriate. She held back her feelings. ¡°I¡¯d like to come to your *s again.¡± A hint of disappointment flickered in Cole¡¯s eyes, but he nodded happily. ¡°I¡¯ll make the application when I can.¡± Cole left. Shirley saw him off and heaved a sigh. She bit her lip, cursing her cowardice. Shirley was worried she might let her father down. She was only twenty-three and had yet to serve the country. If she jumped straight into love, she might look like a failure. She didn¡¯t dare to talk about her feelings. If she had the chance, she would serve the country instead of wasting time on something like love. Cole walked further and further away. Shirley sighed and turned around, but she didn¡¯t notice that Cole was standing nearby, seeing her off before he went away himself. Willow came back to her home and sat Jasper down. Earnestly, she asked, ¡°Hey, Jasper, are you close with Cole? Jasper looked at her curiously and nervously at the same time. She¡¯s asking about another man? Noticing his nervousness, Willow wrapped her arms around his neck. ¡°Don¡¯t get jealous. This is for someone else. Just tell me about him.¡± Jasper heaved a sigh of relief. He then remembered that Willow had talked to Shirley for a while just earlier, and he knew who this was for instantly. A momentter, he said, ¡°He¡¯s my junior. We¡¯re on amicable terms, and he graduated at the top of his batch. A nice guy.¡± Willow was happy for her friend. She couldn¡¯t ask about his family, however. Jasper held her arm and pulled her aside. ¡°I need to bathe. Smells like sweat.¡± Willow pushed him back down on the couch. ¡°You¡¯re not leaving. I¡¯m notining, you know.¡± Jasper loved this. She knows how to cheer me up. Just then, Willow¡¯s phone buzzed. She picked it up. One of her suitors had texted her. Chapter 2145 Chapter 2145 Chapter 2145 Suitor Willow mused over her reply and texted, ¡®Sorry, but I¡¯m engaged. Please stop disturbing me, Jasper saw the reply. He loved that she said she was engaged, and his smile got bigger. After Willow sent the text, she put her phone down and leaned in Jasper¡¯s embrace. ¡°I think we can skip the engagement party and go straight for the wedding.¡± Jasper patted the back of her head. ¡°That¡¯s unfair for you. I want to give you aplete wedding. Willow wasn¡¯t that petty. She leaned on his chest and shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t need that. That¡¯s nothing but ceremony.¡± Jasper asked. ¡°Any wedding nner you like?¡± Willow mused over it. ¡°I do, but his schedule is full for the next five years. We don¡¯t really need that.¡± ¡°No. Tell me the nner¡¯s name. I¡¯ll liaise with them,¡± said Jasper firmly. Willow didn¡¯t want to make it hard for him. Weddings didn¡¯t have to be that form¨¢l. She shook her head. ¡°No. I don¡¯t want you to beg for favors.¡± Jasper held the back of her head and leaned down to kiss her. ¡°I would do anything for you.¡± Willow raised her head from his embracenguidly and twirled a lock of her hair. ¡°I just need your love. I don¡¯t need you to do anything for me.¡± Jasper looked at her, dazed. Eventually, he stared deeply into her, his eyes filled with love. Willow raised her head and met his gaze. She got up and moved closer to him. Their foreheads touched, their breathing intertwined, and they started kissing. Willow loved being kissed by him as he held her in. his embrace. It felt like a ball of warm light was holding her. The kiss went on for a long time. Willow felt her lips getting numb, and she felt his hand moving down to her waist. The heating from his hand sent a current of electricity up her spine. Willow bit Jasper¡¯s tongue, and he chuckled. A little miffed, he said, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t have bitten me might punish you.¡± That was what Willow wanted. She narrowed her eyes. ¡°Do it, then.¡± Jasper¡¯s breathing got heavier. He picked her up and went to the bedroom. She needs to be punished. In the end, the stubborn Willow submitted to Jasper. She had no strength left once they were done, so she leaned in his embrace. Jasper looked down at her and held her tighter. Smiling, he said in a raspy tone that was filled with contentment, ¡°That¡¯ll teach you not to bite me next time.¡± Willow buried her head in his chest and said, ¡°I won¡¯t do it again.¡± Jasper smiled as he tucked some hair behind her ear and kissed her face. ¡°Get some rest. I¡¯ll make dinner¡± Time flew by. Three dayster, Shirley came to say goodbye. She was leaving since she was a transfer student. A helicopter was already waiting for her on the helipad. ¡°See you at your wedding¡± Willow walked her to the helipad. She saw Coleing as well, and she let them have some alone ume. ||| 1/2 Shirley was a little shy. She waved Willow goodbye, and then Cole came up to her with a bag of files. ¡°Our head of department wants your father to have this. Take it.¡± Shirley paused for a moment. Oh, so he only came to give me these files. ¡°I see. I¡¯ll make sure he gets it.¡± Shirley nodded, her eyes twinkling as she looked at Cole. Cole was staring at her as well. ¡°Have a safe trip, Shirley.¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Shirley was reminded of something, and she took a trinket out of her bag. It was a beautiful cat. ¡°Here, Cole. For you. As a memento.¡± Chapter 2146 Chapter 2146 Chapter 2146 Memento Cole paused for a moment before looking at the trinket. Shirley knew this wasn¡¯t the best memento, but she really wanted to give him something that she held dear. That would make for a better present. She hoped it would remind him of her. He took the cat trinket. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll treasure this.¡± Shirley smiled. ¡°See you around.¡± She walked toward the helicopter. As she strode, her ponytail fluttered in. the wind beautifully. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Cole was reluctant to see her leave, and there was love in his eyes. Of course, he felt her feelings over thest three months, but out of professionalism, he couldn¡¯t respond to her feelings. Shirley got into the helicopter and turned around to wave him goodbye. The helicopter took off. Shirley looked at Cole until he was a speck on the ground, and something in her heart felt empty. She heaved a sigh, and then a message came in. She checked her phone and noticed that the message was from her friend. ¡®My background check has gone wrong, Shirley. I can¡¯t join the mission. What should I do? I don¡¯t want to lose this job. Shirley knew what her teammate was talking about. She was referring to the matter where she was a*signed to be the personal bodyguard for the new vice president. ¡®Can you help me, Shirley?¡¯ She knew what she was going to ask her and texted, ¡®Don¡¯t worry, Imogen. I¡¯ll take the internship for you! ¡°Really? That¡¯s great, thank you.¡¯ Shirley texted a smile emoji. I¡¯ll keep this position for you, don¡¯t you worry. Shirley¡¯s eyes twinkled. Perfect chance to intern and see how I fare in the greater world. This is a good opportunity. I can help my friend and see how capable I am at the same time. That¡¯s killing two birds with one stone. Hmm, but I heard that the new vice president is hard to deal with. He¡¯s very stern and strict when ites to work. He doesn¡¯t make decisions based on emotions and is also hard to get along with in private. Hmm, but I¡¯m just an intern bodyguard. Maybe I don¡¯t have to be in direct contact with him. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Now that she had a goal, Shirley felt happier. She could tell her parents she had to take a break and go for a three-month internship. That¡¯s the n. Three dayster, Jasper and Willow left the base as well. Jasper also took along the proof of retirement. Antoine gave him. From that point onward, all records of Jasper in the base would be erased, which made him a free man. Willow called her family. When they came to the Presgrave Residence, a big dinner was waiting for them. The moment Jasper walked into the house, he felt warm and fuzzy. It had been too long since he had a family. The Presgraves gave him the feeling of being home. Anastasia and Elliot were happy to see a new member joining their family. They were happy with Jasper being their daughter¡¯s partner. He was smart, wise, and powerful-the perfect person to protect their princess. After dinner, the men had their men¡¯s talk while Willow and Ellen were upstairs with the child. They were chatting. Once they brought up the wedding, Ellen gave a lot of suggestions, after which Willow made a ||| 1/2 decision. She didn¡¯t want it to be a huge wedding, nor would she make it public. She also wouldn¡¯t invite too many guests. Only family and friends would be invited. Jasper and Willow didn¡¯t stay at the residence. His vi was already cleaned and set up by the housekeeper, so they were going to stay the night there. Willow opened up her suitcase and hung her clothes in Jasper¡¯s cab. Looking at all the necessities she had prepared for the both of them, she felt bliss. Jasper¡¯s vi was in the city center. Only those with money and power could buy a house in a ce like this, and this was the quietest ce in this area. Chapter 2147 Chapter 2147 Chapter 2147 Vi Willow only noticed that Old Mr. Wyatt had collected a lot of famous paintings once the ce was cleaned up. The whole vi felt *sy. She loved this ce. Jasper wrapped his arm around her waist. ¡°Like these? If you don¡¯t, I house again.¡± in tear them down and renovate the Willow turned back quickly. ¡°I love these. I love your parents¡¯ tastes. You don¡¯t need to renovate it again.¡± Willow felt for him. This was thest piece of proof of his family. She couldn¡¯t bear to have him renovate it again. Jasper looked down at her and pulled her hair back. As he stared at her face, he gulped, and something flickered in his eyes. He couldn¡¯t hold back whenever it came to her-all the emotional control he learned in the organization would always melt away, and he would show his desire in its full, uncontroble form.. Sensing this, Willow felt her cheeks burn up, but she still mustered up her courage to stand on her tiptoe and brush her lips across Jasper¡¯s. She tried to run away right after that. Jasper wouldn¡¯t let that happen, of course: He grabbed her arm and tugged her back. She fell into his embrace and bumped into his chest. Willow chuckled. Her sweet, innocent look allured Jasper. Jasper didn¡¯t hold back anymore. Willow had been flirting with him too much. This gave him an excuse to spoil her. Before Willow knew what was happening, Jasper had already held her chin. She was enveloped by his scent, and as her heart raced, she epted his pa*sionate kiss. When Willow got a little dizzy from the kiss, Jasper picked her up and carried her in his arms. Willow buried her head in his chest, her heart fluttering like a butterfly. She often wondered if she was Jasper¡¯s first girlfriend. He was a great kisser, after all. While she was immersed in her thoughts, Jasper pushed her down. Since she didn¡¯t know where to ce. her hands, Jasper took charge and held them above her head. It was exciting for Willow. It felt like she was under his control-suffocating but thrilling. With nowhere to go, Willow sumbed to her hunter, and they fell into the pits of pleasure. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. A slender figure came out of Averna¡¯s airport with a suitcase in tow. A middle-aged woman was the one weing her. She came over and said, ¡°Hello, miss.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Mrs. Hetna.¡± Shirley came ahead, smiling. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. Your grandmother is waiting for you at home. I¡¯ll take your luggage.¡± ¡°Just call me Shirley,¡± Shirley said. She walked out of the airport and took a breath of the crisp air. ¡°Feels good to be home.¡± A smug gaze filled her eyes as she thought of how she had sessfully fooled her dad. She could stay here for three months and finish her internship in peace. She got into the car and held up her phone to check something. A photo of a man was shown on her screen. He was in a typical suit, his gaze filled with decisiveness. It felt like he was a godfather¡ªalone, yet powerful. Even though he was young, there was wisdom in his eyes. He had the air of someone in control, caution, and bravery. Shirley knew why this man became vice president. It wasn¡¯t because of his background. His capability was nothing to beughed at. ||| 1/2 Shirley put her phone down and closed her eyes, thinking about Cole. In this city of vice, it was normal to think about someone she liked. I wonder if Cole¡¯s thinking about me too. Her eyes flickered with anticipation. In three days, she would take Imogen¡¯s ce in the internship. Shirley looked forward to it, although she was nervous. She grew up under her father¡¯s wing, yet soon, she would be spreading her own wings. It was liberating, but the future was also uncertain. Chapter 2148 Chapter 2148 Chapter 2148 Pull-up She then remembered that Willow was around too. I can ask her out for a bit of fun. Shirley smiled. The sun shone upon the world, waking up the metropolis. For once, Willow woke up early. She extended her arm, but there was nothing beside her. Her eyes snapped open. Out of her concern for Jasper¡¯s old job, she was worried whenever he wasn¡¯t around. She got up and went around to find him. When she saw him doing pull-ups in the courtyard, and easily too, she heaved a sigh of relief. She stood at the doorway and watched him work out. His arms were powerful, and his core was taut. His toned and S**y back was fully exposed to her. She blushed.. Willow draped a shirt over herself and went over. Noticing hering closer, Jasper hopped down and turned around. ¡°You¡¯re up early.¡± Willow thought she could do pull-ups easily too, since Jasper made it look simple. She said confidently, ¡°I want to try this. Take me up there.¡± ¡°You sure?¡± Jasper asked. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Willow didn¡¯t want to be looked down upon. She nodded. ¡°I can do ten pull-ups Jasper bent over and lifted her. Willow held the bar. The moment Jasper let go, she realized she had spoken too soon about how she could do ten pull-ups. It would be a miracle if she could even do one. She used every ounce of her strength to pull herself up, but even after she had exhausted every fiber of strength in her body, she still failed to do one pull-up. Jasper held back hisughter and took her back down. Her hands were already red. Concerned, he bowed his head and blew on it. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Willow looked at him. She thought he wouldugh at her, but there was only love in his eyes. The eptance she felt from him made her blush more, and she leaned closer in his embrace. She said, ¡°I¡¯m useless.¡± Jasper put an arm around her waist. ¡°You¡¯re not useless. You¡¯re awesome.¡± Willow blinked. ¡°How am I awesome?¡± ¡°They say men conquer the world, and women conquer men. You¡¯ve conquered me, so that makes you awesome.¡± Willow chuckled and fell into his embrace. She loved thispliment. Jasper noticed she wasn¡¯t wearing a lot ofyers, so he picked her up and went into the lounge. Jasper was feeling hyped up in the morning. Willow saw desire in his gaze. She breathed heavily. A night of restter, she had gained back her stamina. She rubbed Jasper¡¯s arm. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± ¡°Take a guess,¡± Jasper said in a raspy voice. Willow gulped. ¡°Don¡¯t you need any rest?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have to rest if it means satisfying you.¡± He took her upstairs. Willowined, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t make this my fault. You want this for yourself.¡± ||| 1/2 Jasper silenced her with a kiss. It was already eleven when Willow woke up again. She realized they hadn¡¯t been holding back at all. Is this really alright? However, she got over it quickly. As long as we¡¯re happy, to hell with everything else. The Meyers Residence. It was Shirley¡¯s grandmother¡¯s abode. Shirley¡¯s grandmother was a septuagenarian with graying hair. Ever since her husband¡¯s death, the dame had been living a lonely life. Shirley¡¯s mother took the opportunity to ask Shirley to spend some time with the dame. After she woke up in the morning, Shirley took a stroll with her grandmother. They got some fresh greens on their way back, after which she watched some news in the lounge. Just when Shirley was about to change the channel, something grabbed her attention. It was the footage of a big shot receiving foreign dignitaries. The camera captured the scene clearly. He was about six-foot-three and towering. There was a regal smile on his face, but that smile felt distant. Chapter 2149 Chapter 2149 Chapter 2149 A Meal Shirley rested her chin on her hand, staring at the young vice president. I¡¯m gonna be his bodyguard soon and move into his house. Wonder if this guy is really that hard to get along with. Her phone chimed just as her thoughts started wandering. She checked it, and it was a text telling her to report for duty. Shirley took up Imogen¡¯s identity. Once she was done with the internship, she¡¯d let Imogen take her ce. and leave with no one any the wiser. Thus, she reported for duty in the afternoon. Despite the fact that she was extremely worried and had tampered with the ID beforehand, she still pa*sed the interview with flying colors. ¡°Report for duty in three days, Imogen. No tardiness, and no cking off. Follow the rules. ¡°Understood.¡± Shirley nodded. She felt a little nervous. Still, her mental barriers were holding strong, so she could go through the motions as though things were just fine. Once she was out, Imogen called for an update. The woman heaved a sigh of relief when she heard that everything went well. ¡°I almost had a heart attack. I thought they¡¯d see through you,¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m a pro. It¡¯s only for three months. You can get an actual job after that. Then, you can ask to be a*signed to another city. You don¡¯t have to stay in Averna.¡± ¡°Thanks, Shirley.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Just rest up. I¡¯ll deal with everything here.¡± Shirley came out of the side door and was about to get to the car park, but a big motorcade made an unwee appearance. She quickly tucked her phone back into her bag, straightened her posture, and bowed at the motorcade. The motorcade stopped before the front door. A bodyguard opened the car door in the center, and a mature, captivating man walked out. Shirley¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She didn¡¯t expect to see her boss on the first day of her internship-the vice president, Zacharias Flintstone. This man was the talk of the town and the center of many nations¡¯ attention. He had recently switched up and improved his security. That was why he had picked some bodyguards from Shirley¡¯s father¡¯s base. Even though he was quite a distance away from her, she could still feel the intense aura wafting off this guy. He turned around to say something to his men, so he inadvertently faced her direction. Since she had been staring at him all the time, the guy even spared a cursory nce at her. One look was all it took for her to feel suffocated. His eyes were dark yet captivating. It was as if a dangerous soul was housed within him. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Shirley quickly looked down. Please let me pa*s the internship safely. I just want to get this job for my friend. So, she waited until Zacharias had gone inside before she went to her car. Even though she was already in her car, she was still thinking about the look Zacharias gave her. I should stay away from him. It will be disastrous if he learns that I¡¯m impersonating someone else for the internship. Also, his political stance is vastly different from my great uncle¡¯s. It wouldn¡¯t be an understatement to say that he doesn¡¯t like my family. It would be bad if the guy caught any dirt on her. While she still had a couple of days off left, she asked. Willow out for a meal. Willow readily agreed. Soon, she made her way to the restaurant and saw her friend. Shirley was in a beige suit and a pair of jeans. She looked as lively and as fashionable as ever. Frankly, Willow couldn¡¯t believe this girl was the same one who fought off three opponents in the training fieldst time. Shirley greeted happily, ¡°Order whatever you want, Willow. It¡¯s my treat.¡± O 1/2 Willow quickly said, ¡°No, it¡¯s mine. Order anything you want.¡± Shirley rested her chin on her hand. ¡°Sure. Thanks for the meal.¡± She didn¡¯t tell Winona that she came for work. That secret was only privy to Imogen and herself. Willow informed her that she was in the midst of making arrangements for her wedding. Even though they were the same age, Willow had a far more worldly view of life. She grew up overseas, while Shirley stayed in the base with her parents. Therefore, even though she would follow some teams to foreign countries, she was still a bit more inexperiencedpared to Willow. Chapter 2150 Chapter 2150 Chapter 2150 Looking Forward ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to your wedding. Willow. Stay sweet with Jasper.¡± ¡°What about Cole? No more news about him?¡± Willow asked. Shirley looked out the window, dejected. Then, she nodded. ¡°I miss him, but we don¡¯t have that much freedom. You know how it is with the rules chaining us down and such.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look so down, Shirley. You¡¯re young. You¡¯re not in any hurry,¡± consoled Willow. Shirley thought Winona had made a good point. She didn¡¯t even have a job. She couldn¡¯t afford to stumble. into any rtionship at the moment. Even though her father was a sessful man, his achievements were not hers. Besides, she couldn¡¯t live under her father¡¯s wing forever. So, she needed to strive for a path of glory that was just hers and hers alone. Thedies finished their meal and went shopping. Shirley took Willow back to Willow¡¯s ce in the evening. ¡°Come inside, Shirley.¡± Shirley smiled. ¡°No. You should spend more quality time with your darling Jasper. See you.¡± She drove off without a backward nce. Willow sent her off with a smile. The door behind her swung open, making her jump. Before she could exim in surprise, Jasper stepped out. She blinked at him, surprised. ¡°How¡¯d you know that I was home?¡± Jasper said quietly, ¡°I took a guess.¡± Willow didn¡¯t believe him at all. She then remembered she was wearing the ne he had given her. He could track her location at all times through this nifty little thing. She couldn¡¯t deny that it made her feel safe. It¡¯d been a few hours since their brief separation, yet Willow missed him terribly. So, she held his arm. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I bought you some clothes.¡± Jasper noticed a dozen bags of clothes strewn across the ground. He quietly picked them up without any prompting as he wrapped an arm around Willow. Then, they went inside hand-in-hand. When they made it to the lounge, Willow started disying everything she bought for him. Coupled with her fashion sense and his perfect body, all the clothes she purchased were just right. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t find it in himself to like all of them as some of the colors were a bit too much. He gingerly picked up a set of pajamas with cartoons printed on it and shot a deadpan stare at her. She merely smiled and hugged him. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t give me that look. No one else but me is going toy eyes on you wearing that.¡± Jasper nodded and kissed her. ¡°Sure. Just for your eyes.¡±¡± ¡°You¡¯d look better if you¡¯re not wearing anything, though, Willow teased. Jasper asked seriously, ¡°Are you sure?¡± Sheughed. ¡°Nope, of course not.¡± Tll stay naked at home starting tomorrow, then,¡± he said. He was happy to oblige such a simple request. She quickly covered his mouth before he could suggest any other wild notions. ¡°No, that was a joke.¡± She |||Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. 1/2 hastily changed the subject, saying, Tm thirsty, Jasper. I need some milk.¡± He answered dutifully, ¡°I¡¯ll get it for you. He walked away, but then he turned around. ¡°Which kind of milk, though?¡± Although she knew he was only joking, she still put on a stern face as she put her hands on her hips. ¡°Not yours, that¡¯s for sure.¡± He chuckled and took a carton of milk for her. She happily took it and gulped some down. While she was enjoying her drink, he started to sort out the clothes like a good househusband. They had an appointment that night. Jared and Ellen asked them out for dinner. Therefore, they started discussing the ns for the wedding. They were near in age, so they understood what the new couple needed. Willow and Ellen were talking about which gown to choose. Ellen told her about a designer brand, and. Willow was interested. However, she shook her head in disappointment. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not going to happen. I made some inquiries, and the designer¡¯s schedule is packed for five years. I can¡¯t get any slots.¡± Jasper made a mental note of the brand. It seemed that she desperately wanted a wedding gown from this particr brand. He would do anything to satisfy her wishes. After dinner, everyone went back to their homes. Back at their home, Willow held Jasper¡¯s arm. ¡°Let¡¯s go. around town. On your bike, that is.¡± He nodded as he had been feeling rather bored staying home all this time. Hence, they went onto his bike and rode across the streets of the town. She was seated behind him, and her arms were around his waist. She leaned on his back as she stared at the brightly-lit city. Although it wasn¡¯t a view that was unfamiliar to her, the scenery seemed exceptionally beautiful at this very moment. Chapter 2151 Chapter 2151 Chapter 2151 Riding It was a kind of feeling driving in a car couldn¡¯t provide. Every time Jasper stepped on the brakes, Willow would m into his back, causing a smile to appear on the corner of his lips. After a while, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder whether he was stepping the brakes on purpose. Eventually, they stopped in front of a hotel. So, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s stay in the hotel tonight. I booked a room. for myself. We can have it for the night.¡± He wasn¡¯t surprised she had a ce to stay everywhere. He nodded. ¡°Sure. We¡¯ll go with your n.¡± She looked at him sheepishly. ¡°But there¡¯s one thing I don¡¯t have here.¡± She refused to go to the convenience store with him and purchase a pack of condoms. Therefore, she urged, ¡°You¡¯re buying that yourself. I¡¯ll be waiting in the lobby.¡± Of course, Jasper knew what she was implying. He replied, ¡°Sure. Wait for me. I¡¯ll be back right away.¡± She sauntered into the lobby. This hotel belonged to the Mansons. The manager eagerly served the young miss of the Presgraves the moment she came in. Ten minutester, a tall, handsome man came into the lobby. The receptionists¡¯ eyes shone, and they stared at the man with unblinking eyes. When they saw him approaching Willow, they got a little envious. Could he be Miss Presgrave¡¯s boyfriend? She has a good eye for men. Willow said something to the manager, and then she led Jasper to the elevator. They came to Willow¡¯s room eventually. The waitstaff would clean this ce every day, and they would dry clean the clothes she left here from time to time. There was ack of men¡¯s clothing here, so Jasper had to make do with a robe. ¡°I¡¯ll keep a few sets of your clothes here next time,¡± said Willow. Jasper uncapped a bottle of water and handed it to her. ¡°Have some water.¡± She took it and drank from it. Love was in the details, after all. His love was all for her. He took care of her. like she was a priceless treasure. He would know if she was thirsty, cold, or hungry. In fact, she had no doubt that he would do anything to keep herfortable. Once she was done, she gave the bottle back to him. ¡°You have some, too.¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. He heartily drank the water. In the meantime, she figured it would be best to take a shower now. Just then, he rasped, ¡°Wanna do it together?¡± She could feel herself flushing crimson. ¡°You mean to say, get in the bathtub together?¡± He quirked his lips into a smile. ¡°That works, too.¡± She murmured bashfully, ¡°Just the shower will do. Help me wash my hair.¡± Jasper was more than happy to help. Willow pushed him. ¡°You go ahead. I¡¯lle inter.¡± So, he went into the bathroom without further ado. She could hear water sloshing around, causing her to hesitate for a moment. Nevertheless, she mustered up her courage. We¡¯ve gone all the way anyway. There¡¯s no need for me to feel shy. We¡¯re going to do something really happy. She went into the bathroom. He had already washed his hair, so his hair was drenched. The light was shining upon his V-shaped body and taut muscles. ||| 1/2 Even though she¡¯d just had some water, her throat felt dry. Before she could even react, he had pulled her into his embrace. Soon, they stood under the flowing water. The water almost choked her. The curtain of water parted, and she could feel sweet oxygen pouring into her lungs once more. She gulped some air and noticed that Jasper had leaned down to part the water. Then, he held her chin and leaned in for a kiss. Her nerves felt electrified by his touch. Her head was woozy. It felt like she was encased in a globe of water as she dazedly wrapped her arms around his neck, responding to his kiss. He wanted to see her reaction, so he pulled back after some time. Willow panted against his lips. She wanted to say something, but his tongue slithered into her mouth before she could voice her thoughts. The gentle kiss stirred something up within her. By the time he was done with her, she had no strength left. So, he started shampooing her hair. She could feel his slender fingers gently rubbing her scalp. Even though his actions were far from arousing, she could still feel her heart race and her face turning red from the intimacy. The overwhelming love surrounding her was an intoxicating mix indeed. Chapter 2152 Chapter 2152 Chapter 2152 Bathing Done Once Willow was clean, they came out of the shower. She didn¡¯t need to do anything else as Jasper had. changed into a robe, and he was blow-drying her hair. She closed her eyes as she enjoyed the moment. It waste by the time everything was done. So, she snuggled under the covers as he cleaned up the lounge. He only got into bed the moment everything was all tidied up. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. He hugged her through the nket before raising her chin. He peppered kisses all over her face, causing an electrifying feeling to break through her wooziness. It was to be a hot and heavy night once more. Dawn had just broken through the horizon, but Shirley was already training outside. It was her first day reporting for duty. She set off at 7.00AM to report for duty at the security guards¡¯ area. When she was there, she immediately got her uniform, work ID, and all kinds of equipment in short order. Then, she was a*signed a dorm. The dorm was about two thousand yards away from Zacharias¡¯ ce. Her internship would involve protecting Zacharias while he was at home. She would only be allowed to follow him out if she received any orders from her employer. Shirley was more than happy with that arrangement. Once she was done with the internship, she could leave. The reason she insisted on helping Imogen was because their friendship ran deep. She was hurt. during their training once, and Imogen abandoned her task just to help her. Imogen was severely criticized and had her points deducted because of that. She had always felt guilty because of that. So, when Imogen asked her for help, she agreed without even a second thought. She had a favor to return, after all. ¡°Roll call, Imogen!¡± someone called Shirley. Shirley didn¡¯t realize they were calling her. It wasn¡¯t until she was stared at that she took a deep breath. ¡°Right away.¡± Once the person was gone, she heaved a sigh. I have to get used to the fact that I¡¯m Imogen now. I can¡¯t space out all the time. Shirley went down for the roll call. She was subjected to nearly two hours of a lecture regarding rules and regtions before it was time for task delegation. Suddenly, she realized that there were only two female bodyguards this time. After everyone was a*signed. to their posts, thedies still had no tasks to speak of. Shirley wondered why. The captain dismissed everyone, but he asked thedies to stay behind. ¡°Imogen, Corinne, your task is a bit different. You¡¯ll not be standing sentry. Instead, you¡¯ll be a*signed as secret service agents who serve the vice president in his abode. Since things areplicated at the moment, we cannot trust any outside hires. We¡¯ll need you to act as the vice president¡¯s maid. Your job involves everything about housekeeping.¡± Shirley¡¯s eyes went wide. What? That¡¯s the thing I¡¯m most worried about. She just wanted to coast through her internship and stay away from that guy as far as possible. But now I have to work near him?! ¡°Of course, captain. We will not let you down. We¡¯ll take care of the vice president.¡± She had to voice her a*sent as well. ¡°We¡¯ll do our job.¡± ¡°Good. It¡¯s a trying time. Stay on guard and make sure the vice president is well-protected. He will be leaving after 10.00AM. You can then make your way there and get used to the ce. I¡¯ll text you the contents of your work and the vice president¡¯s scheduleter. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Corinne and Shirley stood up straighter. ||| 1/2 Once the captain was gone, Shirley turned around. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Imogen Young.¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°I¡¯m Corinne Cleaver. Unlike you, my family got me this spot. I¡¯m not hired.¡± Shirley paused for a moment. She could see the obvious look of superiority on Corinne¡¯s face. Nheless, she kept a smile on her face. ¡°I see. Let¡¯s get along, then.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to make something clear, Imogen. You might have to work a little harder. I¡¯m not that good at housekeeping, so you¡¯ll have to bear with me.¡± Chapter 2153 Chapter 2153 Chapter 2153 Internship Begins. Shirley kept smiling. Then, you should¡¯ve told the captain and have him switch someone else in.¡± ¡°No can do. Do you have any idea how important this chance is for me? Don¡¯t do anything stupid, either. Otherwise, I can¡¯t promise if you can pa*s your internship.¡± Corinne flung her hair back haughtily and left. Shirley heaved a sigh. Why am I even here? So that b*tch can order me around? She didn¡¯t mind Zacharias ordering her around because he was the vice president. However, she drew the line at Corinne. There was no way she was going to take this lying down. She was beyond annoyed because that b*tch not only dared. to order her around, but the woman also threatened Imogen¡¯s job. If this was just Shirley¡¯s mission, she could ask to be a*signed away. Unfortunately, she was representing Imogen at the moment. Hence, she couldn¡¯t afford to leave. She had to finish her internship carefully. She could already see how nightmarish her life would be because of this gig. s, she had no choice but to deal with it. Regardless, she didn¡¯t let this spoil her mood as she was then reminded of Cole. Soon enough, courage welled within her. During the three months of training, Cole was like a ball of strength that kept pushing her onward, motivating her growth. Whenever she ran into any hardship, she would be reminded of Cole¡¯s words. After Shirley came back to the dorm, the captain texted her everything she had to do. As expected, they were all housekeeping tasks. She could feel the pressure and dismay piling on her shoulders. She didn¡¯t know how to housekeep at all. Then, she promptly received Zacharias a week¡¯s worth of schedule and itinerary. She was surprised to find out he had a set schedule for himself even at home after skimming through it. He takes care of a lot of stuff every day. His hours at home were either spent working or going through files in the study. Even his rest hours werepressed to six hours every day. He¡¯s a super pro. Shirley was impressed by his dedication. Corinne then came to her. The ridiculous woman had divided all the chores between them. Everything rted to serving Zacharias was taken up by her, while everything unrted to Zacharias was unceremoniously tossed to Shirley. For example, Corinne would be making tea and drinks for Zacharias as well as cleaning his room and the study. Shirley would be cleaning everywhere else but the ces Corinne took up. She would also have to do the dishes andundry. *I have taken up courses regarding cooking and nutrition. So, I will be cooking for him as well. Only cooking. You¡¯ll be cleaning up after me,¡± said Corinne. Shirley was miffed. Nevertheless, she feigned a cid smile as she replied, ¡°Fine by me.¡± ¡°And one more thing. Just because you¡¯re working in the vice president¡¯s house and seeing him all the time doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯ll like you. Give it up. That will not happen,¡± said Corinne sternly. That¡¯s something you should say to yourself, Shirley thought. I don¡¯t have any ideas about him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have someone I like. I won¡¯t get any ideas about the vice president,¡± said Shirley coolly. Corinne chortled. ¡°You¡¯d better be. Also, don¡¯t you poke your nose into my business.¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Shirley nodded. ¡°I can do that.¡± Before Corinne took her leave, she gazed at Shirley for a while. Then, she turned around and departed. 1/2 Shirley felt a little nervous after getting stared at. Did she find me out? She picked up herptop and looked into Corinne¡¯s background. Once she was done checking her background, Shirley understood why Corinne was such a diva. Powerful. Her family¡¯s powerful enough for her to put on this diva act even in a ce like this. Shirley put theptop down and let out a weary sigh. I¡¯ll be walking on thin ice after this, then. I have to do my best and finish my internship. The moment the clock struck 10.00AM, Shirley and Corinne went into Zacharias¡¯ abode. It was an old house that was refurbished. The ce looked like a fusion of modernity and the old times. The retro walls and murals glittered like stars under the illumination of the crystal lights. Chapter 2154 Chapter 2154 Chapter 2154 Cleaning Begins. ¡°We should clean the ce before hees back. I¡¯ll do his bedroom and the study while you do everywhere else,¡± Corinne said imperiously. Shirley nodded. ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s begin, then.¡± Corinne went upstairs. Shirley found the tool shed in the backyard and took the cleaning tools out. Then, she came to the lounge and looked at the house around her. There was resignation in her heart. Still, her captain was right. Zacharias¡¯ taking over as vice president was controversial, and it exposed danger to him. Protection and security were imperative for him. Every single person a*signed to him had to be on full alert. No one could bear the consequences should anything happen to him. So, she forcefully cheered herself up and started cleaning. Since she had enough stamina, cleaning wasn¡¯t hard work for her. She started from the top floor and worked her way down. When she went past the master bedroom, she could hear Corinne cleaning up inside. Shirley cleaned meticulously for an hour. Soon, she was already on the second floor. She sat before the banister and cleaned a wooden sculpture. Unfortunately for her, it was small and smooth. So, when she wiped it just a little bit harder, the sculpture flew out of her hand. It was then that the front door swung open, and in came a tall, regal figure. The sculpture promptly hit his head. Shirley was shocked, and her heart sank. She ran down the stairs and quickly approached the man. She blurted in worry, ¡°Are you alright, Mr. Flintstone? Zacharias had a flinty look on his face. His eyes were as cold as ice, and he was staring at Shirley in frustration. ¡°Who are you?¡± Zacharias frowned. The look in his eyes was imposing. Shirley hung her head low. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m your new servant.¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. She¡¯d only been so submissive to one person all her life. Not even her great-uncle, the president himself, could make her bow. ¡°I think you¡¯re more like an a*sa*sin.¡± Zacharias harrumphed in displeasure. Shirley quickly picked up the item. ¡°Mr. Flintstone, do you think this thing can kill you? I don¡¯t mind apologizing, but I won¡¯t ept nder.¡± It was just a little sculpture, and she only lost grip because it was too small. And he says I¡¯m trying to a*sa*sinate him? I have to prove I am not. Zacharias didn¡¯t expect a little servant to be so bold as to argue with him. They might not be the feudal era anymore, but he was still surprised by her retort. Corinne, Flintstone heard themotion, quickly came down and approached Zacharias. ¡°Wee home, Mr. Flintstone. You¡¯re probably tired. I¡¯ll make you tea.¡± Zacharias looked at Corinne coolly, then stared at Shirley. ¡°You make the tea.¡± ¡°Sir, we have divided our work. I¡¯m the one taking up the job of making tea,¡± argued Corinne. Zacharias shot her a look. ¡°I¡¯m the one dividing the work in my abode.¡± Corinne winced and nodded in eptance. ¡°Of course, sir.¡± Shirley hung her head low, but she felt a sharp stare piercing her for a few seconds. He shook his coat off and tossed it at Shirley. She deftly took it, and he rolled his sleeves up. Then, he said, ¡°Take the tea to my study.¡± Once he had gone upstairs, Corinne red at Shirley. She whispered hotly, ¡°I¡¯ve warned you not to take my job.¡± Shirley really wanted to swear that she was not guilty right then and there. She didn¡¯t want to do any extra work either! Instead, she smoothed out his coat and hung it on the hanger. Finally, she reluctantly went to the kitchen to make Zacharias tea. Chapter 2155 Chapter 2155 Chapter 2155 Skill Zacharias¡¯ preferences were included in the file their captain sent them. The kind of tea he liked, how many times the leaves had to be washed, and how heavy or light he wanted his tea. Shirley finished. making tea and took it upstairs. She saw Corinne standing downstairs, staring at her enviously. Shirley wondered what was there to be envied. It¡¯s just serving him tea. There¡¯s nothing to envy. Just a few moments ago, her guess that he was hard to get along with was confirmed. It felt like she was in thepany of a beast. She went into the study and saw Zacharias seated on the settee before the floor-to-roof window. He was scrolling through an iPad. She quietly approached him and ced the tea on the desk. Then, she asked, ¡°Mr. Flintstone, does it hurt? Should I put some oil on it?¡± Zacharias didn¡¯t look up. His eyshes were shining under the sun, covering his eyes. His features were handsome. He would alwayse out looking dashing, thanks to his good looks, no matter how the reporters took his pictures. ¡°No,¡± he said coolly. She nodded and was about to leave. ¡°Who came into my study just now?¡± he demanded. That shocked her. Wait, why? Did he lose a file or something? I can¡¯t sell Corinne out. First, I have to settle the matter. ¡°Did you lose anything, sir?¡± He finally raised his head, but his eyes were like two little abysses, hiding his thoughts behind a ck hole. ¡°Do not touch anything in this room. Just dust things off,¡± he said in frustration. He obviously did not like anyone touching his stuff. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± She nodded quickly. ¡°What is your name?¡± He narrowed his eyes. ¡°Imogen¡­ Imogen Young, sir,¡± she answered. ¡°And the other one?¡± ¡°Corinne Cleaver. We will be in charge of housekeeping,¡± she replied. He nodded. ¡°Leave.¡± She came out of the study. Corinne was downstairs, waiting for her. Then, as calmly as she could, she said, ¡°Corinne, Mr. Flintstone told me that next time you clean his study, just dust the things off. Do not touch. anything.¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°You ratted me out?¡± ¡°No. I solved the problem,¡± she answered. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Corinne didn¡¯t believe her at all as she huffed in disdain. ¡°Not bad, wench. Left a deep first impression on the vice president. Unfortunately, with your family¡¯s power, you¡¯ll be nothing more than an intern.¡± ¡°We¡¯re both interns here. We¡¯re equals. Don¡¯t give me that show of superiority.¡± Shirley frowned. Corinne checked the time. Tll have to make lunch for the vice president. Off you go.¡± 1/2 Shirley went back to her cleaning job. She cleaned the vicinity, including the courtyard. She was serious when it came to work. Zacharias stood before the French window on the second floor. He was holding his cup of tea as he watched Shirley sweep the courtyard. Then, he noticed she was getting ready to sprint, and he frowned. He wondered what she was going to do. Honestly, she wasn¡¯t going to do anything. She just saw a stic bag hanging from a tree¡¯s branch, and it was sticking out like a sore thumb. However, she had no tools to take it down, so she decided to take it down herself. Since it was hanging from the end of the branch, it would take skills to take it down. She did a perfect sprint, leaped onto the trunk, and then she used the momentum to leap higher until she could catch the stic bag. One momentter, she jumped back down and rolled around. It was only a few seconds, but it showcased her superb skills. He was surprised. He didn¡¯t expect a regrdy like her to possess this level of skill. Chapter 2156 Chapter 2156 Chapter 2156 Let¡¯s Eat Shirley chucked the stic bag into the bin she lugged around with her. Then, she continued sweeping the ground. She felt her headband getting loose, so she took it off. A gust of breeze blew across the courtyard, and her hair fluttered in the wind. The sun shone upon her face, lending her even more beauty. and life than she already had. Zacharias narrowed his eyes andmented inwardly. Not just a regr girl, I see. He then realized he had wasted timementing on a girl and heaved a frustrated sigh. So, he turned around and picked up the new file to go through it. Afternoon came. Corinne made a five-course meal that looked delicious. When Shirley came back from work, she gulped. ¡°Smells nice,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s not for you,¡± Corinne answered snidely. Shirley said nothing more. Corinne said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell the vice president it¡¯s time for lunch. Not long after Corinne went upstairs, Zacharias came down. He was wearing a shirt, a vest, and a pair of pants. The attire made him look taller than he already was, and the man was already six-foot-three. Even though Shirley was five-foot-six, she looked short before him. ¡°Lunch is ready, sir. Enjoy. We¡¯ll be back in a moment,¡± said Corinne. She hoped her cooking would be praised. Zacharias looked at the food, but he said nothing. Corinne waited for a while but didn¡¯t get the compliment she wanted to hear. In the end, she felt dejected by hisck of response. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Zacharias said, ¡°I only need one of you around. I prefer a quiet ce.¡± Corinne thought Zacharias wanted her to stay since she was pretty, capable, and a good cook. He turned around and swept his gaze across thedies. When heid his eyes on Shirley, she got nervous. She really didn¡¯t want to stay. When he looked at Corinne, there was anticipation in her eyes. Corinne wanted to stay. In the end, he turned back to Shirley and pointed at her. ¡°You¡¯re staying Shirley waved her hands quickly. ¡°No, Mr. Flintstone. I can¡¯t cook. Let Corinne stay.¡± ¡°This is an order, and it¡¯s final,¡± he said sternly. Even though Shirley rmended her, Corinne still harbored resentment for her. She thought Shirley was only acting. I know you want to stay with him. Corinne didn¡¯t want to leave either. ¡°Let me stay, Mr. Flintstone. I promise I won¡¯t be a bother.¡± It wasn¡¯t every day she could stay close to a man like him. ¡°No. You may return to your dorm now,¡± he said with a tone of finality. Corinne really wanted to stay, but she couldn¡¯t defy Zacharias. So, she red at Shirley furtively before she left. Shirley felt resigned as well. She wanted to leave but was forced to stay. Her emotions were the total opposite of Corinne¡¯s. After Corinne left, Zacharias said, ¡°Imogen, have lunch with me.¡± Shirley waved her hands. ¡°No. Our captain has already prepared food for us. Give me half an hour. I¡¯ll be back after I¡¯m done eating.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot of food here. I can¡¯t finish them by myself,¡± said Zacharias. 1/2 She couldn¡¯t help but think that he had a point. It was true that he couldn¡¯t finish a whole feast by himself. Besides, she couldn¡¯t exactly refuse since he was the one extending the invite. ¡°Of course.¡± Thus, she went into the kitchen to get her te and cutlery. He was already digging into his meal by the time she returned. So, she took some food and piled it on her te as well. He looked at her, slightly surprised. He thought she would restrain herself. So, he was rather astonished that she didn¡¯t even bother. In fact, she showed no hint of fear either. Corinne was about to leave but abruptly remembered she left her phone in the house. This was her important tool ofmunication. She had to go back and retrieve it. Yet, when she came back to the lounge¡¯s doorway, she was met with a scene that angered her. That scheming harpy is sitting with the vice president and eating the food I made for him?! Chapter 2157 Chapter 2157 Chapter 2157 Unexpected Responsibilities. Corinne had her own opinions, but at this moment, she couldn¡¯t say anything. She observed for a moment and saw that Imogen was eating so naturally. She waspletely unrestrained in front of Zacharias. Corinne couldn¡¯t help but wonder where Imogen got the courage. Even she couldn¡¯t stay this calm. Just standing next to someone like Zacharias was already intimidating, let alone having a meal with him. Corinne still didn¡¯t dare to go back for her phone as she was afraid of disrupting Zacharias¡¯ meal. She decided she would go back home to get her other phone. Shirley ate quietly. When Zacharias looked at her, she calmly took a bite of her food. She even reminded him. This dish is a bit spicy. Mr. Flintstone, can you handle spicy food?¡± He replied. ¡°I can.¡± Shirley smiled, turned around to get a bowl, and served a bowl of soup for the man next to her. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to drink soup after the meal!¡± He was speechless. Was this her home or his home? After drinking two spoonfuls of soup, Zacharias said, ¡°I¡¯m done. You can clean up.¡± Upon seeing that the man hadn¡¯t eaten much, Shirley immediately sensed something-his stomach was not easy to please. ¡°Bring a cup of coffee up in ten minutes, the man said as he got up from the table. ¡°Okay, Mr. Flintstone, Shirley replied immediately. Zacharias went upstairs, and she quickly cleared the table of food and dishes. She first took them to the sink and then went to the coffee machine to make coffee for him. Shirley was experienced in this regard because she liked making coffee for her mother. She made a cup for the man ording to her mother¡¯s preferences out of habit. Three parts sugar and three parts milk. Shirley carried the tray with the coffee upstairs. She tried to slow down her steps as she reached the study door. She knocked, and just as she pushed the door open, she heard a loud voice. ¡°If you cause trouble for me again, I¡¯ll make sure you undergo a proper reform. She was startled. Her hand trembled, and it almost tipped the tray. Luckily, she reacted quickly. She stood somewhat awkwardly at the door while looking at the man by the floor-to-ceiling window scolding someone. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about our rtionship to the outside world, and don¡¯t use my identity.¡± The low voice carried authority and annoyance. ¡°Just you wait.¡± The man, who was still very irritated, hung up the phone. After turning around, he saw the girl behind him with the coffee. He said in a deep voice, ¡°Put the coffee down and do something for me.¡± Shirley immediately ced the coffee on the table, held the tray with both hands, and was ready to take orders. ¡°Mr. Flintstone, please go on.¡± ||| 1/2 ¡°Go to the downtown police station and bail someone out for me. His name is Tony Flintstone, Zacharias said before adding, ¡°Bring him back to me.¡± Shirley nodded. ¡°Okay. Understood.¡± She closed the door and left while thinking to herself that since they shared the same family name, Tony was probably his younger rtive, and he must have caused some trouble. It seemed there was a pile of family matters to deal with, even in the vice president¡¯s home! Shirley called the captain and mentioned this matter to him separately. The captain arranged for a car to be sent for her use. Shirley then drove toward the city center. Half an hourter, after signing the bail contract and paying the bail at the police station, a handsome young man was led out. However, he already had a bruised and swollen face at this point. Tony looked at the person who bailed him out, and his not-so-disciplined eyes lit up with surprise. He didn¡¯t expect that his uncle would send a beautiful young girl to pick him up this time. She looked good, and her figure was just his type. He spected that she must be his uncle¡¯s personal bodyguard. ¡°Tony, let¡¯s go!¡± Shirley called out his name. Tony followed her into the car. His eyes were fixed on her as he reached out his hand. ¡°Let me introduce myself. I¡¯m Tony Flintstone. How should I address you, prettydy?¡± ¡°I am here to pick you up on Mr. Flintstone¡¯s orders. There¡¯s no need for introductions.¡± After saying this, she drove away smoothly.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Chapter 2158 Chapter 2158 Chapter 2158 A Troublesome Encounter Tony sat in the passenger seat while looking carefree and leaning on his side as he stared straight at Shirley. She allowed him to scrutinize her; having received training, she had to remainposed even in the face of a major disaster. ¡°You¡¯re really beautiful, and you¡¯re the type I like. Can I pursue you?¡± he asked straightforwardly. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in you.¡± Shirley replied before ncing at him. Suddenly, she kind of understood why Zacharias exploded in anger just now. Tony was a troublemaker. Tony snorted. ¡°So, you¡¯re interested in my uncle, huh? Do you like older men?¡± Shirley didn¡¯t want to engage in this conversation, so she remained silent. However, he was quite interested in continuing the chat. ¡°I know my uncle is popr with women, but unfortunately, he doesn¡¯t like women.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°So, does he like men?¡± He burst intoughter. ¡°Haha! I really wish my uncle could hear you say that. I want to see how furious he¡¯d be.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Shirley turned her head and gave him a stern look without saying a word. Tony raised an eyebrow. ¡°It¡¯s not my uncle¡¯s problem for not liking women. He¡¯s just immune to women. As far as I can remember, he has never liked any woman. Of course, he doesn¡¯t like men either. He¡¯s just at cold and ruthless political machine.¡± Shirley was slightly speechless. Who would talk about their uncle like that? She stopped talking to Tony because she wasn¡¯t interested in the affairs of the Flintstone Family. The car entered the Flintstone Residence, proceeded into the garden, and parked outside the hall. Tony got out of the car and followed Shirley. ¡°Hey, Miss. Can I get your contact information? Let¡¯s grab a coffee sometime when you¡¯re free.¡± Shirley had just entered the hall when she saw the man sitting on the couch. She immediately came to stand behind him while maintaining a straight posture. Feeling slightly guilty, Tony sat on the couch and greeted Zacharias reluctantly while covering his swollen face, ¡°Uncle Zacharias.¡± Zacharias¡¯ gaze turned toward him, and a frustrated expression crossed his face. ¡°Didn¡¯t you promise me not to get into fights anymore?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t start it! They bullied the girl first, so I had to fight back.¡± Zacharias snorted. ¡°You were clearly the one at fault, yet you still try to justify yourself.¡± Tony shrugged. ¡°I just went on a date! Is it my fault that girls like me?¡± ¡°Tony¡± Zacharias¡¯ gaze was stern. Tony immediately shrank back in fear while assuming an apologetic stance. ¡°All right. All right. I promise won¡¯t ask someone else¡¯s girlfriend out to a bar again. I assure you I won¡¯t cause you trouble.¡± ||| 1/2 ¡°You¡¯re twenty years old already, and you¡¯re not a child anymore. Can¡¯t you have a bit of decency?¡± Zacharias lectured. Tony lowered his head and muttered, ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll bring honor to you, Uncle Zacharias.¡± ¡°Write a thousand-word self-critique. If it¡¯s not good enough, keep writing until it is.¡± Zacharias imposed it as a punishment. ¡°What! Another self-critique? Can¡¯t we have a different form of punishment? I don¡¯t want that. I¡¯d rather go out and sweep the streets than write a self-critique.¡± Tony refused with a determined expression. ¡°If you don¡¯t write it. I¡¯ll cancel your bail right now and send you in for a year to sober up properly,¡± Zacharias threatened. Tony immediately hung his head while looking like a wilted nt. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll write it.¡± After speaking, his gaze shifted to Shirley. He said to Zacharias, ¡°Uncle Zacharias, can I stay here for a few days? I want to focus on writing.¡± Upon seeing Tony¡¯s apologetic attitude, Shirley found it quite problematic. She couldn¡¯t believe that this young man, whom she saw as a younger brother, dared to make advances toward her. ¡°Sure,¡± Zacharias agreed. At that moment, Zacharias¡¯ phone rang, and he walked toward the side hall to answer it. Tony took the opportunity to throw a flirtatious nce at her. Shirley ignored it and waspletely unfazed. After Zacharias finished the call, he asked Tony to return to his room. Shirley didn¡¯t know what to do now, as Zacharias hadn¡¯t given her any instructions. So, she stood guard at the door. Chapter 2159 Chapter 2159 Chapter 2159 A yful Challenge The day quickly turned into an evening. Corinne arrived as she came to prepare dinner, and when she walked over, Shirley could see that her sharp gaze was filled with resentment. Til stay and attend to Mr. Flintstone tonight. You can leave. Corinne said to her. Shirley frowned. ¡°The captain didn¡¯t tell me to leave.¡± Zacharias also didn¡¯t instruct her to leave. She couldn¡¯t leave her post without authorization. ¡°Hah! You think you¡¯re so important, huh?¡± Corinne mocked before heading toward the kitchen. ¡°Mr. Flintstone¡¯s nephew is also here. You need to cook for two people.¡± Shirley reminded her. Corinne didn¡¯t say anything, but she would follow Shirley¡¯s reminder. Tonight, she hoped to be the one Zacharias chose to stay in the mansion. While Shirley was standing guard at the door, someone suddenly tapped her shoulder. She reached back. almost instinctively and grabbed the person¡¯s hand before twisting his arm behind his back. ¡°Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!¡± Tony¡¯s startled cry came through. Upon seeing that it was him, she immediately released him and warned him, ¡°Don¡¯t do this ever again. After experiencing Shirley¡¯s prowess, he chuckled. ¡°Pretty, you¡¯ve got some skills. Can you teach me? If you do, next time I get into a fight, I won¡¯t get beaten so badly.¡± Shirley disliked his glib tongue and said sternly, ¡°Mr. Flintstone, please mind your words.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me your name, so I had to address you as ¡®Pretty,¡± Tony reasoned. Shirley continued standing straight while ignoring his teasing. ¡°Ah! I¡¯m exhausted. Writing a thousand words of self-critique is no joke. My uncle is so old-fashioned. He still makes me write self-critique in this day and age, Tonyined as he stretchedzily. ¡°Oh! Someone¡¯s cooking?¡± Tony dashed to the kitchen. In no time, he returned to Shirley before saying, ¡°Are you two my uncle¡¯s 24/7 personal bodyguards?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Shirley replied. ¡°Am I also under your protection too?¡± ¡°No,¡± Shirley replied coldly. ¡°You can¡¯t treat me poorly. You must protect me along with my uncle.¡± Tony snorted. Then, his gaze wandered mischievously over Shirley. ¡°If I encounter danger tonight, can you protect me up close?¡± After saying that, he saw her fair hands sped together. He reached out and intended to touch them. Shirley¡¯s eyes shed with anger. She grabbed his arm, pressed him toward the ground, and pinned him down as if he were a criminal, with his hands still in a humiliating position behind his back. ¡°If you offend me again, I won¡¯t be polite,¡± Shirley warned him sternly. She wasn¡¯t the type to stay silent when someone took advantage of her. Anyone who dared to touch her would face a grim fate. ||| 1/2 Tony was in pain and sweating when he saw a tall figureing down from the second floor. He called out without dignity. ¡°Uncle Zacharias, save me.¡±N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Upon seeing Zachariasing down, Shirley immediately let go of Tony and resumed her guarding stance. ¡°Uncle Zacharias, she bullied me.¡± Tony immediately yed the victim. ¡°You can¡¯t even beat a girl, and you¡¯reining Zacharias remarked disapprovingly. Tony became somewhat annoyed. ¡°Uncle Zarliarias, can you beat her?¡± Zacharias didn¡¯t answer the question. ¡°Behave if you don¡¯t want to be kicked out.¡± Tony seized this opportunity and continued to tease Zacharias. ¡°Uncle Zacharias, I bet you can¡¯t beat her either. How about you two have a little match right now?¡± Zacharias¡¯ gaze shifted to the girl on guard duty, and there was indeed a glint of interest in his eyes. ¡°Uncle Zacharias, you two can just have a little match in the garden outside. Let me witness your prowess,¡± Tony taunted. ¡°Set an example for me!¡± ¡°Uncle Zacharias,e on! Show me your skills. Use those muscles of yours!¡± He was quite insisters, Shirley was speechless about Tony. Why did he have to suggest a match between her and Zacharias? Chapter 2160 Intense Garden Sparring Chapter 2160 Intense Garden Sparring Moreover, could someone like Zacharias, who sat in the office year-round, really fight? It was not that Shirley was overly confident, but under her father¡¯s training, she had indeed reached a certain level of standard. Zacharias seemed persuaded by his nephew. He stood up and unfastened the buttons of his waistcoat with his long fingers, revealing a white shirt and a pair of ck pants underneath. He emanated a refined and gentlemanly aura. ¡°Imogen, would you be willing to spar with me?¡± Zacharias walked toward the door. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Shirley didn¡¯t expect Zacharias to actually want to spar with her. As his bodyguard, she couldn¡¯t refuse his request. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Pretty. My uncle can¡¯t beat you. Go ahead!¡± Tony shouted from the side. ¡°I¡¯m willing.¡± She nodded. Corinne, who was in the kitchen, overheard the conversation outside. It caught her attention, and she felt a bit anxious. She also wanted to participate in this closebat with Zacharias. Unfortunately, she was in the midst of preparing dinner, so she could only feel frustrated. The evening sun sank behind the mountains while leaving a faint afterglow that bathed the garden in a soft yellow light. Zacharias stood under amp while cracking his knuckles, making a crisp sound. Only now did Shirley feel the oppressive aura emanating from this man. She thought he was just a high- level politician sitting in an office, but unexpectedly, he exuded a burst of strength. It seemed like he had been disguising himself all along; at this moment, his gaze revealed a beast-like brutality beneath the cultured exterior. She immediately heightened her alertness. This was not an opponent who was easy to deal with. She had underestimated this man just now, and now she had to focus her energy on handling him. ¡°Imogen, let¡¯s begin!¡± Zacharias called out to her. Since he invited her to make the first move, she didn¡¯t hold back. She clenched her fist and assumed an attacking stance. As her fist moved toward the man¡¯s face without holding back, his brows furrowed, and he skillfully blocked the attack with his arm. The rebounding force made her realize once again that this man wasn¡¯t a kitten but a wild beast. Zacharias swiftly caught Shirley¡¯s wrist, and she responded with a swift kick, which made her body. perform a stylish and agile 360-degree turn. Tony, on the side, was left in awe. ¡°Wow! That¡¯s so cool! Go for it!¡± He cheered Shirley on and hoped his uncle would show some impressive moves. Unfortunately, all of Shirley¡¯s kicks were deftly blocked by the man. Shirley¡¯s aggressiveness surged as she was stimted by this. Under themplight, Zacharias¡¯ lips curved into an amused smile. It seemed like he had angered the kitten. Shirley felt tense, and each move she struck became sharper. Despite the tension, ||| O 1/2 he skillfully parried each move without losingposure. He even seemed to deliberately go easy on her while maintaining a sense of control. Shirley sensed the man¡¯s strength was still concealed to some extent, although she also didn¡¯t unleash her full potential. She knew this was just a friendly match, so it was better to stop at a certain point. At that moment, due to a problem with the quality of her high heels, the sound of heels breaking echoed when she stepped back. She immediately stumbled backward, and there was a rockery pool with a sharp stone right behind her. ¡°Ah! Uncle Zacharias! Watch out for the sharp stone,¡± Tony noticed and yelled. Due to the broken heel, Shirley lost her bnce. Even if she could avoid the sharp stone, she couldn¡¯t escape the fate of falling into the pool. She was prepared to ept this oue, but at that moment, her arm was caught by arge hand and a force pulled her up. Taking advantage of this force, she pulled herself up but could not stop herself from plunging into the man¡¯s chest. Her entire face rebounded off his sturdy chest. ¡°Phew. That was close.¡± Tony quickly patted his chest in relief and then turned his head. Huh? How did these two folks end up tightly embracing each other? Chapter 2161 A Call From Zacharias Chapter 2161 A Call From Zacharias As Shirley breathed heavily, there was arge hand around her waist, and her entire being was pressed against Zacharias¡¯ chest like she was a startled bird. She immediately took a step back and said to the man with uneven breathing, ¡°I apologize.¡± ¡°Go back and rest,¡± Zacharias said to her. She had just retrieved her shoes, and now they were ruined. It was clearly a quality issue. She nodded and headed toward the direction of the dormitory. Tony watched her slender figure while praising her. ¡°She¡¯s truly beautiful and cool. I like this type of lady.¡± Tony turned to the man behind him and said, ¡°Uncle Zacharias, can you introduce her to me? I want her to be my girlfriend.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not worthy of her.¡± Zacharias directly dismissed his idea. Tony was speechless. He felt indignant and said, ¡°Why am I not worthy of her? I¡¯m your nephew. What¡¯scking in me? Uncle Zacharias, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re interested in her and want to keep her for yourself!¡± Zacharias turned around and stared at Tony sharply. ¡°Shut up and stop bringing shame to the family.¡± Outside the courtyard, Shirley suddenly punched the nearby stone wall. An unprecedented sense of defeat overwhelmed her, and it was Zacharias who gave her this feeling. Just now, she felt her own powerlessness and the feeling of exerting all her strength but still being unable to defeat the opponent-it was truly disheartening. Who exactly was Zacharias? When he wore a suit, he was the distinguished Vice President; without the suit. he was a formidable martial artist. She realized she had underestimated him. If he hadn¡¯t pulled her just now, she would have definitely fallen embarrassingly. How infuriating! This left a significant impact on Shirley¡¯s emotions. She returned to her dormitory with a mix of frustration and begrudging eptance. After taking off her outer clothing and revealing her vest, she looked at the fresh bruises on her wrist. The man¡¯s strength was indeed impressive. She exhaled deeply and silently adjusted her emotions. At that moment, her phone rang. Her eyes widened as she looked at it-the sender was Cole. ¡°Shirley, I heard that you¡¯re in Averna. I got transferred here today. Here¡¯s my contact information for future convenience. Shirley joyfully covered her mouth as she was afraid that she might burst intoughter. She quickly replied, ¡®Cole, I¡¯m in Averna too. Which department have you been transferred to?¡¯ The White House.¡± Shirley became even happier; it was her great-uncle¡¯s residence. It was great news to her as they would. have more opportunities to meet. ¡®Great! Let¡¯s have a meal when you¡¯re free. Shirley¡¯s earlier frustration disappeared in an instant because her heart was filled with anticipation, even though she knew it would be some time before she could meet. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Cole. Upon thinking that Cole was in Averna, she felt her heart brimming with vitality. ¡®Sure! Let¡¯s stay in touch, Cole replied. She looked at this message while silently thinking to herself, If only I could meet you every day. However, she couldn¡¯t tell him this, so she wrote a simple reply. ¡®Okay. Let¡¯s stay in touch.¡± After having dinner at the cafeteria, taking a shower, and getting ready to rest, her phone suddenly rang. She picked it up and saw an unknown number. ¡°Hello! Who¡¯s this?¡± Shirley answered. ¡°Did I hurt you?¡± A low and maic voice came from the other end. Upon hearing the voice, Shirley recognized who it was and eximed, ¡°Mr. Flintstone? You¡¯re not asleep yet?¡± ¡°Are you injured?¡± he asked again. She replied casually, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯smon for me. I apologize if I offended you, Mr. Flintstone.¡± ¡°Tonight was just a spar. You don¡¯t need to feel burdened. In my eyes, you¡¯re already great.¡± He comforted her in a deep voice. Shirley¡¯s mind buzzed for a moment. Then, she said in a calm tone, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Flintstone. You¡¯ve helped me understand that I need to constantly improve myself.¡± ¡°Come over early tomorrow morning and apany me outside,¡± the man said and then hung up the phone. Chapter 2162 Shirley’s First Mission Chapter 2162 Shirley¡¯s First Mission Shirley frowned. He wanted her to apany him outside? Wasn¡¯t she supposed to stay and serve him in his residence? Why would she need to apany him outside? She couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous. Could it be that she had to apany him to meet some political figures? What if she encountered her great-uncle? Wouldn¡¯t that expose everything? Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Could she not go? Shirley wondered in her heart. However, she could only decide tomorrow morning. As shey in bed, she couldn¡¯t fall asleep. Her mind. was filled with the sparring session with Zacharias tonight. Every move she made seemed wless, but this man effortlessly blocked them. It was evident that his strength and speed far surpassed hers. The terrifying power of this many in the fact that, in his usual demeanor, it was impossible to tell that he was exceptionally strong in martial arts. He appeared to be a cultured politician. It was like he was an iceberg-dangerous and hidden beneath a calm exterior. People saw only the sharp tip above the water¡¯s surface, while there was even more terrifying strength below the sea. Shirley forced herself to fall asleep. Early in the morning, she received amand on her phone. ¡°Assemble outside the mansion at 8.00AM. -She arrived five minutes early and asked the captain, ¡°Captain, where are we going?¡± ¡°Mr. Flintstone is meeting a foreign guest today. Your task is to pretend to be his female assistant and protect him.¡± She breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he was only meeting a foreign guest, which should be rtively safe for her identity. Just then, Zacharias came out. He was dressed in a ssic ck and white suit. He exuded a mature and imposing aura. She coincidentally met his gaze, causing her heart to skip a beat. She was just an intern recing someone else, after all, so she felt a bit uneasy. Zacharias¡¯ gaze seemed too sharp, and she decided to avoid direct eye contact with him in the future. Shirley was about to open the back door of a car to get in when the captain called her, ¡°Imogen, you and Mr. Flintstone will ride together.¡± Shirley was surprised as she thought, My status isn¡¯t that noble; how can I ride in the same car as Zacharias? Nevertheless, she went to open the front passenger seat of the car Zacharias was in. As she pulled it open, she realized there was already another bodyguard seated inside. So, she had to sit in the back seat. Shirley had just been thinking about how far she could stay away from this man, but fate seemed to want them close. She opened the back door and saw that only Zacharias was inside and he was focused on reading documents. He wore a gray vest with the shirt sleeves rolled up, revealing his muscr arms and the prestigious watch on his wrist. She hesitated but eventually sat beside him. The cup holder was pulled down and he had ced a teacup there. Considering he seemed engrossed in the documents. Shirley decided to remain silent while waiting for the convoy to start. Shirleycked experience as she was working as a bodyguard for the first time. In the car, she couldn¡¯t help but look out of the window and observe the scenery. She didn¡¯t notice the man beside her casting her a meaningful nce. There was a faint smile tinged with a hint of yfulness ying on his lips. The convoy smoothly reached a governmental residence as it was guided by precise traffic control. After the car came to a stop, the captain and the other bodyguards formed a secure perimeter before shielding Zacharias as he exited the vehicle. Shirley immediately jogged over while staying close to him and apanying him inside. Shirley didn¡¯t faze at all when facing such a solemn environment. She had grown up in such surroundings. With an air of grace andposure, she looked confident and elegant in her suit and trousers. Her hair was tied in a ponytail. She presented a neat and agile appearance. At this moment, a subordinate handed a purse to Shirley and whispered, ¡°You should know what¡¯s inside, right?¡± Shirley nodded. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the only one who can apany Mr. Flintstone to have the conversation. If something unexpected happens, prioritize his safety above all else. Understand?¡± Chapter 2163 Are You Afraid of Death Chapter 2163 Are You Afraid of Death Shirley immediately tensed up. Only then did she realize that the internship she thought of and the one she was experiencing werepletely different. She had thought it would be simple by just standing guard at the door every day. Little did she know that she would have to apany Zacharias to discuss business. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Understood.¡± She nodded calmly while resigning herself to the situation. Shirley followed behind Zacharias and entered the elevator, while the bodyguard had to stay downstairs. This was the highest level of meeting, so bodyguards were not allowed in; only assistants were permitted. As soon as she entered the elevator, her expression visibly tightened. At that moment, a deep male voice asked, ¡°Are you nervous?¡± She nodded without hesitating. ¡°I¡¯m just an intern bodyguard.¡± ¡°Rx. It¡¯s just a routine conversation.¡± Zacharias reassured her. Shirley took a deep breath to calm her nerves. They reached the sixth floor, and Zacharias walked ahead. They entered a luxurious meeting room, and Zacharias immediately smiled and greeted a foreign guest, who stood up to wee them too, with a graceful demeanor. They shook hands, exchanged warm smiles, and conversed in Chinese. Zacharias exuded a calm and commanding presence while disying wisdom and convincing power in his words despite his age. Shirley also smiled and greeted the two people, then watched as they chatted while walking toward the couch. Shirley sat in one of the nearby chairs along with the other person¡¯s assistant. Just by looking at the blonde-haired, blue-eyed female assistant sitting beside her, she could tell that the person next to her was. not a simple individual.. Fortunately, the atmosphere between Zacharias and the foreign guest was very good and they mostly focused on fostering friendship between the two countries without involving conflicting interests. Shirley¡¯s gaze had to stay on Zacharias as she observed every expression and gesture of the man. It was evident that he had earned his position through capability and not luck. Luckily, such conversations usually didn¡¯tst too long. After almost an hour, the foreign assistant reminded her boss about the time and indicated they had to catch a flight. The guest stood up, shook hands with Zacharias, and even hugged him as a friendly-farewell ritual. Zacharias apanied the guest to the elevator, and as the guest entered, Shirley finally sighed in relief. Zacharias had toned down his friendliness. He turned to Shirley, who was sitting on the couch, and said, ¡°Tell them I want to rest here for a while.¡± She immediately picked up her earpiece,municated with the captain, and conveyed Zacharias¡¯ request. ¡°Received. Take good care of Mr. Flintstone,¡± the captain responded. ¡°Understood,¡± she replied. After that, Shirley¡¯s gaze shifted to the man on the couch. He did nothing. He just sat there and rested. She noticed his tea was finished, so she walked over and poured another cup for him. He turned to look at her and she stepped back. He sipped the tea and suddenly asked, ¡°Are you afraid of death?¡± Shirley didn¡¯t expect him to bring up such a serious question out of nowhere. Without much thought, she replied, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re afraid of death, why choose, this profession?¡± Zacharias raised an eyebrow while looking at her. Shirley thought for a moment before saying. ¡°I¡¯m afraid of death because it allows me to enhance my professional abilities, not because I¡¯m afraid of being in this line of work.¡± He chuckled while his gaze lingered on her for a few seconds. Upon feeling his scrutiny, she unconsciously lowered her head. This man emitted a dangerous aura of seeing through everything and it wouldn¡¯t be fun if he uncovered her identity. After finishing the tea, he stood up and said to her, ¡°Let¡¯s go! Apany me to the White House.¡± Chapter 2164 Uncovering Secrets and Memories Chapter 2164 Uncovering Secrets and Memories Shirley felt as if her head just exploded and her breath started bing rapid. This man was going to the White House? Just when she thought the worst wouldn¡¯t happen! Zacharias¡¯ ink-ck eyes lingered on her face for a few seconds. Then, as if changing his mind, he said, ¡°Oh! I have other things to attend to. I won¡¯t go there today.¡± She finally breathed a sigh of relief hearing this. He took the lead into the elevator. There was a silent and amused smile on his lips. Shirley lowered her head and followed him into the elevator before standing behind him. Zacharias convoy departed, but Shirley didn¡¯t sit with him this time. Instead, she followed another car back to his residence. When Shirley returned to the Flintstone Residence, Corinne suddenly appeared and stopped her. ¡°Imogen, what tricks did you use? Why does Mr. Flintstone always ask you to do things and not me?¡± Shirley was taken aback. She replied calmly, ¡°I didn¡¯t use any tricks. You should ask Mr. Flintstone about that.¡± ¡°I certainly can¡¯t ask him, but I know you must have done something.¡± Corinne thought it must be the case. Otherwise, how could she receive such treatment? Shirley really couldn¡¯t exin this to her. She was also puzzled as to why Zacharias always gave her orders. Of course, if he didn¡¯t give her any tasks, she would be more rxed. ¡°Imogen, don¡¯t do anything sneaky behind my back or try to seduce Mr. Flintstone. If I find out, you¡¯re done for, Corinne threatened. Shirley frowned. Why did Corinne always assume she was interested in Zacharias? Honestly, this man was outstanding, but Shirley already had someone in her heart and wouldn¡¯t entertain thoughts about other men. Besides, she was a bit afraid of Zacharias deep down. In the evening, Zacharias¡¯ convoy stopped outside the gate, and the car he was in stopped at the entrance of the hall. Shirley and Corinne immediately went to wee him. He got out of the car while holding at suit jacket in his hand. Corinne quickly stepped forward to take it from him. Corinne was secretly happy while hugging the man¡¯s suit, and her heartbeat elerated. While she went to hang the suit up, she even leaned in to take a sniff. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. The woody scent of the man, which was refreshing and pleasant, made her heart flutter. ¡°Imogen, make me a cup of tea,¡± Zacharias instructed before going upstairs. Shirley hurriedly responded, ¡°Certainly. Right away.¡± He went upstairs, and Corinne immediately took over the task. ¡°Imogen, let me handle this. You go tidy up the kitchen. I¡¯m going to prepare dinner after this.¡± Shirley was happy toply. She nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± Corinne was skilled in the art of tea-making, so her tea-brewing skills were good. After preparing the tea. she carried it upstairs. Zacharias heard a knock on the door and said, ¡°Come in.¡± However, when he saw Corinne entering, he frowned slightly. Corinne ced the tea on his desk and smiled. ¡°Mr. Flintstone, your tea.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Zacharias said very politely while flipping through his documents. Corinne sensibly exited the room. After she left, he let out a slight sigh of annoyance. Then, he took out hisptop and entered the most advanced system. His slender fingers tapped away while entering a name Shirley Lloyd. Detailed information about her quickly appeared, along with a somewhat youthful photo. Zacharias¡¯ gaze was fixed on the picture as he muttered, ¡°Not much change from childhood.¡± Then, he entered the name Imogen Young. The result disyed was that of a girl from a middle-ss background, along with her photo. He smiled amusingly. ¡°You¡¯re quite capable, seeing as you dare to infiltrate my residence.¡± This statement seemed to carry both praise and a hint of annoyance.. An incident from neen years ago shed in Zacharias¡¯ mind. At that time, he was ten years old and went to y at the White House. He got lost and searched for an exit for a long time but couldn¡¯t find one. Finally, he encountered a four-year-old girl. She was cute and enthusiastic. She guided him through the complex gardens of the White House and led him out. Chapter 2165 Awkward Moments Chapter 2165 Awkward Moments When they parted ways, the little girl introduced herself. ¡°Hello, my name is Shirley Lloyd. Will you come to y with me in the future?¡± At the age of ten, Zacharias was already 5-feet tall, while four-year-old Shirley was only about 3-feet tall. For some people, even just one meeting was unforgettable. Zacharias¡¯ childhoodcked much joy, with heavy academic burdens and extremely high expectations from his parents. He had no friends. So, when he saw a carefree little girl, he envied her. Unexpectedly, neen yearster, they met again under these circumstances. However, he thought that the little girl from back then probably wouldn¡¯t remember him because a person¡¯s earliest memories. started at around six or seven years old, so he was the only one who remembered the encounter. Zacharias recognized her at first sight, but this little girl was just a passing guest in his life. Therefore, he didn¡¯t pay special attention to her. However, he found her quite interesting afterst night¡¯s sparring. Moreover, what made her interesting wasn¡¯t just her skills but also her belonging to an influential family in the center of power. After tidying up the kitchen, Corinne came down to start preparing dinner. ¡°Imogen, help me prepare the vegetables. I¡¯m very busy right now,¡± Corinne requested.. Shirley took the vegetables over to peel them while Corinne began boiling a pot of water. ¡°I feel that Mr. Flintstone doesn¡¯t like spicy food. Can you make it a bit milder?¡± Shirley offered a suggestion. ¡°I know that. You don¡¯t need to remind me,¡± Corinne replied ungratefully. Shirley decided not to speak anymore. After peeling the vegetables, Shirley went to theundry room. The clothes that had just been dried needed to be taken out, ironed, and then hung in the cloakroom for Zacharias. While ironing the clothes, she felt somewhat speechless. She had never even ironed her father¡¯s clothes. yet now she found herselfing here every day to iron a man¡¯s clothes. After finishing ironing the shirts, pants, and suits, she noticed that there was one more item left in the dryer. As she reached for it, her face turned slightly red. It was a pair of men¡¯s underwear-a ck pair of briefs. She felt a bit awkward while holding the underwear in her hands, but she patiently ironed it as well. After she finished ironing, she carried the clothes to the cloakroom. Just as she reached the third floor with the clothes in her hands, she saw a figure walking toward her in the corridor. Holding the clothes, she immediately acted like she was a maid. She faced the window and. lowered her head while waiting for the man to pass by Zacharias stood in front of her while gazing at the girl with intense eyes. Under the soft lighting, her delicate and beautiful features, slender figure, and graceful demeanor were revealed. Indeed, time was at skilled artist as it transformed a little girl into a beautiful young woman. Shirley saw that the man was standing in front of her and felt his gaze on her. She couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous and flustered. Could he have really discovered something? Just then, one of the clothes she was holding suddenly slipped and it was the smallest piece-the ck briefs. It fell onto the golden carpet and was especially eye-catching. She lowered her head to pick it up and quickly said to the man, ¡°I¡¯ll wash it again.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. She didn¡¯t know if this man had cleanliness issues, but since it fell on the ground in front of him, she had to wash it again. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Put it back in the wardrobe.¡± Zacharias spoke while looking at his underwear held by her slender and fair hands. In an instant, it seemed as if these hands were also holding a certain. part of his body, causing a sudden tightening in his abdomen. The man¡¯s breathing quickened and he turned to leave hastily. Only then did Shirley exhale while watching his retreating figure. She quickly hung his clothes back in his dressing room and stood in this spacious closet filled with neatly arranged dark-colored suits, waistcoats, and shirts. This was probably thergest collection of suits she had ever seen. Chapter 2166 Questions During Dinner Chapter 2166 Questions During Dinner Zacharias didn¡¯t go downstairs but instead went to the study on the second floor. He took a book that he hadn¡¯t finished readingst time-a biography of a famous person. Usually, at this time, he could patiently read and learn about the governance philosophy of the historical figures in the book. However, today was different. Although his gaze was fixed on the words in the book, his mind couldn¡¯t. focus. He sighed slightly before rubbing his temples with a sense of frustration. All of this was a consequence of the reaction just now. Zacharias put the book back onto the shelf and stood up. Then, he headed downstairs to the garden to get some fresh air and rx. Corinne was busy preparing dinner. This time, she meticulously crafted each dish with hopes of capturing Zacharias taste buds so that he would pay her more attention. After more than an hour of preparation, the table was finally set at 6.30PM, which was the usual time Zacharias had dinner. Upon seeing Zacharias going to the garden, Corinne tidied herself up and walked toward the garden. She took light steps toward him when she saw the man sitting in a chair in the garden with his eyes closed and seemingly lost in thought. However, she didn¡¯t dare to disturb him. Even though he had his eyes closed, he was emanating a dignified. aura that couldn¡¯t be ignored by one. His sitting posture was not as upright as usual; it seemed somewhat/zy and rxed. The evening light enveloped him and gave him a golden glow. His features were deep, with perfect contours. Along with his noble status, his face was captivating to women. Finally, Zacharias opened his eyes and his piercing gaze made Corinne¡¯s heart beat faster. She said gently ¡°Mr. Flintstone, you can have dinner now.¡± Zacharias nodded and said to Corinne, ¡°You can go back to rest. Imogen can handle the things here on her own.¡± Corinne felt a mixture of envy and jealousy after hearing this. Why did Zacharias always want Imogen alone by his side to serve him? She felt a strong sense of being chased away and hurriedly said, ¡°Mr. Flintstone, I can also stay and serve you. This is my job.¡± Zacharias stared at her with a sharp gaze. ¡°I like quietness and don¡¯t like crowded ces.¡± ¡°Imogen might be tired today, so let me stay,¡± she insisted. He frowned slightly, feeling impatient. ¡°Having her here is enough; you can go back.¡± Upon sensing the displeasure in his tone, she quickly nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± After saying that, she went back to the hall and took out her phone. She couldn¡¯t figure out why. Zacharias always wanted Imogen to stay by his side. Where did she lose to Imogen? Shirley descended from the second floor. Upon seeing the delicately arranged dinner on the table, she thought to herself that Corinne¡¯s cooking skills were indeed good. It was an aspect where she fell short. At the same time, Zacharias entered the hall from the yard, and Shirley immediately stood straight to wee him. ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner together!¡± he suddenly said to her. She shook her head. ¡°No. I¡¯m your subordinate, so I can¡¯t dine at the same table with you.¡± She was well aware of her position and status. ¡°I need someone to apany me for dinner,¡± Zacharias emphasized, then nced at her. ¡°This is an order.¡± Shirley was secretly surprised. Was apanying him for dinner also part of her job? She stopped insisting and nodded. ¡°All right.¡± After that, she sat across from him. She served him a bowl of rice, and he reached out to take it. She also served herself. For a while, there was only the sound of the two of them having dinner in the quiet hall. ¡°At what age do your earliest memories start?¡± Zacharias suddenly asked while eating. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Shirley blinked and carefully thought before answering, ¡°Probably around six years old.¡± ¡°Do you not remember anything before the age of six?¡± he asked. She nodded affirmatively. ¡°I have no impression at all. After saying that, she was a bit curious, ¡°Why are you asking me this question?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a casual question,¡± Zacharias said while picking up a piece of food and chewing elegantly. Shirley continued to eat her dinner earnestly. However, she didn¡¯t dare to take the steak since she wanted. to leave it for him. Chapter 2167 Move Into My House Chapter 2167 Move Into My House Corinne had only grilled one person¡¯s portion, so while the presentation was beautiful, there wasn¡¯t much of the grilled beef ribs to go around. That was why Shirley didn¡¯t take any. Just as she lowered her head to eat the food on her te, suddenly, a knife and fork picked up two pieces of beef ribs and ced them on her te. Shirley immediately raised her head and lied, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t like this. You can have it, Mr. Flintstone.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like it either.¡± Zacharias smiled. From his face, she couldn¡¯t tell if he was telling the truth or not. Is he a vegan? In the end, she happily started eating with her head lowered. Looking at her two rows of delicate eyshes. twinkling, he actually forgot to eat. When she lifted her head, he quickly lowered his, avoiding her gaze. After she finished her meal, he put down his cutlery as well. She then asked, ¡°Are you done?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded. ¨CWith his answer, she quickly cleaned up the table. Meanwhile, he didn¡¯t go upstairs; instead, he sat in the living room, watching the news. His gaze would frequently shift toward the kitchen, where he saw the slender figure washing the dishes. As for what was on the news, it no longer seemed important because his mind was not there. After washing the dishes, Shirley realized it was almost 8.00PM, so she walked up to Zacharias and said, ¡°Mr. Flintstone, if you don¡¯t have any further instructions, I¡¯ll head back to my dorm now. You should get some rest too.¡± Suddenly, he looked at her and said, ¡°Tomorrow, pack your things and move into my guest room.¡± This statement shocked her. She quickly said, ¡°That is not in ordance with the rules, Mr. Flintstone.¡± ¡°I set the rules.¡± He reminded her. In his household, he had the final say in everything. For instance, the question of where his bodyguards should stay.. Yet, she still wanted to refuse. ¡°Mr. Flintstone, my dorm is only a mile away from your residence, and guards are stationed outside every night. You¡¯re very safe.¡± In other words, she did not need to stay at his ce to protect him. ¡°Do as I say.¡± He suddenly picked up the remote and turned off the TV, his tone growing colder and firmer. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. That night, after she informed her captain, Roy, about this, he was also surprised for a few seconds, then he asked, ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s Mr. Flintstone¡¯s decision?¡± Shirley nodded. ¡°Absolutely sure.¡± After thinking for a few seconds, he agreed. ¡°Alright, then follow his instructions. Perhaps he has a reason. for this.¡± At this moment, she couldn¡¯t fathom what Zacharias¡¯ intentions were. She couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Captain, do you want to discuss with Mr. Flintstone about substituting someone else to stay at his ce? I¡¯m young and inexperienced. I¡¯m worried that I might not be able to provide adequate protection.¡±- Initially, Roy was puzzled as well. Zacharias had told him before that, unless it was work-rted, his bodyguards should not get close to him, as he needed absolute peace and rest. So, why would he suddenly. want a female bodyguard to stay at his house? As he looked at Shirley¡¯s puzzled face, he finally found ant answer. As high-ranking as Zacharias was, he was still a man, and perhaps what he wanted was not a bodyguard but someone who could keep himpany and have a chat. Shirley, being new to the bodyguard industry and having a youthful and pleasant appearance, might indeed be a good choice to keep himpany. After all, a man understood another man better. Roy had a hunch, but he couldn¡¯t tell Shirley. He simply advised, ¡°Shirley, if Mr. Flintstone has specifically asked for you to move in, there¡¯s no room for substitutions. Just focus on your primary duties.¡± Seeing that he couldn¡¯t change the situation, she nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll move my things tomorrow morning. That night, she held her phone and plucked up the courage to send a message to Cole, but after waiting for a while, he still didn¡¯t reply. She felt slightly disappointed and eventually fell asleep. Early in the morning, she packed up her belongings, and around 700AM, she carried her luggage downstairs. Corinne happened to being from her dorm, and when she saw Shirley packing, she was momentarily surprised. Then, she asked with a hint of schadenfreude, ¡°Did you get fired, Imogen?¡± Chapter 2168 Corinne’s Misunderstanding Chapter 2168 Corinne¡¯s Misunderstanding Shirley shook her head. ¡°No, I¡¯m just moving to a different ce.¡± Corinne wasn¡¯t interested in where she was going to live next. Just then, a shuttle bus pulled up, and Shirley ced her luggage on board and got on. Corinne nned to walk, but the driver called out to her, ¡°Corinne, get in.¡± ¡°I¡¯m heading to Mr. Flintstone¡¯s residence,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m taking Imogen there too. Hop on,¡± the driver said. Shocked, Corinne looked at Shirley, realizing that when she said she was moving to a different ce, she meant moving into Zacharias¡¯ residence. She immediately got on the bus, her eyes fixed firmly on Shirley. ¡°You¡¯re going to live at Mr. Flintstone¡¯s ce?¡± Shirley could see the envy in Corinne¡¯s expression. However, she had no intention of boasting; instead, she felt helpless. She simply nodded. ¡°Yes, it was Mr. Flintstone¡¯s idea.¡± At once, Corinne¡¯s chest heaved, and she bit her lip before snorting in Shirley¡¯s direction. ¡°You¡¯re quite something, huh?¡± She believed that Shirley had used some means to captivate Zacharias behind her back, and that was why he was giving her special treatment. Though Shirley knew that Corinne had misunderstood, she chose not to exin and just furrowed her brow. Upon arriving at Zacharias¡¯ residence, Shirley got off the bus, and Corinne stood by her side. As the shuttle bus departed, Corinne spoke in a serious tone. ¡°Stop right there, Imogen.¡± Shirley had no choice but to stop and look at Corinne, feeling that she had somehow provoked her. At this moment, Corinne seemed like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, disying a touch of aggressiveness. ¡°How did you make Mr. Flintstone notice you? What tricks did you use? Or did you seduce him when I wasn¡¯t around?¡± She voiced her suspicions. In her eyes, she was no less than Shirley in every way, so why would Zacharias show interest in her? Shirley had to have done something behind the scenes. Hearing that, Shirley was at a loss for words. The feeling of being wrongly used is so unpleasant. She gave Corinne a sharp, piercing look. ¡°Are you done?¡± Corinne was taken aback by her gaze and snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t let me catch you doing anything wrong, or I won¡¯t let you off.¡± With that, she entered the house first, and Shirley followed her. Shirley took her luggage to the second floor, where there was a guest room reserved for visitors. Since Zacharias¡¯ master bedroom and his study were on the third floor, the entire third floor became his operational territory. Considering that, Shirley chose to stay on the second floor. Meanwhile, Corinne went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for Zacharias. The less she received his attention, the harder she worked. She wanted to outshine Shirley and make him see how good she was. After a quick unpacking, Shirley decided to go to the third floor to inform Zacharias that she had moved She had felt his displeasure the night before when she had rejected him. Indeed, having been ustomed to being in a position of power for a long time, he is no longer used to being rejected. She went up to the third-floor foyer, and as she turned the corner, she suddenly saw a man sitting in the third-floor living room. He was dressed in a loose-fitting ck robe, with the belt hanging loose in the middle. Water droplets were falling from the tips of his hair, sliding down his strikingly handsome face, down to his jawline, and further down onto his exposed abdominal muscles. He lounged on the couch, exuding an air of rxed nonchnce. At once, she covered her eyes and turned around. She didn¡¯t expect him to dress like this. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Flintstone.¡± She greeted him. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Have you moved in?¡± he asked directly. With a nod, she answered, ¡°I¡¯ve brought my luggage to the guest room on the second floor.¡± ¡°Good,¡± he simply replied. ¡°I¡¯ll go downstairs to work now,¡± she said before hurrying to the foyer. On the way, she couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh of relief. The image she had just seen wouldn¡¯t leave her mind. After that, she went to do her cleaning tasks. Even though they were repetitive, they couldn¡¯t be neglected. Chapter 2169 A Day Off Chapter 2169 A Day Off When Corinne finished preparing breakfast, she saw a tall and elegant figure descending the stairs. It was Zacharias. ¡°Your breakfast is ready, Mr. Flintstone,¡± she said with a smile. Her previous harsh attitude toward Shirley was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Okay.¡± He nodded and sat down at the breakfast table. All this while, Corinne looked at him admiringly, finding it hard to take her eyes off him. Naturally, he noticed this. For girls who had ulterior motives, he typically gave them indifferent treatment. ¡°Mr. Flintstone, if you ever want something specific for your meals, feel free to tell me anytime,¡± she said. ¡°No, you¡¯re doing great.¡± He shook his head. At once, her heart raced with joy. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Flintstone.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you the day off. You can go back to the dorm and rest,¡± he suddenly said. Just after a few seconds of joy, her expression froze. Another day off? For the whole day? ¡°But I-I still need to prepare lunch and dinner for you.¡± She quickly emphasized her importance. ¡°Imogen can handle that.¡± ¡°She told me that her cooking skills aren¡¯t good. I¡¯m worried that¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he said, looking at her. When Corinne met his gaze, she instantly lowered her head, not daring to dispute his words. In the end, she nodded. ¡°Okay. Enjoy your breakfast.¡± She went to pick up her bag and walked toward the door, all the while harboring some resentment. Why? Why can Imogen stay, but I¡¯m constantly being given time off? Meanwhile, Shirley was in the yard, sweeping leaves into a small pile at the side of the road. At this moment, Corinne came over and, with a burst of frustration, kicked the leaves into disarray. As she looked at Shirley, her eyes burned with anger. Holding the broom, Shirley watched Corinne¡¯s behavior, and she too red at her in anger. Meeting her gaze, Corinne approached and said, ¡°Let¡¯s see for how long you can stay smug, Imogen.¡± Shirley looked at the bag in her hand and understood that Corinne had been given yet another day off. What¡¯s going on? Why don¡¯t I have a single day off while she has time off every day? This is incredibly unfair! ¡°If you interfere with my work again, I won¡¯t be easy on you,¡± Shirley muttered angrily. However, Corinne had no idea about her abilities and was utterly unimpressed. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m afraid of you? In our ss, I¡¯m an excellentbat fighter. Can you beat me?¡± With a disdainful expression, Shirley replied confidently, ¡°You might be the best in your ss, but I¡¯m the best on our entire team.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s find some time to spar and see who¡¯ll be left picking up their teeth from the floor.¡± I¡¯m ready whenever you are,¡± Shirley responded fearlessly. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. With that, Corinne left, and after Shirley finished cleaning the yard, she returned to the living room. She saw Zacharias still leisurely enjoying his breakfast, and he had left a portion for her. ¡°This is for you,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you, but I already ate this morning.¡± She didn¡¯t want to have it. After that, she took a deep breath. and asked, ¡°Mr. Flintstone, when will I get a day off too?¡± Hearing that, Zacharias looked up, his eyes showing a hint of a smile. ¡°You¡¯ve only been here a few days, and you already want a day off?¡± ¡°Why does Corinne get a day off every day, then?¡± she asked. At her question, he was actually impressed. She really is bold. ¡°There¡¯s no specific reason. I can choose whoever to serve me as I please,¡± hezily said, indicating that it depended on his mood. Shirley was left speechless. So, myints are in vain. He¡¯s simply too unpredictable. He changes his mind all the time. ¡°Since you¡¯ve given Corinne the day off, what about lunch and dinner? You can¡¯t cook,¡± she asked. ¡°You can learn to cook. I won¡¯t mind if the food isn¡¯t that good.¡± With a teacup in hand, he gazed at her with a hint of amusement. As she blinked, she wondered if she had somehow offended him to make him treat her this way. ¡°I can cook, but I can only make simple dishes like spaghetti. She dered it in advance. Chapter 2170 I Know Your Secret Chapter 2170 I Know Your Secret ¡°I won¡¯t be at home this afternoon, so join me for dinner outside in the evening,¡± the man said as he got up. He picked up his phone and headed to the coat rack, where he grabbed the ck overcoat and put it on. When he reached the door, he remembered something and turned back to her. ¡°You can go to my study and read some books if you¡¯re bored.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Shirley watched him leave as one of the cars from the convoy came over to pick him up. While watching the convoy leave, she turned around to clean up the dining table. Then, she washed up and went upstairs to the master bedroom to grab the clothes he changed out ofst night. Shirley had never washed clothes for her family at home but now found herself tending to a man. After tidying up the ce by herself, she went to his study to read some books. As she sat on the couch with a of tea, engrossed in her reading, she thought, The treatment here isn¡¯t half bad! At least Zacharias isn¡¯t as cold as the rumors say he is. While reading, she heard a notification sound from her phone and picked up her phone. Her heart raced when she saw that it was a reply from Cole. ¡®Sorry, I was busy just now and didn¡¯t have time to look at my private phone,¡± Cole replied. Knowing his job was so demanding that he even had more than two phones, Shirley understood it was normal for him not to have seen her messages right away, so she replied with a smile. ¡®No problem, Cole, Your work is more important.¡± ¡®No. Your messages are important as well. I will check my private phone more regrly from now on, Cole replied again. Shirley couldn¡¯t help but cover her red lips as she carefully read that reply with her pretty eyes, analyzing it in her mind. Why are my messages also important? Does this mean Cole also thinks I¡¯m important? ¡°That¡¯s not right. You should focus on your job and reply to my messages when you¡¯re free. Shirley didn¡¯t want to cause him to lose his job. After all, his job was to protect her great-uncle. ¡®Sure. Whatever you say, Cole replied. While chatting with Cole, Shirley felt that her afternoon became even more meaningful, but the former soon received a task and had to end their conversation. Shirley sat with her arms crossed for a while as her imagination began to run wild. Since she also had a romance novel in her hands, she wanted to pursue love bravely like the female protagonist in the book. At around 4.00PM, she received a call. It turned out that she had left a set of keys at her dormitory, and the cleaningdy called to inform her to retrieve them because she had no way of sending them over. Shirley just happened to be free, so she decided to head over there to get them. Shirley arrived at the cleaningdy¡¯s office and got her keys, but just as she and the cleaningdy were having a casual conversation, she saw Corinne approaching them. Corinne was in sportswear as she nced at Shirley. A calcting glint shed in her eyes as she thought, Wouldn¡¯t I be the only one by Zacharias side if Shirley got expelled for fighting or something? With that thought in mind, she approached Shirley and demanded, ¡°Shirley, I have something to say to you. Come with me.¡± However, Shirley coldly replied, ¡°I have nothing to say to you.¡± ¡°I know a secret of yours. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to know?¡± Corinne pretended to sound mysterious when, in fact, she was just bluffing. However, she couldn¡¯t have known that Shirley indeed had a secret she couldn¡¯t reveal. Shirley became slightly tense as she asked, ¡°What do you want to say? ¡°This is not the right ce to talk. Let¡¯s find somewhere else to talk.¡± Corinne pointed toward the corner of the room. ¡°Let¡¯s talk over there.¡± In the meantime, Shirley was already on high alert. How did Corinne know about her identity? Had she investigated her? But even if she had, Shirley had altered the photos on her file, making it impossible to find information about her if one wasn¡¯t given clearance from a high-level officer. However, she couldn¡¯t let her guard down. After all, this matter wasn¡¯t just about her; it was also linked to Imogen¡¯s future, so she had to handle it carefully. Chapter 2171 Shirley Fell For Corinne’s Scheme Chapter 2171 Shirley Fell For Corinne¡¯s Scheme Corinne also felt curious. Why does Imogen look so nervous? Could she really have something to hide? However, no matter what, she only wanted to execute her n. Moreover, she discovered that the corner was a blind spot of the surveince cameras, so whatever happened here wouldn¡¯t be discovered. Meanwhile, Shirley was in the middle of thinking how she would approach this matter. When she arrived at the blind spot, a fist suddenly came at her chest, and she was thrown into the wall, causing her to inhale sharply from the pain. Standing before her, Corinne smirked. ¡°Imogen, I called you over here because I wanted to beat you up.¡± Since Shirley wasn¡¯t one to be bullied, she clenched her fist as her eyes filled with anger. ¡°Corinne, you¡¯re so despicable.¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. It was Corinne¡¯s intention to irritate Shirley and make thetter make the first move, so she hooked her lips. ¡°So what? I just don¡¯t like you. I also can¡¯t stand the fact that you, someone from an ordinary background, would think to make it big. In your dreams!¡± Corinne thought of using her family background to mock Shirley. While Shirley wasn¡¯t the real Imogen Young, she was still furious. How dare someone ridicule her friend¡¯s family background? What¡¯s the matter? Can¡¯t ept my words? Come at me if you dare. But I don¡¯t think you¡¯re brave enough to do so. You¡¯re afraid your career will be ruined if you offend me.¡± Shirley was furious. She clenched her fists while gazing firmly at Corinne, feeling a surge of strength gathering inside her. ¡°Scaredy cat,¡± Corinne taunted before walking out of the blind spot, and she headed to a spot that could be captured by the surveince cameras. She deliberately walked with arrogance, and it indeed enraged Shirley. ¡°Corinne, stop right there.¡± However, Corinne refused to listen and continued walking forward. That made the angry Shirley storm. over and grab Corinne by the back cor, pulling thetter harshly. While Corinne had the opportunity to fight back, she didn¡¯t and let Shirley throw her to the ground. ¡°Ouch!¡± Corinne purposely let out a scream before angrily asking, ¡°Imogen, what are you trying to do?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to hit you!¡± Once Shirley finished, she threw her fist at Corinne¡¯s face. Corinne immediately rolled to the side. No matter what her n was, she couldn¡¯t let herself get hit for real. Then, she got up and retreated backward. ¡°Imogen, don¡¯t act on impulse. This is not a ce where you can do whatever you want.¡± However, Shirley had somewhat lost her rationality and hadn¡¯t noticed Corinne¡¯s scheme. All she wanted was for Corinne to apologize. ¡°Stop the nonsense. Come fight me if you dare. Let¡¯s see who¡¯s afraid of whom.¡± Shirley was raging, her anger escting. Meanwhile, Corinne sneered inwardly. She has fallen for my trap. Good. Everything is going as I nned. ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight with you. Corinne put on an innocent face before turning around, wanting to leave. ¡°Trying to walk away? It won¡¯t be that easy¡± Shirley leaped off the ground from behind Corinne and kicked her squarely in the back, making her stumble and fall to the ground. Corinne did a graceful somersault to get back on her feet. ¡°Imogen, you¡¯re going too far. This is not a ce for your antics.¡± ¡°It seems like you are the scaredy cat.¡± Shirley returned the ridicule to Corinne. At that moment, Corinne wanted to teach Shirley a lesson and let thetter have a piece of her mind, but she couldn¡¯t do so this time round and had to endure it as she wanted Shirley to get expelled. That was because being expelled was the punishment for whoever brought up a conflict. Taking a step forward, Corinne deliberately came in front of Shirley and whispered, ¡°Is that all you got? I thought better of you.¡± Shirley, who had already lost half of her rationality, snorted after hearing that. ¡°I¡¯ll show you.¡± Then, she threw her fist at Corinne, who dodged and vaguely blocked a few hits. After all, she couldn¡¯t let Zacharias think she was useless. ¡°Imogen, stop. I don¡¯t want to fight with you,¡± Corinne shouted loudly while blocking the attacks. However, Shirley¡¯s attacks were relentless, and Corinne was starting to struggle. She was secretly surprised as she didn¡¯t expect Imogen to be this strong. When Shirleyunched a spinning kick, Corinne attempted to block it, but the force sent her stumbling back by a foot before she managed to steady herself. Her were filled with even more astonishment. Chapter 2172 We’ve Decided to Dismiss Her Chapter 2172 We¡¯ve Decided to Dismiss Her Just then, Corinne saw a car approaching their direction and immediately rushed toward Shirley. At the same time, Shirley thought Corinne was about to attack and swiftly spun around to use her leg to kick thetter away once again. This time, Corinne didn¡¯t dodge or block the attack. Instead, she was kicked three feet away and fell to her knees, unable to get up. That scene was witnessed by Roy, who had just returned in his car. He quickly parked his car and stepped out, immediately shouting. ¡°Stop! Who gave you permission to fight here?¡± Afterward, he quickly went over to Corinne and helped her up, asking. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°Captain, I don¡¯t know why Imogen attacked me all of a sudden. Cough! She coughed several times and held her chest. ¡°My chest hurts.¡± While Shirley stood under the setting sun, her overbearing aura diminished as she couldn¡¯t understand why Corime didn¡¯t block her attack. With Corinne¡¯s skills, she couldn¡¯t have gotten beaten up so badly. ¡°Captain, she broke the squad¡¯s rules. She should be fired for starting a fight, Corinne angrily used Shirley. Only then did Shirley understand why Corinne didn¡¯t block her attack. Corinne wanted to provoke her into starting a fight and then get her fired. Shirley felt her mind start buzzing, and it went nk for a moment. She came to train in Imogen¡¯s ce, so if she got fired, Imogen would lose her chance of getting employed by a government agency. Arriving before Roy, Shirley quickly apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Captain. It was not my intention to start a fight. Please forgive me this once.¡± ¡°Forgive you? I will never forgive you,¡± Corinne angrily rebuked. ¡°You provoked me first!¡± Shirley countered. ¡°I provoked you first? That¡¯s outrageous. Are you trying to put the me on me? Imogen, someone as emotionally unstable as you should not be allowed to work at Mr. Flintstone¡¯s residence.¡± ¡°Imogen, head to the lounge to reflect on your actions, Roy sternly ordered. Nodding, Shirley went toward the lounge. In the meantime, Corinne watched Shirley leave as she hooked. her lips into a victorious smirk. Oh, Imogen, you¡¯re going to be fired for sure! You have no status or background, so you don¡¯t deserve to stay here. While sitting inside the lounge, Shirley was both frustrated and worried, afraid she would get fired and. ruin Imogen¡¯s future career path. -Although Roy had the authority to dismiss individuals involved in private brawls like this, there was Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. something on his mind-Imogen¡¯s identity was rather special, and Zacharias held her in high regard. Therefore, Roy would have to inform Zacharias and obtain his consent before firing Imogen. Sitting in his office, Roy felt it was inappropriate to disturb Zacharias as he was a busy man with all sorts of national matters to worry about. It was not the time to disturb him with such trivial matters, but after contemting it, Roy still grabbed his phone and dialed Zacharias¡¯ private number. ¡°Hello?¡± Zacharias¡¯ voice came from the other end. ¡°Mr. Flintstone, there¡¯s a situation. Imogen Young and Corinne Cleaver from the security team were involved in a fight. At present, we¡¯ve decided to dismiss Imogen, so I¡¯d like to ask if you agree,¡± Roy asked. ¡°Is she hurt?¡± Zacharias¡¯ tone suddenly turned somewhat anxious. The ¡°she¡± in his question was not referring to Corinne but Imogen. Roy immediately answered, ¡°Imogen is not injured, but Corinne is slightly injured.¡± ¡°I¡¯ming over right now.¡± The man hung up right after saying so. Roy was baffled for a few seconds and felt lucky that he had made this call in advance. If he had dismissed Imogen, he thought he might have to invite her back again. However, why did Zacharias care so much about Imogen? He had seen her file and knew she was from a family of ordinary civil servants. Could it be because of Imogen¡¯s appearance? Did Zacharias fall for her looks? At this moment, most of the squad had left with Zacharias on a mission, so the security department was fairly empty. Shirley heard footsteps behind her and quickly turned around, only to see Corinne approaching her with a smug smile. Chapter 2173 Zacharias Believes Her Explanation Chapter 2173 Zacharias Believes Her Exnation ¡°You¡± Shirley¡¯s fists clenched again. ¡°Imogen, you¡¯re definitely getting fired! You don¡¯t deserve to stay here anymore.¡± ¡°It was clearly you who provoked me first. How dare you use me?¡± Shirley angrily rebuked. ¡°Don¡¯t make such false ims. I was the one getting beaten. I just went to the infirmary to get an injury diagnosis report,¡± Corinne countered: ¡°You- Shirley seethed, her chest heaving. Back at the military base, she was the young miss of the Lloyd. Family, and no one would bear ill will toward her. This was the first time she had encountered someone so shameless. At that moment, Roy came inside, and Corinne immediately said to Shirley, ¡°Imogen, I will not ept your apology. You¡¯d better leave this ce!¡± By now, Shirley had seen through Corinne¡¯s character and knew thetter would resort to anything just to make her leave. Then, Royforted Corinne, ¡°Alright, stop arguing. Mr. Flintstone is on his way here.¡± Corinne was instantly filled with surprise. Does this mean Zacharias will be personally firing Imogen? Meanwhile, Shirley was shocked and asked, ¡°He¡¯s on his way here?¡± Roy sternly exined, ¡°Although you¡¯re interns, this is a ce of discipline, not somewhere you can do whatever you want. Now, both of you, go stand in the courtyard outside.¡± Feeling somewhat aggrieved, Corinne asked, ¡°Captain Barlowe, do I have to go too?¡± Roy nodded. ¡°You both caused thismotion, so both of you are to be punished.¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Shirley lowered her head and stood upright in the courtyard. Meanwhile, though Corinne was also being punished, she was already anticipating Zacharias¡¯ arrival. A whileter, Zacharias¡¯ convoy arrived, and Roy quickly approached and opened the back door of the second vehicle. Zacharias stepped out, his gaze sweeping over the two girls standing in the courtyard before finallynding on Shirley. Meanwhile, Shirley¡¯s gaze shifted slightly to the side and met his gaze. She became anxious, hoping. Zacharias would forgive her this once and wouldn¡¯t dismiss her. On the other hand, Corinne might have been standing upright, but grievance had begun filling her eyes. She was waiting for Zacharias toe over andfort her. However, Zacharias didn¡¯t approach her but instructed Roy, ¡°Get Imogen toe into the lounge.¡± Seeing that Zacharias wanted to personally talk to Shirley, Roy turned to nce at her. ¡°Imogen, follow Mr. Flintstone into the lounge.¡± Shirley nodded and heard Corinne¡¯s whisper. ¡°You¡¯re dead.¡± Shirley ignored Corrine, bowed her head, and followed Zacharias¡¯ elegant figure into the lounge. Once both of them entered the room, the man quickly spoke up. ¡°Close the door.¡± Shirley closed the door, having no idea what the man wanted to say to her. ¡°Exin. Why did such an incident happen?¡± Zacharias sat on the couch with his slim, long legs elegantly crossed together. His starry eyes bore into her. When Shirley saw that he was giving her a chance to exin, she spoke truthfully. ¡°I came to retrieve the keys I left behind, but Corinne suddenly stopped me, iming she had something to say. I followed her to the corner, but she punched me without saying anything. I wanted her to apologize, but she refused, so I decided to make her apologize in my way.¡± Zacharias believed her because Corinne was obviously a person with ulterior motives. Besides that, Shirley had lived a sheltered life under her parents¡¯ protection at the military base. So, while she was skilled inbat, she also had a straightforward personality and was never on guard against deceitful people. ¡°Alright. I believe you. Zacharias gazed at her with his clear eyes, affirming her. Upon seeing that he let her exin everything and believed her, Shirley couldn¡¯t help but anxiously say, ¡°Mr. Flintstone, please don¡¯t dismiss me. I can make up for this incident.¡± Zacharias raised a brow. ¡°What are you willing to do in order to make up for this incident?¡± ¡°Anything.¡± Shirley¡¯s clear eyes were filled with determination. Zacharias smiled slightly as he thought, Anything? This youngdy is indeed inexperienced. Will she be willing to do anything I ask her to? Chapter 2174 Shirley’s Punishment Chapter 2174 Shirley¡¯s Punishment ¡°I can decide not to dismiss you, but you must be punished, Zacharias said coldly. Upon hearing that, Shirley thought she was willing to do anything as long as she wasn¡¯t expelled. ¡°Sure, Go ahead. I¡¯ll do whatever I can,¡± she replied with gratitude and joy in her eyes. ¡°I will transfer Corinne away from here, but you will be solely responsible for my personal life,¡± Zacharias stated. That rendered Shirley dumbfounded for a moment. Is this my punishment? Taking care of his personal life? ¡°Sure, but I don¡¯t know how to cook,¡± she reported honestly. ¡°Then, learn it. The man believed she could pick it up. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. The only thing Shirleycked talent in was cooking, but she could learn for the sake of Imogen¡¯s future. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll learn,¡± Shirley promised. Since she currently had something to request of him, she could not reject him. ¡°Great. That¡¯s it, then. Come with me.¡± Zacharias got up and went out of the door first. In the meantime, Shirley released a heavy breath from behind him as her tensed nerves rxed. She didn¡¯t have to worry about getting dismissed anymore. Corinne, who was standing outside, immediately looked over when she saw theming out, thinking whether Zacharias would approach her andfort her. Yet, Zacharias only stood beside the car and said a few words with Roy before getting into the car. Then, Shirley followed suit and got in as well. Corinne watched in disbelief as Shirley and Zacharias got into the same car. After watching the convoy leave, she immediately went looking for Roy. ¡°Captain Barlowe, what¡¯s going on? Shouldn¡¯t Imogen be fired?¡± ¡°From now on, Imogen will be solely responsible for taking care of Mr. Flintstone¡¯s personal life, so you won¡¯t be needed there anymore. Also, I will submit a transfer request in your name, requesting to be assigned to another department for your internship.¡± ¡°What? I refuse. I don¡¯t want to leave here. The rules are written in ck and white, so Imogen should be fired,¡± Corinne demanded. ¡°Corinne, that is Mr. Flintstone¡¯s decision,¡± Roy firmly remarked. ¡°Captain Barlowe, don¡¯t you find it strange? Why does Mr. Flintstone treat Imogen so well and even let her move into his residence?¡± Corinne sneered. ¡°Did Imogen sleep with Mr. Flintstone?¡± Roy¡¯s expression instantly tensed up. ¡°Corinne, refrain from making baseless usations. Once the transfer request is approved, you¡¯ll be relocated from the security department.¡± After taking a few steps, Roy turned around andmented, ¡°In the future, refrain from discussing Mr. Flintstone¡¯s private life. Don¡¯t get yourself into trouble.¡± When Corinne returned to her dorm, she was on the verge of losing it. She made such a careful n to scheme against Imogen, but instead of getting expelled, she reced her and became Zacharias¡¯ personal assistant. How infuriating! However, no matter how she thought about it, she couldn¡¯t figure out why Imogen would receive such special treatment. Moreover, Corinne was slightly afraid of what happened earlier because how Zacharias treated her made her feel like he had seen through her schemes. The feeling of being exposed sent shivers down her spine. In regard to men like Zacharias, ordinary women wouldn¡¯t be able to keep him under control. At the same time, Shirley was also secretly pondering about that. After she calmed down, she thought about it and realized although she had reced Imogen. the treatment she received seemed to be exceptionally good. Zacharias had quite a good attitude toward her, and most importantly, he didn¡¯t investigate anything and immediately believed her exnation. That was something she found hard to believe, but there was one thing that made her feel relieved-she no longer had to face the evil Corinne anymore. Her internship was about to be easier. Just as she was lost in thought, she suddenly discovered the man¡¯s convoy was not heading toward home. but onto the main road. ¡°Mr. Flintstone, where are we going?¡± Shirley hurriedly asked. ¡°To have dinner,¡± the man replied calmly. Upon hearing that, Shirley recalled him saying they would be having dinner outside, so she had no choice. but to have dinner with him. Once the convoy arrived at a restaurant, Shirley felt her heart skip a beat. Wait. Isn¡¯t this the restaurant Dad always brings me to? This ce doesn¡¯t serve outsiders and only epts high-ranking officials. Chapter 2175 A Secret Exposed Chapter 2175 A Secret Exposed Shirley tensed up instantly. If she was recognized, it would be a disaster. She believed that the restaurant staff wouldn¡¯t change frequently, so the probability of being recognized was more than fifty percent. If the staff greeted her, it would be even worse. ¡°Mr. Flintstone, I¡¯m not hungry. I¡¯ll wait for you in the carter,¡± Shirley said quickly. Zacharias looked over with a smirk. ¡°Are you not hungry, or do you dare not go up? Huh? Miss Lloyd?¡± Shirley¡¯s beautiful eyes widened and her heart almost stopped. This man actually called out her family name directly. How did he know her identity? Did he recognize her? Oh, my goodness! Was Imogen¡¯s internship really going to end? Shirley¡¯s heart almost leaped out of her chest. ¡°You¡­ How do you know I¡¯m not Imogen?¡± Shirley was shocked, and her breath was unsteady. She thought she had made all the necessary preparations. She even modified all the data. However, she didn¡¯t expect this man to see through her act in just a few days. Zacharias smiled lightly. ¡°It¡¯s simple. I have a good rtionship with Mr. Oswald, and I also know your father. So, I naturally know you.¡± Shirley was speechless. So, this man knew from the beginning that she wasn¡¯t the real Imogen. Therefore, her acting these past few days was like a joke to him. His observation skills were too powerful. ¡°Well, now that you know who I am, what do you n to do next?¡± Shirley said lightly, but she was secretly extremely anxious. She wasn¡¯t worried about her future, but she held Imogen¡¯s future in her hands. To be precise, it was in the hands of this man. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Given my rtionship with your family, I won¡¯t expose the matter of you recing Imogen. However, the condition is that I need to be satisfied with your performance.¡± Shirley wrinkled her brows. ¡°How can I satisfy you?¡± ¡°Just obey my orders.¡± The man summarized simply. She blushed slightly. ¡°If you mean work-rted matters, that¡¯s no problem, but if you have other requests, I simply can¡¯t obey.¡± She also had principles and boundaries. Zacharias couldn¡¯t help but lean in a bit and said with a hint of ambiguity in his tone. ¡°Miss Lloyd, do you mean services of a personal nature?¡± She cleared her throat while feeling embarrassed and nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any specific requirements in that regard. Of course, if you take the initiative, I won¡¯t refuse.¡± He suddenly dropped his serious demeanor and became more humorous. Shirley said with a serious expression, ¡°Rest assured, Mr. Flintstone. That will never happen. I already have someone I like.¡± Zacharias squinted his cold eyes. ¡°You have someone you like? Who?¡± She regretted saying thatst sentence and could only reply. ¡°This is my private matter and not suitable for reporting.¡± ¡°Miss Lloyd, you¡¯re still young. Instead of thinking about getting married, why don¡¯t you focus on developing your career?¡± Zacharias said mockingly. Shirley was a bit puzzled. ¡°Mr. Flintstone, you deal with a multitude of affairs every day. Do you have time. to care about other people¡¯s affairs?¡± He remained silent while gazing out of the window. The evening sun cast a golden glow and created a shadow on half of his face while the other half remained in the light. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. It seemed to be illustrating that both an angel and a devil coexisted in him. Shirley couldn¡¯t help but carefully observe his expression and felt like she had inexplicably provoked him again. Indeed, this man was not easy to serve. ¡°Mr. Flintstone, please forgive my presumption if I said something wrong.¡± She still had a request from him, so she had to maintain a submissive posture. At the same time, she realized that her future might be held in the hands of this man. As long as he brought up this matter in the future, both Imogen and she could face punishment. At this moment, the car stopped. The bodyguard came over and opened the door. Shirley got out of the car and thanked the bodyguard. Zacharias took off his coat, handed it to the bodyguard, and walked toward the restaurant¡¯s lights in his three-piece suit. Chapter 2176 The Agreement Chapter 2176 The Agreement Shirley felt frustrated as she followed him into the restaurant. When Zacharias entered first, the staff greeted him. When Shirley walked in, the staff indeed greeted her as well. ¡°Miss Lloyd, good evening.¡± ¡°Good evening.¡± Shirley forced a smile. Once Zacharias reached his private room, Shirley followed in. She was quite familiar with this ce and had thoroughly studied the dishes here ¡°You order,¡± he said after sitting down. Shirley asked cautiously, ¡°Mr. Flintstone, do you have any specific dishes you¡¯d like?¡± ¡°No.¡± She randomly selected some dishes and after ordering four dishes and one soup, the waiter left. After closing the door, the entire private room became quiet. The retro decoration style, which was filled with the ambiance of the era, was initially bright and lively, but for some reason, when Zacharias sat there, the room seemed a bit oppressive. Shirley poured him a cup of tea. ¡°Mr. Flintstone, please have some tea.¡± Zacharias lifted the teacup, his sharp gaze fixed on her. ¡°Why did you rece Imogen for the internship at my residence?¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. She could no longer hide it. ¡°Imogen had a little issue with her health check. However, this internship is crucial for her, as it rtes to her future work assignment.¡± ¡°Have you thought about the consequences?¡± he asked again. She shook her head. ¡°No. I know I was careless, but she¡¯s my friend and I want to help her.¡± ¡°You know that the current situation isplicated, yet you still broke the rules?¡± Zacharias¡¯ words put Shirley in a nervous state. ¡°So, I want you to help me keep this matter a secret. After I finish Imogen¡¯s internship for three months, I promise I won¡¯t make such a mistake again.¡± She pleaded with him. She felt like her entire life was in this man¡¯s grasp. ¡°We have no rtionship and we are strangers. Why should I help you?¡± Zacharias raised an eyebrow as his gaze showed a hint of ruthlessness. Shirley was rendered speechless. She was indeed asking a favor from a stranger! Why should he cover for her? She was too naive to think this man would help her unconditionally. Shirley had never felt so embarrassed while being caught in a dilemma. The feeling of being in a difficult situation without a way out was truly unpleasant. ¡°Well¡­ Mr. Flintstone, you can set the conditions. I will do whatever I can,¡± she stuttered. She was unable to beat him in a fight and was unable to surpass his status. So, she could only yield. She felt her entire body scrutinized from head to toe by those eyes, and it made her, who was usually confident and upright, experience a sensation of being looked down upon, which caused her to slouch. ¡°All right. I won¡¯t pursue this matter. I¡¯ll let you rece Imogen for the internship. After all, we¡¯ll have many opportunities to meet in the future.¡± Zacharias smiled before reaching for the teapot. Shirley hurriedly came over and poured him a cup of tea. She was grateful as she said, ¡°Thank you for your tolerance and generosity, Mr. Flintstone. I promise to work diligently and not disappoint you during the internship.¡± Finally, she could breathe a sigh of relief. As long as he didn¡¯t hold her ountable, everything else was negotiable. The dishes arrived and Shirley ordered a dish she liked. Tonight could be considered satisfying. Zacharias didn¡¯t like to talk while eating, so she quietly enjoyed her meal. She kept picking her favorite vegetarian dish and he took the initiative to pick a piece of meat for her after noticing it. ¡°You should eat more. I can¡¯t finish it all by myself,¡± he said. Shirley looked at him gratefully. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Flintstone.¡± ¡°Your parents don¡¯t know you¡¯re interning here, right?¡± ¡°They don¡¯t know. I told them I¡¯m taking a break at my grandmother¡¯s house, and my father is busy lately, with my mother apanying him,¡± Shirley said confidently. Upon seeing that she had everything arranged, Zacharias didn¡¯t ask more. In any case, his life would be less enjoyable if she really left. Chapter 2177 A Delicate Massage Chapter 2177 A Delicate Massage After finishing dinner, the two returned to the mansion. Zacharias closed his eyes the entire journey home. He was seemingly resting or possibly even asleep. Upon arrival, Shirley hurriedly followed him and noticed his overcoat. She quickly took it from him, but little did she know that a pair of eyes followed her every move. Seeing she was hanging up the coat carefully for him, Zacharias smiled. He was in a good mood. ¡°Prepare a cup of coffee for me.¡± He instructed her before heading upstairs. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that drinking coffee will keep you awake at night? How about I make you a light tea?¡± she said and realized that after he found out her identity, she actually became more rxed. Zacharias turned to her and nodded. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll go with your suggestion.¡± ¡°Good. I¡¯ll bring it to you in five minutes,¡± Shirley promised. In the study, Zacharias had more tasks and meetings to attend to. Despite thete hour, his work knew no day or night boundaries. Shortly after, she brought the tea upstairs. He was surrounded by stacks of folders, and she couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit sympathetic toward him as he still had so much work to do even though it was already sote. ¡°Do you need any help?¡± she asked. ¡°Do you know how to give a massage?¡± he inquired. Shirley was taken aback but remembered her training. Yes. A bit.¡± She nodded. ¡°Massage my shoulders.¡± He requested before putting down his pen and leaning back in the chair. Shirley walked behind him and felt his sharp shoulder des through the shirt. She began kneading and massaging him to help him rx. Zacharias closed his eyes and seemed to enjoy the massage as he let out a content sigh. As she looked at this man from top to bottom, she couldn¡¯t help but secretly admire him. No wonder Corinne was so determined to stay by his side. It seemed like his looks were more captivating than his status. She observed him closely-his long eyshes rested against his sculpted cheekbones. A high and elegant nose bridge led down to sensual yet moist lips. Every contour seemed gentle yet carried an underlying- sharpness. She was openly scrutinizing this man when suddenly, he unexpectedly opened his eyes. In an instant, his gaze shot out like two cold rays and it startled her. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°Am I good-looking?¡± he asked with a teasing smile on his lips. Shirley wondered if he had a third eye. How did he know she was looking at him even though his eyes were closed? ¡°The public perception of your looks is indeed quite favorable,¡± she replied in an official tone. Zacharias smirked. ¡°How am Ipared to the man you like?¡± Her hands paused for a moment as she thought of Cole. He might not be as handsome as Zacharias and was not as powerful as Zacharias, but he was the sunshine in her heart. He was warm and irreceable. ¡°It¡¯s hard topare. Mr. Flintstone, you are undoubtedly outstanding and unmatched by many men in the country. However, everyone¡¯s preferences are different. Even if the person I like is not as excellent or good-looking as you, he holds a special ce in my heart that cannot be reced. Shirley replied with at smile. Zacharias¡¯ smile faded as he sat up. She retracted her hands and felt relieved that she hadn¡¯t offended him. ¡°Have you confirmed your rtionship? Did your parents agree?¡± He turned to her and looked at her with an intense, prating gaze. Shirley wasn¡¯t fond of discussing her private matters. After all, only Willow knew that she had a crush on Cole. She wasn¡¯t sure whether he liked her or not. She only knew that she liked him. ¡°Mr. Flintstone, can I not answer that question?¡± she asked somewhat irritably. Despite being adept at understanding people, Zacharias couldn¡¯t read her mind. Chapter 2178 Requesting For Supper Chapter 2178 Requesting For Supper Zacharias snorted. ¡°Can¡¯t your love affair be made public?¡± Shirley was rendered speechless. Couldn¡¯t this man hold back his words? ¡°It¡¯s not that it can¡¯t be made public, but I haven¡¯t announced it yet. So, Mr. Flintstone, please curb your curiosity!¡± she retorted. Zacharias nced at his wristwatch. He had already wasted a lot of his time talking to her, and he still had a pile of work waiting for him. ¡°You may leave.¡± Shirley was about to leave when the man suddenly thought of something and said, ¡°Don¡¯t go to bed yet. Cook supper for me at 10.30PM.¡± She blinked. Why did he want to eat supperte at night? She couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What do you want to cat?¡± ¡°Anything is fine.¡± ¡°I remember there are pierogi and dumplings in the fridge.¡± Shirley thought that those were easy to make. ¡°Dumplings then!¡± The man decided. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll wait for you until 10.30PM,¡± she replied. After that, she opened the door and left. The man sitting at the table found it hard to immediately focus on work. Another question lingered in his mind-who was the man Shirley secretly admired? Which lucky guy had captured her infatuation? Shirley returned to her room and took off her coat before revealing a shirt underneath. With her tall and well-proportioned figure, the slightly tight-fitting uniform set showcased her curves perfectly. She had a perfect body, but she usually wore uniforms at the base and was unable to show it off. She decided to take a bath first as she still had two hours left until 10.30PM. She could rest a bit or read a book. After a shower and changing into a loose long T-shirt, her long hair, which was now dry, flowed down her waist like a waterfall. She was as graceful as a swan. Shey on the bed, picked up a book, and checked her phone. Her mother had sent a voice message, so she replied to the message. Since she had coordinated with her grandmother, her parents wouldn¡¯t suspect anything. Her grandmother helped her keep her internship a secret, so if her parents returned unexpectedly, her grandmother would inform her immediately. During her internship, she might have to take a few days off to spend time with them. As long as Zacharias was easygoing, it should be manageable. So, during her internship, she had to serve her boss well so that when the time came to ask for leave, he would be more amodating. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Time unknowingly passed, and it was already 10.20PM. Shirley got up, went to the third floor, and arrived outside the study. She listened for any voices inside before she knocked and opened the door slightly while asking, ¡°Mr. Flintstone, shall I bring it up for you, or will youe down to eat?¡± ¡°I¡¯lle down,¡± the man answered her. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll go down and cook for you,¡± she said before closing the door. She went downstairs to the kitchen and found the frozen dumplings. They weren¡¯t the packaged ones from the supermarket but specially provided for Zacharias¡¯ household. She realized she was a bit hungry but decided not to eat to maintain her figure. She ended up cooking twenty dumplings unintentionally. When she realized it, it was already toote. Shirley had no choice but to go with it. She ced her iPad nearby while searching for tutorial videos. She learned to cook on the spot. She took a bowl, followed the instructions to prepare a fragrant sauce, and sprinkled chopped green onions on top, making it visually appealing. She scooped ten dumplings using adle into the soup and felt a sense of aplishment. Zacharias came downstairs and saw the captivating figure standing in front of the kitchen counter. He narrowed his eyes. Had she taken a shower? Chapter 2179 Dinner Deal Chapter 2179 Dinner Deal Shirley heard footsteps behind her. She turned around and locked eyes with the man descending the stairs. ¡°The dumplings are ready. I¡¯ll bring them out in a moment.¡± She smiled at him. Under the light, her bright and lively eyes reflected the surrounding crystal lights, making them sparkle. The man couldn¡¯t tear his gaze away for a moment. Shirley brought out the first bowl of dumplings. Her long, smooth, and ck hair was tied into a simple bun, with a few strands of bangs falling gracefully on her beautiful cheeks. In the man¡¯s eyes, she seemed more appetizing than the bowl of dumplings. She went back to the kitchen. With her back to the man, her slender legs, which were as delicate and fair as snow, were partially covered by the white T-shirt dress, entuating her curvy and alluring figure. His gaze became more intense and he couldn¡¯t help but secretly gulp. ¡°I identally made too many dumplings. Please don¡¯t waste them. You have to eat them all!¡± Shirley brought out the second bowl while looking a bit embarrassed as she smiled at him. Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Eat with me then.¡± The man raised an eyebrow. She thought that it would be too much for him to finish so many dumplings by himselfte at night. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll put a few more in your bowl then,¡± she said as she used her fork to add a few more to his bowl after taking a few for herself. the light and pleasant atmosphere created Zacharias sat down and savored not just the dumplings but also by the girl beside him. He had been living here alone for over a year. Unless he requested assistance, the vast mansion had only his solitary figure. Tonight was undeniably destined to be full of vitality, making the night indescribably wonderful. ¡°Is your work finished? You won¡¯t be workingte, will you?¡± Shirley asked while showing concern. ¡°Are you worried about me?¡± Zacharias asked while elegantly chewing his food. She smiled. ¡°Of course. I believe people all over the country care about you.¡± His mood was still okay after hearing her first sentence. However, when he heard the official statement in the following sentence, his good mood took a hit. Shirley couldn¡¯t help but ask when she sensed a slightly awkward atmosphere. ¡°Mr. Elintstone, didn¡¯t your nephew say he wanted to live here? Why haven¡¯t I seen him?¡± ¡°Do you want him to live here?¡± Zacharias asked her back. She was speechless. Why did this man always have such an aggressive tone? She was just trying to chat with him. He took it as if she had some ulterior motive. It was really tiring tomunicate with this man. ¡°No. I¡¯m just curious.¡± Shirley pursed her lips. ¡°He was kicked out by me,¡± Zacharias replied. ¡°Why?¡± She was curious. The reason why he kicked out his nephew that night was simple-his nephew had begged him all night to introduce Shirley to him and he found it annoying. ¡°He¡¯s too noisy!¡± he replied casually. Upon thinking about it, Shirley agreed. Tony was indeed noisy. ¡°Mr. Flintstone, can I ask you a favor? If your work involves meeting my great-uncle, please don¡¯t bring me along. I don¡¯t want my parents to know that I work here, she said to him. Zacharias nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± Then, he raised an eyebrow. ¡°Do I get any benefits?¡± Her nerves were on edge again. She asked him, ¡°What benefits do you want?¡± He thought for a moment and made a request. ¡°Give me a massage every night before bed.¡± Shirley was stunned. Was it appropriate to massage him before bed? ¡°Mr. Flintstone, do you have a girlfriend?¡± she couldn¡¯t help but ask. She thought that if he had a girlfriend, his girlfriend would surely take care of such matters. ¡°No.¡± Zacharias nced at her. Zacharias sensed that she was reluctant and put down his fork. ¡°If you find it tiring, I can¡¯t guarantee I won¡¯t take you to events where people might recognize you.¡± Chapter 2180 Uncomfortable Job Chapter 2180 Ufortable Job Shirley looked at him nervously. ¡°No, no. I¡¯m not tired. I¡¯m willing to do it.¡± This threatening method was indeed quite effective. ¡°Come upstairs and find me in twenty minutes!¡± Zacharias said before leaving. ¡°Oh! Is it starting tonight?¡± Shirley asked in surprise. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°Do you want to pick a specific time?¡± the man retorted. Even if she was unwilling, she had to endure it because she couldn¡¯t afford to offend this man. ¡°All right. I¡¯lle upstairs in a while,¡± Shirley replied. She just realized that the man had finished all the dumplings in his bowl. It seemed like he had been really hungry. It made sense; this man¡¯s mental work must be quite heavy, which made him more prone to hunger. Shirley washed the dishes and tidied up the table. It was already 11.00PM when she was done with it. She sighed while thinking. It¡¯s just three months. I can endure it. However, when she thought about it now, three months/seemed quite long! Ny days! This is unbelievable. Shirley went up to the third floor, headed to the study, and found that the lights were off. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he was in his bedroom. It was not appropriate for a girl to go to a man¡¯s bedroom thiste at night! She took a deep breath and pushed open the door to the man¡¯s master bedroom. To her surprise, there was no sign of the man in the bedroom with dark gray walls. However, she could hear the sound of watering from the bathroom. She suddenly felt awkward. Was this man nning to have her massage him after he took a bath? She grew up in the base, where she had seen many shirtless men and never felt embarrassed, but why did she feel uneasy doing it for Zacharias? At that moment, the bathroom door opened, and Zacharias came out wearing only ck pajama pants, exposing his full chest muscles and tight abdominal muscles. Shirley¡¯s breath became a bit chaotic. Did this man really not consider her as an outsider? Was she allowed to watch this for free? ¡°Mr. Flintstone, do you want to wear something?¡± Shirley suggested. ¡°No,¡± he said while using a towel to dry his hair. His usually neat hair was now disheveled on his forehead. making him look a few years younger. After drying his hair, he draped the towel around his neck and casuallyy on hisrge gray bed Shirley took a deep breath and walked over. She reached out and began massaging his shoulders to rx his neck and shoulders. ¡°If the pressure is too much, please let me know,¡± Shirley said while focusing on the task at hand. After all, it wasn¡¯t a shameful thing; many people paid for massages outside. She diligently massaged the man¡¯s shoulders and back by utilizing her knowledge of massage techniques to apply the right pressure in ordance with the muscle structure, aiming to provide rxation. His back muscles were indeed well-defined and strong. Each muscle held hidden power. It was no wonder he had such good physical prowess; he didn¡¯t cut corners when it came to his exercise routine. ¡°Go lower,¡± Zacharias said in a husky voice. Shirley stopped her hands at his waist. Did he really want her to go lower? No. She couldn¡¯t do this; she didn¡¯t want to behave indecently. ¡°Mr. Flintstone, it¡¯s veryte. You should rest early!¡± She stopped and covered him with the nket. ¡°Also, the temperature of the air-conditioning is a bit low; be careful not to catch a cold.¡± After saying that, she turned and left. Zacharias lifted his head, propped his chin with his hand, and watched the departing girl. Beneath his sharply defined brow, his thick eyshes cast a shadow on his face. His usually piercing and intimidating eyes now carried a hint of disappointment. His body was no longer calm; there was a clear reaction below his abdomen. Shirley returned to her room before covering her chest and exhaling. Her heart was also in a mess. What kind of job was this? She came here to be a bodyguard but ended up being a personal maid. She was willing to do any work, but she really didn¡¯t want to do things like what she just did. Chapter 2181 Learning to Cook for Him Chapter 2181 Learning to Cook for Him After all, only both of them were in the room. Even though she was resolute and didn¡¯t have any inappropriate thoughts about him, if it were someone else, like a girl who had long admired him, such as Corinne, the situation just now might have taken a different and more passionate turn! Wasn¡¯t this man afraid of damaging his reputation? Yet, Shirley hadn¡¯t thought about one thing-not every girl was given that kind of treatment, as she was the first girl Zacharias allowed to be close to him. Early the next morning, she went downstairs to make breakfast for him. She opened the refrigerator and found everything she needed. In the end, she picked two corn cobs, cut them, and boiled four eggs. She also warmed a pot of milk while waiting for him toe downstairs. Around 8.00AM, Zacharias came down in a ssic ck suit. When he sat at the dining table and saw the breakfast Shirley brought him, his pupils visibly contracted. ¡°Is this my breakfast?¡± he asked. Shirley nodded. ¡°Yes. Just make do with it for now. I¡¯m still learning how to cook.¡± He picked up an egg and cracked the shell while she handed him a cup of milk. ¡°I have recipes upstairs; go find them yourself. If you want any ingredients, have Roy bring them in.¡± Shirley nodded. ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll definitely learn well.¡± After he finished his portion and left, she sat down to have her breakfast. Time passed quickly, and it was already noon. Zacharias had lunch outside and would return for dinner. All day. Shirley watched cooking videos while studying more earnestly than when she was in school. She even made a weekly meal n and listed the menu for each day. Tonight, she would cook dishes. based on what was avable in the refrigerator. Due to the early winter season, the days were short in the evening, and darkness fell around 5.30PM. She saw a beam of car lights approaching and immediately opened the door to greet them. Roy opened the car door, and Zacharias stepped out with long legs. He looked visibly fatigued. ¡°Imogen, Mr. Flintstone is tired today; take good care of him,¡± Roy instructed before leaving. Shirley followed Zacharias inside, and the warm room prompted him to take off his suit jacket. She took it from him and then went to prepare a cup of tea, which she ced on the coffee table in front of the couch. Although it was chilly outside, the indoor atmosphere exuded a sense of stability and peace. Zacharias had been on his feet all day, dealing with various visits and appointments. He was indeed tired now. ¡°I¡¯ll prepare dinner right away,¡± she said to him. He held up the teacup. ¡°Are you sure you can cook?¡± ¡°I can.¡± Shirley was very confident; she was a fast learner, The man nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll take a shower. You can start making dinner.¡± She got busy in the kitchen, chopping vegetables and preparing ingredients. After an hour, she brought out four dishes and a soup, and the aroma of food filled the air. She seeded. The man had alsoe downstairs. He wore a deep V-neck casual gray sweater, emitting azy and sexy vibe. Shirley invited him to the table. ¡°Mr. Flintstone, dinner is ready.¡± Zacharias walked to the table, looked at the four dishes, and nodded. ¡°Not bad. It looks delicious.¡± Shirley smiled proudly and felt a great sense of aplishment. She served him a portion and half a bowl for herself. Zacharias picked up the first te, which was the pork chop. Shirley stared at him with sparkling eyes while awaiting his evaluation. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hmm! Tastes good,¡± he affirmed. She also tasted it and found it quite delicious. She hadn¡¯t expected to learn cooking while interning here, but it was a worthwhile experience. Zacharias looked at her captivating big eyes, which were constantly fixed on him like a child eagerly seeking approval. ¡°You did well tonight.¡± He praised her. Shirley secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It felt really satisfying to be acknowledged. ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯ll try to cook even better in the future,¡± she said with a smile. Zacharias also smiled inexplicably, as at this moment, he thought of a certain situation-one resembling the interaction between a newlywed couple. Chapter 2182 Rainy Mountain Retreat Chapter 2182 Rainy Mountain Retreat ¡°Does your boyfriend know that you¡¯re working for me?¡± Zacharias suddenly asked out of curiosity. Shirley paused her chewing and looked up. She said, ¡°Mr. Flintstone, we agreed not to discuss my rtionship.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just worried he might get jealous.¡± He raised an eyebrow. ¡°He won¡¯t,¡± Shirley replied. Cole had no idea she was working here. ¡°If one day he finds out that you and I spend all day and night together, wouldn¡¯t he misunderstand?¡± He smiled. He was even more interested now, Shirley was momentarily stunned. ¡°A man and a woman living under the same roof-it¡¯s hard not to give people the wrong idea!¡± he continued. She cleared her throat. ¡°We have a professional rtionship. There won¡¯t be any romantic involvement. Mr. Flintstone, enjoy your meal!¡± Zacharias felt bored. He picked up a piece of food and looked at her with his dark, mysterious eyes. Shirley lowered her head to cat and felt that he looked normal on the surface but had a somewhat unscrupulous mind. Did all men like to flirt? ¡°Apany me somewhere tomorrow.¡± ¡°Where to?¡± ¡°To visit my mother¡¯s grave,¡± Zacharias said. She nodded. ¡°Okay. Do I need to prepare anything for the memorial?¡± ¡°Roy will handle it. We will stay overnight on the mountain, so pack a few sets of clothes.¡± Shirley didn¡¯t expect him to stay overnight after paying respects to his mother. She nodded. ¡°Okay!¡± In the middle of the night, thunder rumbled, and it woke Shirley from her sleep. She saw lightning shing and heavy rain pouring down outside the window. She wondered if Zacharias would cancel the trip tomorrow. It wasn¡¯t suitable to go up the mountain in such weather! The next morning, it stopped pouring, but it was still drizzling. Shirley packed a simple bag and brought it to the door, only to find that Roy was already there. ¡°Roy, do we really need to go up the mountain in such heavy rain?¡± she asked quietly. Roy nodded. ¡°Mr. Flintstone insists on going.¡± She didn¡¯t say anything more. At this moment, Zacharias came downstairs. She handed him a warm. windbreaker. He took it but saw her wearing a suit. His eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Go change into something warmer.¡± Shirley shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not afraid of the cold.¡± Zacharias turned to Roy. ¡°Get some warmer clothes for her.¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Understood, Roy nodded. Shirley didn¡¯t know which mountain they were going to, but she had to follow the team. After departing from the Flintstone Residence, the convoy drove through the rain. Zacharias remained silent, and his whole being exuded a mncholic aura. She wondered what he was thinking, but he seemed to be immersed in some kind of sorrow. They left the city and entered the outskirts. The road in the suburbs was broad but sparsely popted. In the distance, the mountains were misty and the rain turned the entirend into a misty state. As the convoy continued to drive up the mountain, Shirley noticed that the security team¡¯s driving skills were excellent. Coupled with the high-performance vehicles, the ascent was effortless. She counted silently in her heart; they had driven up at least four mountains. Finally, they arrived at the top of one mountain. It was deste, with no signs of human presence. Someone had built a courtyard here. It was surrounded by high walls and barbed wire to ensure a high level of privacy. Only Zacharias¡¯ car entered while the convoy parked outside. There were several cottages outside for them to rest in. Shirley got out of the car and a bodyguard held an umbre for her. She walked into the corridor filled with fallen leaves. Zacharias was standing here as well and Roy was moving the necessary supplies. ¡°Mr. Flintstone, we¡¯re outside. If anything happens, call us anytime,¡± Roy said. ¡°Got it.¡± Zacharias nodded. Then, he took out a key from his pocket, opened the gate, and at that moment, several bats unexpectedly flew out. Shirley instinctively moved to block him. However, the next second, she found herself protected by the man¡¯srge windbreaker and she was held in his arms. She could smell a clear and brisk masculine scent as she inhaled. Her entire body stiffened as the man¡¯srge palms firmly held her waist and the back of her head. Chapter 2183 In the Mountain Cabin with Zacharias Chapter 2183 In the Mountain Cabin with Zacharias A force pressed her tightly against his chest and his warm windbreaker covered her head. At this moment, about 30 feet away, Roy and three subordinates heard themotion. They immediately turned around and even drew their weapons when they heard the noise. However, when they only saw bats flying around, they quickly put their weapons away. As a few subordinates prepared to investigate, Roy reached out and stopped them when he saw Shirley. pressed in Zacharias¡¯ arms. At this moment, they would better not disturb Zacharias. The subordinates quickly understood and followed Roy away. Shirley pushed Zacharias away. Her pretty face was a bit red and her breath was slightly uneven. She took two steps back while staring at the man with a hint of annoyance. Did he make a mistake? He was the protected one and she was his bodyguard. Did he not consider her a bodyguard just because he was more skilled? ¡°Mr. Flintstone, I hope such a situation won¡¯t happen again. You need to understand that I am your bodyguard.¡± She calmed down and then spoke with a hint of warning in her tone. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Zacharias¡¯ reaction had been instinctive and even he was surprised for a few seconds. However, he - understood his own feelings once he realized it. Unknowingly, this girl¡¯s life was now more important to him than his own. After Shirley spoke, she noticed that the man was just looking at her without saying anything. She couldn¡¯t help but feel angry. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that your life is more important than mine?¡± He responded with a soft scoff. ¡°Who said your life isn¡¯t important? If something happens to you while I¡¯m with you, your dad will kill me.¡± After speaking, the man walked into the hall. Shirley was rendered speechless and found herself momentarily unable to argue with him. But as she followed him, she spoke again. ¡°You can rest assured. I can take responsibility for my own life. If I die in front of you one day, I- The words that followed were silenced by a palm, and her eyes widened once again. This man had unexpectedly covered her mouth with his hand. Her soft red lips pressed against the palm of his hand and his gaze gradually darkened. He warned her. ¡°Don¡¯t mention the word ¡®death¡¯ in front of me. It¡¯s unlucky.¡± Shirley obediently nodded, then pointed to the big hand covering her mouth and mumbled, ¡°Can you let me go?¡± As Zacharias released her, his big thumb rubbed against her lips. She noticed it but couldn¡¯t say anything. She immediately looked around and realized that this was a mountain vi built on the cliffside. From the window, one could see lush green forests and distant rolling mountains. The sound of rain hitting the wooden structure outside was surprisingly melodious. It was not annoying at was all but rather soothing. ¡°Whose house is this?¡± Shirley asked. ¡°Mine,¡± the man answered. Shirley was speechless; she had asked a needless question. Although this ce was surrounded by mountains and forests, it was surprisingly dry. Clearly, someone hade here early to clean it up. It looked spotless, and there was a firece with two bundles of firewood beside it. Sitting by the fire, sipping coffee, listening to music, and holding a book in this cold. winter would be the happiest things to do. ¡°Can you start a fire?¡± Zacharias asked. Shirley nodded. ¡°Yes. Are you cold? I¡¯ll light it for you.¡± The man agreed to it and she squatted by the firece before starting to light the fire. The warmth spread and she felt warm all over. She had always wanted a cabin like this in the mountains, a ce to find peace away from the world and undisturbed by anyone. Now, her dream hade true here with Zacharias. As the fire burned, the whole vi seemed to exude warmth. Next to the firece was a couch. Zacharias brought things in from outside. Shirley watched as he skillfully retrieved items from the cabs. He was extremely diligent. It was as if everything in the room had be incredibly useful in his hands. Chapter 2184 Zacharias’ Mother’s Grave Chapter 2184 Zacharias¡¯ Mother¡¯s Grave ¡°Is there anything I can help with?¡± Shirley asked. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Just enjoy the fire,¡± the man said. She could only sit on the couch while staring at his kettle and listening to the rain outside. At this moment, she felt an unusual calmness and tranquility. The bodyguards outside wouldn¡¯te to disturb them and this ce felt like a forest cabin from a fairy tale. It felt magical. ¡°Can I go upstairs and take a look?¡± Shirley asked. ¡°Sure.¡± She went upstairs. There was also a living room with a coffee table and two leather couchs upstairs. In the distance, the misty mountains undted and exuded a profound beauty. She entered the first bedroom. It was not too big but cozy and clean. Even the bedding emitted a faint fragrance. The wooden floor had no dust, and she could already imagine how heavenly it would be to sleep here at night. Even the dreams here must be beautiful! She moved on to the second bedroom. It wasrger and obviously the master bedroom. The bed was deep gray, with deep blue sheets and quilts. In front of the floor-to-ceiling window was an exquisite tea table apanied by two simple couchs. Shirley felt like she was in a painting. Perhaps this was the kind of artistic conception that online influencers pursued! After spending some time upstairs, she went back downstairs. Suddenly, she smelled the rich aroma of coffee in the air. She saw the man in front of the table, who had already brewed two cups of coffee. She came to the table. The coffee with sugar and milk was hers. The man took the other cup and walked to the firece before leaningzily against it. She seemed to be looking at a painting. The firelight cast a faint glow on the man¡¯s face, giving him a gentle radiance. She also picked up her coffee and sat across from him. The wood crackled with a soothing sound that could calm anyone. The rain outside showed no signs of stopping, but the whole room was warm and dry. Even the coffee in her hands tasted exceptionally nice. ¡°Do youe here often?¡± Shirley asked. ¡°Sometimes,¡± Zacharias replied. She had checked his family history; he came from a wealthy family. His father was originally an internationalwyer. At the age of forty, he became an official, prospered in his career, and hid from the business world. His assets were no longer known to outsiders. ¡°This is a nice ce,¡± she said as she smiled. Do you like it?¡± he asked. ¡°Of course! I love it. It¡¯s like my dream house.¡± She became rxed and lively. ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you,¡± he suddenly said. She was stunned and then asked in a serious tone, ¡°You must be joking!¡± ¡°I never joke,¡± Zacharias answered her seriously. Shirley immediately waved her hand. ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯m already happy to stay here with you for one night.¡± Zacharias also smiled. He found that this woman always made him feelfortable and rxed. ¡°It¡¯s still raining outside. I don¡¯t know when it will stop. Shirley sighed and asked, ¡°Is your mother¡¯s grave nearby?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a ten-minute drive from here,¡± Zacharias answered before sipping his coffee. She pursed her lips and didn¡¯t dare to ask more. She hoped the rain would stop soon so that he could properly pay tribute to his mother. At that moment, his phone rang. He nced at it and didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he said to her, ¡°There¡¯s a small bookshelf upstairs. You can go and take a look.¡± Shirley nodded and went upstairs. His call must be important and it wouldn¡¯t be convenient for her to overhear. She sat on the second floor near the window and pulled out a book to read. The rain outside had a hypnotic quality and the words on the pages were equally entrancing, so she didn¡¯t hesitate to embrace the book and closed her eyes to rx. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Zacharias stood by the floor-to-ceiling window and said in a low voice, ¡°I warned him, but he insisted on acting recklessly and didn¡¯t know when to stop.¡± Chapter 2185 Candlelit Dinner Chapter 2185 Candlelit Dinner ¡°Now he has found me and asked me to seek your forgiveness.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to spare such a person. Deal with him as needed.¡± ¡°But he used to be your supporter and admirer. If we take action against him, will it affect your reputation?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to consider my reputation. Clean out the pest. Zacharias¡¯ gaze was resolute and cold. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll do as you wish.¡± the person on the other end said and hung up the phone. Zacharias tossed his phone onto the couch and then went to the open kitchen counter. He took out some fruits from a box and washed and sliced them before carrying them upstairs with the coffee. When he reached the second floor, he saw a girl sleeping with a book in her hands. He smiled lightly before cing the fruits and coffee on the table. Then, he entered the master bedroom and brought out a nket to cover her. Shirley was still very alert. She immediately opened her eyes and tried to sit up, but the man¡¯s big hand pressed her back onto the couch. ¡°You can continue sleeping.¡± Although she had only slept for about ten minutes, she felt rejuvenated. She sat up while holding the nket he covered her with. Upon seeing the fruits on the table, she felt a bit embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should have been the one serving you.¡± ¡°We¡¯re friends here. Not superior and subordinate. Zacharias raised an eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯m honored to be friends with you,¡± Shirley said sincerely. ¡°I¡¯m also honored to be friends with you, Miss Lloyd.¡± He sat on the couchzily. Today, he didn¡¯t style his pompadour hair. He appeared rxed and his hair hung over his forehead. Combined with hisid-back expression, he resembled azy but majestic lion. Shirley picked up a book. ¡°Let¡¯s read for a while!¡± Life in the city was fast-paced, but in the mountains, time seemed to slow down. Evening approached slowly. The entire wooden vi lit up with gentle lights. It was not too bright but veryfortable. Shirley came over to watch him cook dinner. He insisted that she let him do it, and she couldn¡¯t intervene. She stood by and watched him skillfully pan-sear the steak, asparagus, broli, and mushrooms. ¡°The red wine is in the box. Go open a bottle,¡± the man said to her. She went over to open the red wine and set the table. It seemed that they would have a romantic dinner tonight. Just as she was thinking about this, she suddenly froze. Wait a minute. How could she have a romantic dinner with Zacharias? Even if it were a romantic dinner, she should have it with Cole! Soon after, he brought out two well-ted dinners. It was simple but full of ceremonial ir. The man got up and went to the cab to find something. Shirley hadn¡¯t reacted yet when she saw himing over with four candles. Was it going to be a candlelight dinner tonight? She felt her heart beating faster. The atmosphere seemed a bit off now! Zacharias lit the four candles. He walked over and turned off the lights, making the entire room pitch ck. There was only the sound of rain hitting the caves. In the dining room of the wooden house, the candlelight flickered, giving life to a small, bright world. On the other side of the stove, there was still a fire burning, creating a romantic atmosphere. Upon seeing that she hadn¡¯t poured the red wine yet, Zacharias took the initiative to pour half a cup for each of them. He raised his cup to the girl across from him. ¡°Cheers.¡± Shirley picked up the red wine ss and clinked it against his. ¡°Mr. Flintstone, thank dinner for me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Zacharias smirked and added, ¡°I am very willing to serve you.¡± She pursed her lips while avoiding his gaze. She thought to herself that she shouldn¡¯t be the one sitting here at this moment! It should be his future girlfriend. She cut the tender grilled steak into pieces and unexpectedly found it delicious. She made sure to finish everything. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Zacharias did the same. Shirley got up to clean the tes at the sink. The water here was from a mountain spring and was very cold. He got up and brought a kettle of hot water over. ¡°Here¡¯s some hot water.¡± Chapter 2186 The Surprise Kiss Chapter 2186 The Surprise Kiss Shirley found that this man was really considerate and smiled gratefully. ¡°All right. You rest for a bit. I¡¯ll clean up here.¡± At this moment, Zacharias¡¯ phone also rang. He picked it up and headed upstairs. After washing the dishes, she waited for him downstairs. Before long, he came back down. She stood up to greet him and he sat down opposite her while holding a ss of red wine. He asked softly, ¡°Do you know how my mother passed away?¡± Shirley blinked as this was the question she wanted to ask but didn¡¯t dare to. Upon seeing that he brought it up on his own, she became a serious listener. She shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°She hanged herself on this mountain.¡± Shirley was shocked. She didn¡¯t expect that Zacharias mother had died in such a way. Had she experienced some kind of trauma? ¡°She had severe depression and passed away suddenly. My father buried her beneath that tree and created. a grave for her. When I miss her, Ie here to stay for a few days and keep herpany,¡± he said calmly. However, Shirley felt a wave of sadness. His mother must have been gentle and caring toward him, which allowed Shirley to better understand the hidden sorrow behind Zacharias¡¯ calm demeanor. She wasn¡¯t skilled atforting people and even though she wanted to say a fewforting words, she didn¡¯t know how to start. Suddenly, Zacharias snapped back to reality and said, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have told you all of this.¡± ¡°If you need someone to apany you, I can be there for you,¡± Shirley said. At this moment, he seemed like a wounded wild animal in need of someone to help him heal. He finished his ss of red wine and got up to pour himself another half ss. He didn¡¯t sit down but stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows. His voice was low, and his emotions were unclear. ¡°Miss Lloyd, you already have someone you like. How can you apany me?¡± She was momentarily taken aback. ¡°You can think of it aspanionship between friends.¡± He smiled a half-smile, then took another sip of the red wine in his ss. Upon seeing that he had already consumed half a bottle by himself, she got up and advised him. ¡°Mr. Flintstone, please drink less.¡± Zacharias turned around while ying with the wine ss in his hand and locked his gaze on her. She felt that he was emitting a dangerous aura. It was a kind of aggressiveness, but she still chose to trust him. She walked over to him and said, ¡°Give me the ss.¡± He handed her the ss and she walked over to ce it on the table. Just as she turned around, she was surprised to find a figure behind her and she was pressed against the edge of the table. The next moment, he held the back of her head. Shirley raised her head in shock and the man pressed his lips against hers. His dominant and fiery breath. enveloped her, causing her beautiful eyes to widen as her red lips were pried open, and the man¡¯s tongue invaded her mouth. She could only feel an unfamiliar sensation coursing through her body. Her usual agile reactions seemed to have disappeared at this moment. Her body was pressed against the heavy wooden table and his kisses were as intense as the rain outside. Her mind went nk. They had been kissing for a while. It was only when she suddenly woke up from the daze and reached out to push him away that she realized what had happened. She leaned against the table while breathing heavily and stared at the man as she said, ¡°Mr. Flintstone, you¡¯re drunk.¡± Zacharias¡¯ gaze was clearly filled with reluctance and he couldn¡¯t help but take a step closer to her. His dominant eyes were still fixed on her rosy lips as if he wanted toe closer once again. However, Shirley pushed him away firmly this time and it was her turn to assertively warn him. ¡°Zacharias, stay away from me.¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. He seemed to be taken aback. He took a shallow breath and apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I crossed the line.¡± Shirley¡¯s first kiss had just been stolen by this man moments ago, and that was indeed an offense. ¡°You¡¯re drunk. Go to your room and rest.¡± She turned away and attributed the kiss to his drunken state so she didn¡¯t need to pursue this matter further. Was Zacharias really drunk? Of course not. He had a good tolerance for alcohol and the wine he was drinking wasn¡¯t very strong. ¡°All right. You should get some sleep too, Zacharias said. Then, he turned and went upstairs. Shirley let out a sigh of relief. Her heart was still pounding. Her mind was filled with the sensations of the kiss and the unfamiliar response that had surged through her body just moments ago. Chapter 2187 An Unsettling Night Chapter 2187 An Unsettling Night What was going on? She liked Cole. If she kissed Cole, it was normal for her to feel something. Why did she feel something too when Zacharias kissed her? Shirley shook off these thoughts. In any case, this was not right. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. After extinguishing the fire in the firece; she blew out the candles and went upstairs. The light on the second floor was dim, and she thought Zacharias had gone to sleep in his room, but he was still sitting there. Moreover, it was cold at night, and he was only wearing a vest, without a coat. Shirley went downstairs responsibly, picked up his coat from the couch, and handed it to him. ¡°It¡¯s cold at night. Put on the coat!¡± Zacharias took the coat from her, and he apologized again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what happened just now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t drink so much next time.¡± She reminded him. She still treated that kiss as a mistake made under the influence of alcohol. She turned to go in the direction of the guest room, but just after a few steps, the man behind her suddenly asked, ¡°Was that your first kiss just now?¡± Shirley¡¯s steps paused, and she instinctively refuted, ¡°Of course not.¡± If this man found out that it was her first kiss, would he be very pleased? She was a girl who didn¡¯t want to be underestimated, so even in matters of love, she had a bit of a strong- willed attitude. Zacharia fixed his gaze on her. Her awkwardness and reactions just now told him that it was indeed her first kiss.: ¡°Get some rest,¡± he said. Upon seeing that he stopped asking, Shirley didn¡¯t know why, but she felt frustrated. ¡°I really like my boyfriend. Mr. Flintstone, please be more restrained in the future.¡± Her cold gaze turned to the man on the couch. ¡°Miss Lloyd, I also quite like you.¡± Zacharias raised an eyebrow, and the spotlight above his head was reflected in his eyes. They were straightforward and candid. Just as Shirley had just sorted out her emotions, they were now in disarray again. She swallowed before saying, ¡°Thank you for liking me, but my heart already belongs to someone else. Please like someone else to avoid wasting your feelings!¡± After saying this, she walked quickly toward her bedroom, closed the door, and clutched her rapidly beating heart. The image of Zacharias¡¯ face was still in her mind. She took off her coat, changed into the pajarna hat she had brought,y down in bed, and decided to sleep. If she slept, she wouldn¡¯t overthink. However, she couldn¡¯t sleep no matter what, especially after taking a nap in the afternoon and drinking coffee. Every time she closed her eyes, the scene of Zacharias forcefully kissing her on the table would appear in her mind. It felt like his tongue, with the scent of alcohol, was still exploring her mouth. The feeling of being forcefully held in his arms made her suddenly feel thirsty. Ten minutester, Shirley re-emerged from under her covers speechlessly and opened her eyes while looking at the light on the ceiling. She didn¡¯t know how to forget that kiss just now. She reyed it over and over in her mind. It felt like Zacharias had kissed her repeatedly. This feeling was truly annoying, and she didn¡¯t know what to do. If it weren¡¯t raining outside, she could go for a run on the mountain. After enduring for half an hour, she was really thirsty. She wanted to go downstairs for some water. She gently pushed open the door and found that Zacharias was actually sleeping on the couch. He was covered with his trench coat as hey on the couch. This was the mountains, and the temperature in the room was below 50 degrees. Wasn¡¯t this man afraid of catching a cold or getting sick? Upon thinking of his noble identity and her being his personal assistant, it would be inappropriate if she didn¡¯t take care of him. Shirley walked over. She wanted to wake him up and ask him to go back to his room to sleep. ¡°Mr. Flintstone, Shirley called him softly. Zacharias didn¡¯t wake up, so she had to take action. She reached out and patted his shoulder. ¡°Mr. Flintstone, wake up. Go back to your room and sleep!¡± He only opened his eyes then. His dark pupils were covered with a glow as though the gxy suddenly descended into his eyes. They were very charming. Shirley looked at him and said, ¡°It¡¯s cold in the living room. Go back to your room and sleep. Chapter 2188 Forcing Another Kiss Chapter 2188 Forcing Another Kiss Zacharias sat up, but as soon as he stood up, he sat back down. ¡°My legs are numb,¡± he said while looking up. ¡°Help me up.¡± Shirley didn¡¯t suspect anything because the couch was a bit cramped for his six-foot-two-inch frame. She reached out to support his arm and escorted him to his master bedroom. Zacharias started getting some ideas and smiled. When they reached the bedside, she helped him sit down. However, in the next second, everything flipped sand overturned. She was pulled and pressed down directly onto his bed and his sturdy body pressed tightly against hers. ¡°You¡­¡± Shirley realized that she had been fooled again and her pretty face turned red. ¡°No kissing¡± Before she could even finish warning him, the man had already pried open her red lips and sealed them tightly with his. ¡°Umm¡­¡± Shirley¡¯s mind exploded. She had been repeatedly thinking about the kiss downstairs and now she was once again feeling the powerful sexual tension from this man. He was absolutely despicable. Zacharias also found that he, who had always been calm and self-controlled, had lost control twice for this Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. woman. At first, he kissed her with a hint of exploration, but it quickly turned intense. He couldn¡¯t get enough of her. Shirley¡¯s mind had never been so nk and her reactions were extremely slow. After being kissed by this man for almost a minute, she finally realized that he was taking advantage of her. She pushed him with her hands. Although she was rather strong, her pushing against his solid chest didn¡¯t even make him budge, as if he had taken away all the strength from her body. ¡°Zac¡­ Zacharias!¡± She called his name in a warning tone amidst the entanglement of lips and teeth. Zacharias finally let her go. Their two faces were close under the dim light. Their breaths entwined and their eyes were locked together. His proud and straight nose almost touched her nose. Shirley¡¯s chest rose and fell; her breath was chaotic. She was gazing at him with eyes that were like fiery roses as if using him of his behavior. ¡°Let go of me.¡± She warned in a toneced with anger. Zacharias¡¯ gaze was deep and gentle, like an ocean enveloping a person. Shirley turned her face away before pushing him aside. This time, he cooperativelyy on the bed while watching the girl tidy her pajamas. He said hoarsely, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She bit her red lips and turned to look at the man, who was like a lion, on the bed. ¡°If youck women, ask your subordinates to find them for you. Don¡¯t set your sights on me.¡± After saying this, Shirley pushed the door open and closed the man¡¯s door on her way out. She returned to her room while regretful andy on the bed, burying her hot face in her hands. She was also rather vexed. Why didn¡¯t she feel very angry even though Zacharias kissed her twice? She should have scolded him thoroughly just now. Regardless of his identity and status, he shouldn¡¯t take advantage of a girl. However, Shirley found that there was simply no anger in her besides nervousness and confusion. She had to endure it! She would endure,it for three months, and then it would be over. At that time, she would leave his side and wouldn¡¯t need to see him again. Moreover, this man had dirt on her, so falling out with him was not beneficial to her. After all, Imogen¡¯s future was still in his hands. Shirleyy on the bed, and the emotional bnce suddenly tilted back to the feeling she had just experienced. She clearly didn¡¯t want to be kissed, but when his lips touched hers, she felt electricity course through her whole body. Even her will was invaded by his kiss. Several times, she had the feeling of not wanting to push him away, not wanting to refuse, and wanting something to happen between them. She closed her eyes and felt sorry for Cole. How could she develop feelings for someone else? No. She firmly believed that she liked Cole. During these three months, Cole¡¯s handsome figure, his serious yet gentle gaze toward her, his care for her in life, and his concern for her after she was injured- all these were deeply imprinted in her heart. Chapter 2189 Shirley’s Resolution Chapter 2189 Shirley¡¯s Resolution The warmth of those little moments made Shirley¡¯s heart beat uncontrobly for Cole. Despite the hardships of daily training, they would seem as sweet as eating sugar as long as she could catch a glimpse of him. She would rush to the field just to see him. Wasn¡¯t love supposed to be like this? Her heart was in chaos. In the end, she shook off everything that happened tonight. She firmly believed. that she absolutely could not have any intimate behavior with Zacharias in the future for the sake of being with Cole. This was out of respect for love and Cole. Zacharias must becking a woman around him, which led to such actions. The sound of rain outside diminished. Shirley suddenly remembered something and immediately sat up before going to the door to lock it from the inside. Zacharias was like an out-of-control wild beast who was ready to attack at any moment. She had to be on guard against him. Zachariasy on the bed in the master bedroom, thinking about the two consecutive kissing incidents. In the end, he concluded that he truly liked this girl. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have put so much effort into caring for her. Although she had warned and rejected him twice, he was not in a hurry. He would slowly make her understand his feelings. His eyes flickered with a determined light, like a hunter locking onto the prey he liked. He wouldn¡¯t give up no matter what. That night, the bodyguards outside had no idea what had happened in the vi. In the early morning, Shirley got up and looked at the mist-shrouded sky outside. The rain had turned. into a drizzle. She remembered that Zacharias would go to pay respects to his mother today. Should she §Õ§à with him? She went to the independent bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face, preparing for the day. Shirley wore professional trousers and tied her long hair behind her head. She exuded a refreshing and heroic aura. She opened the door and coincidentally heard the main bedroom door opening as well. The two people who stepped out faced each other directly. Shirley had figured it outst night. She shouldn¡¯t offend this man during her internship. Even if she was taken advantage of, she could only count herself unlucky, ¡°Good morning, Mr. Flintstone.¡± Shirley stood straight and greeted him. Her expression was no longer nervous and flustered likest night; it was calm and rational. Zacharias looked at her and there was a slight disappointment in his heart. This just showed that he didn¡¯t matter much to her. ¡°Let¡¯s go downstairs,¡± he said and took the lead. She followed him downstairs. It was still early, so they had time for breakfast. He stood in front of the kitchen and started to prepare breakfast, The coffee machine on the side had already been turned on. Shirley lit the firece. The morning chill filled the wooden cabin. She wasn¡¯t concerned about herself but rather about Zacharias, who was usually in an environment with constant temperature. She didn¡¯t want him to catch a cold. After all, many national matters were waiting for him to handle. The sizzling aroma wafted over; he was making scrambled eggs. Given the limited conditions, they had to do whatever was avable. After about fifteen minutes, the man came over with breakfast, saying, ¡°Eat while it¡¯s hot.¡± Shirley sat down, and he brought her a cup of coffee and a cup of warm milk. She avoided eye contact with him as much as possible. His gaze lingered on her face several times, yet she pretended not to see it. ¡°Do you need me to apany you?¡± Shirley finally lifted her head and asked. If he didn¡¯t, she could stay here and wait for him. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to apany me?¡± Zacharias looked over. Did she already start to dislike him? ¡°All right. I¡¯ll apany you.¡± She realized she had asked a redundant question again. After finishing breakfast, she washed the dishes. It was already 9.00AM when she was done. He went upstairs and she found that when he came downstairs, he was holding a windbreaker and a scarf. The coat he brought this time was still hanging on the rack. ¡°Wear this. It¡¯s cold outside,¡± Zacharias said to her. Chapter 2190 Visiting the Grave Chapter 2190 Visiting the Grave ¡°I don¡¯t need it. I¡¯m not afraid of the cold.¡± Shirley shook her head and refused his kindness. However, Zacharias ignored her refusal and directly draped the windbreaker over her shoulders. ¡°If y catch a cold, I¡¯ll send you to the Royal Hospital and expose your identity.¡± He draped it over her while. If you making a threat. She hesitated for a moment and then obediently slipped her hands into the sleeves. He turned around and buttoned it up for her. ¡°This is my windbreaker. Use it for now.¡± Having said that, he also wrapped a scarf around her neck. She finally mustered the courage to refuse him. ¡°I don¡¯t like scarves.¡± Zacharias furrowed his brows and asked, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°They make it hard to breathe,¡± Shirley replied, as she genuinely did not like scarves. He had no choice but to remove the scarf and ce it on the couch. Then, he went to get his own windbreaker. Both of them were wearing ck windbreakers. Shirley surprisingly didn¡¯t look out of ce in his oversized windbreaker; instead, it highlighted her delicate charm. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Zacharias opened the door. The convoy outside was ready. Roy came over in the cold wind and said, ¡°Mr. -Flintstone, the fog is quite thick.¡± ¡°Drive slowly,¡± Zacharias instructed. ¡°Understood. We¡¯ll be careful.¡± The three-car convoy began to break through the fog and entered deeper into the mountains. Shirley started to tense up because the weather conditions weren¡¯t very good. Just then, the tires of the vehicle pressed against something hard, causing the car to tilt slightly. She instinctively reached out to support Zacharias. However, the hand she stretched out was firmly held by arge palm. An electric current surged from his palm into the depths of Shirley¡¯s heart. Her beautiful eyes widened and at this moment, the car¡¯s body steadied. She forcefully withdrew her hand from his grip. Fortunately, the bodyguards in front didn¡¯t notice. Finally, they arrived under a giant tree. Zacharias looked out the car window at the tree and there was a slight moisture in the corners of his eyes. The convoy stopped and he opened the door. Shirley also got out of the car and looked under the tree. There was a grave. It seemed to have some age and due to the lingering mist around the giant tree, it appeared lonely and deste. Zacharias stood in front of the grave, which was surrounded by mist. His tall figure seemed cold and lonely. Something stirred in Shirley¡¯s heart. She had an impulse to go and apany him. Just then, Roy handed her candles and a bunch of lilies. Imogen, go and apany Mr. Flintstone.¡± Shirley held the basket, carried the bouquet, and walked toward Zacharias. Zacharias was squatting down, picking up branches and dried leaves before the grave. She put down the basket and ced the bouquet on the ground. Then, she went to help him. He looked up at her and her gaze wasforting. ¡°Let me help you pick them up.¡± ¡°We can do it together,¡± Zacharias said gently. For more than ten minutes, they picked up the fallen leaves and the ground looked clean after that. The rain fromst night had washed away the dust on the grave, making it look tidy. Roy came over with a candle and lighter. Shirley handed the flowers to Zacharias before asking him to ce them in front of the grave. He turned to her. ¡°You do it.¡± She hesitated for a moment as it didn¡¯t seem appropriate. However, she couldn¡¯t refuse at that moment when she saw that he didn¡¯t take the flowers. She bowed three times in front of the grave before cing the flowers in front of the tombstone. Zacharias squatted down and started to light the candle. He used old-fashioned matches, but the wind was too strong, blowing it out several times. Shirley immediately came over and made a wind-blocking motion, allowing him to light the fire. The fire started and Zacharias seemed lost in thought while holding the candle. He didn¡¯t pull it away even when his hand was almost burnt by the mes. Shirley quickly reached out and grabbed his hand to check if he had been burned. Zacharias returned to his senses and looked up at her. She took the initiative to hold his hand and he felt a burning sensation on his fingertips. Chapter 2191 Requesting for a Leave Chapter 2191 Requesting for a Leave ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Shirley asked with concern. ¡°Yes,¡± the man replied. She immediately blew on his fingertips. ¡°Be careful not to burn your hand.¡± She thought to herself that he must be overwhelmed by grief and sorrow for his mother. ¡°Do you need me to help you light it?¡± Shirley asked. Upon seeing four sets of candles beside him, she was worried that the man would burn his fingers again. Zacharias pursed his lips and smiled. ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s do it together.¡± After saying that, he handed her the candle and then looked toward the direction of the tombstone. In his heart, he wasmunicating with his mother. ¡°Mom, I brought your future daughter-inw to visit you. Are you happy in the afterlife?¡± The girl lighting the candle next to him waspletely unaware of his emotions. After lighting the candle, the smoke was scattered in the wind and quickly disappeared as if blowing toward another world. When Zacharias stood up, he bowed his head in silence for a few seconds toward the grave, then turned back to the car with Shirley following him. The car drove back toward the direction of the mountain vi. Shirley tidied up, and Zacharias received several phone calls in session. It was time for them to return. At 11.30AM, they set off back to the city. Due to his prominent identity, they couldn¡¯t stop for a ineal, even if restaurants were on the way. When they arrived at the Flintstone Residence, it was already almost 2.30PM. Just as Shirley got out of the car, she saw someoneing out of the Flintstone Residence. It turned out that their lunch had already been delivered. Zacharias was once again busy with the phone calls and Shirley stood by the dining table waiting for him. After finishing the call, he found her standing there, like a straight tree. It was almost 3.00PM now. Zacharias couldn¡¯t help but frown. He walked quickly to the dining table and said, ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡± Shirley nodded and sat down, but Zacharias¡¯ mind was clearly not on the meal. His eyes were full of emotions. She couldn¡¯t eat much either, probably because she was too hungry. She took a few bites casually, and at that moment, she received a message on her phone. She picked it up and nced at it, after which a hint of surprise shed in her eyes. The message was from Cole. He asked if she was free to meet up this weekend. Zacharias noticed her expression and even though he was thinking about important work, he still took a moment to observe the girl in front of him. Instead of immediately replying to Cole, Shirley put her phone back in her pocket and calmly asked Zacharias, ¡°Mr. Flintstone, tomorrow is the weekend. Can I take two days off?¡± Combining her surprised expression just now and the fact that she wanted to take a day off, he deduced that it wasn¡¯t because she wanted to meet a rtive but probably the person she liked. He also wanted to know who she secretly admired, so this was a perfect opportunity. ¡°What do you need a vacation for?¡± Zacharias didn¡¯t immediately agree. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡­ I want to go home and visit my grandmother.¡± Shirley also knew that if she said she wanted to meet a friend, this man might not grant her leave. However, paying respects to elders was something he might allow. He raised an eyebrow. ¡°You need two days off?¡± ¡°One day is fine too. How about Saturday? Can I take a day off on Saturday?¡± Shirley carefully observed his expression and hoped he would agree. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll give you half a day off. Visit your grandmother ande back immediately,¡± Zacharias said stingily. How could he allow her the chance to spend the night with that man? So, he was only willing to give her half a day off. Although she was not satisfied in her heart, having a half-day off was better than nothing. Besides, she could try to ask for an extensionter. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be back to work after 3.00PM. Is that okay?¡± She wanted to treat Cole to a meal! ¡°Sure, the man replied. Shirley pursed her lips and was unable to hide her joy. Zacharias, on the other hand, became more certain that she was going to meet her crush. She had no appetite for food anymore, and he was also not in the mood. He put down his fork and said. ¡°I¡¯ll hire a housekeeper to take care of the housework in the future. You don¡¯t need to do it yourself.¡± Chapter 2192 Shirley’s Dilemma Chapter 2192 Shirley¡¯s Dilemma Shirley was startled. ¡°What should I do then?¡± ¡°Just apany me,¡± the man said as he still felt sorry for her washing dishes every day. She suddenly felt that the meaning of her work had disappeared. She hurriedly said, ¡°I can handle these things.¡± However, Zacharias insisted on it. ¡°The housekeeper will be here soon. You can go back to your room and rest.¡± After hearing this, she had no choice but toply, but she was eager to tell Cole about her half-day off on Saturday. Back in her room, Shirley immediately replied to Cole. Cole, I have time tomorrow afternoon. Let¡¯s meet and have a meal together!¡± ¡®Sure, Cole replied. Okay. See you tomorrow.¡± ¡®See you. After confirming that they would meet tomorrow, Shirley happily rolled on the bed like a child. She couldn¡¯t help but look forward to tomorrow. The restaurant that Willow had invited her tost time was good. She could take Cole to that restaurant. Meanwhile, Zacharias sat in the study. Although he didn¡¯t work for a whole day and the documents piled up beside him like a mountain, his mind was not on work at the moment. His thoughts were disturbed by something unrted to work-Shirley Lloyd. The smile Shirley showed after seeing the message just now repeatedly appeared in his mind. It was a smile with a hint of shyness and anticipation that only appeared when one liked someone. Who on earth is that man? How can he make her like him so much? In the evening, dinner became more sumptuous after the housekeeper arrived. Shirley¡¯s job description. changed to living in Zacharias¡¯ house and enjoying free meals without doing anything. This made her feel bored, but she still stood in her designated position to ensure all protective measures were in ce. At night, she waited in the living room on the third floor. Before Zacharias came out of the study, she wouldn¡¯t go back to her room to sleep. When he came out with a cup at 10.30PM, he saw her sitting there. He furrowed his brows. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Shirley stood up, took the cup from him, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll pour some water for you.¡± He handed her the cup. ¡°After pouring the water, you can go back to rest.¡± However, she shook her head. ¡°Protecting you is my duty. I can¡¯t rest until you rest,¡± Zacharias was taken aback. ¡°Are you concerned about me?¡± he couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°No. This is my mission, Shirley replied calmly. His expression showed a few traces of displeasure. Shirley turned around to pour water for him. When she brought the water to his study, he stopped her. ¡°Organize the documents for me.¡± She did it withoutint. She neatly arranged the documents he had read and tidied up the ones next to him. ¡°I may not give you a day off tomorrow.¡± Zacharias deliberately frightened her. Shirley was indeed startled and she asked in an anxious tone, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I have a task tomorrow, so you have to apany me. From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mr. Flintstone, how can you go back on your word? You clearly promised me a day off.¡± Her gaze was full of resentment. If it weren¡¯t for her internship in his residence and bing his subordinate, she wouldn¡¯t have to greet him when she saw him in the future. No one would dare to me her for that either. But now, she could only yield to him. In the future, she would keep her distance from him. Upon seeing that she was really getting angry, Zacharias could only say, ¡°Okay, then. I¡¯ll give you a day off.¡± Shirley said with some dissatisfaction, ¡°Please be a person with credibility.¡± Actually, what she wanted to say in her heart was, Zacharias Flintstone, please be a human being! Shirley then went outside to wait for him again: Zacharias quickly regained his focus on work. At midnight, he saw the girl sitting upright on the couch. He couldn¡¯t help but feel his heart ache. Go and rest! I¡¯ve finished my work.¡± Shirley nodded, got up, and walked toward the stairs. He watched her figure leave. In the long night, he felt a sense of loneliness creeping in. Chapter 2193 A Secret Date Chapter 2193 A Secret Date Before meeting her, he had neverined about such things, but after meeting her, he realized that the long night was too endless and it wasn¡¯t a good thing. Shirley quickly took a shower and got into bed. She needed to sleep early so that she looked good when meeting Cole tomorrow. She woke up early the next morning. She usually wore a bit of light makeup, but today, she put more effort into it. Moreover, she didn¡¯t wear the uniform but chose her usual clothes. It was a pink coat too. She had a pair of straight and slender legs that looked good in any pants. Today, she wore tight-fitting ck pants, a high-necked white sweater, and a pink coat, which gave off the vibrant aura of a youthful college girl. Shirley thought that Zacharias had already left, but when she went downstairs, she found that he was still sitting on the couch. She couldn¡¯t help but clear her throat slightly. ¡°Mr. Flintstone, I¡¯ll be leaving first.¡± Zacharias saw her in this outfit and his ink-ck eyes widened slightly. This girl has even dressed up specially to meet that man. He liked this outfit and her long hair cascading down her shoulders added a touch of sweetness to her. Any man would like it. ¡°Are you going for a date dressed like this?¡± Zacharias raised an eyebrow and asked. Shirley immediately denied it. ¡°No. I¡¯m just going home.¡± After saying that, she quickly left. Her car was parked in the yard where she used to live. She walked over and took a deep breath, feeling that the air was sweet.From N?velDrama.Org. At this moment, Roy received a phone call. ¡°Hello, Mr. Flintstone!¡± Track Imogen for me. I want to know who she¡¯s meeting today.¡± ¡°Do you need me to take pictures for you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°I need pictures of all the intimate activities between her and that person,¡± Zacharias instructed. Roy was startled that Zacharias knew Imogen was going to meet a man. Roy immediately understood his boss¡¯ intentions. ¡°Okay, I will do so ordingly.¡± On the other end, Shirley started the car and set off. Her mood was the most rxed since she started. working here for so many days. It was still carly, so she could go back and spend some time with her grandmother before meeting Cole. At the Meyers Residence, Ava rke was especially happy to see her granddaughter, but her sharp eyes noticed that her granddaughter had lost weight. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is there a lot of pressure in the Flintstone Residence? Didn¡¯t you just go there for an internship?¡± Ava asked with concern. Shirley couldn¡¯t express her feelings right now, so she murmured, ¡°No. It¡¯s good and very rxing. I just stand guard every day without doing anything else.¡± ¡°How about the food?¡± Ava asked again. ¡°Very good. We almost have a feast every time.¡± ¡°That sounds good. Why did you lose weight?¡± Ava asked. ¡°Grandma, I didn¡¯t lose weight. I¡¯m doing well I¡¯m going to have a meal with a friend at around 10:00AM Ava nodded, but she couldn¡¯t help asking. Is it a boy or girl?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a boy.¡± Shirley still couldn¡¯t lie in front of her elders. Ava¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°Shirley, is it the boy you like?¡± Shirley pursed her lips and nodded shyly. ¡°Grandma, please don¡¯t tell my parents. We¡¯re currently just friends and haven¡¯t developed to the stage of dating!¡± ¡°Okay! I know what to do. I won¡¯t tell them.¡± Ava kept the secret for her granddaughter. Shirley received a message on her phone at this point. It turned out to be Cole. He hade out and was waiting for her at a cafe in front of a mall. ¡°Grandma, my friend is waiting for me. I¡¯ll go now!¡± Shirley hugged Ava, and the elderly woman felt happy seeing Shirley¡¯s joyful expression. ¡°Go! Don¡¯t let him wait too long.¡± Meanwhile, Roy sat in the car waiting outside the Meyers Residence. At this moment, he had just reported the situation to Zacharias. Just then, Roy saw Shirley¡¯s car pulling out. Although he found it strange that Imogen had entered the premises, his primary objective was to track and report, so he refrained from asking too many questions. Chapter 2194 A Hidden Affection Chapter 2194 A Hidden Affection Shirley¡¯s car quickly headed toward the city center. Due to her thoughts about meeting Cole, she didn¡¯t notice that Roy was following her. Roy parked his car near Shirley¡¯s. Today, he also changed into casual clothes and wore a hat and a mask to disguise himself for tracking. Shirley entered a cafe and saw Cole sitting by the window. He had changed out of his uniform and wore. casual clothes. The gray coat emphasized his tall figure, making him look exceptionally stylish. Cole had a handsome face with well-defined features. He stood out as remarkably handsome among a group of men. Moreover, he exuded a righteous and resolute aura that made her not only like him but also admire and respect him. ¡°Cole.¡± Shirley happily sat across from him. It had been half a month since theyst met and her inner longing was strong. He looked at her and there was still a hint of boyish shyness in his eyes. After all, having spent years in the base, he naturallycked dating experience, so facing girls made him a bit restrained. ¡°Is your previous injurypletely healed?¡± he asked with concern, to which Shirley nodded. It¡¯spletely healed. After I went back, my dad gave me some bone-setting treatment. There¡¯s no problem at all now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. Do you want to sit here or go out for a walk?¡± Cole asked for her opinion. ¡°Let¡¯s go out for a walk and clear our minds!¡± Shirley suggested. The truth was, it didn¡¯t matter what they did; the important thing was being with Cole. He nodded and went to the front desk. Then, he handed her a cup of hot coffee, which he had ordered in advance. ¡°This is for you. Enjoy.¡± She curved her lips happily before reaching out to take a sip. The rich aroma of coffee instantly warmed her heart. Cole politely held the door open for her as she walked out. At that moment, two other girls hurriedly followed her. Due to the heavy door, Cole also gantly opened it for them. The two girls immediately looked at Cole with gratitude and their eyes were filled with joy. Little did they expect that the person holding the door for them would be such a handsome and stylish young man. Shirley observed this scene from the sidelines and it warmed her. Cole possessed a certain aura that made people feel secure. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. This scene was captured by Roy, who was not far away. He recorded it in the highest resolution. The admiring look in Shirley¡¯s eyes was clearly visible in the video. Roy thought that if Zacharias really had feelings for Imogen, these photos would probably upset him. However, his goal today was to report on Imogen¡¯s rtionship situation. Cole and Shirley strolled through the warm shopping mall. Shirley noticed several couples passing by, hand in hand. She summoned her courage, changed the hand holding the coffee, and took the opportunity to link her arm through Cole¡¯s. Instantly, they transformed into an intimate couple strolling through the mall. This scene was also recorded in Roy¡¯s video. Cole was stunned for a moment before he withdrew his arm. Shirley was surprised at that. Does he not want me to link arms with him? However, the next second, Cole put his arm around her shoulder, showing that he preferred this more intimate gesture. Shirley¡¯s heart was instantly filled with joy. She curved her lips into a smile and then draped her arm over his waist, making the atmosphere more intimate. Both of them understood what was going on without saying a word. This kind of unspoken affection was very charming. In the background, Roy recorded this scene in the video. He recorded while indulging in the sweetness of the scene. ¡°Cole, there¡¯s a nice restaurant on the sixth floor. Let¡¯s go there!¡± ¡°Sure! I¡¯ll treat you.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll treat you. You¡¯re not allowed to argue with me about this meal,¡± Shirley said dominantly. Cole had taken care of her in various ways in the base, so it was only right that she treated him to a meal. Roy, who was blending into the crowd, followed them to the sixth floor. During this journey, Cole¡¯s inner excitement grew. All his thoughts were on Shirley. He felt her affection for him and at the same time, he had chosen to transfer here because he knew she was here. Chapter 2195 Finding Out Shirley’s Crush Chapter 2195 Finding Out Shirley¡¯s Crush After Shirley left, Cole realized that in the three months they spent together, he had fallen in love with her. It wasn¡¯t just a liking; it was love. He decided to take a bold step in his life. He came here to pursue a stable job and hoped that he might. have a chance to be with Shirley in the future. Upon seeing them enter the restaurant, Roy followed shortly after. However, they entered a private room. and it was diflicult for him to sneakily record. Roy sat on a chair outside the restaurant and sent all the recorded videos to Zacharias. At this moment, Zacharias sat at the head of the table in a solemn conference room. Although his phone was on silent, the screen continued to disy iing messages. While he listened to his subordinates¡¯ reports, his gaze was drawn to the phone and his heart was eager to see the content of the messages. He grabbed his phone, stood up, and went to the balcony. His assistant, Freddie Hurst, wanted to ask. something but was stopped by him. ¡°I want some time alone.¡± Freddie immediately stood a few meters away and waited. Zacharias opened the first photo and finally saw the appearance of the man Shirley liked. He had well- defined features, an upright aura, and appeared to be younger than Zacharias by a year or two. He was undoubtedly more exceptional than an average man. He must be an outstanding individual cultivated by the base. As Zacharias looked at the way Shirley gazed at the man, it was as though something was gripping his chest, making him feel a bit anxious. Does she really like the man that much? Shirley¡¯s clear eyes strongly revealed her admiration. It was like she was looking at a god she worshiped. In the following videos, she took the initiative to link arms with the man while walking side by side. Soon, the man unlinked their arms and wrapped his arm around her shoulder while she put her arm around his waist. The two walked through the crowd like a couple. Zacharias felt a constriction in his chest again, and his eyebrows knitted together. Then, they entered the restaurant, and Roy sent a message, ¡®Mr. Flintstone, they have entered a private dining room, so I can¡¯t take pictures discreetly. Zacharias replied to Roy¡¯s message, ¡®Don¡¯t let her notice you.¡± When Zacharias returned to his seat, a daunting aura surrounded him, making everyone in the meeting. feel a chill. The vice president had only gone out briefly, yet his whole aura had changed. Who has provoked him? Fortunately, the meeting was about to end. After listening to the reports, Zacharias left without saying much. In the restaurant, Cole was also curious about what Shirley was doing here. ¡°Shirley, are you here just to apany your grandmother?¡± Shirley didn¡¯t dare to reveal her current job, so she lied with a guilty conscience. ¡°Yes. I promised my mom toe and apany my grandmother.¡± ¡°Is there any other reason? Like, is there something wrong with your health?¡± Cole asked with concern. Shirley smiled and shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯m perfectly fine. I can easily go against three right Tow.¡± Cole couldn¡¯t help but be amused by her. ¡°I believe you have the strength for that.¡± Shirley also chuckled. ¡°But there¡¯s no need to fight now. Otherwise, I could warm myself up.¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. I hope you won¡¯t fight anymore,¡± Cole said. Even though she was strong, idents could happen in battles, and he would worry if she got hurt. Shirley nodded. ¡°Okay. 111 be a good girl and stop fighting, then.¡± He nodded. At this moment, she received a message from Zacharias. What are you doing?¡¯ he asked. Shirley casually nced at the message and decided not to reply. Since she was on leave, she didn¡¯t need to respond to him for everything. Cole couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to reply to the message?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not an important message. There have been too many junk messages recently and I don¡¯t want to bother with them,¡± Shirley muttered before putting her phone aside. She then curiously asked, ¡°Cole, is your job dangerous?¡± Chapter 2196 Straightforward Confession Chapter 2196 Straightforward Confession Cole smiled. ¡°It depends, but that¡¯s part of my job.¡± ¡°Be careful, then. Don¡¯t make me worry about you. Shirley was very worried about his safety. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll be careful.¡± He nodded. Even without her reminding him, he didn¡¯t want to make her worry either. ¡°This is delicious.¡± She then scooped some food onto his te. At the same time, in another upscale restaurant, Zacharias sat at the table, staring at his phone as he waited for a message. He had been waiting for over ten minutes, and the girl hadn¡¯t replied to him. So, she¡¯s with her beloved man and doesn¡¯t even want to bother me anymore? He couldn¡¯t believe that Shirley hadn¡¯t seen his messages. Since her phone was secure for her profession. she wouldn¡¯t receive junk texts, and she would see every message. Frustrated, he sent another message. ¡®Reply to my message. He wrote it in a moremanding tone. Shirley nced at the message that lit up again, and with some impatience, she picked up her phone and checked the message. It was another overbearing message from Zacharias. What could he possibly want? Yes, Mr. Flintstone?¡¯ she finally replied. From now on, even if you¡¯re taking time off, you¡¯re not allowed to ignore my messages, the man quickly responded. Seeing that, she scoffed and replied, ¡°What is it, Mr. Flintstone? ¡®Be back at the residence before 2.00PM. He had shortened her time off. This annoyed her, for it was already 12.30PM. If she had to be back at the residence by 2.00PM, it meant she had exactly one less hour for her date with Cole. I¡¯ll be back before 3.00PM, alright? Shirley requested. Across the table, Cole watched as Shirley¡¯s expression showed signs of annoyance when she replied to the messages. It was clear that she was having an unpleasant exchange with someone. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did someone upset you?¡± he asked curiously. Since Shirley had no one else to vent to, sheined to him. ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s this really annoying person who¡¯s been making things difficult for me.¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°An annoying person? Who is it?¡± He grew even more curious ¡°It¡¯s just a really annoying person This person is bossy and unreasonable, and I can¡¯t be bothered to deal with them As she said that, she turned her phone off Cole tried to console her ¡°Enough of the sad topics. Let¡¯s just enjoy our meal. Just stay away from people who upset you¡± But who could have upset her this much? Is a man or a woman? Just then, Shirley propped up her chin and revealed a cute smile Cole, do you have a guthiend He almost choked on his drink, startled by her direct question. After he cleared has threat, he replied, I''ve been too busy with work to have a girlfriend.¡± At his answer, she was secretly pleased. ¡°Do you n to have one?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± he replied, looking at her. ¡°Then¡­ have you considered me?¡± Her adorable eyes darted around when she said that. Shirley had grown up in a training camp and was raised like a boy. Her attitude toward love was straightforward, and she disliked ying games or beating around the bush. Since she was certain of her feelings for Cole, she wanted to know if he felt the same way. If they both liked each other, shouldn¡¯t they be in a rtionship? ¡°Shirley, you¡¯re an excellent girl and exceptional in every way-¡± Cole praised. ¡°Do you not like me, Cole?¡± she asked, lowering her head. From that part of his sentence, she thought that he didn¡¯t like her and was about to reject her. Cole was flustered and quickly said, ¡°No, I really like you.¡± ¡°Then what concerns do you have?¡± She blinked, sensing that he had something on his mind. Indeed, how could Cole have no concerns? Her background was not simple, and her family held significant power. He was worried that he might not be worthy of her. Though he had never felt inferior before, in the face of Shirley¡¯s family background, Cole couldn¡¯t help. but feel insignificant. Even if she liked him, he was worried that he would not be able to meet her family¡¯s expectations for a son-inw. ¡°Shirley, I came to Averna this time because of you.¡± In the end, he chose to bravely voice his feelings. Chapter 2197 Secret Photographer Chapter 2197 Secret Photographer Shirley¡¯s eyes lit up with joy when she heard that. ¡°Really? You came here for me?¡± Cole nodded. As a tough guy, he came all the way here for love, which demonstrated his unwavering commitment to love. ¡°Cole, when I left that day, I wanted to tell you that I had been very happy during those three months. I also found the one I love, and that¡¯s you,¡± she confessed. These were words she should have told him when she leftst time. Finally, she had the courage to say them now. Cole¡¯s eyes held anticipation. He knew his life with Shirley in the future wouldn¡¯t be easy, but he couldn¡¯t reject her. ¡°Shirley, can I¡­ truly make you happy?¡± He was concerned about not having a strong family background. Meanwhile, Shirley saw through his worries. He¡¯s probably afraid that my family won¡¯t ept him. Cole is already outstanding. Even though his family background is less privileged, his wless character has allowed him to join the special task force, making him one in a million. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Cole. My parents are very open-minded. They will support whatever and whoever I love.¡± Shirley didn¡¯t think she was superior to Cole. Others only recognized her because she benefited from her parents¡¯ fame. Yet what she truly sought was recognition earned through her efforts. Her words gave Cole confidence. And so, he nodded and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do my best.¡± At the same time, in a certain restaurant, Zacharias hadn¡¯t eaten much of his meal and was fixated on his phone, deep in thought. Freddie dared not approach as he sensed that Zacharias was in a bad mood. Meanwhile, Roy had waited for an hour in the mall and finally saw Shirley and Coleing out. This time, they held hands and they stood out in the crowd like a picture-perfect couple. He secretly captured the moment when they held hands and exchanged nces. After that, Shirley and Cole entered a men¡¯s clothing store. Since Cole insisted on paying for the meal, she was determined to buy him a coat. Unable to resist her offer, he followed her into the store. There, she held a coat and gestured in front of him, just like a considerate girlfriend. Roy had taken several affectionate photos of them from outside. When they had finished shopping. Shirley noticed that it was already 2.00PM. Why does time seem to fly by during a date? Coincidentally, Cole received an emergency mission, so he and Shirley walked out of the mall together. He apanied her to her car, and they naturally felt a bit reluctant to part ways. ¡°Let¡¯s meet again when you have some free time,¡± she said to him. ¡°Sure, we¡¯ll keep in touch.¡± His gaze toward her was filled with tenderness. When their eyes locked, it was as if an unspoken electric current intertwined in the air and an ambiguous atmosphere surrounded them. Shirley looked at Cole¡¯s lips, and she suddenly remembered the kiss she shared with Zacharias. She had the urge to see what it would feel like to kiss Cole. Taking the initiative, she leaned in closer to him, and it made Cole¡¯s heart race. She¡¯s bolder than I imagined. At a distance not far away, Roy continued taking pictures. Since Shirley was leaning against the car and Cole¡¯s head blocked the view, from Roy¡¯s perspective, it appeared as if the two of them were kissing. In reality, Cole only gave Shirley a gentle peck on the forehead. He didn¡¯tck the courage; he simply didn¡¯t want to overstep the boundaries. Shirley was too precious to him, and he didn¡¯t want to offend her. ¡°Drive safely, Shirley,¡± he said, patting her. At that moment, his phone rang again, indicating that it was time for him to leave. From N?velDrama.Org. Shirley nodded, her face blushing. Although Cole was in a hurry, he took the time to open her car door for her. He stood there and watched as she drove away before briskly walking over to his car. Meanwhile, in another car, Roy let out a sigh of relief. His mission wasplete, but he hesitated about whether to send the photos he had taken, as sending them might upset Zacharias. Chapter 2198 Leaving His Mark Chapter 2198 Leaving His Mark In the end, Roy sorted through the photos he had taken along the way and sent them to Zacharias. Zacharias had an afternoon meeting, but it wasn¡¯t particrly important as it was just a routine. administrative meeting. He was sitting by the floor-to-ceiling windows when he heard the message notification. Swiftly, he picked up his phone to check. As he scrolled through the pictures of Shirley and the other man leaving the restaurant, he thought, They should have parted ways by now. However, when he reached thest picture, his expression turned extremely unpleasant. In this final picture, Shirley was leaning against the car, and the man was pressing his face against hers as if they were locked in an intimate kiss. A still picture intensified his imagination. He felt as though Shirley and the man had been kissing for a long time. After a deep breath, Zacharias checked the time on his watch and said to Freddie, ¡°Cancel my afternoon. meetings. I need to go home.¡± ¡°Sir, do you have something important to attend to?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s something very important,¡± Zacharias replied through gritted teeth, and he quickly headed toward the door. Freddie couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. As per his schedule, there didn¡¯t seem to be anything very important today. Originally, Shirley had nned to visit her grandmother¡¯s house, but when she realized she was running out of time, she decided to head straight to the Flintstone Residence. She couldn¡¯t fathom how furious Zacharias was at this moment. I just don¡¯t understand why he is being so controlling. I¡¯m off today, but I¡¯m still being reprimanded for not responding to messages. With this thought in mind, she braced herself to face his anger when she returned. At the Flintstone Residence, Zacharias had arrived earlier since it was closer to his location. However, Shirley had yet to return. He sat on the couch, patiently waiting for her. About ten minutester, Shirley arrived. She parked her car outside the courtyard and walked in, thinking that Zacharias wouldn¡¯t be home at this time. But much to her surprise, she saw him sitting on the couch as soon as she entered the hall. ¡°Hi, Mr. Flintstone. You¡¯re home!¡± Shirley greeted Zacharias awkwardly. ¡°Come here.¡± His gaze locked onto her. She thought she would let him scold her a little at most, and she could handle that. And so, she walked over to him, ready for his lecture. However, as she got closer, Zacharias stood up from the couch. With a height of nearly six feet three inches, he emanated an overwhelming presence. Surprised, Shirley raised her head, but the next moment, her waist was encircled by arge hand, and the back of her head was captured. Without a word, he leaned in to kiss her. He came in for a passionate kiss, his dominant lips and tongue invading, as though he were cleansing her lips of another man¡¯s presence, leaving only his mark. ¡°Mm!¡± Shirley¡¯s mind went nk for a few seconds. She wasn¡¯t sure if she was afraid of him or if she was being threatened by his status, but she didn¡¯t fight back. She let him kiss her like this for over ten seconds. before she finally pushed him away. He took a step back, breathing heavily as he watched her. Infuriated, Shirley called out his name. ¡°Have you had enough, Zacharias?¡± Meanwhile, Zacharias seemed oblivious to his possessive attitude toward her. It was as though he had decided that she belonged to him and no one else could touch or im her. Yet she clearly didn¡¯t belong to him. At this point, Shirley¡¯s beautiful eyes were aze with anger. She had just finished her date with Cole, and her heart was filled with a deep affection for the man. It was the kind of affection that made her long to be with him. How could she let other men take advantage of her again and again? ¡°Do you like him that much?¡± Zacharias suddenly asked. Shocked, she widened her eyes. ¡°Did you have me followed?¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I just wanted to know who the man you like is,¡± he replied casually. Immediately, she warned him by saying, ¡°You¡­ No matter what kind of person he is, he¡¯s the one I like, and I won¡¯t allow you to do anything to him.¡± At her words, Zacharias was momentarily stunned. When Shirley was on her way back, he had already learned about Cole¡¯s background and identity. Is she so determined to protect him? ¡°Zacharias Flintstone, did you hear me?¡± Shirley called out his full name directly. At this moment, her determination to protect Cole was exceptionally strong, and she exuded an air of dominance that dared anyone to challenge her. Chapter 2202 Lives Were Sacrificed Chapter 2202 Lives Were Sacrificed ¡°Zacharias is fortunate to have escaped this. He¡¯ll be alright.¡± Ren patted Josef¡¯s shoulder and comforted him. At this moment, the door to the ward opened. Three doctors came out one after another, talking in low voices. When they saw Ren, they immediately approached with serious expressions. Shirley strained her ears to listen to their conversation. The doctors implied that there didn¡¯t seem to be any internal injuries for Zacharias. Only the external injuries were severe and he needed rest. ¡°Great-uncle, can I go in and see him?¡± Shirley urgently asked, to which Ren nodded. ¡°Go see Zach.¡± Josef couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Who is this youngdy?¡± ¡°I am a friend of Mr. Zacharias, Shirley replied politely. ¡°She¡¯s my grandniece and Richard¡¯s daughter,¡± Ren exined. Josef looked at Shirley with a touch of tenderness. ¡°Miss Lloyd, thank you for visiting Zach.¡± Shirley nodded, then took advantage of their conversation with the hospital staff to quickly walk toward the ward. She gently pushed the door open and saw the nurse still organizing medicines. On the white hospital bedy Zacharias. He had closed his eyes and was resting. In just five days, this man already seemed worse for wear. His pale skin looked even paler against the white backdrop, which was likely due to significant blood loss. His hair was somewhat disheveled and fell over his forehead. His arm was exposed, and on his right forearm, a wound with stitches about ten centimeters long was visible. Suddenly, Shirley felt a surge of sympathy for him. He might hold a high position, but he also faced danger frequently.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. The nurses finished their tasks and left. Shirley stood beside the man¡¯s bed, not making a sound to avoid waking him. She simply bent down to take a look at the wound on his shoulder. It looked like three ugly ck centipedes crawling on his vicle. When Zacharias sensed someone at his bedside, he abruptly opened his eyes. He visibly flinched when his dark gaze met a pair of clear blue eyes. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Zacharias asked in a hoarse voice. How did this girl manage to get in? ¡°Great-uncle brought me in,¡± Shirley replied. There was a hint of pity in her eyes as she asked, ¡°What exactly happened?¡± ¡°While driving, someone triggered a suicide bomb. My car was flipped over. If the bodyguards hadn¡¯t put an explosion-proof suit on me, I might not have made it.¡± Zacharias calmly recounted his experience, but his eyes revealed deep pain and anger. Two lives had to be sacrificed to save him. Shirley¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t help but fill with tears Lives were sacrificed? She crouched down andforted, ¡°We¡¯ll find out whos behind this. They won¡¯t get away with it.¡± Zacharias closed his eyes. ¡°You should go ¡°If you need me to stay and take care of you, I can,¡± Shirley said. At this moment, she couldn¡¯t care about her personal grievances with him. She was his subordinate, and she had a duty to take care of him. Zacharias looked at her, his gaze lifting. ¡°You¡¯re willing to stay and take care of me?¡± She nodded in response. ¡°I¡¯m willing to stay.¡± A small smile curved Zacharias¡¯ lip. ¡°Alright, then. You can stay.¡± At this moment, Ren and Josef entered together. Shirley stood up and made way for them. However, she felt it was inappropriate to stay here any longer, so she left first. She left Ren tofort Zacharias and walked up to Roy before asking with concern, ¡°Captain Barlowe, how are your injuries?¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright. It¡¯s just a forehead injury,¡± Roy replied. He also realized that Shirley¡¯s identity was not that simple. ¡°I will stay to take care of Mr. Flintstone,¡± Shirley said, to which Roy nodded. ¡°Mr. Flintstone needs someone to take care of him.¡± Shirley hadn¡¯t expected that within just a few days. Zacharias would face such a crisis. Ten minutester, Ren was escorted out by Josef. He said to Shirley before leaving, ¡°Shirley, I heard from Zach that you¡¯ll stay to take care of him. Please take good care of him for me.¡± Chapter 2203 When We Were Kids Chapter 2203 When We Were Kids ¡°Yes, I will take good care of him.¡± Shirley nodded and assured Ren. Josef then escorted Ren out. Shirley hadn¡¯t entered yet when a nurse approached her, ¡°Miss, Mr. Flintstone is asking for you toe in.¡± Shirley nodded and walked toward Zacharias¡¯ room. She pushed open the door, and Zacharias was already sitting up. Shirley immediately asked, ¡°Are you able to sit? Shouldn¡¯t you lie down first? The doctor said you might have a concussion.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been lying down for three days. I don¡¯t want to lie down anymore.¡± Zacharias¡¯ gaze was clear and calm. He didn¡¯t look like someone with a concussion. Shirley couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Do you want something to eat now?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like some light food,¡± Zacharias said. He was truly hungry. ¡°Wait a moment. I¡¯ll ask the nurse to bring some for you.¡± Shirley stated and went out to find the nurse. The nurse said she would quickly return with some food. Back in the room, Shirley looked at the man¡¯s injured right forearm. Until the wound healed, he would find many actions inconvenient. ¡°Does the wound still hurt?¡± Shirley asked. Zacharias nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Shirley could only look at him with concern. Zacharias suddenly added, ¡°But it hurts less when you¡¯re here.¡± Shirley was taken aback. He was injured so badly, and he still found the energy to tease her. At this moment, the nurse brought over some food. After cing it down, the nurse left. Shirley looked at the man¡¯s arm and asked, ¡°Can you eat by yourself?¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Zacharias shook his head. ¡°No. You¡¯ll have to feed me.¡± And so, she picked up the te and scooped up a spoonful of food. Seeing that it was still steaming, she blew on it before bringing it to the man¡¯s lips. Zacharias¡¯ lips curled into a smile. He obediently cooperated and ate the food. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of revealing your identity?¡± Zacharias asked while eating. ¡°I didn¡¯t think that much,¡± Shirley replied truthfully. After hearing about his injury, her inner worry made her want to see him at once. He squinted and smiled. ¡°Are you so worried about me?¡± he asked. She raised her head and replied seriously, ¡°Of course I¡¯m worried. If anything happens to you, we all share the responsibility.¡± Zacharias listened, and his eyes showed a hint of displeasure. ¡°Why can¡¯t you admit that you care about me?¡± Shirley choked for a moment. ¡°Alright! I care about you, but it¡¯s only the kind of rtionship between a subordinate and a superior. Understand, Mr. Flintstone?¡± Zacharias chuckled. ¡°You still care about me nheless.¡± Shirley brought the food to his lips. ¡°Finish the food before we talk.¡± He then finished the te of food. Having just woken up and due to the excessive blood loss, he obviouslycked strength. However, he looked at the girl beside him and found himself reluctant to fall asleep. ¡°Shirley, can I call you ¡®Shir¡¯?¡± Zacharias suddenly asked with a smile.. Shirley immediately refused. ¡°No!¡± Only her family could call her that affectionately. He couldn¡¯t.. ¡°Just now, your great-uncle asked us how we met. Guess how I answered?¡± ¡°How did you answer?¡± Shirley asked nervously. ¡°I said we met when we were kids,¡± Zacharias said. ¡°We met when we were kids? How?¡± Shirley argued. If he¡¯s going to lie, he should at least provide some evidence! Zacharias¡¯ deep eyes locked onto hers. ¡°We did meet when we were kids. You just don¡¯t remember.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Shirley¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. We actually met when we were kids? She quickly asked, ¡°When did that happen? Why don¡¯t I have any memory of it?¡± ¡°That year, you were only four years old. You were just a little thing, so how could you remember?¡± Zacharias couldn¡¯t help but recall her chubby appearance at the time. She was incredibly cute. This made him wonder if their children in the future would be just as adorable. Shirley also instantly recalled pictures of herself at four years old. At that time, she still had traces of baby fat, and she was a little chubby girl. Her mother even said she was stubborn and refused to have her hairbed and kept running around with messy hair like a little wild child. Chapter 2204 Liking Everything About Them Chapter 2204 Liking Everything About Them A flush crept up Shirley¡¯s cheeks. Did he meet me when I was in that wild state? He must have vivid memories of my childhood antics, as he was around ten years old at the time, so he surely remembers how unruly I was. ¡°How did we meet?¡± Shirley asked, curious. ¡°We met in the White House garden. I was there with my father as a guest. I got lost in the garden, and that¡¯s when I met you. You took my hand and led me back to the hall,¡± Zacharias said with a smile, his filled with nostalgia. Hearing that they once held hands when she was a child, Shirley felt her face grow even warmer. ¡°Was that the only time we met?¡± Shirley inquired. ¡°How many times would you have liked us to meet?¡± Zacharias countered. eyes ¡°No, once is enough. I was quite mischievous and yful as a child, so I probably left a bad impression on you,¡± she quickly muttered. At that, Zacharias smirked. ¡°You were adorable as a child! Just a little chubby.¡± Shirley, hearing the description of her childhood look from him, felt a bit indignant. ¡°Who wasn¡¯t chubby as a child? I bet you were chubby too!¡± ¡°I happen to like chubby kids,¡± Zacharias added. Shirley decided not to argue about this. At least, him saying this would dispel any suspicions Ren might. have about her and Zacharias. ¡°So, when did you recognize me?¡± Shirley raised an eyebrow. ¡°I recognized you from the first moment I saw you,¡± Zacharias stated. ¡°I¡¯ve changed so much since my childhood, and yet you recognized me instantly?¡± Shirley was skeptical. Zacharias had a knack for recognizing people, and this woman was so outstanding that it was hard not to notice her. ¡°In my eyes, nothing has changed. The man raised an eyebrow, indicating that his memories of her as a child were quite vivid.. Just then, a nurse knocked on the door and entered, holding a tray of medication as she addressed Zacharias. ¡°Mr. Flintstone, here¡¯s your medicine. Please take it on time.¡± Seeing the medicine, Zacharias instinctively furrowed his brows. He didn¡¯t like taking medicine. The nurse left, and Shirley got up to pour him a ss of water, saying, ¡°Take your medicine!¡± ¡°I only have some superficial wounds. There¡¯s no need for medication.¡± Zacharias tried toe up with an excuse to avoid taking it. Shirley got serious as she stated, ¡°You definitely need to take the medicine. Doctors don¡¯t prescribe it without reason.¡± Zacharias pursed his lips, wondering if she was here to take care of him or to monitor him. Reluctantly, he took the medicine. Afterward, he felt even more drowsy, but he really didn¡¯t want to sleep. ¡°Keep mepany for a bit,¡± Zacharias said as hey down. Seeing his eyes grow a bit hazy, Shirley realized he was tired.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I can see you¡¯re tired. You should get some rest,¡± she suggested. ¡°Tell me how you met Cole,¡± he asked bluntly. Shirley was caught off guard. This man had definitely looked into Cole¡¯s background. In the end, she declined to answer. ¡°I¡¯d rather not say.¡± ¡°I want to hear it,¡± Zacharias insisted. Seeing his interest, Shirley had no choice but to share. I met Cole at the training base. He was my team leader, and we underwent a three-month training together. During the training, I developed feelings for him, and likewise, he liked me. It¡¯s as simple as that.¡± Zacharias let out a sigh, murmuring, ¡°He appeared three months earlier than I did.¡± Shirley didn¡¯t quite catch what he said. She furrowed her brows, asking, ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°What do you like about him?¡± Zacharias asked. He seemedpletely alert when discussing this topic because he was genuinely interested. Treating Zacharias as a friend, Shirley thought for a moment before saying, ¡°You don¡¯t need a reason to like someone. When you like someone, you just do. It¡¯s about liking everything about them.¡± Zacharias nodded in agreement, his gaze locked onto Shirley. ¡°Exactly. I agree with you. Liking someone means liking everything about them.¡± Suddenly, Shirley met his eyes. She quickly looked away. Why is this man staring at me so intensely? Chapter 2205 Don’t Go Chapter 2205 Don¡¯t Go ¡°Go to sleep! Let¡¯s stop talking.¡± Shirley got up to pour herself a cup of tea. Zacharias observed her moving around the room, and gradually, his heavy eyelids closed as he drifted off to sleep. She returned with her tea and found him already asleep. She tried to be as quiet as possible to avoid waking him. After Zacharias fell asleep, a few beads of sweat formed on his forehead. Shirley thought it might be a reaction to the medicine. She gently adjusted his covers and used a tissue to wipe away the sweat. Suddenly, his right hand instinctively grabbed her wrist while he was lost in his dreams. He mumbled in a semi-conscious state, ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡± She was startled. Initially, she tried to pull her hand away but couldn¡¯t do it too abruptly as this man¡¯s arm had just undergone stitches and bandaging. She held onto his hand with her other hand, soothing him. until he let go and sank into a deeper sleep. She finally sighed in relief and wondered what nightmare he was having. After a while, Shirley stepped outside to catch a breath. Freddie was sitting outside. He had narrowly escaped danger this time as he had stayed behind to gather information locally, which dyed his return by two hours. This twist of fate had kept him out of harm¡¯s way. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Freddie Hurst, Mr. Flintstone¡¯s assistant, he greeted her. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m¡­¡± Shirley almost said her real name, but she quickly corrected herself. ¡°I¡¯m Imogen Young, Mr.. Flintstone¡¯s personal bodyguard.¡± The man studied her, thinking that this must be why Zacharias seemed absent-minded during his trip. ¡°Miss Young, it¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± Freddie smiled. Shirley nodded. Just then, Josef approached from a short distance away. After looking at Shirley, his gaze immediately softened. ¡°Miss Lloyd, thank you for taking care of Zach.¡± She forced a smile. She then turned to Freddie and said, ¡°I misspoke earlier. Myst name is Lloyd.¡± Freddie was momentarily taken aback but quickly realized that there was only one Lloyd Family with the privilege to appear by Zacharias¡¯ side. ¡°So, you¡¯re Miss Lloyd. I apologize for my earlier impoliteness, he responded, showing even more respect instead of anger. ¡°Mr. Flintstone, hello,¡± Shirley greeted Josef. Though she hadn¡¯t met him before, she had seen him on television. ¡°Miss Lloyd, I have some urgent matters to attend to. I¡¯ll be leaving shortly, and I¡¯ll leave Zach in your care. Thank you for your help.¡± Josef looked at her with a mixture of fondness and expectation. If his son could form a rtionship with her, it would be a valuable asset for his son¡¯s stability in political power. After all, his son was young, and despite his abilities, he had attracted some negative attention in his current position. ¡°Mr. Flintstone, please rest assured. I¡¯ll take good care of him, Shirley assured him. Josef nodded, then turned to pat Freddie on the shoulder. ¡°Freddie, you¡¯ve worked hard.¡± ¡°This is my duty,¡± Freddie responded. After seeing Josef off, her phone suddenly rang. She picked it up and was startled to see it was her father calling. She quickly walked to a quiet area before answering, ¡°Hello, Dad!¡± ¡°I heard from your great-uncle that you¡¯re currently looking after the vice president, Zacharias Flintstone. How did youe to know him?¡± Richard¡¯s voice was filled with surprise. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Shirley¡¯s heart raced and exined, ¡°Dad, we met a few times at some social events and became friends. It heard he got injured, and since I had some free time, I thought I¡¯de to take care of him.¡± ¡°Shirley, did you actively offer to take care of him?¡± ¡°Yes, I just wanted to show some concern,¡± she replied nervously. If her father found out about her impersonating Imogen during the internship, he would surely scold her. Chapter 2206 Don’t Jump to Conclusions Chapter 2206 Don¡¯t Jump to Conclusions Since Richard was always strict about discipline, he wouldn¡¯t allow Shirley to act recklessly. ¡°Alright! Since you¡¯re free over there, take good care of Zacharias. Ensure he makes a swift recovery, as he¡¯s needed to assist your great-uncle with work matters.¡± He supported his daughter¡¯s decision. ¡°Yeah, I know, Dad.¡± ¡°Your mom would like to speak with you for a moment After Richard finished speaking, a gentle voice came through. ¡°Shirley.¡± ¡°Mom, what¡¯s up?¡± Shirley felt a sudden rush of nervousness. Her mother wouldn¡¯t start prying, would she? ¡°Nothing. I heard you volunteered to look after Zacharias in the hospital. I was a bit surprised. Are you two just friends?¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯re just friends.¡± Shirley began to feel uneasy. ¡°Just friends?¡± Ang wasn¡¯t entirely convinced. As a woman, her intuition told her that her daughter¡¯s proactive care for Zacharias went beyond mere friendship. ¡°Mom, it¡¯s just friendship. Please don¡¯t jump to conclusions.¡± Shirley said seriously, wanting to put an end to her mother¡¯s wild spections. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s clear that you¡¯ve grown up, be responsible, and know how to care for people.¡± Ang let the matter rest. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll hang up now. Take care of yourselves! After speaking, Shirley hung up the phone, letting out a small sigh of relief.From N?velDrama.Org. Meanwhile, at the base¡¯s lounge, Ang hung up her phone. She asked her husband, ¡°Could our girl actually like Zacharias?¡± Richard understood his wife¡¯s implication and asked with a smile, ¡°Is that a problem?¡± ¡°Of course not; it¡¯s not a problem at all. I¡¯m just saying, our girl is still so young, but her taste seems pretty good.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but feel that their daughter was quite fortunate. Everything seemed very promising when she considered Zacharias¡¯ looks, family background, and prospects. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s look forward to it! It¡¯s about time for our girl to venture out on her own. We can¡¯t protect her forever,¡± Richard said. Ang also smiled. They only had this one precious daughter, and they had high hopes for her future. Shirley sat outside and chatted with Freddie, discussing their recent business trip. After learning her identity, he was cautious about sensitive topics, but otherwise, they had an open conversation. They talked about regional development and current affairs, and before they knew it, two hours had passed. She went in to check on Zacharias from time to time. When she went in again, she suddenly noticed his face was slightly flushed, and he was sweating profusely on his forehead. When she wiped the sweat, she discovered he had a dangerously high fever. She muttered, This is bad! He has high fever. Shirley pressed the nurse call button and went to the doctor¡¯s office. The doctor immediately came to check on Zacharias. ¡°Immediately start physical cooling for Mr. Flintstone,¡± the doctor said. At this moment, Zacharias, who had been sleeping all this time, woke up. The high fever made the corners of his eyes slightly red. His voice was hoarse as he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± ¡°You suddenly developed a high fever. Right now, we¡¯ll start with physical cooling for you,¡± the doctor exined. At the same time, a nurse was preparing the alcohol for cooling. One of the other nurses lifted his nket and unbuttoned his hospital gown. Shirley watched as the doctor and nurses worked frantically, her heart pounding. As the nurse with the cooling towel approached Zacharias¡¯ neck, he suddenly stiffened. He turned to the nurse ufortably and said, ¡°Give the towel to her. Let her help me with it.¡± Shirley was suddenly called out. She was a bit dazed but quickly understood. The nurse also blushed. Even though it wasn¡¯t the time to be blushing, the sight of Zacharias unbuttoning his shirt was still undeniably attractive to any woman. Under the doctor¡¯s guidance, Shirley took the towel and began to help Zacharias cool down. This time, he didn¡¯t feel ufortable, and he even rxed. ¡°Mr. Flintstone just took medicine, so we¡¯ll use physical cooling to lower your temperature for now. If it doesn¡¯t work, we¡¯ll resort to medication,¡± the doctor exined. They couldn¡¯t afford to be careless with Zacharias medication. Chapter 2207 It’s My Glass Chapter 2207 It¡¯s My ss Zacharias nodded. ¡°Let her do it. You can step out for now.¡± The doctor exchanged a few words with Shirley before leaving the room with the nurse. Inside the room, Zacharias reclined halfway, his slender neck slightly raised to make it easier for Shirley to wipe him down. His hospital gown was open, revealing the honey-colored texture of his skin. His defined chest and abdominal muscles seemed to merge seamlessly. Even though he was running a high fever, he still gave off a visual pleasure of strength and power. She diligently followed the doctor¡¯s instructions to help him cool down. However, what was this feverish man up to? Zacharias stared intently at Shirley from such close quarters, his gaze exuding a tant seduction. She was not just any ordinary girl; she had remarkable self-control. She focused solely on her task, ignoring the alluring charm in the man¡¯s eyes. She reached out to check the temperature on his forehead. He squinted, enjoying the touch of her hand. She breathed a sigh of relief as he finally started to cool down. Seeing that Zacharias continued to gaze at her, Shirley couldn¡¯t help but give him an annoyed re. However, his intense stare didn¡¯t make her feel offended. Instead, it made her feel like a valuable piece of art disyed for his admiration, which was an honor. Suddenly, he felt thirsty. He didn¡¯t ask her to fetch water for him, as there was already a ss of water on the nearby table. He reached out and grabbed it, bringing it to his lips to take a sip. Shirley realized what Zacharias was doing and hurriedly stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯t drink that; it¡¯s my ss.¡± ¡°After we¡¯ve already kissed, you¡¯re concerned about this?¡± He raised an eyebrow, unabashedly sipping from her ss. She looked at him speechlessly.. ¡°Besides me, has Cole also kissed you before?¡± His gaze shifted from the rim of the ss to her. Thinking back to when she said goodbye to Cole, Shirley did want to kiss him goodbye, but in the end, he only kissed her on the forehead. ¡°I¡¯m not telling you,¡± she said haughtily. Zacharias didn¡¯t need her to tell him. He still had pictures of them kissing on his phone. ¡°Give me another ss.¡± He handed her the ss. Shirley took it and poured him another ss of water. After he finished it, he instructed, ¡°Get Freddie in here.¡± She opened the door and called Freddie over, who entered with a briefcase in hand. Seeing that they still had work to attend to, she went outside. After a while, Freddie walked out and said. ¡°Miss Lloyd, Mr. Flintstone wants to see you.¡± Shirley went in again and saw Zacharias sitting with a stack of documents beside him. However, his right hand was temporarily immobilized. It was wrapped in bandages, and he couldn¡¯t move it. ¡°Bring me some paper and a pen,¡± the man instructed her. She found them and handed them over. She watched as he started to write with his left hand. Shirley couldn¡¯t help but be surprised and pondered, He can write with his left hand? She watched as he wrote his name on the paper, the strokes smooth and confident. Zacharias practiced his signature a few more times. Finally, he felt it was satisfactory. He told her, ¡°Open the documents for me. I¡¯m ready to sign.¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. She asked, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I call in Freddie to help you? I don¡¯t know which pages you need to sign.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you.¡± He still preferred her assistance. Shirley picked up the top document. She watched as Zacharias directed her to turn the pages, finding the spots that required his signature. With his left hand, he took the pen and signed his name quickly and decisively. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he had been left-handed as a child. Without saying a word, she acted as the tool to help him turn the pages. She stayed by his side until he signed all the documents, then returned them to the nearby briefcase. Then, she took it and handed it over to Freddie. Chapter 2208 Wash My Hair Chapter 2208 Wash My Hair When Shirley returned to the room, Zacharias suddenly made a request. ¡°Could you wash my hair? It¡¯s so itchy.¡± She was taken aback. She observed the man, who had been hospitalized since his injury. Considering his usual cleanliness, he must not have had a proper bath or washed his hair for some time. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get a basin of hot water,¡± she said. She fetched a basin of water, and he reclined on the bed. His striking face came into her view. With her palms, she scooped some water and dampened his ck hair. As her delicate fingers moved through his strands, it felt like a feather gently brushed against his heart. Zacharias lying posture exposed his neck, showcasing his seductive Adam¡¯s apple. His thin lips were slightly pursed, and his eyes, beautifully shaped and glistening, held a captivating radiance. He seemed like an enchanting male fairy. Shirley¡¯s gaze met his eyes briefly. Then, she nced at his slightly upturned lips. For some inexplicable reason, her heart skipped a beat. She wet his hair thoroughly, then started massaging it with her fingertips. His hair was exceptional- dense, glossy, and lustrous. Imitating the techniques used in hair salons, she gave him a thorough wash. At this moment, there was a knock on the door. Roy, who seemed to have something to report, pushed the door open. However, upon seeing the scene, he tactfully retreated and closed the door. Shirley quickly washed Zacharias¡¯ hair, then used a clean towel to wipe away any excess water. She took out a hairdryer and started blow-drying his hair. Throughout the process, he either enjoyed the sensation with half-closed eyes or kept them open, watching her. For him, it seemed like this injury had some unexpected benefits. At least he was receiving such intimate care from her. With his hair now dry and styled, he looked like he¡¯d shed a few years. Typically, he presented himself with an imposing presence and a stern look. Yet today, with his jet-ck hair falling gently over his forehead, he resembled a tamed tiger. ¡°Would you mind giving me a body wash tonight?¡± With his hair now clean, his greediness seemed to increase. He was beginning to feel ufortable all over now. However, he couldn¡¯t move his hand due to his shoulder injury, so taking a shower was also out of the question. He¡¯d undoubtedly feel better if someone could assist him with a wipe-down. I can discuss it with Captain Barlowe and have him assist you,¡± Shirley smirked. Zacharias face stiffened for a few seconds. ¡°Forget it,¡± he said finally, with reluctance. ¡°I want you to do it.¡± She simply ignored him. ¡°You should focus on recovery Under the current circumstances, it wasn¡¯t possible for this man to be overly concerned about cleanliness. Zacharias felt helpless Suddenly, he got up and started putting on his shoes. Shirley reached out to support him and asked curiously, ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°The bathroom,¡± the man answered. Her cheeks reddened as she mused, I should have known better than to ask. He didn¡¯t ask for her assistance. Instead, he went on his own. As she was about to rx a bit, there was a knock on the door, and it immediately opened. A tall, elegantly dressed girl in high heels entered the room, carrying a designer bag. Seeing Shirley, the girl narrowed her beautiful eyes. ¡°Who are you? Where¡¯s Zacharias?¡± Shirley was momentarily stunned. Zacharias had a visitor, and it was a young and attractive girl. She wondered if the girl was one of his admirers. ¡°May I ask who you are?¡± she inquired politely. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. However, the girl observed Shirley¡¯s attire and quickly identified her as a bodyguard. She asked first, ¡°You¡¯re Zacharias¡¯ bodyguard, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct. I¡¯m Mr. Flintstone¡¯s bodyguard, and my name is Imogen.¡± ¡°Where is he?¡± the girl inquired. ¡°He¡¯s in the bathroom. Please wait a moment,¡± Shirley replied, her tone polite. Just then, the bathroom door opened, and Zacharias, dressed in the light blue hospital gown, stepped out. Without a word, the girl hurried toward him. In the next moment, Shirley saw her hug the man affectionately. The girl was about to kiss him on the cheek when he pushed her away with his hand. Chapter 2209 Listen to Me Chapter 2209 Listen to Me Jesslyn, let¡¯s not cause a scene here,¡± Zacharias urged. ¡°I was so worried. After such a big incident, you didn¡¯t even tell me!¡± The girlined. She just noticed Zacharias injured arm and took a step back. ¡°Are you seriously hurt?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not dead,¡± he replied. Then, he nced at Shirley, who was silently observing. He cleared his throat. and said, ¡°Her name is Jesslyn Kurt, and she¡¯s my friend ¡°What friend? I¡¯m your girlfriend.¡± Jesslyn protested a bit too loudly. She looked at Shirley with a hint of arrogance, wanting to establish her position against this attractive female bodyguard. She pondered, Since when did he hire such a beautiful female bodyguard? I had no idea. Shirley smiled and greeted, ¡°Miss Kurt, hello.¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Could you please step out? We need some privacy,¡± Jesslyn said to Shirley. Shirley was more than willing to give them their privacy. She nodded and turned, opening the door before leaving. Zacharias gaze followed Shirley¡¯s retreating figure. There was a hint ofplexity in the depths of his profound eyes. Jesslyn assisted him, saying, ¡°Let me help you back to bed.¡± He scolded her, ¡°Jesslyn, stop acting out of ce in front of me.¡± She looked at him with some grievance. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°From now on, never mention that you¡¯re my girlfriend. You grew up in my house, so you¡¯re my Zacharias rified their rtionship. sister.¡± ¡°But we have no blood rtion! I¡¯m not your adopted sister, either. I just grew up in your house. We¡¯re like childhood sweethearts. I refuse to be your sister, Jesslyn retorted. He couldn¡¯t do much about her. In his heart, she was simply a sisterly figure. However, she didn¡¯t ept this identity. He hadn¡¯t made it clear before, but today, he realized how important it was to define this rtionship. At least it would prevent misunderstandings from arising. Meanwhile, Shirley sat outside the corridor, closing her eyes to rest. Her mind, however, couldn¡¯t help but ponder Jesslyn¡¯s intimate hug with the man just now. She pondered, What¡¯s the nature of their rtionship for them to be so close? Is this girl his girlfriend, perhaps? At this thought, she recalled his actions toward her these past few days. If Zacharias had a girlfriend, his behavior would be that of a scoundrel, Though outstanding, he didn¡¯t fare well in morality and personal life. Inside. 15 minutes had passed since Jesslyn entered. Shirley was thinking of using this time to take a short break Just then, her phone beeped, and she picked it up to see a message from him. It contained only two words ¡°Come in¡± She got up and entered the room Zacharias was sitting on the bed while Jesslyn looked at her in surprise ¡°What are youing in for? Didn¡¯t I say we needed some privacy?¡± Shirley clearly didn¡¯t follow Jesslyn¡¯s orders. She approached him and asked, ¡®Is there anything you need, Mr. Flintstone?¡± ¡°Send Jesslyn to the hospital entrance for me,¡± Zacharias said. Shirley was momentarily surprised and wondered, Didn¡¯t this woman just arrive? ¡°I don¡¯t want to go home. Zacharias, I want to stay here and take care of you,¡± Jesslyn insisted. She had made numerous calls just to get a glimpse of him.. ¡°Jesslyn, listen to me. It¡¯s not appropriate for you to visit me right now,¡± he said. ¡°Why? I worked so hard to get in, and you want me to leave after just a few minutes?¡± Her eyes welled up with tears. Zacharias nced at Shirley, signaling her to make sure Jesslyn left. Shirley had no choice. She turned to Jesslyn with a stern expression. ¡°Miss Kurt, Mr. Flintstone has a special situation right now and needs to rest. Let me take you back.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to. I want to stay.¡± Jesslyn insisted on staying to take care of him. ¡°Jesslyn, listen to me,¡± Zacharias said sternly. Chapter 2210 Does He Know? Chapter 2210 Does He Know? Jesslyn pursed her red lips, torn between wanting to assert herself around Zacharias and fearing to defy him. ¡°Fine!¡± she uttered while getting to her feet. With a reluctant expression, she picked up her bag and nced at the man on the bed, her eyes filled with lust. You¡¯re not allowed to shoo me off once your injury recovers, okay, Zacharias?¡± She had been abroad, busy with exams, and had returned only the previous night. He nodded, his primary concern being her departure. Shirley followed Jesslyn to the elevator. As they waited for the elevator, Jesslyn turned and scrutinized Shirley from head to toe. ¡°Are you Zacharias¡¯ bodyguard? Do you stick to him for 24 hours a day?¡± Shirley nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Jesslyn¡¯s eyes betrayed a cautious glint. She recalled Zacharias had never had female bodyguards before. Hence, she mused, I can¡¯t believe he found a slender, good-looking female bodyguard. This might not be good news. After all, he¡¯s a respected man. If she¡¯s interested in him, she could easily win him over. ¡°Well, I suggest that you focus on your job. Don¡¯t you daree up with any nasty ideas in that head of yours,¡± she uttered in a threatening voice. Shirley frowned. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it,¡± she replied. Jesslyn couldn¡¯t believe that this female bodyguard had been assigned to Zacharias. She suspected someone might have sent her to seduce him. ¡°I wasn¡¯t in the country previously, so you might not know who I am. However, we¡¯ll see more of each other from now on. I hope I¡¯m just overthinking it. I¡¯m not going to let you off the hook so easily if I find out that you¡¯re interested in Zacharias,¡± she warned in an unfriendly tone. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Shirley hadn¡¯t expected Jesslyn to be so arrogant. ¡°I¡¯m just doing my job,¡± she stated tly. The elevator arrived, and Jesslyn gazed at her reflection in the mirrored doors, stealing one more nce at Shirley. Shirley was dressed in a simple bodyguard uniform, while Jesslyn wore branded items and had a face full of makeup. Despite Shirley¡¯s in look, she didn¡¯t seem any less attractive than Jesslyn-in fact, she seemed more elegant and graceful than Jesslyn. Once Jesslyn stepped out of the lift, she turned to address Shirley. ¡°You don¡¯t have to walk me out. I know the way.¡± So, Shirley stopped and watched as Jesslyn walked away. She muttered, I don¡¯t like dealing with arrogant. women like her. She then returned to the elevator and went upstairs. It had been a long day for her, and she had been busy from morning till now, Roy walked over from the corridor and headed directly toward Shirley. ¡°The dining area is that way. You should grab some dinner, Imogen!¡± ¡°Thank you, Captain Barlowe. I¡¯ll head over soon,¡± she replied with a nod. ¡°Have you investigated the incident, Captain Barlowe? Who was the one trying to harm Mr. Flintstone?¡± He knitted his brows. He wasn¡¯t supposed to reveal such confidential information to others, but he could tell that the woman before his eyes was no regr woman. He wasn¡¯t even sure if Imogen was her real now. However, the one thing that he was sure of was that this woman was a trustworthy person. ¡°So far, the investigations show that the explosives had been purchased from some underground ck market. The suicide bomber was ate-stage cancer patient and a seemingly passionate individual. He wasn¡¯t d to see Mr. Flintstone on stage,¡± he exined. He added, ¡°However, it¡¯s unlikely that one person could have caused such havoc. We suspect that someone else might have been secretly directing that person to take action. This is all we have so far.¡± Shirley nodded. ¡°Thank you for letting me know.¡± Afterward, she returned to Zacharias¡¯ ward to find the man speaking on the phone. He turned his gaze to her when she hastily backed off and shut the door behind her. However, she still managed to overhear some part of the conversation. ¡°I want you to run a thorough investigation on that person.¡± Does Zacharias know the person who tried to harm him? She wondered as she stood at the front door. ¡°Come in.¡± Soon enough, the man inside the room ordered her to enter. Shirley pushed the door and stepped in. ¡°Have you sent Jesslyn to her car?¡± Zacharias asked with one eyebrow raised. Chapter 2211 An Interview Chapter 2211 An Interview ¡°No. Miss Kurt didn¡¯t want me to send her off,¡± Shirley replied. ¡°Jesslyn is father¡¯s friend¡¯s daughter. Her parents got into a car crash and passed away when she was young, so my family took her in. I¡¯ve always treated her like a younger sister,¡± Zacharias exined while looking into her eyes. ¡°I see,¡± she replied with a nod. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What do you see?¡± he asked with his gaze narrowed. He wanted her to rify herself. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t care about your rtionship with Miss Kurt. You don¡¯t have to exin anything to me,¡± Shirley replied. Zacharias was momentarily taken aback but then let out a soft scoff. ¡°Of course, I have to exin things. to you.¡± ¡°No. Your don¡¯t,¡± she rebutted. ¡°We¡¯ve kissed each other, after all,¡± he stated hesitantly Shirley corrected him in a rather hostile tone. ¡°That was forced. I didn¡¯t consent to it,¡± she replied. Zacharias raised his eyebrows and confidently countered, ¡°We still kissed.¡± The room started to feel warmer as she bit her bottom lip, gazing at him. ¡°I¡¯m going to get dinner,¡± she said after a while. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± After finishing his sentence, he threw the sheets aside and tried to get out of bed. Shirley quickly stopped Zacharias when she saw how careless he was with his injuries. ¡°You¡¯re not. supposed to get out of bed when you¡¯re in this condition.¡± ¡°You can bring our dinner into the room, then. I want you to eat with me,¡± he said. He wouldn¡¯t have much appetite if he had to eat alone. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll bring your food over. She had no choice but to obey him. She headed to the dining area. Even though it was just catered food, they had a surprisingly wide variety of options. She got a meal for the man before she brought it to his room. Then, she set up overbed table and ced the food before sitting beside him. While Zacharias had his meal, he asionally stole nces at Shirley. She eventually got rather annoyed at his sneaky actions and red back at him. Soon enough, he finished his meal. She cleared the table and brought the empty tes out. After returning to the room, she found the doctor checking Zacharias¡¯ temperature. The man seemed to be burning up again. ¡°You should pay attention to your temperature, Mr. Flintstone. You have to let me know if you realize you¡¯re getting feverish again,¡± the doctor said. ¡°Okay,¡± Zacharias replied with a nod. After the doctor left, Shirley held her palm out to feel the man¡¯s forehead. He was indeed warmer than before. At that moment, Freddie knocked on the door before rushing in. ¡°Mr. Flintstone, there¡¯s an important. interview that you have to show up for tonight. I¡¯m afraid the public might suspect something if you don¡¯t.¡± She stepped back as Freddie pulled an iPad to show Zacharias what he meant. There was an international news report that had Zacharias¡¯ name in it. Someone raised their suspicions about him. being in an ident, so he had to show up to dispute the rumors. Zacharias knitted his brows after reading the report. ¡°It looks like someone is forcing you to show yourself, Freddiemented. ¡°Take me to my office,¡± Zacharias muttered in a deep voice. ¡°We only have half an hour until the nightly news stream. Will we have time?¡± Freddie asked. ¡°We¡¯ll have to hurry,¡± Zacharias replied. ¡°Miss Lloyd, we¡¯re rushing to head back to the office. You¡¯ll have to arrange for the staff members to get us there,¡± Freddie uttered as he turned to look at Shirley. ¡°But¡­ he¡¯s having a fever,¡± she replied worriedly. She knew Zacharias wasn¡¯t supposed to leave the hospital when he was in such a state. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. Let¡¯s go.¡± Upon finishing his words, Zacharias pulled the sheets aside and looked at her. ¡°Bring my clothes over.¡± Shirley pulled a set of clothes from the wardrobe, and he ordered everyone to leave the room. ¡°Your shoulder is injured, so you¡¯ll need help to get dressed. Please help Mr. Flintstone, Mr. Hurst,¡± she uttered. Freddie was d to help, but Zacharias stopped him before he could do anything. ¡°Freddie can leave. I want you to stay,¡± Zacharias told her. Shirley eyed Zacharias speechlessly. Freddie was a quick-witted man-he hurried out of the room without having to be told twice. Zacharias already had his cks in his hands by then, so she hastily turned around. She could feel her heart pounding as she heard the sound of the man putting on his pants. This was soon followed by the sound of his belt. ¡°Turn around,¡± he ordered. Shirley did as she was told and walked over to help Zacharias remove his shirt. Both his wounds were fresh, and they seemed like they would reopen if he made anyrge gestures. His condition would certainly worsen if his wounds were to be torn open. Chapter 2212 Protect Her Chapter 2212 Protect Her Shirley lifted a shirt and helped Zacharias to put it on. Given his injuries, he couldn¡¯t manage the buttons, so she stepped in to help. Naturally, this required her to stand close to him while buttoning his shirt. As she worked, she sensed his gaze lingering on her. Seizing a moment when her attention was diverted, he lightly pressed his lips against her forehead. ¡°Quit fooling around,¡± she chided, looking annoyed. ¡°I don¡¯t fool around when I¡¯m with others, but I can¡¯t help myself when I¡¯m with you,¡± he replied yfully. He seemed utterly shameless whenever he was around her. After buttoning his shirt, she helped him put on his vest and coat. Before leaving, she brought an extra jacket in case he got cold and needed it. By the time they left the hospital, Roy had already arranged for more than ten bodyguards to be on standby. To maintain secrecy about Zacharias¡¯ whereabouts, all the surrounding lights were turned off as a tall, slender figure stepped out. Shirley was about to get into Zacharias car when he stopped her. ¡°You can take the car behind mine.¡± ¡°Why?¡± she asked. ¡°No reason.¡± He gestured for Roy to sit beside him after that. She had just shut the car door and was about to leave when Freddie spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t you know the reason, Miss Lloyd? Mr. Flintstone¡¯s trying to protect you.¡± Shirley¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she understood what Freddie meant. If the criminals managed to track Zacharias and targeted his car, it would be unsafe for her to stay with him. He was genuinely trying to protect her by having her take a different vehicle. She hurried to the next car, her chest tightening, hoping nothing terrible would happen again. Once Zacharias¡¯ car drove out of the hospital grounds, another six cars trailed behind him. The line of cars seemed especially grand as they all made their way to his office. Eventually, they arrived safely at their destination. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. She hopped out of her car and hurried over to Zacharias before entering the lobby with the rest of his bodyguards. Once they got into the building, he ordered her and a few other bodyguards to follow him while the rest of the men stayed downstairs. The filming crew was also on standby. Zacharias had to record a 15-minute-long interview. Shirley watched as a staff member hurried over to fix his hair. He didn¡¯t need much more than that-his complexion seemed exceptionally healthy and radiant because of his fever. Meanwhile, Shirley, Roy, and other bodyguards stood behind the cameras. They watched as Zacharias, who had just regained consciousness that morning, spoke energetically. He answered the interviewer¡¯s questions and exuded his usual charismatic aura. Even though 15 minutes wasn¡¯t a long time, Zacharias suit ced a lot of pressure on his shoulder injury. Shirley knew how bad this was for his wound, and she couldn¡¯t help but clench her fists when the interviewer bombarded him with questions. Her gaze was filled with worry as she looked at the man. He could sense her concerned gaze on him from the corner of his eyes. He nced over in her direction just for a few seconds. She noticed a slight frown forming on the corner of his lips. The interviewer didn¡¯t know anything about what had happened to Zacharias. She didn¡¯t know that the man who had rushed for the interview was injured. She only received orders to do the interview at the veryst minute, and she wanted to get to know the man more, so she added a few extra questions that the public was curious about. When Shirley saw how the interviewer kept pestering the man, she strode over to a spot where the interviewer could see her before she held her hand up and gestured for the interviewer to stop. The interviewer froze for a moment before she hastily asked a final question to wrap things up. Zacharias pressed his brows together. The injury on his shoulder started hurting as he had been in the same seated position for too long. Right then, he felt a pair of slim but strong hands holding onto his left shoulder and helping him up. ¡°Please send the interviewers off,¡± he uttered while looking at Freddie. Freddie immediately started to clear the space, and soon enough, Shirley and Zacharias were the only two people left in the office. Once they were left alone, he leaned most of his weight against her shoulder. Chapter 2213 Work With Me Chapter 2213 Work With Me ¡°It hurts,¡± Zacharias uttered in a whiny tone. ¡°Where does it hurt? Stand still, and let me look at your wound,¡± Shirley replied, her voiceced with. concern. The man stood upright as she reached over to remove his suit and vest. Then, she slowly unbuttoned his shirt. His breath quickened, and he sounded increasingly breathless. He was simply too aroused by the woman¡¯s actions as she removed his clothes. ¡°Seems like you¡¯re getting used to undressing me,¡± he teased. She red at him and thought, Is he still in the mood to joke around? His injury probably isn¡¯t too severe, then! Nevertheless, as she examined the wounds on his back, fresh bloodstains seeped through his bandages, causing her to gasp at the sight. She could only imagine how much it must hurt but was also impressed. by his pain tolerance. ¡°It looks like your wounds have reopened. We have to head back to get them treated in the hospital. You shouldn¡¯t wear such tight clothes for now,¡± Shirley uttered. ¡°So, you expect me to walk out naked then?¡± Zacharias asked yfully. ¡°You¡¯d freeze to death.¡± She raised an eyebrow. The temperature was warm in the building, but the weather outside was around four to five degrees. ¡°You do care about me, huh, Miss Lloyd!¡± He chuckled. ¡°Well, it¡¯s my duty as a friend,¡± Shirley replied tly. Then, she handed him his coat. ¡°Put this on until you get to the hospital!¡± Zacharias took the coat over and carefully put it on, ensuring not to apply too much pressure on his wounds. ¡°The ce is cleared. You may go down now, Mr. Flintstone.¡± Roy entered the room to give them an update. With the rest of the man¡¯s clothes in her hand, she walked out of the room with him. Again, she the car behind Zacharias, and they returned to the hospital. After arriving at the hospital, the doctors hurried over to tend to Zacharias¡¯ wounds. Shirley stood by his side, but when she saw fresh blood oozing from his injuries, she turned her face away, unable to bear the sight. Surprisingly, the man didn¡¯t make a sound, even as the doctor cleaned his wounds. She bear the sight. Surprisingly, the man didn¡¯t make a sound, e couldn¡¯t help but think that he was indeed quite brave. The doctor¡¯s forehead glistened with beads of sweat as he finished tending to Zacharias¡¯ wounds. ¡°Mr. Flintstone, please try not to apply any more pressure on your wounds if possible,¡± the doctor urged. ¡°Alright. Thank you,¡± Zacharias replied with a nod. The doctor wiped his sweat off before leaving the room. Shirley noticed a thinyer of sweat on Zacharias¡¯ forehead, so she handed him a tissue. ¡°Here. Wipe your sweat. ¡°You can help me with that,¡± he suggested. ¡°Isn¡¯t your other arm perfectly fine and functional?¡± she retorted. ¡°Are you not my bodyguard?¡± he retorted. She was left speechless, and she had no choice but to wipe his sweat off for him. As she did so, the man reached his hand out and held on to hers. ¡°I¡¯m so d you were with me,¡± he uttered as he turned to look at her. ¡°It¡¯s my job,¡± Shirley replied, pulling her hand away. ¡°What are you nning to do after your three-month internship?¡± Zacharias asked curiously. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t have anything nned out yet,¡± she replied. Her father hadn¡¯t passed her any missions so far. Zacharias was somewhat concerned-he was worried that he wouldn¡¯t be able to see her anymore once she no longer had to show up for her job. ¡°Why don¡¯t you stick around and work with me?¡± he offered. ¡°I can offer you high pay.¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I don¡¯t need the money,¡± Shirley replied with a smile. My mom¡¯spany has more than enough of that.¡± He wished he had another way to keep her around. Suddenly, he found himself hoping for time to slow down for the next three months. Right then, Shirley¡¯s phone chimed with a new notification. She scrolled through her messages while standing by the bed, and her eyes lit up when she saw that it was a message from Cole. ¡®I heard Mr. Oswald mention your name. Are you taking care of someone in the hospital?¡¯ Cole asked. She felt her chest tightening after she read his message. She hadn¡¯t told Cole that she was interning with Zacharias. Suddenly, arge hand reached out to snatch her phone. Shirley panicked and instinctively reached out to grab the person¡¯s arm. However, she realized Zacharias had used his injured arm to reach for her phone. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!